Inheriting a Draconian Mantle – Book 4
By Stargatesg1fan1
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognized characters or universes within. If I did…I would have ended the Inheritance Cycle with Arya and Eragon in love and entangled in a heated, naked, and sweaty mess in their bed. Harry Potter would have been smarter and taken every opportunity he had to make love to the gorgeous Miss Granger and when they were old enough he would have made her the next Mrs. Potter.
Females Bonded by Harry Potter So Far (In Books One through Three):
Nymphadora 'Nym' Tonks is played by Sarah Chalke
Hermione Granger is played by Emma Watson
Susan Bones is played by Karen Gillian
Cho Chang is played by Katie Leung
Ginny Weasley is played by Julie McNiven
Luna Lovegood is played by Evanna Lynch
Queen Dianna of the Fairies is played by Dianna Agron
Females Bonded by Harry Potter in Book 4:
Jaimie (Merlin's mother) is played by Jaimie Alexander
Arya is played by Sienna Guillory
Professor Bridget Regan is played by Bridget Regan
Fleur Delacour is played by Clemence Poesy
IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM - IaDM
Chapter 5
Alastor Moody felt his consciousness slowly return. He kept his eyes closed as had become habit when he first awoke. There was no reason to let an enemy know one was awake until one was ready. The first thing Moody noticed was that he wasn't lying on the hard floor of his damned multi-compartment trunk. The second thing he noticed was the lack of his own smell from quite some time without bathing. The third thing he noticed was his leg. He could feel the leg he had lost years ago as if it had never left. Mad Eye Moody sat bolt upright in the bed, his eyes open wide. Moody reached down and pulled up the leg of the new pants he was wearing and stared at unmarred flesh.
"How," Moody asked in a whisper.
"I'm afraid the skin is just an illusion," Harry said after he had teleported into the room.
"What in the hell is going on?" Moody demanded of the teen who appeared to be Harry Potter.
Moody had known James Potter and could recognize the man's son even if said wizard hadn't been ridiculously famous and constantly in the papers. Harry conjured a chair and sat down.
"I've got a story to tell you," Harry began before summarizing some of the marvels he had experienced in his life.
"Let me see if I get this straight. I'm on a mythical floating island called Albion. You conjured me a new leg and a new eye. Albus could have done so years ago. You're a dragon Rider and one of many. You're fighting to kill off Riddle for good. I was captured by Death Eaters who want to use me to capture you and kill you but you are setting up a trap for them. Does that sum up the important bits?" Moody asked.
"Yes," Harry confirmed.
"Provided I believe you the question is why Albus never helped me," Moody mused.
"My best guess is that your grizzled old Auror persona was a useful tool for Dumbledore," Harry said, Moody nodding in agreement. "Let's go for a tour and see if we can't convince you."
The two disappeared from the room and went on a tour of Albion. Meeting the still living Merlin, Morgana, and Potters was pretty convincing. Standing on the edge of Albion and looking down on the world also helped.
After the tour was over Moody declared, "I've seen some pretty messed up shite in my time Potter but this definitely takes the cake. I'll help you."
"Good, I was hoping you'd say that," Harry stated.
"Out of curiosity, if I hadn't agreed what would you do?" Moody asked.
"I'd let you do what you want while restricted to Albion and then when the time came for you to be rescued at the end of the Tournament I'd stick you back in your trunk and wipe your memories of this place. You'd think you spent the whole school year in that trunk," Harry replied.
Moody shivered but said, "Smart."
That was the last of that option that was discussed.
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"Today class we're going to see how well you can resist the Imperius curse. I will be placing it on each of you," Crouch Jr. announced, causing a stir of whispers to break out among the students. Nobody voiced any objections. Neville was the first Rider to be put under the curse. When the spell hit him Neville shuddered for a moment and then took up his usual stance. "Do a back flip," Crouch Jr. barked at the Longbottom heir.
"No, I don't think I will," Neville replied, his tone firm.
Barty gaped. He recovered himself a few moments later and announced, "Longbottom is the first to break the curse. Twenty-five points to Gryffindor."
As Neville took his seat Harry was summoned up next. The magic of the curse washed over Harry and he didn't even twitch. What did happen was unexpected. Moody dropped to the stone floor of the classroom unconscious seconds after he had cast the spell.
"Oops," Saphira projected so that all the Riders could hear.
"And that folks is what happens when you try to take control of the mind connected to the most powerful dragon in existence. No offense Zepath," Nym declared.
"None taken," Zepath replied, admiring Saphira's handiwork.
"Perhaps I resisted too strongly," Saphira mused.
"Gee…ya think," Harry replied wryly but not without amusement as he enervated the unconscious instructor.
"What hit me?" Barty asked as he sat upright.
"That would be our resident demigod," Seamus said while nodding towards Harry.
"Surely he rates the status of a god after all he's done," Arya suggested as she stepped into the classroom, enjoying the concealment provided by a fairy invisibility band.
Harry almost groaned. His other lovers were rubbing off on the Queen of the Elves.
"But the general population doesn't know all Harry has done," Nym explained.
"But even the feats he is only publicly known for are beyond what most mortals can even dream of," Arya pointed out.
"Preaching to the choir here, sister," Nym assured.
"I do not understand," Arya replied in confusion, her brow furrowed in what Harry thought was an adorable way.
"It's an expression among the non-magicals. I was simply pointing out that you're trying to convince someone who is already convinced," Nym explained, earning a nod of understanding from Arya.
"That was excellent Potter. We're going to do that again," Crouch Jr. declared excitedly.
"He's really playing out Mad Eye's character to the letter," Nym suggested.
"Totally," Hermione agreed.
The fake Moody insisted on trying to curse Harry three more times and ended up unconscious each time as a result. By the time the class was over Crouch Jr. was sure Harry Potter couldn't be put under the Imperius Curse. When the Riders went down to dinner later that evening they were met with a crowded entrance hall. The students were milling about excitedly discussing the contents of a large sign. The sign read:
TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT
THE DELEGATIONS FROM DURMSTRANG AND BEAUXBATONS WILL BE ARRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 6 IN THE EVENING OF FRIDAY OCTOBER 30TH. LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY TO GIVE STUDENTS TIME TO RETURN THEIR BELONGINGS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE THE WELCOMING FEAST.
"They are only giving students half an hour to run all about the school after classes have nearly put us to sleep," Harry said with disdain.
"That isn't bloody likely to cut it," Cho put forth.
Harry reached out with his magic and tweaked the message to read that classes would let out an hour earlier. Leave it to Dumbledore who hadn't had to hurry around the school in more than a century to press the students for time. The Riders would telepathically implant the altered time into the minds of their professors between then and the appointed date. Throughout the following week the Tournament was the talk of the castle. Who was signing up was a topic of interest.
"Have you already signed up?" Arya asked her mate one night at dinner.
The Queen of the Elves had studied the enchantments on the Goblet of Fire. She found it an interesting magical relic of the new home her lover had chosen. She was sure if Harry put his name into the Goblet that it would choose him as the most worthy.
"I did it just after the Goblet was set out," Harry replied.
"Out of curiosity…did the age line even slow you down?" Neville inquired.
"Nope," Harry assured.
"How did you bypass it?" Hannah questioned.
"I didn't have to. The magic recognized my true mental age and let me pass," Harry explained.
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On the thirtieth of October when the students of Hogwarts arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast they found the walls decorated with immense silk banners representing their different houses.
"Hey Harry, do you have any idea how the Goblet of Fire selects the champions for the Tournament?" Fred Weasley asked as the Riders sat down for breakfast that morning.
"The judges input the criteria they wish the goblet to use in selecting the champion. Most often they choose personality features like bravery, cunning, and so forth," Harry explained.
Nobody bothered asking how the celebrity knew the answer.
"And who are the judges?" George asked.
"The heads of the three schools involved," Hermione supplied, having read that particular answer in Hogwarts A History.
"I'm rather looking forward to meeting people from other magical schools," Ginny stated as she took a break from eating her scrambled eggs.
"You won't have to wait much longer," Luna told her friend.
Indeed, Luna's words proved prophetic as they usually did. The day seemed to fly by for the students of Hogwarts as they eagerly speculated on what the other schools would be like. They were soon lined up in groups comprised of their house mates waiting out in front of the school. The evening was cold but the sky was clear. The moon was already visible over the Forbidden Forest.
"It's a bit cold out here," Seamus complained. "Harry can you do anything about that?"
Lavender punched Seamus lightly in the arm and said, "Leave Harry alone Seamus. He isn't a god who can mess with the weather when he pleases."
"Actually I disagree," Hermione replied. "Harry's a god in bed."
"And he can mess with the weather when he pleases," Susan added as they all suddenly noticed the chill diminishing.
"Bloody hell, I want some of that," Parvati whispered to Lavender.
"You and every other witch," Lavender whispered back, neither witch realizing that the object of their desire was perfectly capable of hearing them.
"I wonder how they're going to be arriving," Dean mused.
"Perhaps on a flying carpet," Padma Patil suggested. "Granted, the other schools would have to have quite a bit more than the usual enchantments on their carpets to fly from their home countries in this weather."
"Maybe they'll take a magical bus like the night bus," Lavender suggested.
"They are taking a flying carriage and an enchanted ship," Harry supplied.
"I'm almost afraid to ask but how can you know that?" Seamus queried.
"The same system he used to track all of those nukes allows him to see many other things," Hermione replied.
"Here comes the Beauxbatons carriage," Neville announced while pointing off into the distance.
Many eyes tracked where Neville was pointing and saw the massive form of a powder blue carriage materialize out of the darkness. Large white horses with wings were pulling the carriage.
"Cor, I didn't realize Abraxans were quite so big," Nym projected to her friends, referring to the flying horses.
"They look tasty," Hermione's Sorenth announced, causing a grin from the Riders.
The massive carriage touched down with quite a bit of jostling and noise before the door was flung open. A French boy in pale blue robes fumbled open a set of golden stairs before stepping back.
"That's a whole lot of woman," Neville commented as Madam Maxine, the Headmistress of Beauxbatons stepped off the carriage.
"Half giant, how interesting," Cho commented.
While Dumbledore and Maxine exchanged greetings Harry and his friends paid attention to the students now exiting the carriage. A dozen males and females in their late teens made up the students representing Beauxbatons. These students were shivering even with the adjustment Harry had made to the temperature because their uniforms were made of fine silk.
"Leave it to the French to take fashion far more seriously than their health," Harry projected.
The look of apprehension the Beauxbatons students directed at Hogwarts mystified the Hogwarts students. Harry stepped forward and extended his hand to one quite attractive blonde at the front of the Beauxbatons pack.
In flawless French Harry said, "Hello, my name is Harry Potter. Welcome to Hogwarts. Who might you be?"
Following their leader's example the other Riders stepped forward and greeted the Beauxbatons students. Harry and Hermione knew French the best out of the Riders. Because of this Saphira and Sorenth also knew French quite well and relayed it to the other dragons so that their respective Riders would be able to speak French.
Fleur Delacour felt some of her apprehension fade away as she took the hand of the handsome celebrity she easily recognized. Fleur felt a shiver of pleasure run down her spine when his skin made contact with hers. She also relaxed as she felt a warmth begin to spread through her body. The cold weather no longer bothered her.
"My name is Fleur Delacour. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Potter," Fleur replied. "I would like to try speaking English to expand my skills in your language."
"By all means Miss Delacour," Harry replied.
"Fleur," the French witch corrected.
"Call me Harry," the celebrity invited. "What part of France do you live in, Fleur?" Fleur told her companion and his eyes lit up. "I've passed through that area. There was a charming little restaurant called Château Ferris which had most excellent food."
Fleur's face lit up with a brilliant smile which showed her immense beauty nicely.
"Oui, I mean yes. Chateau Ferris 'as magnifique cuisine," Fleur gushed. "What part of 'zis country do you come from, 'Arry?"
"In my younger days I lived far to the south of here, south of London," Harry replied. "Now, I have a home North of London but I bounce all over the place when I'm not at school. I can be quite…sociable."
"Indeed you can be my Rider," Saphira commented in amusement.
Saphira was not the only one to notice the husky dip in the Rider's tone when he said the word sociable. Fleur shivered and felt a surge of renewed desire for the handsome hero.
"Oui, we saw ze interviews even in France which mentioned ze relationships you enjoy," Fleur replied with a grin.
Just then there was a suctioning sound coming from the darkness of the lake.
"It appears the Durmstrang contingent has arrived," Harry announced, turning to face the lake.
A whirlpool had formed in the center of the lake from which the rigging of a ship was emerging. The ship with glowing portholes and a misty sheen about it stabilized on the turbulent surface of the lake and glided towards shore. An anchor was dropped and a plank lowered to shore. Bulky figures began coming off the ship. Harry's enhanced eyes discerned more expediently than the others that the bulkiness came from dark furs the Durmstrang students were wearing. They were led by a thinner figure in sleek silvery furs. This lead figure was Igor Karakoff Headmaster of Durmstrang and a former Death Eater. After finding out about the Tournament the Riders had researched the other schools.
While Karakoff and Dumbledore exchanged greetings like old friends Harry informed Fleur, "That man Dumbledore is greeting is Igor Karakoff. He was a Death Eater who escaped punishment by turning in his former comrades."
"'ow 'orrible," Fleur whispered in reply. "Zen 'ow is 'e ze 'eadmaster of a school?"
"I'm sure galleons and threats changed hands in order to make him so," Harry suggested. "Now would you like to dine with me? It's going to be quite a feast."
As he spoke Harry offered his arm.
"Oui, very much so," Fleur answered while taking the offered arm.
The students of Hogwarts had a rapid fire whisper session as they noticed Victor Krum among Karakoff's students. But there was just as much whispering and pointing from the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students directed at Harry who was far more famous than Krum.
"My brother would crème his robes if he was still in school," Ginny announced as she followed the mass of bodies back into the castle. "He's got a major crush on Krum."
Harry grinned and began introducing his mates and friends who were surrounding him to Fleur. Fleur returned the gesture and introduced her friends who all looked like they were equally relaxed among the Riders. Fleur took notice of the fact that all of Harry's lovers and his friends were incredibly fit. As she took a seat at the Gryffindor table beside Harry the French witch also noticed one of her acquaintances, a girl named Janelle, staring at Harry with something mixing awe, lust, and hero worship. Fleur didn't have many close female friends because of her veela heritage. Men desired her and women were envious of her. Fleur had learned to live with this. She had acquaintances who would turn on her at the drop of a hat and blame her for their relationship troubles. More than one acquaintance had accused Fleur Delacour of stealing their boyfriend even if Fleur had never even talked to said former boyfriend. Fleur was quite impressed that Harry Potter wasn't a gibbering mess at this point. When she was attracted to someone it made it harder for the part veela to control her abilities and that tended to make the male of her desires turn into a wreck around her. Harry Potter showed none of these signs.
Fleur leaned close to Harry's ear and whispered in rapid French so that she could get the message across quicker, "I'm sorry about Janelle. She and several others were hoping to get your autograph when the discussion on the ride here turned to you being at Hogwarts."
"I find it's best just to sign the autographs and get it over with," Harry replied after bringing his lips next to Fleur's ear.
"Janelle, Bethany, Xavier, and the rest Mr. Potter would be agreeable to sign your autographs if you pass them over discretely," Fleur told her classmates.
Harry was sure magic was involved in furnishing him a writing utensil so quickly. He discretely signed the provided paper or clothing as the people in the Great Hall got settled. When Madam Maxine entered the hall with the other staff members the Beauxbatons students stood respectively. Harry heard some nearby Hogwarts students laughing but he shot them a quelling glare and when they noticed they quieted down. When the Headmistress sat down so too did the students. Dumbledore's continued standing silenced the hall shortly.
"Good evening to all students of Hogwarts and our cherished guests. We hope your stay will be most comfortable. At the end of the feast the Tournament will be officially opened. Now let us eat," Dumbledore called as food materialized on the tables and he took his seat.
Many of the foods on the tables were French and Bulgarian.
"Mm…it has been ages since I had a good bouillabaisse," Hermione announced as she took a portion of the shellfish stew for her plate.
"Ze bouillabaisse does smell excellent but I would like to try zis dish," Fleur mused as she helped herself to a helping of a British dish.
The students all decided to try cuisine from the other two cultures they were not at all or less familiar with.
As the meal progressed two Ministry officials, Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch Senior, arrived. These two had been key players in the organization of the Triwizard Tournament.
"You may dislike the younger Crouch, Neville. I really dislike the older Crouch," Harry sent to his best male friend.
Crouch Senior had been a key player in throwing Sirius in Azkaban without a trial during the last war. Crouch Sr. had barely survived the media storm that was the revelation of Sirius' innocence.
"At least he lost his previous position and much of his authority," Neville pointed out.
"He should be rotting in a cell in Azkaban with his son," Harry replied.
"I could sit on him for you," Saphira told her Rider.
"I'll keep that in mind Saphira my dear," Harry answered with an amused smile.
After the food had been consumed Dumbledore stood and let his silence heighten the eager tension among the students for several long moments.
"The moment has come at last," Dumbledore began. "I would like to clarify a few procedural points before the Tournament begins. First let me introduce Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and his colleague Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports." Dumbledore paused for the mild applause. "These two gentlemen have worked tirelessly over the last few months to organize the Tournament. They along with Madam Maxime, Professor Karakoff, and myself will be on the panel of judges scoring the efforts of the champions. The casket if you would Mr. Filch." The squib janitor approached Dumbledore carrying a jewel encrusted chest. "Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman have already made arrangements for the three tasks our champions will face throughout the year. These trials will test their cunning, their bravery, their ingenuity, their skill with magic, and of course their ability to cope with danger. The impartial selector which chooses the champion is the Goblet of Fire."
Dumbledore drew the rough hewn wooden cup out of the casket after disabling protective enchantments on the container for the ancient relic. Dumbledore set the goblet on top of the closed casket and activated it with his wand. Blue flames danced within the cup without consuming the wooden material. Karakoff and Maxine stepped forward and handed Dumbledore a small cloth sack each. Dumbledore unceremoniously tossed in the sacks and watched them burn.
"I have just added the pieces of paper with the names of the aspiring champions from our guest schools. Hogwarts students have already entered their names. The Goblet will have made its decision by the Halloween feast tomorrow night," Dumbledore explained for the benefit of the students.
Dumbledore made it appear to outsiders as though he thought his age line had been effective in stopping Hogwarts students under the age of seventeen from entering their names into the Goblet. The Riders all knew that Dumbledore knew that Harry had entered his name into the Goblet. The Headmaster had made sure to place the Goblet somewhere where there were portraits to report back to him. After that the meal was over and students began departing.
"Fleur, we can walk you and for friends back to your carriage," Harry offered.
"I would appreciate zat 'arry," the French witch agreed while rising next to the handsome celebrity.
The Durmstrang contingent was leaving and arrived at the doors leaving the Great Hall at the same time as the Riders. The Riders stopped to let the Bulgarians go first.
"Thank you," Karakoff said with a brief glance towards Harry and his friends.
The Headmaster of Durmstrang did a double take when he spotted Harry. The students of Durmstrang paused behind their headmaster as the former Death Eater let his gaze roam over Harry in disbelief.
Just when one of the Durmstrang students began pointing and whispering at Harry, fake-Moody's voice rang out, "Yes, that's Harry Potter."
Karakoff spun and went pale when he focused on Moody.
"You," Karakoff shouted in a mixture of fury and terrible fear.
"Yes, it's me Karakoff. I suggest you keep on moving. You're blocking the door," fake-Moody pointed out.
Karakoff left the hall followed by his students with great haste.
"To everyone else of moderate intelligence it must appear as if a former Death Eater just met a former Death Eater catcher," Hermione mused.
"But to us it was a meeting of two Death Eaters minus the former title," Nym added.
"Karakoff is a turncoat. I wouldn't be surprised if he turns up dead soon," Susan suggested.
"I'm actually amazed he had the balls to even come to England given Riddle's public return," Harry pointed out.
"I find the hearts of men difficult to discern. They will surprise you most of the time," Arya suggested.
As he bade Fleur goodnight verbally and the other Riders said goodnight to their new friends from Beauxbaton, Harry projected, "Karakoff has gotten comfortable in his position as Headmaster of Durmstrang. I believe he fancies himself safe from Riddle's reach while he's at Durmstrang and he of course believes himself protected while at Hogwarts."
"You can be quite astute when you wish to be, my love," Diana told her partner as she materialized next to him in a shimmer of sparkling lights that signaled fairy travel.
Only the Riders could see the Queen of the Fairies.
"I just enjoy playing dense the rest of the time," Harry said in a teasing mental voice.
"Bullshit," Nym rebutted, causing grins to form on her friends' features.
"What has you grinning?" Luna asked Ginny as the group passed by the Goblet of Fire which was set up in the entrance hall until the magical object had decided the Tournament's champions.
"Just remembering Fred and George trying to enter the Tournament," Ginny explained.
"Very entertaining," Hannah declared.
Fred and George had gained lengthy white beards from their time spent trying to cross the age line surrounding the Goblet.
"Their beards grow in a bit gray now," Ginny announced.
The laughter of the Riders carried throughout the school as they returned to their practice room to continue enjoying each other's company.
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When Harry and his companions entered the Great Hall for the Halloween feast the Goblet of Fire was sitting on the chest which normally carried it. The chest was positioned in front of Dumbledore's empty chair. There was an impatient vibe permeating the atmosphere while the assembled magicians ate the feast prepared for them. All present wanted to get to the portion of the evening where the Triwizard Champions were revealed. The sound level in the hall steadily grew in intensity until Dumbledore rose at which point the noise dropped to nothing.
"Well the Goblet is almost ready to make a decision. I estimate it has one more minute until it is decided," Dumbledore declared dramatically.
"As if it wasn't waiting for an activation spell from him," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes.
"You know the old man loves his dramatics," Nym replied.
"I know, I know. He can just be so bloody infuriating at times," Hermione grumbled.
Harry grinned.
"When the Champions' names are called I would ask that they come to the front of the hall and go into that antechamber," Dumbledore requested while pointing towards an antechamber entrance next to one end of the staff table. "Once there they will receive their first instructions for the Tournament."
Dumbledore used his wand to extinguish the candles throughout the hall.
"Get on with it already," Cho mentally urged as Dumbledore waited for the anticipation among the waiting magicians to build further before he cast the activation spell.
The moment arrived for the Goblet to expel the name of the first contestant it had decided upon heralded by a fountain of suddenly red flame from the enchanted object. A charred bit of parchment shot from the flames. Dumbledore caught the parchment scrap and held it closer to the now blue-white flames to read it.
"Durmstrang's champion will be Victor Krum," Dumbledore called.
Applause broke out immediately. As the cheering continued Krum rose and stalked towards the antechamber entrance, his expression unreadable. Karakoff appeared to be the most excited of all.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Karakoff chose the least likely candidates from his school to be chosen by the Goblet over Krum," Nym mused.
"I might think you're giving Karakoff too much credit but then again you could be right," Hermione replied.
The Goblet expelled a second piece of parchment.
"The Champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour," Dumbledore announced.
Fleur appeared truly shocked.
"Go on Fleur," Harry encouraged as more applause broke out. "Go into the antechamber."
Fleur managed a graceful stride into the antechamber. Several of her classmates from Beauxbatons had broken into tears at their failure to be selected. Dumbledore caught the third scrap of parchment projected from the Goblet.
"The Champion for Hogwarts is…Harry Potter," Dumbledore called.
Harry rose from his seat smoothly and followed Fleur's path to the antechamber. The hall was silent, unsure how to react to what was obviously a violation of the age restriction rules. Harry entered the antechamber to find a room lined with magical portraits. A cozy fire blazed opposite the entrance.
"'Arry," Fleur said in surprise. "But I thought zat you were not old enough to enter ze zournament."
Before Harry could respond Ludo Bagman came into the room exclaiming, "Extraordinary!"
Bagman attempted to grasp Harry by the arm. The former professional quidditch player found himself flying through the air and impacting the wall.
"You don't have the right to touch me," Harry growled at Bagman.
"Potter," McGonagall hissed as she entered the room with a number of other people who had all witnessed the celebrity tossing the Ministry official into the wall with a contemptuous ease.
"It's quite alright Professor," Bagman assured as he stood.
Bagman was smart enough to know that in a popularity contest the savior of the world would win.
"How did you do it, Potter? How did you enter your name into the Goblet of Fire?" Mr. Crouch asked.
"Please, an age line," Harry said with a sneer of contempt. "Dumbledore used a ward that went out of style centuries ago. Parents used to use it to keep their children in a desired area or out of a sensitive area until the secret to bypassing it was discovered and made widely known. Dumbledore gambled on the solution being lost but he isn't the only student of history."
"So you admit to putting your name in the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" Dumbledore clarified.
"Yes," Harry confirmed.
There wasn't a damn thing the old man could do about it.
Bagman mirrored this sentiment, stating, "Well there's nothing for it now. He's in a magically binding contract and Potter must compete."
Karakoff and Maxime didn't know whether they should be happy that a younger champion would be representing Hogwarts or dismayed. On the one hand Harry was younger and theoretically wouldn't have learned as much as the other two champions. He also wouldn't have gone through or started to go through his magical maturity while the other two champions had. But Harry Potter was known around the world as a brilliant mind and a powerful wand. The Durmstrang Headmaster and Beauxbatons Headmistress had been present to witness his feat of magic at the Quidditch World Cup and were suitably weary of having him in the Tournament. On the other hand they knew what challenges the champions faced in the Tournament. They remained silent in their indecision on their feelings.
"Well then let's get on with the discussion of the first task," Crouch Sr. stated. "This task was designed to test your daring. Therefore we will not be telling you what it is. This will test the quality of your courage in the face of the unknown. The task will commence on the twenty-fourth of November in front of the other students and the panel of judges. You are not permitted to request or accept assistance from any of your professors. You may bring only your wand to the first task. Information on the second task will be forthcoming when the first task is over. This is a demanding and time consuming tournament. Because of this you three champions are exempt from end of year tests. That is all."
The professors and Ministry officials broke up to converse.
Fleur drew Harry aside with a light pull on his arm and whispered, "'Arry, I 'ope zat zis does not affect our friendship?"
"Not at all, Fleur," Harry assured. "I've enjoyed becoming your friend."
"Good, I 'ave as well," Fleur responded with a smile.
"Best of luck in the tournament?" Harry suggested while offering his hand.
"Oui, best of luck," Fleur repeated while shaking the handsome wizard's hand.
His hand was firm and warm as it enclosed her fingers.
"Come Fleur," Madam Maxime beckoned her student now that the conversation appeared to be over.
Karakoff had rushed off quickly with Krum in tow after the group had broken up. The Great Hall was empty when Harry left the antechamber, at least as far as the others could see. Arya, Nym, and Dianna were leaning invisibly against Saphira's side.
"Everything went according to your plan?" Arya inquired.
"Yes," Harry confirmed.
"It won't be much longer and you'll be covering the French witch," Saphira observed knowingly.
The three female magicians smiled at the dragon's way of putting things.
"It's party time," Nym declared with a bubbly grin.
"The Gryffindors are in a riot to celebrate you becoming Hogwarts' champion," Dianna added.
"I prefer our private celebrations more," Harry replied.
"So do we," the three grinning women said in unison.
"But you must keep up with public appearances if you wish to remain popular," Arya advised, having much experience with politics throughout her long life.
Nym snorted and suggested, "Our Harry could defecate on a baby in the middle of Diagon Alley and the child's mother would smile and save the mess."
"Perhaps," Arya allowed.
"Saving the world does have its perks," Dianna added.
When the group reached the portrait guarding the entrance to Gryffindor's common room one of the figures from the portraits in the antechamber off the Great Hall was in the Fat Lady's portrait along with the Fat Lady.
"Well, well, well," began the Fat Lady. "Violet just told me a certain Gryffindor has just been chosen as the Triwizard Champion for Hogwarts. Congratulations."
"Thanks," Harry replied before giving the password.
"Portraits are the worst gossips," Nym said.
"So young and already so wise," Dianna teased Nym.
A wall of sound hit the group a moment later as the portrait swung open. Hermione and Neville gently pulled Harry inside. Originally it had looked like the other Gryffindor students had intended to pull Harry into the common room. Hermione and Neville nixed that plan. It was more likely that if an acquaintance had attempted to grab the most experienced Rider that the grabbers would end up hurt. Harry wouldn't react kindly to being grabbed like that.
Over the sound of the cheering and clapping George managed to shout, "How did you get in without receiving a beard?"
Harry's only response was an enigmatic smile. The party lasted well into the night.
IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM
When Harry stepped into the common room the next morning his fellow Gryffindors immediately broke into applause.
"That's going to get old really quickly," Harry told Saphira. "Seriously people…I save the world and don't get so much as a pat on the back. I'm chosen as the Triwizard Champion and I get applause?" Harry said aloud.
"It's a matter of perspective," Hermione pointed out.
"Yeah…saving the world was so abstract," Neville added. "Let's go grab some breakfast."
The trio headed towards the portrait hole. Ginny followed along behind. They met up with their other friends on the way, coordinating their movements via telepathic communication.
"Let's grab something from the kitchens and eat outside," Harry suggested as the group met a short ways away from the Great Hall.
"Just have Dobby bring us something. He'll be happy to," Nym pointed out.
Harry nodded his agreement and contacted the elf with his request mentally while the group headed out onto the grounds. It was a chilly morning but ever since bonding with their dragons the Riders had found they were no longer bothered by shifts in temperature. The dragons loved hot weather and their fiery nature kept them from experiencing the cold. Pern dragons could even survive in the subzero extremes of space. The magical hybrids that were Saphira's breed were even more resilient and that resilience transferred nicely to their Riders. So the chilly Scottish air wasn't even a minor inconvenience for the Riders.
"Dobby, have we told you how brilliant you are?" Hermione said as she sat down at the table the house elf had conjured for the group.
Instead of just the usual Hogwarts fare there was also fresh fruits acquired from all over the world. On the table there was oatmeal, grits, scrambled and poached eggs, turkey bacon, sausage, pancakes, fresh homemade waffles, and all the condiments anyone could ask for.
"Dobby had help from the large ones," the elf replied while nodding towards the dragons playing in the skies above Hogwarts.
The dragons had retrieved the fresh fruits from all over the world for Dobby.
"Thank you all," the Riders sent out to their dragons and the helpful house elf in unison before digging in to their breakfast.
"We have observed that a healthy breakfast starts a day off well," Saphira told the Riders.
"The opposite is also true," Nym's Zepath added.
"Would that be why someone keeps slipping the Headmaster large amounts of laxative in his morning cocoa?" Luna asked, causing the other Riders to turn and stare at her in surprise.
"We cannot hide anything from her," Ginny's Toranth observed.
"No, we can't," Luna's Petal observed smugly.
"Dobby helped the large ones," Dobby volunteered. "So Riders should not be angry with large ones."
"We're not angry Dobby," Cho assured.
"If anything we think it's bloody hilarious," Ginny added with a grin.
"Yeah, without Snape around anymore we don't have as much fun playing pranks," Neville stated.
"What about Umbridge?" Hannah asked her boyfriend.
"That isn't pranking. It's justice," Susan asserted. "Did you hear what she did the other day?"
"No, what?" Hannah replied.
"She used a blood quill on Lee Jordan in a detention," Susan explained.
"That fat bitch," Hannah said in a whisper. To Harry and the others who had been pranking Umbridge she said, "I think you need to step up your efforts to mess with her."
"Oh we are," Harry assured. "Just wait until our next History lesson."
Fleur and the rest of the Beauxbatons contingent happened to be in that next History lesson. Fleur and her French classmates had quickly realized that anything Umbridge sprouted was pure drivel. Naturally they weren't paying attention as Umbridge droned on until the squat witch let out a gasp of surprise. Umbridge was staring at the back right corner of the room with surprise clearly displayed on her features. The class turned to look where Umbridge was looking but could see nothing.
"Walderick the Wonderful then invented a curse which flayed the flesh off of goblins despite the protections their tough hides gave them. It took two average wizards working in unison to bypass the flesh protections or one extremely powerful wizard," Umbridge continued. "This changed the tide of the…ack!"
The sudden exclamation from the professor had the class perking up and looking again towards where Umbridge's gaze was locked. A curved tiny smile was floating in midair attached to nothing else. The scene was recognizable to the muggle raised among the students but Umbridge had no clue she was seeing something out of Alice in Wonderland. A second grinning feline mouth appeared and then a third.
"What is happening here?" Umbridge demanded.
"Hem hem," the feline mouths started saying. "Hem hem," they continued in a good impersonation of the noise Umbridge made when she wanted to gain the attention of a group of people.
Umbridge backed into the corner of the room with a look of terror on her face. More and more tiny feline faces appeared in the room which added to the cacophony.
"For a woman who loves pictures of cats and kitten decorations she sure is terrified of them," Saphira observed.
"Let's bring that fear to a head," Harry suggested.
Suddenly a kitten leapt out of its portrait and into the classroom onto Umbridge's desk. She let out a shriek of terror. The first kitten was followed by a second from the same portrait and then another portrait started ejecting kittens. The kittens were all grinning unnaturally and all heading towards Umbridge. The kittens formed a barrier around the teacher trapping her in the corner. The nearest kittens stood a short distance away. The students watching the scene noticed the sound coming from the kittens was louder than normal. This volume was nothing compared to what Umbridge was receiving for the cats were not normal cats. They were infused with the guardian spirits of creatures from the land of the fairies summoned forth by the queen of their land. These spirits could change form when they entered the mortal world and they were taking the form of cats from Alice in Wonderland.
The noises coming from the Sespentei spirits were laced with a powerful psionic energy which attacked the evil the spirits recognized in Umbridge. What the students heard was nothing when compared with what Umbridge felt. Within moments Umbridge had collapsed and in the blink of an eye the kittens had vanished. Silence filled the classroom.
The silence was broken by Umbridge's mutter of, "Kittens."
It would be the only word she would ever repeat again. Her mind had snapped and she was insane.
"Moving up from squirrel hordes I see Potter," Seamus commented.
"What makes you think I had anything to do with that?" Harry asked casually.
It was Fleur who provided an answer.
"'Arry, you are ze only person in 'ere powerful enough to do zat wiz kittens," Fleur stated blandly while pointing towards Umbridge.
"And about bloody time," Lavender declared. "Much more of her drivel and we would have been mad."
"Is ze 'horrible woman gone for good?" A Beauxbatons witch asked her male friend as the French boy poked at Umbridge with a conjured stick.
"We can only 'ope," the boy responded.
The staff was summoned to the room and Umbridge was taken away. The disagreeable Ministry toady had replaced all of the magical portraits in her classroom with kitten portraits and the students only repeated what they saw happened. The professors suspected Harry was involved but couldn't prove anything. Accusing the savior of the world of driving a teacher insane was bad form. And none of the other professors had liked Delores at all. Madam Maxime volunteered to fill in as History instructor for the remainder of the year since she would be there anyway. The students of Hogwarts couldn't be happier.
IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM – IaDM
Posted: 11/28/2014 (Edited Version) Rev 0
Author's Note:
On my Facebook group there is an Excel file listing what stories I have read in the recent past and what I thought of them. This also includes stories you should probably stay away from and the reason why I think you should probably stay away from them (rated from 1 to 10). If you get a chance check it out. It might save you the trouble of reading some really bad fics and might also direct you to some really good fics. My Facebook group is called Stargatesg1fan1's Fanfiction Works and Favorites. The name on my author's profile is hyperlinked to the group.
~Deserdi Etere Lume
Stargatesg1fan1