Chapter Forty-Three: An Epic Finale

The heat finally caught up with Cordelia as she leapt to the side, barely blocking one of the Romanian Longhorn's horns. A growl echoed in the small chamber as the plump green dragon spread its wings for the second time that evening, attempting to trip the agile witch in exchange for its broken horn.

Usually, Cordelia would have dodged the attack and taken the moment to run towards the small hole at the back of the chamber, but after twenty minutes of constantly dodging the dragon's golden horns and agitated fire, the tired witch fell prey to the Romanian Longhorn's trick as she fell to the ground.

Smoke and heat packed the stuffy chamber as Cordelia rolled towards the side, barely blocking another burst of fire.

A midnight blue beetle scuttled around the ceiling as it reviewed the situation, its eyes reflecting each champion's condition to the crowd gathered outside the cave system the six champions were trapped in.

The third task of the Triwizard Tournament certainly wasn't what Cordelia expected it to be. Rather than one murderous creature and a puzzle or two, the group of teenagers had been tossed into a slaughterhouse of a maze and told to figure out a path to the Triwizard Cup.

No guidance, no foul play, no motivation or help from others; the six champions truly were having the time of their life trying to navigate what seemed like the deadliest cave system.

Screams had haunted Cordelia as she navigated the various passages and caves, slyly avoiding as many creatures as she could and slaughtering any plants that got in her way.

The determined Slytherin had been on a roll as she conquered creature after creature, but her prowess was hindered by a stubborn dragon set on piercing her with its horns.

Romanian Longhorns were the most aggressive dragons in the wizarding world, known for their tendency to pierce their prey and grill them alive. Cordelia had been lucky enough to last as long as she did with the pudgy dragon constantly blocking both exits, but as the smoke thickened the polymath wondered whether she had reached the end of her line.

"Holy smokes! What happened here?"

An annoyingly chipper male voice echoed through the cave as Cordelia was suddenly doused with bouts of water.

"Oh! Apologies, Black!"

Cordelia never thought she would be ecstatic as Magnus Sorensen all but soaked her through, but life had a funny way of proving her wrong.

The Dane blushed bright red as he stumbled back, unsure how to approach the situation. Even though he technically saved her life, the bubbly blond knew how particular pureblood witches were about their appearance, especially when the majority of the wizarding community was watching.

"I'll repay you by helping you out, but after that, we're through, Sorensen"

He curtly nodded at Cordelia as the duo turned back towards the dragon steadily approaching them.

With one more target, a partially broken horn and low fumes, the Romanian Longhorn's chances of winning looked slimmer than they did a moment ago.

Cordelia knew they weren't supposed to work together, and being saved by Magnus could possibly be considered foul play, but it was no use mulling over technicalities and rules with an enraged dragon charging towards them. The champions jumped to opposite sides of the cave as the dragon howled in frustration, ramming its injured horn into the wall yet again.

"We'll trap it in the middle and go our separate ways."

Cordelia huffed as she nodded at Magnus's words. The plan was the only way they could play fair and escape simultaneously, but the agitated Slytherin couldn't help but wonder whether the dragon being on her side of the cave was a mere coincidence.

Regardless of the slight injustice, the two got to work as they cast curse after curse. Magnus was responsible for redirecting the Romanian Longhorn's fire as Cordelia cast several Bombardas, forcing the pudgy dragon away from the small exit near the back of the cave.

"Now!"

Cordelia felt a burst of water touch the back of her neck even as she exited the cave, making her softly smile at the Danish boy's loyalty. Most of the champions, including Tom, would have fled first and left Cordelia battling the Romanian Longhorn, but Magnus was too considerate to step on others for small advantages.

In any other situation she would have criticised his sentiment, but being saved by a competitor twice changed Cordelia's perception of the champions.

Maybe they didn't have to just be contenders.

What surprised her was how the tall Dane caught up with Cordelia even with the headstart Tom, Camilla and Cordelia were given. Perhaps she had spent a bit too much time with plants that could only be slain by non-magical blades and pudgy dragons.

Thankfully, sharp hairpins and benign blonds were more effective than she perceived them to be.

That, however, didn't excuse the time Cordelia wasted on the floor of a dusty passage as she caught her breath and controlled her thoughts.

A sigh slipped through her agape lips as Cordelia crawled onto her knees, muttering several drying spells before quickly jogging through one corridor after another, avoiding magical plants, Dugbogs and other small creatures as she went.

The first cave Cordelia walked past was accompanied by a screaming Camilla and two very chattery Acromantulas. Avoiding a cluster of poisonous flowers and the giant spiders' line of sight was a pesky challenge, but the boisterous French witch battling pincers and webs did a great job in unwittingly distracting the spiders.

Cordelia sprinted away from the cave faster than a Niffler chasing gold, dodging vines creeping towards her and stray Mackled Malaclaws.

In her attempt to outrun any possible Acromantulas chasing her, Cordelia hadn't realised how quiet her surroundings had gotten.

The lack of screams and distant chitters of the creatures was an immediate red flag, but that wasn't what made her feet falter and her heart hammer against her chest.

It was the brief hisses echoing around Cordelia as she stumbled into an empty cave.

They weren't long and drawn out like a serpent coiling around the walls as it trapped her in, but short and aggressive. It was the hiss of a territorial predator finding a trespasser in its den, the hiss of an aggressive creature analyzing its prey, the hiss of an agitated feline.

There weren't many feline creatures dangerous enough to be employed in the Triwizard Tournament, and only two of them would hide away in the shadows before an attack.

Placing the Chimera in an underground cave system was impractical and too far fetched, even for the wizarding community. The large hybrid also preferred proudly growls and quick strikes with smaller prey, and Cordelia was too physically weak for a Chimera to stalk her.

That only left one feline that would hiss at a witch as it sped around the room, playing with its prey before it struck the final blow.

A Wampus Cat.

The next hiss was closer than the rest as the cat slowed down, allowing Cordelia a peek of its fluffy beige tail. The sight confirmed her suspicions as the witch quickly shut her eyes, too vary of the Wampus's hypnosis to risk another peek.

Soft fur suddenly enveloped her ankles as the Wampus Cat curled around Cordelia, tentatively pawing at her abdomen and arms as it tightened itself around her. She chose to remain still as her mind frantically thought of solutions, but it was only when a wooden thump echoed around her that the witch realised her mistake.

The Wampus Cat had taken her only weapon, and Cordelia couldn't stop the dread that settled into her heart. With her wand gone Cordelia abandoned her futile plans of escape and tried to jerk away from the cat, a reaction that resulted in various scratches on her left leg.

Over the span of an hour, Cordelia had faced creatures and magical plants of all sorts, ranging from pesky Devils Snare to beasts that left her bleeding on the floor for several minutes, but through it all, her determination had never deterred. Her breath would catch in her chest as Cordelia's mind ran rampant each time she faced a new obstacle, but the small stutter would vanish as quickly as it came as the fear was replaced with thoughts of Tom beating her.

Quick tactics and slyly slithering away from the problem had always worked for Cordelia, so it was ironic to face the one creature that would remain unaffected by her serpentine tendencies.

The Wampus Cat was a friend of trickery and a master of hypnosis. It was faster, smarter, and more agile than most magical beings, and above all, the perfect obstacle for Cordelia to lose the Tournament.

Running was futile, hiding would result in punishment, and tricking a Wampus Cat was as unprecedented as a Dementor dancing. Cordelia could only rely on her mind and four senses to escape the feline's clutches, but without her wand, everything seemed impossible.

If only the cat was as submissive as Nix.

The thought was foolish and stupid but somehow helped Cordelia find some clarity in the chaos as she spun an absurd plan.

Wampus Cats were smarter than most creatures and thought beyond their stomach's desires. Perhaps that was why the cat awaited a reaction before going for the kill.

If she was wrong, Cordelia would be risking more than just the Triwizard Cup, but the polymath was certain she could make it out of the cave if she followed her instincts.

Cordelia let out a small breath as she fell to her knees, ignoring the fear and pain as she focused solely on steadying her heartbeat. The Wampus Cat jumped back in surprise before completely pulling away from her legs. Its hissing ceased as the cat circled Cordelia in wonder, only pausing when a pale hand reached forward to pet its fur.

A surprised hiss escaped the cat and made Cordelia jerk in fear, suddenly rethinking her plan and wondering whether it was more crazy than genius to try and domesticate one of the most dangerous magical creatures.

Fortunately, deadly or not, the Wampus Cat was still a feline and shared several characteristics with its family. Including a fondness for affection.

A steady, light purr filled the cave as Cordelia felt the cat rub itself against her palm. She sighed in relief as the brunette scratched behind what she thought was the Wampus's ear.

Cordelia didn't dare open her eyes as she leaned forward and searched the floor with her other hand, letting out a sigh once her pam wrapped around her wand.

The Wampus Cat suddenly felt threatened by her as it noticed the wand, prompting Cordelia to tuck away the magical instrument and focus on helping the feline calm down.

"There, there, kitty, let's try not to hurt each other."

She wasn't certain, but Cordelia thought she felt the cat nod as it moved away from her, returning to the unknown hideout it was in before she arrived.

Even though it wasn't attacking her, Cordelia was hesitant to stay near the Wampus Cat for too long and chose to quickly escape the huge cave before the feline decided to stop playing nice.

Usually, an encounter with a major magical creature would lead to a few empty or sparsely populated passages to give the champions a small break, which was why she was beyond confused when Cordelia ran into a dark passage with barely any light.

With a Wampus Cat behind her and a dark aura before, the only thing she could do was hope the judges wouldn't go completely berserk and trap her with a Dementor.

The blue beetle assigned to each champion had followed Cordelia through the entire task, somehow surviving every situation seamlessly and disregarding the creatures, but even the invincible beetle paused halfway through the corridor, hesitant to wander through the dark aimlessly.

"I guess I'm on my own."

Darkness encompassed her form as Cordelia walked into the cave. It was probably larger than most of the caves Cordelia had entered, but with only one candle floating in the centre it felt as small as a compartment on the Hogwarts Express.

With the dim light, Cordelia could barely see anything and had to yet again rely on four senses to surpass the obstacle before her.

Unfortunately, the black dress shoes and Slytherin robes in front of her wasn't something Cordelia was prepared for.

For a horrifying moment, the pureblood princess wondered whether Tom got to the chamber faster than her and already won the Tournament, but something about the way he smirked at her and held out his hand towards the right made Cordelia think otherwise.

When a brunette witch adorning Slytherin robes and a beautiful emerald ring accepted his palm, Cordelia wasn't sure whether she wanted to puke, scream, or run away as fast as she could.

"Will you not bow to your Dark Lady?"

Cordelia paused as she let her words sink in, realising exactly what was going on.

This was a boggart, a boggart of a fear she hadn't realised she developed.

Throughout her life at Hogwarts Cordelia had always had the same boggart; Arcturus thinking of her as a failure and never accepting her as his daughter, but somehow her time at Beauxbaton had severely affected Cordelia's emotions and in turn, her greatest fear.

A regal, hostile Cordelia Black stood before her. Even with the dim lighting, the large ring on her boggart's finger was prominent enough to make Cordelia freeze in shock.

It wasn't Tom Riddle, it was her.

Cordelia was afraid of herself.

She was afraid of what she was becoming and of what her future held. She wasn't afraid of becoming another puppet of the future Dark Lord, for deep down she knew she could never stomach being second to him, Cordelia was afraid of becoming the first Dark Lady.

She was afraid of what would happen if she just gave in to Tom's wishes.

It felt like everything that occurred over the past year lead to this situation; to Cordelia choosing between facing her fears or cowering away with another mask on her face.

A week ago she would have sunk to the floor in confusion as another champion stole the spotlight, but a lot had changed over the past days and the Slytherin Queen wouldn't let another steal her crown yet again. Especially not a mindless clone who reflected everything she never wanted to be.

Tom Riddle and the Triwizard Tournament were irrelevant at that moment.

It was no longer about academic conflicts or dark-haired boys with darker hearts, it was about Cordelia. About her future, her perception, and her decisions.

She had always feared others and their opinions of her, but in doing so had never acknowledged her internalised fear.

Her fear of being just another pureblood girl to play with.

But Cordelia Lucretia Black-McMillan wasn't another pureblood princess, she wasn't a toy for dark lords or the paragon of perfection, she wasn't her parents' legacy or a pureblood boy's destiny. It was high time people realised that Cordelia's future was hers to determine and pave as she pleased.

And she would do just that, by winning the Tournament for herself; not for the purebloods or the snakes.

"Riddikulus!"