"Four broken ribs, three more cracked, a punctured lung, a cracked sternum, and don't get me started on the internal damage you've taken, Mr Potter." The stern Pomfrey had her lips pursed. "Sit your bottom down on the bed and strip out of your armor. You aren't going anywhere until I say so!"
Harry had been around the matron enough to know she was not in the mood for wise cracks or disobedience. With a choice of comply or face her wrath, he complied right away with her orders. He winced and gasped in pain as he tried to lift his arms over his head. Now that the adrenaline had long faded, he was in agony. Every movement involving anything above the soles of his feet hurt. High pain tolerance, or not, the aftereffects of the two hits he took, the ones that should have ended him, felt like they were doing a bang up job of murdering him now.
Harry's attempt to take off his outer robes failed, the pain too great and his range of motion too limited by it.
If the movement wouldn't have hurt him so badly, he'd have smacked his forehead, with his hand, for his moment of stupidity. He'd made such good progress in doing almost everything magically. Dressing himself with the assistance of magic had been one of the things he'd been doing. He couldn't use it for his armor but the outer robes he could levitate off himself. Brandishing his wand he did just that.
He looked at them, they were pulverized with signs of battle. Fluids, random bits and Merlin only knows what else were caked all over it. Further, they'd been mangled at the sites of the two major impacts they had taken. He may as well vanish them, given the work to repair them, but since they were still holding items in them that he'd need, he decided against it. When he got dressed, later, he'd move his possessions over and then vanish the robes, they were not repairable.
Sadly, his armor resists magic, hence it being a useful magical armor, he couldn't magic it off. He took a deep breath. This shit was going to hurt, badly. He glanced around to see if anyone was around to help him, there wasn't. The other champions were enclosed off in their own beds, behind privacy screens.
Harry, and the rest of the champions, had been escorted directly into the medical tent upon exiting the forest. Each of them needed medical attention and there had been no fight to go straight there. The grounds had been a flurry with activity. In his exhaustion he'd not been able to catalogue much but something wasn't right. There were far too many security staff and he'd not seen the tournament organizers like he'd expected. Looking after their health was the first priority. Harry had been insistent on being helped last, as he knew he didn't have any life threatening issues.
Cedic, on the other hand, had been injected with acromantula venom, multiple times. He'd gotten up close and personal with many of them and he wasn't wearing armor. Harry didn't know what the exact effects of the venom was, but they couldn't be good. Cedric had barely made it out of the forest on his own power, he had multiple lacerations and was as pale as a ghost when they'd stumbled out.
Krum was already knocked out, lying on the bed opposite to him. They'd had to rebuild the bone structure in his shoulder and upper arm. Having to vanish splintered bone fragments, that had interspersed themselves into his muscles, meant they had to remove huge portions of his muscles as well.
Pomfrey had asked if he wanted to be knocked out for it and he'd told her no. Privacy hadn't really been a concern when they all showed up, for the guys at least, immediate triage had been too important. Viktor had stoically downed his potions, Harry assumed some must be for pain relief and numbing, and then Krum watched them mangle his body, removing bones and muscles. He now rested on the bed while his body was healing.
Viktor had been the second to last of the four champions to get medical assistance. Cedric had been second. Although he was in bad shape, when they exited the forest, he had at least been conscious. Fleur had not been, she'd been fading their whole jaunt back and her body had finally given out.
The only visible mark they'd discovered on her, without stripping her and checking her entire body, was the gash that Harry had seen her heal. There were no other spots where her clothes were stained with her own blood. When she'd collapsed, beside him, Harry had levitated her the rest of the way, in a brief moment of mental fatigue he'd considered carrying her until he realized he was having trouble breathing and was in no state to be doing any more physical exertion.
Between her earlier assurances that she was 'okay' and 'just tired', they'd thought she'd just ran out of energy. They'd have picked up the pace, to get her medical aid quicker, if any of them were in a state to do so, however, none of them had been.
Harry was the last to be looked at, and he knew he was going to be stuck here for some time. The injuries sounded like he'd gotten hit by a car and that he was lucky to be alive. Thankfully, with magic, he was already improving.
He honestly wasn't sure if Krum and Diggory would have made it out of the forest on their own power if it hadn't have been for his potions. His stash of general healing, antivenom, pepper-up and a pain relieving potions had been a life saver. Now that he thought about them, Fleur hadn't taken a pepper up, explaining why she collapsed and the others did not. He only had two of them with him. Fleur insisted Harry take the full dose, while the other two boys shared the second one.
It went without saying that Harry's preparedness for the task far outshone the others. His two different options for dragonhide armor, his emergency potions, and the invisibility cloak, which he had thankfully gotten it back from Cedric, were far beyond the wand and robes the others had showed up in. He'd bet his whole Gringotts balance that they'd be similarly decked out next task.
Harry saw Pomfrey come back in with a tray of potions to drink. He'd barely gotten out of his clothes in time and wasn't about to try and struggle out of his armor alone. With a cracked sternum he didn't think that lifting the armor off, over his head, was a bright plan.
"A little help with the armor?" He asked, his teeth showing as he sucked in a breath after failing to even lift the armor up off his shoulders.
She put the tray down and came over to help him. Raising her wand at him, she extended her wand arm, and slid the tip of her wand inside the amor's opening at his neck.. She worked it over to the right side of his chest and slowly channeled a spell from the tip of her wand, Harry had to mentally calm himself, working hard to repress his defensive instincts, which had been screaming at him to remove the threat, his fingers itching for his wand.
Madame Pomfrey's magic began to take effect, he felt his chest, shoulder and arms become infused with the foreign magic, his body numbing under its influence. Once satisfied, she moved the tip of her wand to the left side of his body and repeated her work.
"Right, drink this," she handed him two vials, which he promptly downed. "Now, let's get that armor off you." She motioned for him to raise his hands over his head. He did so, the absence of pain a wonderful thing, especially after he'd been expecting it to hurt.
He stood now just in his boxers. "Get your gown on." She told him impatiently, removing the two empty vials. Harry got his wand out again, he idly noted he'd not even considered taking it off, really, there was no chance he was taking his wand holster off anytime soon. Seeing the growing ire of the matron he got back on task, quickly cleaning his boxers, as best as he could, before easily putting the gown on, using his burgeoning magical finesse to button it.
Pomfrey had raised an eyebrow at his display of magic but didn't comment, the control to button up a gown wasn't common. "Good, get on the bed and stay still."
Harry sat down, swung his legs up and began to lie down.
"You don't have to be prone, just try not to move." She had the back of the bed tilted up so he would have a comfortable sitting position.
Harry could tell her patience was done for the day. She looked exhausted, something he wasn't sure he could have ever said about her before. That shook him.
He'd seen her after his dementor exposure, after falling off his broom, after having bones vanished, after being bitten by a basilisk, and following the possession of a student. Beyond that, being a school nurse she must be familiar with spell accidents and potions mishaps. She'd always been professional and had never looked worn.
Was it the quick succession of healing the four champions? Or, could it be one of them was actually in far worse condition? She'd already reassured him Fleur would be just fine, she'd just overtaxed herself. The cut had been cleaned out and with the assistance provided she'd would be just fine with rest. Cedric and Viktor, both of whom he could see, were sleeping peacefully in adjacent beds, not sectioned off for privacy within the hospital tent. Maybe one of them was worse than she'd said?
No, Harry didn't think that was it.
If the champions were all fine, or would be shortly, she was either withholding information about one of them being in far worse condition than she'd let on or something else had happened.
The possibility hit like a ton of bricks, where were their hostages? Unless there was some kind of major emergency while the task was ongoing those were the only things that he could come up with.
So where were they? Why had they not come to see them?
Pomfrey didn't give him a chance to ask. She'd finished working on him and had briskly left the tent, taking the empty potion containers with her.
Harry looked at towards Cedric and Viktor's areas, they both were quiet, soft snores emanating from Krum. Harry knew, from experience, that the amount of potions Cedric had downed would make him drowsy. Combined with his exertions in the task, it would put him to sleep.
Fleur's curtain opened and she was sitting up in her bed, attired in a hospital gown like the other champions. She smiled tiredly at him. "Make room, 'arry." She requested softly. She swung her legs over the bed and got out of the bed, slowly she made her way to his bed.
Harry shifted himself over on the bed, lifting his arse off the bed was a stupid idea, it bloody well hurt! The magic numbing his chest, shoulders and arms, that Pomfrey had channelled into him, had worn off. He grimaced in pain and caught the sympathetic look Fleur gave him.
She climbed onto the bed, her body aligned with his. She shifted over so the sides of their bodies were touching, her right against his left. With her head dropping onto his shoulder she whispered to him, "I don't want to be alone right now."
Harry nodded, he took out his wand and put up some simple privacy charms. People wouldn't be able to hear their conversation but they could be seen. He slipped his wand back into his holster and then painfully lifted his left arm up, wrapping it around her. He couldn't squeeze her without hurting his ribs but he wanted to comfort her.
"'Ave you ever experienced something like that?" She didn't look at him when she asked, Fleur had her eyes closed, her breathing carefully regulated.
"No, not like that." He shook his head slowly. "I've been in life threatening danger a few times but nothing like that." Even now the experience was affecting him. He was still confined and his mind was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Harry knew he was in a hospital tent, he knew he should be safe, but he didn't feel it. He felt on edge, even with the adrenaline faded from his system.
Harry wasn't sure how she might respond to that but he found she did not, not directly at least. She let out a short hum and snuggled her head further in, allowing her to give him a kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you 'arry. Without you we'd be dead." She moved her head back, still keeping it on his shoulder.
The kiss was warm, soft. It brought his mind off the battle. Some of the edginess abated.
He breathed in deeply and then exhaled out his nose. He wanted to let his mind rest, like his body now was. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against hers, the contact with her was soothing, balancing.
After a few more seconds, he responded, "No, if any one of us were missing we'd all be dead." He couldn't have done any more than he had done. He could have, should have, died twice. He was lucky his fellows were so skilled, or he'd never have made it out of the lair. "Each person did their part." He replied a few seconds after his first sentence.
"You are too humble, 'arry." The whispered words left her lips. "You covered the same area as Cedric and I combined. And, you helped us, I saw it." She used her left hand to grab hold of his right one. She brought it up to her lips and kissed the back of it. "Do not argue with me, not now, 'arry." She squeezed his hand softly.
Fleur must have known Harry would be too stubborn to just accept the praise, so she talked on, not giving him a chance to reply. "Viktor was covering directly above. He also helped for those dropping down above the area Cedric and I defended."
She paused, took her head off his shoulder and looked at him. "You, 'arry," she punctuated his name, "you covered even that. We wouldn't have survived without you, I'm glad there are four champions."
"Thanks" Harry said, he knew he performed well but didn't think he was much better than the others. Cedric transfigured huge defenses that funnelled the spiders into traps. The route to escaping was where Cedric and Fleur battled, he assumed it would have more spiders, thus, taking two of them. Viktor killed the least but it was his sharp eyes that kept them alive. Killing descending acromantula and keeping the bodies from dropping onto them. A task Harry wasn't sure he would have performed, he'd squinted and had had a hard time seeing the bloody bastards.
Harry closed his eyes, scenes of the battle playing out on the inside of his eyelids. He could smell the putrid air, he could see the fires reflecting off eight eyes. Bile rose up in his throat but he swallowed it down.
Fleur's lovely voice brought him out of reliving the days earlier events. "Tu étais magnifique, incroyable, exceptionnel." Harry didn't care to ask what she'd said, the feeling of her cuddled up to him was worth any pain it caused. Her warmth was warding off the coldness of his earlier actions. He wasn't worried about what this might bring. He needed her comforting presence right now.
He opened his eyes. This was an issue he'd dealt with before, the reliving of events after they were over. After all his troubles, Quirrell's death, the basilisk, the specter of Tom Riddle, dementors, remembering his parent's murders, he was experienced dealing with it.
He wondered if this was going to be any worse this time. He'd been far more deliberate in his taking of life, even if these were not humans, they were still sentient, sentient evil arseholes.
Fuck, what was he going to say to Hagrid? Saying 'sorry about blowing a gaping hole in your fifty year old pet spider' probably wouldn't go over very well with his first friend. It didn't matter. If Hagrid couldn't accept that he'd done it to protect himself that would be his problem. The man was culpable for allowing those non-indigenous spiders to even be in the forest, in the first place.
Harry tried to put it out of mind. Getting worked up over a hypothetical reaction didn't matter. Heal and relax, that was his immediate priorities.
"Do you think less of me now?" Fleur questioned, initiating dialogue between them again. Harry would have been fine with just her presence but she wasn't.
He could hear the question was thick with emotion and paused to consider what she was asking. These were delicate moments, he shouldn't respond without forethought. He recalled, all too well, how fragile he'd been when he talked with Dumbledore, in the hospital wing, after killing Quirrell.
"In what way?" He wanted a clarification. Was this in respect to a romantic interest? Was this some kind of misplaced in adequacy for not doing more? Or, was this for having killed and losing her innocence?
An answer didn't come, Harry felt hot tears on shoulder, sobs coming from the older girl.
Harry closed his eyes, he needed to help her through this.
"I don't think less of you, Fleur." He dropped his head on top of hers and risked upsetting his ribs by lightly squeezing her between his left arm and chest. "If anything, I think more of you now. You didn't run, you didn't cower." He let his words sink in before he spoke further, he let her breathing calm.
"I was in awe of you." He breathed out quietly, remembering a specific moment.
She pulled her head off his shoulder and her eyes sought his. She stared at him; the proud arrogant girl missing. In her place was a fragile young lady.
But that wasn't what Harry saw. He saw a remarkable young woman, one that had willing walked into a lair of acromantula. She'd killed, been wounded and done what was necessary to come back out alive.
"You were amazing, you stood your ground, you controlled the battlefield with your flames and you never gave in, even after you were wounded. I could barely tear my eyes off of you, after Cuddles saved us, you were glorious." Harry ardently announced.
"I couldn't think less of you, not after seeing that. I doubt I could respect you more than I did in that moment, seeing you wounded and defending against the last of the spiders."
He broke eye contact with her. Perhaps he shouldn't have said it, he shouldn't have been so open and honest with her. But he knew this was critical. If he'd been told he was growing up to be a monster, just like Voldemort, after the Chamber, after Quirrell, he'd be a different person today. He wouldn't fail Fleur, he wouldn't let her question whether her actions made her a horrible person, not when they were in self defense, the defense of others.
"Don't let anyone disparage you for today. You fought and bled to keep us safe, honestl-" Any further comments were cut off, his lips had been captured, captured by Fleur's.
Her lips were soft, warm, was a delicacy to the kiss, an expression of deep emotions, this wasn't a lust filled snogging. Her lips moved slowly, deliberately. Her hand found his cheek and she traced his jawline.
Eventually, her magnetic lips released their pull on him. She kept her hand of his face, ensuring he looked her in the eyes, he could feel her breath on his face. "'Arry, I'm falling for you."
He looked deep into her eyes and didn't see anything but honest conviction.
"You must end this, have me or don't. I can't keep falling for you. Don't let this linger, it will crush me if I fall any further..."
She removed her hand and moved back, resting her head on his shoulder once more. "Je pourrais vous aimer déjà."
Harry hadn't known how to respond. He'd kissed her back and had watched her carefully, as she spoke to him. He swallowed hard and let himself enjoy Fleur's comforting presence. His words had helped her; her presence was helping him. He'd heard her whispered words and wanted to know what they meant.
"In English?" He asked.
Harry could feel, and hear, Fleur squirm. He could almost hear her thinking, the gears in her mind turning, working to decide how to answer.
"I said…" She started to say but then closed her mouth, not letting the words slip out of her mouth. She closed her eyes and inhaled quickly. She held her breath until a moment after she opened her eyes quickly. With a barely perceptible nod of her head, she lifted her head off his shoulder and used her soft delicate hand to turn his face to her. "I said, I might love you already." Though her first attempt had started out tentative and unsure, she finished with firmness in her voice. "I think I already do." She told him resolutely.
"You think you love me?" Harry questioned, the idea alien to him. How could she have come to love him, the thought came to him immediately.
"Oui, if not romantically, then as family." Her eyes turned mirthful, "Though, I 'ope it's romantically, I don't kiss my family like that, 'arry." She giggled at Harry, the idea funny to her.
Try and failing to respond to that he teased her back, "How would I know, you are French."
She riposted, "Zen you won't mind if I tell Gabrielle that's how you kiss family. I'm sure she'd love to kiss you like that."
Harry had a ghastly look on his face, the idea of locking lips with such a young girl made his stomach lurch.
Any further comments were stopped cold, Madame Pomfrey's voice cut into their conversation, "I'm not surprised to find you in the midst of mischief, Harry."
Though startled, he was able to reply smoothing, his wand hand deftly dispelling the privacy charms that had kept their conversation private. "It's not me this time! I'm innocent!" He defended himself.
"Innocent? Did I not tell you not to move?" She asked rhetorically. "And now I find you on the side of your bed with your arm around a pretty witch? I only told you to do one thing and you couldn't even follow that simple direction!" Her stern countenance held, for all of five seconds, before it gave way to her amused visage.
Though he was the butt of the joke, he was happy to see the regular bedside manner return. If some levity could be found on a day like today he'd take all the jokes they could pull on him. He was glad to see her earlier melancholic mood had not returned with her.
The entrance to the medical tent opened and in walked Daphne Greengrass, dressed in her normal school robes. Harry wondered what she was doing here. Of all the people he expected to visit here she wasn't at the top of the list. Natalia, Gabrielle, Patrice, or one of the tournament organizers would have made more sense, he thought.
"Miss Greengrass, no visitors are permitted, please leave." Pomfrey said as she moved to intercept the slytherin.
"I'm sorry Madame, I have to speak with Harry, it can't wait." She did sound regretful even if Harry doubted the sincerity.
"Be that as it may, the Headmaster has instructed nobody is to be allowed in until he allows it. You must leave." Pomfrey had stopped and was physically blocking Daphne from moving forward, a distance of two feet between them.
"I'm not here for a pleasure visit. I'm here as the heiress of House Greengrass, fulfilling my obligations for our family's role as Steward of House Black. I'm here to speak with Harry, the Regent Black, and according to the Hogwarts Charter, the Headmaster is not to interfere in official House business." She stood and made no further action to get toward Harry. She'd kept her tone polite and respectful while also conveying she was going to get her way because she was permitted to.
"Check with the Headmaster if you must." Daphne added trying to break the Matron's resolve to not have her patients disturbed, as per the Headmaster's orders.
"I will do that, right this instant." Madame Pomfrey huffed out. She sidestepped Daphne and briskly made her way out of the tent, displeased at this. Just after leaving the tent she popped her head back in. "Don't you dare move Mister Potter. If you escape I'll show no mercy the next time you are in my care." With her parting words delivered, eliciting a shiver from Harry, she added a stern glare and then left.
"You've escaped before?" Fleur asked? "You are such a naughty boy." The double entendre not lost on the three of them that heard it.
Harry grinned at her, "Says the witch that climbed into my bed."
He didn't really want to flirt in front of Daphne but he was also curious how she would handle it. She'd been cold to Natalia at first and hadn't been kind in her remarks about Fleur so far.
Daphne reached the end of the bed. "We don't have time for that." She snapped at Harry. "Can you pay attention and think clearly? Are you drowsy? Do you need a pick me up?" She fired off questions almost faster than Harry could keep up.
"No, I don't need a pepper up, I'm with it." Daphne was agitated, something he'd not seen before, it sobered him.
"Good, we have to make this quick. There are things you need to know," She looked Fleur up and down, a small sneer of distaste as she did so, "both of you." She focused on Fleur, "I'm addressing you as a Delacour, a friend of House Potter."
The formal address caught both of their attention. If there was any lingering doubts this was serious they were gone now, all pretenses that this might just be a friendly evaporated.
"Should Diggory and Krum be awake for this?" Harry asked quickly, before Daphne could get going.
"No, she shook her head, "I'm not supposed to know all this, and despite the malarky I gave Pomfrey, I shouldn't even be here."
Harry slid out his wand with practiced ease. The privacy spells sprouting from his wand, ensuring their conversation is kept private.
"Remember," Daphne plainly addressing Fleur, "this is for Harry, Delacour, friend of House Potter."
"I won't 'arm 'im." Fleur said, giving Harry a look she was honest in her reply.
"Listen up. I'll give you the details on what has gone on, out here, while you were in there. Don't interrupt. I'll answer questions if there is time, before I'm kicked out."
Neither of the two students sitting on the hospital bed replied, they kept silent and let Daphne get on with whatever this was.
"Nobody could see what went on, we all stared at the forest and were bored. That was until Karkaroff collapsed at the judges table. People began to try and help him, Dumbledore and Pomfrey among them. While they were still busy tending to him, Crouch and Bagman collapsed."
Fleur gasped, her hand shooting to her mouth. Harry himself was shocked, not sure how to react. But with those judges collapsing…
"They blocked everyone off from them, Madame Bones took charge of the situation. While everyone was trying to figure out what happened, what was presumably the hostages, four disgusting sacs appeared on the competitors platform, in front of the judges."
That was good, the blood-locked portkeys worked for the hostages. Dumbledore had said the portkeys would only work for the hostages, nobody else. He had been worried, before the task, that the portkeys would fail.
Daphne was standing at the end of the bed, by their feet, and she put her hands on the end of the bed and leaned in.
"I saw them open one, it had Cho Chang in it. She looked like Death had taken her. She was so pale, unmoving, unresponsive." Daphne's clinical delivery of information broke as she recounted what she'd seen. It had obviously shook her to affect her in the retelling of it now.
"Gabbi! Is she okay? Is she fine? I have to see her!" She started panicking, worrying about her sister. She started moving to get off the bed when a spell hit her.
"Remember what I said, Delacour." She spat out the name. "I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't know this and you both shouldn't be hearing this. Stay still and shut up." Daphne had frozen Fleur and didn't bother to release her.
At the first sign of the spell Harry had his wand in hand, and it was going to stay there, for now at least. He felt bad for Fleur but trusted Daphne enough to believe she wasn't doing this to be malicious. She had been positioning herself as a more fair, neutral, party.
"I don't know how they are doing. A medical emergency was called in. All four of them were whisked away to Saint Mungos, though I heard they were alive when they left." She actually looked remorseful that she didn't know how they were.
Harry gave Daphne a stern look, keeping Fleur frozen wasn't kind. She still had her wand in hand and at his challenging look she relented, ending the spell on Fleur.
Fleur didn't say anything, though she looked distinctly displeased. Harry thought she might have shared a quick look of thanks with Daphne but it was hard to tell from how they were sitting.
"Right after the hostages were taken away, someone called out that smoke was visible over the forest. Nobody had any idea what was going on, it was pandemonium." She dropped her head and with lips pursed she shook her head. "The loud roar that came from the forest helped; everyone stopped freaking out, instead they were frozen." Daphne had a glazed look in her eye as she remembered the moment.
Harry exchanged a knowing look with Fleur, his slight shake answered the questioning look she had when she gestured at Daphne with her eyes. He hoped she understood Daphne didn't know about Cuddles and they weren't volunteering that information right now.
Daphne, either oblivious to this, or uncaring, continued as if she didn't see their silent exchange, even though it was right in front of her. "There were great swaths of smoke at this point. If it was coming from Hogsmeade you'd have thought the whole village was on fire. We heard another great roar and there were huge black pillars of smoke, even the tops of the flames were visible from the stands. Whatever it was, that was it, the breaking point."
Harry was lost, for a second, when he closed his eyes. The burning forest, Cuddles ferocious defense and all of them so injured, exhausted. He shivered at the memory and refocused, he couldn't get distracted.
"Bones called a State of Emergency. She's called in all personnel, aurors and hit wizards."
"A State of Emergency? How? Why?" That seemed an overly extreme reaction to the task.
"Harry," Daphne said, half exasperated and annoyed, "two department heads for the ministry collapsed. Durmstrang's Headmaster was put in a body bag. A Pavlov and a Delacour were taken away by emergency medical evacuation, that's not mentioning a Chang and Krum. I have no idea what happened in the forest; whatever happened is about to blow up." Her eyes were wide and she was imploring Harry to understand that this was significant. That this wouldn't just blow over.
Harry thought about that. Given the magical contracts that guaranteed the hostages safety, and the collapsing of those three, magic had deemed them in breach of their obligations. Crouch and Bagman would have no magic now, hence the collapse. Karkaroff had signed on pain of loss of magic for Krum and loss of life for Natalia. Now he was apparently in a body bag.
What a bloody buggering mess.
Harry was pulled out of his head, Daphne had her fingers right in front of his face, she was snapping them repeatedly, loudly, demanding his attention.
"Good, you're back with us?" She asked rhetorically. "Pay attention." She said snippily.
"You can't trust Susan's aunt. She is trustworthy but this is going to go over her head, to the Wizengamot and the ICW. Important people have died, or have been injured badly enough to be evacuated."
Fleur's hand squeezed his hard when she mentioned that her sister was injured. She either feared Daphne freezing her again, or, more likely, she had decided to stay silent.
"This is going to get messy and you have to protect yourself. When they come to interview you, demand representation first. Father is already working on getting your representation here. They are going to try and ask what happened. Don't say anything. Even if you've done nothing wrong don't say anything. You won't need to, they have already sent teams into the forest.
"I won't." Harry promised.
After failing to notice the matron come in previously, Harry had used privacy spells that allowed them to hear and see what was going on around them. All three of them heard the commotion heading toward the medical tent.
Harry got an idea, he summoned the invisibility cloak and floated it to Daphne. "Take this, sneak out of here."
She quickly put on the cloak and disappeared from sight. "Thanks Daphne." He called out, not too loudly though, as he was removing the privacy spells.
"That was very kind of her…" Fleur muttered, she was pouting, upset at having to give Daphne credit for helping them.
She sat up, straightening her posture, readying herself for whomever was about to enter the tent. "Don't let them separate us. I'll help you. We must find out how Gabrielle is, Papa must be with her if he's not here." She kept hold of his hand, tightening her grip on it.
The flap opened and in came Director Bones, flanked by Madame Pomfrey, who was updating the Director on the health of her patients.
"Diggory and Krum are going to be groggy, at best, sleeping until tomorrow is my expectation. Diggory is fighting off the acromantula venom and replenishing his blood levels. Krum is having his whole side rebuilt, he's on enough potions that he'll be out for hours, if I wake him he'd be less than coherent, same with Diggory."
"Thank you Madame. In your professional opinion are Mister Potter and Miss Delacour of sound mind at this moment?" Amelia Bones asked curtly.
"They are." The matron replied affirmatively.
"And are they in good enough condition to be medically stable for the rest of the day?"
"Harry Potter should not be moved and Fleur Delacour should minimize any movement of her midsection. Both are mending and, as long as they do not aggravate their wounds, they are medically stable. I'll need to check on them in an hour or so, both should be fully healed tomorrow."
"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey." Amelia's tone made it clear she was dismissed.
"Mister Potter, Miss Delacour." She greeted them. "I'd like to ask you some questions about what happened in the forest."
Harry noticed she hadn't actually asked a question, she'd just stated what she would like to do.
While he mused how to respond Fleur jumped in. "'Ow ess ma soeur? Where ees she?" Harry struggled to keep his face blank when Fleur started talking with a heavy accent, it was hilarious to see her playing the role, she was quite skilled at it too, he thought. He was able to keep the humor inside, even managing to show his actual concern for the little girl he'd come to like.
"Yeah, where are Natalia and the other hostages? Shouldn't they be coming to see us?" Harry feigned his ignorance.
Madame Bones swiveled her head to look at the entrance of the tent, she looked back at Harry and gave him a flat look.
"We will speak on that shortly, Miss Delacour. Let me first make you aware of what is going on with you." Leaving no time for contradiction she pressed on, "A State of Emergency has been enacted. The four of you have been cordoned off while you are healing. You will all make a full recovery, by midday tomorrow, after which we will conduct any official business that is required. During this time your immediate family will be the only ones permitted to visit."
Harry nodded, this wasn't up for negotiation. Bones was dropping by to inform them. Harry was focused on the Director and hadn't noticed how Fleur had taken that.
"What did Daphne Greengrass tell you of what has gone in while you were in the forest? Don't try and deny she was in here, Pomfrey told me, and," she tapped her eye, "my monocle doesn't miss much."
"Karkaroff is dead, Bagman and Crouch were penalized by the contract, you've declared a State of Emergency, and the hostages were taken to St Mungos, alive, but looking like they were dead." He had a good working relationship with the woman and she didn't miss much. She might be hamstrung by the Ministry but the woman did not get to be the Director of Magical Law Enforcement by nepotism or bribery, she'd earned it.
"Then let me set your mind at ease," she addressed Fleur more directly. "Your sister is alive and her symptoms are not considered life threatening." Harry felt Fleur relax, a weight coming off her shoulders, one Harry was relieved of, as well, he was worried for Natalia too.
"However, they are being looked after by specialists; their prognosis is unclear at this time. All of the families have been contacted; your father is with your sister."
"Unclear?! Is she alright?!" Fleur couldn't keep her composure, she desperately needed to know how Gabrielle is.
"I've received no further updates aside from 'they will live' and 'they are being worked on'. Ask Pomfrey later." She said dismissively, not wanting to discuss the topic further. A bit callous of a move, Harry thought.
"You four will be kept here while we are securing the area; you are not permitted to leave the medical tent. The exit has two veteran aurors and the tent is warded to keep everyone without permission out for now." She sent a glare at them, warning them to cooperate.
"Are we being held and suspected of anything?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowed, he did not like the idea of being confined.
"No. You are being protected. The task has been disturbed, a second time, resulting in the death of the Headmaster of one of the leading magical schools and the death of two department heads. All four champions suffered life threatening injuries and all four hostages are being treated at St Mungos, with an unclear status. Until we are certain the worst is over you are being protected."
He still didn't like being confined but he realized that cooperation was the only option here. He'd be spending the night in the Hospital Wing even if he was free to leave.
Bones rounded on them again, after they digested the news. "Now, did you encounter anything worse, or more dangerous, than the acromantula?" She demanded to know.
Harry shook his head, and cast a glance to Fleur. She tilted her head in thought and asked a question confusedly.
"How do you know this?"
"You mean, beyond the webbing the hostages returned in and the acromantula venom you and Mister Diggory are being treated for?" She asked rhetorically and with annoyance.
Fleur colored a little and drew in closer to Harry.
"I asked because the forest is about to be culled of anything remotely dangerous. Full ministry forces, including aurors, hit wizards, and staff from the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, will be headed in shortly. Preliminary investigations into the happenings of the forest, have already started and there are ongoing investigations into the Second Task and tournament governance as a whole." She paused and looked them over before cating a tempus and nodding to herself.
"That is all the time I have now. Update the other two when they wake if you'd like. I'll send Pomfrey back in now." She strode away from the bed but stopped after opening the flap.
With a backward glance she called out to them. "Rest up and we will speak tomorrow." With her peace said she left.
After some time, where neither of them spoke or slept, Madame Pomfrey returned to the medical tent.
"You are both doing well." She told them after checking them both out.
"Can you tell us anything that is going on out there?" Harry asked, beseeching her to provide information. Daphne had yet to return, she probably couldn't now, and there was no sign of Patrice Delacour.
"Most students are being allowed back into the school now. None are allowed to leave though. DMLE members arrived enmasse and entered the forbidden forest, following those that had already entered right after you lot returned."
"I suspect once the forces that entered the forest return, more clarity will come. I'd suggest a potion for dreamless sleep tonight. I'll be giving the other two a dose in a moment."
"What about my sister and the other hostages? Do you know anything?" Fleur was imploring her for any kind of information. She desperately craved to know about her status.
Harry thought Fleur's request broke down the matron's resolve to not say much. "They were alive when they left. Unmoving, but breathing, and all with a heartbeat." Fleur and Harry both felt some relief. Both were truly grateful for the matron providing them this information.
"Now that I've thought on it further, I think they were poisoned with a paralytic agent." She frowned, blatantly unsure of her own diagnosis.
"Why do you think that?" Harry asked, holding Fleur, with his left arm, a little tighter.
"Do either of you know much about acromantula? How they attack and what kind of wounds we treat?"
"Not really." Harry answered for them both, slowly. "I'd guess venom, cuts, and stab wounds from their pincers?"
"Mostly correct" She affirmed. "Their pincers normally remove limbs, for those that survive the injury. Venom enters their system and it works to shut down the body by dissolving the organs of the individual."
Fleur shudders involuntarily against Harry. Harry tightened his grip on her, briefly, and the skin around his eyes tightened as he imagined how unpleasant that would be.
"Normally when a wizard, or witch, encounters one, and lives to tell of it, they have killed the spider and are taken for medical attention. This would be a quick turn around as the venom works quickly."
"Longer than how long our hostages were trapped?" It would explain why they were so pale, though Harry quickly considered that it must not be the case as they were treating both Cedric and Fleur for the venom, he idly noted that his general antivenom potion would have been quite useful for their walk out of the forest.
"This circumstance may be more... unique." She informed them gently.
"How so?" Fleur asked, intently focused on the conversation. The question has been on Harry's lips but they didn't depart before Fleur spoke them.
"They were captured, wrapped up, and were prepared to be eaten. But, and here is where I am guessing, I think they didn't inject them with their lethal venom."
Huh, that would make some sense, Harry thought. Aragog said they wouldn't harm them. As much as he hated the beast he'd always been up front, announcing his honest intentions to have him turned into food for his sons and daughters.
"I think they were given some form of paralytic venom, to keep them contained, not squirming and trying to escape."
"Why is that important?" Fleur might have known but Harry had no idea, so he asked.
"There are no cases, I've heard of, where humans are captured, taken into the lair, and then successfully retrieved, especially not alive. Meaning, there is no precedent for how to treat them."
Fleur's free hand was covering her mouth, her eyes were distant and filled with worry.
"But, there's nothing either of you can do. They are in the care of the healers and they will work to find an antidote for the paralytic, if that's what it is. So, drink up and rest. Tomorrow will come and a good night's sleep will prepare you for the day." She told them kindly.
"Are we safe in here?" Harry asked, he'd been sleeping in the Chamber of Secrets, nothing to worry about there. He knew Director Bones had the place warded and with auror guards but he knew Pomfrey looked after all her patients. If she had any concerns she would tell him.
"You are. Nobody unauthorized can enter through the temporary wards. Bill Weasley set them up and there are two Aurors stations outside the entrance as well. It's why your friend, Miss Greengrass, has not been able to come back, the wards weren't set the first time around, allowing her in."
"Thanks" Harry said.
"Good night dears, take your potions and get some rest.." She said and gave them a tight smile. She went over to Cedric.
Harry grabbed the first potion and downed it. He made for the next but stopped before he tipped the bottle up when the matron spoke once more.
Pomfrey reappeared, after checking on Diggory and she came to Harry's bed. "I almost forgot, Miss Greengrass asked me to pass along that your father is with Gabrielle and will see you tomorrow, Miss Delacour. And for you, Harry, that things are being handled, you don't need to worry."
"Thanks, Madame. For the care, and information." He downed another potion.
"You're welcome my dears. I'll even allow you to stay together." The mischievousness in her words not lost on either of them.
"Merci." Fleur added before she gulped back the Dreamless Sleep Potion.
Harry mirrored her and then lowered the bed, slowly, so as to not disturb his wounds.
Madame Pomfrey floated two pillows to them and then a large blanket, allowing them to get comfortable. Fleur tucked a pillow behind his head and cuddled into his side. Harry had to stay on his back, his ribs were healing and delicate. Fleur was on her side, her body against his, but not on top of it.
"Goodnight Fleur," Harry yawned.
"Bonne nuit" She replied after kissing him on the cheek.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Harry woke slowly. He was so comfortable, rested, and warm. There was a gentle breeze on his shoulder, just above his armpit.
Wait, that was odd. There was no breeze on any other part of his body. Peculiarly, the air was warm too. He opened his bleary eyes and looked to the spot where he felt air flow. Silver-blonde hair filled his vision.
Fleur? He wondered.
Did she sleep in the same bed as him? Why would she be in the chamber with him?
Harry closed his eyes and tried to recall what was going on.
He opened his eyes again and looked around. There were curtains all the way around the bed, blue-green ones, the bed sheets were white, and the bedding too. The bed was metal framed and he recognized it. He'd woken up too many times in a bed like this, a hospital bed.
He shut his eyes again.
Slowly, he opened them again and enjoyed how they were finally adjusting to the light.
Silver-blonde was still there when he turned his eyes on her again.
He shifted up, trying not to jostle her. The movements no longer hurting his ribs, shoulders and chest. It was good to know he was able bodied once more.
Was this what it would be like to be married? To wake up with a beautiful woman in your bed, each and every day? A familiar comfort for the end of the day, a wonderful way to wake each morning? If this is what it was like, he could easily see how he'd love to get used to this.
Harry put up a couple privacy spells, he didn't want to be seen, he wanted to protect the sanctity of this moment. With his wand placed away, he began to gently stroke her hair, the silver-blonde color fascinating him. The way it picked up light and reflected the colors around them. Visions of her orange-red hair during the midst of battle came to his mind unbidden.
Given what he'd gone through yesterday, during the Second Task, he didn't expect to feel so good, so refreshed, and so comfortable when he woke today.
"I could get used to this…" He whispered to himself, and he really could.
Fleur lifted her chin, blissful happiness shining across her lovely face. "I could as well." She smiled up at him, her eyes closing when he ran his hand through her hair, starting from her scalp and down her back, as far as he could reach.
Harry blushed, he hadn't thought she was awake.
"I must thank you," She started out and upon seeing his raised eyebrow she clarified, "for this."
"Why? I like this too. Your presence helped after yesterday too." He didn't think she'd benefited much more than he had. Her presence had helped keep him calm, the jitters he'd felt settled when she joined him on his bed.
She shook her head, except the effect was closer to her trying to burrow into him more than shaking, "Non, did you forget I am veela?"
Harry looked down at her with consternation, why did that matter, he wondered?
She must have seen the confusion and explained what he'd forgotten. "I can feel your emotions when we are touching, how you truly feel about me."
"Oh... right." Harry felt a little embarrassed he'd forgotten that in this moment. "I thought that was for romantic interests though?" He asked, a little confused on how it would be so helpful. Sure she had kissed him but it wasn't like they'd snogged in bed or anything.
Fleur giggled lightly, "'arry, when we talked yesterday we were touching. When I kissed you I could feel how you felt about me. When you talked about me, I could discern what you were trying to express with words."
She pushed herself up and gently touched her lips to his, not leaving her lips lingering long past a chaste kiss, though describing it as chaste would be errant.
"When you reassured me, when I was worried you'd see me differently…" Fleur looked lost in the moment. She closed her eyes and shivered. "It was… was… mmm, 'ow did you describe it?"
Harry stayed silent, not sure where this was going. He kept his face blank but didn't stop running his hands through her hair, he didn't pull away from her.
"'Glorious', 'in awe', 'you couldn't tear your eyes off me', you 'couldn't respect me more'. That is what you said about me. But I felt it, 'arry. I could feel what your words were trying to convoy."
Harry couldn't help himself from correcting her. "Convey, not convoy, I think you meant." He grinned as he saw a hint of pinking in her cheeks.
"Convoy, convey," she waved her hand dismissively, "all that matters is what I felt from you. You love me 'arry, you can't deny it, I know it." She put her index finger on his lips, keeping him from objecting, from saying anything.
"I can feel it, you want me. You appreciate my beauty but are not... lucherous… leberique?" The final word Fleur struggled with, the correct word escaping her grasp on both attempts.
"Lecherous?" Harry offered, his lips moving against her finger. He adored these word mixups, her embarrassed frustration was endearing.
"Oui," She replied. "When I was terrified in the forest you were there. When we needed help, you were there. When I needed help after, you were there. When I woke in the hospital, you were there. When I was overwhelmed and worried about my sister, you were here. Your presence, your emotions, I engulfed myself in them. I let them wash over me and I used them as a blanket to wrap and protect myself in...
"I find myself wanting you, needing to be with you, will you not accept me? I know how you feel about me." There wasn't a sense of desperation, no sign of her needing his approval. She wanted him but not from a subservient position. She knew who she was, she knew what she was offering and she wouldn't debase herself for any man.
Harry had frozen. He found it disconcerting to know she could actually tell how he felt about her. He'd kind of hoped the opposite happen with her as it did Natalia. Natalia had been instant attraction and chemistry. Once the politics got involved, once she got exposed for manipulation, things deteriorated. If Natalia had been a Delacour, and not manipulated him, he'd be courting her.
Whereas Fleur had started out terribly. Arrogant, snooty, conceited and just an unattractive person to him, the inside mattering as much, if not more, than the exterior beauty. But, as he'd gotten to know her, as he'd spent time with her, they got on so well and she was everything she told him she was. Smart, sexy, gorgeous, and strong, she was all of that and more.. He'd gotten a good measure of her character, especially now that she was battle tested. When things were dire she was valorous, valiant.
However, life wasn't so simple. He could follow his father's footsteps. He could marry the girl he liked and not bother with the politics. Slughorn hadn't pulled punches when he described the Potter side of the negotiations. They agreed to all reasonable terms that Lily Evans wanted. They wanted to make their son happy, that was their priority.
Instead of matching James with a neutral family, or tying them to another powerful political bloc, so they'd be politically insulated from being targeted by Voldemort, they added a young woman of immense talent and character, who brought the family nothing in the short term, nothing other than their sole heir's happiness.
Happiness didn't keep the Potter family alive. Happiness didn't insulate the Potters from the brink of extinction, only a fluke of magic saved the infant heir.
Harry didn't like it; he didn't want to go through with Slughorn's suggested options. He wanted to have a wife, children, a home, a simple life. Horace had smashed that naivety. He was world famous. He was trying to revive the Potter family. He was Regent Black and responsible for turning around a family that has no eligible heirs and only a scarce few members, where they had been three males eligible for headship just over a decade ago.
It lead to this problem. He liked Fleur, really, really liked her. But he wouldn't act on it. He couldn't take her as a sole wife. He wouldn't string her along nor play with her heart. He was too honourable and respected her, and her family, too much.
"If only it were that simple…" Harry lamented. "What about children, heirs? I'm a regent and head, you're an heiress. Three children, one male and two females, for three prominent families?" He shook his head sadly, not making eye contact with her, "That won't work. It'd be barely acceptable for just three children for my two houses." He felt morose as he admitted it aloud. He'd kept her at arm's distance, rarely ever flirting back, or leading her on, just because he couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Why bother pursuing a dead end?
"Maybe so.. but, there is a benefit to any offspring we may have." Her smile was more subdued now, he could see she understood the issue with a match between them.
"Oh?"
Slughorn had given him the political outlook on marrying a Delacour. A Potter-Black-Delacour connection was good, especially for international clout and trade. However, it had more limited benefits for the homefront. They were not a numerous family, their numbers thinned fighting Grindelwald, and they lacked any sway with the Wizengamot and local Ministry of Magic. With a potential war looming, it wasn't the great timing for the match. In times of peace, where they didn't require a stronger presence here, the match would be far more favorable. Extending their influence, renown, and prospective economic benefits were promising, longterm.
"You remember when you asked why being called a creature wasn't a compliment?" She sported a broad grin as she asked, humor dancing in her eyes.
Harry nodded, it was when he visited the Delacour's and went through the garden.
"Veela are inherently more magical than a witch of wizard. Part veela are always strong, magically. You are strong, overwhelmingly so for your age, my veela practically sings when we are together like this." Her impish look wasn't lost on him. "Our children will be powerful, they will have dense and strong magic. Some 'ave said it is the reason veela do not breed well with humans. Magic is balanced, powerful children but limited in number."
"No part veela breeding programs for wizarding armies?" Harry added a bit of a humorous content trying to find time to process that.
"Non." She wrinkled her nose in disgust, her upper lip pursed.
Huh, if that was true, and Harry had no reason to think she'd lie about that, that might change things. Two guaranteed powerful heirs… it was something he'd have to bring up with Slughorn. He could, and maybe should, bring it up with Cyrus too. With his family having a contract with the Black's it always made Harry feel like his input on the matter was biased, even with the unbreakable vow.
"Maybe we should talk to Papa about it, oui?"
Harry shrugged. He didn't really know what to say to that.
He really liked Fleur but wasn't going to just profess his love and marry her. She might love him, he might love her. He certainly enjoyed the kiss, he wouldn't mind exploring that side of a relationship with her. But, he couldn't just jump into a relationship. She could initiate and he would reciprocate but he'd not lead her on. It was the same with Natalia, she'd pushed the envelope physically, not him. He was willing to go back to being friends, she wasn't.
Fleur yawned and reached her arms up over her head, stretching in an exaggerated manner. The movement's were not missed by a pubescent young man. Her chest was pushed out and, with her lying down beside him, he got a short glimpse of exceptional cleavage, his eyes drawn there whether he wanted to or not.
"It is not just my derrière that you enjoy watching, I see." She giggled and rolled off her side, onto the other one, facing away from Harry, and then she slid to the edge of the bed, she sat up.
"I believe it is time to face the day 'arry, even if I don't want to leave your bed." She winked at him. "But I wish to go see Gabrielle and know what is going on. It was a wonderful reprieve but, I fear, things are going to get complicated today."
She stood up, getting off the bed, and leaned over, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Get changed and let's talk with Viktor and Cedric, if there aren't any others waiting to talk to us already, we can talk another time."
When she'd left Harry got out of bed and debated what to wear. He had his dragonhide armor and back-up clothes in case he'd gone into the lake tucked away. Should he keep his armor on? He quickly ruled out the heavy armor but decided to keep the lighter armor on, under his robes, nobody would be able to see it. He shouldn't need it but it felt like a good idea.
When he'd gotten attired he removed the privacy screens and then took down his spells. At the end of the bed there was a table tray with breakfast on it. Though he'd not noticed yet, he was ravenous. He levitated the tray to himself and then looked around.
"Morning Harry, doing okay?" Cedirc asked, the older hufflepuff asked. He was dressed in his normal uniform this morning and he was working through the half empty breakfast food tray.
"Yeah, I feel a lot better this morning." Harry responded to Cedric then turned to start shovelling in some food.
He sniggered when he heard Cedric mutter "I'll bet you do." Harry also didn't miss the glance in Fleur's bed's direction when he said it under his breath.
It was almost immediately after Cedric's comment that Fleur came out, dressed in her normal Beauxbatons clothes.
"Is Viktor awake?" She asked, looking at Cedric.
"He was, not too long ago, he ate." He gave a half shrug as he put more food in his mouth.
Krum's privacy screens were still blocking view of his bed. Just after Fleur asked after him the privacy screens were removed. He was attired in his normal Durmstrang clothes and sitting on the edge of his bed, a stern scowl on his face. He inclined his head at each of them in greeting, not one to give idle platitudes.
"My dad visited this morning, he works for the Ministry and is pretty well connected..." Cedric lead, and made sure the three other champions were focused on him before he got into it.
"The hostages are all in stable condition at Saint Mungos; they are in a coma like state though... The contracts punished the organizers, Headmaster Karkaroff is dead, Crouch lost his magic and rumors are he is dead. Bagman didn't survive losing his magic, he's deceased as well." Cedric informed them with a dull and heavy voice, he'd put a small bite of food back in his mouth but he was chewing mechanically, not paying attention to consider swallowing.
Harry hung his head; he wasn't sure how to feel about that. Because he'd made such a big deal about ensuring their safety, two, probably three, people were dead. Karkaroff might have survived losing his magic but not his life, that was the condition for Natalia's involvement. The Pavlov family had been ruthless with that stipulation. Karkaroff was an idiot for agreeing to it, no way Harry would agree to something like that when it would have been out of his control.
"Director Bones is marshalling major investigations on everything to do with the tournament. It was decided we'd be healed and kept isolated; we'd be given space to collect ourselves until late morning or early afternoon. So, we're kind of stuck here until then." Cedric continued to let them in on what he knew.
"I heard they were sending aurors and hit wizards into the forest, did your dad mention that?" Harry asked, looking back up, his food far less appetizing than it was just a minute ago.
"Oh, yeah, he mentioned that actually." Cedric rubbed the back of his neck as he said it. "They sent in almost all their DMLE active duty staff and they culled anything they considered dark or dangerous in the forest. There shouldn't be any acromantula's left now, not that there should have been any to begin with." He added the last part quietly, though there was a little heat in it.
"Good. Hope they suffered." Krum voiced his opinion darkly.
Harry exchanged a look with him, his eyes were hard.
Krum's thought on the matter resonated with Harry. The organizers should never have allowed them to face off against a horde of acromantula. There shouldn't even be any around a school full of children. Dumbledore and Hagrid were going to have a lot to answer for, Hagrid would likely be sacked from his teaching position, and if he was unfortunate enough, he may well find himself in Azkaban.
"Any word whether they will be asking us for a deposition or official questioning?" Harry asked when they had all been silent.
"I don't know. Dad thought there was no wrongdoing on the champions parts." He shrugged then spoke on, "The deaths of the organizers was their fault; they didn't have to use hostages for the task. As for killing acromantula, they'd be happy we destroyed an acromantula colony. None of us should be under suspicion of any wrongdoing. They will probably want our account, speaking of which, what are we going to tell them?"
"Noone knows of Cuddles?" Fleur asked, getting to the heart of the issue.
"Where is she?" Cedric wondered.
Harry reached into his pocket and withdrew her. She stretched her wings and flew through the tent, dipping, diving and flying in circles around the champions. All of them just watched her, there was something cathartic about it, mesmerizing even.
After a couple minutes she shrieked and then let out a small roar, diving towards Harry and landed in his lap. She moved in circles, using her snout and tail to arrange Harry's robes into a little nest and she lied down on him, her body wrapped in a ball with just her head extended, her chin resting on his body.
Harry's hand began sliding along her scales, rubbing and scratching where she enjoyed it. If she was a cat she'd be purring in his lap.
"She's registered as my familiar, a miniature dragon," Harry couldn't help but grin broadly at Viktor when he remarked that, "so the legalities are all covered. I'd prefer not to let the public know I can make her into a large dragon though." Harry wasn't sure they'd all go along with keeping that ability quiet.
"How would you explain the fires though and the roaring?" Cedric asked.
Harry smiled enigmatically. He rose off the bed and conjured a wooden dummy, a simplistic one with just a circular log type middle with two sticks for arms. He conjured a glass shield behind it and spelled it with a fire retardant spell, he was a master at making things fireproof now. Thankfully Cuddles had stopped lighting fire to things whenever she got bored.
'Burn the dummy, short burst' he commanded his small familiar. A small steam of fire came out of her mouth.
The dummy caught on fire but it had a minimal effect, the stream of fire was no more than an inch or two in width. It would be a rather painful attack but it wouldn't disable a fully grown wizard.
Fleur was leaning forward now, her sharp eyes narrowed, she was paying close attention now. Krum was sporting his perpetual scowl but he had shifted to see better, the only sign of his intrigue. Cedric had stood and moved around, behind Harry, to get a better look.
Nobody said anything while Harry gave a small break in time to make sure they got a good look at the level of damage done.
'Burn the dummy, continuous flame' Cuddles flapped her wings, taking off from the end of the bed, where she was perched and swooped around. Gliding in she came to a stop four feet in front of the dummy and, whilst hovering, she let out a long torrent of flames, the same thickness as before.
Harry pointed his wand at the stream of fire, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the feel of the magical flames. He could feel it, powerful, predatory, destructive, annihilating. The magical dragon flame had a thirst for destruction but not in a malevolent way.
He focused on the magic, feeling it, sensing it, and channelled magic through his wand feeding it, fueling the flames. The two inch width grew exponentially; the flames grew in size and depth, Harry's magic acting as accelerant. Within a second the whole dummy was engulfed in flames.
It was one of the things Harry had been working on the most. He was trying to get a feel for magical dragonfire. He could manipulate the flames, once Cuddles had generated them, and that led him to believe he could learn to cast them. He hadn't gotten anywhere with it yet but the lack of success was not deterring him from continuing, if anything, it increased his drive to make it work.
"Merde" He heard Fleur swear.
'Stop.' With no more fire being generated Harry reached with his magic and began to magically smother the flames. He didn't know if it worked like muggle fire retardants or whether it submitted to his strength of will, following his intent to end the flames.
"Merlin, Harry, where can I get a mini-dragon?" Cedric said, in awe of the display.
"You don't," he said seriously, "she's one of a kind." Harry reached out with his hand and let cuddles fly right into it. He sat down, depositing her in his lap, and let her curl up again. He quickly vanished the conjurations.
"If we claim an amplification spell, for the cause of the roar, and that the fires were caused by all of us, and Cuddles' collaborating with me, then it would explain it without giving away that I can increase her size. I'd like to keep that, and any other abilities, a secret as long as possible." Harry's cheeks were pinched as he spoke, he made eye contact with all of them briefly but most of his time was spent admiring Cuddles.
"You saved our lives. I will do as you ask." Krum stated matter of factly.
"Without you and Cuddles we'd be dead, I'll comply." Cedric had moved back towards his bed and was now just sitting on the edge of it, his arms crossed.
"All you'd need to do is ask." Fleur let him know, she gazed at him warmly.
"Thanks." Harry said to all of them.
"No. You saved us, this doesn't repay debt." Krum told him. "We fought together, bled together, we bonded, like brothers." He walked over to Harry with purpose in his stride, his posture hard and unyielding. When he got to Harry he extended his wand arm, his right one, his wand was not in his hand. Harry stood, his left hand putting Cuddles up on his shoulder as he stood. He glanced and Fleur and didn't miss the nod from her. Harry stuck out his arm and Viktor grabbed his forearm, a strong grip on his arm, Harry reciprocated.
"Brothers In Arms, from this day until my debt is repaid!" He proclaimed loudly. Harry felt a pulse of Krum's magic in his forearm. Like an Unbreakable Vow but without a bonder. Was this like a vow or?
Fleur had shifted her position so she was in his line of sight, she was trying to indicate something as Krum stared at him, awaiting a response. Harry met his hard eyes, "Brothers In Arms, I accept your pledge!" He called out loudly, trying to match the intensity Krum had done his in. He spoke the words Fleur had written in the air with her wand.
Viktor pulled him in for a hug, his free hand thumping Harry's back. He didn't say anymore, he went and sat back down on his bed.
Harry felt the magic in the rite they had just completed. He grasped that this was a significant thing but had no idea what it meant. Thankfully, Fleur understood and came over to tell him, she sat on the bed beside him, her body against his.
She leaned into him and whispered in his ear. "Brothers in arms is a pledge of honor; he is honor bound to aid you against your enemies."
"Is it common?" Harry didn't think it was but he wanted to be sure.
"It doesn't get used much now, in modern times. However, it has a long history in our world. If you call for help when fighting someone they must answer your call for aid or the magic will mark them as an oathbreaker."
Harry berated himself, within his mind. He'd just made a binding promise. He'd leapt without looking again! He'd been curbing his Gryffindor behaviour but it wasn't fully successful. Playing the role the distraction and staying behind when he knew he could have escaped on his own. Now he'd just made a magically binding pledge without knowing the consequences.
"You didn't pledge anything but to accept his promise, don't fret." She squeezed his arm and then patted his leg.
"Thanks Fleur. As much as I've learned I still have so much to learn about our culture." He ducked his head and looked at the spots where he could feel Viktor's fading magic. He wondered if he would have noticed before he began to work so hard on magical sensing. He doubted it.
"Eh, Harry," Cedric said to him, to get Harry' attention, "I can't do that without my Dad's permission. I'm not sure if he'd agree to it. But if you ever need help let me know. You saved us, me more than once."
"We all worked together. I'm just glad we all made it out without permanent injury. Hopefully our hostages did too." He deflected the focus back to the hostages, away from praising him.
He didn't need to look at Fleur to see her scowl, he knew she'd want him to take more credit, as she'd previously explained.
"I won't make the pledge; our families are friends. There is no doubt we will support you." Harry nodded, accepting the explanation.
A lull in conversation occurred. Everyone had the pertinent information and they were kind of waiting to see what was next. Harry decided to finish his breakfast as he waited, making small talk to pass the time.
It was less than twenty minutes later when the tent flap opened. Harry recognized the Diggory's as they entered. Patrice Delacour came in next and a man Harry assumed was Krum's dad, or family member came in last.
Patrice quickly made his way over and hugged Fleur, she'd stood before embracing him in a massive hug. Harry could hear they were talking quietly in french to one another but didn't feel the need to intrude. Each of them were having their family moments.
Harry's chin dropped and he picked up Cuddles. He petted her lovingly as he waited for the father-daughter moment to pass. Tears threatening to spill from the corners of his eyes, this is what he wanted, this is what he was missing. A loving family. Each champion had parents they could turn to. Harry swallowed down the melancholy and centered himself. Morose thoughts wouldn't help him now.
"Harry, I'm so glad you're okay now. We were all so worried." Patrice extended his hand and Harry shook it.
"We are going to meet with Madame Bones and other officials now. You already have representation there. A Mister Ackerly of Ackerly Adwell and Associates, Cyrus Greengrass and Horace Slughorn are there waiting for you."
Harry slowly dipped his head. That must be his legal representation that Cyrus was hiring for the House of Black. They were to be retained and work on getting Sirius a trial. Hopefully they were good. Arcturus had used them and both of his current advisors had recommended they renew the relationship.
"Are you ready for this Harry, Fleur?"
"Oui, Papa." Fleur stood and offered her hand to pull him up off the bed.
"I suppose I am, it will be good to get this over with." Harry said as he joined the queue for those leaving the tent. Harry held his breath as he exited, hoping whatever mess was headed his way it wasn't worse than what he'd just been through in the forest. Somehow this felt just as ominous as heading into the acromantula lair.
Harry exited the tent and began his trek to the meeting place, following the Delacours, Krums and Diggorys.
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