AN: What I don't get is why people put so much emphasis on the chicken and the egg when really if that egg has a little living chick in it, keep it and breed chickens! Simples economics peoples!
Moonreaper666: Spellwork, creativity, and flair and yes he got that because of what he did the dragon.
BROMBROS: Well really it's what he perceives as dark magic, of course he doesn't really know what it is that Harry used so he thinks it's dark magic.
Jean-Ray: No don't worry, the story isn't dead, I love writing this too much but it's down to writer's block and schooling that's delayed an update and it's good to hear that you love reading the story.
Chapter 9 – Backlash & Initiates
The morning after the first task, no one was surprised when the morning Daily Prophet was considered a 'special edition' due to the circumstances of what occurred during Harry's test.
DARK MAGICS AND DEATH AT WORK AT TRI-WIZARD TOURNAMENT?
By Rita Skeeter
It was meant to be a trial of daring, wits and bravery.
Yet there was one champion, who conquered the task not by using his daring by dodging around the dragon no.
He did not use his wits by attempting to outsmart the dragon and confuse it.
He did not even attempt to use his bravery by meeting the dragon head on.
Harry Potter, the fourth Tri-Wizard Champion beat the dragon and collected the golden egg by utilising the power of the sky itself, then using this power against the poor dragon to murder such a magnificent creature.
How, by Merlins sacred name could a mere fourth year be able to summon up enough magical power to even attempt at trying to use the power of the weather itself and when used against the dragon, it was made to torture the dragon and then kill the dragon!
How could an illegal participant and a fourth year, with average magical power and grades, be able to do this without anyone knowing the reason why?
Not only did he use this trick to beat the dragon down when it was only defending its nest, he even used his magic to KILL the poor defenceless creature and take satisfaction in it when he received his scores.
Not only did he torture this poor beast, but after the poor beast stopped screeching in pain, Potter stalked up to the downed beast and made it disappear completely in front of the audience, with naught but ash in its place.
Well my faithful readers, I put this theory forth to you; Potter is not this amazingly light wizard some of us grew up idolizing and we all believe him to be, no, to get this amount of power so quickly is only accessible through one method: dark magical rituals.
Yes my dear readers you it right, Harry Potter may be using dark rituals to increase his power to compensate for his lack of experience and magical power in this tournament.
Why hasn't something been done to stop this dark wizard from harming our children further with displays of dark magic? Why hasn't Dumbledore done something about it?
The article went on to almost demand that Dumbledore, as the headmaster of the school, interrogate him about the so-called 'dark rituals' that he had been performing and the Ministry of Magic to arrest him for the murder of such a defenceless dragon.
As the students took in the words of the daily prophet and its reporter, Harry and his group of friends only looked at the paper with its words and gave them a look of disgust.
"Really? Dark rituals? That is the best they can come up with, why would I need to use dark rituals to give myself more magical power? Moreover, a mere fourth year? Keep thinking that you idiots." Harry sneered at the paper as he flicked his wand and set the paper alight on the table.
As the students watched Harry burn the paper with a look of disgust, they watched in silence as Professor Flitwick walked down from the head table to whisper a few words to Harry, who after hearing them, sighed deeply and glared at the table before getting up to leave the hall, leaving the students to descend into whispers about him.
Scene break
"You wanted to see me, headmaster?" Harry said in an emotionless voice.
"Ah yes Harry my boy, please sit down." Dumbledore had a pleased face on him as Harry, once again, requested that a position of non-familiarity be between the two but again Dumbledore did not listen.
"I would prefer to stand headmaster, it helps to keep my senses alert," Harry continued to speak in his emotionless voice as the headmaster looked at him with slight disappointment.
"Come now Harry, why would you need to do that? You're completely safe in this room, now onto the topic of why I asked you here today; Miss Skeeters article."
Silence reigned in the room as neither spoke and continued until Dumbledore chose to try to get Harry to react to it.
"Would you like to talk about it? I know that being in the tournament can cause someone of your age distress but one can always talk to their headmaster about anything." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at him.
"Miss Skeeters article is a fabrication, just as the rest of her publications are, it does not take a genius to figure that out," sneered Harry as Dumbledore tried to use a different approach.
"What about her accusations of dark rituals? I know that you must be feeling intimidated and scared because you're against older students but you don't need to resort to the darkness to beat them my boy, the language you used in front of the dragon is a perfect indicator of side effects from dark rituals." Harry raised his eyebrow at the mention of him being scared and scoffed at the end of Dumbledore's statement.
"Also killing the dragon Harry? Couldn't you have come up with a plan that did not involve the murder of such a magnificent creature? Hagrid has been inconsolable ever since the end of the first task my boy. The wizarding world is now a little bit dimmer now that you killed that dragon, surely I could've helped you, Harry."
"I do not care what you think of me headmaster, those who know me and are my friends know the truth and I won't even attempt at trying to change the minds of the deluded and simple, I will say this once and only once; there is no evidence of dark magical rituals that I used to aid me in this damned tournament."
"And you helping me? You can barely help yourself with people's names, how could you possibly be able to help me when you cannot control a simple tournament, the fallout from said tournament and even students within your own halls. Besides, I have all the help I need right here," Harry tapped his index finger on the side of his head.
Whilst Harry was speaking his piece, Dumbledore attempted to use legilimency on him, but when he tried to enter Harry's mind, it was as if he had simply passed through thin air he couldn't find it.
'Impossible, no one can shield their mind in such a way, surely if someone had then I would've known about it.' Dumbledore thought furiously as he tried to backtrack quickly, lest Harry notice anything amiss.
"Naughty, naughty Headmaster, trying to enter my mind? You wouldn't survive a trip in there old man, things can get a bit…crazy as one wanders on." Dumbledore was shocked to the core as he listened to Harry speak with an almost insanity to his words and backed off.
"I apologize Harry, my boy, I did not know that you were schooled in the art of defending your mind, you must refer me to your teacher as I am very eager to learn that technique. I was only concerned for your wellbeing and making sure that you were not influenced by anything dark." Dumbledore tried to give his excuse but Harry only waved him off.
"Are we finished here?" without waiting for a reply, Harry turned around and left the headmaster's office.
Scene break
As Harry exited the headmaster's office and began to stroll around the castle at a leisurely pace, he emptied his thoughts to feel the magic around him and stretch his mind out into the complex web that consisted the hopes and dreams of the people around him.
For a good half hour, Harry strolled along the halls of Hogwarts, half lost in the hopes of a better tomorrow from his Hogwarts peers, the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang and the teachers when suddenly one of the thoughts caught his attention.
'Now what is this I wonder?' he thought as he slowed his walking down to focus on this particular string.
"How am I going to influence the brat when he doesn't listen to me, he's the smartest of his lot so he'd see something a mile away, and so I'll have to keep with my original plan until the third task comes."
'Interesting, this person wants to influence a person, most likely me, and is now waiting for the third task for the culmination? It would provide some entertainment for it and I am always up for a game,' but as Harry tried to continue looking, someone caught his attention by a small cough.
"Yes, Daphne?" Daphne was surprised at hearing Harry know who it was.
"Sometime in the future you'll have to teach me that, but anyway to the point of why I wanted your attention, you know your offer from down in the chamber? Well, I thought about it and after the first task, I wish to learn." Daphne said with a nod.
Harry stared into Daphne's eyes for what must have seemed like an eternity but to the outside world it was barely a few seconds before answering her but the way his voice sounded, it sounded as if there was more than one person speaking.
"Once you agree to this, there is no turning back, once you are committed, your very soul will be committed and be mine to use as I wish."
Harry's words frightened her slightly but she had made her mind up to become a student under her friend and was sticking with it, no matter what.
"If you'll accept me as your student, I will commit my very soul to the teachings you follow," as Daphne spoke her agreement, Harry delved into the webs and looked for any strings that had any deception in Daphne concerning this moment but found none.
Making sure that the surrounding area was clear of any interlopers, Harry turned back to Daphne with the entirety of his eyes shining with the unbridled power of the warp.
His voice again changed to as if there were now multiple beings speaking with the one voice, each being deep but high pitched at the same time.
"Then kneel."
As Daphne knelt down in front of her extremely soon to be teacher/friend, she felt the air around them grow thick and heavy with the power of the warp that was felt by the crowd during the first task.
Daphne heard Harry begin to chant in an unknown language that felt just as malevolent as it sounded and felt a hand softly grasp her head and heard her friend revert to English.
"This mortal offers her life and soul to your service oh Great One! The bonds and ties that once bound her future are now yours to pluck and play with oh Architect of Fate! She chooses the path of the great sorcerers of old and wishes to further the power of Tzeentch!" In Daphne's mind, by the way her friend spoke, it was if he was speaking to a higher power, 'Like a deity or something, but that's ridic- '
"I accept."
Daphne's eyes widened in absolute shock as she tried to process what she heard, a voice, an actual voice, just as Harry's but with so many more voices in it had responded and accepted her offering.
Harry's eyes pulsed with power as he directed it through his hand, down into Daphne's body as her form started to change and shift as pain lanced through her body with her nose and jaw elongating into a beak then returning to its human form.
She felt the skin of her arms turn featherlike with claws replacing her fingers and like her face, reverted to its original, human state. (AN1)
After several more seconds of opening Daphne's body up to the effects of the warp, Harry lifted his hand off his friends head and looked at her heavily breathing form.
Daphne quickly regained her breath as Harry commanded her to rise and look at him.
Harry locked his warp fuelled eyes onto Daphne's equally unnerving blue eyes with an inquisitive eye as he looked her up and down, studying her for any unexpected mutations.
After finding none, he stood in front of her and after he said his next words, the two of them fled the corridor quickly, lest any of the professors or other students find them and the dark magic being used.
"Come now my dear, we shall begin your training at once, you will need every shred of it as you will be my very first."
Scene break
Over in another part of the castle, Hermione stopped suddenly when the power of the warp flared up suddenly then retracted just as quickly.
'That certainly wasn't from me so I wonder what Harry has done now, should be fun next time the group gathers,' she thought as she exited the library after a brief read of a book for classwork.
"Hey Hermione, can I borrow you for a second?" Lavender's voice interrupted her thoughts as she agreed and started to walk along beside her friend.
"Listen, I've been thinking about what you offered and I've decided to accept it, I don't know about Padma but I'm sure she'll accept as well." Lavender said with a smile as the two of the stopped in an empty corridor.
"Are you sure about this? There is no turning back and some of the things that are involved will seem a bit…strange and evil to the wizarding world," Hermione cautioned her friend about committing but she smiled brightly when Lavender only nodded her acceptance.
"Either way, after what Harry's performance against the dragon, I'd be a fool not to."
"Oh my sweet Lavender, that was his version of the offer, I'm going to show you my version of the offer." Hermione looked around and spotted a broom closet that as she dragged Lavender towards it, it sounded and seemed empty.
"Now my dear, I'm going to show you just what some of the rewards will be from your choice," and with that, Hermione dragged Lavender inside the broom closet, shut the door firmly while making it soundproof and locked securely.
Scene break
In an unused classroom, away from any prying eyes, a trio of students stood opposite one another, each face was hidden by the shadows cast by the low lighting but they knew who the other two were and vice versa.
"When are you going to tell them?" one of them said, identifying her as a female to her shadowed counterpart.
"By their growing powers, I think the best time would be after the Yule Ball, they're going to announce it soon as it has always happened before the second task."
The male in the middle had called them here to discuss what he felt and when he was going to reveal himself.
"You do realise that once you tell them, there could be blood spilled between you and him," the second female conveyed her concern for the male as she spoke.
"Hopefully it won't be that bad, then again we are in his domain and he is considered the champion of the undisputed god of magic, and there is always his performance against the dragon," the male's voice seemed to gain an edge to it when he came to the first task.
"Well, whatever happens, you'll have backup should something go wrong."
The male smiled at them and conveyed his thanks before the three of them left the classroom, lest anyone find out about them before the time to reveal themselves was perfect, as if they were like a plague, waiting to spring up at the right time.
Now that Skeeters articles have created some backlash for Harry, will Dumbledore focus a closer eye on Harry's journey through the tournament to watch for any more 'dark magic'? Daphne has been accepted into the webs of Tzeentch, what did Harry mean by his very first? In addition, Lavender has been accepted into the court of the Prince of Pleasure, will Padma follow her friend? Just who are the male and female who talked in the unused classroom? Find out next time on The Affliction!
AN1: Look up a Female Tzeentch Magus for the reference, they were the features as Tzeentch accepted Daphne's offering.
Give it a good read, possibly even give a review as they are always welcome and it tells me if you're liking the story and you have yourself a very good day :)