Weighing of the Wands
"Master, I believe we've translated the words of your vision if you're interested."
Today was Saturday after breakfast, and soon it would be time for the Weighing of the Wands. At that moment, Harry stood alone in his dorm room, ready to open the package containing his War Robes. He also knew Andromeda, McGonagall, and about the entirety of Gryffindor were waiting for him in the Common Room. Word had quickly spread among the House that Harry would wear robes made from the Basilisk hide for the ceremony. During breakfast, he'd had people asking to see the robes before the ceremony, to the point where he agreed to let the House see him wearing them in the Common Room. This gave him the privacy needed to not only don the robes but also discuss matters with Gnarl.
"Go ahead Gnarl, but I'll be changing into the War Robes as you do so."
"Very well Sire. It was frustrating until we realized it was mirrored Latin. Once we knew that, it became easy to translate. This is the message you delivered in your vision.
Four serpents of the sky for the Chosen below.
One night beneath the midwinter moon.
Four hostages beneath the blackened depths.
One Labyrinth for the Chosen Four.
One night for the Dark Lord's return.
One night for the Dark Lord to rise.
One night to bind the world in darkness."
As he spoke, Harry tore open the package and began donning the robes, but the end of Gnarl's translation caused him to pause.
"'One night for the Dark Lord's return.' Are you certain?"
"Without a doubt, my Lord. This confirms what we've already suspected, that Voldemort is behind your entry into the Tournament. However, this also means that your participation is the key to his return."
"Well, we can't have that. Those last two lines, are they redundant, or do they mean something in particular?"
"I am uncertain. However, I do believe they are at least connected to Voldemort's plans."
"Hmm. We'll worry about that later. For now, I'll get this ceremony out of the way, and then we can worry about deciphering the meaning of the words."
"As you say, Master. And if I may say so, those are excellent War Robes."
Harry agreed as he looked at himself in the mirror, wearing the robes in question. A poisonous green, the same colour as the Basilisk, they definitely stood out compared to the standard school robes he'd become accustomed to. But the most impressive thing about them was the enchantments weaved into them. These robes in particular contained several wards for hexes and curses, supplementing the natural magic resistance of Basilisk hide. Jinxes would be meaning less against him while nullifying most if not all, hexes and doing likewise for curses other than the Unforgivables. The robes were also extremely resistant to dragon fire, something he knew he would need, as well as waterproof and lightweight.
"Functionable and fashionable. Pretty impressive."
"They are indeed well made, though I worry about their chances in a protracted battle with a dragon."
"You think they would fail in combat?"
"Not so much fail as be pushed to their limit, especially if the battle wears on. Still, with your permission, I will teach you a spell that will allow you to summon one of the most powerful suits of armour in history."
"I'm listening..."
While Harry readied himself, the Gryffindor Common Room was full, with nearly every student in the House present. Word of Harry's War Robes had spread fast, so it came as no surprise that nearly everybody had asked to see the Robes before the Weighing of the Wands. Harry, after being asked a dozen times, announced to his House he would let them see him wearing them before the ceremony, by waiting for him in the Common Room. So now, the entire House sat and waited, with several of the more gossip-inclined sitting together, debating how they would look. For her part, Hermione sat with Ron and Andromeda. As a judge for the Tournament, Andy was wearing black robes, but on her breast was a badge depicting a roaring blood-red dragon.
"What's with the dragon?" Hermione's curiosity got the better of her.
"It's the symbol of the Potter family. Didn't Harry tell you that?" Andromeda looked incredulous at Hermione. This girl was brilliant, and clearly in love with Harry, even if the poor lad had no idea. Andy would have expected her to have seen the blood dragon crest of the House of Potter at least once before.
"Harry... doesn't like to talk about his family."
Hermione tried to sound casual as she said this, but Andy had years of experience with teens and young adults. There was some hesitation on Hermione's part, as though debating whether or not she had any right to say this out loud. Something was going on here, something that Hermione wanted to say, but felt like it would be a betrayal of Harry to reveal it. Andy filed that piece of information in the back of her mind for later use, while internally smiling at Hermione. She was not only brilliant but kind and loyal.
'Lily, you would have loved this girl. She'll make your boy happy, I know it.'
All such thoughts were dispelled as the room went quiet. Footsteps coming down the stairs from the boy's dorm rooms were heard, and every head turned to look at the stair. When Harry emerged, Andromeda was impressed by what she saw. And as she heard gasps, and the Weasley twins whispering 'wicked' she knew the tailors had done their jobs properly.
The robes were form-fitting, as opposed to the loose robes most magicals wore. This meant a lack of fluttering material, extremely useful in combat. And with the hood pulled up, they had an air of intimidation about them. Looking about the room, Andromeda noticed that Hermione, and several other girls, were lightly blushing at the sight of Harry.
"Bloody hell," Seamus whispered.
"Mother of mercy," breathed Dean.
"Most impressive, Mr.Potter." McGonagall was maintaining her usual stern stoicism, but even she was impressed by what she saw.
"Alright everybody, you've all seen the robes. C'mon Harry, we need to get to the Weighing before Ollivander arrives." Andromeda stood from her seat, making her way to the entrance to the Common Room. Harry followed behind her, leaving the gaping House behind.
Walking through the halls of Hogwarts, Harry noticed the number of portraits talking. It would seem he was making an impression on everybody. Before long, they arrived outside a door to an unused classroom on the 7th floor. Before going in, Andromeda conjured a badge, depicting the Potter dragon, pinning it to his robes. Looking down at it, Harry felt his pride swell. The symbol of his family, the very family he was representing. It made all of this, everything he knew and was fighting for, all of it felt just a bit more real looking at that dragon.
Smiling at Andromeda, Harry opened the door and led them inside. What he found was remarkably underwhelming. All the desks and chairs had been piled up at the back, aside from a handful being used for the ceremony. At the front of the class stood a lectern, with four chairs in front of it. In the center of the room, a handful of desks were pushed together and covered with a tablecloth, while a few chairs were scattered around. Around this 'table' sat Ludo Bagman, wearing bright yellow robes, and a blonde woman wearing magenta robes. Bagman was discussing something with her, though she just looked bored.
Because of this, neither of them immediately notices Harry and Andy arriving, letting Harry search for the others. At a window close to the lectern stood Fleur and Cedric, deep in discussion. Both were wearing their school uniforms, immaculately cleaned to best present themselves. In the far corner stood Viktor Krum, alone and disinterested in whatever was going on in the room, looking out the window. Now that Harry thought about it, only he was guaranteed to know anything about the dragons. This meant that while each of them was preparing for the First Task, only Harry really knew what that meant. And while a part of him wanted to win, he didn't want to do it by denying the others potentially lifesaving information.
As he approached Fleur and Cedric, to let them know first, and then hopefully Viktor, he heard the obnoxious voice of Bagman.
"Harry! Glad to have you here! And you as well, Healer Andromeda. We're just waiting on Ollivander and the other judges, and we can get started. Ah, but where are my manners? Allow me to introduce Rita Skeeter, a journalist for the Daily Prophet. She'll be doing a small piece on the Tournament, and its Champions."
"Oh Ludo, I would hardly call this small. After all, this is the return of the Triwizard Tournament. And with four champions for the first time in history? It’s the story of the year.”
Something was unsettling in that woman's voice, and Harry immediately understood why Gnarl had warned him about her. This woman had absolutely no scruples and the way she was eyeing Harry sent a chill down his spine. It was a look that was dissecting him, as though sizing him up on how to make the biggest amount of money off of him. Frankly, his first instinct was to put a wand in her face and cast a Fireball.
“Do you mind if I have a quick chat with Harry before the ceremony, Ludo? After all, he is the Fourth Champion. The youngest. The rebel. It will add a bit of spice."
In seconds, she had crossed over to Harry and grabbed him by the arm, ready to pull him towards what looked like a broom closet. Before they went anywhere, however, a flash of black fabric reached out and grabbed Rita by the wrist, wrenching her loose from Harry. Rita's head whipped around and locked eyes with the death glare of Andromeda Tonks, the middle sister between Narcissa Malfoy, and Bellatrix Lestrange.
"And what do you think you're doing?"
Andromeda's voice was quiet, eerily calm, but it was cold as the void. The room itself seemed to react, as the other Champions were looking in awe, while Bagman looked equally confused and uncomfortable, either from not knowing why Andromeda was speaking like this, or terrified she might turn her attention to him.
"Just- just looking for a few words from one of our Champions, Andy. No reason to be upset."
Rita was putting on a brave face, but there was a quivering in her voice, a strain to hold back just how uncomfortable this was for her. If what Gnarl told him was accurate, this woman had likely angered many influential and powerful people, but it was doubtful they'd ever gotten this close and direct. And here was Andromeda, a member of the Black family, related to both Bellatrix and Sirius, though his notoriety was built on a lie, staring at her with a glare that would frighten a Dementor. She was in over her head, and she knew it.
"Then, as the appointed judge representing the Potter Family, I insist that any interviews with Harry be done with myself, or his Head of House present. He is, after all, still a minor, and we wouldn't want anyone making untoward accusations against our dear reporter, would we?"
Harry suppressed a snicker as he listened to Andromeda. She was acting as though her intervention was for Rita's good, ensuring she couldn't be accused of inappropriate behaviour with him. But behind it was a subtle threat, a willingness to bring Rita down in the most public way possible. And for a woman like Skeeter, who thrived on destroying reputations, that was a threat that proved uncomfortably effective.
The matter was dropped as in shuffled the rest of the judges, led by Dumbledore. But right behind him, came Garrick Ollivander. At their arrival, Harry and the other Champions took their seats to begin the Wand Weighing.
"Ah, good to see the champions are already here. Allow me to introduce, Garrick Ollivander. He will be assessing your wands to make sure they’re ready for the coming tasks."
The old wizard hobbled to the lectern, looking at all the champions with his large, pale gray eyes.
"Miss Delacour?" Fleur stepped forward, placing her wand in his hand.
He looked at the wand, running his finger along its length, "Nine and a half inches... rosewood... rather inflexible and temperamental... I presume because of its rather unique core."
"Veela hair, from my grandmother. She gave a strand for mine and my sister's wands."
Ollivander nodded, pleased that his suspicions were correct. With a flick of the wrist, he summoned a bouquet, handing both the flowers and the wand back to Fleur.
"Mr. Diggory?" Cedric walked up and handed his wand to Ollivander.
"Ah, one of mine! 12 inches... ash... unicorn core... Springy and well-tuned. It’s been well cared for."
"I polish it every night."
Ollivander smiled, pleased to see the care and attention being given. Good thing Harry had followed Hermione's advice and polished the wand last night. This time he conjured a jet of water, handing the wand back to Cedric with a nod of approval.
"Mr. Krum?" Viktor Krum walked over to the wandmaker, silently pushing his wand into the awaiting hand.
"Ahh. I recognize this style: A Gregorovitch wand. Never did agree with him on anything but... Rigid... too rigid... a curious combination, using hornbeam and dragon heartstring. Hmm... Avis!" The wand let out a bang as a group of chittering birds shot out of it, and Ollivander handed it back, satisfied.
"And finally, Mr. Potter."
Harry stepped forward, placing his hand in Ollivander's outstretched hand. Silently, he prayed the man was subtle enough to avoid mentioning the connection to Voldemort's wand.
"Ah, I remember this one. How could I forget? 11 inches. Holly. A feather from a most remarkable phoenix. But... strange... this shouldn't be possible and yet... there's something different about the wand... it's changed somehow... a new light to it, and something else... something... ancient..."
"Is that... good, or bad?" Harry quietly asked, uncertain what Ollivander was getting at.
"It's fantastic." Ollivander simply flicked his wrist, releasing a stream of bright flames with an intense heat. Satisfied, Garrick handed the wand back to Harry, soundly declaring, "They're all in perfect working condition."
Harry quietly breathed a sigh of relief. The worst, it seemed, was over.
"Excellent! Now then, time for the pictures!" Bagman loudly declared.
Or not.
The Weighing of the Wands ceremony was over in minutes. It took hours to finish taking all the bloody pictures Rita and the cameraman wanted. First came the pictures of the judges together, simple enough. Then they took individual shots of the Champions. A little annoying when the cameraman had them change their stances, but otherwise easy enough. Then came the Champions in a group, and a fight nearly broke out. Rita wanted him up front, while the cameraman wanted Fleur as the centrepiece. After a good bit of arguing, they finally settled on having them next to each other. Then came the judges and the Champions together, and they could finally leave as lunch got started.
The judges had gone off on their own, leaving the Champions to make their way to the Great Hall for lunch together. As they walked, Harry noticed they were alone, which meant...
"Hey, I need to tell you three something." Harry paused as he walked, drawing the attention of the others.
"What is it, Harry?" Cedric, as upstanding and honest as ever, spoke simply, curious about what Harry felt they should hear.
Before answering, Harry looked about, to make certain they weren't being followed.
"Dragons. That's the First Task." It was stated so simply, so bluntly, it took them by surprise.
When they recovered, and realized what he had said, Cedric asked in a whisper, "You're certain?"
"Absolutely."
Fleur scoffed. "How could you possibly know zat?"
"A friend of mine works in the Ministry. He warned me the Ministry has contracted work to the Malfoy family to transport four different 5X creatures from Romania." Harry then looked at Cedric. "Do you remember Charlie Weasley?"
"Of course, he was the Gryffindor seeker before you, and team Captain before Oliver. Could have gone pro, but he went to Romania to... work on a dragon sanctuary."
Harry nodded. "And he'll be in the country for work, during the First Task."
That had the desired effect, as Cedric went pale as a ghost, and the others went silent seeing him like this. They understood what it meant. Harry was telling the truth, and they would be facing dragons.
"Thank you for warning us, Harry."
Cedric was quiet, but his voice was sincere. The full weight of this Tournament was becoming apparent as the Champions were quiet when they arrived in the Great Hall. Taking his seat next to Hermione, she turned to him, noticing how quiet he and the others were upon their arrival.
"Everything OK, Harry? How was the Wand Weighing?"
"Annoying, but otherwise I'm fine. The others though... I warned them about the... you know."
Hermione went wide-eyed before whispering, "Harry, why did you do that? You'll be competing against them."
"I know, but I don't want anyone getting killed over this Tournament, especially since I was entered against my will."
Hermione smiled at his words, wrapping him in a side hug. "Sometimes you're too noble for your own good, Harry."
Harry blushed as she hugged him. As he looked across the Hall, he noticed that Draco Malfoy, of all people, looked to be in an especially foul mood. No wonder why, considering someone had given him teeth the length of his wand. It made him look like a greasy beaver.
Snorting in amusement at the sight, Harry asked, "What happened to Malfoy?"
Hermione smirked as she looked across the Hall, and saw Draco. "He tried to hire some Ravenclaws to make some badges that were meant to be slanderous towards you, but they turned him down. When he didn't take the hint, one of them gave him his current set of fangs."
Harry snorted, finding it a just punishment for Draco's asinine behaviour. As he settled in to eat lunch, Gnarl spoke again.
"Master, regarding your wish to have that Skeeter woman monitored, I've already sent one of the house elves, Talon, to watch her. She's staying at the Three Broomsticks, so be careful around the Inn. No telling what lengths that woman will go to get a story."
Harry made a quiet grunt of approval, just loud enough only he, and by extension Gnarl, could hear it. Something about that woman rubbed him the wrong way, and going forward, he wanted to keep that woman on as short a leash as possible. More importantly, next weekend was a Hogsmeade weekend. Hopefully, Sirius would be there, and if possible, they should get Andromeda to him. Knowing her, she probably needed to see him as much as Harry did.
And if that Skeeter woman stumbled upon him... well, let's hope it wouldn't come to that.