32

Igor himself took over the DADA classes. His experience of losing his arm and Harry replacing it had injected an abundance of joy into him and it bled through into his teaching. His classes were soon a favourite amongst the students of the three schools.

Soon the end of the year approached and with it the final task. A maze littered with various traps and creatures with the Tri-Wizard Cup at the end.

But the Champions had a plan. Actually Cedric had the plan and the others had agreed to it. It was time to end this farce of a tournament the quickest way possible.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the final task of this farce known as the Tri-Wizard Tournament." Xander announced. Bagman was sulking in the corner having been told he would not be doing the announcing.

"The Idiots That Be have decided that our Champions would traverse this maze of twelve foot high hedges. They didn't take into account that no one would be able to see anything." Xander glared at Crouch and Bagman who glared back.

"But our good friends from France have again provided us with cameras with which to watch. We have cameras over the maze." He indicated the various flying carpets hovering above. "And our Champions have agreed to wear cameras mounted on headbands… except Harry who is likely to blow his up if he uses too much power." This got a chuckle from the spectators who by now were all aware of what the Boy-Who-Lived could do.

"The Champions have asked to enter the maze together, and, considering the cock-ups of the previous tasks, we are allowing it… well, most of us are." Crouch was livid, but Xander was all for annoying the man. He was sure he was party to his sons escape from Azkaban, but the Ministry was protecting him.

"So… that's it. Champions, in your own time." Xander said as he stepped off the podium and shot into the sky to join the others who would be monitoring the task.

"Right, we all remember the plan?" Cedric asked they quickly huddled up.

"Cedric, even Gabrielle remembers the plan." Fleur scoffed.

"I'm fairly certain Neville's toad remembers the plan." Harry added.

Cedric just scowled and turned to Viktor who was trying not to laugh. "Got anything to add?" He asked mildly irritated.

Viktor's face fell quickly into a serious expression. "Vhat vas the plan again?"

Cedric looked ready to strangle Viktor but suddenly realised the crowd could see and hear them as they were laughing at their antics.

Cedric just sighed and marched over the starting line as the others trailed behind him.

"And they are off ladies and gentlemen." Bagman began. "Surely we'll see some spectacular stuff tonight."

Xander had not wanted to commentate so he had allowed Bagman to handle that aspect. He still didn't like or trust the man.

"Does anyone else find it weird that in a world full of supposedly powerful wizards, they seem to find a small group of teenagers spectacular?" Harry asked.

"He's English Harry. He's never seen a volcano erupt, dragons in full flight, men on the moon or anything else like that." Fleur said dismissively.

"Right, thanks for that Fleur." Cedric said a little snidely but without malice. "Maybe next year Headmaster Harris can set you up with a new class, 'Life Outside Britain'."

Unfortunately for Fleur, Xander thought that was an excellent idea and had Hermione write that one down.

"Shall ve begin, or spend some more time chatting a foot over the starting line?" Viktor asked.

Cedric drew his wand and cast the Point Me spell. He held it out to for Harry to see. Harry lined up his diamond hand along the wand and then adjusted it to the left by a few degrees.

"Everybody take a step back." Harry warned.

From Harry's hand a red beam exploded forward blasting through the first hedge, the second hedge, the third hedge and further before the forest could be seen beyond. Cedric tapped Harry's shoulder and the beam stopped.

The four champions peered through the tunnel Harry had carved through the maze. Several hedges away a blast-ended skrewt was seen collapsing to the floor with a familiar hole through its body.

There was silence amongst the crowds.

"Oh now that's just not Quidditch!" Bagman half whined.

Harry and the others started heading through the holes in the hedges, occasionally there would be a trap such as Devil's Snare, which was quickly incinerated.

"Hold up." Harry said coming to an abrupt halt in front of an area of white mist. "There is a lot of magic in this section."

"Go around?" Cedric asked.

"I can't see the edges."

"Under?" Viktor asked.

"I can't tell if it goes underground, but it seems to be moving through the leaves of the hedges." Harry mused.

Viktor crouched on the ground and conjured a rope. He tied one end around his waist and handed the other to Cedric.

"I vill go in, if I have trouble, pull me out."

Cedric nodded and wrapped the end around his arm.

Viktor took a deep breath and walked slowly into the mist. The second he did, he found himself disorientated. He had no idea which way was up.

"It is a Confundus Field!" He called over his shoulder.

Durmstrang included survival training in its curriculum, this meant learning how to survive without magic and survive in hostile magical environments. Viktor knew that if he kept putting one foot in front of the other he would emerge on the other side.

It was slow going, but five minutes later and he was through. Fleur conjured a 6 foot pole that Harry embedded into the ground and Cedric tied the rope to it. Then they each grabbed the rope and used it to guide them through.

"Gabrielle would have loved that. She often goes on the rides at the magical theme parks that involve being confounded like that. I hate them." Fleur shuddered.

"What's a 'theme park'?"

"Oh Cedric. You poor deluded Brit." Fleur smirked.

"Hey!" Harry objected. Viktor was just snickering away.

"During the summer your family and Cho along with Viktor and his family can come with mine and Harry's family to Canada. We'll show you the true wonders of the wizarding world." Fleur said as she began leading the way through the hedges.

"Do they have dragon preserves there?" Harry asked excitedly.

"Not exactly, but there are dragon colonies."

"Romania is the only preserve in Europe. Most of the wor-"

"HALT!" Viktor was rudely interrupted by a huge sphinx.

"Hey! I was listening to him!" Harry protested.

Fleur and Viktor were quickly pulling Cedric and Harry back, they knew just how dangerous they could be.

"If you wish to pass you must answer my riddle. Answer correctly and I will move aside. Answer incorrectly and I will attack. Walk away and I will do nothing."

"A riddle? You mean like what creature walks on four legs in the morning, two during the day and three at night? Man?" Harry asked furrowing his brow.

The sphinx was shocked. "You know one of my riddles?"

"Everyone knows that riddle!" Harry stated with a roll of his eyes.

The sphinx huffed. "Regardless, I have many more. The offer stands."

At this point Cedric stepped forward.

"Ah, you wish to test your wits, young one?" The sphinx asked with a strong whiff of superiority.

"Erm… no. I have a counter offer." Cedric grinned causing the sphinx to frown and deflate slightly. "You stand aside and we pass peacefully. You attack and… well, you see this huge hole in the maze, and the dead skrewt down the end there?" He asked pointing through the hedge as the sphinx twisted its neck to see where Cedric pointed.

"Well, Harry did that… you attack and you'll be lucky if that's all that happens." Cedric shrugged with an impish grin.

Back in the stands the crowd waited with baited breath as they braced themselves for untold carnage. Xander on the other hand was laughing his arse off.

The sphinx turned to look at the young boy who claimed the smaller boy had caused such devastation.

"This child has that much power?" It asked sceptically.

Cedric turned to Harry. "A little demonstration."

Harry gestured for the others to gather around. "Everybody shield your eyes… spectators too, dad you have thirty seconds before I light this place up." He whispered.

Back in the stands, Xander teleported to the podium. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please cover your eyes. Harry is about to perform a Lumos spell at strength. The first time he did this he literally blinded everyone in the room until the school healer could fix us." Xander then buried his eyes in the crook of his arm whilst most of the Hogwarts did as well, the other spectators followed suit, there were a few who where stupid enough not to.

"I call your bluff young travellers." The sphinx snarled as it prepared to attack.

Seeing the other Champions cover their eyes tightly Harry raised his diamond hand letting his power flow through it and lighting up the entire grounds of Hogwarts.

"Clear." Harry stated loudly.

"What have you done?" The sphinx demanded. "Why is it black as night?"

"Harry just blinded you. I guess someone will be along later to fix your eyes." Cedric said as he strolled past the disorientated sphinx.

At this point the sphinx began to curse in various languages. Xander cut the audio temporarily, the stands were filled with children after all.

Eventually, after passing through several empty passages in the maze, Xander turned the sound back on. They had reached the fallen skrewt and were working together to levitate it out of the way, Harry was sure he could hear Hagrid bawling his eyes out from the stands. They were now within 100 meters of the centre of the maze.

The final stretch was uneventful, aside from an Acromantula that Viktor casually banished with his wand. They found themselves standing in front of the Tri-Wizard Cup.

"I vonder vhat vould happen if four Champions vere to touch it at vonce?" Vikor mused.

"I don't think any of us should touch it." Harry frowned. "I think there is teleportation magic on that thing."

"Maybe it is supposed to take us out of the maze." Fleur offered.

"I refuse to touch anything that will take me somewhere I don't know." Harry said with a hint of defensiveness that caused Fleur to pull him into a hug.

"The task vas only to get to the cup. Nothing about exiting the maze." Viktor mused as he rubbed his chin. "I vould say ve have accomplished this task."

"Agreed." Cedric said as he transfigured a clump of dirt into a box. He attempted to levitate the cup into the box but it wouldn't respond.

"It must have protections on it." Cedric mused, "We can't use magic on it."

Harry just chuckled. "Dad always says that if you can't use magic on something, use it on its environment." He turned to the box Cedric had transfigured and levitated it upside down and over the cup. He then flipped the box so that the cup toppled upside down into the box.

"Hmm, gonna have to remember that." Cedric grinned. "So… we walk back? Or can we get away with teleporting?"

"We teleport. As Viktor stated, we have accomplished the task." Fleur said decisively.

"Harry, would you do the honours?" Cedric asked.

Harry just shrugged and they found themselves standing back at the entrance to the maze.

"But- but- but-" Bagman seemed to be stuck in a stunned loop for some reason so Xander shoved him off the stage.

"Congratulations Champions!" Xander announced as he began clapping. Fortunately the students of the three schools caught on quick and joined in which eventually dragged in the various adults.

"WAIT! STOP!" The crowd quickly quieted as Crouch stormed down to the pitch with a Sonorous on. "The tournament is not over until one of the Champions holds the cup in his hand."

"Or hers!" Fleur said indignantly, but she was summarily ignored by Crouch.

"There are charms of some sort on the cup." Harry said quietly. "Transportation charms."

"There is no such thing!" Crouch spat. "Perhaps you should leave such speculations to those wiser than you."

Harry and the Champions bristled at this but Xander just smirked and vanished.

"Well? Are you going to pick it up?" Crouch demanded.

The four Champions exchanged a look. "No!" They chorused.

Crouch looked ready to bust a vein when Xander returned with Professor Flitwick.

"Ok Filius, Harry says there are transportation charms on the cup, Crouch denies it and has basically insulted Harry by saying he is too young to understand these things." Xander scowled.

"Preposterous!" Filius squeaked indignantly causing Crouch to smirk smugly. "If there is one type of charm that young Harry should be intimately familiar with by now, it is transportation charms. You do remember what happened to him the last time he encountered one… don't you?" He demanded as he rounded on Crouch causing the man to back up a step in shock.

"I- Yes! I recall the boys insane claims that You-Know-Who is back! There is absolutely no evidence to support that."

"What about the dead Death Eaters?" Cedric demanded angrily as he stepped slightly in front of Harry, shielding him.

"Those poor men were upstanding citizens who obviously thought Potter was in trouble and tried to lend aid… look what that got them!"

"Very well, if you are so insistent that Lord Gryffindor is wrong, prove it!" Filius said as he levitated the box over. "Take the cup yourself!"

Crouch sputtered for a second before he recovered. "Only a Champion can touch the cup before the task ends!"

"Devils snare, a Sphinx, an Acromantula and a creature vhich spouts fire… and that vas vhat ve encountered on our short cut… vhat vould you do if ve all died? Who vould touch the cup then?" Viktor demanded heatedly.

Crouch seemed to struggle with a response for a few seconds before he visibly calmed himself.

"Quite right Mr. Krum." He said politely. "I shall just apply the counter-charm." He said as he drew his wand.

Quick as a snake he sent green light hurtling towards Harry, but Cedric jumped at Harry tackling him to the ground and taking the curse in the back. Screams echoed throughout the stands.

Xander immediately began throwing up conjured slabs of metal between the Champions and Crouch.

Harry was under an inert Cedric who he pushed off of him quickly. Harry was intimately familiar with the green curse. He saw it in many of his nightmares since the Dementors had shown him the death of his mother. A quick check of Cedric's jugular and the lack of pulse confirmed Harry's fears. Cedric was struck by the Avada Kadavra.

Harry froze. He had lost so much. His mother, his father, his childhood, his hand… and now his friend. He snarled, a hint of his dragon sounding through. He snapped his head to Viktor and Fleur who was just standing there staring at him and Cedric in shock. Behind him he could see Xander was engaged in a fight with several other wizards, the occasional green curse being cast.

"Help Dad!" He ordered sharply. "NOW!" He roared when neither moved.

With Xander now having reinforcements, Harry turned back to Cedric's body. As far as Harry was concerned, nothing was absolute. Not even death. Just ask Xander and Joyce.

Harry immediately began CPR. He would have appreciated a second pair of hands and even a little phoenix help, but they were hopefully helping Xander by now.

Since Harry had met Xander, he had gained two mothers, a new father, some of his childhood and the power and ability to do many wondrous things.

Harry kept breathing air into his lungs and pumping Cedric's heart.

Well now he was going to make sure he kept his friends. Cedric was well loved in the school, he was capable of being everyone's friend. The school would be devastated at his loss, not to mention his parents and Cho. Cho had been one of the ones who now looked out for Luna in Ravenclaw since Penelope had graduated, not to mention all the other new intakes. Harry was sure that Cedric wouldn't go out with Cho if she was a bad person, and she was always very nice around others, even when Cedric wasn't there. He wouldn't let her down either.

It wasn't working. He kept breathing and pumping, but Cedric remained unresponsive. Harry knew he was running out of time. There was one last thing that Dan had taught them that might work. Electric shock.

Harry had seconds to figure out how to generate an electric shock. He held up his diamond hand and focused magic into it. Behind him the sounds of battle continued, the screams of the crowd were also still going.

The white light of the magic glowed in the palm of his hand. He focused on lightning, what it looked like, how it moved… but most of all he just willed it to be just like lightning.

And then the magic changed, the white glow became tinged with blue and the glow faded as lines of magic began snapping up and down randomly. Soon the entire hand was encompassed with arcing lines of electricity.

Harry used his other hand to vanish Cedric's top and then he placed his hand over Cedric's chest and lightly pushed a small amount of electricity into Cedric.

He checked his pulse. Nothing.

Harry pushed more electricity, this time for a fraction longer.

He checked again. Nothing… but then a faint almost indefinable pulse.

Harry tuned his eyesight into the magic and could see Cedric's core beginning to glow. Harry checked Cedric's breathing but there was nothing. He quickly began to repeat CPR for a few rounds and then checked the pulse.

Nothing. Harry pulsed a fair bit more electricity into Cedric, he checked the pulse.

Stronger, gaining speed.

Cedric's chest began to rise and fall.

Cedric was finally breathing on his own. His body lived. Harry only hoped that his soul had also returned. The Killing Curse was said to rip the soul from the body. It said nothing about destroying it. Hopefully the soul hadn't gone too far before Harry had revived his body.

Harry vanished from Cedric's side and returned with Dan and Emma who were a little disorientated having just been trying to help keep the pupils they had sat with calm.

"Cedric was hit with the Avada Kedavra I used CPR and electricity and he is now breathing, but I don't know if he will be ok. Stay with him." Harry ordered.

Harry took a few steps back and conjured a wall. A wall of diamond, he just hoped it would protect the three of them.

He turned to look at the battle. He could now see why it hadn't ended already. Crouch had been joined by hidden Death Eaters. They wore robes and masks and they had entrenched themselves into the stands. Some were firing disruptive curses into the crowd, distracting the Aurors, Goblins and Werewolves on duty, the rest were attacking Xander, the other judges and the Champions.

Harry could see that Xander was trying to go for the kill. He had a gun in one hand and was casting with the other. The Death Eaters had taken a page out of Xander's tactics book and conjured walls of granite.

They clearly hadn't been able to master conjuring metal which didn't explode when hit with a Reductor or Killing Curse.

But Xander could only conjure one wall.

Harry knew they needed at least some of them alive to root out the problem. He knew of one sure-fire way to do that.

Xander had reacted automatically to Crouch's curse by throwing up a wall of metal between Crouch and the Champions, but the initial volley had slipped past and Cedric had bourn the brunt. Xander was now crouched behind the wall casting curses as Crouch defended.

He absently heard Harry giving the other Champions orders to help him.

"Both of you, help with the evacuation of the stands to the Lupine Academy." Xander ordered.

As the two Champions teleported away Xander wondered if he had made a mistake as more curses began raining down on him from multiple sources. A quick peak showed at least ten Death Eaters. Crouch was really showing his true colours.

He drew his right gun and began taking shots, he'd already proven that wizarding shields were useless against non-magical projectile weapons. Unfortunately the wizards had the same idea as he did and had conjured walls of granite after he managed a lucky headshot on one Death Eater.

Xander's main worry was where his reinforcements were. Teams were assigned to the evacuation of everyone to the Lupine Academy, but there were also battle teams tasked with dealing with trouble. Considering they consisted of goblins and werewolves that were obviously loyal to Xander, the fact that they had not arrived was a very bad thing.

As a result, Xander was trapped behind his conjured wall. He had thought about taking a page from Harry's book and phasing beneath them, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to try that without practice.

"OI! YOU INBRED HICKS! LOOK OVER HERE!"

Xander at times regretted showing Harry American movies and television. He quickly turned and saw a pair of yellow glowing eyes.

The next thing he knew he was looking into the emerald eyes of his son.

"Dad, we need to work on your tactics.

Crouch Senior had been awaiting the return of the Dark Lord for years. He had spent the entirety of the first war as a sleeper agent, unable to aid the Greatest Wizard of all time.

His foolish son had gotten himself captured in an act of recklessness and Crouch Senior had had to sacrifice his wife to free his son from Azkaban. It was no big loss as she had served her purpose by giving him an heir.

But then the signs that the Dark Lord was returning appeared. He had sent his son to redeem himself by helping to revive Lord Voldemort. Soon the Purebloods would reign as they should. They would wipe the half-bloods, mudbloods and muggles from the face of the Earth and Pureblood wizards would live free and openly as was their right. No longer would they hide in alleys whilst muggles lived in ornate palaces.

But his son had gotten himself killed by that half-breed Potter. Now he would need a new wife to sire a new heir.

With the resurrection of the Dark Lord, Crouch was finally given orders to activate him from his sleeper status. He was instructed to turn the Tri-Wizard Cup into a Portkey that would perform the same actions the menu portkey did to Potter. Knock out any who touched it and transport them to the feet of the Dark Lord where he would kill them and then parade their bodies through the streets as message to those who would defy him.

But the Potter brat had somehow seen the Portkey magic and they had refused to touch it. So the backup plan was initiated. Crouch would kill Potter and all the Champions signalling hidden Death Eaters and in the stands and guards to begin killing the spectators and children.

But the boy, Diggory, had intercepted his killing curse and that fool Harris had conjured some form of metal that refused to be destroyed. His own support team had arrived and he could hear screams in the crowd as the other team wrecked their own havoc.

Harris' superior conjured wall meant that they were unable to gain ground on the single defender. They couldn't even get pot-shots at Potter, he was behind his own wall doing something to the dead body of Diggory. Crouch only hoped that the boy wasn't also a Necromancer, he didn't need to have to fight the dead as well.

The battle came to a screeching halt as they were taunted by Potter and then – nothing.

Harry's solution to the fight was summed up in one word: Slinky. He had cast a disillusionment charm on the giant basilisk… but that had failed, basilisks being somewhat immune to these spells. So he had conjured a large cloth, disillusioned one side and used that to conceal the snake.

The pair had snuck up on the battle and Harry had gotten their attention, the snake then released a mild version of the stare, petrifying Death Eaters… and Xander… and any pour soul who happened to glance at the basilisk… which was several hundred people in the stands. But the panic had ceased, there were sounds of fighting somewhere which encouraged Harry to wake Xander.

"My tactics are fine." Xander groused in response.

"There is fighting happening somewhere." Harry explained as he ignored Xander's defensiveness.

"Fine, O' Master of Tactics… what do you suggest?" Xander smirked.

Harry had already planned this out. "Same as the World Cup. You play Death's Hand and I'll play Death." He said seriously.

The first thing the Death Eaters attacking the crowds noticed was that their targets were starting to vanish in groups.

They would be hurling curses into a small crowd one second, the next there was an empty area of space.

Eventually there were no more targets.

The Death Eaters looked around cautiously… and then jumped as thunder echoed through the stands.

A voice sounded menacingly.

"You were warned."

They began searching for the source of the voice.

"You were warned about using my name and delivering my gift when it was not your right." The voice hissed angrily.

"And so you will suffer for your crimes, and when I am satisfied you have suffered enough, I may grant you my gift."

One of the Death Eaters began to cry out, the others turned to see him and noticed he was sinking beneath the ground. More cries were heard as the others found they were also sinking.

Some of them tried to activate portkeys only to find themselves bounced back within the wards with their feet and legs embedded with dirt. Others tried to apparate only to splinch themselves and again be bounced back.

And then the figure appeared. Cloaked and hooded with yellow eyes that glowed from the darkness of his concealed face. His arms were close to his body, but suddenly a rod of green light, that appeared almost solid, appeared before him. The figure began marching slowly through the crippled and trapped Death Eaters, calmly wielding the rod of light as a sword slicing the hands of the Death Eaters off. Screams of terror and agony echoed through the empty stands, but the figure marched on, exacting his price for the actions of the Death Eaters.

As the Death Eaters lay screaming in fear and agony the dark spectre of Death's Hand vanished.