Chapter 3
Harry sat in the Great Hall with a smile on his face, and a fork full of eggs on the way to his mouth on the first Monday of the term. It was a beautiful day, according to the ceiling of the Great Hall, with the rain from the Sorting Feast that past Saturday long behind them. Just as his eggs were about to enter his mouth however, the thump of a large tome hitting the table beside him caused him to spill the eggs instead of eat them.
"Gods Harry, you are supposed to eat the eggs not wear them. Evanesco ova." Hermione pointed her wand at the eggs all over Harry's robes and vanished them.
"That was so cool! It didn't even stain!" A short first year with blonde hair exclaimed from the other side of the table. Her friends, a silent boy with short brown hair and an upturned nose nodded, as another girl this one a brunet with glasses exclaimed," What does ova mean?"
"Evanesco is a vanishing spell. Since the eggs were all over Harry's robes, I didn't want to accidently vanish those, so I targeted the eggs with the incantation. That's what ova meant." Hermione smiled at the curious girl.
"Okay, so like, you didn't want Harry to be starkers in the hall, so you just targeted one thing for the spell? Is every spell like that? Do you have to learn the name for everything?!" The blonde clutched her hair at this. It would mean hundreds of hours studying!
"Of course not!" Harry laughed around a bite of toast just as Hermione opened her mouth.
"What are you talking about Harry? You know in 2nd year we are taught that you should target your spells for accuracy! That means you have to say what you are vanishing or summoning or whatever you are doing!" Hermione gave Harry her favored look; the look of I know you know that.
"You are wrong though Hermione. We target not to be accurate but to ensure the magic knows our target. Which can be done via visualization. Look we have Charms first, let's ask Flitwick then. In the meantime, let's teach these firsties some magic." Harry smiled at Hermione in an attempt to deter her knowledge seeking. He couldn't exactly state in the great hall that his Grimoire said that you didn't have to target, but actually think about the object.
"Fine Harry, but we will talk about this later. Alright… what spell should we teach you first years?.." Hermione asked the first years this question.
"Teach 'em lumos Hermione. It's useful, and it won't be something they learn for a bit anyway." Ron said as he sat to the right of Harry and started to pile up food on his plate. "Great! They have kappers this morning. I love the elves"
"The what Ronald?" Hermione leaned across Harry to glare at Ron.
"The lumos spell Hermione. It was the first spell we learned…" Ron questioned the glare.
"Not the spell Ron! The elves comment! What do you mean elves?!"
"House elves Hermione! You think this food made itself? Not even magic can do that!" Ron laughed at the thought of food cooking itself.
"Hogwarts has slaves Ron! That is so wrong! I swear it's like the Magical World is nothing but barbaric-"
"Hermione!" Harry snapped. "Do not make a scene here. You can rant about house elves after breakfast when we aren't supposed to teach these firsties lumos."
"Fine Harry, but know I protest. Now the most important part of lumos is the incantation, which is lumos." Hermione started to tell the First Years about the first piece of magic that they would learn.
"So all we do is say lumos, and hold our wand?" The blonde, whose name was Megan, asked.
"No-" Hermione began.
"This portion of magic is about intent. Or in other words, you gotta believe your wand will light up. Otherwise all you will get is a wand waved and a silly word said." Harry cut across Hermione and smiled at Megan and her friends.
"Lumos!" The silent boy, who Megan said was named Billy, suddenly said. Light burst from the wand tip, scaring Megan and Debra who were beside him. "Sorry…" The boy said shyly.
"The counter charm is nox Billy. Say it while believing the light will go out." Harry explained softly to the boy.
"Nox." The light a top of Billy's wand went out, and Billy's face broke out into a large smile "Cool…"
"How did ya do that Billy?!" Megan asked wide eyed as Debra said, "Wow Billy! That was bright!"
"Harry? How did you get that to happen?" Hermione whispered to Harry as he leaned back to finish his juice.
"What are you talking about Hermione?" He questioned.
"I mean, it took us a good week of lessons to get to where Billy did in just under 10 minutes!" She whispered harshly.
"Maybe he is just a genius Hermione. Those do exist… Look at Professor Dumbledore." Harry whispered back, just as Megan's and Debra's wands lit up with their incantations of lumos.
"Yea Harry maybe all three are geniuses." Hermione glared at Harry.
"Hey isn't nearly time for Charms?" Ron interrupted the staring contest when he finished his third plate of breakfast. "Let's go, I don't wanna be late for Flitwick. He gets this disappointed look on his face that makes me feel bad."
"We will see you later Megan, Debra, Billy!" Harry grabbed his bag and drained his goblet of juice before running after Ron and Hermione.
"So… do ya think Hermione was gonna kiss Harry Debra?" Megan asked making Debra giggle.
"I don't understand you girls…" Billy whispered.
The group made it to charms with plenty of time to spare, and were fully settled into their seats when Professor Flitwick, who was so short everyone thought he was part goblin, spoke to open his class he normally did on the first class of the year in his normal perch of atop his desk.
"Welcome Fourth years to your Charms class. As has been done the last two years, and will continue through your education with me, we shall open the class with questions about magic and charms." The high voice of the professor cut through the chatter of the room like a hot knife, and as soon as the sentence was done, Hermione's hand shot up as if attached to Harry's Firebolt. Flitwick ignored her hand as he answered other questions, which were mostly review. Finally, when Hermione's hand was the only one left up he pointed to her.
"Ms. Granger, what is your question?" The Head of Ravenclaw asked.
"Professor, do we have to target our spells? Harry says-" Hermione asked and was interrupted before she could finish her next sentence.
"Now , you know I don't care who said otherwise as long as it made you think. Now your question is; do we, and I assume you mean witches and wizards, need to target spells as you are taught in 2nd year correct?" The professor said.
"Yes sir. Sorry sir." Hermione blushed at the gentle reminder that all questions in Charms should be thought out.
"It is quite alright. Ms. Granger, that question is normally asked later this term, and while normally if the topic would come up, I would shelf your question until then. However, this is rather important theory so… Take out your parchment students and let's learn!" Flitwick grinned in glee at the thought of actually teaching something new today.
Once all the students had parchment and quills out Flitwick began his explanation. "Normally this comes up after we practice the Summoning charm enough times that it accidently happens. When summoning, we normally say something like accio cushion." Flitwick drew his wand and pointed it to a cushion stacked to the left of the room. The cushion flew to the professor who caught it, and sat on it in a smooth motion. "That is, as Ms. Granger said, is targeting. However, sometimes, and eventually all the time, you won't need to target to perform certain forms of magic. Curses and protective charms are by nature some of these forms of magic. These forms of magic are normally point, incant, effect. With some magic thrown in of course!" The joke made a few of the class chuckle and Flitwick smiled. " But with some things such as a charm to summon, if you know what you are summoning, you don't need to say anything. Example, accio." Flitwick pointed his wand at another cushion and it flew towards him once again albeit slower than before. "Of course the reverse of the summoning charm, the banishing charm, is the same. Depulso." The Cushion stopped moving, and with a flick of the wand, Flitwick moved it back to the stack.
"In fact, most magic you all learned in first year does not need to be targeted. Wingardium leviosa for example does not need a target just a clear line of sight. Any questions class?" Flitwick asked.
"Sir you mentioned the summoning and banishing charms. When will we learn those?" A Slytherin female, whose name Harry couldn't remember, asked.
"Well Ms. Davis, you will learn both of those this year! In fact, the summoning charm will be taught during the next lesson as it seems we only have a few minutes. Homework class! I want you to give me a list of 5 spells that do not need to be targeted! Due on my desk for the next class, dismissed!" The class started to pack up and Harry, Ron and Hermione prepared for their next class Potions.
"Welcome to your potions classroom. If you are not capable enough to do well on your OWLs, and I suspect most of you aren't, you will find that this is the penultimate year we shall share the same teaching space. While I relish that day when most of you shall leave my gaze outside of meals and mischief, that day is not today. In fact today is the day we learn how to brew a common potion on your finals, and by consequence your OWLs. Today we will begin brewing a potion called the Wiggenweld Potion. The instructions are on the board. Before you begin, Mr. Malfoy, what is the key ingredient in the potion?"
"There is are two sir. Unicorn Horn is a strong healing agent, but the strong restorative is the stewed Mandrake that the base is made from sir." The blond said as he consulted his book.
"Correct Mr. Malfoy. 20 points to Slytherin. Longbottom! What kind of cauldron should we be using for this potion?!" Snape bit out Neville's last name as if it were a poisonous spine from a lionfish.
"A pewter cauldron sir?" Neville stuttered his reply out.
"Incorrect Longbottom! 10 points from Gryffindor for not doing your reading before class. We should be using a brass cauldron for what reason, Ms. Parkerson?" Snape asked the pug faced Slytherin beside Draco.
"Lionfish spines when mixed with the unicorn horn needs the brass to bond correctly. If brewed in a pewter cauldron like Longbottom recommends, we would all be dead from the fumes and resulting explosion sir." She answered with a vicious smile.
"Correct Ms. Parkerson. Have another 10 points." Snape complimented the girl. "Well what are you all waiting for? Get to brewing!"
Potions class continued in silence, with Snape occasionally sniping at Gryffindors and taking points for such things as incorrectly holding the stirring rod or "an absolute horrible mince of your mint Potter! 12 points from Gryffindor." Finally each student bottled their potion and began to pack up.
As the class was dismissed with a call of "I want 6 feet on the properties of how each ingredient interacts in the potion! Due in two weeks." Ron said, "Well for a Snape class, that wasn't half bad."
"Speak for yourself Ron, you weren't called out for holding a stirring rod wrong…" Seamus said as he bumped past Harry and Hermione on their way to the Great hall for lunch.
"Brightside, we have our short Creatures class after lunch." Harry said to his friends. "Hagrid won't work us too hard, not on the first class."
"And it's the last time we see Snape until next week!" Ron said.
"I still don't get why we only have one 3 hour class of potions but every other class has one 1 hour class for theory and a 2 hour class for practice. I mean, each class was like that last year right?" Hermione asked.
"It is due to it being your fourth year Hermione." Said one twin as they sat across from Harry and Hermione. "Yep. The year after next, your Transfiguration and Charms will follow that formula, along with potions." The other twin said.
"Why though, it makes no sense to me." Hermione asked with a furrowed brow.
"It has to do with basic knowledge. By the fourth year of Potions, you should be able to brew most potions from recipes, and nearly all non-NEWT level potions have natural stopping points around the three hour mark. Charms and Transfiguration get heavily theorized and practice heavy in your fifth year anyway. Herbology has always been practical, and Defense changes with every professor. Its natural Hermione." The first twin who spoke up answered the question.
"It also probably prepares us for newt classes. For those are four hours, once a week right?" Ron asked his brothers.
"Right you are brother'o'mine." Twin 2 said. "But ignoring that, because we came over to ask Harry something."
"No, I will not test whatever prank you have developed." Harry sighed. Every year they asked that question and so far, he hasn't answered differently since he foolishly said yes. He never figured out how they got his farts to sound like music.
"Why Harry! We would never test pranks on you! Would we Fred?" Twin 1, who Harry assumed must be George, said. " Of course we wouldn't Fred!" Twin 2 said.
"Okay, before you continue, who is Fred and who is George?!" Hermione, who had been trying to puzzle it out for the duration of the conversation finally asked.
"Why I am George, and that is also George, though you could possibly call me Fred…" Twin 1, who will further be known as Fred in Harry's mind, thought aloud.
"Whatever. If you didn't come to ask me to test a prank, what did you want?" Harry asked over Hermione violently making a sandwich.
"You are an Heir. And you know, that the tournament is this year…" George left the question open ended, but the whole group knew what he and his brother wanted to know.
"You know that is a good question! Harry could win it! Look at what he has already done." Hermione started.
"I know Hermione, I was there. That basilisk in second year was incredible. I only saw the shed skin, but that alone was at least 50 meters. " Ron, Fred and George went silent for a moment. They knew the story, and they knew what Harry risked for Ginny.
"Not only that, but he drove off a horde of dementors with a single patronus last year." Hermione continued to praise her best friend. "Harry, you are going to enter right? Harry?" It was only then that they noticed that Harry had left, and that he hadn't said a word.
Harry wasn't seen in Care of Magical Creatures, though Hagrid said it was fine as today was a review day. However when Transfiguration came, Ron and Hermione still couldn't find him and when Hermione asked Professor McGonagall about it, she was told "Mr. Potter's whereabouts are none of your concern." She opened her mouth to protest, but Ron grabbed her arm and said," It's okay, I'm sure he is in the common room." She nodded, put her head down and walked out of the classroom.
As soon as Hermione left the classroom, Harry pulled off his Invisibility cloak from where he sat in the corner. "Thanks professor. I just don't want to be pressured into entering the tournament."
"You are lucky that this is the theory class and not a practical. I will not allow you to avoid Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger during those. " The stern Head of House looked at her young lion through her spectacles.
"Professor, I'd like to ask something… we talked about Simple Conjuring today in theory right?" Harry asked.
"Yes we did Mr. Potter. How did you know?"
"The laws that you had us review from the board are the Laws of Magical Creation. Though you are missing some that I know of. Like-" Harry gestured to the board and was about to continue when McGonagall cut him off.
"Mr. Potter, the laws I have on the board are those utilized in every conjuring, outside of family magic. Simple conjuring has no effect other than the presence of the object conjured, and any properties that the material naturally has. If you are discussing something you learned via your Grimoire, do not share it." Her gaze softened. "If it helps, your family created transfiguration prodigies often. I have taught dozens of Potters, and none of them were bad at Transfiguration. Your father however was the best. And I will not lie to you Mr. Potter, I liked your father. He was a marvelous student when he paid attention. And so are you."
"Thanks professor. I needed that." Harry smiled, and started to walk out of the classroom. "Oh professor, you may want to check the corner before the next class."
Minerva McGonagall laughed aloud later in the week during a staff meeting. "The young man, instead of listening to my lecture, Conjured pottery. Potter indeed!" Flitwick and Sprout both joined in on the laughter at that joke.
For Harry the week progressed similarly. Outside potions and Divination, he performed as normal. In those two classes, at least according to the professors, he was "average". However it was Harry's free time outside of homework that had his true interests. He had finally found the spell section of his Grimoire and would disappear for hours attempting them. Inside an abandoned Classroom on the 6th floor, Harry practiced and practiced and practiced.
"Drax!" Harry pointed his wand at a broken desk and gave a flick upward. His sigh of disappointment was the only result. "Why won't this work? I am doing everything the book says to do! I imagine the dragon's shape, and the material it's made from and everything. Fine… let's try the silent incantation thing again."
Harry pointed his wand at the desk once more and thought hard in his mind. 'Incendio!' to his surprise, the desk was consumed by a stream of flames from his wand.
Harry emboldened by his success took aim at a tapestry in the corner of the room, and thought 'diffendo' but nothing happened. He thought the incantation harder and even slashed his wand through the air to no avail. Finally he thought 'incendio' at the tapestry, and blinked when a fireball blasted into it from his wand. "Okay. So I can do incendio silently, but not diffendo? What gives?" He continued to practice every spell he could think of. Interestingly, any curse or spell that could do major harm he could do silently. Finally he tried the last spell in his lexicon. 'Expecto Patronum'. A thin silver mist surged from his wand, and pulled around him in a nexus of silver fog. Harry sighed and said aloud," Expecto Patronum." A silver stag burst from his wand tip, and cantered around the room.
"I have to speak aloud to bring you out don't I Prongs?" Harry said as the stag cantered up to him and looked him in the eye. To Harry's surprise the stag shook its antlered head and a surge of happiness shot through his body. Without even thinking, Harry felt his arm raise, and in his mind the thought of expecto patronum resonated. From the tip of his wand a second stag surged forth. Just as bright as the first, the two stags began to chase each other, bathing the room in happiness and light.
In this aura of happiness, Harry thoughtlessly began to cast. Stunning Spells, Expelliarmuses, summoning and banishing charms, simple conjuration, levitation, Incendio, diffendo and other spells all cast. Finally with a seemingly careless upward flick and a muttering of "Drax" a dragon head made from the fire from the incendio spells blasted into the cracked chalk board in the back of the room leaving a scorch mark. Harry laughed, and continued to cast, his happiness added by the two stags that danced in the room.
Finally, the day came that the other Schools would arrive. Three days before Samhain, Harry and the rest of Hogwarts found themselves outside the Entrance hall. It was Megan who pointed to the Black Lake where a giant whirlpool was forming. From the swirling depths rose a black Spanish Galleon ship. Its tattered sails billowing in the nonexistent wind, it sailed to shore. When it beached itself, Harry heard Ron say beside him, "Wicked entrance…"
As the stream of students began to march toward the entrance hall, another voice called from the left,"Look up in the sky!" In the sky, soaring towards them like a Chinese dragon was a gargantuan horse drawn carriage. As it flew, fireworks shot into the sky spelling out the words "Beauxbations Academy Of Magic". Finally it touched down in front of the Hogwarts students with a loud creak of wood protesting. The door of the carriage opened on its own, and stepped out a large woman.
"That's a Hagrid sized woman if I ever saw one." Seamus whispered in Harry's ear.
"Igor! Olympe! Welcome to Hogwarts! Allow us to greet you as only we can!" Dumbledore swirled around and called to his students," Children! Wands into the air please! Fire the spell of your choice as long as it is spectatular whenever I say Hogwarts" Dumbledore's wand rose as well as all of the Hogwarts students'. "Hogwarts!"
400 different voices called out, with three voices standing out. Two said the same thing, "Roctavius!" From these two wands erupted large purple gemstones with bat wings allowing them to fly. These gems reflected the light of the other spells launched into the sky creating a kaleidoscope of purples reds and blues reflecting off the castle, grounds and students. Yet most spectacular was the stag that blasted from the middle of the students, its silver glow and radiance of pure joy and happiness making even the Headmaster of Durmstrang smile.
"Professor Dumblydur, you did not 'ave to 'ave a polyjuiced professor in the midst of your students to impress us." Madam Maxime said as the gems crumbled to dust and the Patronus faded to mist.
"My dear Madam Maxime, that stag was the work of a fine student, of that I assure you. Now, I see that your students seem to be shivering, even with the Warming Charms your associates are using. Let us retreat into the warm castle and delight ourselves with food and company."
After the meal, and another rant about house elf slavery being wrong from Hermione, Harry sat back and watched as Professor Dumbledore stood in front a large gold casket. "In this casket, is the judge which will determine the champions. As soon as I open this casket, any name of an adult or an Heir is valid to be put forth. So before I do, allow me to explain the rules of this year's tournament."
Dumbledore stared over the sea of students and spoke in a loud clear voice," The rules of entrance are thus. In order to enter, you must write your name upon as slip of parchment, along with one of the two following things. You must either write the justification on why you are to be chosen, or you must write why you are entering. This is to prevent those who would have others place their names in. If you place a name not your own into the drawing, or an incomplete slip, the judge will not accept it. Entering this contest is extremely dangerous. We, the other heads of the schools and the ministries of our countries, have attempted to make it safer. However know this. The competition is a Rite in and of itself. If you are chosen, you will compete. You will be compelled to, and should you resist, you will be driven mad. You will be compelled only to begin the tasks. Once that is done, you will have full faculties of your mind. We have modified something however. We, that is all of us involved, have managed to modify the punishment for failing a task. Instead of killing you automatically, it will siphon your magic until you are a squib, if the process itself does not kill you."
Dumbledore started to pace in front of the casket. "When I open this casket, the judge will have one of two flames. A blue flame will have only a singular name from each school be chosen. However a black flame will signify a Grand TriWizard Tournament. In a Grand Tournament, there is a single champion, and he or she may appoint two Advisors. One a student, the other a professor. The head of the school is ineligible for this position. However, due to this advantage, the Judge will modify each task from what we have created… and we will not know until we would normally tell the contestants what will happen. These three tasks will be more dangerous, so dangerous I beg you to think wisely of what awaits you."
"What awaits the three champions after is simple. ETERNAL GLORY! Their Name will be on every set of lips on the planet. The Honor this will bring to you will be immeasurable. If you win, you will be filthy rich. However, nothing in this world is free. This tournament will test us all. From those spectating, those judging, to those competing. We will see things in this tournament the likes of which has not been seen for over 2 centuries! May magic shine upon you, should you be chosen." With a flourish, Dumbledore opened the casket.
Sitting inside the casket, above where the lid should have been, sat a rough hown cup. It sat upon a pile of jewels, gold, and wands. Each wand was either snapped, burned or held together only via its core. "The Judge sits upon the spoils of the past… those who failed the tournament, and who's riches were forfeited to the Judge. With the lighting of the Goblet, the tournament will begin. You will have until Samhain night to place your name in the cup. Until then, classes are canceled. Choose wisely."
The Goblet let out a piercing wail cutting off Dumbledore's final words. With a shudder that dislodged some Galleons from its perch that none dared to touch, the lip of the Goblet burst into black flames. A wave of pure magic, washed over the crowd. Harry felt it as it rolled over him. He felt as if it were searching, and hungry; begging for more blood, riches, and magic. It was both magnificent and malevolent and Harry breathed in the feelings.
"The tournament has begun." Dumbledore's voice brought Harry back to the present. All Harry would remember from the night other than the rules was how sad Dumbledore sounded when he looked into the black flames boiling in the Goblet.