Stars in Her Eyes {Wolfstar's Daughter}

Chapter 54: The Final Task

Be careful okay?" Remus pleaded as he held his daughter close against him, not wanting to let go.

It was the afternoon of the third task. One last stressful afternoon and they would never have to worry about this again and a few more days after this, they'd be going home for the summer. For the event, the entire student body had gathered on the quidditch pitch, which at this time was completely unrecognisable.

Three quarters of the land had been filled with a towering maze of monstrous hedges, reaching such a formidable height that they cast dark shadows all across the remaining quarter of the pitch. In this small remaining opening of land, stacking spectator stands had been constructed, surrounding a small grassy clearing where the champions were to await their task. Where Nell was to await her task.

And if Nell thought she was nervous, it was nothing compared to the fear felt by her two ridiculously protective fathers at the thought of watching their daughter disappear beyond those dark walls.

"Nah I was thinking I might just not be careful, you know?" She smirked, trying to lighten the mood and her own nerves in the process.

"Nell" Remus sighed sternly, pulling her arms length with brows furrowed in worry.

"I'm kidding! Stop worrying" she laughed as he shook his head in disapproval.

"But that's quite literally our job pup" Sirius interjected, attempting to pull her into the fifth hug of the last ten minutes.

"Go! Otherwise you'll be stuck right at the back" she laughed in his suffocating embrace, trying to push him away and waving her hand over to the spectator stands.

"Okay okay, we love you!" Sirius added on with a big proud grin, finally heading away to their seats.

"Yeah yeah love you too" she laughed, turning around and preparing to step out into the champion's field only to be pulled back again.

Remus had pulled her back into another bear hug, wrapping his arms protectively round her body and holding tight, this time really not wanting to let go.

"The others don't stand a chance" he whispered proudly in her ear before pulling away to join his husband in their seats.

With one last deep breath and a newly found confidence from her father's words, Nell stepped out from where they had been stood beneath the stands, out into the field. The first thing that struck her was the sheer height of the hedges that formed the maze. Seeing them planted a couple of months before, they had hardly seemed intimidating as small shrubs, but now in their thick dark adulthood, with the vines weaving together to form an impenetrable barrier. She felt sick at the sight.

Wanting to look quite literally anywhere else, she turned to the spectators and was immediately met with hundreds of faces looking down at her from the towering stacks of stands. Cheering, yelling, waving ridiculous signs around.

Despite the intimidation brought by the staring, gawking faces, and their volume alone, the sight of Ron, Hermione and her family beaming down at her amongst the sea of faces helped to ease her nerves immensely.

She turned back to the rest of the small grassy opening, her eyes landing on a very skittish looking Harry. With his hands stuffed nervously in his pockets, the boy bounced back and forth on his heels, staring down at the hardened grass beneath him, not noticing the approaching girl.

When she finally reached his side and he still hadn't acknowledged her, she gave him a gentle nudge, having his head shooting up and his wide darting eyes immediately relaxing at her familiar face looking up at him.

"Welcome all. The Triwizard cup has been placed deep within the maze-" Out of nowhere Dumbledore's grand voice filled the auditorium like setup.

Nell hadn't even noticed the old wizard's presence up until now but sure enough, there he was stood at the centre of the field, looking up to the stands.