Harry Potter: King of the Amazons
Chapter 25
-Harry-
Sighing he walked down the hall towards the Classroom where the 'weighing of the wands' was to take place. It had been two weeks since his 'selection' as the fourth Champion he hadn't had a single moments rest within the castle ever since. The hardest decision though was trying to figure out what had caused a bigger headache, the reactions of the Four Houses at the firing of Dumbledore or the reaction of the public to his selection.
When it came to Dumbledore the most aggressive reactions came from Gryffindor as the House of the Lions were enraged when the announcement of Dumbledore's sacking was announced the day after it had occurred. Some of them, like Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, yelled and screamed and even tried to 'convince' him that he had to rehire Dumbledore. There were a few similar Dumbledore supporters in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw while a good portion of Slytherin supported his decision.
His placement in the tournament though had led to more people in Hufflepuff angry at him as they felt like he was 'stealing' their glory. Granted some of the Badgers were understanding of the fact that he hadn't entered into the tournament, the ones that actually used their brains and realized that if he was away from the school he wouldn't be able to actually enter himself.
As of the moment the school was nearly in a three way war as Hufflepuff was angry at him, and by extension Slytherin, for being entered into the tournament while Gryffindor was angry at him for firing Dumbledore as well as at Hufflepuff as they didn't want a 'cowardly Badger' as the Hogwarts Champion. The Ravenclaw House was, mostly, staying out of the inter-house 'war'.
Things had begun to simmer down, thankfully, over the past few days when he had hired a new Headmaster in his betrothed and soon to be wife Narcissa Black. Narcissa had cracked down the second he gave her power as she began to reign in the warring students. With Gryffindor she had punished the students like Weasley and Granger who tried to force him to bring back Dumbledore by giving them detentions. The students in Hufflepuff who tried to pick fights with him due to his placement in the tournament were the same.
Entering into the classroom silence ensued as all eyes turned towards him. Some, like Dumbledore and the British Ministry Officials, were glaring at him angrily. Others, like the reporters, were gazing at him almost hungrily as they eyed him like a piece of meat. His fellow Champions eyed him warily, only Cedric having any idea of what he was capable due to the stories of what he had done in the school over the years while 'Fleur' and Viktor Krum looked at him with trepidation.
"What are you doing here Dumbledore?" he demanded as he sent a glare at the ex-Headmaster "you were fired from your post within this academy and have no grounds to be at this meeting. Now leave, Narcissa will be arriving shortly and your presence is neither needed nor wanted.".
"Know your place." One of the Ministry Officials sneered at him, "You are-".
"He is the owner of this castle and the land it rests upon," Narcissa said as she stepped into the room, sending a cold look to Dumbledore and the officials "Dumbledore was fired from his post. He has no place attending any official standing so he is hereby ordered to leave by both the current Headmistress and the Owner of the School.".
"You heard the woman Dumbledore," he said with a smirk as he gripped the hilt of his sword "get out.". Scowling furiously the old man stormed out of the room while the Ministry Lackeys looked less than pleased.
"Well Mr. Potter," one of the reporters, a particularly loathsome looking woman with glasses that were covered in fake jewels "my name is Rita Skeeter and I was wondering if we could take this time to have an…interview while we wait for the good Mr. Ollivander?".
"No," he said simply "to be blunt I've read too many of your articles and seen too much of your 'work' to actually trust you. You will only write an article about the tournament and if you do any 'interviews' on these grounds they must be with my permission. Any interview conducted without said permission or if you publish any fabricated interviews from any student or staff of this institution and I will have you taken to my island to stand trial by my courts.".
The woman spluttered in indignation but he could see the fear behind her eyes as the other Champions looked at him in amusement. "
"Is Ollivander on his way?" he asked Narcissa with a small smile at the woman he had grown to love.
"Of course," she said as she walked over and embraced him with a tender kiss "he'll be up momentarily.".
"Actually I am already here," the old wandmaker said walking into the room "I…where's Dumbledore?".
"Albus Dumbledore was fired from his post at this school two weeks ago and no longer has the right to act in any official position within these walls." He said neutrally "Now, are we going to begin this 'ceremony'?".
"Yes, well, please have a seat." The suddenly nervous old wand maker said, the man's eyes never leaving his sword as he smirked slightly, remembering why the bastard would be wary of it after their first, and only, meeting.
Shrugging he sat down in one of the chairs as Fleur took the seat next to him, then Cedric, and then Krum as they watched Ollivander walked over to a table by the window and set down a large leather bag as the man unloaded several tools and pieces of equipment onto the table. "First up we have Ms. Delacour." Ollivander said as the man set out a final piece of equipment that looked like a scale.
"Of course Mr. Ollivander." the French champion said with a nod as she got up out of her chair and handed the wand over to the old man who spun it around his fingers.
"Hmmmm," Ollivander muttered while pulling out a measuring tape and took the measurements of the wand "nine and a half inches…inflexible. Rosewood if I'm not mistaken and…oh my," Ollivander said in surprise after setting the wand on the 'scale' "a veela hair core.".
"Of course," Fleur said proudly "it vas one of my grandmozzer's.".
"I've never used Veela hair myself," Ollivander said but he could detect a small hint of disdain in the man's voice at someone using a core he didn't "too temperamental. Now," the man finished up by conjuring a bouquet of roses "everything seems to be in order.".
"Thank you." Fleur said coldly as she snatched back the wand from the man who had not only insulted her wand but her heritage and her, he assumed, deceased grandmother.
"Next up is Mr. Krum." Ollivander said, gesturing for the Quiditch player to rise, clearly not caring about having given a rather rude insult to the French Girl.
"Now I know this isn't one of mine," Ollivander said in curiosity as he snorted at the arrogance of the statement "but it seems familiar…Gregorovitch perhaps?".
"One of the last he ever created." Krum said with a nod, the man clearly proud of his wand.
"Yes, yes," Ollivander said idly "while not quite up to my level Gregorovitch was indeed a skilled wand carver. Now let's see what we have here, ten and a quarter inches, Hornbeam wood, and a dragon heartstring core, thicker than a usual wand, and rather rigid. It has shown no sign of problems?".
"None." Krum said coldly as he pinched his nose in exasperation, having seen Ollivander insult two of the foreign students.
"Yes, well, here you are." Ollivander said after conjuring a fountain of wine and handing the wand back.
"Mr. Diggory, you next." Ollivander said, the old man much more exited now. The old man's face lit up with glee once the Hufflepuff champion handed over the wand, "Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it? Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn... must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches... ash... pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition... You treat it regularly?".
"Just polished it last night." Cedric said with a calm shrug, the Champion of the Badgers shooting an apologetic wince at Fleur and Viktor for the difference in treatment.
"Well this wand has no problems." Ollivander said happily, handing the tool of magic back after conjuring a flock of birds "You next Lord Potter.". Nodding he rose and stiffly handed over his wand as Ollivander eyed it distastefully "I do not recognize the craftsmanship of this one.".
"It was a custom wand built specifically for me," he said coldly "made of blood elder with the core of a Royal War Phoenix. It is the wand of a warrior.".
"B-blood Elder!" Ollivander asked aghast the old man practically throwing the wand back at him "You lie! No wand crafter is skilled enough to make a wand out of that wood! Let alone lucky enough to get a feather of a Royal War Phoenix!".
"Do not decide the skills of all your colleagues simply by your own Shortcomings," he said with a snort "you acted disdainfully towards Ms. Delacour's wand simply because you don't have enough skill to work with the core material it has. My wand has never failed me before old man but if you made Champion Diggory's wand then I fear for his safety during this tournament.". With that he turned towards the Ministry officials, "I believe that this ceremony is now complete…leave my castle immediately.".