Can't Catch Me Now / Severus Snape

89. Lose You Too

"Earlier today Professor Moody placed the tri-wizards cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position. Now as Mr Diggory..." the crowd cheered at his name. " and Mr Snape tied for first position they will be the first to enter the maze. Followed by Mr Krum..." The bulgarian crowd went nuts. "And Ms Delacour. The first person to touch the cup will be the winner. I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter, if at any point should a contestant wish to withdraw from the task he or she need only send up red sparks with their wands. Contestants, gather round."

"In the maze you'll find not dragons or creatures of the deep. Instead you'll face something more challenging. You see, people change in the maze. Oh find the cup if you can, but be very weary you could just lose yourselves along the way." Albus told the champions.

"Champions! Prepare yourselves." Moody demanded.

"Be careful, you stay alive, no matter what. You dont need to win this thing." Lilith reminded him. "I just need to see my baby boy at the end of this." Harry nodded hugging her. 

 Lucius Malfoy came up to severus, talking in hushed voices with Severus. Severus noted that Lucius was very excited. Before lucius headed off, telling Severus to be ready.

"Lilith." 

"Keep Harry out-" Lucius began but they set off and it was too late. 

"He will be fine." Lilith assured. "He is smart." 

"Lilith, there were more of them than I expected." Lucius remarked. "When you take him down, you take them all down. It won't be easy. It is too late to stop, there is no turning back, everything is about to change."

"I didnt expect it to be easy, but I found for pieces of him. I just need three more." Lilith countered. 

"What?"

"Seven pieces, i kill those then when he comes back- true I thought it would take you longer but I will make due." lilith assured feeling a tightness in her chest, then a wetness between her legs as pain shot through her. 

"SEVERUS!" Lucius called out. 

"MOMMY!" Aria shouted. Severus kept lilith on her feet as her legs threatened to give out. 

"What's going on?" Lucius questioned before noting the blood between her legs. "The stress  was too much, this was a bad idea, we need to stop this." Lucius begged. 

"You said it yourself," Lilith whimpered. "It's too late to stop it."  

On the evening of 24 June, the champions were tasked with traversing an imposing 20-foot-high maze full of obstacles, creatures and riddles. Little did Cedric Diggory's fellow students or family know that this would be the last time they would see him alive. Cedric and Harry made it to the center of the maze and both clutched the Triwizard Cup as joint winners. But instead of enjoying a double victory for Hogwarts, the pair were thrust into unexpected danger. 

"Are you alright Snape?" Moody questioned, he nodded. It was a terrifying experience. But he was alright he just wanted his mother but he didnt see her in the crowd. "Does it hurt?"

"Not so much now." Harry assured. "Where is my mother did you see her?"

"I'd better take a look at it." Moody countered and he took harrys arm, the snake and skull marking visible.

"The cup was a portkey. Someone had bewitched it." Harry informed him.

"What was it like? What was he like?"

"Who?" Harry questioned.

"The dark lord. What was it like to stand in his presence?" Moody demanded.

"I dunno. It was like I'd fallen into one of my dreams. One of my nightmares." Harry said nervously. Mad-Eye started shaking and struggling for air, he reached for his bottle but it was empty. He rushed to a chest with other bottles and struggles to find one. Harry watched him confused.

"Were there others? In the graveyard, were there others?"

" Um. I don't think I said anything about a graveyard Professor." Harry corrected taking a step back.

"Do you have it?" ALbus countered. Severus held up the bottle. "THen lets get down there."

"Whats going on?" Lilith begged sitting up in bed.

"Go without me." Severus countered. "I can't leave lilith-"

"You go and get harry." Lilith commanded. "I'm fine, bleeding out but I'm fine." 

"Lilith-"

"Save my baby." Lilith begged. "We can't save this one, go get harry."

"Marvelous creatures dragons aren't they? Do you think that miserable oaf would have led you into the woods if I hadn't suggested it? Do you think Cedric Diggory would have told you to hold the egg under the water if I hadn't have told him first myself? Do you think Neville Longbottom the witless wonder could have provided you with gilliweed if I hadn't have given him the book that led you straight to it? Huh??" Moody snarled.

"It was you from the beginning. You put my name in the goblet of fire. You bewitched Krum. But..." Harry rasped.

"You won because I made it so Snape. You ended up in that graveyard tonight because it was meant to be so. And now the deed is done. The blood that runs through these veins runs within the dark lord. Imagine how he will reward me when he learns that I have once and for all silenced the great Harry Snape."

A flash of magic blasted out and Mad-Eye was knocked into the wall. Dumbledore and Severus come rushing in. Dumbledore takes Mad-Eye by the neck. 

" Severus..." Albus says slowly. Severus administered some veritaserum. Mad-Eye wriggled demonically. "Do you know who I am?"

"Albus Dumbledore." he answered. Severus looked to a frightened harry. 

"Are you alright Harry?" Severus questioned, he could only nod. 

"Are you Alastor Moody? Are ya?" Albus questioned.

" No."

"Is he in this room? Is he in this room?" Albus questioned the moody imposter nodded. "Harry get away from there!" 

Dumbledore approached the chest. The chest opened, it contained a series of smaller chests. When the final chest was open they saw that there's a pit within holding a man the real Alastor Moody. Severus glanced down.

" Are you alright Alastor?" Albus called down.

"I'm sorry Albus." The real moody whimpered.

" That's Moody, but then who's...?" Harry whispered confused.

"Polyjuice potion." Severus agreed as albus held up one of the bottles.

"Now we know who's been stealing it from your store Severus." Albus agreed. "We'll get you up in a minute." He added looking down to Moody.

"You are okay, right? He didnt hurt you?" Severus questioned. 

"Your arm Harry." Albus demanded. Severus watched the mark on his arm, the same one on severus, a shiver ran through him at the sight, this wasnt what they wanted.

"You know what this means don't you?" Barty Jr questioned looking between them. "He's back. Lord Voldemort has returned."

"Send an owl to Azkaban, think they'll find they're missing a prisoner. " Albus agreed.

" I'll be welcomed back like a hero." Barty agreed.

"Perhaps. Personally I've never had much time for heroes." 

"Dad where is mum?" Harry begged. 

"Come on." Severus led him to the infirmary, lilith was pale and weak, tears in her eyes as she held harry. 

"This is all my fault, I'm so stupid." 

"This isnt your fault." Harry countered. 

"I thought I could handle him... I wasnt fast enough. What if I can't catch him and I lose you too?"