Tangled Alliances

Tangled Alliances

~*~ Chapter 3 ~*~

The Great Hall went silent as Dumbledore raised his hands to quiet the students. On the table before him was the flaming Goblet of Fire. Harry watched entranced as the Goblet's blue-white flames danced around and flickered, vaguely recalling something being said about how often the Goblet could be lit. He thought, if his memory served correctly, that it could not be lit until the next Triwizard Tournament.

"As almost all of you recall, last year Hogwarts was home to the Triwizard Tournament, and the Goblet of Fire was used to select the names of those students who were to compete. I stated that the Goblet was not going to light again until the next tournament, but have charmed it to light for a different cause."

Dumbledore paused there and glanced around the hall.

"After the attacks on Hogwarts over Christmas Holiday, I have decided to heighten the magical protection of the castle. A crystal that is hidden in the depths of the Forbidden Forest must be retrieved and brought to Hogwarts for the additional safety of the school. I will need four students to go, and they must work together to get the gem from its place in the forest. That is why the Goblet of Fire is here before you all this afternoon."

Again Dumbledore paused, and Harry prayed that this time he would be left out of the spotlight.

"I will use the Goblet to decide on the students best suited to take on this task. Every student's name from fifth year up has been placed into the Goblet. If you are chosen, you may accept or decline the mission. I will tell you now that this is very dangerous, and it could be life-threatening."

Dumbledore looked down at the Goblet which, as if it had sensed that he was done speaking, shot a piece of parchment and a plume of red sparks into the air. The headmaster caught the small slip of parchment and read the name it bore before handing it to Professor McGonagall. She too read the name and then cleared her throat to speak.

"Harry Potter."

Harry looked down at the floor and tried to escape all the stares that were directed his way. This was exactly what he hadn't wanted to happen. Now he would once again be the center of focus. The Goblet shot another stream of red sparks into the air along with the second name.

"Hermione Granger."

Hermione blushed and followed Harry's gaze down to the floor. Harry was relieved to know that he would have at least one friend in this task, until his mind flitted to how upset Ron would be that he and Hermione had been chosen, and he was once again left out. Harry didn't see the third stream of red sparks that the Goblet emitted.

"Ronald Weasley."

Ron grinned, and his brothers patted him on the back. Ginny smiled weakly and leaned up against Fred.

"Wicked! All three of us are going to be together. Wonder who the fourth person'll be? Another Gryffindor maybe?" Ron looked away from his two best friends just in time to see the Goblet spit out a shower of green sparks and the final piece of parchment.

"Draco Malfoy."

The first three who had been chosen looked over at Draco in surprise. The Slytherin looked almost as shocked as they did.

"Do you all accept?" Dumbledore asked seriously.

Ron began to say something, but Harry stepped on his foot with all the strength he could muster, and the redhead was silent. Harry nodded as did Hermione, and Draco paused for a moment before nodding his own consent. Harry hissed something to Ron and he shook his head solemnly.

"Good. Then you shall set off tomorrow morning. Professor Lupin will bring you down to Hogsmeade to make sure you are supplied with the necessary materials to enter the woods and face whatever you may find within. I will speak with you after dinner tonight in my office about the entire mission."

**********

"You have been chosen for a very important mission. I must be frank with you. I don't like the idea of four fifth year students in that forest alone, but if the Goblet chose you, then so be it. It must know that you can achieve your goal. Now once you are in the forest, head in as deep as you can go until you're in the center. You should come to some sort of entrance. You must enter there, but from that point on, it is not known what is inside other than a maze. When you reach the end of the maze, you must retrieve a crystal, a large diamond-like gem. It protects the dwelling that possesses it from many sorts of dark magic, such as the use of the Unforgivable Curses."

Draco for some unknown reason looked particularly relieved and almost excited, and Dumbledore looked at him with a twinkle in his eyes. Hermione was the only one who noticed this, but said nothing, and instead shifted her gaze to Ron who had been glowering at Draco since they had entered the office.

"I trust that you can work together without killing each other, or endangering one another?"

"Yes we can Headmaster. I know we can. I'll make sure we will," Harry said raising an eyebrow at Ron and then Draco, who was now returning Ron's look of hatred.

**********

"Are you sure you're all feeling up to this? You know you don't have to go."

Dumbledore gazed at the four chosen students and waited until they nodded to continue.

"I have faith in you. I know you can get through the woods and into the maze, and I know that will be simple for you if you cooperate. You must not fight, but work together. It is the key to your success. I wish all of you all the best of luck. Be careful. Come back safely."

The students murmured their good-byes and headed into the forest. The teachers watched as they disappeared into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest and hoped that they would come back alive and well.

"I hope zey vill be vell." Fleur was watching Harry closely as was Professor Lupin.

"I'm sure they will be, Fleur. They're all strong, and they're all rather intelligent, though sometimes they neglect to show it."

**********

Harry led the group through the heavily packed snow, Ron and Hermione just behind him and Draco following at a distance. They made no effort to talk to him, and he returned the favor by keeping silent. It was rather odd that the boy hadn't made any attempts to insult the three friends ahead of him, and Hermione found that suspicious. It seemed as though he wanted this mission to go well, for it to be successful, and that led Hermione's thoughts back to the glimpse of excitement she had seen in Draco's eyes. Why was he so happy about this?

She had to find out, and as not to arouse suspicion, pretended to stop and tie her shoe while Ron continued on after glancing back to see what she was doing. Draco almost tripped over her when he reached her and glared at her contemptuously.

"What's the deal, Granger? Trying to make me fall and break an arm or leg so I don't have to go with you lot?"

"No, Malfoy. I was actually hoping that you'd answer a question for me."

"Why should I answer a question for a Mudblood?"

Hermione felt a burst of anger and narrowed her eyes at Malfoy, gritting her teeth to avoid saying something too nasty.

"I'll ignore that last comment. I wanted to know why you agreed to come with the three of us. Why did you seem so happy about it?"

"When did what I choose to do become your business?"

"When it started involving myself and my friends."

"Maybe I decided to come along just to be a nuisance."

"You wouldn't waste your time, Malfoy. What's the other reason?"

"It doesn't concern you. Now go back to your little friends and leave me alone."

Hermione had to resist the urge to slap Draco.

"And if I don't go back to them? Whatever do you plan on doing? You certainly will not make me move."

"Are you quite sure of that?"

"Yes in fact I am, because if you were to even point your wand at me, Ron and Harry would have you stunned before you even knew what happened. And you know they would, so I suggest you stop being a stupid prat." Hermione's words came out in a bitter hiss, and Draco just smirked, furthering the rage that was boiling up inside her.

"And I know hexes and curses that would leave them in so much pain that-"

Hermione swung at him, and the palm of her hand connected with his nose as he tried to dodge the swipe. Draco knew it was broken before the pain even struck him, but he didn't cry out. The side of his mouth curved up in a slight smile, and his gaze slowly met Hermione's. She was pale and stunned, most likely because she had only intended to slap the boy and instead had broken his nose.

"I-"

"You didn't mean it, and I know that, but I don't really care. Now move along." There was no emotion in Draco's eyes or tone of voice which scared Hermione, and she complied with his order immediately.

Draco continued on once she was gone, and was only barely aware of the pain she had caused him. It was nothing to some of the pain he had felt in his lifetime. It brought back a chilling flood of memories from his childhood, and one particularly nasty one made its way to the top of his consciousness.

Draco had been seven years old at the time, and not yet aware of how his father looked at Muggles, Mudbloods and the like. He had decided one day, while with his mother in the local wizarding shops, to talk to a half-breed, not knowing that there was any difference between himself and the other boy. They had been in a wizarding toy store that Narcissa often brought Draco to and spoiled him at. As he looked around, he noticed the boy holding a toy broomstick and looking it over keenly as his mother watched. He had sand colored hair just like his mother and was robed in bright green. The back of his robes showed two Quidditch players diving for the Snitch.

"I wan' a real one Mum! Ya can't play Quidditch on this . . . Toy."

"Seamus, we're on vacation and I can't go buyin' ya too many things, and of course I can't get ya a real broom right now. Perhaps when ya go to Hogwarts . . ." His mother's Irish accent wasn't quite as pronounced as his own, and she seemed much calmer than her son, who was quite wound up at the moment.

Seamus looked at the toy broom he was holding in his hand and shook his head vehemently. His mother sighed with a smile, and Draco drew closer to him as she moved away to talk to a man who was looking rather nervous. The sandy-haired boy saw him and smiled brilliantly revealing two missing front teeth.

Hullo there! Do ya like Quidditch?"

Draco nodded. He had been to several Quidditch games and even owned a toy Quidditch set. The four balls were softer than they were in reality, making injury to the little children whose parents purchased them, less likely. Draco even owned his own broomstick.

"What's yer favorite team? I like Ireland of course. They're great! I wan' a real broomstick, but me mum doesn't wanna get me one. Thinks it's dangerous. Do ya have a broom?" Seamus was a regular ball of energy.

"My father bought one for me for my birthday." Draco was delighted to talk to another wizard his own age. Since he could remember, the only young wizards and witches he had met had been Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle. He didn't really care much for them. Crabbe and Goyle had been a bit too dull for him, and Pansy was . . . a girl.

"Wow, that's wicked! I wish I could have a broom!" Seamus's grin had widened and his light eyes were sparkling. "What's yer name?"

"Draco."

"I'm Seamus Finnigan. I'm from Ireland. Me and me mum and dad on vacation here. I wish there was a store like this back home. Hey, why don't we try out these brooms?"

Seamus shoved one forcefully into Draco's hands and hopped onto the one he had been holding. The scene that followed was one that Draco thought of fondly. They had zoomed around the toy store on the brooms knocking both people and toys every which way, laughing and shouting as they bobbed and darted through the crowd. The memory then took a nosedive into the unpleasant as Draco recalled what happened next.

Strong hands yanked Draco off of the broom which crashed into a wall of magical action figures that all looked mad or shocked after collapsing to the floor. Draco's head swiveled around slightly so that he could see who had grabbed him. It was his father, and he was looking none too pleased. Cold fury glittered in his dark gray eyes, and his mouth was set in a firm line. Few times had Draco witnessed a look like the one plastered on his father's face. The last time he had seen it, he had been five, and had knocked a large silver orb onto the floor, shattering it.

Mrs. Finnigan had collected her own son, but instead of being angry, was checking him over for injuries. Draco wondered why his father hadn't asked if he was all right, but the thought was fleeting as his father set him down, keeping a tight grasp on his robes.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Malfoy. My son didn't mean any harm. He's just a little hyper-"

"Come along boy." The tone of his father's voice was cold, and he could see that it struck fear into Mrs. Finnigan.

Lucius Malfoy practically dragged his son back to their home a few miles away. He said nothing the whole time, and it frightened Draco. He knew his father was very angry with him, though he couldn't quite comprehend why at the time. Once back at Malfoy Manor, he found that his mother had already returned home and was looking quite ill. Her eyes never left Lucius Malfoy in those few moments after his return home, until he hit Draco.

The blow had stunned Draco and knocked him to the floor. His entire face felt as though something had crushed it, and he could barely make out the blood that was dripping from both his lip and nose as the world swam around him in blurry shapes and colors.

"Never make friends with Mudbloods or half-breeds boy. They're not pure. You're to stay away from them. Do you understand me?"

Draco whimpered and nodded, then laid unmoving until his father was gone. Tears filled his eyes as his mother scooped him into her arms and sat with him there on the plush green carpet trying to comfort him. He had no idea what a Mudblood or a half-breed was. It had been the first time Lucius had struck his son, but certainly not the last.

Draco suddenly realized that it was getting darker in the forest, and his mind shifted back to the task at hand. The trees overhead had grown much thicker and were now blocking out all but a little of the gray light of the cloudy morning. He was well behind the others now, and they hadn't noticed, or hadn't cared. He had managed to heal his nose while lost in his thoughts and now set to the task of wiping the remaining blood off of his face. Touching his finger to his nose, he winced. The area just to the left of it was sore, and he knew that he would soon be sporting a lovely black eye courtesy of the Mudblood.

"Maybe we should stop." He could just make out Harry's voice from where he had stopped to make sure his nose was all right. "We don't want to get lost in here and end up wandering around forever, and we don't want to attract anything to us making all this noise. We need to make sure we're going in the right direction and we should have our wands out in case anything goes wrong. There are all sorts of things in these woods."

"Point me." Hermione was holding her wand on a flat palm and it was pointing north. They needed to be going west to get to the center of the forest. "All we have to do is follow this. We can rest when we get to the maze."

Harry nodded, and they set off again. He was thinking about what Dumbledore had told them. The entrance to the maze was in the center of the forest, and he knew there were other things in the center of the forest -- Acromantulas.

**********

By sundown, all four of the students were feeling exhausted. Hermione's legs ached, and Harry's feet were sore. Ron was complaining about not having had anything to eat. Draco's head pounded relentlessly, and no matter what he did, the throbbing pain would not relinquish.

"We're stopping here." Harry had stated the order, and Ron and Hermione had gratefully halted and sat down on a rock that Ron had released from its snowy blanket.

"Why not go further Harry? We must be close."

"We're going to in a minute, Herm, but we need to be careful. There are Acromantulas living in the center of the forest, and I'm rather sure they wouldn't mind having us for dinner."

"We could always throw them Malfoy if they attacked us, though I doubt they'd want to eat the scrawny little git."

"Sod off Weasel." Ron's head whipped around, and he found that Draco was standing only a few feet from them. "I'm not the one who's afraid of spiders. They don't bother me in the least."

"These are gigantic spiders Malfoy. They could scare anyone," Ron growled irritably.

"I'm not afraid of anything." Draco was flat out lying. Things that frightened the average person didn't usually bother him at all, but he was afraid of a few things, like his father. "Anyway, what is your wondrous plan to get us past these oversized spiders, Potter? Going to go with Weasel's idea?"

"Shut up, Malfoy."

"Why don't you make me if you're so tough?"

"Harry don't. He's not worth the energy," Hermione warned.

"Stay out of this, Granger. You already caused me enough trouble for one day."

"Malfoy, just be quiet and listen for a minute why don't-"

Harry stopped talking because he saw that Ron had gone white in absolute terror. An Acromantula towered over them, looking extremely menacing, and it did frighten Draco a little. He pulled his wand from his pocket and yelled stupefy, but the red shot of magic only angered the spider which charged at him.

Draco had only seconds to react, but was frozen to the spot. Instead, Harry dove into the way and seized Draco's wrists, pulling him out of the creature's way. They tumbled to the white ground below them and Harry cried out in what sounded like pain to Draco. The next thing he felt was Harry dragging him to his feet and heading further into the forest.

"Lumos!"

Harry hissed the word through gritted teeth, and in the wand light, Draco could see droplets of blood glittering on Harry's cheek. There was no time to think however, as the spider bore down on them and tried to grab Draco. It missed much to Draco's relief, and the Slytherin felt as though he were falling. He had been, but didn't realize it until he hit the ground with a loud thud.

Hermione and Ron were just sitting up, and Ron's face was as white as a sheet. Hermione was gasping for breath and checking herself over for injuries.

"Are you all right Harry?" Hermione asked, helping him sit up and looking at his cheek.

"Just a scratch. It hurt, but it'll be fine. How are you two?"

Hermione said she was just shaken up and Ron nodded, though shaken up could hardly describe the look on his face. No one said anything to Draco, perhaps because he stood up and leaned against the wall with his arms folded coolly over his chest.

"Are you going to thank Harry, or is that too much to expect from an ungrateful monster like you?" Hermione snapped at him, and he looked at her with his strange half smile

"I told him once before that I'd thank him when hell froze over, and that statement remains standing."

"You no good excuse for a-" Ron's insult was stopped by Harry who was looking into Draco's eyes with his own unreadable emerald ones. "If he wants to be that way, then fine. It doesn't bother me in the least. I don't expect him to be thankful that I saved him. I just did it because we need him here, and I'd feel sort of bad going back and telling Dumbledore that Malfoy got killed even though I had the chance to save him."

Harry's words seemed to stab Draco in the heart. 'I did it just because we need him here.' Draco didn't respond, couldn't think of anything to say, and mentally kicked himself for it. Harry had won that round.

"Now if you're done being rude Malfoy, I'd like to ask what in the world just happened."

"We fell down a bloody hole, Potter. What the hell did you think happened?"

"If you'd remove your head from your-" Harry started, but Hermione put a hand on his shoulder.

"There is no hole, Malfoy. It's solid earth above us."

Draco looked up and examined the surface above his head. It was completely solid earth and stone, and there was no way they had fallen through it.

"We're in the maze then, Granger. I thought a supposed genius such as yourself could figure something like that out. Why don't we all find our way to the end of it, so I can get away from the three of you before I lose my precious sanity," Draco, snarled.

"Since when have you been sane, Ferret?"

"What did you just call me, Weasel?"

"You heard me, Ferret." Ron's tone of voice was dangerously low, and Harry moved in front of him, just to be sure that the two boys wouldn't end up pummeling each other, though Ron would surely beat Draco to a pulp, being the taller and more muscular of the boys.

"Let's just get moving and stop bickering." Hermione lit her wand and started down the path before her, putting her hand on the wall of the maze. "If I keep my hand on this wall and we keep moving, we'll be sure to find the way out sooner or later."

**********

And it was much later when they finally came to a stop. Exhausted and hungry, all four sunk down onto the ground. Ron, after eating his fill, immediately fell asleep, and Harry dozed off not too long after. Hermione and Draco remained wide awake.

"I'll stay up and keep watch if you want to get some sleep."

"You can go to sleep, Granger. I'd rather not go to sleep, and I'll keep watch. I don't trust you lot not to curse me if I fall asleep, especially Weasel."

"Oh honestly . . . Can't you grow up and stop being so nasty?"

"I'm not being nasty. I was raised not to let my guard down, not around family, allies, enemies, or friends."

"You have no friends, so that last one doesn't matter, and I don't think your father would think twice about killing you."

"I don't need friends and you know nothing about my family. Nothing at all."

Hermione snorted and laid down a few feet from Ron while Draco stared into the magically conjured fire. His head hurt, and he was tired, but he wouldn't sleep. Sleep led to dreams, which turned into nightmares, and nightmares would just wake him up anyway.

**********

Draco jumped when he heard movement behind him and cursed himself for starting to doze off. It was just Harry though, and he was standing with his wand in his hand, poised for attack.

"What-" Harry silenced Draco with a quick wave of his hand, and stared straight ahead of him. Then Draco heard the voices that had apparently awakened Harry.

Few into this maze have passed,

And fewer more have made it through.

If you can reach us rather fast,

You'll have a chance at what you're due.

If you fail, you should have fled;

No turning back, you'll all be dead.

Flame and Air and Earth and Sea

Will all be part of what you'll dare,

Though how you choose to be

Will determine how you fair.

One hour more we four shall wait,

And failure brings unpleasant fate.

The voice singing the haunting rhyme was chilling, and Draco tried to suppress a shiver, but couldn't and found that his hand was shaking as he reached for his own wand. He noticed that both Ron and Hermione had been awaked by the eerie song, and both looked quite shaken. Suddenly the voice ceased its song, and Harry turned to face them.

"I'll assume you all heard that." He received three nods and continued. "It said we have an hour to get to the end of the maze to find four . . . Something."

"Well if we only have an hour, then we should get moving don't you think, Potter?" Draco was standing up with his arms crossed over his chest again looking quite nasty.

"Yes. We should. Come on then." Harry ignored Draco's rude manner and started to lead the group in the direction they had been going.

This time it was Harry who put his hand to the wall, and soon they were well on their way to the exit. Harry was replaying what he could remember of the poem in his mind, when white hot pain seared through his fingertips, and he jerked them away. The wall glowed orange where his hand had been, and without warning, flames burst forth from the spot, singeing the sleeve of his robe as he fell backwards. The flames grew and soon produced a wall of fire the width of the path and the height of the walls.

"Where the hell do we go now? That was the only way past." Ron was glaring at the flames in irritation. "This is stupid. Why did we agree to come?"

"We have to get through somehow, even if we have to jump through."

"Jump through fire, Harry? Are you out of your bloody mind?"

"Well do you see any other way through, Ron?"

Ron stared at the wall of flames for a moment and then shook his head in defeat.

"They're magical flames, so I doubt water will put them out . . . I'll go first."

Harry stepped closer and felt the heat licking at his face and hands, making him break out into a sweat. He was trying not to be afraid, but it was no use. It was then that he saw something hurtle past him and into the fire, causing Hermione to gasp. Harry knew that it had been Draco, and he followed the boy's lead. He threw himself at the flames, and disappeared through them. True shock hit him on the other side. He was in water, and far under water from what it seemed. He gagged as he inhaled and icy breath of it, and surged upwards toward the surface. He could make out just a little light, but everything around him was getting darker by the second. His chest felt as though it would burst, and his lungs ached for precious air. Harry felt something wrap around his wrist and give a great pull, and he broke the surface, gasping and choking. The hands that had pulled him far enough to breathe oxygen once more, also pulled him up onto a stone surface where he lay unmoving for a long time. He could make out splashing noises and curses in the background, but nothing was very clear. All he wanted to do was rest.

"You have to get up Harry. We need to keep moving. Once we get to the end I'm sure we'll be able to take a break."

Hermione was leaning over him and resting one hand on his arm, a worried look on her face. She and Ron helped him slowly to his feet, and he saw Draco. His silvery hair was clinging to his forehead and his lips looked almost purple in the dim light. Harry could tell he was shivering, as he now wore only the clothes he had donned under the heavy robes, which had been discarded onto the dusty ground. His hand had been burned slightly in the fire, which Harry noticed when the Slytherin slicked back his dripping locks of hair.

"Are you all right, Harry?"

"Yeah, Herm. It just wasn't what I was expecting really." Draco was watching him closely now, and their eyes met for a brief stare, until Draco turned away and headed off again.

It was not long before they came to a set of stairs leading up, and Harry's stomach did a flip flop. They were narrow stairs, made out of earth and stone, and there was nothing on either side of them but a large cavernous hole. Draco was already heading up them, but cried out when one started to give way under his feet. He lurched forward and clung to a more sturdy step as he watched the ones he had been on collapse into the black abyss of nothingness.

"Come on then you three. You know we have to get out of here soon."

Ron looked ready to kill the Slytherin and privately wished that another step would fall out from under him and take the bastard with it. Hermione was walking up the steps carefully now and trying not to cause them to collapse. Draco took her hand and helped her jump up over the gap, and then Harry followed her path. Ron went last, and landed safely with Harry's help. The path upwards was a long one, and Draco noticed that it was getting windy, though where wind would come from he had no idea. It was strong enough to make him lose his balance, and he flailed his arms frantically in an attempt to steady himself, but it wasn't enough. Though Harry made a grab for the boy, he missed and Draco plummeted into the pitch black below. To stunned to call out, Harry sat and stared at the place where Draco had fallen, and gasped when he saw a small black bird fly up and land on the stairs above them at the top. In seconds it was a human, one who was looking quite agitated.

"Why in the world did I even bother to climb those blasted steps when I could have flown . . ."

"You're an Animagus?"

"Of course I am, Granger."

Draco stood up and dusted himself of before proceeding to walk through a stone doorway. The others looked at each other blankly for a moment, and then followed him. The scene that met them was relieving. They had reached the end of the maze, or so they thought.

A small pedestal entangled in vines and encrusted in jewels stood before the four students. Harry stepped forward and began to pull the vines away from the top as though something was forcing him to do so. Beneath them was a hidden book, faded and dirty, making it look quite ancient. Hermione stepped up beside him and ran her fingers delicately over the aged cover before opening to the first page. There were four words written there in black and outlined in a single color each. The colors were barely discernible, but Hermione's sharp eye picked up on them.

"Terra, aqua, ventus, incendium," Hermione said reading the words on the page. "Those are the four elements."

"Gee, I think we all knew that, Granger."

"I was just stating a fact, Malfoy. You could be a little nicer about it. What do you think it has to do with our quest? It must be here for a reason."

Harry was leaning on the gem encrusted stone, one hand touching the page where Hermione had her fingers pressed under the four words. Ron came over and rested a hand on the inside cover of the book. The words incendium, aqua, and terra were glowing softly, their outlines now wholly visible to the three who stood there.

"Come here Malfoy, and put your hand on the book. I think I figured it out," Hermione said with a grin of triumph.

"Well I hope you figured it out. I don't want to be here all day."

Draco reached over and placed his hand on the old parchment page, and it glowed a brilliant, blinding white before releasing four separate rays of light that enveloped the adventurers.

The lights began to take forms, and the group crowded around the pedestal, eager to see what they had released, but frightened at the same time. Finally, the creatures took a fairly solid shape and stopped in front of the students. They were spirit forms of the four elements. Fire and Earth were female, while Wind and Water were male. They seemed to be made out of the element they represented, but at the same time they looked almost human.

"You are the ones who have been chosen to enter the maze," Fire stated unbelieving as she circled around Harry.

"Yes. We are. We were chosen by the Goblet of Fire to come here and get the crystal that's in the maze."

"They look too young to me," Fire said circling the rest of them slowly. "What is so special about this group? Why did the Goblet choose them?"

"They've proven themselves, Fire. They got past the first half of the maze. It's quite simple really," Wind said sarcastically whipping around the group and blowing their robes and hair about. He stopped in front of Draco and eyed the boy intently, as if reading his mind.

"Yes they have," Earth replied softly, resting on the ground. "But, of all the tasks, it was the easiest I think."

"Well if the Goblet chose them, then let us lead them to the other half of the maze," Water added, leaning on Earth's shoulder. "We haven't been released in a long time to get the crystal, and it feels good to get out of here to do something rather than just observe the happenings of the muggle and wizarding worlds.

"Well, before we start, I want to know what the nature of this mission is? Why is the crystal needed?" Fire directed her question at Harry and crossed her arms. Her fiery golden eyes swept over Harry, and of course came to rest on the lightning bolt scar.

"There was an attack on our school. A group of dark wizards attacked friends of mine over the Christmas Holiday, and almost killed one of them. Headmaster Dumbledore thinks the school needs a stronger force protecting it, and we were sent to get a crystal that would supposedly generate more power in repelling dangerous forces away from the school."

"Dark Wizards? Have they come to power again? It's been awhile since I watched your world as my fellow elements do, about fourteen years or so."

"Yes they have. Voldemort has gathered his followers together, and he wants to see the wizarding world fall under his control."

"You are Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, are you not?"

"Yes . . ." Harry shifted uncomfortably under Fire's steady gaze.

"We've heard about you," Wind said. "Fire stopped watching your world when Voldemort lost power for the first time, when the curse he aimed at you, backfired on himself, and he was temporarily defeated."

Hermione could no longer stand being quiet and stepped in front of her fellow students.

"You speak of another half to the maze. Where is it?"

"Ahead of you. You need to get through it to get to the final task."

"Task? What task?"

"There will be many, my lady. Some you will face alone, and some you will aide each other in, but the final one is at the end of the maze, as is the crystal." Water smiled slyly and disappeared.

"Wonderful. I love the sound of that," Ron muttered giving the elements a nasty look.

Fire and Wind had moved away from the group slightly and were speaking in hushed voices.

"So many secrets untold between them. The snotty one doesn't really hate them. He's just acting the way he's been taught to. A Slytherin and three Gryffindors. The Goblet sure picked a real combination. Perhaps if they make it through, it will bridge the gap between the houses. All four would once again be reunited as they were when Hogwarts was first a school, before the trouble came with the sorting of students. The school would not be divided and tangled in so many different alliances. It would be purged of darkness and be free again, the pure school it once was," Wind said appraising the group.

"Everything needs a little darkness to balance the light, Wind. These children all have their fair share of darkness, and that will become more evident to them as they traverse the rest of the maze. Pure evil cannot be tolerated however, and this is why they were sent here," Fire stated as she watched Draco's eyes linger on Harry.

"What do you see that I don't, Fire? I know you see something."

"The blonde one, the scrappy one . . . he likes the Boy Who Lived. He admires his bravery, and is very attracted to him. He won't admit it to himself though, but he will in the end, if they make it that far."

"Do you think that he likes him back?"

"Not yet, but he will. He has yet to realize that sometimes you don't hate people as much as you think. You have to get closer to them before you truly understand them. Once the blond one confesses, he will figure it out.

"We need to get back. They're quite impatient." Wind and Fire moved back to the group.

"Well, we'll join you now," Fire said moving over towards Harry.

"Join us how?"

"One of us will strengthen your power, inhabit your wand. When you need our power, call us, and we will help you. Water has already united with the girl's wand," replied the fiery element. "I will go with you Harry Potter."

Fire circled him for a moment and then disappeared into his wand.

"Be careful, and try not to get lost," Earth added before joining with Ron's wand.

"And don't cause each other too much trouble. I think a few of you should try and get along a little better. You'd have more fun that way. I know you'd all love to be friends, or maybe more," Wind sneered as he glanced at Harry and Draco before dissolving.

Draco looked down at the wand and had the urge to snap it in half. That stupid element was mocking him, mocking how he was feeling at the moment. When he had pulled Harry up out of the water earlier on, he had gotten an uneasy fluttering feeling in his stomach, like a bunch of fairies had taken flight in it, and it gave no sign of letting up.

'I'm not feeling what I think I am. It's impossible. I can't be. I don't feel that way about anyone. Especially Harry Potter. I never will. I'm a Malfoy . . .'

"Well are you all coming or not? I want to get this over with!"

Draco could see that Ron was angered by his sarcastic and snippety comments, and Harry was aggravated with them.

"You know, Draco, if we didn't need a fourth person with us, I think I'd shove you right off that ledge. Why do you insist on irritating everyone?"

"Isn't that what a Slytherin does?" He asked innocently in a mocking tone.

"Does it really matter what house you're in?"

"No, but the Slytherins are all evil and impure, or at least that's what all you Gryffindors think."

"No. Your house quality is the desire to prove yourself and you doing whatever it takes to reach your goals. Nothing was ever said about you all being evil."

"And I've never seen you be totally chivalrous and brave, Potter. So I guess our house qualities aren't the only ones we have."

Harry lunged forward and grabbed Draco by the collar of the robes as the slightly shorter boy did his trademark smirk. As Harry held him there, Draco spoke so only the famous boy could hear.

"Going to beat me up, Potter? Going to let your anger get the best of you? Going to be like me? Guess there's a little evil in everyone, even the Golden Boy," he hissed tipping his head up so his lips were mere inches from Harry's, and his eyes were locked with the Gryffindor's own.

Harry released Draco and turned to head towards the building, his face bright red.

"You're not worth it, Malfoy. You never were, and you never will be."

**********

"So now that we're in here, what do we do?" Hermione asked as she looked around the room which appeared to be a grand entrance hall. "They said there would be trials? How do we get to the trials?"

"Why don't we call on one of the elements and have them tell us? I'll call Earth out. She seems to be the least dangerous and calm of the four," Ron said removing his wand from his pocket. "Terra!"

Earth materialized before them and waited patiently.

"So what do we do now?" Ron demanded.

"A bunch of wizards like you can't figure it out? Oh dear, I thought you were smarter than that. You go through the rest of the maze. Your trials will find you. You don't have to worry about that."

Earth returned to where she had been resting, and Ron sighed.

"Well that was useful. We have absolutely no clue about which way to go or how dangerous this place is. I wish we had some sort of guide."

"Wait. I learned a spell that creates a guide when you're lost. The guide will lead you to wherever you need to go. Rego! Lead us to the end of this maze!"

A small blue ball shot from the end of Hermione's wand and it hovered in front of them for a moment before slowly heading towards the door.

"Follow the little light. It knows where to go."

"Where do you learn all these spells? We haven't learned this one in Charms yet," Ron said touching the light which did a loop in the air and buzzed off. "And why in the world didn't you use that before when we were in the other half of the maze?"

"I just remembered it," Hermione said with a blush. "And I just study a lot, unlike you and Harry."

Ron rolled his eyes and followed the light through one of the doors before them. He gasped when he saw what was within the chamber and stumbled back, knocking over Draco and Harry who landed in a pile behind him. Draco's face turned crimson red, and he paled when he realized that Hermione had caught him blushing. She gasped when she realized why. She always had been too smart for her own good. Ron slammed the door and leaned his back against it.

"What's wrong, Ron? What's in there?"

"Spider, big nasty spider. It's ugly, Harry, and it's big. Real big."

"Well we have to get by it, Ron. We can't stay in here."

Harry stood up and opened the door. There was nothing in the room. The raven-haired boy turned and raised an eyebrow at his friend in a questioning manner.

"What spider, Ron? Are you losing your mind? There's not a thing in there."

"But . . . I saw it. It was huge."

"Weasel's gone insane. I didn't think it would take too long. He does hang out with all of you after all . . ." Draco said with a smirk.

"Be quiet Malfoy. If we want to talk, then we'll tell you to," Hermione snapped haughtily.

"Well excuse me," he snarled back storming into the room.

They all headed through the room, Ron clinging nervously to Hermione's arm. He knew what he had seen, and it had to be there. Spiders that big didn't just disappear into the walls, or did they? Draco fell behind and as the group entered the next room through a red door to the left, something wrapped around his mouth and silenced him. Sticky silk then encased his legs and arms to bind them and keep him from thrashing about.

"And they think he was imagining me," the spider hissed. "Wonder how long before they come looking for you, or maybe they won't. They don't seem to like you much now do they?"

Draco's eyes were the size of saucers. The creature had the body of a spider, but from the waist up, had a woman's figure. She was grinning at him with a a set of pearly white teeth, all sharp. Venom seemed to drip from them. Her eyes sparkled a dangerous red color that was similar to the shade of her hair. It reminded Draco of blood, the same deep crimson color. Her skin was pale, almost white and her body was intricately detailed in crimson and black from the arms down

"You look tasty."

Draco wriggled, frantically trying to escape the silken thread in which he was entangled. It was impossible. The delicate web was as strong as iron. She poised her fangs over his neck and bit down sharply, and if he could have screamed, he would have been heard through the whole wizarding world.