Prologue (part 2)
18/08/1994
Grimmauld’s place
Harry sent a disgusted glare to the object lying in front of him, not noticing Sirius and Remus’s amused faces.
‘Is it necessary’ Harry asked. ‘This thing looks appalling!’
The marauders laughed at Harry’s reaction to the dirty sock, which was supposed to be a portkey. He wanted only one thing, which was to burn the odorous offense. He looked at his dragon leather gloves and thought ‘I honestly do not want to touch this filth, let alone dirty my gloves. Irk!’
Sirius and Remus finally calmed down then locked eyes with Harry.
‘Fear not pup, that’s a joke.’ Sirius tried to placate Harry’s wrath. ‘If I wasn’t aware, I’d thought you are Lucius’s son!’
‘The fact that you're in Slytherin does not help things’, added an amused Remus. ‘Not to mention that you have the same way of thinking as Malfoy, and you are as formidable in politics and economy!’
‘At least you're cuter than him. It could’ve been worse as you could have looked like our national bat, Snivellus!’ Sirius said, wrapping himself in a cloak and showing his fake vampire’s fangs.
Remus smiled at the stupidity of his best friend while Harry blushed at the compliment. But Sirius is a marauder, and didn’t stop.
‘Yet you’re in a relationship with a beaver, which proves that you aren’t like him. The great Lucius-holier-than-thou Malfoy would never lower himself to a mere Hufflepuff, much less a Diggory,’ joked Sirius. ‘Couldn’t you find someone else?’
Harry sent his darkest glare to Sirius, which made the mocking marauder even more amused. As for Remus, though he does not say it aloud, he himself was in complete agreement with his best-friend.
The two marauders did not really like Cedric Diggory and thought something was wrong with him. Also, the duo was aware of rumours describing Cedric Diggory as a whoremonger, worse than Sirius in his youth. However, they decided to accord the benefit of the doubt to Diggory… for now.
‘Sirius, speak plainly. What are you accusing him of?’ asked Harry with a deadpan.
‘Harry,’ Sirius said as he took a breath. ‘We both know that Cedric is a womanizer, or whoremonger, whatever. Anyway, what I meant was that he's not the one for you. Not taking in account that he's a light wizard who looks more like a unicorn than anything else, with the way he smiles. And unlike unicorns, women do not stay virgins around him!’
‘We are really worried that he'll hurt you, Harry. It is hard to predict the behaviour of this kind of person. So, please, beware and take care, okay?’ Remus intervened.
‘Okay, Uncle Remus, but I don’t think Cedric is a deceiver. I mean, if he really loves me, why would he cheat on me?’ said Harry, sure of himself.
Sirius and Remus then shared a look, understanding that despite the fact that he killed someone, Harry was still innocent. They sincerely hoped that Cedric would not be the one to put an end to this innocence. ’If he ever harms my pup, I'll ruin his whole family!’ Sirius thought darkly.
‘Enough with it, where is the real portkey?’ asked Harry as he put an end to the conversation.
Sirius chuckled as pulled out an Irish scarf from his pocket, though he did not appreciate everything green, it was a bit too Slytherin to his liking. Gradually with time, Sirius had begun not to hate Slytherin anymore, but old habits were hard to change, and he could not help but dislike green clothes.
In fact, the only variation of green he liked was the eyes of his godson. Unlike Slytherin’s colour, the green of Harry's eyes was sublime, brilliant, putting emeralds to shame, and somehow reminiscent of the colour of the unforgivable of death. In fact, Sirius was convinced that Harry's eyes were not as bright when he was a baby, and wondered if the Avada Kedavra changed their brightness.
‘Much better!’ Harry said with an approving nod. ‘Shall we go? I cannot wait to see the game and also Lucius confirmed that we can spend time with Krum’
‘I sometimes wonder how you can like Krum. Still, shame on you for not supporting Ireland and our National team’ Remus said, amused.
‘I do, but I still prefer Krum as a seeker.’ Harry answered with a smirk.
‘Quite right pup! I too prefer Krum; he is pretty good. Come on girls, stop chatting, time to go!’ Sirius laughed out loud.
His only answer was the dark glares promising a thousand sufferings from Harry and Remus. The three of them grabbed the scarf, and Sirius called ‘Championship’.
Immediately after, they were engulfed in a vortex, spinning at a crazy speed. Harry did not really like these transports, especially since most of the time, he fell back on his buttocks, like a slouch, and it was not pleasant at all. Fortunately, Remus had taught him how to stand straight out of a portkey and a fireplace.
They ended up arriving on the ground which was vast where they could perfectly see thousands of wizards, not to mention the colourful tents that extended as far as the eye could see. Luckily the place was hidden, otherwise muggles would never have missed such an event.
‘Let’s not waste time. Our tent has already been set up, let’s go!’ Sirius said.
He led them to a different area, with very large and ornate tents, which even had gardens or swimming pools. The area was reserved for influential families and the Ministry of Magic, as well as the other present governments, of course. They ended up arriving in front of a very big black tent sporting the coat of arms of the Black family.
No sooner had they arrived than they were joined by Draco and Narcissa Malfoy, whose tent was next door.
‘Cousin Sirius, how nice to see you!’ Narcissa took Sirius in her arms.
‘Cissy, glad to see your beautiful once more. By Merlin’s beard, is that you Draco? I didn’t recognise you!’ ’Sirius replied, looking at the little blond.
‘Uncle Sirius, glad to see you,’ said Draco before looking at Harry. ‘Harry! I knew you'd never miss the occasion to see Krum!’
‘Lady Malfoy, you are lovely as always,’ Harry said kissing her hand before looking at his best friend. ‘Draco, you know me, I was not going to miss this opportunity. Not mentioning it is not polite to refuse an invitation of the Minister for magic!’
The two boys looked at each other, then burst out laughing, amusing Sirius, Remus and Narcissa. They chatted for a few moments, and were joined by Cedric Diggory who kissed Harry quickly before fleeing with his tail between his legs when faced with the deadly glare of Sirius. Harry realized that he would not be spending time with Cedric, but being with his best friend and his family he didn’t care that much. After all, they would spend ten months together at Hogwarts, so one day less wasn’t much.
They eventually headed for the stadium, where they were joined by Lucius Malfoy who was chatting quietly with the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. As they joined Lucius, Fudge was already gone.
Together, the group began their ascent to the Minister's lodge. Unfortunately, they met the Weasleys on the way, with Hermione Granger, and surprisingly, the Diggories who were also with the Weasleys.
‘Hey! That’s the blood-traitor!’ Ronald yelled pointing Harry.
‘How dare you belittle my heir, you freckle shit? Should I remind you that Harry is your prince, as well as the heir of Potter, Black, Gryffindor and Slytherin?’ Sirius barked, glaring holes in Ronald’s head.
Molly fumed at Sirius’ answer. As she started to berate him, she was interrupted by Arthur, her husband. She then looked at him and noticed his sudden pallor. As for Arthur, he was looking to Sirius.
‘Lord Black, I beg of you to accept my deepest apologies concerning my Son’s deplorable behaviour and slight against his grace your heir. He shall be punished for his transgression!’ Arthur apologized with a bow.
Molly had her mouth wide open, stunned by her husband’s reaction while Ronald was about to reply. He was stopped in his tracks by the wrathful look from his father, and closed his trap.
Immediately, the respect towards Arthur increased a notch with Sirius, Lucius and Harry. They felt pity for this man, trapped with this vengeful and surely unfaithful harpy. Hard not to notice Ronald and Ginny Weasley did not look much like their father or other siblings, and their red hair could easily be attributed to Molly and not Arthur.
‘I am pleased to know that pureblood etiquette isn’t lost on you, Arthur. There is still hope for your family, and I dearly hope your sons will learn. It would be a pity if your son was the cause of the Weasley's ruin and disgrace, or even their extinction. All of this for a lack of decorum and respect to his better. Don’t you agree?’ Lucius asked with a drawl.
Arthur nodded sharply as his other sons understood the veiled threat. Immediately, the twins and Percy glared at Ronald. Especially Percy, for he knew very well that if they wanted to, Lucius like Sirius could easily kick him out of the Ministry.
‘Father, we should not keep the Minister waiting. We’re awaited in his lodge.’ Draco smiled, sending a smirk in Ron's direction.
‘He's right, Lucius, let’s not waste time. Come, Harry!’ Sirius replied as he understood Draco's game.
As they joined the lodge, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge greeted them. The latter was accompanied by a tall man dressed in a black velvet robe trimmed with gold. Fudge literally lit up on seeing Lucius, and even more so when he saw Harry with Sirius. He ignored the Weasleys much to Sirius and Lucius’ delight.
‘Lucius, is that your family?’ Cornelius said., ‘Lady Narcissa, you’re as lovely as a rose. I haven’t seen you since the Ministry’s Ball last year.’
‘Indeed, Minister, it's been a while. I am glad to see you once more’ Narcissa replied with a charming smile.
‘Let me introduce you to the Bulgarian Minister for Magic, Oblansk ... Obalansk, well, the Bulgarian Minister for Magic in sum. He does not speak English very well, so I try to communicate through sign language.’
All greeted the Bulgarian Minister with a nod. Fudge did not waste time and introduced the Bulgarian minister to Harry Potter.
‘And here he is, our National Hero, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived!’, Fudge said with panache.
The Bulgarian Minister's eyes lingered on Harry's forehead, and when he saw his scar, his eyes brightened. But Harry was full of surprises.
‘I'm delighted to meet you, Sir Oblansk. I am Harold James Potter, Prince of the Most Royal and Most Exalted House of Pendragon, and Heir of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter, Slytherin, Peverell, Black and Gryffindor, although I continue to be referred to as Harry Potter.’ Harry said in Bulgarian.
‘You speak Bulgarian? Well, I'm pleasantly surprised, young Mr. Potter. I have heard a lot about the Boy-Who-Lived. But you did not need to introduce yourself for I understand English very well,’ Oblansk told him with a smile.
‘Is that so? Then, why do you pretend not to?’ Harry asked, curious and slightly amused.
‘I never said that I did not understand, it is your Minister who assumed that I did not speak nor understand English. And I find it very funny to see him gesticulate to try to communicate,’ laughed the Bulgarian.
They laughed together, to the greatest shock of the spectators who didn’t understood what they were talking about. For his part, Fudge was particularly pleased to see the Bulgarian Minister and Harry Potter talk quietly. It could only be beneficial for his mandate and image.
So, they all headed to their specific lodges, Harry continuing to talk to the Bulgarian Minister, and managing to negotiate some time with the Bulgarian team to get autographs, to Sirius’ utmost pleasure. Of course, Draco decided to tag along, because the opportunity was far too good to be passed on.
* end flashback *
The rest of the championship went quietly, the Irish won the cup, but Victor Krum caught the snitch. Normally, Death Eaters were to attack and wreak havoc right after the championship, but Harry ordered Lucius to interrupt this, wishing to avoid putting Dumbledore's big nose in the death eater’s business.
The funniest part for Harry was to guess Voldemort's plan in advance of the Triwizard Tournament and his resurrection, but Harry knew that he would need Voldemort with a body to get rid of Dumbledore and the Order of the Grilled Chicken. Moreover, thanks to his perfect control over Death Eaters, and their loyalty, he knew absolutely everything, directly informed by Barty Crouch Junior.
Thus, began his fourth year, and as expected, Barty, polyjuiced in the form of Alastor Moody, entered his name in the goblet of fire. Obviously, when his name came out of the goblet, just after his boyfriend’s, several students, especially those from Gryffindor and other schools, were scandalized. Just for fun, Harry did not hesitate to swear on his magic, and in front of everyone, that he had never put his name in the cup nor asked someone to do it for him. As nothing happened, most stopped their accusations but Ronald, Hermione and Ginny. None noticed that no magical contract was formed, as Harry’s real name wasn’t used.
There was a second reason why Harry had let his grandfather continue his little plan. The Goblet of Fire, when it creates a contract with the participants, allows an automatic emancipation for them. With Lucius’ help and bribes and goblins, Harry was emancipated as he never formed a magical contract with the goblet.
So, Harry emancipated, and it was a definite advantage as he could finally get all of his lordships, and even better, by getting them now, even after his resurrection, Voldemort would not be able to get them back. Harry did not waste time, and with Sirius and Remus, went to Gringotts to finalize his emancipation and take all his lordships, except that of the Black, of course. Right after, Sirius and Lucius convened a special Wizengamot session so Harry could claim all his seats. Dumbledore's face that day was hilarious, as he realized that Harry had almost defeated him, especially when Harry became the Lord Gryffindor and Slytherin, controlling Hogwarts, its surrounding areas including the Forbidden Forest, and Hogsmeade. Not mentioning the Pendragon lordship with the censure vote…
Thanks to Lucius, Harry was made aware of the first trial, and did not hesitate to read the entire Black library for spells to defeat dragons. He had the clever idea of going to Vault N°1, also known as Pendragon’s Vault, in Gringotts. It was huge and filled to the brim with gold, yet Harry wasn’t looking for gold. No, what interested him was the immense library, and particularly, the personal Tomes of Merlin. There was another thing that interested him, and it was none other than Arthur Pendragon's Royal Sword, Caledfwlch, better known as Excalibur. Weirdly enough, the sword looked a lot like the Sword of Gryffindor.
Harry decided to use it instead of his wand, allowing him to funnel more magic. Yet he knew perfectly well that this sword was slightly weaker than the Elder Wand that belonged to him by right, but not knowing where it was, he decided to use the sword in the meantime. Fortunately for him, the sword could easily be reduced to the size of a wand by thought. It gave a kind of practical dagger.
This is how Harry Potter confronted a dragon as the first trial.
* Flashback *
‘And now, place to our last and fourth champion, his grace the Prince Harry.’ Ludo Bagman cried above.
Applause could be heard immediately as Harry entered the arena to confront his dragon, a bloody Hungarian Horntail, the most dangerous specie. Thanks Merlin’s library…
As he entered the arena, he saw the dragon protecting eggs... Yes, for these dragons were nesting mothers. However, he would not let a giant lizard roast him nor block his path to power.
‘What shall our hero do? I wonder. They’re looking to each other, is it a mind battle?’
Harry rolled his eyes at Ludo Bagman's useless comments. As time is of the essence, he unsheathed Excalibur. In less than a second, the sword reached its original size, to everyone’s shock.
‘Morgana’s Saggy tits! Harry Potter has a sword! And what a sword, for all wizards knows it! Excalibur, the famed blade of the greatest king to live, Arthur Pendragon!’ shouted Ludo Bagman, rousing the crowd.
Harry noticed his family in the stands, along with Moody (aka Barty Junior) and the rest of the Slytherins. He sent a wink to Sirius, the latter smiling. Harry looked back to the dragon, who seemed to get angry with the noise.
‘My deep apologies, but I won’t let a fire-breathing lizard stop me!’ Harry threatened while the audience listened with keen interest as a Sonorus was put on the Arena.
He decided to use a variant of a spell invented by Merlin.
‘Glaciadivinus!’
A huge jet of ice-cold blue water came out of the sword, and took the shape of an Ice dragon. It was the counter-spell to Fiendfyre to war against dragons and fire wyrms in the past. The spectators were astounded at the sight of the huge ice dragon standing in front of them, and the judges gaped in the face of such a manifestation of power.
‘By Merlin's left testicle! It’s Merlin’s anti-dragon spell! He truly is the heir of Arthur and Merlin!’ shouted Ludo Bagman, with the screams of the spectators behind him.
The ice dragon launched itself on the Hungarian horntail, starting a fierce fight between the two beasts. As for Harry, he wasted no time.
‘Volito Corpus!’
The spell was pretty well known among high ranking wizards and mages, but not normal wizards. This spell simply allowed flying, and was not only one of Merlin's favourite spells, but also of Voldemort's. Immediately, Harry flew in front of everyone, and hurried over to the eggs, immediately taking the golden egg that he had to retrieve.
‘He flies, Harry Potter flies broomless! Only powerful wizards can fly without aid’ announced Ludo Bagman.
Unfortunately for Harry, the dragon noticed him due to Ludo’s commentary, and it was pissed. Harry pointed the sword towards the Hungarian horntail as he cast a final spell.
‘Lumos Linculum Maxima!’
Huge chains made entirely of light appeared around the dragon, chaining it to the ground like a thrust-up pig. The dragon trainers, including Charlie Weasley, watched the event with stars in their eyes. This spell would be perfect for effectively controlling dragons. They decided to memorize it. Shortly after, Harry used his will to remove his ice dragon, and left the arena under a standing ovation.
‘And in record time, Harry Potter has managed to defeat the Hungarian Horntail and recover the golden egg with spells worthy of the greatest known wizards! What mark shall be awarded for this fabulous spectacle? I give him a TEN!’ ’Shouted Ludo, spinning his wand and revealing a giant ten.
Dumbledore also gave him a ten, to Hogwarts’ students utmost delight. Bartemius Crouch Senior did the same thing, as did Olympe Maxime, with even more applause from the students. And to the greatest shock of all, Igor Karkaroff also attributed a ten, although his face betrayed his anger. However, Igor knew perfectly well who Harry really was, and had been accepted back into the Death Eaters’ ranks by Harry himself. He wasn’t a fool to anger his new master.
* end flashback *
Harry led the competition, with cheering Remus and Sirius. When he learned about the Winter Ball, he was given a very detailed dance class by Sirius, who despite his idiotic side was actually an excellent dancer. He also had some lessons with Lucius Malfoy, and most importantly, Narcissa Malfoy.
Surprisingly, Harry did not go to the ball with Cedric as a companion, since the champions could not be together, and decided to go with Daphne Greengrass, a beautiful Slytherin and exquisite dancer.
Unfortunately, Harry saw something that radically changed his behaviour.
Indeed, he discovered Cedric cheating on him with Hogwart's renown slut, Cho Chang. In fact, he saw Cedric ploughing the girl in the Prefect’s bathroom, when Harry went there looking for him after the ball.
There is one thing Harry hates, and that’s betrayal. Cedric would pay this treachery for no one could make fun of the Prince of Albion with impunity. That's how Harry decided to change his plans for his grandfather's resurrection. He knew perfectly well the last trial was extremely dangerous, and it wasn't uncommon for champions to die in.
But it wasn’t enough, and Harry wanted to punish Cedric for life. He devised a plot to take everything he owned.
After some research with the goblins, he discovered the Diggories were heirs of the first son of Helga Hufflepuff, while the Smiths were descendants of the second son, an illegitimate one thus one that cannot inherit. Thus, the Diggories were the only heirs of Hufflepuff and they weren’t aware of it.
He also learned the Founders made a special close to never lose Hogwarts. It was specified that should a lineage of one of the founders disappear, the inheritance would be evenly shared among the other founders’ heirs Harry saw it as a golden opportunity to take full control of Hogwarts.
It discussed about it with Sirius (His godfather wanted to kill Cedric but he preferred Harry’s plan), Remus and Lucius. One month later, they organised discussions with the Diggories, and Amos saw the opportunity to bind his family to the Royal Line of Pendragon. He accepted.
They married in secret with family as witness. Harry used the pretence of avoiding paparazzies. Of course, he had to…consummate. Harry was disappointed as Cedric lacked endurance. When Cedric slept, Harry went to Daphne’s room to have some relief. The Greengrass’ heir was quite happy as she hoped for some sex with Harry, and Harry explained that it would not continue. She accepted as she only wanted to lose her virginity. Cedric never noticed…
The second task took place on February 24, 1995, and Harry revealed one of his secret cards there, one of his two animagus forms though he mastered only one at the time.
* flashback *
02/24/1995
‘Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One . . . two . . . three!’
A strident whistle sounded in the cool morning air as applause and screams exploded in the stands. Harry waited patiently for the other champions to jump into the water. The audience watched him intrigued by his unexpected behaviour.
Harry smiled mysteriously before pulling out Excalibur once more. He advanced towards the lake, and began to fly over it. He flew towards the centre of the lake at full speed. Everyone was watching him.
His body then started to change as he chuckled. His arms lengthened and merged, just like the rest of his body. His pupils split in a slit, yellowing, and his teeth elongated as fangs. The students screamed in fright, while the judges remained paralyzed in the face of such a show of power. In front of them, Harry Potter had just turned into a basilisk at least thirty meters in length, the largest they had ever seen, worthy of Herpo's Basilisk.
Not losing one minute, Harry dived in the water after his transformation, and rushed towards the city of the Merpeople where the hostages were held. There he saw four individuals: Cho Chang, Gabrielle Delacour, Hermione Granger and Daphne Greengrass. He immediately understood that Daphne was his hostage, and swam straight for her, gently catching the rope with his teeth, and terrifying the inhabitants of the lake. In less than five minutes he had crossed the whole lake and returned to the starting point. As soon as he left the water, he resumed his form, and Daphne awoke. They climbed the stilt buildings of the shore, and were applauded by everyone.
‘What the heck? You never told me you were an animagus!’ Draco greeted him.
‘Yup, double animagus, and since I only need to record one of my forms in the ministry, I can keep my other form a secret!’ Harry answered.
‘Thanks a lot, Harry!’ Daphne told him before going next her sister.
He received amazed gazes as Sirius jumped on him like a flea-bitten dog. A few minutes later, Fleur Delacour returned, wounded, and above all, without her hostage.
‘Please, someone help my little sister! I can’t lose her!’ She shouted with a heavy French accent.
Harry looked in her eyes and without wasting time, threw himself into the water, resuming his basilisk form and went off to retrieve Gabrielle Delacour. Within five minutes he returned with the young Veela, to Fleur's greatest joy.
He barely had time to dry that Fleur hugged and kissed him on the lips. The marauders laughed out loud. Fleur stepped back, and thanked him again before leaving with her sister, who looked at Harry as if he was a godsend.
Towards the end, Cedric came back with Cho Chang while Victor Krum came back after him. The judges met to discuss the results. It was Ludo Bagman who spoke with a Sonorus.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows. . . .’
‘Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points.’
Applause from the stand.
‘I deserved zero,’ said Fleur throatily, shaking her magnificent head.
‘Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour.’
Enormous cheers from the Hufflepuffs in the crowd; Harry saw Cho give Cedric a glowing look.
‘We therefore award him forty-seven points.’
Harry noticed Cedric’s wink to Cho Chang. The Hufflepuff then had the audacity to smile to Harry.
‘Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points.’ The air very superior, Karkaroff applauds with all his strength.
‘And Finally, Prince Harry dramatically used the Animagus spell taking the form of a magical creature, a Basilisk, and saving in record time his hostage. He also recovered Beauxbatons’ hostage. We award him fifty points!’ finished Ludo Bagman.
The applause echoed loudly, all congratulating Harry who had a perfect score. For his part, Dumbledore looked at Harry suspiciously, after all, Basilisk was one of the darkest creatures to live.
* end flashback *
The year passed until the final trial.
* Flashback *
06/24/1995
Harry was the first to enter the labyrinth. He first met some Acromantulas, whom he easily killed with an incendio, then went on to confront a boggart who took the form of a bloody Harry telling him that everything’s a dream and he still live under the cupboard. Harry was so pissed off that instead of using a Riddikulus, he used a blasted it with a powerful Bombarda. He finally met Fleur Delacour, who was unconscious, and was absorbed by the hedge. He cast red sparks before continuing.
After that he came face to face with Cedric, his husband, who was delighted to see him. Unfortunately, they were being pursued by Victor Krum, who was under the Imperius spell and who had cast the Cruciatus spell on Cedric, who was writhing in pain on the ground. Victor Krum chained on an Avada Kedavra that Cedric managed to dodge. Side stepping the spell, Harry got angry and cast a fiery red Stupefy on Victor, throwing him away by several meters, and plunging him into unconsciousness. Fucking idiot, he nearly got Harry.
Harry and Cedric continued their advance, meeting in passing near a sphinx whose riddle was not complicated, to finally reach the cup. Knowing where the cup was leading, Harry urged his future ex-husband to grab the cup with him, which transported them to Little Hangleton's cemetery.
‘Harry, it's a portkey. The trophy is a portkey!’ Cedric told him.
‘Indeed,’ Harry answered with a drawl. ‘Nice to notice you didn't catch Cho Chang's stupidity buggering her!’
Cedric looked at him, shocked by his words. Harry’s glare made him take a step back.
‘Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? No one take Harry Potter for a fool, not even you. You besmirched my honour with the slut!’ Harr spat.
‘You ... How?’ Cedric tried to reply.
Harry saw out of the corner of his eye Peter Pettigrew coming forward with ‘baby Voldy’ in his arms.
‘It doesn’t matter. Fear not, all is forgotten.’ Harry exclaimed with a kind smile.
‘For real?’, Cedric asked with a voice full of hope.
‘Of course not, you blubbering fool!’, Harry answered before turning his back on him.
‘Wh-?’ Cedric’s eyes widened.
‘Kill the spare,’ yelled ‘baby Voldy’.
Cedric turned to face Peter Pettigrew; his face horrified.
‘Avada Kedavra!’ Said Peter Pettigrew.
‘Don't worry, your parents will join you soon enough!’ Harry said with a sadistic smirk.
Cedric did not have time to answer, and fell to the ground, dead, his face frozen in fear. Harry watched Peter Pettigrew then aimed his sword.
‘Crucio!’ Harry casted.
Peter wasn’t prepared for the spell so he fell, knocking off ‘baby Voldy’ at the same time, who protested grumbling.
‘Please ... Mercy!’ Pettigrew cried as Harry approached him, his eyes slightly tinged with red.
‘Mercy? Hm ... we'll see, rat. That's for having imprisoned my godfather, and betraying my parents! Crucio!’ ’Harry shouted once more.
The traitor continued to scream writhing in pain while ‘baby Voldy’ watched the scene, fascinated.
Harry stopped the spell, letting the rat cry and cower. He approached the cauldron near the grave of Tom Riddle Senior, whose fire had been lit when Pettigrew came. Without wasting time, he grabbed the ‘Baby Voldy’ and threw it into the cauldron. He levitated Pettigrew, who screamed in fright, and put him above the cauldron.
With a wand, he levitated a bone from the tomb of Tom Riddle Senior.
‘Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son,’ Harry dropped the bone into the cauldron ‘Flesh of the servant, unwillingly given, you will revive your master.’
He cut off Peter Pettigrew's right hand, making it fall into the cauldron as he cried
‘Blood of the descendant, willingly sacrificed, you will resurrect your family!’ Harry said slashing his hand before dropping a few drops of blood into the cauldron.
He had developed this version of the ritual with Lucius and Sirius, advising him in advance. Peter Pettigrew fell to the ground, and stepped back quickly when he saw the cauldron melt and a dark amalgam taking form. After a few seconds, the amalgam took on an elongated humanoid shape, with a slightly reptilian face, with bright red eyes. Voldemort was back.
‘My wand, Wormtail!’ Voldemort ordered, taking his wand from the trembling hand of the rat.
Voldemort turned around to look at Harry, intrigued. He thought back to the incantation of Harry's ritual. The two looked at each other, vigilant. Voldemort did not perceive any danger, but still remained cautious.
‘Why, Harry Potter, did you help me? I killed your parents!’ Voldemort asked.
‘Before discussing further, would you kindly swallow this? Let's say your form is not very pleasant for the eye and this will help you get your former one back,’ Harry said, handing him a phial of the Philosopher's Stone elixir of life.
Voldemort threw him a suspicious glare as he nodded and took the vial. He swallowed the golden liquid in one go as his eyes widened. Harry was fascinated as Voldemort’s body changed. After two minutes, he looked like a handsome man in his fifties with warm hazel eyes and dark-blond hair, like Petunia.
‘How is it possible? I ... I feel so ... rejuvenated.’ Tom asked.
‘Very simple. The elixir of life is able to repair all damage done to a body, and temporary heal the soul. I assure you, the Horcruxes are still valid.’
Voldemort blinked as he nodded. His thoughts were much clearer.
‘Did you know the real name of Lily Potter? Or even Petunia?’ Harry asked.
Voldemort blinked at the question that he found absurd.
‘Of course, you fool. It was Lily Evans, a Muggleborn! And Petunia Evans, her muggle sister’ Replied Voldemort, amused.
Harry snorted slightly, to the dismay of the Dark Lord, as Pettigrew bowed slightly, shuddering at the laughter.
‘Did the old coot really fool you?’ Harry said, amused.
‘What are you talking about? I tire of this banter!’ Said Voldemort, exhausted by his reincarnation.
‘Very well, as you wish, I’ll go straight to the point. Several years ago, a certain Tom Marvolo Riddle and a certain Melinda Rosier had two daughters, named Lily Merope Riddle and Petunia Marcaunon Riddle. These girls were kidnapped by Dumbledore, and abandoned in a muggle orphanage. Before his father could find them, they were both adopted by a couple, Robert and Janice Evans, naming the girls Lily Jane Evans and Petunia Daisy Evans. These two girls thus passed for muggleborns, or more like Lily passed for a muggleborn and Petunia for a mere muggle. So, how are you doing, granddad?’ Said Harry with an amused smile.
Voldemort looked at him, his eyes wide, before getting upset.
‘You lie! My daughters are dead, Potter!’ said Voldemort.
‘And if I could prove it to you, would you accept the truth?’ Harry asked.
Voldemort looked at him calculatingly, before nodding. Without wasting time, Harry raised his hand to show his Lord's rings, including Slytherin's. Finally, he handed the parchment about his legacy to Voldemort, who took and read it. Soon Voldemort whitened, and seconds later, he turned purple like Vernon’s on his worst days.
‘He shall pay for it! All his Dumbledore’s fault!’ Voldemort shouted.
‘Now that you know the truth, are you ready to listen to my plan?’ Harry asked with a smirk.
Voldemort nodded, but before Harry could say anything, Voldemort casted a powerful Stupefy on the rat, incapacitating him he couldn’t hear. Harry gleefully watched the scene, his eyes remaining red, which amused Voldemort.
‘I'm listening to you, Harold!’ Said the Dark Lord, making Harry groan when he used his real name.
‘Good. To put it simply, we will pretend that you’ve came back from the dead. To do this, you will summon all your Death Eaters except Severus Snape, who is actually Dumbledore's spy.’ Harry raised his hands to calm his grandfather. ‘No need to get your panties in a twist. From what I could glean, Severus is a forced spy as he swore an unbreakable vow to Dumbledore in exchange for protection for my mother, who he was in love with. It's obvious that Dumbledore rolled him in the flour, but nothing can be done at that point!’
Voldemort nodded, understanding the gesture. His trusted death eater had simply fallen into Dumbledore's trap. Quite devious…
‘Then, I'll fire the old fool from the school, and those I do not like too. Thanks to my inheritance, I naturally own half of Hogwarts, and thanks to Pettigrew, I gained an extra quarter!’ Harry snorted as he watched Cedric's body.
‘What do you mean? How did you manage to get a quarter of Hogwarts?’ Voldemort wondered, very interested in this plan.
Harry burst out laughing as he jumped on Cedric's body, crushing it, intriguing Voldemort by this unusual behaviour.
‘You see, it was not planned at first, but a few months ago, I had to devise a plan. I was in relationship with the corpse you see, Cedric Diggory. However, after the Christmas ball, I saw him cheating on me with a half-Chinese prostitute, sort of Molly Weasley Chinese version. No one make a fool of me!’ Harry explained with a smirk. ‘Anyway, discovering the deception, and not liking that someone tried to deceive me like that, I decided to take revenge. I went to Gringotts to inquire about his family, and you know what? I discovered that the Diggories actually have two lordships. Theirs, and that of Hufflepuff. If I understood correctly, the Diggories are descendant of the first son of Helga Hufflepuff, and the Smiths of second one. Till now, do you follow me?’
Voldemort nodded, rolling his eyes at Harry's language.
‘We decided to investigate further on the heirs of Helga Hufflepuff. We then discovered the Smiths were ineligible for any Hufflepuff legacy as they were the illegitimate descendants of Helga Hufflepuff. I then discovered that the founders had provided for a clause in case of extinction of lineage. If ever one of the founding lineages dies out, then the entire inheritance of the extinct lineage will be distributed among the remaining lineages of the other founders. And the rat has filled his part in my plan, as you can see. That's it! You have in front of you the new Lord Hufflepuff!’ Harry shouted, opening his arms wide with a sadistic smile.
Voldemort was shocked by such a master stroke, then he burst out into a frightening laugh (except for Harry). He almost writhed in pain so much he laughed. 'My grandson is worthy of Slytherin,' he thought.
‘And what about the rest of your plan?’ Voldemort asked.
‘Oh, yes, I almost forgot!’ Harry said, blushing slightly. ‘For the rest, it's very simple. Once Dumbledore is released from Hogwarts, I know he's going to want to bring back his Order of the flaming Chicken to life, and he's going to want to set up his small group at my godfather's, but we're going to refuse. If I'm not mistaken, something that has never happened before, then they will move to the Weasley's, an easy place to attack. However, there is a problem!’ Exclaimed Harry.
‘And what is this problem?’ Asked the Dark Lord, raising an eyebrow.
‘Very simple, you are the problem, grandfather!’ Harry pointed at him.
Voldemort blinked a few times as he watched Harry's puny smile.
‘How? Explain yourself!’ He asked.
‘Very simple. The problem is your horcruxes. Yes, I know everything about your horcruxes, and frankly, I understand the gesture, on the other hand, you did not take into account the negative effects of Horcruxes, the loss of your humanity by the way. I know that for you it does not represent much, but tell yourself that your humanity represents your emotions, and also your logical thinking abilities. So, every Horcrux made you lose your humanity, and therefore your ability to think properly. It must be remedied one way or another!’ said Harry.
Voldemort looked at Harry, surprised that he knew anything about the horcruxes. He had actually noticed a loss of his inhibitions following the creation of horcrux.
‘Shan't the elixir heal me?’, asked the Dark lord.
‘Only for a time.’, answered Harry.
‘Well, what are your solutions?’ He asked curiously.
‘There are two possibilities. The first is to kill you and destroy each horcrux. The second is to gather all your horcrux remaining and to launch a Latin incantation that I found in the books of Black, Anima mea est reditus. I leave you the choice, but hey, I'd rather keep you alive. And then, I found a solution to immortality, so you have nothing to fear! And from what I know about horcruxes, the two destroyed went back to your soul…Maybe that’s why you were able to think of this plan…’Harry explained with a smile.
Voldemort's expression was unreadable. The Dark Lord pondered Harry's proposal for a long time, the second of course, as he refused to die or kill his grandson to protect himself.
‘A solution? What solution?’ he asked.
‘Well ... Say your quest for the Philosopher's Stone is not as much a failure as you think. I managed to grab it and stashed it in my personal vault in Gringotts, far from everyone's eyes. So, what do you choose, grandpa?’ Harry asked, stirring nervously.
‘Fine, I shall absorb back my horcruxes, but I will consume the elixir of life as soon as I have recovered my soul to heal me properly and keep my appearance. But how did you know about the ritual?’ Voldemort asked in a flash of lucidity.
Harry whitened, realizing that if he did not explain himself well, Lucius would be punished.
‘You see, when I went to Gringotts and learned everything about my heritage, I made contact with Lucius Malfoy. I then discovered that the Dark Mark was blood-related, ours, so I forced him to reveal everything to me, and all of the Death Eaters began to serve me, except Pettigrew who did not as he was not aware, and Snape as Dumbledore controls him’ Harry lied, hoping that Voldemort did not see through it.
Voldemort looked at him sceptically before nodding.
‘Well, at least, I do not need to introduce you. And do not worry, Lucius will not suffer, or at least not much. Now, go back to Hogwarts, I think you have a funeral to organize, right? I will probably try to come, just to see the funeral and ‘comfort’ my grandson! And then it would be an opportunity for the Diggories to join their son!’ Voldemort Said, laughing at the end.
Harry could only laugh back. Right after that, he forced himself to let go of a few tears to make himself credible, and went to Cedric's body just before launching an Accio on the cup, thus transporting them directly to the entrance to the labyrinth where he was received with fanfare before horrified cries could be heard at the sight of Cedric's body.
Harry continued to ‘cry,’ and was joined by Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, Ludo Bagman, Olympus Maxime, Igor Karkaroff, and Amos Diggory.
‘My son! It's my son!’ Shouted Amos Diggory as he rushed over Cedric's body, while Sirius and Remus went to “comfort” Harry.
‘What happened my boy?’ Dumbledore asked, expecting Harry to yell about Voldemort's return.
‘He ... He has ... He killed him! He killed my husband!’ Harry gasped, everyone listening to him.
‘Who did it, my boy? Who killed Cedric? Is it Voldemort?’ Dumbledore asked ecstatically.
Harry managed to hide a sadistic smile. They were joined by Cornelius Fudge, Amelia Bones and two aurors. He set up his plan.
‘No! It's Krum, I saw him, and he killed my husband as we grabbed the trophy!’ Harry accused, pointing at Victor Krum, who seemed shocked.
‘What?’ Amos Shrieked, turning to Krum.
‘Do you have any proof, Mr. Potter?’ Karkaroff asked, indignant and at the same time frightened, probably because of his dark mark that had awakened.
‘He cast the unforgivable of death, check his wand!’ Harry yelled with “teary” eyes.
Without losing a second, Cornelius Fudge and Amelia Bones headed for Victor Krum, who was petrified, while the two aurors surrounded the poor boy. Amelia cast a Priori Incantatem on Krum's wand and let out a gasp. The last five spells posted up over the wand were: Diffindo, Incendio, Crucio, Crucio, and Avada Kedavra. The evidence was overwhelming, and the Cruciatus Curse had been launched against Fleur Delacour and Cedric Diggory respectively, and the Avada Kedavra on Cedric Diggory.
Harry knew that the Priori Incantatem had a flaw, only revealing the name of the target, but didn’t tell whether the spell had actually reached its target. In just three seconds, Krum was arrested by the aurors and embarked, under the vehement protests of Karkaroff and most students in Durmstrang. As for the pupils of Beauxbatons and Hogwarts, they booed Krum, insulting him with names some more sordid than others.
Harry turned to Amos with a “sorry” face.
‘I'm really sorry I could not protect him, Amos. I tried everything, but I did not think he would cast such a spell!’ Harry said.
‘I ... I understand, Harry. I guess you must be shocked, as much as me, since you were married. Will you help me organizing his funeral?’ Amos asked, trying to stop himself from bursting into tears again.
They heard hiccups of surprise around them, surely those who did not know about Cedric and Harry's marriage, consolidating his innocence.
‘Of course, Amos. I'd like in fact pay for the burial.’ Harry proposed.
Amos turned around and wrapped Harry in a fierce hug, much to his chagrin.
‘Oh thanks, Harry, thank you! You’ll be a perfect Lord Diggory, I'm sure,’ Amos said, crying.
Harry had a hard time preventing himself from smiling, but he noticed Dumbledore's wary look, and especially, the amused look from ‘Mad-Eye’ in the distance, to whom he winked. The latter immediately understood the message and went to join his master.
Several minutes later, Fudge decided to give the prize to Harry while congratulating him, as Dumbledore kept telling everyone that it was probably Voldemort's work and that he was back.
As for Harry, He left with Sirius and Remus, returning to Grimmauld, being excused from the end of year exams. No sooner had he arrived in the Manor than he burst out laughing, crying tears of joy, almost falling to the ground so much he laughed, under the amused and slightly worried eyes of Remus and Sirius. One thing was certain, Dumbledore was going to pay dearly for everything he had done, and all his minions too.
Harry looked at his wedding band, before taking it off and throwing it into the fireplace, under the astonished looks of Kreacher and Dobby, who had just arrived.
‘Master?’ Kreacher asked.
‘Oh, Kreacher. Don’t forget to prepare clothes for the burial of my ex-husband, I must be presentable. After all, it's a unique occasion!’ Said Harry before leaving.
‘Yes, master,’ replied Kreacher, obediently.
The two house elves looked at each other after Harry's departure before shrugging it off. After all, among the Blacks, it was not the first time a relationship ended in death.
* end flashback *
Thus, ended his fourth year. Harry snickered as he thought about it, and looked at the Hufflepuff ring with pleasure. The day of the burial was quite interesting, as Voldemort came in the disguised form of a lambda person to attend the funeral, and most importantly, kill the other Diggories, which then allowed Harry to get his splendid new ring.
He went to Malfoy Manor, where his grandfather lived, to discuss the process, and most importantly, to finalize his plan. The latter did not waste time and recovered his horcrux that he reintegrated to his body, even the one in Harry's scar, before giving the Gaunt's ring to Harry as Lord Gaunt, unknowingly giving the Stone of Resurrection to his grandson. Then they used the elixir of life to give him a human appearance and fully heal his soul.
Voldemort decided to reuse his original name for his public appearances. Tom Marvolo Riddle was back, and only Harry, Lucius, Dumbledore, and he knew the truth about his name. He was, however, very angry when he learned of the destruction of one of his horcrux because of his right-hand. Lucius was put under the Cruciatus for one minute then pardoned.
Finally, Harry received interesting news from Lucius, just before he entered fifth grade and fired Dumbledore. The Minister had planned to place his undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge, as a professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Harry did not fail to develop a new facet to his plan, a much more fun facet. The goal was very simple: to bring down the Ministry and create something new, bigger.
He went to the Ministry with Lucius, directly to Fudge's office, who was delighted to see his two favourite sponsors.
* Flashback *
11/08/1995
Harry and Lucius entered the office of Cornelius Fudge, who was quietly chatting with Dolores Umbridge about his plan for the inquisition. His eyes widened as he saw Lucius Malfoy and Harry, then smiled which was not the case for Dolores Umbridge, who was suspicious of their arrival.
‘Minister, I'm glad to see you. We have much to talk about!’ Harry said with a friendly smile.
‘Lucius, Harry, glad to see you. Oh, here's my secretary, Dolores Umbridge!’ Fudge said, motioning to Dolores.
‘Lord Malfoy, Prince Harry, nice to meet you!’ Dolores greeted his with a ‘friendly’ smile.
Lucius and Harry nodded briefly before focusing on Fudge. Despite her ugliness, Harry was quite please by her decorum.
‘I informed my dear friend, Harry, about your project in relation to Hogwarts. He has, however, informed me of interesting changes that will force a change in your plans, Cornelius!’ Lucius drawled.
‘Indeed. I understand that you desire to establish Mrs. Umbridge as a teacher at Hogwarts to monitor Dumbledore, following his statements about Voldemort’s return, is that right?’ Harry asked.
The three adults flinched slightly at Voldemort's mention, then Fudge nodded.
‘This will unfortunately not be possible. As I’m emancipated and took my lordships, I also took control of Hogwarts and its surroundings, and so I decide who has the right to stay or not. I also specify that the Ministry has no jurisdiction at Hogwarts and therefore cannot intervene. However, I have a plan that might interest you. Will you listen?’ Harry asked.
‘We are listening, of course,’ Cornelius said, slightly pale.
‘Very good. I'm just going to make it easy for us and publicly fire Dumbledore on the first day, in front of all students and humiliate him. I will take the opportunity to expel some unwanted teachers such as Sybil Trelawney, a fraud, and exorcise the history teacher who has been ramming the same thing for years. As a result, you will not need to monitor Hogwarts, as the unwanted persons will have been taken care of. Do you understand?’ Harry said with a slightly threatening tone.
‘And who shall be the Headmaster of Hogwarts? And replacements for teachers, your grace?’ Dolores asked with her too-sweet voice.
‘I already took care of it. I have decided to introduce my godfather, the Lord Black, as teacher of Defence Against the Dark Arts. As a former auror, he is more than qualified for the job. For the post of professor of history, I decided that Remus Lupin, a werewolf would be perfect, then ...,’ began Harry.
‘A half-breed? It is against the law, your grace.’ Dolores interrupted, whitening at Harry's dark glare.
‘I am the owner of Hogwarts, and I am the law at Hogwarts. Anyway, your law will be dissolved at the next Wizengamot session, as I have the majority of the votes. As I said, before being rudely interrupted, I decided to create a new teaching position at Hogwarts, that of professor of etiquette in the wizarding world and history of wizarding's families. This post will be entrusted to Narcissa Malfoy and mandatory for all muggleborns and half-blooded students who have not lived in the wizarding world. Another course, Politic and Economy, will be taught by Lucius here, and mandatory starting fifth year. Finally, clubs will be restored in Hogwarts!’ Harry said, opening his arms in a grand fashion.
Fudge seemed to like the news, approving Harry's reforms with conviction, while Dolores didn’t like the titbit about Remus. Even though she didn’t like it, she smiled and approved.
‘But who will be the Headmaster?’ Fudge Asked.
Harry and Lucius chuckled.
‘Well, it will be none other than one of my distant cousins, a pureblood, named Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was an exemplary student at Hogwarts, the best in every class, and received all the honours. He is first and foremost a professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, and will surely assist Sirius when he has time. As you can see, I have everything handled, well, about Hogwarts of course. But you'll have to deal with Dumbledore's group!’ Harry said.
‘What do you mean?’ Fudge asked.
‘As you may know, Dumbledore created his small group of vigilantes, the Order of the Phoenix. We must take care of it. Of course, some individuals in this group will have to be punished, but not all. We already have some members’ names. Do you want to know them?’ Lucius intervened.
Fudge nodded sharply, seeing Dumbledore as a threat. Lucius handed him a sheet with various names. Fudge did not waste time and read the names then frowned.
‘By Merlin’s Beard! Most of them are Ministry’s employees!’ He shouted outraged.
‘Indeed. You will notice that the majority are aurors, which explains their lack of efficiency, hindered by Dumbledore, they cannot do a correct job. As you can see, you hired as second secretary the son of one of them, Percy Weasley. We did, however, find a solution for some!’ Lucius said.
‘Really?’ Dolores asked, quite astonished.
‘Indeed, Mrs. Umbridge. For example, we know the Weasleys joined Dumbledore for economic reasons, and apart from Molly Weasley, and her two children, Ronald and Ginevra, it would be easy to get them away from Dumbledore,’ Harry explained. ‘We only need to promote Arthur Weasley and give him a more adapted position, better remunerated, and making him understand that he will have much more if he came to inform us about the behaviour of Dumbledore. I know, for example, that the Weasley twins will be happy to reveal everything to me, especially since I became their investor in their joke shop. So, you understand that there is no need to launch an inquisition against all of Dumbledore's followers, because that would alert him. Instead, we need to get his followers away from him, understand?’
Fudge reflected on this perspective, which he appreciated. Why attack Dumbledore directly when you can simply destroy his base of power, step by step, removing all support. He nodded, but announced his financial concern.
‘I fully understand the purpose, but we do not have sufficient funds to set up all that. How will we finance it?’ asked the Minister of Magic.
Lucius and Harry smiled mysteriously.
‘Well, I guess a donation is a must, don't you think, Lucius?’ Harry said innocently.
‘Exactly, Harry. How much do you think we should offer?’ Lucius answered back with a smirk.
Fudge had literally Galleons in his eyes when he heard the word ‘donation’, just like Umbridge.
‘I suppose one million Galleons should be enough!’ Said Harry with a big carnivorous smile.
Fudge's eyes came out of their sockets in the face of such a donation. Knowing that his salary was 500 Galleons a month, and that the Ministry was spending a total of 250,000 Galleons a year, 1,000,000 Galleons was considered an incredible sum and would allow for the implementation of various projects.
‘Excellent idea, Harry. So, Cornelius, does that suit you?’ Lucius asked in a drawling voice.
Cornelius Fudge lost no time and jumped from his chair, nodding his head vigorously, shaking Lucius' and Harry's hand tightly.
‘Marvellous, and most generous of you. I'll be sure to announce it to the Daily Prophet, that I can promise,’ Fudge said.
‘Perfect. In this case, we have to go, after all, tomorrow we have a Wizengamot session and we will have to deal with some laws. See you again, Fudge!’ Harry replied with a small smirk as he looked at Umbridge.
Surprisingly enough, Umbridge didn’t react.
‘Of course, of course. I bid you farewell Harry, Lucius. And thank you again!’ Said Fudge with a sly smile.
Harry and Lucius left the Minister's office, amused by Fudge's stupidity. After all, thanks to the Philosopher's Stone, Harry could have as much gold as he wanted.
* end flashback *
The next day, Harry, Lucius, and Sirius went to the Wizengamot to dissolve the anti-werewolf law, and were immediately supported by the Dark faction, but also the neutrals and most of the Light faction. It was a total victory for Harry, and Remus was very happy to hear that he could now work, especially when Harry announced his new job at Hogwarts.
Finally, it was the 1st September 1995, and Harry was ecstatic.