Daphne Greengrass was worried. She had made a promise to herself that she would speak with Harry in the morning after the fight in the common rooms, but he hadn't showed up for breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. Or any of their classes. As this went on for a week, rumors started to grow bigger and bigger, from Harry hiding somewhere in the forbidden forest to him being killed by the Ministry of Magic for interfering with the Triwizard Tournament. Daphne thought of those rumors as stupid gossip for people who had nothing better to do, but she couldn't stop herself from worrying about him. Sometimes she even questioned herself why she was so worried about him. They were friends, yes, but not that close. Tracy and Blaise were Harry's best friends, not her. They'd probably wouldn't even be more than acquaintances if she wasn't so close to Tracy.
The article on the Prophet was what set her up to a more active role. She had read it a dozen times, and with every read, she became more anxious. That's what set her up to go and talk to Blaise. After all, they were really close, he must knew something for sure.
"Are you sure he didn't gave you any hints about were he might go? Somewhere he may have mentioned in the past? A place he would go if something like this happened?" asked Daphne to a very exasperated Blaise Zabini.
"I already told you, I have no idea where he is. I tried all the places I could think of, but unless he went to Sirius, I don't know where he could be."
"Sirius? You mean Sirius Black? The escaped convict who killed his parents? Why would he do something so stupid?"
Blaise felt like he could punch himself right now. How had he let slip the secret of Harry's godfather? 'Harry is going to be so mad with me when he finds out' Stuttering around trying to find an excuse, he was saved by Tracy, who was just coming out of her room.
"Are you asking Blaise about Harry again? And why are you so worried about Harry anyway? You never seem to get on with him all that much, you just seem to tolerate him due to his friendship with Blaze and I" asked a very curious, and in Daphne's opinion, sometimes very meddling, Tracy Davis.
"I'm not worried, he has already proved he can take care of himself. I just don't think we treated him fairly and I wanted to apologize. As should you!"
"Yeah yeah, I know. It was a very dick move from our part. When, or better, if he comes back we should give him more of a chance to explain himself!
"If he comes back? Don't say it like that!"
"Well this really messed you up didn't it? I wonder why…" Teased Tracy, winking in a very obvious way at Daphne.
"Oh don't you even try!" said Daphne with exasperation.
They all laughed together, smoothing a little bit the tension they had all been in for the last couple of days.
Fleur Delacour's feelings were mixed. She was feeling a mix of a very strong anger and at the same time, she couldn't avoid been curious about that small little boy. She had been training for this tournament ever since she heard it might make a return, feeling the need to prove herself to all the people who mocked or hated on her for something she couldn't control.
She had born a Veela, it really wasn't her choice to have such an enticing physique or a very strong allure, that had a tendency to leave the men around her drooling like idiots. And then having that boy call the tournament, that meant so much to her, stupid and then proceeding to disregard the chance he had been given was just enraging to her.
On the other side, even in France children like her were told the story of the boy-who-lived, how a simple baby had defeated one of the most powerful dark wizards of all time. There had to be something special about him, and the rumors she had heard about him slaying a basilisk at the age of twelve didn't really served to ease her feeling that he was someone to look out for.
Fleur was lost in her thoughts as she walked to the Beauxbatons carriages with her allure way more unrestrained as she usually kept it and unknowingly walked through a couple doing in a picnic with the view of the lake. The couple looked a few years younger than her, but that didn't stop the guy, a tall redhead with a face full of freckles to just start drooling in her direction like so many before him. The girl, seeing the attention of her boyfriend changing, looked at Fleur and a look of realization filled her face, followed by a look of pure anger.
The girl immediately got up and furiously walked in Fleur's direction. The Veela, only now noticing she had started some commotion, sighed and prepared for what was to come. She had done this so many times, it was just routine.
"What do you think your doing?" The bushy brown hair girl asked, pulling out her wand in the middle of her rage.
Fleur put on the mask of arrogance she was so used to and replied with a calm and haughty tone "I'm just taking a walk little girl, it's not my fault your boyfriend can't keep it in his pants!"
"You- You- He- Yes he can! Its not his fault your charming him with your magic!"
Fleur took her time replying, looking at the girl from head to toes "Well, its not my fault your little boyfriend is so weak minded he's just drooling like an idiot. Maybe you should think about choosing a better man next time."
Sick of always being victim of this kind of attitudes, Fleur decided to provoke the girl even further and winked at the ginger boyfriend, causing the girl to point her wand against Fleur. Fleur laughed, as if a simple fourteen year old girl could ever harm her. In a blink, she pulled out her wand as well and before the younger girl could even spit out the first syllable of whatever spell she intended to use, a quick Expelliarmus from Fleur sent the other girl's wand flying far away.
Understanding she was outclassed, a fuming Hermione Granger turned around and grabbed her boyfriend, who was still looking at Fleur like she was the most amazing thing in the world and dragged him away.
Fleur looked at them, felling bad with herself for ruining what looked like a very pleasant picnic date, that sadness only increased by the hint of jealousy for the other girl, because at least the girl was able to have a boyfriend who could take her on a normal date without making an idiot of himself in her presence.
Fleur had tried having dates a couple of times, accepting one or two invitations from the boys who had been able to at least speak to her like a normal person and asked her out, but even those boys didn't last long, turning themselves into drooling messes within just a couple of minutes in her presence.
It was a lonely life, the one that Fleur lead. Almost unable to even be friends with the male part of the population and with a significant part of the other half being envious of her looks and beauty. She grabbed the small necklace on her neck, the necklace that contained a photo of the most precious thing in the world for Fleur. Her sister.
Resuming her walk to the carriages and going back to her thoughts, one thing came to her mind that stopped her right in her tracks.
'Harry Potter hadn't even stuttered when he had spoken with her'
Dumbledore was starting to get seriously concerned. For the first time in a week, according to the house elves, Harry had not showed up in the kitchen to get food. He didn't know what had happened for that routine to change, but he couldn't afford losing any more time with Harry's reappearance. He had to find the boy quickly otherwise the board of directors could start listening to the questions made by the Daily Prophet.
He calmly walked to the teacher's apartments, stopped in front of the one with the name Alastor Moody, and gently knocked.
"Albus, what a surprise to see you here! How can I help you, old friend?"
"Alastor, hello, yes. I need your help with something. I need you to find young Harry. He hasn't showed up where I thought he would, and all the tracking charms I have placed on the boy for the last couple of years don't seem to be working. You know the importance of the boy in the fight against Voldemort, shall he rise once again. He must not be killed or harmed, and more than anything, he cannot escape our control and supervision."
"Of course Albus, I'll find him shortly."
"Thank you old friend, have a goodnight."
It hurt. It hurt so, so much. Worse than the basilisk. Worse than the Cruciatus curse from the remnant of Tom Riddle. Harry had never experienced so much pain in his life. He felt his bones were being ripped out of his body. His muscles stretched and ripped apart one by one. His eyes burned like two suns on his face. At that moment, Harry wished to die, in hopes that the pain would stop.
And then it did. Entirely. Completely. Like it never even existed. And after the split second of nothingness, an unimaginable bliss filled his entire body, and Harry felt like his entire world was made of peace, quiet, and pleasure. And then it all stopped and harry drifted into unconsciousness. Hours passed, and the young boy started to wake up, feeling like we had been hit by a high-speed train. His entire body felt sore, a mixed feeling of a hungover and the mourning after of a very intense workout. He thought to himself. 'I did it! I finished my first ritual and survived'. Very slowly, he opened his eyes, and for the first time in his entire life, he could see clearly.
AN: There is a four-day Holiday in my country, but everyone is forbidden to leave the house, which is giving me time to focus on writing. I expect to be able to put out three or four more chapters before I must get back do day-to-day life. (if inspiration is kind to me, of course)
Things are starting to get interesting now, as Harry will eventually have to reappear, and how him and the rest of Hogwarts community will react to the consequences of the rituals.
I want to thank you all for the comments you have been leaving in this story, I have received nothing but love, and some of them really just made me smile while I stare at the screen.
As always, reviews of constructive criticism are always welcome. If you enjoy, like, share, kudos, or whatever I'm supposed to say at this time. I'm sure you know what I mean.