*A/N flashback present in this chapter will be in italics*
For weeks one of the main topics of discussion had been the prank on Dumbledore, along with mass speculation on who was the perpetrator of such daring prank. After such a display, nobody in the school even remembered the scene between Harry, Dobby, and Dumbledore the day before. Along with the fact that nobody ever saw the famed Boy-Who-Lived, his potential for involvement quickly left the minds of all students and visitors alike. The only people who knew of Harry's involvement were Snape, Dumbledore, the Weasley Twins, and Fleur. Snape and Dumbledore both stayed quiet about it because if they reprimanded Harry then questions might be asked and those questions might lead back to their attempted drugging of two foreign students. After a quick word with two both Fred and George promised to not reveal anything.
With eating his meals in the kitchens to avoid being drugged by Dumbledore, sleeping in the Room of Requirement, and using his invisibility cloak whenever he shadowed Fleur around the school, Harry was virtually never seen by the student populace. The only times he might be seen were when he and Fleur would take walks around the Black Lake to avoid the stares and drooling Fleur inevitably attracted.
The first time Harry was seen by the public eye was when the wand weighing ceremony came around. Seeing as this was their first chance to finally see Harry, both reporters and ministry officials flocked the the ceremony in droves. So many came that instead of using one of the larger classrooms like they had planned, the organizers of the event had to move it to the Great Hall.
As Harry walked in with Fleur at his side, every voice hushed and every eye turned to him. Suddenly an avalanche of noise and movement erupted as everyone present tried to talk to Harry at once. Reporters all rushed him to try and be the first ones to have questions answered by Harry, and ministry officials all tried to be the first to greet Harry. The result was a cacophony of questions and introductions and everyone crowded around Harry to get a glimpse of him. Through the den of noise Harry was still able to make out several things being said.
"Is it true you were raised by dark wizards?" One asked only for his question to be shoved aside as another was asked.
"Is it true who murdered an innocent man purely for his money?" A blonde woman with red glasses asked.
As the reporters began to edge even closer to him Harry wrapped an arm around Fleur and began to try and work his way through the mob of people, Fleur wrapped snuggly into his side and away from the boisterous crowd around them.
Only when they reached the other champions and the crowd still remained as raucous as earlier did Dumbledore finally take action. Using the sonorous charm to magnify his voice he yelled for silence and the crowd reluctantly took their seats and remained in silence.
The Great Hall had been cleared of the usual house tables in favor of endless rows of individual chairs for those present to use. Standing before the teacher table was the heads of each school along with Crouch, Ludo Bagman, and another man with long and dirty silver hair.
"The wand weighing ceremony will now begin." Crouch announced in the disinterested monotone that Harry had become accustomed to the man speaking in.
"Good afternoon champions, as some of you may know I am Garrick Ollivander," He man with the silver hair said with a knowing grin towards Hogwarts' champion Cedric. "I will be the one to weigh the wands. Now then, ladies first I suppose." He said while looking at Fleur and waiting for her to walk up to him.
Fleur gave Harry a quick smile before her eyes slid down to his arm that was still wrapped around her waist. Harry quickly removed his arm with a faint blush on his face. Their little byplay didn't go unnoticed by some though as the sound of several pictures being taken could be heard as Fleur strode up to Ollivander.
Once Fleur stood before him Ollivander reached out for her wand while visibly struggling to shrug off Fleur's allure, which she had forgotten to rein in after letting it go unsuppressed when she was with Harry earlier. Realizing what was going on Fleur quickly worked to suppress her allure and the strained look on Ollivander's face quickly dissipated.
Ollivander stood there with Fleur's wand in hand as he scrupulously observed it. "Nine and a half inches, Rosewood, and with a veela hair for a core?" Ollivander said while giving Fleur a questioning gaze. Fleur simply nodded and Ollivander used her wand to summon a bouquet of flowers. Nodding to himself, Ollivander deemed her wand was in condition to compete with and handed it back to her along with the bouquet of flowers before proceeding to the next champion.
Ollivander quickly examined Cedric and Krum's wands before it was Harry's turn to go. Walking up to the old man Harry handed over his wand. Ollivander stood there rotating the wand in his hands, observing every inch of it. Finally he announced to the assembled crowd, "Eleven and five-eighths of an inch, quite an exact length." He said before he frowned while looking at the wand. "Though I am at a loss as to what wood is used and what the core is." This caused an excited wave of whispering to erupt from those seated in the Great Hall. Ollivander's statement made Harry remember the day he had gone with Sirius and Remus to get his wand.
He was only six years old when Remus and Sirius told him they were going to town to get Harry a wand. Harry was bubbling with excitement as he would finally be able to use magic and be taught by Remus and Sirius. "Now remember Harry, be very respectful of Mister Gregorovitch, he is the best wand crafter in the world and should be treated as such." Remus said as the three of them walked across the town square and entered several dark alleyways.
"But if he's so good why is he in some small muggle town like this?" Harry asked.
Remus and Sirius shared a quick glance before Remus stopped them and got on his knees so he could be eye level with Harry. "I will tell you but first you must promise me never to ask Gregorovitch about his past as he may not take kindly to you doing so." Harry only nodded before Remus took a deep breath and began to tell Harry about the mysterious wand crafter.
According to Remus, Gregorovitch had been experimenting with many different cores and wood combinations in an attempt to recreate the power of some mystical wand that had been stolen from him decades ago. In doing so Gregorovitch had gained a name as one of the best wand crafters in the world for his use of obscure cores and woods. After decades of experimenting Gregorovitch resorted to using multiple cores and only last year he gave one of these new wands to a young Polish noble. The wand malfunctioned and exploded, killing the user and the nobles' father used his wealth and influence to have Gregorovitch executed. Gregorovitch managed to catch wind of the plan and was able to flee to the Pyrenees Mountains and to the town the three of them were currently in.
Harry's amazement grew throughout the tale and when Remus was finished Harry was almost bouncing up and down in excitement. The three of them continued through the twisting alleys and soon came a door with faded paint and deteriorating wood. Walking up to the door Remus gently knocked.
Harry could hear footsteps approaching the door and the door opened revealing a decrepit looking old man. "What do you want?" He asked in a wheezing voice.
"I am Remus Lupin and the two with me are Sirius Black and Harry Potter."
"I've heard of your names before, both of you are wanted internationally for kidnapping the Potter boy." He said.
"We're aware of that but we didn't come here to discuss the manhunt for us." Sirius said.
Gregorovitch shifted his eyes to Harry standing between Sirius and Remus. "A wand for the boy I suppose?"
"Yes please sir." Harry said with hope in his eyes.
Gregorovitch seemed to study Harry for a while before he completely opened the door, allowing entry to them. "When I left Warsaw I thought I would never be making a wand again," he said as he wandered into a closet where several dusty jars sat on shelves. "However, you are in luck as I took the rarer and more expensive materials with me so nobody else could get there hands on them." He explained and returned with several jars stored in a wooden box. Upon further inspection Harry saw that each jar held a different kind of wood. Gregorovitch took the lid off each jar and placed them in a line on a table. "Hold your hand over each jar and whichever one you get the most reaction from will be used for your wand." He explained to Harry.
Harry ran his hand along all of them not getting a reaction until the last one where when he placed his hand over it he felt a searing heat spread throughout his hand and arm. "This one." Harry said while holding the jar.
Gregorovitch had a surprised look on his face. "Bamboo." He said. "Never had someone pick that before. Bamboo is a flexible yet strong wood and wands made from it are rumored to be powerful in almost all branches of magic. Having never see a bamboo wand I can't confirm this though." He said as he took the jar from Harry's hand and pulled out the many strips of wood. "Now for a core."
He then placed another set of jars in front of Harry with similar instructions to the wood. Only this time Harry felt a reaction from two different jars, one held a pinch of ivory powder while the other held a vial filled with a small amount of liquid that looked like water. When Harry held up the two cores Gregorovitch gasped in shock. "In all my years I have never seen a wand as complex as yours Mister Potter." When a questioning look was the only thing he got from the others assembled in the room Gregorovitch elaborated. "The two you picked up is crushed basilisk fang and freely given phoenix tears."
"How could you have gotten these?" Sirius asked with a shocked expression on his face that was mirrored on Remus'.
"At great personal cost." Was the only response they got. Gregorovitch looked at the various items in his hands before he sighed and returned his gaze to the three. "You know, when you first knocked on the door I had every intention of refusing your request for a wand but seeing the items Mister Potter picked out I can't help but feel that maybe he is the answer I have looked for for so long." He placed the wood and cores on a desk with several other instruments before addressing them again. "It will take some time to make the wand and to ensure the cores manage to mesh together and with the wood. Come back in three weeks and I should be done."
Three weeks later and Harry found himself back in the run-down building but only with Sirius this time for Remus had business to attend to in France. Gregorovitch returned to them with a bow in his hands. "Only one thing remains for me to do, the cores and wood proved quite unstable and I will need something of you Mister Potter." Harry only nodded in affirmation to the wand crafter's request. "I need a vial of your blood so the cores can stabilize."
Once Harry had given the required blood Gregorovitch went into the back of the building with the wand and vial of blood in hand. After nearly an hour he returned to the front with a smile on his face. "I dare say this may be the greatest wand I have ever had the pleasure of crafting." He said before removing the lid to the box with a flourish, inside the box way a wand nearly a foot long and with a vine motif running along the entire length of the wand, starting at the base and ending at the tip. Harry took the wand and the instant it made contact with his skin he felt at heat spread throughout his entire body.
"Thank you so much sir." Harry said with wonder in his voice.
"No it is I who should thank you, for you have allowed me come close than I ever have to completing my life goal." He said before sending the two of them away.
"Mister Potter, Mister Potter!" Ollivander said with the slightest hint of irritation. Harry's thoughts snapped back to the present and he realized everyone was looking at him impatiently.
"Oh sorry, my wand is bamboo with a core of crushed basilisk fang dissolved in freely given phoenix tears." Harry said. Instead of saying anything Ollivander simply stood there in shock as what Harry said sank in.
"I daresay this may be the most powerful wand I've ever held in my hands." Ollivander said before casting a charm that would summon wine. Only a trickle came out and Ollivander dropped the wand and clutched his hand in agony.
Harry quickly grabbed his wand from where Ollivander had dropped it. "Sorry about that, my wand is quite picky about who uses it." Harry explained before quickly returning to Fleur's side.
Ollivander cleared Harry's wand and Dumbledore stood in the space Ollivander had just vacated, "Now if any reporters have questions for the champions they may be asked now." Immediately all the reporters were on their feet, clamoring for Dumbledore's attention. Dumbledore eventually called on the woman with red glasses from earlier, "Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet." She said before asking her question. "Mr. Potter, now that you have returned to Britain despite remaining with quite detestable company for one of your status, will you now tell us where you have been?"
Harry felt himself bristle when she said the part about 'detestable company'. Fleur saw this and gripped Harry's forearm and when there eyes met sent him a silent message, 'Don't do anything drastic again' it said. "First things first Ms. Skeeter, you have no right to say such things about those who are my friends, and second, I will not tell anyone where I have been so if that is all of you were going to ask then you might as well go ahead and leave."
"Very well then Mr. Potter, would you care to answer my earlier question about how you killed an innocent man in cold blood to acquire his fortunes?" She asked with a smirk on her face.
Before he could answer though Maxine stood and in a booming voice said, "We are here to ask the champions about the tournament, not pry into their private lives. You would all do well to remember that."
After Maxine's stern warning to the assembled reporters the interview proceeded with questions about tournament and things related to it. Eventually Crouch stood and said that the time for interviews was over and for everyone to leave the Great Hall.
Harry and Fleur both stood and began to prepare themselves for the next onslaught but this time from ministry officials. The two began to leave when they both felt a large hand on their shoulders. Turning around the saw Maxine standing behind them, "Follow me, I know of a side exit that can take us to my office inside the school." she said as she led them out a side door and up several flights of stairs. Maxine opened up a door and led them into a circular room with several chairs arranged around a desk. "Dumbledore gave Karkaroff and I rooms inside the school should we choose to attend to our duties inside the school." She explained as they all took seats around the desk.
"Thank you for stopping that Skeeter woman." Harry said.
"She had no right to ask those questions and further she had no right to insult Fleur by referring to those you keep for company as detestable." Maxine explained. "But you're welcome nonetheless." She said with a small smile.
"So why are we here?" Fleur asked.
The smile on Maxine's face quickly disappeared and she proceeded to place silencing wards throughout the room. When she finished she sat back down and folded her hands on the desk in front of her while struggling on how to word what she needed to say. "I have discovered just what you will be faced with in the first task." She said as she sent a worried glance towards the two in front of her. "You will each have to defeat a manticore."
A/N I felt making it a dragon would be too damn cliche and I also just wanted to do something different. Hoped y'all liked this chapter.