Duelling
A/N
Another one for you all here.
As announced in the last chapter, I will be hosting a well-known author of this particular ship in the coming days on first podcast. I am pleased to announce that it will be none other than the amazing, Darkness Enthroned!
As such, there will be a part of the show dedicated to some questions from you guys, so, if you have any for myself or my guest, just drop me an inbox message on here or on the public post on my pat re0n page. Check the page out either way. There's lots of stuff going on over there!
Anyway, enjoy this. The Yule Ball is up next.
TBR
This chapter is dedicated to Cullen Mills, another of my much appreciated higher tier supporters x
Harry found himself seated at the Ravenclaw table amongst the rest of the students from Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons spread throughout the hall in anticipation of an announcement his presence had been requested for. Excited whispering could be heard as those around him speculated just what announcement would be made, though Harry was certain it merely pertained to the duelling competition that had been announced the night the other schools had arrived, something that had seemingly been forgotten by most with the tournament being the sole focus.
Harry had not forgotten and was relishing the opportunity to put his skills to the test against the students from each of the three schools. This was something he would relish and was much more confident in than participating in the tasks. Though he had put in a good showing in the first, and even led in the standings, duelling is where he felt his confidence rocket. It was unlikely that anyone in the room had invested so much into the practice as him and none likely as skilled with a wand.
He was aware that he would sound arrogant were he to voice is thoughts, but he was merely being honest. Since he had entered the magical world, much of his time had been dedicated to the art of combat. It was undoubtedly the one thing he would need in the future were he to survive what was coming for him, and this would be his first true test.
For the time being, he wanted the distraction from the tournament also. It had been a week since he had managed to retrieve his egg from the dragon and the golden construct was giving him a headache, both physically and mentally. The first time he had opened it and had become subject to the wailing had been unpleasant, and it was a sound he didn't think he would ever get used to.
Tom had found the whole thing amusing, much to his irritation and had thus far refused to help him with the clue. He had merely expressed his confidence in Harry's ability to solve it of his own accord but promised to step in if necessary.
To his chagrin, Tom had remained steadfast in his belief and had offered no assistance. It was frustrating, but Harry did understand. He needed to be able to use his own analytical skills and couldn't always rely on his other self to do the work for him.
"What do you think this is all about?" the voice of Terry broke into his thoughts.
"Probably the duelling," Harry answered.
Terry nodded thoughtfully.
"If I thought I stood a chance, I might have given it a go. It can't hurt to see where I need to improve on in my wand subjects."
"Then enter," Harry urged.
Terry snorted amusedly.
"I'd rather not get my arse kicked by you in front of everyone. If the Weasley's are running a bet, my money will be on you," he added supportively.
Harry shook his head.
"Come off it, Boot. Just because you might not win doesn't mean you shouldn't try. I've seen how good you are with some of your stuff. I think you'll surprise yourself."
Terry smiled at the rare compliment paid to him from the other boy.
"Alright, I think I will. Just, don't kill me if I end up facing you," he chuckled.
Harry grinned.
"Out of all the people I've met here in the past four years, you're the one I want to hurt the least, Terry."
"Thanks, I think," Terry replied, frowning slightly, though he smiled all the same. That was as close to getting Harry to admit he liked him somewhat he would likely ever get. "Ae you going for it?"
"I am," Harry confirmed. "There's a few people here I wouldn't mind getting the chance to have a crack at."
"I hope you get Malfoy," Terry muttered. "He's always been a git but he's even worse this year. He put Granger in the Hospital Wing a few weeks ago."
Harry frowned. He'd had little to do with the blonde since they had met on the train during their first ride to the school.
"Why?"
Terry shrugged.
"He's always spouting about pureblood supremacy. He said she needed to learn her place and cursed her in the dungeons. He's always picking on the muggleborns, Harry, calling them mudbloods. Even the first years aren't safe from him."
Harry hated that word. Ever since he had heard it from Walburga Black, it never failed to provoke his ire.
"Why aren't any of the teachers doing anything about it?"
"His father is a school governor and probably got the rest of them in his pocket. He could make life pretty difficult for teachers here if he wanted to."
Harry hummed in displeasure.
"Then let's hope he come up against me. I'll show him what someone with a mudblood mother can do," he ground out.
"Bloody hell, I shouldn't have said anything," Terry muttered seeing the glint of anger in Harry's eyes.
"No, Terry, you should have said something to me before," Harry corrected. "I hate bigots. They are the reason that Voldemort gained so much power and why my parents ended up dead."
"Just don't kill him," Terry sighed, "he's a git but mostly all talk."
"I won't kill him," Harry huffed. "Bloody hell, Terry, I'm not some deranged killer."
"I know," Terry chuckled but I bet you could if you wanted to.
"It's not difficult with a wand," Harry agreed as Dumbledore stood at the front of the room and gestured for silence with the raising of his arms.
"Good evening. Before we enjoy some of the splendid food on offer here at Hogwarts, I have a couple of announcements to make," he began. "Firstly, is the commencement of the duelling competition that will run throughout the course of the remainder of the year. Those who wish to compete will need to add their name to this piece of parchment that will be up for the duration of this evening. This is for students fourth year and above only."
Groans of disappointment could be heard by those in their younger years and Dumbledore waited for the sound to subside before continuing.
"I must further recommend that those that intend to enter, do so knowing that duelling can be quite the dangerous undertaking, and though there are rules in place, the risk of injury is high."
He allowed another pause for the ensuing murmuring to pass.
"The next announcement pertains to the Yule Ball that has stood as a tradition of the tournament since it was first introduced. Again, this is only for students fourth year and above. Champions will be expected to attend and open the ball with their chosen partner in a dance."
Harry's head fell against the table in dismay.
"Hard luck, mate," Terry offered, amused by his newfound plight.
"This will take place on Christmas evening within the hall. If there are any volunteers to assist with the decorating, please speak to Professor Flitwick."
The man took his seat once more, his eyes twinkling merrily as the students lost themselves in the excitement of the two events.
"Bollocks," Harry groaned.
He would sooner face off with the dragon again without his wand than have to go to the ball, let alone find a date.
"Who are you going to take?" Terry asked.
"I'm not going. If they want to disqualify me, then good. I'm not making a fool of myself in front of anyone."
"Come off it. The girls here will be queuing up to go with you," Terry retorted.
If the looks he was receiving from some were anything to go by, Terry was onto something. Still, he would not be attending. He could think of nothing worse.
"Shut up, Terry," he mumbled, his eyes firmly fixed on the table to avoid the staring.
" You should really consider going," Tom broke in. "You can't avoid these situations forever, Harry."
"Bugger off."
"I didn't say anything else," Terry huffed.
"It was coming," Harry returned, covering his slip up. "Anyway, I've lost my appetite. I'm going to sign up for the duelling and get out of here."
The sound of Terry laughing followed him as he left the Ravenclaw table and headed towards the front of the hall. Already there was a plethora of students from each of the schools signing the parchment to enter themselves.
"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore greeted him merrily. "I see that you too are submitting yourself for out other competition."
"If I had my way, it would be the only one I am competing," he replied honestly.
Dumbledore nodded his understanding.
"You have done very well so far, much better than most were expecting."
Harry shrugged. He didn't care what about what anyone expected from him.
"Are you looking forward to the ball?"
Harry snorted derisively.
"I'm not going," he answered simply causing the old man to frown.
"The ball is tradition, Harry…"
"As is there only being three champions competing, but here we are. Tradition has gone out of the window with this tournament, so why not continue doing so?" he questioned as he added his name to the exhaustive list of prospective duellists.
Dumbledore sighed.
"I do hope you will change your mind. It would be a shame for you to miss out on a once in a lifetime event like this."
With his disappointment voiced, the headmaster took his leave and Harry followed suit, ignoring the stares of those following him.
Reaching the door to the Great Hall, he turned as he heard a commotion and shook his head irritably.
(BREAK)
" I would think you would be happy about a ball. You have one at your home every year," Marie said, spotting the frown the adorned Fleur's features.
" That is different. When I am at home, my mother chooses the guests and I am not forced to dance with anybody."
" You're worried about finding a date," Fae stated.
" I do not want to date anyone here," Fleur muttered, doing her best to ignore the lecherous looks from many of the boys in the room, "and they do not want to date me. They want a veela on their arms."
" Then don't go with anyone," Fae suggested.
" I will look silly if I am alone. If I wasn't a champion, it wouldn't matter."
" It's a no-win situation," Marie agreed.
Fleur released a deep sigh as she shook her head. For now, she would forget the ball and sign up for the duelling tournament. She left the table to do just that when she felt a hand close around her wrist.
"I'll take you to the ball," Roger Davies offered with a waggle of his eyebrows.
Fleur snorted in disgust as she ripped her arm from his grip.
"I would sooner go with one of the dragons from the first task than with a pig like you," she replied haughtily.
Those around them laughed at the remark and Davies flushed with anger as he snorted.
"Like I would really take a whore like you," he spat. "I am worth more than one of your lot."
A collective breath was taken by those close by as they waited to see how she would react.
Fleur recoiled as though she had been slapped before she felt her own anger flare. She was about to offer a rebuttal when she was cut off by a cold, familiar voice.
"You just don't learn, do you, Davies? I always knew you were a shit but to disrespect a guest like that is something I didn't think even you would do. Does your mother know how you speak to females? Then again, she raised you with your sloppy manners."
"Don't you dare mention my mother," Davies seethed as he stood.
"Do something about it then," Harry urged, "and if Philpott moves any closer to his wand, you'll both be spending a lot of time in the hospital wing."
Davies' lackey froze and looked towards the other boy questioningly who shook his head.
"Now, apologise," Harry instructed.
Roger glared at him and then Fleur.
"Sorry," he forced out.
Harry nodded and turned to leave. A scream sounded a few seconds later. springing him into action. He dodged the spell sent his way and returned fire. Roger caught his rebuttal full in the chest and was sent skidding along the top of the table, taking plates, food and cutlery with him. He was deposited on to the floor with a thump as Harry stalked towards him.
"POTTER! That is enough," Professor Snape demanded, approaching the scene with a look of irritation. "What is going on?"
"Davies tried to curse me in the back, and he missed. I didn't," Harry responded. "He's lucky I only returned a Bludgeoning Curse and not something a little more permanent."
Snape ignored the implied threat of further action.
"You two, get him to the hospital wing and that will be twenty points from Ravenclaw for using magic in the Great Hall. If it happens again, you will serve detention for a month with me. Is that understood?"
Philpott and another boy pulled Roger to his feet as he wheezed and began leading him from the room.
"Understood, Professor," Harry returned.
Snape nodded before walking away and Harry turned to do the same. He reached the entrance hall when an irritated voice halted his steps.
"I can take care of myself, 'Arry. I do not need you to fight my battles."
"I never said you couldn't," Harry replied. "I didn't do what I did in there for you, it was so that the rest of my house stays in line. If people like Davies aren't dealt with, they all decide to get brave and people like Luna suffer. As I said to you before, not everything is about you, Miss Delacour."
Fleur growled as he walked away, strangely annoyed by his reasoning for stepping in. She deflated a moment later and headed back towards the carriage. She shouldn't have taken her anger out on him, and now she felt guilty. Even if he had stuck up for her, why would that be a problem? It's not like he hadn't done it before.
Then again, no one had ever stuck up for her anyway, so she didn't know how to take it. Throughout her school life, she had dealt with boys like Roger Davies and there had been none to dissuade them from accosting her or being abhorrently rude when she declined their advances.
" That was rude, don't you think?" Fae questioned as she caught up to her. "You always moan that you are alone, and he has been nothing but nice to you since we got here. Even when he didn't know you at all, he stopped them all perving on you."
" I know," Fleur sighed. "I will apologise when I see him."
" You should. He's quite grumpy but he's the only one here and at our school that doesn't drool all over you. You always say how nice he is to you."
" I do not," Fleur denied.
Fae laughed.
" He's the only person here other than us that you have spoken to. You speak about him more than you think. It's understandable," she continued, "you don't have many friends and he can deal with your magic."
Fleur nodded.
" I always knew it would be hard to make friends. I didn't expect to meet anyone who could handle the allure or be mature enough to understand I'm not trying to steal their boyfriend until I was older, but I'm not some damsel that needs rescuing."
" We know that," Fae chuckled.
Fleur sighed.
" I will apologise. I didn't give him a chance to explain. I got angry and assumed the worst. He said it wasn't about me but school politics why he did it."
Fae smiled encouragingly.
" Did you see how fast he was. I thought for sure he was going down. If it wasn't for you screaming, he might not have even known before it was too late."
" I did not scream," Fleur denied. "Did I?"
Fae nodded and Fleur frowned.
She didn't remember screaming but it was a good thing she had. Harry had reacted quickly, but would he have managed to without it? She couldn't be certain, but again noted how adept his wand work was. He had not uttered a single syllable as he took down the older boy.
(BREAK)
"Ah, Severus, thank you for joining me," Dumbledore greeted as the potions master entered his office. "Sherbet Lemon?"
Snape shook his head as he took a seat. He had never accepted one of the ghastly sweets and never would. That didn't deter the old man from asking, however.
"I can only assume that you asking me here means you have something important to discuss?"
"Indeed." Dumbledore confirmed with a nod. "I wanted to discuss the incident in the Great Hall today between Mr Davies and Mr Potter."
Snape shook his head. Potter had been foolish to confront the boy there.
"It appears that Mr Davies was rather rude to the Beauxbatons champion and Mr Potter took exception to it. It was nothing more than house politics, headmaster. Davies mad a poor showing, and Potter dealt with it. Not in the best way, mind."
"No, he did not," Dumbledore agreed. "He is beginning to show some rather concerning traits."
"We have had this conversation several times, headmaster," Snape interjected before the man could go off on a tangent. "Potter is not like him. They share many similarities but none of the worrying ones. Potter does not take pleasure in the pain and humiliation of others, but he is very much like his mother. He tends to stand up for what he believes is right. He does not seek power, nor does he exert his will over others."
"It is hard for me not to compare Harry to him when he walked these halls. Alone, powerful, both orphans and exceedingly gifted. I suppose I fear that Harry could perhaps become him."
"I do not share that fear," Snape replied. "He has his moments of brashness, but he has proven you wrong on several occasions. He is but a boy that has suffered and does what he can to ensure it no longer happens to him or any other."
"Then he is very much like yourself in that regard, Severus."
Snape's lip curled in distaste at being compared to anyone with the name Potter.
"If that is all, headmaster, I must take my leave. I have potions that need tending to."
Dumbledore offered the man a tilt of his head.
"And what of Alastor? Have you noticed anything odd about him?"
"Moody is and always has been a paranoid lunatic. Perhaps it has only increased in his later years."
Dumbledore nodded uncertainly. Admittedly, he had not seen Alastor much over the past decade, but they had been close once. It just seemed that he had become more paranoid than he remembered. Understandable really. He had experienced and endured much during his career as an auror.
"Thank you, Severus," he offered.
The potions master took his leave as the mystery of who entered Harry into the tournament plagued him. It wasn't a matter of who, but how and why. Someone had breached the security of the school to go through the trouble of putting his name in the goblet when they could simply have waited to ambush him. No. There was a specific reason he was wanted in the tournament and the headmaster was determined to find out exactly what that was.
(BREAK)
On the day the duelling tournament was due to begin, the students and staff of each school had been gathered within the Quidditch stadium, the only place large enough to house the duels themselves and the crowd that would undoubtedly wish to spectate the proceedings.
Harry sat amongst his housemates in the stand that had been allocated to them waiting for Dumbledore to address them and explain how the format of the competition would work. From what he had heard over the past week since he had signed up, it had proven to be very popular, with many eligible people putting parchment to quill to be included.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," Dumbledore greeted in an amplified voice, "TODAY WE BEGIN THE PROCESS OF NARROWING DOWN ALL THOSE WISHING TO COMPETE IN THE DUELLING COMPETITION. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ENTRANTS, THUS THE FORMAT WILL BE AS FOLLOWS. EACH COMPETITOR WILL DUEL TWICE OVER THE COMING DAYS WITH AN OPPONENT SELECTED AT RANDOM. THOSE THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL WILL BE PLACED IN GROUPS OF FOUR. YOU WILL DUEL EACH PERSON IN THAT GROUP ONCE. YOU WILL BE GIVEN THREE POINTS FOR A VICTORY, ONE FOR A DRAW AND NO POINTS FOR A LOSS. WHEN THE FIRST GROUP STAGE IS COMPLETE, THE TOP TWO FROM EACH WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STAGE UNTIL WE REACH THE QUARTER FINALS. FROM THERE, EACH SINGLE DUEL WILL DETERMINE WHO MOVES ON AND WHO IS ELIMINATED. THE DUELS WILL CONSIST OF ONE ROUND AND BE OFFICIATED BY MYSELF, MADAME MAXIME, PROFESSOR'S KARKAROFF, FLITWICK AND SNAPE. IN THE INTEREST OF FAIRNESS, TWO REFEREES WILL BE PRESENT FOR EACH DUEL. THE RULES ARE SIMPLE. THERE WILL BE NO IMMEDIATELY FATAL CURSES PERMITTED, THAT INCLUDES CUTTING CURSES AIMED TOWARDS THE CHEST OR HEAD AND NECK. ANY OTHER SPELLS DEEMED UNSEEMLY WILL SEE YOU IMMEDIATELY DISQUALIFIED."
Many of the Durmstrang students did not seem happy about that, but none voiced their thoughts.
"EACH STUDENT WILL BE SUBJECT TO TESTING FOR ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES, SO NO POTIONS THAT WILL GIVE YOU AN EDGE ARE PERMITTED. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?"
When no one spoke, he removed the sorting hat from within his robes.
"EACH NAME WILL DRAWN FROM THE HAT. ALTHOUGH YOU ARE REPRESENTING YOUR SCHOOL, THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION. YOU MAY FACE ONE OF YOUR PEERS OR SOMEONE YOU HAVE NEVER SPOKEN TO BEFORE. LET US KEEP IT IN THE INTENDED SPIRIT OF BUILDING LASTING AND POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OURSELVES. WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, THE FIRST NAME PLEASE."
A piece of parchment was ejected by the hat and Dumbledore snatched it from the air nimbly.
"OUR FIRST COMPETITOR IS BLAISE ZABINI OF HOGWARTS."
Slytherin house erupted in cheers for their housemate as he left the stands to take up his place on one of the five platforms.
"HE WILL BE TAKING ON GEORGE WEASLEY, ALSO OF HOGWARTS."
This time, the house of the lions cheered for one of their own, their sound drowning out the jeering snakes on the opposite side of the stadium.
"NEXT, VIKTOR KRUM OF DURMSTRANG."
Much of the stadium cheered and applauded the Quidditch star as he slouched towards the platform.
"MR KRUM WILL BE TAKING ON SUSAN BONES OF HOGWARTS."
A red-faced Susan took up her position opposite the older and likely more experienced Bulgarian.
"MISS ANGELINA JOHNSON OF HOGWARTS WILL FACE OF WITH… LARS UHLRICH OF DURMSTRANG."
"It could take a while before we get a duel," Terry muttered.
Harry nodded his agreement. Were he not so keen to participate, he would forget the whole thing and be in his room working on his magic. However, he would not miss this opportunity, nor the chance to watch any of his potential opponents.
Over the period of a few hours, only a couple of people had caught his eye for their ability in the art. One of Fleur's friends had been very good with Transfiguration and had caught a Durmstrang student off guard with apparent ease and a student from the latter school seemed to be rather competent with borderline curses. Harry would watch him closely.
"NEXT UP, MISS FLEUR DELACOUR OF BEAUXBATONS WILL TAKE ON…THEODORE NOTT OF HOGWARTS."
"This one will be interesting," Terry mused aloud. "The Notts are well-known for their duelling prowess."
Harry leaned forward interestedly. He had never spoken to the boy, but he always seemed to be rather quiet and observant.
" If he has been trained by his father, he will be a difficult opponent to defeat."
(BREAK)
Fleur took her place on one side of the duelling platform and waited for Igor Karkaroff to start the bout. The man was truly repugnant, from his suspicious eyes to his stained teeth; rotten to the core.
"BEGIN," he commanded.
She found herself shielding from an immediate onslaught from the Hogwarts boy trimmed in green. His wand work was efficient, and his spells flowed together seamlessly, but he was slow, his casting textbook and deliberate. Against less experienced people than her, he may pose a threat, but she was no slouch. She had been learning this craft since the day her wand was placed in her hands, her father had insisted on her being able to look after herself.
The curses he used were questionable at best, but a look from Karkaroff told her he had no intention of intervening. Were she to be injured, what did he care? It would just mean his champion would be in a better position to win the tournament.
Looking for an opening or pattern she could exploit, she maintained her shield, something she was loath to do. Shielding was never the best option in a duel, not when one could dodge.
Taking the initiative, she dropped her defence and turned elegantly to avoid the next spell before returning fire with a chain of her own.
Nott did well to avoid the first two and shield the third, the fourth, however, shattered his construct and caught him on the arm, eliciting a yelp of discomfort as it lacerated the flesh deeply.
The boy was undeterred and responded instantly needing Fleur to spin away from whatever curse had been sent her way.
With a growl, she sent a stunning spell at the boy followed immediately by a banishing charm. He shielded the first as expected but the second broke through and sent him sprawling across the platform. Continuing her attack, she transfigured his end of the platform into a giant pair of jaws that engulfed boy where he had landed.
Releasing a breath of relief, she waited for Karkaroff to call and end to the duel, but before he could, the wooden jaws exploded outwards to reveal an irate Theodore Nott. Thinking quickly, he banished several slithers of wood towards her and she was forced to throw herself to the ground to avoid them.
Pushing herself back to her feet and avoiding an acid-green spell sent her way, she began firing several charms and hexes at the boy so that he had no choice but to shield. This was where his inexperience showed. Instead of finding a way to improve his position, he remained content to wait out the storm, likely assuming she would tire.
Fleur, however, was full of energy and knew just how to handle a situation such as this. In amongst her chains, she fired a shield breaker, useful for low level creations like the one she faced and added a disarming charm for good measure.
Her efforts paid off and his shield was destroyed by her spell and he was sent careening off the end of the broken platform, bereft of his wand.
"WINNER, DELACOUR," Karkaroff announced reluctantly.
Nott stood and retrieved his wand, offering her a respectful bow as he did so.
Fleur released a deep breath. At the age of fourteen, he was very good and would likely be an excellent duellist when he was older and had more practiced. He had performed well and should certainly be proud of taking her as far as he did.
With her first contest over, she stepped from the platform and returned to where the rest of the Beauxbatons delegation were seated and offering her a round of polite applause.
(BREAK)
"Not bad," Harry praised, having enjoyed the fight both had put up. They were good. Nott had a lot of potential and Fleur had been reticent in her attack. She could have ended it sooner had she paid more attention to the finer details of combat. Nott tended to over-exert himself with his casting, his movements in body and wand more exaggerated than necessary. A well-versed combatant would have recognised it immediately and forced a mistake. Why Fleur hadn't, he didn't know.
"NEXT UP, IS DRACO MALFOY OF HOGWARTS," Karkaroff announced. "HE WILL BE FACING SEAMUS FINNEGAN OF HOGWARTS."
"Finnegan will lose," Terry sighed. "Why couldn't Malfoy get someone that would bury the idiot."
"You really do dislike him," Harry chuckled.
"It's hard to find anything decent about him," Terry replied with a shrug.
Terry was proven right only a few moments later when the Gryffindor was hit with a curse that made him vomit blood, another borderline but not illegal spell.
"TERRY BOOT OF HOGWARTS," Karkaroff called.
"Good luck," Harry offered as Terry approached his spot.
"GREGORY GOYLE OF HOGWARTS."
Harry again watched in interest as Terry took on the much wider boy, not the best physical trait to possess when duelling.
" I would not expect much from Goyle," Tom broke in. "If the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree, of course."
The contest lasted less than thirty seconds with the Slytherin being felled by a tripping jinx and bound by conjured ropes, likely bringing an end to his run in the competition.
"Well done, Terry, you successfully defeated a troll," Harry chuckled when the boy returned.
Terry shrugged.
"I'm not going to complain about getting an easier start than most."
"No, I wouldn't either."
Several more rounds of duels took place with very few people piquing his curiosity. What was on display consisted mostly of the simplest of spells and most basic of duelling techniques. What did become apparent, however, was that those of Durmstrang were considerably more advanced than their counterparts. Every student from the school had won their duels with little difficulty and would be the ones likely to advance the furthest.
It mattered not to Harry. He had every intention of winning regardless who he was pitted against.
"ALEXEI VOLKOV OF DURMSTRANG," Madame Maxime called. "HE WILL FACE OFF WITH 'ARRY POTTER OF 'OGWARTS."
"I won't even wish you luck," Terry snorted.
Harry ignored the remark and stepped up onto the platform. His opponent was much larger than he, his most prominent feature being the thick eyebrow that rest on his head like a slug on a slab of pavement.
" There is no need for pomp, Harry. Finish him quickly and be done with it."
Harry nodded as he took his stance, the other boy staring at him almost carelessly; his first mistake. His wand hung limply by his side as a gesture of his cockiness; mistake number two. However, when the command was given to begin, he sprung into action and fired a blood boiling curse towards Harry, who batted it aside his eyes narrowing. That was a dangerous piece of magic to throw around and he acknowledged it with a nod of his head before returning with one of his own.
His cursed splashed harmlessly against a hastily conjured shield and Volkov offered a rebuttal in the form of a bone splintering curse and a tendon shredder aimed at his knee.
Again, Harry flicked them aside, eliciting a deep frown from his opponent who lost much of what little composure he'd demonstrated thus far. With a growl, he sent forth a dangerous combination; a concussion hex and a skull crusher that rung out like a gong against Harry's shield.
"WARNING, VOLKOV," Maxime announced, unhappy with his choice of spells.
Harry's nostrils flared as the boy leered, his sporting nature all but gone after the latest offering.
He fired two spells into the air whilst avoiding a pain curse and whipped his wand in an upwards motion. The platform between groaned as it split down the middle and formed into a pair of serpents that lunged for the Durmstrang boy who quickly conjured a wall off black fire to block their path.
With a smirk tugging at his lips, Harry began to countdown in his mind as his snakes were reduced to ash and Volkov sent a desperate response, his clothing and hair singed from his own flame.
As the spell left his wand, Harry fired off his own; a black ball of energy that, to the surprise of the crowd and boy he faced, opened up in the shape of a reptilian more and engulfed Volkov's effort before smashing into the chest of the gaping boy.
He staggered backwards, his eyes wide and skin pale before a black ooze began leaking from his mouth. Knowing that his count was near an end, Harry fired one last spell which met no resistance. That did not surprise home considering it was not a spell as such, but an intention of magic that showed no sign of anything being cast.
Volkov appeared to be confused for a few seconds before he was seemingly seized from behind and pulled violently from the platform just in time to avoid the spells Harry had sent into the air. An ominous whistling was all the warning those within the stadium received before the platform where the boy had stood detonated under the spells that rained upon it.
Volkov coughed, his eyes wide with fear as he looked at the composed figure of Harry Potter who merely offered him a nod as he left his unblemished part of the wooden construct.
"WINNER, POTTER," Maxime declared, eying the boy warily.
Not a sound could be heard within the stadium as Harry took his seat, the crowd in awe as they looked upon the devastation he had wrought.
"Is it too early to quit?" Terry questioned. "Bloody hell, what was that."
"A warning," Harry replied coldly, "to anyone that is thinking about using lethal spells against me again."
"Yeah, I think we got that," Terry muttered, watching the smoke rise from what remained of the section of platform. "Hey, if by some horrible chance I end up facing you next, don't kill me."
Harry chuckled.
"You'd be near the bottom of my list of people to kill, Boot. There's a lot more before you."
"I don't know if I should be relieved or not. Why would I be on that list anyway?"
"Because it is annoying how little you annoy me," Harry quipped. "You should take that as a compliment."
"If that's a compliment, I don't want to be insulted."
Harry snorted as he shook his head.
Terry was one of the very few tolerable people he had ever come across, likeable even. He got on as well with him as he had with the French champion, though that budding association had seemingly come to an end.
Why she had taken his dealing with Davies so personally, he did not know, nor did he care. The girl could be quite self-absorbed from what he had seen, which didn't bother him as he was very much the same. What did bother him was how she assumed he had done it for her, which he partly had, but that wasn't the point.
He certainly wouldn't be involving himself with her problems anymore.
(BREAK)
" Did you see that?" Marie asked, her eyes wide in shock.
Fleur nodded as Fae groaned.
" Well, there goes any chance I have at winning."
" Don't be silly," Fleur huffed, "You could still win."
Fae raised an eyebrow at her cousin.
" He was barely trying, and he still demolished him. What kind of magic was that? It ate his spell!"
Fleur frowned, wondering how someone so young could have so much skill with a wand. Yes, some of what he did were things she'd never seen. That happened in most duels, but it was the ease with how effortlessly he defended himself. Batting spells aside in such a way was a very advanced duelling technique, one that took years to perfect. She herself had only just started practicing it and Harry made it look easy.
" It's only one duel," she pointed out. "The other boy was too sure of himself."
Both Fae and Marie looked at her uncertainly.
" Then I hope you get to face him instead of me," the former declared.
Fleur shrugged. She had no problem facing off against the younger boy. She could defeat him and then apologise for how she had snapped at him. If they were selected to face one another in the next round. Or, she would simply swallow her pride and apologise first and then defeat him.
It mattered not either way.
(BREAK)
" I told you not to disturb me unless it was a matter of urgency."
" I understand, my lord, and would not unless I felt it so. I have been watching him, my lord. He could prove to be difficult."
" Then change your plans as necessary. He must be present."
" Yes, my lord. I will make the needed adjustments."
" Remember, Dumbledore must not become aware of your presence. Our efforts will be for nothing should he."
" Of course, my lord. He does not suspect me. What would you have me do with Karkaroff?"
" Karkaroff is of no consequence. His time will come. Now leave. You risk much by being here."
Harry awoke in a cold sweat and panting.
"What the hell was that?"
It had been a dream, of that he was certain, but it felt much more real than most others. It was as though he was looking through the eyes of one of the conversing men.
" I believe that was Voldemort, Harry," Tom answered. "My presence seems to have forged a connection between the two of you."
"How is this the first time it has happened?"
" He is becoming stronger. For this connection to exist, he must have acquired a body of sorts. It was not something I had considered, though it makes sense. I was once a part of him, and I suppose still am in a way. Fear not, Harry. I can keep the connection closed this end."
Harry nodded gratefully. He had no desire to share anything with the man. If he could see him then it was likely the connection could be reversed.
" I will not allow that to happen, but we must be very careful. It is now clear that an enemy remains within these walls. You must be vigilant."
Harry released a deep breath. If he were to bet any number of galleons on it, he would have picked Karkaroff. It turns out that Voldemort was as unforgiving as Tom believed and the High-Master too was on a list that none would wish to find themselves on.
(BREAK)
He watched as Fleur put down Cassius Warrington in a much more urgent fashion than she had with Nott the previous day, any reticence she had shown in that duel all but absent in this. Warrington could not even leave the platform of his own volition, needing three of his housemates to levitate him due to a broken leg and arm at the very least.
"She was viscous this time," Terry commented as he clapped appreciatively.
Harry nodded. The French champion was certainly more capable than he believed. She proved to pose much more of a threat than anyone else he had seen.
He caught her eye as she passed by and flicked her long hair over her shoulder almost challengingly.
He grinned at the gesture and offered a respectful nod. If she was going to try and outdo him, it was his turn to respond.
"TERRY BOOT OF HOGWARTS," Karkaroff announced, "WILL FACE MARIE DUPONT OF LECLERC OF BEAUXBATONS."
Seeing Fleur give her friend some last-minute advice and grinning smugly at him, Harry held Terry back and whispered in his ear.
"Really?" the boy asked when he was done. "Just like that?"
Harry nodded.
"Trust me."
Terry frowned but nodded and Harry returned the grin towards the silver-haired girl who narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"BEGIN," Karkaroff instructed in a bored tone.
Marie started off by launching two bludgeoners, one high and one low towards the Ravenclaw. In a surprising show of athleticism, Terry dived between the two whilst transfiguring the platform below her feet into a simple rug. The distraction worked as planned and Marie looked down in confusion.
Seizing the opportunity, Terry cast a summoning charm that ripped the fabric from beneath her feet and sent her flying and landing backside first on the grass of the stadium as Terry landed heavily on the wood.
"WINNER, BOOT," Karkaroff snarled irritably.
Terry stood and approached the surprised girl.
"Sorry," he offered as he rubbed the back of his head.
Marie raised an eyebrow at him and held out her hand to be helped to her feet.
"Do not apologise for winning," she replied. "I think were both used like idiots. Did 'Arry tell you to do that?"
Terry nodded sheepishly.
"Then I suppose 'e wins this one," she giggled. "Fleur will be furious.
Terry chanced a glance over her shoulder and saw that the Beauxbatons' champion did indeed look very unimpressed as she glared at Harry.
"What is going on between them?" he asked.
Marie shrugged.
"I do not know. One minute they are getting along and then Fleur is determined to beat 'im at everything."
Terry snorted.
"Good luck with that. I would put every galleon in my family vault on Harry to win this and the tournament."
"'E is that good?"
Terry nodded.
"From our first day of classes he was miles ahead of everyone. Merlin knows where he is now."
"Hmm, I think I will keep that to myself. Fleur could probably do with a reality check. She's never been challenged at anything so it will be good for her. Thank you," she finished with curtsey before she took her leave.
"What was that all about?" Harry asked.
"Nothing," Terry denied. "Just helping her up."
Harry did not believe the boy for a moment. Terry was a poor liar and he was certainly keeping something from him at the very least.
"I told you it would work."
Terry nodded.
"I could have saved it for later on though."
"You could, but then you wouldn't be treated to the glare of an irritated veela," Harry replied.
Terry was pleased that the glare in question was not aimed at him, but his classmate. Delacour looked as though she was trying to burn him with her eyes.
Harry chuckled and offered a wave. The girl flushed before turning sharply away.
"Rather you than me, mate," Terry muttered. "I don't plan on pissing her off."
"She just doesn't like losing at anything," Harry said dismissively.
"Anyway, our friend Malfoy is back up," Terry informed him.
"DRACO MALFOY WILL FACE OFF WITH VINCENT CRABBE OF HOGWARTS."
"Crabbe won't even fire a spell," Terry grumbled unhappily.
As predicted, Malfoy hit his lackey with a disarming charm and the boy did nothing that remotely resembled defending himself. Still, the blonde bowed as though he had won an amazing victory.
"Why does he get so lucky."
"Gits like that always do," Harry answered.
"NEXT UP IS FAE DUPONT OF BEAUXBATONS," Professor Snape barked. "SHE WILL FACE HARRY POTTER OF HOGWARTS."
Harry grinned as he stood, holding in the laughter as he took in the shock on his opponent's face. She did smile, however, and took her position whilst Fleur seemed to be humming in annoyance. Harry ignored her as he turned his focus to the duel at hand.
"BEGIN!"
Harry waited for her to make a move, which came almost immediately in the form of a pair of conjured leopards charging towards him. He had expected transfiguration, having seen her previous contest, but she was clearly pulling no punches.
With a flick of his wand, the leopards froze and about turned, baring their fangs at the girl. Her eyes widened fearfully. It took considerable ability to turn a creation against the one that conjured them. She briefly questioned had she gotten something wrong but found herself needing to defend as they leapt at her.
With a wave of her wand, they changed into a pair of rabbits before they could cause her any harm, though a low snarling caught her short.
She looked up to find six wolves staring at her, their yellow eyes shining malevolently, Potter having demonstrated a higher level of skill in the branch than she.
Hastily, she tore up a section of the platform and turned it into an equal number of wooden javelins. Taking aim, she banished them towards the prowling canines, her heart leaping as her aim appeared to be true, only for it to sink as they paused, converted into metal, and headed back towards her.
Another section of the platform prevented her from being skewered by the projectiles and she released a staggered breath of relief as she threw the piece of wood aside and screamed as the wolves began charging in two rows of three. She could only look on in fascination as the three leading blended together to form one enormous wolf, the others following suit as they leapt.
A wall of flame halted them, loud yelping and the smell of scorched fur and flesh assaulting her senses. She took a moment behind the safety of her fire to ponder what more she could do. Transfiguration was proving to be fruitless and she was certain he would outdo her in any other branch.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the heat of her fire intensified and began to warp. Instead of a wall in front of her, it now surrounded her and was uncomfortably hot.
Before she could be horribly burned, she cast a powerful jet of water and extinguished the flames in front of her, continuing with her spell so that the stream headed towards her opponent.
It broke off to one side as though it had hit a wall and circled behind her. Panicking, she could only cover her face as the head of a snake formed and swallowed her.
Once he was content that the girl was trapped, Harry twirled his wand and the water formed into a spinning globe and a further flick lifted it in the air. Within, his opponent could be seen being churned around helplessly, and he deposited her on the grass. His spell collapsed and the sodden girl coughed and spluttered as she fought for ai
Harry simply summoned her dropped wand.
"WINNER, POTTER," Snape declared, and though his voice could be heard throughout the stadium, it was said in little more than a whisper.
"You could 'ave killed 'er, you idiot," an irate voice sounded as Fleur stalked towards him.
Harry raised an eyebrow at her as he shook his head.
" Non!" Fae heaved from where she remained on her hands and knees. "'E got me fair. It was my fault for making a silly move."
" Do not defend 'im," Fleur growled, "that was reckless."
Feeling his ire being provoked, Harry snorted.
"If I wanted her dead, I could have done it two other times before then. When I turned her spears against her, I could have destroyed that wooden shield she had before they reached her. Instead of surrounding her with fire, I could have forced it into her instead of around her. And if I wanted her dead," he continued as he stepped but an inch from her, "I could have fired a bolt of lightning into that water and she would be dead. Clearly you know less about magic than you think."
With his point made, he stalked away and exited the stadium, his duelling finished until the competition would resume after Christmas.
"' E is right," Fae sighed. "I was careless and outmatched. 'E could 'ave 'urt me much more. I was lucky 'e did not"
Fleur calmed herself and shook her head, feeling rather stupid for her outburst. She had reacted in the heat of the moment having seen one of her friends I potential trouble and it had been the wrong the thing to do. She knew the possible consequences of duelling, especially against someone like Harry. Perhaps she was more frustrated that it wasn't her that had been given the chance to face him, though after what she had seen, she began to doubt if she could win. What he could do was simply spectacular for someone his age.
" I suppose I have two apologies to make now."
Fae laughed as she stood and nodded.
" You do, and you better make them good. He was not happy with how you spoke to him."