Lucinda Evans - still in progress

Chapter 15 - The Third Task

When we arrive at the Quidditch pitch we go and look for a good place to be seated. The field was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge runs all the way around the edge of it. There's a gap right in front of us: the entrance or exit to the vast maze I presume. The passage beyond it looks rather dark and creepy if you ask me. 

"Well look who we have here," we hear a voice say from behind us.

"We didn't expect you to come and sit with us Hogwarts supporters," an almost identical voice says. 

The three of us turn around and see the Weasley twins behind us. They both have huge smiles on their faces. 

"Looks like I'm better company than their schoolmates," Ernie jokes. 

The twins look at him with narrow their eyes and look at him. "Who are you cheering for?"

"Hogwarts." Ernest doesn't seem taken back. I guess he was expecting the question.

"We're supporting for Harry, if you want to know. We did buy his ticket," I try to enlighten the mood since the twins a still scanning Ernie and Mer is too shy to say a thing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each — Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause send birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points — Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place — Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!" Only a few people, including us, are applauding politely.

The first whistle goes and Harry and Cedric enter the maze. After only a few steps they were almost invisible to us since the long shadows and the sun who was setting made it too dark in there to see anything more than a silhouette. When the second whistle goes Krum enters the maze, though he doesn't seem like his normal self. At the third, it's Fleurs time to enter, who does with great hesitation while she keeps looking back.

"Well, this is just as much to watch as the lake challenge. We can't see a bloody thing what's happening in there! How disappointing," Ernie complains. He's right though, we wait twenty minutes before we hear a scream, easily recognized as one of Fleurs, before red sparks are sent in the air. Looks like she gave up.

Mer gasps suddenly and takes my hand. I look around to see if anybody noticed but everybody is busy chatting and discussing the outcome. 

"Lucinda, you are not going to believe what I just saw," horror is written on her face. Mer is rarely scared so it has me worried.

"What did you see?" I question her while I examen her eyes to find out what she's hiding.

"Not here," she takes my hand and pulls me away.

"Hey, where are you going? It hasn't finished yet," Ernie asks confused.

"We need to go to the bathroom. Ladies stuff," I say quickly and that seems to scare him off.

"We need to speak to my father immediately. This is bad," Mer says, still pulling me behind her.

"Mer we're out of the crowd. Can't you tell me now?"

She stops abruptly and faces my way, terror is written all over it. It must be something really awful.

"Tell me. How bad is it," I demand her.

"The person who entered him into the Tournament sabotaged the Cup tonight. They turned it into a Portkey..."

"And we can't tell the organizers since we don't know if maybe one of them did it," I finish. This is indeed very bad. "Did you see where it took him?"