Disclaimer: Eenny, menny, meany-moe. Pick a Harry or you've got zero. Enny, menny, meanny-moe…. DARN!
The next few days, Harry did worry. What if they were right? What if the Hungarian horntail he defeated in the Tournament waited for her egg to hatch, for the hatching to be independent (which seem to take a couple of weeks, most), and then took the sky to search for him and get even? He found the egg pretty cool and wanted to ask the Headmaster to get rid of the charm on it that trigger the mermaid speech as soon as task will be done. Harry planned on carving runes on it and put his more expensive stuff in it. Now, he planned on exchanging it to a dragon in order not to become a 'Harry kebab'.
Luna assured him he was being silly. If the dragon showed up at Hogwarts, managing to get past the defence wards at the edge of the Forbidden Forest to keep the dangerous beast at a safe distance, there were more than enough able wizards to take it down. Maybe Harry wouldn't even notice until Hagrid's next Care for Magical Creature's class. Harry smiled widely and admits it was probably simply irrational fear. But it was a dragon after all.
Ron took a different alley to comfort him.
"Fighting a free dragon one on one… You'd have to choose the battlefield. The Hungarian horntail is a classical fang-claw-fire type. You would do well to use gillyweed and dive in the lake. He'll lose his flight advantage. Then you can either shoot at him from underwater or flip out of the lake periodically to cast something in its wings. If it touches water, it's done for. It can't swim well at all. Then you flip from behind on its back, run up to the head and cast a point-blank range stunner in the eyes or target the inside of the ear to hit the brain directly…"
Harry was looking at him with wide eyes.
"I knew I would have needed your help on the First Task! I knew it! Dammit!"
Ron came back from his dragon-fall plotting and blinked. He scratched behind his head, smiling shyly.
The next day, Harry was back in his lab, relaxed. Ron found him a good way to move during the Second Task! He already had Essence of gillyweed. He soaked a chewing gum in it, making it absorb as much as it could. As long as he would chew on it, it should work. He probably would have to wait a few minutes after spitting it before turning back to normal at the end for the effect to wear off. He was now looking for something to boost his speed. A potion? Rune'd leather bracer? Was he even allowed to? He guessed they would allow some things but this would be overdoing it and not in the spirit of the Tournament. It was more their thing to force an underage boy to participate in a deadly competition.
…
Harry started to work on a leather water belt that would allow him to speak underwater. No way would he go there unable to cast spells! It could be used to hold a knife too, like the Christmas present of Sirius. Like his new baby scythe. He looked at his greatest runic creation as of now, resting on a holder in his workshop. He wished he had more time to test it out before taking it on the field. Christmas had been a busy time, with the usual gift of a jumper and fudge from Mrs. Weasley, books from Hermione (since now she knew he would read them if they were about runes) and quite the surprise from Luna. Not that it was unusual or weird or useless. Quite the opposite, actually. Something so simple.
Leather. A whole batch of leather of many kinds from many beasts. He could clothe himself twice in leather if he wanted too! Of course, he was far from being a leatherworker, but belts and bracers weren't above his skill. She saw he liked to carve his quick runework in leather, even if they were for a single use. It's flexible enough to fit most situations. Most students carved in wood, as it's easier to chip, sand and erase the line of the Quadrant case but Harry didn't have that problem so…
Back to the present, Harry wondered about the uses he would put his sickle to. Of course, he would be able to take samples of pretty much anything with that. The runic work on it makes it virtually indestructible, but not godlike indestructible as nothing truly was. It was heat resistant. It would need several dragons' breaths on it to melt. Same for the cold. He joined these runes together and made it resistant to temperature shock so that going from heat to cold in a short amount of time wouldn't affect it. It had very little flexibility. From the handle to the tip, he could not bend it more than three millimetres by putting his whole weight on it. There was a 'forever shape keeping' set of runes on it too. It's like a self-sharpening knife! As long as the runes would stay intact, any dent or possible damage would get restored by itself. The magic circling in it kept the handle at a nice warm body temperature. He even managed to sharpen the edge further magically. He could probably cut a rock or a metal shield with this.
It was truly a master's work, and he was proud. The problem was: what if he dropped it? What if someone stole it! He didn't carve runes on it for that. He settled for a thin rune'd leather band he would wrap the handle in with some kind of 'return to my hand' command. He didn't have much of a choice but to take the risk. What was the point to make a tool if you're too afraid to lose it to put it to use?
The day of the Second Task finally dawned. Harry got up early, too excited to stay in bed any longer. He felt prepared and ready. He felt like taking down a whole mermaid colony if need to be! He was a bit surprised to see that Ron wasn't at the breakfast table, since he was not in the dormitories. Same for Hermione. Could she still be asleep on this day? It wasn't like her. He frowned and went to the Ravenclaw table where Luna was having her usual breakfast. He quickly averted his eyes from her plate. People were used to him sitting at the Ravenclaw table by now. The friendship with the Boy-who-lived allowed Luna not to be bothered anymore by childish behaviour. At least, after the First Task. She even made some hypocrite friendships with Ravenclaw girls who wanted to know what kind of girls were Harry's type.
"Hello Luna. Did you see a bushy bookworm or the Golden sidekick anywhere?" asked Harry, sitting down.
Ronald earned himself that nickname the day before and he didn't know if he was to be flattered or pissed. Which was Harry's intention, of course.
"No, Harry. I didn't. It speaks volume now, doesn't it? Now I know I'm not the thing that is dearest to you," she said in a casual voice. Harry was not misleading: he saw the spark of malice in her eye.
"I'm so sorry, Luna. They said cared for the most, not respected the most for their cunning mind, unbeatable originality and promising good looks. They would have taken you otherwise."
Luna hit his arm playfully. Even if less violent, Harry really started to wonder if she wasn't hanging out too much with Hermione.
"You flatterer, Harry. Know that I wear my rune'd butterbeer bottle cap necklace against your charms!" she said, head high.
"Wow. It must be working overtime and radiating a lot of heat since your cheeks are all pink. Well! I'm off!"
He left the table under the somewhat indignant glare of Luna. She shook her head and resumed eating her potatoes, eggs, bacon, syrup and bean goo she craved so much.
Harry was something to look at. He was in a light swimsuit with writing on the back saying: 'Your hippogryph father is stronger than mine? Wait 'till I tell my dragon mom…' with moving flames under it. He would have to thank the Weasley twins for making it in time. He was tanned too. Spring was still a wish but the time in his sunny greenhouse and working with melting metals in light clothing gave him a nice hue. His flying and past of Quidditch seeker gave him a wired kind of look and, for once, he didn't have to repair a summer of privations before coming back in shape. People were gawking at his small golden scythe he had at the waist and eyed warily the knife he had attached to the same belt, in a holster. He looked like a battle-ready warrior. His attitude of self-confidence and jumping on his feet to warm himself up helped to maintain that image too.
On his side, Harry was trying hard not to take the gillyweed gum at once and jump in the water right there. He held himself, waited for Mr. Crouch to say his robotic speech, repeating what he already knew. Then the canon blew. Early. Again. He dove head first into the water, enduring the shock of cold, almost challenging it to douse his eagerness. He pulled out his gum and shoved it in his mouth, quickly chewing on the enhanced candy. He began to swim down even before the effect made itself known. He found his finger morphing, as well as his feet. His short breath didn't matter anymore since he had gills now: it was perfect. The feeling was so pure! He swam around, jumped out of water for a triple flip and used the momentum to swim full speed toward the deep end. He figured that if he swam fast enough, nothing would catch up to him.
Some plants tried to grab him but the grip simply glided on him, not having the time to get a hold. Some fish, scared, swam away from him. After a short while, he passed Fleur, battling strangleweeds. These dark creatures were a pain when in groups and the size of the flock after her was dangerous. There was a good chance she would make it on her own. Harry modified his course slightly, taking out his wand. One pass, only one, to give her a chance to escape in time to resume the hunt.
As soon as he came in range for spells, he began his quick attack. Disarming charms would only push them back and body bind are partially effective against the snake-shaped creatures. Professor Lupin was quite clear in his lessons, last years. Those beasts are malicious, deadly, without a shred of compassion.
Aim to kill.
Blasting curse underwater have a very interesting effect. They rip the target apart from the opposing forces created by the explosion in a dense environment. A few blinding spell and a little special he learned from the twins: Fanged Bat Volley hex. Harry's spell passed a surprised Fleur. He never stopped to look at the underwater flight of attacking bats and went down. It was up to her now.
The last day before the task, Hermione found an old map of the bottom of the lake. Missing parts were filled in by an emergency communication by firecall to Sirius. He visited the mermaids back in his days. He even tried to hit on one once. She wasn't all that opposed, he'd said with a faraway remembering look.
Harry got in sight of the mermaid town, following the sound he knew well enough. The song from the egg. He was still surprised by what he found there. He expected people to be held hostage, but the four of them were just tied by an ankle in some magical stasis. Hermione? What was she doing there? He guessed Ron was here for him, but Hermione? Cho was no surprise. And that cute silver haired girl must be related to Fleur. Which left Hermione to Krum. That was unexpected. He was about to free Hermione when two mermaids, swimming lots faster than even he could in his transformed state, threatened him with their tridents, saying something about only taking 'the freckled one'.
He had to think back to remember it since his reflexes took the best of him. He drew his small sickle and slashed the weapons, targeting the shaft to avert them from being pointed on him. Well, that didn't go as planned. Instead, both weapons were cut clean. The mere-people slowly pulled the now blunt end of their weapon in front of their eyes open wide in denial. Harry drew his wand with his free hand. He was suddenly alone in a hundred metre radius.
Harry could not possibly just leave with another's hostage, so he waited. Cedric came first, using a bubble head charm. Fleur was fast behind, having finished off her enemies and going the same path Harry went when he left her. She looked at him blankly and he nodded, understanding her silent thanks as he cut the rope tying her hostage to the bottom of the lake with his scythe. Now Hermione was the last left. She must have been surprised to learn she was Krum's dearest one around!
Said Bulgarian came around, half-human, half-shark. Harry cut Hermione's rope, and presented it to the other champion so he could hoist her up by it. He took the back of Ron's robes and began to pull him up. Even with his lost lead, he surfaced a second before Krum. Gillyweed beats shark! At least, in speed…
Ron started coughing and spat water as soon as they surfaced.
"Come on mate! Be on your best damsel in distress behaviour! There are people watching!" teased Harry. Ron wanted to slap him but Harry pushed him fast toward the wooden platform, going back underwater. As expected, he would have to wait a little while after spitting the gum for the effect to drop.
Harry waited a few minutes underwater while Dumbledore was conversing with one of the mermaids. If it was any indication of his size, the very deadly-looking weapon he had with him and the fact he could speak with Dumbledore out of water, Harry figured it must be their leader. Finally, the effect wore off and he pulled himself out of the water. He went to Ron while Krum was fussing around Hermione quite uselessly. He was rather put out when she went to Harry to ask him what kept him underwater so long.
Harry noticed Krum's glare, which could have frozen the whole lake. Fleur was staring at him too, but with a strange blank look. Harry wished he could understand the meaning behind that look. She wasn't mad at him for the help he lent her, was she? He simply smiled at her and sat content on a small wooden bench, accepting the towel Mrs. Pomfrey offered him to dry himself and the pepper-up potion to get back more sensation in his frozen shell of a body. She was, once again, surprised he wasn't any more hurt than with the dragon and jokingly warned him they would take off his nameplate on his allocated bed at the infirmary. Even the potion was a bonus since he was still riding an adrenaline rush. Steam was hovering all around him!
Dumbledore cast a sonorous charm to announce the results of the task. Harry was third to finish the task, seconds before the end of allowed time. Krum finished two seconds too late. Harry took an easy first place with the bonus point he earned for his show of bravery at the bottom of the lake, refusing to go before all hostages were safe. After his dealing with the dragon and yet again another perfect performance, Karkaroff could not go lower than his 'six'.
Ron shook his head.
"Blimey, Harry. Forget what anyone else says or even about that bloody point count. That was hero material."
"Yeah, well it's so much like you too, Ron! You're not even in the crowd, cheering for me!" said Harry, clearly amused.
"You're so dead Potter!" yelled Ron, laughing, taking a wet towel and beginning to whip him.
The spring was in full swing when the champions were asked to come to the Quidditch pitch in preparation for the Third Task. As soon as they saw the forming edges, Krum simply declared: "A labyrinth."
Cedric, Fleur and Harry nodded. As they were about to go back, Krum asked for a moment alone with Harry. He complied, nodding toward Fleur, meaning that he would join her later. They had an unofficial and very ambiguous relation. To the outsider's eyes, they were shamelessly flirting in public, sometime telling each other off for being a 'little boy', a 'pampered princess', a 'scared four-eyes' or a 'flat Barbie'. Fleur had to do some research to understand that one, but once she found out who exactly was Barbie, she took great time, in private, to make him realize how well filled out she was. Harry knew that part of her anatomy quite well by now, for both their enjoyment.
They agreed, despite how well they were doing together, that this relation would not last past the school year. Fleur recognized the powerful, flaming and lustful relation this was and explained they should end it while all sides were still on good terms. Harry was sad, since he liked her a lot. He admitted to her that he would try make the most of the time they were allowed together. How could she blame him? She was incredibly hot after all.
Harry wondered if she'd like to keep light correspondence or if she'd think he's trying to stick around too much. He had to shake his head lightly as it would not be a good idea to be distracted while speaking alone, far from eyes, with the Bulgarian champion. He was prepared to go for his wand if needed. Who knew what goes in his head?
"Harry Potter… what is your relation with Hermione Granger?" he asked directly.
Harry blinked twice. Of all the questions… He wanted to speak about girls. He was looking at him seriously, almost intimidating. Angry? Why? Isn't he aware of his status with Fleur? He'd be the only one.
"She's my best friend. Why?" he asked curiously.
"I heard…" he began, uncomfortable.
"That I was going out with her. I thought that the gossip about Fleur and I was more than enough to outdo that one about me and Hermione at the Yule Ball."
"So…you're not involved with her," Krum stated clearly.
"Nope. Like a forever best friend to me," answered Harry happily.
Krum looked relieved.
"I left that to my other best friend, Ronald Weasley. To be romantically involved with Hermione that is. They hooked up the day after the Ball."
The expression on Krum could have been funny if Harry was a heartless bastard.
"What? Who?" asked the Durmstrang champion, looking panicked.
"Ronald Weasley. The red-haired boy I had to rescue from the lake in the Second Task."
Viktor's memory kicked in and he smiled crossly.
"Him. That won't be an obstacle," he said confidently.
Harry's eyes and demeanour changed.
"Don't take him lightly. He packs up more than he looks. I would not trust my back to an incompetent man."
"He's still only fourteen. Like yourself by the way," Krum stated, menacingly.
"And you're arrogant, which level the playing field. You're the perfect target for a surprise attack, you underestimate him from his looks."
Viktor grimaced.
"You should not stay out late, Potter. The dragon might come and get you," Krum sneered.
Harry smiled crookedly.
"I don't think about it much. Ron designed for me a three-point plan to beat it in less than five minutes. Try to talk to Hermione though. She might agree for a long-distance correspondence."
Viktor looked at him, confused.
"Why are you telling me that?"
Harry caught something on his peripheral vision.
"Because…"
But then he lost all traces of a smile and drew his wand in a flash. The speed he used took Krum so much by surprise he simply froze. It was he who had his guard down.
"Behind you, Krum. Get over here," Harry told him, looking at something over his shoulder.
Seeing that he already had him, Krum figured Harry had no reason to make things up. He wiped out his wand and turned to see a stumbling form come out of the woods.
"Oh God…" whispered Harry, seeing the state Mr. Crouch was in, looking totally lost.
"The Forbidden Forest is exactly that, forbidden. Didn't you read the school rules, Mr. Crouch?" said Harry, catching him before he fell to the ground.
"Potter…Potter…Dumbledore…get…" and then his face lightened up. He started spouting things about NEWT, a son, a wife and some other nonsense.
Krum looked as lost as he felt. Harry's gears turned again, trying to make something out of this.
"It looks like…some kind of memory spell damage or something," Harry stated, trying to figure it out.
"Post-Impero Shock Syndrome. PISS," Krum said matter-of-factly. "A lasting one I'd say. What you said helped me remember that. It's the first time I've actually seen one. Or even heard of a case, since…"
"Since Voldemort's last rise to power," ended Harry, seeing Krum wince and looked up at Harry in surprise.
"Which means that either he or one of his Death Eaters did this. We can't let him out of both our guards. We have to get him to the Hospital Wings, wands drawn," Harry stated.
Viktor acknowledged the plan and they each took an arm of the delirious man to practically drag him forward.
Moody came running to them, limping, from their right side.
"Potter? What's happening? I saw something in one of my foe mirrors and I came as fast as…"
"HAAA! YOU! Leave me alone! Let me go! Let go of me! Get out, get out, GET OUT!" yelled Crouch at Moody, trashing in Harry's and Viktor's support.
Moody stopped, looking panicked and unsure. Harry saw something strange in his eyes. Maybe Crouch was insane, but he wasn't violent a few seconds before. He was about to ask Moody what Crouch meant but he didn't have to. He locked eyes with Mad-Eye. Harry simply knew this wasn't Alastor Mad-Eye. The impostor realized he just been found out. He drew his wand but Harry already had his out.
"Expelliarmus!"
The man in front of him managed to dodge sideway, out of the way of the curse in an impressive show of reflex.
"Aveda Kedavra!"
Harry thought that was it, for a moment, but Crouch choose that moment to escape his loosening grip and tried to get away. He walked straight in the spell's paths and fell down on the ground, eyes empty of all life.
Krum and Harry aligned the murderer with both their wand and prepared to launch some nasty curses while the enemy was sprawled on the ground, having fallen down from his sudden dodging earlier. The impostor tugged something in his coat and disappeared. The boys stared in shock at the empty spot in front of them, wands still at the ready. Viktor put it away, looking around.
"I doubt he activated an invisibility device. More like an emergency portkey," he said.
Harry sighed loudly, tired.
"Yeah, must be it. Damn it all. What does it all mean?"
Krum shrugged his shoulders. Harry took a tissue and engorged it enough to cover the body of the dead Ministry official. Krum cast a mobilicorpus and they made their way inside. The first student they met was told to get the Headmaster.
They made it halfway to his office when he got to them, walking briskly. Harry whispered the identity of the body under the cover and he was motioned to bring him in the Hospital wing. They walked in silence, people making way for the two champions and the Headmaster. They closed the door of the infirmary behind them and Dumbledore cast some privacy spell. Krum and Harry then told him what happened, leaving out no details. Dumbledore seemed to take a few more years on his face. Harry saw the weight of responsibility rest on the wizard's shoulder. It was the price to pay for his fame, his talents and his position. Harry didn't envy him at all but he understood the need for one to be there.
"Headmaster. I request some time in the next few days for a talk," asked Harry seriously. "We have much to discuss."
Dumbledore took in his determined face and simply nodded. Viktor and Harry left, in serious thought and he went to his greenhouse by pure reflexes, it being the best place to think. A strange sight waited for him in there. Neville was talking with Ron, Hermione and… Fleur? Ah, yes. He mentioned to her to wait for him there.
"What happened, Harry?" asked Hermione at once, concerned, as he entered the glass building. "The rumours said someone's…body was carried by you and Viktor at the Hospital Wing!"
Ron was about to say something but seemed to think better. Fleur was looking at Harry with concern too. Neville looked like a nervous wreck, his usual state when things went wrong.
"It was Mr. Crouch," revealed Harry. General gasp.
"Yeah. I was having a mature, man to man discussion with Krum including menace and innuendo when Mr. Crouch came out of the Forbidden Forest, looking really bad, as if he crossed the place forth and back without a wand. He was spouting nonsense and Krum recognized the after-effect of an Imperius curse used on a long period of time. We were taking him to the infirmary and Moody got to us. Crouch reacted violently and we understood this wasn't Mad-Eye. Realizing we saw through him, he tried to kill us, starting with me. Mr. Crouch, trying to escape, got in the way of the killing curse. The impostor took a portkey and escaped. That's all that happened. Now, I still have to figure out what it means."
"Who would do such a thing, would go to such length and with what motives? Why use an Imperius on an official?" asked Fleur.
Hermione shook her head, having no answer. Ron was deep in thoughts.
"He was a pawn. No, a knight. His movement got him inside the enemy's line. Crouch senior was a pawn he sacrificed for damage control," he finally said.
Harry looked at Ron, letting him process the puzzle. Harry could see stuff with his rune technique, but he needed more elements. Ron's analytic mind of people themselves was better adapted to the situation.
"Harry's actions forced them into that move, as he's playing on the White side," he kept on. "They're Black. To beat them, we need to learn how many pieces are still left in the play and where they are. Our pieces are easy to figure out. The champions are towers. Their moves are predictable, but hard to counter."
"Who are the kings?" asked Fleur, knowing a little something about chess.
"The Black king is probably V-V-Voldemort himself. Buried way back in the play, never showing himself or taking any risk. Our white King…"
He looked up to Harry.
"He's forced to play like a tower, taking many risks, being at predictable places and putting the whole game at risk. But why such length, as you said earlier? Moody, whoever that was, was around Harry all year! Even alone with him a few times!" said Fleur, frowning.
They stood silent until Ron took back where he left, answering the question still in the air.
"He wants a face-off. The Black king wants to kill the White one personally. The problem is: when will they get face to face? How will he drag you behind his lines? If that happen, it's going to be a whole new game."
Harry sighed and put his head in his hands.
"I really need a strong Queen then. Who's proposing for the title?"
