The Duelling Club

The Great Hall was in complete chaos.

The students returned to Hogwarts in the usual fashion at the conclusion of the winter break. The students generally had time to go to their dorms to meet up with friends that remained at the school through the break before making their way down for the start of the Returning Feast.

The chaos started after the students were all seated but before Dumbledore could start his typical speech.

A loud trumpet blew a fanfare that had the students and staff all looking about in confusion. The second the fanfare stopped, a voice boomed out from the rafters.

"STUDENTS OF HOGWARTS, DURMSTRANG, AND BEAUXBATONS, WE HAVE ONE LAST HOLIDAY PRESENT FOR YOU ALL! ON THESE COLD SCOTTISH WINTER NIGHTS YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR SELVES ENTERTAINED. SO WE GIVE YOU THESE … THE EXPLODING SNAPE CARDS!"

In front of each student appeared a box of normal looking playing cards. Instead of the typical "Exploding Snap" card box, these proclaimed the name "Exploding Snape" and had a Wizarding picture of the Potions Master in the middle of a furious rant. That caused some chuckles and Snape to turn red. But the real laughter started when the students started to look at the cards.

The number cards looked normal aside from the replacement of the hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs. Instead they were made of white orbs, a paw-print, a howling wolf, and a stag with a huge rack. The face cards however were completely changed.

The Jacks showed pictures of Fred and George in the process of playing pranks on people. One showed them setting the wards on the door to the Beauxbaton's carriage to banish the female students' knickers. Another had them placing catnip in the hall outside Professor McGonagall's classroom.

The Queens showed the Weasley twins in the outfits of female Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang students along with something identified by some Muggleborn as an American cheerleader. In all of the pictures the twins were smiling and waving at the camera while making teasing little gestures like flipping up their skirts to show some more of their pasty white and hairless legs.

But the ultimate were the Kings.

The first was Fred and George each leaning in to kiss the cheek of a shocked looking Severus Snape. The next showed a smiling twin with Snape running his tongue up the boy's cheek. The third had one twin standing behind a sitting Snape looking down while rubbing the Potion Master's shoulders. The problem was the only thing visible of the other twins was the back of his head that was resting in Snape's lap. Snape had this silly little grin on his face. The final picture was the three wizards leaning together with Snape in the middle, waving tiredly while smoking cheap-looking cigars.

Almost like a signature, the Ace cards showed a werewolf, a Grim, a Stag, and a final figure cloaked in darkness with only glowing green eyes really being visible.

The Great Hall broke out in laughter and talking as the students shuffled through the deck and shared their finds with their neighbours. Fred and George were flipping through the deck also and cringing with each new face card they came across. Then they looked up at the younger boy that had sat down across from them.

"Damn you Potter," one twin started.

"This was mean,"

"cruel,"

"mentally scaring,"

"and way beyond the bounds of good taste."

"Well done!"

Harry grinned at the Weasley twins. "I thought you'd enjoy them. The hard part was getting Snape to agree to the pictures." That caused the twins to pale.

"Wait…"

"That really was Snape?"

"Please say that's not true!" Harry started to laugh at their scared expressions. Harry stood to re-join his friends without relieving their fears. He was half way to his seat when a new voice was heard over the din of the Great Hall.

"POTTER!" Snape screamed. "100 points from Gryffindor and detention for a month! I know you are responsible for this!"

"Really Severus, we don't know that Mr Potter is responsible for this," protested Professor McGonagall.

"We know it was Potter!" raged Snape.

McGonagall frowned. "We know no such thing, Severus. We must investigate this to ensure that the correct culprit is punished."

"Maybe we should take this to my office after dinner?" Dumbledore suggested in a mild tone that fooled no one.

"Very well, Headmaster," Snape huffed as he sat down. "But the brat needs to be expelled this time!"

"We shall see, professor," Dumbledore answered mildly. "Perhaps, Mr Potter can join us after the feast."

"Very well, Headmaster," Snape agreed. The professor sat down with a scowl and proceeded to glare at Harry through the rest of the feast. The potion master's mood was not improved when it was discovered that the Snape cards would occasionally start to yell and insult the card players to the amusement of the students.

-I-

After dinner, Harry made his way to the Headmaster's office. He found Professor McGonagall waiting for by the stone gargoyle.

"I'm rather disappointed with you, Mr Potter. While I would not agree with Professor Snape in the Great Hall this is not the kind of thing the Weasley twins would be involved with as they are included in the prank also. This leaves you is the only remaining suspect." stated the professor. "Your disruption of the returning feast is not appreciated."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, professor," Harry said with a shrug. "We were just trying to show how all three schools could get along."

"I don't understand how you feel that this prank makes this possible, Mr Potter."

Harry grinned. "Well we had students from Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons all included in creating the cards. Fleur did makeup and costumes, Al did the photography, and Victor helped insert create the cards."

"And what did Hogwarts provide?" Now Harry's grin threatened to erupt off his face.

"Why, our models of course," Harry said with a laugh. "Fred and George learned a very valuable lesson that night."

"And what lesson would that be, Mr Potter?" McGonagall asked.

"Never get drunk and pass out at the house of a Marauder," Harry said with a cheeky grin. The Transfiguration professor's lips twitched as she fought back a smile. Like his father Harry had always been a favourite of hers. As a professional teacher she knew she really shouldn't have favourites but there was something special about the Potter boys. Not that you ever tell them she found their antics amusing.

"Yes well… We still cannot have students acting disrespectful of our professors, especially in front of our foreign visitors. You will have to serve detention, Mr Potter. Now come with me. I shall do my best to get professor Snape calmed down and prevent you from getting detention through the rest of the year." The stern professor turned and led Harry up the stairs to the Headmaster's office.

-II-

The term started rather quietly after that. Harry received several detentions for the prank at the returning feast. The five detentions were assigned to Filch rather than Snape. Harry chose to see this as the lesser of two evils. He still had to clean filthy, disgusting objects for the caretaker but at least he didn't have to listen to the foul potions master say things about his father at the same time.

Having spent the summer with Sirius and Remus, Harry now knew all about the rivalry between the Marauders and Snape. The boys despised each other from the first day of their first year at Hogwarts. Both sides went way out of bounds to embarrass, injure, and humiliate the other. Where the Marauders used pranks to embarrass Snape used his potions skills and information gathered by other Slytherins in attempts to send the Marauders to the hospital wing or have them expelled. Lily Evans may have been the biggest point of contention between them but not the only one. Remus reckoned that Snape hated James and Sirius for being purebloods and "blood-traitors" while Snape was a half blood that wanted nothing more to be a pureblood and away from the Muggle world.

Yet even knowing the history and Remus is speculation didn't justify the potions professor's treatment of the non-Slytherin students particularly Harry. Blaming a boy with no conscious memory of meeting his father for that father's actions while in school himself was ridiculous. At times Harry was tempted to introduce the foul git to the Beast.

Three days after the students returned to Hogwarts, Professor Moody announced the first of the duelling club meetings. The duelling club would be divided into an upper half made up of the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh year students. The lower half would have the rest of the school. To Harry's relief, Snape would be helping the upper half while Flitwick would be working with the lower half.

With the help of the house elves Moody created a duelling area out of two unused classrooms. The wall between the rooms was removed and three platforms were installed along with bleachers and shields to protect spectators.

Harry and his friends filtered into the new duelling arena along with the rest of the lower half students. Many of the students were excited about the new club but they were all rather nervous about Professor Moody teaching the class.

"I bet old Mad-Eye has us doing something out of Auror training," Ron said in an excited voice.

"Really, Ron?" Ernie asked with a straight face. "Is that anything like the troll you assured us we would have to wrestle to get sorted back in first year?" Ron started making sounds of denial while his ears turned red with embarrassment. It didn't help when his Slytherin girlfriend noticed.

"Oh I love it when his ears go red," Daphne said as she reached up to cup Ron's ears with her hands. "It's always good for warming up my hands." The rest of the group laughed as Ron turned and tried to scowl at the pretty blonde witch. When she simply smiled back at him Ron gave it up as a bad job and shrugged.

"What is this – pick on Ron's day?" He asked.

Daphne laughed. "Yes, and tomorrow's pick on Ernie day and the next day is Harry's turn."

"And when is it your turn?"

"We girls have to deal with you knuckleheads. Isn't that enough punishment?" Padma and Hermione laughed and nodded their agreement with Daphne's statement. For a moment Ron looked like he was going to reply but instead he just sat down on the bench. Daphne took this as an admission of defeat.

"See girls, I told you he could be taught. And you thought he was a lost cause!" This brought the girls another round of laughter as Daphne settled into a seat next to Ron. The red-haired boy pretended to be mad as he turned to Harry.

"I told you all Slytherins were evil." The group started to laugh again except for Ron who winced as Daphne gave him a little jab in the side.

Ron was saved from further retaliation by Moody and Flitwick stepping out onto the stage.

"Now listen up, you lot. I told you all at the beginning of the year that I had one year to whip you all in the shape," Moody announced. "I didn't realize in just how bad a shape Hogwarts students had gotten. The performance of your so-called champions last month was abysmal! Britain once claimed the best, most powerful magical fighters in the world! Our Aurors were known and feared by criminals all over the world. I wouldn't put you waste of wands against a First year from a fourth rate school in Mongolia! "Instead of teaching the best magical students I have a squib making jokes about who really is more dangerous with a wand – a Hogwarts student or a three-year-old! My bet is on the three-year-old!"

Moody was really on a roll. It took Flitwick another five minutes to pull the Defence professor back on the topic. The Charms professor started explaining to the class about the basic rules of duelling in a civilized venue. After explaining the rules, Flitwick started explaining basic duelling exercises and strategies. The last half of the class was spent performing some exercises.

Harry found the class did not live up to the expectations he had put on it. Fred and George had talked about watching a duel between Moody and Snape. The dual had gotten progressively nastier until Flitwick ended it. Fred commented that Moody didn't look like he wanted to stop until Snape was dead. George added that it was an attitude he could live with if it meant no more potions with Snape.

Unfortunately for Harry that first class set the tone for the next few classes. It wasn't until the fourth class that the professors allow the students to start duelling with their classmates. That was when Moody decided to throw a spanner into the works.

"Potter, get up here!" Moody commanded. Harry shared an uneasy glance with Padma before standing and walking forward. Moody scowled down from the platform at Harry.

"I understand your Godfather has taught you a bit of duelling. Well congratulations! You just volunteered to be our sparring partner."

"You mean I have to spar with you?" While Remus and Sirius had given Harry some training he really didn't want to duel with the former Master Auror. While the beast gave Harry some natural advantages he really didn't want to display them in front of half the school.

Moody gave him an evil grin that made Harry really nervous. "No boy. You're going to be the target dummy while I work with all these brats."

"Professor, you can't do that!" Hermione yelled as many of the Slytherin students celebrated amongst themselves. "You can't make Harry face all of us!"

"Oh, I think I can missy. Potter here has the best practical scores in Fourth year Defence along with outside training. I'd bet on him well before that over-bred popinjay Malfoy!"

This comment brought laughter from many of the students except for Harry and Malfoy and his followers. The Slytherins were angry over the slight to their leader while Harry realized the defence professor had just painted the target Harry's chest. Every student wanting to prove they were better than the Boy-Who-Lived was going to get a chance at him now. Harry was sure the pureblood society would be first in line.

Moody turned to Harry and pointed him to a spot on the opposite side of the platform. When the former Auror came near Harry growled, "What do you think you are doing?"

The professor gave Harry and evil grin. "I've given you an opportunity, Potter. Sink or swim. You succeed and none of these little ankle-biters will ever bother you again. Fail and…" Moody gave an elegant shrug that said it all.

Harry stepped into the position Moody indicated and drew his wand. He waited while Moody called up the first students. Then he noticed professor Flitwick standing nearby.

"Oh dear, Mr Potter. I suggest you look on this as a learning experience," diminutive man said in a somewhat cheerful and supportive voice. "No one could reasonably expect you to face your entire year successfully. But I will help you out when I can't."

"Thank you, professor. But when has the Wizarding world ever been reasonable where I am concerned?" The charms master found he didn't have a response for that.

-III-

Moody called up all the fourth year Ravenclaws alphabetically to face Harry. Terry Boot was the first student Harry faced. The boy got off to spells before Harry successfully summoned Terry's wand. Next was Mandy Brocklehurst who was so nervous that she nearly dropped her wand on Moody's command to start.

Michael Corner was the first of the hard-core Magical Society Club members that Harry faced. Harry remembered Corner's support of Nott back in October. It seemed the other boy still had something to prove. For a moment Harry contemplated finding the Ravenclaw prefect on patrol one night and introducing him to the Beast.

Corner came after Harry throwing everything he could into loudly cast spells- as though the louder he shouted to spell the more powerful it would be. It was the first habit Sirius broke Harry of at the start of summer. Harry was not quite focused enough for silent spells but he did have a down to a whisper. Harry verbally cast a tickling hex and quickly followed it up with a near silent stunning spell. The tickling hex was a bright red pulse of light while the stunning spell was a darker red. Corner heard and saw the tickling curse and stood his ground expecting his shield to stop it. Unfortunately for him the following stunner was powerful enough to not only break his shield but also sent him tumbling off the duelling platform to the onlookers' general amusement.

The duels continued through the entire Ravenclaw Fourth year cohort. By the time Harry faced his girlfriend he was starting to feel a bit beat up. Harry could see the concern on Padma's face as she faced him across the platform. Ironically, she was his most challenging Ravenclaw opponent.

Next, Moody called up the Fourth year Hufflepuffs. Hannah Abbott went down quickly to Harry's wand. Susan Bones however, gave Harry a real challenge. She soon went down to a stunning spell but Harry suspected she was receiving some training from her aunt's Aurors. When it was Ernie's turn Harry could see that his mate wasn't trying his best. Moody could see it too and yelled at the fourth year for not being aggressive enough. Harry quickly scored a hit on his friend with a disarming spell.

Zacharias Smith was the last Hufflepuff student. Smith had never been a friend or supporter to Harry. A pureblood, Smith was friendly with Michael corner and many of the Slytherins. His family was not part of the elite pureblood society but from comments Ernie made Harry reckoned that the other boy wanted to be at that level. Smith was also one of the central idiots behind the rumours that Harry was 'the heir of Slytherin'.

Almost before Moody said, "Begin," Smith started firing a barrage of spells, hexes, and curses at Harry. The boy seemed determined to defeat Harry. For a moment Harry was tempted to let them. He really didn't want to be doing this and didn't need the attention from the rest of the school. He more wanted to curse Moody. But Harry also didn't want to give the git the satisfaction of beating the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry fired a wide area bludgeoning curse that threw the other boy clear off the duelling platform.

Lavender is called up as the first Gryffindor. The gossipy witch managed to dodge Harry's first two curses before a tickling hex caught her in the side. Moody wasn't impressed that she was taken out by a first year spell but Harry was actually surprised that she managed to dodge his first two spells and suspected that she was also.

Now in rapid order Harry fought Seamus, Hermione, Neville, Parvati, and Dean. By the time Ron appeared on the end of the duelling platform Harry looked like he had just run a marathon. Sweat was dripping from Harry's face from the constant dodging and the magical effort he was putting forth. While Harry wasn't using any of the really powerful spells Sirius taught him over the summer it was the cumulative effort of fighting all those duels. In fact, Harry suspected without his werewolf–animagus form and summer training he would have passed out from magical exhaustion before he finished duelling the Hufflepuffs.

Ron took one look at Harry and turned toward Moody and said, "Professor, this is nutters. You can't make Harry do this!"

"Aye, I can, laddie. Now get into position and get ready to duel."

Ron turned and looked out the platform to Harry. "Harry?"

Harry looked through his exhausted eyes at one of his best mates. He saw the question on Ron's face. Harry knew he should just turn around and walk off the platform but for some reason he felt pressed to continue on. He saw the scowl on the defence professor's face. Harry took a deep breath and forced himself to stand up into a ready position. He gave Ron a quick nod to confirm he was ready.

"Begin!" Moody called out.

Like Ernie, Ron made a half-hearted attempt at duelling Harry. The Slytherins started taunting Ron's poor performance. Harry got through Ron's shield with a stunner. Malfoy and his friends started laughing and hooting at the sight of the youngest Weasley male unconscious on the duelling platform.

"Potter, you have five minutes to rest up and then we finish this," Moody announced before stomping off the platform.

Padma, Daphne, and Hermione rushed to the platform. Hermione and Padma ran over to Harry and helped him sit on a stool Hermione conjured while Daphne woke her boyfriend. A call by Padma saw Dobby bring a glass of water for Harry to drink. Harry gulped the water down gratefully.

"This is crazy!" Hermione ranted. "Someone should go tell professor Dumbledore what is going on here. There is no way he would allow this!"

"Really?" Ernie asked in a sceptical tone. "He let Moody demonstrate all three of the Unforgivables our first week of class and cast the Imperius Curse on all of us. So his agreeing to Harry duelling all of fourth year is not really unbelievable."

"Harry, should we stop this?" Padma asked. Harry could see the concern in her eyes. Harry forced a game smile onto his face.

"One more house to go. I've come this far, I can finish," Harry said. "I can do it. Besides I really don't want Malfoy making noise about being afraid to face him." The normally calm Indian witch made a small growl of frustration with her stubborn Gryffindor boyfriend.

"Let's go, Potter," Moody called. "I want to be done with this so I can go grade some of these miserable essays you people give me."

Harry stood up from the conjured stool and made his way back to his place on the platform. The short break and water had Harry feeling like he was getting his second wind.

Millicent Bulstrode was the first Slytherin Harry was to face. On Moody's call to start Harry fired off a fast stunner and caught the large girl going through some elaborate wand movements. Crabbe was the next to come up but Malfoy's pet gorilla was not much of a magical challenge.

Tracey Davis was the first Slytherin to give Harry a real fight. Davis was not part of Malfoy circle but she was proud of her House and her heritage. Beating Potter would surely boost her standing in the House. Harry was caught a bit off guard when the petite, brunette witch gave him a real fight. He clipped her in the side with a bludgeoning curse that sent her to the platform floor with a shout of pain. A summoning spell on her wand ended the fight.

When Flitwick levitated her off the platform Harry caught her eye and gave her a respectful nod.

Greg Goyle lasted no longer than his buddy Vinny. But to the surprise of many, Daphne really made an effort to defeat Harry. She caught Harry with a tripping jinx that sent Harry to the ground for the first time. It was only Harry's firm grip on his wand that kept him from losing. Unfortunately for her, Daphne was so sure that her summoning spell would work that she was unprepared for the disarming spell that Harry returned to her.

Harry was feeling the exhaustion setting in again when Malfoy swaggered onto the platform.

"You may have impressed these losers," Malfoy sneered. "But I've been trained and fought a real duel against the champions. Put your wand down and walk away and I will be merciful. Who knows? Maybe I'll even return it to you."

For the first time in a long while Harry felt the Beast in him seize control. It was almost like his first days in the forest near Little Whining. The Beast had never liked Snape or Malfoy but now it was pushing through the control Harry had developed. A rush of power swept through Harry.

"Nott, Parkinson, Zabini, get down here and join this little ponce. All four of you against me. Right here, right now."

A chorus of voices protested Harry's challenge, chief among them Padma and Hermione. But when Harry turned his gaze on them all conversation stopped. Harry realized how close the Beast was to taking control. He had stopped wearing his glasses when he'd learnt to suppress the beast to some degree. But the magical exhaustion and the Slytherins' taunts had caused that control to slip.

Harry turned back to where his four Slytherin opponents were gathering to fight him.

"Um, Mr Potter," professor Flitwick squeaked. "The duelling code does not allow for multiple simultaneous opponents. I'm afraid the regulations won't allow this."

"That's okay, professor. At least three of these… people never follow the rules anyway."

Moody snickered. "That's what I want to see. Let's get this over with. Begin!"

What followed was a stunning display of power especially for a Fourth year student that had just fought over 20 duels with very little time between them. Parkinson and Zabini went on the defensive and protected Nott and Malfoy. The two Slytherin would be alphas each went on an immediate attack to outdo their rival by being the one to take down Potter.

Harry batted away Malfoy's magic with a shield while sidestepping Nott's. Then he took a page out of Malfoy's spell book from Second year.

"Serpensortia!"

Three large pythons similar to the one Harry saw at the London zoo appeared on the platform.

"Subdue them but don't injure them," Harry ordered the snakes. With hisses of agreement the snakes proceeded down the platform. The Slytherins tried to stop the snakes but Harry's spells were coming too fast to allow them to focus on the approaching snakes for long.

A stunning spell caught Parkinson square in her pug-like nose. The witch fell back into Zabini throwing off both defensive casters. The platform was really too narrow for four people to really fight at the same time. The jumble of Parkinson and Zabini cut down on that space even further. It left Nott and Malfoy totally dependent on their shields for defence. The arrival of the pythons added to their problems. Two of the snakes wrapped themselves around the prone witch and wizard. Zabini's panicked screams soon filled the air. The third snake attempted to wrap around Nott but was killed by a Cutting Curse.

But the snakes were enough of a distraction.

A pair of over-powered stunning spells ploughed into the two boy-wizards. A summoning spell then left Harry in possession of all four of their wands.

The duelling club was silent for a moment before breaking into cheers for the feat they had just witnessed. Harry ignored them and turned to walk away. He'd learnt something here about himself. About the Beast. He needed to think about what it meant.

The story quickly went around Hogwarts about Harry defeating all the other fourth year students. The whispers started again and it was like his second year all over again. But Harry ignored it. It took a few days for his magical reserves to be restored to the normal level. But Harry spent a great deal of that time in his Beast form in the Forbidden Forest getting back what he'd forgotten.

-IV-

11 February 1995

"Really, this is it? All we get to do for the second task is look at the lake?" Harry asked.

Harry was sitting in the announcer's booth with Ludo Bagman. The former Quidditch star had just announced the second task to the listening audience. The ministry official had just finished telling everyone in dramatic terms of the challenges facing the champions and or their hostages at the bottom of the lake.

Harry thought the whole thing was daft. And he said so. Unfortunately, the ministry official had not yet turned off the Wizarding wireless microphone and Harry's opinions went out to all of Britain to the amusement of many in the Stadium.

"Now, Mr Potter," bagman reassured Harry, "this test will be a great test for our champions. They must prove their ingenuity and courage to dive deep into the black Lake and rescue that which they will miss most."

Harry snickered. "Maybe, but for the next hour we get to sit and look at a lake."

"Yes well I'm sure it shall be very exciting."

"Maybe I can send Padma back to get my charms homework. At least then the next hour will be productive," Harry commented in a speculative voice. Bagman scowled at Harry's sarcastic comment. Then he realized that the microphone was still active and muted it in a sudden panic.

Unfortunately, Harry prediction turned out to be the more accurate.

The nine champions lined up at the side of the lake. A small dock jutted out into the water. The three headmasters stood nearby trying to support their champions. While Viktor looked bored, the rest of the champions all looked nervous about entering the Black Lake. Harry couldn't blame them. It was February after all – that water looked really cold.

Bagman gave the starting signal in the champions rushed to the water's edge. Fleur was the first champion to reach the water. She ran directly off the dock without pausing and making a clean diving entry into the water. Al was a step behind her. In moments all of the champions were in the water except for Malfoy.

The Slytherins fourth year looked very small and pale in his swimming costume. To the Muggleborn and -raised amongst the students it look like something out of the 1920s. While Harry wanted to laugh at the other boy's pale, thin chicken legs, his humour was suspended with the knowledge that Harry himself was the one intended to be in this Tournament. If not for Ernie's joking comment, and Harry's own paranoia then Harry's name would have come out of the Goblet of Fire. It was a sobering thought.

Draco paused at the end of the dock and looked back to where his parents stood with Professor Snape. He nervously reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wad that looked something like spinach. Taking in nervous gulp, to Slytherin champion shoved the wide into his mouth before diving into the water.

For the next hour the audience did not have much to see. They became restless until Dumbledore had the house elves deliver snacks and pumpkin juice to the stands. When the mumbling started again bagman started telling tales of his Quidditch triumphs and inside stories about his former teammates and competitors. Harry found it interesting for the first five minutes but it quickly got annoying.

"This should count as detention," Harry muttered no longer paying any attention.

Viktor was the only champion to return within the one hour timeline with his hostage, Tracey Davis. Cedric came in next with Cho Chang just after the hour expired. Surprisingly, Malfoy was the next champion to return. His hostage was Pansy Parkinson who looked a little worse for wear. Her one leg looked as though it had been chewed on with lots of little red bite marks. Mdm. Pomfrey immediately whisked her into a tent to treat her wounds.

The remaining champions all return within the next 15 minutes. Fleur arrived with a small clone of herself wrapped in her arms and crying. Al helped her ashore trailed by his own girlfriend, Emily.

Harry was glad that his friends had returned safely, even Fleur. Once the Veela Princess removed the wand from her arse she was actually pretty fun to talk with – and she was very easy on the eyes too. Harry just hoped that the final task was actually something worth watching.

-V-

It was several days after the second task that Harry followed Sirius into the Headmaster's office. Sirius had scheduled the meeting to discuss some issues stemming from his position as Harry's guardian. Sirius insisted that Harry be present so he would be aware of what was going on with his accounts.

The Headmaster settled behind his wide desk in the hard, high-backed chair that was almost throne-like. Sirius sat with the unconscious grace forced onto him by his crazy mother as being 'proper' for a Pureblood. Harry sat next to his godfather silently as Sirius started to pull out some scrolls from inside his robe.

"Professor…"

"Albus," the Headmaster interrupted. "You haven't been my student in many years and I would appreciate you using my name – at least when we are in private."

Sirius merely nodded as he unrolled a scroll.

"According to the goblins, you were assigned by the Wizengamot as the executor of the Potter estate a week after James and Lily's deaths."

Dumbledore nodded. "That is correct, as per the wishes of their wills."

"The goblins were quite impressed with the growth of the Potter accounts under your control. They were almost respectful."

The Headmaster shrugged. "Much of it was not my doing. I did convince the Ministry that naming the Potter's house for a nominal 1G fee would be looked on poorly by the public when they were stealing from the orphaned Boy-Who-Lived. They in fact paid 12 per cent over the estate agent's estimated market value before the attack. Years of working with teenagers has made me rather good at playing the guilt card."

The old wizard's amused observation made Harry snicker. He wasn't sure if he could trust the old wizard but one had to admit the man played the disappointed grandfather role very well.

"I tried to block the printing of the Harry Potter books but was unsuccessful. The court felt that no reasonable person would confuse the real Harry Potter with the literary creation based on his name and surviving the Killing Curse."

"Tell that to Ginny and the rest of the bloody fan club," Harry muttered. "They all thought they knew me before they even met me! And then they get miffed when I tell them their 'facts' on my life are so much bullocks!"

Dumbledore nodded. "I agree, Mr Potter. Unfortunately, the courts did not. I was able to get you 8 per cent of the gross sales on all items based on your name or likeness. While Quidditch stars routinely see 15-20 per cent, it was at least something. However, the agreement only covered up until you entered Hogwarts. Anything based on your time since the start of your First year is 25 per cent of gross – hence why no new books have been released since 31 July 1991.

"Why the difference?" Sirius asked curiously.

Dumbledore smiled – almost cynically. "Well, the Boy-Who-Lived books are only vaguely based on Mr Potter. In fact they only use his name and family history - nothing that has happened since that October. So they really are fiction. However, anything that is used since his return to the Wizarding world is based on true events which give him the higher rate."

"That's even worse," Harry said in a near growl. "They knew they were lies and passed it off like it was my real life." Dumbledore noticed that Harry's eyes were almost glowing with power and even with his age, power, and experience the headmaster felt uneasy. He decided to change the subject and hopefully Mr Potter would calm down.

"I also invested in several Muggle mutual funds that have done rather well of late. I have my family's money invested in the same ones. Their value will not be included in the goblins' accounting as it is outside Gringotts control." Dumbledore pulled out a folder and slid across the desk to Sirius. The younger wizard picked up the folder and started classing through the papers. Almost against his own will, Sirius nodded in appreciation of how well the accounts had done.

Harry saw the impressed expression on his godfather's face. It seemed the Headmaster had done an excellent job of managing the Potter money. It made Harry want to trust the old wizard a bit more. But there was still something bothering him.

"Headmaster, why did you leave me with the Dursleys?" Harry asked in a carefully controlled voice. One did not need to be a master of Legilimency to read the carefully controlled pain behind Harry's voice. However, as a master Legilimencer, Dumbledore almost could feel it pressing against his mental shields.

Dumbledore sighed. "That is not an easy question to answer, Mr Potter. The short answer is simply that was the best place available for you. The 'why' of that is where the difficulties lay."

Dumbledore paused a moment as if waiting for Harry to speak but Harry simply sat waiting. Dumbledore sighed again.

"First, one must understand the time. We had been on the edge of losing the war when Tom attacked your family. It was almost an accepted fact that it was only a matter of time until the Death Eaters won. Many were preparing to flee our island or trying to show how 'Pureblooded' they were to protect themselves when the Death Eaters took over. Then suddenly the war was over and we'd won. Most of the country spent the next week in celebration.

"I arrived at your parents' house shortly after their deaths. The wards were all down and the house was on fire. I put out the fire and checked on you. Aside from the scar on your forehead you merely slept. An Auror investigation team arrived to remove Tom's remains and determine what had occurred at the house. I was summoned to the Ministry and left you under the supervision of a Hogwarts elf.

"At the Ministry it was pure chaos. News of Tom's demise was celebrated and rumours of your survival of the Killing Curse were already starting to spread. Shortly after my arrival at the Ministry I was approached and casually asked who would be taking custody of the Boy-Who-Lived. It was the first time I'd ever heard the moniker that has followed you since. I quickly learnt there was an effort to have you assigned to the guardianship of one of two families. The first was the hand-picked successor of Minister Bagshot, Cornelius Fudge. The second was her main rival, the Head of the DMLE, Bartimus Crouch. It was not difficult to realize they were simply interested in you for the political capital it would accrue for them."

Harry paled at the mention of the two men. He did not doubt Dumbledore's assessment of the two wizard's interest in having custody of an orphaned half-blood child of a non-aristocratic family.

Dumbledore continued. "Officially, I was only the Headmaster of Hogwarts at the time, not the Chief Warlock nor involved with the ICW. As such, I had limited authority. I sent Hagrid to collect you that night from your parents' house. I had him spend a full day with you while I attempted to enact your parents' wills. With both parties within the Wizengamot blocking it, I quickly saw it was futile and sent word via Fawkes to Hagrid to meet me at your Aunt's house. Petunia was your only living blood relative within two degrees of relation. As such, even a politically motivated Ministry would have a hard time removing you from her care. I had hoped it would only be necessary for you to be there a short time until I could have James and Lily's wills executed."

Dumbledore smile ruefully. "I told Professor McGonagall about my plan early on. Do you know she spent the whole day watching the Dursleys in her Animagus form? She was rather against the plan, calling them 'the worst sort of Muggles.' Alas, she was correct as usual.

"We left you on the step with a warming, a notice-me-not, and sleeping charms in place. The wards I enacted required Petunia to voluntarily take you in. If I had forced you into her arms the magic would have failed. Her lifting you out of the basket with no prompting was sufficient for the magic for consider her action the voluntary acceptance of your guardianship.

"It took one week to execute the wills that named Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, and Dolores Dearborn as your guardians. Unfortunately, Dolores, who was your mother's Gryffindor roommate and best friend, was killed one month before your parents. Sirius was in prison for betraying your parents and killing Mr Pettigrew. And while the Ministry would have allowed a werewolf to take in any other half-blood orphan, they blocked his effort to take custody of you even to the point of placing a ward on you to prevent his approaching you on pain of Azkaban. By that time, young Barty Crouch had already been revealed a Death Eater, leaving Cornelius as the primary candidate to be named your guardian unless you went to your aunt. I made the best decision I could under the circumstances."

Harry shivered at the thought of being raised in Fudge's house. While the man had been friendly enough the summer after Harry's First year, the events of Third year and the Quidditch World Cup left little doubt of the man's true character. Harry had a sudden vision of being raised along with the son of Fudge's 'good friend' Lucius Malfoy. The thought made Harry sick.

The Headmaster continued to speak unaware of the horrible visions crossing Harry's eyes. "By the time I became Chief Warlock five years later, Lucius Malfoy and Tom's other followers had again established themselves in the Ministry and Wizengamot. Attempting to open up the issue of your guardianship would have risked your assignment to one of those families. I am sure you can appreciate why I would not risk it."

Harry considered the Headmaster's story. It was consistent with what he'd learnt on his own. Many of the accounts of that night missed the fact there was a full day between the attack on his parents and his arrival at the Dursleys. McGonagall's day of observation was news to him though. Moony had mentioned he'd been blocked from visiting Harry at the Dursleys but he'd never gone into the specifics of how he'd been prevented from visiting.

Since first learning of the magical world Harry had little cause to trust authority figures in this world. Learning the truth of his parents' death, the myths that surrounded him and the prejudice against werewolves prevented Harry from trusting adult witches and wizards too far. Wolves by nature are cagey creatures and wary of strangers. It was a lesson Harry learned long before the Beast at the hands of his uncle.

Sirius and Remus were the first adults Harry trusted. (Sirius was more of a child anyway.) Kalina was moving into that circle also. Harry wasn't sure what to make of Dumbledore. While the Wizarding world place the old man on a pedestal and he had done well with the Potter finances there is just something in the beast that held Harry back from trusting the man. His instincts told Harry he was being hunted. That same instinct told Harry the headmaster knew something about it. Until the wizard was honest with Harry, or Harry simply had no choice, Harry resolved to keep his secrets his own.

Unaware of Harry's thoughts, Sirius broke the silence. "When I asked Hagrid where he was taking you, he said you wanted Harry out of sight for his own protection. That's why I gave him my bike to get Harry further away quickly. With Harry safe, I went looking for the traitor."

"I always did wonder about that," Dumbledore admitted. "If you were in fact the traitor, then why assist Hagrid in your protection? My suspicion at the time was you either were truly fond of young Mr Potter and did not see the point in attacking him once Tom was apparently dead, or you did not realize Mr Potter here was Tom's real target that night."

The three wizards sat in silence for several minutes as each thought about the errors, false assumptions, and flat out bad luck that had led them to this point. The silence was growing awkward when Dumbledore finally spoke.

"May I hope that this discussion has gone some way to clear the air between us?"

Sirius glanced at Harry before nodding. "Yes, prof…Albus, I believe it has."

"Excellent! Then I wish to present yourselves and Remus with a bit of a challenge."

"What kind of a challenge?" Sirius asked somewhat suspiciously. Harry also looked curious.

Dumbledore glanced down over his glasses with an amused expression. "During our last event, I believe our host made some rather vocal observations of how boring things were for those of us not in the Tournament ourselves."

"They were underwater the whole time," Harry asserted. "Fred and George wanted to start selling fishing poles just for something to do."

Dumbledore smiled. "Quite an imagination those two boys have. Possibly even better than the Marauders." Sirius looked indignant at the assertion. Harry simply smiled as he watched Padfoot's reaction.

"For the next event we'd planned on having a maze created on the Quidditch pitch. The Champions would have to get to the centre of the maze while avoiding magical traps and several creatures provided by Hagrid. However, with nine champions," the Headmaster paused a moment to glance at Harry, "we simply have too many participants to fit into the space. So I propose a challenge to the Marauders and their successors. Provide a challenge course to test our champions that is difficult without being deadly. The challenge will occur on the 21st of June as OWL and NEWT testing will be done.

Sirius and Harry exchanged incredulous looks. Was the Headmaster serious about this?

"It also rather does the students the favour of distracting you and the Weasley twins from your prank war so they can get some studies done." Harry laughed at the professor's awareness of the battle between Harry and his friends against the Twin Terrors.

"So gentlemen, do you accept?"

A/N: This chapter was a bit of an experiment for me. So please review and let me know what you think. (And no, I am not saying what the experiment was – that would ruin the experiment.

It is the longest chapter in the story to date (7,758). I knew where I wanted it to end and what had to happen before I got there. If I stick to my outline (which doesn't always happen), we have two more chapters left in Fourth year. Beyond that? We'll see.