HP: Harry From The Ancient House Of Black [ Chapter 66 ]

The entrance to the maze was surrounded by a half-circle stand, one that had managed to fit not only all three schools but also the families of the champions.

Cassiopeia sat next to Sirius, Narcissa, and Lucius, Draco having chosen to sit with his friends in Slytherin.

There were four openings that each of the champions stood in front of though no one spoke to the other. Aries had considered commanding Fleur through their bond that she was not to attempt to win the tournament but had decided against it.

He wanted to win the tournament by himself and felt that such actions would lessen her opinion of their situation. A feeling of finality had fallen over them and their silence contrasted the eager noise of the spectators.

The judges watched on and Aries noted that Karkaroff was exchanging old glances with Professor Snape, rather than being his normal arrogant self.

Albus Dumbledore approached a small podium in the middle of the opening, giving each of the champions a serious look.

"Earlier today the Tri-Wizard Cup was placed deep within the maze." His loud voice quieted the noise, but the sense of anticipation was thick.

"Mr. Black, with one hundred forty-eight points, will be the first to enter the maze, followed by Mr. Diggory, Mr. Potter, and then lastly Ms. Delacour." Each school roared as their champion was called.

"The first champion to touch the cup will be brought back here and declared the winner of the 1994 Tri-Wizard Tournament." The crowd was roaring at this point but quieted at a raised hand.

"Should at any point a champion wish to withdraw from the task, they need only send red sparks into the air, and a professor will retrieve you. Champions gather round."

The four champions formed a half-circle in front of Dumbledore. Fleur locked eyes with him and gave him an excited smile.

Diggory and Potter both had a nervous confidence in themselves. Aries felt nothing, no nervousness, and no excitement. He was calm and the void consumed all emotion.

"In the maze, you will not find easy challenges or obstacles. Instead, you will find something even more challenging. People change in the maze, they find something inside themselves that perhaps frightens them or changes them forever, for there are those that enter and do not come out the same. Find the cup if you can, but be wary, for you just might lose yourself on the way."

It was as the champions returned to their starting spots that Aries noticed Moody watching him intently. The temptation of Legilimency was too much and he cautiously touched his mind.

‘He will return tonight.’ Moody's thought pushed against his mind with such fervor that Aries pulled back from his mind immediately.

He vaguely heard Dumbledore's count and the cannon blasting but as he entered the maze Moody licked his lip quickly, just as Barty Crouch Junior had done.

The connection was made and Aries suddenly had a hunch of what the Dark Lord's plan was, but he forced it out of his mind. First, he had to survive the task, then he would deal with whatever Crouch and Voldemort had been up to.

The opening to the maze closed as Aries went through it and darkness encompassed him. There was an eerie silence, disturbed only by the slight rustle of the wind through the hedges.

He took a left at the first intersection and continued straight for some time before deciding to take a right, where he encountered his first obstacle: an acromantula.

Aries made quick work of it, slicing through its legs with a cutting curse before destroying its head with a reductor curse.

One would think that just one giant spider would be enough, but apparently, Hagrid did not think so, for as Aries took another right he came face to face with a group of the acromantulas.

He took no chances this time as fire erupted from his hands, scorching the spiders alive. Aries noted that the hedges themselves seemed impervious to the fire, unlike the ground.

Aries wondered through the maze trying his best to keep what he thought was the center always within eyesight, though it was becoming quite difficult.

The paths did not always go straight, but sometimes curved or took sharp angles. His eyes had started to take a more greenish color in the darkness with a slight yellow tinge near the edges, much like they did when he was a wolf.

It allowed him to see far clearer in the darkness without the need for a wand-lighting charm. Again, the eerie silence of a task meant to be riddled with obstacles stumped him, before he felt something odd.

There was a new coldness to the air and the night seemed to grow even darker. Aries cautiously raised his wand, glancing around to find the source of the change. Then he saw it, hovering above the ground.

Dark robes clothed the humanoid shape, giving it a wraith like look about it. The Dementor made no move to approach him and for a moment Aries wondered if it was a Dementor after all.

"Riddikulus." A flash of light illuminated the night, but the Dementor did not change. The creature slowly turned to him and with a sinking feeling, Aries realized it was not a boggart.

Suddenly the air turned to ice and he shivered in the darkness. More shapes came towards him and Aries raised his wand again.

"Expecto Patronum!" A silver shield pulsed from his wand for only a moment before it faded away.

Panic started to grip him as the Dementors came closer and closer. Memories started to creep into the forefront of his mind, but one prevailed over them all, attacking the void he struggled to keep in check.

"Expectro Patronum!" This time nothing came from his wand and the Dementors were nearly on top of him.

He watched helplessly as the explosion ripped through the room. His body hit the table hard and he felt his ribs crack as he landed on the floor. Aries looked up slowly, blood pouring down his mother's pale face.