Arthur stepped through the green flames and appeared in his living room, only to sag backward against the fireplace. He didn't even have the energy to cast a cleaning charm to rid himself of the soot. He dropped his briefcase by the side of the fireplace and heaved himself into the kitchen where his happiest invention, the Ready Kettle, set itself to boil.
He plunked himself down at the table and rested for a moment until the kettle boiled and poured him a cup of tea. He shuffled over to the counter and sipped some of the hot liquid, and as the brew sloshed down his gullet it warmed his insides and soothed away the day's stress. After half the cup, he felt refreshed and set the cup down to see about some dinner.
Molly was off visiting her mother, so there wasn't anything to hand, but he made himself a quick sarnie and called it job done. He had time to make himself a second cup of tea and finish half the sandwich before there was a terrible clatter at the window. It was a familiar clatter, however. Erroll had botched another landing and smacked the pane again.
Sure enough, Erroll opened the door and flapped over to the table to perch on the back of the chair next to him. The owl stuck out his leg to offer him the thick note attached there. Arthur relieved Erroll of his burden and let the poor old thing go to his bed while he stared down at the note with a sigh. What was it this time? Ron needed money for chocolate frogs? Ginny needed makeup to compete with the older girls? The twins were expelled for vanishing all the clothes in the castle?
With a sigh, he set the note aside. He'd deal with whatever it was after he'd finished his sandwich. He poured himself another cup of tea and luxuriated in the quiet freedom.
All too soon the plate was empty, the tea gone, and the note stared at him ominously.
"Alright, fine." He sighed, and picked up the note.
Dearest Father, Head of House Weasley, Carrot top Clanhead, Tinkerer Supreme, Master of Muggle Mysteries, First of His Name, Breaker of Cheese, Yadda Yadda Yadda,
It has come to our attention - not the royal our, obviously - that our darling baby brother ickle Ronnikins has and continues to escape the impending blood feud with House Potter by the gracious good graces of Lord Harry James Potter himself. Gred and Forge and I happen to quite like the goodly gracious Lord Potter, as he also quite likes a good prank. However, our darling baby brother ickle Ronnikins took our lovingly crafted prank for Lord Potter and removed the treacle-flavored whipped cream center we had so painstakingly painstaked and replaced it with UNDILUTED BUBOTUBER PUS.
As it was one of our lovingly handcrafted pranks, it naturally went off without so much as a hiccough, and sprayed the gracious good graces with said undiluted squeezings. Only the lightning fast reflexes of self-sacrificing Lord Potter prevented an immediate blood feud, as Lord Potter was standing in front of a bevy of beauties of noble birth, both foreign and domestic - Including Greengrass, Parkinson, Bones, and Delacour, just to give you some idea the damage that might have occurred if Potter hadn't deliberately taken it all.
Naturally, Gred and Forge and I - we - are loath to report such things, as we would much rather deal with ickle Ronnikins ourselves, but neither of us are obtuse enough to think such things should not also be reported to you as Head of House. Regardless what our angles are, you need to be notified and suitably prepared for the blazing ball of fire that ickle Ronnikins is desperately trying to call down upon our poor overly-stuffed home.
Seriously dad, Ron is going to get himself killed and there won't be anything we can do about it. Lord Potter seems like a decent sort, so he may demand an audience with you first. We've seen what he's capable of, and he could wipe out Clan Weasley by himself without breaking a sweat. Do something about Ron for the good of the family. Please.
Also, Lord Potter is not using his real name, so don't tell anyone he's here. I imagine he's not keen on Death Eaters crawling up his kyber. Address anything you want to send him to Duncan MacFusty.
-Your dutiful sons, Breakers of Wind, Yadda Yadda, Gred and Forge. And me. And me.
Harry Potter was alive!! An unexpectedly bright hope surged through him at the thought - only to be thoroughly dashed by the fact that Ronald was making him hate Weasleys. At the very least Arthur thought he should pen something to thank Potter for sparing him having to make reparations to Greengrass and Parkinson. Bones might have chalked it up to youthful pranks, she was a fair woman - but Greengrass and Parkinson... He shuddered to think about it.
He summoned parchment and quill, and attempted to set his mind into formal thinking. He only hoped that Potter would be amenable to a meeting and that it wasn't already too late.
Ronald Weasley pouted.
He wouldn't have called it that of course, he just didn't school his face to any sort of expression and his face did whatever he felt at the time. He didn't even look at his own face unless he was brushing his teeth or combing his hair – neither of which occurred with any frequency. Nevertheless, anyone looking at him would have said he pouted.
It was MacFusty's fault of course, everything was. He couldn't just choose one bird and leave the rest for everyone else, noooo. He had to keep them all for himself and parade around with them in a huge gaggle that ensured nobody else could even get a look in. On top of that, as though that weren't enough, he didn't go to the common room! What kind of bloody Gryffindor didn't go to the bloody common room!? Do a bloke a favor, mate!
As a result, Ron had been up too late wandering about, looking for where he kept his bevy of beauties. Hadn't found squat of course, bloody MacFusty. That was why he'd taken forever to get out of bed that morning and had been dead tired all day and gotten detention from Moody. It was only luck Seamus had also gotten detention and told him about what had happened in class.
That was what had brought him to his current mental state. He hated MacFusty - who wouldn't? But at the same time, the bastard had done awaywith Moody altogether. No more Defense class, and that was brilliant! So, he sat in the common room while the two feelings warred silently with each other.
The portrait door opened as he wrestled with his thoughts, and Ginny entered the common room. She had an enormous grin on her face and sat down on the sofa next to him. She ran both her hands over her stomach, and smiled at him beatifically.
"What's up with you then?" He frowned at her.
"It's just a brilliant, beautiful, brilliant day." She cocked her head to one side, still smiling, and looked down at her stomach. "It was everything I knew it would be."
"What was everything you knew it would be?" Ron's frown deepened.
"I would have preferred a nice white four-poster in a field of flowers to a dusty broom closet, but when opportunity knocks..." She smiled up at him again. "Why aren't you smiling? Be happy for me, Ron. You're going to be an uncle."
The deeper the words penetrated his brain, the redder his face went.
"The FUCK you mean, I'm gonna be an uncle?! You're thirteen fucking years old, Ginny!! Who the fuck was it?!"
"Calm down, Ron. You'll scare the baby."
"Yeah, yeah. No scaring the baby. Right. Who's the father, Ginny? Who should I go welcome to the family?" He pulled the corners of his mouth back in a horrifying parody of a smile while he ground his teeth.
"My Prince Charming, of course. The only real man in the whole castle." She smiled again and ran her hands over her stomach as she sighed his name wistfully. "My Duncan."
"FUCKING MACFUSTY!" Ron shouted as he shot to his feet and pulled his wand out. He slammed the portrait door open and stalked into the dark castle while his face bordered on purple.
They strolled into the Great Hall for breakfast hand in hand, and waved to those who waved at them. They sat in their customary place at the far end of the Gryffindor table, Luna and Neville were already there and greeted them as they sat.
"Good morning, Luna. Good morning Neville." They both said in unison. Luna giggled and Neville rolled his eyes at them.
"Keep that up, you'll give the twins a run for their money." He said.
Harry just turned and smiled at Hermione, who smiled back at him. "It's a good morning, what can I say?" Harry asked as he gazed into Hermione's eyes.
"Careful mate, someone might think you're in love." Neville chuckled.
Both Harry and Hermione blushed a light pink and looked away from each other while Luna slapped Neville's shoulder. "Hush, Neville. I think it's adorable." She scolded.
Neville's grin dropped suddenly, and he looked over Harry's shoulder. Harry felt a hand grab the hair at the back of his head and pull upward. It hurt a little, but Harry didn't move. He just slowly turned his head to look at Ronald Weasley in his vacant, furious eyes.
"Can I help you Ronald?" Harry asked in a frosty tone. He pulled Hermione down with his other hand as he could feel her begin to stand and Resonate. She reluctantly sat back down, but she didn't stop Resonating.
"Get up!" Ronald yelled. Quiet descended on the Great Hall.
"I'll handle him. Watch my back if you would?" Harry whispered to Hermione before he stood. She nodded back to him and scanned the crowd that watched them.
No sooner had Harry stood fully and turned to face Ron than a Quidditch Keeper's gauntlet smacked him full in the face and fell to the floor.
"Did you think nobody would stand up to you, you piece of shit?!" Ron bellowed. "She's only thirteen, you fucking bastard!"
Harry's responding anger evaporated and he frowned. "Who's only thirteen? What are you talking about?"
"Like you don't know! Pick up the gauntlet, arsehole! Are you too stupid to know when you've been challenged!?"
Harry sighed. "Are you sure this is what you want, Ronald? You wouldn't rather explain what on earth you're yelling about so we can talk about it?"
"Pick it up!" He screamed. "You and me, MacFusty! Right here right now!"
Harry shrugged. "Alright Ronald, you win. But not here. Outside." He bent over and picked Ron's gauntlet up, then handed it back to him. He then turned and walked toward the castle gates.
Hermione caught up to him and held his hand as they walked. "He has a sister. Might be what he's yapping about. If she's gone bragging about being with you in a broom closet or something..."
Harry sighed. "Okay, yeah that does make sense. I'll try to talk him out of it. Do you want to be here or could you maybe look for the sister?"
Hermione shook her head and caused her curls to fly outward briefly. "Hell no, I'm with you. His little bitch sister can deal with what her lying has done." They stopped in the front courtyard and stood together as they waited for Ronald to catch up. Harry smiled at her and rested his forehead against hers as he breathed in her scent. A huge throng of students followed behind Ronald.
"Let's go, MacFusty!" Ron shouted angrily as he approached, "You can fuck your shit-veined whore late-" He didn't get any more words out because Harry had crossed the distance between them in a flash and lifted Ron from the ground by a hand that gripped his throat.
Wind whipped around the two of them and the air above Harry's back warped with invisible flames in the shape of two great dragon wings. His eyes were incandescent as they bored into Ronald's.
"I told you what would happen to you if you dared to insult her again, Ronald. Your stupidity and your anger have just made that a reality." Harry growled at him, and brought him closer to his face as his eyes bored into his skull "I'm a man of my word." Harry dropped him and walked back over to Hermione.
"Nobody talks about you like that." He told her, "Nobody. Will you be upset if I kill him?"
She shook her head with a smile. "Don't hold back on my account. I've wanted to kill him for years." She kissed him.
"RON!?" A screech came out of the crowd. A thin, willowy girl with long, straight red hair emerged from the crowd and strode up to Ronald and started to slap him wherever she could reach him. "What the fuck are you doing, you arsehole?!"
"Shut up, Ginny! Go back inside!" Ron demanded.
"No! Don't you dare try to hurt my Duncan!" She yelled at him, then went to stand in front of Harry with her arms spread as though to protect him.
"Your Duncan." Hermione said in a low, smooth voice. Harry could see her begin to warp the air above her.
"You shut up too!" Ginny yelled at Hermione. "You think you're so great just because you're beautiful and top of the student list! He didn't give youa baby though, did he? No! Just me! He loves me, not you!"
Harry's eyebrows rose. "Uh... Jenny is it?"
She smiled back at him. "It's okay love, you can call me whatever you like."
"Uhh... right... Listen, when exactly did we... When was the whole baby giving thing?"
Ginny smiled and covered her stomach with her hands. "Oh you." She said patiently. "You talk like last night wasn't the best night of our lives."
Harry looked at Hermione, who glared death at Ginny. They had been together from dinner until morning. They'd had study group until curfew, then slept together as usual. Clearly someone had confounded Ginny or done something even more unpleasant.
Hermione took her wand out and whispered while she pointed it at Ginny. "Specialis Revelio". Hermione's eyes went wide then, and she leaned over and whispered to Harry.
"She's been Obliviated - really well. Better than any student could do. There are layers."
"Okay, that's good to know. At least I wasn't sleepwalking or potioned or something. Thank you for that. Do you think you could pick it apart or poke holes in the memory or something?"
She bit her lip and thought about it. "Maybe? With time?"
He nodded. "Something for later then." He kissed her, then turned back to Ginny and Ronald.
"Jenny, would you mind stepping away please? There's a duel happening."
"I don't want him to hurt you!" Ginny complained.
"I thank you for that, but this is a duel and you cannot stop it. Your brother challenged me and I accepted. For your own safety, please move to the sidelines." Harry took her elbow and gently guided her off to the side to stand next to Hermione. He leaned down to whisper to Hermione.
"I'm not sure about Ronald's aim, he's crap in class. Would you shield her as well if something comes this way? It's not her fault someone gave her false memories."
"No." She whispered back, furious. "If he kills her then I don't have to."
He chuckled and kissed her neck. "Point taken. If by some miracle he actually gets the better of me... I want you to know the last month or so has been the best of my life. I will do everything I can to stay with you forever." He hugged her too briefly, and strode back to the center of the crowd and readied himself for battle. He began to Resonate as he faced Ronald across the flagstones. Ronald was still angry, but had deflated somewhat.
"Are you ready, Ronald?" Harry asked.
"Are you?!" Ronald shot back. His face started to go red again.
They bowed to each other and held their wands up in front of them in a salute.
"Both combatants ready!" Neville shouted from the sidelines. Both Harry and Ron nodded to him. "BEGIN!" Neville shouted.
Ronald waved his wand wildly, as though he were trying to physically throw spells out of it. "Slugulus Eructo!" He shouted. The ugly yellow bolt produced went wide and high, up over the crowd and nowhere near Harry.
"Scopamultum" Harry whispered, and began to target specific bones of Ronald's with repeated whispers of "Ossio Rumpitur". He cast it over and over again but didn't release a single one. Ronald got over his initial panic after the first four or five of his spells cast successfully and Harry didn't shoot anything back at him. Ron cast slug belching curses, jellylegs jinxes, leglocker curses, Impediment jinxes, and tongue-tying curses.
Harry started to dodge them after Ron's tenth curse, as it hadn't been necessary before that. Luckily Ron was a terrible student and had no idea how to cast quickly or quietly, so his every wand movement told Harry where the curse was going to go and the fact that he shouted out his incantations told him what he dodged.
Harry could hear Hermione behind him ask what he was doing under her breath, and that gave him a little smile as he continued to build up bonebreakers without releasing them. He gave a quick wink to Hermione while Ron fired a few more shots and Harry waited for the timing to be right.
As Ron started the arm movement that would lead to another slug-belching curse, Harry let go of all the bonebreakers at once. Ron had begun to shout the incantation for his curse, but changed his vocalization into a panicked squeal as he saw dozens of grey bolts explode out of Harry's wand and speed toward him. Unfortunately for Ron, he had no chance to evade a single one of the curses.
Twenty-six separate bonebreakers slammed into Ronald and he screamed as he fell to the stones of the courtyard. Harry heard several shouts of "Merlin!" from the crowd.
He casually cast a disarming charm at Ron, and Ron's wand flipped through the air into his hand.
He looked at Neville. "Were any victory terms set?" He asked Neville. "Would you count him defeated?"
Neville looked over at Ron, who lay as a mass of quivering jelly on the ground. He moaned and whined in pain as he tried not to move because that hurt more. The only reason Ron didn't scream was because it hurt to breathe with all of his ribs broken.
"Yeah, I'd say he's pretty defeated." Neville nodded. "Anyone think Ron is NOT defeated?!" Neville shouted to the crowd.
Nobody bothered to answer. "Winner MacFusty!" Neville declared.
Harry strode over to Ronald and squatted on his haunches next to him. He put Ron's wand on his chest and looked him in the eyes. "Do not EVER insult a Lady in my presence again, Ronald. ESPECIALLY not my wife. Are we clear?"
Tears dripped from his eyes, but Ronald managed a shallow nod.
"Good. Next time I will leave you this way." Harry stood and pointed his wand at Ronald, and whispered the first of twenty-six "Brackium Emendo"to mend the bones he'd broken.
"Your sister has been Obliviated, by the way. Someone implanted memories of her and me together. I was with fifteen other people last night until curfew, and with Hermione after that. I have never had sex with anyone, let alone your sister, and she might not have either, unless whoever did it is a real shitbag."
Harry finished the last of the bone-mending charms, and offered a hand to pull Ron to his feet. Ron moved gingerly, as though he expected moving to be painful, but gained confidence as he stood and flexed his limbs. A slow smile crept across his face as he realized he was no longer broken and in pain, only to have the smile snatched from him as Harry's hand gripped the hair at the back of his head and forced him double as Harry dragged him in front of Hermione.
"You know what to do, Ronald." Harry growled in a low, menacing tone close to his ear, "Make it good."
Ronald only hesitated a moment, then cleared his throat. "I apologize for my rash words, Lady Hermione. I'm very sorry. It won't happen again." Ron struggled through it, Harry could see every word tasted like acid on his tongue, but to his credit he struggled through the whole apology with a clear, audible voice.
"I suppose I'll accept for now then." Hermione growled. "I'm sorely tempted to turn your blood to actual shit so you can see how it feels, but I'm not in the mood to be disgusted just now."
"Thank you!" Ron's voice took on an aspect of fearful relief.
Harry let him up, but stood between him and Hermione and looked him in the eyes. "I want to kill you for what you've done to her, Ronald. The next time you feel like insulting her, remember that her kindness is the only thing keeping you alive." Harry let go of Ron's front and shoved him backward a step. "Now, if I were you I'd do whatever I could to get my sister to St. Mungo's to see if they can fix her false memories."
Ron nodded. His face had gone white, sweat beaded his brow, and his hands trembled as he put his arm around Ginny's shoulders and walked away with her.
"I don't know how you do it." Hermione told him as she slipped her arm around his waist and watched Ron and Ginny walk away.
"Do what?" He asked.
"Keep such a tight lid on the urge to squash insects like him."
Harry slipped his arm around her shoulders and held her as well. "That's easy." He kissed the top of her head. "I have to be someone you're proud to be with. That's far more important than any momentary satisfaction."
She looked up at him with a frown. "You mean that."
He nodded. "Of course I do. The thought of losing you is the only thing that scares me."
She stepped in front of him and wrapped her other arm around his waist, and laid her head on his chest. "You have no fears then, because you're never getting away from me. You're mine and I'm yours. Forever and ever."
That made him warm and happy inside all the way to his toes. He pressed his lips to her head while he took a deep breath of her scent. "I'm still going to keep trying though. I wouldn't want to disappoint you either."
She laughed and looked up at him. "Well, if you must." She grinned. Harry lowered his face toward hers, and intended to kiss her thoroughly, but they were interrupted by two sets of footfalls racing toward them. Hermione heard them too, and her brows tightened a little as she made it known she was put out by it. Harry smiled at her and promised her with a glance plenty more later.
"Ah, sorry to interrupt -" Twin number One began,
"Quite against our intentions, we assure you -" Twin number Two continued,
"We came as soon as we heard -" Back to One.
"To try and rescue our little idiot brother -" Forth to Two.
"Too late, of course - " Back and
"Thank you ever so much for not killing him -" Forth
"It would be hell to have to explain to the family -" Between
"And then Mum would likely spark a Blood Feud -" The Twins
"And then we'd be dead too, so -" Almost
"Just wanted to say thanks -" Like watching
"For taking it easy on ickle Ronnikins -" Tennis.
Both twins left off the twinspeak then and looked around to see if anyone else was close, but everyone who had followed them outside to watch the duel had gone back inside because it was late November in Scotland.
"Lord and Lady Potter." They finished together in a whisper.
Hermione's hand clenched around his, but she otherwise showed no sign of surprise. "Sorry, who?" She asked sweetly as she feigned ignorance.
The twins looked at each other and smiled.
"Canny, she is." One remarked.
"Savvy. Cool as a cucumber." Two replied. Two took a worn piece of parchment from his robes and unfolded it. "I'll need my wand to show you how we know, so don't fry me while I'm taking it out, alright?"
Harry nodded, amused. Hermione nodded as well, less amused.
Two took his wand out and touched the tip to the blank parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." He said quietly. Instantly, red writing began to cover the parchment.
"It's a map," One said, "The Marauder's Map. Shows everyone in the castle and on the grounds inside the wards."
"Aye," Two agreed. "Bless Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs, whoever and wherever they may be."
"Padfoot..." Hermione whispered. She looked at Harry.
"Yeah, and four of them, called themselves The Marauders, known for pranking."
Both twins had stopped what they were doing and looked at the two of them with something akin to reverence.
"You mean you know Padfoot?" One asked.
Harry nodded. "Padfoot is my Godfather, Sirius Black. My father was one as well, not sure which one. The other two are someone named Remus, and I'm assuming Peter Pettigrew was Wormtail, since that can only describe a rat."
"Augh, please don't remind us of that." One looked sickened.
Two turned the map to show Harry and Hermione the courtyard in front of the castle, where they stood. The map listed each of their names - Fred Weasley was Twin number One, George was number Two, and right next to them were little banners with 'Harry Potter' and 'Hermione Potter' written on them.
"We've known since start of term." George told them. "We've kept your secret and will continue to do so. It's safe with us."
"Congratulations on your union as well, by the by." Fred smiled. "We wrote to Dad yesterday about what a prat Ronald was being, but apparently that was too late. Sorry about that."
"Dad will probably want to set a meeting with you to make sure you aren't about to turn a lethal gaze on the Weasley clan."
"I've no quarrel with either of you, nor any of your family I've not met." Harry said. "In fact, this whole thing here could have been avoided. Some bastard implanted memories in your sister of she and I... us, doing... She thinks she's pregnant with my child, but I've never yet had sex, and was never alone with her, so that's not possible. I told Ron I thought it would be a good idea to get her to St. Mungo's to see if they can fix it. The only reason there was any duel at all was Ron called... well, he was exceedingly impolite to my wife."
"That's a surprise." Fred said flatly.
"Sorry about that. Hopefully Dad decides to do something about him." George added.
"We'll try and keep him at least civil as much as possible." Fred sighed.
"No." Hermione frowned, "It's really sweet that you'd accept responsibility for him, it shows you care, but you two have your own lives to live."
"We do appreciate the thought though." Harry added. "Also, you might want to try to catch Ron and Ginny. Her Obliviation was more sophisticated than any student could do, so if Ron takes her to the staff to try to get permission to go to the hospital..."
George folded the map up again immediately. "Mischief Managed." He told it.
"Thanks for that." Fred said as they both jogged toward the castle. "Catch you later!"
Hermione held his hand as they walked toward the castle.
"Would you think less of me if I killed him?" She asked softly, worry in her eyes.
He smiled at her. "Sink or swim, that's the way of things. The stupid die and the smart live on. A pig that attacks a Svurtr is called bacon."
She giggled at that. "That reminds me, we should get to bed early tonight. You have a date with another dragon in the morning."
"Just a meeting, not a date. Only you get dates." He pecked her cheek. "I need to ask Lammy to take those forms back to Kneescythe, and then write to Sirius. After that, I would love to cuddle you to sleep."
"That will give me enough time to shower before bed. Write quickly, I might not be able to resist cuddling for long." She pouted.
"I'll do my best, but you'll have to wait if I'm not done."
She glanced sidelong at him with a small smile. "No promises."
The afternoon was bright and chilly instead of grey and chilly as they walked from the castle to the tent pavilion on the border of the Forbidden Forest. Harry and Hermione followed Viktor, Fleur and Cedric to a large open-sided tent next to a carefully fire-proof expanse of space filled with naked rock. Several large stands had been erected on the far side of the fireproof rock pit from the pavilion, and they were full to capacity with students, Professors, dignitaries, and other people Harry couldn't identify.
There were several people milling about inside the open-sided tent, including a man with a large camera and a woman with a sheet of parchment that followed her while a floating quill scratched against it. The witch seemed to sneer politely as she asked Viktor questions, as though she were accustomed to insulting others to their faces with impunity.
"Any idea who the pinched woman with the parchment is?" He whispered to Hermione.
Hermione shook her head in reply. "Looks like a reporter though, especially if that's her cameraman." She whispered back.
Mister Ollivander entered the tent then, and shooed the reporter and her cameraman out of the tent. A Paunchy man with greased back, thinning hair, wearing a too-tight Quidditch jersey sauntered in as well.
"Great!" The jersey-clad man said expansively, "All the Champions are here!" He plastered a huge, sleazy grin onto his mug and made a beeline for Fleur. "Hi." He said smarmily. He stood far too close to her, and didn't bother to stop his eyes roaming up and down her body, undressing her as they went. His face flushed, and he started to breathe heavily. "I'm Ludo. I'm in charge of this Tournament. Welcome to Britain, beautiful."
Fleur turned a trifle green, and forced a smile onto her face. "En Francais?" She asked.
Ludo grinned ruefully and shook his head. "'Fraid I don't speak a word, luv. Sorry."
Fleur smiled genuinely at that, and in French, said "Oh thank Merlin for that. Please heave your ridiculous bulk somewhere else and stop feebly hitting on women who could be your granddaughter. I feel like your greasy hair - what's left of it - might fall on me at any moment and force me to run screaming for the showers. It's bad enough to see you desperately clinging to the faded tatters of a time when you still had dignity, I don't need your weak-minded drool staining my shoes as well."
Harry, Hermione, Viktor, and Cedric all began to laugh out loud as she finished. Ludo looked a little confused, but then started to chuckle as well without having a clue what he was laughing about.
"That's enough, Ludo. Out!" Mister Ollivander commanded. "It's time for the weighing of the wands, not the embarrassing of the officials."
Ludo reluctantly backed away and out of the tent, but never took his eyes from Fleur until he was out of sight.
"Let's start with you, Miss Delacour." Mister Ollivander said to Fleur, and then added in French "That was a trifle unkind my dear, if entirely deserved."
Fleur managed to blush slightly. "That is every day all day for me, Monsieur Ollivandeur. It is difficult to remember to be kind every time."
Mist Ollivander's face softened. "Yes, I rather imagine it is Miss Delacour." He assumed his businesslike demeanour again, and Harry saw the calculation return to his eyes. "Let's have a look at your wand, shall we?"
Fleur nodded and handed her wand to Mister Ollivander, whose eyes widened the moment he touched it.
"Rosewood!" He said with a smile, "Nine and a half inches, inflexible. With a core of..." He frowned.
"Veela hair." She supplied. "Ma Grand-mere."
Mister Ollivander examined her wand for a moment, turned it this way and that, and looked down its length.
"Rare." He said finally, "And lovely work. Thank you, Miss Delacour."
"Merci." She said as she took her wand back.
"Mister Krum?" Ollivander looked at Viktor, who casually withdrew his wand and handed it to the man.
"Hornbeam." Ollivander said as he took it. "Another rare wood. Ten and a quarter inches, quite rigid. Dragon heartstring - excuse me, Ukranian Ironbelly heartstring." Ollivander looked pointedly at Harry. Harry just smiled in return. "Gregorovitch, if I'm not mistaken. Very fine work."
Viktor nodded with a smile as he collected his wand from Ollivander. "I vas von of last to purchase from khim before khe died."
"Such a loss for us all." Mister Ollivander said sadly. "Mister Diggory, your wand next please."
Cedric handed his wand over, and Mister Ollivander didn't hesitate for a single second. "Ash, Twelve and a quarter inches, pleasantly springy. Unicorn hair." He handed it back to Cedric. "Still serving well, is it?"
"No problems yet." Cedric said with a grin.
"Excellent." Mister Ollivander smiled back to Cedric, then turned to Harry. "Which brings us to you, Mister MacFusty. An enigma from the moment I laid eyes on you. The only thing I am not surprised about regarding you is that you've somehow managed to get tangled up in this tournament."
"Huh." Harry grunted sardonically. "Minding my own business, studying like a good student, then oh no, you have to now compete in this thing you're not allowed to compete in or you'll lose your magic. The security and responsibility at Hogwarts is seriously lacking." He handed Mister Ollivander his wand.
"Yew, ten inches, Black dragon heartstring, pliable. Only a few months old, but already I sense a certain satisfaction from it. Not giving you any trouble, is it?" Ollivander blithely rolled right over Harry's sarcasm.
Harry shook his head and accepted the wand back. "No, none at all."
"Good. If you should encounter any, you know where to find me." Mister Ollivander nodded, then stood. "That's the weighing of the wands done, now I believe Mister Bagman holds the next part of today's adventure." Mister Ollivander gestured for them all to step out into the sunlight where Ludo was waiting, holding a deep green drawstrung sack that moved on its own. Whatever was inside the bag bulged and jerked.
Hermione stayed behind in the shade of the tent as Viktor, Cedric, and Fleur, and Harry walked out to meet him.
"The Champions!" Bagman bellowed. His voice had been amplified by a Sonorus spell, and he gestured to the four teens. The crowd in the stands roared and cheered and whistled. Bagman drank it all in, as though the cheering was for him.
He held the green sack out in front of him in both hands, and slowly pulled the top of the bag open. "Time to choose your dragons!" He said. "Just reach into the bag and draw forth your miniature dragon. Each one represents a real dragon that you will then contend with. Ladies first!" He held the open bag out to Fleur.
Fleur sent a worried look to Cedric, who slipped his hand into her free one as she reached into the bag.
"Number two! The Welsh Green dragon!" Bagman bellowed again as she brought out an adorable palm-sized green dragon with the number 2 painted on it's back. It prowled around her palm and belched a tiny matchflame before it curled into a ball like a cat and glared at them.
"Mister Krum?" Bagman held the bag out to him.
Krum didn't hesitate, he reached into the bag and drew out a sinuous, scarlet dragon with a number 3 painted on it that reared up on its hind legs and spat a tiny ball of flame at him.
"The Chinese Fireball!! Number three!" Bagman yelled.
Ludo offered the bag to Cedric next, and he pulled out a cute little pug-faced blue-grey dragon with the number 1 painted on it.
"Number one! Swedish Shortsnout for Champion Diggory!" Ludo shouted.
There was only one dragon left in the bag, and Ludo knew what it was, because when he offered Harry the bag, his face was filled with sympathy. Harry raised an eyebrow at him, but reached into the bag anyway. His little dragon was a spiky brown one, larger than the others, with the number 4 painted on it.
"MacFusty draws number four, The Hungarian Horntail!" Bagman yelled without waiting for Harry to show the little thing. He didn't mind though, he just wandered back to the pavilion while he smiled at the little dragon in his hand. He showed Hermione when he reached her.
"Horntails are supposedly the most dangerous of the four." She said softly. "I think it's adorable."
Harry grinned at her. "Yeah me too. I've never talked to a different tribe before, I can hardly wait. I don't think the real mother will be this cute of course."
"I wonder if Fawkes would be upset if we kept a few of these cuties in our room?" Hermione mused.
Bagman stood on the grass twenty feet toward the rocky area and addressed the crowd again with his still-amplified voice. "First up will be Champion Cedric Diggory! Your task, Champion Diggory, will be to retrieve the Golden Egg from the dragon's nest! Good luck!"
Hermione growled low in her throat.
"Yeah, I know!" Harry agreed. "It's like they're trying to get everyone killed! What the Clutch!"
"I'm afraid you have to wait in the recovery tent, Mister MacFusty." Ludo's face peeked around the side of the tent. "Alone, as well. Only Champions allowed, I'm afraid your ladyfriend will have to watch from the stands like everyone else."
Hermione growled again and glared at the spot where Bagman's head had been.
Harry stepped into her and hugged her. "I don't want to be away from you either, but like Maisie says, just look at it a different way. I don't get to watch the others, but you do. That means at least one of us will be there to keep our friends from dying."
"I don't mind if Viktor dies. He looks at me hungrily when you're not aware." She still frowned.
Harry chuckled. "I know." He kissed her head. "I also know that if he tried anything you'd erase him from the world. I'd only get a chance to kill him if you didn't. Don't get me wrong, Hermione - I'm not happy about it, but hopefully Viktor isn't as dumb as he seems and knows what will happen if he tries anything."
She smiled at him then. "The whole school knows what you did to Weasley, so maybe. I still don't like the looks though."
"Imagine how Daphne feels, she's been dealing with those looks for years, from just about every boy."
She quirked one corner of her mouth. "I hadn't thought about that, honestly. I suppose it's no wonder she wears that blank mask." She kissed him. "I'll make sure nobody dies. Stay safe, I have plans for you. Go on." She turned him by the shoulders and smacked his bum.
Harry laughed and blew her a kiss as he walked away. "See you in a bit." He smiled back at her as he left the tent.
Fleur paced back and forth in the recovery tent when he entered. Viktor sat in a chair and practiced wand movement while he tried to remain calm. The inside of the tent was lit by a lumos at the apex, so while it was dark from being closed on all sides, it wasn't so dark he couldn't see. The left side of the tent was dominated by a large bed the same as the ones in the Infirmary, and the opposite side had four chairs. The tent was large enough on the inside that Fleur still had room in the middle of it to pace a good twelve feet back and forth.
Harry walked up to Fleur and whispered to her in French. "Hermione is out there, she'll make sure nothing terrible happens to him or you or Viktor."
She looked up at him and nodded with relief on her face, but then frowned. "What about you?"
Harry smiled. "I'm not in any danger." He took a seat in one of the chairs. The sounds of dragon roars and whooshing gouts of flame reached their ears from outside.
Fleur frowned at him and sat in the chair next to him. Viktor also frowned at him and sat forward on his chair.
"Wat you mean you are not een any dangeur?" She asked.
Harry shrugged. "We're not allowed to talk about it. I'm going last, so you can just watch and see for yourself."
The crowd noise from outside the tent surged then in response to a dragon roar, and Bagman's amplified voice yelled "Ohh! Very narrow escape there!" Fleur sucked a breath in through her teeth and looked at the closed tent flap.
"He'll be alright. In a couple hours we can all sit around and laugh about it." Harry smiled reassuringly. More dragon roars sounded, followed by the deep thud of something slamming into rock.
"And he's done it!! Diggory has the egg!" Ludo yelled from outside. Madam Pomfrey entered their tent then, with an old-fashioned doctor's bag in one hand.
"Off to the side if you don't mind, they'll be bringing Mister Diggory in shortly." She said tersely. Her attitude made it perfectly clear what she thought about the entire tournament. She pulled a small table out of her bag and set it next to the recovery bed, then pulled several potion bottles out of her bag and set them up in rows on the table.
Cedric was helped into the tent by a wizard and a witch, both dressed in full suits of dragonhide. Cedric's Champion's robes were scorched black across his left shoulder, his pants were torn and blood was visible through the tear. He limped with help over to the bed and then his dragonhide-wearing helpers exited the tent without a word.
Cedric lay down on the bed and Madam Pomfrey started working on him immediately. Fleur stood at the foot of the bed to be near him without hindering his care. Pomfrey cast charms over his leg to cleanse the wound, then knit the muscle and skin back together, then handed him a blood-replenishing potion which he downed without complaint. Madam Pomfrey then turned and looked at Harry, Viktor and Fleur.
"Outside please, I'll need Mister Diggory to remove his clothing." Harry and Viktor both nodded and left the tent, but Fleur didn't accompany them. Harry could hear her talking to Madam Pomfrey, and she must have been convincing because she stayed in the tent.
Harry watched as the dragon handlers coaxed the Swedish Short-snout back toward the forest, followed closely by her egg-filled nest as it floated along behind her.
The Welsh Green was brought in a few minutes later and fastened with heavy chains and collar. Her nest gently settled to the ground, and she immediately covered it as she scanned for threats.
"The Welsh Green, witches and wizards!" Bagman's still-amplified voice rang out over the snorts and whuffs of the dragon as it settled. "Champion Delacour, if you please!"
It took a moment, but Fleur exited the tent and nodded to Harry and Viktor. "You can go back een." She said. Harry could see she trembled slightly, but tightened her grip on her wand and took a deep breath. Her jaw set, her brows dipped, and she strode forward determinedly.
Harry and Viktor entered the recovery tent again, and Cedric was - thankfully - fully clothed again, and sat in one of the chairs with a relieved grin.
Harry sat next to him and offered a hand to shake. Cedric took it with a smile.
"Congratulations." Harry said. "I'm quite interested how you managed it, but it can wait until later."
"Da. Kongratation." Viktor said. He sat on the other side of Harry and pulled his wand out to practice some more.
It was ten minutes of roaring, the rushing sound of flames, thunderous slamming, and Bagman's voice yelling inane comments. Finally, the roaring and sound of flames stopped and the crowd cheered wildly.
Fleur made it into the tent under her own power, though she also bore scorchmarks and walked gingerly, as she favored her left ankle.
Harry and Viktor stood immediately and left the tent before Madam Pomfrey could tell them to. They watched the dragon handlers soothe the dragon and take it away back to the forest, followed closely by its nest full of eggs. A different team of handlers brought a bright crimson dragon from out of the forest. It was long and sinuous and looked almost exactly like Viktor's miniature.
Harry turned to Viktor and held a hand out, and Viktor shook it. "Good luck." Harry said.
Viktor nodded tensely. "Zhank you for telling task is dragon. I khave time to train."
Harry nodded back. "I found out, so it was only fair."
Cedric poked his head out of the recovery tent then. "Safe to come back in." He said.
Fleur was seated happily in the chair Cedric had occupied when Harry entered, a satisfied smile on her face.
"Congratulations." Harry smiled at her.
"Merci." She smiled back.
The roaring and yelling started again then as Viktor began his attempt. Instead of the whooshing, rushing sound of flame gouts, there was the sound of a single sharp breath, almost like a truncated hiss, followed shortly by the low rumble of thunder.
Bagman's inane comments rang around the arena as well. Things like "Very daring!" and "Some nerve!" came out of him for just over five minutes before he declared "He's got the egg!"
Fleur reached out and put her hand on Harry's, her eyes concerned. "Are you scared?" She asked.
Harry grinned back at her. "Excited. I can't wait. You guys can come watch if you want, you're already finished."
"Well now I have to, I'm too curious." Cedric smiled at Fleur and offered a hand to help her up.
Harry exited the tent again as the handlers swarmed around the Chinese Fireball. He knew it wasn't his place to say anything, but it did hurt his heart to see the beautiful creature subjugated. Even so, it was responsible for its own fate. That was the way of things.
The Horntail brought from the forest was enormous, even larger than Mother, though not by much. She was angry and fought the handlers as they tried to wizardhandle her into place. The steel collar and chain the handlers controlled her with were also enormous. Unlike the rest of the dragons, the Horntail's nest and eggs had been floated into place before she was brought out, and once she saw it she made a beeline to defend it. A dozen of the handlers all reinforced the charm that held the chain to the naked bedrock, and then fled the area immediately.
"Champion MacFusty!" Ludo called as soon as the handlers were clear.
Harry walked up to the edge of the rocky space and stayed there. He scanned the crowd, and waved to Hermione as soon as he spotted her. She sat with Luna, Neville, Daphne, and a few of the younger Gryffindors in the Slytherin stands. Hermione, Luna, and Neville all waved back with a smile. Luna and Neville looked quite nervous, apparently Hermione hadn't told them he was just going to have a chat.
The Horntail, finally settled on her nest, breathed on the nearby rocks to provide warmth for her eggs. Harry took one step onto the bare rock and stayed there, as he knew that would be enough.
The Horntail's head snapped up to look at him. "Stay away from my nest, pinkskin!" She growled at him. She had a bit of an accent, not unlike Viktor's, but otherwise he understood her perfectly. A wide smile spread across his face and he bowed his head low.
"Greetings, Great Mother!" He hissed.
The Horntail roared in surprise and backed up a step. "It speaks!" She roared incredulously, "The pinkskin speaks!"
He supposed it was rather like having a sudden conversation with a kneazle.
"I am unlike the other pinkskins, Great Mother." He remained bowed low, it was rude to rise without first being recognized. "I am Hidden Colours of the Svurtr. I am a pinkskin, but I was raised Svurtr." He deliberately didn't mention Mother's name in case the Horntail took his being raised as a dragon poorly.
"Impossible!" She roared, "Speech cannot be taught!"
It couldn't? Harry filed that away for later study.
"I bear the blood of the Svurtr." He said. Would that make a difference?
"Ah, you are a Twiceborn then. I have only heard tales of such a thing. Rise, child of Svurtr. Langelet of the Sarkany greets you."
Harry stood then with a smile. "Thank you, Mother Langelet. It is an honour and a privilege to meet and speak with you."
Langelet actually laughed at that. She shook her neck and let out small whuffs of flame from her nostrils. "You are raised by the Svurtr, and they remember the old forms! My compliments to your Mother, Hidden Colours."
"She will be thrilled at your compliment, Mother Langelet. I visit her often. Tell me, are there any Svurtr in the Padurea Hoia?"
Langelet nodded. "There are a few. Not so many as the other tribes, but some. I am surprised you know of it."
"The pinkskins hoard information like the Svurtr hoard sleeping metal. They know a vast amount about almost everything, and understand only pieces of it. They are strange things."
Langelet laughed again. "You have the Svurtr gift for understatement!" She sat back and looked down at her nest full of eggs, then back at him. "A tell for a tell, Hidden Colours - Is my clutch in danger here?"
Harry shook his head. "Not if you remain vigilant. There are some pinkskins who would steal your eggs, but not when you are near them. Are you aware of the reason for you and your nest being here?"
Langelet shook her head.
"This is a contest for the pinkskins. We are meant to test our cunning and magic by pulling the false egg from your nest while you guard it."
"It is not very cunning to inform me of your plan, Hidden Colours. Why should I not burn you now then?"
Harry laughed. "Mother Langelet, my cunning is already proven." He waved his arm at the stands, "None of them know that I Speak, except my Mate."
Langelet laughed again as well. "And they expect you to risk your life against me! Cunning indeed! Which one is your Mate? She must be proud of you."
"I do my best to make her so." Harry approached Langelet - but not too close - so that she could smell him. He pointed to Hermione in the Slytherin stands and waved to her again. Langelet took a deep breath with her snout near Harry, and the crowd in the stands gasped. She shook her head then and blew a small gout of flame from her nostrils into the air.
"You smell like a pinkskin." She said.
"I am a pinkskin as well as one of the Svurtr, Mother Langelet. It can't be helped."
She looked down at him with her nose close enough to shove him, and he raised his shoulders, palms upward.
"No, I suppose not." She conceded. She swung her head toward the crowd and took another deep breath, and caught his scent on Hermione immediately, then looked straight at her, raised her foreclaw and waved.
Hermione's face split into a huge grin and she waved back enthusiastically. Most of the heads in the stands turned to look at her.
"Would you allow us to visit you in the forest later?" Harry asked, "When all this pinkskin nonsense is over? My Mate would love to meet you."
"She can Speak as well?" Langelet turned to look at him.
"She can. She does not yet know the Forms, however, so I will apologize for her rudeness now. We have only just found each other, and she was raised as a Pinkskin."
Langelet cocked her head at him. "You are the most curious thing I have ever seen, Hidden Colours. I would enjoy speaking with you more."
Harry bowed again briefly. "Thank you, Mother Langelet. My Mate will be thrilled."
"It is my surprise and pleasure to speak politely in a strange and dangerous place." She lowered her head to her nest and took a sniff, then plucked the golden egg out of her nest between two talons. "This is the thing you are tasked with retrieving?" She asked, "It smells of the sea." She said, as she held it out to him.
Harry took it from her claw and bowed again. "I thank you, Mother Langelet, for your gracious conversation. I look forward to continuing our talk later."
"Watch out for the Yulong when you visit. She is very distraught at losing two of her eggs."
"We will. Until we meet again, Mother Langelet."
Langelet simply bowed her head for a second, and Harry walked out of the testing area.
"Uh, He's... He's got the egg... I guess." Bagman's extremely loud, disappointed voice echoed through the silence.