Lord Voldemort seethed as he read the newspaper. The newly
printed journal of Godric Gryffindor was sitting innocently on the
table next to him.
Lily Potter had been the true descendant of Salazar Slytherin? His
ancestor who had married the Gaunts had been the blood-adopted
son of Salazar? Harry Potter had managed to bypass the blood ward
at the Chamber of Secrets? The boy prophesied to kill him was now
Lord Slytherin?
His anger grew no bounds. Nagini slithered around him to calm him
down, but it still frustrated him to no end. A sense of calm descended
upon him. Six more months and it would all be over. After Harry
Potter was dead, the Slytherin Lordship would fall to him as the next
blood descendant. But he knew one thing for certain. He was going
to torture Harry Potter badly before he killed the boy.
"My Lord, I have more information on Harry Potter," said Rookwood,
kneeling down. "I think you'll find this particularly interesting."
Voldemort's red eyes narrowed as he listened to the report.
This was unexpected. He might have to tweak his plans for the
future.
"You are going to start getting dressed now ?" asked Neville, aghast.
"Neville's right," said Theo, looking stunned. "The ball is three hours
away."
"We need that time to get ready," snapped Tracy, glaring at Theo as
she and Susan went to their respective dormitories.
"Unbelievable," muttered Theo.
"Any idea who Draco is going with?" asked Dylan quietly.
"Pansy Parkinson," said Blaise in his usual monotonous tone,
smirking slightly. "He was quite pissed off when Astoria said she
already had a date. Nice job of asking her, by the way. The news
spread throughout Slytherin House and some actually wanted to ask
you tips on how to impress their dates. Surprising that they would
want to ask a twelve-year-old boy for ideas."
Dylan blushed but smiled nevertheless. "I'll see you guys at the ball,"
he said and made his way to the Ravenclaw table. "Where are you
going?"
"To get ready for the ball," replied Harry blandly.
"Harry, why do you need three hours?" asked Dylan incredulously.
The older boy simply stared back, looking slightly bewildered. "I was
told that every girl who was attending the ball had already gone to
their dorms to get ready, and I figured Daphne might have done the
same. As a good fiancé, I thought it was expected of me to help in
any way I can."
Dylan snickered. "Even if she's in the shower?" he asked cheekily.
His eyes widened in surprise when he saw a faint blush appear on
Harry's cheeks. This was a spectacle he had never witnessed
before. "Harry, are you blushing?"
"No," said Harry calmly, having regained control of his emotions. He
did not want to reveal to his brother that lately, he had been having
plenty of dreams of Daphne in the shower with him ... no, he wasn't
about to confess that secret with the brat in front of him or anyone
else for that matter.
Playfully ruffling Dylan's hair, Harry walked towards the Room of
Requirement where he knew Daphne was. Doing his best to push
the images of Daphne in the shower far away from his mind and
adjusting his trousers, he paced three times in front of the blank wall
and once the door appeared, he entered. What he saw took his
breath away. Harry stood with his back to the wall, lips parted slightly
as he observed the spectacle in front of him. It was the most
beautiful sight he had ever seen in his life. He watched his fiancée, a
fond smile on his lips, love and respect shining in his eyes.
Daphne Greengrass was currently locked in a furious battle with five
advanced duelling dummies, with the best the Room of Requirement
could throw at her. Her usually styled hair was a mess with strands
falling over her face. Her hand was a blur as she slashed her wand
repeatedly, non-verbal curses and charms flowing easily from her
wand, dancing around the incoming spells. While Daphne wasn't
really that good at Transfiguration like her fiancé, she compensated
that weakness with creative use of different Charms at her disposal.
Similarly, Harry's weakness was that he found it difficult to fight in a
closed environment. Battle Transfiguration at its best would be useful
when it was an open area. However, both of them had a certain trait
to their tactics which made them powerful duellists – both of them
used their body movements to the best possible extent.
Daphne, a well-trained dancer for several years, was quite graceful
on her feet as she used her moves to dodge the incoming spells,
making her movements unpredictable to her enemy as she finished
them off.
Harry, on the other hand, a student of martial arts, used his body to
dodge the spells with the least amount of movements while he
attacked in different directions, cutting off any room for escape.
Both of them relied heavily on acrobatics to win, their movements
wide and powerful. The problem with both their tactics was that while
their spell work was very aggressive, it was possible for them to tire
quickly. To combat this weakness, Harry usually switched to dark,
destructive curses in closed environments, his spells quick and
straightforward.
Dylan, on the other hand, preferred a more balanced approach. He
dodged too but didn't rely on acrobatics to win against his
opponents. He preferred the method Amelia had taught him where
he would use his opponent's weaknesses against them and take
them out with precise movements. He defended himself against the
assaults until he spotted their weaknesses and by this time, his
opponents would tire themselves out, too weak to defend against the
precise blows launched against them. This required observation
skills, which Dylan had developed quite well under the careful eye of
his aunt. This method was also what Albus Dumbledore employed.
There were other combat methods too. Voldemort, for example,
always went on the offensive and due to the rituals he had done, he
had enough power to constantly launch deadly attacks without
fearing a drain on his magical core. His movements were too quick,
unpredictable and random for the Dark Lord's enemies, making the
duel quite one-sided. Very few stood a chance against him, which
was why he was so highly feared.
Harry watched with a proud smile on his lips as Daphne managed to
overcome the spells cast by the duelling dummies. Wanting to
surprise her, he cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and waited.
Daphne gracefully dodged the spell cast by the last practice dummy.
A jet of white light flew from the tip of her wand and pretty soon, the
dummy exploded into dust. A slow smirk formed on her lips as she
observed the destruction around her. She had been practising on
Level Four, which was a higher degree of lethal spells. Just as she
wiped her face with a wet towel, she saw from the corner of her eye
a spell coming towards her. Acting on instinct, she dropped the towel
and flicked her wand at the spell. The incoming spell was caught at
the tip of her wand and flung back at the caster.
"This won't work, Harry," said Daphne, smirking as Harry's
Disillusionment Charm came unravelled. "Do you think I can't
recognise your style?"
Harry smirked too. Circling each other like a pair of wolves, the
couple assessed each other's strengths and weaknesses. Both their
backs were erect, their breathing slow and even, eyes calm; their
wands were ready and pointed at the other, their right foot edged
forward and left arm raised slightly for balance. They were ready to
attack.
Flashes of spellfire dominated the Room of Requirement as the
room became smaller with every minute they duelled; with both of
them relying on acrobatics and large areas to win, they had to
practice duelling in a small room to get over that particular
weakness. Ten minutes later, with both of them panting heavily, they
stopped as they observed each other. Five seconds later, with
surprising swiftness, Daphne conjured a powerful jet of water at
Harry, just as Harry conjured fire. Due to the spells clashing together,
the water evaporated, creating steam, making them unable to see
the other. Spells were flying in all directions and there were grunts of
pain and squeals of surprise. When the mist cleared, both were on
the floor, with Daphne on top of her fiancé, grinning happily, their
foreheads touching each other.
"I think this is the best duel we've had yet," breathed Harry, not able
to look away from her, taking in every detail of her face. There were
small cuts on Daphne's face, but he honestly didn't care. They would
be healed, of course, but it somehow made him fall even more in
love with her just by looking at her in this state.
"You must be the only boyfriend in the whole world who likes scars
on his girlfriend's body," said Daphne as she bumped against him
playfully.
"How did you know what I was thinking?" asked Harry in surprise.
"I'm your fiancée; I spend nearly all my time with you every day and
have done so for three and a half years. After spending so much
time with you, I don't need Legilimency to know what you're
thinking."
Harry smiled faintly as he got up, pushing her off him. "You're crazy,
you know that?" he said playfully, kissing her fingers delicately.
"Instead of preparing for the ball like everyone else, you're here
practising against the duelling dummies. Have I ever told you how
much I admire you?"
Daphne shook her head slightly in fond exasperation. What did she
have that made Harry respect her as much as he did? She looked up
to him, yes, but that was because Harry was essentially her teacher!
Sometimes, she would never understand what went on in that big
brain of his. Kissing him sweetly on the lips, she got up. "Come on,
get up. We need to take a shower and get ready for the ball."
Harry's cheeks tinted pink as he watched the Room shimmer around
them. A bathroom with two doors formed around them; he watched
Daphne open one of the doors and enter. His heart began beating
faster as he imagined Daphne in the bathroom. While it was true that
she had seen him nude before, he had never seen her without
sufficient clothes on. He had several dreams of her in that state, of
course, but the fact that she was so close ...
The magical shower activated as soon as he entered the bathroom,
simulating rain. Harry sighed in relief as the hot water soothed his
aching muscles. After a long, relaxing shower, he wandlessly cast a
drying charm on himself, making the droplets of water disappear.
With another casual wave of his hand, he unlocked the door and
stepped out into the dressing room conjured by the Room of
Requirement. His heartbeat quickened again and heat rushed to his
face.
Daphne was standing at a dressing table in front of a large mirror,
wrapped only in a white fluffy towel that extended to her mid-thigh.
Even from the side, Harry could see the curves of her breasts and
the rest of her body. He tried his best not to stare, but he was
transported to another world. His eyes were glazed and lips parted
slightly in admiration. Unsurprisingly, his cock was erect.
"Harry! HARRY!"
"Huh?" asked Harry, snapping out of his musings as he saw the
blushing face of his fiancée.
"I asked if – ahem – never mind," muttered Daphne, turning back to
style her hair, her face still pink. She breathed deeply, trying to push
the images of Harry standing naked in the room out of her mind.
Spending day after day with Harry and Dylan over the past year and
a half ensured that she was used to seeing them nude, but that
didn't mean her fiancé's presence didn't affect her every time. She
was highly tempted to pin him against the wall and ravish him all
night.
Harry cleared his throat as he walked over to her. Daphne's attire for
the evening was a dark wine red coloured sleeveless knee-length
dress which had beautiful silver embroidery and patterns. The lower
part of the dress was flowing with multiple fabrics that ended just
before the knees.
"I got these for you," said Harry softly as he passed a large velvet
box to her.
Daphne opened it and smiled. "You didn't have to do this, you know,"
she said sincerely.
"You're my fiancée, Daphne. You're already family, so any jewellery
of the Potters is already yours. This actually belonged to my mother.
Here, let me help you."
Once she was dressed, she checked herself in the mirror. Her
makeup was perfectly done; her dress looked really good and the
diamond necklace studded with rubies was glinting from her neck.
Matching earrings and bracelets were glinting from her ears and
hands, completing the effect. A small tiara held her hair which flowed
elegantly to the middle of her back.
"You look beautiful."
"You're the best, Harry," said Daphne, giving him a tight hug. Harry
hugged her back, his arms around her waist as he smelled her
perfume. A small, happy smile tugged his lips as he felt content, lost
to the world.
Paradise.
"Where are your clothes?"
"Right here."
Once he finished getting dressed, he looked at himself in the mirror.
He was wearing a white shirt, a deep wine red vest and tie, perfectly
matching Daphne's dress. He donned his trousers and robes over
himself and ensured he looked fine. Once he was finished, he turned
to look at Daphne.
"What do you think?" he asked her. "I think it looks better than
dragon hide."
"Definitely," observed Daphne. "Trousers and robes made of shed
Basilisk skin; you really have good taste, Harry. It actually looks like
very expensive leather. Nothing scaly like what I thought it would be.
It looks rich and elegant; I approve."
"Thanks," muttered Harry as he looked at the mirror again. The
robes looked black in colour, but under certain lighting conditions, it
would look a deep shade of blackish-green. He had given the
material to a well-known fashion designer in France on the
recommendation of Jacen Twilfit. The witch had been shocked when
she had seen the Basilisk skin but had done the work without
complaint and her talent showed. Once they were ready, he and
Daphne left the Room of Requirement to head to the Great Hall.
"You never actually told me about your conversation with Fleur," said
Harry lightly.
"That's because you never asked," said Daphne.
After a few seconds, he raised an eyebrow at her. Daphne shrugged.
"You were right in that she felt attracted to you because you were
powerful and could resist her allure. I told her that you and I share
something special and she backed off. She's not what I envisioned,
actually. After you spend more time with her, you'll see that she has a
mask in place. We talked for a while and realised we had similar
interests, though I could do without the constant bragging of her
school."
Just walked into the entrance hall, they saw Dylan and Astoria
emerge from the dungeons. Dylan was dressed in the dress robes
he and Harry had bought in Hogsmeade and Astoria was wearing a
purple dress.
"Looking good, Tori," said Harry with a teasing smile on his face.
"Oh, I guess you too, brat."
Dylan rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the compliment, egghead," he said
wryly. "What are you wearing? Dragonhide?"
"Basilisk skin," Harry smirked. "Like it? I've already commissioned
one for you."
Dylan blinked his eyes a few times. "It looks really good," he said
slowly. "But I have to say it is nothing like what I expected; not scaly
at all."
"That's what I said," said Daphne, nodding.
After a minute, the couple was joined by Cedric Diggory, Cho Chang,
Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies. When Victor Krum and his date
arrived, Harry was surprised; he had certainly not expected that . He
wasn't going to let his personal issues get in the way, but hopefully,
he would be able to avoid her for the rest of the night.
If Daphne was surprised at seeing Hermione Granger there she
certainly didn't react to it. When it was time, Professor McGonagall
ushered everyone but the champions inside the Great Hall. When
the clock struck seven, the doors to the Great Hall opened and the
four couples walked in; Cedric and Cho first, followed by Victor and
Hermione, then walked in Fleur and Roger Davies and finally, Harry
and Daphne.
The Great Hall was beautifully decorated, and it had also been
magically expanded to three times its size, so was very large. Along
with the heads of the three schools, there were also heads of several
different magical governments present, along with the Triwizard
Committee and other members of the International Confederation of
Wizards. The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling
silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing
the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead,
there were hundreds of smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about
a dozen people.
When Harry caught his godfather's eye, Sirius winked at him and
smirked. Harry's cheeks turned slightly pink but he was able to
regain control soon, making Sirius chuckle; the teenager obviously
still remembered the talk they had the past summer. As they neared
the table reserved for the champions and other important people,
they all sat down for dinner. The Great Hall was abuzz with chatter
as people began ordering food using the menu cards. Harry had to
give it to Dumbledore; this arrangement for dinner was much better
in his opinion.
At the champion's table, Hermione and Victor were talking about
their respective schools, but Harry couldn't hear the rest. It didn't
matter though because he and Daphne stuck to Sirius and Amelia
the whole time as they spoke to very important politicians and I.C.W.
officials from around the world. Even Albus Dumbledore, as
Supreme Mugwump, took to introducing Harry to various officials
who wanted to meet the famous Boy-Who-Lived. An hour later,
everyone had finished dinner, so Dumbledore vanished most of the
round tables in the Hall, leaving only those in the corner which now
served drinks and desserts. As the champions moved towards the
middle of the Hall, Daphne noticed that even though they had been
invited, there were only a few dozen students from the first to third
years; it looked like most of them had gone home for the holidays.
Just as the band began playing music for the champions, Harry put
one hand on Daphne's waist, the other holding her hand. Staring into
each other's eyes, Harry remembered just three years ago when he
and Daphne were in a similar position, with her teaching him how to
dance in an abandoned classroom. Their relationship had deepened
since then, transforming from being acquaintances to friends, to best
friends and now to be the love of each other's life.
Daphne could see the fire that was burning in those emerald green
orbs and it made her heart flutter. His grip tightened around her waist
as they glided around the dance floor, enjoying themselves. Several
couples too joined them and pretty soon, the ball was in full swing.
Harry and Daphne had not uttered a word since they had begun
dancing. Their eyes were locked at each other's, their faces getting
impossibly close as they danced. Over the last three years and
because of the many balls that Harry had to attend, he had learnt
more dancing styles from Daphne. It helped because Daphne was a
trained dancer, having been instructed by a teacher since the age of
four. Harry spun her around and dipped Daphne in full view of
everyone, his lips just barely touching hers. Leaning down slowly, he
kissed her softly but with full of love, just as Daphne reciprocated.
After an hour, the couple was tired and breathing hard so they made
their way to the drinks counter. Harry wandlessly cast a cooling
charm on them both to get more comfortable.
"Here you go," said Harry as he passed her a glass of Madam
Rosmerta's finest mead, another glass which he was holding for
himself.
"Where's mine?" asked Dylan as he sat down, gasping for breath.
"You're twelve, brat, you don't get to drink mead," said Harry, his lips
twitching in amusement as he took a sip. "This is for fourteen and
older. There are other stronger ones at the table, but I'm not old
enough for those."
"Weren't you the one who said alcohol doesn't affect witches and
wizards all that much?" protested Dylan. "Besides, I've seen you
drink something worse when you were thirteen!"
"And have you forgotten Aunt Amelia shouting at me for half an hour
and grounding me for a week for getting drunk? I never want to see
the dungeons of Black Castle again in my life!"
"What?" said Daphne sharply. "This is the first I've heard of this
incident!"
"Good going, little brother," said Harry sarcastically. "And for that,
you won't get the glass of mead from me."
"It's fine, Dylan," said Astoria, patting his arm. "You can get us
butterbeer instead."
"Oh, alright," Dylan grumbled. Harry winked at the girls as he
followed Dylan, disappearing in the crowds.
"So, how was the dance with Dylan?" asked Daphne, sipping from
her glass.
"Yeah, about that," said Astoria slowly. "How in Merlin's name can he
dance so well? I actually came prepared by applying numbing
charms on my toes."
"He has been practising for a month just to impress you, using all
those spells which can help him learn faster," said Daphne as she
smiled slightly. "Harry's been teaching him."
"Oh, that explains it," Astoria chuckled.
Just before she could say anything, Daphne was interrupted. "May I
have this dance?"
She just glared at the boy. "If either one of you pranks me again, I'll
break your legs and ensure you can't walk for the rest of your lives,"
she snarled as she got up, accepting the boy's extended hand.
"Daphne, you wound us!" exclaimed Fred, holding his hand over his
heart.
"Yeah, we would never prank you!" said George looking indignant.
"Oh, please," muttered Daphne, rolling her eyes in exasperation as
she was steered away by George. "Save it for someone who
believes you two reprobates. Just keep those puking pastilles away
from me and you'll return to your beds alive."
Astoria giggled in amusement when she saw Fred wink at her,
mouthing 'prank'. Oh, Daphne was going to kill those two someday.
Before she could look for her date, Draco Malfoy made his way over
to her.
"May I have this dance, Astoria?" he asked politely.
"Of course, Draco," said Astoria, smiling at him. As he steered her
away, Dylan came over with two butterbeers in hand, searching for
her. When he spotted her, his head drooped slightly as he returned
the drinks and tried to find his way out, only to be stopped by Harry.
"Let's take a walk," he muttered. Wrapping an arm around the
younger boy's shoulders, Harry led them outside. "You can't stop her
from dancing with other boys, you know."
"I wasn't trying to," said Dylan quietly.
"You're scared that Tori would think Draco is better than you," said
Harry knowingly.
"Well, he is taller."
"Because he is two years older than you," said Harry, rolling his
eyes. "What did you expect? Dylan, you're only twelve. It's not like
you are short for your age; far from it, but even if you were, why
should that matter at all? You are a good person and you shouldn't
let anything else define you. You have come a long way since I met
you, so don't go back to square one. You are one of the sweetest
boys I have ever met in my life, little brother, and I know that Tori
likes you too. Stay calm, mate. It's not like she abandoned you! She
was asked to dance when you were not there and she accepted.
Daphne is currently dancing with Fred and George, isn't she? It's a
ball, it happens."
"Thanks, Harry," said Dylan with a hint of a smile.
"Anytime, brat," said Harry teasingly. "Now come on. Let's get back
inside."
"Egghead," muttered Dylan.
"Moron," fired Harry.
"Jackass!"
"Dimwit!"
"Nitwit!"
"Nincompoop!"
"That's the same thing! Wait, is it?"
"Who cares? Brat!"
The Great Hall cleared out after several hours, with the ball finally
ending at two in the morning. Those who remained after midnight
were mostly couples who were slow dancing. That was certainly
something Harry enjoyed. Dylan and Astoria had headed back to
their dorms sometime before midnight as they were too sleepy.
When it finally ended, Harry and Daphne dragged themselves to the
Room of Requirement. Reconfiguring a room, they undressed and
Daphne carefully put the jewellery back in its case. Once done, they
collapsed on the large bed.
"Thank you for a wonderful evening, Harry," said Daphne sleepily,
smiling as Harry kissed her neck.
"You're welcome," he muttered into her ear. "Good night, Daphne. I
love you."
"Love you too."
They were out like a light as sleep caught up to them, wrapped
tightly in each other's arms.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
"Try it now," said the ghost of Alfred Potter, looking at Harry
speculatively. "Remember, don't crush it this time, but chop it finely.
Let's see if this technique works."
Harry nodded, taking a deep breath as he stirred the potion in the
small cauldron. Chopping the Gillyweed, he dropped it in the
cauldron, waiting with bated breath. After ten seconds, the cauldron
exploded, the shields holding tight as it contained the spill.
"Well, that was my twenty-fifth attempt, not counting the initial
stages," said Harry, his face impassive, but his eyes a darker shade,
showing how frustrated he was. "That's more than fifty cauldrons I've
blown up. Maybe I should just go with the regular Gillyweed or
Bubblehead Charm and be done with it."
"Now, now, Harry," said Alfred, floating towards the boy, peering at
the various sheets of parchment which contained Harry's notes in his
distinctive neat handwriting. "This project is a very good idea. Don't
give up."
"But you have to admit I'm doing something wrong, Grandfather,"
muttered Harry. "I guess this is why witches and wizards don't
attempt to create a potion until they have finished their Master's
degree."
"Maybe you should consult a potions master," said Alfred. "I'm sure
they could help you."
"But who can I ask?" wondered Harry. After thinking for several
minutes, his eyes lit up. Scrambling to the Floo, he called Sirius. This
potions master would be willing to listen if the Minister of Magic
himself called him to help Harry. Besides, going by his mother's
journal and Voldemort's memories, the man was a genius when it
came to Potions, not to mention was one of the most highly qualified
in Europe.
"Oh ho!" cried Horace Slughorn as he looked at Harry's notes
jovially. "This is certainly ambitious! An amphibian potion, you say?"
"Yes, Professor," said Harry calmly. "The second task of the
Triwizard Tournament will be held underwater. I know the
Bubblehead Charm, but it doesn't help with manoeuvrability. The
Gillyweed is an alternative, but it only lasts for an hour, not to
mention hinders my grip with a wand. I started working on this potion
the day after the first task when I figured out what was to be done.
Nearly a month and a half have passed. I have rechecked my
Arithmancy formulae and changed the stages of the ingredients, but
nothing works! I have already blown up fifty cauldrons in the process,
so I thought I should consult an expert on the subject instead of
giving up as a lost cause."
"There will be no talk about giving up in front of me, Harry, my boy,"
said Slughorn, waving a stubby finger. "Let's see where you went
wrong, shall we? Let's start with the ingredients and properties and
then we'll move on to the mathematical application of the potion."
And so it began. Harry spent all of what was remaining of the Yule
holidays with Professor Slughorn as they worked on the potion.
Harry was enthralled by the knowledge the old wizard was sharing
with him. The Potions Master would also tell funny stories about his
students from his teaching days, focussing mainly on Lily, Harry's
mother. Finally, on the last day before going to Hogwarts, they were
once more working on the potion, which they felt would be
successful.
"The mathematical calculation checks out," said Slughorn, looking at
the sheet of parchment. "Now, try that again, Harry. There should be
no chunks in it at all – pure liquid."
Harry nodded as he pureed the Gillyweed into liquid form, adding
saltwater to dilute it. Once done, he poured seven drops into the
cauldron, stirred clockwise one and five times counter-clockwise. He
repeated the process three more times before casting spells on the
cauldron.
"It is done," said Harry with a smile. "The potion looks exactly what
the formula said it would and everything else checks out."
"It still needs testing," said Slughorn, looking a bit worried. "Maybe –"
"Don't worry, Professor," said Harry with a small smile on his face,
barely able to hide his happiness. "I'll be very careful and run the
proper simulations before going through with it. I can't believe I
actually reached this stage!"
"Indeed, my boy!" said Slughorn, beaming. "If I may say so, Lily
would have been proud of you."
"Thank you, sir," said Harry sincerely. Putting his hand inside his
robes, he removed a small, but thick glass phial containing black
liquid.
"Please accept this as a token of appreciation for your efforts,
Professor," said Harry with a smile. "This is undiluted Basilisk
venom; the best you can find anywhere in the world."
"Oh, Merlin!" breathed Slughorn as he accepted it. "I can't believe it!
This is near priceless in the market. Thank you, Harry."
"No, Professor," said Harry, shaking his head. "Thank you. I would
never have been able to do this without you. I hope I can apprentice
under you after my N.E.W.T.s are done. You are an outstanding
teacher and I would be honoured to learn from you."
Slughorn beamed as he nodded.
Dylan Lestrange was walking towards Ravenclaw Tower after his last
class in the middle of the afternoon. It was a week after they had
returned to school and he couldn't stop but wonder what Harry was
up to. Throughout the holidays, he had been busy doing something
secretive while Dylan spent the holidays at Black Manor. Daphne
was oblivious to it as the Greengrasses had gone abroad during that
time for a family vacation. Just as he was about to turn towards the
tower, someone grabbed him by the arm and yanked him towards a
classroom. Immediately flicking his wand out of his holster, he
pointed it at his attacker, only to be surprised to find who it was.
"Harry? What's up?" asked Dylan as he returned the wand to his
holster.
"I need your help," muttered Harry as he led them towards the Room
of Requirement. He paced three times in front of the wall until the
door appeared. When they entered, Dylan found himself standing
next to a large swimming pool.
"You need my help to swim?" asked Dylan confused. "Harry, you
were the one to teach me how to swim."
Harry rolled his eyes as he expanded his trunk next to the pool.
Removing everything required, he began explaining.
"The second task of the Triwizard Tournament involves me having to
rescue someone I miss the most," said Harry, "so that is going to be
either you or Daphne. Anyway, it's going to be held underwater, in
the Black Lake to be specific, so I'll need something to help me
move and breathe. That's why I invented a potion which would help
me."
"You invented a potion on your own?" asked Dylan, looking
impressed.
"Well, I did have a potions master help me sort out the more delicate
matters, but in essence, yes," said Harry. "This is what I had been
doing during the holidays. I've been working on this since the day I
got that golden egg from the first task."
"What do you want me to do?
"I need you to monitor me while I drink the potion," explained Harry.
"If something goes wrong, take me to Madam Pomfrey, okay?"
"Goes wrong?" said Dylan, panicking. "Harry –"
"Please, Dylan?" said Harry softly. "Look, I know you're worried, but
it checks out! The potions master verified it and said it was perfect,
but I won't know until I actually use it."
"Why don't you let me take the potion instead?" asked Dylan
desperately.
"Absolutely not," snapped Harry. "I'm not going to risk something
happening to you. So, are you willing to help me or not?"
Dylan sighed as he nodded.
"Thanks, little brother; I knew I could count on you. I'll put a
bubblehead charm on you so that you can monitor what's going on.
This pool is about ten feet deep and has underwater obstacles for
me to practice. We'll also keep a timer so that we know how long we
can pull it off."
"How long are the effects supposed to last?" asked Dylan curiously.
"Well," answered Harry as they stripped, "I based it off an amphibian,
so the effects should wear off a few seconds after I come out of the
water. After I take the potion, there should be no limit on the time; at
least, that's what it is supposed to do. As I said, mathematically, it
checks out, but practically ... it remains to be seen."
Once they were both naked, they stepped into the shallow part of the
pool. Harry flicked his wand at Dylan's head and the Bubblehead
Charm took effect. Carefully taking the potion which was stored in a
hip flask, Harry raised it.
"Cheers," he said quietly as he drank the potion.
Dylan was looking at his brother worriedly. A few seconds later, Harry
began gasping for air as he dived underwater. Dylan too plunged his
head into the water, hoping that it would all work out. Harry's legs
transformed to make it look like it had properties of webbed feet. His
hands were free for him to use. Gills formed on his neck making it
easier for him to breathe. Once the pain stopped, he found Dylan
next to him, looking relieved that the potion had worked. Showing
him a thumbs up, they swam over to the deep side of the pool where
they had the underwater obstacle course. Not wanting to miss out on
another opportunity to train with Harry, Dylan flicked his wand to his
hand and started firing spells at the targets.
Three hours later, they emerged from the pool, Harry gasping for air
when his head came out of the water. After about five seconds of
discomfort, he began breathing normal air, sitting at the side of the
pool with a happy grin on his face.
"I did it," he whispered happily, grabbing his brother in a wet hug. "I
actually did it."
"Of course you did," said Dylan, shaking his head in fond
exasperation. "Nothing is impossible for the great Harry Potter."
Harry laughed as he summoned towels and clothes towards them.
As they got dressed, Dylan asked, "Why don't you go explore the
Black Lake? It would give you a better idea of what you are facing."
"I can't," said Harry, sounding annoyed. "I tried that two days ago,
but there are barriers in place and I don't want to get into trouble by
trying to breach them, especially considering my unique entry into
the tournament. The Triwizard Committee doesn't want anyone,
champion or not, anywhere near the Black Lake. I assume they are
preparing it for the task."
"Hmm ..." said Dylan, rubbing his chin. "If you can't practice here, the
lake on the grounds of Potter Castle would have to do."
"Exactly," Harry grinned. "You better get up at five in the morning,
brat. You'll be coming home with me every day."
"I should have seen that coming; me and my big mouth."
"Okay, I'm confused," muttered Dylan. "Why do they want both of
us?"
Daphne nodded in agreement, curious and confused at the same
time. They walked to McGonagall's office which was packed with
people. The Head of the Triwizard Committee was explaining from a
sheet of parchment to those present – there was Sirius Black, the
Minister of Magic; Lord Cyrus Greengrass, Madam Maxime, a man
who looked French who Daphne guessed to be Fleur's father, Fleur's
sister Gabrielle, another Beauxbatons student, Hermione Granger, a
Durmstrang student and teacher, Cho Chang and one of the sixth
year Hufflepuffs.
"Ah, Miss Greengrass, Mr Lestrange," said Dumbledore, eyes
twinkling. "You're finally here. Let us begin, shall we?"
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "As I was saying, we need two
hostages for each champion to take part in the second task
tomorrow. I assure everyone present that the strictest safety
measures have been taken to ensure that none of you is put in
danger. I must tell you now that it is imperative that we have two
hostages as they are essential for the task. If any of you wishes to
not participate, feel free to do so, but please let us know immediately
so that we can choose an alternative hostage."
" Two hostages?" asked Daphne, frowning slightly. "I was under the
impression that there was only one hostage."
"Ah, yes," said Dumbledore with a smile. "I was quite impressed with
the riddle myself. Did it actually say there was going to be only one?"
"Well ... no," said Dylan, thinking hard. "But you will tell them about
the two hostage situation, right?"
"Just before the task, yes," said the Head of the Triwizard
Committee.
"I'm still not sure about the safety issue," said Cyrus Greengrass.
Sirius nodded grimly.
"The Triwizard Emergency Squad would be present throughout the
duration of the task, Lord Greengrass," said the wizard briskly. "If
any issue gets out of hand, they're more than qualified to take care
of it."
An hour later, Daphne and Dylan, along with six others were put in
suspended animation. Early the next morning, they would be
transported to the bottom of the Black Lake.