Playing by the Rules
A/N Chapter five may be delayed. I've still to write most of it but watching my grandson tomorrow. Still on course for the entire story to be finished by the weekend
Chapter 4 - Sevie Shuffle
Minerva was expecting Hermione to turn up for the first O.W.L. exam, which happened to be Ancient Runes, she wasn't expecting Harry. "Mister Potter, is it your intention to sit this exam? I'm only asking because I know you didn't take that elective for the last two years."
"Yes, Professor. We intend to sit all the O.W.L exams - with the exception of Divination. Neither Hermione nor I feel as if we have 'the sight', so the entire subject is a waste of time for us."
"As that matches my own views on the subject - you can't train someone to be a seer if they don't have the sight - I'm perfectly happy with your decision. All that's left for me to do is wish you both good luck, and reiterate once more that the staff are here to help you."
This drew a smile from Harry, Hermione was far too wound up with exam fever to partake of social niceties at the moment. "Thank you. We will, if we need any help."
With that, they entered the Great Hall - currently set up in exam mode.
-oOoOo-
The news that Harry and Hermione were sitting their O.W.L.'s - a full year early too - soon spread throughout the castle. This had the unfortunate consequence that people now knew where they would both be at specific times of the day.
They walked out of their charms exam to be faced with what looked like half of Slytherin - obviously led by a one-armed Draco Malfoy.
"Potter, you have no idea the damage you have done. We're here for some payback. As Scion of House Malfoy, I challenge the Scion of House Potter to an honour duel for the harm you've done my family."
Shaking his head in despair, Harry couldn't believe how stupid Malfoy was being here. Harry stalled for time while his mind searched for what other motives could be behind this challenge, apart from idiocy. "Malfoy, have you any idea what you just started? Whoever is giving you advice is doing a piss poor job of it."
"I intend to grind you into little pieces, show our world you're nothing but a half-blood upstart who shouldn't be feared - far less revered as the boy-who-lived."
"Malfoy, you've been spouting the same shit at me for nearly four years now. It really is way past time for you to learn what this bullshit will cost you. Let me ask you something first, what will happen if you 'grind me into little pieces' in this honour duel?"
Wearing a smile as if all his dreams had just come true, Draco thought the answer to that was obvious. "When I accomplish that, it will prove to magical Britain it's blood that really counts. A mudblood for a mother, and now a girlfriend of the same inferior stock - I can't lose."
Insulting his mother, and Hermione too, was always going to be a step too far for Harry. There was a real edge to his voice now as he faced Draco and his tribe of Slytherins down.
"No, you're totally wrong Malfoy - because it's me who can't lose. You see, if I'm not fit enough to take part in the third task in two weeks, the entire country now knows what will happen to whoever stops me competing. You'll be a one-armed squib, who won't be able to access his gold or be Head of House, and that would probably end the Malfoy line too."
The large contingent of Slytherins who'd been backing Malfoy disappeared faster than nude sunbathers being discovered by a swarm of Highland midges. Draco's favoured white complexion turned a rather disturbing dirty grey as the implications of his challenge finally hit home. All the curses he'd been learning were of the type to do permanent damage to Potter. Draco didn't think he could beat him using stunners and disarming charms. He then suggested the obvious solution - obvious to him that is.
"We'll have our duel after the final task then."
Shaking his head, Harry explained to the now scared Slytherin why that wouldn't be happening. To everyone still watching - and Draco too - Harry's mannerisms appeared like those of a predator eyeing up his latest victim or meal.
"Oh Malfoy, did you even glance at the rules for an honour duel? You challenged me, so I get to choose the date and time. Now using your own logic - since I supposedly have a vastly inferior mother and girlfriend - I apparently need all the help I can get. Tell me then why should I give a little pure-blood prick like you a chance when I don't have to? You certainly wouldn't give me one, so I'll meet your challenge in an hour by the Whomping Willow. Scion Malfoy, do you agree?"
Looking around at all the people who were witnessing this, and since he'd issued the challenge meaning family honour was at stake here, Malfoy was left with no other option but to agree. Draco saying yes saw both combatants briefly glow, signifying magic had accepted the honour duel. Offering Hermione his arm, the gathered crowd parted like the Red Sea for Moses to allow the couple to pass through. In doing so, they actually saved lives. As Harry and Hermione were walking away, everyone heard Draco scream 'Sectumsempra' at their backs.
Harry reacted with incredible speed, swinging Hermione down and around, also ending up crouched protectively over her with his wand pointing back at their attacker.
Draco had suddenly come up with a way to really hurt Potter, without damaging the precious champion at all and not involving that blasted magic-eating goblet. Draco's temper was running hotter than it had ever been, he'd just been shamed in front of what seemed like half the school, and his wounded pride saw him act before thinking anything through. His wand was out and a curse fired at the mudblood's back, only for Potter to somehow drag her out of its path.
It was purely due to the fact that the crowd had parted which saw his curse shoot out the room without accidentally hitting anyone - before tearing a fair chunk out of the stone wall of the corridor.
He didn't have time to think about that though as a curse spat from Potter's wand and blasted his remaining hand and wrist into a bloody mist. Draco was screaming at the top of his lungs while wishing for another hand to clamp down on the stump that used to be his left arm. One of the examiners raced over and sealed the stump before Draco bled out, there was no hand left to reattach anyway.
Harry had been crouching protectively over Hermione, and stayed there a moment longer in case anyone else fancied taking a shot at them. Glancing down though, he saw his girlfriend shaking while staring at the damage Malfoy's spell had done to the corridor wall. Harry tried to reassure her everything would be okay.
"You were right as usual, love. Malfoy was a vicious bastard - an unbelievably stupid and idiotic vicious bastard to be sure. He won't be casting spells like that at anyone else ever again, unless someone sicks the handle of a wand up his arse. Now there's a horrible image for you, Malfoy's anaemic arse spitting spells at you."
Since Malfoy had stopped screaming, he'd past out the second is stump had been sealed, all those standing watching also heard every word Harry said. It was practically impossible to miss Harry's wand remaining ready while his eyes scanned all around for threats. The last thing any of the students who'd just witnessed this scene wanted to appear was threatening, so they all stood as still as statues until more staff arrived and got the situation under their control.
McGonagall soon appeared with Pomfrey and demanded answers. With Malfoy now unconscious and being made ready by Pomfrey to be shipped to St Mungo's, that left Harry to supply those answers.
Since Harry had nothing to hide, most people still there had witnessed exactly what just happened, he didn't mind explaining the last few minutes to McGonagall. "Malfoy was waiting on me as we finished our exam, he challenged me to an honour duel as scions of our houses."
This saw McGonagall gasping with shock. "Is Malfoy mad? Doesn't he realise what that could lead to?"
"When I pointed this out to him, he tried to have the duel arranged for after the third task. As the one being challenged, I decided it would be held in one hour down at the Whomping Willow. Hermione and I were leaving when he fired a deadly curse at her back. I managed to get her out of the curse's path and instinctively returned fire. You've see the results of that - Malfoy hit the wall while I didn't miss. When the aurors get here, please send them down to the site of the duel. I need to be there in case Malfoy tries to claim some sort of victory by default."
Knowing this to be true, Minerva allowed them both to leave but then asked Filius to accompany the couple.
-oOoOo-
On reaching the site of their proposed duel, Harry conjured a bench and they both sat. "He meant to kill me, or at least maim me for life. I think it's the fact that Malfoy thought being a pureblood would allow him to get away with it that really upsets me the most. They would be lenient to the pure-blood because I'm a muggle-born."
Having his arm around Hermione, he pulled her closer for comfort. "Before the Wizengamot self-imploded, he probably would have received nothing stronger than a slap on the wrist. The Malfoy gold would certainly have seen to that. When he loses this duel, I intend to take as much of that gold away as I can. If nothing else, I should be able to legally tie it up for a while so it can't be used against me."
There was more than a sense of deja vu as the young couple sat on the bench and waited for the aurors to arrive. That deja vu didn't include Professor Flitwick however, which is probably why both of them forgot the tiny teacher was tasked with keeping an eye on them.
While expecting aurors, Severus Snape in a towering rage thundering toward them was an unpleasant surprise. He didn't keep them waiting to discover why he was there either.
"Potter, Draco asked me to take his place in this duel. Since you deliberately incapacitated him with the sole purpose of causing a forfeit, this is allowed under the rules of an honour duel."
Harry wasn't having any of this. He was well past taking any of Snape's shit. "What the fuck do you know about honour, Snape? You're standing there lying through your teeth while trying to pick a fight with a fourteen year old student. The last time we saw Malfoy, Pomfrey had him so sedated he didn't know what planet he was on. She was accompanying him to St Mungo's, and the chances of her letting you administer potions to wake Malfoy are nil."
Snape simply ignored everything Harry said and continued with his own agenda. "Thank you for accepting me as Draco's substitute, now get ready to duel. It's going to be a real shame when your little girlfriend gets accidentally hurt in the duel too - but these things happen - especially when I use the imperious curse and order you to attack her. A little memory work and you won't even remember I was here, and I won't fall foul of that Goblet either…"
"Not today you won't, Snape. You fire one curse in their direction and I'll take you down - hard. Minerva and the aurors can deal with what I leave them." Neither student had ever heard Flitwick's voice sound so menacing, it certainly scared the crap out of Snape.
The potions' professor whipped around to find Filius standing unnoticed behind him, and untouched under the branches of the willow. Filius had his wand drawn and already menacingly trained on Severus. It was then history chose to repeat itself as Harry and Hermione hit Snape with disarming spells. Their spells were now a good deal more powerful than they were this time last year. Instead of hitting the wall in the Shrieking Shack, Snape was blasted clear across the grass and into the waiting branches of the Whomping Willow.
Flitwick led them both back over and joined the teens sitting on the conjured bench, all three watching the Whomping Willow having fun playing with Snape.
-oOoOo-
On hearing who was involved in the reported incident, Amelia Bones had decided to head to Hogwarts in person. After the last debacle where the Wizengamot railroaded this young wizard, she was determined to see that real justice would be carried out for Harry Potter this time.
She was rather taken aback though to see these three sitting watching Snape being casually tossed around by a tree - especially since Flitwick was Deputy Headmaster now.
"Can I ask why no one is helping Professor Snape?"
A shrug of his shoulders proceeded Harry's answer. "We might get injured, and that piece of shit isn't worth Hermione even getting her hair mussed."
"Potter, when I get down from here I'm going to skin you alive - and then throw you into a vat of salt."
Nodding his head in Snape's direction, Harry indicated that was one of Snape's tamer taunts - so why should they help the bastard get down.
Amelia was even more shocked on discovering Filius agreed with Harry's decision. Hearing why though was the real shocker.
"Snape marched down here with the intention of placing Mister Potter under the Imperius Curse, and then having him attack Miss Granger. He then intended to memory charm them both to forget he was ever here. Snape didn't see me keeping guard over these two, the man always did have a far higher opinion of himself as a dueller than his skill warranted."
After seeing how Mister Potter had been dealt with by the Ministry of Magic, Flitwick deliberately gave the impression he was the one who defeated the potions' professor. Fillius was more than ready to take any blame for that dark bastard ending stuck up in a tree.
Whilst watching the Whomping Willow play with Snape, Hermione couldn't keep the disgust from her voice as she spoke about their former professor. "He probably didn't believe Harry could throw off that curse. It might have been fun watching as Harry did something no one wearing the dark mark appears able to do. Snape would probably have shit himself with fright."
The Willow currently had Snape dangling by his ankle, robes flowing down to cover his face and reveal his underwear. It didn't muffle his voice very much.
"When I'm finished with you, you'll wish that you'd died the same night as your useless fucking father."
Harry was sitting with his arm again around Hermione and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "I hate to disagree with my girlfriend but I'm finding the Whomping Willow doing the Sevie shuffle much more entertaining." This drew a giggle from Hermione and, after the last hour they'd just experienced, Harry took that as mission accomplished.
Amelia had never bought into Dumbledore's claims that Snape was one of the good guys. What she'd heard here today, from these three and Snape's continuously screamed vile threats, was more than enough to get some truth serum into the Head of Slytherin House.
"Potter, I'm going to slowly kill you and enjoy hearing your screams."
On hearing Snape was still able to come up with these horrific taunts and threats, Amelia decided to let the willow soften him up a bit more. She conjured a bench of her own and began to ask Harry questions about what happened inside Hogwarts earlier while her accompanying aurors took notes.
As Harry was finishing answering Madam Bones' last question, he suddenly glowed with magic - signifying he'd won the honour duel due to Malfoy's non-attendance.
"May I ask what the terms of the honour duel were?"
Harry smiled at he head of the DMLE as he gave his answer. "Malfoy issued the challenge without stating any terms - other than he intended to grind me into little pieces."
Harry's smile widened as Madam Bones' shock was so great, her monocle slipped from her eye. "Without stating terms, that means you could ask for anything!"
"It's a pleasure to meet someone in the magical world who knows what they're talking about. As newcomers, Hermione and I have had to study all these things we originally thought pure-blood children were already taught. More and more we're finding people have no more than a basic understanding of subjects that can have very specific and even terrible consequences. Simply put, if you don't know the rules then you shouldn't play the game."
Hermione made no attempt to hide her disgust at some of the things they'd found, the Room of Requirements was simply amazing at providing them with books on anything they asked for. "Some of the laws surrounding betrothal contracts give draconian a bad name. Cattle have more rights than some of the witches trapped by these abominations."
"Hermione and I intend to study law when we leave Hogwarts. The dream is to start our own practice, hopefully called Potter & Potter." Neither teen mentioned they intended to leave Hogwarts in a matter of weeks, or that the law they intended to study would be at a muggle university.
When the Whomping Willow eventually got fed up playing with its latest toy, Snape was now reduced to groaning or the occasional scream of pain, it tossed him clear of its branches.
Amelia ordered her accompanying aurors to take Snape back to the Ministry - and to let no one near him until she returned. She was already sure Harry had answered all her questions about the incident truthfully but wanted to see the site of the attack for herself. Amelia accompanied Fillius and the two teens back to the castle.
-oOoOo-
Sitting with Hermione and both elves, the room had provided a sofa specifically to fit Dobby and Winky, they all understood it was time for a serious meeting.
"I think I need to win this tournament, or there's a good chance I won't get out of the third task alive. While my family magic might still seek justice against those who put me in that position, I'll lose the goblet's protection the instant the Tri-Wizard Champion steps onto the winner's platform. If that champion is me, I don't think they will move against the newly declared Tri-Wizard Champion with so many people watching."
Snuggling into her boyfriend, Hermione couldn't hide her concern. "Do you think they'll move against you as quickly as that?"
"Yes. Fudge can barely wait to see me suffer, and Dumbledore will be desperate to get the Boy-who-lived back under his control. Whatever deal those two have come up with, you can be sure won't be to our benefit. Those plans certainly won't include me leaving Hogwarts, and that was before we had run-ins with Malfoy and Snape. Fudge thinks the Malfoys are pillars of Magical Society, and I really don't want to think on what Dumbledore's relationship with Snape is."
The elves could feel how worried their master was over this. They knew it was fine to speak out and did so, trying to help their family. "Dobby knows what he has to do, wizards will not knock Dobby down again as his magic is stronger than ever. Dobby will get Harry Potter to our safe place."
Nodding as only an elf seemed able, Winky went for reassurance as well. "Winky will take Miss Mion there too."
Harry had sneaked all four of them into the Chamber of Secrets. Once down there, the elves discovered they could pop in and out - and even take someone with them. An area had been cleaned before Dobby had purchased a wizards tent and set it up there. It had provisions for months, though they expected to be able to sneak back out of Hogwarts long before that.
Sirius had sent them a portkey to his London home. After all the furore - and searching - had died down, a short broom ride on a moonless night to get outside the Hogwarts wards and no one would be any the wiser.
His Firebolt had been swiftly returned from the Burrow by McGonagall, along with a House Weasley apology from Arthur, seven galleons and a proposed payment plan to make the rest up. Knowing what a financial hardship that would be to the Weasley family, Harry accepted the broom and apology before returning the gold. Ron had stolen from him, and been punished for it. He didn't want the entire Weasley family suffering because of the actions of that git.
Harry was trying to convince Hermione to go down into the chamber before the task started, but she was having none of it. Hermione claimed she needed to know what was happening before seeking safety with him.
"I have to be there, Harry. You need someone to have your back, and that's why I train so hard."
When Harry agreed, Hermione could sit back and relax. With her parents leaving for an Italian holiday two days before the final task, they should be safe from any backlash. If everything went according to plan, both teens hoped to join them before their month's holiday was up.
When Harry had first mentioned portkeying the dragon as a solution to the first task, both teens had understood that - if it worked - they would probably have to leave Britain - certainly Hogwarts - by the end of the year. Leaving after having sat their O.W.L.'s was an unexpected and unbelievable bonus. This gave them so many more options now they didn't have to spend the next year studying for O.W.L.'s, purely so they could legally retain their wands.
As the conversation turned to discussing some of those options, Winky popped away and returned with mugs of hot chocolate. That she and Dobby were now comfortable sitting drinking their own cup of chocolate with the teens would never be taken for granted by the elves. They now had a wonderful family, and they would be protecting that family no matter what.
They were actually looking forward to spending some time in the chamber, a chamber that hadn't been cleaned for a millennium would be such a treat for the elves.
-oOoOo-
Harry had heard from McGonagall that they were finally going to be given details about the third task. The delays were caused purely by Harry's involvement. He hadn't been awarded any points after the first task, and his shock appearance at the second one saw no points at all awarded to any champions that day.
The four champions were being invited down to the Quidditch Pitch tomorrow evening at seven to learn what the task actually was, and discover the Ministry's solution to their continual cock-ups regarding the tournament. It would soon be time to turn all their planning and training into actions - they were as ready as they could be.
