Veiled Hearts ~ HP Fanfiction (Harry Potter X OC)

Chapter 19: The Third Task

Celestia Malfoy crept through the corridors of Hogwarts, her steps quick and silent as she made her way to their secret meeting spot. The eve of the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament had arrived, and with it, a sense of unease hung heavy in the air.

Finding Harry waiting for her in their secluded alcove, Celestia couldn't help but notice the tension etched into his features.

"Hey," she said softly, taking a seat beside him. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Harry managed a weak smile. "Just nervous about tomorrow," he admitted, running a hand through his tousled hair.

Celestia nodded in understanding, her own anxiety bubbling beneath the surface. "Yeah, it's a lot to take in," she agreed. "But you'll get through it, like you always do." Their conversation drifted to the looming threat of Voldemort, and Harry's tone grew serious. He told her about his dreams and Dumbledore's speculations about voldemort getting stronger. "I can feel him getting stronger," he confessed, his voice low. "It's like... he's everywhere."

A shiver ran down Celestia's spine at the mention of Voldemort's name, her father was the big supporter of the dark lord, he still is and Celestia supports the beliefs too, but not at the cost of Harry's life. Celestia pushed aside her fear, focusing instead on the bond they shared. "We'll figure it out, Harry," she said, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "Together."

The morning of the third task arrived, Celestia was still thinking about the conversation they had at the breakfast table, she just wanted Harry to get through the third task safely, while her brother was with Crabe and Goyle making fun of anything they see. Suddenly, Draco shouted across the great hall.

“Hey, Potter! Potter! How's your head? You feeling all right? Sure you're not going to go berserk on us?” Draco was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet too. Slytherins up and down the table were sniggering, twisting in their seats to see Harry's reaction.

Celestia stood up from her chair and strided towards Draco, to give him her piece of mind; she was already every irate thinking about the upcoming task. As soon as Celestia reached him, Draco flashed her the daily prophet, grinning.

It read:
"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.” The Daily Prophet, however, has unearthed worrying facts about Harry Potter that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, has carefully concealed from the wizarding public.
“Potter can speak Parseltongue,” reveals Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts fourth year. (Celestia smacked him in the head) “There were a lot of attacks on students a couple of years ago, and most people thought Potter was behind them after they saw him lose his temper at a dueling club and set a snake on another boy. It was all hushed up, though. But he's made friends with werewolves and giants too. We think he'd do anything for a bit of power.” Parseltongue, the ability to converse with snakes, has long been considered a Dark Art. Indeed, the most famous Parselmouth of our times is none other than You-Know-Who himself. A member of the Dark Force Defense League, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that he would regard any wizard who could speak Parseltongue “as worthy of investigation. Personally, I would be highly suspicious of anybody who could converse with snakes, as serpents are often used in the worst kinds of Dark Magic, and are historically associated with evildoers.” Similarly, “anyone who seeks out the company of such vicious creatures as werewolves and giants would appear to have a fondness for violence.”
Albus Dumbledore should surely consider whether a boy such as this should be allowed to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Some fear that Potter might resort to the Dark Arts in his desperation to win the tournament, the third task of which takes place this evening.

At the Slytherin table, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were laughing, tapping their heads with their fingers, pulling grotesquely mad faces, and waggling their tongues like snakes.

Celestia was arguing with Draco very loudly. "He is a human and give him some space" she said when Harry stopped looking. Soon the slytherins left for history of magic exam.

At lunch time, Celestia watched Harry with Weasley family with a frown, she hated the family as her father does but is also very glad that they are looking after him. Hence, she decided to pay attention to the ongoing drama in between Pansy and Theodore, they had recently broken up.

After the exam finished, everyone was relieved and excited about the third task, as soon as the dinner feast ended Dumbledore stud up from his chair.

“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.”

The Slytherins, accompanied by the Drumstrang students together made their way towards the quidditch stadium, which was 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.

The stands were already full, the slytherins bullied the ravenclaw students sitting in the first row into giving up their seats.

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.

“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 - Mr. Cedric Diggory 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!”

He waved up at them, and they waved back, beaming at him. “So…on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!” said Bagman. “Three - two - one -” he gave a short blast on his whistle, and Harry and Cedric hurried forward into the maze.

As Celestia watched Harry and Cedric disappear into the labyrinthine maze, her attention waned from the tournament.

Fluer and Krum's turn approached amidst the ongoing cheers, everyone buzzing with excitement. Amidst the chatter, students from Durmstrang and Slytherin exchanged plans for the summer, reminiscing about the good times they had shared.

However, the jovial atmosphere turned sour when Fluer was swiftly escorted out by the professors, eliciting mocking laughter from the crowd.

Soon, Krum followed suit, his unconscious form being rushed out of the maze. Hogwarts has won but despite Hogwarts' victory, the absence of the champions cast a shadow over the celebration.

After what felt like an eternity, Harry emerged onto the grounds, cradling Cedric's body. The cheers erupted anew as the music swelled, drowning out all other sounds. Celestia's heart swelled with relief at Harry's return, she celebrated with other students, even hugged Ron and Hermione who sat a seat above, but her joy was short-lived as a chilling cry pierced through the jubilant atmosphere.

"He's dead, a boy has died!"

The revelry came to an abrupt halt as Celestia watched in horror as Harry wept over Cedric's lifeless form. Amidst the chaos, a man's anguished cries cut through the air as he rushed towards his son. Harry clung to Cedric's body, unwilling to let go, but was forcibly pulled away by the grieving father.

Driven by a mixture of sorrow and determination, Celestia sprinted towards Harry, her vision blurred by tears. She pushed past anyone who tried to stop her, her sole focus on reaching Harry's side. With Harry now in the clutches of Moody, his face contorted in madness, Celestia's mind raced with memories of the forbidden forest duel and the sinister truth behind Professor Moody's identity.

As she watched Moody dragging Harry away amidst the chaos, Celestia felt a surge of fear for Harry's safety, her heart heavy with the weight of the tragedy that had unfolded before her eyes.

At that moment Celestia knew that she loved Harry Potter, enough to endanger her own life to save his.