"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
"SECTUMSEMPRA!"
Twin jets of lights, an ugly green, and a deep crimson collided in a blast of golden flames at the dead centre of the imaginary circle they had been threading. Time seemed to stop as hundreds of eyes took in the duel of epic proportions that was taking place in the Great Hall of Hogwarts.
The enchanted sky above was shining red, the sun showering the first rays over the occupants of the massive arena.
It was their final moment, the time when everything would be decided for good, and both knew it. The explosion that rocked through the Great Hall threatened to blow every occupant off their feet, but most of them somehow managed to stay upright. The same, however, could not be said about the pair of combatants who were fighting each other for their lives. The massive shockwave struck them head-on, and they fell into a heap. Their breaths were shaky, and twin groans of pain were heard as malicious crimson orbs locked on intense emeralds.
Casting the need for rest aside, Harry Potter and Tom Riddle shakily stood back up and shouted to the heavens. Bright light clashed against dark shadows as they threatened to overpower one another.
Harry could feel his arm vibrating, and his eyes widened. He took in the nasty smile on the face of his adversary and gritted his teeth. The beam in black was devouring the blinding white jet, crossing halfway through as the dark-haired wizard tried his best to push back. No matter how much he tried, there was no denying the strength his enemy had, even after the destruction of most of his soul. One final fragment tethered him to the plane of existence, and it was Harry's duty to do away with the abomination.
As Harry Potter looked at the devouring black shadows slowly crawling toward him, he closed his eyes in silent acceptance of his fate. He had to do this, for himself, for everyone.
He remembered everyone who had mattered to him. His parents who had bravely stood against the tyranny of the dark forces, his allies who had stood by him over the years, and his lovers who had stayed by his side throughout his struggles in this godforsaken war.
He had thought he would be able to take down Voldemort for good, but this battle showed him that even at his weakest, the Dark Lord was not someone to be taken lightly. He had been matched spell for spell, and at one point Harry was sure he was going to achieve what he had set out for.
However, it felt like he would come just short. The black shadows had crossed most of the way toward him now, and Harry could feel the malevolent energy that reeked of rot and horror. He still tried to keep it at bay, however, the enemy was too strong.
Just as he was about to play the final gamble, one with massive risk and an equally massive reward, their voice tore its way through the murky waters that had surrounded his mind.
"HARRY!"
Emerald eyes opened wide.
XXXXX
Their story together began roughly three years ago.
The Triwizard Tournament had come to Hogwarts, and Harry had been selected as the Hogwarts champion. Normally that would've been a good thing, but the catch was that the tournament had been restricted to those who had passed their OWLs. Nobody knew how his name had come out, and as usual, Harry had been the subject of constant hatred from the student body except for a large part of the Gryffindor house.
Three months into the tournament and an encounter with a Dragon later, their scorn had abated somewhat. Not that Harry cared anymore.
It had been a harsh lesson; one Harry had finally come to learn. It didn't matter what everyone else thought as long as those who mattered to him had faith. It had become his mantra, and one he had resolved to live by until the end.
The Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament found Harry and his fellow competitors scouring through the Black Lake in search of something they'll sorely miss.
Only after they reached the pier did they come to know that they will have to rescue hostages who had been preserved under the Black Lake in some form of suspended animation. One look at the enchanted mirror hovering in front of the stands was enough to fill their hearts with dread. The egg had said that they would have one hour to find their thing, after which it won't come back. Harry couldn't believe they would endanger innocent lives in such a manner, but as he recalled the first task, he failed to form reasoning as to why they wouldn't. After all, they had already done so.
'Students stealing an egg from a Dragon. What could go wrong?' He thought sarcastically.
However, a large part of his mind was occupied by the image of his best friends who were visibly sleeping under the water. He could see a little girl of about seven or eight who he assumed was Fleur's to save.
With the blow of the cannon, the task began. Harry thanked Dobby once again in his mind and swallowed a mouthful of Gillyweed before he jumped. A few seconds passed and he could feel the required organs forming on his body before the temperature regulated around him.
He submerged himself inside the water and started swimming away. He had noticed that the hostages were tied to some intricate pillars, and the only logical conclusion was the village underneath the lake. Hagrid had told them in one of his lessons that a large colony of merfolk lived near the centre of the Black Lake, and that's where Harry went.
A small flock of grindylows was all he encountered which he easily dispatched.
Harry looked at his watch and saw that half an hour had passed and sped up. A few minutes later he emerged from the underwater hedges to what was a huge settlement. Scores of merfolk were loitering around, gazing curiously at the land dweller who had descended in their midst. Harry paid them no mind; he had other priorities. He quickly swam toward the centre of the township, where a massive pillar was suspended. To his immense relief, forty minutes had passed, giving him enough time to rescue his hostage. Quickly, he severed the bindings holding Ron and hoisted him upon his shoulder.
Frowning, he looked at the other two; Hermione is particular and wondered where Krum was. Five minutes passed and he saw no sign of either Krum or Fleur. He didn't like this one bit.
Just as he was about to move forward to free Hermione who was tied right next to where Ron had been, he saw Krum arrive from the opposite direction. The Quidditch star wasted no time and quickly severed Hermione's bindings before pointing toward his watch and gesturing for Harry to go up. Harry looked to see he had only 10 minutes left.
The little girl was still tied up and there was no sign of Fleur yet. Harry felt tension rise as the clock ticked away. Five minutes left and Fleur was still not in sight.
Finally, Harry had had enough, and he went ahead to free the little girl. However, as soon as he raised his wand to sever the bindings, he found himself on the wrong end of a merman's spear.
'Only one!' The merman hissed, and Harry glared. He saw a few other mermen coming forward with their spears brandished, ready to attack.
Quickly, he released a shockwave in every direction that banished the nearest merman away and also dissolved the girl's bindings. The girl started descending into the depths of the lake, and Harry quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.
He was sure he looked a comical sight right then, with Ron draped over her shoulder and the girl wrapped in his arm. He kept his right hand free and looked up.
Harry abruptly ducked as a spear came thundering through the water right for his head. He looked behind to see it had barely missed Ron's face. His blood boiled.
'These assholes are really trying to kill us!'
Once again, he was let down by the imbeciles occupying the high places in Wizarding Britain. They had involved children, and deadly tournament or not, nothing justified deliberate murder.
Harry saw the merman readying another spear while three more did the same on each side. He found himself pinned in the centre. The four mermen threw the spears as one and Harry hastily put up a shield that protected them from all sides. The spears shattered the shield but that's all they did, as they fell toward the bed of the lake.
Harry looked toward his watch and his eyes widened. Only one minute left.
'Where the fuck is Fleur!?'
He forcefully ejected her out of his mind when he saw the mermen readying another spear. They had seen how tough it was to deal with him in close combat, so they were trying to take him out with ranged attacks. Harry didn't have time to deal with this bullshit. Pointing his wand up, he cast a silent Ascendio and clutched the girl tightly.
Within no time, they broke through the surface of the water and were deposited right on a boat. Harry grunted at the impact and looked up to see the girl sputtering in his arms. Belatedly he realized that he was lying on his back and his arms were wrapped around her. Looking sideways, he saw Ron taking deep breaths while trying to get the water out of his eyes and ears.
He sat up and gently dropped the girl down on the boat, and only then did he realize that the boat was moving on its own. Looking ahead, he saw them approaching the pier. He sighed in relief when he realized they had made it and held out his hand for Ron. The redhead let himself get pulled up to his feet and swayed a bit.
"Blimey mate! That was..." Ron began.
"Yeah... that was something," Harry replied, sighing.
Looking down, he saw the girl shivering violently and frowned.
"Are you cold?" He asked as he held his hand out to help her up. The girl looked up at him and scowled.
"No, I'm having an orgasm. That's why I'm shivering," she said, sarcastically. Ron choked on his spit and dissolved into a coughing fit.
Harry looked at her wide-eyed.
"Wha- " he couldn't form the words out. A little girl like her speaking like that!? He couldn't believe it.
'How the fuck does she even know what an orgasm means!?'
"So eloquent," she muttered and Harry grunted as she took his hand and pulled herself up. She had a strong grip.
He was further shocked when she fished out a wand from the pocket of her jeans and cast a warming charm on herself.
Ron was looking at her with a dumbstruck expression, and Harry was faring no better.
"H-how? What's… The hell!" Harry said, surprised.
"Like I said, so eloquent," the little girl mocked with a roll of her eyes, and Harry glared at her.
"How do you have a wand? And how can you do that spell? You're what? Seven?" Harry asked heatedly.
Both Ron and he were flabbergasted when she gave them a condescending look and started chuckling. They looked at each other in confusion as the girl kept shaking her head while looking at him.
"You don't know, do you?" she managed to speak amidst her chuckles.
"Don't know what?" Harry asked with a frown.
"I am Gabrielle Delacour, the sister of the Beauxbatons champion, Fleur. And I'm a Veela, like her."
Harry looked at her for a second, before looking at Ron. The redhead only shrugged. Harry sighed.
"Look, you seem to believe that I know everything about every magical being that exists, which I can assure you, I don't. So, get to the point!" He finished with a scowl, and Gabrielle gave him the stink eye.
"You scowl too much, y'know? Celebrities like you shouldn't scowl so much. It gives you a bad rep," she muttered, looking into the distance as if she were on a boat trip in this freezing weather.
"And you should thank someone who saved you instead of acting like a spoiled little brat!" Harry hissed, and Gabrielle cocked her head sideways. Sitting down, she looked up at him.
"Who saved me?"
"I did!"
"How?"
"What do you mean how? You were a hostage down there, and I had to get you out of there even though I didn't need to," Harry replied with gritted teeth. The nerve of this little girl…
"Huh. I see."
Harry stood speechless. He opened his mouth but she cut him off.
"You're an idiot, you know that?"
'What!?' He thought.
As he looked at her with a furious expression, he saw her look up before smiling at him.
"Thank you," she said and Harry's brows furrowed. This girl had some frequent mood swings.
"Now you want to thank me?"
"You might be an idiot, but you thought we'd die, and you saved me even if you didn't need to. It's the intention that counts, right? So, thank you," she smiled and gestured for him to sit down. Harry sighed before sitting down in front of her.
"You mean you were never in any danger?"
"No! We were told that the merfolk will bring us up if we were not retrieved in time, so even if my sister didn't show up, I would've been delivered fresh and awake on the pier. You really think they would let the hostages die? The political catastrophe that would create would be massive. Even your minister is not stupid enough to not know that," she idly twirled her wand as she spoke, and Harry felt his eyes following its movement.
"You can never tell with these people in charge," he muttered, and Gabrielle chuckled. On the side, Ron had zoned off, his gaze wandering around.
It had been ten minutes since they had started making their way back, and they were almost there. The people on the pier were visible now, and they sat there in silence.
Harry decided to ask her once again.
"Tell me, uh, Gabrielle," he started.
"What?" She asked curiously.
"How come you already have a wand, and even know advanced spells?"
"Oh, I'm a veela. We age differently."
"What do you mean?"
"Veela undergo something called maturity once they reach the age of eighteen. Before that, their growth is very slow. A veela below eighteen years of age will still look like a child of seven or eight. Once they reach their eighteenth birthday, they mature, for the lack of a better word, and their body grows into their adult self overnight. Afterwards there are minor changes that happen like regular witches. Basically, we bypass the stage of puberty entirely."
Harry was gobsmacked. All he knew about Veela was that they had this allure that attracted sexually interested people, male or female, and that they could transform into bird-like creatures that threw fireballs around.
"I see." That was all he could make out.
"So uh..." He began hesitantly after a few seconds of silence. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"
"Asking my age now? And I thought you couldn't be more of an idiot," she muttered, and Harry scowled.
"Ah the famous Potter scowl, I love to see it," she giggled. "Well, to answer your question, I am seventeen, the same as you. A couple of years younger than my sweet sister who failed to show up to save me from certain death," she finished with a mocking voice, and Harry chuckled despite himself.
Now that he thought about it, it did make a lot of sense. Her manner of speaking was not one of a child of seven, and if he discounted her physical stature and voice, he could easily believe he was talking to someone his age.
"I'm sure something happened, else she would've shown up," Harry replied gently.
"Oh, I'm sure something happened. I just hope she still isn't shivering," Gabrielle muttered.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked with a frown.
"My dear sister has Thalassophobia. A lake as deep as this is bound to trigger that. Throw in a couple of creatures into the mix and I'm sure she's over there on the pier, worrying her pretty head over me," Gabrielle said with slight concern.
"Oh. Let's hope she's okay then," he replied, prompting a sigh from the girl.
"Yeah, let's."
The rest of their time passed in silence as they reached the crowd.
The moment they stepped on the pier, Harry found the wind knocked out of him as Hermione collided with him. Chuckling, he wrapped his arm around her and squeezed softly. Hermione pulled back and hugged Ron, who awkwardly patted her on the back. The brunette jumped back and smiled at the two of them.
Harry looked around to see Krum standing with the Durmstrang contingent and nodded at him. The other seeker nodded back and turned his head to respond to something his friend was saying. Harry's eyes found the Beauxbatons contingent and he saw Fleur hugging Gabrielle who was struggling to break free. After a few seconds, the younger girl hugged her sister back. Looking up, she saw Harry looking at them and rolled her eyes. Harry chuckled.
The scoring was done, and Harry somehow found himself being awarded the full points. Everyone had seen what had transpired near the pillar and it had been decided that he would've won if not for his decision to ensure everyone's safety. Even the other two champions agreed. Karkaroff had a sour look but alone, he had no room to complain.
When Harry brought up the fact that the mermen had tried to deliberately kill them, Dumbledore frowned for a second before informing him that he would be discussing the matter with the chieftain of the merfolk village. He saw the aged headmaster walk over to the edge of the pier and discuss something with the creature. Whatever the creature said seemed to mollify the old wizard as he nodded and turned around.
Harry could only shake his head at the explanation provided. It turned out that the merfolk had indeed been exercising caution and were using enchanted spears that would viciously sting on impact. There wouldn't have been any significant damage to them if it had made contact. It did relieve him slightly to know that they had indeed never been in mortal peril.
Soon they started making their way back to the grounds, and Harry saw Gabrielle stop in front of him.
"Well, I'll be staying here for the rest of the year, so I guess I'll see you around, Scowler," she finished cheekily.
Harry gave a mock scowl before chuckling.
"See you around then, Leetle girl," he replied with a smirk and with that walked off. Ron and Hermione hastened to follow as Fleur stood there with a confused expression on her face. Meanwhile, the little girl looked at the retreating back of the Hogwarts champion in shock before she puffed her cheeks as she looked at her sister.
"It's all your fault," she said before she stomped in the direction of the Beauxbatons carriage.
Fleur looked at her sister with a bemused expression as she followed behind, all the while shaking her head as she recalled calling the young man a 'Leetle boy' after the champions' selection. She couldn't help but chuckle as he used it to taunt her sister.
'Well, it isn't as if she doesn't need someone to check her attitude a little bit,' Fleur thought with a fond smile as she shook her head.
XXXXX
It was chilly in the early morning when Harry Potter sprinted into the courtyard and out of the raised portcullis. He had been doing this ever since he had been thrusted into this godforsaken tournament. The sensation of an early morning jog around Hogwarts grounds did a lot of good to his overall mood, helping him think things through and even aiding him in honing his developing magical abilities.
Ever since Harry had arrived at Hogwarts, he found himself getting stronger at a rapid pace. He could not be happier about the fact. The challenges he had been forced to overcome during the past three and a half years required nothing less of him.
As usual, Harry crossed the hut Hagrid resided in, and saw the large carriage in the distance. However, it was the sight of the girl right outside Hagrid' hut, or rather, what she was doing, that coaxed a chuckle out of him,.
"Aw… who's a good boy? Oh yes… you are," he heard her coo as she dangled a piece of meat over Fang, who seemed to do everything he could to reach it.
"What are you doing?" He asked in amusement. The girl froze before turning around and Harry shook his head at the expectant look on the dog's face.
"You're going to spoil him if you keep this up, Leetle girl," Harry teased as he saw Fang gobble up another chunk of meat and wag his tail for more.
"He's a growing boy. Of course he needs it," she retorted with a glare. "And stop calling me that!"
"I think not," he smirked. "Why are you up so early?"
The girl mumbled something Harry couldn't hear.
"What?"
Gabrielle looked at him, blushing furiously. "My maturity is less than six months away. These last few months are… irritating."
Harry looked at her with furrowed brows before his eyes widened as he looked at her.
"Oh," he replied, embarrassed. The girl nodded.
"What about you?" She asked, desperate to end that conversation as soon as possible.
"Out on my usual jog. You might've seen me before."
"Oh please, I don't go out looking for something eyesore first thing in the morning," she retorted.
Harry pursed his lips. He had never interacted with someone so bitchy before.
'Must be those hormones,' he thought to himself, chuckling.
"You just insulted me, didn't you?" She asked with a hard glare. However, on the face of a seven-year old, it looked more adorable than menacing.
"I said nothing."
"You thought it. I know you did!"
"I'd never dare insult someone like you," Harry replied sincerely. "I don't need to. You do a brilliant job yourself."
Gabrielle's eyes widened, and Harry grinned as she quickly brandished her wand.
"See you around," he called out as he turned around and jogged away, dodging the stinging hexes she sent his way.
"That bastard," Gabrielle seethed, before yelping when she felt a wet tongue over her fingers. Surprised, she looked at the adorable dog and sighed. "Fine, have it all. I was going to give it to you anyway."
The dog immediately started to gobble up the chunks of meat she dropped, and she couldn't help but smile at the sight. At least someone was not irritated.
XXXXX
The aftermath of the second task was nothing more than the usual fanfare that surrounded Hogwarts after any new affair. The students discussed it for a couple of days before the usual atmosphere set in seamlessly.
For his part, Harry continued practicing for the tournament while the other students attended all the classes. He had already stopped going to History and Astronomy, seeing no benefit in attending. Instead, he started to fill that time with some advanced reading and spell practice.
Being a champion, he had unlimited access to the Restricted Section. The tomes he found therein were like nothing he had ever seen before. He found spells much more advanced than he had ever seen, and the library had become a place he frequented more than he'd ever done before.
"Quite a thick one you've got there."
Harry sighed. He knew she had deliberately chosen to speak like that.
"Yeah. Very thick," he replied drily, leafing through the pages.
"Think you could let me check it out as well?"
Harry's hand stilled, and he looked up to see her smirking face. This little idiot sure was crass.
"Why are you back again?" He asked instead. Gabrielle smirked.
"Nothing. Just felt like seeing a few eyesore sights Hogwarts has to offer. Must admit, there are not many."
Harry ignored her, having become immune to these snarky comments over the past week. Ever since the second task, Gabrielle had taken to finding him at random intervals. By now, he'd gotten used to her presence.
"So what are you reading?"
He sighed.
"Advanced curses and hexes."
"Ooh, fancy."
"I'm fancying myself testing a few out as well. Wanna be my practicing dummy for some time?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't think you could handle me, no matter how thick it is," she smirked, looking at the tome before looking him in the eye. His lips twitched and he couldn't help but chuckle. Gabrielle giggled as well.
He liked the girl's company. Although she looked like a young child, he had come to look past that exterior and differentiate the person underneath. She might be crass, and she might be bitchy, but he found Gabrielle Delacour to be a pleasant enough to entertain her.
"Silence!" The stern voice of Madam Pince rang out, and Harry looked up to see her glaring at him. He nodded apologetically and started to pack his things up.
"I'm serious. I don't think you could handle the spells I'm learning," Harry said once they exited the library and started walking through the corridor.
Gabrielle chuckled. "It's good that I can learn as well. Don't forget I'm not a child."
"Kinda hard to when you're that crass all the time. I'd have rinsed your mouth with soap if you'd been one."
Gabrielle snorted. "Merlin, I pity any child you might have one day if that's how you're gonna treat one."
"Only the deserving ones," he replied, entering the room he usually practiced in. Gabrielle looked around and whistled as she took in the damaged wall.
"You surely did a number on this room," she remarked. Harry shrugged and dropped his bag on a desk before taking his usual position.
"You're serious about practicing?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Gabrielle smirked in response before taking position opposite him.
"Got to spy on you properly. You're competing with my sister, after all," she replied. Harry looked at her with a deadpan look.
"I couldn't care less whether you're spying on me or not," he replied.
"Mm-hmm. Less talking now. Give me your best, champ," she taunted further.
Harry shrugged and fired a powerful Reducto.
"Protego!" Gabrielle shouted with slight surprise at his silent casting.
A solid translucent shield formed in front of her, and Gabrielle's smirk vanished when it shattered under the impact. She looked at Harry with wide eyes.
"Mistake number one," Harry said, holding a finger up. "Shielding without knowing what the spell was. You never do that. You always dodge."
"You can't cast an Unforgivable, and I knew I could shield it!" She retorted firmly. Harry shook his head.
"You couldn't if I'd not underpowered it."
Gabrielle's eyes widened. "That was you going easy?"
Harry nodded.
"Well, thanks for holding back then," she replied. Harry chuckled.
"At least you know when you're beat," he said with a smirk, which widened at her glare.
"Don't get too cocky," she retorted and sent a powerful jet of water at him. Harry leaned to the side, looking at her amusedly. Her flared nostrils made her look adorable.
"That's it?" He called out. Gabrielle narrowed her eyes before smirking, and Harry's eyes widened when he heard the spell.
"Fulmen!" Gabrielle shouted. Harry quickly raised a shield and repelled her spell before disarming her in an instant.
"Told you not to get too cocky. You barely managed there," she smirked as she accepted her wand back.
"Not really. All it took was a basic shield charm and the disarmer."
"Mm-hmm. And you weren't taken aback even a little bit, right?" She probed further with that smirk. Even though she was defeated, she was acting as if she had humiliated him. Harry looked at her with a sigh.
"Alright, yeah. I was surprised, but only for a second. I didn't think you'd know that spell."
"Never underestimate your opponent. It's enough to cost you if you're facing a powerful witch or wizard," she replied instantly. "Better work on it."
Harry chuckled. "What are you now? My personal trainer?"
Gabrielle snorted. "You wish. Now show me what you read in that one," she pointed at the tome on the desk.
XXXXX
Dinner was underway and Harry couldn't help but take a few glances at the silvery-blonde girl sitting with her sister at the Ravenclaw table. Over the past few weeks, he had spent more time with her than any of his friends.
It made him wonder why she didn't spend any time with her friends. However, whenever he looked over at her, she always seemed to be with her sister and no one else.
The other fourth-year girls from Beauxbatons always seemed to avoid her, and he guessed she must not be on good terms with them. However, he had no idea why. He never probed either. They didn't know each other well enough yet.
They had been practicing for a few hours before Harry decided to call it a day. Although they had not duelled again, Gabrielle did cast a few advanced spells she knew. Harry recognized them as spells usually taught in the NEWTs, so for her to be able to cast them was indeed impressive. She was a capable witch, and if she mastered silent casting, then she could become even more stellar at combat. Given how she had taken to joining him so frequently, and now even during his practices, he had no doubt that she would get there in no time.
He had asked Ron and Hermione to join his as well. They had no idea how advanced he'd truly gotten so far. Hermione remained occupied with all the school and homework, having refused to listen to them and drop a few electives. At least she was no longer using a time turner since fourth-year lectures didn't overlap. Ron adamantly refused to even bother doing any more than necessary, spending his time with Dean and Seamus.
Still, he hoped they would manage sometime.
"A moment of your attention please," Dumbledore's voice from the podium made the students look over. The aged headmaster smiled.
"With the second task of the tournament having concluded, it is time to announce the details of the final task. Although we cannot reveal too many details, we can tell you that the task shall be held on the 24th of June. I would advise the champions to prepare themselves accordingly. That is all."
Harry looked at his dinner with a firm gaze as the headmaster retreated to his throne-like chair. Roughly three-and-a-half months. He could make do with that. He nodded at Ron and Hermione when they looked at him.
He would be ready. He might have been thrust into this against his will. However, now that he'd reached so far, he wanted to go all the way. He wanted to win the whole thing. Nothing else would satisfy him.
To be continued...
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