Majo Kon-ki The Marriage of Tanya the Witch
(The marriage chronicles of a witch)
Arc 4 - Goblet of Fire – part 3
August, AD 1994, Perkins's tent (temporarily lent to the Weasleys) in the quidditch world cup campsite in Dartmoor, England.
"Oi… Harry…"
"What, Ron?"
"Are you sleeping?"
"If I was sleeping, I wouldn't be answering!"
"Right! Well, since you are awake, let's talk some more about the game!"
"Ron… what more do we have to say?!" They had already talked about every detail and re-watched it dozens of times on the omnioculars.
"Blimey! To think Bulgaria won with a single point lead! And at the precise moment Ireland was about to notch another goal!" Still, Harry had to give in, it was memorable. Even Tanya, who wasn't a big fan of quidditch cheered with Krum's victory.
"And did you catch the speed of the snitch?! Krum dove at it like a bat outta hell, and when we thought he'd nabbed it, that little bugger was flying far off!"
"The snitch wasn't just fast. The way it behaved, it was as if it was teasing the seekers- No! Luring them to a specific spot." Harry had been suspicious at the start but concluded this had to be a peculiarity of professional quidditch.
"Ahhh! The only bummer is that there was no party cause Ireland lost!"
"Yeah, what a downer." Harry covered his mouth to not let his grin show.
"The best news if you ask me. I wouldn't fancy the idea of some other bloke ogling at my girlfriend, no sir!"
"Couldn't Tanya have charmed a Bulgarian-"
"Ron! Go to sleep! I have work tomorrow!" Percy grumpily told him off.
"I can't sleep! I am too wound up!"
"Are you, little bro?" George inquired with a mischievous tone.
"Or could it be that you can't catch a wink without your beloved Scabbers?!" Fred laughed aloud.
"Shut it! I told you I don't fancy blokes!"
Harry could confirm that.
"If Ronwas into blokes, he wouldn't be fantasizing aboutMY girlfriend!"
"Pfff…!" Charlie, who was silent so far, was trying hard to suppress his chuckles.
"Please tell me, what was so attractive about that rat? It had THREE of my brothers so eager to share a bed with him!"
Bill turned in bed so no one would see his embarrassed face.
"Y-you don't reckon Mr. Crouch will sack me because we offered shelter to a murderer, do you?!" Percy, meanwhile, was preoccupied with an entirely different set of concerns.
"Relax, 'Weatherby'! He surely-"
"YOU LOT! FOR THE LAST TIME, GO TO SLEEP!" Mr Weasley yelled.
"Remember, we are going home as soon as the sun goes up!" Hearing their father, every Weasley became silent-
"Hey… Harry…" … except Ron who kept bothering him!
"What now, Ron?!"
"You reckon Tanya is a veela?" This made Harry look at him with eyes wide open.
"I mean, she is beautiful, has pale skin and gold blond hair, same as them. She made so many blokes go crazy about her. You, Justin, Flint, Diggory, Bill-"
"I told you I don't fancy little girls!" Was the oldest brother's snappy reply.
"And he conveniently forgot to mention himself!"
"… no. She can't be." Harry dismissed the idea. This wasn't a first for Ron to make assumptions about Tanya. The one about how she is a man plotting to steal the philosopher's stone was still fresh in his mind.
"No matter how angry Tanya got, she never turned into a bird-like creature."
"Oh!"
Ron finally quieted down and Harry felt his conscience begin to fade.
"Ah! Perhaps she is another version of veelas? One that become spider-like-"
"""""""RON! GO TO SLEEP!"""""""
At this collective scream, Ron had no choice except to quiet down.
Harry thought he would also follow suit but he found himself pondering about Ron's supposition. Tanya was already the descendant of royalty, she couldn't be a veela too, right?
"Her father descends from kings and her mother from veelas?" For a moment, Harry was worried thinking how blokes would flock to her as she got older and beautiful.
"… beautiful…" Then he got excited at the thought of an adult Tanya wearing the same dress he saw on the veelas…
"Tanya… my princess… my veela…"
"Ladies and gentlemen, a big round of applause for none other than HARRY POTTER, our Quidditch World Cup champion!"
Amidst the cheers of hundreds of thousands of fans, Harry proudly raised his hand clutching the golden snitch.
"What a thrilling game! Our star player did it all by himself! His teammates didn't even waste time entering the pitch, so sure of their captain's victory!"
In the past, such comments would have made him shy away, but now he stood tall. After all, it was the truth. The accomplishment was his, and it was a far cry from that 'boy-who-lived' nonsense.
"The moment has arrived to unveil the cup. May I introduce to you, in her royal highness capacity as the veela princess and as well as Potter's esteemed wife, TANYA!"
Harry's breath caught as Tanya glided toward him with an almost ethereal grace. It was more accurate to say she was floating than walking. Just as he had suspected, her allure seemed to deepen as she grew old. Her hair cascaded down in long waves, unaffected by the absence of a strong breeze. The elegance of her long white dress emphasized her curves, and it was clear she didn't require song or dance to enthrall him. A single glance was all it took.
"Here, my love." Harry completely ignored the offered cup and took her in his arms.
"I don't need it. Your kisses are the only reward I want!"
Tanya smiled tenderly, and caressed his face. He closed his eyes…
"Ouch!" … and received a slap from her.
"Harry…"
"What are you- ouch!" She slapped him again.
"Harry…!"
"Ouch! Ouch! OUCH!" And keep slapping him.
"Harry! Wake up!"
"Eh?" With a startle, Harry opened his eyes.
He was back in the Weasley's tent with Tanya calling him. She was no longer the veela princess…
"Sheesh! Did she have towakenme at the best part of the dream?!"
"Tanya? What is the matter?"
"I… wanted to talk. Want to go out for a while?"
"At this hour-" Tanya cut him off, seizing his hand and swiftly pulling him up.
"Okay! Let me at least put some clothes over my pajamas!" He asked, realizing he had no say in the matter.
In the dark, he searched for his pants, carefully to not awaken the sleeping Weasleys.
"… give me the cup… and a kiss… Tanya… Heheheh…!" Listening to Ron talk in his sleep, Harry had to restrain himself from pointing out the unfairness of it all.
"Grr… he blatantly gawks at my girlfriend and now, steals my dreams?!"
"Are you ready?" Tanya impatiently called him.
"Eh? Yes-" With a quick motion, Tanya seized his hand, urging him into a dash outside.
"Why is she in such a hurry?!"
She pulled him for a while until they reached a point where they could oversee the entire campsite.
He waited for her to say something, only to be met with her steadfast silence.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" Ignoring Harry, Tanya watched the tents, like something was supposed to come from there.
"Did you hear anything down there?"
"No."
"Nothing?! Really?! Dammit!"
"Aff, why is she angry?!" He wondered if she was expecting something to happen.
"What could the two of us possibly do all alone out here in the middle of nowhere and so late-" Then it hit him.
"This is one of her 'clues'!" Quickly, Harry pulled her to him.
"What are you- mmpphh?!" He kissed her in a similar fashion he wished to do in the dream a few moments ago. As usual, she started tense but soon melted under his embrace.
"D-didn't we agree you would wait for me to ask?" She questioned when he pulled away to take a breath.
"And didn't you? What other reason would you have for us to be here?"
"W-well…" Harry couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. Tanya was so adorable acting this shy!
"Sorry! I am kinda slow to perceive your 'signals', so bear with me."
"'Signals'? What sig-" Back to her lips, Harry believed he could easily conjure a thousand patronuses.
"H-Harry, I- Ohhhh!" Not to mention his left hand would ensure he was well protected against Veelas.
"W-where do you think- Ahhhh!" Meanwhile, his right hand hadn't summoned any nuns or teachers just yet.
"Ludo Bagman was right, this night is going to be memorable-"
A loud and abrupt sound came from somewhere. They immediately parted away and Harry felt as if he was awakened again.
"What is going on?!" He panicked seeing a couple of tents on fire. And there were more noises, so alike gunfire, followed by flashes of light and more tents set ablaze.
"Over there!" In the way Tanya pointed, Harry saw people running and screaming while a group of hooded and masked figures marched across the field.
"Death eaters!"
"Who?"
"Ugh! You still didn't research your enemy?! This is how Voldemort's supporters are called!"
"WHAT?!" Harry sensed his legs weakening.
"Could Voldemort have sent them after me and Tanya?!" Maybe, this is what he saw him planning in that scary dream!
"We need to run! Call someone-"
"No time. We must do something ourselves."
"Eh?!"
"You will put your training to good use!"
Harry paled while Tanya stared seriously at him. Surely expecting a word or attitude. However as he remained silent, she let out a sigh.
"Go back to the Weasleys. If you hurry, you will be able to reach them before the death eaters."
"W-what about you?"
"They are targeting muggles and muggle-borns, Harry. It's possible that Hermione is in danger."
"Ah!" This detail had slipped from his mind as well as another one.
"Not everyone knows about Tanya's origins! Officially, she is also a muggle-born!"
"I am going down there to fight! To protect my friend- huh?" Tanya began to search for something on her clothes.
"My wand! I can't find the devil of the Rhine wand!" She tried to look around with no success.
"Did I drop it?! Dammit! Doesn't matter! I will use my white silver." This made Harry worry. For what Tanya told him, the white wand wasn't proper for combat situations.
"H-hold on! I am going with you!" He shouted. There was no way he was letting his girlfriend go into danger alone.
"You sure? You will need to take care of yourself! I can't fight while protecting you!"
"I won't be a burden!" Or so he hoped.
"Very well. Stay close to me, no matter what!" With those words, they ran directly towards the enemy.
"I must concede, Xenophilius Lovegood is undeniably a competent professional. When he is not obsessing about the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, of course." Tanya thought while looking at the cover of the latest Quibbler issue: a photograph of Harry holding a child much younger than himself, striding over a defeated death eater.
One week had passed from the time of the incident and Tanya returned to Hogwarts. It goes without saying that almost the whole school formed lines to have Harry sign the magazine as soon as sorting was over.
"By comparison, the daily prophet has revealed itself as a massive deception." She has followed every publication ever since the riot but the newspaper decided to omit Harry's actions, seemingly more interested in criticizing the authorities.
"How dare the little gossip rag?! Harry single-handedly captured no less than twelve death eaters!" Not that she was happy with this fact. She thought Harry, in the heat of battle, would shoot to kill nonetheless, despite his initial fear, he was surprisingly calm.
"I didn't even need to come up with an excuse to leave the fighting to him, as I was preoccupied with guarding the lost child who suddenly appeared!" Tanya felt a sense of dread over the wasted opportunity. Voldemort didn't lose a single supporter that night.
"Instead, the only one who lost anything was me!" Tanya never found out the fate of her missing wand. Or more accurately, she was left with a subtle hint.
After the disturbance was almost over, someone cast the dark mark on the sky, it lasted for a few seconds until it imploded and vanished.
"A non destructive spell was unstable and broken…" It was very similar to the troubles she had with the devil of the Rhine wand during her first year.
"Just great! I armed a death eater!"
"The name of your nephew is Septima?!" Tanya's thoughts faded as she spotted their arithmancy teacher also attempting to secure an autograph.
"Okay, you caught me. It's for me…" This sight brought a smile to her face.
"It didn't end in a complete flunk." Indeed, all the failures were irrelevant, the whole world was made aware of Harry's strength.
"The plan will be considered a success if Dumbledore recognizes Harry can take care of himself AND I am not needed anymore."
"Your highness!" Again, her thoughts trailed off as Colin Creevey called out to her.
"Are you going to teach the basics to my brother too?"
"Oh? No, sorry." The primary purpose of creating study groups had been to search for hallows-related clues and now she is well aware of their precise locations.
"Yiu are busy with studying and dating Harry? Got it!"
"No! I- eek!" Harry chose this moment to sit close and grab her hand.
"I am exhausted! Told you I didn't want to sign the bloody things!" In fact, the plan was for him to spend the rest of the night distant from her.
Tanya had to look away, feeling embarrassed. It becomes too awkward between them, at least from her perspective. As of late, she had been constantly worried about saying anything around him, fearing a mere sneeze might be misinterpreted as a 'signal'.
"How the hell did he conclude I was too shy to ask for him?!" Other than the night before the riot, there were two other occasions in which he believed she had signaled him permission to be intimate. She was fortunate that Sirius and Kreacher had arrived on the nick of time. But what would happen during another school break? Sooner or later, her luck would run out.
"As soon as I can I am talking with Dumbledore!" Tanya was so anxious for the end of the feast that she didn't pay much attention to anything.
"… the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year." This news made her let out a sigh.
"This is what Malfoy had meant on the train. Stupid Lucius! Why didn't he say anything?!" She wished that, for once, she could enjoy a year without life-threatening situations. However, hearing phrases like 'death toll' and 'mortal danger', her hopes were shattered.
"'Eternal glory waits for the winner'. Funny, I used to say the same thing to my meat-shields-" She sprang to her feet, a sudden alarming realization washing over her.
"NO!" She yelled glaring at Harry.
"Eh?! 'No' what?"
"You are not entering the tournament!"
"I never said- ARGH!"
"YOU ARE NOT ENTERING IT!"Tanya exclaimed loudly as she grabbed him by his shirt collar and lifted him up.
"REMEMBER WHEN I CUT OFF YOUR ARM? I WILL DO THE SAME TO YOUR LEGS AND HIDE THEM UNTIL- Ah?"
Tanya blushed, noticing all the shocked stares directed her way.
"Miss Degurechaff, there's no need to fret about your boyfriend's well-being." Dumbledore tried to reassure her in a soothing manner.
"Only students who are of age will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration."
"Humpf! Rules stopping a Potter?! Right!" As usual, Professor Snape pointed out the most likely outcome.
"Please, Severus. I will personally ensure no minor is participating. Is that satisfactory, miss Degurechaff?"
"Can't we have Harry under an unbreakable vow?"
"Come again?!" Severus Snape asked in a tone of dismay.
"Care to repeat what you said, Lucius?!"
"I shall repeat it as many times as necessary. The princess has dispatched Jugson and all our missing comrades."
The professor found himself too shaken to utter a word. When he had agreed to meet the former governor in the astronomy tower after hours, he had assumed it was to discuss the dark mark.
"She is expunging us one by one, Severus! All to protect her precious Harry Potter!"
"My goodness! I can surmise the situation!All terrified with the dark mark, they believed eliminating Potter would appease the dark lord and she protected him!" He facepalmed himself. There were only a few things which sent his protegee into a frenzy and HARRY POTTER was at the top.
"But I won't just sit idle and let her come for me! No, tonight, I'll handle this matter swiftly and discreetly, and she won't be a threat anymore!" The coldness in Lucius's voice left the professor in no doubt about his purpose.
"Touch her and you'll find yourself longing for a FAST DEATH!" Snape spat words out like venom while glaring ferociously at the older man.
"What? Severus! I'm not here for her." Lucius remarked.
"I wouldn't dream of laying a finger on the princess."
"Right,it's a prevailing belief that Tanya is a princess hailing from an ancient lineage of pure-blood wizards. In theory, Voldemort would be infuriated at the prospect of losing such a valuable 'specimen'." His glare came undone.
"All we have to do is merely ELIMINATE the cause of her animosity towards us."
"You mean, kill Potter?" Under full consideration, it was pretty obvious how he wanted to solve the issue.
"Tempting as it might be, I remain a Hogwarts teacher. I cannot permit you to bring harm upon a student, even if it's Potter." To illustrate his point, he took out his wand.
"I am willing to pretend this never happened. Step back and I won't-"
In a heartbeat, Lucius had the professor disarmed with a slap and a knife pressed against his neck.
"Sorry, Severus. Can't let you hinder me." Seemingly surprised, Severus Snape gazed at him with a blank expression.
"In honor of our longstanding connection, I am extending a final opportunity to you. Assist me in eliminating Potter, or I kill you and he dies anyway."
"Is this some sort of elaborate retribution?" He said, sighing hard.
"Because I dared to interrupt Potter from ravishing you, Tanya?!"
"Geh?!" 'Lucius', his cheeks flushing with chagrin, sheepishly tucked the knife away.
"Y-you knew since the beginning?!"
"No, I suspected when you attacked me. Lucius is too proud to use any other method besides magic and too cowardly to ever give a second chance to a potential enemy."
"Aff! What a waste of- Ah!" Immediately, the effects of what Snape deduced was polyjuice potion wore off.
Thankfully, she wore Lucius's common clothes, and his large cape easily covered her small frame, sparing her from being completely exposed.
"I still had fifteen minutes left! This thing is definitely too unstable!"
Snape resisted the urge to elaborate on potential potion-making mishaps. He was in need of answers.
"Were you telling me the truth? Did you kill the missing death eaters?"
"Yes, in self defense." She replied nonchalantly.
"Hardly to believe, from someone who pointed a knife at my throat out of a petty bitterness!"
"Could you not have notified Dumbledore? He'd been troubled over this case the entire summer!"
"Professor, I will let you know that I sent over a hundred letters to him!"
"You did?" This puzzled him.
"And don't you dare tell me about troubles all over the summer! I-I had some… body complications!" She said reddening and he instinctively sensed the need to steer the conversation in a different direction.
"Ahem! Back to the death eaters, tell me what transpired."
"What's there to say? They were trying to kill Harry and I killed them first."
"In other words, she butchered them all out of love for her precious boyfriend!"
"For the record, I don't enjoy senseless killing!" His thoughts must have been written across his face because she accurately surmised what was on his mind.
"It was merely a policy akin to 'preemptive war', I decided that I wasn't going to put up with any risk to Harry's life."
"In other words, you shot first and asked questions later?"
"Exactly!"
"NO WAY IN HELL THIS IS SELF DEFENSE!"
"Are you satisfied, sir? Have I answered all your questions?"
"Y-yes… I think."
"How am I supposed to inform this to Dumbledore?!"
"Good, because I have some of my own." Suddenly, she grabbed his arm and forcefully exposed the dark mark.
"Would you care to explain this 'tattoo'?" He came to the painful realization that her earlier act wasn't truly motivated by revenge.
He wished to flee, but her powerful grip and intense, unwavering gaze pinned him in place.
"I knew this would happen someday…!" With no other option left, he opened his heart. He told her everything. About his mother, his abusive father, his first love, how he became a pure-blood supremacist and finally… the worst mistake of his life.
At the end, he felt a mix of drain and lightness. To no one before he told so much about himself.
"So, the Lily you mentioned is Harry's mother. It all makes sense…" She murmured while grimacing.
His heart tightened while he waited what her judgment would be.
"Can't say that I don't consider you being Voldemort's lackey a troublesome prospect."
"Please, don't despise me!"
"And I have to say, I'm somewhat taken aback. I've always seen you as a more serious individual, someone who certainly wouldn't be part of a 'cult'."
"Please,don't hate me!"
"… then again, who hasn't made a mistake? Sometimes, costing us life as we know it?"
"Please, Don't abandon me! Not you too!"
"Promise me to never touch Harry and we won't be having- GAH!" He hugged her tightly.
"Thank you so much!" A surge of relief coursed through him, as he had spent years dreading her response to his dark past.
"I thought the full weight of my sins were going to crush me-" Speaking of crushing, the professor noticed Tanya turning blue from his intense hug.
"AH?! My apologies!" He immediately let go of her.
"N-no worries, I was just caught by surprise." She panted, attempting to regain her breath.
"About your request, I won't ever bring harm to Potter- well, not in a permanent way at least, as he is the last part of her that still lives…."
"Good to clear-"
"… as well as your partner for life." In the last part, he let out a discontent grunt.
"Ahhhh! Do I really have to witness another Potter taking away someone special to me?!"
"D-don't you jinx me! We're already spending too much time together!"
"Huh?!"
"I can hardly wait to say goodbye to him-" She stopped herself abruptly.
"I-I mean…! F-forget what I said, okay?!"
The professor was left perplexed by her unexpected outburst.
"Did I hear correctly? Or was it merely wishful thinking on my part?" He had always believed she was deeply in love with Potter, but it seemed like she might be starting to break free from the enchantment.
"OHHHH! What a wonderful night! How long have I been anticipating this day?!" Three years to be precise.
"Huhuhu! Now, I only need the right boy and the right occasion!"
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Professor Moody barks about 'constant vigilance' were starting to annoy Tanya.
"Bah! Shut up!" She struggled to contain these words, unlike her peers, she couldn't muster any enthusiasm for the first defense against the dark arts lesson of the year, so deeply frustrated she felt.
After assuring herself of professor Snape's loyalty, she asked if he could schedule a meeting with the headmaster. His answer:
'Oddly, he insisted that no private meetings with you be arranged. If you wish to converse with him, either Professor McGonagal or I must be present.' In simpler terms, he was avoiding any talk about the hallows.
"The hell is wrong? Did he see through my trick?" If it was the case, he would try to keep her apart from Harry.
"Or did he anticipate my intentions of forcibly seizing the wand?! Crap!"
"Stop it!" Hermione's squeak drew her focus to the lesson.
Whatever it was about, it involved the apparent torture of an enlarged spider.
She couldn't help but let a slight grin form on her face at the thought of Dumbledore being the one twitching his legs in pain.
"Huh? Is that the cruciatus curse? Weren't we supposed to study unforgivable curses in our sixth year?" She cursed herself mentally. For a long time she had been looking forward to this lesson, and she had nearly missed it.
"… the last and worst. Avada kedavra, the killing curse." Luckily, the most significant part was about to take place.
"Avada kedavra!" Two words, a flash of green light followed by a rushing sound and the spider was dead. The whole class was solemn, except for Tanya, who was jumping from excitement.
"HAH! I KNEW IT! The life of the spider simply vanished as the curse aimed right at the center of its magic! My hypothesis of the mana core as the source of magic and life was right!" Being right always brought a sense of satisfaction. Plus, she dreaded having to make corrections to her essay once it had already been published.
"… there's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me." He concluded the lesson by recalling what had made Harry famous.
"Actually, Tanya blocked it once." As usual, Harry did everything to draw any attention away from himself.
The professor's reaction was immediate. His eyes, both regular and magical, were fixed on Tanya.
"Wise and mighty warlocks, they met their doom with no more than a scratch of the killing curse, and you're telling me this 'tiny lassie' put a stop to it?! What utter rubbish!" Moody grumbled dismissively.
Tanya chose to not say anything as it would merely fuel the argument.
"It is the absolute truth, professor!" Hermione, on the other hand, leaped up from her chair, poised to defend Tanya's honor.
"Professor Dumbledore himself acknowledged that Tanya is a witch of extraordinary talent, like none before!"
"Oh? And this makes her stronger than Dumbledore? Than Merlin?! Even the dark lord?!"
"Why not?" Hermione defiantly asked.
"I'd rather believe that incompetent serving he-who-must-not-be-named miscast the spell or maybe… she and him had some agreement?!"
'Be careful with Alastor Moody. The old loony sees dark wizards and witches everywhere!' Tanya could see why professor Snape had been worried.
"Tanya would never join Voldemort!" There were gasps all around the room as Harry mentioned the 'forbidden' name.
"Are you sure, lad? I was watching and I didn't fancy the screaming signs all around her!"
"I can't believe it! Another one seeing me giving 'signs'!"
"The unforgivable curses class has an untold purpose. To see if a student shows any unhealthy attraction towards them…"
Tanya let herself relax. He certainly confirmed that she, a pacifist, wouldn't be dominated by irrational urges-
"… and I was keeping a close eye on your response to the spider's demise!" The professor shouted just inches from her face.
"While your fellow students were left dumbfounded, you, my dear, had a beaming grin and a glint in your eyes!"
"I had?!"
"I may have unintentionally smiled because my theory was proven right."
"Err, that was a misunderstanding. I was thinking about something else-"
"Oh, really? What about earlier, eh? When the spider was writhing in agony? What was going through your mind?! That you could curse someone who's a bother to you?!"
"I-Ihave no defense against this…"
"You saw wrong!" Once more, Harry interceded in her favor.
"Tanya is not like that!"
"Why? Cause you two love each other?!"
"Yes!" With a swift motion, Harry pulled her into a hug.
"Does he have to be this affectionatein front of the whole class?!"
"Believe me, lad! Love can be the best excuse! Maybe someday YOU will find yourself killing for her!"
"NEVER!" Harry's unwavering denial infuriated her a bit.
"If it wasn't for Tanya, I would have killed Sirius! And a few days ago, I spared the death eaters following her silent advice!"
"My 'silent what'?!" It is official. Tanya confirmed that she and Harry have a communication's problem in their relationship.
"So, it was her counsel that persuaded you to spare them, eh…?"
"Great! Now this paranoid conspiracy theorist will be absolutely convinced I'm on Voldemort's side!"
"Do you comprehend they got off easy, claiming some furious Irish fan hit them with the imperius curse?"
"Don't remind me!" Witnessing the Death Eaters she had meticulously selected for demise alive and unscathed, and then returning to the embrace of their homes mere hours later, filled her with intense frustration.
"To put it plainly, your foes are running loose without consequence, and that leaves the door wide open for them to seek retribution."
Harry paled as realization hit him.
"What? He didn't see this coming?! Really!"
"You need CONSTANT VIGILANCE! Be it at your enemies or the ones close to you!" He finished, giving a last glare at Tanya.
And that pretty much summarized the lesson… But unfortunately, this is not the end of today's troubles.
The very instant they were back at their common room, Hermione, Ron and Harry surrounded her.
"Tanya! Promise us you won't be using the unforgivable curses!" By their expressions, they were deadly serious.
"I feel insulted! I am not dumb to use those curses…!" The three left breaths of relief.
"… it is against the law! I don't want to end with a life sentence in Azkaban!" Furthermore, the exploding charm and the fiendfyre were enough assets in her arsenal.
"And punishment is always enforced, even in cases of self-defense. There are simply no legal loopholes."
"Y-you tried to find a loophole…?" The three once again gave her scared looks.
"B-better if we talk about something else! Happy stuff!" Hermione excitedly showed them a bag full of badges with the word 'spew'?
"I didn't say it at the time, Ron. You did an amazing job with the acromantulas!"
"Pay them to not eat us anymore?"
"What? No! I mean, that too! And thanks to you, today they have a voice in our world. I merely ask for the same with the elves." With this, she exposed her big plan of a long date to free the house-elves.
"I forgot Hermione is an idealist!" Tanya did hear she was upset. At some point during the riot, she personally witnessed the mistreatment of the house-elf Winky by her owner, Bartemius Crouch.
Hermione had already endured her fair share of bigotry courtesy of Draco Malfoy, and now it seemed her revolutionary spirit had been ignited.
"Tanya, I have one pink badge to match your cute purse." Tanya winced at the reminder of having to carry such a fancy accessory.
"Damn you Lucius!"
"You are joining us, right?" Tanya was relieved that at least in her case, Hermione was asking. As for Harry and Ron, they had no say in the matter whatsoever.
She could easily decline or present a myriad of reasons why her childish revolution was destined to fail. Not that she was wrong; after all, elves were unequivocally enslaved by wizards.
However, Hermione remained firmly rooted in concepts of right and wrong. She couldn't grasp the bigger picture of how she intended to challenge values and traditions held by both wizards and elves.
"I can only hope, for her own sake, she continues to merely wear that 'S.P.E.W.' badge and doesn't create too much of a commotion."
"Hermione, I doubt Tanya will join, given how she owns- OW!" Tanya stopped Harry's babbling with a hard pinch to his cheek.
"It's probably best if I keep quiet about receiving an elf from Sirius!"
"I am joining! Here, two sickles." Smiling, she gave two silver coins to the older girl (from Harry's pocket, of course).
In the next DADA class, not content with a simple demonstration of the three unforgivable curses, professor Moody proposed they personally experience the effects of the imperius.
He was well pleased with Harry for being able to throw the curse off entirely and in Tanya's case…
"IT'S TRUE! You can thwart the unforgivables!" He was thoroughly impressed seeing her passive shield successfully halting the curse.
Tanya, on the other hand, was relieved when her turn ended. Initially, she hadn't thought much of it, but watching her classmates behave like mindless DOLLS left her quite shaken.
"N-no need to create a scene! My shield held up!" She kept telling herself, trying to calm down.
"Imperio!" She was caught off guard as, once more, Moody cast the curse against her.
"EEK! W-what are you doing? Stop!"
"Forgot the lesson's purpose, lassie?" She paled, realizing he was going to keep shooting until the curse hit her.
"If Harry can resist the imperius, so can I! Now stop!" Frankly, Tanya wasn't fully convinced of this fact however, she was too scared to find out.
"Good, then show me." He aimed his wand.
"My shield took two shots of the curse leaving my reserves too low!" She doubted it would endure another attack.
"NO! I-I don't wanna!" Tears welled up in her eyes. She was terrified at the idea of being under someone's control again.
"Professor! You are harassing Tanya!"
"With that killing curse, she slept for days because it left her utterly exhausted!"
"Listen up, youngsters! This is a monumental breakthrough! Picture the advantages if we can mimic her formidable shield!" Hermione and Harry's pleas went to deaf ears.
"Let's give it one last shot, shall we? Impe-"
"NOOO!" Before he could make another move, Tanya had him ensnared in a blob of web.
As he lay hanging on the ceiling, he had his remaining eye wide open.
"O-oh! Another part I couldn't quite bring myself to believe…" It seemed he wasn't quite 'constant vigilant' for something of this sort.
"Uh, class dismissed." He last spoke as the bell rang.
"Tanya, are you-"
"I am fine!" It was the truth, she had already recovered by the time Harry and his friends approached to check on her. And a few hours later, thanks to their fourth-year workload becoming more demanding, she totally forgot the incident.
Nonetheless, this new fear of the imperius curse would remain in the back of her mind, waiting to resurface. And it finally happened some days later.
"Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are coming in only a week away!" They overheard this while making their way back to the castle after having tended to Hagrid's blast-ended skrewts.
Gathered in the entrance hall, students chatted excitedly about the tournament. However, the mood shifted when someone mentioned Cedric Diggory's wish to participate, leading to a heated argument.
On one side, the Gryffindors protested the unfairness of Harry being excluded.
"Harry killed trolls, basilisks and dementors! He would surely win!"
On the other hand, the Hufflepuffs argued that Diggory would become Hogwarts' champion regardless.
"Cedric is brilliant! He is top of class, was chosen as a prefect and totally showed Potter who's best in quidditch!"
The discussion remained evenly balanced until internal conflicts began to arise on the Gryffindor side.
"The idiot got bloody luck! That's all!"
"Ron! There's no need to insult him! You just don't like Diggory because he beat Gryffindor at quidditch!" Hermione felt she had to teach manners to Ron.
"… or is it jealousy? Because, unlike you, he was open about fancying a certain someone?" She sent a wink in Tanya's direction, causing the redheaded boy to turn crimson with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
"I-I don't kiss- I mean, fancy any kiss!"
"Argh! Don't tell me he will start repeating that word all over again!"
"A-and… and- you like Diggory just because he is handsome! It was the same with that git Lockhart-"
"RON!" It was too late, Tanya couldn't help shaking as the memories resurfaced.
Tanya could see Lockhart, removing the bandages of his face, showing his disfigured face contorted in blind fury.
'Degurechaff has to suffer!' He roared and, with immense effort, lifted his wand.
'IMPERIO!' Tanya was hit straight, her body no longer obeyed her.
He started limping toward her, bits of his deteriorated face falling to the ground, until a new face began to emerge… Loria's!
"NOOOOO!"
"Tanya! You are safe!" Her hallucination had ended, and she found herself staring at Harry and his two friends, all wearing expressions of concern. It was a repetition of last year's incidents following the boggart lesson.
"It's okay, you are safe." Scanning her surroundings, she realized they had taken her to a deserted location, far from the prying eyes of any onlookers.
"Don't look at me! Sob!" She burst into tears, holding her pink purse strongly, trying to convince she would be protected by the object within. It did little to alleviate her humiliation, though.
"Sorry, Tanya… me and my big mouth."
"It was my fault too… Sorry." Both Ron and Hermione apologized.
"I am scared! H-he is coming back! HE IS COMING AFTER ME!" Perhaps, this is the true cause of her desperately trying to talk with Dumbledore. She had to find a way out before their next encounter.
Observing the perplexed expressions on his friends' faces, Harry chose to share the details of his dream.
"Good heavens! Are you sure he was with Lockhart?!" Horrified, Hermione inquired.
"I don't know! Who would blame Tanya-"
"No. It wasn't him." The three stared at Ron in wonder by the absolute conviction in his tone.
"Fellas! I didn't mention it before because it grossed me out… t-the acromantulas still keep the git's skull… as a decoration!"
"What? Are you sure?!"
"Yeah… A piece of his face was left intact so… I am pretty sure!" Ron replied, shuddering.
"Lockhart is really dead?!" Tanya's eyes brimmed with tears, but this time they were tears of joy.
"Oh! Thank you so much, Ron!" Never before she felt so much affection for the redheaded.
"EHHH?!" He began to wave his arms frantically by the shock of her sudden leap at him.
"Oh, I almost feel like kissing you!" Her declaration made him forget everything. Finally, he relaxed his arms and fully embraced her.
"R-really?! Then-"
""RON! Don't you dare!""
"Ah?" Regrettably (for Ron), Harry and Hermione remained vigilant, their stern gazes serving as a warning against any attempt to take advantage of the situation.
Following Ron's information, she paid a visit to the Acromantulas, and it was exactly as he had described. Despite the advanced state of decomposition, Tanya was able to confirm the head had indeed belonged to that pervert Lockhart.
With this newfound knowledge, she was able to relax for the first time since Harry's dream about Voldemort. Although, she still wondered about the identity of the person seeking revenge against her.
"Doesn't matter! As long as I don't lose my magic, whoever it is, will die by my hands!" So much was her confidence, that she tucked her embarrassing pink purse out of sight.
Now, she was free to focus on more pressing issues: meeting with Dumbledore alone and ensuring Harry Potter isn't participating in the triwizard tournament. The latter had her complete attention because today marked the opening day of the competition.
"It was what I first thought but…" She hadn't expected such an extravagant feast to welcome the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang delegations!
"Oh, well. Maybe I'll treat myself to one day off!" And to enjoy French and Bulgarian cuisine!
"Tanya!" Only, Luna called her out before she could dish out some Bouillabaisse.
"Look who is here!" The younger girl came accompanied by two Beauxbatons students, a boy and a girl.
"P-princesse Tanya! H-hi! Remember moi? I am Luc Millefeuille." With a startle, she recognized the shy French boy.
"Hello- eh?" Swiftly, he captured her hands.
"Zis must be fait! We are reunited!"
"Is he really shy?!" Despite his blushing cheeks, his sharp eyes were fixed on her, devouring her with their intensity.
"We will spend an entire year togezzer!" He was becoming increasingly frightening to her.
"Nice to meet you Luc!" She was saved as Harry forcefully pulled the boy's hands away from hers.
"I am Tanya's BOYFRIEND, Harry Potter!"
"Huh? Mademoiselle Lovegood didn't say-"
"We have been together for nearly two years! It took us a while to start dating because I was too busy, you know, fighting trolls, basilisks and dementors!"
"Just this once, I'll overlook any smugness!" She thought, watching his attempt to frighten Luc away from her.
"Ahhh! I'm getting the feeling that I might not glimpse a baby Crumple-Horned Snorkack anytime in the near-"
"Luna!"
"I-I mean- Tanya! This is Fleur. She mentioned how the two of you assisted her little sister."
"I am Fleur Delacour." And with this simple introduction, Fleur hugged both her and Harry and planted kisses on their cheeks.
"Again, merci beaucoup! If not for boz of you, I cannot imagine what might 'ave befallen poor Gabrielle!"
"Actually, I am the one grateful for the free PR. If not for her, Harry couldn't pose as a 'hero of the children'!"
They spent some time in that manner, simply exchanging pleasantries, until Luna led Fleur and Luc back to the Ravenclaw table.
"Finally!" Harry seemed pleased seeing his new rival gone.
"Oh! When I put my hands on that traitor Luna alone…!"
"Thank you, Harry." She truly meant it.
"Ah? Anything for my girlfriend!" He replied smiling and, copying his rival, kidnapped her hand.
"Can't those boys leave my hands alone?!"
"Err, weren't you helping Ron to get an autograph from Victor Krum?"
"Ron stopped midway to gawk at Fleur. This is how I saw the bloke preying on you. And he is too busy with Hermione right now."
At Harry's comment, Tanya noticed the redheaded boy bickering with Hermione as usual.
"I am telling you, she is a veela!"
"Of course she is! Didn't you see? Everyone else was gaping at her like an idiot!" Not even Ron could miss the sarcasm from her.
Tanya chuckled, ironically, Ron was close to the mark. Fleur's mana signature wasn't completely human. If one had to guess, she was probably a hybrid or a half-blood.
"The moment has come…" Dumbledore declared, smiling. Amidst professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Ludo Bagman and Bartemius Crouch, he announced how they would be choosing the champion: the goblet of fire.
"A cup?! They want to give a life-or-death decision to a CUP?!" Tanya guessed the magical cup was similar to a machine in that it wouldn't be influenced by emotion. On the other hand, it could also prove to be excessively impartial.
"What if it judges Harry to be the ideal champion despite his age?" After all, he is the strongest of the whole school since Tanya trained him herself.
"I will be drawing an age line…" Dumbledore oozed confidence in his measure but Tanya believed he was underestimating Harry's ability to land himself in trouble.
"No! I need to make sure by myself if it's really impossible!"
""Princess!"" As she turned, she came face to face with Fred and George Weasley.
"We have…"
"… a favor to ask!"
"Miss Degurechaff, would you be so gracious as to elucidate the reasoning that prompted your attempt to cheat the Goblet of Fire?"
From her bed at the hospital wing, Tanya turned her gaze aside, cheeks flushed with embarrassment at her most recent failure.
She agreed to assist Fred and George Weasley in entering their names into the Goblet, not out of the goodness of her heart, but with the intention of discovering ways to prevent Harry from doing the same.
After witnessing what transpired with Fawcett and Summers, the twins concurred with her that an ageing potion wouldn't suffice. She came up with the simple idea of levitating slips of parchment with their names from the other side of the hall, avoiding the age line entirely.
Her partners were nearly celebrating their success when the Goblet rejected the names and unleashed a powerful blast in her direction.
"The age line is a bait, isn't it? You charmed the entire entrance hall!"
"Indeed. The goblet will curse anyone in the hall trying to put the name of a minor on it. Still, I am intrigued by the effect it had on you. You should be sporting a beard…"
"I wish I had a beard! I wouldn't be reduced to HALF my former size!" Answered back the apparent FIVE YEARS OLD girl.
"I-I want to say… how… disappointed-" At the headmaster's side, the school matron went into a giggling fit.
"I can't! How could I ever be angry with such an adorable little girl!"
"Poppy?!"
"Ahem! S-sorry professor Dumbledore… we usually handle teenagers and not… cute little pumpkins!"
Dumbledore let out a deep sigh. Unlike everyone so far, he wasn't 'charmed' with her.
"He seems kind of distressed, actually."
"You don't have to be concerned, my defensive curse should be over in a few hours at most."
"Good! Because I don't fancy being a little girl AGAIN!"
"No! Really! This is my THIRD time!"
"Have you gained wisdom from this occurrence? Are you now convinced that Harry's involvement was never a genuine prospect?"
"I am, sowwy- I mean! Sorry!"
"Huhuhu! Even your voice is so cute!"
Dumbledore shook his head at the scene.
"I can't help finding a certain irony in this. Had you tried your own name, the goblet would have accepted it." Tanya was puzzled for a moment, until she recalled her peculiarity.
"Your magic is at a level which confuses most magic children detectors. Including the age line."
"So much for my 'high level magic'! A single blast and my shield crumbled instantly!"
"The goblet is a source of powerful ancient magic. It enhanced my spell beyond-" Dumbledore's voice faded, his gaze fixed upon her with wide-eyed astonishment.
"My goodness! The incident with the love potion!"
"Argh! Do you have to bring that up?!"
"You don't understand, a small dose was enhanced in your body and became more effective than the most potent love potion!"
She swallowed dry not liking where this was going…
"Similarly, the already potent curse of the goblet may be feeding on your own magic!" Quickly he got up from his chair, his wand drawn.
"I must conduct a thorough examination, to ascertain whether this effect is indeed not PERMANENT!"
Tanya's jaw dropped in sheer astonishment, as the headmaster conducted a tense examination, while madam Pomfrey appeared on the verge of bursting with joy.
"Miss Degurechaff would remain a darling fairy forever?!"
"It was just what I needed!" She clutched her head as despair descended upon her.
"Why nothing can go my way for a change-" Tanya blinked, then grinned, finally realizing she was given a golden opportunity to solve all her troubles.
"Madam Pomfrey, I am hungry, could you pick something for me to eat?"
"Can't you wait until the exam is over-"
"Pwetty, pwesy?" Tanya said in her cutest tone of voice, and gave an equally cute look.
The matron, completely fascinated, couldn't say no.
"I-I will be down in the kitchen and return in a minute!" As Tanya expected, she forgot her ability to magically summon the food and hurried out of the room.
"Wait, Poppy!"
"Too late, professor. We are all alone." Dumbledore flinched, he knew what was coming.
"Now, care to explain why you didn't answer back a single owl I sent to you?!"
"I-I had been engrossed in the preparations for the competition, and it was only a matter of days ago that I had the opportunity to read your mail."
"Bullshit!"
"Miss Degurechaff, my letter conveyed all which needed conveying. Harry requires your presence."
"That is what I wanted to tell you, Harry doesn't need me anymore. Haven't you heard the news? He managed to defeat twelve death eaters by himself."
"I am acutely aware of Harry's acts of heroism." At this, he let out a genuine smile.
"It fills me with pride how, in the midst of such chaos, he protected an innocent child from harm and refrained from resorting to lethal measures."
"Are you really glad Harry spared those psychopaths?!" This left Tanya perplexed.
"I had expected someone as wise as Dumbledore to comprehend the necessity of eliminatingHarry's enemies."
"Yes, he upheld the sanctity of life… unlike you."
"I guess not."
"I was appalled upon discovering how you had spent your summer. I won't judge, but I must ask."
He made a pause seemingly to catch his breath.
"Wasn't any peaceful solution available? Was it truly necessary to end the lives of seven people?!"
"There is always a peaceful solution. Still, none that could assure Harry's safety against these desperate KILLERS!"
Dumbledore let out a sad sigh.
"I… understand. Sometimes, we must take extreme measures for the greater good…"
"Are we finally seeing eye-to-eye?" She felt her trust in the headmaster beginning to be restored.
"… be it weeding out the malefactors from our society…"
"Yeah, yeah." She nodded her head.
"… or even compelling capable allies into joining our noble cause."
"That is right- wait! What?!"
"Hold on! What do you mean by this?!"
"What I mean is that Harry needs allies. Especially with everything which has been happening."
"I already did my share of-"
"Miss Degurechaff, must I remind you if it wasn't for your interference, Harry wouldn't have lost the protection of the bond of blood charm?"
"Ugh!"
"Then I believe this matter is over." That said, he restarted the examination.
Only, Tanya wasn't quite over yet.
"Let it be known I didn't want to resort to this!"
"… I miss my family."
"Hum?"
"I have started having my periods recently. This was supposed to be a moment a girl should share with her mother."
"Miss Degurechaff-"
"And my relationship with Harry has b-become more intense."
Dumbledore stopped in his tracks, looking immensely choked.
"Just one more push!"
"As it is, it will be too painful to leave Harry for my family. What if I have to choose between my parents and my new family: Harry and my BABY?!" To add a touch of drama, she placed her hands on her belly.
"W-w-what are you saying?!"
"Well… for the first time since it began, my period is late."
The effect was immediate. Dumbledore lost all his strength and threw himself at the closest chair.
"Another innocent life is bound to suffer because of my actions… Oh! Forgive me, Ariana!"
"Ariana?" She put aside her curiosity, recognizing that with Dumbledore in such distress, her long-awaited chance had finally come.
Subtly, Tanya retrieved her wand.
"He may be useful in helping Harry against Voldemort, I will merely chop out his hand-"
"WHAT HAPPENED?! I HEARD TANYA WAS CURSED- Ah?" Tanya was startled as professor Snape caught her in the act.
"Tanya?!" He stared at her thunderstruck.
"He must think I was about to kill Dumbledore!"
"L-let me explain, pwofessor-" Tanya hastily covered her mouth, realizing that in her rush to defend herself, she had spoken in a manner befitting a… five-year-old
"Ah! Right!" She was reminded of her current form.
"And this must be why he isastonished." Without delay, she explained how she got nine years younger.
"The goblet of fire did this to you?!"
"I know! It's my fault for-"
"You are even cuter than the day we met!"
"Eh?" Like madam Pomfrey, the potions teacher was gazing at her with gleaming eyes.
"What the hell is wrong with those teachers?! Have they never seen a preschooler girl before?!"
"S-speaking of the day we met… I have been harboring this small regret… my apologies in advance… I can't control myself!" Saying those ominous words, professor Snape closed on her.
"W-wait, sir! What are you-" With the biggest smile she ever saw on his face, he began to tickle her.
"HAHAHAHA! STOP- HAHAHAHA! P-PWEASE- HAHAHAHA!"
"Sorry, it took so long! I have your food- Severus?!" Thankfully, madam Pomfrey was back.
"How- HOW DARE YOU…"
"G-good, I am saved-"
"… STEAL MY IDEA?"
"… not!" The amount of hands tickling her just increased.
"HAHAHAHA! I-I CAN'T- HAHAHAHA! P-PWOFESSOR DUMBUDORE- HAHAHAHA! H-HELP!"
Maybe this was karma. Professor Dumbledore, the only one unaffected by her 'cuteness', was so distraught he couldn't notice what was happening around him.
"Oh! Who is the cutest witch ever? You!"
"MWAHAHA! H-help…"
AN: I had a great time making Tanya into a five-year-old! My original idea was to keep her like this for a long time but she should be back by the start of the next chapter.
I was also proud of the dream I Harry had. Don't you all agree that a teenage boy is bound to dream he is the champion of a popular sport? Not to say, have 'wet' dreams about the girl he likes?
I originally wanted to have Tanya very interested in learning the unforgivable curses. However, this wouldn't remain true to her character as Tanya is someone very dedicated to following the rules. And these curses in particular don't have any loopholes in the laws she can exploit.
About Lockhart, he is really dead. Meaning someone else is helping Voldemort.
Next chapter: Harry realizes that he has the chance to finally kill a dragon plus Snape's master plan at the yule ball.