Chapter 7
The Great Hall at Durmstrang was silent as Madam Bacsó read out the names returned by the Goblet of Fire.
"The champion for Beauxbatons is Timothée Picard!" she said. The lanky boy rose came forward and bowed with deep respect to Madam Maxime and politely to the other heads. The French contingent clapped as politely as the rest. He looked a typically French boy with sleek dark hair and olive skin; and unexpectedly green eyes. Bacsó went on "The Champion for Durmstrang is Anett Breuer!"
This was the girl who had made the comment about Mortimer being the child of rape.
The Blood Group and Lionel's people knew – because Seagh had shared the results of his eavesdropping – that Madam Hedda Schrempf the new deputy had given the girl a long and thorough talking to that she should be aware that the so-called 'people' who lived together that the foul travesty of a boy had mentioned were degenerates, the dross of society lost to all shame and incapable of decency or they would not mingle their blood with inferiors.
Anett Breuer had listened docilely and appeared to take it all in.
She turned however to Dumbledore once she had come to the front to take her place, and asked him
"Excuse, Herr Professor, is it true that at Hogwarts you teach goblins as well as part goblins?"
"It is" said Dumbledore.
"Is it that they do not attain a sufficient level of ability to bring to this competition?" she asked.
"By no means. There are two goblins within age at Hogwarts right now; and one at Prince Peak also; But Professor Snape and I fear for their safety under the rules concerning the use by goblins of wands. We did not think anyone would be ridiculous enough to enforce that on a boy who is only q quarter goblin; but with a duty of care to our children we did not wish them subjected to the insult of arrest for something WE do not consider a crime. Your laws differ; such as the permitting of the use of the Killing Curse in a friendly interschool duel on your part. Madam Schrempf will be able to attest to that since it was she who cast it on Harry Potter and as she was not disqualified one makes immediate assumptions." He was smiling genially.
Hedda Schrempf was glowering.
Anett Breuer's face went flat and emotionless.
"I see. Then it is possible we are not facing the best you can offer?"
Dumbledore considered.
"For my part I would say that because of their age – the two girls in age in MY care will not turn seventeen for a number of months – there are those who have come who surpass them. I would place them fifth and seventh in ability amongst my pupils."
"The goblin in MY school lies equal second in all lessons" said Severus "And I resent her exclusion. She is an able witch and flexible enough to do extremely well. Her brother was the first goblin at Hogwarts; he gave his blood for Harry Potter and he bears the same zig-zag scar all of us did who took wounds for him, all who bounce the killing curse thrown so readily by the unscrupulous. Fraulein Breuer you are right to question; unthinking belief in ANYthing is a lazy way to live and ultimately a betrayal of yourself. "
Anett Breuer bowed curtly to him and to Dumbledore.
Madam Bacsó cleared her throat; she wanted to get on. Foolish child! Did she not realise that asking such questions would get her into trouble? Hedda Schrempf would find some way to punish her for that! Of course all teenagers must go through a phase of asking stupid questions and it was better to answer partially and turn their interest aside; as might be possible even now if only the rash Schrempf girl could be shown this, but Hedda had ever been headstrong….
"The Hellibore Champion" said Madam Bacsó firmly "Is Miles Grant."
The younger of the two Grant boys rose, grinning idiotically and came to the front. His brother cheered him enthusiastically; the rest with more than politeness. He managed a rather jerky, ill-tutored bow at the heads.
"Well it's a start" muttered Jade.
"The Hogwarts Champion is Lionel Dell!" announced the Durmstrang Headmistress.
Lionel rose and bowed to his fellows before going forward; and what a difference between his reception and that of the other champions, for all his fellow candidates yelled with enthusiasm – save Achille Crouch-Villeneuve who was starting to complain that it wasn't fair because Dell was too old when Fran Longbottom absently dropped a langlock spell on him. Jade and friends from Prince Peak yelled enthusiastically too; the transplants knew and respected Lionel too.
Lionel was popular with one and all; and if there had been secret hopes harboured that he might be too geriatric to be as good anymore, none really expected any other champion. And Mei Chang, who was a generous soul, cheered as loudly as any even though she knew full well that it had always been between her and Lionel.
The best man must represent the school.
And she would cheer for him and Jade both – she had no expectation of it NOT being Jade – and let the competition see which of those two surpassed the other.
Lionel at the dais bowed deeply to Dumbledore; and to each of the other heads.
Hellibore, remembering his boy's awkward bob, seethed at such elegant courtesy that almost reached caddery in its florid periods to the two ladies.
"The champion for Prince Peak Academy is Jade Snape" announced Madam Bacsó.
Jade was also treated to a shout of a cheer; and from the Hogwarts people as well as her own school. Jade was extremely popular; she had been voted head girl by her own school's prefects. She went up to the dais and swept a beautiful curtsey to Madam Bacsó and then to each of the heads, sinking right down for Severus.
"Domine" she said.
Severus was working on not beaming all over his face.
He inclined his head to her.
And then they were being given the clues.
And the BloodGroup and Lionel and his Bloodkin suddenly froze momentarily.
"And so" murmured Jade "It begins."
It was no surprise.
James Potter was lurking in his portraits in the Forbidden Forest just waiting to give the word of the advance guard.
The Muggle Studies Hobbies Group had been told to hold themselves in readiness; AK47's were all ready in Myrtle's loo under guard by the Malfoy Twins. They had been ready last night – just in case – the New Marauders, Neville, Sephara and Myrtle and Francis Davenport too sleeping in relays with sleeping bags in case of early emergency; but the timing expected was spot on.
James wandered into his main portrait and said laconically,
"Dementors to soften us up and wizards behind them."
Whistles were blown; the MSHG knew what they were for and went to take up positions with the precision of a well oiled machine.
This was what they trained to do; it was scary but in a way it was also their reward for all that training. Nobody not a seasoned warrior would be in the front lines but even small members could at least keep enemy heads down with high velocity rifle fire.
The dementors had not even cleared the forest when the sound of several dull CRUMP! Noises indicated that flyers and foot soldiers had found tripwire grenades and claymore mines.
James nipped back to look.
Hawke counted the CRUMP!s to see how many had been caught. They had probably exhausted most of the explosives by now; it should have cut down their numbers anyhow. James reappeared.
"Nasty buggers muggles; handy to have their stuff. Mind you, as to Odessa, they're learning" said James "They appear to have brought their own firearms."
"What kind? Dammit, of course you wouldn't know" said Hawke.
James laughed sardonically.
"I know well enough to recognise the kind of harquebuses that the goblins used in the last Goblin Rebellion; they have seen firearms my boy and assume that we have obtained such from out goblin allies; a reasonable assumption on their part but indeed so very inaccurate. What do we wizards know of recognising what kind, as you have just said to me? They appear to be breech loaders. I've absorbed enough to know THAT from you reprobates; no ram-rods. Pretty pieces, for a portrait of a part goblin Malfoy to be painted posturing with."
"That was a snidery almost worthy of Severus" said Hawke cheerfully. James gave a mocking bow.
"Why thank you" he said. "They're a bit horrified, the second wave, coming out to see the carnage wrought on their elite by your explosives; Mr Tuthill is to be congratulated for the idea. They're huddled up wondering if it's a death line charm and they've called for a curse-breaker to get them through it."
"He will" said Hawke "I counted the booms; I think they've blown up most things. Another trip for Sirius is called for. How many did they get, can you guess?"
"Dozens" said James soberly "These things have no discrimination do they?"
"Not usually" said Hawke "But then, does a Dark Wizard?"
"Take the point" said James. "We need to use all and any means short of using dark magic ourselves to protect the school. They didn't have to come attacking."
"Exactly" said Hawke.
It was the Mad Marauders who were dispatched to quickly chant up a protective barrier against normal missiles, similar to the one that the Snapes had put around the Quidditch pitch in Belsornia; high velocity bullets would penetrate, and non missiles – like the muzzles of Kalashnikovs – could be pushed through it to fire without any slowing or disruption; but it should at least slow Harquebus bullets and make for lesser wounds even if it did not stop them entirely.
First however were the dementors.
Flitwick, McGonagall, Connie Hardbroom and the staff of the free school together with the most able of the older pupils were preparing to cast their Patronuses to scatter the evil creatures; then each was to be taken down by two casting Ri-de to laugh them to death.
Madam Sprout was organising the more enterprising younger ones in collecting Snargaluff Pods, calling for Peeves to help throw them at the wizards when they came.
Peeves was chuckling evilly; he did not often get to cause mayhem.
"I'll help you, Peeves mate!" said Willow, who had acquired a soft spot for the poltergeist. She had just left work to defend her husband and old school.
Peeves beamed. He adored Willow, the only person he ever had felt kindly towards. She and her offspring need never fear his peculiar brand of humour!
Bella and her group were in charge of pumps and hoses.
With so large an aquifer as the lake it seemed a shame to waste it; and the pumps were easy to enchant to work on their own, quite tirelessly, to command; and a jet of water would go right through defences against magic and would be enough to knock a wizard from a broom. Lydia apparated into the forest.
"Firenze!" she called concentrating on carrying her voice to just one pair of ears. "Evil Wizards come; tell the Centaurs to beware! Trurk! Get safe!" she added, shifting target for her directed sonorous spell.
The Mad Marauders had made some eclectic friends last year; one did not want them hurt.
She returned.
She was busy picking off dementors – none of the blood group felt much of a need for a second person on any dementor – when Trurk lumbered out of the forest.
A dementor detoured towards him.
"RI-DE!" screamed Lydia. Trurk had no defenses against Dementors.
Trurk gazed towards her as the dementor destroyed itself in crepitant whoops of insane mirth.
"Friend" said Trurk. "Dem men wot come, dey bad men?"
"Yes they are!" said Lydia.
Trurk wandered back into the forest. Lydia hoped he had got somewhere safe before the first Stormwizards burst out of the forest.
The first visible wave of stormwizards who burst out of the forest were hurled and landed with sickening crunches.
"Trurk kill bad men" said Trurk. He grinned horribly. "Trurk eat plenty good later. Yeah."
Oh well, serve them right for attacking, thought Lydia, who had other things to worry about than Trurk's safety.
And then they were coming, the sky dark with brooms, the ground covered in running wizards with harquebuses and wands both.
Peeves and Willow made a foray, hurling snargaluff pods, the obscene wriggling green tubers engulfing the heads of any sturmzauberern that they hit. Willow was definitely happier flying under her own power than on a broom; and she and Peeves were singing a rude little song about Gerhardt. To please Peeves it was distinctly coarse.
"There was a little Prince and he sat upon his throne
And he couldn't do the paperwork when the work was done
And all of it
Was a pile of shit
And wasn't he just the smelly, smelly one!"
It seemed to irritate the invaders quite well anyway, especially after Willow translated it into idiomatic and even coarser German. Lydia winced. Germans did not have subtle jokes about 'thrones' and 'paperwork' for their toilet humour; their idiom was more….direct.
The dementors appeared to have stopped coming.
"How many were there?" Lydia demanded of Hawke, who was nearest.
"We made it about a hundred" said Hawke laconically. "Nice work; you downed half a dozen I think."
"Neville takes two at once; good isn't he?"
"He is rather" said Hawke. "Val, where's Bjorn?" he asked sharply of the volunteer fighter from the free school.
"He started changing" said Valerie worried "Someone called Remus reckoned he should have company and went off with him."
"Ah, no need to worry then" said Hawke relieved "Remus is a wolf animagus; used to be a werewolf but he's all right NOOOOWW as you might say….. stick with Lydia, she'll see you okay."
"Yes Professor" said Valerie.
Lydia grinned at her.
"Your friend's the Bearsark? Handy friend in a pinch but needs careful handling. Uncle Remus really is the works; he's fought Voldemort twice. No need to worry about either of them."
The defenders on the castle walls were having fun with their jets of water; and sharp shooters were picking off hovering wizards. Mad and Chad grinned suddenly at each other, and Mad shouted,
"Jets of water on the ground!"
Hoses were redirected; and two wands froze it under the feet of the oncoming foot soldiers.
Slipping about they could not fire and made much better targets for the Hogwarts sharpshooters.
There was ragged fire from the cover of the nearer trees.
"Unless they've enhanced those bullets significantly the only way they'd strike at this distance is by accident" said Lydia. "Hello, they're not firing at us they're…..bastards, they're shooting the centaurs!"
She sent a blood pulse to Leo; and smoothly they summoned AK's and apparated into the forest.
Firenze and another Centaur were down; and Lydia fired a burst from the hip, wishing she had some Re'em blood to hand as the recoil wrenched at her. Then she was flat on the ground, a smaller target, firing through the trees at the armed wizards. Leo had landed a little way from her; the clearing was a beautiful enfillade.
"Firenze, you and your friend are you all right? Can you get to cover?" called Lydia.
"Ronan is badly hurt…. I will not leave him. We have our differences but we are of the herd" said Firenze.
"Leo, cover me!" Lydia ran over.
Ronan was dying; that was apparent. The bullet was lodged close to the aorta, Lydia thought.
There was only one thing to do.
"Firenze be prepared to cut me and give to him to drink!" she said.
She knew what unicorns were like; and she had seen Krait change often enough.
And she was changing, shimmering silvery white. Firenze gave a cry of amazement; but he was no fool. He was slitting a vein, directing the blood into Ronan's mouth and Lydia wordlessly and wandlessly cast the summoning spell to remove the offending bullet fragment.
Ronan gasped; and swallowed more unicorn blood; regained consciousness enough to say 'WHAT?' and then Lydia was shimmering back into her own form, her automatic weapon jumping to her outstretched hand on mental command to shoot more Odessa men.
Leo was keeping up a good rate of covering fire; and her taking over allowed him to reload.
"Firenze, you and Ronan get out of here; we'll apparate back" said Lydia. "We'll cover you."
"Terrible, evil weapons!" cried Ronan
"Terrible evil wizards" said Lydia crisply "GO GO GO!"
"Let us regroup with the others" said Firenze to Ronan "These younglings are at risk as long as they stand to defend us."
With the centaurs out of the way, Lydia and Leo smoothly apparated back to the castle.
"Where have you been?" Sirius demanded roughly.
"In the centaur of the trouble" said Leo.
"They'd shot Firenze and a fellow called Ronan" said Lydia a little more usefully "We went to help out."
Sirius nodded.
"The centaurs are flanking them; only right to support our allies. Your friend Trurk is amassing quite a nice pile over there."
Trurk appeared to be killing stray wizards and taking them to the pile for Lydia's approval.
She waved at him and smiled.
Trurk beamed his horrid smile and went off to hunt more bad men.
"Crumbs, if Grawp got involved, him and Trurk'd be an army in themselves!" said Leo.
"Oh but think how disappointed the lower school would be!" said Lydia. "I see Gorbrin and Erica and their team have picked up your idea of ice, they're playing musical statues with their opponents over there."
Gorbrin was busy turning to ice single wizards dowsed in the jets from above; almost as an academic exercise. He knew that he and his sisters would be some of the first to die if the Odessa agents managed to take over Hogwarts; but he kept that thought firmly pushed back. Calm was required to work magic properly. And transfiguration was so easy it seemed the best route to go.
The small group of chanting wizards was another thing. Gorbrin knew enough now about chanting to recognise that they were planning on focussing their power, probably to blow away the sharp-shooters.
"Get that jet as near them as you can" he snapped to Bella "Enhance it's power if you can and then be ready to jump back! Ming, to me!"
Bella gave him a startled look but did as she was bid; Gorbrin was very clever.
Ming was looking questions.
"Petra oleum" said Gorbrin "What goes in muggle cars. I transfigure; you set light to it."
Ming blinked and nodded.
"So just wetting them is fine then?" said Bella, catching on.
Gorbrin nodded.
The jet raised and sent a fine sprinkle of drops onto the chanting group as Gorbrin concentrated on changing it from some distance from the nozzle. He nodded to Ming who cast bluebell flames.
The WHOOMPH! Was spectacular, petrol vapour igniting as well as the liquid; and the wizards were engulfed in terrible flames. One had a chance to cast the flame-freezing spell; the others were incinerated almost immediately, standing horribly, blackened, alive but their wands burned, and the fingers too charred to cast any spell, throats burned away as they breathed in the burning vapour unable to speak. Even the one who escaped was decidedly crispy. Gorbrin thought he was unlikely to live long; and called for him to be shot. It was more merciful.
And then the Hogwarts forces made their sally.
At the head were an assortment of large and terrible animals; the Bengal tiger insisting on going first and pretending that he didn't hear Bella's adoring voice declaring him just the fluffiest; a black panther – Cholaka – Sirius the big black hound, Remus the wolf, Bjorn the bear, not as much in control of his intellect as animagi but willing to follow the wolf he knew was his friend. Hawke shrugged into his great Jade Falcon, able to claw at faces with wicked talons nine inches long and sharp as steel. Willow, McGonagall and the two Pettigrews were too small to be warriors; but Peter had come enough to himself to be manning the ramparts with the children. Abraxus paused long enough to tell James; it was fitting that Prongs should know that Whiskers was trying at last.
James' face worked.
"It's….it's still too soon" he said "But maybe….."
Abraxus nodded and laid a finger on the painted shoulder. Then he was on his broom and leading out a contingent of moppers-up.
The Mad Marauders had apparated smoothly in a body to the place where the curtain was. They took their new friend with them; an MG1 General Purpose Machine Gun on a tripod.
The fleeing wizards did not know what they were about to face.
They found out when the sound like ripping cloth became a curtain of death of twelve hundred rounds a minute.
"We have the Maxim gun; and they do not" Lydia murmured the quote.
"It was a Mitrailleuse in 'Fist full of Dollars'" said Leo.
"It's thoroughly horrible" said Polly.
"So my dear would be what they would do to you for daring to be free and carry a wand" said Lydia. "What they did to us in the orphanage if we didn't conform would be nothing on it. These are people who are a danger to the public. This isn't fighting, it's germicide."
The few who survived were being picked off by wand; Mad and Chad more than capable of taking down stray wizards while Lydia fed the belt of ammunition to Leo and Polly watched their rear.
None were to escape; again the tactics of terror were to try to persuade Gerhardt that this was a futile mission. Even if the megalomaniac Grindelwald would not give up, the failure of any of his men to return must surely shake the confidence in him of his remaining troops.
Back in Durmstrang, the feast was proceeding; blood group members absently feeding power to their friends in England or in Austria as appropriate.
Hedda Schrempf rose and banged on the table.
There was silence.
"The farce of continuing with the Hogwarts and Prince Peak contingent becomes superfluous" she said in her harsh voice "For those schools are no longer in the control of their erstwhile heads. Dumbledore, Snape, you are under arrest!"
Wanded Odessa agents burst in the doors. Agata Bacsó jerked convulsively in shock, anger on her face.
This was NOT what she was expecting!
"Dear me, Fraulein Schrempf, aren't you being a trifle premature?" said Dumbledore, amused.
"KILL HIM!" screeched Schrempf.
Green flashes burst from the wands of the Odessa men. Madam Maxime threw herself ignominiously below the table, followed by the Durmstrang staff. Bacsó stood, furious and unable to believe her eyes.
Dumbledore picked a piece of fluff from his robe – imaginary, but still a cool gesture – as the green flares dissipated. The blood group took a collective headache.
Severus smiled.
"They don't learn, do they?" he said. "Rats, I think, my children; don't trouble with leaving their minds intact."
The members of the two blood groups stood up; and each just glanced at one of the invading wizards who started to turn their wands on these defiant juveniles. The squealed in terror as they shrank, grew fur, and ran hither and thither from their suddenly empty robes squeaking in high rodent voices.
For Mortimer, who had never realised that this was possible before even WITH a wand the silent, wandless casting that he too knew how to do now was heady!
"Thank you Severus; a perfect solution" said Dumbledore "Would you pass the teapot? I believe I've worked up a little thirst."
"Certainly, Albus" said Severus, levitating it over and pouring tea without bothering with wand or incantation. "I believe there was just the little matter of Fraulein Schrempf and her premature assumptions…. You really DO underestimate our respective pupils you know my dear; Jade's little sister is still at Hogwarts after all and her little friends, as well as some very able professors; and I know my own staff and upper school quite equal to the feeble attempts of Prince Gerhardt to discommode them. Agata, your new deputy is I think somewhat out of line."
"She is" said Madam Bacsó grimly.
"Eet ees INTOLERRABLE!" said Madam Maxime, easing her not inconsiderable bulk back onto the specially reinforced chair that she had brought for her own use.
The school was in a welter of babble and uproar.
Madam Bacsó banged the table hard.
The noise subsided, somewhat fearfully.
"The…er, excitement is over!" she said coldly "Hedda, I think you should retire. I will speak to you later."
Hedda Schrempf opened her mouth, caught her former mentor's eye and nodded curtly.
Seagh had quietly disappeared and from nowhere the tones of a male soprano sang,
"Gerhart has only got one ball
Gellert had two but verra sma'
Hedda would if they let her
And Von Frettchen has no balls at a'"
He kept the Scots accent mostly under control but it escaped occasionally.
Hedda went several different colours; and only Madam Bacsó's glare kept her moving out of the room.
Severus was trying not to grin. It was remarkably reprehensible of his son; but he had to say, MOST enjoyable!
The sports ministers of the three countries involved were angry too; they had also emerged from under the table and were busy demanding answers from Agata Bacsó.
"I cannot think what is going on" the Headmistress was only partially lying; she had NOT had any warning!
Murphy, the British Sports Minister, rounded on the German Minister.
"Sure, and is this an example of yer German efficiency that ye go on about, begorrah?" he demanded "That on yer own soil ye think ter win by ARRESTIN' the participants most likely ter show yer own candidates up as foolish? D'ye WANT open war wi' Britain? Fer ye're afther goin' the roight way about it, so ye are!"
"Herr Murphy, this is not of the German Ministry an act" said the German Sports Minister "It is as Madam Maxime says intolerable; the woman Schrempf will questioned be and the meaning of this unravelled!"
"Wirra, that's all very well, but can ye guarantee that the children will not again be threatened by wanded ruffians?" demanded Murphy. "It's thinking I am that ye should be layin' hold o' the besom roight away t' be sure, and keepin' her under close guard!"
"Mais OUI, I add my voice to M'sier Murphee!" said the French Sports Minister, a rotund little man who naughty Jade said looked like M. Poirot. "Eet ees not to be born zat such sings 'appen in a school! Zis Schremmmmf female, she ees not sane, and zese rats of wanded men zey are 'orrible people, and we need to know who zey are and why zey come!"
"I can tell you that minister" said Severus. "Hedda Schrempf was, when she threw the killing curse at Harry, a protégé of the Odessa agent Helmut Hesse who was so foolish as to challenge Professor Dumbledore to a duel. The uniforms were those of Odessa. The Wizarding Council will need to know of this; Albus, you will pass it on through the usual channels?"
"Oh certainly" said Dumbledore, smiling gently.
Severus was known as Severin Prince when he was a council member; but he liked his anonymity.
At least the council took serious notice of Odessa and did not sweep it under the carpet as the ministry would have done if it had still had the ruling of Britain.
"Odessa is a fiction!" said the German sports minister.
"Indeed?" said Dumbledore "Perhaps you will tell that to those officers who believe themselves to be high in its organisation that we have captured on previous attacks on Hogwarts? Severus I believe you too have had captives?"
"A few" said Severus "I don't generally consider taking captives worth while. Blood and bonemeal add nicely to our rather poor topsoil however."
"Ah, such a pragmatist as you have always been, Severus" murmured Dumbledore. "I confess we have not taken many prisoners; so many of the creatures we keep to study are carnivorous, there are always ways to dispose of the human and beast remains; and the huorns rot down eventually. Agata, I have mentioned before that you should think carefully before you choose sides."
"You speak as always in riddles, Albus" said Madam Bacsó.
"Well you must go your own way" said Dumbledore. "And I suggest that one way you go is to get aurors in to arrest the Schrempf woman before she flees."
"Yes, straight away!" said the German minister.
The fate of Helmut Hesse was less terrible perhaps than it might have been and as it had been hinted; for Dumbledore had borrowed an idea from Krait and had returned the man to physical childhood, ripping away all but the most infant memories. He now rejoiced in the new name of Perceval Filius Harry Dumbledore and was Dumbledore's adoptive son, growing up in the Hogwarts orphanage and staff crèche alongside Willow and Sirius's and Alice and Hagrid's respective twins, Remus and Tonks' third child and the assorted children of Alexander Chang-Prince with Hilary and Linda.