The trials
As they were led to the gathering of expectant courtiers, Hadrian took note of some of the other contestants. He looked out for any familiar faces, finding that some of them he did recognize, although many he did not. It was to be expected however, as many people came from far away countries to take part in the selections.
He had finished his 7th year in Hogwarts, and turned 18 the following summer. Harry decided he wanted to enter the Harem once he graduated, thinking that he could surely pass the selection.
He was here with the intention of becoming at least an Imperial Concubine, a Consort perhaps if he bid his time and gained enough of His Majesty’s favor. But overall he would be pleased with simply becoming one of the man’s official spouses, bearing him a child, maybe more. Harry had always wanted a big family after all. He was already the heir to two powerful noble houses, so he had a good standing on his own, becoming the spouse of the Emperor was only a bonus.
But he also knew this had not been an easy decision. The harem was a treacherous place. The concubines were all power hungry snakes.
The brave Gryffindor nature of Harry however, wouldn’t let that stop him. He knew what he wanted, and he would get it.
They entered at last through a set of double doors, and inside there were the lords and ladies, mingling and enjoying some drinks. They were clearly there to assess them on their social skills, but Hadrian had been raised as a future lord, he knew how to behave at court.
Hadrian surveyed the crowd, looking for an opening to engage someone in conversation. His eyes fell suddenly on Lady Amelia Selwyn, she was the sister of Her Highness the 3rd Imperial Concubine Aurelia Slytherin-Selwyn.
She had close ties with the Emperor, as one of the members of his court with a relative in the Harem, and she was a valuable courtier as well.
She gave him a glance once she noticed him approaching, raising a sharp blonde eyebrow. He inclined his head respectfully.
“Lady Selwyn, a pleasure, I believe we have already been acquainted.” He began, smoothly beginning conversation.
“Heir Potter-Black, well met. Yes I believe we have, at your parents Christmas celebration last year I recall.” She replied, tone intrigued. She was already testing him.
“Yes my Lady, I also recall my parents mentioning how your insight on the subject of the muggle relation treaty was very impressive to His Majesty.” He spoke, vying for flattery, as he knew the lady often sought it. “I’ve wondered, how would you see this impacting the relationship between the muggles and wizards of England?”
She narrowed her eyes at him, assessing. “You presume to flatter me, young Potter-Black. Tell me instead, what do you propose to strengthen the relationships His Majesty seeks to make between muggles and wizards?”
Hadrian smiled, completely unfazed by her demeanor.
“Mutual respect and understanding, my lady. I do believe His Majesty’s new innovations on magical education between our two communities will create stronger alliances and ensure stability. The gift of knowledge is a powerful tool after all.” He opted to say.
He saw the lady’s eyes gain a sort of understanding, her lips twitched almost imperceptibly. “I see, you may have a point.” She regarded him with a new expression, one that he could decipher meant he had done well.
The rest of the gathering went much the same. He talked with some of the other lords and ladies, often engaging in more politically charged discussions. They all seemed to give him good marks, as by the end, he had passed with exceedingly high points.
-
The first trial had been a very successful one, and Hadrian had felt even more confident in his prospects of passing the selection.
It was already 3:45pm when they were led outside, ready to begin the second trial.
This time, the trial was one relying on magical prowess, a dueling competition between contestants. It was similar to that of the last selection, in which the contestants were paired with some of the 2nd class attendants and assessed on how they performed in combat.
Of course, by the end of the trials, they would have a test specifically to determine how powerful their magic was, but the duel was a good way to see how well they could use that magic.
“I am sure you are well versed on the concept of dueling, and have probably heard of the past selection. This year however, instead of dueling concubines you shall duel each other, whoever doesn’t win the duel is automatically eliminated.” Noble Emerald said, holding a scroll with the rules of the trial.
“I shall list the pairs, and remember that these have been made in mind of the types of skills we think will match well in combat. No changes will be made.” As the Noble began to read out the names, Hadrian listened carefully, trying to remember some of the names of contestants he saw potential in.
Halfway through the list the Noble said his name, “Hadrian Potter-Black against Adrian Thornefield.” When Harry heard his name he looked to the person who he was paired with. It wasn’t someone he knew, perhaps he was from some other region.
Adrian was a tall man with blonde hair, his hair was combed back and held by hairpins to stay out of his face, making his striking brown eyes appear sharper. He was dressed more practically than some of the others, after having changed into dueling style clothes. He wore a dark blue robe with silver linings, and a silver belt across his middle. Although simple, his outfit had been made to be sophisticated.
Harry in contrast wore another green robe, this were however more comfortable and made to give him freedom to fight in them. They were threaded with gold, as it matched him best, and his hair was decorated with few accessories. He kept it much simpler as it was meant for dueling.
As the trials began, Hadrian made sure to pay attention to each one, he noted those who had the required skills and those who simply didn’t cut it. But he had to admit many showed potential.
One the 6th round came to an end, with Daphne as the winner, Hadrian’s and Adrian’s names were called.
Hadrian stepped into the dueling circle, wand in hand. His opponent did the same, assuming a stance. They regarded each other for a few moments, and Adrian gave him an arrogant smile.
Harry had no idea what it was about.
“Do try not to embarrass yourself.” The man called to him. Smirk mean and sharp.
“Pardon?” Harry said, looking back at him with his lips curled slightly up in disbelief. How dare he? Harry didn’t even know him at all!
Instead of answering, the man tried to fire a spell at him. Hadrian moved swiftly, deflecting the spell. He countered with an incantation, forcing Thornfield to sidestep.
The crowd began to murmur as their duel progressed, escalating from basic to more complex spells. Although Adrian’s spells were powerful, they lacked finesse. While Hadrian’s were calculated and precise.
When Thornfield attempted a stunning hex, Hadrian casted the incarcerous, and his opponent was quickly bound. The duel ended with Adrian Thornfield sprawled on the floor, glowering up at Harry. But he had lost.
-
Following their duel many whispered of Hadrian’s skills, they commended his precision and power. Some were displeased he had won, but all were impressed.
Harry didn’t much care who was pleased or not, he only cared to pass the trial, and he had. From her stand the 5th Noble watched him intently, expression unreadable, but she nodded her approval.
Then they were all led back to the main hall in time to have dinner, returning to their rooms for some much needed rest.
As Harry was helped to change into his night robes, and the dinner was set for him, he brought out a small locket with a mirror inside. It was a gift from his parents. A family heirloom, it allowed him to communicate with them.
He looked at the surface of the mirror for a bit, staring back at his own reflection, than he spoke. “Mum?”
The mirror changed then, silver light emitted from it, and then his mother and father’s faces appeared.
They looked at him with loving but worried expressions, surely they had expected him to call earlier but Harry simply hadn’t had the chance.
“Hello sweetheart,” his mum started, voice gentle and steady.
“Hello mum.” Harry answered, suddenly he did not feel so tense.
“How are you son?” His dad asked, looking at him as though he was searching for any signs he might be hurt.
Harry sighted.
“I am alright, mum, dad. Just coming back from the final trials today, tomorrow it’s the third trial, and after that the tests.” He answered. He knew they would be worried, but he was going to show them that he had made the right choice coming here.
“Yes darling, we saw the duel, you were amazing.” His mother said, giving him a proud smile. “We are very proud my sweet.”
“Thank you mum.” Their reassurance made him feel better, finally relaxing after such a long day.
“Of course love, we are always proud of you, but remember to take care Harry. We don’t want you to get hurt son.” His dad chimed in, giving him a very uncharacteristic serious look.
“Yes dad, I know. I am careful I promise.”
They seemed satisfied enough with that, for now. Harry spoke to them a while longer, telling them of everything that happened since he arrived. They had seen the duel, as it was a part of the selection that the public was allowed view, but they knew nothing of the other events. Harry however didn’t mention the Emperor, and their unexpected encounter.
As it drew nearer 10pm, they decided to say their goodnights. And Harry was once again alone, with only his maids in his rooms.
Elowen seemed to catch that something was wrong, as she almost always did.
“Master, is something the matter?” She asked, coming closer to stand besides him.
Harry looked up at her from his seat at the windowsill, he gave her a small smile. She had basically grown up with him, and had been his assigned companion for all his life.
“I am well Wen. Just thinking, you know about the trials and such.” He answered. She looked at him sympathetically, ready always to comfort him. It wasn’t that he was nervous, or scared, or anything of the sort. But he was apprehensive about the fact that, if he made it through the selection and became a concubine, then his freedom would be limited. He wouldn’t be able to leave the capital without The Emperor’s expressed consent. He would be confined to a life of trapped luxury.
A golden cage was still a cage.
But still, this had been his choice. He had wanted this. Not because he didn’t love his freedom, or because he was in any hurry to give it up. But because he had wanted the power that came with being Emperor’s spouse, he wanted things no other man could give him.
Was it worth it? Was power truly worth his freedom?
He couldn’t be sure, but he had already made up his mind, and he was not backing down.
-
The next morning they were all gathered at the great hall, the third and final trial would be taking place shortly, and many were curious as to what it could possibly be.
Harry quickly spotted Luna and made his way towards her. She glanced in his direction and smiled, Harry returning it.
“Luna, how would you sleep last night?” He asked, swiftly interlocking their arms.
“I slept well, how about you Harry?” She said in that dreamy tone.
“I too slept well.”
They continued to chat a bit, and them were joined by Cho and Cedric, their small group together again.
They spoke pleasantly for a while, but then things turned sour when Daphne came prancing up to them, Parkinson at her side.
They didn’t interact much, trying to remain civil, but it was clear there was tension. They soon had to pay attention however, when their hostess arrived in the hall, the flutter of attendants at her heels.
She greeted them and they followed suit, with the usual courtsies.
“I want to begin by saying that every one who has made it to this point should feel accomplished, and I wish you all luck in this last trial.” The noble addressed them, and then eunuchs and maids filed in, holding what appeared to be gifts.
“His Majesty has seen it fit to reward you all, he is bestowing you with these gifts as a tribute to your great show of grace and skills.” She extended a hand, and the maids began to pass each of their respective ones the gifts assigned to them.
There were only twelve candidates left. They were a hundred and twenty, and now only twelve remained.
Harry nodded politely as a maid passed Kayle and Amara his gifts, three bolts of fabric, a box of jewelry, and a satchel with a lavender fragrance.
They all thanked His Majesty’s graciousness.
“Now, as you may be aware, those who pass this last trial will then be tested. This tests are to assess your health, fertility, magic, and overall appearances. Some may not make it. You need an average of 75 points, no less, for the fertility test. A 75 for the magical one, and at least a 70 for beauty.” The noble began to explain.
There were many who seemed pleased, or you might say, confident. They weren’t wrong to feel as such, for many of them were beautiful, and they had already displayed some of their magical abilities.
“This trial will be different from the others, it’s one to test your intelligence. You will proceed to your assigned classroom and there you will be tested by tutors of the court. Whoever scores below a 70 is immediately disqualified.”
After she had given out the instructions, the remaining twelve contestants were decided into three groups of four. They were led to a different section of the hall, and assigned different tasks.
Some of the tasks given to Harry’s group included how to brew veritaserum, (which he completed perfectly, thanks to uncle Sev’s and his mother’s knowledge and teachings in potions over the years). Another was a test to see how much they knew of magical history, they were given a story about an specific event but with some of the details altered, and if they could spot and correct this alterations they passed the test. Another one was a defense against the dark arts trial, in which they faced a boggart and had to find the best way to get it back in its cage.
The tests were lengthy but Hadrian was almost always done before everyone else, his scores high. By the end of the trials he had gotten a collective 90 on everything. Exceeding the required score. He passed.
“Oh Harry!! We passed!” Cedric called, approaching him with Cho and Luna, they all passed with scores of 79, 80 and 86 respectively.
“I knew we would.” Harry said, smile bright and reaching his eyes. He was proud they had made it through. Now there was only one more test.
The hall seemed even emptier now, there were only 6 remaining contestants. Half of the twelve had been disqualified.
“Well done! You six make it to the last round. I must say, I am impressed with some of the results, you are all quite talented.” Noble Emerald rewarded them with a bright smile, now that they were closer to the end, the Noble began to show more emotion and interest.
She surveyed the ones who had made it this far, and she seemed pleased with the result.
“Now, the next tests are a bit different, they shall be done in the privacy of your assigned rooms. This tests again, are to evaluate your health, your chances of becoming pregnant, your magical prowess on a more in depth level, and your appearance. Please follow your maids, a healer is already waiting for you.” They all nodded their heads, following the maids who were there to lead them back to their rooms.
Hadrian felt a sense of impatience, this was the last test, and the results determined if he made it in or not. Of course he wasn’t worried about his health, his mother being a healer had thoroughly examined him. He wasn’t worried about his magic either, because he knew he had incredible reserves, and both his parents had powerful magic.
But Harry worried about his fertility.
Of course nothing had ever happened to make him think he was infertile, after all, he did have his cycle every month. But still, what if there was something wrong? What if they found out that he couldn’t bear children? A concubine with a useless womb was no good to the Emperor.
Harry chewed his lip, his head spinning with this “if’s”. He had to stop thinking about it or he would drive himself crazy.
When the guards at the entrance held the doors open for him he stepped in, a healer was waiting inside, as he had been told.
The healer looked young, a woman with dark brown hair and a dark complexion, her amber eyes soft. A gentle smile played at her lips, as if it was her nature to smile.
“Heir Potter-Black,” she said, as she made a courtesy.
Harry nodded slightly, allowing her to rise.
“Hello, may I ask your name?” He questioned.
“Yes of course, my name is Lucia. I am a palace healer, and will be conducting your evaluation.” She said politely, still smiling lightly.
“Nice to meet you, healer Lucia, I trust I am in good hands.” Harry smiled back.
“Of course your lordship, I promise you have nothing to worry about. I will need you to change into different robes however, this test is a little intimate I am afraid. I will be looking over your health and ability to carry a child.” She said, trying to sound comforting. It was an intimate thing after all.
Harry nodded, he went to change and returned wearing a thin layered blue robe. It wasn’t revealing or anything, but the lack of layers made him feel a bit exposed.
“Very well, I will first cast a spell over you, it’s an accumulative spell and will show me your overall health.” She explained to him, waiting for his nod of consent before proceeding.
She looked over the parchment which filled in with his medical details. Her eyes were intently scanning the paper, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
“You seem to be in perfect health.” She told him, looking back from the paper and nodding her assurance.
Afterwards she told him that the next spell would determine how fertile he was, and Harry began to feel uncomfortable once more.
However when the medi witch casted the spell, her eyes widened at the results.
“100, you have a score of 100.” She said in disbelief. It was an unbelievably high score. It meant Harry was extremely fertile, so any worries of him not being able to give His Majesty heirs was swiftly dismissed.
“I- a hundred?!” He exclaimed, a bit shaken at the results.
“Yes, a hundred, more than any other contestant I must say. Congratulations my lord, you are blessed.” She said to him kindly, still impressed at the scores.
This made Harry feel confident, he had passed with a score of a hundred for fertility, as long as his magic was above a 75 he would pass. He was so close.
“Thank you.” He murmured, still looking surprised.
The healer performed the last spell at last, this one required him to let his magic run a bit loose. Then an orb with residue from his magic appeared, changing colors until it settled in one the exact shade of his eyes.
The healer looked at the orb, she searched for the results on the parchment. When her eyes settled on it, she quickly let them both collapse. Her eyes were so wide Harry worried they might pop out.
“What?! What is it?!” He asked her, but the witch wouldn’t speak.
Harry began to feel cold dread run down his spine. Had he failed?! Was his magic not as good as he thought? Was this the end?
“Oh my, oh my….” The healer chanted, her eyes swiping up to look at Harry’s worried face.
When she saw how distressed he looked, she seemed to take a deep breath and steady her own expression. “I am sorry my lord, I did not wish to scare you.” She said almost in a whisper.
“What are the results? Did I fail?” He asked in a rush, paying no mind to her words.
“No! Your lordship you have not failed.” She said quickly, eyes disbelieving as she picked up the parchment once more. She seemed to scanned it again, making sure her eyes were not deceiving her.
Harry could only think about how she had said he didn’t fail. But then he began to wonder why had she looked so shocked.
“What does it say? What is the score.” He asked, tone steady now. Eyes trained on the healer with an unreadable gaze.
“It’s- I, forgive me your lordship. I believe I need to report to His Majesty.” The healer looked at him apologetically, and then she turned for the door.
Harry was quicker.
“You can’t leave, you must tell me. What is the score?” He asked now in a demanding voice. He wouldn’t let her leave the room if she did not tell him what the scroll said.
“Your lordship please, His Majesty must know.”
“Tell me.”
“Your lordship-“
“Tell me!”
The healer looked at him resigned. Her big amber eyes looking from him to the door, her hands were shaky. But in the end she did speak up. “Your lordship, your score was a 99.”
Harry went down on his knees. He felt his stomach turn, his head hurt a little from all the stress.
Ninety nine. Ninety nine. Ninety nine.
Ninety nine.
The words replayed in his head in a relentless loop. He scored a ninety nine.
A ninety nine.
It was simply a measure of his current magic, it would most likely rise as it often did once wixens carried their first child, or reached the age of 21.
A ninety nine. That was only one percent less than that of the most powerful wizard.
The Emperor himself