Chapter 9: To Weigh a Wand

November 13, 2001

When Harry, Dawn and Hermione walked into Snape's dungeon they found the Slytherins waiting outside, each and every one of them wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes. They saw that all the badges bore the same message, in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage:

SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY – THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!

"Like them, Potters?" said Malfoy loudly as Harry and Dawn approached. "And this isn't all they do - look!"

He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green:

POTTER STINKS!

The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges too, until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all-around Dawn and Harry.

"Malfoy you're an idiot," Dawn said as a frown creased her face. "I bet you won't be laughing when my sister takes them away from you."

"Oh, very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone, "really witty."

"Want one, Granger?" said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."

Dawn shook her head and angrily reached for her wand.

"Dawn!" Hermione said warningly as she saw Dawn glowing.

"Go on, then, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now - do it, if you've got the guts -"

For a split second, they looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted.

"Funnunculus!" Dawn yelled.

"Densaugeo!" screamed Malfoy.

Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles - Dawn's hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione. Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up - Hermione, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth.

"Hermione!" Ron said as he hurried forward to see what was wrong with her; Harry and Dawn turned and saw Ron dragging Hermione's hand away from her face. It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth - already larger than average - were now growing at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, toward her chin - panic-stricken, she felt them and let out a terrified cry.

"And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice.

Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain."

"Potter attacked me, sir -"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Dawn shouted.

"- and she hit Goyle - look -"

Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi.

"Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!"

He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth - she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back.

Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference."

Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight.

It was lucky, perhaps, that Dawn, Harry and Ron started shouting at Snape at the same time; lucky their voices echoed so much in the stone corridor, for in the confused din, it was impossible for him to hear exactly what they were calling him. He got the gist, however.

"Let's see," he said, in his silkiest voice. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Mr. and Ms. Potter and Mr. Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."

Dawn's ears were ringing. The injustice of it made her want to curse Snape into a thousand slimy pieces. She passed Snape, walked with Harry and Ron to the back of the dungeon, and slammed her bag down onto the table.

On the other side of the dungeon, Malfoy turned his back on Snape and pressed his badge, smirking. POTTER STINKS flashed once more across the room.

Dawn sat there staring at Snape as the lesson began, picturing horrific things happening to him.

"Antidotes!" said Snape, looking around at them all, his cold black eyes glittering unpleasantly. "You should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom to test one…"

Suddenly a knock came at the dungeon door. It was Colin Creevey; he edged into the room and walked up to Snape's desk at the front of the room.

"Yes?" said Snape curtly.

"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry and Dawn Potter upstairs." Snape stared down his hooked nose at Colin, whose smile faded from his eager face.

"Mr. and Ms. Potter have another hour of Potions to complete," said Snape coldly. "They will come upstairs when this class is finished."

Colin went pink.

"Sir - sir, Mr. Bagman wants them," he said nervously. "All the champions have got to go."

"Ms. Potter is not a champion," Snape reminded Colin.

"I think they want to take photographs… And since Harry and Dawn are well related, I think they want a brother-sister photograph as well."

Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Very well, very well," Snape snapped. "Mr. and Ms. Potter, leave your things here, I want you both back down here later to test your antidotes."

"Please, sir - they've got to take their things with them," squeaked Cohn. "All the champions…"

"Very well!" said Snape. "Mr. and Ms. Potter - take your bags and get out of my sight!"

Dawn glared at Snape as she swung her bag over her shoulder, got up, and followed Harry. They turned and headed for the door. As they walked through the Slytherin desks, POTTER STINKS flashed at them from every direction.

"It's amazing, isn't it, Harry?" said Colin, starting to speak the moment Harry had closed the dungeon door behind them. "Isn't it, though? You being champion?"

"Yeah, really amazing," said Harry heavily as they set off toward the steps into the entrance hall.

Dawn shook her head, "No it's really not."

"What do they want photos for, Colin?" Harry asked.

"The Daily Prophet, I think!"

"Great," said Harry dully. "Exactly what we need. More publicity."

"After the story about me and Buffy. It wouldn't surprise me if they doctored the photos to make it look like I'm weeping over the fact that you're even in the tournament," Dawn said as she turned to look at Colin. "Colin, can I get you to go the guidance counselor's office and get Professor Potter for us?"

"Sure, Dawn," said Colin as they had reached the right room. Harry knocked on the door and he and Dawn entered. Colin headed towards guidance counselor's office.

They were in a small classroom; most of the desks had been pushed away to the back of the room, leaving a large space in the middle; three of them, however, had been placed end-to-end in front of the blackboard and covered with a long length of velvet. Five chairs had been set behind the velvet-covered desks, and Ludo Bagman was sitting in one of them, talking to a witch.

Viktor Krum was standing moodily in a corner as usual and not talking to anybody. Cedric and Fleur were in conversation. A paunchy man, holding a large black camera that was smoking slightly, was watching Fleur out of the corner of his eye.

Bagman suddenly spotted Dawn and Harry, got up quickly, and bounded forward.

"Ah, here he is! Champion number four! And his wonderful sister. In you come, Harry… Dawn, in you come…nothing to worry about, it's just the wand weighing ceremony, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment -"

"Wand weighing?" Harry repeated nervously.

"We have to check that your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, as they're your most important tools in the tasks ahead," said Bagman. "The expert's upstairs now with Dumbledore. And then there's going to be a little photo shoot. This is Rita Skeeter," he added, gesturing toward the witch in magenta robes. "She's doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet.…"

"Maybe not that small, Ludo," said Rita Skeeter, her eyes on Harry and Dawn.

It was at that moment that the door opened and Buffy strolled in. She walked over to her brother and sister.

"I wonder if I could have a little word with Harry and Dawn before we start?" she said to Bagman, but still gazing fixedly at the siblings. "The youngest champion and his twin sister, you know…to add a bit of color?"

"Certainly!" cried Bagman. "That is - if Harry and Dawn have no objection?"

"Er -" said Harry as he looked at Buffy.

"That's fine with me as long as I get to sit in," Buffy said. "Be a better story with all three of us anyway wouldn't it?"

"You know you're right," said Rita Skeeter as she led the trio to a nearby door. She quickly opened it. "We don't want to be in there with all that noise. Let's see…ah, yes, this is nice and cozy."

The room on the other side of the door appeared to be the office for whatever teacher might have taught in the classroom at one time or another.

"Come along, dears - that's right - lovely," said Rita Skeeter, perching herself on a chair next to the desk. "Let's see now…"

Dawn, Buffy and Harry sat on the only other piece of furniture currently in the room a couch.

"You won't mind, Harry, Elizabeth, Dawn, if I use a Quick-Quotes Quill? It leaves me free to talk to you normally…"

"A what?" asked Buffy.

Rita Skeeter's smile widened. She reached into her bag and drew out a long acid-green quill and a roll of parchment, which she stretched out on the desk. She put the tip of the green quill into her mouth, sucked it for a moment with apparent relish, then placed it upright on the parchment, where it stood balanced on its point, quivering slightly.

"Testing…my name is Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter."

Buffy, Dawn and Harry looked down quickly at the quill. The moment Rita Skeeter had spoken, the green quill had started to scribble, skidding across the parchment:

"Lovely," said Rita Skeeter, yet again, and she ripped the top piece of parchment off, crumpled it up, and stuffed it into her handbag. Now she leaned toward the siblings and said, "So, Harry…what made you decide to enter the Triwizard Tournament?"

"Er -" said Harry again as he looked at Buffy.

"He didn't," Buffy said. "And being his legal guardian, I wouldn't have let him. We don't know how his name got into the Goblet of Fire."

Rita Skeeter raised one heavily penciled eyebrow.

"Come now, there's no need to be scared of getting into trouble. We all know he shouldn't really have entered at all. But don't worry about that. Our readers love a rebel."

"Look, my brother did not enter himself and you insinuating he did could get you and your paper sued really quick," Buffy said. "I already could have grounds for possibly doing that with the last story your paper did on us."

Rika Skeeter looked at Buffy and frowned before moving on. "Dawn, Buffy this question is for the both of you. How do you feel with your brother being in the tournament?"

"Worried," Dawn admitted.

"A tad angry if you ask me," Buffy said. "If I find out who put Harry's name in the goblet…"

"Harry, how do you feel about the tasks ahead?" said Rita Skeeter. "Excited? Nervous?"

"I haven't really thought…yeah, nervous, I suppose," said Harry.

"Champions have died in the past, haven't they?" said Rita Skeeter briskly. "Have you thought about that at all?"

"Well…they say it's going to be a lot safer this year," said Harry.

"It will be safer," Buffy said. "After all they have me for security, a Slayer."

The quill whizzed across the parchment between them, back and forward as though it were skating.

"Now Harry, Dawn, you both have looked death in the face before, haven't you?" said Rita Skeeter, watching them closely. "How would you say that's affected you?"

"Er," said Harry, yet again as he and Dawn looked toward Buffy.

"What does that have to do with the tournament?" Buffy asked.

Rita Skeeter ignored Buffy and continued to grill them, "Harry, do you think that the trauma in yours and Dawn's past might have made you keen to prove yourself? Especially given who your elder sister is? Do you think that perhaps you were tempted to enter the Triwizard Tournament because -"

"This interview is over," Buffy growled out. "Out, now."

Rita Skeeter looked at Buffy and frowned, "I will not be talked to in this manner."

Buffy grabbed Rita Skeeter roughly by the throat. "Do you remember I said that I was a Slayer? Do you know what a Slayer is?" she asked as Rita Skeeter nodded. "This interview is over. Out!" She all but screamed the last word.

It was just then the door to the office opened to reveal Dumbledore standing in the doorframe.

"Dumbledore!" cried Rita Skeeter, with every appearance of delight as her clawed fingers were hastily snapping shut the clasp of her bag. "How are you?" she said, standing up and holding out one of her large, mannish hands to Dumbledore. "I hope you saw my piece over the summer about the International Confederation of Wizards' Conference?"

"Enchantingly nasty," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "I particularly enjoyed your description of me as an obsolete dingbat."

Buffy smiled, "Albus, would you mind escorting Ms. Skeeter here out. The interview is over."

"Of course, Buffy," Dumbledore said. He looked at Buffy as if to silently ask did you bring your wand? She nodded. He motioned for Rita Skeeter who stood up.

"I was just making the point that some of your ideas are a little old-fashioned, Dumbledore, and that many wizards in the street -"

"I will be delighted to hear the reasoning behind the rudeness, Rita," said Dumbledore, with a courteous bow and a smile, "but I'm afraid we will have to discuss the matter later. The Weighing of the Wands is about to start, and it cannot take place if one of our champions is hidden away."

As Rita Skeeter, Harry and Dawn hurried out of the office; Dumbledore hung back with Buffy. "If you can learn the glamour in time for the first task so you can take Harry's place, your wand will have to be weighed. I have already explained the situation to Ollivander. He will weigh yours in secret."

"Thanks, Albus," Buffy said as they exited the office.

Dumbledore moved over next to the judges as Buffy moved over next to Harry and Dawn.

Rita Skeeter settled herself down in a corner and slipped the parchment out of her bag again, spread it on her knee, suck the end of the Quick-Quotes Quill, and placed it once more on the parchment.

Dawn smiled at Buffy, "That was great, Buffy."

"I have to agree, Buffy," Harry said.

"Well I couldn't let her drag up what happened to our parents, could I?" Buffy asked.

"May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?" said Dumbledore. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament."

Ollivander looked to Buffy and nodded, "Good Afternoon, Slayer."

Everyone except Dumbledore, Dawn and Harry looked between Ollivander and Buffy.

Buffy smiled at Ollivander. "Good Afternoon, Mr. Ollivander. It is good to see you again."

"And you." Ollivander said before he turned to Fleur. "Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have your wand first, please?"

Fleur Delacour swept over to Ollivander and handed him her wand.

"Hmm…" he said. He twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it chose to his eyes and examined it carefully.

"Yes," he said quietly, "nine and a half inches…inflexible…rosewood…and containing…dear me…"

"An 'air from ze 'ead of a veela," said Fleur. "One of my grandmuzzer's."

"Yes," said Mr. Ollivander, "yes, I've never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands…however, to each his own, and if this suits you…"

Mr. Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then he muttered, "Orchideous!" and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip. "Very well, very well, it's in fine working order." He scooped up the flowers and handed them to Fleur with her wand. "Mr. Diggory, your next."

Fleur glided back to her seat, smiling at Cedric as he passed her.

"Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it?" said Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm, as Cedric handed over his wand. "Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn…must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches…ash…pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition…You treat it regularly?"

"Polished it last night," said Cedric, grinning.

Harry hooked down at his own wand. He gathered a fistful of robe from his knee and tried to rub it clean surreptitiously. Several gold sparks shot out of the end of it.

Dawn and Fleur both gave him a very patronizing look, and he desisted.

Ollivander sent a stream of silver smoke rings across the room from the tip of Cedric's wand, pronounced himself satisfied, and then said, "Mr. Krum, if you please."

Viktor Krum got up and slouched, round-shouldered and duck-footed, toward Mr. Ollivander. He thrust out his wand and stood scowling, with his hands in the pockets of his robes.

"Hmm," said Ollivander, "this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I…however…"

He lifted the wand and examined it minutely, turning it over and over before his eyes.

"Yes…hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he shot at Krum, who nodded. "Rather thicker than one usually sees…quite rigid…ten and a quarter inches… Avis!"

The hornbeam wand let off a blast hike a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end and through the open window into the watery sunlight.

"Good," said Ollivander, handing Krum back his wand. "This leaves…Mr. Potter."

Harry got to his feet and walked past Krum to Ollivander. He handed over his wand.

"Aaaah, yes," said Ollivander, his pale eyes suddenly gleaming. "Yes, yes, yes. How well I remember."

Dawn frowned and leaned over to Buffy, whispering, "What does he remember?"

"No idea," Buffy said. "Have to ask our brother later."

Ollivander spent much longer examining Harry's wand than anyone else's. Eventually, however, he made a fountain of wine shoot out of it, and handed it back to Harry, announcing that it was still in perfect condition.

"Thank you all," said Dumbledore, standing up at the judges' table. "You may go back to your lessons now - or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end-"

"Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" cried Bagman excitedly. "All the judges and champions, what do you think, Rita?"

"Er - yes, let's do those first," said Rita Skeeter, whose eyes were upon Harry again. "And then perhaps some individual shots. Plus, some with Harry and both of his sisters?"

The photographs took a long time. Madame Maxime cast everyone else into shadow wherever she stood and the photographer couldn't stand far enough back to get her into the frame; eventually she had to sit while everyone else stood around her. Karkaroff kept twirling his goatee around his finger to give it an extra curl; Krum, whom Harry would have thought would have been used to this sort of thing, skulked, half-hidden, at the back of the group. The photographer seemed keenest to get Fleur at the front, but Rita Skeeter kept hurrying forward and dragging Harry into greater prominence. Then she insisted on separate shots of all the champions. And finally, on Harry alone with Buffy and Dawn. Buffy reluctantly agreed when Rita Skeeter promised to send her copies of the pictures taken.

A few moments later, they were free to go.

"I will join you in a moment," Buffy said as Harry and Dawn left her alone with Ollivander and Dumbledore. She produced her wand.

"Yes, the real final champion," Ollivander said as he took Buffy's wand from her. "Ten inches, willow with the hair of the First Slayer."

"Really?" Dumbledore said with surprise.

"Yes," Ollivander said. "Made for another Slayer who did not escape the Watcher's Council's strict rules of no magic instruction. When Ms. Potter came into my shop, I knew instantly this wand was destined for her. I was so sure, that I had her try no others."

"That is rare isn't it?" Dumbledore asked. "That the first wand that is tried is the one that chooses the witch or wizard?"

"Quite rare, yes," Ollivander said. "Only one time in the last few years has it happened that I knew instantly the wand that would go to the wizard. And that wand is the one your brother has, Ms. Potter. For its mate is the one that gave your brother his scar. And then with the monks spell duplicated it on your sister."

"That's what you meant by remembering it well," Buffy said.

"Indeed," Ollivander said. "Now shall we weigh yours." He waved Buffy's wand and flowers shot out the end. He smiled as he scooped up the flowers and handed them and her wand back to Buffy. "For you, Slayer."

"Thank you," Buffy said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

When Buffy joined Harry and Dawn at the Gryffindor table for dinner, neither Ron nor Hermione was there, so the three of them ate alone.

Harry smiled at Buffy, "Thanks for what you did with that Skeeter woman."

Buffy smiles, "As I said earlier, I couldn't very well let that horrible woman have her way, now could I? Especially when her questions were leaning toward our parents' deaths. Dawn and I both know how hard it's been for you."

"Hard as it has been for you," Harry said. "With your adopted mom."

"Yes," Buffy said. "And because of that I couldn't let her do that to any of us."

Harry and Dawn then returned to Gryffindor Tower. In the common room, they came across Ron.

"You've had an owl," said Ron brusquely the moment they walked in. He held out the envelope and Harry snatched it from him.

"Oh - right," said Harry.

"And we've got to do our detentions tomorrow night, Snape's dungeon," said Ron. He then walked straight toward the stairs to the boy's dormitory, not looking back at Harry.

Dawn sighed. "How long are you two going let this fester? You told me you both had been friends since your first year."

Harry sighed, "Till he gets around to apologizing." He held up the envelope that was addressed to him. He quickly opened it and Dawn read the letter over his shoulder.

Harry, Buffy, Dawn -

I can't say everything I would like to in a letter, it's too risky in case the owl is intercepted - we need to talk face-to-face. Can you three ensure that you are by the fire in Buffy's suite at one o'clock in the morning on the 22nd of November?

Harry, I know better than anyone that you can look after yourself and while you're around Dumbledore, Buffy and Moody I don't think anyone will be able to hurt you. Especially with who Buffy is. However, someone seems to be having a good try.

Entering you in that tournament would have been very risky, especially right under either Dumbledore or Buffy's noses.

Be on the watch, Harry. I still want to hear about anything unusual. Let me know about the 22nd of November as quickly as you can.

Sirius

Harry looked around and made sure no one but Dawn was around. Then he walked over to the portrait on the wall that hid the door to Buffy's suite. "Hellmouth," he whispered. The portrait swung open and he and Dawn slipped quietly into the room before the portrait slid shut behind them.

"Buffy," Harry said as Buffy came out of her bedroom.

"Harry, Dawn?" Buffy said as she looked at her siblings.

"Sirius sent a letter," Harry explained as he handed her the letter.

Buffy read what was written and nodded. "Let him know we'll be waiting."

November 14, 2002

Buffy sighed as she waited for Ron to come to her office. Dawn had told her that Harry and Ron had been in a foul mood since Harry's name came out of the goblet and that Ron believed that Harry had intentionally put his name in and hadn't told him.

"You wanted to see me, Buffy?" Ron asked as he stepped through the door.

"Close the door and sit down, Ron," Buffy said.

Ron did as instructed and closed the door behind him before sitting down across from Buffy at her desk.

"Now, Ron," Buffy said. "I have been told about what is going on between you and Harry. And I have to say I am disappointed in you. I thought you were Harry's friend."

"I am," Ron said.

"Not apparently right now you aren't. According to Dawn you two haven't been on speaking terms since Harry's name came out of the Goblet. Ron do you honestly believe that after everything Harry went through the last years that he would intentionally put his name in? Or that I would do it for him?"

Ron sat there looking at Buffy for a long moment.

"If you are Harry's friend you should know that Harry would never have done that," Buffy said. "You should also know I never would have done that. Remember mine and Dawn's stories. Particularly what happened last year?"

Ron nodded. "When you learned about Dawn and the Key," he said. "I remember. You would never have put Harry into harm's way. You would protect him just like you did Dawn."

"That's right," Buffy said. "And what does that say about Harry, knowing that."

Ron thought about it for a few minutes. He realized Buffy was right. Not only would she not have let Harry put his name in. But he knew after what happened not only with Voldemort but Sirius last year that Harry would not want to put himself into harm's way again if he could help it. "You are right, Buffy," he said as he looked at the blonde woman who was his best friend's sister. "I'll apologize."