Chapter 45.3- Doom Days

The cup was here, right here and it was mine. The others were out of the fight. Fleur’s wand had flown from her grip and Cedric was moaning in pain while the chain ran their course. Krum? We ‘d los him much earlier, This was it. It was my win. Then why did it feel so empty. It felt like I had come first in a race, but one where I had been the only one running. There had been nothing competitive about this, and it showed. I’d dispatched the two of them in no time at all. Fleur had been getting better all year, but she could not even still compete on even footing with the version of me that had faced the hellhound. Maybe she would have given him a fight, but not too much of a struggle. I leaned forward and grabbed the cup by its base, closing my eyes and taking a breath as I did so.

This time, when I felt the hook about my navel feeling, I did not struggle against it. I just allowed it to take it with me. That was why I froze for a second when the portkey ran its course and I could not hear any of the crowd’s shouting or cheering. In fact, it was dead silent. I opened my eyes and found myself in the middle of pandemonium. Pandemonium that I was shielded from by a bright golden dome that surrounded the podium I found myself atop. The stands were clearing out as students ran for the castle. Half of one set of the stands was just gone. Gone completely, with only the accompanying half that remained being a testament that to had ever been there.

Dumbledore stood in the middle of the chaos like a conductor, weaving his magic and fighting close to a dozen cloaked figures at once.

“Harry Potter” I heard a whisper and turned around to find a man standing outside the dome I was contained in. How hd his voice penetrated when it seemed sound couldn’t get in.

“I have been paid a very handsome sum for your retrieval. While I usually would prefer more direct means, I have seen enough of your strength at arms to not want to fall afoul of you in a duel. Instead, this will be my tool. This doom you are within. Nothing goes in or out unless I will it. Sound, people, magic, oxygen…” He read the list off with what I was sure was a smirk. He was wearing a hood and where his face should have been was just a mass of darkness.

“Avada Kedavra” I said instead, aimed right at him. The spell hit the dome, the dome rippled, and glowed even brighter.

“A worthy attempt, but any and all magic gets broken down before it hits the dome itself and works to strengthen it. And in case you are wondering, you own magic is also working to strengthen the dome. I wonder which would overcome you first, magical exhaustion or oxygen deprivation” He said, taking a step back, and turning away from me.