Chapter 33: Return of the King
The tension in the air that evening was so thick that you could cut through it with a knife; all around the Great Hall, the members of Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and Hogwarts all watched and waited with baited breaths for the drawing of the champions, only a small band of them, otherwise known as the Holy Knights, actually more on edge because of what they knew to be coming.
Watching from a protected spot between Sebastian and, much to his surprise, Sirius, Harry leaned in close to the Commander before he whispered quietly, "Should Fleur get into the Tournament, I want you to assign her a member of the Order as a contact and training partner."
"Way ahead of you Harry," Sebastian replied, his own eyes locked on the spot where the Goblet of Fire was burning brightly in the centre of the room, "Tyler asked if he could and I said it was fine, especially when I also told him that Miss Tonks could be here to help: her Auror training could come in handy."
"He's got a point there Harry," Sirius agreed, not really meaning to eavesdrop, "Nym is one of the best Defence students I know; present company excluded," he added with a smirk, nodding to his godson, "She knows she has an open invitation thanks to you and a place to stay in the Wing; so I agree with Seba."
Harry just nodded in agreement as Headmistress McGonagall took the centre of the room, Madame Maxime and High Master Karkaroff either side of her; glancing around the room, McGonagall cleared her throat before she spoke, "And now that we are all settled; it is time for the Champions' Selections: once again I warn you all that, once your name emerges from the Goblet, there is no turning back. You may have a select amount of company for research and assistance, but under no circumstances must you think you can get out of this: once it's done, it's done."
"She always had a way with words," Sirius chuckled, watching as the three heads of the three schools placed their hands upon the Goblet, the shimmering blue flames that erupted from the top of the goblet now turning red. As everyone leaned forwards, Harry then felt Excalibur's magic react to his own and the power of the Goblet; moving his hand down to his sword, Harry caressed the pommel as if he were calming a beast.
Then the first name erupted from the inside: catching the parchment, Minerva observed the parchment before she exclaimed, "The champion for Durmstrang is…Viktor Krum!"
A loud cheer and several rounds of applause filled the room as the so-called Quidditch star made his way down to the three heads, shook their hands and moved off into a separate chamber; as he watched Krum depart, Harry then noticed something rather off: a certain ex-headmaster was watching the Goblet and, despite his freakishly long beard, Harry could actually swear that he was muttering under his breath.
'Mum,' Harry sent across the bond, 'Tell me: can you hear Dumbledore muttering from where you're standing? I think he's done something to the Goblet; no surprise really.'
'I can't hear him,' Lily returned, her own position next to Remus as she looked to where Dumbledore was standing, 'I'll keep an eye on him son: don't forget that we know what's coming, but if he's tried something, then I ask my little King's permission to tear him a new one.'
'Get in line,' Harry laughed, watching as the flames turned red once more, another parchment flying from within; as McGonagall caught it, she looked around once.
"The champion for Beauxbatons…is Fleur Delacour!" she announced, though Harry gave Sebastian a subtle nudge as if to say to go ahead with his plan; almost immediately, the leader of the Order of Pendragon left the hall while the Goblet let out another name: Harry crossed his fingers as he looked around, wondering who the unfortunate soul was, "The Hogwarts Champion is…Cedric Diggory!"
This time, if it was possible, there was a louder cheer as Cedric, a Hufflepuff seventh year with dark brown eyes and stuck up hair of the same colour, moved through towards the same room where Fleur and Krum had gone; it was as he passed Dumbledore, however that Harry saw it again: a low muttering that became silent as soon as Cedric walked past him.
"And that's it!" exclaimed McGonagall, "The three champions are chosen; the wheels of fate have been set in motion and the Tournament has officially begun! I only wish luck to our three…"
She didn't get to finish; Harry watched as the flames turned red again, a stronger pulse of magic now filling the room as the Lord of Hogwarts felt his school and the magic of his ancestors trying to block it; shaking his head, Harry whispered, "Don't: let this happen; for the sake of the future, it has to happen."
Hogwarts, hearing her Lord's wishes, became still again as a final parchment shot out of the Goblet…followed by a second; catching both of them, Minerva's eyes widened and Harry noticed Dumbledore's twinkling eyes go out as she looked around, before, in a shaky voice, she called out both names.
"Lord Harry Potter; Lady Hermione Potter!"
Rising from his seat, Harry felt a sense of worry crossing the bond from his beloved; soothing her with his smile, Harry held out his hand and, helping Hermione up, both of them made their way to the front of the hall, Lily watching with a worried expression while, at her side, Remus was actually smiling and, at the edge of his vision, Harry noted that Sirius was also grinning.
"They cheated!" yelled one Hufflepuff;
"Not even seventeen," complained a sixth-year Slytherin;
"But it's typical," a familiar fourth-year voice complained; stopping dead, Harry turned and faced the specific owner of the last voice; Ron Weasley had a look of pure jealousy and planning rage on his face.
Shaking his head, Harry reached down to his belt and withdrew Excalibur from its sheath, before he lifted it high and, addressing the hall, exclaimed, "I, Harry James Potter, Arch-Knight of the Elemental Order do solemnly swear on the Holy Sword Excalibur that I did not willingly enter this Tournament or put my name in the Goblet!"
A bolt of white lightning crossed Hogwarts' darkened ceiling, before Hermione linked her hand with Harry's as she added, "I, Hermione Jane…Potter, Holy Knight of Ocean, do solemnly swear on the Holy Sword Excalibur that I did not willing enter this Tournament or put my name in the Goblet: should either myself or Harry James Potter be lying, may the elements strike us down where we stand!"
Another bolt of lightning crossed the sky, but this time it was emphasised by a torrential wave of water that mixed with the lightning before it took the shape of the Holy Knights' Phoenix Crest – a white phoenix cresting over a crossed pair of lightning bolts – the light now shining down on the two Knights as Harry lowered Excalibur and turned to follow the other Champions through to the side room.
As he passed the old man however, Harry stopped, looked him dead in the eyes and, in an almost icy voice, hissed, "Try and make something of this scenario old man…I beg you."
HPHG
While the three Heads of School tried to make heads or tails of what was going on here, Harry and Hermione were having their own conversation in their minds.
'Sparky, be honest with me: did you enter my name knowing you'd become a Champion?'
'I didn't,' Harry told her, 'I swear on the crown I bear that I did not wish you to join me Kitten: I'm sorry.'
'Don't be,' Hermione replied, before she linked hands with her betrothed and placed a soft kiss on his lips, 'If you didn't, then there's only one reason for it: we're betrothed in soul and magic, so Hogwarts herself would have done this.'
'I see what you're saying there,' Harry agreed, 'But I wish Godric would have warned me of this: I mean, other than the magic of my blade and Hogwarts trying to reverse this, there was no real warning.'
'Too little, too late I guess,' Hermione sighed, resting her head on Harry's shoulder as she asked, 'But what will we do? Will we work together or should we make this interesting?'
'Well,' Harry remarked, 'We know that I'm meant to meet with the Last Knight, old Tommy Boy, towards the end of the task, but we are bonded and have equal levels of power: I see no reason to make this interesting. So how about this: we research together and find out about the trials, but we keep strategies private…even from each other: then, when the final scores come in before the final task, we'll add a little wager to the bet.'
'I'm listening,' Hermione told him, her voice a soft purr in his ears as she half-listened to the Ministry officials talking about how they had no choice: surprisingly, none of the other Champions opposed this; more than likely because they could see the kind of power that bonded these two already.
'You beat me on points,' Harry told her, 'And I'll reward you with a date: but not just some dinner and a movie; no, this one will be special: anywhere in the world, or even in Camelot.'
'And if you beat me?' asked Hermione.
'If I beat you on points,' Harry told her, 'Then I have a proverbial free pass to do anything I want and either get away with it or not tell you about it.'
'Now that's a bit meagre,' Hermione sighed, her hand linked with Harry's as she added, 'How about if you beat me, we take the special date anywhere you want, but we make it for your birthday, so it's a double celebration.'
'Uh-huh,' Harry agreed, 'And the reverse?'
'I beat you,' Hermione teased him, 'Then, no matter how you feel about it…we complete our bond on the eve of the third task so that we can go in there with everything we've got: deal?'
'Deal,' Harry returned, his voice almost trembling as he thought of the aftermath of their little wager; if he won, he'd have a content Hermione and a future he would look forwards to; but if she won, he'd still have a content Hermione, but a pissed off Father figure better known as his Uncle Dan.
Either way, Hermione won…and that was the kind of bet that Harry would make a thousand times over and a thousand times again…
HPHG
After the two additional Champions had been allowed to leave, Harry had decided to get some more answers before he called it a night; leaving Hermione with the Knights, the King of Camelot made his way down to the Chamber of Secrets, their specially-chosen training chamber showing its wear and tear from the battle signs that lined the walls and the absence of the Basilisk corpse. It had been not too long before their return for fourth year that Harry and Severus had both returned to the school and harvested the Basilisk; half of it had gone to Gringotts for a rather hefty profit while the remainder had been kept by Harry for potion and other such uses.
Lifting Excalibur from its scabbard, Harry carved a five-point star on the ground before he added a circle around the outer edge, creating a pentagram; once this was done, he dug his blade into the centre-point of the pentagram, a bolt of lightning travelling through Excalibur's design and into the pentagram. As the two forces of magic met, there was an ominous rumbling and, removing his weapon, Harry smiled as he saw the Gateway rise in front of him.
It had been Merlin who had taught him how to open the gate without really needing to leave Excalibur or waste any unnecessary magic: as the new King, Harry had full command over the doorway that separated his human life from the magical kingdom that he ruled. When the gate opened, Harry stepped through, a smile gracing his lips as he found himself not stepping out onto the sandy beach as he had done before, but seemingly through a door inside Camelot's Main Castle, known simply as the Pendragon Citadel. Recalling his explorations of the place during his short time here, Harry followed the corridor downwards, several of the guards recognising him as they saluted him; when he reached the throne room, one of the guards pounded the floor with the butt of his staff-like weapon – the halberd - before he exclaimed, "My Lords and Ladies; announcing his Imperial Majesty: King Harry James Potter, Arch-Knight of the Elemental Order!"
The doors to the throne room opened before Harry actually smiled when he saw the Lords and Ladies of Nature all standing before him, their circular gathering seats positioned behind them. Seeing his King and proverbial apprentice standing before him, Merlin gave a bow of his own before he asked, "Your Majesty: this is a rather welcome surprise: how can the Elemental Order be of service sire?"
"There are some questions I would like answered Emrys," Harry answered, using Merlin's other name as a means to show how serious he was about this, "I came here of my own accord and on my own to get those answers: if we may step inside?"
"Of course," replied Merlin, stepping aside and, along with the other Lords and Ladies of the Order, moved to his seat, Harry taking his throne at the apex of the circle; assuming his regal-like stance – one leg crossed over the other with his fingers linked upon his lap – Harry faced the other Lords and made a mental note of how things appeared to have changed.
Since he had last seen them, when they'd said their farewells towards the end of August, Harry noticed that Artemis and Minerva actually appeared to look a lot more healthier while there was a glow to Zeus and Vulcan that hadn't been there before; indeed, all the Lords and Ladies appeared to be glowing, with the exception of Artemis, who was watching Harry. Knowing what she wanted to hear, the King of Camelot gave a sigh before he spoke, "Before we begin, I would like to thank you Lady Artemis: your gift on Samhain was well thought out and I appreciate you giving me the chance to speak to my Father after all these years."
"You are more than welcome my King," Artemis replied, her voice still like an older Luna as she faced her King, "And are you going to take the information you learned from your Father to heart?"
"Regarding your Hallows?" asked Harry; when Artemis nodded, he continued, "I am: I already possess two of the Hallows on my person: one being my new wand, which was forfeited from its previous master when he lost his stature in the world; I also own the Invisibility Cloak and am looking to possess the Resurrection Stone."
"Perhaps the Last Knight may know something," Artemis suggested, her tone indicating that this was one of those precognitive visions and meant as a hint to the King. A hint he took to heart as he looked around the circle: it was pretty difficult for him to remember that it had only been two months since he had last sat upon his throne and moved through his kingdom, but here he was again.
"Perhaps," he finally spoke up, "But for now, there is a much more pressing matter: I have found the last of my unknown Knights: the Holy Knight of Terra."
"Really?" asked Gaia; his stone-grey eyes suddenly shining bright as he asked, "Who is it?"
"A girl," Harry explained, "Fleur Delacour, who is also now my rival in the Tournament: yes Artemis," he added, seeing the Lady of Darkness open her mouth, "Your prophecy has come full circle: I now realise it was referring to the Tournament and now, not one, not two, but three Holy Knights are rivals in this Tournament."
"Three?" asked Zeus, "How is that my Lord?"
"When my name was revealed as Number Four," Harry explained, giving a sly grin to Artemis as he said this, "My beautiful and ever-bright Queen's name came out with me: now I'll get to that later, but for now, I need to know: does my being the Arch-Knight take away my original mantle of Holy Knight of Thunder?"
"It should," Zeus answered, "I should have warned you about this when we spoke: why?"
"Because," Harry told him, his voice calm now that his suspicions had finally been confirmed, "Fleur has a sister; a younger sister named Gabrielle: she's only eight or nine at the moment, but her magical blood will see her go through a change of some sort very soon. Anyway, the important part is that Gabrielle Delacour has become the Holy Knight of Thunder."
"Really?" asked Minerva, the Lady of Sky now looking between Zeus and Artemis as she asked, "Did you two know of this?"
"No they didn't," Merlin replied, the Lord of Light and Father of Magic actually running a hand down his white beard as he looked to Harry, "But I did: I'm sorry Harry, but yes, your suspicions are confirmed: when you became the Arch-Knight and indeed when you and Lady Hermione complete your bond and make this an official union of the elements, it will happen again. But when you became the Arch-Knight, your powers as the Holy Knight of Thunder were returned to the Balance until a new Knight was found: tell me, Miss Delacour, is she Anointed or Pure?"
"Pure Knights," Harry answered, "Both of them: I wish you had told me Emrys, but now I want you to tell me: will this affect anything in the future?"
"No," Merlin replied, "Like I said Harry, it will happen again when you and Lady Hermione officially complete your bond to one another: she will become your equal, the second Arch-Knight, known as the Arch-Mage, and the powers of the Holy Knight of Ocean will go to another. Now, if the Knights of Terra and Thunder have been found, then the Knight of Ocean will be an Anointed who will receive his or her powers on the day following the completion of your bond."
"I think I understand," Harry muttered, his eyes now filled with a sense of angst as he thought to himself, 'So if Hermione wins our little wager, then the new Knight could be crowned on the same day that Tom's supposed to come back…whenever that is.'
Voicing his other thoughts, he then asked, "Speaking of the power inside me: I was told that I would undergo a sort of early magical maturity and it is yet to occur: is this because of you?"
"It is," Zeus explained, "We seven have banded together and have not so much suspended your maturity, but put it on hold so that, when you complete your bond with Lady Hermione, your powers shall unite and grow together."
'And again we're back to the bond,' Harry thought, 'Gods above, I'm starting to realise just what it will mean when Hermione and I complete our bond.'
Leaning forwards slightly, Harry let out a sigh before he asked, "I know that this could be classed as cheating, but is there anything you can tell me about the trials ahead?"
"Nothing that intervening forces will not tell you for themselves," Merlin replied, looking shrewdly to the others as he added, "And beware of the old one my King; now that your life hangs in the balance, he may try and use this as a means to pull you back into his grasp: never forget the key objective of this Tournament and stand true to your beliefs."
"I will," Harry sighed, "Thank you Emrys; I'm grateful that the Lords were able to meet with me today and, once again, I thank you Artemis for your gift: this has probably been my best Halloween ever."
"I am happy it pleases you my King," Artemis replied, "Are you going?"
"I have to," Harry answered her, "If I'm gone too long, people will get suspicious, but I will keep everything you've told me in mind and, when we meet again, one way or another, it will be with a completed set of Holy Knights led by the Arch-Knight and Arch-Mage. May your swords stay sharp, my Lords and Ladies of Nature."
"And to you, Your Majesty," chorused the Elemental Order, their words and explanations ringing in Harry's ears and mind throughout most of everything that followed…
A pretty short Ch 33, but enough for Harry to learn more about what is to come and for a few surprises to be put in place: with the information in mind, can Harry survive and meet the Last Knight?
Also, what is the old man planning and will Harry have the strength to overcome it?
Keep Reading to Find Out;
Next Chapter: Harry and Hermione come face to face with another big enemy in their path: Rita Skeeter; also, most of Hogwarts has turned against Harry and Hermione, but support comes from a surprising source and, as the date of the first task draws nearer, Harry finds out about the contents of the task in a most unusual way…
Chapter 34: The First Task
How soon things can change for people!
When Harry had returned to the Lion's Wing and to his Queen, he had felt like a great burden had been lifted from his mind, but he was still slightly curious and even more unnerved by the effects that his future would have on him and Hermione. Sleeping pretty well through the night, Harry awoke the next morning to his favourite view: a head of bushy brown hair resting on his chest, her hand clenched into a fist as she seemed content to massage the area around his heart.
Such delights and splendour, however, would not last: no sooner had Harry and Hermione entered the Great Hall than Harry found himself entering a silence-filled scenario that would have put a wake to shame. Nearly forty percent of the heads in Hogwarts student body were turned in their direction and, as much as he wanted to think otherwise, Harry had a sneaking feeling that this was just the beginning.
He was proved right not two days later when, after two days of sharp glares and fierce whispers from the students, Harry entered the Great Hall for dinner and found the smug, cocky face of Ron Weasley brandishing what appeared to be a badge that read SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY, before it changed to another slogan that read POTTER STINKS.
Rather than rise to the occasion, Harry heaved a sigh as he asked, "So Weasley, just how much did you try to bribe Ravenclaw House to do this for you?"
"Only telling the truth Potter," sneered Ron, Harry clenching his fist as he saw the cockiness in the boy's voice: he actually thought he'd won.
"Well your truth is…" before he could continue, Harry actually chuckled before he lifted the sleeve of his robe to his nose and sniffed, a look of shame and disgruntled emotion crossing his face as he added, "Pretty true; I guess I should learn to wash my robe before I wear it: in any event, you continue to slander my name and I will not hesitate to bring you down: I heard the Banshee loves her job as a dragon shit shoveller."
Ron's fist – as usual – came before his wand, but Harry only yawned as he lifted his own hand, caught the fist and, without even trying to move, swept Ron aside with a powerful blast of wind. As Ron sprawled to the ground, Harry looked around the Great Hall before he addressed the schools, "And to whoever else is responsible for these badges, you should call a retraction and cease any hostility towards my betrothed and me; we swore on the power of my family's sword that we did not cheat or willingly enter this Tournament and, though we are betrothed, both Hermione and I are keeping our game plans from one another."
"Very true Sir Potter," McGonagall added, rising from her seat as she explained, "Mr Weasley, it seems that you're setting records for detentions in this school as they now add up to Christmas and beyond; so, to save face, I think your punishment should be a week's detention with Professor Potter where you must do as she says."
'Uh oh,' chorused Harry and Hermione, their mental voices laced with amusement.
Minerva then addressed the hall, "And let me remind you that I was there when Sir Potter and Lady Potter swore their oaths, and willingly, I may add: such bravery is commended here at Hogwarts and, should this bigotry against them continue, the parties responsible will be put through some of the worst punishments imaginable."
Harry thanked her as he sat down with the Gryffindors, Hermione remaining ever true and ever proud at his side…
HPHG
Three days after Minerva's warning, Harry and Hermione were down in Potions with Severus when a knock came at the door to the classroom: when Severus gave permission to enter, Harry felt a modicum of surprise when he saw Colin Creevey walk in, before he eeped at Snape's glare. "Sorry for disturbing you Professor Snape, but I was sent by the Headmistress to bring Harry and Hermione for a pre-task ceremony."
"Very well," Severus nodded, looking to the two aforementioned lions as he added, "Harry, you and Hermione are excused from the homework to concentrate on the Tournament: I trust you shall not abuse this privilege?"
"No Professor," Harry replied, rising with his queen and, following Colin, made his way up to a classroom on the fifth floor; once inside, Harry was surprised to find not only Minerva, but Madame Maxime, who seemed to be escorting Fleur, as well as High Master Karkaroff who was escorting Viktor and finally Professor Dumbledore. Cedric was standing with Minerva and Harry also noticed Sebastian waiting with them: no doubt the private mentor of the Lord of Hogwarts had been informed along with Minerva.
There was also, much to Harry's surprise, the company of Mr Ollivander, who smiled when he saw Harry enter, along with Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman; finally, there was a photographer and a familiar face in Rita Skeeter. Remembering what Arthur had said about the woman, Harry straightened his posture before he moved to Sebastian's side, not failing to notice the glare he was getting from Dumbledore as he did so.
"Excellent," Bagman announced, "Now that our five champions are here, we can begin: now, you are here for a simple test of your wands and to see whether they are compatible with the trials ahead; then you will have an interview with Miss Skeeter here and an opportunity for Champions' Photos that will appear in the Prophet in the future. Now, there is one last piece of information that I wish to give to you and it is this: the first task shall take place in less than three weeks on November 24th in a specially crafted environment just outside the school. For the sake of equality, we have decided that all five champions are forbidden to know of the challenge's contents as…"
"May I speak up here Mr Bagman?" asked Harry suddenly, his eyes aware of Skeeter seemingly writing almost instantly: if she was as bad as he suspected, he'd have to silence her.
"Of course Sir Potter," replied Ludo, "What do you wish to say?"
"These trials," Harry explained, "They are used to test the mettle of students of age and are also highly dangerous as Headmistress McGonagall told us all; therefore, wouldn't it be fairer to inform us of these dangers beforehand so we have the proper skills? Otherwise it would be like throwing an amateur gladiator into the lion's pit!"
"I agree with Sir Potter," Madame Maxime exclaimed, much to Harry's surprise, "While I do not question ze integrity of ze Knight, it iz true zat our Champions should be aware of ze trials zey are about to face."
"I…see," Bagman sighed, meeting Harry's gaze as he continued, "But, Sir Potter, how would it test your mettle if…"
"Mr Bagman," Harry suddenly growled, "I may be forced to participate in this tournament, but as every Hogwarts representative here knows, I will sooner face the jaws of death again before I put my betrothed in danger: now, I do not want to have to go over your head on this, so, sir, I will ask once again: what is the First Task?"
"Harry my boy," Dumbledore began, but stopped when Excalibur and Nimueh were suddenly revealed to the assembled party.
"Shut it Dumbledore," Harry snarled, "It's probably your fault I'm like this anyway: so, keep it shut or I'll shut it for you! Mr Bagman, I'm going to count to three and if you haven't told us, then I will be forced to take actions that I don't wish to take: one…two…th…"
"DRAGONS!" Cried Ludo, gasping in fear as, with every number that Harry had counted, he had been glowing with bright light and magic that would put even the strongest Auror to shame: this was a young man who had openly challenged Fudge and his commands, not to mention seen to it that Dumbledore was no longer Head. "The first task is dragons: there will be five dragons, one for each of you, and they will be guarding a clue to the next task, which will be on February 24th; any form of magic or weaponry is welcome as long as you retrieve the task that is required. Without that clue, you cannot hope to progress to the next trial."
"Thank you," Harry sighed, now looking to Miss Skeeter as he added, "And as for you, I've heard of your reputation: sugar coat anything that I say to you and you will be out of a job faster than you can say Excalibur: am I clear?"
"Y-yes Sir Potter," Rita gasped, already ripping up her first draft of notes: against the kind of power that she had witnessed, she didn't really want to get in his way, not when he could do all that;
And so much more…
HPHG
Now that they knew what was going to be standing in their way – literally – the Holy Knights agreed to a ceasefire as they shared their research, but, like Harry and Hermione, kept their strategies to themselves: whenever he was planning his own task, Harry would close his mind to Hermione and practice like he had never done before. In his trainings, he focused on every aspect of his magic, from the elements to Illusionism and even handling Excalibur: he had a basic back-up that sounded a bit cheesy, but, if he was forced, then he would do it.
True; now that he knew that he would be facing a fully-grown dragon – a truth that Lily raged about for days on end when she found out – Harry was nervous and, more often than not, before they went to sleep at night, he and Hermione had to soothe the fears of the other as they shared their emotions for the task ahead. Remembering their little wager actually helped them concentrate on the task ahead: truth was that, if he was being honest with himself, Harry hoped Hermione would win the wager because he didn't wish to go into the final task, bring back Tom and come back only to find a real danger in his path.
So yes, if he was being honest with himself, Harry actually started to want to complete the bond and, when they did, he would make sure that Hermione knew just how much he cared for her; after all, without her, none of this – him as a Knight, let alone a King – would have been possible.
Pretty soon, Harry found himself laughing as November 24th came around and the tension in the air at Hogwarts was just as thick and palpable as it had been on the night of the Champions' Naming. After his little warning to the Dead Man Walking – a warning that hadn't gone heeded as Weasley's newly named bed in the Hospital Wing proved – the school had changed their tune and those that weren't happy that two underage champions were in the Tournament kept their thoughts to themselves.
More than anything, Harry and Hermione both felt like they would sooner tackle any other kind of danger rather than the one they were about to face; it didn't seem right that the Champions actually had to face a dragon for the sake of the Tournament, but, if Harry had learned anything, he had learned that life always loved throwing a wrench into the works.
After dinner, the five champions all made their way down to the stadium, a specially-built pen on the edge of the Forbidden Forest that Harry had also noticed was tended by a familiar red-haired Weasley otherwise known as Charlie. When they reached the Champions' tent, Harry and Hermione's faces turned into smiles when a nice surprise was revealed to them: Dan, Emma and Amelia were waiting just below the spectators stands and, as soon as he saw him, Harry half-expected Dan to hit him again. This time, he'd let him.
Approaching the two additional champions, Dan and Emma hugged their daughter and son-in-law close before Dan, who was holding Harry with such a strength that it showed more worry than rage, asked, "Nervous?"
"Truth?" Harry countered, then answered him, "I am, but I ask you not to worry Dan: I won't let anyone or anything stop me from protecting Hermione: she and I have been training night and day for this and we're both confidant in our abilities."
"I hope so," Dan sighed, before he looked to Amelia as he asked, "Our agreement?"
"Of course," Amelia replied, now stepping up to Harry as she added, "Harry, I have spoken with the judging panel and the heads of school and we have agreed that, after today, you and Hermione and the other champions will be given a two day resting period before returning to school. Now Dan and Emma have asked me to allow you to go home for those two days and, as Minister for Magic, I encourage and support their wishes."
"Thank you Amelia," Harry nodded, before he laughed as he added, "I'm actually glad you're here: I'll need someone to help keep Mum calm."
"We'll be sitting with Lily and Sirius," Emma then piped up, though Harry did notice the red in her eyes that showed she'd been crying, "Just promise that you'll come back to us Harry."
Hugging Emma warmly, Harry replied, "I promise Aunt Emma; I promise."
His use of her family title only made the Granger matriarch start crying again, before Dan smiled as he led her away with Amelia in tow, the Minister wishing the two champions good luck; once they were alone, Harry turned to Hermione before he asked, "Your…strategy: are you sure it will work?"
"Yes," Hermione answered him, now taking his hand as she leaned in close and kissed him on the lips as she asked, "Yours?"
"Do you really have to ask Mione?" asked Harry, "Just think of the wager as I've been doing and look forwards to those two days off."
"I will," Hermione replied, repeating her kiss before she walked into the champions' tent, Harry following moments later; inside the tent were Crouch, Bagman, McGonagall, Sebastian, Madame Maxime and Karkaroff, all of them with their champions – Seba was representing both Harry and Hermione – as Mr Bagman stepped up.
"Ah Sir Potter; there you are: right, Barty the bag." Turning to the other man, Ludo held out a violet-cloth bag that seemed to hiss and snap; from where he was standing, Harry felt his magic tingling as the raw bestial magic of the dragons they were to face matched his own. Bagman addressed the champions, "All right; in this bag are five miniature versions of the dragons out there, each one with a number: the number corresponds to the order in which you will enter the pit. Now, the task is this: each dragon guards a treasure: it was originally meant to be a golden egg, but due to unforeseen circumstances – Harry noticed he glanced in his direction as he said this – the goblins who forged the eggs were adamant at not being involved. So instead, the treasure is a gemstone that is held within the very heart of the nests."
"Nests?" asked Harry incredulously; he had researched dragons in depth and learned about them from the master himself in Merlin, "Mr Bagman, I'm not challenging you this time, but I want to know: we're to face nesting dragons?"
"That is correct Sir Potter," Bagman answered, "Now, why don't you pick first?"
Harry reached in, his hand curling around a small, but sharp figurine: pulling it out, he saw a silver-scaled dragon that he recognised all too well; Bagman's words confirmed it, "The Antarctic Silverback and the number is one: Sir Potter will be first."
'Silverback,' thought Harry, 'Just like Iris: does that mean I'll be facing a burning frost as well? Shit, I may have to rethink my strategy.'
The other champions seemed to share his thoughts about the dragon they received: Krum gained the Welsh Green, Fleur was to face the Chinese Fireball, Cedric gained the opponent of the Swedish Short-Snout and Hermione had the bad luck of drawing the Hungarian Horntail: on its own, the Horntail was quite possibly the most fierce of dragons, but it was only outmatched by – yep, you guessed it – the Silverback Dragons.
"And there we have the order," Bagman explained, "First will be Sir Potter, then Miss Delacour, followed by Mr Krum then Lady Potter and finally Mr Diggory: now, at the sound of the cannon…"
As if on cue, a cannon erupted and Harry, gulping hard, heard Bagman wish him luck before he stepped out into the pit: moving through the tunnel, Harry emerged in a rocky terrain with several large boulders and obstacles that appeared to be designed for obstruction and defensive purposes; as he steeled himself, he heard it: loud as thunder and deadly as the bite of the Basilisk. The roar of the Antarctic Silverback and it was coming from underneath his feet: even as he went to move, the ground trembled and Harry barely had time to leap out of the way before the ground exploded beneath him, revealing his enemy.
The first thing he took notice of was the fact that its scales weren't silver as he had seen, but a strong shade of ice blue that was close to white: it was almost 30ft in size and its wingspan was as large as twice Harry's height, the wings as bright and wind-inducing as its body. The head of the dragon was smooth in appearance, save for a pair of cold, murderous blue eyes that looked upon Harry with rage and defensive purpose; when it opened its jaws, the dragon let out a roar that shook the pit and the stadium around them.
'Wow,' Harry thought, looking to the Antarctic Silverback, a part of him noticing four sets of sharp claws that appeared to be stained by earth and blood, 'If it wasn't for the fact I've got to face her, I'd think her as beautiful as my Iris.'
Swooping down, the Silverback parted its jaws and Harry again ducked as two rows of sharp teeth missed his body by inches: realising that the kid gloves were off with this creature, Harry lifted his hand and summoned Excalibur, before he looked up to where the beast was flying. The first thing he'd have to do is ground the creature; tapping into his Parseltongue ability, he hissed, {Forgive me.}
Lifting Excalibur's blade, Harry tapped into his original bloodline of Thunder and aimed two bolts of white lightning at the tips of the dragon's arched wings; with a roar of pain, the great beast fell to the ground, its body quivering from an aftershock as it faced the enemy that dared to threaten its nest.
'There's a point,' thought Harry, looking around cautiously as he kept his blade trained on the dragon, 'Where is the nest?'
The Silverback appeared to roar at him again, its loud screech actually making the bones underneath Harry's skin tremble with a mix of ecstasy and fear: yes, he was afraid of the beast before him because he knew how dangerous it was supposed to be. However, any thoughts of 'supposed to be' were soon cut off when, as Harry moved from behind one of the obstructions, the Silverback opened her maw and Harry, out of instinct, lifted Excalibur just in time as a wave of white flame that was more like a stream of lightning erupted from the dragon's jaws. The white lightning onslaught came into contact with Excalibur's blade, the magical properties of the Holy Sword separating the stream as it surrounded Harry in magic, the King of Camelot grunting as the force of the power actually had his feet sliding beneath him.
'Merlin,' he gasped, 'She's a powerful one: I should never have forgotten that we were facing powerful creatures: okay…still no sign of the nest and this beast isn't going to halt this white lightning attack for a while, so I need to think.'
Even as he did, Harry reached into his magic and, again hissing for the beast to forgive what he was about to do to her, he concentrated on the fiery power of the dragon's blast and, with a cry, sliced Excalibur downwards, the sword now glowing with the same colour magic as the dragon's onslaught. When the two forces met, Harry called on his elemental lineage and transformed the flame from the dragon into ice, the maw of the beast now frozen open in a gesture that would have made an excellent water feature. Reaching into his magic, Harry leaped out from within the now frozen flame display and, keeping Excalibur at his side in case of battle, he approached the beautiful dragon's side and gently placed a hand on her frozen jaws.
"I'm sorry for this," he whispered, before he summoned what appeared to be tendrils from the ground, the thick stone of the pit now trapping the dragon in ropes of stone and what appeared to be steel, Harry now more grateful than ever for his training at the hands of the Lords of Nature. With the Silverback secured, the King of Camelot went back to basics; with his hand still on the dragon's head, he hissed at her, {Forgive me if I caused you harm beautiful Ice-Scales: I merely seek a treasure placed by those who brought you to my realm. Please tell me: where will I find this treasure?}
{M-My nest oh speaker of magic,} hissed the dragon, {You have power…and that sword; you are him, are you not? King of the Magical Realm?}
{I am the King of Camelot,} Harry answered her, {Where is your nest Ice-Scales: on my blade I vow that I shall free you from this magic once I have my item.}
{The burrow where I emerged,} the dragon gasped, {My nest is…is there; you are…a good soul Lord of Magic…it will serve you well.}
Thanking her, Harry moved over to the crater that the dragon had formed when she'd emerged from the earth; sure enough, at least six feet under where he was standing was a ring of iced stones and there, right in the heart of the nest, was a shining white diamond encased in what appeared to be a block of ice. Shaking his head, Harry lifted his hand and used the winds to lift the item from within the nest, being very careful not to harm the other eggs or any of the nest's features. Holding the diamond in his hand, Harry melted the ice with a simple flicker of flame and, keeping his word to the dragon, he unsealed her from the chains that bound her and the ice that trapped her.
Moving to the young human who had been merciful to her, the dragon bowed her head before she spoke to him, {I thank you King Silver-Eye; your honour to our kind shall be known for all time.}
{Thank you Mother Ice-Scales,} Harry returned, before he bent forwards and, petting the dragon's snout, placed a light kiss on her snout before he smiled at her and added, {Until we meet again.}
He left the pit to thunderous, disbelieving, but celebratory applause, all the while aware of the look of relief on the face of a certain Illusionism teacher and a certain Slytherin Head of House…
HPHG
Hermione, seeing Harry's return, ran into his arms and kissed him for all he was worth, the Lord of Hogwarts being very careful not to lose the diamond that he was holding. When they parted, she asked him, "Your plan worked?"
"Sadly not," Harry told her, "So I improvised: good luck against the Horntail."
Hermione thanked him as Harry allowed himself to be led aside by Sebastian and Madam Pomfrey, Hermione's eyes never leaving the treasure that was held by her boyfriend, a part of her now more curious than worried:
'What is the significance of the diamond and the second task?'
HPHG
After Viktor Krum had successfully managed to acquire his treasure, which Hermione noticed to be a blood ruby while Fleur's had been a sapphire, the Queen of Camelot steeled herself for facing her dragon; at the sound of the cannon, she emerged into the pit and, looking around warily, she saw the nest of the Horntail hidden in the shadows of the stadium. Looking around warily, Hermione pulled out her wand and, pointing it at the nest, she whispered, "Accio treasure."
Much to her surprise…it actually worked: a green emerald that was as big as Harry's fist flew to her hand; catching the emerald, Hermione held it up to stunned applause; however, as she turned away, there was a loud roar and the Hungarian Horntail, angry at her nest being approached and her being denied a meal, flew towards Hermione with such speed that, for a second, the Queen of Camelot felt true fear.
Hermione couldn't quite explain what happened next: all she could recall was a roar, a scream of what sounded like her name and then the soft, warm feel of fresh blood against her face; when her attention span caught up with her, Hermione gasped at what she saw in front of her.
Harry, wielding Excalibur and looking both angered and sorry for what he was doing, was standing before her, his stance as strong and unmoving as ever; the jaws of the Hungarian Horntail embedded deep in his left shoulder, blood rolling down his arm as he held Excalibur, Hermione then noticed, right up through the head of the beast.
'Sparky!' she cried, a silver eye now glancing in her direction before a voice whispered back to her.
'You win…'
Then, in front of three schools, two concerned parents and a Minister, the Arch-Knight of Camelot fell to his knees as the Hungarian Horntail fell to the floor…dead;
Harry, however, was not, but his blood still flowed freely, prompting Hermione to grab his arms and hold him close, her tears rolling down her cheeks as the staff and representatives gathered around them.
"HARRY!"
Chapter 34 and Harry is still the saving-people-first kind of kid we know and love, but why did he do what he did and, if Hermione was successful, why did the Horntail still attack her?
Also, how quickly will Harry recover and what is the significance of the jewels that the champions now hold?
Keep Reading to Find Out;
Next Chapter: Harry and Hermione have two days to recover, but Harry may not make the two days; there's an announcement from the Headmistress and a revelation from Charlie Weasley; also, through his pain, Harry learns of a startling secret to the power of the Arch-Knight and Hermione makes a plan to make Christmas special for her White Knight…
Chapter 35: The Yule Ball
Chaos was clearly the order of the day at Hogwarts during the aftermath of the First Task;
No sooner had Hermione Granger, the Alpha Female of Gryffindor and Holy Knight of Ocean, retrieved her treasure through rather ingenious means before the dragon she had been facing, a nesting Hungarian Horntail, had attacked her and could have killed her if it hadn't been for one simple thing.
Harry Potter's knack for saving people and his reckless thinking where his Hermione's safety was concerned; with reflexes and speeds that would put the greatest Quidditch Players in the world to shame, he had been out from the Champions' Tent and, drawing Excalibur, he had stabbed the dragon through the roof of the mouth, but not without those blood-thirsty fangs digging into his shoulder first. When Hermione had cried out Harry's name, the three schools had actually been in shock and awe while several adults were trying to calm the younger students.
However, among all of them, the first to Harry's wounded body were Dan, Emma, Lily and Sirius, the Defence Professor growling threateningly as he turned to a stunned Charlie Weasley before he asked, "I thought you were supposed to tame these beasts so they'd be able to recognise when it was time to step down?"
"I…I'm sorry Lord Black," Charlie replied, actually trembling in front of the professor as he looked to Hermione who was holding onto Harry. "I personally made sure that the right kinds of dragons were brought here: I…I…I don't know what happened."
"Isn't it obvious?" asked a familiar voice, Sirius and Dan now moving to keep their children from the presence of Dumbledore as the old man made his opinions known. "Someone must have used dark magic to try and threaten the life of someone close to our official fourth champion: perhaps we should take this to the…"
"Shut…your…mouth," gasped a wounded voice, Sirius now stepping aside as Harry stood tall, Excalibur's blade dripping blood as he tried to remain upright, "D-Dragons," he continued, gasping through his pain, "Are more or less immune to…the magic like this; only…a potion or…serious mind-wiping could…affect them and…there's only one name…that comes to mind."
"Harry my boy," Dumbledore smiled, "I am glad to see that…"
A bolt of lightning struck the already dead corpse of the Horntail, Harry's voice even colder as he hissed, "You knew I would do that Dumbledore: you knew I'd protect Hermione if she was in serious danger. Now…get out of…my way before there's…another corpse on hand here: Sirius…can we…can we go home?"
"I'll take you down to the gates," Sirius explained, "And we can go home from there: but shouldn't Severus or Poppy look at your wound?"
"Once I'm away from him," Harry snarled, pointing a hand at a stunned Dumbledore, "I'll accept any help…and Dumbledore? If…if you think…that just because…I'm weak means I want help…then you don't know me at all. In fact," he gave an almost shark-like smile as he added, "I think you'll find that I possess…powers that you know not."
Albus' eyes widened: from Harry's tone of voice, it sounded like he had knowledge of the prophecy, but that was impossible, wasn't it?
Even with his so-called powers, there was no way that he could possess knowledge of the plan and the way that Albus was prepared to use his power at such a young age, did he?
As Sirius, Lily and the small entourage passed the old man, he carefully cast a quick tracking spell on Dan and Harry, both of them unaware of the danger they were in;
Or so he thought…
HPHG
"Bastard!"
Harry, with what strength he could muster, incinerated his robe and then, pointing Excalibur at Dan's coat, he nullified the magical presence he'd felt after they'd left Hogwarts; sheathing his sword, Harry gasped as Lily rubbed a lotion into his wound, before she told him, "Mind your language young man."
"That sick asshole tried to charm my robe and Dan's coat," Harry told her, "I think in this case my language is called for Mum…ah!"
His words were finished with a cry as Lily pressed a cloth onto his wound, the material lined with an antiseptic lotion that she had been given by Poppy; nearby, Hermione was being held by Dan and Emma as she sobbed into their bodies, Sirius and Remus both standing guard at the entrance to Harry's room.
'Ariel,' Harry sent her, 'Please don't be upset: I told you and I told Uncle Dan that I wouldn't let anyone harm you ever again if I could help you.'
'I know Sparky,' Hermione sniffed, her eyes on her betrothed as she added, 'I'm just sorry that I didn't take into account the possibility of dark magic being used to harm either of us. If I had, then I would have used my Oceanic power and frozen the dragon in place.'
'Don't blame yourself my Kitten,' Harry told her, 'Like you just pointed out, we didn't know that someone would go as far as threatening you to endanger me: believe me when I say that this is but a flesh wound.'
Lifting the rag from Harry's wound, Lily hissed and Hermione gasped when they saw the spotted ridge where the Horntail's jaws had pierced Harry's skin; the outer edges of the bite wounds were turning a sickly shade of puce that seemed to become enflamed; looking to her son, Lily asked, "Shall I send for Severus?"
"We need a healer," Harry answered her, "It may be an idea…unless healing is one of your special skills Mum."
"I could try," Lily explained, "But even the Knight of Light has her limits: what about you son? Can Excalibur heal the wounds with help from your magic?"
Shrugging in reply, Harry winced as the pain shot through his left shoulder, the puce-coloured wounds being cracked open with even that motion: small rivulets of red ran over Harry's shoulder, prompting Lily to reapply her cloth while Harry extended his hand and, clasping Excalibur, lifted it slowly, setting the cold steel against his wound. Calming his mind, the Arch-Knight began to reach into his magic, focusing on a combination of Excalibur's holy power along with his Light-Elemental side, his silver eye glowing slightly as the magic poured through him.
After a few moments of concentration, Harry actually smiled when he saw the blade of Excalibur begin to flicker and crackle with sparks of white magic, each of the sparks dancing over the wounds while Harry remained focused on his power and potential. Because of his weakened state, the Arch-Knight knew that he wouldn't be able to do this as quickly as everyone believed, but if he could heal his wound, then it was something. Even as he thought about the possibility of healing his wound, Harry smiled as he felt Hermione's magic blend in with his own, her hand now clasped with his around the hilt of Excalibur.
'We have two days to recover Sparky,' she told him, sitting calmly by his side as their now combined magic increased the number and size of the sparks that were dancing off of Excalibur's blade, 'Don't strain yourself: clearly the dragon's maw was not only deadly, but poisonous: allow Excalibur's magic to cleanse the wound and then, when Severus gets here, he can heal you.'
'If you say so Kitten,' Harry sent back, now calming his concentration slightly as the sparks danced around the puce infections, Lily, Sirius, Dan and Emma all gasping as the light formed a ring of white magic that seemed to lift and absorb the poison that Hermione had suspected, before, in a crack of thunder, both the ring and poison became nothing but dust in the winds, leaving Harry to sag down gently, Hermione massaging his hairline before she gave him a kiss.
"That's…that's the best I could do under the circumstances," Harry told the others, liking the feel of his Hermione's hand in his hair, "When Severus gets here, he can examine the wound himself and then we'll heal it as best as we can." The adults all agreed with his course of action, before Lily gave the suggestion that they should leave the two Knights to recover completely; as his Mother left the room, Harry called out, "Could…ah," he groaned slightly as Hermione helped him sit upright, the wound on his shoulder still slightly draining on his energy, "Could someone check on the other Knights for me?"
"I will," Sirius told him, "I'll return to the school and keep a close eye on them: thankfully, your two days will mean a return on Thursday and that's before a Hogsmeade weekend, so once you've recovered, you can see them and then I think you and your friends deserve a weekend to be the kids that you are."
"Thanks Sirius," Harry sighed, leaning back into Hermione's soft embrace; once Lily closed the door, he then asked, "Now; off the record, I need to know: are you mad with me Mione?"
"You scared me Harry," Hermione told him, placing a soft kiss on his forehead before she looked to the wound on his shoulder; without the infectious additions, it looked like he'd been caught in a bear-trap, though the wounds had an almost spiked edge that showed the serrated edge that had been the Horntail's teeth. "But not as much as I was scared when the dragon came at me: be honest, do you think it was…"
"Dumbledore," Harry nodded, "Which only adds to my thoughts that he was the one to put my name in the Goblet: he clearly wants me to face Tom at the end of the year, but, unlike my real destiny, he wants it to be Knight Vs Knight."
"With him sweeping in to finish off whichever one of you is left," Hermione sighed, resting her head on top of Harry's as she continued to hold him, "But thanks to Amelia, we now have allies on our side and Dumbledore's on notice: maybe," she took a sigh before giving a hum of thought.
Looking up, Harry told her, "Go on."
"I was just thinking," Hermione explained, "Maybe we should speak to Amelia and see if we can have a little squad other than the Order watching Dumbledore and his moves. It's clear that the goblins, due to the fact that you were in danger, didn't want anything to do with this Tournament, so we need to figure out what the next task is and, if possible, also figure out what that old coot could do in regards to disrupting the trial."
"Whatever it is," Harry agreed, "We need to be ready: I mean there has to be a reason that five gemstones were used instead of five goblin-forged eggs; which reminds me: what were the scores?"
"They were marked out of 100," Hermione explained, "Based on technique; speed, condition of the nest and, of course, success of the task: I think that I heard Bagman saying you'd lose points for interfering in the trial."
"That I don't mind," Harry told her, linking his hand with hers as he smiled softly, "Even if it did end up costing me my magic, I'd risk everything to protect you Hermione; you know that don't you?"
"So…you're not upset?" asked Hermione, smiling herself as she felt her betrothed's positive emotions returning: sometimes, she was a real miracle worker for her distractions and her methods that Hermione understood what it was that had made Harry say those things on that fated day in the Hospital Wing.
"About what?" asked Harry, looking to Hermione as he felt a sensation of amusement through their bond.
"Well," Hermione admitted, running a stray hand through Harry's dark hair, an almost cheeky smile on her face. "If you end up losing points because of what happened, you know that will put me in the lead…so our bet is working in my favour."
'And somehow I don't care,' thought Harry, before he covered up his slyness as he answered her, "Oh well, I guess I'll just have to try harder in the next trial, won't I?"
"I guess so," Hermione chuckled, her voice filled with as much amusement as she was feeling from her lover; falling silent, the two of them just chose to enjoy each other's company while Harry actually chuckled mentally as he thought about the comings and goings that were to…well that were to come and go with whatever lay ahead.
A visit from Minerva as well as Severus would reveal such a change later that night…
HPHG
"A Ball?"
Harry, sitting comfortably in the living room of Albion House, stared in bewildered shock at Minerva as she finished explaining the task ahead: as one of the champions – or two given that Hermione was there as well – she'd felt it only right that Harry know of this beforehand.
"That's right," Minerva answered, "It's known as the Yule Ball and has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its founding: as the host school, it falls to Hogwarts to provide the right kind of atmosphere and, as Headmistress, the duty of those tasks and the information surrounding the Ball fall to me. Now, I don't really need to explain the finer points because they are already solved by you and Hermione being together, but here's what you need to know."
As Hermione linked her hand with Harry's, the Arch-Knight smiled as he sensed a rather inappropriate, but wanting thought of asking Harry to the ball coming from Hermione. As if he would choose anyone else to spend the evening and the night in his arms; there was just one small problem: Harry had no idea how to dance.
'I'll help you Sparky,' Hermione told him, their linked hands tightening on one another as Minerva spoke up.
"The Ball is an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above; Dress robes will be worn and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now, I tell you both this because, as two of the five champions, you will be required to open the ball with the dance and, to do that, you will need a partner…or even a date, but I don't need to guess that the two of you will attend together. Now Harry, you and Hermione will be receiving private lessons on the weekends and I expect to see you both there looking like the best that you can, understand?"
"Yes Headmistress," Harry replied, his eyes shining at the thought of Christmas Night, of all times, spent dancing with his girl and making her feel like the Queen she was for all to see. He even had an idea of the attire that he would wear: Minerva had stated Dress Robes and Harry would wear dress robes, but not without putting his own flair on these things.
"Now," Minerva continued, "For the sake of your friends, I will inform Mr Longbottom, Miss Lovegood and have Madame Maxime pass on the message to Miss Delacour and her sister; for what it's worth Harry, I know I don't need to tell you to behave like a mature adult, because you've been doing that for so long now. I have to return to Hogwarts, so I will see you on Thursday and I hope that we can progress through the remainder of the Tournament without any more troubles."
"I hope so Minerva," Harry nodded, watching as the woman left the two Knights alone; when she was gone, Harry looked up from his chair into his Hermione's soft eyes. Kissing the back of her hand, he told her, "Do we really have to ask each other Hermione? We both know the answer anyway and there's no point in hiding it."
"I know Harry," Hermione replied, "I just hope I don't make myself look…well…wrong on the night."
"What?" asked Harry, "My beautiful Queen make herself look like a fool? There's more chance of Weasley being named as Master of the World."
Hermione gave him her thanks with a passionate kiss, both of them already making private plans for a way to surprise the other on the night of the Ball.
HPHG
After their two days of rest and relaxation, Harry and Hermione both returned to Hogwarts at full strength and ready to tackle the challenges that lay ahead for them: when they weren't in lesson or practicing their dance moves for the Ball, they were trying to solve the mystery of the crystals for the Second Task and their individual uniqueness and effect on the five champions. After just one week, Harry wasn't surprised when Neville and Luna also turned up at the lesson, Harry's blood-brother looking like he had just won the lottery while Luna was in a much better mood.
Surprisingly, though Harry suspected that it was because he had no real worries other than the Second Task to focus on, the Arch-Knight found himself adapting to the dance steps and routines for the Ball: when Minerva wasn't leading the lesson, Sirius, Remus and Sebastian were talking with Harry and Neville in regards to what he should and shouldn't do on the night. Similarly, Tonks, Lily and Emma were speaking with Hermione and Luna on the same subjects, though Hermione did reveal that Tyler had asked Minerva's permission to have Tonks as a date for the dance.
Hearing this brought a change for the Ball: much to Harry's surprise, there were soon dates for the Ball for each member of the Order and Harry's little entourage; he made a list of the pairings so he knew who to keep an eye on and to make a record of who would be there if anything went wrong:
Harry Potter/Hermione Potter
Neville Potter-Longbottom/Luna Lovegood
Tyler Kingston/Nymphadora Tonks
Sirius Black/Felicia Harrow
Remus Lupin/Elora Shaw
Lily Evans/Severus Snape – when Harry discovered this one, he was stunned, but Lily explained that it was a thanks for being so different towards Harry and making up for what he had done in the past.
Sebastian McDale/Amelia Bones – after the dragon fiasco, Amelia had been invited to the Ball and Tournament and, much to her surprise, Sebastian had been the one to ask her
Dante McShane/Minerva McGonagall – though they both insisted that it was because they were there as observers only.
Indeed, things were changing at Hogwarts and, as the fated night drew closer, Harry and Hermione began to allow themselves to be embraced by the familiar excitement that built around the Christmas period. Even Fleur and Gabrielle felt excited, though both were silent as to the partners they had for the Ball: much to Harry's surprise, when he saw Gabrielle before the Ball, he noticed her to look like a thirteen or fourteen year old. Questioning Fleur, the Arch-Knight discovered that Gabrielle's blessing of the power of thunder had given her the ability to undergo her Veela transformation early and without much pain.
For this, Gabrielle thanked Harry and promised she wouldn't show up the Holy Knights on the night of the Yule Ball, though when Harry requested to know who was escorting her, Gabrielle replied in fluent French, /It's a surprise my captain; let's just say you two know each other./
That had Harry worried, but he trusted Gabrielle to make the right decisions in the end…
HPHG
Pretty soon, teenage angst, rapid responsive questions and mistaken Ball guests were put aside as Christmas morning dawned; when Harry awoke in the Chamber of Secrets – he'd converted it into a dorm as well as a study area after acquiring Fleur and Gabrielle as Knights – he was surprised to find he was alone and a note was pinned next to his head;
Harry,
Don't worry about me: spending the day with Fleur, Gabrielle, Felicia, Elora and your Mum getting ready for tonight;
Don't open the bond at all today: I want tonight to be a surprise;
Rest assured my King, you will be surprised when we next meet;
Merry Christmas;
Hermione
PS: Don't make any plans for tomorrow: Mum and Dad want us to have a family gathering so we'll be going HOME after the Ball
Reading the company that Hermione was spending time with helped to calm Harry's nerves: he didn't like leaving his queen alone, but given the adult company she was with, he didn't need to worry all that much. Throughout the day, the Arch-Knight distracted himself by wandering around the ground, enjoying the soft feel of snow under his boots before he returned to the Chamber of Secrets; when he arrived at the entrance, he wasn't surprised to find Sirius, Remus, Sebastian, Tyler and Neville all waiting for him.
Seeing their commander, Tyler actually blushed before he admitted, "Tonks' idea: she and Luna have gone to get ready with everyone else so she said we should come here and get ready with you Harry."
"Makes sense," Harry laughed, before he looked to Sebastian as he added, "What about Dante?"
"He'll be in robes," Sebastian explained, "But, like Dan and Emma, he's with Minerva as a sort of chaperone for the Ball."
"Then we have nothing to worry about," Harry sighed, opening the Chamber with a whisper of Parseltongue; summoning a winding stairway, he turned back and added, "Well we don't have long: let's make this a night to remember."
HPHG
Tension;
Nerves;
Fear;
Sickness;
Nausea;
All these things were filling the air and atmosphere of the Entrance Hall as students waited for their dates, all of them worried in one way or another, the emotions radiating from everywhere…and that was just Harry.
With Neville at his side, Harry actually swallowed hard and adjusted the collar on his robe, before he heard a soft gasp spread through the hall, Neville nudging him in the arm, "Turn around you lucky bastard."
Harry did so…and his reaction could have lit up all of Hogwarts with but a flick of his finger: Hermione was approaching and she was beautiful: she was dressed in a light blue gown that covered most of her chest and lower body, two straps secured over her shoulder, exposing her bare arms; the gown appeared to shine in the light of the Entrance Hall, making the Holy Knight look like her namesake. Her brown hair was done up and flowed partially down her back, a stray brown bang covering her right eye, as if hiding her watery-blue eye from those around her. Around her neck was a stunning diamond necklace, matching earrings hanging from her ears while a brooch that bore a charm shaped like a phoenix was secured around her wrist.
Approaching her, Harry gulped hard before he held out his hand and, lifting Hermione's hand to his lips, kissed it softly before he whispered, "Hermione; you look beautiful."
"As do you," Hermione replied, eyeing Harry's body: he was dressed in silver-coloured dress robes that held a mark on his shoulder shaped like the Crest of the Holy Knights; under the robe, Harry was dressed like a royal soldier, his jacket and shirt secured by gold clasps and bound by lace that crossed his chest. He wore white dress trousers and a pair of black shoes that he had personally acquired and kept perfect just for this night; unlike Hermione, Harry wore no jewellery, but the Holy Knight smiled when she felt a magical presence around her boyfriend that seemed to make him glow. His black hair, usually styled and messy-looking, was now combed to perfection, two bangs parting his fringe, clearly exposing his silver eye.
Liking what she was seeing, Hermione asked, "No Excalibur?"
"No," Harry answered, "Just…this."
With that, the magic that Hermione had felt faded away and she gasped when she saw the reason for Harry's bangs being parted like they were: his crown, the Crown of Camelot, was nestled securely under his black hair, the front end of the crown revealed so that it resembled a decorative circlet that made Harry shine even brighter.
"Is that safe?" she asked, "We don't want Dumbledore suspecting anything."
"He won't get the chance," Harry told her, "Minerva and Amelia personally saw to it that Dumbledore was away from the hall tonight: so tonight, I'm not a Gryffindor or a Triwizard Champion. Instead, I am who I am: a King; your King and your Champion, my Hermione."
"Thank you," Hermione smiled, before she looked past Harry and added, "Neville; you look stunning."
"Thank you Hermione," Neville smiled; like Harry, he was dressed in crimson dress robes that appeared to be made from the finest silk and adorned with the same Crest as Harry; beneath that, the Knight of Fire wore a black suit that only seemed to highlight his appearance; gone was the shy, timid Gryffindor and, on this night, he was officially reborn.
While the trio waited, they were soon treated to a double surprise: first, Fleur Delacour emerged and, at her side was none other than Harry and Hermione's rival in the Tournament, Cedric Diggory: both looked as calm and confident as the two royals and, dressed in her own flowing gown, Fleur appeared to come close to match Hermione in looks.
The second surprise, however, came when Gabrielle emerged from the outside, a black robe covering her shoulders, which she removed and handed to her date: he was dressed in emerald green robes with a high collar that made him look like a vicar; when Harry looked to the date of Gabrielle, he actually laughed for a moment.
"Excuse me," he told Hermione, parting from his date and crossing the hall; stopping before Gabrielle, Harry switched to French as he added, /You were right Gabby; I did know him./
/You're not mad are you my captain?/ asked Gabrielle, Harry shaking his head as he looked to her date.
Draco Malfoy;
"If you'll excuse us Gabrielle," Harry remarked, nodding aside; seeing the intense look in his eyes, Malfoy followed; moving to a quiet area of the hall, Harry stopped, turned to Draco and, keeping himself as calm as possible, addressed him. "If this is meant to be some kind of ploy because she has Veela blood, then tell me now so I can rip you apart Malfoy."
"Look," Draco replied, his tone as hostile as Harry's, "Potter…sorry, Sir Potter," Harry was surprised when he noticed there was no ounce of sarcasm in the address. "I don't mean Miss Delacour any harm: the truth of it is that I wish to prove myself to you now that my Father has warned me away from you; so, when she told me of how her and her sister was friends of yours, I went ahead and asked her and she accepted. I'll admit," both boys looked to where Fleur and Gabrielle were admiring Hermione's choice of dress. "She is a beautiful young girl and you're lucky to be her friend, but, if you're willing to let me try, I would like to prove I can change."
"I see," Harry sighed, "And what brought on such a change Malfoy?"
"Last year," Draco explained, "When you…punished Weasel-bee and I for what we tried to do to your betrothed: it was stupid, reckless and childish and, more than anyone, I should have known that there would be consequences for messing with someone as powerful as you. I didn't say anything because I wanted to observe you and see what I could do to try and earn your favour, but, for now, I want you to know I mean Miss Delacour no ill will: you have my word…my Lord."
Draco bowed his head as he finished, but Harry, looking back to Gabrielle, actually sighed before he spoke again, "You hurt her; you upset her or you think of using her to get to me in a bad way and you will wish for a repeat of last Christmas: are we understanding each other…Draco?"
"Yes…Harry," Draco replied, before he watched as Harry walked back across the hall to where Hermione was waiting.
"What was that about?" asked the Knight of Ocean, earning a soft kiss from Harry as they watched Gabrielle and Draco reunite.
"Just talking about where we go from here," Harry told her, "And it looks like his intentions are true: but it's early days yet."
When Professor McGonagall called the Champions over, Harry and Hermione then gained another surprise when they not only caught sight of Luna, who was dressed in a sky-blue gown that appeared to shift and almost shimmer like the rays of the sun, but also when they noticed the date of the final champion, Viktor Krum: it was Ginny!
'No wonder she's been kind of quiet lately,' Hermione told Harry, 'She looks beautiful: she's happy.'
'I know,' Harry answered, catching Ginny's eye; as she blushed at him, Harry made a note to watch Viktor carefully: he had been hanging around Hermione as well and had even asked her to go with him. When she had turned him down, Viktor had gone to hit her, but not before he'd found Excalibur at his throat, Harry warning him to stay away from Hermione.
If his intentions spoke volumes with Hermione, then Harry knew he should keep an eye on Ginny: now that her and her brothers were protected by his House, Harry felt a small amount of responsibility for her.
The Champions led the others into the Great Hall, Harry and Hermione smiling when they saw their adult chaperones/guests waiting at the Head Table; for a moment, Harry confessed to Hermione that he thought his Mum and Severus actually looked comfortable with each others presence. Down the table, Tyler and Tonks looked as warm and comfortable as Harry and Hermione felt and, as they looked to the judges table, Harry still tried not to laugh when he saw Sebastian with Amelia. Catching the Minister's eye, Harry winked once and moved to sit with them, Hermione being treated like the queen she was as Harry did everything he'd been taught: he pulled out her chair, adjusted her cloak so that she was comfortable and even waited until she was seated before he sat next to Amelia.
"You two look like angels," Amelia told him, Hermione blushing slightly as the other champions joined them.
"You can talk," laughed Harry, "What made you ask Sebastian?"
"Well," Amelia replied, before she leaned in close to Harry and whispered, "I needed a reason to see you Harry and besides, I guess he is sort of…well, nice-looking."
'Merlin help us,' Harry thought to Hermione, 'Our Minister's in love.'
Hermione just shook her head, watching as the other guests and their dates took their seats; following that, Minerva demonstrated how they order their meals before the room became filled with silent conversation. Harry, remembering what Amelia had just said, asked, "What did you want to talk about Amelia?"
"The next task," Amelia answered, all of the champions now looking up as she nodded, "After Harry's act of bravery in the First Task and his insistence against Bagman, we all agreed to inform you of the next task tonight: as Minister, I will personally referee the task and have Mr McDale here, Sir Potter's protector and friend, as a guard."
"Why?" asked Cedric, "What does the Second Task have to do with those gems we found?"
"Well," Amelia replied, "The answer is: nothing; the gems were used as a test of your mettle and magical skill, all of whom passed here today; now, the real second task involves something much more dangerous."
"Minister," Harry suddenly spoke up, his voice dangerously low, "If it is dangerous, then tell me now: will every precaution be made to ensure that what happened with the Horntail doesn't happen again?"
"It will Sir Potter," Amelia replied, fully aware of the warning that Harry had just given her. "The Second Task, you see, involves something that is from ancient Mythology: a labyrinth."
"A maze?" asked Harry, "Why?"
"Because," Amelia answered, "After the goblins denied our request for the original Second Task, we had to improvise: so, the Second Task will now be what the Third Task was meant to be and, for the Third Task, it will now be a no-holds barred Duelling tournament between the five of you, but there will be more on that later. Now, in the centre of this maze will be five replicas of the Triwizard Cup, each one attuned to your magical signatures; the task is simple, survive the maze and retrieve the correct Cup, which will have one name inside it: that will be your first opponent in the Third Task."
"Wow," Cedric gasped, "That sounds like fun, but Minister? There are five of us, so who's to say that one of us won't get a name twice, such as Sir Potter for example?"
"In response to that question," Amelia explained, "One of the cups holds a mystery name: that name will only be known to the fifth champion, alias the one who draws the name and, on the day of the Third Task, it will be the fifth champion against a mystery opponent while the other four take on each other."
Somehow Harry, and though he didn't know it then, the other Champions had a sneaking suspicion that Amelia was referring to Harry when she spoke of a fifth champion.
But who was the mystery opponent?
When the meals vanished, the hall was filled with music and Harry felt like he was now on cloud nine; every move he made was as swift and fluent as he could recall: there wasn't a single step out of place and, during one particularly slow dance, he and Hermione seemed to become the centre of attention when they appeared to be lost in each other, the other students applauding the two when they finished with a kiss.
Truly, the Yule Ball had become the turning point for Harry and Hermione…and there was so much left to do…and so little time…
Chapter 35 and I apologise for the briefness of the Ball, but I wanted to keep the story going; so, with the maze up next, what will Harry do to achieve victory?
Also, who is the mystery opponent and who will face them?
Keep Reading to Find Out;
Next Chapter: The Second Task approaches and Harry has a surprise meeting beforehand; plus, there's a few twists and turns in the maze and a new ally makes himself an official member; plus, Harry and Hermione complete the bond when Hermione has doubts about the change in plans: what is Harry so confidant about that he would bring his plans forwards?