Harry Potter
And the
Doomspell Tournament

In the last chapter, Harry was preparing to compete in the Doomspell Tournament, which was now only a day away, after winning the Quidditch cup for the sixth year in a row! But now he must face an even greater task, with even greater stakes. And he must do it all on his own. The Doomspell Tournament was spelling disaster for both Harry and the rest of the world, and even his friends and the items they've given him haven't seemed to make him feel much better. But at least he knows the truth about Cho.

Now, the Doomspell Tournament awaits, the fate of the world hanging in the balance, and could topple for good if Harry is not careful. It will take every ounce of courage, strength, and vigilance for him to prevail in the impending confrontation...

Chapter 6
The Doomspell Tournament

The light shone down, bright as ever, in the window of the Gryffindor sixth-year dorm. Harry opened his eyes and stretched out, and lied up.

"Good luck, Harry." Neville was sitting on his bed, staring at the wall.

"Neville? What are you doing up?"

"Just thinking. You know. You know exactly what's going on, and all I know is there's something behind this all. I don't know what this curse is, or what it does, but I have a gut feeling this is going to decide it all."

"Don't feel too bad, Neville." He turned to walk out.

"Did I say good luck, Harry?"

"Yes."

"Well, good luck again."

"Thanks." And he strode out.

***

"Mister Potter. Mister Potter, please come with me!" Professor McGonagall called over the din of the Great Hall. "Mister Potter, have you eaten enough?"

"Yes."

"Well, make sure. You need to be in top shape for the... the Tournament." She informed him.

"When do we leave? Where do we go?"

"That's just it. I can't say it here. Please come with me." She said simply, and he stood up and followed her.

Out in the hall, she remained stony, until he broke the silence. "So where will it be?"

"It... it will be here."

"What? Here? In Hogwarts?"

"We couldn't oppose him, there's too much risk. In a moment, the students will be redirected to their dorms. We will be going to the Quidditch field."

"So it won't be in everybody's way, directly?"

"At least."

"Yes." They were silent until they were halfway across Hogwart's grounds. Then McGonagall spoke once more. "Mister Potter, if there's anything I can do, perhaps some last minute tips on spells, anything..."

"I think there's nothing else that can be done. I'll just have to do this once more, all alone. But there's nothing to do." He swallowed, and they reached the Quidditch field, where Headmaster Dumbledore and Professors Moody, String, Lupin, Snape, and Sirius Black stood, as well as The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, standing in the corner, silent. Also there was Mrs. Weasley. As soon as he got there, she gave him a big hug, and started sobbing.

"I'm really sorry about this! I really am, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Sorry. There's nothing. I just want to calm down and get ready."

"Good luck, honey, take care. I'm really sorry."

"It's not your fault, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you." After she'd left, along with Professor McGonagall, he turned to his Godfather.

"Harry, is there anything-"

"No, Sirius, thank you."

"All right. This is just so hard..."

"This is just so hard on everyone," He paused. "Anyone who knows the stakes."

"So true." They all wished each other luck, even Snape, when four figures came across the grounds shouting.

"Who?" Remus began, and then paused. First came Ron and Hermione, who both shook his hand, Hermione hugged him, and then backed off. Cho was next. Harry wanted to say something, but she too embraced him, and for a brief moment, whether on accident or not, their lips brushed.

"Good luck." She whispered in his ear, and stepped aside.

Last came Marshall Oak, who was digging in his pockets. "Harry, I just wanted to give you..." But he paused.

"What's that?" Hermione asked. The rest heard it, too. A low rumbling, and then...

CRAAACK!!! BOOOM!!!

Dark clouds, seemingly out of nowhere, appeared, and swirled overhead. Louder and louder they roared, until a flash of lightning, a clap of thunder, and there appeared eight figures, hooded and shrouded in darkness.

Dumbledore whirled on his feet, the shine no longer in his eyes, and addressed Ron, Hermione, Marshall, and Cho; "You four must GO NOW! Do not look back, it's time for you to leave-" But at that moment, the clouds swirled downward, enveloping the Quidditch field.

"I'm afraid... no one can leave now. Sit down, enjoy the show. It will be your last."

Harry knew that screechy voice. He knew who it belonged to.

Voldemort and his Death -Eaters were here.

***

"So, are you all ready?" Voldemort asked them. "Of course, what preparations do you need to make to die, I've always pondered that. Very well, let us begin. I am anxious to see my Followers defeat you each one by one. This will be most entertaining." He cackled, darkness shrouding the field, the pillar of clouds reaching over a hundred feet in the air.

"Oh, yes, we would need a ring, wouldn't we? Certainly a duel of this occasion deserves that luxury." He raised his hand, and merely pointed at the ground. The earth rose, about two feet in the air. He made a fist, and it got bright... brighter... it was lighting up the whole stadium... and then...

It was stone. The raised earth had become solid stone. Then Voldemort conjured up four pillars at the corners, and stone slabs crossing overhead, linked at the corners.

"What is this all for?" Harry shouted out, surprising everyone.

"Watch. AVADAE KEDAVRUS!" Harry felt his stomach lurch, but instead of what he expected, the four empty walls and the ghost ceiling glowed a pale, transparent green. "Anyone who dares to touch any of these fields will die automatically. You can only enter at the beginning and end of each duel. Is that clear? Oh, and one more thing. Aside from entering and leaving the ring, there are no rules, whatsoever. Understood?"

They just stared on silently.

"Very good." Voldemort made a hideous grin. "Now, to begin. Remus Lupin!" Lupin shuddered as Voldemort called his name. "You will step in and face Hawk Darken, one of my most faithful Death-Eaters. Step up now, be ready!"

"Just to let you all know, Darken was a fugitive and serial killer well known to the ministry. He was responsible for the attempted murder of a friend of Professor Lupin.

They all wished Remus good luck as he stepped up, and the green curtain parted, only for a moment, to let him through. At the other end came Darken, wand in hand.

"Begin." Voldemort said simply.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Darken shouted. But Lupin was quick on his toes, and Darken was a bad aim. Remus leapt aside narrowly avoiding the edge of the ring, and charged Darken, wand in hand.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" This simple trick did it; the wand flew out of Darken's hand, and he rolled toward the edge of the ring to retrieve it.

"OH NO, YOU DON'T-" But it was too late.

"CRUCIO!" Darken pointed at Lupin, and continued. Lupin's screams of pain echoed off the clouds, embedding themselves in everyone's minds.

"Fight it, Lupin, you can do it!" Harry shouted. "It's all in your head, think beyond the pain!"

Indeed, for a moment, Professor Lupin came to, and a moment was all he needed. He picked up his wand, shouted "IMPEDIMENTA!" and threw Darken halfway across the ring, toward the center.

"He's down! Finish him!" Voldemort shouted.

"What?" Lupin got to his feet.

"Kill him, now! He is of no use to me!"

"I'm not going to kill a man who can't defend himself." Lupin told him firmly.

"Either you kill him, right now, or I will kill you both." Darken was trying to get to his feet.

"Lupin was faced with quite a mental struggle here."

"Well? I will not hesitate to kill you both! You have three seconds!"

"Fine. AVADA KEDAVRA!" Lupin shouted. There was a flash of green light, and Darken went limp.

"Winner. You may exit. NEXT!"

One of the death-eaters levitated Darken's body out of the ring, and dropped it off to the side.

"Severus Snape, my defected Death-Eater. Do you remember when you left my service, Snape? Hmm? You're going to die for that one, a foolish mistake it was, and now you shall pay. Step in the ring immediately! You shall face Rodding Goyle, post-haste!"

"You can't wait to see me die, can you?" Snape asked him, with a courage in his voice that sounded not at all like Snape. He stepped into the ring, the curtain of death parting once more, and reached into his pocket. In the ring stepped Rodding Goyle.

Goyle grunted and laughed a little. He then reached for his wand at a remarkable speed, and Snape pulled out of his pocket not a wand, but a vial, and threw it at Goyle's feet. A thick, dark, red smoke arose where it broke and spilt, and Goyle began to cough. Then gasp. Then wheeze.

Snape glowered at him, and when Goyle slowly lifted his wand, Snape stepped froward, and in one fluid motion, snatched it from Rodding Goyle's hand.

"Gi... give tha... that back." Goyle sputtered.

"Come get it." Snape waved it in front of his face.

Goyle stood and coughed, and then looked up at him. "I am the fastest dueler in England. Watch my hand." He raised it slowly, and Snape paid attention, but it was just enough. Goyle snatched it back, the smoke having no more effect.

"I was never much for silly wand waving." Snape told him, pulling out his own. ""But all the same..."

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Goyle shot Snape, binding him, and Snape hit the ground.

"How pathetic." Goyle kicked him. Then again. In fact, Goyle began kicking him very slowly toward the edge of the ring, towards the Kedavrus Curtain.

"Just a second, now, just a second, and it will be all over!"

"Snape!" Marshall shouted. "If you don't break out of that curse, I'll break our agreement and root through your private stores!"

"WHAT!?!" Snape tore one hand free slowly from the curse. "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Goyle had him in the curse once more. Now Snape was inches from the edge of the ring... then Harry had an idea. He pulled out the low-level curse-protection serum Colin gave him earlier. Snape was now at the edge of the ring, unmoving, and Goyle shouted back a victory cry to his comrades. It was then that Harry pulled the plug out of the vial, and held it at the bottom with his index finger and thumb.

"Harry, no! What are you doing?" Sirius shouted.

Snape's face was about an inch from the curtain, and Harry tipped the vial, not his hand, but just the vial, and the serum spilled over Snape's lips, and a little into his mouth.

Goyle turned back around to see Snape get to his feet.

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS! PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Goyle shouted, but the spell now had no effect.

"Don't you know any other curses?" Snape asked. He pulled out his wand, and at the same time, he managed to recall the disarming curse as Goyle shouted his. BAM! Both of them were knocked back, and both of their wands flew out of the ring.

Snape charged Goyle and thrust his elbow into Goyle's solar plexus, and started throwing punches at his jaw, however, years of being a potions master and nothing else yielded some rather weak shots, and Goyle soon regained his composure, and punched Snape one good time, knocking him over.

Harry gripped the weed in his pocket, prepared to toss it to Snape, but worried about it reaching Goyle and giving him the advantage. Snape leapt up once more, a beaker in his hand, and smashed it over Goyles head, then began shredding his robes with the broken-glass.

"You puny little bastard! I'll kill you for that!" Fgoyle blindly threw both his fists down together to crush Snape's skull, but missed completely. Snape dropped down and performed a rather impressive Russian Leg-Sweep, and Goyle fell back, cracking the back of his head on the cement, and gave a loud bellow. Snape went to choke him.

"You can't win." Goyle wrapped his longer, stronger arms around Snape's neck instead. He began literally choking the life out of Snape, who, with one hand, fought off Goyle, and with the other plunged desperately into his robe pockets. Snape smashed his knee into Goyle's stomach, and Goyle bellowed loudly.

Then Snape shoved a vial into Goyl'e mouth, one with a strange black liquid in it. He broke free from Goyle's grip for just a moment, and put his foot to Goyle's chin.

"Rodding Goyle, your son is a terrible student, and before you die, know simply this; he just FLUNKED FOR THE SEMESTER!"

With that, Snape kicked Goyle's chin, and the vial broke, sending the black liquid pouring down - no, through Rodding Goyle's throat, Harry realized. It was some powerful acid, it must have been. For a moment, Goyle spasmed, and then his head fell back, and flopped to one side.

Snape stood up, gave Voldemort a sneer, and then spit on Rodding Goyle's body, and turned and walked out of the ring.

"Well done, Snape!" Cornelius Fudge spoke up from where he was sitting on the ground.

"Professor, I didn't notice. What is Fudge doing here, it's too dangerous for a man of his stature." Harry asked.

"Well, Harry, he made a bargain. If Pettigrew reveals himself, Sirius will be exonerated of the crimes the Ministry believes he committed.

"I see."

Voldemort was silent for a moment. Then he bellowed;

"You have just killed the fastest wizard dueler in England, and possibly the world!"

"Oh, stop your bawling." Snape called, which Harry wasn't sure was bravery or bravado.

Voldemort growled.

"ALASTOR MOODY! LUCIOUS MALFOY! BOTH IN THE RING NOW!"

"This is progressing rather quickly." Harry said.

"By the way, Potter, were you in my private stores, again?" Snape rounded on him, demanding. Harry was dumbfounded. He'd just saved the man's life!

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for doing so, and twenty five points TO Gryffindor for doing so. That will be all." Snape turned away.

Five points. Coming from Snape, that was worth five hundred points from McGonagall.

Goyle's body was thrown out of the ring, and Moody growled and stepped in the ring, his wand out, and immediately attacked Malfoy as soon as he got in the ring.

"If there's anything I hate, it was a death-eater that walked free!" Moody howled.

"Too bad you'll be dead when you see me walk free the second time!" Lucius retorted.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Moody shouted, but missed; and what's worse, the spell hit the curtain and bounced off, flying at odd angles and diffracting, sending several beams of green light shooting off at once. Both Moody and Malfoy ducked.

"Eat this!" Malfoy scrambled to his feet after the curse dissipated, and fired a beam of white-hot light past Moody's cheek.

More and more he fired, and more and more he missed, as moody was rather agile for having a peg-leg, and rammed into Malfoy full force, before shouting, "IMPERIO!"

Malfoy was completely stopped. He just stood there, as Moody directed him to sit down.

"There. It's over. I won." Moody addressed the other death eaters. "I could kill him, but I won't. In principal, I've won."

"No. This is to the death." Voldemort informed him icily. Moody raised his wand, but Lucious had already escaped.

Moody knew better than to try the killing curse on a moving target once more, so he shouted various hexes, and finally yelled, "Impedimenta!" which struck Malfoy full-force, throwing him through the curtain and out of the ring.

Moody turned his back. Clearly, the fight was over. Malfoy had gone through the curtain, and his ringout meant certain death.

"There, now are you happy?" Moody demanded.

But there was something not right. Lucius was stirring. Then he got to his feet, and leapt back into the ring, with Moody taking no notice.

"What! But that's not fair!" Harry shouted. Voldemort had obviously parted the death-curtain for one moment to allow Lucius to pass through safely.

"Moody, look out-" But something made Harry's voice leap from his throat. He looked over, and saw a shorter death-eater, his face unseen behind his dark hood, pointing his wand at him. Harry noticed that the spell seemed to affect everyone around him, because they, too, tried to speak, but no words came out.

It was an aura of silence charm. And in the meanwhile, Moody was preparing to leave the ring, taking no notice of Malfoy, who raised his wand and pointed it right behind Moody's head. And since the match was not over, if Moody walked into the curtain, Harry realized, it would kill him.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Malfoy shouted. But something odd happened. Moody threw his body to one side and ducked, and the spell bounced right off the wall, rebounding right in Malfoy's face. For a moment, he screamed, realizing what he'd done, and then his voice was cut off, an odd silence filling the air. Moody got up and hobbled out, muttering as he passed Harry.

"I hate it when people attack when their opponent's back is turned. Nasty, stinking, scummy, cowardly thing to do."

"There will be a five minute rest period. No longer!" Voldemort gathered with his remaining four death-eaters, obviously to discuss strategy.

"He acts like he owns the place." Harry was finally ably to talk to Dumbledore.

"We'll show him who owns Hogwart's soon enough." Dumbledore told him. They sat down, and Sirius pulled out a canteen of water, and they each took a swig.

"Ivan String shall compete next!" Voldemort informed them from across the field.

"Why does he have to announce everything?" Harry laughed.

"Goody." String said lazily. "So Harry, you never told me how YOU beat Garef last year."

"I thought you'd have learned how. Haven't you worked with the Silver Bullet Faction?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but what did you do?"

"Convertus AG!" Harry pointed at a rock, which turned to pure silver. "I put it straight through him. I believe it is an alchemy spell, transmutation."

"Yes. Well, Garef will have free reign over the inside and outside of the ring without the dark lord's help. Vampires cannot be killed by the killing curse, remember?"

"Oh, yes, I do. Why don't you just take a big stone and hammer your wand through his heart?"

"Not a bad idea at this point. I am dealing with the supposedly unkillable right now."

"Five minutes are up! String, in the ring!" Voldemort demanded.

"Best of luck to you." Harry told him.

"Thanks." And String stepped through the curtain.


A/N; Uh, oh! Things definitely aren't looking up right now! Of course, when have they last? Tension mounts as the first three Duels in the Doomspell tournament have chalked up a few point for the good guys, but how long can they keep this up? There's still String versus Garef, Black versus Pettigrew, Dumbledore versus Karkaroff, and Harry has to fight both Voldemort and his bodyguard. Just who is this bodyguard? Will Harry be able to take them both on?
More coming soon!