Magical Origins

Year 4: Striking Shadows

Harry's victor over the First and Second Tasks had Hogwarts and all three magical schools talking. It was a common sight once before for Fleur Delacour to criticize everything about Hogwarts. She even talks down about Harry Potter many times; the many times she did was in public and during meals. After Harry saved her life, it caused many in Beauxbaton to be humble to Harry. Even Fleur was shown to have a pleasant side to Harry's bravery.

It was clear Fleur told all her friends and classmates she would have died had Harry not come to her aid. Her Bubble-Head Charm broke after the grindylows attacks her, and they were trying to break her limbs and drown her.

This caused many girls to start dreaming about Harry as their savior. Many of them wishing it was Harry, who was their prince charming.

It didn't take long for Fleur Delacour to hear that Harry Potter was into older witches.

This caused Harry to avoid Fleur as much as possible, who were now worshiping the ground he walked on. Something, Blaise was refusing to let go and would now tease Harry by saying Fleur was around the corner.

Even worse was her little sister Gabrielle Delacour was now worshiping Harry in a big way. She was now staying at Hogwarts with her sister and spent most of her time in the library going over Hogwart's massive books of magic. Yet she too was hero-worshiping Harry.

Harry did his best to avoid the Delacour sisters, who now wanted to spend most of their time with Harry. Even other girls from Beauxbaton wished to speak to Harry and seemed to admire his heroism.

The outcome of the Triwizard Tournament was clear. Harry's lead of ninety-two points made it nearly impossible for any of the other three champions to catch up. Viktor Krum was in second place with seventy-two points followed by Cedric Diggory with seventy points. Fleur Delacour was last with sixty-three points.

It was also clear that if Harry Potter weren't in the tournament, Fleur Delacour would have died in the second task.

Now everyone knew the original champions were going to compete for second place. Harry's victory seemed inevitable. No one was betting Harry was going to win. Everyone was trying to bet on who was going to come in second. Many were betting Viktor Krum would come in second with many in Hufflepuff betting heavily on Cedric Diggory would come in second. Fleur Delacour, despite showing a strong front, in the beginning, did look like she was going to have a promising start; the second task really set her back, as few were people were left betting on her. Some were hoping she makes a comeback.

Harry was in potions going over the pepper-up potion when the doors open up.

"Excuse me, Professor Snape, but I need to see Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall said.

Snape raised an eyebrow at this interruption, but he made no comment. Harry grabs his stuff and walks out the door, following Professor McGonagall up to the third floor to an unused classroom. Inside, was Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and his vassals; The Wynter's, Pearce's, and Morgan's were all standing in the classroom. Artemis was really showing she was pregnant. At eight months pregnant, she was due to give birth soon.

Once Harry steps inside, Professor McGonagall closes the door, leaving them alone.

"Congratulations, Harry, first place!" Sirius said with a massive grin on his face.

"Sirius," said Samuel.

"What, you can't say you're not proud of him for being in first place of the Triwizard Tournament," Sirius said.

"I am proud," said Samuel. "The reason for our visit isn't to celebrate, but rather for information gathering."

Harry suddenly remembers why his Vassals were concerned. The mystery of who put his name in the Goblet of Fire was still unknown. Harry nearly forgot as he let the excitement of winning the tournament get the best of him.

"You can surely congratulate him," Sirius said.

"Sirius, despite how good things are going, we both know this tournament is a trap for Harry, I agree – we should be more vigilant," Lupin said in a calm voice.

"You sound like Moody," Sirius said in a gloomy voice.

"You know Moody?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Yeah, we fought together in the previous war. He also taught us dueling skills and was our Auror handler and trainer." Sirius said. "Well, for your dad and me."

"He never said anything like that," Harry said in surprise.

"He normally doesn't talk about his past. He lost a lot of friends from Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It's why he's a bit over paranoid." Lupin explains.

"Have you notice anything or anyone that wants you in this tournament?" Olivia Wynter asks.

"No, no more than usual. Moody tried to offer some assistance for me before the First Task. Weasley is forming betting pools trying to convince people I'm going to die. He's really hoping for it too. As far as I'm aware, he's lost his entire fortune on his bets. He bets heavily on Diggory." Harry said. He pauses as he thinks carefully. "Other than that, no one has tried anything to me. No one has interfered with me or tried to hurt or kill me. Unless you're counting the dragon and the grindylows."

"Most interesting, and very disturbing." Isabelle Morgan said.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well, someone went through a lot of trouble to get you into this tournament despite the fact you're underage and weren't even qualify to enter the tournament. You get ten thousand galleons as prize money, a trophy, and your name will go in the records as the youngest Triwizard champion ever. All we know is someone put you in this tournament for a reason. Reasons that shouldn't be good for you. Truth be told, I kept imagining you would end up seriously hurt or dead. Using this tournament is a perfect way to kill you. The Second Task was one I was most worried about since being underwater meant someone could have ambush you without Dumbledore being aware. It's disturbing me that this tournament has been going a little – too well for my taste." Isabelle Morgan said.

Everyone paused as they thought about this.

"You think the perpetrator is waiting for the Third Task? That's what the goal is?" Samuel Wynter said slowly.

"Nothing has happened so far, and we've been expecting something to happen. The second task was the one I was most worried about due to the simple fact no one could see anything that was going on. No, I believe the perpetrator is waiting for the Third Task, that's when they'll make their move." Isabelle Morgan said.

"Are we sure, You-Know-Who is behind this? Apart from Harry's dreams, there really isn't any proof." Artemis said.

"I spoke with Dumbledore. He didn't elaborate on what I told him, and I believe he knows more than he was letting on. It's possible these dreams aren't dreams," said Samuel.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked as everyone turns to Samuel.

"It's possible a powerful magical bond was formed when You-Know-Who failed to kill Harry when he was a baby. Harry may be actually able to see the Dark Lord from far away and gain insight on what the Dark Lord is doing." Samuel said.

"I've never heard of anything like this before." Olivia Wynter said softly.

"Have you've ever heard of one surviving the killing curse before Harry?" Samuel asked.

"No," Olivia replies.

"This means Harry's case is unique. There have been unique cases before mom." Artemis said.

"True, but this is almost unheard of. Another question I have to ask is – is such a bond dangerous? And how safe is it." Olivia asked her husband.

"I doubt we'll ever find an expert to tell us otherwise or who knows for sure. However, Dumbledore told me that Harry must learn Occlumency to shield his mind. You have been keeping up with your Occlumency, haven't you?" Samuel asks Harry.

Harry hasn't. The excitement of the tournament has been getting to him, and he spent most of his time looking up spells and mastering new dueling spells. His Vassals seemed to have guessed the truth.

"I understand this tournament is exciting, but please remember, someone in this tournament wants your dead. You need every advantage you can get. Whatever the Dark Lord's plans are, they can't be good. Practice your Occlumency, shield your mind, at the same time learn dueling spells, offensive, and defensive spells. Dumbledore should be keeping an eye out for trouble, yet he can't do everything. I fear the Third Task may be where the attacker will reveal themselves." Samuel said.

"On the Third Task, the family is allowed to visit and watch the Third Task as well, aren't they." Henry Morgan said.

"I think so," Harry said.

"Then we'll all take the day off to be here. We'll keep a close eye out for anyone that intends to hurt you. Even though Dumbledore has promised to keep an eye out, I think it wise if we were standing by just in case. We don't know what surprise the Third Task will entitle." Henry Morgan said deeply.

"Did you guys hear what happen Saturday?" Harry asked. Being it was Tuesday, he doubts they would hear of it. As it didn't appear in the Daily Prophet.

"Did something happen?" Olivia asked in a worried tone.

"It's an – interesting tale," Harry said slowly. He then launches into what he and Viktor Krum were talking about. How he was wondering about forming a relationship with Granger and how Harry was against it because Hermione wasn't girlfriend material for Krum due to her sick obsession with correcting everyone. Then they stumble across Barty Crouch. Harry explain in detail how he seemed to not be right in his head. When he spoke, he was talking to Percy Weasley, then he suddenly got serious and alert and kept insisting that he speak to Dumbledore. Harry went to get Dumbledore leaving Viktor Krum behind to watch Crouch. When Dumbledore and Harry arrived back at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Viktor Krum was stunned, and Crouch had vanished. Harry and Krum were sent back to the castle as Dumbledore and Moody started to search the forest for Barty Crouch.

"That is interesting and most disturbing," Samuel said as Harry finished.

"What exactly did Barty Crouch say? What were his words? Why did he want to speak to Dumbledore?" asks Olivia.

"The only pieces I could put together are, in this order, is Dumbledore, Warn, and Dark Lord," said Harry.

"Moody was remarkable quick to arrive on the scene. That eye of his must of alerted to him. There was trouble if he saw you with Dumbledore," said Olivia.

"Moody was already in the forest," Harry said.

This caused everyone to look surprised.

"Why?" Samuel asks.

"He said Snape told him something about Crouch," Harry said.

"What did you Head of House have to say to such a claim?" Isabelle asks.

"From what I've overheard, he claims no such thing," Harry said. The adults all take one look at one another as if they were silently communicating.

"What?" Artemis asks, looking at her parents and other adults.

"You never knew Mad-Eye Moody, Artemis. You may have heard stories about him, but you don't know how he is. He really isn't the type to blatantly accuse another person telling him something when they didn't. This is very strange. How does Moody general treat Snape?" Olivia asks.

"Hates him. Moody claims he hates all Death Eaters who walk free." Harry replies.

"That doesn't sound like him, does it?" Olivia said, turning to the rest of the Vassals.

"It does sound like something he would say, but I agree. It's to – vag for Moody. Moody would say he distrusts all Dark Wizards. So why does he single out Death Eaters?" Isabelle mutters.

"Moody would normally trust Dumbledore's judgment. Dumbledore has pulled through for him countless times. Moody tends to be more – aggressive then Dumbledore. His respect for Dumbledore is there. Dumbledore vouches for Snape, Moody would not question or challenge it," said Lupin.

"Lily told me," Harry began. "That she once overheard a conversation between the two. She was in trouble and hiding behind a statue after hours. She couldn't see what was going on, but from what she heard, Dumbledore may not trust Snape as he lets others believe. Apparently, Moody was under orders from Dumbledore to search his office."

"This is very unusual," Isabelle said.

"And it adds more questions than answers," Olivia adds.

"Like if Moody would really search Snape's office and if Dumbledore really did order it?" Samuel said.

"Harry, what is Moody like. He's behavior?" Ethan Pearce asked.

"The way he's been going on in class is as if he expects us to be attacked at any moment. He wants us on guard and to be aware of what's going on." Harry said.

"Sounds like him," Sirius said.

"He refuses to drink anything other than his flask. He doesn't really touch anything else. He drinks it almost every . . . " Harry paused as he breaks off. He was slowly piecing together the silent puzzle before him. Snape accusing Lily of stealing from his private storage for a Polyjuice Potion, key ingredients too.

"What?" Artemis asks.

"Snape for a while has been accusing Lily of stealing from Snape's private storage. He's even threatening to question her under the influence of Veritaserum. He believes Lily has been brewing a Polyjuice Potion." Harry said.

"How is this important?" asks Ruby Pearce. "Or even related?"

"Someone has been stealing potion ingredients from Professor's Snape private stores for a Polyjuice Potion," said Artemis. "No student at Hogwarts would dare attempt such madness. A few have tested the line before, but well - Snape is very particular about his private storage. Every student at Hogwarts knows this and doesn't dare test Snape's patience. I don't think you know his teaching methods."

"No, we had a Master Potionist, Professor Horace Slughorn. A brilliant wizard, one of Europe's greatest potionist alive." Lupin said.

"Well, in Hogwarts, no one attempts to steal from Professor Snape. Yet someone this year has been stealing from Professor Snape. I've also noticed, Moody will only touch his flask, once every hour." Harry said.

"You think Moody has been stealing from Professor Snape? But that would mean…" Artemis began.

"An imposter." Henry Morgan said.

"Is it that even likely that Moody is an imposter?" Olivia Wynter asks.

"Moody was attacked over the summer. The official report is that Moody heard someone in his backyard. If this Moody is indeed a fake, then the switch would have happened back then." Isabelle Morgan said.

"I'll bring this to Dumbledore. In the meantime, Harry, be wary of this Moody. If he is a fake, then we don't want him near you at all." Samuel said.

"What do you think his endgame is? To kidnap Harry?" Olivia asks.

"It can't be good. For the first time since this tournament began, we have a suspect. Whoever, this 'Moody' is. If he is indeed You-Know-Who loyal Death Eater, then we need to be cautious." Samuel said.

"Samuel and I will speak to Dumbledore. In the meantime, Harry, we brought you a gift." Isabelle said as they turn to a pile of books on the table. There were seven of them in total.

"These books you can't normally find in a bookstore, and even if you do find them, you need a Master's Degree to acquire. These dueling spells are way behind N.E.W.T. standard. They're also found in certain dueling arenas and promotions." said Isabelle.

"Speaking of which, the new World Dueling Championship is coming up soon. Just in a couple of weeks, isn't it," said Ethan Pearce.

"Harry's can't skip classes just to see the Championship. Even if it would be good for him to see it." Samuel Wynter said.

"It wouldn't hurt to go and record it on some omnioculars. That way, we can send it to Harry to watch how professional duelist duel." Olivia Wynter said.

"A lot of betters also attend these tournaments. I'm sure a crowd is gathering. Tickets will not be easy to come by." Samuel said.

"I'll get some. Fudge still owes me twelve years of payment for spending time in Azkaban when I was innocent." Sirius said.

"Speaking of Fudge, how goes with our plans at removing him?" Harry asked.

"We're building a case. As you know, the House of Lords, if the House of Lords agrees to remove Fudge, Fudge's only hope is to slow down the resignation with the House of Commons. He would need two-thirds to vote for him to stay in office." Samuel said.

"How does that work exactly?" Harry asked.

"The Minister of Magic serves as Head of State. The House of Lords serves as the Executive Branch of Government. The House of Commons serves as the Legislative Branch. Now the House of Lords is normally granted through inheritance. Passed down from generation to generation. Always to the firstborn. Whether it's a boy or girl, the firstborn always take over their parent's position. The last war really caused Briton's House of Lords to dwindle. There used to be twelve families that govern Briton. Now there are seven. Finding replacements hasn't been easy. For one, to join the House of Lords, the other Lords must also recognize them and vote them in." Samuel said.

"The House of Commons is different. You don't get in the House of Commons by inheritance, you have to win elections. In most cases, against other witch and wizards who are running for the same seat. So it's a populator contest. Now it can vary between the years. There is a total of a hundred and fifty seats in the House of Commons. Now, depending on the year, sometimes, they need ten seats. Sometimes, fifty seats. It varies between the years." Isabelle Morgan said.

"How do you lose your seat?" Harry asks.

"Each House of Common bares the title, Baron. Now just as you can earn your seat, you can also lose your seat. For one, your seven years have expired. You can re-elect if you want to serve two terms. However, there are ways you can lose your seats. For one, if you're abusing your powers and positions. The other way is a vote of no confidence. That the Baron's are contributing to the magical world. If they are not helping the magical world, then they will be sacked. Or they've done things that have to threaten the magical world. In the last war, a lot of Barons were spies for You-Know-Who. Giving You-Know-Who secrets from the Ministry of Magic. That is one problem we face. Not many barons will agree to sack Fudge, due to the fact he has fattened many of their pockets." Samuel said.

"Find out what you can. Once we are ready to remove him from office, I want things to be solid against him. A more suitable candidate should replace him. Especially if things are going the way they are, we would need a strong Minister to lead us. Fudge isn't a strong Minister." Harry said.

"I remember the moment he entered office, he would appeal to Dumbledore for advice and suggestions. Now he's been getting a bit of a backbone he's never had before. I always wondered why he stayed in office. He is ill-suited to be Minister. Lately, it seems like power has been getting into his head, and he's not making the best of decisions." Samuel said.

"From my encounters with the Minister, he seems to much like an idiot who can't stand in his own shadow. I get the feeling he's too much of an idiot who needs the right push to do something. The other day in Dumbledore's office, he refused to cancel the tournament in fear others would see he's a coward." Harry said.

"Something is going on. That much is clear. It would have been wiser to cancel this tournament with so much animosity going on. Fudge is taking a huge risk by allowing this tournament to continue." Olivia said.

"Can we use this tournament against him? If something goes wrong, can't we get Fudge out of office for what goes on in this tournament?" Harry asked.

"It's a long shot, but it might be worth it. Though something needs to happen for us to cast a vote of no confidence against Cornelius Fudge." Samuel said.

"Dark things are happening. I think it's best we start stocking up supplies. The return of the Death Eaters at the Quidditch World Cup can be considered a dark omen. However, the Dark Lord's sudden return to our shores can also be a dark omen. I fear the war will pick up again soon. I rather not be caught off guard." Olivia said.

"If war is picking up, we're going to need a place we can meet and talk without being intruded upon. If Death Eaters and Voldemort will be active once again, then we need a place they can't find us." Harry said.

"The best place I can think that can offer us to hide and give us protection is Grimmauld Place. For generations, the Black family has been putting magical protection spells and wards in and around Grimmauld Place. My grandparents and parents, especially. Paranoid the lot of them. Added almost every kind of protection, there was to wizardkind. I'll speak to Dumbledore about adding his own protection too." Sirius said.

"I think that would be best." Isabelle Morgan said. "Grimmauld Place is perhaps the few places in the world capable of repelling a raid by the Ministry of Magic. If it can repel an attack by the Ministry of Magic, then we'll be safe from any possible Death Eater attack. Grimmauld Place – could be considered to be an impregnatable fortress."

"None of your homes are as strong as Grimmauld Place? I've been to your homes, it's impressive. I thought you had the best types of wards." Harry said in surprise.

"We do have powerful wards protecting our home. However, we're not foolish nor stupid. We know the Ministry of Magic is capable of tearing down our wards. If they're capable of doing that, then so are the Death Eaters. Sirius is right, we need a place that is unbreachable and one we can live in safety. We'll start moving our things into Grimmauld Place. We'll empty our homes and move in at once. Grimmauld Place is more than big enough to house all of us. We'll start making preparations." Samuel said.

Harry nods his head. Whatever the Dark Lord was planning, it was best to prepare for the worse if he was going to survive. From the few dreams he had about the Dark Lord, it seemed Voldemort really wanted him in this tournament for unknown reasons. Apparently, Mr. Crouch did know something about the Dark Lord's plan. Now he was dead. Whoever it was working for the Dark Lord at Hogwarts killed him before he could reach Dumbledore.

"We'll see you again on the Third Task, and keep an eye out for anything strange," Olivia said.

Harry nods his head.

With nothing else being said, his Vassals all went back home as Harry turns to return to class. Dark things were happening, and he wasn't going to be caught off-guard. Whatever Voldemort was preparing, he would survive.

The days past quickly together, and before Harry knew it, the Third Task was soon upon him.


Author Note: I hope everyone enjoys the chapter. The Third Task is up next, and I'll be posting it soon.

Should Artemis have a boy or a girl?