Monsters

Chapter 27: Monsters

When Harry was finished explaining what had happened after his name came out, he was met with incredulous stares.

"Let me get this straight. You basically tortured everyone and then threatened them with death and their family's deaths because you were angry." Daphne said with a raised eyebrow, inwardly cursing him for the huge blunder.

"I was angry." Harry shrugged.

"Oh, also you duelled with Dumbledore and took his wand." Daphne added with a glare.

"I was very angry." Harry repeated with a huff.

There were simultaneous groans and exasperated sighs among the girls.

"Okay, okay. I get it. I messed up. But Snape really pissed me off. You should be glad that I restrained myself from killing him." Harry defended himself feebly. 

He knew he should have controlled himself and went along with the plan which was to act surprised and lay low but that was just too out of character for him. He wasn't someone who would let anyone insult him and get away with it. 

Harry then discussed with them how this could impact their long term plans. Fortunately it won't be a big deal. They were optimistic that it wouldn't force them to change too much of their plans. And what were these plans? Simple: Kill Voldemort with everyone watching and become the most famous and revered wizard of the era. Even more than Dumbledore.

~~~

The next day, Jasmine begged Harry to undo his spell on Ron. Harry just shrugged and with a wave of his wand, Ron was able to see and talk again. Ron was just an idiot and not a threat so in Harry's eyes, being devoid of two senses for a few hours was enough punishment for the moron. And honestly he wasn't really in a mood to argue with Jasmine or anyone. He had done that more than enough with his girls last night.

At breakfast, Hedwig delivered a letter which was from Sirius. Harry read the letter and decided to reply before night. The Daily Prophet had also written in his favour, showing him as a victim to some nefarious plan by remaining death eaters than a student cheating his way through a glorious tournament. Harry was quite sure that his actions cowed the ministry officials yesternight and they just didn't want to upset him anymore. Due to that, the students from other houses had stopped glaring at him or at least most of them did.

Back in the Slytherin common room, everyone who wanted to represent Slytherin House in the duelling competitions gave their name to Professor Snape who was doing a very fine job of ignoring Harry.

'Fuck that bastard! If he even looks at me too long, I am going to gouge out his eyes.'

"How is Snape going to choose the participants?" Harry asked instead, turning to Daphne as they both sat on their sofa in the common room.

"Simple. Whoever wants to participate will fight amongst each other and the winners will represent our house against other houses and schools." Daphne explained absent-mindedly. She was lost in making strategies to beat everyone in the competition. She was pretty sure that only Tracey would be able to make her sweat in the match, still who knows how many hidden fighters were there in the school. So she decided to be on alert and not underestimate anyone. 

Tracey came out of the girls dormitory and stood in front of Daphne, her arms folded under her chest. Harry's eyes of course lingered on her chest for a few seconds. This didn't go unnoticed by her who just rolled her eyes with a pleased smile on her face.

"Come on, Daph, the fights will start at noon for the Slytherin team. We have some time to practice. Let's go to the Room." Tracey suggested, staring down at Daphne.

"Why not?" Daphne shrugged, jumping to her feet. "Harry, you coming?"

"Nah, I want to be surprised and entertained. I will now directly watch your matches in the competition. I will also avoid the matches at noon among Slytherins so as not to get spoiled. Go on without me." Harry smiled, shaking his head. The girls nodded and quickly left after kissing him. The smile stayed on his face for a few more minutes after their kisses. Tracey was extra enthusiastic in the kiss, he thought, the feel of her soft lips and warm tongue still lingering on his mouth. He shook his head, refraining from following those two and demanding more kisses.

Today, he had all the time for himself. Tracey and Daph were going to be busy due to the duelling matches while Iris and Astoria were already out, practising on their brooms. Harry grinned as he stood up. It's been awhile since he was all alone. It was exciting in an odd way.

He grabbed his green dragon hide jacket which was lying on the sofa and put it on over his black t-shirt. He pushed his hands inside his blue jeans' pockets and wandered out of the Slytherin common room. He drifted through the corridors, smiling and waving at familiar faces, some blushed while some waved back. He was glad that he didn't have to attend classes now, giving him too much free time. He stepped out of the castle and into the cold and dreary outside. He walked alongside the shore of the lake, enjoying the view. He was whistling and humming, he was totally enjoying his stroll when a girl with silver hair stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"Hello, Ms Delacour." Harry grinned, his mood just too good to become competitive or anything. "Pleasant day, innit?"

Fleur raised her eyebrows as she gazed around. The sky was cloudy and the weather was dry. Harry chuckled at her incredulous expression. Technically, the weather wasn't particularly good but Harry was just in a happy mood and so it was all rainbows and sunshine. Harry resumed his walking, thinking that the conversation was over. Fleur increased her pace, trying to keep up with him. It was quite ridiculous that Fleur with her long legs had trouble walking with Harry who was a few inches shorter than her.

"I am here to apologise to you Mr. Potter. I think we got off on the wrong foot." she said. Harry found her voice pleasant. Her English was commendable and the very slight accent made her sound...exotic. He couldn't exactly find the words to describe it. Harry stopped walking and turned his head towards her.

"Oh. Did we?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I saw your reaction when I used the word 'little boy'. I didn't mean to offend you. I just didn't like that the British Ministry again roped you into their problems." she answered sincerely. Harry sensed that she was telling the truth and just nodded.

"No offence taken, Ms Delacour." He smiled.

"Call me Fleur." she requested with a small smile of her own.

"Then you may call me Harry."

They both resumed walking together, a comfortable silence developing between them.

"What do you want, Fleur? I don't think you are here just to enjoy my good company." Harry questioned curiously, sparing a glance at her.

"Iwanttobeyourstudent." Fleur babbled hurriedly. This stopped Harry in his track, he turned around, facing her. She had her gaze on the ground, not meeting his eyes.

"Come again?" he asked.

"I want to be your student." She whispered quietly, lifting up her face, her hesitant blue eyes on him.

"Excuse me?"

"I want to be your student." She repeated confidently, her earlier embarrassment fading away, her eyes gleaming with determination.

Harry remained silent, just watching her, trying to make her feel uncomfortable but she stood her ground and didn't look away. Harry slowly smiled and started walking away, followed by her.

"I respect your determination and ambition, Fleur, but I don't take students." He told her. He heard her defeated sigh behind him. He shook his head in amusement.

"Though I do happily teach my friends. So if you could become my friend then I will teach you." Harry shot her a playful grin.

"Will you be my friend?" she immediately asked, stepping in front of him, stopping him again. Her expression was a mixture of many emotions. Hope, fear, excitement, hesitancy were warring with each other in her crystal blue eyes.

"Hmm. We will see at the end of the day. For now, let's just talk honestly and see if we have anything in common." Harry shrugged nonchalantly, walking around her.

So, they talked. They talked about their schools, about their favourite subjects. Fleur told him what veelas were from her perspective. Eventually, it was just Fleur who was ranting and raving while Harry listened with an amused smile

"...had the gall to molest me. And when I glared at him, he blamed my allure for it. I grabbed him by the neck and would have strangled him if the other students weren't there." She described one of her dates last year. Harry chuckled.

"I can't fault that. If I was a Veela and if any boy would have done that to me, then I would at best break some bones or at worst kill him." Harry said frankly. Fleur hummed in agreement. During their conversation, they both came to know that they shared the trait of ruthlessness and violence. It was quite refreshing for Harry that he didn't need to filter his thoughts to say what was socially acceptable.

"Tell me Fleur, why do you want me to teach you? You still haven't given a reason." Harry queried, raising his eyebrow.

"I want to be revered, I want to be feared. I want to prove to the world that I am more than just a beautiful Veela. I want to prove to myself that I can take care of myself when dozens of lecherous scums surround me. I want to be powerful, I want to be free from the fear many veelas have, of being taken captive to be raped and then killed." Fleur answered, her voice cold and unflinching. Harry had a genuine smile when he heard that. He could respect that. Power was all that one needed to be free. Free from law, free from fear, free from anything.

"I guess I can understand your reasoning. I will of course teach you, as you are my friend now. But do you think you have the stomach to do what is necessary to be feared? Do you have the courage to look someone in the eye before killing them? Have you ever killed anybody?" He asked, staring at her. His eyes gleaming with cruelty. 

He saw her gulp down in nervousness before finally nodding. Harry was excited to finally be with someone who could embrace his dark side. His girls were all supportive and helpful but he still needed to tone down his cruelty for the sake of them. He of course knew that they would never leave him even if he showed his darkest side to them but that didn't mean that they liked it. It only meant that they were utmost loyal to him. Which was good but not the same thing.

"I haven't killed anybody but I can if the need arises." she replied, trying to hide the tremor in her voice.

"Then let's proceed to the last test. Let's see the worth of your words." Harry grinned, grabbing her hand and vanishing in golden lights.

~~~

In the dark dirty cell, there were 23 children huddled together, their ages ranging from 7 to 11. The space behind the metal bars was scarce, leaving the large number of children little space to sit. They all wore rags for clothes, their bodies were covered in soot and dust. Their eyes had these haunted looks which no children should have.

Harry and Fleur silently appeared inside the cage without much fanfare. They both were invisible and went unnoticed. Fleur stiffened at seeing where she was now. She silently cast a 'silencing' and 'notice me not' charm around them. She whirled to her side, facing Harry.

"Where are we now? Who are these children?" she asked angrily.

"Dunno. I just asked my magic to take me where someone needed my help." Harry shrugged nonchalantly, his gaze stuck at the miserable group of children. Fleur narrowed her eyes at him, trying not to freak out at the words 'asked my magic'.

"Why are we here?" she asked, calming down and looking at the children with sympathy.

"We are here to kill. Do you want to play hero or villain?" Harry asked thoughtfully. Fleur resisted the urge to scream at him for talking nonsense. What did he mean play hero or villain!

"What do you mean?" she hissed.

"I mean if you want to play a villain, then you can kill these children, freeing them from their misery, or, you could play hero and save them by killing their captors who are in the other room." Harry replied again in the same nonchalant voice. Fleur's eyes widened and she snarled.

"We are not killing these poor children."

"There's no 'we' here. It is all up to you. And I can't kill these children. Killing innocents is a big no no for the girls. They will eat me alive if I do that." Harry chuckled. Fleur took a deep breath, processing his words and trying to remain calm.

"So is this a test?" she questioned him.

"Hmm. In a way. I will teach you, no matter what you choose. I just want to see if you can really kill someone. You can either kill the children or their captors. It doesn't matter to me. Believe me when I say that death will be the second best thing for these kids. You can't imagine what they have been through. Now, you can either free them or put them out of their misery. What is your choice?" Harry told her seriously. Fleur's rage flared at seeing his sombre expression. 

How can someone be so cruel to these little kids? How can they even sleep after torturing these small innocent children? She didn't want to imagine what else had been done to these small boys and girls.

Without replying to him, she apparated to the other room where these monsters were.

Harry smiled at her departure and became visible. The kids quickly scrambled in the other corner when they saw someone appear out of nowhere. He waved his hand. All the children slumped where they were, in a dreamless sleep, free from their daily nightmares. His expression was grim as he healed their bodies and minds. He was stoic as he went through their memories, removing parts which shouldn't be present in ordinary happy children. He again waved his hand and the children vanished in golden lights, finally finding their beds in their safe homes. In a few minutes families will be reunited and there will be tears of relief and joy.

Fleur's mind was hazy with rage. She appeared in the room which held seven monsters. She brandished her wand and pointed it at the dumbstruck men who didn't understand their situation. They all reacted quickly when one of them lost his head. They pulled their guns out and started firing at the beautiful girl who at that moment acted like a demon. Fleur conjured a shield, saving herself from getting riddled with holes. She let her allure out at full force. The men dropped their guns and stared at her as if she was the goddess of love and desire. Their eyes were wide and glazed, drool dripping from their mouths. Fleur stopped the shield charm and walked to the remaining six men. They all dropped to their knees, bereft of rationality as they mentally stripped her naked. Their mind was occupied by only her godly female form. Fleur grinned sadistically at the mindless animals. She pointed her wand at one. He screamed loudly as the crimson spell collided with him. The others remained there, unaffected by the scream of their colleague, still staring at her, wishing she was naked. Harry appeared inside the room but his entrance wasn't noticed. Fleur was too angry to concentrate on anyone else. Harry decided to just enjoy the show.

It would be twenty minutes before the remaining six would die. Their hearts finally couldn't keep up with the pain. They died with their mouth partly open in silent scream and blood dripping from their eyes.

"You pass." Harry smirked proudly. Fleur turned around, finally heeding his presence. She gave a silent sob and emptied her stomach on the dead bodies, as her mind cleared from the rage induced haze. Harry kneeled beside her, rubbing her back.

"They were monsters." she whispered, trying to justify her actions.

"They were." Harry agreed

"You are also a monster."

"I am. Of a different sort." He smiled.

"Now, I am a monster too." she announced weakly, feeling sick.

"You are."

After that, Harry took Fleur back to Hogwarts where she immediately went towards her carriage, wanting to remain alone and reflect on her actions.

Instead of going back to the castle, Harry decided to play hero, he let his magic take him to different places where someone needed his help. By the end of the day, Harry had saved many people around the world from murder, rape or abduction. Though, Harry was self aware to know that he was just playing hero for the sake of his own amusement and the situation which provided him to kill or torture evil people. He returned to the castle with a wide grin. Today was really a good day.

There was still an hour before dinner so Harry decided to find his friends and sister. The Ouroboros necklaces informed him that they were in the room of requirement.

He opened the door and stepped in to find the girls lounging tiredly on comfy armchairs.

"Where were you?" Daphne asked, drawing out the sentence lazily.

"Entertaining myself." Harry replied, sitting on a plush armchair, conjured by the room near the girls.

"Oh, here I was feeling guilty that we girls ignored you for the whole day. Good to know that you enjoyed yourself." Tracey said through half lidded eyes, her body sore from all the practice.

"No problem. It was good to finally have some time to myself." Harry waved away her concern. But Tracey was already fast asleep, not hearing his reply. Harry gazed around, Iris was also sleeping, curled on her armchair. Astoria was doing the same on another armchair beside her.

"We are all tired. Tori and Iris were on the pitch the whole day after getting selected in the Hogwarts team. Unfortunately, Tori is selected as an extra player. Iris though is in the starting seven. Me and Tracey also got in the duelling competitions. After that, we spent the whole time practising in this room." Daphne explained, seeing his raised eyebrow.

"And you aren't feeling drowsy or tired?" he asked.

"Of course I am. But fortunately you are here and we can finally sleep in the same bed after so many years. It's quite annoying that Iris hogs you all for herself every night." Daphne chuckled, standing up from the chair and walking towards the freshly conjured bed against the wall. Harry shrugged and followed her. They both laid on the bed on their sides, their fronts pressed to each other.

"Goodnight, Harry." Daphne smiled, after kissing him.

"Goodnight, Daph." Harry said, pulling her against him so their faces were only an inch apart and their limbs were tangled with each other. Harry was quite turned on by feeling the warmth and softness of her body but ignored it and let her sleep peacefully. She was extremely tired and wouldn't be able to do anything. Harry closed his own eyes, hoping that sleep would come quickly.

~~~

The next few days went by just like this. The girls used their time to practice leaving Harry to spend his time with Fleur who was back to her usual self.

The wand weighing ceremony also took place and passed without much of a fuss. Now, the time for the first task was fast approaching. On one afternoon, Fleur dragged Harry into an empty classroom to talk to him.

"Isn't it a bit early? We are still in that 'new friends' phase." Harry joked, leaning against the wall, eyeing her. Fleur, who was now used to his flirting, just rolled her eyes.

"The first task is something to do with dragons. I don't want you to go there unprepared." Fleur told him, her voice a mix of concern and fear.

"Okay." Harry shrugged, not affected in the least by the revelation.

"Just like that? Aren't you scared? We have to face a DRAGON. Show some concern." Fleur whispered harshly, her concern for him turning into anger. Harry sighed and shook his head. It was quite taxing to be underestimated by everyone. He didn't get how they always forget about his achievements and didn't take him seriously just because he was a teen. Hell, he had defeated Dumbledore in front of her, she should know that a dragon was nothing for him. Even his friends and sister didn't know the true extent of his powers. Sometimes he was tempted to take over the world just to see their reactions. To see their faces when a fourteen year old won the world in just a few minutes. And it wouldn't be that of a difficult task with his Deus. His powers were basically the essence of an immortal god, leaving him currently the most powerful being on the planet. It was unprecedented that a human contained the essence of a god, of Lady Magic. If every wizard had a drop of Lady Magic's essence then he had an ocean of her essence in him. That was what gave him an edge over everybody. If he wanted, he could kill Voldemort in a snap but that would be boring. Being the most powerful was very boring, resulting in him trying to use his powers sparsely and drag out dangerous problems for the sake of his entertainment.

"Don't worry about me, Fleur. Do you have a plan or do you need my help?" He asked, coming out of his reverie. Fleur somewhat calmed down and shook her head.

"I have few ideas but no concrete plan. And I don't need your help. I know you are going to win but I will still try my best at the tasks. I can do this on my own." Fleur replied.

"Good luck then." Harry smiled, opening the door and stepping out.

~~~

Harry and Iris were laid on their sides, facing each other on Harry's bed. Since Harry and Iris had started partaking in sexual pleasures, they rarely slept with clothes on. Tonight was no different. They were unable to keep their hands off of each other, both addicted to each other's caresses. Harry's one hand was currently on her perky breast while the other was on her waist. Iris meanwhile was running her fingers on his side and chest.

"When is your first match?" Harry asked, squeezing her soft tit. Iris bit her lip, loving the feel of his hand on her chest. She scooted until there was barely any space between their bodies, until they could feel the heat of each other's bodies.

"The First match will be decided after the completion of your first task. The same with Duelling competitions. The three new competitions declared by Dumbledore will take place after the First Task and before the Second Task. Aah!" She explained but ended up moaning when his fingers brushed against her stiff nipple. Harry hummed absent-mindedly, his intense eyes boring in hers, the corner of his lips curving up in amusement as he earned another moan by pawing her chest.

"Do you know what your first task is?" Iris asked, trying not to make funny faces as he left a pleasant lingering tingle with each caress.

"Something to do with dragons." Harry answered in a carefree tone, the hand which up till now rested on her waist, slid to her arse, cupping the soft flesh. Iris let out a long moan, scooting closer until their hips were in contact.

"Isn't it something to worry about?" she frowned, cupping his cheeks with both hands. Harry shook his head and pulled her close to him, turning on his back so she was on top of him. Iris yelped at the sudden change of position as she brought her hands on his chest to balance herself.

"Don't worry. I have everything under control." Harry smiled confidently, fondling her arse. Iris nodded hesitantly and pressed her lips on his.

"If you say so. Be careful." she mumbled on his lips.

"Of course, little one." Harry grinned, cupping her cheek and giving her a searing kiss. Iris groaned in the kiss and reciprocated with the same fervour. Harry and Iris's legs moved on their own, arranged in such a position that their cores were in maximum contact with each other. Harry wrapped his arms around her slim waist as he continued kissing her. Iris was feasting on his lips as her own arms moved through his hair. They continued kissing while moving their hips in a rhythm. Iris was so tempted to let his shaft slip inside her but controlled her urge. Harry had warned her against it and had said that they would have their first penetrative sex on her fourteenth birthday. Iris was not exactly happy with the arrangement but had conceded defeat against her brother's will. It wasn't as if there was nothing else to do. She and him had spent hours exploring each other's bodies and they could aptly pleasure each other in many ways. She moved down slowly, maintaining eye contact with him. He gasped as her fingers curled around his hardness.

~~~

Harry entered the champions' tent.

Fleur was sitting in a corner on a low wooden bench. She didn't look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. Viktor Krum looked even surlier than usual, which Harry supposed was his way of showing nerves. Cedric was pacing up and down. It seems he was also aware of the dangerous beast. Now the question was who leaked the information to him?

"Hello, Fleur." Harry grinned as he sat beside Fleur who gave him a shaky smile.

"Hey, Harry."

"You look extra pale today. I hope you didn't suddenly decide to become a vampire." he joked, bumping her shoulder with his. Fleur rolled her eyes at his bad joke.

"Yes, I am quite tempted to sink my fangs in your neck." she said sourly. Harry laughed shortly.

"Ah, already trying to give me love bites. Still, it's too early for that." Harry quipped. Fleur felt her lips quivering.

"You think you can handle me, mon cher? I am a veela, a creature of love and lust. My passion is unlimited, do you think your fourteen year old body can survive that?" she smiled in amusement.

"Easily. I am Harry Potter." he waved his hand confidently.

"And very modest." she replied.

"Hello Pot, I am kettle." Harry chuckled.

"Touche." she grinned. They remained silent after that, enjoying the peace before the storm. Krum and Cedric were giving them dubious looks but stopped when Harry rudely pointed his middle fingers at them. Fleur gave him a disapproving look for the rudeness but was grateful that the other two boys had stopped staring. She also noticed that she was strangely calm after her banter with Harry. She smiled, sparing him a glance. He was a good friend.

"Well, now we're all here, time to fill you in!" said Bagman brightly. "When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag" he held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at them "from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different … er … varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too... ah, yes, your task is to collect the golden egg!" he said exuberantly, entering the tent. Harry was mildly surprised that Bagman was still enthusiastic and unafraid after seeing him in action. Bagman was either stupid or very brave. His bet was on the former.

"Ladies first," he said, offering it to Fleur Delacour.

She put her hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon - a Welsh Green. It had the number two around its neck. Krum pulled out the scarlet Chinese Fireball. It had a number three around its neck. He didn't even blink, just sat back down and stared at the ground. Cedric put his hand into the bag, and out came the blueish-grey Swedish Short-Snout, the number one tied around its neck. Harry put his hand into the silk bag and pulled out the Hungarian Horntail, and the number four. It stretched its wings as he looked down at it, and bared its minuscule fangs.

"Well, there you are!" said Bagman. "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I'm going to have to leave you in a moment, because I'm commentating. Mr. Diggory, you're first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right?" Bagman explained and quickly left the tent. The four retook their seats. The tension was higher after that.

"Do you think your dragon likes my dragon? Maybe they will become lovers or something." Harry said with a straight face, pushing out his hand, the miniature Hungarian Horntail staring at the girl from his palm. Fleur couldn't help but giggle at that.

"Harry, they both are nesting mothers, meaning they are females." Fleur answered back. Harry shrugged.

"Who knows, maybe they are bisexual or lesbian."

Fleur just laughed some more, not wanting to get into the long and convoluted discussion of genders and sexuality at the time. A loud whistle finally started the tournament. Cedric went out slowly and unsurely as if waiting for someone to stop him from attempting the stupid task of facing a dragon.

"Do you have a plan, Fleur?" Harry asked, for once seriously.

"Yes." she said.

"Are you confident with your plan?"

"Yes."

"Good."

The only sound in the tent came from outside. The cheers, the gasps, Bagman's commentary. The three remaining champions listened carefully. And then, after about fifteen minutes, Harry heard the deafening roar that could mean only one thing: Cedric had gotten past his dragon and captured the golden egg.

"Very good indeed!" Bagman was shouting. "And now the marks from the judges!"

But he didn't shout out the marks; Harry supposed the judges were holding them up and showing them to the crowd.

"One down, three to go!" Bagman yelled as the whistle blew again. "Miss Delacour, if you please!"

Fleur stood up and started for the exit.

"Hey Fleur, let's bet on who does better in the task. If I win, then I get a kiss and if you win...then you get a kiss." Harry smirked.

"Why will I take a losing bet? I am pretty sure that you will breeze through the task without any difficulty." She said exasperatedly, already at the exit.

"Then the only question remains is if you want to kiss me or not." Harry said in a faux innocent tone. Fleur laughed softly as she left.