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Chapter 7: Final Two
"Attention! Attention!" Umbridge's voice echoed throughout the school. "Could the final 10 make their way to my classroom to select the final two champions." She gave a sickly sweet smile to all who were looking at her. "That is all."
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione. This was it. This would be final. There would be no turning back if any of them were chosen.
"Let's go," Harry said. They walked fairly quickly, both excited and nervous of the possibility of being chosen.
"Mr. Potter," Umbridge greeted with a fake smile when they entered. "Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger," she nodded.
Harry made his way to his usual seat in the classroom: the aisle seat in the middle. Dumbledore was sitting in a straight-back chair at the front. Harry noted that instead of tired and pale, Dumbledore looked tired and…grey? There was little to no colour in his face, and his blue eyes were barely twinkling. He looked sick.
"Dumbledore is not happy with this," Hermione whispered. She seemed to be right. Once you took in the overall greyness and exhaustion, he looked sorrowful.
"Everyone! We have decided upon the final two! Dumbledore and I will cast our patronuses and whichever two they stand in front of, will be the finalists," Umbridge announced cheerily. Her pudgy hands were grasped tightly around her wand. Dumbledore gracefully lifted his wand and a phoenix flew about the room. Umbridge, however, had to shout, "Expecto Patronum!" in order to have her own cat – tiny in comparison to Dumbledore's magnificent phoenix – stumble around the room.
"Fits her personality nicely, eh, Georgie? She's as two-faced as one," Fred snickered.
They all lined up, and nervously awaited the patronuses to land in front of them. Harry shut his eyes and wondered if he really even wanted to be here, if he really wanted to do this. When he opened his eyes, the cat sat in front of him.
Perfect, Harry thought sarcastically. Who is my teammate?
Harry internally groaned. Snape was standing there, seething at Dumbledore. His phoenix was flying around Snape, until it landed elegantly in front of him. Snape clenched his jaw. No. Be a teammate with Potter?
"There we have it!" Umbridge squealed. "The final two!"
Cries of "that's not fair!" and other more rude things were shouted at Umbridge. She only smiled back at them, her beady black eyes shining with suppressed, evil merriment. Eventually the contestants filed out of the room until everyone but Harry, Snape, and Dumbledore were left. Harry stood there in shock. He had lost his voice and couldn't remember how to walk. There was no way in hell that Snape and Harry would be able to work together and win this tournament.
"Headmaster, you don't really mean for me to compete, do you?" Snape asked bitterly. "I have no time to take part in such trivial contests."
"Severus, you and Harry were the top two out of the finalists. You must compete," Dumbledore said simply.
"Professor, does that mean I have to work with Snape?" Harry asked.
"Professor Snape," Dumbledore corrected. "And yes, if Hogwarts is to have any chance of winning, you must work together."
"And if I don't want to work with him?" Harry challenged.
Dumbledore shook his head. "Please, Harry. I have tried for years to make you two get along. Can you please do this for Hogwarts?"
Snape barely nodded, keeping his jaw clenched in contained anger. Harry only glared at the floor in resignation and fury.
"Thank you," Dumbledore sighed. "Off you go, Mr. Potter. I'm sure your friends will want to celebrate."
Harry ran off without evening glancing at his teammate.
As soon as Harry had left, Snape cast the Muffliato spell on the doorway, locked it, and let out his fury.
"I will be working with the brat Potter?" Snape spat through clenched teeth. "What were you thinking?"
"Harry and yourself both were very determined and very courageous in your simulations," Dumbledore explained. "More than that, you both were calm in the face of danger, and used your intelligence and quick thinking to get you through."
"Potter is inept at most subjects. I will be doing all the work. And for what? A competition I wish to take no part it," Snape said angrily. "I know what games you're up to, Headmaster, and I do not like them at all."
Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling for the first time in weeks. "Severus, whatever 'games I am up to', I assure you I mean only the best."
Snape huffed. "Then I guess we will see just how well Potter will take directions." Snape stormed out of the room, cape whipping behind him.
Dumbledore chuckled. "You will work with him, Severus. There's no doubt about it," he said to himself.
