Disclaimer: I'm not the owner of Harry Potter, JK Rowling is.
renexrtonex: Always fun to see people describe a character after reading one chapter. It's so interesting. Anyway, yes, he really did... I don't have anything else to say. Have a great day !
CMdkelley: I see your point. In my opinion, applying other cultures to Harry Potter can be interesting... If it keeps the essence of Harry Potter. Sadly, most stories of the "cultivation genre" don't. I'm glad you are able to correctly read the story, and I'm keeping in mind the mistake you saw. Once I'm finished with the story, I'll re-read it completely, and try to correct as much mistakes as I can. Thank you for the help, and the review, I truly appreciate it. Take care, and have a great day ! I hope you'll like the rest of the story !
chao-hellsing: Some will have one, other won't. Let's hope that the good ending will be for the good guys ;). Thanks for the review, take care !
kageknuser2710: I hope it's a good thing ! Romance isn't where I'm the best, so I hope you liked it. I'm more into fights and things like that hahaha. Anyway, thanks for the support, I'm really glad you are still here, reading the story. Take care, and have a great day !
Hank1967: I'm so happy to see people like the romance. I was so unsure of it back when I was writing the french version. Thank you so much for the review. And I totally agree. Between Fortuna and Daphne, the Potters don't have it easy when it comes to love. Anyway, take care, and have a great day ! :)
CaskettFan5: Indeed, this Sirius is a bit more... serious. OK, bad joke, I know, sorry. But he really wants to help and be there for Harry, first to compensate the years he spent in Azkaban, and then to repay the help Hadrian gave him. Anyway, thanks again for the review. I like your theory ;). I hope it's true ! Oh well... you'll see hahaha. Take care, and have a great day !
01/06/1995, 16H31, Hogwarts, Scotland:
Overwhelmed by the weight of fatigue, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, relentlessly pursued his quest for truth. For long months, he had devoted his energy to uncovering the mysteries of the Goblet of Fire and the manipulations it had endured. His meticulous research, conducted among his countless books and scrolls, had led him to a formidable spell, capable of identifying the perpetrator of a crime based on clues and evidence tied to the misdeed. Armed with the Goblet, the paper bearing Harry's name, and the certainty that the latter hadn't entered his own name into the Goblet - Harry having been absent from the school for a year and a half before the event - Dumbledore had the key elements necessary to unmask the culprit.
Alas, the spell only led to a dead end, vaguely indicating the school as the place where the perpetrator was located. The headmaster found himself back at square one, forced to juggle between organising the tasks and protecting Harry.
Hadrian's disappearance had deeply affected him. A profound friendship had bound them, and Dumbledore sometimes saw in him a reflection of Gellert, his former lover, had he not fallen into darkness. While there wasn't any romantic attraction involved, as opposed to how it had been with Gellert, Hadrian's presence had opened the door to an alternate world, filled with possibilities. For that, Dumbledore owed him eternal gratitude.
The unexpected return of Voldemort caught him by surprise, arriving much sooner than he had anticipated. The information reached him indirectly through his spy, Severus Snape, which led him to suspect that the Dark Lord had forbidden him from revealing his return. During a staff meeting, Dumbledore noticed Snape's unusual gesture of rolling up his sleeves, revealing the Dark Mark pulsing on his wrist, an undeniable sign of Voldemort's return.
This event, combined with Hadrian's disappearance - seriously injured according to the investigations of Sirius, Remus, and Fortuna Moon - strengthened his convictions. The power of Hadrian, which he had witnessed, left him little doubt about his ability to survive any perilous situation. Yet, something was amiss.
Albus Dumbledore was aware that a devious plot was unfolding in the shadows. This time, he was no longer the puppet master pulling the strings, but a mere pawn manipulated in a complex game.
And for once, it didn't bother him. His mind was already preoccupied with the tumultuous events shaking the school. His absolute priority was to watch over Harry and ensure his safety.
Observing the young boy in the company of Daphne Greengrass had stirred deep emotions within him. He had witnessed Harry's growth since Hadrian's arrival, fearing that such power might transform him into another Tom Riddle. But Harry had discovered love, a feeling that the heir of Slytherin had so cruelly lacked throughout his life.
And for that reason, Dumbledore knew he could trust the young man. Besides, Fawkes seemed to like him, and that could never be the case with a malicious person!
Shortly after Christmas, Harry had sent him an official letter, detailing the investigation conducted by him and his friends, including all the information gathered so far. According to his writings, their conclusions aligned with his own. The mole, they believed, was either an outsider visiting Hogwarts intermittently, like Barty Crouch, or one of the professors.
However, Dumbledore had one certainty: the spell he had used indicated that the person who had placed Harry's name in the Goblet was indeed within the school and had never left. Therefore, only one possibility remained: a traitor among the professors.
One of his trusted collaborators had betrayed him. He had always placed blind trust in them, but it seemed he had made a mistake. As soon as the preparations for the second task were complete, he would begin questioning his colleagues one by one, hoping to uncover the culprit.
Were Filius, Minerva, or Alastor under the influence of a powerful Imperius Curse? Has Severus been forced by Voldemort? He still had no answers.
Hadrian had advised him to trust Harry's instincts if danger ever threatened the school. Dumbledore would follow his advice. It was rare, at his age, to still receive good advice. He couldn't ignore the words of the one man who had dared to criticise his flaws for decades and had helped him improve.
"Well, we shall see where all this leads, won't we, my friend?" the old headmaster murmured as he stroked his faithful phoenix.
01/09/1995, 09H12, Hogwarts, Scotland:
"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took.
But past an hour - the prospect's black
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back"
The sirens' song faded, its melody still resonating in Harry's mind, lingering like a persistent echo in his thoughts.
Having already tried to put the egg into fire, without success, he had turned to water, the next element. To his surprise, it worked! Unfortunately, the cramped bathroom stalls didn't allow him to fully submerge himself with the egg. Reluctantly, he decided to dive into the depths of the Black Lake, accompanied by his loyal friend Neville.
Armed with a plant with respiratory properties that Neville had found in a book given by Daphne, they plunged into the dark waters, ready to explore the secrets of the Scottish lake. They had one hour to listen carefully to the song of the egg and to enjoy this fascinating aquatic world.
Harry turned to Neville, who was gently closing the egg. "Let's start from the beginning," Harry articulated clearly, despite the water surrounding him. "' Come seek us where our voices sound ' seems to indicate that we must dive deeper," he explained, gesturing toward the lake's depths with his webbed hand.
The rumour of an underwater village at the bottom of the lake wasn't a secret among Hogwarts students. Occasionally, a resident of this aquatic world would surface to greet the wizards on the shore.
Neville nodded, shrinking the egg with a smooth motion before handing it back to Harry. "' Where our voices sound ' might be a clue about how to find them on the day of the task," Neville suggested, thinking aloud. "Perhaps this song is meant to guide you to them."
There was also the possibility that it is simply an introductory line, inviting them to pay close attention to the words that followed.
Harry spoke again, analysing the next line. "' We cannot sing above the ground ' confirms the existence of their village underwater. Your theory seems to hold up, Neville," Harry added, thoughtfully scratching his chin.
Then, recalling the last two lines, they exchanged worried glances. "Is it too much to hope that they're just asking us to retrieve a stuffed toy?" Neville ventured with a glimmer of hope in his voice.
Harry laughed, as much as one could underwater. "Unfortunately, I don't think so. I have an hour to find what they've taken from me," repeated the Gryffindor, his brows furrowing once again. "It can't be a physical object. Only the champions know what they hold most dear, and they didn't ask us for anything. However..." Harry continued, his tone marked by uncertainty, "they might want to take someone with them. Thanks to the ball, they've been able to observe who's most important to us. Well, except for Fleur and Krum..." he said, reasoning aloud.
Neville stayed silent, listening attentively to his friend's words.
"Fleur's sister accompanied her; we saw her when the foreign delegations arrived. As for Krum, I believe his best friend is part of the Durmstrang contingent. Hermione often saw him talking with another boy in the library. For Cedric, there's his girlfriend, Cho, who attended the ball with him. And for me…"
Harry groaned. "And me, I made a fool of myself by kissing Daphne in front of everyone. So if they're going to choose someone, we can be sure it'll be her."
Neville looked down, not wanting to show his concern to his already angry friend. "You know, I'm surprised the press hasn't gotten involved sooner. During my last interview at the weighing of the wands, they were already asking me about my relationship with Daphne. I'm surprised it hasn't made headlines," admitted Harry, recalling the ball.
"Maybe Rita Skeeter and her cronies are on vacation, who knows?" Neville suggested, before bringing the conversation back to the main issue.
"We still have about fifty minutes of swimming left without being able to cross the surface. If you need to find Daphne in that place, we might as well start exploring. If we find the underwater village before the task, we'll have made great progress."
Harry clenched his fists, clearly displeased at the thought of Daphne remaining in the freezing water for even a second. "I swear, if anything happens to her..." he began, the last lines of the song echoing in his mind. " But past an hour - the prospect's black. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back ." His aura flared. His eyes began to glow as a bubble of air formed around him. The raw force of his magic evaporated the water surrounding him, temporarily preventing him from breathing.
"Calm down, Harry. They'll take precautions! They're not going to let anyone die over a simple task. And besides, it's all the more reason to be prepared. If you know where the village is, you'll just have to redo the same path straight there on the day of the task, and you'll rescue Daphne in a few minutes!"
Neville's words succeeded in calming Harry's anger, and the duo began to explore the vast lake. Harry used his rudimentary Occlumency skills to mentally map the area, noting which passages were unnecessarily dangerous and which, on the contrary, were advantageous.
When they emerged an hour later, Harry had made his decision. He would trade his physical training for dives into the depths of the lake. Only after exploring every corner of that underwater world would he allow himself to relax. Not before.
"I'll send a letter to Dumbledore anyway. Whoever put my name in the Goblet probably knows about my relationship with Daphne, so she could be in danger," declared Harry, his anger soothed by the long swim.
Neville nodded in agreement. They had made considerable progress that day, even though they hadn't reached the underwater village. But Neville was confident. When it came to protecting those he loved, Harry was the most determined person in the entire school. Daphne was safe.
A part of him was also relieved that Hermione had accompanied him to the ball. If she had chosen Krum, she might have been taken underwater along with the Slytherin girl.
Unlike Harry and Daphne, they weren't a couple. But the ball had marked a significant step forward in their relationship. Neville wasn't yet ready to open his heart completely, but now he was certain of one thing: Hermione had feelings for him, and they went beyond friendship. They had danced, their foreheads touching, their eyes locked for far too long to be "just friends."
All he hoped was that he wasn't fooling himself.
"You're right. But don't focus too much on that. There's still the third task. The person who put your name in didn't act during the first task, so if nothing happens in the second, they'll definitely show up for the last one. Be careful!"
Harry squeezed his friend's shoulder in silent thanks for his advice as they dressed to return to the castle.
His last comment reminded him that, besides Daphne, he too was in danger.
When she had accepted his proposal, Harry had feared their dynamic would change. But after spending a few days together, he realised that not only did she continue to act the same way - except for the added hugs and kisses in their routine - but she also seemed happier than ever since her father's death. And that alone reassured him that he had made the right choice.
"Come on, Harry, it's too cold to stay outside!" Neville called as they hurried back to the castle.
01/21/1995, 15H07, Potter Manor, England:
Fortuna put the book back on the shelf. Since the discovery of Alexei's body, their investigation had reached a dead end. Their best hypothesis so far was a potential return of Voldemort, but they hadn't been able to gather any additional details on the subject.
In her desperation, she had gone to visit Ophelia Greengrass. Fortuna wasn't married to Hadrian, though she sincerely would like to ... Therefore, she couldn't offer the woman much support in her grief. But perhaps Ophelia had received some information from her husband about Hadrian's movements before his disappearance.
"Fortuna Moon? What a surprise to see you!" Lady Greengrass greeted her warmly. That had surprised Fortuna. The woman had seemed devastated following her youngest daughter's coma and her husband's death. Seeing her in such good spirits was surprising, though in a positive way. After all, Daphne only had her mother left. She had to be a role model, whether she liked it or not.
They talked the whole afternoon, and Fortuna couldn't help but ask how she had managed to cope with Alexander's disappearance, hoping to find some advice to help herself. Indeed, her emotional state had only worsened since the man she loved had left. And that couldn't go on.
"At first," she had confided, "I avoided his office like the plague. Too many difficult memories, I suppose. It was as if his soul was still in that room. But I finally decided to go in. And it did me a world of good. I was able to immerse myself in what he had left behind and regain control of my emotions. You know… If you have access to Hadrian's office, you should go in. Who knows? Maybe you'll find something there to ease your heart." She even added a wink at that statement.
Fortuna wanted to hex herself after that conversation. They had scoured three-quarters of the world looking for Hadrian, but hadn't searched Potter Manor itself.
So, she returned home that day and discussed it with Remus and Sirius. They each took a floor of the building, with Fortuna taking the one where the office was located, and they resumed their search. It was only a few days later that she finally had the courage to enter.
And now that she was there, she couldn't turn back. She started with the bookshelves, finding numerous books on spells, potions, and magical theory. She came across a copy of thePotter Grimoire , which she chose not to touch, wanting to preserve her life for the time being.
Once the entire room had been searched, she decided to investigate the desk. And here she was, now, opening the drawers of the last Lord Potter and reading the documents she found.
Everything went under scrutiny. Exchanged letters, invoices, training plans for Harry and Sirius. Even some cooking recipes were written down, though she couldn't understand their relevance.
Suddenly, beneath yet another invoice, she found a small crumpled piece of paper. She pulled it out, unfolded it, and began to read, her eyes widening as she deciphered the words. "To-do list," she read aloud. She quickly noticed that some parts of the list were crossed out, likely meaning they had been completed, others had question marks, and a few were circled in red with an arrow saying " to do " next to them.
- Train to relearn how to control my magic
- Find allies (from all factions if possible to have eyes everywhere)
- Find a regent to avoid attending all the Wizengamot meetings (Greengrass from the neutral faction could be an asset).
She immediately realised that Hadrian had been targeting the Greengrass family far longer than she had thought, as this list seemed to date back to his arrival in Britain.
- Wait for the diary (Harry's second year), then cast the soul-gathering spell.
The second part of the sentence was blacked out. A comment, written in Hadrian's handwriting, was just above the black mark: " Unforeseen change of plan. " She remembered that. So Hadrian had initially planned to destroy all of Voldemort's Horcruxes in one go?
The brave Lord told her about the dark artefacts Voldemort had created and insisted she tell no one outside Potter Manor about them. She had never felt such revulsion toward another living being as she had when she learned that Voldemort had split his soul into seven parts. The mere idea of playing with one's own soul repulsed her. To split it? And into several pieces, no less? What horror!
In any case, it seemed he had decided to change his plans.
- Finish repairs on the manor
- Meet with Dumbledore and try to make him an ally. If not possible, kill him.
- Deal with the basilisk. Will need to wait for Harry to reveal himself as a Parselmouth. Can use magical sight as an excuse to find the chamber.
- Free Sirius after capturing Pettigrew.
The destruction of the Potter family manor during the first war was no secret. The Dark Lord, satisfied with his victory over the family at the time, had spread the word about their fall to anyone willing to listen.
So seeing that on the list didn't shock her. However, it confirmed one point: this list had indeed been made before all the events mentioned had taken place. She had never known Hadrian was so talented when it came to planning and organising in advance. The pressure he must have felt at the time… She couldn't even imagine it.
Another line that made her raise an eyebrow was the mention of Harry possibly being a Parselmouth. She would have to look into that later. The only living Parselmouth she knew of was Voldemort, infamous for regularly splitting his soul. So if Hadrian thought Harry might have that gift… She didn't want to imagine the possibility.
Thankfully, the " Parselmouth " part had been crossed out, with the words: " Change of plan, hcx destroyed. "
She had an idea of what " hcx " meant but didn't want to dwell on it. If the problem had truly been resolved, then there was no point in mentally exhausting herself over it.
- Deal with the Death Eaters in Azkaban
- End the magical war in Mexico.
- Handle Greyback's pack, and see if I can get rid of the giants.
She already knew he was behind the Azkaban attack. That wasn't hard to figure out. He had used the same code name that day as when they had worked together on a mission.
Now that she thought about it, it was strange. He, who was so meticulous and perfectionist about everything he did, had left a list mentioning his attack where she could find it, and had used his code name in front of her.
It was almost as if he wanted her to figure it out.
Another strange aspect of this whole situation was the last crossed-out item. She had found werewolf blood at the site of Hadrian's attack. So, that meant that on that day, there were still members of Greyback's pack. So how could he have crossed out the sentence and written his comment, " Later ," above the giants, if he had truly died that day?
After reading and analysing the items on the list that seemed to have already been completed, she moved to the one with a question mark at the end.
- Retrieve the stone from the Gaunt ring and keep it for Harry?
She had no idea what that meant. Perhaps she could discuss it with someone else later. She would see. The question mark aptly represented what she thought about it. "Looks like Hadrian was lost too," she chuckled, before turning her attention to the last items on the list - the ones circled.
- Let Voldy reform his body, then kill him.
- Find a legal position within the Ministry to eliminate Death Eaters. Otherwise, kill them in 'accidents.'
- Deal with Fudge and that pink-clad bitch.
- Track down Siena, Alexei, Sethom, and all future dark lords.
- Think about what to do with the former members of the D.W.T.
She didn't understand everything. But this piece of paper had revealed crucial information.
Her hands were trembling, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Her heart began to beat again, finally fueled by the hope that was rekindled. The evidence was undeniable. She didn't know how, but Hadrian was still alive, somewhere.
The "vacations" taken by certain Ministry officials, Fudge's public appearances reduced to almost nothing, Greyback's pack disappearing, and the list being updated during a period when Hadrian was supposed to be dead - these were all sufficient clues.
She slid down the wall, resting her head on her arms. She had done everything she could to find Hadrian. Over and over, she had fought, made alliances, met informants, and scoured three-quarters of the world. And finally, her relentless investigation was paying off.
Her heart, soothed for the first time since his disappearance, slowly calmed as she dozed off in the office of the man she loved.
For so long, she had been alone, without family, without friends. Then Hadrian had entered her life. He had carved out a place in her heart, only to disappear. For two years, he had been her only anchor.
Of course, she hadn't lacked suitors. But most of those fools only wanted her body. As for the few who genuinely cared about her, they didn't understand her desire for vengeance or her relentless drive to improve.
But Hadrian Potter? Not only had he surpassed her in magic, but he had taken her under his wing, saved her, and supported her. He had offered her a home, something she had lost with her parents' death, and given her the hope of a future other than dying in battle.
And after all that? He had abandoned her? He was dead? She refused to believe it. And finally, her efforts were rewarded. Now, she had a new mission: to complete the remaining items on the list. By doing so, she was sure she would eventually find him.
Those were her last thoughts before sleep overtook her, the long days of searching having exhausted her more than she realised.
02/24/1995, 10H57, Hogwarts, Scotland:
Harry took a deep breath. He had been right. Daphne had been kidnapped the night before. He was certain of it, as she hadn't shown up for their nightly meeting, something that had never happened before.
And as if that wasn't enough, her absence at breakfast removed any lingering doubts. Once again, Harry found himself regretting being right. He would have preferred her to be safe, while he swam to retrieve his Invisibility Cloak or some object dear to him, like the photo album of his parents.
Fortunately, he had been able to talk with the headmaster. The latter didn't seem to like the task any more than Harry did, but it had been decided by the Ministry, so his influence, though significant, had only allowed for some modifications. After their discussions, two new security measures had been put in place. Unfortunately, the headmaster wasn't allowed to inform the other champions, as the ability to keep calm played a key role in the task. Harry only knew because he had insisted, alongside Sirius and Lady Greengrass, that these new measures be implemented.
First, each hostage had a Portkey on them that Dumbledore could activate from anywhere. If any of the champions had to withdraw before the task ended, their hostage could be brought back alive, hopefully without a scratch. Second, each participant had a set of runes engraved on them, allowing the judges and spectators to see what they saw. This would allow rescuers to find them in the lake if anything happened.
Despite all this, Harry remained anxious. Not for his own safety. He lived by the same motto as his uncle: ' I don't care about myself. If you manage to take me down while I have my wand, then it was deserved. ' But Daphne was a whole different story.
"Come on, Harry! And hurry back, okay! We'll be able to see everything from up there, so don't do anything stupid, alright?" Hermione warned, enjoying her temporary role as Harry's big sister. The boy forced a confident smile on his face and reassured her, before turning to his best friend.
"I'm keeping what you gave me in my pocket, in case my plan fails, Neville, so don't worry," he said, before Neville could say a word.
Neville sighed, pulling Harry into a tight hug. "I was already worried with the dragon, but at least you could use your wand properly. Underwater… Don't you at least want to explain your plan?" Neville asked, for what seemed like the hundredth time.
Harry winked at him, and after one last friendly pat on the shoulder, he approached the edge of the dock. Dumbledore had indeed called all the participants to get ready.
"Is everyone ready?" asked the old headmaster, his voice amplified by his wand placed at his throat. Seeing the unanimous nods from the four champions, he began the countdown. "In that case, the second task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin. On your marks… get set…" He paused briefly, activating the runes that projected the champions' vision in real time, "Go!"
A loud *BOOM* echoed through the stadium, marking the start of the task. But while Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor dove into the water - Cedric and Fleur with Bubble-Head Charms on their faces and Viktor partially transforming into a shark - Harry remained motionless on the dock, to the astonishment of all the spectators.
In silence, he drew his wand and began to conjure a rope. Not just any simple cord, but an immense rope capable of wrapping around the Earth three times over. He added several charms to solidify it and make it waterproof before tying it to one of the dock's pillars.
Once that was done, he pulled the other end of the rope toward him, wrapping it around his torso, connecting himself to the starting point. Then, still in silence, he approached the water's edge. Clenching his teeth, he prayed that his energy reserves would hold out, and began compressing his magical core, imposing his aura on everyone around him for a few moments.
Terrified screams broke the silence, but Harry paid them no mind. He immediately shrank the radius of his power to the size of a small sphere around himself.
He had discovered this ability after losing his cool while deciphering the egg's. At that moment, all the water around him had evaporated, creating an air pocket. That's when he thought, 'What if I could maintain this state for a few minutes? I could reach Daphne much faster than by swimming.'
He then summoned his broom, mounted it, and dove into the water.
"Hermione! He… he's flying underwater! I can't believe I'm saying this," Neville exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock.
"Only Harry could do something so stupid and brilliant at the same time. With that, he should be able to go faster than the best swimmer in the world!" Hermione added, sighing at her friend's audacity.
Harry, meanwhile, remained oblivious to the reactions caused by his unconventional method and set off toward the village of the merfolk. He had managed to locate it during one of his explorations with Neville. While the primary challenge seemed to be the distance to reach it, the real difficulty lay in how deeply submerged it was, hidden behind enormous algae that had taken Harry and Neville hours to navigate.
Slicing through the water at full speed, feeling his magic depleting at an alarming rate, Harry dove. For nearly a minute, his journey was silent, with no sound passing through the wall of raw magic he had created around himself. This continued until he encountered a group of grindylows. He had to brake abruptly to avoid crashing straight into one of the underwater demons.
He watched them gather around him, curious to see what his aura would do if they touched it. And as fate would have it, one of them dared to test it. Harry saw it enter the air bubble, only to be crushed, buckling under the sheer force radiating from him. He realised that, like being trapped in a giant balloon, the creature couldn't escape and return to the water. It was already suffocating and would die within seconds. But if more grindylows entered, they would block his vision, potentially throwing him off course.
Quickly grabbing his wand, he whispered, "Evanesco," causing the dead creature to vanish, and then extended his arm so the tip of his wand touched the water.
Clenching his teeth against the effort the spell required, he began raising the water's temperature in the surrounding area. He saw the small, spiteful creatures thrashing as the water attacked their skin. Taking advantage of the respite, he dove, gracefully weaving between marine creatures.
From there, his journey only grew more difficult. He encountered numerous underwater beings, some harmless, others not so much. As he cast more spells, his magical sphere shrank.
He also felt his rope tug slightly backward several times, indicating that grindylows or other small fish were likely attacking it.
He still had Neville's plant for emergencies, but he preferred not to use it unless absolutely necessary, as it would keep him underwater for an hour, preventing him from completing the task before time ran out.
Finally, after what felt like weeks due to how gruelling it was, he spotted the merfolk village in the distance. Deciding to eliminate all the nuisances following him once and for all, he conjured a medium-sized rock and began engraving several runes onto it.
He had learned this technique from the last book his uncle had bequeathed him. The set of runes he had carved, as long as it was fueled by magic, would allow him to become temporarily invisible.
He had considered bringing his Invisibility Cloak, but changed his mind after learning about the new security measures. The cloak was his secret weapon, and he didn't want to reveal it to the public. Instead, he decided to test a recently acquired technique: runes.
He had taken Runes at Hogwarts, but had far surpassed the official curriculum. To be precise, he didn't know any theory, but he excelled in practice. He roughly knew which symbols to trace to achieve the desired effect, without fully understanding the reasoning behind them.
Finishing the last rune, he bit his thumb and let a few drops of blood mix with the engraving, then shrunk the runic stone and stored it in his pocket. He immediately felt his body turn transparent. Only the energy bubble around him betrayed his presence. However, to the grindylows and other small demons pursuing him, the bubble was of no importance, and they began to retreat.
The other unexpected advantage of his rune was that the rope, now tied to him, also became invisible. He felt the tugs cease, and satisfied but aware of his quickly depleting reserves, he sprinted toward the hostage he saw tied up in the distance.
He sped through the village, ignoring the merfolk he passed, and stopped in front of the blonde girl. "Daphne…" he murmured when he saw her, her face showing no sign of worry. She had blind faith in him, and the possibility of failure didn't seem to have crossed her mind.
He began untying her, cancelling the rune that had hidden him to conserve enough magic for a cutting spell. He was exhausted and hoped his plan would work. Otherwise, he'd find himself in a dangerous situation.
One thing he quickly noticed, however, was that Daphne was extremely pale. Far too pale. The other hostages seemed perfectly normal, aside from the stasis spell freezing them in place. Fleur's younger sister had also disappeared, proof that the emergency Portkey system was working.
Still, something was wrong. He was sure of it.
This pallor wasn't natural.
Worried and partly furious, he quickly untied her and pulled her into his bubble, ending the stasis spell. He immediately saw her grimace under the force exerted by his aura, but she regained her senses when she pressed against him.
"Harry…" she murmured weakly, "I knew you would…" Her sentence was abruptly cut off by a trickle of blood escaping her mouth. "Daphne! Damn it, don't move!"
The Gryffindor, struggling to maintain pressure on his core, wrapped the rope around Daphne's torso and pointed his wand at her.
The rope began to shrink, the massive length he had conjured before diving vanishing instantly. Knowing his reserves wouldn't last a second longer, he poured the rest of his magic into the spell.
The rope, violently shortened, yanked him backward, pulling him at high speed toward its strongest anchor point: the wooden platform.
On the way, the bubble surrounding him disappeared, and only the air in his lungs kept him from drowning. He gritted his teeth throughout the journey, praying that his and Daphne's torsos wouldn't be torn in two as they shot out of the water. His broom landed neatly in Ron's arms, who placed it on solid ground before joining Neville, Hermione, and the headmaster, who had arrived before everyone else.
Before Harry could say a word, he saw the headmaster point his wand at his girlfriend and reactivate the stasis spell that kept her frozen.
The headmaster looked at him, silently asking if he was hurt. Harry shook his head. "I'm magically exhausted, but I'm fine. She, on the other hand…"
The Gryffindor wanted to be angry at the old man, but he couldn't. He had seen the Portkeys placed on each hostage and had noticed that, aside from Daphne, they were all in good health. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't blame Dumbledore. Especially since he was doing everything he could to save her, while Harry himself didn't even have the strength to hold his wand due to his magical exhaustion.
And besides, he knew she was going to be attacked. If anyone was to blame, it was himself. He hated the old man for the childhood he had endured. But, just as he had realised with the disappearance of the man he thought invincible, no one is perfect. Nor omniscient, for that matter.
"As long as she stays under the stasis spell, she'll stay alive. She must have been poisoned. Poppy!" the old man called. When the nurse arrived, he conjured two stretchers, placing Harry and Daphne on them. He approached Harry, his face stern. Harry had never seen the headmaster look so old. A part of him now understood why Dumbledore was called the only man Voldemort ever feared.
"Madam Pomfrey will handle this better than I can. I promise you, the moment this task is over, I will search for the culprit, Harry, even if it's one of the professors as you suspected. For now, I must ensure everyone is safe. Congratulations, Harry. I can't give you your score yet, but you've won this task by far," Dumbledore said before walking away.
Harry nodded, his gaze scanning the crowd. Unconsciously, he drew on the remnants of magic that had reformed in his core and concentrated them in his eyes, enhancing his vision. The throbbing pain in his head from the influx of information nearly drove him mad, but he gritted his teeth and scrutinised the area.
He saw Hermione, crying, in Neville's arms. He noticed Fleur Delacour, panicking on the dock, checking her sister from all angles. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. He analysed every detail, understood the situation, and was able to predict each movement for a few seconds. He even saw Daphne's face, marked with a sad smile, as if the confusion about her fate had been replaced by a form of acceptance. He refused to let her disappear like that.
The short lapse of time ended. But it was enough. He had found the culprit. He was certain. He noticed Draco Malfoy, accompanied by the boy he had humiliated a few years earlier: Theodore Nott. Both boys wore feral grins, as if Christmas had come early, and they discreetly shook hands.
Between Malfoy's hatred and the accumulated resentment the two boys held toward him, Harry was sure he had identified the culprits. And as he was taken away, he swore they would regret it bitterly.
Since his return, he had adopted a passive attitude. But maybe it was time to unleash the anger that had been festering. 'If those two idiots with the same IQ as a goldfish think they can act like that without consequences, they're sorely mistaken!' he exclaimed internally, before slipping into unconsciousness.
02/24/1995, 23H21, Hogwarts, Scotland:
Harry paced through the corridors of the castle. For once, he wasn't trying to stay in the shadows. On the contrary, he wanted to be spotted. His target: the Slytherin prefect on patrol.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the distance. Someone was approaching. Harry caught a glimpse of a green tie and instantly knew he had found his prey.
"Well, well, well, who do we have here? The great Harry Potter thinks he's above the rules, wandering around at night?" sneered the boy, whose name Harry had forgotten. It didn't matter much anyway, he had never really bothered to remember it.
Harry approached him and asked directly, "Yes, something like that. Could you give me the password to the Slytherin common room, by any chance?"
The boy's eyes widened, frozen in place. He seemed unable to believe his ears, so shocked was he by Harry's audacity.
"I hope this is a joke, Potter!" he growled. Harry raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed by the older boy.
"What I suggest instead," the boy spat, "is you go check on your little blood-traitor girlfriend in the infirmary." His hatred for the Gryffindor was palpable, clouding his judgement enough to prevent him from deducting points.
"Watch your words," Harry warned, his voice growing dangerously low at the mention of Daphne.
The prefect noticed that bringing up Daphne really affected Harry, and he decided to press the issue.
"You know, I truly hope she dies from whatever's happening to her right now. She managed to avoid the wrath of the Slytherin house before the task because some people still doubted your relationship, especially those who weren't there at the end of the ball. But now that the whole school knows, she's in for a rough time," the boy taunted, stepping closer to Harry, wand in hand.
Harry's expression remained unchanged, but his magic flared up. A reasoned wizard would have described it as the calm before the explosion of a bomb.
"Don't worry, we'll make sure she enjoys herself just a little," the boy finished, pointing the way to the infirmary.
In an instant, Harry's face transformed into one of indescribable rage. With a violent punch to the boy's stomach, he sent him stumbling backward, shielding his own body with a thin layer of magic to avoid injury.
The boy staggered, trying to raise his wand in Harry's direction, but with an impressive spinning kick, Harry sent him flying.
Harry then grabbed the boy violently, his once-arrogant face now frozen in pure terror. He punched him again and again, blinded by rage. All this time, he had sworn to himself to be like his uncle, to keep control of his emotions, to never show weakness. But despite everything he had achieved, he was still a teenager.
He didn't know how long he kept hitting him. All he knew was that when he finally stood up, the boy lay unconscious, barely breathing. Harry picked up the Slytherin's wand, not wanting to leave any trace of his presence, and pointed it at his head.
"Legilimens," he murmured. He probed the boy's mind, skillfully erasing any memory of his presence. He wasn't yet a master in the art, and winced as he realised he had accidentally wiped the entire day from the boy's memory.
Once that was done, he searched for the password to the common room, finding it quickly. 'Pureblood…? Really? They could have been more original,' he thought, leaving the prefect's mind.
He stood up, covered in blood. A quick cleaning spell took care of that problem. The boy lay unconscious at his feet, his breathing shallow and erratic.
He knew another Slytherin prefect was patrolling the adjacent hallway. If he left him there, he would be found quickly. Still holding the boy's wand, Harry levitated him and placed him in another hallway, farther away. Then, he silenced his footsteps, already anticipating the arrival of Filch or another patrolling student.
He felt no guilt. The situation only stirred a cold desire for vengeance within him. A group of idiots had found it amusing to try to kill the girl he loved.
This time, it was his turn to have some fun. He wrapped himself in his Invisibility Cloak and headed toward Daphne's common room entrance. Ensuring he was alone, he whispered the password, and the wall before him opened, inviting him inside.
Without wasting a second, he stepped through the passage, secretly pleased to find the common room empty. He climbed the stairs to the dormitory and began reading the inscriptions on the doors, one by one.
"Fourth year… Found," he murmured, a wicked smile spreading across his face. He opened the door and entered, finding a dormitory similar to the Gryffindor one, except gold and red were replaced by silver and green.
The first bed he saw belonged to Blaise Zabini. Harry hadn't seen the boy among Malfoy's supporters, so he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Seeing the Slytherin stirring in his sleep, Harry stunned him with a spell, choosing to spare him this time.
Next, he saw Goyle and Crabbe. Those two were among the dumbest wizards Harry had ever met.
Using the prefect's wand, he tied them to their beds with ropes and cast a Silencing Charm on them. Awakened by the attack, they tried to free themselves in vain, fully aware of their helplessness.
Approaching them, Harry pulled two small stones engraved with runes from his pockets. They weren't hard to understand: as soon as the person closest to the rune moved, a powerful electric shock would strike them.
He placed them on their nightstands and made small incisions on their hands. Collecting the drops of blood that flowed, he used them to activate the runes.
An infernal cycle of pain began. The electric shock forced them to move, which in turn triggered another shock from the rune, and so on.
Watching the two victims contort in agony, Harry couldn't help but marvel at the runes' terrifying efficiency. He then moved on to the two other boys, sleeping so deeply that the screams of their friends hadn't even woken them.
"A sleep this deep after what they did is well deserved," he muttered with disdain. With a swift flick of his wand, he opened the dormitory's bathroom door, hit them with a Silencing Charm, levitated them, and slammed them violently against the bathroom wall.
Wasting no time, he followed them inside, closed the door, and plunged the room into silence. Instantly grasping his intention, the boys confessed to their crime, as if it could ease his fury. But they were gravely mistaken.
What they endured that night far surpassed the darkest imaginations. Even Malfoy wouldn't have hesitated to declare that Harry Potter was far worse than the Dark Lord himself.
Subjected to every imaginable torment, they suffered atrocities even the most sadistic Death Eaters wouldn't have dared to conceive. Harry himself was consumed by a furious madness, his mind unable to think of anything other than the hatred consuming him. He beat them, healed them, violated their minds, let them suffer, broke their bones, then healed them again, repeating this vicious cycle for two long hours.
Exhausted, the two boys begged for death.
"You tried to kill her," Harry growled, his face smeared with blood, his hair falling into his crazed eyes.
He now understood his uncle's words: " As long as you have enemies, you will never be at peace, for sooner or later, they will catch up with you, " his uncle had told him one evening.
Harry had beaten and humiliated Nott years ago, and the incident was a thing of the past. But the boy and his father were still alive, and he had paid the price. This time, he would make sure the two teenagers could never threaten him again.
Paradoxically, without this task, Daphne would have died. Only the stasis spell had kept her alive for so long. Without it, she would have succumbed to the poison in her dormitory.
"You have two options," the Gryffindor commanded. "Either I both kill you now, and no one will ever know. Or, second option, you swear on your magic never to try anything against me or anyone close to me again. Choose now!"
The two boys didn't hesitate. They thought death was their only way out. After what they had endured, even without the vow, they had learned their lesson.
But the chance to live and never have to face Harry Potter again seemed like a gift from heaven. After all, it seemed Durmstrang was looking for students. Their father would be delighted for them to study far from Dumbledore's influence, wouldn't they?
Harry approached them, pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Draco's throat, who lay on the ground, unable to move. He handed the prefect's wand to Draco, and the boy recited the vow, any thoughts of revenge long gone.
In a trembling voice, he declared, "I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, swear on my magic never to try anything against Harry Potter or anyone close to him again." Harry fixed him with a piercing gaze, and Draco quickly added, "And never to reveal to anyone what happened tonight!"
A red light shot from the wand, sealing the vow (or rather, vows). Harry took the wand back from Draco and repeated the process with Nott, who echoed the same words until another red light emanated from the wand.
Satisfied, Harry retrieved the wand and healed them just enough to keep them alive, without bothering to alleviate the pain they still felt. He then left the bathroom and the dormitory.
In the common room, he placed the prefect's wand on a random table and wrapped himself in the Invisibility Cloak before returning to the Gryffindor dormitory.
The next day, Theodore Nott brought the antidote for the poison to the infirmary, and it worked. Daphne would need rest, but her life was no longer in danger.
That night, Harry Potter had allowed his darker side to emerge. Although the victims would never speak of it.
Indeed, no one had seen him leave, and no one would see him return. To everyone, Harry Potter had never left the Gryffindor Tower that night. And those who might accuse him had no proof, as the victims had no memory of seeing him. None of them mentioned their attacker.
Moreover, the investigation into his wand had confirmed that he had only cast three cleaning spells that night. The accusations against Harry quickly faded. However, the professors were on high alert. Prefects would no longer patrol alone at night. Not that it would make any difference to the Gryffindor. After all, his vengeance was complete.