DISCLAIMER! This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy. New Movie is coming in April! Hurrah! Yeah, for Fanfiction – a great place to stretch your imagination and enjoy someone else's creativity too! The is the sequel to The Potter Cartouche.
Chapter 19: Tournament and RunesHarry enjoyed the start of his fourth year at Hogwarts. That tumultuous first week where he'd seen Severus Snape dead and Draco Malfoy expelled was far behind him as Hogwarts remained calm and focused on education. The new classes were great, and the new professors put their effort into teaching and making Hogwarts just a school – a school of wizardry and witchcraft – but a school, nonetheless. The first month of classes, he'd missed talking with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but after settling in, he found that his classes were interesting, and avoiding Ron Weasley was pretty simple. Talking with Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan was great. At the same time, they all worked with Neville Longbottom in the greenhouse, at a study table in the library, or just sat in the Gryffindor common room with someone playing chess with Heir Old Weasley after he stole someone's homework.
But then Harry read the posted announcement for the upcoming lecture by Headmaster Emeritus Dumbledore, and suddenly he wished Hermione Granger was still enrolled at Hogwarts.
"What's a Tri-Wizard Tournament? And why is it a topic of interest for students at Hogwarts? And on Halloween – something always starts on Halloween," he muttered as he hurried the library to find some information on this tournament. As he neared the library, he heard Theo Nott, a fourth-year Slytherin student, arguing with someone.
"My father is dead now. Isn't that enough for you?" Nott hissed in anger. Harry's wand dropped into his hand, and he willed himself invisible before stepping around the corner to find Theo Nott backed into a corner of the hallway with three seventh-year Puffs keeping the younger boy trapped. The two wizards and the witch had their wands out and were focused on the younger Slytherin wizard.
Willing himself visible with his wand out and a dozen hexes ready, Harry shouted, "Oi! Leave Nott alone. What's he ever done to you?"
A true Slytherin, Theo kept his eyes on the three students from Hufflepuff while they each glanced back at Potter and sneered. The witch said, "The Death Eaters killed my dad. The Daily Prophet said that Nott's dad died in Azkaban yesterday, and we thought we'd end the Nott line."
"All the Death Eaters need to die!" one of the wizards said.
"Idiots! Theodore Nott isn't a death eater," Harry declared. "He's a kid, just like me."
"Potter, this doesn't concern you!"
Harry willed himself invisible again and ran into the corner, put himself in front of Theo and made himself visible again. The Hufflepuff students took a step back from the angry Gryffindor who had his wand aimed at them – the boy-who-lived had decapitated Severus Snape the first week of school and then got Draco Malfoy expelled from Hogwarts without firing a single spell.
"The headmaster and deputy headmistress might let this slide with a call to your parents and a couple of detentions, but you fire a single spell at Theo and me, and you're likely to get expelled," Harry reminded the three Puffs. "And I hate to think what Professor Sprout will say to you."
"Who's going to tell her?" asked the witch, frustrated that the Boy-Who-Lived was interfering.
"Me!" shouted five voices behind them. They turned and looked to find Neville, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, and Parvati standing there with their wands drawn as well.
The three seventh-year Puffs hesitated for a moment, and then two more persons arrived. First, was Professor Sprout summoned by one of the ghosts. The second person to come was Fawkes, who flamed into the hallway and hovered in the air between the Puffs and the two boys. She was uncharacteristically silent, the only sound being the beating of her wings as she stared at the three Puffs.
"Wands down!" commanded Sprout. "Davis, Mason, Fladry – my office now!"
The three Hufflepuffs lowered their wands and hurried away, heading toward the office of their head of house. Sprout turned to the Gryffindors and said, "Three points each for bravery and standing up for what's right. Go on to the library."
With a wave of her wand, she turned back and conjured a stand for Fawkes, who landed and crooned a note of thanks. Then she turned to Harry and hissed, "Throwing yourself in front of three wizards with their wands drawn isn't very smart, Mr Potter."
"I had to stop them," Harry said. "If Theo just lost his father, they shouldn't have been picking on him."
"Mr Nott?"
"I was walking to the library, and they jumped me. I don't know them," the Slytherin replied with a steady voice though his hand trembled just a bit.
Professor Sprout sighed and said, "They will apologise at supper tonight and mean it. I thought Professor Sinestra always wanted you to travel in groups or pairs?"
"I needed…something in the library, and no one else wanted to come."
"Very well, Mr Nott. Be careful walking back to the Great Hall for supper and then stick with other Slytherins until you are back in the dungeons. I'll smack the prefects into form after speaking to my three badgers. Mr Potter ten points from Gryffindor for throwing yourself in the line of fire and fifteen points for standing up for what's right."
Sprout left while Harry invited Theo to join his friends at a table to study until dinner.
"You don't have to do that, Potter."
"We need some more opinions," Harry said. "And it'll aggravate Heir Old Weasley. If he's pissed, I might be able to beat him at chess after dinner."
"That's a weird goal, Potter."
"Tell me, Nott, what do you know about this Tri-Wizard Tournament that Dumbledore's going to talk about on Monday?"
It wasn't funny when Ron Weasley lost his temper. The Gryffindor bottomless pit was loud as a banshee and turned several shades of red while working his way into a tantrum. When the other fourth-year Gryffindors appeared at the door to the Great Hall in the company of a snake from Slytherin, Weasley pulled his wand and tried to throw several hexes at Theodore Nott as well as the Gryffindor students. Ron's aim was not very good, and the other students had learned to dodge, shield, and catch and throw hexes into the far walls or ceiling with their wands. Unfortunately for Ron, one of his hexes hit Professor Lupin as he entered the Great Hall, earning the boy detention, ten points lost, and a floo call to his father and mother by Headmaster Bennet for attacking other students.
"But he's a slimy snake!" argued Ron.
"Five more points and another detention, Mr Weasley," announced Professor Andrew Carter.
Everyone watched as the head of Gryffindor glued Ron to his chair with a charm to hold him down and keep him quiet during the meal. The wizard also took the boy's wand. Ron protested silently but still, no one sat near him at dinner. Theo Nott wandered to the Slytherin table and sat with the other students in his year, though few words were spoken. Everyone was surprised when Fawkes flamed into the hall and chose to sit beside the young Slytherin during the meal. The elves delivered the bowl of fruit for the phoenix so Nott and the younger students in Slytherin took turns feeding her grapes, cumquats, and pieces of apples while she talked with them.
The three Hufflepuff students apologised to Theodore Nott in front of everyone in the Great Hall while Professor Sprout watched them with tears falling from her eyes. Headmaster Bennet announced to the entire student body that Hogwarts would not tolerate bullying or attacks between students.
"The crimes of the father do not fall upon the child in Magical society!" he reminded them sternly. "One student has already been expelled permanently, and two others were on probation before these three were brought to my attention by their head of house. They are on probation until Yule break. Any student who fires a spell at another student in anger will be expelled. Any student who threatens to cast at another student with the intent to cause harm will go home for five days and have their wand confiscated for a month while not in class."
"And this is not forgiveness," Bennet declared while Dumbledore looked pained. "Any student who has two instances of probation for threatening another student will lose wand rights for the whole year while in the castle. And with the third instance, you will be expelled for the rest of the year and have to repeat the current year."
There was a great deal of murmuring at the Gryffindor table where Fred and George Weasley exchanged glances – they'd already been placed on probation for using their pranks against the first year and second-year students in their house. Professor Carter, the head of Gryffindor, proved to be Molly Weasley's equal with volume when he took Fred and George home in late September for five days.
"You're picking on my children! First Ron and now Fred and George!" Molly declared.
The professor shouted back, "Your children look for trouble! They're rude and try to create problems with the other students! If they don't reform themselves before Yule, they'll be expelled, and you'll have to tutor them at home!"
My sons are not rude! They don't cause problems!
Ask them what they did to three of their housemates last night to earn this probation?
Molly frowned but didn't say anything until Professor Carter growled, "Tell her!"
Fred spoke up, "We gave them candies that changed them into goblins for twenty minutes."
And!
The transformation hurt them terribly.
The three boys are all in the infirmary being treated by Healer Johnson for nerve damage!" Carter roared. "Three of their housemates were hurt!"
"Well…were they purebloods?" asked Molly. Professor Carter merely sneered before he laid the letter from Headmaster Bennet on the table and left.
SLIGHT SCENE CHANGE
That night, Arthur hit the roof when he came home and found the twins home on probation for trying their jokes on younger children. While Molly attempted to distract her husband, Arthur ordered her to be silent before he turned to one twin and asked, "Fred, what were you thinking?"
Hopeful of deflecting his father's anger, Fred replied, "I'm George…don't you even know your own sons?"
Arthur stood tall and stepped closer to his son, who was as tall as he was, stared him in the eye and replied, "You are Fred. I have always been able to tell you two apart. And that attempt at a joke just crossed the last line with me."
"Arthur…it's not serious," Molly said. "I don't think the students were purebloods."
"Molly Weasley, be silent!" Lord Old Weasley demanded. Without another thought for his wife, Arthur turned back to Fred and George. "Each of you boys is creative and smart. Together you should be a genius mind, but your grades don't show it. When you return to Hogwarts, I demand O's or E's in every class by Yule. You passed a few OWLS last year…enough to keep your wands if you get expelled. So, unless I see dedication for excellent grades at Yule, there'll be no reason for you to return for the Winter Term."
"But…" George tried to interrupt, but his father threw up a hand, and the twin fell silent.
"If you two want to open your joke shop, that's a great ambition. If you are not at Hogwarts to study for NEWTS, you will find jobs and work to earn money. But I won't spend another galleon on Hogwarts for you if your grades aren't good enough."
The twins stared at each other for a moment before Arthur added, "With your reputation for mischief, no one with any sense will hire the two of you together. November and December may be the last time you two are together all day every day if your grades are not good."
Fred and George swallowed and nodded.
"Now get your schoolbooks and show me what you're studying. Five days at home won't be spent idle," Arthur ordered before Fred and George ran up the stairs.
Molly was red-faced with embarrassment and anger when her husband removed the family magic charm from her.
"Arthur Weasley! How dare you silence me!" she shouted. After another minute of shouting, she asked, "Why don't you say something?"
"Why?"
"Arthur Weasley! Don't make fun of me!"
"Molly, we're members of the nobility now, but have you noticed that no one…not even Grandfather and Grandmother, have invited us to tea?"
"You mean no lady has invited me to tea!" she replied, still louder than necessary.
"Exactly," he replied. "Grandfather refuses to have us visit his office at the Ministry, and Grandmother declares her Singing Geranium wilts whenever you and I visit their home."
"And your mother never felt I was good enough for you."
"Mother and Father are taciturn and reserved," Arthur replied. "Our seven children leave them with headaches."
Defeated for the moment, Molly hurried to the kitchen to prepare supper. Fred and George reappeared with their books and set to work under their father's stern eye.
SLIGHT SCENERY CHANGE BACK TO HOGWARTS
A day later, Harry was seated in the library with his friends when a book slid onto the table beside his parchment. Looking up, he found Theodore Nott – with the other Slytherins standing behind him – who kept his face blank but said, "Chapter 6. All your answers and worst fears are listed in just thirteen pages."
"Thank you, Heir Nott," Harry replied formally.
The Slytherin smirked just a little and replied, "It would be a Gryffindor who first greeted me by my new title. Have a good evening, Heir Potter."
Harry missed the speculative looks from the other Slytherins who followed Nott from the library. After a discussion with their head of house, Zambini, Davis, and Greengrass had been convinced to display proper house unity with the newest heir at Hogwarts. Neville noticed the looks but kept his mouth closed for now. He'd discuss it with Harry later.
The Gryffindor Common Room was boisterous as always, but Harry ignored the conversations and loud noises around him. It was Seamus and Lavender's night to distract Ron with chess matches. Harry kept his nose buried in the book that detailed magical tournaments in history, and he muttered with disbelief several times.
At one point, he turned to Neville and said, "This tournament is a death trap. Three out of four times, all the contestants were killed, and in half of the games, there were large deaths among the spectators. They regularly use dangerous creatures – manticores, chimaera, erumpent, dragons and runespoors."
Lavender commented, "Hagrid would love to attend this tournament if they use all those creatures."
CHANGE SCENE: Halloween LectureIn the afternoon of Monday, 31 October, classes were suspended after 4:00 PM, and all students were required to gather in the Great Hall by 4:15. There Headmaster Bennet welcomed the student body and introduced the first of the lectures that Headmaster Emeritus Dumbledore would present. Dumbledore rose and stepped before the audience to begin his presentation with lacklustre applause.
"The Tri-Wizard Tournament is part of our magical legacy and provides us with a view of the history of magical peoples," he began and then put a portion of the audience to sleep with dates on past tournaments and the locations where the games were held, including Attica (Greece), Mesopotamia (Iraq), Gaul (France), Carthage (Tunisia).
Harry frowned while the headmaster spoke about the magical creatures the different contestants faced in past tournaments but failed to mention the number of deaths among the 'champions' and the casualties among spectators at some of the tournaments.
Dumbledore was a talented speaker, and he'd created a mental image in the minds of many of the students as he continued, "Now, this very night, the next Tri-Wizard Tournament begins at the Ptolemaic School of Sorcery in Alexandria, Egypt. This ancient school was founded by the wizard Ptolemy exactly 2,299 years ago. Ptolemy was a general and wizard who served under the conquering wizard, Alexander the Great. Following Alexander's death, Ptolemy crowned himself Pharoah of Egypt."
'Was Alexander the Great a wizard?' asked Harry. 'Is that right?'
"The wizards organising the game will light an ancient magical artefact, the Goblet of Fire, which was loaned to Ptolemaic School of Sorcery by the British Ministry of Magic for the game. From the goblet, three champions will be selected," Dumbledore continued. "Now, you might ask why our ministry loaned a valuable artefact to the other schools for the game…that's because the tournament was supposed to be held here at Hogwarts."
This pronouncement woke up more of the students, and they listened quietly as Dumbledore continued, "The tournament will begin in November with a contest where the champions must get past dragons to steal something from their nests. The second contest in February will include challenges in the blue waters of the Mediterranean and racing hippogriffs around the underwater ruins of the Library of Alexandria. And then in June, the champions will enter an ancient labyrinth underneath the Sphinx in the desert outside of Cairo – home of a magical sphinx today."
'A labyrinth? A sphinx? Underwater in February? What's a hippogriff? Dragons? Did he say dragons?' These wild thoughts ran through many different minds in the audience.
Headmaster Bennet watched his students and was pleased to see disbelief and caution in the eyes that he'd hoped to see. However, Headmaster Emeritus Dumbledore only saw interest and curiosity in the eyes of the students who had been denied the opportunity to participate or observe the challenges of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
'Merlin! I am glad that this is not here in Hogwarts,' Harry decided and felt a shiver climb up his spine.
As Dumbledore sat down to scattered applause, Headmaster Bennet stood and asked, "Does anyone have any questions?"
Harry stood and waited while a few Ravenclaws burst out with their questions. Professor Flitwick shook his head and chastised the curious students to wait until they were called on as Bennet selected one student at a time. Dumbledore smiled congenially as he spoke about the Goblet of Fire, the Ptolemaic School of Sorcery, and hippogriffs.
"I am certain that Professor Lupin can provide you with more information on the wizards that conquered the known world in the fourth century BC. And the wonders their descendants accomplished," Dumbledore replied. Remus Lupin frowned and decided to revise his class syllabus slightly to list supplemental reading for interested students. There weren't any questions on the OWLS or NEWTS about Hellenic Wizards.
"What other schools are participating in the tournament?" asked a Hufflepuff student.
Dumbledore sighed with great sadness as he explained, "Our two competitors here in Europe were invited to participate with the Ptolemaic School of Sorcery. First is Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, located in the Pyrenees Mountains in the south of France, and second is Durmstrang Institute, with their location hidden somewhere in Northern Europe. Along with the Ptolemaic school, their seventh-year students submitted their names to be judged by the Goblet of Fire this week. And by this hour, the goblet has chosen the three wizards who will participate."
Finally, Headmaster Bennet called on Harry, who'd waited patiently to ask, "Professor Dumbledore, what about the terrible number of casualties at the tournament when it was held in Gaul in the year 566 and then in Carthage in 937? And there was the destruction of an entire school in Babylon in 1308 when…"
"Harry, my boy, there's not a great deal of documentation on those claims," Dumbledore said, glossing over the whole of the history.
"Heir Potter," Headmaster Bennet reminded the older wizard.
Undeterred, Harry replied, "But Professor Dumbledore, there's plenty of material in the Hogwarts Library, but it's been shelved improperly under magical household charms of 18th Century France."
"WHAT?" shouted Madam Irma Pince, the proud librarian at Hogwarts. The witch rose and strode from the Great Hall, threatening to skin an old wizard and cure his hide as leather to repair old books as she headed for her library to correct this mistake.
"Mr Potter, what did you find about the tournament?" asked Professor Flitwick.
Pulling the library book from his bag, Harry opened to the correct page and read, "In every tournament, at least one of the champions has been killed. In three of the last four tournaments, all of the contestants were killed, and in half of the games, there were large deaths among the spectators. Creatures used in tasks that killed the champions and spectators include manticores, chimaera, erumpent, dragons and runespoors."
Deputy Headmistress Longbottom turned on Albus Dumbledore and said, "And you wanted to bring that massacre here! Merlin's beard, Albus! You've lost what little common sense you had!"
SCENE CHANGE: SandstoneProfessor Babbling considered the problem of the limited number of sandstone plates in her inventory and the individual patterns of learning the students in her fourth-year class for runes. This class included three Slytherin students and Harry Potter. Daphne Greengrass was the best student in the class without a doubt and she would easily pass the exams to leap into the fifth-year classes. She considered Blaise Zambini and Tracy Davis – they could fit into the class with the other fourth-year students, but she worried about Harry Potter. Last year he had excelled with questions and ideas but with the departure of Mr Finch-Fletchley this year, Potter was quiet and seldom contributed to the discussion. He could move to the other class, and she would see if he made progress after Yule. (In her mind, Babbling's experience as an educator at Hogwarts proved the purebloods were more naturally talented with magic over the half-bloods and muggle-borns.)
She stood before her four students and announced that beginning a week from this Thursday, they would join the other runes class to consolidate teaching. Then she added, "Now, to make things totally fair, during this class time next Tuesday, I shall provide you with the opportunity to test out of the fourth year and place into the fifth-year class."
Catching and holding Daphne's eye, Professor Babbling continued, "One-third of your grade will be written, one-third will be carving on a sandstone shard – cartouche and three runes to call forth light and brighten a room – and the final third will be to actually present a functioning runic array that you may bring to class already completed.
"Professor, what's to prevent us from using someone else's array? A medallion or ring someone already made and gave us?" asked Tracy Davis.
"Every witch or wizard's magical signature resides in their creations. You can no more pass off a medallion made at the jewellers than you could fly without a broomstick," Babbling replied. "Let me demonstrate. Mr Potter, do you have your shard with the cartouche from last week?"
"Yes, professor," Harry replied as he brought out the flat irregularly shaped stone with a cartouche carved on it and placed it on the professor's desk. He watched carefully as Babbling cast a detection spell that displayed a bright blue light with Harry's profile inside.
Then she repeated the demonstration with Daphne Greengrass's work and the girl's profile appeared inside a green light that was clear but not as bright as Harry's light. Ignoring the indication that Potter was more powerful than the pureblood witch, Babbling again stated the three parts of the exam she and Madam Griselda Marchbanks would conduct in one week.
"Anyone who tests at the fifth-year level will move into that class."
Zambini asked, "And if someone showed up with a three-layer ring, would they test out of NEWTS?"
Babbling pursed her lips but replied, "Mr Zambini, if a prodigy existed in Runes, they could continue with independent study at Hogwarts and test for a mastery at the end of the seventh year."
SMALL SCENE CHANGE
The next morning, the Daily Prophet ran a story about the string of deaths among the convicted prisoners in Azkaban. Eight of the Death Eaters held in the terrible prison had died in the last three weeks – wizard's flu or dragon pox were the suspected causes, but autopsies were not performed.
Harry noticed that Neville and Lady Longbottom seemed 'satisfied' that morning but neither of them made their feelings known to the students or professors at the death of Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband, and brother-in-law.
In London, he-who-must-not-be-named was very displeased to hear about the deaths of his most loyal followers imprisoned in the prison. Ironically, he and Barty, Jr. ordered Barty, Sr. to investigate any and all reports on the deaths. Of course, Barty, Sr. agreed to the command, and he copied the DMLE report provided by the warden concerning the unexpected deaths of all the Death Eaters under his charge. The warden's handwritten parchment listed the names and date of death with the cause being Wizard's Flu aggravated by poor health and unsanitary conditions.
CHANGE SCENE: Harry Talks with AdultsIt was Thursday before Harry showed up at Flitwick's office during the professor's free hours and asked to speak with him. Surprised to see the young wizard at his door, Flitwick paused and asked, "Am I speaking with Heir Potter or Freshgold this afternoon?"
"I am here as a student for advice about some things you might remember from this past summer," replied Harry.
"A combination of Heir Potter, Freshgold, and Harry Potter then," Flitwick said as he forced the portraits in his office to sleep and sealed away the office from any visits by ghosts.
"Are you worried that Headmaster Bennet might be listening?"
Flitwick shook his head and explained, "It's second nature after dealing with Dumbledore for twenty years. And I'll tell you now that after you and I speak, we'll go talk to Professor Carter and Headmaster Bennet if I think it's necessary. I don't want any secrets that should be told to your head of house and the headmaster."
Gesturing toward a chair, Flitwick asked, "Now, how can I help you?"
Harry explained the announcement by Professor Babbling concerning consolidating the fourth-year runes classes into one class and providing an opportunity for students to test out. Then he fell silent.
Flitwick moved the conversation along saying, "Bathsheba has mentioned Miss Greengrass as an exemplary student who could skip a year. And she thinks that putting her two fourth-year classes together will let her give more attention to her fifth-year class and her combined sixth- and seventh-year class."
"I am trying to decide how well to perform on the exam and if I should blow her mind with my ring that I made with the four-level runic array."
Sitting forward in his chair, Flitwick asked, "What do you mean 'perform on the exam'?"
"My entire life, I have had to be careful how well I did on tests and examinations. My relatives…I had to always get worse grades than my cousin. And I used to not do as well as I could here at Hogwarts because Ron got angry, and Hermione got jealous. Hermione went back to the real world and Ron's got his nose stuck up in the air as Heir Old Weasley.
Flitwick narrowed his eyes for a moment and said, "How much are you willing to share with Headmaster Bennet and Professor Carter?"
"My stuff…my magical innovations are in my family Grimoire, and no one can use them without my permission."
"Gringotts will help enforce that too – Freshgold," Flitwick assured the student. "Let me send the headmaster a message."
Flitwick's Patronus left with a message for the headmaster. A large rooster Patronus returned with Headmaster Bennet's voice stating that Professor Carter was in his office, and Flitwick and Heir Potter should join them there. The Charms Professor led Harry through the hallways to a large, comfortable office that was easy to find just off the first staircase leading up from the entry hall. There, Flitwick tapped on a ward and the door opened.
"Good evening, Professor Flitwick, Mr Potter," Charles Bennet said to greet the two visitors. Professor Carter remained in his chair and didn't say anything. "Now, what is it that brings you two here?"
Carter asked, "And why didn't Mr Potter come to me in the first place?"
Harry remained standing before Bennet's desk with Carter on one side with Flitwick on the opposite side. He nodded his head at Professor Carter and explained, "Sir, I never have had a Head of House who really took an interest in any question or concern that I had in the first three years at Hogwarts. You are acting like Professor Flitwick does in Ravenclaw – an advocate for your students.
"But today, I went to Professor Flitwick because he is aware of my…my subject concerns."
"What is your concern, Mr Potter?" asked Bennet.
Flitwick interrupted and said, "Mr Potter is considering how to handle an opportunity in his Runes class. Professor Babbling is going to combine her fourth-year classes after testing the students in her class with Slytherins and Mr Potter.
"I understand that Professor Babbling arranged for Madam Marchbanks to proctor a single afternoon of tests for interested students."
"She expects Miss Greengrass to place into the fifth-year class," Flitwick said. Carter frowned and remained silent. He personally believed that every student should be allowed to move up after demonstrating the necessary knowledge and skills for a class. Not that he'd found many such students at Hogwarts in the potion's classrooms.
"What is the opportunity?" Bennet inquired.
"I have made discoveries in runic arrays that make things much easier," Harry said. "These are things that my attorneys advised me to add to family grimoire so no one can steal them."
"Potter, you're fourteen years old," Carter said. "What can you possibly have discovered that needed to be written down in a Grimoire? Who is your magical guardian that they are allowing these expenses? And how do you have access to your family artefact so soon?"
Flitwick exchanged glances with Bennet who continued to allow Carter to question the Gryffindor student so strongly. However, Harry simply nodded and replied, "Professor, I faced down a basilisk underneath the castle a couple of years ago. Your stare is not nearly as scary as that monster."
Bennet and Flitwick both managed to keep from snickering as the fourteen-year-old went toe-to-toe with his head of house. Sitting back, Professor Carter said, "Alright Mr Potter. What have you got that can be so revolutionary in Runes?"
Harry willed his rings to appear, he removed the one he'd made with a four-layer paper cartouche and placed it on the headmaster's desk.
Flitwick said, "Headmaster if you know the spell to identify the creator of an object, would you cast it?"
"I use 'Reveal Maker'," Charles Bennet explained as he cast the spell and a bright blue light appeared above the ring with Harry's profile for everyone to see.
"This ring was made by Mr Potter," Bennet agreed as he picked up the ring and didn't try to hide the surprise on his face as his magic revealed the powers of the ring.
"Have you used this?" Bennet asked. Then he continued, "This ring casts the shield that protected you the night Snape attacked you."
Flitwick said, "Mr Potter felt unprotected last year when the prison escapee Sirius Black, Dementors and a werewolf who did not seem to like him were around the castle."
"Did Black ever get inside the castle?" asked Carter, ignoring the comment about Lupin.
Harry replied, "Yes, he broke in twice and then at the end of the school year, Black attacked Heir Old Weasley, and triggered an attack by the Dementors."
"And Mr Potter's Patronus drove the Dementors away, and then the Patronus and Fawkes proceeded to exterminate the Dementors in Britain," Flitwick added. "I wonder if the ministry will ever award you a prize for that, Mr Potter?"
At just that moment, Deputy Headmistress Longbottom opened the door with a piece of ratty looking parchment in her hand. She asked, "Are you having a party without me?"
"Deputy Headmistress, join us," Bennet said before he explained the situation.
Smiling congenially at Professor Carter, Augusta explained, "The Department for Child Welfare made me Mr Potter's magical guardian this summer and we're not publishing that fact. I am certain you can understand why we don't want it talked about."
"Understood," Carter said. "But this ring is another matter."
Flitwick said, "Examine the ring, Carter. It's the work product of a four-layer runic array."
"What? How?"
Harry explained, "My independent study revealed a way to create the array."
"What does the ring do?" Carter asked before he took it in hand and then quickly returned it to the table. "Have you used this thing?"
"In a cavern deep underneath Gringotts," Harry admitted. "The stones and silver knives are very effective and can fire ten-ten times before it pauses to recharge."
Augusta pursed her lips but didn't mention anything about the house-elf; he was probably sitting in the room and listening to every word.
Flitwick added, "I witnessed the ring in action. There's no place here that is suitable to demonstrate the ring without extreme amounts of damage.
"He demonstrated the shield," Bennet said and waved away any objects. "Mr Potter you cannot use that…the rocks and knives are not to be fired here. There are too many innocents around you."
"I'll make one without as many stones, but I want to keep the silver knives. I don't trust Professor Lupin completely."
Just then, Bennet took a deep breath and said, "The plates…you had something to do with the appearance of the sandstone plates, the two-layer brothers, and three-layer brothers."
Harry nodded before Carter asked, "And you made the four-layer sandstone plates?"
Flitwick asked, "Harry, how did you manage that? So many sandstone plates and so quickly?"
"It was Hogwarts who told me what to do," he replied. "She provided the materials and even picked out the colours to use."
"Hogwarts?" asked all four adults just as they all heard silver bells chime as laughter and then felt the castle's approval of Harry Potter's independent study.
"Merlin's teeth and testicles!" cursed Augusta Longbottom without blushing. "Neville has mentioned hearing the bells in the greenhouses this year."
"I think Hogwarts really likes Headmaster Bennet and she likes the new professors and classes," Harry said to endorse the new administration.
"What is your plan, Mr Potter?" asked Professor Carter. "This ring is worthy of a master of runes, but the guild will never admit a boy of fourteen."
"I'm not certain I want to be a master of runes," Harry admitted. "There are many different things in magic to explore."
"So, you'll just destroy runes and then move on to potions?" asked Carter.
The three other adults in the room frowned but Harry replied, "Destroy? How am I destroying runes if I make them more powerful and easy? Besides, I don't know if other people can use my magic to do these things. For now, I'm keeping it to myself."
"You'll have to demonstrate how you did it to Marchbanks to get your OWLS and NEWTS," Carter argued.
"Okay, but she can't tell anyone what I did…how I did it."
"Have you shown Babbling?" asked Headmaster Bennet. Harry shook his head but didn't say anything else.
"I think we'll have to be present next Thursday," said Carter.
"I agree," Augusta said and then sighed. "But I must say, I hope there's no more excitement after this for a while."
"Flitwick?"
"I'll need to be there,"
"Why? Potter's not your student or in Ravenclaw?"
Augusta smiled and said, "Professor Carter, Heir Potter is a good friend of King Ragnock. I believe he will stand as the name-father for the king's first grandchild next year."
"His Majesty talks about his daughter's pup," Harry said to correct the deputy headmistress. "After their eggs hatch, they call their offspring 'pups'."
"Eggs! Pups!" asked Carter who scowled at the look on the boy's face realizing he'd been pranked.
END OF CHAPTER
