Consort of Destined Death Chapter 9

Strangely, Fleur followed him out from the medical tent and to a small opening where they could watch the judges announce their scores.

“What did you do for your dragon?” She asked him.

“I managed to get it away from its nest before subduing it.” Harry answered, idly wondering why the French Champion was being so cordial with him.

The stadium’s occupants were waiting anxiously for the judges to finish their deliberations. He knew that the Champions would be rated on how they did in each task, and that this would affect their performance in the Tournament in some way.

“What was your score?” He asked curiously.

“Forty-six.” Fleur answered. “Krum got forty, and Diggory thirty-eight.”

“You must’ve done well then.”

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the judges have finished their deliberations and have decided on what score to give Mr. Potter for his task!” Ludo Bagman’s voice boomed across the arena then, as he stood with his wand to his throat. “First, Madame Maxime gives Mr. Potter an eight, citing his lack of caution when dealing with a dangerous beast like the Hungarian Horntail. Next, Mr. Crouch gives Mr. Potter a ten for his marvelous performance, and calls it exemplary in its execution.”

“For his use of advanced magic, Headmaster Dumbledore has elected to give Mr. Potter a score of… eight. However, he warns of the potential danger of using such dangerous magic in the future.” Bagman paused oddly as he gave Dumbledore’s score, clearly having not expected the Hogwarts Headmaster to be so harsh in his grade. To Harry, it almost felt like he was being scolded, as if he had done something wrong and should hang his head in shame.

“As for myself, as one of this Tournament’s judges, I will gladly give Mr. Potter a perfect score of ten.” Bagman smiled as if pleased with himself. “With our last judge, Headmaster Karkaroff, choosing to give Mr. Potter a score of… What’s this? A-Ahem! I mean— A score of four, citing the unnecessary use of force and damage to the dragon.”

Bagman’s last words were drowned out by the crowd’s outrage, as jeers and boos were directed at the biased Drumstrang Headmaster.

“Forty then.” Harry mused with a shrug, not caring in the least. Fleur still watched him closely, as if measuring his excitement at doing so well. He felt a little irritated, not knowing what it was the French Champion wanted, and it felt like she was waiting for him to show some sort of reaction. It was almost like she wanted to make sure he knew his place beneath her.

“It seems your place on the podium won’t be hurt by my score.” His words came out more vindictively than he would have liked, remembering what she had said to him during the wand-weighing ceremony. But Harry didn’t care about her feelings, as she had done nothing but be rude to him in their time together.

“Wait.” She spoke before he could walk off. “I have been… unkind, to you.”

She spoke slowly, and not in the arrogant and condescending tone he was used to. Rather, her tone was almost soft, as if she truly felt bad about being mean to him. In a way, he guessed this was the only branch Fleur would extend his way, and it would probably be the closest she would get to giving him a full apology.

“Don’t worry about it.” Harry waved off her words, making her look surprised. “I’m serious. I never wanted to be in this tournament, meanwhile you worked hard to get here. You have every right to be mad, and I shouldn’t judge you for it.”

“Oui.” Fleur graciously nodded. “Still, even though I did not see it, I am sure you did well in ze task.”

“If anything, I would say Potter did better than you.”

A new voice interjected then, making Harry stiffen. Daphne Greengrass of all people approached them, clearly having sought him out and eavesdropped on their conversation before revealing herself.

“And who would you be?” Fleur eyed the Slytherin blonde narrowly.

“Daphne Greengrass.” She didn’t even bother offering her hand. “Potter and I are acquaintances.”

If that’s what you want to call it. He tried desperately to keep his face neutral, but Fleur must have spotted something, as her lips gained a dangerous edge.

“Ah…” Fleur released a breath as if she knew exactly what their relationship was. “Just a leetle girl then.”

Daphne glared back at the French Veela, and Harry knew that glare would’ve turned her to ash if it was magically powered.

He suddenly felt like he was standing between two apex predators disguised as girls in that moment. Almost akin to being marooned at sea while sharks are circling, hoping they will eventually lose interest and spare his life.

“Er…” He desperately needed to de-escalate the situation if he ever wanted to escape. “I think you two would actually get along if—”

“Unlikely.” They both said at the exact same time, eyes never leaving each other.

He almost preferred fighting monsters in the Land Between to this.

“Harry!”

It was Susan Bones who called his name then, as the Hufflepuff redhead came jogging over. Her large breasts bounced obscenely with each step, making it hard not to stare, all while her red hair swung loosely while framing her flushed face caused by the cold air.

“You did great, Harry!” She exclaimed once she got close, and he had to wonder if she noticed Daphne and Fleur at all.

“Thanks, Susan.” He rubbed his neck, suddenly feeling tired. He had never used gravity magic on such a large scale before, and it wasn’t so much the expenditure of magic that tired him, but rather the nuance of handling so much power at once. He knew in the future he would get better at it, but Harry wouldn’t be leveling mountains anytime soon.

“Hey-um, about earlier.” Susan blushed fiercely, her face almost going as red as her hair as she spoke quickly. “I was wondering, would you like to celebrate with me? The others were talking about having a celebration for the Hogwarts champions at the Three Broomsticks.”

Fleur’s expression froze, her perfect posture stiffening ever so slightly while her eyes narrowed in. Meanwhile Daphne’s cold gaze narrowed in on the redhead.

“Oh?” Fleur said lightly, the single syllable laced with sweet venom. “A celebration, you say? How… inane.”

Daphne seemed to have forgotten about Fleur Delacour entirely, and was now focused solely on glaring Susan down. “That’s quite forward of you, Bones.”

“Eep!” Susan jumped in fright, seemingly noticing the two for the first time. “What are you doing here?!”

“We’ve been here the whole time.” Daphne said cooly. “Even when you gave Potter your proposition.”

Susan’s cheeks flushed. “I’m just inviting him to Hogsmeade, not proposing!”

Fleur folded her arms and looked at him. “Perhaps you should take some time to… recover, ’Arry. From ze task, and from all these overenthusiastic leetle girls.”

Susan puffed up in indignation, but at the same time eyed him anxiously as if waiting for his answer. She was clearly bothered by Daphne and Fleur’s antagonism, and he didn’t want to make the situation worse by refusing her. He might not be the best with girls and their feelings, but he knew it would be harsh to turn Susan down in front of them.

He restrained a sigh. “I’ll go, Susan.”

She had been one of the few that supported him, even when his closest friends abandoned him. To agree to go with her to Hogsmeade was a small price to pay for her loyalty. That wasn’t to mention that Harry actually enjoyed the redhead’s company.

Immediately, he could see the terse expression appear on Daphne’s face. Strangely, even Fleur looked irritated, as if mad that he was focusing his attention on Susan instead of her.

The group of them soon split to head their separate ways, but Harry grasped Daphne’s arm tightly before she could take off. She looked furious that he would touch her, and was likely close to cursing him then.

“Walk with me.” He said to her, putting a commanding undercurrent into his tone, making it clear that his demand was non-negotiable.

He led her towards the castle, but away from the masses of students leaving the arena. The Hogwarts grounds had plenty of boulders and hills, and he took advantage of them to make sure their conversation was private.

Looking at his guest, he could practically feel the irritation pouring off Daphne in waves, and it wasn’t hard to imagine what caused it.

“I’m sorry that I accepted Susan’s invitation.” He decided to get that subject out of the way first. “She was nice to me in the library the other day, and is one of the few people who actually believe that I didn’t put my name in the goblet.”

“So you took pity on her?” The blonde sneered.

“I felt that I owed her.” He corrected. “That said, I think it’s about time that we resolve… whatever it is that’s between us.”

She folded her arms, and for a moment he thought she would proclaim that there was nothing between them. Even if he had grown a lot as of late, such a statement would hurt him. He liked Daphne, and despite the fact they didn’t know each other well, he desired her.

She was likely the hottest girl in Hogwarts, the untouchable Slytherin Ice Queen, and yet it seemed she had a hole in her cold armor specifically made for him. He could only hope that she wouldn’t push him away, as Harry wasn’t comfortable with simply taking advantage of her and then pretending like whatever relationship they had never existed.

“I want to be with you.” The words slipped out less elegantly than he would have liked. Greengrass’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting him to be so blunt, and for a moment he could spot glee in her expression. “However, there are… reasons that I can’t be in an exclusive relationship with you.”

He had talked with Melina about his relationship troubles, and his Finger Maiden had no trouble in explaining that being Elden Lord entitled him to be with whoever he wanted. The Lands Between didn’t exactly have a relationship/marriage system in the usual sense, as rather it was a system of consorts.

Harry still didn’t entirely understand it, but the gist was simple. He could be with multiple partners, which would then be referred to as consorts.

Daphne clenched her jaw, clearly holding back a scathing retort. “And that is?”

“It’s complicated, and something I haven’t told anyone yet.” He stressed his words. “It has to do with my magic, as I’ve been chosen for something important.”

Daphne still looked mad, but her expression soon slackened, before she let out a sigh as if she had released whatever anger she was clinging to. “I can’t say I’m surprised, especially after what I just witnessed.”

He raised an inquisitive brow, and she snorted. “Seriously, Potter? You just took down a dragon like it was nothing. It would take teams of wizards to pull off what you just did. That’s not to mention your strange disappearances, and it’s not hard to image that you’re up to something.”

He kept his lips closed, letting the blonde continue without interruption.

“Only a handful of wizards on this continent could do what you just did, and Dumbledore and Grindlewald are among them.” Her eyes locked onto him, and he could see something flicker at the corner of her gaze. “And yet you’re still in school.”

“Would it surprise you to know that I don’t think all that highly of myself? I don’t want people to think of me as an arrogant braggart as Snape keeps saying.” It was true. His time in the Lands Between had crushed whatever supreme confidence he had in his own ability. The power of the demigods made him look weak by comparison, and that wasn’t to mention the horde of other creatures who could chew him up and spit him out.

“You have the right to be.” Daphne replied. “More than that, you’ve confirmed your own legend by taking down that dragon. And I’m trying to decide whether to join you or not.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Dumbledore, You-Know-Who, and Grindlewald are the most powerful wizards of the last century. Not just magically powerful, but also politically. One cannot be powerful and avoid politics, it is a simple fact that wizards and witches gravitate towards those gifted with supreme magical power, as they are guaranteed an extreme amount of influence on our society.” She lectured. “Up until now the legend of the Boy-Who-Lived was just a myth, and yet you just confirmed it to be real. Most thought what you did to You-Know-Who was a fluke, yet now people will start to see you as one of the wizards who will actually upend our world.”

“So now everyone is going to think I’m the next Dumbledore?”

“Or Grindlewald.” She nodded. “Your handling of the dragon was telling. And even more so was Dumbledore’s reaction. He would’ve given you a perfect score if you did anything but that.”

He pinched his brow, pushing down his frustration. It wasn’t like Harry was trying to create such a mess, yet like most things in his life, it happened unexpectedly. He had even restrained himself from killing the creature!

“Let’s get back to the original topic.” He tried not to think of what Dumbledore would do if he actually killed the dragon. “Do you want to take things further? Between us, I mean.”

Daphne’s face scrunched up minutely in frustration, and he could’ve sworn he heard her mutter ‘hurricane Potter’ and ‘doomed’ under her breath. “I do. However, I would like to take things slow. Or at least slower than the pace we’ve been going at.”

He couldn’t help it, as a broad smile spread across his lips.

“Don’t look too happy, Potter.” She tried to appear stern, but he could spot her smile. “You have no idea what this is going to cost me if it gets out.”

They began walking back towards the castle then, not quite holding hands, but still close. “We’ll take things slow, as you said. To be fair, it was very forward for you to be making out with me in the girl’s bath.”

She sent him a scathing glare, not appreciating his joke. “If you tell anyone about that…”

“I won’t!” He nearly yelped, holding up his hands. “In fact, let’s try and keep this whole thing discreet. I don’t want to give the rest of the school anything else to gossip about.”

“I can see why you’d think that.” Her gaze softened. “Malfoy’s badges were a bit much.”

“Badges?” He frowned.

“You didn’t know?” She scowled. “Malfoy made badges claiming Cedric was the real Hogwarts Champion, and that people should support him over you. They were quite childish, and degrading towards your character.”

“What else is new.” He muttered, but that was when he spotted something in the distance. A group of Gryffindors were heading his way, seemingly having caught sight of him, as they rushed over. “Did any of them wear Draco’s badges?”

Daphne followed his gaze, and frowned at the sight. “A few of them.”

Harry hummed, not feeling overly surprised. They had all shunned him since he became a Champion, going so far as to made sure he couldn’t sit with them at meals and even pressuring Hermione to avoid him.

“You shouldn’t forgive them.” Daphne stated.

“I don’t exactly have a lot of friends, Greengrass.” He replied absently.

“Yet they betrayed you.” She said. “If you want them back, make them work for it and prove themselves. Otherwise you’re inviting them to betray you again.”

The girl sounded like she was advising him in how he should act as a Lord seeking allies, and not some schoolboy wanting his friends back. He made an internal note to come to her for advice on things like this in the future, especially if he was going to become Elden Lord.

I won’t accept them back right away. He mentally decided. They’ll have to prove themselves if they want to be friends with me again.

Luckily, the group was far enough away that they couldn’t recognize Daphne’s face, and probably just thought Harry was talking to some random blonde. She left before they could get too close, leaving him standing there alone as the Gryffindors ran over to him.

“You did great, Harry.” Hermione smiled, but he could spot the sadness in her eyes. She might have avoided him, but to her credit she had explained herself, in that the others had pressured her.

Meanwhile his fellow Gryffindors were talking over each other as they praised him.

“You totally crushed that dragon!”

“I can’t believe Karkaroff gave you a four!”

“What was that last spell you used?”

“I haven’t talked to any of you in weeks.” He cut across the chatter, silencing it. “All of you shunned me after I was chosen as Champion—against my will, I might add—and now you all come crawling back as if nothing happened.”

His gaze found Hermione as he finished, and the messy brunette’s eyes became filled with tears.

“C’mon, Harry.” Dean said. “You don’t have to rub it in. It was wrong what we did-”

“Yeah, we were being prats.” Seamus nodded in agreement. “But we’re over it now.”

“So now that I’m doing better, you’ve suddenly come back.” His voice was cold. “You were supposed to be there when I needed you most.”

“Get over yourself, Harry.” Ron scowled. “It didn’t seem fair at the time that you were selected for the tournament when all of us wanted it. It still isn’t fair. But we’ve forgiven you for it, so let’s move on.”

“So that’s what this is about? You don’t even care that I never wanted to be Champion in the first place, you just see the fame and glory that comes with winning the tournament.” The mocking in his tone was unmistakable. He then turned to the rest of the group, making them collectively wince. “Do the rest of you think the same?”

“Of course we don’t, Harry.” Hermione glared at the redhead. “Ron’s just being an idiot.”

“Well it’s true!” Ron pointed at him, his face red. “You… You get everything! A vault full of gold from your rich parents, fame akin to Dumbledore’s, and now Champion!”

“And you don’t think there was a price to all of it?” Harry cut in. “My family? Dead. With it came fame I could care less about. Now I’m in a dangerous tournament that I might even die in! Trust me, I would gladly swap places with you if I could!”

“Well you can’t, can you!” Ron seethed.

His wand had unintentionally fallen into his hand as they argued, and more than ever Harry was ready to start throwing curses. The group of nearby students had formed a circle around the two of them as they yelled, clearly anticipating a fight. And for a moment Harry was tempted to give them exactly what they wanted. He wanted to teach Ron a lesson he would never forget in that moment.

He’s not worth it. The thought broke through the chaos and drifted to the forefront of his mind. Already Harry was dealing with enough problems as it was, and didn’t want to add the consequences of cursing Ron Weasley in front of a horde of witnesses to the list.

“Get out of my sight.” He said coldly. “I don’t want to see your face ever again.”

/////

He nearly ran back to the Lands Between in the aftermath of the first task, but Harry couldn’t resist sleeping in his own bed that night. While camping on the ground with Melina and Millicent was tolerable, especially with the use of a cushioning charm, nothing beat his own bed in Gryffindor tower.

There was a need for him to show his face around Hogwarts more often. He had learned his lesson with the first task, and that McGonagall would have told him about the dragons ahead of time if he had only stayed in the castle. There was also the fact that he was worn out from the first task, both physically and mentally, and needed rest.

The next morning he walked into the Great Hall to be met by sporadic cheers and appraising glances. It was hard to think that just a day ago these people hated him. The contrast was stark, in that all it took was him defeating a dragon to gain their praise.

However the morning owls soon arrived, and the lively atmosphere in the Great Hall soon died down. Instead of awestruck looks, people were instead sending him nervous glances and even glares.

The Daily Prophet, the state newspaper for Magical Britain, featured him heavily on the front page, with an article to go with it that was less than complimentary.

-

DRAGONS, DANGER, AND DARK MAGIC?

By Rita Skeeter

The first task of the Triwizard Tournament, intended as a noble test of courage, has instead raised disturbing questions about one of Hogwarts’ youngest and most controversial champions: Harry Potter.

Before a crowd of horrified onlookers, the so-called Boy-Who-Lived faced his dragon, and did not merely defeat it, but attacked it in what many are calling a display of unsettling magical aggression.

Eyewitnesses report that Potter’s wandwork was unlike anything taught in a standard Hogwarts curriculum. “It wasn’t a stunning spell or anything proper.” One spectator told this reporter, still visibly shaken. “Purple lightning erupted from his wand. The dragon was useless against whatever Potter used… He flung it around like an abused house-elf.”

Indeed, witnesses claim Potter unleashed an unseen force of magical power that formed a powerful tornado, destroying half the arena and leaving the beast writhing and subdued in mere moments. The creature, one of the fiercest known to the wizarding world, was subdued by Potter in mere minutes, a feat that would normally take teams of wizards to accomplish.

A senior member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures (who preferred to remain unnamed for their safety) confided: “That wasn’t the work of a fourth-year student. That was powerful magic. Real, dangerous, magic that is… The kind that the Ministry should control. No child should be capable of it.”

Experts far and wide are attributing Potter’s accomplishment to his usage of Dark Magic, and Harry Potter is not the only one said to wield such malicious magic during the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament. Another Champion is also under suspicion for using unsightly magic to combat her dragon.

Fleur Delacour, the dazzling Beauxbatons contender and noted Veela, also produced results beyond what many deemed possible. While her encounter was less brutal, it was no less uncanny. Her dragon reportedly fell into a trance, ceasing its attack entirely after she sang to it in French. One witness called it: “unnatural, like the beast was entranced by her.”

Entranced indeed. For the dragon is not the only one to come under Ms. Delacour’s spell, as her fellow Champion, Harry Potter, also seems to be entranced by Ms. Delacour. The two were seen leaving the arena together after the task, all while sharing an intimate conversation with one another. This begs the question of whether the two Champions are in cahoots, and maybe even secretly practicing Dark Magic behind the scenes.

As one retired Auror told the Prophet: “No wizard that young should be able to drop a dragon. Not unless he’s tapping into something darker than school-taught spells.”

Not even Potter’s greatest supporter, Albus Dumbledore, is comfortable with the Boy-Who-Live’s chosen path. The Hogwarts Headmaster subtracted two points from his score, citing Potter’s use of “dangerous magic” as for the reason why.

And if Albus Dumbledore is wary of Harry Potter, then why should we at the Daily Prophet be any different?

-

For more on Harry Potter, read “EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON UNSEEN POTTER MAGIC”(Page 3), and “POTTER’S CLOSE CIRCLE CRUMBLES”(Page 5)

-

The front page featured a picture of him riding Torrent with the limp body of the Hungarian Horntail sitting in the background. Harry hated to admit it, but he did look quite dashing in the picture. A stern expression sat on his face with his wand in hand, meanwhile his off hand gripped Torrent’s reigns.

But the article was less than flattering. If anything it was the worst article written about him so far, to the point of being defaming.

He had to wonder if someone powerful, maybe even the Minister of Magic, was behind the article. Daphne’s words from the day before echoed in his mind, warning him of how powerful wizards always gained a lot of influence in wizarding society. Maybe they’re trying to destroy my public image before I become too much of a threat?

It certainly seemed like something Minister Fudge would do, as the pathetic Minister of Magic seemed desperate to keep hold of power. And Harry was definitely somebody he perceived as a threat, being the Boy-Who-Lived as well as someone who was growing drastically in magical power.

It’s something to worry about later. He mentally decided, putting his paper down and looking up to see something that momentarily surprised him. His friends were sitting with him again, as his year mates surrounded him on all sides at the Gryffindor table as they ate their breakfast quietly.

Hermione and Neville sat the closest to him, yet still gave him enough space as to not get too close for comfort. The Weasley twins and the rest of the Quidditch team were opposite, along with Seamus, Dean, Parvati, and Lavender.

There was just one person obviously missing. “Should I even ask where Ron is?”

He had told his former best friend to get lost after all, and so he shouldn’t have been surprised that the redhead was consciously missing.

“Ginny used the bag-bogey hex on him.” Fred answered. “It was honestly frightening how angry she was. Furious over what happened yesterday.”

“Can’t say our little brother didn’t deserve it.” George raised a cup. “Even if it put him in the hospital wing.”

“Everyone! May I have your attention!” McGonagall stood at the head table then, getting the attention of all three schools as they all ate breakfast. “The first task of the tournament is over, and the second task will not take place until spring, with the third occurring towards the latter part of the year. However, there is another event that will take place before the second task is to commence.”

The students descended into excited whispers. Meanwhile Harry felt his stomach drop, having not expected another event associated with the Tournament to come so soon.

“The Yule Ball will be held on Christmas Day, and every Champion will be required to attend with a date. All students, third year and above, will be allowed to attend.”

A collective groan sounded out from nearly every boy in the room, meanwhile all the girls squealed and chatted excitedly. For his part, Harry tried to stay calm as he realized that he was required to attend the Ball with a date.

Disclaimer: All Characters are over the Age of 18

A/N: I didn’t want to sever Harry’s relationship to his Gryffindor friends entirely, but it will definitely be a long time till they’ve fully made up