Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all associated productions belong to JKR.

Chapter 6 – Time To Play

This isn't as easy as I expected. I was so sure I could just walk in here, drop my name in the Goblet, and everything would work the way I wanted it to. I mean, they always, do. I'm Fleur Delacour – nothing goes over my head, nothing gets in my way, nothing stops me.

Right?

- Fleur

"Fleur Delacour, Beauxbatons Champion. This is my sister, Ariane Delacour." She paused and shot the wizard a disdainful look. "And who might you be?" Her voice was calmly composed, but her eyes were darting frantically across the clearing.

"Charlie Weasley, dragon trainer." He answered shortly. "And how–,"

Fleur cut in coolly. "Well, Mr. Weasley, would be so kind as to remove your wand from our faces? Or is this how Hogwarts treats its guests?"

Weasley reddened, but refused to lower his wand. "No, this is how Hogwarts treats trespassers. You have no right to be here, Miss Delacour – in fact, it's expressly forbidden."

She snorted and tossed her hair back. "This is clearly related to the Tournament. That makes it my business."

"Whatever's here is private and of no concern to you. The Task is supposed to be kept secret, so this break-in of yours is against the rules."

"Please, Mr. Weasley." Fleur rolled her eyes. "Have I dropped dead yet? Non. Therefore, this is perfectly legal. Whoever designed the Tournament, they clearly approved of the Champions taking initiative, and especially when the hosting school cannot even hire a few competent warders."

Charlie flushed. "The wards are perfectly fine. If you hadn't come along and–,"

"Middling." Fleur made a dismissive gesture. "The central matrix is passable but the perimeter lines were not carefully considered, which gave your wards several weak points, one of which I exploited. The Muffling charms were also passable, but the illusion and concealment ones were terribly substandard. There are many very obvious glimmers around the weakened perimeter and although it was a clever idea to utilize a modified area-effect illusion and anchor it by point with the central matrix using Egyptian runes, the execution was…amateurish."

She turned to Ari, who had been standing by quietly and hiding a smirk. "The foreign runes were a nice touch though, weren't they, Merle? And here I thought the Brits only ever used Celtic and Gaelic ones. They could've even been called complex."

Ari grinned, seeing Weasley's face redden, but her eyes were fixed on the ground. Still, she had to give him points for not swooning at her sister's feet.

"Fleur," she breathed, eyes widening. "Dragons."

Fleur broke of her staring contest with Weasley, eyes swinging to her sister.

Weasley started. "What dragons?" he tried to bluff.

Ari looked up and fixed him with a withering look. "You did just tell us you were a dragon trainer, after all. As far as I know, the nearest dragon range is in Wales." she paused, cocking her head to one side. "And what would you be doing all the way here in Scotland unless the First Task is going to involve dragons?"

"Visiting my siblings." He offered calmly.

"You must have some terrifying siblings, if you visit them from behind layers of concealment charms." Ari commented dryly. Her eyes were fixed on the ground behind him. "And unless your siblings have paws four feet across…"

Charlie glanced behind him and swore, seeing the imprint of scales and talons in the mud. He raised his wand. "Not bad, I'll give you that. But I can't allow you past here."

Fleur sniffed haughtily. "I am a Champion," she announced, waving her hand imperiously. "Now, lead the way."

His eyes widened. "You can't be serious," he answered incredulously. "Look, you're sharp. But when you broke those wards, you might as well have sent up a pack of Fillibusters, they would have attracted less attention. The Handler team will be here in about ninety seconds, followed by a couple of teachers."

She bristled. "Well, if your wandwork is as substandard as the warding, I won't need nine-"

"Expelliarmus," a voice said dryly. Fleur's eyes widened in surprise as her wand careened out of her hand. She whirled angrily.

"A Champion so easily disarmed? What is Beauxbatons teaching these days?" Severus Snape fixed his wand on her chest. His eyes met Ari's. "Miss Delacour, you will lower that wand immediately, or have it confiscated."

Fleur spoke up angrily. "Since you've cast the first spell, I'm sure she can reasonably plead self-defence. Besides, we're not Hogwarts students, and – "

He held up a hand. "You are both guests in this school and subject to its rules. Moreover," he added, still looking at Ari, "You are deliberately trying to find confidential information regarding the Triwizard Tournament and you are, in fact, registered in a full schedule of Hogwarts classes this term. Now, you may forfeit your wand and allow me to escort the two of you to the Headmaster's office, or I will disarm you forcibly. Do you require any additional clarification?"

Ari fixed him with a defiant scowl, but lowered her wand. She held it out in her palm, keeping her gaze fixed on him.

"Merle, don't just – "

"Fleur." Ari shook her head. "Limited choices, here."

Snape ignored them. "Mr. Weasley, you'll have to accompany me." He glared at the girls, marching them back towards Hogwarts.

Madame Maxine rubbed her eyes wearily. She hardly got enough rest as it was, Portkeying back between Beauxbatons and Hogwarts every day, frantically trying to keep everything in order. And now she was being woken up at all hours of the night, regarding some pranks her students had pulled... "Well, Dumbledore?" she asked, exhaustion evident in her voice. "Why are we here?"

There was a rapping on the door. Severus Snape, that odious Potions Professor, pushed open the door, followed by – Oh, Merlin.

Snape stalked up to the table at dropped two knotted wands on his Headmaster's desk. Olympe groaned inwardly. Ariane, at least, had the grace to be contrite – or at least to look it. With her head down and her eyes wide, she was the very picture of remorseful humility, but Maxine noted her aim a surreptitious kick to her sister. Fleur attempted, with limited success, to wipe the glower off her face.

"What is the meaning of this?" Karkaroff demanded, shooting a poisonous glare at the Potions Master. Snape ignored him, turning to the Headmaster.

"These two," he said with a sneer, "are responsible for that little light-show on the grounds. The elder Miss Delacour attempted to obtain confidential information regarding the First Task, and her sister was an acc-"

"Surely you're not accusing my students of cheating," Maxine interrupted.

Snape fixed her with an irritated glare. "Perhaps you'd like to shed some light on the event, Madame. Precisely why, then, were your students sneaking out of your carriages in the dead of night to break wards surrounding the Forbidden Forest - which they've been explicitly forbidden to enter - in the exact area were the..." He cast a glance back at the girls. "Instruments for the Task are being hidden? Did they simply decide to take a stroll?"

"You mean," spluttered Karkaroff, "these girls have seen the dragons?"

Maxine didn't miss the glance between the two sisters.

"Well, now that you've announced it, it hardly matters, does it? In any case, they proceeded to confront and threaten Mr. Weasley, who – "

"Confront and threaten?" Fleur said incredulously. "That man shoved a wand at my neck!"

"You, Miss Delacour, are hardly a trustworthy source," Karkaroff answered archly. "Frankly, your conduct has been appalling and shameful. I suggest that you are removed as Beauxbatons Champion and – "

"Removed?" Maxine cut in.

"You've no right." Fleur declared, leaping out of her chair.

"Miss Delacour, you will return to your seat – "

A loud crack echoed through the air, drowning out the raised voices. "Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said mildly. "We haven't heard your side of the story." He nodded to the gangly redhead who'd been lingering apprehensively by the door.

He stepped forward, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "The girls were able to bring down a fairly advanced set of wards, but they were only able to do it by hurling the right runes at it till it broke. They didn't have the knowledge or ability to break wards with any finesse, or at the very least, without attracting half the schools attention."

Albus nodded. "Yes, several of us were woken by the disturbance. Continue."

"Well, like I said, they were pretty conspicuous. I was the closest Trainer on patrol, so I ran to meet them. I asked them for their names, and er, the blonde Miss Delacour said that since she hadn't died yet, what she was doing must be within the rules. The other one saw a dragon print in the dirt and deduced that dragons must be in the First Task. That, and er, I let it slip that I was a dragon trainer. They demanded I take them to the dragons, but I refused, of course."

Fleur's scowl deepened.

"That was when Professor Snape arrived. He disarmed, er, Fleur, but that gave her sister the chance to pull out her wand. She pointed it at him, but when he threatened to confiscate it, she handed it over."

"So," Madame Maxine said, seizing on a new point, "my students never threatened to harm you."

"When I disarmed her," Snape answered, "she had clearly been reaching for her wand. Her sister also drew hers, and only surrendered it when she realized she was outnumbered."

Albus sighed. "I don't suppose there's anything to be said in your defence, Miss Delacour."

Ariane raised her eyes. "We're both very sorry for our conduct, sir. But actually, I have a question. Exactly what rules have we broken?"

Maxine's blinked. The Delacour girls were always audacious, but to say this...

The Headmaster's eyes darkened. "The two of you are clearly in violation of the Tournament rules. Not only have you shown total disregard for the veracity of the competition, you knowingly sought out confidential information. I find that – "

"Now, Albus," Maxine cut in, desperately wishing her students could have been just a little more discreet, "if they had broken any Tournament rules, surely Fleur wouldn't be standing in your office." She prayed silently that Fleur would leave the talking to her Headmistress.

Karkaroff purpled. "Your girl has gained an unfair advantage, Maxine – as I said before, she must be disqualified from the Tournament, or at least from the Task."

"There's no way to quit the Tournament," Ariane said quietly. "Disqualification won't work, even from a single Task. It's a death sentence."

"She's right, Igor," Maxine added. "Anyone who offers their names to the Goblet agrees to see the Tournament through. And, if I remember correctly, there's precedent. Champions have sought out extra information before; it's been regarded as preparation. So long as they do not directly undermine the others..."

Dumbledore leaned back heavily. "Yet that ignores the spirit of the rules... This is meant to be an even competition. I will not allow some students to gain an unfair advantage."

Maxine raised her eyebrows. "And how do you plan to un-ring this bell?"

He frowned. "No, this is done. But the two of you will still be punished."

"On what grounds?" Ari demanded. Maxine frowned... the child was pushing too hard. Better to take the sentence with grace.

"We haven't broken any Tournament rules, and we are not Hogwarts students – "

"But you are Hogwarts guests, and wards. While you reside here, you are subject to our rules." Dumbledore looked at her gravely. "Not only were you out of bed after hours, you were in the Forbidden Forest. Both of you will serve a month's detentions."

"A month?" Ari looked horrified. "Surely you don't – " She stopped, seeing Maxine's pointed glare.

Dumbledore continued as though she hadn't spoken. "You will be assisting Professor Snape prepare Potions ingredients, I understand he's always in need of additional help."

Snape's pallid face twisted unpleasantly. "Sir, these girls have shown a complete and utter disregard for the rules, breathtaking arrogance, and only put on a transparent – "

"Severus, that's enough." He addressed the sisters. "I haven't finished. Miss Delacour: if you are found in a similar incident, you will not be prohibited from participating in the Tournament – but you will be prohibited from earning points. Do you understand?"

Fleur's eyes widened. "There's nothing in the rules that allows that," she protested. "There's precedent, this is how the Tournament was in the past, you can't do –"

"Miss Delacour," he said coldly. "Within my school, you will not tell me what I can and cannot do. As you may have been informed, this Tournament will not be the way it 'was in the past.' I personally consider detentions and a warning as extraordinarily lenient, so you'd be well advised to accept as gracefully as possible. I'll ask again – do you understand these conditions?"

Fleur's mouth open and closed.

Ari answered quietly. "Yes, sir. Thank you for your time and understanding."

Dumbledore nodded, looking suddenly weary. "Then you may go. Olympe, would you please escort your students to their quarters?"

Maxine rose, gesturing to the girls.

"And Olympe?" she heard Dumbledore add. "You may have given these girls free reign at your institution, but I will not tolerate that here. I do not allow students special privileges or freedoms and I certainly will not allow Miss Delacour to win the Tournament by an unfair advantage."

She turned back coldly. "In the future, I'm sure, you'll find that she won't need it." Maxine stalked out of the room.

Ari watched apprehensively as Madame Maxine shut the carriage door firmly behind her. The towering women turned silently.

"Well?"

Fleur caught her sister's eye and saw Ari lie two fingers on her waist, their signal for "silence". She pursed her lips.

"What could possibly possess you two to sneak out and destroy a set of wards?" Maxine's furious eyes fell on Fleur. "You have endangered your candidacy, and could have gotten yourself disqualified, killed!"

"It was your suggestion," Ari answered sulkily. "And she wasn't in any danger. We combed through the rules, we knew it was safe."

"Suggestion? I told you to be watchful, observe the area, see who came and went, make some subtle inquiries – subtle! And you will answer me, Fleur; I know this was your scheme. And, Ariane – you should have known better. How could it not even occur to you that you'd be caught? What the consequences would be?"

"I've let the two of you get away with plenty of things over the years, but this?" Maxine rubbed her forehead. "You need to be more careful."

Ari raised her eyes. "We did what we had to, Madame. There are dragons in the first Task, Fleur could be killed – "

"Don't try it, Ariane. Fleur understood the risks when she entered." Maxine looked the blonde girl in the eye. "At least I hope you did. Because you can't talk your way out of the Triwizard Tournament."

"Orchideous," Olivander commanded. A bouquet of snowy white petals sprung from the tip. "Very good, very good. Foreign made, but as good as some of mine," he continued, turning the wand over in his fingers.

Fleur itched to snatch it away. The man was a professional, of course, one of the best in the field, but she hated when anyone touched her wand. She bit her lip, willing him to return it to her.

"Thank you," she said politely, holding out her hand.

"Yes, of course," he answered, handing it back her wand. Fleur wasn't sure if she imagined the knowing glint in his eyes.

As he shambled to Krum, Fleur tried to discreetly wipe his fingerprints off the polished wood. She stopped, distracted, as a reporter strode in, briskly ordering around her cameramen and dictating to a Quick Quotes Quill. Fleur realized her mouth was gaping and shut it promptly. The woman looked like she'd had her wardrobe picked out by a hybrid kneazle-harpy. And then had her hair and makeup done by hyperactive children.

"Who is that?" Krum asked, sitting to her left.

"Makeup that garish should be grounds for arrest," she answered, disbelieving.

"This woman is covering the Tournament? Isn't there someone less... sparkly?"

Fleur stifled a laugh, turning to him. "You must be Amadeus's friend."

He gave her a strange look. "Something like that. What did he – "

"Line up, everyone, line up," the reporter announced in a shrill voice. "I'm Rita Skeeter, if any of you don't know me, but," she added with an insipid smile, "I'm sure you all do. Now, let's take a photo, hmmm? Why, Harry, why don't you come sit in front?"

Potter looked distinctly uncomfortable. "I'll be happy to be in the front, Ms. Skeeter," Fleur said, rising smoothly and extending a hand. "Fleur Delacour, Beauxbatons Champion."

"Let's do that, Rita, I - " the photographer said, before being cut off.

"Don't be ridiculous, Bozo," Skeeter waved away Fleur's handshake, grabbing Potter's wrist and pulling him to the stool in the front. "No one's paying to see some French dozy, they're paying to see Harry Potter."

"Excuse me?" Fleur said furiously.

"Now, dear, just stand next to Viktor Krum, would you?" Skeeter continued, oblivious to the girl's gathering rage.

"I will not stand to be ordered around by a glorified gossip columnist! I've read that drivel you call 'news,' dear."

Rita pointed her wand at her Quick Quotes Quill. "Well, I see that – "

"I refuse to be interviewed by this woman," Fleur announced tartly. "There are plenty of publications I can go to – Wizard's Weekly, The Enchanter, The Parisian Times. Reputable publications, not tabloids."

"Please, those hardly get any circulation here," Rita laughed. "The Weekly's almost out of business, the Times is only popular in Gallia, and the Enchanter goes far over everyone's head. Some intellectuals order it, everyone else in Britain reads the Prophet."

"Then I'm clearly better off speaking to the intellectuals and the Gallians," Fleur retorted. She stormed out the door, slamming it on the way out.

Ari groaned. "The Tournament hasn't started, and you've already made an enemy?"

"Well, was I supposed to just stand there and take her insults?" Fleur answered, poking a rat brain distastefully with a knife. "What are we supposed to do with these, anyway?"

"Yes." Ari answered, flipping through a Potions textbook. "Merlin, Fleur, she's a reporter. And a fairly popular one, apparently. Do you remember the last time you made a journalist angry?"

"It wasn't so bad. A few articles on my dates, some unfair remarks about my outfits – "

"She insinuated that you used your allure to trap high society boys. Mama had to shut it down, there was even talk about a libel lawsuit, which, ironically enough..." Ari frowned at the page. "We thought about prosecuting in Albion."

Fleur looked over her shoulder. "Well, we didn't need it in the end. Merle... are we supposed to be pickling these brains?"

The door opened. Potter and one of the Weasleys slouched in, sullenly ignoring one another.

"Oh, thank Merlin, it's the help," Fleur murmured.

Ari shook her head, smiling. "Shh... they're information. We're meant to be more subtle, right? Well, we can just get everything out of them." She noticed Weasley was already fixated on her sister. "I've already started working on Potter – the redhead's all yours."

"What?" Fleur whispered in protest. "It's not like he has anything useful to tell us."

"He's Potter's best friend, it can't hurt."

"Yes, I can see how close they are," Fleur answered dryly.

Ari's lips twitched. "Just go do it." She waved at Potter, smiling brightly. "Hey, Harry," she called. "Doing Snape's detention?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "Snape's a bloody git. You?" He shot the girls a questioning glance.

"We were, er, out of bed after hours. Madame Maxine never minded, but here..."

Harry gave her a rueful smile. "Well, uh, I'm not too sorry. I mean – I'm just glad I have someone to help with – what are we doing, anyway?"

She slid the book over to him, opened to the marked page. "Apparently, we're doing penance by pickles. Help me out?" Ari spared Weasley a glance, seeing him drooling over her sister. Maybe Fleur was right about him after all.

"Why'd he give you the detention anyway? Neville and I were paying attention to the Potion, so I didn't hear until the end..." she lied deftly.

He shrugged morosely. "Like I said, he's a bloody git, to everyone but the Slytherins."

"That'd explain a lot. I swear, the sleeping draught Neville and I brewed was perfect. I've been doing them for years."

"Yeah, what'd you do to him, anyway?"

"What do you mean?" Ari picked up the chopped brains, making a disgusted face.

"You're kidding."

She scowled. "Look, I didn't do anything to him. I'm as clueless as you."

Harry gave her a tentative smile. "Don't worry about it, Snape's a petty bast – " He cut off suddenly, looking past her to the door. Ari turned her head to see the sallow Professor standing at the doorway to the dungeon. His head dropped and he started chopping rapidly, but Ari saw his lips twitch.

Snape swept in and fixed the pair with a piercing glare. "I thought," he said dangerously, "I should make sure you were working." Fleur sniffed and turned away, but Ari met his contemptuous eyes. He spared her half a glance before turning to Harry. "Did you have something to say, Potter?"

"No, Sir." Potter's even voice did him credit. "Just saying what a pretty blast this was."

"In that case, you can come in tomorrow as well." Snape answered, walking away. "And Weasley, if you get drool into these pickles, you'll have an extra day as well."

Ari saw his Weasley's ears turn red. Fleur leaned over to her sister and whispered, "In that case, he's eligible for an extra week already." Weasley was still staring at her in a vaguely dumbfounded manner.

"Does he usually get students to do this?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah. If he can't get someone on detention, he'll give extra credit. Though I don't understand how a Potions grade is worth pickling rat brains."

Ari shrugged. "It's for the NEWT class, I bet. If you leave them for a month, you can use them in a Blood Replenishing Draught."

He gave her a surprised look. "How do you know that?"

"Oh, I like Potions," she answered, her voice carefully offhand.

"Really?" He asked. "Maybe you can study with 'Mione and Ro- 'Mione and me. She's brilliant, but I need all the help I can get."

"I'm sure you're not so bad as that."

"No, really – I'm more hopeless than Neville."

Ari flashed her sister a triumphant smile. "Sure, Harry, I'd be happy to."

Fleur shoved the paper away in disgust.

Ari was watching her sister carefully, looking for any sign of frayed nerves. "Something irritating you, cherie?"

Grabbing a piece of toast, Fleur gestured to the Prophet. "Take a look for yourself, Merle. I didn't think it was possible, but the newspapers here are even worse than the Gallian ones."

She picked it up, eyes still fixed on Fleur, and scanned the headlines. "Ah."

Fleur took a bite and made a face. "Really, who would want to date someone who looks like one of our lawn hedges on Engorgement charms?"

"That's not really the point, Fleur," Ari said, stirring her tea, "and you know it. I mean, their Wizengamot is debating a resolution to curtail House Elf rights today, the Egyptian and Songhai Empires are escalating troop levels across their borders again, and they don't even talk about the bombings in Zion till page six." She sighed and took a sip. "How is thisfront page news?"

Fleur shrugged. "You know the media here, they're just tabloids. I hear the mundane ones are just as bad. Do you know the girl?"

"Hardly," Ari answered. "She's in a couple of my classes, but I can't say we're friends."

"Well, she'll get used to it, or at least she'd better. Those hounds will chew her up and spit her out otherwise. Being the best female friend of a national celebrity? She's just begging for tabloid gossip."

Ari glanced at her sister and smiled, a touch bitterly. "I suppose you're right, Fleur. But – " Her eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to distract me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Fleur answered airily, lathering her bread with raspberry jam.

"Care to hazard a guess?"

"The Task?" Fleur flipped idly through the paper. "I still have about an hour." She pushed her slice of toast away. "You know, Hogwarts can't even make its toast right."

"Fleur," Ari said flatly. "You're about to face a dragon."

"I – look, I've got it under control. Really."

Ariane studied her sister for a moment. "No, you don't. Let's go down to the tent."

"No. We've got plenty of time."

"At least eat something. You've been preparing for this for a month, why aren't you taking this seriously?"

"Don't fret, Merle, you sound like Mama. Really, we've been in difficult spots before and we've always gotten out."

"Fleur," Ari said. "I know you, no matter how calm you pretend to be. You cannot walk away from this one, do you understand me? For Merlin's sake, eat something."

"That's easy for you to say," Fleur retorted quietly. "You're not the one about to face a dragon." Panic slipped into her voice.

Ari looked around, relieved that the surrounding seats were empty – no one seemed to have overheard. "Remember what Mama always says? Don't show your fear."

Fleur swore. "Hardly the time to be a bloody politician, Merle."

"Hey." Ari said softly, laying her hand on her sister's. "I know. But I also know how much time you spent preparing for this. You're ready, all right?"

Fleur picked up a piece of toast and started walking. Ari followed her out onto the grounds and into the Tent. In one corner, 'Deus was speaking to Krum in a low voice; in another, Harry was sitting silently next to Granger.

"We're here," she announced quietly. Diggory stopped pacing, looking at them with wide eyes.

Ludo Bagman bustled in. "Gather round, everyone, gather round..." He proffered a writhing sack, still talking, but Ari tuned him out and focused on Fleur. Her sister closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

"... each will be guarding a golden egg. Your task is to recover the egg in as little time as possible. Now, you must, must get the egg, because it contains a vital clue about one of the next tasks. Do you all understand?"

"There's a miniature model of each dragon in this bag. Each of you must reach in and choose the one you will be facing. Ms. Delacour, perhaps you'd do the honours...?"

Fleur drew herself up and reached inside. She winced, then drew out a tiny, green ball of scale and muscle.

"Ah," Bagman said, clearly delighted. "The Welsh Green! Good show, good show."

He moved on to the next Champion as Ari's eyes met Fleur's. She moved to her sister and put her hand on her arm.

"You can do this," she said softly. "I know you can."

Fleur's eyes closed for a moment, then opened a steely cobalt blue. "So do I."

"So you're fine. You're ready for this."

"I'm ready," Fleur gave Ari a feral smile. "It's time to play.

A/N:

Finally, the exposition is winding up and we can get to the Tournament. Some of it is (obviously) the same, but we're really looking forward to writing in quite a few twists.

Hope you liked the chapter – please R&R. Thanks to everyone who reviewed already, we really appreciate your feedback.

- Echo & Kibou