Chapter 8
(A/N: From this point forward, the MFBI will be renamed to the MIB, for Magical Investigation Bureau, and the MIB will be the MIA, for Magical Intelligence Agency. I think this will make more sense with the MIB being referred to as the Men in Black compared to what I previously wrote. I'll try to go back and fix previous chapters when I get a chance.)
Harry stumbled out of the floor and once again braced himself for a painful meeting with the concrete floor of the Washington D.C. Union Station. However, instead of meeting the unforgiving floor, he felt like he'd landed on a nice fluffy mattress. Peeking open first one eye and then the other, he pushed himself up, watching as the floor sank under his hands in a way that was indicative of a Spongify Charm. Looking up, he smiled at the tall, dark-skinned man standing over him, wand in hand.
"Thanks, Frank," Harry smiled.
"Good morning, Harry," Frank replied before turning his gaze back to the platform.
Grabbing his trunk, Harry moved out of the way just a moment before Dora stepped out of the Floo. She walked out perfectly fine and sent a small smirk in his direction when she spotted him dusting off his clothes. The moment she stepped on the Spongify Charm, she stumbled and windmilled her arms. With a squawk, she dropped her trunk and landed on her butt. Fortunately, she was still on the Charm when she did.
"Hey, Frank," Dora greeted him with a sigh. "I take it this was your handiwork?"
"It was," Frank said, reversing the Charm and helping her to her feet. "My apologies, Tonks."
"No problem," Dora smiled. "I'm used to falling. Oh, wait until you see Sirius. You're going to love this."
Harry snickered to himself as he grabbed a cart and loaded their trunks onto it. Ted stepped out of the Floo next, followed by Andi and, finally, Sirius. In contrast to his normally scruffy, unbothered appearance, he'd trimmed his goatee, his hair was moused back, and he smelled strongly of the cologne Dora and Harry had gotten him for Christmas several years ago. As far as they were aware, it was the first time he'd actually worn it.
Instead of his MIB suit, Sirius wore black slacks, a dress shirt, and a blazer. He'd deliberately taken the day off from work, and while he told the family that it was so he could see Harry and Dora off to school, they were convinced it was because he couldn't shut up about seeing Marlene again.
The two had been exchanging letters by owl every couple of days since they'd gotten back from the Dueling tournament. When the family owl, Archimedes, had gotten too exhausted to keep making the trip after two weeks of back and forth from Nevada to New York, Sirius managed to cajole Levina into delivering it for him. When Marlene notified him that his last letter had arrived soaked from a sudden thunderstorm that had knocked out power for several hours, he hadn't tried again. Instead, he went out and bought a short-eared owl that they'd named Plato. He was specifically bred to fly long distances.
Sirius tried to argue he'd gotten him to make the flights to Salem, but no one believed him.
"Morning, Frank," Sirius said, patting the larger man on the shoulder distractedly as he gazed around the platform.
"Good Morning," Frank said, arching an eyebrow over the top of the frame of his black sunglasses.
"We got here early. I don't think she's here yet," Dora told him.
"What? Who?" Sirius replied quickly, turning away from the platform. "I wasn't looking for anyone. I was just, you know, making sure there weren't any problems."
"Uh-huh, sure," Harry said, looking around his shoulder. "Oh, look, there she is. Hi Marlene!"
Sirius' head snapped around so fast his neck popped. As he looked around excitedly, Harry and Dora burst into laughter. Realizing he'd been played, Sirius folded his arms over his chest and grumbled softly to himself. With a chuckle, Ted clapped him on the shoulder and led him onto the platform. The adults took seats and chatted with the other parents they knew while Harry and Dora went to catch up with their friends.
Harry had just greeted Amanda with a hug and an appreciative glance that earned him a wink when Dora elbowed him. At first, he thought she was just trying to get them to stop flirting, but then he noticed her nodding her chin towards the Floo. Following her gaze, he grinned as he watched Marlene and Jenna step onto the platform.
Sirius had spotted them as well. Standing up suddenly, he ran a hand through his hair, took a nervous breath, and plastered a roguish grin on his face. Grabbing Dora by the hand, Harry darted behind one of the pillars so they could listen in.
"Marlene!" Sirius yelled, smiling widely.
"Hello, Sirius," Marlene greeted him with a smile as they met in the middle of the platform. "Look at you all cleaned up. What poor woman do you have your sights set on today?"
"Oh, no one," Sirius said, running a hand through his hair again. "Just decided it was time to look a little more professional for work, you know? You look great, too, by the way. Hi, Jenna. Excited to start at Ilvermorny?"
Smiling shyly, Jenna nodded.
"She's a bit nervous," Marlene said, smiling softly at her daughter. "Are Harry and Tonks around? I was hoping to ask them if they'd show her around the school a bit when she gets there."
"They should be around here somewhere," Sirius said, looking over his shoulder.
Sharing a look, Harry and Dora shared a mischievous grin as they stepped out from around the pillar.
"We're right here," Dora said, grinning.
Walking up to Jenna, she wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Why don't Harry and I introduce you to some of our friends while these two catch up?" she asked. "It's been what, a whole three days since Sirius wrote her a letter. I bet he has so much new stuff to tell her."
"That's a great idea. Why don't you two introduce her to your friends? Now," Sirius said with a pointed look.
"Sure," Dora grinned, leading Jenna away. "Oh, and Sirius just bought a special long-distance owl if you ever need to send a letter home. He's really fast."
Harry smirked as Sirius glared at the back of her head.
"Hey, Sirius, since you took the whole day off from work, could you ask the guy at the bookstore if they can order that dueling book for me, and I'll pick it up on the first Salem visit?" he asked.
"Sure, kiddo," Sirius said, pushing him away and blushing slightly as Marlene arched her brow.
Grinning, Harry walked away.
"So, this is to look more professional at work, is it?" Marlene asked just before he was out of earshot.
Two months into the school year, at half past two in the morning, Harry crept out of his bed. Dressed in all black, he silently unlocked his trunk, opened a hidden compartment in the back, and pulled out a sleek, polished black broom with a wristwatch strapped to the handle. Closing his trunk softly and locking it back up, he snuck down to the common room, peeking around the corner to make sure it was empty. When he saw no one, he pulled a black balaclava from his pocket and donned it before making his way over to the nearest window.
Harry was hit by a blast of winter air that made him shiver before mounting his broom. The built-in Protective Charms wrapped around him, blocking out the cold and wind as he flew outside, closing the window behind him with a casual flick of his wand. Practically invisible against the dark, moonless sky, he headed out towards the Atlantic at incredible speed. Staying low to the ground, he turned South as soon as he hit the coast.
He deliberately stayed under the sound barrier so he didn't give himself away too soon. It took him just under half an hour to fly the four hundred and sixty miles to his destination. Pulling up sharply, Harry turned west and accelerated, rattling windows in Delaware as he rapidly passed over the state. Just as he was nearing the center of Washington, D.C., two riders on Lockheed X-87 brooms rose rapidly to meet him. In moments, they were pacing him on either side.
"HALT!" one of them shouted, his voice carrying over the wind thanks to an Amplification Charm. "UNITED STATES AURORS! STOP NOW, OR YOU WILL BE FIRED UPON!"
Harry grinned under his balaclava. It was time to find out what his new broom was made of.
Leaning forward, he accelerated hard, forcing the Aurors to do the same. As they pushed the speeds higher, Harry glanced down at the watch he'd strapped to the handle of the broom. Rather than keep track of the time, this watch kept track of his speed. Michelle had helped him design it, though he doubted she expected him to use it like this. The hour hand told him what Mach he was at, the minute hand the points, and the second hand marked his altitude in increments of one thousand.
He knew Lockheed had improved his design at least slightly as he watched their speeds increase to Mach two-point-five.
"YOU CAN'T OUTRUN US! STOP NOW!" the Auror shouted.
Smirking, Harry pushed his broom harder. As the X-87s started to buck and slow as they neared Mach three, he kept accelerating. He could have gone even faster, but he wasn't done testing his broom quite yet. A red, sizzling, Stunning Hex sailed harmlessly over his shoulder as Harry pulled the nose up and started to climb rapidly. The Aurors followed, their hands too busy controlling their brooms to keep casting.
Higher and higher, they climbed, rocketing towards the low-lying cloud cover. As the second hand ticked closer to one on the watch face, denoting ten thousand feet, he glanced over his shoulder. One Auror had already pulled off, but the other was doggedly pursuing him. As they passed eleven thousand feet, the Auror began to shake his head, his broom weaving slightly in the air. Unfortunately for him, it looked like Lockheed hadn't thought to incorporate a Bubblehead Charm into the shield.
Just as his watch ticked past twelve thousand feet, the Auror lost consciousness and fell from his broom. With a curse, Harry stopped and wheeled around to chase after him. He wanted to test his broom, not get an Auror killed. Diving down, he rapidly caught up to the man. Before he could reach out to grab him, the man's body twisted and warped into nothingness.
Harry blinked in surprise before quickly realizing that he must have been wearing a protective talisman. Before he could contemplate the man's safety further, another Stunning Hex flew over his head. In his dive, he'd gone low enough for the other Auror to catch up to him, and he'd brought five of his friends.
Deciding that it was time to leave, Harry turned East and pushed his broom to accelerate. The Aurors kept up for about a minute before he began to out-strip them. By the time he hit Mach three, they were nothing but specks in the distance. As he continued East, more riders rose to meet him. While his broom was more than fast enough to outrun them, he didn't want to get caught like that MIA agent by being too predictable.
Knowing he had an absolute altitude advantage, he climbed to thirty thousand feet to be safe and continued flying, pushing his broom towards Mach four. Harry reached the coast faster than he expected and smiled when he spotted a roiling grey cloud with flashes of lightning in the distance.
"Perfect," he said, smiling to himself.
Flying inside the cloud, he pulled straight up and stepped off his broom, holding it to the side with one hand. His momentum carried him up past forty-five thousand feet, giving him a glimpse of the top of the fluffy grey cloud and the calm, starlit sky above before he fell back down into the growing tempest.
After several seconds, Harry heard a warbling cry and turned over to face the ground as he smiled. A large, grey, shadowy figure dove under him before pulling up to meet his falling body. He landed lightly on Levina's back as she leveled out, a flash of lightning lighting her up for just a moment.
"Woo!" Harry whooped. "Nice catch! Let's go home, girl!"
With a thrill, Levina banked to the side and headed back to Salem.
"I'm sorry, sir," a young, bespeckled wizard said, looking up from the screen in front of him. "He's gone."
"What do you mean he's gone?" a man in his late fifties asked, his forehead wrinkled in consternation.
"We lost him in the storm," the young man replied. "There's nothing on radar or the magic detector. I think the weather might be interfering with the signal. Aurors are on the way to investigate."
"Alert me the moment they find anything," the older man said, straightening up and smoothing out his suit. "I need to go brief the president."
"Yes, sir," the young man replied.
When the storm reached Salem, Harry gave Levina an affectionate pat on the neck and rolled off of her back. Falling through the air, he mounted his broom but didn't actually begin flying until he was dangerously close to the ground. He flew straight back to the school and opened the common room window with a flick of his wand. No one was there to see as he landed almost silently and pulled off his balaclava. Grinning to himself, he crept up the stairs, put away his broom, and changed into his pajamas before crawling into bed.
The missed sleep he would suffer the next day was well worth the night he'd had. Maybe next time, the MIA wouldn't be so quick to risk invading someone else's airspace now that they knew someone could do it to them, too.
The next morning, Harry groggily made his way down to breakfast.
"Rough night?" Dora asked as he took the seat next to her.
"I got engrossed in my new dueling book," he muttered as an excuse. "I think I got three hours of sleep, maybe."
"At least you were studying for once," Michelle said, taking a bite of her toast.
"I study," Harry said defensively. "I just skip over the boring stuff."
Michelle shook her head and opened a book on Transfigurations, Harry's worst subject. He was sure she did it on purpose to tease him.
"Mr. Potter."
Turning, he found Professor Wilkinson standing behind him.
"Good morning, professor," Harry smiled.
"Good morning," the professor smiled. "I'm sorry to pull you away from your breakfast, but the Headmistress has asked to see you."
"Me?" Harry asked, desperately trying to hide his nervousness. "Do you know why?"
"Someone from the government wants to talk to you," Professor Wilkinson answered.
Nodding, Harry got to his feet, reminding himself that there was no way they could know it had been him on that broom for sure. The fact that they were asking to see him and not placing him in cuffs was a pretty good indicator of that. He followed Professor Wilkinson through the school to Professor Turner's office.
As they entered, Harry found a witch and wizard waiting for him with the Headmistress. One was a severe-looking man with short, cropped hair that was greying around the temples. He wore Auror robes, had steel grey eyes, and a shrewd gaze. The woman was in her thirties with blonde hair and a substantial bust. Looking to be in her early thirties, she was quite pretty, and the crest on the breast of her robes marked her as a member of the Magical Congress.
"Good morning, Harry," Professor Turner smiled. "Thank you for coming. This is Mark Majors of the MIA and Congresswoman Natalie Powers. They wanted to talk to you about that broom of yours."
"Sure," Harry said, hiding his nervousness as he took a seat.
"Hello, Harry," Natalie said with a pretty smile. "First of all, I just want to congratulate you for making such an impressive broom at such a young age. It's really quite the accomplishment."
"Thanks," Harry said, though he felt like he was being talked down to.
"I'm sure you've heard about that incident we had with Russia last year," Natalie continued, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap. "Since one of our MIA agents was captured, Lockheed has been hard at work trying to improve the design you gave them. Unfortunately, they haven't had much luck. This morning, the president offered a one hundred thousand Galleon reward to any broom company that could make something better. As I'm sure you can understand, we want to continue to keep our agents safe. Normally, we wouldn't make this offer to a private citizen, but since you created the broom in the first place, I was able to convince the Secretary of State to let us make the same offer to you."
"A hundred grand to make a broom better than the one I made last year?" Harry asked incredulously.
"It would have to be better than the X-87," Mark replied, meeting his gaze firmly. "This is no joke. We need a broom that can reach a minimum speed of Mach four and an altitude of thirty-five thousand feet."
Harry rubbed his hand over his mouth to stop himself from grinning. They weren't here because they thought that broom rider from the night before was him. They thought Russia had reverse-engineered the broom they'd captured and made it better. Now, they were coming to him to essentially beat himself; they just didn't know it.
It was a good thing he hadn't pushed his new broom to the limit. He was more than capable of giving them a broom that could do what they wanted, and that still wouldn't beat his own. Better yet, they would fund research he'd already done on his own.
Somehow, Harry had unintentionally started an arms race for a broom that the US would be too scared to use again and that he'd already designed. If the government did try something stupid again, he'd just have to give them another scare. And, maybe next time, he wouldn't be so quick to fix their problem. He wasn't above using this opportunity to punish them for misusing his design in the first place, but he wasn't going to give them anything too good. He didn't trust them enough for that. Still, if he could use that money for his own private research…
"I think I could do that," he said, working to keep a straight face.
Dora was going to freak out when he told her about this.
Harry and Dora sat in the Great Hall with their friends, talking about their plans for Christmas break. While the professors put up decorations in the background, Jenna and Michelle joined them. The two had become quite close friends over the past few months. As Harry greeted the girls, Plato circled overhead and landed lightly on Dora's shoulder. A moment later, another owl landed in front of Jenna.
Dora gave Plato a treat before ripping open the letter. She skimmed it quickly before letting out a snort.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Well, Mom definitely thinks you're up to no good," Dora smirked. "She told me to keep an eye on you."
Amanda scoffed, "Keep an eye on him? You usually encourage him."
"Not always," Dora said, giving Harry a pointed look.
She'd been quite mad at him for a few days after he'd told her about his little nighttime game of cat and mouse with MIA Aurors. She'd gotten over it quickly, though, and shared a hearty laugh with him afterward when he finally got to tell her what happened in Professor Turner's office.
"Oh!" Dora exclaimed, a smirk twisting her lips. "And Sirius would like to know if either of us has a problem with Jenna and Marlene staying with us for Christmas."
"Really?" Harry asked, grabbing the letter. "There's no way they're not dating."
"I know, right?" Dora asked, then turned to Jenna and looked at her questioningly.
"My Mom asked the same thing," Jenna said, handing her the letter she'd received.
"Oh yeah, they are definitely dating," Dora said with a grin as she read it. "We need to come up with a way to mess with them."
"Why?" Jenna asked.
"Because it's fun," Harry shrugged.
"And to punish them for not just telling us they're dating," Dora said. "I bet they're waiting until we get home for break to tell us."
"They probably didn't want to tell you in a letter, so you had less time to think of a prank," Amanda pointed out.
"Semantics," Dora said, waving away the perfectly valid point.
"That's not-" Michelle cut herself off when she noticed Dora's smirk and pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh.
A couple of weeks later, Harry, Dora, and Jenna stepped off of the Ilvermorny Express and onto the Union Station platform. While Harry gathered the trunks, the girls greeted their parents.
"How was school?" Marlene asked, hugging her daughter tightly.
"It was great!" Jenna smiled. "Harry showed me all around the school, told me about the classes and professors, and helped me make a few friends."
"That's wonderful," Marlene said, smiling softly.
As Harry approached with the cart loaded with all three trunks, he grinned at Sirius, who he noticed was standing suspiciously close to Marlene.
"Hey, kiddo," Sirius grinned, pulling him into a hug. "Stay out of trouble?"
"Define trouble," Harry grinned.
Chuckling, Sirius messed up his hair.
"Excuse me, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black?" A young man with a camera asked as he approached them cautiously. "I'm Ben Willer from Wizarding Times. I'm doing a report on how you won the new broom contract. Would it be alright if I got a picture and maybe asked you a couple of questions?"
Sirius looked to Harry, who shrugged uncaringly.
"I think we can spare a couple of minutes," Sirius smiled.
"Great," Ben grinned, bobbling his camera nervously as he snatched it from around his neck.
Grinning, Sirius slung his arm over Harry's shoulders.
"Jenna said you helped her get settled at Ilvermorny," he said softly. "Thanks for looking after her. I know it means a lot to Marlene."
"No problem," Harry grinned. "Jenna's great. We really get along."
"I'm glad to hear it," Sirus said, smiling happily.
"Smile," Ben called, raising the camera to his eye.
"I've been thinking about asking her out," Harry said.
The picture of Harry grinning while Sirius turned to him with a horrified look could be found on page six of the Wizarding Times the next day, along with a small article about Harry.
Across the ocean, the small article was picked up and reprinted by the Daily Prophet. In a large manor, a man with greying, straw-colored hair and pale blue eyes paused on the photo. His eyes blazed with fury as he stared at it. But he wasn't looking at the Boy-Who-Lived. He was staring at the brunette in the background.
"Grunt!" he shouted.
With a pop, a small, emaciated, and terrified House Elf appeared next to him.
"Y-yes, Master?" he squeaked.
"Pack my things and take them to the house in America!" the man barked furiously.
"R-right away, M-master," the elf said, bowing even as he shook fearfully.
He vanished with another pop, leaving Titius to fume silently as he stared at the picture in the paper. His chair scraped loudly across the wooden floor as he stood abruptly and hurled his teacup at the wall, where it shattered on impact.
"I'm going to kill that bitch," he growled.
Chapter 9
Just a couple of days before the kids were set to return to school, Marlene and Jenna Flooed home to pick up a few things they needed. While they were gone, Sirius, Andi, and Ted called Harry and Dora into the kitchen.
"What is this?" Dora asked. "Some kind of intervention? Harry hasn't started huffing broom polish, has he?"
Harry rolled his eyes and poked her in the side as they took seats at the table.
"No, nothing like that," Sirius said, looking uncharacteristically, well, serious. "I want to know what you two think about Marlene and Jenna moving in with us."
Harry and Dora turned to look at each other and blinked.
"Five Galleons says she's pregnant," Harry said.
"You're on," Dora agreed, shaking his hand.
Ted covered his mouth and snorted while Sirius sputtered.
"She's not pregnant!" he exclaimed.
"She's not," Andi agreed. "I checked."
"Damn," Harry muttered.
Pulling five Galleons out of his pocket, he handed them to a smirking Dora.
"Can you two take this seriously for one minute?" Sirius asked exasperatedly.
Harry and Dora turned to look at each other and grinned.
"No," they replied in unison.
Sirius threw his hands in the air frustratedly while Ted and Andi laughed.
"You know this is your own fault, don't you?" Andi asked with a smirk.
Groaning, Sirius dropped his head onto the table with a dull thud.
"I know," he muttered pitifully.
"I take it by your lack of protest that neither of you mind Marlene and Jenna moving in with us?" Ted asked.
"'Course not," Dora said.
"Not at all," Harry grinned.
The rest of the school year passed quietly, for the most part. Dora panicked slightly with her LAMPS coming up at the end of the year, but with help from her friends and Harry, she was more than prepared by the time they came around.
After heading home for the Summer, Harry and Dora started training in earnest for the upcoming U-21 International Dueling Tournament. Surprisingly, it was being held in the same place as it had been the year before.
"America gives the Tournament the most funding, so they get to choose the location," Andi explained when Harry asked curiously. "It's been held here since the nineteen-fifties. It doesn't get nearly as much international support as the World Dueling Tournament."
"It really is a shame," Ted added. "You'd think with how big the World Dueling Tournament is, there'd be more interest in up-and-coming talent."
Getting in line to sign up for the Tournament, Harry smirked when he watched Sirius' gaze follow a stunning blonde who looked to be there with her equally stunning daughter. Rolling her eyes, Marlene elbowed him in the ribs.
"What!?" he hissed. "They're Veela! I can't help it!"
"I don't mind you looking, but the drooling is a bit much," Marlene smirked.
Harry and Dora laughed as Sirius raised his hand to his mouth. When he didn't find any drool, he huffed good-naturedly and crossed his arms. When the people in front of them moved out of the way, Harry and Dora moved up to sign in.
"Sirius, look! There's Filius!" Marlene said excitedly.
Harry looked over and spotted the diminutive man talking to Professor Wilkinson near the entrance to the dueling tent. As a group, they walked over and greeted the two men happily.
"Hello everyone, it's lovely to see you again," Flitwick said happily.
As Marlene bent over to hug him, Harry unashamedly gazed at her bum. Scowling, Sirius smacked his arm lightly.
"What?" Harry asked, shrugging his shoulders defensively.
"Will you stop checking out my girlfriend?" Sirius asked.
"It's not my fault you bagged a hot one," Harry said.
"Oh, stop it," Marlene said, wrapping her arm around his waist. "If you're allowed to look, then so is Harry."
"I feel like I've just taken a Time-Turner back to the seventies," Flitwick chuckled. "I remember you and James having many a similar argument at Hogwarts."
"Oh no, James had nothing on Harry," Marlene smiled. "James caused trouble. Harry causes international incidents."
"That was only once," Harry said defensively.
"I'd love to hear that story," Flitwick grinned. "The Potters are known for being quite the handful. Minerva has told me some quite thrilling tales about your grandfather. Tell me, Boris, how do you deal with it?"
"I just try to direct his energy into something productive," Professor Wilkinson smiled. "It's certainly a challenge at times."
"Oh, have we got some stories to tell you," Sirius grinned.
Harry sighed, knowing it was pointless to try and stop his Godfather. He'd spent far too long teasing him about Marlene to gain any leniency. Rather than stick around to listen to them laugh at his expense, Harry took Dora and Jenna to explore the fair. For a couple of hours, they went on rides, played games, and even managed to win a few prizes. He found he was quite good at a game where you had to banish small, red rubber rings onto a wooden dowel a few feet away.
Dora and Jenna were both clutching stuffed Hippogriffs by the time they left for the safety briefing. Afterward, they met the adults in the stands to watch the first matches get underway. Harry's first match was the third of the day and pitted him against an Armenian witch with an affinity for the Bludgeoning Hex. After bocking it just a couple of times, his arm began to ache. Fortunately, he was able to end the match quickly after that. His ability to cast silently still offered him an insurmountable advantage.
"You won't always be able to beat your opponents so easily," Professor Wilkinson warned when he rejoined them in the stands. "I wish I'd been able to come last year. I'd have asked them to move you up to the under-eighteen bracket if I knew it was this easy for you."
"Why didn't you come last year?" Andi asked curiously.
"My sister was ill," Professor Wilkinson replied before turning back to Harry. "Next year, we need to focus on technique and expanding your spell knowledge. It won't matter if you can cast silently if your opponent uses a spell you're unfamiliar with."
"Very true," Flitwick nodded. "I once dueled an Egyptian wizard in the semi-finals that nearly beat me because he used an obscure spell. It was only my intensive study of Charms that allowed me to deduce what the spell did and figure out a way to counter it."
Dora left a few moments later to get ready for her first match. Her opponent was a German wizard who had placed well the year before but whom she hadn't faced. It was clear from the outset that he outclassed her right from the beginning. Dora was forced to dodge, dive, and shield furiously just to stay in the match.
"Oh no," Andi sighed. "She's going to be so disappointed if she loses her first match."
"It's not over yet," Flitwick smiled. "Look, he's starting to tire."
Harry watched closely as the German wizard slowed his intense pace, sweat dripping from his brow as he panted for air.
"He got too overconfident," Flitwick pointed out. "He thought he could finish her quickly and used up too much of his energy. A rookie mistake, but one every duelist makes in their career."
The German wizard continued to slow, his movements becoming gradually more sluggish, giving Dora a chance to fight back. While she was physically tired, her magic was as strong as ever. When she let out a barrage of Hexes and Curses, the German barely had the strength left to raise a shield. It took three spells before finally failing. Dora's follow-up spells plowed through, leaving him tied up, tongue-tied, and petrified before he even hit the ground.
Grinning, Harry jumped to his feet and cheered, competing with Sirius to see who could be the loudest. Dora was ecstatic to have won, jumping up and down with a grin as her hand was raised.
"That was amazing," Harry said, hugging her tightly when she joined them in the stands.
"I can't believe I won," Dora grinned. "He came in third last year, and I didn't even make the top eight."
"Wonderfully done, Ms. Tonks," Flitwick smiled. "Never underestimate sheer determination. Even when facing a superior opponent, victory is always attainable if you want it bad enough."
"I might just have two champions this year," Professor Wilkinson grinned.
"Don't get used to it," Flitwick chuckled. "I may have a student of my own entering next year."
"Really?" Marlene asked. "Who?"
"Ah, that, my dear, will have to be a surprise," he smiled.
Harry and Dora had two more matches, both of which they won before the Tournament broke for lunch. As they ate, the Veela mother and daughter walked past, once again distracting Sirius.
"I see you've taken an interest in the French competition," Flitwick joked.
"More like the French opponent's mother," Marlene smiled, shaking her head.
"Do you know them?" Andi asked.
"Only in passing," Flitwick replied. "Fleur Delacour is one of Beauxbatons' most promising students."
"Delacour?" Sirius asked. "I feel like I've heard that name before."
Harry smirked and opened his mouth to speak, only to receive a kick in the shin from his Godfather. Dora snickered as he grunted and rubbed his leg under the table.
"Her parents, Apolline and Martin Delacour own one of the largest wineries in the Magical world," Flitwick told him. "I'm afraid I don't know much about her dueling outside of what we've seen today. I believe this is her first year competing."
"She wasn't here last year," Dora said. "Sirius would've definitely noticed if she was."
"Hey!" Sirius protested.
Smiling, Marlene patted his arm consolingly.
"If you're done making fun of Sirius, we should get back to the Tournament," Andi said, standing up.
"I need to go to the bathroom first," Marlene said.
"Me too," Harry added.
"We'll meet you back in the tent," Sirius said, kissing Marlene's cheek.
Harry and Marlene stood and made their way down a small dirt path. At the end sat two large tents that housed the bathrooms. As Harry turned to go into the Men's room, he glanced over and noticed two men approaching Marlene from behind. They met her between the two tents, and he caught a flash of red before he saw her body go limp. Harry's adrenaline started to race as he drew his wand.
"Hey!" he shouted, chasing after them.
The men ignored him, continuing to drag Marlene between the tents and out of view. Harry pushed his way through the crowd, bumping into a man as he rounded the corner. He never saw the man raise his wand before his world went black.
"Harry," a voice hissed.
Someone was shaking him awake. Groggily, Harry blinked his eyes open and rolled over onto his back. He was in a small, dark basement with only a tiny window letting in light. Bars like a prison cell surrounded him, causing a moment of panic. Sitting up, he looked at Marlene's pale, worried face as he remembered what had led up to him being there.
"What happened?" he asked, getting to his feet. "Where are we?"
"I don't know," Marlene said, rubbing her arms. "I just woke up. The last thing I remember is going to the bathroom. Someone grabbed my arm, and then I woke up here."
"Yeah," Harry said, nodding his head. "Two men came up behind you and stunned you. I tried to stop them, but I guess there was more. I never even saw who stunned me."
Suddenly, a door opened, and they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. A moment later, a dark-haired, bearded man reached the bottom and smiled at them with yellowed, crooked teeth.
"Ah, you're awake," he said.
Harry immediately took note of the man's British accent.
"What do you want?" Marlene asked.
"Nothin' you can give me," the man said.
Reaching up to a shelf along the wall, he pulled down a silver goblet. Harry's heart leapt when he noticed his and Marlene's wand sitting next to it. With a flick of his wand, he filled the goblet with water and handed it to Marlene.
"I don't know what you did to piss off Nott, but he's payin' us a lot of gold to bring you to him," the man chuckled.
"Nott?" Marlene gasped, her eyes going wide and her face losing what little color it had.
"Whatever he's paying you, I'll double it if you let us go," Harry offered.
The man chuckled and shook his head.
"It's more than my life's worth to let you go," he said. "Besides, Nott's going to have to double his price once he finds out we have the girl and the Boy-Who-Lived. Just sit tight. You two aren't going anywhere."
"Wait!" Harry yelled as the man turned back towards the stairs and walked away. "A hundred thousand Galleons!"
The man paused halfway up the stairs and turned to him with a thoughtful look.
"Tempting," he said, cocking his head. "But still not worth it."
Harry's heart sank as the man continued up the stairs and closed the door. The lock sounded abnormally loud as it clicked into place.
"I can't believe he found me," Marlene muttered, sinking to the floor. "I'm so sorry, Harry."
"We can still get out of this," Harry said, his desperation building. "Our wands are right there on that shelf."
"How do we reach them?" Marlene asked dejectedly.
Harry didn't reply. Licking his lips, he reached his arm through the bars as far as he could and focused with all his might on calling his wand to him. After watching Dora duel that witch last year that didn't use a wand, he'd taken to reading up on the subject in his spare time. He knew the theory behind it, but he'd yet to actually try it himself.
Panic welled up inside of him as the seconds ticked by, and nothing happened. Nott was going to kill him. Kill them both. And there was nothing he could do about it.
Harry slammed his fist painfully into one of the bars and closed his eyes. He knew he had to calm down and focus if he was going to get out of there. Taking two calming breaths, he rubbed his fingertips together and opened his eyes. He focused solely on his wand, the need to have it in his hand becoming an all-consuming thought.
"Come on," he whispered. "Come on."
The wand twitched. Another spike of adrenaline surged through Harry's system at the sight of his success. Focusing again, the wand twitched twice more before it rolled towards him and fell off of the shelf, landing on the cement floor a few feet away with a clatter.
Marlene gasped and looked to the stairs worriedly. Harry ignored his own fears and dropped to his knees as he continued to call the wand towards him. It trembled again and rolled across the floor as he reached out for it desperately.
Finally, he felt the wood touch his fingers, and he snatched it off the floor, yanking it through the bars.
"You did it!" Marlene gasped quietly. "Can you unlock the door?"
Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart, Harry nodded and aimed his wand at the lock.
"Alohomora," he said.
The lock clicked open, and Marlene rushed forward to push open the door. The hinges squeaked loudly, causing both of them to freeze. They listened for the sound of running feet, but when none came, Marlene slipped through the gap and grabbed her wand from the shelf. Harry stepped outside of the cell and paused next to the stairs.
Slowly and carefully, he followed Marlene up to the top of the stairs, where they stopped and listened.
"You're sure it's him?" A deep male voice asked.
"Positive," another man replied. "If you want both, it's going to cost you triple."
"Don't be absurd. The boy's not worth that much to me," the first man replied. "I'll give you an extra ten thousand."
"For the Boy-Who-Lived?" a third voice scoffed.
Marlene backed away from the door and motioned for Harry to follow her as she crept back down the stairs.
"That's Nott," she said, pacing around as she fidgeted with her wand. "We either need to find another way out of here or try to ambush them as they come down the stairs."
Looking back at Marlene, his eyes trailed over the other things in the basement. He'd been so focused on his wand that he hadn't noticed all of the potion ingredients that were sitting on the shelf until then.
One of them, a pearly white powder, stuck out to him because of what he'd read about it in class.
Powdered Erumpent Horn: Warning, extremely explosive. Handle with care.
"Check that window," Harry said, pointing behind her.
As she turned around, he took the bottle and cupped it in his hand. The window was high and small but looked big enough for them to squeeze through. Marlene opened the window with her wand and looked outside.
"Can you give me a boost, and I'll levitate you from the other side?" she asked.
"Sure," Harry said.
Pocketing the Powdered Erumpent Horn, he stepped up beside her and bent down with his hands cupped. When she stepped on his palms, Harry lifted her up to the window and kept pushing as she crawled outside. While she squirmed to fit her curvy figure through the small gap, he stepped back and walked over to one of the beams supporting the floor above.
Harry took the Powdered Erumpent Horn out of his pocket and stuck it to the beam. Mentally, he thanked Sirius for teaching him pranking spells as he set a Delayed Explosive Charm on the glass bottle. It was a Charm designed to make a small bang to surprise or distract. In this case, Harry had a much bigger surprise in store for the people who had tried to kidnap them.
"Harry!" Marlene hissed. "Come on! What are you doing?"
Stowing his wand in his pocket, Harry turned to the window. With a running leap, he grabbed the edge of the windowsill and pulled himself up. Marlene grabbed his wrists and pulled, hauling him through until they both spilled onto the grass.
"Let's go," Marlene whispered.
Harry followed her as they walked towards a road visible a short distance away. They were in a fairly rural area, but the yard was well maintained, and there were very few trees to use as cover.
"They're gone!" someone shouted from the house.
"Run!" Marlene said urgently.
She took off at a sprint, and Harry kept pace right behind her. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted one of the men from the Tournament wrenching the back door open. Harry skidded to a stop and grinned as he aimed his wand toward the house.
"Harry!" Marlene yelled, realizing he wasn't behind her.
"Defodio!" he yelled.
The explosion was bigger than Harry was expecting. All the windows shattered, the frame rattled, and the first floor heaved upwards before collapsing into the basement. The man in the doorway stumbled backward and disappeared out of sight. Marlene and Harry watched, stunned, as the house creaked and groaned a moment before it collapsed.
"Holy shit," Harry laughed.
"Come on, we need to go," Marlene said, grabbing his wrist.
Together, they took off running for the road. When he heard wood cracking behind him, Harry slowed and turned around, a smile still on his face. The breath was knocked out of his lungs as a spell hit him in the stomach and threw him onto his back. Sucking in a breath, the first thing he noticed was a worrying lack of pain. The second was the blood soaking through his shirt near his belly button.
Lifting his head, he saw a man with straw-colored hair marching toward him. His robes were torn and covered in white dust. With a scowl, his eyes gleaming maliciously, he strode across the lawn.
"Harry!" Marlene screamed.
She tried to run back to him, but in the few extra steps she'd taken, she had ended up outside the wards.
"No!" she yelled, trying to force her way through. "Nott, don't you touch him! Take me! You can have me. Just let Harry go!"
Nott sneered at her. Raising his wand, Harry unleashed every curse and hex he could think of, but they were batted away like they were nothing.
"Crucio!" he shouted.
Harry screamed as the worst pain he'd ever experienced exploded through his body. Every inch of his skin felt like it was being stabbed over and over again by a thousand razor-sharp knives. It seemed to last hours before the curse was suddenly lifted. Harry barely had a moment to feel relief before his wand was ripped from his hand. Faintly, he could hear Marlene still screaming his name.
"Potter," Nott growled, standing over him. "I'm going to enjoy killing you."
Through his trembling from the curse and the fear surging through him, Harry spat on his robes.
"Go fuck yourself," he panted.
"Just for that, I'm going to make that bitch scream before she dies," Nott snarled.
Raising his wand, he aimed it at Harry's heart.
"Avada Kedav-"
His incantation was interrupted by the sound of the Wards shattering. A black blur slammed into Nott's chest and knocked him away so fast it looked like he'd vanished. Hearing a crash near the house, Harry lifted his head. Nott was pinned to a section of broken roof by a broom that protruded from his chest. Eyes wide and fearful, he gurgled as a thin line of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. With a rattling gasp, he collapsed forward.
"Sirius!" Marlene shouted.
Harry tilted his head back and saw Sirius and Frank sprinting from the road.
"Marlene, are you alright?" Sirius asked worriedly.
"I'm fine, but Harry's hurt," she said, urging him to keep going.
"Don't worry, Healers are on the way," Sirius said, jogging over to Harry. "Frank, can you clear that house?"
"There's two or three more inside," Harry said, leaning back to stare up at the sky as his godfather knelt next to him.
"Merlin," Sirius breathed as he looked him over. "I'm sorry, this is going to hurt, but I need to slow that bleeding."
Waving his wand, he conjured white bandages that wrapped around Harry's stomach.
"It doesn't hurt," Harry said, blinking back tears. "Sirius, I can't feel my legs."
Sirius froze, and Marlene gasped as she knelt down next to him and took his hand in hers.
"This is Agent Black. I need those fucking Healers now!" he barked into the badge on his lapel.
"It's okay, Harry," Marlene said, stroking his hair softly. "I'm sure they'll be able to patch you up."
Closing his eyes, Harry squeezed her hand as a tear slid down his cheek.
Chapter 10
Sirius' leg bounced anxiously as he sat in a chair in the hallway, watching as Healers rushed in and out of Harry's room. They'd yet to hear word of how he was doing, and the wait was killing him. Next to him, Marlene clutched his hand tightly, tear streaks marring her pale cheeks.
When the elevator opened a short distance down the hall, his hand instinctively reached for his wand, but he relaxed when he recognized familiar faces. Dora stumbled in her rush to get out, her short, mousy brown hair whipping around her face as she looked up and down the hall. Spotting Sirius, she led her parents over to him. Jenna broke away from the group at a dead sprint the moment she spotted her mother and collapsed into her arms.
"I'm fine, sweetheart," Marlene whispered as her daughter cried. "I'm all right."
"Where's Harry?" Dora asked worriedly.
"The Healers are still treating him," Sirius said. "He'll live, but… It looked like Nott's spell hit his spine."
Dora covered her mouth, her eyes tearing up before she turned and buried her face in Andi's shoulder.
"Harry's tough," Ted said, rubbing her back. "He'll pull through just fine. You'll see."
"I'm so sorry," Marlene said, tears starting to fall from her eyes as she clutched Jenna like a lifeline. "This is all my fault."
"No, it's not," Sirius told her firmly. "It's-"
"Mr. Black?"
Sirius stopped mid-sentence and turned sharply. A tall, thin Healer with short, grey hair looked down at him with a clipboard in his hands. The man had a sharp, prominent jaw and a pair of square glasses covering his bright blue eyes.
"Yes," Sirius said.
"I'm Healer Powell. I'll be treating Harry," he replied in a calm, soothing tone.
"How is he?" Sirius asked anxiously while getting to his feet.
"He's in rough shape," Healer Powell admitted. "The Piercing Hex lacerated his large intestine, but the bigger issue is that it shattered two of his vertebrae. I'm afraid there was no chance of healing them, so we've had to vanish the bones entirely. He'll be in for a long night while they regrow."
"What about his legs?" Sirius asked with a touch of impatience and hope in his voice. "Will he be able to walk after you have regrown the bones?"
"Unfortunately, that's a little less certain," Healer Powell replied. "The majority of people who undergo this kind of procedure do regain the ability to walk after a year or two. However, about a quarter of patients can take far longer to recover, and a small percentage never regain full use of their legs. I'm sorry, but it all depends on how he responds to the treatment."
"Can we see him?" Dora asked.
"Of course," the Healer said, stepping aside so she could rush into the room before turning back to Sirius. "We'll do the best we can. If you have any more questions, just ask the nurse to call for me."
"Thank you," Sirius nodded.
Healer Powell walked past them down the hall while Sirius and the others made their way into the room. Harry lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling, his face abnormally serious. Dora had taken the chair next to his bed and watched him worriedly, clutching his hand in both of hers.
"Harry?" Sirius called.
Blinking, he turned his head and perked up.
"Sirius! It's about time," Harry said, lifting his head and staring at him with a penetrating gaze. "How did he find us?"
Sirius was disconcerted by the question and his Godson's unusual behavior. Licking his lips, he plastered a smile on his face.
"Don't worry about that right now. Just focus on-"
"Sirius," Harry interrupted firmly, almost angrily. "How?"
Taking a look at the young man, he held his unwavering gaze for a long moment before sighing and reaching into his pocket.
"We found this near the bathrooms," he said, handing it to Harry.
Holding the newspaper clipping in his hand, Harry stared at the picture of himself and Sirius that had been taken at Union Station. In the background, Marlene could be seen over Harry's shoulder, smiling and hugging Jenna.
"Damn it," Harry muttered, dropping his head back onto the pillow.
"I had a pretty good idea what happened when we found this, so I used our trackers to look for any signs of magic from you," Sirius explained. "Thank Merlin for Underage Tracking Charms."
"Harry?" Marlene called softly. "I'm so, so sorry."
"What? Why?" Harry asked sharply, his brow furrowed. "This isn't your fault."
"But he was after me," Marlene said miserably.
"They were after me, too. They just didn't know I'd be there," Harry told her.
"How did you two escape, anyway?" Sirius asked, hoping to change the subject.
"That was Harry," Marlene said, smiling at him softly. "He was brilliant. He used Wandless magic to summon his wand and unlock the cell they were holding us in. I grabbed my wand, and we crawled out of the window."
"When did you learn Wandless magic?" Andi asked, taking a seat next to her daughter.
"I started reading up on it after Dora dueled that Nigerian witch last year," Harry replied, his eyes focused back on the ceiling. "I need to get better at it, though. It barely worked."
"But you escaped," Ted smiled. "That's the important thing."
Harry shrugged, his brow furrowed thoughtfully.
"And how did the house end up destroyed?" Sirius asked.
He noticed that even Marlene looked at Harry expectantly at that question.
"I saw some Powdered Erumpent Horn on a shelf," he told them. "I thought it would make a good distraction if they found us missing. I stuck it to one of the support beams and set a "
"I'd say it worked," Sirius smirked. "You practically leveled the place."
"Not well enough," Harry grumbled. "Nott survived. He dueled me like I was a first-year. Just slapped everything I cast aside like it was nothing and hit me with a spell I didn't even know how to stop."
Growling angrily, he slammed his fist on the bed and then winced in pain from the sudden movement.
"Harry, you can't expect to take on a fully qualified wizard, let alone a Death Eater like Nott at your age," Andi said, trying to soothe his anger. "You're still young."
"I don't care!" Harry yelled. "I'm not going to let those fuckers hurt me or my family ever again!"
Andi was taken aback by the sudden shouting. Despite his attitude towards authority, Harry had never raised his voice to her before. It was a relief for Sirius to finally understand what was bothering him so much. He knew Harry was feeling the same fear, anger, and frustration he had during the war.
"Excuse me."
They all turned to the young, pretty brunette nurse in the doorway.
"I'm Harry's nurse, Natalie. It's time for his potion," she said, holding up a bottle of Skele-grow.
With a flick of her wand, she raised Harry's bed so that he was sitting up and moved to stand next to him. Pouring a measured portion into a goblet, she passed it to him with a smile.
"Once you take this, you'll have to remain flat on your back and stay as still as possible," Natalie warned him. "The bones won't grow right if you move around too much."
Sighing, Harry nodded and took a mouthful of the potion. With a grimace, he swallowed hard and shivered.
"Urgh, this tastes like Yeti piss," he said.
"Harry!" Andi exclaimed scoldingly.
"Oh, it's fine," Natalie smiled. "I've heard a lot worse."
Downing the rest of the potion as fast as he could, Harry laid back. The nurse reclined the bed back into a flat position and covered him with the blanket.
"I'll come back in a couple of hours with your Pain Relief and Sleep Potions," she told him.
"When can I get out of here?" Harry asked.
"The Healer will let you know once your bones are grown back," Natalie replied.
Sighing, Harry laid back and stared at the ceiling.
The next morning, Healer Powell waved his wand over Harry while everyone waited anxiously.
"Well, everything looks good," he proclaimed. "The bones regrew nicely, and the nerves look good."
"Does that mean I can go?" Harry asked hopefully.
Healer Powell pocketed his wand and smiled.
"Yes, you can go," he chuckled. "I'm going to send you home with some Strengthening Potions to help your muscles heal faster. There's also a belt you'll need to wear. It's enchanted to vanish any bodily waste every few hours. I'll go sign your paperwork and have them send up a wheelchair."
"Does he need any sort of brace to protect his back?" Andi asked.
"No," the Healer said, shaking his head. "The worst of the damage is repaired. It's just a matter of the nerves rebuilding the connection to the brain right now. He'll be fine as long as he doesn't take any more curses to the spine."
"We certainly don't plan on anything like this happening again," Andi said with a stern look in Harry's direction.
"What?" Harry asked defensively. "It's not like I planned for it to happen the first time either."
Dora snickered while her mother rolled her eyes. Healer Powell smiled and made a note on his clipboard.
"Any other questions?" he asked.
When no one had any, he turned and left the room. While they waited for his discharge, Andi magicked him into a fresh set of clothes.
"That was a Switching Spell, right?" Harry asked, to which Andi nodded. "I'll have to learn that soon."
"I'll teach you when we get home," she smiled.
A few minutes later, Natalie returned, pushing a wheelchair into the room. Parking it next to the bed, she set the brakes. Sirius made to help him, but Harry waved him off. Scooting to the edge of the bed, he heaved himself into the seat using the arms of the chair for support. His legs fell uselessly from the bed and dangled until he situated them properly.
"You're a pro at this already," Natalie said.
Flashing him a pretty smile, she turned around and handed the discharge paperwork to Sirius for him to sign. Harry was at the perfect height to check out Natalie's round bum in her crisp white uniform.
"Maybe this isn't so bad after all," he muttered with a smile.
"Perv," Dora muttered back, smacking his arm lightly.
Harry turned to her, grinning and wiggling his eyebrows until she giggled at his antics. Once the paperwork was signed, she wheeled him out of the room as they followed Sirius toward the elevator.
"Time to head home," Sirius sighed while pushing the button.
"Home?" Harry asked. "What about the tournament? If we get there soon, we can still catch the finals."
"Aren't you tired?" Andi asked.
"I'm fine," Harry replied. "Besides, if I get tired, I'm sure I can find someplace to sit. Oh, look!"
Dora snorted as he gestured to his wheelchair. Andi gave him an unimpressed look, but her lips twitched when she shook her head.
"Harry, I think Marlene would like to get home, too," Sirius said.
"It's alright, Sirius," she told him with a small smile. "Why don't you go with Harry? I'll take Jenna home. We'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" Sirius asked, his brow furrowed worriedly.
Nodding, Marlene whispered to him too softly for anyone else to hear. With a smile, Sirius turned and pressed a kiss to her lips.
"Alright," he said. "Looks like we're going back to the tournament."
Harry received a round of applause when Dora wheeled him into the stands of the arena. Smiling and waving to the crowd, they got settled just as the final rounds were announced.
"Harry!" Professor Wilkinson yelled, squeezing his way through the stands to sit next to them. "I didn't expect to see you back so soon. How are you?"
"I'm alright, but it looks like I'll be sitting this one out," he joked.
Snorting, Sirius shook his head and explained, in detail, how bad his injuries were. While Professor Wilkinson frowned and stared at him worriedly, Harry watched the under-sixteen championship match get underway. Flitwick was once again officiating as his final opponent from the year before, Arturo, faced off against a Brazilian witch. The match didn't take long, nor was it very exciting, but Arturo won in the end. Harry clapped with everyone else as the Italian wizard bowed to have the medal placed around his neck.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Professor Wilkinson said. "If you need any special arrangements at school, please let me know."
"I'll be fine," Harry said, waving off his concern.
Down in the arena, Fleur Delacour of France and Laszlo Barta of Hungary took up their positions for the under-eighteen championship match. This match was much more exciting, in Harry's opinion. While not all of the spells they cast were silent, the majority were, and he recognized the majority of them. Watching the gorgeous blonde outpace the Hungarian, he wondered how he would do against her.
"Professor?" Harry called. "What would I need to do to win in a wheelchair?"
"At dueling?" Professor Wilkinson asked, blinking in surprise at the question. "Well, you'd need to really work on your defense. With your limited movement, your shields would have to be impenetrable. We'd also need to work on your speed. By necessity, you'd have to be on the defensive more than most. That will leave you very small windows to get on the offense. It would be difficult but not impossible."
"You did say it was a bit too easy for me," Harry smirked. "Now I have a challenge."
Professor Wilkinson laughed, "That's certainly one way of looking at it."
Eventually, Fleur cornered Laszlo and disarmed him. Smiling, she accepted her medal graciously and rejoined her mother in the stands.
"I'll be right back," Harry said.
Ignoring the questions being thrown his way, he wheeled himself into the aisle and started making his way around the stands circling the arena.
"Excuse me… Pardon me… Sorry," he said as people were forced to lift their feet or stand to avoid having their feet run over by his wheels.
As he neared Fleur and her mother, a young girl looked up at him and gasped.
"Hey, Fleur," Harry smiled. "Congrats on your win."
"Merci," she replied while the little girl chattered away rapidly in French.
"Listen, would you duel me after the tournament is over?" Harry asked.
"You weesh to duel me like zis?" she asked, eyeing his wheelchair dubiously.
"Yeah," Harry shrugged. "I gotta test out the new wheels."
"Why not duel ze boy 'oo just won?" Fleur asked, nodding to Arturo.
"Because I beat him last year, and I know I can beat him again," Harry replied. "I need a challenge."
Fleur blinked and exchanged a glance with her mother.
"Eef you are sure," she said with a shrug.
"Great," Harry grinned. "I'll ask Flitwick to referee after the last match."
When Harry started to wheel himself away, the little girl got louder and looked at her mother pleadingly.
"Monsieur," the woman called. "Would you mind giving my daughter an autograph? She is a big fan of the 'Arry Potter books."
"Sure," Harry shrugged. "She knows those are fake, though, right?"
"Oui," she smiled while pulling the latest book out of her purse. "But she still loves zem. Does your family write zem?"
"Oh, no," Harry chuckled. "Some woman in England does. I just collect the royalty checks. What's your daughter's name?"
"Gabrielle," the woman replied.
Taking the quill she handed him, Harry wrote,
To my biggest fan, Gabrielle. Love, Harry Potter
Smiling, he handed the book to the little girl. Her mother translated his words into French, causing her to squeal excitedly. With a beaming smile, she lunged forward and hugged him, nearly falling into his lap. Harry laughed and hugged her back.
"Merci," Gabrielle said, smiling up at him.
"You're welcome," Harry said before turning to Fleur. "See you after the finals?"
She gave him a warm smile and nodded. Spinning his wheelchair around, Harry made his way back to his seat.
"Excuse me… Sorry… Nice shoes," he said as people lifted their feet out of the way again.
As he parked his seat next to Dora, Sirius looked over at him and grinned knowingly.
"I'm guessing by that smile on your face you got yourself a hot date," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Date?" Harry asked, confused. "No, I asked her for a duel. What good would a date do me? My dick doesn't work."
"Harry!" Andi hissed scoldingly. "And you really shouldn't be dueling less than an hour after you got out of hospital."
"What am I supposed to do?" Harry asked. "Sit around and feel sorry for myself?"
When she didn't answer, he turned his attention to the match taking place in the arena. He'd missed the finalist's names, but they were both very skilled. The match was much faster-paced than the others he'd watched so far. Not a word was said as they slung complex and powerful spells at each other with terrifying speed. Privately, he vowed to himself that he would get to that point. He wouldn't stop until there wasn't a witch or wizard in the world that would struggle to beat him in a duel.
After a fast and furious but short duel, a Romanian witch was crowned the under-twenty-one International Dueling champion. Harry barely waited for the applause to die down before he started wheeling himself towards the stairs.
"Harry!" Sirus yelped. "Slow down."
Harry ignored him and bounced down the steps. He frowned when his wheels had trouble finding traction on the straw-covered ground, but he eventually got going.
"Hey, Flitwick!" he yelled.
"Ah, Mr. Potter," Flitwick smiled. "It's good to see you back. You had all of us quite worried yesterday. I hope this injury is only temporary."
"Me too," Harry said. "Listen, I asked Fleur if she would duel me for a bit of fun. Would you referee for us?"
"Now?" Flitwick asked incredulously, looking from him to Sirius. "Are you sure you don't want to perhaps heal up first?"
"I'm as healed as I'm going to get for now," Harry said.
"You know, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should," Sirius said.
Harry and Flitwick both turned to look at him incredulously.
"Did I really just say that?" he asked, pointing to himself.
They nodded.
"Right, well, the Healer did say he would be fine as long as he didn't take another curse to the spine," Sirius said.
"I see," Flitwick said thoughtfully. "He'll have to have any protective gear approved before the next tournament, but since this is just an exhibition match, I can cast a localized Protective Charm."
"Okay," Sirius nodded. "Are you sure you want to do this, Harry?"
"I'm sure," Harry said firmly.
"Fine. While you do that, I'm going to get a drink," he said, grimacing. "Just saying those words left a bad taste in my mouth."
As Sirius walked away, Harry turned to the stands and waved Fleur down. Walking down the steps gracefully, she stopped next to them expectantly.
"Ms. Delacour," Flitwick smiled. "I'll be casting a localized Protective Charm around Mr. Potter's spine to ensure he doesn't aggravate his injury. Other than that, all standard rules apply. Is that acceptable to you?"
"Of course," Fleur nodded.
"Good, why don't you go take up your position," he smiled.
When she turned to walk away, Harry took a moment to admire her round, swaying backside.
"You know, the view from down here isn't so bad," Harry quipped.
"No comment," Flitwick muttered from behind him as he cast the Protective Charm on his back.
Harry was certain he could hear the smirk in the man's voice.
"You're all set," he said a moment later, walking halfway between him and Fleur. "Duelists ready?"
Harry and Fleur nodded, their faces turning serious.
"On my mark," Flitwick called.
There was a pause, and people who had been getting ready to leave retook their seats. After several seconds, red sparks shot from Flitwick's wand. Harry went on the offensive immediately, casting as fast as he could at Fleur. She weathered the onslaught by twirling out of the way gracefully and shielding when needed. When she came to a sudden stop, Harry's aim went wide, giving her the opportunity to return fire. He raised a shield and found himself trapped on defense.
Harry blocked and parried as fast as he could, but he could never get a break long enough to get back on the offensive. Fleur was calm and patient as she probed for weaknesses, looking for a way past his guard. He knew it was only a matter of time until she succeeded, but he couldn't think of a way to turn the tables.
Simple spells gave way to more complex Curses, Hexes, and Charms as Fleur continued to cast rapidly. Harry raised a shield and leaned sideways out of instinct when she aimed a Bludgeoning Hex at his head. The spell hit hard, and with his weight unbalanced, Harry's wheelchair tipped over. Grunting as he hit the ground, he pushed himself into a seat position and continued to defend.
He gritted his teeth in frustration and fought to keep himself upright as her spells slammed forcefully against his shields. Watching as her wand twirled through the air effortlessly, a sudden idea came to mind. When the next spell knocked him flat on his back, Harry reached out with his free hand and tried to pull her wand out of her hand.
Fleur looked down at her wand when it refused to move. Looking at Harry with an expression that was a mix of confusion and consternation, her eyes widened when he raised his wand. He tried to cast the Disarming Charm, but only a handful of red sparks fell limply from the tip. With a burst of magic, Fleur ripped her wand free of his magic grip and sent her own Disarming Charm in return. Harry tried to shield, but he was too slow getting his half-working body into position and watched helplessly as his wand shot from his grip. Tumbling end over end, it landed in the dirt halfway between the two of them.
"Stop!" Flitwick yelled. "Winner, Fleur Delacour!"
Closing his eyes, Harry collapsed on his back, panting.
"Fuck," he grumbled.
While he took a moment to catch his breath, he heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Opening his eyes, he sat up as Sirius righted his wheelchair.
"You alright?" he asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," Harry muttered unhappily. "My pride broke my fall."
Sirius snorted and helped him back into his wheelchair. When he looked up, he spotted Fleur approaching him and smiled.
"Thanks for the duel, Fleur," he said, holding out his hand. "This wheelchair is even worse for dueling than I thought."
"Eet was my pleasure," Fleur smiled, shaking his hand. "You were very impressive. I look forward to dueling you again."
"Me too," Harry said.
"If you're done, can we go home so I can check on Marlene?" Sirius asked.
"You just don't want to get caught staring at Fleur's mom again," Harry smirked.
Sirius sighed and looked at him tiredly while Fleur covered her mouth and giggled.
"We're going," Sirius said, pushing him away.
"Bye, Fleur!" Harry yelled, waving over his shoulder.
"Au revoir," Fleur called.