Fleur De Lis

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Growling in frustration Harry whipped his wand in a circular motion blasting apart the hedges that would lead him into the next area. It had been nearly an hour since they entered the maze, and he had obliterated every obstacle in his path. He had not seen or heard any of the other champions since the start of the task, nor could he detect the magical signature of the cup. The maze was saturated with magic at every fundamental level overwhelming even his acute abilities.

Voldemort and his followers had entered his brother into this tournament, and if there was going to be a desperate final play to get to him then tonight would be their last chance. Harry wanted to believe that stopping Moody before the first task would have been enough, but a small part of him feared that they had missed something critical along the way.

The scream of a familiar female voice had the older boy ripping through the maze faster than it could reform. It took him longer than he would've liked, but when he arrived at the source of the screaming, Aimee was under a body bind curse and being wrapped up by Devil's Snare. With quick and decisive spell work Harry freed the girl with a blast of light. Her eyes were wide with fear as if she expected him to attack her, but instead, he waved his wand over her body allowing her muscles to relax, "Merlin's mercy, Harry. I thought the Devil's Snare was going to get me. Someone hit me from behind, but I didn't see who."

Taking a deep breath feeling his adrenaline begin to slow down a bit he sighed, "Must have been one of the Bulgarians. My brother wouldn't have attacked you from behind."

"Nor would Fleur. I am going to withdraw. I fought with a sphinx earlier, and it used legilimency on me. It wasn't a pleasant experience, and after that encounter...this isn't worth my life." Aimee explained not looking him in the eyes.

The silence of the maze had Harry pondering what he should do next. The thought of eliminating all the champions was suddenly quite attractive. At the very least he could subdue all of them, and finish the task without ever giving Voldemort or his followers a chance to act. With Aimee already out his main concern would be finding Fleur and Justin to ensure their safety. At the same time, however, he did not want to allow the Bulgarians to win. Their arrogance of attacking his back on Valentine's day was still a fresh agitation on his mind, but he could also concede that such a petty grudge was not the life he would go the furthest to protect.

Aimee was looking at him expectantly, and he realized she had said something to him, "I'm sorry what was that?"

The girl shook her head, "I just said thank you for saving me. I didn't want to believe all the things they were saying about you."

"You shouldn't read everything you read in the papers," Harry said with a slight grimace.

"I do not believe Fleur would be with a murderer," Aimee admitted.

"I didn't murder Marcus Flint or Igor Karkaroff. You have my word on that. Though I have killed many others. Some were cowards hiding behind a mask. Some were out to harm my family. Some were even attempting to subject Fleur to a fate worse than death. However, none of them were innocent."

A hard moment of silence fell over the two before Harry spoke again, "I believe this whole thing has been a setup since my brother's name came out of the Goblet of Fire. I won't lie to you, I am worried about what happens next."

"It is for that reason I will withdraw. I have seen the power of those that are in this tournament, and now realize why the Goblet did not choose me. Good luck, 'Arry Potter. I hope you can find the others and keep them safe." Without even a final glance toward him, she raised her wand and fired red sparks into the air.