Chapter 14 - Girls and Galleons
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I sat next to Luna Lovegood who is already sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table." Hi Luna, anything new going on?"
"Nothing new since yesterday Harry Nargles are still infesting most people's hair. How is your hand today?"
I have no idea what she was talking about but I gave a general answer anyhow, "Fine, thank you Luna for asking."
"I would think it still hurt after you punched Ron Weasley in the jaw last week. Although Ginny shouldn't of been hanging on you like that trying to get you to take her to the Yule ball. Nobody blames you, Ron should never have said those things about what you are trying to do to his sister, she's the one who has the infatuation over The-Boy-Who-Lived."
Not knowing exactly what happened I decided the minor grunt and a nod would suffice.
"I would look out for Cho after she asked you to be her date at the Yule ball and you turned her down in public. She is really mad and I would not put it past her to use her position as a Perfect to get even with you. Nobody blames you for hiding from everyone this last week."
"I'll keep my eye open, but I do thank you for the warnings."
"Padma is really thrilled that you invited her to the ball but I would recommend that you wear something in black as she has picked out shocking pink for her robes. She will also be decked out in gold bracelets, necklaces and have a gold head-piece."
"You're really helping me out here Luna shocking pink is hard to color coordinate." Actually it sounded like she was going as an imitation Sybill Trelawney.
"One more piece of advice while you are dodging all the females here at Hogwarts Mr. Hottie! Take some time out and have a talk with Morag McDougal, this Greengrass is not right for you"
"This is been a lot of talk about me what about you Luna?" I asked while trying to figure out the remark she made about Greengrass
"Oh don't worry about me Harry, you should be able to fit me in with some snuggle time sometimes next year."
Luckily the conversation ended there with a"Hi Harry" from Padma who joined the table. I don't believe my answer was even heard as Su Li and Mandy join the table and the girl talk over the ball commenced in earnest. Chang and Edgecombe settled in the opposite end of the table while making eyes with Corner and Eddie Carmichael.
/Scene break/
They say that some things never change and apparently that applies to different dimensions. Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy seemed to enjoy daily verbal interrelations. Neither of the two enjoyed my company but did enjoy hurling insults at me, my scar and my parents. Having lived through these and other exchanges I was not overly bothered by the two. What did bother me was having my body shrunk back a number of years. I did notice however that this body was not the ultra thin malnutrition body of years goneby was not there, I seem to have my bulk and muscles from my training in the last dimension. I later found that I could 'elf transport', and had all my previous abilities. One thing that I didn't have was a daily meeting with the Headmaster's office, Snape was as grumpy as I remembered and just as ugly. Well make that three things I thought, Daphne the "Ice Queen" of Slytherin walked by me with her nose stuck in the air as if everyone around her was covered in Dragon dung, including me. That hurt, but I would have to sort that out later.
/Scene break/
The Yule ball was a real coming out party. Padma showed up in our shocking pink robes, her arms covered in gold bracelets, necklaces and a gold headpiece. I wondered how she was able to walk with all that extra weight. We open the ball with the rest of the champions and I found that Padma was really good doing the waltze. Padma however did not object to all the girls that wanted to dance with a living legend Potter. She was basking in all the attention that I so despised. Adding to the fun, was that the wizard world was so far behind the Muggle world, that Wizards were still doing dances such as the foxtrot, minuet, with the Ruodlieb being one of the more up-to-date dances.
McDougal appeared out of nowhere and bum rushed me onto the dance floor, "Come on Potter this is my kind of dance."
"Of course Miss McDougal I would be delighted." I then realized it was Argentine tango.
To say that that girl could dance would be an understatement and I thought that I would take it Luna's advice and have a chat with McDougal later. McDougal made the dance extremely hot and steamy and apparently brought out Ginny Weasley for the next dance set. The youngest Weasley was trying the hump and grind a slow dance in a style which got me stimulated and Ron Weasley all upset, "Get your hands off my sister you pervert." Draco Malfoy having a keen sense of survival opened his mouth.
"Hey Weasel it looks like the little Weasellet is trying to get herself a little private bed time with Scar Head." This provided more entertainment as Ron and Draco went to fist city which sent Slitherin house and Gryffindor house onto the dance floor swaying to the beat of their fists and their wands.
/Scene break/
I spent Christmas break mostly in the portrait room as most of students in school had gone home for the Christmas break. The second task ended pretty much has it had in the last dimension but now I was in a quandary and what was my status with the headmaster? While I hadn't ignored Tonks playing a student nor had I discovered if Madeye Moody was really a poly-juiced Lupin, my problem was the Headmaster and Cho Chang's groupies. Was I the Headmasters subservient good little boy who knew nothing or had I played a different role up to this point and why was Cho so interested in my activities.
/Scene break/
I had run out of time as it was now a day before the final task and I had to tell Dumbledore or somebody was going to get killed. I decided today would be the day but I was saved further worry because as I was finishing breakfast," Mr. Potter please see me in my office after breakfast." The headmaster had spoken a familiar old tune.
The first count against the Headmaster was that he departed the Great Hall without giving me the password to his office. When I arrived at the Gargoyle I said to myself "strike one" and 'transported' up to his outer door. As usual he said "enter" before I could knock and I was told be to have a seat and offered a lemon drop, which I refused.
"Harry I called you to my office today to discuss your current and summer residence requirements."
"Headmaster?" Was I to get a private room?
"It has come to my attention that you are not spending time with your friends and rarely sleep in your dorm, might I enquire where you are spending your time?"
"Have I broken some rules Headmaster?
"No you have broken no rules but my sources tell me that..." I cut off the Headmaster.
"Then tell your sources to keep their noses out of my life and quit whispering in your ear." Dumbledore changed tact smoothly.
"As for this summer, I feel that you maybe transfer to the Burrow but you must spend the first three weeks at Privet drive."
I thought "strike two". I then asked the question in hopes to get some information without asking specifically or exposing myself as not being the original Harry Potter. "Headmaster I have told you before about how I am treated at Privet drive have I not?"
"Harry we have discussed this before it's for your protection you must remain safe. Your safety is our utmost concern the wards at Privet drive provide for your safety."
I thought, "strike three". I just nodded and replied, "Yes Headmaster." I was not ready for the Headmasters next comment.
"Aura tonk's will personally escort you from Hogwarts to Privet drive this year, you must arrive there safely. Oh! It is come to my attention that while you lived at Privet drive you never received your immunization for the wizard world. So if you'll just drink this while you'll not have to worry about coming down with some of wizard's more nastier diseases."
I stood up and reached across the desk to take the vial from Dumbledore. The second my hand touched the vial my hidden house rings let me know that whatever was in the vial would be detrimental to my health. My house rings were another oddity as I had not yet gone to Gringgotts in this dimension to obtain them. I made a production of sitting back down where I had my back to Dumbledore and he could not see the vial for few seconds. Wand-lessly I had some books fall from their shelves distracting the Headmaster's attention while I dump the contents of the vial in the crack between the seat and the back of the chair. As I turned back toward the headmaster and he turned back toward me I hoped I given the impression that I had finished the vials contents.
This is to say, at the very least, this royally pissed me off and I thought" three strikes you're out sucker" I then verbally let loose on the Headmaster," you're a real piece of work you know that? You've got Tonks running around spying on me while concealed is a student. You've got Moody who isn't Moody but a poly-juice somebody. Is he part of your security or is he somebody who's going to ensure I'm not safe. That brings me to my being entered into this tournament, that wasn't some plan that you devised or is that another piece of failed safety because this tournament damn sure is not safe. What's your next trick headmaster? Is the tri-wizard cup going to be a port keyed to take me to a graveyard so I can resurrect Voldemort? So now you're going to have Tonk's safely escort me to my loving relatives who probably will beat the crap out of me because another freak brought me home. Thanks Headmaster for your concern." I then stormed out of his office.
I didn't know what made me more angry, being dosed with a drug or being told all this before the third task.
/Scene break/
The third task arrived and I had yet to tell Dumbledore that the tri-wizard cup is probably a port–key. I had instead told each champion that if they were foolish enough to touch the cup they best do it wearing a set of gloves. They of course did not believe me until I told them that the cup was the final trap and that touching it would send them back to the beginning of the maze.
Since I had lost too the Dragon and couldn't breathe water in the lake I was last to enter the maze with zero points. I wandered around for a few minutes before I 'transported' to a sturdy branch of a nearby tree which overlooked the VIP area. About twenty minutes later the tri-wizard tournament port-key arrived with the three champions each with their thickly gloved hands taking turns raising it above their individual heads in triumph.
"Dumbledore what is this insanity we are only supposed to have one tri-wizard winner not three." Huffed Minister Fudge who ripped the tri-wizard cup out of the champions hands. Fudge disappeared along with the cup and panic erupted.
I was kind of chuckling to myself, I was wondering how Fudge was going to deny that Voldemort had returned when he got to meet him face-to-face. Of course I wondered if Fudge qualified as blood of an enemy forcefully taken? Dumbledore meanwhile must have known the cups destination and within a few seconds had made another port-key for himself and the available Aurors and they then disappeared.
"Why didn't you invite me up to that nice viewing seat." I looked down to find Luna and Morag looking up at me.
"Well if you insist." I said as I levitated Luna up to a nearby branch. Luna let loose with a girly squeal apparently enjoying the sudden rise into the air.
"Well don't leave me out Potter."Morag apparently did not want to be let out of our seating arrangements. She however did not give out a girlish squeal as she rose to be seated next to me on the tree branch.
Of course this was a perfect view of the pandemonium that was running loose below us. Six teachers were totally insufficient for crowd control of over two-hundred students. Within minutes one of the students figured out that there was trouble and bolted for the safety of the Castle which started a stampede of students in that direction. A few minutes further on the students that were confused or just didn't know what was going on were herded by the teachers to the Castle. I grabbed both girls hands and 'transported' to the stairs just outside the Great Hall. Minutes later we were comfortably seated at the Ravenclaw table awaiting the latest rumors or announcement from the teachers. Luna was right Morag was interested in me and told me to owl her over the summer.
/Scene Break
It took to the next day before the rumor mill and several different announcements by the teachers gave us a general idea of what transpired the night of the tri-wizard finale. Apparently Minister Fudge arrived and found himself staring at Peter Pettigrew who of course was dead according to the Ministry. With seeing a dead man walking along with six Deatheaters Fudge realized that Pettigrew was going to cause Fudge political problems so he bravely passed out and hit his head on one of the tombstones. Fudge never saw Voldemort, who apparently wasn't there, nor did the arriving Aurors with Dumbledore in tow.
Fudge was rushed off to St. Mungo as he tried to convince himself that he never saw what he saw and therefore there was no political fall out to repair.
While I assumed the vial contained some hallucinogen, like last time, but no one came by to tell me what I saw in the graveyard which of course wouldn't work since I never drank the potion.
So little boy Potter was dragged by Tonks, who had little boy Potter firmly by the hand, onto the train heading to Kings Cross station. She then side along 'apperated' little boy Potter to number 4 Privet Dr.. Tonks then stood guard until the next shift arrived to ensure the protection of little boy Potter. What Tonks missed was the Dursley family awaiting just outside the barrier at Kings Cross station for the "Freak". This of course made Vernon extremely happy and even more so when he found that the "Freak" was already at Privet drive.
"How dare you, you little freak? Your freaky little friends make me drive all the the way to London just pick up someone who was not there, you are going to pay for that boy!" Vernon then swung his meaty fist at little boy Potter.
About that time I figured out that I had enough of this dimension as it appeared to be about the same as the one that I just left. This gave me to question how many dimensions that I had been in and how many times I've been mind wiped by Thanatos, drugged by Dumbledore and beaten by Vernon. Regardless what the answer might have been or was or is I stunned the Dursley family and transported to Gringotts in search of RipJaw. I put my house rings in my pocket so not to cause more problems in Gringotts.
/Scene break/
"Master RipJaw I am Harry Potter and I would like to review of my estate and have an inheritance test conducted."
"Mr. Potter you do realize that you cannot have access to any of your family vaults until you turned seventeen years of age?"
"Yes Sir I understand that completely however I think you may find an interesting surprise once you've conducted the inheritance test"
"Mr. Potter please call me RipJaw."
"That I insist you call me Harry."
The require drops of blood on the parchment was completed, causing information to appear on the parchment and RipJaw's jaw falling.
"RipJaw did you find anything of interest?" I tried not to smirk.
"How much is this did you know?"
"Well I knew about being Lord Potter, but the other two was strictly guesses on my part."
"You mean the three other lordships besides being a Potter." Ripjaw grinned.
That information took me back to step and before I could ask RipJaw started into his explanation."Your being Lord Hawkingwood is going to make some people take notice. He was made a mundane Lord before 1380 and while the Slytherin line ended up paupers the Hawkingwood line did quite well. Quite a distinguished ancestry, a very distinctive weave of a line was through an offshoot branch of Slytherin's called the Hawkingwood. He was noted for his parseltongue curses and warding."
"And this all means what to me?" I asked with my fingers crossed.
"The heir when identified gets the vault and all the magical bindings contracts. That is why you are now called Lord Hawkingwood, have complete access to that vault and are an emancipated adult. After you sign a couple of papers you will have been declared an adult and have access to all of your vaults."
I of course signed those papers making the emancipated Lord and received the Hawkingwood's house ring. Then came the expected Potter house ring but then my jaw dropped when I received the Gryffindor house ring followed by the Slytherin house ring.
That's when things started to really go my way. RipJaw took me to the Potter vault which was packed with galleons. The Gryffindor vault had a substantial amount of galleons. The Slytherin vault was packed with galleons and I had a hunch this is where Voldemort was hiding his ill gotten loot. Ripjaw said that this vault was mine because of right of conquest which did not upset me in the least. The Hawkingwood vault was packed with galleons and I picked up the "legend of restitution knives" but there was an unexpected surprise, there was no marriage contract(s) in any of the vaults.