Chapter 5: Facing the Inevitable
November 2, 1994
Time: 8:35 p.m.
Saturday
The young auburn-haired boy stared at the letter in his hand that he had received earlier. It read:
Sir/Madam,
Thank you for not believing the rubbish that was published in that rag called 'Daily Prophet' and writing to me. To be honest, I really don't know much about my family history. I only know that my family was an old pureblood House formed after the Norman conquest and we have seats in the Wizengamot.
About the questions you have asked me, please believe me, I truly did not place my name for the Goblet of Fire nor did I ask anybody to do so in my place. No one in this school, apart from a friend of mine, is neither believing me nor ready to even listen to me. Even the teachers are not caring about my wellbeing anymore.
Every time, someone or the other is always trying to hex me from the back whenever I am in public. Even the teachers are turning a blind eye to such situations.
I have no idea who could have entered my name in tournament. Since I have entered the wizarding, at least four murder attempts have already took place against me. First year: while saving the philosopher's stone, second year: a basilisk, third year: a supposedly mass murderer and a werewolf, and now in the Fourth year: this damn Tournament of Death. I am fed up of continuously fighting for everybody.
For once I had hoped to be a normal teenager and live like one, but again I have had lost such an opportunity.
I am ready to accept any kind of help. Please just save me. Hope to see you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Harry Potter
P.S. Whoever you are please help me, I beg you!
The auburn-hair continued to stare at the letter with a cold, steely gaze that could even freeze the Hell Fire.
'The nerve of the British magicals!' He seethed. 'They robbed the boy of his childhood and now forces him to participate in this wretched tournament.'
He looked at the other contents of the letter.
'Philosopher's stone? What the hell a philosopher's stone was doing in a castle full of children? And basilisk?! A supposedly mass murderer… hmm… Sirius Black case…I see…but what does he mean by 'supposedly'?...will have to look into the matter later... And the hell did a basilisk not go unnoticed?! Is this a school or what!'
"I will not tolerate this!" The young man growled out loudly.
He opened his palm and muttered, "Expecto Patronum..." and ten Dragon patronus appeared from his hand.
"Our Cadet Family in Great Britain is in mortal peril. Prepare yourselves to save our kin. Make travel preparations for Great Britain by the end of this week. It is a direct order from the Head of the Grand Family!"
The auburn-haired boy was glowing with a visible vermillion aura.
Seven of the nine patronus went away in different directions and disappeared into the thin air.
He turned towards the other two, "Tatsuya, Miyuki, Artemis...wherever you are come to Avalon immediately...I need your help to protect the last surviving member of our Cadet Family in Great Britain…"
The remaining three patronus also flew away.
"Don't worry Harry, we are coming to your aid soon..." the young man said to himself.
November 4, 1994
Time: 8:05 a.m.
Monday
Finally, Monday arrived, the day both the two of outcasts of Hogwarts were dreading.
Susan and Harry nervously went down the hall early. They both knew that a confrontation was inevitable so they decided not to postpone it much longer.
They arrived at the Hall together.
Instantly the entire Hall grew silent. All the occupants of the Hall were looking at them with surprise, confusion, and...contempt.
The Hall bursted into whispers discussing what they had just seen.
Harry sighed and nudged Susan to move forward. Both sat at the far end in the Gryffindor table.
The other Gryffindors moved away from them as if both Susan and Harry were carrying a contagious disease.
Both quickly grabbed some sandwiches from a nearby plate and started eating. Some of the Gryffindors were giving him angry stares, but neither Harry nor Susan paid them any heed.
Harry asked, "Susan which classes do you think we should attend?"
Susan seemed a bit thoughtful and then said, "I think we should just attend DADA and Charms." Harry looked gob smacked.
"Sue?" Harry started, "Only these two? We have O.W.L.S. next year!"
Susan smiled ruefully, "Don't you think that we should concentrate more on your survival this year first?" Harry averted his eyes forgetting that this year might be his last year in Hogwarts and also in the world of living...
Susan continued, "Anyways...remaining subjects we can self-study ourselves. I have no interest in attending Potions because Snape teaches, neither History of Magic which is useless, Transfiguration we can well do by ourselves and Herbology...we don't need it..." Susan trailed off.
Harry gave her a questioning glance, "Why I thought that you loved Herbology?" Susan hesitated a bit and then said, "Professor Sprout...and I had a bit of...verbal confrontations...and from then...let's say, we are not much in good terms..."
Harry said, "Do you want to talk about it?" Susan hesitated a bit and then recounted her tale...
Flashback
The day after Susan was kicked out of her House, she approached Professor Sprout after that day's Herbology class.
"Professor Sprout, may I have a word?" Susan asked. Professor Sprout looked at her with a look of annoyance.
"Yes, Miss Bones?" She asked.
Susan gulped and slowly recounted her tale of the previous night. During the entire time, Susan had noticed that Professor Sprout had maintained a look of indifference mixed with a bit annoyance. She suspected that Sprout knew about the entire matter.
After Susan had finished her tale, Sprout asked, "And what do you expect me to do?" a bit annoyed.
Susan looked aghast. She had never thought that the lovely Professor Sprout would even turn a blind the eye towards one of her Badgers.
"I thought you could make them see my point" Susan tried once more but the look of annoyance that she received from her favourite teacher told her nothing would happen.
Professor Sprout took a deep breath and said, "Miss Bones, my hands are tied in this matter. If your House mates do not accept you, I cannot force anyone to make you accept. Besides..." she gave her a look of disappointment and said, "You should not have betrayed your House...after all being in the House of Loyalty..."
Tears were threatening to come out of her eyes but she composed herself.
Susan remained silent for a while before she snapped, "Fine then! You have then finally shown your true loyalty towards one of your students." Susan grabbed her bag and walked out of the Greenhouse 4.
Before leaving she turned back and said with teary eyes, "One day you will regret for turning back to one of your students... you regret this... mark my words."
At that moment Professor Sprout considered it as a teenage tantrum. Later she would realize how her actions or rather lack of actions will be reason of her doom. ~Foreshadowing…he...he...he;)~
Flashback ends
Susan finished her tale and sighed. Harry looked at her in a new light. She, Susan Bones, his friend, had gone to such extreme just to support her friend. Harry then mentally vowed to always support and protect Susan unconditionally.
Harry repeatedly had asked Susan the previous nights to inform her Aunt, Amelia Bones (the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement), about her predicament in her House and the behavior of the teachers...but she did not listen to him.
Susan told him that her Aunt was a very person and would not have time to deal with 'school problems' especially during the Triwizard Tournament for providing Minister's security.
Harry gave a her a one-handed hug showing that he was there for her. She in turn gave him a grateful look.
At that time Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger came into the Hall and saw Harry along with Susan sitting at the Gryffindor table.
Ron's face contorted with anger and turned red. With Hermione, trailing behind him, he marched towards them.
"How dare you bloody Cheater seat with enemy at our table?!" Ron screamed and the whole Great Hall gradually grew silent, watching intently what was going to happen them.
Since his first year, Harry had tolerated enough of Ron's stupid childish attitude. He always looked the world in plain black and white. Either one is a good Gryffindor or an evil Slytherin. Nothing in between. He had no table manners or any sense of etiquette. He had tolerated his obnoxious behavior all these years because he had considered him a friend. But no more.
"Weasley..." Harry began with so much venom in his voice that made the entire Gryffindor table shudder, "You and Granger better be far away from me and Susan...or else..." he trailed of.
"Or else what you piece of scum?" Ron spat.
"Or else..." Harry continued with sinister smile that would have made brought Voldemort himself to shame, "Or else...I won't refrain from calling in the Life Debts that the two of you owe to me..."
The hall became deathly silent at this.
Different people had different reactions at hearing this. The students were stunned hearing the boy-who-lived's sudden change of attitude. Some were even amazed that Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger even owed Life Debts to him!
The teachers who had heard their conversation immediately grew tense. Dumbledore thought 'You have fallen so low to resort to such extreme means, I am very disappointed in you, Harry...'
Ron just spluttered and could not find any words while Hermione turned as white as a Hogwarts ghost.
Fred and George Weasley, decided to prevent the matter from escalating any further, dragged the spluttering Ron from the Hall (which was kind of funny if not for the situation they were all present in).
Harry and Susan grabbed their bags and headed towards the staff table. There the Transfiguration Mistress sat and had been watching the entire scene unfold.
Approaching her, Harry said, "From henceforth, Susan Bones is going to attend her classes along with me, because she believes that she is not safe alone in public places. So, she is under the protection of House Potter."
Then Susan flashed the ring in her right arm and the Potter crest on her left her signifying she was under the care and protection of House Potter.
Professor McGonnagall eyes widened and wanted to object but the moment she noticed the Potter crest on Susan's left arm, she understood she could do nothing without breaking the law.
So, she simply nodded stiffly. But Dumbledore had other plans.
"Surely Mr. Potter there is nothing that can harm you and Miss Bones as long as you are within the castle grounds." Dumbledore said with his eyes twinkling.
Harry had to suppress his urge of hexing Dumbledore to eternity.
In turn he just calmly said, "Whether Hogwarts is safe or not may be debated another day, but if you prevent Susan and me from staying together, repercussions will be severe..."
Snape chose that particular moment to voice his opinion, "You insolent brat! Just like your father-"
At that moment Moody interjected, "Shut up ye sniveling bastard...ye can'ot do anything without breaking the law, ye dolt."
Snape, finding nothing to say in rebuttal, began fuming.
Harry then said, "I guess this ends our discussion" he then nodded towards Moody and left the silent hall along with Susan.
In the hallway Susan asked Harry with amazement evident in her voice, "I didn't know that you knew about that particular law...where did you learn it?"
The boy-who-lived just simply smirked.
The first class was Charms. It was a class of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Both of the Houses were glaring at them.
Gryffindors were glaring at him for he was a 'stuck up attention seeker', and Hufflepuffs were throwing at him murderous glances for stealing their glory (and also for corrupting one of them).
After the class had ended, Professor Flitwick asked them to stay behind. "Mr. Potter. Miss Bones. If you would wait for a moment, please..."
After everyone had left the class Flitwick put up silencing wards and then spoke to them, "Mr. Potter, first let me assure you that I truly believe that you did not put your name in the Goblet of Fire and someone is there who wants to see you..."
Harry's eyes widened hearing this. Someone else believed him!
"You truly believe me Professor?" Harry said feeling excited.
Professor Flitwick chuckled at Harry's excitement. "Yes, yes I truly believe you Mr. Potter. But I will never understand why no one especially the teachers seem to believe you..."
Harry sighed deeply. Flitwick then continued, "Few teachers such as me, Professor Sinistra and Professor Vector are only believing you at the moment."
Harry said, "I see..."
Professor Flitwick then said, "By the way, what you did today in the Great Hall was absolutely correct. That showed that you were a person not to be crossed."
Professor Flitwick then thought for a moment and then asked "Which classes are you both going to attend?"
This time Susan replied, "Charms and DADA. Remaining subjects we can do self-study by ourselves."
Flitwick scratched his chin and then said, "Transfiguration would have surely helped you in the Tournament, but with your current standing with Minerva and the rest of your House mates...I can understand why the minimum number of classes..."
Then he looked directly at them and said, "Where the both of you are staying? From what I have heard that none of are welcome in your respective House dormitories."
Harry and Susan fidgeted a little and then she replied, "In the seventh floor... there is a room called..."
Flitwick interjected, "The Room of Requirement?"
Both nodded, a bit astonished at Flitwick's knowledge.
Flitwick nodded, "Very well..." and then sternly added, "...as long as both of you are in your best behavior, then there is no problem."
Susan and Harry both turned red and nodded weakly.
"I would have helped you to enhance your dueling and spell casting skills..." Harry raised his hopes a little but then Flitwick said, "But I cannot do so without violating my Tournament's Oath..."
Seeing Harry, a bit disheartened, Flitwick quickly added, "But I will give you some of my books that might help you in the Tournament."
Harry beamed at his Charms mentor. "Thank you, Professor."
Flitwick chuckled a bit and said, "Very well...off you two go then..."
Harry and Susan spent rest of the day in the library with occasional taunts and glares from the students.
After lunch Malfoy appeared near them and taunted them with Potter Stinks Badges. Harry snapped at him asked him to sod off. Malfoy, feeling insulted, pulled his wand and attempted to hex Harry from the back.
Keyword: attempted. Moody appeared from nowhere, and disarmed Malfoy and turned him into a ferret. (Same as the GOF Scene as per the Canon)
Harry and Susan practiced all the spells that they had learned since their first year in the Room of Requirement. After exhaustive practice for four continuous hours, they finally decided to call it a night and went to bed.
(A/N: Hi everyone, Knight of Britannia will soon be back again with another new chapter of 'Harry Potter and the House of Pendragon'. The next chapter will include some action, and some minor politicking. As usual, constructive criticism are always welcome and appreciated. will see next time...Ta ta...)