Chapter 16 (~8200 words):
– Sona –
Sona Sitri landed on her feet on a cold stone floor. She took a steadying breath and blinked into the dim light, her devil eyes quickly adjusting to the lighting. Dark, damp walls surrounded her on all sides.
She was deep in the Hogwarts dungeons.
Immediately, her mind kicked into high gear. Sona mapped out a dozen strategies in the space of a heartbeat, analyzing escape routes, possible hiding spots, and ways to defend herself if things got ugly. She needed to survive the next two hours without drawing too much attention to just how dangerous she really was.
She could use some "wandless" water magic if she had to, but how much was too much? Sona had no intention of showing off all her cards.
Her inner planning was cut short by the echo of hurried footsteps somewhere up the corridor. The sound bounced off the dungeon walls, making it difficult to tell how many people were coming. Sona pressed herself against the cold stone wall.
"I think I heard something down here!" a student's voice rang out, nervous and loud. Others followed, shouts echoing as the group rushed in her direction.
They turned the corner, completely unprepared for her ambush. Sona let herself smile, just a little, before she flicked her wrist. Three students barreled into view, their wands out, but she was faster. She called water to her fingertips and sent a sharp blast straight at them. It hit all three square in the face, soaking their robes and sending them reeling.
The shock made them sputter and curse, and their wands clattered to the ground in a mess of wet limbs and embarrassment.
One of the wands rolled right up to her boots and stopped. Sona stared at it for a second, almost in disbelief.
Was it really going to be this easy?
She grinned, tossing out half the plans she had made as she bent to snatch up the wand. Now she had another "fake wand."
They might have confiscated hers, but no one said she could not just grab a new one off the ground. That was not cheating. She was in enemy territory, and honestly, stealing from the enemy was just good strategy!
She aimed the wand at the three students, watching their eyes go wide with panic. But she did not need a wand to work her magic. Sona let her real power flow secretly. Ice blossomed beneath them and surged up in a sudden rush, trapping the three students up to their necks in solid, bitterly cold ice.
One of the boys shivered, his teeth chattering. "So cold," he gasped.
Another girl tried to wriggle free and then swore, "Holy fuck, I'm gonna freeze my tits off... let us out! AND GIVE ME BACK MY WAND!"
"Now I feel like Malfoy!" the last one grumbled. Which was actually a bit funny to Sona, because he was a Slytherin.
Sona ignored the whining of the frozen Slytherins, her thoughts racing as she took in the situation. Down here at the very bottom of the castle, she was practically boxed in with only one way out. The stone corridors might have given her cover, but they also worked against her. If more students showed up she could get boxed in.
She knew she could crush any single one of them, or even a handful at once, but what if she got swarmed? There was always a point where numbers could overwhelm even the strongest magic, and the idea of being forced to reveal her true strength in the very first task would be embarrassing!
Staying put in the dungeons would be asking for trouble. No, the smart thing was to move, fast, before anyone else could rally or spread the word about what had just happened. She needed to get to higher ground, someplace open where she could see them coming, someplace with more than one escape route, so she could dictate how the fight would go if it came to that.
Let them try to chase her on her terms, not theirs.
It was a damn good thing Sona had a near-eidetic memory and could map out a castle in her head like it was a city grid. She moved fast as she zigzagged through the corridors.
She made for the nearest staircase, and came skidding to a stop at the sight of five students blocking her path. These ones wore yellow and black—Hufflepuffs. They spotted her at once, and their faces lit up with excitement, the kind that always came with the whiff of money.
"There she is!" one of them crowed, a tall kid with curly hair. "That is our ticket to ten thousand galleons!"
Another one, freckled and shorter, elbowed his friend and yelled, "Come on, let's get her!"
All five surged forward, practically tripping over each other in their eagerness. Sona just rolled her eyes, lifting her stolen wand with a casual flick. It was a great idea stealing this, she didn't have to explain her "wandless magic" abilities at all.
"What the bloody hell?" a girl at the back shouted. "I thought they weren't allowed to have wands!"
"That is cheating!" another boy whined.
Sona did not give them a chance to rethink foolishly charging down at her. With a wave of her fake wand, she unleashed a barrage of water jets and icy mist. The magic roared up the stairs in a crashing wave, slamming into the Hufflepuffs.
They scrambled to shield themselves, two of them shouting, "Protego!" as blue-white shields flickered up in front of their faces.
Sona's magic smashed through the thin shields like paper, soaking them from head to toe and knocking three of them clean off their feet. One slid down a step, arms flailing, while another tried desperately to grab the railing, only to end up sprawled on his ass, sputtering and drenched.
"Oh, fuck! That is freezing!" one gasped, wiping water from her eyes.
Another boy cursed, trying to crawl away on hands and knees, only to get hit with another icy blast that sent him face-first into the stairs.
Sona could not help herself—she actually started giggling. This tournament was more fun than she thought, even if this first task was no doubt the crazy brain child of her older sister.
She darted up the stairs to get to the ground floor, so she could decide where to go next. However, that's when Sona really realized what it meant to be "in enemy territory." Three entire schools with hundreds of students each was nothing to sneeze at, because waiting at the top of the staircase were no less than 50 witches and wizards.
"Ah fuck," Sona's pink eyes went wide behind her glasses.
The next instant, dozens of spells shot through the air at Sona, streaks of red and blue lighting up the landing. Stunning spells and immobilizing jinxes zipped past her head, crackling against the stone and blasting chips out of the walls. Sona barely had time to react. Her heart hammered in her chest as she spun on her heel, ducking beneath a jet of purple light and sprinting right back down the stairs into the gloom of the dungeons.
There was nothing dignified about it. Her only thought was survival.
She heard their voices behind her, all of them shouting over each other.
"Hit her!"
"I got her cloak!"
"No, you missed, you blithering idiot!"
Before any of them could get a clear line of sight, Sona gathered a massive surge of demonic power. The air around her went icy cold as she raised both hands, her fake wand clutched in a white-knuckled grip. She slammed her palm against the ground and snarled!
The dungeon rumbled as a slab of ice, thick as a fortress wall and glittering with pale blue light, exploded upward at the top of the staircase. It grew and grew, layer after layer, until it was at least twenty feet thick and stretched from wall to wall.
The stunned students at the top crashed to a stop, pounding fists and wands uselessly against the ice. Sona could hear them on the other side, their shouts muffled now, distorted by the solid barrier.
"Are you kidding me? How are we supposed to get through that?"
"Use fire! Burn it!"
"That is not just normal ice, look at it!"
"All of us use incendio together!"
Jets of fire began to streak across the surface, little bursts of orange and yellow that splattered and hissed. The demonic ice steamed and crackled but held strong, refusing to melt easily under their attempts.
Sona let out a breath. "I guess I need to make a stand down here for the next 2 hours..."
With so many wizards hammering away at her ice, it was unfortunately going to give. Maybe in thirty or probably twenty minutes when more students from the three schools show up to help melt the ice and come after her.
For now, she had time to booby trap every corridor, every blind corner, every door in the dungeons.
Her lips curled in a wicked grin. If they wanted her so badly, they could come and get her....
– Serafall –
Serafall lounged in her seat next to Sirzechs at the long, enchanted head table of the Great Hall. Her energy was infectious, her legs swinging under the bench as she craned forward, blue eyes glued to the cluster of 6 magical scrying mirrors hovering above the teacher's table.
Each one showed a different champion.
A lot of voices buzzed around her as professors, judges, and students that didn't want to participate in the hunt all gossiped over their favorites, but Serafall's eyes were mostly on Harry-kun and So-tan!
"Go Sona! That's my girl!" Serafall cheered, waving a miniature Sitri banner and practically bouncing in her seat as the mirror showed the image of Sona summoning a twenty-foot-thick slab of ice to block off the stairs.
She grinned so wide at that display of power!
Sirzechs glanced sideways at her, lips twisted into a pout. He looked both impressed and miffed. "You never told us your sister could use ice magic," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "When were you going to tell us, your fellow Maous?"
Serafall giggled, pressing a finger to her lips. "Oops. Guess it slipped my mind! When was I going to tell the rest of the Maous?" She flashed him a wicked smile, leaning in to whisper, "Probably the next time Rias and Sona have a rating game—unless this tournament spoiled the surprise first!"
Sirzechs rolled his eyes, feigning exasperation.
"Don't act like you are always reporting every detail about Rias's progress either." She stuck her tongue out at him. "We all keep some secrets about our families."
"That's not true, I've just had nothing to report. I would if Rias was making any real progress..." Sirzechs muttered, his face falling with a dramatic sigh.
"That is rough, buddy," Serafall said, patting his arm with a sympathetic, if slightly mocking, smile. It was just a fact Harry and Sona were much more impressive with their accomplishments lately!
They watched as Sona began carving runes into the dungeon stones and setting magical traps. Serafall's heart swelled with pride as she watched her sister at work. "Look at her! She is turning the whole place into a death trap. Oh, she is so clever!"
Serafall pressed her soft thighs together under her outrageously short magical girl skirt, her cheeks flushing as excitement coursed through her. She could not help the way she squirmed in her seat, arousal sparking every time Sona's magic flared across the mirror. It was a heady thing to watch her little sister display her smarts, and Serafall's body responded in all the best ways!
Still, she caught Sirzechs side-eyeing her with a knowing look, though he kept his tone neutral and gaze mostly on the action. He finally broke the tension with a pointed question, "Why did you choose this kind of scenario for the first task, Serafall? It is a bit... extreme, even for you. I wouldn't expect you to want people actually attacking your sister or your son."
That was true, however—
"Honestly, Harry and Sona need this kind of pressure to both grow stronger. It is good training if things in our world ever get serious again..." she explained her thoughts. Plus, watching them dominate was so hot!
Sirzechs raised a brow, still pretending not to notice the flush on her cheeks or the way her skirt barely covered her thighs. "You mean if the war ever comes back?" His voice was soft, too quiet for anyone else at the table to catch.
Serafall's expression cooled, her excitement briefly overtaken by a shadow of old battles and darker memories. Her fingers gripped the edge of the table as she glanced between the mirror showing Sona laying out runic traps and the one showing Harry locked in vicious combat with monstrous mermaids and a raging giant squid.
For a heartbeat, she was not just the playful, ridiculous Maou in a sparkly skirt—she was a veteran who had bled for her people over and over in hundreds of battlefields.
"You remember what it was like in the two wars," she said. "Always outnumbered. Behind enemy lines as waves of angels and fallen angels descended on us. This is good practice if they ever have to face those odds for REAL..."
Sirzechs nodded and sighed. "We both came close to dying more than once. And every time, we got stronger. You became the most terrifying woman in the Underworld. I became something I am not sure even I understand."
She smiled, a sharp glint returning to her gaze. "Exactly. I want Sona and Harry to come out of this tournament with more than just a random human trophy-cup. This is great training for them!"
With Sona safe for a short while, her eyes then moved towards the mirror showing her son Harry as he fought his way to the surface of the great lake.
It was a good thing the mirrors didn't come with sound, because she could tell the mermaids seemed to somehow know her son wasn't human. But the professors, judges and students all just thought the mermaids had been hired as a part of the test to attack any champion trying to use the lake to hide in.
Serafall could not help herself. As the action in the scrying mirror ramped up, she began to subtly rub her bare thighs together under the table, feeling an electric thrill pulse through her. Harry, shirt half-torn, with his body twisting and rolling through the churning water of the great lake, looked amazing.
A massive tentacle whipped past his head, nearly catching his arm, but Harry slashed it cleanly with a blade of shaped water magic, severing the limb and sending clouds of black blood swirling through the depths. Another tentacle wrapped around his ankle, yanking him backwards—only for him to snarl, twist, and blast the squid with a surge of raw magical pressure. The beast shrieked, more tentacles writhing in pain, thrashing so hard it scattered merfolk in every direction.
Several mermaids darted in with their eyes burning with unnatural hatred. One flung a net at Harry, another hurled a trident like a spear. Serafall watched with pride as Harry ducked the net and deflected the magical trident with a spinning current of water.
Around her, the judges leaned forward, eyes wide with shock and fascination, while a few professors whispered about the raw magical talent Harry was displaying. Especially since it was all "wandless."
"He should not be able to do that underwater," Flitwick muttered, looking awestruck. "That is not ordinary water magic."
A few students from Gryffindor who didn't want to join in the hunt whooped and cheered. "Get 'em, Harry Sitri! Show the dumb fish people who is boss!" someone shouted.
Sirzechs glanced at Serafall, noticing her shifting restlessly. He smirked and whispered, "Your son is causing quite the spectacle. He really does take after you."
Serafall bit her lip, eyes never leaving the chaotic, crazy underwater battle in the mirror. She felt heat pooling between her thighs, pride and arousal tangling together as she watched her son carve his way up through the water. She had no shame about any of it. Her family were devils—danger, power, and pleasure always ran close together.
– Dumbledore –
"That was amazing!" a student cheered.
"I've never seen such an amazing display of wandless water magic," Flitwick spoke up.
"So far, Mr Sitri has put on the best magical display, and he hasn't even fought any other students yet," one of the judges pointed out.
Harry Sitri fought his way upward through the churning waters of the Black Lake. Hogwarts students were on their feet, shouting Harry's name, their excitement swelling each time he lashed out with water magic or forced the angry merfolk to retreat.
At the high table, Dumbledore sat with grandfatherly pride. Yet beneath that calm, his thoughts raced. He could not help but feel a flash of genuine pride for Harry holding his own against magical creatures that could kill most trained wizards in an underwater environment like that. Especially at night and in the dark!
Yet, pride was quickly edged out by a cold wave of concern.
The lake was never meant to be part of the task! Just like the Forbidden Forest, it was SUPPOSED to be out of bounds. The teleportation spells had been checked and rechecked, and there was simply no reason Harry should have ended up at the very bottom of those dark waters. If Harry hadn't displayed the astounding ability to naturally breathe underwater, things might have turned out much worse.
Dumbledore's jaw tightened, the only sign of his worry. Was this sabotage...?
Worse still, the merfolk were not meant to be nearly this hostile! The creatures were fighting with deadly intent, trying to actually murder a Hogwarts student! Were they naturally hostile because Harry Sitri was only half-human? Magical creatures tended to have better senses for that kind of thing.
Dumbledore still hadn't figured out what Serafall was, other than she was not human. The truth was that he hadn't actually been looking that hard either. There was a time, years ago when he would have been more desperate—or more nosy—to find out, but in his later years of life that just didn't matter.
Dumbledore was honestly just glad that Harry was at Hogwarts and that the young man had a kind parent still alive and cheering for him.
And that she was also rich enough that asking questions would be the height of stupidity...
Dumbledore watched as Harry used some more impressive wandless magic to dry himself off, and pondered on the future of this tournament. Obviously the merfolk seemed to hate or think they hated Harry's race. Including Sona Sitri, and the fact that merfolk and Veela allegedly also had some longstanding ancient feud, that meant the lake was hostile territory for 4 out of the 6 champions. They probably wouldn't be using it for the rest of the year then...
– Harry –
Damn, those mermaids were so fucking hostile. And that giant squid was an asshole too. I remembered Hermione saying he was supposed to be nice, but he kept trying to crush me. It was lucky all I did was cut off half of its tentacles, which will grow back.
Probably.
Also, how dumb were those mermaids to think I was a demon and not even let me get a freaking word out? I kept saying I was a devil, and they had no idea what that was.
They just kept calling me a demon while trying to kill me.
Those mermaids had never heard of devils as a race before, despite being magical creatures themselves. Even Fleur and Gabrielle as Veela knew about devils. Has that single tribe of mermaids been isolated in the black lake for hundreds, maybe even 1000 years...?
That's gotta be boring as fuck!
I flicked my wrist and dried myself off with a burst of magic, feeling warmth wash over my skin as the lake water vanished. It didn't last long with the chilly scottish air.
My shirt was basically ruined, torn and clinging to me, with bits of lake weed still tangled in the fabric. I tossed it to the ground.
My school robes were long gone underwater where they had threatened to drag me down when they got waterlogged. At least my jeans had survived the ordeal.
I wasn't hurt, and I hadn't burnt through that much magic either. I'd only been underwater for around 10 minutes or so, there was still a lot of time left in the task. I had spare clothes in my magical storage, but there was no way I was risking stripping down here. For now, I would just have to suck it up.
I scanned my surroundings. I was standing on the muddy edge of the Black Lake, facing up toward the castle. Not far away I could see the care of magical creature teacher Hagrid's hut, smoke coming from the chimney. Surprised he was home and not at the feast.
Suddenly I heard a rush of footsteps pounding over the wet grass behind me. Not just one or two—at least a dozen, maybe more. There were excited shouts, coming in multiple languages that I all understood.
A mixed group of Hogwarts, French, and Bulgarian students came sprinting over the grass toward me. I caught a couple of the French girls staring, their eyes going wide as they took in my bare chest.
I shot them a crooked grin and could not resist throwing a wink their way. If nothing else, I might as well have a little fun with the situation. "Bonsoir, ladies," I called in French, swaggering just a little. "Lovely night, isn't it? I just went for a quick swim. Zero out of ten, would not recommend. And with that said, I'm just going to go..." I flashed another smirk and turned as if I was about to just saunter away, pretending I was not half-naked, caked in lake mud, and very obviously their target.
A few of them laughed.
I took maybe three steps before a jet of red light zipped past my head.
I stopped and sighed, glancing back to see who had fired it. It was the lead French witch—a tall girl with striking features and long dark hair. She definitely had queen bee energy.
"Harry Sitri, the famous Boy-Who-Lived." The lead witch said my name like it was already a prize she had collected, her eyes raking over my chest in a way that was anything but subtle. "You are even more handsome in person," she added, giving me a brazen once-over and not even pretending to hide the fact she was ogling.
"Thank you," I replied. "Am I handsome enough for you to let me walk away? Or do you really need that reward money?"
She laughed, tossing her long hair over her shoulder. "My maman and papa are very rich," she said, her accent curling around every word. "I do not need the 10,000 galleon reward for capturing you. But there is something else I want!"
I cocked my head, already knowing where this was headed. "And what would that be?" I asked—even though it was obvious what she was after.
She licked her lips, eyes trailing over my abs before meeting my gaze. "I am very upset to know those Veela sluts, Fleur and Gabrielle, have already laid claim to the famous Boy-Who-Lived." There was real venom in her tone, jealousy thick in her words. "You should DUMP THEM and become MY lover instead. I promise you, you will not be disappointed!"
As soon as she finished her little declaration, two of her friends stepped up beside her, both of them eyeing me like I was something to be tasted. One with honey-blonde hair crossed her arms and gave me a dazzling, almost predatory smile. "Juliette is so much better for you, Harry Sitri. Fleur and Gabrielle are nothing but stuck-up bitches," she said.
The other girl, tall and willowy, let out a laugh and tossed her own hair. "They are Veela sluts who just want to use you for your fame. You deserve someone better and human. Someone like Juliette!"
They both looked me up and down, clearly thinking their friend might also share with them. The group seemed totally oblivious to how shallow and desperate they were coming across, as if saying it loud enough would make me forget about Fleur and Gabrielle.
"Oh, these bitches..." I could not stop the thought.
As if I would ever ditch Fleur and Gabrielle—two of the most beautiful, kind, and genuinely magical girls I had ever met—for some girl who only wanted the handsome and famous boyfriend on her arm. Extra emphasis on the handsome, obviously.
I gave Juliette a fake regretful smile and shrugged. "I am afraid I am going to have to pass," I said bluntly.
Her eyes narrowed, and that flirtatious smile dropped right off her face. She raised her hand, and in an instant, all the witches and wizards behind her snapped their wands up, tips glowing menacingly as they all aimed at me.
My pulse kicked up, but I tried not to let it show. I let my hands drift behind my back, making it look casual as I inched a little closer to the edge of the Black Lake. I could feel the water at my back, and my demonic magic humming with anticipation.
Juliette's voice went cold. "That is too bad, Harry Sitri."
The group all tensed, clearly about to throw everything they had at me. I did not give them the chance. Before they could cast their first spell, I whipped my arm forward, calling out a surge of magic from the lake. A massive wall of water rose up behind me, casting a shadow over the whole group. Their eyes widened. Then I brought my arm down hard, and the wave crashed over them like a small tidal wave, slamming into the witches and wizards and sending them tumbling in a tangled, soaking mess.
They shrieked, curses and spells dying on their lips as the water swept them off their feet, knocking them across the muddy grass.
I took the opening, bolting toward Hagrid's hut as fast as I could. I could already see even more students spilling down from the castle, dozens of wands flashing in the moonlight. I knew I was going to have to keep moving if I wanted to last two hours.
'Let's make it harder for everyone to find me.' I focused on all the moisture around me and yanked my arms up. A bit more imagination and demonic power, and suddenly the whole area around the lake was now covered in a thick fog.
So thick you couldn't see more than a couple feet in front of your face.
"What the fuck just happened?"
"Merde, je ne vois rien! Where did he go?"
"I cannot see my hand in front of my face!"
"Juliette, I lost my wand!"
"Shut up and grab onto something, this is his doing!"
"Who cast this? Was it Harry Sitri?"
"This is cheating!"
"I am stuck in the mud—somebody help me!"
"Stop pushing me, you idiot!"
"Did anybody see which way he went?"
"This is so unfair."
All around me, the fog thickened and their voices crashed together in a chorus of confusion and panic. I grinned to myself, slipping through the mist while they fumbled in the dark, completely blind to where I had gone.
– Serafall –
"Fwuah..." Serafall pressed her palm to her lips, stifling a hot, breathy moan that slipped out before she could stop herself. Every muscle in her body shivered, pleasure still sparking through her nerves. Under the high table, her thighs quivered and her panties clung, utterly soaked from how turned on she still was. Her large chest heaved as she tried to calm her breathing, barely holding back another whimper.
She let her eyes slide back to the glowing scrying mirrors, still flickering with the images of Sona and Harry in the middle of chaos and battle. Watching her sister and son show off such raw magical power—outsmarting and overpowering their opponents, using the same kind of water and ice magic Serafall herself was known for—had worked her up to the point where she had an orgasm...
She was not ashamed!
Serafall let herself squirm a little more, riding out the last waves of pleasure, all while her lips curved into a secret, satisfied smile.
Thankfully all the human eyes in the Great Hall were glued to the scrying mirrors.
Not everyone in the Great Hall was oblivious, however. Sirzechs, sitting right beside Serafall, had not missed her shivering or the way she pressed her legs together under the table.
He just shook his head with a knowing smirk, the soft sound of his chuckle barely audible over the noise of everyone else in discussions. "You really have a problem, Serafall," he murmured, amusement clear in his voice as he kept his gaze fixed forward to not draw more attention to her. They argued from time to time, but were still very good friends and always covered for each other.
Serafall took a second to recover, cheeks flushed and heart pounding, before she managed a playful pout at him. She shot him a teasing glare. "At least I do not make my wife cosplay as a maid twenty-four seven. Do you have her put on red wigs sometimes too?" she asked. Because Grayfia and Rias had very similar bodies besides the hair and eye color—was what was left unsaid.
Sirzechs blushed at that...
"T-That is none of your b-business! And if you did have a wife, I am absolutely certain you would have her dressed in a magical girl outfit every day, and probably go so far as to even wear matching thongs!"
Serafall giggled, not even denying it. "Mmm, maybe I would!" She totally would. Except for the thongs, she'd make her imaginary wifey go panty-less all the time! Although—when and not if—all of her plans came true, then her imaginary wifey would not be so imaginary… And neither would her imaginaryhusband.
"Hehehehe…" she giggled to herself, lost in her imagination for a moment while Sirzechs tried to snap her back out of it.
Their conversation was cut off when Dumbledore's voice rose above the chatter, magically amplified to fill every corner of the Great Hall. "Attention! The first champion has been captured!" he announced. All eyes flicked toward the scrying mirrors, where one of the Durmstrang champions could be seen being dragged, red-faced and soaking wet, out of a bathroom on the sixth floor. He had been hiding in one of the stalls.
The clock above his mirror froze at thirteen minutes and forty-two seconds.
Oof, he didn't even last 15 minutes into the task. That was embarrassing...
Serafall watched with barely contained amusement as the Durmstrang headmaster leapt to his feet, roaring a string of colorful curses in rapid Bulgarian. He waved his fists in the air, face nearly purple, while his assistants scrambled to calm him down. "This task is blatantly unfair! HOW DO ALL OF THESE OTHER CHAMPIONS KNOW SO MUCH WANDLESS MAGIC!"
In sharp contrast, the Beauxbatons headmistress, a very tall probably half giant woman, only smirked from her seat a few places down.
The reason for that smugness was obvious. Fleur and Gabrielle—Harry's Veela lovers—were absolutely dominating so far. Just like So-tan was. The mirrors showed the two beautiful Veela women, working together, holed up on the seventh floor, barricaded at the very top of the castle. Only a single, winding staircase led up to their position, making it almost impossible to reach them without a direct, frontal assault.
Serafall's gaze lingered on the scene. Waves of red hot Veela fire poured down the staircase, setting the old stone aglow and forcing would-be challengers to dive for cover or retreat entirely. The narrow stairs acted as a deadly funnel, trapping the heat and turning the approach into a blazing oven.
No matter how many students tried to rush the steps, none could get more than halfway before they were driven back by the scorching magical flames.
The Great Hall filled with a fresh round of laughter, groans, and muttered bets as the scrying mirror showed another group of students singed and fleeing in defeat!
Although Serafall didn't know if those two girls would be able to hold that spot for the entire two hours. Especially since two of Harry's male friends, the Weasley twins, were at the bottom of that flaming staircase, looking like they were scheming something.
Serafall turned her attention back to Harry's scrying mirror and almost balked at what she saw. Harry was now lounging comfortably inside one of his teacher's, Hagrid's, oversized hut. He sat right in front of the fireplace, shirtless and completely relaxed, as if hundreds of students were not scouring the grounds for him at this very moment. Harry was petting a dog while Hagrid made some tea for both of them.
Sirzechs noticed her staring and could not help but laugh. "Your son certainly has some priorities..."
– Harry –
I scratched behind the black dog's ears, grinning as he leaned into my touch and panted happily. "Who's a good boy? You are," I said, giving him a playful pat. The big black mutt thumped his tail against the rug.
He seemed to really like me....
I glanced up at Hagrid. "When did you get a second dog?" I asked. I only knew about Fang from word of mouth around the school.
Hagrid lumbered over and he set down two big, steaming cups of tea on the table. "Just earlier today, actually," he said, lowering himself into his creaky old chair with a soft grunt. "Jasmine McKinnon brought this stray over. Poor thing looked like he hadn't eaten in days. That's why I wasn't at the feast—I was giving him a proper magical bath and making sure he got something nutritious in his belly. He was abandoned, far as we can tell."
"I hate people who abandon their pets," I muttered and took my hand off the dog for some warm tea. It whined but I sadly couldn't stick around and pet it all night. The fog wasn't going to last much longer unless I recast it and I wanted to use the time to get myself back to Hogwarts castle. Make sure Fleur, Gabrielle and Sona were all doing alright.
"I appreciate you stopping by, Harry. Your parents used to come by for tea at least once a week. Er-Well, Lily did at least. I know that James wasn't technically your-"
I held up my hand and stopped Hagrid. "It's fine, I get what you mean."
The dog perked up, tilting its head and looking very curious for some reason.
I took another sip of tea, feeling the warmth spread through my whole body. The fire crackled in the hearth, and for a few precious minutes, I let myself enjoy the peace and comfort of Hagrid's hut. The craziness of the tournament felt a million miles away.
Eventually, I set my cup down and stretched my arms over my head, feeling the last of the cold seep from my bones. "Thanks for letting me warm up here, Hagrid. And thanks for the tea," I said, glancing over at him with a grin. "I should probably get out of here before word spreads and a mob of lunatics tries to burn down your hut just to collect the reward. Ten thousand galleons is ten thousand galleons after all..."
Hagrid snorted, shaking his head in amusement. "Bloody hell, for that kind of money, I'd burn this hut down myself if I could, Harry. Too bad teachers are not allowed to participate."
We both laughed at that. I stood up, giving both the new black dog and Fang big pats on the head. The new stray wagged his whole body, pressing against my leg, while Fang drooled and whined for more scratches.
"Be good, you two," I said quietly, ruffling their fur one last time. I caught Hagrid's eye and gave him a grateful nod. "See you soon, Hagrid. See you later."
If my mother Lily used to visit him a lot, that meant he was good people. I should stop by in the future and see if he can tell me any stories about her.
He gave me a wave and a big, gentle smile. "You too, Harry. Good luck out there. Don't get caught. No son of Lily Evans would ever come second place in a bloody magic tournament!"
With that, I slipped out of Hagrid's hut and right back into the fog I had conjured. I could not see much further than my own outstretched hand, but my senses were wide open, picking up every sound, every faint magical pulse from the students stumbling through the mist.
Their voices were everywhere. It was like walking through a sea of confusion and desperation.
"Has anyone seen Harry Sitri? He was just by the lake!"
"He cannot have gone far. Keep searching!"
"Bloody hell, where did all this fog come from? I cannot see shit!"
"Merde, this is not fair! I lost my group—someone grab my hand!"
"Oi! Watch it! That was my foot, you git!"
"He has to be close. Cast Homenum Revelio again!"
"There's like a hundred people out here, what bloody good is that spell going to do!? It's just gonna detect all of us!"
"Just find him! The reward is ten thousand galleons!"
"That money is mine, you wankers! Don't get any ideas!"
"Eat shit, frenchy! That money will be ours!"
"No it won't! Stupify!"
There was a flash of red in the mist, followed by the sound of a thud.
"Oy! What are you cursing randomly for in the mist? We can't see who is who!?"
"That's the idea! I bet Harry Sitri is hiding in here with us right now! Just start casting stunning spells at every shape that moves! If you hit him you get 10,000 galleons. If you hit someone else... Well, that's just less competition isn't it...?"
...Oh shit...
The realization hit me just before everything erupted! I knew exactly what was about to happen, so I did the only sane thing—bolted for the blood castle! The fog around me exploded with light as every single student in the mist seemed to lose their damn mind at once.
"Stupefy!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
"There! Over there!"
"Watch it! That was me, you idiot!"
"Fuck you!"
"Just keep firing! We will hit him eventually!"
Red and blue flashes shot through the swirling fog, spells ricocheting off trees, mud, and the occasional unlucky student. It was absolute chaos. Teenagers were shouting, screaming, and casting stunning charms in every direction, most of them missing by a mile. I could hear bodies hitting the ground over and over as dozens of people got caught in the crossfire.
Someone near me yelled, "Was that you, Cedric?" followed immediately by another "Ow! Why are you using stinging hexes! Use stunners you idiots!" That was followed by another thud, as whoever was speaking got knocked out.
All the while, spells kept flying. The air literally buzzed with magical energy. I did not even bother trying to sneak. It was every man for himself out here!
"That was not Harry! That is my sister you dick!"
"Too late! She is out cold now!"
Suddenly, I felt something slam into the center of my back. My whole body seized up and, for one terrifying second, my vision went completely black. Everything around me faded out—sound, feeling, even the night air—just gone. I blinked furiously, but after a heartbeat the world snapped back into focus.
Damn, that had to have been a stunner...
I shook my head, more annoyed than scared. Good thing devils had strong innate magical resistances, or I would have faceplanted right there in the mud. It would take a hell of a lot more than one or two cheap shots to bring me down!
I did not slow down. I burst out of the last tendrils of mist, my feet pounding across the wet grass as I hit the little stone bridge leading straight to the castle entrance. I risked a glance back and saw the fog glowing with stray flashes of red and blue, students still shouting and hexing each other in the distance, bodies strewn everywhere.
Just ahead, two Hogwarts students stood on the bridge. They barely even noticed me sprinting by, shirtless and mud splattered up my jeans and lower chest. Instead, they were too busy gawking at the madness out on the grass, watching their friends get stunned, hexed, and trampled by the growing mob. One of them finally glanced at me and did a double take, eyes wide as if suddenly realizing that a champion was passing them by.
The other just shook her head and muttered, "Nope, I am not getting involved with that… "
I let out a rough, breathless laugh as I kept running.
I had to force myself to slow down as soon as I slipped through the big castle doors. The air inside Hogwarts was heavy with tension, the stone halls echoing with shouts, hurried footsteps, and the crackle of spells being cast in distant corners.
I could feel magical signatures everywhere—clusters of students moving in tight groups, voices bouncing off the high ceilings as they called out to one another, plotting and searching for any of the remaining champions.
I pressed myself into the shadows.
Just around the bend, I caught the tail end of a frantic conversation. "Sona Sitri is barricaded in the dungeons, no one can get to her yet! There's a giant freaking slab of ice, a bunch of people are melting it."
Another voice chimed in, "I heard that those sexy french bitches Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour are holed up on the seventh floor, burning anyone who tries to reach them!"
I heard my own name mentioned next, along with Viktor Krum's. Apparently no one inside the castle yet had the slightest clue where either of us were. Huh, I didn't take Krum for the sneaky type. I guess I was right about the other nameless Durmstrang guy instantly failing though.
Ten or so students tore past me, wands raised and robes flapping, so focused on their own hunt that they missed me crouched behind a suit of armor.
Sona, Fleur and Gabrielle... I could admit to myself that I loved all three of them. I did not want any of them getting hurt.
Even if this was supposed to be a safe competition, I knew how quickly things could spiral out of control. One lucky spell, one stupid mistake, and someone could really get hurt or worse.
I ran through my options, biting my lip. Sona was powerful—she was stronger than me. I trusted her to handle herself. But Fleur and Gabrielle were outnumbered and under siege at the top of the castle it sounded like. They had pretty decent magical reserves. More than the average adult human wizard, but still, how long could they hold out?
Sona should be fine for now while I check on my Veela lovers. It sounded like she was behind an ice wall as well. I made up my mind and slipped from behind the armor, already planning the fastest route up to the seventh floor.
I hurried up the stairs when the coast seemed clear, doing my best to move quietly but still quickly. The castle was a maze of echoing voices and footsteps, but the second floor was eerily empty. I was just passing by the bathrooms, keeping my senses open for trouble, when someone turned the corner right in front of me.
I started to relax when I saw who it was. "Oh, hey, Krum!" I called out, lowering my guard just a little. "You been hiding out on this floor so far?" I tried to play it cool, because honestly, it was the six champions against the hundreds of other students—there was no point in us fighting each other. Not when this was the first of potentially many challenges. No need to make official enemies this soon.
But something was wrong. Viktor did not answer, did not even blink. He just stood there, clutching his wand so tightly I could see the tendons in his hand.
I took a cautious step closer, concern prickling at the back of my mind.
"You alright, man? You look like hell," I said. That is when I really looked at his face. His eyes were milky white, unfocused, staring straight through me. My own blue eyes widened as I watched him slowly raise his wand, the tip glowing with a sickly green light.
"Viktor, what the fuck are you doing? Snap out of it!"
There was no mistaking that spell—
"Avada Kedavra!" Viktor finally spoke.
– Dumbledore –
Time seemed to slow down for everyone watching. Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock as he witnessed the scene unfolding through the magical scrying mirrors. Viktor Krum, his face utterly blank and eyes milky white with obvious mind control.
The IMPERIUS curse!
And it got worse as they all witnessed a SECOND unforgivable! Krum leveled his wand and unleashed the sickly green light of the Killing Curse at Harry Sitri!
The entire Great Hall seemed to gasp as one, terror and disbelief echoing around them. Dumbledore could see students and staff leaping to their feet, hands flying to mouths, some already screaming.
"NO!" Lupin cried out.
Dumbledore thought he was about to watch a bright young student die.
Instead, something extraordinary happened. Dumbledore watched, astonished, as Harry threw up a glowing blue hand between himself and the killing curse. Harry's SLAPPED the Killing Curse in midair, sending it spinning away like it was nothing more than an inconvenience!
The most lethal spell in the wizarding world. Known to be impossible to block or survive. And Harry slapped it away...
Dumbledore collapsed back into his seat, his heart still pounding. He watched as Harry moved forwards quickly, almost becoming a blur, as he punched Krum across the jaw. The young foreign student under the Imperius curse dropped unconscious but Harry caught him before he hit the floor hard.
"Ha! That's my son!" Lady Serafall stood up and cheered proudly as the rest of the staff, students and judges finally realized what just happened was real.
"A-As expected of my p-prized student…" Lockhart said nervously…
Every instinct as a headmaster, as a protector, screamed at him to call an immediate end to the tournament. Yet he knew, painfully, that his hands were tied. The ancient magics woven into the Goblet of Fire bound the champions to compete, their powers and even their safety held hostage by the rules of the ritual.
No teacher, not even Dumbledore himself, could interfere without risking all their lives—or their magic. Thankfully, all Hagrid had done was give Harry some tea, so that hadn't been considered cheating by the goblet.
Sadly for Viktor, the unconscious Durmstrang champion could not be rescued or treated yet because he had not yet been "eliminated" by the official rules. He had been knocked out by Harry—a fellow champion—and not tagged by one of the hunting students. Viktor would have to be left lying there, until a student found him or the time ran out.
Someone had exploited the chaos of the first task to strike at Harry, right under his nose. They had used the Imperius Curse on Viktor Krum, forcing the boy to attempt murder with the Killing Curse itself. Dumbledore clenched his hands in his lap.
His mind raced. Who would dare something so bold, so cruel? Was it the same shadowy figure who had tormented poor Ron Weasley for years? He silently vowed that whoever was behind this would be found, and would answer for endangering his students!
But for now, the first task continued and it looked like Harry was moving his way to the seventh floor to rescue his girlfriends. Two of them at least. Dumbledore honestly wasn't even sure how many young witches Harry was in the process of wooing…
'Ah young love...' Dumbledore thought to himself. The most powerful magic of all. He let out a small chuckle despite everything that just happened.
But could Harry get there in time before the Weasley twins managed to get past the two Veelas' fire magic? It looked like those two mischievous twins were cooking up an interesting magic powder concoction on the fly, potentially something to snuff out the flames?
He glanced at another floating mirror.
It also looked like Sona Sitri's ice wall had finally melted, although she had booby-trapped that dungeon to hell and back. Very impressive. He would even be nervous entering such a trapped area. And it seemed like Draco Malfoy was leading the charge with a small army of students. They ran down the stairs into the dungeons at full speed. That was not going to work out well for them...
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