Harry Potter's Pen Pal

Chapter 20

Second-to-last chapter! (Minus the bonus chapters)

 This was the last meeting of the Black Knights before the third task. The only members not present were Charlie, who was back in Romania, Kingsley, who was at the Ministry, and Winston, who was at his shop. The members who were present were dueling. Harry knew something was going to happen during the last task that would involve him facing Dumbledore, so he needed his Knights up to the task of defending/fighting for him.

Beside him, Tom was eyeing the twins, who were dueling Regulus and Severus. It was rather impossible to tell who was winning, given the jets of light and partial fog, but it was clear that both teams were deadly and talented. Tom winced when Regulus only just dodged a Diffindo that would have hit his-

"Your Majesty."

Harry turned. The headmistress was standing behind him with her wife, looking worried, proud, and annoyed. "Yes, Professor?" he asked.

"It's time for the champions to go down to the Quidditch field," Minerva responded. Poppy huffed.

Harry nodded and shouted, "Stop!"

A few seconds later, silence fell and the Black Knights turned to him.

"It's time for the third task," Harry announced. "Howl, Kaa, Siren and I need to go down to the Quidditch pitch."

Cedric grinned from beside Viktor, who merely looked bored. Fleur looked a mixture of apprehensive and excited.

"I want you all to be on your guard," Harry continued. "You will come when I call you through the marks. Have your uniforms ready."

His followers dispersed noisily.

"Harry," Tom said quietly, worriedly. Harry noticed the anxiety on his boyfriend's face. "I ⎯ what if-"

Harry silenced him with a slow, deep kiss. "I'll be fine," he said firmly. "You taught me well," he added, causing Tom to blush harder. "When I face Dumbledore tonight, I want you by my side."

Tom blinked in surprise. "You want me to fight alongside you?"

"I want you to be with me, always," Harry said softly.

Their kiss was rather watery, but one of their best....

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"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!"

Cheers erupted from the stands.

"Let me remind you how the points currently stand," Bagman continued. "In first place, we have Mr. Harry Potter, with ninety-three points, representing the Junior Marauders!" A majority of the crowd cheered, while some of the Gryffindors booed. "Tied in second place with eighty-five points each we have Mr. Cedric Diggory, of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More cheers. "Finally, in last place with seventy-nine points, we have Miss Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons Academy!"

Bagman waited for the cheering to stop.

"So, on my whistle, Mr. Potter," Bagman said, casting Harry a nervous look. He raised the whistle to his lips and blew shortly.

Harry slipped into the entrance in front of him.

As soon as he was out of sight, he pulled out his wand. "Invenient Triwizard Cup," he hissed in Parseltongue.

A black light emerged from his wand. The line of light started at his wand and disappeared into the bushes ahead of him, connecting to the Cup. Harry flicked his wand again, and the line moved to accommodate solid objects.

He knew this was cheating, but he wanted to be at full strength when he faced Dumbledore. That, and he didn't really care about the rules.

Harry strode forward, hoping this wouldn't take too long.

He didn't face anything too difficult ⎯ he blew up the boggart that showed Tom dead, the Blast-Ended Skrewt fled as soon as he saw him, and the sphinx's riddle was so easy it was boring ⎯ until he reached the final stretch.

Three Acromantulas, each the size of a bus, were standing between him and the Triwizard Cup. Harry frowned and canceled the search spell; he needed his wand for defense.

"Your Majesty," a voice whispered behind him. Harry acknowledged Cedric's presence with a distracted nod.

"Ve vill fight the spiders," Viktor offered behind him. "You vill need your strength to fight Dumbledore."

"Where is Fleur?" Harry asked softly.

"'Ere, Your Majesty," came Fleur's slightly breathless voice as she came up behind them. When she saw the Acromantulas, she cursed quietly in French.

"Howl, Kaa, Siren, distract the spiders," Harry said quietly. "The Triwizard Cup is a Portkey." He could sense that the magic coming from the Cup was Dumbledore's. "It will take me away from the school. I will call you all as soon as I arrive."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the three whispered obediently. Viktor slipped into the shadows while Cedric and Fleur darted into the clearing.

The three spiders instantly converged on the Veela and human. Cedric blasted one away with a Dark hex, while Fleur put one to sleep. The third, distracted by Fleur and Cedric, didn't see Viktor's Blood Boiling curse until it was too late.

Harry stepped out of hiding. "Well done," he chuckled, casting the two screaming-in-pain Acromantulas a dark smirk. "Knock them out before the crowd hears. I'd rather you didn't get in trouble."

Two more spells later, Harry was standing in front of the Triwizard Cup, wand carefully tucked into its holster. The holster was charmed so that only Harry and Tom could remove his wand ⎯ that included gravity.

"Good luck, mon roi," Fleur said quietly.

Harry nodded to them and grasped the handle of the trophy. Instantly, he felt the jolt of a Portkey, and he was transported out of the maze.

He appeared on a dark hilltop several minutes later. Harry's wand was instantly out, because standing about five feet in front of him was a familiar bearded man.

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes glittering. "Hello, Harry."