I do not own Harry Potter, only the OC
Hello guys, Badger here. I am not happy. Before I was about to post this chapter, I saw some reviews from a Guest. I have removed their comments, but lets just say, they were a dick. Calling me a terrible excuse for a writer and the story was unoriginal bullshit. I would like to say, whoever it was: If you hate the story so much, WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU STILL READING! YOU DON'T LIKE IT? WELL FIND SOMETHING ELSE THEN! Besides, you think its 'unoriginal bullshit' well over 700 people would disagree, if they continue to favourite and follow the story. To anyone else out there, if you don't like anything I create, then that's fine. Not everyone loves the same stuff. Move on and find something else, just don't spread your toxicity on the platform!
I'm sorry, I went a bit on a mad rant there. I hope the rest of you are feeling okay today. If you're not, drink some water, it will make you feel better. It worked for me. The previous chapter seemed to be well recieved. People seemed to think the Magical Vow was a good idea. I know Harry may not have known about it at the time, but he could have done something similar in canon.
Anyway, I have another long chapter today...well, longer then most. I must say, I am getting more excited as each chapter gets posted. We are getting closer to romance and plot lines I have been waiting to write for a long time.
That is all for now, read on, enjoy, and I will see you at the end.
Chapter 47
A meeting with a dragon
Harry entered a small room where a woman, with platinum blonde hair done up in elaborate curls, crimson glasses and was dressed in horrible lime green clothes, was waiting for him. Apparently, all the Champions needed to be interviewed for an article in the Daily Prophet. The woman smiled, a smile that slightly unnerved Harry, before she guided him to sit down on a nearby chair.
"Harry Potter" she greeted "I am Rita Skeeter, I write for the Daily Prophet, I'm sure you know who I am…you don't mind if I use a quick-quote quill do you?"
"Umm…no" Harry said
Rita tapped her wand against a quill and parchment, which then levitated in the air, seemingly ready and waiting.
"Now, Harry Potter" Rita said, the quill scratching on the parchment, as she spoke "You are about to compete in a Tournament, along with your friend James Badger, against three other students. Students, that are not only more physically and emotionally mature, but have mastered spells you wouldn't attempt in your dizziest dreams. Concerned?"
Harry held back his tongue, as she spoke. She had no idea about his life. Everything he went through at the Dursleys required him to mature quicker. Plus, he had James as a friend. He had taught Harry a few spells that most wouldn't want to attempt. The Heart Imploder he almost killed Sirius with, before Remus stopped him by revealing Pettigrew, came to mind. After another moment, he spoke.
"I…I don't really know" He said "I just, haven't had much time to properly think about it"
"I guess not, then again you aren't a normal student are you, Harry?" Rita replied "Everyone knows the story, you are after all a legend. It isn't that unbelievable for a traumatic past experience could make you keen to enter, whether it's rebelliousness or the thrill for something exciting. Though, is it true that you and James did not enter yourselves?"
"Yes" Harry replied "We made a Magical Vow, ask anyone who was in the Great Hall…we were entered by someone who wanted to see us, most likely, killed"
"Hmm" Rita hummed "I must ask, your parents, were they alive, how do you think they would feel? Proud? Concerned?"
Harry felt his anger build up again, slightly. There was something about this woman's nonchalant and everyday attitude that was grating his nerves. It was then, he got a good look at what the quill was writing.
"Hey, my eyes aren't 'glistening with the ghosts of my past'" He said, glaring at Rita in offence
"You don't need to hide it from me Harry" Rita smiled "I can see you yearn for a proper family"
"You know what?" Harry said, finally having enough "You want to know my thoughts, here they are…I don't care what anyone thinks about the Tournament, I don't care if they think I still had something to do with my unfortunate placement…I now fully intend to take part in this Tournament…and I intend to win…good day ma'am"
Harry didn't see Rita's small smile, as he left the room.
…
James found himself entering the same room shortly after. Harry hadn't been in the best of moods when he came out of his interview. No doubt Skeeter will do something similar to him. It had, probably, been only ten minutes after Harry left when he was called for an interview. Skeeter was sat waiting for him, when he entered. A predatory smile on her face.
"Ah, James, the final champion" She said gesturing to the seat next to her "Please sit down…you don't mind if I use a quick-quote quill, do you?"
"No, go ahead" James replied, as he sat down
"Now, James Badger" Rita spoke "The Heir, and the only living member, of the Ancient and Noble of Badger…no doubt the magic your family must possess could help you against the other champions, though, how do you feel about everything that's happened…any concerns?"
"No, none" James replied "Though I must say, I think it's ridiculous that they decided to bring back a Tournament, which many have died competing in and allowing students, mere teenagers, to take part"
"Is that so?" Rita asked, interested "hmm…now, as Harry told me earlier, you and him swore a magical vow, with over one hundred witnesses, showing that you had nothing to do with your placement in the Tournament…do you think a plot is involved?"
"Its more then likely" James answered, eyes narrowing as he watched the quill "Professor Moody definitely thinks someone wants us killed…and with the Death Eater attacks happening not that long ago, it feels like the two are somehow connected"
"Does that worry you at all?" Rita asked "The possibility of someone trying to kill you?"
"I don't fear death" James said "I just…"
James' voice trailed, as he caught a glimpse of what the quill was writing. He immediatley snatched the parchment and read through the contents.
"'Eyes so bright yet filled with pain'" He read "'Could his strong and confident demeanour come from traumatic experiences?', 'Seems to have a lost look in his eyes, as if he is missing the pleasantries of parental affection'…what the fuck is this shit!"
"People deserve to know the truth" Rita shrugged "Others may be blind, but I can see the truth James…in your eyes…behind that strong young boy, is someone who is scared, lost, alone…you don't need to hide it"
"Fuck this!" James growled, standing up, as he tore the parchment into several pieces "Okay, Skeeter, as I understand it, you want a statement from each champion, here's one from me: Fuck You!"
With a quick turn on his heel, he left the room, slamming the door behind him. He couldn't believe that woman. The things that quill of hers wrote. It wasn't true. Was it? He shook his head to rid those thoughts. He wasn't some, scared, lost little child. He clenched his hands, finger nails digging into his palms. A few nerves had been touched in that room. That Skeeter woman better be careful.
…
The next morning, James and Harry sat together at the Slytherin table. Daphne currently wasn't with them. Late night studying caused her to sleep in. Their conversation was halted, when someone sat opposite them. It was Pansy Parkinson. James quickly looked both ways down the Slytherin Table. Neither Malfoy or Nott were present, letting James sigh in relief, before he turned back to Pansy.
"So, you find anything interesting?" James asked
"Nothing much, but still pretty interesting" Pansy replied "It took a while to try and get close to them and overhear their conversations…from what I can gather, the two of them seem to be planning to slander the two of you"
"Really, why?" Harry asked
"I don't know" Pansy shrugged "All I know is, Malfoy has a plan involving badges, which the students can wear, I don't know what they will do exactly, but they will slander the both of you"
"Badges" James said "Really?, what did Nott think about that?"
"He wasn't really impressed by it" Pansy replied, smirking slightly "He told Malfoy, and I quote: 'If you want to act like a childish, blonde ponce, then be my guest', Nott plans to slander you specifically, James, in the Daily Prophet…I think he plans on digging through your family history, to see if there is anything he could leak to the public"
"I wish him luck with that" James snorted "Unless he knows where to look, its highly unlikely he will find anything I should worry about…is there anything else?"
"No, that is all I could find out" Pansy sighed "I'll let you know, though, if anything else comes up"
James nodded, as Pansy got up and made her way a bit further down the Slytherin table, where she proceeded to talk with a few of her friends.
"Are you not worried about Malfoy and Nott doing anything?" Harry asked
"Whilst there is the slim possibility of Nott finding something, like I said, it's unlikely he will, though I will make sure…certain things are more secured" James replied "And Malfoy is just an idiot, I don't think we should worry about anything he does"
Harry was about to respond, but was unable to do so, as Luna came over.
"Hey guys" She smiled
"Oh, hey Luna" James replied, starting to feel a little hot as his heart began beating faster "Umm…what do we owe the pleasure"
"I bring a message" Luna said "I was walking along the grounds earlier, where Hagrid called me over…he wants you two to meet him tonight, he also asked that you bring 'your cloak' Harry"
With that, Luna skipped away back to the Ravenclaw table. Harry looked at her oddly, before shaking his head.
"Why do you think Hagrid wants to meet us?" He asked
"I don't know" James replied "Do you think your cloak will fit us both?"
…
That night, James and Harry snuck their way out of the castle, where they met Hagrid at his hut.
"Ahh, you've come" He smiled "Did you bring the cloak?"
"Yes, we did" Harry answered "Now, why did you want to see us?"
"You better follow me" Hagrid said
Hagrid led the two into the Forbidden Forest, the small mist of fog and the occasional sound of creatures in the distance gave of an unsettling feeling. Harry, however, had something else running through his mind.
"Hagrid, have you…combed your hair?" He asked
It wasn't obvious until now, that Hagrid seemed to look different. His hair wasn't the bushy frizz it usually was. It was now smooth and flat. He was also dressed in more dapper attire. It was like he was meeting someone.
"Yes I have" Hagrid replied "I thought I'd try something new…now keep close and pay attention"
The three continued walking, until they heard someone calling out Hagrid's name. Hagrid quickly asked for Harry and James to put the cloak on. A second after they did, Madame Maxime appeared.
"Ahh, Hagrid" She said "I almost feared you weren't coming…I feared you might have forgotten me"
"I could never forget you Olympe" Hagrid smiled, gently kissing her hand
"What is it you wished to show me?" Olympe asked "You sounded quite excited when we last spoke"
"Oh, follow me and you'll see" Hagrid replied
Harry and James followed the two of them, through a small forest clearing, where they heard a loud roar, followed by jets of fire. Shock and panic spread through the both of them, when they saw five cages, each one containing a large dragon.
"Ain't they beautiful?" Hagrid grinned
They moved a little closer, where someone approached them. It was a man. He was on the shorter side, with quite a muscular body. His hair was a fiery red, going down to his shoulders in smooth waves and an immense amount of freckles. The young man was also sporting a number of burn scars across his body.
"Hagrid good to see you" He greeted
"Hello Charlie" Hagrid replied "Such wonderful creatures you have here"
"Beautiful aren't they?" Charlie Weasley grinned "We originally only had three, but with recent occurrences, we had to bring in two more"
"Which species are they?" Hagrid asked
"The original three are the Common Welsh Green, Swedish Short Snout and Chinese Fireball" Charlie replied, before he winced "The two new additions are the Hungarian Horntail and Ukrainian Ironbelly…I fear the ones who get those two"
"Mon Dieu" Maxime gasped "Do our champions have to fight them?"
"Heavens no" Charlie replied "The dragons will be guarding a golden egg, which the champions will need to steal, in order to move on to the next task"
Harry and James felt slightly sick, as they followed Hagrid and Maxime, making their way out of the Forbidden Forest. They remained under the cloak, until Maxime said her goodbyes and walked back to the Beauxbatons Carriage. Both of them looked incredibly pale, when they took the cloak off.
"Hagrid" Harry said, after a moment "Please tell me its not true…what we just saw"
"Its true Harry" Hagrid replied "You two, and the other champions, are up against dragons for the first task"
"Fuck" James muttered
"Hagrid, why did you want to show us this?" Harry asked
"Well…I thought it was only fair" Hagrid answered "You two are at a larger disadvantage…I hoped this would help you in the Tournament"
"Thanks Hagrid" James spoke up "It was nice of you to do so"
…
James paced in his dorm room, whilst Harry slept. Everything involving the dragons worried him. If they were guarding a golden egg that meant one thing. Those were nesting dragons. That made them much more deadly. A nesting dragon would kill a rabbit, if the dragon believed it was a threat to her eggs. He was going to have to think of a plan to keep himself, and Harry, alive. He stopped pacing, when the fireplace in their room lit up, revealing Sirius' face.
"James are you there?" He asked
"Yes, I'm here" James replied, stepping into view
"Good, though, you don't look well" Sirius said "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, its just…dragons" James said "The first task has us going up against dragons, to steal a golden egg"
"Dear Merlin" Sirius muttered "Whatever you plan to do, keep yourself safe"
"Of course" James snorted "Now, why did you call?"
"I'm worried" Sirius replied "Everything about Harry's dream, the Death Eater attack, you and Harry being placed in the Tournament…I fear our suspicions are true…none of this is a coincidence…I fear Hogwarts isn't safe anymore"
"Do you think this was an inside job?" James asked
"Possibly" Sirius said "You have Igor Karkaroff, who was a Death Eater…technically still is, no one stops being a Death Eater…then you have Barty Crouch…nothing but a Heart of Stone, he was the one who sent his own son to Azkaban"
"Do you think either of them placed our names in the Goblet?" James asked
"Hard to say" Sirius replied "its difficult to think of their reasons, if so…Igor, as far as I know, regrets being a Death Eater, wants nothing more then to be free of his Mark…Barty Crouch, did everything he could to get Death Eaters, suspected or confirmed to be arrested and even executed, I just can't think of a reason why he would want you guys in the Tournament…either way, stay safe…as I'm sure you know, people have died in this Tournament"
…
He sat in his chair. The small, frail weakling he called a body was beginning to annoy him. He was glad to hear the plan worked and both Potter and Badger were in the Tournament. Oh yes, very glad indeed. If his spy did his job right, the two will be where they need to be, during the Final Task. Until then, he could only wait. And he hated waiting. He just hoped that, soon, he will be free from this prison he was living in. When he had a new body, only then will he be at his true power and will spread fear in the Wizarding World once more.
…
New chapter, done and dusted. What did you guys think?
As promised, Rita Skeeter made her appearance in this chapter. She also seemed to touch a few nerves in both James and Harry. Seemed to take delight in doing so too. Is she going to be a problem in the future? Will she discover things about James' past that he would prefer to keep under wraps? Leave your thoughts in the review section.
Malfoy and Nott also seem to have something up their sleeves. As they weren't present much in Prisoner of Azkaban, they are going to have some small antagonist moments from this moment on. They will have more active roles further down the line, but until then, they will only be a minor threat.
Then, we come up to the dragons. A Hungarian Horntail and Norwegian Ironbelly? I wonder who will be the two unlucky soles who go up against them[!] Obvious sarcasm is obvious. We also had an introduction to Charlie Weasley. Is it just me who was sad he wasn't in the movies. I know he may not have added much to the story, but it would have been nice to see the entire family, especially at Bills wedding or something.
Anyway, that is all for now. I hope you enjoyed and I will see you in the next one.
Badger out
