HP • Legilimency | 𝐍. 𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐅𝐎𝐘

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡

─────▕⃝⃤─────

The towering hedges cast dark shadows over the path, and perhaps because they were so tall and dense, or because they were enchanted, the noise of the spectators surrounding them silenced the moment she entered the maze. A few minutes later, she heard a second whistle. Harry and Cedric were approaching.

Astria drew her wand, murmured "Lumos," and then quickly followed the path for about fifty meters until she reached a fork and chose the left one.

She heard Bagman's whistle a third time. Krum had just entered the maze. She hurried on. The path she had chosen seemed completely deserted. She turned right and continued quickly, holding her wand above her head, trying to see as far as possible. Nevertheless, there was nothing in sight.

Bagman's whistle sounded in the distance a fourth time. All the champions were now inside the maze. Astria couldn't stop looking back. She had the familiar feeling that someone was watching her. The labyrinth was getting darker with each passing minute as the sky above turned navy blue. She reached a second fork.

"Guide me," she whispered to her wand, holding it flat in her hand. The wand made a complete turn and pointed to the right, toward the massive hedge. That was the north, and she knew she needed to head northwest to reach the center of the maze. She would do better to take the left path and then turn right as soon as she could.

The path ahead was also empty, and when she reached a right turn and followed it, she found the path clear once again. Astria didn't know why, but the lack of obstacles was starting to make her nervous. Surely she should have encountered something by now? She had the feeling that the maze was luring her into a false sense of security.

She felt someone's presence, knew she wasn't alone; her bones vibrated. Then she heard movement right behind her. She raised her wand, ready to attack, but her light beam fell on Harry, who had just emerged from the same path.

"How did you advance so quickly?" She asked in shock.

"I've been running non-stop since I entered," Harry smiled. But then another noise came from the right, and both of them raised their wands.

It was Cedric, looking quite shaken. The sleeve of his robes was smoldering. "Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts!" he hissed. "They're huge, I barely escaped!"

"Merlin's beard," Astria and Harry said at the same time before laughing.

Cedric shook his head and disappeared from sight down another path. Interested in putting some distance between himself and the Blast-Ended Skrewts, Astria looked at Harry and playfully stomped on his foot before running ahead, resuming her pace.

Harry was close behind, cursing her.

She ran as fast as she could to gain an advantage. Then, as she turned a corner, she saw it.

A Dementor glided toward her. Three and a half meters tall, its face hidden by the hood, its rotten, ulcer-covered hands extended forward, blindly groping toward Astria. She heard its rattling breath, felt a sticky coldness envelop her, but she knew what she had to do... She summoned the happiest thought she could, focused with all her might on the thought of leaving the maze and celebrating with Narcissa, Draco, the Tonks ─ Astria smiled, thinking of her family. She raised her wand and exclaimed.

"Expecto Patronum!" A silver leopard burst from the tip of Astria's wand and charged fiercely at the Dementor, which recoiled and stumbled over its robes...

Two things happened at the same time that made her freeze: First, her Patronus was a leopard, exactly like Narcissa's Animagus form. Second, Astria had never seen a Dementor stumble before.