Hadrian Salazar Riddle - A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter 48

The days dragged on slowly for Hadrian. He did little to prepare for the next task, and rarely ate.

Ash did not know what to do, and opted to watching and waiting for Hadrian's depression to lift.

"Bring her back Ash. Please bring her back." Is what Hadrian asked every single day.

He still went to classes, but didn't listen, and instead roamed the recesses of his mind.

Weeks passed, and the third challenge came upon him.

The Hogwarts band played there song as the students cheered, and Hadrian kept his face in a calm expression.

"Good luck Hadrian." Cedric said, smiling towards him. Hadrian looked over at him with a blank expression, before turning back to the maze.

For weeks, Hadrian hadn't said a word, and thankfully the professors didn't push him. Silence was bliss for him now, so he would rarely go into the great hall to eat, instead having Zolton bring him food from the manor.

"Champions! As Mr. Riddle is in the lead, he will enter the maze first, followed by Mr. Krum, Mr. Diggory, and finally Ms. Delacour. Before you go in, however, I must warn you. People have changed in this maze. It will test you unlike any other challenge. Now, when the cannon goes, you may enter. Rea-" Dumbledore was cut off with the sound of the cannon, having been shot off by Filch.

Hadrian stepped into the maze, nodding to 'Professor Moody' along the way. He took out his wand, and started to run.

~•~•~•~•~

Exercise wasn't necessarily Hadrian's thing, but running was a soothing experience that calmed his mind. His surroundings became clearer, more focused, and he could sense the magic of the maze better. He pushed all of the dark thoughts and experiences of the past months into the back of his mind, and focused on the task at hand.

Hadrian didn't encounter anything for awhile, and couldn't sense any malicious beasts either. That is, until he heard a scream.

Rushing over to where he felt Fleur's magic, he took out his Yew wand and prepared for a fight. When he fell upon the scene, he laughed.

Karkroff's magic was all over Viktor, holding him under the Imperious. Hadrian flew a spell towards the boy, knocking him out. He then went to Fleur and watched as she was pulled into the walls of thorns, his face void of emotion. Shooting a red flare into the sky, he continued on his way through the maze.

~•~•~•~•~

Being alone with his thoughts seemed to not be as good as he had hoped for himself. Instead of feeling the calm of it, Hadrian found that his mind wandered without the distraction of other people.

His occlumency skills could do nothing about the onslaught of insanity that had once been suppressed.

Draka had been the major anchor that prevented him from losing himself, but with her gone, he had no one to confide in, and most importantly, no one to hold the extra magical power.

Draka had been his flush, a way to drain the extra power that had come with his inheritance. Hadrian Harmonia, as Salazar had once explained, was cursed with insanity because of the power that came with his zoometamorphagus abilities. He had had no one that could drain his powers for him, and thus became all consumed by magical power.

Hadrian, unfortunately, seemed to have been cursed with this as well. Insanity was a powerful force, one that all wizards cringed at the thought of. Few experienced it, but those who did were never the same, and all had one thing in common: Death.