Unofficial Portkey Archive

Time was not in their favor.

"Lee, you're in Medical. How much time does Hermione have?" Harry asked, pressing his back against the bluff so that he was completely out of sight from the mountain.

"To stay alive?" Lee Jordan asked incredulously.

"No. Until she falls unconscious."

"Oh!" Lee was relieved and did some mental math. "It depends on how deep the cut is. If it's already pooling then it was a pretty substantial laceration. For someone Hermione's size, it would just depend. Twenty to thirty minutes maybe? More if she can take it. It all depends."

"And can you patch her up if we get her back soon?"

"Yes, I can mend the cut, but she will still have lost a lot of blood. I suppose I could try a field blood transfusion, but it would be my first time without supervision."

"I thought the environment had to be sterile to do that." Harry tried to call the hospital shows that Aunt Petunia would always watch.

Lee shook his head, the locks spraying snow. "No, it's not like how Muggles do it. There's a magical binding we can use. Let's just hope someone here has the same blood type."

Harry nodded, grateful that there was a chance for recovery. That still meant they would have to rescue her without the shooter stunning Hermione from a distance. Harry surveyed the battlefield, generating possible solutions in his mind. Every second that passed was crucial. They would happen upon their undefended hostages soon.

"I don't understand how they could be hitting us from that far away," Cho complained.

Indeed, it was a valid complaint. Harry knew for a fact that there was a physical limitation to certain spells. There were some spells that disregarded distance. There were other spells that had to travel over time and could be avoided. Yet, the general rule was that they had to be in one's line of sight. There were always exceptions of course. The Summoning Charm was an easy example of a spell that did not require line of sight.

Battle class had allowed them to practice with the varying distances they could throw a spell. Harry could hit someone accurately with a Stunner on the move from up to fifty meters away, but the mountain was a few hundred. In order to hit anyone with a spell, it would require some engineering.

"He has some sort of device that is shooting spells over a distance," Harry concluded.

"Like a gun?" Lee asked.

"Exactly like a gun."

"A gun? Like a Muggle gun?" Cedric craned his head and Harry had to yank him back to make sure he didn't expose himself.

"Yes. A sniper to be more exact," Harry said.

Vernon would always watch these war movies. Most were based in the European theater of World War Two. Inevitably, there was a sniper that would wreak havoc from a distance, picking soldiers off one by one. The theory behind it was not all too difficult to understand, but the practical aspect of spells from a distance was not something Harry had ever considered until now.

"Most likely, he has an enhanced viewing apparatus of some sort. Think of it like Omnioculars attached to a wand that can shoot spells several hundred meters," Harry continued to explain.

They started shuffling along the hillside, taking care to keep cover from the mountain. They were getting closer to Hermione's position, but the cliffside eventually ended and the rest of it was an open field of ice. The snow crunched underneath his body. Harry listened for any other activity and heard nothing but the wind.

"That's still impossible," said Marietta. "We're not allowed to bring anything with us besides our wands."

"That's the genius of it," Harry argued. "Whoever this is didn't bring anything with them either. Maybe they did, but they would have disqualified them by now. The far more likely explanation is that they transfigured it."

"A transfiguration into a device that delivers spells over long distances," Cedric muttered as he scooted across the snow. "That's ridiculously advanced."

"Ridiculous but not impossible," Harry said.

The person must have bolted straight for the mountain. There was no way to know whether or not there was an extra clue in the riddle that signalled such a high vantage point. Either way, this shooter used the landscape to their advantage and had them pinned down. If one person could hold down an entire corridor, that would allow the others to focus their resources on retrieving their VIP's.

They reached the very edge of their cover. It was open ground from their position to Hermione and the rest of the VIP's. Hermione was just on the edge of his spell distance. Any closer and he could perhaps throw a Protego shield over her, but she was still too far. Cedric must have been thinking the same thing.

"Why don't I just bring up my Protego shield and keep it up until I reach Hermione and the VIP's. If you're right, he can only throw offensive jinxes and curses at us. I don't think he's going to be transfiguring anything nearby or hitting us with a charm," Cedric theorized.

True. The shooter had to use a spell that could travel over distance. If Cedric remained crouch and behind his Protego shield then that would keep him covered all the way to the targets.

"We could also use Obfuscation charms and Smoke charms to cover the area as well," Cho said. "If this shooter is using something like Omnioculars, then they wouldn't be able to see if we put in those charms."

True again. Both of these ideas were good in theory, but they were also the first thing to come to mind when combatting this sniper. This person obviously had talent. They were so familiar with the device that they could transfigure other objects to serve the same purpose. It only stood to reason that they would have thought of these detractions as well.

Harry was careful not to voice these thoughts aloud. The more time they spent debating, the more likely they were to fall behind. A plan was needed and they did not have the luxury of developing one that was infallible. Luckily, Cedric seemed to have regained some of his acumen.

"They would know that. They would know we would try to obscure their vision or use a shield to block any spells. Why else would they wound Hermione? Even the dimmest person would realize how to counter someone from a distance. I know spells that can augment Omnioculars to see through walls and other objects," Cedric said.

"And you know these spells?" Marietta asked with a raised eyebrow.

Cedric waved her off. "Yes, but not for the reasons you think. Omnioculars can also be augmented to see through difficult conditions like fog and smoke. If they transfigured their device, then they would have to know how to spell their seeing crystal to look past smoke and obfuscation as well."

Good lad. You're thinking straight again.

While they were discussing what do next, Harry had been packing together a mound of snow so that it formed a block. Satisfied with the shape, Harry concentrated and transformed the block of snow into a similar sized mirror. Objects that were like in shape were often easier to transfigure. Next, Harry scooped together some snow until it formed a cylinder. Harry would have to thank Tracey for the gloves when he rescued her. Twice now, they had proven useful in battling the elements.

Harry pursed his lips and focused on his wand movements until the cylindrical snow pile turned into a hollow metal pipe. They were simple transfigurations at the end of the day, but they would serve their purpose. Harry scooted closer to the rest of the group and happily interrupted Marietta's bitching to lay out his plan.

Once roles were assigned and the objective understood, Harry prepared himself.

Applying the Lightweight charm to his boots, Harry pushed off and ran. After five paces, he planted his foot and abruptly changed direction. The sniper would take their time, but Harry did not intend to make this easy for them. Most likely, this wizard or witch would wait until Harry was close to Hermione and would line up their shot accordingly. Harry jabbed his foot hard into the ice and almost slipped. If he fell, it would be the end of his role in this tournament.

This is a good place to take the shot.

Harry broke into a straight sprint and hoped luck was on his side.

"NOW!"

Cho lit her wand with a Lumos as Harry directed. The tip of her wand was within the hollow pipe that Harry transfigured. The pipe concentrated the light into a beam. Cedric raised the mirror until it was in line with the beam of light generated from the pipe. The makeshift flashlight reflected off the mirror. Cedric shook the mirror, sending flashes of light towards the mountain.

A red spell sizzled through the air, wide and high. Harry thanked his own ingenuity as he jumped into a slide, the cool ice skidding along the bottom of his thigh. He neared Hermione and tapped her body with his wand and whispered, "Finite."

The sound of shattered glass filled the air and Harry could hear Cedric cursing profusely. He did not bother turning around. Racing along the ice, Harry jumped head first just as another red spell crackled over his head. Coming to a stop behind the VIP's, Harry jumped up and started flipping their bodies sideways. They were easy to manipulate as they were suspended in mid-air. He flipped the four bodies until he could crouch behind them without exposing himself, using them as cover.

No doubt they would dock points for this little stunt.

"Hermione," Harry hissed, beckoning the Gryffindor to join him.

She stumbled to her feet, still bleeding from both shoulders. To her credit, she followed his zig zag approach. Over her shoulder, Harry spotted Cedric transfigure a pile of snow into another mirror. Raising the mirror in front of him, Cedric used the beam of light and wiggled the mirror to create the blinking effect that Harry theorized would distract the sniper. Another spell crackled through the air and broke the mirror a second time. This time, Cedric fell down and only a well-timed Protego saved him. The Hufflepuff scrambled behind cover before the sniper could get another hit in.

Hermione crashed into him, almost throwing them both out of cover. He grabbed hold of her, his blood instantly darkening with blood. The ice made it hard to find purchase with their footing. Eventually, he settled her down and resumed their position behind the floating bodies.

"Good thinking distracting the shooter with the mirror. At this distance, the littlest distraction can throw off his aim by a good margin. I also felt a twinge in my pocket. Roger's group must have found one of the bases. They're moving in on it."

"Shit," Harry said. "We're behind schedule if they've already found one of the bases. That has to mean they're going to be closing on ours soon."

Hermione nodded as she clutched her left shoulder. Harry motioned for her to move a hand away. She gingerly released it and hissed. It was hard to see with all of the blood and cloth. As Harry squeezed her arm gently, he could see new rivulets staining her robes. The cut was still bleeding.

"He got me deep on the left shoulder. The nick on the right has already coagulated I think."

"You're sure the sniper is a he?" Harry lifted the cloth and winced at the deepness of the cut.

"Easier than calling the shooter an it. How bad is it?" Hermione asked through gritted teeth.

"Do you know the spell to stitch this up?"

"The spell is Episkey. The wand motion is a `V' and think of repairing my skin," Hermione spit out.

Harry attempted the spell and watched as the skin stitched together over the cut. It only lasted a moment before it ripped open again and a fresh gush of blood spurted from her shoulder. Harry leaned back as flecks of blood splashed against his face. Hermione groaned in pain and pushed her hand against the laceration.

"Again!" Hermione ordered.

Harry forced himself to look at the cut and performed the spell again. It was better this time. The skin looked more whole. He siphoned off the blood until the area was mostly clear and found no more bleeding. Squeezing her arm, Harry found that the spell did not break.

"Just couldn't get it right the first time," she grumbled. "What's the plan?"

Hermione usually had fair skin. Given the temperature and the climate, it wouldn't be unusual to see a lack of color on her face. What was unusual was the heavy breathing and shakiness of her hands. Harry ripped one glove off and laid it again her forehead. Her skin was clammy, not just cold.

"Blood loss," she said angrily. "Not enough to put me into shock, but I'm going to need a transfusion."

Harry nodded. "Lee said as much."

The sound of another mirror shattering forced Harry to confront their situation. Cedric and company was still pinned behind a bluff. The Hufflepuff was desperately scooping up snow to transfigure it into another mirror, but Harry yelled out for him to stop. The shooter had taken a shot at them since Harry placed the VIP's between them. There was still the matter of traversing the rest of the open ice plain.

"We can just float the bodies along to keep us covered, but it will take some time. We have to keep ourselves covered," Harry talked aloud, waiting for Hermione to come in with her ideas.

"We're taking too long." Hermione reached into her pocket and pulled out a curved stick with a string attached on both ends. Harry could visibly see the vibration and knew that Roger was encountering something in his direction.

They couldn't hide from the sniper forever, but the mountain was such an advantageous position. Wherever they want, there was always the possibility that the sniper could see them. Whoever it was purposefully faced this direction as well. Their only hope was to keep it distracted or attempt to obscure his vision.

Harry unfastened his robes, leaving him only in a long sleeved shirt and pants. They were both charmed for warmth, but he still felt exposed.

"On my mark, sprint for the rest of the group. I'll throw up some Obfuscation charms and a couple other tricks to cover our tracks," Harry ordered as he prepared a few spells.

"What about the VIP's?" Hermione asked.

"I'll take care of them too."

She shook her head. "Split them up into two's. I can guide two of them along while you give cover."

Harry agreed and allowed her to take Ginny and another Hogwarts student he didn't recognize. The two other VIP's were people he didn't know. Judging by their facial structures, they looked to be Eastern European, but that didn't mean anything. He yelled over to Cedric what they were going to attempt. Hopefully, the sniper didn't have advanced listening charms as well.

"Ready? Mark."

Harry threw his robes in the air and hit it with an Enlarging charm. He held the spell for a few moments and then maintained a Levitation charm. He mixed in two Obfuscation charms as well and it would have been a miracle of the shooter could hit them. Harry pushed the two floating bodies as he broke into a quick jog. Hermione was ahead of him, convoying the two other VIP's.

Spells shredded through his robes, carving large holes in them. The sniper was getting impatient and using Cutting hexes. If one of those spells happened to hit the VIP's, Harry assumed they would have to get qualified. The spells flew through the air, focusing on one area in particular. Harry realized that the location of the Cutting hex was purposeful. The sniper was carving out a window of visibility. Harry directed an Obfuscation charm at a gap that the Cutting hexes had created.

Crouching so he could use the VIP's as cover, Harry pushed through the open gap.

There was a tiny gap in between the arms of the two VIP's. Harry had positioned them so that there were as few gaps as possible, but he didn't move every limb and body part. It was no more than a few inches of daylight in between the bodies.

A Stunner flew right through that gap. It was so close that Harry could see the beam flash across his eyes. Another centimeter and he would have been knocked out cold and another rescue operation would have been made just for him. Pushing along the two VIP's, Harry finally reached cover.

"Bloody hell, they're good," Harry exclaimed as he sat down in the snow. He counted to ten and brought up his Occlumency shields. Extending his hand, he found that it was as still as a flat board. His heartbeat was steady and slow.

Lee immediately performed diagnostic spells on Hermione. He frowned and grimaced as thin wasps of different colored spirits floated from his wand to Hermione. Harry pulled Cedric aside to hammer out the rest of his plan.

"We need to keep going. Roger already reached one of the bases and we're lagging behind here."

Cedric nodded, his eyes never leaving Hermione. "Agreed."

Harry grabbed his arm before he could leave. He was getting a little annoyed with the Hufflepuff. His feelings for Hermione were clouding his judgement.

"Listen, whichever school set this trap must have split the VIP's as well. There's only four here. I'd expect them to have a few more back at their base, but also split off three or four more and leave them in another area. That shooter is going to be harassing us the whole time. Even if we found half of our VIP's, we would still have to truck them back to our base."

"What are you saying we do then?"

Harry took a deep breath, his mind churning out the possible solutions. He was more and more sure it would be the incorrect decision to keep pushing on to retrieve the rest of the VIP's. Whoever devised the plan was brilliant while Hogwarts had foolishly left their base unattended and unguarded.

"Spit this group up. Send Hermione, Lee, Cho, and Marietta back to our base to defend it. You and I should go across and support Roger. It was a mistake to ever leave ourselves undefended."

Cedric looked at Harry sharply and he met the Hufflepuff's steady gaze. After a moment, the bigger boy nodded and shuffled over to the rest of the pack. There, he relayed Harry's plan. It sounded sweeter coming from Cedric's tongue. He had a way of phrasing his words so that it was more readily accepted. There was a ridgeline they could use to head back to the home base with plenty of cover from the sniper.

"Sorry to say, but we can't move Hermione that fast," Lee stated.

"I'm perfectly fine," said the girl with the sickly pallor.

"She's lost a good amount of blood and needs an immediate transfusion. I can do it...but it's going to hurt and we need a matching blood type."

"Let's be quick about it, then," said Harry.

Lee would make a small cut on the back of their hand and then tap his wand on it. Murmuring a few words, he would lift the wand until the blood turned a different color. Green. Blue. Yellow. Black. None of them were matches until Lee drew a speck of blood from the back of Harry's hand.

Black and black.

"Looks like you're the lucky boy," Lee said as he ushered them closer together. He made another incision on both of their palms and had them grasp hands.

Lee looked at Harry first. "You're going to feel a wee bit doozy at first, but you'll recover sooner. We're only taking a little blood from you."

He then turned to Hermione and grimaced. "It's going to feel like someone's taking a hot poker and sticking it up your arse."

She shook her head at his piggishness. "Less talking. Get on with it."

Lee Jordan shrugged and tapped his wand on their joined hands.

Hermione screamed and cursed Lee to all hells that could possibly exist.

----------------------------

With four VIP's in tow, it was a slow march back to their base. Hermione still felt ill from the blood transfusion though Lee assured her it would get better. She cursed herself for being caught out by the sniper though upon review, there was little she could to defend herself. The mark against the side of her chest was stinging. Nonetheless, Hermione continued onwards.

They went slower than Hermione would have liked, but the potential of the sniper hitting them was too great. He had gone quiet and not fired a spell since their retreat. Hermione took that as a good sign. Harry and Cedric would still be on track.

A few landmarks indicated they were close to their base and Hermione alerted Marietta. The Ravenclaw nodded back and proceeded forward more cautiously. She periodically threw out Detection charms and found nothing, but the other Champions would not be far away. Running through some rough calculations in her head, Hermione guessed they were about five minutes away from the base. She did a quick calculation of the size of this ice island and theorized it would take Harry and Cedric ten minutes to be within the general vicinity Roger and company. The twine that they used as their signal had not vibrated in quite some time.

"Contact," Marietta whispered.

They ducked in unison, casting Disillusionment charms on themselves. Hermione still didn't feel one hundred percent, but her hands had stopped shaking and her feet were a little warmer. A blur moved along the snow as she positioned herself below a hanging icicle. Their base was in view and the VIP's were already being led outside. Peering closer, Hermione saw the flash of platinum blonde hair from a distance and made no mistake as to who it was.

There were eight of them in total, almost their whole group. Fleur was standing in the center, ordering around the other Champions. Hermione counted three witches that were on lookout duty while the others conjured rope to tie together the floating VIP's. They were only taking the Beauxbatons bunch, an error since they could take some of the Durmstrang hostages and deprived them of points.

No Tireur.

They were still vastly outnumbered and it would have been a colossal mistake to try to ambush them. Their guards nearly numbered the attackers and Hermione had every reason to believe that they were the stronger duelists. She did not doubt her own abilities, but the group with her was definitely not the strongest team. Cho and Marietta were passable and Lee had a creative streak about him, but Hermione did not delude herself. This was a poor strike team.

Hermione started surveying her surroundings, knowing she had to act quickly. The Beauxbatons students still had to transport the VIP's back to their safe zone and Hermione had a strong feeling as to who was going to be providing their cover. There was a small valley, a perfect funnel for their return. Still, it wasn't nearly narrow enough to completely eliminate the numbers advantage.

But there were other ways to create advantages.

"Cho. Marietta. Come here," Hermione said in a low voice.

The two Ravenclaws shuffled over, two blurs making footprints in the snow.

"You still remember your Bubble-Head charms?" Hermione asked. When they both said yes, Hermione questioned once more, "And how are your Sticking charms?"

"Good enough," Cho answered.

Hermione nodded and reapplied her Disillusionment charm.

"Alright then. Take off your robes."

----------------------------------------

With only two people and no VIP's to carry, Harry and Cedric made good time despite the sniper. They took care when out of cover, popping Obfuscation charms and throwing off the timing by staggering their runs. They cut straight across the ice island, coming rather close to the mountain. Harry momentarily suggested to take out the sniper, but they were already behind in time.

Across the snowy plains they went, stopping twice for breathers. When they finally reached the other side of the ice island, they could hear the commotion before they saw it. Spellfire burned the air as Harry and Cedric approached. Not knowing who was engaging whom, they crawled up a snowy hill and looked down at the battle.

Roger was solo against three Durmstrang students. He was performing admirably, but was clearly overwhelmed. When Cedric rose to assist him, Harry put a hand on his bicep and reigned him back. It was no use trying to help him now. Someone cleverly transfigured the snow into sand and the slight change tumbled Roger. Prone and on his back, Roger still managed to deflect a few spells before his Protego shield deteriorated and he was hit with a variety of Stunners.

Harry counted four Durmstrang students left standing. Littered all over the ice and snow were comatose bodies of students from Hogwarts and Beauxbatons. Judging by the fallen number of Durmstrang students, it seemed as if Durmstrang were content to hold and wait for the two other schools to come to them. Harry accounted for every single Durmstrang student, comatose and standing, save for one.

Viktor Krum.

Was he the sniper? Harry asked himself. There was no time to dwell on such things. The mountain was a good distance away and the terrain was significantly more varied.

Two on four weren't great numbers, but Harry was confident that they were more than capable of taking them. Durmstrang's base of operation was at the edge of a bay of water. A half circle cut into the ice and the Durmstrang students had been smart to stay on the other side and keep the tent between themselves and the attackers. If someone wanted to get the VIP's, the Durmstrang students would see them coming. They had made an unfortunate mistake though.

They were savoring the sweet taste of victory too long.

Stupefy. Stupefy. Non-verbal spells struck two Durmstrang students before they had a chance to blink. Cedric caught on quickly and a hail of spells flew through the air. The remaining two Durmstrang students were quick enough to avoid the fire and started countering. They were skilled, but Harry was trained far better than they were. Their aim was sloppy and their positioning hurried. Harry wondered how Roger and company had fallen to them. Any Hogwarts students should have easily been able to take them down.

One of the Durmstrang students barked out a command in a tongue Harry did not understand. They were drifting further and further towards their tent, retreating under the rash of spells. Cedric's wand work was precise, efficient, and unrelenting. His spell casting was quick and the hexes were varied and difficult to block. Harry cracked a whip of fire and snow turned to water as he caught the edge of their robes. They neglected to put out the fire and Harry took his chance when one of them was distracted and trying to extinguish the flame in his robes.

Three down.

The last Durmstrang was the bulky girl that Harry remembered from the opening ceremony. Her face resembled a bull and she was as muscular as Cedric. There was a small lull as the three prepared their next spells. Cedric shifted further away from Harry, making space so that she would have a hard time defending both of them. There were a variety of spells that Harry could use. Knockback jinx. Bludgeoning hex. Stinging curses. Harry was trying to decide on which one when he noticed the tiniest of movements.

Her eyes darted over his shoulder for a half second.

A pile of snow exploded and Harry jumped out of the way, contorting his body, to avoid a spell. Deflecting a Stunner with a Protego shield, Harry rolled to his feet and faced a giant.

The pile of snow hadn't exploded. Someone had emerged from the mound of frozen water. Harry staggered backwards as he deflected another spell. He could hear Cedric behind him engaging the Durmstrang girl, but Harry could not tear his eyes off the hulking monstrosity in front of him.

Instead of cloth and robes, Viktor Krum was dressed in armor from head to toe. It was white and gleaming though there was little sun. Adorning his head was a helmet with the horn. His eyes were behind a transparent visor that gave him good visual range. In his right hand was his wand and in his left, a shield that was approximately Harry's size.

Harry stumbled backwards, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. Viktor turned and fired a Stunner. Harry reflexively raised a Protego shield but fell over from the sheer force of the spell. His arm was vibrating from the ferociousness of Krum's Stunner.

Krum advanced.

The mammothian Bulgarian took lumbering steps towards Harry. Each step sunk all the way into the snow until he reached the ice beneath. Though he moved at a quick pace, Harry noted that Krum didn't have a complete degree of freedom in his armor. Each shining piece was flecked with tiny ridges, but Harry could see the original source that Krum had used. Ice. His armor was an art of Transfiguration that would have left Professor McGonagall floored.

But it had to be tested.

Cutting curses, Bludgeoning hexes, Bone-Breakers were all repelled. Harry was dismayed to find that each piece of armor was infused with a Protego charm. How Krum managed to create such armor in a short timeframe with just ice to transfigure was beyond Harry's comprehension. Magic at Hogwarts had been focused on jinxes and hexes. While there were still other classes focusing on other branches of magic, there was no doubt where the priority of their studies were. Harry knew jinxes and curses that could disarm and harm a wizard for days on end, but this was something else.

"Fulminare!" Harry threw at Krum.

Krum raised his shield and the lightning spell fizzled around the edge, striking several parts of the shield but never slowing down the man from Bulgaria. A separate battle raged behind him as Cedric continued dueling the Durmstrang girl, but Harry tuned it out as he focused on solutions.

Krum was slowly advancing on Harry, but he used his wand sparingly. It only took a second for Harry to figure out the reason behind this prudence. If Krum had truly transfigured this armor and infused it with enchantments, then a majority of his magic must have been tied up in maintaining those enchantments. Even he was still bound by the principles of magical conversation.

As Flamel said, everyone had a limit.

Harry blocked Krum's simplified Stunners and other jinxes, but could not find a way around his defense. The Durmstrang student was a walking tank and not a single one of Harry's jinxes or curses had made a dent in his armor. They would bounce off without even causing Krum to flinch.

"Got her, Harry!" Cedric yelled.

It was two on one, but neither of their spells were effective. Harry was careful to use his attacking spells in between shields. Krum was fast and accurate with his wand but never quickened his pace. He took a lumbering step, closing ground as he pushed the Hogwarts pair back to the water.

Harry broke into a sprint, trying to place Krum in between them. Showing surprising agility, Krum pivoted and Harry narrowly avoided another Stunner. Forced to bring back his Protego, Harry was satisfied that the Bulgarian was now in between him and Cedric. Krum hesitated for just a moment, but turned his full attentions towards Harry. Turning his back on Cedric, should have been a fatal error.

The Hufflepuff Champion hit him with spell after spell, but Krum's armor did not break. In fact, the Bulgarian didn't even bother turning around. He slowly advanced on Harry, increasing the frequency of his Stunning spell. Harry kept his Protego up, but he was weakening. Either Krum was insanely powerful or he had found a way to efficiently use magic in creating his armor.

Harry could see Cedric sprinting towards Krum, but he yelled out, "No!"

Krum wanted them to close. That's why he wasn't bothering with any other strategies. Eventually frustration would give way and would invite an up close attack. Harry didn't know what Krum was planning to do, but that's what Harry would have done in his position. He shifted his feet, trying to prevent himself from being cornered. His mind raced, but it was slow to come up with a solution. He had never faced an opponent like Krum before.

Harry was suddenly struck with a thought and a word. Unpredictable.

He ran away.

Casting a Disillusionment and Obfuscation charm, Harry ran behind a hill. At the top of the hill, he wordlessly cast a Legilimens on Cedric. If they were watching, it would like he cast a failed spell, but he didn't want everyone to know about his proficiency at Legilimency just yet. When the spell took hold, he relayed a thought.

Keep Krum busy.

Cedric started, clearly startled by the voice in his head. Harry ducked behind cover and cancelled his Disillusionment harm. He wasted no time making preparations. Scooping up balls of snow, he transfigured each of them into a rock that could fit into the palm of his hand. He left a thin hole that cut through each rock from end to the other. After creating seven of them, he tore a piece of his sleeve off with a Sewing charm and enlarged it. Soon, he had weaved the piece of cloth through all seven rocks, forming a stone necklace.

Harry could hear Cedric blasting away at Cedric over the hill. Krum's distinctive gruff was heard ever so often, but they were just trading spells to no avail. Neither was gaining an advantage, but one would tire eventually. Harry had an unfortunate feeling that Krum was used to this sort of marathon. How could they have overlooked Krum's proficiency in Transfiguration?

"Gravias Facio. Gravias Facio. Gravias Facio. Gravias Facio..."

The spell was intended for construction purposes. When applied to an object, the Gravias Facio spell would make it heavier so various objects could be used as counterweights. It required little magical energy as it was a charm as simple as Wingardium Leviosa. He applied it generously to each stone. He stopped and then applied it to all seven stones again for good measure.

With his free hand, he attempted to lift the string of rocks off the ground. Though Harry was not particularly gifted with an abundant amount of strength, he doubted anyone could lift these rocks off the ground. By his calculations, he had applied the spell so many times that the overall weight had to be at least two tons.

"Detinent. Detinent. Detinent."

Applying so many charms to a transfiguration could easily weaken the structural integrity of the object. The Dampening charm had worked with the transfigured metal during the previous Battle class, so why not now? The stones did not look anything like snowballs, so Harry assumed they held. This time, Harry found it much easier to lift. He still had to use two hands, but it was manageable.

Now for the hard part.

Peeking over the hill, Harry found that Cedric was tiring against Krum. He didn't know how Krum did it. Not only was the Bulgarian maintaining the transfiguration, he was only holding the enchantments on the armor together as well as delivering powerful Stunners. Cedric had cottoned onto Krum's strategy and was expending less energy, but he moving slower. His Protego was slower and Harry could detect the barest flicker of Cedric's shield even from a distance.

So Harry did what came natural to him.

He ran towards Krum.

Feet pounded against snow and his heart hammered in his chest. The awkward weight of the stones slowed him down, but Harry leaned forward in full tilt. Krum might have discovered some sort of magical efficiency secret, but he didn't have supersensory powers. Harry hoped Cedric saw his approach and would distract Krum. The Hufflepuff did not disappoint.

Cedric put together a flurry of spells that caused Krum to raise his shield. Step by step, Harry gained ground. He cursed himself for forgetting to apply the Lightweight charm on his boots. Ever closer he came until he was just a stone's throw away from Krum. He closed the gap and leaped.

Harry climbed on Krum's back and wrapped the circle of stones around his neck. He grasped Krum's wand in one hand and pointed his wand against the circle of stones.

"Finite!"

Krum collapsed headfirst.

Harry wrestled the wand away from Krum's meaty hand as the ice broke beneath them. The armor had limited his mobility up to the point that he could not twist his arms to grab Harry. His metal hands clawed at the anvil around his neck, but it was futile. The floor groaned beneath them as the ice gave way.

CRACK.

The ground opened beneath them, the ice splitting apart from the weight of the stones crashing against it. Viktor fell into the icy water and Harry followed. The water wasn't as cold as Harry thought as he struggled to stay abreast. He took a large swallow of water and kicked hard. Breaching the surface, he gasped and reached for any purchase. A firm grip took hold of his wrist and pulled.

Cedric yanked him out of the water, the ice still crumbling beneath them. Drenched, Harry turned around and saw the faint outline of Krum clawing to get the circle of stones off his neck. Down and down he went, a shadowy blur slowly sinking into the darkness. After just a few seconds, Krum was gone.

"You really don't take half measures, Harry." Cedric gaped at the cracked ice.

With no one left, Cedric went to retrieve the VIP's while Harry took a rest. He peered into the water, searching for some sort of sign that the Portkey was activated. They wouldn't let anyone get hurt. Think of Heather. She was on fire and they got her out.

Cedric retrieved the rest of the VIP's quickly. He tied them up and set them into motion. Their only obstacles would be the remnants of whatever Beauxbatons had left. Hopefully, Hermione's group had done some damage to them on their return.

"Let's get back, Harry. Plenty of time left, but we can get full points still if we sweep up Beauxbatons."

Harry nodded, still looking into the water. They wouldn't let anyone get hurt.

Cedric started marching southwest to their base. It would be hazardous with the sniper still about, but they would use them as a shield. Harry had not yet moved from his spot near the water. His heart was hammering in his chest and though he denied why, he knew the reason.

"Homenum Revelio," he casted.

There! His wand twitched towards the water. Krum was still down there! How long has it been? A minute?

"Let's go, Harry!" Cedric begged.

Harry shook his head. "Go. Just go! Krum's still down there."

Cedric gaped and shook his head. Het let go of the train of VIP's and started walking back towards Harry. Harry held out a hand and waved him off.

"Don't be stupid, Cedric. Just take them and get back. I can't...I can't leave Krum down there."

The Hufflepuff stared at the younger boy. Harry could not look up from the water. He was begging them to activate the Portkey. They would not let anyone get hurt.

"Homenum Revelio."

His wand twitched again.

------------------------------------------------------------

The Beauxbatons group came right down the funnel between the valley. Hermione waited on the other side, biding her time. She cancelled the Disillusionment charm and stepped out into the open. Fleur narrowed her eyes as she spotted the Gryffindor girl. Three spells crashed into Hermione, but it went right through her.

Fleur spun on the spot and fired three orbs into the air. Bright flashes of light consumed the sky and revealed more Hermione doppelgangers. Each one disappeared as the ball of light touched it. The real Hermione struck a Beauxbatons student down with a Stunner and then retreated.

Into the trap they went.

As the Beauxbatons students gave chase, spells came from beneath them. Hermione watched with great satisfaction as they were caught by surprise from Cho and Marietta beneath them. Stunners sliced through the sky. Hermione had cut a hole in the ice some distance away. With Bubble-head charms, Cho and Marietta swam through the ice until they were right underneath the valley. Using Sticking charms to keep themselves in place against the ice, they saw the shadows above and fired away.

Hermione smiled as the Beauxbatons girls finally caught on and started firing beneath themselves. Hermione took the opportunity to signal Lee to come out of hiding and they fired away. Stunners flew through the air until there were only three Beauxbatons girls left. Unfortunately, one of them was Fleur.

An eerie song filled the air as Fleur's eyes turned a magnificent blue. She grabbed a handful of snow and threw it in the air. Cho and Marietta, with Bubble-head charms still active, were yanked from the water and through the ice. They tumbled in the air and Hermione cast Cushioning charms to break their fall. Spinning to avoid spell fire, Hermione fired two Stunners and caught the two other Beauxbatons girls square in the chest.

The spells were strong enough to add an extra kick back as the girls crashed an ice block. Lee had fallen into some sort of trance by her side as the eerie song filled the air.

"Lee! Snap out of it!" Hermione yelled as she started throwing spells at Fleur.

But Lee was standing there with a slacked jaw and his wand at his side. Fleur shrieked, no roared, and the song grew louder. The Veela's hair was floating, but Hermione was not afraid. Her own lion roared from the side of her chest as she stepped up to face the French girl. Lee collapsed as he was defenseless against a Stunner.

Hermione held her wand in front of her body and started chanting. Fleur sneered, her beautiful face contorting into something ugly and scaly. Hermione did not stand down, her wand still in front and her mouth moving with words. Fleur raised her wand but in the blink of an eye, Hermione was two inches from the Veela's face.

Of course, Hermione did not Apparate. They were still too close to Hogwarts' grounds to Apparate. The spell was all deception. Repeating the incantation over and over, Hermione had created a replica strong enough to be believable while she had Disillusioned herself. Fleur had missed the sleight of hand and mistakenly thought it was the real Hermione.

"Too slow," Hermione taunted.

The Stupefy hit the Veela's chest at point blank range.

----------------------------------------------------

A blur appeared in the sky, growing larger as it approached. A wizard on a broom almost crashed into the ground in his haste. He was looking haphazardly around, tapping his wand against a small button on his hand.

"Where is he? Where's Krum?!" The wizard agitatedly tapped his wand against the button.

"He's still down there," Harry said.

The wizard shook his head. He had the Ministry badge pinned on his robes. "But the Portkey. The Portkey should've worked..."

Harry wished he had studied the artificing of Portkeys. He had no idea why it wouldn't work but perhaps being trapped by two tons of stone deep in the water had something to do with it. Or perhaps it was his transfigured armor that was blocking the Portkey. Perhaps Krum had even accidentally transfigured the Portkey itself.

"Get Snape. Get someone! Krum's drowning!" Harry yelled.

The Ministry wizard mounted his broom but before he pushed off, Harry called out to him.

"How long is it going to take?"

"Two minutes maximum or however fast I can fly," said the wizard.

Two minutes too long.

"Then go!"

He kicked off, the snow flying into the air, and took flight. Harry watched him until he was just a small dot in the sky. Two minutes was far too long. By Harry's estimation, it had been almost two minutes already. Another two minutes was death for Krum.

Harry did not try to deny it. He was the cause of it.

In perfect conditions, using a Summoning charm on a human could result in accidentally tearing their limbs apart. It was commonly known that using the Summoning charm on human beings without excessive caution could result in disastrous consequences. Trying to summon Krum with two tons of transfigured stone around his neck was nothing short of lethal.

But what choice did Harry have?

He jumped into the water and placed the Bubble-head charm on himself. Summoning charms worked better when in the same medium. He floated just beneath the surface, looking down at the murky lake. They were near the center of the lake where the depth was at its greatest. Krum could have been over a hundred meters down. Harry pictured the large Bulgarian in his head. He pictured the horned helm. He pictured the shining armor. He pictured the deathly weight he had put around Krum's neck. He pictured it all and used Occlumency to lock the image into his mind.

I can't be the cause of his death.

Harry pointed his wand down.

"ACCIO VIKTOR KRUM!"

The Dursleys had once taken Harry fishing on a rare summer trip. He was usually not allowed to go with them, but no one had been available to watch over Harry. Afraid to leave him at Number Four, the Dursleys begrudgingly brought him. A particularly large fish had taken Harry's bait and he remembered the struggle as he pulled on the fishing rod.

It was the same sensation except the fishing rod was his body.

His back bent into a bow and though the water was cold, his body was on fire. Harry kept the image of Viktor Krum ingrained in his mind, refusing to let go. His limbs felt like molten lead as the magic fought against him. A thousand sharp needles stabbed his skin, but his mind remained whole.

He screamed, the sound echoing in the bubble around in his head. Only Harry could hear his scream as he pulled with all his might. Time was a forgotten dimension. His arms were shaking, his hand seizing as he held tight to his wand. The muscles in his neck spasmed violently as he held on. Through the murky water and the bubbles, Harry saw a figure rising from the water.

You will not die because of me.

It took everything, but Harry would leave no magic unused.

His voice was hoarse from yelling and tears streamed freely from his eyes. His body wanted nothing more than to quit, but his mind held onto the image of Viktor Krum. Harry could see the outline of Krum's armor, shining against whatever light broke through the water. The body floated, closer and closer. A few more yards. A few more feet. Just a bit more…

"Finite."

The circle of stones turned into snow then water, the transfiguration breaking. Harry grabbed Krum's arm, but his body did not cooperate. He was drowning. They were drowning. But Harry would not let go. Harry tried to kick his feet, but his legs were not responding to his brain. His body spent, Harry floated, slowly sinking from the weight of Krum's armor.

Then, Harry was rising. An arm from above pulled and he was suddenly above water. The Bubble-head charm broke as Harry crawled for land or ice. He breathed sweet air and gray skies had never looked so beautiful. Sitting up, he froze as he spotted his rescuer.

Karim Tireur finished pulling Krum from the water. Beside him was a contraption nearly three feet in length with a viewing crystal mounted near the top. Water beads ran down Tireur's bald head as he stared at Harry with his black, coal eyes.

"Hope that I do not lose because I had to save you," Karim said venomously.

Harry closed his eyes and let the eventual Stunner take him.

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A/N: Sorry for the slight delay. The updates will come a little slower now, but I'm optimistic they will be on schedule.

Projected update time: 21 days

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