A/N: And now it has been updated on 07/24/2016
Chapter Seven: Weighing of the Wands
"I just don't want to sit with you." Harry said to Alex's confused expression. Alex squinted, before moving to the Ravenclaw table. Before Harry went back to eating, he felt that that had been wrong to say, but he couldn't put his finger on why it had been wrong. 'Psshaw. It was only dirty cheating Americans.' He tried to reassure himself. But niggling doubts at the back of his mind wouldn't leave. That week since he had finally realized what the Americans were all about was also turning into the worst week of his life, sans any of his first ten years with the Dursleys. Hermione had, somehow, developed a close friendship with Nova, and seemed to want to stick around her asking of how emotion effected magic. Harry still wasn't sure how either had accomplished the feat of standing the other.
"...Harry...Harry!" Hermione said, trying to get his attention.
"Sorry, Hermione, what is it?" He replied, trying to ignore Ron shoveling food down his throat.
"It's just that Hagrid has been looking for you."
"Why?"
"He wouldn't say, but he sounded serious."
"Alright, I'll go see him later. " Looking up towards the staff, he saw that Hagrid was talking with the Salem Headmaster. Frowning, he tried to get back to his own meal. Since he had last met Dumbledore, he had begun really disliking the Americans. Or had he always disliked them, and simply been trying to get an advantage on Alex? It was confusing to him, so he decided to put it out of his mind.
Care of Magical Creatures was their first class that day. Hagrid seemed to have gotten his love of "misunderstood" creatures and kept going with it. He had a small pigsty built when they went out to the class.
"Alright, gather 'round now. Today, I'll be introducin' you ter Nogtails. Little buggers love ter get inter pigsties. I just need yer ter observe 'em today." And the entirety of the class was simply that, observing the little pig-demons.
After the Care of Magical Creatures class, Hagrid held him back. "'Arry, I need ter see you for a quick extra lesson. Tonight, 10 o'clock, meet me by me hut."
"Sure thing, Hagrid." Harry smiled, happy to have an excuse to relax with the half-giant. Runes, Transfiguration, and Charms all felt as if they moving at a snail's pace. After all his classes and dinner, he covered himself in his father's invisibility cloak, and quickly moved down to the grounds, to meet up with Hagrid. He was standing next to his house, dressed a little differently than how he normally chose to present himself.
His hair and beard seemed to be combed. As he got close, he pulled the hood off of his face. "Hagrid?" The half-giant almost seemed to give a start. "Harry, good ter see you." He said, giving Harry a tight hug. Harry smiled at the enthusiastic grounds-keeper.
"So, what are we doing Hagrid?" His hesitation set some alarm off in Harry's head, but he ignored it. It couldn't mean anything. Then felt a spell hit his back and his world transformed to black nothingness.
*'*_ _*'*
He suddenly woke back up, to come face to face with the Salem Headmaster. Trying to scramble backwards, he found he couldn't move, save for his mouth. "What was that, you bloody coward?"
"The only way I was going to be able to examine you." Came the curt reply.
"Why the bloody hell are you examining me? Cheating this early? Trying to get me out of the competition like this? You Americans really are shameless. But we'll get you. Imperiusing Hagrid will get you time in Azkaban."
"What have we done to offend you, Mr. Potter?" The question stopped his rant cold.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I asked. What problem have you recently developed with us, despite showing a close friendship with a few of our students?," Harry opened his mouth, and nothing came out. Opening and closing his mouth, he found he couldn't find a good reason for any of his behavior.
"Ah-ha! Gotcha, you little shit." The Headmaster said, his eyes closed and his wand held aloft. Harry was about to return his own swears to the Headmaster, before he felt his mind clear from a fog that he hadn't realized was there until now.
"What was that?"
"A compulsion charm. It seems that someone didn't want you getting close with my school."
"Why not?"
"I cannot say, not without knowing the culprit...Can you remember when this change started?"
"After I met with Dumbledore..." Harry replied, before a nasty shock seemed to rear its head. "Wait, you don't think..." Dumbledore wouldn't do this to him. He had no reason to do it…
"I do, even I'm very much hoping not." The man responded. Harry put the thought that Dumbledore was trying to manipulate him at the back of his mind. "Thank you, then, Mister...?"
"Williams. Mark Harrison Williams, twenty-ninth Headmaster for the Salem Institute for the Magically Gifted." The man said, extending his hand for Harry to shake. Harry shook, already liking the man "So did Hagrid really want to show me something or was it just you wanting to talk to me?"
"No, Hagrid did want to see you. Apparently, he has something to show you and I believe it is vital for the first task, which is why I haven't seen you at all tonight."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I just said."
"But you have seen me, and I'm not allowed to know what is going to happen."
"I have not seen you here, and I sincerely doubt that is the attitude that Madame Maxime and Highmaster Karkaroff will take to that. I am probably going to alert Alex to this, as well."
"I would much appreciate Alex getting through the tournament alive." Harry followed Mark outside, covered in the invisibility cloak, where he saw Hagrid. "Is 'e doing okay, Headmaster Williams, sir?"
"He's just tuckered out. Don't worry, he will be fine in about ten minutes. But, we must remember that he is in his dormitory."
"'Ats good to hear, Headmaster, sir."
"And I believe our other delegates are arriving now." Williams said, looking out towards the grounds where Madame Maxime and Karkaroff were moving towards them.
"Good ter see 'at yer all here. Now, this is to show you, as the judges, what the champions will find themselves up against. Follow me." Hagrid turned and walked into the forest, the other School Heads following, with Harry sneaking in the rear.
Twenty minutes into the walk, Harry heard distant roaring, and after another ten minutes, the small group came upon a clearing with five cages, each housing a different dragon. The largest cage housed a entirely black dragon with yellow eyes, that seemed to glow from the darkness. A crown of spikes showed around its neck and jets of flame flew from its jaws, spewing up to forty feet. A team of wizards were rushing around it, trying to avoid the flames. "Stunners! On three!" A voice rang out, barely above the roar of the flames. "One! Two! Three!"
Eight jets of red light flew at the dragon, lighting up the night briefly. The dragon seemed to collapse in its cage in slow motion. Only when he saw that the dragon handlers were relaxing, did he relax. The others seemed to share that sentiment, except for Madame Maxime, who seemed as enraptured by the giant beasts as Hagrid was.
Harry carefully moved around the group as a red-haired dragon tamer came over to the group. Harry recognized Charlie Weasley, and was thankful that it was Charlie who seemed to be in charge. Looking at the other dragons Harry realized that the other dragons weren't small either, the black one in the largest cage was just seen first. The other four cages held their own dragons. There was another that was almost entirely black, its eyes a bright purple. Another that was a light blue-gray color, shuffling around, seemingly unable to get comfortable. Then, a bright green one, that looked smaller than all the rest. And finally, a red one with a...mane? Harry didn't know how to describe it, besides comparing it to the lion's mane he had seen at the zoo, all those years ago...
He brought himself back to the present, remembering just how late it was. Taking off for the school, he was panting out the password about an hour later. Thankfully, the common room was deserted. Quickly heading up, Harry changed into his pajamas and went to bed, his dreams interspersed with fire and dragons.
*'*_ _*'*
"Dragons?" Hermione questioned, in a shocked whisper, "What else do you know about it?"
"Nothing else, besides that all school heads know of it."
"So we can assume that they all agreed that you can face dragons?"
Harry sighed deeply, "Hermione, I doubt they thought that someone could get in who wasn't supposed to. Though, Dumbledore has been acting kind of weird lately."
"How so?" Hermione asked.
"Well, he just seems-"
"Mr. Potter, while you are incapable of passing my class in the most basic of ways, I will have to take off points for trying to pull others down with you. Ten points from Gryffindor." Snape said, from right behind them. Slytherin laughter rang out through the dungeon as Hermione immediately went back to her potion, while Harry groaned, going back to his potion.
A few minutes later, the door opened and Colin Creevey entered, walking up to Professor Snape and handed him a note. Snape quickly read the note, before looking up.
"Potter!"
Harry's head snapped back up, looking at Snape.
"Apparently, you have been excused from class. The other...champions...have need of your attention." Snape sneered, the note burning on contact with his wand. "Mr. Creevey will...escort you."
Harry quickly packed up his school things and left, amid jeers from some of the Slytherins, Colin in tow.
Colin led him to the entrance hall, where the other four champions were waiting, with the headmasters, a woman with magenta robes, and Mr. Ollivander. She seemed to be trying to get an interview out of Alex.
"So, why did you want to enter the tournament?" She asked with an almost sickly-sweet voice.
"Because it's fun to be allowed to hurt others." Alex replied, an almost feral grin on his face, seeming to scare her white, before Williams smacked the back of his head.
"Seriously, you too?"
"Seems to work well. Now, be nice to the reporter."
"Fine..."
"Mister Potter," Dumbledore said, the woman's head swiveling so fast it almost seemed to snap her neck, "Good, now we're all here. Now, Mr. Ollivander will check your wands, just to make sure they are in proper working order."
Mr. Ollivander nodded, "Miss Delacour, you first, if you please." She rose and presented her wand to him.
"Yes...hmm..." He said, rolling it between his fingers, "twenty four centimeters...inflexible...rosewood and...Veela hair?"
"An 'air from ze 'ead of one of my grandmuzzer's."
"An interesting core...but everything seems to be in order." Ollivander said, finishing by having a bouquet of flowers erupt from the end of her wand, and handing it back to her.
"Mr. Diggory, if you would please."
Cedric handed over his wand, and Ollivander inspected it, "Aah yes...one of my own...thirty two centimeters...pleasantly springy...ash and unicorn tail...yes I remember that unicorn now...Avis!" He said, and bird flew from the end moving to the rafters before disappearing. "Excellent. Mr. Krum."
Krum stepped forward, handing over his own wand. "Aah, a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm very much mistaken...Very thick...rigid...hornbeam and dragon heartstring..." Ollivander finished with creating smoke rings from the end of the wand. "Good." He said, handing the wand back to Krum. "Now, Mr. Yeltom? Any relation to a Mrs. Gevewn Yeltom?"
"I see you recognize the name."
"Yes...Your grandparents are notorious wand crafters, having each customer's wand prepared for them with hand-picked elements...quite ingenious..."
"I will let their graves know of your praise, sir." Alex handed off his wand to Ollivander, who held it up, "Aah, birch...definitely tricky...slightly springy...twenty five and a half centimeters...and a dragon heartstring core..." He waved it and sparks flew out before arranging into a star shape. "Everything is in working order. Which leaves...Mr. Potter."
Harry presented his wand to Ollivander, who took it, before his eyes lit up, "Ah, yes...how I remember this wand...holly and phoenix tail feather...twenty eight centimeters...flexible...Good, they are all in working order."
Harry took his wand back, and began heading for the door, before he was brought up short by a shout. "Pictures, Dumbledore!" The reporter had almost screamed.
"Quite right, Miss Skeeter." Dumbledore agreed and the next few hours were taken up by photograph after photograph for the Skeeter woman who seemed to work for the Daily Prophet. She then went after several interviews, one for each champion and headmaster. Though from what Harry could see of the articles they were tabloids, meant to be opinion columns, so people wouldn't take any of it seriously…He hoped.
