Renouncing Magic's Child

He swam on for what ... a snatch of haunting mersong.

Everyone sat forward eagerly, anticipating what would happen next.

"An hour long ... following the mersong.

"What on earth possessed you to use actual hostages?" Sirius demanded.

"That was Ludo's idea," Minerva huffed.

". . . your time's half gone ... the prefects' bathroom...

"Different water," Sirius murmured. "Fresh water verses salt water, cold verses warm water. There are multiple variations. Just like people all around the world are different. We've adapted differently to where we live."

The merpeople had grayish skin ... spears clutched in their hands.

"The second task was so boring," Dean complained.

"We didn't see anything at all," Seamus agreed.

The Slytherins were nodding their agreement.

"They didn't use a spell to cast a view of the mervillage?" Remus asked in disappointment.

Harry sped on, ... tail of the stone merperson.

The adults in the chamber were beginning to get twitchy. Just how many of the hostages were underage? Ron Weasley for one... Mrs Weasley looked like she wanted to grab her son and hold him tight. What was wrong with the teachers at Hogwarts? Constantly putting her son in danger.

Ron was tied ... Cho Chang.

Sirius glared at the teachers. "Both his best friends? Were you trying to make it unfair?"

The teachers didn't say anything. They knew he was right but Karkaroff had insisted.

There was also a girl who looked no older than eight,

"WHAT?" All the parents were immediately on their feet and Albus looked horrified.

whose clouds of silvery hair ... Fleur Delacour's sister.

"They did what?" Fleur's grandmother was glaring daggers at the teachers, grabbing younger Fleur and pulling her into her side. "My granddaughters are part veela. They should not be exposed to... They have a fire affinity and spending an hour in cold water could prove disasterous to their health, not to mention the effect on Gabriel's magical core development. Eight? She was eight? What was she doing there? I can't imagine your parents agreed to this, Fleur." She turned to face Fleur.

"No. They thought she was coming to watch," Fleur said crossly.

Fleur's grandmother looked ready to fling fireballs at the teachers. She gritted her teeth, trying to control her anger. "Just how long was my granddaughter in the water?"

"Er... about three hours in total," Minerva said.

"You're lucky my granddaughter didn't lose her magic," Isabeu said coldly.

All four of them appeared ... no use to him whatsoever.

Sirius frowned. He should keep it on him at all times.

He looked around ... "We do not help," he said in a harsh, croaky voice.

"Rude much," Ginny said. Her younger self nodding in agreement.

"They certainly aren't the hospitable sort," Tracey Davis said with a snigger.

"Come ON!" ... anything...

"What about a cutting hex?" young Ron asked.

"Do you want to lose a limb?" Cassius Warrington asked. "He's not learned silent casting yet, so there's no guarantee what he'll cast if he casts a cutting hex on you."

There were rocks littering ... little in the ebb of the water.

"Good job!" Sirius grinned. "Now it's time to get the hell out of there."

Harry looked around ... they hurry up?

"The Grindylows," Fleur said with a shudder.

"I... Er. I might have gotten lost," Krum admitted.

He turned back to Hermione ... "Leave the others... "

"That wasn't fair," Harry said. "Both of my best friends were in that lake."

Krum blushed. He hadn't even thought about that. He wasn't sure why they'd chosen to use Hermione. Sure, they'd gone to the ball together and he'd certainly been interested in her but he had actual friends with him from Durmstrang. Why not one of those? Was it all because Karkaroff had wanted to make things more difficult for Harry?

"No way!" ... leave the others..."

"My own friend?" Harry huffed. "Hermione was a better friend to me that year than Ron was. If anything she should have been my hostage."

"I hope you know this is really fucked up," Terence Higgs said to the teachers, Marcus Flint and Cassius Warrington both nodding their agreement.

She's my friend too!" ... "And I don't want them to die either!"

"Oh, Harry. We weren't going to die," Hermione giggled.

"Speak for yourself," Isabeau said. "My granddaughters very well could have died in that lake."

"And don't forget the reason they stopped the tournament in the first place was because people kept dying," George pointed out.

Cho's head ... ghostly green and pale.

"That is not good," Isabeau said. "We are very warm blooded as veela. We are unsuited for those sorts of waters."

Harry struggled to fight ... Hermione and the others?

"Not likely," Draco said. "They told you your time was half gone."

Would he be able to ... oddly wide and stretched.

Amos grinned at his son, pride evident in his expression.

"Got lost!" ... out of sight.

"See Cedric didn't waste time playing the hero," Ron muttered, only to blush when he remembered what Fleur's grandmother had just told them about the very real threat those waters posed to the part-veela.

Harry looked around ... be lost after an hour...

"Not only that," Neville said, "but your gillyweed will stop working."

The merpeople started screeching ... but badly.

"Er, yeah. I sort of panicked," Krum admitted. "I'm not the best at transfiguration."

The shark-man swam straight ... rip Hermione in half.

Hermione's eyes darted wide and Krum gave her a nervous half grin. He wouldn't have hurt her. It might not sound like it but he had been trying to be as careful and precise as possible.

Darting forward ... her toward the surface.

Hermione gave Harry a blinding smile, silently thanking Merlin for her best friend.

Now what? ... nothing to be done except...

Mrs Weasley was hyperventilating, causing a concerned Severus to float a calming draught towards her. 

He snatched up the stone ... "Get out of the way!"

Michael Corner grinned. "Not sure you were all that threatening, blowing bubbles at them."

Only bubbles flew ... suddenly stopped laughing.

"Shows what you know Corner," Seamus said with a smirk.

Their yellowish eyes were fixed ... the giant squid did.

"How could you tell from looking at them?" Millicent Bullstrode asked. "I mean, you're right. Merpeople don't really have magic. Not the way we do at least. But still... How did you know?"

"I can sort of see magic sometimes," Harry muttered.

"He's magic sensitive," Sirius said with a huff. He wanted this chapter to be over and book Harry to be back on land.

"You've got until three!" ... at last she was free.

Fleur was crying now, cradled in her husband's arm and her younger self was clutching at her grandmother.

He seized the little girl ... water above him was so dark...

"You were a big help, Ron," Dean said.

"Yeah, so much for fighting Merpeople..." Seamus agreed with a laugh. They'd heard enough of Ron's exaggerated stories of what happened in the lake in the months that followed the second task.

Ron for his part simply blushed.

Merpeople were rising ... when the time was up?

"They better not," Remus growled, his eyes golden.

Did they perhaps eat humans?

"No, Harry," Hermione said with a sigh, "they do not eat people."

Harry's legs were seizing up ... drawing breath with extreme difficulty.

"The gillyweed must be wearing off," Neville said in concern.

He could feel pain on the sides of his neck again...

"Definitely wearing off," Severus sighed. "Which means you're definitely past the time limit."

Everyone was staring at the book in concern now. What if the gillyweed stopped working before he got to the surface?

he was becoming very aware ... he could see daylight above him...

Sirius sighed in relief but he couldn't help but think that his son still might not have enough time.

He kicked hard ... nothing more than feet...

"That can't be good," Cassius said.

water was flooding ... only ten feet above him...

"Come on Harry!" young Millicent said. "You can do it!"

he had to get there. . . he had to. . .

"Good," Moody said. "Don't give up. Whatever you do."

Harry kicked his legs ... he could not stop -

Everyone was sitting forward in their seats now, hopeful that Harry could do it, even as they read about him drowning.

And then he felt his head break the surface of the lake;

"That was close," Terry Boot muttered.

"Too close," Mandy Brocklehurst replied with a shudder. How come they were never told just how close Harry came to drowning?

wonderful, cold, clear air ... they were smiling at him.

"That was creepy," Draco muttered.

The crowd in the stands ... little girl might be dead,

"We did!" Astoria said sadly. "It was terrifying."

but they were wrong ... scared and confused,

"Gabrielle didn't understand what was happening at all," Fleur said crossly. "It wasn't right. She was far too young."

but Ron merely expelled ... "Wet, this, isn't it?"

That got a round of laughter.

Then he ... "What did you bring her for?"

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley complained, although nowhere near as loudly as she usually screeched.

"Fleur didn't turn up, ... let any of us drown!"

Ron rolled his eyes. He wasn't so sure of that now.

"The song said -" ... acting the hero!"

Harry glared at the book. "I don't act the hero."

Ron frowned. He hadn't meant that. Well, not exactly.

"I just do what I think is right," Harry said crossly. "It's not my fault that everyone else in the wixen world is so damn selfish."

Ron wanted to argue that he wasn't selfish... Except... Recently he had been wondering if he was. Selfish and jealous. And completely blind.

"People have died in the tournament before," Harry said. "I wasn't about to leave a little kid at the bottom of the lake."

"I know," Ron said softly. "I'm sorry, mate."

Harry felt both stupid ... eerie it was down in the lake,

"Thank Merlin for that," Ron shuddered.

surrounded by spear-carrying ... she can swim very well."

"She can swim," Fleur said. "But she was exhausted. Her magical core was depleting rapidly and... She wasn't okay."

Minerva looked horrified.

"After the task my parents had to send her to the magical hospital in France," Fleur said. "She was there for over a week. My parents sued the ICW and Beauxbaton for involving her without proper parental consent. My sister didn't go to Beauxbaton as a result. My parents sent her to America for schooling. The whole thing was a major scandal in France."

They pulled Fleur's sister ... judges stood watching,

"Someone should help her!" Sirius growled. "Where was Poppy?"

"I was there," Poppy said. "Looking after the other champions and hostages."

twenty merpeople ... horrible screechy songs.

"A guard of honour is exactly what it looked like," Hannah Abbott said.

Harry could see Madam Pomfrey ... wrapped in thick blankets.

"I just couldn't fathom it," Poppy said crossly. "Sending students into the lake in February! The school is in Scotland for Morgana's sake."

Dumbledore and Ludo Bagman ... splashing out to meet them.

"I didn't realise they were using human hostages," Percy said in a quiet voice, "not until Cedric got out of the water. I sort of panicked and searched the crowd for Ron and couldn't find him anywhere."

Meanwhile Madame Maxime ... quite hysterical,

"Of course, I was hysterical!" Fleur cried. "Gabrielle was too young!"

fighting tooth and nail ... let alone shout.

"Thank you, Harry," Fleur said. "My family owes you a huge debt and even when we go back and change things, I'll never forget it."

"Neither will I," Isabeau said softly.

Percy seized Ron ... hugging her sister.

Harry sighed. Sometimes it really sucked. Moments like that had always reminded him just how alone he was in the world. No parents. No siblings. No one to care if he drowned. Sirius's arms tightened around him, silently telling him that he cared.

"It was ze grindylows ... Steam gushed out of his ears.

"Pepper up," Poppy said. "I was convinced you'd all catch your death."

"Harry, well done!" ... how all by yourself!"

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Could you be more patronising?" Blaise laughed.

"Well -" ... Karkaroff could hear him.

"Karkaroff was not happy," Krum said with a smirk.

"You haff a water beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny," said Krum.

"And let me guess," Astoria said. "There's going to be another article in the prophet."

Harry had the impression ... rescued her from the lake,

Krum chuckled. "Yes. I was frustrated she wasn't paying me any attention."

Hermione blushed brightly.

but Hermione brushed away ... Did it take you ages to find us?"

Harry rolled his eyes.

"No ... they hadn't taken the mersong seriously...

"They also haven't had your life experiences," Claudius said.

Dumbledore was crouching ... Dumbledore could speak Mermish.

Albus nodded. "I can speak several languages."

Finally he straightened up, ... "Look after Gabrielle," she told her,

"I was so scared," Fleur cried.

and then she turned ... not your 'ostage."

"Of course, I did," Harry said. "I just did what anyone else would do."

"Obviously not," Theo said. "Or Diggory and Krum would have done the same. You're a decent person, Potter. Better than most."

Harry blushed, hiding his face in his father's shoulder.

"Yeah," ... "And you too-you 'elped -"

Hermione huffed.

"Yeah," ... kissed him.

Ron gave Bill a sheepish look. But his older brother barely noticed. He was too busy trying to soothe his upset wife.

Hermione looked simply furious,

Hermione grimaced. Was her crush really that obvious?

but just then, ... champions, as follows...

"I still don't understand why they didn't cast a view of the bottom of the lake for you to see," Remus said. "They could have even used the surface of the lake as a massive screen. It wouldn't be that hard to do." His mind was whirling with the possibilities.

"Fleur Delacour, ... twenty-five points."

"I deserved nothing," Fleur said crossly.

Applause from the stands ... forty-seven points."

Cedric's dad patted him on the back.

Harry's heart sank ... certainly had been.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Viktor Krum ... We award him forty points."

"It was quite effective," Minerva said. "Even if you did get a little stuck at the end. You really shouldn't transfigure yourself if you can't also untransfigure yourself."

Krum gave her an awkward grin.

Karkaroff clapped ... not merely his own."

Lee Jordan frowned. "I don't think I'd have thought to do that."

George nodded. "I'd like to think I would... but I get quite competitive."

Ron and Hermione ... half-commiserating looks.

They both rolled their eyes. That was just who Harry was. He always thought of others first.

"Most of the judges," ... merits full marks.

Everyone cheered.

However ... forty-five points."

"Still not bad going," Justin said.

Harry's stomach leapt ... you were showing moral fiber!"

Harry rolled his eyes.

Fleur was clapping very hard too, ... support of the champions."

"Thank fuck that's over," Sirius muttered. These books were going to be the death of him.

It was over ... get into dry clothes....

"Why not use warming and drying charms?" someone asked.

"I was very concerned they could get hyperthermia," Poppy explained. "I couldn't risk warming them too quickly or they could lose a limb. I didn't particularly want to have to reattach limbs or deal with necrotic tissue, thank you very much."

it was over ... June the twenty-fourth...

"I don't think I want to read that chapter," Sirius said to Severus who nodded in agreement.

Next time he was in Hogsmeade ... socks for every day of the year.

"I imagine he'd like that," Lucius said with a small smile.

As the book finished, all the adults turned to face the teachers. "I'd really like to know what you were all playing at," Lady Zabini said.

Sighing, Minerva said, "We really weren't involved in the planning. The tasks were mostly organised by the ministry. We didn't have much of a say about anything."

"Why were all the hostages under age?" Remus asked coldly.

Minerva didn't have an answer for that. "The heads of each school decided the hostage for their students. I had no say."

She continued to field the parents' questions for the next twenty minutes. No one was willing to let the subject go. They were furious. None more so than the head of the veela council, Fleur's grandmother. "That tournament will not be taking place when we return, or so help me, I'll start a war." She chose not to say that if they weren't returning to the past, she would have declared war on both wix and mer alike for this. Veela were very protective of their children.