Chapter 272: Thorny Clouds

If you want to support me check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr

I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.

I would like to thank my beta, Awdyr, for his help in this chapter.

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11 November 1994, Beauxbatons, France

Harry ate his breakfast with dozens of thoughts swirling in his head. The confrontation with Dumbledore still weighed on his mind. Even if it was technically in a mental plane, it was still the first time Harry had directly fought Dumbledore, and he sort of understood why people tended to be terrified of what the man could do.

Intellectually, he knew that the Archmage of Light was very powerful… But there was some truth in the saying that seeing was believing. No wonder people were scared shitless of the man… He was like a walking nuke, and the sad thing was that he was holding back. Not only was he splitting his concentration between the two worlds whilst maintaining a dreamscape, but he was doing it without anyone figuring out that something unusual was happening. And he was holding back whilst doing that…

The last Potter had escaped the dreamscape just because he distracted him enough with the illusion of his dead sister, a mistake that the former headmaster would not make again. That's not even mentioning the sheer rage on the man's face when Harry woke up from his enchanted sleep. He really had pushed a button there and would have probably died if it wasn't for Lily.

Speaking of Lily, Harry had many conflicting feelings regarding the woman. From all accounts, she was an unstable woman who was easily capable of cruelty if it suited her needs. However, she was also a genius who obviously cared about Harry. He didn't know if that care was genuine or if she was pretending, hoping to achieve something, but he didn't care. The redhead had saved him from Dumbledore without expecting anything else in return… That alone gave her a measure of trust…

Harry wasn't used to being saved by anyone. He had always been on his own and had to deal with his own shit. The only time he remembered anyone truly saving him was when Arcturus opposed Dumbledore to become his guardian, and even then, the Black Patriarch had gained a very talented wizard in his corner.

All in all, he couldn't help but feel slightly more comfortable with Lily's presence, which was also mirrored by the woman. They still had a long way to go, and if Lily betrayed him, he would have seen it coming…

However, the main thing that wouldn't leave his mind was the loud noise when he finished his task. It wasn't anything normal, that was for sure… And Harry could feel that it was important and probably had something to do with Ragnarök and whatever Dumbledore was planning. Still, he had no idea regarding its nature or purpose… He really hated not knowing things.

Harry took a sip of his coffee and sighed in contentment. It truly was the greatest drink that ever existed. Unfortunately, when he looked around, he saw everyone just staring at him with wide eyes. He still hadn't gotten used to this, and it frankly made him uncomfortable.

Still, the stares were more numerous than usual, especially when it came to the rest of the Hogwarts delegation. Harry noticed what they kept looking at and noticed that they kept glancing at the current edition of the Daily Prophet on the table. Huh, he didn't even know that they delivered to foreign countries…

Deciding to just bite the bullet, he grabbed the newspaper and suppressed the urge to groan at the first page.

Britain Victorious in the European School Tournament: A Triumph or a Warning?

By Rita Skeeter

In a stunning display of magical prowess and quick thinking, young Harry Potter, representing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, emerged victorious in the first task of the newly inaugurated European School Magical Tournament held at Beauxbatons Academy. The task envisioned as a challenging day-long scavenger hunt, was surprisingly concluded in mere hours thanks to Potter's exceptional performance.

The task began under a clear blue sky, with the scenic grounds of Beauxbatons setting a picturesque stage. Five champions from each participating school were tasked with navigating through a series of complex clues, magical obstacles, and creatures bred specifically for the tournament. The highlight was the inclusion of a Leviathan, a formidable beast controlled by the International Confederation of Wizards (ICW) to ensure it posed a challenge without serious risk to the competitors.

However, the expected day-long struggle was cut dramatically short when Potter, the youngest of the champions, not only found the finish line ahead of over a dozen other competitors but also managed to subdue the Leviathan single-handedly—an act of magic that left spectators and fellow competitors alike in awe.

Following his encounter with the Leviathan, Potter did not stop at securing his own victory. Demonstrating leadership and camaraderie, he assisted the remaining Hogwarts champions, ensuring their speedy and safe arrival at the finish line, thereby clinching an overwhelming victory for Britain.

While the crowd erupted in cheers and the celebrations began, not everyone was entirely jubilant. Potter's near dominance in the task has reignited discussions about a long-standing concern voiced by Albus Dumbledore regarding Potter's potential to cause significant upheaval due to his extraordinary magical abilities.

Critics and supporters of Dumbledore alike are now pondering whether the former headmaster's warnings were prescient rather than paranoid. The ease with which Potter handled the task designed to test the mettle of the best young wizards of Europe has led some to question if his capabilities could lead to unforeseen consequences in the magical world.

Professor McGonagall, the current headmistress of Hogwarts, praised Potter's performance as "a testament to his dedication and hard work." Meanwhile, a member of the ICW, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed a mix of admiration and concern, noting, "While Potter's victory is indeed a moment of pride, it is also a moment of reflection for us in the magical community about the kind of power we are nurturing."

As Britain celebrates this early victory in the tournament, the magical world watches keenly. Will Harry Potter continue to be a beacon of triumph, or does his power herald a potential shift in the dynamics of the wizarding world? Only time will tell, but for now, Potter remains the hero of the hour at Beauxbatons.

For more information about the European Tournament, view page 2

For more information about the first task of the tournament, view page 3

For more information about Harry Potter and Dumbledore's accusations of him, view page 4

Harry couldn't suppress a groan at the article. It was about what he expected, really. It was a bunch of nationalism, mixed in with ICW propaganda, with a sprinkle of their agenda. For example, they downplayed the Leviathan attacking Harry as something that was supposed to happen, and that it wasn't trying to stop him from finishing the task too early. There was also the casual mention of Albus Dumbledore, giving his opinion more credibility than he deserved due to his long list of crimes that no one dared try to prosecute.

To be perfectly fair, it was hard trying to accuse Albus Dumbledore of a crime, and it was downright impossible to even arrest him. Honestly, if he had asked anyone in Britain if they would have called for Voldemort's arrest for casting an Unforgivable Curse, then they would have looked at him like he was insane. No one would have ever dared because of how powerful he was.

Unfortunately, Dumbledore could probably make the fake Dark Lord look like a child throwing a tantrum. Yet, for some reason, the common public treated him like he was just a regular person… People in power knew, of course… The only reason why Dumbledore was expelled as headmaster in Britain was because of the public's outrage, and their belief that the Archmage of Light wouldn't try to take revenge.

This article was clever enough not to mention that the Hogwarts champions would have likely lost, and very badly at that, without Harry's intervention. Dumbledore's time as a headmaster had caused the skill level of graduating students to plummet, and it would have shown if it wasn't for Harry. To be fair, the ICW had probably planned this to pressure the Wizengamot into giving them more authority over Hogwarts… It was a very bold plan, one that would have been unlikely to work when Dumbledore was still in charge, but considering the constant scandals during the previous few years and the lack of protection that the Archmage of Light gave the school, it was far more plausible than Harry was comfortable with.

Still, while the article was flattering towards Harry, proclaiming him as the hero of the hour, what most people would pay attention to would be the criticism, that Dumbledore was right… He had to say that Rita Skeeter had gotten a lot better at writing…

He could already see it happening on his delegation's faces. And with Daphne being busy with Lily because of their Blood Magic lessons, Harry decided to just eat elsewhere. He decided to do it near the lake. For some reason, it seemed to relax him.

He probably stayed in the shade of a tree near the lake for an hour, simply enjoying the sounds of nature… He would miss this place when they left. It had grown on him, and the extra classes were interesting.

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice, "So, this is where the dashing hero went…"

Harry turned and saw Fleur Delacour smiling at him. He hadn't spoken to her properly since the World Cup. They were both too busy with their roles as champions, but the Veela being chosen meant that she was officially part of the Beauxbatons' delegation, so they would have time to socialize properly.

He gave her a smirk, "I don't know about the hero bit, but I'd like to think I was dashing enough during my performance…"

"I bought an Omniocular of the event. It was certainly impressive…"

"Not that much if you look at the spells I used. I'll admit that coming up with a rune matrix on the fly is unusual, but outside of that fact, every spell I used could have been performed easily by the average wizard. I just used them tactically."

The Veela gave him a cheeky grin, "Oh, and you're humble, too…"

"No, I get what I did was impressive, but it's not like I did something extraordinary. People are really blowing this out of proportion…"

"At least you got Flamel's Diary," the blonde consoled.

Harry supressed the urge to grin at that, and instead forced a frown on his face, "No, I didn't. I ended up giving it to Dumbledore after the award ceremony."

"I thought the two of you didn't get along…" the Veela asked with a hesitant tone.

"Let's just say he made me an offer I couldn't refuse."

And just like that, Harry's revenge on Dumbledore started… The rumours would start flying around about the former headmaster scamming him and forcing him to give up his hard-won prize. The most beautiful thing was that the Diary Dumbledore took was a fake. Harry had replaced it while doing his best to replicate the magic on it using his Arcane Hearing. It was barely more than a shell with the same magical signature as Flamel's, but it was nothing more than a normal journal…

He had also snuck in the withering curse that used to be in the resurrection stone and put up a small enchantment to disintegrate the book if someone other than Harry tried to take it.

He was glad that his paranoid actions seemed to have worked… And they did. Dumbledore hadn't come to confront him since that day, but the withering curse must not have worked, or Dumbledore got rid of it somehow…

It would have been a bit of a stretch to think that Dumbledore would die because of a normal curse. To be fair, the man would have been more cautious, especially since he was the one who had killed Flamel and the possibility of the Alchemist making a trap was quite high. Anyway, Harry kept trying out the Alchemy exercises that Flamel put in his journal, and he was grasping the subject surprisingly quickly…

All in all, Harry spent the rest of the day chatting with Fleur near the lake, with the Veela being a surprisingly engaging conversationalist.

Harry was going to miss this place…

After all, he was going to leave Beauxbatons in a few days for the next task of the tournament, in which he had no plans of participating…

Still, when he came back to the metallic dragon just before the sun was about to set, he saw that Lily was waiting for him. He really needed to trust her more, especially after her help. And maybe she could help. She was supposed to be a genius, after all.

Before she could say anything, Harry asked her, "I have a question if you don't mind. What do you think could cause a very large discharge of magic?"

Harry could tell with his enhanced Arcane Hearing that the redhead felt a mixture of excitement and relief, and he knew that he had made a good decision. And it wasn't like she wasn't knowledgeable in the subject considering her understanding of blood magic…

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AN: I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure about this chapter. I decided to make it a bit of a filler after the excitement of the previous few ones and leaving myself more time to plan out the next thing. I have a rough outline ready, but I like to divide the content into chapters early on (If you see filler chapters, then that's probably what I'm doing since it's surprisingly time-consuming, but it saves a ton of time when writing the actual chapter…). As usual, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.

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If you want to support me check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr

I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.

Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.