Yo
First of all, the review:
ADJ : Thanks! Yeah I never understood why they did that to my boy Cedric, he was chosen among the whole 17 years Hogwarts' population. He must be talented. Sorry to disappoint you but the Tasks stays the same, I try to not go too far from canon. However how the task will happen will of course not be the same!
I want to thank you all again, my story got for the first time, a lil more than 1K hits in one day! I'm sooo happy
!I'm still looking for a BETA!
Now,
ENJOY!
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Albus feared the worst had happened. If the events that occurred last time were to take place again, it could be a disaster. The problem laid not only on the fact that it happened before, but it was also the fact that the magical outburst was even more powerful. So powerful that he felt it from his office when it emanated from the dungeons.
When he finally got close to where he was heading, Dumbledore stopped running and caught his breath. He had to look calm, at least on the outside. Panic would set in among the students if their Headmaster looked so alarmed.
It was only thanks to his Occlumency training, and his experience that, Albus did not flinch at the sight of what was happening before him. Severus Snap was on the floor, his teeth clenched and his face even paler than usual. Then Albus saw why he looked in so much pain, his right leg was making a weird angle. The beginning of his thigh was against the ground, but the rest of his leg was perpendicular to it, as if his femur was snapped in two distinct parts.
In front of the Professor stood Harry Potter, his hand clenched on his wand, and looking angry, angrier than Albus had ever seen him angry. He had no idea Harry could show such hatred, such anger on his face, and his face was solely turned on his Potion's teacher, indubitably the source of his anger. But for now, it did not matter who did what, what mattered was to disengage the situation before it becomes worse.
"Now, now all the students except Miss Parkinson, Mister Potter and Mister Weasley, should go back to their Common Room." Albus intoned calmly. "It seems like you will not be able to attend this class today."
The Headmaster did not need to ask twice, as they left as quickly as possible whispering among them, surely wondering what just happened. The three students he asked to remain, all had different reactions. However, he did not except to be ignored like this by Harry. He seemed to be so enthralled in his anger that he did not notice anything that was happening outside of his "bubble".
Dumbledore decided to make his presence known by putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. For someone else than him, it would have been a really bad idea because when he did it, he felt a sort of magical burst trying to harm him.
That's not something a fourth year should know. Where did he learn to do that.
"Professor Dumbledore? What are you doing here?" Harry uttered, finally out of his trance.
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Harry was looking at Snape with a devious smile. He looked like it hurt, and it was exactly what Harry wanted him to feel. To feel worse than he made his friend feel. Harry knew that even if he had his wand in his hand, he did not use it against Snape. That was the second thing that made Harry smile, he for the second time, used wandless and silent magic at once. Both of the time he was under the influence of his anger, maybe that was a hint. Harry did not notice the worried look coming from his Headmaster, nor the terrified look on Parkinson's face.
Suddenly, Dumbledore, with a wave of his wand made Snape float.
"I am going to take Professor Snape to the infirmary, you three can wait in front of my office." He told them. "It should not take too long." With that he headed towards the infirmary.
Harry did not have the urge to talk to both of his comrades, so he also started walking in the direction of the Headmaster's office. He heard that the two others were following him but did not care anymore than that.
I definitely used silent and wandless magic at the same time again, the only common point in those situation was that I was angry. Really angry. Well also that there was a Slytherin git in front of me both times, but it's hardly relevant.
It means that the angry state I was in, is a way to use magic like that. But I can't have to be angry every times, there's no way it's how it works. I should think of another way.
When thinking about what other way he could use, Harry remembered a spell he learned not too long ago. The Patronus Charm. For that charm to work, he needed a strong happy emotion, and not a good memory like Professor Lupin told him. After all, the vision of "his father" was not a good memory but the happy emotion he got form that was enough.
Maybe it's the same thing, I should use something that makes me angry, remember it and channel it into my body and soak it up, and maybe then I'll be able to do it. Let's try it now.
They were now in front of Dumbledore's office, and instead of wasting time waiting without doing anything, Harry put his wand into his pocket and started to remember what just happened. There were no better memories that could make him feel angry.
He felt angry, but he was lucid enough not to harm anyone. He stared around him, thinking of a way to test out his new experience, while channeling his anger inside him. His meditation and the fact that the event that made him angry were behind him, helped him greatly to stay focused and not lose himself in his anger.
He finally spotted something that could receive his magic. However, it was something that belonged to Pansy Parkinson. Her bag had a hole on it, he could try to cast Reparo on it. He looked at her and it seemed that she was too preoccupied with looking at Dumbledore's gargoyle to notice him, so he tried it.
Reparo.
He was so happy that he almost made a little victory dance. The threads on her bag started reassembling themselves making the hole disappear. It worked marvelously. However he noticed that he used a little more magic than he usually did with that spell.
While he was quietly celebrating his success, he did not see that a pair of blue eyes were passing from Harry to Parkinson's bag. Ron Weasley saw everything that just happened, and his mind, already thinking that Harry put his name in the Goblet, reinforced that theory. He thought that Harry must have done it with that magic.
"Cotton Candy." Dumbledore's voice reasoned from behind them and made the gargoyle open the way to his office.
It seemed that just like the last time he had been summoned to this office, Harry would be the last remaining student. Obviously the headmaster would want them to talk privately about what really happened.
Professor Dumbledore was now listening to Pansy Parkinson version of what happened, Ron had already said what happened, and despite insulting Professor Snape, he did not get punished. (he omitted it.) Parkinson was finally done talking and was waiting for the Headmaster's final say about that matter.
"I understand, Miss Parkinson thank you." He finally said calmly. "However, as you may already know, throwing curses to a fellow student, in the corridor, is strictly forbidden."
Dumbledore marked a pause and watched at her right in the eyes.
"You will therefore be serving a detention with Professor Sprout tomorrow."
The Slytherin girl looked like she was saying something but stopped herself, seeming to remember who she was facing right now.
"You can go back to your Common Room, who am I to deprive a student from an extended Friday night." He dismissed her with a gentle smile.
Throwing a last hateful eye at Harry, the girl left, her nose pointed towards the ceiling. Looking as haughty as one can be.
After a few minutes where the two of them remained in silence, Dumbledore finally cleared his throat and started talking. Harry could not see anymore twinkled in his eyes, he looked weary, and worried. Harry then remembered that his Headmaster was old, with all the power and influence he had, he still could not escape the grip of time.
"Now Harry, if you would be so kind to explain me exactly what happened, it seems that you are somewhat involved. Am I right?"
Harry like his two comrades, started recounting his story of what happened. And where the two previous students said almost the same things, they did not know what happened to Snape, unlike Harry. He decided not to lie to Dumbledore, he trusted him. He thoroughly explained how Snape insulted Hermione, and how it angered him to a point he lost the control.
When he was done, he was met again with a loud silence. The young Gryffindor looked in his interlocutor. He seemed to be in deep thoughts, it was a weird experience. He seemed so unbothered by what was happening outside of his head that Harry was not sure he would notice if he left the office.
Seeing that Dumbledore was still not saying anything after a few minutes, Harry decided that in the main time he would try another wandless spell, Accio. He first searched for something that would not create a mayhem in the room if he summoned it. There it is. He saw a blank piece of parchment, lying on Dumbledore desk and decided it would be the object of his test.
Still channeling his emotion like last time, he visualized his anger being the fuel of his magic.
Accio that piece of parchment.
Something Harry forgot, was that his summoning charm usually worked well, too well. The parchment rose up violently form the desk and flew at him at a dangerous speed. Confident in his seeker's reflexes, he tried to catch it. However, Harry forgot something that every kids in kindergarten learn at their own expense, that paper can cut. He hissed in pain, and tried to stop the blood coming from his right palm from spreading everywhere.
That seemed to catch Professor Dumbledore attention, as he waved his wand and Harry's fresh wound closed and disappeared as if it was never here. Harry noticed that during that process, his Headmaster had never taken his eyes off him, looking absolutely bewildered. However, he recovered quickly and seemed to have made a decision.
"Little trick I picked up during the wars."
Harry ticked at the plural used here. And it must have shown on his face because Dumbledore answered his nonverbal question right away.
"Yes, wars. As you might know, I'm quite old, and I had the misfortune to live the two most recent Wizarding war. And take part in them."
Damn I should really do something about my facial expression, I'm so easily read.
"You know, Harry, during those war, I have encountered a lot of wizards from everywhere. I encountered some that were more talented that I was at their age."
Not understanding where all of this would lead, Harry kept listening to Dumbledore. He never heard of those wars, maybe they reviewed them in History lesson, but honestly who, except Hermione, actually listens to Binns.
"They had a bright future waiting for them However, apart from their talents, do you know what they had in common?"
Harry shook his head, still hanging on his every word.
"They were all led by something unhealthy. Something that can turn the best wizard into a blindsided beast. Their bad emotion, as anger or revengeful feeling."
Harry almost sighed at that, Dumbledore was trying to make him regret what he just done. He was trying to make him a "good person", trying to reform him. He hated that, he finally become stronger, but he wanted him to stop. Never. Dumbledore seemed, who knows how, to have understood how Harry used his new wandless magic.
"Do not dismiss what I am saying that quickly Harry. Just make the effort to listen to what I have to say until the end, then you can choose to ignore my warning."
"As I was saying, it was bad emotions that led them astray. Let me take a charm you know well to explain it to you. The Patronus Charm. To perform it, you have to resort to a happy emotion and focus on it until your magic is filled with it, right?" Harry nodded. "Then what do you feel Harry when you use that charm?"
Harry tried to remember the feeling he got from the charm when he last used it, and was met by a warm and comforting feeling, the Patronus put him at ease. Then he managed to explain it to Dumbledore who hummed and nodded.
"Exactly, so you agree with me when I say that magic can influence your emotion right? I doubt that by only remembering a fond memory, as good as it could be, you could feel those emotions so strongly."
That makes sense. Harry thought as he nodded again.
"Well, that is how magic works usually, the more you put any emotion in a charm, the more it influences you. However, for a reason I will raise later, bad emotion makes your magic stronger, but in return, it influences you in an equally "bad" way."
Harry found that explanation a little too childish, as if it was a way for Harry to not fall into the "Dark side". He wanted to ask his Headmaster a question, but the latter raised his hand and kept talking.
"You must find my explanation lacking, however I can assure you as an experienced old man, that it is how it works. It erodes one mind, and in exchange give power to its user more quickly. I call this method "the shortcut", and you more than anyone know someone who used that shortcut."
A sudden realization came to him, and he whispered. "Voldemort…"
"Tom started using his magic quite early, before he even went to Hogwarts. And I know from reliable sources that at that time he only used his bad emotions take over him. And unfortunately, it, ever stopped. It is obviously not the only thing that made him as he was, but it contributed greatly."
"I don't know if you ever heard of someone called Grindelwald?" Harry shook his head and Dumbledore went on. "He was the responsible for the Wizarding war that preceded Voldemort. But there was a time when he was also a dear friend of mine."
Not letting Harry, the time to process that information, Dumbledore kept going.
"We were as close as you and Ronald, or your father and Sirius, and even closer. We had great projects in mind for the future. One day, during a tragic accident in our youth, we split both filled with anger. Mine quickly became guilt and his fermented as he grew older. One thing leading to another, he became the main antagonist in the war. As I said before, it does not excuse anything, everyone become angry, it is natural, but that factor helped making him one of the strongest wizard I have ever encountered."
There was a silence, words were ringing into Harry's ears and his mind was whirling like crazy. But he recovered quickly, thinking about something Professor Dumbledore said earlier.
"You said that bad emotions makes your magic stronger, sir. Why is that?"
"I apologize, I lost myself in my past and totally forgot about that. I must tell you something that I learned quite late myself. In fact, it is not the emotions that count, the emotions are only here add sides effects, unless it is a special charm like the Patronus. What really matters is the intention. You have to want it, and let that feeling of need fill your entire self. That is how accidental bouts of magic happens, it is also why when you are in a life and death situation, miracle seems to happen with your magic." He stopped for a moment a took a deep breathe
"Harry I know, and I understand your desire to become stronger. The events that are waiting for you are hard." Harry had the feeling that Dumbledore was not only talking about the Triwizard Tournament. "However, do not let it make you fall like other have fallen before you. You have, forgive me for the term, a monstruous talent. I never really noticed it before, but a corporal Patronus at thirteen, and silent, wandless magic at fourteen, is something even I could not do at the same age."
Harry was stunned by the compliment. It felt great, he knew that he became stronger, but hearing it from his Headmaster, a legendary figure in the Wizarding world was something else.
"Uh… Thank you, sir."
"You don't have to thank me, I am quite ashamed to say that, being technically in charge of your education, but your success has nothing to do with me. However, if you want to do an old man a favor, don't take the shortcut, will you?"
Still feeling numb, Harry nodded and knowing a dismissal when he heard one, make his way to the door.
"Oh, and Harry." The young Potter looked back at his Headmaster. "Detentions, starting Monday, and for two weeks, with me. I can't let slide a students breaking the leg of a teacher." He said cheerfully.
"Dear me, I almost forgot. Harry you cannot go back to your dormitory right now." Dumbledore called him back when he had his hand on the handle. "It is time for the wand weighing ceremony! Follow me."
Not knowing what was happening, Harry decided it was still better to not be late. It looked like something related to the tournament.
When they finally arrived at the right room, Dumbledore entered unceremoniously, and greeted everyone.
Harry tried to quickly get everyone in his sight. Krum as usual was leaning against a wall, a scowl on his face, not talking to anyone whereas Cedric and Fleur were talking happily. It was the first time he saw her smile, and to be honest she was beautiful. Again, he felt the pull he usually felt in her presence, and it felt even stronger than before. However now that he knew it, it had not that much effect, unlike the man who was holding the camera. He was leering at her like a lost puppy.
Talking about camera, it looked like a journalist was here. A blond woman, with a highly sophisticated hairstyle. Nothing like him, who, since Halloween, decided to make his hair messier than ever. The journalist was wearing flashy clothes. She had a heavy jawed face that was oddly in accordance with her rectangle pair of glasses.
Bagman and Crouch were also in the classroom. The first saw him enter and approached him quickly to explain to him the concept of the weighing wands ceremony. Harry frowned at the idea, that an article would be written, but it actually made sense, since it was the first Triwizard Tournament since a long time ago. People would want to know about it.
"Ludo, maybe I could have a word with Harry, if you don't mind?" The flashy reporter asked Bagman
"Yeah of course!" Then he looked at Harry who was trying to kill him with his glare. "Ugh… I mean if he has no objection…"
Rita Skeeter eagerly turned her head towards him.
"I'm sorry Miss, but I've had a very tiring day, and I'm not in the mood to have a "word" with a stranger." He did his best to smile kindly, but he was sure it looked more like a grimace.
The reporter seemed surprised to have been rejected like that and Harry took the opportunity to slip out of her view and sit on a chair in front of where the two headmasters, plus Crouch were sitting. The latter cleared his throat.
"Ludo, if you don't mind…"
Bagman rushed to sit next to him.
"I want you to welcome my guest Mr. Ollivander who was kind enough to participate in this wand weighing ceremony, and check the champions' wands." Dumbledore said as he took place at the judges' table.
To his surprise, Harry saw an old looking man standing near the window, his large and pale eyes were recognizable even if Harry did not see him for so long.
Not waiting more, Ollivander took place at the center of the room.
"Mademoiselle Delacour, your wand, if you please."
Elegantly, she stood up and make her way to him to hand him her wand.
He examined it for a moment and hummed the whole time.
"Nine and a half inches… inflexible… rosewood… and containing… Oh, dear me…"
"It iz ze 'air of ze 'ead of a veela." Fleur interrupted him. "My grandmozer's one."
Ahaa, Ron was right, she was a veela. Or at least part veela, that's where the pull comes from.
Then he remembered that he could not say it to Ron because he was ignoring him, thinking about that hurt him.
Harry lost the focus and did not see Mr. Ollivander make a bouquet with Fleur's wand and then returned it to her. It was now Cedric's turn and nothing noteworthy happened, apart from the fact that Cedric polished his wand often. Harry looked at his who was full of fingers marks. He thought about cleaning it, but he knew it would be useless, he might as well not do it if it was to ridicule himself in front of all of the people present here.
Harry raised his head and met the gaze of a pretty blonde, a pretty FRENCH blonde. As soon as he saw her looking at him, he took a patronizing look, raised his nose like the Slytherin and looked away. From the corner of his eyes, he could see her scandalized, as if she could not believe someone could act like that with her.
"If I'm not mistaken, this is Gregorovitch creation." Harry's mind refocused on Ollivander who was now examining Krum's wand. He tried a spell with it, one who shot little birds from his wand, and said that it was in perfect condition. He then returned his wand to Krum.
Even though it was nothing to worry about, Harry's stomach started to churn, excepting his name to be called by Ollivander next. And so, it did. He presented his wand to the wand maker, and like with the three others wand, he started to examine it while humming mysteriously. Harry wondered if the humming was a secret skill used to appraise wands.
Don't be silly Harry!
To Harry's surprise, Mr. Ollivander looked quite preoccupied, as if he found something he did not except to see while examining his wand. Harry's only hope was that he did not say anything about his wand, like for example accidently saying that it is the twin of Voldemort's wand. However, Mr. Ollivander did not say anything else than the spell needed to shoot wine out of it, and returned it to Harry saying it was in perfect condition.
"However, Mister Potter, your wand want for you to use it a little more than you do." He said when Harry thought he was done. Karkaroff and Fleur who heard that, snorted containing their laughter, surely thinking that he was not very apt at magic.
Harry knew what he was talking about, but he was shocked to see that Ollivander learned that just by using his wand. Harry looked at Dumbledore, and he was mischievously smiling at him, as if both of them were the only one who understood what happened, which they were.
When Hogwarts' Headmaster wanted to let them go back to their occupations, the camera bloke tried to get Bagman's attention.
"Oh, yeah. Right. Photos, Dumbledore, don't forget about the photos!" Exclaimed Bagman excitedly. "Rita, how do you want to go with those? All together?"
She agreed to his proposition but asked for individual shots later. Her eyes did not leave Harry and it actually made him shiver, she was creepy. Harry decided then that there was no way he would stay anywhere close to her, it leant no individual shot for him. He already had his excuse made up. He would say he was not an official champion, plus someone was waiting for him in the infirmary. The best part was that both his excuses were true.
The shooting took a long time. And even someone like Krum who was supposed to be used to that seemed to scowl even more than he was. He even tried to not showoff himself, which was easy since Rita's eyes were only on Harry and the camera man only saw Fleur. That led to both of them standing at the center of the photo displaying their best fake smiles.
When it was finally time for the individual shot, Harry tried to run away, using his excuses. However, it seems that Rita has seen through his game.
"Come on Harry, it won't take long. Plus you are definitely a champion, who would dare to say otherwise."
Well practically the whole school, ma'am.
Fortunately, he was saved by a person he would not have imagined.
"Mister Potter, if that's okay with you, I would like to have a word." Mr. Ollivander quietly asked him.
Harry eagerly accepted his demand, leaving again a scandalized Rita Skeeter behind. He followed Ollivander who seemed to lead him where he was standing before, near the window.
"So, Mr. Ollivander, you wanted to see me?" Harry had a little idea what it was about. The wandmaker looked preoccupied when he examined his wand, so he obviously wanted to address that matter.
"I'm sure you are aware Mister Potter, that something is going on with your wand." He started. "When I was examining her, she was as a puppy who had been abandoned, for a younger one."
Harry frowned at the example, nor sure where it was going. The only fact that he was refereeing to a wand by "her" was already weird enough.
"Let me rephrase it. Your wand at first felt well because you started using her how you should, but after some times, you fond something else, and that made her feel abandoned. She want you to use her more, wandless magic is fun for some party tricks, but a wand bring power and precision. Don't forget that Mister Potter."
And just like that, he left. Leaving a Harry dazed on the spot. What Ollivander said was actually correct, he had neglected his wand, but it was only for today. Were wands actually jealous crybaby? Harry thought about the most interesting thing that the wandmaker said, about wandless magic being a party trick. It was the opposite of what Chaos told him, and Harry, he did not know exactly why, trusted Chaos.
By the way, it's been a while since I've heard of him, huh. I wonder when he will come back. Back about what Ollivander said, I don't think he was objective. His job is to sell wand, of course he would try to make them look as to most useful tool.
Well, it's time to go to dinner, I'm famished! If only Snape was not in the infirmary too, I'd be able to see if Hermione is still in here. Harry smiled at that, the thought of him putting Snape at the hospital wing was great.
It seemed like Hermione was still in the infirmary, seeing that she was nowhere to be found during the dinner. Harry ate alone, in silence, still thinking about his conversation with Professor Dumbledore. He wanted him to refrain from using wandless magic, something he wanted to do since he met Chaos.
Actually no, he did not forbid me, he advised me. He just don't want me to follow the path of Voldemort and his former friend Grindelwald. Moreover, he even told me another way to achieve my goal, I just have to do it again.
He finished his dinner and went back to his dorm where he came across Ron.
"Letters, on your bed." He said brusquely, and then he left.
The first one was from Sirius, so he read it immediately.
Harry —
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 ensure that you are alone by the fire in Gryffindor Tower at one o'clock in the morning on the 22nd of November?
I know better than anyone that you can look after yourself and while you're around Dumbledore and Moody I don't think anyone will be able to hurt you. However, someone seems to be having a good try. Entering you in that tournament would have been very risky, especially right under Dumbledore's nose. 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
(From Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Harry started panicking for a bit. Sirius was coming. How could a wanted man use a fireplace. However, he knew Sirius was not stupid, and the fact that he wanted to see him honestly warmed his heart. Sirius was someone who would always be by his side. While he was preparing his answer, Harry remarked another letter on his bed. A dark purple envelope who emitted off a scent of lavender and gooseberry. The Greengrass'. Harry recognized that scent. It was either one or both of them, Harry could never know, it seemed that they loved writing a letter for each other.
Dear Harry,
Same place, after lunch tomorrow.
Don't be late.
Daphne Greengrass
Huh, is she mad? She must be, she didn't even mention her sister. Now that I think about it, she was present during my little outburst. Err, How should I explain it to her? I am so doomed…
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The next day, Hermione was back for lunch, and she seemed happy. Harry did not know why but if she was happy so was he. She asked him what happened yesterday because she heard of the rumors. He did not want to lie to her, so he explained what happened. He just omitted the details, like the fact that he actually wanted to learn wandless magic and the content of what was said between him and Dumbledore. There were two reason to that. First, it could seem egoistical, but Harry did not want to teach Hermione wandless magic, it was a flawed method, and the one Dumbledore told him about, well he did not try it yet. The second reason was that he did not want her to believe he was becoming a dark wizard.
"It seems a little like accidental magic to me Harry, you need to keep your emotion in check." Hermione lectured him. "You break the femur od a Professor, Harry. I heard Madam Pomfrey talk about it."
The raven-haired boy was not listening, he was thinking of what would happened later when he will meet Daphne. He tried to catch her eye during breakfast and now at lunch, but she was totally ignoring him.
"Despite all that, thank you, Harry." Hermione finally said shyly.
Harry was dumbfounded, did Hermione Granger just thanked him for harming a Professor? He must be dreaming.
"Who are you and what have you done to my friend"
They both laughed at that as she hit the back of his head. "Prat."
When they were done, he told her that he had to talk with Daphne.
"Yeah you should, she was present when it happened. I guess she would want some explanations."
That is how he went to their rendezvous place. Limping his feet, his face down, as if he was walking towards his death.
Not too far.
She was not there yet. It left some time to Harry to put a sheet on the grass, so they could sit on it. He looked at his end and noticed that Sadye was not here. It was a common occurrence, he liked to hunt even if he rarely ate what he captured. He said that Harry's magic was enough to feed himself.
He was stopped on his track when someone sat beside him. He almost jumped from surprise, he did not see Daphne coming. She was not looking at him, she had her hands around her knee and was looking at the Durmstrang ship as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
Well, that's a ship who went underwater, that's pretty amazing in itself. Why isn't she talking?
"Err… Hi Daphne, how are you?"
"Hi." She curtly answered. "What happened yesterday?"
And there it was. The fatidic question. He tried to answer her with the best of his abilities, telling her exactly what he told to Hermione. She did not look at the ship anymore, her deep blue eyes were looking straight at him. Harry felt embarrassed for some reason but managed to end his tale without stuttering too much, a feat in itself he would say.
She stayed silent for a while, processing the information she just got.
"Are you ready for the first task." She finally asked him out of nowhere.
Harry was taken aback, she was not usually the one who started a conversation. However, he recovered quickly, and frankly, he was happy she started being more herself with him.
"Nope. Actually, I have no idea what the first task is about. They said it was something to test our bravery, that's why we don't have any information about the content." He laughed. "Fortunately, I am a Gryffindor, bravery is what we do!"
The conversation continued at a brisk pace, they were having a good time. Now that he thought about it, it was the first time both of them talked alone. Daphne was a shy girl it seemed, but today, she not only listened or asked question. She told him about how Pansy Parkinson was becoming unbearable since yesterday, saying that Dumbledore was playing favorite with Harry.
When they finally got back to the castle, Harry saw that Daphne who had been smiling during their conversation, replaced her cold mask on her face.
So cool, I have to ask her how to do it. Not now though, she is already gone… Wait, where did she go?
He took his map out of his pocket and saw her take the direction of Slytherin Common room.
Wow, she must really not want to be seen together.
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Weeks had passed, and Harry was training in the Chamber almost every day. He did not know what to except from the first task, but it was something that was supposed to be for seventh year students. He tried to learn as much spell as possible, so he could be prepared for what was coming, whatever it was. He also tried to use Dumbledore's method, however no results were showed. It was unimaginably harder than using his anger to cast wandless magic. That frustrated him to no point, because he knew he could do it in another way. He now understood why his Headmaster called it a shortcut.
What frustrated him even more was the article in the Daily Prophet about him. It seemed that even his silence was interpreted as "a way to prove everyone he is a worthy son for his dead parents, that he still cries about every night." Harry did not know how imaginative one should be to write something like that when he did not tell her a thing. Fortunately, his friends were here. The Greengrass' were outraged and told him they were going to talk to their parents about that and Hermione as always was his mental support, she calmed him when he was at the verge of exploding again.
Another thing that helped him, was the detention with Professor Dumbledore. It was just a time where he would come to h is office and try using wandless magic under his supervision. Even with all the advice Dumbledore could tell him, he still did not manage to do it—
"Dragonsss. The firssst tasssk isss about dragonsss." Sadye came into the chamber ramping towards him at a speed he did not believe a normal snake had.
"WHAT!" Harry shouted. "How do you know that? Are you sssure about it?"
"Yesss, I saw them in the forest. People were around talking how it would be hard for a champion to pass one of them."
Harry collapsed on his knees. He did not know the first thing about a dragon. How could he do that.
"Get a grip, you won't do anything on the floor like that. It ssshould be good to tessst how ssstrong you've become. I recommend you read about them, nasty creatures they are..."
The next day was Hogsmeade weekend, the one before the task. He already agreed to get Astoria a gift from here. And during breakfast, Hermione asked him to accompany her. Feeling some scheme behind it, he asked her if she did not want to go with Ron too.
He flat out refused her when he heard that she was trying to make the both of them meet up. She convinced him to come but he said it was only under the condition that he stayed under his Cloak.
When they were walking out, they saw a lot of people with Malfoy's badge, but he did not care anymore, he had more important things in his head now. Such as a dragon in the first task. He informed Hermione and she immediately started panicking even more than he did.
When they arrived too the Three Broomsticks, passing quietly next to Rita Skeeter, they met Hagrid and Professor Moody. The latter, to everyone's surprise seemed to be able to see under his Cloak with his weird eye. Hagrid also surprised him when he whispered that he would be waiting for him at his cabin at midnight with his Cloak.
It must be about the dragons. I'm happy I'm his friend.
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Harry sat down in an armchair in front of the fire of the Common Room, waiting for his godfather. He just came back from the forest, where Hagrid led him. He saw the dragons, and he also heard that Charlie Weasley was there.
Maybe I could ask him for help? He was cool with me the las time we met.
"Harry? You here?" Sirius voice came up from the fireplace, Harry immediately stood up.
"Yes, I'm here. How are you?"
He looked at Sirius face and it looked way better than the last time he saw him. His hair were shorter, his face was fuller, and he looked much younger.
"Nevermind me, it's you I'm worried about. How are you?"
Harry, like with Hermione and Daphne, did not want to lie, so he told him everything, from his name coming out of the Goblet, to the recent article about him, and the discovery about the dragon he had to face. He felt relieved, he never knew talking had this effect.
"Harry, before I say anything else, be careful around Karkaroff. He was a Death Eater, he was caught by Moody and got released."
Harry was too stunned to answer, how could an ex-Death Eater be the headmaster of Durmstrang. That made no sense at all.
"I'm sure he try to get every students in his school to learn about the Dark Art, so be careful of that Krum boy."
He then explained him his theory about Karkaroff trying to kill him. It made Harry shiver. But it was not all, he also told him that Death Eaters seemed to be more active the last few months.
"Now, about the dragons. They have pretty strong scales and are too magically powerful, so normal spells like the Stunner one, are useless." Harry remembered the scene he just assisted to, with a lot of people trying to stun a single dragon at the same time, it did not seem to work that well. "However, don't worry, there's a single spell that work marvelously against them—
Harry interrupted him, his heart pounding hard. Someone was coming this way. He alerted Sirius and the latter disappeared with a tiny pop! It was Ron who was coming down the stairs.
"Who were you talking to?" He asked.
Harry took his best 'what are you talking about' look, ignored him and went to his bed. Harry felt really great to finally pay him back for all the time he ignored him.
When he was meditating as every night, Harr thought about the spell that Sirius was talking about. He did not have the time to say it, and Harry had no idea what it could be despite learning a lot of spell those last weeks.
Wait a second, Sirius told me that its scale and magic were making normal spell useless against a dragon. I also know something like that, plus its harmless. I could try my spells on it, it's not like a dead body could fight back anyway.
Harry felt asleep with a smile that night.
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