Mother Magic Help Me

Chapter Summary

Our characters have just finished book 3 and need to make some decisions about what to do next.

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Harry sat towards the head of the table. He couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact they had now read about three whole years of his time at Hogwarts. His mind went back to the argument he'd had with Mrs Weasley the evening before. Regardless of whether she liked it or not, Lucius was right and they needed to start putting a plan together. Otherwise, they'd find themselves at the end of these books and completely overwhelmed by all that needed to be changed.

"I think we should take a few days off reading," someone further down the table was saying, although Harry wasn't at all sure who.

"A few people could certainly use a lecture on messing around with time," Bode said, eyeing Dumbledore.

"I was thinking the exact same thing," Andromeda said with a smirk.

"Add it to the lecture schedule," Madam Longbottom piped up.

Harry frowned. He was supposed to lead them - be a bloody Prince or something - but he didn't know the first thing about being a Prince or leading people. Sure, he'd led the DA but that didn't seem to quite match up to this.

"Is that when we finally get to shout at Dumbles?" Tonks muttered to Kingsley, who chuckled lightly before ruffling her hair.

Sirius and Arcturus laughed at the young witch's antics. She was definitely a Black. Except maybe slightly less deranged.

Harry took a deep breath. "We need to discuss some of the things that need to change."

Mrs Weasley pursed her lips but remained silent. She'd learned her lesson. Apparently no one - not even her own husband - agreed with her that the children shouldn't be involved in that discussion. And she had to admit that some of what Arthur had said had made sense, even if she didn't want to hear it.

"I think that would be a very good idea, Heir Potter," Amelia said. "There is a lot to be discussed and we would not want to miss anything."

"I think we should do that this afternoon," Minerva said. "And then while the children continue their lessons tomorrow anyone who is free can start working on whatever you assign them."

Harry nodded. That made sense. It wasn't like he had to do everything. He could delegate tasks. "So back to the chamber?" he asked, lowering his cutlery to his plate.

There was a murmur of agreement as everyone began to get to their feet. They quickly shuffled out of the dining hall and down the corridor.

"Oh, look!" Astoria squealed. "There's a new book."

Professor Flitwick made a grab for the book and placed it securely on a bookshelf. "The book will no doubt keep until we're ready to read it."

Astoria looked momentarily disappointed, but shrugged her shoulders. She knew there was no point arguing with the Ravenclaw head of house.

"So how are we going to do this?" young Augusta Longbottom asked as she took her seat.

Harry frowned. "Can someone do that writing spell thing you have been doing in our lessons?"

He hated how much he sounded like a child but he'd never had reason to learn the spell.

Andromeda nodded her head. "What would you like written in the air?"

"Just the key points we make," Harry said. He put on his most adult voice. "Mother Magic help me," he mumbled to himself. He really didn't want to mess this up.

Chapter End Notes

So, just a little introduction chapter... Hope you're excited for book 4! Please make sure you've subscribed and drop me a comment to let me know what you think so far.

Trials, Councils and Treaties

Chapter Summary

Our characters take a moment or two to discuss the various changes that need to be made upon their return.

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Harry wasn't sure where they should start. Should they just work their way through everything they'd discussed so far? The things that had come up in the first three books? Or should he just tell them what he wanted? That didn't seem ideal. He didn't want to become a sort of dictator... That would make him a little bit too much like Voldemort for his liking.

Amelia smiled at the young man. He was doing so well but this was clearly an overwhelming task. "Perhaps we should create lists. One for things that need to be done immediately upon our return. And then organise our longer term goals by location: Hogwarts, the Ministry, that sort of thing."

Harry nodded. That sounded like a good idea. But still where did they start?

"So, the first thing that needs to be done upon our return," he began slowly. How was he supposed to decide that?

"Is to get you as far away from your relatives as possible," said Sirius sharply.

Harry blinked. That hadn't even occurred to him. He'd been thinking about Pettigrew and Sirius.

Andromeda nodded, flicking her wand to add that to the immediately upon return column.

"Someone needs to get Sirius a trial," Harry said. "And the aurors need to..."

Harry paused. Should he really be planning to have Pettigrew arrested when some of the death eaters in the chamber seemed willing to turn over a new leaf. How would that work if they were in Azkaban? He was beginning to get a headache.

Madam Bones cast her wand at the mantelpiece putting Pettigrew's cage under a silencing charm so that he wouldn't hear their discussion.

"Moody, Kingsley and Tonks will immediately head to the Burrow to apprehend Pettigrew," Amelia said, now very much in work mode. "While I will remove Heir Potter from his place of residence."

"But where will you take him?" Minerva asked.

"To Black castle, obviously," Arcturus said sharply. "He will come to live with me. He is my Lord's heir. And I am his great-grandfather."

"Would it not be better if someone else remove Potter?" Minerva asked. "So the DMLE can get stuck straight into arranging trials for Sirius and Peter?"

"No." Amelia shook her head. "Unfortunately, this is the only way to guarantee the safety of those muggles. While I understand everyone's desire to inflict pain on them, I will not turn a blind eye to any crimes against them. I can't. Besides, any charges against them will hold better if he is removed by a member of law enforcement."

Arcturus nodded. Harry only sighed. He wasn't sure that was something he wanted. He definitely didn't want the entire wizarding world to learn about his cupboard.

"And of course, I will arrange for them to be arrested and charged with child abuse," Amelia said. Her eyes drifted towards Albus. "Of course, it is likely that you will face charges too, Albus."

Albus merely nodded his head. "It will be nothing less than I deserve."

"We'll need to set up a proper security team for Heir Potter," Kingsley said. "I'd like to head that."

Amelia looked hesitant. She didn't want to lose on of her best aurors but she couldn't deny Potter would need it. "As an auror or..." she began.

"Preferably as an auror," Kingsley said, "but I'm willing to hand over my badge if necessary."

"I'd rather you didn't," Amelia said grimly. "Besides, protecting the Prince will fall under the responsibility of the department."

Kingsley nodded, giving his boss a grin.

"All right. Once you've apprehended Pettigrew, you can focus on forming a team to protect Heir Potter. Six aurors and a couple of hit wizards should do it, I think."

"I don't think I need that many..." Harry began but Amelia merely smiled at him.

"They'll work rotating shifts," Kingsley said. "Two at any given time. You'll hardly notice they're there."

Harry sighed. He was never going to get a moment's privacy ever again. Then again that wasn't particularly new.

Charlie taking pity on Harry decided to change the topic. "I guess some of us will need to get back to Britain. I'll want to get started on the new reserve straight away."

"If I talk to the goblins while I'm here," Bill said gruffly, "I imagine they'll be able to help me expedite my return."

"I guess I could talk ter Aragog about the reserve," Hagrid said. "It'll be easier to move the spiders if they agree."

Amelia and her aurors smiled at that. They really didn't want to have to battle with giant man eating spiders.

"Someone needs to be responsible for returning the Mirror of Erised to the Department of Mysteries," Rookwood said with a sigh. It would be so much easier if he wasn't a convicted death eater. But when they left here, he'd be back with the dementors in his cell.

"We can do that," Bode said, pointing between himself and Croaker.

Rookwood nodded. At least his unspeakable colleagues would get the job done.

"And we need to get the Gringotts goblins to look over the school wards," Minerva said. "Something is clearly wrong with them."

There was a murmur of agreement around the chamber.

"Of course, there's one thing we've all avoided talking about," Moody said gruffly, his magical eye fixed on Tom Riddle. "We need to decide what we're going to do about the death eaters and Tom here."

Several people seemed to think they should all be sent to Azkaban. However, Harry was less convinced. Mother Magic didn't want them to fight. She didn't want war. "I think we need a treaty," he said eventually.

"A treaty?" several people asked, hardly believing their ears.

"If the deities didn't see any good in Tom, they wouldn't have helped him restore his soul," he said, his voice a little hard. "We can iron out the details before we leave here but I think we might need their help to make the changes we need. I mean, isn't that why Mother Magic brought them here?"

Everyone looked thoughtful even if they did want to argue. Augusta was frowning heavily. She really didn't want the death eaters to go free. Especially those that hurt her son and daughter-in-law.

"We would need to have set requirements for them being allowed to leave Azkaban," Amelia said. "I can't in good conscience advise you agree to a treaty that might release the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange."

Harry nodded his agreement. "They'd have to show remorse while under the effects of veritaserum, or at least something like that."

Amelia nodded. That could work.

Lucius frowned. "The problem is that any truce or treaty between the Prince and Tom Riddle cannot take effect until Heir Potter is of age."

"So, we need a short term solution," Tom said. "I guess, it all depends on just how much we want to tell the rest of Wizarding Britain about our time here."

"They'd never believe us!" Hermione said.

"The girl's right," Moody said. "So, we can't remove them from prison straight away but what we can do is arrange a bill for the Wizagmot on Azkaban reform. Remove the dementors once and for all."

Harry was frustrated. So much would end up having to wait until he was old enough to act. "Could we ask Mother Magic to emancipate me early?"

"We probably could," Tom said thoughtfully, "but honestly, Heir Potter, you deserve a few years of childhood if you can get it."

Albus sighed. He didn't want to make this suggestion. It would make it seem like he was trying to take charge. Which he definitely wasn't. He'd heard more than enough in these books to question if he might be losing his marbles. "I'm chief warlock. I could negotiate the treaty alongside Harry's chosen proxy."

Sirius nodded, although eyeing Dumbledore suspiciously. "That could work."

"The treaty itself could be predetermined here in the chamber," Albus continued, "between Harry and Tom. We would merely be acting as Harry's ambassadors in the future."

"Although it would require the general populace being aware that Harry is Mother Magic's chosen," Albus added after a moment. "That might not be something you want known until you're older, Harry."

"I don't think there's much chance of that," Harry said with a grimace.

"Well, we can discuss a potential treaty later," Tom said. "What sort of changes do you want to make Heir Potter?"

"I really want a magical primary school and I want better protections for muggle raised kids. I want to integrate squibs back into our society and I agree with Moody, even if your death eaters aren't in Azkaban, we need a prison reform act. Reforms are also needed for the ministry's policies with regards to non-human and part-human magicals. I think some changes are needed at Hogwarts too. Muggle studies should be compulsory for one thing and the curriculum needs an overhaul. And we need a class on Magical customs and culture. We need a new History of Magic teacher. Binns has got to go."

"New school brooms," Ron said behind a fake cough.

"And yeah, we need new school brooms and some changes made to the First Year Flying Class. To be honest, I think Hogwarts needs a physical education class. The school needs more teachers and the curse on the DADA position needs to removed."

"I can do that," Tom said seriously. "I'm the one that placed it after all. It could even be written into the treaty, if you are agreeable, Heir Potter."

Harry nodded.

"There needs to be an overhaul of the point system," Remus said.

"We need a longer Magical Theory course and we probably need to update the electives list," Minerva said thoughtfully. "And we seriously need to consider... I don't think I should be deputy headmistress, head of Gryffindor house and teach Transfiguration."

"Which would you prefer to continue?" Harry asked.

"I'd like to stay head of house and teach," she said after a moment.

"I'm not sure I should remain as Headmaster," Albus said.

No one said anything to that. They couldn't help but think that he might be right. Although, they did need someone in the chamber to have that position. It would make a lot of the changes they were seeking, significantly easier to implement.

"Perhaps we should discuss that later," Amelia said with a sigh. They wouldn't resolve all the issues immediately. And Albus could be useful in his positions. She didn't like it but even she accepted that sometimes you had to be pragmatic.

"We've also got to somehow restore the balance between light and dark magic," Harry said with a sigh. He didn't have the foggiest idea where to start with that seemingly impossible task.

"I think you might want to consider creating a council of advisors, Heir Potter," Lucius said.

"Isn't that basically what this is?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Although, you should probably make an official one with magical oaths and contracts in place," Lucius explained. "It would be unwise to trust any of us without those safeguards in place."

Moody was nodding his head in agreement.

"Then you can assign specific tasks to members of the council," Lucius continued. "There are a lot of great minds in this chamber and they can definitely help you achieve your goals."

Harry smiled at that. He glanced at everything that had been written in the air by Andromeda. There was a lot to do. And yes, it felt overwhelming. But it also felt like something of a relief. He had goals now. His greatest ambition was no longer just to stay alive.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you're excited about starting to read book 4...

The Riddle House

Chapter Summary

DAY TWENTY-NINE IN THE CHAMBER

Our characters make a start on book 4.

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The next few days were unlike anything Harry had ever witnessed before. The youngest in the chamber were taking advantage of the break from reading and their freedom from classes to fly in one of the larger chambers. While everyone else seemed to be one hundred percent focused on the treaty that would need to be enacted and the new council.

Lucius was working with the unspeakables to create the magical oaths and contracts necessary for the council. Although he'd also sought help from the goblins. He'd been quite apprehensive, knocking on the door to the magical creatures section of Mother Magic's home. The last thing he wanted to do was cause offense. The aurors were busy interrogating Pettigrew so they could begin to build a case against him, and the Hogwarts teachers were discussing the necessary reforms for the school with the help of Augusta and Amos as representatives of the board of governors, and Charlie Weasley was holed up in the library researching how to set up a magical creature reserve.

Everyone seemed to have found something to do. Something to help.

Percy Weasley had started researching the Old Ways so that they could start reintroducing sacred days into every day wixen life and Hermione was plotting her idea for a museum of Dark Artifacts. Arthur Weasley was working with his younger self and some of the muggleborns in the chamber to address the need for a new ministry department to deal with muggles. And Tom was in discussions with his death eaters about Azkaban reform. Meda Malfoy had practically locked herself away in her lab, continuing her research on squibs. She really hoped that she might find a breakthrough soon that would make Heir Potter's hopes of re-integrating squibs into wixen society an easier task.

Harry with the help of Arcturus, Sirius and Remus was working on his idea for a magical primary school and contemplating new ideas for how to integrate muggleborns sooner as well as how to protect magical children from abuse. Harry was frequently pulled away from this however, by the other teams whenever they wanted to discuss an idea with him. It was strange having so many people value his opinion. It would definitely take some getting used to.

After three whole days, Mrs Weasley said at breakfast, "I think we might need to start the next book."

"Why?" Arthur said, looking up from the notes he had made the night before.

"Because the youngsters are getting restless," she said. She could practically smell trouble brewing. And it wasn't just because of her twins.

The adults all looked down the table to where the younger ones were sitting and even though they were all doing their very best to maintain innocent expressions, it didn't take much to see that they were definitely up to something.

"Perhaps we should restart their lessons," Moody suggested.

Harry sighed. That would pull him away from the meetings though.

"We could rearrange the schedule slightly," Andromeda suggested. "Perhaps a little less time reading and a bit more time for lessons and also council business. I mean, we still haven't taken our oaths."

"Are we expecting the children to take these oaths?" Augusta asked.

"I've been working on an altered version for the children," Lucius said. "It's mostly just a secrecy oath. They can officially join the council when they come of age."

"Well, if we're going to start reading," Sirius said with a sigh as he got to his feet. "Might as well get straight to it. Work out a new schedule as we go."

The youngest in the chamber did not look impressed at the idea of more lessons but they were excited to start the next book so they didn't complain too loudly. Although they didn't put their plans for a prank war aside. Not just yet.

Everyone quickly made their way back to the chamber for the first time in several days and took their seats as Professor Flitwick set the spell on the book.

The villagers of Little Hangleton

"Where is that?" Fred asked.

still called it "the Riddle House,"... damp, derelict, and unoccupied.

Tom groaned. This chapter was going to be about him.

The Little Hangletons... all three Riddles dead.

Tom didn't look at anyone. He wasn't sure how he felt about this. Yes, he'd already made his first horcrux and was clearly insane but he probably shouldn't have killed his father and grandparents. Even if they were bigoted muggles.

The maid had run screaming... Still in their dinner things!"

Everyone was eyeing Tom with suspicion. The aurors were making notes. He wondered how this would effect the treaty he was hoping to forge with the Potter heir.

The police were summoned... drop dead of natural causes on the same night.

Tom sighed. He was tempted to just admit he did it right then and there in the chamber.

The Hanged Man, the village pub... Frank Bryce had just been arrested.

"A muggle?" someone asked. No one knew of a Frank Bryce.

"Frank!"... That's no reason to -"

Tom almost felt sorry for Frank. He certainly felt more sorry for Frank Bryce than he did his father.

"Who else had a key to the back door... "War turned him funny, if you ask me," said the landlord.

"They turned on him quick enough," Ron muttered.

"Their muggles, what do you expect," Draco said snidely.

"Wix aren't any better," Harry murmured. "Just look how many times Magical Britain has turned on me."

"Told you I wouldn't like... Frank Bryce had killed the Riddles.

"Innocent until proven guilty," Moody grunted.

But over in the neighboring town... Frank had invented him.

Now several people were glaring at Tom.

Then, just when things were looking very serious... harmed at all.

"The killing curse then," Moody said.

"What has this got to do with Potter?" young Draco asked.

"It isn't about Heir Potter," young Lucius said. "It's about the Dark Lord."

That quickly silenced Draco as he eyed Tom fearfully.

In fact ... whoever heard of three people being frightened to death?

Tom sighed. "I killed them. I had already... I was already losing my sanity and I went looking for my family. Our first meeting did not go well."

No one said anything. They weren't really sure what they could say.

"They didn't want a wizard in the family," Tom said, "and to be honest, I didn't want to be related to muggles."

As there was no proof... knowing as how we knows he did it. "

"Idiots," Barty Crouch Junior muttered. He wished he'd been able to kill his father. He envied his lord.

But Frank did not leave... started to fall into disrepair.

The adults were intreged to hear about Tom's adolescence.

The wealthy man who owned... the windows of the Riddle House.

Mrs Weasley tutted.

They rode their bicycles over the lawns... their attempts to punish him.

"Their parents should give them a good tongue lashing," Augusta said.

It was Frank's bad leg that woke him... they had started a fire.

"Breaking and entering," Moody growled. "Little miscreants."

Frank had no telephone... nor did any of the windows.

"Not likely to be kids then," Amelia said, sitting forward.

Frank limped around... This surprised him.

"Definitely not kids," Moody agreed.

Then he stopped moving ... if you are still hungry. "

"Wormtail?" Sirius muttered.

"Later," ... "Where is Nagini?" said the cold voice.

"Who is Nagini?" Amelia asked, making notes.

No one answered.

"I - I don't know, My Lord," ... The journey has tired me greatly. "

"Milk her?" Fred asked.

"Feed him?" young George asked.

"Some sort of creature then," young Charlie said.

Brow furrowed... So we wait. "

Harry frowned. He'd forgotten about this dream.

Frank stopped trying to clear out his ear... without Harry Potter, My Lord. "

"That's his life debt talking," Remus said.

Another pause... two days with a suitable person -"

"Coward," Sirius growled.

"I could use another wizard,"... an attempt to desert me?"

Everyone leaned forward. Some of the younger ones looked genuinely terrified and Mrs Weasley wondered if they should really be allowed to listen to these books. Ginny's younger self was only nine!

"My Lord! ... "I can always tell, Wormtail!

"That's true enough. I'm quite accomplished at Legimency," Tom said quietly.

You are regretting... Who is to milk Nagini?"

"I really want to know who Nagini is," young Draco said.

"No. You don't," Draco said between gritted teeth. That snake still terrified him.

"But you seem so much stronger... full extent of Lord Voldermort's wrath -"

"What is he planning to use Harry for?" Sirius demanded angrily, wrapping a protective arm around both his boys.

"My Lord, I must speak!" ... Bertha Jorkin's disappearance will not go unnoticed for long,

"Bertha Jorkins?" Tonks said, making a note on a scroll of parchment.

and if we proceed, if I murder -"

"Who are they planning to kill?" several people asked.

"If?" whispered the second voice... but in my present condition.

"Who?" Everyone seemed to be trying to work out who they were planning to kill, besides Harry Potter of course.

Come, Wormtail... my faithful servant will have rejoined us -"

"Faithful servant?" Everyone looked worried now. Who could that mean? Lucius had made the point that many of the Dark Lord's followers had escaped imprisonment but could they be counted as truly loyal? They hadn't gone looking for him so surely not.

"I am a faithful servant," ... fulfill neither requirement. "

Sirius actually chuckled.

"I found you," ... give their right hands to perform. . . "

Harry almost smirked at that. Wormtail had lost his right hand.

"R-really, My Lord? What -?" Wormtail sounded terrified again.

"Merlin! He's ridiculous," Severus said, rolling his eyes.

"Ah, Wormtail, ... just as useful as Bertha Jorkins. "

"And just as dead?" Moody asked, almost eagerly.

"You... to kill me too?"

A couple people had to cough to hide their laughter.

"Wormtail, Wormtail," ... at wayside inns. . . "

Sirius rolled his eyes, although he couldn't help but feel bad for Bertha.

Wormtail muttered something ... information I extracted from her, Wormtail. "

The aurors glowered at Tom.

Out in the corridor... was in danger -

"Nothing new there," Harry muttered.

Frank knew what he must do... he was hissing and spitting without drawing breath.

"Parseltongue," Hermione muttered.

Frank thought... found himself paralyzed with fright.

"What is it?" several people asked.

Something was slithering toward him... a gigantic snake,

"Of course it is," Blaise muttered.

at least twelve feet long... vanished through the gap.

"He needs to leave," Tonks said.

There was sweat on Frank's forehead now... This man could talk to snakes.

"That probably came as a shock," Fred said.

Frank didn't understand ... listening to every word we say. "

"And now he has no time to escape," Tonks sighed.

Frank didn't have a chance... "What's that you're calling me?" said Frank defiantly,

"He's brave, I'll give him that," Theo said. He wouldn't have been brave enough to talk like that to the Dark Lord.

for now that he was inside the room... it had always been so in the war.

Harry nodded. He could understand that.

"I am calling you a Muggle," ... he always knows. . . "

"That's terrifying," Ginny said with a shudder.

"Is that right?" ... "I am much, much more than a man.

"Got a bit of a big head, doesn't he?" Fred said to his twin.

However... he saw what was sitting in it.

"What does he look like?" someone asked.

His walking stick fell to the floor with a clatter... He was dead before he hit the floor.

"So much for only one more murder," Augusta muttered.

Two hundred miles away, the boy called Harry Potter woke with a start.

"Did you dream that, Harry?" Sirius asked, his tone conveying his concern.

"Yeah. Didn't remember all the details though." Harry frowned.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed the first bit of the reading... Leave a comment with your thoughts.

The Scar

Chapter Summary

The characters read the second chapter in their new book...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Everyone stayed seated as they waited for the next chapter to begin.

Harry lay flat on his back... pressed a white-hot wire to his skin.

"That can't be comfortable," Severus muttered.

Harry almost laughed. No. His scare had never been confortable. And it had only gotten worse after old Mouldy Shorts returned.

He sat up... It looked normal, but it was still stinging.

"Were you expecting it to look different?" young Harry asked.

"Dunno. Maybe," Harry said. Honestly, he'd been surprised it hadn't ripped open with how painful it had been. But he didn't want to tell young Harry that. This was one of the few things his younger self would hopefully never have to experience.

Harry tried to recall... It had seemed so real...

"Seeing into the beyond," Madam Trelawney said knowingly.

Minerva rolled her eyes.

There had been two people... or had that been the pain in his scar?

The unspeakables were leaning forward eagerly. They were fascinated by Potter's scar. It wasn't every day you came across a living horcrux.

They'd love to study him. Although the opportunity had been lost. It was almost a shame. Not that it would have been particularly humane to keep him as a human horcrux just for their academic intrigue.

And who had the old man been?... kill someone else. . . him!

The aurors sighed. He was forgetting the details. Not that it really mattered. Not in their new future. This only mattered in as much as they needed to understand their mistakes. Riddle was no longer Voldemort. His sanity was returned, the horcruxes gone. But still, every detail counted.

Harry took his face out of his hands... throwing a red ball to one another.

"Not really unusual, mate," Ron said.

"It is in a muggle home," Harry said with a sigh. Sometimes he thought Ron would never understand.

Harry walked over to the book... not even a cat.

"That's a shame. I'd quite liked to have seen Minnie," Sirius said, smirking at the professor in question.

Minerva glared at him. She really would rather he didn't encourage a new generation of troublemakers to use that particular nickname.

And yet... attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Poppy huffed. That should not be true. School was supposed to be a safe place.

Unfortunately, it had never been a safe place for Potter.

and had a knack for attracting a lot of trouble.

Minerva sighed at that. Yes. Hogwarts was dangerous for Harry.

No, the thing that was bothering Harry ... absurd, impossible. . .

"Never rely on something seeming impossible," Moody growled. "That's a sure way to fail."

Harry listened closely... grunting snore from the next room.

Several people jumped with book Harry.

Harry shook himself mentally... their dreams untroubled and painless.

"Lucky for them," Harry muttered. He couldn't remember when he'd last had a good night's sleep. Even here in the chamber he was plagued by nightmares.

Asleep was the way Harry liked the Dursleys best... anything that went wrong about the house.

Sirius and Remus both growled. They were both silently wondering if they could beat Madam Bones to the Dursley's house when they returned to their own time.

Harry had never... Harry would still have had parents...

Harry pointedly looked at the fire. He could almost feel the pitiful looks they were all giving him.

It set him on edge. He absolutely loathed being the centre of attention. Especially when it was because he was an orphan. And people felt sorry for him.

Harry had been a year old... Harry Potter had become famous.

Harry rolled his eyes at that. He'd give anything not to be famous. Anything to have his parents with him instead.

It had been enough of a shock... Harry wrote to them and told them about his scar hurting?

Hermione and Ron both wore considering looks. What sort of advice would they have given him?

Hermione mentally listed books that might be helpful while Ron scratched his head. He didn't know the first thing about cursed scars.

At once, Hermione Granger's voice... something in there about curse scars. . . . "

Several people laughed. That was exactly how Granger would have reacted.

Yes, that would be Hermione's advice... a book could help him now.

Both Hermiones looked highly offended.

As far as he knew... Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions.

"You're not wrong about that," Poppy said with a sigh. "You could have written to me though. I would have given you some advice, perhaps encouraged a trip to the goblins."

Harry smiled at her. Poppy was always on his side.

As for informing the headmaster... lotion onto his long crooked nose.

"I do enjoy visiting the seaside from time to time," Albus said with twinkling eyes. "Fawkes is especially happy when we visit the Galapagos."

Wherever Dumbledore was... Even inside his head the words sounded stupid.

"You could have written," Albus said. "I'd have appreciated the letter."

Being headmaster could be very lonely.

And so he tried... I'll ask Dad. . . "

The Weasleys all laughed at just how accurately that sounded like Ron.

Mr. Weasley was a fully qualified wizard... matter of curses, as far as Harry knew.

"Unfortunately, no I don't, Arthur said. "We could have asked Bill though."

Harry grinned at that. He hadn't even thought of Bill.

In any case... jumpy about a few moments' pain.

Sirius frowned at that. "You don't always have to be brave, you know."

Harry shrugged. He'd grown up believing he only had himself to rely on. Of course, he always had to be brave.

Mrs. Weasley would fuss worse than Hermione,

Mrs Weasley grimaced. She thought the boy deserved a little fussing.

and Fred and George... might think Harry was losing his nerve.

George looked offended. "No. We wouldn't. You're our honorary brother."

Harry grinned at him. It had taken him a while to realise how much the twins cared for him.

The Weasleys were Harry's favorite family... anxious inquiries about his scar.

That led to almost all the adults in the chamber sighing. What this boy needed was a parent. Several people looked at Sirius. At least, he'd have that now.

Harry kneaded his forehead... someone like a parent:

The mothers in the chamber all sighed.

an adult wizard... Sirius.

Sirius grinned. He was glad to hear they were still in touch. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing.

Harry leapt up from the bed... only Professor Dumbledore had believed their story.

"Not that he did anything to help," Tonks said bitterly. She was seriously put out that they still hadn't shouted at Dumbledore for that. She'd suggested putting it off, not forgetting about it entirely.

For one glorious hour... nearly escaped them forever.

"It's almost like Dumbles didn't want Sirius to actually get free," Tonks said quietly to Kingsley.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this way he's still Harry's magical guardian," Tonks said. "He can still keep Harry with his relatives."

Kingsley grimaced. Was the old man really that manipulative? He had a sinking feeling that he might well be.

His mind went back to the summer before Harry's fifth year when the order had practically been stalking him. Yes. Dumbledore could be exactly that manipulative.

Nevertheless, Sirius had been of some help to Harry... forgotten to tell them that Sirius was innocent.

"So you could finally do your homework?" Hermione asked excitably.

Harry just rolled his eyes. Homework was all that Hermione seemed to think about.

Harry had received two letters... large, brightly colored tropical birds.

"Not suspicious at all," Amelia said, rolling her eyes.

Hedwig had not approved... Sirius had gone South.

"Sunlight is a good remedy for the dementors," Poppy said with a nod.

Sirius's letters... Well, he needed to right now, all right...

"I'll always be here if you need me," Sirius murmured.

"I know, dad," Harry said, cuddling into his side.

Harry's lamp seemed to grow dimmer... reread his finished letter.

"How long did it take to write the letter?" Draco asked with a sigh. He never made that much effort when writing to his parents.

Dear Sirius... it could hardly get through my window.

The aurors were all muttering about the statute of secrecy.

Things are the same as usual here... take his mind off things.

"They put him on a diet?" Poppy asked, eager to hear more about that. The boy clearly needed it.

The parents in the room all glared at the book at the mention of Dudley's terrible behaviour.

The sooner the Dursleys were arrested, the better for both boys.

I'm okay... them all into bats if I ask you to.

"I would have too," Sirius said, smirking evilly as he considered all the different things he'd love to do to the Dursleys.

A weird thing happened this morning... anywhere near me now, can he?

"It is strange," young Rookwood said. The unspeakables were all muttering among themselves.

"Was it linked to the dream?" Bode questioned.

Do you know if curse scars sometimes hurt... Harry

"Cursed scars often hurt," Rookwood said. "But usually its pretty constant. It's not normal for them to hurt seemingly randomly or to give some sort of warning, the way yours does."

Yes, thought Harry... he was too worried.

"You should have added the dream," Amelia said with a sigh. That dream had been important.

He folded up the parchment... going down to breakfast.

"So, this diet," Poppy said. "You weren't on it too, were you?"

Harry grimaced. Poppy was going to be horrified when she learned what he'd eaten that summer.

Remus spoke up before they could continue reading. "Right, why don't the youngsters have a lesson with me and Hagrid on Magical Beings while the rest of you spend a bit of time on council business."

"Wait! So Harry gets out of lessons?" Ron grumbled.

"All you older ones do," Remus said. "It seems silly to teach you something twice. So anyone of age can go and help with council business or work on their own projects until lunch."

Ron's eyes lit up. He'd been trying to find time to go to the library to read up on broom creation. This was perfect.

The two Mrs Weasleys made their way to the kitchen to start preparing lunch as all the adults made their way out of the chamber, several people gathering around Harry as they went, eager to ask him for his advice on the work they were doing for the council.

Sirius stayed by Harry's side, ready to help him if needed. But mostly he just listened. He was proud of his son. He was taking to this prince stuff pretty well all things considered. He glanced back at younger Harry who was already listening excitably to Remus as he explained the differences between humans and werewolves. Yes, Sirius had plenty of reason to be proud of his boys.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. xoxo

A Plan For Muggleborns

Chapter Summary

Harry, Sirius and Arcturus spend some time hashing out the idea for a magical primary school.

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Harry eventually managed to detach himself from all the people who wanted his input. It was strange having grown wix vying for his attention and not just because he was famous but because his opinion apparently mattered.

He settled into the library with Sirius and Arcturus, pulling out his notes on his idea for a magical primary school.

"There's a lot to do," Harry said with a sigh. "I don't even know where to start."

"First, we need a building," Sirius said.

Harry grimaced at that. He supposed he could buy somewhere. He certainly had the gold for it.

"I imagine we can find an appropriate property among one of your estates," Arcturus said, "and if not, I can think of at least one Black property that would work. It really depends how big it needs to be."

"Might be worth talking to the goblins about it," Sirius murmured. They would know more about Harry's properties than anyone. After all, they couldn't exactly go and inspect them while they were out of time.

Harry hadn't even considered that he might actually own a property big enough. But no doubt he must do.

"How big should it be?" Harry asked. He tried to think back to his own primary school. It had been significantly smaller than Hogwarts.

"I guess that depends on how many children will be attending," Arcturus said. "When do you start primary school in the muggle world?"

"Four or five," Harry said automatically.

"Wow. That's young," Sirius whistled. He couldn't imagine sitting through lessons at that age.

"The younger years mostly learn through play," Harry said, trying to think back. "They bake cakes and sing songs and listen to stories. Paint and draw and…"

He sighed. This was a massive undertaking and he wasn't convinced that he was the right person to do this.

"Okay. So if you're starting at age four," Arcturus said thoughtfully, "that would mean you'd have seven years before Hogwarts."

"That's sort of perfect," Sirius offered a grin. "The purebloods will like it because its what they're used to and it's the most magical number."

"Is the school going to be mandatory?" Arcturus asked.

"It is in the muggle world." Harry brushed a hand through his hair. "But I can't see pure bloods liking it if they're forced to enroll their kids."

"I think it should be mandatory for muggle raised children," Sirius said. "But if it's mandatory for anyone, it should be for everyone."

Arcturus nodded. "We probably need to get Narcissa plotting how to make this more palatable for purebloods. And Lucius will be able to help us draft a bill for the Wizengamot to make it a legal requirement."

Narcissa had a knack for that sort of thing. She was a true Slytherin and she knew how to manipulate even the mostly slippery of snakes.

"That would probably be a good idea," Sirius agreed.

"How many kids attend Hogwarts each year?" Harry asked. He tried to count how many people were in his own year but his year had been a particularly small intake because they had all been born during the war.

"Usually somewhere between eighty and a hundred and fifty," Arcturus said. "Your year was going to be the smallest intake in centuries."

"So working on one hundred and fifty being the largest intake we can expect," Harry said, "we need a school big enough for a thousand children."

Harry was beginning to think they might need a castle the size of Hogwarts after all.

"Yes. But if it's only day classes, that reduces a lot of the space needed," Sirius said. "No need for dorms."

"Right." Harry nodded. "Still sounds like we need a castle."

Arcturus and Sirius both chuckled.

"If each year has up to six classes of twenty-five students," Harry said, "with at least two teachers per class, more for the younger classes. That means we need almost a hundred teachers."

Yes. This was a massive undertaking. Harry frowned. He wouldn't even be able to do it himself because he'd be ten! Merlin. This was frustrating.

"Tell us more about how you see each year group working, Harry," Sirius said, trying to distract Harry from just how big a task this was. Focus on the big picture first.

"Right, so the first two years would learn through play. They'd stay in their classroom except for field trips and to play outside. They'd mostly learn through stories, songs and art. They'll learn how to read and count… They could learn about the differences between muggles and wizards by playing dress up. Throughout the year they could do small things to celebrate the sacred days and muggle holidays too. Some basic wand safety like what to do if they find a wand."

"What sort of field trips would they take?" Sirius asked.

"They could visit the library, the zoo, the park in the muggle world. Not sure about the wixen world though."

Harry really didn't know what the wixen world offered for children's entertainment.

Arcturus nodded at that. "If you need Wixen equivalents, a quidditch match might work or a trip to one of the magical creature reserves."

"I really don't think they should be around dragons," Harry started.

"There are reserves for all sorts of creatures," Arcturus said. "We could talk to Lucius and Charlie about what sort of creatures will be on their reserve. And if not, Hogwarts has plenty of safe creatures that could be visited for a day."

"A field trip to Hogwarts would be incredible," Harry said eagerly.

"If the school had a pool or a lake, they could have swimming lessons," Harry added thoughtfully. "And they could have a class pet that they have to care for together. The first two years, you'd probably want three or four teachers per class to keep everyone safe and to make sure everyone gets the opportunity to learn."

"All right, what about the next year?"

"Third year would introduce some sat down lessons but still allow for plenty of learning through play," Harry said seriously. "So English would be a sat down class with spellings and a chance to write your own stories, mathematics, they'd learn basic arithmetic… They could learn about household magic by learning to bake - even if they're not using the magic themselves. Seeing it, is a good way to start learning. They could start learning about muggle and wixen history and maybe start learning about muggle technology. And they could start learning about magical creatures - you know the safe ones."

"And fourth year?" Sirius asked, jotting everything Harry said down.

"Fourth year would be when things get a little more formal," Harry sighed. "Less time to play. They'd have English and mathematics class still. Wizarding and Muggles Society Studies would become an actual class instead of something they just learn about through play. They'd have history lessons that cover both the magical world and the muggle world. And they'd start learning about the muggle sciences and magical theory. They would still learn about magical creatures but they'd also start learning Herbology and Astronomy."

Harry paused as he thought it through. "Some lessons they'd have every day like English and mathematics while others would become something they learn weekly. So a weekly magical creatures lesson and muggle technology lesson."

"This all sounds brilliant, Harry," Arcturus said. "What about fifth year?"

"Nothing much would change there," Harry said. "Except we might want to add that etiquette and comportment class, Narcissa wanted."

The two Blacks laughed at that. "That will be a big hit with the purebloods."

"There should also be sports lessons to keep everyone fit and healthy. Plenty of running around."

Sirius nodded at that. All eight-year-olds needed to release their excess energy somehow or you would be sure to have accidental magic catastrophes every other day.

"Sixth year?" Arcturus asked.

"So this is where things change," Harry said. "Where before most of their time will be spent with the other students in their class except when they come together for year group activities or assemblies or something, in sixth year, I'm thinking that some of the classes can be done in different groups so they can meet other people their own age. It will help them prepare for Hogwarts too as classes as split differently there. Also we'd introduce them to the other core subjects they'll be learning at Hogwarts. Maybe they can take a field trip to the ministry and Gringotts and other places like that. They can learn other languages too."

"And seventh year would follow the same way as sixth year," Harry said finally, "just going a bit more in depth."

Sirius and Arcturus were both nodding along and Harry could hardly believe that they hadn't told him his idea was stupid.

"All right," Sirius said, still making notes. "So approximately one hundred teachers. If we're going to have a pool or a lake and magical creatures, we're going to need a groundskeeper too. And maybe a caretaker too, and a driver for the school bus."

"If we're talking about a thousand potential students, we're going to need more than one bus," Arcturus said.

We'll need a head teacher," Harry said, "and probably a deputy. Plus some administrators. And probably some sort of board of governors - we could have parent governors."

Sirius frowned. "So I guess the big question is how is this all going to be funded?"

"If we get Narcissa involved, she could arrange fundraising," Arcturus suggested.

"Run it like a charitable organisation?" Sirius asked. "Free education."

"Hogwarts is expensive enough," Arcturus said. "And if the quality of teaching is good enough, the purebloods will happily donate if it means they don't have to spend money on multiple tutors."

Sirius nodded. That was true enough. His mother had always complained about the number of tutors he and Regulus required.

"We can always start with a loan from the Black family," he said eventually. "I'll happily donate too but we're going to need a large influx of galleons to get started."

Arcturus nodded his agreement. That was probably the best way to go about it initially. "We could probably apply for some ministry funding too. Especially as it will have the Prince's endorsement."

Harry held back a sigh. At least it was because he was Magic's chosen and not because he was the boy-who-lived.

"Well, that's the easy bit done!" Arcturus grinned. "Now for the hard bit."

Harry grimaced. He didn't even want to imagine what his new great-grandfather thought was the hard bit.

"Getting the muggleborns involved," Arcturus said pointedly when both Harry and Sirius eyed him with confusion. "At the moment, muggleborns only learn about our world when they get invited to Hogwarts."

"Right…" Harry nodded. "So, how does Hogwarts know about the muggleborns?"

"All magical children are recorded in the book of admittance from their first bout of accidental magic." Arcturus explained.

"Can we ask them to share?" Harry asked. "Or do we have to work out the spell work for something like that?"

Harry really thought that was beyond his level of expertise.

"Perhaps," Sirius nodded. "If not, I imagine the unspeakable can come up with something."

Arcturus grinned. "Unfortunately, that isn't the hard part."

"Huh?" Both Harry and Sirius asked.

"The biggest challenge is going to be introducing the muggleborns to our world," Arcturus said. "And I'm not sure it should be the responsibility of the school. Hogwarts did a terrible job of introducing you to the magical world, Harry. I think we need a ministry department or at least a sub department specifically for supporting muggleborns and muggle raised children joining our world."

"How would that work?" Harry asked.

"At the first sign of accidental magic a couple of representatives of the department - let's call them advocates - would visit the muggleborn and fix any accidental magic that might need undoing. At that time, they'd talk to the child and the parents and tell them about our world and the school."

"They'd have to arrange for them to sign a secrecy contract," Harry said. The statute of secrecy needed to be protected better than it currently was. "And monitor the family for signs of abuse."

Both Sirius and Arcturus agreed with that.

"One problem you might find is that magical children all start showing signs of magic at different ages. For some it's in the first few months while others they might be eight or nine. It means muggle raised kids might join the school later than their wixen raised peers."

Harry listened to what Sirius said. But he couldn't see any way of avoiding that.

"The school could provide classes for muggles raising magical children in the evenings," Arcturus suggested. "I imagine it might be quite scary raising a magical child without magic. Basic stuff like who to contact in the event your magical child hurts themselves or you with accidental magic, and a basic overview of magical diseases and other health related issues. Muggleborns often wait until Hogwarts before getting their magical vaccines. That could be brought forward with a system like this."

"Presumably their ministry advocate would continue to act as a liaison between the family and the magical world," Harry said, "but the parents would also have the support of the school and other parents."

"Yes. So all in all, they'd be in a much better position than they are now." Arcturus smiled at his great-grandson. Even though he'd only known the young man a few days, he couldn't help but feel immensely proud of him.

"You're certain you want squibs to attend?"Arcturus asked.

Harry glared at him.

"I'm not saying you shouldn't, I just want to make sure we're on the same page."

"All wixen raised kids," Harry said eventually. "Hell, I'd even be willing to let muggle siblings in if muggleborns like my mum come."

Sirius nodded at that. "They're probably squibs if there's a magical in the family."

"And we can hire some squibs for some of the teaching roles. Anything that doesn't involve magic," Harry said.

Arcturus nodded. "I think if you do that you either need to make them subject specific teachers or make sure that each class has at least one magical teacher, just in case there are any magical accidents."

"That sounds reasonable," Harry said. "I just thought. We're going to need a school nurse too."

Sirius checked his watch. "Time for lunch. Let's leave it here for now. I think we should talk to Narcissa and Lucius. Like granddad said Narcissa will be a big help with fundraising and Lucius will be able to help us with the legalities. And we should definitely talk to the goblins about a site for the school."

They gathered their paperwork and made their way out of the library, each deep in thought. Harry had a grin on his face. That had been oddly productive. It felt so strange having adults take his ideas seriously.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed it. Just a little insight into what the world will look like with Harry in charge.

The Invitation

Chapter Summary

Our characters read another chapter and learn a little bit about the muggle postage system...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Young Harry took his seat in the chamber after lunch. Madam Pomfrey had insisted that he could start having a slightly larger portion size at meal times and Harry was feeling exceptionally fully and tired. Before coming to the chamber, Harry wasn't sure he'd ever had a full stomach before. It was a strange feeling. Not bad exactly. Just different. He smiled at his older self as he sat next to Neville. He liked the quiet boy. While Ron seemed great too, he was a little too loud and boisterous and that sometimes put Harry on edge. But Neville spoke softly and didn't move particularly quickly, and Harry found himself feeling safe with the other boy.

Harry flinched when he heard the book start. He hadn't noticed Professor Flitwick casting the spell. That was unusual. Normally he noticed everything. Was this what it was like to feel safe?

By the time Harry arrived... behind the morning's Daily Mail,

"You know that's something else that probably needs to change," Hermione said. "We only have one newspaper that is taken seriously and its ministry controlled. We need a free press."

Rita grinned maliciously. "You wouldn't want a free press."

"Sure, I would," Hermione countered. "We'd need stronger laws about protecting individuals from libel and also protecting the rights of minors."

"We already have those laws in place, Miss Granger," Lucius said. "Unfortunately, Heir Potter didn't have anyone protecting his interests. His magical guardian should have hired a lawyer to deal with the Prophet."

Hermione frowned. It was one thing to think that the laws just didn't exist but it was another thing entirely to think that people just didn't think that the laws should apply to Harry. Presumably they saw an orphan and thought him alone and defenseless.

"The same can be said for muggleborns," Lucius said. "Often they're unaware of the laws in our world and so do not take the appropriate action to respond to defamation in the paper."

"You're not wrong that we need more papers though," Harry said. "I mean, I don't even know how many papers there are in muggle Britain."

"You shouldn't have a monopoly on information," young Harry said, surprising them all. "We learned that in school. The more sources you gain your information from, the more you can ensure your opinion is unbiased."

"Very true, Mr Potter," Minerva said with a warm smile.

and Aunt Petunia... her horse-like teeth.

Madam Pomfrey sat forward. Were they about to hear about Dudley's diet?

Dudley looked furious... Dudley glowered at her.

"Just a quarter of grapefruit?" Madam Pomfrey asked. "Was that for breakfast?" Sure, the boy clearly needed to lose weight but that was some extreme dieting. "That's only about twenty calories."

Suddenly restricting food like that could be deadly. For a boy like Dudley, even a small change might have made a significant difference. Reducing his portion sizes for example, might have been enough to kickstart his weight loss without potentially effecting his electrolytes or bone density.

His life had taken a most unpleasant turn... find excuses for his bad marks as usual:

Minerva tutted at that. She really didn't like the Dursleys.

Aunt Petunia always insisted... he wouldn't hurt a fly!" Aunt Petunia had said tearfully.

That led to a lot of eye rolling.

However, at the bottom of the report... size and weight of a young killer whale.

A couple of the young Gryffindors laughed, although they did their best to hide it from the adults.

So - after many tantrums... Uncle Vernon called "rabbit food."

"It's clear to see where he gets his unhealthy eating habits from," Poppy said.

To make Dudley feel better about it all... get more to eat than Harry.

Sirius glared at the book.

But Aunt Petunia didn't know... an enormous fruitcake and assorted meat pies.

Sirius smiled at the Grangers, Mrs Weasley and Hagrid. He was grateful they'd been looking out for Harry.

Poor Errol... recover from the journey.

Arthur sighed. They really did need to retire Errol and get a new post owl. But owls were expensive.

And then on Harry's birthday ... he ate his grapefruit without complaint.

"Birthday cake for breakfast?" Poppy asked with a mock glare.

Uncle Vernon laid aside his paper ... a very sour look in his piggy little eyes.

"If he tries and takes your food," Sirius growled.

Uncle Vernon gave a great sigh... Uncle Vernon's grapefruit.

Everyone laughed.

Harry heard talking at the door ... ripping paper came from the hall.

"Oh, no," young Harry said. "He's mad, isn't he?"

Harry nodded. Everyone else wondered how the young boy had known.

Aunt Petunia set the teapot down... "In the living room. Now. "

"But you haven't done anything," Remus said. "Have you?"

Harry shrugged. It really didn't matter if he'd done something or not. Not when it came to Uncle Vernon.

Bewildered, wondering what on earth... settled for looking politely puzzled.

"Good decision," young Harry muttered. It was always better to stay quiet.

"This just arrived," ... sent letters by the postman?

Mrs Weasley looked up. She'd sent that letter. She didn't mean to get Harry in trouble though.

Uncle Vernon glared at Harry... a great deal from Harry about my son Ron.

Ron snorted. Yeah, he'd be surprised if the Dursleys even knew his name.

As Harry might have told you... a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity;

The kids all looked at the book eagerly. This was exciting. Would they get to hear about the world cup final?

Britain hasn't hosted the cup... see him safely onto the train back to school.

"Like they care about that," young Harry muttered.

It would be best... I am not sure he even knows where it is.

"He won't like that," young Harry said with a grimace.

Hoping to see Harry soon... P. S. I do hope we've put enough stamps on.

The muggleborns all looked confused. "You should only need one for a letter," Hermione said with a sigh.

Uncle Vernon finished reading... Dursleys' address in minute writing.

Mrs Weasley went bright red.

"She did put enough stamps on, then," ... His uncle's eyes flashed.

Don't be cheeky, young Harry said. "He really won't like that."

"The postman noticed," ... Seemed to think it was funny."

"Well, it was, in fairness," Harry said with a shrug.

Harry didn't say anything... with people like Mrs. Weasley.

All the magicals looked offended at that. They didn't want to be associated with him either.

"Perhaps you can teach the children in the primary school how to send letters," Mr Granger said, "both the magical way and the muggle way."

Uncle Vernon was still glaring at Harry... most fundamental instincts came into conflict.

Everyone looked confused.

Allowing Harry to go... Uncle Vernon hated having Harry in the house.

The confused expressions disappeared.

To give himself thinking time... aloud in the Dursley household.

"Imagine making the word Hogwarts taboo," Tom said with an eye roll.

Uncle Vernon screwed up ... become wider than he was tall.

Mrs Weasley reddened still more. It was strange having a complete stranger talk about her body like that. The man had no manners.

Uncle Vernon was perusing the letter again... "Played on broom-"

"Surprised he's actually talking to you about this," young Harry said thoughtfully.

Harry nodded with a grin. It had surprised him too.

"All right, all right!" ... 'the normal way'?" he spat.

Harry laughed.

"Normal for us," ... his face now a rich plum color.

"Well, he did ask," Minerva said snappishly.

"You stand there... extremely baggy jeans.

"Careful," young Harry murmured, looking actually scared.

"I will not be spoken to like that!" ... You know - my godfather. "

Severus's eyes widened. The manipulative little brat. He was impressed. "That was very Slytherin of you, Potter."

"Thanks, sir," Harry said with a grin.

He had done it... tiny eyes contract with sudden fear.

Sirius smirked. He liked the fact these muggles were scared of him. He'd show them just why they should fear him.

"Well - yeah," ... tell him you're going. "

Several people cheered. They hadn't expected Vernon to agree.

"Okay then," ... "I feel really full, don't you?"

George laughed heartily.

Laughing at the astonished look... she was annoyed about something.

The aurors sat up a little straighter. What was bothering the owl?

Exactly what was annoying ... DAD GOT THE TICKETS -

Ron gave Harry an apologetic look for Pig.

Ireland versus Bulgaria... We're coming for you whether the Muggles like it or not,

Madam Bones frowned. Did they not realise that could technically count as kidnapping? Under the circumstances, she certainly understood it, but they really shouldn't have let Ron put that in a letter. If you planned to do something questionable, it was better not to leave evidence.

you can't miss the World Cup... unless you want the pants bored off you.

Percy glared at his younger brother.

See you soon ... though daring it to try and come any closer.

"What is it with Crookshanks and Hedwig not liking my pets?" Ron muttered irritably.

"At least Hedwig didn't attack Pig," Harry said. "She just thinks that post owls should behave a certain way."

Harry seized his eagle-feather quill ... Hedwig hooted in a dignified sort of a way.

Everyone who knew Hedwig smiled at that. She was a very dignified bird.

"Can you take this to Sirius for me?" ... how a real post owl should behave.

Ron rolled his eyes. Sure, Pig was annoying but he was his.

"I'll be at Ron's... nothing but grapefruit;

"That's surprisingly vindictive of you, Harry," Hermione said, giving him an odd look.

"You'd feel vindictive too if you always had nothing while your cousin had everything," Harry muttered. "It was nice to have our roles reversed for once."

it was a bright summer's day... even Lord Voldemort.

Sirius smiled. That's what he wanted to hear. Harry was only fourteen in the book and shouldn't have a care in the world.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you all enjoyed this one. I'm going to try and write more non reading chapters into this book so hopefully there will be plenty of interaction with the characters outside of reading too xo

Back to the Burrow

Chapter Summary

Our characters read another chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

By twelve o'clock the next day... remaining until his return to Hogwarts.

The adults all frowned. The boy had so little. It was like he literally lived out of his school trunk.

The atmosphere inside number four... five o'clock the very next day.

"I probably shouldn't have taken the twins," Arthur muttered to himself.

"I hope you told them... their worst idea of wizards.

"Don't worry about us, Harry," Arthur said. "We can handle a little rudeness."

Uncle Vernon had put on his best suit... impressive and intimidating.

Harry rolled his eyes.

Dudley, on the other hand... present the same target to the enemy.

Amelia groaned. As awful as these muggles were, the way magicals had interacted with them, hadn't helped. First, Dumbledore leaving Harry on their doorstep with nothing but a note. And then Hagrid and that whole tail incident. It was no wonder they were a little hostile. Of course, that didn't excuse the way they treated Harry.

Lunch was an almost silent meal... "They'll be driving, of course?" Uncle Vernon barked across the table.

Mr Weasley frowned. He hadn't thought to warn them about how they would be arriving. In hindsight, that had been a mistake.

"Er," ... possibly he would do the same today?

"Probably not," Tonks said. "It's not easy to get those."

"Although, it should have been if they were picking up Harry," Kingsley said. He was thinking about how he'd guarantee Potter's safety in the future.

"I think so," ... even if he drove a Ferrari.

Hermione laughed. Her parents were secure financially but they couldn't afford a Ferrari.

Harry spent most of the afternoon... excitement and nerves.

Sirius grimaced. This should have been a happy occasion, not a reason to be anxious.

But five o'clock came and then went.

Arthur frowned. He knew they shouldn't have been late.

Uncle Vernon... "No consideration at all. "

Arthur sighed. He had intended to be on time.

"We might've had an engagement. "... -AAAAAAAARRRRRGH!"

Everyone sat bolt up right. What had happened?

Harry jumped up... which had a fake coal fire plugged in front of it.

Amelia shook her head. This was why you didn't attach muggle residences to the floo network.

"What is it?" ... inside the blocked fireplace.

Sirius groaned. Nothing could ever go simply for Harry, could it?

"Ouch! Fred, no - go back... go back quickly and tell Ron -"

"Why did so many people come?" Remus asked. "You knew the muggles didn't like wizards. Wouldn't it have been better for you to just bring Ron?"

"Yes. That was a mistake," Arthur said with a grimace.

"Maybe Harry can hear us, Dad... a pair of angry wolverines.

Young Harry actually flinched.

"What is this?" ... only you've blocked the fireplace - hang on -"

Sirius laughed. There was no point explaining the floo network. These muggles weren't interested. Harry was wasting his breath.

He approached the fireplace... You won't be able to get through there. "

"Please tell me you apparated your boys back one at a time and then returned for Harry," Amelia said. She had a sinking feeling that this was not going to go well.

"Er..." Arthur frowned. "Didn't think of that."

"Damn!" ... Gracious, I must see that...

Mrs Weasley rolled her eyes.

Let's think... we wanted to end up. "

George smiled at the thought of his twin.

"Yeah, we're having the time of our lives here,"... Stand back, Harry. "

"Bad idea, Arthur," young Kingsley said with a sigh.

Harry retreated to the sofa... BANG.

"You know if you're going to blow a man's house up," Mr Granger said with a chuckle, "it's best to warn him."

He didn't like these Dursleys but he had to agree that magicals could be very disrespectful to muggles. He'd experienced it himself.

The electric fire shot across the room... who were identical to the last freckle.

George grimaced. It had always bothered him and Fred that even their own parents couldn't tell them apart.

"That's better," ... he had just aged thirty years.

"Not the best introduction," Arthur said with a sigh.

"Er - yes - sorry about that,"... he fixed it for me.

Amelia glared at Arthur. There was a reason muggle residences weren't supposed to be connected to the floo network. It seemed like everyone in the ministry thought they could bend the rules however they damn well pleased. And yet they still had the audacity to complain when other people did the same thing.

I can put it right in a jiffy... hid behind Uncle Vernon.

"It's no wonder they're scared of magicals," young Harry said, "if every interaction is like this."

He almost felt sorry for his aunt and uncle.

"This is why the parents of muggle raised children need some sort of program to introduce them to the magical world," Sirius said, shaking his head.

"That would be very useful," Mr Granger agreed. "It was overwhelming when we learned about Hermione's magic. Not only was there this whole other world that we didn't know about. But there were diseases that we didn't know existed that could kill our daughter. New laws to be aware of. A whole different educational program. It was a lot to take in."

Mrs Granger nodded. "And if we knew about it sooner, we'd have been more prepared for dealing with Hermione's accidental magic."

"Hello, Harry!" ... they had heard a lot about him from Harry.

"You know us so well," George said.

"Well," said Mr. Weasley... "Very - erm - very nice place you've got here. "

Several people laughed. He'd just blown up their house. Now was not the time to compliment it. Even Mrs Weasley gave her husband an exasperated look.

As the usually spotless living room... My wife thinks I'm mad, but there you are. "

"I think Uncle Vernon thought you were mad too," Harry said with a chuckle.

Uncle Vernon clearly thought Mr. Weasley was mad too.

Harry nodded. Point proven.

He moved ever so slightly to the right... nowhere near enough to conceal Dudley.

A couple of the kids in the chamber sniggered.

"Ah, this is your cousin, is it, Harry?" ... still harder over his massive backside.

The children laughed again but the adults in the chamber didn't look impressed. Wizards - Hagrid in particular - had traumatised this muggle child. While they didn't like the boy, they couldn't condone that.

Fred and George came back into the room... Their faces cracked into identical evil grins.

Mrs Weasley glared at George.

"Ah, right," said Mr. Weasley... the wall behind him.

"And now your setting a fire in their house," Mr Granger said. "I can promise you they won't like that. Not when they don't understand what you're doing."

He didn't bother to say that he didn't think these people would appreciate it even if they did understand. But the average muggle... Sometimes, wizards needed a little lesson in explaining magic to muggles. Because they seemed to mess that up frequently.

Flames rose at once in the fireplace... big, fat toffees in brightly colored wrappers.

Mrs Weasley looked ready to breathe fire and Harry was sure that if Fred was still alive, he'd be on the receiving end of one of his mother's famous rants.

Fred scrambled around... Fred vanished.

Young Harry grinned. He couldn't wait to try that.

"Right then, George," ... Now Harry and Mr. Weasley alone remained.

Harry grimaced. This had been awkward.

"Well. . . 'bye then," ... "Didn't you hear him?"

Both Harrys laughed.

"It doesn't matter," ... "Surely you're going to say good-bye?"

"Probably better if they don't," young Harry muttered.

Uncle Vernon's face worked furiously... "Good-bye, then. "

Amelia frowned. Perhaps the general populace needed lessons in how to appear less threatening to muggles, if even Arthur Weasley could instill this much fear. The man was as gentle as they came.

No one said anything about the muggles' terrible manners. They were beginning to expect it.

"See you," ... and Aunt Petunia started to scream.

"What happened?" young Lee asked.

"The twins happened," Arthur said with a sigh.

Harry wheeled around... toffee wrapper lay on the floor before him.

Amelia and the aurors all glared at George. Attacking a muggle? What were they thinking?

Aunt Petunia hurled herself... Mr. Weasley had to shout to make himself heard.

The children in the chamber were laughing hysterically - or at least most of them were.

Moody growled, "I think we might need to add a new lesson to the schedule on interacting with muggles." He would not allow an entire generation of magicals to grow up thinking this was okay.

"Not to worry, ... his wand outstretched,

"Should have called the DMLE and we'd have handled it, Arthur," Amelia said with a sigh. The twins would have gotten a warning but really, they deserved it.

but Aunt Petunia screamed worse... but it's only an Engorgement Charm -

"They don't know what that is," Kingsley said with a sigh.

at least, I think it is ... shatter in the blasted fireplace.

The aurors all shook their heads. This was going to escalate. They needed a magical reversal team. Yes, it was simple enough magic but the muggles weren't going to cooperate and so it would be better to stun all three, fix the child and then obliviate the lot of them for good measure. This was just one more traumatic experience with magicals that they didn't need.

"Now really!" ... "I'm trying to help!"

A couple people laughed at that. He was the one that brought magic into their house. If he thought the muggles would cooperate he was dreaming.

Bellowing like a wounded hippo... "I'll sort this out!"

George frowned. He hadn't realised things had gotten this bad. Perhaps that toffee hadn't been the best idea after all.

Harry didn't want to miss the fun,

"FUN?" Mrs Weasley screeched. "Attacks on muggles are not fun!"

Sirius glared at her. Who was she to shout at his godson?

Harry just rolled his eyes. "While in general, I agree with you, at fourteen, seeing your bully hurt is always fun. Well, fun might not be the right word. But it's a nice feeling. Like you suddenly realise that maybe karma is real."

Several people nodded. They could understand that. It was the same feeling you got on the battlefield when you took down an opponent that has previously gotten the better of you.

but Uncle Vernon's second ornament... a rush of emerald-green flames.

George wasn't looking at anyone. In hindsight that really hadn't been funny at all. He and Fred had always prided themselves on knowing not to cross the line, but apparently they didn't always get it right.

Chapter End Notes

Drop a comment and let me know what you think...

Weasleys Wizard Wheezes

Chapter Summary

Our characters read their last chapter of the day...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Harry spun faster and faster... out of the Weasleys' kitchen fire.

"I really hate floo travel," Harry muttered.

Mr Granger had a thoughtful look on his face. "What I don't understand is why you used floo travel at all. I pride myself on being a pretty level headed man but I wouldn't have liked it if you added my house to the floo network without my consent. That's like making yourself a key to my house and letting yourself in. Hell, I'd be tempted to call it breaking and entering."

The wizards all looked thoughtful. They hadn't even considered that.

Harry frowned. Thinking about it, they hadn't even asked him. "It was sort of disrespectful."

Arthur grimaced. He really hadn't thought it through. He just knew it wouldn't be good for him to pick up Harry alone so it made sense to take the boys.

"You would have been better to bring Ron by side along apparation and ask Bill or Charlie to accompany you," Harry said. "Then one of them could have brought me back to the Burrow."

Arthur shook his head. Why hadn't he thought of that?

"Did he eat it?" ... someone to test them on all summer... "

Mrs Weasley did not look impressed. She was glaring at George.

The tiny kitchen exploded with laughter... the two eldest Weasley brothers.

"You laughed?" Mrs Weasley demanded, glaring now at her eldest two sons.

"We weren't listening to their conversation," Charlie said. "We were talking about an incident that happened at my work."

"How're you doing, Harry?"... who worked with dragons in Romania.

"Impressive deductive reasoning," Moody murmured.

Charlie was built like the twins... shiny burn on it.

Young Bill rolled his eyes. "I get burned too in my line of work. Although, I get significantly less sun than Charlie."

Bill got to his feet... an older version of Percy:

Bill chuckled. He was nothing like Percy.

fussy about rule-breaking and fond of bossing everyone around.

Percy eyes darkened. He was clearly offended.

However, Bill was - there was no other word for it - cool.

"Thanks Harry," Bill said with a smirk.

He was tall... but of dragon hide.

Luna giggled. "Someone has a crush," she said quietly.

Before any of them could say anything else... angrier than Harry had ever seen him.

"Yeah, you know you should worry when Dad is angry," Ron said.

"That wasn't funny Fred!" ... I never told him to. "

Mrs Weasley looked on the verge of screeching except the Fred in the chamber hadn't done this yet.

"You dropped it on purpose!" ... his parents would let me shrink it!"

"That's impressive," Flitwick said. He didn't like what they'd done but he could still appreciate the magic.

Harry and the Weasleys roared with laughter again.

"We might have laughed that time," Bill said, looking slightly abashed. "But they'd told us all about those Dursleys."

"It isn't funny!" ... mistreatment of Muggles,

"Sorry dad," George said morosely.

and my own sons... he's a Muggle!" said Fred indignantly.

"Yeah, we wouldn't just attack muggles for fun," George said. "But Dudley is a bully and... I'm not saying we were okay to do it but Harry is like our little brother."

"No, we gave it to him... "That's not the point!" raged Mr. Weasley.

"That argument wouldn't hold up in the Wizengamot," Lucius said with a sigh. The twins could have gotten into a lot of trouble.

"You wait until I tell your mother -"

Arthur grimaced. He hadn't planned on telling Molly anything about it.

"Tell me what?" ... "Tell me what, Arthur?"

All the married men in the chamber gave Arthur pitying looks. They'd been there.

Mr. Weasley hesitated... Mr. Weasley eyed his wife nervously.

Mrs Weasley glared at Mr Weasley.

Then two girls appeared... ever since his first visit to the Burrow.

"Before that," young Ron said, rolling his eyes. His sister was obsessed with the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Tell me what, Arthur?" ... but I've had words with them -"

Arthur sighed. Molly never listened to him when he said he'd already dealt with a problem. It was amazing their boys listened to him at all, when Molly was constantly undermining his authority like this. He was supposed to be the head of the family. Not that you'd know it. He loved his wife dearly but sometimes she frustrated him to no end.

"What have they done this time?" ... "in my room, he slept there last -"

Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron really didn't get social cues very quickly.

"We can all go,"... "You stay where you are!" snarled Mrs. Weasley.

"Molly, sometimes," Arthur began quietly, so quietly in fact that he hoped no one else would hear, "sometimes it feels like you don't listen to me."

"Of course I listen to you, Arthur," Molly said, taken aback.

"In the book I just told you that I'd already dealt with this issue but you took over and completely undermined my authority."

Molly's mouth hung open. Had she? That hadn't been her intention. "Did I? I'm sorry Arthur."

"I know, Molly. It just upsets me that you don't seem to trust me to discipline our boys. I'm their father."

"I'll do better," she promised quietly, taking his hand in hers. She hadn't even considered that she might be hurting Arthur's feelings. She had just been so angry with the twins.

Harry and Ron edged out of the kitchen... although Hermione didn't.

"Weasleys Wizard Wheezes are brilliant!" Harry said eagerly. He hated the way people seemed to underestimate Fred and George.

"Mum found this stack of order forms... they'd been inventing all that. . . "

"You think we're brilliant, Ron?" George asked, feeling surprised.

"Of course, I do. It's amazing what you guys have achieved," Ron said excitably.

"We've been hearing explosions... "We thought they just liked the noise. "

George rolled his eyes. Who liked the sound of explosions?

"Only, most of the stuff - well, all of it, really - was a bit dangerous," said Ron,

"It's not dangerous at all," George said with a sigh. "You just didn't know what it was."

"and, you know, they were planning to sell it... burned all the order forms...

"Nothing in the rules to say you can't start a little business at Hogwarts," Albus said. He didn't like the idea of stifling that creativity.

She's furious at them anyway... O. W. L. s as she expected. "

George rolled his eyes. "We got them all between us," he explained. "We always planned on working together. I focused on half of them and Fred did the rest. Of course, we didn't think that one of us might..." His voice died off.

O. W. L. s... open a joke shop. "

"That was really unfair, you know," George said, looking suddenly angry. "We've never said we wanted to work at the ministry. We'd be terrible at it. We've always enjoyed inventing stuff and we were serious about the joke shop. The one time we talked about something that was important to us and you shot us down immediately."

Mrs Weasley looked horrified. She hadn't meant to do that. She just wanted them to have the best possible future they could.

"It's like you expect all of us to be the same," George said. "We're not all Percy. You don't like that Bill is a curse breaker..."

"It's dangerous," Molly argued.

"Or that Charlie works with dragons... You want us all to work in a boring office. But we're not all the same. We have different interests. Different priorities." George sighed. He wasn't sure why he was bothering to try and explain.

Just then a door on the second landing opened... thundering up and down the stairs."

The Weasleys all rolled their eyes.

"That was quite rude, Percy," Mrs Weasley said in surprise. She didn't see this side of Percy normally.

Percy shrugged. He didn't want to explain how the love potion had made him work incessantly in an effort to prove himself to his girlfriend.

"We're not thundering,"... almost three percent a year -"

Snape was interested in that report and made a mental note to discuss it with the young man after dinner.

"That'll change the world... I expect, cauldron leaks. "

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley glowered at her youngest son.

Percy went slightly pink... Percy slammed his bedroom door shut.

Mrs Weasley sighed. She just couldn't understand why her boys didn't all just get along.

As Harry, Hermione, and Ginny followed Ron... told Mrs. Weasley about the toffees.

Arthur sighed and Molly gave him an apologetic look.

The room at the top of the house... "Shut up, Pig," said Ron,

Sirius frowned, reminding himself not to gift the boy an owl in the future if that was how he treated it.

edging his way... because he's got to work. "

"That's not fair!" young Fred said. "You put the four of us in the smallest room in the house and Percy got to keep his room all to himself."

"He had work to do," Mrs Weasley countered.

"So, we'd have only been in there to sleep," George retorted.

"Er - why are you calling that owl Pig?" ... "She reckons it's sweet.

"I mean that is a silly name," Sirius said matter-of-factly.

And I tried to change it... He annoys me too, come to that.

Sirius rolled his eyes. Definitely not getting him an owl.

Pigwidgeon zoomed happily... appeared to have eaten him.

Mrs Weasley frowned. Ron really should be more appreciative of what he had. That owl had been a gift.

"Where's Crookshanks?" ... He's never seen any before. "

The Weasleys all grinned. Their garden was full of gnomes.

"Percy's enjoying work, then?" ... He's obsessed.

Percy grimaced. How his family thought that was normal behaviour even for him, he couldn't understand.

Just don't get him onto the subject ... engagement any day now. "

The younger Weasleys all sniggered, while Percy turned pink.

"Have you had a good summer, Harry?" ... "They saved my life, those cakes. "

Hermione frowned. She had thought he was exaggerating.

"And have you heard from -?" ... Ginny was looking curiously from Ron to Harry.

"Sometimes you're almost as bad as Hagrid with secrets," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Shall we go down ... No ambition,

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" George shouted at his mother. "We have plenty of ambition. Just because it doesn't match your expectations, doesn't mean it isn't there. I'm sorry we're such a big bloody disappointment."

He stormed out of the room without another word.

Mrs Weasley sat wide eyed staring at the door. Arthur sighed and got to his feet, following after his son.

unless you count... "but they're wasting them,

The younger set of twins folded their arms, pointedly staring angrily at their mother. She never spoke this way about any of the others. It wasn't fair. They wanted to open a joke shop, big deal.

and unless they pull themselves together... Improper Use of Magic Office."

Everyone in the chamber looked highly awkward. This was not something any of them should be listening into. But equally, Molly really shouldn't have been talking about the twins to the other children like that. Augusta was on the verge of telling her so too.

Mrs. Weasley jabbed her wand... we went wrong with them," said Mrs. Weasley,

Fred and George got to their feet too and left the chamber. They didn't want to hear this. They didn't think there was anything wrong with them. Molly watched them leave, her eyes glistening with tears.

putting down her wand... not to leave them lying around?"

Ollivander wished that the boys were still in the chamber. Fake wands were not easy to make. He'd love to talk to them about them.

She grabbed her real wand... the back door into the yard.

Everyone let out audible sighs of relief. They didn't want to witness any more family drama.

They had only gone a few paces... knock the other's out of the air.

Mrs Weasley looked shocked. Her older boys were normally much more sensible than that. Then again, she also hadn't seen Percy be rude like he had been at his doorway.

Fred and George were cheering... torn between amusement and anxiety.

Hermione's mother sighed. "Dear, they are adults. It's okay to have a little fun once and a while. And presumably, they would be able to fix anything they broke with magic?"

"Well, yes. I suppose," Hermione said with a slow nod.

Bill's table caught Charlie's with a huge bang... "Will you keep it down?!" he bellowed.

Mrs Weasley gaped at the book.

"You know if the twins had done that," Ron said crossly, "we'd never have heard the end of it. But because it was Bill and Charlie, nothing was said."

Mrs Weasley looked like she wanted to argue that point but she wasn't sure she could.

"Sorry, Perce,"... conjured tablecloths from nowhere.

"See, no harm done," Mrs Granger said.

By seven o'clock... ready by Tuesday," Percy was saying pompously.

Percy grimaced. He didn't like being called pompous. Was it really that bad to take pride in your work? Okay, he'd been a little obsessive because of the love potion, but he'd still cared about his work. That was proven when he received a cleansing at the ministry and he still loved his work afterwards.

"That's a bit sooner... Ludo Bagman -"

The ministry employees all rolled their eyes at the mention of Ludo.

"I like Ludo," ... I smoothed the whole thing over. "

Amelia wrote something down on her parchment. Did no one at the ministry actually keep to the law?

"Oh Bagman's likable enough... Went on holiday to Albania and never came back?"

Everyone sat forward at the mention of Bertha Jorkins.

"Yes, I was asking Ludo about that,"... if it was someone in my department, I'd be worried. . . . "

Albus sighed. Albania was the last place he'd been able to track Voldemort to. He imagined his older self would have been highly suspicious of that.

"Oh Bertha's hopeless, all right," said Percy.

Several people tutted. It wasn't really appropriate to talk about people you don't know like that. Percy had only just started working at the ministry.

"I hear she's been shunted ... Mr. Crouch was quite fond of her -

Harry laughed at that. Crouch wasn't fond of her. He was just worried that his family's secrets might be revealed.

but Bagman just keeps laughing... big event to organize right after the World Cup. "

Those from the new timeline sat forward. What was he talking about?

Percy cleared his throat significantly... "The top-secret one. "

"If it's top secret you shouldn't be talking about it at the dinner table, sonny," Moody growled.

Ron rolled his eyes ... Bill, what do they say at the bank?"

Bill rolled his eyes. "The bank really don't care what we look like. So long as we're making them a profit."

"Mum, no one at the bank gives a damn... " I wish you'd let me give it a trim. . . . "

The purebloods in the chamber glared at Molly. A wix's hair was sacred.

"I like it," ... Professor Dumbledore's. . . . "

Albus's eyes twinkled.

Next to Mrs. Weasley, ... Ireland has got seven," said Charlie shortly.

Krum grimaced. The man wasn't wrong. It had really annoyed him the way the Bulgarian team seemed to just rely on him to win.

"I wish England had got through... Scotland was slaughtered by Luxembourg. "

"I was really disappointed none of the home nations made it to the final," Charlie huffed.

Harry had been on the Gryffindor House Quidditch team... He might write back while I'm here. "

Sirius smiled. He liked that Harry had him in his life, even if it was only in letters. Although he was wondering why he hadn't mentioned Remus. Had they not kept in touch too?

He suddenly remembered the reason ... the match went on for five days last time. "

"That would be amazing!" the younger ones all said.

"Imagine if they had to delay Hogwarts starting because we were all still at the final!" young Ron said.

"We would not delay the start of term," Minerva said tersely. "You would be expected to leave the match before the end."

Several people looked disappointed to hear that.

"Wow - hope it does this time!" ... I was away from work for five days. "

Everyone rolled their eyes. Narcissa shook her head. Manners really didn't cost anything. And yet, people seemed to forget to use them constantly.

"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung ... "We sent it. "

Percy glared at the book. He was tempted to go looking for George and give him a piece of his mind.

Mrs Weasley sighed. This chapter had been enlightening and she didn't think she liked what it showed her. "I'm going to make a start on dinner."

New Schedule:

7:00 - 8:00 ~ Defense and Dueling

8:00 - 9:00 ~ Breakfast

9:00 - 11:00 ~ Reading

11:00 - 12:00 ~ Lesson / Council

12:00 - 13:00 ~ Lunch

13:00 - 16:00 ~ Reading

16:00 - 17:00 ~ Lesson / Council

17:00 - 18:30 ~ Dinner

18:30 - 19:30 ~ Lecture

19:30 ~ Free Time

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Being a Lord of a Noble House

Chapter Summary

A lesson from Lucius Malfoy...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

While his older self went off to talk to Madam Bones about the Dursleys and the child abuse case she was planning to bring against them, young Harry stayed seated for his second lesson of the day. He didn't resent his older self for getting out of lessons. He was dealing with all the adult stuff that Harry didn't really understand. He was a little scared that people might start asking for his opinion too soon, but he really didn't know anything about the magical world. Ron on the other hand was not so willing to sit through lessons and would complain almost constantly about it.

Harry didn't really understand what the problem was. He was excited to learn about the magical world. This was all new to him. He was especially looking forward to today's lesson as they would be learning about what it meant to be a Lord. After seeing all those Lordships on his inheritance test, Harry thought this was a lesson he desperately needed.

Lucius stood in front of the fireplace and looked at all the young people in front of him. Not all of them were heirs but that didn't mean that they shouldn't know this stuff.

"When people think about magical Lordships, they immediately think of the Sacred Twenty-Eight," Lucius started, "however, there are far more than twenty-eight families that hold a seat on the Wizengamot and therefore have a lord or ladyship. Most lordships pre-date the statute of secrecy and the separation of our world from the muggle world and so they often have a honorary muggle title attached to them. However, most wix do not pay these any attention as they have mostly all but died out in the muggle world."

Harry began making notes. He wanted to know everything he possibly could about his lordships.

"Each titled family holds a seat on the Wizengamot that is passed down from Lord to Lord or Lady to Lady," Lucius continued. "Some titles are newer, for example where one family line dies out. After five generations without an heir, the seat will be open to re-assignation. The Wizengamot will then vote on who in recent years has done something notable that might be deserving of granting a title. These are rarely given to muggle raised candidates, mostly due to the stigma around blood purity."

Hermione didn't look particularly impressed by this.

"But it has happened on occasion," Lucius said seriously. "The older the house, the longer they have had their hereditary seat, the more influential a Lord or Lady tends to be. This is not because they have more votes as all seats are seen as equal in the Wizengamot but that they have had longer to build alliances - in most cases generations upon generations. Also certain houses hold more weight on the grounds of historic accomplishment. A good example of this is the four houses of Hogwarts. Anyone who sits as Lord of those houses will have great sway in the Wizengamot."

His younger self stepped forward then. "Something else that is worth knowing is that some of the more ancient seats have a greater allowance for staying dormant. The Hogwarts seats can lay dormant for ten generations before they would be open for re-assignation. Although, I would like to point out that it would be political suicide to try and move a motion to re-assign those seats even if they lay dormant for twenty years. They are seen as one of the building blocks of our society and are somewhat untouchable."

Lucius nodded his head in agreement. No one in their right mind would even consider suggesting such a thing.

"The only house that is not open to re-assignation at all is the house of Myrrddin as only Mother Magic can determine her heir," Lucius said. "That house works very differently to the others. As it can be inherited, if Mother Magic deems her Lord or Lady's children worthy, but at any time it can be lost by a family. Equally, the royal house does not vote in the same way that the rest of the Wizengamot does. They only vote when there is a tie because wherever possible the house of Myrrddin is supposed to remain impartial. They do have the option to veto laws that Lord or Lady Myrrddin believes to be in direct conflict with Mother Magic's wishes. However, this power is supposed to be used sparingly. They can put forward bills for consideration, just like any other seat but it would be prudent to only do this when it seems absolutely necessary."

"It would be better wherever possible to use your political capital and the art of debate to prevent laws passing," young Lucius told Harry, "rather than use your veto. And it would also be wise to use your other seats or a political ally to put forward bills you want to see passed."

Lucius brandished his wand and the words 'The Royal House of Myrrddin' appeared in the air in front of them.

"Next are the Most Noble and Most Ancient Houses. These are the ones that have been around the longest and have some sort of historical importance and legacy that denounces the family as Most Noble. As I said before they can remain dormant longer than others. Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Emrys (Merlin's house), Lefay and Peverell. You'll notice so far I have not mentioned a single house that listed in the Sacred Twenty-Eight."

He was enjoying this. Muggleborns and even some half bloods believed this was all blood purity garbage but it really wasn't. The pureblood agenda had nothing to do with the sacred houses. Hell, even the sacred twenty-eight was about more than just blood purity. But they'd talk about that later. Probably not even today.

"Then we have the Noble and Most Ancient Houses. The oldest of these is the Black family. It is said that the Black seat was the first to be awarded but that is unproven. It is known that they gained Noble status because they have produced more than one headmasters of Hogwarts. Another of the oldest pure-blood families in Britain is the Crouch family. The Greengrass family gained Noble status for their family's longstanding reputation for working in the Department of Mysteries. The Prince family are noble due to their various contributions to potioneering. The Warringtons and Sayres also hold a Noble and Most Ancient seat."

"So your title can change even if it doesn't affect your seat's voting potential?" Harry asked.

"That's right. At any time a house with an existing seat might gain noble status or even most noble," Lucius said. "For example, if you, as the heir to the Noble and Ancient House of Potter, were to do something notable, no doubt your house would be elevated to Most Noble and Ancient."

"But your ancient status doesn't change?" Harry asked.

"Potentially in a couple hundred years or if quite a few names die out," Lucius said thoughtfully. This wasn't a question Draco had ever asked him. "It isn't impossible. If for example all the Noble and Most Ancient House were to die out, I imagine they would move the rest up and bring new houses in at the bottom."

Harry nodded. That made sense. He was surprised how easy this was to understand. He had been expecting to be completely overwhelmed.

"Next we have the Most Noble and Ancient Houses. The House of Burke became most noble after Elizabeth Burke was headmistress of Hogwarts. The Diggory family gained Most Noble status due to Eldritch Diggory being Minister for Magic. The Fawleys gained Most Noble status after Hector Fawley became Minister for Magic. The same can be said for the Flint family. They gained Most Noble status when Josephina Flint was Minister for Magic in the eighteen hundreds. The Lestranges also gained the title Most Noble in the eighteen hundreds when Radolphus Lestrange was Minister for Magic. My own family gained the title Most Noble for my ancestor, Armand Malfoy's involvement in the invasion from Normandy. The Nott family are also Most Noble and Ancient, although it is unknown exactly what they did to receive the title most noble. The Parkinson family also gained their Most Noble status when Perseus Parkinson was Minister for Magic in the seventeen hundreds. The Rowle family gained Most Noble status when Damocles Rowle was Minister for Magic in the seventeen hundreds."

"Something that might interest you, Heir Potter," young Lucius said, "is that if a Most Noble and Ancient house was to ascend in rank, they wouldn't automatically become Most Noble and Most Ancient, but rather Noble and Most Ancient. The house takes one step up, never two."

Harry smiled at that, jotting the information down.

"Are all previous Minister for Magics awarded a seat?" Hermione asked.

"It is tradition that they are," Lucius said. "Often their family already have a seat so their Noble status is just elevated but if they do not have a seat at all then a Noble seat will be awarded them. Unless of course, they resign in disgrace. It is worth noting our current Minister will be angling for a Noble seat when he leaves office. But with everything that is coming to light in the books, I am not convinced one will be awarded him. Not if Madam Bones has anything to say about it."

"So, it's not that different from the House of Lords in the muggle world," Hermione muttered to herself.

"After Most Noble and Ancient, we have the Noble and Ancient Houses. Quite a few of these were awarded their Noble status during the last war."

Neville tensed. Mr Malfoy was about to mention his parents and he didn't like talking to people about them. He wasn't ashamed. He just didn't like the attention. It was private. He was proud of his parents but that didn't mean he wanted everyone talking about them. They couldn't possibly understand how much it hurt to see them as they were now. Never truly knowing who they once were.

"The Bones family gained Noble status after the death of the Lord and Lady," Lucius said gently before bowing to Susan. "The Dumbledore family gained Noble status when Albus Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald. Dexter Fortescue also gained his family Noble status after he was Headmaster of Hogwarts. The Longbottom family gained the title of Noble for their contribution and sacrifice in the first war." Again he bowed to Neville, making the boy blush, but Neville was grateful that he didn't say more than that. "The Ollivander family gained Noble status because of their contribution to society through their wand making. The Potter house also gained Noble status after the death of both Lord and Lady Potter in first war." Another bow, this one to Harry. "The Slughorn family gained Noble status in the sixties for Horace Slughorn's contribution to potionmaking and the Travers family gained Noble status upon the retirement of Torquil Travers from his position as the Head of the DMLE. The Weasley family gained Noble status upon the retirement of Matilda Weasley from her position at Hogwarts. She was the transfiguration teacher and also deputy headmistress. It was awarded due to her dedication to furthering the education of her students. She was said to be an extraordinary teacher."

The Weasleys in the room could hardly believe that Lucius Malfoy was complimenting one of their ancestors.

"The Weasleys have not sat their seat since Arthur Weasley's father passed away," Lucius continued. "Although there is hope in the Wizengamot that one of Arthur's children might accept the Lordship in the future."

The Weasleys were all gaping at him now and Lucius had to hold back a chuckle.

"Then we have the Ancient Houses: Abbott, Avery, Bulstrode, Carrow, Crabbe, Doge, Gaunt, Goyle, Hawkworth, Lovegood, Moody, Macmillan, Ogden, Patil, Prewett, Rosier, Ross, Selwyn, Shacklebolt, Shafiq, Umbridge, Yaxley and Zabini. This is currently the largest group of houses, although it is worth noting they all sit on very different sides politically. But we'll get into that in a moment."

Harry quickly jotted those names down too.

"And lastly the Noble Houses. There are less of these than the Ancient seats as they are given out sparingly, and only when a seat has been without an heir and dormant for the required time for re-assignment. They are usually reserved for retiring Minister for Magics, wix who excel in a particular field, or contribute to society in a significant way. Millicent Bagnold gained a noble seat at the end of her time in office. Bathilda Bagshot was awarded a Noble seat for her contribution to society as a historian, Damocles Belby was offered a Noble seat for inventing the Wolfsbane potion, although he refused it and so his brother currently sits as his proxy. Hector Dagworth-Granger was also awarded a Noble seat for his contribution to potioneering. Nobby Leach was awarded a noble seat when he stepped down as Minister for Magic, although that seat lies dormant as he died without an heir. Newt Scamander gained a noble seat for his contribution during the war on Grindelwald. Other Noble seats belong to Dippet, Plumpton and Urquart."

"What were they awarded for?" Hermione asked.

"Dippet was the headmaster of Hogwarts before Dumbledore," Lucius said with a sigh. He thought everyone knew that. "Plumpton was awarded his for his contribution to Quidditch and Urquart was a previous head of the DMLE. I believe he died in the line of duty."

"Someone got a seat for their contribution to quidditch?" Hermione asked in disbelief. Then again, that happened in the muggle world too.

"Yes, Miss Granger," Lucius said with a smirk. "We take our sport very seriously in the magical world."

Hermione huffed.

The Wizengamot

"So who can tell me how many seats there are in total?" Lucius asked.

"Sixty-four including the royal house," Hermione said immediately.

"But should we include the royal house?" Lucius pressed.

"No," Harry said thoughtfully, "because they do not vote in the same way."

"Correct Heir Potter," Lucius said with a smile. "As that seat behaves fundamentally different to the others it is excluded from the count. There are sixty-three seats in the wizengamot. But not all of them are currently active. The four Hogwarts houses have sat dormant until now for quite some time. Occasionally some one claims to be an heir but they never seem to be able to prove it. That is obviously going to change soon with Heir Potter's lordships."

"Do you think I'll keep the Gryffindor lordship?" Harry asked. "I won't have done what my older self did to gain it."

"That will depend upon the will of Mother Magic," Lucius said. "Equally it has been some time since we've had a Lord Emrys. In fact, the only Most Noble and Most Ancient seat that has been claimed in recent years is the Peverell seat and that has been with the Potters for several generations."

"So, will I have multiple votes because I have multiple seats?" Harry asked. "Or will I not be allowed to vote at all because I'm Prince Myrrddin?"

"Technically, both answers are true," Lucius said. "You will have four or five votes, depending on whether Mother Magic allows you to keep the Gryffindor Lordship. However, it would be better for you to instill a proxy for your other houses. They will still vote according to your wishes but you won't be seen to be breaking the neutrality of House Myrrddin."

Lucius's younger self continued, taking them back to the lesson. "Sixty-three houses but not all active. The Hogwarts houses have not had anyone in their seat for sometime, neither have Emrys and Lefay. It is believed heirs exist as the seats are not dormant - meaning their magic is still present - but no heir has stepped forward to claim them, or those who have tried have not been able to prove their heritage. Although this could in part be because they require specific acts to be inherited. For example, Gryffindor seems to require an act of bravery before an heir becomes eligible. We prove our heritage with an Inheritance Test just like the one Heir Potter completed on our very first day in this chamber."

"Likewise, Black has not had a sitting Lord since Elder Arcturus stepped down," Lucius said. "Again, that will soon change when Lord Sirius Black is given his proper trial and his innocence is proven. The Crouch seat is active but currently has no heir. Barty Crouch Junior is considered ineligible due to his incarceration in Azkaban. The Greengrass family holds a Ladyship rather than a Lordship which will eventually be passed down to Heiress Daphne Greengrass. Severus Snape is currently Lord Prince as he inherited it from his mother. It is a Lordship but it passed through the female line when the male line died out. He does not have an heir at present."

Several people looked amazed at hearing that Professor Snape was technically a Lord.

"The Sayre seat is currently dormant," Lucius continued, "and the Warrington seat will be passed onto Cassius Warrrington, a current Hogwarts student, when his father passes. The Burke, Diggory, Fawley and Flint seats are currently active and the Lestrange seat is active but currently has no heir. Corvus Lestrange's heirs are currently in Azkaban and therefore ineligible. My own Lordship will pass down to my son Draco when I pass away, likewise the Nott Lordship will go to Heir Theodore Nott when his father passes. Parkinson currently has no male heir and will likely pass through the female line to the next male heir. The Rowle seat is active and has a male heir."

Young Lucius continued, "The Bones seat is currently held by Madam Bones as regent until Heiress Susan Bones reaches her majority. The Bones lordship is one of the very few that is not influenced by the gender of the incoming heir. The Dumbledore seat is held by Albus Dumbledore and his brother Aberforth is his heir. The Fortescue seat is also active with multiple male heirs. The Longbottom seat is held in regency by Madam Longbottom until Heir Neville Longbottom comes of age. The Ollivander seat is active with a few heirs."

"Then we come to the Potter lordship," Lucius said thoughtfully. "You will rarely hear me praise the headmaster but I do believe he made the right decision regarding your lordships, Heir Potter. While, I believe he was in err to not inform you of them, I respect his decision to leave them unseated until your majority. As your magical guardian, no one would have argued with him had he decided to sit as regent. However, in leaving them unseated he has been surprisingly respectful. Where a regent is family, they will often vote in the same way the family has for the last few generations. They will keep the status quo and maintain the family's standing. However, a regent outside of the family might not know the values that the family strives for and therefore can cause serious damage to political alliances. As I said, I believe this was a wise move on his part. While voting habits are public knowledge, the motivations behind them are not. Most Lords record their thought process for each vote in a journal for future generations. I imagine you will find something to that effect in your family vaults at Gringotts."

"So, does that mean one of my houses might vote differently to another, even though I'm Lord?" Harry asked, scratching his head.

"Potentially, if they have different alliances or if their values are different," Lucius said with a nod. "It is important to maintain the traditions of your houses and their values, but you must also consider your own opinion. If, for example, you fundamentally disagree with a law that one of your houses historically would have voted in favour of, there is no reason you should still vote for it. We want to better our world, while also respecting tradition."

"The Slughorn and Travers lordships both have heirs and the Weasley seat is unseated but not dormant and has multiple heirs that could potentially one day fill it. Abbott, Avery, Bulstrode, Carrow, Crabbe and Doge all have heirs. Gaunt is a difficult one. The seat is unseated but has an eligible heir - Thomas Marvolo Riddle. It is unknown if he will take up his seat in future." There was an awkward pause as everyone considered the idea of having Voldemort on the Wizengamot. "The Goyle seat has an heir. The Hawkworth seat is currently dormant. The Lovegood seat is unseated and has been since the late Lady Lovegood died, but when Heir Luna Lovegood comes of age she will be eligible to take the seat. The Moody seat is active but without heir. The Macmillian, Ogden and Patil seats all have sitting Lords or Ladies and heirs. The Prewett seat is unseated at this time but it is believed that it belongs to the Weasley twins. It has historically been an unusual lordship, always assigned to a pair of twins."

The twins frowned at that. No one ever told them that they might inherit the Prewett lordship when they came of age.

"Rosier has an heir. The Ross seat is held by Professor McGonagall and will be inherited by her niece. The Selwyn and Shacklebolt seats both have heirs. The Shafiq heir died during the first war and the sitting Lord has yet to choose a replacement. Umbridge has no heir and will likely come to an end with the sitting Lord, unless his niece Dolores has children. Dolores occasionally sits in proxy for her uncle as his age is failing him. The Yaxleys are secure with two heirs. And the Zabini seat is currently held in regency by Madam Zabini for Heir Blaise Zabini."

Ron was getting bored. This was a lot of information and most of it seemed useless to him.

"The Bagnold seat has an heir, the blood adopted son of Minister Bagnold. The Bagshot seat currently has no heir and is likely to go dormant when Bathilda Bagshot passes. The Belby seat has multiple heirs. The Dagworth-Granger seat has an heir, although he is very young. The Leach seat is dormant without an heir. The Scamander seat currently has two heirs. Dippet does not have an heir but this is not an issue as he asked when his seat was assigned that it be awarded to the current headmaster or mistress of Hogwarts for their use during their service to the school. He wanted the seat to be used for the benefit of the school and its students. Plumpton and Urquart both have heirs."

"Urquart is interesting actually," young Lucius said, "in that Urquart married Minerva McGonagall and they had a son. Professor McGonagall is actually Lady Ross as her mother was a Ross. But the Ross goes through the female line and so her son is ineligible for it, hence it will go to her niece. However, the Urquart seat is a male succession seat and so their son was able to claim that one."

Harry looked at the long list of names. How was he ever going to remember them all? Not to mention the way Lucius had listed off their accomplishments with ease.

Lucius smirked. He knew he was giving them a lot of information but still this was just an overview. "The Wizengamot is divided into three parties. When a Lord or Lady gives their oath and takes up their seat, they assign their seat to a party. This can be changed if their views change or they find that the party no longer fits with their own values. There is the Lux party, the Tenebris party and the Neutrum party. Any guesses what defines them?"

"Light, Dark and Neutral," young George said. "It's based on their magic?"

"Exactly, Mr Weasley," Lucius said with a grin. "For the most part, families seem to assign their party based on their family's magic. However, this is not all that they consider. The Lux party tend to be pro-muggle, pro-muggleborn, they want better relations with the muggle world. They are also very against dark magic and in recent years they have been against the practicing of the Old Ways. They have been trying to push for prison reform in the last twenty years or so. For the most part, you could call them progressive, I suppose, but only really in as much as they seem to be quite anti-tradition. They are not particular for or against non wixen magicals. They want lower taxation across the board, higher wages, cheaper health care, and greater career opportunities for half-bloods and muggleborns. They do not seem to have a stance on squibs."

"Non wixen magicals?" Hermione asked.

"Goblins, Weres," Lucius began, "Vampires, Centaurs, Merpeople, Vela, House elves."

"As for the Tenebris faction," young Lucius continued, "they would be the more traditional party. They tend to be pureblooded, anti-muggle, anti-muggleborn, very protective of the statute of secrecy, and would advocate further separation from the muggle world. They obviously support a wixen's right to use dark magic, although most would agree that all magic should be limited with regards to crime - murder, assault, theft, etc. They would like to see a return to the Old Ways, and want to see the sacred days return to common practice. They are very hard line on the matter of Azkaban, believing it should remain as is."

"Isn't that odd?" Neville asked nervously. "Considering more dark magicals are in Azkaban than light or neutral wix?"

Lucius sighed. "It might seem it. But the dark faction believes that if a criminal is found guilty of a true crime - not just using dark magic but using it with negative intent or any magic with the intent to harm - the strictest punishment is needed."

Young Lucius chuckled. "Of course, if you were to put the dark members of the wizengamot in Azkaban they might think differently."

"The Tenebris faction are quite heavily anti-non-wixen-magicals," Lucius finished. "They want lower taxation for purebloods, higher for everyone else, greater security for the lorded estates, and they tend to be quite anti-squib."

"Then the Neutrum party," young Lucius said, "is supposedly somewhere in the middle and each member of that faction seems to have a slightly different view of what that means. In general though, they are pro-muggleborn and half-blood but anti-muggle. They want to maintain the status quo with regards to the statute of secrecy. They are neither pro or anti dark magic, but very hard line with regards to crime and punishment. They have differing views on the Old Ways. They are pro non-wixen-magicals. They see taxation as something fluid, at times thinking it should increase while at others decrease. They are pro-squibs remaining in our world, because they believe them leaving our world is a risk to the statute of secrecy."

"Traditionally speaking Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Crouch, Diggory, Dumbledore, Longbottom, Weasley, Abbott, Doge, Moody, Macmillan, Prewett, Ross, Shacklebolt, Bagnold, Bagshot, Dippet, Plumpton and Leach are all Lux aligned. In reality as Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Weasley, Prewett and Leach are all unseated, this leaves the Lux party with fourteen active seats. As for Neutrum, we have Peverell, Emrys - although Merlin was dark, his house has always remained neutral, Prince, Sayre, Greengrass, Fawley, Bones, Fortescue, Ollivander, Potter, Bulstrode, Hawkworth, Lovegood, Ogden, Patil, Selwyn, Shafiq, Zabini, Dagworth-Granger, Scamander, Belby and Urquart. However as Emrys, Peverell, Sayre, Potter, and Lovegood are currently unseated, they have only sixteen votes. Lastly Tenebris, is technically the largest party with twenty-two seats. Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Lefay, Black, Warrington, Burke, Flint, Lestrange, Malfoy, Nott, Parkinson, Rowle, Slughorn, Travers, Avery, Carrow, Crabbe, Gaunt, Goyle, Rosier, Umbridge and Yaxley. However, in reality, they only have seventeen votes."

"That's still more than the other parties," young Ron said, folding his arms.

"True. This is because Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Lefay, Black and Gaunt are currently unseated." Lucius waved his wand and the names all moved around in the air. "Can anyone see anything interesting?"

"The Tenebris hasn't gained any new seats," Harry murmured.

"Quite right, Heir Potter," Lucius said with a small smile. "Since the war with Grindlewald, the Tenebris party has been shrinking in size. This is fully intentional as all new seat assignments to anyone with a dark core have been rejected, regardless of merit. While having a relatively even spread is probably in the interest of the wixen world, it is still unfortunate for those who were deserving."

"Of course," young Lucius said, "things will look somewhat different when we return. I would not like to presume where anyone will align their seats but if Heir Potter keeps his Gryffindor lordship and remains aligned to Lux and the Weasley and Prewett seats are taken up, Lux would potentially have eighteen votes. And if Heir Potter keeps Emrys, Peverell and Potter neutral, and the Lovegood seat is taken up, Neutrum would have twenty votes, bringing everything into almost perfect balance. Of course, if Heir Potter decides to keep Slytherin dark and Lord Black does the same with house Black, and let's say Lord Gaunt takes up his seat, the Tenebris would still have twenty votes."

Harry tilted his head, paying close attention.

"However, lets say that the Leach seat and the Sayre seat are reassigned, those parties could both potentially gain an extra vote and if Lord Black were to go against tradition - as he is known to do from time to time - and assigns the Black seat to Neutrum, we might see a real change in the structure of the wizengamot. Lux would have nineteen votes, Neutrum would have twenty-one, and Tenebris nineteen. That would quite literally change everything."

Harry frowned. Balance. That's what Mother Magic said was needed. He thought he might need to discuss this with his older self, dad and great-grandfather.

"The next thing we need to consider is how to address a lord or lady based on their rank," Lucius said swiftly. He could see several of the youngsters were growing bored. Fortunately they were very nearly finished. "Heir Potter will you stand up, please."

Harry quickly obeyed.

"I have technically been remiss in calling Harry Heir Potter," Lucius said, coming to stand next to the young boy. "Can anyone tell me why?"

Zabini put up his hand.

"Yes, Heir Zabini?"

"Potter is not his most prestegious title," Blaise said.

"Correct," Lucius said with a sharp nod. "Can you also make a reasonable guess why I might chose to ignore ranking upon this instance?"

"I can think of multiple reasons, Lord Malfoy," Blaise said seriously. "First, you think he is likely to be partial to his father's house and this would be acceptable had Prince Myrrddin stated as such or..."

"Continue," Lucius said with a grin. "I won't take offense."

"You are actively trying to undermine his authority by using the only title he holds that is lower than yours."

"Very good," Lucius said, nodding. "I will say that I was hesitant to start using other names for Prince Myrrddin until he was ready to use them. I can only imagine how much of a shock this has all been for him. But you are correct that outside of this chamber, it would be highly inappropriate for me or anyone else to call him Heir Potter unless he stated that is what he wished to go by. The correct way to address Harry is Prince Myrrddin, Heir Slytherin, Gryffindor, Emrys, Peverell, - now this is where it gets complicated, let's see if any of you spot it - Potter, Black."

"You put Black at the end," Hermione said.

"Exactly!" Lucius smiled. "Any idea why?"

"Because I will be Lord of all the other houses when I reach my majority," Harry said, "but the Black seat already has a Lord so I will remain Heir."

"Very good Harry!" Lucius patted him on the back. "Now, undoubtedly, Prince Myrrddin will not want to use all his titles constantly, although I will say he is well within his rights to do so if he pleases. But he can choose to use whichever or however many he wants. Let's say though that Harry chooses to go by Heir Potter and I am introduced to him, it is my responsibility to make sure I am aware of his other titles so that I will not cause offense upon introduction. My bow should be lower than Harry's, because my house is beneath his highest standing one. In fact, Harry is not required to bow at all, as Prince Myrrddin. Although I would advise at least a head tilt. Good manners always go a long way."

"What about if your family doesn't have a wizengamot seat and your not an heir?" Dean Thomas asked.

"You would introduce yourselves similarly," Lucius said. "Families in the wixen world are all organised by houses, even if a house does not possess a title. So technically, when I introduce myself, I am saying that I am Lord Lucius Malfoy of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Malfoy. Although, we don't say all that because it's a bit of a mouthful. You would introduce yourself as Dean Thomas of House Thomas. Your house might be new to our world, but the interactions you have with others in our world, will influence how people see your house for generations to come."

Dean nodded thoughtfully.

"If you are the first magical in your line, you will technically be head of your house," Lucius said, "and you have the potential to fashion your house however you please. With your own values and ideals. Equally, it might be worth checking with the Goblins that you do not have any pre-existing family ties in our world. I would strongly advise that any of you who have not already completed an Inheritance Test do so at your earliest convenience. You never know what surprises might be hidden there." Lucius clapped his hands together. "I believe I've kept you long enough. Time for dinner."

Chapter End Notes

So, a little information heavy but this is all stuff Harry needs to know...

The Portkey

Chapter Summary

DAY THIRTY IN THE CHAMBER...

A new day in the chamber brings a new chapter to read.

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The next morning everyone seemed to be in a rush to reach the chamber to continue reading. They were all excited to read about the World Cup. Even those that had been there, were anticipating hearing about it from Harry's perspective. Harry, however, was more worried about what happened after the World Cup. He didn't want to even think how everyone would react to the death eater attack.

Harry felt as though he had barely lain down... It was still dark outside.

Sirius was almost giddy with excitement. Finally something good was happening.

Ron muttered indistinctly... headed downstairs into the kitchen.

The children in the chamber were struggling to sit still. They wanted the action to begin. This was excrutiating.

Mrs. Weasley was stirring... do I look like a Muggle, Harry?"

"Better than most of the wix I saw at the world cup," Harry said with a small smile, remembering the man that had worn a woman's nightdress.

"Yeah," said Harry... "So they can have a bit of a lie-in."

Kingsley tutted. Just one off age wizard? That was unacceptable. Did no one appreciate just how much danger Harry Potter could be in?

Harry knew that Apparating meant disappearing... "Why can't we Apparate too?"

Some of the adults chuckled.

"Because you're not of age... pass a test to Apparate?" Harry asked.

Several people gaped at Harry. It was so easy to forget how little he had actually known about there world.

"Oh yes," said Mr. Weasley... "Er - splinched?" said Harry.

Harry rolled his eyes. It really sucked that he always had to ask for information. Especially because he absolutely hated asking questions. He hated the way everyone just assumed that he already knew all this stuff.

"They left half of themselves behind," ... Muggles who spotted the body parts they'd left behind... "

Hermione huffed. What he hadn't said was just how dangerous it could be. How you could seriously hurt yourself.

"That sounds very dangerous," Mr Granger said.

"It's usually nothing serious," Arthur said with a shrug, "but yes, it can be. It really depends what you leave behind."

Harry had a sudden vision of a pair of legs... Prefer brooms - slower, but safer. "

"Don't blame them," Ron said with a shudder. He'd been splinched. He knew exactly how bad it could be.

"But Bill and Charlie and Percy can all do it?"... poor old dear doing her shopping, remember?"

That got a few laughs.

"Yes, well, he passed the second time," ... amid hearty sniggers.

Young Harry wondered why she felt the need to defend Charlie. It sounded a lot like getting a muggle driving license. Sometimes you failed at that the first time too.

"Percy only passed two weeks ago," ... just to prove he can."

Percy blushed.

There were footsteps... "What, are we walking to the World Cup?"

More people laughed this time.

"No, no, that's miles away,"... huge occasion like the Quidditch World Cup. . . "

Remus frowned. Surely, they'd say a bit more than that. This was a good opportunity for Harry to learn about magical transportation.

"George!" ... "What is that in your pocket?"

Everyone sighed. They really hoped they weren't going to see a repeat of the previous chapter.

"Nothing!"... "Accio!"

George glared at his mother.

Several small, brightly colored objects... Empty your pockets, go on, both of you!"

"Destroy them?" Severus asked. "Are you mad?"

"What?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"Your sons have invented something," Severus said with a grimace, "and you want them to destroy it? That would be a waste."

Severus wasn't sure why he was defending the Weasley twins. But if his mother had destroyed his notes on the various spells he'd created as a teen, he'd have lost his head.

"Do you have any idea how much time and dedication those inventions must have taken?" Severus asked, his voice dripping disdain. "Charm work, potioneering, transfiguration... Not to mention, probably some spell creation. You should be proud of your sons. They're clearly very talented. You might even call them geniuses if everything I've heard in this chamber is true."

"Personally, I'd love to hear more about their fake wands," Ollivander said. "Fake wands are not easy to craft. In fact, it requires a deep understanding of Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. It might not equate to academic success, but not everything can be measured in grades."

It was an unpleasant scene... the turn-ups of Fred's jeans.

George was almost shaking with rage. This had really upset him and Fred.

"We spent six months developing those!" ... "No wonder you didn't get more O. W. L. s!"

George looked ready to shout at his mother, but held his tongue. It wasn't worth it. "It wasn't a waste of time," he said coolly. "We learned loads during our experiments and I'll have you know Weasleys Wizard Wheezes is very profitable."

All in all, the atmosphere was not very friendly... walked out without a word to her.

"Can't really blame them," Sirius muttered.

"Well, have a lovely time," ... they did not look back or answer.

Mrs Weasley sniffled. She hadn't meant to stifle their creativity. She just wanted them to succeed. Was that really so bad?

"I'll send Bill... without all the Muggles noticing?" he asked.

The adults all smiled to see Harry asking questions.

"It's been a massive organizational problem,"... big enough to accommodate them all.

Young Harry frowned at that. He looked to his older self and wondered if they could fix that. They needed more magical spaces. From what he'd heard so far there was really only Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. That really wasn't enough.

There are places Muggles can't penetrate... we have to stagger the arrivals.

Hermione was listening closely. She was surprised she'd missed this conversation.

People with cheaper tickets... the Apparition point.

Harry frowned. They really needed to find a way to create more magical spaces. Their society needed to be separate from the muggles but that didn't mean they should be completely isolated. If he had his way, there would be new magical villages and towns popping up all over Britain, all hidden from the muggles, of course.

For those who don't want to Apparate... stuff they'll just think is litter... "

"It doesn't seem very wise to just leave portkeys lying about though," Hermione said. "Wouldn't it have been better to allocate each portkey to a specific person who would be attending and make them responsible for arranging the travel of the people in their specific area. Surely, there are enough magicals that people could volunteer for such a task."

The ministry employees all blinked at Hermione. Why hadn't they thought of that? That would have simplified things significantly.

They trudged down the dark... his feet found level ground.

Poppy grimaced. That couldn't have been easy for Harry, considering his malnutrition.

"Whew," ... Come on. . . "

Hermione rolled her eyes. She really thought this was stupid. Imagine leaving a portkey just lying about at the top of a hill...

They spread out... we've got it. "

Amos grinned. That was him.

Two tall figures... extremely handsome boy of around seventeen.

Cedric blushed at being called extremely handsome. Luna smiled softly. Another crush...

He was Captain and Seeker ... first Quidditch match of the previous year.

George rolled his eyes. He didn't like losing.

"Long walk, Arthur?" ... "All these yours, Arthur?"

The Weasleys all laughed. There were a lot of them.

"Oh no, only the redheads," ... "Harry? Harry Potter?"

Harry grimaced.

"Er - yeah," said Harry.

Narcissa rolled her eyes. She'd teach the boy how to introduce himself properly. Of course, it didn't help that no one seemed to care about protocol when meeting Harry Potter. It was very disrespectful. She'd make sure Harry knew what was owed to him as Prince Myrrddin.

Harry was used to people looking curiously... made him feel uncomfortable.

"Don't blame you," Hermione said.

"It's downright creepy," Ron added, frowning. Why had he always been jealous of that? Especially when Harry clearly hated it.

"Ced's talked about you... You beat Harry Potter!"

Amos grimaced. He hadn't known about the dementors. He wasn't sure Cedric had ever told him. Or if he just hadn't listened.

Harry couldn't think of any reply to this... it was an accident. . . . "

George looked like he wanted to say something. Harry hadn't just fallen off his broom.

"Yes, but you didn't fall off... wouldn't you, eh?

Sirius growled, eyeing Amos with dislike.

One falls off his broom... the better flier!"

No one said anything, although Amos looked like he wanted to. Should he apologise? he wondered to himself.

"Must be nearly time," ... Fawcetts couldn't get tickets," said Mr. Diggory.

"That surprised me," Arthur said. "The Fawcetts are usually the first to get tickets."

"There aren't any more of us... a finger will do -"

Sirius and Remus both shook their head. That was not all.

"It's better to walk with the portkey during travel," Remus explained. "Otherwise, you're going to have a rough landing."

With difficulty, owing to their bulky backpacks... a Muggle were to walk up here now...

The Grangers laughed. Yes, muggles would have found their behaviour very odd indeed.

nine people... magnetically onward and then -

"It's going to be a rough landing," Sirius groaned. He wondered if Arthur had taught his own kids how to properly use portkeys. In fairness, people rarely used them. They were expensive. And heavily regulated. But still, they should have at least had better instructions than 'a finger will do.'

His feet slammed into the ground... everybody else was on the ground.

Sirius rolled his eyes. So, Arthur hadn't taught any of his kids how to portkey. That seemed irresponsible and that was saying something coming from him.

"Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill," said a voice.

No one spoke. They were all too excited for what would come next.

Chapter End Notes

Drop a comment and let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading. xo

Bagman and Crouch

Chapter Summary

Everyone reads another chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Several people groaned when they heard the title of the chapter. They doubted there would be any quidditch in this chapter either. Barty looked especially displeased. He really didn't want to have to hear about his father.

Harry disentangled himself... though very inexpertly:

Hermione laughed, remembering just how badly some of the wix had been dressed.

The man with the watch ... a kilt and a poncho.

Hermione and Harry exchanged a look.

"Was he Scottish?" young Hermione asked.

"Do you know, I don't know," Harry said with a sigh. "Either way, I don't think the poncho worked."

"It definitely clashed with the kilt," Hermione said with a giggle.

"Morning, Basil," ... ask for Mr. Payne. "

"I really don't understand why they used muggle camp sites," Hermione said, shaking her head. "That was just a recipe for disaster."

"Thanks, Basil," ... only real Muggle for several acres.

"That's how you know wix are rubbish at interacting with muggles," Hermione muttered.

When he heard their footsteps... So this is a five?"

Hermione huffed. Muggle money was far easier than wixen money and yet wix never seemed to understand it. No matter how much you try to explain it to them.

"A twenty," ... returned with the correct notes.

"Foreign?" several people asked.

"From abroad," Hermione explained. "He doesn't understand why you're struggling with the currency. Then again, even foreigners understand British currency. Most muggle currencies are similar. At least the numbers are the same."

"Foreign?" ... great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago. "

Madam Bones sighed. It was clear to see that Harry was right. Wizards needed to be better educated about muggles. This was embarrassing.

"Did you really?" ... People usually just turn up. . . . "

"He's going to need obliviating," Moody grumbled.

"I can't imagine his mind is all that good any more," Harry said with a grimace, "with the number of memory charms they used on him."

Thinking back, he wasn't sure he was okay with that. "Wouldn't it have been better to send the muggles on a fully paid holiday for a week or so?" he asked.

Again, the ministry employees all looked surprised. That would have been a much better idea.

"Is that right?" ... a kilt and a poncho. "

Harry laughed. Yep, that had looked weird.

"Shouldn't he?" ... Like a big party. "

"Definitely going to need a memory wipe," Tonks sighed.

At that moment... pointing his wand at Mr. Roberts.

The Grangers glared at the book. "Is that really how you treat muggles?" Mr Granger asked. "Just remove the memories you don't want them to have? That's assault."

The wix in the chamber all looked uncomfortable at that. Harry and Hermione were nodding in agreement.

Instantly, Mr. Roberts's eyes slid out of focus... ten times a day to keep him happy.

"That's not right," Mr Granger said angrily. No wonder his daughter thought it was okay to do that to her own parents if wizards were so willing to remove muggle's memories.

And Ludo Bagman's not helping... anti-Muggle security.

Madam Bones grimaced. She began to make notes. This wouldn't be allowed when the world cup happened in the new timeline.

Blimey, I'll be glad ... He Disapparated.

"Ludo isn't helping," Tonks said, "and what, randomly disapparating here and there, is?"

"I thought Mr. Bagman ... Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn't he?"

"You'd have thought so," Moody growled.

"He should," ... lax about security.

"That's one way of describing it," Moody said. The man was a fool if you asked him.

You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic ... best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had. "

Moody rolled his eyes.

They trudged up... slipped up by adding chimneys,

The Grangers actually laughed as they tried to picture a tent with a chimney.

or bellpulls, or weather vanes... several live peacocks tethered at the entrance.

Lucius grinned. "That was mine."

A little farther on... several turrets;

"Turrets?" Mrs Granger asked. "It's a tent, not a castle."

and a short way beyond... fountain.

"No wonder that man needed so many memory charms," young Mr Granger huffed.

"Always the same," ... Ah, here we are, look, this is us."

Harry shook his head. The average wix had no idea how to keep the statute of secrecy. It was a bloody miracle their world hadn't been discovered a thousand times.

They had reached the very edge ... we're as close as we could be."

The kids grew excited. Would they finally hear about the match?

He hoisted his backpack from his shoulders... Muggles do it all the time.

Hermione laughed. It wasn't that easy to put up a tent.

Here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?"

"How do they expect you to know?" young Harry asked. "We've never been camping."

"Muggle raised," he said with a shrug.

Harry had never been camping in his life... managed to erect a pair of shabby two-man tents.

Mr Weasley blushed. He did get a little over-eager about muggle stuff occasionally.

All of them stood back ... they would be a party of ten.

"That would have been suspicious too," Harry said. "The tents shouldn't have been big enough for all of us. Something Mr Roberts would have noticed."

Hermione seemed to have spotted ... a strong smell of cats.

The Grangers could hardly believe their ears. Magic really was incredible.

"Well, it's not for long," ... he's got lumbago. "

"They should have forced everyone to camp like actual muggles," Hermione said with a sigh.

He picked up the dusty kettle ... "- and the rest of us will get some wood for a fire?"

Kingsley wasn't impressed. Yet again, no one was considering Heir Potter's security.

"But we've got an oven," ... I've seen them at it!"

"Well, sometimes," Mr Granger said. "Mostly they take oil burners or portable bbqs."

"BBQ?" Mr Weasley asked.

"A tray with coal in it," Mr Granger tried to explain.

After a quick tour of the girls' tent... the kettle and saucepans.

"So, wait," Mrs Granger said, "the girls were in a tent on their own?"

She didn't like the sound of that.

"Er, yes," Arthur said.

Now, with the sun newly risen ... much about those in other countries.

Harry frowned. There was a lot he hadn't thought about.

Their fellow campers ... his mother came hurrying out of the tent.

Madam Bones groaned in perfect unison with Ollivander.

"How many times, ... "You bust slug! You bust slug!"

"Yuck!" several people cried.

A short way farther on ... Parents having a lie-in, I suppose -"

"Why did they even have brooms with them?" Moody growled. "Utter fools."

Here and there adult wizards ... conjured fires with their wands;

Several people tutted.

others were striking matches ... a bright purple fire,

"This will all need better planning," Amelia said, jotting something down.

while a group of middle-aged ... THE SALEM WITCHES' INSTITUTE.

"Ridiculous!" Tonks grimaced. "They're not even trying to be incognito."

Harry caught snatches ... sprouted out of the earth.

"That's it," Madam Bones said, "I think I might just vote against hosting the final."

Susan looked highly offended. "But auntie!"

Grinning faces could be seen... "The Ministry's not too happy. "

Seamus shrugged. His mother didn't give a flying toad what the ministry thought.

"Ah, why shouldn't we show our colors?" ... "Like we'd say anything else surrounded by that lot. "

Seamus glared at Ron momentarily.

"I wonder what the Bulgarians ... "Krum," said Ron quietly.

Viktor grimaced. He hadn't liked those posters.

"What?" ... scowling at them.

Viktor grinned at Hermione.

"'Really grumpy?" ... He's a genius, you wait until tonight, you'll see. "

Viktor looked slightly abashed at the praise, especially since it was coming from Ron. He'd always suspected he didn't like him. Although, he thought that might have been because of Hermione.

There was already a small queue ... a long flowery nightgown.

The muggleborns all laughed.

The other was clearly a Ministry wizard... "Muggles wear them. "

"Yeah, muggle grannies," Dean Thomas said with a smirk.

"Muggle women wear them... "I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks. "

Several children giggled at that.

Hermione was overcome ... Puddlemere United reserve team.

Percy smiled. Ollie was always brilliant. It wouldn't be long before he was on the first string team.

Next they were hailed by Ernie Macmillan... played Seeker on the Ravenclaw team.

Luna grimaced. She didn't really like Cho. She'd been one of the ones that bullied her.

She waved and smiled at Harry ... he waved back.

Harry blushed, feeling embarrassed. He'd had a bit of a crush on her for a while. It really hadn't ended well though.

More to stop Ron ... Bill had a penfriend at a school in Brazil.

Bill grimaced. He still hadn't forgiven that idiot.

this was years and years ago... It made his ears shrivel up. "

Young Bill glared at Ron. He didn't want everyone knowing about that.

Harry laughed ... some book or other.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She had indeed read about the other schools in a book. But the information had also been in the muggleborn induction pack she received before starting Hogwarts.

"You've been ages," ... promptly dropped it in surprise.

Dean Thomas rolled his eyes. Most wix wouldn't survive a week in the muggle world.

"Come here, Mr. Weasley," ... they're Unspeakables... "

Young Hermione sat forward. Ever since Rookwood's first lecture, she'd been desperate to learn more about the department of mysteries.

"They're what?" ... "Just Apparated, Dad," said Percy loudly.

"Show off," George muttered.

"Ah, excellent, lunch!" ... made him look like a very overgrown schoolboy.

"No sense," Moody complained, crossing his arms.

"Ahoy there!" ... Not much for me to do!"

Amelia tutted.

Behind him ... wanting to make a good impression.

Percy frowned at that.

"Brown nosing idiot," Fred muttered.

"Ah - yes," ... that's Fred -

"You got it right the first time," Harry said quietly, suprising everyone except George.

George sighed. It still hurt that his parents had never been able to tell them apart. But at least, Harry did.

Bill, Charlie, Ron ... the scar on Harry's forehead.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Everyone," ... a Galleon on Ireland to win?"

Mrs Weasley side eyed her husband.

"A Galleon?" ... "that Ireland wins - but Viktor Krum gets the Snitch.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Mrs Weasley screeched.

George just glared at her and she quickly quietened down. She still hadn't worked out how she was supposed to talk to the twins about what had happened yesterday and she really didn't want to make matters worse.

Oh and we'll throw in a fake wand." ... Mr. Bagman rubbish like that," Percy hissed,

George glared at Percy.

"It's not rubbish," Ollivander said crossly.

but Bagman didn't seem to think the wand was rubbish ... I'd pay five Galleons for that!"

George frowned. Ludo Bagman never had given them their winnings.

Percy froze in an attitude of stunned disapproval.

Percy grimaced. He might have been a bit over the top. He should have told the twins he was proud of them. Maybe then, things might have been better between them.

"Boys," ... "Don't be a spoilsport, Arthur!" boomed Ludo Bagman,

All the parents in the room stared at the book disapprovingly.

rattling his pockets excitedly... began jotting down the twins' names.

Mrs Weasley still looked unimpressed but she didn't say anything.

"Cheers," ... Mermish and Gobbledegook and Troll. . . . "

George rolled his eyes.

"Anyone can speak Troll," said Fred dismissively. "All you have to do is point and grunt. "

Quite a few people laughed at that. Barty Crouch Junior included.

Percy threw Fred an extremely nasty look ... thinking it's still July. "

More disapproving glances.

"You don't think it might be time ... Percy was a great believer in rigidly following rules,

Percy grimaced.

and Mr. Crouch had complied ... spotted him for what he really was.

Sirius threw his head back, laughing.

"Pull up a bit of grass, Barty," ... Bit of a strong accent. "

Tonks rolled her eyes. No one noticed the way Barty Crouch Junior tensed.

"Mr. Crouch!" ... thank you, Weatherby."

The Weasley children all laughed as Percy went pink around his ears.

Fred and George choked ... your embargo on flying carpets. "

"I still don't get that one," Hermione said. "They're no more dangerous to the statute of secrecy than broomsticks."

Mr. Weasley heaved a deep sigh... Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects, but will he listen?"

"The rules seem so random," Hermione said with a sigh.

"I doubt it," ... all his ancestors had abided strictly by the law.

Moody looked impressed. "You sure got the measure of him quickly."

"So, been keeping busy, Barty?" ... five continents is no mean feat, Ludo."

"I think we know which department was doing the heavy lifting," Amelia said crossly. She didn't particularly like Crouch but she had to admit the man was hardworking.

"I expect you'll both ... make the announcement until all the details -"

Several people sat forward. What were they talking about?

"Oh details!" ... I mean, it's happening at Hogwarts -"

Sirius had a foreboding feeling.

"Ludo, we need to meet the Bulgarians... "You'll be up in the Top Box with me -

"The top box?" the Weasleys all stared at the book in awe.

I'm commentating!" ... both of them Disapparated.

"You'd think Mr Crouch would have more sense than to disapparate in a muggle area like that," Hermione huffed. So much for being a stickler for the rules. Percy looked like he really wanted to argue with her.

"What's happening at Hogwarts, Dad?" ... "Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it. "

Everyone rolled their eyes.

"Oh shut up, Weatherby," said Fred.

That got several laughs.

A sense of excitement rose ... signs of blatant magic now breaking out everywhere.

The ministry officials in the chamber all sighed in exasperation.

Salesmen were Apparating every few feet ... "Omnioculars," said the saleswizard eagerly.

"Now that's a good purchase," Remus said. "The spells will wear off everything else pretty quickly, but Omnioculars are always useful. Plus, you'll be able to watch the match over and over again. Slow it down too."

"You can replay action... ten Galleons each. "

"That's not a bad price," Sirius said.

Mrs Weasley looked ready to disagree.

"Wish I hadn't bought this now," ... had much more money than he did.

Ron went pink. He hadn't realised he was that obvious.

"You won't be getting anything for Christmas," ... "Fair enough," said Ron, grinning.

Sirius smiled. Harry was a good friend.

"Oooh, thanks, Harry," ... they had given Bagman all their gold.

Mrs Weasley scowled.

And then a deep, ... lighting a path to the field.

"FINALLY!" Fred cried excitably.

"It's time!" ... "Come on, let's go!"

"Time to stop for your lessons," Minerva said, struggling to hide her smirk.

"WHAT!" several children complained.

She let them continue for a couple of minutes before letting out a long suffering sigh. "Oh, I suppose, we could let you read one more chapter," she said eventually, "but it means double lessons this afternoon."

Everyone quickly agreed. They wanted to hear about the match. They didn't notice that the teachers all exchanged a look. Harry saw it though. The kids had fallen into their trap perfectly.

Chapter End Notes

Next chapter will be quidditch... yay!

The Quidditch World Cup Part 1

Chapter Summary

The characters read a little more of the book...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Clutching their purchases... The atmosphere of feverish excitement was highly infectious;

There was excitement in the chamber too. The kids were unable to sit still as they eagerly anticipated the match. And the adults weren't much better.

Harry couldn't stop grinning... ten cathedrals would fit comfortably inside it.

"That's impressive," Mr Granger whistled. He couldn't even begin to imagine what that must have been like. "Can muggles watch quidditch?"

"Technically yes," Lucius said. "You should take your daughter to watch the Holyhead Hapies. They're an all female team and one of the very best teams in the league."

Mr Granger nodded thoughtfully. That did sound like a good idea.

Hermione looked less impressed however. She wasn't really that interested in quidditch and she just knew once her father had seen one match, he'd be hooked for life.

"Seats a hundred thousand," ... Arthur, and as high as you can go. "

Several people looked at the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione in utter jealousy. They couldn't imagine how great it would have been to watch from the top box. Harry frowned. Things would have been a lot simpler if they hadn't been in the top box. Then he wouldn't have lost his bloody wand.

The stairs into the stadium ... halfway between the golden goal posts.

"Best seats in the house," Sirius said with a grin. This was more like it. He wanted to hear more about this sort of thing. Harry having fun with his friends. Doing regular kid stuff. Moments like this were few and far between for Harry but Sirius was sure he could fix that in the new timeline. Harry would experience everything the magical world had to offer. He'd make sure of it.

About twenty purple-and-gilt chairs ... The Bluebottle: A Broom for All the Family -

"Bought one of those," Lucius said. "It's alright. Not the best family broom, but good enough."

Augusta groaned. She wasn't the biggest fan of flying. But she was beginning to wonder if she'd been cruel not to take Neville to watch the match. They weren't wrong when they said it was a once in a life time experience.

safe, reliable, ... Gladrags Wizardwear - London, Paris, Hogsmeade. . .

It still seemed crazy that Hogsmeade was considered just as important as London or Paris. Harry couldn't wrap his head around how few magical places their were. Hogsmeade wasn't much bigger than a muggle village. And yet it was held up there with the capital cities of both England and France.

Harry tore his eyes away ... "Dobby?" said Harry incredulously.

Everyone sat forward. What was the Malfoy's elf doing there? Not that he belonged to the Malfoys anymore.

The tiny creature looked up ... "But I knows Dobby too, sir!" squeaked the elf.

"All the elves know each other," Augusta said. "Honestly, they always have the best gossip."

Her younger self was nodding her head in agreement. Clearly they'd gotten a lot of gossip out of their house elves over the years.

She was shielding her face... "My name is Winky, sir - and you, sir -"

Barty sat forward. What was Winky doing there? She hated heights. That was just like his dad, always forcing Winky to do things she hated. It wasn't right. He might not agree that elves should be paid, but he thought Potter had the right of it. Elves should have better rights.

Her dark brown eyes widened ... "How's freedom suiting him?"

Lucius grimaced. It still hurt that Dobby had left the family. Even if it was probably for the best. He sincerely hoped the elf would find a new family. One that he wouldn't fear. Either that, or perhaps Heir Potter could take him on. The prince would have good use for a house elf and they both obviously cared about one another.

"Ah, sir," ... Can't get another position, sir. "

Hermione glared at the book. If Dobby wanted to be free, he should be free. If he wanted payment, all the better. She didn't seem to notice that she was actively ignoring everything that had been said about house elves needing a family to help them control their magic. Harry, however, had not forgotten.

"Why not?" ... "Well - why shouldn't he be paid?"

Harry still thought house elves should be paid. Even if they couldn't be free. "What I don't get is the pillow cases," Harry said thoughtfully.

"You can't give them..." Ron began.

"Yeah, I know but couldn't we give them material to make their own uniform from?"

Several people in the chamber looked at Harry in bewilderment. Yet again, Heir Potter had thought of something that no one else had ever so much as considered.

Winky looked quite horrified ... like some common goblin. "

Harry laughed. Even creatures had their prejudices. Those would probably be just as hard to break as Wixen prejudice.

"Well, it's about time ... "but my master sends me to the Top Box and I comes, sir. "

Barty glared at book, feeling a sudden surge of rage for his father.

"Why's he sent you up here ... Winky is a good house-elf. "

Young Hermione looked scandalised.

She gave the edge of the box... "Weird things, aren't they?"

Several people gave Ron an odd look, even his older brothers. "You've seen house elves before," Bill said. "Aunt Muriel keeps an elf."

"Oh," Ron blushed. "I forgot about old Aggy."

Hermione glared at him.

"Dobby was weirder," ... pick his nose again. . . and again. . . and again. . . "

Mrs Weasley gave a heavy sigh. Just when would Ronald grow up?

Hermione, meanwhile ... to put on a bit of a show. "

Harry frowned. He wasn't really comfortable with calling them creatures. They should be called beings or something. They certainly had human levels of intelligence.

The box filled gradually ... Percy bowed so low that his glasses fell off and shattered.

Percy grimaced. Why did Harry have to notice everything?

Highly embarrassed ... greeted like an old friend.

Harry sighed. He really didn't think that was anything to be jealous about.

They had met before ... you do know who he is -"

Harry frowned. He would have rather the minister hadn't introduced him.

The Bulgarian wizard ... ever since their very first journey to Hogwarts.

Draco considered that. He was beginning to think that might be his fault.

A pale boy with a pointed face ... a nasty smell under her nose.

Narcissa smirked. "The scent in question was odor of Fudge."

Everyone laughed.

"Ah, Fudge," ... Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"

Narcissa gave her husband a pointed look. This was why Draco behaved the way he did.

Fudge, who wasn't listening, ... but stared determinedly back at him.

Lucius chuckled. "It was nice to put a face to the name of the witch that my son said was always top of the class."

Harry knew exactly what was making Mr. Malfoy's lip curl ... like Hermione, second-class.

Lucius sighed. It wasn't completely inaccurate. He didn't really hate muggleborns, just what they represented. The way the ministry had been pandering to muggleborns in recent years, had gradually been eroding away at their traditions until there was next to nothing left.

However, under the gaze of the Minister of Magic... "Slimy gits," Ron muttered

Mrs Weasley tutted.

as he, Harry, and Hermione ... four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

There were cheers throughout the chamber. This was what they were waiting for!

The spectators screamed and clapped ... BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

Sirius grinned. It had been a long time since he saw a game of Quidditch.

"And now, without further ado ... "Veela!"

"I thought you said they were bringing creatures," young Harry said. "Veela aren't creatures. Are they? I thought..."

Harry sighed. "Wixen kind look down on pretty much everyone who isn't a wix."

"Huh. That's sort of stupid," young Harry muttered.

Arthur looked momentarily offended. He hadn't meant it in a derogatory way. "That wasn't what I meant," he tried to explain. "I didn't know what they'd brought. I wouldn't have described them as creatures, if I'd known they'd bring veela."

Harry frowned. He hadn't meant to embarrass Mr Weasley. But it didn't change the fact that most wizards did consider veela creatures. Less than human. And it wasn't right.

"Sorry, Mr Weasley," Harry said quietly.

Arthur waved his apology away with a shrug.

"What are veel -?" ... the most beautiful women Harry had ever seen...

All the girls glared at Harry in exasperation.

Harry merely shrugged. He was pretty sure he wasn't a hundred percent straight... or gay for that matter. But he could certainly appreciate a good looking veela.

except that they weren't... in fact, he stopped worrying about anything at all.

Several people chuckled. Veela would do that to you.

The veela had started to dance ... if they stopped dancing, terrible things would happen.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Boys!

And as the veela danced ... he were about to dive from a springboard.

Sirius messed with Harry's hair, laughing heartily.

Angry yells were filling the stadium... "Honestly!" she said.

Narcissa giggled. Although she couldn't help but make a mental note to make sure Harry knew about his family rings. He'd need the mind magic protection and it would have the added benefit of protecting him from veela allure.

"And now," ... each carrying a minute lamp of gold or green.

"Leprechauns," Remus said. "You rarely see those outside of Ireland."

"Leprechauns!" ... Now you've got to buy me a Christmas present, ha!"

Sirius frowned. How did the boy not know that Leprechaun gold was fake? Did his parents teach him nothing at all growing up?

The great shamrock dissolved ... Dimitrov!"

Krum muttered something under his breath in Bulgarian. He did not like Dimitrov. In Viktor's opinion, he was a terrible captain.

A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick ... Aaaaaaand - Krum!"

Viktor scowled as everyone looked his way.

"That's him, that's him!"... He looked like an overgrown bird of prey.

Viktor smirked at that description. He liked it.

It was hard to believe ... embroidered in silver, upon their backs.

Seamus cheered loudly for his national team.

"And here, all the way from Egypt, ... Hassan Mostafa!"

Viktor was muttering again, complaining about the terrible referee.

A small and skinny wizard ... the minuscule, winged Golden Snitch.

"How did you even see that, Harry?" Ron asked in awe.

"Seeker," Krum said with a nod of appreciation.

With a sharp blast ... after the balls.

The kids all cheered. The match was about to start.

Chapter End Notes

Drop your comments. I'd love to know what you think.

The Quidditch World Cup Part 2

Chapter Summary

Our characters finish the chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Theeeeeeeey're OFF!" ... It was Quidditch as Harry had never seen it played before.

"There's nothing like the first time you watch a professional match," Charlie said.

"I don't know," Krum said with a smirk, "the first time you play in a professional match is pretty good too."

He was pressing his Omnioculars so hard ... Harry spun the slow dial on the right of his Omnioculars again,

"You're going to miss it!" Sirius said, shaking his head. "What in slow motion after the game. They record the whole game for you so you can watch it back."

pressed the play-by-play button... crowd pounded against his eardrums.

Sirius sighed. Although he had to admit that he was impressed that his godson had turned this into a learning opportunity, even if it was to improve his quidditch knowledge.

HAWKSHEAD ATTACKING FORMATION... bearing down upon the Bulgarians.

Ginny grinned. Harry had taught her and the chasers that formation in Ginny's fifth year.

PORSKOFF PLOY ... Levski, soaring beneath, caught it -

"Nice!" Young Charlie called.

"TROY SCORES!" ... "Ten zero to Ireland!"

Seamus and his younger self cheered loudly.

"What?" ... "But Levski's got the Quaffle!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Told you so."

"Harry, if you're not going to watch at normal speed... Troy did a lap of honor around the field.

Young Hermione looked at her older self in shock. Was she actually enjoying this?

Harry looked quickly over the top of his Omnioculars ... the veela were watching them sulkily.

Fleur and her grandmother laughed at the veela's reaction.

Furious with himself ... applause from the green-clad supporters.

"Vey definitely deserved to vin," Viktor said.

The match became still faster, but more brutal.

"It wouldn't be quidditch if it wasn't a little violent," Oliver said.

Volkov and Vulchanov, ... and score Bulgaria's first goal.

Seamus cursed loudly, drawing the attention of his head of house. "Sorry Professor," he said with a cheeky grin.

"Fingers in your ears!" ... he wanted to keep his mind on the game.

"Good plan," Remus said chuckling.

After a few seconds ... possession of the Quaffle.

Those that hadn't attended the match were playing close attention. The rest were almost as excited.

"Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova - oh I say!" roared Bagman.

"WHAT?" several people called. "What happened?"

One hundred thousand wizards gasped... jumped from airplanes without parachutes.

"Have they seen the snitch?" young Charlie asked.

"Hope not," Fred said.

"It would be a bit," George said.

"Rubbish if the match was," Fred continued.

"Over already," George finished.

Harry followed their descent ... "They're going to crash!" screamed Hermione next to Harry.

Everyone in the chamber seemed to hold their breath.

She was half right... A huge groan rose from the Irish seats.

"That was amazing," Seamus admitted.

"Fool!" ... "Krum was feinting!"

"Feinting isn't a foul, dad," Charlie said with a grin.

"It should be," Mr Weasley muttered.

"It's time-out!" ... examine Aidan Lynch!"

"Will he be alright?" Mr Granger asked. "Will they substitute him?"

"No substitutions in Quidditch," Harry said with a shrug.

"He'll be okay, he only got ploughed!" ... "Which is what Krum was after, of course. . . . "

Krum nodded. It was better for his opponent to get hurt instead of himself.

Harry hastily pressed the replay ... WRONSKI DEFENSIVE FEINT -

"I was furious that Quidditch was cancelled that year," Harry muttered. "I really wanted to try the Wronski Feint."

Mrs Weasley looked like she might be sick.

DANGEROUS SEEKER DIVERSION ... Krum hadn't seen the Snitch at all, he was just making Lynch copy him.

"And that's allowed?" Mrs Granger asked her husband.

"Apparently," he said with a shrug. He was seriously wondering how easily he could get tickets to a quidditch match.

Harry had never seen anyone fly like that ... unsupported and weightless.

Krum felt rather smug at the praise. Potter was a brilliant flyer too.

Harry turned his Omnioculars back to normal ... look for the Snitch without interference.

"Wise move," Charlie said.

Lynch got to his feet at last ... a skill unrivaled by anything Harry had seen so far.

"They vere the superior team," Krum muttered.

After fifteen more fast and furious minutes ... the game was starting to get dirtier.

"That's quidditch for you," Oliver said.

As Mullet shot toward the goal posts yet again ... told him it had been a foul.

"What did he do?" Young Ron asked.

"And Mostafa takes ... it's a penalty to Ireland!"

"Cobbing is a pretty common foul," Harry told his younger self.

Young Harry thought this game was insanely dangerous. He could hardly believe his older self played it. Although he wouldn't be adverse to giving it a try.

The leprechauns, who had risen angrily ... "HA, HA, HA!"

Seamus laughed, along with all the younger kids.

The veela on the other side ... "Look at the referee!" she said, giggling.

Sirius frowned. He wished he could actually see this. Perhaps he could convince Harry to share the memory in a pensieve later.

Harry looked down at the field ... smoothing his mustache excitedly.

"'ow embarrassing," young Fleur said with a giggle.

"Now, we can't have that!" ... "Somebody slap the referee!"

"Slap him?" Mrs Granger asked in bewilderment. Did wixen kind really not understand the definition of assault? Surely, there was a less violent way to deal with this particular situation.

A mediwizard came ... kicked Mostafa hard in the shins.

Mrs Granger tutted. Apparently not.

Mostafa seemed to come to himself ... looking mutinous.

"Oh dear," Isabeau Lemaire, Fleur's grandmother, said. "They will not like that."

"And unless I'm much mistaken, ... Oh this could turn nasty. . .

"So, he should," Seamus said. "They're interfering in the match."

It did ... arguing furiously with him,

Krum sighed. He'd been furious with his team members for this. They should have been scoring goals instead of wasting time on the veela.

gesticulating toward the leprechauns ... he gave two short blasts on his whistle.

"идиоти," Krum muttered.

"Two penalties for Ireland!" ... and Troy takes the Quaffle. . . "

Young Ron was on the edge of his seat while young Hermione rolled her eyes. This was so silly.

Play now reached a level of ferocity ... acting without mercy:

Fred and George listened eagerly, hoping for tips.

Volkov and Vulchanov ... violently through the air.

Fred and George exchanged a look. Well, they wouldn't do that.

Dimitrov shot straight ... nearly knocking her off her broom.

"FOUL!" Young Oliver shouted angrily.

"Foul!" ... "Dimitrov skins Moran - deliberately flying to collide there -

Krum rolled his eyes. If they hadn't fouled so much, they might actually stood a chance. Instead they were practically giving goals away with all these penalties.

and it's got to be another penalty ... a very rude sign indeed at the veela across the field.

Sirius chuckled much to Mrs Weasley's ire. That just made him laugh harder.

At this, the veela lost control ... handfuls of fire at the leprechauns.

"They can do that?" Mr Granger asked, blinking rapidly.

"We are very powerful," Isabeau said.

Watching through his Omnioculars ... remotely beautiful now.

Fleur laughed, her voice chiming.

On the contrary ... bursting from their shoulders -

Both Mr Grangers stared at the book. They hoped they never came across a woman like that.

"And that, boys," ... "is why you should never go for looks alone!"

Lucius snorted. Even ugly women had tempers... Personally, he thought it was better to just keep your witch happy. Much safer.

Ministry wizards were flooding ... Quaffie changed hands with the speed of a bullet.

"I completely forgot about the game while watching what was happening on the pitch," Hermione said.

"You and me both," Ron muttered.

"Levski - Dimitrov - Moran - Troy - Mullet - Ivanova - Moran again - Moran - MORAN SCORES!"

Everyone cheered. Even Krum. He didn't think his team mates deserved to win.

But the cheers of the Irish supporters ... now Dimitrov -

Amelia made a note to restrict the mascots access to the pitch.

The Irish Beater Quigley swung ... It hit him full in the face.

"Ouch," young Charlie said, grimacing.

There was a deafening groan ... Hassan Mostafa didn't blow his whistle.

"Bloody hell," Sirius groaned. That wasn't fair.

He had become distracted ... set his broom tail alight.

"Shouldn't that be an automatic forfeit?" Hermione asked. She'd been reading up on quidditch ever since first year when Harry had joined the house team.

"If one of the team had done it, or one of the supporters," Harry said. "I'm not sure there's a rule about mascots."

"There's not," Charlie agreed. "There really should be."

Harry wanted someone to realize that Krum was injured;

"Thank you, Heir Potter," Krum said bowing his head.

even though he was supporting Ireland ... he can't play like that, look at him -"

"Still caught the snitch," Krum said with a side smirk.

"Look at Lynch!" ... Look at him go!"

"He nearly got it too," Krum complained.

Half the crowd seemed to have realized ... Harry had no idea;

"I couldn't," Krum admitted.

there were flecks of blood flying ... "They're going to crash!" shrieked Hermione.

Several of the girls screamed.

"They're not!" ... "Lynch is!" yelled Harry.

Krum grinned at Harry. He really should go pro.

And he was right ... stampeded by a horde of angry veela.

"FOUL!" Seamus roared. "Mascots shouldn't be allowed to attack players."

"Again, there's no rule against it," Charlie said.

"Bloody well should be," Arthur countered, causing his wife to glare at him for his language.

"The Snitch... Krum's got it - it's all over!" shouted Harry.

"WOW!" several of the kids cried out, cheering excitably. Even if they were disappointed the match was over.

Krum, his red robes ... a glint of gold in his hand.

"Better to lose by ten points than three-hundred-and-twenty," Viktor said and Harry definitely agreed with him.

The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170 ... erupted into screams of delight.

"Math really isn't their strong point," Hermione said with a sigh.

"No one was paying attention to the score, Hermione," Harry said. "They were too busy watching the action."

"IRELAND WINS!" ... I don't think any of us were expecting that!"

"We were," George said bitterly.

"What did he catch the Snitch for?" ... hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!"

Krum glared at Ron. He really had no choice. It was either he catch it or Lynch.

"He knew they were never going to catch up!" ... end it on his terms, that's all...

Krum nodded at Harry. At least he understood. His team mates hadn't been anywhere near as understanding.

"He was very brave, wasn't he?" ... "He looks a terrible mess. . . . "

Krum blushed. It was strange hearing a girl he'd once dated watching him play. Not bad exactly. Especially because she wasn't fangirling. Just strange.

Harry put his Omnioculars ... refused to let them mop him up.

"My team were not happy," Krum said.

His team members were around him ... though looking dispirited and forlorn.

"It was a good game," Charlie said with a grin.

"Vell, ve fought bravely," ... me mime everything all day!"

Everyone laughed at Fudge's stupidity.

"Veil, it vos very funny," said the Bulgarian minister, shrugging.

"Good prank!" Sirius grinned.

"And as the Irish team ... brought into the Top Box!" roared Bagman.

Harry grimaced. This was the only thing about being in the top box. He wondered just how many people had spotted him there. He could only hope they were all too distracted by the players to see him.

Harry's eyes were suddenly dazzled ... using sign language all day for nothing.

Again everyone laughed. He really was a bit of a fool.

"Let's have a really loud hand ... seven defeated Bulgarian players.

Krum grimaced. This was his least favourite part of being a professional quidditch player. He hated the attention.

The crowd below was applauding appreciatively ... Omniocular lenses flashing and winking in their direction.

Kingsley frowned. Potter wasn't safe there.

One by one, the Bulgarians filed between the rows ... He was still holding the Snitch.

"I kept it," Krum said. "Kept everyone I caught during the world cup."

Harry noticed that he seemed much less coordinated ... gave him a resounding, earsplitting roar.

Krum didn't meet anyone's eye. He found the attention highly embarrassing.

And then came the Irish team... Harry's hands were numb with clapping.

"Once in a life time experience," Mr Weasley said cheerfully.

At last, when the Irish team ... "Quietus."

Is that it then?" young Ron said. "Are you heading back to Hogwarts?"

Harry almost laughed. He wished that had been it.

"They'll be talking about this one for years," ... their hands outstretched.

Mrs Weasley tutted loudly before sighing and saying that lunch should be waiting for them. Since she hadn't gone to make lunch, no doubt the house elves would have done it for them.

Chapter End Notes

That's it... The game is over...

The Dark Mark Part 1

Chapter Summary

After lunch, our characters continue reading...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Everyone was still talking about the match when they made their way back to the main chamber after lunch. Although that quickly changed when they heard the title of the next chapter.

"The dark mark?" Sirius asked, looking suddenly green.

Severus was busily checking his supply of calming draughts. No doubt, Sirius would need one and perhaps a few of the mothers too.

"Don't tell your mother you've been gambling," ... We don't want it confiscated. "

Mrs Weasley gave her husband a thunderous look.

Mr. Weasley looked for a moment ... he didn't want to know.

Molly tutted loudly, earning a glare from George.

They were soon caught up ... back to their campsites.

Kingsley was on edge. Harry should not be in a crowd. That was a risk not worth taking. Better to wait in the top box for the stadium to empty.

Raucous singing was borne ... shooting over their heads,

Amelia grimaced. This was a statute of secrecy nightmare.

cackling and waving their lanterns... last cup of cocoa together before turning in.

Mrs Weasley's lip tightened. That was good. At least they'd be together when it happened... She was beginning to feel very nervous. She took her husband's hand in her own.

They were soon arguing ... cobbing with Charlie,

Mr Weasley sighed. He still stood by his point that there was no reason for cobbing. Ever. Even if it would mean losing the match. It was important to pay a fair, clean game.

and it was only when Ginny fell asleep ... insisted that everyone go to bed.

Mrs Weasley grimaced. The girls would be alone. That really hadn't been their best idea.

Hermione and Ginny went into the next tent .. singing and the odd echoing bang.

The chamber was tense. Everyone waiting for something bad to happen. The title of the chapter had guaranteed it.

"Oh I am glad I'm not on duty," ... tell the Irish they've got to stop celebrating. "

Arthur's younger self definitely agreed.

Harry, who was on a top bunk ... try out the Wronski Feint...

"Damn Triwizard Tournament," Harry muttered.

Somehow Oliver Wood had never managed... supposed to look like...

"Hey!" Oliver complained. "My diagrams were awesome."

Harry merely laughed.

Harry saw himself ... "I give you. . . . Potter!"

"You'd do well pro," Charlie said and Krum muttered his agreement.

Harry blushed. He'd dreamed about it. Of course he had. But it had never seemed like a real option. Not with Voldemort after him.

Harry never knew ... Mr. Weasley was shouting.

Everyone sat bolt up right, as if ready for a fight.

"Get up! Ron ... "'S' matter?" he said.

Sirius whimpered. Why couldn't things go good for Harry for more than five minutes?

Dimly, he could tell ... He could hear screams, and the sound of people running.

The children all gasped, sitting closer to their parents or guardians, those that had them at least. Those that didn't clung to the side of their older selves. Harry wrapped an arm around his younger self, letting him know that everything would be okay in parsel.

He slipped down... get outside - quickly!"

Moody groaned. "Make sure you have your wand!"

Perhaps the parents needed a lesson in child safety too.

Harry did as he was told ... drunken yells were drifting toward them;

"What are they? Quidditch hooligans?" Mr Granger asked. "Do you even get Quidditch hooligans?"

Hermione almost laughed. This was much worse than any type of hooligan behaviour she'd ever heard of.

"What's a hooligan?" Draco asked.

"A fan that behaves poorly," Hermione explained.

"Oh. No. That's not what that is," Draco muttered.

then came a burst of strong green light, which illuminated the scene.

"The killing curse?" Moody growled.

A crowd of wizards ... marching slowly across the field.

Lucius stared at his hands, his expression pained. It had been McNair's idea and he hadn't been able to see any way out of it.

Harry squinted at them ... their faces masked.

"Death eaters," Sirius muttered, pulling both his godsons into his side.

High above them ... contorted into grotesque shapes.

"What the...?" Mrs Granger began, looking uncertain. Why didn't Hermione or the Weasleys tell them about this?

It was as though the masked wizards ... Two of the figures were very small.

All four of Hermione's parents looked like they were going to vomit. Harry wondered how much worse they'd feel when they realised that the four people were muggles.

More wizards were joining the marching group ... The screaming grew louder.

"Disgusting behaviour," Augusta said.

The floating people were suddenly illuminated ... Mr. Roberts, the campsite manager.

A sudden realisation hit the Grangers. That group had attacked Mr Roberts. Was it because he was a muggle?

The other three looked as though they might be his wife and children.

"Oh, god!" Mrs Granger cried.

One of the marchers below ... hooted with glee.

"Disgusting," Mr Granger said, hugging his wife. "I hope they were arrested."

No one said anything. That was all the answer he needed.

"That's sick," ... "That is really sick. . . . "

Lucius had tears in his eyes and he couldn't meet anyone's eye. He wasn't proud of this. He didn't like muggles - he thought they were a danger - but that didn't mean he wanted to hurt children. The problem was that once you became a death eater, you had no way out. And some of the death eaters enjoyed that sort of thing. That's not to say he didn't have a vindictive side, he certainly did, but he didn't want to kill all muggles. Quite the opposite. He thought stunts like that actively risked the statute of secrecy and that concerned him just as much as Dumbledore and Lux's position on muggle relations.

Hermione and Ginny came hurrying toward them ... their wands out.

Kingsley nodded. At least they had a good number of adult wix to protect Harry and the other children.

"We're going to help the Ministry!" ... get into the woods, and stick together.

"WHAT?" The younger Mrs Weasley turned on her husband. "Absolutely not!"

And for once, everyone in the chamber agreed with her.

"You're leaving Harry Potter defenseless?" Kingsley demanded. "Not one of age wizard out of the four of you could stay?"

"Bill and Charlie don't even work for the ministry," Molly said crossly. "They could have stayed with the children."

Bill and Charlie looked like they wanted to argue but they actually thought their mum might be right. Someone should have stayed with the kids.

Mr Granger was livid. He was close to losing his cool and he usually prided himself on being able to master his temper. "We entrusted our daughter - our muggleborn daughter - into your care and you just abandoned her? Left her to protect herself?"

His wife was nodding her agreement. "That won't be happening again. Hermione will not be staying with your family again."

Sirius was tempted to say that Harry wouldn't either but he held his tongue. He'd done the same thing once. Going after Pettigrew. Except, he'd left Harry with an adult. Not alone. And all the rationalisation in the world wouldn't change the fact that Arthur had left his pup, his son, alone and defenseless. That wouldn't be easily forgiven.

Arthur looked between everyone and realised that he'd messed up. In the heat of the moment, he hadn't even considered the danger to the children. He'd thought they would be safe enough in the woods.

"We're talking about Harry Potter, Arthur," Kingsley said. "Anyone could have attacked him. And what's more you endangered the other children by leaving them all alone - especially with Harry."

"Hey!" Harry complained.

"It's not your fault, Harry," Kingsley said gently, "but anyone with you is in greater risk, just because they're by your side. You have a target the size of Hogwarts on your back. Especially if there are death eaters about."

I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"

No one said anything. They were too busy glaring at Arthur.

Bill, Charlie, and Percy were already sprinting away ... coming ever closer.

Sirius glared at Arthur once more before turning back to the book. "Better hurry up and get into the wood. Find somewhere safe and stay there."

"Under the circumstances, if you use magic it will be excused," Amelia said thoughtfully, "so you'd best all get your wands out."

She didn't say that she didn't think there was much a third year, three fourth years and two sixth years could do against death eaters.

"C'mon," ... George followed.

"Don't forget to stay together," Remus said, his eyes flashing amber.

They all looked back ... hooded wizards in the center,

"Stun the lot of them," Amelia growled. "The crowd are supporting the criminal actions of death eaters and impeding DMLE action. I'd arrest them for that."

"Please tell me someone set up anti-apparation wards," Tonks said. She could just imagine them all getting away.

but they were having great difficulty... might make the Roberts family fall.

Moody growled. There were ways of preventing that. Security was clearly too laxed.

The colored lanterns ... people whose faces he could not see.

"Any one of them could have kidnapped the prince," Kingsley said crossly.

Then he heard Ron yell with pain.

"What happened?" Mrs Weasley demanded anxiously.

"What happened?" ... Oh this is stupid - lumos!"

Moody nodded his consent. This was an emergency and the magic used was perfectly reasonable.

She illuminated her wand ... getting to his feet again.

Sirius and several others let out sighs of relief. Although they were short lived as it now meant one of them was potentially injured. Not ideal if they needed to run for their lives.

"Well, with feet that size, hard not to," ... looking utterly relaxed.

Narcissa glared at her son. He was not supposed to be there. He had told them he was going to stay at Theo's house. They would be having words about this.

His arms folded ... dared say in front of Mrs. Weasley.

Molly didn't look like she cared that her youngest son had just sworn. She was more interested in ensuring their safety.

"Language, Weasley," ... You wouldn't like her spotted, would you?"

Harry glanced at Draco. That almost sounded like a warning.

He nodded at Hermione ... lit the trees around them.

"With all those killing curses flying about," Kingsley said, "I'm surprised there wasn't any casualties."

"What's that supposed to mean?" ... and it would give us all a laugh. "

Several people glared at Draco. Lucius, however, was eyeing him with respect. A hidden warning. That might be the first sign of a true Slytherin Draco had ever offered.

"Hermione's a witch," ... stay where you are. "

Severus raised an eyebrow at his godson and he knew Draco knew they'd be having words.

"You watch your mouth!" ... he took a step toward Malfoy.

"Not the time for fighting," Moody growled. "The lad's right. It's not safe where you are."

"Where are the others?" Charlie asked, feeling responsible. He shouldn't have left them to go alone into the woods.

There came a bang ... trying to rescue the Muggles?"

Lucius sighed. Just when he thought Draco was showing some sense.

"Where're your parents?" ... would I, Potter?"

"For the record," Lucius sighed. "I was there. Narcissa wasn't. Draco was supposed to be at a friend's house. It was McNair's idea and he wouldn't really take no for an answer. He and Nott were drunk and... Well, they can't be reasoned with when sober. I'm sorry for my part in it, for what little it is worth. I didn't cast a single spell on the Roberts. But I did set a few tents alight."

"Why didn't you report it?" Hermione asked angrily.

"And say what?" Lucius asked. "Oh, sorry. You know when I lied and said I wasn't a death eater... yeah, well, I am. And some of my stupid death eater acquaintances are drunk and want to attack muggles tonight. That would see me in Azkaban quicker than you can say quidditch. And I'm not sure what would have been gained. The others would still be at large and they would have still attacked the muggles. And to be honest, if I'd even looked like I was going to turn on them, they'd have AK'd me before I had the chance to report them. As I said, nothing gained."

Hermione scowled at him.

"At least this way, I could cast cushioning charms below the Roberts whenever I feared they might fall," Lucius said softly. "I'm not trying to excuse my behaviour, but once you're a death eater - something many of us didn't have a choice in - there's no escaping."

"What do you mean you had no choice?" Ron asked angrily.

"My father," Lucius said, "he was friends - of sorts - with the Dark Lord in school. He insisted I take the mark. It was that or be disowned. And at that time, I had no idea what it actually meant. As I said before, his manifesto was sound. I never expected..."

"Oh come on," ... one of that masked lot!" said Ron hotly.

Ron glared at the book, feeling vindicated. Harry might be falling for this redeemed bullshit but Ron wasn't having any of it. Once a death eater, always a death eater, in his book.

"Well, with any luck, ... nowhere to be seen,

Arthur grimaced. They were supposed to stay together.

though the path was packed ... "'Ogwarts. "

Draco sneered. Why didn't the Weasleys know French. He thought all pure bloods knew French.

"Beauxbatons," ... An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe. "

"Now is not the time," Moody growled.

"Oh ... I've lost my wand!"

"Buggering hell," Sirius groaned, accepting a calming draught from Severus.

"When did you last have it?" Tonks asked.

"You're kidding!" ... "Maybe it's back in the tent," said Ron.

"Doesn't matter now," Kingsley said. "What matters is that you're still too close to the edge of the woods. You need to move deeper in."

"Maybe it fell out ... "maybe. . . "

Kingsley felt like these books might give him a nervous breakdown. He was normally so calm and calculated. But seeing Harry constantly endangered like this was actually fraying his nerves.

He usually kept his wand ... made him feel very vulnerable.

"Understandable," Moody said, nodding. He'd have felt the same way."

A rustling noise nearby ... someone invisible were trying to hold her back.

"That's odd," Tonks murmured.

"There is bad wizards about!" ... Winky is getting out of the way!"

Barty suddenly sat a little taller. Was he with Winky? But that can't be. His dad hadn't let him out of the house in... well, ever.

And she disappeared ... "Why can't she run properly?"

"Good question," Moody muttered. He'd seen house elves when they broke their master's orders and it didn't look like that. Close but not quite.

"Bet she didn't ask permission to hide," ... start beating himself up.

That was more like it, Moody thought. Punishment. Whatever that looked like for the family the elf belonged to.

"You know, house-elves get a very raw deal!" ... "It's slavery, that's what it is!

"No. It's not," Rookwood said. "At least, for most it isn't. You'll get some that are badly treated. But most house elves are family. My family elves even ate with us when I was growing up. They weren't paid but everything they could possibly need was provided for them and if they wanted something, they knew they only needed to ask for it. Father insisted on regular appointments with the elves to ensure they were still happy with their situation and to find out if there was anything he could do for them."

That Mr. Crouch made her go up ... Why doesn't anyone do something about it?"

"That's speculation," Moody growled. "I don't like Crouch but we don't know he bewitched the elf."

Hermione looked mutinous. Why didn't they understand that it was wrong to keep elves as slaves?

"The bond between family and elf is the only thing keeping them alive and sane," Neville said. "Sure, I think everyone in this chamber would agree there should be greater protections but that bond is not a slavery bond."

"How can you say that?" Hermione demanded.

"Because I've performed the ritual," Neville said seriously. "I am Heir Longbottom and master of the Longbottom elves. I had to perform the ritual to bond with them when I was eleven. Their bond with my father was too weak to sustain them. Nowhere in the oath I took, or the oaths my elves took, did it demand enslavement."

"What was the ritual?" Hermione asked. She hadn't found anything about a ritual in the library.

"It's a spoken oath," Neville said with a sigh. "I vowed to protect them, cherish them, treat them as kin and they vowed to honour me and mine and treat us as kin. That's all. Technically, they don't even have to work. That's a choice. They choose to serve because it is how they choose to honour their wixen kin. Just the same way they would choose to show their elven kin their love through acts of service. There are those that will break their oaths and treat house elves poorly but to do so is a sin against Mother Magic. She gave us the elves to protect."

Lucius nodded his agreement. He couldn't have put it better himself.

Amos frowned. He actually couldn't believe he was about to say this. But it was the truth, even if he didn't like it. "I will say that you tend to see more light wix break their oaths to their elves than dark wix. Dark wix seem to respect their oaths better than their light counterparts. I am pleased to see that you are an exception, Heir Longbottom."

Neville blushed heavily at the praise.

"Well, the elves are happy, aren't they?" ... that's what she likes, being bossed around... "

Harry and Neville both sighed. That was not a good argument. It was no wonder Hermione got on her high horse sometimes.

"It's people like you, Ron," ... just because they're too lazy to -"

Ron glared at her. "I'm not lazy! Just because I don't agree that all elves need to be freed."

Another loud bang echoed from the edge of the wood.

"This really isn't the time to argue about elf rights," Remus sighed.

"Let's just keep moving, shall we?" ... Hermione was in more danger than they were.

"I'd say you're both in significant danger," Tonks said.

They set off again ... unperturbed by the trouble at the campsite.

"Goblins rarely interest themselves in wixen issues," young Bill said.

Farther still along the path ... Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. "

"Dragon killer?" Amos laughed. "We don't hire dragon killers. If we find a dragon, we call in one of the reserves to take it off our hands."

"No, you're not!" ... but I'm a vampire hunter, I've killed about ninety so far -"

"Ridiculous," Hermione muttered.

Fleur laughed. "I vould really love to see how you would handle a male veela, Hermione."

"Male veela don't exist," Hermione said crossly, folding her hands.

Fleur sighed. Why would Hermione argue with her about Veela. Obviously, she knew more about them as she was part Veela herself. "Of course, they do. They are just very rare. And highly protected by veela kind."

"Which is why you should not be talking about them Fleur," her grandmother chastised.

"Je suis désolée," Fleur said, suddenly abashed.

A third young wizard ... youngest ever Minister of Magic, I am. "

This got several rounds of laughter, easing some of the tension in the main chamber.

Harry snorted with laughter... a broomstick that'll reach Jupiter?"

Ron's ears went pink but he had to admit that would be amazing.

"Honestly!" ... everything was much quieter.

"Good," Tonks said. "You should be safe there."

"But don't let your guard down," Moody growled.

Harry looked around... We'll hear anyone coming a mile off. "

Moody nodded his agreement. That was a reasonable assessment.

The words were hardly out of his mouth ... "What are you doing in here, all alone?"

"What's he up to?" Moody asked, eyeing the book suspiciously.

They looked at one another ... got hold of a family of Muggles... "

"Didn't he know?" Fleur asked.

Bagman swore loudly... he Disapparated with a small pop!

"I guess that answers the question about anti-apparation wards," Tonks muttered.

"Not exactly on top of things ... while he was with them. "

"That doesn't excuse his incompetence as a ministry official," Hermione said sharply.

"Didn't say it did," Ron said, raising his hands in surrender.

He took his small figure of Krum out of his pocket ... perhaps the riot was over.

"Doubtful," Amelia murmured. "It didn't sound like the DMLE were leading the operation to extract the muggles."

"I hope the others are okay," ... he'd like to get something on him. "

Arthur and Lucius both grimaced. They'd really done a number on these kids with their dislike for one another.

"That'd wipe the smirk off ... "They'll find a way. "

Hermione's parents didn't look convinced.

"Mad, though, to do something like that ... they've been drinking, or are they just -"

"They're not scared of Fudge's ministry," Lucius said. "But yes, alcohol played a part too."

But she broke off abruptly ... But the footsteps came to a sudden halt.

"Get low to the ground," Moody growled, "and train your wands on where the sound came from."

"Hello?" called Harry.

"Don't do that!" Moody shouted.

There was silence... standing just beyond the range of his vision.

"Don't go towards the danger, pup," Sirius groaned. "You don't even have a wand."

"Who's there?" ... "MORSMORDRE!"

Severus's eyes widened as did Lucius's. Everyone else frowned. They didn't know that spell.

And something vast, green, ... it flew up over the treetops and into the sky.

"Do you know we never did learn what the spell for the dark mark was in the first war," Amelia said thoughtfully.

"You three need to get out of there and fast," Sirius said, gripping his godsons tightly.

"What the -?" ... its mouth like a tongue.

"I'm guessing that is bad," young Mrs Granger said to her husband.

As they watched, ... like a new constellation.

"Don't just stand there," Sirius said, sounding panicked.

Suddenly, the wood all around them erupted with screams... but he couldn't see anyone.

"Never mind that now," Moody said. "You need to leave."

"They've just witnessed a crime," Amelia countered. "They can't just leave."

"They're about to be blamed for that crime, Amelia."

"Who's there?" ... "You-Know-Who's sign!"

A couple of the younger ones screamed. They hadn't known that.

"Voldemort's - ?" ... surrounding them.

"Great and in the meantime, the deatheaters at the camp site will all get away," Amelia said bitterly.

Harry whirled around ... "DUCK!"

Moody nodded. The boy had good instincts.

He seized the other two and pulled them down onto the ground.

And quick reflexes, Moody thought.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed it! xoxo

The Dark Mark Part 2

Chapter Summary

Our characters finish the chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"STUPEFY!" ... rebounding into the darkness -

The Grangers were really beginning to wonder if they wanted their daughter in this world. Ministry officials had just attacked her. At fourteen, no less.

"Stop!" ... "STOP! That's my son!"

Arthur groaned. Molly was right. He never should have left them alone. A death eater had been close enough to kill them. And it was all his fault.

Harry's hair stopped blowing about ... are you all right?"

Young Harry was surprised his older self hadn't said something sarcastic.

"Out of the way, Arthur," ... Mr. Crouch's face was taut with rage.

"He doesn't really think one of them did it?" Tonks asked in disbelief.

"Which of you did it?" ... "Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

"He's mental," Ron muttered.

"We didn't do that!" ... "What did you want to attack us for?"

"That's Crouch for you," Sirius said bitterly.

"Do not lie, sir!" ... he looked slightly mad.

"Utterly deranged," Ron said, crossing his arms indignantly.

"You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"

"Right," Harry actually laughed this time.

"Barty," ... "they're kids, Barty, they'd never have been able to -"

"Finally someone with sense," Amelia muttered. She couldn't help but wonder where she was. She should have been the one dealing with this. Not Crouch. She was the head of the DMLE. Really, she was getting fed up of the minister and other ministry officials side stepping her authority. She was a fair and reasonable witch, but that didn't mean she couldn't stand up for herself and her department. She would make sure the DMLE played a greater role in the organisation of the Quidditch world cup in the new timeline.

"Where did the Mark come from, you three?" ... they shouted words - an incantation -"

The Grangers smiled encouragingly at Hermione. They were furious that the Weasleys had allowed her to get into this situation but they were pleased that she was behaving sensibly and answering their questions.

"Oh, stood over there, did they?" ... Mark is summoned, missy -"

"Of course, it's an incantation," Amelia said angrily. "What else were they going to do, tell a joke? Barty does not have the authority to interrogate a witness. Where are the aurors?"

"Well," Kingsley sighed. "For one thing, the ministry had reduced our funding so there were less of us than even two years before. Then on top of that, the minister decided to give Crouch and Bagman complete control over the event. They only requested five aurors to patrol. So, most of us were either working elsewhere or on annual leave as the rest of Magical Britain was pretty quiet."

"My aurors were on annual leave?" Amelia huffed. She was going to murder Fudge.

"And where was I?" Amelia asked.

"The South of France with Susan," Kingsley said. "You - er... You argued with Fudge about it and then said if anything happened it was on his head and you wouldn't come back from holiday unless You-Know-Who returned. And he better deal with whatever happened, because it would all be his own fault."

Amelia grimaced. Yes, that sounded like something she would say in a temper. "Did Susan and I at least enjoy our holiday?"

"I believe you did, Mam," Kingsley said with a smirk. "Although, it was rudely interrupted by owls."

"Did I return early?" she questioned uncertainly. She knew she could hold a grudge but surely she wouldn't stay away when something of this magnitude had occurred.

"You did," Kingsley said. "And put up a fuss with the minister. I believe you said something along the lines of 'I told you so, you great buffoon. Now, increase my funding or I'm returning to France."

"And did I get the funding?" Amelia asked, her eyebrow raised.

"Indeed," Kingsley laughed.

"At least that's something," Amelia said. "Not that it would have been much help with all my aurors off duty."

"I believe you called them back in too," Kingsley said. "Or at least, you did for some of us."

But none of the Ministry wizards ... "They'll have Disapparated. "

"Could have asked the kids if they heard someone disapparate," Tonks muttered.

"I don't think so," ... There's a good chance we got them. . . . "

Amelia grimaced. "Were there any aurors in that clearing?"

"No. I don't think so," Amos said.

"Amos, be careful!" ... It's - but - blimey. . . "

"Who is it?" everyone cried.

"You've got someone?" ... It was Winky.

"Winky?" the kids all asked.

"But you didn't recognise the voice," young Harry said. "It couldn't have been Winky."

Harry smiled down at his younger self, nodding in agreement.

Mr. Crouch did not move ... ground at his feet.

"Well, that's embarrassing," Sirius said.

The other Ministry wizards ... "No -"

"Discovered at the scene of the crime," Severus said, using his own words against him. He didn't for one second think Winky did it but he really didn't like Crouch and he couldn't resist a little vindictive joy.

He moved quickly around Mr. Diggory ... "There's no one else there. "

"Not visible at least," Moody muttered. His magical eye moved to Barty Crouch Junior - the lad that was supposed to be dead.

But Mr. Crouch did not seem prepared ... "you don't seriously think it was the elf?

"Why would an elf cast the dark mark?" Harry asked angrily.

"I don't know," Amos said defensively. "That's why we needed to question her."

The Dark Mark's a wizard's sign. It requires a wand. "

"Exactly," Remus said. He couldn't believe they were trying to pin this on an elf.

"Yeah," ... "Had it in her hand.

"Oh, dear," Sirius groaned. Even if she didn't cast it, she was going to be pulled up before the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for that.

So that's clause three ... carry or use a wand. "

Hermione huffed. Wixen kind were so backwards.

"You know that law is stupid," Harry said. "What makes wixen so special that we get to decide what other magicals do? We should be working with our magical brethren, not against them. We don't get to lord over them as if we are superior. It's not right. That's going to have to change."

Amos hesitated. A part of him wanted to argue that wands would be dangerous in non-wixen magical's hands but they were also dangerous in wixen hands so that didn't seem like a reasonable argument.

"It's just prejudice," Harry continued. "Your'e all so used to thinking you're better. Better than house-elves and yet you call them family. You can't call someone family and treat them like your inferior. It doesn't work. Better than goblins and yet you let them manage your money. The wixen world would fold in a day without the goblins. Better than centaurs and merepeople so let's just steal their land and water. Better than vampires so let's make it impossible for them to feed safely. Better than werewolves so lets make wolfsbane impossible to afford. Then when they inevitably hurt someone we can blame them for it. Better than veela. Better than all of them. It makes me sick the way the wixen world treats non and part humans. It's not right and it will change."

Amos nodded his head. There was no point arguing with the prince when he clearly cared a great deal about this. "I will start a list of all the laws that will need rescinded, Prince Myrrddin," he said with a bow.

"Thank you," Harry said, taking a deep breath. "I'm not saying you all intentionally treat non-humans poorly, but the prejudice is so ingrained you don't even see it."

"You will show us," Amos said softly. "I'm not going to pretend that I like the idea of goblins with wands but if you honestly believe it is for the betterment of your people - all mother magic's people - then I will do all I can to further your goals in this area."

Harry smiled at him, surprised by Amos's willingness.

Just then there was another pop ... goggling upward at the emerald-green skull.

"A bit late," Tonks muttered.

"The Dark Mark!" ... Barry! What's going on?"

Arthur sighed. Ludo really was a bit of a liability sometimes.

Mr. Crouch had returned empty-handed... "Why weren't you at the match?

"Good question," Moody growled.

Your elf was saving you ... "What happened to her?"

Several people sighed.

"I have been busy, Ludo," ... She'd need a wand, for a start!"

"It wasn't Winky!" Hermione said angrily.

"And she had one," ... hear what she's got to say for herself. "

The aurors all sat forward.

Crouch gave no sign ... burst into terrified sobs.

"Poor Winky," young Ginny cried.

"Elf!" ... Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures!"

"She has a name you know," Hermione said. "How would you like it if I started calling you human? Human, you're not very nice. Human, did you know that you are a git? Human, next time you speak to an elf maybe you'll use their name!"

Mr and Mrs Granger didn't know what to say. They were tempted to laugh. "You probably didn't need to call him a git, dear," Mrs Granger said eventually.

"He was one when he was talking about Harry falling off his broom," Hermione bristled. "He didn't even have all the facts."

Amos couldn't argue with that. But it cost him greatly to admit it. "You are not wrong, Miss Granger. I did not show my best side to Prince Myrrddin and clearly I failed to do so again in the clearing."

Winky began to rock ... his moments of terrified disobedience.

Everyone felt pity for the elf.

"As you see, elf, ... An explanation, if you please!"

Hermione bit her tongue. She'd made her point and Mr Diggory seemed to take it surprisingly well.

"I - I - I is not doing it, sir!" ... "I is not knowing how, sir!"

"In fairness, I can't imagine myself - even in my insanity - teaching an elf that spell," Tom said. He couldn't actually believe this foolishness.

"You were found with a wand in your hand!" ... "Hey - that's mine!" he said.

"Oh, no," Sirius groaned.

Everyone in the clearing looked at him... "I dropped it!"

Amelia frowned. This was ridiculous. If they were going to talk to witnesses, it should not be happening in a clearing where anyone could hear. And, someone should have checked the wand. It might not even be the one used.

"You dropped it?" ... you conjured the Mark?"

Everyone glared at Amos. Had he really just accused Harry Potter of being a death eater? The man in question blushed deeply.

"Amos, think who you're talking to!" ... carried away. . . "

"I'll say," Amelia muttered. "For one thing you do not interrogate children without their guardians present. Prince Myrrddin, Miss Granger, if we weren't all going back in time, I'd advise you to sue the ministry for this incident. It's being very poorly handled."

"I didn't drop it there, anyway," ... got into the wood."

Harry didn't say what he now knew, that it had been taken in the top box right under the nose of the Minister for Magic.

"So," ... you'd have some fun with it, did you?"

"Casting the dark mark is hardly fun," Barty barked. He didn't like the way Diggory was talking to Winky.

"I is not doing magic with it, sir!" ... I is not knowing how!"

"Of course she didn't know how," Tom said. "She's a house elf for goodness sake. My deatheaters had to practice for weeks before they mastered that spell. It's not easy you know. It uses both light and dark magic. It's complex. Well beyond the ability of school children or an elf that doesn't even know how to use a wand."

All the deatheaters in the chamber were nodding in agreement.

"It wasn't her!" ... "It didn't sound anything like Winky, did it?"

"It wasn't her," Harry said again.

"No," ... it was a human voice," said Ron.

Ron felt a little bitter that they hadn't listened to them. They really thought that Winky had done it.

"Well, we'll soon see," ... "Prior Incantato!" roared Mr. Diggory.

Amelia rolled her eyes. Better late than never. Although the evidence wouldn't hold up in court now. Amos had held onto the wand too long without testing it. Any good lawyer would make a case for potential tampering. And they'd win.

Harry heard Hermione gasp ... I isn't knowing how!"

Several of the younger girls had tears in their eyes. Young Luna looked especially torn up. "This is just cruel."

"You've been caught red-handed, elf!" ... Where would she have learned it?"

Moody nodded. The elf was clearly not the culprit and they were wasting time.

"Perhaps Amos is suggesting," ... my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?"

Amos frowned. That hadn't been what he meant at all. Merlin, that night had been awkward.

There was a deeply unpleasant silence... "Harry Potter - and myself.

"Technically, Crouch also accused me," Harry said with a shrug. "He has a poor memory, I guess."

I suppose you are familiar ... "If you accuse my elf, you accuse me, Diggory!" shouted Mr. Crouch.

"See," Neville said, "we are bound to protect our elves. They are our family, an extension of ourselves."

"Nev, mate," Harry said softly, "while I agree with you, I'd recommend not using Crouch as an example. You'll regret it later in the book."

Neville looked perplexed but took the advice with a nod.

"Where else would ... "Where exactly did you find Harry's wand?"

Amelia shook her head. This was pointless. Whoever cast the spell was probably long gone. Nothing would be done about Winky, at least not by the ministry. Not now that Amos had offended Crouch. The law would be swept away to appease his own embarrassment. Presumably, Crouch would give her clothes though. She didn't like it but he wouldn't like being embarrassed like that.

Winky was twisting ... pick it up. "

Moody didn't believe that story for a second. He was pretty sure that if they were to go back into those trees they'd find a stunned Barty Crouch Junior under an invisibility cloak. But that was just a guess. He had no proof. Not yet anyway.

"But then, ... "I is seeing no one, sir. . . no one. . . "

Moody almost laughed. His suspicion might make people think him crazy but he would bet his remaining limbs that he was right about this one.

"Amos," ... to allow me to deal with her. "

Amelia rolled her eyes. She had seen that coming.

Mr. Diggory looked as though ... he did not dare refuse him.

"It's not that so much as I'd clearly offended him," Amos said bitterly. "I should have refused. Even if she didn't cast a spell with it, she was still breaking the law."

"But the law is..." Hermione began.

"No matter what you might think about the law in question, Miss Granger," Amelia said tersely, "the law is still the law. By all means, petition to change it but until it changes we must all abide by it."

"You may rest assured that she will be punished," Mr. Crouch added coldly.

Neville frowned. He didn't like the sound of that. The Longbottom elves were never punished. If they did something wrong they came to him and they talked it through until they found a solution. He did not punish them.

"M-m-master... This means clothes. "

Everyone stared at the book in horror. A death penalty.

"Abhorant!" Neville shouted angrily.

"No!" ... "No, master! Not clothes, not clothes!"

Everyone wore matching pitying looks but for once they were not directed at Harry.

Harry knew that the only way ... she sobbed over Mr. Crouch's feet.

All the purebloods in the chamber looked scandalised. Giving clothes was... well, it just wasn't done. Unless the elf broke their oath. But even then it would have to be a severe breach, like endangering a child of the house. What most people forgot was that an elf could demand clothes if their master broke the oath, but most elves would never do that. The cost of their lives and sanity was too great, even to get away from a bad master. That and they were often too scared; abused elves, like abused people, rarely stood up to their abusers.

"But she was frightened!" ... wanting to get out of their way!"

"Hermione," Mrs Granger said gently, "while I appreciate your concern, I don't think you should involve yourself in what seems to be a family matter."

Lucius frowned. "I actually disagree. Someone ought to call Lord Crouch out on his behaviour. It is shameful that the only one willing to do so is a fourteen year old witch."

Mr. Crouch took a step backward ... and to her master's reputation. "

"He is unworthy of Winky's oath," Lucius said seriously.

Winky was crying so hard ... if Harry could have it back, please -"

"What a mess!" Amelia grumbled.

Mr. Diggory handed Harry his wand and Harry pocketed it.

"You need a wand holster," Moody growled.

"Come on, you three," ... "I don't know," said Mr. Weasley.

Lucius glared at Arthur. "That's a lie. You know exactly what will happen. She'll die if she doesn't find a new family. You all just stood there and did nothing as Lord Crouch as good as announced the execution of his elf."

"There was a chance she might find a new family," Arthur said with a sigh. "I didn't want to tell them that. Not right then."

"The way they were treating her!" ... it was like she wasn't even human!"

"But she's not, Hermione," Mrs Granger said softly. "While I agree they treated her awfully, she is not human. And no doubt that changes things. It shouldn't change that she be treated with respect and kindness but her needs will be different. Her diet, her lifestyle, her traditions and culture. She is not human and you do her an injustice by thinking of her as one. They see her as nothing more than an elf. But you fail to see that she is something other than human. In someways, I imagine her kind are better than humans, with strengths that we lack. But equally, her kind will have weaknesses we do not know either."

Hermione frowned. That was a reasonable argument. Had she been ignorant and bigoted too? Just in a different way?

"Well, she's not," ... It's disgusting the way -"

"He didn't say she didn't have feelings," Mr Granger said tersely. "But your mother is right. It's a complicated issue and one that quite frankly dear, I don't think you know very much about. Perhaps, you should ask some of the elves here about what it is like to be an elf. Ask them questions. Listen to their stories. Get to know them. Maybe then, you might understand them better."

"Hermione, I agree with you," ... What happened to the others?"

Mrs Weasley was struggling to keep her temper. As sad as Winky's situation was, she didn't have much room to worry about her, not when she didn't know where her other children were. Where were the twins and Ginny?

"We lost them in the dark," ... many of them surged forward.

Kingsley did not look impressed.

"What's going on in there?" ... "Of course it's not Him," said Mr. Weasley impatiently.

Amelia groaned. That would end up in the papers. She could pretty much guarantee it.

"We don't know who it was ... though several ruined tents were still smoking.

"I don't like this," Kingsley muttered. "They shouldn't be returning to the tent."

"I'm not sure he has much choice," Amelia said. "He can't apparate all three of them. And he still needs to find the others."

Charlie's head was poking out ... but the others -"

Both Mrs Weasleys let out sighs of relief.

"I've got them here," ... which was bleeding profusely.

Young Mrs Weasley looked ready to rush over to her eldest son and check him for wounds. Although, now she thought about it, he was especially scarred. How had that happened?

Charlie had a large rip in his shirt ... unhurt, though shaken.

Mrs Weasley burst into tears.

"Did you get them, Dad?" ... "Harry's wand?" said Fred.

Kingsley tutted. Why were they wasting time? It was time to leave. They'd have to do multiple trips of side along apparition but it was doable. Percy had only just passed his test and probably shouldn't side along anyone, so he could stay back with the others while Arthur, Bill and Charlie took the first three and then came back for the others.

"Mr. Crouch's elf?" ... Regulation and Control -"

Several people glared at Percy.

"She didn't do anything ... going to run amok with a wand!" said Percy pompously, recovering himself.

Percy groaned. No matter your views on non-wixen wand use, the law was still broken.

"She didn't run amok!" ... Why's it such a big deal?"

Several people looked surprised that Ron didn't know about the Dark Mark.

"I told you, it's You-Know-Who's ... The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts. "

"Hermione, dear," Mrs Granger said, "just because you've read about something in a book, does not mean you are the most informed person in the room. Or that you are the right person to be answering the question. Ron's father is there. He is the one that should answer Ron's question."

"But -"

"No dear," Mrs Granger continued. "It is Ron's parents responsibility to inform him. Quite frankly, I find it outstanding that they don't teach you this stuff at Hogwarts but - well, either way, it's Arthur's job to answer that question."

"And it hasn't been seen for thirteen years," ... whenever they killed," said Mr. Weasley.

"Did your book tell you that, Hermione?" Mr Granger asked.

"Yes," Hermione said.

"But you didn't explain that earlier," Mr Granger said. "This is why your mother said Arthur should explain. You gave the bare minimum amount of information and expected both Ron and Harry to understand. That wasn't fair. This is why sometimes, it is better to let the adults explain, even if you think you know what you're talking about."

"Not to mention," Mrs Granger said softly, "but it's a very sensitive topic, and while I love you dearly, at fourteen, I can't imagine that you had the emotional maturity to explain it in a way that was mindful of either boy's feelings. Did you think that it might have been cast the night Harry's parents died?"

"Er... No. I didn't."

"Or that if Ron lost family in the first war that the spell was most likely used then too?" Mrs Granger added.

"Er..." Hermione sighed.

"The terror it inspired...

"That's something you certainly wouldn't have been able to comprehend from a book," Mrs Granger said.

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. No. She hadn't understood that at fourteen. It wasn't until the war that she had any idea what it really meant. And even then, she'd not witnessed it herself - not the Dark Mark at least.

you have no idea ... the very worst. . . "

Those that had experienced it themselves looked close to tears.

"I found it over my brothers' house," Molly said tearfully. "I couldn't even go inside. I... I never went back. I couldn't."

Amelia nodded. "It was me that found my brother and his wife... I still dream about it."

There was silence for a moment... They're having their memories modified right now. "

The Grangers looked torn. On one side, it was probably better not to remember that trauma but it still... It was an assault on their person all the same. And they really couldn't condone that. They chose not to comment however, feeling that they'd already made their point earlier in the day.

"Death Eaters?" said Harry. "What are Death Eaters?"

Most of the chamber looked at Harry in surprise. They knew he'd been kept in the dark but surely... How could he not know about death eaters? Surely, Albus would have explained that much at least. Not being aware of that was a major security risk for Harry. Kingsley in particular looked murderous.

"It's what You-Know-Who's ... "Though it probably was," he added hopelessly.

"Who else would it be?" young Ron asked.

"Copy cats," Amelia said. "We've seen plenty of them over the years."

"How did you know they weren't death eaters?" Harry asked.

"Little things," Amelia explained. "The wrong target. The outfit was similar but not quite right. It's in the small details but a good auror will spot them."

"Yeah, I bet it was!" ... right in with You-Know-Who!"

Harry sighed. He was strangely torn about that encounter in the woods. It had definitely seemed like a warning.

"But what were ... levitating Muggles? I mean, what was the point?"

"Good point," Lucius grumbled. "Some of them - Nott, MacNair, - see it as sport."

"The point?" ... A nice little reunion for them," he finished disgustedly.

Lucius nodded. That was exactly what it was.

"But if they were the Death Eaters ... wouldn't they?"

Lucius laughed at that. No. Most of the death eaters would not be delighted at the idea of the Dark Lord returning.

"Use your brains, Ron,"... over-pleased with them, do you?"

The death eaters in the chamber all nodded their agreement and even Tom Riddle seemed to agree.

"So... whoever conjured the Dark Mark ... or to scare them away?"

"Good question," Moody said. "Either way, only the death eaters knew how to cast the mark."

"Your guess is as good ... get an early Portkey out of here. "

Kingsley complained at that. "You can't possibly think it is safe to stay?"

"I doubted that they'd come back," Arthur said.

"Never presume," Moody growled.

Harry got back into his bunk ... What did these things mean?

"Nothing good," Sirius said, "that's for sure."

He thought of the letter ... Harry finally dozed off.

"I don't imagine any of you got much sleep that night," Tonks said with a grimace.

"One more chapter," Minerva said, "then it's time for lessons."

Chapter End Notes

So, I've just realised that we're not even at Hogwarts yet and we're already over 30K... I think this might get a little long. Lol.

Mayhem at the Ministry

Chapter Summary

Our characters read their last chapter of the day...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Mr. Weasley woke them after only a few hours sleep... "Merry Christmas. "

The Grangers grimaced. That poor man.

"He'll be all right," ... they had to make him forget. "

Mrs Granger looked ready to ask for scientific data that proved there wouldn't be long term effects.

They heard urgent voices ... campsite as quickly as possible.

Harry couldn't blame them. He had really wanted to get away from there too.

Mr. Weasley had a hurried discussion ... a cry echoed along the lane.

Mrs Weasley was whimpering quietly.

"Oh thank goodness, thank goodness!" ... Daily Prophet clutched in her hand.

"I woke up to the news of what had happened," Molly said. "I'd never been so worried before. Not since..."

"Arthur - ... Dark Mark over the treetops.

Several people shivered.

"You're all right," ... you're strangling us -"

George rolled his eyes. He wasn't feeling as forgiving as he had been back then.

"I shouted at you before you left!" ... Oh Fred. . . George. . . "

Mrs Weasley was crying once more. She was now trying to remember the last time she'd spoken to Fred.

"Come on, now, Molly, ... lax security...

"Well, they weren't wrong," Kingsley said.

Dark wizards running unchecked ... Rita Skeeter. "

Amelia sighed. She might not like the woman, but she couldn't disagree with her there.

"That woman's got it in for the Ministry ... Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans -"

"I'm a journalist," Rita said sharply. "It's my job to hold the ministry to account."

"It's a shame you don't actually do it," Harry retorted. "You toe the ministry line more often than not."

"Do us a favor, Perce," ... but refusing to give any more information.

"Well, at least she didn't misquote you," Amelia said grimly. "It could have been worse." Much worse.

Whether this statement ... from the woods an hour later, remains to be seen.

"That was a complete fabrication!" Arthur said angrily. "There were no bodies."

"Plenty of witnesses said otherwise," Rita said with a twisted smile.

"Oh really," ... will be rumors now she's printed that. "

Rita looked pleased with herself and Harry was struggling with the no violence rule. He wouldn't mind sending a hex her way.

He heaved a deep sigh ... my cauldron report in person. "

"I think he has slightly bigger things to worry about," Tonks said with a small chuckle.

He bustled out of the kitchen ... I'll be off. . . . "

"You really didn't make things worse, Arthur," Amelia said. "The truth is that it would never have gone well no matter who had said something. Of course, you shouldn't have commented, but there was no one on site with the authority to make ministry mandated statements. What were you supposed to do?"

Arthur frowned. He really didn't know.

"Mrs. Weasley," ... hasn't been any post at all. "

Sirius frowned. Why was it taking him so long to reply? Unless he really was quite far away.

Ron and Hermione looked curiously at Harry.

Remus frowned. Why were they interested in Harry's mail? Did they tell him about every letter they received too?

With a meaningful look ... I woke up with my scar hurting again. "

Sirius grimaced. Harry's break from reality had been far too short lived. He should have been enjoying his summer. Not worrying about You-Know-Who and death eaters.

Ron's and Hermione's reactions ... Ron simply looked dumbstruck.

Several people chuckled. It seemed the Prince really knew his friends.

"But - he wasn't there ... plotting to kill. . . someone. "

Hermione eyed Harry. She hadn't realised that he'd kept who they were plotting to kill to himself. Did Harry keep the scariest details from them frequently or was this a one off?

He had teetered for a moment ... "Just a nightmare. "

Ron grimaced. He knew better now.

"Yeah, but was it, though?" ... Voldemort's sign's up in the sky again. "

"It's certainly suspicious," Moody growled.

"It's because the dark mark was getting darker," Lucius said.

"What?" Moody asked.

"Our marks," Lucius explained. "We knew the dark lord was growing stronger again."

Moody did not like the sound of that.

"Don't - say - his - name!" Ron hissed through gritted teeth.

Harry didn't look remotely repentant.

"And remember what Professor ... old fraud says?"

Trelawney glared at Hermione.

"You weren't there," ... and that night Wormtail escaped."

Albus sighed. "It certainly sounded like a real prophecy."

"There's only one way to know for sure," Rookwood said. "You'd have to check the department of mysteries. Of course, as you are not the subject of the prophecy you would not be able to hear it. But you could confirm it's existence."

There was a silence ... "Are you expecting a letter?"

Sirius tutted. Why did these children think that was any of their business?

"Obviously he was expecting a letter," Severus said with an eye roll.

"I told Sirius about my scar," ... manage that journey in a few days. "

The mind healers frowned. That wasn't what Harry needed. He needed reassurance. He needed an adult.

"Yeah, I know," ... You can try out the Wronski Feint... "

Harry grinned.

"Ron,"... He's worried, and he's tired...

"Hermione, don't presume to know what other people need," Mrs Granger said softly.

We all need to go to bed... "

Harry rolled his eyes. Sometimes, he thought Hermione thought she was his mother.

"Yeah, I want to play ... "Boys. "

"Girls," the two boys in question muttered in retaliation.

Neither Mr. Weasley nor Percy was at home ... my best quill reduced to cinders. "

Several people rolled their eyes. Of course, there had been howlers. The ministry had messed up. Big time.

"I really don't understand why Hogwarts and the ministry don't have anti-howler wards," Harry said.

"Because they don't exist," Hermione said.

"Yet," Harry countered, "and really that's stupid. As soon as howlers became a thing, someone should have developed a ward against them. Just think of the money maker it would have been."

Bill eyed the prince speculatively. He had a good sense for business. It was a shame no one had encouraged it.

"Why are they all sending Howlers?" ... "They want compensation for their ruined property.

"Perfectly reasonable under the circumstances," Augusta said shortly.

Mundungus Fletcher's put in a claim... sleeping under a cloak propped on sticks. "

Remus laughed. That sounded like Dung alright.

Mrs. Weasley glanced at the grandfather clock ... "mortal peril. "

Molly shivered. Her clock had been a source of apprehension for months now. Constantly pointing at Mortal Peril.

Eight of the hands ... without clearing it with his Head of Department first -"

Several people tutted at Percy's statement.

"Since his head of department was on holiday," Amelia said tersely, "and he was one of the most senior of his department on site, I feel he had more right to give a statement than most. I mean by all rights depending on who else was in that chamber, Arthur probably should have been the one leading the investigation into the dark mark. He at least works for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement unlike Lord Diggory and Lord Crouch."

"Don't you dare blame your father ... called me 'a long-haired pillock'?"

Rita smirked. That had been an interesting interview.

"Well, it is a bit ... "If you'd just let me -"

The purebloods in the chamber all glared at Molly. What was her obsession with trying to convince her grown son to cut his hair? If he wanted to honour Mother Magic then that was his right. Even if it was just a fashion statement, it was still his right.

"No, Mum. " ... their heads bent over a piece of parchment.

Mrs Weasley looked suspiciously at the book. She never had worked out what those two were up to.

"What are you two up to?" ... you're still on holiday," said Mrs. Weasley.

The teachers all looked affronted. When else were they supposed to do their summer homework? Shouldn't Molly have been encouraging them to get it done early. Hell, it should have already been completed.

"Yeah, we've left it a bit late," ... restarting Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, by any chance?"

George glared at his mother. He really hadn't forgiven her for destroying their order forms. She'd put their plans behind by months.

"Now, Mum," ... you was an unfounded accusation?"

Everyone laughed.

Everyone laughed ... He looked completely exhausted.

"It really was a dreadful week," Arthur muttered.

"Well, the fat's really in the fire now," ... sent someone to look for her ages ago. "

"I'm surprised they kept it hushed up for as long as they did," Amelia said, shaking her head.

"Mr. Crouch has been saying it for weeks and weeks," said Percy swiftly.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

"Crouch is very lucky ... the wand that conjured the Dark Mark. "

Several people nodded their agreement.

"I thought we were all agreed ... how mean he is to elves!" said Hermione angrily.

Lucius sighed. Unfortunately, that would never make it into the paper. The paper was too light for that.

"Now look here, Hermione!" ... obedience from his servants -"

Lucius glared at Percy. Elves were not servants. They were family.

"His slave, you mean!" ... "because he didn't pay Winky, did he?"

No one bothered to say anything. They'd spent more than enough time trying to explain house elves already and it was beginning to get annoying.

"I think you'd all better go upstairs ... "Come on now, all of you. . . . "

Mrs Granger frowned. Hermione really should know better than to pick fights when she was a guest in someone else's house.

Harry repacked his broomstick servicing kit ... "It might shut him up. "

Sirius frowned. Yes. He was certainly not going to get that boy an owl in the new timeline.

Harry poked a few Owl Treats ... Sirius has been caught, do you?"

Sirius sighed. He didn't like that Harry was worried about him. It should have been the other way around. He was the adult.

"Nah, it would've been in the Daily Prophet," ... "Yeah, I suppose. . . . "

Sirius gave Ron a small smile. It wasn't the most reassuring thing to say but really what else could he say. At least he hadn't outright dismissed Harry's concern.

"Look, here's the stuff Mum got ... matching lace cuffs.

Several of the younger children didn't even bother to stifle their laughter. Ron glared at them.

There was a knock on the door ... Ginny's new dress," said Ron, handing it out to her.

More laughter.

"Of course I haven't," ... robes for formal occasions. "

All the gryffindor fourth years grimaced. Ron had put up such a stink about those robes.

"You've got to be kidding," ... show him, Harry. . . . "

Harry frowned. His had been very different.

In some trepidation ... bottle green instead of black.

Some of the purebloods frowned. Dress robes were supposed to be a bit more distinguished and there should have been a greater difference between them and his school robes than the colour. Clearly, they weren't expensive.

"I thought they'd bring out ... "Why couldn't I have some like that?"

The purebloods grimaced. Potter's robes might not have been expensive but they were most likely more expensive than the Weasleys could afford. Especially if they had to buy three pairs.

"Because... but he knew they would never take it.

Molly blushed. They really shouldn't have been discussing money in front of Harry. It had been very improper of them. "I apologise, Heir Potter, for making you feel awkward. We should not have discussed money in front of you."

Harry blinked. He hadn't expected an apology. "It's okay, Mrs Weasley."

But the looks many of the purebloods were giving her reminded Molly that it had been highly impolite. She'd really failed to instill wixen values in her children and somewhere along the line she'd forgotten them too.

"I'm never wearing them," ... Goodness knows I could do with a laugh. "

Quite a lot of the adults laughed at that. Really, the boy had deserved that. Yes, the robes sounded awful. But he shouldn't have embarrassed his mother in company.

She left the room ... unstick Pigwidgeon's beak.

Sirius glared at Ron. How could he be so ungrateful? His parents didn't have a lot but they'd done their best. And as for that damn owl, well, he wouldn't be getting it in the future.

Minerva clapped her hands. "Two hours of transfiguration," she said almost gleefully.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed the chapter xo

Family History

Chapter Summary

Our characters learn a little bit about themselves...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

After two whole hours of listening to Professor McGonagall teaching them the basic theory of Transfiguration, most of the children were in no mood for a history lecture after dinner. Augusta wasn't particularly worried however. She'd planned her lecture well and decided it would be best to start with something personal. Yes, she wanted to teach them about magical history and there was plenty to teach beyond the goblin rebellions that Binns focused on but she also wanted the people in the chamber to realise that they and their families had a part in that history.

She had tentatively knocked on the door in the main chamber to make a request of the goblins. She'd expected to have to pay for her request or for it to have been denied outright. And yet the goblins had surprised her. They'd smiled in that slightly terrifying way of theirs as if she was asking for exactly what they wanted. Normally, she might fear that she was falling into a trap but she had to admit the goblins seemed to want to please Mother Magic just as much as she and the others in the chamber did. Perhaps, they really could work together.

King Ragnok stood at her side as the others took their seats anticipating the lecture.

Those that had learned their history from Binns eyed the goblin suspiciously. They were really hoping that Madam Longbottom didn't intend to return to the topic of Goblin rebellions. They'd heard enough about those to last a lifetime.

When everyone had settled Augusta smiled widely and said, "King Ragnok and the Goblin Nation have offered their assistance with tonight's lecture."

Ragnok bowed his head a mere fraction but remained silent.

"While there is much history to cover," Augusta said with a sigh, "as Professor Binns has failed to teach - well, anything at all - the reality is that history should be personal. It should mean something to you. It should touch your heart and make you think. It should make you proud and most likely ashamed. It demands a reaction."

Where usually Binns' history lectures led to nap time, everyone was paying Augusta their upmost attention.

"In this way, we will begin by learning about our personal history," Augusta continued. "We will find out who each of us is and where we come from. We will discover who our ancestors were and what they did with their lives. We will use that knowledge as the foundation on which we will study the history of Wizarding Britain and the greater magical world."

Several of the younger ones sat forward eagerly. They remembered that Lord Malfoy had encouraged them to get an Inheritance Test. Would the Goblin's facilitate that here in the chamber?

Ragnok clicked his finger and a sheet of paper appeared in front of each person. "We will be performing Inheritance Tests free of charge."

This surprised everyone in the chamber. The goblins never did anything for free.

"However, by completing this test you are agreeing to return to the bank in the new time line to take a second test. That one will not be free."

"But what if our test doesn't show anything?" Dean asked.

"You will still come to the bank to complete a second test," the Goblin King answered sharply. "It will be a matter of honour."

"Er, excuse me," Mrs Granger said a little timidly. The goblins - and especially their king - made her nervous.

"Yes, Mrs Granger?" Augusta said politely.

"We're not magical," Mrs Granger said. "Surely, we don't need..."

"You may be a muggle or you may be a squib," Augusta said softly. "Right now, we do not know. This will answer that question."

Mrs Granger nodded. That made logical sense.

Lucius struggled to hide his excitement behind his occlumency shields. He wondered if there was a way to arrange for mass inheritance testing upon their return to the new timeline. It had been something the neutrals had been demanding for some time but both his own party and the Lux had opposed it heavily. Personally, he liked the idea but the rest of his party did not agree. They feared giving the muggleborns power. And if he was honest with himself, so did he, but still, surely that was better than watching old families die away.

Ragnok instructed everyone on what to do, taking particular care to assist the Grangers as they lacked magic and then he stepped back. This was in the bank's interest. There were plenty of vaults lying stagnant, not making profit, which may be able to be reopened once more if they could just find heirs. Everyone was quiet as they followed the instructions given. The two Harrys and Sirius were the only ones not to do the test, seeing as they'd already completed theirs earlier in the month. Lucius barely reacted to his own test. It hadn't changed. It was exactly what he expected. Bill likewise was unsurprised to find himself Heir Weasley. He'd been completing Inheritance Tests for years as a part of his yearly health exam at Gringotts. The Weasley twins exchanged a look at their result. Mr Malfoy had been correct. They were indeed the Heirs to the Prewett line. They wondered if their mother knew and intentionally kept the information from them or if she'd be just as surprised as they were.

Oliver Wood simply nodded at his test. It contained no new information for him. He already knew he was the Heir to the House of Wood, a relatively young house of only four magical generations. His father had once explained to him that their family had been magical at one time - a very long time ago - only for the family to squib out. He wondered if he'd finally learn a little more about the history of his family that his father had rarely mentioned.

Seamus however was looking somewhat perplexed. He'd always known his father was a muggle and his mother never spoke of her family. And now he knew why. "Bloody hell," he muttered to himself.

"What's up Seamus?" Dean asked. He hadn't even glanced at his own test yet, almost too scared. What if it showed nothing at all?

"I now know why ma mam never talked about her family," he said in an angry tone. He wasn't ready to tell the others. He looked at the other Gryffindor boys and grimaced. Especially Neville. He really didn't want to have to tell Neville.

Dean frowned. He wanted to ask more but he had a feeling that his best friend didn't want to talk about it. So, he decided to drop the matter. Instead, he looked down at his own results and blinked in surprise. His mother had never even told him his father's name, not wanting to mention the name of the man she said had abandoned her. But now Dean knew it and he couldn't help but wonder if his father had abandoned his pregnant wife to protect her and their child. He was... He was a wix. Kalpen Shafiq. He tried to think back to what Lord Malfoy had told them about the Shafiq family in their most recent lesson with him. He'd said the heir had died in the first war. Dean grimaced as he noticed that according to his test, he was the Shafiq heir. He really wasn't sure what to make of that.

Meanwhile, Lee Jordan was laughing almost hysterically to learn that he was somehow related to Mad-Eye Moody on his mother's side and more insane than anything he was a descendant of Rowena Ravenclaw. Although according to his test, he would never be heir as the house was a matriarchal house, meaning for one of his children to inherit, they'd have to be a girl. Angelina barely glanced at her test. It was exactly what she expected. She was the eldest daughter of the House Johnson, a house that if her memory served had ten generations of magicals, or at least that's what she thought her grandfather had told her once.

The Slytherins in the chamber, likewise, were unsurprised by their tests. It wasn't the first time they'd taken them after all.

Luna however was for once staring at her parchment in utter disbelief. "Daddy, why didn't you tell me?" she said eventually.

Xenophilius frowned. He really didn't have a good answer. This stuff had never seemed important to him and he presumed his daughter felt the same way. She certainly had never shown much interest in her family history before. "It... I would have told you eventually," he said. "I just er... forgot."

"You forgot that you're a Lefay?" she asked, gobsmacked.

"Well, not exactly," Xenophilius said. "The name changed over the years. My family name was Fay before I married your mother. As she was Lady Lovegood, it was appropriate that I took her name. I could not inherit the Lefay title as it is a matriarchal line. You are the heir. Not me."

She looked like she wanted to point out that that was exactly why he should have told her. But she paused, glancing back down at her parchment. She knew her father didn't care for these sorts of things. He was so focused on his creatures, he wouldn't have even considered it for more than a passing second. And he certainly wouldn't have entertained the idea that it would matter to her. She gulped. The Lefay family was old and powerful and notorious...

Stan Shunpike stared at his own test is amazement. What was he doing being the conductor of the Knight Bus when he was the heir to the Bagshot house? And how was that even possible? He knew his parents had blood adopted him as an infant but this was insane. According to his test, his real mother had been called Bellina Flynn nee Bagshot, but had died mere weeks after his birth. Looking at her date of birth, he worked out she was well over ninety when she had him. He was amazed she'd even made it through childbirth. He frowned when he saw that his birth father, a Mr Langous Flynn, was still alive, although Stan wondered for how long as the man must been nearing two hundred.

Tom Riddle hated what he saw on his inheritance test. He'd lost his right to the Slytherin house to Potter and all he had left was the House of Gaunt. What was he supposed to do with that? He supposed it was nothing less than he deserved but it still rankled.

Hermione was unimpressed with her test. She didn't like the information it had provided one bit. Her parents were all staring at their own tests in disbelief.

"I'm a squib," Mrs Granger said to her husband. "That means I have magic, right? I just can't access it?"

Meda Malfoy moved towards them. "Yes, that's exactly what it means."

"It says here that I'm a descendent of the house of Hawkworth," Mrs Granger said. "Does that make Hermione the heir?"

Hermione didn't answer. She was still looking at her test in disbelief, anger and... revulsion.

"The Hawkworth seat is a patriarchal line, I believe," Meda explained. "So, it will remain dormant until Hermione has a son."

"What about you, love?" Mrs Granger said, turning to her husband.

"I'm a squib too," he muttered. "The Umbridge family."

Several people looked their way. Hermione thought she might throw up. How could she be related to that... TOAD!

"Another patriarchal line," Meda said. "They're in need of an heir..."

Meda smirked. She really hoped to find the answers to all her research before leaving the chamber. How amazing would it be if a squib could become the Heir to a dark aligned house like the Umbridges. That would be explosive. She just hoped Mr Granger was up to the challenge because she felt her determination to achieve her goals only grow at the idea of such a thing happening.

"It also says here that I'm related to the Dagworth-Grangers," Mr Granger said. "Although it seems distant."

"Hermione, dear, are you okay?" Mrs Granger asked.

Hermione blinked. She didn't know how to answer that question. She was related to Umbridge! She was definitely not okay.

Augusta drew everyone's attention back to herself, smiling widely. "I will not ask you to share what you have learned, but you should feel free to do so if you wish. Instead, I'm assigning homework. King Ragnok and the Goblins have offered to help with this task too. Each of you will research your family, it's history. As big or small as that may be. Find out which families you are connected to, no matter how distantly. King Ragnok has said that anyone who wishes to have their family tree mapped for this task, merely needs to ask and it shall be done. But remember, any tests the Goblins do for you here in the chamber, will also need to be repeated and paid for in the new timeline. And family tree mapping can become quite expensive so consider carefully how far back you wish to delve."

With that Augusta dismissed them. It had barely been a lecture at all, but Augusta thought it was a good beginning. They'd have other lectures where she could tell them all about the history of the wixen world. But tonight, she was happy just to know that they knew their own history a little better.

Chapter End Notes

I know I'm really mean... It just couldn't be helped... Poor Hermione. he he.

Let me know if you want to see the tests, I'd happily put them up in Magic's Child Guide to Characters but I'll only do it if you really want them. It's going to take time and effort to write them after all. If you have a specific one you'd like to see, drop a comment. Or if you want them all, let me know that too.

Aboard the Hogwart Express

Chapter Summary

DAY THIRTY-ONE IN THE CHAMBER...

Our characters read their first chapter of the day.

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The next morning, everyone kept to themselves at breakfast. Several people seemed to be in especially bad moods. Augusta wasn't surprised by Hermione Granger's reaction to being related to the Umbridges. She wouldn't particularly want to be related to Delores Umbridge either. Although, her uncle wasn't so bad. A bit of a pureblood bigot but a decent enough man other than that. At least, he didn't share his niece's more extreme views. She was surprised to see how quiet her grandson's friend Seamus was being. Normally, the boy rarely shut up but so far she hadn't heard a word out of him. They were just gathering in the main chamber to continue reading when she noticed Neville watching his friend in concern.

She wondered if he hadn't liked what he found in his Inheritance Test. She could understand that well enough. She was a Flint by birth after all.

There was a definite end-of-the-holidays gloom ... school robes on the Hogwarts Express.

Everyone eagerly sat about listening to the book. They were excited for Harry to return to Hogwarts.

He, Ron, Fred, and George ... "Arthur! Urgent message from the Ministry!"

Amelia grimaced. She didn't like hearing that the ministry had been in such a shambles.

Harry flattened himself ... flames licking its ears.

Young Harry blinked in confusion. Why was there a head in the fireplace?

"... Muggle neighbors heard bangs ... if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur -"

Rita frowned. What hadn't she known?

"What does Mad-Eye say happened?" ... but was ambushed by his dustbins. "

Moody raised an eyebrow. What was that about his dustbins?

"What did the dustbins do?" ... when the please-men turned up -"

Moody frowned at that. Why would his dustbins do that? He'd never even considered spelling his dustbins. He lived in a muggle area.

Mr. Weasley groaned... covered in potato peelings.

Several people laughed at that idea while Moody rolled his normal eye. If he said there were intruders in his garden, there were bloody intruders in his garden.

But if the Improper Use of Magic ... what are exploding dustbins worth?"

As much as Amelia didn't want her friend to get in trouble, she didn't like the way ministry employees were playing around with the law. This wasn't how the system was supposed to work.

"Might be a caution," ... there aren't any casualties. "

Moody growled. There would have been casualties if there had been intruders. He didn't let people attack him and get get away with it.

"All right, I'm off," ... Why he had to choose last night. . . "

"New job?" Moody asked. Surely, he was enjoying his retirement.

"You were due to start at Hogwarts as the -" Kingsley began.

"Defense teacher," Moody growled. He'd always promised himself he'd never take that role.

"Never mind, Amos," ... vanished.

Young Harry could hardly believe what he was hearing. You could send food through the fire?

Harry could hear Mr. Weasley ... taking the kids to King's Cross?"

Molly rolled her eyes. She'd been taking the kids alone for years. It was rare that Arthur had the time off to accompany them.

"Of course I will," ... "Isn't he that nutter -"

Mad-Eye glared at George.

"Your father thinks very highly ... "Birds of a feather. . . . "

The muggleborns in the chamber laughed. Yes, collecting plugs was a bit... odd.

"Moody was a great wizard in his time," said Bill.

"Still a great wizard, I'll have you know," Moody growled.

"He's an old friend ... he's a genius and everything. . . . "

Most of the chamber were laughing now, Albus included.

"Who is Mad-Eye?" ... Azkaban are full because of him.

"Well, maybe not half," Moody muttered.

He made himself loads of enemies ... Sees Dark wizards everywhere. "

Moody glared at Bill and Charlie. He did not see Dark wizards everywhere. He saw criminals everywhere. And based on these books, he was right.

Bill and Charlie decided to come ... "Mr. Crouch is really starting to rely on me. "

The Weasley children all rolled their eyes.

"Yeah, ... "I reckon he'll know your name soon. "

Molly gave George a frightful look but George didn't even bother to look repentant.

Mrs. Weasley had braved the telephone ... Hogwarts trunks into their cars.

"Why didn't you shrink them?" Amelia asked.

"But there weren't any to spare ... Pigwidgeon was making an earsplitting racket.

"Should have released the owls," Luna said. "They could have flown to Hogwarts. I imagine they'd have preferred that."

Nor did it help ... clawed his way up the man's leg.

The aurors shook their heads. It really was a miracle the muggles didn't know about magic.

The journey was uncomfortable ... into the station.

"What time did you leave?" Lee asked. The Weasleys lived in Devon and that was ages away from London.

"Seven in the morning," Mrs Weasley said. "Barely made it in time."

All the purebloods looked perplexed. Why hadn't they taken the floo?

Harry was used to getting onto platform ... he hugged Ginny good-bye.

Several people eyed Charlie with suspicion. What was he talking about?

"Why?" ... the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all. "

That made the aurors nervous. Something was happening at Hogwarts...

"Yeah, I sort of wish ... come and watch a bit of it. "

Amelia frowned at that. She had a bad feeling about this. Fudge had been trying for years to bring back the Triwizard Tournament. But surely, he hadn't actually succeeded. Had he?

"A bit of what?" ... "Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry.

Narcissa nodded approvingly at Harry and Hermione's manners.

"Oh it was my pleasure, dears," ... one thing and another. "

Amelia's heart sank. Dress robes. That had to mean a ball. It was becoming quite obvious that Fudge had gotten his wish at last.

"Mum!" ... I'm very glad they've changed the rules -"

They better have! Amelia thought to herself.

"What rules?" ... Won't you, Fred? And you, George?"

"Love how she presumes," Fred muttered.

"That we'll be the ones," George continued.

"To get into trouble," Fred finished.

The pistons hissed loudly ... she, Bill, and Charlie had Disapparated.

Draco smirked. His father had done the same thing to him. Luckily Draco had always been good at eavesdropping.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione ... Pigwidgeon's cage to muffle his hooting.

Luna did not look pleased.

"Bagman wanted to tell us ... not just the defense rubbish we do. . . . "

Lucius frowned. That wasn't true at all. For one thing, he was no friend of Igor Karkaroff's. "More like I threatened to send you to Durmstrang when you trampled all over your mother's rose garden," Lucius said to his son.

Hermione got up ... emphasis on the Dark Arts. "

"That's not really fair," Krum said. "It teaches both dark and light magic. It just doesn't lie about what is dark and light the way Hogwarts does."

"I think I've heard of it," ... how are you going to hide a great big castle?"

Everyone gaped at Ron. Was he stupid or what? "Hogwarts is hidden," Percy said, staring at his brother in disbelief.

"But Hogwarts is hidden," ... Hogwarts, A History, anyway. "

"No. Trust me, everyone knows that," Dean said. "Don't have to read a damn book to know it either..."

"Just you, then," ... DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE. "

"It's a lot more than that," Dumbledore said. "It's supposedly unplottable - although the maurader's map proves that can be worked around, there are muggle-repelling charms... Even the train is charmed. Only a Hogwarts student or teacher could have done what Mr Weasley and Mr Potter did in their second year. The train cannot be followed by just anyone."

"So Durmstrang'll ... if you say so," said Harry.

Lucius groaned. It worried him how little the Prince had understood their world even after three years at Hogwarts. He promised himself to help rectify that.

"But I think Durmstrang ... fur capes as part of their uniforms. "

Everyone looked to Krum for an answer. He shrugged. "We have to vow upon entering the school to keep it's secrets. That includes the school's location."

"Ah, think of the possibilities," ... Shame his mother likes him. . . . "

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley screeched. "That was a horrible thing to say."

Ron hid behind Hermione.

The rain became heavier ... started trying to learn a Summoning Charm.

Several people rolled their eyes.

Neville listened jealously ... It sounded amazing though. "

Augusta frowned. She should have taken him... He had really wanted to go.

"It was," ... first and last time in your life, Weasley. "

Narcissa could make a reasonable guess whose voice that was. She gave her son an unimpressed look.

Draco Malfoy had appeared ... about eighteen ninety. . . "

Narcissa bit the inside of her cheek. She would not lose her temper with her son. Especially not in front of other people.

"Eat dung, Malfoy!" ... some decent robes if you won. . . . "

Lucius's eyes snapped to his son, knowing instantly that he'd been eavesdropping.

"What are you talking about?" ... chance to show off, do you?"

Draco grimaced. He hadn't known then how wrong he was.

"Either explain what you're on about ... important stuff in front of him. . . . "

"I don't particularly like having my private conversations listened into son," Lucius said severely. Draco blushed.

Laughing once more ... the glass shattered.

Minerva tutted. While she agreed that Draco was out of line for what he said, that didn't give Mr Weasley a right to behave like that. Destruction of school property was not acceptable.

"Ron!" ... back into the door.

Minerva smiled at the girl. At least, she had enough sense to fix it.

"Well ... squashing it into a pulp.

Arthur sighed. His family really needed to work on their anger issues.

Ron's bad mood continued ... crossing the lake in this weather," said Hermione fervently,

Everyone in the chamber agreed with that sentiment.

Tonks however laughed. "Remember our first year Charlie," she said. "The lake was actually flooded. The boats nearly capsized."

Charlie was grinning but he thought Tonks might have been the only one to enjoy that particular trip.

shivering as they inched slowly ... the track toward Hogwarts Castle.

Sirius grinned. His pup was finally back at Hogwarts. He hoped that it would mean that he'd be safe but he had a horrible feeling that that was far from the truth.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed the new chapter xo

Triwizard Tournament Part 1

Chapter Summary

Our characters start their second chapter of the day...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Through the gates... what was fast becoming a gale.

"Is it really safe for them to travel by boat if the weather is that bad?" Mrs Granger asked her husband quietly.

Leaning against the window ... magnificent marble staircase.

Harry smiled despite himself. He really did love Hogwarts.

"Blimey," ... ARRGH!"

"What happened?" Molly asked. She hated these books. She felt like something bad could happen at any minute.

A large, red, water-filled balloon ... into his socks.

Poppy was not pleased. No wonder so many of the children caught a cold that first night back.

People all around them shrieked ... "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!"

"That won't work," Sirius said with a chuckle. Peeves was a law onto himself.

Professor McGonagall ... the neck to stop herself from falling.

Mrs Granger narrowed her eyes.

"Ouch - sorry, Miss Granger -"

Mrs Granger's eyes softened slightly. It had been accidental and she had apologised.

"That's all right, Professor!" ... "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!"

Minerva sighed. She really hated having to try and control Peeves. It was practically impossible.

And he aimed another bomb ... "I'm warning you, Peeves -"

"Is there anything to be done about him?" Mr Granger asked.

"He responds well to explanation," Sirius said. "If you tell him why something is unkind, he tends to stop doing it. He is there to encourage the children to have fun. Not to be a bully."

"That would never work," Minerva argued.

"Have you tried?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow. "One year, he attacked some firsties, scared them half to death and James explained that there were better ways to have fun and it worked. For a while at least. He likes reaction. He'll settle for negative reactions, but what he really wants is laughter. Give him a good way to get laughter and you've hit a gold mine."

Peeves stuck out his tongue ... "Into the Great Hall, come on!"

"I mean he's part of the castle's magic," Sirius continued. "I can't picture Hogwarts being a bully."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped ... his sopping hair off his face.

The Weasleys all rolled their eyes. That was the Weasley temper for you.

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self ... his partially severed neck.

"Gotta love Nick," George said.

"Good evening," ... hurry up with the Sorting. I'm starving. "

"Ronald, that was very rude!" Mrs Weasley complained.

The Sorting of the new students ... present at one since his own.

"There's a first time for everything," Sirius said with a chuckle.

He was quite looking forward to it... Harry was something of a hero.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at the mention of Harry's little stalker.

"Hi, Colin," ... Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?"

That made several people smile.

"Er - yeah, all right," ... put into Gryffindor.

"Not always," Sirius said. "Just look at me."

"Oh no, not necessarily," ... You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?"

Fred and the two Georges rolled their eyes. "Just because twins look the same, doesn't mean their personalities are the same."

Harry looked up at the staff table... and Harry couldn't think who else was missing.

"The new defense teacher," several people said, making a guess.

"Where's the new Defense ... who had resigned last year.

"Thank you, Harry," Remus said softly.

He looked up and down the staff table... couldn't get anyone!" said Hermione, looking anxious.

"Unlikely," Severus said. Somehow Albus had always filled that vacancy, even if it was at the very last minute.

Harry scanned the table ... Harry's least favorite person at Hogwarts.

Draco pouted. He thought he was Harry's least favourite person at Hogwarts.

Harry's loathing of Snape ... enemies since their own school days.

Sirius and Severus exchanged looks, blushing lightly. They were not enemies any longer. Not if the heavy flirting they'd engaged in the night before over a glass or two of Ogden's finest was anything to go by.

On Snape's other side ... many stars and moons.

Lucius coughed to cover his laughter. Albus Dumbledore was an atrocious dresser.

The tips of Dumbledore's long ... a fork of lightning flashed across it.

Albus wondered what his older self was thinking.

"Oh hurry up," ... first years looked.

"Had to give them all a pepper up potion before the sorting," Poppy said.

"I'm surprised no one thought to use a drying charm on them," Narcissa tutted.

They appeared to have swum ... Hagrid's moleskin overcoat.

"Must have fallen in," young Hagrid said.

The coat was so big ... He looked positively delighted about it.

Several people looked like they thought the boy was mad.

Professor McGonagall ... the hat broke into song:

Everyone leaned forward. The sorting hat's songs were always worth a listen.

A thousand years or more ago... Thus Hogwarts School began.

"Does he ever repeat a song?" Dean asked.

"No. Never," Hermione said. "It's in..."

"Hogwarts: A History," Ron and Harry chimed together.

Now each of these four founders... Prized far beyond the rest;

The lions all cheered.

For Ravenclaw... Most worthy of admission;

The cheers from the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were slightly quieter.

And power-hungry Slytherin... great ambition.

The snakes remained silent.

While still alive they did divide ... So I could choose instead!

"It really is impressive magic," Filius said to his younger self.

Now slip me snug about your ears ... And tell where you belong!

"The problem is where you belong in first year," Harry said, "might not be true by seventh year. We all change so much growing up. But also, if you force people to only interact with people like themselves, they don't grow. Their opinions aren't tested. Their values don't evolve. They just stagnate. Sort us by all means, but there really should be more done to encourage inter-house unity."

The teachers all looked thoughtful.

"How would you do that?" Pomona asked.

"Inter-house common rooms," Harry suggested. "There's probably lots more you could do but that's all I have right now."

The Great Hall rang with applause ... clapping along with everyone else.

No one said anything. They'd explained this already.

"Sings a different one every year," ... all year making up the next one. "

"Boring?" Albus asked. "The sorting hat plays pranks on Fawkes on a regular basis."

Professor McGonagall ... "RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.

The Ravens cheered loudly.

Stewart Ackerley took off the hat ... join the Ravenclaw table too.

The girls all giggled as Harry turned bright red.

"Baddock, Malcolm!" ... hissed Malcolm Baddock as he sat down.

Mrs Weasley stared daggers at the twins.

"Branstone, Eleanor!" ... "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The puffs all cheered for the two new members of their house.

"Creevey, Dennis!" ... "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted.

The gryffindors cheered.

Hagrid clapped along with the Gryffindors ... pushed me back in the boat!"

The four Grangers exchanged a look. Magic really was amazing.

"Cool!" ... giant squid, Dennis!"

"Most likely," Remus said.

"Wow!" ... Know who he is, Dennis?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. Harry probably hated that.

Harry looked away ... massaging his stomach.

Mrs Weasley tutted loudly.

"It is sort of ridiculous that the trolley on the train doesn't actually have sandwiches or a cooked lunch," Hermione said. "Most of the students haven't had a proper meal since breakfast."

"Most parents send them with a packed lunch," Narcissa said.

"But the school letters do not instruct it," Hermione countered, "so at least all the muggleborn first years, know nothing about it."

"Now, Ron, the Sorting's ... "Course it is, if you're dead," snapped Ron.

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley screeched.

"I do hope this year's batch ... last three years in a row.

Draco and the other slytherins all rolled their eyes.

"Pritchard, Graham!" ... carried them away.

All this talk of food and the feast was making several Weasleys hungry.

"About time," ... expectantly at his golden plate.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

Professor Dumbledore ... filled magically before their eyes.

Everyone grinned. There really was nothing better than the start of school feast.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed it. It was just a short one because the second half is going to be dramatic! With elf rights and the tournament... Lol

Triwizard Tournament Part 2

Chapter Summary

Our characters finish the chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Nearly Headless Nick watched mournfully ... full of mashed potato.

"Ronald, that is positively disgusting," Mrs Weasley said, folding her arms.

"You're lucky there's a feast ... a sizable chunk of steak.

Sirius gave Harry a look that made it perfectly clear that his manners better have improved in the last few years.

"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Mrs Weasley said.

"Thank you, Molly, but I'm perfectly capable of guiding my own son on his manners," Sirius said sternly.

"Godson," Mrs Weasley tutted.

"Son," Sirius said, through gritted teeth. "You heard Harry's Inheritance Test. I blood adopted him."

"You didn't say anything!" Molly argued.

"Not everything needs to be said with words," Sirius countered, "or in public. Harry is also eighteen, I should hope he knows by now not to talk with his mouth full."

"Well, clearly not!"

"Have you seen him do so here?" Sirius asked.

"Well..."

"No. You're basing your opinion on the book, which does not show Harry as he is, but how he was at fourteen. Besides, sort your own children's manners out before you comment on mine. That is the first time I've heard anything about Harry's table manners in these books. The same cannot be said for your son."

Molly blushed and even though it looked like it cost her quite a lot, she held her tongue.

"Peeves, of course," ... the Bloody Baron put his foot down. "

"He'd probably behave better if he was included," Luna said.

The Bloody Baron ... Terrified the house-elves out of their wits -"

Several people sighed. This was going to lead to more talking about house elves.

Clang... "Here at Hogwarts?"

Minerva looked surprised. "How did you think we kept the castle clean, fed you all and got your laundry done? Trust me, there are not enough adult wix in the castle to do all that."

"Certainly," ... Over a hundred."

"Why are there so many?" Mrs Granger asked.

"The school has always been a sanctuary for anyone who needs it," Albus said. "That includes elves. Those that find themselves the recipient of clothes, or whose family die out, they all come to Hogwarts. We have many elves in the school whose previous masters were abusive."

Mrs Granger smiled. That sounded quite nice.

"I've never seen one!" ... you don't know it's there?"

"And you say they're not slaves," Hermione tutted angrily.

"They're not," Neville said. "They choose to work. And yes, they choose to do it without being seen. That's not a standard set by wizards, that's elf culture. Gran, what was it old Nizzle used to say?"

"A good deed done in view is no good deed at all," Augusta said. "By cleaning and doing housework, they are doing us a kindness, an act of service. If they were seen to be doing it, they believe it would be like asking for praise."

"Well, they deserve praise!"

"Yes, of course, they do. But you don't get praised because you demand it or ask for it, you get it because you earn it." Augusta was losing her patience. Trying to explain house elf culture was challenging enough but Miss Granger just didn't seem to be willing to listen.

"But they do earn it!"

"And I'm sure their families praise them for their efforts," Augusta said, "but they do not do the work, looking to be praised. The praise or any reward, is seen as a side benefit that they do not expect. Just like when I do something for Neville that he does not ask me to do, when he notices and thanks me, I am always pleased but I do not expect it."

Hermione looked ready to argue again so Augusta sighed. "Perhaps we should continue reading. I believe your mother advised you to talk to the elves. I believe you will learn much more from them, than I could ever impart."

Hermione stared at him... sick leave, and pensions, and everything?"

Some people actually laughed. Augusta sighed again. She was not going to argue this point.

"Elves don't want paid!" Sirius said. "I mean you might get the odd one and if they do, then sure they should get paid. But for most of them taking payment would remove the original reason for doing the work. The work is no longer a gift to those you love, if you're paid for it. As for days off, elves are completely at liberty to choose when and how they work. Unless the head of their house has strictly forbidden something, they can do whatever they want. Except where it would break their oath."

"But..."

"Of course, some families break their oath, but most do not," Remus said.

"As for sick leave," Sirius sighed, "as they choose when and if and how they work, except where a family member makes a specific request, they can take time off if they're sick. It's not a job. They're just choosing to do chores for their family. And pensions? What would they need a pension for? They'll be well cared for until they die."

Nearly Headless Nick chortled ... "House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!"

Neville nodded in agreement. His elves would be offended if he even suggested it.

Hermione looked down ... pushed it away from her.

"That isn't the answer, dear," Mrs Granger said.

"Oh c'mon, 'Er-my-knee," ... starving yourself!"

Mrs Weasley blushed again. Yes. Harry certainly had better manners than Ron.

"Slave labor," ... Slave labor. "

"No. It did not!" Neville said heatedly. "And if you ever say such a thing to an elf, they'll be highly offended."

And she refused to eat ... Chocolate gateau!"

Mrs Granger sighed. That wouldn't work. Hermione could be very stubborn when she wanted to be.

But Hermione gave him a look ... while I give out a few notices.

"Let me guess the fifth floor corridor is out of bounds this year to anyone who doesn't want to die," Remus said snarkily.

"No, Remy, the dementors are back for another holiday," Sirius said.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, ... if anybody would like to check it."

"Has anyone ever checked?" Harry asked.

"Not that I'm aware of," Albus replied, smiling gently.

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched ... not take place this year. "

"WHAT?" Everyone from the new timeline was up in arms.

"You can't cancel quidditch!" Sirius said crossly.

"What?" ... this year at Hogwarts -"

"Oh, dear," Amelia sighed. She had really hoped that she was wrong.

But at that moment ... Great Hall banged open.

"Now what?" young Daphne asked. She wasn't sure she wanted to go to Hogwarts anymore.

A man stood in the doorway, ... toward the teachers' table.

"Unnecessarily dramatic entrance," Moody growled.

A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step.

Moody groaned. Surely, it wasn't him. He would have arrived with stealth. Perhaps Albus wasn't the only one showing signs of dementia.

He reached the end of the top table ... made him frightening.

"Thanks kids," Moody said with a chuckle.

One of them was small, dark, and beady ... they could see was whiteness.

"Your eye is rather unusual," Mr Granger murmured.

"It's goblin made," Moody said. "It sees through almost anything."

The stranger reached Dumbledore ... empty seat on his right-hand side.

"New DADA teacher," Moody said gruffly.

The stranger sat down ... "Professor Moody. "

"I don't think I like the sound of that," Moody muttered.

It was usual for new staff members ... more than stare at him.

"Well, that's rude," Moody said with a smirk.

"Moody?" ... "What happened to his face?"

"Been in too many duels to answer that question," Moody answered.

"Dunno," ... took a long draught from it.

Moody frowned at that. While he was always cautious about what he drank, he hadn't heard anything about him casting spells to check his food. That wasn't normal.

As he lifted his arm to drink ... ending in a clawed foot.

"Lost the leg in a duel with a death eater," Moody said gruffly. His mind was still on the food.

Dumbledore cleared his throat ... taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Young Mrs Weasley screeched as young Mrs Malfoy said, "You can't do that!"

They were not the only ones expressing their displeasure either. Sirius and Remus were both on their feet and glaring at the headmaster.

The younger teachers looked equally incensed. "You can't be serious!" Flitwick said sharply. "The last one was an utter blood bath."

"Albus, I think you've finally gone balmy," Severus muttered. Albus thought he might well be right.

"You're JOKING!" ... a leprechaun who all go into a bar."

Minerva rolled her eyes.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat ... allow their attention to wander freely.

"That's it," Sirius said. "Harry, you're not going back to Hogwarts. Not while Albus is headmaster."

Several other parents in the chamber looked like they might agree with him.

Albus frowned. "Perhaps we should wait and see what happens. I'm sure that there will be changes made to make it safer."

He couldn't imagine that he'd ever allow it to take place otherwise. But then again, he'd never have thought to have dementors guarding the school or a basilisk running loose or a possessed girl or teacher.

"The Triwizard Tournament ... young witches and wizards of different nationalities -

"Right," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "So long as they actually survived."

until, that is, the death toll ... discontinued."

"I've heard everything now," Remus said. "Bring back the death tournament. You know that's what people call it, right?"

Albus gulped. Yes. He did know that.

"Death toll?" ... hundreds of years ago.

Sirius sighed.

"There have been several attempts ... the time is ripe for another attempt.

"Albus, tell us what happened with each of those attempts?" Remus said.

"Well, one year, the three governments involved couldn't decide on what rules needed changing," Albus said. "Another the handlers of one of the beasts needed for the tournament were all killed by the beast in question."

"And what beast was it?" Remus asked.

"A manticore," Albus said.

"What else stopped it?" Harry asked.

"Er... the year they got closest to reinstating the tourament, the schools had all gathered but champions had not been chosen when a lethifold killed five students."

"A lethifold?" Mrs Weasley looked positively faint.

"It was at Durmstrang that year," Albus said, "and they had gathered the beasts needed over the summer in preparation. The lethifold escaped and... well, that put an end to that."

We have worked hard over the summer ... mortal danger.

Harry laughed bitterly.

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang ... a thousand Galleons personal prize money. "

The twins exchanged excited looks.

"I'm going for it!" ... impose an age restriction on contenders this year.

"To right," young Mrs Weasley said. "But that can't be the only change. Can it?"

Only students who are of age... still be difficult and dangerous,

"Still dangerous?" Sirius asked. "Please tell me you at least set a rule that excluded the use of XXXXX beasts."

Minerva frowned. She'd argued for that. But Crouch and Bagman had argued against her.

whatever precautions we take,

"Precautions?" Harry laughed again. "What precautions?"

"There were..." Minerva began.

"Whatever precautions you think you took," Harry cut across her, "they weren't good enough."

The adults all glared at Minerva now. Those that had been around for the event knew exactly what Harry meant and those that hadn't were now worried just what had happened.

and it is highly unlikely ... you are under seventeen.

The twins looked disappointed. That wasn't fair. They wanted to compete. And they would have only been a few months off.

"The delegations ... Bedtime! Chop chop!"

"Insanity," Remus muttered.

Dumbledore sat down again ... why can't we have a shot?"

"Because its dangerous!" young Molly said. "Even if you were of age, I'd like to believe you'd have more sense than to compete."

"They're not stopping me entering," ... "Yeah, a thousand Galleons. . . . "

Harry rolled his eyes. He didn't care about the money or the glory. This was perhaps one of the worst years of his life and that was saying something. In fact, after this year, they just kept getting worse.

"Come on," ... decide who the champions are?" said Harry.

"The goblet of fire," Albus said. "It's tradition."

"Dunno," ... stop us giving our names. "

Both Mollys looked at their sons. "We forbid you to enter the tournament."

George rolled his eyes. "Mum this already happened, and no offense but I can't see Prince Myrrddin letting the tournament go ahead in the future."

Molly had to admit that that was at least a little reassuring.

"People have died, though!" ... Fancy entering?"

"Do not encourage your brother to put his life in danger!" Molly huffed.

"What d'you reckon?" ... Dunno if we've learned enough. . . "

"You definitely haven't," Arthur said sternly.

"I definitely haven't," ... I'll just have to - oops. . . "

"Of course, I wouldn't want you to enter!" Augusta said in disbelief.

Neville's foot had sunk ... "a prefect downstairs told me. "

Minerva muttered under her breath about another year's worth of wasted passwords.

The portrait swung forward ... doorway to the girls' dormitory.

Several people rolled their eyes.

Harry, Ron, and Neville climbed ... completely stationary soccer players.

Mr Granger rolled his eyes. If that's what muggle tolerance looked like, he'd like to sell a wix a bridge. How they couldn't see their own prejudice baffled him.

Harry, Ron, and Neville got into their pajamas ... placed warming pans between the sheets.

"Warming pans?" Mrs Granger asked. "What is this? The middle ages?"

Everyone looked at her in confusion. "How would you warm your bed?" Arthur asked.

"An electric blanket," Mrs Granger said. "And that would probably only be in the dead of winter. To be honest, most houses wouldn't need such a thing between double glazing, insulation and central heating."

"Central heating?" Molly asked.

"It uses the movement of warm water through pipes to warm the house," Hermione explained.

It was extremely comfortable, ... you never know, do you?"

"You'll do no such thing, Ronald Weasley," Molly shouted.

"S'pose not ... Ron couldn't see what he could.

"I thought you didn't want to be in the tournament?" Ron asked crossly.

"I didn't," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "But that doesn't mean I couldn't enjoy the idea of it for a moment. It doesn't mean I'd actually enter."

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed it! xo

Mad-eye Moody

Chapter Summary

We have some new arrivals in the chamber...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

They had been given the next hour off their lessons much to Ron's excitement. Harry had gone off with Lucius Malfoy of all people to discuss the plans for the primary school and the younger kids had all gone through the door in search of the goblins so they could get their family tree mapping rituals done. But Ron wasn't interested in that. he'd have much rather spend the hour with Harry playing chess but that wasn't an option since Harry seemed to constantly be busy with something or other. If it wasn't the primary school, it was creature rights, and if not that it was changes to Hogwarts.

He didn't really understand why Harry thought Hogwarts needed to change. For almost everyone - except himself, Harry and Hermione - Hogwarts was perfectly safe when there weren't death eaters running about.

But no one cared for his opinion. Not even Hermione. She'd disappeared off to find a house elf or two and Ron could only hope that she'd actually try and listen to them this time. Instead of talking at them. In the end, Ron settled for going off in search of his brother Bill. He had promised to help him with his charm work after all. And he really needed to improve if he was ever going to make his own line of brooms. He found Bill sitting with Kingsley Shacklebolt. He rolled his eyes when he realised they were discussing arrangements for Harry's safety. He didn't really begrudge Harry the need for security - at least not any more - but he was finding it a little annoying that all anyone seemed to talk about was Prince Myrrddin. As if he wasn't still just Harry.

He was pretty sure Harry wouldn't like it either. He liked people treating him the same as everyone else. And now as Prince Myrrddin he was even less like everyone else.

That must be really upsetting for Harry, Ron thought to himself. Ron was pretty sure he'd enjoy the perks of being Prince Myrrddin more than Harry ever would but he also suspected Harry would be a thousand times better at the actual responsibility part. Ron didn't especially like responsibility. Being a prefect had proven that for him.

"Alright Bill," Ron said, coming up to the table the pair were sitting at. "Kingsley."

"Hey Ron," Bill replied. "Decided against a visit with goblins?"

"My younger self has gone," he said with a shrug. "Although he doesn't look that excited about it."

"We're just discussing the Prince's security," Kingsley said.

"Yeah, you should discuss that with Harry," Ron said. "He doesn't like it when people make plans for him without discussing them with him. The order and Dumbles did that a lot."

Kingsley nodded. "I was thinking that I'd come up with a general plan before bringing it to the prince for his approval."

Ron nodded. "That's the other thing, you should knock off the prince stuff. He'd much rather everyone continue calling him Harry."

"I can't," Kingsley argued. "It would be different if he asked, of course. But it would be the height of disrespect to just presume."

Ron got that but he wasn't sure Harry would. "Well, at least make sure he knows that."

"You're all having lessons on this stuff, Ron," Bill said. "He knows why people are calling him Prince Myrrddin. Besides, he's going to have to get used it it. The title isn't going to go away."

Ron shrugged. "That's another thing. Harry doesn't like too much attention. So, you'll want to make sure you plan to keep the crazy fans at bay. But you'll have to be nice about it. Harry doesn't like people being mean."

Kingsley chuckled lightly. Ron Weasley might actually be a better friend than these books suggested. Then again, he had to be, considering everything these kids had been through together. At the age of twelve, he'd willingly sacrificed himself in a game of chess for his two best friends. There was honour in that.

They talked some more, eventually their conversation turning to the book they were currently reading.

"I was a right jerk to Harry in fourth year," Ron said with a sigh. "Actually, everyone was. But I should have been better. I was his best friend and I messed up."

Neither Bill or Kingsley knew what to say to that.

"I can be quite selfish sometimes," Ron said thoughtfully, "and hotheaded."

"You're a Weasley," Bill said softly.

"That's no excuse," Ron said. "Do you know Harry hasn't once let me down? He's a thousand times the friend I am."

Ron stared at the bookshelf on the far wall. "I'll do better this time around. I know better now."

Before long it was time for them to meet the others for lunch and so Kingsley put all his plans away. Everyone else was already in the dining hall. Several of the kids were showing off their family trees. Seamus rushed over to his younger self and demanded that he hand over his family tree, much to the annoyance of several adults.

"Mr Finnigan," Minerva said, "what are you doing?"

Seamus refused pointedly to explain his actions, putting the family tree into the pocket of his robes. Minerva tried to force him to hand it over but to no avail.

Seamus frowned at her, and said "I am a grown up and no longer your student," before taking his seat once more.

Now everyone was sitting uncomfortably as there was an awkwardness as Seamus and younger Seamus glared across the table at one another.

Finally the meal came to an end and they all made their way back to the chamber, eager to read the next chapter. Just as they were entering the chamber, there was a sudden flash of light and a whole crowd of people appeared, much to everyone's surprise. It had been quite some time since they had a new arrival. Hannah Abbott, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie Macmillan and Eloise Midgen all stood transfixed as they stared at their younger selves. They hadn't even noticed the other people in the chamber. Meanwhile, Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, Mandy Brocklehurst and Morag MacDougal were all blinking back in shock, they'd been pulled away from the battle so their wands were still outstretched, a hex on each of their tongues. Their younger selves shied away behind them, confusion clear on their faces.

Blaise grinned when he noticed quite a few new Slytherin arrivals. Finally, they wouldn't be outnumbered. Millicent Bullstrode, Tracey Davis, Marcus Flint, Terence Higgs and Cassius Warrington, were all glancing about the chamber nervously. The older three looked exceptionally concerned. They'd all been forced into taking the mark by their families and now... They were in a strange room with people they knew to be dead. Including none other than Harry Potter. Cassius felt faint. He'd literally just watched Potter drop to the ground dead in the Forbidden Forest. How was this possible?

Harry almost laughed as the adults went about trying to explain everything to the twenty-eight new arrivals. The older ones seemed to take it relatively well, even if they did share suspicious looks between them. Their younger selves, however, looked genuinely terrified.

"We'll give you a copy of the first three books so you can catch up," Filius said, "but for now, take a seat and get comfortable. We're just about to start a new chapter."

The new arrivals looked ready to argue but decided against it. This really didn't make a lot of sense and they were seriously beginning to question whether they were dreaming or perhaps they'd been exposed to a hallucinogenic potion during the battle. Yes, that must be it.

The storm had blown itself out ... the Triwizard Tournament.

Albus's eyes twinkled. Let them try. If he was personally guaranteeing that no underaged wix entered, there was no chance that they'd succeed.

"Today's not bad ... damn it, we're still with the Slytherins... "

"What I've never understood," Sirius said, "is why they insist on putting Slytherin and Gryffindor together for the most dangerous classes. It's like they want to get someone hurt."

The teachers all glared at Dumbledore. They'd made that point a thousand times but Albus always refused to listen.

"Double Divination this afternoon," ... which he found extremely annoying.

Sybil huffed. Some people just couldn't appreciate the workings of the inner eye.

"You should have given it up ... sensible like Arithmancy. "

Harry frowned. In hindsight, he thought Hermione had a point. Although, he thought he might have preferred Ancient Runes. He'd already decided that in the new timeline he'd take the courses he hadn't studied the first time around. He and young Harry deserved a challenge. After all, the other classes should be relatively easy after already sitting their OWLs in the original timeline.

"You're eating again, I notice," ... elf rights," said Hermione haughtily.

No one said anything. They had a horrible feeling that elf rights would be a constant theme in this book.

"Yeah. . . and you were hungry," said Ron, grinning.

A couple people laughed at that.

There was a sudden rustling noise ... Neville almost always forgot to pack something.

Neville blushed scarlet. Why did this book have to point that out?

On the other side ... supply of sweets and cakes from home.

Lucius frowned at that. "He'd only been gone one night, Narcissa," he said, shaking his head indulgently.

"That wasn't from me," Narcissa said, eyeing Draco suspiciously.

"I may have bribed one of the house elves," he muttered.

Trying to ignore the sinking feeling ... Sirius hadn't even got his letter?

Sirius frowned. Just how far away was he that it was taking this long to hear back?

His preoccupation lasted all the way ... You will collect the pus -"

"Yuk!" Young Ron said.

"The what?" ... bubotuber pus. "

The adults also looked somewhat disgusted. Many of them remembered doing that in Herbology and wished to forget.

Squeezing the bubotubers ... rid themselves of pimples."

Poppy smiled. She could never have enough bubotuber pus in the hospital wing.

"Like poor Eloise Midgen," ... "She tried to curse hers off."

Amelia looked at her niece's friend in surprise. That wasn't very kind.

"Miss Abbott!" Young Professor Sprout said coldly. "That was unkind."

"Sorry Eloise," Hannah said with a blush.

Eloise merely shrugged. She was used to it. Her younger self however looked close to tears so she pulled her closer to her side and murmured that it was okay in her ear.

"Puffs are often unkind," Harry said. "They're just better at hiding it than other people."

Plenty of people in the chamber looked scandalised by the idea and yet more still remembered how some of the hufflepuffs had treated Harry during his second year and couldn't really disagree with him.

Professor Sprout seemed to think Harry might have the right of it. She hadn't forgotten what they'd read in the second book. "We will be having a house meeting after dinner," she said sternly, "and I expect all Hufflepuffs, past, present and future to join."

"How do we know we'll definitely be in the same house as our older selves?" Young Susan asked.

Susan looked surprised but she had to agree. This experience was changing them, hopefully for the better. Everything could be different.

"Well, I don't suppose we do," Pomona said, "but until the hat sits on your head and announces that you belong elsewhere, I am your head of house and I am responsible for you."

"Silly girl," ... back on in the end. "

"POMONA!" several of the teachers muttered. "What were you just saying?"

Pomona blushed. She shouldn't have said that.

"You do realise that your students are entitled to their privacy?" Lucius said snidely. "Especially with regards to their medical records."

"I should not have said that," Pomona said with a sigh. "I apologise Miss Midgen, I will do better in the future."

None of the adults looked particularly impressed and Eloise looked particularly hurt. It was one thing for the other students to laugh at her, but her head of house was supposed to be in her corner. Even when she was stupid, she expected Professor Sprout to be kind and understanding. She'd certainly seemed to be when she let Eloise cry into her shoulder after the incident in question.

A booming bell echoed ... minor explosions.

The students all groaned. They knew what was in those crates.

"Mornin'!" ... Blast-Ended Skrewts!"

The ministry officials sat forward. What did he just say?

"I'm sorry, Hagrid," Amelia said politely, "but just what is a Blast-Ended Skrewt?"

Hagrid rubbed the back of his neck as he considered how to answer. Eventually, he settled for the truth. This hadn't happened yet and he probably wouldn't do it again in the future. They hadn't been particularly useful creatures. "Er... a cross between a manticore and a fire crab."

"Please tell me you did not breed them yourself," Amelia said with a sigh.

Hagrid said nothing, merely grimaced.

"Did you at least have a permit?"

"Er... They gave me a backdated one so they could be used in the tournament," Hagrid muttered. He'd nearly gotten into quite a bit of trouble for that one and only managed to get away with it because the headmaster told the ministry officials that they were to be included in the maze. Fortunately, Barty Crouch had already disappeared by that point and couldn't point out that the beasts were not on the list for the maze.

Amelia grimaced. Another example of people bending the laws to suit themselves.

"Come again?" ... propelled forward several inches.

The adults all looked horrified. This was a complete waste of a lesson. These beasts would never be on the OWL paper. They could only hope that Hagrid might use the lesson to discuss the ban on experimental breeding. Although given he'd clearly broken that law, that was unlikely to be the case.

"On'y jus' hatched," ... Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!"

The idea had merit, Amelia had to admit. If they weren't so dangerous. Hagrid could have gotten a permit to breed a cross between a Mooncalf and a Niffler or something. Then the project he described might have been educational. They could have discussed the ban, and learned about the two creatures in question, before evaluating what the offspring would be like and how to care for it. A project like that, could have covered many of the class aims and objects. But a cross between a manticore and a fire crab? One creature they wouldn't learn about until NEWT level and another that they probably shouldn't learn about until fifth year. This might have been a project more suited to seventh year students, but even that seemed questionable.

"And why would we want ... "What is the point of them?"

Narcissa didn't comment on Draco's rudeness. Personally, she wanted to know the same thing.

Hagrid opened his mouth ... "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today.

Amelia sighed again. That right there was the problem. Hagrid knew nothing about the beasts he'd breed and was willing to let a class of fourteen year old children near them. Did the man have any sense of danger?

Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em ... just try 'em out with a bit of each. "

"I mean it's not the worst idea," Remus said. "But did it really need to be a cross between a manticore and a fire crab? What about Kneezles or Mooncalves or Nifflers? Something age appropriate. Puffskeins?"

"First pus and now this," ... skrewts didn't seem to have mouths.

"No mouths?" Amelia asked.

"I hated those," Tracey Davis muttered to Millicent Bullstrode.

"Ouch!" ... showing Hagrid a burn on his hand.

The parents in the chamber all glared at Hagrid.

"Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off," said Hagrid, nodding.

"And you didn't think to warn them of that?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow. He liked Hagrid but this was absurd.

"Eurgh!" ... I think they might be ter suck blood."

The adults were looking more and more concerned by the second.

"Well, I can certainly see why ... burn, sting, and bite all at once?"

Amos was not impressed. His department would have had the lot exterminated if he'd known about this.

"Just because they're not ... want a dragon for a pet, would you?"

Everyone looked at Hermione like she was deranged. What possible use could those monsters be?

Harry and Ron grinned at Hagrid ... the more lethal, the better.

Lucius sighed. He really wanted to say something to that. But he decided it was better if he didn't. It was enough that he'd had to arrange extra tutoring for Draco to make up for this shamble of a class. He'd wasted quite a few galleons making sure Draco passed Care of Magical Creatures. It was such a shame too because it had been the class Draco had been most excited about.

"Well, at least the skrewts are small," ... I expect they'll be six feet long. "

That was a concerning thought. The adults really hoped that wasn't the case. And the students all grimaced as they recalled just how big the got.

"Well, that won't matter ... before they start attacking us all. "

Draco smirked at that. He had never imagined Hermione Granger of all people would agree with something he said.

They sat down at the Gryffindor table ... make yourself puke instead?"

The gryffindors all rolled their eyes. That year had been awful. The common room had been less tidy than normal, because Hermione insisted on trying to free all the elves.

"No," ... We haven't even got homework yet!"

Even Hermione's parents were looking at her in surprise.

Hermione shrugged ... making him jump.

Several of the Gryffindors sniggered.

A very thin woman ... and perhaps sooner than you think. . . "

Sirius glared at the woman. Harry was worried about him. And now he'd be even more worried. Although come to think about it, she could be talking about Voldemort... That was worrying too. Better to think she was just a great big fraud.

Her voice dropped almost to a whisper ... Professor Trelawney really was an old fraud.

Sybill looked unimpressed by this, muttering under her breath about people who cannot see beyond the mundane.

He wasn't dreading anything ... lucky guesswork and a spooky manner.

"Very wise, Mr Potter," Minerva said.

Except, of course, for that time ... Harry had described it to him.

"Well, there are always exceptions," Minerva added.

"Harry!" ... under the baleful influence of Saturn," said Professor Trelawney,

Sirius laughed. "He was born in July."

a faint note of resentment ... hanging on her words.

Sybill frowned at the book.

"Born under - what, sorry?" ... your mean stature...

"I don't have a mean stature," Harry muttered.

tragic losses so young in life ... midwinter?"

"Huh," Tom said. "Strange."

"What's strange?" Harry asked.

"I can think of someone else who that all applies to," Tom said, "and at that time you were carrying a part of his soul."

Harry gaped at him. He couldn't be right? Could he? Was Trelawney seeing the horcrux?

"Carrying part of someone else's soul?" Terence Higgs asked Cassius Warrington who just shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know what they were talking about either.

"No," said Harry, "I was born in July. "

"Awkward," Susan Bones muttered to Hannah Abbott.

Ron hastily turned his laugh ... calculation of angles.

"And yet if you did it properly," Sybill said, "you might have passed your OWL. You don't have to have the ability to pass the theory test. You wouldn't have excelled but you would have done better than you did."

No one could argue with her there.

"I've got two Neptunes here," ... "that can't be right, can it?"

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Aaaaah," ... midget in glasses is being born, Harry. . . . "

Almost everyone laughed at that. Even the adults. Although they did their best to try and hide it.

Seamus and Dean, ... Uranus too, Lavender?" said Ron.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Both Mrs Weasleys screeched and the older Mrs Weasley looked ready to whip out her wand and cast a spell to wash her son's mouth out with soap.

Most unfortunately, ... and no excuses!"

The Gryffindors all glared at Ron.

"Miserable old bat," ... "Professor Vector didn't give us any at all!"

Everyone looked at Hermione like she had too heads. They would have expected her to be disappointed not to have homework.

"Well, bully for ... pleased about something.

Draco groaned. He didn't want to remember this. And he certainly didn't want everyone else hearing about it too.

"What?" ... he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed.

Lucius tutted, clearly unimpressed by his son's antics. He'd always been told that Potter and Weasley started their fights. It was sorely obvious that was not true.

Everyone in the entrance hall ... a handshake and attempted murder.

Moody frowned. He could tell the difference alright, he just didn't want to have to shake hands with the likes of Rita Skeeter.

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, ... losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

The Weasley children all glared at Draco as his mother instructed him to apologise to Mrs Weasley. Draco did as instructed without any hesitation.

Ron was shaking with fury ... or is it just the picture?"

Lady Malfoy took a deep breath. It wouldn't do to lose her temper with her son in public.

"You know your mother, Malfoy?" ... you were with her?"

Narcissa actually snorted. Now that was a good come back, it was just unfortunate that she was the butt of that particular joke.

"I apologise Lady Malfoy," Harry said, blushing slightly.

"No mind," she said with a small smile.

Malfoy's pale face ... turning away.

While Sirius didn't like what Harry had said about his cousin, he did appreciate a good come back and what's more, he was proud that Harry had decided to walk away.

BANG!

"Now what?" Sirius groaned.

Several people screamed ... "OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"

"Laddie?" Moody groaned. He couldn't remember ever saying that.

Harry spun around ... a pure white ferret,

Several of the children gaped at the book. Why was there a ferret. Ron struggled not to laugh. Harry glared at him. It wasn't funny. Not now with hindsight, Draco had been attacked by a death eater while at school.

which was shivering ... Malfoy had been standing.

"You turned my son into a ferret?" Lucius demanded.

Moody blinked in surprise. "Apparently I did."

He was surprised himself. Transfiguration wasn't his usual go to, but he supposed he couldn't actually hex the students.

There was a terrified silence ... "missed."

Sirius couldn't decide who to be angry with. For one thing, Malfoy had attacked Harry when his back was turned. But equally, teachers weren't supposed to attack students. Ever.

"LEAVE IT!" ... could see out of the back of his head.

The youngest in the chamber were looking at Moody with new found respect.

Moody started to limp ... bounced upward once more.

Moody was staring at the book in horror. What was he doing? Sure, he might of done that to an of age wix. But a child? The Malfoys looked positively enraged. And Moody for once couldn't really blame them.

"I don't like people who attack ... "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do. . . "

Tonks glanced at her mentor. She'd never heard him say the word scummy ever. And she knew he wasn't the best at Transfiguration. It's why he'd always been so impressed with her metamorphmagus gift.

The ferret flew ... hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.

"Now that is physical and magical assault," Amelia said sternly. Alastor knew the laws. He'd helped draft some of them.

Moody himself was looking a little sick. Although he did his best to hide it.

Harry wondered if he should tell them that it wasn't Moody, but he thought it would probably be better to let them work that out for themselves. He couldn't help but wonder if they'd work it out quicker than Dumbles.

"Professor Moody!" ... "Teaching," said Moody.

Everyone glared at Moody. He didn't even flinch. Something was off about this. He just couldn't put his finger on what it was.

"Teach - Moody, is that a student?" ... He got to his feet, wincing.

"You should have come to the hospital wing," Poppy said softly, her eyes pitying.

"Moody, we never ... Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"Don't you think this is a conversation for later, in private?" Sirius asked. "For now, you should be checking that Draco is alright. And then take the issue to the headmaster. Teachers can't just assault students and get away with it."

"I'll do that, then," ... the words "my father" were distinguishable.

"He surely doesn't intend to give the boy detention after that punishment?" Remus asked in horror.

"Oh yeah?" ... Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

Lucius looked close to losing his temper. The only thing stopping him was the fact that the Moody in the chamber had yet to do this. Otherwise, he'd be asking for an honour duel. No one treated his heir and son like that. No matter how much of an annoying little shit he could be.

"Yes," ... Come on, you. . . "

Moody frowned at that. He and Severus got on well enough. He didn't always agree with Albus about keeping Snape around, but he had to admit that the man had his uses. Especially when he was hunting down death eaters. He'd gotten a surprising amount of help from Severus in the early days after the war. They'd never be friends, but they were at least cordial.

And he seized Malfoy's upper arm ... "Why not?" said Hermione in surprise.

People were hardly listening to the book. They were still sitting in shock at what had just happened.

"I'm sorry, kid," Moody said gruffly. "I don't know why my older self would do that to you. But he shouldn't have."

Draco nodded nervously. The ex-auror still scared him years later and he'd lived with the Dark Lord.

"Because I want to fix ... "Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret. "

"Ronald, it wasn't funny," Molly chided.

"Seemed it at the time," Ron defended.

Harry and Hermione ... each of their plates.

Sirius gave Harry a disappointed look. "I know its not funny now," Harry said gently.

"He could have really hurt ... best moment of my life!"

Mrs Weasley tutted.

Hermione made ... "Loads to do. "

Hermione's parents eyed her suspiciously. She was up to something.

"But you told us ... taken by Fred Weasley.

"Definitely up to something," Mr Granger said to his wife, earning a nod.

"Moody!" ... this afternoon," he told Harry and Ron.

Everyone in the chamber sat forward eagerly, wanting to know exactly what Moody's lessons were like if that's how he was behaving in the corridors.

"What was it like?" ... "He knows, man," said Lee.

"Knows what?" young Ron asked.

"Knows what?" ... "Fighting the Dark Arts," said Fred.

Moody grinned at that. It was fleeting, his mind still stuck on that transfiguration. But yes, he did know his stuff. That was certainly true.

"He's seen it all," ... disappointed voice.

There were groans all through the chamber. They wanted to see what Moody's lessons were like.

Chapter End Notes

So, I know I added a hell of a lot of people... but someone rightly pointed out that the chamber is very Gryff heavy, which is bound to lead to bias. So, now there are more people from the other houses. I didn't add Padma because it felt wrong to add her without Parvati and I really don't want to add more Gryffs... because we already have so many. I added more Slytherins than anything because I really think theirs is the perspective most needed other than Harry's, lol.

P.s. just saying about last chapter... who knew bed pans could be so controversial... so many opinions. Lol. I stand by the Grangers. Wix constantly talk about how muggles are behind them... less than them... but this is just a small example of how that's wrong. The two worlds are just different. More advanced in some ways and less so in others. The main point I was trying to make is that the wix need to realise that muggles find their way of life odd too. Prejudice goes both ways. Everyone in the chamber is prejudiced against muggles - even those that say they aren't. It's just hidden under a show of tolerance.

The Unforgivable Curses

Chapter Summary

Another chapter is read...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

No one was smiling when they heard the title of the next chapter. Why would that be the title? Just what had happened for that to be the case? The teachers exchanged confused looks. It couldn't be related to school work. The unforgivables were not even discussed until seventh year. They were mentioned briefly in relation to the need for more than protective shields in a duel. The need for movement, using your environment for cover and also the use of offensive transfiguration to create physical shields. So, just how had a fourth year been exposed to them?

The next two days passed ... a barrel full of horned toads.

Augusta sighed. She wasn't impressed. Neville had made a promising start at potions before Hogwarts, and every summer his tutors praised him. And yet, in Professor Snape's classroom, he failed miserably. It was clear where the blame belonged. At least to her.

"You know why Snape's ... "Moody."

Both Moody and Severus exchanged a look. That was surprising. They weren't close but they had certainly treated one another with respect. Even if Moody still felt a little suspicious of Severus's motives from time to time.

It was common knowledge ... whether magical or normal.

Severus rolled his eyes at that. Something fishy was going on. He didn't shy away from anyone.

"I reckon Snape's a bit ... "and bounced him all around his dungeon. . . "

Severus glared at the boy in question. Although his glare softened when he noticed Sirius laughing softly.

"I think you'd make a better bat," Sirius said quietly, his words without malice.

Severus shook his head. Silly Gryffindors. And what was worse, he was clearly spending too much time with one particular silly Gryffindor because he actually found the man's words humourous.

The Gryffindor fourth years ... "C'mon, quick, or we won't get decent seats. "

The teachers were surprised by the eagerness. The children were never this excited for their lessons. They presumed it was because the ex-auror was something of a novelty.

They hurried into three chairs ... The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection,

Moody nodded at his choice of text book.

and waited, unusually quiet ... You won't need them."

Tonks frowned at that. Moody might be a lot of things. But he rarely let recruits do any magic before a good grounding in the theory. Although she admitted, not all the theory he taught them came from books.

They returned the books ... and werewolves, is that right?"

That seemed accurate enough. The first two years they had learned next to nothing. Only Lupin had taught them anything at all.

There was a general ... on dealing with curses," said Moody.

Minerva groaned. She could guess where this was going, especially since she knew just who was teaching that class. This was going to be explosive.

"So I'm here to bring you up ... "What, aren't you staying?" Ron blurted out.

"Ronald!" Mrs Weasley tutted. "Where are your manners?"

"Sorry," Ron muttered.

Moody's magical eye ... a very tight corner a few days ago...

Arthur blushed. Especially because he noticed Amelia Bones giving him a disapproving look.

Yeah, I'm staying ... my quiet retirement."

Moody still struggled to believe that. Why would he have agreed to teach in the first place?

He gave a harsh laugh ... countercurses and leave it at that.

"According to the OWL syllabus you mean," Lucius said sternly. He had a sinking suspicion that he wouldn't like what this lesson held. He'd heard plenty of rumours after this year. Mostly from the minister himself. And of course, the Dark Lord.

I'm not supposed to show you ... deal with it till then.

"More like seventh year," Remus said, taken a back. "And even then, you should be cautious about what images you share with them, memories of the curses being used are strongly prohibited. You are to give the basic description, show a couple of images that point out key effects of the curse and that's it."

Many of the adults nodded their agreement with that. Especially the teachers.

But Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves,

Albus wondered at that. He didn't think he'd willingly agree to a lesson on illegal curses for a fourth year class. But then again, a lot of his older self's decisions made little to no sense to him.

he reckons you can cope ... You need to be prepared.

Sirius sighed. That was true enough. And Harry could use all the help he could get, learning to defend himself.

You need to be alert ... when I'm talking. "

Several people jumped in shock.

Lavender jumped ... punished by wizarding law?"

Amelia grimaced. What was Alastor doing?

Several hands rose tentatively ... Imperius Curse, or something?"

"Terrible curse," Flitwick said, shaking slightly.

Harry wondered what everyone would think of him when they realised he had used it during the war.

"Ah, yes," ... took out a glass jar.

The adults all gasped. It didn't take a genius to work out what Moody planned to do.

"Alastor!" Amelia said sharply.

Moody himself looked utterly baffled. And perhaps slightly sick. He'd used the unforgivables, of course. During the war. But even when training recruits, he hadn't actually... shown them the effects of the curse, like this. It just didn't make sense. He wondered if his older self really was past it. A well and truly spoiled potion.

Three large black spiders ... Ron hated spiders.

"For good reason," Ron muttered.

Moody reached into the jar ... "Imperio!"

Several of the adults looked ready to murder Moody, while others were staring at the book in horror. Still more, were confused.

"Shouldn't the wards of the school prevent this?" Amelia asked.

"Er... I would have thought so," Albus said. Had his older self lowered the wards? "I suppose the wards could have been lowered for the tournament, given the number of beasts we'd require... Or my older self indeed knew about this lesson and condoned it."

That made him feel a little sick. And what's more he couldn't imagine his friend Alastor doing this.

The spider leapt from Moody's hand ... everyone except Moody.

"It's not a laughing matter," Sirius said when some of the children joined in. Everyone was shocked by the steel in his voice.

"Think it's funny, do you?"... throw itself down one of your throats. . . "

Several people shivered and young Ron looked ready to vomit.

Ron gave an involuntary ... who was acting of their own free will.

Moody's magical eye was glued on Lucius Malfoy. As much as he didn't like this lesson, he couldn't refute that his older self was right about that.

"The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how,

"AND JUST HOW DO YOU PLAN TO DO THAT?" Molly screeched.

Moody could only shrug. He had no idea.

but it takes real strength of character ... threw it back into the jar.

Luna looked ready to cry. Her younger self was crying. They might not like spiders but they were still living things and didn't deserve to be cursed. Young Ron surprised them all when he came over to sit next to young Luna and offered her chocolate frog.

"Anyone else ... Hermione's hand flew into the air again

Mrs Granger sighed. She wasn't sure she liked the way Hermione seemed to sometimes forget that lessons like this meant more to some of the other students than it did her. For her this was pure academia. But for some of the others, it was personal. Their families had been destroyed by these spells.

and so, to Harry's slight surprise ... over to fix on Neville.

Augusta smiled at her grandson. He was being so brave. By being the one to say it, he had some control over being exposed to it. He could at least say he faced it bravely. But still, she wished he hadn't been in that classroom at all.

"There's one - the Cruciatus Curse," ... check the register again.

Moody wondered at the logic of this. He couldn't help but think his older self was being needlessly cruel.

Neville nodded nervously ... "Engorgio!"

Both Rons moaned in unison.

The spider swelled ... "Crucio!"

Amelia couldn't believe what she was hearing. She just couldn't imagine Alastor doing such a thing. And if he had... Had she heard about it from Susan? She would have done something about it, surely?

"Susan, did you have the same lesson?" she asked suddenly.

Susan only shook her head. "Our first lesson he taught us counter jinxes."

That was suspicious. Alastor and Amelia exchanged looks.

At once, the spider's legs ... "Stop it!" Hermione said shrilly.

Everyone in the chamber looked suddenly sick. Especially the two Nevilles.

Harry looked around ... his eyes wide and horrified.

Augusta wrapped her arms around her grandson as her younger self did the same with her own charge. This was not right.

Moody raised his wand ... That one was very popular once too.

"Popular?" Sirius muttered.

"Right ... she raised it into the air.

The other gryffindors all glared at her. Many of them had known the answer too. But they hadn't wanted to see that.

"Yes?" ... including Ron.

"This is most unsuitable," Minerva said, eyeing Harry nervously. To think that he and Neville had been exposed to that... and in class of all places.

"Ah," ... the Killing Curse. "

"This is completely unnecessary," Moody said. "Why would I use the killing curse on a spider. What does that teach them?"

He put his hand ... "Avada Kedavra!" Moody roared.

There was a horrified silence in the chamber. No one could quite believe what had just happened, least of all Moody himself.

There was a flash of blinding green light ... he's sitting right in front of me. "

Harry grimaced. He hated it when people drew attention to him.

Harry felt his face redden ... but not really seeing it at all...

Minerva was crying. This wasn't the school she thought she worked at.

So that was how his parents ... life was wiped from their bodies?

Those pitying looks were back and Harry felt ready to scream at them. He didn't want their pity.

Harry had been picturing ... before turning his wand on Harry...

"How does he know so much?" Millicent asked the other Slytherins.

"The dementors," Blaise said by way of explanation before turning back to the book. "Third year."

Theo added, "He also dreams about it sometimes."

Harry knew these details ... powerless, in their own despair...

The new arrivals all looked horrified. Especially the Slytherins. They'd laughed at Potter for his reaction to the dementors.

Moody was speaking ... I'd get so much as a nosebleed.

"How reassuring," Theo muttered.

But that doesn't matter ... whole class jumped again.

Amelia grimaced. Nothing about how to deflect it with offensive transfiguration, nothing about using one's environment. One thing was certain, this was not Alastor Moody.

"Now ... copy this down. . . . "

"What notes did you make?" Amelia asked.

"Signs someone was under the imperius curse," Hermione said. "The fact that all three curses required specific emotions to cast. Er... the long term effects of exposure to the curses. And the physical signs of the killing curse. The trademark green light and the way the bodies remained unmarked. That sort of thing."

"Nothing about how to outmaneuver them in a duel?"

Hermione shook her head.

They spent the rest of the lesson ... "- and when he killed it - just like that!"

Harry grimaced. He couldn't understand how they could talk about it like... Like what they'd witnessed was some sort of entertaining show.

They were talking ... spectacular show,

His fellow gryffindors all blushed.

but he hadn't found ... "Hurry up," she said tensely to Harry and Ron.

Hermione's parents glared at her. Did she not care that one of her best friends had just seen how his parents died? Sirius looked equally unimpressed.

"Not the ruddy library ... "Neville?" Hermione said gently.

Her parent's eyes softened slightly.

Neville looked around ... what's for eating?"

No one laughed at Neville's slip of the tongue. The adults all wore grave expressions. Sirius looked about ready to curse Moody where he sat. The only thing stopping him, the explicit rules from Mother Magic about no violence.

Ron gave Harry a startled look ... we can have a cup of tea... "

Moody frowned at that. He would have invited the lot of them. Better to keep them together, especially since Heir Longbottom was clearly terrified. Either his older self had actually lost his gobstones or that was an impostor.

Neville looked even ... No point pretending...

Moody huffed at that. It was true, of course, but there were better ways to teach that. Less traumatic ways.

well ... "I don't know," said Hermione, looking pensive.

Several people looked at the girl in surprise. It wasn't every day she admitted to not knowing something.

"Some lesson, though, eh?" ... just snuffed it right -"

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley shouted. She could not believe her son could be so callous.

But Ron fell suddenly silent ... since they would take hours.

Sirius sighed. Where was the kind compassion Hermione had shown Neville? Didn't her best friend deserve the same treatment?

Hermione did not join in ... seen the curses?" Harry asked as they approached the Fat Lady.

"Yes," Amelia said simply.

"Yeah, probably," ... look at his dustbins. Balderdash."

Neither Alastor or Albus knew what to make of that.

The Fat Lady swung forward ... His eyes were rather red.

Augusta looked close to tears herself. She was tempted to berate Neville for not telling her about this, but that didn't seem like a fair response, so instead she just pulled him a little closer. She wasn't usually very tactile. But right now, she just wanted to keep her grandson safe and away from anyone who might hurt him. And the way she saw it, that was exactly what Alastor Moody had done.

"You all right, Neville?" ... "He thought I'd like this. "

Professor Sprout smiled slightly. Neville was her best student. Her best in years.

Telling Neville ... Professor Lupin would have done.

Lupin smiled. Yes, it was something he would have done.

Harry and Ron took their copies ... "I think it's back to the old Divination standby."

Professor Trelawney and Mrs Weasley looked very unpleased.

"What - make it up?" ... just put in loads of misery, she'll lap it up. "

As much as she hated to admit it, Minerva couldn't fight that logic.

"Right," ... skrewts again on Monday.

Several people laughed lightly as they tried to put the DADA lesson out of their minds.

Okay, Tuesday, ... someone you thought was a friend?"

Harry paused at that. That had actually happened. Maybe not that Tuesday, but it had happened...

"Yeah ... I'll come off worst in a fight."

The Weasleys wondered if any of these would come true, given they all seemed to have a latent seer gift.

"Aaah, ... I'll win my fight... "

The children all laughed.

They continued to make up predictions ... doing their homework properly.

The adults joined in with the laughter this time.

Staring around the room, ... working silently;

Mrs Weasley eyed the book suspiciously.

they usually liked to be in the thick ... entering the Triwizard Tournament.

"Better not be!" Mrs Weasley huffed.

As Harry watched, ... we're accusing him. Got to be careful. . . "

All four Weasley parents sat forward at that.

Then George looked over ... he was eavesdropping.

George grinned at Harry. He knew Harry could be trusted with their secrets.

Shortly after that, ... a very good month, are you?" she said sardonically

Multiple people laughed.

as Crookshanks curled ... I'm forewarned," Ron yawned.

More laughter. Trelawney was unimpressed. They were making a mockery of divination. Not to mention her teaching.

"You seem to be drowning ... trampled by a rampaging hippogriff."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Don't you think it's a bit ... like house-elves here!"

Several people grimaced. They didn't want to talk about house elves again.

Hermione raised her eyebrows ... his own death by decapitation.

Sirius's eyes widened in horror at just how dark Harry's predictions had become.

"What's in the box?" ... S. P. E . W.

"Spew?" young Ron asked.

"Spew?" ... Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

The chamber filled with groans as all the adults wished they could be somewhere else.

"Never heard of it," ... "Well - if you two join - three," said Hermione.

Harry sighed.

"And you think we want to ... heading of our manifesto. "

Lucius chuckled. He certainly respected her attempt. Even if she lacked any understanding of the topic.

She brandished the sheaf ... done anything about it before now. "

"That's because it's not enslavement," Neville said crossly.

"Hermione ... like being enslaved!"

Lucius sighed. That was not helpful. He wondered what sort of books Miss Granger had been reading that that was all she took away from her time in the library.

"Our short-term aims," ... they're shockingly underrepresented."

Amos frowned. Those were fair aims except for the fact that their work wasn't employment. It was a gift. Any laws protecting them would technically need to be considered domestic law, as it was more to do with how one treats family, than a servant.

"And how do we do all this?" ... a record of our first meeting."

"That's a little presumptuous," Mrs Granger said with a small chuckle. She loved how devoted her daughter could be when she saw injustice. But still, she really did rush in thinking she knew best.

There was a pause ... a snowy owl perched on the windowsill.

"Finally," Sirius muttered.

"Hedwig!" ... Harry read it aloud:

Sirius felt strangely anxious. He could only hope his older self would see fit to return to Britain.

Harry ... Sirius

Sirius nodded at that. It was somewhat good advice. And he was coming back. That was what mattered most. He shouldn't be out of the country if Harry was in danger.

Harry looked up ... "He's coming back?"

"Why is that a surprise?" the adults all asked. As Harry's blood adopted father and godfather he would want to be there.

"Dumbledore's reading ... "I shouldn't've told him!" Harry said furiously.

"It's not your responsibility to protect me," Sirius said softly, pulling his son closer.

"What are you on about?" ... Owlery if you want food."

Luna gave Harry a disapproving look. Harry himself looked sad. He should have been kinder to Hedwig.

Hedwig gave him ... a pacifying sort of voice.

Severus rolled his eyes. Patronising more like.

"I'm going to bed," ... keep it to himself...

Sirius sighed. "If I got caught, it would be my own fault. And I never want you to hide things from me because you're worried about me. Do you hear me?"

Younger Harry nodded quickly but his older self did so reluctantly.

He heard Ron ... not the only one lying awake.

The chamber was quiet when the book finished the chapter. No one quite knew what to make of what they'd heard. That DADA lesson was... well, there weren't words for it. Not to mention, no one had really bothered to check that Harry was okay after it. Hermione and Ron both looked thoughtful. Why hadn't they checked on Harry like they checked on Neville?

They were due to read another chapter but everyone just sat there taking it all in. No one dared say anything. The tension in the chamber was palpable and they were sure that even a small outburst would turn explosive. Moody himself was looking murderous. Something suspicious was going on and he'd get to the bottom of it.

Harry frowned. As much as he didn't want to influence people's opinion of the reading, he couldn't help but be concerned for Moody. If everyone's reaction to this chapter was anything to go by, they'd be horrified by what was to come. He was going to have to say something.

"Er... you should all know that not everything in these books is how it seems," Harry said. "I ask that you try not to pass blame until you have the whole story."

That caught the aurors attention. So, Moody was either under enchantment or he wasn't himself... An impostor perhaps. Moody let out a small sigh of relief, letting out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. Many of the others in the chamber didn't quite know what to make of the Prince's words. But they decided to follow his instruction regardless.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed it. xo

Beauxbatons and Durmstrang Part 1

Chapter Summary

A bit of brainstorming from the Prince and a lesson that won't be forgotten quickly...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Fleur and Viktor both sat forward eagerly as they heard the title of the chapter. They'd be making an appearance soon. As much as it had been interesting to see how Harry had grown up before meeting them, they couldn't wait to see what he thought of them.

Early next morning... completely normal. Harry

Sirius almost laughed. Even half crazed, just out of Azkaban without treatment, he'd never fall for that. All the same, it was nice to see how much Harry cared about his safety. Even if it was supposed to be him protecting Harry, not the other way around.

He then climbed out of the portrait hole ... sliding a little on the dropping-strewn floor.

"It won't work," Sirius said. Nothing would stop him coming to Harry if he thought he was in danger.

It took him a while ... allow him to tie the letter to it.

Everyone laughed. Hedwig could really hold a grudge.

"Just find him, all right?" ... "Before the dementors do. "

Sirius and Remus both sighed. It wasn't right that Harry had so many worries. He was supposed to be a teenage boy enjoying his school years.

She nipped his finger, ... scar hurting and you know it."

Hermione's parents both shot her an exasperated look. Couldn't she at least try and be empathetic? Had they really failed to teach her how other people felt? They hadn't seen this side of their daughter before the readings and they were beginning to wonder how they'd missed it.

"So what?" ... because of me."

Sirius sighed. That wasn't Harry's burden to carry.

"Drop it," ... and fell silent.

Sirius rolled his eyes. That girl had almost zero compassion for her supposed best friend.

Harry did his best not to worry ... down some dark London street,

Harry grimaced. The pitiful looks were back.

but between times ... hard training session.

"If we'd had more teachers, the Quidditch tournament could have continued," Oliver grumbled.

"We could have even had a school team and competed against the other schools," Angelina added.

There was a lot of excitement at that idea. And the adults smiled slightly. While the idea of re-starting the Triwizard was downright ludicrous, they couldn't help but think that some sort of tournament between the schools was actually a very good idea.

"I don't really want the TriWizard Tournament to return," Harry said. "But I do think we should have some sort of competition between the three schools. We could have yearly dueling competitions between dueling clubs."

"We couldn't take the students away from their schooling every year!" Minerva complained.

"It would only need to be for a few days," Harry said. "It could even be held on a weekend."

The teachers considered that and Filius got a speculative look in his eye. He'd quite like to re-start the dueling club.

"We could have one weekend at each of the three schools," Harry continued. "One in each term."

"But the students need to focus on learning," Minerva huffed. She wasn't sure she liked the idea of the children leaving the school for a weekend. She could just imagine the sort of trouble the Weasley twins could get into.

"Participation would depend on their grades," Harry said. "Anyone failing any of their classes would be disqualified from participating in extra-curricular activities until their grades improved."

Several of the quidditch players looked up at that. That sounded like a terrible idea. What if someone on the team got disqualified? However, the teachers did look molified.

"And to be allowed to represent the school in the competition you would have to have an average of an EE in... I don't know... Defense... and any other classes the Head of the club determined relevant."

Filius was grinning. "Charms and Transfiguration," he said automatically. He would have to make sure he led that particular club.

"We could have other clubs that did the same thing too," Harry said. "A Quidditich tournament between the schools, even a magical theory or history quiz..." Harry was practically thinking allowed now. "They do it in the muggle world."

"We'd have to get rid of Binns for sure," Minerva said with a smirk, "if we wanted to have any chance at the history quiz."

She still wasn't sure she could trust some of her lions to behave when visiting a foreign school but she couldn't resist the idea of more competition. Plus, anything that would get rid of Binns, was a win in her mind.

"What other changes to the school would you make?" Filius asked.

"I'd have science fairs," Harry said.

"What's a science fair?" several people asked.

"They do it in the muggle world," Harry explained. "We'd all have to create our own project and present it at the fair. We'd have complete control over what it was about. So, the Weasley twins could show off their brilliance by using one of their inventions in the fair, or you might do something more research based, looking at the history of spell crafting," he could imagine Hermione would like that one, "or anything really... The main purpose, is to show independent learning."

The teachers all looked delighted at that idea.

"We'd need more teachers," Harry said. "It's stupid that each subject only has one teacher. For core classes, I'd have the head of Department teach first, fifth and seventh year as they are possibly the most important years between teaching the foundations and the exams. Then a second teacher would cover second and fourth year and a third would cover third and sixth. And all of the teachers would hire an assistant, or be allowed to take on an apprentice would could assist with classes. It's stupid that the masters we have at school aren't teaching mastery students."

"I'm not sure we have the budget for that," Albus said with a sigh. Ever since the war, the ministry had been restricting the school funding.

"Then change the funding structure," Harry argued. "We already pay for our tuition except where parents are unable to afford it. But that doesn't mean that we can't accept charitable donations. Besides, Hogwarts charges less than any muggle boarding school in the country. When did you last increase the price of attending?"

"Er..." Dumbledore frowned. "Certainly before I became headmaster."

They were all taken by surprise when Ragnok entered the chamber, several large ledgers in his arms. "Actually, headmaster, the cost of tuition at Hogwarts has never been increased."

"Never?" Albus asked, clearly surprised.

"Not once," Ragnok said. "Which is rather foolish as the cost of living has definitely increased and therefore so have the expenses of the school. A small increase would not be a problem at all. Perhaps ten percent. As the prince said, Hogwarts is the cheapest boarding school in all of Britain. It is worth noting that the Hogwarts charter does state we cannot increase prices more than once a decade. Ten percent is actually the maximum we are allowed to increase by, but under the circumstances, I think it is permissible to increase them that much."

Everyone was blinking in surprise at this.

"Not only that," Ragnok said, "as an heir has been found for more than one of the Hogwarts seats, we can with the heir's permission access the Founder's Hogwarts Vault. It would be nice to begin investing that vault's contents once again, but some of that money could be used to make any needed changes and improvements to the school. Unfortunately, it cannot be used for day to day business such as the payment of wages, but if you wanted to build an expansion or pay to fix the wards, that would be an appropriate use of the funds."

Albus smiled brightly. That was brilliant. "I don't suppose we could use it to create a... What do the muggles call it? Aurora has been asking for one for years."

"An observatory?" Hermione asked.

"YES!" Albus said, jumping to his feet with excitement. Funding the school had proven to be a wearying task over his time as headmaster.

"That could certainly be arranged," Ragnok said with a toothy grin.

"What else, Prince Myrrddin?" Filius asked. He was making notes on everything the young Prince suggested.

"Er... The elective classes would need a second teacher. So, again, the head of department could teach third, fifth and seventh years while the second teacher would cover fourth and fifth years. The second teacher would also be responsible for providing introductory classes to the second years once they had completed their second year exams."

"Introductory classes?" Minerva asked.

"For a week or so after exams, the students would have at least one or two lessons for each of the electives so they would be able to make a more informed decision about their elective choices."

Again the teachers seemed delighted by this idea.

"And the elective teachers would have assistants or apprentices too," Harry said thoughtfully. Then there's the houses... I'd have the head of houses oversee seven house advisors, one per year. They would be responsible for dealing with disciplinary action, only needing to involve the head of house in extreme cases. They'd also be responsible for looking out for signs of bullying and homesickness. The one for the first years, would guide them around the school in the first month or so. The second year's one would have individual meetings with the students to discuss their elective choices. Fifth years would go to their own adviser for careers advise and to discuss their NEWT choices and so on. They would liase with parents about any special requirements the children might have, be they academic, medical, or whatever... They could even offer tutoring for any of their students that are falling behind."

"That's a brilliant idea," Severus said. "Not to mention if they were all on the patrol schedule we could have more teachers patrolling the castle and still spend less time patrolling individually."

There was a murmur of excited agreement from the teachers.

"So what would the head of house actually do?" Minerva asked.

"They'd be responsible for overseeing everything," Harry said. "They'd arrange a house meeting for the first night back at school after every holiday to go over the house rules and any announcements and have regular meetings with the advisors to discuss issues and would oversee disciplinary action in extreme cases. The current responsibilities of the heads could be delegated meaning that each head would actually have more time to spend with their house students."

The four heads all grinned at each other. They liked that idea. It had always bothered them that they didn't have enough time to spend with their students.

"I'd also like more physical education options," Harry said. "We don't actually do anything physical after flying class in first year. Which only lasts a few weeks. That class should at least run all through first year too. You can't actually learn to fly in a few weeks."

"Unless you're Harry Potter," Draco muttered.

"What sort of physical education?" Severus asked.

"Running," Harry said, "stamina is essential for dueling. Also, some muggle sports might be interesting. Quidditch too could be part of the course. It's silly that only the house teams are allowed to play. Also some martial arts... and yoga... Both of those use meditation and meditation is useful for connecting with your magic, increasing your ability at non-verbal and wandless magic, not to mention that it helps with occlumency."

Many people found themselves nodding along. Yes, that did sound like a good idea.

"What else?" Filius asked once more, clapping his hands eagerly.

Harry was surprised that they were listening to him. "An inter-house common room. Maybe one for younger years: first through fifth year. And one for NEWT students. In fact it might be worth having a couple available for the younger years, but not divide it by year. It makes sense to have the fifth years around the lower years, as the fifth year prefects can help keep things ordered."

The teachers looked very thoughtful as they continued reading.

On the other hand, ... Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Moody actually flinched. He wasn't sure he wanted to know more about those lessons.

To their surprise ... they could resist its effects.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Young Molly Weasley screeched.

She was not alone in her anger. All the parents were glaring at Moody and they'd apparently forgotten Harry's previous warning.

"That's illegal!" Mrs Granger said, folding her arms.

"It's barbaric," Augusta shouted. "I will not allow my grandson to be..."

"But - but you said it's illegal ... taught what it feels like," said Moody,

"What?" Albus breathed. Surely, that couldn't be true?

Everyone was glaring at him again and he couldn't really blame them. If that was true, his older self had lost all sense.

"If there is any truth in that, I will destroy you," Amelia threatened. She might feel certain that the man in that classroom was not Alastor but that didn't mean she would dismiss everything he said.

his magical eye swiveling ... You're excused. Off you go."

Everyone turned towards Moody. That had come very close to taunting the girl.

He pointed one gnarled finger ... miss such an important lesson.

Moody growled. He didn't think it was such an important lesson. He wouldn't even do this to trainee aurors.

Moody began to beckon students ... singing the national anthem.

Dean blushed heavily but his younger self seemed to think it was slightly funny. Even if he didn't like the idea of that spell.

Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel... his normal state.

Augusta looked ready to explode and her younger self was gripping her grandson tightly.

Not one of them ... Moody had removed it.

"Of course they didn't," Amelia said. "It would take years of practice to develop some sort of immunity. Or immense power..."

Kingsley nodded in agreement. In his mind, this lesson was utterly pointless.

"Potter," Moody growled, "you next. "

Sirius looked murderous as he pulled both his godsons closer, using them as a sort of shield to prevent himself from doing something to violate Mother Magic's no violence rule.

Harry moved forward ... "Imperio!"

Everyone was paying the book their full attention. Those that knew that Harry could fight off the curse, were fascinated in a weird, morbid sort of way. While everyone else looked ready to slit throats. Even Ragnok, who had decided to stay, was itching for a weapon. No one would harm the Prince on his watch.

It was the most wonderful feeling.

The others who had been under the curse gaped at him. That wasn't how they would describe the empty feeling.

Harry felt a floating sensation ... untraceable happiness.

Bill frowned. That wasn't happiness. It was numbness. It was concerning that Harry had such a limited frame of reference for happiness that he couldn't tell the difference.

He stood there ... jump onto the desk. . .

Remus's eyes were glowing amber.

Harry bent his knees ... Jump onto the desk...

No one expected him to resist it. Not even those that knew he could. Surely, it was impossible to do it on the first try.

Why, though? ... back of his brain.

Amelia sat forward. That was unexpected.

Stupid thing to do, really, said the voice.

Several people laughed.

Jump ... no, I don't really want to...

The lions all cheered. Harry was amazing. They couldn't believe that he was fighting it.

Jump! NOW! ... considerable pain.

Sirius glanced at Harry in concern. What had happened?

He had both jumped ... fractured both his kneecaps.

Poppy let out an exasperated sigh. "And he wasn't sent to the hospital wing!"

"Now, that's more like it!" ... pain in his knees seemed to double.

Poppy tutted. That was unacceptable.

"Look at that, you lot ... We'll try that again, Potter,

"Over my dead body," Sirius growled.

Moody was both awed that Potter had succeeded and grimacing at what that - He had to be an impostor - was doing.

and the rest of you, ... They'll have trouble controlling you!"

There was a murmur of agreement. They might not like what Moody was doing but they had to admit that the Prince was impressive.

"The way he talks," ... "you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second. "

"FOUR TIMES?" Sirius roared, getting to his feet.

Harry grabbed him by the arm, forcefully trying to pull him away from Moody. He only succeeded when Severus helped and gave the man a vial of calming draught to drink.

"You threw it off completely after four attempts?" Amelia asked in amazement. "I can't even begin to explain how incredible that is."

"He should never have been under it in the first place," Moody growled.

"Of course, not," Amelia said soothingly, "but you can't deny that what he did was remarkable."

Moody gruffly nodded his head.

"Yeah, I know," ... out of earshot and went on.

The twins laughed at that. "Talk about paranoia."

"No wonder they were glad to get shot of him at the Ministry.

Moody grimaced. Was that true?

"It will be a sad day for the auror department when Alastor Moody resigns," Amelia said sharply.

Did you hear him telling Seamus ... April Fools' Day?

Alastor frowned. He had no idea what that was about.

And when are we supposed ... we've got to do?"

Molly glared at her son. He really needed to learn to prioritise his school work. Perhaps if he worked a little harder... instead of always trying to get Hermione to help him, or worse, let him cheat.

Chapter End Notes

Sorry about the delay... I've been busy with work over the last four days and haven't really been up to much in the evenings.

Beauxbatons and Durmstrang Part 2

Chapter Summary

Everyone finishes the chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

All the fourth years ... "Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer -"

All the students groaned. They'd heard that before.

"We don't take O. W. L. s ... anyone approaches it with a pin!"

Several people laughed.

Hermione, who had turned rather pink ... pleased with herself.

Harry rolled his eyes.

Harry and Ron were deeply amused ... running out of ideas for catastrophes.

Professor Trelawney huffed.

Meanwhile Professor Binns, ... the eighteenth century.

Everyone in the chamber grimaced at that. They remembered doing those essays themselves.

"When I was in school," Bill said, "one of the older years, sold the titles of all the essays from the previous year so we could do them all at the beginning of the year and then use our homework time to..." He paused. "Well, some of us used it to self-study, others just used it for fun."

Professor Snape was forcing them ... see if their antidote worked.

Severus blinked at that. Had he really threatened his students? That was concerning.

Professor Flitwick had asked ... Summoning Charms.

Professor Flitwick nodded at that. It was a particularly tricky charm.

Even Hagrid was adding ... notes on their extraordinary behavior.

No one in the chamber knew quite what to say to that.

"I will not," ... foul things during lessons, thanks. "

While his parents agreed that the beasts were foul, they weren't impressed by his attitude. That was no way to speak to a teacher.

Hagrid's smile faded ... I hear yeh made a good ferret, Malfoy."

Lucius stood abruptly at that. "While, I agree my son's behaviour was abhorrent, I will not have my son threatened."

Hagrid frowned. He hadn't really considered that he'd been threatening a student. He apologised quickly because he had to admit, it hadn't been the right thing to say. Even if that boy was awful.

The Gryffindors roared with laughter.

Minerva glared at them all.

Malfoy flushed with anger ... Hagrid sacked the previous year.

"That's a fair point, Draco," Lucius said. "You'd be wise not to make enemies of your teachers, in the future."

When they arrived in the entrance hall ... LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY-

There was a buzzing sort of excitement in the chamber. They were all eager to hear about the tournament.

"Brilliant!" ... Snape won't have time to poison us all!"

Everyone laughed. Even Severus.

STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS ... THE WELCOMING FEAST.

They were all grinning, even those that had been there. Getting off lessons early and meeting people from the other schools had been cool.

"Only a week away!" ... "He must be entering the tournament."

The Hufflepuffs in the chamber all cheered, only to suddenly go silent as they remembered how the tournament ended.

"That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" ... toward the staircase.

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley screeched. They were friends and neighbours to the Diggory family. She couldn't understand where this animosity was coming from.

"He's not an idiot ... and he's a prefect."

Cedric blushed.

She spoke as though this settled ... he's handsome," said Ron scathingly.

Now both Cedric and Hermione were blushing.

"Excuse me, I don't like people ... "Lockhart!"

Hermione grimaced. She wasn't sure that she'd ever live that down.

The appearance of the sign ... Beauxbatons and Durmstrang differed from themselves.

"In many ways," Fleur said with a small smile. "Beauxbaton is very different."

Viktor was nodding his agreement.

Harry noticed too that the castle ... first-year girls into hysterics.

The teachers all glared at the headmaster. They wanted Filch gone.

Other members of the staff ... accidentally transplanted his own ears onto a cactus.

Augusta gave Minerva a sour look. Minerva sighed, offering a quick apology to Neville. She really could be a little harsh sometimes.

When they went down to breakfast ... lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H.

"Showing off," Sirius said with a smirk.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione ... He can't avoid us forever."

Mrs Weasley eyed the book suspiciously. What were they up to?

"Who's avoiding you?" ... irritated at the interruption.

Mrs Weasley opened her mouth to tell him off, only to have a sinking realisation that her son was gone. It kept hitting her every few minutes and the grief was worse than anything she'd ever known. Far worse than when her brothers had both died.

"What's a bummer?" ... you for a brother," said George.

Everyone was surprised when Molly stayed silent.

"You two got any ideas ... trying to enter?"

"Don't encourage them!" Young Molly said crossly.

"I asked McGonagall ... transfiguring my raccoon."

Filius frowned. "You really shouldn't tell the students to shut up Minerva. There are far politer ways of saying they should be quiet."

"Wonder what the tasks ... We've done dangerous stuff before. . . . "

Everyone rolled their eyes at Ron. They couldn't help but think that he hadn't really done anything dangerous... Well, at least not compared to Harry.

"Not in front of a panel of judges, ... went on the rampage."

Sirius glared at the book for the reminder of just how dangerous the competition was.

She noticed them all looking ... read all the books she had,

Hermione felt hurt by that description. Was that really how other people saw her? Was that how Ron and Harry saw her?

"It's all in Hogwarts, ... Nastier Aspects of the School."

Everyone shared confused looks.

"I thought that was your favourite book?" Blaise Zabini asked. She seemed to carry it everywhere with her.

"What are you on about?" ... oppression of a hundred slaves!"

No one said anything about that. They'd had that discussion and they could only hope that Hermione would heed their advise and talk to the elves.

Harry shook his head ... only done it to keep her quiet.

Young Hermione glared at them. She wasn't sure she wanted to be their friend.

Their Sickles had been wasted ... collecting tin under their noses.

The Grangers groaned. They were going to have to make some changes. Clearly, they'd not taught their daughter the art of critical thinking. She needed to learn to think for herself, not just accept what books told her. She also needed to learn to be more understanding of other people's feelings. They weren't really sure how they'd failed to teach her those lessons but they decided that they'd do whatever they could to remedy it. Even if it meant purchasing parenting books and sessions with a therapist. Perhaps the mind healers might be able to give them some pointers.

"You do realize that your sheets ... unpaid and enslaved?" she kept saying fiercely.

Still no one said anything.

Some people, ... Many regarded the whole thing as a joke.

Hermione huffed. She might realise now that she didn't know very much about the subject but it had looked like slavery. And no one had bothered to explain it to her.

Lucius sighed. "Your teachers and your peers did you a disservice, Miss Granger. Someone should have taken the time to explain."

"I tried!" Susan said. "We ran into each other in the library and she was brandishing that tin about, while I was trying to study. I tried explaining and she went off at me and we both got thrown out of the library. I hadn't even finished my charms essay."

Hermione frowned. She remembered that. "Sorry."

"I tried too," Ernie said. "But she said I was despicable because I owned slaves."

She remembered that too. "I'm sorry, Ernie."

Ron now rolled his eyes ... "I hardly think students are supposed to -"

"It's not against the rules," Severus said.

"Well, we have," ... the best job in the world -"

There was a pop and several elves appeared. "We do. We is being privileged, looking after the school and its students."

"That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" Hermione began hotly,

The elves looked highly offended. "Hows is we uneducated?" one of them asked.

"We's can read and write," another said. "We's be knowing magic."

"And we is not brainwashed!" still one more said angrily. "We is being proud to work for Hogwarts."

They popped away again without another word.

but her next few words ... keep changing owls?" Ron asked in a low voice.

"Hedwig will attract attention," Amelia said automatically.

"Hedwig'll attract too much ... response every time he wrote.

Sirius smiled. That wouldn't be a problem this time around.

"Thanks, Hedwig," ... into the entrance hall.

The excitement in the chamber was building. They couldn't wait for the arrival of the foreign students.

The Heads of Houses ... no pushing. . . . "

The adults all laughed. They didn't envy the teachers.

They filed down the steps ... "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"

Everyone laughed at that. Knowing the other schools, they'd want to arrive as dramatically as possible. It's what they would do too, after all.

"I doubt it," ... not from that far away. . . . "

More laughter at that suggestion.

"A Portkey?" ... seventeen wherever they come from?"

"I doubt there will be any one under seventeen attending," Tonks said.

"You can't Apparate inside ... Hermione impatiently.

Sirius chuckled. The boys really didn't listen to her, did they? That had to be frustrating.

They scanned the darkening grounds... showing off when we get together. . . . "

The adults all nodded their heads.

And then Dumbledore called out ... Beauxbatons approaches!"

That surprised everyone. Just how good was his eyesight? Bill rolled his eyes. Clearly he'd felt the change in the wards.

"Where?" ... losing her head completely.

"It's not a dragon," Severus said with a sigh. At least he hoped it wasn't a dragon.

"Don't be stupid ... each the size of an elephant.

"Wow!" several of the children called out eagerly.

The front three rows ... rolled large, fiery red eyes.

Luna smiled. She had liked those horses.

Harry just had time ... A few people gasped.

"And she said she wasn't half-giant," Hagrid muttered. They'd put their differences aside but it still hurt a little that she'd been unwilling to even talk to him about it.

Harry had only ever seen ... the better to look at this woman.

Fleur rolled her eyes at the description of her old headmistress. Yes, Madame Maxime might be of giant descent but she was a brilliant headmistress.

Her face relaxed ... "Dumbly-dort," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice.

"Dumbly-dort?" the twins said in unison, both laughing.

"I 'ope I find you well?" ... none of them were wearing cloaks.

"No one bothered to warn us that Hogwarts was in Scotland," Fleur said crossly. "Not that it mattered, for our arrival at least, we had to wear our proper uniform."

A few had wrapped scarves ... "But ze 'orses -"

"Madame Maxime is very precious about her horses," Fleur said with a small smile.

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher ... "Skrewts," Ron muttered to Harry, grinning.

Hagrid blushed. The skrewts had managed to escape their crates.

"My steeds require - er - forceful 'andling," ... drink only single-malt whiskey?"

Several people chuckled at that.

"It will be attended to," ... "Maybe they've escaped," said Ron hopefully.

Hagrid frowned. Were his lessons really that bad that the students - even Harry, Ron and Hermione - didn't like them?

"Oh don't say that," ... loose on the grounds. . . . "

"Yes. Imagine that," Amelia said with a terse look.

They stood, shivering ... "Look at the lake!"

The younger kids all sat forward. They wanted to know what was happening.

From their position at the top ... "It's a mast!" he said to Ron and Hermione.

Several people looked impressed. With Harry's terrible eyesight it really was amazing how he could tell that from a distance.

Slowly, magnificently, ... "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

The aurors all eyed the man suspiciously. They all knew that Karkaroff had become headmaster.

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," ... Viktor has a slight head cold. . . "

Viktor grimaced at that. Karkaroff had always tried to give him special treatment. Although in fairness, he had been unwell.

Karkaroff beckoned forward ... recognize that profile.

Viktor rolled his eyes. Fans. He really hated being famous.

"Harry - it's Krum!"

Harry rolled his eyes at Ron. That boy was obsessed.

While the younger ones were pulled away for a Herbology lesson with Professor Sprout and her younger self, the older ones tried to decide what they wanted to do with their free hour. They quite liked the fact that they were no longer expected to attend all the lessons. After all, they would be merging with their younger selves when they left the chamber, so it was a waste of time to learn the same things. Instead, they were encouraged to use the time for some form of independent study. Ragnok pulled Harry aside and told him that if he had time, his account managers would appreciate a meeting.

Harry had quickly agreed, asking Sirius to accompany him through the door.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed the last chapter of the day... onto something else... Lol.

Not a Chapter - Character List 1

Chapter Summary

Just a quick update on who is in the chamber as it was requested...

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Characters coming from the Battle of Hogwarts:

Hogwarts Students:

Harry Potter

Ron Weasley

Hermione Granger

George Weasley *although he's technically no longer a student

Ginny Weasley

Draco Malfoy

Luna Lovegood

Percy Weasley *although he's technically no longer a student

Susan Bones

Neville Longbottom

Blaise Zabini

Oliver Wood *although he's technically no longer a student

Seamus Finnigan

Lee Jordan *although he's technically no longer a student

Dean Thomas

Angelina Johnson *although she's technically no longer a student

Theodore Nott

Daphne Greengrass

Astoria Greengrass

Hannah Abbott

Justin Finch-Fletchley

Ernie Macmillan

Eloise Midgen

Terry Boot

Anthony Goldstein

Michael Corner

Mandy Brocklehurst

Morag MacDougal

Millicent Bullstrode

Tracey Davis

Marcus Flint *although he's technically no longer a student

Terence Higgs *although he's technically no longer a student

Cassius Warrington *although he's technically no longer a student

Foreign School Students:

Viktor Krum *although he's technically no longer a student

Fleur Delacour *although she's technically no longer a student

The Adults in Harry's Life:

Molly Weasley

Arthur Weasley

Bill Weasley

Charlie Weasley

Hogwarts Professors:

Filius Flitwick

Minerva McGonagall

Pomona Sprout

Poppy Pomfrey

Rubeus Hagrid

Sibyll Trelawney

Other Adults:

Narcissa Malfoy

Lucius Malfoy

Andromeda Tonks

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Augusta Longbottom

Xenophilius Lovegood

Garrick Olllivander

Antonin Dolohov

Augustus Rockwood

Rita Skeeter

Amos Diggory

Mrs Diggory

Mr Granger *although he doesn't remember who he is.

Mrs Granger *although she doesn't remember who she is.

Saul Croaker

Galenius Everleigh - OC

Claudius Everleigh - OC

Mrs Zabini - she's been in the chamber a while but I forgot to add her to the list (sorry).

Abeforth Dumbledore

Stan Shunpike

Florean Fortescue

Tom Riddle

Other Children:

Andromeda Narcissa Malfoy *although she's an adult by this point - OC

Characters coming from a few months before Harry starts Hogwarts:

Hogwarts Students:

Harry Potter

Ron Weasley

Hermione Granger

Fred Weasley

George Weasley

Ginny Weasley

Draco Malfoy

Luna Lovegood

Percy Weasley

Susan Bones

Neville Longbottom

Blaise Zabini

Oliver Wood

Seamus Finnigan

Lee Jordan

Dean Thomas

Angelina Johnson

Theodore Nott

Cedric Diggory

Daphne Greengrass

Astoria Greengrass

Hannah Abbott

Justin Finch-Fletchley

Ernie Macmillan

Eloise Midgen

Terry Boot

Anthony Goldstein

Michael Corner

Mandy Brocklehurst

Morag MacDougal

Millicent Bullstrode

Tracey Davis

Marcus Flint

Terence Higgs

Cassius Warrington

Foreign School Students:

Viktor Krum

Fleur Delacour

The Adults in Harry's Life:

Sirius Black

Molly Weasley

Remus Lupin

Nymphadora Tonks *although she's not long out of Hogwarts herself

Arthur Weasley

Bill Weasley

Charlie Weasley

Hogwarts Professors:

Severus Snape

Albus Dumbledore

Filius Flitwick

Minerva McGonagall

Pomona Sprout

Poppy Pomfrey

Rubeus Hagrid

Sybill Trelawney

Other Adults:

Narcissa Malfoy

Amelia Bones

Mad-Eye Moody

Lucius Malfoy

Andromeda Tonks

Emmeline Vance

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Augusta Longbottom

Xenophilius Lovegood

Garrick Ollivander

Antonin Dolohov

Augustus Rockwood

Barty Crouch Junior

Ted Tonks

Peter Pettigrew - trapped in a cage

Rita Skeeter

Amos Diggory

Mrs Diggory

Mr Granger

Mrs Granger

Saul Croaker

Broderick Bode

Galenus Everleigh - OC

Claudius Everleigh - OC

Mrs Zabini - she's been in the chamber a while but I forgot to add her to the list (sorry).

Abeforth Dumbledore

Arcturus Black

Stan Shunpike

Florean Fortescue

Tom Riddle

Other Children:

Andromeda Narcissa Malfoy (Meda) - OC

Creatures/ Beings that have visited:

These are mostly all OCs. For some, I've taken a name from cannon.

Celestial Beings:

Mother Magic

Lord Time

House elves:

Dobby

Kreacher (Older)

Kreacher (Younger)

Sanny

Winky (Older)

Winky (Younger)

Goblins:

Ragnok - Goblin King

Ragnok - Goblin King's Heir

Fasald - Head Goblin, London Branch of Gringotts

Ricbert - Chief Bank Teller, London Branch of Gringotts

Griphook - Bank Teller, London Branch of Gringotts

Bogrod - Account Manager, London Branch of Gringotts

Burgock - Account Manager, London Branch of Gringotts

Odbert - Account Manager, London Branch of Gringotts

Gornuk - Head Healer, London Branch of Gringotts

Relde - Healer, London Branch of Gringotts

Finkla - Healer, London Branch of Gringotts

Thadnin - Healer, London Branch of Gringotts

Folvi - Healer, London Branch of Gringotts

Werewolves:

Marric - Alpha of the British Pack

Veela:

Isabeau Lemaire - Head of the Veela Council

Vampires:

Zeldan - British Clan Leader

Chapter End Notes

As always, if you want to see someone in the chamber, drop a comment and I'll consider adding them.

An Overwhelmed Lord

Chapter Summary

Harry learns a little more about his inheritance...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Harry and Sirius followed the Goblin King through the door. This part of Mother Magic's domain was very different. The ground of this chamber had been covered with mossy grass and plants seemed to be growing out of the walls. Harry was awed by what he saw. There were centaurs eyeing him suspiciously from one part of the chamber while a group of house elves appeared to be playing some sort of card game. The vampires didn't even look up, as they busily discussed something in hushed voices. And the werewolves were watching them speculatively.

Ragnok led Harry and Sirius through the chamber and down a long corridor until they entered a new chamber that greatly resembled Gringrotts.

"Take a seat," Ragnok said, his voice while polite was certainly sharp.

The both sat down in the two chairs before a great marble desk. "Your account managers will be along momentarily, my prince."

Ragnok sat opposite them and they sat quietly for less than a minute before the three goblins Ragnok had previously introduced as Harry's account managers entered the chamber. They said something to Ragnok in gobbleygook before turning their attention towards Harry and Sirius, bowing deeply.

"We have much to discuss," Ragnok said. "Bogrod was your father's account manager and has managed both the Potter and Peverell accounts for close to three hundred years. Burgock is the account manager responsible for the Emrys account and has been such for over one hundred and fifty years, although he hasn't had much to do in that time, much to his annoyance. Odbert manages the Slytherin and Gryffindor accounts. He has been responsible for the Hogwarts accounts for three hundred and fifty years. He doesn't like to admit it but he is drawing close to putting down his sword."

Odbert grimaced at that. He didn't like to be reminded that he was getting old.

"And I am responsible for the Myrrddin accounts," Ragnok continued. "That account and that account alone has always been managed by the Goblin King."

Harry nodded. "Okay. So, where do we start? I mean, I have a lot of accounts, and apparently a ridiculous amount of money."

"That really depends on you, my prince," Ragnok said in an almost gentle tone. "We will of course tell you about the current state of your investments but what happens now is really up to you."

Harry nodded again. He liked the goblins. They didn't mince words and tended to be pretty blunt. He was hoping that trait might help him here.

"Let's start with the Potter accounts," Ragnok suggested. Bogrod."

Bogrod stepped forward, offering Harry a heavy ledger. "You ancestors have always been very good at making money. Of course, your family started with the Potterer, Linfred of Stinchcombe, who often used his knowledge of potions to help his muggle neighbours. He is accredited with inventing numerous remedies that have evolved over the years and are still used to this day. Including Skele-Gro and the Pepper Up potion. Your family still makes a return every time a potion master tries to improve upon the current potion. It's a small return but ever knut counts. It was Linfred's son that married into the Peverell family, greatly increasing the family's already significant wealth and receiving their first title - Lord Peverell - but we will come to that later. You have some distant relations that live in America, although I cannot claim to know much about them, beyond Abraham Potter being one of the first American aurors."

Harry eagerly listened to this re-telling of his family history. He really knew next to nothing about them.

"Multiple Potters have been involved in the Wizengamot, both using the Peverell title and the Potter one. Fleamont Potter quadrupled your family's gold with his creation of the Sleekeazy hair potion. He sold the majority of his holdings in the company for a significant profit, but you still hold a ten percent share that brings a significant monthly return. Your grandfather was Fleamont's younger brother, Charlus who went on to marry Dorea Black. Fleamont died childless and so Charlus inherited the family wealth. Charlus and Dorea had James at quite a late age and were quite dedicated parents. Your grandfather was very involved in the Wizengamot before his death and helped to curb some of the more extreme laws. The Potters have always belonged to the neutral faction, although in recent years the Lux have tried to claim them as their own."

Harry was surprised by this. Even though, Lucius had said much the same, everyone else had always told him his family was light.

"Along with the gold they have accumulated due to their own ingenuity," Bogrod continued, "the Potters have also been wise in their investments. Not only did they invest in the magical world but they invested in the muggle world too. They also seem to be quite clever when it comes to spotting what will be a successful investment. Your grandfather in particular was always bringing someone by my office telling me that they had a marvelous idea and he really must invest in it. You own a ten percent share in the Daily Prophet, fifteen percent share in Flourish and Blotts, a five percent share in Globus Mundi, a wizarding travel agency based in Diagon Alley, a thirty percent share in Quality Quidditch Supplies, and Sugarplum's Sweet Shop, a twelve percent share in Twilfitt and Tattings, a five percent share in Honeydukes, a twenty percent share in the Wizarding Wireless Network and a thirty-nine percent share in the Nimbus company."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. His family seemed to at least part own... well, everything.

"As well as that your family owns an extensive array of property both residential and commercial," Bogrod said. "You own fifteen commercial properties in Diagon Alley, all of which are making a sizable return through their rent agreements. Another seven in Hogsmeade which are doing quite well too. You also own commercial properties in the other alleys. Ten properties in Knockturn, although these are not making a return, something we would like to fix. A further seven properties on Horizont Alley and the entirety of Carkitt Market. You also own twenty-five residential properties across the three alleys. Another six in Hogsmeade and seven more in Godric's Hollow. All of which are currently inhabited and bringing a return."

Harry blinked. He knew he was rich, but this was ridiculous.

"Then we get to the family seat properties," Bogrod continued. "Of course, there is the cottage in Godric's Hollow. The ministry illegally annexed that to create the monument to honour your parents. We did manage to force them to give you twenty-two thousand galleons in compensation."

Harry smirked. Bogrod didn't seem to think that was an adequate sum.

"There is also the old family manor house in the Cotswolds," Bogrod said. "There are also several holiday homes in Spain, the South of France and Italy. Not to mention an apartment in the magical district of New York."

"Huh," Harry said. He was still feeling a little awed.

"Should we move on to the Peverell family?" Bogrod asked.

Harry wasn't sure he wanted to know any more. But he found himself nodding all the same.

Bogrod handed over a new ledger. Just as big as the last, but significantly older. "The Peverell family have a fascinating history, as you are no doubt aware. It is unknown if the rumors hold any truth however. So we will stick to what we do know. The Peverell family own a five percent share in Dervish and Banges, a ten percent share in Dogweed and Deathcap, a thirty percent share in the business that manages the Hogwarts Express and the Hogsmeade Station, a five percent share in Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop and Spintwitches Sporting Needs, and they outright own The Magic Neep. Your grandfather purchased The Magic Neep from the Teasdale family. A ten percent share in Eeylops Owl Emporium and Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop. The Peverells are also the proud owners of the nation's owl post offices, although the ministry likes to pretend otherwise, and they have a seven percent share in the Daily Prophet."

Bogrod grinned. He knew this was all going over the young wizard's head.

"All this information is in the ledger for you to familiarize yourself with later," he said somewhat kindly. "They own less property than the Potters. At least commercially. Only ten properties in Diagon Alley, four in Hogsmeade, seven in Knockturn and four in Horizont. As for residential, they own only one. A lodging house in Knockturn that is used by werewolves. Your family decided years ago that they would never charge more than a few sickles a night and each generation has kept that promise."

He eyed Harry speculatively, perhaps wondering if he would uphold his family's honour and do the same.

"As for family property, the Peverell's have more properties in Britain than abroad. They have only one property in a snowy region of Bulgaria. But in the United Kingdom they have a castle in Scotland, several manors in England - one in Devonshire and another in Kent, a small cottage - well, small by Peverell standards - in Surrey and a small island just off the coast of Scotland."

Harry was horrified to hear that he owned an entire island. Bogrod grinned toothily before taking a step back.

Burgock took his place and handed him a ledger that was somehow even older.

"The Emrys family has an ancient history that we do not have time to cover," Burgock said. "You will have to research it yourself."

Something in his tone suggested that he thought Harry should already be doing so and Harry gulped audibly.

"While the Emrys fortune has not been invested recently," Burgock said shaply, "as it was without a Lord, it is still in a good condition and ready for investment. As for property, the Emrys family has multiple properties. There is the family seat in Windsor and the town house in Kensington. As well as that there is an old keep in Fife and a small castle in Yorkshire. Lastly," he seemed hesitant, "there is Avalon."

"Avalon?" Harry's mouth dropped open. "Avalon is real?"

"It is a magical safehold where all are welcome," Burgock said. "It is said to be our place of hiding if we are ever discovered by the non-magicals. Although no one has entered it in over seven hundred years."

Burgock worked hard to hide his excitement. He could only imagine what supposedly extinct creatures they might find there if the prince was willing to re-open the island. He stepped back after that, gleeful that he had shocked the prince into silence.

Odbert stepped forward. His job was harder than the others. Because he had to talk about the Slytherin accounts. He decided to get them out of the way, before moving onto the Gryffindor accounts which were definitely healthier.

"As you may have gathered from your Inheritance Test results," Odbert said, placing a new ledger before the prince, "the Slytherin vaults are not in terrible health but... Well, quite frankly, they should be far better than they are given the family's history and prestige. Unfortunately, Slytherin's descendants were not up to the task of managing the estate. While one hundred thousand galleons is still a significant amount of gold, it is nothing compared to what the Slytherin fortune once was. There are no investments as recent heirs were never allowed to inherit. The family magics did not like the gold being squandered, if you ask me, although truthfully I do not know why the Gaunts were found unsatisfactory."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"Suffice it to say that the family properties are in relatively good condition but certainly in need of modernisation," he continued. "There is Slytherin castle in Amesbury. A hunting lodge on Loch Ness. A town house in Edinburgh. And a cottage in Hogsmeade."

Harry smiled. At least that wasn't as overwhelming as the rest of his inheritance.

"And of course, as Lord Slytherin you own a quarter of Hogwarts," Odbert said.

There it was. His Slytherin inheritance was exactly as overwhelming as the rest, if not more so.

"As for Gryffindor," Odbert continued as if he hadn't just overwhelmed the young prince, "another quarter of Hogwarts. There is also a manor house in Godric's Hollow, a town house in Cambridge, a hunting lodge near Durham, and a castle near Canterbury."

"Right..." Harry sighed. "How many castles do I own? Four?"

"Erm, six, my prince," Ragnok said.

"But Peverell... Emrys... Slytherin and Gryffindor," Harry counted them out.

"There is also a castle on the island of Avalon," Burgock said.

"And there is a castle included in the Myrrddin estate," Ragnok added with a smirk.

"Six castles!" Harry grimaced. "What the hell will I do with six castles?"

Sirius had tried to keep quiet until now but he couldn't resist laughing at his godson now.

The goblins all looked at him in confusion. This wix was odd. What would he do with them? He'd own them.

"I suppose I should tell you about the Myrrddin accounts," Ragnok said, handing over the last ledger. This one was slightly shimmery and different to all the rest. "Even without a Lord or Lady, Mother Magic allows for some investment of her fortune. So, the Myrrddin family owns a thirty percent share in the daily prophet and a twenty percent share in the Wizarding Wireless Network. As well as several muggle companies. There are also small shares in minor businesses that Mother Magic saw fit to encourage. Had you not assisted your friends, the Weasley twins, Mother Magic herself would have invested in their business."

That amazed Harry. He couldn't picture Mother Magic doing such a thing.

"Of course, she is limited in how she can interact with our world, so her investments are obscure and small," Ragnok said. "For the most part, she will support any business that works for the betterment of our society. Especially where it helps the marginalized. There is a small investment in a business that caters to werewolves, providing wolfsbane, for example. As for property, Myrrddin doesn't really have many. Instead the family mostly owns land. Unused land that could potentially be built upon."

Harry liked the sound of that. He really wanted to create more magical communities. And he wanted somewhere for the werewolves.

"There is a castle, of course, near Wolverhampton and a cottage in Chester as well as a manor house in the Lake District."

Bogrod muttered. "We didn't mention house elves. You have ten Potter elves and thirteen Peverell elves. They are actually all in this chamber, and eager to finalise the bond."

Burgock stepped forward once more. "Seven elves belong to the house of Emrys. Again, they are all in the chamber."

Odbert frowned. "Technically you are responsible for all the Hogwarts house elves, along with your fellow lords and ladies, if the Hogwarts heirs can be located. Additionally, both Gryffindor and Slytherin have two elves. They work at Hogwarts to manage the other elves."

Ragnok smiled. "Myrrddin doesn't have its own elves. All elves answer to the call of the house of Myrrddin."

Harry really didn't know what to make of that. This all sounded like a lot of responsibility.

"So, really Prince Myrrddin," Ragnok said, "all that is left, is for you to instruct us on what to do with your fortune."

And wasn't that the question. Harry glanced at Sirius before straightening his shoulders. He was an adult. He could do this. He had to do this.

"First, the lodging house in Knockturn Alley," Harry said. "We won't be increasing the fees."

Bogrod nodded his head.

"Second, we need to start investing the Emrys, Slytherin and Gryffindor fortunes. Especially Slytherin. I'd like you to take one hundred thousand galleons from each of my other estates and put them into the Slytherin vault for investment. The funds will be returned once the Slytherin vaults are back up to one million galleons."

The three account managers all nodded.

"I would like to find a piece of land that can be used to create a town and safe zone for the werewolves to use on the full moon," Harry said, "so if you could think about which properties or lands might best suit that need, I'd appreciate it. Also, I need a property that is suitable to be used as a school, so if you could consider which properties might be best suited for that too, that would be great. Erm... the house elves. I'll happily make time to bond with them tomorrow, if they are willing."

Ragnok chuckled. "You may not want to bond with them all at once, my prince. That would require a lot of magic. Perhaps five per day."

"I will follow your advice," Harry said, bowing his head. "Thank you, King Ragnok."

They continued talking about Harry's ideas for the magical world until Sirius reminded Harry that they were running late for dinner. Harry grimaced. He hadn't even noticed that he was hungry. Madam Pomfrey and Mrs Weasley would have his guts if he didn't turn up for dinner.

Chapter End Notes

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Late Night Conversations

Chapter Summary

Just a few conversations in Mother Magic's realm.

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

After a particularly long lecture on muggle advancements and technology, Harry wanted nothing more than to go to bed, but Ron and Hermione had wanted to talk to him. He hadn't been spending as much time with them as usual and he certainly missed them. The last month had been... Well, there weren't really words for quite how overwhelming it had been. His friends had their own stuff going on too. Ron was surprisingly devoted to the idea of creating his own line of brooms and Hermione was working hard to spend as much time with her parents as possible.

They'd been having a lot of long conversations about her behaviour. It bothered Hermione that they seemed to blame themselves. They seemed to think that they'd taught her wrong or something. Hermione wasn't completely sure why. She didn't think she was that bad. Sure, these books were painting her in a pretty bad light but she'd certainly always tried to be a good friend. The problem was she wasn't actually sure what that meant. From what the teachers said, she seemed to have confused roles... Parent. Teacher. Friend. And more often than not, behaved more like one of the former two instead of just being Harry and Ron's friend.

That was something she wanted to fix. Although she wasn't completely sure how. Habits were hard to break and even here she was tempted to correct their behaviour almost constantly. Less so with Harry... Ron, however... Someone really needed to teach him to eat with his mouth closed. And she just couldn't fathom why he wasn't attending the lessons any more. She knew why Harry wasn't. And it was true enough that most of the older ones were either attending different lessons to their younger selves or using the time to help Harry and the adults with some of the new plans that were forming.

But Ron wasn't doing any of that.

Sighing deeply, Hermione reminded herself that she wasn't Ron's parent or teacher and tried to let it go. She didn't need to know what he was up to. More importantly, she wanted to make sure they were both okay. Especially Harry. This couldn't be easy for him. Having his entire life read from a book and in such a public way.

"I feel like I haven't really seen either of you for ages," Hermione said, sitting down in front of the fire, "except at meals and readings, that is."

"Yeah, it's been a bit manic," Harry said with a sigh. "I've been busy with the plans for the new school and talking to the goblins. And now I have the teachers on my back about changes I'd like made to Hogwarts."

"They want you to make changes at Hogwarts?" Ron asked.

"Well, no. They want to make changes," Harry explained. "But as I technically own half the school, I have the right to veto changes, so it makes sense to come to me before they get too far ahead, in case I don't like it."

"But if it's to improve the school why would you veto?" Hermione asked, confused. She sounded slightly huffy but Harry knew her and knew that was how she always sounded when she didn't quite understand.

"Humans don't always agree on what counts as an improvement," Harry said with a cheeky grin. "I mean if they told me they were bringing back security trolls, I'd veto it."

"Well, yes. But surely they wouldn't," Hermione said while Ron chuckled.

"We can only hope not," Harry said with a sigh. "So far, it's been quite productive. They also wanted to know if I had any more ideas."

"Oh!" Hermione grew excited. "What did you tell them?"

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Er... I recommended starting a student council," Harry said.

"How would you arrange it?" Hermione asked. "Would it be democratic?"

"Two students elected by their peers from each house and year. Except maybe first year. They have enough to be getting on with, just finding their way to lessons."

"Forty-eight students," Ron said, doing the math. "But what would this council do?"

"Act as a liason between the students and teachers, even the headmaster and the board of governors," Hermione began in a rush. "Bring forward any ideas the student body has, requests for new resources or classes. Anything really. They do it in the muggle world. It's really good and it teaches responsibility."

Ron nodded his head. He definitely didn't want to be on that council. It sounded like a lot of work and he wanted to focus on his brooms. Ron decided to change the topic of conversation.

"So, er, how are you doing, mate?" Ron asked. "I mean, this has been awful for all of us but it must be worse for you."

Harry grimaced. "It's only going to get worse."

Ron nodded. He wasn't wrong there.

"It's good though," Hermione said. "As much as loath everyone telling me off constantly, it's nice to know things are actually going to change because of this."

Both Harry and Ron smirked at her.

"Are your parents talking to you again?" Harry asked. He knew they seemed to be in the chamber but he wasn't sure that actually meant things were better.

"They're still hurt and I don't think they trust me," Hermione said, her eyes downcast. "I really disappointed them and these books aren't helping. But we're having family counselling with the mind healers and that's been helping. They understand why I did what I did, but they feel I need to learn that other people have autonomy."

Neither Ron or Harry knew quite what to say.

"And... Well, I think they might be right," Hermione said. "I've been thinking back, you know with the books bringing everything back up, and I sort of do just steamroll over things. Don't I?"

"Sometimes, yeah," Harry said quietly.

Ron looked at him like he thought he was mental, before glancing at Hermione as if waiting for her to explode.

"I'll do better," Hermione said. "And I'm going to try and talk about it with my younger self. I still don't really understand what Mother Magic meant by we'd merge together. Will our consciousnesses just combine or will some be lost from both... It's kind of scary to be honest. And I don't want her making the same mistakes."

"I think we'll just combine," Harry said with a shrug. He wasn't sure how he knew it but he knew this wasn't something they had to worry about. "Mother Magic will make sure we're still ourselves."

Both Ron and Hermione looked slightly relieved. Although Hermione looked like she wanted to find an appropriate book to confirm what Harry was saying.

"Have you guys noticed that Seamus has been acting weird?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione said sharply. "He's barely talking to Neville and Neville doesn't know what he did wrong."

"Neville hasn't done anything," Harry said with a sigh. "Seamus just needs a few days to come to terms with a shock."

"How do you know that?" Ron and Hermione both asked.

"Er... He didn't say anything. I just saw..." He didn't want to tell them that he saw the look on his face when he read his inheritance test results. It wasn't any of their business what was written there. "Anyway, I'm sure he'll work it out."

Ron huffed. "Rather he wasn't being a complete git though. He went off on me earlier today because we were all talking about our inheritance tests and he didn't want to share his. He could have just said no."

"Talking about inheritance tests," Hermione said. "Harry, you're a prince!"

"Argh. Don't remind me." Harry shuddered. "If it wasn't enough that I was the Boy-Who-Lived, I'm now a bloody prince."

"It's kind of cool though," Hermione said. "You'll be able to make some real changes."

"Yeah, I guess. Beats being an auror at least," Harry said. He'd had enough fighting criminal wannabe dark lords for a lifetime. Two lifetimes even. "Let's talk about you, Hermione... Umbridge?"

"Just thinking about being related to that toad makes me want to throw up," Hermione said, grimacing.

Both boys laughed, although not cruelly. "Just think if Meda can find a way to help Squibs access their magic, your dad might be Lord Umbridge one day."

Hermione groaned. She did not want to even consider it. Although it would be brilliant if her parents could get access to their magic, she didn't want to think about that toad.

Meanwhile, Arcturus, Remus, and Sirius were sitting together in the living room off their chambers. Severus had chosen to join them for a nightcap and was sitting next to Sirius on the sofa with the other two men in a pair of armchairs. They were in a rather heated discussion about how they could guarantee that Harry have a real chance at a childhood once they returned to the new timeline.

"Well, Harry owns quite a tidy share of the Daily Prophet," Sirius said. "The Potter family has a ten percent share, Peverell has seven and Myrrddin has thirty. So, I'm pretty sure we can keep the press away from him."

That allowed all of the other men to relax slightly. They had feared what the press would do. While there were plenty of laws governing the press's behaviour, they tended to go ignored. And it would be better if they didn't have to take constant legal action against the country's main paper.

"My biggest concern," Severus said, "is that I struggle to see how any of these children won't just die of boredom when they come to Hogwarts. Repeating all seven years, will be mind numbing. While I admit some of them might benefit from it." He hadn't been very impressed by their potion skills. Just what had his older self been teaching them?

"I agree," Arcturus said. "We'll need to talk to the teachers. Perhaps they could take more advanced courses alongside their schooling. Self-study, perhaps?"

The others all nodded.

"Although if Harry gets his way and new classes are added," Remus said, "that will definitely help."

"Everyone does seem surprisingly willing to listen to Harry," Sirius said, leaning slightly towards Severus. Their thighs were touching and although neither of them had said or done anything, neither pulled away. He silently wondered if he could ask Severus on a date. But what really counted as a date in Mother Magic's realm?

Their conversation died off when Harry joined them.

"Have fun with your friends?" Remus asked kindly.

"Sure. We just talked." Harry shrugged. "Hermione isn't happy about being related to Delores Umbridge."

"Can't blame her," Remus said, his eyes flashing. "I can't stand the woman."

"Me neither," Harry sighed, his fingers running along the scar on the back of his hand.

"Do you have anything you want to warn us about," Arcturus asked, "with the reading tomorrow. I've already had one heart attack and would rather avoid a second."

"I will be entered into the Triwizard Tournament," Harry said with a sigh. "But I didn't do it."

That wasn't really surprising. They'd all thought that was inevitable.

"Nothing else?" Sirius pressed.

"I don't think so. Unless we read about the first task tomorrow," Harry said with a yawn. "That will probably require an abundant supply of calming draughts."

Severus nodded. Appreciating the warning.

"And why is that?" Remus asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Er... The most important thing is that I'm fine and that task was probably the hardest out of the three. For me, at least."

They all nodded before Remus stretched and said he was going to go to bed. Soon they had all left for their own chambers, except Sirius and Severus. They sat there silently for several minutes. Neither saying anything. They weren't even looking at each other. Sirius had his eyes shut, head resting on the back of the sofa, while Severus stared into space. He glanced at the other man and made a rash decision. Leaning forward, he gently kissed the other man. It didn't stay gentle for long as Sirius's eyes snapped open. He pulled Severus closer, wrapping his arms around him as he opened his mouth to give Severus's tongue access.

Severus sighed. Sometimes behaving like a silly lion wasn't so bad.

Chapter End Notes

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The Goblet of Fire Part 1

Chapter Summary

DAY THIRTY-TWO IN THE CHAMBER...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The next morning absolutely no one complained about their training exercises with Moody and Bones. Even Ron felt like he was finally getting the hang of it. Although, Harry suspected the two aurors were going to be taking it up a notch now that everyone was finding it relatively easy. They all wandered through from breakfast, bright eyed and ready for the next chapter. Harry didn't feel anywhere near as excited as the others and he noticed that his younger self seemed to be apprehensive too. Harry had told him bits and pieces about his time at Hogwarts and he knew all about the tournament.

Young Harry was one person that Harry felt deserved to know as much as possible before reading it in the books.

Of course, many of the others probably deserved to know too. But he didn't feel quite the same sense of responsibility for them. Sirius had made a point of reminding him that he wasn't responsible for his welfare but rather the other way around. So, Harry was trying to follow that advice even if it was just in small little ways.

Harry had noticed that Sirius and Severus were behaving differently at breakfast. For several days now, they had sat together at meals but Harry suspected they were holding hands under the table. Considering one of them used to be a spy, they weren't very good at hiding things. It was strange to imagine them together. In the previous timeline, they'd absolutely loathed each other. But he had to admit they sort of worked together. Sirius could make Severus smile, which seemed actually sort of miraculous and Severus reined Sirius in when he was getting worked up.

I don't believe it!" ... "Krum, Harry! Viktor Krum!"

Ron blushed heavily because now Viktor Krum knew just how big a fan he was.

"For heaven's sake, ... player," said Hermione.

Krum barked a laugh at that.

"Only a Quidditch ... still at school!"

"My parents insisted," Krum said. "They wanted to make sure I had options for when my professional career ended. Can't play forever."

As they recrossed ... their pockets as they walked -

Krum rolled his eyes.

"Oh I don't believe it, ... sign my hat in lipstick?"

Several people laughed.

"Really," ... now squabbling over the lipstick.

Hermione's parents both chuckled. Their daughter really wasn't like most girls.

"Lockhart," Ron coughed.

"I'm getting his autograph if I can," ... where they should sit.

"Why not add additional tables?" Remus asked. "Or at least make sure they knew where to sit?"

Minerva frowned. She's been so busy with preparations that she hadn't actually thought of where they would sit at the feast.

The students from Beauxbatons ... shawls around their heads.

"We were freezing," Fleur said. "Our uniform is not designed to be worn in a drafty castle in Scotland."

"It's not that cold," ... "Why didn't they bring cloaks?"

"Hermione!" Mrs Granger said. "That was uncalled for."

Hermione grimaced.

"We were instructed to wear our school's most formal uniform for our arrival," Fleur explained. "Our uniform is not designed to keep us warm. Not only is our school in the south of France but it is also under strong climate control wards. Most days, it is as warm as it is on the equator, so neither our formal uniform or day to day uniform are suitable for Hogwarts. But especially the formal. It is made from the finest Acromantula silk."

"Sorry, Fleur," Hermione said but the older witch just brushed it off.

"It is no problem," she said.

"Why doesn't Hogwarts have a formal uniform?" Harry asked.

"it was believed to be an unnecessary expense," Minerva answered.

"When would it be worn?" Harry asked.

"Traditionally, it was worn to all feasts and any school balls. Not to mention graduation," Minerva said. "And potentially any ceremonial events that might arise if you were lets say given Special Awards for Services to the School."

"But we got those awards and there wasn't a ceremony," Ron blustered.

"Those ceremonies were also seen as an unnecessary expense," Minerva muttered.

"Well, now that the school funding issue is being dealt with," Harry said, "maybe we can bring that all back."

The teachers all nodded eagerly. They'd quite liked their formal robes in their school days. The kids however were looking at Harry like they thought he was mad.

"Over here! ... make a space -"

The twins both laughed at their brother's expense.

"What?" ... speak to Krum.

Draco smirked. Yes, he had enjoyed lording that over Potter.

"Yeah, that's right, ... fawning over him all the time...

"You wanted to do the same thing!" Hermione huffed.

Ron went slightly pink around the ears. "Well... Yeah. I guess."

He didn't like being compared to Malfoy.

Where d'you reckon ... I could kip on a camp bed."

Harry just rolled his eyes. He couldn't help but wonder if this was what Ron had been like before becoming his friend. Had Harry just been another famous person he wanted to meet?

Hermione snorted ... apparently impressed.

"We do not eat off of gold plates at Durmstrang," Viktor said. "I presume it is to help the House elves since their magic resonates with the gold, making the magic more sustainable across the distance from the kitchen to the hall."

"Quite right, Mr Krum!" Filius said with delight.

Up at the staff table, Filch, the caretaker, was adding chairs.

"Seems a bit last minute to be adding extra chairs," Sirius said as he glanced towards Severus, biting his lip slightly. He still couldn't believe they spent well over an hour last night making out like teenagers on the sofa.

"Some things were clearly forgotten," Minerva huffed. She didn't like being reminded that she hadn't thought of everything.

"It's a small thing," Narcissa said, "but it does make our guests seem less welcome."

Minerva looked ready to hex her but Narcissa wasn't finished.

"It's unreasonable to expect Professor McGonagall to remember everything. She is the deputy headmistress, head of Gryffindor and the sole teacher for a core class. Honestly, I find it astounding more hasn't been... forgotten."

"I... Well, I do what I must," Minerva said, slightly molified.

"And I commend you for it," Narcissa said with a smile, "I only wish that it had not been necessary. I hope it can be avoided in the future. Better to do one or two jobs outstandingly, than do three satisfactory."

Minerva sighed. The woman was right. "When we aim for acceptable," she muttered to herself, "we risk getting a dreadful."

He was wearing his moldy old tailcoat ... who else is coming?"

"The other judges I suspect," Sirius said.

"Eh?" said Ron vaguely ... leapt to their feet.

"At Beauxbaton we are taught to show our teachers respect," Fleur said.

A few of the Hogwarts ... Dumbledore's left-hand side.

"Such lovely manners," Narcissa commented.

Dumbledore remained standing ... comfortable and enjoyable."

Fleur and Viktor shared a look. They weren't sure that was how they would describe their stay.

One of the Beauxbatons girls ... bristling at her.

Mrs Granger tutted. What did Hermione have against the students from Beauxbaton?

"The tournament will be officially ... engage him in conversation.

The aurors exchanged looks. They didn't like the idea of Karkaroff being there.

The plates in front of them ... several that were definitely foreign.

"It's a shame we don't have more variety the rest of the time," Blaise said. "I really miss Italian food when I come to school."

"Oh, we could have a monthly dinner where we experience food from a specific country," young Harry said. "They did that at my primary school. I liked it when they did Italy and we got to eat pizza for lunch."

"What's that?" ... "Bless you," said Ron.

Everyone laughed.

"It's French," ... helping himself to black pudding.

Everyone looked at Ron in confusion. He wouldn't try shellfish but he'd happily eat black pudding?

The Great Hall seemed somehow ... wearing robes of a deep bloodred.

"It's a shame we could not bring more," Fleur said. "I know Madame Maxime wanted to bring twenty, but Hogwarts refused."

"It is especially unfair when you think that only ten students from Beauxbaton and Durmstrang had the opportunity to enter," Krum said. "But almost two whole year groups of Hogwarts students had the same chance."

The adults murmured their agreement. That did not seem fair.

Hagrid sidled into the Hall ... "Thrivin'," Hagrid called back happily.

At least a handful of people rolled their eyes.

"Yeah, I'll just bet they are," ... Hagrid's fingers."

Sirius chuckled at that.

At that moment, ... except a faint gurgling noise.

Fleur blushed. She hadn't realised that it had been her that they'd heard laugh.

"Yeah, have it," ... "Yeah, it was excellent."

Bill laughed. He knew his youngest brother had had a bit of a crush on his wife. But he wasn't sure he wanted to read about it.

The girl picked up the dish ... "She's a veela!" he said hoarsely to Harry.

"I'm impressed you picked up my heritage so quickly," Fleur said with a small smile.

Her grandmother shook her head. "It might have something to do with you using your allure to get what you want, dearest."

Fleur gave a small laugh. "Most likely."

"Of course she isn't!" ... gaping at her like an idiot!"

"Hermione!" Mrs Granger said crossly. "I really don't know where this attitude is coming from."

Hermione grimaced. She didn't want to admit in front of the entire chamber that she was jealous because of her stupid crush on Ron. Looking back over their time at school she was beginning to reconsider that crush. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life bickering with her husband.

But she wasn't entirely right ... just like Ron.

Isabeau glared at her granddaughter. She knew better than to let her allure run wild like that. It was dangerous. Especially because Fleur had less defenses as she was not a full blooded Veela.

"I'm telling you, ... like that at Hogwarts!"

The girls in the chamber all looked deeply offended.

"They make them okay at Hogwarts," ... girl with the silvery hair.

Someone wolf whistled. It looked like Harry's crush on the Ravenclaw seeker was still going strong.

"When you've both ... to be here to see it start."

Barty struggled to keep his cool. He didn't like hearing about his father. At Tom's urging - and wasn't that weird, calling the Dark Lord Tom - he had been having almost daily sessions with one of the mind healers. He wasn't sure if it was helping or not.

When the second course arrived ... did not come over to get it.

Bill frowned. Yes, he definitely didn't want to hear about his brother's crush.

Once the golden plates ... great concentration.

Mrs Weasley grimaced at that. She didn't want to even imagine how terrifying it would have been if one of her boys was entered. It had been bad enough having Harry compete. But the twins especially... Didn't they realise that it would separate them? It was one of the few reasons, Molly was relieved they were going back, not only would they be able to prevent Fred's death, something she personally was deeply grateful for, but it would save George from living without him.

They had a magical bond that few would ever understand. It was why they had a dual lordship. While somethings might be separate for them, the majority of their lives would always be combined. She hadn't told them about the lordship growing up because she wanted them to mature a little first, live like children, but now she wondered if she'd done them a disservice. Their inventions really were ingenious.

"The moment has come," ... we bring in the casket -"

"Casket?" Mr Granger asked. "It sounds more like a funeral than a competition."

"The what?" ... he looked so much more likable.

Barty worked through the coping mechanisms that the mind healers had been teaching him.

He acknowledged it ... judge the champions' efforts."

Sirius grimaced. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what happened during the tournament.

At the mention of the word "champions," ... his head hardly rose above anyone else's.

The younger kids all sat forward, anticipating clear in their expressions.

"The instructions for the tasks ... their ability to cope with danger."

Sirius huffed. "These tasks better be safer."

He noticed that the teachers all shuffled slightly in their chairs, not able to meet his eye. Clearly that was a no.

At this last word, ... the Goblet of Fire."

Harry felt slightly sick. His younger self took his hand and smiled sadly up at him.

Dumbledore now took out his wand ... dancing blue-white flames.

"Wow," young Ron murmured.

Dumbledore closed the casket ... all those wishing to compete.

Both Fleur and Viktor shook their heads at that. Freely accessible to Hogwarts students more like. More than a few of their friends had wanted to come to Hogwarts for the tournament too but had been refused.

"To ensure that no underage student ... will be able to cross this line.

The aurors sat forward. At least there would be some security but they all had a sneaky suspicion that Potter's name would end up coming out of the goblet regardless.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you ... constitutes a binding, magical contract.

"That should have been changed," Minerva said crossly. She'd argued against using the goblet. But everyone thought she was overreacting until a fourth year ended up being forced to compete.

There can be no change of heart ... Good night to you all."

"What would happen if you broke the contract?" George asked.

"It depends," Sirius said. "It really depends what is written into the contract. It could be anything from a temporary loss of magic to a loss of a family gift or worse still, a complete loss of magic, or even your life."

"WHAT?" several of the children cried out.

"Why would you do that to school kids?" young Charlie asked. "I mean, sure, they're of age, but they're still at school. That's..."

"Not ethical," Mr Granger said sternly.

"I fully agree," Minerva said tersely. "I argued against using the goblet but was outvoted as it is tradition."

"An Age Line!" ... Aging Potion, shouldn't it?

Albus's eyes twinkled. No. His age line would not be fooled by an aging potion.

And once your name's ... "we just haven't learned enough... "

George sighed deeply. "Hermione, Fred and I were only a few months away from turning seventeen. We were in the same year as Cedric. Sometimes, it feels like you forget that we're actually older than you and have learned more than you."

"But you don't study!" Hermione huffed.

"Of course, we do," George countered. "We just don't broadcast it."

"Speak for yourself," ... won't you, Harry?"

"Of course, he won't!" Young Hermione said. "It's against the rules."

Harry thought briefly ... find a way to get over the Age Line.

"I believe I would be more disappointed than angry," Albus said. "After all, I was trying to protect the students."

"Where is he?" ... mulled wine from the kitchens?"

Viktor rolled his eyes at the special treatment.

Harry saw Krum shake his head ... disgusting boy -"

Viktor glared at the book. He really didn't like the headmaster.

Karkaroff turned ... And then Karkaroff froze.

The chamber grew tense as they waited to see how Karkaroff would react to meeting Harry Potter.

He turned his head back to Harry ... pointed openly at Harry's forehead.

"This was the first time I realised I was famous outside of Britain," Harry admitted.

"Yeah, that's Harry Potter," ... mingled fury and fear came over him.

Moody grinned. That man might not be him, but it was still nice to know that the sight of him could still inspire terror in a death eater.

"You!" ... You're blocking the doorway."

Everyone was silent, waiting to see what would happen. The younger ones were wondering why Moody didn't seem to like Karkaroff.

It was true; ... intense dislike upon his mutilated face.

Moody wondered at that. He was trying to piece together who was impersonating him and every little clue mattered.

Chapter End Notes

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The Goblet of Fire Part 2

Chapter Summary

Our characters continue reading the chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

As the next day was Saturday, ... they usually did on weekends.

The teachers all groaned. They usually loved Saturday mornings because the school was relatively quiet and they were able to catch up on their paperwork.

When they went down ... around it in every direction.

Everyone listened excitably to hear who would enter their name.

"Anyone put their name in yet?" ... "I would've if it had been me...

Sirius laughed. Harry was so different from James. James would have wanted everyone to know.

wouldn't have wanted ... right back out again?"

Everyone laughed at that idea.

Someone laughed behind Harry ... dung brains," said Fred.

Mrs Weasley tutted. That wasn't very kind.

"One drop each," ... if one of us wins," said Lee, grinning broadly.

Lee and George exchanged looks, remembering their beards.

"I'm not sure ... will have thought of this."

Albus nodded his head sagely. There was no way he'd have forgotten about aging potions.

Fred, George ... stepped over the line.

Most of the chamber seemed to be holding their breaths.

For a split second ... identical long white beards.

Laughter erupted all throughout the chamber.

The entrance hall ... Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff,

"See, it was obvious it wouldn't work," Hermione huffed.

"Hermione, no one wants to be told I told you so," Mrs Granger murmured quietly. "People have to learn from their own mistakes. But when they do, it really isn't necessary to rub those same mistakes in their faces."

Hermione blushed. That hadn't been her intention.

both of whom ... like as fine as yours."

"You did have exception beards," Lee said with a chuckle.

The twins exchanged a look, that would make an excellent prank.

Fred and George set off ... who looks like a sloth."

Warrington glared at Dean. "I do not look like a sloth, thank you."

Harry, who had played Quidditch ... a Slytherin champion!"

The Slytherins all rolled their eyes.

"And all the Hufflepuffs ... risk his good looks."

Cedric laughed good-naturedly at that.

"Listen!" ... "Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!"

The Gryffindors in the chamber all cheered for Angelina.

"You're kidding!" ... can't see a beard, can you?" said Ron.

Several people tried to imagine what Angelina would look like with a beard.

"I had my birthday ... you get it, Angelina!"

Hermione's parents smiled. This was the first time they'd seen Hermione interact with another girl in the books, now they thought about it.

"Thanks, ... scowl heavily at him.

"Mr Finnigan!" Minerva said automatically.

"Sorry professor," Seamus muttered.

"It's not me you should be apologising to," Minerva huffed.

"Sorry, Diggory," Seamus added.

"No worries," Cedric replied with a shrug.

"What're we going ... visit Hagrid yet," said Harry.

"I'm surprised you're willing to risk it with the skrewts," Remus said.

"Okay," ... get the badges?"

Hagrid rolled his eyes. He had more sense than to try and control the house elves.

"What is it with her?" ... watching eagerly.

Bill groaned. "Veela girl? Please tell me that was not what you called her."

"No," Ron said with a slight blush. "We just didn't know her name yet."

Madame Maxime entered the hall ... watch the tournament?"

"Of course, we would stay," Fleur said. "It was our duty to our school and champion."

"Dunno," ... staring after them.

"What's your obsession with knowing where everyone is sleeping?" Fred asked. "Do you regularly ask where the teachers and headmaster sleep?"

"No. I guess, they have their own quarters somewhere in the castle," Ron blustered.

A loud rattling noise ... across the lawn with Madame Maxime.

Bill was not enjoying this one bit. When he first learned of Ron's crush, he had thought it was funny, but now, it was just weird hearing so much about it.

As they neared Hagrid's cabin ... a makeshift paddock alongside it.

"It was magically enlarged to include a classroom, several bedrooms and a common area," Fleur said. "We could even have meals there as there was a kitchen but Madame Maxime told us we needed to eat in the castle with our hosts."

Harry knocked ... forgotten where I live!"

Hagrid grinned at the trio of friends.

"We've been really busy, Hag -" ... Hermione goggled at him,

Hagrid blushed. He thought he looked quite nice.

then, obviously deciding ... they've started killin' each other."

"How sad," Draco muttered to Theo.

"Oh no, really?" ... Hagrid missed the sarcasm.

Hagrid frowned at that. Had they really hated the skrewts that much?

Hagrid's cabin comprised ... ah, but I'm not supposed ter say."

Minerva sighed. Hagrid could not be trusted to keep a secret.

"Go on, Hagrid!" ... Triwizard Tournament played again!"

"For good reason," Remus muttered.

They ended up having lunch ... lost their appetites.

Several of the students looked rather green.

However, they enjoyed themselves ... she showed him her badges.

Everyone stayed quiet. They had, they hoped, made a good enough defense for the house elf bond.

"It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, ... an' insutin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em."

Hermione's parents sighed. Why hadn't Hermione listened to this advice? Then maybe she could have found out more about it. Preferably from house elves themselves.

"But Harry set Dobby free ... no, nothin' doin', Hermione."

Hermione sighed. She had finally accepted that she might have been wrong about house elves. She'd spoken to one of them this morning before defense and Mindee had made quite a few good points.

Hermione looked very cross ... cloak pocket.

"You can't force people to agree with you, dear," Mrs Granger said softly.

By half past five ... the school champions.

The children in the chamber grew restless with excitement. They were practically bouncing in their seats.

"I'll come with yeh," ... "Don' yeh like it?"

Hagrid frowned. He didn't think it smelled that bad. He quite liked the scent.

"Is that aftershave?" ... "I'll go take it off, hang on. . . "

No one said anything about this. They were all far too excited for the announcement of the champions.

He stumped out ... the baby dragon, Norbert.

Hagrid was blushing heavily now.

"He's going up to the castle ... waiting for us!"

Several people laughed. Hagrid had clearly forgotten all about them.

"Sorry," Hagrid muttered.

Without so much ... weigh about a ton."

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley screeched.

"What? I was probably right. If they had a baby, it wouldn't be very small, would it?" Ron said crossly. "I mean they're both half giant."

"It's not polite to comment on that," Molly said.

"Well, in fairness to Ron," Hermione said, "he didn't realise that Hagrid was half giant at the time."

They let themselves out ... proceeded through them.

Krum sighed. Having fans was the worst part of his job. Why didn't they understand he just wanted to play quidditch?

When they entered the candlelit Great Hall ... their second feast in two days,

"That does seem excessive," Remus said.

"Not ideal for you, Mr Potter," Poppy said. "Your stomach would have done better without the rich food."

Harry didn't seem to fancy ... who had been selected as champions.

"Should we place bets?" Fred asked.

"I like that plan," George said.

"I don't think so!" young Mrs Weasley said.

"Isn't it obvious?" young Hermione asked.

The twins looked at her. "Hermione, we don't," George began.

"Care that it's," Fred said.

"Obvious," George continued.

"We care that it's," Fred added.

"Bet worthy," the twins finished together.

"But everyone knows it will be Krum and Fleur and Cedric," Hermione huffed.

"Do they?" the twins asked.

"They're the only students from the other schools that have been mentioned," Hermione said. "And Cedric... Well, I don't know why I think it will be him."

The twins sighed. She'd just ruined their fun.

At long last, ... winking at various students.

"You know that's kind of creepy," Hermione said.

Mr. Crouch, however, ... receiving their first instructions."

Looking around the chamber, Harry wondered if everyone had forgotten how to breathe.

He took out his wand ... two seats away from Harry.

The anticipation was building in the chamber. Sirius looked ready to hex the book with how long it was making them wait. He wanted to know how the teachers would react to what was going to happen.

The flames inside the goblet ... "will be Viktor Krum."

Young Hermione gave the twins a look that clearly said I told you so.

"No surprises there!" ... "Knew you had it in you!"

Krum rolled his eyes.

The clapping and chatting ... "is Fleur Delacour!"

Everyone smiled over at Fleur.

"It's her, Ron!" ... sobbing with their heads on their arms.

"Of course, they were disappointed," Fleur laughed. "We all wanted to compete."

When Fleur Delacour ... "is Cedric Diggory!"

Cedric blinked. He hadn't really expected that. Sure, he would have entered if given the chance but to actually compete? His dad would be proud, at least.

"No! " ... every ounce of support you can muster.

"They're going to need it," Sirius muttered angrily.

By cheering your champion on, ... another piece of parchment.

Everyone in the chamber sat forward. They knew what was coming. The book was about Harry Potter so of course his name was going to come out the goblet.

Automatically, it seemed, ... cleared his throat and read out -

There were sharp intakes of breath all throughout the chamber.

"Harry Potter."

Sirius glared at the headmaster and then the book. He needed to know what happened next. How did they resolve this? There had to be a way out of that contract. There just had to be.

"So much for personally guaranteeing that no underage students were entered," Severus said angrily.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter is going to be interesting...

The Four Champions

Chapter Summary

Another chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Harry sat there, ... look at him.

Both Harrys groaned. They hated being the centre of attention.

He was stunned... He had not heard correctly.

Everyone in the chamber was staring at Harry too.

There was no applause.

Minerva huffed. Of course, there had been no applause. They were all shocked beyond such things. In fact, it was worse than shock. She had felt terror freeze her veins.

A buzzing, ... frozen, in his seat.

"Aren't any of you going to say something?" Sirius shot angrily at the teachers. What were they doing?

Up at the top table, ... frowning slightly.

"I told him Mr Potter needed to leave the hall before all hell broke lose," Minerva said with a sigh.

"Bad idea," Sirius said. "What he needs to do is make a vow on his magic that he did not enter himself in the tournament or ask someone else to. That would put any rumours to bed."

"You can't seriously be advocating for a child making a magical vow, Sirius!" Molly cried.

"Under the circumstances, yes, I am," Sirius said sharply. "This is going to be awful. They're all going to turn on him."

"They wouldn't do that," the younger teachers said, only to go quiet when Harry glared at them. Not to mention the others in the room were all looking down at the marble floor, clearly ashamed. It would seem that they had overestimated their students.

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione ... "You know I didn't."

"Of course, I knew that," Hermione said softly.

"You didn't say it," Harry muttered, causing Hermione to flinch.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said. "I should have."

Harry shrugged. "I get it. It was shocking."

Ron didn't say anything. He was glaring at the fire, feeling more ashamed than anyone else in the chamber, or at least he thought so.

Both of them stared just as blankly back.

Sirius sighed. This wasn't good. If even his friends had nothing to say to support him.

At the top table, ... Up here, if you please!"

Harry frowned. He hated reading about this.

"Go on," ... a slight push.

Hermione frowned. She should have at least said something reassuring.

Harry got to his feet, ... an immensely long walk;

No one spoke. They were all too horrified to utter a single word.

the top table ... teachers upon him.

Sirius almost growled. Where were the reassurances? He paused.

"You all thought he'd entered himself?" he said, feeling strangely defeated.

The teachers grimaced, but said nothing. Even Minerva bit her lip, frowning heavily.

"In fairness, I was always running into danger," Harry muttered.

"To save someone else's life," Severus said. "Or because Voldemort was up to something. NEVER because you just damn well felt like it."

Minerva huffed. It was a sad day when Severus Snape believed better of Harry Potter than she had.

"Well. . . through the door, Harry," ... He wasn't smiling.

"That's it?" Remus asked. "That's all you said to him?"

Harry moved off along the teachers' table... he passed like everyone else.

"I was scared out of ma mind," Hagrid said. "Didn't think for a second, you'd put yer name in."

Harry went through the door ... started whispering in his ear.

"Even the portraits are gossiping," Narcissa huffed. The boy didn't need to see that. He needed a hug.

"I want to know what you told the students," Sirius demanded.

"They weren't told anything," Minerva sighed. "We just sent them all off to bed."

Sirius groaned. That was even worse. "Please tell me you rectified that after speaking to Harry."

No one said anything.

Sirius glared at them all. "I don't even know what to say to you. I can't put into words how disappointing you all are. You're supposed to be educators. It is literally your job to safeguard these children and you can't even do that properly. Never mind, I presume you at least managed to get my son his OWLs and NEWTs."

Actually..." Harry muttered.

Sirius's eyes widened. "That's it. Unless my son has good reason to attend your school, Hogwarts is now off the table."

Everyone stared at him in horror. The Boy-Who-Lived, the magical prince, couldn't not attend Hogwarts. Not to mention, they actually liked Harry... Both Minerva and Sprout looked close to tears and Flitwick had his eyes closed tight as he silently shook his head at his own stupidity.

Viktor Krum, ... staring into the fire.

"That must have been intimidating," Cedric said. He couldn't really imagine himself at seventeen but he wouldn't like to go against three seventeen year olds either.

Fleur Delacour looked around ... "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

"I thought you were a messenger," Fleur said apologetically. "I didn't think that you could possibly..."

Harry grimaced. He knew exactly what Fleur had thought of him. She'd called him a little boy.

She thought he had come ... very tall all of them were.

Poppy frowned. "That's partly because of their age but also your growth was stunted by malnutrition. I couldn't counter the damage done each summer and deal with the earlier malnutrition... I'm sorry." She really felt like she'd failed him.

There was a sound ... "Absolutely extraordinary!

"Is he insane?" Remus growled, eyes flashing.

Gentlemen. . . lady," ... the fourth Triwizard champion?"

Everyone stared at the book, completely dumbfounded.

Viktor Krum straightened up... "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman. "

"It did sound like a joke," Krum said. "No offence, but what he said just did not make sense."

Fleur nodded in agreement.

"Joke?" ... 'E is too young. "

"EXACTLY!" Sirius spat angrily.

"Well. . . it is amazing," ... Harry will just have to do the best he -"

"I'd like a copy of those rules," Remus muttered and with a flash of white light a book appeared on the table before him. He quickly picked it up and started skimming through it, silently thanking Mother Magic.

The door behind them opened again ... Professor McGonagall closed the door.

"There better be a damn investigation!" Sirius said, arms crossed.

"Madame Maxime!" ... little boy is to compete also!"

Fleur blushed. "Sorry, Harry."

Somewhere under Harry's ... Little boy?

George smirked at him.

Madame Maxime had drawn herself ... I not read the rules carefully enough?"

Sirius got to his feet and began pacing. He understood that this was a political nightmare for the school and ministry but he really didn't care about that. All that mattered to him was that Harry was in danger. AGAIN.

He gave a short ... It is most injust. "

Moody frowned. "Well, they're not wrong."

"We were under the impression ... candidates from our own schools. "

Krum grimaced. That had been a particularly sour spot for their headmaster. He had been furious that they'd not been allowed to bring more students. Even of age students.

"It's no one's fault but Potter's, Karkaroff," ... ever since he arrived here -"

Severus frowned. He really hated his older self in these books. He could sort of understand the resentment. Almost. Especially if he thought Harry had been raised the way Dumbledore had always told him. Not to mention if Draco had been lying about their interactions. But that still didn't excuse the behaviour.

"Thank you, Severus," ... the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly.

Sirius nodded. Finally someone was going to find answers. Although he did wonder if he was giving Dumbledore too much credit.

"No," said Harry... ignoring Snape.

"Would that have worked?" George asked.

Albus frowned. He wasn't sure. He thought back to everything he knew about the tournament. "I don't think so," he said eventually. "At least, not with Harry being a fourth champion. If he was the Hogwarts champion, perhaps."

"So, all we had to do was get Angelina to put our names in?" George said in disbelief. "I'm amazed there weren't more underaged people that entered."

There was a murmur of agreement around the chamber.

"No," ... his lip curling.

Harry tensed. He hated being called a liar.

"He could not ... all agreed on that -"

"You're not even going to defend your student?" Sirius said bitterly. "Your his head of house and instead of supporting him, you're defending the headmaster?"

"I..." Minerva went silent.

"Yes. I know. You thought he'd entered himself," Sirius retorted furiously, "because you forgot that he is NOT JAMES POTTER!"

Minerva grimaced.

"Again and again, you have believed the worst of him," Sirius said. "You're no better than Snape! In fact, you're worse. At least, Snape had the decency to be honest about his prejudice. He said it right to Harry's face. You're just like your father! You make me sick, you two-faced old windbag."

Sirius turned away, he could feel his magic welling up inside him, angry and bitter and dark. There was a time that might have scared him. Being a dark wizard wasn't something he'd ever been proud of, until he came to this chamber and was given the opportunity to re-assess things. His magic might be dark but that didn't make him evil. Taking a deep breath, Sirius went to Severus and requested a calming draught. He downed the vial of potion the other man gave him before grabbing him by the arm and pulling him out of his chair and over to the sofa he was sharing with the two Harrys. Harry flicked his wand, extending the sofa so Severus could join them as Sirius curled into Severus's side, surprising everyone in the chamber.

"Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made ... good enough for everybody else!"

Sirius, Severus and Remus all laughed.

"You put far too much faith in Albus," Abe said, shaking his head at the woman.

She shot a very angry look ... this is most irregular?"

Sirius hid his face in Severus's side as he sighed. They weren't going to get any answers. None of them actually cared about his pup.

Bagman wiped his round ... bound to compete in the tournament."

Remus frowned, nodding his head. "It does say that. But..."

Sirius sat up straight, his attention on Remus. "But what?"

"Well, I'm not sure but it says here that it's a magical binding contract between the person who entered and magic itself," Remus said. "I'm struggling to believe that Magic would honour this contract. I mean, I wouldn't want to risk Harry's magic on it, but I'd bet almost anything else..."

Everyone was paying attention now.

"Remember in the first book when Draco requested a duel?" Remus asked and everyone nodded. "Well, Harry didn't agree to it. Ron did on his behalf. And we all agreed then that magic would recognise the duel as being between Draco and Ron. I think this is very similar. Magic pays attention to the nuances. Our intentions are significant. If we sign a magical contract in bad faith, magic reacts, right?"

The adults were all nodding. They'd all heard stories of people that had tried to cheat others through magical contracts, only to find themselves in a bind. Literally.

"If I was the one forced into this contract," Remus said, "and not a fourteen year old boy, I think my best option would be to ask Mother Magic to judge it."

"May I?" Lucius asked, reaching for the book.

Remus handed it over, knowing that Lucius knew far more about magical law than he did.

Lucius didn't rush to speak as he read through the passage Remus pointed to. Eventually, he looked up. "Was the strip of parchment checked for a magical signature?" he demanded eventually.

Minerva shook her head.

"Was the DMLE informed?" he asked. "Was there an investigation?"

"No," Minerva said with a sigh.

"Remus is correct. The best course of action would be to ask Mother Magic to judge the contract," Lucius said sharply. "What's more, the danger could be mitigated by checking the magical signature on the strip of parchment, prior to requesting judgement. Even if somehow the person responsible used a piece of parchment that contained Harry's name, written in his own hand, the act of putting it in the goblet would be enough to replace Harry's own magical signature on the parchment. What's more, as they were told to put both their name and school, well, quite frankly, the one responsible must have at the very least added a school to the parchment. It would have been easy enough to investigate and with Mother Magic's judgement, the prince would not have been required to compete."

The teachers all looked scandalised. Why hadn't they thought of that?

There was a flash of light and Mother Magic appeared. Everyone stood abruptly, bowing deeply.

"Very well reasoned, Lord Malfoy," Mother Magic said. "Harry should not have been forced to compete and had my judgement been requested, I would never have allowed it."

Mother Magic opened her palm to show them a scrap of parchment. "Harry had never even touched this parchment. The writing isn't his own. And what's more, the parchment is saturated in magic - someone else's magic - to mask the name of the school, my prince was entered under."

They all sat forward, wanting to know the name of the school.

"Morsmordre," Mother Magic said coolly.

There were several gasps of horror throughout the chamber.

"If you had done your job and investigated this properly, you would have known that this was a plot against my prince." Mother Magic looked truly terrifying, her anger rippling off her in sparks and waves of potent magic. "And what's more, is that forgot that I am Mother Magic and that you can always come to me. This is what becomes of you, when you forget the old ways and abandon your worship. You underestimate my power and the powers of my celestial kin."

She glared at Albus and then the other teachers, one by one. "Let this be a lesson to you. Do better."

"Well, Barty knows the rule book ... the matter was now closed.

"But he does not know me. He is unworthy of the gifts I have bestowed upon him," Mother Magic said, something about her expression made those in the chamber wonder if she thought the same about them. Then she disappeared with another flash of blinding light.

"I insist upon resubmitting the names ... It's only fair, Dumbledore."

"Hardly," Ginny huffed. "Harry is only fourteen. They could add a fourteen year old each. That would be fair."

"And yet highly unethical," Arthur said, raising an eyebrow. "Harry shouldn't be competing. It would be a terrible idea to involve anymore minors in this competition."

"But Karkaroff, ... start of the next tournament -"

"Well, if I have my way," Molly said with a huff, "there won't be another one."

"- in which Durmstrang ... I have half a mind to leave now!"

Krum sighed. He couldn't completely blame his headmaster. From what Krum understood from his father who worked for the Bulgarian ministry, they had had to compromise a lot with the British ministry and Dumbledore in particular. And not all the compromises had gone down well at home.

"Empty threat, Karkaroff," ... Convenient, eh?"

Krum tilted his head. Knowing what he now knew, he couldn't help but wonder why he'd never been suspicious of the ex-auror.

Moody had just entered the room... I don't understand you, Moody."

Moody leaned forward, eager to know just who was impersonating him.

Harry could tell he was trying ... balled themselves into fists.

Moody smirked at that. He might not like whoever was impersonating him, but he loathed Karkaroff.

"Don't you?" ... two bites at ze apple!" said Madame Maxime.

The kids all rolled their eyes. These adults were stupid.

"I quite agree, ... International Confederation of Wizards -"

"Did he lodge complaints?" Sirius asked.

Minerva shook her head.

Sirius groaned. They would have had to investigate then...

Moody grimaced. His impersonator was working hard to intimidate the death eater into compliance. Why didn't Albus see that?

"If anyone's got reason ... zis is a chance many would die for!"

Sirius flinched. That was exactly what he suspected the person responsible wanted.

Harry laughed bitterly. "I really don't need the money and quite frankly, I think you're all morons for entering such a dangerous competition. Especially if you did if for money or prestige. You know, I looked into it... after being forced into the competition."

"Looked into what?" Fleur asked.

"The prestige... Not a single person who ever won the damn thing went on to do anything brilliant. They just went back to their normal lives and carried the fuck on. They were famous for five minutes and then the hype disappeared and they were nothing. A nobody. In fact, they mostly did worse in the NEWTs than their predicted grades, so actually, thanks to the tournament, they were worse off. Quite frankly, if you were doing it to get famous or for a leg up getting a decent career, I think Professor Snape would be right in calling you a dunderhead."

"Maybe someone's hoping ... what a thing to say!"

"Well, he's not wrong," Moody said and several people looked at him in confusion. Why was he referring to himself in the third person?

"We all know Professor Moody ... but no doubt you had your reasons.

Moody growled. "I'm guessing I was asked to teach because Albus anticipated something like this happening."

Albus considered that. It made sense. He would want an ally in the school if he thought Harry might be in danger. And the signs were certainly there... The disappearance of Bertha Jorkins. The prophecy the year before. Harry's scar. Yes, what Alastor said made sense.

"Imagining things, am I?" ... boy's name in that goblet. . . "

Moody sat forward, eager to hear just what his impostor had done. A skilled witch or wizard? One thing was for certain, criminals often liked to brag.

"Ah, what evidence is zere of zat?" ... the only one in his category..."

Albus nodded. That was what he had suspected too. Of course, he had no idea what his older self thought but it was the only thing that had made sense to him while reading.

"You seem to have given this ... it was a carriage clock.

Moody laughed at that. Criminals loved to undermine him. That's where the whole mad-eye thing came from in the first place. It was highly annoying that even his friends used the name that death eaters and criminals had used to mock him.

So you'll understand if ... as you ought to remember...

And there was the threat, Moody thought darkly. How was Albus failing to notice that this wasn't him? In what world would he, a retired auror, tell a potential culprit everything he suspected?

"Alastor!" ... Moody's real first name.

"Nah, Mad-Eye is what the criminals called me," Moody said gruffly. "And it sort of stuck."

"That's awful!" Hermione said crossly. "People should know better than to call you that. Not only does it mock your disability, but to think that the name was first used by..."

Moody nodded at the young woman. She wasn't wrong. "It was a death eater who used it the first time, I think. Can't quite recall. It was years ago. Don't think I even saw the wix's face."

"It was Mulciber," Lucius said.

Moody fell silent, ... speaking to everyone gathered in the room.

"Then order a damn investigation!" Remus said. "Call in the aurors."

"It seems to me, however, ... they will do. . . . "

"You're not even going to give Harry a choice?" Sirius demanded angrily.

"There was no choice," Minerva said. "Or at least we didn't think there was."

"Well, that's not true," young Harry said.

"What?" Minerva asked, clearly caught off guard.

"There was a choice. It wasn't a great one, but it did exist," young Harry said.

Harry frowned but he understood his younger self's point. There had been a choice.

"There was no choice," Minerva said again. "We thought you would lose your magic."

"So?" Young Harry asked. "Yeah, like I said, not a great choice but it wasn't the headmaster's choice to make. It was Harry's."

"Fourteen is much too young to make that sort of choice," Molly said.

"No," Sirius said crossly. "I disagree. I might not like it but Harry is right. Harry had only been in the magical world for three years. He grew up in the muggle world. As much as I'd hate him to choose that world over ours, he had the right to choose that option if it meant not having to risk his life in a stupid death tournament."

Everyone looked conflicted. They couldn't imagine picking the muggle world over their world.

"I'm not saying Harry," young Harry started. He hated this. They were all looking at him now and he really didn't want them to. "That we would have chosen to forsake magic, but at least if we were given the choice, we wouldn't have felt..."

Young Harry didn't quite know what he wanted to say.

"Like we didn't have any control over our own lives," Harry finished for him. "If we chose to compete, we'd have at least been given the opportunity to take the control back."

The mind healers were nodding. "Quite right. Your control was stolen from you, yet again. Autonomy is very important."

"Ah, but Dumbly-dorr -" ... looked rather excited.

"I think he might be deranged," Remus muttered.

"Well, shall we crack on, then?" ... Barty, want to do the honors?"

Arcturus tutted angrily. He'd been keeping quiet for a while now. He didn't want to miss anything and he'd always been a believer of the old saying that when you're speaking, you're not listening. But this was really beyond the pale. He couldn't believe the way people treated his grandson. He wouldn't allow it when they left this place. He'd make it his life's mission to keep Harry safe and protected. Especially from people who just wanted to use him. It was easy to imagine what Ludo was after. This would make the competition all the more press worthy and as such he was guaranteed to make a pretty galleon placing his bets. Arcturus was certain he had the measure of the man and he didn't like him one bit.

Mr. Crouch seemed to come out of a deep reverie.

Moody tilted his head at that. What was going on with Barty? It wasn't like him not to pay attention. He was sure that was significant.

"Yes," he said, ... very important...

Sirius groaned. Trying to recall everything he'd ever heard about the tournament. It wasn't much and what he did recall wasn't particularly helpful.

"The first task ... tasks in the tournament.

"You can't honestly expect a fourteen year old to participate in this tournament without help?" young Hermione said.

"Please tell me you at least arranged a tutor for Harry," Remus said. "Someone external to the school? An older student even?"

Minerva grimaced. No. She hadn't done that. In hindsight, she definitely should have.

The other teachers all stared at her in disbelief. Especially Pomona. She had done that and her student wasn't even underage. "Minerva! You didn't? I arranged a tutor with Cedric's parents that night."

"I didn't even think about it," Minerva admitted.

The champions will face ... exempted from end-of-year tests."

Cedric frowned at that. "How does that work? It's NEWT year for you two, right?"

They both nodded. "We were awarded an extension," Fleur said. "I took my NEWTs at the French ministry over the summer."

"The Bulgarian ministry for me," Krum said. "But I had to wait until Yule."

"Why?" Cedric asked.

"The Bulgarian ministry only hosts the tests once a year," Krum said.

"The French ministry is similar," Fleur said, "although slightly better. It is twice in France. Over the summer and again at Yule."

"It's the same in Britain," Remus said. "Twice, I mean. Summer and Yule."

Mr. Crouch turned ... is it, Albus?"

Everyone who knew Crouch looked at the book in confusion. It wasn't like him to ask anyone for confirmation.

"I think so," ... stay at Hogwarts tonight, Barty?"

Albus wondered at that. There was much about this that was suspicious. Both Alastor and Barty were behaving oddly.

"No, Dumbledore, ... I've left young Weatherby in charge...

Albus frowned. It really wasn't like Crouch to forget a name.

Very enthusiastic... if truth be told. . . "

Percy blushed darkly.

"You'll come ... a touch of his old impatience.

He wasn't the only one that was feeling impatient with Bagman. Sirius glared at the man's enthusiasm.

"Professor Karkaroff ... though in silence.

"This tournament wasn't good for political relations with Bulgaria," Krum said.

"Nor France," Fleur's grandmother said. "And that's not mentioning the impact it had on relations with the veela community."

"Harry, Cedric, ... waiting to celebrate with you,

Harry shook his head. He didn't think there was anything to celebrate.

and it would be a shame ... "We're playing against each other again!"

Cedric smiled at Harry. He could actually understand why the kid had been intimidated by himself, Krum and Delacour. Truth was, he was feeling quite intimidated by the older Harry too.

"I s'pose," ... "How did you get your name in?"

Cedric glared at the book.

"I didn't," ... Cedric didn't believe him.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Cedric said.

Harry just shrugged. "It's not your fault. You haven't... Your not your older self. And in fairness to him, he didn't really know me that well."

"Well... see you, then... going to believe him,

Ron rubbed his face. Harry hadn't doubted that he would believe him. Could he have been a worse friend?

or would they all think ... To give him a treat?

"Not likely," Kingsley said.

He didn't think so, somehow...

Moody sighed. Poor kid.

To see him make a fool of himself?

Draco frowned. He didn't really like hearing Potter's thoughts. It was weird and he had never realised just how human the other boy was. He'd always just been Harry Potter. But not anymore. Now he was... well, he was his cousin. Which was weird... Like really weird. Because he'd definitely had a crush on him at one point, even if he'd never admit it. But that was just yuck. They were related. And he couldn't quite wrap his head around that. Potter was family and if there was one thing his parents had taught him, it was that family always came first.

Well, they were likely to get their wish...

"You didn't," Draco said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Embarrass yourself," Draco said. "You were annoyingly awesome."

But to get him killed?

Harry laughed sharply. He'd really not wanted to believe that.

Was Moody just being ... Did anyone really want him dead?

Everyone was looking at Harry like he had two heads. Harry sighed. That was better than pity he supposed.

Harry was able to answer ... feeble and powerless...

Tom frowned at the book. He had a heavy weight in his gut and he couldn't quite place what the feeling was. But he knew he didn't like it. And what's more, that feeling made him want to apologise... Something he had never been very good at, even before he went and ripped his soul apart.

Yet in that dream ... plotting Harry's murder...

The pitying looks were back.

"You don't actually think those dreams are real, do you?" Fred asked his twin.

Young Hermione huffed. "It was just a dream!"

"Dreams can be prophetic," Severus said.

Bill shook his head. "The dream wasn't prophetic. Harry had a piece of You Know Who's soul in his scar, they had a mental connection. The dream was very much real."

Several people looked terrified at what Bill had said. Sure, they'd heard about the horcruxes but it hadn't really been explained. And no one had said anything about a mental connection.

Harry got a shock to find himself facing the Fat Lady already.

"Understandable," Claudius said. "You'd had an overwhelming night."

"A party is the last thing he needs," Galenus said. He really had to question the teachers' sanity. Minerva should have escorted Harry to his dorm and called an end to the party, explaining that Harry had been entered into the tournament under duress.

He had barely noticed ... school champion, then?"

Minerva glared at the book. Violet was a terrible gossip.

"Balderdash," ... screaming, applauding, and whistling.

Galenus glared at Minerva. "You should have gone with him."

"For what purpose?" Minerva asked wearily.

"To inform your students that Harry was being forced to compete," Galenus said crossly. "To put an end to the party."

"They wanted to celebrate," Minerva said. She didn't really see the harm.

"He has just been informed that he has to compete against his will," Galenus said. "He is stressed. Tired. Probably still in shock. Quite frankly, I'd have wanted him in the hospital wing."

"The hospital wing?" Minerva asked. "He wasn't hurt."

"No? Perhaps not physically," Claudius countered. "But emotionally, yes, he was. Mentally, yes, he was. He has just had his choices taken away from him AGAIN. He has been forced into a deadly competition against his will. And need I remind you, he is only fourteen! Emotional shock often affects us physically. You might feel numb, panicked, angry... You might suffer from disassociation..."

"What is disassociation?" Dean asked Seamus, who shrugged in response.

"But you might also experience a rapid heart beat, breathlessness, tightness in your throat... There's often a surge of adrenaline which inevitably leads to an energy crash, which in turn can lead to accidental magic outbursts. You might feel sick, like you're going to vomit."

Minerva looked horrified.

"And Mr Thomas," Galenus said, his tone softer, "disassociation is a feeling of disconnect from yourself and the world around you. It's a trauma response usually."

"The prince has already shown us," Claudius said, "that he is disassociating as he didn't even know where he was as he walked through the castle."

"You should've told us ... a beard? Brilliant!" roared George.

"Sorry, Harry," George said. They should have known he wouldn't enter.

"I didn't," ... at least it's a Gryffindor -"

The puffs in the chamber glared at Angelina.

"You'll be able to pay back ... hear that he wasn't hungry;

Harry sighed. No one ever cared what he wanted. He was getting used to that.

nobody wanted ... name in the goblet;

Minerva frowned. Hadn't any of them believed him?

not one single person ... the mood to celebrate...

"Sorry, Harry," the gryffindors all said.

Lee Jordan had unearthed ... "I don't know how it happened."

"This is the last thing he needed," young Galenus said crossly.

Poppy nodded her agreement. She would have much preferred he spend the night in the hospital wing.

But for all the notice anyone took, ... I'm going to bed -"

"And there's the anger," Claudius said. "The way I see it, you got off lucky. He could have reacted far worse."

He wanted more than anything ... the common room.

Sirius frowned at that. He had a really bad feeling.

Insisting that he needed to sleep, ... "Where've you been?" Harry said.

The mind healers exchanged looks. This was going to be ugly. Depending upon how Ron reacted. Harry felt safe with his friends so they'd probably end up taking the brunt of his anger. And if the worst happened, and Ron didn't believe him, well, that would be very difficult for Harry to overcome. Loss of trust always was. And it would only be amplified by the emotional shock that Harry had suffered.

"Oh hello," ... strained sort of grin.

Claudius groaned. Yes, this would not end well.

Harry suddenly became aware ... "Congratulations."

Everyone eyed Ron in surprise. They had expected Harry's friends to believe him, even if no one else did.

"What d'you mean, ... the Invisibility Cloak?"

Sirius shook his head. He and James were always up to mischief but they would never have doubted each other like this.

"The Invisibility Cloak ... But you found another way, did you?"

Molly frowned at her son. She hadn't known about this.

"Listen," ... "What would they do that for?"

Bill groaned, muttering "Jealous prat," under his breath.

"I dunno," ... "To kill me."

Sirius glared at Ron. Harry shouldn't have had to say that but surely, the other boy would take that seriously, if nothing else.

Ron's eyebrows rose so high ... why you're bothering to lie,

Hermione shook her head. She had never heard the full details of this conversation from either boy.

you didn't get into trouble for it, did you?

Ron grimaced. Fuck. He's really messed this one up.

That friend of the Fat Lady's, ... A thousand Galleons prize money, eh?

"Harry wouldn't enter for money," George said crossly. He couldn't believe this. Sure, he and Fred had gotten over excited about it, but Ron was supposed to be Harry's best friend.

And you don't have to do ... I'm not stupid, you know."

Several people in the chamber looked ready to disagree with him, all conveniently forgetting that they'd thought the same thing. Ginny looked ready to hex him.

"You're doing a really good impression of it," Harry snapped.

Everyone was on tenterhooks. No one quite knew where to look. Harry was staring at the fire, pretending he was somewhere else. While Ron was looking at his hands in his lap.

"I deserved that," Ron muttered.

No one disagreed.

"Yeah?" ... a photo-call or something."

"RONALD!" Molly was flabbergasted. What had gotten into her son?

"What? I was a jealous prat," Ron said. "Get over it. It's going to happen a lot more than I'd like. I was a shit friend. Still am, really."

"That's not true," Harry said softly. "You can be a right git. But you're also pretty amazing. You know, when you want to be."

"Do I have to remind you what happened while we were on the run?" Ron said stubbornly.

"Do I have to remind you that you literally saved my fucking life?" Harry countered. "Yes, you fucked up. You've done it a few times. And yeah, it hurt. But your still my friend."

Ron blushed. They didn't normally do the whole talking through your feelings thing.

He wrenched the hangings ... sure would believe him.

"I hated this chapter," Sirius murmured.

"Me too," Severus agreed.

"I think I'm going to hate this book."

"I hate all of them," Severus said softly, kissing Sirius on the temple. "Just think, we're almost half way through."

"Have you seen the size of this book?" Sirius asked. "The books are getting longer."

Severus sighed. His stupid mutt was right. This torture might never end.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed it. xox

Black Family Lunch

Chapter Summary

Harry has lunch with his new family...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Lucius looked up when he realised that the book had stopped. He had been so focused on the rule book. The book he had in his hands was self updating.

"Going back to the Prince not having a choice but to compete," Lucius said, his voice coldly detached.

"What about it?" Minerva asked. She really didn't want to rehash this again. She'd had her mistakes rubbed under her nose more than enough for one morning.

"The rules of the tournament were changed in the months before the announcement," Lucius said.

Minerva nodded. She knew this. Many changes had been made to try and rein in the danger. Well, not many changes. Nowhere near enough in her opinion. But some changes had been necessary.

"Yes, the three ministries worked together to change some of the rules that governed the tournament," Minerva said.

"Such as not allowing under age students to participate," Lucius said.

Minerva looked at him sharply. "Yes. A new rule was added about the age of contestants."

"The tournament rules are a fundamental part of the contract between magic and the contestants," Lucius said. "Did anyone bother to request a copy of the contract from the goblet?"

"A copy of the contract?" Minerva asked. She didn't even know that was possible.

"Yes. When requested by one of the acknowledged judges of the tournament, the goblet will provide a copy of each participant's contract," Lucius said. "It's in the rule book."

"Oh. I didn't know about that," Minerva said and her fellow teachers were nodding in agreement.

Lucius sighed. Of course, they hadn't bothered to read the rule book. Fools. "The contract would have most likely proven the prince's innocence. But what's more it would have been informative."

"How so?" Sirius asked.

"The tournament rules clearly state that all participants must be of age," Lucius said. "Now had the rule been worded as 'all participants must be over seventeen' Harry's contract would have been invalid and he would not have been required to participate. However, as it is worded as 'of age' it is quite ambiguous."

"How? That means he has to be seventeen!" Ron said.

"While conventionally yes, seventeen is the age most British magicals come of age," Lucius said, "it is not always the case. There have been occasions where a child has been emancipated early."

"Like when?" Young Hermione asked.

"It happened quite often during the war with Grindlewauld," Albus said. "Heirs had to take up their lordships early so they were emancipated by the ministry. There was a few months were we did not have enough lords or ladies to govern."

Lucius nodded. "Exactly. Not only that but what counts as being 'of age' is different all around the world. There are some cultures were you are not deemed to be an adult until you are thirty."

"Like the veela nation," Fleur said. "Veela live so much longer than humans, that they think you're practically still an infant at seventeen."

"Which in itself is interesting," Lucius said, "given your involvement in the tournament. You might only be part veela but you are still a citizen of the veela nation so legally you should not have been allowed to enter either."

Fleur blinked. She hadn't even considered that.

"Of course, the headmaster's age line would not account for such anomalies," Lucius said with a sigh. "But since neither you or the Prince were technically of age and therefore ineligible to compete, neither one of you should have been granted a valid contract by the goblet."

"Then how were our names chosen?"

"That is a good question," Lucius said. "I can only speculate but I would imagine it is due to the way the rule was added. There was nothing said about consequences regarding anyone underage that entered. It doesn't state that the participant's entry with be voided or that they will lose their magic. There's no consequence for entering underage at all, and as such the goblet that while a very powerful magical object can only work within the rules that govern its enchantment. When faced with two underage champions, the goblet was left with no recourse and simply chose to accept the rule."

"But surely for Fleur it could have just picked another student?" Hermione asked.

"What do you mean chose to accept the rule?" Theo asked thoughtfully.

"The goblet is enchanted to pick the one most likely to bring honour to their school," Lucius said. "That is its first objective and therefore takes priority. Fleur was the best option even if she did not fit the of age criteria, so she was accepted. As for what I meant, they were chosen to compete and therefore by magic they were declared of age."

"Does a magical artifact really have that power though?" Theo asked.

"It would appear so," Lucius said softly. "That is the nature of magical contracts. The goblet didn't decide it, rather the magical enchantments upon it did."

"That's mental," Ron said.

Lucius nodded. "As such when you say that the Prince had no choice but to compete, Professor," Lucius said, turning back to Minerva, "you are very wrong. As an of age wizard, he had every right to refuse. Quite frankly, I don't know what lawyers were hired to update the rule book but they did a terrible job."

Harry frowned. He knew from his inheritance test that he'd been emancipated that night but it still surprised him. All that time he'd spent trapped at the Dursleys and he didn't have to be. Just the thought of it made him want to rage about how unfair it all was.

The younger ones all followed the two Mollys out of the chamber so they could have their lesson in household spells. All the while, Harry just stared at the fire, trying to focus on something other than the summer after fourth year. Lucius was deep in conversation with Charlie Weasley to discuss the reserve they were planning to build on Lucius's uninhabited island. But young Lucius was eyeing Harry speculatively. He could tell something was bothering the young man, but he was at a loss for how to help him. The worried expressions on Sirius, Severus and Remus's faces showed they felt the same way. Arcturus was the first to act though.

He stood abruptly and moved over to where his new great-grandson was sitting.

"Care to share?" he asked.

Harry blinked up at him in surprise. He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm just... I just wish I'd known I was emancipated sooner."

Arcturus nodded. He could understand that.

"Things might have been," Harry stopped. This was silly. There was no point going over everything. His life with the Dursleys had sucked but it was over now.

"Things might have been different," Arcturus said gently. "It's okay to be upset about that."

Harry didn't look convinced.

"Harry, one thing that these books have shown me," Arcturus said, "is that you have had next to no control over your own life. It's completely reasonable to resent that. To be quite honest, I'm amazed you're not insanely bitter about it. Things have not been easy for you."

Harry laughed. That was an understatement.

They talked for several moments and soon their conversation moved on to other things. Arcturus wanted to know more about Harry. The real Harry. Not the Harry from the books. Or the Boy-Who-Lived. Or even the Prince. But Harry, his great-grandson. The others joined their conversation and for once Harry wasn't thinking about saving the world or magic or any of the other momentous responsibilities he'd gained. They talked about Quidditch and his favourite school classes. They tried their best to keep the conversation light, avoiding the difficult topics.

Others in the chamber came and went and before long it was time for lunch. Harry didn't really feel up to taking the meal in the dining room with the others and when he said as much his family didn't argue. Lucius requested lunch from one of the house elves and they all carried on talking.

It was strange for Harry. To think of these people as his family. Sure, he'd thought of Sirius that way. And Remus was important to him, even if their relationship had been more distant. But he suddenly had a great-grandfather. Uncles and aunties - that were actually nice to him - and cousins. Three cousins. Draco was polite if a little quiet. It was like he didn't quite know how to act around Harry and that was mildly amusing.

"Do you support a quidditch team?" Draco asked.

Harry shrugged. "Not really. I guess I sort of support Puddlemere because of Ollie. But I've never seen them play or anything."

"We're going to have to fix that," Draco said with a sigh.

"Ron likes the cannons," Harry said.

"That's just moronic," Draco said, rolling his eyes. "They're awful."

"Yeah," Harry laughed, "yeah, they are."

"Personally I support the Falmouth Falcons," Draco said.

It wasn't long before the others returned to the chamber and young Harry came to sit beside his older self. "You weren't at lunch."

"Sorry, kid," Harry said. "I wasn't really feeling up to it."

Young Harry nodded. He understood that. It could get a little overwhelming being surrounded by all these people constantly. "I ate with Neville and Draco. I was paired with Draco during the lesson."

"How did that go?" Harry asked.

"He's alright," Harry said. "Better than he was in the book."

Harry nodded. He felt that a lot of people were better here than they were in the old timeline. He wasn't sure what it was about this place. Perhaps it just brought out the best in people. Something about the purity of it's magic or something. He knew it had to be something like that. Unless the deities were fucking with them and had fucked over his last life for fun. But no, he was almost certain that wasn't the case. He could practically feel the soothing magic in the air. He wondered if that was due to his magical sensitivity.

A distant part of him wondered if he should be concerned that the strange magic was influencing his choices but that didn't sit right. This wasn't like the imperius curse or even controlling potions. It felt too pure for that. He knew with a strange sort of certainty that he could trust this magic.

Their conversation was paused as they realised that the chamber was almost full once more. Mrs Weasley was remarking on them missing the meal. Sirius just laughed while his grandfather took the woman to task for daring to restrict his behaviour. "I am more than twice your age, child. Stop your incessant mothering."

Molly looked highly offended and turned on her heals to go and sit with her husband as Professor Flitwick set the spell on the book again. Harry sighed. He really wasn't looking forward to this.

Chapter End Notes

Many of you asked if there were spells and potions on the older ones... well, I hope this chapter helps explain why they are behaving differently in the chamber.

The Weighing of the Wands Part 1

Chapter Summary

Our characters continue reading...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

When Harry woke up ... felt so miserable and worried.

Harry glared at everyone who gave him a pitying look. Those looks needed to stop.

Then the memory ... gone down to breakfast.

"That's got to be a first," George said. "Ron never wakes up first."

The other gryffindor boys agreed. They were used to having to wake the other boy in the morning.

Harry dressed ... broke into applause again.

Harry barely held back a growl. His younger self just shook his head. The Gryffindors seemed to be morons. He seriously wondered if he actually wanted to be a Gryffindor when he - if he - went to Hogwarts.

The prospect of going down ... face-to-face with Hermione.

Sirius silently hoped that the girl had more sense than Ronald.

"Hello," ... Want to go for a walk?"

Sirius nodded his head. That was something at least.

"Good idea," ... accepted his story without question.

"Of course, I did," Hermione said with a sigh. "I know you Harry Potter. You're my best friend."

"Well, of course I knew ... read out your name!

"I don't think I've ever seen you look so terrified," Hermione said, "and I've seen you when you're preparing to go to battle with Voldemort himself."

But the question is, ... or get over Dumbledore's -"

"Good question," Moody growled.

"Have you seen Ron?" ... not really," said Hermione awkwardly.

Ron sighed. Yes, he had been an idiot.

"What's that supposed ... "He's jealous!"

Ron momentarily bristled, glaring at Hermione. Except she wasn't wrong. Was she?

"Jealous?" ... whole school, does he?"

Sirius pointedly looked at the fire. He didn't trust himself not to glare at the youngest Weasley son.

"Look," ... all the attention, you know it is.

"That's hardly Harry's fault," Sirius said sharply. "And anyone with eyes can tell Harry doesn't like it."

There was a murmur of agreement throughout the chamber.

I know it's not your fault," ... brothers to compete against at home,

The Weasleys all glared at the book. They couldn't understand why Ron felt he needed to compete with any of them. But more than that, they were annoyed with themselves that they'd never noticed before reading these books. Molly sighed. She was pretty sure she had caused some of Ron's issues with his brothers. She had always praised the older boys and tried to encourage the younger ones to emulate them. Had she not praised them for their own good qualities enough?

and you're his best ... people see you,

A couple of the Slytherins scoffed. "Shouldn't have befriended the chosen one then," Blaise said coldly. "I mean it's not like he chose that compartment on the train because there was really nowhere else free."

The other Slytherins were nodding their heads in agreement. There was always an empty compartment or two.

"He wanted to be friends with the Boy-Who-Lived and now he realises it's not all its cracked up to be," Blaise continued, "he's just going to drop him because he's jealous."

Ron sighed. He couldn't really argue with anything the other boy had said. He'd been a shitty friend and he knew it.

"Blaise, that's enough," Mrs Zabini said quietly.

and he puts up ... one time too many... "

"Are you actually defending his behaviour?" Theo asked.

Hermione sighed. "No. Of course, Ron was wrong. But understanding why people do what they do is helpful for resolving issues."

"Great," ... I'll swap any time he wants.

Ron groaned. Even back then, he hadn't wanted to be Harry.

Tell him from me ... forehead everywhere I go..."

"I don't really get what there is to be jealous of," young Harry said. "So, we're famous. So what. We're also being hunted down by a mad man. We're orphans. No parents. No siblings. No family. Well, unless you count the Dursleys and I definitely don't. We starve on a regular basis. We might have a vault full of money but what use is that trapped at the Dursley's house? We're forced to wear hand-me-downs that drown us. Your clothes might be second hand but at least they fit."

"I know. I..." Ron didn't know what he wanted to say. "I was an idiot."

"I'm not telling him anything," ... sort this out."

"Getting cross with Harry will not help," Mrs Granger said. "Really, Hermione. Harry has done nothing wrong. While I agree you aren't a middle man, you could have been more understanding of Harry's feelings. You took the time to explain Ron's feelings. Why didn't you consider Harry's too?"

Hermione frowned. "I tried to explain how Harry felt to Ron. He didn't listen. Just like Harry didn't listen."

"Of course, Harry didn't listen. One of his best friends just betrayed his trust," Mr Granger said. "You can't expect the boy to just roll over and accept that. If I was him, I wouldn't be willing to make the first move either."

"And what's more," Mrs Granger said. "It isn't his responsibility as the injured party. While, it would no doubt be easier and certainly a lot tidier if people just sorted their problems straight away. Reality isn't like that. It usually takes time for people to process their feelings before they're willing to even consider how the other person in an argument might feel."

"I'm not running around ... I've got my neck broken or -"

Ron flinched.

"That's not funny," ... She looked extremely anxious.

"I wasn't trying to be funny," Harry said crossly. "I was deadly serious."

"Harry, I've been thinking ... parchment and a quill out with me -"

Sirius nodded. That was a good idea.

"Come off it," ... entered me in the Triwizard Tournament -"

Sirius laughed slightly at that. He couldn't deny there was truth in what Harry said.

"He'd want you to tell him," ... and you're famous.

"Don't remind me," Harry muttered.

I'll be really surprised ... about you competing...

"No privacy," Harry muttered.

You're already in half the books about You-Know-Who, you know...

"No. Try all of them," Moody growled. "Not that any of them are worth the parchment they're written on."

and Sirius would rather hear ... toast into the lake.

Sirius wrapped an arm around his son.

They both stood ... "Ask Ron if you can borrow -"

"Why would you even suggest that?" Remus asked, shaking his head. "They're not talking."

"I thought it might be a good way to break the ice," Hermione said.

"Not likely," Draco muttered.

"I'm not asking Ron for anything," ... I got picked as a fourth champion.

Sirius could only imagine how panicked his older self had been when reading this letter.

I don't who put my name ... inside his chest since last night,

"You can tell me anything," Sirius murmured, giving Harry's shoulder a squeeze.

but he couldn't think ... "I've got to use one of these."

Luna sighed. Hedwig wouldn't like that.

Hedwig gave a very loud hoot ... "This isn't my fault."

The mind healers all glared at Minerva. She should have checked on him. It was clear that the prince wasn't coping.

If Harry had thought ... entered himself for the tournament.

"The teachers didn't say anything?" Sirius asked but Harry simply shook his head. "Damn it. What's wrong with you people?"

The teachers all shrunk back in their seats at the angry look on Sirius's face.

"He was fourteen and forced to compete," Sirius said, "and you didn't think oh I don't know... Let's announce that Harry didn't enter himself in the tournament. Or that you were investigating who did... Oh wait, you didn't do that because you couldn't be arsed to fucking investigate."

"Language, Black!" Molly said.

"You are not my mother," Sirius said angrily, "and trust me, she was a thousand times more intimidating than you ever could be."

Unlike the Gryffindors, ... seem impressed.

The other school aged people in the chamber grimaced as they recalled how they'd treated Potter.

The Hufflepuffs, ... the whole lot of them.

The puffs looked apologetic.

One Herbology lesson was enough ... their champion's glory;

Susan sighed. That's exactly what they'd thought.

a feeling exacerbated, ... Gryffindor once at Quidditch.

Cedric sighed. He hadn't even won that match fairly.

Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley,... smacked him hard in the face.

"Sorry," both boys said.

Ron wasn't talking ... eye contact with each other.

"Pathetic," George muttered, glaring at Ron.

Harry thought even ... Head of Hufflepuff House.

Professor Sprout frowned. Had she been distant? She hoped not. Although, she had to admit she had been angry about him competing and she hadn't been informed of everything that had been discussed after his name was drawn from the goblet. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way, Mr Potter."

Minerva gave her a look that clearly said, see I'm not the only one who keeps making mistakes.

"And you call yourselves teachers," Remus said with a heavy sigh.

He would have been looking ... familiar sneer firmly in place.

Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "That really isn't your most attractive expression, dragon."

"Ah, look, boys, ... going to be around much longer...

Severus glared at his godson. He was not pleased to learn that he had become something of a bully.

Half the Triwizard champions ... Ten minutes into the first task's my bet."

Lucius gave his son a look of reproach that had Draco apologising again.

Crabbe and Goyle guffawed ... the blasting end, or the sucker?"

Everyone was momentarily distracted by the idea of taking the blast-ended skrewts for a walk.

"Roun' the middle," ... School champion."

The mind healers nodded. Finally an adult was bothering to check in on him.

"One of the champions," Harry corrected him.

Cedric gave the other boy a smile.

Hagrid's beetle-black eyes ... yeh in fer it, Harry?"

Sirius smiled over at Hagrid gratefully. Finally, an adult believed him.

"You believe I didn't do it, ... he felt at Hagrid's words.

"Didn't doubt it fer a second," Hagrid said.

"Course I do," ... an' I believe yeh -

"I'll always believe yer Harry," Hagrid said gruffly.

an' Dumbledore ... who did do it," said Harry bitterly.

Moody nodded his head in agreement.

The pair of them looked ... very hard to control.

Amelia tutted.

"Look like they're havin' fun, ... classmates certainly weren't;

Hagrid laughed awkwardly.

every now and then, ... get back on their feet.

The children all laughed but none of the adults did.

"Ah, I don' know, Harry," ... happen ter you, doesn' it?"

Everyone in the chamber agreed with this statement. Harry had the worst luck.

Harry didn't answer... Ron was no longer talking to him.

Young Ron frowned. Harry Potter was nothing like the boy he'd read about in those adventure books. He wondered if he really had only become his friend because he was famous. That would be a pretty crappy thing to do.

The next few days were some of Harry's worst at Hogwarts.

The teachers looked horrified at that.

The closest he had ever ... attacking his fellow students.

Sirius glared at the teachers. What had they done to protect his pup?

But Ron had been ... Ron back as a friend,

Ron stared at the ground in shame.

but he wasn't going ... on him from all sides.

"This is unacceptable," Arcturus said. "I want to know what you teachers did about it?"

The teachers exchanged looks. They hadn't even noticed that there was a problem, let alone do something about it.

He could understand ... vicious insults from the Slytherins -

The snakes and badgers all looked surprised to hear the Prince make excuses for their behaviour.

he was highly unpopular ... goblet into accepting his name.

"Not the cleverest bunch," Moody growled at the Ravenclaws.

They looked momentarily offended but had to admit they hadn't even bothered to assess the situation before making assumptions.

Then there was the fact ... and gray eyes,

Both Cedric and Harry blushed. Harry really hated having his every thought broadcasted like this. He didn't need everyone knowing just who he found attractive.

"Is it just me or does Potter always seem to fancy quidditch players?" Blaise asked his friends quietly.

The Slytherin girls giggled slightly.

"Sorry, Theo, looks like you don't stand a chance," Blaise said with a wink. "Unless you're a secret beater? Or maybe chaser?"

Theo blushed brightly.

"I think you're wrong," Draco said. "He clearly likes seekers."

"Still don't think you have a chance, Draco," Blaise said with a smirk.

"Obviously!" Draco almost screeched. "We're cousins! Eww."

"He's changed his tune, hasn't he Theo?" Blaise laughed.

"Finding out you're related to your crush will do that to you," Theo said smoothly, barely hiding his own grin.

"I think Theo might still stand a chance," Daphne said. "He also seemed to find Tom Riddle attractive and he was more of the studious sort."

They all stared at her in horror. They couldn't imagine anyone finding the Dark Lord attractive. One by one, they all glanced at said Dark Lord and had to reconsider their thoughts. He was certainly too old for any of them but he was attractive. Very attractive.

it was hard to say ... Cedric or Viktor Krum.

Cedric and Viktor both blushed.

Harry actually saw ... school bags one lunchtime.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

Meanwhile there was no reply ... more certainty than usual,

Sirius glared at Professor Trelawney.

and he did so badly ... apart from Neville.

Neville rolled his eyes. He really hadn't done well in school until he got his own wand.

"It's really not that difficult, Harry," ... "You just weren't concentrating properly -"

Mr and Mrs Granger both sighed. That wasn't particularly helpful.

"That's not strictly true," Filius said. "The summoning charm is complex magic. It involves both dark and light magic in tandem. It doesn't come easily for anyone, even those like Mr Potter, who have a grey core. Once you get over the hurdle of using both types of magic in tandem complex spells of this nature becomes easier, but it is no exaggeration to call learning to use both magics simultaneously a hurdle. This initial step can take months. Especially when one's emotional state is in turmoil as Mr Potter's clearly was at the time."

"Wonder why that was," ... forward to this afternoon... "

The Gryffindors all groaned.

Double Potions ... nothing short of torture.

Severus frowned at that description.

Being shut in a dungeon ... why today should be any better.

Minerva glared at Severus. She just couldn't understand why Sirius seemed so willing to forgive Severus for his treatment of Harry. Sure, this Severus hadn't done it yet. But surely, he would and therefore deserved at least some of the treatment she'd received. It really wasn't fair. She also couldn't understand why Harry seemed so willing to forgive the man who would eventually come to kill Albus.

When he and Hermione ... S. P. E. W. badges -

The Slytherins laughed at the idea of them wearing SPEW badges.

then he saw that ... THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!

Sirius sighed. Surely the teachers would do something about the badges at least. They might not name Harry outright but it was clear that they were backhandedly attacking him.

"Like them, Potter?" ... POTTER STINKS!

"Tell me you did something about the badges," Sirius demanded.

The teachers all sighed in defeat. "In fairness, I was not aware that they said that," Filius said.

The parents in the chamber stared at the teachers in disbelief.

The Slytherins howled ... "really witty."

The Slytherins all said their apologies.

Ron was standing against the wall ... sticking up for Harry either.

Molly shook her head in disappointment.

"Want one, Granger?" ... don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."

"Sorry, Granger," Malfoy said before his mother or father could tell him to.

Some of the anger Harry ... backing down the corridor.

The mind healers were not surprised. Eventually Harry would explode. His temper was currently being held on a short lease. Both in the book and in the chamber.

"Harry!" ... do it, if you've got the guts -"

Lucius sighed. His son had no sense whatsoever.

For a split second, ... both acted.

Narcissa shook her head. This was the only time anyone could even try and argue that Harry had started it, as he'd drawn his wand first, but really, her son needed to stop constantly attacking his cousin and his friends. Not to mention his use of that word was uncouth. Although they had managed to have a pleasant lunch together so perhaps there was hope.

"Funnunculus!" Harry yelled... ricocheted off at angles -

The adults all sighed. That was why you didn't duel in hallways.

Harry's hit Goyle in the face, ... ugly boils were springing up -

The lions all struggled not to laugh. But one glare from Minerva and they were all looking much more serious.

Hermione, ... was wrong with her;

Sirius huffed. Sure, he cared about Hermione. But he didn't give a flying fluxweed about Harry. That much was clear. Or he'd have come to Harry's defense earlier. Even when the marauders were fighting, they always had each other's backs. He was really beginning to wonder at his son's choice in friends. Although based on what he'd read about in these books, he supposed Harry's options were limited. No one seemed to see Harry for himself. And Ronald had stepped up on occasion...

Harry turned and saw Ron ... let out a terrified cry.

The adults in the chamber glared at Harry and Draco. Sirius glared back at them. He wasn't about to let any of them berate Harry for defending his friend.

"And what is all this ... "Explain. "

Severus sighed. He wasn't going to get an honest answer there.

"Potter attacked me, sir -"

"If you ever lie to me again, Draco, there will be consequences," Severus said in that same deadly voice.

Draco nodded. "Sorry, Uncle Severus."

"We attacked ... same time!" Harry shouted.

"At least someone knows how to tell the truth," Lucius muttered.

"- and he hit Goyle ... "Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.

Poppy nodded her head. Harry's spell had been very well cast - in fact, if anything it had been slightly overpowered and had been quite difficult to fix.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" ... behind Snape's back.

"I loathe that girl," Narcissa said.

Snape looked coldly ... "I see no difference."

"SEVERUS!" Minerva shouted.

"What?" Severus replied. "I haven't done this yet. But I will remind you, I am a spy. I can't afford to show kindness to Gryffindors - and especially not Potter and his friends - in front of the Dark Lord's follower's children."

Hermione let out a whimper; ... out of sight.

Everyone was giving her the pitying looks they usually reserved for Harry.

It was lucky, perhaps, ... He got the gist, however.

Severus chuckled at that. "You're just like your mother," he said softly. "Always defending your friends."

"Let's see," ... it'll be a week's worth of detentions."

"What?" Minerva huffed. "Malfoy didn't get any points removed for dueling in the hallways."

"Actually," Draco said with a sigh, "I was called to his office after dinner and given detention. In Slytherin punishment is kept private. It isn't broadcasted to the other houses when our head of house punishes us."

The other Slytherins all nodded their agreement.

Harry's ears were ringing... back to normal between them,

Ron grimaced. He'd been a right git. He couldn't help but wonder if Harry would even want to be his friend in the new timeline.

but then Ron turned ... flashed once more across the room.

Sirius looked ready to rage at the teachers about the badges again but he didn't get a chance as the book continued on.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed it. Drop a comment with your thoughts. xx

The Weighing of the Wands Part 2

Chapter Summary

Our characters finish the chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Harry sat there ... happening to him...

Severus chuckled at that. Harry wouldn't be the first student to day dream about that in his classroom. And most likely not the last either.

If only he knew how to do the Cruciatus Curse...

"HARRY!" Mrs Weasley and Hermione both screeched.

Several people were looking at Harry in surprise. They couldn't imagine Harry wanting to inflict that sort of pain on anyone.

"He didn't actually do it," Sirius said sternly. "Trust me, there's a difference between an idle thought and one's actions."

Albus nodded. He was surprised that the boy had thought it but he could think of several times were he'd wanted to use that curse. Not that he was a good measuring stick for purity of heart of anything. But it was foolishness to try and judge people based on their thoughts.

he'd have Snape ... jerking and twitching...

Severus went pale. Just how cruel had he been to Harry that he'd actually wished that upon him?

"Antidotes!" ... someone on whom to test one..."

"That really isn't appropriate, Severus," Minerva huffed.

Severus had to agree. It wasn't something he'd ever done before. Sure, he'd threatened to. Fear was a good motivator afterall. "I believe it is a hollow threat."

Snape's eyes met Harry's, ... going to poison him.

"Severus would never," Albus said with certainty.

"I don't know how you can say that Albus," Minerva said.

"Because his oath would not take kindly to any form of bodily harm he inflicted upon Harry," Albus said.

Harry imagined ... Snape's greasy head -

Severus chuckled. He quite liked Harry's thoughts. They weren't that dissimilar to his own as a child.

And then a knock ... take Harry Potter upstairs."

Harry groaned.

Snape stared down ... I think they want to take photographs... "

Several people sniggered.

Harry would have given ... determinedly at the ceiling.

The Weasleys all sighed in unison.

"Very well, very well," ... test your antidote."

"SEVERUS!" Minerva said again.

Severus sneered at her. "My older self said it and what's more he said nothing about testing it on Harry."

"Please, sir ... flashed at him from every direction.

Sirius gritted his teeth at the mention of the badges.

"It's amazing, ... "Isn't it, though? You being champion?"

"Just bloody brilliant," Harry muttered.

"Yeah, really amazing," ... More publicity."

Several people looked at Harry in confusion. Hadn't he had an interview with Rita that day? His dislike for the media hadn't stopped him talking to her.

"Good luck!" ... who was wearing magenta robes.

Rita smiled brightly. Finally, she was going to be mentioned in the story. Although a glance at her older self made her wonder if she should be concerned about everyone else's reactions.

Viktor Krum was standing ... talking to anybody.

"I wasn't being moody," Viktor huffed. "My English was poor and I was not confident with it then. And I didn't really know if I could trust any of you."

Harry nodded. He could understand that. Being famous was difficult.

Cedric and Fleur ... long silvery hair caught the light.

Bill raised an eyebrow at his wife. Who knew his wife was such a flirt? He couldn't resist chuckling.

A paunchy man, ... out of the corner of his eye.

"Ew," young Fleur said. That was disturbing.

"And that dear is why you should be more careful with your allure," her grandmother reminded her.

Bagman suddenly spotted Harry, ... wand weighing ceremony,

"What's that?" young Hermione asked.

"A wand maker inspects the wands to guarantee that the champions can safely compete," Hermione said.

the rest of the judges ... tools in the tasks ahead," said Bagman.

Hermione nodded her head. Pleased to have the book confirm what she had said.

"The expert's upstairs ... the Daily Prophet... "

All of Harry's family zeroed in on Rita. The woman gulped. Yes, this wasn't going to go well for her.

"Maybe not that small, ... to add a bit of color?"

"Absolutely not," Arcturus said firmly.

"Certainly!" cried Bagman.

"He can't decide that!" Sirius glared at the book.

"That is - if Harry has no objection?"

Sirius looked momentarily relieved but that relief was short lived.

"Er -" ... opening a nearby door.

"He did not agree, Rita," Arcturus said, his voice like ice.

"We don't want to be ... Harry stared at her.

George gave him a smirk and Harry just knew that he was going to make an inappropriate joke about him, older women and broom cupboards.

"Come along, dear ... see what they were doing.

George laughed brightly, muttering to himself about having to be able to see where it went. Harry groaned. And Mrs Weasley gave her son a sharp look.

"You won't mind, Harry, if I use a Quick-Quotes Quill?

"Yes, he bloody does mind," Sirius said crossly.

It leaves me free ... "A what?" said Harry.

"Why wasn't there a teacher present?" Arcturus demanded. "You have a student that you believed to be under age, in a broom closet with an unknown person. Forget the fact that she's also a reporter. This is a clear breach of school security."

Rita Skeeter's smile widened.. inflated reputations -

Several people gave the woman looks of loathing.

"Lovely," ... decide to enter the Triwizard Tournament?"

Sirius and Remus growled. Harry just tried to block the whole thing out. He didn't want to think about what the vile woman had written.

"Er -" ... charming face of Harry Potter, whose eyes -

"Wait!" Charlie said. "Doesn't Skeeter even write her own stories?"

"Of course, I do," Rita pouted.

"It looks like your quill does all the hard work," Charlie said with a sneer.

"Ignore the quill, Harry," ... I didn't put it in there."

"She's not going to believe that," Sirius said softly.

Rita Skeeter raised one ... Our readers hove a rebel."

Mrs Weasley glared at Rita.

"But I didn't enter," ... uncomfortably as he spoke.

Sirius and Arcturus shared a look. This wouldn't be allowed in the future.

"Champions have died ... a lot safer this year," said Harry.

Harry laughed bitterly at that. Sure, safer.

The quill whizzed across ... "How would you say that's affected you?"

Severus had to hold Sirius back as the other man reached for his wand.

"Er," ... Triwizard Tournament because -"

Everyone was glaring at her now.

"I didn't enter,"... talking over him.

"What sort of question is that?" Remus demanded. "He was a year old when they died."

"No," ... Proud? Worried? Angry?"

"How the hell was I suppose to know that?" Harry asked angrily.

Harry was feeling ... got tears in my eyes!" said Harry loudly.

Albus was not impressed. Why had his older self left this woman without a teacher escorting her? She couldn't be trusted around his students and what's more he knew that.

Before Rita Skeeter ... squashed into the cupboard.

"Finally," Sirius huffed.

"Dumbledore!" ... Wizards' Conference?"

Sirius muttered under his breath as Severus squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Enchantingly nasty," ... an obsolete dingbat."

A couple of people chuckled.

Rita Skeeter didn't look ... many wizards in the street -"

Albus laughed. He did not like Rita Skeeter.

"I will be delighted ... hidden in a broom cupboard."

Sirius glared at the headmaster. Surely, he should have forced her not to publish the article. He seemed to be Harry's magical guardian - or at least, he was before the whole emancipation thing.

Very glad to get away ... good condition before the tournament."

Ollivander smiled. He'd enjoyed this.

Harry hooked around, ... empty space in the middle of the room.

Fleur grimaced. She didn't really want everyone in the chamber to know the details about her wand. Wands were private.

Fleur Delacour swept over ... "nine and a half inches...

"Many wandmakers make the mistake of thinking that your wand length is tied to your height," Ollivander said. "Longer wands tend to go to those with bigger personalities, and those who favour more dramatic magic. While shorter wands go to those whose casting is more refined, elegant you might say. Nine and a half inches is on the shorter side and suggests your casting holds a grace of its own. Quite in fitting with your personality."

inflexible...

"That suggests that you Miss Delacour, at least at the age of eleven, were quite unwilling to change. You and your wand like consistency and you are not overly adaptable. Of course, life experience can and often does lead us all to evolve and change with time. You and your wand may not be quite as inflexible now as they were when you first received it."

rosewood...

"I do not use rosewood myself," Ollivander said. "It is rarely used and are quite rare. They are not very compatible with dark magic and are said to represent love and purity. It is interesting therefore, that they often excel at love spells and healing magics. As you know, healing magics use both light and dark magic in tandem."

and containing... dear me..." ... "One of my grandmuzzer's."

"While I've never used veela hair myself," Ollivander said, "I imagine the familial tie might lend it superior loyalty to you, my dear."

So Fleur was part veela, ... speaking to him.

Ron grimaced at the mention of himself.

"Yes," ... temperamental wands...

"That is true," Fleur's grandmother said. "But all veela children are offered the chance to have a family member's hair in their wand. It is tradition. When they meet their mate, if their mate is a veela, they claim a new wand with a core of their mate's hair."

Ollivander smiled in delight. "What a beautiful tradition. I would love to hear more about it."

however, to each his own, ... handing them to Fleur with her wand.

Fleur smiled at the wand maker.

"Mr. Diggory, you next." ... with much more enthusiasm,

"I do love to see how my own wands change over time to reflect the relationship it has with it's bearer," Ollivander said, almost giddily.

as Cedric handed ... tail of a particularly fine male unicorn...

"Unicorn hair tends to produce consistent magic," Ollivander said thoughtfully. "Less will to cast the darker arts. Incredibly faithful to their bearers. Not normally the most powerful and they can grow melancholy if not cared for properly. I remember there was once a young boy who mistreated his wand so much that his core died five times during his time at Hogwarts. Eventually, I threatened to stop repairing it for him."

must have been seventeen ... Twelve and a quarter inches...

"A reasonable length, quite well balanced," Ollivander remarked. "Neither flashy or refined, but somewhere in between."

ash...

"Your wand, Mr Diggory, would I imagine never work for another. Not only is the unicorn core known for it's loyalty but ash wands tend to cleave to their master. Rowan gossips, Chestnut drones, Ash is stubborn and Hazel moans." Ollivander chuckled to himself. "Your wand tells me that you are a man of integrity, not easily swayed from your beliefs. There is honour in your wand. It's a wand for a man of courage and stubbornness, but never arrogant. No, Mr Diggory, your wand says a lot about the sort of man you will become."

Cedric blinked, feeling slightly embarressed by the praise but he smiled when he saw the proud looks on both his fathers' faces and the warm smiles that his mothers were wearing.

pleasantly springy.

"That is slightly surprising," Ollivander continued, "given that your wand is made of ash. Though stubborn, your wand is adaptable."

It's in fine condition ... tried to rub it clean surreptitiously.

Ollivander chuckled at Harry's nervousness.

Several gold sparks ... and he desisted.

Fleur gave him an apologetic look. She really hadn't liked him at the beginning.

Mr. Ollivander sent a stream ... "Mr. Krum, if you please."

Viktor sighed as everyone's attention moved to him.

Viktor Krum got up ... however. . . "

Ollivander laughed in delight. "A little friendly competition," he admitted.

He lifted the wand ... hornbeam

"My own wand is made of hornbeam, so I may be a little partial to wands of its kind," Ollivander stated. "But they tend to pick talented wixen with a single passion. An obsession some might say. Hornbean wands adapt quickly to their bearer's style of magic and become very personalised overtime, so quickly in fact, that if someone were to try and use your wand even for the simplest of spells, they would find it extremely difficult."

"But you were able to use my wand," Krum said.

"I was. Perhaps our magics are similar or I just got exceptionally lucky." Garrick smiled at the young man. "Hornbeam wands seem to absorb their bearer's code of honour and will refuse to perform acts that do not adhere to that code. The wand made of hornbeam is particularly sentient."

"Interesting..." Garrick murmured. "That this wand was used as it was in the third task."

Viktor glared at him.

"But I believe the answer lies in your wand's core," Ollivander pressed on. "Dragon wands are often the easiest to turn to the darker arts."

Many in the chamber were looking at them in confusion. Just what had happened in the third task?

and dragon ... who nodded.

"Powerful wands are made with dragon heartstrings," Ollivander murmured. "Capable of the most flamboyant spells. They learn quickly. They bond strongly with their owner, even if the owner won them in a duel. As I said before, wands of dragon heartstring are more suited toward dark magic. They are also more prone to accidents, being somewhat temperamental."

"Rather thicker ... quite rigid...

"That seems to fit with your personality," Ollivander said. "You certainly seem to be quite stubborn and your wand matches you well."

ten and a quarter inches ... Avis!"

"I imagine your magical style is precise and well thought out," Ollivander said. "Controlled and always measured."

The hornbeam wand ... "Which leaves... Mr. Potter."

Harry stared at the fire. He didn't want to know what Ollivander thought of him and his wand.

Harry got to his feet ... How well I remember."

Everyone stared at Harry as he tried hard to pretend they weren't.

Harry could remember ... made of holly,

Garrick smiled brightly. "Holly is a rare wand wood. Quite protective. Often picking those that need a little help overcoming a tendency to anger and impetuosity."

Harry grimaced at that as Sirius laughed heartily. "He's got you measured," Sirius said, "always rushing into danger without a second thought."

"Holly wands often choose bearers who are on some sort of spiritual quest or are engaged in something dangerous," Ollivander continued.

"Like having a crazy dark lord after you," Harry muttered.

"Holly wands are greatly differed by their core," Ollivander remarked. "And do not team easily with phoenix feather cores. The wood's volatility conflicts strangely with the phoenix's detachment. But where they are matched, nothing and nobody should stand in their way."

eleven inches long,

"Reliable but leaning towards elegance rather than the dramatic," Ollivander said. "It suits your more reserved nature well."

and contained ... phoenix.

"The rarest of the cores, phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic. They grow with their bearer. As you age and mature so will your wand and what a wand it will become. Even when you were fourteen, I could tell that you had achieved outstanding feats, although not using your wand. But even so your wand learned from those acts of greatness, strengthening it, attuning it to your magic and your very self. Only a few years in your palm, and that wand was mature beyond its years."

Harry blushed at the praise.

"Holly wands are often wands of great initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord."

"SEE!" Harry said abruptly, jumping to his feet. He turned to Hermione and Mr Weasley in turn and said, "I told you so!"

They both looked slightly abashed, but didn't say anything.

"Phoenix feather wands can be very picky," Ollivander picked up again, "reflecting the independent and detached nature of the phoenix. These wands are the hardest to tame and personalise, but when they are they are superb. Their allegiances are hard won but once you have their loyalty it will be unwavering."

Mr. Ollivander had been ... the core of Lord Voldemort's.

"I should have known then that war was not the right course of action," Garrick said with a heavy sigh.

Harry had never shared ... it couldn't help -

Several people laughed at that.

rather as he couldn't ... excitement if he did.

Sirius glared at the woman in question.

Mr. Ollivander ... still in perfect condition.

"It really is an exceptional wand," Ollivander said. "One of my very best."

"Thank you all," ... what do you think, Rita?"

Harry sighed. He hated having his photo taken.

"Er - yes, ... some individual shots."

Harry went back to staring into the fire.

The photographs ... Harry into greater prominence.

Everyone glared at Rita again. The woman looked completely unbothered by it though.

Then she insisted ... He ate alone at the end of the table,

Sirius glared at the lions in the chamber.

then returned ... waiting for him there.

Molly gave her son a disappointed look.

"Oh - right," ... Snape's dungeon," said Ron.

Hermione listened closely. At least they were talking.

He then walked straight out ... both seemed quite appealing -

Ron laughed. He deserved that.

but the lure of Sirius's answer ... we need to talk face-to-face.

"That's quite risky too," Remus muttered.

Can you ensure ... hear about anything unusual.

Sirius nodded his agreement with his older self's assessment of the situation.

Let me know ... Sirius

Sirius gripped his son's shoulder tightly. Even knowing that his son had survived the tournament wasn't enough to keep his fear at bay.

Chapter End Notes

So this story has over 50K hits, over 1K kudos, over 2K comments, about 300 bookmarks, and over 500 subscriptions. YAY! Thank you.

The Hungarian Horntail Part 1

Chapter Summary

Our characters start a new chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Just why is this chapter named after a bleeding dragon?" Sirius demanded.

No one answered him, plenty of people were avoiding eye contact too. He had a really bad feeling about this.

The prospect of talking ... never looked darker.

Harry tried his best to block out the sounds of the chamber. He didn't want to think about the book. He wondered if he could ask for a break. Maybe a few days off reading would do him some good.

The shock of finding ... started to sink in.

"That's understandable," Moody growled. "Especially if no one is helping you prepare."

He noticed the young man didn't respond, as he continued staring into the fire.

The first task ... some horrific monster, barring his path.

"Not an unfair analysis of the situation," Luna murmured.

He had never ... the future at all;

Harry closed his eyes, pretending he couldn't feel their eyes on him.

he felt as though ... the first task...

Ron glanced at Harry. He hadn't realised how scared his friend was. The other people in their year at school looked equally surprised.

Admittedly, he didn't see how ... something at the moment.

Sirius pulled both Harrys closer, causing the younger of the two to settle into the small gap between Sirius and Severus.

Harry wrote back to Sirius ... Filch would skin them alive.

"The house elves too," Albus said with a small smile.

In the meantime, ... highly colored life story of Harry.

Sirius glared at the woman in question.

Much of the front page ... Cedric hadn't been mentioned at all.

Amos looked ready to murder Skeeter. He'd always thought that Potter tried to steal Cedric's spot. But now, he realised just how wrong he had been.

The article had appeared ... let alone in that broom cupboard.

"Do that again, and I'll destroy you," Arcturus said.

I suppose I get my strength ... they could see me now...

Sirius and Remus growled in unison. They would quite happily rip the woman limb from limb.

Yes, sometimes ... admit it...

Harry snarled. He couldn't remember ever crying about having no parents. Sure, he'd been upset about it but...

"She made that up?" Mrs Weasley said, horrified.

I know nothing ... watching over me...

Rita frowned as she noticed that everyone was glaring at her. What did they expect? She was a sensational reporter... So what if she embellished on occasion.

But Rita Skeeter ... top students in the school.

Hermione blushed as she denied that there was anything like that between them. "He's more like a brother," she said.

From the moment ... making sneering comments.

The teachers were scandalised. How had they failed to notice that?

"Want a hanky, ... Longbottom have set up together?"

Dowager Longbottom glared at the book.

"Hey - Harry!" ... you dropped your quill."

A couple of people sniggered at that. Although they quickly stopped when the adults glared at them.

It was Cho ... "I really hope you do well."

George smirked at Harry. "Smooth."

Harry actually broke a smile.

Which left Harry ... handling the situation.

"Ah, thanks Harry," Hermione said with slightly pink cheeks.

"Stunningly pretty? Her?" ... a chipmunk?"

"Well, she's prettier than you, Parkinson," Blaise said to the book, causing most of the Slytherins to laugh. None of them especially liked Pansy.

"Ignore it," ... "Just ignore it, Harry."

"For what its worth," Daphne said, "we're sorry Hermione."

Both Tracey and Millicent nodded their agreement.

But Harry couldn't ignore it ... really enjoying all the attention.

Ron's ears went pink.

Hermione was furious ... force them to talk to each other,

Hermione's parents looked at her in despair. "You cannot force them to talk to each other," Mr Granger said.

"I just don't like being caught in the middle," Hermione huffed.

"Welcome to my life," Harry said crossly. "I'm always stuck in between you and Ron."

"That's not true!"

"Is to!" Harry argued. "Third year with the whole Scabbers thing! Or all that drama about the Yule Ball... Sixth year when Ron was dating Lavender..."

"Fine. You made your point," Hermione sighed.

but Harry was adamant: ... calling him a liar.

"I hate being called a liar," Harry murmured as he rubbed the back of his hand.

"I didn't start this," ... "And I know he misses you -"

"Like that matters," Harry said, his tone lacking any warmth. "He called me a liar."

"I'm sorry, Harry," Ron said.

"Yeah, I know," Harry said with a sigh. "Doesn't change that it hurt."

"Miss him?" ... learning the theory would help.

"Unlikely," Filius said with a sigh. "Practice is what he needs."

They consequently ... Hermione found the noise distracting.

Krum laughed at that. "Try being the person they're following around."

"He's not even good-looking!" ... Wonky-Faint thing -"

Krum raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you go to the yule ball with me? If I'm not attractive."

"I..." Hermione blushed. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Wronski Feint," ... about Wonky-Faints.

Hermione huffed. She didn't like being compared to Ron. Especially if she was found lacking in comparison.

It is a strange thing, ... Harry didn't need much persuasion.

"Good. You need a distraction," Sirius said softly.

"What about Ron, ... Three Broomsticks... "

The adults all sighed. That wasn't going to work.

"No," ... so stupid -"

"It might have seemed stupid to you," Harry said, folding his arms, "but it matter to me."

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." She wasn't quite sure what she wanted to say.

"I'll come, ... Invisibility Cloak."

Sirius sighed. Harry most likely would have gone without the cloak if Hermione hadn't tried to force him to spend time with Ron.

"Oh all right then..." ... I'm looking at you or not. "

Several of the adults looked between the trio, wondering how they were still friends.

So Harry put on his ... quoting that stupid article.

The teachers sighed. It shouldn't have been necessary for him to wear an invisibility cloak to avoid bullying.

"People keep looking ... "They think I'm talking to myself."

"Then stop talking," Remus said, shaking his head in annoyance.

"Don't move your lips ... "Look behind you."

Everyone wondered who Harry was referring to.

Rita Skeeter ... watch the first task. "

Rita smirked. She had indeed been planning to attend the first task.

As he said it, ... she didn't want to think about it.

Some friend, Sirius thought to himself.

"She's gone," ... correctly interpreting his silence.

Ron grimaced. He should have fixed things between them quicker.

The Three Broomsticks ... awkward questions.

The girls in the chamber giggled at that.

Harry edged slowly toward ... sat down at it.

"You should have," George said. "He deserved it."

He'd spent much of that Hogsmeade visit trying to talk his idiot brother into making up with Harry.

Hermione joined him ... "Lucky I brought something to do."

Everyone glared at Hermione for grumbling. Couldn't she appreciate how hard it was for Harry?

"He was being bullied by three fourths of the school," Sirius said. "Of course, he didn't want to be seen."

And she pulled out ... looking around the pub.

"That won't work," Hagrid said. "They're a traditional bunch, the villagers of Hogsmeade. They respect the house elf oaths."

"Yeah, right," ... get into the school kitchens?"

"More direct action?" Astoria asked and some of the people in the chamber looked genuinely concerned.

"No idea, ... badges on their cloaks.

"Sorry Harry," they both said quietly.

Right over by the door ... This cheered up Harry very slightly...

"When are you going to," Fred started.

"Ask her out?" George finished.

What wouldn't he have given ... worry about but homework?

The pitying looks were back.

He imagined how ... seat at the back of the stands...

Sirius was growing anxious. He had a really bad feeling about the title of the chapter and what that might mean for the first task.

He wondered how the other champions were feeling.

"Terrified," Fleur admitted.

"I was less worried," Krum admitted. "I knew it would be creature related. The first task always is. So, I was busy studying creatures in the library."

Every time he had seen Cedric lately, ... haughty and unruffled.

"I'm not haughty," Fleur said.

"You were that year," Harry said shyly.

Bill just laughed, much to his wife's annoyance.

And Krum just sat in the library, poring over books.

"Yes. No time to panic or worry," Krum said.

Harry thought of Sirius, ... everything else had done lately...

Sirius sighed at just how pessimistic his son was. James would be so sad that his boy's life had made him see the world like that.

"Look, it's Hagrid!" ... an insult to her mulled mead,

"I've always appreciated Rosmerta's mulled mead," Moody said sharply. "Of course, I'd cast detection spells on it before drinking it, but I never turn the stuff down."

but Harry knew better ... poison an unattended cup.

Moody growled.

As Harry watched ... Hagrid couldn't see him.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Trust Harry to forget he was invisible.

Moody, however, ... "Nice cloak, Potter."

Moody grimaced. Now whoever that was knew Harry had an invisibility cloak. Damn it.

Harry stared at him ... I can tell you."

"It's kind of amazing you can see through that cloak though," Harry said quietly. "It's ancient. Been in the family for generations."

Hagrid was beaming down ... Wear that cloak."

Several people glanced at Hagrid wondering what he was up to. Minerva's mouth tightened. Hagrid shouldn't be helping Harry. That was cheating. She just knew Hagrid was going to tell him about the dragons. Then again, perhaps that was better. He was far too young to go up against a dragon. Especially a nesting mother.

Straightening up, ... "It might make you late for Sirius."

Sirius sighed. People really loved bossing Harry about.

It was true that going down ... visit him so late at night.

Everyone sat forward eagerly. They all wanted to know what Hagrid wanted.

Chapter End Notes

So... everyone is getting in on the bickering in this one... Lol. They've been in close quarters for a while now... Tensions are bound to get a little high.

The Hungarian Horntail Part 2

Chapter Summary

Our characters finish the chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

At half past eleven ... common room.

The teachers didn't look like they knew whether to berate Harry for breaking curfew or not.

Quite a few people ... POTTER STINKS.

Draco almost smirked but managed to hold it in.

Harry crept past them ... through the castle.

Minerva sighed. At least he had good reason for being out after curfew. If anything she should be cross with Hagrid for telling him to meet him so late. Hagrid was supposed to be a teacher. That said, she was grateful that someone was taking the time to make sure Harry wasn't completely caught off guard by a dragon.

The grounds were very dark... "Got summat ter show yeh," said Hagrid.

Pomona glared at Hagrid. She couldn't believe he was about to help Potter cheat. While she had to admit, the boy was at a clear disadvantage, she was a hufflepuff and believed in fair play. She didn't think she'd ever be able to excuse cheating.

There was an air of enormous excitement about Hagrid.

Sirius sighed. That wasn't good. That could mean only one thing. Dangerous creatures were about.

He was wearing a flower ... broken teeth tangled in it.

Hagrid groaned at the description.

"What're you showing me?" ... "We won' take Fang, he won' like it. . . "

"That can't be good," Remus muttered.

"Listen, Hagrid, ... it is time?"

Everyone gaped at him. Why was he taking Harry on what appeared to be a date?

"Bong-sewer," ... she wasn't exactly hard to miss...

Mrs Weasley tutted and Harry was tempted to remind her that there was a big difference between the things you thought and the things you said.

But it seemed that Madame Maxime ... Yeh're not s'posed ter know."

Minerva sighed. So, two of the champions would know about the dragons. This really wasn't right. She could understand telling Harry. He was only fourteen after all. But Fleur shouldn't have an advantage over the others. For Harry, knowing what he was up against, wouldn't be an advantage, it would just level the playing field and that could almost be excused. But Fleur... She was older. Had years of magical education, equal to the other champions.

"Of course not," ... earsplitting roar...

"Dragons?" Sirius let out in a harsh whisper. "The first task is dragons?"

He looked about ready to faint. Severus watched the man closely, a calming draught at hand in case it was needed.

Hagrid led Madame Maxime ... which was nearest to them.

The girls in the chamber screamed in fear as the boys sat forward excitably, wanting to hear more about the dragons.

At least thirty wizards, ... a yowling, screeching scream...

"They weren't happy," Charlie said. "Nesting mothers aren't usually moved like this. Really its quite unethical."

He looked rather put out by the whole thing.

"Why do it then?" Hermione asked.

"Our funding from the ICW was dependent upon it," Charlie replied bitterly.

"Keep back there, Hagrid!" ... I've seen this Horntail do forty!"

"Bloody hell," both Sirius and Ron said together.

"Is'n' it beautiful?" said Hagrid softly.

"Not sure that's the word I'd use," Minerva said softly.

"It's no good!" ... the trees behind him quake.

"That's so cruel," young Luna said.

The dragon keepers ... who it was: Charlie Weasley.

"Didn't know you were there," Charlie said with a smirk.

"All right, Hagrid?" ... not happy at all -"

"Can't really blame them," Charlie huffed. "None of us were happy about it either."

"What breeds you got ... tell her student, isn't she?"

Hagrid blushed.

"Jus' thought ... shaking his head.

Several of the girls giggled.

"Four..." ... nesting mothers, I don't know why...

"They're insanely protective of their nest," Charlie said. "I don't know who came up with the idea for the first task, but they were clearly deranged."

but I tell you this, ... Hagrid let out a moan of longing.

Several people looked at Hagrid in disbelief. Hadn't he learned his lesson?

"I've got them counted, ... let him enter that tournament,

"I didn't enter myself!" Harry said crossly.

"I know that," Molly said gently.

"Well, you clearly didn't think it then."

"I... well, no. No. I didn't."

Harry huffed. No one ever believed him.

he's much too young! ... Oh bless him, I never knew!'"

"That was all lies!" Harry said, glaring between Mrs Weasley and Rita Skeeter.

Harry had had enough... back to the castle.

"I thought it was supposed to be safer," Arcturus said. "Dragons are XXXXX creatures. That is not safe. Nowhere even close."

He didn't know ... front of the whole school...

"I wouldn't blame you," Draco muttered.

but maybe he would anyway... With everyone watching. How?

"Good question," Sirius said. "They're resistant to most spells, because of their strong, thick hides."

"Their weakest spot is their eyes," Charlie said thoughtfully, "not that I'd encourage anyone to hurt a dragon."

Harry sped up, ... he ran into something very solid.

Sirius sighed. He could just imagine how much trouble he'd be in for being out after curfew.

Harry fell backward, ... it was Karkaroff.

Sirius sat bolt up right. He didn't like the idea of his son being so close to that man. Especially alone.

Sprout muttered something about poor sportsmanship. It would appear everyone except her own student had cheated. In fairness to Potter, he hadn't known what he was going to find out when he went down to Hagrid's hut. But still, it was the principle of the matter. Now only Cedric would be caught surprised by the dragon.

"Who's there?" ... darkness back toward Hogwarts.

Sirius sighed in relief.

He had no doubt whatsoever ... in store for the champions.

Sprout huffed. This wasn't fair.

"Did they tell you?" she asked Fleur and Krum.

"Not exactly," Fleur said. "The next morning, Madame Maxime insisted that we have a care of magical creatures lesson about XXXXX beasts and she spent practically the entire lesson talking about dragons. She wasn't exactly discrete."

"And you, Mr Krum?" Sprout asked.

"Yes, he told me," Krum admitted. "But I mostly ignored him. I was already researching dragons and other XXXXX beasts. I always knew that the first task was likely to be a dangerous creature. It always is."

By the looks of it ... was Cedric.

"And that really isn't right!" Amos huffed angrily.

Sprout nodded in agreement. It certainly wasn't fair.

Harry reached the castle, ... he and Sirius got privacy.

"I really can't imagine Hermione letting off dung bombs," George said with a smirk.

Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak ... POTTER REALLY STINKS.

Draco sniggered at that. That was definitely an improvement. His father gave him a look and he rolled his eyes. Wasn't he even allowed to tease his new cousin? It wasn't necessarily meant meanly.

Harry looked back ... scared him out of his wits.

All the wixen-raised kids wondered how it must feel for Harry to know next to nothing about the world he belonged to.

Instead, his face ... worn for days,

Sirius smiled at his son, grateful that his older self had given him some comfort.

he scrambled ... how're you doing?"

"What you doing worrying about me?" Sirius asked. "You should be telling my older self about the blasted dragons!"

Sirius looked different ... taken at the Potters' wedding.

Sirius nodded at that. At least, he'd gotten a few square meals.

"Never mind me, ... Ron's jealousy...

Ron grimaced. He'd not realised just how much Harry had to worry about - that dragons wasn't the first thing he mentioned. How was it that their argument had rated higher in Harry's priorities than that he'd have to face a dragon in the first task?

"... and now Hagrid's just ... "Dragons we can deal with, Harry,

Sirius almost laughed. He did not feel the same way. Clearly his older self was more affected by Azkaban than he had been. Then again, two more years in that place would turn anyone insane. And he was a Black. He was well and truly already on the way there.

but we'll get to that ... worse than dragons coming?

Sirius sighed. He could easily imagine what his older self was worried about.

"Karkaroff," ... Azkaban in the first place."

Moody nodded. He was grateful someone was giving the boy some information. He clearly needed it. Although, he thought he'd have prioritised the dragons.

"Karkaroff got released?" ... "Why did they release him?"

The death eaters in the chamber all looked pretty angry. "Because he betrayed his brothers in arms," Rookwood said eventually.

"He did a deal with the Ministry ... he named names...

The death eaters glared at the book. They hadn't forgiven the man. And while most of them knew that their actions were wrong, they still resented him.

he put a load ... I can tell you.

"Not that many," Harry muttered. "He just named a couple that weren't already apprehended. But they were big names."

And since he got out, ... school of his.

Krum looked conflicted. Yes, they learned dark magic. At least according to British standards. But that wasn't because of Karkaroff. It was because the rest of the world had a different view on magic. Each country did in fairness. Some leaned more light. Others dark. Some were exclusively grey. Durmstrang had always taught the darker arts but there were strict rules about their use. And somethings were still not allowed. Such as the unforgivables. And their government didn't categorise something as dark just because it was dangerous.

"That's not exactly true," Krum said eventually. "We're taught the magic that fits best to our core. There are three houses. One for each core type." He wouldn't usually say so much, he had vowed not to upon his entrance to the institute. However, as the unspeakables had found, Mother Magic seemed to be allowing them all more freedom with their vows here in the chamber. "You are encouraged to focus on magics that your core will excel in. These subjects are your core subjects and then you can elect to study other subjects, right from your first year at the school. Of course, there are some subjects that everyone must take. These tend to be the ones that use both dark and light magic, such as Complex Charms, Blood Magic, Potions, Herbology and Healing. As well as a history course and magical theory."

"You study blood magic?" Ron asked.

"Of course," Krum answered. "It is mostly theoretical, especially in the first few years, but we all learn it."

"What are complex charms?" young Hermione asked.

"Charms that use both light and dark magic in tandem," Professor Flitwick said. "Such as the summoning charm or the blasting curse."

"Those with light cores take Light Charms, Elemental Magic, and Light Martial Magic," Krum continued, "while those with dark cores take Dark Charms, Illusionary Magic, Abjuration, and Dark Martial Magic."

"You study Abjuration from first year?" Minerva asked. That was quite impressive.

"Yes, mam," Krum said with a nod. "Those with neutral cores take Transfiguration, Arithmancy, the Mind Arts and Neutral Martial Magic."

"That's quite incredible," Albus murmured.

Krum grinned. "Yes. It works well. We have a busy schedule with between ten and eleven core classes each year," Krum said with a grin. "Each year, you can take an elective from one of the other core types but you may only continue with it after your first year taking it, if you show an aptitude for it. It is interesting because you sometimes find that a fifth year will be studying with a class of mostly first years. It greatly changes the dynamic of the classroom environment. Over the first five years you can add up to five electives from the other cores. Often this is done by replacing an elective one doesn't enjoy with another, but more often than not, students chose to add another class to their already busy schedule. Durmstrang students are proud to learn."

Harry found this really interesting. He'd really not known anything about what the other schools were like. But he kind of liked the idea of picking and choosing what he would study in the way the Durmstrang students seemed to.

"We do not take our OWLs at the same time as other schools," Krum said. "We take them when we are ready to achieve our OWLs and not before. With the busy schedule, it can take longer but sometimes, the students take them a year or two earlier than the other schools."

The Hogwarts students all stared at Krum in awe.

"Then once we have completed our core OWLs, whenever that may be, we are allowed to add still more subjects," Krum said, enjoying just how shocked everyone seemed to be. "Of course, we also start our NEWT training for our core subjects at that time too so we are very busy. Light cored students can study The Ancient Art of Alchemy, Conjuration and Wild Magic."

"You study white magic?" Harry asked. They'd heard all about white and black magic in their lectures on magical theory.

"Yes. Those with a light core do," Krum said with a nod. "Others can too. But later. Those with dark cores are given the option of studying soul magic - although in a very limited capacity. Our teachers are very particular about ensuring that we know what is okay to do and what is not. Mostly, the Soul Magic course is a history lesson to ensure those with dark cores are not ensnared by it. Although we are taught soul healing and soul marrying."

"Soul healing?" young Hermione asked as her older self asked, "Soul marrying?"

"Soul healing is all about recognising the damage we do to our souls daily and how to prevent it where possible as well as how to fix minor damage." Krum then turned towards the older girl and added, "and soul marrying refers to soul bonds, soul mates and such things."

"We harm our souls?" Neville asked.

"Acts of cruelty," Krum said. "The purity of the soul is tainted by our thoughts and deeds. Those with dark cores are also allowed to study Shadow Magic and Evocation. But with all White and Black magic, it is mostly theoretical, only delving into the magic in its most basic sense. Except with perhaps Alchemy and Conjuration."

Everyone was staring at the young man in disbelief. How could they possibly study so much in only seven years?

"Those with neutral cores are encouraged to study necromancy - although again, mostly theoretically, dendora, amrita and divination. The magics of the other deities. By the end of our seventh year, most achieve their NEWTs in their core classes and are at least working towards their OWLs or NEWTs in any electives they have chosen to continue. We are then encouraged to pick a subject of interest to continue to mastery, as we continue with our education until we have completed all our OWLs and NEWTs. It is not uncommon for a Durmstrang student to remain at the institute until they reach their twentieth year, usually achieving between thirteen and twenty OWLs and often just as many NEWTs."

Even Fleur seemed amazed. While Beauxbaton taught more subjects than Hogwarts, their style of education was nothing like Durmstrang's.

"What did you study?" Harry asked.

"I have a neutral core," Krum said, "so I had eleven core subjects. Magical History, Magical Theory, Complex Charms, Blood Magic, Potions, Herbology, The Healing Arts, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, The Mind Arts, and Neutral Martial Magic. In first year, I tried Elemental Magic but was not very gifted, so in second year, I swapped it out and took Abjuration and Light Charms. I quite liked those and so stuck with them in third year, adding Dark Charms. Then in fourth year, I took four of my core OWLs, Magical History, Magical Theory, Complex Charms and Neutral Martial Magic, and started my NEWT lessons in those subjects. I also added the Light Martial Magic elective. My mother thought I was mad, I was studying so much. She couldn't understand how I possibly made time for Quidditch. In my fifth year, I took the remainder of my core OWLs but did not do so well in the Mind Arts and so had to resit that exam at Yule the next year. Then I began studying Dendora and Amrita. Necromancy and Divination did not especially interest me. It took me much longer to get the OWLs in my elective classes and I decided not to continue them to NEWT level, especially as by that time I was in training for the World Cup. But I kept up my studies for my NEWT courses. I took half of my core NEWT exams the yule after the tournament and the rest the following summer. I did also choose to take Conjuration and Soul Magic as electives, although I did not intend to do the exams in either subject, but my instructors insisted so I got OWLs in those too eventually."

"Did you decide on a mastery?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. I decided to get a mastery in Magical History," Krum said with a blush. "I have always liked history. And my instructor gave me good recommendations. And also directed me towards a master that was willing to work around my Quidditch schedule. Durmstrang might have a bad reputation and Karkaroff did not help that, but it is a good school and its students excel."

So watch out ... champion as well."

Krum snorted.

"Okay," ... stop me from competing."

Moody grimaced. No. It wasn't Karkaroff. It was whoever was pretending to be him.

"We know he's a good actor," ... "but I don't think so, somehow.

Moody sat forward. Might Sirius be about to suggest what he suspected had happened?

I think someone tried to stop him from getting to Hogwarts.

Moody sighed. Nope. That wasn't what happened.

I think someone ... kill me? But - why?"

"No. Karkaroff wouldn't gain enough," Moody growled. "He wouldn't even want to consider the idea of You-Know-Who returning. He's a coward."

Sirius hesitated... coming up, wouldn't she?"

Yes, Amelia sighed. Bertha had provided You-Know-Who with information it seemed. Very valuable information.

"Yeah, but... lure into a trap."

Moody grimaced. It wasn't impossible. Although, this was all far too convoluted. The answer would be much much simpler. It always was.

"So. . . so Voldemort ... powerful enough to protect him.

"You've got that right," the death eaters muttered.

But whoever put your name ... like an accident."

Moody wasn't sure that was it... but he couldn't work out what else his impostor could be hoping to achieve, well, except the return of his master... A ritual. They were planning to kidnap Potter. Not just kill him.

"Looks like a really good plan ... "Yeah, I know, I just saw," said Harry.

Harry grimaced. He still can't believed that going up against a dragon had been a school sanctioned activity.

"But you can do it ... "Go! There's someone coming!"

Everyone sat forward, feeling panicked.

Harry scrambled to his feet, ... "Who were you talking to?" he said.

"What's it to you?" Theo asked quietly, glaring at Ron. The way he saw it, Harry deserved better friends.

"What's that got to do ... I'm going back to bed."

Hermione sighed. This had been frustrating enough the first time around.

"Just thought you'd come ... your next interview in peace."

"Ron," Mr Weasley said with a sigh.

Harry seized one ... scar now, if yon're lucky...

No one said anything. They could see how much re-living this particular argument was bothering Harry. He looked almost ready to run from the room.

That's what you want, isn't it?"

"No, it's not," Ron said softly.

He strode across the room ... didn't hear him come up to bed.

Mrs Weasley sighed heavily. "One more chapter and then it's time for lessons."

There were several sighs from the younger occupants of the chamber but Harry smiled. Just one more chapter and he could have a break. He wondered again, if he could convince them to take a few days off reading. He'd really like to do some flying.

Chapter End Notes

So... I thought I'd spend a bit of time explaining how Durmstrang is different. And also making Krum into someone super intelligent. He spends a lot of time in the library after all...

The First Task Part 1

Chapter Summary

Our characters start the next chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Harry got up ... hat onto his foot instead of his sock.

Several people laughed at that, causing some of the tension in the chamber to dissipate.

When he'd finally ... eating breakfast with Ginny.

Young Ginny sat a little straighter at the mention of her older self.

Feeling too queasy ... out onto the grounds.

"You need to eat, Mr Potter," Poppy said with a small sigh.

There, he told her ... more pressing problem.

Plenty of people in the chamber seemed to agree.

"Let's just try ... worry about Karkaroff."

Moody nodded in agreement.

They walked three times ... searching through the large pile.

"There's not much you can do," young Charlie said. "Charms and spells are almost certain to fail. With this task, you're going to have to think creatively."

"Talon-clipping ... keep them healthy. . . "

"Sorry Hagrid," Harry muttered. He really shouldn't have called him a nutter.

Hagrid merely shrugged, not at all offended.

"Dragons are extremely ... simple one would do it. . . "

"I was probably referring to the conjunctivitis hex," Sirius said thoughtfully.

"And as I proved that wasn't the best idea," Krum said.

"Let's try some simple ... whispering nonstop at his elbow.

"That would be so distracting," Anthony Goldstein complained.

"It was," Harry admitted, ignoring the glare he received from Hermione.

"Well, there are Switching Spells... make it less dangerous...

"That's actually not the worst idea," Charlie said. "Except it's teeth are really not its first weapon of choice. You need to worry about the fire breath and the tail more than anything."

The trouble is, like that book said, ... haven't got a hope,

"You'd need a mastery for something like that," Minerva said, wondering if even with her mastery she could accomplish that.

"I'm not sure even that would be enough," Albus murmured thoughtfully.

I doubt even Professor McGonagall. . .

Minerva nodded. Yes, she wasn't sure she could do what they were suggesting.

unless you're supposed ... yourself extra powers?

"That's not simple," Theo said. "At least not for a fourth year."

But they're not simple ... O. W. L. practice papers..."

"You were doing practice papers?" Percy asked. Even he hadn't been that obsessed with studying. At least not in fourth year.

"Hermione," ... I m trying to concentrate."

A few people hid their laughter behind their hands.

But all that happened, ... room for concentration.

"Stress will do that to a person," Claudius said. "You were under immense pressure."

He stared hopelessly ... but dragons had no hair...

Several people chuckled.

pepper breath... a dragon's firepower...

"Yeah, that would be a bad idea," Charlie said. "You could use a freezing charm on the fire breath but that could and probably would kill the dragon. Depending on the strength of your spell, of course."

horn tongue... an extra weapon...

Everyone in the chamber began to look a little panicked. This sounded like an impossible task.

"Oh no, he's back again, ... twittering away... "

Ron snorted. He couldn't tell if Hermione was jealous and liked Krum or was really irritated.

And sure enough, ... tied around her waist.

Hermione huffed. Those girls had been so annoying.

Harry barely slept that night... running away from Hogwarts.

"But you'd lose your magic!" Astoria cried out.

Harry simply shrugged. He could think of worse things.

But as he looked ... he had ever been happy...

Harry frowned. The looks were back. "Stop it," he said.

Everyone blinked at him in confusion.

"I don't want your pity," Harry said crossly. "For one thing, it doesn't achieve anything and for another, you're too late. If you wanted to pity me, you had plenty of time to do it in the last timeline."

They all looked down at the floor, feeling ashamed.

well, he supposed ... he couldn't remember that.

"You were," Sirius murmured. "I've never seen a happier babe."

"Constantly giggling," Minerva added. "Clapping and chattering away to yourself."

Somehow, the knowledge ... Dudley was good to know;

"Can't blame you," muttered a couple of Slytherins.

it made him feel ... know about the dragons...

Amos sat forward at the mention of his son.

the only champion ... "Go on, I'll catch you up."

Professor Sprout's mouth dropped open. Surely, Potter wasn't about to tell Cedric... That was a strangely puff thing to do from a boy that according to the hat belonged in Slytherin. Although, she recalled, it had said he could fit in any house.

"Harry, you'll be late, ... Cedric in front of them;

Pomona sighed. She wouldn't blame him if he didn't do it. If anyone deserved a slight advantage it was Harry. He was far too young to be competing in the first place.

they were among those ... he went near them.

Cedric frowned. He thought his friends were better than that.

He followed Cedric ... "Diffindo!"

Minerva bite her cheek. Part of her wanted to tell Harry off for damaging another student's property but under the circumstances, she couldn't disagree that the boy had his priorities straight.

Cedric's bag split... brand-new and all. . . "

"Sorry," Harry said.

Cedric just shrugged. The bag really wasn't that important in the grand scheme of things.

"Cedric," said Harry, "the first task is dragons."

Everyone stared at Harry is disbelief. Why would he tell his opponent?

"Well done, pup," Sirius murmured, pride evident in his voice.

"What?" ... we've got to get past them."

"I'm surprised you told him so much," Severus said. "Even if you wanted to make it fair, simply telling him the task involved dragons would have sufficed."

Even Professor Sprout was nodding. She probably wouldn't have shared as much in Harry's position. The young man was proving to be a better Hufflepuff than most of her puffs.

Harry didn't really have an answer for that.

Cedric stared at him... "I've seen them."

Cedric tried to imagine how his older self was feeling right then. He thought it might be pure panic.

Amos smiled brightly at Harry. He'd really done the young prince a disservice. He was a far better man that Amos knew. He certainly doubted that he would have even considered doing the same thing in his position.

"Thank you, Prince Myrrddin," Mrs Diggory said, a little teary.

"But how did you find out? ... he told the truth.

"I wouldn't have told anyone," Cedric said.

"I didn't know you well enough to know that," Harry said with a shrug.

"But I'm not the only one ... saw the dragons too."

Fleur and Viktor both nodded.

Cedric straightened up, ... suspicious look in his eyes.

Cedric sighed. Why would he be suspicious? He should be downright grateful. Potter might have just saved his life.

"Why are you telling me?" ... those monsters unprepared -

Everyone wondered if they could say the same.

well, perhaps Malfoy or Snape...

Severus smirked at that.

"It's just... even footing, aren't we?"

"That's surprisingly hufflepuff of you," Susan Bones commented.

Cedric was still looking ... "Diggory, off you go."

Moody sat a little straighter. He didn't want Potter alone with his impostor.

Harry stared apprehensively ... In my office, please. . . "

Amos looked concerned. Would the prince get in trouble for helping his son? It wasn't against the rules. At least he didn't think it was. Except that none of them were supposed to know.

Harry followed him, ... if he were a ferret, Harry thought dully,

"That actually could work," Blaise said with a chuckle.

he'd be smaller, ... you just did, Potter," Moody said quietly.

Moody had to agree. Potter was a better person than... well, everyone else in the chamber.

Harry didn't know ... looking around.

"I wasn't planning on anyone knowing," Harry muttered.

He had visited this office ... when he had been an Auror.

Moody grimaced. He didn't like the idea of the impostor touching his stuff.

On his desk stood ... smaller than Moody's.

Blaise giggled like a little school girl.

In the corner ... golden television aerial.

"I own a lot of dark detectors," Moody said. "I have a foe-glass, secrecy sensor, sneakoscope, and that one there is my Secrecy Sensor. It detects secrets, lies, that sort of thing."

It was humming slightly.

"I wonder why," Moody growled.

What appeared to be a mirror ... none of them clearly in focus.

"Foe-glass," Moody said.

"Like my Dark Detectors, ... too much interference -

"Lying bastard," Moody grumbled.

students ... done their homework.

While that was potentially true, Moody shook his head. His dark detectors were well tuned and would not react to such trivia. He had them set perfectly and would only react to secrets that were dangerous in nature.

Been humming ever since I got here.

"I bet it has," Moody muttered.

I had to disable my Sneakoscope ... kid stuff," he added in a growl.

Moody almost laughed. Anyone who knew him wouldn't believe that he'd disabled his sneakoscope. He hadn't done that... EVER.

"And what's the mirror for?" ... whites of their eyes.

"That's true enough," Moody said.

That's when I open my trunk."

Moody frowned. That was an odd thing to say. While he had plenty of useful things in his trunk, if he saw his enemies in the foe-glass, he'd draw his wand.

He let out a short, ... the dragons, have you?"

Everyone inched forward, eager to hear more about the dragons.

Harry hesitated... Hagrid had broken the rules.

The puffs were all surprised by his loyalty. They exchanged looks.

"It's all right," ... always has been."

"He's not wrong there," Albus said with a sigh. He'd always hated cheating. Although he didn't personally think Harry cheated at all.

"I didn't cheat," ... he's only human."

Albus shook his head. Why did everything have to be political?

Moody gave another ... past your dragon yet?" said Moody.

Alastor and Amelia shared a look. Why was the impostor helping Harry? Unless this was all a ploy to get the boy to lower his guard.

"No," ... play to your strengths."

Pomona laughed. You couldn't really call that cheating.

"I haven't got any," ... stop himself.

Hermione and Ron both looked at Harry like they thought he was crazy.

"Of course you have strengths, Harry," Hermione said with a sigh. "You're a brilliant flyer. You're exceptional at Defense."

"You think well on your feet," Ron continued. "Never lose your head."

"You're insanely kind and generous," Hermione added.

"You're a pro at fighting off the imperius," Daphne said.

"You're a brilliant teacher," Ernie said, remembering the DA.

"Excuse me," ... "and a fat lot of help -"

Astoria giggled. Harry really didn't see himself properly.

"That's right," ... I've only got my wand..."

"Is he suggesting you out fly a dragon?" Sirius asked. "Is that even possible?"

"You'd have to be quick," young Charlie said. "Like insanely quick. Need a really decent broom too."

"My second piece ... get what you need."

Flitwick sighed. "The summoning charm is not simple. It's a complex charm!"

Harry looked ... it's not that difficult... "

Everyone laughed at that.

And it clicked... his Fire-bolt, he needed -

"The only spell you've ever really struggled with," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Hermione," ... I need you to help me."

Sirius smiled at the fact that he'd asked someone for help. That was a big deal for Harry. The mind healers clearly agreed based on the massive grins they were wearing.

"What d'you think ... she was pruning.

The mind healers sighed. Didn't she realise this was the very first time he'd actually asked her for help?

"Sorry, Harry." Hermione gave him a small, sad smile. "I was just so scared for you."

"Hermione, I need to learn ... tomorrow afternoon."

Professor Flitwick honestly couldn't believe that he had managed it. And under the pressure of facing a dragon too.

And so they practiced... stones to the floor.

Poppy looked like she wanted to tell Harry that meals were important too. But this was a dragon they were talking about.

"Concentrate, Harry, concentrate... "

"I'm not sure that's helping," Theo muttered under his breath.

"What d'you think ... Okay, try again... "

Professor Flitwick nodded. It was a hard spell to grasp.

He wanted to skip Divination ... skive off Arithmancy,

Sirius wasn't sure who he should be cross with. He thought a dragon was a good enough reason to skip class but equally... well, he wasn't supposed to say that as a parent, right?

and there was no point ... sudden, violent deaths.

Sirius took it back, he knew exactly who he was angry with. He glared at the professor in question.

"Well, that's good," ... I don't want to suffer."

Several people looked torn between laughing and crying.

Ron looked for a moment ... resentful toward Ron to care.

"I still don't get why you didn't just make up," Hermione huffed.

"And how was I supposed to do that?" Harry asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Ron thought I'd entered into the tournament," Harry said with a sigh. "Nothing short of admitting to doing something I hadn't done, would have even got us talking. And even then, he'd still have been pissed because I didn't tell him how to do it too."

Hermione blinked. She hadn't really considered that. Of course she didn't want Harry to have to lie to fix his friendship.

He spent the rest of the lesson... perhaps the fly was just stupid.

Several people laughed. Sirius didn't. He was growing anxious again. His hand tightened around Severus's.

He forced down some dinner ... chairs across the room.

"Someone really needs to remind Peeves the difference between safe and fun pranks and dangerous or deadly attacks," George said, surprising pretty much everyone.

Harry and Hermione left in a hurry ... hang of the Summoning Charm.

"Two in the morning?" Minerva asked. He'd faced the horntail with barely any sleep?

"That's better, ... "Accio Dictionary!"

The girls all giggled. Although they really hoped no one ever tried using a dragon to motivate them into learning a spell.

The heavy book soared ... out there on the grounds... "

"That shouldn't be a problem," Flitwick said. "So long as you're focused on what you want and you desire to have it enough."

"That doesn't matter," ... you're going to need it. "

The teachers all murmured their agreement. They really didn't want to see everyone's reactions to the first task.

Chapter End Notes

Harry is a better puff than the puffs... Just saying.

The First Task Part 2

Chapter Summary

Everyone finishes their last chapter of the day...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Harry had been focusing ... blind panic had left him.

"Good," young Kingsley nodded. "Panic will only get you killed."

"Or seriously maimed," Moody growled.

It returned ... following morning.

No one blamed him for that. They'd be terrified too.

The atmosphere ... they would find there.

Harry grimaced. He still couldn't quite wrap his head around using XXXXX beasts for entertainment.

Harry felt oddly separate ... as he passed.

The teachers did not look impressed. They exchanged looks. They really did need more teachers. They missed far too much.

It was a state of nervousness ... curse everyone in sight.

Several people laughed. "It would deserve them all right," Severus muttered.

Time was behaving ... in the Great Hall.

"Time does that," Bode said. "It's really not as linear as we think."

Lots of people were watching.

"Everyone was watching," Harry muttered.

"Potter, the champions ... "You'll be fine!"

Sirius smiled at Hermione.

"Yeah," ... anxious as Hermione.

"I was," Minerva said. "I didn't know what to say or how to get you out of the tournament. And I felt useless. Utterly useless. It's my job to protect you while you're at the school and I felt like such a failure."

She didn't say that she now knew that she was a failure and that she's failed to protect him more times than she knew. But it was written all across her face.

As she walked ... "Now, don't panic," she said,

The twins laughed. How were you supposed to avoid panicking when faced with a dragon?

"just keep a cool head ... any the worse of you...

"I was ready to have you grabbed out the second you looked like you needed rescuing," Minerva said. "The rules don't say a thing about having to complete the tasks. Only attempt them."

Are you all right?"

"That's a daft question," Remus said with a tense laugh.

"I really wasn't in my right mind," Minerva admitted. "I was telling him to stay calm, when I was a gibbering mess."

"Yes," ... "Yes, I'm fine."

"That's a lie," Hermione said. "The only time Harry lies is when he's pretending he's fine."

Harry was tempted to argue with her. But she wasn't wrong.

She was leading him ... screening the dragons from view.

"I swear they actually want you to panic," Blaise said.

"You're to go in here ... Good luck."

"He's going to need it," Sirius sighed. If this ever happened again, he'd sue the school for negligence. Allowing a fourteen year old near a dragon must be illegal. Even if they were magically emancipated.

"Thanks," ... Harry went inside.

The tension in the chamber was escalating.

Fleur Delacour ... pale and clammy.

"I was very scared," Fleur admitted.

Viktor Krum ... way of showing nerves.

Krum noddeed.

Cedric was pacing ... make yourself at home!"

"I don't understand how he could be so excited," Fleur murmured.

"I wanted to hex him silent," Krum admitted.

Bagman looked somehow ... old Wasp robes again.

"Stuck in the past," George said. "Stupid has-been."

"Well, now we're all here ... collect the golden egg!"

"He nearly forgot to tell you what the actual task was?" Remus asked. "Can he spell moron?"

Harry glanced around... he looked slightly green.

Cedric didn't blame his older self one bit.

Fleur Delacour ... opened their mouths;

"Yes, that was exactly how I felt," Fleur said.

"Not me. I was more concerned I'd curse the idiot," Krum said with a shrug.

that was certainly how Harry felt.

Everyone nodded in understanding.

But they, at least, had volunteered for this. . .

"That was the most annoying thing," Harry said. "Everyone acting like I actually wanted to compete."

And in no time at all, ... told her what was coming.

Fleur nodded. "Yes. I knew. She didn't tell me outright but she made sure I was prepared."

The same held true for Krum... stared at the ground.

"That's how I prepare for Quidditch too," Krum said. "I need peace and quiet. Bagman made that difficult."

Cedric put his hand ... Knowing what was left,

"Of course, you'd get the horntail," Sirius grumbled. He was surprised that he wasn't panicking. Severus had a calming draught on standby just in case, but so far, he was doing okay.

Harry put his hand ... bared its minuscule fangs.

"I've still got that miniature dragon," Harry said with a small smile.

"Me too!" Fleur said and Krum simply nodded.

"Well, there you are!" ... could I have a quick word? Outside?"

Sirius sat forward. He didn't like the way people seemed to gravitate towards Harry. In his experience, people always wanted something.

"Er. . . yes," ... Anything I can get you?"

"That's a stupid question," Krum said. "Obviously you weren't feeling alright."

"What?" ... "I - no, nothing."

Pomona smiled. Harry really was very fair. Here was a perfect opportunity to cheat and he wasn't taking it.

"Got a plan?" ... Anything I can do to help... "

"Dirty cheat," George growled, surprising almost everyone. They didn't know where his animosity was coming from.

"No," ... winking at him.

"He said no!" George said, folding his arms.

"No, I'm fine," ... "I've got a plan worked out, I -"

The hufflepuffs were impressed. They weren't sure they'd have played fair under the circumstances.

A whistle had blown ... a sort of hoarse grunt.

That made the lions laugh. They never got to see Harry when he was like this. He always seemed to be fearless. Perhaps, he'd simply learned to master his fear.

Harry went back inside... sitting there and listening.

"We didn't know what was going on," Fleur said. "It was horrible."

The crowd screamed... "Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow"...

Amos looked green.

"He's taking risks, this one!" ... pity it didn't work!"

Mrs Diggory glared at her son. She wouldn't have him risking his life for a silly tournament this time around.

And then, ... captured the golden egg.

Everyone cheered.

"Very good indeed!" ... showing them to the crowd.

Cedric gulped. So, at least, he knew he hadn't died in the first task.

"One down, three to go!" ... trembling from head to foot;

"I was mentally berating myself for entering," Fleur said with a small smile at her husband.

Harry felt more warmly ... avoiding each other's gaze.

They both exchanged a look.

The same process ... she'd had it then!"

"I hated the commentary," Krum said. "It did not help my nerves."

Ten minutes later,... been successful too.

Yet again, they all cheered.

A pause, ... for the third time, the whistle.

"I hope we actually find out what they did to get past the dragon," Remus said.

"And here comes Mr. Krum!" ... fingers tingling with fear...

"That's the adrenaline," Madam Pomfrey said. "You're in fight, flight or freeze mode."

yet at the same time, ... though from far away.

"And you're disassociating," Claudius said. "That's sort of expected."

"Very daring!" ... yes, he's got the egg!"

Everyone cheered for a third time. Then they were all grinning. It was finally Harry's turn.

Applause shattered ... made of marshmallow.

That got some laughter.

He waited... a very highly colored dream.

Madam Pomfrey nodded. That wasn't unexpected.

There were hundreds and hundreds ... gouge marks in the hard ground.

Young Charlie was not impressed. This wasn't right. "Our reserve won't be involved in things like this," he told Lucius.

The Malfoy Lord nodded his agreement. It wasn't like they'd need the funding from the ICW anyway.

The crowd ... didn't know or care.

"Good. Keep your focus on the dragon," Moody said.

It was time ... He raised his wand.

Everyone held their breath.

"Accio Firebolt!" ... If it hadn't worked...

"We thought you'd frozen," Draco said. "Thought you panicked."

if it wasn't coming... swim strangely...

"That's odd," Poppy said. "I suppose you could be panicking. Unless you cast some sort of silent, wandless protection over yourself. Maybe subconsciously?"

No one had an answer for what that haze could be.

And then he heard it ... waiting for him to mount.

The cheering in the chamber grew. Finally they were going to see some action.

"I should have taken it down to Hagrid's hut," Harry said with a sigh. "Or the Quidditch pitch. It would have saved time."

The crowd ... listening wasn't important...

Everyone leaned forward in their seats.

He swung his leg over ... but also his fear...

The other champions looked at him like he was mental.

He was back where he belonged ... ugly opposing team...

That got some laughter.

He looked down ... pulled out of the dive just in time;

Sirius's nails were digging into the back of Severus's hand.

a jet of fire ... dodging a Bludger...

Krum wondered at that. Would he have been so calm if he had been in the air? He wasn't convinced.

"Great Scott, he can fly!" ... "Are you watching this, Mr. Krum?"

"I was watching," Krum said with a smirk.

Harry soared higher ... this time he was less lucky -

Sirius tensed, pulling Harry against his side.

he missed the flames, ... ripping his robes -

"Bloody hell," young Charlie muttered.

He could feel it stinging, ... seem to be deep...

Sirius, Remus and Severus all sighed in relief. Arcturus closed his eyes as he tried to picture the scene. He might have to ask his new great-grandson for the pensieve memory.

Now he zoomed ... The trick was to do it carefully, gradually...

Everyone looked slightly surprised that Harry was actually thinking and not just flying randomly.

He began to fly, ... her fangs bared...

"Patience is key," Albus said with a small smile.

He flew higher... a snake before its charmer...

That was an interesting description. Those that had witnessed it, had to say it was an accurate one too.

Harry rose a few more feet, ... a fly she was longing to swat;

"You're her Rita Skeeter," Hermione said with a smirk.

Several people looked at her in surprise. That was oddly vicious.

her tail thrashed again, ... Her jaws opened wide...

Sirius hid his face in Severus's side. He didn't want to even think about this.

"Come on," ... he had seized the golden egg -

Everyone cheered louder than ever.

And with a huge spurt ... Irish supporters at the World Cup -

"Forgotten they hate you, have they?" Sirius muttered angrily. People were so fickle.

Several of the students looked ashamed, unable to meet Harry's eye.

"Look at that!" ... quickest to get his egg!

"Amazing, pup!" Sirius squeezed Harry's shoulder, pride evident in his expression.

Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"

Sirius's eyes narrowed.

Harry saw the dragon keepers ... he had survived...

Everyone gaped at him. He hadn't just survived, he'd been the quickest.

"That was excellent, Potter!" ... her was extravagant praise.

"Hardly," Minerva muttered. "It was well deserved."

He noticed that her hand shook ... mop up Diggory already... "

Poppy smiled. Finally someone was sending him to her when he needed to be.

"Yeh did it, Harry!" ... Charlie said that was the wors' -"

"HAGRID!" Minerva let out an exasperated sigh as the half-giant chuckled nervously.

"Thanks, Hagrid," ... the dragons beforehand.

"Thanks Harry," Hagrid said.

Professor Moody ... dancing in its socket.

Moody looked suspicious at that.

"Nice and easy ... looking worried.

"I was indeed worried," Poppy said. "And quite angry with the headmaster too."

"Dragons!" ... bring into this school next?

"A toad," Harry said with a straight face, making several people erupt with laughter.

You're very lucky... he felt it heal instantly.

"It really is no wonder you don't think twice about doing stupid stuff like this," Mr Granger said, "if you can get healed that quickly. None of you have any sense of your own mortality."

"Now, just sit quietly ... Hermione, followed closely by Ron.

Sirius glared at the book. He wasn't sure he was ready for Harry to forgive Ron.

"Harry, you were brilliant!" ... "You were amazing! You really were!"

Harry blushed at the praise.

But Harry was looking ... he were a ghost.

Ron grimaced. That wasn't far off how he'd felt.

"Harry," ... I reckon they're trying to do you in!"

"That's not an apology," George said, arms folded.

It was as though the last few weeks had never happened -

The Slytherins rolled their eyes. Potter was far too quick to forgive. They would make him grovel.

as though Harry ... "Took you long enough. "

The Slytherins smirked. Maybe he wasn't a complete push over after all.

Hermione stood nervously ... he didn't need to hear it.

"WHAT?" everyone cried. They needed to hear it even if Harry didn't.

"It's okay," ... "Forget it. "

"He should at least apologise," Neville said sharply.

"No," said Ron, ... Hermione burst into tears.

The boys all stared at the girl in horror.

"There's nothing ... now positively howling.

The lions all laughed.

"Barking mad," ... Ron by his side, talking fast.

Sirius wasn't sure how to feel about that. Sure, it was good that Harry had his friend back. But he really should have apologised. He couldn't understand why Harry was so quick to forgive. People grew up when they had to face their mistakes. Owning up to them and facing the consequences was a big part of that. He wasn't sure that Harry was doing his friend any favours by refusing to hear an apology. Hell, that was a big part of his problem growing up.

"You were the best, ... turned it into a dog...

Cedric grinned. He did love transfiguration.

he was trying ... rather have him than the Labrador;

Remus nodded. That was to be expected. It would need to be something human sized to provide an adequate distraction.

he only just got away.

Mrs Diggory glared at the book.

And that Fleur girl ... her skirt caught fire -

Fleur blushed.

she put it out ... he didn't even think of flying!

Viktor rolled his eyes. It really annoyed him that people thought all he was good for was Quidditch.

He was probably the best ... squashed half the real eggs -

Young Charlie looked ready to throttle Krum.

they took marks off ... a large figure eight.

"Not bad, Harry!" Sirius grinned.

"Not bad!"... marks off for your shoulder..."

"That's fair," Remus said as everyone cheered.

Mr. Crouch came next... nine into the air.

Harry wondered if that had actually been deserved or if he had been cursed to give him a high score.

"Looking good!" ... He too put up a nine.

More cheering filled the chamber.

The crowd was cheering... ten.

The cheering continued.

"Ten?" ... What's he playing at?"

Everyone stared at Harry like he had two heads.

"Harry, don't complain!" ... shot out of his wand too - four.

Krum rolled his eyes. That was Karkaroff all over.

"What?" ... you gave Krum ten!"

"Karkaroff does not play fair," Krum said with a shrug.

But Harry didn't care, ... a hundred points to him.

Ron smiled brightly at Harry.

He didn't tell Ron this, ... they threw at him now.

Everyone smiled shyly at Harry.

"You're tied in first place, ... back in the champions' tent. "

Charlie grinned. He could still remember how amazing that had been to witness. Imagine outflying a dragon!

Ron said he would wait, ... the wait had been immeasurably worse.

The teachers all chuckled.

Fleur, Cedric, and Krum ... "And you," said Harry, grinning back.

The puffs all looked between them. They hadn't realised that they'd been on friendly terms.

"Well done, all of you!" ... Well, off you go, then!"

"Well, at least they gave you a clue this time," Sirius said with a sigh. He was quite relieved and what was more, he hadn't needed a calming draught.

Harry left the tent, ... a witch leapt out from behind them.

Harry sighed. He really hated Rita Skeeter.

It was Rita Skeeter ... the fairness of the scoring?"

Arcturus stared at the woman, assessing her. He would have to watch her closely.

"Yeah, ... "Good-bye."

That got a fresh round of laughter.

And he set off back to the castle with Ron.

"Thank merlin, that's over," Sirius said, allowing himself to finally relax. He didn't even have the energy to berate the teachers.

Chapter End Notes

Let me know what you think. xo

A Lesson in Herbology

Chapter Summary

After they finish reading for the day, the students head to Mother Magic's conservatory for a herbology lesson.

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Harry was teamed up with Neville for their herbology lesson before dinner. Professor Sprout had found a conservatory brimming with magical plants. She seemed to be absolutely ecstatic with the various plants there, some of which she said she didn't even have in the Hogwarts greenhouses, which were said to house one of the best collections of magical plants in the world. She had decided to do things a little differently in Mother Magic's domain. Normally she was very particular about introducing students to plants gradually, taking into account their age as well as their magical ability.

But there were just so many plants here that these students may never be able to directly observe anywhere else. And she was hesitant to waste any time at all. So, instead, she had created an alphabetical list and decided to just work through it. Some lessons would be more hands on than others. But they would at least learn about all the plants.

They had already had a lesson that had been completely devoted to safety precautions and today they would finally get to start learning about the plants themselves. Some of the students, such as Neville, were particularly excited. The interest that had been originally born from learning magic before going to Hogwarts was gradually wearing off but most of the children seemed willing enough. Learning about the way Durmstrang taught, had inspired some. They seemed to think that they had something to prove now. This was certainly the case for Miss Granger and the Ravenclaws.

Pomona had insisted that the student's older versions attended the herbology lessons too. This was an added safety precaution. They could help their younger self, especially when dealing with some of the more dangerous plants.

"Okay everyone," Pomona said, drawing everyone's attention to herself. She was surprised to find some of the adults had also chosen to attend. The Granger parents were a welcome surprise. "Today we're going to focus on the As, starting with Aconite. Aconite has two other names, can anyone remember them from the first book?"

Hermione's hand immediately went up, along with her younger self's. That wasn't much of a surprise. Although, she was tempted to remind Hermione that she was here to help her younger self. Neville and young Neville also raised their hands, bring a smile to Pomona's face. He really was her favourite student. She probably shouldn't have favourites. But he was so devoted to herbology, it was hard not to show him some favor. Neville quickly lowered his hand though, perhaps remembering that he was there to assist. Several of the future Ravenclaws also raised their hands. This was also unsurprising. They hadn't long finished catching up with the other books that they'd missed before joining the chamber. Pomona was more surprised to see young Harry lift his hand.

"Yes, Harry?" she asked, smiling softly at him.

"Monkshood and wolfsbane," he recited.

"Very good." She felt a little lost without the ability to give house points.

"Now you'll remember last lesson while we discussed safety in the greenhouse," she said gently, "that we also discussed categories of plants. Can anyone remember them?"

Young Neville's hand went up quickly, even before Hermione's. Pomona gave him leave to answer.

"There are various ways of categorising plants," Neville said. "Like where they grow, who uses them, how they're used."

"And how would you categorise Aconite?" she pressed.

"Er... It's a mundane plant as it is used by non-magicals too," Neville said, "but it has magical properties. So we call it a mundane plant with magical properties."

"There are over two hundred and fifty species of Aconitum but you won't need to know about the other species unless you decide to obtain a mastery in Herbology. We will focus our study on the species most widely known in our world. The one we call Aconite, Wolfsbane or Monkshood. Now conventionally, I would not allow you to study Aconite until your fifth year as it is highly toxic. You will not be handling it today but I advise you all wear your dragon hide gloves as a precaution." She put her own gloves on before levitating a potted plant onto each table. The students all gathered round, staring at the flowering plant.

"They're quite pretty," young Ginny said.

"That they are," young Sprout said. "But don't let their appearance deceive you. They are very poisonous. The leaves in particular. You do not have to eat it or inhale something to be poisoned either. The leaves are toxic to touch. However, the flowers and roots can be used in potion-making. Aconite is most commonly used in the Wolfsbane and Wideye potions. Although there was an early attempt to use aconite in a potion to make the drinker fly. That potion failed spectacularly. It was quite embarrassing for the potions master that attempted it. He was convinced that the potion worked. Only to later realise that his potion only worked because he had not been cleaning his lab correctly and so a random, unknown ingredient had entered his potion. He never did manage to work out what else was in his potion."

"In medieval Europe," Professor Sprout continued, "muggles used aconite as poison in animal bait or on arrows used when hunting wolves, hence the herb also became known as wolfsbane. That proved a particularly challenging time for werewolves. Luckily however, the prejudice in our own world against them was not as... Well, quite frankly it did not exist, so magicals worked together to keep the weres safe."

She then gestured for a handful of the older students to demonstrate how to correctly care for the plant as she continued her lecture. She watched with pride as Neville, Harry, Luna, Theo, Susan and Morag all performed their work brilliantly. She had taught them well. She then instructed them on how to collect potions ingredients from the plant without causing it harm. Before long, the potted plants were all moving through the air once more, to return to their usual spot further into the conservatory. The pretty aconites were quickly replaced with Agrimonia, an equally pretty plant. This one with bright yellow flowers.

"Agrimonia is classified as a mundane plant with magical properties too," Sprout told them. "I believe some muggles even use Agrimonia in a similar way to ourselves. They use it in homeopathic medicine. Most potion-masters believe these medicines to be basic potions that have lost much of their magical quality without the involvement of a magical to brew them. However, they will still work to some extent. They use it for the treatment of airway and urinary system diseases, digestive tract diseases, and chronic wounds."

"The plant is native to Europe and Southwestern Asia," young Pomona added, walking between the tables, "and is non-toxic, so you do not need your gloves when handling. However, today you will keep them on. Any ideas why?"

Young Hermione's hand was in the air instantly.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"In case there are traces of aconite left on our tables," she said confidently.

"Quite right," the professor said. "It's also important to remember that not all plants work well together, so a clean working space is a necessity when dealing with magical plants. It's also important to remember that they might require very different conditions when planting them. I wouldn't recommend planting Agrimonia and Aconite together for example as they require different levels of sunlight. We use Agrimonia in a number of basic healing potions, including the laxative potion."

Another demonstration was given while the professor continued to explain how to tend to the plants and extract the necessary ingredients for potion making. Then they moved onto the next plant, but this time Professor Sprout had the six older students demonstrate how to properly clean their workstations before she lowered the new plants onto the tables.

"Can anyone tell me what this plant is called?" young Sprout asked.

Neville was the first to raise his hand but Susan wasn't far behind him.

"Yes, Susan?"

"Alihotsy," she said with a smile.

"Indeed," Sprout said. "Alihotsy is a magical plant as the muggles do not use it. In fact, I believe they are unaware of its existence. It is a species of tree and what you have on your tables are mere saplings. They will grow quite large eventually. It also goes by the name Hyena tree. Can anyone guess why?"

"It makes you laugh?" Ron asked, without raising his hand.

Professor Sprout was surprised. Not only had he guessed correctly, but she thought that might have been the first time Ronald Weasley had ever willingly answered a question in her class. That alone made her willing to overlook him shouting out.

"Uncontrollably," she said with a grin, "if you eat the leaves. They induce hysteria. The leaves are used as an ingredient for the Laughing Potion, but they are also used in the Alihotsy Draught and in the Memory Potion. The hysteria effect can be influenced by how vigorously you stir your potion after adding the leaves. For a Laughing Potion you will want to stir it very gently. However in the Memory potion you will want to stir it as vigorously as possible."

"This plant will come up if you take NEWT level herbology," young Sprout said and soon the students were witnessing another demonstration, this time while the younger professor lectured them.

Next they learned about Aloe Vera and Angel's Trumpet, two more mundane plants with magical properties, before moving onto the herb Anjelica. The children all listened and watched attentively. But still, Professor Sprout noticed that they would be late for dinner. Croaker would not be happy with her for that, because they were finally going to be getting their lecture on time magic. However, she was determined to finish the As today. She wasn't sure how long they would remain in the chamber and she was adamant to give her students the best head start she could. Their herbology lessons in the new timeline would greatly benefit from it.

Next she taught them about Arnica, a plant species related to the sunflower, that was used in poison making as well as treatment for bruises and sprains. Then finally she rounded off the lesson with Asphodel, a member of the lily family. She told them how the muggles used to believe that this plant grew in the underworld and how it was used in the mundane world, before talking about its use in potion-making, including its use in The Draught of the Living Death and the Wiggenweld Potion. After that, the students quickly returned to their rooms to bathe before joining the others in the dining hall.

Croaker was glaring at her but Pomona merely smiled. "Sorry, I didn't realise the time," she said.

Harry almost laughed. He was quite sure she had been aware of the time all through the lesson. He took his seat next to Sirius and smiled happily. He was relieved to have the reading finished for the day. He wondered how difficult it would be to convince everyone that they should take a break for a few days. They were all enjoying reading the books much more than he was.

"I've been thinking," he said quietly.

All eyes immediately turned to him. He really needed to get used to that.

"I'd be careful with that," George said. "Might hurt yourself."

Harry rolled his eyes but was grateful as it gave him a chance to clear his thoughts.

"I'd quite like to take a break from reading," he said.

Many of the younger ones looked ready to argue against the idea. They wanted to hear about the tournament. But the adults were looking thoughtful.

"May we ask why?" Arthur smiled reassuringly.

"It's kind of..." He didn't want to outright say it was overwhelming and he didn't like it. "I just need..."

"A break," Arthur said. "It has been a little tense."

There was a murmur of agreement.

"And we do have quite a lot of work to do," Lucius said. "The oaths for the council are ready for your inspection, my prince."

Harry nodded. There was a lot to do. But he really hoped he'd also find some time to fly. He had a feeling that would help him a lot.

"And I imagine many of you would appreciate a quidditch game or two," Lucius added with a small smile.

Harry's face lit up. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Good," Lucius said and Sirius was nodding his agreement. "Then that's settled. No more reading for let's say..."

"Two days?" Severus suggested.

"Two days," Lucius agreed.

The kids looked a little put out but they were more than willing to have some time for quidditch, so they didn't say anything as they quickly finished their dinner so they could go and listen to Croaker's lecture.

Chapter End Notes

Just a short chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. xo

Made a minor change because I realised I said Bode would be giving the time lecture. It should have been Croaker.

A Lecture on Time

Chapter Summary

Our characters have a little lecture...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

Slight change made to last chapter: Bode is not giving the lecture. It was supposed to be Croaker.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Croaker had a very serious expression on his face when they all entered the main chamber after dinner. Harry thought he looked almost nervous.

"This is going to be awful," Rookwood huffed.

Bode merely laughed.

"You have to admit he's only become more obsessed since meeting Lord Time," Rookwood said.

Bode did not deny it. But he refrained from saying anything else either. He imagined he would be much the same if Lady Luck joined them in the chamber. He had devoted his life to researching her magic, just as Croaker had Lord Time's.

The two unspeakables settled themselves in for a long, detailed and very interesting lecture.

Croaker cleared his throat and with a swish of his wand the word time appeared in midair.

"Time magic is by definition completely foreign to our own magic," Croaker began. "Our magic comes from Mother Magic and obviously the two celestials are different entities and as such there magic is bound to be different. Just as my magic is different from Unspeakable Bode's magic."

Hermione was busy scribbling away, noting down everything he said. It wasn't every day that you received a lesson from an unspeakable.

"But it is more than that," Croaker continued. "Mother Magic gave us her magic freely to do with it what we please - within reason. Obviously there are laws but in general you have control of the magic that Mother Magic has bestowed upon you. That is not the case with Time Magic. To the best of my knowledge, Lord Time has never bestowed Dendora onto a witch or wizard. Of course, there are magical creatures that have been gifted in such a way, but never humans."

"Magical creatures that have time magic?" Hermione asked.

"Well, the most obvious is the Phoenix," he said crossly. He did not like being interrupted. "The way they regenerate through burning days is in fact Dendora."

Harry blinked at that. He raised his hand, not wanting to interrupt but having a question of his own.

"Yes, Prince Myrrddin?" Croaker smiled.

"Is that why they're so rare?"

"Indeed it is," Croaker said with a nod. "Then there is the Tengu which is native to Japan, the Cú Sìth, a strange fairy-like dog native to Scotland, and for some time wix believed that the Golden Snidget used time magic to fly as quickly as they did."

Hermione looked like she had about a thousand more questions but she decided it might be better to write them down. She could always ask Croaker when he was finished. She wasn't sure why he had been annoyed with her and not Harry. Was it because he was the prince? Or... Oh, wait. She hadn't put her hand up. She sighed deeply. She really needed to work on that.

"As I was saying, while some creatures have been gifted by Lord Time, to the best of my knowledge humans never have. Our understanding of time is severely limited, and those of us who research it are heavily regulated. Messing with time is dangerous, I cannot stress that enough." He glared momentarily at the headmaster. "Most people think of time as something linear, a straight line from past, through present, and into the future, with key events popping up from time to time. However, this is inaccurate. We think of time as how we quantify our existence. Hermione Granger is eleven years old. It took me four years to achieve my mastery. Harry Potter became a national hero at the age of one. That sort of thing. However, time is so much greater and more vast than that allows."

Everyone was paying Croaker attention, almost as much as they'd listened to the book during the last chapter. Time Magic was fascinating.

"Time as a measure and Time as a magic are not the same thing and should not be regarded as such," Croaker said. "This is why we call Time Magic Dendora. Having another name for it, reminds us that the two things are not one and the same. But equally Time itself is neither the same as Time the measure or Time the magic. Are you with me so far?"

Several people shook their head. Just what was time then?

"Time is the vast stretch of eternity," Croaker said with a toothy grin. "It has no beginning and no end. Or at least it should not."

He was very uncomfortable with the idea that if this group of people didn't save Mother Magic, then even Lord Time would perish, and time itself would come to an end. Except, how could something with no beginning end? No. It would merely cease to exist. And that was strangely worse.

"Eternal time moves freely in all directions, meaning that though you do not know it, what happens in the future may in fact influence what happens in the present. Although, the Unspeakables know this to be true, they have never been able to comprehend how. Eternal time seems to resonate around significant events and those events affect the Eternal time around them in all directions. This is one of the reasons why playing with time is so dangerous. If you change something within a significant event, the changes you make will have a significant impact on the Eternal Time around that significant event. Imagine it like shock waves." He flicked his wand and a diagram appeared. "Let's say we went back in time and destroyed Voldemort's horcrux before Harry knew of its existence, would Harry - the prophecy child - have reason to be born?"

Several people began muttering between themselves. "Prophecy child?"

Harry frowned at that.

"Of course, that is a misleading question, because we know that as Prince Myrrddin, Harry has far more reason to exist than a mere prophecy."

Bode huffed at that.

"Time, the measurement, not Eternal Time or Dendora, is governed by natural law," Croaker continued. "And it is within those limitations that those that study time try to stay. This is a safety measure. A precaution. And it is absolutely necessary. Time Magic, Dendora, is often mislabeled as unstable, when in fact it is merely not understood and quite frankly unquantifying to the human mind and very much so outside of our control. Remember how I said that Mother Magic gives us dominion over our own magic. It is within our control. The same cannot be said for Dendora. Therefore caution is necessary when using this magic. We restrict our use of time magic to hourly increments of which we allow a maximum of five. Anything more than this and we risk harming ourselves and time itself."

Hermione could hardly sit still she had so many questions.

"In the year 1899, the Department of Mysteries conducted its final experiment with Dendora greater than five hours. Eloise Mintumble was sent back to the year 1402. She ended up being stuck there for five days and when she was returned to our time..." He paused. "The Department of Mysteries will tell you that the Unspeakables of the day retrieved her, but in reality, we suspect Lord Time returned her because her time-travel was causing time itself to unravel, something he could not allow. When she returned, she had aged five centuries and died in St Mungo's. But more than causing her death, it led to a great disturbance to Eternal Time. Imagine every decision you make is like a fork in the road. You go left you have cottage pie for dinner. You go right and you study so much that you forget to eat. That sort of thing. Or perhaps more significantly than if you eat dinner or not, you go left you marry and have a child, you go right you don't. No fewer than twenty-five people vanished from the present because of how Mintumble had influenced the past lives of their ancestors. They were quite literally un-born. But not only that, but Tuesdays lasted two and half days, while Thursdays were suddenly only four hours long."

Someone gasped. That was insane.

"Do you see that how we use Dendora influences Eternal Time which in turn affects how we measure time. Of course, our measure of time is less important than Eternal Time. Unfortunately, we cannot see how Eternal Time is influenced by Dendora but it is safe to say that if Time, the measurement, is affected by what we do with Dendora then Eternal Time is likewise impacted and that is something we cannot allow. So we restrict the use of Dendora to what will not affect Time, the measurement, in the hope that it will protect Eternal Time."

Croaker sighed. While he enjoyed speaking about Eternal Time it was outside of most people's understanding so the next part of his lecture would focus on how time travel could affect them directly. That would hopefully scare them off messing with time. Even if fear of damaging Eternal Time did not.

"Using Dendora also has personal risks," he said. "You may accidentally kill your past self, or your past self could kill you. This has happened several times and is impossible to remedy. Changes are to be avoided wherever possible and interaction with people from the past should be limited. If you fail to follow these rules, you risk altering your own life past drastically, something that can result in temporal anomalies such as un-births. Or worse, you might influence one of those significant events and create shock-waves through time, creating an alternative timeline. Imagine for a second if someone used a time-turner to stop Voldemort going after the Potters. What do you think might have happened?"

No one said anything. They didn't want to even consider that.

"Lord Voldemort might have taken control of the ministry," Croaker said, "and still be ruling to this day. Harry Potter may have been un-birthed - of course, this is if his life was defined by his so called destiny as attributed to him by the prophecy. It is currently unknown if such a spectacular cock up could actually be reversed."

Now that was terrifying. Several people looked like they might actually have nightmares about that.

"The problem is that you don't have to be intending to influence that particular event. Let's say your use of Dendora caused Lord Voldemort to get an especially important invitation to dine, putting off his plans to attack the Potters. This would no doubt have the same affect."

His lecture continued on for some time before he turned to Albus. "I should add that it is reprehensible to encourage others to break the laws that govern the use of Dendora. If you want to break the law, on your head be it, but if I ever hear of you encouraging school children to do your dirty work for you again, Albus, and I will ask Lord Time to allow me to change time just enough to Un-born you."

Albus grimaced. That was fair. He couldn't believe his older self had been so foolish.

"But then Grindlewald!" someone muttered.

But Albus almost laughed. Would Gellert even become a Dark Lord if he wasn't friends with Albus?

Sometime later, Tonks was sitting next to the fire with the other aurors. "We still didn't get to shout at the headmaster."

Kingsley laughed. "You're really set on having it out with Dumbledore, aren't you?"

Tonks shrugged. She wasn't sure why it was bothering her so much.

"Personally, I think the threat of being Un-born will do more than any shouting ever could," Amelia said with a chuckle.

None of the other aurors disagreed with her there. They all grinned.

"Two whole days of rest," Tonks said with a small sigh. "I can actually get a lie in."

Moody shook his head. "Unlikely. The Prince might be resting but we have work to do. We'll meet at eight thirty tomorrow morning in our office."

"What do we need to do?" Tonks groaned.

"For one thing, we need to make sure the case against the Dursleys is iron clad," Moody said.

Tonks nodded. That was important, she supposed. She yawned and waved the others good night, wishing that she could sleep in past noon.

Chapter End Notes

So... my idea of time is a little mental and doesn't really work with physics and stuff... but it was fun to write so don't judge me too much. Lol.

A New Morning Dawns

Chapter Summary

DAY THIRTY-THREE IN THE CHAMBER...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The next morning, Harry did not rush to get out of bed. He had always been an early riser but not this morning. Instead, he had simply rolled over and gone back to sleep, or at least tried. It had been slightly difficult as he recalled everything they had read in the last few days. This book was by far the worst so far. But he couldn't help but fear that things would only get worse from here.

Eventually, he sat up in bed and reached for his glasses on the bedside table, only to remember that thanks to Professor Snape he no longer required them. That had been a pleasant surprise. One he still wasn't quite used to. It had also really confused him that the teacher hadn't allowed him to relinquish him of the duty of fulfilling his vow to protect him. Why would he willingly keep such a vow going? Wasn't it enough that his older self had died for that vow? He didn't want this Severus to die too. Weirdly, he'd come to terms with the professor's part in his own horrible history.

Severus Snape, the one from his time, was a bitter, twisted bastard. But he'd been honourable and brave too. And Harry had to respect that.

Dobby popped into the room with a tray of food. "The princey needs to be eating. Breakfast was an hour ago."

Harry took the light scolding with a smile. It was good to see his friend again. "Thank you, Dobby."

"You's being welcome, Master Princey."

Harry didn't have much of an appetite but he forced himself to eat what was on his plate. He knew that Madam Pomfrey would have something to say if he didn't. Plus the Goblin healers. And Dobby. And Kreacher. And probably Sirius and Arcturus too. Not to mention the rest of the Black family. Even though they'd all been estranged for years, they were getting closer and Harry could just picture how his life would be in the new timeline. It was somewhat bizarre having Draco Malfoy for a cousin. Not necessarily bad. But definitely strange.

The anomosity between them seemed to have lifted in the last month and he could almost imagine being friends with the other wix. And that left him feeling slightly perturbed.

He had a quick shower before heading off in the direction of the chamber where the younger ones often gathered to fly and play Quidditch. Even though it was technically indoors, you'd never know it. It was strangely similar to the section of the house where the creatures were staying and yet different too. There was grass where carpet ought to be and the walls... Well Harry had yet to find walls. The door into this particular room was simply perched into an arch in the centre of the room. Sometimes magic still amazed him.

Harry was surprised to see many of the others already in the air. But what was even more surprising was that a number of students, mostly ravenclaws, were sitting off to one side, reading. He wondered if they were catching up on the books. Or if they'd done that already and had managed to grab a book or two from Mother Magic's library. Hermione was sitting there too, her own head buried in a book. He also noticed that a couple of the Slytherins had joined them. Theo Nott for one. Harry wondered about him. He was so quiet and reserved. Harry knew next to nothing about him. Except that he was the son of a death eater. But that really didn't tell him anything about Theo himself.

It said something though that Mother Magic had not wanted Nott's father in the chamber.

His attention was diverted when Cedric called him over. "We're thinking of seeing if we can convince the adults to give us weekends off."

"Why?" Harry asked and everyone looked at him like he was a little balmy. And maybe he was.

"We want to arrange a quidditch tournament," Krum said. "We just need to make sure we have enough players. And that we team everyone up fairly."

Harry nodded. That would be fun. "Who have you go so far?"

"That's the problem, everyone wants to play," Cedric said with a huff. "Well, not quite everyone. Most of the Ravens weren't interested. And Granger actually looked scared at the idea of playing. Percy downright scoffed at the idea. But surprisingly even some of the Slytherin girls were interested and you know they don't usually play at school."

Harry's eyes widened at that. He didn't think a girl had ever played on the Slytherin team. He'd call them sexist but he wasn't sure that was it. Slytherin girls just never seemed interested in playing.

"We've got seven teams," Krum said. "Some idiot thought it would be good to make the champions the captains. We've tried to divvy everyone up fairly but it's sort of difficult, seeing as how I have no idea how good anyone is."

"The Weasley twins even managed to get Charlie and Bill to play - well, one of the Bills, at least. The older one, I think."

Harry nodded. "So what? We try and get a couple of games in every weekend?"

Krum smirked. "That's what we thought. Just see how it goes and keep a tally of the scores and see which team has the most points when we leave here."

A piece of parchment with his teammates and team colour written on it was thrust into his hand and then a random Raven was asked to cast random colour charms to work out who would play who first. Harry was not surprised, but was disappointed, when his team did not get picked to play first. He settled down onto the grass with his new team and tried to discuss strategy. His team was really random. He had Draco, Luna and Terence playing as chasers. He'd played against Higgs before and knew he was good in the position. But he was less sure about Draco and Luna. He didn't know that Draco even considered other positions. He would have expected him to want to play seeker. And Luna... well, he just couldn't picture her playing Quidditch at all. His beaters were a little better. He had Seamus and George. George looked like he wasn't sure he wanted to play without his twin and Harry couldn't really blame him. But best of all, Harry had lucked out with keepers, gaining Oliver.

They watched the first two teams compete, paying close attention for when they got to play them. Harry looked closely at each of the teams, trying to assess who would present the greatest challenge. Viktor's team looked strong, especially since he'd gained the Weasley twins. Somehow he'd managed to get the only team that consisted completely of Quidditch players. But even so, the other teams would not prove easy, Harry was sure. The quidditch players were spread pretty evenly.

The first game went to Cedric's team but only just. Fleur's team had put up a good fight.

Then it was finally their turn and Harry couldn't be more relieved to be back in the air. This was exactly what he needed. He split his attention between searching for the snitch and coaching his team. It was clear that they weren't used to playing together. Well, some of them. Oliver was spectacular as always, refusing to let a single quaffle in, much to Angelina's annoyance. Draco and Terence quickly found a rhythm and even though Luna seemed easily distracted she had even scored a goal or two. As for George and Seamus, they worked well enough together. Of course, their teamwork wasn't quite as fluid as George and Fred's but it worked well all the same.

Happy that his team were doing okay, Harry decided to put all his attention on finding the snitch. He laughed when Viktor attempted to distract him with a feint. He wouldn't fall for that. Instead, he decided to scare the other seeker, performing his own feint. He could practically feel Viktor's panic as he thought Harry had seen the snitch while he'd been distracted trying to feint him. Harry pulled out of the dive, his feet brushing the grass and right then he saw it. The snitch was at the other end of the pitch and he had a head's start. He darted forward as fast as he possibly could, zooming past the other players.

And then finally, he reached out and took the snitch, ending the match.

He let out a little sigh of relief. This was exactly what he needed.

Teams:

Cedric's Team

Keeper: Ron

Chaser #1: Dean

Chaser #2: Michael

Chaser #3: Susan

Beater #1: Anthony

Beater #2: Blaise

Seeker: Cedric

Harry's Team

Keeper: Oliver

Chaser #1: Draco

Chaser #2: Luna

Chaser #3: Terence

Beater #1: George

Beater #2: Seamus

Seeker: Harry

Viktor's Team

Keeper: Ron

Chaser #1 Dean

Chaser #2: Terence

Chaser #3: Michael

Beater #1: George

Beater #2: Fred

Seeker: Viktor

Harry's Team

Keeper: Daphne

Chaser #1: Draco

Chaser #2: Luna

Chaser #3: Casius

Beater #1: Seamus

Beater #2: Blaise

Seeker: Harry

Fleur's Team

Keeper: Tracy

Chaser #1: Fleur

Chaser #2: Angelina

Chaser #3: Casius

Beater #1: Millicent

Beater #2: Bill

Seeker: Charlie

Viktor's Team

Keeper: Oliver

Chaser #1: Angelina

Chaser #2: Marcus

Chaser #3: Susan

Beater #1: Millicent

Beater #2: Justin

Seeker: Viktor

Fleur's Team

Keeper: Daphne

Chaser #1: Ginny

Chaser #2: Fleur

Chaser #3: Marcus

Beater #1: Anthony

Beater #2: Tracy

Seeker: Charlie

Round One Scores:

Cedric Vs Fleur: 170 - 160

Harry Vs Viktor: 200 - 60

Viktor Vs Fleur: 180 - 120

Tournament Points:

(Points / Number of Games)

Harry: 20 /1

Viktor: 18/1

Cedric: 17/1

Fleur: 16/1

Fleur: 12/1

Viktor: 6/1

Harry: 0/0

Chapter End Notes

Just a short snippet from their first day of the break...

P.s. I made a minor edit to include the first round of scores for the Quidditch tournament. I probably should have added them when I first wrote the chapter.

The Nargles and The Dragons

Chapter Summary

DAY THIRTY-FOUR IN THE CHAMBER...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

P.s. I made a few edits to the previous chapter to include scores and a complete team list.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

It was an exhausted Harry that practically had to be dragged to the dining hall for dinner. They'd somehow managed to play four games - only stopping for a quick snack around lunch time - before Mrs Weasley had come looking for them to demand they attend dinner. Something had definitely been said about behaving like civilized people and not eating on broomsticks. Harry didn't mind so much. He'd been in the air, won a game against Viktor Krum, even if it was the younger one, and was actually sort of ravenous. Harry wasn't quite so happy about it. His team had yet to play and he was highly disappointed. Of course, Harry was sure the kid was using the time to strategise. As much as he'd rather be in the air, seeing all the other teams play before competing yourself had to give you an advantage.

"I've been thinking Prince Myrrddin," young Draco said coming up to sit beside him.

He sounded just as pompous as Harry remembered him being before they reached Hogwarts. But now Harry recognised it as a sign of nerves.

"I think you can call me Harry," Harry said softly.

"Huh?" Apparently, Draco had not be expecting that. "Oh, well... If you're sure. You can call me Draco, I suppose. We are family after all."

The young boy's chest puffed out, clearly proud to be Harry's cousin. Although Harry wasn't sure if it was because he was Prince Myrrddin, the boy-who-lived, or because of everything he'd heard about in the books.

"What were you thinking about Draco?"

"Oh, yes. I forgot," Draco said with a blush. "Our team needs a name."

The rest of their team were sitting around them and they all looked up at that. Luna smiled happily. "I want to call us The Nargles."

George laughed lightly. He thought Luna was brilliant, and it was sort of catchy.

"What's a Nargle?" Draco asked.

"Oh, they're invisible creatures. They infest mistletoe and make exceptional thieves."

"I was thinking The Dragons," Draco said shyly. Well, sort of. Harry thought he was being shy but he actually came across rather aloof.

Seamus snorted. "You just want to name the team after yourself."

Draco blushed. "N-no. That's not it. I really like dragons. I used to ask to go visit the reserves constantly as a child. But Mother wouldn't allow it. She said it was too dangerous."

Terence Higgs nodded. "She was right. I've been to the reserve in Wales and nearly lost an arm."

Draco eyed him in amazement. "How?"

"I was eight, I think. Snuck up on a dragon while my dad was looking the other way and well, it didn't like that." Terence grimaced. "It breathed fire at me, turned my arm to ash. Had to regrow the entire limb."

Everyone stared at the boy in horror. Except Luna and Draco, who both looked highly jealous.

"I guess we could call ourselves The Dragons," Seamus said with a sigh.

Harry grinned at the boy. In fairness, The Dragons wasn't a terrible name.

George patted Draco on the shoulder. "You better play well if we're naming our team after you, Dragon."

Draco smiled brightly. No one except his mother usually called him Dragon. But he would allow it. George seemed pretty cool. Not as cool as Charlie, the one that worked with dragons, but cool enough, for a Weasley.

What they didn't know was that a very similar conversation was happening at the other end of the table. Young Harry's team were also discussing names. The same two suggestions had been made but Casius and Seamus had absolutely refused to name the team The Dragons on principle. They thought Malfoy's head was plenty big enough on its own. Not that they'd outright said that, although they had gotten pretty close and Harry had feared that they were going to start arguing. That was until Luna suggested calling the team The Nargles.

Seamus looked less pleased about being named after invisible - possibly imaginary - creatures, but he had to admit that it was better than The Dragons. Anything was better than naming their team after Draco Malfoy.

Daphne didn't care one way or the other, she was just grateful to be allowed to play. Usually her parents absolutely forbade her to play dangerous games like Quidditch. But they'd never know anything about, seeing as how they'd already been told that they would have to take a secrecy oath when they left Mother Magic's realm.

Meanwhile, Cedric had taken it upon himself to approach the adults about the idea of having weekends off. He really wanted the tournament to continue. He'd been disappointed when his team mates had pointedly refused to be called the badgers. He was just grateful that his teammates had also refused Susan's suggestion of the Puffskeins. They had settled on The Golden Snidgets and he couldn't be happier with their team name. The adults were hard to approach when they were all spread out across the table and he didn't really know who had the authority to make the decision. Except perhaps Harry. He settled on Amelia Bones because she seemed like a sensible sort of woman and she was the head of the DMLE so that had to count for something.

"Madam Bones?" he asked with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Yes, Heir Diggory," she said, giving him a warm smile.

"We were thinking that it would be really good if we could make these breaks sort of regular. I know we don't really know what day of the week it is. I mean... do days of the week even exist here?"

"No. Heir Diggory. They do not," Croaker said from across the table. "We are outside of time."

"Right. So... we can't use those to decide breaks but we were sort of thinking it would be nice to have weekends off. We'd like to have a Quidditch tournament and you know the Ravens really want to explore Mother Magic's library. And..."

Madam Bones looked sharply at the young man, before nodding her head. "I imagine that can be arranged. Five days of reading, followed by two days of rest. It shouldn't be too hard to do."

"Will the other adults agree?" Cedric asked nervously.

"They're just as tired as you are," Moody said. "I imagine they'd appreciate regular breaks too."

The next day they all made it to the dining room for breakfast before heading to the chamber where they played Quidditch. Young Harry's team were the first to play, beating Fleur's team by one hundred and fifty points. All because young Harry had somehow spotted the snitch before even a single point had been scored. Harry looked slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be able to stay in the air longer, but he enjoyed watching the others play. Especially with his new cousin Draco explaining all the different plays.

Then the two Viktors went head to head and somehow managed to get a draw. It was a close call but both teams finished with two-hundred points. The second game had run much longer than the first and had made them all late for lunch, which resulted in a scaulding from Mrs Weasley until Arcturus told her to get a grip. They were kids and they were having fun. Finally, after lunch it was Harry's turn again. This time he was playing against Fleur's team. He had to admit that Charlie was an excellent Seeker. They had very different styles but that just made the whole game more fun. They both got close to catching the snitch several times, playing literally neck for neck the entire game.

Eventually, Harry had caught the snitch and won the game, when he spotted it hovering near the archway out of the chamber. He'd dropped into a deep dive with Charlie in close pursuit. His fingers had just wrapped around the snitch when Charlie's hand wrapped around his own. That had been close.

Dinner was waiting for them in the dining room once they'd all showered. Harry sighed heavily when he realised that they'd have to start reading again in the morning. He really wasn't looking forward to the rest of this book. Or the next one for that matter. After dinner, Harry returned to the chambers that he shared with his family. He didn't really feel up to being surrounded by everyone else. Most of his family were off doing their own thing but he was pleasantly surprised to find Sirius and Severus sitting by the fire, each with a book in hand.

He wasn't sure he'd ever seen Sirius looking quite so domesticated. It almost made him laugh. In fact, he did snort in surprise.

"I told you that people wouldn't believe you could read," Severus said, eyeing Sirius with a small smirk.

"Yeah. Yeah. Of course, I can read," Sirius said.

Harry joined them by the fire, only then noticing that they both had a copy of the first book in hand. "Why are you reading those?" he asked, nervously.

"Making notes," Severus replied, not looking up.

"Why?"

"Things that need to change," Sirius said. "We're worried we might have missed something."

Harry frowned. That made sense. The emotions in the chamber were heightened and so it would probably be all too easy to miss something. He reached for the book on ruines that he'd started reading the night before and decided not to worry about the books for now. In only a few short hours, he'd be back in the main chamber with everyone else and that was the last thing he wanted to think about.

Team Names:

Cedric - The Golden Snidgets

Harry - The Dragons

Viktor - The Firedrakes

Harry - The Nargles

Fleur - The Thunderbirds

Viktor - The Graphorns

Fleur - The Fwoopers

Round Two Scores:

Harry Vs Fleur: 150 - 0

Viktor Vs Viktor: 200 - 200

Harry Vs Fleur: 210 - 70

Tournament Points:

Harry: 41/2

Viktor: 38/2

Viktor: 26/2

Fleur: 23/2

Cedric: 17/1

Harry: 15/1

Fleur: 12/2

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed it... Next chapter, we'll be returning to the book, much to Harry's annoyance. I want to thank Mysid for the awesome idea that led to this chapter... The Nargles and The Dragons as team names. He he. I'll try my best to thank everyone who shares an idea I end up using - although I apologise in advance if I forget - unless it was already in my list of things to do. I know a lot of you have been making suggestions that are kind of already in my plans... Great minds and all that. Lol.

The House-elf Liberation Front Part 1

Chapter Summary

DAY THIRTY-FIVE IN THE CHAMBER...

The reading continues with a new chapter.

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Harry watched his younger self from across the chamber. He was sitting with Draco and Neville today. He was surprised how quickly Draco and Harry had become friends. It had sort of happened overnight and Harry had yet to work out how. They seemed to be getting on though so that was good. He was a little disappointed to see that his younger self wasn't spending much time with Hermione or Ron. But he noticed they also seemed to be making new friends in the chamber. Hermione was currently sitting with a group of Ravenclaw girls and that was something interesting in itself. Hermione had never been particularly good at making friends with other girls. And Ron was happily talking to Seamus and Dean about his collection of Chocolate Frogs cards.

Professor Flitwick was casting his usual spell on the book and before Harry knew it the entire chamber went quiet as everyone got ready for the next chapter.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione ... get past his dragon unscathed.

Sirius was grateful that Harry thought to reassure his older self. He could only imagine how concerned he was.

On the way, ... suspected it all along.

"Why?" Blaise asked.

Ron shrugged. "Malfoy bragging on the train."

Blaise nodded. He didn't like it but it was fair. Everyone knew that Lucius Malfoy had been involved with the death eaters.

"Fits, doesn't it?" ... the World Cup...

"Karkaroff wasn't involved in that," Lucius said. "He wouldn't have been welcome."

I'll tell you one thing, ... Come here - I'll do it -"

"Only got a scratch?" Sirius asked, bewildered. This kid really liked to trivialise Harry's experiences.

Pigwidgeon was so overexcited ... how could they be?"

Minerva huffed. Stupid. Foolish. Gryffindor.

Ron went on ... appreciated it all the same.

Ron blushed. He hadn't realised he was that transparent.

Hermione, however, ... I hate to think what's coming next."

Sirius frowned. Finally some sense.

"Right little ray of sunshine, ... should get together sometime."

"And we're back to the bickering," Remus said, shaking his head. He really didn't know how Harry put up with it.

He threw Pigwidgeon ... food from the kitchens by now."

"Why would you ruin the surprise?" Lee asked.

"Harry doesn't like surprises," George said, understanding his brother perfectly. He might be a little git but he was a good friend... some of the time at least.

Sure enough, ... Cedric with his head on fire.

Amos did not look pleased. Cedric however laughed good-naturedly.

Harry helped himself ... second one for three months.

"Even so, I hope you got to work on that clue straight away," Minerva said.

"Blimey, this is heavy," ... "It's in the tournament rules... "

"That is inaccurate," Albus said. "He was not allowed to receive help from a teacher. Fellow students, on the other hand, was perfectly acceptable."

Hermione blushed.

"I was supposed ... she grinned rather guiltily.

"Nothing wrong with getting help from your peers," Minerva said. "Although, Hagrid shouldn't have told you about the dragons and Moody was playing a very fine line. That said, I'm rather glad they helped you."

"Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!" several people echoed.

Everyone looked at the book in anticipating. Harry did not. He really hoped that the book wouldn't screech at them.

Lee passed Harry the egg, ... playing the musical saw.

Albus sat forward abruptly. "Your second task was in the lake?"

Harry nodded. He wasn't surprised Albus had worked it out. He did speak Mermish after all.

"But Miss Delacour is part veela. That is highly dangerous," Albus said in disbelief. Why hadn't they changed the second task when they learned that?

"Shut it!" ... fight the Cruciatus Curse!"

Neville blushed.

"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal," said George.

"Didn't stop a professor using the imperius curse on us in class," Harry said.

"They wouldn't use ... a bit like Percy singing...

Percy glared at his brother.

maybe you've ... Harry. "

Percy glared even harder at his brother.

"Want a jam tart, Hermione?" ... you've got to watch -"

That got a round of laughter.

Neville, who had just bitten ... "Just my little joke, Neville..."

Mrs Weasley shook her head. Her boys were so silly.

Hermione took a jam tart ... I said I was peckish."

Everyone sighed. This chapter was going to be exhausting. They just knew it.

"How do you get in there?" ... Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and -"

"Don't tell her!" several people groaned. Everyone else eagerly took in the information, looking forward to going to visit the kitchens themselves.

"The house-elves quite like receiving visitors," Albus said.

He stopped ... stir them up into rebellion?"

They really did try not to laugh. The idea was just too ridiculous.

Several people chortled ... "You'll put them off their cooking!"

"In fairness to Miss Granger," Lucius said, "no one has really explained anything about house-elves to her. And most of you who tried to put her off, gave her quite selfish reasons. I don't really blame her for not listening to you."

Just then, ... custard creams we hexed -"

Augusta shook her head. The twins were clearly exceptional pranksters. She knew that they had good business sense too. It was a shame they wouldn't require investment however, with the entire Prewett holdings at their disposal.

Within a minute, ... He even joined in laughing.

"Now that is a sign of a good prank," Remus said. "When the person you prank can enjoy it too."

Sirius laughed, knowing full well that was a dig aimed at him. He had been a little too unkind with his pranking during their school years. He had regularly crossed over the line between school prankster and bully. It wasn't something he was proud of.

"Canary Creams!" ... seven Sickles each, a bargain!"

"Very well done," Filius said with a cheer.

It was nearly one ... they were all right, really, dragons...

"You're mental," Ron said with a chuckle.

The start of December ... its black sails billowing against the dark skies.

"We were warm enough," Krum said.

He thought the Beauxbatons caravan was likely to be pretty chilly too.

"We were freezing," Fleur said.

Hagrid, he noticed, ... light-headed.

Hagrid blushed. He hadn't realised that the smell would affect the children.

This was unhelpful, ... we'll jus' settle 'em down in these boxes... "

"I really hope they hibernate," someone muttered. They really didn't like the skrewts. And if they slept through winter that was less they had to hear about them.

There were now only ten skrewts ... repulsive things Harry had ever seen.

Amos narrowed his eyes. They sounded far too dangerous. And what's worse, if they kept growing, they would only get less controllable.

The class looked ... pillows and fluffy blankets.

"You might have done better with soil or aspen or something... natural," Amos said. "And preferably fire retardant."

"We'll jus' lead 'em in here," ... "Don panic, now, don' panic!"

The adults all stared at the book in fear. Just what was happening?

while the skrewts rampaged ... barricaded themselves in;

"Sensible," Moody huffed.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, ... only one skrewt was left.

Minerva and Poppy looked livid. This was not acceptable.

"Don' frighten him, now!" ... the skrewt off with their sparks.

Arthur didn't like the sound of this lesson. It was clear Hagrid might benefit from a little more guidance in reference to what he should be teaching children, and the importance of age appropriate content.

"Well, well, well ... pumpkin plants nearby.

This wasn't good. If Skeeter was there, there was no chance this wasn't going to end up in the prophet.

"Who're you?" ... over to its fellows.

"She was barred from the school?" Lucius asked. He hadn't known that.

"After her article about Harry," Hagrid said. "He didn't like that she forced a student to have an interview. And without supervision too."

Rita acted ... beaming still more widely.

The last thing the school needed was Hagrid telling Rita about the skrewts. Lucius grimaced. Losing his space on the board of governors had been frustrating. He'd always been one of the first to advocate for keeping the press off school grounds.

"Blast-Ended Skrewts," ... where do they come from?"

Lucius grimaced. He knew what happened as a result of this conversation. That article had made for unpleasant reading. Of course, at the time, he'd been quite pleased. One of Dumbledore's most trusted at risk of losing his job... It was a dream come true, after losing his position on the board. Not that he had anything against Mr Hagrid personally.

Harry noticed a dull red flush ... she stepped on his foot.

Sirius sighed. "Two things. First, you are the children and Hagrid is the adult. You do not have to rescue him from what is quite frankly his own foolishness. Hagrid knew what he was doing when he bred the skrewts and he flouted the law. While I deeply care for Hagrid, I think we all have to remember that he is an adult and is responsible for his own choices. It is not your responsibility to smooth things over for him. Secondly, Hermione, I know you meant well, but why not have tried to get Ron to help. Why Harry?"

"She was more interested in Harry," Hermione said.

"So, you what? Just decided to throw your friend under the bus?" Sirius worked hard to moderate his voice. He didn't want his annoyance to show. "Hagrid is an adult and can and should fight his own battles. Harry isn't a shield you or others can hide behind. He's a human being and more important he is the child here. Not Hagrid. Hagrid was responsible for protecting Harry. Not the other way around."

Hermione stared at Sirius, not even blinking, before eventually she nodded her head. He was right. She shouldn't have done that.

"Ah, you're here. Harry!" said Rita Skeeter as she looked around.

"As if she didn't know," Remus muttered.

"So you like Care ... waiting to see if the coast was clear.

Several people sighed. This looked bad. Very bad. Not only that but it was bad. None of them should have had that lesson.

"This is o'ny me second year," ... "Er - yeah, why not?"

"Oh, Hagrid," Remus sighed.

Harry had a very bad feeling ... "Until Friday night, then, Hagrid!"

Hagrid shuddered. He shouldn't have agreed to that interview.

"She'll twist everything he says," ... sort of thing Hagrid might do.

Hagrid stared at the floor. Was it so bad that he liked creatures? He supposed he was a little bit guilty of bending... and sometimes breaking the law.

"Hagrid's been in loads of trouble ... I meant best."

"That is not the worst," Hagrid said with a grimace, remembering just how ruthless Skeeter had been.

Harry and Hermione laughed, ... went off to lunch.

Rita grinned. She really did have a talent for causing mischief. Young Rita was looking thoughtful though. The prince didn't like her older self and that was going to be a problem. She needed to find a solution. This young man was going to be the most influential person in their world, she couldn't risk being alienated from him.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed it xo

The House-elf Liberation Front Part 2

Chapter Summary

Our characters find out about the kitchens...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Harry thoroughly enjoyed double Divination that afternoon;

"The world just stopped spinning," George said aghast.

they were still doing star charts ... very funny again.

Sirius smiled. It was good that they were back to being friends. Even if there were things Sirius didn't like about the other boy, he had to concede that he had been an exceptionally good friend at times.

Professor Trelawney, ... Pluto could disrupt everyday life.

Trelawney glared at them both.

"I would think," ... I saw gazing back at me?"

Severus sighed. Sybill was not one of his favourites among the teaching staff.

"An ugly old bat ... under his breath.

"Ronald!" Mrs Weasley said crossly. "That's no way to speak about your teacher."

Harry fought hard ... "Death, my dears."

Sirius barely held back a growl.

Parvati and Lavender ... ever lower over the castle... "

Harry grimaced. She didn't know how right she was. He'd been surrounded by death ever since that blasted tournament. First Cedric. Then Sirius. The the headmaster. Moody. The list just kept growing.

She stared pointedly ... I'd be a medical miracle."

"You already are," Astoria said. People didn't just survive the killing curse.

"You'd be a sort of extra-concentrated ghost," said Ron, chortling,

That got a round of laughter from everyone in the chamber.

as they passed ... I love not working when she is..."

That elicited a sigh from Mrs Weasley.

But Hermione wasn't at dinner, ... he lost his enthusiasm for the idea.

"That's just creepy," George said with a shudder, causing Ron to glare at him, his ears pink.

"Wonder where she's got to?" ... most amazing thing's happened - please -"

Everyone sat forward. It would be nice for something good to happen to Harry for a change.

She seized Harry's ... back along the corridor.

"Hermione, dear, we do not drag people," Mrs Granger said. "I should hope there's an emergency. I can't think of any other reason to be dragging someone around by the arm."

Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"What's the matter?" ... oh come on, quick -"

The adults all sighed. While children did that sort of thing all the time, adults would never stand for it. You didn't expect someone to go somewhere without telling them the details. It was just rude. It wasn't exactly surprising though. These children were practically left unsupervised for nine months of the year. The school clearly needed more teachers.

Harry looked around at Ron; ... until you get back, shall I?"

"She's such a drama queen," Ron huffed.

"Yeah, thanks!" ... "Wait a minute, Hermione..."

"The kitchens?" Cedric asked. What was so important about the kitchens that Hermione couldn't stop and explain?

"What?" ... rope us into that spew stuff again!"

And they were back to the bickering. It was actually proving to be a bit of a relief whenever Harry fell out with one of his friends because the incessant bickering paused. At least that's how most of the adults felt about it anyway.

"No, no, I'm not!" ... the House-Elf Liberation Front?

"Better name than SPEW," Theo muttered to Draco.

I'm not barging into that kitchen ... to talk to them all,

"That's quite mature of you, Hermione." Mrs Granger smiled. "I hope you listened to them."

and I found ... "Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter!"

"Huh?" Fred asked.

Next second ... thought his ribs would break.

Sirius smiled at that. Elves could be very loyal. Kreacher certainly was to his brother.

"D-Dobby?" ... which were very different.

"Freedom suited Dobby," Lucius said. "A short period of freedom wouldn't do much harm, but he needed a family."

His voice was full of grief. Dobby's death clearly bothered him.

When Dobby had worked for the Malfoys,

"The pillowcases were a punishment," Lucius said. "My father told them that they had to wear a dirty pillowcase whenever they thought he would be displeased with them. Unfortunately, he was always displeased with them. When I took over as Lord, I revoked the order, but Dobby... well, he always did listen to Father more than I'd like."

he had always worn ... The other was covered in pink and orange stripes.

Lucius smiled at that. Dobby had always loved bright coloured.

"Dobby, what're you doing here?" ... Winky's had been, like a toga.

"I've never understood the tea towels and pillowcases," Harry said. "Sure, you can't give them clothes. But what is stopping you buying them material to make their own? They could all have smart little uniforms."

Everyone just stared at him in bewilderment. Harry was pretty sure this wasn't the first time he'd said as much either. But they were acting like it had never even occurred to them.

Dobby stopped ... a burn in her skirt.

"Oh, dear," Narcissa said softly. "That poor elf."

"Hello, Winky," ... But Winky cried harder than ever.

Barty frowned. It wasn't right. Winky had been good to their family. She didn't deserve this.

Dobby, ... a large plate of biscuits.

The younger ones were fascinated by what they were hearing. Most of them had never seen a house-elf until coming to Mother Magic's realm. Most families - even pureblood families - weren't old enough or rich enough to have them.

"Good service!" ... they bowed very low and retreated.

"I thought you said they don't want to be thanked or praised," young Hermione said.

"No. We told you that isn't why they help us," Lucius said patiently. "Everyone likes to be thanked for their hard work."

Hermione looked confused. "I don't..."

"How long have you ... very difficult indeed -"

Hermione huffed at that.

"You have to consider Miss Granger," Narcissa said, "that an elf is usually only removed from the family for doing something unforgivable, like endangering children. Who would risk allowing such a person, human or elf, to be around their children? Joining their own family?"

At this, Winky howled ... no effort to stem the flow.

Barty could only remind himself that it would be different in the future. He would be able to protect Winky. He glanced at Harry Potter and wondered if he was being a fool for believing that Harry Potter might save him from his father. His Lord - Tom - certainly seemed to think the younger wix would. And T-tom was not a fool.

"Dobby has traveled ... Dobby wants paying now!"

Lucius chuckled. He would have happily given Dobby money to buy his own clothes if that was something the elf had wanted. At least, he would have if he knew that it wouldn't break the oath. He'd need to look into the Prince's suggestion of buying material for the elves. An elf like Dobby should be surrounded by colour.

The house-elves all around ... rude and embarrassing.

"I still don't get it," Hermione said. "You said Hogwarts is full of elves that have been badly treated?"

"Well, many of them have, yes," Lucius said. "Although still more have grown up in the castle."

"Then why is what Dobby said so shameful?"

"It's a culture thing," Harry said. "They serve because they care. They don't do it for praise or recognition. Or to be paid. But because it is honourable to them. It's an act of service. A kindness that they bestow upon those that safeguard their magic."

Hermione frowned. How did Harry know that.

Recognising the expression on her face, Harry said, "I read about it in a book."

"I didn't find that in any of the books in the Hogwarts Library."

"I read about it at Grimmauld Place," he said.

Hermione, however, ... Dobby likes being free!"

Lucius smiled. He could respect that. While he'd prefer giving Dobby to the Prince so that he could have the security of an oath, he would give Dobby his freedom if that's what he truly wanted. Even if it would eventually take his life. It would hurt him deeply to do it but he respected the little elf's wishes too much to ignore them.

The Hogwarts house-elves ... shouting shrilly over Winky's screeches.

Barty nearly got to his feet and left the chamber. He didn't want to hear about this. Even second hand, it broke his heart.

"And then Dobby had the idea ... Professor Dumbledore took us on!"

Albus smiled. It was a Hogwarts tradition. They never turned away an elf in need. It was written into his contract as headmaster.

Dobby beamed ... one day off a month!"

Lucius smiled sadly. He felt strangely happy for Dobby.

"That's not very much!" ... screaming and fist-beating.

"Hermione!" Mrs Granger shook her head in frustration.

"Just what do you think Dobby will spend the money on?" Neville asked. "His food is provided by the school, his living-arrangements are also provided. Everything he could possibly need is provided for him. So, Dobby is probably going to spend it on fun stuff... I'm guessing socks. He seems to like socks. But there's only so many socks anyone can own."

"It's the principle of the matter," Hermione said.

"No. It's really not. If food and lodging is provided, you could argue that is already a large part of his wages," Mr Granger said.

"It's not dissimilar to the Hogwarts staff," Minerva said. "We do not earn as much as most masters. Because the cost of our rooms and food are taken from our wages. Of course, staff that live off site, make more, but they also have to spend more. The cost of living at Hogwarts is significantly less than owning or renting a property anywhere else in magical Britain."

"Professor Dumbledore ... he likes work better."

Lucius grinned. He still held hope that Dobby would be willing to bond with Harry instead of being free.

"And how much ... Winky?" Hermione asked kindly.

Barty glared at the girl. "Why would you ask that?" he demanded. "She clearly feels ashamed that she's been dismissed."

"I was trying..." Hermione sighed. "I didn't consider that it might upset her."

If she had thought ... Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!"

Barty frowned. "Winky shouldn't be ashamed. If anyone should be ashamed, it's my father."

"Ashamed?" ... he was really horrible to you -"

Barty sighed. While he agreed with the girl, there was no point telling that to Winky.

But at these words, ... Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!"

Barty disagreed. Winky had always been kind to him.

"Winky is having trouble ... but she won't do it."

Lucius chuckled. That was just like Dobby. He always was a cheeky little one.

"Can't house-elves ... the house-elf's enslavement, sir.

It broke Lucius a little to hear Dobby talk about being a member of his family as enslavement, even if he did understand. Narcissa took his hand in silent comfort.

We keeps their secrets and our silence ... a barmy old codger if we likes, sir!"

Albus smiled brightly at that. And Lucius nodded at him, gratitude in his expression. He was relieved that someone was showing Dobby kindness.

Dobby gave a frightened ... his secrets and our silence for him."

Hermione frowned. She really didn't understand all this. It just didn't make sense. "Is that part of the oath? I can't remember hearing that..."

"The house elf gives an oath to honour the master of the house and his family and treat them as kin," Narcissa said. "Keeping their master's secrets and their silence, is just one of the ways they do that. Much like you would hopefully not dishonour your parents in public."

"But you can say ... Dobby's immense eyes.

Lucius struggled to hide a wide grin. He would like Dobby to lose the fear he had of the Malfoy family.

"Dobby - Dobby could," ... bad Dark wizards!"

Lucius sighed. The elf wasn't wrong. Not exactly. Yes, they were dark. And yes, he had done terrible things. It really didn't matter that many of them were under direst.

Dobby stood for a moment, ... a bit of practice," Harry said.

Lucius outright laughed at that. He'd love to see Dobby bad mouth his father. Preferably right at his portrait.

"Practice!" ... what they think anymore!"

"But if the oath is broken why is Winky still acting like..." young Hermione asked, not quite knowing how to finish.

"She might no longer have a place in the Crouch family," Narcissa said gently, "but she still loves them. It isn't a bond built on slavery but a bond of love."

Hermione nodded. That did sort of make sense. She'd still love her parents even if they sent her away and never spoke to her again. She'd be angry, of course. But would she stop loving them? She didn't think so.

"Oh you is a bad elf, ... "You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?"

"I'm not sure that will help," Seamus said.

"Yes," said Hermione, ... "Bagman - bad?" said Harry.

Everyone sat forward, wondering what that was about. The aurors knew he'd been accused of passing information to the death eaters during the first war. Was that what the elf was referring to?

"Oh yes," ... his plans for his wages.

"He's an odd little elf," Sirius said with a grin. He'd definitely warmed to the elf. He hadn't been overly enthused when they'd first met him in the second book. His idea of saving Harry involved far too much endangering Harry for Sirius's liking.

"Dobby is going to buy ... You don't mind maroon, do you?"

Mrs Weasley wasn't sure how to feel about that. On one side it was very kind of Ron to give away his jumper. But she would be making it for him. Did he not appreciate them? Or was it her fault for forgetting that he didn't like maroon? She needed to start remembering that. And if she couldn't, she'd do well to write it down.

Dobby was delighted ... bowing and curtsying,

Several people rolled their eyes.

"Miss Granger, please don't think I'm telling you these things to be cruel," Narcissa said, "but I just... Well, I appreciate to you it might look like they are bowing because they are slaves who see us as their masters."

"What do you mean to ME?" Hermione asked crossly.

"You're muggle-raised," she said. "And I mean no offense in pointing that out. But our cultures are very different. In many ways, the wixen world is more traditional. We bow to one another often. It doesn't happen at Hogwarts, obviously. But when you're out in the wider world, you'll see it often. It's part of our culture and to not give an appropriate bow to someone of a higher rank than yourself is seen as dishonourable. It is nearly as bad as not shaking an offered hand. The elves culture is different again but in many ways Wixen culture is actually closer to the house-elve's culture than the muggles'."

Hermione thought about that. Perhaps she was mistaking things because she was seeing it through the lens of her own culture. She'd read about that sort of prejudice.

but Harry and Ron ... Dobby beamed.

Lucius smiled at the Prince.

"You know what?" ... They can't wait to give it away!"

George looked scandalised that the secret was out.

"I think this is the best ... they want that too!"

No one said anything. They could only hope that they'd said enough on this subject for the two Hermiones to consider that things might be different to how she perceived.

"Let's hope they don't ... she is without that Crouch man."

Barty thought that was unlikely.

"She seems to love him," ... "At least Bagman's got a sense of humor."

The chamber had mixed responses to that. Some agreeing. Others, while not liking Crouch, couldn't help but think that Bagman was highly suspicious. Why had he tried to help Harry?

"Don't let Percy hear you ... wearing Dobby's tea cozy."

"HEY!" Percy glared at his younger brother.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed it. xo

The Unexpected Task Part 1

Chapter Summary

Another chapter is read in the chamber...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Potter! ... jumped and looked up.

Mrs Weasley looked ready to launch into a rant about listening during lessons. Fortunately, the book was too quick for her.

It was the end of the lesson; ... Harry, a rubber haddock.

Mrs Weasley glared at George as if it was his fault his younger brother was messing around.

"Now that Potter and Weasley ... socialize with our foreign guests.

Harry groaned while all the girls began to giggle and whisper excitably.

Now, the ball will be open ... she had just told off him and Ron.

Minerva frowned. Was she unfair?

"Dress robes will be worn," ... disapproving voice.

Sirius chuckled. "Did you let your hair down, Auntie Minnie?"

She glared at him, refusing to answer the question.

Lavender giggled harder ... her hair down in any sense.

Professor McGonagall sighed.

"But that does NOT mean," ... embarrasses the school in any way."

All the students from other houses looked surprised. They hadn't been given such a warning.

The bell rang,... a word, if you please."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at the head of gryffindor. She better not be about to tell him off for something both he and Ron had done.

Assuming this had something ... "What partners?" said Harry.

The girls giggled harder than ever.

Profesor McGonagall looked suspiciously ... "Your dance partners."

"I'm not my dad, you know," Harry said just as coldly. "You always think the worst."

Minerva blushed.

Harry's insides seemed to curl up ... "I don't dance," he said quickly.

More giggling. Harry frowned. Merlin, this was embarrassing.

"Oh yes, you do," ... their partners open the ball."

"You can't force him to," Sirius said pointedly. "He didn't even enter."

Arcturus nodded. "If its not in the rule book and it won't result in him losing his magic, I don't see why he has to do it."

Harry had a sudden mental image ... "I'm not dancing," he said.

Sirius nodded. If Harry didn't want to dance, then he shouldn't have to dance. Arcturus was slightly calmer about it. It wouldn't be a bad idea for Harry to dance at the ball, but they still shouldn't be trying to force him. Although he did make a mental note to get Harry dance lessons in the future. They would be necessary.

"It is traditional," ... a representative of the school.

"But Harry isn't a Hogwarts champion," Sirius argued. "He was entered under a different school name."

"We didn't know that," Minerva said.

"Whose fault is that?" Severus sniped.

So make sure you ... a very final sort of way.

Sirius looked ready to murder the professor. They couldn't force him to attend the ball, let alone open it.

A week ago... another round with the dragon.

More giggling from the girls.

Harry had never known ... their own to ask them?"

The girls all blushed at that. They didn't mean to make themselves seem inapproachable.

"Lasso one?" ... the nerve was something else...

Harry grimaced. He did not want to even want to think about how embarrassing this was.

Cho was a year older ... she was also very popular.

Harry blushed as he remembered that everyone would get to read about his first kiss... Merlin, they were going to laugh so hard at him.

Ron seemed to know ... queuing up to go with you."

"So, what you're really saying is that all the girls will want to go with Harry for the wrong reasons." Severus glared at Ron.

In tribute ... a bare minimum.

Sirius glared at Ron as the young man blushed heavily. He hadn't realised just how observant Harry was.

Moreover, to Harry's amazement, he turned out to be quite right.

Everyone laughed at that.

A curly-haired third-year ... all through History of Magic.

The adults looked unsure how to react to that. On one side, it must have taken a lot for the young girl to approach him. But even so, why would anyone expect Harry to attend the ball with someone he'd never even spoken to.

The following day, ... might knock him out if he refused.

The girls were still giggling but now even the boys were laughing. Harry was not impressed.

"She was quite good-looking," ... trying to dance with her."

"I think what matters more," Sirius said, "is that you don't seem to even know her name."

"Like that ever stopped you," Severus and Remus said together.

Hermione's words ... if Cho asked him.

"It would definitely bother you," Remus said. "Maybe even more."

Harry nodded. He thought Remus was probably right. It would be awful, liking someone who only liked you for being famous.

On the whole ... Harry's tip-off about the dragons.

Amos gave his son a proud smile.

There seemed to be fewer ... Hagrid had appeared in the Daily Prophet.

Harry grimaced. That had been short lived.

"She didn' seem very int'rested ... say yeh were horrible, Harry."

"Big surprise there," Harry muttered.

"'Course she did," ... it'll get boring."

Rita nodded. The boy was not wrong. Her younger self glared at her, but Rita did not notice.

"She wants a new angle, ... a mad delinquent!"

"I'd love to hear what you have to say about your mad delinquent best friend, Mr Weasley," Rita said, pulling out a quill.

Her younger self summoned the quill away from her.

"But he's not!" ... first arrived at this school. . . . '"

The chamber was full of laughter at that. Even Severus chuckled.

"Said that, did he?" ... Hagrid didn't pursue the subject.

Harry refused to look at anyone. He really hated how interested everyone was in the topic of who he would take to the ball.

The last week of term ... mulled mead from Madam Rosmerta.

"That was certainly untrue," Minerva said severely. "He did get butterbeer though."

It seemed to be fact, ... a very famous musical group.

The wixen-raised in the chamber began chatting away excitably.

Some of the teachers, ... first task of the Triwizard Tournament.

"Well, you did do exceptionally well," Filius said. "I was very impressed, especially after you'd struggled with it."

Other teachers were not so generous... no sooner let them play games in class than adopt Harry.

Severus laughed outright at that. He could easily imagine adopting Harry. Letting them play chess in class, not so much.

Staring nastily ... last lesson of the term.

"Oh, that's just mean," Sirius murmured into Severus's ear.

Severus smirked.

"Evil, he is," ... whole load of studying."

Molly rolled her eyes, for once not saying anything.

"Mmm... you don't want to learn your antidotes!"

The teachers shook their heads. They weren't sure who they should be telling off. The boys for not prioritising their school work or Hermione for trying to pressure them into it. That wouldn't work.

"Like what?" ... "That egg!" Hermione hissed.

Sirius groaned. Sure, Harry needed to work out the clue but he also deserved to enjoy himself. For once.

"Come on, Hermione, I've got till February the twenty-fourth," Harry said.

Hermione huffed.

He had put the golden egg ... screechy wailing meant, after all.

Sirius gave Harry a look that suggested he thought he might be crazy.

"But it might take weeks ... the next task is and you don't!"

"Miss Granger, while I commend your concern," Minerva said, "there really is no point trying to pressure him into studying the clue."

"But..." Hermione started.

Mrs Granger touched Hermione's shoulder, shaking her head.

"Leave him alone, Hermione, ... off delivering a letter," said Ron. "Why?"

Sirius sighed. He wasn't sure which of Harry's friends was worse. Ron who discouraged him from studying or Hermione who tried to force him to. There didn't seem to be any middle ground.

"Because George wants to invite him to the ball," ... keep writing to, eh?" said Ron.

"That really isn't any of your business," Mr Weasley said to Ron.

"Nose out, Ron, ... you lot got dates for the ball yet?"

Mrs Weasley tutted.

"Nope," ... ones will be gone," said Fred.

The girls all looked highly offended.

"Who're you going ... "Oi! Angelina!"

Angelina blushed as everyone looked her way.

Angelina, who had been chatting ... a bit of a grin on her face.

"How did he make that look so easy?" Theo asked Draco quietly.

Draco shrugged. He really didn't get it either.

"There you go," ... "piece of cake."

The boys all gaped at the book.

He got to his feet, ... end up with a pair of trolls."

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley screeched.

Hermione let out ... with Eloise Midgen, say."

Ron looked abashed, knowing that Eloise was now in the chamber. The girl in question looked close to tears. She couldn't believe she'd just been compared to a troll.

"Her acne's loads... she's really nice!"

"Thanks Hermione," Eloise said.

"Her nose is off-center," said Ron.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Mrs Weasley screeched again.

"Sorry, Eloise," Ron muttered.

"Oh I see," ... that sounds about right," said Ron.

Arthur looked highly displeased. He thought he taught his sons to be gentlemen. Apparently not.

"I'm going to bed," ... without another word.

"Don't blame you," Daphne said before eyeing Ron with distaste.

Chapter End Notes

Just a short one tonight because I'm quite frankly exhausted. It's been an especially difficult day at work.

The Unexpected Task Part 2

Chapter Summary

Everyone finishes the chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The Hogwarts staff ... whenever anyone passed them.

"I wish the decorations were like that every year," Astoria said with a small sigh.

"It used to be," Severus said. "When I was in school it was."

"What changed?" Harry asked.

"The number of staff," Minerva said with a sigh.

It was quite something ... all of which were very rude.

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look at that. They'd taught him to do that.

And still. Harry hadn't asked Cho to the ball.

The girls all giggled again. But Minerva arched her eyebrow at them and they quickly fell silent.

He and Ron were getting very nervous ... girls' toilets on the second floor.

Sirius had to bite the back of his hand to stop himself from laughing at that. Harry was hilarious. That would have been an epic prank.

"Harry - we've just got to grit our teeth ... we'll both have partners - agreed?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. She remembered how badly this went.

"Er...okay," ... Didn't she ever go anywhere alone?

"No," the Ravenclaws all said together.

Could he perhaps ambush her ... asked by somebody else.

Severus rolled his eyes. Harry was putting too much pressure on himself. Then again, he'd been exactly the same as a teen.

He found it hard to concentrate ... hurried to the dungeon door.

Severus frowned at that. The one thing that he really needed to remember!

"I'll meet you at dinner," ... missed a step going downstairs.

The girls looked like they were going to start giggling again but Minerva was staring at them, daring them to do it.

"Er," ... "Wangoballwime?"

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said with a sigh.

"What? It was embarrassing," Harry said with a shrug.

"Not to mention, you now get the embarrassment of all of us hearing about it," Remus said softly.

Sirius was on the verge of teasing his son but he tried his hardest to hold it in. He could tell Harry wasn't comfortable with this.

"Sorry?" ... "I've already said I'll go with someone else."

Several girls smiled almost maliciously, taking Harry by surprise.

"We don't like Chang," Daphne explained.

"Why?"

"Her and her friends are kind of mean," Astoria answered.

"To the younger years especially," Daphne added, patting her sister on the shoulder.

That surprised Harry. He'd never heard anything like that before. Filius looked equally displeased. He would have to keep an eye on those girls.

"Oh," ... "Well -"

"I hate this sort of thing," Cedric said. "It's always so awkward."

Most of the boys were nodding in agreement.

"Yeah," ... "Cedric Diggory."

Cedric blinked. He tried to remember if he'd ever spoken to Cho Chang. He couldn't say that he had. If he was right, she was the year below him.

"Oh right," ... nearly everyone's favorite champion.

Cedric grimaced.

Now he suddenly ... fill an eggcup.

Cedric laughed brightly at that. He didn't really like what Harry had thought about him. But he understood and it was quite funny.

Harry, for his part, was just grateful that the book hadn't told them all why he was so upset. It was bad enough having one of his crushes outed. He didn't need them all to know that he'd also been attracted to Cedric.

"Fairy lights," ... swung forward to admit him.

"Is she drunk?" Amos asked.

"Most likely," Minerva said with a slight huff. She was constantly having to have words with the Fat Lady about her conduct. When she wasn't disappearing off on one of her late night strolls, she was drinking and gossiping with her friend Violet.

Amos frowned. That wasn't a very good example to be setting the children.

Entering the common room, ... soothing voice.

George struggled to keep a straight face.

"What's up, Ron?" ... "I don't know what made me do it!"

Everyone was staring at the book in confusion. Well, except the lions.

"What?" ... "You what?' said Harry.

Fleur grimaced. She couldn't even remember that happening.

"I don't know what made me do it!" ... I was a sea slug or something.

Isabeau glared at her granddaughter. That was unkind. And Bill was looking a little shocked. He knew his brother had a crush on her, but he hadn't realised that he'd actually asked her to the ball.

Didn't even answer ... ran for it."

Bill gave his wife a disappointed look.

Isabeau, Fleur's grandmother, said, "Fleur, Je t'ai appris mieux que ça."

"I am sorry, Ronald," Fleur said softly.

"She's part veela," ... He's going with Cho Chang."

Fleur blushed. That was exactly what she was doing. And the look on her grandmother's face said that she was not pleased.

Ron looked up ... suddenly stopped smiling.

Ginny blushed. It really sucked that her crush on Harry had made it into these books. It was so embarrasing.

"This is mad," ... guess who he asked? Hermione!"

Hermione huffed but didn't say anything.

"Don't be unkind Ronald," Mrs Weasley said. "Really, how is your behaviour any different to Fleur's? She looked at you like you were a slug. Well, you call girls trolls and apparently find the idea of boys asking your female friend out funny. You're certainly behaving like a slug."

The girls in the chamber were all nodding their head in agreement. And for once, no one complained that Mrs Weasley had raised her voice. Mostly because she had managed to keep her temper under control but also because quite frankly, they all agreed with her.

"What?" ... I mean, who would?"

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley did screech now.

"Sorry," Ron said. "I didn't mean that. Not really."

No one looked particularly convinced.

"Don't!" ... oh shut up laughing, you two -

Sirius gave Harry a disappointed look. One that Harry thought he really did deserve.

because they've both just been turned down ... "Thanks a bunch, Ginny," said Ron sourly.

"You deserved it," Ginny said, sticking out her tongue.

"All the good-looking ones taken, ... someone somewhere who'll have you."

The girls all laughed at that. If balls became a regular thing again, Ron would definitely be struggling to get a date from any of the girls in the chamber.

But Ron was staring at Hermione ... you are a girl... "

The girls abruptly stopped laughing to glare at the boy in question. Mrs Weasley was shaking her head in despair.

"Oh well spotted," ... "No, I can't," snapped Hermione.

"Love how you just presume she doesn't already have a date," Daphne said crossly.

"Oh come on," ... "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"

Everyone was glaring at Ron now. He looked particularly terrified of the look on Madam Longbottom's face.

"Oh did I?" ... spotted I'm a girl!"

"EXACTLY!" said all the girls together.

Harry had a bad feeling about this. The girls looked ready to declare war and he was pretty sure he'd get lumped in with Ron by default.

Ron stared at her ... the girls' dormitories again.

Mr Weasley made a mental note to arrange another family meeting.

"She's lying," ... it's her business," said Ginny.

"Why would you think I was lying?" Hermione asked, clearly looking upset.

Ron didn't really have an answer for that. At least not one that wouldn't get him in more trouble.

"Right," ... Ron goggled at Harry.

Neville frowned. Was she embarrassed to be going with him? Or was it just because she missed out on going with Harry. He knew she'd always had a crush on him. Maybe that was it.

"What's got into them?" he demanded.

"Nothing," Mrs Weasley said. "You're the one behaving poorly."

But Harry had just seen Parvati ... drastic action.

"Drastic action?" Daphne whispered. "How is asking the prettiest Gryffindor in our year considered drastic action?"

"Wait here," ... Will you go to the ball with me?"

"See, that wasn't so difficult," Sirius said.

Parvati went into a fit of giggles ... pocket of his robes.

The girls all smiled at how cute Harry could be. Even if they weren't happy that he'd laughed at Neville's expense.

"Yes, all right then," ... will you go with Ron?"

The girls scoffed. Why was Harry trying to help him?

"She's going with Seamus," ... Ron wouldn't hear.

Ron's ears went pink.

"What about Hermione Granger?" ... Parvati looked astonished.

The girls all rolled their eyes. Parvati might be pretty but she was also a terrible gossip and not always very kind.

"Ooooh - who?" ... in Ravenclaw. I'll ask her if you like."

"Padma had a terrible time as your date," Luna said to Ron.

"I know," he said with a harsh sigh.

"Yeah, that would be great," ... Padma Patil's nose was dead center.

Ron frowned. Was he really that bad? Maybe he was a bit insensitive sometimes... He really should do something about that.

With the book finished, Arthur stood up. "I know we were supposed to be having lessons now," he said, "but I think I might need to have a meeting with my family."

Ron groaned. This did not bode well for him.

Chapter End Notes

Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I came home from work and ended up talking to a couple of my siblings for hours and after that I was just too tired. That said, I do - for the most part - update daily at the moment and while I love hearing that you're excited about the next chapter, I'd prefer not to be asked to update soon straight after updating. I'm pretty consistent with updates. I don't want to upset anyone, but I'd prefer it if you said "I'm looking forward to the next chapter" instead of "Update soon." Or something like that. P.S. Most of you do this beautifully.

Another Moment with The Weasleys

Chapter Summary

The Weasleys have another family meeting...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Fleur felt apprehensive as she entered the Weasley family chambers. She was certain that she was going to get in trouble for her reaction to Ron. Her grandmother was obviously unimpressed and looked ready to launch into a lecture on when it was appropriate to use your allure. Her younger self was standing almost timidly beside her grandmother, prepared for the lecture too.

Mrs Weasley quickly invited the head of the Veela council to sit down and then they were all looking at the older Arthur, waiting for him to begin the meeting. For his part, he looked like wasn't at all sure where it would be best to start.

"I think we have a lot to discuss," he said eventually as he stood in front of the fireplace. No one said anything, although they all looked like they had something to say. He settled himself down in the armchair closest to the fire, grateful that he could see his entire family from his position. "I'm not really sure where we should start. These books are... A lot."

"You can say that again," Bill said with a sigh.

Ron huffed. He hated this. It was bad enough that all the girls in the chamber were annoyed with him, but now his family was going to get in on the act too.

Arthur sighed. "Right. Well, first, I should apologise."

Ron gaped at his father. He hadn't expected that.

"I did not adequately assess the danger at the World Cup," he explained. "I should not have asked you four and Hermione and Harry to go into the woods without an adult. That was my fault and I am sorry."

Ron just shrugged. He hadn't even thought about that in ages and he hadn't really cared then. Sure, it wasn't great that Hermione's parents and Sirius were annoyed about it but he thought they'd get over it eventually. And if not, he'd just go visit his friends instead of having them come to him. The others seemed just as much at a loss.

Arthur then turned to the twins. "Your mother and I... well, the four of us... We've been talking."

The twins sighed. They could just picture all their dreams going up in smoke. George glared at his father, crossing his arms.

"We believe we may not have been as encouraging of your... inventions," he eventually settled for, "as we should have been."

The twins were gobsmacked. They were actually speechless. Older George was less impressed. He still felt bitter about what they'd read in this book, it had really brought it all back and he really resented how his parents had treated his and Fred's ambitions. And an apology now wasn't going to cut it. After all, his Fred was gone. And while he thought his father was most likely sincere, he really doubted the same could be said about his mother.

"We understand that you don't want to work for the ministry," Molly said. "I'm sorry that I tried to pressure you into that. I just... I just wanted you safe and respectable... and..."

"Are you saying we're not respectable?" George demanded.

"No. That's not what I mean," Molly said, blinking rapidly. "I underestimated you and Fred. I was wrong. And I'm sorry."

George didn't say anything. He wasn't sure he could forgive her right now.

"We really are proud of how much you achieved," Molly said. "Your shop... It's incredible. And you even used it to help protect people in the war. I couldn't be more proud."

There were tears in her eyes as she remembered Fred. "I should have told you both that before..." she paused, unable to continue.

Arthur patted her on the back before picking up the conversation again. "When we return, we will build a second shed," he said. "It will be warded to the moon and back to guarantee your safety and there will be very clear safety rules but it will be yours to use for your inventions. We know that with everything you've already achieved, you'll do even better in the new timeline and we can't wait to see it."

George nodded tightly. "Why didn't you tell us about our inheritance?"

Molly looked up from where she'd been crying into her hands. "I couldn't bring myself to talk about it. Talking about your inheritance was a reminder that my brothers were gone. And I struggled to face that. I've..." She took a deep breath. "I've been talking to the mind healers about that and about Fred. And well, everything actually. I realise that I've made a lot of mistakes and I can only hope that you'll all forgive me."

"Does this mean you won't screech at us whenever you think we've done something wrong?" George asked shortly. "Will you at least talk to us before jumping to conclusions?"

Molly looked heartbroken. She was beginning to realise that she wasn't the mother she thought she was. Or the wife she had thought she was either. Arthur telling her off for undermining his authority with the children had shaken her. She hadn't even noticed that she'd done that.

"I can't promise that I won't slip up," she said tearfully, "but I'm going to try my best."

Arthur nodded. So surprisingly did George.

Ron grimaced. When were they going to get angry with him? Obviously, his mother didn't mean she'd not shout at him for being an insensitive jerk.

"Next, I'd like to discuss the bickering in this book," Arthur said. "I'm not going to berate any of you for it, but I would like to point a few things out. If you think I'm being unfair, then by all means let me know. First though, I would remind you that you are all Weasleys. That makes you family. And family sticks together. You might disagree with each other. You might even dislike each other at times. But I ask that you try to be more considerate of one another. Ginny, Pig is Ron's owl. Not yours. And you need to respect that. I don't know why you thought it was okay to name your brother's owl, but it was actually very disrespectful." Ginny didn't say anything. She did give her father a thoughtful look. "Ron, you might not be interested in the things Percy likes, but it wouldn't hurt you to respect his interests and perhaps show a little interest from time to time. Fred, George, be careful that when you tease your siblings it doesn't turn into bullying."

George nodded. He'd noticed a few times in the books where he and Fred had been a bit much.

"Percy," Arthur hesitated. He wasn't sure how much of what he'd been like was due to the love potions and he certainly wasn't about to blame his son for any behaviour caused by them. "I appreciate you had extenuating circumstances."

The others looked between the two of them in confusion.

"But I hope that now those circumstances have been dealt with that you will make more time for your siblings," he said gently. "Try and be patient with them, even if they annoy you. And don't take their actions too personally. They all love you."

Percy nodded. He could do that.

"What extenuating circumstances?" Fred asked.

Even Molly was looking at her husband in confusion and younger Arthur looked just as unsure.

"I am not at liberty to discuss it. If Percy wants you to know, he will tell you," Arthur said sternly. "When and only if he is ready."

Everyone looked at him now, even his younger self, and Percy felt suddenly nervous. He knew he should probably tell his family. He certainly wanted to but what if they laughed at him? He took a deep breath. Better to drink the potion in one gulp, he told himself.

"I... Penny..." He paused, barely able to breathe. "She..."

Fred was tempted to make a joke about her breaking up with him, but he didn't think that would help right now. And he was pretty sure that might fall under the category of bullying. He'd have to check with George. He was always better at considering other people's feelings than he was.

"Whatever it is Perce," George said, "you know we have your back."

Percy smiled gratefully at George. "S-she used a love potion on me."

And just like that the entire chamber erupted. Mrs Weasley - both of them - were screeching at the top of their lungs. But they weren't alone. Ginny's voice was almost as loud as she declared war on the other girl. And Fleur's grandmother was showing her veela, looking more than ready to throw balls of fire. The male Weasleys weren't much better.

"That-that-That scarlet woman!" Mrs Weasley screeched.

All the boys rushed to hug their brother, the twins promising retribution, while the others promised to protect him when they returned to Hogwarts. This was something they would prevent happening in the new timeline at all costs. Ron began to feel hopeful that they wouldn't be discussing his own behaviour at this particular family meeting, although that hope was short lived.

Once everyone had settled back into their seats, Isabeau turned to her granddaughter. "This, très cher, is why we do not use our allure recklessly."

Fleur looked shocked. That wasn't the same. Was it?

"But it is natural for a veela to use their allure," Fleur argued. What she didn't say was that it was the only part of her veela heritage she truly had. Except her aversion to the cold.

"On their mate, oui," Fleur's grandmother said, "and with their consent, but never to control."

Fleur sighed. She'd been told that before. And as an adult, she knew not to use it so freely but as a teenage girl it had been harder to control and she'd always enjoyed the attention it awarded her. "Oui, I know. I don't use it now."

Isabeau nodded in understanding. It was different once you found your mate. It was much easier to control and also that ever present desire to find your mate stopped leading your actions. Even so, it was important that Fleur remembered this lesson for when she returned. Of course, young Fleur would already know her mate upon returning. It would be easier for her.

Bill squeezed his wife's hand. He hadn't been pleased by what they'd read but he was actively reminding himself that his wife wouldn't like what he had been doing at the same time. It wasn't like he'd been living a celibate lifestyle before he met her.

Eventually, Ron felt his father's eyes on him. "Ronald," his father said, and Ron actually flinched. His father never used his full name. "I think you should talk to the mind healers about your jealousy."

Ron bristled. He didn't need to talk to the mind healers about this. He was perfectly fine and he told his father as much.

"You know that's not true," Arthur said gently. "You're insecure about your older brothers, and that is at least partially our fault. And how you feel about Harry... Ron, that boy has nothing. Money, fame, none of that truly matters. What matters is what you have in this room."

"I know that," Ron muttered.

"I hope that is true. But I would like you to talk to them anyway," Arthur said firmly. "I want you to appreciate yourself for who you are, the amazing young man I know you are. Brilliant at chess. Hilariously funny. Terrible taste in quidditch teams."

"HEY!" Ron said.

Arthur simply chuckled. "The man that sacrifices himself for his friends, who faced his worst fears at the age of twelve, who was willing to face a basilisk to save his sister."

"I didn't actually..."

"No. But you were willing to," Arthur pressed. "The young man who asked me to let him stay at school for his first Christmas, even though he missed his parents, just so that Harry wouldn't be alone. The young man who arranged for his mother to give Harry a Christmas jumper because he suspected that he wouldn't have any presents come the holidays. You are an incredibly kind and considerate young man and there is so much about yourself that you undervalue."

Ron blushed. He wasn't used to his dad saying these sort of things.

"I'll talk to them," he said eventually, earning himself a smile.

"And lastly, some of the things you said in this book," Arthur said, his smile turning pained.

"I know," Ron sighed, "I messed up. I shouldn't have..." He couldn't quite bring himself to finish.

"No. You shouldn't have. Not only were your words cruel but you did yourself a disservice," Arthur said. "That is not the man I know you to be. I want the people in that chamber to know exactly why I am proud to call you my son. I want them to see who you truly are. That said, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. You were fourteen, probably feeling awkward at the idea of having to ask a girl out, and you spoke before you thought. I understand that, but I need you to remember to try and think first. Your words are weapons and they hurt. Please be mindful of that."

"Yes, dad," Ron said nervously. "But you should know I'm probably going to say loads more that disappoints you."

Arthur chuckled. "Don't worry. I already have my excuses lined up. Oh, he's only fifteen. Oh, he's only sixteen. Oh, he's only seventeen. Just remember, eventually your age will stop being an excuse."

Ron grinned. "I can do that."

With that their meeting came to a natural end with Molly reminding them that they really did need to go to the dining room if they were to be in time for lunch. The boys' eyes all lit up at the mention of food and they all made their way out of the family rooms. Ron smiled. That hadn't been anywhere near as bad as he had feared. He only hoped he could live up to the high praise his father had given him.

Chapter End Notes

Well, I hope you enjoyed it. xoxo

The Yule Ball Part 1

Chapter Summary

After a quick lunch everyone returns to the chamber for another chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Lunch was rather rushed that day. They ate a quick round of sandwiches as young Harry told his godfather all about the lesson he'd just received on Arithmancy from Bill Weasley.

"It's just math," Harry said, "and I'm really good at math."

Sirius chuckled at Harry's excitement. He'd never really known anyone to like Arithmancy. Well, except Lily Evans. He and Severus exchanged a look as they both had the same thought.

Older Harry had been disappointed not to be able to attend the lesson himself, but he'd needed to make time to perform his oaths with a couple of his new elves and then go over the finer points of the oaths he would be requiring from his council of advisors. Lucius had done a good job on the oaths, or at least Harry thought he had, but Harry was honest enough to admit that he knew next to nothing about that sort of thing. Luckily, the goblins had offered to assist him in checking the oaths. Harry was pleased to find that they had found no issue with the oaths, stating that there were no loopholes that they could spot, and that they should be safe to use.

He was still thinking about the oaths when they wandered back through to the main chamber to start the next chapter. He was not looking forward to this chapter at all.

Despite the very heavy ... work when term ended,

Hermione huffed. She hated the way Ron and Harry always put off their school work.

and spent the week ... so much rowdier than usual.

Minerva tutted in disapproval.

Fred and George ... offered them with extreme caution,

"It was actually a good learning experience," Harry said.

"How can you say that, Harry?" Hermione complained. "I couldn't focus on my homework. They were so distracting."

"The entire house learned detection spells in a matter of days," Harry said with a shrug.

Hermione blinked, realising he was right.

in case it had a Canary Cream ... the Ton-Tongue Toffee.

George laughed. "Don't worry, little brother. You're safe."

Harry rolled his eyes as the older red head winked at him. Being their silent investor certainly had its perks.

Snow was falling thickly ... anything to complain about.

Fleur blushed heavily.

"It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," ... "I will not fit into my dress robes!"

Bill chuckled lightly. He knew a lot of people thought his wife was shallow. And she certainly had her moments. But she was also one of the fiercest women he'd ever met when she wasn't as gentle as a kitten.

"Oooh there's a tragedy," ... that one, doesn't she?"

Hermione's parents gaped at their daughter.

"Sorry, Fleur," Hermione said. She knew her better now and actually felt pretty bad about what she'd said. She had mostly just been jealous because Ron liked her.

"Hermione - who are you ... you'll just make fun of me."

The girls all glared at Ron, even though this time he hadn't done anything to deserve it.

"You're joking, Weasley!" ... Not the long-molared Mudblood?"

Severus's attention snapped to his godson and if looks could kill, Malfoy would be a corpse. Draco for his part looked deeply ashamed and offered Hermione an apology. One that she accepted, even if she didn't do it graciously.

Harry and Ron both whipped around, ... "Hello, Professor Moody!"

Severus looked over to the girl and had to admit that was decidedly Slytherin of her. He was reluctantly impressed.

Malfoy went pale ... laughing heartily.

Mr and Mrs Granger looked torn. On one side, Hermione's behaviour wasn't brilliant but who were they to discourage their daughter from standing up to a bully. Eventually the younger Mr Granger said, "I'd ask my daughter to apologise, except quite frankly, I think you deserved it. While I don't condone what your teacher did to you, I don't think I can bring myself to deny my daughter's right to stand up to someone bullying her."

Draco nodded. "Yes, sir." He couldn't really blame the man. He'd been a right little shit.

"Hermione," ... I've just noticed... "

The younger set of Granger parents immediately looked to her teeth.

"Of course they are ... let her carry on a bit."

All four dentists gave their daughter the stink eye. Especially her own set of parents as they found out yet again that their daughter had lied to them.

"That wasn't the story you gave us," Mrs Granger said. Hermione had explicitly told them that the spell corrected all imperfections and that she didn't have a choice if she wanted to get rid of the massive teeth she'd been hexed with.

"Sorry," Hermione said.

"We'll discuss it later," her mother said somewhat sharply. She was really beginning to wonder just how much her daughter had hidden from her and her husband. They might be muggles - or squibs or whatever they were - but that didn't mean that they didn't have a right to know what was happening with their under age daughter.

She smiled even more widely. ... teeth and magic should -

"It's not as simple as that," Mr Granger huffed. "We merely don't know how magical remedies will react to non-magical remedies and vice versa. And giving up one more area of your care to your world, well, we just weren't ready for that."

look! Pigwidgeon's back!" ... You don't hang around showing off!"

Everyone laughed at Pig's lack of proper post owl etiquette.

Pigwidgeon hooted happily, ... looked very shocked.

Luna pouted at Ron in disappointment. Ron wasn't sure why his ears felt like they were heating up.

"Clear off!" ... scuttled away looking scandalized.

Arthur didn't say anything. Ron had already told them that they'd most likely not like his behaviour at times in these books. And he could definitely see why Ron might not want others to get their hands on that particular letter. Even Molly was holding her tongue, although it looked like it was very difficult.

He pulled Sirius's reply ... I'm impressed.

Sirius smiled as he noticed the way Harry blushed at his older self's praise. The kid wasn't used to praise of any kind. He'd have to fix that.

Don't get complacent, ... keeping yourself out of trouble.

"Pot meet cauldron," Severus murmured in Sirius's ear.

Keep in touch ... banging off the walls..."

"We really don't see enough of this side of Harry," Lee said to George. "His sarcasm is brilliant."

"It's because he's a secret Slytherin," Blaise said with a smirk.

"But he's right, Harry," ... and start working out what it means..."

The teachers all looked ready to agree with Hermione. Harry really needed to make a start on that clue.

"Hermione, he's got ages!" snapped Ron.

"That's just not true!" Hermione huffed. "You really shouldn't have been discouraging him."

Ron shrugged. He knew Harry. He was stubborn and he wouldn't do it before he was ready. And the more he was badgered the more likely he was to put it off.

"Want a game of chess, Harry?"

"You're good at Chess, aren't you, Mr Weasley?" Snape asked.

"Yes, sir." Ron looked slightly taken aback to have the potion master's attention.

"You should consider joining the chess club," he said. "If you're good enough, you might even be able to participate in competitions and tournaments. Some of which take us to the other wizarding schools. Admittedly not often. But the expense is fully covered by the school."

Ron blinked. He'd always wanted to join the Chess Club until he learned that the head of Slytherin ran it. "I... I think I'd like that, sir."

"Good. There will be a sign on your house notice board some time in September," Severus said with a wry grin.

"Yeah, okay," ... hear the egg over this lot."

No one quite agreed with that. It was more likely he'd get in trouble with his peers for being so noisy that they couldn't hear themselves over the wailing egg.

"Oh I suppose not," ... very violent bishop.

The Weasleys all cheered as Ron told them that beating Harry really wasn't that impressive. Instead of being offended, Harry simply nodded his head in agreement. He really wasn't any good at chess.

Harry awoke very suddenly ... they were almost nose to nose.

Everyone laughed at Harry's fright. Lucius smirked. Yes, Dobby was an unusual elf.

"Dobby!" ... see him sometimes, sir!"

"You have to be very exact with your words with elves," Lucius said, his tone light. "Coming to see you does kind of suggest that staring at you is acceptable."

It's okay," ... attacking you, Harry?" Seamus asked sleepily.

"Shouldn't we be concerned that they immediately think Harry is being attacked?" Amelia asked.

The other aurors shrugged. They thought it made sense after what had happened the previous year.

"No, it's just Dobby," ... his present?" he squeaked tentatively.

Hermione smiled brightly. Dobby really did love Harry.

"'Course you can," ... anything for Dobby at all,

"I felt really awful," Harry said.

but he quickly opened ... "Sorry, I forgot to wrap them... "

"I knew he liked socks," Harry said, "but I really didn't have..." He didn't want to say that he didn't have much to offer anyone. Even a house elf.

But Dobby ... they is giving you two the same!"

That got a round of laughter.

"Ah, no, Harry, ... And here's your sweater."

Molly smiled at Ronald's kindness. He might resent having so little, but he was always willing to share. More so than his other brothers even.

"That was very kind of you, Mr Weasley," Lucius said, his gratitude evident in his voice.

"Do elves usually get Christmas presents?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Some families gift them things," Lucius said. "My father didn't. But I always gave the elves a galleon and a new blanket for Yule."

Neville nodded. "Mine get a galleon too. I think that might be tradition. But we also give them protective bracelets when they reach specific ages. They receive their first at birth and then another on reaching adulthood if they decide to stay with the family, multiple more through their adult years, and a final one upon their retirement."

Lucius looked like he wanted to ask more about the bracelets but decided it could wait until after they had done with the chapter.

He threw Dobby a pair of violet socks ... generous of spirit, as noble, as selfless -"

Ron's ears went pink and he avoided meeting everyone's eye.

"They're only socks," ... where it clashed horribly with his hair.

Draco rolled his eyes. Fancy supporting the canons...

Dobby now handed ... socks.

"Dobby loves socks," Harry said with a grin.

"Dobby is making them ... leak with happiness again.

Everyone stared at the book in bewilderment. Even the purebloods. Their elves had never given them presents.

"Dobby must go now, ... more satisfactory than Dobby's odd socks -

Mrs Weasley tutted but remained silent.

with the obvious exception ... an all-time low -

Sirius glared at the book. He really hated the Dursleys.

Harry supposed ... Hermione had given Harry...

"A book," George guessed.

a book called Quidditch Teams ... any lock and undo any knot;

Harry tried not to let them all see the look of devastation at the mention of the knife Sirius had given him.

and Hagrid, a vast box of sweets ... a large quantity of homemade mince pies.

Sirius thanked Molly and Hagrid, giving her a warm smile.

Harry and Ron met up with Hermione ... Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers.

"I quite like Christmas at Hogwarts," Harry said, "but I'd kind of like to try celebrating Yule. How do you celebrate?"

"Well," Lucius said when no one else seemed willing to explain, "it varies from family to family. They all have their own traditions. We celebrate for two weeks starting from the Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice or the Longest Night is considered a time of rebirth and new beginnings. It is a time to renew our magic. I cannot speak for others but the Malfoy family wake early and go into the grounds to fell our tallest oak, before breaking it down into logs. Draco usually runs from room to room putting a log in each and every fireplace, ready for the night. Then we eat a small lunch before decorating the yule tree together. We place wreaths at each entrance to our home and one on the doors to our bedroom. We also offer a wreath to our elves for their quarters."

Harry nodded, taking everything in.

"When night falls, we burn the yule log - using a spell that will keep the fires, one in every room, burning until morning - and pray to Mother Magic, thanking her for the past year and asking her to protect our family and home in the coming year. We also write out our intentions for the year that is to come and offer them to the Yule log, offer them to Mother Magic and we thank Lord Time for the time he has granted us thus far. Then we feast by candle light and exchange gifts. In the days that follow, we invite our friends to feast and dance with us at our annual yule ball and also attend the various balls our friends throw."

"How does it feel?" Harry asked. "If it's supposed to refresh your magic, do you actually feel it?"

"Sometimes," Lucius admitted. "More so when I was younger. We didn't have to do it in secret then and we would often be joined by extended family with different cores. That helped. Wixen with light cores have always been more gifted with Conjuration, invoking the deities, and so the magic was always more... present then. More alive somehow. When you burn the Yule log and give thanks, you feel a greater connection to your magic, or at least you should. In recent years, I haven't felt as much."

Lucius looked honestly distraught at that realisation. It was hitting home just how much their society was harming magic.

"What are the other sabbats?" Hermione asked.

Lucius had a tear in his eye as he said, "There's Imbolc in February, a time of strengthening, purity and light. And a time of dedication. We usually set up an alter with snowdrops, crocuses, milk and candles and dedicate ourselves to magic, promising to live the next year with the purpose of honouring magic. There are always plenty of candles at Imbolc. More so than Yule. It's bright. Very bright. And if you're very lucky, the fairies may even come and circle around the alter table, bringing even more light. Then traditionally, we take a walk through the local village, asking Mother Magic to bestow her blessings on our neighbours. In the Malfoy library there are journals that tell of the time before the statute of secrecy when my family would give an enchanted candle to each of our muggle neighbours, gifting them with magic's protection and blessing for the year to come. Obviously, we can't do that any more but we still walk through the village and pray that Mother Magic will bless them."

Harry liked the sound of that.

"After our walk, we return home and we feast. There's always a feast. It is also a time of healing. We pray to Mother Magic to heal those among us that are unwell. It is said that if a healing ritual is performed on Imbolc it is guaranteed to succeed. After Imbolc, there is the Spring Equinox, Ostara. It's a time of balance and abundance, of remembering that light and dark are to live in harmony together. We wear crowns of flowers, plant seeds of all variations. Then at Dusk we come together and light lanterns. Traditionally, we would do this together as a community. Magicals gathering together to perform our sacred rites. They would gather on hilltops and low valleys. In forests and meadows. Anywhere and everywhere where magic and life could be found. But as our society became more fractured and less wix kept to the Old Ways... Well, those of us who still practice, usually do so with only family now. It's not the same."

Several people sighed. Remembering how it used to be. Even Albus looked sad, which Harry found strange. He didn't think the headmaster practiced the Old Ways.

"I miss it," Albus said. "I miss it in a bone deep sort of way. Being here, in this place, it has reminded me how magic used to feel."

He looked somewhat ashamed as Harry looked his way.

"Next there is Beltane," Lucius said. "We use this sabbat to thank Lord Life for the gift of life that he has bestowed upon us. Many wixen will marry on Beltane as a Beltane marriage is said to last beyond death. We craft a large bonfire and dance. It's a time of love and fertility. A time for the merging of souls. A time of joy and revelry. Many Beltane rituals are unsuitable for children and so children are often excluded from the later parts of the Beltane festivities. Young witches put sprigs of primrose, rowan, hawthorn, gorse, and hazel under their pillow in the hope that they will dream of their soulmate. We wash our faces with the morning dew on Beltane as an act of cleansing. Many families also use this time to cleanse their magic of an external influences, participating in a cleansing ritual bath. Er... and adult wixen sometimes perform sexual acts under the Beltane stars..." Lucius was blushing slightly, unsure he really wanted to be the one to mention sex magic. Although it wasn't defined as a type of magic by most Magical Theoreticians it was real. It merged Conjuration and Soul Magic, White and Dark magic in perfect balance.

Most of the girls were blushing and the boys were all looking highly awkward.

Narcissa took pity on her husband. "Beltane is the perfect time to reaffirm your vows to your spouse, try for a child, and practice sex magic."

Albus's eyes bulged and Mrs Weasley looked scandalised.

"Sex magic is not shameful, it is the perfect balance of Soul Magic and Conjuration, white and black magic," Narcissa continued. "And should not be practiced with someone who you are not truly in love with. With sex magic, you will form a soul bond with your beloved. It is a truly splendid experience but requires great trust and must always be consensual. And you are all much too young to know more than that."

With a cough, Lucius continued, "Then we have Litha, the summer solstice or Midsummer Night. We gather at dawn and welcome in the day together and take breakfast together in the outdoors. It's a time of thankfulness. A time to recognise just how much you have to be grateful for and to give thanks to Mother Magic for her blessings. At Litha, we also ask Lady Luck - or Lady Fate as many call her - to favour us and those with the gift of sight traditionally whisper prophecies in people's ears. Then when the sun is at its highest point we gather at the family alter and light the sun candle - its large and bright. Then we gather around it in a circle each with a smaller candle of our own and the head of the family approaches the alter to light their candle with the sun candle before returning to their place in the circle. Then they light the candle of the person next to them before that person uses their candle to light the next and so on."

Lucius sighed. "If enough people come together for Litha you can create a spiral like shape instead of a complete circle, expanding outwards. We haven't done that in... Well, since I was a young boy."

Harry leaned forward. He'd like to see that. He wondered if they could do that here in the chamber? Would it matter that they were out of time? That it wasn't technically Litha, so long as their intentions aligned with the purpose of the sabbat? He glanced at the others, considering how many of them might be willing to give it a try.

"Then we come to Lammas," Lucius said. "For one day we forgo magic. We do everything as muggles would as a sign of our appreciation for the gifts that have been granted us. We remind ourselves that our lives are greatly enriched by the magic we have been blessed with. We bake bread and cakes and cook our own meals and the meals of our house-elves. Lammas is often a time of quiet reflection and performing good deeds for others. Next we have the Autumn equinox, Mabon. We usually host a Mabon ball, inviting our friends to join us in our celebrations. We share a feast and offer some of the feast to the fire as an act of thanksgiving."

Lucius hesitated now. He wasn't sure how to talk about the next Sabbat without mentioning the death of the Prince's parents. It had happened on the sabbat after all. "Lastly, we have Samhain. On Samhain night the veil between this life and the next is said to be at its thinnest and so we use this time to honour and pay our respects to those that are no longer with us. We light a candle for those we wish to honour and prepare a plate of their favourite foods. We also give thanks to Lord Death for guiding our loved ones from this world in peace."

His tone was hushed. "It can be a very moving experience and can bring immense relief to those who are grieving."

Harry thought of that. He'd like to experience that sabbat too. But perhaps not here with everyone else. He felt that should probably be private. Eventually, after several moments of silence, he said, "I'd like to try one of the sabbat rituals while we're here. I know we're out of time and we can't exactly following the seasons properly but I'd like to honour magic."

"Did you have a preference for which ritual you'd like to try?" Lucius asked.

Albus closed his eyes. He knew which one he would deeply love to pick, even though he knew he was far too scared to do so. That was why he no longer practiced the sacred days. He couldn't face Samhain.

"I was thinking Litha," Harry said shyly, unsure he'd even pronounced it correctly. "I'd like to do that candle circle you described."

Lucius smiled. That would be something to witness.

"As the one with the greatest rank, you would have to act as head of the family," Lucius said. "Would you be okay with that?"

Harry's brow tightened as he considered that. "Yes. I can do that."

Lucius nodded. "We'll help you prepare. There is no need to rush. Perhaps once we finish this book?"

Harry nodded. It wouldn't do any good to rush. Quite a few people looked eager to try and honour magic. Mother Magic said that was part of the problem - that they'd stopped honouring her. This would be a good way to change that. Before long, the book had restarted and everyone returned their attention to the story.

They went out onto the grounds ... back upstairs to get ready for the ball.

"Five o'clock?" Young Ron asked.

"What, you need three hours?" ... stone steps into the castle.

Several people chuckled at how much Ron wanted to know who Hermione's date was.

There was no Christmas tea today, ... littering the bottom other picture.

Minerva tutted. Really, that was just not acceptable.

"Lairy fights, that's the one!" ... an appalled look on his face.

Mrs Weasley frowned. She should have done better with Ron's dress robes. There just hadn't been very many options. But perhaps she should have checked some of Bill's old things. He might have had something suitable. But she hadn't realised how insecure Ron was. She should have known.

There was just no getting around ... as the boys set off downstairs.

Molly sighed. She could have done that for him at least. Why hadn't she?

"I still can't work out ... girls in the year," muttered Dean.

All the girls looked a little sour at the other girls being referred to as the prettiest girls in the year.

"Animal magnetism," ... she wasn't giggling.

Severus smirked. Harry was right. Girls giggled far too much.

"You - er - look nice," he said awkwardly.

Sirius's shoulders quaked as he tried to keep in his amusement. His son was just too damn cute. All awkward and unsure.

"Thanks," ... "Where's Hermione?"

"How did you not realise you had a crush on her?" Daphne asked, raising a brow.

"I was an idiot," Ron shrugged. He was pretty sure that him and Hermione weren't really right for each other, but he had spent years liking her and not even noticing. He was a fool.

Parvati shrugged. ... out of the portrait hole.

"This is exciting," Narcissa said. "Your first ball."

Draco groaned. He really hadn't enjoyed the Yule Ball all that much.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed this one. Sorry about the delay. I started writing this yesterday morning and just never finished it... Lol.

The Yule Ball Part 2

Chapter Summary

Everyone continues reading the chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The entrance hall was packed ... led her over to Harry and Ron.

Harry groaned. He really didn't understand how hearing about his experience of the Yule ball could possibly help magic.

"Hi," ... Ron as a partner, though;

Ron's ears were pink and he gritted his teeth.

her dark eyes lingered ... she looked him up and down.

"Well, that's just rude," Daphne said. "I mean, your robes were awful but she should have been polite about it."

Ron blushed even brighter. He was surprised that the Slytherin girl had taken his side.

"Hi," ... "Oh no. . . "

Daphne laughed. "I take it back. You guys deserved each other. You were both rude."

Ron laughed at that. She wasn't wrong.

He bent his knees slightly ... Roger Davies.

All the Ravenclaw girls sighed. They had all had crushes on Roger Davies at some point during their time at Hogwarts.

When they had disappeared, ... "Where is Hermione?" he said again.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Her and Ron had been so stupid. They'd clearly both liked each other but never did anything about it. And now it all just seemed a little... childish. She wasn't sure how she felt about Ron now. The kiss they'd shared had been nice but did she really want to be in a relationship with Ron? She really wasn't sure.

A group of Slytherins ... him look like a vicar.

The muggleborns all laughed in delight as Malfoy asked, "What the hell is a vicar?"

"A muggle priest, dearest," Narcissa answered, surprising everyone. "I told you those dress robes would make you look too severe."

Draco blushed.

Pansy Parkinson ... clutching Malfoy's arm.

Narcissa sighed. She hadn't been happy to hear that her son was dating the Parkinson chit.

Crabbe and Goyle were both ... managed to find a partner.

"Moss covered boulders?" Draco asked, laughing. "That's an apt description."

The oak front doors opened, ... blue robes Harry didn't know.

Hermione gaped at him. He hadn't recognised her?

Over their heads ... Father Christmas and his reindeer.

"How crass," Narcissa remarked. "It's supposed be a Yule ball, not Christmas."

"What would you have had instead?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Everything should be natural," Narcissa said. "Evergreens and mistletoe, cinnamon and dried oranges. The fairies is a nice touch, I'll admit. Pine needles, holly and ivy. I'd have placed a felled tree as the centrepiece of the garden and burned it as the Yule log."

Harry grinned. Now that sounded awesome.

Then Professor McGonagall's voice ... parting to let them through.

Harry grimaced, remembering how nervous he was.

Professor McGonagall ... thistles around the brim of her hat,

Narcissa smiled at the Professor's small personal acknowledgement of the sabbat. Many wouldn't even notice it as such, it was very skillfully done. People would simply think she was showing off her Scottish heritage. "Thistles would have been a good option too. They're semi evergreen and fitting seeing as you were in Scotland."

"Do you celebrate the Old Ways, professor?" Hermione asked.

Minerva frowned. As teachers they were discouraged from sharing their personal beliefs. But this was different. "I do. When I can. It is harder at Hogwarts. Although some of the teachers go into the forest to perform the sacred rites on the sabbats."

"Why don't the students get to participate?" Dean asked.

Minerva sighed. "In the time of the founders, they did. But over time that died out as the school aligned its holidays with the Sabbats and the students would return home to perform their rites. This worked well because the rites are often quite different from family to family. But then one of the headmasters, I can't recall which, decided that the school would be better to mirror the academic year used in muggle schooling. It was thought this would help the muggleborns settle into the school better, but it wasn't ideal for celebrating the Old Ways as the students would be at school for Mabon, Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Litha, and only occasionally going home for Ostara, because of the strange way the Easter holidays fall in the muggle world. Allowing the students to celebrate at school has never technically been prohibited, but neither has it been encouraged. It was believed that practicing the Old Ways was too personal a choice for the school to have any say in what the students do."

Minerva paused, considering her words. "In my own time as a student, we practiced our rituals in the grounds. The headmaster made sure that students knew that whatever religion they followed, they could use the grounds for their worship. Of course, as our world has either turned away from the Old Ways or practiced in greater secrecy the school has been less vocal in their allowance for it."

Harry nodded. He could understand the idea of having a secular educational system. But there was a very big difference between informing and enforcing. "But we celebrate Christmas?" he asked. "You can't tell me that the school is secular and then refer to muggle religious holidays so freely when you won't even acknowledge magical ones. We celebrate Christmas and we have an Easter holiday - those are both Christian religious festivals."

Lucius nodded. "Now you appreciate why many purebloods are so up in arms about the exclusion of the Old Ways from the school."

"We do have feasts for each of the sabbats," Minerva said.

"But you don't acknowledge why," Lucius pointed out. "It's not celebrating magic, if the children do not know why you're having a feast."

Minerva sighed again. She'd had this very same argument with the headmaster. "I quite agree."

"That is going to have to change," Harry said. "We're not muggles."

"Harry, the muggleborns grew up with Easter and Christmas," Hermione began. "It will..."

"If muggleborns want to celebrate Christian holidays, then that is their choice, but we need to make sure magicals who want to celebrate the Old Ways can." Harry took a breath. "If we are going to fix the damage done, this is essential."

told them to wait ... nearest the doors;

Bill rolled his eyes. That was just like his wife. She loved being first.

Davies looked so stunned ... hardly take his eyes off her.

Young Bill couldn't blame the kid. He was still surprised to realise that he'd end up marrying the girl.

Cedric and Cho were close to Harry ... It was Hermione.

No one except those that had attended seemed to have been expecting that.

But she didn't look like Hermione at all.

Hermione blushed crimson red.

She had done something ... how he hadn't spotted it before.

"I told you carrying around so many books was bad for your posture," Mrs Granger said with a smile.

"You really should invest in a feather light school bag, Miss Granger," Narcissa said. "I've always loved reading and probably had just as many books in my bag during my own time at school but my bag was enchanted so that I wouldn't feel its weight."

"Hi, Harry!" ... unflattering disbelief.

"Rude much," Susan huffed.

She wasn't the only one either; ... past Hermione without looking at her.

Ron grimaced. Merlin's saggy tits, this was embarrasing.

Once everyone else was settled ... not tripping over his feet.

Several of the girls cooed at how adorable Harry could be.

Parvati seemed to be enjoying herself; ... she was putting through its paces.

"That's how you looked too," Draco said with a grin.

He caught sight of Ron and Padma ... Padma was looking sulky.

"That won't end well," Arthur murmured to his wife.

Dumbledore smiled happily ... watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer.

"Karkaroff was very against me taking a muggleborn to the ball," Krum said coldly.

Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple ... Mr. Crouch, Harry suddenly realized, was not there.

Barty jumped at the mention of his father.

The fifth seat at the table ... Harry thought it ought to be fined.

Percy looked slightly put out to hear that Harry thought he looked smug.

"I've been promoted," ... I'm here representing him."

Several people looked at the young man in question. That was impressive. He'd only been out of school a few months.

"Why didn't he come?" ... he could rely upon to take his place."

Percy groaned. Yes. He'd been smug alright. Although in his defense, he wasn't in his right mind.

Harry wanted very much ... but resisted the temptation.

Percy blushed. "He hadn't."

There was no food ... notice what she was eating.

Everyone was relieved that they wouldn't have to discuss House-elf rights again.

It now occurred to Harry ... very enthusiastically at that.

"Really? Was that true?" Krum frowned. He'd clearly been a bit of a jerk to the younger champion without even realising it.

"Veil, ve have a castle also, ... over the lakes and the mountains -"

Harry sighed. That sounded perfect. Although, he couldn't really imagine attending Durmstrang. Especially with Karkaroff as headmaster.

"Now, now, Viktor!" ... right to protect them?"

"I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts' secrets," Albus said.

"Oh I would never dream ... exceptionally full bladder."

"The Room of Requirements," Harry muttered, causing the headmaster to look at him in confusion. "It will be mentioned in the next book. The elves call it the Come and Go room."

Tom smirked. He'd liked that room.

Harry snorted ... a very small wink.

Albus chortled. He'd have to speak to the elves about this Come and Go room.

Meanwhile Fleur Delacour ... hand onto the table impatiently.

Bill rolled his eyes. Fleur could get herself worked up about anything and everything. It was simply adorable.

Roger Davies was watching her ... a word she was saying.

Fleur's grandmother tutted. "Control, dearest. You must practice control."

"Absolutely right," ... "Like that. Yeah."

Several of the girls who had had crushes on the Ravenclaw were seriously reconsidering.

Harry looked around the Hall ... he kept calling her "Hermy-own."

Several people laughed at this.

"Her-my-oh-nee," ... Harry's eye and grinning.

Harry rolled his eyes, laughing slightly.

When all the food had been consumed ... some bagpipes were set upon it.

Everyone looked at the book excitably. The real party was just about to start.

The Weird Sisters now trooped up ... their partners were standing up.

Harry hid behind Sirius. He really didn't want to have to remember this. Let alone have the others read it.

"Come on!" ... holding the other tightly in hers.

Narcissa tutted. "She's supposed to let you lead."

"I can't dance," Harry said.

"Did she know that?"

"Er... I don't think so."

"Then she should have followed your lead," Narcissa said. "It's a show of very poor manners."

It wasn't as bad ... (Parvati was steering).

Narcissa tutted once more. She decided then and there that she would teach Harry to dance.

He kept his eyes fixed over the heads ... Neville trod on her feet -

Neville blushed as his grandmother chuckled. "Your dance instructor always said you were too focused on your feet. You should look up more. If you watch them, you're guaranteed to put them where they ought not be."

and Dumbledore was waltzing ... nervously avoiding his wooden leg.

The aurors could hardly believe their ears. Moody did not dance.

"Nice socks. Potter," ... knitted them for me," said Harry, grinning.

Lucius smiled. Potter was a good kid, wearing a gift from a house elf to a formal event. Most wixen would never even consider doing such a thing.

"He is so creepy!" ... "I don't think that eye should be allowed."

Moody laughed.

Harry heard the final, ... which was much faster.

"Harry, if the lady wants to keep dancing, you keep dancing," Sirius said with a chuckle. "It's good manners."

"No, I don't like it," ... Ron didn't answer.

"Oh, dear," Molly muttered, counting to ten. It was something the mind healers had suggested to help her control her temper.

He was glaring at Hermione and Krum, ... who was completely ignoring her.

The girls all looked horrified. Imagine not dancing!

Parvati sat down ... watching Cho and Cedric.

Harry blushed. He hadn't even heard her question. He'd been too distracted by how great Cho and Cedric looked together. He hadn't been sure who he was more jealous of. Cedric for attending with Cho. Or Cho for being Cedric's date.

"Oh never mind," ... she did not return.

"That girl has terrible manners," Narcissa said. "That said Prince Myrrddin, we will have to do something about your formal etiquette."

Harry didn't see much point in arguing with the woman. If he was lucky she wouldn't give him dance lessons... Oh, who was he kidding. He was not lucky.

Chapter End Notes

Sorry, they haven't finished reading the chapter... I've been mad with work this week but really wanted to give you something... More to come tomorrow.

The Yule Ball Part 3

Chapter Summary

Our characters finish the chapter...

Chapter Notes

BOLD = Bookquotes

ITALICS = Parsel

UNDERLINE = Younger Version of a Character

Character List

Don't forget to check out the series tumblr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Hermione came over ... Ron didn't say anything.

Molly didn't say anything. Although she clearly wanted to.

"It's hot, isn't it?" ... call him Vicky yet?"

Viktor glared at Ron. There was no need for so much animosity.

Hermione looked at him ... who shrugged.

Harry sighed. "Why do I always get stuck in the middle of your drama? If you want to go out, go out. If not, get the fuck over each other already."

Everyone stared at him in shock. Harry never swore.

"Ron, what -?" ... that's what you're doing!"

"Fraternising with the enemy?" Krum asked with a chuckle.

"This from the one that wanted his autograph," Daphne said.

"Not to mention you literally abandoned Harry when his name came out of the goblet!" Astoria added, her tone vicious.

Hermione's mouth fell open ... him up in their dormitory?"

Ron avoided looking at the others.

Ron chose to ignore this ... join spew, were you?"

Hermione grimaced. She might have tried... once. He wasn't overly receptive to the idea.

"No, I wasn't! ... pluck up the courage!"

Krum blushed. He had said that. But he didn't really want everyone else knowing it.

Hermione said this very quickly ... or get near enough to jinx him -"

Krum looked deeply offended by this.

Hermione looked as ... her voice quivered.

The adults looked deeply disappointed. And several looked close to berating Ron.

"For your information, ... cozy little library sessions -"

"I would never have asked Hermione for help with the clue," Krum said crossly. "I worked out the clue on my own."

"I'd never help him ... Harry knows that, don't you, Harry?"

Harry sighed. Of course he knew that. But he also knew that his opinion didn't matter.

"You've got a funny way ... making friends with them!" said Hermione hotly.

"Quite right," Filius said.

"No it isn't!" ... "It's about winning!"

"Really Ronald," Mrs Weasley said tersely. She was struggling to keep her temper, attempting to use all the different techniques the mind healers had shown her.

People were starting to stare at them.

"I wonder why," Dean muttered.

"Ron," ... But Ron ignored Harry too.

"I really hate it when you two do this," Harry said. "You bring me into your arguments. But really it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the two of you. It's not fair."

He knew he sounded petulant, but he meant what he said. It wasn't fair.

"Why don't you go ... satisfaction on his face.

"Really," Mrs Weasley huffed. "That was quite unnecessary."

"Are you going to ask me ... still glaring after Hermione.

Several of the adults shook their heads at his attitude. He didn't have to dance if he didn't want to but he should at least be polite to his date.

"Fine," ... by a Summoning Charm.

The girls were all glaring at Ron and he silently wished he could become invisible.

"Vare is Herm-own-ninny?" ... "Lost her, have you?"

Mrs Weasley tutted loudly.

Bill and Charlie exchanged looks. They needed to have a chat with Ron about his manners... preferably before their mother tried to.

Krum was looking surly again ... international magical cooperation!"

Percy grimaced. He hadn't realised what he'd just walked in on.

To Harry's displeasure, ... Karkaroff was nowhere to be seen.

"That's suspicious," Tonks said.

When the next song ended ... "No respect. . . "

"We had good reason," George said crossly.

Ludo Bagman shook off ... Zonko's Joke Shop. . . . "

"Liar," George muttered.

Percy didn't look happy ... the moment he got home.

Percy blushed. That was exactly what he had done.

Apparently Fred and George's plans ... but Percy diverted him.

Percy groaned. That had been rude.

"How do you feel the tournament's going, ... Shame he couldn't come."

Barty looked green at all the mentions of his father.

"Oh I'm sure Mr. Crouch ... flying carpets into the country?

Arthur huffed at that. He'd been especially annoyed about that at the time.

And then we've been trying ... International Ban on Dueling.

"Why would you want to ban dueling?" young Draco asked.

"Because fighting is wrong," young Hermione said.

"It's tradition!" young Draco spat, only for his mother to put a hand on shoulder.

"It doesn't matter either way," Lucius said. "The ban didn't get far. Only five countries agreed to it and it lost the vote at the ICW."

"But..." young Hermione began.

"As my son said," Lucius said softly, "dueling is an honoured part of our history. And it certainly has its place within our society. Although regulations could be tighter."

"You're not in Kansas anymore, Hermione," Harry muttered.

Most people missed the reference, but Hermione understood. She might need to change her thinking. It was clear that the Wixen world was very different to the muggle world.

I've got a meeting ... they heard an unpleasantly familiar voice.

The teachers all grimaced. They were either going to find out more than any of them wanted to know about their students' extracurricular behaviour or the boys were going to overhear something dangerous. They weren't sure which would be worse.

". . . don't see what there ... I can't deny it -"

The aurors sat forward. What were they discussing?

"Then flee," ... am remaining at Hogwarts."

Severus raised an eyebrow. There was only one thing they could be discussing. He glanced at Lucius, who nodded his head in confirmation. Yes, it was exactly what he feared.

Snape and Karkaroff ... dark shapes emerged from them.

Several people blushed, remembering how they too had been caught in the rosebushes. They just hoped it wouldn't be mentioned in the book.

"Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett!" ... as a boy went rushing after her.

Everyone sighed. It had been an expensive night for house points. For everyone. Well, except the Slytherins.

"And what are you two doing?" ... "Not against the law, is it?"

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley had clearly had enough. "That is a teacher you are speaking to."

"Keep walking, then!" ... first-name terms?"said Harry slowly.

"Since my death eater days," Severus said. "We're not close though. Can't stand the man. Never could."

They had reached a large stone reindeer ... Harry heard Hagrid speak.

Harry glanced at Hagrid, offering him an apologetic look. Hagrid blushed. He knew what was coming.

"Momen' I saw yeh, ... ought to walk in on, somehow...

"You think?" Theo said with a smirk.

Harry looked around, back up the path ... half-concealed in a rosebush nearby.

Bill did not like the sound of that. He silently reminded himself that he hadn't been a monk before meeting Fleur, in a bid to rein in his jealousy.

He tapped Ron on the shoulder ... shadows behind the reindeer.

Fleur blushed as her grandmother tutted.

"What did you know, 'Agrid?" ... but that wasn't really an option.

Theo chuckled quietly. Harry was simply too cute.

Instead he tried to interest ... Was it yer mother or yer father?"

"You should have squished that beetle!" Hermione grumbled.

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't imagine Hermione actually condoned murdering anyone - even Rita Skeeter.

Rita looked highly offended. "I want security!" she screeched. "I've just received a death threat."

She went ignored.

"I - I don't know what you mean, ... might be dead fer all I know..."

Everyone looked at the book feeling uneasy. They shouldn't be listening to this. Then again, much of the content of these books were personal. At least Hagrid was an adult. Unlike Harry. They'd been listening to Harry's inner most thoughts and feelings and he was barely an adult and certainly wasn't in these books.

Madame Maxime didn't say anything ... his childhood before.

"Isn't much ter tell, ter be honest," Hagrid said sheepishly. "Loved ma da. He was a good man."

"Me dad was broken-hearted ... jus' after I started school.

Everyone glanced at Hagrid, sympathy clear in their eyes.

Sorta had ter make me own way ... Which side you got it on?"

Several people gasped. They were surprised Hagrid felt comfortable enough to talk about this with a woman he barely knew.

But Madame Maxime ... I've never met another one before!"

"Oh dear," Minerva said.

"Anuzzer what, precisely?" ... "Another half-giant, o' course!" said Hagrid.

Young Dean looked confused. "Why is she so offended?"

"Because people are prejudiced against the giants," Harry explained. "People wouldn't be nice if they learned that about her."

"But isn't it obvious?"

"I thought so," Harry said, "but apparently wixen raised don't think the same way we do."

"'Ow dare you!" ... 'Alf-giant? Moi? I 'ave - I 'ave big bones!"

There were disbelieving looks being thrown about left, right and centre.

She stormed away; ... But Ron didn't move.

"I was shocked," Ron admitted.

"I don't see how," Dean said. "I mean have you met Hagrid?"

"What's up?" ... "About Hagrid being half-giant?"

Hagrid grimaced. He didn't really want the entire chamber discussing his heritage.

"No," ... ignorance of the wizarding world.

"Happens a lot," Harry said with a shrug.

"We're going to fix that," Lucius said, "and we're going to fix the wizarding world too. It really isn't okay that people like Mr Hagrid are vilified as they are."

"In fairness to Madam Maxime," Narcissa said. "It would be worse for her. It always is worse for women."

The women in the chamber all nodded their agreement and even some of the men seemed to think this wasn't wrong.

Brought up by the Dursleys, ... friends had a giantess for a mother.

"No. They wouldn't," Sirius said with a chuckle. "But they probably should."

"I'll explain inside," ... a more private clump of bushes.

Fleur was blushing heavily now. She did not need her husband and grandmother hearing about that.

Harry and Ron returned ... "What's the problem with giants?"

That got some awkward laughter.

"Well, they're ... ". . . not very nice," he finished lamely.

Everyone stared at Ron. That was the worst explanation ever. Hagrid bellowed with laughter.

"Who cares?" ... Didn't like to mention it... "

"As well you shouldn't," Molly said. "It would have been the height of bad manners."

"But what's it matter ... they're like trolls...

"That's a bit extreme," Bill said. "They're politer than trolls. Cleverer too."

they just like killing ... "What happened to them?"

"Wixen happened to them," someone muttered.

"There used to be at least a hundred different tribes of giants all around the world," Rookwood said. "But they are rather bloodthirsty and there was always a lot of infighting. And then, well, they didn't help keep the statute of secrecy, so they were sort of ostracised from our world."

"The First Wizarding War didn't help," Dolohov said. "The giants allied with the dark and were responsible for some of the worst atrocities our side committed against the muggles. That led to the Ministry of Magic targeting them. The aurors killed many of the giants in Britain, and those that had traveled from abroad to fight. The ministry then forced the rest into hiding, they've been living in the most remote regions of the world ever since."

Harry didn't like the sound of that. While he could admit that it made sense for the giants to live in remote areas, it felt wrong that wix had forced them into it. Just one more example of the wixen community thinking it had the right to decide the fate of all magical beings.

"The wixen community is terrified of them," Albus said. "Mostly fearing retribution."

"They mostly live in remote mountainous areas, such as Northern Europe," Krum said, surprising everyone. "Their cramped living conditions have led to them killing each other, reducing their population even further. I think my dad said there can't be more than a hundred giants left now."

"Well, they were dying out anyway ... They hide out in mountains mostly... "

Lucius frowned at this over simplified explanation. The boy had clearly tried his best, but it was ridiculous that the Prince's only sources of information were a couple of teenagers. One who knew almost as little about their world as he did, and what she did know was purely academic, and the other... wasn't quite academic enough. It wasn't the children's fault. But it wasn't right.

"I don't know who Maxime thinks ... her is a dinosaur."

The kids all laughed at that.

Harry and Ron spent the rest of the ball ... desire to kick something.

Harry blushed. They had looked like they were enjoying themselves. Looking back, he wasn't sure why he was so upset about it. It's not like he would have been able to have a relationship with either of them. He was practically destined to die. It seemed so trivial now, worrying about which one he liked most.

When the Weird Sisters finished ... the evening hadn't been much fun.

The girls all looked scandalised. They'd had a brilliant time. The only thing that could have made it better is if Harry had danced with them. Not that they were willing to tell him that. He'd probably think it was just because he was the Boy Who Lived and honestly, at that time, he wouldn't have been wrong. Now though, they thought it would be nice to get to know him. The real him. Harry.

Out in the entrance hall, ... marble staircase without speaking.

Harry grimaced. Always stuck in the bloody middle.

Harry and Ron followed her, ... ran up the stairs toward him.

Sirius rolled his eyes at his son's behaviour. Sometimes he was just like James. He'd never been very good at reining in his temper either. Then again, neither had Lily.

Cedric looked as though ... Does yours wail when you open it?"

Amos gave his son a proud look. Cedric was a good kid.

"Yeah," ... take a bath, okay?"

"What sort of a clue is that?" Daphne said. "If you said that to a Slytherin, they'd think you were trying to trick them."

"Yeah, Harry outright told Diggory about the dragons," Theo muttered irritably. "That's not a fair exchange at all."

Fair exchanges were important in Slytherin. You didn't want to be in anybody's debt.

"What?" ... Trust me."

"I wouldn't," said all the Slytherins together.

Harry stared at him ... Password's 'pine fresh.

"I'd definitely think he was trying to get me into trouble," Blaise said shortly.

'Gotta go ... even more by comparison?

"SEE!" the Slytherins all said.

"Harry is a Slytherin," Draco said, "even if he is a Lion, and he was never going to believe that."

Harry was taken aback by how much the snakes had all accepted him.

The Fat Lady and her friend Vi ... each scarlet in the face.

"Oh dear," Molly murmured.

"Well, if you don't like it, ... her face was screwed up in anger.

The girls all sat forward, eager to hear what the girl had to say.

"Oh yeah?" ... and not as a last resort!"

There was a round of cheering from the girls.

Ron mouthed soundlessly ... completely missed the point -"

The boys all snorted, trying to hold in their laughter.

Harry didn't say anything ... gotten the point much better than Ron had.

"Told you so!" Hermione said, only half joking.

Ron blushed scarlet before all three of them burst out laughing.

"Sometimes, I really don't understand how you three are friends," Molly said with a shake of her head.