NW December 24th 1994
Dora escorted Fleur back to the Carriage, having enjoyed a pleasant night at the Yule Ball. When she had asked Hazel if it was ok that she took Fleur as her date, Hazel had seemed almost distant. She didn't reject the suggestion, saying it was their fault that Fleur was missing out on being a Champion. So Dora agreed, wearing a much more masculine looking formal robe with a silver tie to match with Fleur's silver dress. Wishing not to harm Hazel further, she and Fleur agreed to switch dancing partners, reserving only the first and last dance on the floor for each other. After the exquisite dinner and the opening dance was concluded, all the Champions in an agreed-upon show of sportsmanship and cooperation, switched dancing partners. Dora danced with Susan for a second, letting Harry take a break from being enthralled by his date. The young Hufflepuff's green dress had surprised quite a few with it's simple beauty, especially as it showed her developing figure, but it matched perfectly with Harry's tie and eye color. It was funny, watching Harry stumble a few times with his steps whenever he got lost in her eyes. Hermione, as it turned out, had been approached by several people, including Theodore Nott, whom she agreed to dance with. The two had been getting to know each other ever since Hazel allowed the brunette to join them in the Chamber.
The other Coalition children were scattered about. Neville took his date, Hannah, and the two were quietly enjoying the evening, only dancing a few times to slow songs. Daphne had invited Zabini, who spent much of the night attending to his date, much to the dark haired girl's amusement. The younger years weren't able to participate in the wider party, but Hazel had allowed them to stay in the Chamber together. Teddy, Astoria, Luna and the Twins were enjoying a quieter time in their own Christmas party under the supervision of the family elves. Dora hoped Teddy managed to enjoy the night, though she could guess at the mischief the Carrows would get up to. However, during the entire Ball, Dora's eyes wandered from face to face, looking for her girlfriend. Dora caught no glimpses of her white hair or green eyes anywhere and even Hazel's Magic remained oddly quiet inside of her, giving her a sense of melancholy. Even the appearance of her favorite band did little to lift Dora's mood. Seeing a few of the older students walking away, Dora felt it was time. "Mind if I escort you back to the Carriage?" Fleur gave her an understanding look and the two set off. "Sorry if I wasn't all that pleasant company."
Dora shook her head. "You were great Fleur. I am the one who has to apologize. All I can say is that I hope one day you find the person that makes you feel alive in events like these." Fleur smiled at her and nodded, kissing Dora on the cheek. "Thank you. Now go, as I believe your lady is waiting for you." Once inside their shared room within the Carriage, Dora shifted her appearance back to normal, wore her usual winter clothes and jacket, took her key and disillusioned herself. She made it all the way to Hazel's Chamber and unlocked it, stepping inside. It took her a moment to get her bearings as the wards within the room felt a bit rougher than normal. She stepped deeper in and looked around in the dark interior. "Hazel?" The magic inside her flared and seemed to pull her in the direction of their bedroom. The moment she opened the door, her thoughts lost any coherence. Hazel sat at the edge of the bed, staring into a mirror. Her eyes seemed lost in a memory even as Dora tried to understand what she was seeing. She had seen Hazel's hair be dark, but never the deep black that it was now. It certainly looked like it was the same as Harry's and Teddy's. "Hazel?"
A softer voice responded to her. "I heard you, Dora." It took her standing up for Dora to understand what she was seeing. Hazel's hair wasn't the only difference. She was shorter, thinner. She was also wearing a pretty green and black dress that looked so beautiful on her yet felt so wrong. It covered too much of the skin Hazel never seemed to not leave exposed. "Is this what you looked like when you were at Hogwarts?" Timid green eyes looked at Dora as she turned around. "Yes. At least up to my seventeenth birthday. I wore this when I went out to a Slughorn Yule Party with…" Hazel caught herself and she turned away. Dora felt something snap into place as she went and hugged Hazel. "You never took part in balls before, except with your ex." Hazel rested her head against Dora's chest, the change in size making Dora feel so out of sorts. "It was only once. After my Godmother… after things went bad, I was looking for anything to make me feel better. My ex invited me to the party but we left after I almost left Draco Malfoy in a puddle of his own drool." Dora chuckled, which seemed to make Hazel's mood better. "He asked me out after that. Should tell you everything you need to know about how crazy we were. I just about committed a crime in his presence and it didn't faze him."
Dora hugged Hazel tighter. "Did I make you feel like it was the same? Like we were repeating history?" Hazel shook her head. "What he saw in me was what he wanted. Nothing else. He couldn't see me at all. I, on the other hand, saw him for exactly who he was. I allowed myself to be with him to fill the emptiness inside of me. It worked. For five months we were ok. But like with all things in life, it had to end. The illusion had to fall sooner or later." Dora felt her fears rise. She knew where Hazel's thoughts were going. "Turn back. Now." Hazel turned towards Dora and stared at her. "I am somewhat tempted to make you work for it." Dora blushed but she felt Hazel's body shift back to her true form, the dress retaking its original shape as a long flowing robe. She stared at Hazel's hair, unsure why it wasn't shifting until Hazel pulled it off and tossed it aside, her short white hair growing out to its long state. Dora blinked for a second before she started to laugh, even as Hazel pouted. "I am sorry. I just… I feel so dumb right now. I forgot you couldn't take that color." Hazel glared. "I haven't lied to you." Dora looked up and smiled. "And I don't want there to be any lies between us. Ever." She handed Hazel a red present wrapped in a green bow. "Happy Christmas." Hazel took it and, with a questioning look towards Dora, opened it, freezing the moment she saw what was held inside.
Wrapping her arms around Hazel's waist, Dora kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. "Well?" She watched as tears fell from Hazel's eyes before she spoke up once more. "You gave me your magic, your Family's Magic, to keep me safe and alive. From the moment we met, you have been protecting me. This time, I wanted to protect you. Perenelle said you might recognize it." Hazel's fingers traced the charged magical crystal intricately carved into a medallion. The lines took on the form of a white dragon, it's wings forming the edges of the medallion, as its snout was pressing into the heads of two young dragons. A mother protecting its nest. Hazel could feel Dora's magic in the crystal, her body warming happily as it sought out her own. "A Patronus Echo. Designed to connect the feelings of the one who charged the crystal with the one who is the source of the happy memory." Dora took the medallion and looped the chain over Hazel's head. She felt instantly how Hazel's body seemed to fill with warmth. Those green eyes, filled with unshed tears, focused on her own purple eyes. Dora raised her hand up and cupped Hazel's cheek. "I can't put a ring on your finger just yet, but I promise you Hazel. I am here to be with you. Only you." Warm lips pressed into her own and Dora melted with the tenderness and love that seemed to spread across her body. She felt the back of her legs press against the edge before Hazel pushed her onto the bed.
Clothes vanished and the feeling of skin on skin made her mind lose focus as the world around her seemed to fade into the background. All that mattered was the feeling that seemed to fill her to the brim and her own essence responding back in kind. Green eyes stared at her as they both took a moment to breathe. Dora's voice escaped her lips in pants and moans as deft hands and warm lips sought out every inch of skin. She felt Hazel pressing into her and Dora's mind blacked out. The moment she could remember anything again, those wonderful warm lips were on her again. "Sorry about tomorrow, Nymphadora. But I need you to feel all that I am tonight. You, my most thoughtful and caring partner deserve it all and I am going to give you my all." The lips smashed into her again and Dora felt the meaning behind her words. Feeling and emotions filled her heart and mind as her body was driven to the edge of release. In one singular moment she felt Hazel in her entirety. A ball of blazing yet cold magic filled with desires, pains, insecurities and determination. But at the core of her was a single, all consuming desire. The desire to love and be loved back. Dora willed her emotions to reach Hazel and the momentary glimpse ended as her lips pulled back after the breathtaking kiss. By the end, she wasn't sure where she ended and Hazel started but at the moment she couldn't really care all that much. She was whole.
-∞-
"Harry! How are you, Pup?" Harry hugged Sirius. "I am ok, Sirius. Happy Yuletide." Sirius smiled and rubbed his hair. "And Happy Yuletide to you." He looked up and had to hold his breath as Hazel stared at him. "Happy Yuletide, Padfoot." Sirius blinked at her for a second. "Happy Yuletide, Miss Peverell." Hazel walked past him and Dora came up and hugged him. "Don't mind her. The fact she didn't think about cursing you the moment she saw you is a good thing." Sirius hugged Dora back as the families gathered at Grimmauld for New Year's Eve. Dora watched as Hazel's eyes searched the place, echoes of memories visible in her eyes. She had begrudgingly agreed to spending New Year's Eve at the Black London Townhouse as a gesture of support for Harry and Sirius. The Marauder had spent the last few months with Mind Healers and under Andromeda's care before he was given a clean bill of health, though the experiences at Azkaban would always haunt him. He found a strange comradery with Lord Nott as the two worked to redefine the Traditionalist families, finding ways to reduce the influence of the extremists from the Death Eater supporters. Lord Malfoy found his typical support exceedingly ineffective in passing any proposals, with Ted Tonks retaining his position as Peverell Proxy examining every single law and pointing out the dangerous loopholes and possible economic impact.
The Progressives were shifting as well as Dowager Longbottom took a stronger lead as both a Governor for Hogwarts and as Neville's Regent. With Julia and Nott's aid, proposals were being crafted in a way that appealed to the vast majority of the Wizengamot, barring any need for seeking individual families to vote with them. The recent Magical Creature and Being reclassification law had passed with a surprising amount of support, despite the Undersecretary's vocal arguments. While Vampires and Hags were still listed as dangerous, establishments could now be co-owned with them to help provide them with a more comfortable existence. The growing ties established by the Department of Mysteries with the British Government was helping get support with the introduction of blood from blood banks for the Vampire population. There were still restrictions on where Vampires could be but a study into the Vampire condition was being conducted by the DoM with ICW support, same as with the Hags. Ever since the summer of 1991, the ICW, member nations and the United Nations had been working on ways to diminish the impact a breach of the Statute of Secrecy could have on the world, with cooperation being a key factor. This included the careful integration of the more outlier magical creatures, beings who could become a threat to the human population. Hazel was happy for that, as every step seemed like a positive change away from the catastrophe of her world.
Hazel watched as the rest of the invited guests arrived, with Susan greeting Harry warmly, the boy blushing as they sat together. Of Hazel's students, she was the more balanced, enjoying a good mix of physical movement and precise spellwork. She wondered if the girl would seek a career in the Aurors like her Aunt Amelia, but it seemed too early to tell. The girl did seem an odd mix of quiet and contemplative with moments of spontaneity. It made her smile as the girl seemed to help Harry out with slowing down and enjoying the moment. Dora had shown her a memory of the two dancing at the Yule Ball, both clearly nervous but completely oblivious to everyone else. Her thoughts were sent elsewhere as soon as Andromeda and Ted arrived. Teddy ran up to Dromeda and hugged her as Hazel stood up. The witch turned to her after hugging Teddy back and smiled. "Happy Yuletide, Hazel." Hazel pulled Andromeda into a hug. "Happy Yuletide, Andromeda. Mind joining me elsewhere. I want to talk to you in private." Andromeda nodded and two slipped away into the library after she said hello to everyone else. The older witch looked at Hazel as soon as the door closed. "Everything alright?"
Taking a seat on a small couch in the room, Hazel fidgeted. "I wanted to apologize. About Harry." Andromeda sat beside her and frowned. "About what?" Hazel looked away from her. "I know you tried to take custody of him for years. You managed to get it finally but over the last year and a half … I am sorry he focused more on me." Andromeda gave Hazel a soft smile. "Hazel. I sought his custody to give the boy a better life. I never had any intentions of replacing Lily as the boy's mother. I only wanted him to be happy. And he is. In the months he spends with us, he is polite and calm, but when you are around he relaxes completely. You give him the sense of safety and familiarity he desperately needed." Hazel turned to her. "I never set out to become like a mother to him. I told your husband as much." Andromeda nodded. "You didn't, but you can't help being yourself either. You lived a nightmare that seemed to be Harry's fate. Yet, here we are, a larger family gathered together. We are all here because of your actions. You shouldn't feel guilty for any of what has happened. Hell, my daughter and I are closer than ever, even with her spending the last few months in Beauxbatons." Hazel looked towards the door. "What about Sirius? He is Harry's Godfather but my behaviour towards him has practically destroyed any chances of Harry looking up to him like a father."
Andromeda looked towards the door and nodded. "That is certainly true. But again, you did everything you could." Andromeda raised her hand to stop Hazel's next comment. "Your trauma prevented you from bonding with the man, yet you knew this was wrong of you. You gave Harry the chance to know him and bond with him on his own. And the boy has. Perhaps not as you and your Godmother did but it's not as bad as it could have been." Hazel searched Andromeda's eyes. "Dora told you. About who my Godmother was." Andromeda's face turned sad. "She did. She felt it was better that I knew, even if I never shared it with anyone but Ted." Andromeda leaned forward and hugged Hazel, surprising her. "My sister's life was not an easy one. Our world did to her much as what yours did to you. I had to bury the memories of the bright older sister she once was. She is gone from this world. So believe me when I say I am glad that her light lives on in you. That your Bella was there for you as she was meant to be; whole and kind. Keep that memory alive and share her light with us, Hazel." Hazel's eyes watered as she hugged Andromeda back. The two returned to the others after and Dora sat next to Hazel, who felt a bit different than from when she arrived. She leaned her head on her girlfriend's shoulder as everyone chatted away, waiting for the hours to pass by as the New Year approached.
-∞-
Sirius stared at Hazel as Amelia held his hands. "You… you were born to a different Prongs and Lily?" Hazel did her best to control her feelings as she nodded in response to his question. There was none of the madness she knew was present in her own world's Sirius Black, not anymore, but his appearance was still too close for her subconscious to just let it go. Worst of all were his eyes. This Sirius and Bella of her world were very much alike in appearance, though Bella's hair had a lot more curls. Seeing the same warmth and kindness she knew so well aimed at Harry from those eyes on Sirius' face made her emotions go into pure chaos. Sirius turned to Andromeda and the rest. "You are all sure of this? You all believe her?" Hazel sighed, looking for something, anything her world's Bella knew that might apply to Sirius. "In the summer before your fifth year, before you were due to inherit the Heir ring, Walburga took you aside. She tried to instruct you on what she wanted you to behave as. That meant breaking ties with James and Remus and getting friendly with the Slytherins. That meant sacrificing everything that ever mattered to you. In my world you refused, before your mother placed you under the Cruciatus. She kept you under for too long and my Godmother believes something in you broke that day. I am going to guess something similar happened to you but you managed to escape and spent the rest of the summer with Dorea and Charlus Potter."
Those grey eyes turned to her again, shock and horror written on them. "I never told anyone what happened, not even James. Only Dorea and Charlus knew about what happened at Grimmauld. Father… Father caught my mother torturing me. He forced her to stop and sent me away. He banished me from the house." Amelia squeezed Sirius' hand for support before turning to Hazel. "No one saved him in your world?" Hazel shook her head. "My Godmother only heard about it when word reached her via Regulus that Sirius had a need for a Healer. The Potters in my world had no real ties to the Blacks and Orion ordered the matter to be kept in house, so no one could say a word. Sirius went back to Hogwarts, jittery and suffering the effects but no one could do anything about it. He never recovered from that. Not really. He returned to Grimmauld every year until graduation, the last summer seemingly going better than the last two." Dora cursed. "They Marked him." Hazel shrugged. "That was the guess in hindsight. In our world, as soon as the children were seventeen years old, they could be Marked and they were. After they completed the initiation. Rape, Torture and Murder of an undesirable." Andromeda winced and turned to Amelia. The redhead sighed. "It's usually the same here, though a few got Marked for completing special assignments or being part of a prominent family."
Sirius rubbed his face and looked at Hazel. "You certainly know a lot about Death Eaters." Hazel turned away from him. "You know about Harry's nightmares. I had something similar. Voldemort could reach out to me. He could find me wherever I went and he could speak to me at a moment's notice. What do you think a megalomaniac with psychopathic tendencies did with that knowledge?" Sirius paled as Dora froze. "Your Family Magic." Hazel nodded as she marked the symbol of her family in the air with fire writing. "In our world he was the Lord Peverell and I was the Heiress. The magic decided that. Our magic bound us together. When he tried to kill me in 81, he lost control of the Family Magic. So it waited. It waited for me to be ready. In that time it waited we were equals, bound to never harm each other and to never usurp the other. He spent a great deal of that time trying to twist me to his side. He showed me every twisted memory, every great accomplishment. He took a perverse pleasure in making Purebloods behave no better than wild dogs as they unknowingly obeyed the orders of a Halfblood. He was proud of what he did." Hazel leaned her head back. "And I watched it all through his eyes." Everyone around shivered at that as Dora hugged Hazel. Sirius took a deep breath. "Andromeda said my look alike murdered your godmother." The air crackled with magic for a second before Hazel bit out her response. "Yes." Amelia gripped his hand, "Sirius…" The man pressed on. "You killed him, didn't you?"
The shift in magic in the room was instantaneous as black flames shot out from Hazel's feet before stopping a split second before they reached Sirius. The man jumped back as Amelia drew her wand. Everyone in the room was frozen as they stared at the black flames before they died down. There was no mistaking the hate in Hazel's words. "I did. First time I ever casted the Killing Curse against another person. First time I was so utterly consumed by hate that the curse turned darker than all other killing curses." Amelia smacked Sirius on the head. "Don't ever do that again." Sirius rubbed his head, looking somewhat ashamed. "I needed to know and she isn't the most friendly for me to talk to." Hazel took a deep breath and the air in the room felt far more comfortable afterwards. "Congratulations, Padfoot. You know." Sirius frowned before he realized why she called him Padfoot. "Guessing my alter ego had a different Marauder name?" Hazel lowered her head. "Not sharing it. I have enough trouble being reminded of him around you as it is." She stood up and green eyes that reminded Sirius of Lily glared down at him. "You have what you wanted to know. You know what I have done for your family. I am going to do my best to ignore the itch I have to hurt you because Harry deserves you in his life. Try not to piss me off again. Now if you excuse me, my son knows I am in a foul mood. I need to go to him and settle us both down." She kissed Dora and the cheek and walked out of the room.
Sirius rubbed his hair. "She reminds me of Lily. The woman was a terror when she got mad. Pretty sure I couldn't sit down for a week after I took Harry for a ride on my motorbike." Amelia scoffed. "You bloody well deserved it too." Sirius nodded as he looked towards the Tonks. "So, what do we do now?" Andromeda stared at him. "We treat her exactly as we always did. She is the closest thing Harry has to a blood family. Everything she has done in the last three years has been to make sure he doesn't turn out like her and for her son to live a happy life. The boys adore her because she has never hidden anything from either of them." Sirius sat back in his seat and rubbed his ring as the Head of House Black. A thought returned to him about what Kreacher told him. "Bellatrix was her Godmother." Dora nodded. "She was. Hers was younger, in your year at school and friends to both Lily and James. She was a Healer that worked as a double agent between the sides." Sirius sighed, feeling so conflicted. Now that he knew what to look for, she was certainly very much like Lily, but the ferocity in her was very much something all her own. "I will try not to set her off anymore and I have no problem with her being close to Harry." Dora stood up. "Good, because something tells me it wouldn't have mattered if she had your support or not." Dora left the room as Sirius looked to Andromeda. "Is she planning to tell Harry?" Andromeda nodded. "The boy is building up his Occlumency defences, but we believe Voldemort's connection to him bypasses that. She will tell him when Voldemort is dead and gone for good."
Dora, up the stairs of Grimmauld, found Hazel sitting beside Teddy in the boys room, with Harry sitting on his bed, both of the kids being wide awake. She watched as Aithusa flew around the room, Teddy's Alina following it around as Harry's doe pranced around beneath them even as it's form shivered. She watched as Hazel taught them how to vary the size of the Patroni, until Harry's doe was able to fit on the palm of his hand. "Focus your thoughts on a person that should receive the message and speak the words. The Patronus can carry the message pretty much anywhere." Dora flicked her wand and watched as her Snowball joined them. The name had originally been for her rabbit Patronus but Hazel and Teddy said it was still a good name for her dragon. Dora had pouted when they both said her dragon looked cute. She sat besides Harry as the three tiny dragons flew around their heads, the snow falling silently just outside the window. In no time at all the boys fell asleep and Hazel slipped out of the room with Dora by her side. That night there was no need for their clothes to come off. They cuddled together in the bed, comforted by the feelings they shared together, as the stars poked through the clouds, finding what peace they could before returning to Hogwarts. There was still much they had to prepare for in the coming year.
Notes:
So, how was it?
Next Chapter?: Lead up and the Second Task
Sorry if this section is a bit short. I am literally about to fall asleep and I wanted to post this before I gave up to Morpheus' call. I continue to work on this story, cleaning up any inconcistencies between now and the final chapter, making sure everything is just right, nefore I embrace my Muse and begin work on my next project. Hope you all continue to enjoy this story.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in three days.
Chapter 45: The Second TaskNotes:
Here is the Chapter. Hope you like it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"So, there was no clue?" Both Dora and Harry shook their heads. "Bagman said the Second Task was a test of a Champion's capability. Preparation wasn't going to give an adequate test or show. All they said was to think about who we can trust to be by our side. The person has to be from the same school and the same year." Hazel frowned at Dora's words, looking at Harry. "I feel this was Dumbledore's work. That rule was designed to force the younger students to struggle more." Harry lowered his eyes, clenching his hands as Dora hugged his side. She looked up to Hazel. "You had a bit of intel on what the Second Task could be?" Hazel nodded. "We suspected the Tournament would use an old favorite. They like to use hostages in their tasks, but the trust thing is odd. Previous Tournaments hosted by Hogwarts utilized the Black Lake as an arena for a Tournament Task, but our research shows the Merfolk haven't been approached. The Centaurs, however, where. So the Second Task is likely to be in the Forbidden Forest, as the Quidditch Pitch just got sealed off by the Headmaster for what I am certain is the Third Task." Dora rubbed Harry's back. "Definitely a step up from XXXXX Creatures."
Hazel summoned a book from the library alcove in the Chamber to her hand. "Yeah, that's still a problem. The Centaurs have been kind enough to share with us the types of creatures currently living in the Forest. There is a massive nest of Acromantulas, courtesy of Hagrid's old pet Aragog. We have sightings of Barghests, which I personally put on a slightly lower level in danger than a Direwolf because they don't run in packs. We could see the Tournament release other dangerous creatures that prefer to hunt down targets in forests, but the Centaurs did mention that if the Organizers did that they would end peaceful relations with Hogwarts. Whether Dumbledore ignores the Centaur's threat or not is up for debate. My best guess is that the Second Task will involve safely traversing the Forest to a predetermined point, probably the area near the arena. I have no idea how the extra person is supposed to be used, since there is no indication they will be hostages. The wording Bagman used is wrong for that." Harry looked to Hazel. "So, what's the plan?" Hazel rubbed her chin. She sighed and looked at the chamber. "I can recreate the forest here. It won't be entirely accurate, but you can get a feel for it. I will keep changing the terrain so it's more skill improvement than memorizing paths. I can teach you some spells for direction and improved vision. Basic healing won't go amiss either."
Hazel turned to the Chamber and grew thoughtful as Dora turned to Harry. "Fleur will likely be my partner. She can get her taste of the Triwizard Tournament this way. You should check which of your yearmates you want by your side, Harry." Dora turned to Hazel. "We should have Fleur and the person Harry picks join us with this training your cooking up. Getting all four of us in proper form for navigating the Forest will be better, just in case." Hazel waved at Dora. "Sure. Get the word out. We can't train you to do the Task perfectly since we don't know if there is anything else to it, but we will get close. You two head on out while I work on the simulation. Tell your partners, go to dinner and then come back here." Harry stopped for a second as he made to leave before rushing back and hugging Hazel. Hazel rubbed his hair. "I know. Go be with your friends and have fun. We get this task concluded then we are one step closer to the end." With Dora a good distance away, Harry left the entrance of the chamber and made his way up to the Great Hall, where he sat down at the Gryffindor Table. He smiled at Susan from across the Hall and started to fill his plate as he thought about who would be the best to bring with him on the task. He knew those would be his friends that Hazel had been tutoring.
He had been training with them since the start of the year, so he knew what most of them could do. Neville and Theo were some of the best duelists, with Hazel pressing everyone not to stand still. Neville tended to take his time in mastering a spell, something Hazel said was a consequence of the use of his father's wand for a year, since he kept worrying if he was underpowering the spells or overpowering them. Theo had taken to dueling a lot better. The few matches he was in for the Academic competition made him a stand out in speed and power, but he was more focused on spells, jinxes and mild curses for fighting other witches and wizards. None of the Slytherins messed with him because he could beat them all but did that translate well to casting against creatures or using utility spells? Harry wasn't sure. He sighed as he downed his drink of juice while he looked to the two people he knew could do the Task with him the best. They were being trained for about the same amount of time by Hazel and they were more interested in a wider variety of spells than Neville and Theo. The question was if either of them wanted to come and if one of them wouldn't get mad at him for choosing the other.
-∞-
"Ok, I am starting to regret ever wanting to be a Champion." Dora pulled Fleur out of the water before casting a drying charm on her. The hackles on her neck rose as she heard a snarl right behind them. She swiftly turned around and casted a kinetic shield just seconds before a maw full of sharp teeth bounced off of it. She swung her wand around and bound the Barghest before casting an overpowered stunner, disabling the creature. She took a deep breath and turned to a surprised Fleur. "Told you this was going to be nasty." Fleur pouted. "When you said this was training, I expected more exercise and matches, not running through an exceedingly realistic bog and forest. How is your partner doing all this?" Hazel's voice echoed through the area. "Try spending a full year on the run while being hunted by Death Eaters. I had a lot of fun dragging the bastards into the Moor wetlands. You get pretty intimate with the terrain. I also spent a good chunk of my time in forests, so this is all relatively easy to conjure." Fleur pinched the bridge of her nose. "Please tell me I heard that wrong. Please tell me this isn't all conjuration?" Dora shrugged her shoulders. "Not the most impressive feat of conjuration she has ever-"
Dora heard a branch above her snap and she pushed Fleur back and duck to the ground. Eight massive legs slammed into the ground around her as massive pincers started snapping at her. She wiped her wand around. " Diffindo ." Half of the creature's feet were sliced clean off and Dora aimed her wand straight at its head. " Deprimo !" The spider's head exploded into a mist of gore and carapace as the creature's body slumped to the ground, one of its legs twitching. Fleur took some deep breaths as she stood up. "Ok, that is terrifying. How many of those are there in the forest?" Dora tried to remember what Hazel said. "Centaurs put the larger ones in the hundreds. They seem to have hit a plateau in population, probably from lack of food. They cannibalize their young to keep themselves fed and controlled." Fleur shuddered. "I am adding the spider banishing spell, and any other spider centric spells, to my repertoire." Dora nodded as the two made their way deeper into the woods, with Dora trying to increase their movement speed. The light in the area started going down and Fleur summoned a ball of blue flame into her hands as Dora casted a wandless light spell in her offhand. The two moved deeper and deeper into the woods until a familiar smell filled Dora's nose. "Oh, come on!" She ducked down as a massive club smashed into the tree behind her, showering the area with splinters. Dora rolled away and aimed her wand at the Troll's feet.
After tying the Troll's legs, she summoned the ropes, causing the creature to fall on its back before she banished the club into its skull. Fleur popped from behind the nearest tree, scrunching her nose and waving her hand. "That… is a disgusting smell." Dora covered her mouth as she cleared the air before she took some deep breaths. "And accurate. We took one down three years ago." Dora aimed her wand at Troll and cast a cutting curse, the spell practically bouncing off the creature's hide and into a tree, cutting part of the bark away. She rubbed her face. "Hazel, stop making them realistic!" The air was filled with an echoing giggle that seemed to send shivers down Fleur's spine. "I rescind my earlier statement, Dora. I am no longer interested in ever pursuing you or your partner. Pretty sure my Veela nature just told me to run as far away from her as possible." A voice responded from nearby. "Good! Mom is with Dora and no one else!" The forest seemed to lose cohesion as the trees and uneven ground vanished. Dora watched as Hazel stood nearby, an amused grin on her face, while Teddy glared at Fleur. The rest of the tutored students looked on with horror at what the practice entailed, including Harry. Well, most of them did. Daphne seemed exceedingly thoughtful. She turned to Hazel. "Would you say Cryomancy could be useful in this environment?"
Hazel shrugged. "Against Devil's Snare, Acromantulas and Barghests? Sure. Still a bit unsuitable if you start freezing the ground, unless you have the right gear. Same with Pyromancy, as I am sure the organizers will complain about burning the forest down, not to mention it would anger the Centaurs. Localized and controlled use of either should be fine, though. At your age I wouldn't recommend using Cryomancy too much. Unlike fire, it's far more magically draining." Daphne hummed as she turned to Harry. "Well, Partner? Ready to have a go?" Harry swallowed as Susan pushed him forward. "I no longer regret you keeping me out of this. Have fun you two." Harry turned to Susan, his face showing a bit of betrayal. "Fun? You call this fun?" Susan smirked and pointed to Hazel. "Well, it's fun for her to conjure and for us to watch. See you two in a bit." Hazel conjured pitch black bags and pulled them over the two kids heads, before disorienting them. She then proceeded to construct an entire forest from sheer conjuration and a few touches of transfiguration through the floor, the room building up with humidity and the smell of stagnant water, wood and composting leaves. Luna clapped her hands. "It's amazing! You sure you don't want to talk to the Weasley Twins? Ginny says they are making something similar." Hazel shuddered at the memory of the swamp she fell into in fifth year. She had trouble getting the taste of the putrid water out of her mouth for weeks until she cornered the two and demanded a fix. Her clothes had been burned the moment she took them off. "Nope. Not happening." Luna pouted as Teddy patted her back as Hazel whistled loudly, the bags over Harry and Daphne vanishing. "Begin!"
-∞-
OW July 1995
Hazel opened her eyes and saw the familiar roof of the Chamber of Secrets. Yet she knew she had just spent a month by her Godmother's side, training with her and Moody for the coming fight against Voldemort. She knew she had gone to sleep in Grimmauld, hearing word of Dementors being spotted over Little Whinging and about someone casting a Patronus within the Dursley residence. She had received a letter that very night, charging her with violating the Decree for Underage Magic and threatening the Statute of Secrecy. Dumbledore, like always, was sticking his nose in her business and went to get her expulsion revoked. For once she was happy to let the old man waste his time. If this was Voldemort's work, then it wouldn't matter. The man was clearly manipulating the Minister and taking advantage of Dumbledore's impatience to wreak havoc without so much as lifting a finger himself. Hazel sighed, trying to make sense of everything she knew of the man. There was no denying he was a phenomenal teacher, getting her to learn wandless magic in less than a year, yet Dumbledore liked to paint him as this violent madman bent on world domination. The megalomania she could see, especially in the young man from the Diary, but the madness? She had a hard time seeing it. Maybe it was just an act?
"You know, this is quite unexpected." Hazel froze as blue eyes stared at her as a man leaned over her. It took her a second to recognize him before she rushed to stand up. The moment her head crashed into his, she felt a sudden influx of thoughts and memories enter her mind, instead of the expected headache. She cleared her head and watched as Voldemort did the same. "Curiouser and curiouser. Hello again, Hazel. I must say, the inside of my mind was certainly the last place I expected to find you." Hazel scoffed. "Right, you expected to find me at my relatives house." Voldemort leaned his head to the side. "Considering what I have heard of your relationship with your relatives, no, I wouldn't." Hazel blinked at him and frowned. "Didn't one of your puppets send Dementors after me at my relatives place?" Tom rubbed his chin and shrugged his shoulders. "Not to my knowledge. I might need to summon my people and ask around." Hazel stared at the man. "You had nothing to do with the Dementors or my expulsion?" Tom stared back. "It might interest you my dear, though with Dumbledore filling your mind with lies I am not entirely surprised about your thoughts being what they are, but not all of my plans revolve around making your life miserable. I do have a country to conquer after all."
Well, he had the megalomaniac part down. Hazel sighed before she stood up, noticing she had awoken atop her usual conjured sofa. She looked around the Chamber, not seeing much difference between it and her memories, before focusing back on Voldemort who kept eying her curiously. "So, do you want to clear up some misconceptions for me about what is and isn't your fault in the last three years?" Voldemort narrowed his eyes on her. "I do have more important things to do, Potter." Hazel looked around the Chamber again. "Like house cleaning?" Voldemort rubbed his eyes. "You know, I can see why Barty likes you. You have the same sense of humor he has." Hazel crossed her arms. "Why don't we start there? How much of the Triwizard Tournament was by your design, my lord?" Hazel watched as a corner of his mouth twitched, as if Voldemort suppressed a smile. "I suppose that's fair. My plan was simply to put you in the Tournament and have you get yanked away by the Portkey in the Cup. Everything else was either your bad luck or Dumbledore's own maneuverings, minus the few times Barty gave you some hints. You had to win, after all." Hazel sighed, suspecting as much. After all, who the hell would pick Ronald Weasley as her hostage?
The Second Task had been an unmitigated disaster for her. Sure, Neville told her about Gillyweed, which she acquired easily enough from Snape's wares. She didn't care that the man suspected her and threatened her, he was an ass and she took the gillyweed as her own petty revenge. Unlike the bastard and his two masters, she could own up to her own failings. The Task itself was relatively easy. She jumped into the water with gillyweed giving her gills and webbed appendages, swan quickly into the Merfolk village and retrieved the person she thought she would miss most. Apparently, Dumbledore was a bloody moron and selected her hostage to be Ronald Weasley. Since the organizers can't be specific about anything, she had found the hostages and retrieved Hermione instead, being the first to return successfully. Only the judges didn't seem to agree with that. Rather than getting the top marks her performance deserved, the bastards gave her the same 25 participation points Fleur got for almost being Grindylow food. Now, Hazel didn't care for her score in the Tournament, as her killing of the Hebridean Black Dragon resulted in receiving a grand total of 5 points, leaving her well behind the other Champions, but it was the principle that mattered to her.
Hazel rubbed her hair, the motion followed by Voldemort's eyes. "Guessing Black's own attempt at leaving me as Dementor food was also not your plan?" Voldemort's face shifted. Hazel wasn't sure but he seemed… angry. "Most certainly not." Hazel sat back on her sofa and leaned back. "And that leaves the incident with the Diary." Again, Voldemort looked angry, only this time she was confused by the anger she felt. This one felt off from the previous one. Was he mad his followers disobeyed him or was it something else? "Again, not by my design. That book should never have fallen into your hands, or anyone else's." Hazel gave him a smirk. "Sounds like you have to get all your ducks back in a row then." Voldemort eyed her, his face turning expressionless. "As much as it pains me to admit it, it seems I do have a lot of business to discuss with my Death Eaters. So could you kindly leave my mind?" Hazel frowned. "I am pretty sure this is my mind."
Voldemort glared. "This is my family's Chamber." Hazel padded the sofa she was on. "And this is the sofa I use to sleep in it." Voldemort froze, his eyes darting around the room, as if looking for other inconsistencies, noticing the different lighting and the bookshelves on the wall. "Well, now this is very curious indeed." He turned to Hazel, who felt her heart stop for a second as a smile broke across his face. "Well, I think I will be going on my way. See you soon, Hazel." Hazel snapped awake in her bed at her Godmother's place, her heart beating wildly. She took deep breaths as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes looking reddish for a brief second before becoming green again. Whatever had just happened in her sleep had been something completely different than the dreams in the past year. She had a sinking feeling this wouldn't be the only time she would see Voldemort, the real living Voldemort, in her dreams.
-∞-
NW February 22nd 1995
Hazel watched as two Centaurs made their way towards her, recognizing them both. She bowed her head. "Arrive in peace, First Warrior and Stargazer of the Herd. What are you willing to share with us about those who foolishly send children to traverse your forest?" Hazel's eyes grew a bit in surprise as Bane bowed to her. "No humans have entered the land beyond the ones who we escorted for the Longbearded Headmaster, all of whom have left. The Forest is as it was for the last few years. A pack of wolves roam the land, as do several Barghests and Trolls. The Acromantula Colony is restless with the thawing snow. Their numbers are fewer as is customary at the end of winter." Hazel bowed her head respectfully at Bane. "Our thanks to the herd in keeping our young ones safe from the madness that afflicts our kind." Bane chuckled. "Indeed. We will patrol the edges as agreed upon, Huntress. A swift end to your prey in the coming months." Hazel watched as Bane left before turning to Firenze. "Please tell me he found a mate? There is no other reason he could be in such a good mood." Firenze laughed softly. "In fact, he has. The herd has grown well with the supplies of food you and yours have brought, as well with the barriers keeping the spiders and winter from harming our kin at home. Bane's successful hunts attracted a mate who is most eager for a child." Hazel shook her head as she smiled. "Well, if it means relations between us are this cordial, I am most happy for him."
Firenze nodded and looked towards the woods. "The eight move through the trees towards your kin. Two of the foreigners and two of the locals struggle with the terrain, but the rest move well in the uneven ground. The wolf pack has taken notice but is keeping it's distance as they observe for any weakness." Hazel sighed as she rubbed her hair. "The Headmasters sent eight young ones into the Forest as soon as the snows faded. The ground is saturated with water and the predators hunger for food. This was a bad idea from the start." Firenze walked up to her. "Indeed. We will watch closely and intervene if things become life threatening. Until then, may your foresight serve you well, Huntress." Hazel watched as Firenze galloped away before she switched her patrol with another Auror. As she walked along the back of the spectator stands, her eyes looked up towards the scrying mirrors used to watch the Champions. Four large ones showed the four sets of students for all the schools to watch, while four smaller ones were used by the judges. She found Teddy towards the back and hugged him from behind before patting Susan and Astoria on the back, with Nova perched on Teddy's shoulder in case she was needed. "How are they?" Teddy kept his eyes fixed on Harry and Daphne. "They are getting closer to the halfway point. So far, nothing bad has happened."
Within the forest, Harry and Daphne rushed through the forest as fast as they could while safely taking in the surroundings, with Harry feeling magically exhausted. At the start of the Second Task, Bagman revealed an extra condition to traversing the forest. "Each pair of students must carry a charm that is designed to drain you of your magic as time passes. At the same time, only one person is allowed to have their wand out at any given time. As soon as the portkey deposits you in the forest, the charm will activate and one of you must place the charm around your necks. You must decide who carries the wand and who carries the charm quickly. Prepare yourselves Champions and allies. Remember, you must successfully reach this place again together to have the right to the full points score! Take your portkeys and wait for the signal." As soon as a cannon blasted, all eight of them got portkeyed away into the forest. Aside from Dora and Fleur, Krum had selected a friend of his from Durmstrang while Cedric picked the Hufflepuff Keeper from his team as his companion. Daphne turned to Harry. "So, who goes first with the wand?" Harry looked around the area he and Daphne got portkeyed into. "I don't think the Creature danger will be as high the closer we get back to the stands."
Daphne looked at the charm that also worked as their compass back to the finish line. "Agreed. The closer to the people, the less dangers. Which means the most danger we can expect to come across will be between now and the midway point, which we have no way to measure." Harry thought for a second. "So, what do we do? Do you take the charm and I go with the wand, then we switch?" Daphne shook her head. "I don't think that's the best idea." Harry and Daphne heard movement in the woods and moved behind a tree for cover. Harry whispered to Daphne. "Then what do we do? While having a single person carrying the charm the whole way makes sense, I am pretty sure neither of us can handle the entire journey back on our own. We will get tired regardless and neither of us will be able to do magic." Daphne rubbed her chin before she snapped her fingers. "The clue! The task was for the Champion to bring someone they trust with their lives. What if it's less about who holds the what and instead who holds both." Harry thought for a second and smiled. "Of course. One will get tired regardless, but the chances of using magic the whole time are zero, so one person can be tired out but the other will be ready to fight at a moment's notice." Harry took the charm from Daphne and placed it around his neck, feeling the drain begin instantly.
The dark haired Slytherin girl stared at him. "Are you sure you want to go first?" Harry nodded. "I've been training hard for magical endurance, so I can take the strain at first. You've always been better at thinking quickly on your feet. If we reach the midway point and things go bad, you have a better chance of getting us through." Daphne blushed a little but nodded. "Alright. Let's get going." The two made their way quickly through the trees until they reached a section of forest where the ground was more marshland. Harry pointed his wand at himself and Daphne and casted the featherweight charm. With their weight reduced, they were able to travel the saturated ground much more easily, to the cheers of their friends watching via the mirrors. Their first major obstacle was one that Harry remembered clearly from the training. The sudden appearance of two Mountain Trolls wasn't as overwhelming as it could have been if Hazel's own simulacra weren't exceedingly detailed in their smell. Keeping Daphne behind him, Harry cast a modified water balloon spell, this one filled with paint. With both trolls blinded, he then bound their legs with ropes and toppled them over. A second dose of paint to the face and the two fourth years ran away from the danger, the Trolls left behind to fend for themselves.
In another part of the forest, Dora and Fleur made their own way through the difficult terrain. In order to avoid making it look like they and Harry's team had been practicing together, their method for traversing the area was made to be different. While the younger students focused on using spells any fourth or fifth year might know and apply them in unique and effective ways, Dora had elected to focus on a more elemental magic approach. Basing her plan on her performance in the First Task and Daphne's own musings, Dora used her wand to harden the ground beneath them with a freezing charm, with both her and Fleur using conjured snow boots with cleats to traverse the more wetland portions of the Forest without too much difficulty. Dora turned to Fleur and both casted silencing spells on their feet as soon as they saw the first spider webs. It was too little too late as several human sized spiders dropped from above and started chasing after them. Dora aimed her wand at the spiders and the cutting charms and curses started sending spider limbs everywhere. The screeching of the injured creatures seemed to call even more of their kin to the area, with the trees above them filling up quickly. Fleur turned to Dora. "We need to do something!" Dora sighed and cast a warming charm on them both. "Here goes nothing. Nix Tempestas. "
The Elder Wand unleashed a massive blizzard into the area behind Dora. "Grab my hand and guide me. I will keep the spiders busy." Fleur didn't think twice. Keeping her balance as much as possible, Dora could feel her chest warming up as they made their way across unstable leaf litter and massive roots. The snowstorm slowed down the spiders, the ones closest to Dora being flash frozen in place, but the mass of creatures did its best to pursue them. The two participants pushed on further away as Dora aimed her wand upwards, cutting off the movement from the spiders above their heads. It took several minutes of continuous casting before the two of them seemed to be safely away from the nest. Not leaving things to chance, they kept sprinting through the woods, their steps nimble and silent as darkness descended onto the forest. The change in lighting condition made them pause for a second before Dora enchanted Fleur's eyes and she adjusted her own to see in the lower light. They then picked up speed as the ground turned far more sturdy and the trees were spread out more evenly. Not even the sudden appearance of a Forest Troll slowed them down as Dora cast a curse that blinded the creature instantly.
As they moved further in the direction of the finish line, Dora caught movement out of the corner of her eye and smiled as she saw Daphne and Harry moving quickly through the underbrush, their path lit by wandless lumos charms on their hands. Fleur's yelp made her stop but Fleur's Veela Flames struck the Devil's Snare plant that had latched onto her foot. Dora flicked her wand and lifted Fleur up quickly before they kept pushing closer to Harry. Her elation at seeing her cousin ended where her hackles rose up. Two large howls seemed to pierce the air followed by snarling as she watched a Barghest heading straight for her, two bright red eyes sitting atop the creature's mouth dripping with saliva. It dodged several of her piercing and cutting curses until she nailed it with a wide area banishing spell. An overpowered cutting and piercing spell chain ended the life of the creature quickly. She and Fleur continued in their path, while Dora eyed the two fourth years. She watched as the other Barghest rushed towards the students before a fireball from Daphne knocked it back. A freezing spell froze the creature in place, making Dora sigh in relief. They two teams moved closer and closer and Dora waved as she and Fleur passed the young years ahead before reaching the finish line first. The Beauxbatons crowd cheered as Dora dropped onto the ground, feeling winded from the run as she pulled the charm over her head and passed it to the new judge.
The ICW judge, who had replaced Barty Crouch Senior after he was removed from the Tournament after the man was found suffering from several mental magics, including the Imperius Curse, disabled the charm from Dora and from Harry as Bagman addressed the crowd. "There you have it, Ladies and Gentlemen! Our first and second place winners for the Second Task are Miss d'Éon and her partner, Miss Delacour, as well as Mr. Potter and his partner, Miss Greengrass. They traversed the Forest at incredible speed, using a variety of spells to overwhelm the dangers from both the landscape and the beasts that dwelled within it. Their scores will be announced as soon as the remaining two teams arrive." Dora and Fleur sat down at seats in the lower end of the stands as Pomfrey checked on them both. Dora knew that the Healer spotted the same irregularity with her magic as before but still gave her a clean bill of health before checking Harry and Daphne. "You two have a few scrapes and bruises, probably from hitting branches. The bigger concern is your magical exhaustion. Miss Greengrass, I would suggest you spend two days without casting any magic. Mr. Potter, you are much worse off. No magic for over a week. I want you to show up for daily checks to make sure you are recovering." Harry, breathing heavily, nodded silently.
Astoria was the first to arrive, tackling Daphne into the back of the seat, as Hazel and Teddy sat with Harry, rubbing his hair and hugging him. Pomfrey informed Hazel of Harry's diagnosis, which made the white haired witch turn to the kid. "You kept the charm even after you stopped using your wand, didn't you?" Harry blushed. "Yeah. Daphne took it after I started slowing down." The young girl scoffed. "Bloody Gryffindor didn't want me to waste my magic." Hazel pulled Harry into a hug. "Well, what did you learn?" Harry smirked. "Daphne's stinging hexes hurt?" Hazel pouted. "No, wiseguy. You need to pace yourself. Pushing your magic to the extreme consistently can improve your casting and raise your limit but doing it severely like this is dangerous. Don't do it again, especially if it makes your family and friends get angry at you. Trust me, I have been glared at by Teddy for the same." Harry winced when he saw Teddy glaring at him. He pressed into Hazel's hug and nodded. "Ok. I won't do it again." Hazel kissed his hair. "Good. Come on, let's get you to the rest of the family." Harry smiled as he stood up and walked alongside Hazel, glad to have a family that cared about him enough to lecture him. Even after completing the Second Task, he found his family was much more important to him than the silly points they were giving out.
-∞-
"As expected, Beauxbatons leads us in History of Magic, Arithmancy, Potions and Alchemy, while Durmstrang leads in the Defence against the Dark Arts course, though just barely. Everyone is quite surprised Hogwarts is leading in the Dueling competitions, except with Beauxbatons giving us a hard time in seventh year. Our students continue to do well in Herbology, Runes, Charms and Transfigurations, especially the fourth year students. Babbling is quite pleased with how well her students are doing." Dumbledore sat back and smiled. "Ahh, then perhaps Hogwarts may yet win the Academic Competition. I may earn some galleons from Nicholas after all. Though I must say I am surprised we are doing so well in Dueling." Minerva smiled. "The credit seems to go to both Miss Peverell and Alastor. The lessons from the Dueling Club last year have done wonders for the students in all the wand based magic courses and Alastor has dedicated a good chunk of his class to reinforce those lessons. The only student doing better than our students is Miss Delacour, which considering her father was the head of the French DMLE, is not so surprising. The same can be seen with our Miss Bones, who remains tied with Miss Greengrass, Mister Longbottom and Mister Nott for the top scores in Dueling for her year group."
Dumbledore stroked his beard, trying not to show any irritation. "Now, for the Champions. How are Mr. Krum and young Cedric? Are they and their partners recovering well?" Minerva nodded though sadly. "Poppy believes they will be out of the Hospital Wing in two weeks. Mr Krum and his friend are recovering slowly from the Acromantula venom and there is only so much we can do about the effectiveness of the antivenom. They were fortunate the Centaurs entered the forest and rescued them as neither could activate the emergency portkeys. Mister Diggory's injuries to his legs and back from the wolf attacks and the Devil Snare are recovering faster, but Mister Fleet will be needing a longer stay and several bones regrown after his run in with a Troll. That Mr. Diggory managed to drag the young man out with him as they completed the Task was a miracle, though Poppy is certain it might have been better for Mr. Fleet to have received medical aid sooner." Dumbledore nodded absentmindedly. "Very well. The hedges for the Maze will be ready by the time the Third Task begins. Until then, let's focus our attention on the students' education again. We have a while to wait before the Tournament will enter its final stage after all." Minerva left the Headmaster's office as Dumbledore sat back, reflecting on the results of the Second Task.
The performances of the others went as expected. The young Diggory boy was too unprepared to complete the task without suffering injuries. Young Viktor had done better until he ran into the nest of Acromantulas. The snowstorm created by the Beauxbatons Champion had forced the creatures away from their previous position, catching the boys by surprise. Dumbledore was pleasantly surprised how amenable the Centaurs had been in rescuing the boys and guarding the determined area for the Task from external influences. The young d'Éon girl proved to be exactly as his information stated. Her father was from an old French family looking to expand into Britain, much as the Malfoys once did. His arrest in an illegal Dueling Circuit here in Britain seemed to have caused his reputation to plummet, which is why the girl was sent to Beauxbatons to compete in the Tournament. She was a Dark Witch, using a combination of advanced dueling practices and curses, though she showed remarkable restraint against the Kelpie in the First Task. A personal favorite magical creature of hers? That was probably it. A small act of sentimentality. In the Second Task she was ruthlessly efficient in handling all the creatures in her path and her application of Elemental Magic was quite the sight, though why she chose to carry the draining charm throughout the entire task was a mystery. A personal test to prove herself beyond the others? That seemed very likely to him.
His thoughts turned to young Harry and Dumbledore's mind was deeply conflicted. The boy showed skill and efficiency, but a reticence to cause any permanent harm, as seen by his encounter with the Trolls. That he volunteered to wield both the wand and the charm and later refrained from relinquishing the charm for some time showed the type of nobility of spirit Dumbledore expected from the young Gryffindor. His choice of partner, however, said otherwise, perhaps proving the boy belonged in Slytherin as well. Of the boy's friends, he expected Harry to pick young Neville or perhaps young Miss Bones. Yet he picked Miss Greengrass, the daughter of a traditionalist and known sympathizer of Voldemort's. The calculated choice told him it was likely the influence of the boy's now near constant shadow. Dumbledore suspected Peverell was teaching the boy how to succeed in the Tasks. His execution of the snake was a clear indication of that. His expedient run through the Forest, as well as Miss Greengrass' ease, proved they somehow learned what the Task could have entailed and prepared for it. What was a difficult and dangerous Task for a fourth year was simply made extraneous with the charm slowing them down.
Miss Peverell continued to present an enigma to him. Her brutal efficiency and attention to detail screamed of Tom's early years as a student and as the leader of the Death Eaters. Yet the devotion and care she showed for the boy could not be the result of the prophecy. They were destined enemies after all. Still, she was pushing the boy into a closer chance at a victory, which he believed Voldemort needed to achieve his ends. Dumbledore had, after all, tried to influence the cup to release the boy's name. So it surprised him to find the Cup had already been tampered to do exactly that. Crouch's dismissal from his position as judge due to signs of mental manipulations showed that he was the likely source of the breach and the means by which the Cup was altered. So, was Peverell acting against Voldemort or was she Voldemort herself? His thoughts turned to his own research into the sort of magic Voldemort sought to master. The mention of Horcruxes had bothered him and the magic attached to the boy's scar was especially concerning. Unfortunately, without a Horcrux to compare it to, he had no way of knowing if the boy was one. If he was, Peverell's treatment of the boy made a lot more sense. What better way to vanquish Harry's destined threat than by turning the boy to her side.
He pulled open the documents pertaining to the Third Task. So far, each of the Tasks was designed to test the boy. Harry, if he was a Parselmouth as he thought he might be with a Horcrux in him, should have tried to speak to the flying Feathered Serpent. It was why he rigged the monster selection after all. But instead the boy displayed an impressive understanding of charm based wards. The snake's violent behaviour was unexpected, as was the boy's ability to kill it. The tasks had been designed to test the boy's power and heart. His respectful approach to the lives of dangerous creatures spoke well for Harry's nobility and compassion and there was no denying his power now. But the violent death of the Feathered Serpent and the selection of Miss Greengrass spoke of a cold and calculating mind too close to what Tom's once was. Dumbledore looked at the Third Task documents and rubbed his beard. Of all the Tasks, this one was the one he modified the most. He needed to test the boy's spirit. To know for sure if he would be the Champion of the Light he envisioned, or another Dark Lord to put down. He needed to know before he took on Peverell and potentially Voldemort. Fighting one Dark Lord was hard enough. Fighting three would be impossible. He needed to know, to be sure, for the good of all.
Notes:
So, how was it? While this Task seemed a little more underwhelming, I hope you can understand the value of what Dumbledore managed to gleam from it. The chances if anyone getting into a fight underwater are quite rare and there was no value testing their ability to swim.
Next Chapter?: A Return to Normalcy
So, while The Ever Changing Face of Death is complete, I am now officially starting working on my Third Project, "MAHE." All I can share right now is that it involves a FemHarry/Tom Riddle relationship. Other than that, there is not much as I have only elaborated Chapter 1 and some outlines for the coming chapters. The Ever Changing Face of Death will continue it's release schedule as my work on MAHE grows, as I want to be certain you all have something to look forward to. If I find that the project fails, I can just keep posting this story and move on, praying that I can figure something out before the posting of Chapter 70.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in three days.