Chapter 7: An Uncanny Canon
Summary: Harry finishes his fourth year at Hogwarts
"- You've been to Camelot."
Harry nodded.
"You have trained under the most famous wizard of all time!"
Harry shrugged.
"You've travelled back in time, and changed history!" Sirius screamed.
"Yep." Harry grinned.
Seeing his godfather brought Harry a bit more down to earth. It reminded him of the Triwizard tournament, and Karkaroff and the Death Eaters. Harry tried not to show it in the following weeks, but he was sure Hermione, at least, noticed. Harry missed Camelot.
She didn't dwell on it, however, because she had found the Witch Weekly article that Malfoy had thrown at her. "Harry Potter's Secret Heartache" was all Harry saw before the fuming witch tossed it into the fire.
"A maze?" Harry said incredulously.
"Correct, Harry!" Bagman said cheerfully. "Although, I think this one will be a bit more challenging than a simple hedge maze.
"But on the Quiddich pitch!" Cedric said sadly. Harry nodded, slightly disturbed by the plants on his pitch. Krum didn't look too pleased, either.
"Right... Well it'll be gone by next year." Bagman assured uncomfortably. "Anyway, you will have to go through this maze, facing unknown dangers, and the first to reach the cup, in the centre of the maze, will win the tournament."
"Zo ze points made no deefrence?" Fleur asked, confused.
"Oh no, they make a difference." Bagman denied. The points you have determine the time you go in. Harry will go in first, then Cedric, then Krum and Fleur. You might want to brush up on your spells. Good luck!"
Harry started walking off, but someone grabbed his arm.
Harry spun around, swinging a hand up in defence. The only think keeping him from blasting whoever it was back was the instinct Don't-Do-Magic that was drilled into him in Camelot. He was glad for it when he saw that it was only Krum standing there, empty handed.
"May I speak vith you, Potter?" He said.
"Sure. What about?" Harry said.
"Not here." Victor said, and led an impatient Harry to the edge of the forbidden forest. "I vas vondering, Potter, what your relationship vith 'Ermey-one vas. I see you two very often, and I do vish to understand..."
Harry nodded, "Don't worry, Hermione and I are just friends. I really, really, don't have any interest in her." He looked a bit disgusted at the thought, which helped convince him.
For the second time that day, Harry felt a hand on his shoulder, and spun around wildly, hands outstretched. He saw the haggard figure of Crouch, and almost blasted him back (again.) "Mr. Crouch!" Harry said, surprised.
"Potter," he breathed, chest heaving from unknown strain. "Need Professor Dumbledore, please... I've done... horrible. Get him..."
Harry looked at him. What was happening? Had Crouch gone mad?
Harry made a split second decision, and thrust his hand forward, physically knocking the man out in the way Arthur had taught him.
"Vat..." Victor started, but Harry simply said, but Harry interrupted him.
"I don't know what's going on with him, but he wasn't in his right mind. I'm going to get him somewhere where he can regain it." Harry said, voice hard.
Krum nodded. "Are you in need off help?"
Harry tilted his head. "Er, could you levitate him to that hut over there?" Victor nodded in acquiescence.
"Hagrid!" Harry yelled, banging on the door to his friends house.
"'Arty!" Hagrid grinned, then looked behind him. "'Arry? Wa's happened?"
Harry edited his story a bit, looking at his fellow champion sharply. "Krum and I thought we saw something moving in the woods, after being called down to the pitch. We found Crouch, and thought we should probably bring him to where he could get help."
Victor hid his surprise well, and nodded along with the story. "Righ', then. Mr. Krum Do ye know were the 'Eadmaster's office is?"
Victor shook his head. "I haff not seen it."
"We'll both get Professor Dumbledore." Harry said. "And anyone else, do you think?"
Hagrid said, looking down at Crouch, "Nah, just Dumbledore, and he'll know what ter -"
Hagrid was stopped abruptly when Crouch grabbed his brown coat. "Please... it's all my fault. Please..." He, too, stopped talking. Then he sat up straight. "Weatherby." He said primly. "Weatherby. You must make sure to -" He stopped again, eyes crossing wildly.
"Right. We'd better hurry." Harry said.
Harry and Victor ran up the path to the castle, barely stopping when they saw Professor Moody limp down the path. Harry swung back around, running to him.
"Professor! Have you seen the headmaster?" Harry yelled.
Moody turned around to face him. "He should be in his office. Why?"
"I need to ask him... wait. Do you have my map?" Harry said quickly.
"Yes, I have it." Moody patted his pocket.
"Right. I need it back, to find the Headmaster." Harry's eyes flashed, and Moody nodded.
"Of course. Thank you for allowing me to borrow it." He said, passing the parchment over.
"Welcome, Professor." Harry lowered his voice slightly, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
Victor, looking very confused, allowed himself to be pulled along as Harry yelled in triumph and ran with renewed vigour towards the castle.
"Oh... I don't have time for this." Harry said, realizing he didn't know the password. "Acid pops. Fizzing whizzbees. Chocolate frogs. Blood pops-" The door opened, allowing the two to run to the edge of the moving staircase.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry banged on the door. It opened, causing him to fall through, Victor grabbing his arm.
"Professor, Mr. Crouch, down at Hagrid's, he's..." Harry stopped for breath.
Dumbledore wasted no time. Moving with a speed not expected of his age, he started down the stairs.
"Lead the way, Harry. You can explain as we go."
"Victor and I were heading back from the pitch, we saw something in the woods. It was Mr. Crouch, unconscious. We brought him to Hagrids, and he woke up, but he was talking nonsense, and we thought we should get you..."
Dumbledore nodded at this. "If he is indeed at Hagrid's, then I can take it from here. Mr. Krum, you may continue your business. Mr. Potter, if you could alert Madam Pomphrey, and Professor Snape?" The two champions nodded, and walked in separate directions.
"Madam Pomphrey?" Harry opened the door to the Hospital Wing.
"Mr. Potter, what have you done to yourself this time?" She said, walking over to him.
"Oh, no. I'm fine, but Professor Dumbledore asked me to tell you that your presence is required at Hagrid's." Harry assured her.
"Of course. Do you know why?" She asked.
"It has something to do with Barty Crouch." Harry said, before running out the door in search of his least favourite professor.
"Professor Snape?" Harry knocked on his office door.
Snape pulled the door open, sneering when he saw Harry. "What do you want, Potter?"
"Professor Dumbledore needs you to go to Hagrid's hut." Harry said quickly. "It's about Mr. Crouch."
Snape snapped forward, causing Harry to quickly swing out of the doorway so his professor could get through. "Do not go in my office, boy." He said as he left.
Harry waited until the hurried footsteps were out of hearing range, then stepped forward. Snape said not to go in there... why? Did he simply want to keep him from prying, or did he have something to hide? Harry played with the idea of searching his office, but rejected it. He didn't know what he was looking for, and there was every possibility he could get caught. 'Too risky, and not a big enough reward.' Harry told himself, and closed the door. He had a lot to tell his friends.
Hermione and Ron took a bit to digest this new information, after he told his tale, but the first thing out of either of their mouths was "We need to tell Sirius!"
Hermione quickly followed Ron's comment with a, "How can we find out what happened?"
Harry shook his head to clear it, then addressed Hermione's question first. "I dunno how to find out more. Krum and I were told to leave, and then it was just Professor Dumbledore, Snape, Madam Pomphrey at Hagrid's... Hagrid! We could ask him!"
Hermione nodded, and Ron said, "I wish we had the map. Then we could see if he's still on the grounds."
"Hang on!" Harry said excitedly, pulling out the map, "I saw Moody walking outside when Krum and I were coming back! I asked for it, to find Dumbledore in time."
Ron grinned in triumph, but Hermione looked thoughtful. "I wonder what he was doing, though." She said, "I mean, he was headed in the direction you came from, and he had the map..."
Ron's eyes lit with understanding. "You think he knew about it, and went down to check it out?"
"That's exactly what I think. But what I think of it, I don't quite know."
It was daybreak. Harry, Ron and Hermione crept out of bed early to send their note to Sirius, explaining both the Crouch Business and the third Task.
"What do you think's going to happen?" Ron said.
"Honestly, I don't have a clue. We don't even know why Crouch was raving mad, in the forbidden forest and not sick in bed like he said he was. It's strange, and not in a good way. Too many strange things happening at once, it can't be a coincidence." Harry said as they stepped into the Owlery.
"Your right, Harry." Hermione said, tying the note to one of the few barn-owls back from hunting for the night. "I think..."
But she trailed off, and Harry soon figured out why. He could hear two voices arguing, getting louder and louder as they approached.
"- Play dirty, like him. If we threaten to tell the Ministry, then -"
"-That would be blackmail. If you put that in writing..."
"- And if we get a nice fat payoff? I think-"
The door opened. Fred and George stood there, freezing at the sight of the Trio.
"What're you doing here?" Ron and George said together.
"Sending a letter." Harry and Fred said in unison.
"At this hour?" Hermione and George spoke at the same time.
Fred grinned. "Alright. You don't ask what we're doing, we don't ask what you're doing. Deal?"
"Fine." Harry said. Ron made a move to stop him from talking, but Harry shook his head minutely. He looked down at the letter in George's hand. Coincidentally, or perhaps not so, the receivers name was covered.
"Well, don't let us hold you up," Fred said, mock-bowing.
Harry, Camelot instincts kicking in, nodded back, falling in step with Hermione as they left, a reluctant Ron trailing behind them.
"Did you hear them? Blackmail?" Ron burst after the door closed.
"I know." Harry said quietly.
"Why did you just let them go? They could get into serious trouble with that!"
Hermione spoke up for him, "Nagging them about it wouldn't have helped. But you're right. These aren't just silly rules, it's the law their braking."
Harry sighed. "Just another coincidence."
Hermione said, "I don't think this is related, Harry. If it was serious, they'd tell someone."
"Well," Ron said edgily. "I dunno. The way they've been lately, they'd do anything for a bit of money..."
Harry shook his head. "We can't think that. Fred and George don't have it in them to do something like that out of the blue. That was revenge."
The three had taken to monitoring the Map whenever they had the chance, looking for Crouch, but to no avail. He had disappeared, or left the school. They didn't notice any difference in the teachers that were there, besides a small frown on Moody's face. But they didn't even know if he's been there.
Harry almost jumped when, in the middle of History of Magic, he spotted a "Barty Crouch" in Moody's office. But no, Harry looked back at it, he was standing in a corner of the office, 'Alastor Moody' written above the unmoving letters.
Meanwhile, they had taken to practising for the task. Sirius's frequent letters reminded them of it's approach. Harry was working well with his fake wand, he used it while doing almost all of his magic. Transfiguration was still a slight problem (Everything he did seemed to grow a bit too much, get a little bit larger than he wanted it to. Once, his transfigured quill had turned into a bird, but at least that wasn't during class.)
In divination, Harry and Ron had taken to looking up spells he could use while Trelawney wasn't watching. Once, in class, however, Harry dozed off a bit. He dreamt of flying through the air, past hills to a dark house.
"Your blunder has not ruined all, yet... I apologize, Nagini, you cannot eat him..." Harry heard, and swiftly shook his head as he regained his senses.
"Harry?" Ron asked worriedly.
"Nothing. Just dozed off." Harry twirled his quill in his hand. This reminded him too much of Morgana - the visions she said she had, when she was asleep... he didn't like it.
It wasn't nothing, though. Harry knew that, so he slipped away from Ron after class, meaning to talk to Dumbledore.
"Blood Pops." Harry said, and the gargoyle, and stepped up. The office was empty, save for Fawkes, who trilled at him invitingly.
Harry went over to say hello, but he couldn't help but notice a faint, glowing, something coming from a cabinet.
Harry walked over to the object, looking at the swirly silver substance.
It took shape as he kept a worried hand over it, forming a pool that showed him...
Barty Crouch, in a circular room with hundreds of others, all looking at a crazed figure, squirming in the centre, his hair sticking up wildly... "I have no son!" Harry heard echoing in the pool, and turned away.
Harry looked around the office warily, but saw no one. The former headmasters and mistresses were sleeping soundly. He turned around and ran all the way back to Gryffindor tower.
These coincidences, Harry knew that they weren't coincidences. In the time leading up to the third task, one thought was lingering in the back of his mind. 'It all leads back to Voldemort.' More than anything, Harry wanted to retreat, to where no one could find him, to run to Camelot... but he didn't. He knew he couldn't. He was reminded of Merlin, who tirelessly worked towards what he knew was his Destiny to complete. Harry almost envied him - he knew what he was doing was good, he had a clear goal in mind. He knew that things would get better.
Were things going to get better for him? He didn't know. All he could do was keep working, keep learning, keep his head down... and sooner than it seemed, two and a half weeks had passed and the Triwizard tournament was only half a day away...
"Mr. Potter," Said Professor McGonogall at breakfast. "The champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast."
Harry swallowed his eggs, then blurted out, "But the tasks not till dusk!"
"I am aware, Mr. Potter. The champions families are invited to the final task, however. This is your chance to speak with them."
Harry gaped. "I have no family here. Does she expect the Dursleys to show up?"
Ron shrugged. "You'd better go."
Harry nodded and walked over, trailing behind the three champions.
Harry saw the three meet up with their families jealously. He looked around, about to leave, when - "Surprise!" cried Molly Weasley.
"Mrs. Weasley! Bill!" Harry grinned, walking up to them.
Bill shook his hand, and Harry smiled gratefully. When Mrs. Weasley went for a hug, Harry accepted, whispering, "Thanks for coming."
"Of course, Harry! We thought we'd come see you." She said.
"Good old Hogwarts," Bill said, glancing around. Harry noticed his glance seemed to linger across the room, where Fleur was standing with her family. Fleur glanced lingering, too. "Think you could give us a tour?"
"Sure," Harry said easily. "So, has Hogwarts changed at all since you guys were here?"
Bill looked at the entrance Hall. "Still got Sir Cadogan causing confusion?" He looked at the paintings.
"A lot of it, yes. He filled in for the Fat Lady at one point, actually."
"Ooh, she's still around?" Mrs. Weasley giggled. "I remember when she told me off for getting back at four in the morning, once."
"Four in the...? Never mind." Bill said, eyeing his giggling mother.
After visiting the grounds, the tower, and half the halls, they decided it was time for lunch.
"Hello," Mrs. Weasley said to Ron and Hermione, sitting down as far away from the bushy-headed girl as possible.
Harry sat next to Hermione, looking at her quizzically. She whispered to him, "The Witch Weekly article, by the Skeeter woman. She thinks we're dating. Harry's eyes widened comically, making Hermione smile. "That's what I thought, too. You're like a brother to me!"
"Mrs. Weasley," Harry called to her, leaning around Ron, "You haven't read that Witch Weekly rubbish, have you? Hermione and I aren't dating."
"Oh! No, of course not." She said, and treated Hermione much more warmly after that.
Harry leaned over. "You know, that actually explains a lot." Hermione looked at him questioningly, "That's what Krum wanted to ask me about."
Hermione nodded, ducking her head a tiny bit to conceal her grin.
The meal stretched on, and with it grew Harry's nervousness. When Bagman announced that all champions must go to the pitch, Harry jerked up, robotic. He didn't notice as the Gryffindors applauded him, didn't pay attention when the Weasleys and Hermione offered their luck. He just walked blankly behind Cedric, standing next to Victor.
"Confident, Harry?" Bagman asked.
"I'm alright." It was partially true. He was mostly alright, but for the numbness that started to settle over him. This is it. The final task, the end. Whatever people are planning, this is their last chance.
Harry almost panicked. He calmed himself down just as he was about to go in, thinking of his friends in Camelot. Merlin wouldn't freak out like this. Arthur would face it head-on, sword in hand, battle ready. Harry reminded himself of the sword skills he had picked up then, and decided that once he got in the maze, he was conjuring a sword and ditching the wand.
As he was in the lead, Harry went in first, wand out for appearances. He smiled nervously at his competition, and turned left.
The moment he was out of sight, a conjured sword materialized in his hand, and he threw the wand carelessly behind him.* He still had his real one somewhere, if he ever needed to use it again. He walked along, keeping his sword up and always turning left. He figured, if he turned left, he could always know how to go back by going right. It got darker, and Harry lit his surroundings with a familiar orb.
'Hagrid's Screwts!' Harry remembered as he ran into one. He sized it up, looking at his sword. He shot a harmless yellow light to hover above it, distracting the stupid creature, and stabbed right through its harmless underbelly. Harry continued on, turning left, left, left, until he realized he could be circling the maze and not realizing it. He remembered a spell, "Point me," he whispered, holding up a stick.
It swivelled, eventually pointing straight ahead. He was heading right to where the cup - the 'finish' line - was. He would just try to head in the same general direction, until he made it there.
An icy cold covered him, as he saw a dementor gliding towards him - Harry hadn't tried a patronus recently, he couldn't even think of a happy memory - he could think of a hope, though. Going back to Camelot, seeing Merlin and Arthur, Gwen and Morgana, "Expexto Patronum!" Harry yelled, thrusting his hand forward, gripping his sword tightly.
A stag formed from mist chased after it, making it stumble - A dementor, stumbling? "It's a boggart!" Harry laughed at himself, "Riddikulus!"
The dementor exploded, and Harry pressed on.
He next saw a golden mist, shimmering across his path. He swiped his sword through it, but nothing happened. He ran forward, momentum pushing him along as he had the odd feeling of being upside down. He heard a scream. It was a girls scream, and Harry couldn't help but yell, "Fleur?"
He ran forward, looking for her. No sign. He turned left again, towards her scream, left, right, left... It had been too long. There was no use in looking for her, and he had to continue.
"- The Hell, Krum?" Harry heard as he rounded a corner.
"Crucio!" Victor said coldly, making Cedric scream in pain. Victor was acting very different, not himself at all... but Harry didn't have time to ponder it.
"No!" Harry yelled, and pointed his sword at Krum with "Stupefy" on his lips.
The Bulgarian crumpled, and Harry turned to Cedric. "All right?"
"I'll be fine. I can't believe him!" Cedric yelled.
Harry nodded. "I thought he was decent, too. We should put sparks in the air, have someone take him out."
Cedric nodded, and together they sent a shower of red sparks in the air. "Let's get out of here." He said.
Harry looked at Cedric, who was staring at his skrewt-stained sword. "Blast-Ended skrewt. Should we go on?"
Cedric nodded, still confused.
Harry turned left, not looking back. He ran into a sphinx not three minutes later.
"Er..." Harry said, faced with a girl's head on a lions body. "May I pass?"
The sphinx surveyed him. "You have Old Magic, wizard."
Harry nodded. "Yes."
"You have a destiny, both here and somewhere I can no longer reach. Yes, I will allow you to pass." She paced up to him, "But only this once."
Harry nodded, "Then I thank you."
Harry walked forward, muttering "Point me," again. He was on the right track.
Harry walked quickly around a corner. A spider, a huge one with pincers twice the size of his arm sat at the side of the hedge.
Moving slowly, he tried to inch around it, only to see Cedric almost barrel right into it.
"Cedric watch out!" Harry cried, and he stopped short of it.
"Thanks!" He grinned, trying to move around the thing. The spider didn't like that, and swiped one of eight limbs at him.
Harry rushed forward, blocking him being hurt with his sword. To his astonishment, the sword didn't even make a dent in the spider's leg.
"Impedimenta!" Harry yelled at the creature, but to no avail. It just dragged him through the air by the leg, pricing it with its pincers.
Harry struggled to get upright, blood rushing to his head, sword swinging wildly - Harry had an idea, and swiped it in the eyes. The spider dropped him in surprise, and Harry fell hard on the ground.
"Take the cup, Cedric. It's yours," He looked at the cut in his leg, which was bleeding profusely.
"No, if you hadn't helped..."
"Take. The. Cup."
"No!"
Harry sighed. "You have it. I'm injured, you win. You're the real champion, anyway."
"No."
Harry tried to stand, but his leg was burning. Cedric kept him up, grabbing his shoulders.
"We can grab it together. Hogwarts wins." Cedric said.
"Fine." Harry limped to the cup, Cedric supporting him.
"Alright. Three," Cedric counted when they reached it. "Two," Harry looked at his peer, who looked determined. "One."
They grabbed the cup, and immediately, the familiar jerk behind the naval brought the world to a dark swirl of colours.
"What happened?" Cedric panted. Wherever they had ended up, it was very dark, and very quiet. Harry didn't like it. He replied, "No clue. I don't think this is supposed to happen, though."
Harry limped around, lighting their surroundings with a blue-white orb.
"We're in a graveyard!" Cedric yelled.
Harry noticed a headstone, 'Tom Riddle.' "This is bad. This is really bad." Harry said to himself.
A figure appeared; he was clutching something, cradling it with one arm. Cedric and Harry stood, back to back. The figure lowered its hood. "Wormtail!" Harry yelled, just as his scar exploded.
"Kill the spare." He heard.
"Avada Kedavra!" Wormtail said, aiming at Cedric.
"No!" Harry yelled. The world seemed to slow, and the green light crawled towards them. Harry raised a hand, creating a solid, silver shield.
The curse bounced off, and Wormtail had to duck.
He heard a whisper, "Knock them out," from the bundle, and Harry knew no more.
Harry came to at an 'ennervate,' surely cast by Wormtail. Blearily, he looked around, trying to twist and see his surroundings.
He was bound by vine like cords, tied to a rock. In front of him was a cauldron, Wormtail with an odd, silver hand, Cedric, lying unconscious, held down by chains - and a figure, bathed in darkness, standing behind the cauldron.
"Harry Potter," It said, and Harry's scar burned. He knew that voice.
"Voldemort." Said Harry.
"You see what I have done? I have regained my former glory! Why, in fact, it's all thanks to you." Harry scowled.
"Really?" Harry eyed his sword, lying several feet away. "Better fix that, then." In a flash (of gold) Harry summoned his sword and slashed upwards. His bonds cut, he stationed himself away from Voldemort, in front of Cedric.
"How did you..." Voldemort looked slightly worried. "You want to duel? I will duel you, gladly."
He raised his wand and lit. For the first time, Harry could see the circle of Death Eaters in white masks around them.
"Crap." Harry muttered. He raised his sword.
"If you want to duel, Harry, you need your wand."
Harry scoffed. "To duel you? No, I've got a sword." Harry held up a hand, creating a ball of flame in his palm, which he threw at Voldemort.
Voldemort dodged frantically, and watched as the flame melted down one of the graveyard statues. Voldemort gasped, and Harry laughed a bit. Maybe showing that he had different magic was a bad idea, but it was fun. "Avada Kedavra!"
Harry scowled, ducked, and sent a silent 'stupefy!' Through his sword, attempting to look somewhat normal.
Voldemort deflected it, looking very worried. "So you have a few tricks, Potter, but I doubt you know what pain is like. Crucio!"
Harry screamed, unprepared. The curse was like fire cutting through him, like ice running from his head to his toes. Harry opened his eyes, and they burned gold, sending Voldemort flying into his followers.
The curse stopped, and Harry stood, panting. "Bet you didn't expect that, snake."
"Now now, Harry. You must respect duelling rules." At Harry's scoff, Voldemort addressed his Death Eaters, "I wonder how well Potter will hold up when it's not him being hurt. Ennervate. Sectumsepera!"
Cedric woke with a start, and cried out in alarm as a slash spread across his stomach.
"No!" Harry yelled. Several agonizing seconds passed. Harry lunged forward...
"Crucio!" He was hit with agonizing pain again, but he knew what to do this time.
"Get away!" Harry yelled, eyes glowing as he slammed the dark lord back.
Voldemort looked at him, grinning slightly. It wasn't a good look on him, but no looks were good on him. He muttered, "Wormtail, keep the spare from breathing." He jabbed his wand at Harry, and all the sudden he couldn't move, couldn't speak, all he could do was watch Cedric be murdered by Wormtail's creepy silver hand.
"Harry..." Cedric said, "Get..." He was struggling to breath, but choked a something that could have been "out."
Voldemort looked at Cedric, a bored look on his face. "Avada Kedavra." He said easily.
And he was dead. Harry struggled with renewed vigour, anger taking over at the man who murdered his fellow student right in front of him. Harry wasn't innocent, when it came to killing, but this man did it for fun! Harry felt a familiar burning warmth in his eyes, and the spell that was holding him fell. Harry gripped his sword and ran, headlong, at the dark lord.
Voldemort's slit-like eyes widened, and at the last second he moved out of the way. Harry slashed towards him, nicking his side.
Voldemort drew himself up, wand pointed dangerously at Harry's heart. Harry raised a single hand, and at once, they cast their spells.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Harry heard this, and sent a angry red light at the Dark Lord, hardly knowing what it was meant to do. All he thought was to get that thing away, far, far away from him.
The magic energies met in the middle - one red, one green. Harry watched, amazed, as a golden light appeared where they met. The gold magic beaded at the centre, joining their spells, and let off shimmering tendrils that formed a thick dome of light around them.
Harry focused, pushing forward physically to help the magic along, almost instinctively. The red grew, and the gold beads travelled along, towards Voldemort. Harry looked at the dark lord, who was panicked. Harry's leg hurt from the spider, but he ignored it. He pushed harder, looking right at him. He was sure his eyes were a solid gold.
When the beads met with Voldemort's wand, he let out a sharp yelp. Harry pushed harder - no conscience would be fool enough to stop from causing this man pain.
The gold enveloped the wand, and something formed at the tip - a ghostlike figure Harry soon recognized as Cedric. While Cedric drifted over to him, a woman, Bertha Jorkins, Harry recognized, came out as well. She was followed by a man, the one from his dream... Harry saw a pattern. His eyes widened, he knew what was to come next. His mum.
"Harry," He heard Cedric's voice in his ear, "Keep fighting. But, when you get out of here, don't tell my parents what really happened. They don't need that." Harry nodded, unable to look away.
"Of course, Cedric. I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry."
"Don't be sorry for me. I'm fine now. And there's someone who wants to talk."
Harry nodded. He knew this too. The ghostly figure of Lily Evans-Potter appeared, rushing to her son.
"Harry, we're so very proud of you. Your doing the right thing, in everything. Don't you forget that, my son." Harry felt the ghostly touch of his mothers hand, and another appeared on the other.
"Harry, when you break that connection, I don't know what will happen to Voldemort, but his followers will try to kill you. You need to summon the cup, It'll bring you back." This was said in a harsh whisper, and Harry could see Voldemort still fighting the golden beads running down his wand, overtaking his killing curse with apparent ease.
"I love you." Harry's voice was shaking. He finally got to meet his parents, just not in the way he'd wish.
"We love you. Go. Now."
Harry tore his eyes and hand away, and as quickly as possible, he dropped the conjured sword, summoned the cup, and felt that too-familiar jerk at the naval. The last thing he could see was Voldemort flying through the air, and the Death Eaters rushing towards him...
Harry slammed into the ground.
Dazedly, he tried to stand, but fell. Looking around, he realized that he wasn't back in the maze. He was in the middle of the field, surrounded by hundreds and thousands of people.
Harry gaped. He had to explain so much - Announcing a dead dark lords return was a Bad Idea; he had to explain Cedric's death. And the distant thought came with a pang in his leg - the Spider.
"Cedric... dead. Spider... I'm..." Harry held his leg, gasping for breath more than he truly needed, if only for effect. People were crowding round, trying to see what happened, staring at the cup in his hand.
Harry didn't want to do this, not now. He just wanted to sleep. So he rolled his eyes up into his head, fluttering them closed, and fell backwards onto the grass.
"Potter." Harry heard, very close to his ear. Without thinking, he sent out a force field and slammed the speaker into the wall.
Harry looked up; blinking, the man lying unconscious next to the door was his Professor Moody. "Crap." Harry said.
Then, he realized, it must have been Moody to tie him to this chair. He recognized the chains, they were the ones Cedric was held in. Cedric. A lump formed in the back of his throat, Cedric had died, he had died because Harry couldn't save him... He allowed himself one, slightly strangled sounding noise before shaking himself. He had a situation to deal with, he didn't have time to dwell on anything.
Harry held a hand over the chains, willing them to fall apart. They didn't budge. He tried harder. Squirming around desperately, Harry's eyes glowed as he used magic to break them, but to no avail.
His priorities changed, however, when he noticed movement across the room. Moody was changing, bubbling, his face getting smaller and thinner, the false eye popping out, the form becoming thin and tall - freckles formed on his now thin nose, the wooden leg popped out, replaced by a lanky real one. Harry was staring at the unconscious face of Barty Crouch Junior. "Ah!" He yelped in surprise.
He sat there for a moment, frozen. Realizing he should probably alert someone, Harry shouted, "Help! Hello?"
A few moments later, with Crouch's annoying stirring making it seem like an hour or more, the office door opened. Snape glided in, wand out and alert. "Potter? What is it?" He looked surprised, then annoyed when he saw the caller.
Harry glared, unable to move, then looks pointedly at the unconscious man now behind the open door. "I woke up tied to a chair, and Moody snuck up behind me, so I accidentally blew him backwards and he got knocked out. Then he just turned into Barty Crouch Junior and don't you try telling me that I was the one who stole your boomslang skin, because it looked like what I've read about the effects of polyjuice!" Harry said quickly. He didn't see why he couldn't use this situation to his advantage, and get himself out of the line of suspicion.
Snape looked slightly bewildered, but recovered quickly. "Eximo!" he pointed his wand at Harry, and the chains broke apart, allowing Harry to get up painfully.
"Constringo!" He said, turning to Crouch. Vine-like cords wrapped around the man, and Snape said, "Potter, we're going to the hospital wing."
Harry didn't know if Snape really noticed the looks he got walking down the hallway, a fourteen-years-dead man being levitated in front of him, and the winner of the Triwizard tournament limping behind him, looking half dead himself. Either way, they got there pretty quickly, and Harry was soon lying in a bed in the Hospital Wing, trying very hard to ignore Madam Pomphrey in favour of listening to what Professor Dumbledore and Snape were saying.
"We will have to use Veriteserum." Snape said in an undertone. "To ask how and why he is here."
"I think it was pretty clear why," Dumbledore said, "To get Harry into the tournament. Whatever his reason for it, it must have been related to the Portkey that was made from the cup." His voice lowered, "There is something Harry hasn't told us. I know this was more than that arcomantula in the maze. Something happened that we don't know about, and I believe it may be important."
Madame Pomphrey handed him a bottle, saying, "Drink this." Harry hesitated, so she said, "Now. And drink it all."
Harry sighed, and chugged the foul tasting potion down. His eyes immediately drooped and the last he heard was Dumbledore saying, "Perhaps we should send for-" and he was asleep.
Harry opened his eyes to a series of light whines and barks. The first thing that came into his vision was the figure of Padfoot at the foot of his bed.
"Sirius!" Harry said, smiling widely.
"Hey Harry." Sirius transformed. "What happened?"
"What day is it?" Harry asked, avoiding the question.
"June 25, 12:45." Sirius said patiently. "Here, your winnings from the Triwizard tournament. They would've had a celebration, but..." He set the bag down, trailing off. "Dumbledore told me you've been hurt. What happened?"
Harry looked around. The room was empty, and Harry could speak freely.
"Once I got into the maze, I conjured a sword and used that. You know, Arthur taught me, so it was better than using a fake wand. They still don't work for me. Anyways, I had reached the end of the maze, when a spider hurt my leg, but Cedric saved me. So we took the cup together and landed in a graveyard.
"We were knocked out by Wormtail, and when I woke up Voldemort was standing there. I don't know how but he brought him back to life. And we duelled, he killed Cedric... I got mad, Sirius. I tried to kill him, I just flung a curse at him - I don't even know what the curse was, but he sent the Killing curse at me. They met in the middle, and formed this big gold dome thing... I don't know how that happened. It made the people he's killed come out of his wand - Cedric, Bertha Jorkins, that muggle from my dream, and," Sirius, who had sat patiently as Harry stumbled through his story, sucked in a breath.
"You saw Lily and James."
Harry nodded. "They talked to me." He said with a sad smile. "But, Sirius," Harry said worriedly, "How did it happen in the first place? Was it because of the Eyes of Emrys potion?"
Sirius shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe Dumbledore would."
Harry jumped a bit at that. "What am I supposed to tell him? Before I went to sleep, I heard -"
The door opened, and none other than Dumbledore came in. "Speak of the devil..." Sirius muttered.
"You do not need to explain anything, Harry. I can assure you I heard the whole thing."
Harry looked at Sirius, panicking slightly.
"Do not worry, you aren't in trouble. This situation, however, is very worrying. Voldemort has returned?" He asked, very calmly, considering. Harry nodded, hoping he wouldn't say anything about the potion. Dumbledore fell back into a chair, muttering, "So it has happened."
The old man shook his head, looking suddenly very tired, but he continued to speak. "What is this about a potion?"
Harry awaited Dumbledore's reaction anxiously, bunching the covers of the hospital bed. The old wizard sat in a chair, head resting on his hands pensively.
"Mr. Potter, I wish you had told me of this earlier." He said finally.
"What?" Harry said, confused.
"Now that this has happened, I believe you are ready to hear a few things. Once you are released from the hospital wing, please come to my office." Dumbledore waited for Harry's shaky nod, then left the room.
"Sirius, do you think he'll keep me from going back?" Harry muttered.
Sirius replied, "No, he can't. If he does he'd be stopping history from happening, and not even Dumbledore'd be willing to do that."
Harry nodded. "I hope so. I made a promise to Morgana."
Sirius looked at him with a sly grin, "And what was this promise?"
Harry glared slightly, not answering, but Sirius just took out a chocolate bar and started eating it.
"That I'd come back." Harry subconsciously rubbed the bracelet he still had received from her.
Harry was very relieved that Sirius's questions were soon interrupted by Madame Pomphrey, who took what Harry thought was an unnecessary amount of time to declare him free to go.
Harry and Padfoot walked up to the Gargoyle, Harry muttering "Acid Pops," surprised when it still worked.
When the three were sitting properly in the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore spoke.
"Harry, there is something you need to be informed of, but for this to be possible, I must be sure that it cannot be taken from your mind. You see, there is a branch of magic referred to as Mind Magics, and I need to see if your, shall we say, altered magic can block a legilimency attack. Sirius, if you would?"
"Fine, Albus, if it's necessary." Sirius said, not looking very happy about the situation.
"Why do you need Sirius's permission?" Harry asked, interested.
"As you are not yet of age, I need a guardian's approval. As your godfather, he can supply that."
Harry nodded. "Alright. What do I need to do?"
"Look here," Dumbledore locked eyes with Harry, and said, "Legilimens."
Harry maintained eye contact, waiting for something to happen. After around a minute, Dumbledore leaned back, giving up. "I cannot breach your mind, Harry. It doesn't even seem to be there."
Sirius spoke up, "Why did your eyes turn gold?"
Harry answered, "My eyes turn gold whenever I use magic, so do Merlin's."
Dumbledore nodded at this, "That would make a great deal of sense, if Harry's magic automatically defends against any mental attack, then you have a more than adequate defence. Sirius, I trust you know Occlumency?"
He nodded. "Well then," Dumbledore continued, "I have a memory to show you." He waked over to the cabinet Harry had snooped through. "This is a Pensive. It stores memories and allows them to be viewed by anyone. There is one memory that is vitally important that you know, especially as Lord Voldemort has returned." He swirled the memories until one of a familiar Divination professor rose to the surface.
"This was when I first interviewed Sybill Trelawney for the Divination post. The reason I hired her is because she made a prophecy - a true prophecy." He allowed the memory to play, and Harry and Sirius heard her speak.
Her voice low and hollow, she began, "The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches... born as the seventh month dies... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, and he will have the power the Dark Lord knows not... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...*"
Harry sat for a moment. The one was obviously himself, and the Dark Lord was Voldemort. He was 'marked' as his equal and he had Merlin's power... Harry shuddered. He disliked prophecies even more now. But it seemed this one was coming true.
Harry looked over quickly as Dumbledore started speaking. "I hope you realize what this means."
Harry nodded. "I think so... It means, I'm the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord?"
Dumbledore nodded. "This has influenced my view on many things, including your intentions to stay at Camelot over the summer." Harry looked up; he knew the answer, he was going to be forbidden to go back, made to live at the Dursley's. "Harry my boy, you must return."
Harry said dejectedly, "The Dursley's?" He should have known, it would never have-
"No," Dumbledore stopped his thoughts. "You must return to Camelot." Harry was confused. "If this is truly the power the Dark Lord knows not, you must learn to use your powers to the best of your abilities. Also, if you do not return as you planned, it could completely change history as we know it. I do not wish to risk that."
Harry grinned broadly. "Great! Can I leave from here, when school ends?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "My boy, it is much more complicated than that. Firstly, If you were indeed a lord, you will need to prove you are one. They would expect you to have money, horses... I also cannot allow you to go alone."
Sirius spoke up, "I'll go with him!" He smiled, and took another bite of his chocolate bar.
"That may be a good idea, actually." Harry said hopefully. "I mean, he doesn't have anything to do here, and he could be my 'guard' or something."
Dumbledore nodded. "Then you two shall travel back to Camelot."
Harry threw himself into getting ready to return, making edits to his spells to take Sirius back with him, changing his possessions to look acceptable in Camelot. He barely gave himself time to think, and that suited him. That way, he didn't need to think about anything. By the time the next weekend came, Harry was confident that the plans for going to Camelot were complete.
"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked him the morning of the end of the year feast.
"I don't know, Hermione." Harry rubbed his eyes. "I just... I don't know."
"Well you'd better make sure you're packed properly, the both of you. Where's Sirius, has he finished?"
Sirius had been staying in an empty room somewhere in the castle, and besides running to Gringotts to get gold (and swords) he wasn't willing to leave Harry and Dumbledore knew well enough he wouldn't be convinced.
"Come on, we've got to make sure Sirius is packed. Bring your trunk, I can make sure everything your bringing is Camelot-safe."
"Sirius, is this a giant bar of chocolate?" Hermione almost screamed.
"Aw, come on, I won't eat it when any old people are there!" Sirius whined. It wasn't the first time, either. Harry almost died laughing when Hermione confiscated the last five Zonko's items.
"Sirius, this is serious!"
"Hello Serious, how do you do?" Sirius said.
Hermione really did scream, that time.
Ron sat down to the feast across from Harry. Once food was on his plate, he didn't tend to pay attention to much else, but he couldn't help but notice Harry kept breaking into silent laughter whenever he looked over at Hermione, and especially when he looked at anything made of chocolate.
"Come on, Harry. Let's get on the train!" Hermione said exasperatedly. Harry was looking distractedly at a black shape that may or may not have been taunting the giant squid. Harry allowed himself to be pulled onto the train.
"Oh, Harry! Remember that writer, Rita Skeeter?"
Harry thought for a moment. "Vaguely, yeah."
Hermione's grin became vicious. "So I was understandably upset when she wrote an article about me, when I never gave my permission or an interview. I investigated, and look what I found?" She held up a jar with a big beetle in it.
Harry grinned. "No. You didn't."
"Yes, yes I did." Hermione said smugly. "She's been in here for three weeks, actually."
Ron gaped at that. "Three weeks? How's she surviving?" But he only got a grin in return.
"Hermione, you really are the cleverest witch of the age." Harry said, patting her on the shoulder. "That was genius!"
The moment the train started moving, however, their compartment got quiet, and Harry had nothing to do but think. Thinking wasn't his favourite activity at the moment, because it allowed him to dwell on things. Harry opened his mouth to speak, then stopped.
A few minutes later, he finally said, "Ron, Hermione? I was wondering..." He wanted to tell them about the prophecy, about Voldemort, even, but he realized that Dumbledore hadn't wanted anyone who didn't have occlumency shields to know it. And they didn't need to hear about it, because maybe he'd have a solution before Voldemort got enough power. Then he could pretend it never have happened. "Is it okay if I leave for a moment? I need to do something." Harry said abruptly.
"Sure, Harry." Said Ron, looking a bit confused.
Struck with inspiration, Harry grabbed his Triwizard winnings. He did a quick 'point me' and arrived at Fred, George and Lee Jordan's compartment.
"Harry! How are you?" Fred said cheerily, stopping in the middle of hanging something on his twins nose. George and Lee echoed his sentiments easily, so at least whatever it was was voluntary.
"I have a proposal, actually." Harry said. "Lee, It's not that I don't trust you, but-"
Lee stood, "Its fine, Harry. I'll come back in a bit."
"Right, thanks." Harry said, and waited until the door was closed to continue. "I have a good idea of what was happening that time in the Owlrey, but I'm not here to get you in trouble. It was Bagman, right? You were blackmailing him to get your money."
George and Fred nodded somewhat surprised. "We never did get it back." Fred said in answer.
"Right, well I have a solution to that. I have a lot of money here," He held up the bag, "And don't even say anything about charity, because I'll be getting my money's worth. There may be certain times when I need... distractions to happen, in the future. You happen to be pretty good at those, especially if you have funding. Consider this payment for that."
George's eyes narrowed. "What exactly would you be using it for?"
"Nothing bad," He assured them. "In fact, if you want I can tell you what it's for, when it comes to it."
They seemed content with that arrangement, "Well then, Harry my good friend-" George said.
"I think we have a deal." Fred finished.
"Great!" Harry tossed the bag carelessly at them. "Have fun. Oh, and get Ron some new dress robes, yeah?"
Fred grinned.
Harry stepped back into his compartment, already having formed a story to explain his absence. But before he could do so, the door slid open again, allowing Draco Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle to come in.
Harry rolled his eyes, "Next time, Mione, we'll have to remember to lock the door."
Hermione nodded vaguely, and went back to her book. Harry absently tried to start a conversation with Ron, but was rudely interrupted.
"Look at that, Potty, Weasel and a Mudblood." Draco drawled, trying to gain their attention.
Harry smirked, "Making fun of our names are you? You're one to talk. What kind of name is Draco anyway?" Ron looked utterly confused and Hermione looked mildly worried that Harry had even asked this question. After all, Harry had used it himself in Camelot.
"I'll have you know," Draco said pompously. "That I was named after Lord Draco, sorcerer and friend of Merlin himself!"
Chapter Word Count: 8,409
Thanks Shadowchylde for pointing out my mistake. Yeah...
Wow! Guys! Some people really have problems with this chapter. To address the Wand problem, when Harry left his wand in his back pocket in the first chapter, when he transformed, he absorbed the magic of it. Hense the pheonix effect. I'm putting this here because the way the story is going, I'm not sure I can write it in.
And you guys have to remember that having Merlin's magic does NOT make Harry superpowered. Merlin himself couldn't break the chains that were used, and the dragon had to help him. The reason Snape could and Harry couldn't is simply Snape knew a counter spell. Having different magic doesn't nullify wand magic either.
The third concern, 'Why did you kill Cedric? I loved him!' I wanted him to be bitten by a proper vampire. be glad Voldemort didn't have any there. (Other reasons can be read in the twelth chapter.)
Thanks for reading!
SH