The last two weeks for Cornelius Fudge could only be described as
difficult at best. Not only had the media dragged his name and
reputation through the mud at every possibility, the wizarding world
as a whole seemed to have taken a serious disliking to him also. He
would receive glares wherever he went and even his wife had not
been exempt from the backlash of the revelations the Potter boy had
brought forward.
At first he had believed that the storm would merely blow over after
some given time but he soon learnt that he was deluding himself, he
knew that irreparable damage had been done and there was no
salvaging his frayed political career. But he knew that he should be
thankful. He should be thankful that his reputation, in reality, should
be much worse. Cornelius had many skeletons in his closet,
skeletons that had gathered since he took office almost 15 years ago
and these skeletons would show him to be much worse than the
people currently believed.
He wanted nothing more than to blame Potter for the past fortnight
and in a way he could make the justification to himself, barely. He
could not however blame Potter for his own discretions and actions
of the past decade and a half.
The last fortnight had given Cornelius much time to think and reflect
on his tenure as minister and much of what he pondered was simply
not pretty and he concluded that he could blame the boy for nothing.
Cornelius too had once been young and idealistic, even righteous,
though not as tenacious or even savvy as Potter was. But he quickly
found that idealism was nothing more than folly and to be successful
you had to be able to compromise on your own ideology.
There were far too many factors that would hinder the
implementation of your ideas and desires. The wizarding world did
not like change and Cornelius and his ideas of righteousness had
been quelled early on.
He instead, without even realising it, became what he had always
despised in politics; another puppet that had his strings pulled by
another. Cornelius Fudge had been weak and the weakness he
showed had been exploited expertly by none other than Lucius
Malfoy.
A freshly named Minister Fudge had goals, he had plans that would
prevent another rising of a Dark Lord, but those plans had been
completely abandoned at the advice of his much more charismatic
and politically savvy friend.
Cornelius had taken office at a very difficult time, just after the fall of
the Dark Lord and the entire country was in disarray. Lucius had
recommended restoring order, not a bad idea in all honesty, but that
one idea had led to many others and they in turn had led him astray
and to where he found himself now. The righteousness and idealism
of the younger Cornelius had, without him even realising, been
neutralised effectively and it had all started with his biggest
weakness in life; gold.
The ministry was poor which meant that Cornelius was poor. The
Minister had the privilege of naming his own salary, which at first
seemed a dream come true, but when he saw how little gold the
ministry in fact had, it left him with quite the dilemma. He could take
a large salary for himself and let the magical world suffer, or he could
pay himself and his staff next to nothing and allow the wizarding
world to have the much needed goal. As a younger and much more
righteousness man Cornelius had opted for the latter. The problem
was that he had always had quite expensive taste and had a liking
for the finer things in life. Cue the entry of Lucius Malfoy into his life.
The man had simply hypnotised Cornelius with the amount of wealth
he had, a wealth he seemed to be willing to share with the minister.
At first it was simple gifts he would receive but eventuality, the
request for favours started to come in and Cornelius knew that he
owed the man. On reflection, he should have never even accepted
the first gift but as a man with expensive taste but the coin purse of a
pauper, the temptation had become too much and it led him here.
Over the years the gifts had only gotten bigger and in turn the
favours followed. Cornelius knew he had been dazzled. He had been
bribed and blackmailed in the most cunning of ways by a master
manipulator and he just didn't know it. He truly believed that Lucius
was a friend but now realised he was nothing but an opportunist, an
opportunist that had taken the dreams of a younger Cornelius Fudge
and eliminated them one by one, softening the blow with a little
luxury to serve as medicine so no pain would be felt.
All Cornelius could do now was wait and see what havoc the storm
would wreak. So far he had only experienced a light drizzle of the
hurricane he deserved and for that, he could only be grateful. This
had been unpleasant enough as it was and he knew his reputation
could handle no more. The way Cornelius saw it was that he had two
choices.
Firstly, he could simply continue as he had been until the moment he
was booted from office as a disgraced man and leave behind a
legacy of bribery and corruption. Or he could bring some justice to
his younger self and be the man he dreamed of becoming. He would
accept whatever consequences came his way and he would do all
he could to salvage something, no matter how small it was.
The truth was that in order to face himself in the mirror again as a
proud man he had to make changes and he needed to make them
fast. He may not be able to change what he had done but he could
at the very least make reparations for them.
(BREAK)
Dolores Umbridge sat in her ministry cell as she had been for the
last two weeks. She had cursed herself repeatedly after she had
woken and had been read the charges, the outlook was very bleak
indeed. She had hoped that Cornelius would come through for her
but it seemed that the man had simply washed his hands of her and
her problems, he had said as much himself when he had visited
briefly.
She had been foolish, that much she knew. She did not regret what
she had done to the little bastards but she certainly regretted being
caught. It was the fault of Potter; that was what she had concluded.
She knew that tomorrow was not going to be a good day for her and
she could only hope that there was some kind of leniency given to
her, though she did not know if it would be more merciful to be
executed than to spend the rest of her days in this state.
She had had her moments of madness in which her impending fate
had overwhelmed her. She had begged and she had pleaded to
every god imaginable but it seemed that her prayers had fallen on
deaf ears. She had even tried to will her magic to kill her itself, but to
no avail.
Dolores Umbridge was in a bind, a bind that there was no escape
from. All she could do was wait and see what was in store for her in
the morning and hope that her fate was at least a bearable cross to
bear.
(BREAK)
Draco Malfoy had spent the past fortnight cursing the name of Harry
Potter and devising ways in which he would get his revenge. He was
confident that his father would make his troubles go away so had
simply bided his time and was waiting for that moment.
He was not nervous about the proceedings of the next day. He knew
there was not a chance that his father would allow him to be locked
away like a common criminal. He was in fact looking forward to
facing the wizengamot, most of which were friends and
acquaintances of his family. He knew his father would make their
lives miserable if they even considered convicting him, he was a
Malfoy after all and that meant he was untouchable.
He smirked at what was to come and was filled with glee at the
prospect of ruining Potter for what he had done to him. He would
only have to wait a few more hours and then he would be free and
he would make Potter pay.
(BREAK)
Lord Voldemort was sat in his drawing room contemplating many
things. Much of his time had been spent pondering the issue of Harry
Potter. Not only had the boy defied the odds yet again but he had
begun making waves in the magical world that did not sit well with
the man. The boy was becoming powerful, too powerful for the liking
of the Dark Lord and the need to hear the prophecy grew more and
more as each day past. He needed to know what it was he was
facing.
The Dark Lord feared no man but there was something about Potter
that made him feel uneasy, a feeling that he saw as unacceptable.
He needed to know how much of a threat the boy was and he had
fortunately been given that opportunity.
He had at first been furious with Nott challenging the boy to a duel
but quickly found that he was more curious. He realised it gave him
the chance to see the progress of the boy and truly evaluate the
threat he faced. If Nott were to succeed in killing the boy then it
would be a bitter pill to swallow as he wanted nothing more than to
personally right the wrong's the boy had committed against him.
However, if the boy were to defeat the man then he knew that he
was progressing at quite a terrifying rate and he would need to be
eliminated as fast as humanly possible. If that were to happen then
the need to hear the prophecy would become desperate, not
something that the Dark Lord would admit to anyone.
He knew that Nott was one of his more skilled and powerful followers
with a wand and he knew that if Potter did best him then he was
indeed a formidable opponent, something which Voldemort had
accepted as it was from the damage the boy had done in France.
It was not an ideal situation for him though. If Potter won then it was
likely that he would lose one of his best and the worry of the
prophecy would be much more significant. The thought alone gave
him an inkling of fear. If Nott one however he knew it would be
bittersweet. The boy would be dead but then the Dark Lord would
have the shame of being bested by the boy more times than he
cared for, as far as he was concerned once was too many.
He would simply wait and see what the outcome of the duel would
be. Either way he knew he was going to be disappointed but he
could not decide which of the two he would rather face. Could he
handle the shame better than he could handle the worry? That was a
question he could not answer as things were. But he knew he would
take either one in his stride because in reality, Potter was a small
part of his grand plan. A small part that could however, ruin
everything the Dark Lord had spent his life working towards.
All Lord Voldemort could do was wait. Wait for what was to come and
plan accordingly.
(BREAK)
Albus Dumbledore was sat in his office stroking the feathers of his
phoenix thoughtfully. He had been asked to return to the castle a few
short days after Dolores Umbridge had been removed by Harry and
he was glad to be back. There was a lot however that was bothering
the aged headmaster.
He had read the testimony from the students at how truly terrible
Umbridge had been and the subsequent treatment they had received
because of it. It did not make for pleasurable reading and the man
found himself saddened and even brought to tears by the plight of
the children that were under his care. The fact was, they had been
tortured and exposed to things that none should have faced, let
alone those of such a young age.
He himself had personally taken responsibility for teaching Defence
Against the Dark Arts, hoping that he could repair some of the
damage the woman had caused and he found that he enjoyed
teaching again, something that he had not done in many years. He
remembered why he had first come to Hogwarts and that was simply
to share his knowledge with the younger generations and have time
to improve his own. He had taken the Headmasters job after his
friend Armando Dippet had passed on quite suddenly. He in fact had
not planned on retaining the post for a long period of time but the
years had slowly crept by and before he knew it the war had come
and passed and he was still here.
He was shaken from his thoughts by a knock on the door, one that
he had been expecting.
"Come in Minerva" he answered.
"Albus, what is it that you wanted to see me about?" the
transfiguration professor asked. "It sounded like it was urgent" she
added worriedly.
"No Minerva it is not a matter of urgency I can assure you" he
replied. "I just wanted to discuss a few things with you" he explained.
"What things?" the witch questioned with a slight frown.
"The running of the school primarily" he responded with a nod.
"What of it?" Minerva asked with a confused expression.
Dumbledore sighed. He knew the conversation was not going to start
well.
"The simple fact is Minerva I am no longer fit to run the school to the
standard that it deserves" he admitted sadly.
"Nonsense Albus" the woman stated firmly. "There is no one that can
do the job as well as you" she affirmed sincerely.
Dumbledore smiled at the faith that the womanan was and always
had shown him.
"I thank you for your confidence but you only need to look on the last
five years to see that I am speaking the truth" he said knowingly. "My
poor choice to house the philosophers stone here" he counted off.
"The opening of the chamber, the farce of a tournament and most
recently, the tenure of Dolores Umbridge" he finished with a
disappointed shake of the head.
"What are you saying Albus?" the woman asked sadly. "Are you
planning on leaving?".
"My dear Minerva Hogwarts is my home and it is a place that I would
leave very reluctantly" he spoke sincerely. "However there are
changes that need to be made, tell me, you still enjoy your teaching
very much don't you?" he asked throwing the witch off a little.
"More than anything" she answered simply.
"I thought as much" the headmaster replied with a smile. "As you
know the headmaster position is a full time role in itself and as you
still enjoy teaching I can only assume that you do not want the
position?" he stated questioningly.
"I would accept it if I had to" she confirmed hesitantly.
"That is why I have a proposition for you that I hope you will
consider" he responded.
Minerva raised an eyebrow at the man but waited for him to
continue.
"I myself have found my love for teaching again" he began. "I would
very much like to continue teaching defence as you would with
transfiguration so what I propose is that I and yourself share the
responsibilities of headmaster and we can both teach" he explained.
"I cannot do this job as it should be done alone any longer, it is time
for some new blood and this seems the best solution" he finished
with a sad smile.
"You really mean that don't you?" the witch inquired disbelievingly.
"I do Minerva" he answered. "It seems that it is for the best in the
current climate".
"Then it seems as though we have much to discuss" Minerva
lamented.
(BREAK)
After the departure of Umbridge, the mood in the castle had
improved significantly and the occupants felt as though they could
breathe for the first time since the year started. Add to the fact that
Dumbledore himself was teaching defence, the students could not
be in better spirits.
The former members of Umbridge's Inquisitorial squad had been
punished very harshly for their transgressions. Most had been given
detentions to pay their dues and others had even been suspended.
The Slytherins in particular were feeling the benefit of the removal of
some of the house members.
The fact that Malfoy and his cronies were no longer around made the
common room a much nicer place to be and the occupants of the
snake pit were hopeful that the pompous idiot would not be
returning.
Daphne had never been happier. Not only had everything at school
improved but Harry had written to her every day since the night he
had saved her again and she had happily replied.
She found that there was much more to the boy than the saviour he
appeared to be and she truly liked what she had found out about the
boy. Not only was he noble and brave but he was in fact genuine and
honest. He always asked about her and what she was doing and
actually took an interest. He was not self-centred and arrogant as
most in her house believed but he was actually quite sensitive and
had his insecurities that she found endearing. He was just a boy, but
a boy that had the responsibilities of a man way beyond his years.
She looked forward to receiving his letters and found that no matter
how good she felt in the morning, they would make her feel even
better. There was certainly much more to Harry Potter than the eye
could see and she looked forward to getting to know him more. What
she did know however was that she was already enamoured with
him, something that her best friend and sister would point out at
every opportunity. She did not mind however. Although it annoyed
her in the moment she knew that they were happy for her and
perhaps even a little jealous. The ribbing she got from them was
nothing to what the boy made her feel.
She herself though was insecure also. She could not help but think
that he may only see her as a passing fancy, a way to kill some time.
She did not understand how he could be so attentive towards her
when he could have any witch he wanted. Those moments of doubt
would plague her but they would always be put to rest once she had
read his letters to her. He seemed to truly like her and everything he
wrote was wrought with sincerity. She knew that time would tell but
for the time being she would give him the benefit of any of her
doubts and could only hope that she would not get her heart broken
when all was said and done.
She of course worried about what he faced and he made no excuses
or promises that he knew he could not uphold. He knew there was a
chance that he would be killed and it seemed to be something that
he accepted as a hazard in his efforts. She knew that he was doing
what needed to be done and that was a big part of why she liked
him. He was unwavering with what he saw as his responsibility
despite the danger to himself and as hard as it was, Daphne
accepted it. But that did not stop her worrying for the boy.
She knew that she was seeing a side to him that no one else had.
He had been open with her about his dreams and aspirations and
found the simplicity of them appealing. He wanted nothing more than
to be normal, have a career he enjoyed and a family he could love,
something that he had never had before. He had even been open
about the fact that he had killed people but was not apologetic for it.
He explained to her that he was doing what had to be done and he
would not allow himself to feel guilty for it. He had even given her the
chance to walk away from him if she was disgusted and ashamed by
his acts. Daphne quickly dismissed that notion. She understood that
he was a good person and hadn't killed for nothing more than
necessity and knew that he would again and she found that she
didn't or even couldn't hold it against him.
She didn't know where this thing with Harry was going but she found
that she was just enjoying it and the mystery was a part of the
enjoyment. All she truly knew was that she was looking forward to
spending time with the boy and being there for him as much as she
could. She knew he needed someone to help him pick up the pieces,
he was a caring person after all and caring people carried burdens.
She wanted to help alleviate them as much as possible, pick him up
when he needed it and even give him a good kick up the arse if
necessary when he was too harsh on himself.
Yes, Daphne Greengrass was content with her lot as of now. She
just hoped that it wouldn't all be taken away from her before she
could truly enjoy it.
(BREAK)
The day of the trials had arrived for Harry and he found that he was
quite eager to witness the fate of Umbridge and Malfoy in particular.
The media in recent days had been quite harsh towards Fudge and
his leadership, much to the young man's pleasure and the prospect
of having the incompetent minister removed seemed much more
likely, a definite step in the right direction.
On the advice of Arcturus Harry had been preparing for his duel with
Nott senior after learning the man could demand it takes place at any
given moment. The older man had explained that as Harry had
allowed him to choose when the duel would take place it could be a
wait as little as ten minutes all the way up to an indefinite amount of
time.
The wait bothered him slightly as he was keen to focus on the more
important things he had to deal with and knowing that a duel could
be called at any moment was an irritation he would rather not deal
with. He was however very confident in his ability to beat the man
and knew that it was a perfect opportunity to send a message to
Riddle. He had planned for little showmanship and had already
decided that he would hold nothing back, ending the duel as quickly
and effectively as possible. He simply wanted no questions to be
asked about his fighting ability or any doubts that he would, at the
very least, be able to trade blows with Tom suitably.
He had spent a reasonable amount of time the past fortnight writing
to Daphne, something he was, at first, not entirely sure why he was
doing. This for Harry was different from writing to Fleur or even
Hermione and found that it had taken a little time to adjust to.
Fleur was of course very beautiful but Harry found that he could not
get past his first impressions of her. Although he had warmed to the
veela over time she was still very haughty and it was one thing the
young man found unappealing about the woman, to the point of
making her considerably less attractive to him.
Hermione was to him just as he imagined having a sister would be.
Yes, she had and was growing into a very beautiful woman but he
knew he could never get past the platonic nature of their relationship
and, if truth be told, he wouldn't be able to tolerate her overbearing
nature beyond what it was now.
Daphne, he found, was different to them both. She was very
beautiful but it was not the beauty that he found most attractive, to
him that aspect of her was something more to appreciate about the
girl. What did attract him to her was how she treated him and just her
general personality.
She asked about him and how he was feeling; she understood that
he was, above all else, a regular person with all the feelings that any
have. She did not see him as nothing more than a hero as most did
and had since he entered the wizarding world, but she saw him as
Harry, the fifteen year old who was shouldering a heavy burden. She
asked how he was coping and how he was feeling about things and
it felt easy for him to open up to her because there didn't appear to
be any other reason for her asking, other than the fact she was
interested and looking out for him.
The only other time people seemed interested in how Harry Potter
was feeling was when he had just managed to either survive an
encounter with Riddle or he had just completed some over the top
and ridiculous feat. The only other person other than Daphne that
had taken an interest in his welfare was Sirius and Harry understood
how rare people like that were in his life.
It was not just her caring nature that he admired about her. She was
clearly intelligent and he knew she was powerful having seen her
manage to produce a corporeal patronus. She was witty and had a
great sense of humour, something he had missed out on his entire
life.
But above all else, She was genuine. She spoke to Harry as he
knew she would anyone else. She was not speaking to a hero nor
was she speaking to the boy who lived but she was speaking to
Harry as he had wanted since learning about his past from Hagrid.
She would offer him advice and she was not afraid to give him a
verbal bashing if she thought that he needed it, which she obviously
thought he often did. Harry appreciated it though because it wasn't a
Hermione-like lecture in which she would make him feel like a child,
but it was a much needed prod to pull himself together.
He thought that after he had opened up about his killings that she
would be quick to judge and condemn him for his actions but she
had truly understood why he had to do what he was doing. He could
tell that she was not exactly comfortable with it but she did not hold it
against him and even went on to explain that it was certainly rather
them than him, which warmed him considerably.
He did not know what would happen between them but he was
certainly enjoying their missives and found that each evening he
looked forward to receiving a letter from her.
He entered the drawing room to find it unusually empty. He
wondered where the older man was and quickly spotted a scribbled
note left on the table.
Potter,
We were called in early to review the evidence. Trials start at 9am,
don't be late and sit in the public gallery. As a key witness you are
not allowed a vote and say nothing unless you are addressed.
Baron A.O Black
Harry found the final formality of the note amusing knowing that the
man did things no other way. He took his breakfast alone and
prepared for the day ahead, hoping that it was not a long and drawn
out process, the guilt of the people was obvious in his mind. He just
hoped that there were no unexpected surprises. He was sure that
Fudge had been subdued adequately and could not interfere in the
proceedings he did not however have the same faith in Malfoy or his
associates.
After dressing in a simple black jumper, jeans and brown shoes he
apparated to the ministry with plenty of time to spare, wanting to get
a good seat.
He entered the chamber in which the trials would be held to see the
seats slowly beginning to fill, he knew it would be a full house today.
He managed to find a suitable seat close to the front of the public
gallery and waited for Dumbledore to begin.
Much to his surprise Jonathan Greengrass entered the room
escorting his wife and Daphne. Upon seeing Harry he approached
him with the two ladies trailing just behind him.
"Good morning Harry" he greeted the young man warmly. "I was
wondering if I might ask if you would be so kind to sit with my wife
and daughter and act as their escort for the morning?" he asked with
a bow.
Although the man had greeted him informally Harry was aware that
the request he had made was in fact formal so he stood before
responding.
"It would be my pleasure Jonathan" Harry replied with a bow.
"Thank you" the other man intoned with another smile. "I'm sure
today will be very interesting and Daphne requested that she be
allowed to attend and as a victim, I could hardly refused" he finished
with an exasperated chuckle.
"Don't worry" Harry said reassuringly. "I will try my best to keep both
of them out of trouble" he offered with a grin to which the women
simply raised their eyebrows at him.
"It appears to me Lord Potter that it is you that needs to be kept out
of trouble" Ophelia retorted. "I am sure myself and my daughter can
be trusted to behave, you on the other hand are questionable" she
added with a smirk.
"And you live with these two willingly?" Harry questioned Jonathan in
faux horror causing the man to laugh.
"You have no idea how much I look forward to September 1st every
year" he responded shaking his head in mock anguish.
"We both know you secretly cry in your study Dad, or not so secretly
as it goes" Daphne cut in causing her father to flush slightly.
"I am going to take my seat before I am embarrassed further, good
luck Harry, you will need it with these two" he finished.
"That I do not doubt" the young man mumbled.
"Excuse me Potter, did you just say something?" Daphne
questioned, quirking her eyebrow at the boy.
"Only how pretty you look when you frown" he returned causing the
girl to frown at him in disbelief. "Just like that" he pointed out seeing
the change in her expression causing her to blush slightly.
"Just show us to our seats you idiot" she replied playfully with a
slight giggle.
"Of course ladies" he complied with an elaborate bow.
"I think it is us that need luck with him" Ophelia muttered to her
daughter as she took her seat.
"He does have a certain charm though I suppose" Daphne
responded causing her mother to smile knowingly.
"That he does" she conceded with a nod.
Harry took the opportunity to take a look around the room to see who
was in attendance. He was not surprised that Nott senior and the
parents of Crabbe and Goyle were present. What did surprise
however was that Lucius Malfoy was not in his regular place at the
ministers side. He was sat in the opposite stand to Harry looking
very nervous as was Narcissa who was sat with him. It seemed that
even the Malfoy gold had not been able to sway things in the man's
favour for once.
He saw that Nott Senior was shooting a death glare in his direction.
Harry simply smiled maliciously at the man with clear intent, he
would not allow the man to even attempt to intimidate him. Nott
however, was unfazed by the intentions behind the smile Harry gave
him and continued his hostile look.
"Ladies and Gentlemen" Dumbledore spoke disrupting the staring
contest between the two. "Please be seated as we are about to
begin" he informed the room.
He waited for everyone to be seated. When he was satisfied that
everyone was comfortable he proceeded.
"We, the wizengamot, have spent this morning reviewing all
evidence pertaining to the trials" he began. "We will begin with the
three aurors who were in attendance at Hogwarts while certain
crimes were carried out under their supervision of the castle, please
bring them in" he instructed.
A side door opened allowing the three men and their auror escorts to
enter the chamber. Each suspect were sat and bound in chairs
placed at the centre of the room.
"Auror John Dawlish" Dumbledore addressed the man. "You stand
accused of facilitating and allowing the assault of several students
and the torture by the use of a regulated item on 23 students, how
do you plead?" he finished questioningly.
"Not guilty" Dawlish spat vehemently.
"Very well" Dumbledore replied casually. "We have already reviewed
the evidence and we will now vote" he informed the man. "Those
who find the man not guilty, please raise your wands now" he
instructed.
Only around 8 wands were raised, not even close to gain the man
his freedom.
"Those who find the defendant guilty" Dumbledore asked.
The remaining 134 wands of the wizengamot were raised.
"I was only carrying out orders, as was my duty" Dawlish shouted
angrily.
"Be that as it may, what you did was highly illegal and reprehensible"
Dumbledore responded. "You as an auror should have known that
what you allowed to happen was wrong" he added shaking his head
disappointedly. "Cornelius, if you would please deliver the sentence"
he requested of the minister who cleared his throat.
"John Dawlish, due to your crimes, I hereby revoke your auror badge
and release you permanently from the department of magical law
enforcement" he explained to the furious man. "You will also be sent
to Azkaban as a low grade prisoner for 3 years. Consider this very
lenient, we took your usual exemplary record into account" he
finished.
The man was then lead from the court room very angry at his fate
sputtering about the injustice he had received.
"Auror Robert Michaels" Dumbledore spoke out once more. "You
stand accused of facilitating and allowing the assault of several
students and the torture by the use of a regulated item on 23
students, how do you plead?" he finished in the same tone he had
addressed Dawlish with.
"Guilty" the man answered hanging his head in shame.
"Very well" Dumbledore responded. "Cornelius?".
"Robert Michaels, due to your crimes, I hereby revoke your auror
badge and release you permanently from the department of magical
law enforcement" he explained. "As you have admitted your guilt you
will serve a two year sentence in Azkaban as a low grade prisoner"
he concluded.
The man just nodded and accepted his fate without question. He
allowed himself to be escorted from the room without any fuss.
"Auror Triton Selwyn" Dumbledore called causing Harry to snap to
attention at the name. ""You stand accused of facilitating and
allowing the assault of several students and the torture by the use of
a regulated item on 23 students, additionally you stand accused of
the attempted murder of Lord Harry James Potter by way of an
unforgivable curse, how do you plead?" Dumbledore questioned the
man.
"Not guilty" the man said defiantly shooting Harry a glare that
immediately made Harry quite angry but he kept an impassive mask
firmly in place.
Dumbledore nodded.
"The wizengamot have reviewed the evidence against you" he
explained to the man. "Those in favour of finding the defendant not
guilty?" he asked the court.
Around 30 wands were raised, all from the darker families Harry
noted.
"Those in favour of finding the defendant guilty?" Dumbledore
questioned further.
The remaining 114 wands were raised sealing the man's fate who
seemed nonplussed by the result.
"Cornelius" Dumbledore prompted.
"Triton Selwyn" Fudge said with a deep sigh. "Due to your crimes, I
hereby revoke your auror badge and release you permanently from
the department of magical law enforcement" he informed the man.
"In addition you are sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for the
attempted murder of Lord Harry James Potter and the use of an
unforgivable curse" he concluded firmly.
"How dare you?" the man roared at Fudge. "After the support my
family has given you this is how you repay them" he spat.
"Take him away" Fudge snarled distastefully.
The man was led away protesting loudly and vowing his revenge on
those who had wronged him.
"Let's move on" Fudge spoke angrily. "Next case" he called.
The door opened and Nott Junior entered the room along with
Crabbe and Goyle Junior who simply looked confused.
"I will make this quick" Fudge announced. "We have already
reviewed the evidence and have decided that it is a matter of the
Hogwarts headmaster to punish you as the crime took place on the
Hogwarts ground and your parts in it were rather minimal" he
explained to the trio who were now looking rather triumphant at this
development. "Albus?" he addressed the headmaster willing him to
continue.
"As Minister Fudge has explained it has been left to me to decide
your fates" he reiterated to the trio. "Is there anything you wish to say
in your defence?" he asked looking at them individually.
"Malfoy made us do it" Crabbe grunted with a shrug.
"Yeah he said we had to" Goyle added.
Nott Junior remained silent and only looked at the headmaster
defiantly who just shook his head.
"In all my years as headmaster I have never found myself in this
situation" he spoke with disappointment.
He sighed.
"I have little choice but to expel all three of you for your actions" he
added sadly. "I have applied to the ministry to confiscate your wands
and have an additional trace placed on you until you reach your
majority so that you cannot practice magic until that time" he
informed the now shocked boys.
"Your application has been granted Albus" Fudge cut in to which the
older man nodded.
"This is your fault Potter" Nott Senior suddenly screamed from
across the room standing and shaking in fury.
"Oh shut up you moron" Harry retorted. "It was your idiot son that
helped try to rape a young lady and allowed her to be tortured, he
only has himself to blame" he added with a shrug.
The man just gaped like a fish for a moment before he responded.
"That's it" he announced. "I have had enough of you and I want our
duel tomorrow" he screeched to which the room gasped. "Name your
place" he spat at the young man.
Harry grinned at the man, he was rather relieved he would be able to
get it over and done with sooner than he had anticipated.
"The Graveyard in Little Hangleton" Harry replied casually causing
the man to blanch and the room to look confused.
"If I may interject Lord Potter?" Dumbledore cut in.
Harry just nodded and waited for the chief warlock to continue.
"It is my understanding that the location you have chosen is not a
suitable venue for a duel" he explained with a little amusement in his
eyes. "I do however offer you the use of the Hogwarts quidditch pitch
for the event" he added. "There is ample seating for the crowd and
as you are not a student there this year it can be considered neutral
ground" he finished.
Harry thought for a moment and found that it was a rather good idea.
Not only was it a familiar place for him but the location and the
presence of the Hogwarts wards would discourage any interference
from anyone.
"I gratefully accept Professor Dumbledore" Harry responded.
"Fine" Nott spat. "11am" he added.
"Rules?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Wands only" Nott retorted.
"Of course" Harry replied.
Nott smiled a sickly smile.
"No spell limitations" he said vindictively.
The whole room looked towards Harry waiting for his response,
clearly this was not a regular occurrence. He looked towards
Arcturus who was grinning.
"I was going to suggest the same thing" Harry answered casually
causing the man to raise his eyebrows in surprise.
"Unforgivables?" Nott questioned disbelievingly.
"Why not" Harry shrugged. "We both know they have a history of not
being very effective against me" he added causing a few in the room
to laugh.
"How do we determine a winner?" Nott asked further.
"Until the other cannot continue" Harry suggested.
"Even death?" Nott asked, again in disbelief.
"If you wish" he responded coldly no longer in the mood for making
light of the situation.
"Fine" Nott spoke quietly. "Until tomorrow" he added and made his
exit.
Harry took his seat and noticed Daphne looking at him worriedly and
a little annoyed.
"It will be fine" he reassured her.
"It better be" she warned threateningly. "If you die I will kick your
arse" she promised.
"I'll be dead, it won't matter" Harry replied with a grin.
"I'm not joking Potter" Daphne growled.
"And neither was I when I said it will be fine, he has no idea what he
has gotten himself into" he spoke quietly allowing a little of his magic
to escape causing his eyes to glow.
Daphne just nodded in response. She didn't like the idea of a duel
like this but she understood that he could not back down. She took
his hand and squeezed it reassuringly causing Harry to smile at her.
"Next case" Fudge called impatiently.
The door opened once again to admit a very confident looking Draco
Malfoy who was dressed in fine black robes with a silver lining. He
took his seat and was clearly surprised to be bound to the chair.
"Draco Abraxus Malfoy" Dumbledore intoned seriously. "You stand
accused of the attempted rape of a young woman and the use of an
unforgivable curse on the same individual, how do you plead?" he
finished with the question.
"Not Guilty" Malfoy replied with a sneer aimed at the chief warlock
who just sighed.
"We have already reviewed the evidence against you and all that is
left is to determine whether we find you guilty of the accused crimes
or innocent" the old man explained. "Do you wish to say anything in
your defence?" he asked the boy.
"I was under the Imperious Curse" the blonde replied arrogantly.
"And pray, do tell us who would place you under the curse?"
Dumbledore asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know but I am being set up" Malfoy responded, clearly
confident in his excuse.
"Madame Bones?" Dumbledore asked willing her to proceed.
"Mr Malfoy was tested for any signs of mind altering magic and
potions upon his arrival and no traces nor indications were found"
she explained after rising to her feet.
Malfoy looked panicked by the witches declaration but that did not
stop him from denying the charges vehemently.
"I wasn't acting of my own accord" he tried again sounding a little
desperate.
"Would you be willing to attest to that by way of veritaserum?"
Madame Bones asked the boy with a raised brow. "Be warned Mr
Malfoy if you agree to this and you are found to be lying your
punishment will be much more harsh" she added sternly.
Malfoy just gaped like a fish. This was not going as he had planned
at all, he thought that the imperious defence was solid. He looked
towards his father who was looking quite furiously towards Fudge, he
clearly blamed the minister for this.
"No because I don't trust you to be treated fairly" he eventually
responded sounding more worried.
"Those in favour of finding the defendant not guilty" Dumbledore cut
in.
Around 50 wands were raised. Harry could see that even though the
boy's guilt was obvious the Malfoy influence was very far reaching.
"Those who find the defendant guilty" Dumbledore asked the room.
The remainder of the wands were raised demonstrating that the
Malfoy influence was not enough to secure Draco's release. He
began to stutter in disbelief before he addressed Fudge.
"After everything my father has done for you, you allow this?" he
questioned the man angrily.
"The professional nor personal relationship between myself and your
father has no bearing on this" Fudge replied sternly. "You broke the
law Mr Malfoy and we are all accountable for our actions, even me"
he finished quietly.
The boy just looked towards his father who was shaking in fury and
his mother who was shaking in equal measure but hers was in
sadness.
"Draco Abraxus Malfoy" Fudge began. "You have been found guilty
of attempted rape and the use of an unforgivable on another person"
he continued. "Albus?" he prompted the headmaster.
"As Headmaster of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry it is
my duty to inform you that you have been expelled" Dumbledore
explained to the shock stricken boy.
"And as you broke the law to such a deplorable degree it is my duty
to add to that punishment separately" Fudge informed him.
"Are you willing to sacrifice everything Cornelius?" Lucius Malfoy
stood and addressed the man angrily. "Because I am sure that the
wizarding world would love to hear your deepest secrets" he finished
threateningly.
"My reputation is already in tatters" Fudge replied a little sadly. "But
can yours stand up to the backlash you would receive if we start the
revelation game?" he asked defiantly. "Because believe me Lucius I
have very little to lose now whereas you are still held in high regard,
something that would no doubt change if I was to release what I
have" he finished confidently.
Malfoy blanched at the implications but composed himself.
"You don't have the guts" Malfoy spat. "You would be nothing without
me" he added in an angry whisper.
"Try me" Fudge retorted heatedly. "And I would be a much better
person than I am if you never came along Lucius" he continued in
disappointment. "Then I'd be able to look in the mirror and not be
disgusted by what I see" he concluded.
Malfoy just shook with rage but eventually took his seat again.
Clearly Fudge had slipped from his control. The man would of course
suffer.
"Where was I?" Fudge asked himself. "Ahh yes". "Draco Abraxus
Malfoy as a minor it is not possible for me to send you to Azkaban"
he said.
Malfoy looked absolutely gleeful at this.
"However" Fudge continued. "Certain allowances can and will be
made in your case" he informed the boy. "We may not be able to
house you in Azkaban as stated by our laws but there are other
prisons in the wizarding world that are able to" he added. "You are
therefore sentenced to serve no less than 30 years in Nurmengard
prison under the authority of the ICW" he concluded.
"You do not have the authority to do that" Lucius Malfoy shouted,
rising to his feet once again.
"But I do" Dumbledore cut in firmly. "As the chief warlock and as our
representative to the ICW you will find that I have already spoken to
my colleagues and they have allowed this sentence, they were
equally horrified by the nature of the crimes" he explained.
"So you had already determined my son's guilt" Malfoy spat.
"No Lucius we did not" Dumbledore stated sternly. "We did however
see the need to make arrangements should a guilty verdict be given"
he continued. "Your son cannot be allowed to roam free after
committing such a crime, he is and has to be held responsible for his
actions" he finished resolutely.
Malfoy stammered in complete disbelief. How had things gone so
wrong?
"You will pay for this" he hissed towards Fudge. "Believe me you will
pay" he added pointing at the man with a shaking arm before
sweeping from the room in a rage.
"Mother?" Draco asked clearly worried.
"I thought I raised you better" she replied sadly. "I love you son, but
what you did is wrong" she said shaking her head and followed her
husband less dramatically.
"Aurors?" Fudge called. "Take him away" he instructed.
"Wait!" Malfoy protested. "Please you can't do this to me" he
pleaded.
"I am sorry Mr Malfoy but you must atone for your crimes" Fudge
said sadly. "You are very fortunate that we did not sentence you to
life, I can only hope you learn from this and emerge the other side a
much better man" he added sincerely.
With that the aurors led away a very distraught Draco Malfoy. Today
had not gone well for him and now he was simply in shock.
Harry could not believe the sentence that had been passed but
couldn't help agreeing with the verdict. Malfoy was a disgrace and
what he did warranted the punishment he received. He caught
Fudge's eye and gave him a respectful nod. Despite the man's
incompetence, he was truly coming through today.
"Let's get this final case over with" Fudge sighed exasperatedly.
Dolores Umbridge entered the chamber looking rather pale and
sickly. She too looked surprise by being bound to the seat and did
not miss the many hateful glares she was receiving from the witches
and wizards gathered in the room.
"Dolores Jane Umbridge" Dumbledore began. "You stand accused of
23 counts of torturing students with a regulated and dangerous item
and for the use of an unforgivable on another person, how do you
plead?" Dumbledore asked the woman.
Umbridge had waited for this moment and knew that without the help
of Cornelius she was doomed.
"Guilty" she responded after hesitating for a moment, though it was
clear she was reluctant to do so.
"We have already reviewed the evidence against you Ms Umbridge
and as you have pleaded guilty I will pass over to the minister who
will deliver the sentence" Dumbledore explained.
"Dolores Jane Umbridge" Fudge addressed the woman a little sadly.
"You are hereby sentenced to life in Azkaban" he told her. "I must
say that I am very disappointed" he added. "And I am sorry if I in any
way implied that such things were allowed" he finished shaking his
head.
Dolores Umbridge just nodded, she had not expected anything less
in the circumstances. She was angry at Cornelius and at Potter but
she knew that she only truly had herself to blame. It was her laxity
and her indulgences that had gotten her here. She held her head
high as the aurors led her away; she would maintain her dignity at
the very least.
"That concludes the proceedings for today" Fudge announced and
left the room quickly.
"The ferret got what he deserved" Daphne mumbled bitterly.
"They all did" Harry responded with a nod. "It seems that Fudge has
gotten a wake-up call somewhere along the line" he added
thoughtfully.
"You would be just as surprised as me" Jonathan cut in as he joined
the group. "He would not usually be so professional" he finished with
a frown.
"Well it ended as it should have, even though Malfoy should be
kissed by the dementors" Ophelia intoned.
"Yes, well at least he didn't get away with it" Jonathan responded.
"Now we have to get this young lady back to school" he added
indicating his daughter. "We will see you tomorrow Harry" he said to
the younger man.
"You are coming to watch?" Harry questioned.
"It's been many years since I saw a duel like this one promises to be"
Jonathan said clearly looking forward to it.
"Then I will see you there" Harry replied with a grin of his own.
"Daphne" he said placing a kiss on the girls cheek.
"Now I don't know who I want to win" Jonathan muttered with a
shake of his head. "One man is a scumbag and the other has
intentions towards my daughter" he explained with his eyes full of
mirth.
"Dad!" Daphne exclaimed.
Ophelia slapped her husband on the shoulder.
"Would you rather there was a less noble man vying for our
daughters affections?" she asked leading her husband away.
"Mum!" Daphne whined in horror clearly wishing the floor would
swallow her.
Harry was amused as he saw Jonathan pale at his wife's question
and began stuttering incoherently.
"I'm sorry about them" Daphne muttered quietly, clearly embarrassed
by her parents.
"Don't be" Harry dismissed with a shrug. "I'm sure he doesn't really
want me to lose" he added with a grin.
"You better not" Daphne replied firmly.
Harry pulled her into a hug which she happily returned.
"I won't, I don't fancy being dug up to have my arse kicked" he
declared in amusement causing Daphne to chuckle.
"I would do it too" she assured him with a grin. "I have to catch them
up" she said sadly. "But I will see you tomorrow".
"I'd rather you weren't there but I know you will be regardless of what
I say" he responded knowingly. "I will see you tomorrow" he said
placing another kiss on her cheek.
Daphne left followed shortly by Harry after he shared a nod with the
headmaster. He had a duel to prepare for after all.
(BREAK)
The students had just finished their evening meal and found
themselves to be perplexed by a perceived announcement that the
headmaster was about to make. It was unusual as the man only
addressed the students at feasts or to inform them of something
important. He raised his hands to gain the silence of those
assembled.
"Students" he began. "It is my duty to inform you that a sanctioned
duel will take place here tomorrow morning at Hogwarts".
There was a flurry of chatter amongst the students. Those who
understood whispered excitedly to their friends and those that did not
listened as explanations were made throughout the hall. Dumbledore
waited for silence again before continuing.
"Lord Theodore Nott Senior, by honour of his family, has challenged
Lord Harry James Potter in a duel that shall be contested with no
limitations on magic" he explained.
Several gasps could be heard and again students aware of such
things explained the implications in such a contest. There were quite
a few worried faces amongst the crowd now and the noise quickly
fell, allowing the headmaster to continue.
"Due to the nature of the contest and because of the agreed rules
between the combatants, only students from fourth year and above
will be allowed to attend as spectators" he said firmly.
There was a groan of disappointment from the younger years at this.
"I must warn you all however" Dumbledore cut in. "If you are
planning on attending then you must be aware that serious injury
and even death is likely, it is not for the squeamish nor the faint at
heart" he spoke gravely. "The duel is scheduled to begin at 11am" he
finished taking his seat once more.
"Why would you allow them to attend Albus?" Minerva questioned
him in confusion.
The question caused the older man to sigh.
"Because Minerva it is my hope that they will witness this and be
deterred by violent confrontation and demonstrate the honest
brutality of war" he explained. "I am hoping that a harsh and honest
lesson will prevent many of those with dreams of grandeur joining
Tom and his cause" he added.
"But surely they are too young" she replied questioningly.
"Tom was the same age as some of the students when he committed
his first murder" he informed her. "In an ideal world they would be too
young but alas, ours is far from it right now" he concluded with a
shake of his head.
Minerva just nodded. She agreed that the world was far from ideal,
she just hoped that this was not a moment of poor judgement by her
friend.
(BREAK)
The students at the Gryffindor table were a mix of shock, worry and
excitement. Most were lost in their own thoughts for some time
before Hermione broke the silence Why would Harry accept a challenge like that" she asked no one in
particular.
"He had no choice" Neville answered.
Seeing Hermione looking confused he continued.
"Put yourself in his position Hermione" he offered. "He is a half-blood
in a pure blood dominated world and he was challenged by honour,
that in itself is a big deal" he explained. "Now because of how things
are with You-Know-Who he can't afford to look weak in any way and
by the honour of his own family, he would have had to accept
anyway" he finished knowingly.
"But his family are dead" Hermione pointed out.
"They are" Neville agreed with a nod. "But it is his duty as a Potter to
carry his name the way his ancestors did and from what my Gran
told me over Easter that is a big weight to carry" he added.
"You asked your Gran about the Potters? I thought she told you
everything she knew" Hermione replied with a frown.
"Turns out she didn't" Neville said with a shrug. "She knew Harry's
grandfather from the wizengamot and according to her the man was
terrifying especially with a wand" he informed the bushy haired girl.
"But I looked into well-known duelling families and the Potters
weren't on the list, despite his grandfather killing giants and so on"
she responded, still frowning.
"That's because they aren't duellists" Neville stated matter-of-factly.
"They are fighters and duelling is a sport, not a fight" he explained.
"But this duel sounds like a fight" She responded exasperatedly.
"And that's what makes it more to Harry's advantage" Neville said.
"There are no limitations on spells he can use and I imagine Harry
has a few up his sleeve, especially if what we saw is anything to go
by" he finished confidently.
"So they can use the unforgivables?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"Hermione, there are much worse curses than the unforgivables" the
boy intoned seriously.
He held his hand up to stop the inevitable interruption.
"The cruciatus" he said with a knowing shudder, "is no doubt the
immediate worst of the three, the killing curse, if anything, is a
merciful death and the Imperius can be fought, and we both know
Harry can do that" he explained. "There are curses that will boil your
organs and some that will even expel them from your body" he
added. "There are some curses that will kill you in the most painful
ways imaginable, the reason they are not considered unforgivable is
because they can be blocked with a shield of some sort" he finished.
"I know that" Hermione responded a little annoyed and sad. "But
everywhere you read it says the unforgivables are the worst" she
added knowingly.
Neville just shook his head, even he understood there were much
worse spells than those available.
"So who is your money on?" Fred cut in as he and George took a
seat and pulled out a notepad.
"5 Galleons on Harry" Neville said confidently.
"Neville!" Hermione exclaimed. "You're going to bet on Harry's life?"
She asked disbelievingly.
Neville at least had the decency to look a little sheepish.
"Why not?" he retorted. "May as well make some easy money from
it" he added with a shrug.
"That's the spirit Nev" George praised the boy. "And what about you
miss Granger?" he asked waggling his eyebrows at the brunette.
"No" She said firmly and crossed her arms, giving the twins a glare.
"Suit yourself, but you're missing out" he warned her.
"I wouldn't bet even if it wasn't Harry" she responded.
"And why is that?" Fred asked.
"Because it is barbaric" she replied exasperatedly. "And" she
continued, "you have the odds too heavily in Harry's favour" she said
sadly.
"What do you mean?" the twins asked in unison.
"The Nott's along with the Selwyn's and the Black's are among the
best duellers in the wizarding world, it won't be an easy fight" she
explained. "Harry could really die" she finished before leaving the
table and exiting the hall.
"Is that true?" George asked Neville.
"It is something they are well-known for" he responded with a shrug.
"But I don't doubt Harry in any way" he added firmly before he too
exited.
"Shall we see who else wants to get in on this o' brother of mine?"
Fred asked.
"Indeed brother" lead the way.
Watching the happenings from the side-lines was the youngest
Weasley male. He was worried for his friend but he believed he
would be successful, he always was after all.
Since Harry had dressed him down in the Great Hall, Ron had taken
a lot of time to think about how things had been and where they were
headed. He was still bitter about many things but he understood why
his friend was acting the way he was. He had to, to make sure that
he survives and Ron had been left behind, not only by Harry but
many others.
He knew he couldn't change much because he was who he was but
he would try to be more understanding of other people and not so
judgemental. Ronald Weasley had much to think about still. But it
was something he would work on.
(BREAK)
The reaction at the Slytherin table was the most diverse in the hall.
Most of the house were grateful to Potter for getting rid of Malfoy and
his cronies but they knew they could not openly support the boy, not
that many of them would. The former members of the inquisitorial
squad were gleeful at the prospect of seeing Potter trounced by Nott
Senior. There were three at the table however who were not
interested in that opinion.
"You knew about this didn't you?" Tracey questioned her best friend
who just nodded casually and continued eating.
"And you didn't think to tell us?" the brunette continued, clearly
frustrated.
"You know now don't you" Daphne pointed out.
Tracey huffed at her friend.
"You're not worried?" she asked.
Daphne sighed and pushed her plate away.
"I am" she admitted quietly. "But he knows what will happen if he
dies" she added with a frown.
"You threatened his corpse didn't you?" Astoria piped up with a grin.
"I might have" her sister responded inspecting her fingernails.
"Don't you think you should cut him some slack?" Tracey tried with a
raised eyebrow.
"No" Daphne answered firmly.
"Ohh Daphne really likes him" Astoria teased.
"Shut up Tori" Daphne responded heatedly.
"It's not like she was lying, you have been writing to him a lot" Tracey
pointed out. "And you say his name in your sleep" she added quietly
causing Astoria to choke on the mouthful of food she had just taken
a bite of.
"Oh please tell me that is true" she begged the older brunette who
just nodded and giggled.
"I do not" Daphne bit back hotly but started to blush despite her
denial.
The trio were interrupted by a chuckle from their right.
"What are you laughing at Zabini?" Daphne questioned the boy
angrily.
"Nothing" he said raising his hands to calm the girl. "I'm just
surprised to hear you talking about a boy, I always thought you were
inclined the other way" he finished with a shrug.
Daphne was shocked by the usually quiet boys input.
"See that's what I thought too" Tracey said loudly.
"Tracey!" Daphne exclaimed blushing even more.
"Well you never showed an interest before" Tracey replied. "But you
definitely got it bad when it caught up to you" she added with a grin.
Daphne put her head in her hands and shook it exasperatedly.
"She made a good choice" Blaise said casually causing all three girls
to stare at the boy in disbelief.
"What?" he asked with a frown. "He's rich, powerful and apparently
good looking" he explained.
"You think Potter is a good catch?" Tracey asked with a raised
eyebrow.
"Neutral here" Blaise responded pointing to himself. "And Nott is a
prat, personally I'm pulling for Potter in this one" he explained to the
stunned girls.
"Care to make a wager?" George asked sliding in to the seat next to
the boy.
"We are offering good odds" Fred added taking the seat on the other
side.
"20 galleons on Potter" Blaise replied casually. "Oh come on you
saw what he did to three aurors at the same time" he said after
seeing the disbelieving looks on the girls faces.
With his business concluded with the twins the boy nodded to the
group and left.
"I never thought I would see the day" Tracey said, still in shock.
"Me either" Astoria agreed.
"Well ladies are you getting in on this?" Fred asked waving the
notepad they were carrying.
"No thank you boys" Tracey responded. "Daphne has already hit the
jackpot and me and Tori are happy enjoying that" she explained
shooting her friend a mischievous grin.
"Why can't you get your own boyfriend?" Daphne retorted
exasperatedly.
"Oh so he's your boyfriend now?" the girl asked in response. "You
didn't tell us that".
Daphne just stood up and left clearly blushing deeply. She really had
not meant for it to sound that way but she knew she had put her foot
in it and she would pay for that mistake for some time to come.
Tracey and Astoria followed, they had a lot of teasing to catch up on
and Daphne had just given them the perfect material.
(BREAK)
Harry awoke the day of the duel in a full fight mind set. He was quiet
and contemplative; he was unshakable and he purely meant
business. His eyes glowed at the impending fight and he found
himself more ready than he had ever been for a confrontation.
He had spent the remainder of his day yesterday alone and thinking.
He thought of the man he was going to fight and did all he could to at
least feel nothing towards the man. He knew it was best that he was
impassive in his approach to the duel and the man he was facing.
Killing the man was not something he was particularly keen on doing
but he would not hesitate if it was deemed necessary in the moment.
He thought of all the reprehensible things the man had done and
taken part in under the guise of a Death Eater. Harry knew you did
not get the mark by any feat of morality, those with the mark were
murderers, rapist and just simply vile people.
He thought of what had happened over the years to many people,
perpetrated by those that carry that mark and the he knew the man
he was fighting had been involved in some of those atrocities.
He would show no mercy to a man who had not given it to those he
had killed and those he had trespassed upon. If necessary he would
kill the man, he saw it as justification for what had happened to
himself and many others.
He knew that was what his grandfather would do and he knew that
his mother would not hold it against him. He knew that it was him or
it would be himself and he would be damned if he were to fall to that
man.
He knew he needed to send a message to Tom also. That message
being that his followers would get no mercy from him. He would hold
them all in equal contempt and he would take them down one by one
if he had to to prevent them from continuing to do what they had for
decades.
He got dressed in his continued silence. He wore a khaki green tshirt
with black combat trousers and some white trainers. He wanted
to be as loose and comfortable as possible. Today was not a day to
impress with his sense of fashion, it was a day that business held
precedence over all else.
He made his way to the drawing room to take in a light breakfast, he
would eat a bigger meal after the duel, if he won.
Arcturus watched the boy and was impressed at how calm and
collected he was. He could see the intent in his eyes and he nodded
his approval.
"Are you ready?" he asked breaking the silence.
Harry just nodded. He heard the question but he was in no mood for
idle chat this morning.
"Good" Arcturus intoned. "Now remember do not hold back at all it is
time to show these bastards what you are made of" he instructed
firmly. "It would probably be better if you do kill him, it will be one
less" he added.
"I will if he makes me" Harry responded neutrally. "At the very least
he will regret his challenge" he continued allowing some of the pent
up magic to radiate from him, his eyes glowing brighter.
"He will be trying to kill you" Arcturus pointed out knowingly.
"Then he will die" Harry retorted indifferently.
Arcturus just looked at the boy, a boy who was quickly becoming a
man and quite a terrifying one at that. He wouldn't openly admit it but
he was proud of him especially when he thought back to when he
first arrived almost a year ago. It was then he realised that the boy
truly did not need him anymore and that thought saddened the older
man a little. The last year had not been easy but the boy had given
him further purpose and he found the adventures he had shared with
him were enjoyable and among the best times he had had in many
years. Arcturus Black had found something to be proud of at long
last and it was the grandson of his best friend and his little sister. The
man was content for the first time in a long time and he had no doubt
the boy would be successful. He had taught him just about
everything he could and now his fate was in his own hands.
He stood and placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder.
"Honour Thy Blood Potter" he spoke sincerely before leaving, he
wanted to get a good seat after all.
"I will" Harry whispered and steeled himself one final time.
(BREAK)
The stands in the qudditch stadium at Hogwarts were filled to
capacity and further seats had been added to accommodate the
crowd that had come to witness the duel, Witches and Wizards had
poured in from all over the country and beyond to watch the
altercation between the two. Word had clearly spread quickly and it
seemed the entire wizarding world had wanted to be in attendance.
The crowd watched as Nott senior entered the stadium to a mixture
of boos and cheers, the man simply ignored them all and watched
the opposing entrance to the stadium in which Potter would enter. He
waited only a few minutes before the boy entered to much more
cheers than he had received.
Nott had to admit the boy had an unsettling presence but he would
be intimidated by the legend that was Harry Potter. Today he would
prove the boy had been nothing but lucky and when it came to a
duel, he was far superior than the half-blooded bastard.
(BREAK)
Daphne, Tracey and Astoria were sat in the stands with their parents,
eagerly anticipating the start of the duel. Daphne was and had been
quiet all morning. In reality she felt sick and did not trust herself to
open her mouth for fear that she would simply vomit.
Surprisingly the group were joined by Blaise Zabini and his mother
who they found had been rather polite and courteous to them. Blaise
had even offered the girls a reassuring smile and again stated his
belief that Harry would be victorious.
They watched as Nott Senior entered the stadium and saw that he
looked rather calm despite what he was facing.
They watched Harry enter shortly afterwards and could see that he
was ready, the glow of his eyes could be seen by any who cared to
look and if truth be told it was rather eerie. There was no doubt that
Potter cut the impressive figure.
"That is Harry Potter?" Mrs Zabini asked in disbelief. "My, he is
growing into a fine young man" she added with a predatory leer.
"Mum" Blaise said weakly. "He is the same age as me" he pleaded.
"I was just complimenting the young man" his mother replied
dismissively.
Daphne frowned at the woman causing her sister and friend to
laugh. Blaise shot her an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry" Blaise spoke sincerely.
"Did I say something wrong?" Mrs Zabini asked with a raised
eyebrow.
"Not at all, Daphne is just protecting what she wants" Tracey replied
causing the group to laugh.
"Not today" Daphne said hotly but she blushed anyway.
"Oh come on Daph" Tracey pleaded. "You're not going to deny it are
especially after what you said yesterday, what was it again?" she
asked rhetorically. "Oh yeah".
She tried to continue but found her mouth covered by her friends
hand.
"If you say it I will permanently stick your lips together" Daphne
threatened waving her wand under her friends nose who was
laughing at her reaction.
"Okay, I won't say a word" Trace surrendered. "It looks like they are
starting now" she added.
The group turned to watch. Clearly Harry and the other man had just
had a conversation of some sort but were now both backing off for
the duel to begin.
(BREAK)
A very nervous group of friends were gathered in the stands where
the Gryffindor students were sat. They had watched the two enter
but had remained silent. It was not until they could be seen having a
conversation that the silence was broken by Ron.
"What do you think they are saying?" he asked.
"I'll bet they aren't bidding each other a good morning" Fred said
knowingly. "Lord, look at his eyes" he instructed pointing at Harry.
From where they were sat they could clearly see the green glowing
orbs of their friend.
"How does he do that?" Neville asked.
"It is a trait of powerful wizards" Hermione cut in knowingly. "It is a
way to demonstrate power but Harry is not forcing it" she pointed
out. "He looks relaxed so it is just his magic reacting naturally" she
explained.
The others just shrugged in reply and watched as the two began
backing off, neither taking their eyes off the other.
(BREAK)
Harry entered the stadium, ignoring the crowd entirely, his eyes were
firmly fixed on the other man. He walked forward without hesitation.
"Ready to die Potter?" Nott spat.
"I've been ready since last June" Harry answered casually. "Are you
ready to die for you non-existent family honour?" Harry asked in
reply.
"My family has honour unlike you, you half-blooded little shit" the
man responded heatedly.
"It's funny how you hold my blood status against me when you spend
half of your time with your lips puckered on an arse of a half-blood"
Harry said causing the man to balk and look confused.
"Oh you didn't know" Harry continued in amusement. "The man who
you bow to is a half-blood, his real name is Tom Riddle, his father
was a muggle" he explained triumphantly.
"You dare" the man hissed. "You dare insult the Dark Lord? I will
make you suffer like the blood traitor Weasley's" he spat.
It was Harry's turn to be caught short.
"Oh I was there" Nott continued. "I heard the screams" he added.
Harry could feel the rage boiling within him now.
"They screamed like children when we set that ward device off, I
certainly enjoyed it" he finished gleefully seeing that he was getting
to the boy. The bright glow of his eyes gave away his anger, and
angry people were clumsy in a fight.
"Who?" Harry asked dangerously.
"As if I would tell you" Nott retorted. "Not that you will live through
this anyway" he finished confidently.
"Oh you will tell me" Harry mumbled and began backing away, he
was finished talking.
Any thoughts of mercy had now been abandoned by the teen. He
was going to kill the man there was no longer any debate on the
matter in his mind. But first he would get the man to talk, by any
means necessary. Theodore Nott Senior was going to suffer for what
he had done to the redheaded family.
Harry heard the projected voice of Dumbledore cut in to his thoughts
and listened to what the man had to say.
"Ladies and Gentlemen" he began. "It seems that the two
combatants are ready, you may begin as you please" he instructed
the two.
Harry wasted no time and immediately began firing powerful
bludgeoners and bone breakers at the man. He followed up with a
few darker curses from his Black knowledge designed to
incapacitate the man.
Nott senior quickly conjured a powerful bright gold shield that would
protect him from anything short of the unforgivables, it was draining
but Potter had left him little choice. Despite the strength of his shield
he was knocked back several feet as the first onslaught of curses hit
it. He was immediately weary of the boy's power, he clearly had that
in abundance.
He waited for a lull in the spells before he dropped the shield and
began firing his own in return which they boy dodged with ease. He
was impressed by the grace and the speed of the boy, he was
indeed a formidable opponent.
He fired a few well-aimed blood boiling curses and a withering curse
that he knew the boy would not be able to doge. He watched in
horror as the boy simply batted them away as though they were
nothing, he had seen very few people capable of that feat.
He had to quickly conjure a shield again as Potter returned fire with
some very questionable curses, some he had never seen and had
no idea what they would do. He felt his magic draining quite rapidly
from the amount needed to maintain the shield. He thought that the
boy would tire from using so many powerful spells but he could see
that he showed no signs of slowing, he didn't even looked slightly
fatigued.
He knew he was in a desperate situation and had one last spell that
he knew would cause the boy problems. He dropped his shield and
braced himself.
" FIENDFYRE" he roared.
(BREAK)
Harry watched as the fiery dragon erupted from the man's wand and
steeled himself. He knew there was no dodging the flames but he
had been preparing for this eventuality, he knew that it was a
favoured spell amongst Riddle's more powerful followers and he had
planned accordingly. The problem was however, he had never
attempted what he was about to with real fiendfyre. He was in
unknown territory here. He would either succeed triumphantly or he
would be reduced to nothing as the fire consumed him.
(BREAK)
"Amazing" Mrs Zabini whispered in awe as the group watched Harry
dodging and batting away the lethal spells.
"He is" Ophelia agreed in a similar tone.
"What is that shield?" Tracey asked.
"It is a mage shield" Jonathan answered. "It takes an enormous
amount of power to conjure and maintain" he explained. "Only
someone confident in their ability would use it as it is very draining"
he finished knowingly.
"Why would he use it then?" Astoria asked in confusion.
"Because if he used any other shield, the power of Harry's spells
would obliterate it" he responded simply. "He will get desperate
though, he won't be able to maintain that for much longer" he added
knowledgably.
True to his prediction the group watched as the man dropped his
shield and planted his feet firmly bending his knees slightly.
" FIENDFYRE" they heard the man roar and their eyes widened in
recognition of the incantation.
They watched in horror as the fiery dragon leapt from the man's
wand and charged towards the boy who remained unmoved.
The adults gasped and the teens screamed as they watched the
fiery beast engulf the teen seemingly without any resistance from
him.
Daphne felt the tears streaming down her face and was not aware
that her best friend had placed an arm around her should.
"Look" Astoria suddenly shouted pointing towards the still present
dragon.
A disturbance could be seen within the flames.
(BREAK)
Albus Dumbledore watched in shock as the man conjured the
accursed flames. He was deeply saddened as he watched the boy
disappear within them and cursed himself for allowing this to
happen.
He was dragged from his musings by a tap on the shoulder.
He turned to see a very shocked Arcturus Black pointing a very
shaky hand towards where the boy had stood.
"He did it" the Baron said disbelievingly. "He actually did it".
(BREAK)
Harry watched as the beast hurtled towards him, he steeled himself
and focused his power concentrating on what he wanted to happen.
Just as he felt the heat of the flames and could smell his hair and
clothes starting to burn he felt a deep coldness overcome him and
saw only black. It had worked.
FLASHBACK TO MANY MONTHS PREVIOUS
"What is this spell" Harry asked Arcturus entering the drawing room.
The older man looked at the indicated page and nodded in
recognition.
"Your grandfather and I had started to work on a spell against
fiendfyre, we never really focused on it that much and never finished
it" he explained with a shrug.
"It seems important" Harry said with a raised eyebrow.
"The war had finished and we didn't really think about it after"
Arcturus responded. "Finish it if you can most of the work is done
already, I tried to a few times over the years but couldn't quite get it
right" he finished a little irritably.
Harry left the room deep in thought. He had a few ideas on how he
could get the spell finished but it would need some experimentation.
END FLASHBACK
The crowed watched in complete silence and suspense as an inky
black mass started to form within the flames. Suddenly the flames
were pushed back as the mass formed into an enormous Thestral
that dwarfed the dragon.
"What is that?" Astoria asked in shock.
"I have no idea" her father replied in a similar state to his daughter. "I
have never seen or heard of anything like it" he added.
Daphne just watched as the dark as night creature formed and
repelled the flames. Her heart filled with hope that the boy was ok
and she breathed a sigh of relief followed by a sob.
All eyes in the stadium were on the new battle that had begun
between the two conjured creatures. The massive black Thestral
flew towards the dragon and wrapped itself around the beast,
moulding to its form. A struggle could be witnessed as each of the
elements fought for dominance and the spectators waited with baited
breath for the outcome.
With a final desperate roar the dragon disappeared in an explosion
of black gas that flooded the pitch blocking the view of everyone.
After a few moments the smoke began to clear and a figure could be
seen emerging from it. There stood a slightly singed, but largely
unharmed Harry Potter looking nothing short of murderous.
"Unbelievable" Jonathan whispered.
(BREAK)
Harry emerged from the Black fog and could see that the other man
was exhausted. He approached him and easily batted away the
desperate curse the man fired towards him. He fired a bonebreaker,
catching the man's wand hand, causing him to drop his wand with a
pained scream.
Harry fired a single arrow embedding the projectile into the man's
shoulder and eliciting another scream from him. The arrow was one
from the Black repertoire of spells imbued with a curse that would
cause heart failure, the man was already dead, he just didn't know it
yet.
"Who was it?" Harry asked.
The man just looked confused at the boy's question.
"Who was with you at the Weasley's" Harry clarified.
"Fuck you Potter" the man retorted spitting a mouthful of blood in his
direction.
"Have it your way" Harry responded coldly and crudely pulled the
arrow from the man's shoulder causing him to grunt from the
discomfort. "This arrow has a very deadly curse on it" he explained
to the man. "I am sure you are feeling the effects of it right now" he
surmised. "If you want to live then you will tell me what I want to
know" he demanded.
Nott could indeed feel the effects of the curse settling in and it was
not very pleasant. He would not give the boy what he wanted
though, he would take it to the grave with him.
"Go to hell" he spat and grinned triumphantly.
Harry knelt by the man, he was tired of him now and just wanted the
answers he sought. He pushed the man firmly to the ground,
rammed two of his fingers into the open wound and kneeled on his
broken hand. The man screamed again in agony and screamed
further still has Harry began to allow some passive magic to pass
through his fingers.
"Tell me what I want to know and I will stop" Harry promised.
"Alright" the suffering man conceded. "It was Rowle and Rookwood"
he said breathily. "Now counter the curse for fuck sake" he
commanded.
Harry just smiled at the man, he would get no mercy today. He could
not allow this man to get away with what he had done to Mrs
Weasley, Ginny and Luna Lovegood.
"I will pass on your regards" Harry said coldly and got to his feet and
proceeded to the exit.
He was almost at the door when he heard his name screamed in
anguish. He turned to see Nott senior collapse face first to the floor
clutching his chest with his broken hand and his wand in the other.
He simply shook his head at the man and left.
(BREAK)
Albus Dumbledore watched in shock as Harry emerged almost
unscathed from the fog and proceeded to subdue the man. He was
about to stand to intervene, seeing that Nott was no longer armed
and clearly could not continue when he felt a firm hand on his
forearm.
"You will not intervene" Arcturus commanded firmly. "Clearly they still
have unresolved business" he added.
Dumbledore remained in his seat and watched as Harry interrogated
the man. 'He must have something he wants' he mused. He was not
comfortable with what the young man was doing but knew he would
not appreciate any interference. Dumbledore blocked out the
screams from Nott senior as best as possible but was shaken from
his reverie with a scream from the crowd as someone shouted
Harry's name.
He saw Nott senior fall face first to the ground dead. He shook his
head despairingly. Witnessing death never got any easier.
(BREAK)
Daphne watched as Harry was gaining information from the fallen
man in a not so pleasant manner. She heard the screams of the man
and could not believe that the boy would do such a thing regardless
of how despicable the man was.
"Why is he doing that?" Astoria asked a little distraught by what she
was witnessing.
"He must have his reasons" Jonathan replied confidently. "Harry is
not a cruel person" he added assuredly.
Daphne watched sadly as Harry walked away. It was not fair that the
boy had been given such a fate. She saw Nott Senior get to his feet
and grab his wand. He pointed it at the retreating back of the boy.
"HARRY" she screamed desperately but her warning was not
needed as she saw the older man fall to the ground dead. She froze
in disbelief briefly before she shot to her feet and raced from the
stadium followed quickly by the group she was with.
(BREAK)
Harry left the stadium and was met by an apprehensive looking first
year Gryffindor.
"Hello Miss McDonald" he greeted her with a weak smile.
"Are you ok Mr Potter?" the girl asked, clearly concerned. "I wasn't
allowed to come in and watch" she told him sadly.
"I'm glad you weren't" Harry replied. "There are things that a young
lady should not see" he added. "As you can see I am ok" he
reassured the girl. "Are you looking forward to the summer?" he
asked changing the subject.
"No sir" the girl responded quietly. "I don't like the orphanage" she
said sadly.
Harry was taken aback by the revelation that the girl was an orphan.
He truly felt her pain knowing himself what it was like growing up
without parents. He pulled the girl into a reassuring hug.
"I know it is hard growing up without your parents, I had to live with
my aunt and uncle and I did not like it" he informed the girl. "But your
life is what you make of it" he explained. "You really can do anything
you set your mind to" he said.
"Thank you sir" the girl said giving him a genuine smile.
"It is Harry to you Miss" Harry replied giving her a bow as he
released her from the hug.
"Then you have to call me Natalie" the girl insisted.
"I can do that" Harry said with a smile. "But for now I believe there is
someone else who wants to speak to me" he added spotting Daphne
with several others watching them from behind the girl.
"Ok, I'll see you later Harry" the girl responded giving him a final hug
before she departed.
Harry watched her as she left and felt saddened by her
circumstances, something he would ponder later.
He turned to look at Daphne who was looking torn at how she was
feeling. She hesitated momentarily before throwing herself in his
arms and sobbed into his chest. Harry just held her and waited for
her to calm herself.
"Why did you kill him?" she asked eventually, her voice full of
emotion.
"It was him" Harry answered coldly. "it was him and two others that
attacked the Weasley's" he explained.
"Then he got what he deserved" Jonathan said firmly. "Well fought
Harry" he added. "I will certainly never doubt you and your ability".
Harry just nodded, he wanted nothing more than to be alone right
now. He pushed Daphne away and kissed her on the cheek.
"I'll write" he promised and he walked away and disapparated the
moment he had passed through the gates.
"What's wrong with him?" Tracey asked in disbelief. "He won he
should be happy".
"He needs to be alone" Jonathan replied firmly. "He just killed a man,
something he clearly takes no joy in, he needs time to put everything
in place" he finished knowingly.
"Will he be ok?" Daphne asked still watching the gate in which the
boy had passed through and disappeared.
"He will" Jonathan reassured her. "He is strong, but strong people
need time to heal also, all you can do is be there when he needs
you" he explained to his daughter.
"I will be" Daphne whispered to herself. She understood why he had
done what he had, it was definitely justified. She just hoped he was
not too hard on himself.
(BREAK)
Lord Voldemort emerged from his pensieve feeling very mixed
emotions. He had just watched a memory of the duel between Nott
and Potter that he had obtained from one of his followers.
He was very impressed at all aspects of Potters fighting style. He
was powerful, fast and very elusive. In addition he was ruthless and
non-hesitant and had some serious skill as demonstrated by how he
had dealt with the fiendfyre, he had never witnessed a spell like it.
He knew that he had to duel the younger man sooner rather than
later before he could become a true threat to the Dark Lord. He
shuddered at the thought of the boy being left unchecked. The
thoughts of the prophecy would haunt him until he could obtain it,
something he needed Potter for.
Lord Voldemort was concerned and his concern was increasing,
something had to be done about the boy