Harry was back on the stage in short order to find both Diggory and Krum were back. Both were surprised to see him.
"Harry?" asked Diggory. "Just when did you get back?"
"Cedric, I never left," he replied.
"You... didn't... even try the Task?"
Harry gave him a long look and said, "I stood on the edge of the dock, raised my wand and cast, 'Accio my Firebolt.' I only had to wait about fifteen seconds for it to shoot out of the water and fly to my hand."
Diggory's expression became pained while Krum, who'd been listening in, face-palmed himself and muttered something in Bulgarian or something. From the tone, it sounded offensive.
"Damn it, Harry," whined Diggory.
"Hey," he said. "It's not my fault you forgot you were a wizard."
When the points were announced this time, it wasn't Bagman doing the announcing, it was the new bloke from the DIMC.
Krum received forty eight; he was two minutes late. Diggory received forty five; three minutes late. And Fleur received twenty five; for at least being on the right track with a Bubblehead charm. And, as demanded, Harry received five points; one each from each judge.
The IMC bloke, Snodway, announced the next Task to take place on the twenty fourth of June, in four months time, and bid everyone a safe trip back to wherever.
"Bastards," Harry muttered. "It makes more bloody sense to hold it on the twenty fourth of May, not June. We should've taken the Express back to London about two weeks earlier than that."
He didn't realise Diggory had heard him until the 'Puff said, "I couldn't agree more. Bloody idiots."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
When Harry made it back to the tent he told Fleur the scores. He had no idea the girls had been laughing between themselves until about a minute before he returned.
Fleur sighed and said, "I should 'ave got a zero."
"Hey," he said. "You put in the effort and did well until you were attacked by the grindylows. Not your fault."
"Do you know if someone went and got my 'what I'll miss the most'?" she asked.
"No idea," he asked. "I'll ask Madam Marchbanks about it later for you, if you like. She likes me."
"You could summon it, Harry," suggested Hermione.
"Hmm..." he said, thinking it over. Looking to Fleur, he asked, "This thing you would miss the most, what is it?"
Fleur's hand rose to between her breasts and, lightly grazing her upper chest with her fingertips, said, "My locket. It was a gift from my grandmere. It 'as two peectures een it. On one side it 'as a picture of my mozz... my mother and my father. The oth-air, is a peecture of my grandmere and my leetle sister, Gabrielle."
"Describe it for me," he demanded.
"It eez a gold chain with a gold locket," she began. "Zee locket is shaped like a large love 'eart. It is 'inged on one zide and 'as a small clasp on zee ozzer. The 'eart izz abou' an inch and a 'alf in size."
"Right; give me another couple minutes," he said, before turning around and jogging out of the tent again.
"Where iz 'e going?" she asked.
"Down to the edge of the lake to summon your locket," replied Daphne.
She was grinning. Actually, both girls were grinning.
"Y-you are see-rious?" asked a shocked Fleur. "'E's going to summon eet?"
Both nodded back.
Less than a minute later, Harry walked back in, offering it to her. "That was a lot easier than summoning my broom. I really had to fight to hold my wand when I did that."
"You summoned eet?" she asked. "Your broom?"
Before anyone else could reply, Pol did. "He did, my flow-air. Eet waz a most eempressive piece of mageek."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Fleur was allowed to leave the hospital tent to return to the castle a little while later. However, she didn't stay long. Her mother had taken a 'suite' at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade and Fleur had decided to stay with her, with her Headmistress's reluctant permission.
Harry also later found out that Headmistress Maxime had copped a bollocking from Madam Bones for her actions in interfering with the medical treatment of Fleur. Maxime had claimed she thought 'The Potter boy' was not being helpful. And was immediately disabused of that notion.
It was that and Lady Apolline staring the woman down, which allowed Fleur to spend the night with her mother at the Three Broomsticks. The rest of the Beauxbatons contingent, along with Maxime, portkeyed back to France via the Ministry that afternoon; as did the Durmstrang contingent.
As for Harry, he too copped a bit of a bollocking off Madam Bones. This time for making everyone look like daft morons again.
In response he said, "I do not make people look like daft morons, Madam Bones. They do that, themselves. I just point it out with easily understandable concepts and demonstrations.
"Bagman and company, being daft morons, is what nearly got Fleur Delacour killed. If they had simply taken the time to review what they were doing... thought it through... what happened to her today was, as I said, completely avoidable.
"To me, Bagman and company are guilty of gross negligence occasioning bodily harm. I don't know about the magical world, but I know that's a crime in the muggle world. I have no sense of guilt for pointing out how much I think the idiot a daft moron.
"The fact he holds a Directorship of a Ministerial department proves to me Fudge was just as big a daft moron as I thought him to be."
Bones gave that pinched nose bridge with the offhand and furrowed brow expression that told Harry she was frustrated and couldn't do anything about it.
"Very well," she sighed. "However, you're racking up a great deal of enemies."
"I've got plenty already," he shrugged. "The Death Eaters are at that top of that list, I'm sure. As for Bagman; it's not difficult to win a battle of wits when your opponent only has half."
That had her give a snort of amusement, before she looked at him and said, "Clever."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
The next morning, the Heirs walked down to the Great Hall and were met by both Delacours in the entrance hall, where they were clearly waiting for them.
Fleur was again wearing her Beauxbatons uniform.
On seeing the Heirs, Fleur's face lit up in pleasure.
"Bon matin!" she said. "Good morning!"
"Bonjour," said Hermione, with Daphne only half a heartbeat behind.
The others, including Harry, said, "Good morning."
"We need to leave," said Pol. "'Owev-air, Fleur wished to properly say goodbye."
Fleur crossed the few steps to Harry that now separated the two groups, raised both hands to cup his head at the neck and gently applied a kiss to each cheek.
Pulling back a little, she looked him right in the eyes and said, "Thank you."
"You're very welcome," he smiled.
"Now," said Pol. "We must be off. Thair is a time diff-air-ronce between 'ere and Beauxbatons. Zey air one 'our ahead."
"Of course, maman," said Fleur, turning back to her.
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