Her Nightmare
[Year 4, First Semester]
'Harriet Potter!' Dumbledore's voice boomed across the silent Great Hall of Hogwarts. Up till that point, Harriet Lily Potter had been feeling pretty good about her fourth year at the school. In fact, she was even looking forward to watching a bunch of fools risk their lives in a petty little tournament for money and some supposed 'eternal glory'.
'You've got to be kidding me! I didn't enter my name in the cup!' she snarled back from the Gryffindor table. By her fourth year in Hogwarts, the Girl-Who-Lived's temper was awarded a legendary status especially when paired with those frightening green eyes.
'Harriet,' Dumbledore continued with more force in his tone, 'no one is accusing you of entering your name in the cup. Please proceed to the room with the other champions.'
A gentle nudge from Hermione sent Harriet getting up from the Gryffindor table. As she moved towards the room which housed Delacour, Krum and Diggory, she could feel the entire Great Hall's eyes on her. Just fantastic. This was exactly like those fiascos with Quirrell and the Chamber of Secrets. Just then, a snarky voice, belonging to one Draco Malfoy, could be heard loud and clear above the crowd.
'I'm betting 10 galleons that Potter will die by the first task. To think that Gryffindor idiot is stupid enough to enter the tournament!' he sneered. As though they were in complete agreement with Malfoy, the rest of Slytherin along with (surprisingly) Hufflepuff booed and jeered at Harriet. The Girl-Who-Lived came to a stop and stared directly into Malfoy's eyes. Her green eyes lit up in that eerie kaleidoscope of colours as she activated her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
Despite it being only activated for a second or two, it was sufficient to send a chill through Malfoy's spine. His magic was instinctively reacting towards Harriet's eyes and the inevitable call of death. Satisfied that she had managed to spook him, Harriet continued into the room. Almost immediately, the volume in the Great Hall seemed to erupt even further as the teachers hastily attempted to quiet down the students.
[Year 4, First Semester]
'They said I have to participate in the tournament if I want to keep my magic…' Harriet bemoaned to Hermione in the empty Transfiguration classroom. Classes had concluded for the day and the two friends had stayed behind after class to discuss Harriet's situation in peace. Sighing, Hermione rubbed her obviously baggy. The Girl-Who-Lived felt guilt well up in her.
Ever since their third year, her bushy-haired friend had always looked tired. Harriet knew that Hermione taking all the subjects (except Divination) was clearly taking a toll on her and she did not want to place her best (or maybe only friend) under further stress. Staring out the window, Harriet remarked, 'Hey Hermione, is it so bad to live without magic?'
As expected, this brought sputtering and an incredulous shriek from her. Chuckling to herself, Harriet picked up her bag as she began to make her way towards the door. The Girl-Who-Lived chirped brightly as she walked pass, 'Just kidding, Mione! There's no way I'm giving up something as precious as magic. Come on, let's go eat dinner.'
Hermione could only shake her head at Harriet's attempt to lighten the mood. As much as she worried for Harriet Lily Potter, Hermione knew deep down that Harriet would be fine. She always made it out of even the toughest situations with a cocky smile and a devil-may-care attitude. Slinging her own bag over her shoulder, Hermione followed after her best friend.
[Year 4, First Semester]
Snape could not help but be impressed as he watched Krum blast the Chinese Fireball in the eye with a blasting hex. Clearly, the Quidditch star was a worthy choice as Durmstrang's champion. Yet, what the potions master was interested in was Potter's attempt at the first task. While the child might be behind her fellow champions in terms of knowledge, she made up for it with her trump card.
Gasps of shock and screams of terror erupted through the stands as Krum barely dodged a blast of dragon fire. Yet, these gasps and screams quickly transformed into shouts and cheers as Durmstrang's champion seized hold of the golden egg. Snape's lips curled in displeasure. Igor would definitely be bragging about his champion's performance. Even with her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, the potion's master still doubted that Potter would know about the dragon's weakness.
Within moments, the Girl-Who-Lived emerged onto the stand and came face to face with the Hungarian Horntail. For most of the audience, the fourth year girl seemed hopelessly outmatched. Her dragon was not only bigger than the three before it but it was also infamous amongst wizards for its fireceness and notoriety. The dragon roared in challenge to Harriet who nonchalantly stared back in response. Ludo Bagman's voice boomed, 'And now, our fourth and final champion, Harriet Potter! The task will begin in three… Two… One… Begin!'
The two occupants of the arena continued to stare each other down. Almost instinctively, both the Hungarian Horntail and Harriet recognised the other as a fellow apex predator. The entire arena seemed to be holding its breath as they watched the silent staredown in the arena. Snape watched as Potter's eyes flashed that kaleidoscope of colours which led to all hell breaking loose. The dragon immediately blasted Potter with dragon fire as she dashed and rolled to avoid it behind a pile of rocks.
'It seems like the Hungarian Horntail's rumoured viciousness is true! Will Miss Potter be able to avoid the dragon fire being sent at her?' Bagman raved as the flames continued to wash over Potter's hiding spot.
Snape watched Potter's futile attempts of throwing rocks at the dragon with a levitation charm as they merely crumbled into pieces upon coming into contact with its scales or melted under the intensity of the dragon fire. After what felt like an eternity, the Hungarian Horntail finally ceased its attack of dragon fire which led Potter to take the initiative. She had crudely transfigured another pile of rocks into something which resembles a steel spear. Granger must have helped the foolish girl with that.
'Miss Potter seems to be the most daring out of all the champions and intends to engage the infamous Hungarian Horntail in hand to hand combat? Surely she should know that most melee weapons have very little effect on dragons…'
The rest of Bagman's speech was drowned out as the arena let out a collective gasp. The Hungarian Horntail let out a mighty roar and swatted Potter away as though she was a fly, completely shattering her makeshift spear in the process. Gritting his teeth, Snape could only hope that Potter had a plan.
[Year 4, First Semester]
Harriet Lily Potter did not have a plan. She was thrown like a bloody ragdoll by the damned dragon and could not feel anything from her neck down. The Girl-Who-Lived had placed far too much faith in her ability to make out 'death lines'. She had entered the arena with the assumption that so long as she traced them, anything in her path would die.
Harriet knew that she was a goner at this rate. If not for the complete lack of feeling in her body, she would certainly be in a stupendous amount of pain. Gritting her teeth, Harriet attempted to shift her fingers around her wand but found that they were not responding to her. Stupid, stupid, stupid! The Girl-Who-Lived knew that she had no one to blame but herself for this screw up. Sure, she had done her research and discovered dragons were mostly impervious to physical attacks but she did not think it would apply to her…
At that moment, Harriet regretted not asking Hermione for help. Certainly, the bushy haired girl would have warned her against such a stupid action plan. Charging at a Hungarian Horntail with a damned spear. The Girl-Who-Lived could feel herself beginning to fade and she willingly welcomed the darkness with open arms.
For the first time in a long time, Harriet Lily Potter had failed.
[Year 4, First Semester]
'No one would want to be the date of the Girl-Who-Failed-to-Die-Twice...' Harriet muttered as she marched down the hallways towards the Gryffindor common room. The First Task had long concluded with Harriet coming (unsurprisingly) in last place after her failure to retrieve the Golden Egg. Although she had recovered physically in the hospital wing, Hermione was certain that her friend was suffering from far more serious emotional and mental scars. Yet, if there was one good thing to come out of Harriet's failure, she had become surprisingly more talkative after leaving Madam Pomfrey's care.
Hermione still blamed herself for not providing as much help as she should have to Harriet. Even with the Time Turner, she had been unable to find the time to even help her friend. Studying Harriet's face as she continued to rant about the Yule Ball, Hermione swore to herself that she would pay far more attention to her best friend's situation.
'Hello? Earth to Hermione? Is there anyone there?' Harriet questioned as she waved her hand vigorously in front of Hermione's face. The Gryffindors had just been given the news of the Yule ball and the Girl-Who-Failed-to-Die-Twice was told that she, as a champion, had to find a date.
'Well, I'm certain that we could find someone to go out with you. After all, I am certain there are plenty of boys who are willing to spend a night with a beautiful girl like you!'
'Don't make me laugh, Hermione. I'm quite literally the damned walking definition of a loner tomboy who only has one friend! Besides, after the complete shit show of the First Task, I doubt anyone would want to even be seen with me!' Harriet scoffed.
With her short shoulder length black hair and the complete disregard for her appearance, Hermione could understand why her best friend would have such misconceptions of her own looks. The bushy haired girl was confident that with her looks alone, Harriet would be able to net herself a boy to go to the ball with. The better question to ask would be if the boy could handle the Girl-Who-Lived for the entire duration of the ball.
Just as they were approaching the Gryffindor common room, Viktor Krum confidently strolled up to the duo. Giving Hermione a coy smile, Harriet immediately picked up her pace and disappeared into the crowd of students. Mentally cursing her best friend, Hermione could only give a bashful smile to the Quidditch star. Damn, how did Harriet know that she and Krum had been meeting in the library?
[Year 4, Christmas Break]
'Potter, even for you, this is highly improper!' Professor McGonagall exclaimed with a raised eyebrow as Harriet tugged at her dress. While its train billowed out behind her, the midnight tulle tapered towards the front so that the hem just grazed her knees. It was the day of the highly anticipated (for some) Yule Ball. The four champions and their dates (for three of them at least) were gathered at the entrance to the Great Hall and awaiting their cue from the transfiguration professor.
'I know, Professor,' the Girl-Who-Lived replied, 'doesn't this dress look a little short to you too?'
'No! You know what I mean, Potter. Where is your date?'
'I don't have a date, Professor. Will that be a problem? If it's going to be a problem, I can leave now and not show up at all to the ball. Unless… Would you like to be my date, Professor McGonagall? I swear that I will be a much better dance partner than Weasley was!' Harriet chirped back with a smirk.
Hermione could only shake her head as Krum and Diggory chuckled at her words. On the other hand, both Chang and Delacour looked scandalised at the suggestion. Massaging her temples, Minerva McGonagall let out a deep sigh. Harriet Potter certainly had the Potter blood flowing through her with that tongue in cheek comment.
'Very well, Potter. I shall act as your escort into the ball. Certainly I expected much more from you as a Hogwart's champion and as a Gryffindor.' Professor McGonagall grumbled as Harriet shot Hermione a playful wink. Just as that exchange concluded, the doors to the Great Hall opened and the champions and their dates (or escorts) kick-started the ball.
[Year 4, Second Semester]
Albus Dumbledore looked in worry at the dark clouds clustering in the sky and the thunder rumbling in the background. The second task had barely begun and there were already signs of a storm brewing. The Hogwarts headmaster glanced at his two seemingly at ease counterparts. Surely both Igor and Olympe knew that magic could only do so much to influence the weather.
Breathing out a weary sigh, Albus could only hope that a storm would not heavily impact the outcome of the task. Sure enough, rain began to pour down heavily barely thirty minutes later. Giving his wand a wave, Albus conjured a makeshift roof to keep the spectators dry. Moments later, Cedric Diggory broke the surface of the water with Cho Chang in tow. Albus could not help breaking into a smile upon seeing the safe return of two of his students.
Viktor Krum and Hermione Granger also returned to the cheers and applause from the spectators. Tuning out Ludo's commentary, the Hogwarts headmaster continued to study the lake intensely. Krum had barely managed to complete the task within the time limit and the storm only continued to grow heavier.
Shouts and screams began to fill the air as a giant whirlpool appeared in the centre of the lake. With surprising athleticism for his age, Dumbledore leaped off the spectator stands with a quick charm to slow his descent towards the ground. Madame Maxime quickly followed him to stand by the edge of the lake. A powerful spell would be needed to halt the raging whirlpool.
'Locate the students and bring them out of the water. I shall calm the whirlpool.' Dumbledore ordered as he somehow began to walk on the lake. Nodding in affirmation, Maxime used a charm which caused Harriet, Ginny and the Delacour sisters to float out of the water in bubbles. Seeing that they were bobbing safely along the surface of the water, she breathed a sigh of relief.
'Look at your headmasters go! All Hogwarts and Beauxbaton students should be proud of their prowess!' Bagman's voice boomed over the storm. Sure enough, Dumbledore was demonstrating why he is known as one of the most powerful wizards of all time. The once raging whirlpool began to slow under the guidance of his wand before the lake returned to a relatively calm state.
Before he could return to dry land, the Chief Merman popped his head out of the water. For the first time, Dumbledore saw fear behind the Chieftain's eyes. As he pointed at Harriet, he gargled, 'That girl is a monster, Dumbledore. Trust me on this. That girl is a monster.'
With that final message, the Chieftain dived back beneath the waves, leaving Albus Dumbledore alone in the storm.
[Year 4, Second Semester]
Cedric Diggory was dead. Cedric Diggory was dead and it was all her fault. The long awaited third task had certainly ended off in the worst way possible, with the only ally she had being a corpse laying on the ground. To make matters worse, her so-called mortal enemy was silently studying her with his blood red eyes as his death eaters shifted uncomfortably in the graveyard.
'So,' he rapsed, 'Harriet Potter… The Girl-Who-Lived to tell the tale of that fateful Halloween night. You never fail to interest me, Potter. Not only did you manage to survive the killing curse, but you were given a gift. A gift which I am most interested in.'
Harriet shrugged at that thing's statement. Who would have expected that the useless rat would be able to resurrect his fallen master. Yet, Harriet Lily Potter feared no man. There was nothing that she could not kill. Her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception lit up their usual kaleidoscope of colours which only led her to let out a gasp in shock. Voldemort did not have any death lines.
Laughing, the dark lord whipped out his wand and pointed it at one of the numerous kneeling death eaters. He whispered, 'Tell me Potter, is there a point behind your Mystic Eyes of Death Perception if all I needed to kill someone was this? Avada Kedavra.'
The entire graveyard lit up with a startling green light and the death eater whom Voldemort had pointed his wand at was dead on the floor. Panic was beginning to take hold of Harriet. This was just like the first task with that bloody dragon. There was no way that she was going to get out of her current situation easily. She was so screwed.
Hermione Granger was so screwed. She was already running late for the meeting with the Aurors at the scene of the crime and could only hope that the Minister of Magic had not yet arrived. She knew she should have listened to Harriet. What possessed her to take up a position in the Ministry after graduating from Hogwarts?
Reaching the apparition point in the Ministry, she turned on her heel only to end up in the completely destroyed Malfoy Manor. Some small part of her was glad to see the entire place wrecked to such a great extent, especially after what that bitch Bellatrix did to her in the basement of the manor. The ceiling of the manor was completely ripped off by some unknown force. All the windows had shattered and there were chunks of the floor missing.
Kingsley Shacklebolt gave his personal secretary a grim smile upon seeing her rush into the scene. Ending his conversation with the Head Auror, he strolled through the ruins of the manor to meet Hermione. Holding up a hand to stop the flurry of apologies that was likely to escape her, he said, 'I will be honest. None of the Aurors have any clue what could have done this to Malfoy Manor. The only thing that we managed to gather was that the remnants of magic here were far too similar to that in all the other pureblood manors.'
Hermione nodded in agreement to Kingsley's statement. Malfoy Manor was far from the first pureblood family to be hit by this mysterious assailant which left the place completely in ruin. Even she could tell that the pattern of destruction was similar in all of the manors which were attacked.
'In that case, the only question that remains is who or what could have caused such widespread destruction. I still have not ruled out the possibility of magical beasts, Minister Shacklebolt.'
'Somehow Ms Granger, something in my gut is telling me that this is the work of a human…'
