Chapter 10
The week of the third task was stressful for more than just the four champions. After hearing a description of the challenges to be found in the maze, the group was able to finalize their plans to take Voldemort down once and for all. Harry's considerable lead in the competition would help ensure their plan succeeded, but they were all very nervous.
At dinner the day before the third task, Harry told Hermione and Daphne that he would meet them in the Room of Requirement in one hour before leaving the great hall. Tracy and Astoria were both wearing knowing smiles but no amount of prodding would get them to reveal Harry's plan. After dinner, the four girls walked together to their quarters where Hermione and Daphne waited impatiently until it was time to go meet Harry. At five minutes till nine, two excited girls stood outside the magical doorway on the seventh floor anxiously awaiting their surprise. At nine o'clock sharp, the door swung open and the girls stepped inside and froze.
The room was an exact replica of the great hall, only all of the house tables as well as the head table were gone. The windows looked out over the Hogwarts grounds as they looked in mid-December, with unblemished snow glistening in the moonlight. The enchanted ceiling showed a night sky full of twinkling stars as snowflakes drifted gently from the rafters, only to vanish just before touching the ground. Hermione immediately recognized the setting as the night of the Yule Ball. The girls' attention was quickly drawn to a lone figure standing in the middle of the dance floor, facing away from them. They didn't need to see his face to know that his emerald green dress robes matched his eyes perfectly. They often saw those same eyes in their better dreams, looking at them with an intensity that made them weak in the knees. As he turned around, the girls found themselves instantly captivated by those emerald orbs as Harry smiled at them in greeting.
"You both look absolutely stunning," he said warmly. It was then that Hermione and Daphne noticed that they were no longer wearing the Hogwarts robes they had arrived in. Hermione was wearing the periwinkle ball gown that she had worn to the Yule Ball while Daphne's robes had transformed into a midnight-blue, strapless dress that fell in rivulets down to the floor. The soft fabric glinted with diamonds and rhinestones and she had on a stylish pair of open-toed heels that matched her dress perfectly. Her hair was braided in an elegant plait down her back and she had a diamond necklace set with a brilliant sapphire pendant hanging around her neck.
"Harry?" Daphne breathed. "What is all of this?" Harry shrugged and walked up to the gobsmacked girls. He stopped in front of Daphne and took her hands in his.
"With all of the planning and training we've been doing lately, it seems like there's hardly been any time for the three of us. So I thought tonight I would keep a promise I made to a woman I love. Daphne Greengrass, I think it's time you got your ball." Giving Hermione a glance and a wink, Harry pulled a tearful Daphne into his arms as gentle music began filling the room. Hermione watched with a smile on her face as her boyfriend led her best friend around the floor in a slow serenade. Rather than feeling jealous, Hermione couldn't be happier that she and Daphne had both captured Harry's heart. After hearing about the awful way he had grown up, it amazed her that he could still be such a sweet, considerate, caring, courageous man. She figured that if anyone deserved the love of two witches it was Harry. She sometimes had trouble believing that someone as wonderful as Harry could ever love Hermione Granger, the bossy know-it-all bookworm, but every time she looked into those gorgeous green eyes she was blown away by the amount of love and caring she saw there. From where she stood watching them holding each other tightly, Hermione could see the same love reflected in the eyes of Harry and Daphne. It was then that she realized without a doubt that she would love Harry Potter for the rest of her life.
As Harry twirled her around the dance floor, Daphne thought back over the last few months of her life. She had made two wonderful new friends, survived an attempt on her life, helped to plot the demise of the most feared dark lord in history, and most surprisingly to her, she had fallen in love with the man who now held her in his arms. She had been skeptical when her father suggested that she approach Harry with an offer of friendship. She was sure that the Gryffindor Golden Boy would refuse to speak to her at best and hex her outright at worst. Rather than the spoiled, arrogant, repugnant boy she had expected, Daphne was surprised and pleased to find that he was not the least bit the insufferable troll she had been led to believe he was. Instead she found a kind, gentle, soft spoken man with an inner strength and sharp intellect that she was immediately drawn to. Hermione, too, had been a surprise. Daphne's image of the bossy know-it-all was quickly replaced by a big heart, fierce mind, and an open-minded acceptance that reached out to her as a friend and sister almost immediately. The more time she spent in their company the more Daphne realized that she had been preventing herself from allowing others in for so long that her heart was left with a gaping hole she had no way to fill. Falling in love with Harry and finding a sister in Hermione filled that space and thawed the ice Queen forever, and Daphne couldn't be happier.
As the song came to an end, Daphne's hands found their way into Harry's hair as she drew his lips to hers. After a few moments of gentle snogging, Daphne stepped back with a smile and motioned for Hermione to come take her place. The brunette witch gave her a warm hug before melting into Harry's arms as he began leading her around the dance floor. Song after song the trio danced, each girl taking turns being in Harry's arms. Finally after three wonderful hours Harry and the girls retired to a comfy couch to rest. The girls kicked off their shoes and put their feet in Harry's lap where he proceeded to rub the last three hours out of them, to the girls' great delight. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Harry noticed Hermione chewing her bottom lip, deep in thought.
"Galleon for them, Hermione?"
"I'm just worried about tomorrow, Harry," she said. "I know we've planned it all out and tried to think of every possible way it could go wrong, but I just can't shake that feeling that we're missing something important. If something happens, if something goes wrong…" By now she had tears streaming from her eyes. "I can't lose you, Harry, not now. Not when we're so close to getting through all of this." Hermione broke down into choking sobs and was immediately drawn into an embrace by Harry and Daphne. As Hermione clung to Harry for dear life, Daphne ran her fingers through her hair and whispered soothingly into her ear.
"Shh, it's going to be ok, Hermione. Like you said, we've planned this out as many ways as we could and Harry's going in there prepared for anything. Even if he wasn't though he'd still come back to us, do you know why?" At Hermione's negative head shake, Daphne gently took her face in her hands and looked into her eyes. "Harry promised us he would, and our man always keeps his promises. Take tonight for example. Harry promised me a dance and gave me my very own ball!"
"She's right, 'Mione," Harry said, drawing her water gaze to him. "I promised you I would always come back to you, to both of you. Do you remember why?" Hermione smiled through her tears and nodded.
"Because you love us too much not to."
"Exactly," he said. "The only thing that's different now is how much I love you. When I made that promise it was a river. Now, it's an ocean." Hermione's tears gave way to happy laughter as she threw her arms around his neck.
"I love you Harry," she said before pulling back and kissing him for all she was worth. When she finally broke the kiss, she began wiping the tears from her face in embarrassment.
"Come on girl," Daphne said, drawing Hermione to her feet. "Let's get you cleaned up." As they walked away a door appeared, leading to what Harry assumed was a washroom. He sat back with his hands behind his head and closed his eyes as he awaited the girls' return. He was just about to doze off when someone cleared their throat in front of him. When he opened his eyes he was struck speechless at the sight.
Hermione and Daphne stood before him, each wearing nothing but one of his Quidditch jerseys and a mischievous smile. As they slowly padded toward him, he didn't notice the couch he was sitting on morph into a king size bed behind him. He didn't move a muscle as the girls stopped just inches from him, watching him gape with amused grins.
"I think we broke him," Daphne smirked, snapping Harry out of his stupor. His mouth moved silently for a few moments before he finally found his voice.
"What…uh…you look…wow, uh…" The girls giggled and stepped forward, each straddling one of his knees.
"Harry," Hermione purred, "you don't need to say anything. We both know you love us just as much as we love you." Moving her hands to his shoulders, she slipped his jacket off and tossed it to the floor. "Now, just relax and go with it Harry. We've both taken the potion and used the contraceptive charm. Now all we need," she leaned in so her breath was hot against his ear, "is you." Hermione drew back with a smile and glanced at Daphne.
"Make us yours, Harry," Daphne said. Any objections he had flew right out the window as the girls pulled their jerseys up over their heads and dropped them on the floor. It wasn't until much later that night that the three lovers drifted off to sleep in each others' arms, contented smiles gracing their faces.
The next day seemed to pass in slow motion for Harry and the girls as the time for the third task drew closer. Despite their continued concerns, the trio couldn't wipe the goofy grins from their faces every time their thoughts wandered to the activity of the night before, as well as the repeat performance earlier that morning. Upon their return to the common room, Hermione and Daphne were immediately whisked away by Tracy and Astoria. When they emerged thirty minutes later, Hermione and Daphne were smiling and blushing furiously while Tracy and Astoria were giggling behind their hands and giving Harry knowing glances. As they made their way down to breakfast, the group came upon Professor Moody limping down an otherwise empty hallway. Quickly devising a plan, Harry ducked into an empty classroom as the girls hurried to catch up to the impostor.
"Professor Moody!" Hermione called, causing the man to stop and face them.
"What's the problem Ms. Granger?"
"There's someone unconscious in that classroom, Professor," she lied. "I think they've been attacked!" The girls led the defense professor back to the classroom that Harry had entered. The fake Moody drew his wand before easing the door open and peering inside. He took several steps into the room looking for the injured student, not noticing the wand appearing from beneath an invisibility cloak behind him. Mentally reviewing his next step, Harry spoke the spell that would put their plan in motion.
"Imperio."
The rest of the day passed without incident until Dumbledore stood after dinner and asked the champions to make their way to the anteroom where they had first met. Upon entering Harry looked around and saw Viktor Krum standing with his parents, Cedric talking with his father, Fleur and the elder Delacours along with Gabrielle, and to Harry's great surprise, Molly and Bill Weasley. As he made his way over to them he was pulled into a big hug by Mrs. Weasley and given a warm handshake by Bill.
"Oh Harry dear, it's so good to see you," Mrs. Weasley gushed. "I still can't believe they made you take part in this dreadful competition! I told Albus that it was much too dangerous but he said there was nothing he could do. I'm just glad to see that you're doing alright so far. Ginny and the twins have been keeping us updated on the tournament as well as the developments with Ronald." Harry noticed that she said the name of her youngest son with some heat. "I want you to know that you are always welcome at the Burrow anytime." Bill nodded his agreement.
"Dad told us what you did for Ginny and the way Ron's been acting this year. He couldn't be here today but he asked me to convey his thanks for allowing the family to maintain our honor. You have mine as well."
"Don't mention it Bill. I have nothing but respect for your family, and I regret that Ron's actions had to be handled that way. Thanks for understanding." Harry noticed Bill's eyes being drawn to something over his shoulder. Harry chuckled as he looked over and saw Fleur and Gabrielle making their way over to him with their parents in tow. After introductions all around and a wonderful hug from Gabby, Harry was drawn away by the elder Delacours as Fleur struck up a conversation with the Weasleys. He noticed that she seemed very interested in the oldest Weasley son.
"Lord Potter, I am Sebastian Delacour and zis is my wife Apolline. We wish to convey our thanks for rescuing our Gabby from ze merpeople during ze second task." Gabby had plastered herself to Harry's side, smiling up at him in adoration. "Zere are not many who would risk zeir life for anozzer, and fewere still who would pass up ze chance to take advantage of a Veela owing zem a life debt. I feel zat Gabby referring to you as her 'chevalier' is most appropriate." Harry smiled down at the little blonde witch under his arm and ruffled her hair fondly, causing her to giggle.
"It was my pleasure," he said. "Both of your daughters have become great friends."
"You must visit us zis summer, Lord Potter," Apolline said. "Ze girls would love it!" Apolline looked at Gabrielle as the young girl began speaking rapid French. She smiled at her daughter before shifting her gaze back to Harry. "Of course your friends are more zan welcome to join you. Ze more ze merrier zey say." Harry thanked them for the invitation and they rejoined Fleur and the Weasleys. After exchanging a few peasantries, good lucks, and hugs, the visitors began making their way to the stands as Harry and Fleur walked together to the area set aside for the champions in front of the maze. Harry was enveloped in a hug by Hermione and Daphne.
"Come back to me Harry," Daphne said. "I love you."
"I love you too, Daph," he whispered in her ear.
"Remember the plan Harry, and please be careful," Hermione said. "I love you Harry Potter."
"Don't worry love, everything will be just fine. I love you, 'Mione." After a few good luck kisses the girls headed to the stands and took the empty seats saved for them by Tracy and Astoria. As Ludo Bagman began announcing the third task, Tracy and Astoria took note of Hermione and Daphne grasping each other's hands as they waited for the task to start.
"Harry will be fine," Tracy said. "You'll be able to feel him the whole time he's in there. You do still have your pendants right?" Without taking their eyes off Harry the pair removed the snake pendants from around their necks. "See, nothing to worry about." Tracy and Astoria shared a nervous glance before turning their attention back to the task, both of them absentmindedly playing with their own pendants that Harry had commissioned for them.
As Harry stepped to the entrance of the maze, Fleur approached him and drew him into a brief hug.
"Bonne chance, mon ami," she whispered.
"Thanks, you too." With a brief nod to Cedric and Viktor, Harry drew his wand and stepped into the maze. He had only taken a few steps before a figure stepped from the shadows and into his path. Harry raised his wand and muttered "lumos," revealing the features of Barty Crouch, Jr. Harry could tell by his clouded eyes that the imperious curse was still holding.
"Lead me to the cup." Barty turned and began mechanically leading Harry through the maze, bypassing all of the obstacles meant to slow the champions down. Harry wasn't about to risk letting one of the other champions reach the cup first and be whisked away to die in Voldemort's trap. They made their way through the maze until they reached a clearing with the Tri-Wizard Cup standing on a stone pedestal in its center.
"Wait here," Harry commanded. Leaving Crouch in the shadows of the maze, he slowly approached the cup, taking a moment to examine the booby-trapped prize. As he studied the ornate carvings on the trophy, he caught the briefest glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye.
"Avada Kadavra!"
Only Harry's well-honed seeker reflexes allowed him to dive out of the path of the deadly green spell. Barty Crouch was not so lucky, as the spell continued past where Harry had stood and caught him squarely in the chest. Harry turned in horror as he heard the body slump lifelessly to the ground. As the Crouch collapsed, Moody's flask bounced out of his pocket and into the clearing. Harry watched in stunned silence as a figure walked into view next to the flask and bent to pick it up. With his eyes, Harry followed his attacker's progress as he stood until he was met by the sneering face of the former Scion of House Malfoy. Harry tensed when he saw Draco's wand pointed directly at his heart.
"So, it seems the great Harry Potter really is a cheat. I always knew you couldn't have got this far in the tournament without help. Figures Dumbledore would've had Moody keeping his creepy eye on you. Seems 'Constant Vigilance' only goes so far, eh Potter?" Draco chuckled a bit at his own joke. "Look at you. You're no champion. You're just a pathetic half-blood, surrounded by his merry band of mudbloods and blood-traitors. Disgusting, the lot of you." Draco's grip tightened on his wand and his sneer turned into a hateful glare. "I hate you, Potter. I had everything before you came along. I was heir to a noble pureblood family, betrothed to a respectable pureblood witch, and i ruled Slytherin House with an iron fist. I had it all!" Spittle flew from Draco's mouth as he roared with fury. "I had everything I deserved, everything that a man of my station and breeding should have, until you! You and your whores ruined everything!" Draco stopped for a minute to catch his breath.
"It doesn't matter though," he whispered, almost to himself. "I can get it all back. All I have to do is give him you. Once I deliver your broken body to the Dark Lord, he'll make sure that I get back everything you took from me. He'll probably let me have Greengrass and the mudblood too." Draco smiled as Harry's eyes narrowed in anger. "In fact, I'll be sure to ask him. To the victor go the spoils and all. I'll even be generous enough to share them with some of my friends on occasion. Then once they've outlived their usefulness, I think I'll end their pathetic existence by slitting their throats like cattle. What do you say to that, Potter?" Draco's eyes flicked to the wand laying inches from Harry's reach, daring him to go for it. Harry's eyes never left Draco's as he willed with everything he had for the bastard to spontaneously burst into flame. After a few tense moments, Draco sniffed disdainfully.
"Pathetic, Potter. Some bloody Gryffindor you are. Don't worry, I'll be sure to tell the Dark Lord how you begged for your miserable life as I killed you. But first, I propose a toast." Draco unscrewed the flask in his hand and held it up in a mock salute. "To the Dark Lord," he said, and took a swig.
As the liquid passed his lips, Draco's eyes bugged out of his head and he choked, dropping the flask and his wand. His skin began bubbling as the Polyjuice Potion began the painful transformation. Harry was up in a flash with his wand in his hand, watching the groaning boy with a smirk of satisfaction.
"I thought you'd never shut up," he said, raising his wand. Before he could cast a spell, Draco gave an inarticulate cry of rage and lunged at him. As the two wrestled for Harry's wand, Draco tripped and sent them toppling into the Tri-Wizard Cup. Harry's eyes widened in horror as he felt the uncomfortable sensation of being hooked behind the navel before disappearing from the clearing along with Draco and the cup.
Back in the stands, four anxious girls suddenly cried out as they felt Harry's necklace suddenly disappear and then reappear somewhere behind them. At the same time, a scream was heard, followed by red sparks from somewhere in the maze. Hermione, Tracy, Daphne, and Astoria began making their way to the entrance of the maze where Dumbledore and the rest of the judges were now standing. Their pace quickened when they caught sight of a covered body being levitated out of the maze followed by a distraught Fleur Delacour. Tracy and Astoria broke off to comfort the hysterical witch while Hermione and Daphne rushed over to Dumbledore to warn him about Harry. They arrived just in time for Ludo Bagman to pull back the sheet, revealing the sightless eyes of Barty Crouch Jr. The girls shared a look of wide-eyed horror before slumping to the ground, unconscious.
Chapter 11
In a graveyard outside Little Hangleton, Harry Potter awoke to find himself tied to a gravestone while the hunched shape of a man puttered around a large bubbling cauldron. He tried to call out but found that he had been hit with a Silencio while he was out. His struggles to escape his bindings drew the attention of the creature wrapped in a blanket near one of the graves.
"Wormtail, it would appear that our guest is finally awake. Begin the ritual as soon as your preparations are complete." The creature's high-pitched hiss sent shivers of dread down the bound boy's spine.
"Yes, master," Wormtail simpered. After another moment of checking his work, he picked up the bundled creature and dropped it into the boiling cauldron. He then began the ritual that Harry and the girls had read about weeks ago.
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you shall renew your son." With a wave of Wormtail's wand, the earth beneath Harry's feet broke open and a white powder floated out, dropping into the cauldron with a hiss. After the bubbling liquid turned a sickly yellow color, Wormtail withdrew a wicked-looking dagger from his robes.
"Flesh of the servant, willingly...s-sacrificed...y-you shall revive your m-master..." With a quick jerk of the knife and a gut-wrenching scream, his severed hand dropped into the cauldron, turning the liquid inside a dark grey. Wimpering in pain, he stumbled over to the tombstone holding the panicking boy captive. Wormtail's putrid breath assaulted his captive's senses as he quickly spoke the final words of the ritual.
"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you shall resurrect your foe." Harry's face twisted in a silent scream of pain as the knife ripped open the flesh of his arm. Collecting some blood on the blade, Wormtail rushed over to the cauldron and tapped a few drops into the bubbling mixture before collapsing to the ground in agony. Sparking and fizzing, the cauldron and its contents began to melt together, twisting and pulling in every direction before settling into the terrifying visage of the Dark Lord Voldemort. With a lazy wave of his hand the Dark Lord summoned his wand from Wormtail's prone form and conjured a robe around his new body.
"Stand up Wormtail, and hold out your arm," he commanded. His voice, while still a hiss, had dropped to a more normal register. Pettigrew rose shakily to his feet and held out his trembling arm. Once again he screamed in pain as his Dark Mark writhed under Voldemort's cruel wand. Within moments several pops announced the arrival of several figures wearing black robes and silver masks, each of them dropping to one knee at the sight of their risen master. Wormtail collapsed to the ground again, his work complete. The Dark Lord waited several moments for any late arrivals, but soon realized that the few before him were all that would be arriving.
"Thirteen years it's been, my friends, since I last walked among you. I see the years have been far kinder to you than to me." Several of the assembled Death Eaters shifted uncomfortably under the Dark Lord's gaze. "I've heard rumors that in my absence many of you have abandoned my noble quest to bring this world into a new era of pureblood dominance and prosperity. I find this news...disturbing." Many spines chilled at the menace in those words. "Whether out of cowardice, greed, or perceived necessity, all of you have become a disappointment to the cause. You have all, save one, failed me." His cold red eyes seemed to bore into each of them, making his displeasure almost palpable. He held his gaze for a few moments to let them squirm before continuing.
"Now then. Let it not be said that I am not a merciful lord. You each will be given a second chance to prove yourselves, starting tonight. For tonight begins a new era, one which will see Britain crawling on its knees in servitude to the greatest Dark Lord the world has ever seen!" This was met by cheers of agreement from the groveling crowd. "Tonight, you all will bear witness as I remove once and for all the final obstacle in my path to greatness. Gentlemen, I give you... Harry Potter."
Voldemort swept his arm towards Harry with a flourish, drawing attention to the prisoner that had gone unnoticed to the new arrivals. The Death Eaters began to chuckle and jeer as Voldemort approached the terrified boy. The Dark Lord's face broke into a vicious smile as he basked in the fear he sensed before him. Summoning the dagger from where Wormtail had dropped it, Voldemort held it up for all to see. Leaning in, he spoke just loud enough to be heard over the catcalls of his followers.
"Harry Potter," he whispered. "Time to die." With a cry of victory he raised the dagger over his head and with both hands slammed it to the hilt into Harry's chest. Harry's eyes bugged out in shock and pain as he felt the blade pierce the headstone behind him. The Dark Lord turned with his arms raised high as the Death Eaters began a raucous celebration. His triumphant smile soon fell as one by one his followers stopped to stare behind him in shock. Voldemort turned and gaped as Harry's features began to shift. His black hair shifted to platinum blonde, green eyes faded to dull grey, and the famous lightning bolt scar vanished. One of the masked men stepped forward, instantly recognizing the boy before him.
"Draco?"
Voldemort barely heard Lucius's whispered question as his attention was glued to the boy dying in front of him. Noticing the boy's mouth moving, he dispelled the Silencio with a wave of his wand. His mouth dripping blood, Draco just barely managed to draw enough breath to speak.
"M-my...lord..." With a final sigh, Draco was gone. Not a sound could be heard as everyone gaped at Draco's lifeless body, each too stunned to move. The silence was broken by an inhuman scream of rage from the Dark Lord.
"NO!" Voldemort lashed out in anger, blasting Draco's body and the gravestone behind it to pieces. Each of the Death Eaters took a step back as he spun around to face them. The graveyard erupted into chaos as the Dark Lord began firing curses at his followers, sending them scattering for their lives. Most were too slow however to escape the wrath of Voldemort's anger.
"Which one of you betrayed me?" Walden McNair crumpled to the ground in a flash of green light. "You think this is funny, do you?" Andrew Parkinson wasn't laughing as he tried in vain to stem the bleeding from his slashed throat. "I'll show you what happens when you turn on your lord!" Crabbe and Goyle Sr. were hit by the same blood-boiling curse, dying in agony seconds later. "Lucius, was this your doing?" Lucius Malfoy could only scream as a spell from Voldemort's wand flayed him alive.
As soon as spells had begun flying, Peter Pettigrew had begun crawling away from his enraged master. He had hid behind a large tombstone and cauterized his stump with the wand of a fallen Death Eater, but now he feared he was too late as he was beginning to hallucinate from blood loss. He was certain he had seen his master plunge his dagger in to Harry Potter's heart, so he was at a loss to explain how the boy could have appeared in front of him from under an invisibility cloak looking very hacked off. He began to fear that this was no hallucination when he felt the tip of the boy's wand pressed against his forehead.
"Hello Peter," Harry snarled. "My godfather and I would like a word with you." Pettigrew's head hit the stone behind him with a crack as harry hit him point blank with a stunner. Quickly covering the body with his cloak, Harry summoned the cup from where it had fallen and placed it in Wormtail's lap. He then carefully peered around the tombstone to watch the show.
The Dark Lord appeared to be running out of steam as he continued firing curse after curse at his fleeing followers. As the killing curse left his wand and dropped the last Death Eater, Voldemort collapsed to his knees clutching his chest in pain. Harry carefully stepped out from his hiding spot and approached him slowly, wand leveled at his chest. When Voldemort saw him approaching, he tried to raise his arm to fire a curse, only for Harry to disarm him and snatch his wand out of the air easily. The Dark Lord glared and gasped for breath as Harry stopped a few feet in front of him, both wands trained between his eyes.
"What's...happening...to...m-me..." Harry studied him for a few more seconds before answering.
"You're dying." Voldemort scoffed.
"Im...possible...the...ritual..."
"Oh I've read all about your ritual," Harry interrupted. "I've known about it for weeks. Once I found out that Professor Moody was an impostor, all it took was some Veritaserum and the right questions for him to tell me all about it. Then my brilliant girls and I found out all we could about it, including how to sabotage it. I had originally intended to send you Crouch Polyjuiced as me, but Draco showed up and blew that plan to hell. Lucky for me he decided to nip some of Moody's flask." Voldemort stared at Harry as if he'd grown a second head.
"We figured out that while the bone and flesh create the body, it's the blood that creates the new body's magical core. If the person whose blood you take is not your enemy, the magic can't tell the difference between it and the flesh of the servant from the previous step. By taking Draco's blood, you were left with an unstable core which you then fractured with your little temper tantrum. And since your body needs the core to sustain itself, it looks like you won't be around long enough to begin a new era of anything." When it finally hit home that he was not going to survive, Harry saw an unmistakable flash of fear cross the Dark Lord's features. He continued to watch as the most feared being in the magical world since the time of Grindelwald slumped to the ground at his feet. After a few moments of labored breathing, the dark lord once known as Tom Marvolo Riddle was no more. Shaking his head in disgust, Harry raised his wand.
"Incendio."
Gouts of flame erupted from the tip of Harry's wand and reduced the last remnants of the Dark Lord to ashes. After making sure no trace of the body remained, Harry made his way over to Wormtail and the cup. Stunning the unconscious man again for good measure, he concentrated on the entrance of the maze while pointing his wand at the cup.
"Portus."
With another tap of his wand, Harry and Wormtail were gone.
The scene of the third task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament was in complete chaos. After Cedric and Viktor had been retrieved from the maze, it was quickly discovered that Harry had disappeared along with the Tri-Wizard Cup. Dumbledore had immediately called for the staff and prefects to begin leading the students to the great hall while Madame Maxime led the Beauxbatons students to their carriage. Igor Karkaroff was nowhere to be found. Once they had been revived, Daphne and Hermione had steadfastly refused to return to the castle until they knew that Harry was safe. Tracy and Astoria soon joined them after handing a sobbing Fleur off to Gabrielle and her parents to be led to the carriage. A squad of aurors soon arrived from the ministry at the request of Minister Fudge. Dumbledore was just beginning to organize a search party for Harry when a portkey deposited the boy in question along with an unconscious Peter Pettigrew right at the entrance of the maze. He had barely regained his feet before he was tackled to the ground by two hysterical witches. Tracy and Astoria held each other and cried with relief as they watched the tearful reunion. The three teens on the ground were brought out of their reverie by the unwelcome voice of Minister Fudge.
"What is the meaning of this? Mr. Potter, I demand an explanation!" Harry's girls reluctantly released him and helped him to his feet before turning to face the angry politician, their arms firmly around each others' waists.
"That's Lord Potter Mr. Minister, and I'd be happy to offer an explanation as soon as this piece of shit is taken into custody by some of your aurors." Harry nudged Pettigrew with the toe of his shoe, indicating to which piece of shit he was referring. As he was speaking, they were joined by Albus Dumbledore and an older woman with short gray hair and a monocle in one eye. When she spoke it was with a tone that was used to giving orders and having them swiftly carried out.
"Lord Potter, I am Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Since it is my aurors you are asking for, I would like to know whom they are to be arresting."
"Of course, Madame Bones. May I introduce Peter Pettigrew, illegal animagus, Death Eater, and true betrayer of James and Lily Potter." Madame Bones nearly dropped her monocle as her eyes widened in shock. A few barked commands saw Pettigrew being portkeyed away, bound in magic suppression shackles and flanked by two aurors. After her prisoner had been secured, Madame Bones turned her attention back to Harry.
"Now then, perhaps you could explain how two supposedly dead men wound up here tonight, as well as how one of them came to be in your custody?" Harry nodded and launched into the story he had been editing since the Dark Lord drew his last breath. He explained how he had been ambushed at the cup by Draco and the ensuing battle for the wand, minus the incident with the Polyjuice. He described the portkey trip to the graveyard and how he narrowly avoided capture. He explained that Draco had been used in some dark ritual by Pettigrew and how the other Death Eaters had arrived soon after the ritual was complete. He told his captivated audience how he had stunned Pettigrew in a moment of opportunity after a firefight had broken out among the Dark Lord's followers, leading to his recreation of the original portkey to return them to the maze entrance. A gentle squeeze of their waists told the girls that they would be getting the full story as soon as they were alone. Thanking him for his time and congratulating him on his performance and quick thinking, Madame Bones and Minister Fudge returned to the ministry, eager to begin Pettigrew's interrogation. Dumbledore desperately wanted to question Harry further but was quickly overruled by Madame Pomphrey as she bustled Harry off to the hospital wing with the four relieved girls in tow.
Some time later, after a disbelieving mediwitch finally released him from her clutches, Harry found himself in the Room of Requirements with Hermione, Tracy and Daphne, reciting the entire story beginning with his entering the maze. They gasped in horror as he described the confrontation with the former Malfoy and cried with relief as he recounted the failed ritual and the Dark Lord's demise. He was rewarded for his bravery with passionate snogs from Hermione and Daphne. He was confused however when they both looked to Tracy with expectant smiles on their faces. His confusion turned to shock when Tracy straddled him and proceeded to give him a snog every bit as fiery as the other girls had. The four teens didn't emerge from the Room of Requirements until just before dinner time the following day, each wearing matching goofy grins.
Upon entering the great hall, Harry was met with a hero's welcome led by the other three champions as the hall erupted into cheers and applause. Cedric and Viktor each congratulated him with firm handshakes while Fleur greeted him with kisses on each cheek as Gabrielle tackled him in a bear hug. After the evening feast, Harry was declared the Tri-Wizard Champion and presented with the trophy and the thousand-Galleon prize. Each of the professors paled as Harry immediately made his way over to the Weasley twins and began conversing with them in hushed tones. As the twins burst out in peals of excited laughter bordering on the maniacal, Professor McGonagall found herself seriously considering an early retirement.
Chapter 12
-Epilogue-
That summer was the best one that Harry had ever experienced. Over Dumbledore's persistent protests, Harry refused to return to the Dursleys and instead moved into #12 Grimmauld Place with his newly-exonerated Godfather. The gloomy mansion was quickly transformed into happy home once Dobby had replaced the old Black Family house elf, Kreatcher, and Harry's girls became almost daily visitors. A few weeks into the summer they each received an invitation to Chateau Delacour in southern France where they spent three weeks sightseeing and sunning on the beach with Fleur and Gabrielle. Harry quickly became an expert at applying suntan lotion to his bikini-clad girlfriends and made sure to get as much practice in as he could.
Harry also spent time getting acquainted with the elder Greengrasses as well as the Grangers and Davises. To his chagrin, he was on the receiving end of three 'hurt my daughter and they'll never find the body' speeches, but was otherwise welcomed warmly by all three families. The Grangers had some trouble initially accepting their unique relationship, but they eventually warmed up to it once they saw how happy their bookish princess had become. By the end of the summer, Dan Granger had dragged Harry to half the golf courses in England and was secretly looking forward to calling Harry 'son' in a few years.
When Madame Bones' investigation into the third task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament led to the revelation that many of magical Britain's most prominent citizens were Death Eaters, Harry was called to testify before the entire Wizengamot. After repeating the story he had first given upon his return from the graveyard, Harry was commended for his bravery and nominated for the Order of Merlin, Second Class. Dumbledore tried to talk to him after the court proceedings but Harry quickly left the Ministry building before the headmaster could catch him.
The only black spot on Harry's summer holiday was when he accepted an invitation from Ginny and the twins for he and the girls to visit the Burrow. Shortly after they arrived he was approached by Arthur Weasley asking him to release Ron from the life debt, citing family honor. Harry reluctantly agreed and released the debt, only to immediately be set upon by an enraged Ron Weasley. Ron got two good swings in before the girls, including Ginny, blasted him clean through the wall and into the back garden. Before he could regain his feet for a second assault he was met by his mother in a towering rage as she delivered a personal Howler from a distance of two inches from his nose. It was rumored that her voice could be heard in the nearby village of Ottery-St. Catchpole, a quarter mile away.
The next three years at Hogwarts passed relatively peacefully for Harry. Hermione was made a 5th year prefect but returned her badge when she learned that the other had been given to Ron instead of Harry. With the children of Death Eaters no longer attending Hogwarts and two of Harry Potter's girlfriends wearing the silver and green, the house of the cunning turned down their animosity toward the Boy-Who-Lived, eventually increasing their acceptance of the other houses as well. By the time Harry and the girls graduated, the barriers between the houses had all but vanished, finally allowing the Sorting Hat to make up a new song for the opening feast.
Severus Snape resigned from Hogwarts at the end of Harry's fourth year, despite Dumbledore's insistence of his necessity as a spy when the Dark Lord eventually returned, as Dumbledore knew he must. Snape pointed out that the complete disappearance of his Dark Mark indicated that the Dark Lord would never return, therefore leaving Snape no longer in need of sanctuary within Hogwarts' walls. Using his savings, he built a potions lab on the far side of Azkaban Island where he spent the remainder of his days completely isolated from the rest of wizarding Britain, an arrangement that both parties found to their liking.
Albus Dumblefore spent the rest of his life watching for signs of Voldemort's eventual return. He repeatedly attempted to gain control over Harry, eventually telling him the prophecy at the end of his sixth year in the hope that Harry would do his duty to the magical world by allowing Voldemort to kill him when the time came, thus fulfilling the prophecy. It was a very perplexed Dumbledore who watched his secret weapon laugh all the way back to the Gryffindor common room where he shared the source of his amusement with his curious girlfriends. They, however, failed to see the humor and stormed the headmaster's office, venting their rage at the meddlesome old fool by destroying nearly everything he owned. Dumbledore owled his resignation to the Board of Governors that very evening, but suffered nightmares featuring three enraged witches for years to come. He eventually faded from public view to the point that when he died the only person to mourn his passing was his older brother Aberforth, and even he barely noticed his passing. Unwilling to pass on in case Voldemort returned, Albus Dumbledore's ghost took up residence within Hogwarts, longing for the day that he might help defeat the Dark Lord and move on to his next great adventure. Little did he know that he was in for a very long wait.
The summer after graduating Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione, Daphne, and Tracy were married in a joint ceremony on the grounds of Chateau Delacour, with Ginny, Gabrielle, and Astoria all acting as bridesmaids. After the ceremony, Hermione Potter, Tracy Black, and Daphne Greengrass-Potter left with their new husband for a month-long honeymoon in a cozy Italian villa on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the deed to which Harry had found in his Potter Family Vault. As he and the girls watched their first sunset as husband and wives, each of them reflected on the events that brought them there as well as the promising future ahead of them. Looking into three loving pairs of eyes, Harry smiled as his heart finally found the family he had always wanted. He was home.