Murphy's Law

"I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart's affections, and the truth of imagination."

-John Keats

"Albus, my man" I exclaimed merrily as I barged into his office.

"Ah, Harry. I assume you are going to use sarcasm to annoy me" His eyes were twinkling with mirth.

'Bugger'

I can't even have a bit of fun. I thought I could annoy him at least a bit, but instead he's amused.

"Do you know why I called you, Harry?" He motioned me to take a seat.

I triple checked my occlumency shields and gripped my wand before sitting down. His left eyebrow twitched slightly. According to Cedric that means he is apprehensive.

"I have some theories" I was not going to fall for such silly trap.

"You have grown up, Harry" He commented. He was trying to gauge me.

"Nutrition potions" I replied.

He smiled at my cold reply. Yet, I noticed that he still had his wand gripped tightly.

"Is this about Vladimir?" I asked, hoping to stop the beating around the bush.

" I know what you did to Vladimir, Harry," He started.

"Are you accusing me of attacking a tri wizard champion? " I countered.

"You and I both know that the magic of goblet will prevent champions from hurting one another directly" he emphasized in the last word and peered at me over his half moon glass.

"So, according to the tri wizard rules, I did nothing wrong" I pointed out.

"Quite," He nodded and started sucking on a lemon candy.

Bugger, he knows that I had something to do with it.

"If you are going to give me a lecture on humanity, save it." I decided to get on with the topic.

"On the contrary Harry, I was going to say that you did a remarkable job," He remarked merrily. Then he looked straight into my eyes.

His whole manner just changed in a manner of seconds. Gone was the kind and slightly mad grandfather. In front of me sat a titan, cold and ruthless, a war veteran.

"I don't know what changed you, my boy. But I have lived long enough to identify what you have become. " His blue eyes were piercing into mine.

"And pray tell me, professor, what am I?" I pulled my wand out of my pocket.

"Well, to begin with, you are not a horcrux anymore and you know now that I was preparing you so that when the time came you would have sacrificed your life without a second thought" He stated calmly.

I was surprised; I never thought he would say something like that. Even though I had hidden my emotions behind my occlumency shields, my magic recognized my distress. Instinctively it flared up to protect me from any potential threat, which, in this case was Dumbledore.

Emerald flames covered my body and a stream of it shot towards Dumbledore. But he was ready for it; he merely let his own aura flared up. A crimson red phoenix flamed in between us.

Fawkes trilled trying to ease the tension that was building up in the room. But we ignored him. I was looking Dumbledore in the eye, my wand pointing towards his heart.

Surprisingly he held his wand loosely at his side. But I was not fooled, despite this age Dumbledore is the best duelist in the world right now. And unlike last time I don't exactly have an element of surprise.

"I thought so," He nodded when my sudden reaction confirmed his guess.

"I knew you would deduce it sooner or later. I hoped it would be later." I replied, not without taking my eyes off him.

"Hope is a luxury we cannot afford, dear boy. You'll learn that soon enough," He turned and gazed the stars through the window. I raised my wand a little bit and placed my left foot forward, a dueling stance for aggressive attacking. I knew this day would come. There are so many outcomes. So many ways this could go.

"I do not intent to harm you, Harry. I know that you must have taken precautions before coming here. So, let's discuss this" He pressed on.

Indeed I had taken precautions. Three time delayed messages to three different trusted persons was prepared before I entered the office. Further the twins and Cedric was waiting in the room of requirement ready to barge in at any moment. All it takes is patronus.

"How long?" I asked.

"As you have no doubt guessed, after our last encounter I was afraid that Riddle had influenced or taken over you. I don't think there's a need to explain what a horcrux is to you," He looked over his shoulders at me.

"One would be right to think so, yes" I replied, still not taking my wand or eyes off him.

"So I discreetly observed you. Your behavior, speech pattern, even your body language had changed rather drastically. Slytherin cunningness on a scale I have not seen since Riddle. So, I came to the conclusion that you must have been influenced by Riddle's horcrux down in the chamber. Yet the instruments I build to monitor your life force told me that you were fine. In fact, they showed that the horcrux in your scar was no more. You acted as if I was your enemy, as if you knew that I had planned for your demise. You knew that I knew about your scar. That left me with one conclusion; you woke up much earlier than you have told me. Something happened, but I am not yet sure what. You lied outright when I enquired about your near death accident. It was rather convincing, I must say. Something even Riddle was unable to get away with me. By the time our second meeting took place I was aware that you were no longer a horcrux. So I gave you the prophecy and my interpretation of it. I wanted to see how you were going to react to it"

This was not going the way I want to. I had underestimated him, and now I was going to pay for my mistake. He is thinking that I have turned dark. I was only seconds away from sending a patronus when,

"Then you disappeared into the chamber. When you came back you had a constant look of melancholy in your eyes, a sudden need to up your ante, you started making connection, allies," he paused

"You started preparing for a war"

He turned around to face me. The portraits in the room were as still as possible.

The gears in my heads were turning. Cold and logical, this meeting has the potential to save or raze the world.

Observation: He hasn't made a single move against me.

Conclusion: He needs me

Observation: He knows that I am preparing for something, yet he hasn't done anything against me.

Conclusion: He wants me to ally with him.

"As are you" I replied and he nodded. I lowered my wand.

"This may seem a little childish, but call it a teacher's curiosity. How did you deduce it?" he asked as he sat down on his throne like chair.

"One, you are using this tournament to increase your political power and allies. Two, you haven't tried to meddle in my affairs till now, meaning that you want me on your side, so that you may have more political leverage using my fame. Three, you just gave your advantage away by telling me this. Since I am the only one that can kill Voldemort and the fact that you gave information voluntarily implies that he is coming back sooner than you have expected" I stated and sat down opposite to him.

"Yes, but one could argue that I could have done this for some other purpose" He was playing the devil's advocate.

"And they would be right" I replied coldly.

"You don't trust me" said Dumbledore calmly.

I let out a hollow laugh.

" Of course I don't trust you, Just as you don't trust me. You raised me as a cattle waiting to be slaughtered, you bastard. Nothing could ever change the fact. You deliberately made my life hell so that when the time comes I would sacrifice it without a thought . We are having this conversation because you know now that I am not a horcrux anymore. Now, you need the Boy-Who-Lived on your side." I spat.

"Yes" He looked ashamed of himself.

"And why should I?" I asked without any emotions.

"I won't ask for your forgiveness again, Harry. I know that I do not have the right to ask. But still, I would not change the past. It's the truth. One life for thousands, In a war the choice is clear," Dumbledore closed his eyes and buried his face under his long fingered hands.

"That one life is mine, Dumbledore. If you had stopped wallowing over your sister's death and stopped giving second chance to murderers and rapists then you would have never had to make that choice in the first place" I snarled. His eyes radiated cold fury for a second before it was replaced by pain.

"I couldn't Harry, that is not who I am. I never asked to be burdened with power, I feared power. Yet, when the time came, I had to bear that burden or else had to watch the world burn. I am sorry for everything, Harry, You can't possibly know the pain I went through, when I placed you on their door step," He looked at me, waiting for me to snap at him.

What should I say? Should I curse him? Should I destroy his office?

No, what purpose would that serve?

"I became a hypocrite, Harry. I was forced to become a monster by the trust placed upon me by others. I always have and will insist upon giving people a second chance. Yet, I did not even give you a choice. I know I condemned you for ten years of neglect and I am cursed for it. "

Oh, how much I want to kill this man in front of me. Even when he's so broken all I want is to break him some more.

"Yet, if given a choice, you'll do it all over again" I tried running my hands through my hair to calm myself down, the monster inside me was begging me to finish this crying old man in front of me.

"As much as I want to deny it, I can't. " A drop of tear trailed along his silvery beard.

"And therein lays our difference, Dumbledore. If it was me who was presented with that choice, I would have chosen the third option. You took the less traveled path; I would have forged a new path. If I had been made to choose, Lucius Malfoy would be dead now. How can a dark lord wage a war without money?"

I started pacing the room.

"I would choose an innocent child over blood stained hands, Dumbledore. I wouldn't give a rapist a second chance, even if he did spy for me."

Dumbledore looked as if he wanted to interrupt, but stopped at the look on my face.

Anya McGraw, a muggleborn who died giving birth to a still baby, whose delivery was performed by Amanda Avery, was raped during a death eater raid. The case never even appeared before wizengamot. Even though she had clearly identified the bastard, it was all tied up in red tape. Nobody asked how or why she died. Her parents, muggles, could do nothing. Her friends were scared. Even the news report of her death went unnoticed as people were focused on the betrayal of Potters by their best bloody friend, Sirius Black.

So the rape charge never even came up.

Severus Snape walked free.

"You say he's a spy, I say he's a rapist. If a man's not judged by his past or present then what is he to be judged of? You saved him, because you need a spy when Voldemort comes back. You are telling me all this because you have finally made another grand plan"

I did not shout. I spoke softly, yet my voice could have cut through steel. I was not angry at his actions; no, I was furious because he never even gave a second thought about his actions. He betrayed the trust placed upon him by the innocents.

"You know why I won't ever forgive you, Dumbledore?" I asked softly, placing my hands on the table and leaning forward so that we were at eye level.

"I won't forgive you, for Anya and thousand other nameless faces wouldn't want me to."

Albus Percivel Wulfric Brian Dumbledore never looked so vulnerable before.

"I did warn you Dumbledore, if you want to control me I'll strike back. I have enough ammunition to destroy you and you have enough of them to destroy me. But we both know that we will never do that, not now, not when it serves no purpose. Right now if we clash, from our blood the foe shall rise. So like two bulls yoked together against their wishes, we are forced to work together," I sat down like I owned the place.

For a long time we did not say anything. Then Dumbledore stood up and without saying anything walked out of the office, motioning me to follow. Our destination? The astronomy tower.

I hope he's not going to suicide.

'Who am I kidding? I hope he suicides'

"Your mother once told me love was the greatest power." Dumbledore said so softly that I almost missed it as the wind ruffled my robes.

"Voldemort believes that hatred is the power that drives him," He continued, more to himself than me. Did I push him a bit too far?

"And now I see a boy, no, a man forced to grow up by my action before me. You should have no reason to fight, yet you do. Why?" He asked sadly, gazing at the stars like the answer was etched in the skies.

"Hatred is a powerful thing. But not when it's directed towards others, then it's a weakness. No, it's powerful when you hate your existence. A person who hates himself is a force to reckon with. And love is powerful too, but not when you love only yourself. A person who loves and holds someone above him is dangerous. Because there's nothing that he won't do to save those he holds dear. Now, you tell me, Professor, why do I fight? Is it because I hate Voldemort or is it because I want to be loved? To love? Is it because I hate myself for losing the ones I love? Or is it for those who love me? What is the force that drives me? hatred? Revenge? A sense of justice? Love? You tell me,"

Some questions have no answers, and some things can never be questioned. A few months ago she was everything. Now she's someone dead who was once close to me. An year later, she will be a memory, my biggest what if. Its the truth. Time heals wounds, but it will always leave scars behind.

Honestly, am I fighting because I had promised her that I would?

No.

This has always been my role. Whether being manipulated into it or by choice, I'll always end up in this crossroad.

"What happened to you down in the chamber, Harry?" He asked after what it seemed like an eternity.

There are some secrets worth dying for. No one will ever know about Tam, definitely not him.

"You can ask, but you'll never know. And I'll appreciate if you stop meddling. Or else, I swear, you'll have a war, whether it be with Voldemort or me, that's your choice. Meddle in my affairs again, and you'll realize that I am not bluffing" I let my magic seep in to my voice. He looked at me sadly, seeing the monster he had created.

"So, tell me the reason you called me" I perched on a windowsill. My inner was wolf urging me howl at the full moon.

"He's coming back, sooner than we all have expected him to," said Dumbledore firmly. He looked at me for my reaction.

"So, you have noticed the signs too." He nodded appreciatively.

"Dark mark at world cup, assassination attempts on me, The cup" I mused.

"I assume that it was your name written on that parchment" he looked at me for confirmation. I nodded.

"What I am about to tell you is not to be repeated, Harry. It's imperative that our enemy believes that we are in the dark about this," He paused "I am telling you this because you need to know."

"Do tell, Professor" I replied in a neutral tone.

"This is a three way war. Someone powerful, resourceful and hidden has entered the play."

"I know," I cut him off. " there are at least two spies at Hogwarts. One of them is Nicole De Couteau and the other one is someone who was once close to me."

If we are to work together we have to exploit each other's resources as much as we can. Albus Dumbledore is a political titan with connections even in the darkest corners of earth. He arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, but you are wrong about one thing, Harry." He too sat down on the windowsill.

"There is no Nicole Du couteau"

'What?'

And then it clicked. I tried so hard to find what Nicole's motives were. There was none, because Nicole never existed in the first place. It was an alias.

I chuckled as I realized the simplicity and complexity of the idea.

Dumbledore too looked amused.

"There is no record of Nicole existing before her arrival at the orphanage in Paris. No birth record, no vaccination certificates. And since she is a muggleborn nobody didn't even knew her before she entered Beuxbaton." He said seriously.

"Except that she is not a muggleborn, is she?" I asked, already unraveling the mystery in my mind.

"Quite. My contacts at Beuxbatons informs me she is highly knowledgeable in pureblood customs and doesn't get along with the muggleborns in the school"

"When did she arrive at the orphanage?"

"Exactly one month before you started your first year at Hogwarts," Dumbledore replied.

"What an astonishing coincident" I said bitterly and Dumbledore nodded.

"So how was she able to enter the tournament under that name?" I asked.

"The Goblet chose her based on her magic. To the goblet, she is Nicole" He explained and once again started gazing at the stars.

"So what does the Delacours has to do with all this?" I asked and Dumbledore turned his head so fast that I thought I saw a whiplash.

"You shouldn't even know of their existence. You continue to surprise me, Harry. Up to a level that you frighten me" Dumbledore said merrily.

"Yet, you did not answer to my question" I pointed out. Even now he likes to keep his secrets close to his chest.

"I do not know. Sadly, Delacour and I don't get along well with each other. At best we tolerate each other. But I do not think they are on Tom's side. They do not like to bow down and Tom never did like having equals. Yet, I don't think young Miss Delacour is here to just watch the show" said Dumbledore calmly.

"Have you heard of something called Murphy's law, Professor?" I asked rhetorically.

"Everything that can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible moment," I chuckled as I quoted.

"I consider myself an optimist, Harry" He replied quietly.

"Yet, in my case my life is ruled by that law" I said in a tone that made it clear that I wished this conversation to end now.

Dumbledore sighed and nodded at me, bidding a silent farewell.

"Are you PMSing?" Cedric's question broke me out of my brooding.

"What?" I splutterd. George was laughing on the floor. Fred high fived Cedric.

"You have been brooding ever since the meeting. Stop with bitching and tell us what happened" He ordered.

Well, he asked for it.

Half an hour later three spluttering idiots sat in front of me.

"Come on, say it" I threatened George, waving my wand menacingly.

"We are your bitches, milord. We beg for thy forgiveness" George grunted and pouted like a five year old.

"This complicates things" Cedric muttered.

'Why can't he play along?'

First Dumbledore and now Cedric. Why can't I have a little bit of fun?

"Actually, this makes this is good news" I corrected him.

"How exactly is this good news? He's coming back " Cedric shouted incredulously.

"We have always known that. This just means our plans have to be pushed forward. We will be prepared for him, when he returns. We'll strike the first blow." I stated firmly.

"How? "

"When?"

"Where?" They all asked at the same time.

"Remember my grand plan?"

"Duh, you drilled that thing in to our brains" Fred said in a small voice.

"Except for the eidattic here" George pointed towards Cedric.

"Eidetic" Cedric corrected for the umpteenth time.

"Yeah, eidattic" Fred nodded. They had found out that Cedric hated mispronouncing things and did this often to annoy him.

Cedric's left eye brow twitched.

"Harry, the plan please" He grunted.

"We are going to have to modify some parts. You guys are going to like the new parts" I nodded towards the twins. They perked up at that.

"Do we get to blow thing up?" Fred asked excitedly.

"Oh, yeah" I grinned evilly.

"Many things?" George asked with a maniacal gleam in his eyes.

"You have no idea" I smirked.

Voldemort have no idea what I have in store for him. It was a grand prank.

Except this time it will be filled with death and destruction.

"You are grinning" A musical voice startled me.

"And you are spying on me, again" I countered. We were at my spot, again.

"Non" She shook her head, her silvery hair rippled like a water fall.

"Fleur, As much as I like talking to you, we both know that there's an higher purpose. Why don't you just tell me what you want?" I asked her bluntly.

"Can't I just be 'ere for the view?" she tilted her head.

I stood up and walked up to her, till our faces were inches apart. It was an intimidation technique but she looked amused.

"Oh, really. Don't tell me you like watching the mermen in the lake?" I knew it was a low blow, considering her reaction to them during the second task. But this was crucial.

Her face contorted with barely controlled rage. She looked like an angel sent to reap my soul.

"You don't want to know, 'Arry " She snarled.

"There's the beast I want to see" I grinned maniacally. What happened next was so fast that I barely saw her move.

She pinned me to the tree, her wand was pushing in to my chest, just over my heart. Her eyes, sapphire blue, sparked with anger. Her normally relaxed body posture was gone. She was in a dueling stance designed specifically for incapacitating the enemy within the first three spells.I saw the Delacour in her for the first time. And I was fascinated.

That was when I noticed something.

The pulsating sensation in my chest had stopped. Time had slowed down. A loose strand of silver hair was slowly slipping past her ear on to her cheek. Her cheeks were red with anger, her lips thin and delicate. An aroma that I have realized by now that was Fleur, teased my nostrils. She looked like the perfect mixture of an angel and a demon. She looked fierce and fragile at the same time. If I didn't know better I would say that I was under her allure.

Then I did something that even surprised me. For all my planning and thinking I did something that went completely against my rules. I did something so foolishly Gryffindor.

I slipped passed her wand.

And I kissed her.

Then the pulsating sensation in my chest returned. Yet time did not speed up. Or that's what I thought, because she was as still as a statue. Her blue eyes were wide opened and didn't even move a little bit.

Then she blinked.

And I realized what I had done.

I just kissed Fleur Delacour.

I was totally fucked.

'shit'