Princess of Death
Chapter 14
The disaster of the 2nd task
February 24th 1995 9:30 pm
The past few months had been a nightmare and Albus could feel another huge migraine as he thought back to the past events. after the first task, with Sirius and Remus banned from Hogwarts and the return of James Potter, then 3 weeks later came the announcement just before the Christmas holidays and the Yule Ball.
Lord Arcturus Black III was dead, the curse he had been hit with during the war with Grindelwald had finally taken its toll on the Old Lord. To the shock of many though was what his funeral was meant to be as he had decided to take the old Norse way of funerals and be cremated on a longship pyre.
His funeral could be akin to that of the last King of England's funeral, the majority of the Wizengamot was in attendance as was the Minister and his Cabinet and members of the nobility from other European countries as the Seer held out a lit torch to Sirius as the current Heir to kite the pyre.
To the silent Horror of many he refused. "No this is not right I will not be a part of this he should be buried in the Black Family Tomb properly, I don't care if he wanted this, I won't do it and why are you even here. He accused the Seer. "You're a supposed seer what a joke that class is nothing but an easy grade."
Haralda pushed him into Remus her glare stopped him from saying anything. "She's not just a seer Black, she's a priestess of the Old Gods well that and she is the head of a very old Pureblood House in Norway." She nodded her head at the noble before taking the torch from her and walking over to the pyre. "May you ride well and fast to Valhalla Lord Black." With that, she lit the pyre and stood back and watched with everyone else as the flames consumed the body.
When the Minister and his undersecretary came to her during the feast after the funeral Haralda was speaking to the Seer who was overjoyed to know that she spoke to a Daughter of Asgard. "My Lady Hogwarts, I must ask you said the Seer here is of Noble Birth of what house is she from."
Haralda hated the sickly-sweet voice of Undersecretary Umbridge with a passion that woman had the look of a toad it freaked her out, that alone was an achievement if you could freak out the Crown Princess of Helheim.
Giving the two a political smile she told them exactly who the seer was and everyone heard her. "Of course, Minister and Madam Undersecretary, May I present her Majesty Queen Iduna Lothbrok Queen of Magical Kingdom of Norway Sweden Denmark and Finland, and head of the Ancient and Royal House of Lothbrok,"
Iduna smiled at the shocked faces of the gathered Nobility of Magical Britain if they were shocked by that they would die of heart attacks with this next piece of information as she revelled a Ring on her Finger that Lady Malfoy noticed as did Andromeda Tonks. "You forgot that I was also the official mistress of Lord Arcturus Black my dear Haralda."
The sheer fallout of that was shocking the fact the Sirius Black the Current Heir of House Black had publicly insulted not only his Grandfather but his Official mistress who was Queen of one of the most powerful Magical Nations in the world.
So, when a week later the Will Reading of Lord back began, he really should have seen this coming, he had been invited purely because of his position as Head of the Wizengamot the gathered nobles and Ministry staff all sat down when King Ragnok of the Goblin Nation took his seat as he broke the seal on the will.
I Lord Arcturus Junius Black III, do under my own free will declare this my final will and testament thus nullifying any and all wills made before this one.
To my Love and best friend Queen Iduna Lothbrok, I leave you the Black Family Winter Manor in Norway and the Black Family Island in the Caribbean, I also leave you my thanks for teaching me those story's goodbye my Love."
Iduna smiled and nodded her head when a Goblin Guard handed her the deeds and keys.
To my Granddaughter Andromeda Tonks and her Daughter Nymphadora Tonks, I reinstate you both and your Husband/Father Ted Tonks into the Black Family and reward you the full dowery of twenty million Galleons.
The 3 members of the Tonks family sat in complete shock the young Aurora Tonks was not very happy that her Great Grandfather said her name but the twenty million was more than a good apology when she saw her mother with tears of joy in her eyes, she hugged her.
To my Grandson Sirius Orion Black, I leave you your apartment in London and a vault number 543 with 8 million galleons, you are not my heir anymore I have given that to a more deserving member of our family.
Sirius was just angry he had lost the Black family lordship; sure, he never really wanted the title but to have it taken from him annoyed him greatly he fumed at Narcissa Malfoy who didn't even look at him she had a feeling it wasn't her or Draco that was the new Head of House.
To Narcissa Malfoy and her son Draco, I leave you two million Galleons each it would have been more but you were married off to a French-born family and I will be condemned to the void before I give a large amount of money or titles to the French.
She shook her head in amusement at the look of her son and husband, even in Death, her Grandfather showed up her husband for his French ties.
To my Nephew James Potter and his wife, I leave you the black family home in Spain and ten million Galleons, look after your wife James and know the day of your wedding was one of the proudest things I have witnessed.
And finally, to my Great Niece Haralda Helasdottir, I thank you for the advice of bringing Andromeda and her family back into the fold, and witnessed your political career over the last few years even from Your self-exile has shown me you are ready, I name you my Heir and declare you Lady of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black.
The sheer fallout of the will shocked the Wizengamot and the magical world in general as Haralda officially absorbed the Houses of Peverell and the founders into the houses of House potter before joining the House's of potter and Black officially locking the now Ancient and Revered House of Potter-Black to her direct Bloodline. So only her or her children could claim the Lordship.
That of course now had every Pureblood House now ordering their heirs to gain the affections of the now politically untouchable Lady Haralda as her seat in the Wizengamot alone was a political block all on its own, however, it was currently in the grey faction giving them complete political control of the political machine that was the Ministry.
So, when the Yule Ball came days later Lady Haralda had not attended stating that she and her parents had left for Norway to enjoy the holidays with Queen Iduna, what was not known is while they did indeed enjoy their time in Norway until December 28th with the Queen after that they returned to Asgard.
When they got there Haralda was bombarded by Thor and Loki both of them congratulating her on her fight against the Dragon and her bloodless conquest of magical Britain. The party carried on until Odin called her over to take a walk with him.
During their walk to another part of the palace, Odin placed a hand on her shoulder. "You have done great work my Granddaughter however you know that the Abomination is behind your entry to the tournament." Seeing her nod, he continued.
"One of the Great things is the Norns have informed us that as long as you are the one to strike the killing blow you can manipulate the upcoming war on Midgard however you like." Seeing her look at him with wide eyes ready to argue he held his hand up with a smile.
"Haralda, please don't lie to me with the amount of time you spend with your uncles and your parents I know you are like the Marauders of old just a million times worse, just please keep the war in the magical world as much as possible the less normal Midgardians that die the less paperwork for your mother."
They arrived at a new site an old arena of some sorts but its what sat in the arena that shocked her making Odin Laugh. "in by saving her life Haralda she was bound to you as a familiar, and I would not be surprised if you could shapeshift into a dragon yourself, come back to place after speaking with your companion." With that Odin left leaving Haralda with the Hungarian Horntail she had saved.
The 2nd task
Black lake
February 1995
Now you want to know why the 2nd task was a disaster, well when Haralda saw the other champions looking worried the most being young Fleur Delacour of France, walking up to them she asked why were they nervous the answer she got still made Albus shiver in fear at her reaction.
The Champions had something they cared about taken from them except they were not trinkets they were actual people, Victor Krum found out that young Hermione Granger was missing, Cedric Diggory's Girlfriend Cho Chang was missing, but worst of all Gabrielle Delacour the 8-year-old sister of Flure had gone missing from the carriage.
The crowds went quiet when the ground started to rumble storm clouds gathered sending bolts of lightning struck the grounds scaring the students and visitors alike. "ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, YOU AND THE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE GET OVER HEAR NOW BEFORE I TURN YOU ALL TO FUCKING PILES OF ASH!" Haralda thundered causing the said people to run like Hela herself was chasing them, as they stopped before the fuming Princess of death her battle staff slamming into the ground causing a barrier of ice to trap them.
"Whose idea was it to kidnap students and guest of my school one of them only being 8 years old and vela the natural rival of the mermaid clans and stick them at the bottom of the black lake without my permission."
Ludo Bagman, being the cowardly idiot, he was blabbed. "My Lady it was my idea I had the backing of the Ministry and the headmaster, ughhh." Ludo started screaming as Haralda smashed her fist through the ice wall wrapping her hand around his throat before pulling him through the ice, only to start strangling him her white eyes filled with the promise of a painful death.
"YOU DARE! TO KIDNAP GUESTS AND STUDENTS AT MY SCHOOL AND LEAVE THEM AT THE BOTTOM OF A LAKE WITHOUT ASKING ME, GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON I SHOULD NOT JUST KILL YOU RIGHT HERE BE PERFORMING THE BLOOD EGALE ON YOU! Haralda thundered only to see the man has pissed himself with fear.
Dropping him to the ground she made her way past the shocked crowds as she made her way waists deep into the cold lake lifting her battle staff and slamming its blade first into the ground yelling out or the lake to return the hostages or face genocide.
Within 2 mins 4 mermen appeared carrying the now wake and shocked captives one of them handing Haralda the youngest before they fled back to the bottom of the lake to escape the Princess of Deaths wraith.
What she was shocked about was seeing Ron Weasley as apparently her captive, handing the young girl she declared the 2nd task to be a forfeit before turning to the pale Headmaster. "Authorizing the kidnapping and possible murders of my students and guests and possibly starting a war with France, your days in this school are numbered old fool meet me in the great hall at 9 pm to answer these charges."
Well as you could probably guess it did not end well for Albus, well it wouldn't have had it not been for that bloody Life contract he had signed she could not fire him as apparently the kidnapping of students and dropping them in the black lake didn't count as endangerment however she did strip him of all powers as headmaster except for the hiring of staff.
She entrusted the security of the students to professor Flitwick who accepted it would have been McGonigal but she already had 3 posts in Hogwarts.
Albus sat in his office he plans in ruins all he had left was the drafted marriage contract and the love potion plots left one of them would have to work he needed control of the castle again, Haralda needed to see it was all for the greater good.
That however would have to wait as a letter arrived for him marked with the seal of the French Ministry of Magic the contents were terrifying. It was an ultimatum Albus or a member of the Wizengamot was to meet in Belgium to discuss what had happened to his youngest daughter in two days or a state of hostilities between England and France would exist.
What Albus didn't know was the Queen of England had received a copy of the letter as did every member of the Wizengamot so he could not sweep this under the carpet.
Authors Note: Hope you like it until next time.
Revan Shan 2077.