A.N.- A belated Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year to you all, I hope everyone's had a restful break. I really don't have much time writing with is irritating, homework is taking much of my time as is playing Skyrim. Curses on my friends who nagged me into playing it.
Chapter 4: Weighing of the Wands
Harry strolled casually through the narrow staircase descending into Hogwart's Trophy Room. He smirked when he passed his five champion duelist medals, some people might find it unbelievable that he became the best duelist at Hogwarts at age twelve but the truth was sitting in the long medal cabinet.
"Underestimating your opponent…is there any bigger flaw a person can make?" He asked himself as he walked, there wasn't any particular trick he had that allowed him to win.
"Just observation, respect and being faster." The tall black messy haired young man thought as he arrived at the bottom of the room. More cabinets filled with trophies and all sorts of honors were on display.
" 'Arry!" Harry gave Fleur a barely visible smile and a nod of acknowledgement before observing one particular cabinet, which held several golden shields with many different names engraved on them, each from a different time. He did not see the hurt expression on Fleur's face for being ignored nor did he pay attention to Viktor Krum's brooding at a corner of the room and pacing around.
"The Special Award for Services to the School." Harry silently thought. "Reserved only for a few." He saw one shield with his own name engraved on it, as well as two others that had the names Ryan Potter and surprisingly, Ronald Weasley engraved on them. The fourth and last had the name Tom Marvolo Riddle inscribed on it. Immediately, a foul stench of a combination of rotting carcass and underground sewers filled his nose.
Closing his eyes, Harry could still hear the hissing sounds and picture the gapping jaw filled with serrated steak knife teeth, each one glazed with poisonous venom. And finally, large yellow eyes that could kill a man at where he stood. It had been two years since the incident regarding the Chamber of Secrets and the monster that lurked inside.
He still blamed Ryan for dragging him into the mess, his brother, being the Gryffindor that he was, decided to play hero and teamed up with Longbottom and Weasley to recover the Weasley girl. As with any older brother, Harry shadowed the trio of second years. He knew that the Chamber entrance was located on the second floor, in the bathroom haunted by the ghost of a dead girl.
But knowing the location was useless if it cannot be activated correctly, in this case it was the language of Parseltongue. Salazar Slytherin would most likely seal his chamber with his unique gift, which Harry had to admit was ingenious.
Longbottom had demonstrated speaking to Parseltongue in a Dueling Club when Theodore Nott conjured a snake against him, which sent many whispers that the Boy Who Lived was actually the Heir of Slytherin. It was no relevance to Harry, rumors were just theories lacking any real facts.
"Lumos" Harry whispered loudly and smiled as a giant orb of light flew out of the tip of his wand, illuminating the dark and dank tunnel. He felt his spine tingle as the light revealed the numerous animal skeletons that carpet the floor.
He rounded a bend, hoping that Ryan was still alive. He paused and held his breath as he saw the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel. It wasn't moving. Poisonous green and twenty feet long at least was snake skin. Next to it was a redhead, digging away at rocks that blocked the way to the chamber. Furthermore their Defense teacher and fraud, Gilderoy Lockhart, who had his usual gleaming smile plastered on his face was sitting oddly on the floor.
"Weasley. Where is my brother?" Harry asked hurriedly and he could tell that the redhead jumped and landed on his rear, and gulped. Not meeting his piercing glare, Ronald Weasley stuttered.
"They went on but when the git here tried to obliviated them, the spell backlash and caused the ceiling to give in."
Raising an amused eyebrow, Harry whipped out his wand and eyeing the caved in rock barrier before him, waved and pointed the tip at the rocks and cried, "Bombarda Maximus!"
Harry was shaken out of his memories, when he heard footsteps descending down the stairs. Turning his head sideways slightly, he saw Neville Longbottom standing unsurely at the base of the steps.
"So it begins…" He thought as he returned his attention towards Tom Marvolo Riddle's special service award.
Meanwhile Neville's mind was going haywire, his name had just shot out of the goblet. It had to be a bad joke, he didn't want eternal glory nor wealth. He was fine just the way he was.
"What is eet?" The pale blonde French champion asked. "Do zey want us in ze 'all?"
Even Krum had left his brooding and was standing a short distance away from his Beauxbatons counterpart. Neville seemed to have lost his voice suddenly, he wanted to shake his head but the muscles in his neck seem to have hardened into rock.
Footsteps, more numerous and rapidly could be heard descending down the stairs, at the head was Ludo Bagman with his usual boyish smile etched on his face, eyes beaming.
"Extraordinary!" Bagman exclaimed as he took Neville's arm, "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen…lady, may I introduce – incredible though it may seem – the fourth Triwizard Champion!"
Fleur smiled at the attempted joke. "Oh vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman." She said with a slight laugh.
"Joke?" Bagman asked. "No, not at all! Neville's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!" Fleur could hardly believe what she was hearing, Madame Maxine had warned her and her peers that people have died in this tournament.
"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said disparagingly to Bagman. " 'E cannot compete. 'E is too young."
At this, the rest of the contingent of professors and several ministry officials has arrived including Dumbledore, Madame Maxine, Karkaroff, an older woman with a stern expression on her face, and a greasy haired man. Harry listened with amusement as Fleur began to protest to her Headmistress.
"Zey are saying zat zis little boy is to compete also!"
This proved to be the catalyst of a long argument between the Heads of the Schools and the judges. When asked directly, Neville denied putting his name into the Goblet. Harry casually flicked his lucky silver sickle up and down the air.
"I demand we each be allowed two champions!" Karkaroff bellowed. "Otherwise we are withdrawing from the tournament."
"For a person with an impending death warrant hanging over his head, you sure have a hell lot of time to request demands." Harry said softly, a mixture of sarcasm and a sense of danger in his tone, turning his head from Riddle's Special Service Award to the crowd.
"You dare!" Karkaroff was livid, his face turned purple when Harry met his eye.
"I wonder, what will dear Tom do with you. Naming names of his followers instead of rotting in Azkaban as you deserved…Mulciber…Rookwood…Rosier, too bad he's dead… so is Junior…" Karkaroff's face was now white as snow.
At the same moment, Moody's imposter clenched his staff rather tightly with pale, bloodless hands, a reaction that Dumbledore and Harry did not miss; nor did the two accomplished Legilimens missed Barty Crouch's sudden twitch that occurred at the edge of the Head of the Department of International Cooperation's mouth.
"Enough Harry!" Dumbledore warned his star student whom merely gave a cold yet anticipating smile at the clearly shaken Durmstrang Headmaster, which then focused on Hogwart's Potions Professor.
The heads of the school and the judges talked a bit more, inevitably it ended with Barty Crouch, suddenly looking much older than he already was, claiming in a tired voice.
"The Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract. He has no choice." Looking at Neville, "As of this moment, Mr. Longbottom is…a Triwizard Champion."
All the Head of Schools and judges turned towards said champion. Neville just stood there, it seemed that he wasn't breathing one bit.
One by one, the respective Head of School escorted their champions after being briefed lightly on the First Task, Fleur felt some unfamiliar sadness when she saw Harry walking up the stairs towards the Great Hall after whispering something to Dumbledore without so much as looking at her.
She didn't know why she wanted him to look at her, to admire her; perhaps that was the expectation of the attitude all men she had dated before rubbing on her. Feeling a bit miserable, she allowed her Headmistress to steer her up the stairs.
Dumbledore and Neville were soon the only two left in the room, "Off you go Neville, your housemates are likely waiting for you lets not give them any reason to not party." Dumbledore said as he clapped the fourteen year olds' shoulder and squeezed gently before walking off.
Harry was already present at his office when the ancient Headmaster of Hogwarts walked into his office, sitting cross-legged in a chair directly in front of his desk, hands clasped together. Fawkes the phoenix was enjoying the attention he got from Harry's fingers as the wizard stroked his feathers.
"Crouch Junior…I'm 99.9% sure that it's the imposter's real identity." Harry said as he watched Dumbledore walking past him towards his comfortable chair behind his desk.
"No doubt you have seen the imposter's grip tightening on Alastor's staff?" Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling madly when Harry nodded.
"I never thought this could happen…it was a possibility but surprised nevertheless" The Headmaster of Hogwarts said more to himself, rubbing his temple.
"Politics, how tiresome eh?" Harry said with a smirk.
"More than you know Harry…more than you know." Dumbledore said with a throaty laugh. The door to Dumbledore's office was opened, revealing Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick and 'Moody'.
"I'm sure the Ravenclaws are all waiting for you, especially one Ms. Zabini…" Dumbledore said with a wink. Harry, recognizing a dismissal whenever he saw one, stood up from his chair and nodded farewell.
Harry was in deep thought as he proceeded towards Ravenclaw Tower, "Entering Longbottom unknowingly into the Triwizard Tournament? Hopefully that the trials would eventually kill him off? No, if that were the case, Crouch Junior could have done that all by himself. Why then?" The question lingered deeply in his mind as he the portrait guarding the common room swung open.
Cheers and screams of congratulations, which he politely acknowledges, immediately greeted him.
"Carry on…" Harry said and promptly walked off towards the boy's dormitories ignoring the shocked faces of his housemates.
Before he took another step however, Harry turned around and said with a warning glare, "I know what you are all thinking about, that Longbottom must have cheated his way into the Tournament." He paused a bit, eyes narrowing. "But in truth, Longbottom does not even know the incantation for a Confounding Charm…we are Ravenclaws are we not?"
All his housemates, from first year to seventh nodded.
Harry tilted his head sideways a tad and with clear sarcasm continued, "Then use your heads instead of acting like a bunch of Gryffindors." With that he ascended the stairs leaving utter quietness hanging in the air.
After a while, the party resumed even more loudly than before. Harry meanwhile in his dormitory already had taken off his robes, V- neck sweater and tie off, leaving his white button up shirt on. Sitting on the edge of his bed, Harry opened the case that held his guitar and began strumming very softly.
He closed his eyes as his fingers danced, until when he felt extra weight on his left shoulder, he fingers stopped. Opening his eyes and turning his head leftwards, he allowed himself a small smile.
"Why have you stopped playing?" Eleanor asked, content with laying her head on Harry's shoulder. When Harry didn't respond, she looked up and lost herself in his piercing, all knowing green eyes.
"Are you upset that I became champion?" Harry asked.
"I'm not upset." Eleanor replied and broke her eye contact with Harry.
"Don't lie, Ellie, like you said we knew each other even in our diaper clad days." Harry persisted.
"I know how much this means to you…and that I should be happy for you but what if, just what if something bad happens to you?" Eleanor choked out, on the verge of tears. "Even Professor Dumbledore said that people have died in this tournament!"
Harry was indifferent to all this as he stared blankly ahead. "Ellie, this is something I have to do…you of all people should recognize the signs, he's coming back…Longbottom's getting there but he'll need help, a lot of it." He said softly.
"I know…but it doesn't mean you have to assert yourself in this." Eleanor huffed slightly, folding her arms and looking away. Harry slowly unmasked his façade as he took a deep breath, took Eleanor's much more delicate and feminine hand in his and caressed it gently with his thumb.
"I made my promise to you, I won't break it." To say Eleanor was shocked would be a huge understatement; this was the first time since their childhood days that Harry initiated physical contact with her, with anyone for that matter. Looking up, she could see the Harry that she had spent much of her time with during their respective childhood. Hesitantly, Harry drew his arm around Eleanor's slender waist and pulled her towards him with gentleness that seemed to be impossible for Ravenclaw's Kaiser. The party below them in the Common Room was all but forgotten as Eleanor rested her head once again on Harry's shoulder.
The next mourning, all the Ravenclaws had an incredible air of smugness as they attended their various day-to-day activities, some intentionally rubbing the fact that Cedric Diggory would have never stand a chance up against the Kaiser of Ravenclaw to the Hufflepuffs.
They, however, did remember Harry's words the night before and gave Longbottom a wide berth whenever he was present. Some students even voiced their condolences to the fourteen year old; his opponent was Kaiser after all, who had won five dueling champions in a row with relative ease.
"Told you my brother could be very persuasive. He's the most respected student around here." Ryan said with the utmost pride in his tone to Hermione as they walked one of Hagrid's Blast-End Skrewt with a leash around its middle.
"Really? That's great, although it would be more believable if he smiled more instead of wearing that constant scowl of his all the time." Hermione said and yelped when the Skrewt's end exploded, dragging a screaming Ryan forward on his belly for several yards before the bushy haired witch cried, "Immobulus!"
Halting the Skrewt in its tracks and allowing her friend to get up.
"Yuck…" Ryan whined as he saw his clothes covered with dirt and grime and shot a glare at Hermione when she giggled. "This is all your fault." He said to the Skrewt, which obviously had no response whatsoever.
In the grand large library of Hogwarts, Harry was heavily focused on the book Golems. It was a gift from Sirius from his very own Black Library collection and was a rare one of a kind book, even for a highly intellectual student such as Harry, there were many things within the text that confused him as he read about summoning a Fire Golem.
"Envision flames coming to life?" He pondered with frustration as he looked up from the text.
"A knut for your thought?" Harry was broken from his focus as a familiar lavender scent filled his nose. He turned his head towards his left and saw Eleanor in the seat next to his and smiling back at him with her head supported by her arm.
"Nothing, just thinking." Harry responded as he closed the book.
Eleanor's eyebrow rose slightly and said, "I heard that the Champion of Hogwarts is needed immediately."
"What for?" Harry asked with slight irritation in his voice.
"I don't know, Bagman told me to pass the message." Eleanor replied standing up. Rolling his eyes, Harry stood up and the two journeyed towards the steps into the Entrance Hall. As their destination, a classroom it would seem, became apparent, Eleanor stopped in her steps and said enthusiastically "Good luck!"
Harry flashed her a smile and raised a hand and gave it a way as he entered the classroom. It was fairly small, with most of the desks pushed away to the back of the room, leaving a large space in the middle; three of them, however had been placed end to end in front of the black board and covered with a long length of velvet. Five chairs had been set behind the velvet covered desks, and Ludo Bagman was sitting in one of them, talking to a witch who was wearing magenta robes.
Harry immediately scowled when he recognized the witch as Rita Skeeter, a writer that could turn a person's life into total hell for the Daily Prophet. Krum was skulking as always and Harry had to give a mental groan as he saw Fleur floating towards him.
"Why does she always have to talk to me?" He thought to himself.
" 'Ello 'arry, what do you zink zis ees about?" Fleur inquired while tossing her silvery blonde hair.
"I don't know, I was given no information." Harry said emotionlessly, echoing Eleanor's words.
A pause of silence was ensured before Fleur asked, " 'Ow did you know zat the 'eadmaster of Durmstrang iz a Death Eater?" Harry stared long and hard at her but to his frustration, Fleur stared back defiantly at him.
Finally he relented and replied with a simple response, "My father's Auror Captain." The sound of the door opening quashed whatever Fleur was going to say next as Neville walked nervously into the room with Dumbledore, Madame Maxine and Karkaroff following closely. Harry took a seat near the door next to Fleur, crossing his legs and arms. Neville skittered over to them and took a seat next to Harry, who seem to be oblivious to his presence.
"Lady and Gentlemen, may I introduce Mr. Ollivander?" said Dumbledore, taking his place at the judge's table, and talking to the champions, "He will be checking your wands to ensure they are in good condition before the Tournament."
Neville looked around and with a jolt of surprise saw a old wizard with large, pale eyes standing quietly by the window. Neville had met Mr. Ollivander before – he was the wand-maker from whom Harry had brought his own wand over three years ago in Diagon Alley.
"Mademoiselle Delacour, ladies first?" said Mr. Ollivander, stepping in the empty space in the middle of the room. Fleur stood up and swept over to the wand – maker, handing him her wand. Ollivander twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks, holding it close to his eyes.
"Nine and a half inches…inflexible…rosewood…and containing…dear me…"
"An 'air from ze 'ead of a Veela," said Fleur with immense pride. "One of my grandmuzzer's."
"Yes," said Ollivander, "Yes, I've never used Veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands…" Fleur looked affronted but masked it. "However, to each his own, and if this suits you…" With that Ollivander made a bouquet of flowers shoot out of Fleur's wand and handed them and her wand back to her.
"Mr. Potter, if you will?" Ollivander asked. Fleur glided back to her seat, smiling at Harry as he passed her but it vanished when Harry didn't smile back. Fleur couldn't help but feel puzzled, any other boy in Harry's position just now would be enthusiastic to smile back.
"Ah, I remember this wand very well." Ollivander said as Harry handed his wand. "One of the finest I have ever made… Albus himself was present that day were you not, old friend?" The ancient wand – maker asked the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
"Indeed, a marvelous spectacle it was." Dumbledore replied, blue eyes twinkling.
"Twelve and a quarter inches… Elder…flexible…with a hair from a very aggressive male Unicorn… I thought it was going to gore me to death…"Ollivander stated while twirling the wand. After sending a stream of silver smoke rings across the room from the top of Harry's wand, he handed it back to Harry who snatched it with a speed too fast for the human eye to see.
Truth be told, Harry hated people having knowledge about his wand. The day he got it years ago, Ollivander had warn him of the wand's power.
"Fascinating…" Ollivander breathed as he saw the strong silver aura oozing from the eleven year old boy before him.
"I beg your pardon." Harry said, narrowing his eyes.
"The wand you carry…Twelve and a quarter inches…Elder wood…incredibly flexible contains…the tail hair of a young aggressive Unicorn." Harry said nothing as he twirled the wand.
"Albus has asked me to make this wand specifically for you…" Harry quickly turned his head towards the Headmaster of Hogwarts who was standing with a smile at the corner of the shop, "It would seem that his foresight is sharp as always…be very wary Harry, I do not have any explanation for it but that wand in your hand, the power level is staggering… carry and use this wand with respect…and also treat your opponents with respect, which I know you will."
And with respect he had whenever he used his wand. From the most simple Levitation charm to the Blasting hex, Harry had never stopped using his respect as the source behind his power. He looked up from his wand as Ollivander shot a fountain of wine from Neville's wand.
"Thank you all," said Dumbledore, standing up at the judge's table. "You may go back to your lessons now – or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end-"
"Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" cried Bagman excitedly, "All the judges and champions. What do you think Rita?"
"Er – yes, let's do those first," said Rita Skeeter, whose eyes were upon Neville hungrily again. "And then perhaps some individual shots."
The photographs took a long time, Madame Maxine cast everyone else into shadow wherever she stood and the photographer couldn't stand far enough back to get her into the frame, eventually she had to sit while everyone else stood around her. Krum, which he expected to be use to this sort of thing, skulked, half-hidden at the back of the group. The photographer seemed keenest to get Fleur at the front, but Rita Skeeter kept hurrying forward and dragging Neville into greater prominence. Harry kept his scowl on his face as the pictures were taken. After the separate shots of all the champions, they were free to go.
In the Great Hall, Harry, seeing that Fleur seemed to be eating alone by herself decided to sit across from her, which startled the Quarter Veela. She couldn't help but cry out with joy inside at Harry's action. She giggled when she saw that Harry had nothing but salad and vegetables on his plate.
"Yes?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You eat razzer healthily." Fleur said, a small smile on the edge of her red cherry lips.
Harry halted for a bit before saying, "Eating fatty foods does not seem to agree with my stomach…so vegetables it is." Fleur laughed melodiously at his comment, it had been so long that she was able to laugh so freely in public.
"So, does Mademoiselle Delacour have any siblings?" Harry asked, not knowing what brought this on.
"Oui, Gabrielle, my leetle sister. She iz nine years old." Fleur replied with a wide smile, "And you Monsieur Potter?"
"I'm sure you've met or seen my littler brother, Ryan? He's in fourth year now and I have a sister named Rose back at home, she is nine too." Harry replied and smiled at the thought of his baby sister. He mentally made a note for himself that he was going to write to her tonight.
It turned out to be a enjoyable dinner for the two champions and they finished off the evening with Harry escorting Fleur back to her carriage.
"I'm not a defenseless, leetle girl." Fleur said as they walked.
"Don't flatter yourself, it is a perfectly good opportunity to gather information on my fellow champion." Harry replied stoically but Fleur saw right through it and covered her mouth as she laughed.
"Who would 'ave thought, ze cold calculating 'arry Potter actually 'as a sense of 'umor." Fleur said with a smirk and it grew when she saw Harry clearing his throat and shifting uncomfortably. At last, they reached the Beauxbatons carriage. An awkward pause was asserted between the two.
"Zank you for your company this evening, it iz good to 'ave someone to converse with." Fleur said shyly.
"No problem. Everyone needs a friend one time or another." Harry responded, folding his arms. Expressing sentimentality was not exactly his strongest suit.
Fleur's heart soared when Harry said he considered her a friend.
"Bonne Nuit 'Arry…you are most interesting." Fleur said seductively as she gave a lingering peck on the tall, messy black haired boy's cheek. She grinned when she saw his look of surprise and promptly walked up the stairs and disappeared behind the carriage doors.
Please review, ideas are welcomed as always.