Chapter 171: Of Dystopian Declarations
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I would like to thank my beta, Akisu, for his help in this chapter.
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27 November 1993, Hogwarts
Finding a translation spell for Ancient Greek was oddly difficult. Harry did not doubt that there would be such a spell in Greece, or at the disposal of Curse Breakers, and there was probably a spell in the library somewhere but finding it would just be time-consuming.
It was far simpler to simply use a generalized translation matrix for the job. He was easily able to find and copy an Ancient Greek dictionary in the library and used a copy of the new book to simply map translations to every world in the book and create a new book in English. Sadly, it was very hard to understand even with the text in English. Ancient Greek had a lot of nuances, and a lot of expressions that did not translate well, and that's not even talking about the grammar.
Normal translation spells were far more extensive than Harry's own, and it was understandable. Translation spells were very complex. They were created with a spell matrix that learned dynamically using already translated texts, understanding the nuances of each language, which released a very complex arithmetic formula. The resulting formula is then used to create accurate translations of the text. However, those formulas are often too large, and turning them into a spell was just impractical since they would take too long to cast. Hence, they're often used to enchant artefacts, especially glasses, that would be able to translate any text it sees. Harry had researched the subject in his first year after being disappointed with a book he translated from Ancient English.
Still, even if the process took over two hours, the resulting book was comprehensible enough for Harry to deduce the meaning. Progress would be slow, but it was still progress. And it did work, since the title of the new tome was now, 'Tales of the Great Cataclysm'.
It wasn't a spell book or anything seemingly useful. No, it was a storybook, probably one of the oldest in history. It described some kind of extinction event, called the Great Cataclysm, with great poetry. It spoke of the sun being devoured, the skies being as dark during the day as it was during the night. Stars collided and worlds were ripped open, letting wonders and horrors into the world. Dragons as tall as mountains roamed the skies, and the sea was filled with monstrosities that were as large as islands.
Chaos ensued. The world was unprepared for such an onslaught. Kingdoms fell, great forests burned, and the seas churned with fury. It was a time of despair, a time when the very earth seemed to weep for the loss of its innocence.
Monsters hunted down whatever was left of humanity until the gods fought them off. And when the gods ascended after creating order out of the chaotic, their children, the heroes finished the job. They gave humanity the gift of magic with the hope that they would learn to protect themselves and rebuild their civilization once more.
It was complete nonsense, of course, a very old tale, a myth about how magic originated, something the researchers actually proved. Magic couldn't be given or taken, it was outside of space and time, a source of power that appeared at the beginning of the universe itself.
Of course, there was also the fact that it was horribly romanticized. But there had to be a use for it if the room of requirements gave Harry this book when he asked to understand multidimensional magic. Maybe there was an actual magical extinction event in the far past, something that might have involved multiple dimensions somehow. It was still a very far-off theory, but it was the only explanation he had. He was going to finish the book and see where it was going.
Harry left the Room of Requirements with his new book in hand, so as to not be late for the feast. He arrived exactly just as it began and sat down next to his friends, still focused on his book. It was probably going to be far more interesting than whatever Dumbledore was going to say anyway.
Speaking of the headmaster, he looked far more tired than he used to be previously, yet there was something that made Harry feel uncomfortable, some kind of triumphant gleam in his eyes…
The defeater of Grindelwald had barely been seen in the castle this school year, probably busy juggling being the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and building the new British magical prison for free. Harry knew that the cost of building such a prison was enormous. The last time someone built something like this from scratch was Grindelwald when he built Nurmengard, which he used as a base of operations and a prison during the Great War, only to be imprisoned there himself after his defeat.
Harry didn't really like the idea of a single person building the prison which would be used to hold all the inmates in magical Britain. It was just too easy for him to slip something, or add an extra back door, with no one being the wiser. Alas, Dumbledore had a very solid reputation and the gold he helped the ministry save made people stop questioning his charity in fear of his pulling out. Instead of seeing a threat to national security, Cornelius Fudge chose to announce his plans for a European magical tournament next year. They were still making plans, but generally speaking, it would be a good way to stop Britain's tendency for isolation from the rest of Europe and help the economy grow.
People were excited at the prospect, but Harry knew that Britain was very likely to be embarrassed by the quality of the average Hogwarts Graduate. Harry didn't know why Dumbledore was pushing for it, since all it would do was prove to the world that his meddling was actively stopping students from reaching their full magical potential.
The headmaster stood up and the entire hall stopped speaking, the man smiled, "Good evening. I know many of you are wondering why I decided to throw such an impromptu feast, but we have reason to celebrate, and I personally have a few announcements to make. First of all, we are celebrating the capture of the last Azkaban escapee. The inmates have been all accounted for, and even Fenrir Greyback and his pack are now in captivity. I have personally worked for months to build the new magical prison, and I am glad to say that it should be fully operational by the end of your winter holiday, meaning that we will be able to fully put these dark few months behind us. And isn't that a worthy cause to celebrate?"
The entire room seemed to agree with the torrent of applause and cheers of approval, especially coming from the Gryffindor table.
Harry rolled his eyes, seeing as the man had literally nothing to do with the capture of Greyback and the Azkaban escapees and was just making it sound like it was his achievement somehow.
"Ahem, now, as for my announcement, it is far more formal. As some of you know by now, Minister Fudge has announced that next year Hogwarts will be hosting the first European school tournament, a successor of the Tri-Wizard tournament, in celebration of the final stability of magical Britain. It will be a collaboration between the British Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards. While the details haven't been ironed out yet, we do know that each participating school will have one or multiple champions and will perform dangerous tasks for their name to be immortalized as legends. Fame and fortune are a given, should you win the tournament for your institution. Magical houses were created, and Orders of Merlin were awarded to the winners of the Tri-Wizard tournament, and I can't see any reason why it would not be any different. Great positions in the most prestigious magical guilds are almost guaranteed. This is the fate of the winner of the European school tournament."
The Great Hall was filled with excited murmurs at every table. Dumbledore was hitting all the right notes, showing the opportunity that the tournament presented, without presenting the downsides, mainly the death and maiming.
The elderly headmaster raised his hand and the hall questioned once more, "Let me be clear, this tournament will be dangerous, with many deadly dangers. And so, after speaking with Mr. Ludo Bagman, the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sport, and Minister Fudge, we have agreed to give you a small glimpse of what you might face in the tournament, in an effort to prepare. We will do this by holding a small contest of our own, specifically, three different tasks organized by our staff to present a challenge for all participants. Do not despair, for there will be very little danger in these challenges, but they will test your reactions to the unknown and how to deal with them. Each task will be witnessed by esteemed guests from the wizarding world, including potential sponsors and employers, who are eager to see the talents of our young witches and wizards."
"The first task," Dumbledore continued, his voice steady and clear, "will be an intricate obstacle course designed to test your agility, quick thinking, and magical prowess."
He paused, surveying the sea of eager faces, their eyes alight with a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation. "The second task will be a duelling tournament. This will not only test your skill in combat but also your ability to think under pressure and use a variety of spells effectively. The matches will be supervised to ensure fairness and safety for all participants."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he moved on to the final task. "The third task, my dear students, will remain a mystery until the day it is to take place. I assure you, it will be a challenge unlike any other you have faced in your time at Hogwarts. It will require not just magical skill, but wit, courage, and perhaps a touch of creativity."
Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes. The headmaster was being needlessly dramatic about it. After all, it was just a school tournament, nothing really exciting.
"The winner of each task will be awarded four hundred galleons," Dumbledore announced, causing a stir of excitement to ripple through the hall. "Additionally, the best-scoring student for each school year will be awarded an extra one hundred galleons, two hundred house points, as well as an increase in a single grade of your choosing, and yes that includes OWL and NEWT grades. This tournament is open to all students from third year to seventh year, and participation is mandatory. It is a unique opportunity to showcase your abilities, to learn, and to grow as witches and wizards."
And that was when Harry really stiffened. He stopped reading his book and turned towards the headmaster for the first time, who seemed to eye him the moment he said that participation was mandatory. Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to force teenagers to do anything? And that's not mentioning the pushback from parents who had children with mediocre talent.
The entirety of Slytherin house stopped looking cheery and looked at each other. They had all gotten what the man slipped by so quickly. Everyone was going to be forced to enter this fucking tournament, whether they liked it or not, and they would need to have an adequate showing since the headmaster was going to invite influential people to see the students' showing. Doing badly or refusing to do anything could heavily affect people's career prospects. He had done a good job in bribing the OWL and NEWT students and had cowed the rest of the students with the risk of ridicule and perhaps even putting their future at risk.
Harry would be especially affected by that. No matter what he did, he would still lose. Dumbledore made sure of that the moment he compared Harry to Voldemort in his guardianship hearing. So far, people have only had Dumbledore's word for it, and that uncertainty did help Harry slightly. It was certainly possible that he was just a gifted student like many others over the years.
But if he does well in the competitions, people would take it as confirmation of Dumbledore's words and think that the man had a point in trying to keep Harry in the 'light'. But if he does poorly, then people will mock him, his house, and Arcturus' house, and he won't be taken seriously for most social gatherings. It would literally cut out any connections Harry hoped to make in the future since Dumbledore would invite any influential person in the country.
There were no good outcomes. Even if he held back, Harry would have to fight seventh-year students, and while he could defeat them, without really straining himself, it was still far above what a normal third-year student is supposed to be capable of.
Was this how Dumbledore was going to prepare the Hogwarts students and make sure that they wouldn't embarrass the school in the European tournament this year? Or was this a trap specifically designed with Harry in mind?
No matter the reason for the decision, Dumbledore was going to get a lot of pushback and protest at his decision.
Finally, Dumbledore's expression turned solemn. "But let me remind you, while the tasks in our tournament are designed to be less dangerous than those in the European tournament, they are not without their challenges. I urge you to take them seriously, prepare diligently, and support one another in the spirit of camaraderie and fair play. Now, let the feast begin."
He clapped his hands and food appeared on the table.
Harry had lost his appetite and he noticed that a lot of his housemates shared this fact. Daphne, Blaise, and Tracy looked at him as if expecting some sort of retort. When they noticed that he wasn't saying anything, Daphne asked, "What are we going to do, Harry?"
"I don't know," he simply replied.
He really didn't. He had a lot to think about, and a lot to plan about.
Damn it, he already had a fucking serial killer on his head. And Dumbledore was definitely planning something that had to do with him. That man must be very petty to do something like this just because Harry hurt his position in the Wizengamot during his guardianship hearing.
This entire thing was a trap in the making and Harry felt like a fly caught in a web. The tournament, the spectators, the stakes - it all felt like an elaborate setup. He was being manoeuvred into a corner, and he really didn't like it.
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AN: I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure about this chapter. I have plans for the tournament, but I'm not sure about how I introduced it... As usual, if you have any suggestions or comments, let me know.
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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.