Dragon of Time: This idea has been building up in my head for quite some time, pulling me away from my other works. So to hopefully remove it from my head and finally be able to write my other pieces I decided to try it. Just Remember that Harry Potter is not owned by yours truly. This starts at the opening feast of 4th year, after the other magical schools have done their fancy entrances.
Chapter 1: Secrets Revealed, the Guardian Orders arrive.
Albus Dumbledore stared out across the crowded great hall. His eyes still possessing their twinkle he stepped around the podium that he had moments ago just stood behind to announce the coming of the Tri-wizard tournament to Hogwarts. A smile grew on his wrinkled face as he now had the apt attention of the entire hall.
He continued "Be wary, this tournament is not for the weak hearted, breaking the spirits of many, their knowledge, power and courage tested greatly beyond their natural limits. As such, entrance into this competition has been banned for those under the age of sixteen."
He stepped towards the center of the steps, ignoring the cries of anger from many that were too young, just in front of the teachers table; there was an impressive golden stand, decorated with hundreds of precious gems. Neatly at its top was a gold cup, lightly decorated with rubies around its rim, emeralds covering its base. Turning once more to the students sitting before, the twinkle in his eyes gone, as was the grandfatherly smile. With a serious voice, he once more addressed the students…
"Only one thing awaits the winner of the Tri-wizard tournament…eternal glory."
With that he dismissed the students to their common rooms.
"Good night Hermione" said a black haired, pale boy as he moved up a set a steps, leading to the boys dormitories of Gryffindor house of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The boy's glasses sat gracefully upon his graceful nose, a lightening shaped scar prominent on his forehead.
With a small smile, a girl with bushy brown hair smiled, her skinned tanned from summer at the beach giving off a bronze glow in the candle light "Good night Harry."
"Oh thanks guys, ignore me why don't ya?"
"Sorry Ron" said the other two teens at their read headed friend as he stood across from them.
Moving up their separate staircases, they went to their dorms, ready to collapse asleep on their beds, which Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were quick to do.
The other, the boy-who-lived, Harry Potter, stared at his pillow, for atop it laid a rolled up scroll, which he quickly opened.
"Shit" was all that rang through out the dorms, a silent echo, resounding throughout, and a silent castle.
It had been a long three weeks for the three young Gryffindor members, especially with their ass of a potion's teacher, Severus Snape. Yet two of the trio would have said, if asked that is, that these last few weeks were longer.
"What is he hiding?" snarled an irate Ron "I don't know why but he seems to be avoiding us."
"Ron he will tell us when he is ready, and I'm willing to wait till he is ready to tell us, aren't you?" came Hermione's quick response but the look in her eyes expressed her anguish also.
"Oh, Hell no, not by a fucking long shot!" was all Ron said.
To his immense surprise, Hermione did not lecture him on his language but instead said "agreed."
It was all to true, for their friend Harry had clearly been hiding something over the last month, avoiding them, saying there was something he had to take care of. It even got to the point that he was no where in their immediate vicinity.
Both Ron and Hermione were not surprised when they entered the Great Hall to see that their friend was not there.
Sitting sadly among their housemates at the Gryffindor table, who also noticed the attitude of their famous housemate, they patiently waited for the feast to begin.
Dumbledore stood and began to speak, his voice resounding throughout the hall.
"The time has finally arrived, students of Hogwarts and Honored Guests, to begin the Tri-Wizard tournament. Let the three walk with God, for to survive this fearsome competition, a miracle may be all that saves them from the brink of death. Let the Goblet Judge!"
The Goblet of Fire, immediately turned blue from its once characteristic red, a piece of paper flying out, which Dumbledore swiftly snatched out of the air, followed soon by two more before the flame within the Goblet went out.
Not one, teacher nor student, saw the look of rage that appeared but briefly on Alastor Moody's, the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, face.
"Representing Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory" began Dumbledore, continuing over the loud applause and cheering noise, as the stated Youngman stood in front of the entire student body.
"From the Honorable School of Drumstang, we have Vicktor Krum. And finally from the Academy of Beauxbotons(spelling?), I present Fleur Delacour."
After all three teens had stood to the round applause and had been seated once more; the Headmaster sat down as Ludo Bagman, Head of the department of Magical Games and Sports, stood up along with Barty Crouch, head of department of International Magical Cooperation.
Crouch was the first to speak "As many understand, the tournament usually had three judges, usually the headmasters or mistress's from each school. The rule has been changed because of fear that the judges would be bias towards their own student, as has been evident in past tournaments. Even when two neutral judges were introduced it was feared that they would also side with one particular competitor."
Bagman jumped into the announcement, as a sudden stillness settled over the great hall, "So we have, with the permission of the Ministers of Magic for England, France and Bulgaria contacted the guardian orders to be the official judges, whom would provide the four judges for this great competition."
The stillness seemed to stagnate as the hall burst into a loud hissing noise, students whispering among themselves in wreck less abandon.
(Gryffindor Table)
Ron instantly looked at Hermione and asked "What the hell are the guardian orders?"
To the immediate surprise of all most all the students at the table and those near enough to hear, her reply was a swift, silent "I don't know."
"Doesn't surprise me" replied a shy voice a few spots down from them.
Instantly, most focused on young Neville Longbottom, the shyest and weakest kid in the fourth year Gryffindor.
What surprised most was that his face was deathly serious, his eyes wide and mouth a straight line upon his even paler face.
"You do know of the Doom Wars don't you?"
Hermione answered instantly "The Doom Wars happened nearly 75,000 years ago, where gates to a world only identified as Yemen served as entrances into our world. From them poured out demons as numerous as the stars. That's all that I have ever found in any books other then that casualties were easily in the billions and that humanity and magical society somehow won, but at loss of knowledge and power. It's the reason for a good portions of the valleys and mountain ranges around the world, results of the battles that were fought between demon kind and those that lived in this world. The wars were also the reason why there are so few left of various species, magical ones that were almost wiped out."
Neville nodded and said "That is true, all of it in a neat summery. All that is not mentioned is that those that did a majority of the heavy fighting were the three guardian orders, which eventually sealed the gates to Yemen but at a terrible cost."
Lavender Brown then asked, with a grimace on her face that seemed to predict the answer for her own question, "Then why is it not mentioned. Damn it, because of the lack of that information I lost points in an essay for History of Magic class."
"Same here and for the same reason" as the reply from many nearby voices, if not in that exact wording, including Hermione.
Neville smiled and said "I get it, the only real subject that Binn's managed to get all of our attention and Harry had to miss. Anyways, the Wizarding society back then was just as arrogant as they are now; the blood supremacy stuff was popular even then. They demanded that all credit should be given to them, the dead to be stricken from records, all rewards given to them. The guardian orders refused pointedly, continuing to honor the dead, paying their families as is their due for their sacrifice. Blood loyalists attacked a few of the families and took all that had been rewarded them. The orders reattributed and returned all that had been taken while not killing anyone. Loyalists though started to react violently, starting a new war, nameless as it only lasted a few months and was never declared as one…where wizards and witches worldwide had their asses handed to them on a gold and silver platter. After that, those loyalists tried to wipe them from existence in the way that they would never get recruits or even be acknowledged by children that were to come that they were saved by people that effectively wiped many families out of the history books permanently."
"But I though that formal wizard society was only formed 2,000 years ago or so, there is no way that they were that organized all the way back then?" came Hermione's question.
Neville was quick in his reply "Society as we know it was formed 2,000 years ago. But back that far there were more like separate kingdoms then anything else, always at war with each other only standing side by side during the Doom Wars."
Ginny nodded and said "Makes sense I guess, but why do you know about it?"
"Simple house Longbottom has managed to keep most of its genealogical records intact, as well as its history so…"
"May I?" spoke a voice, clearly a woman, standing behind Hermione, catching the group's attention.
The woman standing before them…there were no words to describe such a beauty. Her hair reached down to her shoulders, the color a replenishing bronze in the limited candle light. Her tan skin only served to bring out her eyes, a steel grey color that seemed to add to the air around her. She stood about equal in height with Professor McGonagall, with a simple white dress that reached to her knees, flowing in the limited breeze that the windows in the great hall offered. The slight problem with the simple thing was that it accentuated her obviously large bosom, attracting the eyes of many a near by teenage boy.
"Mom?! What are you doing here?" Hermione asked her eyes wide and a small smile of surprise apparent on her face.
That shocked many. This beautiful goddess, for there was no other term to place on this woman, was the mother of the plain looking Hermione Granger. None could believe it.
"Your Father wanted me to come here for some odd reason. Said that he had business that was going to last the whole year here. I guess he wanted me here for company of something. Anyway dear why do you insist on hiding" finishing with a small smile.
Hermione instantly grew pale, looking to her gold plate. She opened her mouth to say something but shut it when Crouch started to talk again.
"The four judges now wait outside the doors to this great hall. They of course will now be introduced."
An unidentifiable man of no importance stepped up to the podium that had been vacated. Cough into his hand, he opened an intricate scroll and began to announce, voice a strong soprano, loud and powerful:
"Her ladyship, supreme commander of the Myrmidon Guardians of Europe, Lady Monica Eloise Lafayette" he paused dramatically as the doors opened.
Not one male in the entire great hall dared to ogle this woman. Why, you may ask. Simple really, for this woman carried what appeared to be a short sword on her right hip, a pistol on her left hip and a fierce, yet plain, steel lance on her back. Her dark red hair was tied in an intricate ponytail that ended right above her well rounded posterior. Her azure eyes were quickly scanning the room, looking at practically everything as she moved up the room. Her long, powerful strides matched he long graceful legs, muscles unseen under the leather and steel skirt, her steel boots clinking upon the stone floor. Her large bosom, or so it appeared, was held in place by the steel breastplate, its high collar ending just a little below her rosy lips. Her shoulders were and upper arms were bare, revealing a set of graceful arms and milky white skin, previously not seen due to her bangs hanging over her face, barley letting her eyes to come into view. She stood little under six feet and had this aura of…pain, strength, rage, yet it was docile and pure. Not a male in the room doubted that if they tried anything, they would suffer. What caught the attention of many was the emblem of the eagle, wings outstretched, engraved in black upon her breastplate, just above her heart.
Standing on the step just below the podium she turned to face the door again with a silent nod to the announcer, who continued:
"Her Ladyship, the supreme commander of the Seraphim Guardians in Europe, Lady Victoria Martina Steffen" once more pausing dramatically.
The next woman to enter the hall was barely five feet tall, with deep black hair that only lasted to her shoulders, which were covered with steel shoulder guards, which were sued to hold the cape as she moved up the path towards the table. She wore leather sleeves, which were not attached to her steel breastplate, which also seemed to hint at a large bosom. Wearing a steel and leather skirt, with leather pants that feel down to her steel boots, her long, strong legs moved with a purpose, leading to what seemed to be also a well rounded posterior. Unlike the woman before, her skin was a golden brown and she was a little bit more muscled. Her rosy lips were set in a welcoming smile, her silver eyes also scanning the room, meeting the eyes of many. No male dared to ogle this woman either, for her aura was more of a wind…ready to transform into a tornado, which in such a small space as the great hall, would be devastating. On her back, mostly underneath her cloak, there was a pair of long swords, both with blue hilts, while at her hips rested a pair of handguns. She stood next to the other woman and nodded for the announcer to continue.
"His lordship, supreme commander of the Cadmian Guardians, Lord Daniel Robert Granger" and once more ended dramatically while rolling up and scroll and stepping off the podium.
This caught the attention of both Grangers' at the Gryffindor table, both turning once more to face the doors of the great hall.
This one was different then the other two. He wore no steel armor or anything as flashy but yet, still looked just as dangerous as the previous two ladies. He wore leather slacks that reached down to a pair of worn boots, not mad of steel, the sound of each step echoing throughout the hall. The man wore a riding jacket with many medals strapped to his chest, a sheathed saber on his right hip and a hand gun holstered on his left. His brown eyes scanned the hall quickly, his neutral face a golden brown. His hair was a golden brown, standing practically straight up with a little hanging curve near the front. What caught their attention the most was the rifle that he carried, tied to his back. None could exactly see what type of rifle it was, just that it appeared to be slightly used and well taken cared of.
This man stood to the right of Lady Steffen, and looked at both ladies. Both nodded at him and he sighed. Stepping up to the vacated podium, the previous speaker no where in sight. Looking out across the crowd of students, he spoke:
"I would like to thank all of you for allowing us to judge this Tournament of yours. But to the competitors, they must understand on thing" his eyes seemed to drill into Cedric, Fleur and Victor, who squirmed in the seat nervously, "you will not be judge by the standards of the Magical world. You will be judged by OUR standards!"
The entire hall burst into a chaos of whispering as the man continued "We take into consideration every step, every mistake and every accomplishment. So young ones" he once more focused on the competitors "Be ready for anything and everything."
Looking out across the hall he said with strength and prowess unmatched "Now presenting the final judge, his lordship, the highest Echelon of Europe, the supreme commander above us, Lord Harry James Potter!"
This caused the silence to encompass the hall once more, as even the teachers had their jaws slightly hanging.
He walked in through the doors. His leather boots barley making noise against the stone floor. Leather pants, with what appeared to be gold and red paint on them, were loose and waved with each powerful stride forward. He wore and open jacket, ornate with some medals, if not as many as the Cadmian commander. Underneath he wore a scaled armor vest, recently polished if the maroon shade had anything to say bout it as it seemed to glow in the limited candle light of the great hall. His shoulders were protected by steel shoulder pads which rapped around his shoulder loosely allowing movement and yet grant protection. His high collar showed the small smile that he bore upon his pale skin as his emerald eyes scanning the room, focusing mostly on Hermione after every pass, his glasses no longer the geeky round things but more modern glasses that made him look…dangerous. His hair was the same as always, except it was combed back a bit, not that it held his wild hair from standing at odd angles anyway. What caught many be surprise were the swords strapped on each hip as well as both handguns that were holstered just above them, snug against his rib cage. Then there was the fierce looking war Hammer with a mean looking sword tip at its base that made many rethink their opinions of the Gryffindor protégé.
The Cadmian Commander moved off the podium and allowed a chance for Harry to take it. Looking across the great hall, he took a deep breath he began to speak:
"Again, thank you for the very shocked welcome that you seemed to have granted us this fine evening. As my main point was take from me by Dan, I have not much else to say other then this…"
There was a dramatic pause which caused the silence to be even more noticed by the students.
Smiling, Harry said "This competition, as Dan said, is going to be judged by our standards. Thus this tournament also serves as a recruiting ground for these three, as well as for anyone who whishes to try. That is al and good luck to the competitors, you are gonna need it."
'
Stepping off the podium he turned to the teachers table and bowed. Getting back up he said loudly "Lets eat, I'm hungry!!."
Dragon of Time: So, what do you think? Like or Dislike? Comment as much as you want. Criticism is welcome just not outright flaming. Well guys, see ya later.