Harry felt his feet slam on the ground and, in the jarring transportation, he dropped the cup and saw as it rolled away on the sloping lawn.
Though he kept a firm grip on his sword.
Harry had enough time to look around the dark and overgrown graveyard before someone hidden behind him murmured;
"Stupefy,"
and Harry fell over unconscious at once.
***
Barty watched through the hedges as Potter disappeared with the cup. He hesitated, unsure what he was meant to do now...
Potter and the D- Timmy both told him to wait at Hogwarts and remain in character as Alastor Moody.
Timmy wanted him to stay in place as a spy on the inside for information on what happened after he killed Potter.
Potter... Well, really it had seemed as if Potter just didn't want any assistance.
Barty continued to patrol around the hedges, his wand firmly drawn and his eye on the other champions still struggling through the maze in search of a cup long gone.
Good luck Potter.
***
"Rennervate."
Harry blinked slowly before everything rushed back to him in an instant.
"YOU FUCKIN' COWARD!" he howled, struggling tightly against the cords that bound him to what felt like a slab of stone. "STUN ME IN THE FUCKIN' BACK?!"
"Shut up," a short, fat, figure in black robes with a low hanging hood obscuring his face hissed at Harry. The figure, Pettigrew probably, was tending to a boiling cauldron that Harry was pretty sure hadn't been there when he'd arrived.
How stupid do you have to be to get stunned in the fuckin' back?
Harry better hope Snape never took his house back, because he'd probably be dead in a day on the streets at this rate.
"Quit moving. You'll only make it worse for yourself."
Harry hissed at Pettigrew and continued struggling against the tight ropes that were sizzling against the spots on his arms where his robes had slid up.
You brain dead moron. You're a WIZARD.
Two hours. Harry doubted if he'd now last two hours on the streets that he'd once survived years on.
I want the ropes off. I want the ropes off.
Harry felt no small amount of panic seizing his insides in an icy grip when the robes didn't move.
"Rune soaked wards in the ropes," Pettigrew muttered after he glanced at Harry's face. "Wandless magic won't help you now."
Harry immediately cleared the, apparently visible, panic off his face and scowled at the man instead.
"Peter Pettigrew," he spat. "Kept hoping we'd meet."
"Did you?" The man looked up at him with wide and watery pale eyes. "I'm afraid it won't be a long reunion."
"The brew Peter! Now!"
Harry glanced down where the cold, high pitched, voice was coming from and crinkled his nose at the disturbing sight.
"Ugh, mate, you're possessing a baby?! Disgusting." Harry would have shuddered for effect, and because it really was disgusting, but the ropes prevented even that.
The liquid in the cauldron seemed to heat very fast. The surface began not only to bubble, but to send out fiery sparks, as though it were on fire. Steam was thickening, blurring the outline of Pettigrew tending the fire.
"It- it is ready master," Pettigrew stammered.
"Now," the nasty, scaley, disfigured baby on the ground said.
The baby Timmy was pathetic; it raised its thin arms, put them around Pettigrew's neck, and Pettigrew lifted it. As he did so, his hood fell back, and Harry saw the look of revulsion on Pettigrew's weak, pale face in the firelight as he carried the creature to the rim of the cauldron. For one moment, Harry saw the evil, flat face illuminated in the sparks dancing on the surface of the potion. And then Pettigrew lowered the creature into the cauldron; there was a hiss, and it vanished below the surface; Harry heard its tiny body hit the bottom with a soft thud.
"If it drowns I'm still killing you," Harry said calmly to Pettigrew while he tried to silently summon his sword.
"Quiet boy," Pettigrew said.
"Don't call me boy," Harry sneered.
Pettigrew ignored him and began speaking. His voice shook; he seemed frightened beyond his wits. He raised his wand, closed his eyes, and spoke to the night.
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"
The grave at Harry's feet shook and rattled and he looked down just in time to see a fine trickle of dust fly through the dirt and was guided in to the cauldron by Pettigrew. The brew sizzled and turned a vivid shade of blue.
Pettigrew started whimpering and pulled a long silver dagger from his robe pocket-
And Harry was absolutely going to steal that when he killed Pettigrew-
-he held the dagger high before speaking again.
"Flesh of the servant- w-w-willing given... you will renew your master!"
Harry grinned as he realized what Pettigrew was about to do. Pettigrew slashed his dagger down in one quick flash- one quick sharp scream- and his right hand fell in the cauldron with a splash of blood.
If Baby Timmy drowns and Pettigrew bleeds to death, I won't even have anything to do here, he thought cheerfully.
Pettigrew wrapped a strip of black cloth around his bleeding stump and stumbled to stand in front of Harry.
"Fuck you," Harry spit in his face. "I'm going to kill you."
Pettigrew didn't even wipe his face, which was disgusting, instead he raised his dagger again.
"Blood of your enemy, forcibly taken, you will renew your foe!"
Harry didn't flinch as Pettigrew cut his right forearm and stole a vial of his blood.
He was going to get free of these ropes at some point, and Pettigrew was going to fuckin' pay for that.
Nobody made him bleed and walked away from it.
Pettigrew staggered back to the cauldron with Harry's blood. He poured it inside. The liquid within turned, instantly, a blinding white. Pettigrew, his job done, dropped to his knees beside the cauldron, then slumped sideways and lay on the ground, cradling the bleeding stump of his arm, gasping and sobbing.
The cauldron was simmering, sending its diamond sparks in all directions, so blindingly bright that it turned all else to velvety blackness. Nothing happened...
And then, suddenly, the sparks emanating from the cauldron were extinguished. A surge of white steam billowed thickly from the cauldron instead, obliterating everything in front of Harry, so that he couldn't see Pettigrew, or the distant glint of the cup and his sword, or even the cauldron ten feet away from him.
But then, through the mist in front of him, he saw, with an fiery feeling of anger, the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising slowly from inside the cauldron.
Timmy had rose again.
***
Severus felt his left arm burn and stared down in horror at what he saw.
The Dark Mark was filled and crystal clear against his pale skin, even in the moonlight could he see it.
The Dark Lord has rose once more.
Severus' eyes flew to find Barty's, the only other person who understood what this meant. Instead of meeting his eyes though, Barty's normal blue eye flashed with a look of guilt before he slunk away.
Which could only mean one thing:
However the Dark Lord rose this night, his ward was somehow involved.
"WHERE IS HARRY?!" Severus roared, his wand jammed deeply in to the throat of Barty once he caught up to him and slammed him against the side of the quidditch locker rooms. "WHERE IS HE?!"
"He- he made me agree not to tell you," Barty stammered quietly, Moody's magical eye he sported swirling erratically in its socket. "It was his plan Sev. I'm sorry, I can't- I can't tell you or I'll die."
"You will tell me right this very god damned second or I will kill you myself," Severus hissed, his vision red hazed and his stomach clenched tightly with fear. "Now."
"I c-can't!" Barty insisted.
"IS HE IN THE MAZE?!"
Barty shook his head.
"He's with him," Severus whispered before fury overtook him once more. "YOU LET MY CHILD BE TAKEN?!"
"Severus!" Minerva ran towards where Severus still had 'Professor Moody' slammed to the wall by his neck. "What is going on? What are you shouting about? Who took Potter?"
"The Cup," Barty grunted, "it was a portkey. Potter grabbed it and disappeared."
"Morgana no," Minerva breathed, horrified. "We have to search the grounds!"
"He's not here," Severus said with absolute clarity. "WHERE IS HE?!"
"I don't know," Barty said in Moody's low growl. "He grabbed the cup and left. We can search the grounds."
"I'll get Albus," Minerva said.
Severus released Barty, but put his face right in front of him, close enough that Severus' breath warmed Barty's face.
"If Harry is not back here, in one whole and healthy piece, I will destroy you," he hissed.
Not kill.
Death would be a mercy.
Severus would destroy him.
***
Lucius felt the mark on his arm burn, a summons from the Dark Lord. He summoned his mask and robes, prepared to don them and take his place within the circle once more.
He scrawled a hasty note to Cissa and Draco, a final farewell in case he died tonight on his orders as a spy for Potter.
My beloved family, Know that the only two things that have truly mattered to me in
the last twenty years were the two of you. Cissa- I cherish the day we wed, and thank every Mother Magic
every single day for blessing me to be the husband your parents chose for you. You are the brightest star in my sky, and the one I will wait for for eternity. Draco- I have no words to tell you how proud I am to have you
as a son. Watching you grow has been a true pleasure in my life. Stay strong, remain cunning, be brave; you will be the Lord Malfoy that I could never have hoped to have been. Remain by Severus and Potter's sides.
They will protect you if I no longer can.
Forever yours,
Lucius.
***
Barty felt his mark burn and sting; a summons.
For all but him.
Potter commanded he stay at Hogwarts.
If he apparated to his young Master's, hopefully still alive, side now- he would die.
All he could do was patrol with Minerva as Albus spoke rapidly with Severus- and pray to the Gods that Potter emerged victorious.
***
"I am going," Severus told Albus. "This is not a request- this is me informing you. I do not require your permission."
"If you go- you could die my boy," Albus said, a genuine flash of pain in his eyes. "It would be safer to remain here."
"HE HAS HARRY!" Severus yelled. "Do you believe Potter's entry in the tournament, the cup being a portkey, and the Dark Lord rising are all coincidences? Lift the wards so I can go."
Albus placed his hand on Severus' shoulder and nodded solemnly.
"Bring him back if you can. Stay safe my boy, I believe you will return to me."
***
"Did he just say someone has Harry?" Susan said. "WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?"
"Shut up," Blaise hissed in her ear. "Harry knew he was going to be taken, didn't he?"
"Did he know it was tonight?!" Fred asked, his face pale beneath his freckles. "Did he know he was going to fight Timmy tonight, alone, without telling us?!"
"He's not alone," Luna said softly. "He has Professor Snape."
Harry's friends watched as Professor Snape disapparated right in front of them.
"If he doesn't bring Harry back, I'll kill him," Susan said.
"And when Harry gets back, I'm killing him," Theo added.
***
Lucius had never appeared on such a scene as he did when he apparated to the place the Dark Lord called him.
He kept his mind carefully clear and blank as he spotted Potter...
... tied to a tombstone.
This is the fool he tied his life to?
"Master," Lucius dropped to his knees immediately, surrounded by other Death Eaters taking the same pose. "Master you have returned to us."
***
Harry watched as Timmy's gang appeared, all dressed in black robes with white masks on.
"Only cowards hide behind a mask!" he sneered at them all.
"Ignore him," Timmy said in his creepy high pitched voice. "He will only be a nuisance for a short time."
Harry grit his teeth as he looked around the graveyard desperately for any chance to cut these ropes off.
And he was going to have a talk with Rita about maybe not telling the whole damn world about his wandless magic in the future.
Harry's eyes lit up when he spotted a giant snake slithering around Pettigrew's pathetically whimpering body.
"Untie my ropes," he hissed. "You can eat that man if you untie my ropes."
Timmy's back stiffened and he turned a carefully blank face towards Harry.
"Do not listen to him Nagini," Timmy whispered to the snake. "She is mine to control Potter. Quiet yourself before I silence you forever."
"Scary," Harry sneered in English, wanting Timmy's Death Eaters to know he wasn't afraid. "When I get free- I'm going to kill you all."
Timmy laughed; a cruel, cold, high pitched laugh.
"You believe your small talent for magic is a match for Lord Voldemort?" he sneered.
The next person who said that Harry's never before seen control of his magic was a 'small talent' was going to have their skin ripped off piece by piece.
Starting with Timmy.
"Beat you three times before Timmyyy," Harry drawled annoyingly. "Good times, remember?"
The Death Eaters inhaled shocked breaths, apparently disturbed by Harry's taunts.
"ACCIDENTS!" Timmy yelled. "ACCIDENTS AND LUCK!"
"And strength, and power you know not, and a wicked sword," Harry grinned. "And when I break these ropes, we can see who's stronger."
Harry didn't dare look to the masked Death Eater with the long blonde hair, but he hoped Malfoy got the idea anyway.
***
Lucius kept the same thought floating in the front of his brain- if the Dark Lord read his mind now, he'd see it loud and clear:
He hated Harry Potter.
Lucius had no talent for the wandless magic that Potter wielded effortlessly, and to draw his own wand now would sign his death warrant.
Lucius inhaled deeply and stayed in his position within the circle.
Cut the cords, he thought desperately as he focused his magic on the enchanted cords binding Potter. Cut them and free him.
Lucius tried to block out the distracting hissed conversation being held between Potter and the Dark Lord as he focused all of his magic on the stupid, scrawny, foolish young man he tied his life to.
Cut the cords.
***
Harry felt the ropes around him snap just as a loud pop of apparation drew Timmy's attention.
"Aah, the traitor, Severus Snape, how pleased I am to have you join us."
***
"Albus you have to find Potter," Cornelius said. "I can send Aurors to wherever Severus went!"
"I'll have Kingsley and his entire team here in seconds," Amelia said firmly, her eyes set and her jaw locked.
Albus shook his head at them both.
"Severus did not know where he was being summoned," he repeated for what felt as if the tenth time since Severus disappeared. "There are many places that Voldemort may have called him to."
"Th-that's absurd!" Cornelius cried with a nervous glance towards Amelia. "Albus this is nonsense! There must have been a fluke with the cup- He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has not arisen!"
Albus shook his head silently at Cornelius.
He was blind.
Albus knew for almost fourteen years now that Tom Riddle would rise once more; he now knew what the diary meant, and he had began to fear what young Harry's scar hid within the child's mind.
The child's personality, the undeniable similarities between the two, the strength and ease of which he uses magic-
Yes, Albus was quite certain he had discovered what had went wrong with Harry Potter.
"Severus will return," Albus repeated simply. "And he will tell you himself."
He just had yet to decide if it would be better or worse for the wizarding world if Severus brought Harry back with him.
The child had hardly lived yet, and was meant to be instrumental in defeating Voldemort once and for all, but if the child died tonight-
It would be one horcrux down and the possibility of another strong and fearsome Dark Lord rising nullified.
***
"Forgive my tardiness, but I'm afraid I did not come to chat," Severus sneered at the Dark Lord, his wand held high in the face of eight armed foes, the Dark Lord himself, and...
... and his fucking ward who was hissing quietly to a twelve foot long python.
"SILENCE!" The Dark Lord spun from Severus to Potter and Severus took the opportunity to send a cutting curse at the man's neck, drawing his attention back to himself.
"He never listens I'm afraid," Severus said, desperate to keep the insane red eyes focused on himself. If tonight was the night he died, so be it.
But Potter would live.
"You dare to curse me?" the Dark Lord said, the gathered Death Eaters silent as they watched the two men. Severus did not risk a single glance towards Potter- he needed to remain the main target.
"After all I have done for you- and you betray me?"
Severus laughed at that, a single, joyless and sardonic, laugh.
"Tricked me, branded me, killed my closest friend?" Severus jeered. "Clearly I should be kissing your shoes."
***
Harry crept behind the tombstone that he had been tied to and drew up as much of his magic as he could.
He was pretty sure Snape was just distracting Timmy- either that or Snape was just a lot sassier than he thought he was.
When I say go, kill Timmy, he ordered the large burst of magic waiting his command in his hands.
And....
GO!
***
Lucius sucked in a breath as Potter leapt behind a tombstone and shot a huge burst of wild green spell fire to the Dark Lord's back.
The Dark Lord gracefully spun around- the curse missing him by mere inches and instead headed straight to-
***
Severus barely ducked Potter's fucking wandless, silent, unforgivable, killing curse, when the chaotic and brash child in question came darting to his side- summoning his idiotic sword as he dodged around the Dark Lord.
"Sorry," Potter panted.
Severus was spared responding to that quite underwhelming apology as the Dark Lord began chuckling softly, a chilling sound.
"Witness this," the Dark Lord called to his followers, "I thought only Potter would die tonight. And I find myself faced with the pleasure of dispatching of his devoted guardian as well."
The Death Eaters laughed and jeered like the sycophants they were as the Dark Lord fixed his red eyes on Potter.
"You could have been an asset," he murmured softly. "Instead- you must die."
And at the first curse from the long pale wand in the Dark Lord's spidery fingers-
The three of them broke in to a duel.
***
Barty stood rigidly beside Dumbledore as the old man spoke to him.
"Severus was being summoned," he said. "Despite Cornelius' beliefs- Voldemort has risen again."
"And you're sure you can trust Snape to bring Potter back?" Barty growled.
"Harry is not my concern," Albus said quietly. "The child was marked for death the night his parents died. Severus is a good man though, he deserves more than a cruel death at the hands of Voldemort."
While Barty agreed with Dumbledore's sentiments over Sev, he stored that clinically spoken remark about Potter away to share with the young Master at another time.
Let there be another time.
***
Lucius and the rest of the masked followers watched in silent awe as three of the most deadly wizards that Lucius had ever seen dueled with fire, pain, and death in all their eyes.
The air was thick with smoke, the heavy scent of spell fire obscured their senses, and all those that were gathered watched as the three shot never ending spells of multiple colors, though green being the most prominent from Potter and the Dark Lord, at one another.
"Do we help?" Goyle grunted.
Lucius sorely hoped not. He was unsure what he would be meant to do at that point. If he raised his wand against the Dark Lord- he would be identified as a traitor. If he sent a single spell at Potter- he would die by his own vow. He could hardly do nothing.
Perhaps he would just duel Severus, it would be his safest option and Severus would disarm him quickly.
"My Lord," he cried out, putting as much reverence in his tone as he could. "Allow us to assist you! Let us prove our loyalty!"
"DO NOTHING!" The Dark Lord shouted as he volleyed green curses back and forth with Potter. "I do not require help! You will do nothing!"
"We do nothing," Lucius murmured to Goyle.
Thank Merlin.
***
"Fiendfyre?" Potter murmured.
"No you fucking idiot," Severus snarled, too focused on the duel with the actual Dark Lord to censor his admonishments to his ward.
His ward whom he was going to kill.
As soon as he ensured he lived past tonight.
"World Cup tactic then?" Potter asked, his face a red and sweating mess from his exertion.
"Grab the cup and portkey back," Severus murmured in a near whisper out the corner of his mouth. "Flee and I will follow."
"But-" Potter paused in his attacks to gape at Severus, who could hardly falter now that he had to protect the idiotic child at his side. "We aren't running, we're fighting."
"Running away Severus?" The Dark Lord sent a mixture of multi-colored spells especially towards Severus. "How typical," he sneered.
Severus was absolutely going to kill Potter.
***
"Auntie we need to go and start looking!" Susan yelled at her Aunt again. "Call everyone! Send them everywhere! Harry's in trouble and he needs help! WHY IS NOBODY DOING ANY-FUCKING-THING?!"
"Susan," Auntie Amelia leant down and put both hands on Susan's shoulders as she stared very seriously in to her eyes, "do you know where Harry is?"
"No," Susan said, for the millionth time tonight. "Why does nobody understand that Harry's an idiot and doesn't tell us things if it means it'll make his life easier??"
Susan was going to put a tracking spell on Harry's sword the very next chance she got.
Please Mother Magic, let there be that chance.
***
"You are an idiot," Snape said through clenched teeth as his wand arm was hit by a spell. Harry thought it sounded like it broke.
Heal him.
"A grounded idiot," Snape sighed as he continued dueling.
"Nagini come on! I'd be way better than fuckin' Timmy!" Harry yelled in Parsletongue at the giant snake. "Bite him and come home with me!"
"MY NAME IS NOT TIMMY!" Timmy screamed in English, causing Harry to laugh as he ducked behind a nearby tombstone to avoid the jet of green that Timmy sent at his head. "Nagini do not listen to him. You belong to me," he hissed.
"I will feast on your bones when my Master kills you," Nagini hissed.
"Then I'll kill you too," Harry told her.
***
Lucius thought that Potter dueling himself was witnessing a work of art came to life, but Potter, Severus, and the Dark Lord?
It was perhaps the most mesmerizing and artful exhibit he had ever, or would ever, see in his life.
"Master! Let us help you!" Macnair shouted, his eyes sharp and bloodthirsty behind his mask as he stared at Potter.
Lucius had his wand held loosely in his hand, as did the other Death Eaters as they awaited orders, and took the opportunity to hit Macnair with a confundus under the cover of the ongoing duel.
It was foolish; but Lucius thought perhaps he may be intoxicated from the power radiating off the three in front of them.
Particularly from the wild haired young man who laughed as he flicked dark curses from his fingertips.
***
A jet of red narrowly missed Potter's head by centimeters.
Severus felt rage boiling up in him and slashed his wand upwards as he snarled, "Sectumsempra!"
***
"I will literally feed you Timmy, Pettigrew, Dumbledore, and maybe even this giant I know named Hagrid if you'll just kill Timmy or Pettigrew," Harry hissed.
He could feel his magic waning, his energy well taxed.
He was beginning to wish he had waited to confront Timmy until it was a night he hadn't just fought his way through a maze filled with mad creatures.
"I will rip the flesh from your puny bones and drink your blood," Nagini hissed.
Harry ducked from a jet of red and heard Snape snarl a curse.
"Sectumsempra!"
Harry shot his own bone breaking curse at Timmy, hoping at least one would hit the surprisingly difficult to kill wizard. Timmy threw up a bright purple shield and easily bounced both spells back at them, Harry had to quickly feint to the left with every instinct Flint hammered in him during long, grueling, quidditch practices.
Snape, twenty years his senior, and only a touch slower than Harry, did not dodge the white curse as quickly and caught it square in his chest.
***
Severus felt a ripping, tearing, searing pain spread across his chest and looked down in surprise.
Hit by his own spell. The spell he fired, the spell he created.
But what a way to go.
Severus could have laughed- only two others knew the counter-curse to his creation; and neither one was here to aid him.
"Snape!" Potter turned and his green eyes grew wide as the pool of blood spread across Severus' torso, dripping to the ground in a grotesque imitation of tears.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Potter screamed, his throating tearing with emotion, as he began firing a flurry of spells at the Dark Lord in a fury induced rage.
"Harry-" Severus gasped, struggling to remain upright and shielded, "the cup, flee, please Harry."
Potter gently shoved him to the ground as he nodded.
Thank Merlin.
If Severus would not survive the night- he would be damned if his child died alongside him.
***
"Tell me again," Draco whispered to Luna. "Please."
"Harry will not die tonight," Luna told him, stroking his light blonde hair soothingly as his mother wrapped them both in her warm arms.
"I-" Draco looked up at his mother and hated how young he sounded in that moment. "And fathers gone too?"
"He has not responded to any messages," his mother murmured to him. "They will be fine."
Draco counted the people he loved who were all with the most feared wizard in the world-
His greatest friend, his ally, his cousin, his gangs leader. He didn't know if Harry knew this, but Draco couldn't imagine what his life would be like without his friendship and guidance in his life.
If Harry came back- he'd tell him.
Harry probably needed to hear it... Harry never seemed to know when people liked and cared about him.
His father too: the man he'd emulated his whole life. The man who created him, guided him, encouraged him to stand as a man.
And his godfather. Someone Draco had looked up to his entire life. Draco had always wished to be as graceful as his Uncle Sev. Or, at least, half as smart as the man.
His friend. His father. His godfather.
All somewhere with the Dark Lord Timmy.
Draco didn't feel good about the odds of them all three coming home safely tonight.
"Tell me again Lue," he said.
"Harry will not die tonight," Luna said, her hand never hesitating in her strokes and her voice strong.
***
Harry couldn't stay and fight Timmy- he had to get Snape back.
He had to save Snape.
Save Snape.
Save Snape.
Save Snape.
It couldn't be too late.
Even if the pool of blood staining the grass around Snape's prone body made him think otherwise.
He'll be fine, he told himself firmly. Snape is a genius. And he's strong. He'll be fine.
Harry just needed a second- just one second when he could pause in his spell fire to summon the cup and get Snape to safety.
One second.
That's it.
"You are powerful," Timmy hissed in Parsletongue, continuing to send a bunch of damned green curses at Harry's head. "But you cannot escape the inevitable forever Potter. Embrace your death now. You can reunite with your beloved guardian and your fool mudblood mother tonight."
***
"Fuck youuu," Potter drawled slowly, clearly, and in perfect English.
Lucius could see why his son was entirely dedicated to the young man.
He was terrifying. He was alive. He was covering the graveyard with such power that Lucius could feel it tingling on his skin.
Though Lucius kept his eyes firmly on the body of his dearest friend, his brother in all but blood.
Lucius prayed to every Goddess in the sky that when he went one day- it was defending his family.
***
"This is not how this night was meant to go!" Timmy snarled in Parsletongue, probably to cover his wounded pride.
Harry wasn't sure why he was complaining, Harry didn't even have time to drive his sword through his skull like he'd planned.
"I'm always fucking things up," Harry forced a laugh as he sent as many spells as he could towards Timmy to distract him for just a second.
Timmy threw up a corporeal shield, something Harry was banking on him doing, and Harry moved as quickly as he could.
Harry summoned the cup and smirked as he ducked another green spell, one coming from the crowd of Death Eaters.
Better not have been Malfoy.
***
"Our orders are to do nothing," Lucius hissed to Goyle. "You heard our Master."
"But he's getting away!" Goyle grunted, sounding much like the ape Lucius always imagined him to be closely related to.
"Do. Nothing." Lucius repeated harshly.
***
Fred listened as the students, ministry officials, professors, law enforcement, aurors, and families all talked loudly in terrified tones.
"Harry's missing-"
"They said he grabbed the cup and disappeared-"
"Is Professor Snape with him?"
"Who took him?"
"Was this part of the task?"
"An extra challenge for the winner?"
"Would there be god damned hit wizards here if so?"
Fred could hear them. But he couldn't process the words. He just knew they were all reflecting the same emotion he could feel clawing his insides raw:
Fear.
Come back Harry. Come back. Please Merlin. Come back.
Fred felt his mother's arm wrapped around his shoulders tightly, and George clutching his hand as tears of anger, worry, and fear streamed unashamedly down his face.
"He'll be okay," Sirius Black whispered, his face drawn and similarly covered in tears since the moment Snape disapparated from the field before Sirius could reach his side to go with him. "Harry's a survivor. He's going to be fine, he's going to come back to us. He can survive anything."
"He shouldn't fucking have to," Fred's mother said harshly, surprising all her nearby children who had never, ever, in their lives heard their mother swear.
Fred ignored them as he pictured Harry's smiling face and the cocky salute he'd given before entering the maze.
Come back love. Come back.
***
Harry just had one last thing to do-
Well- two things actually.
Bring me Pettigrew's dagger.
He caught the dagger and stuck it in his pocket, twirling to the side with an irritating laugh as he dodged another curse for it.
One final thing, because Harry would be damned if Snape died for nothing-
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he yelled, watching with satisfaction as his spell hit a surprised Pettigrew, who was still kneeling beside the cauldron, directly in the center of his chest. He watched as the light in Pettigrew's eyes dimmed forever before he grabbed Snape's wrist in the same hand as his sword, and empty his hand caught the handle of the cup and they were jerked away back to Hogwarts.