All characters belong to their respective creators / film companies / etc. and are used without permission. This story may only be distributed on a non-profit-making basis.
Work in Progress. If you like this story, check out my other stories on the Fanfiction Net, Twisting the Hellmouth, and Fonts of Wisdom websites.
I'm British, so's my spelling. Live with it.
"I'm going to have to pick up my stuff before we leave," said Harry. "The rest of my clothes and stuff and my owl. Can't accio animals, it's cruel."
"Owl?" asked Dawn. "Oh, right, your familiar."
"He mostly carries messages. Familiars are handy too, of course, but I've never really used them much."
"I guess. You're not the only one, Willow and Kennedy have about eight cats and I've never seen her use one to cast a spell. Let me think... Gunn's supposed to be picking us up at six, so we'd better leave your stuff until five or so. That gives us three hours."
"I'm supposed to be in the quiz game at three, Hogwarts versus Salem Witches Institute. Can't really get out of that."
"The perils of being a celebrity, I guess."
"I was supposed to be the reserve for the Hogwarts team, but Neville had to pull out of the conference so I'll have to play."
"And everyone knows you'll be there, I suppose."
"'Fraid so."
"Well, we can't change it, so we'll have to live with it. Who else is on the team?"
"Hermione Grainger, Cho Chang and Draco Malfoy."
"Are they all trustworthy?"
"Hermione's fine, we were in the same house at school, when I was fighting Voldemort we saved each other's lives more times than I can remember. She's a brain, a bit like Professor Rosenberg, wants to go into research. Cho... well, I had a thing for her for a long while, we never quite clicked but we get on okay. I can't see her getting involved in any sort of plot, she's already got a job with the Ministry of Magic's trading standards department. Draco's a total bastard, I wouldn't trust as far as I can throw him. His father supported Voldemort, although he got off on a couple of technicalities, nobody I know doubts that Draco would have gone that way if we hadn't won first. They're rich so they could afford to hire an assassin, but the Malfoys hate muggles, there's no way he'd do business with one."
"Draco's father's lawyers... Wolfram and Hart, by any chance?"
"Damned if I know. Could have been."
"What about the other one, the one who pulled out of the conference?"
"Neville's a good guy, started out slow but he ended up top of our year. He's going to train as a forensic auror, join the Ministry of Magic's investigation branch. His grandmother was taken ill, that's the reason he couldn't come."
"Anyone else you know here?"
"Well, Fred and George Weasley on the Zonko's stand. You remember, the guys who wanted to give you the chocolate bat with the frothing fangs spell?"
"Oh right, them. Like I'm going to fall for something like that. Wasn't even dark chocolate."
"They're good guys, turned the company around and got it into the international market, still develop most of their own tricks."
"Any reason to dislike you?"
"No. I even gave them their start-up money, my prize from the Triwizard Tournament."
"Wonder if they resent that. Do you own a share of the company?"
"No, they wanted me to have ten percent but I turned them down, they give the money to wizarding charities instead."
"Okay, let's rule them out for now. Anyone else?"
"Some of the teachers from Hogwarts are here, of course, but they were all on my side against Voldemort."
"Harry... I know this may seem like an odd question, but can you think of any other reason why someone might want you dead? You seem to have this fixation on Voldemort, and some connection does seem likely, but there must be other possibilities."
"Such as?"
"Well, you're well off, who's your next of kin?"
"My Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, I suppose, and my cousin Dudley. They're muggles, and they really hate magic, but they're too respectable and stupid for any sort of elaborate plan. I don't like them but I can't see them being involved."
"Do they inherit if you die?"
"I suppose so, I've never made a will, but they don't know that I've got money."
"As far as you know."
"If they'd known they would have tried to take every penny. For my own good, of course."
"Nice people."
"Not really. Oh hell, here's Hermione and Cho now."
Two girls in Hogwarts robes came out of the crowd towards Harry, one of them a stunningly beautiful Asian, the other an attractive brunette. Dawn thought she'd seen them in the audience for Willow's talk. "Introduce me," said Dawn, "keep it vague, I'll do the rest."
"Cho, 'Mione, this is Dawn Summers."
"Salem?" asked Hermione.
"UCLA." said Dawn.
"I didn't think there was a wizarding school here," Hermione said with a frown.
"I'm taking muggle courses here and studying magic privately."
"Who's your tutor?" asked Cho.
"Professor Rosenberg." Both witches looked impressed.
"And you're a technopagan?"
"Uh-oh," thought Dawn, and said "I'm mainly exploring the shamanistic and meditative aspects as a focus for magic. Like Jenny Calender, who introduced Professor Rosenberg to the art. I've come to magic late, so I'm having to try some rather unorthodox techniques. Still just a beginner."
"That's fascinating," said Hermione, "I'd love to talk about it some more, but I've got to throttle Harry first."
"Why?" asked Harry, moving back cautiously.
"Have you forgotten last night?" asked Hermione, "wasn't someone supposed to be taking the rest of the team to supper?"
"Oh bug... bother. Look, I'm sorry, I had some free time and went for a walk and got a bit lost in the city. Then I ran into Dawn and we started talking and I just plain forgot."
"I'll bet." she looked at Dawn appraisingly. "According to Draco you didn't come back to your room last night."
"What business is that of Draco's?" asked Harry. "Or yours, for that matter? And why was he poking in my room anyway? But yes, I'm going to be staying off-campus for the rest of the conference."
"Harry, I worry about you, I keep thinking that there's going to be some sort of retaliation by Voldemort's followers, and you just don't take care. And going off with strangers..."
"Shouldn't I be the one to worry about that?" asked Dawn.
"Everyone knows who Harry is," said Cho.
"I didn't. I'd never heard of him until last night, after we'd met, when someone explained who he was. Like I said, I'm pretty new to magic, and I'm still kinda hazy about this whole Voldemort thing."
"Oh, that explains it," said Hermione. "Harry always did like being liked for himself, not what he's done."
"His himself is okay," said Dawn mischievously. "The rest of him isn't bad either. Hey, I bet you never knew you could blush that colour, Harry."
Furio eventually found the underground car park he was looking for, and went down to meet Angelo. His first impression was favourable; a tough-looking man in expensive casual clothing, maybe a little too much hair gel but he looked like someone who could be worked with.
"Heard you were looking for a boy," Angelo said in Italian with a strong Neopolitan accent.
"What boy?" Furio replied, also in Italian
"Potter."
"What's it to you?"
"I'm an independent contractor. I heard you'd been let down, I thought you might like some competent help."
"How much?"
"You eyeball him, confirm it's him. If it is I want ten large to do the job, five as finders fee if you just want to do it yourself. Oh, and your business if you want something like this done in the future. I'll work anywhere in the USA if the price is right."
"Expensive."
"This is the introductory special offer. I usually charge more, but I'm worth it."
"How do I know you'll do anything if I give you the money."
"You give me three up front, pay me the rest once you're sure it's him. Try to stiff me, I do the next hit free of charge..."
Furio knew a threat when he heard it, and decided to take it seriously. "Okay, I guess I believe you. So you know where he is?"
"Sure. He's hiding not far from here."
"How do you know where he is?"
"The girl he was with was hurt. A friend of a friend does medical work, no questions asked, and knows where she lives. I checked, and both of them are there."
"Let me get some muscle, and we'll go there."
"The same muscle that screwed up last night? No thanks. We keep this between ourselves, no witnesses."
"Okay, we'll do it your way. You packing?"
"In my car. You?"
Furio lifted his jacket to show a .38 revolver. Angelo nodded. "Good choice." Before Furio could react he seized the gun, emptying out the cartridges and drop-kicking it under a nearby van, then grabbed Furio's throat and began to squeeze. Furio struggled, but it was like hitting wood. Angel's face twisted, showing the demon beneath, and he said "Not good enough. You hurt my friends, now you're going to tell me why."
"Both teams," said the questionmaster, "Your starter for ten points, and probably the last starter of the game... which Hellmouth is currently active?"
One of the Salem witches produced a sphere of bright green light from her wand.
"Fletcher, Salem. What is the answer please?"
"Cleveland."
"I'm sorry, Cleveland is currently dormant. Hogwarts, any answers? No conferring please."
Harry hesitantly waved his wand, waited to be acknowledged, and said "Would it be Australia?"
"Can you be more specific?"
Harry racked his brains trying to remember what Dawn had said, couldn't remember except that it was something to do with aborigines, and eventually blurted "Ayers Rock?"
"Correct. Ten points to Hogwarts."
"How the hell did you know that?" whispered Hermione.
"Dawn said something about Australia, the rest was blind luck."
"Shut up," said Draco, "We need another ten points to win and we're running out of time."
"Hogwarts," said the questionmaster, "For five points each name four European species of dragon. You may confer."
"Norbert was a Norwegien Ridgeback," said Harry, "Does Britain count as Europe."
"Of course it does," said Hermione.
"I'll have to hurry you," said the questionmaster.
"Norwegian Ridgeback," said Draco loudly.
"Welsh Green," said Harry.
"Hungarian Horntail," said Cho.
There was a loud "Boing!", and the questionmaster said "And at the gong Hogwarts have beaten Salem Witches Institute by two hundred and thirty points to two hundred and twenty, and will meet Durmstrang Institute in the final tomorrow. Congratulations to both teams on a very well-fought contest."
The audience clapped, and a group of the invariable autograph seekers clustered around the Hogwarts table. Dawn moved to where she could unobtrusively watch, and noticed Kennedy taking a similar position on the far side of the crowd.
Cho and Hermione sat talking to their own admirers, who mostly seemed to be male wizards around their age. Draco, more or less ignored, noticed Dawn watching and moved around to her, thinking he'd have some fun.
"So you're a technopagan, are you?"
"That's right," said Dawn, knowing instinctively that she didn't like him.
"You're the people that dance naked around adding machines, aren't you?"
"Computers. And rarely naked."
"Basically muggles meddling with magic, aren't you?"
"You could put it that way. We prefer to say that we're at the interface between the mundane and magical worlds, mixing the best of both."
"Yes, well... I suppose it comforts mudbloods to think that."
"I suppose it comforts you to think that your opinion matters."
"What?"
"I said, I suppose it comforts you to think that your opinion matters."
"You little bitch..." He glanced around to make sure that nobody was watching, then began to pull his wand from his sleeve. There was a quiet "snick", and he felt cold steel touching his neck, and a hand seize his wrist and begin to twist.
"Now you're probably wondering if you can hex me before I cut your carotid artery. And do you know, I'm not quiet sure. I've spent most of the last seven or eight years working on my combat skills so I think it's unlikely, but I could be wrong. The question you have to ask yourself is... do I feel lucky?"
Draco stood there, frozen.
"Well, punk? Do you feel lucky?"
He slowly slid the wand back into his sleeve.
"Good boy," said Dawn, making the sword vanish as quietly as it had appeared, and letting go of his arm. "Now I'm going to give you the best advice you'll ever hear... never make enemies unnecessarily. Because there are people and things out there you really don't want to annoy, and I'm one of them. Do we understand one another?"
Draco nodded.
"I'm pleased to hear it. Now run along and play like a good little boy, Harry and I have things to do."
He backed away, muttering something Dawn didn't quite catch, and walked backwards into Kennedy, who had come up behind him and stood there with a stake in her hand. She took his arm and held him in a grip of steel. "This one human, Dawn?"
"I think so. Nominally."
"Better not slay him then. Kid..."
"Yes..?" said said Draco nervously.
"Next time you call someone a mudblood dyke, better make sure that there isn't a lesbian with lethal weapons and superhuman hearing standing behind you. Because some of us don't have my sunny disposition. Got that?" She let him go, Draco turned and bolted.
"I think he got the message," said Dawn. "Score Dirty Dawn and Kennedy a hundred, Draco Malfoy nil."
"Dirty Dawn?"
"I gave him the 'do you feel lucky' speech from Dirty Harry. He's one of the hard-core wizards that wants nothing to do with muggles, so he wouldn't know the film."
"Nice." Kennedy went back to the entrance and watched Draco leave.
"What the heck got into Malfoy?" said Harry, finally disengaging himself from his fans.
"He picked the wrong girls to insult," said Dawn.
"What do you want to do now? It's still a couple of hours until the car comes."
"Some more shopping, if that's okay with you, I've just realised I didn't get anything for Alonna or Cordy."
"Cordy?" asked Harry.
"That's right, you didn't meet her yet. Cordelia Chase, Angel's girlfriend. She used to be a seer but she was injured pretty badly and lost the power, so she went back to being an actress, now she's on TV. She's been on location, but she ought to be around tonight. She's got perfect taste and money to burn, so what I'm looking for is something unusual and really pretty."
"Better get the girls to help, I wouldn't know where to start."
"Good idea. You can carry the shopping."
Harry groaned.
"Let's face it... you're doomed."
TBC
