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Cedric, like pretty much all other Wizard-raised folk, was wary of Veela. Their allure made them almost irresistible, but the knowledge of the deadliness of their tears should it make contact, often helped them overcome the initial attraction. Yet, for the last week or so, he had been watching how a whole group of students from all schools and houses cloistered protectively around Fleur and Gabrielle.
So when Fleur and Viktor had approached him, he seemed braced and wary, but he was at least not bolting as soon as she got closer than ten feet. The Veela took that as a good sign, and soon, he was helping the other two senior champions train up the three junior champions, Harry, Bob and Rosanna.
Nevertheless, Cedric always had Viktor standing between himself and Fleur...just to be safe, the girl surmised in bemusement.
Viktor shared the bemused expression, as he often gave Fleur a look, then did his best to guide Bob, who drove the Bulgarian Quidditch star to madness with his lack of attention, yet, after one try, he'd get the spells right.
"I think sometimes," said Viktor under his breath, "he acts stupid just to annoy me."
Only Fleur heard him, and she tried to encourage him.
While technically each of them were training the one from their own school, by silent agreement, they all took turns to show each junior champ something from their own schools which they might not know about. Fleur for her part was quite shocked to know that Harry could cast a Patronus Charm.
"But that is usually not taught to us until we are seventeen!" exclaimed the Veela, "Do you all learn it by Third Year?"
Harry laughed, then shook his head, "No...it was a...unique situation, for me."
He didn't offer much more than that, but Fleur suspected that there was a heck of a story that went with it.
As open as he could sometimes be, Harry was also a guarded enigma. There were things he would not willingly talk about, and as much as Fleur could understand secrecy, she found that she was quite greedy when it came to knowing about other people. Thanks to a lack of social interactions for a large part of her life, proper social interactions, Fleur felt like she came off as surprisingly pushy, or a inconsiderate brat.
It was funny. Not too long ago, she craved nothing more than friendship, and always imagined it would be happily ever after from there on.
Instead, it just added layers of complications and confusion.
Quickly bringing herself out of her personal musing, Fleur whispered to Harry, "It might be a good idea to help Bob and Rosanna learn it too if possible."
Though she had her doubts they'd manage anything more than a shield of mist, especially Bob, but he had more than once shown surprising brilliance. Maybe this was what allowed the dope to continue to pass through each year, despite his seeming stupidity.
When she locked eyes with said boy, his eyes briefly lost that dopey look, and there was a glint that made Fleur blink to make sure she hadn't imagined it, and then, it was gone, replaced with his usual veneer of obliviousness.
What in the world...? Thought Fleur.
Maybe there was something to what Viktor suspected about the boy.
She saw Harry was taking her suggestion to heart and had started talking to Bob and Rosanna while she, Viktor and Cedric took a short break. "Think and hold on to the happiest thought you can think of," she heard him say, "and then move your wand like this, and cast the spell, Expecto Petronum!"
As he cast it, Fleur watched in amazement as a majestic stag emerged and began to prance around the room. It swung its massive antlers in a threatening manner, then looked around, seeing no threats, it stood still for a minute, then finally vanished.
"Izklyuchitelen!" breathed Viktor as he sat up, his tone one of amazement.
"Wow," said Cedric, looking equally shocked, "I'd heard that you can cast the spell, but actually seeing it myself is something else."
"But it needs a happy thought, yes?" asked Rosanna, with a nervous look.
"Yeah, the happier, the better." answer Harry.
"That will be a bit harder than you'd believe." said Rosanna.
This made Fleur curious again. Why would Rosanna have a hard time with the Patronus in regards to the memory? No doubt, Fleur had to cheat a little to make it possible...oh that's it!
"Actually," said Fleur, drawing closer to the three younger students, "you just need to be really happy to cast the charm."
"And you'd need a happy memory to feel happy," said Rosanna, "I'm not sure potting flowers with my mama is quite happy enough."
Fleur smiled, then said, "A very powerful Cheering Charm can achieve similar results."
Harry looked like a lightbulb went off in his head and then his next expression said he felt like kicking himself. "I could have done with knowing that last year," he muttered.
"What happened last year?" asked Fleur, hoping she didn't sound too eager to know.
Harry looked at her, then at Rosanna, and then at Bob, who was in the process of poking his own eyes with his fingers.
"Dementors," said Harry simply, "a lot of them. I had been learning the Patronus from the last Defense Professor...it came in handy. Saved me, Hermione and my godfather."
Fleur remembered something about Dementors being placed around Hogwarts, and she widened her eyes, "How terrible. But I'm glad you were able to cast the spell then." said Fleur.
"Yeah, me too..." replied Harry, "But is it really necessary for Rose and Bob to learn it too? They aren't going to bring dementors into the task, are they?!"
Fleur shook her head, "No, I don't think they would, but it does not hurt to be prepared, yes? Plus it is useful for sending messages."
"What?" Harry looked at her in astonishment.
"The Patronus, is not only for defense against dementors and lethifolds, but can also be used as messenger." said Viktor, joining the conversation, and Cedric joined them.
Rosanna paid keen attention, but Harry blinked and shook his head, "Okay, I didn't know this, and...what's a lethifold?"
"Tangentially related to Dementors," said Cedric, "they roam the tropics and can only be repulsed by the Patronus Charm. Very dangerous."
Harry sighed, "I think at this point, it'd be easier to list down what's not dangerous in the magical world. Just once, can there be some creature that isn't likely to kill you? Maybe a tickle monster, for a change?"
"Speak for yourself," said Rosanna, clutching her sides protectively, "I'm way too ticklish to survive an encounter with one."
Her eyes went up to Bob, "Hey...Bob? What's that on your head?"
Bob didn't register the question, but Harry looked up and chuckled, "It's just a hamgon."
"A what?"
"It's...a cross between a hamster and a dragon. I don't know how, please don't ask me."
Rosanna, Fleur and Viktor all looked at the hamgon, cleaning itself, with a mixture of wonder, and concern.
"Can it breathe...?" started Fleur, and Harry finished with, "...yes."
Great, there was a fire-breathing rodent on top of the most oblivious boy's head.
She was about to say more when Olympe appeared, "Miss Delacour."
"Madame?"
"Please, come with me."
Exchanging looks with the others a moment, she left the classroom, following in the giantess' wake, "Headmistress, what is it?" asked the girl.
"I wanted to talk with you," said Olympe, "I can't help but notice that you are not only training Miss Lopez, but also the competition."
"Having Rosanna, Bob and Harry complicates the situation," said Fleur, "they're far younger, and need all the help they can get. They only stand to benefit from the guidance of all three schools."
Olympe regarded Fleur with a scrutinizing look as they slowly walked down the corridor leading further away from the classroom. After some time, she smiled and nodded, "It can't be helped, I suppose," she mused, "but I will say I am proud, and so very sorry."
She placed a hand on Fleur's shoulder, causing the girl to stop and look at the woman's large hand in surprise. She saw the girl's surprise and smiled wistfully, "I have not been a good Headmistress, not to you. It took a horrible moment in time to wake me up to how I was treating someone with a unique situation, one...that I share...in a way. I promise you this, Miss Delacour, I will not repeat my mistakes with your sister."
Fleur glanced between the Headmistress's face and the hand still on her shoulder, again and again. Olympe did not even tremble. There was nothing but sorrow and regret on her face, and it touched Fleur deeply. Gently grasping the woman's hand with her own, Fleur smiled up at her and said, "That means a great deal to me and my family, Madame. I thank you, very much."
Nodding with relief and joy, Olympe removed her hand and then whispered, "At midnight, tonight, I am meeting the very handsome Hogwarts groundskeeper. You know how to be stealthy?"
"Yes, Headmistress. But wh-"
"You will find us near Mr. Hagrid's hut, we will be going into the Forbidden Forest. Follow us at a distance. You will understand why shortly."
She nodded once more at Fleur, and then left the Veela at the top of the staircase, and the girl blinked in bewilderment.
She was going to be busy tonight, it seemed. Better let Gabrielle know.
~ O ~
Midnight came quickly, and to Fleur's embarrassment, it was Gabrielle who had woken her up to remind her to get going, before going back to sleep. She had continued training a little more with the others, and to everyone's delight, Rosanna had managed an incorporeal Patronus for a few seconds. The three Cheering Charms certainly helped her out. She was almost giddy with happiness.
Nobody wanted to talk about what the hell came out of Bob's wand, but it was definitely corporeal, and frankly nobody wanted to think about what the boy's Patronus was.
He snorted, laughed and spoke in that dopey tone of his, but everyone decided only Rosanna needed to practice the charm. Bob had mastered it, somehow, and they could move on happily and very eagerly, to other things.
She wore a simple grey-green sweater, form-fitting shadowy trousers, and shin-high earthen-coloured boots. To increase the stealth factor, she threw the Disillusionment charm on herself, and snuck out of the carriage.
She was slightly early, it seemed, since Hagrid appeared to be still waiting for Olympe to arrive. She decided to take a close look at the Hogwarts Groundskeeper. He certainly wasn't conventionally handsome, but he had a surprising gentleness to his features and beady eyes. And there was an air of innocence around him. Maybe she ought to ask Harry about the man.
But whatever the case, she wished Hagrid and Olympe all the best. They were both seemingly made for each other, given their size and heritage. When she saw her Headmistress walking towards them, Fleur quickly backed up and moved out of the way, only, she tripped over something invisible, and heard a soft grunt of pain.
Fleur stifled a surprised yelp, but both Hagrid and Olympe glanced in Fleur's direction, and then they looked at each other and smiled, "Funneh sorts of creatures abou'," said Hagrid, "Up'n all times too!"
"Indeed," said Olympe, and she nestled her arm in the crook of his elbow, having a idle chat as they took large strides past Fleur. Olympe glanced behind Hagrid at where she thought Fleur was and frowned, then returned to talking to the man.
Once they were fair distance, Fleur grasped at the invisible person next to her, "Who is it?" demanded the Veela.
"Harry," said the resigned boy, and he lifted the hood of his cloak, making his head visible.
"What are you doing here?!" asked Fleur.
"Hagrid asked me to meet him tonight and follow him into the forest." answered Harry. "Let me guess, your Headmistress told you to do the same thing?"
"Harry?" said Viktor, or at least, it was Viktor's voice.
With a sigh, Harry lowered his hood, disappearing from sight, but he spoke, "Let me guess, Headmaster Karkaroff told you to meet him in the Forbidden Forest?"
There was silence for a long moment, then Viktor must have realized no one could see him nodding, "Yes...I guess you are here too, Miss Delacour?"
"Oui, and just call me Fleur, please." said Fleur.
"We'd better follow them," said Harry, "before they get too far away."
The three invisible champions soon traipsed after the two half-giants as quietly as they could. They soon found out just what the tournament had in store for them.
"Dragons?!" whispered Harry in a harsh tone. "They want us to fight Dragons?!"
Fleur didn't respond. But now they had a few days to device a plan to defeat dragons in their very first task.
She really wished she didn't get picked for this damned tournament now.