Chapter 024

As Harry finally walked out of the arena, Amelia cancelled the Sonorus charm she'd been using to talk to him and turned to the judges. "You heard the young man, award him one point," she firmly ordered them. "And do that right now."

With the exception of Dumbledore and Crouch, as the judges collected themselves they each indicated a single point each.

When they were done, Amelia then said, "One point for you, Dumbledore." And fired off one point using Dumbledore's own wand. "And, one point for you, Crouch." And fired off another one.

As soon as that was done she firmly said, "Right! Albus Dumbledore, Bartemius Crouch Senior and Cornelius Fudge - you're all under arrest."

Scrimgeour smoothly said, "I believe Mister Crouch is still stunned unconscious, Madam Bones."

"Then tell him he's under arrest when you wake him up in his cell back at the DMLE," she firmly ordered. "In the meantime, I want the following taken into custody, if they're not already as they bloody well should be: Minerva McGonagall, Pomona Sprout, Severus Snape, Filius Flitwick, Poppy Pomfrey, Rubeus Hagrid and - of course - Barty Crouch Junior.

"Then, once we have them back at the DMLE, I want a team of three to go to Lord Potter's home, arrest the two Dursley adults and bring them back to the DMLE. Then send teams to arrest Lucius Malfoy and Molly Weasley.

"While you've sent teams off to do that, a want a team of no less than a dozen aurors sent back here to take charge of the students in the Great Hall. We've just taken into custody the entirety of the senior staff of the school and we need more responsible adults to keep an eye on them.

"Get that done now."

"Yes, Ma'am!" barked Scrimgeour.

"In the meantime, I need to get to Lord Potter and get those memories off him."

"Yes, Ma'am," replied Scrimgeour, a little softer.

As Scrimgeour indicated two other aurors he'd already called up to the VIP box to step forward and take those into custody who were already manacled but still there, Amelia stayed for only a moment to ensure Dumbledore was firmly under the effects of magical suppression 'cuffs and a reintroduced silencing charm before she quickly left the stand to head around to the champions' entrance.

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

As Harry headed for the entrance with his wand in his right hand and 'his' egg tucked under his left arm like he was carrying a rugby ball, he could see the looks on the faces of the other three champions. Their expressions were an interesting mix of awe, anger and not a little fear. Poppy Pomfrey had just moved up to stand with them.

Harry simply gave them all a nod before he stepped up next to them and watched the dragon wranglers remove the somewhat sleepy Hungarian Horntail out of the arena.

After a long few seconds Diggory softly said, "Merlin, Harry!"

"Not what you expected of me, was it?" Harry quietly asked back, not even bothering to look at his fellow Hogwarts student.

It was a long moment before Diggory replied, "No... it wasn't."

That seemed to break the tableau, when Krum asked, "Vhat made you fink uff using furst year charms, Mistur Potter?"

"Using the basics, because I've already come to realise just how daft magic users, in general, are," replied Harry. "I thought about, if I was responsible for organising this event, what would I need to block being used to force competitors to actually have to go and collect the egg by hand? Then thought, knowing how moronicly daft most witches and wizards truly are, actually trying them first. I'm quite disappointed, though not really surprised, that the only charm they seem to have blocked is a direct summoning charm - the 'Accio'."

It appeared Delacour was about to say something when Madam Pomfrey said, "Be that as it may, Mister Potter, I need you to come into the Infirmary tent to be checked over―"

"That is not going to happen, Poppy," interrupted Madam Bones, who had just come striding down from the competitors' tent, tailed closely by another auror. "I can assure you, the only thing Lord... not Mister... Potter may be suffering from is from being glared at by the audience. He went nowhere near the dragon."

"Nevertheless, it is my job―" huffed Pomfrey before she was again cut off by Bones.

"Not for the foreseeable future, it's not," disagreed Bones as she stepped in close. "Madam Persephone Pomfrey, while you are not under arrest at this time, I am taking you into custody while certain allegations are investigated."

"What?" asked a shocked Pomfrey.

"You're being taken into custody, Poppy," said Amelia. "While not being placed into magical suppression 'cuffs at this time, you'll be allowed to remain free of them if you follow the directions of Auror Fitzmichaels here." And indicated the young female auror who stood just behind her.

"What? Why?" asked a clearly shocked and somewhat fearful Pomfrey.

"Due to Lord Potter's... history lesson during his task," replied Amelia, "All those who were mentioned are being taken into custody until we know for sure they're not guilty, or otherwise involved in, what's been going on."

"I assure you―" blustered Pomfrey.

"... Of nothing, for now," interrupted Amelia, yet again. Without waiting for Pomfrey to say another word, she gestured for Fitzmichaels to take the witch into custody.

Stepping forward, reaching out and taking Pomfrey lightly by the elbow of her wand arm with her off hand, Fitzmichaels calmly said, "This way, please, Madam Pomfrey."

As a thoroughly confused Poppy Pomfrey was being led away, Amelia finally turned to Harry with a somewhat pained and exasperated expression on her face. Harry just grinned back.

"I believe you have something for me, Lord Potter," she reminded him.

"I do," he nodded, his expression turning serious. Glancing to the competitors' tent he indicated it and said, "Perhaps, if we duck into the tent?"

Giving her own nod she indicated for Harry to precede her. "After you, Lord Potter."

Harry gave a slight snort of amusement but led her over to the tent.

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

ˇ

After first asking her if she'd figured out how he 'summoned' his 'bag of destruction', then sent it away again, all with a snap of his fingers; then doing the same thing with the egg; he sigh in disappointment at her when she couldn't figure it out.

"Madam Bones, I have given you all the clues you need," he began. "Firstly, the object I'm focussed on either appears or disappears in a flash of white light, only. Secondly, I snap my fingers. Thirdly, I do not utter an incantation or use a wand; so it is highly unlikely it is I who is casting a spell.

"Now, with that knowledge, think of what creatures do the same?"

When she glared at him with a mild look of frustration he finally relented and told her, "Was it too hard to figure out it was a house elf?"

She then looked back at him with dawning shock. So much, it caused her monocle to fall out of her eye and drop to her breast on the length of its thin gold chain.

As she was clearly embarrassed by the answer - after all, she had house elves of her own - Harry said, "Don't worry that you didn't figure it out. I doubt any one of those who watched me do it figured it out, either."

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