In Between Two Worlds (HP/PJO Crossover)

Chapter 149: Flesh, Blood, and Bone.

I felt my feet slam into the ground; my injured leg gave way, and I fell forward; my hand let go of the Triwizard Cup at last. I raised my head.

"Where are we?" I said.

Cedric shook his head. He got up, pulled me to my feet, and we all looked around. I pulled out the full sized sword out of my pocket(extension charm).

Cedric looked shocked for a second. Harry didn't react. He's learned to expect me pulling weapons out of random places on my body(small knife in my shoe heel and daggers on each thigh. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. You gotta be prepared).

"Get behind me." I muttered.

"What? No." Cedric said. "Your injured."

"Cedric I got mauled my a hellhound, broke my leg-the bone was sticking out too-and then managed to kill it. I think I'll be fine." He didn't argue. He and Harry got behind me and I held the sword out in front of me.

We had obviously left the Hogwarts grounds completely; we had to have traveled miles - perhaps hundreds of miles - for even the mountains surrounding the castle were gone. We were standing instead in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the black outline of a small church was visible beyond a large yew tree to our right. A hill rose above us to our left. I could just make out the outline of a fine old house on the hillside.

Cedric looked down at the Triwizard Cup and then up at Harry and me.

"Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkey?" he asked.

"Nope," we said. I was looking around the graveyard. Looking for anyone. It was completely silent and slightly eerie. "Is this supposed to be part of the task?"

"I dunno," said Cedric. He sounded slightly nervous. "Wands out, d'you reckon?"

"Yeah," I said. "A sword can only do so much against a spell."

Still holding out my sword I pulled my daggers out of their holsters on my thighs. I handed one to each boy. "I'm case you need them. Hold them like this." I showed them the proper hand positioning. I had already taught Harry, so it was mostly for Cedric's benefit.

I kept looking around us. I had, yet again, the strange feeling that we were being watched.

"Someone's coming," I said suddenly.

Squinting tensely through the darkness, we watched the figure drawing nearer, walking steadily toward us between the graves. I couldn't make out a face, but from the way it was walking and holding its arms, I could tell that it was carrying something. I handed Harry my sword and pulled out Sunbeam. It would be the most helpful at a distance. I took out an arrow and notched it. Ready to release at a moments notice. Whoever it was, he was short, and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up over his head to obscure his face. And he clearly wasn't friendly.

Several paces nearer, the gap between us closing all the time - I saw that the thing in the persons arms looked like a baby...or was it merely a bundle of robes?

I glanced sideways at Cedric and Harry. Cedric shot me a quizzical look. We all turned back to watch the approaching figure.

It stopped beside a towering marble headstone, only six feet from us. For a second, Harry, me and Cedric and the short figure simply looked at one another.

And then, without warning, my head exploded with pain. It was agony such as I had never felt in all my life. Harry collapsed to the ground next to me. I have no idea how, but I managed to stay standing. Still keeping my arrow notched.

I heard a high, cold voice say, "Kill the spare." I released the arrow.

"Reducto!" The figure said. The arrow exploded. "Crucio!"