Chapter 13 - lighting the fire pt2
"Fighting for his life, Harry Potter! Aided by his half-breed whores Hermione Granger and Fleur Delacour!"
The words echoed through Harry's head, but it was like they had lost all their meaning. His hand started to hurt so he looked down. Hermione had his hand in a death grip, as though she was terrified that if she let go one of them would fall away and never be seen again. Harry gripped her hand tighter as well.
"Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Fleur Delacour, please make your way to the trophy room." Harry heard the headmaster but he was too busy trying to wrap his head around what was happening to react. Someone put their hand on his shoulder, and it jerked Harry back to reality. He looked for the owner of the hand and saw that it was Neville. His dorm mate didn't say anything, but it was clear he was offering his support.
Before anything else could happen Harry felt another hand on his shoulder, this time the unoccupied one between him and Hermione. Miss Delacour's face was hovering between him and Hermione, her face as white as a sheet. "Come on, let's go sort this out." Her voice was calm, but Harry had the impression that (like Daphne) the French girl wore a mask of calm often and it was far from the truth.
Hermione stood up first, and as neither had let go of the other's hand, Harry was pulled along as well. They walked through the great hall, the room filled with the buzz of whispers as people stared at them as they walked past. "Into the trophy room please. The other judges and I will be through in a moment., The headmaster said as they passed by him. Harry looked at Dumbledore, and the headmaster looked back at him calmly, his eyes twinkling as he met Harry's gase.
The three of them went through the side door in the great hall that led to the Hogwarts trophy room. The room was large, but most of the space was taken up by the various trophies that the school or the students had won since the school opened many centuries ago. There would have been plenty of room for three students to stand around waiting, but as there were already nine and they were about to make it twelve, the room was looking a little crowded. When they walked in the room, every face turned to look at them. They obviously expected the teachers to come in to explain what happened next, so they were surprised to see three more students walk in.
"What's going on?" Cedric asked, looking at them.
"Our names also came out of the goblet," Fleur replied to the shock of the people already in the room.
"What's the matter, Potter and Granger, couldn't go one Halloween without making a scene? Had to sneak your name into the goblet as well?" Marcus Flint drawled while staring at them.
"We did not enter our names into this bloody deathmatch of a tournament!" Hermione half-shouted at the Slytherin.
"Dragon shit! You needed a slip signed with a blood quill to enter the tournament, I doubt even a mudblood like you is stupid enough to sign something like that and just leave it lying around." Flint was on the edge of yelling.
Ali whirled around on Flint. "Shut the fuck up you uncouth, disgusting bigot. I have known Hermione since she was five years old. If Hermione said she didn't put her name in the goblet then she didn't." Everyone in the room was glaring at Flint but Harry thought it had more to do with his calling Hermione a mudblood than it did about disbelief of his position regarding Harry and Hermione entering the tournament.
"I don't care how long you have known the chit, I have seen her here for over three years, and every year she and Potter get up to something on Halloween." Flint had put his hand on his wand while he glared at Ali, but hadn't drawn it.
"You can't exactly blame them for that stuff. I seriously doubt that they lured a troll into the castle in their first year, and there is no way you could blame them for LeStrange last year. No one knows what happened with the Chamber of Secrets, but I doubt that those two started it." Cedric tried to calm everyone down, and Roger Davies was nodding at what Cedric said.
Flint was just about to start again when the door burst open and the room was flooded with adults: Professors Dumbledore, Moody, McGonagall, Flitwick, Snape, and Sprout, along with the heads of the visiting schools Maxime and Karkaroff and the two Ministry officials Crouch and Bagman. Dumbledore walked right up to Harry and Hermione fixed them both with a stare and asked. "How did the two of you enter your names into the Goblet of Fire? Did you get an older student to do it for you?"
"Neither of us entered the tournament. We didn't ask anyone to add our names to the goblet, nor did we sign a slip with a blood quill," Hermione answered promptly.
"Five points from Gryffindor for lies, Miss Granger," Snape butted in.
"Countermanded! You haven't proved that it's a lie yet," McGonagall shot at Snape.
Dumbledore looked at both of the teachers. "It stands. The two of them must have signed the slips that were placed in the goblet. It only accepts blood submissions because it's a binding magical contract, and a number of professors, including myself, saw Mr. Potter examining the age line"
"We haven't signed any slips of parchment with a blood quill." Harry tried to tell them, but it only led to Snape docking five more points from Gryffindor.
"What about there being so many champions?" Fleur asked while watching Harry and Hermione closely. "We were told it was one champion per school, but now Beauxbatons has four, Durmstrang has three and Hogwarts has five. This seems most unfair. Also, should not Miss Granger and Mr. Potter be disqualified as they are under age?"
Crouch spoke up for the first time. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, Mademoiselle. Somehow, the goblet chose not individually but teams. There is a team of three for each school but somehow, no doubt in an attempt to hoodwink the goblet into choosing a specific competitor, you, Miss Granger, and Mr. Potter were also chosen as a fourth team. And as your magic is now linked to the goblet, you will all have to compete as a team or you all forfeit your magic."
Fleur got angry as Crouch spoke and flames started to flickered between her fingers, and once Crouch was finished speaking she started shouting at him "But Harry.. and Hermione, are too young!" Everyone could tell she added Hermione as an afterthought. "It is too dangerous for them to enter this tournament. I will not allow you to endanger my betrothed in such a way!"
The whole room went silent and stared at the young woman, and her words bounced around Harry's head. Hermione regained her voice first. "What do you mean, 'betrothed'? You can't mean Harry, the two of you have never even met before." Hermione sounded firm and she shifted so that she was pressed up against him.
Fleur winced. "Sorry, I meant to keep this conversation till tomorrow. Harry and I have met before, but I was so young I barely remember it so Harry wouldn't remember. Can we talk about this later? Let's sort out the tournament stuff first. Please." The French witch looked genuinely upset with herself for the way she had revealed things to everyone, instead of in a private conversation.
During all this, Professor Moody had just been watching a calculating look on his face. Now he decided to speak up. "Can I please have a look at the slip that came out of the goblet,, Minerva?"
The head of Gryffindor handed him a slip of singed parchment and he read it over before he turned to Harry and Hermione and asked. "You say you didn't know about the betrothal to the French lass?"
Both Harry and Hermione shook their heads.
"And you can confirm they didn't know?" he asked Fleur.
"I don't think so. Harry was just a baby at the time, but it was supposed to be mentioned in his parents' will and my father has sent Harry a few owls about it. Harry never wrote back and he didn't act like he even knew who I was when I introduced myself to him on Friday. I planned to talk with him tomorrow." Fleur answered.
"And, I think I need to ask a crass question. Can you tell me your race and blood status please?" Moody asked as he looked between the slip of parchment, Fleur and Hermione.
She glared at Professor Moody while answering, " My father is a pureblood, but like my mother, I am a veela." She almost sounded like she was daring the professor to have a problem with her.
"No judgement lass, but I needed to ask. Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, you said you haven't signed any slips of parchment with a blood quill. Did you mean never at Hogwarts? Have you ever signed anything with a blood quill?"
Hermione looked at Harry before answering. "Yes, Harry and I went to France over the summer to see some friends of my family. Harry and I took an international portkey because I didn't want to risk having to reveal my ears at muggle immigration. We had to sign forms with a blood quill before we left."
Ali spoke up. "I can confirm they came to France. They were visiting my family."
"I also signed a contract over the summer with a blood quill." Harry added.
"Who did you sign the contract for?" Dumbledore asked, taken aback.
Harry shrugged, having no reason not to say as it would be public soon enough. "Garrick Ollivander. I licenced him to make and sell something I designed."
"That was incredibly foolish of you my boy, you should seek out advice from a responsible adult before making such decisions," Dumbledore admonished Harry.
Before Harry could respond professor McGonagall jumped in. "Mr. Potter was acting on my advice Albus, and I assure you Garrick was the best person for Harry to approach with his patent."
Before the two teachers could start bickering, Moody said loudly. "Right I'm going to go and contact Director Bones."
Dumbledore turned to Moody sharply, all thought of contracts and whether Harry had gotten good advice clearly gone from his mind. "Why would you want to contact the head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement? This is a school matter, there is no need for her involvement."
"You think so Albus? We have a death threat to the last Potter and the two women who look like they are the future of the Potter family, a death threat that contains information Mr. Potter didn't know, and you don't think this is a matter for investigation?"
"I'm not saying we shouldn't look into it, I'm just saying that this happened here at the school. It is for my staff and I to investigate," Dumbledore answered.
"Yet we have evidence that there was a theft of documents from the Ministry involved. That is well outside a school matter, and let's not forget that one of the only people in this business who has access to such documents is you. You have means and opportunity, that makes you a suspect, and the employer of the people you propose do the investigation. No Albus, this is a matter for the D.M.L.E., and Director Bones has said to me that if anything happens with Potter, she is who I call."
"Surely, old friend, you can't think I would enter Harry into this tournament? Why ever would I?" Dumbledore asked but at the same time Fleur spoke up.
"Why would the head of your law enforcement be so interested in Harry?" Fleur asked.
Moody addressed Fleur first. "Not my business to tell, lass. And Albus, you know as well as I, that it doesn't matter if I think you're innocent. Until I have proof you didn't do it, or proof someone else did, then you are under investigation. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a floo call to make. I suggest that while I am gone you fill the champions in on the first task." Everyone watched the old auror limp out of the room before falling into silence.
After a minute Bagman broke the silence. "Barty, you know the rules better than anyone. Is there anyway to get the fourth team out of the tournament?"
"No the rules are clear. Once a person's name comes out of the goblet, they are a champion and are bound to compete. The champion must put forth every reasonable effort to undertake the tasks or they forfeit their magic, and we all know losing your magic will probably kill you. It would definitely kill a veela. And as they must compete as a team, then if even one drops out..." He looked at Fleur. "Well we won't be disqualifying any of them."
Bagman nodded excitedly then, as if everyone was having fun. "Excellent, the first task is called 'trial by fire'. You don't get to know more than that, facing the unknown is a part of the task. You will present yourselves at the stadium - you'll know where it is, trust me - on Friday the 25th of November at 2:00PM. As per the standard rules, you may only start the task with your wand and any magical items, focuses or aids that you have constructed yourself. Your outfit can only be clothing, no armour or protective gear, unless you constructed it yourself."
"So not only do Harry and I have to compete in a death tournament we didn't agree to, when we are under prepared we don't even get to know what we need to do to prepare, except that it's called trial by fire? Can we at least get some help?" Hermione's tone already showed that she thought help would be unlikely.
Bagman was either ignoring Hermione's tone or he just didn't care, as he answered in his regular jovial way. "Your faculty advisor can help you, but none of your other teachers. It's to stop the home team having too much of an advantage."
"And who is our advisor?" Fleur asked.
Crouch stepped in. "Normally it would be the head teacher of the champion, but as professor Dumbledore was already selected as the advisor for Mr. Diggory's team and Madame Maxime had already been selected for Mademoiselle Tucker's team, the goblet had apparently chosen the next closest for Team Potter. Professor McGonagall is the deputy Head for Hogwarts, and there are two Hogwarts students on the… the international school team, so the magic of the goblet selected her." He turned to the professor in question. "It's why the slip flew into your hand."
"That is all well and good," Karkaroff interrupted, "but this mixed team has no representation of my school. It gives glory to Hogwarts and Beauxbatons if they win. I insist that my school be represented."
"And how would you accomplish that?" Crouch asked Karkaroff.
"We transfer Potter to Durmstrang," Karkaroff said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.
"No way. I'm not going to Durmstrang!" Harry protested.
"Given your past, Karkaroff, there is no way the British Ministry would allow Mr. Potter to be transferred into your care," Crouch looked at karkaroff as he spoke, and for a second Harry was sure he saw a flash of hate in Crouch's face. For some reason, Crouch hated the Durmstrang headmaster but didn't want to show it. Harry wondered what Karkaroff had done to get Crouch to hate him so much, but it must have been something really big.
"Don't even consider asking about Miss Granger, she doesn't meet your school's bigoted standards for entry." Professor McGonagall cut off karkaroff before he could even consider asking.
There was a bit more discussing but it quickly turned into everyone arguing in circles, until Flint interrupted. "As interesting as it is listening to how you are going to talk yourselves out of punishing Potter for breaking the rules again, do we really need to be here for it? You already told us what we need to bring for the task, so can I go? I have a letter to my family to write and a common room full of Slytherins waiting to congratulate me."
Professor McGonagall looked at the crowd of students "You are right, unless Director Bagman or Director Crouch have a thing to add?" The two men shook their heads indicating that they didn't. "Or do any of you have any questions?"
"I have a question Madame." The other witch on Ali's team spoke up and Professor McGonagall indicated that she should continue. "When I entered this tournament, I understood that I would be competing alone for a prize of 3000 galleons. Should my team win, will I still receive 3000 galleons or am I now expected to split that prize? Risk my life for only a fraction of what I promised when I signed up?"
Harry groaned at the mercantile attitude of the witch, but the wizard who Harry thought was her brother (they definitely looked similar enough to be related and they had the same last name, but Harry supposed they could be cousins) was nodding along with every word she said. Flint and Davis were also nodding and the Durmstrang students had a look of interest.
Bagman looked uncomfortable. " I don't know. There isn't really a budget for... I will have to look into it."
"That hardly seems fair, the agreement was simple. We enter the tournament and accept the risks, we get a chance to walk away with 3000 galleons. The whole point of my sister and I entering was that we would each get the chance to win enough gold to pay for one of our apprenticeships to get a Mastery." The French wizard joined his sister.
Crouch stepped in seeing his colleague floundering at the questions he was receiving from two teenagers. "Messr and Mademoiselle De Villiers, I understand your position; however, adding an additional 6000 gallons to the prize money is not something we can just agree to here and now. There are budgets to go over, approval processes. I give my word that I will look into the matter and get back to you." He attempted to placate the French teens and with them everyone who was agreeing with them.
Harry thought it was a real politician's non-answer, but the De Villiers siblings seemed to accept it and everyone started to file out of the room. Karkaroff was first to leave with his students, and Flint followed practically right on their heels. Roger Davies and Cedric Diggory left soon after, Cedric wishing the remaining champions good luck. Madame Maxime left with the De Villiers but Ali and Fleur had stayed behind. Madam Maxime Wanted to walk her champions back to the carriage and check on the rest of her students before she returned to support Fleur.
Fleur stayed because she would have to speak to the D.M.L.E. when they arrived, and Ali had told her headmistress that she would be staying to watch out for Hermione or she would never be able to look Hermione's parents in the eye again. Bagman and Crouch left after Bagman had browbeat Crouch for them to go do the paperwork to accommodate nine extra champions. Harry got the impression that it was like when Ron used to get Hermione to help with his homework, the help was because both Bagman and Ron had no clue what they were doing.
Harry would have been disillusioned with the Ministry if all the departments were run by people like Bagman, but the other two department heads he had met had a much more competent air to them. Plus, it wasn't as though Bagman was in charge of an important department like the D.M.L.E. He was in charge of Magical Games and Sports, not exactly an important department overall.
Three of the heads of House left as well, leaving Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore with the four of them. "Maybe we should move this little meeting to my office," Dumbledore suggested. "There are chairs there.
That was mostly accepted, but Professor McGonagall had them change to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. "Alastor will probably bring Amelia through his floo, it's easier to meet there than running around the castle." McGonagall argued before she summoned a house elf to inform Madame Maxime where they had moved to, and to watch the fire in the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher's study.
-ϟϟϟ-
Hermione was scared, furious, stressed, and horny. It wasn't a fun combination. In the last hour, she and Harry had been entered against their will into a tournament that was discontinued due to its death count, been accused of cheating, and the fuckin' gorgeous French tart was trying to claim that Harry, Her Harry, was betrothed to someone he had never met. If the French witch thought she could just sashay into here and take Harry for herself, then she had another thing coming. Hermione had put almost two years into this relationship, she and Harry were strong. It didn't matter that the French tart was all legs and curves and drop dead gorgeous in a way that Hermione just wasn't.
They were now waiting in the D.A.D.A. classroom. Harry, either out of habit or as a show of unity, had sat next to her, and Hermione had wrapped herself around him in part for comfort due to all the stress but just as much signalling that Harry was, and would remain hers. It wasn't long before Professor Moody returned with Director Bones and two Aurors. One of whom she had never seen before, and one was Tonks. The director had obviously chosen to bring Tonks because she and Harry were already comfortable with the young Auror. The other Auror was also a woman but a few years older than Tonks. Hermione was glad that it wasn't one of the Aurors that had tried to obliviate her mother. Not that she knew what they looked like, but she knew that they were both men so this woman couldn't possibly be one of them. She wasn't sure she could keep her cool head if one of those two had been with the director.
Director Bones was all business as soon as she walked in. "OK, for everyone who doesn't know the procedure. I will be asking each of you some questions while a Department of Magical Law Enforcement dictaquill will write out everything you say. Depending on your answers, we will decide on whether to open an investigation afterwards." Hermione was really impressed by Director Bones. The older woman had a no-nonsense attitude when it was needed but was still friendly and approachable.
"Auror Jones, can you please set up the dictaquill?" Director Bones hadn't been in the room for two minutes and she was already taking over the room. Hermione watched as the Auror Director Bones had called Jones set up a small bureau with parchment and a solid blue quill. Tonks was whispering to her boss who nodded, causing Tonks to smile.
"Harry, Hermione, come with me a sec. I need you both to show me where the bathroom is," Tonks called before she put her badge on the table next to her boss. "I'm taking a quick personal break boss, I'll be right back." Hermione eyed the badge on the table and understood. Tonks wanted to tell them something that she couldn't as an Auror, so she was on a break talking to her cousin and his girlfriend. She had left her badge behind because if she was wearing it someone could say she was acting as an Auror.
Harry had missed all the subtlety of what Tonks had just done and was about to say something, probably to tell Tonks exactly where the bathroom was, so Hermione got to her feet pulling Harry with her and started to follow Tonks. "Come on Harry, it will be a chance to catch up. We haven't seen Tonks in months."
As soon as the door was closed behind them, Tonks turned around and asked, "OK, tell me quickly, did you two enter your names? Not mad if you did, but if you didn't then stuff could be serious."
The two of them shook their heads and Harry said, "Honestly, we never put our names in, nor did we want anyone else to."
"What about signing something with the blood quill? Did you sign anything since you arrived at school that could be used to enter you into the tournament?" They shook their heads; Tonks' questions were firm, and it was obvious something about this situation was winding her up.
"OK, the two of you follow me." Tonks took them both to the ladies room on the same floor as the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. After a quick look inside, she pushed both Hermione and Harry in, quieting Harry's protest about entering a ladies' room, saying "It's not like there is anyone in here."
"OK Harry, I need to be very careful here. Do you remember this little speech Director Bones gave you when she first asked you questions about your relatives?" Tonks asked seriously.
Harry nodded. "Yea. I didn't understand it at first, Dan had to explain what it meant."
"Ok you two here is what I suggest you do…"
-ϟϟϟ-
When Harry and Hermione returned to the defence against the dark arts classroom with Tonks, Madame Maxime had already arrived and Director Bones was already asking Dumbledore questions.
"I don't see how the fact that you needed to use a blood quill should have been enough to stop something like this. The age line was just to stop younger students from entering their names." Dumbledore was in the middle of defending his security by the sound of it.
"Yet we are in this situation, so obviously your security measures were at best inadequate." The head of the D.M.L.E's words were harsh, but as far as Harry was concerned, true.
Tonks picked up her badge from the table and re-attached it to her uniform while Harry and Hermione took seats waiting for their turn.
"Is there any way to remove at least the underaged champions from the total safely?"
"None that I am aware of, and I am loath to try anything that anyone comes up with given the consequences if it goes wrong."
"What about the tasks themselves, can they be changed to something safer?"
"The tasks are outlined in the document that starts the tournament, they cannot be changed after the goblet has chosen its champions."
"Weren't those tasks designed for only one Champion? How will having multiple champions affect it?"
"I don't know yet, Barty is currently looking into it."
Director Bones shot Dumbledore a look before saying. "For the record, Barty refers to Bartemius Crouch Senior, the current head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Did anyone think to check if the tasks themselves had been tampered with?"
Dumbledore paled at that question, he obviously hadn't thought to check. "I need to be excused, Director Bones. I need to follow up on that question immediately." And without so much as a by-your-leave, the headmaster ran out of the room leaving a crowd of worried people behind him.
Harry and Hermione were questioned together. They gave their names for the dictaquill and Professor McGonagall once again stood in loco parentis for them, just as she did when they were questioned about LeStrange.
"Harry James Potter, Hermione Jean Granger, you are being interviewed under caution as part of the D.M.L.E. investigation into your names coming out of the Goblet of Fire. You are not under arrest at this time." The director took a breath before she continued. "You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in front of the Wizengamot. You cannot be magically compelled to speak against your will, but you do have the option to waive that right if you so wish. However, you are hereby advised that could leave you open to questions beyond the scope of the investigation. Anything you say may be given in evidence. "Do the two of you understand your rights as I have explained them to you?" Director Bones asked.
Hermione nodded and Harry answered for them. "We do." Harry took a deep breath before continuing. "I waive my right to not be magically compelled and offer an unbreakable vow that everything I say for fifteen minutes will be the truth as I know it."
The room erupted as Ali, Fleur, Madame Maxime and Professor McGonagall all started shouting at once telling him it was a bad idea. Professor McGonagall strode over to Harry and put her hand on his shoulder before saying "Mister Potter, do you know what happens if you break an unbreakable vow?"
"I do, but it'll only be for fifteen minutes and Hermione will body bind me if we finish before that so I just need to answer a few questions honestly. I think I can pull that off." Harry reassured his head of house.
Madame Maxime was having none of it. "You're magically bound to my student though this tournament, if you die the goblet could class it as a forfeit and kill her. I won't allow it."
Director Bones cut off Madame Maxime. "It is Mr… no it is Warlock Potter's right to give testimony under vow if he chooses. You can't forbid it. However, I promise you that I will be extremely careful in my questions."
"Harry, I know you don't know me yet, but please this is dangerous. I..." Fleur turned to Hermione, who had been dragged into a whispered argument by Ali. "Do you trust him to do this?"
Hermione looked at the French witch with a look of disdain before answering. "If I didn't trust Harry to do this right, he wouldn't be doing it. Harry is more than capable enough to do this" As though Hermione's opinion of it was all Fleur needed, she sat down to wait.
The procedure for questioning under a vow was more complex than Harry expected. Harry expected to say the vow then sit and answer Director Bones's questions. Instead, they sat down first and constructed the vow. Harry's first suggestion of 'I vow to speak only the truth for the next 15 minutes.' was dismissed immediately. There was a lot of discussion back and forth, with Madame Maxime contributing a lot. Director Bones seemed to think the best way to keep her calm was to let her help craft the vow.
In the end the vow looked like this: 'Do you vow to speak only the truth as you know it, to answer any questions regarding the incident where your name came out of the Goblet of Fire, asked by Director Bones of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, that she asks you in the next fifteen minutes?' It was wordy, but everyone was as happy with it as they were going to get. The caveats on it only applying to questions asked by Director Bones had been Madame Maxime's input. She seemed to be the type of teacher who would really go beyond for her students. Harry wished that the teachers at Hogwarts were more like that, maybe he wouldn't have Madame Pomfrey threatening to put a nameplate over one of the beds in the hospital wing reserving it for his use.
Next, Director Bones wrote out a list of questions and gave it to him and told him. "Those are the questions I will be asking you. Think about how you are going to answer them. Keep the answers simple. You can tell me more details later but while under the vow we want the basic facts only." After Harry had read through the questions and said he was ready, he was directed to take a knee in front of Director Bones and to grasp hold of her forearm.
Tonks pulled out her wand and turned to Harry. "Are you sure you want to do this? Once a vow is in place it has to run its course."
Harry nodded "Yes, I'm sure."
Tonks put the tip of her wand so it was touching both his arm and the Director's and started the vow. "Do you vow to speak only the truth as you know it, to answer any questions regarding the incident where your name came out of the Goblet of Fire, asked by Director Bones of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, that she asks you in the next fifteen minutes?"
"I do." As Harry spoke, a thin chain of fire streamed from Tonks's wand and wrapped itself around the two clasped forearms. Harry could feel the magic make its way up his arm and settle around his heart. It was a strange feeling; it wasn't uncomfortable, but the magic had a sort of heaviness to it. Harry wondered if that was more in his head, after all the magic was there to kill him if he broke his vow.
Harry and the Director returned to their seats, and Director Bones turned to him as Tonks asked, "Are you ready to continue?"
Harry nodded, though he didn't really feel ready. Director bones pulled some parchment in front of her. "For the record, Mr. Potter has taken a magical vow to tell the truth during this interview. A copy of the vow will be included in the file." The dictaquill dutifully copied down the Director's words under the watch of Auror Jones. Harry was instructed to introduce himself to the quill, which he did.
"OK, first question. Did you, Harry Potter, put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"
"No." Harry answered simply.
The director nodded at his answer, clearly expecting it before she asked the extra one. "Did you, Harry Potter, ever ask another student to put the name in for you?"
"No."
"Did you ask a member of staff to put the name in the Goblet of Fire for you?"
"No."
"Were you, Harry Potter, aware that your name was in the goblet before it came out?"
"No." Harry was starting to feel like a parrot who only knew the word no.
"Did you, Harry Potter, ever sign anything with a blood quill?"
"Yes." Yay, a new word.
"Did you ever sign anything at Hogwarts with a blood quill?"
"No." The new word didn't last long.
"Do you recall how many documents you have signed with a blood quill?"
"Yes."
"Please elaborate on the number."
"Two."
"Please can you tell me what documents you signed."
"I had to sign some travel paperwork at the Ministry of Magic before I went to France over the summer. I also signed a contract with Garrick Ollivander the wandmaker, so that his company could produce a product I had designed."
"Do you wish to be in this tournament?"
"I do not."
"Were you aware of a betrothal between you and Miss Delacour before today?
"I was not."
"Do you know who put your name in the goblet?"
"No."
There were a few more questions but they soon finished. Hermione didn't put him in a full body bind despite there still being five minutes left, as the caveats in the vow meant that Harry was safe. Hermione was up for questioning right after Harry and no one was surprised to hear Hermione also request to take a vow.
While Hermione was answering her questions, Fleur came over to where Harry was sitting and sat on a nearby desk, purposely avoiding the chair Hermione had left. She was quiet for over a minute before she said anything. "I'm sorry."
"What for?" Harry asked, watching Hermione as he spoke.
"Making your life more complicated." She went quiet for a few seconds before adding. "She is pretty and she cares about you."
"Hermione is more than pretty. Hermione is intelligent, caring, and loyal. I probably would have died by now if it wasn't for her. She is my world, my everything." Harry was laying it on a little thick, but nothing he said was untrue.
"We need to work out how we are going to handle this going forward."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for the tournament we need to train together, and we need to work out what we are going to do about the betrothal. Will you and Hermione stay behind after we are finished with the Aurors? The sooner we talk the better."
A part of Harry really wanted to say no, but unfortunately Fleur was right, they did need to talk. "OK, we'll talk."
A/N
OK so another bombshell drops but I think some of you worked this one out already. Yes, this is a Harry/Hermione/Fleur fic. So cookies for any of you who called that.
I know a number of you will feel like Fleur is just being shoehorned in here, and that's how it's supposed to feel; it's how Harry and Hermione will feel. But just like fire in alchemy, she is a catalyst for change that the story needs to progress.
This isn't going to be a walk in the park for the three of them, where they jump into bed together after only a few chapters. This is something that is going to take pain and work to come together for them.