A/N: Yeah I'm gonna be honest. I'm behind on my writing. I've been stuck writing chapter 9 for like the past 2 weeks lol. I started an eBay business selling shoes/sandals/hats a bit over a month ago and it's been taking pretty much all my energy. Add on top of that, I'm managing my (dying lol) investment portfolio everyday.
I mean, building a business is pretty much taking care of a child. A very demanding child who you kind of have to love unconditionally. So yeah, it's been taking up a lot of energy lol.
I will try to keep up with the writing, but I can't promise weekly updates. So I apologize in advance for that. I think this chapter is the exact 2 month mark of this story being updated every week.
But this is a heads up in case you guys don't see weekly updates. However, I do promise that it won't reach the levels of the original where I wait 6 months to update near the end. I still write some words every night, but I just can't devote as much time. The muse and ideas are still there.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any works my J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 8
A Few Hours Earlier…
Harry must've had the absolute luck in the entire world.
Reflecting back on just the past 3 days, he was sure that nothing worse could happen. Everything bad had already happened.
Karma. Wasn't it supposed to be a balance? Good things happened because of good deeds, and bad things happened because of bad deeds. Then it's supposed to balance out.
And he's pretty sure he's done some good things in his life. But it's never felt like he's gotten any of that good karma.
So, Harry was waiting for his balance of good. No, in fact. He demanded it.
Because at this point, he was getting tired of it.
How ridiculous can his luck be where he somehow ended up here of all places.
"DUELISTS! YOUR POSITIONS!"
The announcer of the arena repeated his previous statement, this time with a hint of worry in his voice.
Harry searched the arena until he found who thinks is the person he was looking for. The figure was high on a podium, wearing black dress robes with a tophat on. Harry quickly waved for the announcer to where he was.
The man rushed over to him and when he was finally face to face with Harry, the boy was surprised to see how he was only a few inches taller. His thick black mustache scrunched up along with his rugged face when he saw Harry.
"Well? Why aren't you in position?" The announcer hissed.
"Because I'm not supposed to be here!" Harry hissed back. "Point me to the way out!"
The announcer took in Harry's appearance and scoffed. "Lucius promised me good fodder. Someone to start Viktor's fight for the day. You will be taking your dueling position today."
"I don't even know who this Lucius is!" Harry protested. "I'm not supposed to be here!"
The only Lucius Harry could think of was Lucius Malfoy. But he wasn't going to admit that...
The announcer snorted. "Of course. Hadrian Potter, the disgraced heir of James Potter isn't supposed to be here. Hadrian Potter, the one who's desperate to do anything for coin isn't supposed to be here."
The announcer's tone mocked him.
Harry had to restrain himself from grabbing the man's shirt. "That's not my name!" he snarled.
The announcer sneered. "Anyone with eyes can see that it's Hadrian Potter in front of me."
Then, he suddenly threw a newspaper at Harry, prompting him to catch it. Looking down at the paper, he was surprised to find the maniacal face of his staring back at him. The picture moved until the Harry in it was laughing crazily.
Hadrian Potter - The Power Hungry Boy - No Longer a Potter!
By Rita Skeever
The once prestigious son of James Potter was a quiet boy, the perfect heir for someone amazing as James Potter. But the boy showed his true face when he attempted to seize control of the lordship from his father.
His bid for power took James Potter by surprise, as it was all sudden in the night. During a simple dinner between father and son, Hadrian had a wand pointed at his own father before James could even understand what was going on! Due only to our hero's quick wit and thinking, he managed to dodge the spells and retaliate.
In a battle that should've been over quickly with our hero's power, Hadrian took advantage of his father's bleeding heart and used an unforgivable curse against one of their house elves (see page 2 for picture) who was in the room with them.
Magic recognized the darkness and aggression in him, saw fit to strip him of the name Potter, thus casting him from Potter Manor.
In an interview with a teary eyed James Potter, he had this to say:
"I am deeply troubled by the events of that night and every day my heart is in pain at the thought of losing my son to the dark. Already he has killed the very house elf that has taken care of him since his childhood. But I plead with Britain that we do our best to show Hadrian that the dark is not the place to turn to."
A heart wrenching statement from James Potter in which he could not show hatred for a son who has shown his ungratefulness for having such a caring father. A son who cares more about power than his very family. He has killed his childhood house elf - what more will he do? You-know-who may have been defeated by our hero James Potter, but will he have to defeat his own son in the future?
Harry could feel his teeth grinding. What. In. Merlin's. Beard? He looked up from the newspaper to see the annoyed face of the announcer.
"Are you finished?" He asked irritably. "The crowd is waiting!"
"This paper is completely false!" Harry snapped, ripping it in half. "This was not what happened!"
"And I don't care!" The announcer waved his hand. "Hurry up and get up there! Or you can tell Lucius goodbye to our deal!"
Who does this man think he is? Harry told him he didn't know Lucius at all! And after shoving something like this newspaper in his face? Did he seriously expect for him to step up to duel? The only thing on Harry's mind at this moment was to find James and make him pay for the lies put out!
"I'm out of here," Harry growled. "I don't know a Lucius, and I'm not going to duel a random wizard!"
Just as he was about to turn around and look for another way out of here, Harry was suddenly stopped when the announcer's voice called him back.
"I'll double the pay! Whether you win or lose! I know you need the coin, and I need someone out there!"
Coin. It comes down to coin.
The stubby man wasn't wrong. He was in desperate need of coin at the moment, and the whole trip to Diagon Alley was meant for him to acquire that.
But could he duel someone?
Probably not. But the man said win or lose. All he had to do was go out there.
Harry turned around and looked the man in the eye. "Fine." He said. "How much is the pay?"
"A galleon if you lose. 5 if you win. And I'll double those."
That would be 10 galleons if he won! 10! That would get him and the girls almost a full month! They wouldn't have to worry about where to stay!
But he'd have to win first…
Worst case. He'd still end up with 2 galleons. 2 galleons was still a lot.
"Alright, I'll do it." Harry agreed hesitantly.
Relief washed over the announcer's face at Harry's agreement. He pointed towards the arena, closer to the center. "Head over there. Only start sending spells when I give the all clear."
The announcer quickly ran back to his podium as Harry almost nervously walked towards the center.
"Galleons. Galleons. Then I can make sure we have a place to stay. Then I can make James pay. Then I'll clear my name." Harry muttered as he walked.
As he approached the center, he could feel his heart beating faster.
Could he really do it? Could he…
"WITCHES AND WIZARDS!" The announcer's voice boomed across the arena. "TODAY, I PRESENT TO YOU A TREAT! OUR FIRST CONTENDER TO OPEN OUR SHOW TODAY…"
Harry could feel his breath stopping. The tension in the air was growing. The crowd around him started to get rowdy.
"THE BOY WHO STOOD UP TO JAMES POTTER! THE VISCIOUS. THE DARK. PERHAPS EVEN THE NEXT YOU-KNOW-WHO…I PRESENT TO YOU - HADRIAN POTTER!"
The audience suddenly fell quiet, as muffled gasps erupted around him. Apparently, they were quite surprised to find him here.
But the surprise quickly evaporated, as they crowd began shouting once the initial shock was over.
Jeers from the audience filled the arena as Harry narrowed his eyes towards the announcer. Holding himself back from rushing over there, all he did was grit his teeth and kept ready for his opponent.
"AND NOW…THE ONE HE CHALLENGES, OUR BELOVED PRODIGY DUELIST, HAILING ALL THE WAY FROM DURMSTRANG…I PRESENT TO YOU…VIKTOR KRUM!"
The arena was filled with cheers as a door from across the arena opened to reveal Harry's opponent.
Viktor Krum stood taller than Harry, wearing dark brown pants and a maroon shirt. A brown fur cape flowed behind him, making him seem bigger than he already was. Viktor smirked at Harry's direction when Harry subconsciously stepped back.
He was supposed to duel this guy? What chance did he even have of winning?
No. He couldn't just give up now! He had to at least try…
Harry quickly ran through a list of spells that he knew.
He knew the tickling charm.
He knew the unlocking charm.
He knew the lighting charm.
Other than that…well, he didn't exactly get as much of an in depth tutor in the teachings of James Potter.
And he hasn't been to Hogwarts…so…
Harry gulped. He was absolutely and utterly screwed.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't try.
His wand was already in hand, as he tried his best to imitate the dueling position of his opponent.
The poor posture of his seemed to cause a chuckle in his opponent.
"You? You are who I fight?" Viktor sneered at him, a thick Bulgarian accent. "Hah! I did not know they send boy to fight me! I make entertain for crowd then!"
"DUELISTS! PREPARE YOURSELVES! AND…BEGIN!"
Immediately a flew at Harry in which he barely dodged.
And another.
And another.
And another.
Viktor Krum did not let up.
He was relentless. Spell after spell after spell. Harry didn't know how he was dodging them, but the constant grin on Viktor's face meant that he was toying with him
The crowd around him seemed to love it. Jeers for him filled the arena at his performance, while they cheered whenever Viktor began basking in the limelight.
Eventually, Viktor started to hit him. Small parts of his body. A nick on the shoulder. A cut on the side. A slash on his thigh. He could feel himself starting to bleed.
No. Harry refused to be treated like this! This was a duel. So he was going to…duel!
"Rictumsempra!" Harry shouted.
Viktor stopped momentarily as he made no effort to move, allowing the spell to hit him.
"..."
"..."
"Bahahahahahahaha!" He laughed mockingly at Harry. "That? Veally? That is your spell?" Hahahahahah!"
Viktor broke harder into laughter, clutching his stomach. The crowd around them joined in, laughing at Harry's spell.
Harry had no idea why it was that bad! It was obvious the tickling charm was working, with Viktor being almost bent over at this point.
But Harry noticed something. Viktor's wand was casually at his side, almost dropping. He was more focused on holding his stomach than holding his wand.
And so, Harry made the decision to rush him.
The adrenaline pumped through his body, as he ran faster than he ever ran before.
Harry grabbed the wand out of Viktor's hand, silencing the entire arena.
Including Viktor.
Now, 2 wands was pointed at the foreign duelist.
"Vell?" Viktor raised an eyebrow, challenging him.
Harry was still unsure what to do at that point. But Viktor didn't give him any more time as he made a move to grab Harry.
"Lumos!"
In his panic, the lighting charm flashed from his wand as it blinded Viktor.
"ARGHHH!" Viktor screamed, covering his eyes.
Before he could pat himself on the back for the quick thinking, Viktor with his still closed eyes grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and slammed him onto the ground.
'CRACK.'
Harry felt a crack in his back as it met the hard ground. His breath suddenly hitched up, as he began struggling to breathe. He closed his eyes, trying to tune out the noise of the arena jeering once again.
Then, Harry felt himself lifted off the ground. Cracking an eye open, he was met with the sneering face of Viktor Krum.
Anger. Anger filled Harry.
Why? Why couldn't he win? Why did he always have to lose? First James…now this guy?
"Interesting," Viktor muttered, as he inspected Harry. His eyes gazed over the boy, as if he was searching for something.
Harry only spat on his face.
Viktor frowned, the spit covering his face.
'Smack!'
A sharp sting suddenly burned on Harry's right cheek. Viktor did not let the disrespect slide, and immediately slapped him.
"You can not duel, yet you still fight? Why?" Viktor demanded.
"Screw. You." Harry spat one more time, and then, with all his might, slammed his head against Viktor's own.
'THUMP!'
He felt his forehead getting wet with blood as Viktor dropped him in surprise.
The two of them stared at each other in shock.
Harry didn't know why he did it. It was just…instinct.
But before he could say or contemplate any further, Viktor grabbed him once again and slammed his own head into Harry's, paying back twice the pain.
The force of his head made Harry's throb. His vision started getting blurry as Viktor's face was nothing more but a blur.
"You fight strong in heart. Grow even stronger. And van day, I vould see we duel at your strongest."
Those were the last words Harry heard, before darkness overtook him.
＊＊＊
The first thing Harry awoke to was the strong splash of water on his face.
Coughing from the filling of his lungs, Harry sat up to find the announcer staring back at him. "Finally up?" he asked impatiently.
Harry nodded numbly and looked around him.
The arena was empty with the exception of Harry and the announcer. He got up from the ground to see the man staring at him strangely.
"My…my pay…" Harry croaked.
Holding out an outstretched hand, the announcer sighed and dropped two galleons into his palm. "There is another fight this Saturday. The crowd likes seeing you fight. If you wish, return and we'll keep the same deal. And I'd suggest you actually learn some spells, Mr. Potter."
"That's…not my name…" Harry mumbled, his eyes still groggy. "It's…Evans. Harry Evans…"
The announcer pursed his lips together and looked at the boy pitifully. "Very well then, Mr. Evans." He then gestured towards a side door, one that had gone completely unnoticed by Harry. "The exit you have sought is that way. Good luck."
Harry nodded and trudged to the exit. After walking through a dark tunnel, his eyes finally saw the strong glare of the sunlight. Stepping outside, he found himself back in Diagon Alley.
Clutching a hand towards one of the numerous wounds on his body, Harry made his slow trek back to The Leaky Cauldron. He could feel the blood starting to seep into his robes.
The whispers and murmurs around didn't bother him. Hadrian. Hadrian Potter. It wasn't him anymore.
The next dark lord. The ungrateful. The power hungry. The street was filled with those whispers as he walked by.
But it didn't stop him. He had to get back.
The door of the Leaky Cauldron swung open as he walked in, feeling half dead at this point.
Approaching the bar, he slammed the two galleons on the counter.
"For the rest of the week. Add the change for our food." Harry managed to get out.
Tom the bar man looked at him worriedly but hesitantly took the money nonetheless.
"Hey, you alright there?" Tom asked.
Harry didn't give him an answer. He just turned around and made his way up the stairs.
Entering their room and shutting the door, Harry promptly proceeded to pass out.
And darkness overtook him once more.
A/N: Cliff hanger but also kind of not cliff hanger? I mean you guys know that Daphne and Astoria find him from last chapter so...
Did I just write a chapter where Harry just got bullied by Viktor? Yes. But he does fight back and give Viktor a bit of a run for his money during the duel. I don't think it would be right if Harry just won the fight like the original, but we are able to see him starting to stand up for himself a lot more. Plus, you guys also stand to know what kind of spells he knows. I don't think James Potter would be very educational with Harry.
Thanks for reading!