Da Long Lost Relatives (Hoo and Hp fanfic)

The Third Task (Part 2)

Harry POV

Mid-sprint, I ran into someone blindly. I stumble backwards, nearly falling over into the hedges. 

"Ouch." I mumble, rubbing my head. Then I look over to see who was in my way. "Percy! Cedric!" I exclaim in surprise. 

"That's us." Percy replies, unfazed by running into me. 

"Nice to see you Harry." Cedric greets. 

"You too." I say, my wand. I see Percy holding his sword, and cock my head to the left. "Does Cedric kn-"

"Yep." He interrupts. "Ced here's a demigod himself- son of Hecate" I blinked in surprise before shaking my head. It was like I was immune to feeling shocked at this point. 

"Alright then." I replied, pursing my lips. "When did you guys meet in the maze?"

"Percy encountered a boggart." Cedric says casually. I see Percy go pale. 

"I don't like those things." Percy admits with a wince. 

"You're not supposed to." The other demigod rolls his eyes. "That's sort of the point."

"What was yours anyways, Percy?" I ask hesitantly. Percy stiffens, and immediately changes the topic. 

"Have you seen the cup anywhere, or-" He stops short when a bright red stream of sparks shoots into the evening sky. I gulped. I didn't want to know what made the person on the other side of the maze give up. "Who-" Percy was cut off once again as a bundle of roots sprouted from the ground, and engulfed Cedric in coils of dark green and thorns. He gasped and attempted to move from the tight hold as they began to squeeze him harder and harder. 

"Cedric!" Percy calls out. He pulled out his sword, and desperately tried to cut the bonds, to no avail. His gleaming sword went straight through them, as if the weapon was nothing but an illusion. He lifted his arms and pulled water from the surrounding air before turning it into a sword and once again trying to slice the coils.

"Cedric!" He yells again, grabbing the ropes, trying to break them with his hands. "Harry! Do a spell or something!" I shook my head out of my terrified daze, and pointed my wand towards the green. 

"Reducto!" I say. If anything, it only made the bonds tighter. Cedric let out a strangled yelp. 

"P-Percy..." He whispers, his voice sounding scratchy and painful. "Tell Cho that I..

.." He coughs. "I'm sorry." Cedric stopped writhing around, and the roots disappeared.

"NO!" Percy screams, shaking Cedric's lifeless body. "CED, WAKE UP!" I saw tears streaming down his face. I felt tears brimming in my eyes as well. "CEDRIC!" His voice cracks. "I can't lose anyone else." Percy whispers, voice barely audible. 

Percy POV

I wipe the tears from my face. 

I had done it again.

Failed. Failed one of my friends in their time of need, giving them an untimely trip to Hades. I didn't deserve to live.

"Come on Percy." Harry says softly. 

"I-I can't." I whisper back in response.  "I-" My sentence is cut short by the tall leafy hedges shifting and moving around. Closing in. Harry pulled me to my feet, and I ran aimlessly after him, my mind not drifting from the lifeless corpse of Cedric. How could I have let this happen?

Suddenly a bright blue light appeared a few meters in front of me, and I shield my eyes. My vision refocused, and my eyes widen.

It was the winners cup.