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Harry Potter And The Game of Death
Level 1
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Joining the Team
"Je comprends pas pourquoi ça a merdé!" Fleur swore like a sailor as Gabrielle pulled her upright. The healers had take care of the major physical and magical wounds which had been inflicted upon Fleur before waking her, but Fleur's body still ached all over from the lesser injures that had gone untreated. Her clothes were soaked in both vomit and sweat, while the coppery tang of fresh blood still filled Fleur's nose from when the woman's brutish fist had smashed into it.
The perfectly manicured figure Fleur usually maintained was nowhere to be seen, though its absence was but the smallest issue currently weighing on her mind. Not after the complete and utter defeat that had been the third and final match between her and that barbaric pink-haired woman.
"Well, I would say zat it began when you decided to duel ze woman. Zen it got worse when you beat 'er so easily in your first match and taunted her over it, and finished after 'er lover blew you zose kisses after ze woman beat you in ze second match; she did not seem to like zat very much." Gabrielle's oddly cheerful voice pierced through Fleur's anger as the younger girl helped Fleur to regain her balance on wobbly legs. "I 'ave to say, zough, zat ze woman was most impressive. I 'ave never seen anyone beat you in a duel before, let alone in such a devastating manner."
"Gabi!" Fleur hissed at her little sister in annoyance. Just because Gabrielle's words paralleled her own thoughts did not mean that Fleur wished to hear them spoken aloud.
"What? It is ze truth, ma souer," Gabrielle replied flippantly. Unlike Fleur, Gabrielle's accent when speaking English had made noticeable strides during the summer, as had her command of the language as a whole. "We both know zat maman will be even harsher to you when she learns of what 'as 'appened today. Is it not better to acknowledge ze wound to your pride now zan to 'ave it destroyed later?"
Fleur hung her head at her younger sister's mild rebuke. Gabrielle was right. Of all the wounds which had been inflicted upon her in the duelling ring, it was the wound to her pride which stung Fleur the most. Being beaten by a superior opponent was one thing. But being beaten by a superior opponent because you carelessly antagonized them was entirely different, as Appolline had stated more than once to both of her daughters.
"'ere 'as zat wooman gone?" Fleur asked as her sister assisted Fleur in leaving the ring. The road to improving herself after this fight would be long, and obtaining a greater mastery over the uncouth language of the woman who had beaten her could be considered a part of the journey. "I wood like to speak weez 'er so zat I may learn 'er name."
Despite having three matches in a row, neither woman had given the other their name. A feeling of tension had sparked between them from the instant they had lain eyes upon the other which had resulted in both women discarding the usual formalities present at the beginning of most duels.
"Ze last I saw of 'er, ze woman – 'ose name is Nymphadora Tonks – was headed out with 'er lover. Ze two of zem seemed to be in quite ze heated discussion and I would assume zat zey are long gone."
Fleur nodded and made sure to memorize the woman's name. "Very well. Zen let us return to maman's tent. I weel speak to 'er about what 'as 'appened today before she can 'ear oof eet from ze mouzs oof ozzers."
"A good idea, ma souer. If it 'elps, I learned from ze woman's lover, 'Estia, zat ze two of zem are recent graduates of zis country's Auror program, and zat Nymphadora is considered to be somezing of a prodigy."
Hearing that titbit took some of the sting out of Fleur's defeat. As thanks for the information and for helping her walk out of the ring, Fleur drew her sister in for a hug. "Zank you for 'elping me, Gabi. You are ze best leetle seester I could ever 'ope to 'ave."
"I know. But you stink, ma souer, so please stop hugging me until after you 'ave taken a bath."
Laughing quietly at her sister's comment, Fleur allowed Gabrielle to lead her from the duelling arena and back to their mother's expansive personal tent. As they walked Fleur thought over how she could further increase her personal training regimen. Madame Maxine was already pushing her as it were, but there was still room to do more.
It had been years since Fleur had lost to anyone in a duel, let alone so completely, but today's defeat would not be enough to break her spirit. She would use this experience to temper herself even further and emerge the stronger for it. For that which did not destroy her would only serve to make her more powerful.
The next morning saw a drowsy Harry standing alongside Ludo Bagman on a damp Quidditch field in the middle of nowhere. Standing in front of them were the six healthy members of the English team. Three men and three women, each of whom displayed varying levels of wakefulness as they stood in a loose line. Whilst Andromeda, dressed in formal robes while standing in as Harry's guardian for the day, stood off to one side, hiding a yawn behind a delicate hand as Ludo began to speak. The man's booming voice rang out across the flat moor as he clasped both hands behind his back.
"Righto chaps, look alive I say! A stiff upper lip in the face of adversity is the mark of a true Quidditch player. You might be down a comrade in arms, but you're still in the game. You're still representing this great, beautiful nation of ours. And if you are the team I believe you to be, then I know that you'll rally to the cause and continue to fight onward! What say you, chaps? Are you with me?"
Harry listened with one ear as the English players gave a lukewarm 'huzzah.' Ludo was giving a speech which could have been ripped straight from the mouth of a primary school coach. The man probably felt that it was stirring and inspirational, especially with the sun rising behind him as he talked, but to Harry the man came off as nothing more than a braggart who had dragged everyone out of their beds at far too early an hour.
The British team seemed to agree with Harry. Half of them visibly tuned the man out as he continued to speak while the other half spent the time yawning and nodding their heads in feigned acknowledgement. Harry found himself yawning as well and hoped that Ludo's narcissistic display would not take too long.
After all the effort it had taken to win over a sceptical Remus and Sirius with his idea and then enlist the aid of Andromeda and Ludo later that evening, it would suck horribly to fail now just because Ludo let his ego get away from him. Harry took advantage of everyone paying attention to Ludo to cast a stealthy Observe on Ludo and each of the Quidditch players. Three people, including Ludo, were too high for the ability to work, but the other four members were within Harry's range.
Ding!
Brian Miller
Age in 1993-94: 32
Level: 151
Stats:
STR: 95
DEX: 107
CON: 90
INT: 148
WIS: 135
CHA: 215
Traits:
Professional Quidditch Chaser
Half-Blood
Gullible
Vain
Annabelle Chase
Level: 146
Age: 28
Stats:
STR: 90
DEX: 101
CON: 88
INT: 151
WIS: 155
CHA: 285
Traits:
Professional Quidditch Keeper
Free Spirit
Boy-Who-Lived Fangirl
Negotiator
Sweet Tooth
Malcolm O'Toole
Level: 150
Age: 43
Stats:
STR: 96
DEX: 111
CON: 98
INT: 163
WIS: 180
CHA: 185
Traits:
Professional Quidditch Chaser
Duellist
Boy-Who-Lived Fanboy
Housekeeper
Genevieve Smith
Level 138
Age: 26
Stats:
STR: 81
DEX: 104
CON: 91
INT: 162
WIS: 275
CHA: 145
Traits:
Professional Quidditch Chaser
Duellist
Loyal
Patient
Huh. He had guessed as much, but Quidditch players seemed to be significantly more powerful than most normal adults Harry had encountered. They had better traits too, most of which – aside from the two with the 'Boy-Who-Lived Fan' traits – were actually fairly good and seemed to make their bearers more powerful. It would have little to no bearing on Harry's plan, but knowing that the Quidditch team actually had some power to its members would probably make Sirius and Remus worry a little less for Harry's safety.
"But enough of my words, my brave men and women of the sky. I'll give the floor over to the person you must be dying to meet. The one who I set this meeting up to introduce, he who saved our nation from a terrible threat more than ten years ago, our heroic Boy-Who-Lived, Haaaaaaaryyyyy Potter!"
Harry gave a start when he heard his name. He looked up from the Game's notifications and did his best to remember what Ludo had just said. When he did, Harry gave an internal groan. This was the part of the plan he was least looking forward to; being used as an icon and having to make an attempt at being the absurd persona given to him by the British Wizarding world. Something which Harry had tried to avoid like the plague for the last three years of his life.
So rather than giving an impassioned speech like Ludo had done and make an utter mess of things, Harry chose to merely nod his head in encouragement whilst pumping a fist in the team's direction. Hopefully the high charisma the Game of Death said that he had would carry the day.
Scores of crickets chirping in the surrounding grass gave tell to Harry's enormous level of success.
Ludo shot Harry a dirty look before coughing into a clenched fist to regain everyone's attention. "Well, he's, er, a man of few words, but one made of sterling character nonetheless. The ideal image of a stoic Briton if you were to ask me. Now come on up and shake his hand, ladies and gents, and take advantage of this rare opportunity to seek words of wisdom from Britain's youngest hero."
Looking as if they could hardly believe that the person standing before them was actually the much dramatized Boy-Who-Lived, the team made their way over to shake his hand. Thankfully the first person in line was the team's captain, a burly and bluff-faced woman by the name of Bronwen who looked like she could have eaten Harry's old Quidditch captain, Oliver Wood, for breakfast.
"Good to meet you, Harry," the woman said as her massive hand enveloped Harry's much smaller one. Her light accent, delightfully delicate for someone who appeared so tough, came as a surprise. "The country owes you and your family a great debt of honour, that it does. I'm glad that you were able to come down to the pitch this mornin' to meet me an' the rest o' the team after what 'appened yesterday."
Harry hid his wince as the woman's firm grip began to crush his hand. Up till now Dora had been the strongest woman that he had previously encountered, but Bronwen's grasp put the Metamorphagus' to shame. "Thank you, ma'am, I appreciate your kind words. And coming here today was the least that I could do; I was in the stands when it happened and saw the whole incident."
That, and Harry suspected that it had been caused through the interference of Dark Wizards in order to pull off a plot to attack the World Cup. But Harry could not say that last bit without any proof and so kept his words to polite pleasantries.
"Yeah. We knew that the French liked to play dirty, but I never expected something like that to happen." The next man in line to shake Harry's hand, the whip thin Brian Miller, was visibly down in the dumps as he spoke. "And it came at the worst possible time too. Our backup Seeker, Drupp Barding Bidgewell Claxton the third, is down with a case of Dragon Pox. He's supposed to make it but is out for the rest of the tournament for sure. If that damn bastard Hardwin can't play in tomorrow's game, then I don't know who the hell we'll ever get to play the position in time."
"Och! Don't ye worry now m'ah friend. Somethin' will turn up eventually or m'ah name ain't being Alistaire MacLeod." The third man to shake Harry's hand, one of the team's big beaters alongside the captain, spoke in a cheerful Scottish brogue. "Why, ye should hear tell o' some of the things that happened in m'ah family years back. Compared to dem, why, this little hiccup ain't even a wee bit o' trouble. No little Frenchman's bat will keep us'n from winning this tournament or ah'll eat m'ah last pair o' pants."
The rest of the team shook Harry's hand in turn – or, in the case of Annabelle, kissed him on both sides of the face while she hugged him tightly – as they began to argue amongst themselves as to what they could do to turn their fortunes around. Some advocated for holding try-outs to find a new Seeker. Others held out hope that Hardwin, the team's injured Seeker, would make a turnaround and be healthy in time for the game. Whichever scenario were to occur, however, it seemed as though the team was bitterly divided on the subject; it was the sort of thing which, in Harry's sporting experience, could drive a wedge between the members and cause everything to fall apart.
Sensing his chance, Harry caught Ludo's eye and gave him the pre-arranged signal. The man caught it right away and hurried to insert himself into the conversation.
"Now now, ladies and gents, I understand that this is a tough time for the team," Ludo said as he stepped towards the players. The man placed an affable arm around the shoulders of one of the Chasers, a tiny little slip of a woman named Genevieve, as he spoke. "But if I may be so bold to say I think that the solution to your problem is right in front of you."
Bronwen's face hardened as the team captain looked to prepare herself for a confrontation. "With all due respect, Mr. Bagman –"
"Ludo, please, my dear lady. All my friends can call me that."
"As I was saying. Mr. Bagman, I thank you for your advice and for bringing Mr. Potter to come greet us today, but I would respectfully ask that you leave team matters to those who are still on the team. I would prefer to avoid any untoward rumours regarding any intervention that you or the Department of Magical Sports and Games might take on our behalf."
"Ha! I completely understand, my dear. I would never do such a thing; it would go against the very meaning of fair play and good sportsmanship."
Ludo's response seemed to confuse the tough woman. The man's good cheer and his immediate refutation of her implication had not been what she expected. Harry saw Bronwen's brow tighten and her eyes narrow as the team captain tried to pin Ludo with a glare. "Then what are you suggesting, Mr. Bagman?"
"Why, only what would seem to be a most logical course of action." Ludo gestured emphatically with his free arm as he spoke. "The team needs a Seeker. One who can keep them in the game or maybe even win it for them outright. But because of the limited time you have to find a replacement you are unsure if you can do it. Right?"
Bronwen slowly nodded in her head. "That's correct. But that's a team matter and I don't see what that has to do with you or anyone else here."
"Then you, my dear, need to pay more attention to school level games like I do," Ludo said with a wink. He then gestured dramatically and pointed back at Harry. "Because if you are looking for a great Seeker on short notice, then look no further! Harry Potter is here and the boy is as dab a hand at this great sport as any other I have ever seen."
Bronwen snorted. "Fat chance, sir. Oh, it's not that I'm doubting the boy's talent; I'm sure that it's high if you are recommending him so strongly. But unless he's on the level of Viktor Krum then there's no way the boy is ready to play at the professional level. I doubt he even knows what the rules are since they still play the watered down version at the school level."
Undaunted, Ludo continued to press Harry's case. "I have it on good authority that he has some experience playing with the professional rules. And while I wouldn't quite call him Krum's equal, I would stake my reputation on Harry having an even greater natural talent. You can test him to make sure, but it will only confirm what I've just told you."
Harry held his breath as he watched Bronwen's eyes turn thoughtful. This was it. The moment of truth had arrived. Desperate and in need of a solution that could salvage their bid to win the Cup, the English captain was finally beginning to consider Ludo's proposal.
The woman turned a critical gaze towards Harry and then looked back at Ludo. "What about the rules regarding under age competitors? Does he meet the requirements?"
Ludo nodded. "Since he's an officially registered member of a school level team, and possesses at least three years of experience, Harry meets the I.C.W.'s regulations on the subject. I had my staff confirm everything last night and as long as I can convince his legal guardian to give the okay – which, considering that Sirius and I go back quite a ways, should be quite easy – then everything will be on the up and up."
"And what about a broom? We don't have the time to train him on the subtleties of how to fly a Firebolt and using anything less will put him at a severe disadvantage."
"Also not an issue. The boy has been flying on a Firebolt for nearly a year and has used it in actual games. Including in that truly nasty storm that nearly derailed the Chudley Cannon's game against Ilkley."
Bronwen nodded. "Hm… yes, I recall that storm. And if he could fly a Firebolt in those conditions…"
The captain fell silent as she considered everything Ludo had told her. She then turned away from him and summoned in the rest of the team for a huddle, casting some sort of charm as she did which made it so that Harry could not hear their voices. Harry felt his chest begin to ache as he tried to will the woman to accept him.
After a few minutes spent huddling Bronwen cancelled the silencing charm and gave Ludo a firm nod. "The team and I agree, Ludo. It couldn't hurt to give the lad a try. Can I count on you to prep him while we get things setup for a test here?"
Ludo laughed as he thumped his chest with a closed fist. "Absolutely! I wouldn't have come up with this idea if I didn't think I could have the boy ready. Give us a few ticks to apparate back to his home so I can convince his guardian while Harry grabs his gear. After which I guarantee that he will pass your test with flying colours."
The bombastic man then turned to Harry and motioned for the boy to join him. The two then walked over to Andromeda who placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. A sudden crack burst into Harry's ears, followed by a feeling like that of toothpaste being squeezed through too small a hole, and then the next thing Harry knew he was standing at the front door to the Cottage.
He stumbled forward, his head discombobulated and his body feeling tingly, before Andromeda caught him; Harry shot the beautiful woman a grateful glance. Magical travel sure was handy in terms of time saved. But gosh did it suck.
A loud crack from beside them heralded the appearance of Ludo Bagman. The man dusted his robes off with a flourish as a look of unadulterated glee filled his features.
"Well, that went even better than we had planned, didn't it my boy?" Ludo said with a chortle. "Bronwen might be a fine team captain, one of the best to play the game, but she knows nothing about how to win the hearts and minds of others. She bought our little performance and seems nary the wiser that it was all an act. I must say that it has been an absolute pleasure working with you on this; I'm so excited that I almost feel like I'm back in the game myself!"
Harry shot the man a wry grin as he opened the Cottage's main door. "Thank you, Mr. Bagman. I appreciate your kind words."
"Ah, it's Ludo to you, Harry, Ludo! As I told Bronwen I like for all of my friends to call me by my first name. And I do hope that after my assistance in this matter, and in the matter of your upcoming duel against Lucius' son, you consider me a friend."
Glad that the man could only see his back, Harry felt himself grimace at the Ludo's words. A part of Harry felt dirty for enlisting the man's assistance in this area, but he had seen little other choice. For all of his bad traits the braggart had been perfectly positioned to carry out Harry's plan. A fact which had been borne out by the events thus far.
"Of course he does, Mr. Bagman," Andromeda filled in smoothly from the rear. "But Harry was raised to be polite while Sirius and I have been teaching him about etiquette in the magical world. The boy is accustomed to speaking more formally than you are used to and only uses first names for those who are closest to him. I'm sure that you can understand."
"Ah, yes. I believe that I understand your point, Chairwoman Tonks, though I do hope that I will be forgiven for using the boy's own name so familiarly."
Interestingly enough it seemed that Andromeda was the one person Ludo did not try to charm. A fact which Harry attributed to the woman's stern look and reputation; were it not for her close relationship with Sirius, Harry felt that he too would have been intimidated by her. Let alone when, as today, Andromeda had donned full formal robes and done her long brown hair up in a way that only accentuated her beauty. It gave her the appearance of a severe judge that one should not offend lest they end up with their head on the chopping block.
"It is of no concern," Andromeda replied crisply. "Now, while Harry runs off to grab his gear from his room, why don't you and I have a little talk in the kitchen? I believe that you wanted to spin the story of today's events in a certain manner and I would be happy to take down some notes on the subject while we wait."
Harry gave a silent blessing to Andromeda for making up that bit about him being a stickler for politeness as she ran interference. Ludo bit on her offer and Harry could soon hear the man's voice raise in pitch as he began to weave the story of how this was all to be attributed to him and his exceptional eye for talent.
Allowing the man to spin that story in the press had been the price for his involvement and Andromeda had been kind enough to offer the Daily Prophet's services. Not for the first time did Harry thank whichever deity that had brought her and Dora into his life, because without Andromeda's assistance in this matter things could have gotten very tricky.
Harry breezed into his room and made a beeline to the maintenance table that held his broom. He had worked on it the night before to make sure that it was in top condition; the broom's ebony handle gleamed after the recent polish Harry had given it. He made sure to grab it and bring along the practice gear Sirius had purchased for him as well. He would much preferred to have just stored the items in his Inventory, but taking them back out later on would have required an explanation that Harry was not yet ready to give to anyone outside of his most trusted circle of friends. Let alone a gormless git like Bagman who would probably sell Harry's secrets at the slightest hint of trouble or personal profit.
When Harry made his way back to Andromeda and Ludo, he found the two of them locked in conversation. They wrapped things up on their end, both of them wearing pleased smiles, and with a swift apparition all three were soon back at the English team's practice field.
Where Harry proceeded to pass Bronwen's test with flying colours and cause his new teammates to whoop in joy over his performance. After which the players buckled down as they had less than a week to get Harry up to speed before the team's next game.
It was long after nightfall that Harry was able to stumble to his room, pen some short letters to Hermione and a few of his other friends like Ginny and Ron, before then crawling into the sweet embrace of his comfortable bed. Where his dreams were filled with the face of Cho and many other girls, each of whom proceeded to kiss him as Harry hoisted high the Quidditch World Cup.
By the time he woke up the next day Harry felt refreshed and revitalized. Which was perfect, as today would be the day that he finally showed Draco Malfoy which one of them was the better wizard once and for all.
A/N: That's all for now, folks. Due to the heavy interest in seeing the Dora vs Fleur scene I strongly considered putting it into this chapter, but in the end I just could not swing it. Not with Harry's duel against Draco right around the corner. I hope that Fleur's after-action report will suffice for the time being.
But fear not, for it shall be posted as a one-shot somewhere down the road.
Meanwhile I recently saw Epic Rap Battles of History's video of J.R.R. Tolkien vs. George R.R. Martin; go check it out on YouTube if you haven't done so already. It is absolutely brilliant and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys either author.
Until Next Time,
Elsil