Chapter 28

Minerva was conflicted.

She had sort of forgiven Severus for obliviating Harry (she supposed the man had a right to be an idiot, considering that he was risking his life for the boy), but she was still angry at him for that cause. Harry would not be such a mess if he could remember that night, she was certain of that. If he knew that he had been helped and that he would continue being helped for as long as Severus had any life to sacrifice.

Of course, the shock after the task had been unavoidable. Being about to die and having to kill to defend himself would mess up any child, especially since a Killing Curse had been involved. But no doubt Harry would not have such a dark cloud hanging over his head all the time if he didn't feel so alone with his unhelpability. And speaking of that...

Minerva was also confused.

She didn't understand exactly how the unhelpability worked. Clearly the champions could not be advised about the Tournament nor helped during the tasks (unless they had a suicidal Potions Master protecting them), but beyond that the matter became obscure. It wasn't true that they couldn't receive any sort of help, apparently. At least Granger and Longbottom had managed to help Harry through his shock, gently guiding him in this or that direction or reminding him things to do or simply giving him support. It was also possible to exempt him in class from dangerous tasks that a shocked person wasn't in any condition to handle. And yet, Minerva had been unable to give the boy Dreamless Sleep to help with the nightmares.

Perhaps the rule was that no one could do anything that wasn't 'normal'. Like normal caring amongst friends. Or normal safety measures during class. Giving Dreamless Sleep to students certainly wasn't something Minerva usually did no matter how bad the nightmares, given its addictive nature. If the case was grave enough, she would write to the parents and let them choose how to handle it.

Potter's essays had noticeably deteriorated since Halloween, and Minerva suspected that it had to do with Granger ceasing to check his work (in addition to his worry and fear and whatever was going on with Weasley). Apparently champions couldn't be helped by his peers even with regular homework. It made sense that they couldn't receive additional instruction from their teachers, but helping each other with homework was a normal enough occurrence between students. Perhaps they couldn't be helped academically in any way?

During class the boy could work with Granger or Longbottom without trouble, but she had already been informed by an ill-tempered Potter that he couldn't do the same if she gave them as homework to practice together outside class unless it was only to help others. She knew it was the same with Cedric, although her concern was mostly focused on Potter. Additionally, Irma had told her that she had been unable to help Miss Delacour when she had requested orientation in the library. That was perplexing, considering that Irma's normal job was to do precisely that, amongst other things.

Minerva was frustrated.

Having to organize the Yule Ball wasn't helping at all. Of course it would be fun to watch Severus conjuring garlands of holly, golden streamers and fake snow (she had already let him know that he would pay that way for Harry's obliviation), but the entire thing felt monstrous to her. As if the Triwizard Tournament were something to celebrate! She knew that it would be a good way to lighten up the mood inside the castle after that terrible first task, but part of her didn't think anyone ought to forget for one moment that this was a dark, gruesome year.

Minerva hated the Goblet of Fire.

Harry had seemed to be doing better right until she brought up the Yule Ball in class.

His first reaction to the news was incredulity. Followed by anger, naturally. Everything made Harry Potter angry these days, and of course the concept of a Yule Ball would make any unwilling champion furious. While she explained what the event was about and what would be expected of all her Gryffindors, the boy kept glaring at Patil and Brown —who were giggling and battling their eyelashes at him like really silly girls— in a way that reminded Minerva of Severus. She hoped he wasn't becoming an angry, bitter person too.

"Potter — a word, if you please," she said when the bell rang.

Harry stayed behind, but at first he didn't seem to be listening to her or at least the meaning of her words wasn't reaching him.

"Potter!" she exclaimed, trying to snap him back to the present.

"What?" asked the boy looking lost.

Minerva sighed in exasperation.

"The champions and their dates open the ball, Potter. So make sure you find yourself a date."

"Are you joking?"

"Have you ever heard me joke, Potter?" she asked dangerously.

"Well, no, Professor, but..."

"It's not a joke. Find yourself a partner."

"But I don't want to go to the ball at all. How can you expect me to go? This is madness, Professor! Someone is trying to get me killed, and I'm supposed to go to a ball?"

Panic and fury seemed to be struggling for dominance in Harry's green eyes.

"The Yule Ball is a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament, Potter," she said. "Attendance is optional for most people, but I'm afraid the champions must be there and must open the ball..."

"No, I won't do it!" yelled the boy with fierce determination. "You can't make me, this is sick!

"Potter!"

"NO!"

Before she could say anything else or even think of stopping him somehow, Harry had ran from her classroom.

She sighed.

Being aware of Harry Potter's famous temper and of his current dark mood, Minerva decided to give him some time to cool off. This wasn't just a regular angry teenager throwing a tantrum, she knew, Harry actually never behaved like this and no doubt would feel remorseful later for having yelled at his Head of House. His reaction was perfectly understandable.

She felt concerned when she didn't see him at dinner, however, and more when she noticed that Granger and Longbottom also looked concerned. Her worry increased when she intercepted them at the Entrance Hall five minutes later and Miss Granger told her that Harry had ran off from Gryffindor Tower carrying his broom with him and that no one had seen him since then.

"All right," she said stiffly after she heard the report. "Go back to the Common Room. If Potter comes back one of you make sure he stays there, the other come fetch me."

Trying very hard not to think the worst, she immediately went out to check the Quidditch Pitch. No one was allowed to fly this year, but she had already caught a few students out there on occasion. Never so late, though...

The Quidditch Pitch was deserted.

Now seemed like the appropriate moment to panic.

Considering that it would be suspiciously out of character for her to directly run to Severus Snape with her concerns about Harry Potter, Minerva decided to inform Dumbledore first. She felt as if she were walking in the wrong direction while she climbed stairs towards the Headmaster's office, but Severus had repeatedly drilled her about keeping up pretences and she knew he would be cross if she allowed her weakness get the best of her.

On her way up, she reflected once more about her situation. Minerva was pretty much a spy, now, like Severus. She was keeping secrets from Dumbledore and acting behind his back. She had gone so far as to risk the man's life by officiating as Bonder, for Merlin's sake! How had this happened? Since when her loyalty to Albus Dumbledore had a second place in the list of her priorities? She feared she might be losing her way, caught up by in a very Slytherin plot, but her Gryffindor side kept telling her that it was the right thing to do. So far Severus' insane plan had worked, after all.

Dumbledore was immediately worried when she told him about Harry running off with his broom. She hoped he would be able to do something, and that letting him know wouldn't be what got Harry and Severus killed. Dumbledore might be a judge, but he was Headmaster too, and Harry was a student in his school. Just as Minerva was able to teach the boy Transfiguration, Dumbledore must be able to do his job and track down an errant student.

Fortunately, it turned out that Dumbledore could do something. He first summoned an Elf (a very strange one that minerva had not seen before), who informed him that Harry Potter was currently nowhere inside the castle. Then he organized a widespread search that involved most of the staff, and raised a temporary ward around Hogwarts grounds to make sure no one could get out. Minerva was relieved, but also more worried. What did it mean that they were able to help with the search? Could Harry...?

She saw her same fear multiplied by a million on Severus' face right before he took off with Rolanda to fly over the Forbidden Forest. His was a double fear, she knew. Fear of the boy dying, and fear of himself dying as a result. Champions were supposed to just drop dead if they tried to run away, so it was possible that they would find Harry's body somewhere. The fact that not only Severus, but the entire staff was able to try and help suggested that there was no longer a live champion to help.

Whether Severus would also drop dead at the sight, Minerva wasn't sure. It was possible that he was only alive right now because his ignorance about the boy's death was temporarily protecting him, but it could also be that he wouldn't necessarily die if Harry died. After all, he had vowed to uphold the clauses to the best of his ability and knowledge, and so far he had done his best with what he knew and with the skills he had. Unbreakable Vows were tricky things, though. It wouldn't really surprize Minerva if Severus dropped dead after Harry, and plainly the man feared the same. But no doubt he feared even more to fail in protecting Lily Evan's son.

It would be a kindness if the Vow killed him along with the boy.

Six different teachers, including one with a magical eye, spent over an hour searching the skies over the Hogwarts' grounds, and yet somehow they missed the boy when he flew back to the castle on his own. It was Longbottom who came to tell Minerva that Harry was back in the Common Room looking angry and a bit windblown.

She breathed in relief.

Half an hour later Harry had been called to her office and both Dumbledore and Severus had come in answer to her Patroni. She very purposely had not sent one to Moody, knowing that Severus would be stressed out enough without the Auror constantly pushing his buttons, and Dumbledore very wisely had not brought him along.

As expected, Severus' worry and fear had mutated into terrible fury as soon as he had learned that the boy was safe. Minerva and the Headmaster waited patiently while he berated Harry about how stupid he had been and was and would always be. Of course many of his insults were undeserved, as usual, but he also brought up fair points like the dangers of flying over the Forbidden Forest (Harry had confessed to have flown over the entire Hogwarts' grounds) and the risk of instantly dying if he tried to run away from the Goblet of Fire. All his words seemed to be crashing against a completely indifferent Harry Potter.

"Are you even listening to me, Potter?" Severus snarled.

"Not really, no, Professor," said the boy with an almost petulant tone. Minerva was about to admonish him, but she saw that Severus wasn't done yet.

"You're over the line, Potter! You better watch that attitude if you don't want to spend the scarce days of life you have left scrubbing cauldrons!"

"I don't care! Give me detention if you want, it's not like cauldrons will try to burn me alive! I don't care what you say, I wasn't running away. I know I can't run away without dying. And you can't expel me either without killing me, so what are you going to do? I won't go to a stupid dance and pretend that it's everything all right, because it isn't! I might be forced to fight to the death in the tasks, but I don't have to go to a ball..."

"Yes you do, you moron!" shouted Severus. "The Yule Ball is part of the Triwizard Tournament, you will die if you don't go!"

Harry's mouth dropped open.

"What?" he looked around in search of confirmation from a more reliable source than his most hated Professor.

"I'm afraid Professor Snape is right, Harry," said Dumbledore, who so far had seemed amused by the exchange between Severus and Harry but now looked completely serious. "You have to attend. The Goblet will know if you don't."

"How can a chunk of burning wood even know what the hell I do?"

"Watch your tongue, Potter!" warned Severus.

"No! I'm done with this! I don't want any of this crap! I just want out!"

"There is no out! You have to participate and that's it! Now stop being stupid and find yourself a date, Potter!"

"Do you even hear what you're saying? Find a date or die? What sort of sick joke is this? Who the hell would invent such a thing as the Goblet of Fire?" The boy turned to face the Headmaster and pointed a finger at him in a very rude way. "And how come the great Albus Dumbledore can't do anything about it? Why don't you just blast the damned thing and kick everybody out of your school?"

"Enough," said the Headmaster, quite calmly. Minerva recognized the tone that meant that an invisible line had been crossed. Clearly Harry noticed the tone too, because he fell silent at once. Dumbledore was a very patient, tolerant man, but there was only so much insolence and rudeness he was willing to accept from a student. "We all understand the difficult situation you're in, Harry, and believe it or not we are all on your side. Even Professor Snape," he added when the boy glanced skeptically at him. "The fact that you are frustrated and afraid doesn't entitle you to be rude and disrespectful, however. We are all concerned about your chances of survival, and also about your current attitude. Lashing out in anger at everyone will not do you any good, Harry, but it might do you good to listen to us. You know we can't give you advice, but we can explain you the rules of the Tournament in hope that you will not try to defy them. You gave us all a fright today, we thought that you had ran away and that we would find you dead. It's a real risk, Harry, do you believe that?"

Finally, finally, Harry looked remorseful. More like himself.

"Yes, Professor," he said in a low voice.

"We were also concerned that something might have happened to you if you flew over the Forbidden Forest," continued Dumbledore. "Which is a very dangerous place, as I'm sure you know from personal experience. Do you believe that that is a risk too, Harry?"

The boy nodded, barely daring to meet the Headmaster's eyes.

"And, silly as it definitely sounds, it is also a real risk that you might die if you don't attend the Yule Ball. Do you believe me, Harry?"

Minerva thought that anyone would believe anything that Dumbledore said wearing that serious look. Harry looked at the old wizard for a moment, and finally sighed and nodded.

"Think of it as another, unexpected task," suggested Dumbledore gently. "And do remember to get yourself a date, just in case. The Goblet of Fire is an extremely powerful, dangerous object that doesn't tolerate any sort of defiance, Harry. If it were possible to destroy it safely, I would have done so long ago, I assure you, but it's not. Any attempt of interference will likely result in the instant deaths of all the champions and judges. I know it's unfair and hard, but it is what it is. You will have to be as strong as I know that you can be, and find your way through this."

The boy sighed again. He looked completely miserable and defeated. Minerva half-wished he was still yelling at them.

"Please," Harry begged, his bright green eyes imploring as he addressed the Headmaster. "I need to fly."

"Are you nuts, Potter?" snapped Severus in incredulity. "You have just earned an endless detention for flying without permission."

Harry glared at him for a moment before proceeding to ignore him and look imploring at Dumbledore again.

"Please, Professor. Flying calms me down. I will lose my mind before I even reach the second task if I keep going like this. I won't run away, I promise, and I will not fly over the Forbidden Forest ever again, just... please give me permission to fly when I need to."

Dumbledore looked very much as if he wished nothing more than to grant the boy's request, but of course he couldn't. Just as Minerva couldn't. Having permission to fly not only would help Harry manage his anger, it would also give him an advantage over his fellow champions.

"I'm afraid I can't give you permission, Harry," said the Headmaster with a sigh. He looked older than ever. The boy seemed in the verge of tears, but he held himself together and slowly his expression hardened again. "Now, do I have your word that you won't run away nor do anything else that could be interpreted by the Goblet as a reason to kill you?"

Harry nodded, but he no longer looked so subdued. Anger was back. It broke Minerva's heart that a child so young had to be in this cruel situation.

"Good," said Dumbledore, sounding far more composed than he probably was. This must be hard for him too. "Now I will leave you with Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape, who will decide your punishment. You were unacceptably rude to them today, Harry, I believe you owe both of them an apology."

The boy glanced at Severus with intense dislike before turning to Minerva.

"I'm sorry, Professor," he said, and he sounded genuinely sorry. "For yelling at you today and running from your class."

"You are forgiven, Potter," she said. How could she not forgive him? He was a good boy, she knew that, a kind, gentle boy put in a monstrous situation. With a horrible temper and terribly stubborn, yes, but a good boy in the whole.

Harry turned to Dumbledore next.

"I'm sorry for being rude to you, Professor. But I won't apologize to Professor Snape, since he was also rude to me."

"That doesn't mean it's fine for you to be rude to him, Harry," he admonished. "Professor Snape is entitled to your respect." He waited, but the boy remained stubbornly silent. Dumbledore sighed and turned to Severus. "Well, I will leave you to it, then. Come by my office later, Severus, if you can spare a moment."

"Of course, Headmaster."

Silence reigned when Dumbledore left. Minerva felt relieved that the Headmaster was gone, and also guilty for feeling that way. Severus had also visibly relaxed, although he was still tense enough, no doubt due to Potter's presence. The boy looked angry again, but he was calmly awaiting for his punishment to be decreed while deliberately avoiding Severus' dark gaze.

It was hard to believe that not so long ago the three of them had stood in this same office united against the Goblet of Fire. Harry's lack of memories of that night made the situation completely different.

Minerva had hoped Severus would change his mind and tell the boy about the Vow, but now for the first time she suspected that Severus had actually been right in obliviating him. It would have been extremely suspicious if in the recent conversation with Dumbledore the boy had not behaved as hostilely towards Severus as usual.

It also seemed oddly convenient that he had vowed to tell Harry whenever he was being stupid. That was such a normal behaviour for Severus that no doubt it would not raise any suspicion ever.

She tried to catch her colleague's eye to perhaps silently decide together what to do next, but he was occupied staring at the boy with a very thoughtful expression. Plotting something, most like. That was his Slytherin look.

"You're being stupid, Potter," he said at last. Minerva repressed a sigh. Harry turned to glare at him. "I can see that you, like the naive moron you often are, intend to simply accept the Headmaster's refusal. You are being stupid for even considering to stick to the rules when the rules are so clearly against you. It has been explained to you that you cannot be helped, and that you are forced to compete and even to attend a ridiculous ball. It's stupid of you not to realize that nothing prevents you from helping yourself."

"I get it!" exclaimed the boy in frustration. "I'm stupid! Are you trying to tell me something or you just like to insult me?"

"Use your brain, Potter! Dumbledore himself would like to grant your request, and yet he can't. Professor McGonagall no doubt would also allow you to fly whenever you wanted, but she also can't. I'm sure neither of them would make a fuss if you found a way to get what you need. After all, they are both used to look the other way when their Golden Boy breaks rules. It's stupid of you not to take advantage of that."

Slow understanding seemed to be dawning on Harry's face, but he also looked increasingly confused and mistrustful. Severus went on before the boy could say anything.

"Your punishment for flying over the Forbidden Forest will be detention with me every Saturday until Christmas, plus three hundred lines to be delivered tomorrow. You will write 'I must stop being an angry idiot and start helping myself'."

Severus looked up at her.

"And fifty points from Gryffindor," she added. "I don't want to hear of you being so reckless again, Potter. Now go back to the Common Room."

The boy looked at both of them in confusion before nodding and rising to go.

"Oh, and Potter," said Severus coldly, "if you don't find in yourself the way to apologize to me by Saturday, your detentions will continue until Easter."

Harry hesitated, probably considering to apologize now and get that out of the way, but after holding his Professor's cold gaze for a moment his eyes turned hard again. He left the office without saying anything.

Silence reigned once more.

"That worked far better than I would have believed possible," she said after a minute. "I had no idea you were capable of offering constructive insults, Severus."

He rolled his eyes.

"Potter is a moron, he probably didn't get the message. But at least I will have opportunity to regularly insult him until Easter."