Year Four: The Goblet of Fire
The three magical schools of Europe compete for eternal glory in the form of the Triwizard Tournament. Death Eaters are rising, gathering followers to join Voldemort. Dark times are approaching, threatening everything Marie loves. It's time for bravery. To be the light in terrible darkness...
Chapter Sixteen-The Power of Ink
Marie was blushing so fiercely she thought her head was going to explode from the heat. She would much rather dive back into the freezing lake while simultaneously taking on the Swedish Short-Snout from the first task. She covered her face after she tossed the morning's paper aside. It was so embarrassing, down right agonizing. Whispers were breaking out across the Great Hall and she could feel their eyes turning to stare at her.
A Dangerous Love by Rita Skeeter
Marie Rogue is quite unlike any girl her age. Only fourteen years old, a fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she has been dealt a difficult hand by life. Orphaned as an infant, witness to the brutal murder of Tess Andrews, her caretaker, as well as being selected by the Goblet of Fire for the infamous Triwizard Tournament despite her age. So far Rogue has been able to tackle dragons with her daring nerve but it was the second task that truly tested her.
Rogue's hostage was Marcus Flint, a seventh year Slytherin who is currently repeating his final year at Hogwarts. The goal of the second task was to recover the stolen hostage and return them to safety within the time frame of an hour. While Rogue was the first to return, Flint was not waking up as he should have upon resurfacing. Extra measures were taken to ensure that the older student would not accidentally wake up earlier than expected. This was unknown to Rogue as she became panic-stricken, fearing for the life of Flint, pushing her to point of tears.
The extra precautions were due to the fact that Marcus Flint has inherited the rumored Troll curse of the Flint family.
Yes, my dear readers, you read that correctly. Flint is part troll. It isn't hard to tell due to the boy, excuse me, man being larger than any other student his age. Fellow students had a few comments to make about the seventh year.
"Marcus Flint? He's terrifying," admitted a Hufflepuff third year. "He stalks the library near Marie (Rogue) when she's working. He doesn't like it when anyone bothers her. My friends and I are too scared to go talk to Marie because of him."
It seems Rogue does not share her classmate's fear of the brute older student. In fact, the two attended the Yule Ball together. Whether or not Rogue was willing or scared into the date is up to the individual's belief.
After Rogue rescued Flint from the lake, the two were seen sharing a kiss. Was the affection equally reciprocated? Rogue was exhausted from the task and Flint wields the troll strength, it could have very well been one sided. Trolls are dangerously violent and incredibly aggressive, renown for the strength and history of killing wizards. Marie Rogue's readers only hope for her safety in life and romance.
"Wow, Marie, you got quite a cover this time," commented Pansy. "You even have readers apparently." The girl gave a groan, keeping her face covered. Maybe if she just kept her eyes closed long enough, it would all go away. The tournament, her status as champion, and she would return to being the girl with her nose in the book, watching out for Harry Potter from the sidelines.
Her wishful thinking was interrupted when Draco took the open seat on her left, the newspaper clenched tightly in his hand.
"Is this true?" he asked without preamble. Slowly she lowered her hands to look and she saw his copy of the Daily Prophet.
"What part?" she asked meekly. With a huff, he opened up to the page where her individual picture from the Prophet photo shoot was smiling back, left hand lifting to move some of her massive hair aside in the moving photograph. Draco's finger jabbed the line near the end of the article.
"Did Flint force himself on you?" he hissed, doing his best to keep his voice low. She could practically visualize his hackles rising, properly upset by Skeeter's insinuation. It was a bizarre sight to see her friend truly angry, the emotion pouring from him in waves. Bright grey eyes were narrowed, ready to pierce anyone in a potent glare.
"No!" she answered quickly, reaching out to grip his arm in reassurance. "No, Marcus didn't do anything to me, Draco. I promise. Rita Skeeter is exaggerating and putting him in a terrible light."
His shoulders relaxed somewhat, relieved by the news. "Then why would she even mention it if it had no basis at all?"
"Because I...I kissed him," she answered softly, the warmth rushing back to her face. Draco blanched, mouth open.
"You? Marie-"
"I know," she blurted, cheeks hot. "It was impulsive, uncalled for and inappropriate, and now, she's spinning this story and I haven't the faintest idea as to how she even knows about it. She's not allowed on the grounds anymore."
"Well at least that means I don't need to go confront Flint at the very least," sighed Draco, tossing the paper on the nearby empty seat. Marie raised a brow as the blonde stole a piece of toast from her plate.
"You were going to confront him about the article?" Marie repeated in awe.
"Don't be daft," snorted Draco. "I was going to take Crabbe and Goyle with me."
The dark haired girl smiled as she bumped her shoulder against his own. "You're sweet when you want to be. Thank you, Draco."
"Whatever," he smirked, bumping her in return. It was true, he was going to get the truth from Marie before storming off to face the massive Flint. He wasn't entirely sure what he would've said to him, but his naturally sharp wit would help him come up with something scathing to defend Marie's honor. The article properly riled him up and he had half a mind to go straight to the seventh year rather than check with Marie. Thankfully, he confirmed the proper story instead of picking a fight with a bloke vastly larger than himself. In that moment when he thought his best friend had been taken advantage of, his blood went straight to a boil. He became angry so quickly he thought he was going to be sick. Temper cooling down, he still kept close to the Slytherin champion. Just in case, he would prefer it if she kept some distance from the troll wizard.
"Say, isn't there a Hogsmeade trip today?" asked Marie, bring the blonde from his thoughts.
"Hm? Oh, yeah, we were planning on going soon. Are you finally coming with us or would you rather hide in the library?" teased Draco. Marie gave a humored pout in returned.
"I''d love to go, thank you very much," she told him with defiant lift of her chin. Their laughter was cut short by a shadow looming over their section of the table. Turning around, Marie found herself looking up at her Head of House. Professor Snape was standing up straight with his hands behind his back, his posture stating his authority very well.
"Miss Rogue, walk with me," he instructed firmly. Stealing a worried glance with her friend, she picked up her cloak and quickly followed her teacher who was not waiting for her to catch up.
It was silent as her professor led her outside, the student finally matching his stride. It was easier to keep up with him now, not like when she was a first year and struggled due to their vast height difference back then. She dared to glance up, she was only met with his sharp profile. The wind was pushing their equally dark hair behind them and she found herself studying his angular features, wondering what traits they shared apart from the color of their hair and affinity for Potions.
"The first matter I need to discuss with you is about the Skeeter article," he stated as they continued walking. It seemed as if they were heading toward the lake. She paled instantly.
"It's completely false, sir. Marcus did nothing to me, I kissed him. I apologize, it's entirely my fault," she explained as fast as she could.
"Do you understand how serious the implications are in regards to your relationship with Marcus Flint?" he asked, voice severe. "Concerned letters are already coming in from readers of the Daily Prophet, insisting that Professor Dumbledore should take drastic measures to remove Flint from the school now that the curse has been made public. I have no doubt that his father, Mathias Flint, is dealing with the backlash as well due to his position in the Ministry. Printed gossip of his son abusing his physical strength against a girl, the champion for Hogwarts no less. It makes for a very poor public image for someone in charge of the Auror office and reflects badly on the family. A Pureblood family, for that matter."
Marie could barely draw a breath she was so stunned. Her pulse raced noisily under her skin as she struggled to find words. "I-I had no idea, sir. I'm so sorry, he did nothing wrong-I take full responsibility, it's my fault-"
"Your fault or not, the damage is already done. The story has been printed and distributed. Everyone will have to come to terms with it, one way or another," he interrupted sharply. They had come to a stop at the edge of the lake where the second task had taken place. "This brings me to my second point."
Marie nodded, not sure if she wanted to hear it. Her teacher turned so to face her fully and she stood up straighter in response. Another gust of wind blew past before he opened his mouth to speak, tone hard and scolding.
"You must learn how to control your emotions, Marie," he informed her. Confusion wrote itself plainly across her face.
"I'm sorry, I-I don't understand," she admitted. He gave a short huff.
"Your emotions, you must learn how to control them properly," he explained. "I witnessed your lack of control when you began to panic about Flint-"
"I thought he was dead!" she found herself interrupting. He gave a pointed look and she shut her mouth.
"In your moment of hysterics, your magic began to lash out." He gestured out to the sand of the bank of the lake. They were standing in the area where the champions and hostages had been stationed. There were numerous footsteps, drag marks and traffic from the people traveling back and forth. She squinted as a design caught her eye. A spot where there was a dip in the surface, a circular formation surrounded by tendrils that were reaching out, deeper than the regular footprints.
"That?" she asked, pointing to the strange shape. Snape nodded.
"Yes. Your magic was already reaching out as a type of emotional release," he explained. "This would not be unusual if you were a child and unaware of how to harness your magic. You should not be having such outbursts at your current level, at least not with such strength. This is not the first occurrence for you, I'm afraid."
She looked back up at him in surprise. "What do mean? I don't even remember that," she said pointing back to the strange formation.
"I asked Mr. Malfoy if you had any other strange moments with magic and he informed me of the night your name was called from the Goblet. You were explaining everything to him, worried and almost panicking, when he notice that the vase you were next to started to crack. When he stopped you from talking and calmed you down, the vase remained intact, no longer splintering." The Potions master studied her for a moment while her heart pounded hard against her chest.
"What does that mean then?" she managed to asked softly. "A-am I broken in some way?
"I believe that the barrier that should buffer your magic is damaged to a degree, failing to keep back the magic when your emotions over run everything within you. Traumatized in some way." He took a deep breath before pinning her with an analytical stare. "Multiple things could be the cause of your state due to your run with danger. I believe the first crack in your defense occurred back in first year when you challenged Professor Quirrell in the third floor corridor."
"The Cruciatus Curse," she clarified.
"Yes. It's amazing you didn't sustain any other type of damage. Other wizards have been driven to insanity and death by the very same curse. The damage was unseen, your wall still very stable then, perhaps due to your youth," he continued. "Second year even you can't explain what happened to you at the end of term or how you recovered."
That wasn't entirely true. She knew very well that it was Tom, but apart from that he was correct. She couldn't properly recall anything from the time she confront Tom in attempt to protect Ginny to when she woke up in the Hospital Wing. All in all, it was a mentally stressing year.
"But I believe the real damage was dealt that night, just before your third year." Dark eyes met green and she knew very well what he meant.
The night Tess died.
"I don't like thinking about it," she told him quietly.
"I need you to focus for just this moment. That night, was there an instant where your magic was uncontrolled?" he asked, his voice cautious.
"I-I didn't have my wand," she remembered. "It was summer and we can't use magic outside of school."
"That doesn't prevent magic from happening," he countered. "Now, think. Try to remember the moment where your magic may have reacted to the situation."
"Situation?" she repeated, stunned. "I-it wasn't just some 'situation'...!"
The walls of the pantry where on her every side while she dug her nails into the blinds of the door. The sound of blood splattered against the tile floor of the kitchen.
"Of course I reacted to it!" she shouted, emotion rising up within her. The mental images were clawing their way to to the front of her mind, dragging that night of terror with them.
"Find the moment where everything broke and focus on that instant!" Snape instructed, stepping closer. She clapped her hands over her ears, trying to shut her mind up as well as her professor. She didn't want to focus on anything from that night. It all hurt too much. She just wanted it to go away.
"No!"
She was screaming as loud as she could, using every bit of air her body could hold. Crying and screaming so hard that her throat was raw. She bashed her fists against the door, doing her best to break it down. There was a shift in energy as she became more desperate to get out. The jars in the pantry began to burst, raining glass down on her and she didn't feel a single shard.
"He killed her!"
Cold hands touched the sides of her face, startling different from the flush of fear. The nightmare was disrupted and she managed to open her eyes. Snape's fingers were touching her temples, his wide hands acting as a type of blinder, her only sight being him. Dark eyes were sympathetic as he studied her. The flashes of that night started to ebb away, her breathing calming down. She didn't dare move away, allowing the cool contact. It had all come raging from nowhere, just because he was pressing her to remember. He was right, she had no control whatsoever over her emotional torrents.
"I...I'm sorry..." she managed, voice cracking. "I didn't-I didn't mean to..."
"I understand and I apologize for pushing you to such a point, but I believe I've made my argument valid." Slowly, he lowered his hands and gestured to where she was standing. The grass that been near her was completely flattened, a similar design to the one in the sand. A wide radius of flattened greenery with tendrils reaching out. She noticed that they reached past where the teacher had been standing.
"Sir, did I-"
"Yes, the force knocked me over," he answered. Marie looked up in horror. She had struck her teacher.
"Are you hurt?" she asked quickly, scanning him for any injuries. Snape gave a smirk.
"No, it merely took me surprise," he answered. His hand trailed back up to her face and his palm gently brushed a trail of tears away. She made no move to step away or refuse the gesture of affection. "But this is exactly why I need to bring this to your immediate attention. If your magic had been anymore severe, you could seriously injure someone. A friend or anyone who happens to be nearby."
"How do I stop it?" she asked, terrified.
"You don't," he said simply. Upon seeing her pale further, he smirked again. "You don't stop it. You control it. You control the emotions that render you panic-stricken and find ways to calm yourself down." His cloak cut through the air as he started to make his way back toward the castle, Marie following obediently.
"So, it is possible then?" she asked tentatively.
"Of course. Otherwise the wizarding population would be exploding at various points in the day. Everyone endures trauma at some point or another, Marie. You're not as much of an oddity as you tend to believe." She gave a small giggle at his attempt at humor.
"Not to mention that it can be useful," he added. Marie visibly brightened.
"Really? How so?" she asked eagerly.
"Wandless magic may very well be within your range of ability. When you're older that is."
She gave a gasp of surprise. "Wandless magic? Like you?" she asked, beside him once more.
He raised a brow at her connection. "Yes. You and I are more similar than you may believe."
She gave a smile as they neared the castle, students filing out as some started to head to Hogsmeade.
"Oh, I know that, professor," she reassured. He had slowed down for just a stride, regarding her for an intense moment. There was a knowing look shared and he smirked in returned.
"And so you do."
Marie gave a wave to her friends who were waiting outside for her. A thought struck before they went their separate ways as she looked back up at the dark figure that was her father.
"Professor, you called me by my first name," she stated.
"I wouldn't go about bragging, if I were you. People might say I'm favoring you," he responded. She picked up on the slight humor undertone and she smiled.
"Of course, sir." With an approving nod from her teacher, she jogged over to join her friends.
It wasn't only Marie dealing with whiplash from the Rita Skeeter article. Marcus already had to talk with Professor Dumbledore and Snape to clarify what had really happened after the second task. The Headmaster and his Head of House both knew that he hadn't used his strength against Marie and that the gesture was innocent, a result of the champion's adrenaline from the task. It was nothing to be concerned about, except for the fact that the vile Rita Skeeter woman wrote him out to be a mindless beast that took advantage of the Slytherin girl.
As if he would ever do that to Marie. In fact, both signs of affection had been started by the girl. The kiss on the cheek at the Yule Ball and the chaste kiss after she dragged him out of the lake.
The letter from his mother would most likely come with the next post, he figured with a heavy sigh. If he knew his mother at all, it would be something along the lines of "don't you dare embarrass the Flint name with your disgusting troll behavior". Add a few more quips about how he was a disgrace to the family and then a real stinger about Marie somewhere in there. He didn't understand why his mother disliked the girl. She didn't want him to talk to the fourth year at the Quidditch World Cup. To his knowledge, the two had never even spoken. His mother probably hated her because she smiled at her monster of a son.
Students openly stared as he walked through the halls, more so now due to the article. The looks weren't of simply fear and apprehension, there was a heavier type of judgement. That he was falling prey to his troll side, abusing his power and physical capabilities. That he had forced their school champion against her will. He was becoming a different kind of monster in their eyes. It was one thing to shout and slam locker doors but to force himself onto someone was a new low.
He ended up going to Hogsmeade with the Quidditch boys. They were just strolling down the main street when he spotted Marie with Harry Potter and his friends. She was kneeling down and petting a large black dog, chatting pleasantly. Marcus felt a tug on his cloak, Montague directing him toward the Three Broomsticks.
"Better keep your distance for now, mate," his friend advised.
Stealing one more glance, he saw her smile at the fellow Hogwarts champion, continuing their conversation. He lowered his head and followed his friend inside just as green eyes ventured his way.
"Yeah, you're probably right."
Once they had wandered in the wizarding village, Marie had opted to stand outside of Honeydukes and wait for her friends to make their purchases. She wasn't up for the cramped confines and overwhelming scents of the sweet shop, as much as she loved it. She simply wanted to enjoy the cool air for awhile longer and try to clear her head. Her mind was still whirling from her talk with Professor Snape about her lack of emotional control coupled with magical backlash, and not to mention that he may have subtly implied that he was aware of their connection. She felt a little dizzy with the new wealth of information.
Before she had the chance to nod off as she leaned against the shop, there was a bark and she stood up straight in surprise. Looking around, she saw a large black dog making his way over to her. Following the dog was Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Marie grinned at the Animagus, kneeling down to accept the animal's hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he wagged his tail furiously.
"Hello, Sirius," she whispered softly. Leaning back, she ran her fingers through his fur much to his enjoyment.
"'Ello, Marie," greeted Harry with a wave. She nodded in return.
"Hello, Harry. Ron. Hermione," she said to each in turn. Hermione gave a friendly smile while Ron gave her a still wary look to which she rolled her eyes. "Up to trouble?" she asked.
Harry gave a short laugh. "Of course."
"Oh good, I was starting to think being champion would be too boring for you," she teased. Ron seemed to be the only miffed as Hermione wasn't bothered by their bantering.
"I heard that Rita Skeeter got you too, Hermione," pointed out Marie. It was true. Before Marie's article, she had written a piece involving Harry, Hermione, and Viktor Krum in some type of love triangle, wonderfully titled as Harry Potter's Secret Heartache.
"Yes, apparently I'm busy brewing love potions in order to gain the affection of every famous wizard in my path," scoffed Hermione. "If that's the case, I better be sure to slip one to Professor Dumbledore as well."
Everyone laughed with the exception of Ron. "Hermione! You've got to watch what you say, you don't want to give Skeeter anything else against you!" he argued.
"I'm not afraid of that woman, Ronald. My parents don't even read the Daily Prophet or any other branch of magical news, so she can write whatever she likes. She can't frighten me and I will find out how she's been sneaking onto the grounds," Hermione promised fervently. "And besides, she not just taking words out of context, she also painting a terribly false image as well, isn't she, Marie?"
Startled, Marie's eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know?"
"Yeah, how do you know?" asked Ron.
"It happened before you and Harry surfaced," Hermione gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "Sorry, Viktor and I did see you. Rita Skeeter completely twisted Flint's image to gain her gossip hungry readers' attention."
"Yes, it didn't happen the way she wrote at all," agreed Marie, absent mindedly still petting the dog wizard.
A familiar figure caught her eye and the Slytherin turned just in time to see Marcus duck into the Three Broomsticks. Guilt throbbed within her chest making her feel sick. It was her fault he was dealing with such grief from the public.
"Wait-how did what exactly happen?" pushed Ron. Hermione kept her mouth shut and the red head even looked the dark haired girl for a proper answer.
"What's that?" Marie leaned in toward Sirius as if he said something. "Oh, all right." She looked back to Ron.
"Sirius says it's none of your business," she smiled in good humor. The Weasley sulked as everyone laughed, and even Sirius' bark sounded like laughter.
REVIEW! Your thoughts would be loved as always! Minor mental breakdown for Marie, poor dear, but it was for the better. Identifying the problem and all that jazz. It also allowed for a brief Snape and Marie moment, in a constructive break-down-then-build-up kind of way. A teenage girl to gain proper emotional control? Psssh, Snape we don't have time for that!
Oh dear, that Rita Skeeter really is a troublemaker isn't she? Nasty crocodile woman.
Next time: Marcus' hate mail, practice for the third task, and Barty Crouch!
Whew, lots going on!
I hope you enjoyed!