Magical Origins
Year 4: The Fourth Year
Despite the initial anxiety to find a convincing argument for Lilly's father to let her come over every day for lessons, Mr. Morris was relieved to have his daughter spend the summer with him. A last-minute business deal that would have him spend the next couple of weeks, some critical contracts that needed to be settled in person all over the country, and he had been worried for Lily and of possibly getting a house sitter to watch her.
Stressing on whether to take her with him, getting a sitter, keeping his papers straight, booking flights, plus any magical issues that might crop up, and the offer to boar her with a friend and his extended family over the summer came as a much-needed break. Actually speaking with the Wynter's and Sirius alleviated his other reservations of leaving his little girl with a boy alone over the summer. The promise that they'd keep an eye on them and Mr. Black's not so subtle hints that the boy – Harry! He ought to have remembered his name by now, considering how his daughter mentioned him so often—was already involved with the Wynter's daughter was disconcerting, but he chalked it up to more wizard oddness and was happy he needn't worry about THAT issue anymore. Maybe he still had a few more years before…that talk.
So, with one last goodbye to his daughter before his trip, he thanked the Wynter's again and departed for his journey. Harry then brought Lily up to speed on the plans for the, and they both began their lessons.
The last couple of weeks had Harry and Lily on their backs, breathing heavily as they learned all they could. Harry had proven to be a natural at Occlumency, but Lily, she was having trouble. Olivia told her she needed to control her emotions better and not let her emotions control her. Lily's fire was also a problem. The first time they cast a spell on her, her fire reacted… violently. It almost seemed like to come alive to defend her.
To prevent the manor from burning down, they moved to the basement and place as many Flame-Freezing Charms around the room as possible. Yet she still had trouble, and her elemental power was starting to get out of hand when she did practice.
Today was the last day of summer. They were going back to Hogwarts.
Luckily, it was only Sirius who took them back. Olivia was called in as was Artemis, as Artemis still had to undergo a year of training before she could call herself a full-fledged healer.
"You two are going to enjoy this year. Hogwarts has got something special planned for this year." Sirius said smugly.
"What?" Harry asks, clearly confused.
"You'll see, I promised not to say anything. Other than that, make sure you are practicing your Occlumency as much as you can. Just clear your mind of thoughts before you go to bed. That always helps." Sirius said as he stands there with a grin on his face.
Harry hugged Sirius goodbye, disappointed that he wouldn't get to spend more time with Sirius. However, he did enjoy his new life away from the Dursley's.
Harry and Lily said nothing more as they turned around and get on the train and got in a compartment.
"What do you think is going on at Hogwarts?" Lily asks Harry once they put up their trunks in the racks.
"Don't know. I haven't heard anything yet, something big is going on. However, all adults seem to know. Even Artemis said she wished she would return to Hogwarts to see it." Harry said.
Lily turns to Harry and frowns.
"Your eyes," Lily said in a bewildered manner.
"What about them?" Harry asks in a worried tone of voice.
"Well, I just realized you're not wearing your glasses. What did you do?" Lily asks.
"I had Artemis increase my eyesight to the point I can see better without my glasses."
"That's incredible. Why didn't you do that before?"
"Well, it's considered to be dark magic," Harry mutters lowly.
"Why?" Lily asks.
"Well, it's very tricky to perform. You could really destroy the eyes of the person you cast it on. I had faith in Artemis. She could do it right." Harry said.
"So when are you two getting married?" Lily asks.
Harry chokes as he pounds his chest to clear the air.
"We're not," Harry said.
"You two act like you're married," Lily said tentatively.
"We're not getting married. Artemis is great to be around, but… I… I really don't see us getting together like that." Harry said.
It was true, while he did have a keen interest in Artemis, she didn't seem to really have his attention like he thought she would. While they did have many benefits in common, it seemed she knew things weren't going to last between them. She was just in it for the ride.
Harry sighs as he brings out his Book of Shadows.
For a time, they rode in silence. Reading their Book of Shadows as they tried to progress their own strength.
"Do you know who your new Quidditch Captain is?" Harry suddenly asks.
"No, I obviously didn't get the badge over the summer. It may be Angelina Johnson. She does have what it takes to Captain a team." Lily said.
"You also need a new Keeper," Harry said.
"Yeah, Wood left. Now our Keeper spot is up for grabs. I hope we get someone who is just as good as Wood." Lily said softly.
They said nothing else as they return to their books, but they had to put them away as their compartment was starting to get filled by several students of their year.
Neville Longbottom, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Ernie Macmillan, Padma Patil, Anthony Goldstein, Terry Boot, Daphne Greengrass, her sister Astoria, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson, one by one they made their way into the compartment. Many of them were talking excitedly about the Quidditch World Cup.
Neville Longbottom listened with envy.
"I wish I could have gone. It sounded amazing." He said.
"Oh, it was Neville! I was up in the Top Box with…" Lily said only to be cut off as the door opens again.
"With the worst Dark Lord in history!" Ron snarls.
"I thought you were warned to cut the crap out, Weasley." Harry hissed.
Ron's ears began to glow an odd color of pink. Seamus and Dean looked a little nervous.
"What's he talking about, Ron?" Dean asks.
"Simple, if Ron Weasley doesn't cut his proclaims that Harry is a dark and evil Wizard, then Ron Weasley will be expelled from Hogwarts. We're not even there yet, and you want to get expelled already?" Lily said in amusement.
"That's not the only thing, his family will suffer heavy penalties if he makes one more false claim. And if my ears didn't deceive me, you just made a false claim yet again." Harry said in amusement.
Now Ron's whole face had become a dark shade of red as he stood there and shook with anger.
"Though I must admit, I was shocked to see you in the Top Box Weasley. That must have been a once in a lifetime treat for you." Harry said with an amusing look in his eye.
Ron let out a sound like he was trying to growl.
"You can stop your claims, Weasley. None of us believe you. You've been proven wrong countless times. Must you really go on again this year?" Ernie said.
"You'll wish you had listened to me, Potter is…" Ron said only to be cut off.
"Percy isn't here to bail you out of trouble, Ron. If you land yourself in trouble, you will find yourself on the wrong side of the law. Didn't your father not tell you to stop with your lies?!" Lily snaps.
Ron stares at her. Almost as if he was in disbelief that Lily was siding with his worst enemy.
"Potter is evil, you know the kind of things he does…" Ron said.
"Oh, I know far better than you. First-year, he stopped Voldemort…" Everyone flinch at the name. Ron, worse than any of them. "from acquiring the Sorcerer Stone. Second Year, went down into the Chamber of Secrets to save your sister's life. Third Year, saved your life as well as reveal a Death Eater you were harboring from the Ministry of Magic." Lily said.
"Wait, you were doing what Ron?" Dean said in shock.
"Ron was harboring a Death Eater and refused to give him up despite being told to hand him over. The only thing that saved your skin was the fact you were underage and couldn't be legally be prosecuted." Lily said.
"I never heard of this," Seamus said in shock.
"Yes, you were given a warning not to do it again by the Minister of Magic. So, it begs the question, who is the real Dark Wizard here?" Lily asked smugly.
Ron stood there aware that everyone was looking at him with an angry look on their face.
"You support the Death Eaters?" Ernie said with a growl.
"What? No!" Ron protested.
"Did you know they were going to attack the Quidditch World Cup?" Hannah asks.
"Potter is the one…" Ron said.
"How long you've been in touch with the Death Eaters?" Susan Bones asks.
Ron stood there, realizing Lily had turned everyone against him.
"Come on," Ron mutters as he turns around to leave. He stops as he bumps into someone.
"Wow, and I thought you could sink no lower." Draco Malfoy said in amusement.
Ron snarls as he looks at Draco.
Crabbe and Goyle crack their knuckles as if they were begging him to start a fight.
"Let's go," Dean said as he clearly had no interest in getting involved in a fight.
They said nothing as they take off down the corridors.
"Is this going to be a problem for you later?" Harry asks Lily the moment Ron was out of earshot. Draco walks in as Crabbe and Goyle went to find some food.
"No, Ron's greatest support over the years at Hogwarts was from his brother Percy who was Prefect and Head Boy. With Percy gone, Ron doesn't have any real support in Gryffindor. He's becoming more like a pest than anything." Lily replies, calmly.
"I still can't believe you were once friends with that git," Harry said.
"Ron was a friend when I needed one. When he wasn't going on about a Dark Wizard, you are. I don't understand why he's so insistent that you're going to become a Dark Lord. He never explains why. He's just utterly convinced of it. I'd rather deal with truth and facts instead of someone stuck in delusions about a person."
"People grow up, or they don't. I think when we started Hogwarts, Ron wanted to be friends with me as he saw me as an icon, he could be around with. He thought by being friends with the Boy-Who-Lived would give him a reputation for recognition. The difference is, I choose who I become friends with. I'm not interested in fanboys or their sick logic," said Harry.
Lily looks at him carefully.
"Now that I think about it. You had no real friends during your first year. Sure they were people you spoke to, but you didn't really have a friend. Even you and I didn't become friends right away, it took almost a year before we became friends." Lily said softly.
"I don't trust easily. I wanted to see who I could be friends with. Weasley isn't someone I could ever be friends with. He believes I'm some Dark Lord in training. He based this fact on the fact that I'm a Slytherin." Harry said calmly.
"Slytherin does have a dark reputation." Hannah nervously mentioned.
"Based off a small handful of wizards. If an entire house is labeled evil based on the actually of the extreme few, then we all be sinners. We forge our own path. I also think it's about time I break this curse and end Slytherin's status as the house of dark wizards. Start a new reputation for our house." Harry said.
"I had noticed that a change was happening in Slytherin." Sue Li said softly. Everyone turns to look at her. She flushes at the attention she was getting. "It started with Quidditch, remember. Last year, Harry re-formed the team brilliantly. This allowed them to win the Quidditch Finals. Older students are leaving, and the new generation is taking over. Slytherin is slowly rejoining the school."
Everyone as they stare at the quiet Asian girl. She flushed and look like she wanted to vanish in her seat.
"This… is true," Daphne said softly.
"What do you mean?" Justin Finch-Fletchley asks.
"For nearly fifty years, the House of Slytherin has been alone, separating themselves from the rest of the school. My grandfather uses to tell me before You-Know-Who, Slytherin, was a proud member of Hogwarts. But ever since You-Know-Who's rise, Slytherin was a house that kept to itself. It's been over fifty years since any kind of inter-house relations between Slytherin and the rest of school has happened." Daphne said.
"It's strange," Draco said peculiarly.
"Maybe it was fate that I was placed in Slytherin," Harry said sardonically.
"Not like you to show off," Lily said.
"I'm merely pointing out a fact. I'm like gravity. I tend to pull people around me. Perhaps what Slytherin was waiting for was for someone like me to break the curse." Harry said.
Everyone was silent as they look at Harry carefully.
"Did you guys hear what's going on at Hogwarts this year?" Draco suddenly said after several moments of silence filled the compartment.
"I keep hearing about that, what is going on?" Lily suddenly said.
"You don't know?" Draco said in surprise. Everyone shook their heads.
"My parents said it would be a surprise," Ernie admitted.
"My gran kept teasing me about it. She wouldn't tell me what it is, though." Neville said.
"My father told me ages ago." Draco boasted.
"What?" everyone said.
"All I'm going to say is Hogwarts is going to be very interesting this year," Draco said with a smile.
The train started slowing down as everyone suddenly realized it was dark.
"Let's change. We're going to be late for the feast." Harry said calmly.
They quickly change into their Hogwarts robes and walk out to the carriages.
Harry climbs in the carriage with Lily and, surprisingly, with Daphne and Neville. They spent the ride talking about the Quidditch World Cup.
Harry said his goodbyes to Lily and Neville as he and Daphne went to the Slytherin table, and the two of them went to the Gryffindor table.
Friends were all chatting away, trying to catch up. Most of the conversation was about the events at the Quidditch World Cup.
Harry looks up at the staff table and notices all the original teachers were still here. Professor McGonagall's seat was empty as she was by the Entrance Hall. That oaf Hagrid was also missing as he was sailing the first years across the Great Lake. The Defense Against the Dark Arts chair was strangely vacant.
"Did we not get a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor?" Harry asks Daphne.
Daphne frowns as she looks up at the Head Table. She didn't say a word but scans it carefully.
Before any of them could prepare for it, the doors of the Great Hall abruptly opened as Professor McGonagall leads the first years into the Great Hall.
Harry wasn't paying any attention to the sorting. His mind went back to that dream he had just a few nights ago.
Voldemort was plotting something, something big. He was not as weak as Harry suspected. He seemed to have obtained a body of some kind.
Harry snapped back to attention when Daphne shook him.
"Harry," she said as Harry blinks to regain focus.
Professor Dumbledore had stood up and stood at the pallidum.
"Welcome!" Professor Dumbledore said in a booming voice. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. To our new friends! Welcome, to our returning ones, welcome back!" Dumbledore said, beaming down upon them. "I only have two words for you, tuck in."
"Hear, hear!" Lily cheered as the Gryffindors erupted in laughter.
The food appeared, and Harry spent his time eating everything in front of him.
"Oh, I do hope we can win this year again," Daphne said as she eats some cut steak.
"We won last year, I'm sure we'll be fine this year," Harry said, knowing at once she was talking about their Quidditch matches. Last year was excellent as they won the Finals through sheer points alone.
"I bet you anything the other teams are going to train hard to beat us." Tracy Davis cautioned. "Last year, we gave them quite a show."
"I learned a lot from the Quidditch World Cup. Don't worry, we'll be fine." Harry reassured with a smile.
"Don't look now, but something is going on at the Gryffindor Table," Blaise said as they all turn to see Hermione Granger push her plate away and refuse to eat another bite. By the looks of everything, others were trying to encourage her to eat, but she refuses to take a single bite from her plate.
"What's got her marbles thrown about?" Tracy asks.
"Who knows, it's Granger. Perhaps it wasn't prepped right in her eyes." Harry said as the others laugh.
The meal ended, and everyone turns their heads back to the Head Table.
"I see you've all enjoyed your meals!" Dumbledore said with a smile on his face. "I'm afraid before you can rest in the comfort of your warm beds that await you, I have several more announcements to tell you before you can sleep tonight. Some of which, I'm sure you're going to enjoy very much."
Everyone looked on at Dumbledore, who had a broad smile on his face as if he was enjoying himself.
"All students are to be aware that the Forbidden Forest, is as its name suggests, is Forbidden to all students. Many dangers lurk in that forest, and you would be wise to not go near it. The village of Hogsmeade is also banned from all students who are not in their third year or higher and have their guardians' permission.
"I am also sorry to say… that this year… the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not be taking place."
At that moment, a large group of students jumps to their feet in protest. Shouting their voices that Quidditch must be allowed. Some students were calling Dumbledore foul names.
"Silence!" Dumbledore bellowed out as the Great Hall falls silent. "This was not decided on a whim, that I can assure each and every one of you. It has been decided that this October, Hogwarts will be chosen to host a much-lauded event. It will continue through the rest of the school years, taking up much of the professors' time and energy. This event, I must also warn each and every one of you. To be on your best behavior at all times." Dumbledore said in a heavy voice that made him sound very serious. He looks sharply at Fred and George before turning Ron Weasley, who gulps. "This event is legendary in its own right. One that I'm sure you all will enjoy very much. As much as Quidditch itself, if not more!"
Harry stares at Dumbledore. Something he would enjoy more than Quidditch? Was that even possible? Quidditch was the all-time sport of the Magical World. Very little the magical world had to offer could out best Quidditch.
"I am pleased to announce that this year at Hogwarts…"
At that moment, the sky cracked with lightning, and the heavy sound of thunder echoed in the Great Hall as the closed doors to the Hall abruptly slammed open.
A wizard wearing black robes fires his wand from the Great Hall, and the sound disappeared. Everyone turns their head to the Great Hall entrance to watch the strange man walk forward.
Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.
The sound of an odd clonking could be heard with each off-step as he walks closer to the Head Table. His face hidden by a dark shadow from his grizzly like hair.
Another crack of lightning echoed in the Great Hall, and the flash of light for a brief moment showed the man's face.
His face almost looked like it was made of patchwork leather. However, it was his eyes that were terrifying. One eye was dark, but the left eye, the left eye, was around as a coin and almost like electric blue. It gave the feeling of extreme unease, seeing it whirling about, never seemingly staring at any one thing.
The stranger finally reaches Dumbledore and shakes his hand, which was as badly damaged as his face. The students mutter a few words before the stranger walks off and takes his seat.
"May I introduce our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Professor Alastor Moody!" Dumbledore said brightly. It was the usual custom for a Professor to be greeted with applause, but only silence was met with Dumbledore's words. The only sound that could be heard was the rain on the roof and the distant roar of thunder.
"Mad-Eye." Daphne breathes in a whisper.
"What was that?" Harry asks.
"His name, the name he earned for himself during the war. Mad-Eye Moody. He was an Auror, retired as an Auror Commander. Half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him. He was really good at his job. However, he did end up making himself loads of enemies in the process. Sees dark witches and wizards everywhere now. Really paranoid." Daphne said.
"Why is he here?" Tracy said in a worrying voice.
Harry looks down at his table and could see many Slytherins, especially Malfoy and Nott, were pale at the sight of their new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. It was no secret; their fathers were once Death Eaters. There was a good chance Mad-Eye Moody may carry a grudge for their fathers roaming free.
"Something serious is going on this year at Hogwarts if Dumbledore has called in a former Auror to teach at Hogwarts," Harry said in a low tone.
Moody, it seemed, wasn't affected by his lack of greeting. Instead, he grabs his flask and drinks from it. He grabs a sausage and sniffs it with his nose. He looks at it carefully as if he was trying to see if it had been tamper with in any way before he eats it.
"As I was saying," Dumbledore continued as all attention returned back to him. "Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event this year. An event that has not been hosted in over a century. It is my great pleasure to inform everyone that this year at Hogwarts, the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place this year at Hogwarts!"
"You're JOKING!" Fred and George Weasley shouted.
The tension that filled the hall with Moody's arrival was suddenly filled with excitement. Everyone began talking. Many were asking what the Triwizard Tournament was.
"I am not joking Messrs. Weasley. Now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer. About a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar…"
Professor McGonagall clears her throat that told Dumbledore to get back on track.
"Right, maybe another time. Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament. As many of you do not know what this tournament involves, so I ask your forgiveness for this short explanation.
The Triwizard Tournament was established nearly two hundred years ago as a friendly competition between Europe's three most premier magical schools. Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion is selected, only one champion from each school, to compete in three magical tasks. The schools would swap out turns to host the event every five years, and it was a way for many promising young witches and wizards to establish strong ties between different regions. An idea to keep the peace. That was… until the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."
"Death toll?" Hermione's voice could be heard. No one seemed to have cared about death that happened hundreds of years ago. Harry was more interested in how to get into the tournament.
"There have been several attempts in the past century, to reestablish the tournament; none of them have been successful. However, over the summer, our own Department of Inter-Region of Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports believes the time is ripe and has worked tirelessly to re-establish the tournament to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger."
The Great Hall was abuzz with excitement.
"The Schools of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October. The night before Halloween. The selection will take place on Halloween evening. At exactly seven o'clock. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy of competing under their school for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."
All up the four tables, students were claiming they were going for it.
"I know many of you are eager to participate in this tournament. There is a special rule taking place this year. I'm afraid, do to many concerns being raised, only a witch or wizard who is seventeen; that is to say of age – are allowed to participate in this tournament. It is a measure we feel is pessary, given how dangerous and difficult the tasks will be as we will allow only sixth and seventh years to participate. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student attempts to hoodwink our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts Champion." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes. "I must beg you all not to waste your time submitting yourself if you're not seventeen. Now, off to bed, chop-chop."
Harry gets up with the rest of the school, and for a moment, he realizes how strange it was to walk down these corridors without Artemis.
However, now he knew what she meant by she wished she could return to Hogwarts. The Triwizard Tournament.
Instead, he walks with Daphne, Tracy, and Blaise.
"How cool would it be to enter? Slytherin could really use the honor of a Slytherin Champion." Daphne breathe.
"It would be cool." Harry conceded.
"Are you going to try?" Blaise asks.
"No," Harry admitted.
"What? Why?" Blaise said in shock.
"I've had an adventure every year since I've been here this year. I'd rather just sit back and watch the tournament instead of participating. I get enough attention as it is." Harry replies in a calm tone of voice.
"Make sense. Famous Harry Potter is already famous." Blaise said, sniggering.
"Raindrops," Harry said as the entrance door opens.
They said their goodnights and walk to their respective dorms. Harry said nothing as he removes his robes and falls in his bed, letting the dreams take him.
Author Notes: Well, we all know how this going to end up. I'm also going to surprise you guys with the upcoming Yule Ball. I'll make sure to keep this story update as much as possible. Winter King is being written, but I don't have my focus on it. But I'll try to get an update soon.
