Chapter 15: Crossing the RubiconNotes:Sorry for the delay everybody! My laptop crashed while I was typing, twice, and I lost a lot of progress on the chapter... twice.
After this, I decided to take some time off to cool down and avoid the temptation of throwing my laptop out a window. Spent some time reading, developing new stories, and conquering the world for the Kingdom of Canada (God I love Kaiserredux.)
But now I'm back, and ready for action! Also, stay tuned till the end. I'll be starting a poll, and I want as many answers as I can get.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter TextWith dawn came the start of a new day, for a new year. As repetitive as this felt to Harry, it was good to be back in Hogwarts. Despite everything he had learned about the people he once trusted, the castle had been his home for years. It had provided him with an escape from the Dursleys, and a chance to flourish where his gifts were appreciated.
Of course, with the benefit of hindsight, it seemed less like a sanctuary for him, and more like out of the frying pan, into the fire.
Heading down to the Common Room, he found Hermione there, as always, before the others. Ron, on the other hand, when he deigned to wake up, headed to the Great Hall immediately for breakfast. In contrast, Hermione insisted she and Harry wait for Anna and Brian to join them. Hermione had taken to Anna, and while Harry knew she would never admit it, she loved the idea of being able to serve as a mentor to the bright young girl.
Eventually, the two first years joined them in the Common Room and followed them to the Great Hall. True to form, the Hall was filled with students enjoying breakfast until they received their school schedule. As McGonagall came up to the four students, she paused to speak with them.
"Mr.Potter, Miss Granger, I understand you decided to teach these two first years some spells while on the train?" She remained as stern as ever, and it was impossible to tell whether she was proud or upset.
"Yes, Professor. Hermione and I, at my suggestion, taught them the Raincoat Charm, and the Drying Charm. Given how bad the rain was getting, it seemed the appropriate choice."
"You taught them well, as their boat was the only one with dry students. They even began drying out their fellow students before I could." She looked at Brian and Anna. "Mr.Robinson, and Miss Anderson, 10 points each, for helping your fellow students." She then looked at Harry and Hermione. "Mr.Potter, and Miss Granger, 15 points each, for exemplary mentoring and leadership of younger students."
As she handed the four of them their schedules, she continued. "At this rate, Mr.Potter, you'll be the first fourth-year Prefect."
Taking his schedule with a smile, he opened it and noted it was identical to the one he received last time. However, there were two exceptions. Divination on Monday afternoons was replaced with Arithmancy, and Wednesday after lunch was Ancient Runes.
After breakfast, Harry and Hermione wished Anna and Brian luck, as Transfiguration was their first class of the day.
Herbology with the Hufflepuffs was as uneventful as the last time. Admittedly, handling bubotubers was as disgusting as Harry remembered it. Given his enhanced sense of smell, the pus they extracted smelled even stronger of petrol. The upside, at least, was that given his familiarity with the plant he and Neville managed to earn extra points for Gryffindor, both in knowledge of the plant and their expert handling of the pus.
Then came Care of Magical Creatures. As excited as Harry was to see Hagrid again, he definitely didn't want to be handling Blast-Ended Skrewts again. If any creature could be classified as a mistake, it was these things. The repulsive hybrids of Fire Crabs and Manticores were as violent and unpleasant as he remembered.
We need to do something about this.
Not fond of them I take it?
Are you? There's got to be a better way of dealing with these things. Any suggestions?
Unfortunately, these are hybrids, and they don't have a clear understanding of what they are, and their place in the world.
So all this violence is just outbursts from dysfunctional teenagers?
It's them figuring out exactly where in the food chain they belong. But you're right, we definitely need a solution to them. If nothing else, it'll allow Hagrid to teach about creatures the way he would have intended.
At the end of class, while the others rushed to the castle for lunch, Harry stayed behind to talk to Hagrid.
"Harry! How are you doing?"
"So far so good. Hagrid, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you something about the Skrewts."
"Course I don't mind! What do you want to know?"
Glancing around, and satisfied no one had hung back, he spoke in a low voice. "Hagrid, did you breed these for the Tournament?"
Hagrid looked nervous at that, glancing around in a similar fashion before whispering, "How did you find out?"
"I didn't. I know the Tournament was discontinued because of the steadily rising death toll. Second, and no offence Hagrid, but unless you plan on releasing these into the wild, I don't see how useful this class is." As Harry finished, a pair of Skrewts began fighting with one another, as a third propelled itself around the paddock by launching sparks from its rear end. "Plus, these aren't exactly the friendliest of creatures."
"Well, when they agreed to host the Tournament 'ere at Hogwarts, Bagman came down to talk about creatures for the tasks. We got talking, and he had the idea of breedin' new ones. Offered me a contract, he did, to breed something for the Tournament. 'Course, he didn't mention any 'help' from the Ministry would be money for 'damages."
"They just, hoisted the responsibility on you, when they knew you had other responsibilities as a teacher?"
"Well, yeah." Hagrid looked glum at that admission. "Was planning something special for this year. Woulda been great..."
"Give me a few days, Hagrid, and I should have something that'll make caring for them easier." With that, Harry ran towards the castle for lunch, before Hagrid could reply.
Well, that's the order sent off. Think Tim'll be able to do it?
It's likely. From what I've seen, he seems able to handle any task, so long as he has a clear idea of what's aiming for.
During lunch, Harry had taken the time to write a letter for Tim Baker. While he wasn't immediately agreeing to the contract, he had instead ordered a custom tent. It was difficult, given the minimal information he could provide concerning the Skrewts, he was confident that Tim would rise to the challenge.
After leaving the Owlery, Harry was kidnap- 'encouraged' by the overzealous Hermione to hurry to Arithmancy. Despite, or rather because, of the time they had to spare, she was quite determined that Harry should be making full use of his time.
When Professor Septima Vector arrived, she decided to test Harry, using him as an opportunity to review the curriculum last year. By the end of class, it seemed Harry had impressed her enough that she only 'encouraged him to keep up the good work.'
With Arithmancy over, it was time to head to the Common Room. Hermione had insisted they meet Brian and Anna there after class before heading to the Great Hall. When they arrived, they found Neville sitting with the young duo, talking about the many plants they'll be going over in Herbology. In the corner of the room, was a sulking Ron.
"What's with him?" Harry asked Neville as he and Hermione approached.
"Professor Trelawney assigned us extra homework because Ron insulted Lavender. Speaking of, why weren't you in Divination Harry?"
"I dropped the class and took Arithmancy and Ancient Runes instead. I figured I should have at least one year where my death and dismemberment isn't being regularly predicted." The whole time Harry was saying this, Hermione was beaming with pride, as though he was revealing the secrets to creating the Philosopher's Stone.
Leading the group out of the Common Room, they made their way down to the Great Hall, with Brian and Anna gleefully recounting their day. Brian, in particular, was fascinated by the animagus form of Professor McGonagall and was curious about the steps needed to become one himself. Before Harry could explain the process, with some helpful critiques from Hermione, they were blocked off by a group of about ten Slytherin students, of various years.
Most of the students he didn't recognize, but he did recognize the four at the head of the group: Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, and Draco Malfoy. While Parkinson and Goyle looked unsure of themselves, as though they wanted to be anywhere but here, Crabbe and Malfoy looked positively murderous.
"Can I help you?" Harry asked.
Malfoy glanced around then looked back at Harry and said in a low voice, "You're a dead man, Potter. You'll pay for what you did to my father."
"Ah, the late Lord Malfoy," Harry couldn't help but smirk.
Malfoy looked angrier than Harry had ever seen him. It felt oddly satisfying to see the smug little bastard like this.
"For what it's worth, I am sorry for the death of your parents. But they were rapists, torturers, and murderers, the very worst of humanity rolled up into one. Mourn your families as you wish, but this-" he waved his arms in a broad motion, signifying the broad group "-is pathetic."
With that, he motioned for Neville and Hermione to move, the two of them making sure that Brian and Anna went first, just in case the Slytherin students would try anything. As luck would have it, with Harry behind Neville and Hermione, and them behind Brian and Anna, only one of the Slytherins made for their wand.
You realize he's preparing to curse you.
Of course, I realize this. I just need to time this properly.
As Malfoy readied his wand, Harry summoned his own and waited for the perfect moment. When Malfoy cast his spell, he immediately whirled around and deflected the spell into the air. Before Malfoy could follow up, he fired a bone-breaker as someone yelled "OH NO YOU DON'T SONNY!"
Malfoy screamed in pain for a brief moment as the bones in his arm broke, and he was transfigured into a ferret. Harry turned around and saw 'Moody' limping towards them. His wand was out and aimed right at the ferret now shivering on the stone floor.
There was a terrified silence in the entrance hall. Neville and Hermione rushed up to Harry, checking to make sure he wasn't harmed in any way. As they did, Moody turned to look at Harry with his normal eye, while the other one was pointing into the back of his head.
"Did he get you?" Moody growled.
"No, I blocked his spell and countered before he could follow up."
"Good work, Potter. LEAVE IT!"
Neville jumped at the sudden roar from Moody, while Hermione squeaked out "Leave what?"
"Not you, him!" Moody jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe. The fat idiot had just frozen in place as he was about to pick up the ferret. Moody then started to limp toward the Slytherin group, and the ferret gave a terrified squeak and took off toward the dungeons.
"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again and sending it ten feet into the air. It fell with a smack and bounced up again.
"I'll teach you to curse someone when their back's turned, you stinking, cowardly, scummy, back-shooting..." The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly, while onlookers laughed at Malfoy's misfortune.
"Professor Moody!" said a shocked Professor McGonagall. "What- what are you doing?"
"Teaching."
"Is that-is that a student?" shrieked Professor McGonagall.
"Technically it's a ferret."
"No!" cried McGonagall as she drew her wand. A moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his hair all over his face. He got to his feet, wincing in pain, but otherwise glaring at 'Moody.'
"Alastor, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" said McGonagall in a voice she usually reserved for the Weasley twins. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"
"He might've mentioned it, yeah. But I thought a good sharp shock would-"
"Detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"
"I'll do that, then," said Moody quietly, limping forward. "Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"
"Yes," Malfoy growled the word resentfully.
"Good. I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape... Come on, you..." With that, he seized Malfoy's good arm and marched him off toward the dungeon.
Thursday finally came and with it, came Defence Against The Dark Arts with Professor 'Moody.'
This time, Harry and Hermione were among the first to arrive, well before everyone else. It was a good thing too, because soon the rest of the class arrived, forming a line behind him. When the bell finally rang, the doors opened on their own. Harry and Hermione grabbed a seat at the front, while Neville sat with Dean Thomas.
Finally, they heard the dull clunk of a fake leg, and in limped Professor 'Alastor Moody.' The silence was just as eerie now, as it was last time. Not even Snape could get a class this quiet. Every pair of eyes in the class followed his every step. No one knew what to expect, and no one wanted to miss a thing.
Standing behind the desk at the front of the room, he looked over the class with the same look a field marshal might give new recruits to his old unit. When he spoke, his voice was gruff, but commanding.
"Alastor Moody." He turned to the blackboard and began writing. "Ex-Auror... Ministry malcontent... and your new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher. I'm here because Dumbledore asked me to, goodbye, the end. Any questions?"
Nobody dared to even breathe.
"When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach. But first, which of you can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?"
"Three, sir," Hermione answered, but she sounded on the verge of tears.
"And they are so named?"
"Because they're unforgivable. The use of even one on a fellow human will-"
"Will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban. Correct. Now, the Ministry says I'm only to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. They say you're too young to see these curses in action. I say different! You need to know what you're up against! You need to be prepared! You need to find a better place for your chewing gum than the underside of your desk, Mr.Finnegan!"
Seamus was seated around the middle of the class with Ron, and he wasn't happy at being caught. "The old codger can see out the back of his head."
"AND HEAR ACROSS CLASSROOMS!" A piece of chalk came narrowly close to hitting Seamus square in the head. Only ducking at the last minute saved his... well dignity. "So, which curse should we see first?"
The excitement that filled his voice at that last question kept the class as silent as a tomb. Slowly, students began raising their hands, as Moody surveyed the class, until finally settling on a student, who hadn't raised their hand.
"WEASLEY!"
"Yes!?"
"STAND." The ginger git slowly rose to his feet, and Moody locked on him. "Give us a curse."
"Well... my dad d-did tell me about one... the Imperious Curse."
"Oh yeah, your father would know all about that one. Gave the Ministry a bit of grief some years back. Perhaps this will show you why."
As Moody walked to the jar that contained one unlucky spider, Harry felt Hermione's hand in his own. She had grabbed it at the realization they were about to see the Unforgivables in action, and was not mentally prepared. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and watched their 'professor' in action.
I hate leaving the real Moody trapped like he is now.
We don't have a choice. We can't risk moving too soon.
Even so, there must be something we can do. Maybe get him some food or potions?
Not a bad idea. If Dobby can manage it, maybe he can pop extra food and nourishment potions into the trunk. Might make Junior suspicious though.
He won't suspect me. Besides, I'll tell Dobby to be careful.
While Harry and Goliath had their conversation, 'Moody' had begun his Imperius demonstration. At first, the class was laughing at the antics of the spider. Even Hermione chuckled, involuntarily it seemed, at the spider on Malfoy's face.
"What should I do next, have her jump out the window?" The laughter died almost immediately. "Drown herself?" The spider came dangerously close to ending its own life. When it was again in his own hand, the class was looking at him in total silence.
"Scores of witches, and wizards, have claimed they only did the Dark Lord's bidding under the Imperious Curse. Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out the liars. The Imperious Curse can be fought, but that takes great willpower and real strength of character. Not everybody's got that, so it's best to avoid being hit if you can. Remember, CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" The class jumped as he barked out the last two words.
"Now, anyone else? Come now, come now... Longbottom is it?" The entire class turned to look at Neville, shocked to see him raising his hand, if timidly.
"There's the... the Cruciatus Curse."
"Correct, the torture curse. Particularly nasty." Moody returned to the front of the class, and Harry knew what was coming. The spider was going to be tortured, and Neville was going to be very uncomfortable. "Crucio."
The spider began to twitch horribly, and Harry instantly felt something shift on his right. Looking to his side, he found Hermione had buried her face in his shoulder and was gripping him like a lifeline. No more willing to let her suffer than Neville, Harry turned to the front of the class.
"PROFESSOR!"
At the interruption, Moody stopped the curse and looked about. He saw the stiff figure of Neville and Hermione on the verge of a panic attack. Clearing his throat, he remarked "As I said, nasty spell," while he stepped right in front of Harry.
"Mr.Potter, can you give us the final curse?"
Holding Hermione against him, he reluctantly answered. "The Killing Curse. Instant death for those who get hit. There's no counterspell, and your only hope is to either avoid getting hit or block it with something big enough."
"That's correct Mr.Potter. 10 points to Gryffindor." Moody looked down at the spider and aimed his wand "Avada Kedavra." The green light shot from the wand, and the spider now lay dead on the desk.
"As Mr.Potter said, instant death. No counterspell is known, and only one man has survived being hit by it. And he's done it twice now." Moody was looking down at Harry as he said this. Harry, for his part, didn't notice. His attention was focused on the girl clinging to him for survival.
Saturday morning arrived, and before everyone else got to breakfast, Harry was somewhere important. Donning his Invisibility Cloak, he made his way to the second floor.
You were right. The Cloak does feel different now.
That damned meddler could only find you thanks to a silver thread he had sewn into the cloak. That was how he could find you while wearing Death's Cloak.
So now he truly can't find me while wearing this?
You could be standing right in front of him, and he wouldn't be able to find you with any spell.
Good to know, because we're here.
Checking to see if anyone was present, Harry breathed a sigh of relief... and stepped into the girl's bathroom. More specifically, he stepped into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. When the sink that held the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was in sight, he removed the Cloak and was greeted by a familiar, flirty ghost.
"Hello, Harry. Did you come to visit me?"
Smiling, Harry gave a polite answer. "Hello, Myrtle. I'm sorry, but I came to check something in the Chamber of Secrets." Waving his wand, he was relieved to find no Listening Charms, or anything similar was present, except... "Myrtle, do you have to report my being here to the Headmaster?"
"No, only the House Ghosts would have to do that, and onlyif a student was caught breaking rules. Your secrets are safe with me, Harry." She smiled at him flirtatiously as she said that.
Grinning at that, Harry opened the Chamber, and as the sinks moved, he turned back to Myrtle. "Myrtle, I'm going to go look at the Basilisk that killed you. If it brings you some closure, do you want to see it yourself?"
The ghost girl looked thoughtful at that, before deciding. "Yes, Harry. I'd like to see what killed me."
Descending into the Chamber, Myrtle followed close behind, floating slowly to observe everything they passed. Finally, they arrived at the Chamber proper and beheld the sight of a dead Basilisk... which hadn't decayed even slightly. Myrtle floated to it, slowly looking it over, while a very angry Harry stood by.
Ragnok was right. It HASN'T decayed even slightly.
Unbeknownst to Dumbledore, Ragnok had passed on to Harry a little-known fact about the Basilisk: the King of Snakes did not decay naturally. The monster that was known as the ancient enemy of spiders, feared by them above all others, would not decompose due to the magic that defines their being. As such, Basilisk hide was extraordinarily rare and coveted, both because of its near-endless longevity, and its potent resistance to magic.
When the topic of the Basilisk skeleton was discussed, that was when Ragnok revealed the Right of Conquest. Simply put, any wizard or witch, regardless of where it's done, or how, if they kill a magical creature, they can claim the carcass, and do with it as they please. This little bit of information had been specifically withheld from Harry after killing it the first time around. If it goes unclaimed for 3 years, the carcass is considered 'abandoned' and thus, may be claimed by anyone.
This means Dumbledore had the carcass rendered the summer after Sirius died.
That tosser! We could have used the hide to make basilisk-hide armour for the Order! It could have given us an advantage during the war! Instead, he kept it down here just long enough for him to claim it for his own ends!
Indeed. But now, we can use the carcass for our own ends. Ends that will result in his destruction.
Calling for Dobby, Harry gave him a specific command. "Go to Ragnok, and tell him his hunch was right, and that I'll need the 'special' Portkey."
When Dobby returned, he was carrying a silver chain, one that up on touching the carcass, would expand until it wrapped the carcass, and transport it directly to a special room in Gringotts, where the carcass would be rendered. The meat would be sold off, while the rest of it, having uses in potions, rituals, and other scenarios, would be stored in a vault.
When Myrtle was done looking over the Basilisk, Harry promptly tossed the chain onto it and was pleased to see the chain wrap around the beast, and disappear with it.
Now that that's done, we'd best get out of here.
True. We have a promise to Hermione's little sister to keep, after all.
Said promise was fulfilled after breakfast. Ever since learning that unicorns were real, Anna had been quite eager to see them firsthand. When she learned Hogwarts had unicorns, she squealed at a volume only dogs should be able to hear.
So now, here Harry was leading the two firsties to see the unicorns. Anna was practically bouncing like she had eaten her weight in chocolate frogs. Brian, on the other hand, was more subdued.
Before Harry could ask why, they arrived at the paddock, and found two Slytherin students already there; Daphne and Astoria Greengrass.
Upon seeing their visitors, Daphne stepped up to Harry while Anna and Brian ran to the paddock, and by extension, Astoria.
"Potter."
"Greengrass."
Daphne Greengrass, the infamous 'Ice Queen' of Slytherin. With pale skin, dark hair, and violet eyes, she was renowned as a beauty all her life... and notorious for being considered unapproachable.
"I see you've taken up babysitting."
"What can I say, they make my life a little adventure." Looking past Daphne, Harry noticed something about Astoria; she was thin, and despite being friendly to the excited Anna, it was apparent she wasn't in the best of health.
"Is your sister OK?"
At that, Daphne's eyes narrowed, and her voice became cold as the void. "Why do you ask?"
"Because it looks like Anna and Brian have made a new friend, and I look out for friends." When that didn't put her at ease, he spoke in a more gentle tone. "Daphne, let me ask you something, has anyone in your family taken the Dark Mark?"
She raised an eyebrow at that. "No, why?"
"If no one's taken the Mark, I have no quarrel with you, or your family. I'm asking out of genuine concern for Anna's new friend. Is she alright?"
Daphne turned to look at Anna and Astoria. The two girls did indeed seem to become fast friends, bonding over a shared interest in unicorns. She sighed, then turned back to Harry.
"She gets like this often. But it isn't by choice... and it's very serious."
"A blood malediction."
It was more a statement, than a question. Harry already knew Astoria would die because of a blood malediction, and the certainty in his tone caused Daphne to look at him in alarm.
"Relax. Your secret's safe with me. I'm sorry, by the way. Is there anything I can do?"
"No, but... thank you. If there were a cure, believe me, I'd have found it by now."
"I'll look into my own avenues. Maybe I can find something."
"I doubt it, but... I'd be grateful if you could."
Do you wish to save her from the malediction?
I do. If only because it's the right thing to do. So, any ideas?
A few, but they'll take some time to procure all the necessary ingredients. For now, we have a more important ritual to prepare for.
Right, how long until we can go through with it?
October 30th. We'll wait until midnight, then head to the Room of Requirement. Once the clock strikes midnight, and the 30th becomes the 31st, we start the ritual.
During this conversation, Harry was seated in the Common Room on a couch with Neville and Brian. Neville was reading a Herbology book Moody had given him, while Brian was reviewing his Defence textbook. Moody had made an impression on the young boy, and he was determined to live up to the hype. Harry, meanwhile, was reading a textbook, but focusing on none of the words.
Harry was so preoccupied with his 'reading' he didn't notice Hermione and Anna arrive and stand before them. When he put down the book to look at them, he noticed they each had a button on their robes, a button that said S.P.E.W.
"What's with the badges Hermione?" Neville asked cautiously.
"Ahem. Today, Anna and I have decided to start the Society for Promotion of Elfish Welfare. We will advocate that House-elves be given rights, and freed from enslavement."
Brian started snickering at the name, once he realized why the badge had S.P.E.W on it. Neville looked both confused and curious. Harry, meanwhile, decided now was the time to reveal his connection to Dobby.
"That's a bad idea, Hermione."
She looked almost offended by the notion, but more confused than anything else.
"What do you mean?! Slavery is a cruel and barbaric practice!"
"It's not slavery, Hermione. It's symbiosis." When she made no response, but instead gestured for him to continue, he told her what he had learned, both from Kreacher and from Goliath.
"House elves are one of the fae. They're also called, amongst other things, faeries, or the fair folk. Naturally, there are a lot of different kinds of fae, but they all share a few things in common. Chief among these is a dependence on magic. They need magic to survive, and they can't get that magic naturally. House elves, as a species, are able to form bonds with magical individuals, or magical families. These bonds are what provide the house elves with magic, magic that they need to survive. Without these bonds, they would weaken, and eventually die.
"Without these bonds, their only alternative to survive is to live somewhere that is rich in magic, and thus form a bond with that location, like the Hogwarts house elves. Because of the magic within the very air of Hogwarts, the house elves are able to live healthy lives. In exchange, they care for the location and those that live there. At Hogwarts, this includes kitchen duties and keeping the place clean. It isn't slavery, Hermione, it's a symbiotic relationship, one that benefits all involved."
"But-but they don't get wages."
"The magic is their payment. House elf magic is unique in that it allows them to provide, for themselves, everything they need. Because of that, work isn't considered a chore, it's considered a form of entertainment. If a house elf were to be offered a wage at the place they work, they would take it to mean 'This is temporary, don't get comfortable.'"
That had Hermione thinking, until she came up with, what she thought, was an adequate counterpoint.
"But what about Dobby? He's been free since the second year ended."
"No, he hasn't, not in the way you're thinking. The moment I tricked Lucius into giving him that sock, I unknowingly formed a bond with him, one that I wasn't made aware of until recently. Without even knowing it, I've been providing him with some magic, but only enough to sustain himself because I never knew the full nature of the bond."
"Why didn't he tell you? If he needs it to survive...?"
"Because believing he was free made me happy. And Dobby was willing to do anything to keep me happy. Did you know, Hermione, that among house elves, saying you're a free elf is similar to saying you're a drifter?"
"No, I didn't."
"That's what Dobby was doing every time he said he was a free elf. Among house elves, this is a terrible insult, because it means you have no true home, and any magic you have to sustain yourself is little better than table scraps. For him, it was worse because he was knowingly lying about the bond. But he did this because he didn't want to risk another elf telling me the truth, and possibly upsetting the twelve-year-old who saved him from a cruel master."
Hermione now had misty eyes, realizing not only what her actions nearly risked, but at the loyalty Dobby was displaying. Harry, likewise, wanted to cry, remembering how Dobby gave his life to save him and his friends. He truly was, above all others, a good elf.
"So, I should probably stop with the whole 'free the elves' movement?"
"But we worked hard on these!" Anna was not happy at the idea of her work with Hermione being for nothing. Fortunately, Harry came to the rescue.
"I know you did. That's why, when Hermione and I next go to Hogsmeade, I'll make sure she buys you a nice bag of chocolates for your work."
A now happy Anna ran off to do her homework, while Hermione looked at Harry, and seemed both amused and annoyed.
"You know you're going to spoil her."
"Of course. That's the job of an older sibling, right Brian?"
"Right." The boy was now in perpetual agreement with his new big brother. Hermione could only shake her head at this.
Midnight was fast approaching, and as Harry finished the runic circle, he thought back to the day's events.
It was October 30th, and the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons had indeed arrived, and the Welcoming Feast soon began. But what made this different than last time around, was the presence of Aurors, and Amelia Bones. It was faint, but one could just make out a frown on his face whenever he looked her way. Clearly, he wasn't happy to have her here, especially if it meant she would challenge his authority as headmaster.
Not that she noticed, because she was keeping an eye on two men in particular: Severus Snape and Igor Karkaroff. Igor in particular was subject to her most withering glare, and the vile man made it a point to never look in her direction. The one time he did, Harry was sure he would faint from fear. Whether her disdain was because he was a Death Eater in general, or because he had done something to her family specifically, was unknown.
It mattered little, because the Headmaster gave his speech, welcoming the international students and their headmaster/headmistress. But then came the topic of their additional 'guests.'
"As I'm sure you are aware, over the summer, a close associate of Minister Fudge was found guilty of being a willing Death Eater, and was subject to the Dementors Kiss." Draco glared at Harry when that was mentioned. Igor looked terrified out of his mind.
"Because of this long-standing relationship, it is the opinion of the DMLE, and the Ministry at large, that additional security shall be needed. It is the stance of the DMLE that sensitive information concerning the Tournament might have been leaked, and thus, we shall have an Auror presence during the school year. To that end, I invite Madam Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to speak."
Standing aside, the Headmaster allowed the stern woman to address the student body.
"Greetings, to the students of Hogwarts, and our friends from abroad. As Headmaster Dumbledore has stated, the Aurors shall be present during the school year, stationed on the grounds, and in the castle, in order to provide increased security during the coming months. HOWEVER, Prefects, that does not mean we will do your jobs. We expect to see the Prefects on patrol, as they are expected to, but likewise, if we see any instances of bullying or harassment, we will notify the staff, or handle the situation ourselves. I trust I've made myself, crystal clear."
Later that night, with everyone else asleep, Harry made his way to the Room of Requirement, his ritual supplies in hand. It had been a tense journey, even with the Invisibility Cloak, because Madam Bones wasn't bluffing about the Auror's presence. More than once, he'd had to wait in place, lest he risk alerting the men and women on patrol.
When he finally arrived, after placing a Notice-Me-Not Charm on the door, he got to work. Drawing the runic circle had been slow, but he had time to spare. Mixing the ritual components in a bowl was simple, but needed absolute precision. Finally, he needed the most important part of the ritual: Hedwig.
Fortunately, she'd been waiting for him near the Room of her own accord. She knew she'd be needed, but she wasn't sure why. Soon, all would be made clear.
As he stood in the runic circle, he readied the perch she would need to stand on.
"Alright, Hedwig. This ritual is a Familiar ritual, meant to strengthen you based on the strength of our bond. I... I'm not sure what exactly will happen, so if you don't want to participate-" He didn't even finish, as she simply flew down to the perch, and looked at him with eyes that said 'What are you waiting for?'
Igniting the mixed components, he placed the bowl between them, and let the smoke float up to them. Chanting lowly the ritual words, the runic circle glowed, and Hedwig went stiff. The ritual reached a crescendo, and the room was filled with a blinding light.
When Harry regained his sight, Hedwig was missing! At first, he was terrified, until he heard a familiar song; the song of a phoenix.
Looking up, he found the source was a magnificent bird, large as Fawkes, and white as fresh snow. But most beautiful of all, the tips of her tail and wing feathers were coloured luminescent green, red, and other colours he couldn't even begin to name.
She was beautiful. She was majestic. She was...
An Auroran Phoenix. A variant of phoenix that is so rare, they're considered myths. Truly, Harry, the bond you two have is unbreakable.
"The Champion for Durmstrang is... Viktor Krum!"
Finally, came the Choosing Ceremony. Once again, the Goblet of Fire was deciding who should serve as the Champions of the Triwizard Tournament. The Durmstrang students cheered their champion and fellow student, as he made his way to the adjoining room.
The Goblet began shooting flames again and soon came the second piece of parchment. Dumbledore caught it and declared "The Champion for Beauxbatons is... Fleur Delacour!"
The Beauxbatons students cheered for her, as she rose from her seat and made her way across the Hall. Just like last time, nearly every boy in the Hall was fixated on her backside. Several girls were also looking at her with jealousy in their eyes.
"The Champion for Hogwarts is... CEDRIC DIGGORY!"
The Hufflepuff table exploded into cheers, loud enough that the people of Hogsmeade could hear. Even Madam Bones and Auror Tonks, both former Hufflepuffs, were grinning at the chosen Champion being from their old House.
"Excellent! The three Champions have been chosen, and the Tournament is ready to begin! The First Task shall be..." Dumbledore was cut off mid-sentence by the Goblet of Fire. For the fourth time, the flames turned red, shot into the air, and a fourth piece of parchment floated down. As Dumbledore caught it, the Hall was as silent as a tomb, as Dumbledore read out the name written on the parchment.
"Harry Potter."
Every pair of eyes turned to look at him. Harry said nothing but wore a practiced expression of shock and disbelief. As Dumbledore called him again, Hermione nudged him, urging him to go. As he stood up, Goliath had only one thing to say.
Chapter 16: The Fourth ChampionNotes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextThe Goblet of Fire had just spat out a fourth name, and the entire Great Hall was silent as a tomb. Nobody knew what to expect. No one knew why a fourth name had been chosen. And nobody knew who the fourth name was until Dumbledore said two words, just loud enough for the Hall to hear.
"Harry Potter."
With those two words, nearly every pair of eyes turned to look at the individual to whom that name belonged. Said person had a look of shock and disbelief. That didn't stop the whispering from starting.
The Gryffindors wondered how he had pulled it off, with even the Weasley twins curious when they hadn't succeeded.
The Hufflepuffs began to whisper that he must have cheated, and was stealing the spotlight from them.
The Ravenclaws likewise thought he had cheated, but they were jealous for a different reason. How had a Gryffindor managed to outsmart the House that values knowledge?
Nothing the Slytherins whispered should be heard by polite society.
Only one person knew that look of shocked disbelief wasn't genuine. And it was because only two people knew how his name had ended up in the Goblet of Fire. Barty Crouch Junior had entered Harry into the Tournament, after hitting the Goblet with an exceptionally powerful Confundus Charm.
It hadn't been easy for him.
Since the beginning of the school year, Barty infiltrated the castle, using regular doses of Polyjuice to keep up appearances. He'd been eager to complete his mission and knew the risks that came with it. If the staff discovered who he really was, he'd be Kissed by a Dementor almost immediately, and he'd have failed his master.
So far he'd encountered no problems. He had the real Moody locked up in his own trunk, and kept in his office. He'd maintained a steady supply of the Polyjuice, though sooner or later he'd have to resort to making his own, lest anyone get suspicious about why Alastor Moody needed such a massive stockpile of Polyjuice potion. Fortunately, Snape was a known Potions Master, and had a ready supply of ingredients, so long as he wasn't caught.
But getting the boy's name entered into the Goblet had been the real challenge. That bitch Bones hadn't been bluffing with her speech. Aurors had regularly patrolled the halls, the night before, with two stationed in the Hall itself to watch for any tampering with the Goblet itself. It had required extremely careful timing, but he'd managed to pull it off during the shift change.
For now, he could sit back and watch as they bickered among themselves, trying to decide what to do next. He'd read up on the Tournament, and all its rules prior to his arrival. Once a name came out of the Goblet, they were considered bound to the Tournament in a magically binding contract. The Goblet itself didn't care about the participants' age, or how their name was entered. It only decided who would compete for each school. Not even Dumbledore could override it as Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump.
The only potential downside to this was the need for an additional judge. Assuming anyone else read the rules, they'd know each school provided their headmaster/headmistress as a judge. These individuals were the only judges required by the Tournament, anyone else was just an extra provided by the host countries Ministry. As the contestant of a theoretical fourth school, Harry could appoint an additional person from outside Hogwarts to act as a judge.
The most likely candidate was the recently pardoned Sirius Black, though the werewolf Remus Lupin was another possibility. He'd learned a great deal about both from that coward Pettigrew, and he knew the rat was terrified of either one of them finding him again. If either of them did show up, he'd likely need to question Moody about them, if he wanted to keep up the charade.
'What's this?' he thought to himself. Harry was walking up to Dumbledore, and he looked angry and annoyed at his being chosen. That was to be expected. Dumbledore was maintaining his 'grandfatherly' demeanour, so Barty couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking. But Professor McGonagall was marching up to them, along with Madam Bones. 'Well, this ought to be interesting... wait, why is Hagrid going up?'
Rubeus Hagrid had been having an otherwise pleasant Halloween. Yesterday, he'd helped to welcome the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to Hogwarts, and he'd been mighty proud of that! Among the students of Beauxbatons, was their Headmistress, Madame Olympe Maxime. She was a fine, well-dressed woman, and he'd never met another half-giant before.
To that end, he'd been determined to impress her. Tonight was the Halloween feast, and she'd be there, along with her students. In preparation, he'd gotten the finest perfume he could, combed his hair, and gotten out his best clothes. Admittedly, his hair was still wild looking, and the best clothes he had was an ill-fitting fur coat. But he wasn't about to let that hold him back. Gryffindors charge ahead, and he wasn't about to back down.
During the afternoon, he heard a knock at the door, and when he went to answer it, found Harry and Hermione, along with the two first years Anna and Brian. He was happy to see them. He knew he shouldn't admit it, but Harry and Hermione were his favourite students, and their new friends were great fun to be around. Anna in particular was determined to learn all she could about unicorns before she could even take Care of Magical Creatures.
As they entered, Harry and the young ones began coughing, while Hermione gagged.
"You three alright?"
"Hagrid... is that perfume?" Harry managed to cough a response.
"Got it down in Hogsmeade. Yeh don't like it?" They could hear the disappointment in Hagrids' voice.
"It's... very strong. Do you have a date tonight?" Harry had a knowing smirk on his face. "A Madame Maxime, perhaps?"
Hagrid blushed under his beard and attempted to stammer out a response, but Hermione came to his rescue. "Harry! Don't tease Hagrid."
"What?? I'm genuinely curious. Trying to impress our lovely guest?" When Hagrid nodded in the affirmative, Harry continued. "Well, I'm not sure this will work on her, but don't worry Hagrid. Now that Hermione and I are here, we're gonna help you sweep the Madame off her feet."
Gently pulling Hagrid to his chair, Harry conjured a giant mirror and got to work.
It took a ridiculous amount of cutting and charms, even with Hermione's help, but Hagrid's hair was trimmed to a reasonable length and pulled into a ponytail. Likewise, his beard was trimmed, while at Hermione's suggestion, they braided parts of it. Now when Hagrid looked in the mirror, he looked like Dwarf royalty. All in all, it gave him a rather stately appearance.
While all this was being done, Hagrid was being given a crash course in French social graces, courtesy of Hermione, with visual aid provided by Brian and Anna. With his grooming done, a charm was cast to reduce the perfume to a tolerable amount, while Harry had one final gift for Hagrid.
"We don't have time to get new clothes, so we'll have to make do with transfiguration."
It took several tries, but they finally arrived at a design that gave Hagrid a far more regal appearance than was normal for him. Now he genuinely looked like a lord, and could probably even pass for one thanks to Hermione's lessons. Pouring his magic into the spell, Harry empowered the spell to last for a week, before they'd change back.
By the time they were finished, the Halloween Feast was set to begin, and the group quickly made their way back to the castle.
The moment Hagrid walked into the castle, nearly every pair of eyes turned his way at least once. The entire student body had known Hagrid, almost exclusively, in his capacity as gamekeeper of Hogwarts. Now he looked like an entirely different person. And it seemed to pay off, as Madame Maxime kept glancing his way when she was sure no one would notice.
But Harry and Hermione definitely noticed. And they were rather proud of their efforts, with Hermione even remarking, "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that Hagrid was a visiting lord. We did good work, Harry."
"That's your handiwork?" Neville asked, the disbelief in his voice palpable.
"Yep. Spent most of the day doing it too. Given the looks he's getting from Madame Maxime, I'd say we went above and beyond in our efforts." Harry was beaming with pride at the result of their efforts.
That was a good thing you did for Hagrid.
I hope things go better for him this time around. He definitely deserves happiness, for all the good he's done.
When the Choosing Ceremony was completed, and Harry had been chosen as the fourth Champion, Hagrid had been watching, hoping for the Champion to be a Gryffindor, but not expecting this. After all, he and Hermione had spent most of the afternoon helping him prepare for tonight. So, he stood and went over to Dumbledore, to let the Headmaster know that Harry couldn't have done it.
Harry was walking up to Dumbledore, a look of anger and annoyance plastered on his face. This wasn't fake, however. It annoyed him that he could already hear the whispers of 'cheater,' and being near the bearded bastard put him on edge.
"Headmaster, I did not put my name in the Goblet of Fire."
"Harry, I'm afraid that may not make a difference."
"What the devil do you mean, may not make a difference?!" Dumbledore was actually startled by the sharp voice of Professor McGonagall. Before he could reply, Madam Bones cut in.
"How did his name even get in the Goblet in the first place?! YOU set up the age line specifically to prevent this from happening!" The DMLE Head evidently was not happy at this turn of events.
As Dumbledore began to reassure the two very unhappy women, Hagrid stepped in. "Professor, 'Arry couldn't 'ave put his name in. He and 'Ermione were with me most of the day."
"Thank you, Hagrid. Nevertheless, Harry, Minerva, and Madam Bones let us join the other Champions, so we might settle this issue."
While Dumbledore dismissed the school to their respective Common Rooms, Minerva led Harry and Amelia to the adjoining chamber with the other champions. The trio were gathered around the fire and turned to look at their new guests. Harry noticed that Cedric raised an eyebrow at their appearance, no doubt wondering what was going on.
Fleur spoke first, curiosity getting the better of her. "Do zey want us back in ze hall?"
Before Harry could answer, Professor McGonagall answered her. "Unfortunately, we have a problem." Before anyone could ask what this problem was, Bagman decided to make his entrance.
"Extraordinary! A fourth Champion, and Harry Potter at that!" No child on Christmas was this excited. "This is amazing. Truly, a remarkable event."
Time to put on a show.
"AMAZING!? Do tell, Bagman, what exactly is so amazingabout this!? I've been entered, against my will, into a tournament that was discontinued because of the out-of-control death toll!" Harry's anger caused a surge in magic, bathing the room in his rage-fueled power. Professor McGonagall stepped back, startled by this surge in power. The other champions, likewise, seemed to cringe under the raw power that bathed the room, while Bagman quickly went pale as a ghost.
As Harry was emphasizing a point, through sheer force of will, the door to the chamber opened. A cacophony of voices was heard, only for it to die down suddenly. Though Harry couldn't see them, the Heads of House and the Aurors followed Dumbledore, Maxime, and Karkaroff into the chamber. The Aurors had been arguing over how Harry's name had been chosen when they felt the raw magic of Harry surging through the room. The suddenness of it, and the sheer power behind it, had startled them to the point of silence.
"Mr. Potter, I ask that you calm yourself. Your point has been made, quite emphatically, I might add." Dumbledore's voice rang out as he led the others at a brisk pace.
"Sir, how did Harry's name come out of the Goblet of Fire? He's only fourteen." Cedric asked, quite calmly, all things considered.
"I did not enter my name in the Goblet."
"It's true. The Aurors were watching the Goblet all of last night, and today. At no point did Mr.Potter even go near the Goblet of Fire. And Professor Hagrid confirmed that he and another student, a Miss Granger, spent most of the day with him."
With one of the Aurors confirming his innocence, that proved a point of consternation. While the 'adults' bickered over who was at fault for allowing this to happen, Harry looked about the room and noticed Amelia in the corner. She was flipping, quite madly, through a book he could only assume listed the rules and procedures for the Tournament.
"Albus, we can't allow him to compete." Professor McGonagall was standing next to Harry as she said this, her stern gaze directed at the twinkling-eyed Headmaster.
"Yes, find a way to get him out of the tournament. Hogwarts cannot have two champions!" The vile Karkaroof was not pleased with Harry's participation.
"Yes 'Ogwarts can not 'ave two champions." Madame Maxime voiced her support for Karkaroff.
"Well, if it's not too much to ask, maybe you could find out who put my name in the Goblet in the first place!" Despite knowing it was Barty Junior, polyjuiced as Alastor Moody, that entered his name, Harry knew the act needed to be maintained. To that end, Harry began to pace, looking quite angry, and agitated by the proceedings. "Maybe one of the older Slytherin students lost a dad over the summer. Maybe they're hoping the Tournament will kill me where their parents failed."
Fleur looked perplexed at that reasoning, while Cedric and Viktor looked thoughtful. It was possible she simply didn't recognize the connection between House Slytherin and the Death Eaters. Given the events of the World Cup, it stood to reason Viktor might agree with that line of questioning.
"I rather suspect that someone 'oo wished to give 'Ogwarts two bites at ze apple entered the boyz name in zee Goblet."
"I quite agree, Madame Maxime. I shall be lodging complaints with the Ministry of Magic and-"
"Is that so, Karkaroff? Then, by all means, I'd love to have you at the Ministry for a chat." Madam Bones slammed the rule book shut in her hands, her voice as cold as the void. The entire room turned to her, including Karkaroff who shrank at her tone. Glancing about the room, Harry noticed Snape was stepping back, putting some distance between him and her.
Evidently, even with Dumbledore backing him, he knew better than to draw her attention when she was on the warpath.
Dumbledore attempted to diffuse the situation with his usual grandfatherly act. "Amelia, did you find any way for Harry to be released from the Tournament?"
She shook her head, frustrated with her lack of success. "No, the damned Goblet forms a magically binding contract. Even destroying the Goblet wouldn't help us. Harry is still required to compete, regardless of whether he actually entered himself."
"Which I didn't."
Madame Maxime scoffed at that and prepared to respond when a gruff voice interrupted her.
"If anyone's got reason to complain, it's only Potter. He is the one who has been entered against his wishes in the tournament." 'Moody' limped into the room, his magical eye scanning for threats. "What are you lot complaining for, eh?"
"Oh thank Merlin, Moody. Did you happen to examine the Goblet?" Madam Bones was seemingly relieved at Moody making his entrance. Evidently, she trusted the man implicitly.
"That I did, Madam Bones, and I'm inclined to agree with Potter. Someone's hoping he's going to die in the tournament, so he's been entered against his wishes. Beyond that, it would have taken a skilled wizard to put Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire."
"And why ees that?"
"Because, Madame, they hoodwinked an exceptionally powerful magical artifact! It would have taken an exceptionally powerful, and specific, Confundus Charm to hoodwink the Goblet into believing that there were four schools in the Triwizard Tournament. Then, they would have put Potter's name under that school's name to ensure that he is the only participant, so his name was sure to come out. Once it came out, he'd have to participate or lose his magic, in a tournament notorious for the number of deaths. Whoever put his name in wants Potter dead, and they managed to hide their magical signature."
"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought, Mad-Eye."
"It was my job to think the way Dark wizards do, Karkaroff. Perhaps you need a reminder."
"This doesn't help, Alastor." Dumbledore interrupted the two before the disagreement could go further. He then turned back to Amelia. "So, there's nothing we can do for Harry? He has to compete?"
"Unfortunately, yes. However, there might be, at the very least, a compromise that can be reached. Cedric was chosen as the Hogwarts Champion, while Harry was chosen for a non-existent school. To that end, he can participate as the Champion for his family, the House of Potter. Thus, he would be disconnected from Hogwarts." She then turned to Karkaroff and Maxime. "Does this satisfy the both of you?"
When they nodded their approval, she then turned to Harry. "Now, Harry, because you will be representing the House of Potter, instead of Hogwarts, who do wish to appoint to serve as a judge?" When voices were raised in protest, she wheeled around, shooting a death glare at the protesters. "Every institution, be it a school, or a House, must have a judge to represent it on the panel. Now, Harry-" she turned back "-who do you wish to be a judge?"
"Sirius Black, Madam."
"Very well. I'll notify him of this, and we'll handle whatever paperwork is required."
With that settled, Bagman gave instructions regarding the Wand Weighing Ceremony, and the Champions were dismissed. Professor McGonagall insisted that she and Professor Sprout escort Harry and Cedric back to their Common Rooms, to deliver the news.
On the way, Cedric asked Harry, "Do you really think someone's trying to kill you with this Tournament?"
"I don't know. All I know is I've had one near-death experience after another since coming to Hogwarts. If nothing else, it's keeping with the theme."
Cedric looked thoughtful as he and Sprout went to the Hufflepuff Common Room. When he and McGonagall arrived at Gryffindor, instead of bidding Harry good night, she followed him in.
The applause that sounded at the arrival of Harry died almost immediately upon sighting the stern Head of House. She initially said nothing, merely looking over the House like a hawk. Her face was completely unreadable.
"I see you decided to celebrate." A few guilty coughs could be heard, but otherwise, the Room was silent. "Well, before the festivities begin, I'm here to inform the House of what transpired."
When McGonagall had the entire House watching her, she continued. "A fourth name was chosen by the Goblet of Fire, and yes, a fourth Champion has been named. HOWEVER, Mr.Potter did not put his name in the Goblet of Fire. Alastor Moody has confirmed that someone capable of hiding their magical signature, a feat well-beyond a fourth-year student, charmed the Goblet into believing there were four schools, instead of three. As such, Harry was chosen as the Champion of this non-existent school."
Before she could continue, she was interrupted by the sound of another arrival at the Common Room. Stepping in through the Fat Lady Portrait, was Hermione Granger. She was in a huff and was startled by the sight of Professor McGonagall.
"Miss Granger, where were you?"
"I was at the library, ma'am. I... I was hoping I might find something to help Harry, ma'am."
"Well, I'm afraid there's nothing to be done. The Goblet of Fire has decreed Harry must compete, lest he lose his magic. However, as Cedric was chosen to be the Hogwarts Champion, it has been decided that Harry shall represent the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, with his godfather Sirius Black serving as a judge." Applause rang out across the Common Room, the Gryffindors were still happy to have one of their own still competing. "Mr.Potter, is there anything you'd like to add?"
"Just this: Even if I'm competing against him, I want everyone cheering for Cedric at least as much as for me. Cedric Diggory is still a fellow Hogwarts student and a good man to boot. He deserves our recognition and our support."
The applause wasn't quite as widespread, but at least it meant no one objected. Even better, Harry was quite certain he saw the faintest beginnings of a smile on McGonagall.
"Well, I believe that's everything that needs to be said. Good night my Lions."
Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, unsure whether to be frustrated or excited. Against all the odds, Harry had indeed been chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Even he hadn't been expecting this! Now he could put Harry through his paces, and see just how powerful he had become, and thereby give Albus a better understanding of what needed to happen going forward.
Of course, his joy at this was compounded by Minerva and Amelia. Both of them had moved to Harry's defence, and both were adamant that Harry was innocent, especially once Alastor got involved.
It was a mystery to Albus, just who had put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire. His first thought was Pettigrew, given his rat animagus. But he had discarded that thought, given how much of a coward Pettigrew was. It was unlikely he had the courage to return to Hogwarts, alone, especially with Madam Bones and the Aurors now on the lookout for any troublemakers.
Then, of course, there were the Slytherin students. Normally he'd have dismissed such an idea, given the inherent risks with putting Harry's name in the Goblet, let alone charming it into believing there were four schools. It was doubtful that even the seventh-years were capable of that. Of course, Harry had a point. Twelve Death Eaters, several of them parents to at least one student, or otherwise known to the others. Grief and rage did make people do foolish things. He'd have to consult with Snape on that possibility.
Then, of course, there was Harry himself. Given the sheer power of that raw magic being displayed during the meeting, it was feasible that he could have found a way past the age line. But like with Pettigrew, he discarded the idea just as quickly as it came to him. Harry's never been the best at controlling his emotions, a fact helped by his life with the Dursleys. It left him easy to read, and easy to manipulate, if somewhat stubborn.
But now there was a new problem: Sirius Black himself.
With Sirius being exonerated in court, his guardianship of Harry was all but guaranteed. He showed no signs of Dementor exposure, so whatever happened to him over the summer, it was apparently enough to remove any clear traces of instability caused by the years in Azkaban.
Since then, he'd been considering ways to get Harry as far from Sirius as soon as possible. He couldn't afford to let Sirius give Harry the valuable knowledge possessed by the Potter family. Even more so, he had to keep Harry from having a life worth living. The Harry raised by the Dursleys, and friends with Ron Weasley was not the Harry who could defeat Voldemort. The Harry raised by Sirius, on the other hand, with access to the Potter Grimoire, and is friends with the muggle-born Hermione Granger. That Harry was one that could easily dominate Voldemort.
Breaking Harry's trust in Sirius wasn't much of an option when Sirius was going to be present at the castle. And now, because of the Tournament, trying to drive Sirius away could be interpreted as interfering in the Tournament by magic itself. Albus wasn't prepared to risk losing his magic, just because of that damned mutt.
For now, he had to play it safe. Alastor and the Aurors would investigate to discover the culprit behind Harry's participation in the Tournament. Whoever they were, Albus could likely use them as a spy, or an informant.
Harry would compete in the Tournament, and no one, least of all him, would prevent it from happening.
And he would be running his little martyr through his paces.
Yes, this will be quite an interesting year.
The start of November brought both good and bad.
The good was his little fight with Ron in their dorm room after the party in the Common Room.
McGonagall's little speech seemed to change the atmosphere of the party. Where it had originally been a congratulatory party, meant to celebrate Harry's successful entrance in the Tournament, now it was more conciliatory. Students in their sixth and even seventh-year came up to Harry, offering their moral support, and in some instances even training for the First Task. Of course, he 'officially' had no idea what the First Task was, so he had to decline their offers, at least until he knew what he was up against.
After the party officially ended, Harry led the other boys back to their dorm, where a sulking Ron confronted Harry over his 'cheating.'
It had been a brief, but vocal argument, in which Ron accused Harry of being, among other things, a glory hog and a bad friend.
Harry responded by calling Ron a pig and ending their friendship.
It had left the others shocked that the Golden Trio was now a Golden Duo, though Harry intended to make Neville a part of the trio. He had always been a better friend than Ron and simply needed the chance to prove himself. Then he would become a better man than Ron had ever hoped to be.
The bad, of course, was the additional attention paid to him by the rest of the school.
During breakfast, McGonagall had stood before the entire school, and the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, in the Great Hall and declared that Harry did not put his name in the Goblet of Fire. With Alastor Moody supporting her statement, along with the Aurors present, and a, most likely, reluctant Dumbledore, the grumbling was kept to a minimum. That said, dirty looks were still shot towards the Gryffindor table by the other houses, though they quickly stopped when people realized an angry McGonagall was watching them.
It was also during breakfast, a pair of owls flew into the Great Hall carrying a large, tube-shaped package. Catching it when they dropped it, he was relieved to find that it came from Tim Baker.
Grabbing Hagrid, the two rushed down to his hut, where they immediately got to work setting up the custom tent. It had been a remarkably painless process, and the results were astounding.
Tim had created an enchanted yurt, one big enough for Hagrid to enter without any difficulties. From the outside, it seemed normal enough. Inside, however, it was a masterpiece of enchantment. The tent opened into a three-storey kennel, designed to accommodate the large, and increasingly destructive, Skrewts. Charmed to be fire-proof, and near indestructible, it also came with a variety of diagnostic and examination charms, all of which provided information on a blackboard built-in to the tent.
All-in-all, this was probably Tim's best work. It would be a safe and secure location to keep the Skrewts in preparation for the Tournament, and the various charms would make Hagrid's job infinitely easier.
The very next day, the one class Harry was looking forward to the most was Care of Magical Creatures. With the Skrewts now safely dealt with, Hagrid was free to teach the class as he originally meant to.
The class was apprehensive heading down to Hagrid's hut. The Skrewts had been far from popular. In fact, it was probably safe to say that Snape was more liked by the students than the Skrewts. So it was a major surprise to everyone, Harry included when they saw Hagrid standing outside his hut with a woman. A woman that Harry recognized: Professor Grubbly-Plank.
"Right then, now that yer all here, we can get started. Now, luckily, the Ministry got their acts together, and taken the Skrewts off my hands, so we can 'ave the great term you were supposed to. Now follow me."
Hagrid was quite excited as he led them away from the hut. Several students were either relieved or terrified. The relief likely came from simply being glad to be free of the Skrewts, while the terror was the nagging fear Hagrid would have them care for something else. Nothing could have surprised the naysayers more, than the sight of the unicorn enclosure.
Interestingly enough, a group of adult unicorns had been taken from the enclosure, while the remaining adults, and all the foals, remained in the closure. Next to the enclosure was a wooden table. On top of the said table was a small number of fruit baskets, filled with apples, pears, and other fruits Harry couldn't immediately discern.
"Now then, what can any of you tell me about unicorns? Yes, Miss Granger?"
"The unicorn is a class XXXX creature, native to Northern Europe. Adult unicorns used to be ridden by magical, and even some muggle, nobles during the Middle Ages as warhorses. Nowadays, they're valued for their hair, used for wand cores, and their horns, which are used for potions."
"Right, ye are 'Ermione! 10 points to Gryffindor. Now, one of the most important things to know, is adult unicorns are very mistrustful of men, so we'll be dividing in two. Girls'll go with Professor Grubbly-Plank, lads, follow me."
While the girls went off with the substitute, Hagrid led the boys to the enclosure. Standing next to the gate, he turned to the class.
"Now, adult unicorns are slow to trust when it comes to men, but foals are more trusting, and so, we're gonna have you try to feed a foal. One at a time, yeh'll go into the enclosure with some fruit, and try to get a foal to come to you. Now, who'll go first?"
First up was Dean Thomas. Armed with a pear, he walked slowly into the enclosure and tried getting a foal to come to him. It took a minute, but one of the foals approached him and took bites out of the pear. A good start, and with Dean setting the bar relatively high, the boys braced themselves.
One by one, the male students went into the enclosure and had varying degrees of success. Most of the Slytherin students were flat-out ignored by the unicorns, while Neville got a foal to come up almost immediately.
Funnily enough, Draco had better luck with the unicorns than Ron.
When the ferret's turn came up, one of the foals began to approach, only to be cut off by its mother. The same mother began snorting in Draco's direction and made menacing movements with its horn. When Ron went in, the adults immediately became agitated, snorting defensively, and moving to block the foals from his sight.
Hard to believe that Ron had worse luck with the Unicorns than Draco.
They can sense the malice in both their hearts. But with the weasel, it's worse, because that malice is directed at a supposed friend. The ferret, at least, is consistent in his disdain for you.
Then came Harry's turn, and he could just feel the eyes on him. Some, he figured, were curious to see how he'd compare to Neville. Others, he knew, were hoping a unicorn would be to him, what Buckbeak was to Draco.
As he walked into the enclosure, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, the girls had ended their lesson and were watching to see how Harry would fare. He saw the concern in Hermione's eyes, fearful that something might go wrong, but confident he'd do well. Most interesting of all, however, was the curiosity in Daphne's eyes.
Whatever the cause of her interest, Harry grabbed a pear and began trying to coax a foal to come to him. One of them, whom Hagrid helpfully identified as Pinky, came running up almost instantly, happily taking bites of the fruit presented to him, while Harry ran his fingers through his mane.
This measure of success got a smattering of applause from the boys as well as the girls, but that died down almost immediately. Looking up, Harry saw an adult unicorn approaching him. This one, Hagrid identified with concern, as Thunder, Pinky's father, and the lead stallion of the herd.
Before Hagrid could call Harry back, or enter the enclosure himself, Pinky ran up to Thunder and ran circles around the pair as he got closer. The foal was excitedly harrumphing, clearly happy to see his father, though the stallion had little reaction to Pinky's presence.
Soon, Thunder was standing right in front of Harry, close enough he could feel his breath snorting out his nostrils. Thunder looked him over, casting curious looks at Harry, as he circled him, as though he was inspecting him.
Finally, Thunder stopped the circling, and simply stopped next to Harry, allowing him to run his fingers through his coat and mane. When Thunder looked back at Harry, he got the distinct feeling Thunder was waiting for him to do something.
Instinctively, he did something that, under normal conditions, he would have considered stupid: he climbed atop the unicorn. That had gotten shocked gasps from the entire class, girls especially. What truly set them off, was Thunder charging out of the enclosure, leaping over the fence like it was little more than a speed bump.
Thunder was remarkably fast. Harry remembered Hagrid saying a unicorn could easily outrun a werewolf. Well, Harry was convinced that was the case. In fact, he was quite certain that he was going at least 50mph around the Hogwarts grounds. Nearly every student, and teacher, paused as Harry raced past them, astounded by the sight, not only of a unicorn running at top speed, but that it had a rider to boot.
Finally, Harry directed Thunder back to the enclosure. By then, a crowd had begun to form by the unicorn enclosure, with dozens of students eager to see the intrepid unicorn rider. When Harry came racing back, it was to thunderous applause. Even the male students were impressed, applauding Harry for managing something they never would have believed to be possible.
Of course, if the men were impressed, the girls were practically swooning.
As Harry dismounted Thunder, and let him return to the herd, the girls in class, and the new crowd, gathered around him. They were practically squealing with excitement over what Harry managed. It was so loud, Harry could barely hear Hagrid awarding Gryffindor 50 points for something so spectacular.
Well, that was interesting. I thought unicorns didn't like men.
They're slow to trust men, there is a difference. They're more willing to forgive transgressions from women, but they're still excellent judges of character, especially with the Horcrux in your scar gone.
So what, with the Horcrux gone, I'm suddenly a contender for Leader of the Light?
Harry, without the Horcux, as far as the unicorns are concerned, you are the Light.