The Girl who Survived (Fred Weasley)

CH. 40 Blinding

~Cedric's POV~

Twisting and turning. Walking cautiously, but diligently. The maze was just that, a path of confusing twists and turns. Clouded by a thick fog and nearly no light. But as a man on a mission I had to push through. Get through this and it would all be over. The Tournament, I'd be the champion of champions, the first in a hundred years. I'd have eternal glory, 1000 Galleons, I'd have made my father proud, and I'd win my girl back.

I wasn't sure if the maze was helping me or tossing me around. If I walked one way, it would shift so that the way I had just proceeded through would close off. Did that mean that there was nothing left for me in that direction? Or was it another challenge? A challenge within a challenge? Is this what Dumbledore meant about us not losing our heads when we were in here? But giving up wasn't an option. The end was so close I could just about taste it.

I saw a flash of red sharks shoot up into the sky, and then burst into a fragile red firework. It gave of the most subtle light, not enough to lighten up the dark, or clear up the fog. But enough to bring clarity to my mind. Someone had decided to pack it in. While unfortunate for them it worked in my favor. Now I only had to race the other three to the cup.

It provided me with a burst of energy. The realization that there were still three more champions in here with me. There were still three champions I needed to beat to the cup to have my victory. To complete my list and let this be over. Leave it behind like a sick and twisted boggart prepared to haunt me for the foreseeable future.

No.

No time to think about that now. I needed to push forward.

I took off in a bit of a run till I reached a fork. To my right didn't seem right, perhaps too dark. I rounded the corner and turned left. Another fork. But one of the paths looked brighter than the other. The more I looked at it the more I realized it was actually the same amount of light and it looked like it only proceeded straight with no fork in sight. I turned to go the opposite way, but the walls began changing again, pushing me towards the long straight path. I turned to my side so I could fit through and made it out just in time for a wall to form behind me.

A gust of wind flooded through. I couldn't tell if it was wind or the walls shifting again, so I just kept moving. I rounded another corner and saw Viktor. He raised his wand to surely throw a jinx at me. I saw Harry emerge from an opening where he would be in the way of whatever Krum threw my way.

"Get down!" I shouted at Harry. "Get down!" He was still Elodie's brother. And now was not the time for us to all be dueling each other. I couldn't understand what Krum shouted as a Jinx flew out of his wand and into the walls of the maze where I was crouched behind. "Expelliarmus!" I shouted and watched him fly back with a flash of blue light.

I stood from where I was and ran over to kick his wand from his hand ensuring that he was disarmed. I wasn't sure if he would get up or not, but if he was out of the way then I only had to beat Harry to the cup, and it'd all be over. I raised my wand not sure what charm I could use, but I had to do something.

"No! Don't! Stop!" Harry shouted as he tried to push me away. "He's bewitched, Cedric! He's bewitched!" He said

"Get off me!" I told him as I shoved him away from me.

I turned and started running in the direction I had seen the light from the cup shining through, but Harry was right on my heels. We kept pulling and shoving each other as we moved in the same direction both trying to surpass each other. I turned another corner, and there it was. It was mesmerizing.

"Yes," Harry said. I'd completely forgotten he was right next to me.

We took off in another sprint again, toe to toe trying to surpass each other. The maze didn't seem to be done with us quite yet. Roots began raising from the ground trying to trip and grab at us as the walls began swatting branches at our faces. I was almost to the point where the earth wasn't moving when one root raised higher and grabbed me by my knee pulling me to the ground.