As December gave way to January, Harry approached Professor Sprout.
"Professor Sprout, how can I legally acquire some gulliweed?" Harry asked her.
She raised an eyebrow. "Ah, you have figured out your egg, have you, Potter? And going for Gulliweed is wise, I vouch for its usefulness. Severus will have some in stock for potion-making. I understand he doesn't like you very much. Would you like me to speak to him for you?"
Harry shook his head. "I'll handle it, thank you, Professor Sprout."
She gave him a nod before she bustled off to check on some magical herbs. Harry headed into the castle and down towards the dungeons.
"I must be nuts, willing to go to Snape's office." He told himself.
He had learned the truth about Snape but his new respect for the man did not absolve him of everything he had done to Harry and his friends over the years. He reached Severus Snape's office and knocked on the door.
"Enter." Came the curt call.
He took a steadying breath and pushed the door open. It was best not to delay things with Snape.
"Potter," Snape said in surprise. "I don't recall giving you detention."
Harry shook his head. "No sir. I am trying to find out how I can legally get some gulliweed for the second task. Professor Sprout suggested I come and speak to you."
Snape nodded. "I'm surprised Potter, that is an intelligent move for sure. Did Granger help you come up with it?"
He shook his head. "Neville, actually. He heard me telling the others what the task was and suggested it from the book Professor Moody lent him at the beginning of the year on magical herbs."
Snape pondered this. Harry wondered if he had maybe said too much.
"I see. I might have to award Longbottom some points in the next class." He said with reluctance. "I can give you one of the order forms I use to order my ingredients. Gulliweed is on it. Just do not order anything scribed with red ink or you will be expelled."
That was honestly more than Harry had hoped for when he had been directed to Severus. "Thank you, sir. I will only order the Gulliweed."
Snape gave him a look over. "Something is different about you, Potter. Less reckless and more mature. You see, more of your mother's son than your father's lately. You're last few potions have been nearly perfect."
Harry knew they were flawless but was not going to push the point when Snape was so close to complimenting him.
"Is there anything else, Potter?"
"No, Professor. Thank you again for the order form."
Snape nodded. "While I care not for this childish tournament, it would look bad if another school was to take home the trophy. I would prefer to see it in Minerva or Pomona's office than in another school."
Harry nodded. "I promise to do my best, Professor."
Snape nodded and Harry paused at the door. "Professor, do watch out for snakes."
He ran before Snape could ask him more about what he was talking about.
*A-Weasley-Redo*
The second task dawned the same as last time. Harry had his Gulliweed safely in hand and without chance of Doby getting in trouble. Harry had been putting off that reunion but knew it needed to come soon. It was hard, when he had held that small body in his arms and then buried him.
He felt Ginny touch his arm and turned to smile at his wife. She was wrapped in a warm cloak with a fur lined hood.
"Harry, be careful down there." She blew him a kiss, unable to actually kiss him right then."
He caught it and pressed it to his lips. "I will."
Dumbledore had taken Ron down as well as Gabrielle. A Hufflepuff girl that Krum had taken to the ball was the hostage for him. Naturally, Cho was the hostage for Cedric.
Hermonie came up and pulled them both into a shoulder hug. "Harry, any chance you can keep Ron down there for a few days? Would give us all some quiet." She asked just loud enough for the gathered Weasley clan could hear.
Harry joined the others in chuckling as Ginny nudged Hermoine. "You would go nuts without him within a week." She bet.
"Nah," George cut in. "I give her a day."
"Such little faith, brother mine." Fred pretended to chide.
The horn sounded for the Champions to assemble. Harry nodded at his family and went to join the others. Fleur gave him a wink as they stood side by side.
"You got that surprise for the Grindylows?" He asked.
The twins had made a little gift for the aquatic demons.
"Oh yes. Though it is so tempting to let you be Gabrielle's knight in shining armor again." She teased him.
Despite himself, Harry could not help but blush at how silly he had been at 14.
Soon the conch sounded again, and the champions made their preparations and went into the black water.
*A-Weasley-Redo*
Harry was halfway to the Merfolk village when he heard the sound of the twin's prank going off. He hoped the Grindylows learned a very valuable lesson.
He got to the hostages and used a sharp shell to cut Ron free. He then set the shell on the robes of the Hufflepuff girl, hoping that Krum would take the hint. He could see Fleur and Cedric swimming to catch up. Harry kicked off to the surface with Ron heading right back to the starting point.
Sure, he could have shown character by waiting until all the hostages were safe, but he didn't need to prove himself to anyone this time around. Besides, he needed to make sure he and Cedric were close to each other in the maze, so he could stop him from dying.
*A-Weasley-Redo*
Ginny was fuming when they saw the score from Krum's Headmaster.
"That cheating…"
Harry hugged his bottle rocket to calm her down. "It's alright, Gin. This means I'm tied with Cedric again. This is the perfect situation."
Fleur nodded, she was in second right behind them. "I'll deal with Krum. He might be not under the Imperious curse, this time, but we can't have him accidentally ending up in that graveyard."
"Will you be OK one-on-one with him?" Harry asked her and she pondered this.
"I don't know." She admitted. "I didn't train my combat skills much after I left Hogwarts, despite fighting in the war. But still, I had a few more years of experience in warfare than him.
Ginny winked at her sister-in-law. "Hermonie and I will be glad to spar with you."
Fleur chuckled. "Sparring with two Shining Stars. Sounds like a punishment. I'm in."
They laughed and trudged back up to the castle. It was time to start putting the finishing touches on their plans.
*A-Weasley-Redo*
February was long gone and April was on the horizon. They were just three months away from the third trial and Harry had finally got word from Dumbledore to come to his office with Ginny.
The two of them made their way there under the Invisibility Cloak. While they did have a summons from the Headmaster, neither wanted to test their luck this evening.
As they arrived, they found Dumbledore waiting for them.
"Ah, there you two are. How are the Potters this fine evening?"
"Very well, Dumbledore." Ginny smiled weakly at him. "Do you have news?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. I believe I have created a method in which the soul fragment can be extracted and destroyed. However, I have to urge against this course of action."
Ginny looked crestfallen. "Why?"
"The method involves the spirit fragment believing beyond doubt that Harry is dead. It would in that instance leave his body to find a proper vessel. But the risk of such a situation is that the longer the fragment stalls, the more we risk Harry not being able to be restored. Death like states are possible but very risky they longer you stay in one."
Harry pulled his wife into his arms. "We knew there was a chance that something like this would happen." He told her. "We just follow the original plan. We let Tom rise, he destroys the fragment in me, we kill the snake, and then I duel and kill him."
She nodded into his chest. "I know. I just worry it won't work this time since you know about it."
Harry shook his head but it was Dumbledore who answered. "Knowing myself as well as I do, my secrecy had nothing to do with the effectiveness of Harry's survival, Mrs. Potter. It had to do with the willing sacrifice to shield his friends from him. I suspect this time there will be no reason for such a measure."
Ginny looked mollified as Harry kissed her on the head. "Rest easy, Gin. We will see this done."
She nodded. "You better live. Or I'm going to kick your butt."
"Professor, I need to have a different wand to defeat Tom Riddle," Harry said. "The twin core connections will not allow me to harm him."
Dumbledore widened his eyes. "I suspected, but I had no way to know for sure. What will you do, then?"
Harry drew out his trusty phoenix core wand. "Simple. I challenge you, Albus Dumbledore, for ownership of the Elder Wand."
*A-Weasley-Redo*
A/N: Another chapter gone and we start to wind down towards the end. It will be a relief to put one of my monthly fics to bed lol. I hope you enjoyed this entry. I hope you'll consider checking out my other works on this site. I also stream video games and post them to YouTube. You can find me on Twitch under Stormermia and Youtube as Stormermia Plays. I also urge you to check out my original novels if you like my writing.
Link to Royal Road Novel: fiction/55565/song-of-phoenix-ordeal-part-1