Consequences

The next morning Harry, Hermione, Gohan, Draco, Legolas, and Ron all sat in Dumbledore's office. The lanky, red-haired boy shifted uncomfortably as glares were directed at him from all directions. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, customary twinkle dimmed as he regarded the group in front of him. Snape stood sullenly in the corner, occasionally casting menacing glowers toward the boy, increasing the boy's discomfort exponentially.

"First things first, Harry," Dumbledore said, his eyes on Legolas.

Harry sighed as he glared at Legolas, daring him to say anything as he spoke. "Hermione is the daughter of Selena Subaru and Tom Riddle. You know, Voldemort?"

Harry's respect for the boy increased when the teen didn't flinch at the name. Legolas did, however, shoot a calculating glance at Hermione.

Legolas quirked a brow. "Really? That's…ironic."

Hermione snorted dryly, her eyes filling in remembrance of the night before. Dumbledore nodded before he continued.

"I'm rather disappointed in you, Mr. Weasley." The boy flinched and became completely fascinated with his shoes. "Your friends trusted you with an especially dangerous secret, and you betrayed that trust. You've endangered the lives of your friends, not to mention Miss Granger's virtue."

The younger teens blushed as a sudden look of disgusted realization filled the eyes of the elder Malfoy. "Headmaster, you don't mean to say—"

"Miss Granger is one of the most powerful humans on this planet, very much like her mother. More so, perhaps. Such power has the potential to attract unwanted attention, causing even the most level-headed person to behave in ways most…unbecoming. Voldemort staged her birth, hoping to produce a son with which to switch bodies. But due to sabotage of someone from the inside, a female child was born instead. However, Tom has never been known to quit when he wants something. As grossly depraved as that seems, I believe Tom would try again if he could manage it."

Legolas was outraged. "How could Father serve that beast?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly, turning his attention to Ron. Ron turned a delicate shade of green. "As Headmaster of the school, I can do nothing for your malicious behavior or treatment of your friends. Technically, you have broken no school rules. Therefore, I cannot suspend you or give you detention. However," he continued, for Ron had begun to look relieved, "as advisor to Unity, I am recommending that you be suspended from Unity duties. As Miss Granger's appointed magical proxy, Professor Snape has insisted on placing the Unspeakable Charm on your person, so that you will never again speak of Lady Subaru's…condition."

Ron spluttered, indignant. "You can't do that!"

Suddenly, the potions master did something quite terrifying. He smiled. "I assure you, Mr. Weasley, I can," the dour man stood to his full height as he resumed his scowl. "You messed up, Weasley. Royally. Instead of whinging about unfairness, the proper way to handle this would be to take your medicine like a man."

Ron looked panicked. "Please, I'll keep quiet."

Severus snorted as he sneered. "Yes, because you've proven yourself so adept at that in the past. This will happen, Weasley. With or without your cooperation. Rest assured, as Miss Granger's magical proxy, should you fail to comply, I'll be forced to challenge you to a duel for endangering her honor. And I promise you, the results won't be pretty, as Potter has so generously permitted me to use one of the ZU's gravity rooms." A feral grin crossed his sallow features, and Ron paled considerably as a carefully concealed power level suddenly filled the room in a short, impressive outburst. Harry ducked his head, hiding a smirk as the others turned their heads toward him in surprise.

Ron's shoulders slumped. Snape smirked at him. "You should be grateful. Headmaster Dumbledore managed to persuade me not to Obliviate you." The boy's eyes shot up, horror-struck as the man took out his wand, waving it in intricate wrist movements and incanting a long string of Latin words. A golden cage formed around the boy's body, pulsed, and disappeared.

The man smirked in satisfaction as he slid his wand into its holster. "Now, the Headmaster cannot assign detention for your unfortunate outburst in the Grand Hall. However, I was close enough to hear you make rather inappropriate and uncouth comments concerning Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger. Therefore, I'm assigning detention for a month—"

Ron's head shot up. "One month?"

"Don't interrupt me, boy," Snape snarled angrily, causing Ron and another boy with untidy hair to flinch, which didn't go unnoticed by the potions master. "One month is quite a small prison sentence, considering what you have done," the intimidating man leaned forward, speaking in a soft, deceptively caressing voice that sent chills down the spines of all within earshot. "You want to be careful, Mr. Weasley. Your appalling manners and atrocious behavior leaves much to be desired. If your attitude doesn't improve, you'll find yourself having worse troubles than mere detention. You've made quite a few enemies in Slytherin. I never condone violence. However, I might accidently let slip…my dissatisfaction to some of my elder snakes. Gryffindors don't have a monopoly on good ideas for potentially embarrassing pranks, I can assure you."

"Severus," the headmaster warned, and the man in black stepped away. Dumbledore turned his attention to Ron. "I suggest you head to your dormitory, quietly."

"Sir, what about my training? If I don't train, I'll fall behind."

Hermione spoke up. "I'm not sure you should be allowed to continue, Ronald. Your irresponsible behavior concerning your strength toward physically weaker people has done little to convince me of your worthiness to wield power."

"ItwasonlyMalfoy," Ron muttered so fast that a silence filled the room, time allowed to decipher what Ron had said.

Draco glared and opened his mouth, but it was Harry who responded. "Not liking or disagreeing with a person doesn't give you the right to be a bully. We train to get stronger, to defend from persons of malicious intent, to protect our friends and others who are too weak to defend themselves from monsters like Voldemort. It is a serious responsibility, not something to be taken lightly. Until we are sure that you can handle that responsibility, you shouldn't be a part of Unity or the U-Fighters." Ron stared sullenly at the floor; Snape stared at Harry as though he were a particularly fascinating potions ingredient that was behaving unexpectedly.

Dumbledore gestured, and the door swung open, "Off you go now, Mr. Weasley," he pressed gently. The boy huffed angrily and stomped from the office.

Gohan accompanied Hermione everywhere, pointedly trying to ignore the whispers and points that followed them wherever they went. Whispered questions and suggestions filled the hallway. Hermione was forced to get Mr. Weasley to cancel the Fidelius Charm, since if people discovered that they couldn't speak of possible suspicions concerning Hermione and You-Know-Who, they'd immediately know the secret.

The worst of the scandal was when Professor McGonagall grimly pulled out the latest copy of Witch Weekly and handed it to her, turned to a page with her own face leering suspiciously.

Suspicious, Dark Tidings

By Rita Skeeter

The Yule Ball, a ball traditionally held during the Triwizard Tournament, held a collection of mystery and intrigue. Harry Potter, the defeater of You-Know-Who and suspect entrant in the tournament, was seen escorting Luna Lovegood. Hermione Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, accompanied Viktor Krum to the ball. Strange indeed, considering that she is rarely seen unless in the Company of Harry Potter and Gohan Son. It appears that Miss Granger not only has an insatiable taste for famous Quidditch players and heroes, but she also has a dark secret.

She was seen at the ball having a fight with Ron Weatherby, a rather handsome Gryffindor of her year and, perhaps, an unrequited love interest. During the fight, the brave young lad confronted her concerning her numerous affairs, including the son of an affluent politician, Lucius Malfoy. Also during the row, young Ron hinted concerning Miss Granger's ties to Death Eaters, possibly implying that Miss Granger is, in fact, an illegitimate daughter of one of the dark wizards.

Harry Potter is remaining quite silent on the matter, possibly severely distraught concerning Granger's treachery. No word on how he's taking the latest emotional blow.

Draco Malfoy made a face from the Slytherin table as he watched Hermione's face fill with horror. Gohan and Harry sat next to her in the Grand Hall as the owls came, numerous howlers exploding in her face. Gohan angrily ki-blasted each letter that dropped in front of her as Harry rubbed her back in soothing circles, casting glares at anyone who dared to look at them.

Ron sat a few seats down, blushing angrily at how Skeeter had used him in her article. For once, he dropped his fork to his plate with a clatter, lacking his usual appetite. Suddenly, a red envelope landed on his plate. He gulped as all eyes turned to him. He opened the letter.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY," his father's voice shouted angrily. "IF THAT IS THE WAY YOU TREAT YOUR FRIENDS…YOU…I…THAT IS THE MOST DISHONORABLE THING A WEASLEY HAS DONE IN GENERATIONS! I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU, YOUNG MAN! SHAME ON YOU FOR BETRAYING THEIR TRUST!"

"PACK YOUR BAGS," his mother's voice cut in, "YOU'RE GROUNDED FOR THE REST OF THE HOLIDAYS. YOU NEED AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, YOUNG MAN, AND YOU WON'T BE RETURNING TO HOGWARTS UNTIL YOU'VE HAD ONE!"

Ron dejectedly left the Hall as eyes followed him. Then, all eyes turned to Hermione. She blushed. "Now I know how Harry feels," she muttered, ducking her head.

Harry's eyes hardened. "Excuse me," he walked up to the Slytherin table. "Heir Malfoy," he said coolly.

Malfoy nodded in response. "Lord Potter."

"I don't appreciate Skeeter or Witch Weekly's disgusting article. I'm contacting my barrister, as I'm considering pressing charges for libel and smear. Would you like to join me?"

Draco grinned maliciously as he rose. "Gladly. I'll contact my father."

Two days later, the Daily Prophet was issued:

Lord Potter and Lord Malfoy Join Forces in Libel Lawsuit

By Archie Articus

Yesterday, Lord Harry James Potter and Lord Lucius Abraxas Malfoy stood side by side as they announced a class action lawsuit against Rita Skeeter and a civil suit against Witch Weekly for their questionable journalistic practices. The two Lords of Noble and Ancient Houses met publicly with several wizarding publications for comment, including Lovegood's publication The Quibbler. Noticeably absent was WitchWeekly's press team, who were unavailable for comment.

"It saddens me that journalistic integrity is an exception in the Wizarding community, rather than the rule," Lord Potter lamented. "Miss Skeeter's articles are disgusting, insensitive, grossly exaggerative, and shamefully inaccurate."

"Witch Weekly's actions are a disgrace to credible journalistic principles," Lord Malfoy added. "I won't accept anything short of a public apology and a front page retraction. As for Skeeter, her reckless abandon with a quill has me questioning her—suitability for journalism. She had gained money for decades by her vile, malicious writings."

Joining Lord Potter and Lord Malfoy in their lawsuit are numerous families, including the Weasleys, Krums, Princess Chi-Chi Son, and Dr. and Dr. Granger, parents of Hermione Granger.

When questioned regarding his relationship with Miss Granger, Lord Potter became quite emotional. "Hermione Granger is my best friend. She's passionate, kind, loyal, hard-working, intelligent, and courageous. She's like a sister to me, and any slight on her character I take very personally."

"My son tells me that Miss Granger is top of her year," Lord Malfoy added with a smirk. "My son is quite jealous of her academic prowess and has only recently befriended the witch. My son said that he has never defiled Miss Granger's virtue, and I believe him. Draco says that Miss Granger is fair-minded and treats all of the houses fairly and equally. He also informs me that he has no intention of pursuing a romantic relationship with her."

Princess Chi-Chi Son was unavailable for comment, but she did write a statement.

"Hermione Granger is a thoughtful, brilliant girl with a fierce instinct of protecting her friends. She is honorable, sincere, and just. I would be proud to have her as a daughter-in-law. I simply don't understand how a magazine can make money by harassing and bullying children! I find it personally insulting and ridiculously absurd that a journalist would stoop so low. In muggle society, we have laws to protect our innocents! If the wizarding community ever hopes to be accepted by the muggle community in the future, they should adopt laws to protect their children from predatory sharks like Rita Skeeter!"

For more on the new proposed legislation heading before the Wizengamot, designed to protect underaged wizards from the media, turn to page 2A.

Harry folded the paper with a satisfied grin. Over the week, the Daily Prophet and Quibbler was a constant topic of discussion among the tables. Although the papers calmed the fervor somewhat, some people were still questioning Ron's statement concerning her parentage. Hermione's own classmates, including Lavender Brown and Seamus Finnigan were heatedly trying to get her to talk.

"But Harry," Seamus argued. "What if she is a Death Eater's daughter? What if she's a spy?"

Harry glared at the boy as Hermione stared at her plate, blinking back tears. "Hermione is my friend! I know everything about her I need to know. And as you are not her friend, it's none of your damn business!"

Seamus glared at him. "Maybe you're a Death Eater, too."

Harry stood, dragging Hermione from her seat. "Go to HFIL," he muttered darkly and left, pulling Hermione with him. Gohan stood silently and followed.

"Well, he could be," Seamus said to nobody in particular.

Dean sighed in exasperation. "Seamus, shut up. Give it a rest."

The weeks leading up to the second task closed in. Harry and the other champions sat in the library, studying for ways to beat the system. Fleur Delacour, after thinking about the way Harry was being treated by the British Ministry, decided to be part of the sabotage, as well.

"Afteer all," she said as she sat with the boys, "You where right wheen you said sat zey whould half to deesqualify us all for sheeting."

Harry grinned appreciatively at her. "Thanks. I appreciate your support, Fleur. So, what do we know about the egg so far? We know that they are intending to steal something we value and hiding it where the singers are."

Legolas snorted. "Are you daft, Potter? Obviously, their intended hiding place is the Black Lake. Those screeches are mermaids."

Harry blinked twice before smirking. "Right. Well, let's not forget that I'm at a distinct disadvantage here, being raised by muggles, magic-hating ones at that. Try not to nitpick."

The others traded smirks. "So, any ideas on how to circumvent the task, since Summoning won't work this time?"

Legolas grinned. "Who's to say Summoning won't work again? Perhaps they used a more advanced anti-summoning jinx. We could learn the counter jinx."

Harry nodded. "But we need an alternate plan, just in case."

"We could use the Bubble-headed charm," Legolas suggested.

"Or transfigure into an animal vith gills," Krum added.

Harry frowned. "We need something we all can do. I am not that skilled in transfiguration or charms yet. Neville said something to me yesterday about a plant that helps you breathe underwater."

Legolas raised a brow. He smirked. "Ah, gillyweed. The soft option. It's…perfect."

Harry grinned. "Should Summoning fail, we should synchronize our effort."

Fleur raised a brow. "Arr you sugesteeng sat we enteer se wateer togezzer, geet se items togezzer, and exeet se wateer togezzer?"

"Yep. That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Maybe we should even hold hands. The more we can annoy them, the better. After all, this is all about International Magical Cooperation, isn't it?"

She smirked. "You arr so bad, 'arry," she said throatily.

Harry grinned from ear to ear as Snape futilely tried to penetrate his mind shields. Severus was getting more and more frustrated by the minute. Finally, he collapsed in his chair and eyed the three teens.

"So," he said. "I suppose we are back to finding a way to block Unforgivables."

Harry blinked stupidly. "You're trying to invent a shield to block the Killing Curse?"

Severus sighed. "Cruciatus, right now. I don't think it would be wise to test the Killing Curse against a test shield, Potter. The consequences would be fatal," he sneered. "Obviously."

Harry sighed. "So that's what Hermione and Gohan have been doing down here every week. Hang on, you've been using Cruciatus on them?" Harry was livid.

"Calm down, Harry. He cancels the spell as soon as it penetrates the shield. We don't hurt for long. Besides, it's our choice. If we find an effective shield, then it would be worth it."

Harry sighed. "So, you take turns, right? So, if there are three of us—"

Snape's eyes darted to him in surprise. "You, Potter? You want to try inventing a shield?"

Harry shrugged. "Why not? They're doing it. You know what they say, the more the merrier."

The dour man snorted. "Really? How can you be certain that the they you speak of isn't comprised mostly of idiots?"

Harry grinned cheekily. "Suppose you've been right all these years after all, then."

…

"One more time," Harry wheezed. "I've got an idea."

"Potter!" Snape snarled. "You can't handle one more time. One more time, and you'll be in the hospital wing for a week!"

"Please? Once more?" Harry begged, pulling himself to his feet.

Snape sighed. "You'll be the death of me, Potter! I swear you're going to kill me one day."

Harry forced a weak grin as Snape pointed his wand. "Crucio."

Harry whispered the last incant he had used, "Patrocino Cruciatum!," pointing his wand. But this time, he infused the same good feelings he used during a patronus. A taller, shimmery red stag appeared. Harry gathered his ki and concentrated on the stag as the red beam approached. "HAH!" The red stag intensified with a golden hue as his ki infused with the magic. The stag charged the curse, causing it to glance off, the sound reverberating through the tunnel. Hermione had to throw herself out of the way of the wayward beam.

Hermione shrieked excitedly, and Gohan punched the air, "Yeah!"

Snape approached as Harry sank to the floor, his body exhausted from the energy expenditure. "Well done, Potter," he said.

Harry looked up in shock. Snape had never complimented him so openly before. "Thank you, sir."

The man inclined his head. "You will need to explain to us how you did that. Hopefully the technique can be replicated. But not now. You're exhausted, and I assume you used most of your remaining fighting power."

Harry grinned goofily before passing out.

Hermione smiled at her sleeping friend. "He was always best at Defense."

Gohan shook his head with a grin. "And we've been working on it for ages! He gets it on the first day!"

"Potter never ceases to astound me," Professor Snape shook his head. When the two looked at him in surprise, he added, "Tell anyone I said that, and I'll deny it. Then I'll transfigure you into potions ingredients."

Hermione and Gohan traded smirks.

AN: Sorry if I butchered the Latin. I'm more of an Asianic linguist. XD