[a/n]Sequel to HDD#239: Harry swore Unbreakable prior to GoF Champion drawing. Death warning
Harry Does Different CCCDXXVI
Unbreakable Broke
"Heya Harry, got a letter from Auntie that has a few words for you." Susan Bones sat at the Gryffindor table. This was just a few days after Harry's bombshell announcement, and her participation therein.
Ron, still angry at his friend's betrayal, glared at her "Bloody duffer's got no place here. Can't you see we're studying?"
"You study? Since when?" retorted Harry, loudly enough for many others to hear "Or do you mean copying Hermione's answers?" That was where the dispute ended because they came under the scrutiny of a couple of professors.
Susan made no remark, just telling her more than friend "She'll be here for the First Task. And not just about the Tournament. She mentions something about broom closets too."
"Oh? Oh! Uhmm… what should I say?" he had a hint of red in his cheeks.
Fred and George crowed "Go Potter!" while Colin shot a picture.
"Well Auntie can't be lied to." The Hufflepuff remarked, freckles disappearing in the red "But she won't be too hard, I don't think, after all we'll just explain it takes two to tango."
He smirked at her, stood and offered a hand "What say we get in a little before she gets here?"
"I'm all yours." The redhead girl let the raven boy pull her up "Well…maybe not ALL." Cheers and hoots followed them out of the Hall.
Abcij
The morning of the First Task was a bleak, cold day. It was matched by the chill reception given by one of the judges to Amelia Bones, who said "You know full well I was paroled without conditions. I'll not be imprisoned again."
"Igor Karkaroff." Her tone and expression were stony, her hand on her wand "You would do well to remember that it was a parole and NOT an exoneration. Two VERY different things."
Dumbledore interjected "Now now Amelia, I count Igor as a good friend now. And surely he did enough good to make up for his wrongs. I know Augusta was well pleased."
"Be that as it may, I am here as neither a Ministry representative, nor even in my capacity as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. No, I am here merely as a spectator and to visit my niece. And incidentally, ensure a certain young celebrity of ours doesn't get himself in trouble. Though I will enjoy playing the intimidating parent role. If you will excuse me." Until she was out of sight she neither took her hand off her wand, nor took her eyes off the Durmstrang headmaster.
Abcij
The third, unsuspected, Death Eater in the castle had spent a particularly restless night pondering a major problem. His master's plan was imperiled by the Potter brat's intransigence concerning the Tournament. Not only did the boy have to participate, he HAD to win. No persuasion or cajolery, or even the promise of enough House Points to guarantee the House Cup, could get him to renounce his oath. The day of the Task left Barty Crouch Jr. with only one viable scheme. Professor Moody, wand in hand, left his quarters in search of Harry Potter.
Abcij
"C'mon Sue, just a quick snog." Harry had become rather single-minded with his free time "It's at least an hour before the Task."
Though Hufflepuff was a solid bloc behind their Champion, only a few true fanatics refused to accept the worth of Harry's oath. But Susan's choice of boyfriend was …ahhh… unpopular. It was only with pretend reluctance, she allowed him to pull her into a hiding spot behind an especially large tree. "You, Harry Potter, are obsessed."
"Shut up." He hissed into her neck. Then he demonstrated his reflexes and wand skill by spinning her around, pushing her over, firing a cushioning charm to provide a safe landing, and pounce.
A few minutes later, Susan was only barely resisting her boyfriend's groping. And actually doing a bit of her own. She moaned at the first full-on cupping of her breast. A moan escaped her lips "Oh! Harry!"
"Well Well Well if I were Snape I'd deduct points and hand out a liberal bunch of detentions." Said a raspy voice, accompanied by a clop…thump…and a snapped branch.
Harry reacted with impressive speed, rolling off his girlfriend and looking up "See, what it is - - - AHHHHH!"
"Crucio!" cut off the boy's pathetic attempt at an excuse "Have to agree with Filch. I love the screams. Silencio! You too, my dear. Crucio! Ahh, even better. Eh Potter?"
Susan cried out in agony. Her Aunt might have been a hardened professional, but SHE was a young schoolgirl. She twisted and writhed under the purple haze until her torturer deigned to cease.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry rolled over and fired a spell. It was weak and off target. "Please Professor Moody!" he gasped.
The DADA teacher snorted in disgust "Stupid boy. Oh well. Avada Kedavra! Now back to you. Crucio!"
Harry didn't have the time to absorb his girlfriend's death before he was howling. Every nerve was on fire. And he could only suffer.
"Imperio!" the disguised Barty fired "Now, obey me!"
The first time, in the classroom, Harry was healthy and able to concentrate. This time, after whole minutes under the Cruciatus, never mind being unable to prevent Susan's murder, he was completely unable to resist. He complied and got to his feet, followed his master.
Abcij
"The Common Welsh Green, Miss Delacour." Ludo Bagman told assembled judges after the Beauxbatons Champion pulled out her dragon.
No one particularly noticed the glassy-eyed countenance of Harry Potter as he burst into the tent, quickly followed by Alastair Moody. He did nothing, so the selection ceremony went on. Deep down Harry was struggling against the mental control, but he just couldn't assemble the will to break Barty's control. He gave Headmaster Karkaroff a shove and sneered "I'm better than any of this lot." He reached into the bag and snatched up a tiny dragon "Hmpf! A Horntail."
"Arrogant fils!" declared Madam Maxime
But any other comment was put off by what happened next. Harry grunted and collapsed, lying on the tent floor completely inert. That was not half as disrupting as the violence of Professor Moody. He screamed, swung his walking stick about, ripped off his artificial eye. He looked around, unable to focus on anything and howled. The others in the tent could only watch, even Madam Pomfrey when she was called in could do nothing to alleviate his suffering. The Task was postponed as it took most of a day for the suffering wizard to die.
Abcij
"Easy there mate. Been a long couple days." A voice invaded Harry's slow return to awareness.
The patient's eyes flew open. Without his glasses, he couldn't see properly enough so his punch bounced off his target's shoulder as he snarled "Not been mates for months, prick. Bugger off!"
"Told you that might not go well, Ronald." Said Hermione.
The school Healer, warned of her patient's awakening took over "Mr. Potter! Focus on me. Where are you? When is it?"
"Day of the Task?" Harry was unsure, but he only looked at her "Madam Pomfrey? Hospital. Again. Susan! Moody!"
That was when another spoke. This time an older witch who spoke emotionlessly "Yes, I would like to know what happened to my niece."
"Madam Bones. We were - - - wait, how'd I get here?" Harry's brain was only just beginning to work "Let's …ahh… see, uhhmm- - -"
Ron cut in, wrestling with Hermione "What was that about? Thought we were friends!"
"Petrificus totalis!" Amelia had no patience for the boy and dismissed him from thought before he even hit the floor "And shut up, Albus. Now then, Mr. Potter, it has been almost three days and our understanding of what happened has been at a standstill. As both an Auror and a parent, I need answers. I have a dead niece and this school had a dead Death Eater who was impersonating a Professor, and no way to connect the two." The young wizard's heartbroken look told her all she needed to know, but the Auror needed details.
Harry nodded and spoke hesitantly but briefly "We were heading for the Task …uhh… me and Suzy that is. We …err… got sidetracked and went into a knoll. Then, kissing, Moody interrupted us. Used the Cruciatus on me, then her, me again. He used the Avada on Suzy and that's the last thing I remember. She's really dead?"
"Oh my!" Amelia's professional demeanor broke down and tears ran down her cheeks.
Dumbledore put the pieces together "I think that clears things up. Barty Crouch the younger was impersonating Alastair - - -"
"Your close friend? Falling down on the job, Albus?" Madam Bones suddenly sneered. To which Hermione gasped.
The Headmaster continued after a beat "Amelia please, no recriminations, rather remarkable he managed to catch and keep a master Auror under wraps for so long. Particularly one as paranoid as Alastair. I will admit to being most distressed at the horrible way Barty died."
"No deflections, Headmaster." Her tone was cold "Harry was obviously correct. Voldemort was out there …somewhere… and was planning to kill him. You will not chastise me! or him! for taking action without consulting you. The ONLY regret I see is an innocent girl is dead. That, and the concern I wasted watching him die. We should have sold tickets."
To this the old wizard frowned "Most callous, Amelia. You witnessed Barty's death. Even the most uncompassionate among us would have nightmares."
"Compassion? Mine died with Susan. Harry, I certainly would not have approved of marriage at your age, but I would be honored if you stood as Susan's husband for the funeral. Which will be tomorrow, assuming Headmaster, that is you do not object to the use of the Great Hall?" if there was any doubt as to how she felt, Amelia's hate was almost palpable as she turned and walked out.
Abcij
Harry listened as Susan's closest friend extolled her virtues. Hannah Abbott hadn't exactly supported their relationship, but even her rather neutral stance seemed, to Harry, a subtle sneer. Though that might have to do with the hostile looks, and speeches, of several Hufflepuffs.
"I wish to thank Headmaster Dumbledore for allowing this tribute." Amelia Bones hid her real feelings behind a political mask "I can think of no more appropriate place than Hogwarts Hall. Several of Susan's friends made note of Mister Harry Potter's presence among our family. I assure you this was at my request as Head of House Bones, and as I told him fourteen is certainly too young to be married. But then again, fourteen is far too young to be dead. It is customary for the deceased's spouse to have the final word. Harry? Please?"
The months since the announcement of his attempted forced drafting into the TriWizard Tournament had taught Harry much about the press and more than ever public perception. He honestly didn't know if they would have become husband and wife, but Susan's murder left him very angry. Harry began by formally embracing Amelia "Thank you, Madam Bones, for this honor."
"It is no less than you deserve, Harry. And I am Amelia, or Auntie to you." She replied, turning the embrace into a familial hug.
On his way to the podium, he stopped at the casket and rested a hand there for a long moment. Then he stepped up and faced the assembly beginning nervously "Ahem…hem…teachers must go through this their first time. So many faces. I know what everyone expects me to be, but before I got to Hogwarts - - well, I may as well be as much a Muggleborn as Hermione. But I truly understand what Amelia asked of me."
"Wasn't for you she'd still be here!" a number of Hufflepuffs jeered almost as one.
Harry sighed but didn't rise to the bait "Justin Finch-Fletchley, and especially Hannah Abbott, both spoke more about her and better than I could. She should, being friends since before they could walk. I think I learned more about Susan in the past hour than I ever knew."
"What gives you the right!?" shouted Ernie McMillan.
Harry's temper flared, but a look from Amelia cooled him "I'm here to honor a wonderful witch. I don't know much about love …really… but I very much enjoyed Susan's company. All of you that are angry have every right to be. The only one with more right today is Madam Bones. I didn't know anything about Voldemort when I started here, but he's my enemy. He killed my parents and stole my childhood. I didn't know what Death Eaters were until this summer, but one stole my chance to grow up with my Godfather and another murdered my girlfriend to get me to break an Unbreakable."
"I vuld not be uzzing ze Dark Lord'z name so free." Headmaster Karkaroff warned from the front row of his contingent.
Harry sneered at him "Let me make myself clear. I saw that mark of his in the sky and I saw it on one of his followers. Guy named Pettigrew. ANYONE that has it is my enemy. If I had any say they'd all get Kissed! Actually I think what happened to Barty was pretty just!"
"I grew up with my Gran because of Death Eaters. I agree with Harry!" the usually quiet Neville shouted, though he didn't detail his situation.
Dumbledore saw the rising tensions and shouted over it "EVERYONE QUIIIIIET! Madam Bones, if you could announce the final arrangements? We will close the ceremony."
"There will be a private interment at Ossium Manor where Susan will join our ancestors. I thank all of you for your kind words. It was gratifying to see my niece was so well liked." Her voice was full of emotion.