Ivy Potter, Year Four | Raised By The Malfoys

Chapter Fifty Two: Run

           After dinner, Mr. Bagman escorted the champions to the Quidditch pitch. We were under the stadium and the stands were being filled by all the students. I could hear our band playing above us. Cedric stayed behind with me and we shared a kiss together.

          "No matter what happens in that maze, promise me that you'll be safe," he said and held my face in his hands.

          "I promise. Please promise me that you'll be careful, too," I said as I brushed his hair from his face.

          He kissed me again, "I promise. I love you."

          "I love you too, Cedric," I said and kissed him once more.

          It was time for us to head out to the crowd. Cedric came out first and his father stood proudly with him. Fleur came out next and she stood with her headmistress. Viktor followed her and he stood with his headmaster. Harry and I came out together and we were with our designated Weasley family members. The champions gathered in a huddle with Professor Dumbledore and he warned us that the maze will play tricks on us and we may find ourselves changing with it. Should we be in grave danger, we would have to send a flare to be rescued. I looked at Cedric and we nodded to each other. Cedric was in first place and he went into the maze. Harry and I stepped into the opening and we turned back to see Mad-Eye pointing to our right before the maze sealed itself shut.

          "Nake, snake. Cobra, cobra. Aitrosnepres," I casted quickly.

          Harry and I linked arms and we used Lilyth to go ahead of us. I would watch Harry's back and he focused on the front. It was maddeningly quiet. It was unnerving.

          "Harry?" I asked.

          "Yeah, Ivy?" he replied.

          "You know I love you right, brother?" I asked.

          "You're my sister and I love you, too," he said.

          Lilyth came back and gave us the best directions as she was finding many dead ends. From behind, a gnome was charging at me and I quickly stunned it as Harry was battling a dementor. I took the gnome by it's legs and spun around before I threw it over the hedges. The twins would've been so proud. Luckily, the dementor was just a Boggart and we started to move faster. As we came across a Blast-Ended Skrewt from one of Hagrid's classes, I heard Fleur screaming.

          "We need to move," I said as the maze behind us started to close off the exits.

          Harry took my hand as we ran and we crashed into Viktor. The momentum of us running knocked Viktor and I into another section of the maze and Harry was left on the ground behind us. I ordered Lilyth to stay with Harry. As I looked up to Harry, the maze sealed shut.

          "Harry! Are you ok?" I yelled through the hedge.

          "I'm alright! Just follow the maze ok? I'm going to start running!" he yelled back.

          Viktor was shaking his head and started to get up. I stood up and was about to run when Viktor tackled me from behind. He got me on the ground and I thrashed about. What the hell?!

          "Viktor?!" I cried out.

          I rolled onto my back and he mounted my thighs. Quickly, he was pulling back his fist to punch me as I planted my feet flat on the ground and bridged my body to throw off his balance. It worked and I suddenly dropped my hips, and then bridged as high and as hard as I could to get him off me. I shrimped out and got on my knees. Without giving him a chance, I tackled him by his waist to the ground. I brought my wand to his face.

          "Lumos," I said, out of breath.

          His eyes were glazed over and he stared at me like an empty husk. What the hell? Something isn't right. He didn't seem interested in me anymore. Was he hexed?

          "Ivy?" Cedric asked from the end of the maze.

          Viktor rolled his head back and saw Cedric. My attention was distracted since I looked at Cedric and Viktor easily shoved me off of him. He charged towards Cedric. He's taking out the competition!

          "He's under a spell! Run!" I screamed.

          Cedric stood his ground and pointed his wand at Viktor, "Stupefy!"

          Viktor was stunned and collapsed on the ground, unconscious. I used his wand to send a flare for rescue. Cedric checked my body and I was a little sore from being tackled by the 'greatest seeker in the world'. Cedric and I ran together, holding hands, and I caught a glimpse of Harry dealing with some cornish pixies with Lilyth when we came to the opening at the center of the maze. Suddenly we both fell forward together. Deadly Snare was wrapping around our feet and up our legs from under the hedges behind us.

          "Lumos Solem!" I casted.

          We got up quickly and turned a corner to be greeted by a beautiful golden sphinx. The claws on her front paws were the same ones that could have scratched Charlie's face. She gave us a riddle to solve. We can pass if we get it right or we'll be attacked if we answer wrong.

          Her riddle was: First think of the person who lives in disguise, Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies. Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend, The middle of middle and end of the end? And finally give me the sound often heard, During the search for a hard-to-find word. Now string them together and answer me this, Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?

          Person in disguise that tells lies? A spy? The middle of middle and end of the end? Middle is a five letter word and the middle letter is 'd' as the end of 'end' is also 'd'.

          "Cedric, what do you think?" I asked.

         "Er..." he said sheepishly.

          I kissed him, "Oh, you brilliant boy!"

         The sphinx looked at me, "Your answer?"

          "Spider," I said confidently.

          She flicked her tail and granted us safe passage. We ran towards the center now and we saw the cup, but Harry was nearby dealing with an Acromantula. Cedric ran to help him and he stunned it away. Before they could thank each other, I shoved them both to the ground. I fell beside Cedric and screamed in pain. A second Acromantula was practically eating my leg off above my left knee. Lilyth immediately constricted the spider and bit into it, shocking it with her fangs. Cedric and Harry both carried me over my shoulders. Lilyth wrapped herself around my left thigh to stop the bleeding a little. The glowing Goblet was in front of us and we agreed to grab it as a group. I kissed Cedric's cheek but he kissed me in front of Harry. Harry and Cedric reached for the cup together.