Unmitigated - HP Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Dominance

Time had passed since the Yule Ball. The second task took place, and finding out that my brother and best friend were... "Hostages" freaked me out more than anything. Now the Third and final task was tomorrow, and I couldn't be more nervous for Harry than I am right now.

While Harry was off studying with Hermione, Ron was with Dean and Seamus, Daphne was in the library writing a letter to her parents and Draco was off doing whatever he does with Crabbe and Goyle, I got and went looking for Petar, Millecent or Tracey. I literally had no idea where they were.

I searched the great hall, the common room, the dorm room and all of outside the outside the castle on the school grounds. While I made my way to the middle courtyard, I smacked straight into someone's... big.... hard... chest.
I gulped and blushed looking up at whom I ran into.

"I-I'm sorry." I felt my face heat up more. "I w-was just... just--"

Cedric laughed. Damn my teen girl hormones. "Looking for someone?" He asked.

I couldn't bring my mouth to work so I just nodded. "So am I. You haven't seen any of my friends have you?"

I shook my head and forced my voice to come back. "Have you seen any of mine?"

He smiled a warm smile. "No sorry. Do you want to do something together then?" Oh Merlin does he know how make a woman swoon.

And of course, my response was stuttering. "S-sure" Damn it.

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After talking to Cedric for 15 minutes, I had finally calmed down. We were sitting down in the middle courtyard while Cedric told me about the time he tried to run away when he was seven.

"So when I left I took my dads work briefcase and packed 4 packets of Bertie Bots and a shirt. Nothing else." He laughed.

"Where did you go?" I asked smiling.

"The corner of our backyard. I stayed there until I heard lightning and ran back inside. Not before I ate all of the Bertie Bots though." He stopped smiled at the memory.

"What did your dad say?"

"He didn't notice. I was only gone half an hour, and he was writing an important letter to the Ministry." He started laughing. "Tell you want though, I came back with the biggest stomach ache." I laughed.

When he laughing died down I looked at him seriously. "Are you nervous about the final task tomorrow?"

His smiled faded and looked down at his hands. "Um, I guess in some ways I am, but other than that I'm alright. It's just a lot of pressure, especially from my dad."

I furrowed my brows. "I wish I could say I understand, but I don't. My dad ignores me half the time. He makes me feel like a burden."

"I'm sure he cares—" I cut him off.

"Oh he does. It's not that, it's just... I'm the odd one out. I guess in a way that pressures me too. All of my family, as wacky as they can be, are completely normal compared to me." I look down.

"Why are you the odd one out?" He asked.

I look at him like his brain just fell out of his head. "Your kidding right? Hello!" I pointed to myself. "I'm a Slytherin! And let's not pretend you don't know about my 'gift'." I air quote.

Cedric shook his head. "That doesn't necessarily mean you're the odd one out, it just means your special. You still have the Weasley's features. Red hair, good sense of humour and passion for magic and sticking to the people you care about."

I looked at him with a smirk. "Why does it sound like you've been studying my family's history."

He looked away. "Well I did read a bit on the Weasley's somewhere in my dad's library."

"Creep."

"But it's only because I was going through many long wizard family trees. Weasley's happen to be one." He defended.

I looked at him curiously. "What else did you find on my family?"

"That your grandmother had the same 'gift' you hold." He air quoted, mocking me.

I smiled and looked down. "Yeah. I keep trying to find a book about the curse seeing as though apparently I'm not the only one who has or had it. But I can't find anything. I think it's because only three of my female ancestors had it, or there were more and they didn't tell anyone." I learnt this when I went to the Black family home last break and looked up some of my old relatives.
"That and the fact that 'He who shall not named' tried to get my grandmother to join his army." I looked at Cedric's clenched jaw line. "I guess I'm just afraid."

"Of what? It's not like he's coming back." He said quickly and defensively. I looked down. "It's not a curse Ella. It isn't hurting anyone."

I looked up again, eyebrows furrowed. "I don't just communicate with wolves.." I said honestly, looking forward. "I can control them. I can even control werewolves. And when I'm around any type of wolf, I-I'm.... stronger... better. I have the senses of a wolf. I can't hear and smell better. And it's becoming a bigger danger each day. And I can't tell any of my friends or family because they won't understand." I didn't tell him about me being able to turn into a wolf. I think what I just told him was enough.

"Why are you telling me then?" He asked curiously.

I thought about it. "I honestly don't know. Something tells me you're the best person to tell at the moment I guess."

He nodded. The put his hand on my arm, making me look at him. "Nothing is going to happen Ella. There's nothing to be afraid of."

I nodded. "I really need to talk to someone. So thank you for being that person."

He smiled and let go of my arm. "What are friends for?" I smiled back.

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The next I woke up late and realised I might not get a chance to see Harry before the task started. So I ran through the corridors searching for him before he left for the tournament. I ran towards the northern towers because it was the closest part of the castle to the quidditch pitch where the final task is being held.
Instead, once again I ran into Cedric.

"We really have to stop meeting like this." He joked.

"Maybe if you stopped stalking around the castle with your fat chest getting in my way, we would meet in a less painful way." He rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Oh ha-ha. Maybe if you stopped running around like a mad woman we would meet under different circumstances." I smiled.

When I looked at his face I noticed he had bags under his eyes. "Trouble sleeping?" I asked.

His smiled disappeared and he looked at me in a daze. I could tell this task was stressing him out to the worlds end. When he didn't respond, I moved forward and wrapped my arms around him in a tight embrace. "You'll be okay. It will be okay." But even when the words left my mouth, I didn't believe them myself.

We stood there hugging for 10 more seconds until we pulled away. "Listen, I have to go find Harry but be careful, seriously. I'll be wishing you luck."

He nodded. "Thanks El." I smiled in response and turned around jogging off.

After searching Harry for 5 more minutes, I finally found him about to walk into the room where the champions were meant to meet before the task. "Harry!" I yelled. He turned around and spotted me. I sprinted up to him and almost tackled him into a hug.

"I thought I wasn't going to see you before you left and I started freaking out when I couldn't find you—"

"Ella."

"And then I ran into Cedric and that was more time lost and—"

"Ella!"

"So I thought if I didn't wish you luck and you got hurt—"

"ELLA!" I stopped babbling and pulled away.

"Sorry." I apologised.

He laughed. "Breathe Ella, it's fine. You just caught me. You can stop panicking. Now breathe" I listened and took a deep breath. "Are you alright now?" He asked smiling.

I nodded. He brought me in for another hug. He squeezed me closer and I kissed his forehead. "I want you to promise me you'll be careful." I said with as much seriousness I could form. "I won't know what to do if anything happened to you. Your just as much my brother as Ron is, so promise me you'll watch out."

"I promise."

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Everyone was clapping and cheering when Harry and Cedric walked into the maze at the same time. But I was still. My heart was pounding out of my ears and my stomach made it's way toward my throat.

"He'll be okay El." Ron tried to soothe. But my mind wouldn't ease. I know the last tournament will be the hardest and it made me want to throw up.

Cedric started for the maze first, as Harry slowly made his way in the entrance. Cedric turned around and smiled one last time before running off inside. Harry walked in slower and turned around when the leaves started closing up his entrance. And in the last second I saw him before he disappeared, I saw only one emotion in his eyes.

Fear.

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It had been almost an hour since the crowd had seen any of the champions. And with every passing minute, the more worried I became. To take my mind off of the missing champions, I looked around the crowd. I saw Millecent and Tracey bickering about who would come out first, I saw Fred and George throwing sweet and a frustrated Ginny, I saw Daphne and Petar standing together (While looking I spotted Petar's hand twitching and making it's way towards Daphne's hand.) and then I spotted Draco standing with Crabbe and Goyle. And as if feeling my gaze, Draco looked up at me and smiled. And by doing that, my nerves calmed a little.
Suddenly, a red spark was sent into the sky. Meaning, one of the champions had been withdrawn from the task.

3 minutes later, Fleur was pulled from the maze with stunned expression. She had scratches and bruises on various parts of her body and her clothes were covered in dirt. Her dishevelled look made my heart speed up again.

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More time had passed. Then, all of sudden, I had this gut wrenching feeling. Something wasn't right.

"Ella?" Ron put his hand on my shoulder. My head started spinning. "Ella, are you okay?"

I shake my head no. "Something..." I paused. "Something is wrong."

Ron looked more alarmed now and Hermione looked at me in worry. "What do you mean?"

"Something's happened." My hands start shaking.