Family Matters

Hari breathed deeply as he stood at the edge of the pier, gripping the edge with his toes. Hermione stroked his back gently as they waited for the second task to begin. The family had been hyper aware since they were pulled out of school, Bruce was livid, but his solicitor told him to wait, as he had been saying for some time now. Dealing with a case as extensive as trying to sue Dumbledore was one she wanted to be ironclad. They had multiple private investigators, paralegals, and willing personal who wanted to take action against the old fool, but Ms. Ludmag wanted a solid case so they could have the justice they deserved. 

Draco pulled at Hermione's loose sweater threads as he counted in French, something he picked up as a nervous tick over the past couple of weeks. 

“Hari you will do excellent just focus on picking up whatever object it is and coming back alright? Then we'll have a nice dinner in RORY and we can catch up alright?” Hermione whispered in his ear, ignoring all the flashing lights and shouting that surrounded him.

“Just make it out alive Potter. You are forbidden from leaving me alone with Uncle Sirius next summer.” Draco’s thick french accent took Hari a moment to translate, not that it mattered the Malfoy heir immediately reverted back to the language.

“Grab the object and get out.” Hari hummed as he focused on the water, “I wonder what it is they took since I no longer go to school here.”

The old geezer began to speak, with a spell amplifying his voice, “Welcome to the second task. Last night something was stolen from each of our champions. A treasure of sorts. These four treasures, one for each champion, now lie on the bottom of the black lake. In order to win each champion need only find their treasure and return to the surface. Simple enough. Except for this, they will have one hour to do so and one hour only. After that they'll be on their own.” 

Hari took a steady breath as he readied his wand, even though the bag containing the breathing apparatus that Roy created using a fusion of magic and technology, he couldn’t just grab it; he had to call it to him after the whistle blew with his magic.

“You can begin after the Cannon-” Dumbledore was cut off by Flitch releasing the Cannon. The other champions jumped straight into the water. 

“Accio, Rebreather-Wiz.” The small black gadget flew into his hand, “Accio Goggles.” His custom goggled followed behind, Hari gently gave his glasses to Hermione before he jumped in the water, learning quickly that putting water goggles on in the water was easier then on dry land. Once he situated himself, he took off, staying close to the surface until he was about a fair distance away from the post. Then he dove down, transfiguring some kelp on the way down into fins, and waist weights.

As he traveled down Hari vaguely heard of Fleur being disqualified.

He followed the singing lights until he was met with a beautiful structure the merpeople built. It was gold and shiny and almost distracted him from the floating bodies.

Keyword, Almost.

Hari felt unmeasurable anger as he gazed at the people petrified underneath the water, the first one he was a little blonde girl, then Cho, an elderly woman most likely Fleur or Viktor’s grandmother. Hari’s eyes shifted to the last floating body, expecting Jason, considering he hadn’t seen him since last night. 

Anger wasn’t even an accurate word to describe what he felt upon seeing the purple hair floating in the water. Fury engulfed every cell of his body, Hari panted as he felt the world close around him, curling into himself, he wanted to be in control, he wanted to keep calm, but he couldn’t.

His body was boiling, the water around himself seemed to agree, Hari was vaguely aware of Cedric swimming up to try and help him, but staying a few feet off; not able to touch him. 

His magic ran rampant beneath his skin, until finally, something snapped, causing Hari to go rigid, unaware of the vermillion wave of magic lashing out in a circle around him, it exploded out causing destruction and the water to sink momentarily in a ring shape. 

Cedric whimpered, as the hand he was reaching out burned at the boiling water. The teen looked around to see Viktor just off in the distance, half transformed into a shark, swimming up to the boy in yellow. 

Hari tried to focus on his breathing as it was through a small device, he winced at Cedric's burned hand, and Viktors pink legs. He wanted to apologize but the mermaids were hissing at them, ready to use with their weapons on them. Hari had caused damage to their buildings, and accidently cut the bonds of the people held captured as they floated to the surface. 

The remaining champions quickly swam to their floating loved ones, just as they broke the surface. Cho was swiftly taken back by Cedric, and Viktor pulled his grandmother on his back before taking off. 

The little blonde girl clung to Charlie, who was trying her best to keep them afloat with her weakened lower body. “Charlie are you alright?” Hari asked as he pulled the blonde girl onto his back. 

“As much as I can be, after being kidnapped again! Christ on a cracker.” Charlie slapped the water angrily. “Where are we? Why is the water so warm? Are you peeing?” 

“What? No!” Hari exclaimed, “Is the water warm? It was frigid when we jumped in. Are you getting the hyper-turnmia?” the boy-who-lived slowly mauveured them to start swimming towards the stands off in the distance. “I don't know? I never had it before.” Charlie worried, “I don’t think so.”

“You very warm, boy Rouge.” A thick french accent wandered into the conversation, “Great for Veela blood dans moi, Water cold no good.” 

“Well at least we know i havent lost function of my bladder.” Hari tried to joke, but seeing charlie struggle was hard, she had just started walking with a cane a few days prior. “Can you ask your, Mentor for help?”

“She’s not here right now, she does have better things to do.” Mint green eyes rolled, Charlie moved to her back and began swimming by stretching her arms back and pulling forward. Hari knew he could swim back faster, but the fear of losing Charlie was not worth it in his eyes. “How am I the most important thing in your life?” Charlie mused, “I know we're connected, but don’t you love Jason more?” 

Hari was quiet as he pondered, Charlie had told him some of what Hecate told her, “Don’t get me wrong I care for you, but yea, I love Jason more. Maybe they couldn’t capture him, or Tim?” 

“Ouf I’m not even in the top two? Wounded, partner, Wounded.” Charlie playfully mocked.

Hari didn’t bother to defend himself, just tugging her hair was enough for him at the moment. They slowly made their way back, Hermione and Fleur reaching in the water to help them up as soon as they were insight. Hari helped up his little turtle shell up to her presumably sister. She whined a bit about the lack of warmth, before being engulfed by her sister’s love.

George leaned down to help Hari move Charlie out of the water, before taking Hermione’s hand for himself, finding the towels she tried to cover him in suffocatingly warm. 

“Hari you are burning up!” Hermione waved over Madam Pomfrey, trying to see if he needed to be taken to the medical bay.

“I don’t think that's a fever.” Moody leered as he gazed down, “Mr. Black-Potter has unlocked his magical core, based on the heat and circle of magic that the lake released.”

Fleur came up beside him, “You saved her, even though she wasn't yours to save. My little sister!” She pressed a kiss to each cheek. “Thank you.”

Hari turned to Charlie, who had stolen the towels Hari discarded, “I didn’t ask for that.” 

“Yes, I’m aware, I was sitting right here.” Charlie rolled her eyes, burrowing deeper into the towels. 

Draco pulled at a stray hair that was dry on Hari’s head, “You just have to be a show off don't you? Releasing your magical core and taking forever to swim back.” 

“I couldn’t leave Charlie!”

“Yes you could have.” Charlie muttered, “I would have lived.”

Five teens stared at her with a flat look, “you could have died.”

“At least it would have been peaceful, I hear dying in frigid water is the way to go.” The girl hummed, staring out from her little eyes gap, curled up tightly under the towels.

“Attention! Attention! In the first place we have… MR. DIGGORY.” Dumbledore announced, the Hufflepuffs cheered their little hearts out. “For showing the unique command of the bubble head Charm. The way I see it, Mr. Black-Potter would have finished first had it not been for his determination to rescue not only Miss Todd but the others as well. We've agreed to award him second place! For outstanding moral fiber.” 

Hari sighed, “Not even close to what actually happened but alright.” 

“A win’s a Win, Take the win.” Charlie muttered, “Also get over here, your magic dried you, Dry me!”

Hari chuckled as he moved to sit next to Charlie. 

He stroked her back gently trying to tune out all the other nonsense happening around themselves. Soon Alfred would be back to pick them up, and they would begin training all over again. 

Hari gazed out towards the lake, his eyebrows furrowed as he saw three figures out, lingering out towards the center of the lake. He could only make out the colors, blue, red and green before the figures vanished. 

Huh, maybe he needs to get his eyes checked again.