The first task had been an easy one. As it was in every tournament, the task was based on strength. Originally, it had been to fight a Basilisk, but Dumbledore had convinced the Headmaster that the point of the game was not to purposefully kill the students. To fill his requirements, each of the large snakes had been blinded.

It wasn’t as though having the deadly stare would have made any difference. All Tom Riddle had to do was speak to the massive beast, and it would not harm him. Of course, he didn’t want to reveal his secret to the entirety of the wizarding world, so he asked to be harmlessly attacked a few times. He had kept his voice low, but steady. He didn’t want to attract attention, but he could not lose control of the animal.

All he had to do was pull a large, venomous fang from the snake, but the rules mentioned specifically that he could kill it if that was the tactic he wanted to use. Not wanting to cause serious harm to the marvelous beast, he simply told it to come close enough to him that he could stun it within its mouth. No magical spells could penetrate the tough skin, and the eyes were blindfolded to avoid the gruesome sight of the bloody sockets. The mouth was the only place to use magic on the Basilisk.

He did indeed manage to stun the massive snake using an accurately aimed Stunning Spell, and then he stuck his hand inside the mouth to pull the fang. It ended up being simply a hollow tube made of calcium that was magically glued inside the beast’s mouth--not very hard to remove.

Tom Riddle scored highest with two 9.9s, a 9.8, and a perfect 10, putting him in first place. Only two other of the six contestants had even managed to get the tooth at all. The remaining three had sent up red flares of mercy after a few minutes of being with the giant snake. They couldn’t stand the torture.

Later in the school year, the second task occurred. This one was based on endurance. Having had a few of his peers look up what these endurance challenges had been in the past, he was slightly relieved to hear that all he had to do was make it through the Forbidden Forest and back again. Somewhere in the middle of the forest a cleared-out area would be found and within that he would have to grab his lost item and bring it back to the judges within ninety minutes. It didn’t seem too hard.

Luckily for him, the only souls in the forest would be those of the six contestants, and the creatures that naturally lived there. None of the judges or the teachers would know what was going on when it happened. This worked well for Tom, as it provided him the opportunity to use many more curses.

He was only in the forest for a matter of a few moments when he came across his first centaur. It came up behind him for a surprise attack, but failed to strike as Tom quickly cast the Cruciatus Curse on the animal. The creature was released only a few seconds later, but not before Tom was sure he wouldn’t be bothered by him or his kind again.

He had not run into any other centaurs or dark creatures that were believed to lurk in the forest. It seemed the centaur he had run into warned the other creatures of Tom’s dark powers. He was glad, though; there was much less to worry about now.

When he reached the clearing in the center of the forest, he was enraged to find that the item sitting there was his locket—the locket of Slytherin. It seemed, though, that he was the first person to reach this half-way mark, so he was pretty sure that no one had seen his prized possession. The only person who would know about it was the person who had placed it there. He would get his revenge for that later.

On his way out, the only animals he ran into were a few thestrals. They did not cause him harm and he knew that killing them would only attract attention. As it happened, he was more eager to return to the starting point first and unscathed than to harm the useless creatures living in the mysterious forest.

He made it back, again in first place. With thirty minutes to spare, no scratches or scars to be seen, and holding his lost item, he scored this time with two 9.9s and two 10s. This time, four other contestants completed with bumps and bruises, while the last one had never met his first destination. It seemed clear which contestant would win.

Tom then sat at the breakfast table one week before the third task was set to occur. On one side of him sat Avery, eating away at everything he could reach, and on the other side sat Lestrange. Many of his other faithful followers were sitting around him, proud of their two peers participating in the tournament.

This year, each of the Headmasters had decided to mix up the rules a little and allow two contestants from each school. It had not come as a surprise when the Head Boy and top student in the school had been one of the Hogwarts participants, but when Rabastan Lestrange was chosen to compete alongside him, many of the other houses were not happy. Needless to say, they had given up their grudge when both contestants had completed the two tasks, one of them with top scores.

As six glowing white owls swooped in from the windows, people were not surprised to find a hint pertaining to the next task attached to each of them. Two of the owls landed on the Slytherin table right next to each other and stood in front of their recipients.

Rabastan glanced over at his master, asking for permission to open the envelope. After a nod from Tom, the two did so at the same time to read the letters that stated:

Irresistible lure,
Custom-built prize,
Awaits the doer
Who makes it in time.

Just for you,
Was this treasure made,
Collect the clues,
And survive the maze.

If you can name it,
This thing with danger bought,
Then you can claim it,
But don’t get caught.

Outside the doors
At ten tonight
With skills yours
Your glory will shine bright.

After being read aloud, the two parchments erupted into flames and left only small piles of ash on the table. Tom reviewed the cryptic message in his mind to make sure he remembered it. He then reminded himself to drop this memory into his Pensieve before going to his first class.

Upon arrival to the third task on June 22, Tom was already aware of what would await him. In all the years in the past, this task had been one based on skill and was most often a maze. What was inside that maze differed every year and could not be determined until one had actually stepped inside.

Tom Marvolo Riddle stood on the edge of the maze completely made up of hedges. There was green covering the entire area in front of him, and hundreds of people contained in the area behind him. He was wearing just a simple, black Hogwarts cloak adorned with the Slytherin crest and had just his wand in hand. Despite looking the least prepared of those standing around him, when his name was called from a booming voice of the man standing only steps away from him, he was ready.

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

As Tom took his first few steps into the giant maze, he knew that his head start would be time he couldn’t afford to waste. The further he could get ahead of the competition, the better his chance of winning. As well as all the praise and glory, Tom wanted the power he knew the winner would hold.

He continued to walk further into the maze when he noticed himself sneezing. Knowing this was most likely one of the tasks he was supposed to manage his way through; he stopped and took a look around. Then he sneezed again.

Tom found himself in a small, circular clearing in the maze rather than a narrow pathway. He must be going the right way. Taking a look around, he noticed many different plants growing in patches around him and knew the sneezing was most likely caused by one of them. After sneezing one more time, he searched his mind for such a plant.

Sneeze…sneeze. Sneezewood? Sneezeweed? Sneeze…wort? Sneezewort!

Having only concentrated for a few moments, he was surprised at how fast his own mind worked. It was a good thing he actually paid attention during Herbology. Rabastan would not do well at this task.

Tom then glanced around looking for the plant that had caused his nose to itch. It wasn’t far from where he was standing, but near it was a short, stone table piled high with jars, containers, and sacks. Taking a closer look he realized that as well as the numerous amounts of plants, there was also an old book sitting atop the bench.

He walked over to the book and stared at it from all angles. He wasn’t sure whether it was a trap or a clue to the next step, but after trying a few jinxes on it, he discovered that it was simply a book; nothing more. He proceeded to open up the aged manuscript to the first page, on which was written a poem:

In my midst you’re sure to find
Plants and Herbs of every kind

Search me well and you will see
Fluxweed, Hellebore, Gillyweed

Beware the Mandrake’s cry if you
Should ever dig for Gurdyroot

Before you leave me you must bring
Lovage, dittany and Shrivelfig

And in my pages you must write
The other names of aconite

With that the door will open wide
And you may take of what I hide

So stop to ponder if you will
The Mallowsweet won’t make you ill

After rereading it several times, Tom came to the conclusion that the first three stanzas were simply there to introduce Herbology, while the last four were the ones to worry about. The part about the Mallosweet, however, he didn't quite understand.

He looked around to find three empty jars and read that part of the poem once again. ‘Before you leave me you must bring Lovage, dittany, and Shrivelfig.’ It didn’t sound too hard, as he had worked with many of those plants as early as second year.

Starting with Lovage, he began to search the ground around the area for green leaves sprouting up from the ground. He knew this particular plant was of the carrot family, and would most likely be found there. Within a few moments of searching, he found a few clumped in a pile right beneath the bench and pulled one up. He stuffed it in the first jar.

Dittany was quite a bit harder to identify. It didn’t grow in a particular place as the Lovage had but could usually be found by looking for its pink flowers. Tom looked around the circle he was in, and began walking around the perimeter searching for the herb. He found a patch of them near the area from which he had entered and then returned to the table to place them in jar number two.

Shrivelfig was the only ingredient left, and that was the one Tom was worried about. He hadn’t learned much about this plant other than the fact that once peeled it could be used in shrinking potions. Unless a shrinking potion was needed, that information wouldn’t be able to help him find this devil plant.

He groped the greenery in the area surrounding him but discovered that each time he placed a mysterious plant in the jar nothing happened. He eventually gave up and tried summoning it by saying, "Accio Shrivelfig," but his efforts were futile. It seemed many charms and jinxes had been put on this area to prevent the easy options of obtaining the needed plants and herbs. Getting frustrated, he just pulled up a few random plants from different sides of the clearing and stuffed a piece of each within the jar.

Apparently, one of the herbs had been the correct one, because after he did this the book flipped a few pages to a blank page. Tom strained his brain for a second time that day to remember the next part of the poem:

And in my pages you must write
The other names of aconite

This one was easy. Anyone who wanted to have a chance at passing Potions, let alone Herbology, needed to know this bit of information. After writing the words "monkshood" and "wolfsbane" on the blank sheet, a small hole appeared in the shrubs behind the stone bench.

With that the door will open wide
And you may take from what I hide

Reaching his hand in, Tom found a tiny piece of parchment in handwriting barely legible and again read it to himself:

Grab the dittany before you proceed
It might be something you will need

Of course! Dittany was a healing herb! He made reached his hand down to the table, removed the flowered plant from its jar, and pocketed it. At the same time the bench disappeared and a larger passageway appeared from where the hole previously was, Tom could hear screams and applause coming from the crowd. His first opponent had entered the arena.

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

The further Tom wandered into the maze, the more misplaced he found himself. Each turn he took seemed to be a turn in the wrong direction. Even when he went back to retrace his steps, he found only dead ends. There was no denying his situation: he was lost.

After what seemed like hours of aimless wandering, Tom again found himself inside an alcove. This one was squarer then the other one had been but was approximately the same size. He knew this had to be another task that lay ahead of him, though he was not quite sure of what it was. The area seemed empty.

As Tom began to walk around the perimeter of the clearing, he heard what seemed to be a groan coming from behind a wall of hedges. Making his way over to that section of the area, he noticed the groaning getting louder until it seemed as if it was an angry cry. He placed his hand on the part of the "wall" through which he had heard the noise, and instantly a very large hole opened up revealing the monster behind it.

A very tall, very big, and very disagreeable-looking troll stomped out from behind the hedges. Tom quickly backed up to take a second to think about what was in front of him. He knew trolls were not very intellectual, but were nonetheless strong. He didn’t like the idea of fighting one.

Tom found himself relieved as he noticed chains preventing the troll from wandering too far. If Tom stayed standing in the same place where he was now, he could not be harmed. However, there was a pathway behind where the troll was standing that was obviously where Tom was supposed to exit.

Casting the first spell that popped into his head, Tom shouted “Stupefy!� at the large creature. It did not help, as the skin of the troll was quite thick and a simple spell like that would not penetrate through it.

Slightly agitated that his spell had not worked, Tom cast the next one that he could think of: "Locomotor mortis."

What was I thinking? "Locomotor Mortis?" What good will that do?

The troll also seemed to be getting angered by Tom’s spells being cast at him and began using the club he held in his hand. Tom was hit firmly across the face with the large piece of wood, causing him serious pain.

That’s it. He’s done for.

The Slytherin heir started calling out every spell that came into his mind, risking anything trying to disarm the creature.

“Accio! Wingardium Leviosa! Petrificus Totalus!�

He started with the less powerful spells that were learned in first and second year, but each time a spell reflected off the troll’s skin, Tom’s anger rose. He was beginning to lose his temper.

“Abstergo! Lacertosus!�

Tom was done with the petty spells and had moved on to more powerful jinxes. He was becoming more filled with rage every moment and even his blood pressure was rising.

“Diffindo!�

Yet another of his jinxes had failed and this one had backfired and hit him squarely in the chest. Blood was flowing out his deep wound and Tom didn’t have much patience left. If he wasn’t mad before, he was surely enraged now.

“AVADA KEDAVRA!�

A blinding flash of green light, and the creature was dead within seconds. Without even thinking of the consequences of killing the troll, Tom took out the dittany he had kept in his pocket from the previous task and squeezed the juices onto his chest. He felt the stinging sensation throughout his body, but was relieved to look down and see his gash healing. It was working almost instantaneously.

He lay there on the ground catching his breath for only five minutes before standing up and continuing his journey. He wanted to win this tournament, even if it was the last thing he did. He would win.

Slowly, he made his way over to where the dead troll had fallen and stepped around it. He walked through the hole in the hedges and proceeded toward his final goal.

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

After fighting the gigantic troll, Tom again found himself having trouble finding the next obstacle. He continued to wander around, walking up and down columns, pacing through rows, only to find each effort proven fruitless.

He would not give up, though. He knew during every few steps he took, at least one had to be in the right direction. Every time he came across a fork or intersection, he walked a few meters in one direction, then went back and did the same in the other and went whichever way he thought seemed best. It had worked for him so far, but he still wasn’t coming across anything.

The more he walked, the more discouraged he became. It seemed as if he would never get to his final destination, but he was at least consoled a little bit because he knew his opponents were probably thinking the same thing. If he hadn’t found his next task yet, certainly no one else had either. After all, he had been given a huge head start.

Just when it seemed that there was no where else to go, he noticed that the path started to straighten out. As he continued to follow it, there were no other options given to him for other paths to take. He was just going straight forward.

After walking on this one-way trail for quite a while, a single slip of paper fell from the sky and landed on the ground in front of him. Unfolding it, he read:

Starts at the center of labyrinth,
Ends at the third of Corinth.
The invisible ink's bane,
Secret messages I gain.

Looking at the slip of paper a few times, he began to analyzing the riddle. He started with the first line, and picked out the word ‘labyrinth.’ Obviously, it was another word for ‘maze,’ but why hadn’t that simple word been used? He decided that it looked as if the first two lines went together, and so he tried to find a connection.

Corinth, he knew, was a region of ancient Greek civilization. But what was this about the ‘third,’ and what did it have to do with a labyrinth?

Searching his brain for what seemed like the millionth time, he went over all the things he knew Corinth was famous for. It was a known fact that they were recognized for their stone pillars, often called "Corinthian Columns," but that had nothing to do with a maze.

Trying his very hardest to remember his last History of Magic classes when they had studied about ancient civilizations and how they affected ancient magic, he found that he did remember something about a maze. As a matter of fact, the word ‘labyrinth’ did ring a bell.

The labyrinth was first started in Corinth. It was some sort of maze… Something about the center?

Thinking back to the first few lines, he noticed the word ‘center’ and it stuck out in his brain.

Of course! The labyrinth is known for having only one path that can be taken. You start at the center and work your way out!

But there certainly wasn’t anything that had to do with "third" in this case. He tried thinking of every case in which the number three pertained to the topic, and he came up with only a few. Running them through his mind, he tried to remember the third labyrinth that had been made, but found that he didn’t know those sorts of details. He also tried to think of the third time a labyrinth was used in mythology, but again could not think of an answer.

By this time, Tom found himself sitting on the ground furiously running his hands through his hair. It almost looked as if he was pulling his mane out of his head rather than simply doing it because of a nasty habit. His face was becoming red from struggling so hard with the answers, but each time he got further in the riddle, new information was uncovered within his brain. He wasn’t going to give up.

It wasn’t until he came across using the number three as a century in time that anything came to mind. He remembered reading a small segment in one of his books about the most popular labyrinth, also known as the classical labyrinth, being formed in the third century of Corinth. He tried vigorously to remember the shape of this particular maze, but decided that it had a one-way path regardless, so it wouldn’t make much difference.

The whole thing about starting and ending he presumed meant something about where he was now, as opposed to where he would be if he continued to follow the path. He simply didn’t understand why it ‘ended at the third of Corinth’ but figured it wasn’t something he needed to worry about.

The invisible ink’s bane,
Secret messages I gain.

Oddly enough, the word that stuck out the most in his mind was ‘ink’s’. It could either mean that the bane belonged to or pertained to the ink, but he supposed it meant that the ink is bane. This double-meaning was simply another reason to dislike the English language.

He knew the word "bane" meant deadly, or dire, but figured that its other meaning, annoyance or irritation, was probably more accurate. If this was true, then the second part would translate to:

The invisible ink is an irritation,
Secret messages I gain.

This would mean something along the lines of having invisible ink, but once made visible would give away secret messages. But then, what was this about an ‘I’? Wouldn’t he be the one gaining the secret messages and not the piece of paper? Then again, the paper would gain the letters; he would just be reading them.

Deciding he could worry about this after he found his way out of the labyrinth, he continued his journey from the center to the exit. He walked, strode, paced, and simply kept moving until he reached the end. There he found an intersection with four different ways to go, and a piece of seemingly blank parchment lying on the ground. He knew what this was for.

Again he read the second half of the riddle, and knew instantly that he needed a Revealer. These eraser-like items were used to reveal invisible ink, but he didn’t have one with him. It wasn’t something he carried around with him everywhere he went.

He did, however, know a spell that could do a similar thing. It wasn’t a very hard spell, but was relatively uncommon, as the Revealer could do the same thing. He didn’t know where he had learned it, but he assumed it had not been at Hogwarts.

He cast "Aparecium" on the blank sheet, and an arrow pointing in the direction he was to go appeared on it. He tried to rotate the parchment in his hands, but the arrow simply disappeared and reappeared pointing the same direction it had the first time. That was apparently the direction he was to head in.

As he took his first few paces toward that particular pathway, he noticed that both pieces of paper had burned to piles of ashes. He decided not to stop and dawdle because of this and instead continue on what he knew to be the right path. He was getting closer to his final destination, and he knew it.

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

After having walked on a one-way trail for so long, Tom found it hard to choose which direction to go when given a choice. He usually went on the course to which the paper had been pointing, but after a while found that he really had no idea which direction he was heading. This maze was bigger than he had expected.

Surprisingly enough, he hadn’t walked too far before he came across what seemed to be his next task. From far ahead of him, he could hear the sound of water rippling like a stream. He could hear each bubble as it popped in the air and each droplet as it fell back to the water. He knew he was headed in the right direction, since he seemed to have found an obstacle, but this time he was unsure where it was.

Tom wandered around the area taking turns on the path that he thought headed toward the stream. Each time the sound of the water running softened, he turned back around and went the other way until he found another bend that led him further toward it.

Determined not to let this task go undone, he continued to search the area until he saw the body of water up ahead. Running as fast as he could, he approached the river and stopped only paces in front of it.

Tom examined this aspect of nature thoroughly, trying to find the best way around it. He noticed how fast the current was moving and how rocky the surrounding shore looked. The depth of the water was much too deep for him to guess, but obviously simply walking across would not be an option.

All of the most logical ways to get across the waterway seemed impossible; it was too deep to walk, too dangerous to swim, too wide to jump, and not very probable to fly. He did have a few other options, though; he would just need to try each of them out first.

He walked around the shore of the area that was open to him and collected as many rocks as he possibly could. When he had what looked like enough, he threw them into the river trying to form a path across. Apparently it was too deep, because not even one rock was visible over the surface of the water. It was on to another plan.

Next, Tom tried to find a log or a group of sticks to make a type of bridge across. The only trees that surrounded him, however, were evergreen trees and none of those produced any logs that would be helpful in this case. It seemed that this plan would be no more successful than the first.

After pondering a few moments about what his options were, Tom eventually came to the conclusion that outside help could be useful in this situation, and he knew just where to get it. Crouching down to get right up close to the stream, Tom looked through a clearer spot in the surface of the water through which he could see what was living beneath. To his satisfaction, what he was looking for was indeed there.

Come to me, my Slytherin serpents.

Within moments more than five water snakes popped their heads up to stare into the eyes of the one calling them. The longer he waited, the more heads broke through the surface. When he had gotten the interest of at least ten of them, he stared into their yellow-orange eyes until he knew he had their complete attention.

Build me a bridge, oh loyal servants.

Without having to talk to them further, each and every pair of the eyes he was entrancing reentered the water to look for rocks, pebbles, sand, and twigs. Watching the water, Tom noticed a narrow passageway slowly beginning to build up to the surface. All he could see was the occasional flash of green, but when he saw the first edge of a stone emerge from the water, he knew his vipers were working for him.

As soon as an entire trail was visible above the face of the stream, Tom called the snakes back to him in Parseltongue.

Stop. You have done me well.

Each of the glowing eyes gazed into his once more as he bade them leave. When all of them had gone, he walked across his new trail and stepped onto the grass on the other side. Before he left, he cast a Vanishing Charm on the bridge to avoid helping his opponents. He needed to get as far ahead as possible if he was going to win this task.

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

After stepping across the stream, Tom noticed the land on this side was much wetter than it had been on the other. Each time he took a step he heard the squishy sound it made as it hit the muddy ground. At first he assumed this had been caused by the flowing body of water, but found that the further he ventured from it, the wetter the ground became.

By the time he had walked for two minutes away from the river, he noticed his feet were completely soaked in water. The bottom of his pants was also covered in mud to the point that he felt the dirt on his skin. He murmured "Scourgify" to get rid of all the dirt he was covered in, but this charm seemed useless as he just kept getting dirtier the more he walked.

Up ahead he noticed there was another circular clearing similar to those he had found before. This one was much smaller than the other ones had been, and inside there was simply a big rock. As he got closer to it, he found that there was a carving of a book on the rock and inside that was the directions to his next task.

Ahead is the marsh of the Clabbert. Do not offend him or you may perish in the labyrinth of nesting Runespoor beyond.

Staring at the rock for a few more moments, he found himself intrigued not by the words on the book, but by the book itself. What was the meaning of having the book carved there? Certainly it had not been just coincidental.

Casting the first spell that came to mind in this situation, Tom whispered "Aparecium" to reveal the real book within the stone. Apparently it had been the right thing to do, as a book had formed out of the rock and was sitting on it like it would a shelf.

On the cover, the book read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, whereas the first page read the words that the stone had shown. Knowing exactly what to do with this, Tom flew through the pages of the book looking for the two creatures mentioned in the passage. After finding them and reading all he could about each, Tom closed the book back up again and it instantly turned back into stone.

He turned to face the large archway that had appeared in front of him, and looked through to see the marshy grasslands on the other side. Beyond that was most likely another archway that led to a second labyrinth.

From where he was standing he could already see a Clabbert. It was staring directly at him with the jewel on its forehead flashing ruby red. It looked similar to a monkey, but with green skin, a wide grinning mouth, and long arms with webbed hands. From reading the textbook, Tom knew the webbed hands were to help it move gracefully through the trees while the red jewel was only that color when it sensed danger. Apparently, he was danger to the Clabbert.

As he grew closer to the marsh, eventually stepping right into it, he noticed that the Clabbert he had seen didn’t jump out at him or try to attack him. It just stood its ground and stared into Tom's eyes. It sat perfectly still: not moving, just watching. Tom was almost halfway to the other side before he noticed another one pop its head up.

More and more of them appeared in front of him, but none made any sort of approach. He began thinking that he would be able to make it all the way through the marsh without being attacked by any of them. This thinking, however, was extremely false.

By the time Tom was only a few steps away from the archway leading onto the next area, he noticed one of the creatures coming up from behind him. Instantly he turned around and cast the Impediment Jinx on it. Within seconds he had regretted it, as now all of the creatures were coming toward him at an alarmingly fast pace.

Not wanting to seriously harm another creature on this day, Tom simply continued to cast the Impediment Jinx on each of them. It seemed to work for a small amount of time, but as soon as the number of Clabberts coming at him increased, he realized how futile his efforts were.

Eventually, he began taking steps backwards while at the same time casting as many spells as he could at the creatures. He continued moving backwards until he noticed his foot go through an invisible shield. Soon his body followed until he was completely on the opposite side, protected from the green monkeys.

Looking around where he was now, he realized that he had passed through the archway leading onto the next area. This section was not as muddy or wet as his previous surroundings had been, but the hedges had reappeared. It seemed he was now inside the labyrinth the stone had mentioned earlier.

He knew what kind of creature resided here and was not disturbed by it at all. The Runespoor happened to be a type of snake, and therefore was easily controlled. As it happened, this snake had three different heads--each serving a separate purpose, but still easy for Tom to control.

Tom walked through the labyrinth only a small way when he came across the first Runespoor. He was interested to see how each of the heads would react to him, so he decided not to talk to them for now.

The head all the way to the right looked at him straight on, as if deciding how to react. It simply looked at him, but Tom could tell it was thinking hard. The middle head also looked deep in thought, but this one had its head tilted slightly to the side and its eyes looked glazed over. That one seemed completely harmless. It was the head on the left that seemed dangerous. It was also watching him, but with a look of deep disgust. It opened its mouth just wide enough to show off its large fangs.

As the three-headed creature slithered across the ground toward him, Tom decided it was time to control it.

Oh son of Slytherin, creature of serpent, stand your ground.

Immediately, the snake-like-animal stopped in its tracks. All six eyes were looking directly into Tom’s, almost uncertain as what to do. Tom decided it was time to play a mind trick on the animal.

Are you going to harm your master?

All three heads of the serpent shook while dropping to the ground. That was its way to bow and ask for forgiveness, but Tom simply stared it down and continued walking. He ran into only two other Runespoors during his trip through the labyrinth, and had talked them down all the same. This task was going to be incredibly simple.

As Tom exited the labyrinth back into the main part of the maze, he knew he was that much closer to reaching the cup in the center. The last task had not been a hard one at all for him, but surely there would be much more trouble up ahead.

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

After exiting his second labyrinth that day, Tom was not surprised when he found fewer options for directions to go. The maze seemed easier to get through the farther he got, and he knew he had to be close to the center.

The sun had made its way across the sky through the course of the day and was now almost directly overhead. Tom knew he had been in the maze for a few hours but was still surprised to find that it was noon already.

The sun was beating down on his skin, making his whole body shaky. His pale body had begun turning a rather red color, and his face was beginning to sweat. He could feel his mouth dry out but quickly fixed the problem by producing a fountain of water from the tip of his wand. The water helped, but the heat was still hurting him.

There has to be a way to cool off. The sun is killing me.

The further he walked, the more he noticed his feet throbbing. He had been walking all morning and could not bear to move much further. He knew he had a blister on the side of his right toe because he could feel pain from it each time he took a step.

Ah. I really need to take these shoes off.

Pausing to remove his shoes, he noticed how dirty his socks were. They also gave off a scent that was almost deathly to inhale. Casting the cleaning spell for the second time that day, he removed both problems.

That’s a lot better. Now I don’t have to worry about those fumes.

After putting his shoes back on, he continued on his journey but began to look more closely at the area that surrounded him. The trees that made up the hedges were swaying in the gentle breeze. He could even hear the occasional tweet of a bird as it sang its daily love song.

“You really pick up a lot more when you’re paying attention to it. See, look, there’s a garden snake. It looks rather comfortable in this environment.�

Tom found himself noticing many more details about the area around him, and commentating on them out loud as he passed.

“Hey, look! There’s a broken twig! That tree must be having a rough day. Ooh, and look up ahead! There’s a fork in the path. I think I will go right. Or, no, maybe left. Yes, I do suppose left seems the best.�

As his mouth continued to talk about what was going on around him, Tom realized how much of an idiot he was being and tried to control his thoughts as his mind went askew.

I need…look there’s a…no! I need to stop…whoa, that sun is bright...STOP!

Obviously this was going to be harder than he had originally thought. He decided that rather than trying to think in complete sentences, if he could just figure out what was wrong he might be able to solve his problem.

Spell. Ant! Cast on… there’s a flower over there! Me! Spell was cast… on me!

The fact that he was proud of himself for getting that far wasn’t kept inside for very long. Within moments he was talking about it out loud.

“Wow, I figured that out all by myself. I’m a very smart man, and cunning too!�

Need… to stop!

His thoughts were becoming clearer and much easier to understand. Although his mouth was still moving at an alarmingly fast pace, his mind was beginning to slow down.

Babbling Curse. Must fix.

Without being able to think very hard as to what was going on, Tom used the first spell that came to mind and cast it at himself.

“Silencio!�

He took a huge sigh of relief as his mouth came to a sudden stop and his mind began to return to normal. His entire body seemed to relax from the release of the pressure it had previously been under. He didn’t think he had ever been so happy to be at a loss for words.

As soon as Tom had his mind back to think, he realized what the sensible solution would be and quickly cast "Finite Incantatem." It took him a while longer to figure out that this must have been another task he was given to solve, and was proud of himself for figuring out how to complete it.

With this, he continued his journey toward the center of the maze knowing that now he was closer than he had been before.

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

Tom was now far enough into the maze that he knew he was nearing the end. With each step he took, he thought about how wonderful it would be to hold the Triwizard Cup in his hands and have eternal glory. There couldn’t be more than a few obstacles left to complete.

Despite the adrenaline in his body that excited him for the next task, he knew it was going to be a tough one. There was no way the wizards working on this would make it so difficult to get this far and then have a simple flobberworm to deal with at the end. The next task, he knew, would be one of the most trying.

Bracing himself each time he took a turn, he was not surprised in the least when he found himself facing his next obstacle. It indeed looked harder than the ones before.

Once again he found himself standing inside a circular area surrounded by hedges. In the center of this was a young boy, maybe a second year, lying unconscious on the ground. There was a large rock right near his head and blood dripping down his back. It was obvious what had happened.

Upon further inspection of the area, Tom found a large, black cauldron on the edge of the clearing. Surrounding it were many potion ingredients to make something that Tom wasn’t sure of. He decided it would be best to examine the boy first.

After looking around the area of the child, Tom found a camera on the ground. It obviously belonged to the lifeless boy. It seemed looking at the latest pictures taken by that camera would prove to be the best way to solve this case.

Realizing that was probably what the cauldron was for, Tom grabbed the camera, removed the film and made his way over to the other side of the clearing. He was then in front of a very large cauldron, standing over exactly the ingredients he needed, and holding the final piece of the puzzle in his left hand. All he had to do now was put it all together.

Having learned to make this potion years ago, Tom threw in all the ingredients he knew he needed while making sure to stir it clockwise twice for every counter-clockwise one. He threw in anywhere from droplets to huge swoops of almost half of the bottles sitting on the ground. He then proceeded to add the powders and later the weeds until he had a black potion sitting in front of him.

The potion was a perfectly still glossy black that reflected the things around it like water. It was perfectly brewed and would develop any picture placed inside it. Tom was rather proud of it, but he wasn’t surprised that it had turned out well; it was quite a simple potion.

Lifting up the film from where he had placed it on the ground, Tom placed the last frame into the glassy liquid and waited ten seconds before pulling it out. On it was a picture of Professor Dippet mouthing something indistinguishable and pointing to the direction of an opening in the circular clearing.

It seemed the whole thing with the child had all been part of the task put before him. As soon as the photo had been developed, the boy had disappeared. Tom assumed that it had just been a setup.

Sure enough, when Tom looked up from the place the student had previously been and followed the direction of Dippet’s pointing hand, there was an archway that had not been there previously. Apparently, he had succeeded in completing the task and was being sent on to the next one.

Slightly nervous, Tom headed over to the path he was supposed to be taking. He knew there were very few obstacles left, if any at all. His excitement was beginning to get the best of him as he noticed his palms sweating and his body shaking. He slowly passed through the archway leading him closer to what he knew was the center of the maze.

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

Tom walked much further this time than he had in all the times before. Each turn and twist took him that much closer to the center of the maze but brought down his stamina that much more. He knew he was close to finishing. If he could just take one step at a time, he could do it.

He walked in and out of rows and columns looking for the one-way path to the center. Unfortunately, this maze didn’t work like that and he constantly found himself running into dead ends. Despite all these setbacks, he continued his journey forward.

It had to be almost two o’clock by now, as Tom knew how long it had been since noon, and his legs were beginning to shake from being so tired. He didn’t know how much longer he could make it, but he knew that no matter what happened he would make it.

Finally coming up to a narrower pathway, Tom knew he was finally heading in the right direction. Something seemed to be standing at the end of the path staring him down, but from a distance he couldn’t tell what it was.

Approaching the creature close enough that he could see its outline, Tom found that he was going to be face-to-face with a full-grown sphinx. He knew these animals were known for being very logical but at the same time quite violent. They could easily be managed and were great guards for something, though they weren’t afraid to attack if someone crossed their boundaries.

Finding a way to get past the beast without angering it was going to be the hard part of this mission. If Tom could just figure out how to confuse the creature by using some illogical logic, he was sure to get by unscathed.

Knowing there had to be some sort of trick to this, Tom walked over to the sphinx and asked, “What must I do to get by?�

“You don’t.�

The creature was perfectly still and showed no emotion at all. It had not seemed disturbed my Tom’s comment, but rather continued to stand its ground. Apparently, there was a surefire way to get by.

“If I give you a riddle and you get it wrong, will you let me pass?�

“I will not get it wrong.�

Taking that last statement as a yes, Tom began with the first riddle he knew. “What gets wetter and wetter as it dries?�

The sphinx simply looked at Tom before replying in an even tone, “A towel.�

Obviously the animal did have a strong mind, as well as a very logical one. It wouldn’t be easy to fool the beast.

“Give me food and I will live; give me water and I will die. What am I?�

“Fire.�

Again, the animal simply stared him in the eyes. Seconds had not even passed from when Tom asked the question to when the sphinx answered. Even so, there had to be at least one riddle the creature didn’t know. No one and nothing is all-knowing.

“I am as light as a feather, yet no man can hold me for long.�

This time, the animal seemed to delay its answer. Tom could see through its eyes that it was in deep thought. It did eventually come up with the answer, “breath,� but even so, Tom was wearing it down slowly.

Tom decided it was time to move on to harder riddles. He didn’t want to dawdle in this place forever; it seemed almost nothing could penetrate the barrier of this sphinx. He needed one really tough riddle that was sure to break down the obstruction.

Thinking hard to himself, Tom remembered one he had learned as a child in the Muggle orphanage. One of the other boys had told it to him, but had laughed when Tom got it wrong. Needless to say, the boy never mocked him again.

“The beginning of eternity; the end of time and space. The beginning to every end; the end of every place. What am I?�

The cat-like creature seemed extremely put out by this and dropped its gaze to the ground. Never before had it been fooled by a simple school boy. Its look was not only that of disappointment, but also of rage. It looked as if it was ready to pounce.

Right as the animal stepped to the side, it suddenly turned its head and looked back at Tom. Its eyes began to glow as it said in what seemed to be an excited tone, “The letter E.�

Tom knew now that even though the sphinx had not let him pass, he had indeed "broken down the barrier." Now all that was left was to walk by.

“What has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs at night?�

Now standing slightly to the left of the archway Tom was to pass through, the sphinx looked at him again in shock. How could a child so young defeat something so smart? The sphinx just sat there and stared until it eventually stepped all the way to the left allowing Tom to pass.

Very proud of his own accomplishment, Tom slowly walked by the animal as if showing off his success. He had a look of pure triumph on his face as he walked; he had won.

Tom knew he was definitely heading into the center of the maze from here. He had won this battle, but who knew what would await him once he set foot through the archway and into the center circle? The only thing that he did know for sure was that he was going to win the Triwizard Tournament. No matter what happened, no matter what he did, he would win.

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

Tom took his first few steps in the center of the maze and tried to take in his surroundings. Everything in there seemed to be excited and the whole area gave off a feeling of delight. There was accomplishment and pride dripping off the leaves of the hedges around him and triumph accumulating on the ground beneath his feet. He had indeed succeeded in his mission.

From where he was standing he could see the Triwizard Cup. It was gleaming in the light of the sun reflecting rainbows in the surrounding area. It even gave off great magical pulses that seemed to whisper "You did it!" into the ear of the winner. Just being near it was such a glorious feeling.

Tom knew that he had done it. He had made it through each riddle, past each creature, and around each obstacle. He had successfully made his way past each task and he deserved the cup that sat only paces away from him. He wanted it, and he had earned it.

A few more steps closer and the feeling of glee he got only increased. His heart was beating faster than it ever had before, and his eyes were glowing from the delight in his soul. Each step he took only lightened the mood until he thought that his whole body would explode with pure joy. Never before had he felt like this. Only power such as that cup could bring him would make him feel so great.

As he continued to approach the cup, he noticed the feelings he had possessed only moments before disappearing from within him and instead were replaced by those of jealousy and rage. Standing only seconds away from grabbing the cup was his fellow Death Eater, Rabastan. There could not be a way that a young child such as he could have succeeded in getting to the cup before Tom himself, but somehow he did. There he was.

Rabastan noticed the presence of his master and glanced over at the handsome man with a malicious grin. This was the time Rabastan had waited for. Through everything he had done, and all the power he had given, it was his turn to receive applause from wizards and witches alike. It was his turn for praise.

Tom simply stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the man he had once considered his loyal follower. Rabastan had always been one of his favorites, always accomplishing all the duties he was given and even going above and beyond. Never had Tom dreamed that this day would come.

Riddle just stared at the Lestrange boy for what seemed like days and years until he finally let his anger get the best of him. Without so much as contorting a muscle in his face, Tom raised his wand and with a flash of green light, killed him. For only an instant had he let Rabastan know what he was doing, and that one instant of horror on the boy’s face would be one that Tom would not forget. Never before had Tom killed one of his own.

Despite everything, he knew it was the right thing to do. He needed the power the cup would give him and he knew the Lestrange boy would not know what do to with this. Tom also knew that keeping Rabastan alive would only turn into the destruction of himself as he would have surely turned Tom in to gain his own power. It was much too risky to keep him alive.

This was just yet another lesson that showed Tom not to trust anyone. Even those that you think are loyal to you will use every chance they can get for a shot at their own power. Everyone had a lust for power, and it would end up being the destruction of them all. No one could properly learn how to use it unless they had lived life without it. That was why Tom could do so much: because he had once had so little.

Tom once again took a few more steps closer to the cup. For a second time he could feel the powerful sensation flowing through his body. He no longer felt the emotions of glory and delight, but instead felt those of power and lust. That killing had been his last obstruction and now he was extremely ready to grab the Triwizard Cup. He thrived for that power.

As he reached his hand forward only inches away from the cup, he felt the glow once again inside his soul. He felt the amazing sensation only supreme control could give him. His face was red with excitement and his palms sweaty with exhilaration.

At the instant that his fingertips touched the smooth surface of the glass his whole heart seemed to explode. So many emotions were now flowing through him that they all needed to find their way out. He could no longer contain himself. He reached both hands over so that he would be completely grasping the cup.

All of his pride showing in his face, he lifted the cup above his head and sensed every last bit of life he possessed holding on for dear life as he struggled to keep control. This was it; this was his moment.

He heard as a trumpet was sounded and hundreds of students erupted in applause. Only then did Tom look down to realize the dead body of the boy who was once his companion lying next to him. He could not be found in this position, not now.

Releasing the cup from his grasp and placing it back onto the stand it had been sitting on, Tom whispered "Evanesco" to remove the body from the playing field and decided he would deal with it later. Now was not the time for trivialities.

He watched as the Minister of Magic, his Headmaster and Professor Dumbledore approached him with looks of pure happiness on their face. Despite everything he had done to get to this position he had indeed gotten here. He had gained the power so many had wanted before him, and he had won.

He had won.