Pheonix

the third task.

The mood in the castle as they entered June became excited and tense again. Everyone was looking forward to the third task, which would take place a week before the end of term. Asura felt more confident about this task for unknown reasons. Her own emotions sometimes baffle her. She felt no need to practice her skills, her magic is so powerful that she doesn't have a single doubt in her mind that this is going to challenge her abilities. There isn't a known creature that Asura hasn't come across at least once.

Asura's nerves mounted as June the twenty-fourth drew closer, her task causing a significant weight on her shoulders. A weight that she carries well at least.

She looks down sadly at the daily prophet in front of her.

"HARRY POTTER"
"DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS"

The boy who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is unstable and possibly dangerous, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Alarming evidence has recently come to light about Harry Potter's strange behavior, which casts doubts upon his suitability to compete in a demanding competition like the Triwizard Tournament, or even to attend Hogwarts School.

Potter, the Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal, regularly collapses at school, and is often heard to complain of pain in the scar on his forehead (relic of the curse with which You-Know-Who attempted to kill him). On Monday last, midway through a Divination lesson, your Daily Prophet reporter witnessed Potter storming from the class, claiming that his scar was hurting too badly to continue studying.

It is possible, say top experts at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, that Potters brain was affected by the attack inflicted upon him by You-Know-Who, and that his insistence that the scar is still hurting is an expression of his deep-seated confusion.

"He might even be pretending," said one specialist. "This could be a plea for attention."

Asura just sighs, wishing this all to be over now. She can't stand seeing Harry be ridiculed like this. It's just not fair. Asura doubts that even Tom intended for this level of humiliation. However, a part of her knew that he didn't particularly care.

The dreaded day finally came.

Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge had joined the staff table now. Bagman looked quite cheerful, but Cornelius Fudge, who was sitting next to Madame Maxime, looked stern and was not talking. Madame Maxime was concentrating on her plate, and Asura thought her eyes looked red. Hagrid kept glancing along the table at her.

There were more courses than usual, but Asura, who was starting to feel really nervous now, didn't eat much. As the enchanted ceiling overhead began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now."

They walked onto the Quidditch field, which was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them: the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy.

Five minutes later, the stands had begun to fill; the air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet as the hundreds of students filed into their seats. The sky was a deep, clear blue now, and the first stars were starting to appear. Hagrid, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick came walking into the stadium and approached Bagman and the champions. They were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, all except Hagrid, who had his on the back of his moleskin vest.

"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," said Professor McGonagall to the champions. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?"

The champions nodded.

"Off you go, then!" said Bagman brightly to the four patrollers.

Bagman now pointed his wand at his throat, muttered, "Sonorus," and his magically magnified voice echoed into the stands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Miss Asura and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place - Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

"So...on my whistle, Asura and Harry!" said Bagman. "Three - two - one - go"

He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Asura and Harry hurried forward into the maze.

The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path, and, whether because they were so tall and thick or because they had been enchanted, the sound of the surrounding crowd was silenced the moment they entered the maze. Asura felt almost as though she were underwater again. She pulled out her wand, muttered, "Lumos," and heard Harry do the same just behind him.

After about fifty yards, they reached a fork. They looked at each other.
"See you," Harry said.

"See you on the other side H," she said with a forced smile. Knowing this was not the case.

Harry turned and took the left one, while Asura took the right.

Asura heard Bagman's whistle for the second time. Krum had entered the maze. She sped up. Her chosen path seemed completely deserted. She turned right, and hurried on, holding hee wand high over his head, trying to see as far ahead as possible. Still, there was nothing in sight.

Bagman's whistle blew in the distance for the third time. All of the champions were now inside.

All Asura had to do was assure that Harry reached the cup first.

Asura travelled through the maze with ease. The only issue being her rising anxiety levels. Did she really know what she was doing?

A scream shattered the silence of the maze. Fleur. Dread fills her stomach when she realises the true effect that her decision is going to have on the other innocent competitors

"It's for the greater good," she whispered trying to remind herself of what she has to do.

She turned the corner to see Harry looking over the twitching body of victor Krum. Harry look truly traumatized, looking up at Asura.

He tried to spit out an explanation, something that made sense but Asura just shushed him and produced red sparks with her wand.

"Someone will come an collect him"

They rounded the corner, coming to see an unexpected light ahead. The Triwizard Cup was gleaming on a plinth a hundred yards away.

The path was clear. They slowly walked together towards the cup, unsure of their next steps.

"You take it," harry said, selfless as ever, "you should win. God knows how many times you've saved my arse in this tournament."

"Harry, we take it together."

"What?"

"Together, Harry, like always."

She grabbed Harry's arm below the shoulder and helped Harry limp toward the plinth where the cup stood. When they had reached it, they both held a hand out over one of the cup's gleaming handles.

"On three, right?" said Harry. "One - two - three -"

The pair both grasped a handle.
Instantly, Asura felt a jerk somewhere behind her navel. Her feet had left the ground. She could not unclench the hand holding the Triwizard Cup; it was pulling her onward in a howl of wind and swirling color, Harry at her side.