Chapter Sixteen: Bad Egg

"Why wouldn't I be ready?" Harry's voice said from his bandaged mouth, head tilted to the side a little "This is going to be Fun!"

The platform went silent at his excitement, it was a strange sight really. Harry was still rolling on the balls of his bare feet, which were also covered in white bandages. He gave Fleur a bright wave of his hand, his eye closed into a smile of sorts.

"Attention!" Mr. Bagmans voice rang out loudly around the air "Our Champions are all ready for the second task!" Cheers started to erupt from the crowd, claps could be heard and a dog was barking "Our Champions will have a single hour! Sixty minutes, to find and retrieve what has been taken from them!"

"On the count of three!" He turned to Flich who had a cannon ready "One…..Two….Three!" The cannon boomed.

Harry waited, was perfectly still almost statue like. Fleur and Cedric went through similar movements and preformed the same charm, the Bubble-Head charm. Viktor did some transfiguration of himself, causing his head to turn into that of a bull-shark.

With them gone, everyone was looking at the Potter…waiting.

"Mr. Potter?"

"Hmmm? Yes?"

"You're supposed to go…."

"Oh? I wasn't aware…thank you."

Harry cracked his index finger with his thumb, in a single motion the bandages blew off and showed his snow white skin. Along his arms and legs, on both sides of his neck and under his left eye were dark red runes.

The crowd gave a sharp gasp, most knew what Runes he had covered in. Blood Runes.

Harry was smiling like he was watching a wonderful game, or show. He pulled his thumb up to his lip, showing his nails were now a dark black colour, he bit into his thumb causing blood to pour down his chin. He ran his bloody thumb over his other arm, along the runes and suddenly they glowed.

He gritted his teeth, slowly the glowing stopped and from the runes spawned needle-like spines. The spines pulled open showing sharp looking fins, along his back-bone, arms and legs. On his neck gills had appeared and his left eye was pitch black with a single green ring inside.

The sharpened figure walked into the water with ease and grace, unlike the others who slipped and slid across the slick stones. When he was waist deep into the freezing cold water, he lunged with enough force to create a back lash behind him.

Most would assume that February would make the water near freezing, you'd be right unless you had special traits. Harry couldn't feel the water around him with his skin, it was more like a breeze but he could sense the water.

As he glided through the water, he seemed to dance with skill and agility seen by creatures of the deep. That was until a group of horned-squid looking demons blocked his path, Grindylow.

He stopped almost dead, looking at them with wide mismatched eyes "You're in my way." He said with a calm tilt, though no sound came out only a few bubbles.

The Grindylow's didn't hear him, and one of them charged forward with pointed fangs bared.

Harry moved a fraction so the hand missed, then again and again the demon missed its mark. The teen seemed to be enjoying himself, the smile of white teeth clear on his face. "Slow." He mouthed, sending a shattering knee into the demons chest.

The demon spat out blood, its eyes rolled into the back of its skull and it floated forward twitching silently. "Who's next?" He bubbled with that crazed look.

Two Grindylows shot towards him, one brandishing a rather sharp looking rock to beat him with. With a wave of his webbed hand, the water rippled and split forcing the two to slam into each other. Their horns speared into the other, making the area a crimson bubbling mess.

Harry then grabbed the final demon by the forehead, squeezing it hard as the tiny mass started to claw for freedom. "I've been wanting to try this…" He bubbled unclearly, around his hand sparks formed.

With a start the small creature in his grasp started to shake and twitch, bubbles flowed out of its mouth and continually got a darker red in colour. He pulled away from the small demon and a line of lightning followed his movement, then flowed into his finger tips.

"Thank you for the treat." He said licking his lips with a smile, his eyes wide and sparks coursed around his flesh.

He started to glide towards the center of the lake, his speed unmatched by the local creatures and the remaining Grindylows couldn't catch up to him if they tried.

After a few moments, sound hit his ears and he looked for the source "An Hour long you'll have to look, to recover what we took." It was clearly the merepeople, he was slightly curious about how they spoke under the water. "A quarter of time has gone, have you found your way?"

What seemed to be like a sunken town lay before him as he past a new ridge, around the town was stone cut buildings yet a soul couldn't be seen. Until he got close, then he saw the creatures that sung in beautiful voices.

Their skin was dark grey, scales could be seen shimmering in the remaining light and war paint or scars rest upon them. All of the hair on their heads was a seaweed green, messy and tangled, their eyes a piercing sickly yellow color that followed his movements.

When one of them swam past him, he saw their tails to be a silver and shaped much like a sharks or tunas. Rusted, bent or hand forged spears were held tightly in the stronger ones hands, they looked like statues as he passed.

In the towns center, tied to stone pillars were the hostages.

"So that's what they took?" He bubbled with a glare, his body still producing sparks as he moved.

He looked at them with curiously wide eyes, if he was on the surface he'd have laughed. The hostages were like rag dolls, barely moving as they floated. Daphne, Cho, Gabrielle and Hermione, it wasn't hard to figure out which hostage was his and which were the others.

Harry floated towards the figures, the sparks seemed to vanish as he got closer to Daphne. He grabbed the thick seaweed, it was rough in his grasp and he pulled at it.

"Tough…Annoying…" He bubbled out, he held his hand out the sharp nail ripped through the weed like butter "Better."

Harry smiled widely, grabbing his friend by the waist and pushed off the stone floor with a push. The water rippled around his feet into a twister shape, increasing his speed by a greater factor. He flashed by stones, weeds and demons on his way towards the shore line his eyes set straight ahead.

The light got brighter, brighter and then he felt the air around his gills, eyes having trouble adapting to the new light. He didn't make a sound, holding his breath as he carried Daphne over his shoulder.

Daphne made a whimper, then groaned "C-Cold…What…The…Bloody…" She managed trying to move out of his grasp. "H-Harry?"

"Be. Still." He croaked; the water under his feet moved without warning towards his neck. Letting him breathe as he walked, the spines started to fall apart in the open air.

"Ye-Yeah…Sh-Sure." She managed gripping onto his shoulder tightly, trying to absorb some body heat.

The crowd looked in wonder as the teen walked out of the lake, past the fussing people and judges, straight to Madam Pomfrey.

"Poppy." He croaked with a large smile.

The Matron looked up, then raised a brow at him "Well…if it isn't Mr. Potter." She said wrapping Daphne in a very heavy thick blanket "You're looking well, blanket?"

"No."

"I think I should insist."

Harry looked around, ignoring her "Bored now." He croaked scanning for something "What is that sound….I…don't like it…" His face creased into a confused look.

The sound reminded him of someone crying, it wasn't out of pain or happiness but of loss and failure. The sobs sounded familiar to his ears, like it was someone he knew.

"Fleur?" His eyes widened and he pulled back the curtain. The blond young woman was wrapped in a black towel, her hair stuck to the side of her face and her bright eyes now dull from tears. He could see tentacle markings from the Grindylows, and some scratches likely from battle.

He tilted his head for a moment in thought, then his eyes widened once more "Gabrielle…" He croaked.

The woman looked up at him, most of his fins had fallen off and his gills started to seal over but he was out of the bandages "A-Arry…"

Harry cracked his index finger, his face set like stone and he swept from the tent in a rush.

"Arry!" She shouted after him.

"Well done Harry my boy!" Someone shouted but the teen pushed him off, a few other people congratulated him on being the first champion.

"Fleur's sad, I don't like her sad. Gabrielle's safety making her sad." He was muttering, his eyes wide "Grindylow's hurt Fleur, Kill Demons. Hermione at bottom of lake, with Daphne. Kill Dumbledore." His mouth twisted into a grin "My people, protected."

"Arry…" She saw as he jumped into the icy waters once more, glided more like with a wave following his movement.

"Did…I just hear that right." An old voice asked from her left, it was the Hogwarts Headmaster "My, My…I need to have a very long talk with him and you." He said glaring down at the dog below him, who lowered its head and whined.

Harry flashed past a pack of demons, leaving only pieces in his wake as he swam by. The water was becoming his arm, nails and teeth, and he wanted blood. He gauged that he was half-way there when he felt something across his chest.

It pulled him back with enough force to push the air out of his lungs, he looked up to see the giant squid looking down at him. It's single eye practically glowing with anger, maybe the Grindylows were under its protection?

"You. Are. Bothering. Me." He said very slowly, head tilting to the side "Stop. Or. DIE." The three bubbles fell out of his mouth.

The squid obviously didn't understand him, because it just tightened its grip around his chest and another tentacle wrapped around his neck and left arm.

"Warned…" His eyes looked bored at the stunt "Bored."

His body went ridged for a moment, then without warning shocks went off around him and then into the squid. The longer the squid held onto him, the stronger the volts became and soon the tentacles that held turned a dark black colour.

Harry was laughing as the Squid started to pulled away, ink was shot at him but he grabbed onto a tentacle "Mine!" He pulled and ripped it off the beings body "FLEA!"

The Squid shot another jet of ink before it swam away trailing a combination of black and red, Harry bit into the flesh he'd liberated. "Awful, needs salt." He bubbled.

Tossing it over his shoulder he flashed faster, passing two more Grindylows and Cedric on the way; the later simply thought he'd seen a ghost nothing more. Harry glided into the town, a few merepeople gave him odd looks and he approached the center.

"Halt." A voice said to him, he looked around noting that there was at least seven guards surrounding him. "You have your hostage, the Veela stays with us." One of them warned.

"Boring…." He said not looking up, standing perfectly still.

"What did that thing say?" Someone asked, sounding confused.

"I said, I'm bored. You're boring me." Harry looked up with wide eyes "In fact, you're boring me so much….I'm going to kill you, that should make this fun!"

"Wh-" The statement was cut off by the teens hand slashing across his throat.

"Anyone else?" He bubbled out, swishing the blood off his hands. "I have more to go around."

"The Veela stays with us! She will die here!" A spear was thrown at him, it lodged into his shoulder, sticking out of the back "Got him!"

Harry glanced at the spear, then to the Mer that threw it "Should this hurt? I don't think it should…." He examined it for a moment "I've had…much…worse."

"Who the hell is this!"

"Who indeed, Next!" The Mer was slashed in half with a wave of his hand "More? I want more!"

His hands lunged forward, the water danced with his movements while he was graceful. The Water was merciless, slicing cleanly through rusted armor and spears alike, then shredding muscle like teeth. Sparks shot off into the crowd of on looks, and guards causing them to twitch and cough blood.

"Now you're fu-!" He was cut off, he felt the sides of his neck…they were smooth. His gills had recited. Without warning he was past the guards, and slicing into the rope around the girl. "L-U-C-K-Y." He mouthed to them, his eyes glowing a dark powerful red shade.

Harry pushed off the bottom, the force alone cracked the stone beneath and sent him up. He was heading straight up, the further he got; the darker his vision got. His head started to feel light, his chest was burning like fire and his limbs ached.

Then as his vision faded to black, a coldness swept through him and across his face. He gasped deeply, drawing in breath and released "Gabby?" He said looking down at the small form in his arm "Wakey, Wakey." He said sweetly.

The small girl, groaned for a moment and her eyes batted open "Who're….you…" She murmured.

"Harry." He said brightly.

"Hi…"

"Hello."

"Where's Fleur?" She asked scrunching up her face, they were floating in the middle of the lake.

"That way." He pointed over his shoulder "She couldn't get to you, Merpeople are dicks."

The girl nodded her head "You're hurt…"

"Am I?" He glanced at the spear "I suppose I am, doesn't matter."

Harry let her go for a moment and pulled himself out of the water, so that he was standing on top of it. The water helped to support him as he waved a wand over himself, drying off and then he pulled her up. With them both dried off, he started to walk towards the lake.

"Want to play 20 questions?" He asked as she was on his shoulders.

"Sure!"

"Is it Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?"

XX~XX~XX~XX

Fleur seemed to frozen in place, the mug of hot chocolate forgotten in her hands as she looked out to the lake. Daphne was next to her, sipping and smoking lightly, barely making a sound.

The Slytherin spoke first though "What the hell happened to him?" She asked looking at the French maiden.

"I-I'm not sure….I think…E's just been broken…" Fleur replied without looking over.

Daphne frowned "He's gone for one month…felt like a year.." She muttered "I hate this crap."

"Still think Gryffindor's are blunt?" A voice asked from besides the Slytherin, Dumbledore again.

"Shit!" Daphne went to put out her cigarette, but Dumbledore held up a hand.

"No need for foul language though, I don't recall smoking to be in the rules or part of Mr. Flich's list." He reminded her, reaching in his robes pulling out an old looking pipe "I don't smoke anymore, more of a good luck trinket than anything."

"You have a lot of those…" Daphne mumbled, he had an entire cabinet filled with junk.

"Miss. Greengrass. Why did Harry go back into the lake?" Dumbledore asked with a raised brow.

"I…I don't know…He saw me and then started to mumble to himself…I think he's saving Gabrielle." She said slowly, looking down at the cold dark brown liquid.

"Well…Mr. Krum and Diggory are both back with their hostages. Potter was the last to start but the first back…" Dumbledore stopped, his eyes narrowed out towards the lake "Merlin's beard…he's walking."

Fleur looked up confused but then a figure was in sight, a small form was on his shoulder that had blond hair. Her sharp ears could hear laughter, but why was his arm hanging off to the side like that?

They waited for a few minutes and Harry was close enough to see that he'd fought something. His neck had markings, a spear was sticking out of his shoulder and he was leaking blood from his mouth. "Fleur!" Gabby said in a bright voice.

"Gabrielle!" She helped the small girl off of Harry's shoulders, kissing him on the cheek "Merci."

"Wanted to see you happy." He said with a large smile "Hate to see you cry." Then he turned to Dumbledore, his expression changed "You though." He slapped the air in front of him, water shot from the lake and slapped the elder to the ground. "I hate."

"Harry!" Another familiar voice said "You can't hit a Professor!"

"Hi Mione!" He said happily "Glad to see you're alright."

"Idiot, of course I'm alright." The bookworm glared at him "Things never change, you aren't. Still shouldn't hit a Professor."

"He was pissing me off, he put people I care about in danger." He stated almost automatically, like it was a fixed reply.

"You can't do that, retard." Daphne flicked ash at him "The guy's like hundred and forty, break a blasted hip."

"Annoying."

"One to talk."

"For the love of Merlin!" Hermione wailed.

"I'll shut 'im up." Fleur said calmly, before grabbing Harry by the front of his shirt and locking her lips onto his.

Gabrielle looked torn between frightened and acceptance "On-One way to do it Sis…" She said in a rather small voice. "Still sick though, gross."

XX~XX~XX~XX

While they were talking, Dumbledore had gotten to his feet and was listening to a Merman from the lake. The other Judges were talking amongst themselves about the performance.

"Potter was late! He used Blood runes! I give him two points!" Karkaroff snarled.

Crouch's red haired assistant, Percy Weasley glared at the Headmaster "I hardly think that's far, the law states that so long as it's your own blood on your own body, then it's legal." He snapped "While he was late, he was last to leave and first to return with his hostage. Nine points."

"I agree with Mr. Weasley, I shall give Arry Potter, Ten points." Madam Maxine said proudly "He returned without a single scratch, Krum and Diggory did not."

Bagman was grinning ear to ear "You can't forget Karkaroff, Potter went back into the lake for love!" He said joyfully "Ten points from me as well."

"You all should know, Potter killed fourteen Grindylows and seven merpeople…" Dumbledore's voice broke their discussion.

"Wh-What?"

"They told me, he arrived and wouldn't leave. He started to kill with a sinister affection for it, normally mouthing boring." The Elder said with a frown. "For his first part, I give him an Eight. Second though, I need to speak with him."

Karkaroff actually seemed impressed "Merpeople are rather hard to injure, five points." He said his face returning into a frown.

"And the others?"

XX~XX~XX~XX

"We have reached a verdict!" Bagman's voice boomed, the Champions all around him though Harry was looking out towards the lake.

"In first place, with the use of the highly subjective Blood Runes- Mr. Potter! Who retrieved his hostage, in thirty minutes! His total points: 42 points!" Bagmans voice cried out, cheers and boos erupted around the stage.

"In second place, with the skillful use of the Bubble-Head Charm- Mr. Diggory! He saved his hostage a single minute over the hour mark! His total points: 38 points!" More cheers erupted for Cedric than Harry, more boos as well.

"In third place, by using an incomplete bull shark Transfiguration spell- Mr. Krum! Who saved his hostage only ten minutes over the mark! His total points: 35 points!" A round of roars from Drumstrang students cheered out in agony.

"Finally in fourth place, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm- Miss. Delacour! While Miss. Delacour did not rescue her hostage she is still awarded: 25 points!"

Bagman waited for a moment before he continued "Now, as I said before ladies and gentleman. This is no longer the Tri-Wizard tournament as you know! As we have four champions! We shall have four tasks!" A round of cheers sang out "On the date of the 24th April, the Third task shall begin! Those who can…help…with the task with be notified a month before hand."

"Thank you all for supporting your champions! See you all in April!"

XX~XX~XX~XX

"That was fun." Harry said flicking the Spear, making it ring a little "I'm keeping this, hard to find these in good shape."

"That's good shape?" Daphne said giving the metal object a disgusted look.

"For being made of Iron and under water? Yeah." Harry spun it in his fingers.

"Potter!" Dumbledore roared "We are talking this instant."

"Are you? Well, what are you saying?"

"How did you learn that entrance?" The old man snapped.

"My Ex-Death Eater Aunty taught me, she loves knives and cake." He said calmly, still spinning the spear around. "Also taught me a few tricks, the Demons and Fish-People I couldn't use them on…"

"Harry!" Hermione looked shocked.

"What?"

"Death Eater!?"

"Well, she's got the mark but she hates Voldemort more than I do." He said in a bored voice "I'm hungry, we got any snacks?"

Fleur shook her head, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"You're warm." He said gently "And soft…"

Fleur smiled at him, her other hand holding onto Gabrielle's.

Dumbledore closed his eyes and rubbed them for a moment "You…killed some of them. Why?" The elder asked with a frown on his face.

Harry tilted his head, raising a single brow "Because they were in my way and going to drown the little spitfire." He said in a very emotionless voice. "That tends to happen to the people I care about."

"I'm not a spitfire." Gabrielle growled under her breath.

Dumbledore didn't look in the least calm, in fact the old man looked like he'd aged a few years "There could have been another way, threaten them with magic? You didn't even use your wand did you?" He said rather quickly.

Harry scratched his cheek "Nope." He snapped his fingers, the light dew on the grass started to dance "I didn't need it, I do need my wand for other types of magic." He made two fingers and twisted his wrist, sparks surrounded his hand "But Natural? No, I don't think I'll limit myself to a piece of wood."

Harry then turned on his heels "You're boring me, I don't like to be bored." He said waving once with his back to the small group, hands placed into his pocket and he burst into a smoky mass.

The smoky mass lifted from the ground, heading for the forest.

Daphne was the first to speak, by spitting onto the ground "Well…he's a lovely bunch of roses now isn't he." She said dully "You know with those thorns."

Hermione didn't even look over, she just hit the Slytherin on the shoulder "Shut it." She snapped "I'm going to library."

"Where else would you go, Psychopath." Daphne snapped following the bookworm.

"I am not a Psychopath!" She snapped in retaliation "Bastard."

"What are you my Mum now?" Daphne growled, reaching into her pocket for a cigarette.

Fleur looked down at Gabrielle, she was watching the girls with confusion "Don't worry, they always do that. Wonder where Mindy went off to." She said rather casually, walking away from a distant looking Dumbledore.

Gabrielle frowned at the trailing smoky mass, she was starting to like her new Brother figure. He was funny, strange but funny.

With Dumbledore the only one standing there, he sighed for a moment "He's grown in a very…strange way." He looked up to the sky "Would you approve of Sirius? I just wanted him to be a child a little longer….but my wish was….unneeded wasn't it? He was never a child….I am so sorry." His eyes started to water, he pulled off his spectacles to wipe off the liquid "I just hope you'll forgive me."

XX~XX~XX~XX

Harry glanced down at the letter in his lap, it was addressed to him in nice flowing pen but it held a strange aura about it. It had only been a few days since the second task and he was expecting this to be honest.

He pulled on his dragon hide gloves and grabbed his Quidditch goggles "Fun." He murmured before pulling open the top tab.

The explosion that followed was exactly like the first, it was powerful yet compact. He felt the heat across his face, along his arms and on his chest area. A small black scar now rested on the floor of his sleeping room, as he was covered too.

It only took a few minutes before laughing filled the room, it was an echo of another's laugh; crazed and maniacal. The raven haired teen lifted himself from the floor and trudged over to the slip of paper. His eyes wide and expecting, like a hunger had set in them.

'I warned you once, now I must again. You thought I joke or you thought I kid, did this wake you up? I hope you know I'm not through, so long as you cheat I'll keep attacking you, I brought a bomb twice over now and only to shake upon the ground. Think what will come next you scar headed freak, I hope you're shaking I truly do. I really want to burry you. ~ D.E.

P.S: Tell Bellatrix I said Hello, Sirius too if you would. I'll get to them after I'm done with you.'

Harry gave a frown as he read the passage, he really was itching to find this person. It really just upset him was all. The fact he knew about Bellatrix and Sirius worried him a little, but he was sure they'd be just fine.

"Hope Poppy doesn't mind." He said casually crumbling up the letter and tossing it on his bed. "I think I need some burn cream."

XX~XX~XX~XX

"You answer me right now!" Sirius shouted, grabbing a hold of Bellatrix's robes "What the fuck did you do to him!"

"I did nothing!" She screeched, kicking him in the chest and backing away "Might of taught him torture survival…" Was added below her breath.

"By which you mean you tortured him." Andie spoke up from the chair she was sitting in, tipping a cup of tea back "Did you use nail screws?"

"No, nothing that left a permanent mark." Bella said softly "Didn't want to do it at all honestly, love the kid to death."

"Which is why you murdered his relatives?" She asked as Sirius started to pace, if he walked any harder then he'd wear the floor down.

"Hey those pricks had it coming, last I checked no one was looking for a crazed witch." The elder sister snapped, with a glare.

"In the Muggle-world no, in the Wizard world? Oh they are looking everywhere for you." A younger voice said from the doorway "In fact Aunt Bella, part of me wishes I would tell them where you are."

"Ah, if it isn't my favorite niece!" Bella said in a sweet voice "Love you too."

"Fuck off."

"Don't tempt me."

"Enough!" Andie said loudly "Did you see the markings on his body?"

"Harry?" Sirius asked "What markings?"

"I saw them, nother reason I'm chipper about killing them." Bella said tossing a dagger up and down "Nymphadora, do we have any cake?"

"Call me that one more time!" She threatened, hair turning red.

"I love it when you talk like that!" Bella retorted with a euphoric look.

"Moving on." Andie said calmly "Harry was beaten worse than he leads on, I think your" She motioned to Bella who paused, looking confused "Training, might have…unhinged him."

"Do what now?" Nym asked tossing herself into a chair.

"Nothing, he'll be fine…I might have just…added something to him." Bella said vaguely.

Sirius gave her a pointed glare "What did you add….?" He whispered, his eyes practically glowed.

Bella gave him an innocent grin, with not so innocent eyes "Ever hear of the Black Rune?"

XX~XX~XX~XX

Hello Hello, how are you lovelies doing today? So we have the Second Task out of the way and now the Third Task is coming soon. Which poses the question I'd like you guys to come up with some ideas for it, I've got one I really like. Basically, it has everyone from their Year-Level/Region, dueling against the champion (Only about three) to show they are worthy and then they duel a Professor from their school (Showing how close they are to being adults.) What do you think?

Anyway, I showed Harry a lot in this one and it did paint him as rather…crazed? You need to remember, through the use of the time-turner they stretched it out as long as they could. Harry and Bellatrix spent the most time together, Harry was bound to pick up some of her ticks in that time. You also need to remember, he was crazed before; he just hid it better. Now he just plain doesn't care.

So little message, don't mess with Harry Potter or his friends. He'll drown or shock you to death! ~Sign the Mad Demon King.