This couldn't go on any longer. To spend a day in Harry's shoes, being either discreetly insulted (who could have predicted that Hufflepuffs knew so much swear words?) or being adored by strangers after having experienced freedom for a day when he was Mirus was starting to drive him crazy. Even the few moments spent with Rosalie in empty classrooms or broom cupboards were no longer enough for him to cope. Especially since the very retrograde mentality of British wizards limited their moments of fun to manual or oral caresses. At least Jean allowed him to have more...
He had come to count the days that separated him from the third task.
His relationship with Draco had deepened thanks to the many evenings spent in the Slytherin Common Room. They would never be as close as they would have been if they had grown up together, but they had become good friends.
The few moments he spent with his godfather, Severus Snape, were rather frustrating. His role as a spy required him to be hostile towards Harry and he mainly seemed uncomfortable around Mirus. The man was so emotionally immature that they couldn't move beyond their very formal relationship. The fact that Mirus was very close to Marvolo while Severus still feared that the Dark Lord thought him untrustworthy also played a role in the awkwardness of their interactions.
A week before the last Task of the Tournament, Mirus had come to count the hours. The only other competitor was Viktor and he knew perfectly well that he wouldn't win. The deaths of Cedric and Fleur suited him well as he wouldn't have to get his hands dirty if they came a little too close to victory.
.oOÔOo.
- Ready for tomorrow?
- The day after tomorrow, for me, Barty. I still have one more day to spend with brown hair...
- Oh that's right. Come on, it's not that far away anymore. Especially since I'm going to make your work a lot easier. The Dark Lord has instructed me to undo most of the spells and subject Krum to the Imperius if he ever gets too close to the Trophy. I was also supposed to use him to eliminate the other candidates but that is no longer necessary.
- So much the better. I like Viktor, it would have been a shame if he ended up in prison for having murdered Cedric or Fleur.
Three short knocks sounded before the door to the Defense Professor's office opened.
- Oh, Severus. Why do you honor me with your presence?
- I came to check with Mirus that everything was ready for tomorrow.
- I think that you wanted to run away from your other godson!
- Draco has been a nervous wreck since this morning, sighed the Potions professor. You would almost believe that he is the one who will have to enter the labyrinth. And a nervous Draco is a talkative Draco.
Mirus chuckled lightly. He had experienced this before each task. His brother became a chatterbox when he was stressed, talking about everything and nothing and changing the subject without transition. He could understand his godfather's need to escape.
- I'm ready for the day after tomorrow, Severus. Barty will take care of most of the spells and creatures in the maze and I will reach the Trophy without any problem. After that… Freedom, finally.
- By the way, kid.
- Yes Barty?
- What exactly will happen once you touch the Trophy? My Master was not very explicit about what was coming next.
- Hmmm… Do I want to tell you or will I let you wait for it? This is a tough decision.
- Come on, please, the man moaned.
Barty gave him a puppy look, which was very disturbing since he currently had Moody's face. Even Snape shuddered at the sight.
- Well, I'll give you some crumbs if you stop making that face right away. I'm going to have nightmares afterwards! So... When I touch the Trophy, the Portkey will trigger and I will arrive where Marvolo and Lucius are waiting for me. When the Trophy returns to Hogwarts, it will be with the mutilated corpse of Harry Potter. And that will be all I'm willing to tell you.
Barty sulkingly crossed his arms over his chest. Which was just as disturbing as his pleading look when he looked like the old Auror.
.oOÔOo.
The students were seated in the stands of the Quidditch pitch, impatiently waiting for the start of the Task. The sport's strongest fans were left lamenting the state of their favorite playground. The others were debating what the tall hedges of the maze could hide. There was no doubt that many traps had been placed there, a simple path to find would not have made a good trial.
Viktor and Harry stood in front of the entrance, accompanied by Ludo Verpey who explained to them the proceedings of the Task.
At the signal, Harry rushed forward. As soon as he entered, the hedges closed behind him, creating a darkness that seemed unreal.
Harry took out his wand and used it to illuminate his surroundings. Barty had made him learn the path that would lead to the Trophy as quickly as possible. He had to reach it quickly enough so that the time spent outside of Hogwarts would go unnoticed.
He only encountered a few obstacles which he quickly got rid of. He even enjoyed blowing up a second Boggart. The person who had chosen the creatures had obviously not done any research on the competitors.
In just a few minutes, Harry arrived in front of the Sphinx who let him pass after he answered their riddle. As soon as he touched a handle of the Trophy, Harry felt the familiar pull near his navel that announced the departure of a Portkey.
He was very graceful as he landed in the middle of a dilapidated cemetery.
In front of him stood Marvolo surrounded by several masked Death Eaters. Only Lucius was recognizable because of his long hair sticking out from his cloak. Everyone immediately raised their wands, waiting for their Master's order.
Marvolo threw a Cruciatus Curse at the young boy who dodged it before throwing a Lumos Maxima, blinding the Death Eaters who were not expecting it.
Immediately, the Dark Lord, who had closed his eyes as they had planned, removed the Invisibility spell from the prisoner standing next to him. A homeless person who no one would miss. Harry removed his ring and transferred it to the man who was standing still, evidently under the Imperius. He then put on the Invisibility Cloak he had brought with him. Marvolo cast a spell on the ring to make it undetectable and impossible to remove. The prisoner would remain Harry Potter until his hand was too rotten for the ring to hold.
When their vision returned, the Death Eaters were surprised to find their young enemy tied up on the ground at their Master's feet. Their adoring gaze turned to their leader.
- My dear Death Eaters, see how inaccurate the rumors of the greatness of the Boy Who Lived are. His victory over me thirteen years ago was down to luck. Here he is, at my feet, helpless. Dumbledore made him the figure of Light but the old fool is wrong if he thinks this child can kill me.
The Dark Lord circled around the body on the ground. Mirus, still hidden under the Cloak, shook his head, amused by the dramatic side of the man he considered a mentor and friend. Marvolo wanted the fact that Mirus and Harry were the same person to remain a secret shared between only a few people. Aside from those present during the rituals the previous summer, and Luna of course, only Barty had been informed. His role at Hogwarts making the information necessary to know. It was important that the Death Eaters witness Harry Potter's death as it would cement their faith in their Master after it was shaken when he was defeated by a baby.
- Harry Potter, see how weak you are. Your life ends here, this evening, alone in front of me and my faithful. Where is Albus Dumbledore? Where is the one who supposedly trained you to face me? He's comfortably seated at Hogwarts while you suffer here on your own. And he won't even have the slightest idea what happened to you. Do you know why?
A predatory smile appeared on Marvolo's face as he cast a Cruciatus Curse on his prisoner. He screamed silently to the laughter of the masked men around him.
- Do you know?
The prisoner shook his head, looking terrified. He was under a silencing charm from the start and didn't understand what was happening. He had been freed from the Imperius as soon as he was bound and unable to communicate.
- Pathetic. He will know nothing about it simply because your body will bear the traces of a creature that you encountered in the labyrinth when you touched the Trophy. What a pity! If Hogwarts had won the Triwizard Tournament, you would have been showered with even more glory. Instead, your corpse will appear and Viktor Krum will be declared the winner by default. Sad, I know, but necessary. The old goat will not start gathering people to fight me. He won't suspect anything until the day I strike.
Marvolo turned to his Death Eaters. They were hypnotized by their Master's whistling voice, listening to every word with awe.
- We will overthrow the Ministry, my faithful. But I learned from my mistakes during my forced exile. Yes, I admit to having made mistakes but I will not repeat them. My biggest was wanting to change the wizarding world by force. To my greatest shame, I acted like a Gryffindor more than a worthy Slytherin. But we have a second chance and this time we will succeed in imposing our wishes differently. It will undoubtedly take more time but the resistance we will encounter will be less. In order to achieve this, however, we only have two hurdles to overcome. Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore. Tonight is the first step to our victory!
The Death Eaters shouted their enthusiasm.
- Macnair, the creature, please.
At these words, one of the masked men walked away, returning a few moments later, wand held in the air. Above him floated an acromentula whose pinchers were clicking furiously. Immediately, the other Death Eaters moved away.
- Harry, I present to you an acromentula. I doubt you've ever met one. Their venom leads to paralysis which can be quickly fatal if injected in… the wrong place. What a shame that it's not your leg where it's going to bite you, but your chest... Within a few seconds, you won't be able to breathe and will die of suffocation. This will give you just enough time to grab the Trophy, thus returning to Hogwarts. If you're lucky, you'll arrive in time to be given anti-venom. Otherwise…
With a wave of his hand, he ordered Macnair to bring down the giant spider. He carefully guided the creature towards the boy's chest. Furious, the arachnid did not need more motivation and it bit the body in front of it as soon as it could, injecting its venom directly into its ribs.
Marvolo levitated the Trophy above "Harry" as soon as his Death Eater had pulled back the acromentula. His prisoner, eyes reflecting pain and panic reached out to grab the Trophy just as its bonds disappeared. His torturer slowly counted ten seconds before letting the artifact fall into the arms of the dying man.
The crowd began to applaud when they saw someone holding the Trophy appear at the entrance of the maze. The spectators had been waiting for almost fifty minutes. The excitement quickly died down when they realized that the person holding the Trophy was not moving.
It was the scream of a young girl that woke the stunned audience. Madam Pomfrey ran towards the motionless form on the ground, followed by the judges who were going at a slower pace.
When she reached the body lying next to the Trophy, she knew it was too late. The bloody bite mark on his chest was easily recognizable to someone who had already treated similar bite marks on students too curious for their own good who had visited the Forbidden Forest. If the boy had received a dose of anti-venom a few seconds earlier, he could have been saved. The lack of movement in his torso confirmed that he was already dead. She made a white sheet appear with which she covered the body.
- Albus, I'm sorry. I can't do anything for him... He was bitten on the chest by an acromentula, the venom paralyzing his rib cage in seconds.
- Poppy… Who is this? Which of the two Champions is under this sheet?
- Oh, Albus... It's the young Potter.
At these words, she burst into tears. The headmaster of Hogwarts turned pale and leaned on Professor Snape who had just arrived at his side.
- Harry died? / Potter is dead? They said at the same time.
Albus was completely panicking. He knew that Harry Potter was the boy of the prophecy, the one destined to eliminate Tom. The Dark wizard was not dead, he was convinced of it. What would happen to them when he returned if the one prophesied to be the only one who could defeat him was no longer in this world? Young Longbottom no longer fit the prophecy since Harry had been marked by Voldemort. He didn't know when hVoldemorte would be able to return, whether it would be several months, several years, or several decades. Severus would inform him as soon as his Mark manifested itself but, in the meantime, the old man no longer knew what to do.
He jumped when he felt his Potions professor place a vial in his hand. Without even thinking, he drank the contents in one gulp and felt the panic subside.
-Thank you, Severus.
The old man turned towards the other judges, gradually regaining his composure.
- Where is Viktor Krum? Since he is the only Champion to survive the Tournament, he is the winner.
It was at that moment that Professor Moody came out of the labyrinth with the young Bulgarian. The boy was pretty banged up, he had obviously encountered several not very friendly creatures.
When his gaze fell on the white sheet on which a red stain was growing, Viktor lowered his head. He had won the Tournament but the cost had been so high. His three competitors were dead. The money he was going to earn was not worth the lives of three young people. He who had been so excited to participate at the beginning of the year found his enthusiasm quite ridiculous now.
- Mr Krum, we offer our congratulations. As you can see, Mr. Potter reached the Trophy first but he did not survive his injuries, making you the only survivor of this Tournament.
- Headmaster Dumbledore, I don't think I can rejoice in my victory. Cedric, Fleur and Harry had the potential to be great wizards. They foolishly wasted their lives for the amusement of others. I sincerely hope that this Tournament will never be held again if that is the result.
The judges could only nod their heads at these words. The aim of the Tournament had been to promote cooperation between schools as well as governments. In the end, it was a massacre. The Tournament had been canceled due to the death rate and they, in their arrogance, had believed they could better ensure the safety of the Champions than their predecessors.
.oOÔOo.
The end of the year was very gloomy. The Durmstrang delegation left Hogwarts just a few days after the final task, Mirus being the only student who remained on British soil after bidding farewell to his "friends". He and Viktor promised to stay in touch.
In the Great Hall, the atmosphere was somber during the end-of-year feast.
The Hufflepuffs were still mourning Cedric and feeling extremely guilty about how they had treated Harry this year.
At the Gryffindor table, Ginny Weasley was crying her eyes out, as she had been doing regularly since Harry's death. She bitterly regretted the time wasted when she had scowled at him after the Champions selection. It wasn't so much Harry she was mourning but the potential relationship they could have had. She already saw herself married to the Boy-Who-Lived, living in comfort, invited to all the social events that she would attend dressed in the most beautiful dresses.
Among the Ravenclaws, it was Luna Lovegood who attracted attention. No one had seen her cry or openly show her grief. Some thought she was just being discreet, others whispered that she was too much in her own world anyway and wasn't even aware of the events happening in reality. The only difference was that she had been very quiet after her friend died. She was only seen speaking to Mirus Malfoy, for some unknown reason. They had been seen a few times during the year talking at the library or by the lake but no one had thought that a friendship had developed between them.
Only the Slytherins were unfazed. They were solemn, out of respect for the two deceased Hogwarts students, but that was the only difference from usual.
.oOÔOo.
The mood on the train was a little lighter the next day. Leaving the castle where three teenagers had died as well as knowing that they were going to be reunited with their families for the holidays had lightened the students' minds.
In one compartment in particular, two young people smiled at each other without embarrassment.
-So, Mirus, what does it feel like to be free?
- Oh Lu, if you only knew! I feel like I'm reborn! I felt like I was suffocating even more than usual this year, having to do it twice every day. At least I'm even more credible about my age, now that I've lived two years in one.
- Do you know that Rosalie won't be at Hogwarts next year? She passed her NEWTs.
- Don't tell me about it… She was exceptional. Not really to the point of having a serious relationship with her but as far as fun goes…
- Don't worry, my friend. This summer will be exceptional for your heart.
- Oh? Tell me more?
- Hmm… Purple and emerald go well together, don't you think?
Mirus seemed taken aback by this visible change of subject before shaking his head and smiling. Why had he asked to know more? That wasn't how Luna worked after all... But he was still eager to know how this summer would be good for his heart. He had had a good time, sexually speaking, since he became Mirus but he yearned for something else, something deeper, no pun intended.