Chapter Nine: Plans and Traps:
Hogwarts, June 1994:
Harry looked at the hedge he had to get through, today was the day, he had finished his plans for how to deal with what was going to happen. It all fell onto him getting to the cup first, he had to touch it. There was no choice, and in the end, he had to end up wherever he would end up. He had tracking charms on him, and others were ready and waiting to end this once and for all. Still, he was nervous, and though he had plans within plans, he was not sure if any would work fully. He focused on the task at hand, getting through the maze. He was clad in blue fatigues and cranberry red dragonskin armor with a blue cloak and looked every bit the warrior he did not feel at the moment.
Dobby had been a great help the wonderful little fellow. Once he realized he was free and now an employee and valued member of Harry's family, he changed. Gone was the dim slave of before and a smart cunning fellow was in his place. The old saying that slaves were stupid was due to that was the only way a slave could get revenge on their cruel masters. Dobby now free even spoke better too and had listened to Harry and his plans for the evil trap. He had added his own thoughts and such and Harry had agreed to add them to what he was doing. He really liked the little fellow and had a respect for Brownies.
He took a breath and at the bang from a wand he was off into the maze. He had his wand in its holster and was carrying a tomahawk given to him by Windover from the Wampanoag tribal chiefs. A shield from Cole made him look like a Viking or Anglo-Saxon warrior of old. He made his way through the maze and came on one of Hagrid's creatures. He made short work of it and continued. He met other creatures, a manticore that really should not exist and did not when he was done. Several spiders, and a Sphinx with a riddle he answered right away. He strode into the clearing and turned, shield up to block a bite from the largest spider he had ever seen. Several more came out and the battle was on. They were no match for Harry, and they were dead in short order.
He walked up to the column where the cup sat, he removed a glove and took the cup in hand. He felt a pull on his navel and was gone in a flash, he landed, dropping his shield, and drawing his wand. He was not fast enough and found himself slammed to a headstone and bound fast. The ceremony was as disturbing as he knew it would be, but the vial of blood, the one hidden under fake skin on his arm, that was going in the cauldron. It was not his, and Harry had not asked Sirius where he had got that vial of blood or what it was. The death eater working the cauldron was Yaxley, and he was very skilled and did the ceremony right. Voldemort rose and Harry had no choice but to see him for the first time since he was very young.
"Master, here are robes for you." Yaxley said, he had added a finger only and had healed himself up, "I am sorry for not finding you before."
"You have said as much, you are very weak." Voldemort said, "but let us see who comes this night."
"Of course, master," Yaxley said showing him his arm, "kill me if you must for, I deserve it."
"No, no not tonight." Voldemort said touching the mark.
Harry managed to get free and dropped several items, they would not allow anyone to portkey, Apparate or use their mark to escape this night. He watched as twenty death eaters appeared and bowed before Voldemort. Then Voldemort turned his attention to Harry, who was free and clear of his bonds. It was clear who looked like the hero, in red armor over blue, a long cloak of blue billowing behind him (thanks to Professor Snape teaching him that). Voldemort was standing in a plane black robe and looked mostly human but not fully. Harry did not look scared at all. In fact, he looked at Voldemort with cold green eyes, Voldemort felt a bit of doubt, but that passed, what could a brat like this do to him?
"So, we meet again," Harry said, "give me what I want, my heart's desire and I join you."
"What you want?" Voldemort said, "gold, lands, honor?"
"I want my parents back you sick son of a bitch!" Harry said, "I am Harry James Potter, you killed my parents! You murdering, scum!"
"You want revenge? On me?" Voldemort said, "what can a mer brat do to me? Shall I teach you to be insolent with me?"
"Oh, so that is how it is, twist it to make you look the victim, you are scum, filth and not fit to be a maj!" Harry snapped and he dropped something to the ground, and everything went black.
Harry thanked the twins and pulled out the hand of glory. He could see the death eaters, but they could not see him, so they did not see him put on a gas mask nor see him throw several canisters down. Harry was not going to kill them, not at this time, but he was going to make sure they did not wake for a long time. He heard pops and turned to see first the brownies led by Dobby come forward. Then maj came next, at the head was Fudge who saw the house elves binding the death eaters and that was Voldemort, that was not good at all! Sirius was right by him smiling and putting on a good show.
"You really are a good minister, getting this put together like this." Sirius said, "but using my godson?"
"Well, he volunteered, I was not going to let him." Fudge stammered, he would play along for now, "that is…"
"The dark dork, yea, the brownies will make sure they do not escape." Harry said, "you should use them instead of Dementors as guards, "might help a bit."
"Yes, well I could look into it." Fudge replied, "well, I will see this lot locked up."
Sirius liked to play political games, and Harry knew this. Harry was very good at strategy though he was shocked this plan actually worked. He had expected it to go pear shaped and yet it had not. What he was not aware of was that Dobby, his loyal friend had slipped him liquid luck and told him it was a potion that would help him. Harry distracted by what he had to do had taken a few sips and thought nothing of it. Now he realized the voice in the back of his head had helped him out. He watched as Voldemort and all his loyal death eaters were taken away. Fudge was going to have them questioned, tried, and when convicted executed.
"The dark dork is mortal." Sirius said, "very much so."
"He will die?" Harry asked.
"Yes, but by your hand." Sirius said getting Fudge to turn in shock, "Harry has to."
"I do and will." Harry said, "but only with trial by combat, no magic."
"Mr. Potter I, very well, you have a right, he did target your family unfairly." Fudge replied. "But what kind of combat?"
"Oh, the kind I have trained in for seven years, Cormac is insane but a good friend." Harry replied, "so I can fight, and well enough."
The brownies helped take the prisoners back to the ministry holding cells. Fudge had never thought to use them for this and found a new level of respect for the little creatures. Yes, Fudge was corrupt, and Sirius knew this very well, but he had an answer for that in that Fudge craved good publicity too. He was slimly, oily, and foul but Sirius knew exactly how to deal with that. Which was why Fudge was going along with everything that Sirius said.
He was more impressed with Sirius and indebted to him when something that was not part of the plan happened. Moody tried to curse him, and Sirius took him down, and Moody was not Moody at all but Barty Crouch Jr. Alive and well! Fudge had him questioned and very nearly brought a dementor into Hogwarts, but Sirius stopped him. Fudge was starting to get annoyed, but Sirius just flashed a grin at him.
"No, that is a bad idea, he deserves the kiss, yes, but not here, not around children." Sirius said.
"Er, right, thank you for that reminder." Fudge said, "I was only trying to protect the children."
"It would traumatize them. Take him far away from here at do it." Sirius said. "I know you want to protect them, but best not to add that sort of trauma."
"Very well, I could use an advisor such as yourself, very good to help me like this." Fudge said. "You have a good head on your shoulders."
"Well, I am busy, but you can call me anytime." Sirius replied.
Sirius was not one who liked to play politics, but he would if needed. Harry thought he did but Sirius hated playing the games as it reminded him of his family. He did not want Harry to worry about him anymore that he did so he put on a very good show. Fudge knew what he was doing and accepted that. If it made him look good, he was all for that. Besides, he really needed to have a way to keep this positive. If it came out, he had taken bribes from a death eater, well, no matter Lucius would soon be dead, he simply was bad for business now.
Harry felt tired and headed back to Hogwarts and the podium where he was crowned the Tri-wizard winner. What was even better was that Krum and Cedric hosted him on their shoulders while Fleur cast magical flowers in front of them as he was led into Hogwarts. Harry was not able to stop them and wondered what was happening. Then he saw they were headed to the great hall and the headmaster's chair had been levitated to the front of the dais.
"Harry is the king of the tournament!" Cedric said, "make way for Harry Potter!"
"Guys you can't, can you?" Harry stammered as he was deposited in the headmaster's chair "I can't sit here!"
"Give him his crown!" Cedric said grinning as the Ilvermorny students filed in on edge, "no, really, he earned this."
"Here you are." Krum said lowering a crown on his head, "those who win have to be crowned by the other champions, that is how it is done, well, when there are no deaths."
"Well, okay." Harry said. "Yea, none of us died!"
"Harry you are okay!" Hermione said walking up and kissing him right then and there, "I was worried."
Harry grinned and kissed her back, forgetting where he was and whose chair, he was sitting in. A feast was called for and the brownies, ready and waiting sent it up. As only students fifth year and up were allowed, there was wine and beer, Harry, Hermione and the Ilvermorny students did not take any of that due to the strict laws in America that would apply even here. But they ate well, and of course Harry gave the headmaster his chair back. It was a happy time; a time of feasting and celebration and how lucky Harry had been.
Voldemort was going to face him in a trial by combat, an ancient rite, without any followers, they would be dead before he was taken care of. Harry wanted that evil sod dead, he had taken everything from him. Made it so he ended up with family who despised him. Robbed him of family, of happiness, of joy and hope for ten long years. Yet he refused to stop, and now was back and Harry would end him. He would end him and show that a half-blood orphan was not someone to mess with. He was surprised when Severus Snape walked up and knelt before him. He put his hands between Harry's.
"I Severus Tobias Snape of house Snape and Prince do swear fealty to Harry James Potter of house Potter and Fleamont and the lesser house of Evans." Snape said, "I swear to make his enemies my enemies, his friends my friends. I swear to make his happiness my goal and I swear my life and powers to his service."
"I Harry James Potter of house Potter and Fleamont and the lesser house Evans to accept Severus Tobias Snape of house Snape and Prince into service of house Potter and Fleamont and the lesser house Evans. I accept him as a servant and brother, so say I."
Snape was no fool, he knew if he did not do this he would be targeted and arrested and really, why would he not want to swear to a boy who was so like his grandfather? Who had such power at such a young age? Snape did not like the Potter family, or rather James Potter and he had been a death eater before turning. But now? He was going to be smart enough to be on the right side this time and Harry Potter was the right side. Yes, he was trying to save his own skin, but he really did respect Harry Potter and all he had done.
Snape was not the only one to swear loyalty to him, his godfather was next, then Remus Lupin, others followed, every Weasley in Hogwarts swore to be his brother or sister, Ginny realized if she could never be Mrs. Potter, then having him as a brother of sorts was just as good. Most of Slytherin swore as well, and so on. By the end of the night Harry had one hundred families that swore fealty to him. Over a four hundred that night had sworn loyalty to him and his family. Harry Potter had gone from an average family to the most powerful magical family overnight and he was not sure what to do about that.
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Voldemort is going to really wish he had not come back. Yes, Harry somewhat, very, very loosely quoted a very good movie. Yes, the death eaters are going to pay, and Fudge is no idiot here, he knows very well who is calling many of the shots.
Oh, and Snape? Not stupid either, and he sees Harry as his grandfather Evans, not as his father James Potter. That and not teaching him and seeing him thrive at Ilvermorny, he has a very different view on Harry. Making the oaths he did just saved his hide and was a smart political move on his part. Watch out Voldemort, Harry now has a lot of houses that are on his side. As in more than Voldemort ever had.
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