"Fifth Year"

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Lenora POV:
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As we continued down the narrow path of the maze, the air around us became eerily quiet.

"I have a bad feeling about this." I mumbled to my companion, green eyes darting around our surroundings.

"Me too, Nora. Just remember that your imagination is our strongest weapon in here."

I simply nodded, watching as the fog got thicker and a spine-tingling hiss sounded throughout the approaching clearing.

My heart dropped as I put the pieces together after almost bumping into one of the many stone statues.

"Please don't be what I think this is." I whispered to myself, before looking at the terrified expressions on the faces of the statues. "Bollocks."

"What? What is it?" Harry asked me in a state of confusion. Without removing my gaze from the statues, I turned his head towards the statue's face.

"Oh, dear..." My companion muttered, his eyes widening in fear as he came to the same conclusion as I had. "So the next trial is...."

"Medusa." I continued with a shaky sigh as the hissing grew closer.

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Newt POV:

"Still nothing?!" I exclaimed in frustration, before muttering. "You'd think that the faculty would be working a bit harder to find the culprit, when one of their students has been attacked."

I ran a hand over my face in frustration as I gripped the pale hand of my unconscious daughter. Tina was pacing around the small area and biting down her thumbnail anxiously.

"I'm sorry, Newt." Minerva McGonagall sighed sadly. "Albus and myself checked the wands of each of those Slytherins ourselves and there was no evidence on any of them that a spell had been erased."

"So, we're just supposed to sit here and hope for the best as our daughter is dying?! While whoever did this roams the school, free to possibly attack another student?!"

"Tina, Darling, please calm down a bit. You're frightening some first years." I told my wife, gesturing towards the startled eleven year olds.

"Sorry, kids." The brunette awkwardly told the group. The three stood around their injured friend, who sat on one of the beds with a broken arm.

"Mr. Sterling fell off of his broom during the first years' flying lesson and broke his arm. Poor boy, he had to witness Madam Hooch cursing and acting as chaotic as a hurricane." The Scottish woman sighed, before continuing.

"The last time I saw a first year look so pale, was after Peeves decided to drench the entirety of newly sorted Gryffindors with water and possess one of the suits of armor."

"No offense, Professor, but we're a little more concerned about our daughter, than we are about a kid with a broken arm." Tina sassed, making me cringe and prepare myself for the classic McGonagall wrath.

"Merlin, now you've done it, Tina." I muttered, fearfully watching as Minerva McGonagall's eyes darkened and glared heatedly over at the brunette.

"I understand that you're frustrated, Porpentina Esther Goldstein Scamander, but that doesn't give you a right to use that tone with me." The Transfiguration Professor warned my wife with a scolding look that would (and often did) put fear into the hearts of grown men.

The American's eyes widened at the older woman's low and calm voice which held a threatening undertone.

"My apologies, Professor McGonagall." Tina stammered in an attempt to salvage herself from Minerva's wrath.

"I should hope so, Porpentina." The green clad woman replied coolly, before leaving the hospital wing.

I had managed to catch a tiny glimpse of the amused smile on her face, before she disappeared beyond the doorway.

"That woman scares me." My wife told me, keeping her shocked gaze on the doorway that McGonagall exited through.

"She scares everyone, Darling." I informed her before letting out an amused laugh.

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Lenora POV

"The gate is all the way across the garden and it appears to be locked, which means..." Harry trailed off as we both gazed at the only exit out.

"We're gonna have to fight the bitch." I continued, sharing a nervous glance with the older boy. "Weapons?"

"Weapons." He agreed with a nod, before I closed my eyes and imagined each of us a sword and reflective shield.

"Perseus defeated Medusa by using the reflection from his shield to see her without her gaze turning him to stone, and allowing him to cut off her head. Which he then gave to Athena to place it on her shield, after he'd used it as a weapon on several occasions." I rambled, before continuing.

"So, keep your eyes down and watch your back." I warned, before pausing and quickly glancing at my friend. "And don't look this bitch in the eye."

"I don't care how sad your origin story is, turning people to stone is just rude." Harry muttered to me as we cautiously began to walk deeper into the garden of statues.

"Are we sure that you're not the Hufflepuff and I'm the Ravenclaw?" I joked quietly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Shut up, Scamander."

My muscles tensed as I caught a glimpse of a scaly grey figure slither passed a few feet behind us at lightning speed.

Suddenly the fog started to thicken to the point where I could only see about a foot in front of me. A low, menacing chuckle echoed all around the garden, making it impossible to pinpoint the Gorgon's position.

"I've been waiting for your visit for a long time, Little Scamander. I've gotten, oh, so lonely here and my children have been craving a new sibling."

Her voice was smooth and cold, like the skin of a snake, sending a shiver up my spine.

"Let us leave, Medusa. We have no quarrel with you." I tried to negotiate, despite the slim chances that she'd let us leave this place alive.

"We both know you're not that naive, Little Lenora." She chuckled darkly, making my nerves skyrocket. Gusts of wind rushing passed us as the ancient cursed one circled us like prey, before disappearing.

"It was worth a shot." I stated with feigned confidence, before quickly ducking behind a trio of statues. Harry did the same, as we shared a look of determination.

"Where are you little ones?" The hissing grew closer as Medusa came nearer to our hiding places.

"Eyes down." I silently mouthed to my companion and we shared a nod, preparing to strike.

"Come out, come out, children! We just want to make you part of the family."

As she approached my hiding place, I dropped my gaze and listened for the right moment.

When I heard the hisses of the snakes that made up her hair just behind the group of statues, I struck.

Without hesitation, I swung my sword towards her head, not once lifting my eyes from the ground. I felt my blade hit it's target and heard Medusa cry out, first in pain and then in anger.

I quickly ducked, rushing to take cover behind a stone column. Once hidden, I checked behind me with the reflection of my shield. Harry had changed his hiding spot and Medusa had disappeared in the fog once more.

"You foolish girl! Do you really think that you can beat me! I'm centuries old and what are you? An overconfident mortal?!"

"I mean, Perseus did a pretty good job killing you the first time. Second time's a charm, I suppose." I shouted, before hiding behind another column.

"Ignorant child! You can't defeat me and my children!" The gorgon cackled evilly, making my eyes widen as the statues started to move.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" I cursed as they started to attack Harry and I. One swing of my sword after another, I fought off the statues.

Every blow they delivered, teared and bruised my skin harshly. I cried out in pain as one of the statues hits created a deep gash in my abdomen. I started to get lightheaded from the blood loss and began to fall.

As I dropped to my knees, an idea came to my mind. I closed my eyes and imagined my scream creating a sonic boom loud enough to shatter all of the statues. Hoping that my plan would work, I opened my mouth and let out a scream.