~The Big Five at Hogwarts: The Triwizard Tournament~ *Sequel*

Chapter 18

Hiccup

"Hedera armatio," I whisper, bending down to examine the hedge's green leaves. "Native to rainforests in North America. Incredibly rare. Took us forever to--,"

"Less nerd, more tracker!" Merida scolds. "Pitch probably took Eugene to the center." She yanks me by the arm to the first fork in the path. I nod and scan the two choices: forward or right. We had planted the hedges in a fixed pattern, but the labyrinth's main purpose is to confuse, so our best bet might just be to take a wild guess.

"Shouldn't we send red sparks into the air? You know, for officials to come and help?" Merida asks.

"No way. We still have the element of surprise on our side," I scold her this time. "If any officials were around, they would've shown themselves." We plod down the forward path. "Keep away from the edges, don't wander off, and for Odin's sake, don't pocket your wand."

"I know, I know; I have to keep myself protected," she rolls her eyes.

"Actually, I was more worried about myself." She glares at me, then laughs.

The seconds stretch into minutes, and I glance nervously behind me with each step. When branches rustle ahead of us, I jump a little.

"It's just us!" Someone whose hands are raised in surrender whispers harshly. When the glare of Merida's wand lowers, I see Astrid's face and rush forward to hug her.

"Astrid! Are you guys okay?" I turn to Rapunzel standing next to her. I'm still trying to get accustomed to her new hairstyle.

"We're fine. Just not a big fan of small spaces," she answers. I nod, understanding the longing for the open skies and rocky cliffs of Berk.

"Where are Jack and Elsa?" I ask. They shrug.

"I'm sure they're fine," Rapunzel assures, but she's gnawing on her lip like a dog on a bone. She and Astrid tell us that they can't find any attendants either, so the four of us continue on the path forward as much as we can.

Finally, we round a corner to be greeted with the bluish light radiating off the Triwizard Cup. That means we're one turn away from finding out what this has all been about. I feel the warmth of Astrid's rough hand gripping mine. After a simultaneous hesitation, our tiny group creeps around to the center of the enormous maze.

In the open night air, we can make out three people in the nine-by-nine foot square cut into the greenery. One of them is tied to a stake in the ground,--Eugene--and the other is speaking to a figure hidden in a cloak. Surrounding them are the limp bodies of about eight men and women in tan-colored robes: the attendants. We're not even sure if they're alive. The guy talking is Pitch Black. We make as little noise as possible to listen in.

"I brought the idiot here, so the least you could do is tell me is what you plan to do with him, " Pitch growls.

"That is on a need-to-know basis," the second voice purrs soothingly. "I thought all you cared about was the Ministry title." I don't recognize this woman's voice, though Rapunzel squints her eyes suspiciously. Suddenly, across the clearing, behind the opposite bordering hedges, I notice two pale faces peeking through.

"Jack! Elsa!" I whisper to the others. Then I pick a pebble up off the ground; one that is small enough to not make a noise, but substantial enough to give Jack a good tap on the head. I swiftly toss it.

Sure enough, it does the trick. Unfortunately, the two of them are still fixated on the two chatting villains. So, Astrid, Merida, and I gesture to them with our hands while Rapunzel keeps staring. It isn't until she taps my shoulder that I realize the two voices have stopped talking. And Pitch is glaring right at us.

"After them!" He points his gray finger at us. I grab for Astrid's hand with a yelp, usher the others ahead, and take off without even looking behind us.

"Ruuun!" As I chance a peek behind, I see the tournament attendants running after us. But their faces are vicious, their eyes opalescent and black smoke drifting around them. Pitch and his caped friend are not far behind. I hope that Jack and Elsa have stayed with Eugene.

"What about Eugene?" Rapunzel pants. I can't answer; my lungs feel like they're about to burst.

"They just had to go into the freakin' maze, didn't they!" Merida screams.