Chapter 15
Harry watched his teammate exit the locker room with amusement. To be honest, he did not even know if there would be any slugging. Viktor did not even tell him why he wanted to meet him at the Quidditch pitch. He could simply just want to talk.
He turned, took a deep breath, and stepped out into the pitch.
He was greeted by a deafening roar of applause. Harry looked up and saw Viktor Krum, hovering alone high above the pitch on his own Firebolt, waiting for him.
"Okay," he muttered. "Let's get this show started."
He then mounted his broom and sped off towards Viktor.
From afar, Harry could see Viktor was watching him. The Durmstrang cum Bulgarian National Quidditch Team Seeker cocked his eyebrows when Harry arrived in front of him.
"Are ve trespassing, Harry? Is the field booked right now?" Viktor asked.
"Not that I know of. I don't think so, Viktor. We only use the pitch for training when there's no tournament. There won't be any Quidditch Tournament this year so I don't think anyone booked the pitch," said Harry.
"Then vhy are they here?" asked Victor, nodding at the crowd.
Harry shrugged. "Probably to see us doing something, I don't know. We were not exactly alone when we talked back in the Great Hall, remember?"
"I know that but I expect only us and a few of my friends to be here," Viktor said, looking around and shaking his head. "This is too many."
Harry too looked around. "Yeah, I can see that. Well, the news travels fast, Viktor. Some of them might over-exaggerate it. Although I can see all of your friends turn up as well. Are you sure you said just a few?"
"The rest of them only came vhen they saw that everyone else came," explained Viktor. "I told them I just vant to talk to you. They vere just curious about the crowd I think."
Harry immediately saw the issue. The very problem he foresaw back at the Gryffindor locker room. Not only the news about his meeting with Viktor had been spread wildly, but it had also been blown out of proportion.
"Just talk?" asked Harry incredulously. "Then why did you ask me to bring along my broom?"
"It vas just an excuse I gave them," Viktor said. "I vas hoping that you could show me some of your moves. I prefer to do that vhen there are not many people around. I hate distractions and these people are a distraction."
Harry began to understand Viktor's intention. He and Viktor could leave to be somewhere else but then again those students came to the pitch hoping to see something and he wasn't planning on facing the interrogations back at the Tower if nothing happened. At the same time, however, he had no idea what to do. All he knew was that the issue with too many spectators truly needs to be dealt with.
"We could go somewhere else if you want to," he suggested. Shrewdly. He decided to let Viktor make the decision, of course with him pulling the string unnoticed.
"Yes,ve could," agreed Viktor. "That vould be the better idea."
"They would be disappointed though," said Harry, looking at the crowd below. "Imagine them going through all the trouble of coming here only to see you leave."
Viktor stared at Harry. He then shook his head. "I hate it vhen you are right. Give me a moment. Let me think."
Harry smiled. He knew the celebrity side of Viktor wouldn't allow him to disappoint his fans. And he found that he did not have to wrack his brain for ideas. Viktor gestured him to wait and set off towards the stand where the Durmstrang delegates sat. He saw Viktor talking to one of the boys. The boy nodded and together with another boy, immediately departed from the stand.
"And now ve vait," said Viktor the moment he returned.
"So what is it exactly are you planning to do?" asked Harry curiously.
"Ve are going to have a little competition," said Viktor. "A Seeker versus another Seeker."
"I see," nodded Harry. "Competition, huh? I take it that it will involve a snitch?"
Viktor smiled. "Snitches," he said. "Not snitch."
Harry stared at Viktor, his eyebrows cocked. "There would be more than one?"
Viktor simply smiled and nodded. "Just vait. You vill see it once my friends arrive."
And they both wait.
The crowd was getting noisier and at one point, they began to chant both Viktor's and Harry's names. Of course, Viktor received the louder chant compared to Harry.
Harry found out that he didn't care.
"They're getting impatient, Viktor," he pointed out.
"Yes, I know," said Viktor, smiling. "Good things come to those who vait. So ve let them vait. Those who are impatient can leave."
Harry smirked at this.
Of course, none of the spectators left. Why would they? They wouldn't want to miss seeing Viktor perform for free.
After a few more minutes of waiting, a duo of Durmstrang boys flew towards them. Harry noticed that the two of them were carrying a small wooden chest. The two boys lifted the chest towards Viktor the moment they arrived.
"What's in it?" asked Harry.
"My tools. Something I used to train as a Seeker," answered Viktor as he fumbled in his pocket. He took a small brass key out of it, slotted it into the keyhole, and opened the chest.
Harry's eyes widened when he saw the contents of the chest. Indeed there were snitches, a lot of them neatly arranged inside the chest. The snitches were in various shades of gold. He also noticed a few that were completely black in color.
"I know you were talking about plural but this is insane!" he exclaimed.
"Two hundred and seventy to be exact. All looked a little bit vorn but they are still functional, I promise you that. These are vhat I use to train myself as a Seeker. Notice the color, Harry?"
"Yes, I notice that," confirmed Harry. "I guess the differences are more than just appearance, am I right?"
Viktor nodded. "Indeed you are. The ones with the lightest color are normal snitches. You know the same kind you saw in your training and tournaments. You see, the darker the colors, the faster they fly and the sneakier they maneuver. Also, they are much harder to catch as vell. The black ones are not only the fastest but also the sneakiest. They are very difficult to see. They come and go in a blink of an eye. They also like to change direction abruptly and vill try hard to make you crash. There vere Seekers who ended up permanently disabled or lost their lives vhile training using black snitches. They are full of tricks. They are very dangerous."
"And yet you still use it," stated Harry. He could not believe that Viktor would dare to risk his life for it. "Why?"
"How else do you think I could become the best Seeker in the vorld?"
"Right."
"The black snitches help me to focus and always be on alert. It humbled me. You never know vhat they vill do. All you vill know is that in the next second, your body and the vall in front of you could become one."
At this point, Harry was beginning to feel uncomfortable. He looked at the black snitches with a slight distaste in his mouth.
"Enough explanation," said Viktor, now in a more businesslike tone. "Vhat ve are going to do is simple. Ve are going to have a small competition. The one who catches the most snitches vins. Are you up for it?"
Harry thought for a while. He grew dislikes of the black snitches but this was about catching the most snitches. He could freely ignore those black snitches and just concentrate on the rest.
"Alright, Viktor," he responded moments later. "You got yourself a challenger."
"Good. You do have the skills," said Viktor. "I saw you this morning, Harry Potter. Right now, vhat I vant is for you to put those skills to the test. I shall be vatching. My friend here," he pointed to the one with darker skin. He had thick eyebrows, much like Viktor though his height seemed to be a little bit shorter. "Vill track the count for us. Harry, meet Alexander Stukov. He plays keeper in our school team."
Alexander extended his hand towards Harry. "Hello. It iz nice to finally meet you, Harry Potter." Harry noticed Stukov had a much thicker Bulgarian accent than Viktor.
"Nice to meet you too, Stukov," said Harry, shaking hands with him.
"Call me Alexander."
Harry smiled and nodded. "Call me Harry."
Stukov then handed over the chest to a taller, skinnier boy beside him. He then flew towards the stand where Lee Jordan and Professor McGonagall used to sit when they were running commentaries for the Quidditch matches. Once he safely landed on the stand, he took out his wand and pointed it to the sky. Yellow flashes came out of it and began to form a floating scoreboard, much like the one in the Quidditch World Cup albeit smaller in size. Harry's and Viktor Krum's names appeared on top of the scoreboard, current count registered as 0-0.
"Ready, Harry?" asked Viktor.
Harry took a deep breath. He nodded. "Ready."
Viktor nodded. He turned towards the boy. They spoke in Bulgarian.
Harry understood their conversation without the two knowing. Viktor was telling the boy to hand over pouches, each to Harry and Viktor, and to be ready to let the snitches go. And Harry got to know the boy's name. Olaf Antonov.
Back in the old timeline, being fluent in many languages was essential for an Auror like him, especially when it comes to fishing out information. The first language he learned was French, courtesy of his wife of course. Fleur religiously taught him her native language up to the point where he managed to completely lose his English accent whenever he spoke French and was able to differentiate French local dialects very effectively. He then moved on to other Northern and Southern European languages such as Swedish, Hungarian, Spanish, Italian, Norwegian, Bulgarian, and a lot more including some Asian languages. He of course was not fluent in all of them but his level of command was good enough to see him through in every mission he embarked on.
Nobody within this timeline knew this little ability of him though. And he planned to keep it that way.
Olaf gave two pouches to Viktor, who in turn gave one of them to Harry. "Use this to store all the snitches you capture. You can tie it to your waist. That vould be much easier and von't impede your movement."
Using the small strings that extended from the opening of the pouch, Harry tied the pouch to his waist. Viktor mirrored him.
"Ready?"
Harry nodded.
Viktor gave Olaf a nod.
Olaf hit the side of the chest really hard. And like a swarm of locusts, the snitches woke up and flew out of the chest in all directions.
Harry's eyes darted here and there as he tried to keep track of the snitches movement. True to what Viktor had said, the black ones were the sneakiest and the fastest. Harry saw them for like a second before all the black snitches jetted away out of sight with amazing speed. At this point, he began to wonder if the Firebolt could outrun them.
Harry turned towards Viktor.
The Bulgarian seeker was staring hard into Harry's eyes. "Ready?" he once again asked.
Harry rolled his eyes at this. "Just say the word, Viktor!"
"GO!" Viktor suddenly shouted and immediately took a steep dive.
The spectators roared once they realized what the two seekers were intending to do. Here and there, Harry's and Viktor's names can be heard chanted loudly by them.
In a burst of speed, Harry zoomed forward and caught three snitches in one swoop. He immediately put the snitches caught into his pouch. A loud gong was heard. The scoreboard showed his tally. He felt a bit proud until he saw Viktors's tally. The Bulgarian seeker led him by four snitches.
"Drat!" he cursed.
He leaned forward and sped off. He caught another two snitches on the way before he noticed a stray snitch floating unnoticed near Draco Malfoy's left ear. He gave his broom a kick and the Firebolt launched in a great burst of speed. The Slytherins screamed when they saw Harry come barreling towards them. Malfoy himself fell off his seat as Harry zoomed in, missing him by a mere inch, and caught the snitch.
Harry did a sharp turn and braked in front of Malfoy. He smirked. Showing the snitch he caught in Malfoy's face, he said, "This baby has been floating near you for decades and you didn't even notice. You might want to consider applying for a different position in your team, Malfoy. Or better still, resign."
"Shove off, Potter!" Malfoy who was struggling to entangle himself from Crabb and Goyle on the floor, hotly replied.
"Don't like that piece of advice?" said Harry. "Then I'll give you another one. Train harder."
Harry did not wait for Malfoy's retort. He zoomed away from there and caught another snitch in the process.
He silently admitted he was rude to Malfoy and regretted it but then again unlike the older, adult Malfoy, the teenage Malfoy was cruel.
It was already five minutes into the game. The scoreboard registered 17-12 with Viktor still on the lead.
Harry zigzagged through the course, nudging his broom to go as fast as it could as he tried to intercept as many snitches as he could. At one point, a black snitch appeared in front of him. He had caught a lot of normal snitches and several darker ones but he had yet added the black snitches to his collection.
Despite his earlier reservation, he decided to try. He leaned forward, once again nudging his broom to fly even faster. The black snitch zoomed ahead, darted left and right, and remained just outside his outstretched arm reach. Harry inwardly cursed with frustration. He refused to give up though and began putting all of his effort into catching the snitch. His broom gave another burst of acceleration. But just as he nearly had it within his grasp, the black snitch suddenly shot up and disappeared out of sight.
And Harry found himself traveling at a very high speed straight towards a pillar in front of him.
He gripped his broom with both hands, did a barrel roll to the left, and managed to miss the pillar at the very last second. But it was not the end of it. He found himself facing another pillar and once again did a barrel roll, this time to his right. Apparently, in his overzealous effort to capture the black snitch, he had accidentally entered underneath one of the towering stands and was forced to dodge every pillar and wooden beam that made up the frame of the spectator's stand. It was not easy. The spaces between the pillars and the beams were narrow, just enough to fit someone his size with mere inches to spare. But he made it out unscathed, much to the spectators' surprise. There was a boom of applause and a roar of cheers as he emerged on the other side of the tower.
"You okay, Harry?" called out Viktor as he flew to Harry's side.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm okay," Harry replied. The truth was, his heart was beating at probably a thousand times per minute.
Viktor nodded. "That vas a really close call, Harry. I thought you were a goner. I told you the black snitch is really nasty."
"Yeah. I kinda saw that."
"Concentrate on the easier one first," said Viktor. "And keep track of the scoreboard!"
With that, Viktor shot upward, leaving Harry in his wake.
Harry glanced at the scoreboard and saw that Viktor had extended his lead by ten points. The tally was now 221 snitches remaining uncaught. Without wasting any more time, he urged his broom forward, flattened his body to it, and with his eyes tracking all the snitches continuously, resumed his effort to catch the snitches. He lunged upwards, dove, and did sharp and wild maneuvers as he tried to increase his score. Several times he saw black snitches right in his sight and tried to catch them.
Once again he failed.
Minutes passed by. Harry managed to reduce Viktor's lead by two points. The tally was now 39-37. He was flying fast and high above the pitch when he once again saw a black snitch hovering nearby. With a burst of speed, he went after it. But the snitch once again outmaneuvered him.
Harry groaned in frustration. He began to suspect that he may need a different tactic in order to catch them. He decided to stop pursuing the black snitches and followed Viktor's advice by concentrating on the easier one. He did that and the result was quite encouraging. At one point, there was a loud roar coming in from the audience as Harry managed to match Viktor's score 53 - 53.
As Harry whizzed by the Ravenclaw stand, he noticed a black snitch hovering alone on top of the stand. He was about to leave it alone when all of a sudden, an idea flew into his head. Without thinking further, he immediately made a detour but this time, instead of going straight for the snitch, he went underneath it.
There were screams. There was chaos. The snitch once again tried to escape. But this time, it did not make it. The black snitches may have outstripped the Firebolt when it comes to speed, it did not have a chance against Harry's agility. Harry's outstretched hand managed to grasp it finally.
Harry was elated. That was his first black snitch ever.
His delight did not last long, however. He immediately noticed disturbances coming in from just below him. He looked down and saw several Ravenclaw and Beauxbaton students had fallen off their seats. Fleur was one of them. She was lying on top of Adrienne. The former fell on top of her apparently.
He threw the newly caught snitch into his pouch and flew closer to the stands. Without thinking, he extended his hand towards Fleur.
Fleur's eyes darted between his face and his offered hand. She did not take it. Harry could tell she was very angry at him. He could hear Adrienne grumbling underneath Fleur as well.
But Fleur cocked her eyebrows the moment she heard what Harry said next.
"I'm sorry," said Harry softly. "This is entirely my fault. Let me help. You don't want to continue sitting on the floor, do you?"
Harry's voice seemed to have a profound effect on her. Her expression immediately softened and as a result, she slowly reached up for his hand and Harry gently pulled her up.
"You okay?" asked Harry.
Fleur nodded.
For the next few moments, they were both lost in each other's eyes.
A loud gong startled them. Harry turned to look at the scoreboard. Viktor's tally had now reached 63 versus 54 of him.
He quickly turned to Fleur. "Listen, I'm sorry for what happened. I'll make it up to you in whatever way possible but now I need to go." He then looked down. "You need to give me back my hand."
Fleur mirrored him and saw that she was still holding onto his hand. But instead of releasing him, she looked back at him and said, "Will you promise? Will you keep your word?"
Harry was taken aback. Her question was totally unexpected. But he didn't have time to ponder about it at that time for his mind was still on that little competition he was having with Viktor. "I will try. That is what I can do," he answered, hoping the reply would suffice.
And once again, he saw Fleur's expression change. Not of anger. Not of disappointment. But something else.
She stared at him. "We shall see," she then replied as she let go of his hand. She opened her mouth to speak further but ultimately, decided to end the conversation right there and then.
"You have a firm grip," Harry smiled kindly at her. He then gave Fleur and the rest of the Beauxbaton and Ravenclaw students a wave, hastily apologized to them, and took a steep dive over the edge of the stand, catching another snitch as he made his way to the bottom.
And as he jetted down and away from the stand, he could hear Adrienne yelling at him, "Hey! You 'elp only 'er?! What about me?!"
The competition between him and Viktor intensified. They both flew so fast that from the audience's point of view, they were nothing but a blur, whizzing around the Quidditch pitch at great speed. By now, Harry was in the lead by ten points. He was in a really good position to beat Viktor. He learned Viktor's snitches really well. At one point, they gasped loudly as both Harry and Viktor nearly collided head-on when they tried to catch the same snitch that hovered just a few feet above the ground. The two seekers were able to perform a perfect barrel roll in the opposite direction at the very last moment, missing each other by mere inches that their knees nearly grazed into each other. Viktor got that snitch though. But it didn't matter. He 'repaid' Viktor kindly by adding two more snitches into his collection moments later.
But midway through all of these, a thought suddenly popped into his head. An instinct came to him, telling him that he should let Viktor win. It told him that he would stand to gain more if Viktor came out victorious. He ignored that instinct at first but it appeared to him again and again, until finally after some deliberations, he decided to heed it.
Harry began to wind down his effort and began to concentrate his effort on capturing the black snitches. He no longer cared if he lost. To him, capturing the black snitches gave him more satisfaction and was much more fun. And those black snitches made great flight instructors as well.
Harry was an excellent flyer. As a matter of fact, he was the best flyer of his generation but during his tenure as an Auror, he received very few challenges. Sure he did a lot of chases on broom but those pesky criminals were among the worst flyers he ever met. He beat them with ease every time. The black snitches in turn provided him with challenges he never faced before. And he loved it. So instead of trying to catch them as quickly as he could, he let them toy with him. He entertained them. He played with them. He followed them. He let them teach him. And when he felt the time had come, he snatched them.
There was a really loud cheer when the game concluded. Indeed as expected, Viktor won. He scored 184 versus Harry's 86.
Harry, Viktor, Alexander, and Olaf flew down onto the ground.
Harry handed over his snitch-filled pouch to Viktor once they landed. "Congratulations, Viktor," he said. "You really deserve it."
But Viktor shook his head. "No, Harry Potter. The actual vinner vould be you if you did not let yourself get distracted," he said. "You know vhy?"
Harry shook his head.
Viktor then poured the content of Harry's pouch back into the chest. From it, he took out one of the black snitches and showed it in front of Harry. "You managed to capture 29 of these. I only manage to capture seven."
"It was just luck I guess."
Viktor once again shook his head. "Luck had nothing to do vith it, I assure you. I know these black snitches really vell. It vas your skills." He then leaned towards Harry and whispered, "I also noticed you slackening off during our competition. You vere planning to let me vin, veren't you?"
Harry went silent at this. He half expected Viktor to be furious.
But instead, the Bulgarian Seeker smiled at him. "I am disappointed but I am not angry. Ve are going to have a go at it one more time, Harry Potter. I hope by then, you vill truly put your utmost effort in beating me. I also have a request."
"What would that be?" asked Harry, dumbfounded.
"I vant us to train together," repeated Viktor. "It has been a vhile since the last time I train vith someone possessing formidable skills. I hope you von't mind, Harry. I hope that ve could do this more often, at least until I return to Bulgaria."
Harry saw there was nothing wrong with it. Maybe it would be the right choice. He could in turn learn from Viktor. "Yeah, sure. I won't mind. I mean why not? I had fun doing this."
Viktor smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "Then I vould say thank you. I think that is all for today. Ve can set the date for the next meeting later. I have to go back to prepare for tonight."
Harry suddenly remembered that there would be the Triwizard Champion selection ceremony after the Halloween Dinner that evening. "Oh yeah, right. I guess you should prepare early."
Viktor once again smiled. He then tossed the black snitch he was holding to Harry. Harry caught it. "Take it. That vill be a souvenir from me to you. Use it vell, Harry. It vill help you to train before our friendly
match. By the vay, have you and your team decided on a date?"
Harry was honestly nearly forgotten about that. "Oh yeah, about that, well-, we have a slight problem."
"And vhat problem is that?" asked Viktor.
"We don't have enough players, you see. Our Keeper graduated last year and since the Hogwarts Inter House Quidditch Tournament had been canceled this year to make way for the Triwizard Tournament, we didn't seek a replacement. And since the Keeper was also our captain, we don't have that too. We are going to need some time," explained Harry.
Viktor nodded in understanding. "That von't be a problem. Take as much time as you need. Find a good keeper and a good captain and train hard. I vant you and your team to be in your top form vhen ve meet on this pitch. I still expect the match to happen."
"Thank you, Viktor," said Harry, feeling a bit of relief. "I'll try not to disappoint you and your team."
"I don't think there vould be any disappointment given your performance today, Harry. I expect your teammate to be as good as you," replied Viktor. "As a matter of fact, I am looking forward to our match more than ever."
"Don't worry, Viktor. It will happen. You're not the only one who expects it."
Viktor nodded and they both shook hands. "I'll see you later, Harry."
"Yeah, you too," said Harry. He then proceeded to shake hands with Olaf and Alexander.
Viktor and his friends then took leave but before they got too far, Harry called out to them, "Hey Viktor!"
Viktor turned to look. His thick eyebrows cocked.
"Good luck! For tonight! Hope you'll get nominated!"
Viktor smiled and gave Harry a thumbs-up.
The rest of his teammates met him back in the locker room. They all tried their best to console him for his loss. But Harry told them that it was okay.
"Seriously guys, I'm okay. As a matter of fact, I had fun," he said exasperatedly. "What do you expect? I'm playing against a World Cup player. It's like a team of primary school students playing football against an English Premier League team."
His entire teammate looked at him in puzzlement.
"What are you talking about?" asked Fred.
"And what the hell is a football?" asked George in turn.
Harry raised his eyebrows. "You seriously don't know-… owh never mind. Let's get back to the common room. I smell filthy. Anyway, looked at what Viktor gave me." He showed his present to them.
"Viktor Krum gave that to you?" asked Angelina Johnson in amazement. "I mean he really, really gave that to you?"
"Yup," said Harry simply. "I think he too tried to console me. I told him I was fine. He said it was a souvenir from him to me."
His teammates stared at the snitch with utmost reverence. It reminds Harry of when Ron and Hermione first laid their eyes on the Elder Wand after Voldemort was killed. He found that he still did not like it.
"Can I hold it, Harry?" asked George.
Harry gave the snitch to George.
"Oh wow," said George. "Can't believe that this was Viktor's. I could finally touch it. I mean, I am touching it. Blimey."
Harry just rolled his eyes.
"But why it's in black?" asked Katie who like everyone else, could not tear her eyes away from it. "The gold color is already hard enough to see, wouldn't it?"
"That's a training snitch. Viktor had snitches in various shades of gold inside that wooden chest of his. The darker the shades are, the harder it is for a Seeker to catch it. And it's not just about being able to see them," explained Harry. He then took the snitch back from George. "The black snitches are supposed to be the hardest to be captured. They're not only much harder to see, but they're also much faster and can trick a Seeker. A black snitch was responsible for my near miss earlier in the game."
"You mean when you nearly plow into the stand?" asked Angeline. "You really gave us quite a scare, Harry."
"Well yeah, it happened," said Harry as he lugged the Firebolt over his shoulder. "Anyway, I already told Viktor about our dilemma. He understands. He told me that we can take all the time we need to find a new keeper and a captain. He wants us to train hard. He expects us to be in a top shape before the match happens."
"Oh, he won't have to worry about that," said George. "We'll give him the biggest wallop of the century, won't we, Fred?"
"Yeap," came the reply.
"But he would only be here for a year," said Alicia who had remained silent. "I don't think we have all that time."
"Then we'll just have to create some," said Fred. "Depends on whether we could get Oliver, I think the best time to hold the match will be during the second term. It will give us the time to prep up the team."
"I agree," said Harry. "Let's agree on it."
"Okay. The second term it is then," said Katie. "Let's hope we get good news from Oliver. Come on you guys. It's getting late and Harry is probably tired."
"Katie's right," said Fred who noticed Harry looked a little bit worn out. "Come on, Harry. Let's get you back to your dorm."
With that, the whole team made their way out of the locker room.
The rest of the students were filing up back towards the castle. Harry found Hermione, Ron, Seamus, and Dean waiting for him just outside the locker room. He noticed that there were fingernail marks on Hermione's face where she had been clutching it in fear.
"Oh my God, are you okay, Harry?" squeaked Hermione.
"Yeah, you gave us quite a fright back there, mate," said Ron. His face was as white as ashes. "Blimey, we thought you were a goner."
Both Seamus and Dean nodded in agreement.
Harry knew they were referring to the stand incident. "I'm fine. I'm okay. Look, no scratches."
"You may not be as lucky the next time, Harry," said Hermione. "You really need to be careful."
"I promise," said Harry, trying to appease Hermione. "Now stop worrying. Come on. Let's head back to the common room."
Together with the rest of his teammate, they joined the crowd as they made their way back to the castle. Both Seamus and Dean told him that they were analyzing both him and Viktor's tactics during the competition.
"There was not much difference between you and him," Dean gave his assessment. "It's like watching two Viktor Krums or two Harry Potters slugging it out against each other. I think you have an edge over him though."
"You could have beaten him, Harry. You got distracted by that girl from Beauxbaton. I know she's pretty. She's like the hottest girl in Hogwarts at this point but you need to keep yourself focused," pointed out Seamus. "Remember that, Harry. Don't get distracted. Focus!"
"Yeah I'll remember that," said Harry, feeling a little bit annoyed at Seamus's attempt to channel Oliver Wood. "Stop sounding like Oliver, Seamus."
They continued their way towards the castle. Along the way, even though he was defeated, a lot of students still congratulated Harry for his performance in the competition echoing the same sentiment as Seamus and Dean.
Suddenly-
"Nice flying, Potter."
Harry looked around and saw a girl, together with her friends overtaking the Gryffindors as she also made her way back to the castle. She glanced at Harry before she continued her way up. Harry noticed that she was quite pretty. No. As a matter of fact, she was truly a beauty. A brunette, she wore her hair in a ponytail with a few strands left to frame her face, just like Fleur. The difference was that Fleur's hair reached to her waist. The girl's hair only reached just below her shoulder line. And like Fleur, she had fair, creamy smooth skin. Her eyes though were bright green color. A little bit shorter than Fleur, her body was just as curvaceous as the French Veela.
Harry then noticed the robe she wore and the emblem printed on it.
There was something in the way she looked at him, though. Unlike the look her house members never fail to give him, there was no hatred in it.
Then it struck him. He knew that girl. He had seen her before in his past life. Fleur was the one who introduced her to him.
Her name was Daphne Greengrass. She was Fleur's cousin. She was a Hogwarts student. She was a Slytherin.
And she was a Veela.
His mind went back to the time in the past. He didn't believe it at first when Fleur told him Daphne was a Veela. He told her that there was no way nobody noticed her when she was at school.
"People noticed you when you first came to Hogwarts. How come no one ever noticed her while she was at school? I didn't even know she existed until you introduced her to me," said Harry to Fleur after they met Daphne and her family at one of their family gatherings a few weeks after they got married.
"She waz able to conceal 'erself. Zhere are various concealment charms and methods we Veela can use to hide our identity. She iz very good at it," replied Fleur.
"So why don't you use them? You know it will make your life a lot easier," said Harry.
"Oh I use zhem alright but for some reason, zhose concealments juz isn't enough," said Fleur.
"Not enough? As in?"
"Az in I 'ave no idea why it iz not enough? Maman theorized zhat because I waz built differently from ozher Veelas zhat iz why all zhe concealment charms and spells juz wazn't enough," she said. Shrugging, she asked, "Does zhat make sense to you?"
Harry stared at his wife. Indeed, his wife was built differently and not just from other Veelas. "Make sense," he simply said.
Returning back to the present, he continued to stare at Daphne's receding back. Hogwarts had Veelas. And not just one but two Veelas for Astoria, the younger sister of Daphne Greengrass was also one! Daphne was one of the few Slytherin students who fought in the Battle of Hogwarts. She made it through the battle of course. And Harry had full respect towards her when he found that out.
She and her friend were walking ahead of Harry. But just before she climbed the marble stairs, she looked over her shoulder towards him.
Harry could almost swear she was smiling at him.
"Yup. That's Daphne Greengrass," confirmed Hermione who was observing the girl's behavior. "She's in our year if you haven't noticed it yet. It wasn't a surprise that not many knew her or were aware she existed. She keeps mostly to herself that Greengrass girl. Most of her housemates called her The Ice Queen of Slytherin."
"The Ice Cream of Slytherin?" said Ron as he continuously rubbed his ears. It had been ringing extensively due to the excessive noise generated during the competition between Harry and Viktor, rendering him temporarily half-deaf. "That's an odd title given to a girl, don't you think?"
"I said Ice Queen, Ron! Ice Queen! Not ice cream!"
"Oh, sorry."
"Never mind," Hermione waived Ron off. "If you're wondering Harry, why she got that title, it was because of the way she treated any boy trying to approach her. She did not take them kindly. Quite a few boys ended up in the hospital wing just because of her. Anyway, the girls in my dormitory, you know. They talk. It was said that Malfoy had been chasing Greengrass for years. They said he fancies her."
"And why are you telling me all of these, Hermione?" asked Harry.
"Just so you'll be ready. I know that look she gave you," said Hermione, again giving Harry the same glance she gave him after Cassandra left the Gryffindor Table that night. "The Beauxbaton isn't the only one who is interested in you it seems."
"Hang on! I thought Malfoy dates Parkinson," said Ron who was taken by surprise by that little info. "She was just like Crabbe and Goyle, always following him around whenever she can."
"I know, right?" said Hermione. "But unless my dorm mates were making up stories, I think that's true. Malfoy does fancy Greengrass. She never gives him the chance though. He got Parkinson instead."
"Figures," said Ron. "I mean, that Greengrass girl certainly is a looker. A lot of boys would want to date her."
"A lot indeed," agreed Hermione. "Considering that she belongs to an aristocratic family which means that she's really rich. Plus there were rumors that there was a Veela lineage buried deep somewhere within her family tree."
Harry's eyebrow cocked. At this point, he began to see the similarities between Daphne and Fleur. Both came from aristocratic families. Both were called the Ice Queen of their respective school. And both were Veelas.
"So, you're saying she's a Veela?" asked Ron.
"Of course, not!" said Hermione irritably. "Do you see any boys drooling whenever they look at her? Though I won't bet that on the boy who is walking right beside me. He'll drool on anything."
Harry knew that she was referring to Ron.
"I thought you were not interested in this kind of stuff. You never failed to surprise me, Hermione," said Harry.
"I still am not interested in that kind of stuff," said Hermione. "Why do you think I stick to the common room most of the time? I only use the dormitory to change clothes and to sleep. But you can't help but hear this kind of stuff you know. We're not like boys."
Harry just nodded in understanding.
Back at the dormitory a few minutes later…
His Firebolt had been safely stored inside the broom cabinet. Harry was now lying comfortably on his bed. It won't be for another couple of hours before the Halloween Feast and the Champion Selection begins. He got a lot of time to rest.
He was half listening to the blow-by-blow analysis of the competition given by Neville, Seamus, Ron, Dean, and the twins. Earlier when they arrived, he showed his dorm mates the snitch Viktor gave to him. And like before, they looked at it with utmost reverence and took turns to hold it. Seamus reminded him to have Viktor put his signature on the snitch, reasoning that the snitch might be worth something someday. Harry said he would make a note of that.
Right now though, all he could think of was Fleur. Mainly the way she looked at him back at the stand.
She was beautiful in her teenage years and she was even more beautiful in her adult years. Just like Appoline, her beauty did not diminish as time marched on. Even in her 90s, she had no wrinkles whatsoever. Harry readily admitted that it was her eyes that he liked most. He was drowning in it back at the Quidditch pitch.
But why was she acting strange back there? What was the point of her questions?
Hours went by. The sun hung lower over the western horizon. Ron gave him a pat on the shoulder, waking him up from his musing. "Come on, mate. Best get ready. We need to get down to the Great Hall, remember?"
"Right."
Great Hall, that night…
Harry and his friends arrived at the Great Hall five minutes before eight. They found that the hall had been extensively decorated with a Halloween theme. Hundreds of Jack O Lanterns float near the ceiling of the Great Hall. Hundreds of bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling, swooping over the tables in low black clouds. Even the Hogwarts ghosts wore their best to the feast.
The feast began at 8 pm sharp after all of the students, staff, headmasters, and dignitaries arrived and took their seats. Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman were one of them. Like the feast that denoted the welcoming of the foreign schools, the house elves once again pull all the stops in preparing a Halloween feast that includes foreign dishes as well.
Much to the Gryffindor's delight and surprise, the Durmstrang delegates this time chose to sit with them. Viktor Krum himself joined Harry and his friends, with the star-struck Ron finding himself wedged between Harry and the Quidditch star. Normally, he would not resist all the good food laid out in front of him. This time around though, he did not eat a bite nor did he speak. He kept glancing at Viktor, who at that time was busy speaking with Harry. Hermione, observing the comical look Ron gave throughout the dinner, just shook her head and continued eating.
Harry got to know the Durmstrang Quidditch team as well. Viktor was of course played the Seeker and was the captain of the team. Alexander played as a keeper. Olaf together with Vladimir Boyan played as beaters. The other two, Natasha Slazinsky and Aleksandrina Romanoff played as chasers. Like Viktor, the male players were tough in build. Natasha and Aleksandrina though looked positively petite. No doubt it did have an advantage though. Like the Seekers, the Chasers needed to be fast. The girl's smaller build contributed to it. Several Gryffindor males were eyeing the Durmstrang chasers it seemed. Harry himself admitted the two girls were good-looking. The Durmstrang Quidditch team also got to know the Gryffindor Quidditch team as well. Fred and George wasted no time in telling their Durmstrang counterpart all there was to know about Oliver Wood. Harry could tell that they were impressed in the end.
Over the course of the dinner, a good rapport between the Gryffindor and the Durmstrang students was established. Friendships were forged. Respects were woven.
Harry looked across to the Ravenclaw's table from time to time. And just like the Durmstrang, the Beauxbaton was enjoying the night. They ate. They drank. And they conversed like nothing was happening.
Which was odd.
He fully expected the Beauxbaton delegates to act nervous. They were that way in the past. But this time around, they were calm. Very calm indeed. Fleur and her friends in particular ate their dinner like nothing significant was going to happen. They acted like it was just another ordinary dinner. Nothing more.
The Slytherin lot certainly was unhappy with the Durmstrang's defection. And to think that they were the ones who cheered the loudest when Viktor beat Harry that afternoon. Harry raised this question in his conversation with Viktor. Viktor told him that the moment they first sat at the Slytherin's table, everything went down the drain. Professor Karkaroff told them all about the Slytherin when they were still at their institute, about how the Slytherin was being more open about all the dark arts and stuff. But the moment they mingled with them, they found that most Slytherins were nothing more than a self-centered lot. The Slytherin's obsession with blood purity was one other factor. Viktor himself expressed great dislike for Malfoy, stating that he was nothing but a spoiled brat.
"Ve learn a lot of dark magic, yes," said Viktor as he continued to attack his pumpkin pie. "But ve never, ever, emphasize blood purity. I told them that I am a half-blood. You can tell from their eyes how low I have gone just because of my blood status. That vas very disconcerting. Just imagine if I am not a Vorld Cup Quidditch player. How they vill see me by then?"
"So you're a half-blood?" asked Harry.
"Yes," answered Viktor. "My mother is non-magical. Just like you I think."
"You knew."
Viktor nodded. He took a sip from his goblet and continued, "You are quite popular even in Bulgaria, Harry. I came here thinking that you vill be nothing more than a spoiled boy. It seems that I vas wrong. You are really down to earth and you have really serious skills. I like you and you have earned my respect."
Harry just scratched his head. "Yeah well. I'm just nothing," he sheepishly said.
Viktor just smiled and gave Harry a pat on his back.
"So you learn a lot of dark magic," asked Hermione this time to Viktor. "How was it?"
Viktor stared at Hermione for a few moments. "And you might be?" asked Viktor finally.
"Oh, sorry. My name is Hermione. Hermione Granger," replied Hermione.
Viktor nodded. "I apologize if I refuse to say your name. It is a bit-…"
"Mouthful. Yes, I know and I don't mind. So how was it?"
"It's like learning every other subject," said Viktor airily. He once again took a sip out of his goblet. "But I can tell you, the more you learn them, the more appalling and horrible it gets."
"So why bother learning them at all?"
"Professor Karkaroff," said Viktor. "He told us that it is essential for us to know. Ve are required not only to learn how to perform them but to learn the countermeasure as vell. He said only evil people vill vant to have anything to do vith them but ve the students have to know for our protection. He said evil vill return soon."
Harry's and Hermione's eyes met. Harry imperceptibly shook his head, warning her not to press the matter further.
Hermione grudgingly obliged.
Harry's mind lingered momentarily on what Viktor just said. So apparently, there were reasons on why Karkaroff established the Durmstrang Institute but it was not what people seemed to think. He was building some kind of deterrent. He was getting ready for the return of Voldemort.
If only he knew about it back then.
Harry suddenly felt a pressure at the back of his eyes. He looked around and found, there at the Slytherin's table, Daphne Greengrass was staring at him. Once again, like before, there was neither hatred nor anger in her eyes. There was something else in that look she gave him. His eyes lingered on her for a moment before he looked away towards the staff table.
'Moody' was there though Harry could not help but notice that he was not his usual self. If anything, he looked a bit jittery. It was as if he was forced to be in the Great Hall and much rather be somewhere else.
Soon the last of the golden plates had been wiped clean. The noise within the hall immediately died down as Professor Dumbledore took to the stage. On either of his sides, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone else. Ludo Bagman was his usual self and so did Mr. Crouch.
"Well, the Goblet is almost ready to make its decision," he said. "I estimate that it will require another minute or so. Now, when the champion's names are called, I would ask them to present themselves to the front and go into the next chamber." He then indicated the door behind the staff table. "In there, they shall wait for further instructions."
Dumbledore took out his wand - Harry gave out a gasp as he recognized that wand - and gave a long sweep with it. All the candles except those inside the floating pumpkins were extinguished. In the state of semi-darkness, the Goblet of Fire shone more brightly than ever. Everyone patiently waited. Few of them can be seen checking their watches now and then.
Harry suddenly remembered something. "Oi! Did you put your name in the goblet?" he asked the twins.
Both of them shook their heads.
"We planned to," said George. "Already got it all figured out. But we got distracted. No thanks to you and Viktor."
"Anyone else from Gryffindor you know putting their name in?"
"Angelina submitted her name this morning," said Fred. "There are a few others I think."
"Oh, okay."
All of a sudden, the sparkling bright and bluish flames of the Goblet turned red. Sparks flew out of it. The next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air along with a charred piece of parchment. Dumbledore caught it and held the parchment at arm's length. By this time, the Goblet's flame had returned to its original state.
"The champion for Durmstrang," Dumbledore read in a loud and clear voice." -will be Mr. Viktor Krum!"
Viktor rose to a storm of applause and cheers. Everyone around him, both from Gryffindor and Durmstrang patted his back and shook his hand. Even Ron who earlier did an unmistakable impression of a clam through the course of the dinner.
"Knew it will be you," said Harry as he shook Viktor's hand.
Viktor smiled widely. He then went up to Dumbledore, shook the headmaster's hand, and disappeared behind the door into the next chamber.
The clapping and cheering died down. Once again everyone's focus turned towards the Goblet. The flame turned red and out came from it another parchment.
"The champion for Beauxbaton," announced Dumbledore. "- is Miss Fleur Delacour!"
This time, the applause given out was much louder than before, especially from the male students who finally got to know the name of the extremely beautiful girl. The Beauxbaton delegates clapped more politely, however. None of the members of the delegates cried of disappointment this time. It was as if they already knew who would be chosen. Just like the Durmstrang.
Fleur stood gracefully. She held her head high and walked towards the High Table. Like Viktor, she also made her way towards the door to the chamber after shaking Dumbledore's hand. But just as she was about to open the door, she suddenly stopped. She looked over her shoulder towards the Gryffindor table momentarily and then disappeared into the chamber.
Silence once again engulfed the hall. This time though, it was so stiff that one could almost taste it. There was no doubt why. The Hogwarts champion will be chosen next.
Minutes passed by. Here and there, murmurs can be heard throughout the hall. Everyone was puzzled. The Goblet of Fire this time had taken far longer than before to decide who the next champion would be.
Harry himself felt nervous. This did not feel right.
Questions began to bombard his head. Had everything gone wrong? Would he still be one of the champions this time around?
To be continued…