Chapter 9
Cedric raised an eyebrow as he sees his family patriarch walk in, but his eyes soon widen as he looks at Harry's face. His eyes were wide, and an insane spark danced through them as if setting fires to his mind with reckless abandon. His left eye twitched, a smiled filled with bloodlust lighting up his features. This was a side of him Cedric had never seen before, but one he had heard about. Despite Cedric being with Harry for nearly a year he knew this was something that only Wednesday, Hermione and Pugsley saw, they were his inner circle, his tight knit group, his closest confidants. Harry had cracked, and Cedric felt widely out of his depth.
It wasn't clear to Fleur or Viktor as they didn't know him well enough, if they ever would at all. Harry's mask had finally fallen, "vhat is the matter?" Fleur asked with an edge in her voice. It was a worried edge. Fleur had a little sister so younger students usually reminded her of Gabrielle, Harry was no exception to the rule despite how much older he was to her sister. It didn't help that she could see a broken look in his eyes, someone had hurt him, and that made her bristle with rage. "Do zay want us back in ze hall?" Fleur asked.
"Non, Mme Delacour semble juste que quelqu'un ait décidé que je voulais faire cela contre mon gré" (no Ms Delacour just seems like someone decided that I wanted to do this against my will). She smiled slightly at Harry's use of her first language but tilted her head in confusion until the door violently burst open.
Dumbledore ran in with the other headmasters, Professor Snape. Professor Moody, and Professor McGonagall, "now that were away from prying eyes," Dumbledore placed his hands on Harry shoulders. Harry looked at them with wide eyes one of them twitching. "Harry tell me the truth, did you-"
"No, now remove your hands before I do."
Snape was tempted to make a snide remark, but it was clear to him that the Harry brought up by Lily wretched sister wasn't present. This was James Potter, Lily Evans and Andrea Daring all rolled into one big ball of madness and dark magic. A being that thrived on Chaos and the suffering of others. This was not the son of the Lily Evans he had met as a child and fell in love with, this was the son of Lily Potter, his closest friend, and the only woman who could terrify him, bar Bellatrix Lestrange.
Professor McGonagall was terrified the moment Dumbledore had places his hands on the boy, this was Andrea Daring's son. She may not had birthed him, but he was still her son, she would've instilled boundaries in her son so strong that even if he couldn't remember her, he would remember what she would say as if it was his own subconscious speaking to him. Andrea was notorious for stabbing people who touched her without permission, she was never in trouble though because no one could ever prove it was the soft spoken Hufflepuff. They all knew it was her though.
And all that was without mentioning the genetic brand of crazy that Albus seemed to forget all the Potters possessing.
Dumbledore let out a scoff of surprise, "Now is not the time for games Harry,"
Harry in one swift motion Harry pulled a knife out of his boot, "Does it look like I'm playing games? I will willingly stab myself in the shoulder if it gets your hands off of me," Harry snarled.
McGonagall pulled Dumbledore away from him. Harry's green eyes were reminding her a little too much of Lily, the woman who once burned Dumbledore branding her Initials into the headmaster as a warning. Because of that woman there was a dark L.E scared on him, and he seemed to have forgotten that this was her child.
"I already told you I didn't place my name in the goblet and don't think you can twist this around. You will give me my emancipation. I know about the blood wards some of the most medicore magic, I've ever seen, I truly don't care, it's not helping anyway."
"Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you?"
Harry rolled his eyes and growled out, "I already told you! No, I didn't."
"You're absolutely sure?"
He sighed, "No, I'm lying through my teeth so I can compete for the unearned glory I already have," obvious sarcasm dripping through his time.
Mad-eye limped forward, "The goblet of fire is an exceptionally powerful magical object only an exceptionally powerful conjurer could have hoodwinked it. Way beyond the talents of a fourth year." Harry and Cedric had told hold back their smirks. Harry could have done so but there was no gain in entering this contest for him, it wouldn't even bring him much joy, so there was no reason for him to do so.
"You seem to have given this a fair bit of though Mad-Eye," Igor snarled.
"It was once my job to think as Dark wizards do. Perhaps you remember Karkaroff," Mad-eye fired back.
"Can I go back to my dorm now?"
"That doesn't help Alastor," Dumbledore cut him off. "I leave this to you Barty."
"The rules are absolute; the goblet of fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Mr. Potter has no choice; he is as of tonight... a tri-wizards champion," the man said gravely, as if he cared. No one care for him as if he were what he really was, a child, except Sirius and Remus and he knew that.
Harry's eye twitched, his fist clenched. Cedric took a step back and advised that Victor and Fleur did the same both were highly confused until they saw the small tendrils of smoke crawling up Harrys arms. "I didn't want this," he growled. "I didn't want any of this!" He screamed, he snuffed the flames crawling up his arms and stormed out of the room kicking the door for effect.
Cedric looked between the teachers and the other champions, "I should go make sure he doesn't break anything," he rushes out without waiting for an answer and sees Harry walk out the hall fuming, only Wednesday, Hermione and Pugsley daring to follow him.
He looked around at the rest of their family he made a motion that they all understood. Even Colin scattered toward the door with Luna in pairs and threes doing their best not to be noticed.
They found Harry in the room of requirements with his head on Wednesday's lap arms wrapped around her waist and a face in her stomach. He was grumbling incoherently. "Mon Cher let it out," Wednesday urges her boyfriend.
He removes his head from her stomach and leans back pushing the heels of his hands into his eyes. Not a single one of them ever thought they would see the day that Harry Potter cried. It was a testament to how tired he was and how much Albus had put on him for absolutely no reason every year. "I can't Cara Mia. The runes are made from my blood they won't protected against my magic. I can't let my walls down either, not here, not now," His voice was pained and broken.
Wednesday made her choice right there; she knew what she would do for him and everyone else around her. She laced her fingered through his hair and kissed his forehead whispering wonderful trauma in Spanish in his ear. She just had to convince Harry, but seeing as she held his little black heart in his hands, she had no doubt that he would let her place her own blood in the runes.
~~~
McGonagall glared at Dumbledore, "This can't go on Albus. First the dark mark, now this? It's absolutely Ludacris."
"What do you suggest Minerva?"
"Use some of you power for once in your life do something for the safety of my student, put an end to it. Don't let Potter compete."
"You heard Barty the rules are clear," he said glaring back at her insinuation. "I was not lying he will lose his magic otherwise."
"To hell with Barty and his rules. My student is in danger again as you have hardly helped the poor boy in the past no matter how any times he had pleaded with you. And since when did you accommodate the ministries rules."
"Headmaster I too find it difficult to believe this mere coincidence," Snape knew something else had to be happening. How he wished Andrea was here to protect the boy, he had no one in his corner and due to his actions in the first war he was always being monitored and couldn't help Harry as much as he wanted to. He was thanking lady magic that Black got loose, he could recognize the attitude problem anywhere, if Black and Lupin weren't partially rising that child, he would break his wand and be off to live with the muggles. "If we are to discover the meaning of these events it would seem necessary to let them unfold-"
Minerva's breath caught in her throat, and she cut him off before he could finish. "Do nothing? Did you suggest that we do nothing for Lily's child. Offer him up as bait? Potter is a boy not a piece of meat like you've treated him.
"I agree with Severus," Albus said as if he cared.
"I didn't finish," all the teachers present turned back to him. He swallowed hard, "If we are to discover the meaning of these events it would seem necessary to let them unfold, but Potter has been through too much. I fear one more trial may break him. You take so much pride in the hero you sculpted. You made this boy into who he is without his permission, you wanted a child ready to die to save those he cares about one willing to throw his life away for 'the greater good.' Be warry, because I fear you are creating the exact opposite. One more trial may make him realize that you don't really care for him-"
"I do care for the boy Severus, it's just that he is our only hope-"
"You may turn him into a villain, one not willing to die and throw his own safety to the wind but one ready to kill and throw away the safety and wellbeing of others. Whatever becomes of Potter now will be on your head. I hope you are ready to accept that responsibility." Severus sweeps out of the room without letting anyone reply. He hoped Lily would forgive him, wherever she lied in the afterlife. He was doing all he could for the boy.
Albus shook his head as if Snapes words meant nothing, "Alastor, keep an eye on Harry, will you?"
"I can do that," The man was anxious to know what had happened to the Potter boy and why he had seemed so twisted in class, and if that would make things easier for the endgame. He hid his intentions well though.
"Don't let him know though, he must be anxious enough as it is... knowing what lies ahead." Professor McGonagall throwing her arms in the air. "Then again, we all are." The headmaster said pulling the memory of today from his head and casting it into the pensive.
The head of Gryffindor looks back at her boss a hard glare clear on her face, "You better make good on you deal to Potter or I swear to Godric, I will hunt you down. If he must act like an adult then you will treat him as one," She storms out of the room and back to her office.