A/N: so here is the chapter about the last task, got the idea for it yesterday while walking to the grocery store, but the return of my migraine stopped me from getting this done yesterday, after this there will be one or two more chapters and it is finally done. After this I'm moving on to another of my older fics seeing that I still don't have the missing reviews for my two fics 'Storytime at Brooklyn House' – 7 missing and 'The fate in our hands' – 6 missing, I said in the author's note that I will only continue those two till I get ten reviews for both.

P.S.: naturally there will be some parts missing from the book as I have pointed out or done differently due to this being an AU version, though I would mention this again as a reminder.

XVII. Maze of Deceit

The last weeks before the last task starting in June were filled beside snooping around with training for the Golden Trio. It had been Hermione's decision after they had seen Pansy and Luna on one of they small introduction-classes at that time held by Allen's twin cousins. She was highly impressed at how fast the two girls could use the Impediment Curseand then switched to one of them doing that curse or a shielding charm while the other used the Reductor Curse to blast the objects apart which were sent towards them by the twins. She still had no clue how they could just materialize object by shooting with their pistols, but she had time after getting Harry ready for the last task. Even Moody had given up on trying to get inside the Ark as he guessed it would be easier after his Lord get's restored to his old power so things were a bit easier on the Exorcists, but that didn't make them happy seeing how the Akuma seemed to have fully vanished without their prize.

Things started to feel like the calm before the storm.

On the day of the task the five champions got a surprise visit from their families. When Harry was informed about that he stared blankly at Ron, he was sure that the Dursleys would not come even if someone used a stunning and levitations charm on them while not far from his Allen sent a small prayer that Cross should not be here. The last thing the young General wanted was being handed a stack of bills while he was attempting to not suffocate due to Sheryl's murderous hug. He and Harry were the last ones to enter and just as guessed the moment Allen stepped in had he not even the time to blink before his older brother made his presence known by grabbing him and pulling him into a hug.

Harry was pleased when he saw Mrs. Weasley and Bill, Mr. Weasley and Charlie could sadly not come, but he was happy about the support. After exchanging some small pleasantries let the dark haired wizard his gaze sweep over the rest of the room, this was why he noticed Fleur eyeing Bill over the shoulder of her mother who was just as pretty as her and then he spotted the small group around Allen. The man who was hugging him frighteningly reminded him on a slightly more affectionate, black haired Lucius Malfoy, he just had that aura around him screaming 'rich-aristocrat'. Not far from him stood a large man in a brown coat who could probably beat anyone at boxing, beside him stood another buff looking man with spiky black hair, a string bandana around his forehead and arms, he wore muggle sunglasses, maybe it was for the best that Mr. Weasley was not here. Two steps from his stood another male who unlike the other three was more around the twins age, he had a bored look on his face as he gazed over the books on the shelve he was leaning against, but had a small smile when Allen was released and went to greet the others, the next person looked in the case of head style similar to Wisely's, but unlike by the other was his hair brown and cut a bit to hand down triangle like or so, the last one was a blonde just like the other looking around professor Camelot's age with a strange haircut, bowlike around his whole head, but left long in the back to make a ponytail, his earring was even more noticeable then Bill's and Harry had the guess that he may be mute for he didn't speak when Allen greeted him, only used some hand signs. All in all, Allen's relatives were a really strange looking bunch in Harry's option.

"Harry, would you mind giving us a tour through the castle? It seems like ages ago that I was here." Bill called over to him which made him turn back to the two Weasleys.

"Yeah, okay." Harry replied and started making his way outside when he spotted Cedric pulling his parents over to where Allen and his family were still standing, interestingly seemed Fleur and Krum to have the same idea though he had kind of noticed that they seemed to get pretty well along with the white haired young man.

Harry had since long a really enjoyable morning, he decided that he really liked giving both Mrs. Weasley and Bill a little tour through the castle and the grounds. After the castle he showed them the Beauxbatons carriage with its winged horses grazing around it, Durmstrang's enormous ship which could be put into any pirate movie, the entrance to the Ark which really fascinated Bill who as a curse breaker had gone to many ancient places and was always intrigued by such things, his mother on the other had just like Harry and his friends wondered what could be behind it, but of course they could not enter to see and she would also not go in without permission so they continued their little tour. Mrs. Weasley was again intrigued by the Whomping Willow, - Harry not so much after him getting to know it to well in two years in a row-, which had been planted after she had left school and reminisced at length about the gamekeeper before Hagrid, a man called Ogg, about whom Harry decided to ask Hagrid seeing that the two men sounded really alike in character.

"How's Percy?" Harry finally asked as they walked around the seven greenhouses, he had since a while not heard about the third eldest brother and with his boss still being so ill.

"Not good." Bill admitted while glancing at his mother as if asking for permission if they should continue talking.

"He's very upset," said Mrs. Weasley lowering her voice and glancing around and waiting for a few seconds when they saw Allen pass by with all of his relatives around him. Harry decided that they were a strange group so alike, but still completely different, he could not explain the feeling, but it was there mostly that he knew that Allen was adopted, but then still how could one resemble people who were not blood related to begin with? Though he had not much time to think about it because they soon disappeared in the courtyard and Mrs. Weasley continued what she had started, which was not reassuring news. "The Ministry wants to keep Mr. Crouch's disappearance quiet."

"Wait, he disappeared?" Harry asked stunned, he thought that the man was only sick and not that he had vanished, this made his stomach twist uncomfortably as he remembered his dream about Voldemort at the start of the year, before the Cup. He had fully forgotten that Voldemort had said that he had a faithful servant in Hogwarts, but he did not know who it could be with three additional schools, the ministry people and the now additional visitors, there were too many people to pinpoint who it was. Also he could at this moment hardly point his hand at Snape and Malfoy, he did that in both first and second year…didn't turn out as he had planned those out and he would not like detention mixed into the start of his fifth year.

"Yes Harry dear, he vanished from St. Mungos and no one knows where he could be." Molly said in a grave tone, she did not like that man, but still the snippets she had heard from Percy about how fragile the man had become it made her feel some pity for him. Percy's been hauled in for questioning about the instructions Mr. Crouch has been sending in. They seem to think there's a chance they weren't genuinely written by him. Percy's been under a lot of strain. They're not letting him fill in for Mr. Crouch as the fifth judge tonight. Cornelius Fudge is going to be doing it." Bill snorted at this.

"Yes, he is filling in as a judge in one of he most prominent tasks." he said and Harry found himself nodding, Bill knew that he might not see often eye to eye with Percy, but he liked it even less that his little brother was dragged into questionings like a criminal.

"Bill, this is enough, he is still your father's and brother's boss." Molly chided before they all made their way back to the castle for lunch.

It was pretty interesting in Harry's option to see the shocked look on the younger Weasleys faces when they spotted their mother and oldest brother sitting at the Gryffindor table, but the Trio's attention was soon swept over to two other things, for one suspiciously was Mr. Malfoy also in the castle and having a silent conversation with not only Snape, but also McGonagall with Sprout and Flitwick also seeming to add in little titbits about whatever they were talking about. The other thing that got they attention was the other conversation going on between the Rose Cross students and their guest, their teachers and Headmaster had for this also joined them and Harry was sure that he saw the Four Heads, Mr. Malfoy and his son's group also send the fourth school small glances. What did they miss and why did Moody look as if he would be ill? Saddly had Harry again no time to think about these things seeing how the time for the third task was approaching hurriedly and he wanted to enjoy some little peace of mind before finding out what pets Hagrid had put into that maze, but at least Hermione promised him that she would think about this while cheering for him.

After lunch he continued his little walk with Mrs. Weasley and Bill, he didn't even turn around when they passed Mr. Malfoy and the four professors who were looking uneasy.

"Again, could you please repeat what you had told me during lunch?" Lucius Malfoy asked for the fifth time since receiving the letter from Severus that he should hurriedly come to the castle. By the urgency of that letter had he feared that Draco had gotten hurt again or even Severus, but then he was given such a hard to believe information.

"As I have told you Lucius, Karkaroff had committed suicide after he failed to get inside the vessel with which the Rose Cross students had come with, he said that he had genuine proof that it was Noah's Ark." Severus told his best friend for the sixth time, really after his knowledge was the blonde never this hard on the uptake. Or was he already so used to his idiotic actions, about which only he knew and Cissa, that he didn't notice anymore?

"That still…"

"I think it will be easier if we show you the memories." McGonagall interrupted the blonde, she was not keen with working together with the blonde aristocrat, but she needed to admit that according to her memories were him and Severus a really good team in solving things.

"I would like to sit that one out and instead just wait for you in the office." Pomona said with a shudder, she would never forget how she basically watched a man go mad.

"That is fine, but we should hurry Albus is heading to the gates in ten minutes to greet the Minister and they will be talking a bit outside so we can use the pensive." Flitwick suggested, he didn't like doing things behind the back of a friend, but Albus could not say that he didn't keep secrets from them which would have been good to know to ensure the safety of the students.

"This reminds me professor why Slytherins prefer their classes with the Ravenclaws." Lucius said smirking down at his old professor as they made their way inside the castle, not even noticing the group sitting under a large tree, deeply engrossed into their plans should something go wrong, for they were sure that tonight something would happen.

Finally the evening feast arrived, there were more courses than usual, but Harry who was starting to feel really nervous now, didn't eat much, not that he knew that Allen had the same trouble and was only eating because not only Neah was telling him to, but also because Sheryl was the one sitting beside him and made sure that his nephew had eaten enough to not pass out. It was not that Allen didn't wish to eat due to the knowledge regards the consequences if a parasitic-type Innocence user refuses to eat, but because this kind of felt to him like a 'last supper for the sacrificial lambs' similar to the one he has shared with Adam before he was killed or the one in the crumbling Ark, he was still mad about the later one.

"Allen, eat that fish, it is good for you and you need strength." Sheryl told him in his I-don't-care-about-your-complaining-I-know-what-is -good-for-you tone before flashing his gaze over at Tyki. "And you eat your broccoli Tyki did I make myself clear?"

"Yes Sheryl" both Allen and Tyki said in a defeated tone, it was better then the other taking control over their actions and forcing them to eat, Jasdevi's example two years ago had been lesson enough for the whole family… and some future patients.

Soon the feast come to an end and Dumbledore stood up from his seat at the middle of the staff table and drew everyone's attention to himself.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now." the old Headmaster informed everyone and while the champions stood up threw Allen one last glance at the others who nodded, they will be ready when the attack comes even if they knew where the Innocence was or not, they had spent the whole day formulating a plan about what they should do if things turn bad, which easily could happen.

The champions soon reached the Quidditch field which was made completely unrecognizable making Harry feel partly glad that his old captain Oliver Wood was not in school anymore or the man would surely have had a heartattack by now. There in front of them a twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them: the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy which didn't help combined with the fact that it was night, Hagrid supplied what was inside, there was a Death Eater at Hogwarts out for him, wait that part was getting to be a returning theme each year so nothing to panic about, and the things with Allen and his family, now that he remembers it he had not seen Karkaroff since a few days. Ok, he really should stop thinking about these things, but luckily had Bagman, still to cheerful in everyone's option, started speaking about sending them in regards on which place they are due to their points while the stands filled with the audience. This was also the time when Harry spotted a small group nearing them, it were Hagrid, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick all of them wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, well except Hagrid that is, who had his on the back of his moleskin vest seeing how he didn't wear a hat usually and Harry could not even imagine him in one.

"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," said Professor McGonagall to the champions. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?" she informed them, but from the corner of his eyes saw Harry a frown on Allen's face and his eye seemed to look at Moody who was busy staring at the maze and not even looking at them, this was suspicious and also reminded him that he should ask the professor to return his map after the task is over.

"Off you go, then!" said Bagman brightly to the four patrollers.

"Good luck. Harry," Hagrid whispered to Harry who gave him a small smile in return, he would need the luck, and the four of them walked away in different directions, to station themselves around the maze. Bagman now pointed his wand at his throat, muttered, "Sonorus," and his magically magnified voice echoed into the stands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!

"That man is too cheerful regards a tournament which had been forbidden due to the many deaths by the participants." Sheryl grumbled as he glared down at the man on the fields, both legs and arms crossed in front of him which gave people who glanced into his direction the feeling that he could be related to Malfoy who was sitting three rows below them with Snape and his son.

"You are not the only one so stop making us also even more nervous then we already are, you know that Allen is just as terribly with directions like Tyki." Lulubell told her brother, at the other mentioned man pouted, when the noise of nearing people hit her ears. "Ah, Miss Parkinson and Lovegood, please sit down, you are right on time." she told the two girls while giving her overprotective brother a sharp kick that he should shut up now.

"Thank you professor Lulubell." Pansy said as she sat down beside the blonde woman while Luna took the remaining place beside Jasdero as Bagman continued his too cheerful commentary.

"Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School and Mr. Allen Walker from Rose Cross!" the cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place – Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!" as the last of the applause died down the man continued. "So… on my whistle, Harry, Cedric and Allen!" said Bagman. "Three - two - one -"

He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Harry, Cedric and Allen hurried forward into the maze with the later pleading to Neah to keep the directions in mind or they will be hopelessly lost in there. The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path, and whether because they were so tall and thick or because they had been enchanted, the sound of the surrounding crowd was silenced the moment they entered the maze, Allen had tipped on an enchantment due to his skills as the Musician, but he was grateful for the silence, it would be helpful in detecting nearing trouble. Pulling out their wands all three of them used the Lumos spell to see something in the dark and continued their way and splitting up after five yards just when the whistle blew a second time. After being alone Allen allowed his senses to travel over the path in front of him, due to this he could hear the rustling of leaves, but from the sound he knew that this was not because of something approaching, but due to the hedge being enchanted to not only block noise out, but to be also alive. This got proven when he looked behind himself and saw that the path on which he had entered this forking had disappeared, in a quiet whisper he activated Crown Clown for extra safety and continued his way, trusting himself to both the direction sense of his inner Noah and Innocence. It didn't take long and he had seen his first obstacle a strange bug like creature with a large stinger pointing out of its back or front?

"Who was the madman breeding this? Wait, forget what I have said Hagrid is an idiot regards creatures, he fails to get it into his head that if they can't harm a half-giant seriously, they certainly can do that to a human."Neah scoffed in his head when the thins stared blowing fire from its whatever end that was. "You have to be kidding me!"

"Do you think Master Cross would like this as a pet?" Allen asked while trying to figure out how to get past that thing without either of them getting hurt, and he needed to hurry because shortly before the whistle blew a last time had he a strange feeling in his stomach and his eye was starting to twitch.

"He would force us to take care of it." Neah reminded him as Allen stared speeding at the strange animal before using Crown Belt to wrap around one of the hedges and to pull himself over it while using his cape against the fire.

"You are right." he answered while continuing running hoping that outside the others had also felt the strange chill run down their backs. "I need to finish this one way or the other, something tells me that soon this task will be the least of anyone's problems." and how right he was.

Taking the next corner he found himself facing an area covered in a strange golden looking mist.

"Limbo Mist, rather tricky and only few can dispel it, it clouds your senses or better put fools them." Neah supplied.

"I don't have time to figure out if I can make it vanish so, Crown Clown, I leave myself to you." Allen told his Innocence, just like in the battle against the Level Four when he lost consciousness, Crown Belt wrapped itself around his limps, closing his eyes Allen led himself be lead through the mist like a puppet hanging on strings, he didn't like that feeling, but this had been the only way for him to past fast enough and it had worked perfectly, when the belts retreated was the mist far behind him when there was suddenly a female scream. "Fleur!" he said and made his way hurriedly into her direction, but stopped when he saw a red light glide into the sky, good she would get help, but that didn't make him feel better, his eye was twitching and he knew that if it continues like this that this would mean that there was an Akuma nearby.

He had just rounded another corner when he saw another red spark shoot into the sky right from the direction he was heading to, reaching the point he found Krum on the ground, he had been probably hit by a stunning spell, but something felt of to Allen. Leaning down he muttered a small melody, hand hovering over the boy's head before jerking it away in shock.

"Someone had used Imperio on him and forced him to attack the others before he was knocked out." he growled, but he could not go further, his eye had fully transformed and was scanning for the Akuma, it was not inside the maze so that meant that he needed to get out, not that he wanted to win this foolish and dangerous game.

Soon the hedge parted revealing Professor McGonagall who looked stunned at the two teens, she only expected to find one of the champions and Walker didn't even look hurt.

"Mr. Walker, what happened to Mr. Krum?" she asked the other, hoping that he would not get suspicious regards her worry.

"He was hit by a stunning spell before I got here, to be honest I'm also not exactly good with directions and fear if I continue I would get hopelessly lost till the hedge is taken down so I have decided to stay with Victor to make sure that he will be fine." he told her with an innocent smile.

"Are you saying that you give up?" she asked him in a stunned tone.

"Yes Ma'am." Allen replied, he needed to get to the others, luckily was his hood hiding his transformed eye from the professor.

"Then come with me." she told him as both of them cast a levitation charm on Krum and left the maze, halfway Allen separated from the professor and hurried to the others who had left the stands when spotting him, Pansy and Luna were a bit held behind by Draco and the others who looked just as suspicious as the remaining two of the Golden Trio.

"Akuma, it is somewhere near, but not in the maze." Allen told them, his eye still scanning their surroundings, the others looked also tense.

"We need to keep everyone as safe as possible." Komui told them in a grim tone, he had already informed Matron to be ready with her staff to use the Ark to rush here when she gets notified that the battle was over.

"Allen, can you open a second Ark gate if needed to call here the other Exorcists?" Bookman asked, he knew that the Fourteenth was powerful, but he also knew that Allen's body was under much strain with being used by both a Noah and his parasitic-type Innocence, to be honest it was still a wonder in his option that the boy was still not bed ridden or worse.

"I can make it, but someone needs to keep me safe till I finish the song." he told the old man.

"I will take that over for you Shonen." Tyki reassured him.

"Ok, that will help." Allen told him when from the corner of his eyes he noted both Snape and the older Malfoy grab their arms as if burned, but the blackhead soon let go and wrapped his long fingers around the blonde's wrist, shaking his head. "So, that joke of a Dark Lord is calling his servants, that is brave for them to refuse, but could end badly if things go wrong." Allen nodded at Neah's words and hoped that both men would be alright in the end, he would have the Tease Hagrid received make sure about that to be of some help.

Suddenly there was a thumbling sound followed by shocked gasps and yells which made them turn around only to spot Harry and Cedric laying motionlessly on the ground the cup between their hands, but this was not what made the Noah family tense up.

"I think one part of the job is done." Mightra noted as is gaze landed on the staff held loosely in the older boy's hand.

"Agreed." his siblings said as they hurried over just when Dumbledore made Harry sit up, his eyes filled with concern and just in time for Allen to hear what the boy whispered; "He's back," Harry whispered. "He's back. Voldemort." he said in a horsase tone like someone who had spent some time screaming, he had no doubts that this had been the case.

Soon also a frightened looking Minister also appeared looking over Cedric his face ashen.

"Dear Merlin…he is de…", but before he could finish his sentence an annoyed looking Sheryl pushed him to the side.

"Oh shut up you imbecile, whoever voted you into a leading position clearly was on some kind of potions, the boy is merely unconscious." he snapped at the appealed looking Minister before propping the teen upright who let out a cough.

"Bu…but…" Harry was too baffled to say anything, he had seen Cedric slump to the ground dead from the killing curse, he had see his soul, there was no way that he could have been alive all this time. His head was still swimming when Hermione, Ron and the other Weasleys had reached them together with the other teachers and Cedric's parents.

"Are you alright son?" Amos Diggory asked his son while his sobbing wife hugged him.

"I don't know, I remember the graveyard to which the cup took us, then there was a small man and a horrible voice ordering to 'kill the spare', then there was a bright green light." Cedric told them in a feint tone which only made his mother sob even more at the thought that she had almost lost her child, a hand on his shoulder make Cedric look up into the violet eyes of Headmaster Lee who was smiling down at him with a kind smile, but he also saw the sadness hidden in his eyes.

"Your son seemed to have gained God's favour just in the right time." he said to the confused wizards.

"What are you talking about?" Amos asked, he was not getting what was going on here.

"My boy, would you please take a look at your wand." Komui told Cedric as he ignored the boy's father.

"My wand?" Cedric asked and was shocked to see that his wand seemed to have become slightly longer and ticker with strange wines twirling around it, he also didn't remember that small, cross like design being on it, but it strangely reminded him on the mark on Allen's deformed arm. What was going on here?

"So you mean that what you had been searching for had protected my student's life?" Dumbledore asked in a relieved tone, but somehow he guessed that Mr. Diggory's life would be much harder from now on.

"Yes, it surely did Mr. Diggory, we will gladly give you a full explaining after you had rested and packed your belongings, if there are things in your house we can arrange a time to pick them up." Komui continued, two potential new Finders and one Accommodator, well the Pope gave his permission so.

"Wait a moment, are you implying that my son will go with you?" Amos asked in a defensive tone.

"Either that or neither of you will be safe again." Komui told them in a sad tone when Allen called.

"I have found it!" he yelled and Komui tensed as the wand started glowing a faint green light as if reacting to something.

Turning to the side everyone noted a small figure nearing them, as it got closer Moody started backing away, but suddenly found his body stuck.

"Winky!" Hermione called and wanted to hurry over to the small elf, but was grabbed by Pansy. "Let me go Parkinson." she snapped at the soon to be ex-Slytherin, but she only tightened her grip, wand in hand.

"Something does not feel right about that elf." she said with narrowed eyes, posture tense.

"Excellently noted and good reaction Miss Parkinson, you are doing perfectly fine." Tyki congratulated the girl, if none of the Innocence in the Order react to her she would still make an excellent Finder.

"Where is my master." the small elf said which confused most of the wizards, but strangely they could not move.

"That is starting to get disgusting." Allen spoke up as he stepped away from the group which had separated into two portions, one standing in front of the wizards and witches while the other a bit further in front of them. "Is it not enough that you torment innocent humans, now you also use even more defenceless beings?" he yelled into the night air which started to turn chilly. "Stop hiding like a coward and show yourself! ADAM!"

To be continued…