Thank you for your support everyone. Keep it up. And happy belated Valentines Day to the ladies. :)
And yes, to that beautiful, beautiful girl whom I love with all my heart and she keeps breaking it all the time. But you will come around one day dear, I know.
Here it is...
Ch 5: Leave it be
Minerva McGonagall wasn't going to have a good day. It became pretty clear by the end of breakfast itself, when one of her favorite students pummeled the Potions Master and her colleague, Severus Snape, in a fit of rage.
If Minerva was honest with herself, Severus had it coming. The man seemed to revel in pushing Harry's buttons. One can only take it for so long before finally snapping. Though, it would have been better if she wasn't present at the time of justice being served.
She had maintained for a very long time that Harry Potter was Lily Evans' son through and through. But now it seemed, he was just trying not to show his inner James Potter. Minerva shuddered at the thought that the boy now had Sirius Black's guidance as well. That man was capable of things one could only dream of. He wouldn't be easy to control.
Well, she was glad it wasn't her problem.
Climbing up the spiral staircase to the Headmaster's office, she knocked once.
"Come in, Minerva."
Minerva entered the room and took the offered seat but refused the offered lemon drop.
"Well, what happened to cause such lines of concerns on your face Minerva." asked Albus.
"Haven't you heard Albus? You seem to know everything that happens in the school."
"Ah! Severus. Don't worry about him. Poppy said he will be alright in no time." said Albus, as if it was common occurrence for a teacher to be beaten so thoroughly.
"I am not worried about Severus. I am worried about Harry."
Albus sighed. "I am worried about him too, Minerva. This tournament has the potential to make or break him."
"So, what are you planning to do?" she asked.
Albus' eyes regained their twinkle. "Absolutely nothing."
"What?" asked Minerva with wide eyes. "I thought you would at least punish the boy once."
"My dear Minerva, I am perfectly aware that you tried to assign detentions to Harry and he threw them on your face." Minerva flushed. "Furthermore, I have no desire to be a victim of Harry's muggle dueling techniques."
"Severus will demand action." said Minerva through tight lips.
"Severus knows that sometimes you have to reap what you have sown and eat it as well. It is imperative that young Harry find his own way this year. It will decide the course of the future."
"What are you on about Albus?" she asked.
"Voldemort will return Minerva." Minerva gasped. "And he will return soon. And then he will come after Harry Potter, his nemesis."
"Then why aren't you preparing him, Albus?" she screeched. "He needs your guidance. He needs to learn to protect himself."
"Alas! I cannot. I have my reasons Minerva. It is better if we leave Harry alone for the time being. As for the matter of punishment for today's incident, he will not listen to any of us at this moment. He is righteously angry. Let him cool down a bit first."
Minerva nodded. "As you say, Albus. As you say."
~X~X~X~X~
Cooling down, for Harry, was proving to be especially difficult. He had went straight to the dorms after the fiasco with Snape to take a well deserved shower and wash off some of the stray grease on his skin.
After properly soaking, rinsing, and washing himself, he had sighed contently and wrapping a towel around himself, walked back to the dorm room.
Where he found Ron Weasley glaring at him.
"Skipping classes now, are we?" The redhead asked scathingly. "A Champion of Hogwarts doesn't need any education, I suppose. Just like he doesn't need any friends."
Harry closed his eyes. It seemed the main gossip of the school was yet to reach his 'best mate'. Ron would cry tears of joy when he would come to know about Snape, that much Harry knew.
He considered his options. One, say something which would utterly fail to penetrate the thick head of the youngest Weasley boy. He had no intention of doing that. Second, give him a sample of what he did to Snape, which seemed like a good idea. But Ron was still a kid. Highly irritating at times, but his friend and a kid nonetheless. Third, turn around and head back to the bathroom.
Harry took the third option and closed the door with a loud bang.
~X~X~X~X~
Harry decided to once more take his lunch with the elfs and took his invisibility cloak and map for good measure. It was getting difficult to get from one place to another without getting taunts and jabs from the majority of Hogwarts population. Though he was sure they would keep their opinion to themselves for some time after today's display, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Middle of the lunch, he had an idea and stopped Dobby for a second.
"Dobby, can you do something for me?" he asked.
Dobby bobbed his head up and down. "Dobby will do absolutely anything for Great Master Harry Potter Sir."
"Thank you Dobby. Do you know something edible that can…well, that can lead to stomach pains, dysentery, frequent urination, those type of things…and it should be undetectable by Madam Pomfrey?"
Dobby again bobbed his head up and down. "Dobby knows. Dobby will do that to bad Potion Master. Great Master Harry Potter Sir no need to worry."
Harry grinned. "Thank you Dobby. You are the best."
Dobby actually blushed. Purple.
~X~X~X~X~
Harry closely looked at the Marauder's Map for Fleur Delacour and made his way down the Grand Staircase to the door of the castle. He finally found her sitting near the lake.
She was leaning on her hands behind her back, looking at the water with a serene smile on her face. He could see the giant squid performing tricks for her and she would occasionally clap at its antics. Beside her, there sat a big packet of what looked like potato chips. She would sometimes throw one at the squid and sometimes munch on one herself.
Harry shook his head. He did not want to intrude her peaceful calm but he had an urgent need to find someone who would actually guide him towards a long, if not terribly happy, life.
So he slowly walked towards her.
Without any fanfare, he sat on the other side of the potato chips and took one for himself. Fleur did not seem surprised to see him.
"Where did you get these? They are muggle, right?"
She nodded and then yawned heavily.
"I did not find you at breakfast. You don't eat in the Great Hall?" he asked.
"I was asleep. I like to sleep till afternoon." she answered.
Harry looked at her pretty face, her lethargic features and her sleepy demeanor. He found himself curious as to why she always looked as if she would fall down any minute. He hadn't seen anyone behaving like that in the Wizarding World since he was reintroduced to magic. He worried if it was some kind of rare disease or something.
"Why are you so lazy, Fleur?" he asked her suddenly.
She turned to look at him at once. She probably understood that he wasn't insulting her or anything and was just curious instead.
Shrugging once, she said. "I am lazy because I can afford to be lazy, 'arry. I am very intelligent. I learn fast. I 'ad actually completed what Beauxbatons could teach at the end of my fourth year. But my maman wanted me in school at least until I waz an adult. I was supposed to end it last year. But zan Maxi insisted zat I continue this year as well. She wants zat cup."
Harry listened to what the girl was saying attentively. Fleur spoke slowly, without any previous haughtiness in her tone. It was as if she was…sad.
"It became too eazy to do anything. Maxi granted me exception from theoretical classes. I trained and learned more on my own. Slowly, my classmates, friends…fell apart. They could not compete with me. I became…what you English call, socially awkward. I had no goal. No reason. If your life becomes too eazy, you lose it. I guess, I slowly gave up. I started sleeping more and more. Zere wasn't anything else to do, you see. With more sleep came more food." she laughed mirthlessly. "I should be thankful that my Veela nature kept me from being fat."
There was no doubt now. She was sad.
"I like zis well enough now. Being lazy is fun." she finished with a sigh and laid down on the grass.
Harry decided to remain in silence for a while and started pulling out the surrounding grass. It didn't look like Fleur was this lonely at first glance. She always smiled. She threw temper tantrums. She insulted authorities. But now he realized, she just subconsciously tried to gain a little attention for herself. She wanted to do something.
Well…it couldn't hurt.
"Are you asleep?" he asked eventually.
"Yes. Yes. I am. In the land of dreamz. Pulling your 'air out of your skull."
Guess she was back.
"I need your help." he said.
"I know." she replied. "Zat's why I showed you those books, remember?"
He looked at her. "…Yeah."
"Tell me, 'arry. How much chances do you think you 'ave of surviving zis insanity?" she asked with her eyes closed.
"Don't know. Frankly I don't wanna think about it."
Fleur opened an eye and looked at him with that critical sight of hers. "Hmmm…" she unexpectedly offered him her hand. Harry looked at it, her face, again the hand, again the face, hesitated a little and then ultimately took the hand.
She pulled him down next to her and said, "Then don't."
Keeping her head near his shoulder, she looped one of her legs through his and threw an arm over his chest. She closed her eyes and sighed peacefully. "Relax 'arry" she muttered. "We will talk about zis later. It is better to just…sleep sometimes."
Harry had already turned beet red by this point. But he had no way to escape, so he took her advice and closed his eyes. He realized that she was probably right. It was sometimes better to do nothing if you had no choice but to move forward. Maybe he would die, maybe he wouldn't. Time will tell. But for now, he could relax and leave everything unpleasant for the future.
Soon enough, he was blissfully unaware of anything beyond a certain beautiful Veela sleeping peacefully next to him.
~X~X~X~X~
A man in a muggle suit walked out of a posh hotel in Paris, France. He took the keys from a hotel worker outside and took the driver's seat in a red Ferrari standing nearby.
He waited a few minutes for some unknown reason in the car itself. He took out a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket and lit one up with an old antique looking golden lighter. A phone suddenly rang in his pocket and after a thought, he picked it up.
"Hello?"
A woman's voice answered from the other side. "He knows Marcus. He knows."
Though it was quite a cool atmosphere and the car was a convertible, the man started sweating. The dangling cigarette from his lips slipped down and his breath hitched. "H-How?" he stuttered unbelievably.
"I-I don't know." the woman from the other side answered.
"TELL ME THE TRUTH." He shouted, running a hand through his hair and leaning down to pick up the lost cigarette.
"I told him." the woman cried. "I-I am sorry. I am sorry. He was going to kill me. I-I am so sorry Marcus."
"You dumb bitch. He is going to kill you anyway." said Marcus, trying to control his anger and fear at the situation.
"But-but, he promi-"
The rest of the woman's sentence was cut short by the sound of a gun shot in the background.
Marcus stilled. He knew his lover was dead. At least, she hadn't struggled. They had made it quick. The fact should have made him feel happy. He felt empty.
Someone picked up the phone. Marcus knew who it was.
"Marcus, how are you my son?" the voice asked.
"B-Boss."
"Ah, Marcus. You shouldn't have done that. I am so disappointed in you."
"I am sorry Boss. Forgive me."
"It doesn't happen like that Marcus. You know it son. Now, where are you?"
Marcus closed his eyes. "Amor Complex."
"Hmmm…start your car Marcus and turn at the first left."
"B-Boss?"
"Do as I say son, do not worry."
Marcus started the car and took the first left. "Now Marcus. Listen closely son. Your car has a bomb."
Marcus just listened to his doom being pronounced. A stray thought entered his mind that he didn't even have the guts to shout or even mutter obscenities at the man who had just signed of his death warrant. But he just listened. And drove.
"It has a full fuel tank as well. I have given you time son. Repent all you want. God might make it easy for you in heaven. When you stop, the bomb will explode. I hope your journey is safe and sound. Until heaven then, son. Bye Marcus."
And the call disconnected.
Marcus drove. He drove until his eyelids refused to stay open and his legs had no power left. He was hungry but he dare not stop the car. It was too difficult to except your death. But he couldn't complain. It was his decision. He very well knew the consequences beforehand. Shouldn't have been too greedy.
At least, it wouldn't hurt that bad. Probably. Maybe only for a second.
Boss has style though, were his last thoughts before his brand new Ferrari exploded in small bits and pieces.
And Marcus met God.
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