A/N: This chapter contains a scene involving a magical ritual celebration created with elements from both ancient and modern beliefs and practices. It does not describe any actual rituals or celebrations, past or present. See chapter 29 for the full disclaimer about such rituals.
That said, of special note is the short verse I include here, which is said to have been chanted by witches in Cornwall and continues to be used by some. The connections to events in this story meant that I simply couldn't not use it.
Some readers may wonder at how much more often these rituals are happening. That's merely a function of how much faster the story is moving. They can't be skipped, though: aside from their function in the plot, they have a great deal of symbolic importance as well. These rituals — the language, the actions, and the themes — mesh with events in the story, both closely related scenes and the overarching plot.
Also, the Xander cameo in the previous chapter was just that: a cameo. I had an open slot that needed to be filled by someone, and he was available to work that afternoon, so I figured... why not? It added a little humor to an otherwise dry bit of plot. Don't expect him to be back, though, because he normally has a very busy schedule.
Recommendation: This chapter's recommended fic is "Hermione's Brilliant Idea" by . Harry doesn't want to be in the Triwizard Tournament, he doesn't trust Dumbledore anymore, and he's getting tired of being hated by the entire school. Fortunately, Hermione has a plan for dealing with it all. H/Hr.
Chapter 59 - Light My Fire
Wednesday, June 23, 1995, 9:30PM.
Seven students and one professor quietly padded away from the Beauxbatons carriage and into the Forbidden Forest. Two of the students had done this twice already, but the five who were new to this sort of thing all held onto each other for mutual comfort and support. Despite being accompanied by Professor McGonagall and an intimidating-looking veela escort, they were all outside the castle well after the 9PM curfew, and they'd have been hard-pressed to come up with a reasonable excuse for their activities. It was only because of getting a "late detention" from Professor McGonagall that their absence from their dorms hadn't already raised an alarm.
In ones and twos they had snuck out of the castle before curfew, made their way to the carriage, and hid there until it was time for them to move as a group to the ritual circle. They also had to change into incredibly thin, yellow cotton shifts which were all they were allowed to wear. They couldn't even have on bras and knickers — it was positively scandalous!
Being dressed in such a manner (while outside, no less), combined with breaking dozens of school rules, and all with a normally stern professor who was doing the same thing, made the young witches practically giddy with adrenaline and excitement.
"It feels a bit like an adventure, doesn't it?" Tracey whispered to Daphne. "You know, like what Jasmine and Hermione get up to?"
"Kinda," agreed Daphne, "Just, you know, without all the screaming and running."
"Oh, yeah," Tracey conceded. "That's good, though."
As they made their way into the Forbidden Forest, the Hogwarts witches immediately knew that something very significant had been happening. Only a few of them had actually been in the forest before, and even then not very far, but they all knew the stories about how dark and foreboding it was. There were good reasons why it was named the Forbidden Forest, and why some even called it simply the Dark Forest.
The forest they were walking through now, however, was anything but dark, and it didn't look as though it should be considered forbidden. Instead of looking twisted and menacing, the trees were all straight, tall and perhaps even proud. There was bright green growth everywhere along with a multitude of brightly colored flowers of all types. There was also a plethora of magical plants, none of which were dangerous. The forest seemed to them enchanted, almost idyllic.
"Are you seeing this?" Hannah asked. As the best Herbology student in the group, she was the most familiar with the forest. "I didn't think that some of these plants grew here anymore!"
"Anymore?" Susan asked.
"Yes," Hannah replied. "The forest used to be much less dangerous and provided a lot more in the way of magical plants for students to work with. Some of these, though, haven't been available from the forest for generations. Or if they were, it's been too dangerous to gather them."
"Something's happened here," Daphne said quietly. "I can't wait to write my parents and let them know about this."
"I don't think either your mum or your dad will want to know the details of how you found out, though," Tracey said with a sly look, earning her a scowl in return.
Before long, they came across a couple of unusually large centaurs, both armed, and the Hogwarts witches all tensed. They knew how much centaurs disliked witches and wizards, not to mention how much they hated it when others trespassed on their land. Yet instead of making threats or acting hostile, the centaurs were exceptionally polite, addressing them as "ladies," welcoming them to the forest, and promising to do their utmost to ensure that they would all be protected.
The young witches gave each other questioning looks once they passed by their apparent guards. That was not how centaurs were supposed to act, which only underscored their earlier feeling that something had radically changed about the forest. Daphne was once again heard muttering something about writing to her parents.
Soon they had arrived at the ritual circle. It was still as large as it had been on Beltane, but it was now surrounded by even more green growth and vibrant flowers than it had been on that holiday. Each of the witches, young and old, were given lovely garlands to wear on their heads. Made up of clover, red and white hawthorn, St. John's Wort, azaleas, and wild roses, the garlands gave each of them an almost otherworldly look.
Before entering, they were each anointed with a bit of consecrated honey, and once inside they were all served a mug of mead made from fermented honey from the same hive. While everyone drank and took time to introduce themselves, Fleur showed the newcomers the altar off to the side from the central bonfire ring, its fire yet unlit. Centered on the altar was a large, unlit candle decorated with a sun motif, and to the left and right were statues of the goddesses Hestia and Áine.
The Hogwarts witches had thought the veela rather cold and standoffish during the walk into the forest, but once inside the circle they seemed to transform, becoming incredibly warm and friendly. They all introduced themselves and seemed eager to get to know the younger witches — what they studied, their families, and so forth.
Either the mead or the magic had started to affect them, because they finally began to relax. Minerva McGonagall's normally stern expression was completely transformed to the point where she hardly looked like the same person, especially with her hair having been let down to flow across her shoulders. In a fit of playfulness, Susan began twirling around in the grass, but the resulting breeze caused her to stop abruptly and grow red in embarrassment when it reminded her of what she was wearing… or more precisely, what she wasn't wearing.
Wednesday, June 23, 1995, 9:50PM.
Once most of them had finished their mead, a veela named Juliette announced the beginning of the celebration. Everyone gathered around the ritual circle, whereupon Juliette began to speak. "We come together this evening so that we may once more celebrate the power of the sun, the source of light, warmth, and life for us all. On this date it has been traditional for young women to use divination to find a husband, or for couples to formalize relationships that started the previous Beltane. For obvious reasons, we won't be doing that this evening."
There were some nervous titters among the Hogwarts witches at that. "We will, however, be focusing on the things which connect us, which bind us all together," Juliette continued. "Flowers bloom. Crops grow. Life flourishes. It is time to remember why, and to remember how much we all depend on each other, just as we depend on the sun."
Juliette waved her wand and silently lit the bonfire. It was fairly small — small enough that it was easy for even the shortest witch to see over it to the witches on the other side. As if on cue, several of the veela picked up small drums and began playing while others started to sing. For a moment the Hogwarts witches wondered if they should be doing something, but their tension eased when they noticed that they weren't the only ones not singing or drumming. As they relaxed, the magic of the ritual began to take hold, bringing their magic in sync with that of the other participants.
After a few minutes, Juliette turned to the altar and chanted:
Green is gold.
Fire is wet.
Fortunes told.
Dragon's met!
Fleur and Gabrielle gave each other surprised looks. This was a standard chant used every year and not something they'd ever given much thought to. Today, though, it seemed to have a much more profound significance because each line could describe either them or Jasmine and Hermione.
"Do you zink it eez just a coincidence?" Gabrielle asked softly.
"Non," Fleur whispered with a shake of her head. "In zis, I do not believe zere can be any coincidences. We should point it out to Maman and Adrienne." Ever since Beltane they'd been watching the two witches more closely. The couple's bond had, unsurprisingly, taken a massive leap forward after their exposure to so much magic… and their own private activities, presumably. The power rolling off of Hermione and Jasmine was frightening at times, and the connection itself now seemed like the singing of a large chorus — and they were sure that the bond wasn't even complete yet, though they obviously couldn't ask.
While Juliette chanted and some of the veela sang, a large number of fairies had entered the circle from the surrounding forest. This was the time of year when they were most active, and they had been attracted by the growing magic of the ritual. Each witch soon had several fairies either circling her head or resting in her garland, attracted by the colors and smells of the flowers. A few even chose to sample the honey that the witches had been anointed with on their foreheads.
"This is amazing!" Padma whispered to no one in particular as she stretched her arms out to either side. She'd spent the entire time thus far trying to analyze every aspect of the ritual. She'd only ever read vague descriptions of them and never expected to participate in one personally, so she had intended to extract as much information from the experience as possible. The appearance of so many fairies, though, simply shut down the analytical portion of her brain, and she finally started to just experience what was happening.
As the sun dropped even lower, Juliette once again spoke: "As the sun sets and this day ends, we mark the beginning of the midsummer, the longest day of the year. Until now the strength and power of the sun has been increasing; after midsummer, the power of the sun will wane, and the nights will once again grow longer. Yet this is not a time to mourn, because for everything there is a season. For all the beauty and bounty around us, it, too, will pass, and that is why we honor what we have received from the sun rather than take it for granted."
A few minutes before the sun dipped below the horizon, discs made from birch and about the size of a galleon were distributed. "It is traditional to make protective amulets on Midsummer's Eve," Juliette explained. "This is done while the sun sets and heralds the arrival of Midsummer's Day."
Each of the Hogwarts witches, even Minerva, was paired with a veela who showed them which runes needed to be inscribed where, and then how to push a bit of their magic into the discs to prime them. Hermione paired with Fleur while Jasmine paired with Gabrielle, who had barely taken her eyes off of Jasmine since they'd all left the carriages.
"These were made from a large branch of a very old birch tree which one of the centaurs collected for us," Juliette explained to the group. "So it is already imbued with the magic of this forest. Adding your magic will atune it to you. Very shortly it will be energized with the magic of our ritual, and then it will provide protection for you until next Midsummer's Eve, when you're expected to create another.
Although the Hogwarts witches were attentive to their unexpected runes lesson, they were also chatting away with the veela who were helping them, excited about what they were learning and already hopeful about the possibility of attending more celebrations in the future.
Wednesday, June 23, 1995, 10:20PM.
"It is now time for us to light our midsummer candles," Juliette announced. Once everyone was standing in a circle around the low fire and holding their own white candle, the woman knelt before the altar and prayed, "Hestia, goddess of the hearth and family, heed our call and provide the light, warmth, and love we need to persevere. Welcome us into your bosom, that we may truly know we are loved and cherished. Áine, goddess of love and fertility, heed our call and bless the bounty of the earth, that we may be provided with sustenance and our community may flourish for yet another year."
As soon as she finished, the large candle on the altar burst into flame. Juliette then took a white candle for herself, lit it from the sun candle, then turned to the witch standing next to her. As she lit the woman's candle from her own, she recited: "May the sun light your path, warm your hearth, and rejuvenate your life." That witch turned to the witch on her other side and repeated the process.
Every time a new candle was lit, the central fire grew higher — much higher than the small fuel source should have been able to support. Every time the incantation was repeated, the ground around the witch speaking started to glow, and tiny motes of magical energy floated around her ankles. More and more energy collected around the witches while the central fire grew ever higher.
Jasmine and Hermione had grown accustomed to such sights, though they still found it amazing. The other young Hogwarts witches, however, had never seen anything like it and couldn't stop staring at the pooling energy around their feet. It was only now that they were coming to truly understand just how much power could be amassed in a ritual. They were also starting to suspect that the condemnation of such rituals had less to do with their alleged darkness and more to do with a desire to limit who had access to such power.
When the final candle was lit, nearly all the energy that had been collecting around and in the witches suddenly rushed in towards the center, travelled up through the fire, and burst out the top of the flames like a volcano, spreading waves of the witches' magical power — enhanced and multiplied by the goddesses through the ritual, according to the veela — across the canopy of the Forbidden Forest.
What energy didn't travel into the fire was absorbed back into the participants. All the Hogwarts witches felt an amazing tingling across their skin as the energy — created through the shared contributions of all those present — infused them, connecting them to their fellow witches as well as, presumably, the goddesses who were honored in the ritual. They all stared when their new amulets started glowing with power.
"These candles are charmed to last," Juliette informed them, "and they should be kept lit all through tomorrow. You may not be able to carry your candles with you all day long, but if you place your amulets under them during the day, they will absorb some more of the shared energy and become a bit stronger.
"By keeping them lit, you'll maintain a connection with the magic that we just shared with the goddesses, with each other, and with the forest around us," Juliette concluded, "May they serve as a reminder of our connectedness and the ways in which we are all dependent upon one another."
It was after 11PM before they were able to return to the castle, and a bit later than that before any of them managed to sneak back into their dorms. Despite the late hour, none of them were able to get to sleep right away — they were all much too energized by the magic of the ritual, though at the same time none of them actually felt like doing much of anything. It was a curious combination that none of them were familiar with — none except Jasmine and Hermione, who had noticed the sensations after previous rituals.
Susan and Hannah sat together behind silenced bed curtains and talked about their experiences. Padma and Daphne wrote about what happened — the former simply taking personal notes, the latter writing an urgent letter to her parents about the changes in the forest while Tracey watched and daydreamed. Jasmine and Hermione, as had become typical for them, cuddled in bed.
All of them vowed to themselves that they'd eagerly accept another invitation if it came their way. All of them also made a point of putting their amulets under their candles.
Thursday, June 24, 1995, Morning.
On the morning of the final task, Jasmine stayed in bed late because she didn't have any classes that day and decided that she'd be happier continuing to cuddle with Hermione.
Lord Voldemort also stayed in bed, but not out of a desire to cuddle with anyone. No, he had once again fallen ill. He was thankful that there was no pain, but the nausea that had begun afflicting him the night before and which continued into the morning was nearly as bad.
Did something go wrong during the ritual to give Us this new body? he wondered after he finished dry-heaving into a conjured bucket. We don't remember noticing anything wrong, but that Potter bint might have done something when We weren't looking. This is just one more thing that We'll have to pay her back for!
Peter Pettigrew could hear his master retching in his bedroom and knew that this didn't bode well for the rest of his day. Whenever the Dark Lord was sick or in pain, he'd take it out on someone else — anyone else, just so long as he didn't appear to be weak. Unfortunately for Pettigrew, he had become one of his master's favorite targets over the past few months.
He had hoped that by seeking out his master and helping him regain a body, he'd be catapulted to the highest ranks of the Death Eaters. He thought he'd become one of the Dark Lord's most honored and trusted servants. The reality was that he was suffering more than he ever had while living as a rat among the Weasleys.
But Pettigrew wasn't stupid. He could scheme and he could plot, and he had finally come up with a way to please his master — something that the Dark Lord would definitely appreciate enough to give poor little Peter all of the honors and respect he'd been missing out on for so long. There was one thing that his master wanted, and that was Jasmine Potter. Fortunately, Pettigrew knew where Potter might be tonight. It was a long shot, because he didn't know how far along Barty had gotten in his preparations, and he couldn't exactly ask; but he was sure that it was worth trying.
What's the worst that could go wrong? he thought confidently.
Thursday, June 24, 1995, Afternoon.
When Jasmine and Hermione finally came down for lunch, they were surprised at how many students — mostly witches — openly smiled at them and wished Jasmine luck. They had become used to looks of hostility, muttered insults, and even occasional hexes when their backs were turned. That was what life had become for them after Jasmine's name came out of the Goblet of Fire, and it was hardly the first year they had received such treatment at Hogwarts.
Now, though, there was scarcely a hostile expression to be seen — just a few Slytherins, but that had been normal since first year. Both girls actually found it a bit unnerving to be the targets of so much well-wishing and weren't sure how to react. A part of Jasmine wanted to snap at everyone and ask why they thought it was okay to hex her one month then smile at her the next.
Fortunately for the rest of the student body, she had been getting better at reining in her emotions — in fact, she almost never had to consciously work to calm down anymore. The anger was still there when something happened, but she found herself able to control it without lashing out at the nearest target.
Jasmine had no idea why she had gotten better, though she noticed that her improvement seemed to coincide with Beltane and eventually concluded that it was because she and Hermione were doing such a good job helping each other... relax.
In Jasmine's mind, that was another excuse to keep working on relaxation techniques with Hermione. Not that she needed one.
Thursday, June 24, 1995, Evening.
"Are you ready?" Fleur asked when Jasmine joined the other three champions near the entrance to the hedge maze. Jasmine smiled and nodded, finding it oddly comforting that the French veela seemed so protective of her. Come to think of it, she mused, both Fleur and Gabrielle have seemed especially protective of me and Hermione. During the Beltane and Midsummer Eve rituals, they stayed close to the two of us and acted like they were watching for possible threats. Gabrielle in particular always seemed to be very intense. I wonder why… and when exactly did it start?
Not wanting to get into a conversation about that now, especially in front of the current audience, she simply said, "As ready as I'll ever be." She then nodded to Viktor and Cedric, deliberately ignored Bagman, absently noted that they had finally gotten a replacement for Karkaroff (the Durmstrang headmaster having disappeared shortly after Jasmine's kidnapping), and turned around to look back at the stands were the spectators were sitting. Jasmine was surprised to note that all the witches who had attended the ritual celebration the previous evening were holding their candles — and they were sitting together, too, instead of with their respective houses.
"We were starting to get worried," Fleur said. "It's almost time to start."
Of course, it didn't take long at all for Jasmine to spot Hermione talking to Gabrielle, both of whom were also holding candles. Jasmine and Hermione had known that they wouldn't be able to get in a kiss for good luck down by the pitch, so they'd chosen to take care of that back up in the dormitory. And since it was such a private place, the quick good luck kiss had turned into a passionate snog, which had then turned into… a bit more.
"Ehh… something came up," Jasmine said noncommittally, really not wanting to announce what was going through her mind just then. Somehow, though, Fleur seemed to know anyway and gave her an impish smile in return.
"Well, now that we're all finally here," Cornelius Fudge said pompously, "we can get this task started." Jasmine hadn't heard that the Minister would be participating like this, but she guessed that with Percy under investigation, someone had to step in, and Fudge might have thought this would be a convenient opportunity for good publicity.
"Yes, yes," Bagman added. "You'll go first, Miss Potter, then in intervals of a minute it will be Mr. Krum, Mr. Diggory, and Miss Delacour. Do you all understand?" When they nodded, Bagman turned and gestured to Dumbledore, who announced the start of the third task and fired a cannon to signal that Jasmine should begin.
Jasmine jogged into the maze, impressed that the hedge walls had grown to what appeared to be ten or fifteen meters in just a month. When she arrived at the first intersection, she simply stopped and waited. Because of the magic of the maze, she couldn't be seen by the officials standing around the entrance, and she decided to spend her time wisely by casting some detection charms. After three minutes and three more cannon blasts, all four champions finally came together.
"None of our detection charms vork," Viktor told Fleur as the fourth and final champion approached. "It is probably the magic of the maze, making it more difficult for us."
"No surprise there," Cedric said. "I'm sure that these hedges have all sorts of magic in them."
"Just so long as it isn't enough magic to interfere with my spell," Jasmine said. "Stand back and be ready to move into the hole. Anything on the other side will probably be stunned, so you'll have a short window to deal with it."
The three older champions took their positions — the wizards on either side of their youngest member and Fleur a bit behind, ready to cast a shield to protect her during her most vulnerable time. Jasmine breathed deeply, centered herself, and incanted in a firm voice, "Corace Corruo!" A section of hedge five meters wide exploded in the direction opposite them, taking nearly a meter of dirt as well because of the roots that were pulled up and carried away.
Fleur cast "Ventus!" creating a surge of wind to blow the dirt and debris away from them while Cedric and Viktor took up positions on either side of the newly created gap in the hedge. Looking around the corners, both cried out almost simultaneously, "Skrewts!"
Outside in the stands, everyone was incredibly bored. The sun had already set, the remaining light was dwindling fast, and the champions would have been impossible to see even if it were high noon. "This is as bad as the second task," Susan grumbled.
"No kidding," Padma chimed in.
"Actually, it's loads better," Daphne insisted. When she received dubious looks from the others, she explained, "It's not the middle of February, and I'm not freezing my bum off!" That got a laugh from everyone around her.
The chattering among the students stopped abruptly when there was a massive explosion from somewhere near the entrance to the maze, kicking up dirt, dust, and bits of hedge. Everyone gaped at the sight — everyone, that is, except Hermione, who looked both smug and proud. The others quickly noticed and Hannah asked, "Alright, give — what do you know that we don't?"
"I know that Jasmine and the others have a plan to end this task as quickly as possible," she said.
"Quickly and violently," Neville muttered.
"Too right," Ron agreed under his breath.
While the students were trying to get Hermione to talk, the tournament officials were also wondering what had happened. I doubt any one of the champions could accomplish something like that alone, Dumbledore thought. Professor Sprout did an excellent job of breeding these hedges to be resistant to magic. That can only mean that the champions are working together again.
Dumbledore sighed, not really looking forward to judging the conclusion of a tournament in which the competitors refused to actually compete.
Back in the maze, Fleur had moved forward to help Cedric and Viktor eliminate Hagrid's skrewts. Since this was their first breach of the hedge, they didn't have to worry about anything coming up behind them, but the skrewts were tough enough that the two wizards were having trouble. It was only when Jasmine got enough of her wind back that she could tell them that the skrewts had very vulnerable undersides that the fight finally turned in their favor. Spells that simply bounced off the heavy armor were able to shred the unnatural monstrosities once they were flipped on their backs.
"Ready to try again?" Cedric asked as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Parts of his robes were singed and blackened because he'd been caught by a skrewt that had spun around like a top when it had been flipped, sending a stream of fire everywhere.
"Yeah, good to go," Jasmine replied. Once everyone was in position, she again incanted, "Corace Corruo!" Another five-meter section of hedge blew apart, and another wind spell from Fleur cleared the air. When Viktor and Cedric looked around the corners, though, they found the path was clear in both directions. The three older champions took time to clean themselves up a little more while Jasmine rested, then she cast the siege engine spell for a third time.
Some ways down this new path they saw a sphinx — a very angry looking sphinx, in fact. Yet despite all her growling and pacing, she didn't actually approach them. "Perhaps she is somehow bound to that spot and can only engage if vee go near her?" Viktor suggested. "She would not be happy to see that ve vill be able to bypass her."
"Works for me," Jasmine said between heavy breaths. Her companions watched the path they had just crossed while she recovered, then positioned themselves once more as she cast her fourth siege engine spell of the evening. This time instead of any creatures, Cedric immediately spotted the still and lifeless body of his girlfriend. "Cho!" he cried out as he ran over and dropped to his knees, trying to cradle her body. "What were you doing here? Oh, Merlin, Cho, we killed you!"
Viktor, not seeing any threats in his direction, went to assist his fellow champion. As he put a hand on Cedric's shoulder, the body in Cedric's arms started shifting and bubbling, turning into a slightly older Caucasian girl. "Yulia?" he gasped, dropping to his knees next to Cedric. "Vat are you doing here? Vhy are you…." Before he could finish the question, the body in front of them started shifting again, this time acquiring a form that was a weird mix of Asian and Caucasian features.
"Boggart!" Fleur called out as she incanted "Riddikulus!" Suddenly the oddly formed girl on the ground popped up into the air and transformed into a six-foot-tall plucked chicken that started squawking and running around madly in circles.
Jasmine turned slowly and gave Fleur a disbelieving look. "Seriously?" she mouthed.
Fleur looked slightly sheepish at first, then gave a little shrug as she fixed an unconcerned expression on her face and looked everywhere but at Jasmine.
It took a few minutes for the wizards to recover from their experience with the boggart, but after they'd banished it down the path and Jasmine was ready, she once more cast the siege engine spell, this time revealing another clear path. "It's been just over thirty minutes," Fleur announced, and the others nodded. It was taking longer than they had hoped, but Jasmine was needing increasingly more time to recover after each casting. Alone, however, they would have had even more trouble against obstacles like the skrewts.
After Jasmine cast the siege engine spell for the sixth time, the two wizards once more reported the path to be clear. It was dark, though, and they were only looking along the grassy path itself. Neither of them thought to look up; had they done so, they would have seen several large, spider-like forms making their way along the sides of the hedge walls.
It was only when one of them actually came around the corner created by the destroyed section of hedge that they were spotted. "Acromantula! Get back!" Fleur called, pointing up high. Neither Cedric nor Viktor had seen anything yet, but they had sufficient trust in Fleur to dive backwards without hesitation. That saved Viktor, because the first acromantula that had come around the corner dropped to the ground right where he had been standing.
"Depulso!" Cedric incanted, trying to banish the spider, which looked to be as large as a Great Dane, but it only pushed the arachnid a meter or so and seemed to annoy it more than anything else.
"Use Arania Exumai," Jasmine gasped to Fleur. The French champion nodded and cast the spell, sending the acromantula flying away. The two wizards quickly started copying her, creating a large distance between the champions and the carnivorous spiders. With distance came time to plan, and the champions settled on fire spells as offering their best chance for success.
As the creatures got closer again, though, Jasmine was able to get a better view of them and noticed that something looked wrong. Instead of casting Sphaera Ignea as she had intended, she incanted "Finite Incantatem!" Immediately the arachnid disappeared and the other champions looked around, confused.
"It's not really an acromantula," Jasmine explained, and pointed to a tarantula that was slowly crawling along the grass. "Someone used an engorgement charm on some regular spiders. And maybe some other charms to make them more aggressive, too."
The other champions also cast a few quick Finite spells, eliminating the spider threat.
"How did you know they weren't real acromantulas?" Cedric asked.
"During second year, Ron and I ended up right in the middle of the huge acromantula nest that's deep in the Forbidden Forest," Jasmine answered. "We were looking for clues about what was attacking students in the corridors." The other champions looked at her like she was crazy while she finished resting.
When everyone was ready, Jasmine cast the siege engine spell for the seventh time, revealing, not another path, but the center of the maze and the trophy, gleaming on a raised table.
"Finally!" Jasmine gasped as the other three champions looked around for possible threats. As a group they all stepped up to the trophy, and as they had agreed weeks ago, they grabbed it at the same time. Each felt a sharp tug behind their navels as the portkey activated. When they stopped spinning, Jasmine landed badly — very badly, in fact, and she was sure she heard a snap when her ankle twisted.
She cried out, clutching at her ankle. Once Cedric helped her up, she realized why the others hadn't said anything, and why she hadn't heard anyone else. They were alone — and instead of standing in front of the judges, they were looking around a very familiar graveyard.
"Bloody buggering shite!" Jasmine exclaimed. "This is the place where the Death Eaters tortured me!"
"Wands out, d'you reckon?" asked Cedric.
"Most definitely," Viktor answered as the three uninjured champions stood facing outward, wands at the ready and looking for threats. A crack of apparition announced an incoming visitor, and Jasmine instantly recognized the form that appeared before them.
"Wormtail!" she hissed.
"Avada Kedavra!" the dumpy traitor responded, panicked at finding four people in the graveyard instead of just one.
Without even thinking, Jasmine dove for the ground and pulled Cedric down with her. Lucky for him, the killing curse sailed right over them through the space he had previously occupied. Unlucky for her, she pulled Cedric down on her injured ankle. "Argh!" she cried out again as Viktor and Fleur started casting curses at Pettigrew.
Fleur was especially vicious in her spell choices. She remembered who Wormtail was, both from Jasmine's stories about her godfather and her explanation of what had happened to her in the graveyard. Then she saw the killing curse barely miss both Cedric and Jasmine, and she no longer worried about holding back. Had anyone taken the time to look, they'd have noticed a thin, downy coating of tiny feathers sprout along her arms and on the back of her neck.
Pettigrew was no match for either champion alone, never mind both at the same time, and they didn't give him any chance to transform, flee, or fight back. In short order he was on the ground, tied up in magical ropes and moaning from the pain of multiple broken bones, scorched skin, and other injuries. A quick stunner from Jasmine quieted him while they all looked around for more threats.
When nothing appeared, their concern turned towards getting back to Hogwarts. "We should probably use the Knight Bus, like Jasmine did before, but I think we'll have to levitate her — it's too far for her to walk on that ankle."
"Vee vill have to levitate this traitor, too," Viktor said, kicking Wormtail in the side and eliciting a moan.
"He's awake already?" Jasmine asked, still leaning against Cedric for support. "Pick him up — I want to say something to him."
"Jasmine, I don't think…." Cedric didn't get a chance to finish that thought as Jasmine said dangerously, "Pick. Him. Up!" She'd been doing wonderfully in controlling her anger since Beltane, but everyone has a breaking point, after all.
Viktor and Fleur obliged, grabbing the dumpy animagus by his armpits and lifting him up enough for Jasmine to look him in the eye. Not caring that he was still half-stunned, Jasmine grabbed him by the front of his shirt and started to berate him.
Looking around, Viktor asked, "Vhere is the trophy? Vee had better take that, too."
Cedric and Fleur couldn't see it either, so Cedric incanted, "Accio trophy!" The trophy came flying out of the darkness and into Cedric's outstretched hand. The portkey immediately activated, pulling Cedric away. And Jasmine, whom he was holding. And Wormtail, whom she was holding. Viktor and Fleur, holding on to Wormtail, brought up the rear.
Everyone landed in a heap in front of the judges' table at Hogwarts. Viktor and Fleur promptly threw up because it had been the worst, most dizzying portkey trip of their lives. Jasmine screamed out in pain because Wormtail landed on her already twice-injured ankle.
All of the judges started speaking at once, and what little Jasmine could discern indicated that they wanted to know what had taken them so long. Evidently, the alert for the trophy portkey being activated had sounded almost ten minutes earlier.
"Silence!" Dumbledore thundered, causing everyone to grow quiet. Before he could continue, however, an owl dove in and landed on Jasmine's shoulder. Everyone watched with curiosity as Jasmine cast several detection charms and, finding nothing dangerous, took the official-looking message and began to read.
"Well?" Dumbledore asked expectantly.
"Huh," said Jasmine flatly. "According to some witch named Hopkirk, I've been expelled from Hogwarts for using magic outside of school."
"I'll take that," came a woman's voice, and when she looked up, Jasmine saw Madam Bones with an outstretched hand. Jasmine handed the letter over, noticing that Minister Fudge was with her.
"Perhaps someone could explain what the devil is going on here?" Fudge demanded.
Before anyone could answer, Hermione rushed in and grabbed Jasmine's arm. It was clear to the green-eyed witch that what Hermione had really wanted was to launch herself into a hug, but dared not because of the audience. Over Hermione's shoulder, Jasmine could see all of their friends standing around nervously, unsure about what to do.
Fleur nudged Cedric, who then cleared his throat and gave a quick summary of events since picking up the portkey. Once he got to the identity of the bound man at their feet, Fudge interrupted, "Now see here…."
A growl from Jasmine stopped the Minister's incipient rant. "Explain this, then!" She gingerly knelt down next to Pettigrew and pulled back both of his sleeves, revealing the Dark Mark on one arm and a silver hand attached to the other.
"Well, Minister?" Jasmine asked angrily.
Before Fudge could start up again, Madam Bones announced that whoever the bound man might be, he had been captured after allegedly casting an unforgivable, and her department had an obligation to investigate. "We'll soon know exactly who he is and what he has been doing," Bones concluded, giving Fudge a look even he couldn't misunderstand.
Dumbledore quickly inserted himself, asking, "It looks like working together served you all well, but what made you decide to do it again?"
"During the second task, we discovered how important it is to work together as a team," Cedric said. "Since we haven't been given any more reason to trust you than we had before, we decided to play it safe."
"Ja," Viktor added, "and vee also discovered that it was much more enjoyable and made the victory much sweeter."
"Besides," Jasmine said as she kicked Pettigrew in the arm that had the Dark Mark, "there are dark wizards out there that want to hurt us, and we'll only defeat them if we are united." She then gave Fudge a pointed look as she continued, "Squabbling about personal power will only make it easier for them to take over in the end."
Fudge glowered first at her, then at Dumbledore, then at Bones before shoving his green bowler hat on his head and storming off. Bones just shook her head and called over two aurors to take the prisoner away.
"Madam Bones?" Jasmine asked, "Can you promise that Pettigrew will be questioned, not thrown in a hole somewhere and forgotten, and that if his answers are what I expect, my godfather will get justice?"
Madam Bones smiled at her and replied, "I can promise that I will do my best to see that justice is done. I can't make any promises about how long it will take because I'm sure this will ruffle more than a few feathers, but I will pursue justice wherever it leads."
"Thank you," Jasmine said. "I don't suppose there's anything you can tell me about the investigation into what happened to me at the graveyard? The first time, I mean?"
Madam Bones' expression grew dark as she said, "Not as much as I'd like, unfortunately. The place was pretty well cleaned up when we got there, so we weren't able to find any physical evidence except for a wand registered to Peter Yaxley and some burned bits of… well, probably Yaxley. We haven't been able to track him down, at any rate." Jasmine looked a bit green at hearing that. "Lucius Malfoy has been unavailable, and we can no longer find his manor. What's worse, because of the lack of movement in the case so far, Fudge has been pressuring me to shut the investigation down."
"Can he do that?" Jasmine asked, agast.
"He can pressure me, yes," Madam Bones responded, "but he can't order it, thank Merlin. I suspect that that's one of the reasons the man you captured has upset him so much: it's actually the best evidence supporting your story that we've found. It not only reignites our investigation, but allows me to more easily push the investigation into what happened to your godfather, something I know Fudge will hate."
Jasmine smiled gratefully. "Thank you again, Madam Bones. If there's anything I can do, just let me know."
"Keep yourself available tomorrow. In fact, all of you should," Bones told the champions, "Aurors will come by to get official statements from all of you."
While Pettigrew was being dragged off, Dumbledore had consulted the remaining judges on how to score this final phase of the tournament. Now he announced to the spectators that the Triwizard Tournament had ended in a four-way tie, with all three schools sharing the victory together. All of the students cheered, and most didn't seem to be surprised that their champions had chosen to work together.
When Dumbledore turned back, he found that the students he'd wanted to talk to were already halfway back to the castle. He chuckled when he saw Jasmine Potter being levitated along by one of her friends and Miss Potter herself complaining loudly about it.
Thursday, June 24, 1995, Evening.
After Jasmine had been healed by Madam Pomfrey — and then had to spend another ten minutes convincing the Healer that she didn't need to stay overnight in the hospital wing — she and Hermione curled up together in Jasmine's bed. Like the last time they were in a similar position, Hermione said, "I won't ask you to tell me what happened, especially since I assume I got most of it from listening to Cedric; but I hope you'll tell me yourself later?"
It wasn't that she needed more information, though that was a plus. Rather, Hermione wanted to make sure that Jasmine eventually opened up to someone instead of keeping it all bottled up inside.
"Yeah," Jasmine said tiredly. "Maybe tomorrow."
Minerva McGonagall sat in her darkened living quarters, nursing a glass of firewhiskey while reflecting on the ups and downs of the past few days.
The previous day had been spectacular. She'd been invited to participate in a ritual holiday celebration, the first time that had happened since she'd been a wee girl. What was more, the invitation had come from two of her favorite students. I'd have expected them to only invite their peers, but they had wanted to invite me first and foremost. Me! she thought with a warm glow that had nothing to do with the firewhiskey. Apparently I've been having a much greater impact on them than I'd realized.
And it was a fantastic celebration, too. I never had any idea that veela holiday rituals could be so engaging, so interesting, so... powerful. Yes, very powerful indeed. I wonder how much of it was due to the participation of my two lionesses?
Today, though, hadn't been nearly so wonderful. It was all I could do not to pace and fret after Jasmine entered that maze, she thought, but I didn't want to let on just how much I've come to favor her. And then we learned that the champions were all missing…. Albus was lucky that they appeared before I could curse him. And even luckier that I didn't curse him anyway once it turned out that they'd been taken back to that blasted graveyard where Pettigrew almost killed her!
"I think this might be why I made that decision so long ago never to have kids of my own," she said to the empty room as she tossed back the rest of her drink.