Revengeful Heart

Chapter Two – World Cup

"A little more than kin, and less than kind." Hamlet Act 1, scene 2

Crescent moon was towering over the great towers of the Castle of Fallen – which was the family home of the Ancient and Noble House of Krum for generations. It was a magnificent place, built from black marble on top of a cliff with violent waves crashing against the cliff-side. The castle was protected by many spells and wards and against the prussian blue sky, it seemed to be covered in a complex weave of brightly coloured threads – for those with the ability to See magic. The threads seemed to move around the perimeter of the building, vibrating with power and magic.

In the highest tower of the Castle of Fallen, there was a study decorated to fit the luxurious side of Renaissance France. Inside the beautiful study, sat a Bulgarian wizard. He was tall and broad shouldered with combed back black hair. His dark eyes were concentrated on the parchment before him, following each line as he read its contents. He was expecting someone; even though it was rather late – the clock hands nearing midnight.

At the same time, just outside the Castle, the expected person was walking up the steps that led to the large, oak doors. The person, judging by their height, was a fourteen year old male. He wore a dark cloak with a green and silver trim and a sliver snake-shaped clasp. The boy held himself confidently with an air of aristocracy and power. His moves were graceful and fluent, almost cat-like.

The male was known under the name Harry Potter-Krum. He rarely used the 'Potter' in his name, not any more; however it was still there legally. He smirked mentally, knowing that his father practically signed his own death wish.

The oak doors swung open and the young wizard entered the great castle. His steps clicked as he walked on the marble floor of the multiple corridors. It took many turns and secret password-protected passageways but Harry managed to get to the door that blocked his entrance to the study in the highest tower. He seemed to have done it with ease and a sense of familiarity; if he was any other person, he would be lost as soon as he stepped into the castle.

Harry opened the door after a short knock and stepped into the study. Mr Krum – Harry's adoptive father – looked up from whatever he was reading and greeted his son with a small smile. He put down the parchment and waved Harry in. The boy closed the door and sat down in the armchair opposite the desk. He unclipped the clasp on his travelling cloak and let it slide off his shoulders.

"How was your trip? Your mother mentioned that you were whisked away by the Minister after the banquet at the Zabinis'." asked Mr Krum. He let the boy have a lot more freedom than others – one of the reasons being that it taught him responsibility. Both Harry and Viktor were raised to be independent and responsible. Since they had to make a lot of their decisions on their own, some of the things they did were pretty stupid but they soon learnt that buying a dragon egg in order to have a pet dragon was not a good idea and not to do it ever again.

"Tiring" The youth sighed. "Minister Obolensky decided that three in the morning, straight after a banquet, while both of us were at least tipsy would be a perfect time to sign some documents regarding some of my inventions and spells."

The older wizard chuckled. "Yes, I have always suspected that our Minister was quite nocturnal. I suspect that this was not the only thing keeping you out of the Castle, was it? A lot of time passed since three in the morning - a whole day, even."

Harry suddenly started rummaging through his pockets, in search of something. "Ah, yes. You mentioned that Goddess Bast's necklace was in the hands of Unspeakables. Thought you might want to have it."

He made an 'aha!' noise when he took out an item wrapped in slightly dirty cotton cloth. He unwrapped it, to show a beautiful gold necklace decorated with gemstones of various sizes and shapes. Mr Krum took the necklace from his son's hands, treating it as if it was the most delicate thing in the world. There was a certain spark in his eyes, one that only appeared in the eyes of dedicated historians and researchers.

"How did you manage to get this? I would have thought that the Unspeakables would have killed anyone for even being near this."

"Unspeakable DeRaps owned me a favour." Harry grinned mischievously. "And quite a lot of gold."

However, Mr Krum was not listening anymore. He was examining the priceless artefact and the world outside it was almost non-existent. Harry rolled his eyes like that and coughed loudly to get his father's attention.

"You'll have plenty of time to examine this after I leave, father."

Flushed, Mr Krum placed the necklace on the desk and turned his attention to Harry once again.

"Of course," He agreed. "Later. That reminds me, off to bed with you. We're going to Quidditch World Cup tomorrow."

"Viktor's playing, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"Then excuse me, but I have to go now. Goodnight father."

Screams and cheers of the impatient crowd were echoing through the stadium. The crowd was mostly dressed in crimson red or shamrock green was slowly filling up the seats of the stands around the pitch. The Bulgarians and their supporters, dressed in red, were sitting mostly separate from the green-clad Irish crowd. Flashes of cameras went off everywhere and the enchanted flags, shamrocks, hats, t-shits and buttons were singing songs insulting the opposing team or cheering along with the team they supported.

Up in the Top Box, a group of people were gathered. The British Minister for Magic was introducing his Bulgarian counterpart to the other Brits in the box – the Malfoys ("Lord Malfoy recently sponsored a Wolfsbane distribution program that our fantastic Healers at St Mungos created."), the Weasleys ("Mr Weasley works at the Ministry. A good man, he is, I heard that his Head of Department is thinking of giving him a promotion." At that, Arthur Weasley's ears turned the colour of his hair.) and the all-mighty Potters with their Boy-Who-lived son ("Here is our Sam. Clever boy, he is. Very clever. No wonder he got rid of You-Know-Who. At such a young age too").

"James, Lily this is the Bulgarian Minister for Magic, Mr Obolensky – Did I say that correctly? - Minister Obolensky, here are Sam's parents, James and Lily Potter." Minister Fudge said proudly.

The Bulgarian Minister looked at Sam sceptically. The boy had his mother's bright red hair – cropped short so it looked like James'. He had his father's hazel eyes and height. Almost as tall as his father at the age of fourteen, Sam was a bit on the chubby side. Nothing a bit of exercise and a right diet couldn't correct but it was still there. All in all, he looked stuck up, his chest puffed up and stealing looks at his father, just to check if the man's attention was on him. Minister Obolensky was no fan of stuck up brats, especially ones that were supposed 'heroes'.

Minister Obolensky eyed up the boy's father. He looked like a man that he would have gotten along with any other day but right now, he was slightly annoyed with him. He, after all, raised Sam and probably had a lot of influence on the boy – not a good one either.

His wife however, she looked like a smart witch. She was dressed modestly, unlike many other wives of pureblood wizards. Every once in a while, she was stealing worried glances at her son and sending both her husband and son displeased looks every time they seemed like they will try something stupid, embarrassing or both.

Stopping himself before he said anything insulting to the Potters, Minister Obolensky nodded his head and let his eyes scan around the Top Box, trying to find someone.

"Looking for someone, Minister Obolensky?" asked a silky yet powerful voice.

Everyone turned towards the stairs that lead into the Top Box. There stood a fourteen year old boy next to an older regal-looking couple. All three wore expensive, but modest robes in different but matching colours. They wouldn't want to be thought of as some undignified peacocks. All three were beautiful, in their own ways. They seemed to draw everyone to them with their sheer existence.

"Harry! Good to see you, dear boy. How is the research going? I heard that you're very close to a break through with the Time-Turner Sand project – or so some of the Unspeakables were saying last week." Bulgarian language rolled off the foreign minister's tongue, while he completely ignored the existence of the rest of the Top Box's occupants. "Good Evening, Mr and Mrs Krum. I'm glad to see you two again." The Bulgarian man greeted the older couple.

"Good to see you too, Minister." Mr Krum said and his wife followed with her own greeting, her voice a bit more cheerful than her husband's.

"Hello, Minister Obolensky." The teen, Harry Krum, replied – also in perfect Bulgarian. "The research is doing fine, however I won't confirm nor deny any breakthroughs – that would be telling." He gave the older man a small smile and tapped the side of his nose with his index finger.

Minister Obolensky let out a booming laugh. "You crack me up sometimes, Harry. Please, entertain this old man by telling something about your research, I've been dying to find something about it. The Unspeakables won't tell me a thing." The man pulled a rather childish face, which surprisingly suited him, considering has age and social standing.

Harry was about to reply when the British decided to turn the attention to them. "Hem-hem" coughed Minister Fudge, who had a look of displeasure upon his face due to being ignored.

"Oh, I'm sorry Minister Fudge, let me introduce you." Minister Obolensky spoke, this time in fluent English (Fudge turned a very interesting shade of angry purple). "This is Harry Krum – the pride and joy of the Durmstrang Institute and of Bulgaria."

"Pleased to make you an acquaintance, Minister Fudge." Harry nodded his head with a charming smile.

The two older Potters tensed. Lily, although glad to see her son, did not want him so close to James, especially since her husband wasn't in the best of moods after the previous hour's incident with the Malfoys. She knew everything of Harry's status in Bulgaria; she saw the boy at least once every two weeks and demanded updates on his life constantly. Lily knew that Harry was a rather important person there, and she couldn't be more proud of her son.

James on the other hand, was livid. His hand was curled into a fist, his eyes narrowing at the sight of his eldest. What was he doing back in Britain? Near him no less? James could barely agree to Lily's meetings with Harry, the fact that the boy was back and close to Sam, his only son, was infuriating. He couldn't comprehend why would the Bulgarian minister keep him in such high regards either.

The red haired youth, and son of James and Lily Potter was confused at the ordeal. He knew that the boy – Harry Krum – was from Bulgaria and that he was important there. What he couldn't understand was why Krum was so important while he, the Boy-Who-Lived, was in the same breathing space as him? After all, killing the most dangerous Warlock of the century was certainly far more important and interesting than some stupid egghead research.

"My pleasure, Mr Krum." Minister Fudge replied with a curt nod. "It seems that I am a bit behind on the happenings in Bulgaria, so excuse me for asking but what have you achieved to be so close to my Bulgarian counterpart at such a young age?"

"Let me explain, Harry." Mr Krum said before Harry could answer. The boy shared a look with him, a silent conversation between them and Harry nodded in agreement. "Upon entering Durmstrang at a younger age than his peers – he was eight I believe – Harry has risen in ranks rapidly. He has finished his NEWTs just this past summer. He has become the youngest wizard to graduate Durmstrang in the past four hundred years."

Minister Obolensky nodded in agreement and smiled proudly at Harry.

"What can I say? I had exceptional teachers." Harry laughed.

"Not only that," Mr Krum continued. "While doing that, Harry has been doing private research in his spare time. His research has interested the Unspeakables and with their help, he has achieved something that was quite exceptional. At the age of thirteen, he has improved the Fidelius Charm."

Murmurs of surprise went through the Top Box, some of the people sending Harry looks of admirations and respect. The boy's cheeks went slightly pink under the looks.

"I had lots of help. Without the Unspeakables, I wouldn't be able to do it." He tried to say.

"Don't be so modest, lad!" Minister Obolensky boomed and slapped Harry on the back and making him stumble slightly. "You did a great job, you should be proud of what you've done!"

"Thank you Minister." Harry murmured, regaining his balance.

"I don't get it. What's so special about you? You graduated school early and fixed some charm, big deal." Sam said suddenly with a sneer on his face. "I defeated You-Know-Who at the age of one, you can't get better than that!"

Lily shot her son a disappointed look. She didn't want Sam to be so arrogant, especially with the threat of You-Know-Who returning from the grave. It wasn't a trait befitting her son or a hero.

"You were one-year-old, Mr Potter. You could hardly measure your magical abilities with something like that." Harry replied calmly, not shaken by the boy's response. "If anything, they could be diminished due to the extreme usage of them at such a young age."

"Are you trying to call my son a squib?" James asked angrily, gritting his teeth. How dare he say that? Sam was twice as powerful as Harry would ever be!

"I am merely stating what was proven by research, Mr Potter. Wizarding children who use too much magic or become traumatised at a young age are commonly found less magically able compared to their peers. It might or might not be the case."

"I'm sure that it is not the case. So don't go around saying that because if it came to it I would show you that I'm the better one here." Sam growled, his hand dangerously close to the wand in his pocket.

The atmosphere was tense. No one spoke, with the people not directly involved shuffling uncomfortably in their seats. Harry kept eye contact with Sam, his green eyes clashing with Sam's own hazel eyes. While the first one looked calm and confident, the latter was close to snapping. It was clear that the Boy-Who-Lived wasn't used to criticism of himself.

"Boys, let's just leave it at this. The match is about to start." Minister Fudge said slowly. He really did not want a fight to break out, especially in front of the foreign Minister. It would be bad press for his Ministry and himself if anything like that happened, so naturally Minster Fudge did not want that to happen.

Harry just shrugged and went down to take a seat, however when he walked past Sam, he made sure to make eye contact and send a challenging look which made the other boy's blood boil.

The game turned out to be rather unexpected. Although it was the Irish team that won the match in the end, it was Viktor who has caught the snitch. A loud cheer was heard from the read headed twins in the top box as they collected their money from Ludo Bagman. The Bulgarian supporters refused to register the negative aspects of the game and concentrated on their seekers exceptional skills – such as pulling off the Wronski feint successfully.

"I must say that Viktor has done a fantastic job of this game." Harry commented to the Bulgarian Minister. "He really did his best. The rest of the team, although they did a good job, need some work to catch up with the Irish."

"Of course! Viktor is just as talented as you, dear boy." Minister Obolensky agreed, trying to think of something positive, as they lost game dampened his spirits. "We have fought well during the game."

"We wouldn't have it any other way, Minister." Harry replied, standing up. "Now excuse me, I shall go and see the team before Viktor bites their heads off for losing."

"Of course, of course..." The Minister mumbled as he turned to speak to his British counterpart – who was boasting about the Irish winning the game – just as the Irish team entered the Top Box.

Harry took that moment to slip away from the Top Box, noticed only by Lily Potter and the Krum couple, to join the festivities that would soon start among the Bulgarian team.

Three weeks passed since the Quidditch World Cup. Harry has joined his brother in all but blood and the other Durmstrang Seventh Years to come back to the Institute a week before the term formally started. He wouldn't have had to do it, as both he and Viktor have finished their NEWTs, however they have been specifically asked by Headmaster Karkaroff to join the graduating class.

They were all sat down in the Lecture Hall – a large circular room with a raised stage in the middle of it and solid wooden chairs surrounding it, each row slightly higher than the one in front. There were just over twenty of them there, all wearing the red Durmstrang uniform and with thick fur coats draped on the back of their chairs.

Professor Karkaroff was stood on the stage, his hands folded behind his back as he addressed his students. "As some of you may already know, the tradition of the Triwizard Tournament has come back to Hogwarts this year. Durmstrang will be one of the three schools participating." Murmurs spread quickly through the small crowd, but hushed quickly after Karkaroff sent them a look. "You are all here because I believe that you have the potential to be the Durmstrang Champion and you will all be coming to Hogwarts with me."

Remembering a small fact that Minister Obolensky has told him about the upcoming Tournament, Harry raised his hand to clarify what he knew. "Headmaster, but I was told that you have to be seventeen to participate in the Tournament this year. I'm only fourteen, so why am I here?"

"Mr Krum, I find you more than capable to join the Tournament. I have acquired special permission from the Minister in order to let you participate. Even if you don't get chosen by the Goblet of Fire, I believe that your knowledge and company will be welcome by the other students." Headmaster Karkaroff answered.

Harry nodded in agreement; he wasn't one to turn down such an opportunity. At the same time, another student raised their hand to speak. "So it is true that the Goblet of Fire will pick the Champions?"

"Yes, Dimitri, the Goblet of Fire will pick the Champions." Karkaroff replied. "We shall be leaving on October 23rd to arrive at Hogwarts on the day before Halloween. Until then, all of you will be practising spells, potions, runes and everything else that will prepare you for the Tournament if you get chosen. Now, please return to your dorms, I expect you to be up at no later than six am tomorrow. Goodnight."

The Durmstrang students shuffled in their seats, grabbing their coats and leaving the Lecture Hall. Harry loitered for a second to wait for Viktor and they left the Hall together.

"So what do you think?" Viktor asked. "Triwizard Tournament, eternal glory…the prize money is not that bad either."

"Yes, it would be great to win it." Harry agreed. "But going to Hogwarts…it definitely will be challenging."

Viktor nodded. He knew that it could be the worst year or the best year of Harry's life – depending on how they looked at it.

XVVVX

A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating for…months! Life has really caught up with me as I am in my last year of school and I have a lot of things to do and not enough time to write. I'm going to try to make some more regular updates from now on!

I would appreciate feedback in the form of reviews. Thank you!

~Bambi