I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Harry Bravo and the Danger in Getting Ridiculously Fit (for others)
It began as most things did: a seemingly off-handed comment made in a teasing manner without knowing the context.
Harry Potter looked up. "What?" he said, dumbfounded.
His best friend Hermione Granger smiled at him. "It's not that much of a surprise, is it? You eat a plate of treacle tart every day."
Harry looked down at his midriff. He was wearing what he normally did: cast offs from his cousin Dudley. His cousin was easily several times Harry's height and easily many times his weight, so all his clothes hung loosely on Harry, even if they were not old or threadbare. However, as per usual, Hermione was not completely wrong, he was developing a bit of a stomach. "Do I really eat that much?" he wondered.
"Practically a plate every night," Hermione said. "All that sugar and cream makes you fat."
Makes you fat. The words echoed in his head. "Oh." He made an expression that no one had ever seen him make before, completely frightened. He looked about for a napkin and slowly wrapped the remnants of the tart in it.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Hermione asked, her smile dissolving rapidly.
"I don't want to waste it but don't want to eat anymore," he said as he carefully put the wrapped tart in his bag.
"The House Elves will just clear it," Ron Weasley said, watching Harry's odd behavior.
"It's still wasting food." Harry rose from the table, pulling his shirt out a little and shouldering his bag. "I don't like wasting food. I'll see you guys later." He left, leaving his friends dumbfounded.
"Why'd you have to go and say that?" Ron asked Hermione, heated.
She shrugged helplessly. "I was just teasing him. I didn't think I'd upset him."
-0-
Harry wandered about the castle, lost in thought. Hermione's words had shaken him to his core. Words like fat, pudgy, overweight, they had never been used to describe him. Even after three years or so of good Hogwarts food had not filled him out as much as it could have. Years of near starvation at the hands of the Dursleys impacted his weight and height.
Dudley, however, had been amply described by such words and in fact Harry thought of his elephantine cousin every time he heard those words. Harry wanted to never look nor act like Dudley in any way, shape, or form. Dudley was many times wider than Harry, and his cruelty streak was even wider. Harry still woke from nightmares from what his cousin and uncle had done to him the last thirteen years.
"I need a place to get healthy. I need somewhere to get fit. I need help. I don't want to be fat," he muttered over and over again to himself. He stopped, looking at what he thought was a blank wall. There was a door now, seemingly appearing from thin air. Harry shrugged, accepting it as part of being at a school of magic, and opened it, stepping inside without hesitation.
His eyes went wide as he looked around at the array of Muggle exercise machines. He had never used any before but the brief glimpses at magazines and the telly at least helped him be aware at what they were. The floor was covered in a soft black padding, bright lights shone down. Punching bags and what looked like martial arts things he saw once in a movie hung from the ceiling. Weights were organized against the wall, increasing in size and mass.
A bookshelf seemed to beckon to him. He walked up to it and found titles that included: Losing Weight is Magic, Wingainium Leviosa, Muscle Might is not Always Right but it Certainly Helps, Wizarding Weights do not Wait, and other such titles.
Emboldened, Harry pulled a book to him and opened it, walking to an exercise machine.
-0-
"You're out here early."
Harry looked up, drenched in sweat. He had arrived at the Quidditch pitch early to run some extra laps and do some sit-ups. He smiled sheepishly at Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Katie Bell, his fellow teammates. "Oh hi. Uhm, yeah, thought I'd get some extra work in."
"Why?" Alicia asked flatly. "You don't think Wood makes us do enough?"
"No, I, uh," he looked shamefully at the ground. "I was told that I was getting…fat."
Katie snorted. "You? Fat? Who thinks you're fat? You're awful scrawny, always have been."
Harry did not say anything for a long moment. "Just, someone." He pulled on his baggy shirt.
Angelina's eyes softened. "Hey, it's okay Harry." Truth be told, the Chasers all had a very soft spot for Harry. Ever since he joined the team, they had tried to help him and take care of him, seeing him as someone that needed a little extra care and encouragement. He really was very small for his age, perfect for a Seeker, but not in a completely healthy way. "Wanting to lose weight is fine, but you don't have much to lose. If you want to get healthier, you need to do that with your whole body. Build some muscle, increase your stamina, that sort of thing."
"Oh, I didn't know that," he murmured.
"There's nothing wrong with putting on weight," Katie said soothingly. "We just got to do it the right way. You're actually doing really good on your workouts. We've noticed. You're putting Wood and the Twins to shame."
"Really?" Harry asked, eyes bright and smile wide.
The girls were struck by how earnest he looked, how open and honest. They looked at each other and nodded silently.
Angelina smiled back. "Really! Come on Harry, we'll help you get buff!
-0-
The first incident happened a few weeks later.
Harry walked up proudly to Hermione in the great hall. "I'm a lot less pudgy now," he proclaimed.
Hermione smiled at him. "Oh? Well that's good. Eating less sweets?"
"And working out some. See? You can barely tell through my shirt."
Hermione looked and frowned. It was true that you could not really see it through his shirt, but she noticed that the shirt was different. It was not the usual loose baggy old thing he normally wore. She wondered idly where he got it but smiled instead. "Maybe the shirt fits better?" she suggested with what she hoped was a more obviously teasing tone.
The Chasers had prepared Harry for this possible reaction, however. He did what they told him to do if she did respond that way. He lifted his shirt, showing off his flattened abdomen with defined muscles. "Nope! See?"
Lavender Brown had turned to look and inhaled sharply, sending her sandwich down the wrong pipe. She started to choke, coughing and hacking.
Harry immediately stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle. He pulled up, hard, performing the Heimlich Maneuver. He had been forced to learn to combat the very real danger of Dudley choking on his food. He pulled again until he cleared the culinary obstruction lodged in Lavender's throat. "Are you okay?" he asked, worriedly.
Lavender's face was deep crimson for a myriad of reasons: choking on her food, coughing violently, seeing a surprisingly attractive Harry, and now the feeling of him pressed against her back and his rather muscular arms wrapped around her midsection holding her close to him. She managed to nod and squeak, unable to form words.
Harry thought he knew why she looked so uncomfortable and immediately let go. "I'm really sorry," he apologized hastily.
"No, no," Lavender said hurriedly. "I didn't mind. I mean, it felt nice. I mean, you saved me. Th-thank you."
"You're welcome," Harry said, looking up while rubbing his neck. He missed all the red faces on the girls around him. "Anyways," he tried to say smoothly to a blushing Hermione, "see? Less pudge."
"Yes, I see! Saw! I mean, good for you. Good for your health!" Hermione stammered. "I…I was kidding before I hope you know. Just teasing you."
Harry patted her hand. "You weren't wrong either. But I wanted to get in shape and since I started, it's actually kind of fun and feels good. So I really have to thank you." He walked away and did not notice how scarlet she went. He also missed the jealous looks she got and all the wistful glances that followed him.
-0-
The incidents piled up as the weeks passed. Parvati Patil was the next victim. Harry had yawned and stretched while walking down the stairs, his arms rose and his shirt came up just enough to distract the girl. She missed a step and stumbled, falling down the stairs. She was taken to the Infirmary by a concerned Harry, her face dusky red from leaning on him and her hands accidentally wandering over his muscular back and shoulder.
Her sister, Padma Patil, had laughed at Parvati's accident. Parvati challenged her, saying she would react the same. Padma vehemently denied it. So one night at dinner, Parvati blew a handful of Yawning Flower petals at Harry with Padma nearby. He did the same thing, yawning and stretching. Padma had been walking past and her head remained in place, staring. She walked right into someone else, sending them both to the floor in a heap.
Susan Bones was the next to be injured. During a Herbology class, Harry shucked off his school robes after the Venomous Tentatcula got a hold of them. Him having a tug of war with the magical plant showed off his back muscles, and so entranced, Susan walked straight into the flailing plant. Harry had to beat the tentacles away and took a very stung and chewed Susan to the Hospital Wing.
-0-
Pansy Parkinson sat up, confused. "What happened?"
Millicent Bullstrode smiled weakly. "You uh, fainted."
"I fainted?" Pansy sounded incredulous. "How in the world did I faint?"
"It was Potter."
"What did he do to me?!"
"He didn't do anything to you, directly I mean. It was when the unicorn approached him. She started nuzzling him and her horn caught his robes and they came right off."
Pansy was feeling faint again. "Oh right, that actually happened. I thought I was hallucinating."
"Must have been a mass hallucination," Millicent snorted. "The majority of the girls fainted."
"How'd you avoid it?"
"When you fainted you headbutted me and the pain kept me awake."
"Oh," Pansy blushed. "Sorry."
"Me too," Millicent grumbled. "Potter was helping to carry the girls to safety."
"With magic?"
"Nope."
Pansy fainted again.
-0-
"Min, any idea what's going on?"
Minerva McGonagall shook her head. "Not a one Poppy. The Weasley twins swear it's not them. They haven't cast anything like a trip spell, unsteady charms, jelly-legs, clumsiness charms, grease spells, slippery spells, or anything that could cause any of the injuries that's been happening lately. Have you found anything on your end?"
Poppy Pomfrey shook her head. "Aside from the fact that it's mostly affecting girls, not a one. Luckily it isn't anything serious: bruises, bloody noses, banged knees, contusions, twisted limbs. Consistent with accidental hitting and trips. It's not even a single House, it's girls from all Houses of all ages. Oh, they all have faces of varying shades of pink and red, but that's about it. Aside from that, no commonality to explain why they got the injury."
"Hopefully we can rule out some kind of underground Duel Club." McGonagall sighed. "I wonder what's going on."
-0-
"You're looking real good," Katie praised Harry a few weeks later. She liked the way he smiled at her praise.
"I feel good," he confessed.
"Be proud," she said warmly. "Show off, you've worked hard. Nothing wrong with showing off your hard work. Strut your stuff!"
"I don't want to be Malfoy though," Harry said, worried.
Katie laughed. "The difference between you two, and there are many, is that he has no reason to strut while you have every reason. You deserve it. Like this: back straight, shoulders square, chin up, shoulders out."
He did as instructed. "I kinda like how this feels."
Many liked how he looked.
Katie was one of them and she tried to will her flushed cheeks away. "Thatta boy! Body positivity Harry! Now flex like Angelina does."
Harry grinned and did what the older girl does a lot. He brought his right arm up and flexed his muscles. In his old clothes, the effect would have been minimized. In his Quidditch Jersey, the one that the Chasers had surreptitiously resized to fit him perfectly, the act was emphasized.
Daphne Greengrass bounced off the door. Harry's flex had distracted the normally unflappable girl and she reeled back, clutching her smarting nose. Her companion, Tracey Davis, missed the gaff luckily. She walked clean into the wall, missing the door entirely. A clatter of falling books showed that the Carrow Twins, Hestia and Portia, were equally impressed by Harry. Their books fell from nerveless fingers, eyes identically wide in identical faces.
Katie could not hide her blush this time. "Well done, Harry!"
He smiled brightly, the smile of pure enjoyment that was reserved mostly for the Chasers. He tentatively hugged her, something the Chasers had also been working with him on: being comfortable with positive physical contact. This was one of the few times where he initiated a hug. "Thank you, Katie," he gushed. "I couldn't have done it without you."
If looks could Curse, Katie would have been hit by so many right then but she did not care, it would have been well worth it.
-0-
"I don't believe it," Hermione said softly, still shocked by the events that just happened.
She and Harry and Ron were walking on the grounds and they found a squealing Scabbers. The rat bit Ron and tried to run. Harry, with his new physique and his sharp Seeker trained eyes, chased the rat down and snatched him up easily. Then a giant black dog had come hurtling towards him, trying to bite the rat.
Harry, surprised and acting off instinct cultivated from Angelina's year-long training that included boxing, punched the dog cleanly in the snout, knocking it out. Feeling terribly, Harry picked up the dog and settled it over his shoulders in a fireman carry and ran to the Infirmary with Hermione and Ron in tow.
Once there, Madam Pomfrey discovered that the dog and the rat were not actual animals, but animagi, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew to be precise. She called the Headmaster who called Amelia Bones and soon Aurors came to investigate. It was found that Sirius, not only innocent of killing Peter, was not the Secret-Keeper and never had a trial. He was then exonerated by the Wizengamot and compensated handsomely for his wrongful incarceration. Peter went to Azkaban as did Barty Crouch, the one that threw Sirius into Azakaban without a trial those many years prior.
Now that he was free, Sirius told Harry that he wanted him to live with him, so that he could be a proper godfather. He even told Harry he wanted to learn how to punch like Harry did, saying he punched a lot better than his father ever did.
Harry was over the moon. He would never have to return to the Dursleys. He could continue with his exercise and training and be in a better place over all.
"Right? It's pretty incredible," Harry agreed. "And it's all thanks to you."
"Me?" Hermione squeaked.
Harry nodded and smiled. "If you never encouraged me to start working out, none of this would have happened. Thank you so much Hermione. You're really my best friend and I owe you everything." He hugged her tightly.
Her face went beet red and she hugged him back. "A-Anytime," she murmured.
-0-
Katie rubbed his back, trying to help him feel better. The Goblet of Fire spat his name out and he was really upset.
Surprisingly, he was not the only one.
The Chasers and Hermione were upset because they knew he did not put his name into the Goblet. Harry had been so happy at the beginning of the year, working out and enjoying a quieter school year. The summer living with Sirius had done wonders for him and while he did not grow much taller in the time, he looked healthier than he ever had before. More importantly to his friends, he looked happier.
Until now that is.
Yet the greatest source of anger was surprisingly from the school at large. In a rare occasion of school-wide unity, the ladies of the castle were furious at the two options that Harry had: compete and possible die or refuse to compete and lose your magic.
Dumbledore was utterly confused. First, he had no idea how Harry's name got into the Goblet and had no idea why he was the fourth champion in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. It did not make sense. Then to see the girls of the school united under one common cause had nearly shorted his wizened brain. He had never seen such a display of unity. It was equal parts heartening and disturbing in one.
"What do I do?" Harry asked, feeling lost. "I don't know nearly as much magic as the others! I didn't want this."
"We know Harry," Hermione said, rubbing his arm. "We'll help you of course."
Alicia tapped her chin shrewdly. "Look, we can turn this into our advantage. We've learned that being fit makes your magic stronger."
It was true. Harry's spells were of a magnitude stronger than most peoples. His reflexes were incredible from exercise and being a Seeker. He frequently studied while working out, he liked to read while jogging or lifting with handy charms to hold open his books and notes not to mention being quizzed by Hermione while he did. All in all, he was a formidable wizard. Not that he knew it of course, but his friends did.
"We're older," Angelina said pointing at herself and Alicia, "we can teach you higher level spells. Alicia's got that locked. Katie and I will keep you fit and in shape, and Hermione will help with research and stuff. We'll get you through this."
Harry hugged them all gratefully.
"Besides," Alicia said with a calculating smile, "we have an advantage that others don't."
"What's that?" Katie asked.
Alicia waggled her eyebrows. "Harry's charm of course and no, I don't mean his spellwork."
-0-
Katie and Hermione clutched each other as they watched Harry walk into the arena. They whimpered as the Hungarian Horntail roared. They found out that the first task was to confront a dragon and they think they came up with a plan but in the face of reptilian fury, it seemed inconsequential if not insignificant.
Harry gulped, trying to keep his legs from shaking. The dragon was enormous and incredibly intimidating. He had forgotten what to do and it showed.
The girls watching moaned and cried.
Alicia filled her lungs. "Go on Harry!" she yelled. "Be positive!"
Misunderstanding her, Harry did as he was instructed, or rather what he thought he was being told what to do. He flexed.
Angelina groaned but Alicia grabbed her arm. "Wait! Look!"
The Horntail had looked down at this tiny intruder with disdain. She was irritable in this foreign environment and was overly protective of the clutch of eggs. She was a moment away from incinerating this tiny thing when she noticed that it postured at her. She roared indignantly and made her own display of physical prowess, designed to intimidate.
Harry recognized that the dragon was flexing at him. On reflex, once again cultivated by Angelina and Katie for over a year now, he flexed back.
The dragon stared. Never in her life had anything trying to posture back at her. She was a large dragon, one of the best examples of her kind. Every other dragon she had ever encountered had cowered immediately at any of her threat displays. This tiny one, smaller than her smallest talon, had done what none had done before.
Confused, and delighted, she made another posture. If dragons could laugh she would have when the tiny thing mimicked her once more.
"What in Merlin's name?" Minerva McGonagall whispered.
"What is he doing?" Filius Flitwick asked, astounded.
Harry smiled brightly, enjoying himself. It was fun trying to follow along with the dragon, twisting his body like she did, trying his best to copy her movement.
"He's having a flex-off with the dragon?!" Hermione shrieked.
"Hell yeah Harry!" Angelina cheered. "Strut your stuff!"
After a stunning display of rippling muscles and poses that highlighted muscular physique, the Horntail laid flat on the ground, making pleasant noises at the boy.
Harry mimed holding up his hand. The dragon raised an immense claw and roared with approval when he high-fived her. Harry pointed at the fake Golden Egg sitting among the real ones and the dragon lifted it out and gave it to him. She nodded when she observed him doing some exercises with it, watching carefully.
The crowd looked with open wonder when the dragon lifted a large granite boulder in both fore claws, her mimicking him.
"I don't believe this," Katie said with relief.
"I told you," Alicia said smugly. "Oh this is going to go great."
-0-
"Are you sure these are real dress robes?" Harry asked, concerned.
"Of course they are," Alicia said, "why wouldn't they be?"
"Because I've never seen sleeveless dress robes before…"
Alicia straightened his robes. "Harry, I'm sure you know about highlighting your assets yes? Like how I wear dress robes that highlight my chest and Angelina has ones with a long slit up the side to show off her legs?" She smiled at his nod and blush. "So we're just highlighting your assets. Your strong arms and impressive shoulders."
"Besides, Katie doesn't mind, do you Katie?" Angelina asked teasingly.
Katie most certainly did not mind, not in the slightest. She was more than happy to be Harry's date for the Yule Ball even before all this nonsense. Being able to be on his arm, his delightfully toned and muscular arm, was something she did not mind at all. It was well worth all the glares from every girl in the school, even the girls from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were staring at Harry and glaring at Katie.
Harry nodded, reassured. "You do know best," he said happily.
Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons Champion, kept shaking her head. As far as she knew, there were no Veela living in England and male Veela were incredibly rare. However, that was the only explanation she could have for being so distracted by Harry. Not to mention the effect he had on every girl there. His allure was incredibly potent yet somehow extremely subtle.
Viktor Krum, the Champion from Durmstrang, was very annoyed. The girl he wanted to go to the ball with had refused him and she had come without a date. Most of the other girls from Hogwarts he asked also refused and also came without dates. He saw the object of their desires and swore to prove his superiority during the tournament.
-0-
Madam Pomfrey had to call for reinforcements from St Mungo's after the second task. She still had no idea what happened. One moment she was looking away from the Lake, helping the Champions and their hostages warm up, the next she was alarmed by a mass fainting episode. Girls were fainting and swooning left and right and she ran from one to the next, administering drops of Pepper Up Potion and Reinvigorating Solutions.
If she turned, she would have seen the cause. Harry had walked out of the lake, carrying a red faced and also swooning Katie Bell in his arms in a bridal carry and Gabrielle Delacour sitting on his shoulder. A tussle with some Grindylows had torn his wet suit and he was stripped to the waist, his upper body gleaming in the afternoon sunlight.
When asked, each of the affected girls only had remember the way he looked coming out of the water before fainting once more.
-0-
Even the most mentally open Seer in the history of Seerdom would never have foreseen the end of the third task actually potentially possibly happening.
Harry went into the maze with the clear instructions to do his best and be positive. Which he did by blasting apart every obstacle in his way. The Dementor Boggart was dissolved by his incredibly muscular Patronus. The Sphinx took one look at him and promptly sauntered out of his way, giving him her address when he walked past. The acromantula took one look with all eight eyes and fled screaming.
The Cup being a Portkey was a surprise to everyone and for long moments, everyone panicked about where Harry went.
When he returned with the Portkey, he was accompanied by a few witches clad in dark black robes and carrying something in a bundle that writhed.
"Mister Potter? Where did you go?" Amelia Bones asked.
"I went to a creepy cemetery. This bundle has a…baby Voldemort." Everyone gasped and several Aurors immediately secured the bundle.
"What do you mean a baby V-Voldemort?" Amelia asked him.
He shrugged weakly. "Well the Cup Portkeyed me there and I'm sad to say they got me when I was still disoriented. Lucius Malfoy tried to take my blood for a ritual but the knife kept breaking when he kept trying to stab me." He flexed his arm, drawing the eyes of everyone. "So he used someone else's blood and flesh and some bones and dumped a small Voldemort into the cauldron. A regular sized Voldemort came out. I then remembered to do what I should do and flexed and broke the spell on me. Voldemort tried to taunt me some but these very nice witches decided to help me. We got everyone else and they dumped big Voldemort back into the cauldron and he came back out tiny. Then we came back."
"Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix LeStrange, Melodia Nott, Serena Bulstrode," Amelia glared at the witches. "Care to explain?"
"You will find our former husbands and many of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters stunned and incapacitated at the cemetery," Narcissa said coolly. "We are prepared to confess to a multitude of information to fully implicate them all beyond a shadow of a doubt."
"Why?" Amelia asked, beyond surprised.
Bellatrix giggled madly. "The Dark Lord was found wanting when compared to The Boy-Who-Lived. I mean…" her crazed eyes focused for a moment and turned soft, "just look at him!"
"A true leader should look the part," Narcissa agreed with pink cheeks.
Amelia covered her eyes with her hand. Partially to hide her exasperation and confusion. Partially to avoid looking at Harry and agreeing with the other witches.
"I told you," Alicia said smugly as Katie and Hermione hugged Harry with relief. "He has a definite charm that just can't be beat."
"No kidding," Angelina said. "Merlin help us if its ever used for evil."
"Don't worry, I still have a plan," Alicia said.
-0-
Ten years later, Harry was one of the most sought-after wizards in the world. He traveled around, running training programs and exercise regimes to Magicals world-wide. Even Muggles knew of him and could benefit from his advice and teachings. Alicia became the financial manager of his exercise empire, gleefully making them richer than rich and investing a lot of his money into things he cared about: medical care, revamping Hogwarts, Muggleborn programs, orphanages, and the like. Angelina helped him craft programs and demonstrated with him.
Hermione was his organizational manager, keeping everything running smoothly and well. She and Alicia frequently argued on who was the one that started everything. Katie was happily working with Harry as well as being married to him. She had long stopped worrying about how other women reacted to him knowing he loved her and she loved him.
Harry was quite happy. He even still indulged in treacle tart on the regular, always making sure to work a little harder the day after.