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.

28. Chapter 28

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

Chapter 28: Defining a Feeling

December, 1994

"Are you sure this was the right time?" Fleur asked Krum as they sat down.

"Cedric saw me earlier today and he confirmed it," Krum said. "He'll be here, and Harry is often fashionably late. He is the busiest of all of us. It's pretty crazy how much he has learned. I'm a little jealous that you got to see him fight with Akira. I haven't had the chance to see them spar yet."

"Don't be," Fleur told the Bulgarian seeker. "He was moving so fast I could barely keep up. The only reason I recognized the movement was because I had seen Professor Hayashi years earlier. The final piece of my realization was him beating up the four Slytherin students. Honestly so much happened that day it took me a few days to register I could have been really badly hurt. I have thanked him every time I have seen him, and every single time he says there is nothing to thank him for."

"I have to admit; he is not what I expected. Ever since the first time we saw him he has defied my expectations. He is certainly not the pampered prince the paper sometimes makes him out to be."

"That's true, and so much of him is still a mystery. I still can't figure out how he can totally counter my allure," Fleur admitted. "Even the teachers at my school can't counter active allure with the ease he manages. I would expect it from a world class wizard like Dumbledore, or even Professor Hayashi but even on full blast, my active allure is like a minor annoyance to him."

"He is quite remarkable," Krum agreed. "One day, I'd like to know about his upbringing, but Cedric is much closer to him than we are and he barely knows anything."

"Take it from someone who knows all about keeping all your issues in and never sharing," Fleur said. "It's not healthy, and sometimes it comes out in really negatives way."

"So are you offering to share?" Krum said with a sly smile and Fleur laughed a little. "That's what I thought."

"Sorry we are late," Cedric said, throwing open the door. "Our last debrief was a little longer because I lasted longer than normal."

"Cedric, if you don't explain it everyone will think the worst," Harry said, smacking the older boy on the back. "And you did fine. You stayed on your feet for more than 1 minute. That's a new personal record."

"You two were sparing?" Krum asked.

"Yeah, the two us of vs Akira and McGonagall," Harry said. "Cedric has never stayed up for as long as he did today."

"You always stay up longer," Cedric complained.

"Obviously," Harry said. "I use you as a human shield. You'll learn when I'm doing it eventually."

"Stop it," Fleur said, though she had a relaxed smile. Cedric glared at Harry but both Hogwarts boys dropped into chairs. "Did anyone make progress on the egg?"

"Besides continuing to get a really nasty headache, you mean?" Harry asked. "Not much."

"Madame Maxime is baffled," Fleur said. The four champions had given up the false pretense that their support could not directly help them. "Maybe it has to do with the location of the egg. Like maybe as long as we are within the Hogwarts wards the magic inside the egg won't work."

"That wouldn't make too much sense," Harry said. "I mean Cedric and I are allowed outside the wards once a month. That wouldn't be fair to us."

"Is anything about this tournament fair?" Fleur said. "I think all three of us can say if we walked into the dragon pit with no knowledge of what we were going to face, we would all be dead."

"Who are you not including?" Harry asked. All three of the other champions stared at him in disbelief. "You are joking."

"As far as I know, you are the only one in this room who dodged an unchained dragon," Krum said. "Besides, you gave Cedric the idea that would have put him in the lead if not for the insanity you pulled out of thin air."

"Fine." All three older champions had learned very quickly that Harry did not take all that well to compliments, and it was a theme of their meetings that Harry would get surly after they praised him performance. Even then, Fleur had decided that she was determined to boost his confidence and continued the trend whenever possible.

"Honestly, I'm sick of dealing with this egg," Cedric said. "I know it's cool to compete for the glory and the galleons, but I wouldn't complain if I had some free time. My one-on-one lessons with Akira are the best thing about this year. I'd love time to learn some more defense techniques in order to have the option to prepare for a mastery right after school."

"What would you even do with a mastery in defense?" Fleur asked. "You don't even need it to teach defense here."

"I don't know," Cedric said. "But it is the subject that interests me the most. I feel like being able to defend myself is something I will always be interested to learn more about. Before this year I liked transfiguration more than any other subject, but now that we have a proper defense teacher, it's my favorite class by some margin." He turned to Harry. "If I asked, do you think Akira would start training me in martial arts too?"

"Depends," Harry said. "He took one of my year mates on as a provisional student. Granted, he kept up with my nightly workouts for two weeks first."

"Nightly workouts?" Krum asked.

"Pushups, sit-ups, squats, yoga, etc." Harry said.

"What is yoga?" Cedric asked. Harry stood up and lifted one leg up and positioned it at a right angle and then twisted his body so the side of his torso was parallel to the floor. He then twisted back upright, and lowered to the floor, creating a right angle right where his legs hit his torso. He then lowered himself to the floor and arched his back. "Yikes. Looks like it hurts." Harry rolled lowered his back to the floor and then in one smooth moment flipped himself to his feet.

"It did at first," Harry said. "It gets easier, but those are some of the really basic poses. Flexibility is important for martial artists, so if you want to have Akira accept you even as a temporary student, you'll need to learn all the basic poses and practice at night."

"And you have to do that the rest of your life?" Fleur asked. Harry nodded as he sat back down. "I can't even imagine that."

"I mean, if I manage to survive the next few years and maybe have a kid in the far future, I'd want them to learn from a young age," Harry said. Fleur instantly perked up, and saw the others do the same. Harry was in a much better place than the boy who expressed a willingness to die the night the champions had been decided. But he had never so much as touched his future when the others had brought it up. "The younger you start, the easier it is. I'd want my kid to be able to defend yourself."

"Do you ever think about whether or not you want kids?" Cedric asked, his voice neutral.

"Occasionally," Harry admitted. "I mean, I have an abstract vision of the future. I think I'd like to be a dad one day. Probably have more than one kid. I always wonder what my life would be like if I had a family like my friend Ron."

"Weasley?" Cedric asked. Harry nodded. "Harry, Ron has 5 older brothers and a sister."

"Not that large," Harry said with a laugh. "I don't know how Molly and Arthur Weasley survived Fred and George, even though two of the older brothers were head boys. You guys know the other one." The three older champions nodded. All four of them had attended every dragon seminar so far.

"I guess it's hard to think about the future when you know that the tournament has challenges more dangerous than a dragon." Krum admitted.

"To be honest, I'm more afraid for Christmas," Cedric said.

"You both get jumpy when we mention Christmas time plans," Fleur said. "Harry, I assume you'd go to Japan and meet your master."

"Well, Hayashi-San is super busy right now," Harry said. "Even if we had the time off, I doubt he'd have time to properly continue my instruction. But us students will be busy too."

"With what?" Fleur asked. Cedric and Harry glanced at each other, and Cedric shrugged. "Cedric..." Fleur's voice was tinged with malice, and the Hufflepuff boy shuddered.

"It will probably be announced soon enough anyways, won't it?" Harry asked Cedric.

"It's not like these two will blab," Cedric replied.

"Ok, I'm getting annoyed too now," Krum told the two Hogwarts students. "What do you know that we don't?"

"I'd be surprised if any older students went home for Christmas this year," Harry said. "It will be announced soon, but traditionally there is a Yule Ball at the same time as the Tri-wizard tournament. All the students over 3rd year and over were asked to bring formal wear. Though Daphne said that 3rd years will only be allowed if they are invited by an older student."

"Sounds ghastly," Krum said.

"You are such a guy," Fleur said. "It sounds like a lot of fun. Dancing and good company."

"Trust me," Krum said. "I've been to my fair share of these events. All four of us will be covered with officials. Every function I went to as a member of the Bulgarian team was horrible."

"Tough luck," Harry told him. "Hermione looked into it. The champions have to show up. All eyes on us. That's not confirmed yet, but don't be surprised."

"Not interested," Krum said. "You couldn't pay me to show up. I'll take whatever punishment they have."

"As nice as it sounds, I'll probably pass too," Fleur said. "I know it sounds pretty arrogant, but if I really dress up I think most of the boys here would be knocked out the moment I touched them."

"It's true," Harry said. "You always look beautiful." He said it as an offhand comment, and there was no intent or agenda behind the statement. His breathing didn't change, and he didn't even look at Fleur as he said it. But the French girl felt her chest tighten for half a second. Fleur instantly brushed that thought away before it could even manifest. "But there are some guys who can control themselves around your allure if you can keep it limited."

"It will be harder to keep in under control," Fleur admitted. "It's emotional magic, driven by my feelings. If I get dressed up, go to a ball, dance, and do other things that might be considered romantic the magic will come leaking out. So I guess I'll have to bow out too."

"All eyes on Harry and I?" Cedric said. "Doesn't sound like too much fun."

"Just you, I'm afraid," Harry said. "I was only going to go if Daphne asked me to, especially since I am a champion. Absolutely no need for me to go now. It would be a little rude. We have talked about this. You are the Hogwarts champion, Cedric. I'm just fighting for my life"

"We have discussed it, and consistently disagreed, you mean," Cedric countered

"It doesn't matter," Krum said. "If Fleur and I don't go, people will notice. If you don't go, the castle will go insane. Regardless of whether or not you see yourself as a champion, you are, and at the moment you are the most popular of all four of us. You need to go, just for our peace of mind."

"Look, it sounds like we need to bring a date, and I'm really not feeling up to it," Harry said. "I got dumped less than a month ago, and to be honest I can't see myself with anyone else at the moment. If I invite someone or accept an invitation it would only be leading someone on. That's a pretty heartless thing to do."

"What about Hermione?" Krum asked. "She would be fine to go as your friend, right?" Fleur saw Cedric tighten just a bit as Krum said Hermione's name, and she smiled to herself. So that's what way the wind was blowing for the older Hogwarts champion. The plot thickened.

"I won't do that," Harry said, "for two reasons. Firstly, I doubt Hermione would get the wrong idea but you never know. Like you said, romance will be in the air. I don't want to put her in a weird position. It would be a bad idea. Hermione is the one constant I have always had in my life, and I would never want to do anything to mess with that. It's not like she is my sister, so I'd never say never. No need to add a complication with her, even if the idea there could be something between us is a little ridiculous."

"I understand that, but I think she is your only choice," Krum said. Harry glanced at Cedric, and Cedric sighed.

"Harry isn't going to invite Hermione," Cedric said, "because he knows I want to, and if he invites her she will turn me down."

"Oh!" Krum raised his hands. "I didn't know. I didn't see it at first, but now that you say it…"

"You two would make a cute couple," Fleur finished.

"It's just a fancy party," Cedric said.

"Sure, at the most romantic event we have ever had at Hogwarts," Harry said. "It will be even more romantic because you will be the only champion who shows up." Cedric's eyes widened. "Forgot about that part for a moment, did you? Every eye in the room on you. Odd first date, but I think it would be pretty amazing if Hermione can manage her nerves."

"Don't even start with me," Cedric pleaded. "I can't be the only one if I bring Hermione. You know her better than I. She will freak out."

"She probably will," Harry admitted. "Look, I wish I could help, but if it's any consolation Krum is right. If three of us skip the ball, all the focus will be on missing champions, not the one who bothered to show up." Harry sighed. "This stupid tournament has kind of ruined the year."

"Tell me about it," Krum said. "I have had to start sneaking out of the library to work on my book. I appreciate the research Hogwarts have, but the tournament is intruding on my future."

"Have you made any progress on your book?" Fleur said, swiftly changing the topic. An idea had entered her mind, a way for everyone to have their way about the ball, but Fleur wasn't a huge fan. Hopefully a change in topic would mean no one else figured it out.

"Luna has been helpful," Krum admitted. Harry held back a smile at that. He had seen the young Ravenclaw holding Krum's total attention with a lecture on something called Heliopaths a few nights ago. "But there are so many other creatures I didn't know about. I may have to cut some of them out to make sure the book isn't the size of a quaffle."

"Speaking of a quaffle, we haven't had the chance to go flying since the wand weighting," Cedric said. "I have no classes the rest of the day. Harry?"

"I'm free too," Harry said. "But it's freezing outside."

"You play in the snow," Krum said. "You aren't used to the cold?"

"Oh, you get used to it," Harry said. "That doesn't mean you have to like it."

"Harry, if you can play while being chased by dementors and in the pouring rain I think a little cold won't bother you," Cedric said. Fleur sat up a bit. This was new information.

"Dementors were chasing you?" Krum asked, clearly as surprised as she was.

"Yeah, after they chased me when we played Hufflepuff last year. Ruined my 100% perfect record. That's why I decided to have our professor teach me the Patronus charm, in case they chased me again in quidditch."

"I still can't believe that your headmaster allowed them on the school grounds last year," Fleur said. "We had them in France for a time, but my father got together with other lawmakers to kick them out of France. It's even more amazing because my father has done so much to help the plight of other creatures, like werewolves and centaurs. The so called "creatures" have a lot of rights in France that they don't have in other countries. But he doesn't consider dementors in the same class of creature. My father doesn't hate easily, but he hates dementors."

"Well, there is a reason that the Patronus charm is something I learned from our Defense against the Dark Arts teacher," Harry said. "They are pretty dark creatures. But is that something you want to do after school, Fleur? Do you want to work in government like your dad?"

"After all this?" Fleur asked. "I signed up for the tournament willingly, but it has taken up all my focus. It totally distracted me from graduation. Part of me wants to follow my father and start the training to join the French Aurors. God knows I don't want to be a stay at home mom." Harry snorted at that. "Oh, that's funny to you?"

"No, I'm agreeing with you," Harry said. "I can't image you as a homemaker."

"Well, I was interested in being a healer, but it's a hard career for a Veela," Fleur said. The boys nodded in understanding. "In all honesty, I have thought about working for Gringotts. It seems like they have a lot of options, and it would be a good way to continue to learn while making a half decent salary."

"I know a few people at Gringotts," Cedric said. "If you like, I can make an introduction,"

"That would actually be incredible," Fleur said.

"That's everyone but you, Harry," Cedric said. "I'll try and get a mastery, Krum wants to write about magical creatures and their languages, and Fleur will work for Gringotts. What's does the future hold for Harry Potter?"

"Well, that's two different questions," Harry said. "Harry Potter would love to disappear and never be heard from again. But Harry has a few options. I was interested in being an auror like my dad was, but after seeing how Professor Moody acts, I'm not so sure. Honestly, what Charlie Weasley does sounds really fun. I might like to do that for a while after I graduate. Living in the middle of nowhere and working with creatures like dragons would be really fun. Granted, I don't know a lot of careers but I think some space from Britain and anonymity might be mandatory for my sanity."

"You have no interest in being Harry Potter after you graduate?" Krum asked. "If you wanted to, you could probably become Minister of Magic before 40."

"Victor, if I could, I wouldn't be Harry Potter ever again," Harry said. "Harry Potter's job is to kill Basilisks and fight dark lords. I have had more than enough of that for one lifetime."

"Well, there is one other thing you could do," Krum said. Harry looked at him curiously. "Have you considered professional quidditch? You would be in the spotlight, but for a much different reason."

"I doubt I'm good enough," Harry said.

"Only one way to find out. We did promise to go flying with each other," Cedric said. "You can get an opinion from the world's best seeker." Krum smiled at the comment. "Victor, I know you are better than me."

"Boys and their quidditch," Fleur said.

"Oh come on," Cedric said. "Don't be like that. You get the chance to watch three champions race around on brooms. We should charge admission."

"Are we really doing this today?" Harry said.

"Look, we aren't going to make progress on that horrible egg," Krum said. "Why not?"

"Well, we never solved the problem of the ball," Harry said. "Victor, I think you need to bite the bullet and go with someone. I shouldn't be going as a champion anyways, and I think Fleur is right about her allure overpowering her date, and that could get messy"

"It occurs to me there is an easy solution right in front of our eyes," Cedric said, his eyes flickering to Fleur. She gave a tiny shake of her head, and Cedric's gaze turned thoughtful. "No, never mind. Maybe flying will shake something free" Cedric grabbed Harry and ignored his protest as he dragged him out of the castle. Krum and Fleur followed, laughing as Cedric literally forced Harry to the pitch.

"I'd like to go get my broom, if that's ok," Harry said once they arrived at the pitch. It was indeed bitterly cold, but the ground was not yet covered in snow. "If we are going to fly for real, I want to be on my Firebolt."

"I'd have to agree," Krum said. "Back here in 10 minutes, no less. Don't tell anyone. I know Cedric was joking about charging admission but let's try not to draw a crowd." All three seekers nodded and rushed off, and Fleur found a seat on the bleachers. After a few minutes she cast a warming charm on herself to stop her teeth from chattering.

The boys were right to keep their activities to themselves, but Fleur would have been surprised to see anyone but the most serious quidditch fan follow them even if they knew what was going on. While it was possible to play quidditch in any weather, it would have been easier to do this earlier in the year and barring any surprising accidents she had no doubt the champions would do it again in fairer weather, provided they all survived the 2nd task which was on February 24th.

She thought it was funny and very typical that Cedric and Harry seemed more nervous about a ball than a death-defying challenge. Fleur bet if she asked straight up, they would prefer to face another dragon than ask a girl to a formal date. Krum was of course used to the events, and Fleur had been to more than a few formal events herself, but she went as the daughter of Laurent Delacour, a position that got her respect and treatment she might not get when she went for herself.

Cedric had probably come up with the same solution she had. Cedric could go with Hermione and Krum could skip the ball if she went with Harry. Two champions together would take all the media attention, Harry could go and enjoy himself with someone who wouldn't look too much into the future being his date. Fleur would also get to enjoy an event she was honestly looking forward to with a boy who wouldn't lose the ability to speak just because she smiled at them.

That was, in theory, a foolproof solution. In fact, the only problem with it was a secret that Fleur held close to her heart. One that she was terrified to reveal to anyone. She would not reveal it to her closest friend and sister Gabrielle or to her mentor Madame Maxime. In truth, there was no one Fleur was close enough with to justify revealing the secret, but if she didn't and went through with Harry to the ball, she would be doing all her fellow champions a massive disservice. And in truth, she was terrified to risk it.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O—O-O-O—O-O-O—O-O-O-

December 1992

"Fleur, I know this is hard for you," her mother had told her as Fleur sobbed at her feet.

"No one wants to be my friend or be around me," Fleur said.

"I know it is hard, my flower," her mother told her. "It will always be hard. A Veela's allure will only grow in strength as they grow into their powers."

"So I am doomed to be friendless and alone for the rest of my life?"

"Do I seem friendless and alone?" Her mother asked, stroking Fleur's hair.

"But you have papa!" Fleur complained.

"Fleur, what I tell you must remain a secret," her mother said, leaning in close. "Only two things will make a Veela's allure less powerful for a time, and increase your control. The first is when you find the right man. The second is childbirth. I think we can hope you are at least a few years away from giving birth."

"But how can I find a…" Fleur blushed. "mate if none of them can talk to me? The ones who talk to me would not be men I choose, and they falter if I use my active allure."

"Fleur, sometimes Veela marry men who can partially resist their allure, or sometimes they just enslave a man. But the Veela who are truly happy find a mate who can entirely resist their allure but fall in love with them anyways. I am sure in the future you will meet men who can resist your active allure.

"Most men are able to resist allure because they have someone they are currently with, whether dating, engaged, or married. I would hope you should steer clear of those complications. But if you meet a man who can resist your allure, spend some time with them. We Veela have a built-in recognition system. If the man is someone who would be a good mate, all you have to do is ask yourself a simple question. Are you falling in love? If you are, your allure will start to weaken. It will return in time, but the control, when you are around your true partner will always be better. Even if you deny your feelings, your weakening and more controlled allure will tell the truth, although it can be fun to let yourself feel the full power on occasion." Fleur blushed at her mother's wicked smile.

"You might not realize it at first," Apolline Delacour continued. "In fact, I doubt you will, but when you look back to the first moment you saw them it will become clear, and no matter what you do that moment will always be on your mind. It will get replaced by other memories you share with that man, but until you create new memories, it will be stuck in your head."

"What if they don't feel the same way?" Fleur said.

"There are two options. The first option is to give up and try and find another, though for Veela first love is often the truest. You may be incredibly lucky and find another man you are suited for, but it is likely you will always wonder. This is very risky. The second option is much more fun."

"What is it?"

"I did it with your father," her mother admitted. "Oh, your father was stubborn, and refused to believe I was earnest when I told him I loved him. So I just made him fall in love with me. We were married soon after."

"Was father your first love?"

"Yes, from the moment I saw him." Fleur's mom said. "It will probably be many years in the future but do write me when you first find him. Spend some time with them. See what happens. If they are a good man, don't be afraid to fall in love." Fleur nodded, her tears drying.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O—O-O-O—O-O-O—O-O-O-

December, 1994

Fleur had forgotten her mother's words when she agreed to the champions alliance, and now was faced with the prospect of going to the dance with a man (as Harry was certainly not a boy in her eyes anymore) who could resist her active allure. Harry checked enough boxes to fit the description of good man. He was sweet, smart, brave, caring, and supportive. It didn't hurt that, if she was being honest with herself, Fleur thought he was fairly attractive for his age and had the chance to become even more so the next few years.

What if she went to the ball with Harry and she fell in love? Even in this fantasy, she understood what her mother said about first love being the most important for a Veela. If they fell in love with each other, Fleur would return to France, and Harry would still live in England. How would they be able to work around that?

Fleur heard the boys hurrying back, shoving and laughing with each other and drove the image of her head on Harry's shoulder from her mind. It the end, Fleur knew she wouldn't belong in Gryffindor. She didn't have the courage to be honest with Harry, and she didn't have the courage to see if she had been so lucky to find the man of her dreams at such a young age. Better to be a coward than have your heart broken.

"Ok, so we release 4 snitches," Cedric said. "Whoever catches 2 first is the winner."

"Sounds good to me," Harry said. "As long as we agree no fouling, even if you are going for the winning snitch."

"Just don't get in my way," Krum said, swinging onto his broom. Cedric brought a case over to Fleur, and then also got onto his broom.

"Fleur, just flick the lid off," Cedric said, and all three boys became laser focused. Fleur flicked the lid up. She barely saw the blurs of gold but all three boys were off like a shot. Fleur was left alone to her thoughts for a while, but then she heard a whoop of triumph and Krum held up his hand in victory. All three boys flew back to the ground.

"It was weird with multiple snitches," Harry said, putting a single snitch into the box. Cedric deposited one as well, and Krum put the two he had caught in the box and snapped it shut.

"Agreed," Krum said. "Next time, we will go with one snitch in one on one competition. Harry, I only got a little taste, but I think with some training you could probably make a career out of quidditch if you wanted to."

"I won't say no right away," Harry admitted, "but I don't know that I'd want my life to be quidditch. My old quidditch captain, Oliver Wood, he lived quidditch and he is professional now. I don't have that much passion for the sport, even though I miss being in the air this year with my team more than I thought I would. I like flying, even if there isn't a snitch to catch."

"Let's get inside," Cedric said, and soon they were all back in the room they had started their conversation a few hours ago.

"I say we leave the egg alone until after Christmas. Maybe we can all bring a spell we are good at next time and help the others learn it if they don't know it already," Fleur suggested.

"Sounds like a good plan," Krum said. Fleur was pleased someone agreed with her plan. It wasn't like she didn't enjoy hanging out and talking about the future with her fellow champions, but they were getting nowhere with the eggs. At least the next meeting would have an illusion of productivity, since their earlier meetings had fallen into the category of getting to know each other.

"We never did hear your plan, Cedric," Harry said as he slung his broom over his back. "You know, for the ball."

"Well…" Cedric tailed off.

"It's not as simple as he thinks," Fleur blurted out. "Cedric, you think I could go with Harry and then Victor wouldn't have to go, right?" Cedric nodded eagerly and Harry and Krum looked at each other. "Well, that has some… complications."

"Sounds good to me," Krum said. "Harry might be the best person in the entire school at resisting your allure. Why wouldn't we do that? It would certainly garner all the media attention, so I understand if you don't want to do it, but I would really appreciate it."

"It's not that simple," Fleur snapped. Krum and Cedric both took a step back at the anger in her voice. To Fleur's surprise, Harry stepped forward and took her hands in his.

"You said it's complicated?" Fleur nodded. "Can you talk with us about it?" Fleur hesitated. "Is it a secret?" Fleur gave a half-nod. "Ok, then it's settled. We'll find another way. Everyone deserves to have secrets."

"Ok," Krum said, but Fleur could see in the eyes of the two older boys that they were disappointed. They all discussed their schedules and agreed to meet in a few days in the evening on Friday. As the champions split up, Fleur held Harry back.

"What's wrong?" Harry said, sitting across from Fleur. "When you said the best possible answer was for us to go the ball together, you looked like you wanted to cry. I might be making light of a situation I don't understand, but I think it might be fun to go. I can't promise I won't be affected by your allure, but I will likely be ok and we both know it won't mean anything. You looked really excited when Cedric and I first mentioned it. Is there something I am missing?"

"Harry, I want to tell you, but…" Fleur started to choke up. She simply couldn't get the words out.

"Fleur, do you want to go to the ball? Forget about everything else for a moment."

"Yes, I do. It sounds fun."

"I agree," Harry said with a smile. "I was looking forward to going before my breakup, and to be honest, once you and Cedric brought up the idea of the two of us going, it was the first time I had looked forward to it since the first task." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, and Fleur could tell he was being very careful with his words. "Fleur, are you worried that if we go I might fall under your allure and it will ruin any chance we have to be friends?"

"Yes," Fleur lied. Harry muttered something Fleur couldn't hear. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear that."

"Well, you mentioned my master earlier today. He always tried to convince me that lying is bad and that you should always tell the truth when you can. My other master vehemently disagreed, and while the truth and I are not great friends most of the time, it might be time to share some secrets. Can you trust me for a second?" Harry looked Fleur dead in the eyes. "Hit me with every ounce of allure you can Fleur. 100%."

Fleur nodded. She always held her allure in check, and to use her active allure she usually loosened her control. This time though, she went deeper. There was no control, and Fleur felt herself begin to get a little caught up in the pure power of the allure. She felt it flow over Harry, and then felt a jarring sensation. It had been a long time since she had totally let loose but then she ran into an ironclad wall. She clattered to the floor, her mind stunned by the pushback.

"Fleur!" Harry dropped to the floor and helped her up. "Please tell me I didn't hurt you! I promise I didn't-"

"Harry, I'm fine," Fleur said, interrupting his worried rambling. "More surprised than hurt. How did you do that?"

"It's a technique called occlumency," Harry explained.

"I know what occlumency is," Fleur countered. "It can help with resisting allure, but it can't throw it off like you just did."

"Well, my martial arts training increased my mental discipline." Harry shrugged a bit. "The Hayashi style of mental training doesn't give you occlumency as a protection against someone reading your mind. It gives you total control of your mind. Any type of mind control, whether it be spell, potion, or allure won't work on me or anyone else who learns Hayashi mind self-control. I can resist it and even fight back against it."

"So you aren't naturally resistant to allure?" Fleur asked, both relieved and disappointed. "Anyone could train to be like you?"

"Well, now we get into secret territory, but we are already through the looking glass, so to speak." Fleur looked at him blankly, confused by his wording. "That's from a famous book, but that's not important. What's important is that the skill I learned is not all that easy to learn. In fact, for the majority of people, it's downright impossible. I have only been learning it for 6 months, and I am already have more mental strength than Akira. My master said it was my greatest strength. Without my training, I might not be able to resist your full active allure. But even untrained, I'd have a chance."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you have two secrets of mine," Harry told Fleur. "First, masters of the Hayashi style are nearly impervious to any type of mind control. Second, I'm unusually resistant. Chances are that even if I hadn't trained, I could resist your active allure, even if I couldn't forcefully throw it off like I just did. That was just for effect, to let you know that if you are worried about me losing control, you don't have to worry. I can promise I will be a gentleman, and I will keep eye contact the whole night."

"Really?" Fleur asked. But in her heart of hearts, she knew she was in trouble the moment she met Harry's eyes what felt like years ago. Love was such a serious and powerful word, and if it was any other situation, she would stay away from that word like it was a disease. But this was not a normal situation. It had always been there.

"Really." Harry said. "So what do you say, Fleur? Would you like to go to the ball with me?"

It had been there before Harry had trusted her with his secret. It had been before he had dueled with a dragon or saved her life. It was before she knew all about what an amazing person he was. It had been there the moment he avoided her allure on Halloween. A curiosity she could not stop, a desire to know more about this man who couldn't be bothered by her allure.

Her magic had known in that moment. Her magic was surprising gracious, and it gave her time to come to terms with what was guaranteed. Fleur didn't know what the future held, but for the first time in a long time, since her mother had told her what her future might hold, Fleur felt real hope, and another feeling, one she had never felt before. It had been both gradual as a gentle rainstorm and as sudden as a thunderbolt. There was no one else she could go to the ball with, even if there were other options. The moment she saw those emerald eyes in the great hall after Dumbledore called her name, there was only one thing she could think about, that invaded her every waking thought. The eyes had introduced her to a man who was kind, brave, and noble.

People who didn't understand how her powers worked might think she was confused because he had saved her life, or maybe because he was famous. Others might think she was entranced because he was a champion. But Fleur had met famous and powerful men her age before. Now, nothing else mattered as she looked into those green eyes.

"So?" Harry asked again.

"I would love to, Harry." There was no reason left to fight. In fact, Fleur didn't want to fight. Fleur Delacour knew, in that moment, that against all odds, she was falling in love with Harry.