Disclaimer: see chapter 1
"We've been sitting on the fence for far too long." Said Dumbledore gravely as he addressed his dwindling Order. Some people hadn't come and some people just plain weren't coming at all. Only his most loyal remained.
"You mean you have." Said Sirius, fire whiskey on his breath as he paced the parlor of his childhood some. Generic landscape portraits turned stormy as he passed them. He hated this house, he hated his daughter, and he hated his life. How had everything gone so wrong?
"You now doubt the great, Albus Dumbledore? Sirius, I see where your daughter gets it from." Drawled Snape as he sipped his tea. He was the calmest one in the room. Having the children of a known betrayer wandering around free, along with an imposter and a very mad teenage girl, were stretching their belief in Albus Dumbledore. There had even been rumors of his mind slipping as he was getting along in years.
"She is not my daughter!" yelled Sirius. Snape smirked.
"The great courts of not only our Nation but the Nation of Remordere seem to disagree." Said Snape. Sirus lunged at him but was stopped by Tonks and Remus.
"I'd like to remind everyone that we are not here to debate the paternity of Galatea Black." Said Dumbledore. Arthur and Molly Weasley glared at him.
"Speaking of paternity…" trailed Arthur Weasley dangerous. Dumbledore popped a lemon drop into his mouth and offered one to Arthur and Molly. They put their hands up in refusal. Good thing he also had calming droughts in the tea.
"I have spoken to the Head of Spellwick's school, who swears up and down that Harry Potter has never had contact with Ginny Weasley. You should take this up with their courts." Said Dumbledore. Tom's followers were on the move and they had a teenager who fancied herself God but the Weasley's chose to focus on some teenage indiscretion.
"I want justice for this! He took advantage of my daughter!" yelled Molly Weasley. She got nods and murmurs of approval. Albus could feel his control slipping, fast.
"Justice will be done, Molly, but right now we have bigger problems. We've got to worry about the possibility of death, not the guarantee of new life." Said Dumbledore. He could feel the group swaying towards him again.
"Can't she just…you know…" said Tonks trailing off. Arthur and Molly shook their heads.
"She refuses to even consider it. We're delaying the inevitable for as long as possible but even that can have its problems." Said Molly not being able to meet the eyes of the Order. Much the very same thing had happened to Molly at seventeen and she had been able to delay Bill's arrival until after graduation. Ginny was only thirteen and still not well after the diary incident.
"That bastard, Galatea, is behind this." Growled Sirius. If he had been Padfoot right then he'd have been pacing the floor with his ears pressed down.
"She can't be behind every unfortunate circumstance to befall us, Sirius." Said Remus diplomatically. Dumbledore could feel the groups anger directing its self at Remus now.
"We can't rule that out. She is building towards something, that I know. She had already managed to harvest massive amounts of energy from the north." Said Dumbledore
"Why let her upset us? She's a little girl playing with forces beyond her control. Let her blow herself up or freeze to death or whatever…and her little half feyling too." Said Sirius dismissively. What did they need energy for? They weren't muggles. Let the girl try some dark spell and turn herself into a monster if she managed to survive. He had to worry about little Ginny Weasley now and what that bastard who dared to call himself Harry Potter did to her.
"Sirius…" trailed Remus. Galatea was his daughter. While he didn't like the girl at all she was still a part of Sirius. If Remus had children, even possibly evil children, he'd at least not wish them any specific harm or the same to their children.
"Because he exists, Black?" asked Snape. Remus felt his blood run cold in his veins. When Sirius had joked, after the fact, about setting him on Snape that night on the full moon he had written it off as typical Padfoot not thinking things through. Now…she wasn't even twenty years old yet and her by was just a child.
"Severus, we're going to leave the past in the past. Now, do we know anything new about the Pettigrew girls and Harry Potter?" asked Dumbledore. Tonks stood up to speak.
"Harry and Portia were seen…expressing themselves physically, in the astronomy tower, on many separate occasions. Portia and Galatea as corresponding with Galatea but their notes are coded. I know it has something to do with the tournament and some things called transmutation and equivalent exchange were talked about. As far as I can tell they're planning something massive up north." Said Tonks before she was cut off.
"Yes, Dumbledore mentioned that. Has Harry given any indication of what he plans to do about Ginny?" said Arthur as he sipped his tea. It was very good, he'd have to have Molly make some for now on.
"None of us have ever seen Harry interact with her. He spends most, if not all, of his time with Portia and Persephone." Said Tonks. She had done extensive stalking of Harry Potter and aside from numerous physical expressions between him and a much chubbier Portia Pettigrew he didn't do much. He went to class, did his research, and then not much of anything.
"What about Galatea?" slurred Sirius as he finished off the bottle of fire whiskey. He'd stop her himself and then move onto Peter. So if Peter wasn't going to leave India then he'd go to India…and then the cold up North…and then he'd get Harry back.
"He seems to have outgrown her in favor of Portia. We can't ascertain, what exactly, it is she's planning right now." Said Tonks
"He has shown his loyalties are to the house of Pettigrew but I feel that steps can be taken to bring him back to the light. He is Lily and James' son after all." Said Dumbledor. Sirius snorted loudly at that.
"How can he possibly be brought back to the light? He's dark…as dark as Wormtail." Said Sirius. Many members of the Order nodded in agreement.
"He is only a child. I feel that we can, in fact, ally him to our cause. I feel that the first step will be talking with him, and possibly Galatea." said Dumbledore, his voice rising over the cries of outrage.
"We should stop her while we have the chance. Who knows what she's planning!" cried Sirius. That girl was dark and she had to be stopped before she destroyed everything good in the world. He had already lost everything but Remus in the first war, he couldn't stand another.
"We need to first find out what she is doing and may be premature to assume that she is doing something actively malevolent." Said Dumbledore. He was going to talk to her alright…and find out how, exactly, she did what she did.
"Less talk, action!" said Sirius amid cheers of approval. Dumbledore gave a heavy sigh, looking every bit his hundred plus years.
"Isn't that what started this mess in the first place?" Sighed Dumbledore. Instantly an air of approval for his swept the room. He could feel the guilt coming from Sirius. Everything was back in his favor.
"What should we do?" asked Remus quietly. Dumbledore's twinkling eyes met everyone's.
"We talk, that's all. No weapons, simply words."
XXX
Galatea Black hated being back at the North Pole. No matter the amount of heavy clothing or warming charms she couldn't reach a comfortable temperature. She poured over alchemic equations whilst shifting her weight from foot to foot, her thick socks sliding against the polar bear skins inside her boots. A message flew into her tent and landed in front of her on the table.
"So, the Great Manipulator himself requests my presence?" muttered Galatea as she read the annoyingly looping script. So the old man was done spying, huh?
"If I go I risk putting myself in danger but if I don't I risk bringing him down upon me. I don't need an open conflict with the man right now; at least not any more so than there is now." Muttered Galatea as she glared at the parchment in her thickly gloved hand.
"If I do go who do I go as? Or is it whom? Well, whom gives a damn?" chuckled Galatea at the cold, empty expanse of her living quarters. She had left Timothy back in India for his own good and made a quick stop off in London before returning to her work.
"I could go as Lady Black here, in the present, and make a big production. You know, servants trailing after me, a massively opulent dress covered in jewels and silks so that I disappear into it, that sort of thing?" asked Galatea looking down at the bulge of her stomach. She had put the development of her offspring on hold for the moment, she didn't need an infant wailing and soiling its self while she was so very far from home.
"I could always simply go as myself. I could hide in his office or his quarters dressed in my battle mage outfit with my various tools and treasures at my sides and my compass around my neck…no that would make him defensive…" said Galatea sitting down on the self-warming chair. She put a hand over her bulging belly.
"Perhaps I could make nothing resembling a scene. I could just…slip in quietly at some point and have formal words with him…yes that would work. What do you think?" asked Galatea. She focused on her belly and could swear the baby wanted her to shut up already.
"Timothy's better company than you are, that's for sure." Said Galatea. she was rewarded with s swift kick to her insides.
"Never kicked me intentionally like that, either." Said Galatea as she went back to work. She could contain the energy she harvested, now all she needed to do was figure out how to use it without blowing people up…or she could turn it into a weapon and purposely blow people up.
XXX
Rumors about Ginny Weasley flew through the school like wildfire. Miraculously, none of it came back to Harry Potter. He was adamant that he had never touched Ginny Weasley, in that way or otherwise. It wasn't believed by the Hogwarts students because they didn't want to think of one of their own cavorting with the likes of this so called boy who lived. It was believed by the students of Spellwick's that Ginny had used some sort of a potion. Not that Harry and the others cared, they had an important meeting with Galatea that night.
XXX
Harry sat in a dark rented room between Portia and Persephone. Galatea had sent them a coded message telling them to meet her in a room above some dingy pub. Seeing as how it was the night before the fourth and final task it must have been important.
"I guess that you're all wondering why I've called you here." Said Galatea appearing in front of them from a ball of flame.
"We're going to be traveling the time stream again?" said Portia hopefully
"No, your place is here." Said Galatea, the green silk of her dress brushing the floor as she took a seat across from her friends and allies.
"Bringing glory to our school and country." Said Persephone sarcastically
"From what I've heard it's Hogwarts that needs the glory, what with Ginny Weasley being in a family way and all." Said Portia
"Oh you're one to talk." Said Persephone poking her in her hard belly. Portia scooted away from Persephone as if she was a plague carrier.
"Portia…?" said a very nervous Harry. The candle light illuminated his pale face making it almost as if he was glowing.
"We're all with child, Harry. This was supposed to happen. Lots of things which were supposed to happen are." Said Galatea calmly folding her hands onto her own swollen belly. Harry jumped up from his seat, the chair clattering to the floor.
"Y-You…you planned this?" said Harry. This was too much for him to take in. He had assumed that Galatea was going to tell them about the fourth task not…he was going to be someone's father…he was only fourteen!
"I planned nothing. I am but the vessel through which the rightful order will come about. I had nothing to do with you and Portia's intimacies. I did; however, insure the conception of one Claudine Estelle Pettigrew De-Lion Courte. Only because we've all seen the little vampire girl and are well aware of her existence, of course." Said Galatea calmly. Inhumanly calmly. She had gotten all of her worries out long ago.
"Dragon dung! You-you can't just…just…ugh!" said Harry. Portia was torn. On the one hand she loved Harry but on the other Galatea knew what she was doing. She always did. She was Galatea Black after all.
"I trust you, sister." Said Persephone. She didn't want this. She wanted to be…well not the mother to a half breed before she was finished with school. She was scared too, what would happen to her socially?
"As you should." Said Galatea. She fished a tiny tea pot and some cups from her shoulder bag and enlarged them. She wasn't worried or scared or anything. After tomorrow all of her planning, or mum's planning, or the universe's planning, or whatever would come together.
"How can you be so calm?" asked Harry pacing the room now. He…he didn't want to be a father. He hadn't even known his own parents and now he was expected to be one…and to marry Portia.
"Harry, Harry, Harry…why shouldn't I be? Tomorrow everything will change in our favor." Said Galatea. She poured everyone a cup of purple smoking tea.
"What do you mean?" asked Portia. She wasn't planning on telling Harry until…well maybe not even ever. She knew about the children she had been seeing for most of her life and she knew one of more of them came from her. She just…she was too young to be a mum.
"Tomorrow we will rise, never to fall." Said Galatea idly stirring her tea. She reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a few shrunken items.
"Stop being poetic and just tell us!" said Harry kicking the chair across the room. He was tired, stressed, and couldn't take any more news.
"I agree." Said Persephone staring at the items on the table. They were miniature weapons and everyday objects. A sword and shield, a mirror, a knife, a necklace, a spyglass, and a golden compass. Curiouser and curiouser.
"First of all I apologize for my absence this year. I have been extremely busy and not just up north. I've been traveling, a bit of a working holiday really. You see, I went to a few very curious places and found some very curious things." Said Galatea enlarging the objects on the table.
"The Alethiometer? Sister, we're all well aware of these objects and where they come from." Said Persephone playing with the golden compass, idly tossing it from dainty hand to dainty hand. It's wrongness felt comforting to her, like an old friend.
"Didn't your future children steal it from you?" asked Harry remembering that night. It felt so very long ago even if it had only been a few months.
"And I stole it back. All of these objects will be of great use to us in the coming years as we cement our power base." Said Galatea handing each of them an object.
"Why do I get the spyglass?" said Harry inspecting it. It was made of the most beautiful amber he had ever seen.
"Because you just do, Harry. It can let you see the ambient magic around us, also known as dust." Said Galatea. He had better like it, it had been murder making one.
"That's alright I guess. Can I see the alethiometer too?" asked Harry reaching for it. They were obviously going on another adventure and he was looking forward to it. Yes, adventuring would take his mind off of his impending parenthood.
"How quickly you change your tune, Harry. You can see it but good luck reading it. It's been very finicky lately." Said Galatea
"So we're going adventuring again after the fourth task?" said Portia looking at herself in the silver mirror. This was new.
"Don't take these with you for the task. Persephone I need you to slip away from the crowd and meet me when the task begins. You two will go to the center of the maze, I repeat the center. You will take either Ronald Weasley or Cedric Diggory with you, both if you can manage it, and you will all grab the portkey at once. The portkey is located in the Tri-Wizard cup" Said Galatea
"And then we resurrect the Dark Lord?" asked Persephone putting on the necklace. Magical power radiated from the small pink stone in the middle.
"Of course. Be careful with that, it holds the beginnings of a philosopher's stone." Said Galatea. Persephone clasped the small stone between her hands.
"You're planning on forging your own philosopher's stone as well? Before or after you find a cure for dragon pox?" said Persephone sarcastically
"Before, naturally." Said Galatea cheekily
"Do you remember what I said before on the night when your children stole the golden compass?" asked Harry as he stared at the world through the spyglass. The dust, or ambient magic, swirled around them like they were each in the middle of a hurricane.
"That we are marching in lockstep with time? Of course we are but it will benefit us." Said Galatea. she was digging at something from within her shoulder bag and pulled out five platinum pocket watches.
"By providing us with impractical accessories?" said Harry sarcastically
"No, by making us the five most important people in the world." Said Galatea handing them each a watch with one being left as extra.
"Five?" asked Portia feeling her belly, was Galatea counting one of their children? With the secret being out it felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She'd have to marry Harry now but since they were betrothed they would have to marry eventually.
"It is best if one, Ronald Weasley, was out of the picture. The fourth task would be the perfect time to do it." Said Galatea. The amber spyglass clattered to the table.
"We-we-we…that's murder." Said Harry. Persephone shrugged.
"If it's for the greater good then fine, I mean you kill creatures in the tournament all the time. Some of those creatures had near human intelligence, as does Ronald Weasley. Sister wouldn't ask us to do this if she didn't have a good reason." Said Persephone
"I-If it's for the greater good. It's not people we know haven't died in the tournament already." Said Portia. She could see where Harry was coming from with them directly plotting to kill him and all but Galatea never told them to do things if it wouldn't benefit them all greatly.
"We need to get him and his sister Ginny out of the picture somehow; murder would be best but if you two find a better method feel free to use it. The two of them cause a lot of problems for us in the future. Besides, we need Hermione Granger-Crouch on our side." Said Galatea
"Crouch…?" said Harry. She was one hundred percent muggle born, he was sure of that.
"These people keep true, non-marriage, birthing records as we do. Lots of these so called muggle borns are really half-bloods. Polygenic inheritance doesn't happen nearly as often as these people would like us all to believe. In fact, your mother was a Prewett, Harry. Oh and Persephone, Templeton is mother's half-brother. I'm not really sure if they know or even want to know...I know I wouldn't." Said Galatea. Persephone shrugged her shoulders.
"I did some digging a few years ago back when my light allergy wasn't treatable. Don't worry, I did all my vomiting back then." said Persephone sipping her tea like they were discussing the weather.
"If Hermione is so important then why didn't you have us befriend her in the beginning?" asked Portia getting as far away from the incest topic as she could. It was a well-known and accepted fact of life that they were all closely related but anything closer than first cousin was just wrong.
"I wasn't aware of the role she would play until quite recently." Said Galatea guardedly. They knew when to drop it and they did.
"So we get rid of her boyfriend, the Dark Lord rises, and she just joins us?" asked Persephone in a disbelieving tone
"No, it takes time. Portia, this is going to be mostly on you." Said Galatea
"Why me?" asked Portia
"Reasons." Said Galatea losing the calmness she had come into there with
"So we take the cup, you resurrect the Dark Lord, and then we just let him run wild?" asked Persephone with a cocked blonde eyebrow.
"Pretty much. We let their death toll rise, humiliate Dumbledore, and towards the end when it starts to spill into the muggle world we destroy the statute of secrecy, make ourselves into heroes by both saving them and providing them with unlimited, clean, and renewable energy." Said Galatea
"And if all else fails we can start the first colony on the moon." Laughed Persephone
"In due time, sister, in due time. You understand what you must do?" said Galatea
"Where will the portkey take us?" asked Harry
"To a graveyard. Just go with whatever happens and when I give you the signal return with a living witness, a corpse, or both. Good bye, my friends." Said Galatea getting up and spinning the pocket watch at her side until it seemed to be engulfed in platinum flames. She spunk it above her and the flames engulfed her until she was gone.
"Say what you want about my sister but she sure knows how to make an exit." Said Persephone. They all nodded in agreement.
"The things I do." Said Galatea as she reappeared in her bedroom one second in time after she departed. She saw her time duplicate disappear as she reappeared and was mentally flooded with all the seconds of life that she experience separate from herself. That was never pleasant.
"See, I told you, didn't I?" asked a voice. Galatea turned and saw that same person, now in a black cloak trimmed with gold, lounging in a chair across from her. The hood was once again obscuring her face.
"How do I know if I changed something? How do I know if what you made happen wouldn't have already happened without your intervention?" said Galatea. She was in no mood for this. She felt inside her shoulder bag. Good, they had their items which she had stuck a sly little compulsion charm to. They would never let these things leave their sights. She fixed the sword and shield to herself. Her work wasn't done with yet.
"You don't, that's the problem. Either way what's done is done and unless you want to kill your time duplicate it can't be un-done." Said the voice
"No thank you. I could live a long time without knowing what death feels like." Said Galatea
"It's not so bad. Quicker than falling asleep." Said the voice, a lock of hair escaping from her hood
"I went to South Africa and spoke to my mum. You aren't her." said Galatea
"And yet you still listened to me?" said the voice
"Because I have a theory on the subject of your identity." Said Galatea
"Oh? And who am I?" asked the voice childishly
"Someone quite unexpected." Said Galatea before exiting the time stream yet again
The fourth task was upon them. It came with little fanfare from the contestants due to the deaths that had come from this. Large stands and screens had been erected to see the progress the contestants would be making. Persephone, true to the plan, had left the group and met Galatea. They were both at the graveyard now waiting for the beginning of their lives.
"…and now without further ado we will begin!" said Dumbledore happily. Harry grabbed Portia's hand and led her into the maze.
"Bloody hell!" said Portia startled as the walls behind them closed off the entrance. She could feel the ground under her begin to shift as the maze attempted to separate them.
"Stick together!" yelled Harry as he grabbed Cedric and Ron. He pulled them closet to him and Portia as wide walls began to form the labyrinth.
"Thanks, I guess." Said Ron. He didn't like Harry Potter or Portia Pettigrew but they had saved his arse back there and he supposed he owed them.
"Don't mention it." Said Harry putting some distance between himself and the other boys. One would have to die and the other would have to be a witness. He didn't like this plan but Galatea said it had to be done so he'd just have to go and do it.
"Let's keep moving towards the center, wherever that is." Said Portia. She felt around in her secret pocket and pulled out the silver mirror. She enlarged it and watched it as they walked. Maybe it was like a sneakoscope and show her any dangers around her.
"Look out!" said Cedric as a mass of acromantulas climbed over the walls of the maze. It was beautiful in a terrifying and disgusting sort of way.
"Spiders! Why did it have to be spiders!" yelled Ron as they began to run. Portia resisted the urge to slap him in the back of the head.
"Aren't you a wizard?!" yelled Portia as she began set the spiders on fire. They just kept running. Right…acromantulas had thick skins and webs which were used to make protective gear…
"Just brilliant, Portia!" said Harry. They were now running from flaming deadly man eating spiders. Acromantulas…they were tough but not invulnerable…they could be stunned but there were a lot of them…
"Help us!" said Cedric he was trying to stun the spiders individually and run at the same time. predictably, he fell.
"Here!" said Portia. She pulled the ground up above them into a wall and then transfigured it into metal. She sloped the walls towards the spiders. All in all it was impressive…and exhausting…
"That was wicked." Said Ron. Portia struggled to her feet and smiled.
"I'm related to Galatea Black, wicked is in my blood." Said Portia as she reached into her secret pocket. She knew what she was doing was cheating and she knew she'd be disqualified. She didn't care.
"Send up red sparks, you can't go on." Said Cedric. The chubby brown haired girl in front of him looked like she was about ready to pass out from the sheer exhaustion.
"What part of I'm related to Galatea Black didn't you understand?" said Portia. She enlarged a bottle of something smoking and red. She drank some and resisted the urge to spit it out.
"Oi, that's cheating!" said Ron. Portia spat some of the foul smelling liquid into his face.
"I don't care. I just want to get to the end." Said Portia. She was standing up straighter now. That might have been the foulest thing she had ever had the misfortune of putting into her body but it worked like a charm.
"But you'll be disqualified." Said Cedric
"Then we'll all have to take the cup at once and see what happens." Said Harry walking away from the wall. Transfigured items didn't last forever.
"They can't just declare us all to be winners, can they?" asked Ron hopefully. Even a quarter of that money would do wonders for his family.
"Ronald, with the six competitors in the TRI! Emphasis on tri which means three! Wizard tournament, which excludes witches on principal of vernacular, I don't think it'll matter." Said Portia as they kept their eyes peeled for any more surprises.
"Oh, alright then, I guess." Said Ron not quite sure what to say to her outburst. Maybe she was on the rag; girls got scary then.
"Hmm…I wonder…" said Harry looking through the spyglass. There was the dust again, swirling around all of them. He looked up and saw that it was drawn to them from the heavens. Maybe if he had more leverage.
"Now's not the time for astronomy, mate." Said Ron. Maybe Harry was alright if he was a bit odd…he had saved Ron's life twice now and all. Yeah, he was a good guy but everyone said he was a dark wizard and he had spent the entire tournament killing and hurting things.
"I'm going to climb the hedges and get a better look." said Harry as he pulled himself up. It was a bit of a struggle with him not being in the best shape and all but he was managing.
"I'll help you." Said Portia as she attempted to give him some more leverage by using herself as a step
"Not in your condition." Said Harry. If he got hurt then fine but she was two people now; herself and Pietro.
"What are you trying to see?" asked Cedric giving the heavy boy a hand manually before remembering he had a wand.
"Dust." Said Harry as he felt himself being lifted into the air with magic. There was a reason he hadn't used magic; this would only hold so long as the caster was sufficiently focused.
"What?" asked Ron and Cedric at the same time. Harry could feel himself wavering as Cedric began to lose his concentration. He could see a massive amount of dust going in…the direction of the portkey!
"Ambient magic. It's drawn to us and things we've added our magic too, you know, like charms and hexes and portkeys and stuff." Explained Portia. Several high pitched screams were heard and then silence. Poor, poor, girl…
"I found it! This way!" yelled Harry. Cedric let him down and he began to run towards the center. With the help of the spyglass, which also let him see far in addition to letting him see dust, they could see any creatures far ahead and then blow them up from the inside. Well, he and Portia could, Ron and Cedric refused to do more than stun because they felt forcing something's internal organs t swell and explode was dark magic. It wasn't like they were going around doing that to people…unless Galatea told them to…but she wouldn't…
"What now!" yelled Portia and the walls of the maze began to constrict them as they got closer and closer to the cup. It was within their field of natural vision now!
"The walls are trying to crush us and the ground is trying to catch us! Do try and pay attention!" said Harry sarcastically. He tried to blow up the vines but that just made holes in the ground. Portia had tried to set it on fire but that was just causing more problems. On top of all that Ron and Cedric went and got themselves all tangled up.
"Just go!" yelled Cedric as he tried to free himself from the vines with a cutting charm. The only problem with that was the fact that the vine was regenerating…quite annoying in Harry's not so humble opinion.
"Don't leave me!" yelled Ron, his wand now away from him. Harry and Portia exchanged a look before going to help. Galatea needed these two at the graveyard.
"I've got the knife!" yelled Harry as he fished around in his not so secret anymore pocket. He enlarged the strange knife Galatea had given him and cut through the vines which held Ron in place like tentacles. Portia had managed to use one of Galatea's new transmutation arrays to turn the vines into some sort of jelly.
"How did you do that?" asked Cedric. Portia pointed to the strange design on her fingerless gloves.
"Alchemy: the marriage of science and magic." Said Portia as if that cleared anything up. She was amazed that even worked. This sort of alchemy came from Shamballa but someone Galatea had worked it so they could at least do small things with it. The problem was that it exhausted the magical core through which the ambient magic was processed. Portia drank some more of that blasted potion before her body tried to draw magic from her unborn child. It was not part fey and therefore couldn't stand up to the punishment Galatea put hers through.
"What…?" said Cedric. He had always thought that alchemy was more like potions with the thirteen uses of dragons blood and all that.
"I'm throwing out the sparks, we're walled in." said Ron. It was true; several high walls held in them so very near to their prize.
"No, I have an idea." Said Harry. He took out the knife Galatea gave him and began to cut a hole in the hedge. It actually worked. Harry knew there was something special about this; it felt like it came from the Daemon world.
"You two are possibly the most brilliant people I've ever met. Hermione would love you guys." Said Ron as Harry used some sort of dark artifact to cut their way back to the cup.
"Good to know." said Portia conspiratorially. Harry gave her a look. He didn't want to do what Galatea asked of him…but he had to. That didn't mean he had to like it.
"Let's all grab the cup together…now!" said Cedric. They all grabbed the cup and felt a pulling in their navels as they went through space and time to their destination. At least it wasn't a ball of fire.
"Where are we?" asked Cedric as he and his comrades shook off the vertigo of portkey travel. This wasn't anywhere at Hogwarts.
"I dunno, a graveyard I guess." Said Ron looking at the headstones. They were all for the Riddle family…why was that surname familiar? Merlin!
"We've got to get back to the cup!" yelled Ron. A door opened in the distance and a man who they had never seen before walked towards them. It looked like he was carrying a baby…a severely deformed vaguely demonic looking baby.
"Who are you? What do you want?" said Cedric pulling his wand and throwing himself in front of the younger students. Harry and Portia ran and hid back behind some large gravestones wondering where Galatea was. Was this whole thing going according to plan?
"Kill the spare." Came a raspy voice. It was the baby!
"Avada Kedavra!" shouted the mysterious thin brown haired man
"No! Cedric!" yelled Ron as Cedric's body fell to the ground in front of him. Ron ran away, it was the only thing he could do, and he found himself next to Harry.
"Get out there, Harry. Face him." Came a small voice from behind Ron. He jumped back as he saw that girl they were always with…Persephone or whatever…what was she doing there? Well, she must have been on their side if she was telling Harry to go out and try and stop that man.
"Right." Said Harry getting out of his hiding place. His eyes pierced the darkness but found no sign of Galatea. As he emerged a fire exploded to life from under the big cauldron. He could see some sort of transmutation circle underneath it in chalk.
"Harry Potter! We meet at last!" said the man. He paralyzed Harry who made no move to block it. Galatea had a plan…Galatea wouldn't sacrifice him! …Right? The man began to do some kind of a ritual involving chopping off his own hand and slicing Harry's arm for some of his blood. Harry laughed inside of his own head as he found himself caring about the loss of his shirt.
"Stay here! No sense in you dying as well!" whispered Persephone as she cast something on Ron so that he was stuck in that spot but not totally petrified. He could only watch what happened next.
"…And the Dark Lord shall rise again." Said the man rushing away from the cauldron. It was engulfed in multi-colored flames before melting and reforming its self around a humanoid figure. Soon the cauldron turned into some sort of unreal fabric around the inhuman, snake like form of Lord Voldemort.
"My wand, Barty." Said Voldemort in a hissing, snake like voice. Barty handed him his wand and then bowed submissively to his Lord and Master.
"Your arm, Barty." Said Voldemort again. Harry was hit with something and he felt his paralysis wear off. Ah yes, there was Galatea dressed in all black. Harry knew she would never sacrifice him.
"Thank you, master, thank you." Said Barty as he held out his bleeding stump towards Lord Voldemort
"The other arm, Barty." Said Voldemort. Harry took advantage of this and scampered back to his hiding place. A cloud which looked like a skull spitting out a snake formed and suddenly black trails of some came out of it and formed people. Wow. And he thought Galatea knew how to make an entrance.
"Get up! Ron, you stay here and if something happens grab the cup again and return to Hogwarts. Tell everyone what happened." whispered Persephone to Rona as she took the spell off of him. They quickly went over and flanked Galatea at either side as she just strolled right up to the Death Eaters that made up the Dark Lord's inner circle. As they walked green flames engulfed them and they found themselves wearing completely different outfits. They had on black cloaks that had side clasps in their respective family crests as well as dresses in their respective colors of pink, green, blue, and red for Harry's simple shirt. It was un-ostentatious but it seemed to command power. Everyone was staring at them now.
"I assume we need no introduction."
