Harry Kicks Ass (Literally)

by differentversionsofharry

After blowing up Aunt Marge, Harry is not welcome at the Dursley Household after his third year. A chance meeting with Professor Lupin in Diagon Alley leads Harry to a new summer home, allowing him to rebuild himself mentally and physically. With new skills and new friends, Harry takes on the adventures of The Goblet of Fire to become more than just the Boy-Who-Lived.

17. Chapter 17

A/N: I wished I owned Harry Potter. Alas, I do not. Ms. Rowling, I'd be happy to take it off your hands.

A/N: Happy holidays if you are reading this in real time! In other news, I will not be posting for the next two weeks for the holidays. As a special present I will be doing another Double update today. I know, I am so amazing. I expect to return with chapter 19 on January 6th or close to that, and then return to Monday-Friday posts, with a potential of adding in a Wednesday post. I want to add very special shout out to users mwinter1 and jkarr, who have reviewed almost every chapter. Thank you guys so much for the encouragement, but thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favorited, and reviewed as well! I'm so thrilled that this weird idea that percolated in my head for a few years has gotten such a good reaction!

I also posted a special short one shot, something totally different but an idea that I kicked around for a while and thought would be a nice holiday bonus (even though it has close to nothing to do with the holidays). It's called the "The Third Bro On Shot," on my page.

Final point: Well, I am here sooner than expected. The setup is now done, and with it the entirely singular POV. This Chapter will have 4 specific POV, and then expect a little more "into everyone's heads." 5 house points if you can guess the 4 POV.

Chapter 17: Now Featuring

October, 1994

"The Durmstrang champion is Victor Krum!"

Stupidity. Total Stupidity. This school is stupid, the journey was stupid, this country was stupid, his headmaster was stupid, his whole school was stupid. A dumb tournament resurrected for no real reason was equally stupid, and he was now forced into it. This was not how his last year in school was supposed to be.

Victor loved playing quidditch more than anything in the world. As a consequence of that, people tended to think he only had a snitch in his head. Anyone who looked at him like this instantly lost his respect, and those people were all too common. Victor was a star since being named to the national team at age 15, and that was all people wanted or expected from him.

His true friends he had made at school had drifted away as his quidditch skills became his defining feature to the world, and he was always surrounded by people who had ulterior motives that they did not hide all that well. It was exhausting, and Victor always found solace in the air where no one could catch him. But he could not live on his broom.

Eventually, Victor's second home became the library in Durmstrang. No one would think to look for the most famous quidditch seeker in the world in the library, and Victor wanted to have a life outside of quidditch. Everyone in the world expected him to become a professional quidditch player after he graduated, but Victor had been having seconds thoughts. One of his father's good friends had been an Auror for the Russia government, and over the past two years Victor had spent a lot of time with him, becoming more interested in the practical side of magic.

The interest in practical magic was a starting point and it inspired a studious side of Victor that he did not know he had. Day after day passed in the library, ignoring meals and classes, something that his headmaster let slide since Victor was his prize student and was able to keep up his studies and achieve Outstandings on almost all his O.W.L.s . At the same time, Victor found a subject he truly loved, languages.

He entered his final year fluent in 6 human languages to the point where he could speak German, French, Italian, Russian, English and of course Bulgarian with no accent. He struggled with non-romance languages but he figured he would have time after school to learn them. His 6th year he had turned to non-human language, and he had finished Giant and was now working on Gobbledegook, the language spoken by goblins. Since he could pick up languages easily, he had started looking into mermish as well.

Karakoff had tracked him down at the beginning of the year and told him that he was leading a contingent to Hogwarts for a stupid competition called the Tri-Wizard tournament, and Krum blew him off. It was only on the third time of asking that Karakoff mentioned that Hogwarts had a linguistics department in their library that would be perfect for his paper on diplomacy with other non-human magical races. Krum desperately needed more research to complete what he thought could be a paper that launched him into the academic world, so he agreed.

They had arrived and Krum had been subjected to more of the same, new people clambering around him with huge smiles plastered on their faces, all dressed in various shades of green. There was one boy so close to him Victor was physically ill. There were a few in green who interested him, including one boy near the end of the table who glared at him as if he was trying to burn a hole in Victor's chest. There a few more who could not be bothered to care about his presence, and for that Victor was thankful.

Nevertheless, Victor was forced to put his name into the goblet, despite his frustration and anger. As he had put his name in, he noticed a girl sitting by the goblet, book on her lap. He recognized her from the night before. Victor had been researching in the linguistics' section and she had been the only person in the library when he left. He gave her a small smile as he left the hall.

To his horror, he learned from his classmates that Karakoff had lied to him. The headmaster had told him that Krum was required to put his name into the goblet like all the other students. Instead, Krum had been the one of a few students allowed to enter. Even if he was going to participate in this absurdity, he would have preferred to win his entry into the tournament fairly.

Stupidity. Total Stupidity. Hogwarts was stupid. The ship was stupid. The U.K. was stupid, Karakoff was stupid, Durmstrang was stupid. A dumb tournament resurrected for no real reason was stupid, and he was now forced into it. This was not how his last year in school was supposed to be was all Krum could think as an involuntary scowl cross his face as he walked past the tournament organizer, Barty Crouch, towards the room the headmaster of Hogwarts had indicated.

Victor's anger simmered as he found a seat and waited. He was stuck in this stupid tournament, and he would be forced to compete to the best of his ability. Maybe if he won the tournament, Karakoff would leave him alone after he graduated. Perhaps he could pretend to be so focused on the tournament that boys would stop asking him for quidditch tips and girls would stop following him around asking for autographs.

In the end, despite his frustration and anger, Victor Krum was sure of one thing. He might be in a stupid tournament, but he would win it, simply to show everyone that there was more to the Bulgarian Wizard than quidditch. He settled in his seat, his eyes fixed on the door to see the next competitor.

"The Beauxbatons champion is Fleur Delacour!"

Fleur rose as the girls around her burst into cheers. She was not the most popular girl at Beauxbatons, that was for sure but the girls were happy that a girl was chosen and not a boy. Most of the boys who had come were so sure that they would be chosen, and it was good for the entire female contingent from Beauxbatons to have the boys knocked down a peg.

The cheer cut off suddenly as the girls realized that the girl who had been chosen was Fleur, and a few girls were even crying. There had been instant elation for Fleur Delacour for a moment, thinking for a moment she had been accepted by her classmates. Then there was the silence that always accompanied her. No matter where she went and what she did, she always had one companion: silence.

The silence had started at age 10. Fleur had seen her friends continue to grow around her while she remained a little girl. It was the fate of a Veela to remain small while all around their friends continue to grow. Some friends stuck with her, but they were few and far between. Fleur heard two of her remaining friends discussing how foolish she looked, a 13 year old in a 10 year old body, and she lost any interest in maintaining friendships.

She shut all these voices out. If she could not look like a normal person, at least she could think like one. She buried herself in her studies, and she was the top of her class at Beauxbatons. At a young age she still competed with the top students in years above her. She devoured knowledge hungrily and soon she had the grudging admiration of her classmates.

At 15, Fleur had changed, as all Veela do. One day she was a little girl, and the next day when she awoke no one would mistake her for a little girl. Madame Maxime had called her parents in a panic. Apolline and Laurent Delacour had appeared within hours. Laurent had gone to speak to the headmistress, and Apolline had explained to Fleur the transformation she had always heard off and what would happen now.

Fleur was so happy to look like a real woman that she barely heard her mother talk about the perils of being a Veela, even though she was only a quarter Veela. She was given a half-day off school to shop for new clothes. It helped that her father was the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation in France, and the half-day became a full day where Fleur could visit home. Her sister Gabrielle, who 4 years younger and was beginning her own lonely isolation was amazed at the change and Fleur's grandmother was so happy she burst with pride. It had been the happiest day of Fleur's life.

When she returned to school the next day, all of old friends were back, wanting to know how to look like she did, and how to style their hair the same way. They all wanted to be around her. That was until the boys came around and lost all ability to talk. She was surrounded by boys in moments and not one of them could say a word. The only sound was drool hitting the floor.

Fleur had managed to get away from the crowds to find her friends, who she had expected to be sympathetic. Instead most of them were mad and accused her trying to steal their boyfriends to spite them for abandoning her earlier. Fleur had tried to explain allure, and she saw the explanation resonate with a few girls, who tentatively forgave her. That forgiveness ended the second time her allure which she could not yet control captivated their boyfriends again.

Fleur did not have friends at school. Girls were jealous of her or afraid to have their boyfriends stolen, and while there were some boys at Beauxbatons who could speak to her without having their tongue tied in knots, they were usually the type of boy that expected some kind of prize or reward for being able to act somewhat normal around her. A few hexes normally stopped them from being too persistent.

So silence followed her everywhere, especially in the library where she spent all of her time. Books did not give you judgemental looks or mock you the way people did. Fleur was sad that she was alone again, but the second isolation had changed her. Before, she lamented her fate. Now, with her new abilities and more magical power, Fleur was determined to prove all those who derided her wrong. She was 17 now, and still friendless but she was more powerful than ever. Powerful enough to win this tournament.

Fleur entered the tournament because Madame Maxime had told her it was a way to prove herself to the other students. Surely if she was chosen to represent the students by the goblet, they would accept her and be proud of her. So far, Fleur was unsure if her headmaster had tricked her or was if her acceptance would be gradual. Only time would tell, but that did not change the fact that she was in the tournament that she was determined to win.

So Fleur rose, ignoring the silence of the Beauxbatons students around her and walked forward past all the students of Hogwarts. As she walked past she heard the whispers of the girls as their male counterparts had their jaws hit the ground as she walked past. One red headed boy started drooling more than most, which Fleur noticed to her active disgust.

Next to him was a black haired boy with green eyes. She slowed a tiny bit as she passed him, as he looked totally disinterred in her. Their eyes met and then he glanced away, clearly not influenced by her allure, as if she was nothing more than a simple annoyance. She had never seen someone who showed such little interest in her. Frustrated, she directed a tiny bit of her allure at him. His eyes narrowed and she felt her allure forced back into her with a force she had never felt before. The boy's green eyes were curious but vexed as she walked away, clearly confused by what had just happened. She had never seen anyone her age totally resist her active allure, let alone run into someone who could actively repel it.

She shook away that thought as she walked into the room Krum had disappeared into moments earlier. Nothing else mattered but the tri-wizard tournament. It was the perfect time to prove everyone wrong. It was her moment to shine. For Gabrielle, for her mother and father, for her grandmother, for her people. It was time for Veela to take center stage, and Fleur would take them there.

"The Hogwarts Champion is Cedic Diggory!"

The Hufflepuff table exploded in a cacophony of noise louder than one Cedric had ever heard, even louder than the quidditch world cup. Ironic, Cedric thought as he stood. They were cheering for Krum then, and now they are cheering louder for me even though he won as well. Cedric had studied the faces of the two other champions as they walked past him. Neither of them looked particularly happy, but they looked determined. If the Goblet of Fire had truly chosen the best student from every school, Cedric would be in for a fight.

Cedric was confident in his abilities as a wizard. His father had been training him as a wizard since his first accidental use of magic that confirmed his son's abilities as a wizard. As a powerful figure at the ministry, Amos Diggory had gotten Cedric special dispensation to practice outside of school, something almost none of Cedric's friends knew.

Last summer Jason Chambers, one of his friends, had learned about his special dispensation when they were hanging out over the summer and Cedric carelessly used magic in front of Jason and got no warning owl. Cedric had sworn his friend to secrecy and Jason agreed while finding the situation very funny. It took a few weeks for Cedric to realize that Jason would truly keep his secret, and that Jason really saw everything as funny.

Cedric had been a studious and serious student his entire life, and many of his friends in Hufflepuff were serious and studious as well. It allowed him to focus on important things, like learning spells, becoming seeker and prefect and set him on a path to becoming head boy and making his father proud. It was a challenging life and at times it was hard to see his future, but Cedric had friends around him, even if those friends had the same goals.

This year, things had changed that. Jason had changed that. The 6th year Hufflepuff was quickly becoming Cedric's best friend. He always poked fun at Cedric, calling him names and making him late to a class for the first time in his life. Jason had no intention of trying to become head boy and was more focused on ensuring that he focused more on the here and now than any future plans. Jason had apparently decided that Cedric was going to be his co-conspirator, and it was more fun than any class. Cedric's always excellent grades slipped a tiny bit due to the trouble Jason was always getting him into, but he would be lying if he said that trying to prank Flitwick and getting detention wasn't one of his fondest memories.

Jason had also been the friend who had gotten through to him on Cho. Cedric knew that his crush on Cho Chang, a cute Ravenclaw a year below him wasn't based on much. That did not mean that he was any less immune to her good looks. All of his friends tried to talk Cedric out of it, but he ignored them all. It had taken multiple extended and heated arguments with Jason before he realized that it was fine if he liked Cho, if he could show a reason.

But Cedric couldn't find a real reason, and he had finally given up pining for her. Cho had become friendly to Cedric, which Jason said was because he wasn't emitting the stink of a desperate man. Of all of Cedric's friends, Jason was the only one who mercilessly tormented him when he deserved it, and Cedric finally understood what people said about a best friend doing exactly what you need exactly when you need it.

This year was also different because of Defense against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had been a good professor, but he had taught similar classes to every year, focusing on creatures. Professor Hayashi, or Akira as Cedric could call him when they met outside of class, was brilliant and had perfect lesson plans for every year, at times tailored to individual students. For someone of his skill to be teaching a class rumoured to be cursed was a delight to every student, and Cedric had been crushed when he learned that Akira would only be there a year regardless of how the class went. Akira was close to their age and a powerful and intelligent wizard, and Cedric would be lying if he said he didn't see Akira as someone who modelled a life he might be interested in.

But now, all Cedric had to do was represent his school, something he would do to the best of his ability. Cedric walked past Dumbledore and smiled turning and waving to the Hufflepuff table who gave a final cheer and he entered the room with his two fellow champions.

"Hi, I'm Cedric Diggory!" Cedric said, reaching out for the girl's hand.

"Fleur Delacour," was her frosty response.

"And I know you!" Cedric said, pointing at the Bulgarian sitting on the other side of the room. "The famous Victor Krum!" Cedric crossed the room and offered his hand.

"Nice to meet you," Krum said. Cedric was a little surprised by the perfect English. "Surprised because I have no accent?"

"A little," Cedric admitted. "It's a good thing though." Krum grunted, and Cedric saw the famous seeker was gone into his own thoughts. "Hey Fleur, can I ask you a question?" Cedric walked over to Fleur and asked without waiting for her answer "why did every guy in the hall seem to go blank when you walked past? Even I felt a little weird."

"It's my allure," Fleur said, with a faint trace of her accent. "I am part Veela."

"Oh, I saw some at the world cup. Please don't throw any fireballs at me?" Cedric joked, but only got a forced laugh from the French girl. Ok, Cedric thought. Serious Cedric it is then. "Do you guys know anything about the tasks?"

"Madame Maxine said they would be hard," Fleur said.

"Karakoff said a similar thing," Krum added.

"Should be fun," Cedric said with no humour in his voice but got nothing. He sighed and found a seat near the door. The door opened and Harry stepped in. Cedric glanced at Harry and saw that his Patronus teacher looked like he had seen a ghost. "Hey Harry!" Harry didn't respond, his head down, his body hunched over. "Does Dumbledore want us or something?"

"Dumbledore?" Harry said, jerking his head up. "No, nothing like that."

"So why are you here than?" Cedric asked, and when Harry looked down again Cedric felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Harry, don't tell me it happened again?"

"Again?" Krum asked moving away from the far wall. Fleur moved closer too.

"Every year, Harry gets involved in some madness, always the worst time. First year Harry got 60 house points on the final day for doing something amazing, that no one knows about. If Ronald Weasley is to be believed, they were after a magical stone."

"What?" Harry blurted out. "That's crazy."

"Not as crazy as what happened second year," Cedric said.

"Cedric!" Harry yelled, grabbing his arm. "That's a secret?"

"Harry, did your name come out of the goblet?" Cedric whispered. "That's the only logical explanation! It happens every year! The 60 points, the basilisk, and the dementors. Please tell me I'm wrong."

"No," Harry said in a quiet voice, but loud enough for all three champions to hear him. "My name came out of the cup." Cedric had to hold back a yell of frustration. Good lord, Harry Potter had the worst possible luck. Part of him was upset, but he could tell from the look of complete panic in his eye that Harry wanted no part of this.

"Harry!" Dumbledore said, bursting into the room with some other professors, the other headmaster's and Barty Crouch behind him. "Did you put your name in the cup?" Dumbledore sounded frantic.

"No!" Harry protested

"Did you ask an older student to do it?" Dumbledore said, grabbing Harry's collar. Cedric heard a harsh snapping sound, and a bolt of light streaked into Dumbledore, sending him crashing into the far wall.

"Get your old decrepit hands off Harry," Akira snapped, walking over to Harry. "You don't deserve to touch him you useless old coot!"

"Professor Hayashi!" Professor Snape said, drawing his wand "Tell me one reason I shouldn't kill you right now

"Oh?" Akira's face was a mask of pure anger and Cedric took a step back. For whatever reason, a truly dangerous Cedric had ever known was furious. "You'd like that, wouldn't you, you filthy death eater!" Everyone in the room gasped in surprise. Cedric's mind whirled. Was one of his professor's actually a death eater?

"Severus, put your wand away," Dumbledore said, slowly standing. "In this instance, Professor Hayashi is right. Harry I never should have laid a hand on you. Please forgive me."

"Too little, too late, Albus!" Akira snapped. "Do I have to list the amount of times Harry had been put in danger due to the negligence of this school and the incompetence of his instructors?" He glared around the room. "I could cut through all of you right now with no more effort than it takes to take a breath." Cedric saw Karakoff bristle at the insult and clearly Akira saw it too. "Oh, another death eater wants to challenge me?"

"Igor and Severus were both cleared in a court of law," Dumbledore said. "Professor Hayashi, I ask that you not throw that around as an insult. Karakoff and Severus both regret their actions and were declared innocent."

"Harry, pack a bag," Akira said quietly. When Harry didn't move, Akira turned and glared at him. "NOW, Harry!"

"He can't go!" Barty Crouch yelled, blocking the door.

"Why not?" Akira said, turning his wand and aiming it at Barty Crouch. "I can leave school and tutor Harry for the rest of the year. Moody is a fine instructor and he can handle his own class. After Christmas I can enroll him at Mahoutokoro and re-join the staff there. He already knows some Japanese. I bet by Christmas he'll know enough Japanese to attend a school where his life isn't put in danger every year!"

"His life in danger?" Madame Maxime huffed. "What is he talking about Albus?"

"An exaggeration, Olympe," Albus told the French headmistress. Albus turned and saw Akira's wand now pointed at him.

"One more lie, Albus, and I blow your head off. Harry comes with me, and he comes now."

"He can't," Barty Crouch said again, and Akira turned with a glare on his face that made Cedric quake.

"Why the hell not?"

"Because of the magic of the cup!" Professor Moody yelled. Everyone looked at him. "Barty is trying to tell you that once Potter's name came out of the cup, he was put in a binding magical contract. He has to compete, or the contract will call his magic as a debt and his life with it in all possibility."

"He cannot compete!" Fleur cried. "He is a just a little boy." Cedric saw Harry glare at Fleur from that comment.

"Little boy?" Harry said with sarcasm. He drew himself up to retort, but Cedric but an arm across the younger boy.

"Forget that. How is this possible?" Cedric asked. "Harry, you don't want to compete do you?" Harry nodded his head, clearly upset and angry. "Even if he got an older student to pass the age line, the cup wouldn't accept the name."

"Actually, Mr. Diggory, you are incorrect," Professor McGonagall said, speaking up for the first time. "Mr Potter recently was given the title of Lord by the Minister of Magic. That officially makes him an adult with all the privileges in entails. No one ever considered this as one of the issues."

"Then we must relight the goblet and feed it names until there are two champions from every school!" Karakoff said.

"Barty?" Albus asked, and every eye in the room turned to the older man, who looked exhausted from the mere concept of having the most famous 14 year old in the world compete in a tournament of his devising. If Cedric had not been worried for his new friend and Patronus teacher, he would have felt bad for Barty Crouch, a man Cedric knew his dad respected immensely.

"No," Barty said after a slight pause. "Then all the champions would die. We cannot force the goblet to relight. It will relight in 3 years. Any attempt to do otherwise would endanger the life's of the champions."

"We will not be a company to this madness," Karakoff screeched. "Come Victor!"

"In a moment, headmaster," Krum said, surprising everyone in the room. Every eye in the room flashed to the Bulgarian, who had a look that Cedric could only describe as pensive. "I would like to hear more about how Harry Potter has had his life put in danger every year. Perhaps that will tell us how he ended up in this situation." Every eye looked at Dumbeldore except Cedric, who saw something he had never seen in Harry's eyes that mirrored Akira's. Deep and terrible fury.

"Well, it's a long story," Dumbledore started.

"IT'S MY DAMN STORY!" Harry yelled and most of the people in the room jumped a little. "You said the magic will kill me if I don't compete?" Barty Crouch nodded. "Good. I won't compete then! I'm living on borrowed time anyways." Harry turned and stormed out of the room.

"This is on your head, Albus," Akira said. "You can be sure that my father will hear of this, and he will not be happy." Akira raced after Harry. McGonagall gave the headmaster a withering look and was right behind Akira.

"If they are all so mad, you must have really messed up," Cedric said, heading to the door.

"Mr. Diggory!" Dumbledore called.

"Harry is my friend!" Cedric responded, "If he said he didn't enter, then he is telling the truth. Now, for whatever bizarre reason he thinks he deserves to die. If you don't see the problem with that, there is something wrong with you. From what I understand, the tasks will be dangerous enough without someone with a death wish. I'm going to find my friend. If he won't compete, neither will I! So figure it out!" Cedric slammed the door behind him and stared at the hall that was still filled with students. Most of them looked confused or angry.

"I'll say this once, and only once!" Cedric yelled at the entire hall. "Anyone who says Harry cheated, or tries to hurt his chances in the tournament will have me as an enemy." The hall was totally silent as Cedric stalked over to the Gryffindor table. "Hermione, Ron, where would he go?"

"I have an idea," Hermione said, and Ron remained sitting. "Ron, come on!" Ron didn't move and Hermione gave an exasperated sigh. "Come on Cedric. Looks like Harry doesn't have as many friends at this table as he thought." Cedric nodded and followed Hermione out of the hall. He had expected Ron to come too, and now he was alone with Hermione! Cedric forced his heart to slow down and to focus on the task at hand, but he would be lying to himself if he said that being alone with Hermione hadn't popped up once or twice in his thoughts recently, even if Harry had nothing to do with those daydreams.

"What happened?" Cedric asked, trying to keep up with Hermione, who was almost running.

"His name popped out," Hermione said. "Harry thought Dumbledore was joking at first. I've seen Harry drive off 100 dementors and not looked scared, Cedric. Tonight he looked scared. I knew he wouldn't do something like that. You don't know how much that statement will mean to Harry, what it means to me." Hermione stopped for a second and grabbed Cedric's hand, and Cedric's heart almost stopped. "Thank you so much."

"It's ok," Cedric said, shaking his hand free. He felt like an electric shock had just travelled down his spine. If there was any doubt that he did not feel something for the younger Gryffindor, it was gone now. Without even trying, Cedric was wrapped around her little finger. But now was not the time to lose himself in his newfound crush. "I bet Harry had more friends than he thinks, but he isn't thinking clearly right now. He said something about deserving to die in there."

"What?" Hermione looked horrified.

"McGonagall and Hayashi are looking for him, but you know him best. Where would he go to hide?"

"Only one place he would go where he could hide and not be seen," Hermione said, and started to run upstairs. After a few flights Hermione stopped, and pointed at a door.

"The Owlery?"

"Not too many people come up here," Hermione said. "Do you really think other people will believe Harry?"

"I'm sure of it," Cedric said. "Start with the Weasley twins. They will think it's a brilliant prank, but they will come to support him. Try Daphne Greengrass too. She a-

"She's in our year, Slytherin. I know her, but I don't know if she'll come too."

"Hermione, we need as many people as possible," Cedric said quietly. "Right now, the only thing that matters is that Harry sees that people believe him. Later we can try and figure out what in the world made Harry Potter offer his life up without a second thought. Can you go gather as many people as possible and get them up here? I'll try to talk to him, to make him see the rest of them."

"Ok," Hermione turned to go, then stopped. "Cedric, he is probably under an invisibility cloak. Good luck." She then raced down the stairs.

"Great," Cedric said. "Then how will I know if he is actually in there?" Cedric opened the door to the Owlery and looked around. "Harry?" He didn't see or hear anything, but he stepped into the room and looked around. "Harry, you in here?" He searched for a few minutes but made no progress. "This is impossible."

"Step aside, Cedric," Cedric heard Akira say. The Japanese Professor whipped his wand around his head twice but nothing appeared, and the professor cursed. He motioned for Cedric to stop moving and then he heard a tiny creak of the floorboards. Akira followed the noise and then his hand reached out and he tore a cloak off Harry, revealed a shivering boy.

"Minerva!" Akira yelled and Cedric saw McGonagall, who was standing behind him rush to Harry and take him in her arms, whispering gently in his ear. Harry continued to shiver, entirely unresponsive. "Why are you here Cedric?" Akira asked angrily and brandished his wand at Cedric.

"Look, Harry and I aren't good friends or anything, but I don't think he did it either," Cedric explained. Akira's face softened . "I kind of know how he feels."

"Trust me, you don't," Akira said, glancing back at the catatonic boy.

"Yeah, I guess I have never wanted to kill myself," Cedric said quietly. "I would have let Hermione talk to him, but I sent her to get anyone who might believe Harry. I think he needs people who believe him right now, real friends."

"That's…actually a really good idea," Akira said, putting his wand away and Cedric breathed a tiny sigh of relief. Of course Akira could still perform wandless magic but if he put his wand away he probably wouldn't curse Cedric. "Not tonight, though. Tonight, let the adults take care of it. But your idea is a good one. Come back here tomorrow, after dinner. Minerva and I will try to get Harry out of this state. He'll at least be willing to listen."

"Ok," Cedric said.

"I heard what you said in the hall," Akira said. "Hermione told me when I passed her on the stairs."

"It was true," Cedric said.

"I know," Akira replied. "But you didn't have to say it." He offered Cedric his hand, and Cedric took it. "Thank you, Cedric. Harry means a lot to me."

"One day, will you tell me why?"

"If you both manage to get him through this tournament alive, I'll tell you," Akira said with a half laugh. "Remember, tomorrow after dinner. Everyone you can think of, everyone who will say they believe him, and that they believe in him. Both are important." Cedric nodded and walked out of the owlery.

"Minerva?" Akira asked, crouching next to Harry.

"He's not responding to me at all," Minerva wailed. "I'm really worried about him. I've never seen him like this."

"And it's not a spell?" Akira asked. The deputy headmistress shook her head. "There's one person who could snap him out of it for sure, but I have no idea how to get in contact with him. I'll reach out, but I'm not hopeful." Akira bent and picked Harry up. "I'll take him to my room." He walked out of the room with his unmoving brother in his arms.

"You were right, Professor Hayashi," Minerva said. "He has been put in danger every year under my watch."

"Minerva, I think Akira is fine. We are practically related," Akira said as they reached his apartment. Thankfully they had not seen any students. "Hold on to his cloak for now," Akira said. "I don't need him to disappear."

"I'll stay, if that's ok," Miverva told him.

"Of course," Akira said and both teachers sat at Harry's beside, eyes glued on the supposed saviour of the wizarding world, both of them desperately wishing the boy would wake up so that they could take him away for this forever.