Dark Love
Chapter 9: First task
Two days later before breakfast, Harry was fuming. His elementals have told him what he was going to be facing.
Dragons, they had children, or young adults facing dragons. What moron thought that was a good idea.
Then he thought about it then decided, right, wizarding world, no common sense.
He started making plans, not bothering to think of the other champion, as what had the other boy done for him?
He started a think tank with everybody close to him besides his headmistress, as she couldn't get involved.
Although a loophole existed for him that the other champions didn't have, he was an apprentice, so he could ask for personalized training.
First plan, accelerate his illusion training to include scent, as he was currently limited to visual and auditory illusions.
Second plan, see if the wizards have any common sense, summon the damn egg.
Harry paused, and then switched the order of the plans.
Third plan, high powered blasting curses and other offensive spells, and hope he had enough damage to knockout, cripple, or kill the dragon.
The fourth plan was to try distracting them with transfigured animals. He stopped for a second then smirked, and decided to go for poisoned transfigured animals, and nudge that plan to number three.
The last plan he had was to attempt to bind the dragon, but he had little hope in that.
His girls kept throwing ideas out, but most of them were variations on the five separate plans he created.
It was then that his stomach growled and he realized that it was almost time for breakfast.
He would later wish he had found another place to eat than the great hall.
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Almost as soon as Harry stepped in the great hall he was ambushed by a familiar owl carrying a familiar red envelope.
Harry's eyes narrowed, and held his ring bearing hand up towards the owl.
Dumbledore, whom was watching, and wondering what the boy's reaction to the howler would be, was curious at why he was holding a hand towards the owl, instead of a wand.
His answer was given by Harry snarling out, "Incendio Maxima!" He had decided to use a wizarding spell instead of his apprenticeship
The envelope, with the carrying bird burst into flame, and the blackened remains of the owl hit the ground at his feet, while the envelope was ashed instantly.
The great hall went silent at the action.
Harry calmly walked to a set of empty seats and started serving himself. The girls he had were thankful that only two needed to eat as there were only two seats available. Harry was so angry that the Weasley matriarch would send a howler he didn't realize that he had sat at the Slytherin table. He only realized it when most of the great hall burst into applause. Only those with red hair weren't involved in applause.
In fact the four redheads were pissed at Harry, again, well not that they had ever stopped being so, but it had gone down to a low burn. They thought that boy-who-lived had gone too far.
Although only one was making plans to attack him.
Harry blinked at that, when a girl across from him, one that would've been in his year, said to him, "Thanks Potter. We were all sick of having our ears damaged by those. Hopefully it will take them time to get a new one, and how did you manage a wandless spell that powerful?"
Harry smiled as he replied, "I was just pissed that she dared to send me a howler at all, probably she felt the need to because my school filters the mail for both them, and harmful mail. One reason I love the place more than here, and as for your other question... not all magical foci are wands."
The girl was taken aback, not only because the boy had basically implied that her school was bad, but that he had used a foci other than a wand.
She wondered what it was.
Soon the meal was over, and Harry decided to make a move, a move to show that his allegiances were not towards Dumbledore.
He stood up, and loudly stated, "Dumbledore, I demand an explanation on the lies you have been telling people about me."
the students stopped moving out of the great hall, most because of curiosity, some because of the human reaction of watching a train wreck, and being unable to look away.
Dumbledore stiffened than asked, in an equally loud voice, because he had no choice with the very public manner that the Potter heir confronted him, "And what lies would that be?"
"The lie you told the minister that I would even consider transferring back to this school. I am putting an end to that lie right now and saying that the only way you will get me back here permanently is to kill me and bury my body here! After this stupid competition is complete I will never return, and I plan to never return to Great Briton after this damn contest is complete, after all you're stupid enough to pit us against dragons!" Harry snarled wrathfully.
The aged headmaster flinched at the anger his former student had towards him, and the school. But he tried to reply to the accusations and placate him, "How could you say that Harry? What about your friends?"
As soon as he said it, he saw the thunderous expression on Harry's face, and knew he made a mistake. The boy's response was blistering, "Friends? What Friends? You mean the two you paid, from my property, to spy on me, and probably to prevent me from becoming friends with what you consider the wrong sort? Or how about the Gryffindors? You know the house that nearly killed me? The house that put me in the hospital wing over and over again, simply because of a damn game? So what friends are you actually talking about?"
Dumbledore kept his mouth shut. He knew he had no reply. With a sigh he finally, after several minutes, replied, "Very well, I apologize. I thought you would have learned to forgive while you were gone. I will stop telling people that you are going to come back."
Professor Snape sneered at the boy who confronted the headmaster, and was glad he probably wouldn't have to deal with him after this year, and a part of him had grudging respect for the boy's attack. By doing it in public like this, the headmaster had been forced onto the defensive, and he hadn't had time to mount one.
He did wonder about that fire spell though. It looked wandless, but he didn't want to give the boy enough credit to consider it so.
Snape had, upon further reflection, decided that Potter wasn't worth bothering with unless he transferred back. The boy was no longer in contact with him beyond passing in the hall. The constantly burnt state of the boy amused him greatly.
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All around the hall opinions of Harry were varied, especially after the displays the boy had put on that day, but the reactions could be classified (mostly) by house.
The Gryffindors were pissed at the insults towards them, and Dumbledore, as that house contained the majority of his supporters. Most of them were mindful of their schools reputation and wouldn't attack Harry despite his rudeness, as it was caused by claims of lying.
The Hufflepuffs disliked how little loyalty he showed to both his former house and the school in general.
The Ravenclaws were curious, at the apparent wandless magic.
The Slytherins were pleased at the insults to the lions, and Dumbledore for the most part, as well as impressed by the display of power.
There were some exceptions.
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Ronald Weasley was pissed. The money he had 'earned' was 'stolen' his so called 'friend' had walked away from him, and most of his house disliked him, mainly because he had been preventing others from trying to be friends with the boy-who-lived. He should have been the only friend Harry needed, and he shouldn't have objected to Dumbledore paying him, after all the Potters were an old rich family, and the Weasleys were just an old family.
The fact that he insulted the great man, and his house, as well as his sister, all made his rage boil over.
Then the boy had the audacity to kill their owl.
He would teach that bastard a lesson, and prevent a new dark lord from rising.
After all, nobody but a Dark Lord would be against Dumbledore, or refuse to be his friend.
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Draco scoffed at the one he at one point considered his rival. He dropped that consideration after the boy had left Hogwarts, after all he's probably so far behind in his classes that when he realizes his mistake he'll probably be a second year again.
He couldn't even use a wand like a proper wizard.
And the fact that his girlfriends were 'subhuman trash'.
Dismissing the other boy from his thoughts he walked out to his next class.
His 'bookends' looked at each other with concern. They had a feeling that their 'boss's' actions was going to backfire horribly, and so they started making plans on how to get out of the blast radius.
Unknown to Draco, they had better grades than him, just they asked their head of house and the other professors to put lower grades on their papers so that Draco wouldn't go whining to his father about getting his grades beaten.
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A redheaded girl was pissed, she had gotten a letter from the DMLE. The letter had stated that there was no evidence of foul play, and the contract the two oni had with Harry was valid.
What also pissed her off is that it was now unbreakable, and if he wanted to add anyone he would both need to be tested, and have to gain the two girl's permission.
Something that seemed unlikely, so she started planning.
Planning on how to kill those two whores, and take her rightful place as Mrs. Potter.
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Time passed and plans were made, and then it was time for the first task. The two people who were planning on attacking at least one of the group was flummoxed by the fact that they almost never went anyplace alone, and the few places they did would make it obvious that they were involved.
So now they were in the audience, and one of them was sick of waiting for his opportunity. He would take it now, while everyone was distracted by Harry doing the task. A reducto would take care of the future dark lord.
The boy had been ignoring the fact that he would have to be win the lotto five times in a row lucky to hit him from the distance that he was at in the audience, and that after the first spell everyone would turn to see where it came from.
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Harry ignored his fellow competitors as he observed the dragon figurine that he had just pulled out of the sack that was trying to chew his thumb off. He decided that it would make a good gift for Shuten-Douji.
He was distracted for most of the time before his turn by something else. Harry had asked his master to buy something for him, using his money. Actually four somethings. Two of which were in his pocket, he planned on using two of them after the first task.
Assuming he survived the idiocy of the British magicals.
He was as ready as he would ever be for the dragon. He was hoping that they wouldn't think of the common sense solution when they were setting this up.
He then heard it, the fourth cannon shot.
It was his turn.
He walked out, and to the point he could see the nest. Without drawing his wand, which he only used for spells requiring precision, he cast an illusion, one that nobody in the audience, even if they could sense it, could see.
Primarily because the illusion was currently exactly the same as reality.
Harry then raised his hand, pointing it to the nest and with false calm, stated, "Acceto damn golden egg."
To most of the audience, it looked like the spell had failed.
To Mina on the other hand, she saw the invisible illusion covered egg winging its way to Harry. He then caught it, and walked out of the arena before canceling the illusions he had cast, only to flinch as stone fragments from a missed reducto cut into his arms and legs.
A second spell missed by an even wider margin. And by now everyone could see what section of the stands the spells were coming from.
The next spell actually illuminated the caster, and Draco smirked as his omnoculars clearly showed who was casting. He wasn't the only one to see it. Amelia Bones, who was in the audience saw it as well, as had several others.
Harry was helped out in his dodging by Leilah coating the area with blackness.
Harry had left the arena and out of sight, and Ronald was scowling, especially as Harry's scores came out.
He would be even unhappier later.
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Harry, now out of the line of site of the caster, was waiting for his scores, the judges were understanding on why he wouldn't want to be in the open considering someone just tried to kill him, and the judges announced he scores out loud.
"Let's See, I'll give Harry a ten, for both being the fastest to complete the task, and for being uninjured for the task," Ludo announced.
Karkaroff scowled as he announced, "A five. The spell was fourth year, and while adding the illusion made it work better, he only succeed because nobody thought to put anti summoning charms on the egg."
"Nine, the spell work was simple, but the illusion was good," Mina stated evenly. "Not his fault the organizers forgot to take in account the most obvious way to get the egg.
"Ten," Crouch stated, without justifying himself.
"Eight, same reasons as Karkaroff," Maxim Spoke up.
"Nine," Dumbledore stated, as while he was upset at Harry, he couldn't deny that the strategy was effective.
"So Harry walks away with a fifty-one out of sixty, putting him firmly in the lead. Now contestants you will notice that the egg opens, it contains the clue for the second task which will take place on February twenty-fourth. Now lets get back inside for the feast!" Ludo Bagman announced cheerfully.
As the crowd started moving Amelia made her way to the boy she saw casting lethal spells, at someone.
That family had been screwing up with Harry since almost the day they met him, and this time the culprit will get more than a house arrest.
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Harry was walking with both Leilah and Helina as bodyguards. He didn't know who had attacked him, but he wasn't going to take chances.
It was then that Helina shoved him out of the way of another reducto, and Leilah caught it on the side, blowing a chunk off that quickly reformed.
A stunner caught the boy in the back, and a middle aged redheaded woman walked over her wand still trained on the boy.
"Are you okay Mr. Potter?" the head of the DMLE asked.
"I'm fine, Thanks to Helina, are you hurt Leilah I saw the spell hit you," Harry responded.
"I'm fine, it would take much more than that boy could do to deal me real harm," the dark elemental said, and then turned to the department head, "What will happen to him?"
"At least two counts of attempted murder, the minimum would be expulsion and having his magic bound. The maximum, which would be unlikely due to his age would be prison for ten to twenty years..."
Harry sighed, but realized that that would probably the best that would happen, in the muggle world the boy would've been sent to a juvenile corrections facility, but the wizarding world doesn't seem to have such a thing, on the other hand the boy being without magic for the rest of his life was a bad punishment for a magical.
Then he caught what Amelia finished with.
"... of course that's not counting what his father would have the right to do."
Harry smirked at the thought, but knew nothing would come of it, he didn't even stop his wife from sending howlers to random people.
Watching the woman drag the boy off he knew that it wouldn't be the last time he had to deal with him.
Especially since upon turning he saw an irritated expression on Dumbledore's face, one that was directed at Amelia and not Ron.
Soon after that event nearly everybody was in the great hall, and he decided to do something unusual for him.
He was going to cause a scene intentionally.
Holding back his two fiancees so they would enter with him last, he caused a cannon sound from his wand. As soon as everybody was focused on him he cast a variation of the sonorus charm on himself to allow his voice to carry throughout the hall without it sounding like he was bellowing.
"Sorry for the interruption folks, but I want everybody to witness this," he stated, and then fished two objects from his pocket.
Kneeling down in front of them, he said, "I know this is redundant due to our contacts, but I want to do this right. Ibaraki-Douji, and Shuten-Douji, Will you marry me?"
The hall went silent, and many females had stars in their eyes at how the boy was trying to make a marriage by contract a romantic gesture.
There was also many that were disappointed. That they had hoped to snag the boy-who-lived.
There was one that was borderline murderous, and it was unclear on which side of the border she was on.
But she wasn't stupid enough to attack them in the great hall.
Shuten-Douji was the first to answer as she held out her hand, "Of course Harry-kun, I always had intended to."
Harry smiled as he slid the ring his headmistress had picked for her on her hand. It was a simple platinum band with a pair of amethysts set on each side of a diamond. They were of moderate size, and set into the ring, instead of protruding outward.
Shuten-Douji then planted a kiss on the lips of her still kneeling fiance.
Ibaraki-Douji waited until her friend and co-fiancee was finished, and then gave her answer, while holding her hand out, "Of course, you shouldn't even need to ask!"
Her ring was steel, not because of Harry being cheap, but because that was her preferred material for jewelry, as platinum was Shuten-Douji's the settings were similar, except she had rubies instead of amethysts.
Slipping the ring on the finger of the fiery oni, he was then tackled into a kiss by the more dressed of the girls.
After getting up, and trying not to rub his back, he said to the room, "Thank you for your time."
He then moved to take a seat after canceling his spell.
The conversations going through the hall was focused on either jealousy, towards either the girls or the boy, contempt, for the engagement, or some sort of combination.
Many decided to try and corner the trio, or quintet, as the elementals were almost always near Harry.
It was too bad for them that he was departing the next day.
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End chapter.