Majo Kon-ki The Marriage of Tanya the Witch
(The marriage chronicles of a witch)
Arc 4 - Goblet of Fire – part 2
July,AD 1994, Grimmauld Place in the Borough of Islington, London.
"Tanya, dear! Please, open the door!"
"GO AWAY! " The girl in question screamed aloud through her barricaded door.
"Tanya! Let's talk-"
"GET LOST! I AM NEVER LETTING YOU TOUCH ME EVER AGAIN!" She yelled as Harry and Molly Weasley tried to convince her to leave the safety of her room. Pilling furniture at her door thinking she could stop men- no, WOLVES from taking her.
'It starts with a kiss and then, before you know it, you are completely snared by his manly charm and bearing his children! All women are like that!' The words from Molly Weasley's mouth keep replaying in her mind.
"Now it makes sense! To think the female body works on a radically different concept from male!" While pondering this, Tanya recalled her first life when so many pretty girls were seduced by delinquents.
"People say girls like bad-boys but they merely don't have a choice at all!" One kiss, even forced, and you are forever enslaved! Tanya was lucky for Molly Weasley disclosing this horrible secret all women share. And right on time, Sirius was already training his godson to take her.
'Don't think I am unaware of how you are trying to turn Potter into the same sort of shameless philanderer that you are!' Despite professor Snape's warning, she didn't listen.
"I have no choice! I must get the wand today!" As soon as she feels safe enough, she will slip away and look for Dumbledore.
"I will prostrate myself at his feet if I must! I am leaving this screwy body behind!"
"I am back with help!" Tanya heard from beyond her door, Sirius had returned earlier.
"S-shit! What is he planning?! I knew we should have killed him!"
"What is going on here?!" Tanya heard a new voice, much to her relief, of a girl.
"Ginny! Help us! Something scared Tanya, she refuses to leave her room."
"Eh?" There was a new knock at her door.
"Tanya, are you there? It's me, Ginny-"
"G-GO AWAY! Y-YOU WANT TO ATTRACT ME OUTSIDE! TO GIVE ME TO HARRY PER SIRIUS INSTRUCTIONS! I HEARD IT ALL!"
"Give you to Harry…?!"
"O-or are you here to help Ron?! Perhaps all your brothers want to snare me! I am warning you, I will die before bearing their children!"
"'Snare'? 'Bearing'? This paranoia… where I saw it- MUM! Tell me you didn't have 'the talk' with Tanya too!"
"I-I thought this time it wouldn't be an issue. Tanya is older than you or the boys were."
"I am lost. Tanya got scared because Molly taught her about the 'facts of life'?!"
"You won't understand if I tell you. Mum giving t-the talk is- brr!"
"I remember Ron saying you were troubled after Mrs Weasley 'talked' with you."
"I wasn't troubled, I was totally freaked out! Not as much as Tanya, although! The poor thing must be terrified!"
"And what should we do?"
"Aff… let me handle this. Everyone leave!" A few seconds later, Tanya heard sounds of steps getting distant.
"Tanya! I am alone now, please let me inside."
"Do you think I am stupid?! You and Sirius are up to something!"
"No, my intention is to help-"
"You can help by clearing the way! I am leaving this room AND this house!"
"Leaving?! You want to leave- pff!" Contrary to her expectations, she heard Ginny chucking.
"S-sorry, it's just that you are not fooling anyone. The Tanya I know won't ever leave Harry's side! Like… I wouldn't…"
Tanya felt a surge of anger. She took a deep breath, ready to unleash a barrage of curses at-
"Wait! She is right! I was so focused on the wand that I forgot Harry never gave the cloak to me!"
"Huhuhu! Not denying, are you? Despite your hormones being in a fuss, your heart is still in the right place."
"I AM NOT- My hormones…? You mean to say I am having what people refer to as 'monthly mood swings'?!"
"Tell me yourself. When would you in your right mind go all bonkers?"
Regaining a little of her logical mind, Tanya saw the truth in her words.
"ARGH! How can women cope with such a torment every month?! Is there anything else I should be informed about?!"
"I can tell you face to face."
It took a few seconds until Tanya said anything again.
"Y-you aren't hiding Harry or any of your brothers, right?!"
"I promise, I am alone and only I am getting inside."
After a brief moment, Tanya cleared away the objects she had placed to block the door. Upon entering the room, the younger girl shuddered.
"Merlin, Tanya! You look awful!"
"I am awful! Thanks, in great part to your mother and this- this fucking bleeding body!"
"I am sorry about mum… she reckons she is being romantic. I wonder if this is the reason Bill remains single and Charlie is so in love with dragons…" Ginny grimaced.
"In my case, mum left me so traumatized I almost starved to death locked in my room. And for a while, I couldn't trust any male, including dad and my brothers."
"But, she is right! Kissing does enslave a girl's body and mind!"
"Come on, don't take mum to the literal sense of the word. Do you really believe snogging can rob us of our will?!"
"I know for a fact! F-for a while now, Harry has been able to do n-naughty things to me! I mean- I can't say no to him!"
Ginny widened her eyes then had a fit of giggles.
"Oh, you silly girl! It's normal to feel attraction for the boy you love!"
"Grr! I don't love him, you stupid girl!"
"L-let's pretend that I don't love him, how would you explain this?"
"Well, sometimes we girls can't help being attracted to some handsome boys even if you already like someone else." She let a small blush at this.
"I-I myself, would be reluctant to say no if a boy such as Diggory or Corner wanted to kiss me… Oh! And the boy must be nice too! Zabini, for instance, is handsome and a big jerk!" It was as Tanya originally thought, both genders weren't so different in that regard.
"Though, I shouldn't act so radically different from when I was a teenage boy!" If being so horny with the mere act of kissing wasn't natural for females, means that something was definitely wrong with her.
"And only in this life because my other body- No! T-there was a time I lost control in a similar fashion!"
"The drug…!" Loria did say the ET96 would rob her free will and make her 'open her heart' to him.
"Impossible! It was in another life and body! It couldn't reach me here- Unless…!" Peverell said that her body was recreated almost the same as the one she had before. This was the condition for her to keep her memories.
"Or maybe, the answer is simpler. Deep in my subconscious, my mind still believes I am under the effects of the drug, just like in the moments I lose my magic!" Overwhelmed by these thoughts, Tanya's legs gave out beneath her.
"Tanya? What is wrong?"
"I am scared Ginny! Sob! This body has betrayed me! I am not myself anymore!"
"I heard you mention a drug. C-could you have recalled what Lockhart did to you?" Ginny's smile was long gone from her face, and in its place, a worried expression.
"HE may have changed me forever! What if I act this way with any men?! And a single kiss is enough to reduce me to a PLAYTHING!"
Ginny pulled her into a hug as tears began to cascade down her face.
"Shh! Everything is okay."
"How can it be okay?! There is a chance any pervert-"
"If any bloke dares to take advantage of you, I'll jinx him, I swear!" Ginny smiled with confidence.
"Me, Harry, Hermione, Luna, Sirius, all my brothers, my dad and my dumb mum as well! We won't let anything bad happen to you!"
"Oh, well. For something those fools have to be worth." Somehow, Tanya felt a little reassured.
"… what a day!" Harry thought as he fell on bed. He was still trying to come to terms about what happened today.
Both Mrs Weasley…
'Our little Tanya is growing up, bless her! She'll be having periods."
… and Sirius…
'What Molly's really getting at is that Tanya will be receiving monthly visits from aunt Flo.'
… tried to explain with no success. It was Ginny again who solved the issue.
'U-um, so, t-there's this t-thing that h-happens to g-girls…' It took a while because the girl was so shy around him, but eventually, he managed to understand Tanya's 'blood' problem.
If this was all the girl had to say, she would have ended the day as Harry's heroine.
'T-try to s-slow down w-with her, s-she is s-scared with herc-changes.' Hearing this advice, made Harry raise an eyebrow.
"'Slow down'?! What did she mean by it?!" The two had just started kissing after more than a year dating.
'I want you…' She even called out for him that day they almost consummated their love.
"No way she is scared, Ginny must be jealous!" He has to get locked inside the house, Sirius is out all day and now he can't spend time with his girlfriend?! Harry's patience had run out at last.
"I definitely can't slow down! And know what? To hell with Sirius and Snape's rules! Me and Tanya are-"
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
"… Tanya?!" Harry didn't wait for a confirmation, he jumped from bed and ran straight to her room, almost putting down the doors on the way.
He discovered her tossing and turning in bed, tormented by a nightmare.
"Wake up, Tanya!" With his abrupt shaking, she snapped awake instantly.
"W-where is he?! T-that disgusting man?!" She glanced around nervously, as if caught in a haze.
"You mean Lockhart?"
"H-he said- said he has to take me before I am too old for his tastes!"
Harry gently grabbed her shoulders with the intention of offering some comfort.
"You are alright. It was all a-"
"NO! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Suddenly she pushed him away.
"Tanya?! What-"
"I-I can't say no to you! I don't want to kiss! Sob! I am scared of doing that… STUFF!" She covered her face with her hands and began to sob uncontrollably.
Harry felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart. Despite Ginny warning him she was upset with her body changes, he chose to not hear.
"Worst, I forgot about Lockhart- No! I convinced myself she was cured!" Above all, he wanted to free himself from the guilt tied to the incident.
"Tanya…" At the sound of him calling her name, the girl visibly flinched.
"I am sorry!" He prostrated himself in front of her bed.
"I am such a jerk! I didn't realize I was being so pushy with you!"
Even with his head so down, he could feel her silently gazing on him.
"Just don't think I was trying to take advantage of you! I love you!"
The silence was too much. In his unease, he opted for a regrettable compromise.
"If you forgive me… I promise to slow down. From now, no kissing unless you ask me-"
"REALLY?!" Her shout was so elated that if Harry didn't know better, he could swear she was happy.
"And what about s-sex?!"
"I will also… leave this decision up to you." With a hesitant tone, he stated.
"I… I… Oh! Thank you so much!" In any case, he was glad to see her wipe away the tears and smile warmly.
"I am thrilled you kids have patched things up." Turning around, Harry saw Sirius at the door's entrance.
"And I hate to put a damper on your time, but it's late. We should all head back to our beds."
"Right, Tanya, tomorrow we-"
"NO! DON'T LEAVE ME!" In an unexpected twist of events, she grabbed on him for dear life.
"I-I am scared HE will come back! S-stay with me!" Harry was scared himself. She was acting exactly like last year.
"If she has a relapse it will be all my fault!"
"Okay… let's go to the living room and have a midnight snack."
"N-no! T-this house scares me at night! M-more boggarts could show up! A-and- Sob!" Seeing her about to go down in tears again, made him wrap his arms around her.
"Please, don't cry. If this is what you want, sure."
"O-oi! I can't allow you to sleep in the same room!"
"Are you that scared of Snape, Sirius?"
"That is not it! You are being unfair!"
"Then, you have my word: We are merely going to sleep together, nothing beyond that." Seeing Harry so serious had the desired effect. Sirius nodded his head and walked out.
Looking at Tanya, so vulnerable, so needy, he couldn't help recalling how the book described such a situation as a 'sure win'.
He shook his head to clear it from any unnecessary thoughts.
Laying down, they were still embraced and it didn't seem she would let go of him so soon.
"Y-you will be here when I wake up…?"
"I won't go anywhere. Not until all the monsters are gone."
"D-don't patronize me! I am not a child, you moron!"
"Hahaha! I know! Now, sleep and don't dream."
Sirius felt horrible for doubting his godson, however, it was the boy's grandfather who once spoken an undeniable truth:
'I trust boys to be boys!' He had mentioned it on an occasion when Sirius and James denied inviting female friends to spend the night with them.
Then again, Harry didn't possess the same free spirit of his late father. In a comparison, Sirius found the boy's personality to be more akin to his mother's.
"Being the child of the always so serious Lily Evans, Harry wouldn't-" Abruptly, Sirius was reminded of a certain 'incident'.
"Sirius! Can't you trust me?!" Harry angrily complained the next morning after finding his godfather sleeping on an improvised bed in front of Tanya's door.
"S-sorry, can't help it! You see, I couldn't resist remembering a similar situation with your folks!"
"Mum and dad? What did they do?"
"Humpf! Back in our last year, I was head over heels for this stunning teacher-"
"The one Snape said you were harassing?"
"I didn't harass her! Well, maybe a bit… anyway! Your old man was smitten with her too, even though he was already wrapped up with Lily."
"My dad?!"
"One night, Prongs didn't join us in our watch over Moony. Next morning, I caught him and Lily sneaking out of Mrs. Tectriti's room!"
"Ehhhhhhh?!"
"I swear! Hard to believe the serious level-headed Lily Evans would get into a THREESOME!"
"M-m-mum?!"
"Yeah, I know! If anyone's gonna get into an ORGY, it ought to be me! And with professor Tectriti?! She was going to be my-" Sirius covered his mouth.
"Did I just blurt out his parents' most dirty little secret?!"
"Mum… and dad… IN AN ORGY?!"
"Oh! Bollocks!" Sirius decided to take the coward's way and pretend this didn't happen.
"Harry, please tell me what happened last night." The boy's expression of shock was switched to sadness.
"Close to the end of our second year, Tanya was…" At the end of Harry's tale, Sirius was probably harboring the same gloomy expression.
"I recall Gilderoy Lockhart from my Hogwarts days. I never pegged the insufferable attention-seeker as a pervert."
"Sirius, promise me you won't act differently around her. Tanya can be very proud and she also hates pity."
"You don't need to ask-" Sirius trailed off.
"A proud girl who hates pity…? And she did mention she was scared of snogging, yet couldn't say no…" The older man murmured and assumed a contemplative posture.
"Harry, did she become this way after the incident?"
"No, she was depressed but overall, didn't change."
"Is she overly critical and only with you?"
Harry nodded his head.
"Hmm… does it seem it's hard for her to be honest?"
"How do you know?"
"… snobbish and arrogant?"
"'Princess' Tanya? All the time."
"Blimey!" Sirius let out a nervous smile, as if realizing too late something of the utmost importance.
"Harry, listen to me. I have dated a few girls like Tanya. And in all cases, it was HELL!"
"There are more girls like Tanya out there?!"
"There are many like her, and all lunatics! You see, you've got no clue what's going on in those heads! They act cold and hostile for no reason at all!"
"You mean Tanya is supposed to always be this way?! She won't ever mellow down?! Not even a little?!"
"Definitely not and- Merlin's beard! When you reckon you won them over, they snap at you out of the blue!"
"Y-you are lying! Trying to prank me!"
"I wish I was. By the way, you messed up big time saying she has to take initiative with 'intimacy'!"
"Ah! Don't say that! I knew I was going to regret it…"
"Mark my words, Harry, they NEVER ask! You will have to interpret the smallest signs and she will lash at you if you fail to do so."
"GAH! Why didn't you say anything before?! What should I do?!"
"Beats me. I wasn't so loony to take things too far with any of those girls. In fact, once I spotted those quirks, I broke up with them."
"T-there is no way I am breaking up with her! Help me, please! F-find me another book!"
"Sorry kiddo, no book can help. 'Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches' is for regular witches-" Seeing Harry gripping his head in evident distress made Sirius realize he said too much once more on the same morning.
"Oh! Bollocks! Me and my big mouth!"
"W-what about dad?! You said dad had his share of problems with mum!"
"W-well, you could say Prongs had to make a hefty offering to Lily-"
"An offering?! AHHH! THE DRAGON!" Sirius was puzzled as his godson once again brought up a dragon.
"Could this be some sort of new slang?" His curiosity would have to wait as Harry was in no condition to explain anything, so busy pulling his hair out in despair.
""""""""""""HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!"""""""""""" There was a big cheer as Harry blew out the candles.
Sirius could tell how happy his godson was for having his first ever birthday with all his friends.
"It did pay off to ask Dumbledore." The headmaster didn't allow the party to be held at 12 Grimmauld Place alleging it would put Harry's friends in danger to share the fidelius charm secret. He was already displeased at Sirius for bringing Ginny inside.
'We had this talk when you suggested for Mr Weasley and miss Granger to be allowed into the house. My answer stands as it was.' He gave no further explanation, stating he was busy investigating the abrupt vanishing of seven former death eaters.
'We could have his party at the burrow.' Molly Weasley made this suggestion, at which Dumbledore consented under the condition he would be allowed to provide a few extra measures for security.
And thus, they held the celebration on the last day of July at the burrow.
Harry was delighted, he had a day to relax, free from the confines of the house that was driving him crazy.
"A-and hopefully, forget my blabbering!" Likewise, Sirius hoped the change of scenery would have a positive impact on Tanya too.
"She had been spaced out and Molly said she isn't leaving the house." And the most concerning part, she and Harry had been sleeping together EVERY night!
"Although, Molly did say their sheets were spotless, not a hint of anything improper…"
"Oh, my! Why don't we repeat this on Ginny's birthday and then on Tanya's too?" He heard Molly joyfully propose.
"Bill and Charlie will be here and can take part in the celebrations as well!"
"I love the idea but I reckon it would be a bother to Tanya." Ginny declared as a matter of fact. Looking at Tanya, she nodded in agreement.
"Oh, why not?"
"Mum! Can't you get that Tanya certainly will want to spend the day alone with Harry?"
"Exactly- Wait, what?!" Tanya's face turned scarlet.
"Aren't you two kinda spending loads of time with each other?! You are shacked together on the same house!" Sirius was left puzzled at Ron's tone of criticism.
"Ron, you are not jealous, are you?!" Hermione asked with a similar tone.
"Course not! I reckon it's inappropriate for an unmarried young couple to be living under the same roof, you know?"
"Ronniekins may be on to something…"
"Mum herself blabbed she is working basically to prevent the two from shagging!"
"Fred! George!" The two boys were saved from Molly's wrath by the googly-eyed Lovegood girl giving her a piece of mind.
"Don't take it wrong Mrs Weasley, you are wasting your efforts. No one can get in Tanya's way if she decides to mate."
Hearing this, Tanya nearly choked on her drink.
"Luna! We are not having the same conversation again! The incident in the bathroom was the basilisk trying to attack us!"
"This only makes my point stronger. A brush with death couldn't stop you two from getting all lovey-dovey once the ordeal was done."
"Professor McGonagall seemed angry with Tanya and it wasn't because of the destruction of our bathroom…" Hermione directed a gaze of curiosity toward Luna.
"Can you tell us what you saw that night, Luna?" She inquired, and Sirius turned his full attention.
"Tanya, stark naked, pushed Harry down while trying to take out his clothes-"
"YOU GOT EVERYTHING WRONG!" Tanya shouted, going full pink.
"Wrong? What is wrong about wanting to repopulate the crumple- I mean, to assure the continuation of your royal lineage? Isn't this why you two are living together?"
"Is this true?!" Ron barged in, and with a serious tone, he questioned the birthday boy.
"A-are you mental?! Of course not!" Harry answered back clearly uncomfortable but Ron wasn't backing down.
"How far have you two gone?" Sirius couldn't resist listening keenly. The silence that filled the room suggested everyone was eager for the answer as much as him.
"… as far as kissing, and nowadays, that's also off the table." He said, a hint of sadness in his voice. Sirius, Arthur, Molly and even Ron let out breaths of relief.
"I am following YOUR advice!" He said to Ginny, his voice tinged with accusation.
"You know, to take it slow!"
"N-no… I-I said to t-take slow w-while her p-period lasted…" Harry blinked.
"Then we can go back to kissing?!"
"Not so fast!" Tanya promptly turned him down.
"I decide when, remember?"
"How about today? It's my birthday!"
"W-well…"
"Could it be that you don't want to get intimate outside marriage?" All eyes turned to Hermione as she uttered those words.
"After all, you were raised in an orphanage run by nuns…"
"You think I would follow the teachings of some-" Tanya's offended expression came undone as she suddenly froze.
"I mean, absolutely right! The sisters taught me that indecency outside marriage is a grave sin!"
"Weird, the old nun herself asked me to kiss you. Besides, weren't you a non-religious person?"
"M-mother is kinda eccentric due to her old age. And while I am not a believer, I still can't change the way I was raised!" Sirius could clearly see this was a lame excuse.
"Oh! I wish I was wrong. Poor boy will have an arduous road ahead of him…"
"You can solve this issue by getting married right now."
"Luna! Give it a rest, will you?"
"CAN WE?!" Harry cut in, fully enthusiastic.
"Y-y-y-y-you owe me a dragon or a big dowry!"
"Really gotta figure out what this slang about dragons mean."
Finally, the part reached its apex with Arthur Weasley revealing he got tickets for the quidditch world cup finals. The children exploded in excitement, except for Tanya who took the opportunity to slip away.
"So tiresome!" He followed her to the garden where she seemed to be taking a breath.
"Going somewhere?"
"Ah? Oh, it's Sirius."
"Sorry I am not Harry. By the way, what are you doing out here? Not planning to run away again, are you?"
"Who told you? Harry?"
"Molly."
"I am dodging the girls! I can tell Ginny plans to invite me to spend the night."
"Ho! And you'd rather go home with Harry!"
"It's just that if I stay, so will Harry. And I can't sleep in peace with people trying to kill him."
"Hehehe! Don't be shy- hold on! What did you say?!"
"Ugh! I always marvel at his trouble magnetism! One single afternoon out and he already had two attempts against his life!"
"W-what?!"
"It's fortunate we have such proficient bodyguards. Their concealment technique is definitely top-notch. If I couldn't sense their mana, I wouldn't be able to tell they are out there."
"… Dumbledore's extra measures!"
"Dumbledore dispatched them?!" Tanya facepalmed herself.
"I feel so dumb for ever insinuating he was trying to harm Harry in any way! Upon reflection, he was right. Harry was indeed safer with the Dursleys."
Sirius was in stupor. He couldn't determine what astonished him the most: the attempted attacks on Harry, the unnoticed presence of their protectors, or the girl's casual awareness of everything.
A few days later, Nymphadora Tonks would reveal that Dumbledore had some of the best aurors guarding them, including Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody.
Nonetheless, hearing the name of an outstanding dark wizard hunter aroused a little suspicion at the back of his head.
"The former death eaters' disappearance… could Moody have actually eliminated them under Dumbledore's orders?!"
"ARRRGHHH!" Startled by the scream, Sirius snapped awake. He leaped out of bed and dashed straight to Tanya's room.
"Blimey! She seemed so well lately!" Sirius anxiously pondered what could have brought the nightmares back. Roughly a month had gone by since that night, and they had ceased.
"Tanya, are you alright?" As he entered her room, he asked right away.
"What? I am fine, it wasn't me who screamed."
"Eh?" Sirius noticed she had been tending to Harry who was sweating, panting and holding his head.
"Harry? What is wrong?"
"M-my scar…! HURTS SO MUCH!" Harry clenched his forehead, as though attempting to tear out the scar.
"If I remember correctly, your scar hurts when- Voldemort is close!" Astonished, Tanya's eyes darted around the surroundings.
"I-I saw him… plotting to… kill me!" Because of the pain, Harry spoke with great difficulty.
"Don't be scared. Whatever he is, he can't get inside the house. This time around, I am the secret keeper, remember?"
"Sirius is right. Besides, I am not detecting any signal." Looking as the sharp Tanya wasn't concerned, Sirius deduced his godson merely had a nightmare.
"N-NO! Voldemort… said something about… a faithful servant at Hogwarts! And there was another person, he spoke funny… and was limping. He kept repeating non stop… 'she has to suffer'!"
"It's best if he gets it off his chest." Sirius guessed if Harry told the dream, he might see it wasn't real.
"Harry, tell us exactly what you saw."
"Voldemort… he was hiding in a big house… and it was dirt… like this one before Kreacher cleaned…"
"Was he alone?"
"I told you… there was this person… I couldn't see his face because- Ah! He was all wrapped in bandages, resembling a mummy- OUCH!" Again, Harry held his head tightly.
"V-Voldemort was angry with him… said he wasn't loyal… all he did was with the sole purpose of revenge… against Tanya!" Harry's fearful expression conveyed that he was actually scared on Tanya's behalf.
"Voldemort needed him… he promised the other person… could have Tanya… after he got me!"
"Was it all?"
"T-there was an old man… a muggle saw everything… then a big snake attacked and- and I woke…"
The vagueness of it all allied with the fact that there wasn't a valid explanation on how Harry would be able to see Voldemort, left Sirius fully convinced this was nothing more than a nightmare.
"S-someone covered in bandages? Limping? Who could it be?!" He expected Tanya to back his rational explanation however, almost instantly she was as shaken as she had been from her own nightmare a month ago.
"L-Lockhart! You saw Lockhart, didn't you?!"
"What? No- I mean, it's impossible to be him. Lockhart was eaten by the acromantulas."
"We never confirmed it! Perhaps they just eat away a few pieces, enough to leave him disfigured but alive!" Tanya wrapped her arms around herself, her trembling growing more intense.
"Tanya, calm down! We don't know for sure-"
"I can't fight him! My magic goes off whenever I remember 'that'!" Immediately, Harry forgot his own pain and held her in his arms.
"Don't worry! I will protect you! With my life if needed!"
Sirius didn't believe the danger was real, although he couldn't be prouder of his godson. Despite the pain, regardless of the fear he must be feeling, Harry still prioritized reassuring Tanya.
He also felt ashamed with himself, it was apparent that the two didn't consider him strong enough to protect them.
More than anything, Sirius wanted to have an easy life, yet he couldn't turn his back to the sight of the two scared children hugging, trying to find strength in each other.
"UGH! FINE! I will work hard from now on!"
"Hurry! Someone is bound to come searching for me and we can't be seen together." Among the vast sea of tents, Tanya and Lucius Malfoy were engaged in a confidential conversation.
At last, the eagerly anticipated day of the quidditch world cup final arrived. Bringing with it the day they had planned to diminish the ranks of Voldemort's followers.
"When is it happening?"
"After the game ends, during the celebration. Security will begin to get lax with the main event over."
"Have you distributed the teams as I said?" This was the first part of her plan. Separate the death eaters in two groups, one to be massacred and another to be scared into recruitment later.
"About that, are you sure about this setup? Take Yaxley for example, he has good connections, we can use him. Greengrass on the other hand, is useless trash-"
"Are you questioning me?"
"N-no! My apologies!"
What Malfoy said was right, most of the death eaters meant to survive the night weren't particularly influential or powerful. Nevertheless, Tanya's goal was to spare the ones who had relatives with her schoolmates.
"Through their children, they already vowed loyalty to me. Besides, said children could turn into the perfect hostages in case they decided to betray me." Not to say that Yaxley's group had some of the most vicious adherents to the pure-blood supremacy.
"Better to not deal with fanatics." Furthermore, those liabilities were the perfect candidates for Being X's new apostle.
"By my part, it will all go according to your plan. My only concern is Potter. Are you sure he will be up to the task?"
Tanya grinned. This was her plan's main goal.
"Everyone has to know of Harry's strength and fear him!" This way, she will be free to leave at any moment. Besides, it presents a propitious occasion for him to have his first killing.
"I will be with him in case of the unforeseen. Just make sure every single one appears."
"Not a problem at all. The fear of the dark mark's intense burn ensures they wouldn't even consider not showing up!" Irony tinged the situation. The same dark mark that once bound death eaters to Voldemort would unite them to their downfall.
"A bound, huh? Perhaps, Harry's scar is a variation of the mark?" The thought crossed her mind as she recalled Harry's nightmare, along with another memory.
"And… have you looked into the person I mentioned?"
"We have many comrades who bear scars, but no one in the way you described."
"You sure? What about their servants?"
"Such a mangled individual would stand out like a sore eye."
"Crap!Where are you,Lockhart?!I can't afford to lose my magic-"
"My order! Is it ready?"
"Yes! Borgin finished it on time." Malfoy handed her a small package.
Eagerly she unwrapped the casing to see her new… pink purse?!
"What the-! Any reason for it to be so girly?!" When Tanya had it ordered, she thought of something less flashy, something more akin to a pouch.
"And definitely not a pink handbag!"
"Huhu! The finishing touches were my idea, I thought it would fit you!" He said, flaunting a proud smile.
"No need to thank me. I merely researched what is fashionable with girls these days!"
"Y-you- bah! Never mind!" Tanya opened the bag and gazed inside. At least, the object within seemed in accordance with her needs.
"I am ready for you, Lockhart! Next opportunity, I will make sure you are dead!" Tanya felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders. She now has a fighting chance should her magic fail.
"Tanya, is that you?" The girl turned to see Luna Lovegood, excitedly coming in her direction.
"Remember, after the game! Midnight at most!" With these last whispers, Malfoy turned and quickly left.
"Who was that man?"
"Oh! No one! I was asking for directions, I lost myself from Harry and Sirius." In truth, she took advantage of their motion sickness over the portkey travel to sneak out.
"Really? Then stay with us. Daddy will love to see you!"
"Y-your father?!"
"No worries. He won't be asking inconvenient questions."
She was wrong, as soon as he saw her, it was a continuation of their last encounter.
"Are you ready to tell me about the crumple-"
"Daddy! Remember what I said! No talking about this topic out here! 'Blood-suckers' might be listening!"
"We are safe, the only ones close by are my two fans right here." Xenophilius said, pointing to a boy a little older than Tanya and to a man she met before.
"Miss Degurechaff! It's good to see you!"
"Hello Mr Bode. I haven't heard from you for a while." Tanya happily greeted Broderick Bode, an unspeakable of the department of mysteries.
"I know! Unfortunately, we still couldn't convince the minister to speed up the formalities with your project."
"Oh! What a bummer…" If Bode detected her fake disappointment, he didn't let it show.
"Last year he alleged the capture of Sirius Black was demanding all of his resources, and now the world cup! At this rate, you'll graduate before we even begin!"
"Hehehe! That's the plan!"
"You never told me you liked the Quibbler."
"And I didn't, not until I read the article about your origins!"
"Eh?"
"Please tell me, is the 'operation orb' actually a lost artifact from the old kings?!"
"Geh! Just what I needed!"
"The entire department is very eager to begin experimenting! I myself am dying to see what sort of miracles it can perform!"
"'Miracles'?! Could he be another minion such as those-" Her line of thoughts trailed off as there was something weird in his statement.
"Hold on! Didn't you develop a prototype?!"
"I wish we had! The project involves too much of muggle's technology. We were planning to hire a few of their… what was it…"
"Technicians."
"Yes, those! Regrettably, help from muggles demands a special permit to break the statute of secrecy."
"… Mr Bode, you didn't happen to lose any personnel in the last few months, did you?"
"Are you talking about Bertha Jorkins? She doesn't work in my department."
"I see." She gave him her most serene expression but inside, she was in turmoil.
"WHO THE HELL WERE THOSE TWO?! And from where the type 95 came?! Being X merely blessed thepiece of junk of that mad scientist! He couldn't have it sprout from the ground!"
Tanya was filled with regret for ever killing those two.
"Dammit! I should have interrogated them! Now it's too late, ashes tell no tales…"
"B-bonjour!" The word in french made her recall the boy at Mr Bode's side.
As she looked at him, he went beet red.
"C-c-can I-I-I h-h-have y-y-your a-a-autograph?" He said with great difficulty, his trembling hands showing her a magazine.
"Where have I seen someone acting so meek before? Ah! This is exactly how Ginny behaves with Harry."
"Tanya, this is Luc Millefeuille, a long time fan of my magazine. And like Mr Bode, he is particularly fond of the article my daughter wrote last year…"
"In other words, a fan-boy of 'princess Degretschow'…"
"Aff! Why not?" Swiftly, she took the magazine from his hands and wrote down 'princess Tanya'.
"Here. Congratulations, you got my first royal autograph!" Her sarcasm was lost as he beamed.
"WOOOOWWW! Mon last day 'ere and I met ze princess Tanya Degretschow! And you are so, gulp, s-so pretty!"
Maybe it wasn't a good idea after all. He was gazing at her with the same eyes she had to endure from Harry everyday.
"Mr Lovegood, Mr Bode, could you- eh?" She noticed Luna taking the two adults away from them.
'I don't care if it's with Harry or someone else, I just want to seesome crumple-horned Snorkack babies!' Tanya bet it was Luna's thoughts.
"Zee Irish team will throw a party if zay win. Mon dad eez one of zee sponsors and 'e got me loads of invitations. Do you wanna go… wiz me?"
"I can't spare time going to a silly commemoration party, there are some death eaters that need some killing!" Before she could say no, there was the sound of a bell and a voice was carried magically by the wind.
'We have a notice for a lost little girl. The guardian of Tanya Degurechaff is waiting near the center of the campsite. I repeat…'
Tanya blushed a deep scarlet with embarrassment. Forgetting completely about Luc, she hastily ran to the place of meeting.
"Ha! What a silly bloke. Someone needs to inform him we have a treaty with Tanya's species- I-I mean, the acromantulas these days!" Rather than irritating her, Ron's comment left Tanya optimistic the boy got over his growing crush on her.
"At seven, there were moments I conjured my books, whereas Tanya was adept at hanging full-grown men." Hermione's voice held a touch of envy as she spoke.
"Wish I could've spun webs at that age. Life would have been a breeze if Dudley and uncle Vernon were half as terrified." And Harry was as easy going as ever.
They were reunited at the Weasley's borrowed tent where she retold the incident that made her infamous as the 'acromantula-girl'.
These three plus Ginny already heard this story, so they weren't surprised. Sirius and the other Weasleys, however, seemed blown away.…
"Wow! A bunch of grown adults crying like little girls in fear of a true little girl must have been quite a sight!"
"At least someone thinks this is funny!" She couldn't help feeling a sense of indignation with her guardian. After hearing that embarrassing announcement, she rushed to find him and Harry, but when the announcer spotted her, his complexion turned ashen.
'I-I-ITS THE ACROMANTULA GIRL!' By his scream Tanya guessed he was one of the former hit wizards she met almost seven years ago.
Next, he dropped his wand saying she could have it as long as she didn't eat him, turned and ran away while screaming all the way.
"He knew he could just aparate, didn't he?"
At this point, the entire Weasley family, minus Molly, had arrived and heard everything. Compelled by the circumstances, she found herself with no alternative except divulging the whole story, lest further misunderstandings arise.
"Degurechaff! Have you no shame?" Percy was seriously angry with her.
"Probably because I am the monster of Ron's childhood-"
"To assault ministry representatives?! It is inexcusable!"
"I was wrong about Percy. He is nothing more than a suck-up."
"Percy, son, don't be too hard on her. Tanya was merely a little girl back then."
"Father!"
"Besides, I am sure she laments it today, right Tanya?"
"Oh, sure…" She answered with a tone lacking any trace of regret.
"Good! Tanya, you are the only one I didn't introduce to my two older sons!" Arthur Weasley chose to disregard her attitude, more focused on shifting the topic.
"This is Charlie and Bill." Tanya was introduced to two young men.
"So, you are Tanya?" The one identified as Charlie Weasley asked her.
"Mum has been sending me hundreds of pictures of you. Not even trying to hide she wants to match-make us."
"Gah! The howler didn't lie! She really did send my photographs to them!"
"It's so like that mother of mine, trying to tie us to a more venomous creature than she-"
"Son! Don't be rude!" Mr Weasley warned.
"Sorry, sorry. Don't take this wrong, lass. I am not into little girls… and definitely not into spiders either! Now, if you tell me you are a dragon in human skin, we can have a date and see how far we can go."
"Charlie, you are too old for me to ask you to behave! I will say it once more, don't be rude!"
As a matter of fact, Tanya smiled at his rudeness.
"Whew! I am safe with this knuckle-head! And what about the other?" Checking the oldest son, she saw Bill Weasley giving her a friendly smile.
"Don't mind my little brother, he always had a dragon 'fetish'! All I can see is a charming and pretty young lady who has nothing to do with dragons or spiders."
His courtesy actually left Tanya feeling nervous.
"So our big bro's into chasing blondes, is he? Quite the revelation, I must say!"
"Indeed, indeed! Thought mum had seriously messed you up for good, honestly!" He blushed at the twins' playful remark.
"Can't I compliment a girl for her looks? Tanya can be cute but is too young for me."
"Well, if it prevents you from getting involved with harpies such as Emily Tyler, maybe you should go for the lil princess here."
Tanya grew weary. As she observed Harry, it was clear that Charlie's last comment had also made him uneasy.
"HOLD ON!" In a surprising turn, Ron was the one who came to her aid.
"You two, bloody stay away from her! I spotted her before both of you!" His bold statement was followed by a lengthy silence.
"And mind I ask what 'spotting her first' means?" Hermione tapped her foot, fixing a stern gaze on the redheaded boy.
"N-nothing! I was kissing Tanya- !" Too late, Ron covered his mouth shut.
"RONALD WEASLEY! Are we back at this again?!"
"K-kiss you- I mean, I am sorry for kissing-!"
"Weren't you calling me an acromantula a few seconds ago?"
"I am shutting your mouth forever!"
"I-I-I AM SORRY ALRIGHT?!" He blurted out genuinely embarrassed.
"I can't get over Tanya snogging me!"
"Ron!" Harry called him out.
"Blimey, I'd never have reckoned my first kiss would be with a girl so pretty!"
"W-we get it!" Hermione waved her hands trying to have his attention.
"Now, stop before-"
"I can't even close my eyes without seeing Tanya kissing me… or kissing Hermione! And I am beginning to get used to changing my sheets after a nap!"
""RON! SHUT UP!""
"I am trying to apologize- mmmph!" Finally, Harry and Hermione covered his mouth together.
It seemed he had forgotten their agreement and revealed everything in front of everyone.
"What is this talk? Tanya kissed Ron? And Hermione too?!"
Tanya facepalmed herself, realizing for the second time today, she would have to retell another embarrassing story.
"Why the heck didn't I erase their memories?"
"Wow! Look at this crowd!" Harry marveled at the stadium as they navigated toward their seats.
"So many wizards and witches! Isn't it amazing, Tanya?"
"What is so amazing about having such a large quantity of potentially highly destructive beings in the same place?! It feels like we are walking on a minefield!" Forget the death eaters. Here, a small sports riot could turn into a full scale conflagration!
"Huh? What do you mean?" Of course the idiot didn't realize.
"Little Tanya must be fretting that dementors could swoop in any minute!"
"Oh! Can you reckon how many kisses she'd have to plant to shoo all them away?!" Fred and George concluded with matching mischievous smirks.
"No surprises there, coming from those two! Although I had higher expectations for the father, to be honest." She thought, glancing at Arthur Weasley trying to suppress his own laughter.
"… Ron?! And Hermione too?!" Ginny meanwhile, was telling a short version of the events to Luna.
"Cheer up, Bill! You'll come across the perfect blonde for you!"
"And one who doesn't show disrespect towards our authorities!" Charlie, with Percy, tried to 'console' their nonchalant older brother.
"Fellas! I told you I am alright!"
And Hermione was still pissed off at Ron.
"Honestly! You can't keep quiet!"
"Why are you whining? She didn't go tearing our memories apart, did she?"
"… at least Sirius is gone."
'Sorry, I stayed too long, I need to go back to my training.' He did mention he was going to work harder in order to protect them.
'Harry, don't do anything I wouldn't do- wait! Forget what I said! Don't do anything I would do, got it?!' He was beginning to appear more dependable…
'And Tanya? Please don't kiss other boys or girls, it's not nice to cheat.' … in a fashion.
"The irony is that his training would have been put to good use later on." It's for the best, this is a trial Harry needs to face on his own.
With nothing else to do, she took her seat and tried to relax, knowing she'd need rest for the main event after the game. She closed her eyes trying to block the loud cacophony of voices…
"Ron! Harry! What are you doing?!" Hermione's shout startled her wake.
"Eh? Did I doze- GAH!" In front of her, Harry was trying to jump down the stands!
She intercepted him on time just as Hermione did the same with Ron.
"Get a grip on yourself!" She tried to talk to him but he was dazed as if hypnotized.
Following his gaze, she saw that he was mesmerized by the Bulgarian mascots, veelas.
Tanya was left speechless. Those were without any doubt, the most gorgeous creatures she ever saw.
The grace in their movements, their melodious voice, their stunning appearance, all was perfect in every way! (Except maybe their clothing which made them look kinda sluttish.)
"Most of all, their impeccable beauty is stirring in my core…" For years, she speculated about the effects of being near attractive women. Now, amidst these extraordinarily beauties, she could affirm with absolute certainty that she felt-
"… absolutely nothing! I don't feel a thing!" Tanya covered her face, her last hope of keeping any of her masculinity was broken to pieces!
"C-calm down, this is not permanent! A-as soon as I return to my male body I-"
"GYAH!" She yelled, sensing a tug at her ass.
"WHO GRABBED MY BUTT?!" All heads turned her way as they heard her accusation.
Judging by proximity, the likely culprits were Harry, Ron, or the house-elf seated to her left.
"Ron is innocent, I was holding him." Hermione declared.
It couldn't be the elf either, as she appeared too terrified to even stir.
"Meaning…!" Her glare shot daggers at Harry.
"I didn't-! Or did I? S-sorry! I don't remember what I was doing after the veelas began to dance!"
"Don't be too hard on him, Tanya." Mr Weasley quickly interjected.
"Harry was under the influence of the veela's enchantment, his actions were unpredictable and far from intentional."She had already grasped that much. In fact, she saw grown men all worked up, angrily shouting to call back the veelas.
"R-right! No man can resist ogling at them…"
"To think I would envyvulgar people acting foolish! Sob! The humiliation!" She felt like crying.
"Ah! Tanya, don't cry! I-I am not ogling at them anymore, see?"
Maybe she did let out a sob seeing as Harry was so apologetic.
"Cut him some slack, princess! Consider this: Despite being under veela infatuation, the bum he snatched was still yours!"
"Meaning lady Von Degurechaff has not only smooches capable of creating patronuses, but a bum that's practically Veela-proof too!" The twins sing-sang, decided to put more fuel to the fire.
"Hmm… do you reckon her small bosom has a magical act as well?"
"Good question! What's your take, Harry?"
"Eh? Well, if I had to guess, touching her breasts attracts wacko nuns or undesirable teachers- EEK!" Slowly her hand darted to her wand and Harry knew what was about to come…
"It's okay Tanya. You can pay Harry back later. If the Irish team wins, of course."
"What does the Irish team have to do with anything, Luna?" Hermione asked.
"Earlier, Tanya met a fan, Luc. He is the son of a major sponsor of the Irish. If they win, they are going to throw a party and he is quite keen on having Tanya go with him!"
"I… I can't believe it! I have another rival?!" Harry was so perplexed he forgot Tanya's imminent cursing.
"LUNA! You said that Tanya has a boyfriend, right?!"
"I may have forgotten this little detail…"
"WHAT?!"
"Harry, you are being too half-baked with your 'repopulating' responsibilities! You two are dating for too long and so far, not a single BABY!" Luna's tone grew unusually solemn at this point. In response, Harry matched her seriousness.
"What do you mean by half-baked?! I will let you know that if it wasn't for Snape interfering, there would be an entire herd of crumple-horned snorkacks on the way!"
Upon hearing this comment, Tanya watched as everyone's eyes went wide with surprise. Except Ron, who seemed about to sob with a heartbreak.
"That's the spirit! Rest assured, you will have your chance to compete for her. Luc said she can take all her friends to the party at the ministry."
"Huh? The ministry? The party is in London?!" This was bad! Tanya couldn't leave the stadium's region before the death eaters' attack.
"We can go too?! Sweet!"
"Ah! Let's take the opportunity to celebrate Tanya's birthday too!"
"My birthday was two days ago and I have an appointment-"
"G-GOLD!" Someone yelled and all hell broke loose. After the veelas tempted people with lust, it was time for the leprechauns, the Irish team mascots, to tempt people with greed.
Now, this was a capital sin that Tanya could appreciate.
"Except, this is obviously fake!" Her accurate capitalist sense was telling her.
"There you go, for the omnioculars!" Of course, the two imbeciles didn't realize, looking as Ron was using the fake gold as payment and Harry was gladly accepting.
"Anyway, Harry! When the game ends we- GEH!" He eagerly caught her hands.
"No one is going to defeat me! I'm going to rub it in their faces that you're my girlfriend!"
"W-what? How do you plan to-"
"… ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome…"
"AH! The match is starting!"
It was too late. They were all worked up with the stupid game! And she could foresee that once it was over, she'd be swept into the party without a moment to refuse.
"Maybe the Bulgarians will win?" Unfortunately, with the little she knew about quidditch, she understood that the Irish dominated the match. Her last remaining hope was the Bulgarian seeker catching the snitch before his adversaries had too many points.
"And I know exactly where the snitch is!" For Tanya, who could detect the small ball's mana, it was very easy. If only she could inform the Bulgarian seeker…
"Who said I can't?" Tanya had an idea. She would use the last magical formula untested as a spell. Discreetly, she pointed her white silver wand at the pitch.
AN: Thank you very much for the reviews. This is the chapter I took the longest to make ready, I think I am kinda stressed these days…
I wonder if anyone can guess who the mysterious partner of Voldemort is. Lockhart? Wormtail? One of the seven death eaters Tanya believes she killed? Perhaps one of the hit wizards she left disgraced? Someone else?
Oh, and about the conclusion of the world cup, bear with me, I am changing the outcome just like I did with the first house cup during the first arc.
In this chapter, I put my first attempt at using a french accent with Luc. Frankly, I found this very tiring to create and also to read! My question is: do you guys rather have Fleur speaking like this (as it is in the original) or should I have her talking normally with Tanya and I just write that they are talking in french?
Like Cedric, Bill was another person I considered to be Tanya's lover before she married Harry. I thought of changing this to make him at least crazy in love with Tanya. But I ultimately thought it would be improper on his part looking as Cedric is still a boy but Bill is already an adult.
Next chapter: Tanya is caught by the anti-cheating spell of the goblet of fire and has her age changed…