Chapter 18: Tricked Into a Fight

"Fleur?"

"Yes, 'Arry?"

"Are you sure you've led me to the right place?"

"Of course!" Fleur said brightly, "Eet is a good choice, no?"

Harry stared at the entrance to the catacombs before raising an eyebrow at Fleur. Her brilliant smile and stunningly good looks starkly contrasted with the gloomy surrounding.

"Is this where you sacrifice me to summon some eldritch being?"

Instead of laughing or denying the accusation like Harry expected, Fleur looked interested. "Are you saying you're enough to summon one of them?"

Harry blinked, wondering if he was actually being conspired against.

"Relax, 'Arry," Fleur giggled, "Eet was a joke."

Harry felt a calm wash over him before he quickly blocked it out. "You've gotten much better at controlling your allure."

"And you 'ave gotten better controlling yourself around me," Fleur said as she gave Harry an appreciative look.

Harry cleared his throat and looked away. He had believed he had hidden his rather embarrassing reaction to her quite well last year. Even though he would have loved to say that he wasn't affected by the opposite sex, that was nowhere close to the truth. It was just that being in Fleur's presence let him tame that negative aspect of being a teenage wizard quicker than others.

"Right, so our… date is in the catacombs?"

"Oui," Fleur nodded with a smile, "Eet is a fascinating place zat started my liking for cursebreaking. I would like to show eet to you."

Harry had suspected that Fleur asking him out on a date was a cover for something else. The catacombs erased almost all that suspicion. While the backstory of the catacombs was quite terrifying, the reality was different.

It was used as a teaching tool by Beauxbatons. That wasn't to say that it wasn't dangerous, but it was nothing that could be fatal. Just a long term stay at the hospital.

"Well then," Harry walked to the entrance before stopping and said, "Ladies first."

Fleur smiled at him as she walked by, though Harry swore she put more sway in her hips as if she knew where he would be looking. Harry felt it would be a shame if he didn't take the invitation to appreciate what Fleur possessed.

While he didn't have much experience, none really, with the opposite sex, it was mainly because of his tastes. There had been opportunities that Harry could have taken to rectify that lack of experience. Still, he had felt a moral dilemma whenever he thought it over, one of the few times he could admit that with a straight face.

The girl that most recently showed interest in him was a client. While he was almost positive that she was attracted to him purely because of his looks, that was a sliver of a chance that she was doing so to gain his favor. Harry didn't judge how others viewed sex and the intimacy that came along with it, but he personally wanted nothing to do with that sort of situation.

In his view, most of his relationships were already skewing to the professional sort, with his contracts and all. Harry was happy with that, but he had no desire whatsoever to have a partner that was subservient… and contracted. That seemed terribly dull to him, even without considering morality.

"'Arry? Are you coming?"

Harry realized that he had been standing stupidly at the entrance, and unfortunately, his eyes were locked onto Fleur's bum the whole time.

… That surely didn't leave a good impression.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something," Harry apologized as he walked to stand next to Fleur.

"I am sure you were," Fleur smirked.

Harry realized what his admission sounded like but ended up shrugging at her without shame. He saw no need to explain further if she didn't seem angry.

"I am glad to see zat you are not completely controlled around me."

Harry chuckled, feeling at ease with Fleur's teasing. "I try my best."

He was still unsure what Fleur was up to, but he approved her idea of using the catacombs for a date. He was ready for some boring dinner that Fleur would offset by providing an excellent view, but he much preferred this.

"So, what exactly are we going to see down here?" Harry asked, his curiosity piqued.

"A few eenteresting curses and traps, nozzing too dangerous. Eet's all part of ze learning experience at Beauxbatons."

Harry raised an eyebrow but decided not to press the matter. That would be a letdown if true. However, he would let Fleur have the opportunity to prove him wrong.

Harry couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder as they made their way deeper into the catacombs. There were signs of magically spent engravings that once had a defensive purpose. It was like nothing he had ever seen before.

"What's all this? I thought the catacombs were mainly a muggle endeavor."

"Zat ees true," Fleur nodded, "But zat quickly changed once a necromancer saw potential. He created his own part of ze catacombs for use."

"Huh," Harry tilted his head, "I didn't know that."

"Oui, eet's not commonly known," Fleur replied as they turned a corner, "Zat is long een the past. Now we use ze work done for practice. Zere ees one curse zat I 'ave trouble with. Maybe with you, I 'ave a better chance."

"Schoolwork?" Harry questioned, wondering if he had taken the part of the boy who does a pretty girl's classwork. Of course, he remembered that Fleur had already graduated, "You do know that you are no longer in Beauxbatons?"

"Learning never ends, 'Arry. I would be disappointed eef you zink school is ze end of eet."

Harry hummed in agreement. Fleur might be from a ridiculously wealthy family with spending tastes that made Harry's heart clench in pain, but she was a witch with a drive that had to be admired.

They stopped before a wall that had a door built into it. It looked like it was supposed to be hidden, but Harry assumed that whatever Beauxbatons had done to it made the hidden part irrelevant. There was also an out-of-place red light blinking above the door.

"Look like we must wait," Fleur sighed, "Ze red light means zat someone ees inside."

"… There are no others?"

"Non, ze others are too easy," Fleur shook her head and leaned against the wall while crossing her arms, drawing Harry's eyes to her bust.

He quickly averted his gaze, but not before Fleur had noticed. Harry frowned at his lack of self-control even with using his occlumency to its limit. He didn't like that he was constantly reminded of how lacking it was in recent days.

"Like I said, 'Arry, I would be offended eef you didn't take a look."

Harry raised an eyebrow but stayed silent as he wondered why she was so willing to give him a pass. The Fleur he remembered from last year had a wicked tongue that made plenty of boys with straying eyes tear up after getting their insecurities laid out by the merciless part-Veela.

Perhaps Fleur was really pursuing him? Harry chuckled at that thought.

"What ees so funny?" Fleur nudged him with her shoulder.

"Nothing," Harry smiled at Fleur with a knowing look, "You'll find out soon, I'm sure."

Their attention was brought back to the door when the light turned green. Harry asked, "I'm guessing we can enter?"

"Oui," Fleur stared at the door unblinkingly, "When ze person exits."

The door opened as soon as Fleur needed her sentence.

"Fleur?!"

It was like a torch had lit up in Harry's mind. Everything suddenly made sense. He glanced at Fleur and saw that she had a sweet smile on her lips while looking at the man that appeared.

Harry should be annoyed at being used like this, but he didn't have any expectations in the first place. Since he benefited from Fleur last year, he decided to play along with whatever she intended for him. However, he would consider them even after this.

"Alex!" Fleur greeted the man brightly, "What are you doing 'ere?"

"This is the last night I have access to the catacombs, so I wanted to visit them," Alex trailed off as he looked at Harry standing close to Fleur, "Are you showing one of the younger years around?"

Harry smiled in amusement as this Alex tried to immediately put him down in front of Fleur. Plus, he was surprised at the British-accented English that the man was speaking.

When Fleur glanced at Harry, he shrugged and let her say whatever she wanted. Still, he wasn't expecting Fleur to hug his arm into her chest.

"Always with ze jokes, Alex," Fleur laughed, "Zis ees 'Arry, my date!"

"Really?" Alex drawled as a dark look entered his eyes, "And where did you two meet?"

"Last year in Hogwarts, mate," Harry understood the direction Fleur wanted to take this, "What about you? With Fleur's distaste for all things English, I'm surprised that she knows you."

When Fleur squeezed his arm, Harry added, "Well, distaste for all things English except for me."

Alex stared at Harry for a moment before ignoring him. "So you were desperate enough to look for someone outside France? And someone so young? Does the boy know the deal I have with you?"

Harry blinked at the sudden aggression he could feel. He prepared himself to draw his wand if needed.

"My 'Arry isn't afraid of you. Eef you somehow win against 'im, I might reconsider what we talked about."

Harry's amusement left him. This was quickly going in the direction of a situation that should be overlooked by a contract. And it was one that Harry would never agree to. He wasn't desperate enough to agree to lose in a fight with anyone.

He said as much to Fleur in a harsh whisper.

"There are limits to what I will play along with, Fleur. He will lie broken on the ground if you try to set him against me."

Fleur didn't look at Harry even after what he said and instead focused all her attention on Alex. "Do you want to give eet a try, Alex?"

Harry pushed Fleur away, regretting having played along till now. He could just admit to this Alex that he had misunderstood the situation, but this building anger had to be released somewhere, and the Room wasn't available.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Fleur's eager expression before pulling out his wand. Alex had already shrugged off his cloak and was twirling his wand between his fingers with a confident smile.

"You can still walk away, kid. Fleur will never be someone you can think about."

Harry wondered if the man had read a book on terrible small talk before a fight. What was the point of it?

"Depulso!" Harry sent a banishing charm at Alex without warning.

*BOOM!*

Harry quickly put up a shield to block the broken stones that fell from the ceiling. Alex had deflected his banishing charm upward, giving Harry a bit of a surprise. That was a technique that most wizards never bothered to learn due to the time it took to master.

"At least you will be able to put up a fight," Alex's robes were untouched by the debris, "But you won't last long."

Harry's heart started to beat faster when he recognized the blood-red glow on Alex's wand. A level of magic he never expected someone as young as Alex to be capable of using.

"Ferventi Sanguine!"

Harry cursed and dodged, not wanting to risk standing in the way and depending on magic to block it. The red spell splashed harmlessly on the stone wall behind him.

"… Blood-Boiling curse," Harry muttered as he started to take this more seriously, "You are skilled."

"And you shouldn't know what that was," Alex commented with a smile, "You realize how hopeless this fight is, then."

Harry was tempted to throw the same curse back at the smug wizard, but he was keenly aware that there was no contract keeping secrecy.

He gave Fleur another glare before sneering at Alex. "All this means is that I must put you down harder for daring to try and permanently injure me."

Using Dark Arts was out of the question, but silent casting would be acceptable to reveal. Harry might be annoyed at being lured into Fleur's attempt to make this man jealous. Still, he couldn't deny that he was excited to have his first fight against a real wizard. The Room might have provided him with automations to fight against, but that wasn't close to the same.

"Debilitas!"

Harry swept his wand up, and a shimmering shield appeared before him, returning the Crippling Curse back to Alex. He didn't blink when the man deflected the curse to the side, assuming that would be the result.

The duel continued in a relatively even exchange, though the expression on Harry's face was far different than Alex's. The former had an almost manic smile as he enjoyed the feeling of battling against another wizard. In contrast, the latter had a concerned frown. Alex was starting to realize this wouldn't be as easy as he had assumed.

A blinding light lit up the dark catacombs when their spells collided in mid-air, causing both of them to be pushed back from the small explosion. Harry was already casting a spell while Alex was still trying to steady himself.

A powerful gust of wind knocked Alex off his feet, and he fell on his back with a surprised grunt. Harry stepped closer to the fallen wizard as he cast another spell that was colored a twisted green. It seemed to take a life of its own as it snaked toward Alex with almost impossible quickness.

"No!" Alex yelled as he desperately cast a spell to shield himself. He was initially successful, but despair filled his face when the sickly green spell shattered his shield and crashed into his body.

Harry was breathing deeply as he made sure that Alex was down. If he had to compare Alex's skill against the automatons he regularly fought against, it would be at the top.

Well, the top of what Harry could defeat. There were still automations that could curb-stomp Harry without much effort.

"Incroyable! Ees 'e dead?!"

Harry turned to stare at Fleur with hostility and confusion. Even if he enjoyed the fight, he didn't enjoy being manipulated into it. And he had no idea why she sounded happy about the possibility of Alex being dead.

"Let's have a talk, Fleur," Harry growled.