Love In the Dark

Someone called Millie a badass. I loved it, although Millie doesn't really sound like a BAMF name. If you notice, as her character progresses, Millie's name has gradually been shortened to Mil in the past few chapters. Just pointing that out. XD

I'm just going to say I almost cried writing that last chapter. Coming up, the second task! Thanks for all of your reviews.

x-x-x

Mil barely registered all of the other people in the room with her, sitting next to Harry as Lucius explained his most recent visit to the Ministry.

"Fudge is pressuring us to let it go. I don't know how this woman managed to do this. She must have information or something on him, because no amount of money is changing that man's mind." Lucius stated, frowning.

Narcissa looked to Mil. "Millicent, what do you think our course of action should be?"

Harry squeezed her arm at this, and Mil spoke quietly. "I want to know what the breaking point was. The elves said that there was an argument, about money, but they didn't say anything more than that?"

"No. They were obviously instructed not to talk about details."

Mil suddenly smirked. "Perhaps Father left Mother destitute. It would serve her right."

Harry bit his lip. "Do you think maybe...well, we could have someone go in. Make it look like an accident..."

Mil shook her head at this. "No...I want her to suffer. I want her to pay. My...My Father's will reading is in two days. Maybe we'll find out that he left everything to me. That could be why she was so pissed off."

Lucius and Severus exchanged a look, and knew this couldn't be the case. Not only was Millie the youngest of the family, but the only daughter. Even if she had been her Father's favorite, there was no legal way she could gain the majority of the money or properties.

Mil spoke again. "Let's talk about something else now. Lord Malfoy, any other news about the Dark Lord?"

Harry smiled wanly at the way Millie had smoothly taken control of the conversation, and Lucius spoke. "Actually, yes. I've found that the Dark Lord is calling his followers to him, but only a few at a time. Probably to keep a low profile. He is recruiting, certainly, and gathering information. He has big plans to regain a body in a ritual on June 21st, which coincides with the Summer Solstice, and the day of the final task. He hasn't given us any details about what exactly will occur."

"Well...shit. Find out what you can about this ritual. Has he spoke of any plans that are to happen afterwards?"

Lucius frowned, lips thinning. "He is hoping that all of this will be shrouded in secrecy, so after he regains his body, he will be recruiting even more. As it is, I believe he's already made contact with Greyback."

Harry stood. "I will contact Remus and Sirius, and put them on alert. Remus has quietly been gaining ground with the local packs, hopefully we will have their support before Greyback approaches them. We need to make the Ministry somehow aware of what's going on."

Lucius spoke carefully. "I cannot do this. The Dark Lord is having the others watch me very, very carefully."

Dean moved to stand by the fireplace, looking at the flames. "Do you think we should strike at them now, privately, in their homes, before things get bad?"

Harry looked at Dean worriedly. "Dean...you're talking about breaking into warded manors and killing men in their sleep."

Dean whirled around. "Well, what do you want to do then? Wait until we see them on the battlefield? Wait until they're hurting everyone else?"

Harry stood, approaching his friend. He was worried for him. "Dean.." He touched Dean's arm. Dean shifted away, just slightly, and Harry knew something was wrong. Lately, he and Dean hadn't been talking about Dean's missions, and Harry got the feeling that it was going a bit rough. Things were rough all over, and everyone was getting a bit stressed out. And to think, the Dark didn't even have his body yet.

"We can't do that, Dean. Not yet. It is an option, yes, but I think we need to plan things out more. Keep gathering information, contacts, supplies. If we start killing people, the Dark Lord will know that we're up to something. Lucius' cover could be blown."

Dean relaxed a bit at this, nodding slowly. "I'm sorry." Harry hugged him. The others looked away discreetly.

x-x-x

Millie sat at a very long table in a fancy office, waiting for the Goblin that had been in charge of the family estate to enter the room. There was a guard posted by the door, and sitting across from her, was her three brothers, and Mother.

Her eldest brother sat by their Mother's side. The woman was ignoring Mil completely, wearing all black, and a black veil that covered her face. She was sniffling and carrying on, and Mil hated it. Her parents never had a loving relationship. She figured the only reason they had more than one child was because her Mother wanted a daughter so badly.

Millie was wearing some black trousers and a black button down shirt, the trousers from the muggle world, and the shirt from Knockturne. She wore the same boots she'd worn to the ball. She kept her hand discretely on her wand, in her pocket. Harry was waiting outside for her, along with Narcissa and Lucius. They weren't allowed inside for the Will reading, but had come along anyways for support.

The goblin finally arrived, and stopped at the Head of the table. "We shall begin." The goblin said shortly, opening a file. "The title of Lord has already been transferred to Jeffrey Grieg Bulstrode, the eldest son. As Lord, you will have control of the Estate and all investments, assets, and properties totalling a sum of 80,000 Galleons, excluding Bulstrode Manor." Her eldest brother shifted in his seat at this, face carefully blank. Her Brother was already married, and would probably be moving into the manor with his wife any day now. Their Mother would become a Dowager, and her brother's wife would become Lady Bulstrode. But Millie would have sworn that their family had more money than that...

"Henry Barnaby Bulstrode, you will receive the late Lord Bulstrode's collection of swords and daggers, along with the deed for the townhouse in London." Her brother smiled widely at this. He already lived in the townhouse with his wife, but there was no way they would be kicked out now. "You will also recieve 20,000 Galleons, to be put in a trust fund for any future children that you have." The man's smile faded slightly at this. Henry was a greedy bastard, Millie privately thought it was a good idea to put the money in a trust fund, otherwise, it would have been gambled away.

"And to Samuel Brian Bulstrode, you will receive the deed for the summer cottage in Brightwall, 20,000 Galleons, and the Late Lord Bulstrode's wand." Sam looked a bit surprised at this- according to tradition, their Mother would have gotten the wand. Still, the money would be welcome. The young man was engaged, but it was unlikely they would marry soon- he was a workaholic.

The Goblin then spoke one last time. "And to Millicent Francine Bulstrode, you will receive the deed to a House in Liverpool-" Their Mother looked enraged at this. Millie was a bit shocked- they had a House in Liverpool? It must have been bought very, very recently. "You will also receive the entirety of the Bulstrode family art and artifacts collection, 40,000 Galleons, and the Bulstrode Grimoire."

Everyone gasped at this, and her eldest brother glared at her outright. Mil tried to keep from shrinking back in her seat. She had never, ever expected to get the Grimoire- she hadn't even been allowed to touch it! Their artifacts collection held some of the rarest items in the UK- most of it was priceless- as was the Grimore. She'd definitely gotten the better deal, in comparison to her Brothers.

"In addition to these things, you will also receive the deed to a storefront in Diagon Alley as soon as you turn seventeen years of age." The little Goblin handed out the various forms and paperwork, although no one moved a muscle.

Mil could tell her Mother was furious. Mil stared at the paperwork in front of her in confusion. Her brothers signed their paperwork quickly, and it was then that Millie realized that her Mother had not received a thing. Good.

She stared at the deed to the storefront- she didn't know they owned a storefront. The Goblin looked her way. "Miss Bulstrode, is there anything I can assist you with?"

"When did Father buy the the storefront, and when did he buy the House in Liverpool? I didn't even know we had these things."

"That's because he bought them for you." Lady Bulstrode hissed, raising her veil. Mil leant back in her seat, hand going to her wand.

"For her?" Jeffrey said with a frown.

Their Mother sniffed. "Yes. Said that Millie would need a way to support herself in case...things didn't work out with...he knew!" The woman screeched, standing up. "He knew that you were gay!"

Mil shrank back at this, and the goblin guard at the door advanced towards their Mother. The woman sat back down, knowing better than to attack anyone in Gringott's.

"You're...you're gay? But...what about Potter?" Sam asked, visibly confused.

Mil crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hide her nervousness, not answering her brother's question. "So he bought the house for me too, probably because he knew you'd kick me out." The girl growled.

"No." The woman bit out. "He bought the house for both of you to live in." She hissed, and grabbed her bag. "Boys, we're leaving. Jeffrey, you better disown that...that girl-" And they were gone.

And everything started to make sense in Millicent Bulstrode's world. Mil thought about what her Mother had said. Their Father was going to leave their Mother, as divorce was impossible in the wizarding world, they would only be seperated. He'd even bought a house just for him and his daughter. She must have found out about the property, about what he was going to do. She tried to keep from crying as she signed the paperwork. Her eyes lingered over what her Father had instructed for her to do with the storefront, provided everything was at peace when she came of age. She was to have their art collection open to the public- the first wizarding art gallery in the UK. It was actually a fantastic idea. Mil gathered her things together quietly, and looked to the Goblin who'd been watching her carefully.

"Thank you." She said quietly, and headed for the door.

"Miss Bulstrode..." The goblin called after her. Millie turned slightly, and the goblin gave her the slightest of bows. "A great disservice happened to your Father. Your Mother did not receive anything in the will because..." The goblin trailed off, unsure how to word this.

"I know." Millie said hollowly. "She killed my Father. She's somehow made the officials turn the other way."

The Goblin gave her an evil grin. "We...could...assist you, if you like. The late Lord Bulstrode was a valued customer. We could charge high interest rates on the Estate, and...perhaps increase maintenance fees and add withdrawal fees any time your Mother comes to the bank. With how much she spends...she could become a Pauper within the year, and our Bank will become all the richer."

Mil gave him the slightest of nods. "Thank you. What is your name, so I know to tell your supervisor about your hard work?"

"Griphook, Miss Bulstrode. I'm a friend of Lord Potter's."

Millie sighed, smiling slightly at this. "Thank you Griphook, for all that you have done, and all that you will do."

And she left, feeling a lot better than when she came in.

x-x-x

Harry stood on the platform in the middle of the Black lake, not liking this task already. Who thought it was a good idea to have a task in a freezing scottish lake in the middle of February? Even the black wetsuit he wore did not keep the cold at bay. The other champions stood beside him, their bathing suits in their school colors. He felt sorry for Fleur, who was wearing this skimpy thing that she obviously had not chosen herself.

Still, Harry was terribly worried about the task ahead. Dean was down there. He'd wondered who the judges would choose as his 'special person', and was rather surprised it wasn't Millie. Oh well. He was just glad she was safe. Of course, Dean was stuck down there, and Harry didn't want to lose him either. He was anxious to get on with it, but they had to wait.

Everyone dived into the water as soon as the cannon went off, and Harry shot off. He'd been training ever since he'd gotten the egg, understanding the clues pretty quickly. He was to retrieve something important, deep in the Merpeople's lair. And it had to be within the hour, or everyone would die. Harry hated this task with a vengeance.

Fleur looked like she was going to cry any moment- Gabrielle was down there, her little sister. Did he mention that he hated this task?

Severus taught him how to swim, using the enormous tub in the man's quarters. Harry was using a special sort of gillyweed, to help him along. It had been imported from Greece, and it was far less painful than standard gillyweed. He had a bit more stashed in his pocket. In one hand, he held his wand, and he kept his other hand free, in case he needed to go for his dagger. In addition to the gillyweed, he was now a champ at holding his breath under water. He and Severus had 'trained' quite a bit with that, having Harry hold his breath underwater. It helped that Harry's incentive was so they could experiment with breathplay, and/or learn how to suck cock under water. That part had been fun. This...was not.

He noticed Fleur was following him closely. She passed him quickly, and he realized the girl was a much better swimmer than he. He pushed forward, heading for the reeds. He'd mapped out the lake, and this was the shortest route there.

This area was infested with grindelows. Fleur screamed through her bubblehead charm, and the two of them valiantly tried to fight off the creatures. Harry managed to keep them at bay, but the girl was struggling. Harry got them off the blonde, tugging her towards the merpeople's camp. This wasn't just a competition for them- they needed to save their loved ones. Fuck the tournament.

He could feel Fleur still trembling as they swam, visible bruises all over her legs and arms. He'd should have realised- Veela's nature was fiery, and they did not do well in water, or against any water creatures. Dread filled Harry at this- he wondered how the merpeople would react to Fleur.

They finally arrived, seeing four people tethered by their ankles in an arch. Dean's dreadlocks were floating every which way in the water, and he was so still that Harry thought he was dead. With a start, Harry recognized Hermione. Why was she here? He also saw Cho bobbing silently next to her...and Gabrielle...she looked so pale and translucent. He and Fleur approached the group. He managed to get Dean tied free relatively quickly, and he turned to see Fleur getting cornered by some merpeople. The girl pointed to her sister frantically. Harry scowled, and made to go to the small girl.

At that point, Viktor arrived, making all of them duck for cover, as he looked a bit scary with a transfigured shark head. He grabbed Hermione's tether brusquely within his teeth, not even bothering to see what was going on. He swam off, dragging Hermione with him. Cedric arrived shortly afterwards, and by this time, Fleur was attacking the merpeople, and they were attacking back. Harry woke Dean with an ennerviate, stuffing a bit of Gillyweed in his mouth. His friend came to, and then saw what was happening. In a flash, he had his wand and his dagger out.

They both helped fend off the merpeople while Fleur got her sister. Harry went to Cho, and the merpeople thrust their spears at him. Obviously, he wasn't meant to get anyone else's person. Finally, Cedric arrived, and grabbed Cho, and the others followed him. Cedric was obviously a bit confused at why Dean was awake. Dean carried Gabrielle in his arms, while Harry helped Fleur swim to the surface. She was injured, Harry could see she had cuts and scrapes now, in addition to the bruises.

Harry could feel his gillyweed start to wear off as they approached the surface. Cedric and Cho surfaced first, climbing onto the platform. Dean and Gabrielle made it next, and Dean helped the confused and scared little girl onto the platform.

Fleur could see that Harry's gillyweed was running out, and the girl cast a quick bubblehead charm on him while the two of them limped together for the last few feet of water. They surfaced, and Dean and Cedric helped them onto the platform. Fleur grabbed her sister, sobbing, hugging her to her chest. The girls were hysterical. Hermione and Viktor came over, and they all sat on the platform, shivering and wet, glaring as a group at the Judges. The Judges were a bit put off by the glares, and went below, probably to talk to the merpeople.

They all got towels, and were drying off, when the Judges came to a decision. Viktor came in first place, for having surfaced first, and for avoiding injury. Then Harry made second place, for his 'group effort', Cedric made third place, and Fleur made fourth.

Harry was furious at this, and didn't care what people said when he spoke into the mike. "Fleur had a disadvantage! She had trouble with the grindelows and merpeople, and she was the one that cast the bubblehead charm on me at the end there, if anything, she should be the one in second place, not me..."

But the Judges were not swayed by this argument.

That evening, the four Champions and their 'special people' were gathered in the hospital wing, recovering from their near hypothermia. The whole group was pissed off- even Cedric and Viktor agreed that they were treating Fleur unfairly. Not only did they risk their own lives, but they risked the lives of others as well, including a little firstie that would be completely unable to defend herself against the grindelows and merpeople. They were just lucky that the girl hadn't had to fight them.

"While I am 'appy to 'ave met all of you, I can't wait to get away from this awful country." Fleur mumured, hugging Gabrielle to her chest.

"I don't blame you." Harry said, watching Dean pace back and forth. He did that a lot. "Dean, what's up?"

"Our ministry is full of bigots. We should kill them."

Harry laughed, while the others stared.

x-x-x

The press was in a tizzy for day afterwards- Champions helping each other in the tasks? It was unheard of! Many were saying the Fleur was weak, not only because she was a girl, but also because of her heritage. Harry quickly shut that down, after seeing Fleur's reaction to the papers. He did a small interview with Rita, explaining what went on down there. How were they supposed to know that their people weren't actually going to die? He sure to state that Fleur was certainly not weak, and that he knew plenty of girls who could hold their own in fight.

Rita, of course, spinned it her way, and talked about all the girls that Harry hung out with- rumors were now starting that Harry was building a harem, of all things. Whatever. The good thing about that was, there was a sharp increase in recruiting, mostly with girls. They added Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecomb, Mandy Brocklehurst, Lisa Turpin, Su Li- all from Ravenclaw. Then there was Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, all chasers on the Gryffindor team. Elanor Branstone, a firstie from Hufflepuff, and was quickly added to Rosie's and Astoria's group.

However, not all of their newest members were girls- Justin Finch Fletchly and Zacharias Smith joined too. But it was probably because Hannah and Susan were now dating them.

Harry quickly started preparing for the last task. All everyone knew was that it was a maze. After getting Hagrid drunk, Dean managed to find out the various creatures that were within the maze, and the four Champions trained like crazy so they would be prepared for whatever they faced. They were quiet, and determined, wanting to get this whole thing over with so that none of them got killed.

x-x-x

Fourth year will be wrapping up pretty soon. Prepare to have your minds blown. XD Please review.