AN: So, to be completely honest, I completely forgot I needed to post this chapter. Better late than never though, right?

Bit of backstory for Ciaran and Klaus in this chapter, along with the lead into the rest of the story proper.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this newest chapter!

Chapter 2: Hallways, Healers and Happenstance

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Wolfie." The mocking tone of the voice behind Klaus had his hairs standing on end.

Perfect, this was just what he needed right now. It was bad enough that his "safety-buddy" had ditched him to "study" with his newly acquired girlfriend, an activity that Klaus was almost sure involved a broom closet rather than any coursework, now he was alone at the mercies of the resident bullies in his year. Klaus considered simply running, putting as much distance between himself and the two Slytherins as he could or getting back to his common room. Whichever came first.

Unfortunately, the fact he was currently standing in one of the particularly long corridors of Hogwarts put an end to that plan. There simply wouldn't be enough space to dodge whatever spellfire would be sent his way, not for long at least.

Steeling himself as much as he could, Klaus turned to meet his would-be tormentors face to face, his jaw clenching at their smug smiles. "Do we really have to do this now?" The Hufflepuff asked bitterly. Honestly, considering students were being petrified left and right, you'd think the two from the "house of cunning" wouldn't bother with this sort of shit. Alas, from what Klaus had seen, the House of Snakes tended to be light on its supposed main attribute.

"Hear that, Oz, Wolfie doesn't sound excited to see us." The taller, skinnier one of the two piped up with faux hurt in his voice.

Oz, the stocky part of the duo gave a grunt as he frowned. "Breaks your heart, Hue, it really does. After all we've done for you Wolfie."

"Right." Klaus replied evenly, trying to force down the way his hands were shaking. "Because you're such nice blokes."

Oz grinned crookedly, pulling his arm up to reveal his pale wand from beneath the sleeve of his robes, freezing Klaus in place in panic. "Exactly, it almost feels like you don't appreciate everything we do for you Wolfie." His eyes narrowed, all pretence of friendliness slipping away. "Trust a Mudblood like you to be ungrateful towards your betters."

There it was, the slur that almost always preceded a thrashing that would have him limping the next day, the sign his bullies were dropping their stupid act. At this point, Klaus was far beyond sick of having to hear that particular moniker. He had magic, he had just as much right to be here as anyone. Well, even if he was almost assuredly going to lose this, he refused to go down without a fight.

In a burst of speed, he pulled out his wand, a spell on his lips as he went. When the stinging hex flew wide, he felt his heart drop, squeezing his eyes shut to brace for the retaliation.

Only… it didn't come.

In fact, his assailants were oddly silent.

Daring to open his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of the pair frozen in place, eyes bugged out in panic. It wasn't a petrification, that much Klaus could tell by the way they still made subtle movements. But they continued to stay deathly still.

Confusion filled Klaus as he looked upon the two, blinking as he wondered just what had occurred to make them stop.

Then, the Hufflepuff noticed the small pool of liquid seeping out from beneath their robes, an unpleasant smell hitting his nose.

Klaus couldn't stop the laugh, not that he really wanted to, as he took in the situation. Oz and Hue had pissed themselves. It… it was just too good to be true. He had to be dreaming.

"Now if you two don't want to be soiling yourselves from the other end, I suggest you scarper right quick." A mocking, distinctly Pureblood voice called out from behind the two Slytherins.

When they hesitated, a pair of red spells hit the pair in their backsides, causing them both to let out a shriek. They quickly barreled past Klaus, their run distinctly awkward as they went. The satisfaction that flowed through Klaus at the sight was one of the best he'd felt since his first DADA lesson where he'd aced a spell after only a few tires.

Turning back to thank his saviour, Klaus' good mood came to a halt as he took in the green lined robes of the figure who approached. It was a taller boy, a year or two his senior, if the height was any indication. His sharp blue eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight, amusement clear in the gaze. The Hufflepuff felt himself gulp, suddenly weary of the older boy.

"Those two… The fact that the hat put those brutes in my house is quite frankly insulting. I've seen toads with more cunning." The Slyrherin commented, a slight edge to his amused tone. "You alright there?"

The direct question finally allowed Klaus to take a breath that he hadn't realised he'd been holding. "I… uh… Yeah, I'm fine."

"I imagine that's subjective but I'll take your word for it." The stranger replied with a chuckle, taking in Klaus as he did, his eyebrow quirking slightly.

The younger boy blushed slightly. "T-Thank you… For helping me, I mean." Klaus finally stuttered out. "I don't know how to repay you."

The grin the older boy gave was honestly the most charming Klaus had ever seen. "Now, now, didn't anyone ever tell you not to owe a Slytherin?" He hummed with a smirk. "Though, in this instance, I was simply filling in my good deed of the day. Lucky you."

It was impressive how much the other boy's put Klaus into a sense of ease. "Guess this is just a fortunate day, right?" He offered with a shy smile. "Not everyday you get a Knight in shining armour coming to your rescue."

That got a laugh out of the older boy. "Oh, this badger has jokes." He commented with a wide grin. "Always a good trait to have. But where are my manners…" The Slytherin gave a rather extravagant bow, reminding Klaus of a muggle magician after completing an impressive trick. "Ciaran Seaworth, Heir to the Noble House of Seaworth, at your service."

Blinking, Klaus rubbed the back of his head as a blush crept up his cheeks. "Ah… Klaus… Klaus Wolff." He introduced in return.

"Nice to meet you, Klaus-Klaus." Ciaran replied with a much too pleased smile for the quality of the joke.

Klaus let out a whine. "That was awful!"

Ciaran let out a snobbish sniff. "I see… No appreciation for good humour."

"When I hear good humour, I'll appreciate it plenty." Klaus fired back before they both descended into laughter, any and all tension in the air dissipating. When Klaus was finally able to get himself under control, he focused his gaze upon the Slytherin. "What spell was it you used on those two? I don't think I've ever heard of a piss spell before."

Ciaran snickered at the observation. "I suppose not, considering it's something of an original spell." He started before giving a small look to the side. "Well, a unique application of another spell, in any case." Focusing back on Klaus, the older boy gave a curious grin. "Why, would you like to learn it?"

"You'd… Teach it to me?" Klaus asked with confusion evident in his voice. "Why?"

"Well…" The taller boy began, tapping his chin in thought. "I suppose the opportunity to show off does appeal to me… And if I'm being completely honest, the thought of you turning it on those two the next time they try something appeals to me. I'm sure it'll cost a fortune in replacement robes."

Ciaran gave a vicious grin that Klaus soon matched, the image appealing to him greatly. "Okay, I think I can agree to that."

That had been the night Klaus had met the boy who would soon become his best friend, a chance encounter to which he felt immensely lucky, the same boy who he was now levelling with a glare in the office of the school mediwitch. It was fair to say that Ciaran had left a lasting impression that night, that of a Slyrherin who truly embodied the traits attributed to his house. Intelligent, witty and cunning, his best friend was all these things while lacking much of the snobbery associated with Purebloods.

A year that had appeared to be one of the worst he'd experienced, what with the whole 'Heir of Slytherin' drama, had suddenly become one of his best. Those secret meetings, in an abandoned music room on the second floor of the Astronomy Tower, still filled him with joy. Even when Klaus had finally learned the self dubbed 'piss spell', neither of them had seen fit to end their little meetings. Before the end of the year, they were meeting most days of the week and their friendship had grown from there.

All in all, Klaus was immensely thankful for his best friend and would forever praise magic for allowing them to meet. Their friendship had changed him so much, allowing him to step out from his fear and anxiety like he wasn't sure he'd have been able to besides. That shy kid who was the victim to the resident brutes in his year was gone, replaced by the Klaus of today. A confident, self assured Hufflepuff with particular skill in Herbology and Defence, with a girlfriend to boot.

That was to say that Klaus cared very much for the Slyrherin boy standing opposite and the moment his name had been read by Headmaster Dumbledore had made him think he was in a nightmare. Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky. This was the state of things.

"Well…" Klaus pressed impatiently as Ciaran stood silent in thought. "Care to explain why your name was called to take part in this… what did you call it?" He feigned trying to recall just what the other boy had said, if only to satisfy his frustration as Ciaran squirmed. "Oh yeah, 'a fucking death tournament'!"

Ciaran flinched at the shout, biting his lip in trepidation. "I may…" Klaus glared harder at that. "Have miscalculated."

"Wow, no shit Sherlock!" The Hufflepuff snapped in irritation. "I can't fathom why you'd do it in the first place."

Ciaran grimaced and suddenly Klaus knew. Because he was familiar with that particular look, having seen it many times before. That face was reserved for when what Klaus aptly called 'Pureblood Nonsense' reared its ugly head. It was, in a word, Politics. Slytherin House in general seemed to run on it, every action judged by everyone else, like any step out of line, would impact their lives to a ridiculous degree.

"Everyone eligible to enter in Slytherin did, being a Triwizard Champion is an honour any Pureblood would kill for, couldn't be the odd one out." Ciaran finally said, a hard look in his eyes as he stared off to the side. "Seemed like a safe risk. I mean, with all the competition it was unlikely I'd even be in the running. Not like I'm the favoured pick, not against Cass, Diggory or even Potter, who would have thought the Goblet would pick me?"

'I would have…' Klaus thought, clenching his teeth ever so slightly. For all Ciaran liked to boast, he also tended to be a realist, often knowing just what his limitations were. Unfortunately in this case, he'd sold himself short, in Klaus' opinion. If he'd known his best friend had entered his name, he would have put money on just this result, not that the win would have made him feel better.

"You're an idiot." Klaus finally said, his anger giving way to exasperation and worry.

Ciaran let out a sigh. "Yeah…"

"So… I'm guessing there's no way out of this?" The Hufflepuff grumbled with a shake of his head. "No loopholes you could use?"

"No, contract's as airtight as you can get. Unless I want a 'fate worse than death', anyway."

Considering this was a wizarding contract, that likely meant the removal of a person's magic. Because not being able to use magic was obviously the worst thing a magical could ever think of. Granted, Klaus was sure he'd be able to manage if things came to that but the same couldn't be said for others. Especially Ciaran, who would lose everything he had if he lost his magic. He couldn't be a Heir to a magical house without it.

Klaus put his head into his hands, letting out a growl to release some of his frustration, knowing it wouldn't help. He could rip Ciaran a new one later, when his friend wasn't in mortal peril, for now they needed to come up with a plan.

"So, what are we going to do?"

"We?" Ciaran asked, eyes tired.

"Of course, we. What, you think I'd just leave you out to dry? You're my best friend, Key. Even when you're being an idiot." Klaus paused. "Especially when you're being an idiot."

Ciaran, despite everything, gave a fond smile that gave Klaus a small thrum of warmth in his chest. "Thanks." He said.

Harry clenched his fists as he watched his red headed friend storm out of the Hospital Wing, anger welling up in his chest. Ron, his supposed best mate, had accused him of cheating his way into the tournament. Declared him a bad friend for not letting him in on the secret. It had taken quite a bit of effort for Harry not to send a curse after the git.

The feeling of a hand upon his own brought him out of his rage, his eyes travelling up towards Hermione, a reassuring smile on her face. "It'll be okay Harry, he'll come around."

The Boy-Who-Lived wasn't quite sure he wanted the youngest Weasley son to come around at the moment. "He's a git."

"You're not wrong, he can be like that." She agreed.

"How can he think I entered my name?"

"Well… you didn't, did you?"

Anger spiked in his chest, his eyes narrowing into a glare. "How can you ask me that, Hermione?"

Hermione flinched at his look before she looked away sadly. "Because I have to, Harry." She mumbled. "Because… for once, I have to hope that my best friend isn't being hunted by a Dark Lord or a Basilisk or a Serial Killer. That he's just been immensely stupid because I can't stand that he's in danger. Again!" Her eyes were watery as she turned back towards him.

Struck still by the statement, Harry felt a pang of guilt bubble up inside him. "Sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry, Harry." Hermione shook her head, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. Taking a breath, she looked him in the eyes once more. "We need to plan on how to deal with this."

"Our thoughts exactly." Ciaran said, apparently having left Madam Pomfrey's office, his Hufflepuff friend at this side. "Miss Granger, Harry, let me introduce Klaus Wolff. My best friend, for all his sins."

Klaus rolled his eyes at the introduction. "Nice to meet you both officially, could be under better circumstances though."

"That's an understatement." Hermione muttered, gaining a grin from both Harry and Ciaran. "Nice to meet you too. Please, call me Hermione."

"Okay, Hermione." "As you wish, Miss Granger." The older pair said in unison, Klaus giving Ciaran a poke in the side for his action.

"Don't be rude." He admonished with a frown before turning to the younger students again. "Ignore him, his default is wanker."

Hermione giggled at the assessment while Harry snorted. Ciaran pouted for a second before smirking once more. "I thought we agreed on smeg-head?"

"Shut up, Key." Klaus sighed.

Harry had to admit the play by play was amusing, even if he wasn't exactly sure what a 'smeg-head' was. Glancing towards his friend, he found she was giving the Slytherin a thoughtful look before shaking her head.

"So you're going to help us?" She asked.

"Yep, safety in numbers and all that." Ciaran replied with a nod. "Personally, I don't feel like giving whomever decided to change the game the satisfaction of winning. Helping out Harry here seems like the perfect way to fuck them over."

"And, you know, it's the right thing to do." Klaus commented with an admonishing look.

Ciaran didn't look repentant in the slightest. "If you like. Either way, we've all got our work cut out to get ready for the tasks. The first task, especially."

Harry blinked. "Why? Do you know what it is?"

"Yep!"

"How?"

Ciaena gave a grin that showed way too many teeth. "Well, when your family has a near monopoly on shipping in Magical Britain, you tend to get contracts for any large shipments from the Mainland. Especially if the cargo is a protected species."

Hermione lit up at that. "That's where I've heard of your family! They own The Kraken Trading Company!"

The pair of older students were a little taken aback by Hermione's knowledge, Harry mused. That was only the start of it. Though he had to question the logic of naming a shipping company after a creature that was known for sinking ships. It seemed a little backwards to him.

Klaus recovered first. "Spot on, Hermione." He praised her with a kind smile. "And because Ciaran is sure to drag this out for all its worth if I don't say anything. The first task is dragons!"

Harry's eyes widened at the declaration, a soft gasp escaping his friend before she gripped his hand tightly. Of course it was dragons, why wouldn't it be? That made perfect sense for something for a teenager to face.

"So…" Harry croaked, his throat suddenly dry. "We better get started, huh?"

"Wormtail, report!" The being that had once been the Dark Lord Voldemort ordered, forcing back a grimace at the shrill quality his current form emitted. Everyday that he spent trapped in this fragile body was another sin for which Harry Potter would pay for. Any and all indignities would be paid, in blood and magic, as soon as his plans came to fruition.

Until then, he was subject to the tender care of the snivelling, cowardly rat and one of his most unstable followers. Oh how he wished for the old days, when those who served him were competent, able to act without a step by step guide. What he had now was woefully Inadequate, even if it would have to do for now.

Speaking of inadequate, Wormtail came scurrying over, all fat face and protruding teeth. How the man had remained fat, even after joining his side once more, was a mystery that he couldn't solve. Nor did he want to, being a rat for so long had obviously changed the man physically, he dare not explore changes in behaviour.

He must have been glaring, if the fact Wormtail was frozen still with fear bar a faint odour of what he suspected to be urine. "Have you lost the ability to squeak, Wormtail? Tell me of Hogwarts, was Potter picked?"

"Y-Yes, my lord. T-The boy was chosen as the F-Fourth Champion." Wormtail stuttered out.

"Excellent! Barty was able to complete his task." A large grin, much too large for the face of his makeshift body, formed. The spike of pain he felt as his form rejected the action was ignored, if only to not show anymore weakness in front of Wormtail.

"Those fickle children will surely shun him now, no one likes such a blatant cheater." His Weasley friend most assuredly would abandon young Harry, perhaps even his little know-it-all Mudblood too. Never let it be said that Lord Voldemort didn't learn from his mistakes, seldom as they were. Those two companions had been integral to the blasted boy getting the better of him in his first year, taking them off the board would prove beneficial.

Wormtail made a whining noise, drawing his attention back to the man who had both saved him and brought about his original loss of his unlife. It took a considerable amount of effort not to simply rid the world of his filth every moment he was near. That time would come, someday, when he outlived his paltry usefulness. "Something to add?" He questioned with a growl.

"W-Well, my lord. It seems that only Ronald has left Harry's side." Ah, that wasn't… ideal, but still within the acceptable means of his plan. After all, the little shrew's usefulness only went so far.

But the animagus wasn't done. "A-And Barty reported that h-he has allied with the Hogwarts Champion."

Oh? That was unexpected. Infuriatingly so. The masses would no doubt follow their representative Champion, as the sheep that they were, so the fact they'd allied with his one true adversary was deeply irritating. "And who is the Hogwarts Champion, Wormtail?"

"C-Ciaran Seaworth, m-my Lord."

Voldemort let out a slow hum before firing a cruciatus at the craven man, taking pleasure as his screams filled the room, not letting up until the man was nearly convulsing. "That would have been pertinent information to give me earlier, Wormtail." He mused mockingly, perfectly aware that the man most likely couldn't hear him through the pain.

Still, Ciaran Seaworth.

Voldemort was aware of the boy, having been his teacher while possessing Quirrel, on the lookout for promising recruits for his next rise to power. There had been quite a few good candidates but the young Slytherin in particular had caught his attention with the answers he'd given to particular questions he'd slipped into the curriculum.

The Seaworth Heir was a creative thinker mixed with a good deal of pragmatism. Voldemort had been impressed with the unorthodox way to which the young man would approach Defence scenarios, utilising strategies far removed from the generic answers his peers would submit. It was so refreshingly Slytherin, a familiar way of looking at the application of Magic seldom but he himself was capable of.

Then there was the fact that he seemed one of the few of his purity to truly understand the threat that muggles posed to their society. While most scoffed at them and their barbaric ways, Ciaran did not show that same naivety when faced with the assignment on their dangers. He had clearly looked far closer than what the woeful Muggle Studies class would teach and it was commendable that he did so. It was clear he'd make an invaluable addition to his Death Eaters, perhaps with a guiding hand he could match his top lieutenants.

That begged the question as to why he would ally with Potter though, so early into the game.

Political power, perhaps? Unlikely, the Seaworth family wielded more power than most liked to admit, especially in the mercantile families.

Additional resources? No, it would be far more likely that he possessed far more than Potter did.

But then, there was the simplest answer. The young Slytherin had simply deduced the danger he faced in the now tampered tournament and had decided to keep the epicentre in sight. Yes, that rang much more true.

Casting a revival charm on Wormtail, Voldemort began his order: "Contact Barty, tell him to keep a closer watch on young Ciaran and report what he observes."

If all went well, by next Halloween he would be reformed, unopposed and in receipt of a very lucrative investment.

AN: I'm sure that's not going to come up as we progress.

As stated in the previous chapter, there isn't a set in release schedule for this fic, with Last Rose being my main priority. If you haven't seen, that's now on a (loosely) 2 week release schedule, so that's where to find more consistent content from me at the moment.

Any comments/kudos/reviews are greatly appreciated!

MurderousLord!