11 Chapter 11
The rest of my year went as planned and even exceeded expectations as I had now memorised the entirety of the general library of Hogwarts excluding the restricted section. If it weren't for the wards protecting that place, it would have been fine but you take what you can get. If my transformation time was below half a minute, I could get those books but for now I have to wait patiently. The regular raids inside the forest had boosted my magic beyond the students but it was far too weak to even compare to the weakest of professors. My transformation time was now 3 minutes and that was still unacceptable in a battle, I had dedicated 2 hour of my day to solely practice transformation and it should be at a suitable improvement rate and would be battle ready by the time I exit Hogwarts.
I had also decided to pursue a career of an Auror just to have the freedom it offers and the recent certification would be a huge boon in my pursuit. Filtwick was also very happy to see me improve my dueling skills especially so after I had told him my goal of becoming an auror. The golden trio had gotten into another Rollercoaster event with the whole Sirius situation. Needless to say, I had silently intervened with the events and despite my efforts Peter escaped with one less limb. Due to the overwhelming evidence, ministry had to free Sirius of his sentence and offered him various items and help for the time he spent in Azkaban. Another year passed and this summer was also spent at the ministry inside the Auror department. I was finally removed from the room of idiot taxes and garbage sorting. The new job this summer was to simply note down the real dark items that were confiscated as the team of Aurors went through them. They could have used Dicta quills but due to the concerns with using magic in close proximity, they decide to let a newbie do this instead.
Hours upon hours of writing names and descriptions but I still considered it a better job than before. At least with this, I could recognize many items that could be used against me in a battle. As the final week rolled in, I was finally assigned to write reports of actual raids performed and boy that was a blast for the single day that I got to do it. I was a raid into a den of Dark wizards which had gone horribly wrong and the few survivors had gotten injured bringing those criminals to justice which was why I was assigned to write reports instead.
I was back on the train to Hogwarts and I had come to realize that this would be my final year here. My plans would need to much more precise because after this year I would no longer have the protection of Hogwarts and there would be an escalating level of difficulty with my deadlier interests. Lately, I was having a few confusing thoughts as they were usually about killing the golden trio, knowing that destiny was a real thing in this world, i knew that going anywhere near the Golden trio was a certain death sentence. This logical anomaly made the thoughts even more confusing, I had to do a few deep delves into my mindscape and found out the reason. It was a bloody Horcrux, but not one made by Voldemort but another suicidal maniac. It was having an effect on me due to my proximity to it when I was cataloging the dark items. Naturally, I cleaned the mindscape of the influence and restored everything to order. I had also made a keen memory about the item's magical signature and I will find it the next time I am there.
The thoughts were weird because they clearly were not mine because every time I had killed someone, they either had emotional baggage or they were very happy. I don't kill someone who was living their life in mediocrity anymore because their thought as they passed away were not very interesting. People with heightened emotions prior to their demise show much more intricate thoughts about their loved one or about the one that they hated. Even in my previous life this was my code, and I would vet the victims for all personal kills. As for group kills, there was way too much work as I juggled studies, magic and hunting. I did a few cheeky group kills where I have elaborately planed for every person to at the same spot at the same time but that had taken me months and I don't have a lot of time for that yet. Once i graduate, I will get into the elaborate murders, but these few would have to do for now.
This year, unsurprisingly went exactly as the movie and the Triwizard tournament was announced. Just like the movies, Weasely twin tried to cross the age line and got older for a week. Also just like the movies, Harry got nominated for the cup. There was one key difference though, somehow I was also nominated as the Hogwarts champions instead of Cedric. I my stupor, I had completely missed the questioning of Harry and a French veela how was glaring at me with all her might.
"My friend, we respect our woman in Russia." Krum said in a heavy accent.
"Huh?" I asked back with a tilt.
"You pervert." Fleur said followed by a long list of colorful words.
"Huh?" I made the same expression.
"Did you even realise what you just did?" Fleur asked.
"Look lady, I am clearly still shocked about this tournament. Who are you both?" I asked.
"Victor Krum and that is Fleur Delacour, the woman you disrespected." He said.
"Ace Enigma. How did I disrespect her?" I asked and he chuckled.
"You made her trip onto her headmaster, then proceeded to help her headmaster but knocked her into Fleur. That was okay but then you spaced out and kept staring at her chest for about 25 minutes." Krum explained.
"Oh, I am extremely sorry for my behavior but I can always claim that it was the charm of a Veela that rendered me brainless for quite a while." I said with a light smile.
"That was a good apology until you tried to flirt and ruined it." Fleur said with a smirk.
"Let me try again then, I was charmed into blindness by your beauty and I had no idea where I was looking? And if this is also a poor apology then I might just have to treat you to a meal and try again later." I said with a wide blown smile.
"I would have agreed but we are competing against each other and should see each other." She said, shaking her head. "But I would like that apology now, Mr. Enigma."
She said and I felt an itch at the edges of my sheild. It was an urge to obey her command to please her. I looked into her eyes and the feeling only intensified.
"I am going to have to decline but I would like to ask you to a meal as an excuse to apologize to you." I said with a smile and her eyes widened. "The tasks are not decided, what are you going to expose by having a lunch with me."
"I suppose." She said with a smile.
"Comrad , that was really good." Krum laughed as he patted me on my shoulder.
We waited for a few more minutes before Harry returned and stood by us for a photo. There was no private interview and we all had to answer a few questions for the papers. The next few days I had spent just like usual and avoided the group of stalkers that I had gained over the past few days. I even had to personally test some food before eating to avoid the love potions and other stuff. A particular morning during the breakfast Harry had been harassed into the mess hall and I sighed deciding to him the git out. I pointed my wand at him and yanked him onto the Gryffindor table.
"Harry, just swear in front of these dip shits and be done with it." I yelled and he smiled.
"Thanks mate. I, Harry Potter, have not tampered with the wizarding cup and have no clue how my name got in there. So I say, mote it be. Lumos." He said and the wand glowed brightly as the magic subsided.
The rest the week Harry was happily prancing around with the other two of the golden trio. Even, going as far as to try to include in their planning phase. Harry was also trying to get Moody to help me but Moody took one look at me and ignored me like I was air. I checked him out with my magical sense and as it turns out Moody was not Moody. Oh, I had nearly forgotten about the Barty and Moody switch. I smiled and let the plot happen as much as it could according to the story. Finally, the day came as I got ready for the first task.
"Mr. Enigma, Mr. Krum, Ms. Delacour and Mr. Potter, we will be going age wise starting with the eldest." Sr. Crouch handed Krum the sac and he pulled out a Chinese fireball.
Then came my turn and I pulled out a Swedish short snout. Fleur got the Common Welsh and Harry got the Hungarian Horntail. The task began with a literal bang as the Canon fired and Krum was out of the tent. Next came my turn and I stepped out of the tent only to see a disproportionately large Short snout. The dragon saw me roared. I immediately disillusioned myself and transfigured a dummy that looked exactly like me running in the opposite direction to draw the dragon's attention while I leisurely picked the egg up and finished my task. Since my task was so clean, I was the only champion with full points while Krum and Harry were a close second with one less point. Then lastly there was Fluer with 38 points because she was accidentally set on fire by the dragon's snoring.
Just like we had planned Fluer and I went to a pseudo date at Hogsmead and discovered that we were incompatible despite our desireful interaction. The next task was to rescue the hostages from underwater and in the stipulated time. The tasks were set a month apart from each other in order to recover and train. I sighed and nearly accepted the level of wizard stupidity involved in the world. I left a clue for Harry to find and the plot was back on track. I was looking for a date or victim of the tournament but was stopped by a very red faced Hermione.
"Look, I know that you are looking for a date for the ball." She said looking worried.
"Hermione, I have known about your crush on me for a while now, but I have no time or interest in a relationship what so ever. Now, having said that would you like to be my date for the ball?" I asked with a charming smile.
"Why don't you have time?" She asked and I shook my head.
"I am on the weaker side of magical strength and on top of that I aim to be an Auror. The following 2 or 3 years after I graduate would be really training intense for me and I wouldn't have any time for a relationship." I said and she nodded.
"Well, but one date wouldn't hurt right? So yes, I accept." She said with a smile and skipped away.
There were a few awkward dance classes with McGonagall leading them and she even tried to embarrass me but I upped her and showed how amazing I was at dance. In the mean while, I was having a blast at the far reaches of the forbidden forest as I blasted open a few Acromantula skulls.
