42 Chapter 42
The evening of 24th October found Harry and his group presenting themselves in the Great Hall. The Round of 32 held a special distinction in Hogwarts rumor mill, bringing all the contestants a slice of fame. And not just in Hogwarts either.
"You guys are so lucky, mate." Ron bemoaned miserably. "Fred was crowing about how the results of this tournament are going to be published in the Daily Prophet! Can you imagine that? I wish I was still in the tournament."
Harry looked up, cocking his head. "Did you say, Prophet?"
"Yeah mate, bloody crazy innit?"
He grunted, going back to ignoring the group. In his humblest opinion—an absurd thing, for he believed humility to be overrated—Daily Profit was a better suited name for that press.
"That has nothing to do with luck, Ron." Hermione snapped from beside them. "Harry and Andrea worked hard for this…."
Then came the biting remark.
"Unlike you. You can't expect results without giving it your all."
The boy huffed. "You'll eat your words when I prove you wrong in the next one."
Their bickering continued as they walked through the Great Hall's grand doors.
The entire hall was somehow expanded to be bigger than ever. The four house benches were reinstalled, though instead of being in 4 columns they were placed around the Dueling stage, boxing it in like a mini-stadium.
The Hufflepuff bench was placed in front of the entrance, with a gap in between to let the audience pass. To the left of the Stage was Slytherin's bench, to the right was Gryffindor's, and up ahead replacing the teachers table sat the Ravenclaws.
Teachers were gathered in front of their houses, guiding students to their places to avoid crowding. There must be over a hundred spectators already present when Harry entered, looking excited for some spectacular duels.
"You nervous?" Andrea bumped him lightly.
Harry quirked an eyebrow at her. "Indeed, can you not see me shaking in abject fear right now?"
He shook one hand limply in the air. Even his hand looked bored.
"Prat." She bumped him again. "I can just never tell if you're joking or not."
He hummed.
"What? Is that it?" She stared at him incredulously. "A hum?"
Harry shrugged, unconcerned. His eyes did their ritualistic scanning of the Great Hall, though looking less for threat and more for a certain hellion.
"It's just…all these people and stuff." Andrea continued hesitatingly. "Doesn't look like fun to lose in front of them."
Harry hummed again, eyes still flickering through the Slytherins. "Are you nervous, Andrea?"
"A little." She whispered, coming close to him. "Dad's been really excited this whole month. He sent me a wand holster as a gift last night. Dragon-skin leather. I really don't wanna d-disappoint him, you know?"
Harry blinked, a little surprised; not just at Sirius being excited about the tournament—considering the venom he spewed over Dumbledore the last time—but also to hear Andrea stuttering a little.
The girl may not have the boundless energy and confidence of his twin, but she still rarely showed such uncertainty.
"I don't see why he would be disappointed." Hermione butted in. "You are one of the only few first years in round three. If he isn't proud of you for making it this far, he never will be."
Andrea stared at the bushy girl in surprise, a small smile lighting her face up. "Thanks."
'So this is how you comfort someone? By forming potentially wrong assumptions to make them feel better?'
After all, Hermione couldn't know what Sirius thinks like, she'd never even met the man. Perhaps he would only be proud of Andrea if she wins the entire thing?
Harry frowned. 'So people prefer lies over truth if it brings them some comfort. Would I need to lie to make people feel better someday?'
He thought back to all the conversations he'd had in the past; with Steve, Melinda, Maria, Kara…Natasha.
He'd always been blunt with them—blunt and true—uncaring of the reaction his words may elicit. Could there have been instances where lies would've been more preferable?
Perhaps when he'd informed Kara of having killed an innocent woman to cover his tracks…or when he'd bluntly stated how truly useless Romanoff's combat sessions were in his opinion.
'Should I have lied then?'
It was an interesting topic to ponder upon later.
They soon approached the main stage where a couple of senior students pointed them towards a separate table reserved specially for the 32 contestants.
"Good luck, mate." Ron patted his shoulder as they prepared to separate.
"Y-You can do this, Harry." Neville stuttered out with a shaky smile. He suddenly jerked upright, his eyes dipping down to his pocket. A second later, he removed his Remembral, which had taken a reddish hue.
The boy flushed, glancing at their female companion. "Oh! And you too Andrea. I'm s-sure you'll do well too."
"Gee guys, thanks for the support." Andrea muttered. "Feeling really loved over here."
After a panicked round of hearty wishes for Andrea, they separated from the group to join the remaining contestants. Their table was placed directly in front of the stage; just a small curved bench with exactly 32 wooden seats.
Most of the contestants were already present, which included all of his quidditch teammates save for Wood. The remaining few slowly trickled in and were quickly guided towards their bench.
The waiting must've been the worst part for Harry. While the others beside him prayed for some kind of delay, Harry simply wanted this to be over quickly.
Fortunately, he was soon joined by one of the only two people who could make this slightly more bearable for him.
"Brother!" The voice that called out had three very distinct characteristics; it was high-pitched, it was cheeky, and it was too damn excited.
Was it any surprise that he identified it instantly?
His midget twin smoothly slid to his other side with a very wide grin—its cheekiness matching her voice—in stark contrast to her friend who approached them with cautious steps.
"Potter." The Daphne girl greeted with a tight nod, radiating an aura of coldness as she came to a halt in front of him—blocking his view and demanding attention.
Irked, Harry gave the girl a half-lidded stare. "Do you, perhaps, think yourself more interesting than the duels?"
She stiffened up, her mouth slightly ajar. Thankfully she seemed to understand his words and got out of his vision—though not without giving him a withering glare. He didn't care, his eyes back to searching around the stage for the other person who can make the wait more bearable.
Rose—who he'd expected to defend her friend—gave an uncharacteristic giggle for some reason, snuggling deeper in his side.
"Did you know Malfoy's been training real hard since the last round?" His twin quipped, her soft fingers playing with his hair, massaging his scalp gently. "I think you gave the boy some...uhh, what did you call it? PSG?"
"P.T.S.D." Harry corrected.
"Yes, that!" She exclaimed, grinning. "I saw him murmuring spell incantations to himself in the corner yesterday."
"That's good." Harry commented in disinterest, before his eyes sharpened. "But I'm more curious to hear where you learnt to pronounce 'Incantations'."
Rose came to a sudden halt.
He could see the gears shifting in her head, her hands freezing up on his scalp, eyes widening slighting as she let the mask slip just a little.
Harry couldn't hold back a snort. Watching her squirm was like watching a new Hydra recruit struggling to keep an emotionless face…
In normal words, pretty damn funny.
Rose pouted at him—at least as cute as a puppy. "We're talking about Malfoy, not me! And I learnt it from a book. I'm not stupid, you know? I do too read...sometimes."
He gave her a couple of patronizing head-pats, smiling indulgently. "I'm sure you do."
She wrinkled her nose at him, but couldn't keep the bashful little smile from emerging as she melted under his pats, rubbing her cheeks against his shoulder.
Beside them, Andrea burst out laughing. "Look at you two, getting all cozy. Anyway, Malfoy's gonna make a right fool of himself, isn't he? I'm so excited."
"Did you get anything from dad?" Rose captured his attention again. "He sent me a good luck card and promised to take us to some inner...ahh.. In-intercontinental Dueling Tournament this winter!"
Harry stilled, a frown forming on his face. "I received no such thing."
"Wait, you didn't...?" Rose tilted her head up in surprise, before realization went through her eyes. "Oh! Your owl's late! Probably. Mine only came this morning, so you'll have to wait for some time me thinks. Oh hey, mum's here!"
The whiplash named Rosalia pointed towards the back, making Harry turn to glance. Surprised eyes took in the figure of his mother; dressed in black teacher's robes, Lily was standing in front of the Gryffindor section, guiding students to their places.
It shouldn't have been surprising of course, but she was usually so informal around him that sometimes he would forget she had her duties as a teacher to complete.
The Great Hall soon became silent, welcoming the arrival of four new teachers—including the Headmistress herself—in silence. The Headmistress took her place upon a separate table, alongside Snape and Flitwick, while Remus climbed the stage to address the whole room.
"Attention, everyone." The man waved at them. "Are all contestants present? Everyone knows why you're here? No one took a forgetfulness potion to avoid the duels this time? Great."
Laughter spread through the Ravenclaw section surrounding their third years as everyone turned to look at a bashful girl hiding her face away.
"Now, for those confused about the format, this will be an elimination round just like the rest, where the winners of each match shall proceed forward in the tournament. Furthermore, none of our contestants today know their opponents yet, so they must present themselves when I announce their names. And no, you cannot change, exchange, or bargain for a different opponent. With that said, let's begin round three of the Junior Dueling Tournament!"
The first names were soon announced, and the round opened with Cedric Diggory taking on Saskia Fawcett. Harry kept an observant eye upon the two, comparing their competence to the 2nd level Dungeon students.
'There are quite a few errors in this duel.' He noted idly, leaning into the soothing hands of Rose as she restarted her gentle massage. 'The spell placement is basic at best, and while Diggory clearly tries to predict her next moves, they're mostly just reacting to each other.'
Plus, Fawcett and Diggory made mistakes; plenty of them in fact. Sometimes their spells would be too wide, missing each other completely, or sometimes they'll standstill, just staring at each other in rare moments of indecision, bringing brief lulls to the fight to catch their breath.
Basically, they were human. The Dungeon dwellers were not.
But while humans may not be as accurate, they were certainly more creative and strategic. A minute into their duel, and Cedric expertly boxed the girl against a corner, pushing her to the edge of the stage's boundary and taking over the duel completely.
"Damn, that guy's scary." Andrea muttered. "I get chills every time I watch him fight."
Rose hummed absently, the intensity of her massage matching the tempo of the fight.
Finally, the girl was pushed back to the rune line that divided the stage from the spectators. She couldn't dance around the spells any longer and was forced to shield a stunner with Protego.
And once the shield was on, it never left. The girl practically cocooned herself behind it as Cedric maintained his impressive casting speed, not showing any signs of exhaustion.
Then, with a final chain of spells, it was over.
"Incendio–Descutio–Stupefy!"
A gust of fire stopped her from simply making a run for it, the second spell burst apart the shield like a popped balloon, and the third spell made the girl slump down unconscious.
Whispers of awe and admiration spread through the Great Hall as Remus announced the boy's win. And they weren't limited to the spectators either.
"Impressive, is he not, Rose?" Daphne commented. "I doubt any here could replicate that."
Her tone suggested hidden meaning behind her words, but Harry simply couldn't be bothered to decipher it.
What did surprise him a little was his sister's unimpressed scoff. "I doubt he could've matched us two years ago. It's just a matter of time before we surpass his level. Well... at least me and Harry. Can't speak for others, can I?"
He couldn't remember ever hearing the subtle note of contempt and condescension in his sister's voice. He could easily believe she was the sister of Dorea Potter right now. It was a side of her that he hadn't known till now.
He didn't pay further attention to the matches, having already scouted all the opponents in last round. Closing his eyes, he melted back with a sigh, simply enjoying his sister's ministrations until his name was finally called out.
"For our next contestants I welcome...Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy! Please, step on the stage."
Harry sighed, pushing himself up. 'Even the Dungeons are better than this.'
At least Rose and Andrea seemed happy for him.
"Go and kick his arse, brother!" Rose cheered.
"That's a guaranteed spot in the final sixteens!" Andrea exclaimed. "Don't let that git get a shot at you, Har har!"
He blinked, giving the latter a strange glance before moving forward.
He climbed upon the stage, Draco Malfoy's determined face greeting him. It was much better than the pompous arrogance he usually sported.
"Bow of respect." Remus instructed. "This time properly. Now start!"
The match was over as soon as it began.
His stunning spell now sat at lvl 42, making it his third fastest spell behind the Killing Curse and Cruciatus.
He still couldn't launch it silently, but a single jab and a quiet hissing whisper was enough to shoot out the jet of red towards his opponent.
It may not be as fast as silent casting, but it was still too much for a 1st year to handle, no matter how prepared.
Draco could only look on—stunned as he was—as he was stunned.
Harry stopped, cocking his head. 'What an interesting choice of words.'
The second match soon started but the outcome was the same. Harry stood upon the stage, unmoving, as the match started, letting Draco try one of the new spell's he'd been learning.
"Expelliarmus!" The boy bellowed, slightest bit of hope lighting in his eyes….for a brief second.
It was almost comical to witness his face flopping down as Harry tilted his head slightly, letting the red flash whizz away behind him.
The next second Draco slumped down—stunned again—and the Great Hall stayed silent for a moment.
No one expected him to breeze through his fights, he was sure. And normally he would've tried to make it harder for himself, handicap his more advanced abilities to progress his weaker ones…
But the Dungeon's reveal simply made that completely redundant. What could these mock duels do for him that the actual fights—with threats of death—can't? And with its dwellers just being wizards, the Tournament had lost one of its main selling points for Harry.
The only reason he wasn't simply blitzing his opponents now was to save that card for the final match…or whenever he may actually need it.
After clinching the 2-0 victory, Harry became the 9th person to qualify for the round of 16.
Rose too got a lucky draw and faced off against a 2nd year. And while her victory was more hard-fought than his, she never truly came close to losing.
She seemed to have some experience in dueling, outside of what Harry had taught her.
In the end his midget twin joined him after a relatively smooth 2-0 victory over Cecelia Reynolds, who was seen bawling her eyes out after the match.
Andrea became the third—and last—firstie to qualify for the round of 16 by defeating Jeremy Stretton after an incredibly rigorous tussle of wands; barely clenching a 2-1 lead over the senior student.
Daphne however, was not as lucky. Her opponent was a 3rd year student…Dorea Potter.
No one wanted to fight Dorea Potter, including the third years. There was a general dislike for her amongst the students, suppressed only by a healthy dose of fear.
Even the younger duelers—who'd never seen her in action before this tournament—did not wish to meet her on stage; for their elder sister seemed to have developed a bit of a reputation.
A reputation for being cruel. Very cruel. Not in the spells she used, but in the way she fought. She liked taunting her opponents before dominating them to the ground and rubbing her victory in her opponent's faces.
And unfortunately for the Greengrass girl, that reputation came out to be quite true.
The event also acted as an eye-opener for Andrea, who practically idolized the senior Potter.
To her credit, Daphne took her defeat, and the insults that followed, with a cool and calm composure, her ever-present icy glare promising retribution.
Harry doubted she'd ever deliver upon that promise though.
The third round soon ended and they dispersed for the night. The next round was scheduled to start tomorrow, giving just a day for the duelers to recover.
Thankfully—at least in Harry's eyes—the round of sixteen was supposed to be held together in the same day as the quarter and semi-finals.
That night, the names of the final 16 contestants were plastered upon the house notice-boards for all to view.
Harry Potter vs Malcolm Preece
Rosalia Potter vs Cedric Diggory
Dorea Potter vs Cho Chang
Tamsin Applebee vs Andrea Black
Fred Weasley vs Helen Dawlish
George Weasley vs Adrian Pucey
Angelina Johnson vs Manoj Panditt
Alicia Spinnet vs Queenie Shacklebolt
Harry wasn't worried. He'd seen Preece fight, and while a strong contender, Harry was sure he wouldn't be forced to rely upon his physical might.
No, his worry was reserved only for his twin. The midget was unfortunate enough to have drawn Diggory's name.
Hopefully the senior student wouldn't do anything stupid.
Because Harry had just realized that his inventory could be a perfect hiding spot for a dead body.
….And he can always empty it in the dungeons.
-------------------------
Early in the morning of 25th October—when the air was still crisp and chilly—a group of journalists and reporters presented themselves under the roof of Hogwarts castle, enjoying the hospitality of fine dining and even finer comforts.
Most of the students who saw them were able to put a name to their faces immediately, knowing them to be regular guests for events like this. Their job was simple; to record the upcoming duels and rank them from best to worst. That list would later be published in their bestselling issues, going from household to household and bringing them news of Britain's future.
But all of this mattered little to one, Harry Potter. The only thing he cared about was the system prompt that greeted his eyes.
Quest [A Terror with Wand IV] in Progress!
Qualify for the Quarter-finals ()
Qualify for the Semi-finals ()
Qualify for the finals ()
Stay undefeated ()
Win with 100% Health ()
The system was grouping up all the three rounds in one quest, so Harry expected a generous reward at the end of the day.
The participants of the tournament were summoned a few minutes before the Great Hall could fill up with spectators. All sixteen of them were gathered around Remus as he presented them with the option to quit. Harry stopped listening the moment the man brought up the 'pressure of fame' and 'health is more important' points, simply breathing in the fresh, electrifying morning air and feeling ready for a day of domination.
His midget twin stood beside him, her head resting upon his shoulder as she yawned. Andrea stood just ahead, a rare picture of solemnity on her face.
When the Great Hall finally started filling up, Remus quickly dismissed them, bidding them good luck.
They took their positions from yesterday, though with a relatively empty hall the participants had no one to talk to but themselves. He received several well wishes and hand-shakes—mostly from his quidditch teammates who'd grown rather familiar with him.
He didn't mind though, especially the overly long and giggly handshake that he received from Angelina and Alicia, or the shy eyes-fluttering words-stuttering good luck from Cho Chang.
But while he himself did not mind, the midget beside him looked ready to arrange them a meeting with Merlin—may it be in Heaven or in hell.
By the time their judges arrived, the room was completely packed with people. From senior students, to non-participating/eliminated spectators, the Great Hall was filled to the brim. He could even see camera-carrying men and women, along with reporters and writers, taking various spots in the Hall to get a clear shot at the stage.
"Good morning to one and all present over here!" Remus started soon after everyone was settled. "This is going to be a long day, and I hope you're all ready for it. There shall be three rounds today, and by the end we will get our two finalists. The day shall test our participants not only in their skill and knowledge, but also their magical reserves and resilience. Furthermore, each round will only have a thirty minute break in between for the participants to freshen up and get ready. There will no doubt be quite a few duelers suffering from magical exhaustion by the end of this day, and for those unfortunate ones we have prepared ample arrangements, so worry not. With that said, let's begin round four of the Junior Dueling Tournament!"
The day started with George Weasley taking on Adrian Pucey, and Harry submitted himself to another day of waiting and…waiting.
The Duel wasn't boring in itself; with both George and Pucey having prior dueling knowledge. But while the opponents fought with skills worthy of 3rd years, it simply didn't have any unique charm or innovative ideas to hold Harry's attention.
Instead, his eyes tracked the figure of Tonks as she slipped through the crowd to approach their bench.
Harry found himself observing her face critically, trying to make some sort of connection between this bubbly pink-haired girl and the striking beauty who'd stolen her name in the dungeon.
…And he came up empty.
There was simply no connection to be made; not even one akin to a distant cousin. Tonks wasn't ugly by any means. She had a pretty face like Kara, and a body that showed clear hints of a very voluptuous figure hiding under those baggy Hogwarts robes, perhaps even to the level of Lily...but she wasn't the dungeon-Tonks. Pretty would be an insult to that girl. The breathtaking beauty that he'd seen could've matched even Natasha Romanoff...
Okay, maybe not, but almost.
All the same, Tonks wasn't her. She cannot be her.
"Wotcher, Harry!" The girl greeted cheerfully, gently pushing Andrea aside. "A little room for me please! C'mon people, don't be mean to your young and beautiful senior. Promise I won't bite."
With some grumbling Andrea shifted aside.
"Tonks." Harry nodded at the girl, dismissing his earlier conundrum.
He was thinking too much about it. The dungeon must've messed up somehow.
The pink-haired girl glanced back at the rest of the participants, her eyes searching for someone….
"Hey Tamsin!" She suddenly called out, waving her hand high in the air.
She elbowed Harry, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. "That's your other teammate. She's been a part of the senior league since last year. A fabulous dueler that Charlie somehow convinced to join."
"Why is she here then?" Harry asked, glancing back at the girl as well.
A cute dark-eyed girl stared back at them, her short-brown hairs curling in rolls, barely reaching past the shoulders.
Tamsin Applebee
Age: 13
Level: 23
The girl wilted under their combined gazes, looking nervous as a mouse, not at all the dangerous duelist Tonks made her out to be...
Then, with painful hesitation, she waved back at them once, before proceeding to ignore them completely.
"Aww, isn't she a little cutie?" Tonks cooed beside him. "Oh, and she's here cause she's still in third year. The senior league will only start after the winter holidays, so students below fourth year can participate in this one without their matches clashing."
"I see. And why are you here?"
"Oh, c'mon! Don't you want to see your young and beautiful senior?" She elbowed him again.
Harry looked her up and down with interest. "Are you offering to undress?"
His twin gasped at them, while Andrea seemed to choke on an invisible stream of water.
Tonks snorted, a teasing smile curving up on her face. "Oh my, does the Boy-Who-Lived want a striptease from his young and sexy senior?"
She wiggled her eyebrows.
"Indeed." Harry nodded seriously. "I do believe you have much to offer, but I'd rather confirm it with my own eyes."
The smile was wiped off in an instant and she gaped at him incredulously.
"Ok, that was supposed to be a joke." The girl grouched, the pink in her hair gaining a reddish hue. "But you know what? I'll give you points for the delivery, you charming bast...ah, I mean…charming…boy?...Merlin it's so hard to censor yourself around kids."
"You don't need to. And frankly, it was a very bad attempt."
"I'm just not used to it, okay? I don't hang around with firsties too much."
"You should. Your immature jokes will find a bigger audience here."
"Hey! That was uncalled for!" She elbowed him harder this time, clearly intent on pushing him off his seat.
Unfortunately for her, she may as well have hit a solid wall, making her flinch back with a hiss. "Merlin's saggy bal—oh! I mean...Merlin's saggy biscuits, Harry! What the hell are you made of?"
"He's just a big meanie." Rose quipped from the side.
He ignored the midget. "Superhuman strength and vitality."
"…What? Never mind." She shook her head. "Look, the next match has started. This is why I came here."
"To see this match?" Harry asked, confused.
The current ongoing match was Fred Weasley vs Helen Dawlish. Harry couldn't see what was so important about this.
"No, dummy. I'm here to observe the final three rounds and scout for some more members." She replied absently, her attention on stage. "We're still two people short, remember? Me, you, Chang, Tamsin, and Eleanor. That's five. We need seven."
The match started with both contestants circling each other, hesitant to be the one to start. Fred broke the ceasefire and started the duel with a stunner.
Harry leaned back, relaxing. "Who do you think is gonna win?"
"Helen, no doubt." Tonks replied. "She's the daughter of an Auror, and was trained from a young age. Quite like your friend Andrea. The difference is, she's got a year up, so imagine a more experienced and skilled version of your friend. If I remember correctly, she was the only firstie that made it this far last year."
After just a few spell exchanges, he could easily see the girl was more dexterous and strategic. Fred may be a year older, but there was simply nothing he could do at the relentless chains of spells that the Auror's daughter launched at him. Almost the entire round was dominated by Helen while Fred hid behind a shield.
"The match is over, I believe." Harry commented. "If someone shields more than half the spells they face, they automatically seem to lose."
Tonks hummed. "I guess that's true for lower students, but it's a horribly wrong way to judge everyone."
He turned to her in interest. "Why?"
"What I mean is, you don't dodge spells at my level. Blocking is the norm." Tonks explained patiently as Helen finally clinched the win. "At lower levels, your spells are slow and waaay less powerful. Plus you guys don't know a lot of spells so you just play shoot-shoot with each other. Like in one of those muggle action flicks."
The second round started between Helen and Lee, but he kept his ears on Tonks.
"At my level, you have to be wary of everything. You never know when the floor underneath your feet may turn to lava. There's a risk that the spell you just dodged may Transfigure the object behind you into some attack dog. Then you have to be aware of the spells that take effect instantly. And you get caught unaware once? You're done for. There's just too much to do, too much to look out for in every single second. So we just block, deflect, or neutralize the spell entirely. Everytime we could. Recognizing which spell is heading your way and then preparing the counter just in time is too difficult for many. Especially when the spells are near instantaneous. But that's dueling for you. Flitwick didn't become a dueling champion without being an absolute genius in calculating all of this very quickly. Me? I still have a long way to go."
Harry nodded slowly, his mind racing through the problems she'd listed.
After a while, he realized nothing really changed for him. He would still dodge and take the chance to attack rather than keep defending. His magical sensing was good enough to notice most of the spells, and he was sure he would soon be able to differentiate between attacks using just his senses.
So knowing when to vacate an area, or still dodge the 'shoot-shoot' spells, should be a piece of cake for him. And he was fast—and dexterous—enough to pull it off as well.
He didn't receive any more time to ponder, as the next match announced was his.
"Good luck, partner." Tonks patted his shoulder. "He's a second year Hufflepuff. Not an easy opponent, but definitely your best option—unless you wish to fight your sister or friend."
He waved her away, and the numerous other well wishes showered upon him. He just wanted to be done with it really.
He caught his mother's eyes as he climbed the stage. 'Good luck' she mouthed, a confident smile on her face. But Harry could see her worries behind the mask, even more so when her hands started curling her lock of red hairs around her fingers. It was her iconic 'I'm worried but can't show' gesture.
As he came to halt upon the stage however, his eyes fell upon a dark green tent built towards the opposite end.
"What's that?" He asked Remus.
The man followed his eyes. "You'll know in the next round. Now, are you ready, Harry? Need more time to prepare perhaps?"
Harry glanced at the man with a frown, shaking his head. "Let's just start quickly, please."
Remus chuckled, waving him forth. "Go on then."
The man got down from the stage, calling for the pre-duel rituals.
They raised their wands up and bowed.
One curious thing about Preece was that the boy loved holding his wand with both hands.
In terms of skills, Preece was easily as good as Helen Dawlish. But for some truly unfathomable reason, the boy just wouldn't stop hampering himself.
"Aaaand start!"
Harry's predictions held true when the boy swished his wand up two-handedly, slower than Harry's quick flick.
"Totalus!" The boy's loud and clear bellow suppressed his own whispered 'Stu' and the two red flashes blasted off towards each other.
Yet, even from the first spell, it was clear to him—and the rest of the audience—that this fight was not well matched.
Harry's Stunner flashed brighter and faster than his opponent's Body-Bind, giving Preece just barely enough time to flinch away, but thoroughly stealing away the momentum.
The Totalus itself received just a brief—almost absent—side-step from its target, who was already in the process of casting his next Stunner.
It came as a surprise to Harry really. He knew he'd dominate most of his opponents if he let loose of course, but he hadn't expected to thoroughly bully them to submission.
It shouldn't have been a surprise, really. With his growing magical senses, he was able to form an accurate guess for the level of his opponent's spell. And his verdict? Barely touching the twenties. So he was fighting an opponent whose best spell barely touched half the level of his Stunner.
Indeed, there was nothing to be surprised about here.
There was nothing more to the fight. Preece may be better than Malfoy, but Harry dwarfed him too much for the duel to last for long.
It wasn't really their fault either, considering he had over 2 years of experience and practice in using the Stunner and Levitation charm, having learned those ages ago when still under the clutches of Hydra.
The entire match barely lasted into its second minute, before Harry claimed another clean 2-0 win over yet another older opponent.
The only enjoyable thing about it came from the reception his performance received when his victory was declared. From the thunderous claps of the crowd, to the twinkling stars in midget's eyes, and the shocked—and hungry—looks in Andrea and Tonks…
Truly, it did feel nice to be the subject of admiration, and Harry believed he could grow to like it even more than causing pain.
…Maybe.
As he finally retook his seat on the contestants' bench, he was quickly surrounded by the three ladies.
"That was so-ooo-oo cool, brother!" His sweet midget sang, innocent watery eyes staring in his soul with adoration as she clutched at his arm. "…Will you teach me? Pretty please?"
"Yeah, what the hell partner?" Tonks elbowed him from the side. "You weren't this fast against Davies. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. But we need a better idea of your skills with a stick soon. This just won't do when you are in the senior league."
"Where did you learn all that?" Andrea exclaimed in muted awe. "I was sure I was catching up to you! Damn it."
Harry snorted, shaking his head.
He couldn't answer any of their questions—neither was he going to—as the next match was soon announced between Andrea and Tamsin Applebee.
Harry wished Andrea good luck—not sharing Tonks' awkwardness as the two headed to the stage.
She didn't seem to know whom to cheer and simply kept quiet throughout the match. Harry knew Andrea wouldn't be winning this fight of course, facing an opponent 10 levels higher than her as she was.
But even knowing so, it was a little sad to watch Tamsin Applebee absolutely demolish Andrea for a 2-0 victory. There was simply no contest whatsoever.
Tonks gave a subdued congrats to Tamsin, while Andrea looked to be on the verge of tears. Thankfully, while Harry himself was still trying to figure out the formula of comforting people, Andrea's sadness was no match for Rose and Tonks' goofy happy-go-lucky charm. In no time the three girls were seen giggling and laughing at things that were outside of Harry's comprehension…for now.
But one day…he will know. He will know everything. People had this ridiculous saying that it's impossible to understand females…but Harry simply dismissed it as ignorant ramblings of less-talented insects.
After all, how can a Sage not understand something? That would be right mental.
No, Harry shall know everything there was to know about females….eventually.
Though hopefully that 'eventually' would come sooner rather than later.
The matches soon concluded, and he watched in real-time as the midget lost her cheer one duel at a time, a grim determination shining in her eyes.
And as her turn finally came, there was not a speck of the sheer joy and cheer her presence usually administered.
Harry didn't like it.
It was like watching a beautiful flower losing its luster…or—for the softest corner of his cold heart—like the cutest, most enthusiastic, tongue-wagging puppy suddenly growing ill and quiet.
"Midget?" He beckoned as they stood up. "You'll do fine. Just give your best performance and that should be more than enough."
She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. "To win?"
"No, of course not." Her shoulders slumped, eyes staring at her shoes.
He stood in front of her, taking her morose little face in his palm. "To grow. Always do your best, and always try to surpass your previous self…do this and you will never stop progressing."
She gave him a half-formed smile, nodding slightly. "Thanks."
Then she was off, and he couldn't help but doubt if he screwed up.
'Should I have lied here?' He frowned. 'Did I just miss something? Sage, help me out quick.'
But no sudden wave of wisdom hit him, and he was left frowning.
"That was sweet of you." Andrea whispered from the side.
Harry didn't reply, his eyes on the duel as Remus gave it a start.
He never expected Rose to win of course, but his heart clenched in pain all the same when Diggory dominated the duel. She fared much better than he'd expected, actually managing to drag the fight for a full minute by dodging most of his spells…
'She's trying to imitate me.' The realization hit. 'But that's foolish.'
And it was. She was clever enough to place her spells perfectly, small enough to make herself a tiny target, and quick enough to hang onto the fight with edges of her teeth…but she still wasn't him.
And that became even clearer when she tried to side-step another Stunner, only to end up getting clipped on her shoulder and falling down, unconscious.
Harry winced, looking at his chest in irritation as a particularly harsh bite of pain seemed to register in his heart, stinging as bad as a bullet wound.
Remus quickly revived Rose, and the second match soon started. But this time it ended even quicker when Diggory suddenly bellowed. "Bombarda!"
The stage shook beneath the power of the spell, and down went the Midget, barely missing the main brunt of the spell as she toppled off of the stage. Remus came running to stop the fight, and he could see Lily quickly approaching Rose' fallen body.
If there was a color to rage, it would be a combination of red and white. Or so Harry felt as a white volcano grew within his chest, flowing through his veins in a sheer uncontrollable stream.
"Woah, calm down Harry!" Tonks' voice of caution was probably the only reason Diggory was alive.
[Gamer's Mind: Activated]
Barely but surely, Harry managed to put a cold stop upon the scalding hot rage that bled into him like a tight ball of inferno, stopping his wand from launching a well-deserved Crucio upon Diggory.
The coldness of Gamer's Mind brought the new kind of emotion to heel, allowing stark clarity to return to him.
Harry found himself blinking, feeling a little disturbed. When had he last felt such heightened emotions? Better yet, when was the last time he let his emotions control his actions?
He had been a second away from killing or torturing Diggory in front of hundreds of witnesses—both actions as illegal as the next, and likely to ruin all his plans and ambitions.
Closing his eyes, Harry took deep breaths as he approached his emotions.
He cared for the midget, that much was clear to him now. Cared enough to almost ruin his future.
That cannot happen. Ever.
His survival was his highest priority. And to ensure his survival, he must get stronger. And getting expelled from Hogwarts would set back his plans by a massive degree.
And yet, the memory of watching the impish body of his twin being thrown across the stage simply strengthened the illogical voice screaming for Diggory's blood.
'It will come.' He comforted himself. 'Be patient.'
He was a former Hydra assassin. There was no reason why he cannot satisfy both sides of him.
It was a good thing that Rose was soon declared well enough to not need the Hospital wing…but as she returned back to them like a broken toy, her eyes on her feet the entire time, Harry knew it did not matter.
'Diggory is going to pay.'
There would be no person on earth who could find his body by the time Harry was done with it.
Thoughts of revenge left his mind as his midget twin finally bumbled her way towards them slowly.
She seemed to ignore the consolations of the other two girls, coming to stand before him as if ready to accept his judgement.
"I-I tried…" She whispered, trying to smile but failing, and simply turning away to hide the trails of tears.
[Gamer's Mind: Deactivated]
The rage returned in all its fiery embrace, but was quickly drenched beneath the splinters of pain wrecking his chest as he saw her small figure becoming even smaller, shoulders slumped and shaking.
"I'm s-sorry." She sniffed. "…I-I failed. I'm sorry."
He didn't resist as an alien urge made him surge forward and drag her in his arms, her tiny body fitting perfectly beneath his chin. He could feel her stiffen in surprise, before going completely limp when he pressed his lips to her forehead.
"You did well."
When he released her, she seemed to sway on her feet—looking lightheaded—almost tripping down to the ground had he not caught her.
"T-thanks." She mumbled in his heart.
But as his eyes fell upon Diggory—still standing on the stage—the rage returned in all its glory.
It was a curious thing; rage. He knew he was about to do something that would either throw him in prison—he would run, of course—or be expelled from Hogwarts. And yet, the rage simply didn't care.
'No!'
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he struggled to separate the sudden uncontrollable fire in his heart from the cold hard logic. Occlumency became his biggest friend here.
Gamer's Mind did not distinguish between rage and other emotions, but Occlumency…
Novice though he was, it helped him approach from a neutral point of view.
'Rage…rage could be my downfall.' He concluded, occluding away the desire to act upon the rage and simply observing it like he would a target. 'I must first understand rage before I take any action under its influence.'
He remembered the incident with McLaggen then. He'd been in control, he knew. Oh he'd come close to losing it, lost as he was in the throes of passion and freedom…
But he'd been in control. Passion and freedom, whilst strong, weren't enough to make him lose it. But rage...
Rage was dangerous. And Harry was only beginning to realize it.
He was glad that he discovered it of course. For it would now give him the chance of understanding it.
But understanding will only come if he doesn't get conquered by it first.
There was a war brewing inside of him now—a war between rage and logic—and he didn't quite remember the next few moments clearly. The entire world felt surreal, a blue curtain of unrealism. He knew Tonks and Andrea were trying to comfort them as well, he knew how delicate Rose' body felt in his arms. He knew Remus called them all to gather inside the tent Harry had noticed earlier. He remembered leaving Rose as he started walking for his destination, cold and unfeeling and detached, the world still a dream to his senses, the inquiries and comforting pats from his fellow contestants falling upon deaf ears.
He remembered the speech Remus gave, about the tournament simply being a sport, graciously presenting the tent for the 8 duelists to use if they didn't wish to face the crowd after a loss, or simply wished to calm their nerves.
He remembered all this…but the world only truly became alive to his senses again when Diggory joined them in the tent, and his elder sister went towards him laughing.
And that laughter almost proved his downfall, for the rage tried capitalizing upon how fucking annoying it sounded to his ears.
"Well done, you." Were her exact words, providing nothing but fuel for the growing fire within him, suppressing his ability to occlude. "Taught her a good lesson. Perhaps she—and everyone else in this room—will now realize how pathetic it is to run around the stage like cowards. Seriously, someone needs to understand that there's a reason dueling is spelled differently from dodging."
She laughed again, though not for long.
A mixture of anger and logic, Harry started moving towards the girl.
He knew all eyes were upon him now, but his own gaze was focused only upon one.
He could see her now. See her for what she was. The tense shoulders, the bated breaths, the restless eyes, but perhaps the most telling of all; her shaky hands that she tried to hide.
His mind worked in overdrive under the Occlumency, and Sage finally came to the forefront to help him understand, pushing down the rage from growing.
Out of all, hers were the only eyes not upon him, doing their very best to look everywhere but him.
"Do you know why everyone hates you, dear sister?" He asked, a calm cyclone of emotions—most that he simply couldn't recognise—whirling in his heart.
Her eyes flickered towards him just once, but that was enough to show him the exact range of her nervousness.
He took a step towards her and she whirled away, her wand starting to rise.
His hands came to clutch upon her shaky ones, holding them in place. "Do you know why no one likes you?"
"Harry—" Diggory started but a wandless wave of his hand threw him on his arse.
"Because you try too hard." He hissed, forcing her eyes to meet his. "And you fail…you fail to hide how much of a coward you are"
She opened her mouth to retort but before anyone could react—or think to react—his fingers closed around her slender neck, lifting her off from the ground completely, dangling her in the air; choking and gagging for breath as his hand tightened upon her neck.
The world was never more alive to him than then. He tasted the shock, desperation, and panic of the girl struggling in the air. The unbelieving eyes of the rest that only reacted when she started beating her legs.
"Harry, wha—"
"Somebody call the Professor!"
"He's going to hurt he—"
Just when the panicked yells were about to leave the tent, his magic—untamed and uncontrollable—spread through the room in a wave of power.
They quietened down; everyone present struggled to stand.
He threw Dorea down, letting her desperate gulps of air be the only sound in the tent.
"To hide how much of a failure you are. You are jealous of us, aren't you? The only one to live a normal life, the only one to not receive special attention...an insecure coward...it's a wonder Lily and James even care about you. Truly, one could never be more…pathetic."
Closing his eyes, he now tasted her fear and pain. Though he felt the pain was more from his words than any actual harm.
And not just her either…all of them. The fear and awe that permeated the tent, and the supplication as his magic dominated their worlds.
When he spoke again—his voice quiet and colder than ice, a hiss that sent shivers through the spines of all present—they listened without questions. "Do you know how long it will take me to kill you? Hmm? Dorea?"
He knelt beside his gasping sister, her eyes rolling in her sockets wildly.
"I will be doing us all a favor. We'll be better off without you. A coward who puts down the weak and helpless to feel better about herself…hanging around cowards like yourself."
He stood up, eyes shifting to Diggory and others, drinking in their fear and helplessness. "Do you realise how easily I can kill you all? You are nothing but vermin before me…and vermin you will remain forever. So heed my words as your laws. Touch a hair on my twin again…and I shall crush you…"
He brought down the entire might of his magic down upon the room. The wild, wandless kind that has always been present beside him, now stronger than ever. "As easily as that."
And he simply reveled in their despair…
Then he turned to Diggory, the fear in his eyes a balm for Harry's sore heart. Dings of system notifs hit his ears but he had a lesson to deliver. He slowly stalked towards the boy, feeling nothing but contempt.
Unfortunately, he had to break his little educational lesson as he heard the steps approaching them.
Snarling, he turned back to the ones present. "Speak a word of what happened here, and I'll show you all exactly what I was doing for half my life, away from here."
A wave of wild magic erupted from his wand, dragging the whimpering body of Dorea in chains of air, placing her beside him on her two feet.
"Another tear and you die."
The threat worked as well as expected, and with gritted teeth the girl forced herself to stop sobbing as Remus entered the tent again.
"Get ready duelers, your fifteen minutes are up. The firs—" His words died a sudden death as his eyes fell upon the group of eight, scanning their faces with growing bewilderment.
Then, with eyebrows quickly climbing up to his hairline, he asked, "Alright…What happened here?"
No one replied. Some stared at each other, but an instinctive glance at Harry's figure quietened them down.
"Dori?" Remus called out, stepping in the tent but not entering completely. "What happened…were you crying?"
Dorea shook her head vigorously.
Harry decided to throw the man a bone—even if it were a fake one. "She is still shocked about what happened with Rose."
Remus took a deep breath, massaging his brows. "That was….yeah. That happens. There used to be a rule disallowing such spells from Junior dueling, but a decision was reached last year that removed its inclusion. And Mr. Diggory, I do not know what consequences you may face from the Potter family, if any, but I shall suggest restraint heading further. Now, our next duel is between Harry and Dorea, and I under—"
"I surrender!" Dorea pushed out the words, sounding overly enthusiastic.
Remus came to another halt, eyes starting to widen at her words, before understanding flashed within them.
Sighing, the man shook his head. "I understand. Though I must say this has never happened before. I know that you're shocked, truly I do, but we have active healers on notice for any such incident."
Taking a deep breath, the man went back to his register. "Anyway, the next fight is between Tamsin Applebee and Helen Dawl—"
"I-I would like to give up as well." Tamsin was a second quicker than Dawlish. "I-m sorry."
Remus didn't even ask her the reason, simply rubbing his eyes and moving on. "Very well. The next is Queenie Shacklebolt against Adrian Puc—"
"Surrender!"
Now Remus scowled, head shooting up to stare at the girl. "And may I ask why, Miss Shacklebolt?"
"Dad said to never participate in duels you know you're going to lose."
He gave her one last hard look before sighing and turning away.
Mumbling something inaudible under his breath, the man then started again. "Diggory, Johnson, get ready in fiv—"
"I'm not dueling a murderer!"
Remus' eyes flickered towards the girl, then to Diggory, then back to the girl, before finally falling upon his register. "The next one who surrenders shall be banned from participating ever again. Never had anyone ever made a mockery of the tournament with such shamelessness. I understand that you're all in shock, but blowing things out of proportion is a cowardly thing. Our healers could save your life even if you lose half of your body. A single mishap should never make the students of Hogwarts lose faith in their school."
He then turned his register, tearing a page away. "Quarter finals are now done, four opponents have surrendered, the rest four will fight. No excuses. None of you are powerful enough to truly kill your opponents, and none of you know enough magic to cast spells that cannot be healed. Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter, please present yourselves for the first semi-final match. You have one minute."
And the man was gone, leaving behind a panicking Cedric who called after him helplessly.
Harry started laughing. Quietly at first, but growing in intensity until his dark laughter was the only thing the people in the tent could hear. "What a wonderful fate…"
"Harry…please." Cedric whispered, hands conjoining at his front. "I didn't do it on purpose, I would neve—"
But Harry was already out of the tent—the words nonsensical noises to his ears—as he headed towards the dueling stage.
He was just in time to catch Remus' announcing their fight to the crowd. "And now, for our first semi-finals….Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter!"
The cameras were flashing more brightly than ever, the paparazzi and reporters all wishing to get a glimpse.
Harry had already climbed the stage by then, heading to the opposite end and waiting for his opponent.
Cedric came of course. But less to fight and more to convince Remus. Harry couldn't hear their talks but Remus' face remained unmoved. Only when an angry Cedric yelled 'He is going to kill me!' did Remus' face shift.
"Don't be ridiculous Mr. Diggory. There are hundreds of people in this room. Now, please. Both the opponents, raise your wands!"
There was nothing more Diggory could do without looking like an absolute fool before a very large audience…save for joining him on stage.
"The bow of respect!"
Harry gave a graceful bow to Diggory's stiff nod.
"Start!"
Diggory didn't try to fight him. Instead, he turned around to jump outside the runic border.
….And ate Harry's hate filled Diffindo to the back of his head.
The boy slumped to the ground instantly, leaving trails of blood flowing down his head like a gushing waterfall.
Screams ensued, people panicked, and finally the medics ran in to help the boy's rapidly expiring body.
Remus called the fight, ignoring the gasps and whispers filling up the Great Hall as Hogwarts became a beehive of activity.
Harry stood on the stage, uncaring. His eyes flickered around the room, and he could see the tears in Rose' eyes. Yet, she didn't look accusing or angry. If anything, the look reminded him of how Lily had stared at him when they'd first met.
When all was settled and done, Remus was forced to accept the surrender of Adrian Pucey and Helen Dawlish, instantly hailing Harry the winner.
Quest [A Terror with Wand IV] Completed!
Qualify for the Quarter-finals (X)
Qualify for the Semi-finals (X)
Qualify for the finals (X)
Stay undefeated (X)
Win with 100% Health (X)
Win the Tournament without reaching finals [Bonus] (X)
Rewards:
8 levels
No one knew why Harry laughed then, and no one ever will. All they knew was that a day that was supposed to be full of excitement and anticipation was suddenly cut off short. The abrupt end to the tournament spewed forth a dozen new rumors, but one thing everyone agreed was this; Cedric Diggory had been terrified of Harry Potter. Terrified enough to run away rather than face him in battle.
No one knew why of course, but the legend of the mysterious Harry Potter had now begun taking shape under the walls of Hogwarts.
And thus ended the first Junior Dueling Tournament of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the year of 1991.
It was about to go down in the annals of history, and no one could quite decide why.
----------------------
AN: Yep, a chap well over 16k words. I'm fine, thnx. Just a little tipsy, drank one too many red bulls. You read that 'my world is going surreal' scene from Harry? Yeah, influenced by my current condition lol.
Seriously tho, thnx for your patience. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, or it would be massive massive waste of 5 days.
There are a lot of things happening in this chap but I don't have the will to stay awake a second longer to discuss them. Tho one thing I want to clear cause some of my patrons were disgruntled about was Harry acting so openly against Cedric, and how it isn't something a Hydra assassin would do; Just wanna say Harry did nothing wrong here in blasting his opponent's head open. He used Diffindo, which is perfectly legal in dueling, and Cedric turned around in the middle of a fight which is just foolish (and will take most of the blame for his injury). And now everyone knows not to mess with his family. Plus, he's come far from being just an assassin hasn't he?
Anyway, let me know what you thought in the reviews. This is also my biggest chapter to date so logically it means this chap should also receive the most reviews...so what I mean is... REVIEW! Review you scoundrels!
Nothing worse than writing a mega large chapter but only receiving silence in return.
Well, that's it for now, goodbye and take care!
My discord: discord .gg/9wpfysDGsz
My Pat reon: www. Pat reon com/ Robs511 (No spaces and a dot before com)
P.S: I know this chapter is very late but the last two weeks has been a bit of a hellish ride for me. From being burnt out to suffering from intense abdominal pain, I was barely able to write much (for the latest pat reon chapter I mean, this one was completed long ago). I want to say I'll stick to my schedule now but I don't want to make promises. Still, a rough estimate for the next chap for MS is anywhere from 19th to 24th.
P.P.S: My fics have been taken down by AO3. You'll only find my works here and on Webnovel now. At least, until I solve the issue...or not. Idk yet.
