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They searched in vain for the snake. Severus had begun making quiet inquiries in certain circles as to any whispers about the return of the Dark Lord. There were rumors but no one knew concrete facts at this time. An ill wind was certainly blowing.
It was easy to figure out what Peter Pettigrew had done to trap Harry into the Triwizard Tournament. They just couldn't figure out why. Just in case, they amped up Harry's personal defense training in both Muggle and Magical defense. After the last time Harry had been whisked away by a portkey, they had trained him in how to recognize one. They had also provided each child with their own emergency portkey that would bring them instantly and safely home.
The second task came upon them before they could blink. It had been relatively easy for Harry to decipher the message in the egg. Remus had recognized the screeching immediately. He dropped the egg into a big bowl of water, and eerie singing filled the air.
"They'll likely take a person and not a thing," Severus said, drily. "The second task of the Triwizard Tournament is usually the retrieval of a hostage. I am guessing the hostage will likely be held by the mermaids in the Black Lake, if the message in the egg is anything to go by. It would also continue the pattern of land, sea, and sky that the tasks seem to follow."
Narcissa looked around to the children and adults surrounding her with concern. Who would be taken?
Harry looked upset. "They wouldn't let the hostages be hurt, would they?"
"I'm sure they'll do all they can, Harry, but anything can happen once you're in the water," Remus said gently.
"Wait," Hermione said. "Isn't Fleur part Veela? Veela's are fire creatures. They can die if their body temperature drops too low."
"That's not fair!" Harry said, turning to his mother. "They know she's part Veela."
Narcissa was becoming upset as well. "It's not right but I have no doubt they know. It would be extremely hard to miss. There is no such thing as a part Veela. If you're born Veela, you are Veela. No less, no more."
Remus nodded. "It's like being a werewolf. You either are or you aren't."
"Exactly," said Narcissa. "How can they do this?"
Severus scoffed. "They forced a 14 year old boy to compete against adult witches and wizards in this tournament. What makes you think they care about what's fair?"
No one had an answer to that.
On a freezing cold morning in February, Harry found himself standing in a wetsuit and flippers, waiting for the buzzer to start. Harry's strategy for this leg of the competition was simple. As soon as the buzzer sounded, he got started.
The first thing Harry did was cast a bubble head charm on himself. Once that was set, he cast a warming charm. He dove quickly off the dock after that and started to swim. Once he was a few feet under water, he aimed his wand behind him and cast a blasting curse. The explosion propelled Harry quickly through the water and took very little magical energy to cast. The other contestants had a few minutes lead on Harry but he was certain he could make it up.
Harry shot through the water like a rocket, shouting confringo again and again as he sailed through the lake. As he passed over some weeds, he saw Fleur was trapped in the seaweed, being attacked by Grindylows. She seemed to be in trouble, so Harry aimed his ward towards the surface of the lake and cast a giant surge of red sparks. He didn't stop though. He kept propelling himself forward. He glanced back and saw the emergency rescue team helping Fleur up through the water. He was satisfied she'd be okay.
Harry zoomed past a quickly swimming Cedric Diggory and a half transfigured Viktor Krum. A few minutes of speeding through the water later and Harry had found the merperson village. Harry quickly swam to the center of the village and saw the hostages, tied to a sunken log, floating like they were dead in the water.
Harry almost panicked. He didn't know how they had captured his brother, Draco. Harry's entire family had tried to stick together like glue for the last 48 hours. They must have captured Draco right before the task started. His brother looked dead.
Harry remembered the conversation he'd had with his mother a few days ago.
"Harry, do you know how to tell if the hostages are still alive and in good health?"
"I can cast a first aid diagnostic on them?" Harry replied.
"Good, what else can you do?" Narcissa asked.
"I can check their eyes. If they gave them Draught of the Living Death, their eyes will be dilated and won't react to light."
"That's very good. What else can you do?"
Harry thought long and hard. Hermione piped up.
"I know. You can check their skin! The most likely spell they'll use is Arresto Corporis. It stops all the body's processes and puts the patient into a magical coma. They wouldn't need to breathe or anything while they were using that spell!"
"Excellent, Hermione. That is what I suspect as well. How can you tell if this spell has been used on someone from their skin?" Narcissa praised.
"Well, their skin would appear to be waxy but their eyes would react naturally to light. Oh, but Mrs. Snape! The spell doesn't regulate body temperature!"
"That is also correct. Which means it is likely a warming charm has been cast upon them as well. Make sure you cast a new warming charm when you reach the surface. I suspect the stasis will end when you break through the surface of the lake."
Harry stared at the bodies floating before him and noticed how waxy the skin was. He cast a diagnostic charm on each person. They were all doing fine except for the little blonde girl. Her body temperature was dangerously low. Harry hurried and got to work. Their eyes were still responding naturally to light. Good, that means it's the arresto corporis spell. Harry could work with this.
Harry cut Draco free and turned to the little girl. He didn't bother with the other hostages as he knew Cedric and Viktor were on their way and their hostages were still in good health. Fleur wasn't coming for the girl that was obviously her little sister. As an older brother to several little sisters himself, he couldn't in good conscience leave the ailing girl behind.
The watching merpeople came forward and tried to stop him from cutting her loose. He cast the blasting curse at them. It pushed the merpeople back by several feet but it also obviously angered them. Harry didn't care. He grabbed the severed rope that was connected to Draco and the one connected to the girl with one hand. He cast the confringo curse at the merpeople one last time for good measure, then aimed his wand at the ground and cast the curse again, and again. He shot straight up towards the surface of the lake, dragging the two unconscious people behind him.
When Harry broke the surface, he immediately reached into his pocket to pull out a shrunken inflatable emergency raft that he had packed with him for this exact reason. They had no idea what shape the hostages would be in by the time Harry found them. They had no way of knowing if the hostages would be capable of swimming back to shore on their own. It was a good thing they had taken this precaution. There was no way the little girl could have made it.
By the time the raft was out and ready for passengers, Draco was waking up. He was well enough to hold the little girl's head above water while Harry climbed aboard the raft. He dragged the little girl up and then helped Draco into the raft. The little girl awoke in Draco's arms. He held her tight and whispered to her.
"It's alright, lovely. I've got you now. Don't worry. We'll be on the shore in just a few more minutes. You're safe now. I've got you."
The little girl let herself relax in his arms. Her eyes fluttered shut. Harry stuck his wand into the water behind them. A few more well placed confringos in the water and they were speeding towards the shore.
They were the first ones to arrive back at the dock. Harry scrambled out of the raft and turned back to help the little girl and Draco climb out as well. Once they were on the dock, Draco checked over the little girl while Harry checked over Draco. Draco saw how low the girl's body temperature was and quickly transfigured a twig into a blanket. He wrapped her tightly. Draco cast a drying and warming charm first on the girl, then onto Harry, and finally onto himself.
"Thanks for that," Harry grinned just as the judges arrived at their location on the dock. Harry spent the next five minutes arguing about how he had used magic to complete the task, even if the boat, flippers, and wetsuit he used were Muggle devices. He finally got sick of Karkaroff's arguments that he should be disqualified and turned his back on the lot of them.
While they were arguing, Draco held the girl close. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and her head resting on his shoulder. She was so tiny, she fit completely in his lap, even though she was only four years younger than him. Gabrielle Delacour might have been only ten years old, but she was plenty old enough as a Veela to recognize the spark of love she and Draco felt for one another. It was a dim spark, fed by concern and chivalry more than passion and want, but it was still a spark.
"You're my hero," she said in English. Draco just smiled down at her.
Suddenly, they heard someone yelling. "Gabrielle! Oh, Gabrielle!"
"Is that your name, lovely?" Draco whispered to her again. She giggled and nodded.
"That is my sister calling for me," Gabrielle said in French. She caught herself and started to say it again in English when Draco answered her in kind.
"Then we had best let her know where you are, lovely," Draco said, standing up with the small girl in his arms like she weighed nothing. She gasped and moved closer to his chest. She could have swooned at the feeling of the strength in his arms as he lifted her. Her heart fluttered in her chest.
Her mother saw it from the stands. She grabbed her husband's arm and pulled.
"Look Jean Claude! Our little Gabby! She has the love spark!" Her mother said excitedly. The love spark was sacred in Veela culture. It made the person immune to Veela allure and showed that their feelings were true and their own.
"Hurry! We must go down there. I would invite the young man to dinner!" She started pulling her husband through the crowd towards the dock.
Fleur got there first.
"Oh, Gabrielle! My darling, baby sister. Are you alright?" The French girl cried as she checked over her sister. Draco held the girl tightly. Fleur didn't look so good herself. Her arms and legs were covered in red welts and blisters. She was shaking so badly, Draco thought she could use a blanket as well.
"Her body temperature was dangerously low," Draco said, giving the judges a look of venom. "A young Veela should have never been left in such a situation. Did they leave her there overnight?" Draco asked, sounding furious. The girl just snuggled closer to his chest. He tightened his grip on her, comfortingly.
The judges looked uncomfortable but didn't say anything. They didn't want to implicate themselves. Draco snorted at their lack of response.
Another figure hurried up to the small group.
"Is she alright?" The man with the dragon fang tattoo asked. "I just learned they had a Veela child in that freezing cold water. Bastards. They could have killed her. May I? I have extensive first aid training." Fleur stared at the gorgeous red haired man.
"Forgive me, my name is Bill Weasley. I'm a curse breaker with Gringotts. May I?" Bill asked again. Fleur couldn't answer him. She merely blinked wide-eyed and nodded.
Bill set to work quickly. He cast a few additional charms on the little girl that had her toasty warm in moments. Draco still didn't try to put her down. She didn't make any attempts to make him, either.
Bill turned back to Fleur. "Are you alright, ma'am? You look like you could use some first aid as well. May I?" Bill asked, gently taking her hand. He thought she might be going into shock.
"Yes," Fleur answered breathily in French. "Please." Bill didn't know much French but he did know yes. He cast a few charms on Fleur and she warmed up quickly. He gently touched his wand to every mark on her arms and legs but he never took his eyes from her face. She knew. She stared into his eyes the entire time. He knelt before her to get the marks on her legs before he slowly stood.
"There you are now. Best to let Madame Pomfrey check you over as well. She's the best healer in Britain," Bill didn't notice that he had taken Fleur's hand again. She blushed and looked down. She had felt it, the love spark. She looked into Bill's eyes and saw he could feel it, too
"Would you like a blanket?" He asked her in concern.
"Yes, please," she remembered to respond in English this time.
He was just wrapping the blanket around her shoulders when Fleur's and Gabrielle's mother and father arrived on the dock. Apolline Delacour stopped in her tracks and covered her mouth with her hand.
"Both of them, my darling. Both of them!" She practically squeed at her husband. This was a happy day indeed if both of her children found a love spark. She rushed forward to introduce herself.
"My darlings! Are you alright?" She asked, hurriedly looking over both her children for injuries. Both girls were whole and hale, much to Apolline's delight.
"We are now, mother. Our rescuers have taken good care of us," Fleur said with a shy smile at Bill. He grinned in return. Harry came back over to the group.
"Here is our true hero," Draco said dramatically. "Harry here saved us all."
"Yes," Fleur said, reluctantly. "You are the one who sent up the red sparks for me, no?"
Harry nodded distractedly at Fleur. He was too busy searching the stands for his family, Neville, and Hermione. He wouldn't find them. They were already on their way down to him. It just takes a little longer to move upwards of 15 people, including four toddlers, through a crowd.
"And you saved our little Gabrielle?" Apolline gushed. She kissed both of Harry's cheeks, making him blush.
"It was nothing," Harry muttered moving a little ways away from the enthusiastic woman. Apolline just couldn't control her exuberance with so much potential love in the air.
"Please, let me invite both your families to dine with ours tonight. I must insist," Apolline said, smiling at Draco and Bill. They both looked immediately uncomfortable.
"I have a rather large family, Mrs. Delacour, I presume?" Bill said, gently.
"How rude of me. I am Apolline Delacour and this is my husband, Jean Claude Delacour. It is our pleasure to meet you. I assure you the more the merrier Mr.?"
Bill's eyes bugged out of his head. "Jean Claude Delacour, the French Minister of Magic?"
Jean Claude laughed. It was good to see the young man discomfited. He held out his hand to shake. "That I am. A pleasure to meet you …?"
"Weasley, William. Bill. Weasley, that is. Bill Weasley," Apolline's laughter tinkled like bells.
"It is our pleasure to meet you, Mr. Weasley." Apolline turned to Draco.
"Draco Black, Scion of the House of Malfoy, at your service. Our hero is my brother, Harry Black, Scion of the House of Potter and Black. It is our pleasure to make your acquaintance," Draco said with a small bow of his head.
"A pleasure, Misters Black," Apolline said, excitedly. "Please say you will come to dinner?"
"Mrs. Delacour, we would be delighted. However, we must warn you that our own family is also quite large. Tonight, if you include the youngest children, our party contains 17 people. Of course, the youngest four of us are just toddlers. We would certainly leave them behind but that still leaves 13 of us, including our three guests for the night," Draco said, gently.
Bill piped up, "There are 9 of us, including Percy's date for the evening."
"Lovely! Apolline said. "That would leave us with an even party of 25 people. With my husband at the head of the table, that leaves 12 dining pairs. Perfect." She was practically beaming. "We have plenty of room in the formal dining room. Would 7pm work for you?"
"I'd have to ask my mother," Harry hedged. He kind of just wanted to spend the rest of the evening alone with Hermione.
"Ask me what, darling?" Narcissa asked as she came up to Harry and Draco, holding little April in her arms. She checked Harry and Draco over quickly and kissed both boys on the cheek before turning to the new friends standing on the dock. Narcissa couldn't help but notice the cozy picture Draco and the young girl in his arms presented. She raised her eyebrow at her son; he merely smirked and settled the girl more firmly in his arms.
The introductions were quickly made and the dinner invitation extended.
Narcissa looked to Severus, then to the other adults in the group. All looked amenable so Narcissa easily agreed.
"We'd be delighted to join your family for dinner. 7pm, you say? That should be perfect. The little one's will be tucked away for the night by then."
Apolline smiled sweetly at the three baby girls and one baby boy wrapped in their parents arms.
"They are so precious. You have been abundantly blessed. It is too bad the little ones cannot come, too. I'd love to show them a proper cuddle," the woman said, smiling at Narcissa. Narcissa smiled back.
"Perhaps there will be time for that before your visit with our country is through. If you are around in April, perhaps you could join us for the joint birthday party for two of these little ones. It's always a joy to see children enjoying themselves," Narcissa offered, kindly. It didn't hurt that the French Minister of Magic was a very important man. His attendance at one of their parties would be a true delight.
"We'd love to," Apolline beamed at Narcissa. She could tell she would like this woman very much.
Dinner time was upon them soon. To the delight of Apolline, the Weasleys were also able to attend the dinner. Everyone had a lovely time and the bonds of friendship were formed. Gabrielle, Jazz, Lily, Chryssie, and Ginny Wealsey were all around the same age. They ran from room to room giggling about Harry and Draco. Gabrielle was lucky to be Draco's dinner partner. He had spoken kindly with her throughout the night. He found it easy to talk to young girls, with so many sisters around that age floating about.
Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Neville stuck together like glue while the adults chatted. Fleur, Bill, Remus, and Tonks talked about Gringotts. It turned out that Fleur was considering an internship with Gringotts for next year, to help her better her skills with the English language. Bill offered to put in a good word for her, if she wanted to list him as a reference. The young man was already plotting in his mind to get the beautiful witch on his team next year. A few people owed him favors. He could make it happen.
Arthur Weasley, Sirius, and Jean Claude Delacour spent the entire evening talking about the vehicles that they had rebuilt and made magical. Narcissa, Charity, Apolline, and Molly had talked mostly about their children. Dinner had gone well, even if Apolline felt she had more in common with Narcissa than with Molly. Narcissa had to agree with Apolline, even if she was able to bond with Molly over having such a large family. Molly couldn't seem to get over the station Apolline held in life or the rumored past of Narcissa's late husband. It stifled the connection. Still, everyone had a lovely time. After dinner drinks were had on the veranda, then everyone headed home for the night. It had been a long, enjoyable, day.
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