Chapter 14 –The whole thing is fishy
This time the lake was problems, who were going to be our hostages. The last time they grabbed me it was the evening before so as soon as the classes were over all my wives and I were at the Manor and we were going to stay there until just before the task started. Then Fleur and I would show up and together we would use Gilly weed to go down and get our hostages.
About an hour later the alarms go off letting us know someone is trying to forcefully enter the Manor grounds. I had one of our elves "POP" over to the DMLE and ask for assistance. I was not worried over the wards as much as who and why. Hours later Amelia head appears in the 'floe' and requests permission to come over.
"Hi Harry, girls, seems Dumbledore wants you very badly, we found three Order of the Phoenix types that your wards killed. A couple of things took me so long to get here. Your 'floe' was sabotaged to capture anyone who used it, so it took us a while to undo that. While we cannot pin this on Dumbledore he is in big trouble. He effectively kidnapped Frances minister of magic's daughter to use in this task tomorrow. He is in big trouble as Jean Delecour has threatened war for kidnapping a French citizen, a non student and a minor to use in his contest."
"Is Gabriel alright?" Fleur asked.
"Yes she is fine and back with Minister Delecour. You will need to show up tomorrow but I think the second task has been canceled."
The task was cancelled permanently; the third was to take place as planed. Dumbledore of course escaped all the charges but was still up for a censure vote at the ICW. So we figured we had a break until the next task, in my life, not happening. Ragnok asked for me to come a soon as I could.
/Scene Break/
"Ah, Harry, Ladies, please have a seat you may need it." Ragnok offered.
"What is he up to now?" I asked.
"Dumbledore is defending himself at the ICW but we have a member of the Wizengemot in our pocket so to speak and there have been a couple of laws introduced with Dumbledore stamped all over them."
"And?"
"By themselves nothing, but adding a few more it could be a way to control you and all your titles and by extension your vaults."
"Dratts, what do I have to do to get rid of this old coot?"
"Why don't we just take all the money and flee to France?" Hermione suggested.
"May not work, if the English Government asked for a English law breaker France could sent you back.
"Ragnok I was wondering…?"
"Yes Harry, what Goblin like plan are you thinking about?" Ragnok was almost giggling.
"Could I buy a Lordship, Baron ship or whatever, and buy property under that name and then transfer all my fund to that named vault?" I was really just thinking out load.
"You have already done that Harry." Susan added.
"Yes but not as a secret transaction, many Goblins, Gringott's employee's, etc knew that Harry is the lord of Slytherin and the other titles, so by extension the Potter money went to one of his other named vaults. I could swing a secret transaction but it will be expensive." Ragnok's eyes were dancing with excitement.
"Yes, let's give it a try; I just know that idiot is up to something, he always is." My head was swimming with all that could be done and what could go wrong. "But make sure its right under their noses, not America or France but right under their big fat noses."
A couple of weeks later, Gringotts:
"Ah Lord Freichfras and his Ladies so nice to see you or if this was in olden times, King Freichfras." Ragnok was enjoying himself too much. You are now the owner of a few square miles around Freichfras Manor with the best Goblin wards money can buy. It is situated on a peninsular and I have even had a covered, heated swimming pool installed."
"You have been busy, so what now?"
"You bought a lordship under "Laws in Wales Act 1435" however the kingdom of Gwent has been abolished multiple times and in fact it was just reorganized last year again. This should leave many cold trails for anyone attempting to learn who you are or where your line to the title came from. I am the only one who knows who the real Caradog Freichfras is, now the vault transfer of funds. I had English Goblins remove all valuables from all your vaults and put into a no-name vault. My warriors cleared that level of everyone and I had American Goblins under a security oath transfer the funds from the no-named vault to your vault Lord Freichfras. So again no one should be able to follow a trail.
"I assume you took your usual healthy fee for all this personal work you have done?"
"But of course my lord, don't I always?"
"There is one more cost, elves. I need your authorization to buy sixty elves of both sexes. This is to start your own elf population in your new Manor. You must do this because the Slytherin elves are sworn to Lord Slytherin if Dumbledore confiscates that title the elves follow the new Lord Slytherin.
"But you said that once magic selected you nothing could change that" Hermione was right on the subject.
"That is true, but he has Harry in view, so one way to get the titles changed is to kill Harry. He maybe able to manipulate magic to physicaly get the rings and the law to get the titles and vaults but Harry is and always will be the rightful owner in magics view. Don't forget your dealing with the great Albus Dumbledore, the leader of the light, the Wizengemott and the ICW." Ragnok offered.
/Scene Break/
We all made sure never to use the new name in public or in front of our other elves. Ragnok not only procured the sixty elves but after the bonding to their new lord had a prepared orders for them which I gave. It was just never to tell anyone anything about their lord even if it was their relative's. Elves never spoke about their employer but it could get interesting if a Slytherin elf ran into a Freichfras elf and they saw me as being both.
School use to be fun, there was evading people, sneaking around, getting into trouble or just being obnoxious to the teachers. Now it was getting deadly. Susan had a close call with a cutting curse, some one tried to trip Daphne on the stairs, it just keep happening. I ended up spending my time escorting my wives to class and picking them up. While it did slow down the odd happenings I did get to shock a few Slytherins. I caught Nott using a cutting curse on Hannah, she put up a shield in time Nott almost didn't live as I lost it and sent a bludgeoning curse full into his face. He lived but they may not be able to fix his face and skull to resemble a human.
"Mr. Potter I need to see you in my office immediately."
"Is this school business?" Surprisingly it was, err, he lied.
I had a couple of professors with me when I entered his office. Dumdum was not fooling around this time. "You will turn over your vaults to Orion who is the rightful owner by his parents will."
"Tell you what idiot, why don't you take a long walk on a short pier" was my reply. You got the Potter vault, don't get greedy."
"I will not stand for this; if I have to I will expel you…"
"Oh please, I wonder who will loose their magic me or the person who stops me from participating in your lunatic tournament, besides if you want to snap wands so badly why not snap all the ones you never returned to me. I'm out of here." I was surprised I didn't get a curse to the back as I walked out.
When I was at the bottom of the steps leading out of Dumdums office I felt like the dummy. Well maybe it would confuse him but collecting of my wands was before he killed me, I couldn't help but laugh, this Dumdum would not know what I was talking about.
/Scene Break/
That night I discussed what had happened and we all decided a high alert level was needed. If things got too bad there were always tutors to get out education. We established an emergency meeting point and were keeping our most important or prized possessions in out trunks which we shrank and kept in our robe pocket. We were now practicing the application and holding of our new 'glamour' charm. Time was nearing when we would have to use it.
Ragnok sent in a half dozen warriors to protect the girls while Fleur and I were in the third task, the stupid maze.
~"Well my darling its time."
~"You don't think you are going anywhere, I'll be at the first left, and before that twinkly area that got me last time."
~"Yes dear."
Diggery entered first, followed by Krum. Fleur was next and then Orion. Fleur was already nervous by the time I got to enter.
"Lets head to that twinkly area of yours." We did and set the hedge on fire as last time. We headed to a shadowy area and I turned into my Shadow Leopard. Fleur got on my back and we arrived at the cup and waited.
The crowd outside got to see Krum tearing out of the flaming maze being chased by the Sphinx for a wrong answer he provided.
Diggory come out seconds later riding on a 'blast ended skrewt' of Hagrid's hanging on for dear life. At one point he was being chased by an Acromantula.
The spider did not knock over the cup this time as it notices Fleur and me. I banished the cup at the spider that disappeared along with the port-key cup. So far the time line was holding. Only thing was where was Orion?
~"Hang on dear I am going to fade to the girls."
On arriving it is a circus royal! As Fleur and I come out of the shadows from under the bleachers we see Madeye on the ground with a spear through his right shoulder and a Goblin blade at his neck. Dumbledore is trying to calm the Sphinx, Madam Maxime has the skrewt by the pointy end on its back and trying to beat it to death by slamming it into the ground repeatedly. The skrewt is unhappy and is firing off it's bursts causing Madam Maxime to spin like a top. Hagrid is in tears and unable to decide whether to help the Sphinx, the skrewt or Madam Maxime. Madam Pomfrey is racing out of the maze with a levitated Orion. Just when you could not believe it could get worse Madeye suddenly changes into someone else and half the Aurors start throwing stunners at the new guy. Fudge is screaming and has turned loose the two Dementors that are now being pushed back by the remaining Aurors. Half the students are running around in circles while the other half stampede to the castle. Weatherbe asserted his magnificent presents in front of the stampede to assure them of something and was trampled by the terrified students.
The Aurors cuffed the use to be Madeye, I thanked the Goblins, released them with a large bag of gold as a tip. I escorted my wives to the Great Hall to await the presentation to the winner and the evening feast. We thought it would be fun.
While our table had grown in population as well as the laughing, snickering and the jokes being made only got more ridicules. Then the ceremony to end the Triwizard tournament started and after enough rhetoric to stop our jovial mood, they announced the winner to be Orion Potter.
I started it but it caught on quick enough, "Where's the cup."
The Minister and Dumbledore finally got quiet restored to the Great Hall only to have both Bulgaria's and France's Heads screaming foul.
All together it was a fulfilling tournament.