Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [4]

⚡️ Chapter 70 ⚡️

The maze was growing darker with every passing minute as the sky overhead deepened to navy but Vega and Harry continued to make their way deeper into hedges – until they reached a second fork in their path. Vega stopped Harry from walking ahead blindly and held out her wand ahead to say –

'Point Me'

Vega's wand spun around at once and pointed toward their right – straight into a solid hedge. That way was North, and Vega knew that they needed to go Northwest for the centre of the maze. And the best they could do right now was to take the left fork and go right again as soon as possible.

"I just want this to be over," Vega mumbled. "Whether we find the Cup... or someone else. Surely, we will be having a grand feast tonight, won't we? I'll introduce you to my cousin,"

"Are you seriously still thinking about food?" Harry asked, a bit exasperated but also felt some of his tension seep out at the girl's light-hearted chatter. "There must be a feast planned,"

The path that the two of them had taken now was also empty – and when they finally reached a right turn to take it, they found that their way was blocked. The obstacles in their way was now getting onto Vega's nerves the more that she walked along with Harry. It was like being in a forest – so much quietness and lack of obstacles could only mean that there was something dangerous was lurking not far from them, and the maze were luring them into a false sense of security.

All of a sudden, there was movement behind them and Vega whipped around, her wand at the ready to attack, with Harry right behind her with his own wand – but the beams of their wands fell only upon Cedric, who had just hurried out of a path on the right-hand side of the hedges.

For some reason, Cedric looked severely shaken. The sleeve of his robe was smoking.

"Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts!" Cedric hissed to their inquiring looks. "They're enormous – I only just got away!" He shook his head and dived out of sight, along another path

"In that case, we must get out of here," Vega said as she grabbed his arm and started to pull him away from there, wanting to be as far away from Skrewts as possible. "I don't want to fight them,"

As they turned yet another corner, they came to face with the sight of a Dementor gliding toward them. Twele feet tall, its face was hidden by its hood while its rotting, scabbed hands outstretched toward them – more and more as it advanced, sensing its way blindly toward their direction.

Even from here, Vega could hear its rattling breath clearly, and she didn't want to fight it either. But it seemed like that she didn't need to do that either as Harry stepped ahead with his wand –

"Expecto Patronum!"

A silver stag erupted from the end of Harry's wand and galloped toward the Dementor, which fell back and tripped over the hem of its robes. Vega was stunned – Dementors didn't do stuff like that.

"Wait, Harry, I don't think it's a Dementor," Vega said. "It's a boggart – look!" She raised her wand to aim at the 'Dementor' that was still getting onto its feet. "Riddikulus!"

There was a loud crack, and the shape-shifter exploded in a wisp of smoke. And the silver stag faded from sight. Vega let out a sigh, relieved that there were no actual Dementors – but she also realised that Dumbledore would not allow them into the castle after the infestation they had just last year.

It was not suitable for them to stay put for long so they moved on, as quickly and quietly as they possibly could while also listening hard. Vega kept her wand ahead in case they were attacked.