The Third Task
Harry carved runes on the floor with deliberate and diligent strokes of the stylus, sharpened to make indents, as the runes had to be filled with blood. Each stroke exact, so that to put the ingredients for the ritual equidistant from the centre where Harry would stand. Harry stood at the centre as he finished, and looked at his handiwork.
"Tears of a phoenix freely given will heal all the wounds," Harry levitated a vial of the said tears and placed them at the end of the rune for healing, filling a part of the rune with them. This was the last of the stock that Salazar had accumulated during his lifetime.
"Venom of a basilisk will strengthen its vanquisher," Harry spilled the contents of the vial containing the basilisk he had slayed on the rune for inversion; basilisk venom a strong toxin and corrosive substance now used for the benefit of the one who had bested it.
"Asphodel to keep the fatigue away," Harry had acquired the substance with help of Audrey; the substance that was used in draught of living death and its antidote used in conjunction with the rune for awareness.
"Armadillo bile to sharpen the senses," Harry placed the liquid on the rune for fortitude used in conjunction with the rune for mind; it formed an important ingredient of wit-sharpening potion.
"Re'em Blood for strength," Harry dropped the blood on the rune for strength.
"Blood of unicorn will sustain the life of the donee," Harry spilled the blood on the rune for life; he had spent better part of two weeks to coax a unicorn into letting him draw its blood, without invoking the curse. Cursed unicorn blood was powerful, but it did not distinguish between the one drawing the blood and the one using the said blood, therefore to safely use the blood one has to retrieve the said blood themselves or have someone else do it, as the rare substance was not available in market.
"Blood of the one to bind them all," Harry enunciated as he drew his blood, letting it fill. The rune for bonding circling him, as the other runes joined it creating carvings that connected all the runes to each other through the rune for binding. Harry's blood flowed into all the rune, coming into contact with various ingredients and letting the inherent magic of the substances interact with one another and his blood.
The number seven was the magically most powerful number and with his blood he completed the seven ingredients for the ritual.
There was a build-up of magical energy, as Harry felt a little light-headedness from the blood loss; the build-up reached the apex of the crescendo as Harry felt hot needles poke at his body from all side.
There was a flash of crimson light as the magical energy converged on Harry and engulfed his body, it felt like being cocooned in molten lava, as Harry gritted his teeth to stop himself from crying out loud.
As soon as the feeling had come it disappeared, and Harry stood panting in the centre of now ruined runes as he caught his breath.
He summoned his wand and used its tip to cause an incision, the wound healed within seconds; Harry smiled in smug satisfaction at the success of the ritual, for anything that could heal a wound inflicted by basilisk fang will make short work of healing any other injury.
XXX
"This is the last lesson we will be having, after that I have to start preparing for NEWTs, so we will make the most of it," Amanda said, as they met for their final spar on the third corridor.
"Ready?" Amanda asked taking position.
Harry drew his wand in response and casted a spell, however his trusted wand felt alien in his hand, there was no warmth that he associated with the focus, no channelling of magic as no spell came out of its tip.
Harry was too shocked to dodge the ropes coming his way and fell to the floor with a thump as he lost his balance.
"I think I won our final duel," Amanda said with a smile, as she freed Harry from his bonds, giving him time to stand.
Harry looked on with shock and betrayal on his face towards his wand as he wondered why it had failed him now when it never did.
"How?" Harry asked his voice hollow, he didn't mind losing but losing because he couldn't use magic was not the way he ever though he would lose.
"Easy baby that is not your wand, this is," Amanda said as she drew a familiar shaped wand wrapped in parchment from her rope pocket, minding not to touch the basilisk ivory.
Harry looked on uncomprehendingly as he tried to process what had happened.
"Finite," with a swish of her wand Amanda undid the transfiguration and a quill lay in Harry's hand instead of the wand that he had held.
"I switched your wand during dinner, this is the last lesson that I can give you. You have surpassed me in magical duelling; however there are still ways that a person can be bested without direct application of magic, like depriving them of their wand," Amanda said with an amused smile.
"I see," Harry was still a bit out of it, true he could beat her in a duel, but what happens if he lost his wand, then he was at her mercy or someone else's, like Voldemort and his ilk. Harry did not like the thought of being deprived of his wand in presence of those who wished him harm.
"I hope you do. It's important to be aware of your surroundings, even when there is no imminent threat," with that she left him to his thoughts, cutting their lesson short, however giving him the most important of all.
XXX
"Are you certain you want the answer to your question?" Salazar asked.
"I am. Today I was at Amanda's mercy because I couldn't use my wand and didn't notice it gone. I don't want to be in a similar position, especially when facing people with far less nobler intentions than her," Harry remained firm, in the face of reluctance on part of his ancestor.
"There is one way of doing so," Rex interjected, as Salazar frowned in disapproval.
"What is it?" Harry asked, addressing the Sorting Hat.
"There is a sacrificial ritual," the Hat didn't offer any further explanation, obviously waiting for Harry to ask for more.
"But it isn't in Belladonna's Grimoire," Harry informed the two of the fact that he had already searched through said book.
"It wouldn't be, the ritual is from Godric's clan, therefore Belladonna wasn't aware of it," Rex replied with.
"The ritual requires one to sacrifice something that belongs to oneself, something which was anti-thesis of everything Belladonna believed in. She would sacrifice the world, but never something that belonged to her or something she had marked as hers," Salazar expounded upon what the Hat had left unsaid.
"The ritual requires sacrifice of a material possession and bound the wand to your body and soul; the corporeal and incorporeal self of the person. The possession should be of such a nature that it has high emotional value to the person performing the ritual and is irreplaceable in form and function," Rex picked up from where Salazar had left, "Godric used the scabbard crafted by his mother to bond his sword to himself. Belladonna was able to bind it to me, however that was only made possible because I had a part of Godric with me, I was in possession of Godric for better half of a century, before such a bond could be affected."
"Godric was never able to use another scabbard for the sword, he felt it would be affront to his mother's memory to use another, but he could call the sword to himself at will, irrespective of wherever the sword was last placed. The same is the case now, the sword returns to me, irrespective of where it was last left, no wards no enchantments can keep it away," the Sorting Hat finished.
"I want to perform the ritual," Harry said after nearly five minutes of silence. He had contemplated the loss that such sacrifice would bring, but he had no intention to stay defenceless in face of adversity. He had a few possessions that he could use; his father's cloak and the firebolt he had received from his godfather came to mind.
"Are you sure you want to? Whatever you sacrifice has to be precious to you and irreplaceable, there will be no substitutes," Salazar asked his voice grave.
"I am," Harry's voice was firm.
"Very well, then come with me," Rex said as Harry picked the Hat and left the study to go to the hall where he had to prepare for the ritual.
XXX
"Why does it have to be this? Why not the cloak? Or the broom?" Harry asked, vexed at the fact that the Hat had asked him to use the photo album which was given to him by Hagrid, the only pictures he had of his parents.
"You don't need the cloak, as your disillusionment charm allows you complete invisibility, so using the cloak is not going to work. You can always buy a new broom, again something not truly irreplaceable. However, the album contains the only pictures you have of your parents, something that you have no way of replacing," Rex finished, as Harry completed the runes.
The rune for sacrifice was placed around the album as the rune for possession was placed around the wand; the runes for heart, mind and soul were carved in form of a triangle connecting the two sets with the rune for bonding joining the three, with the rune for fire encircling them all. The incisions were deep and Harry sliced his fore arm of his wand arm, as he let the blood spill and fill the runes.
Once all the runes were filled, Harry activated the rune for fire as fiery flames bathed the room in red. Harry had to squint his eyes as he directed the magic to do his bidding, Godric's clan invoked the Norse gods, however Harry who didn't ascribed to such beliefs had to rely on his own focus and intent to guide the magic. Faith and belief was as important to magic as magical power, they help guide the intent and focus; however someone with a great mental discipline and belief in oneself could rely on his own will power, instead of systematic and centralised belief systems.
Harry was engulfed in warm embrace of magical energy, he shut his eyes as the light grew too intense for him to keep them open, by the time he opened his eyes again, the album and the wand were gone.
"Call forth your wand. Will it to your hand," the Sorting Hat instructed.
Harry did as he was told; extending his hand and instantly his wand appeared in place, ready for use.
"Will it to turn incorporeal," Rex continued with instruction.
Harry willed the wand incorporeal and it was gone, he tried to feel it where it had been, but his fingers were empty. He looked for his wand in the wand holster, there was no wand. The wand had been rendered truly incorporeal.
Harry repeated the process a nearly a half a dozen times as a smile formed on his face, he would miss the album, but the benefits of the ritual might as well someday save his life.
XXX
"Are you ready for the next task?" Fleur asked, as Harry worked on enchanting an amulet.
"As ready as I can be," Harry replied.
"We will leave after the tasks are concluded," Fleur's expression was guarded.
"We can see each other once the school year is over. Hell, I can spend the summer on the continent," Harry replied, knowing what Fleur actually wanted to know, the future of their relationship.
"We can, I can introduce you to my family," Fleur said with a smile.
"I would be glad to meet them. You can show me the sites too," Harry said as he kept on working on the amulet.
"Where would you stay? Does your family have home there?" Fleur asked.
"A hotel. I don't have a family home," Harry replied without looking up from his work.
"What do you mean you don't have a family home? All older magical families have more than one, with one being the principal seat of a family's power," Fleur said, scandalised at the idea of not possessing a family home. Harry was a Potter, the last of them, a wealthy and old family; he would definitely have more than one residences.
"I sold the manor and the cottage, they were destroyed in the last war," Harry replied unbothered by the tone of his companion's voice.
"How could you? They were your family's lands; your ancestors lived and tended to those lands for centuries," Fleur like most people who grew up in magical world put a lot of stock on one's heritage and family legacy.
"It was only a piece of land; I don't think I could ever bring myself to live in the house my parents died, or the manor where my grandparents breathed their last. I liquidate all my assets in Britain, the ministry has oversight over the Gringotts and I wanted to do nothing with the goblins. Also, this way I can leave the country with ministry having no right to attach my property," Harry replied as he worked.
"But… but..." Fleur exclaimed.
"Then you can stay at my families estate, I would rather have you stay there than some hotel. It's in Normandy and you would like it, it's more than five hundred years old," Fleur said, after a while, letting go of the earlier line of conversation.
"I wouldn't want to impose," Harry said as he continued with his work.
"Nonsense. It will also allow you to spend time with my family, I have a couple of cousin our age, and we can make touring party with them. The countryside is quite beautiful and then there is the Riviera," Fleur said, as she made summer plans.
After exams she would be free and so will Harry, so she wanted to make most of it before both got busy with their NEWTs and OWLs respectively.
"Here, it's done," Harry said looking up from his work, "Try this one, its enchanted to protect from most of spells. However potions and spells like the Unforgivables are beyond its protection." Harry offered the bracelet he was working on to Fleur; the idea had come from his discussion with Salazar regarding the last ritual he had performed. Belladonna used enchanted jewellery to protect herself from unexpected attacks and as for dealing with her foes; someone who could kill with a glance hardly would be troubled with losing their primary magical focus.
"Why don't you put it on?" Fleur extended her hand allowing Harry to slip the bracelet.
"It feels pleasant and warm," Fleur said with a smile, as she looked on the bracelet in appreciation, she was distracted as Harry kissed the hand he held and progressed to trail kisses alongside her fore arm and reached her neck. She in turn took his head in her hands and kissed him fiercely, the passion from their earlier excursions returning with a vengeance as they indulged into one another.
XXX
"Gather around, gather around," Bagman called the four champions as they had assembled by the entrance to the maze.
"This is it ladies and gents, you have all prepared for this and its time that we decide who wins the tournament. If you did well in the first two tasks then take advantage of the head start," here he glanced at Harry meaningfully, "and those who didn't, don't get disheartened, you can still win the tournament if you reach the trophy first," here he gave a glance towards Fleur, who had fallen behind after the second task.
"Remember that the task will be full of obstacles and once in the maze no outside interference would occur, unless you forfeit, then you will be removed from the task by the teachers who would be patrolling the area around the edges. To forfeit use red flares like this," he demonstrated the spell and got a nod from each champion indicating that they understood.
"Now get ready, the task is about to begin. All the best to all of you," Bagman said as he moved to the podium, leaving the champions to wait for the cannon fire to indicate the commencement of the task.
XXX
Harry was running around the labyrinth, as the hedges around him changed with each turn, the fact that the maze changed, made it difficult not to pass a point more than once. Harry had learned to use the position of stars to navigate, a skill for which Godric was famous for, however that was futile given the small scope of distance he had to cover and instead had to rely on the point-me charm to keep note of the direction he was headed. He had to reach the centre of the maze, where the cup was and end the task. He ran into the first obstacle as mist covered a section of the narrow corridor formed by the hedges. The mist was magical, what it purpose was, Harry knew not, so he took a step in to the mist and felt his world turn upside down.
He focused on his occlumency and broke free from the illusion, steadying his gait as he pressed on. Any other person would have had to transverse the whole of section in a feeling of being upside-down, but Harry who was one of the most skilled in mind arts had no problem in dealing with the illusion.
He walked on for few minutes, meandering and closing in on the centre of the maze, when he came face to face a cabinet, it was shaking and clinging, as Harry realised that it held a Bogart. As the Bogart took form of a dementor, Harry prepared to cast a patronus charm, nothing but a weak mist came out. Harry again focused on the memory of mirror of erased, yet the mist did not morph into the familiar form of a stag, symbol of his father.
Harry panicked, realising that one of the most advanced spells in his arsenal was now, unusable to him, it could only mean one thing, the memory he had used was not as cherished as it was when he had mastered the spell. Something had changed and that something had made it so that Harry now needed another memory to power the spell. Harry tried using the spell using the memory of the first time Fleur had kissed him, or their first time or the last, yet all that came out was barely enough to keep the dementor at bay. Harry shivered as he felt the effect of dementor as he started to hear his mother's desperate pleading, he tried to hold on to something, anything to make the charm work, he fell to his knees and saw the dementor hover over his prone form.
It was only then, that he realised that, it wasn't a dementor he was dealing with, but a Bogart. Anger gave way to desperation and shame as he realised that he was cowering before nothing but an illusion, his occlumency came to the fore and soon the Bogart started to lose form, fire erupted from Harry's wand before he realised it himself, it burned hotter and brighter than anything like the sum itself had descended on the earth as the Bogart shrieked and only when there was silence did Harry stop his onslaught. The ground and the hedges were charred after being subject to the torrent unleashed by Harry's anger. He stalked off, without so much as looking back, the problem with the patronus charm pushed to the back of his mind; he would address it with Salazar.
As he took a turn he came face to face with an acromantula, clicking its pincers as it patrolled the area; it came to a stop and dashed towards Harry, who had his wand at the ready. After the Bogart, Harry wasn't feeling any less agitated and transfigured the ground around the acromantula's feet in mud, as the creature's legs sank into it, Harry re-transfigured it to solid ground, holding the arachnid in place, a cutting curse took its head off, and before long it was dead. Harry walked forth, cleaning the blood that had stained his face and clothes with an absent wave of his wand; it was then that he heard a feminine scream filled with agony.
It was Fleur, and she was screaming her throat raw in agony, Harry followed the screams and came to a stop, as he spotted a bulky figure towering over her prone form, holding a wand, red of the cruciatus curse keeping her on the ground.
A disarming charm, courtesy to Harry, saw Viktor disarmed who looked up to see Harry advancing on their position. As Harry closed in he realised that Viktor was under the imperious curse, his eyes glazed over and his face lax. Harry stunned the Bulgarian, and kneeled by his girlfriend.
"Hey easy, there, there, he was under the imperious curse," Harry rubbed soothing circles on her back as Fleur clung to him, sobbing. Her teeth were chattering as she went through spasms, indicating a long exposure to the curse.
"I am fine, thank you," Fleur said, as she let go of him and tried to stand up.
"Easy there, your coordination will be off," Harry said, as he held her before she lost balance.
"He attacked out of nowhere, I wouldn't have been taken out so easily, but he attacked from behind, coward," Fleur said with revulsion as she eyed the fallen Durmstrang student.
"It isn't his fault he was imperiused," Harry informed her. Her glare receded somewhat, but she still eyed him with disgust.
"Then he is weak willed," she fumbled with her shirt trying to unbutton it.
"Not that I am complaining you undressing, but I might help," Harry said with a teasing smile.
"Pervert. There is a mole skin pouch. It has some potions I brewed for emergencies," she informed him, as she gestured for him to help.
Harry helped retrieve the pouch and opened it, at her indication he summoned a vial of pain relieve potion and offered the uncorked vial.
She took a gulp, her face not showing the distaste that Harry associated with potions.
"It's a modified potion. My mother's brewing methods ensure that the potions don't taste repulsive like they usually do," Fleur answered his unasked question.
"You good to continue?" Harry asked her as he allowed her to stand her own.
"I am." Fleur nodded and put the pouch back.
Harry picked Krum's wand and shot red flares, dropping the wand by his side.
"Let's go. Help will be on way," Harry said and made to turn.
Fleur walked by his side, but the split at junction, going separate ways.
"I will see you after I win the tournament," Harry said, as they made to go separate ways.
"Dream on Harry. You are not winning, if I have any say. Thank you for saving me back there," with that she took the lead.
Harry kept on walking, meandering through the maze, closing on the centre of the maze with each turn.
"Your journey is at the end. Beyond lays the goblet. But to get to it, you will have to pass through me," a feminine voice halted his steps. A sphinx stood, blocking his way, majestic creatures that guarded the burials and treasures of the Egyptian Pharaohs of the old.
"Then I should pass you," Harry said.
"Patience youngling of man. It's either a test of strength or a test of wit. Choose wisely, former I wouldn't recommend, if you value your life and the later shall not be easy and your life is forfeit, if you answer incorrectly," the Sphinx said as it shifted to block his way.
"Ask then, but don't take it for granted that I shall fail, I intent to win and win I shall, no matter the price, whether my answer be correct or your life," Harry replied in a similar manner.
"Very well, three riddles I shall ask and three answers you shall give, answer them wrong and you will face the consequences," the Sphinx said.
"I'm simple for a few people, but hard for them to hear. I live inside of secrets; I bring people's worst fears. What am I?" the Sphinx asked after Harry's conforming nod.
"The truth," Harry answered after nearly a minute's deliberation.
"Good. The next one, the more you add, the less it weighs."
"Holes."
"Now the final one. We hurt without moving. We poison without touching. We bear the truth and the lies. We are not to be judged by our size. What are we?"
Harry went over the riddle in head, dissecting each word and each sentence, the first two riddles had been simple enough, however this one called for more care than the last two. Rocks could hurt without moving, but they couldn't poison, neither could they bore truth and lies. Snake or other venomous creatures needed touch to poison. Bearing the truth and the lies held the answer, as there were very few things that could do so.
'Prophecies? But could they hurt? Could they poison? I would depend on the wording of one,' Harry thought to himself.
"I am waiting for an answer," the Sphinx said.
'The wording, the words; they could poison, they could hurt, they held truths and lies and no matter what their size was could still be effective,' Harry's face morphed into a satisfied smile.
"Words," with that Harry made to go past the Sphinx.
"Well done. Make haste, as the other two are already by the trophy," the Sphinx bowed out of his way.
Harry broke into a run at those words; he turned a corner and came to what could only be called a classic Mexican Standoff, Fleur and Cedric had wands pointed towards each other and seemed like had already gone one round. Cedric appeared worse for wear, he was standing on one foot, his one side injured and covered in dried blood, likely from an encounter with one of Hagrid's pets.
"It wouldn't work a second time," Cedric snarled, as he held his wand ready to strike.
"But of course I had to try," Fleur purred with a seductive undertone to her voice, she had obviously tried to ensnare the Hogwarts Champion and had failed a second time.
They both realised Harry's presence too late as, Harry closed in on the trophy that sat on the podium, while the two had kept the other at bay. Spells shot from their wands, but Harry was already moving towards the cup, they too broke in a run to get their before Harry, but Harry had a head start and momentum.
Harry got hold of the cup, as the two collided with him on either side and held him for support.
"Seems like I won," no sooner the words left his mouth, he felt a jerk in his navel and the world whirled past him in techno colour, depositing him on the ground with his co-champions alongside in a heap.
A/N: It's been a busy past couple of weeks and I haven't been able to write much. This is the next chapter. I wanted to include the aftermath too, but decided to do it in next chapter.