Marchbanks, from where she had remained at the desk because she knew not to get in the way, turned to Bagman and said, "Ludovic; you will be bringing everything relating to the Third Task to me in my office, after we complete this Task. I will be reviewing all of it. If I think you've failed to cover the safety aspects of the event, I'll be asking Minister Brunt to sack your bum."
From where he was trying to almost hide under the table, Bagman muttered, "Errr... yes, Lady Marchbanks."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
When Harry walked off the stage for a second time, he headed directly for the medical tent. Thankfully, the crowds that were there had dispersed, leaving only aurors and a photographer for the Daily Prophet.
He was just in time to be met by Hermione and Daphne, who had obviously had a pretty fair idea what he would do after leaving the stage.
"Ladies," he said, still slightly scowling.
"Did you have to go rub their faces in it again, Harry," asked Daphne.
"They deserved it," he muttered.
As he was talking he could see a small beetle rest in Daphne's hair on her hairclip. As he started speaking, it had turned from looking in the direction of the tent behind her, to somewhat facing him.
While that was odd, the fact it was February and the beetle was there was even more so.
He reached up and flicked it away.
Outside the tent stood an auror, Master Auror Connie Hammer, clearly on guard.
Harry approached her and asked, "Are we allowed to enter?"
Hammer hesitated a moment before she said, "Wait one, please." And stuck her head inside.
A few seconds later she pulled it back out, stepped aside and pulled the tent flap open as she did so. "In ya go," she quietly said.
"Thank you, Master Auror," said Harry, leading both girls in.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Inside the tent, Fleur was looking a great deal better. For a start, she was awake. Next, all the claw marks and scratches had been healed. She was also sitting propped up.
As soon as she saw Harry, her face transformed from one of unhappiness to a wide, beaming smile. "'Arry!" she quietly said.
"Hello, Fleur," he said back, walking over. Indicating Hermione he said, "You may remember Hermione?"
"Of course," she said, giving Hermione a smile and a nod.
Turning to Daphne, he said, "And this is Daphne Greengrass, Heiress Presumptive of the Noble and Ancient House of Greengrass."
"Fleur Delacour," said Fleur indicating herself. "'Eiress of the Venerable 'Ouse of Delacour; but, please call me Fleur."
"Daphne," said Daphne, with a slight nod of acknowledgement.
Fleur then gestured to the woman who was standing on the other side of the bed and had tried to hug Harry to death in gratitude earlier, and said, "And zis is my mozzer, Lady Apolline Delacour."
"Pol," the woman immediately said, smiling to both girls.
"Hermione/Daphne" his girls said in return.
Looking to Fleur, Harry said, "You had us worried. If it wasn't for quick thinking on medi-wizard Robinson's part―"
Robinson gave a slight snort and said, "Rubbish! I'd have not stood a chance to heal her if it wasn't for you. You got her out of the water and into my hands faster than could be expected. Then it was you, who informed me of her being Veela; something I was not made aware of and should have been. It was you, who immediately started casting powerful warming charms on her, allowing her own magic to help what I was doing. And it was you, who thought to use a coughing charm to force her to get rid of the remaining water out of her lungs and breathing again, even though she was unconscious at the time and barely, if even that, breathing at all.
"Clever trick, that last one. I'll be notifying Saint Mungo's and the Healer's Collegiate of its effectiveness.
"No, Lord Potter," he smiled. "I do not believe I would have been successful in saving her life if it was not for you thinking things through and coming up with fast solutions."
Harry immediately blushed and looked away.
Fleur gave him a peculiar look, which had Daphne snicker. She said, "He's cute when he blushes like that, isn't he?"
Fleur smiled back. "Oui."
Losing the smile she asked, "Did you manage to find my wand when―" And blushed herself.
"Oh!" he said. "Silly me."
Quickly spinning away and trotting out of the tent, he jogged down to the stands - where people were still waiting for the other two champions to surface - and walked out onto the stage.
He simply raised his wand and quietly cast, "Accio Fleur's wand."
A few seconds later a wand flew at him from the water and he caught it with his offhand. He spun around and, still ignoring everyone, trotted back to the hospital tent, walking back in a few moments later.
Offering it to her, wandgrip first, he said, "A simple summoning charm found it."
She gratefully accepted it and quietly said, "Thank you." No accent, that time.
He never noticed; but, Hermione and Daphne did.
Trying to think of a topic to talk about, he asked, "Do you know you're only the second witch to ever ride my broom?"
When she looked at him in, what he thought was surprise but was actually shock at what he'd said, she didn't respond.
"Yep," he said. "Hermione rode my broom from behind, but you're the first on the front, even if you were bent over at the time."
While the two Veela ladies couldn't believe what he was saying, he couldn't see either Daphne or Hermione slightly behind him, blushing and trying to hide their faces.
"Maybe next time, you can sit astraddle it properly and I promise I'll give you a good ride," he said. "But, please try and not scream in my ear like Hermione did. And, I wasn't even trying anything too... ummm... strenuous, either. I don't know what she'd be like if I really went to town."
Just then, Hammer stuck her head in through the flap and called, "Lord Potter?"
Harry spun and asked, "Hmm?"
"You're wanted down at the stage," she said. "They're announcing points."
He frowned and said, "I really don't care―"
"Go, Harry!" said Hermione, with a voice that sounded strangely strangled. "Go find out Fleur's points for her."
"Oh, alright," he said. "I can do that. Back in a couple minutes!" And he hurried out.
As soon as he was gone, Hermione threw up a massive privacy ward and immediately roared with laughter. Daphne was right behind her.
Pol said, "Errr... Her-my-nee?"
Daphne recovered first. "Believe it or not," she gasped. "Harry was really talking about his broom. His Firebolt."
While Daphne wasn't surprised, both Veela didn't seem to blush at all.
"So," said Fleur, "'E wasn't being... forwaird?"
Hermione just shook her head back, still trying to stifle the giggles. She was red in the face and had tears in her eyes.
Daphne explained, "While Harry is really incredibly smart, when it comes to the... fairer sex? He's really quite naïve."
"Clueless," said Hermione, nodding.
"So, all that―?" asked Fleur.
"He really was inviting you to ride his broom with him. His Firebolt," nodded Daphne, with a grin.
"Mmmm... Pity," said Fleur.
That had both girls look at her in shock.
"We aire Veela, ladies," said Pol. "Zink about it."
.
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