Chapter 7
The two new additions to the group quickly found themselves adapting to the routine of the original trio. Tracy proved to be very knowledgeable in potions and herbology, for which Harry and Hermione were particularly grateful. Astoria was delighted to be spending so much time with her sister as well as her new big brother, who quickly fell in love with the energetic young witch. Every night after helping her with her homework, Harry would spend some time running a brush through her long blonde hair as she talked to him about everything and nothing. During these times he missed the fond smiles he would receive from Hermione and Daphne, who both decided that he would make an excellent father some day.
Life in the castle wasn't entirely peaceful, however. Professor Snape had been enraged by his public humiliation by Potter and had made his displeasure known by becoming particularly nasty to the entire group, Harry in particular, whenever they set foot in his potions classroom. Thanks to Tracy's expertise, however, the group managed to stay ahead on their studies until the situation was resolved by Harry voicing their concerns to Professor McGonagall, who stepped in as Deputy Headmistress and curtailed Snape's viciousness towards them.
Since their confrontation in the common room, Ron had taken to completely ignoring Harry and Hermione whenever they were in the same room together. This suited their housemates just fine as they had quickly tired of Ron's habit of hurling insults at the pair while his mouth was stuffed with food. Everyone else at the Gryffindor table thought nothing of the three girls in Slytherin robes sitting with Harry and Hermione during meals, and a few had even come by to introduce themselves and get to know the new additions. This only increased Ron's glaring, and Harry knew it was just a matter of time before he let his jealousy override his self-preservation instincts and cause him to lash out in some fashion. Harry and Hermione gave their ex-friend's behavior a sad shake of the head, but otherwise didn't comment.
Ron's and Snape's venom was nothing, however, compared to the looks the group received from Draco No-Name, formerly Malfoy, whenever they were within eyeshot. After his disgrace in front of the entire school, Draco was now shunned within the very house he had hoped to rule. His situation wasn't helped when he received a Howler from his father regarding his actions which led to the end of the Malfoy line. Now everyone in the school knew that Draco would have no place to go when the school term was out as his father had altered the wards around the Malfoy estate to specifically deny him access. To add insult to injury, Crabbe and Goyle had both made public apologies to Harry for their part in Draco's torment over the years. They promised him that they had cut ties with Draco and held no ill will toward Harry or his friends, leading Harry to accept their apology and thank them for the gesture. At some level Draco knew that his situation was entirely of his own making, but that part of him was overruled by the furious voice in his head that placed all of his troubles solely at the feet of Lord Harry James Potter.
A few days after the excitement in the great hall, Harry found an article in the morning edition of The Daily Prophet, written by Rita Skeeter. He was shocked when the article not only gave an accurate report of what happened, but went on to praise his willingness to offer help and protection to fellow students despite house rivalries and blood differences. The article then went on to criticize Draco No-Name for his foolish challenge to such a powerful figure as the head of two Most Ancient and Most Noble Families. When Harry looked up from the paper, he caught the knowing smirk on Daphne's lips. At his questioning look, she explained.
"Harry, perhaps it's time that I mentioned that the Greengrass family has owned The Daily Prophet for the last 30 years or so, but until recently my father has paid little attention to what actually gets printed. When I brought his attention to the last article Rita wrote regarding your participation in the tournament, he was, shall we say, less than pleased. This is his way of showing his support and gratitude for all that you've done for our family. You'll soon learn that to my father, family is everything."
Harry and the girls were growing frustrated with their lack of progress in deciphering the clue in Harry's egg. A breakthrough finally came one night as they were sitting once more in their common room, the inhuman screeching of the egg reverberating off the stone walls. Harry angrily slapped the egg shut and threw himself onto the couch in frustration.
"I give up! I can't listen to that bloody racket any more. If I have to hear it for another second I'll throw that damn egg into the lake!" At Harry's mention of the lake, Hermione's eyes grew to the size of saucers before she jumped up and threw her arms around Harry.
"Oh Harry, that's it! Why didn't I see it before? You're a genius!" Kissing him soundly, she smiled at his confused expression. "It clicked when you mentioned the lake. I remember reading in Hogwarts: a History that the Black Lake is home to a colony of merpeople. It said that merpeople have beautiful voices underwater, but in open air it's an unbearable screeching! Harry, the voice in the egg, I think it's Mermish!" Harry quickly caught on and returned Hermione's steamy kiss before launching himself off the couch and grabbing the egg.
"Well come on, let's see what it says!" Quickly he led the four girls into their bathroom where he filled the tub with water and submerged the egg. Sharing a quick glance, the five teenagers each took a deep breath before submerging their heads and listening to the now beautiful sound. A few more dunks and a drying charm later, the five of them sat around the common room reading through the poem they had heard in the water. The more Harry read, the darker his face became, and by the end of it he was nearly shaking with rage.
"They can't do this," he growled. "I won't let them. It's bad enough that I have to take part in this bloody tournament, but to drag one of you two into it as well is just too far!" Tracy hadn't quite picked up on the meaning behind the poem.
"What do you mean one of these two? Do you think the 'something you will sorely miss' will be one of them?" Harry nodded, causing Tracy to pale.
"It's the only thing that makes sense," he said. "I mean it could be my dad's cloak or my Firebolt, but I bet you anything it would be a person. And the people who mean the most to me are sitting in this room." Daphne and Hermione smiled at Harry's concern for them and reached over to take his hands.
"Don't worry Harry," Hermione said soothingly, "we'll think of something. I have no doubt whatsoever that you will save Daphne or me when the time comes. My only worry is how you'll be able to breathe underwater for an hour."
"Oh that's easy," Tracy said. "You can just use gillyweed. It grows around the lake or you can order some from an apothecary. It gives you gills and webbed hands and feet, as well as increased eyesight underwater. My family and I brought some on a trip to the Caribbean one time and used it in the ocean. You wouldn't need more than a handful to stay underwater for an hour."
"Well there you go," Daphne said cheerfully. "Problem solved! We'll get you several handfuls to take down with you in case your first batch wears off and you can practice with it before the task." Harry shook his head slowly, a pensive look on his face.
"I don't think it's going to be that simple, Daph," he said. "This tournament is one of the most dangerous events in the wizarding world for a reason, and I don't trust the headmaster or the other tournament organizers to keep you safe while you're under the lake. Remember, these are the same people that thought it was acceptable for a fourth year to face off against a fully-grown Hungarian Horntail defending her clutch of eggs. They seem to have a knack for underestimating dangerous situations." The girls couldn't fault Harry's logic and began brainstorming ways for him to ensure their safety during the task. While they discussed it amongst themselves, Harry moved off to a corner of the common room and pulled out his mirror, wondering if his godfather had any ideas. Harry smiled as the beaming face of Sirius Black appeared in his mirror.
"Lo Pup! How did our little prank on Malfoy go?" Harry spent a few minutes filling Sirius in on Draco's public humiliation and the school's reaction to it. When he was finished, Sirius had a thoughtful frown on his face.
"It sounds like you handled yourself very well, Pup," he said. "However, I don't think it would be wise for you to turn your back on the boy anytime soon. It sounds like you gave him a very sound thrashing, and he's bound to be looking for some revenge. Taking the girls under the protection of your House will go a long way to ensuring their safety, but you still need to be careful. Something tells me you haven't heard the last of that boy."
"I think you're right Padfoot," Harry replied. "I get the feeling he's not one to give up very soon. I had Dobby ask the other house elves to keep their eyes and ears open for the girls when they're out in the castle. I just hope it's not needed." Harry shook himself from his dark thoughts before returning to the original reason for the call. "Their safety is actually the reason I'm calling you, Sirius." Harry then filled him in on the clue from the egg and what they suspected it meant.
"Sounds like you need something they can keep with them that would lead you to them if necessary," the old Marauder furrowed his brows in thought. "Ah! I've got it! Harry, ask your elf to go to the Black Family vault and retrieve a wooden box with two snakes coiling together on the lid. Inside you'll find a set of onyx and emerald snake pendants on silver chains. These necklaces are tied together and allow whoever wears them to always know the direction the other necklaces are from them. Give one to Daphne and Hermione and wear one yourself, and before the second task make sure you take the other necklace from whichever girl didn't get put in the lake so you don't get confused. Then it's just a matter of following the two necklaces to the third one." Harry's relief was visible on his face as he heard the explanation his godfather gave him.
"Thanks Sirius, I'll feel a whole lot better once the girls are wearing those necklaces." Sirius smiled at his obviously love struck godson.
"My pleasure, Pup." His eyes took on a mischievous gleam. "You know, while you're sending Dobby for jewelry from your vaults, you might consider having him pick up the Potter and Black engagement rings too. I'm sure your two young ladies wouldn't object!" He laughed at the look of panic that crossed Harry's features before the teen decided to turn the tables.
"Actually that's a good idea," he smirked. "If things go right I'd be able to call you Grandpa Padfoot by graduation!" Now it was Harry's turn to laugh at the look of shock on his godfather's face.
"Alright, Pup, you win!" In a manner befitting the Lord of a Most Ancient and Most Noble House, the old Marauder stuck his tongue out at his young godson, who laughed and returned the gesture. Exchanging fond farewells, Harry ended the call before calling for Dobby. Explaining what he wanted Dobby to retrieve, the elf gave a sharp nod before popping away, only to return five minutes later with the box Sirius described. Thanking the elf, Harry returned to the girls whose conversation had now moved on to topics which the very male Harry had no idea about. Clearing his throat to get their attention, he spoke.
"I asked Sirius about our little situation and he pointed me to this box," Harry said, holding the box for them to see. "Inside are some charmed necklaces for us that will allow us to find each other wherever we are." Opening the box, the girls gasped at the beauty it contained. Seeing that there were only three necklaces, Tracy spoke up.
"I think Daphne and Hermione should each wear one while you wear the third, Harry," she said. "After all, they're the most likely ones to be used for the task." Nodding in agreement, Harry placed one around the neck of Hermione and then Daphne before donning the third one himself. Immediately he could feel the pull of the other two necklaces on his own and was filled with a sense of warm comfort at the sensation. The girls too could feel the pull of the other necklaces, and the trio felt closer than ever through this new connection.
"This is incredible! It's like I can feel you both!" Daphne exclaimed as her hand clutched her new favorite piece of jewelry. "I'm never taking it off!"
"Neither am I," said Hermione. "It'll be like always having you both with me. It's such a comforting feeling!" The three teens smiled at the sentiment that all three shared.
"When I get the chance I'll see about having a couple more made for you two," Harry said to Tracy and Astoria, who smiled brightly and nodded at him. Their worries about the second task now greatly relieved, the group spent the rest of the night just sitting and talking. As he made his way to his bed after bidding the girls goodnight, Harry wondered to himself if this was what having a family was like. He decided that he would see about those necklaces sooner than later, because nothing was more important to him than family.
While Harry and his 'family' were spending quality time together, Albus Dumbledore was pacing his office, deep in thought. In his many years of life, he had learned the valuable lesson of always having a plan to follow and as many ways as possible to adapt should something unexpected happen. This year, for example, he had planned for the Tri-Wizard Tournament to open lines of communication among the three biggest magic schools in Europe and lay the foundation for future cooperation in the upcoming war against Voldemort. After the fiasco at the Quidditch World Cup, Dumbledore had anticipated someone within the Dark Lord's organization using the Tri-Wizard Tournament as a means to get to Harry Potter, either by infiltrating someone from within the other schools or using the distraction of the tasks to mask a covert attack on the boy. His name coming out of the Goblet of Fire suggested that someone had intended the danger of the tasks themselves to end Harry's threat to the Dark Lord without exposing his return to the rest of the wizarding world. This development caused Dumbledore to alter his plan slightly by allowing the boy's participation in the tournament in order to draw the mole into the open, even though the tournament bylaws allowed Harry to be exempt through disqualification as a fourth contestant. Albus had acted quickly to remove the two copies of the tournament rules from the school library, knowing that Ms. Granger would find the loophole if she were allowed to read them.
Harry's vilification by the other Hogwarts students pleased the headmaster as it would force Harry to come to him for counsel and advice, allowing Dumbledore to continue to mould the boy as he saw fit. Ms. Granger's faith in Harry and her willingness to help him prepare for the tournament was unexpected, but it didn't totally ruin the headmaster's plan. He knew that even with Ms. Granger's considerable intellect aiding him Harry would still struggle greatly through the first task, after which Dumbledore would extend an offer of help beyond the capabilities of the bright young witch. This would inevitably complete the fracture of the 'Golden Trio' and return the plan to its original course.
Dumbledore was therefore extremely surprised by Mr. Potter's impressive performance during the first task and his use of magic that he should have had no way of knowing. The fact that he could create a portkey frightened the headmaster as it could mean that Harry had discovered the truth of his family vault and therefore his lordship. Albus could not allow the boy to become emancipated as it would remove him from the headmaster's control. Seeing Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger on friendly terms with Ms. Greengrass explained Harry's performance during the first task, but also made the headmaster worry that the rest of the tournament would become much easier for Harry to get through on his own, something that the plan would not allow. He had hoped that the attack on Ms. Greengrass would convince her and perhaps Ms. Granger as well that being friends with Harry was hazardous to their health and cause them to break from him.
Harry once again surprised the headmaster when, in a move worthy of any Slytherin, he publicly destroyed his biggest rival and placed several students including Ms. Granger and Ms. Greengrass under the protection of two Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses, rendering them nigh impervious to further attack. The addition of Ms. Davis as well as the younger Ms. Greengrass showed that Harry was now surrounded by more support than he began the year with, setting Dumbledore's plan back immensely.
The next morning the headmaster's breakfast sat untouched as he pondered the mystery that was Harry Potter. His current problem was finding a suitable hostage for Mr. Potter to rescue during the second task. As he watched Harry and his friends socializing at the Gryffindor table, his focus was drawn to the two ladies seated on either side of him. Dumbledore had no doubt that Harry had figured out the puzzle in the egg and was anticipating having to rescue either Ms. Granger or Ms. Greengrass from the lake. The question was: which one? As Dumbledore contemplated the brown- and blonde-haired witches sitting beside Harry, his eyes took on an almost manic twinkle as he reached his solution. Smiling with smug satisfaction, the old man finally began eating his forgotten breakfast, occasionally glancing up to the head of blonde hair talking animatedly at the Gryffindor table.
Chapter 8
Harry Potter was worried. He was sitting at the Gryffindor table on the morning of the second task waiting anxiously for Daphne and Hermione to join him for breakfast. He had escorted Tracy to the great hall that morning after she had told him that the other girls had already left. It was now almost time for him to head down to the lake and he hadn't seen Hermione or Daphne at all this morning. His necklace pulling him towards the Black Lake only made him more nervous as he and Tracy, along with the rest of his supporters, headed out to the lake for the second task. Harry's worry changed to a mixture of confusion and relief as he spotted his girls rushing quickly to meet him, their faces wrought with worry.
"Have you seen Astoria?" Daphne panted, out of breath from running. "She wasn't in her bed this morning and Hermione and I have been looking everywhere for her." Harry's blood ran cold as the implications of this statement hit him like a bludger.
"Oh, no," he breathed, "he wouldn't. That utter bastard, he wouldn't dare!" Seeing the worried look on Daphne's face, Harry gently took her hands and spoke in a calming voice. "I promise you Daphne, I will bring her back safely. You have my word." Her eyes widened as his meaning hit home and she threw her arms around his neck, sobbing into his robes. Shooting Hermione a meaningful glance over Daphne's shoulder, the brunette witch nodded and stepped forward to pry the girl from Harry's arms. Wrapping her arm over Daphne's shoulder, Hermione began leading her to the spectator stands with the rest of Harry's group in tow, whispering soothing words in the distraught girl's ear. As Harry took his place on the platform next to the other champions, he barely heard Bagman's announcement of the task, his concentration now focused completely on retrieving his sister from the lake safely. He met Dumbledore's twinkling eyes with a scathing glare, promising himself to give the headmaster a piece of his mind later. When the signal to begin was given, Harry wasted no time in popping a wad of gillyweed into his mouth and diving into the frigid water.
From his practice runs in the weeks leading up to the task, Harry easily made his way to the mermish village at the bottom of the lake. As he approached he saw four figures in robes tied to stone pillars and surrounded by mermen carrying vicious looking spears. Surveying the hostages, Harry saw Cho Chang, a boy who looked like a young Viktor, and two blonde girls, one wearing Hogwarts robes. Though they eyed him warily, the mermen made no attempt to hinder him as he made quick work of Astoria's bindings and started making his way back to the platform. Harry noticed the almost hungry look the mermen were giving the other blonde girl as he swam past them, but he didn't stop to ponder it. Following the pull of his necklace, Harry quickly made his way back to the platform. As their heads broke water, the stasis spell on Astoria was broken and she coughed and spluttered in surprise for a moment before wrapping her arms around Harry's neck. As they reached the platform Astoria was dragged from the water by two sets of hands belonging to two sobbing witches who quickly wrapped her in blankets and hugs. Harry remained in the lake waiting for the gillyweed to wear off as he surveyed the tearful reunion and noticed a worried looking couple making their way over to the platform. Judging by their expensive robes, Harry guessed that they were the elder Greengrasses. Before he could ask, his attention was drawn to the other end of the platform by the Beauxbatons champion's bloodcurdling scream. Snapping his head around to look, Harry could see Fleur Delacour, soaking wet and bleeding from several gashes on her arms, trying frantically to return to the water as several people struggled to hold her back.
"Non!" She screamed, "ma soeur! They 'ave my sister! Let me go!" Harry was wondering why she sounded so frantic when something she said during the wand weighing made him gasp in horror. He remembered from his preparation that Veela and merpeople had been mortal enemies for centuries. If Fleur's sister was down there then she was certain to not make it back alive. Harry hesitated for just a moment before turning and diving back under the water. Along the way he took another swallow of gillyweed to maintain his transformation, and as he neared the merpeople village he drew his wand, anticipating a fight.
As he approached he saw the mermen circling the young girl like a pack of sharks he had seen on a television show once. Suddenly one of the mermen hefted his spear and made to stab it into the girl's heart. Harry quickly snapped off an Expelliarmus which blasted the spear from the merman's hands. Before the others could get past their shock, Harry had cut the girl's bindings and was making his way back to the safety of the platform. He glanced behind him to see a bunch of angry mermen quickly catching up to them as he was slowed down by his added burden. Continuing to push the girl towards safety, Harry brought his wand around and began firing stunners at his pursuers, scoring only an occasional hit. The mermen proved to be far more accurate with their spears as Harry barely avoided being skewered, the blade of the weapon tearing a deep gash across his ribs. He began firing more deadly curses at his opponents, staining the water red with each hit. The mermen could see that they were outmatched and turned back toward the village, leaving their dead behind. Harry's muscles felt like they were on fire as he continued swimming, and his vision was starting to go dark around the edges as blood continued to flow from the wound in his side. Finally reaching the platform, he barely felt hands drag them from the water before darkness took him.
Harry didn't need to open his eyes to know exactly where he was. After three years at Hogwarts, he would know the sterile smell of the hospital wing anywhere. When he did open his eyes, his gaze was drawn to the two sleeping witches sitting on either side of him, holding his hands. He could see the sleeping form of Astoria covered by a blanket in a chair beside her sister. Harry smiled and gave their hands a gentle squeeze to wake them and was soon engulfed in a three way hug.
"Oh Harry, we thought we'd lost you!" Hermione cried into his shoulder, not loosening her grip one bit. Daphne pulled back and gave him a ferocious kiss.
"Don't you ever do something like that to us again, you bloody noble git!" The kiss that followed took any sting out of her words and was only broken long enough for Daphne's lips to be replaced by Hermione's. When she finally came up for air, a slightly dazed Harry took a moment to study the two girls clinging to him. Their eyes were puffy and red from crying, their hair was messy from where they had been sleeping, and Harry would swear that they had never been more beautiful to him. As he realized just how close he had come to dying in that lake, he knew it was time to put into words the feelings he'd been having for several weeks.
"I can't promise that I won't find myself in any more dangerous situations, as they seem to find me most of the time." Daphne snorted while Hermione just rolled her eyes. "What I can promise is that I will always do my best to come back to you, because I love you both too much not to." This drew startled gasps from both witches before they threw themselves on him again.
"Oh Harry, we love you too! We've been trying to figure out how to tell you for ages!" Harry could feel Daphne nodding as Hermione spoke. "We were afraid that you wouldn't feel the same way!" Harry shook his head in disbelief.
"You two are the most beautiful, wonderful witches I know, as well as my best friends in the world. How could I not love you?" The girls untangled themselves from him and sat up, looking at him with pure adoration in their eyes. They burst into giggles as Harry was tackled by a blonde-haired missile from the chair next to Daphne.
"I love you too Harry!" Astoria squealed as she threw her arms around his neck. Harry chuckled fondly at his adopted sister's antics.
"Hello Story, how are you doing?" The young witch curled her legs up next to him and snuggled into him.
"I'm fine Harry, thanks to you! That was the bravest thing I've ever seen! Thank you for rescuing me!"
"I'll always be there for you Story, never doubt it for a minute." This caused the little witch to cling to him tighter and sigh contentedly. It was into this scene that Ginny and Neville entered the hospital wing, relieved smiles on their faces.
"Hey Harry! Got any room up there for me?" Ginny called to him, causing him to bury his face in Astoria's hair in embarrassment. Hermione giggled and chimed in.
"It seems our Harry just can't help himself when there are helpless damsels to rescue!" Daphne was laughing loudly at Harry's obvious discomfort.
"So it would seem Hermione," Ginny continued, "although he seems to have a knack for rescuing little sisters." By now everyone was laughing, drawing Madame Pomphrey out of her office with a stern look on her face. When she caught sight of the laughing teens surrounding her patient, she smiled fondly at the scene and quietly retreated to her office, remembering a muggle saying about laughter being the best medicine. Ginny and Neville visited with the group for a few more minutes before giving their congratulations on Harry's performance during the task and taking their leave.
The infirmary door had barely closed when it was opened again by the couple Harry remembered from the lake. They were both wearing expensive robes and carried themselves with an air of nobility, but their faces were warm and friendly. Harry instantly saw the resemblance that the woman bore to his blonde love and her sister. As they neared his bed, Lord Greengrass held out his hand for Harry to shake.
"Lord Potter, I am Cyrus Greengrass and this is my wife, Priscilla. We came to offer our congratulations on your performance during the second task, as well as our thanks for saving both of our daughters. Daphne has been keeping me up to date on the goings on around Hogwarts this year, and I must say that I have been very impressed with what I've heard. You seem to be taking to your new Lordships very quickly, which is no easy task, considering your upbringing." Cyrus noticed Harry tense at the mention of his life before Hogwarts and quickly moved to ease his discomfort. "I only know as much as Daphne has shared in her letters, which is not much. She only told me that you were unaware of your heritage until recently. She speaks very highly of you." The Greengrasses gave him knowing smiles, neither of them missing the tight grip their eldest daughter had on his hand or their youngest daughter cuddled into his chest. "It would seem that you have made quite an impact on both of our daughters, in fact." Cyrus chuckled at the apprehensive look on Harry's face. "Not to worry, Lord Potter, I wholeheartedly approve. In truth I have never seen either of my daughters as happy as they have been since making your acquaintance, and my daughters' happiness is second only to their safety in my mind. Your actions show that you are more than capable of providing these things for both of them while they are here. You are a good man, Harry Potter, and I trust you to continue caring for my daughters as you have been." By now both Greengrass girls were beaming at their father and his approval of their relationships with Harry. Hermione, still holding Harry's other hand, reached over and took Daphne's free hand as a silent promise to be there for her along with Harry, and received a squeeze in gratitude. Smiling fondly at the friendship being shown to his daughters, Cyrus Greengrass once again offered his hand to Harry, who returned his handshake firmly.
"Thank you again, Lord Potter. I look forward to our families becoming better acquainted in the future." Cyrus and Priscilla gave their daughters fond hugs, and Priscilla surprised Hermione with a warm hug as well. As they were leaving, Cyrus smiled and held the door open to admit Harry's next group of visitors. Harry smiled as Fleur Delacour entered followed closely by the girl that Harry had rescued from the merpeople. They were followed by Madame Maxime and the last person any of them wanted to see just then, one Albus Dumbledore. Harry felt Astoria grip him tighter than ever at the entrance of their headmaster, and Harry struggled to contain his anger at the man who was causing her such distress. Dumbledore seemed unaffected by Harry's glare as he led the French delegation over to his bed.
"Harry, my boy, we've come to congratulate you on another successful performance. However, I have a few unpleasant questions that I must ask you regarding the events that took place in the lake." Harry didn't even acknowledge the headmaster's presence and instead focused on his fellow champion and the girl behind her.
"Hello Fleur, I'm glad to see that you are unhurt. Is this your sister?" Fleur smiled warmly at Harry's genuine concern. Turning, she drew the shy girl from behind her back and brought her forward.
"Oui my Lord, zis is my sister, Gabrielle. She is not yet old enough to attend Beauxbatons, but was allowed to come to Scotland to support me in ze Tri-Wizard Tournament. Now I am wishing zat she had stayed in France. I believe you 'ave met my 'eadmistress, Madame Maxime?" Fleur indicated the giant of a woman next to her, who smiled and nodded at Harry. "My family owes you a debt, Monseur Potter, and I owe you an apology. It seems zat I was quite mistaken when I called you a 'leetle boy.'" Harry smiled ruefully.
"Apology accepted, and it's just Harry. You're not the first person to judge me before getting to know me. Maybe you and Gabrielle would like to join us at dinner sometime and we could both learn a thing or two?" Fleur gave a small grin that was greatly outshone by the beaming smile on Gabrielle's face.
"Merci, thank you, we would like zat, I think."
"Wonderful!" Dumbledore cut in with a jovial tone. "Now then, I really would like to know what transpired between yourself and the merpeople today, Harry. I must admit that my repots have been quite concerning." Harry continued to act as if Dumbledore wasn't even there, which frustrated the headmaster greatly.
"Madame Maxime, I wonder if you wouldn't mind informing me of my scores from the second task? In all the excitement I seem to have missed the announcement." Maxime gave him a wry grin.
"Certainly, Lord Potter. Even zough you returned to ze lake to rescue Gabrielle, you received your scores based on ze return of your own 'ostage first. Zerefore, you are currently in first place, followed by Mr. Krum, Mr. Diggory, and Fleur. I would also like to thank you for returning Gabrielle to us. I'm 'appy to se zat not everyone was as unconcerned for 'er safety as ozzers seem to be." Nobody missed her pointed glance at Dumbledore as she said this, and the old man immediately put on his most grandfatherly smile.
"My dear Madame, I can assure you that each of the participants were in no danger at any time while under the lake. However, it seems that several merpeople were killed during the task. Harry, would you like to explain how that happened?"
"Certainly, headmaster," Harry replied with steel in his voice. "Right after you explain to me how an underage wizard can be entered into a deadly competition based on his selection by a bewitched magical artifact. Or maybe you'd rather explain how a girl under the protection of two Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses wound up being used as a hostage in that competition without the consent of herself, her parents, or her protectorate?" By now Dumbledore was looking increasingly uncomfortable under the combined glares of Harry and his girls as Astoria clung to him for dear life. Harry wasn't quite finished, however. "Or perhaps, sir, you could explain how an underage Veela was delivered unconscious to a group of creatures whose animosity towards her race has been well documented for several centuries?" Dumbledore was taken aback at the accusation in Harry's words.
"Harry, you must understand…"
"No, sir," harry interrupted, "you must understand. I killed those mermen to protect myself and Gabrielle, and if I had to I would do it again. As you can see, they had no qualms about putting a spear through the both of us while I stuck to stunners until I had no other choice." Dumbledore sighed sadly.
"There's always another choice, my boy."
"Not this time sir." Sensing that he had worn out his welcome, Dumbledore nodded to the group and left the infirmary. Harry's eyes bored into him until he was out of sight. As the latch clicked shut, Harry gave a tired sigh and allowed his body to relax before turning to Fleur and Gabrielle with a warm smile.
"Sorry about that," he said. "Professor Dumbledore and I have not exactly seen eye to eye since the tournament began. He seems to think that I should just accept being used as bait for whoever entered me in the tournament. Obviously I disagree. I suspect that he now thinks that I'm going dark because I killed in self-defense. I just hope that none of you think any less of me for it." Daphne and Hermione shook their heads.
"You know we don't, Harry," Daphne said. "I would've done the same thing to save Astoria. We all would have."
"She is right, 'Arry," Fleur added. "You must not feel guilty for doing what was necessary to survive. Gabrielle and I are grateful zat you did."
"As am I," Madame Maxime added from behind Fleur. "Your actions do not bozzer me in ze slightest. In fact, I intend to 'ave words wiz Albus about 'is use of unwilling participants in this tournament. 'E 'as gone too far zis time." Harry gave the half-giantess a small smile.
"Thank you Madame Maxime," he said. "That means a lot to me."
"Do not mention it, my Lord," she replied. "It is ze least I can do. Now, I believe we should be returning to ze carriage. Au revoir,Lord Potter." After a brief exchange of goodbyes, Fleur and Gabrielle followed Madame Maxime from the hospital wing, leaving Harry and his loves to chat quietly as Astoria slept on Harry's chest.
Harry spent that night and most of the next day in the infirmary before Madame Pomphrey gave him a clean bill of health. Entering the great hall for dinner holding hands with Hermione and Daphne, they drew quite a few whispers and jealous looks, which the trio paid no mind. They made their way to the Gryffindor table and sat down across from Ginny, Neville, and the twins. Harry sat between his girls with Astoria and Tracy next to them. Harry looked up and smiled as Fleur and Gabrielle sat next to Ginny, much to the redhead's shock. After introductions were made, he began asking them questions and getting to know them, being quickly joined by the rest of the group in making their new friends feel welcome. Seeing the group laughing and chatting with the French beauties was the final straw for a certain red-headed prat who chose that moment to voice his jealousy.
"What's the matter Potter? Three girls not enough for your little harem? First Hermione and the two snakes, and now the baby snake and the two Veela! And what's worse, you're trying to corrupt my baby sister!" Ginny was on her brother in an instant.
"You insufferable prat! Harry's the noblest man in this castle. You could lock any one of us in a broom closet with him for an hour and we'd all come out with our chastity intact." Hermione and Daphne had to look down to hide their sly grins. "He isn't corrupting me or anybody else, so why don't you just pull your head out of your arse and piss off!" While Ginny was laying into Ron, Harry had discretely drawn his wand and cast a silencing ward around the group so as not to draw the attention of the hall. He had then trained his wand on Ron under the table, anticipating an explosion at any time. Just as Harry predicted, Ron reached for his wand to curse his sister, only to find himself frozen in place with his hand in his robes.
"That was a monumentally stupid thing to do, Ron," Harry said sadly. "You've done some pretty thick things this year, but trying to draw your wand on a Friend of my House in front of me crossed the line. I'm sorry Ron, but I'm just sick of your bullshit. Ginny," he said, turning to face the redheaded girl. "Do you trust me?"
"Absolutely," she answered without hesitation.
"Well then, Ginerva Molly Weasley, for saving your life in the Chamber of Secrets, you owe me, Harry James Potter, a life-debt. Do you acknowledge this debt?" Ginny's eyes widened slightly as she felt her magic compel her to answer.
"I do." Harry and Ginny took on a golden glow for a moment before it faded, and everyone around them watched the scene with rapt fascination.
"Very well. I, Harry James Potter, hereby transfer the life-debt owed to me by Ginerva Molly Weasley to her brother in blood Ronald Bilius Weasley, so mote it be." Harry and Ginny glowed gold again before the glow faded from Ginny and appeared around Ron. Out of the corner of his eye Harry could see Hermione squirming in her seat with questions about what was happening, but thankfully she remained silent. Harry took a deep breath before continuing.
"Ronald Bilius Weasley, in payment of the life-debt owed to me, Harry James Potter, you may not speak to or about me or my family from this day forward. You may not contact any member of my family from this day forward, and should you attempt to use magic on a member of my family, your magic will be forfeit. So mote it be." As he sealed the life-debt, a jet of silver light shot from Ron's chest to Harry. From Harry the light split to Hermione and Daphne, and to everyone's surprise, Tracy and Astoria. Another strand of silver light shot through the ceiling of the great hall toward a run-down house in London, surrounding a very confused Marauder.
After the light faded, Harry waved his wand and released Ron from the petrifaction spell. Ron immediately began yelling abuse at Harry, but found that he couldn't make a sound. After a full minute of trying to give Harry a piece of his mind, Ron finally gave up and stormed from the hall. Harry watched him go with a look of great disappointment on his face. As he returned to his meal he caught the fearful glances being exchanged by Fleur and Gabrielle. He quickly figured out the problem when Gabrielle refused to meet his eyes.
"Gabrielle Delacour." The blonde girl's eyes shot to Harry's in surprise. "For saving your life during the second task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, you owe me, Harry James Potter, a life-debt. Do you acknowledge this debt?" Unable to deny it due to her magic's compulsion her terrified answer was barely above a whisper.
"Oui." Harry nodded as their magic flared around them.
"Very well. Gabrielle Delacour, in payment of the life-debt owed to me, Harry James Potter…" Here Harry paused for a moment before breaking into a lopsided grin. "You must give me a big hug immediately, so mote it be." Their magic flared again to seal the life-debt as Gabrielle leapt over the table and into Harry's arms, squealing with delight. Harry chuckled and held her tight, bracing himself so they wouldn't wind up on the floor. Fleur was laughing with tears of relief flowing from her eyes. Harry caught Fleur's eye over Gabrielle's shoulder.
"I realize what it means to a Veela to owe a life-debt to a man. I didn't want it to have an effect on our friendship, or for Gabrielle to grow up wondering when I would decide to call the debt due and possibly ruin her life. I don't know about her, but I like this arrangement much better." Gabrielle nodded enthusiastically into his shoulder in agreement.
"Ginny is correct, you really are ze noblest man in zis castle. You are truly a chevalier, a knight in shining armor! It would truly be my 'onor to call you my friend." Gabrielle loosened her grip on harry enough to kiss his cheeks.
"Merci, mon chevalier," she said before hugging him tightly again. Hermione couldn't stand it any longer.
"Harry, what the hell just happened? What was all that about life-debts?" Harry smiled at her through Gabrielle's hair in his face.
"Professor Dumbledore told me about life-debts after the Chamber in second year. I found a book that explained them in the library and did some reading. By calling a life-debt due, you can basically make someone do anything you want. I could've made Gabrielle my personal sex slave if I wanted, which is a fate worse than death for a Veela. I decided I would settle for a nice hug instead." Gabrielle giggled in his ear.
"How long does she have to hug you to satisfy the life-debt?" Daphne asked.
"Oh it was satisfied immediately," he chuckled. "Now she's just hugging me for fun!" This brought a laugh to everyone as Gabrielle turned to give them an impish grin. Harry finally convinced her to climb out of his lap, but he promised her that he would hug her any time she wanted, earning him a dazzling smile in return. The rest of the meal passed quickly and the group all exchanged hugs and fond farewells before heading to their respective dormitories.
Chapter 9
It took Ron a week of trying before he gave up getting past the life-debt. After a few unsuccessful tries to talk to Harry or Hermione, he tried asking his dorm mates to pass them messages. To his annoyance, he found that not even broaching the subject would work, as his voice would desert him as soon as the conversation turned to his former friends. When he tried writing them a letter he had to change his robes after the ink rolled off the parchment and into his lap. By the end of the week he was stomping around the castle like an angry hippogriff and his short temper was becoming disruptive in class. It didn't take long for the Hogwarts rumor mill to spread the story around enough for the professors to hear of it, which is how Harry found himself sitting in the headmaster's office with a fuming Ronald Weasley and a twinkly-eyed Professor Dumbledore. After regarding the two students for a moment, the old man cleared his throat.
"Lord Potter, the reason I've asked you both here is because I've heard rumors of a falling-out between you which is starting to negatively affect your classmates. Would you care to explain to me the situation, as Mr. Weasley seems unable to do so?" Ignoring the hateful glare from the redhead beside him, Harry gave Dumbledore a smile.
"Well Professor, ever since my name came out of the Goblet of Fire I've had to listen to Mr. Weasley, along with most of my classmates, badmouthing me and my few remaining friends at every opportunity. Mr. Weasley's insults continued even after my friends were placed under the protection of my Houses, an offense for which I could demand financial reparations." Only a warning glance from the headmaster kept Ron from lunging at Harry at the mention of being fined for his words.
"Out of respect for his family," Harry continued, "I let the insults go. It was only after he insulted the French Champion and her young sister before trying to draw his wand on a Friend of my House in front of me that I took action." Dumbledore gave Harry a grandfatherly smile.
"My Lord, while I applaud your noble defense of the ladies' honor, I must ask you to remove whatever curse you have placed on Mr. Weasley so that he may resume his studies."
"I'm sorry Headmaster," Harry said. "I'm afraid that a life-debt is irreversible." Dumbledore's eyebrows rose in alarm.
"I was unaware that Mr. Weasley owed you a life-debt Harry." Harry's smile was predatory.
"He didn't, but his sister did. It turns out that life-debts are transferrable between family members. I used Ginny's debt to me from the Chamber to make it so that Ron couldn't speak to or about me or my family again. I also made it so that if he draws his wand on a member of my family he loses his magic." Dumbledore shook his head sadly.
"Harry, I'm not sure you realize the ramifications of your decision. I wish you would've come to me with this instead of acting out in anger as you did with young Draco. It is clear to me that you are not yet mature enough to handle the responsibilities associated with being a Lord in our society. The mature thing would have been to forgive your grievances and worked towards repairing those fractured relationships." Harry shook his head.
"With all due respect sir, I don't see how me taking up my Lordship is any business of yours at all. For your information, I'm being tutored in the ways of pureblood politics by my godfather and he seems to think that I'm taking to the lessons quite well. He told me that part of becoming a Lord is taking control of your life, and that's what I'm doing. I'm through making allowances for people who seem to think that their words and actions don't have consequences. Draco has been after me since before we were even sorted. In fact, the sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin but I refused to be in the same house as that ponce. Ron decided that three years of friendship wasn't enough to trust me when I told everyone that I didn't enter myself in the tournament. He kept letting his jealousy do the talking and finally I got fed up with it. If it had been anyone but Ron saying those things I would've sought full restitution, but I chose not to punish his family for his stupidity. As to his performance in class, maybe if Ron spent more time studying and less time trying to find a way around the life-debt to throw more insults at me his grades would improve."
"Harry, it appears to me that the stress of managing your Lordships, as well as your recent association with Ms. Greengrass and Ms. Davis, has given you a rather cynical outlook on life. I believe it would be for the best if you were to step down from your Lordships until the tournament is complete. I would be happy to handle the management of your estates for you until such time as I feel you are ready for the burden of the position to be thrust upon you. I will also have Ms. Greengrass and Ms. Davis, along with young Astoria, relocated back to the Slytherin dormitories where I can assure you that Professor Snape will make every effort to ensure their continued safety." Harry scowled and fought back his anger, trying to keep his voice level.
"No thank you, sir. My estates are being managed by the goblins at Gringotts and they are quite capable of handling my finances for me. Sirius and I believe that it is for the best that I start learning to handle my Lordships now so as to be better prepared to enter wizarding society after I leave Hogwarts. Daphne, Tracy and Astoria will also be remaining where they are as they are technically wards of my House, and therefore my responsibility. The Ministry laws as well as the bylaws of Hogwarts allow them to remain with me, and even the headmaster can't remove them without my permission. And to be honest sir, I don't trust Snape at all. He has been one of my biggest tormentors since my first day of class and I have no doubt that he would look the other way if he saw something happening to anyone who is associated with me. Daphne was almost killed earlier this year by people within her own house for that very reason, and he's done nothing about it. You may say it's cynical of me professor, but when you've had a mass-murdering psychopath out for your blood since you were a year old it will change the way you look at things. I only wish you would've done more about this bloody tournament being 'thrust upon me,' but it seems I just can't catch a break. I'm beginning to see a pattern with my experiences at Hogwarts, and I'm wondering what it could mean."
"I regret that I was unable to find a way for you to be removed from the tournament, Harry, and it saddens me that you feel that you and your friends are not safe in the castle. However, I can assure you that Professor Snape has my utmost confidence in this matter, and will be perfectly able to provide adequate protection for Ms. Greengrass and Ms. Davis upon their return…"
"No, sir," Harry interrupted. "The girls are under my protection and will remain where they are. I refuse to discuss this any further. Now, I think I've answered your questions about Mr. Weasley's class performance, so unless you have anything else school-related you would like to bring up, I would really like to get back to my quarters." Seeing that continuing to argue would be a futile effort, Dumbledore sighed and nodded at Harry. As Harry opened the door to leave, the headmaster made one final attempt to salvage the situation.
"Remember Harry, my door is always open to you." Harry simply nodded over his shoulder and left, shutting the door behind him. Dumbledore stared at the door for a few moments before a small noise drew his attention. It was then that he realized that Ron had been sitting there forgotten throughout most of the meeting. Smiling apologetically, Dumbledore dismissed Ron and headed up to his private study for a glass of firewhiskey before bed, hoping that the strong drink would help his growing headache.
As he made his way back to Gryffindor tower, Ron realized that his friendship with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger was truly broken forever, and what made it worse is that he had nobody to blame but himself. If he could've looked past his jealousy he would've known that Harry would never have wanted the fame and attention that went along with being a Tri-Wizard Champion. In fact, he hated the spotlight constantly shined on him for being the 'Boy-Who-Lived.' He figured that the twins and Ginny had probably sent his mother an owl telling her of the situation, and he dreaded the howler he was sure to receive in response. As he slipped into his four-poster bed, he cast a longing glance at the place where his former best friend used to sleep before crawling under the covers for a night of restless contemplation.
Back in the Lord's quarters, Harry called a group meeting in their common room. Once everyone was comfortable Harry filled them in on the meeting with Ron and Dumbledore earlier. When he told them about Dumbledore attempting to take control of his Lordships the girls were angry, but when he then told them of his attempt to move the girls back to the Slytherin dorms there was an explosion.
"Is he trying to get us killed?" Daphne and Tracy wore matching looks of shock while Astoria looked ready to burst into tears. A look from Harry was all it took for the young witch to throw herself into his arms and begin sobbing into his shoulder. Harry held her tightly and gently stroked her head.
"I…d-don't…want to…to go back th-there…Harry!" she choked out.
"Shh. Nobody's going anywhere Story. Everybody's staying right here." Harry could tell that Astoria was beginning to calm down, but she had no intention of letting him go. Adjusting her to a more comfortable position on his lap, he continued the meeting.
"Like I told the headmaster, the Hogwarts bylaws are very clear on this. I'm the only one with the authority to send you back to the dungeon, and I promise you that will never happen. I sleep much better knowing that you're all safe here at night." Daphne smiled at his concern.
"So do we Harry. I'd be sick with worry if Astoria was back there." Her face took on a questioning look. "Why do you think Dumbledore seems so intent on controlling your life Harry? He doesn't tell you of your inheritance, he tries to take over your Lordships, basically tells you that he doesn't want you around us. Next he'll probably try telling you where you're allowed to live!"
"Actually he does," Harry said. "I've had an open invitation to spend the summer with the Weasleys since first year, but Dumbledore always tells me not to leave my relatives' house. Probably because he knows I wouldn't ever go back there if I had the choice."
"Why wouldn't you go back?" Tracy asked. Harry sighed and moved Astoria so that she was sitting next to him on the couch. He met each of the girls' eyes before taking a deep breath.
"My relatives are… not nice people. Growing up with them was not exactly… pleasant." The girls could see that he was struggling with how much to tell them of his life outside Hogwarts. Taking his hand, Hermione gave him an encouraging smile.
"It's ok, Harry," she said. "You don't have to tell us anything you don't want to. Just know that we all love you and we're here for you. You can tell us anything, we're not going anywhere." Harry could see the truth of her words reflected in the four sets of eyes looking back at him. Drawing strength from their support, Harry took another deep breath and allowed the floodgates to open.
He told them of his life before Hogwarts. He described spending the first ten years of his life sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs. He told them how he didn't know his name was anything but "freak" or "boy" until he started primary school. He explained how his cousin Dudley would bully anyone attempting to befriend Harry, usually with the encouragement of his aunt and uncle. He showed them some of the scars left from when his uncle's punishments became particularly brutal. The girls had tears in their eyes as he quietly explained "Harry Hunting," the favorite form of torment used by Dudley and his gang. Their tears flowed with a mixture of sadness and anger as they heard James and Lily Potter, heroes of the wizarding world, slandered as good-for-nothing drunks who died in a car crash. By the time Harry was done, the three older girls were making a mental list of the curses and hexes they would like to use on the Dursleys while Astoria was planning to ask her sister later for a similar list. All four were in agreement that no matter what, Harry would never be returning to #4 Privet Drive again.
Emotionally drained from reliving the horrors of his past, Harry wearily stood and bid the girls goodnight before making his way to his room. Hermione and Daphne shared a look before nodding in unspoken agreement. Exchanging hugs with Tracy and Astoria, the two girls quietly eased open the door to Harry's room. Seeing that he was already asleep, the girls slipped in and disrobed down to their underwear before sliding under the covers on either side of the sleeping boy. After whispering "I love you's" in his ear and kissing his cheeks, they laid their heads on either side of his chest and quickly joined him in the best night's sleep that any of them had ever experienced.
To say that Harry was surprised when he awoke the next morning would be an understatement. After getting over his initial shock at waking in the arms of his mostly-naked loves, he quickly decided that he never wanted to wake any other way ever again. After sharing a few good morning kisses, the girls left for their own rooms while Harry made his way to the bathroom. Entering their common room he was met by four beautiful, smiling faces waiting to walk with him to breakfast. He had to fight back tears at the show of support he was receiving. He also felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest after their conversation the previous night. He smiled and wondered, not for the first time, just how his life had gotten this good.
The weeks leading up to the third task saw the trio along with Tracy and Astoria spending nearly all of their free time in the Room of Requirement. Their focus shifted slightly to start preparing the girls for their upcoming end-of-year exams. Tracy, Daphne, and Hermione would often sit together and study ahead while Harry helped Astoria with any homework she had. Afterwards they would have the room conjure training dummies and practice their spellwork, even taking time to teach Astoria a few defensive curses and hexes just in case. They were always careful to check the Marauder's Map before leaving as they liked the idea of having their own special place in the castle that only they knew about. One evening as the magical ink crawled across the parchment, Harry was surprised by a name he saw walking slowly down the seventh floor hallway.
"I wonder what Mr. Crouch is doing here?" Harry asked aloud, drawing the girls' attention to the dot on the map.
"That's strange," Hermione said. "Percy told us that he hadn't been seen in a while at the Yule Ball. Why is he wandering the castle this late at night?"
"I don't know," Harry said, pulling his invisibility cloak over his head, "but I want to have a look." Making sure the dot marked "Barty Crouch" was still moving away from him, Harry carefully eased the door open and stepped into the darkened hall. Quietly creeping toward his quarry, Harry could hear a rhythmic clunk, clunk, clunkthat grew louder as he drew closer. As the light of a passing torch illuminated the face of the man in front of him, Harry instantly recognized the heavily-scarred features of Mad-Eye Moody. Double-checking the map and finding no sign of anyone other than himself and Barty Crouch in the hall, Harry felt a sense of cold dread creep over his consciousness. Drawing his wand, Harry waited until just before Moody was taking a step with his wooden leg before making his move.
"Stupefy!"
The sound of wood echoing off of the stone hallway masked his whispered incantation and the spell impacted between Moody's shoulders, dropping him to the floor in a heap. Harry waited a few moments to see if anyone was drawn by the sudden noise before levitating the unconscious man back down the hallway and into the room, closing the door behind him. The girls all gave him confused looks as he asked the room for a chair for the man before stunning him again and binding him tightly with ropes from his wand.
"According to the map, this" he said, pointing to the bound man, "is Barty Crouch." The girls all stared at the man in shock for a moment before Hermione snapped her fingers in realization.
"Polyjuice," she said. "He must be using Polyjuice Potion. Harry, isn't he always drinking from a hip flask?" Harry nodded and pulled the flask from the man's pocket. He took a small sniff and nodded, looking slightly green from the smell.
"I bet this is who put your name in the goblet, Harry," Daphne said. Harry noticed her hand twitching for her wand as she stared daggers at the impostor. Before she could decide on which one of the many gruesome and painful curses running through her head, the prisoner's skin began to bubble and morph as the effects of the Polyjuice began to wear off. The wooden leg clattered to the floor as a healthy one grew to replace it. It was soon joined by Moody's magical eye as it too was displaced by flesh and bone. In seconds the scarred visage of the grizzled ex-auror melted into the features of a handsome young man with brown hair, a pointed chin, and hollow, sunken cheeks. As the transformation completed, the five teens were left gaping at the complete stranger in the chair that used to hold their Defense professor. Harry got the strange feeling that he had seen the man somewhere before, but shrugged it off.
"Who the hell is that?" Tracy asked, receiving four headshakes in response. Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out his charmed mirror.
"Sirius Black." After a few moments the face of his godfather came into view.
"Hey pup! I'm glad you called, I was just remembering the time when James and I…" The look on Harry's face caused Sirius to stop short. "Harry? Is everything ok?"
"Not really Padfoot," Harry replied. "Any idea who this is?" Harry turned the mirror so that Sirius could see the man they had bound to the chair. The string of expletives coming from the mirror told them that Sirius knew exactly who this was, and whoever it was, wasn't good.
"Harry," Sirius ground out, obviously trying to remain calm. "Please tell me how you wound up with a Death Eater who supposedly died in Azkaban unconscious and tied to a chair?" At the mention of Death Eaters, Daphne rolled up the man's left sleeve to reveal an ugly tattoo of a skull with a snake emerging from its mouth. Harry remembered seeing the same symbol floating in the air above the chaos of the Quidditch World Cup.
"He has the Dark Mark," Daphne said. "But who is he?"
"That's Barty Crouch, Jr.," Sirius answered. "He was a convicted Death Eater who earned a life sentence in Azkaban for his part in the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom. He was supposed to have died years ago behind bars, which is why I'm extremely curious as to what the hell he's doing at Hogwarts!"
"Well Padfoot, up until a few minutes ago he was our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Harry said. "Apparently he's been using Polyjuice Potion to pose as Mad-Eye Moody all year. We're also pretty sure that he's the one who rigged the Goblet of Fire to spit out my name." Harry's eyes were almost glowing with uncontrolled power as he struggled to contain his rage at the man in front of him. Hermione and Daphne were too busy fighting their own murderous impulses to notice, while Tracy and Astoria looked on in fear.
"Pup, as much as you want to kill him, you need to use your head. There must be a reason he wanted you entered in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. You need to find out what his plan was. Now is not the time to do anything rash. Trust me, I would know." Sirius's words helped Harry and his loves bring their anger to heel and allow their rational sides to take over.
"He's right, Harry," Hermione said. "We need to find out all we can from him. Maybe we can even find a way out of this bloody tournament? Besides," she smirked, "we can always kill him after we question him." Harry caught her eye and winked at her, causing her to blush.
"What we need," he said, "is Veritaserum. And it just so happens I know just where to find some. Dobby!" A loud popsignaled the arrival of Harry's faithful elf.
"Master Harry Potter is calling Dobby?"
"Dobby, do you know if Professor Snape keeps any Veritaserum in his personal potions stores?" Dobby nodded enthusiastically.
"Oh yes sir, he does indeed!" Before Harry could ask, Dobby popped away only to reappear a moment later and hand Harry a vial of clear potion.
"Won't he notice this missing?" Hermione asked.
"Oh no Miss Mione, the greasy one has many vials of Veryserum. He makes it for the headmaster to put in his lemon drops." Everyone was horrified to hear that Dumbledore was spiking candy with truth serum. Filing that useful tidbit of information away for later, Harry uncorked the vial and poured the potion into Crouch's mouth. Giving it a few moments to make its way into his system, Harry handed the mirror to Hermione and pointed his wand between Crouch's eyes.
"Ennervate."
Tracy and Astoria gasped and jumped back in shock as Barty's eyes snapped open. Harry could see that his eyes were glassy and blank, indicating that the potion had taken hold. He decided to ask a few test questions first.
"What is your name?"
"Bartemeus Crouch, Jr.," the prisoner answered in a dull monotone.
"Are you a Death Eater?"
"Yes."
"Did you escape from Azkaban?"
"Yes."
"Where is the real Mad-Eye Moody?"
"Dead." The answer caused a heaviness to settle over the group for a moment before Harry continued the questioning.
"How did you escape from Azkaban?"
"My mother convinced my father to allow her to take my place using Polyjuice Potion. He then snuck me out and kept me under the Imperious Curse at our home." Seeing that the potion was working, Daphne asked the question they were all anxious to hear the answer to.
"Did you enter Harry Potter in the Tri-Wizard Tournament?"
"Yes."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"It was part of my master's plan to capture Potter and use his blood in a ritual to give the Dark Lord a new body." The teens all shuddered in horror at the thought of Voldemort returning to life.
"How was I to be captured?"
"The third task is a maze with the Tri-Wizard Cup in its center. I was to turn the cup into a portkey and then clear the way for Potter to reach it first. From there Peter would use him for the ritual."
"Peter PETTIGREW?" Sirius roared. Harry looked ready to rip Crouch's head off with his bare hands.
"Yes."
"Pup, step away for a minute. I think we both need to calm down." Harry could only nod as he dropped heavily into a comfy armchair where he was quickly joined by Astoria. Daphne sat on the edge of the chair and began gently running her fingers through his hair as Tracy paced back and forth, processing everything she had just heard. Meanwhile, Hermione had pulled a quill and parchment from her bag.
"What is this ritual?" she asked Barty.
"It uses a bone from the Dark Lord's father, the flesh of his servant, and the blood of his enemy to create for him a new body." Tracy stopped her pacing and looked at him in alarm.
"Do you mean to say the Dark Lord is not dead?" she asked.
"My master's spirit currently occupies a homunculus made of dark magic and kept alive by snake venom and milk." Hermione was so focused on writing everything down that she asked the next question without looking up.
"Where will this ritual be performed?"
"I'm not going to tell you, you nosey mudblood bitch!" Hermione leapt from her chair in shock, scattering her quill and parchment. Harry was at her side in an instant as she threw her arms around him and buried her head in his chest. Barty's wild, hateful glare sent chills down their spines as he struggled to escape Harry's bindings.
"It's too late for you Potter! When my master makes his glorious return there won't be a place on this earth where you can hide from him! He'll destroy you! You, your friends, and your filthy whores…"
"Crucio!"
Crouch's screams echoed around the chamber as he writhed in agony under Harry's wand. After several seconds Harry released the curse, panting heavily from the exertion. His eyes glowed with an emerald fire as he glared at the shaking Death Eater.
"You listen to me, you bastard. Anyone trying to hurt any of these girls or any of my friends will answer to me, including your master. I'll make him wish he'd never heard of Lord Harry James Potter." Crouch cackled madly.
"You dare threaten the Dark Lord? Do you really think he has anything to fear from you? He will destroy everything you hold dear, and no amount of threatening or posturing will save you, my Lord."
"We'll see about that. Stupefy!" The man slumped into unconsciousness and Harry took several shaky breaths, trying to calm his nerves. Daphne and Hermione went to him and wrapped him in a tight embrace as Sirius looked on proudly from the mirror in Tracy's hand.
"You remind me so much of your father, Harry," he said. "He would've stormed the gates of Hell itself to keep his loved ones safe. He would've been very proud of the man you're becoming Harry, never doubt that." By now harry was being led to a couch by Hermione and Daphne as he sobbed into their embrace. Soon Astoria and even Tracy joined them on the couch in a big group embrace with Harry at the center. Tracy had placed the mirror on a stand acing the couch so Sirius wouldn't be left out. After everyone's tars had mostly subsided, Sirius cleared his throat.
"Now then," he said. "What are you going to do with this information Harry?"
"We," Hermione said, silencing Harry with a look, "are going to make a plan that ensures that Harry doesn't find himself as an involuntary blood donor. Preferably something that keeps Harry as far away from Voldemort as possible."
"While I'm all for keeping my blood to myself," Harry said, "we also know Voldemort's plan, which means we might be able to beat him. We can't risk him getting away. We have an advantage here and we should use it."
"Spoken like a true Slytherin," Daphne said proudly. "What do you have in mind?"
"What if we sabotage the ritual somehow?" Harry replied. "If we can find the exact ritual he plans to use we may be able to find a way to counteract it."
"Good thinking, Pup. I'll check out the Black family library and see what I can dig up. Chances are if it's dark, evil, or scary, it's there. I'll let you know if I find anything." The teens bid Sirius goodnight as he left to begin his search. Tracy nodded her head toward their prisoner.
"What are we going to do with him?" A sly grin spread across Harry's face.
"Hermione, how are you at memory charms?" Her vicious smile was all the answer he needed.
Barty Crouch, Jr. woke the next morning with a splitting headache and an empty bottle of Ogden's Finest Firewhiskey in his hand. He vaguely remembered patrolling the halls the night before, but events after that became very fuzzy. Though he didn't usually drink, Barty was known to knock a few back now and then. Apparently he got a little carried away last night. Quickly banishing the bottle, he drank some Polyjuice and strapped on Moody's leg and eye before heading off to find Severus for a hangover potion. He decided to leave this incident out of his next report to the Dark Lord.
The group spent the next several nights pouring through dark arts books in the Room of Requirement searching for the ritual Crouch had described. Sirius had searched through the darkest books in the Black family library but had come up empty. The teens were beginning to think that the ritual might be too obscure to be found in any book when an excited shout from Astoria drew everyone's attention.
"Harry! Daphne! I found it!" The young witch was bouncing in her chair and holding up a book entitled Magicks Moste Darke. The others rushed over and joined her at the table, peering over each other's shoulders to read it for themselves. Hermione and Daphne had quills in their hands, furiously copying the incantation word-for-word. When they had finished, Hermione held up her copy and read it aloud for Sirius's benefit.
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given; you will renew your son. Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed; you will revive your master." Here she cast a meaningful glance at Harry. "Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken; you will resurrect your foe." Daphne nodded, indicating that their copies matched. Everyone sat and pondered what they had heard, running the words through their minds trying to find a loophole. Harry stood and began pacing, speaking his thoughts aloud.
"Ok. There's not much we can do about 'bone of the father' or 'flesh of the servant,' so that leaves us with 'blood of the enemy.'" Harry continued pacing, deep in thought. "'Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken'… that's it! 'Forcibly taken!' What if I willingly offer some of my blood during the ritual? Since magic is about intent maybe that would be enough to ruin his plan!" Hermione shook her head.
"No Harry, there are too many ways for it to go wrong. What if you're knocked unconscious, or silenced? Or what if, after you say your blood willingly, Voldemort figures out your plan and manages to find another way to complete the ritual? Besides, if you think you're going anywhere near that ritual then you'll have to fight through all of us first!" The matching looks of defiance on all the girls' faces told Harry that that was one fight he was not likely to win. Sighing in resignation, he gave them a lopsided grin that made all four hearts flutter.
"Well, it was worth a shot." He chuckled and resumed his pacing. "Still, I think that's the part of the ritual we should focus on. There has to be something…"
"There is, Harry!" Hermione interrupted. "We're just focusing on the wrong words. Instead of 'forcibly taken,' we should be focusing on 'blood of the enemy!'" Hermione's declaration was met by five blank stares, causing her to huff in frustration. "Don't you see? What if the person he takes the blood from isn't an enemy?"
"Who do you know that's a friend of old Voldy?" Sirius asked. Hermione smirked.
"Barty Crouch." Hermione squealed as she suddenly found herself being lifted off her feet and spun around the room by a laughing Harry.
"Beautiful and brilliant, that's my girl!" Hermione giggled as he put her down and gave her a kiss that curled her toes. He then went over to Daphne and gave her the same treatment. Tracy was surprised when Harry picked her up in a hug next, but she was stunned speechless when he planted a kiss firmly on her lips. He left the blushing girl and grabbed Astoria, spinning her around to her great delight. She blushed and giggled furiously as Harry kissed her cheek before putting her down and turning to see his godfather smirking at him through the mirror.
"I'll pass on the kiss, Pup," Sirius laughed. "Sorry, you're just not my type." Harry gave Sirius a mock glare as the girls all burst out laughing. As the laughter subsided, the group sat down and began the much more serious task of planning the fall of the Dark Lord.