Chapter Twenty-Four
Stories about the fallout between Harry Potter and Professor McGonagall had spread through the school like wildfire. To most people, Harry didn't seem to be behaving any differently since the incident. To the Slytherins and the Black Wands, however, the truth was another matter.
Harry seemed to be constantly on edge. He used nearly all of his free time to study and practice, usually performing his work alone and in complete silence. He still found some time to socialise with his peers and even cracked a few jokes, but everyone could tell something was up, something that must've concerned Harry greatly.
The Black Wands knew this better than anyone. Whenever they arrived for their club meeting in the Room of Requirement, Harry would already be there practicing against several training dummies at once, in a deadly dance of movement, magic, and destruction. Even after a gruelling training session, Harry would close the group's meeting only to remain in the room to keep training.
Most of them believed he was only doing this for the sake of the tournament. Daphne was the only human who knew the real truth, which she didn't share with anyone but Harry. Her training had stepped up as well, but she knew she wasn't anywhere near the level she needed to be to face Voldemort, and that concerned her.
Harry knew he was stretching his limits, but he did try not to completely drown himself in training and practice. He still indulged himself in the company of his friends and his girlfriend, he never missed a class, and he still showed up to every meal at the Great Hall.
He even played several small Quidditch matches with Viktor. The two somehow even found time to organise a small Quidditch tournament, open to every student in Hogwarts. Everyone loved the idea, and it ended up being a huge success.
Daphne also spent some more time getting to know Fleur. The Veela told the younger girl all about her wish to see the world, make a name for herself, and have a successful career. Daphne appreciated the older girl's ambition, and they spoke at length about what they wanted out of life. She talked about how she wanted to be a healer, while Fleur said she was considering curse-breaking. The French witch also admitted her desire to find a proper wizard who could resist her allure and be her partner in life, so she could start a family of her own. She even joked with Daphne about how she wished Harry had an older brother or relative she could be introduced to.
Daphne laughed along with the older girl, but she thought it best not to tell her that Lord Black, Harry's godfather and honorary uncle, was currently single. Even discounting his roguish personality, the man was almost twice Fleur's age.
After weeks of carrying on like this, Harry could no longer hide the fact that he was completely exhausted. His friends were starting to worry about him, especially Daphne. One Saturday, she took the initiative to try and help him relax by making him go out with her and their friends to spend the afternoon by the lake. They hadn't been out there for very long when Harry surprisingly fell asleep with his head on her lap. Realising that was probably the best thing for him, no one dared wake him for several hours.
Their friends even tried to sit Harry down and convince him that he was burning himself out for no reason, and that he was already more than capable of winning the tournament. Daphne was the only one who knew what was really bothering him.
Voldemort.
The Dark Lord not being at Riddle Manor like he'd expected had thrown him for a loop. His original plan to take the portkey at the end of the third task and kill him in the graveyard was still on the table, but he couldn't let go of the idea that he was missing something important. Had he changed too much? Had his presence affected events enough that he could no longer predict what was going to happen?
Those thoughts fuelled his rage in practice, where he rained destructive spell after destructive spell upon the training dummies. He was confident that he was stronger than Voldemort, but that didn't mean he could allow himself to slack off. He knew he had to be ready for anything. He worked tirelessly to ensure that his muscle memory was honed, his reflexes quick, and his spells powerful.
Either Dobby or Scylla would often go back to Riddle Manor for a quick inspection to make sure Voldemort hadn't come back, but there had still been no sign of him. Even the elf and the young basilisk were starting to get worried, mostly about Harry.
Eventually, the day of the third task arrived. The champions were given the afternoon off to prepare and greet their families, while all the other students had to attend classes until three o'clock.
That was why Harry could be found sitting on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets, his body facing Salazar's statue and the skeleton of the basilisk. His wand was on the ground in front of him and his eyes were closed, as he meditated and focused his magic. This was the day he had been preparing for, and he would not allow himself to fail.
"One way or another, it all ends tonight," Harry thought to himself. "Voldemort will fall, and I will be free to live my life and focus on nothing but the wellbeing of my family."
His family...Daphne. The woman he loved more than anything, for whom he had broken the laws of magic and nature to be with. Now that he had her, he had too much to lose. There could be no mistakes. There would be no compromise, no mercy, and no second chances. Voldemort would die, and then he could finally live in peace.
"Master," Dobby called from behind Harry, and the fourteen-year-old former old Dark Lord opened his glowing green eyes.
"It's time."
"Bring me my armour, then," Harry commanded, and Dobby summoned it from the living quarters with a snap of his fingers. Harry silently clad himself in it with the help of his most loyal friend and servant, as they had done many times before.
"Are you ready?" Harry asked, and Dobby nodded sharply.
"What about the Horcruxes?" Dobby asked, and Harry hesitated for a moment. Did he dare to destroy them yet? Coming to a decision, he looked at Dobby.
"Wait until the task starts and then dip them in the venom," Harry ordered, and Dobby nodded his understanding.
"My pet!" Scylla hissed as she slithered out of Salazar's statue and into the main room, stopping right in front of Harry. "What do you need me to do?"
Harry had thought long and hard about it and decided he could still use Scylla's help.
"Scylla, you are staying with Dobby for now. When the time comes, if it comes at all, I will summon you two to my side. If I do, you are to find the snake and kill it the moment you arrive. Do you understand?"
"I understand, my pet," the young basilisk replied, and he could tell she was taking it seriously.
Scylla understood that the situation was serious, and she knew that the threat to her nest and her pet had to be dealt with.
"You can count on me."
"I know I can, Scylla," Harry replied with a smile. He could swear Scylla smiled as well, or as close to it as a snake could get.
"Tell the elf I will wrap myself around his torso," Scylla said, slithering over to Dobby, who followed his master's instructions and allowed the basilisk to coil herself around him.
"Be careful, my...Harry," Scylla said, her sentimentality taking Harry by surprise. "You still owe me a lot of meat, and you need to be around to protect me as I grow."
"I promise, Scylla," Harry responded with a hint of amusement.
Slytherin House had gifted him special champion's robes to wear in his moment of glory (or so they all hoped), which he slipped on over his basilisk hide armour. They were mostly green and black, but also had subtle accents of the other house colours to show he was the worthy Hogwarts champion. They had even been modified to have shorter sleeves, like the rest of his robes. Harry slid his wand back into his holster, and he was now ready for combat.
Harry, Dobby, and an unusually quiet Scylla made their way back into the Chamber's living quarters.
"Are you taking a secondary wand?" Dobby asked, and Harry nodded as he approached the trunk where he kept his supplies. Several weeks earlier, they had gone into Knockturn Alley and acquired three wands that felt compatible with Harry. Since Dobby was well-tuned to Harry's magic, he'd be able to use them as well. Harry didn't think he'd end needing a spare, but better safe than sorry.
"Shall I take you to the common room?" Dobby asked.
Confirming he had everything he needed, Harry wordlessly nodded to his friend. Dobby left him in his supposed dorm room, which was empty, as the other boys were all in class. He took the stairs down to the common room and found it to be empty as well. Harry checked the time and saw that it was nearly three o'clock, which was the designated time for the champions to meet in the Great Hall, where they supposedly had a surprise waiting for them.
What kind of surprise, Harry had no idea. He remembered that last time, the Weasleys were waiting to greet him before the task. He was fairly certain that wouldn't be the case this time around. He met nobody on his way down to the Great Hall except for the Bloody Baron and his knights, who all bowed to him as he passed. He was slightly taken aback when he entered the hall and discovered what the surprise actually was, though perhaps he shouldn't have been.
"THERE YOU ARE, PUP!" boomed the voice of Sirius Black from the head table, where he and Remus had been speaking with Professor Flitwick.
Both men were wearing matching grins, and they were not alone. Standing with them were Andromeda and Ted Tonks, and on Sirius's arm was the newest member of the family, Isabella Black. Narcissa Malfoy was surprisingly in attendance as well. All of the Blacks smiled at Harry has he entered the Great Hall, even Narcissa, doubly so when they saw Sirius and Remus walking briskly to greet him (Andromeda insisted that people of their standing did not run).
"Are you ready to win, pup?" Sirius asked, reaching out to grasp his godson's shoulders with a huge grin plastered across his face. "The entire family came to see you kick the others' asses and watch you do something amazing."
"No pressure," Remus added, and the three laughed together.
"I really wasn't expecting this," Harry responded, though he was glad they came.
"Well, one thing the Ministry actually did right was invite the closest family of all the champions to the task," Sirius explained jovially. "I decided to buy some extra tickets and bring the whole family, or most of them, at least. Dora is working and couldn't take the day off."
"I'm surprised they all came too," Harry remarked, noticing that the Tonks, Isabella, and Narcissa were all approaching them.
"Family sticks together, pup," Sirius replied. "Or at least they should."
"Let us just say that the new Black family sticks together and supports its members. Isn't that right, Sirius?" Andromeda said as they reached them. "Hello Harry, it's nice to see you. I hope you are ready for the task."
"Damn right," Sirius said, replying to Andy's first statement.
"Mrs. Tonks, Mr. Tonks, Mrs. Malfoy, Ms. Black," he said, greeting each of them in turn. "It's a pleasure to see you again, and I am honoured that you took time from your schedule to come here today."
"Nonsense, Harry," Ted replied. "There's no other place we ought to be."
Isabella nodded in agreement.
"That's right. Besides, it was a perfect opportunity for me to finally visit Hogwarts," the Spanish woman remarked, giving Harry a hesitant smile. He could tell she was mostly just being polite.
"How do you like it so far?" he asked.
"It's certainly big, and many of the teachers are renowned across Europe," Isabella responded. "Our academies back in Spain are much smaller, but to compensate, we have many of them."
"Several smaller schools instead of one big one?" Remus asked thoughtfully.
"Well, at least the magical children of Spain don't all know each other by their fifteenth birthday," Sirius joked.
"If they can support several schools, they must produce more magical children than Britain too," Remus added.
Harry noticed Isabella seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the conversation, maybe even a bit apprehensive.
"Are you nervous about something, Ms. Black?" he asked, and Isabella turned to look at him.
"A bit," she admitted. Over the past few months, she had come to learn that sometimes it was okay to be honest and show weakness, especially when she was among her new family.
"It's nothing, though. It's just that this my first time at an event like this as a member of the Black family, and I want to make a good impression."
The others nodded approvingly, but Harry raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her.
"Really? And you came with them?" Harry asked, gesturing to the two surviving Marauders.
"HEY!" Sirius and Remus complained loudly. Harry shook his head and snickered at the pair, with the other four members of the family joining in.
"They're not that bad," Isabella responded hastily, feeling the need to defend the Lord Black.
"I wouldn't worry about it," Harry told her. "Come, let's sit at the table and have a cup of tea. I'm sure Dobby can get us something."
"A fine idea," Andromeda agreed, before turning to Sirius. "See? Your godson has much better manners. You could learn something from him."
"One time," Sirius whined, throwing his arms up in the air in jest. "I forget to offer tea one time, and now I'll have to hear about it for the rest of my life."
"Either that or get married," Ted mentioned, adding his two knuts to the conversation. "Your wife wouldn't let you forget that sort of thing, that's for sure."
"I beg your pardon?" Andromeda asked, pretending to glare at him to hide her own amusement. Ted didn't even flinch, as he knew his wife well enough to see through her act.
They walked as a group to the Slytherin table and sat down, then Dobby popped to their side and made a tea tray with hot water and cookies appear at the table.
Harry's serious demeanour had returned, now that his surprise at seeing the family had worn off. Narcissa was watching him closely, intrigued by the intensity that seemed to be bubbling just beneath the surface.
She would be the first to admit that she had never been fond of the Potter boy, but she had started to see things in a new light since the revelations about the Black family, the night that saw her practically begging to keep her memories. Now, she couldn't help but feel curious about the boy Sirius held in such high regard, almost as if he was his own son. Not for the first time, she wished that Draco and Potter would get along. It would be in Draco's best interest to prove his worth to the Lord Black and try to earn his respect, and at least trying to be cordial to his heir would be a good start.
"What kind of preparations have you made, kiddo?" Sirius asked Harry.
"I know the task involves a maze filled with obstacles. I'm assuming there will be enchantments and creatures, but I'm ready for anything," Harry responded. "I'm also wearing my hide armour."
"Hide armour?" Narcissa asked with a hint of amusement. "You don't feel safe?"
"I don't plan on taking any chances," Harry replied coolly. "I have too much to lose."
"Damn well said, pup. Damn well said," Sirius replied approvingly, picking up his cup of tea while Remus nodded with a grin. "Speaking of which, I believe 'too much to lose' has just entered the hall."
Harry ignored Sirius's teasing and turned towards the doors to see Daphne heading towards them, followed by the rest of the Slytherin fourth years. She seemed surprised to see the Blacks at the Slytherin table with her boyfriend, but she didn't hesitate to smile broadly at him. Harry gestured for his friends to join them, and they all took their seats alongside the Blacks, some of which they already knew, of course.
More and more students filled the Great Hall as the starting time of the task drew nearer. Several students from other houses stopped by to wish Harry good luck, acting familiarly with him and the other fourth year Slytherins - something that was not lost on the Blacks. Much to Narcissa's chagrin, her son had not been one of those students. If fact, Draco had not even arrived in the Great Hall yet.
Harry gladly accepted the support from the other students, but in his mind, the only encouragement he needed was sitting right by his side. He squeezed Daphne's hand under the table. She returned in kind and turned to smile at him, but Harry could tell that she was really worried. He had done all he could to reassure her that he would be safe, but as much as she trusted him, she wouldn't be able to relax until he returned to her once it was all over. He leaned in to kiss her, but just as their lips touched, they were interrupted by a loud cough from behind them.
"Mr. Potter, Ms. Greengrass, please refrain from any further public displays of affection for the time being," Professor Snape remarked dispassionately. Andromeda and Isabella gave him a dirty look, but Sirius and the Slytherins seemed to find it extremely amusing.
"Of course, Professor," Daphne replied, unable to prevent a blush from reaching her cheeks.
"Anything we can help you with, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Mr. Potter. I simply came to wish you good luck, and to remind you that it is in all of our best interests to have a win for Slytherin."
"Wouldn't it be a win for Hogwarts?" Remus replied, frowning.
"Cedric Diggory is the Hogwarts champion," Harry said, responding before Snape could answer. "I am a reluctant champion of no school, so...Slytherin."
"Quite..." Snape replied, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "Make sure you perform to the standard we have come to expect from you, and do try not to die. That would be rather shameful."
Daphne flinched imperceptibly, but Harry took the statement in good humour and returned the professor's subtle smirk.
"Of course, Professor. I wouldn't want to deprive you of the pleasure of teaching me for the next three years. Can you imagine how dull it would be?"
The other fourth years look at Harry as if he'd grown a second head.
"Yes...dull indeed," Snape replied, before acknowledging the Black family with a nod and taking his leave.
"Is it me, or was that incredibly odd?" asked Remus.
"It wasn't just you, Professor," Millie responded, as Blaise nodded solemnly.
"It almost makes me wonder if the world is about to end," Tracey commented, making the rest of them laugh heartily. Harry just chuckled and shook his head.
~BREAK~
Ginny Weasley clenched her remaining fist in anger as she watched Harry with his family and the rest of the snakes. She couldn't stomach the sight of Harry Potter surrounded by love and support, not after he had left her family in tatters. It had all become clear after she read the letter her brother Bill had sent her and the twins the week before.
They hadn't actually seen Bill since they came back to Hogwarts, but he had been in constant communication with them. The first few letters from him had been short and almost desperate as he worked to support them and their mother, but something had changed over the past couple of months. The tone of his letters had become distinctly more optimistic, almost joyful in a way, but they had no explanation for the shift.
That was until they read his last letter.
It seemed that Bill had found a patron who had offered protection for their entire family. Bill didn't reveal the identity of this mysterious patron in his letters, only that he was a powerful wizard who had taught him much, and as such deserved their respect and loyalty. The most shocking revelation was that Bill claimed to have learned that Harry Potter was responsible for the deaths of Ron and Neville. His patron had supposedly revealed the truth to him, though he had no way to legally prove it.
At first, Ginny didn't want to believe it, but the more she read the letter and thought about everything that happened, the more she became convinced that her brother spoke true. To add to that, if Harry really was responsible for Ron and Neville, then that meant he was also responsible for Augusta Longbottom's declaration of war, and the deaths of Percy, Charlie, and their father could be laid at his feet as well.
As she came to this realisation, all the "love" she held in her heart for her saviour gave way to anger, resentment, and hate. All of that led them to today, the day the Weasleys would finally have their revenge. Bill had already come up with a plan with the help of his new friends, and Ginny and the twins had followed his instructions to the letter. The best part was that nobody else would even know they were behind it. They hadn't even let Hermione in on it, knowing that uppity mudbloods like her couldn't be trusted.
Ginny scowled again as she glanced over at the Slytherin table. Harry Potter would pay for what he had done to their family, and so would his Slytherin whore.
~BREAK~
While Ginny Weasley was across the room stewing on her dark thoughts, Harry was shaking hands with Viktor Krum's father. Viktor had taken it upon himself to introduce his parents to his fellow champions, and his good friend Harry was the first, along with his beautiful girlfriend Daphne. Andromeda looked on in approval as Harry displayed the proper etiquette by first kissing the knuckles of Viktor's mother, then properly introducing the Krums to each member of the Black family in turn.
After a while, the Krums went back to rejoin the Durmstrang contingent as a light tea was served for the students and guests, ostensibly to hold them over until the celebratory feast planned for after the task, where the Triwizard Champion would be crowned. A few dignitaries arrived and took their place at the head table, including Minister Fudge, his undersecretary Dolores Umbridge and other assorted lackeys, and finally the representatives from the foreign ministries.
Meanwhile, Narcissa Malfoy's gaze was focused on the Gryffindor table as she quietly observed her son, who hadn't yet noticed she was there. She waited patiently for Draco to come by and wish his cousin good luck, as so many other students had done, but he had yet to even look in their direction.
"Shameful," she whispered sadly, just loud enough that only her sisters heard her.
"What is?" Isabella whispered back, a slight frown on her face.
"My son hasn't come to give his regards to Potter."
"Harry," Andromeda responded sternly. She was smiling sweetly, but her eyes had narrowed hawkishly at her youngest sister. "His name is Harry, as you should know. You are family, after all."
"Yes, of course..." Narcissa replied nervously. She had never feared her sister more than she had ever since that night at Grimmauld Place, not even when she was a child.
"Clearly your husband was a bad influence on the boy," Andromeda added. "While his death was a shame, perhaps now you can educate your son to be a proper Black, instead of a foolish and preening Malfoy."
Isabella had to cover her mouth to hide her chuckle. Fortunately, nobody else had noticed, as Sirius and Remus were delighting the fourth year Slytherins with tales of their adventures and exploits throughout their Hogwarts years.
Narcissa elected not to reply to the jab. It was the truth.
The Minister rose from his seat and gave a short speech before wishing the champions the best of luck, then introduced the Ministers of Bulgaria and France, who had come to support the champions from their respective countries. After each of them had made their own remarks, Dumbledore stood up to address the Great Hall.
"I thank all of our honoured guests for their delightful words. As fond as I am of speeches, I am sure we are all terribly excited for the task to finally get underway, am I right?"
A loud cheer was raised in the Great Hall, and Dumbledore chuckled as several people shouted out words of encouragement for their favourite champions.
"Then may I suggest we all start making our way to the Quidditch pitch?" he asked, receiving several more cheers in reply.
"In that case, may I wish the best of luck to Mr. Krum, Ms. Delacour, Mr. Diggory, and Mr. Potter, and may the best among you win. I know I should be impartial in the task, but as I won't have to assign points this time, I believe I should be permitted to show a little bias this one time. Let's all show our Hogwarts spirit, shall we?"
There was another round of cheers, this time with plenty of laughter sprinkled in. No one could argue that Dumbledore didn't know how to crack a joke or entertain a crown.
The students all rose from their seats and made their way towards the doors, many of them rushing because they wanted to get down to the pitch and find good seats. The champions and their families stayed behind to wait for the room to clear. To the surprise of both the Blacks and the Slytherins, Draco Malfoy approached them, with his mother trailing behind.
"Potter, I just want to wish you good luck," Malfoy said in a sour tone, and Harry's eyes widened briefly before chuckling at the realisation that Narcissa had forced him to say that.
"Thank you, cousin. That is most kind of you," Harry replied with a cheeky smile. Malfoy sneered at him before immediately turning to leave, taking a moment to shoot his mother a contemptuous look on his way out.
Malfoy's attitude didn't bother Harry in the least, of course, as that's what he'd come to expect from the boy over the years. He said his goodbyes to everyone, then offered his arm to Daphne, and the two of them left the Great Hall together. They were alone as they slowly strolled through the grounds, as most of the students had already made their way to the Quidditch pitch.
"Don't do anything stupid," Daphne told him quietly as they walked.
"I don't intend to."
"Just kill him and come back," she reiterated, and he noticed she was shivering. So far, she had done well at keeping her emotions in check, but now that the task was upon them, she couldn't help but be somewhat overcome by her fears.
"I need you to come back to me."
"Don't worry, Daph," Harry replied earnestly. "I promise you I'll be careful. I will finish the bastard, and then we'll be free."
"Good," she breathed, pulling his face to hers and kissing him deeply. He held her tightly to his body and kissed her back with as much emotion as he could muster. For a few moments, there was no Voldemort, no tournament, no nothing. There was only the two of them.
Daphne was the one to finally break the kiss, smiling at Harry as they rested their foreheads against each other's.
"Let's go, then," she said, and he sighed heavily.
"Just a bit longer," he whispered, pulling Daphne closer as she buried her head in his chest.
They eventually separated and continued down the path towards the pitch, until an owl suddenly landed on the ground in front of them. It was easily recognisable as a Hogwarts owl, which had a small scroll of parchment tied to its leg.
"What the... Were you expecting mail?" Harry asked, as the owl extended its leg to Daphne. She shook her head and cast diagnostic charms on the owl and the scroll, which revealed nothing.
"Not that I'm aware of," she replied, kneeling down and removing the scroll.
"Well, it doesn't appear to be anything dangerous," Daphne shrugged as the owl flew away, then opened the parchment and read the first line.
"It's for..." she started, only to suddenly vanish into thin air with a pop. Harry could only stare in shock as he saw Daphne disappear right before his eyes.
"DAPH!" he shouted in disbelief, reaching out for her even knowing that it was already too late. The piece of parchment fluttered to the ground, coming to rest in the spot where Daphne had been standing.
"Master, what happened? Where's the mistress?" asked Dobby, who had immediately appeared once he felt Harry's distress through the bond, Scylla already wrapped around him in preparation.
Harry couldn't bring himself to answer. He reached down and grabbed the letter from the ground and started reading it, paling dramatically as he saw what was written there.
"No, no no no no no..." he seethed as he read the letter, his initial shock quickly giving way to fury.
Potter,
If you want your girl, all you need to do is win the task.
You know what I mean.
See you soon,
Lord Voldemort
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, VOLDEMORT!" Harry bellowed, loud enough that several other nearby stragglers heard him. He turned to Dobby, who scowled anxiously and shook his head.
"I... I can't do it, Master. I know she's alive, but I can't pop us to her..." Dobby said, and Harry's rage boiled over.
"How? How could that bastard even do that? Do this?" he spat, pacing as he tried to think of a plan.
"What's wrong, my pet?" asked Scylla, poking her head out from where she had coiled around Dobby.
"The cup then... I have no choice but to use the Triwizard Cup," Harry mumbled, ignoring the snake.
"Dobby!"
"I'll need to go with you, Master," Dobby told him. "Otherwise, I won't be able to get to you again."
Harry nodded and put his hand on Dobby's shoulder. With one pop, they appeared in the middle of the maze, only a few steps from the Triwizard Cup.
"That son of a bitch dug his own grave," Harry growled as he went for the cup.
"Dobby, find Daphne and keep her safe."
"Scylla, Voldemort kidnapped Daphne. I want you to bite everything and everyone who is not me, Daphne, or Dobby. Make sure you find the damn snake and finish it."
"Yes, my pet," Scylla quickly agreed, more than ready to fight for Harry.
"What about the Horcruxes?" Dobby asked.
"Shit, I forgot… Go now, and hurry damn it," Harry ordered, and Dobby nodded at once before popping away.
Harry circled the cup while he waited, somewhat resembling a caged lion. Magic was absolutely pouring off of him, his dark green aura visibly flaring for the first time in months. After a minute that felt like an hour to him, Dobby finally reappeared next to him.
"It's done, Master," Dobby informed him, and Harry grabbed the elf's shoulder.
"Then let us go to war," Harry snarled as he went for the cup's handle.
"Daphne is the priority. All others are meaningless."
"Every one of them will die," Dobby seconded, before both of them felt the familiar tug in their navels as the portkey activated.