Harry Potter and the Peverell Legacy

Book Two of the Heritage Series

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Icy Animosity

With Christmas fast approaching the Durmstrang Valley was enveloped in show and ice, making the already cold school freezing.

All of the exchanges equestrian mounts had been barricaded within their stables for warmth but each team still had to care for them. Fortunately, with the cold snap the physical training session came to an end, although it also meant so did the quidditch training so the students were predominantly stuck inside the castle that began to feel like a prison.

Back at Hogwarts at this time of year, you would see the decorations being put up all around the school, and it would feel alive with the Christmas spirit and the warm glow of fire from the lights and candles.

In contrast, Durmstrang was cold and empty. Only the Foodhall had been decorated with a large tree in each corner, but it had also been decorated with trellises and garlands of Christmas plants, and silk ribbons or red, green and golden.

Normally the Institute would have visited an island that lay in the Norwegian Sea called Aldrnariborg, it was a magical settlement that was surrounded by a ring of stone fortifications and towers atop which burnt blue fires all year round from which the island got it name.

The blue everlasting fires were famous, the early magical settlers had use it to great effect to heat and light the entire island, it was also used in their smiths to make magical weapons, tools and metalwork. Only Goblin work beat it for quality.

However given the presence of not one but two terror groups active across Europe the Highmaster had cancelled the trips for that year much to the disappointment to all of the students.

The additional time inside had however allowed Harry to keep on top of his school work, but also devote the much-needed time to his own projects.

His potions work was still ongoing, but he had found new ingredients that could theoretically work to make his potion, he just had to find a way of combining them with a method of brewing to make the magic actually work.

The runes project he had started was now complete thanks to Hermiones Arithmancy formula and the lessons in runic magic from the Institute. The final version of the runic configuration was neatly written on a series of four parchments and safely placed in his trunk until he could get the help he needed to apply it.

He also spent up to three hours a day practicing his occlumency skills to try and combat the opening connection he shared, but he also continued his animagus practice. He had reached a point where he could transform every part of his body independently but when he tried to do more than one he would falter or something would transform back.

The downside to trying to accomplish the animagus transformation was that it was incredibly draining physically and would often leave him on the floor gasping for breath and exhausted or caused him to be sore for a number of days due to the effect on his body and muscles ripping apart rather than transforming.

Finding the truth to the mysterious symbol had defeated Harry, he hadn't found any link between his family, either Potter and Peverell and Grindelwald. The only thing he had found was that Bathilda and the Potters had lived in Godrics Hollow.

Hermione and Ernie sat in a corner with their books out and were animatedly talking about something happily. He had told Hermione of Edvards warning but she had just shrugged it off as she was used to people not liking her based on her blood status. She still spent more time in the library than Harry did research what he did not know but she was still researching her mysterious Rumpelstiltskin and Arthurian artefacts.

Deciding to take a break from study Harry had pulled out his chess board from his trunk and went and sat in the living quarters and had begun to play himself, playing yourself was something that he struggled with but it distracted him.

He was sitting quietly studying the bored trying to figure out which opposing piece would be the best move and had become stuck when out of nowhere a pale white hand reached out and moved a black pawn on the board.

Harry looked up and was surprised to see Draco standing in front of him looking at the board indifferent but amused.

"Do you want to play?" Harry asked surprised, not sure what else he could say.

Draco didn't answer but took a seat and looked at him expectantly.

Harry watched him for a minute before he realised that it was actually his turn to make a move and he turned his eyes down and frowned trying to plan the next move.

It was not a comfortable game to play, they had sat in silence for a while but Draco had broken it by making a biting comment on how poor Harry's choice of move was and it started an exchange of insults and comments for the remainder of the game with neither getting the better of the other, at least until Draco called checkmate and won the game and just sat silent but smug.

Harry glared at him and bit his tongue wanting nothing more than wipe that smirk from Draco's face and flicked out his wand and with a small incantation he used magic to pack up the board and pieces and was just standing up when a knock on the entry door surprised everyone.

Highmaster Petrov stepped inside and the room was immediately silent as they noticed his stern look and he glared out at them all one at a time.

"Highmaster" Harry greeted him politely with the bow of the head with his shoulders held square which was the Durmstrang students mark of respect and deference to their elders, "Can we help you?"

The Highmaster regarding Harry critically before he spoke "I thought it better that I speak to you all directly before you hear it from other sources. You will be remaining in Durmstrang until it is time for you to depart for Beauxbatons, I know many of you believed you will be going home for the holiday but that is not possible at this time."

There was a great groan from the Hogwarts students and Harry winced and closed his eyes and silently cursed them all, the expression on the Highmasters face told Harry just what he thought about their lack of decorum and tact, and he knew that it would not go over well.

"While you are within this Valley I am charged with your protection as well as all other students who reside here during the school year, if I was to open a door out of Durmstrang I would create a vulnerability which could be exploited and endanger all of my students! I will not endanger this Institute just so you can be home with you parents for three days!" He said sternly glaring at each student who he had seen or heard whine, "You are welcome to join my own students with our celebrations and rituals or you can remain in here and have a private celebration."

There was a low murmuring from the Hogwarts students but no one voice was discernible but Petrov seemed to have understood what was said.

"My decision is final and both Headmaster Black and Madam Maxime have agreed that this is the best course of action for the Exchange." He said "Headmaster Black will be notifying your parents and guardians of this change and you will still be able to send and receive gifts, but I should remind you that all gifts will need to be sent through the Durmstrang Post Room and incoming post will be screened for safety and security."

The Hogwarts students were not impressed and it was clear their reactions were not endearing themselves to the imposing head of the Institute and Harry decided it was time for him to cover their indiscretion.

"I thank you for informing us in person Highmaster, I am sure you can understand the disappointment of my students but we look forward to your school's festivities and we thank you for your consideration."

Petrov gave them a final look over and then turned on his heel and walked out of the door which closed on its own and once the door clicked shut the noise in the Hogwarts Quarters rose incredibly with everyone complaining that it was unfair and what were they to do for Christmas in a cold foreign castle.

Harry didn't have the answers and by the end of the night his head was thumping and more than ever he wanted to escape the castle and be free of the responsibility of leading the team.

o-O-o

Today should have been a good day for Sirius and it had started out so well.

Snape knew that his own work had been used to sabotage the Highmoon Institutes potion trials, and he had finally developed a treatment. The reason the effects had lingers in the patients was due to the potion properties tainted the kidneys and bones and that was what allowed it to have such lingering effects.

The treatment was dangerous, but Remus had readily agreed to it, he wanted to be safe once more. So, he had come to Hogwarts where Snape and Madam Pomfrey had removed all of the blood from Remus's body and replaced it with clean and uncontaminated blood, all the while using other potions and spells to remove the contaminants from his organs and bones.

For two days, they had laboured over him but this morning they had completed his treatment and there was no trace of the contaminate in his body. His Lycanthrope remained and would return under the power of the full moon, but for now he was fully human once more.

However, the real test was to see if the effect of the tainted potion would return after his first transformation, Snape thought it unlikely but they wanted to be sure.

The second bit of news that Sirius had gotten was that the Ministry had managed to catch four death eaters in a raid, and had them imprisoned safely in the Ministry to await trial.

However, that good morning when the morning post had arrived and an owl had delivered a summons to the Ministry of Magic for a Session of the Wizengamot.

Scrimgeour wanted permission to grant the Aurors their permit for Enhanced Measures which had been granted in the last war by Barty Crouch in 1979 but rescinded in 1981. The vote had been closer than Sirius would have liked but he would not allow that edict to be passed again, it was open to abuse and he did not think aurors should have the power to kill on sight.

His motion defeated, Scrimgeour once again turned the attention to the Triwizard Exchange and tried to have the Wizengamot rule against it but was defeated. Instead the Wizengamot ordered a crackdown on the black-market sales of protective charms and devices, false warders and other such crooks making a profit.

Sirius's mood was further soured when at lunch during a conversation with Highmaster Petrov he had agreed to having the Hogwarts team remain in the school. It was a safety concern and Sirius couldn't argue against it. So, it would mean a Christmas without Harry with him, and meant all their plans had to be rearranged although Sirius still planned to have Remus's father join the rest of the family.

Leaving the Ministry via the official dignitary entrance via an old Victorian curio shop, he stepped out into muggle London and with deft flick of his wand transfigured his wizards robe into a muggle trench coat which covered his wizardwear and he walked through the busy streets.

Muggle London was always busy with people, but given the festive season people were out in even larger numbers to get their gifts and other shopping, the cold weather not deterring them. Sirius blended in with the muggles and he navigated his way through the streets while keeping a look out for a tail before he descended into the London Underground which would take him to his destination and give him a chance to think without fear of people seeing his truth feelings and thoughts on his face.

He was travelling across London due to a family obligation, and it was one he did not agree with yet he would not allow it to happen unless he was present.

Andromeda was meeting her sister Narcissa for the first time in years, the date for the meeting had changed three times due to Narcissa cancelling at last minute but this time the date was set and he was there for Andromedas protection.

Narcissa had picked the venue and it was one that Sirius was both familiar with and approved of. Craddocks Restaurant was where he had taken Harry to one of the first nights he had stayed at Black House, it was expensive yet often crowded and of course it was public.

It was a good location for a meeting between two estranged parties, it was public and private all at once, but he was still uncertain of Narcissa' motives and his hit-wizard training was screaming at him about the possibility of a trap.

Arriving at Charring Cross station Sirius left the muggle underground at a brisk walk and eventually found himself facing the Leaky Cauldron, as he entered the pub he flicked his wand at his face and placed a glamour charm over himself to conceal his identity, he didn't want anyone to know he was near the Alley.

The restaurant was very close the Bank which meant he had to cross most of the Alley to get there and he realised that he stuck out a lot, most people within the Alley were shopping in groups, moving quickly and almost silently to get what they needed before leaving, where as he was on his own and was walking slowly.

Realising his error, he put his head down and walked fast down the Alley, passing the Weasley Twins shop which shone brightly and was still fairly busy even with children at school and he felt the slight twitch of jealously that Harry had managed to invest in their enterprise before he did, it was what most families called the damned Potter luck for picking unlikely good investments.

Andromeda had booked the table in advance and Sirius had booked a single table for himself a short distance away so he could watch and intervene if necessary, when he entered the restaurant he was met by a waiter in a shirt and waist coat, the staff unusually forgo robes for they restricted movement and could cause accidents in the restaurant.

"Do you have a reservation?" he asked politely.

"Yeah." Sirius said dropping into a common accent and losing the clipped tones of the higher class which he used when he was being Lord Black, "My table is booked under Evans, I booked last week."

The waiter checked his list and nodded "Right you are Mr Evans, my name is Gale and I shall be serving you today and if you will follow me I shall show you to your table."

Nodding Sirius followed and casually began to remove his coat but as he did he transfigured his robes into something more every day and less extravagant, which went unnoticed to Gale and the customers in the restaurant.

"Would you care for anything to drink Mr Evans?" Gale asked as he pulled out a chair for Sirius at his table.

"Water, I would like an iced jug throughout my meal." Sirius said trying to sound rude and picked up his menu and actually looked over it making sure he knew what was on it.

Concealment and disguise, blending into your surroundings was something which Sirius had learnt under Moody when he was younger and he had never forgotten the rules.

"Certainly." The waiter said leaving him alone.

The restaurant was rather full, twenty people were sitting eating, but even here he could feel that people were not happy with being in the open, he sat for a good five minutes before the waiter returned and asked him if he was ready to order.

"I have decided on my starter" Sirius said in a bored tone "I will have the Veal Sweetbread, I believe this comes with bacon, cabbage and stilton?"

"Yes sir." The waiter said "would you care for any wine with that."

"No, I will stick to the water." Sirius said dismissively and as he spoke he saw the door open and a blonde and back haired women enter, wearing a fur trimmed cloak.

Narcissa had arrived, another waiter hurried forward and welcomed her and was much more formal and was treated to the service of a very important and wealthy customer.

"Ingredients!" Sirius said getting the waiters attention as he looked towards Narcissa with a look of jealously, obviously thinking she was a better customer "They are sourced from where?"

"Sourced sir?" Gale asked startled.

"Yes, where do you get them from? Are they foreign?" he asked with false hint of warning.

"No, no," Gale said quickly smiling "Mr Craddock sources ingredients from only local producers, and only imports those which cannot be locally grown here."

"It would seem that Craddock knows what he is about at least." Sirius said turning his nose up at the waiter and from his pocket pulled out a parchment notepad and self-inking quill and began to write some notes so it would look like he was a critic and would allow him to watch what was happening in the restaurant.

Narcissa had been shown to her seat by another waiter who was all but fawning over her, not that she noticed as she pulled off her rabbit skin gloves and fur cloak and thrust them into the waiter's arms before she took her seat.

Sirius concealed a smile, his cousin was a true English born snob and she felt that everyone was beneath her. Mr Craddock himself came out to welcome her to his restaurant but she did not seem impressed.

"Mrs Malfoy!" he said smiling warmly but his eyes were alert and his shoulders tense, her husband's allegiance was well known to everyone since his arrest "It is an honour to host you once more."

Narcissa looked at him with a disdainful sniff "Yes, bring me a menu, I am waiting for a guest."

"Of course Mrs Malfoy." Craddock said and he gestured to his staff to be quick about it and he looked nervous.

"Would Mrs Malfoy care for a bottle of Anor Dark?" ask a female waiter holding up a bottle of the most expensive wines made from a grape which had been cultivated since the Romans had created it here in England.

"Yes but leave the bottle." She ordered and she took a seat and waited patiently.

Sirius also sat waiting for his own meal but was trying to remain calm, he didn't trust Narcissa and this was the perfect opportunity to strike at him through the family.

Andromeda arrived moments later and like her sister was wearing a fur cloak and her hair was shining from the diamond clips that kept it atop her head. She was equally as well dressed but in more sombre fashion which suited her and when people caught sight of her they gasped drawing the restaurant to stare at her which Sirius had copied.

No waiter came to meet her at the door so she threw a stern look to Gale who was standing stupefied.

"Mrs Andromeda Tonks." She said glaring at him, she had seen where her sister was, but refused to be forced to walk towards her without being welcomed and escorted, "I am here to meet Mrs Malfoy."

"O…of… course" Gale gulped stepped forward even though he looked terrified "this way please Mrs Tonks."

Andromeda walked with great poise and ignored everyone who was staring at her before coming to the table where Narcissa sat, she stood to welcome her sister and the resemblance between them was subtle but Sirius could see it very clearly.

"Sister" Andromeda said in greeting, it was stiff and guarded something which Sirius could understand.

"Sister." Narcissa said stepping forward and placing a soft kiss on Andromeda's cheek, "I am glad you came."

Andromeda kept up her guard as she was seated and accepted the wine which Narcissa had offered although she did not drink from it but looked at her sister expectantly.

"I came out of curiosity." Andromeda said sneering "After all of the years since we have met with each other willingly why did you choose now to initiate contact?"

"I thought that the time may be right for us to reconcile" Narcissa said "In the last two decades I can count the number of times I have seen you on one hand, and the number of times we have spoken is even less."

"I do not see why now is the time for us to reconcile, you have made it clear that you still oppose my own views on the world and our community." Andromeda replied regarding her sister critically before looking away and studying the room. "I am also not the one who shunned my family for marrying out of love rather than because I was ordered to."

Sirius lifted his glass of water to his lips and made sure to not be caught watching their table closely, he also twisted his ring around to hide the face and gem from being seen.

"You betrayed mother and father and brought shame to the family." Narcissa stated tapping her wine glass staring at her sister, "You deserved to be punished, you broke apart our family."

A haughty expression crossed Andromeda's face, "I broke the family?" she said in a dangerous whisper, "I left the family because if I had stayed I would have been cursed."

"You caused father to break an agreement with Abraxas Malfoy and forced father to increase my dowry just to make a match that Malfoy thought was lesser than the original." She explained with a dirty look.

Andromeda rolled her eyes, something which made Narcissa turn up her nose for her lack of etiquette.

"Arranged marriages were archaic, even when our grandfather was born!" Andromeda snapped "We both know why father wanted to connect our family to the Malfoys, and it was not because it was a good match, it was to bind us to a cause of which Abraxas and Pollux supported."

"You married a Mud…muggleborn!" Narcissa said indignantly.

"Yes and you married into a foreign bloodline and one that was tainted by he who calls himself your husbands master." Andromeda shot back "You do not have the proverbially high ground in this argument sister so do not try."

They both sat silently for a while, both fingering their wine glass stems and refusing to look at each other.

After some time Narcissa said "You are back in the family once again now, so all is forgiven."

"Only because of Sirius, I never needed his forgiveness." Andromeda said tersely "Sirius has remained my family even after the rest of you turned your backs on me, he treated me better than my own siblings. Sirius never renounced me, or turned his back on me, even when I admit I thought he had betrayed his friends, he forgave me unconditionally and without thought or malice."

Sirius felt a warm feeling at her words, they cared for each other deeply, and he was glad to hear her say so to her sister.

"The two of you were the proverbial black sheep in the family sister. Even when you were both young you were close despite the age difference." Narcissa said quietly without any malice, "You both ran from the family, yet you were still family in ways only Blacks are. Lord Arcturus always favoured you both over the rest of us."

"We were both the odd ones out as we did not follow blindly and did not agree with our parent's views. Both of us were forced to flee for fear of death and torture at our own parents hands." Andromeda said glaring at her sister "Neither of our siblings tried to help us in this time, and we were almost the only family we each had that recognised us as so."

That was not entirely correct Sirius thought. Their uncle Alphard had remained in contact with them both although he too had been disowned at some point and it was probably because he had left the two of them gold. Aunt Dorea too had always looked out for them both, it had been her who had helped Andromeda and Ted get their house in Oxford and Uncle Charlus had given her away at her wedding.

The sisters continued to speak and the topic became slightly more casual as they enquired about their lives and Sirius listened in while eating from his plate of food and he acknowledged just how good a chef Craddock was but his attention was often pulled away by the other customers who entered not wanting to be caught in a trap unaware.

"I am curious; does Bella know that you met with me today?" Andromeda asked between bites of her starter.

"I don't…" Narcissa paused caught up short not knowing how to answer.

"I am not a fool sister." Andromeda said sternly glaring at her sister "Do not try to lie to me, especially about this."

"I would not…"

"No?" Andromeda said cutting over her "Are you going to say that you have not seen her? That she has not been in your house? That she has not been acting with your husband when they engage in the activities of their master?"

Narcissa said nothing.

"I would imagine she makes for interesting company for Draco, she has often taken an interest in the younger members of the family, I am sure you remember what happened with Regulus?" Andromeda said carefully looking at her sister for a reaction.

Sirius felt his stomach knot at the mention of his brother, he knew that the family had pushed him to Voldemort but it had been Bella who had delivered him to the inner circle and had cultivated him.

"Don't!" Narcissa said in a harsh whisper and her anger slipped through her mask.

Andromeda shook her head and looked away from her sister "You are an enigma Cissy." She said "I know that you love your son, I think you may even love your husband. You will protect your family above all others, yet you allow a dangerous dark wizard into your house. Do you think you will always protect Draco from him? He is so much like his father I wonder if he will not willingly take the mark."

"Draco will never…." Narcissa snapped turning red but she stopped herself "Draco is my son and I shall protect him however I can."

Interesting, Sirius hummed to himself, he knew Narcissa loved her son but perhaps she was not as enamoured with the Death Eater cause as he thought she was.

"You do realise that Bella is not part of the family now." Andromeda asked changing the subject.

"She is still your sister." Narcissa countered "Lord Black has not cast her out entirely, and I can still name her as such."

"Bella has not been my sister since the day she tried to attack me when I told the family of my engagement to Ted, and I have not considered her a Daughter of the House since she took that the mark of the radical she calls a master." She countered haughtily.

"How can you say that? You grew up with her! We were the Black Sisters how can you not count her as your sister surely you see that as Lord Black has not used the ritual that will cast her out entirely?"

"No!" Andromeda snapped "That women who you call Bella is not my sister, the girl who I knew and grew up with, the sister that I loved and looked up to is dead! She is nothing but a mad woman who resembles Bella, a woman who is both dangerous and damaged, a woman who would kill me sooner than speak with me."

"How can you be so callous?" Narcissa asked horrified.

"You are hardly one to call me callous" Andromeda sneered dropping all pretence of civility, "Now tell me why you wanted to meet with me."

"I don't know." Narcissa replied with what seemed genuine sadness, "You are my sister and I do love you Andromeda and despite how you may feel I have missed you all these years, but I can see that you are still not able to be a part of my family."

"No I am not." Andromeda said looking surprised by the emption of her sister "We are on opposing sides of this war and how can we try and reconcile when there is such a divide between us? My marriage, my politics and my child are against everything that your Death Eater husband believes in, I know that Voldemort often resides in your house and you also harbour Bella within your home. I am close to Lord Black and Harrison who is the sworn enemy of Voldemort, do you really think either side would allow for us to reconcile?"

"Perhaps not, but you are still my sister Andromeda, and I may not agree with your choices but you are still my kin."

"As you are mine, but I cannot in good conscience continue our communication, not when people are dying and even now I wondering if this is not a trap, a way for Bella to kill me or another one of the Death Eaters to strike at Lord Black and Harrison."

"Well if that is how you feel I know from history once you mind is made up I cannot change it." Narcissa said whipping her mouth and moving her plate away and glaring at her sister with all traces of emotion gone "I doubt you came here alone, I would imagine that we are being watched even now probably by your daughter. But tell me did you tell Lord Black or that husband of yours that you were coming? I wondered if they would allow you to come."

"I told both and neither of them had wanted me to come and you will probably find it amusing to know that Ted was furious with me for my decision to come here today."

Sirius had been in the middle of eating his main meal but was now keeping all of his attention on the room, this meeting was coming to an end and now more than ever the threat level was higher.

"What did our dear Lordly cousin think of our meeting?" Narcissa asked "Did he agree to this?"

"No he did not, he thought you were laying a trap for me or even worse thought I would end up meeting Bellatrix in disguise, he did however understand why I wanted to come." Andromeda allowed "I know the two of you have spoken since he was acquitted of his presumed crimes."

"Yes we met last year, it was in that meeting that he took back my dowry and withheld Draco's Trust until he was older." She said sounding affronted "I had to deal with it all, Lucius was furious and could not be objective."

"I am sure, especially since Sirius did have grounds to dissolve your marriage."

"Perhaps he did. But who is he to judge me when he left the family and lived with the Potters, he betrayed the family values because of the way he believed they were different to how they have been practiced for generations. I however had stuck to the values mother and Father taught us and have supported my husband's view as I am supposed to as a wife."

Narcissa stood and was immediately set up on by the waiters and asked for her coat and gloves.

"Are you leaving?" Andromeda asked politely.

"Yes, I see now that it is futile to continue, we are too different."

"Perhaps." Andromeda agreed sadly.

Sirius watched them say their awkward goodbyes and once Narcissa left he left the gold for his meal on his table and approached his cousin.

Andromeda looked up at his approached and looked apprehensive for a moment and her hand went for her wand but she stopped once she noticed the ring that Sirius spun around on his finger and the stone caught the light.

"I should have known you would be here cousin." She said and she sighed, "I guess you heard all of that."

"We should leave, we should talk in private." Sirius said and he gave her a supporting look, he went to place the golf for the meal on the table before noticing that Narcissa had already done it.

The meeting between the sisters had not gone well but it wasn't as bad as it could have been yet both seemed to have been disappointed in the outcome or perhaps had wanted something more Sirius thought to himself as he waited for Andromeda.

o-HP-o

Five days after Petrov announced that the Hogwarts team would be remaining in Durmstrang was the day of the Team duels, which was the second event in the Durmstrang Duelling Tournament, an event that would face two teams of four students against each other, it was harder than a double duel as it was even more important to work as a team otherwise the duel could go horribly wrong.

The rules were identical to the first event with the only change being the time limit, it was doubled due to their being more people on each team and it would take longer for them all to exhaust each other.

Hogwarts had been called in the first round and they were to face the Beauxbatons sixth years, and as it was to be the first event of the day everyone was eager for it to start, but a part of Harry's mind was worried, Hermione was in the event and he knew she was being targeted and a duel would be a good opportunity to hurt her.

The Hogwarts team consisted of Daphne, Ernie, Hermione and Michael all of whom Harry had chosen after watching them duel together in practice and they now worked very well together, they would be facing Mathis Robespierre, Caitlin Luistre, Angélica Arogan, and Helen Longshank.

"What do you know about Robespierre?" Harry asked his team, he had not really noticed him from classes.

"Other than his unfortunate name?" Neville chuckled "Not much he keeps to himself."

"He is not a bad." Susan said "he knows a fair amount in transfiguration but he doesn't seem to like the dark arts."

Draco snorted at that but didn't comment, but his eyes were narrowed at the male with a deep sneer across his face which Harry made a mental note of.

When the first round had started the Hogwarts team separated into two teams of two, two males and two females and they hit hard at the Beauxbatons students and after splitting their attention they slowly whittled down their shields and defences and Daphne and Hermione knocked out Helen and Angélica.

The second match had been over very quickly, the Hogwarts team changed tactics and struck faster than they had previously with four powerful spells and then a very fast pair of follow up curses, the French students had struggled under the sudden onslaught and failed to raise any defensive magic and one by one been knocked out of the match, only Mathis had remained for a moment and in the confusion of spells had managed to disarm Michael who had slowed down thinking they had won but Mathis scored he was also knocked out by a stunning spell to his head.

The last round lasted the longest of the three, but the end result was that Hogwarts won by defeating Helen and Mathis using some charm trickery and some ingenuity which they had picked up from the DA, but Ernie had fell afoul of a stray curse and due to its nature had been deemed defeated by Professor Herrmann.

"We won with eight points to two!" Julian cried happily pumping the air and whooping loudly.

"Yes but there are still more duels." Harry said to him before picking up his bag of supplies and heading down to the portal room, he had learnt in the double matches that he would need supplies for the tournament.

The team had all been fine with no injuries over than curse which they had already countered and they returned to the stands to watch the next match which was between the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons fourth years.

Harry had silently cursed when the Durmstrang team walked out and none other than Malachi Oristikov was in the team, he looked over at Aliesha and saw her glaring at him dangerously and Harry cursed their bad luck, of course they would be facing each other in the team event.

The match had ended with Beauxbatons winning with three points against the two points scored by the Institute, they had been fairly equal against each other but from what Harry could tell neither side was over joyed by the result.

Durmstrangs fourth years had been given no respite after their duel as the next match thrown them back into the Arena against the Hogwarts team, Aliesha Crouch, Arthur Goodwin, Matthew Jessop, and Rachel Foxton, it was this team that Harry had great apprehension for, all but Aliesha were muggleborn and he didn't want any further trouble due to blood status.

The three rounds had not been at all pleasant or clean, with both Aliesha and Malachi duelling each other almost independently while the others exchanges curse after curse at each other and Harry was relieved with the match finished and it had ended in a draw with five points each.

Harry had also been relieved that the Durmstrang Healer attended to the fourth years between duels, some of the curses that had been used against his students had been beyond him and he was glad they were being looked after.

"You couldn't have known." Hermione said trying to reassure him after he had seen the number of cuts to Aliesha's body, none had been fatal due to her shield charm but if she had been defenceless, well Harry really didn't want to consider the alternative.

"No but I should have predicted it, when does fate ever let things play out nicely." He said annoyed and shrugged off her hand which tried to comfort him.

Next had been Sixth year students from Durmstrang and facing their opposing French team, and it had been a surprise to watch as at the team from Beauxbatons seemingly bewitched the Durmstrang team into not even trying to fight as they ought to have, they had not performed as they should have and the spectating Durmstrang students had been furious as they watched their fellow students loose and when the match ended Durmstrang had scored a pitiful three points to the Seven scored by their opponents.

"Do you know what they did?" Harry asked Hermione, "I didn't even see what they did or understand it."

"No I didn't either, whatever they did was an odd piece of magic." She said back to him "and I am glad they did not use that on us."

Harry's fourth year team was called into the Arena for their last match against the Fleur's team and it had started off with the first round ending with a point each, the next round had finished with no points being awarded and the time limit being hit, but it had been the last match that had the decisive round.

Fleur must have been training her team for this match as they were ready for this round of the match and they had slowly defeated one member of the Hogwarts team at a time working four against a single target and they had defeated the entire team without losing a single point.

The final match of the day was also the last match of the team duelling round and it was between the sixth years from Hogwarts and Durmstrang and the atmosphere in the stands had tensed as the combatants stepped out into the Arena and it had fallen silent as they followed the duelling etiquette.

Harry sat on the edge of his stone seat watching the teams get into position, Hermione was out there fighting against the Durmstrang students, any of whom could be the ones who wanted to wish her harm.

The first round hand been sporadic but dazzling, each side testing the other with all manner of spells but the victor had been Hogwarts as they defeated Henrick Zimmeran, and Kristin Voll in a double knockout and then they disarmed Charlotte Strand with part of her own spell but some of the spell had not been reflected and had hit Ernie causing him also to be disarmed even as he had lunged for his wand and ended up with his face in the sand.

Harry had watched the Durmstrang students carefully in the round and he did not think whatever magic the Beauxbatons students had used had worn off or Viktor had not been able to combat it as it was still affecting them, the round had been too easy.

The second round had started very similar to the first with them taking out Danyl very early on but in that same moment the team seemed to snap out of whatever was wrong with them and they closed ranks and began to defend themselves up until the end of the round without any further losses.

In the last round of the match the duel had been fought hard between either side, the Institute students were not fighting defensively any longer and they were not holding back with their spells, whatever spell they had been under had stopped and eventually the duel came down to two students on either side.

Daphne and Hermione fighting on one side of the Arena against Danyl and Charlotte.

It had been incredibly tense watching them fight as Harry wanted neither of his friends to be hurt and his breath had caught in his throat as his friends were separated from each other by the opposing pair and forced to duel one on one.

Hermione was stuck fighting Charlotte who looked terrifying as she shot curse after curse at his friend, although Hermione was countering them she was not able to strike back.

Daphne and Danyl were freer with their duelling and seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely each trying to outdo the other and it ended when their spells had collided in mid-air and then by luck the spells combined and flew straight at Danyl with a mix of both magics defeating him.

With the advantage of her position Daphne struck at Charlotte while her back was turned but the spell didn't hit her as Daphne had hoped, Charlotte had taken a sidestep at the same time as the spell had shot from the wand and passed through the air where she had stood and then continued directly at Hermione who had not expected the spell and had hit her unexpectedly disarming and binding her.

Charlotte had not been deterred and had sent another spell towards Hermione's prone form but Daphne had jumped in the way and raised a shield charm quickly to protect her. Time had been called three minutes later and the round declared a draw but Hogwarts had won the match.

When Hermione was revived in the portal room she was furious, and Harry had forced her to be silent as she had tried to argue with Daphne for her lack of control, she stopped but she continued to rant that she had been cheated.

With the last of the Team Matches over all of the teams were brought out into the Arena to hear the results, Hogwarts led the tournament with a score of thirty-seven, with the other two schools in joint second with twenty-six points.

Back in Hogwarts the school was cheering, but in the Arena the Hogwarts team only smiled, they could all feel the stares they were being given by the native students and they did not want to encourage any animosity between them.

Highmaster Petrov however did not seem to care who was currently winning.

"Congratulations to the Hogwarts team for coming this far, you have the lead but with the Single matches coming you shall need to keep your wits about you, a total of sixty points are available for each school in this portion of the event and the scores could change drastically."

Harry agreed, doubles and team events were good, but the real test would be the single rounds, he knew that would be where his students would need to prove themselves, and where they would be challenged the most.