Chapter 23
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Ok, if we do this together, we can get to the goblet, you can take it, and the task will be finished in no time," Harry said, panting from the training section with Fleur, laying on the ground beside her.
"I take the goblet?" The veela asked, raising a questioning eyebrow and taking a sip from the water. "Why not you?"
"Because I didn't even want to be part of this thing, Fleur," Harry said with an honest smile. "I just want to see it finished. And we do need to finish it before nightfall." Now, the wizard sounded nervous, and Fleur nodded. The witch knew this was his greatest fear, to be transformed not only in front of everyone but surrounded by people he could hurt by accident. "Also, it may be the last chance for whoever put my name on the Goblet to act, and I don't want to take any more chances." Fleur quickly covered the distance between them and hugged Harry tightly before kissing him on the lips. "I don't know what I did to deserve this, but I liked it." The wizard joked.
"Prat! Even having four girlfriends now, you still the same Harry I fell in love with, the same dumb noble git!" Fleur said, resting her forehead in his. They were inside the room of requirement, and the veela was happy to have him back.
Fleur had to admit that things were going better than she had anticipated. Other than some small public demonstrations of affection, especially from Hermione and Katie, all five really respected each other's space. People were talking, of course, but the veela had learned that this kind of relationship was not so uncommon in England as they were in France, so some people just grossed over it. The witch really liked both Hermione and Katie, and respected Daphne, and had to admit that Harry would always go out of his way to give her all the attention she needed.
The day after they all talked together, Harry was waiting for her at the carriage's door for breakfast, to Gabrielle's great delight. The young girl hugged Harry, and he kindly returned the affection before giving Fleur a loving kiss. The veela noticed he was still a little unsure of things, but it was like his inner light was rekindled. Fleur herself was coming into terms with the new discoveries about herself she had made. Now that things were all in the open, the hungry looks Katie and Hermione gave Harry triggered a different kind of reaction in her. Yes, she was still possessive, but now, seeing how those girls desiring her mate fueled her with pride, especially because even being able to have them, he would always come back to her. It was like something primal had awakened in her veela nature. Maybe she would talk about it with her mother, but she was unsure how the older woman would react to their new relationship amendment.
Daphne was a more complicated matter, but the girl was being respectful like she told she would.
In the end, being able to touch Harry again, to hug and kiss him whenever she wanted, was wonderful, and Fleur could now sense how much the werewolf loved her and even the others. The girl was unsure if it was the forming veela bond or the pack bond from the werewolf, but that feeling helped the young veela decide.
Fleur moved herself to be on top of him, straddling Harry and pressing her body on his. The girl kissed Harry's mouth, proceeding into his jaw and neck, as his hand almost instinctively ran up her tights and grabbed Fleur's firm bum, making her moan into his neck.
"Harry," Fleur said, still kissing his neck, pressing her hips against the bulge on his trousers. "I know you said for me to think about it… but… I'm ready to take the next step…"
"Are you sure, Fleur?"
"Yes… we don't have to go all the way, but I can do it; I want to do it before the task if you accept me…" Harry reached to her face and softly caressed her cheek
"I love you, Fleur, and I will accept you no matter what." The veela felt herself smiling and quickly produced her wand. With a swift movement, the witch cast some cleaning and refreshing charms on both Harry and herself before raising her wand over them. A very curious werewolf watched as the magical focus on her hand glowed with a golden hue, and Fleur smiled at him in anticipation.
"Harry Potter, please accept me as I am, as I accept and cherish you as you are…"
"Yes…" was all Harry could answer, his eyes glued to her face, and Fleur could see the love and adoration I'm his eyes.
"Then please, let me serve you with my magic and body, now and forever…"
"Fleur…" Harry was ready to protest as the girl knew he would do at the terms, even if they were merely a tradition, but the veela shut him with her mouth. Their tongues touched as the kiss deepened, and Fleur felt her magic responding to the werewolf under her. Her allure was running freely, wholly focused on Harry, and it was simply empowering to have Harry's body reacting to it. It was so powerful, that the witch could hear Harry whimpering and moaning as she worked the buttons of his shirt, utterly different from how the magic had behaved in the last months away from the wizard. Fleur didn't waste any time in assaulting the wizard's nipples as soon as they were freed.
"Oh… damn… something it's… different…" Harry moaned, and indeed it was. Fleur could feel his emotions, his love, and his lust feeding her own, flowing through their magic. As Hermione said, the bonds feed on each other, his feelings so intense that they overflowed and almost overwhelmed the veela. It was almost as if a hunger was taking hold of the girl, as she felt the need to explore each and every inch of this man's body.
Fleur kept kissing Harry's torso, sometimes giving in to the urge to lick and bite him, getting enticing moans from the powerful werewolf as a reward, and the veela loved it. The girl reached the rem of his trousers and skilfully undid the button and fly, pulling the piece of clothing down his legs. Her eyes went wide, and the veela licked her lips at the tent on Harry's boxers. A moan escaped her lips as she grabbed the thin piece of fabric, almost tearing it apart, freeing the wizard's hard dick. The member jumped back up when released, and Fleur feasted her eyes on the organ, trembling and pulsating with power, as a drip of his pre cum started running down the shaft. Her first instinct was to grab it, but that was not what would happen today. Not yet.
Fleur got herself down Harry's body and placed one hand on each of his knees before firmly pushing them apart. Harry was mesmerized, looking at her with intent but letting her have her way. Fler herself was a little insecure; this moment was something powerful, something intimate for her. The girl then ran her hands up his tights, then slowly clawed the inner side of them as she brought her hands back down, letting her fingernails slightly mark Harry's sensitive skin. The boy shivered while she repeated the movement a couple of times. Fleur brought her lips to the side of Harry's knees and kissed his skin; then, she proceeded to lick, kiss, and bite the inner side of his tight as she got up its leg's length. Harry whimpered and hissed at the sensation, and as Fleur got closer and closer to his scrotum, she understood how exposed and vulnerable the boy must have been feeling. The veela mentally thanked him as the pungent scent of his masculinity invaded her senses, driving her allure even stronger as her own arousal grew. The witch then repeated the same process on Harry's other leg, starting from his knees, working her way up his tight, but this time, she didn't stop, palming his sensitive testicles and kissing the skin around them. Harry bit his lips and looked at her with wide eyes. Fleur looked back at him and tried to give her most predatory smile before putting her long tongue out and licking Harry's hard cock from the bottom of his shaft to his sensitive purplish head, leaving a trail of her own saliva on the way. Harry hissed, and, still looking into his eyes, Fleur engulfed the bulbous tip of his dick into her mouth. Harry threw his head back and moaned loudly, and, to the veela's surprise, images of Harry dominating the other girls and making them cum their brains out with that same dick ran through her mind; that same cock she was able to dominate now, to make Harry whimper in pleasure.
Contrary to what she had expected, Fleur felt powerful, beautiful, and in control, as she moved her head up and down, trying to have more and more of Harry's manhood at each movement. Fleur could feel the bond between them getting stronger, her allure changing, adapting, becoming even more focused on her mate. She tried and used her tongue, caressing the underside of Harry's dick as she got down, and teasing the sensitive skin right under the head of his cock on her way up, a puddle of her own saliva gathering over the hand she was using to hold him, and dripping into the floor. Fleur could not believe how much pleasure she felt from this, a different kind of pleasure, one of power, of pleasing someone she loved so much, of making her man call her name.
Harry bucked his hips, moaning, trying to resist the immense pleasure she was giving him, but it was not enough.
"Fleur… fuck… I'm going to… fuuuck…" the werewolf warned, but Fleur didn't flinch. No, the veela was unsure if it was the bond or just her desire, but she wanted it; she needed it. Fleur kept sucking and moving her head, and with a final moan, Harry exploded inside her mouth. The first shot hit the hoof of her mouth, then a second one on her tongue; his taste was powerful, magical, and erotic; with one more rope, Harry overflowed the girl's mouth, who was doing her best to swallow all she could, her own small orgasm running through her body.
They were so lost in the pleasure that neither teen noticed the glowing golden light around them as the bond strengthened.
.oOo.
Looking back at this time, Hermione would say she was deliciously confused. The day the five of them had finally talked, Harry had skipped some classes, and, as much as she disagreed with missing classes, the witch could understand the wizard and Fleur needed some time to work things out. They all would probably need some alone time with Harry to talk. Later, Harry met with her for the last class of the day, and they all had dinner together, including the Slytherin students, as they set some dates for the next defense club meetings. Harry wanted to move as much of the training forward before the third task, and Hermione knew he was worried about it.
After dinner, Harry walked with her back to Griphyndor's tower, and it was the first time she was alone with him after they had talked. She was walking alone with Harry, the boy she had been in love with, some hours after he had said he liked her and even kissed her, and Hermione didn't even know what to do. It downed on her that Harry would be way more experienced than her at this, even if she was older. Harry must have noticed her internal turmoil, or maybe something on her scent gave her away; the boy was looking at her with a raised eyebrow. Hermione bit her lower lip, and Harry gave her a predatory smile so hot that it was infuriating. Hermione didn't know what to do, and luckily for her, she didn't have to.
With a gentle yet firm move, Harry threw his arm around Hermione's waist and quickly moved the girl inside one of the classrooms in the hallway. "Harry… what are you doing?" The witch asked as the werewolf pinned her against the wall and furiously kissed her. At first, Hermione was surprised, with wide eyes, at his bold move, but then, the girl relaxed, closing her eyes and parting her mouth, giving the wizard's tongue access. Hermione moaned as his tongue touched hers. Merlin, he was so good at this. Harry pressed his body against her, and Hermione placed her hands, one on his back and the other on the messy hair she liked so much. Harry put his leg in between her's, and Hermione felt the pleasurable pressure against her core. Hermione didn't have much experience with snogging, but she couldn't believe it felt so good; the way he was kissing her, pressing her body against the wall, his hands running over her tights, it was like fire. She had fantasized so much about this, and the real thing was even better than she had imagined.
When she finally gasped for air, Hermione felt like she was melting, all her body was hot, and Harry softly kissed her neck and sniffed her hair. "Merlin…" The werewolf said. "I wanted to do this for so long…"
"You did?" The girl asked, a little in disbelief. Harry looked at her with a smile.
"I was bitten by a werewolf for you; I think that counts as proof of my feelings?" He laughed.
"Prat…" the witch giggled.
"I know that is not the ideal situation, but you have been on my side long enough to know that things will never be ideal with me…"
"Harry…"
"And if there is one thing, besides love, I have for you, is respect, Mione… so, I will listen to you, let you set the pace and boundaries, I will not push it…" Harry said, pressing his body to her's. "Unless you asked me to."
Hermione knew he was being honest and nodded. The witch was aware she was perfectly ok with sharing him, especially with Fleur, but on her own inexperience, the girl was at a lost on what step to take next.
Hermione's feelings of inadequacy were even exacerbated the next day when they were walking out of the class, and Katie unceremoniously grabbed Harry by his jumper and pulled him inside a broom cupboard, only for them to come back thirty minutes later. The she-wolf was almost glowing, with blissful eyes and a silly smile. To Hermione's surprise, Fleur gave Harry the most voracious look after that, licking her perfect lips, and Hermione felt like a little girl amongst those jaunty women.
The next defense meeting was also very eventful. Hermione marveled at how much progress everyone was making, especially Padma and Parvati. The last one was even behaving herself so much better. It was also clear she had her eyes on Harry, even if the boy himself didn't notice, or pretend not to. Harry himself was back to his usual self, helping people in a way better mood, and he was convinced Daphne, Fleur, and Hermione herself would be able to perform a corporeal Patronus. Maybe he was right, they were so close, and now that she felt the strengthening of the pack bond, it would be possible. Katie had done it, after all.
Daphne was the first one to make it. The Slytherin looked deep into Harry's eyes when he told her to gather her happiest memories, to try and connect with herself and her magic. Daphne smiled, and the Slytherin made the incantation with a firm voice. The entire room was astonished as the amorphous light she had been able to produce so far started to jump up and down, changing shape, until it ran around the girl as a beautiful, thin cat that jumped up and down before head bumping Daphne's leg, and jumping into Harry's lap before it disappeared with a silent meow. Daphne was exulting; she threw herself into Harry's arm and kissed him, not carrying about the astonished faces around them. That seemed to start a fire in Fleur's eyes, and the veela grabbed Harry's hand. The werewolf touched his forehead to the veela's, and whispered something. Fleur nodded and, with a swift movement, called the words. A bright light exploded from the tip of her wand and encircled both Harry and the french girl; Hermione could see the movement of wings as the light became a magnificent and fast peregrine falcon that flew all over the room before landing on Fleur's arms before dissolving. That granted Harry another searing kiss. Hermione realized that neither Fleur nor Daphne would try to be secretive about their relationship with Harry.
"Well, I hope when it is my time, I don't have to thank you like that!" Blaise said, breaking the silence in the room, making everyone laugh. "Don't get me wrong, Potter, you're a nice-looking bloke, but I'm already committed."
" Yeap, kisses Only from me, silly," Ginny said, giving the tall black boy a quick kiss.
Harry approached Hermione with a reassuring smile and held her hand, sending a jolt of magic and warmth through her body. "I know you can do it, Mione," the werewolf said softly. "I can see it in your colors; I can sense it in your magic. You are way stronger than you think. But first, you need to make peace with yourself. Don't try to measure us or rationalize too much. Just let yourself feel it and accept who you are."
Hermione nodded. Harry was right, and she knew it.
.oOo.
For Harry, those last days had gone by in a flash. Between classes, the defense club, and giving attention to his girls, he barely had time to register the weeks coming and going.
Harry was up early on the day of the last task; not only was it the first full moon day, but the werewolf was also worried about what could happen during the event. Fleur joined him for breakfast, and Harry noticed she was also nervous, both barely touching the food in front of them. Harry held her hand and tried to give her his most reassuring smile, which the girl returned. Soon after, the others joined them, not only Hermione, Katie, and Daphne, but most of the members of his defense club. Harry couldn't help but to feel a hint of pride in the group around him. Multiple people, from various houses and blood statuses acting friendly towards each other. Maybe he had really done something good this year.
The colors were intense around them.
A little after lunch, the school's gates were opened, and the public started flooding the grounds. People from all over Britain, and even from other countries, came to see the final task, a great contingent of aurors was stationed at the school, but not even that couldn't ease Harry's mind before the task. His instincts told him something was wrong, and Katie seemed to be sensing the same thing. The stormy skies over the school weren't helping either.
"I will be waiting for you, ok?" The she-wolf said, holding his hands. "we go into the forest together. Harry, please, come back to me, ok?"
"I will, Katie," Harry said, kissing her, not worrying about the people around them or the badge in her clothes. Harry was not going to hide how much he loved her anymore.
"Champions, if you please." Minerva McGonagall called. Harry, Fleur, Krun, and Cedric gathered around the old professor. "You will have some time to get ready, but before that, you can have a meeting with your family if you choose to. Come with me." The four of them were taken to an adjacent hallway where their families were waiting. Harry was happy to see that Sirius was there with the Delacours this time.
"Pup!" The wizard called loudly when he saw Harry at the door and opened his arms. Harry hugged his godfather as Fleur hugged Apolline. The older veela looked at Harry with loving eyes before pulling him into a tight hug.
"I know it is still a little weird, Harry, but we're family." The older veela said in his ear. Harry nodded at her with a shy smile.
"Sorry, I'm just getting used to things…"
"We know, Harry." Jacques said, shaking his hand. "take your time, we are not leaving."
"Hey pup," Sirius called his attention. "Do you remember Amelia Bones?" The older wizard said, pointing at the beautiful and strong-looking witch behind him, with fierce eyes and dark red hair and a funny-looking monocle Harry was sure was magical, like Moody's fake eye.
"Oh yes, I do. Hello Miss Bones, I'm good friends with your niece." Harry said, extending his hand and taking a deep breath, noticing the woman's scent all over his godfather and his scent all over her.
"Good to see you again, mister Potter." The witch said. "I can assure you that we have aurors taking care of everything."
"Thank you, miss Bones. If Sirius and the Delacours trust you, you also have my trust." The woman gave him a warm smile.
"I will check things out with my officers. We will see each other again, mister Potter, good luck!"
"Thank you, and please, call me Harry."
"Only if you call me Amelia." The witch finished before giving Sirius a deep smile and walking out. Harry gave Sirius a knowing look and a mischievous smile.
"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Sirius said, pointing at Harrys's chest. "You the one with a Harem!"
"Hey, it's not like that!" Harry protested, looking worried at a knowing Apolline and a confused Jacques. Fleur just giggled at them.
"It's… complicated…" the veela said to her parents with a shrug. "We can talk about it later."
"Now, you two," Sirius said in a more serious voice. "You must concentrate on finishing this, no matter who wins." Harry and Fleur nodded. "Tonight is a full moon, and we don't know what the shit eaters may be plotting. The fewer chances we gave them, the best. If you two work together, you can finish this in no time."
"Oui," Apolline said. "But, most importantly, just come back to us."
.oOo.
Fleur was nervous. The witch was unsure about what to expect from the scary-looking maze in front of her, and she hated that. Almost like he could sense this, Harry held her hand and squeezed it, trying to reassure the girl with a smile. His eyes were feral, and his body incredibly warm, like he used to get before the transformation. Fleur looked back at the benches, to the hundreds of people watching them, and remembered her friends who were there, looking out for them. Their pack. Even Daphne, who had surprised her earlier, dressed in Harry's jersey, like the last time, but now, under his number, the word Delacour glowed with a thin silver light, along with the golden Potter on top. Fleur couldn't help but smile at that.
The task was simple: enter the maze, and find the goblet. The first one to do it would be awarded the maximum punctuation, and the others would receive points according to their performance at the maze.
Fleur barely registered as minister Fudge greeted the foreign dignitaries and made a speech about international cooperation before each one of the headmasters did the same.
Then, they heard the bell, and the task had finally started.
.oOo.
It didn't take long for Harry to realize something was wrong. Someone else was there in the maze with them. It was not the creatures from the task itself, even if some of those were already dangerous enough. No, they were wizards. They were hidden in the maze, waiting for them.
Harry cursed the devil's snare around him, clouding his senses, even the full moon being just a couple of hours away. But, it seemed that whoever it was, they had underestimated both Harry and Fleur's abilities. Their first attack had been unsuccessful, and Harry was sure he had injured at least one of them. One thing was clear.
Whoever put his name on the Goblet had returned to finish the job.
Fleur had just finished exploding the legs of a giant spider when Harry cast a time spell, looking at the hours. "Damn, we need to finish this… my time is running out." He said, the first signs of the change running through his body.
"Oui, I think we're getting closer…." Fleur panted.
"They will attack us again; our best chance is to finish the task, so the protections from the tournament are off." Harry said as they kept walking, shoulder by shoulder. Harry was feeling dizzy, the herb's effect was way more potent than he had anticipated. Running forward, he could see the colors of what could only be the goblet but was surprised by someone lying on the ground as they turned a corner.
"Krun!" Harry said, approaching the older seeker carefully. Viktor Krum was down on his stomach; his breathing was slow, and his skin even paler than usual, his lips were turning blue, and a pool of blood was flowing from under him.
"He's losing blood… "Fleur said with a scared voice; Harry didn't think twice; lifting his wand, he sent a jet of colorful sparklers into the air.
"We are close… " Harry said. "Just a couple more turns…" The werewolf was interrupted by a painful scream followed by the sound of spell casting. "Cedric!" The wizard looked at Fleur with hard, feral eyes.
"Harry, non…" The veela whispered, knowing what he was about to say. Harry pulled her into a tight hug, but spoke firmly.
"Fleur, I need you to do this for me. The goblet is close; I can see it. You need to finish it, but I can't let anyone else get hurt because of me." Harry said, and Fleur bit her lip nervously. "Finish this; I will help Cedric and come back to you."
"Promise me!" Fleur almost screamed.
"I promise," Harry said, kissing her, before getting up and running in the noise's direction. The herbs could numb his sense of smell but not Harry's hearing.
It was not hard to find Cedric, and, as Harry expected, the other champion was surrounded, not by creatures but by wizards. They were all dressed in black robes and masks, but they were not death eater masks like the ones Lucius and Greyback wore at the ministry. Those were someone else. With a powerful banishing charm at one of the men, throwing the unknown wizard into his back with a crack, Harry roared and placed himself between Cedric and the men. The other champion was bruised but didn't seem very hurt, standing on his feet.
"Harry!" Cedric called. "What the hell is happening?"
"I'm not sure, Cedric. I think those are the people who put my name on this thing!"
One of the wizards took a step forward, and Harry noticed his arm was bleeding, he had indeed injured one of them earlier. "I knew you would come, Potter. You can't resist being the hero, don't you?" Harry didn't recognize the voice muffled by the mask, and he couldn't focus on the man's smell. "That will be your downfall, boy!" The man finished raising his wand and screaming a bone-crushing curse at the werewolf. Harry ducked to the side, trying to cast his own reducto at the wizard, but the man was able to parry his spell, and his assailants joined the fight, firing curses after curses at Harry. Deadly curses.
Harry realized whoever they were, their mission was to kill him, but they were clearly not prepared for the werewolf's speed or the potency of his magic. Harry could hear the crack of bones as his banishing curse hit one of the men's legs, making him rotate in the air, before landing on his head before the boy had to dodge a powerful cutting curse that hit the ground just where he was. At this point, Cedric had decided to join the battle, shooting spells against the attackers.
But there were too many and professionals. Despite trying to keep moving, Harry and Cedric found themselves surrounded by the hit wizards through the barrage of offensive spells and curses. Harry looked around, three of them were down, but five remained.
"You are good, boy! Color me impressed, and it is a shame we have to end you." The man that Harry identified as their leader spoke, the tip of his wand glowing with magic.
Suddenly, an explosion of light engulfed them, and the sound of trumpets echoed through the air. Harry realized Fleur must have found the Goblet, finishing the task. The hit wizard grunted and fired a cutting curse at the werewolf, who parried with quick reflexes. The young wizard watched as one of his attackers was thrown into the air, but not by him or Cedric. Someone else was there.
"Oh no, Potter!" A familiar voice called from the corner as the man fired curse after curse at the hit wizards. "You still have something to do before dying!"
The world was chaotic around Harry. The cacophony of sounds, smells, and light were driving him insane.
"C'mon, Cedric!" The werewolf said, grabbing the other boy by his robes. "We need to get out of here, fast!"
"Oh yes, you are leaving alright!" The mysterious man said before throwing something at Harry. The boy barely had time to realize it was an old shoe before the whole world turned around on itself, and he was sucked into the portkey.
.oOo.
"Dumbledore!" Sirius watched as Jacques Delacour screamed at the headmaster. "Why, in Merlin's name, can't we see them?
The former auror was asking himself the same thing. The giant magical orbs showing the competitors to the public had gone entirely black not even ten minutes after the task started, and no one could see what was happening inside the maze. That was it, whoever put Harry's name o. The goblet was going to act now.
Without listening to the arguing around him, Sirius quickly turned around and left the VIP cabin where he was watching the task, covering the distance to the field as fast as he could. His heart was beating fast, and he would not lose his godson again. When he finally reached the field, he could see the line of aurors waiting at the maze's entrance, one of them lying on the ground coughing.
"Amelia!" Sirius called as he approached. "What are we waiting for?"
"There is an enchantment circle!" The woman answered. "No one can enter until the task is finished. We tried."
"That's the stuporous rule I ever see!" Sirius screamed. "Who put that in place?"
"The ministry," Amelia answered, her voice full of anger.
.oOo.
Daphne's heart was pounding; she knew something like that could happen, yet she was not ready. And for her, it was even worse than the ministry, simply because she didn't know what was happening. The girl looked to her side, at Katie and Hermione, and was sure they were feeling the same. Hermione especially was so pale that even her lips had no color.
Daphne could barely hear the cacophony of sounds around her, people screaming, running, talking. Her eyes were glued to the maze and the aurors around the entrance. Sirius was there, and then he was joined by Fudge, Dumbledore, Jaques Delacour, madam Maxine, and Karkarof. It seemed as if a screaming match had started between them.
"Why is no one doing anything?" Daphne heard Katie roaring. Daphne turned to look at the she-wolf; the girl had watery yet feral eyes, her hands trembling. Without thinking, Daphne turned Katie around to look at her and hugged the girl.
"He promised to return, Katie, and he always fulfills his promises!" The witch told the trembling werewolf in her arms.
"I'm going down there!" The girl heard Hermione saying after a while.
"We are going with you!" Both Daphne and Katie said in unison.
They run, shoving people in their way until they reach the edge of the field when they could see Apolline hugging a very scared Gabrielle. And then, a bright light came from the center of the maze. Someone had reached the Goblet.
.oOo.
Harry landed on his arse with a painful groan and heard Cedric landing right behind him. The smell of decay invaded the werewolf's senses, screaming danger right before he heard.
"Kill the spare."
.oOo.
"HARRY!" Fleur screamed as the maze started to crumble and undo itself around her, the veela's eyes searching around for her mate as she got up, still holding the goblet in her left hand and her wand in the right. She could not see him, and she couldn't feel him close. And she could only hear the noise of the devil's snare crushing and crumbling around her.
Then, Fleur saw the group of people running towards her, and the veela lifted her wand, a curse ready to be shot. If they had done anything to Harry, they would suffer. But they were not the people who attacked them before. Fleur recognized Sirius Black running in front of the group; the woman she knew was the chief of the DMLE with him.
"FLEUR!" Sirius called, with worry in his voice as he approached her. "Fleur, are you ok?"
"Yes, mister Black, I'm ok…" the girl answered. "Where is Harry? Is he with you?"
"No, I was hoping he would be here with you!" There was fear in his voice, and Fleur noticed she was trembling.
"C'mon, miss Delacour," Amelia Bones said. "Let's get you back to your parents, and you can tell us what happened. The aurors are searching the area." Sirius held his hand to Fleur, who gladly took it. The veela tried, to the best of her abilities, to tell what had happened, how other wizards had attacked them, and how the last time she saw Harry was when he was trying to go and help Cedric.
"Fleur!" Jacques called as he saw her. The man ran and hugged his daughter before looking at her with concern in his eyes. "Are you hurt? Are you ok?"
"I'm ok, papa… Harry…"
"I know Fleur; there is no sign of him or Digory." Fleur could hear the fear in his voice, as he took the girl to her mother, ignoring all the screaming and confusion around them. Fleur saw her mother with Gabrielle, Hermione, Daphne, and Katie, all of them pale and scared. Apolline ran to her daughter as soon as she saw her. "Fleur, oh my little dove!" The woman hugged the girl and Fleur felt Gabrielle hugging her by the side. She was so confused, and everything was happening so fast. When her mother let her go, she looked at the other girls with crying eyes.
"They attacked us!" The veela almost screamed.
"Oh, Fleur!" Hermione hugged her.
"Did they take Harry?" Daphne asked.
"I don't know, Harry told me to take the Goblet to finish the task, and I didn't see him again. I should have never left his side!" The veela was so angry at the organization, the aurors, and herself. "Wait!" She finally remembered and took the dragon spike she was carrying on her neck from under her clothes. Fleur brought it closer to her mouth and called Harry's name. The jewel glowed with a strange green light, and Fleur could feel him, so far away.
"Non non non non non…" The veela cried and the other girls looked at her. "Harry is suffering!"
.oOo.
Harry fought the vomiting reflex, the sour taste of bile lingering on his tongue. He felt ill like he had never felt before. Everything they did was wrong. The smells, the sounds, and especially the colors. The creature in front of him, born of tainted magic, was an aberration, corrupting the colors of the magic around him, distorting the very meaning of what was being alive.
Harry heard himself roaring.
"I must admit, Potter." Voldemort hissed, and his voice hurt Harry's senses. "I admire your fighting spirit; maybe, in another life, things could have been different between us…" The monster approached the restrained werewolf with an evil smile, full of sharp teeth. His smell almost made Harry puke again. But, as soon as the dark lord looked into Harry's eyes, he stopped smiling. There was no fear in the boy's gaze.
"I don't think you understand, boy; you are not safe anymore; your mother can't protect you anymore. I am here, and I can touch you…" Voldemort placed his finger on Harry's scar, and his world exploded in pain. Harry screamed, first in agony, his mind going blank by the fire burning every nerve on his body, but the wolf was there, taking his place, and the painful scream quickly turned into a roar, full of rage. The dark lord took a step back, and the death eaters around them stopped laughing.
All but one, Fenrir Greyback's echoed around them.
Harry looked at the sky with teary eyes. The night was approaching.
"Where is Lucius?" Voldemort hissed, angrily looking at the rolls of robed figures around him.
"He… he is in Azkaban, milord, still unconscious…" Peter Pettigrew answered.
"And why is that? Who sent him there?"
"Potter did…" the woman from the ministry answered. "It was quite impressive." She was laughing, and Harry could see that her admiration shook the dark lord, who clenched his fists and looked back at the boy. Harry could sense his smell changing, still rotten but also envious.
"I see…" Voldemort whispered to himself before calling. "Peter! My wand." The rat of a man stepped forward, holding the wand in a submissive gesture so the dark lord could snatch it. Harry could see the jealousy, the pettiness in Voldemort's eyes. It was almost childish. With a wave of the wooden focus, Voldemort released Harry from the statue's embrace.
.oOo.
Hermione watched as most of the adults around her started falling apart one more time. Mister Digory was yelling at both Dumbledore and Fudge, while Karkarof was calling for the cancellation of the task against Madam Maxine, who said Fleur had won it fair and square. Amelia, Sirius, and Jacques were working to find both boys, ignoring all the mess around them. Apparently, a port key had been used, and they were trying to find any vestige of it. Madam Pomfrey had taken a look at Fleur, but the girl didn't have any severe wounds; Krun, on the other hand, had been hit by a powerful spell and needed to be transferred to the hospital wing. Hermione felt hopeless; there was nothing she could do. It was nothing like the other times; she was not there with him now. Harry was alone, and she felt like she had failed him.
The girl started to cry.
Hermione felt arms going around her, and when she opened her eyes, she could see Daphne looking thoughtfully at her.
"It's Harry, Hermione, no matter what, he will come back to us." The beautiful girl said.
The girl sounded so sure that all Hermione could do was to nod and rest her head on Daphne's shoulder. Then she felt Fleur and Katie hugging her, and Hermione could see the colors around them.
.oOo.
"I believe you have been presented with the formalities of a magical duel, didn't you, Potter?" The dark lord asked in a mocking voice, and Harry just glared at him as an answer. They were surrounded by the death eaters, watching and cheering on the fake duel In front of them.
So many of them, way more than Harry had hoped.
"First, we bow…" Voldemort said, with a theatrical movement, flicking his wand as he bowed. Harry didn't move. "I said… bow!" The monster hissed, pointing his wand at Harry.
Harry felt the world turning into pain as the dark lord's spell hit him; the boy gritted his teeth as something took control of his body and tried to bend it into Voldemort's will. Harry felt the wolf fighting, taking control over the pain, and roared.
"FUCK YOU!" He screamed but didn't move. Silence took over the death eater crowd, but only until Greyback and the woman started laughing again. Harry could see the monster's eyes glowing with frustration and rage.
"You ungrateful brat! I offered you the chance to die with some degree of dignity, and you spat in my face." Voldemort angrily spoke, before shooting a powerful cutting curse at the boy. Even with his reflexes, even this close to the full moon, Harry could barely dodge it, the curse creating a deep gash on his arm. Harry turned around, shooting his own hex at the monster as blood started flowing from his wound. The dark lord parried the spell, but the werewolf could notice his surprise at the power of the attack. And at the boy's speed. Before he could even realize it, Voldemort was under a barrage of spells, quickly shot by the young wizard. The dark lord parried and shielded himself, trying to understand what was happening, but Harry had no illusions. The monster was way too powerful for him to take on right now; only his surprise gave Harry some edge. And it would not take long for him to recover. As in a cue, Harry sensed the colors gathering around Voldemort, being twisted and corrupted as they moved in a way that fueled the werewolf's rage before the unnatural monster pointed his wand at him and called.
"Avada kedavra!" The sickening jolt of green magic flew in Harry's direction with great speed. By instinct, the werewolf mustered all the magic he could get around him and tried to shoot his most powerful Patronus Charm at the killing curse. Harry would never know what led him to do that; maybe it was the fact that the Patronus was a celebration of life against the killing curse, perhaps it was because it was just the most powerful spell he knew, maybe it was the wolf instincts.
Both spells collided with a thundering sound, the light and colors floating around the combatants.
.oOo.
Fenryr was delighted. For a second, he'd even considered helping the puppy but had decided the dark lord would be a good test. And he was right. His instincts and senses were right again. After ninety years, he had finally found a puppy worthy of being his successor. So much raw power, so much rage. The monstrous werewolf was laughing, making plans.
He would break the boy, use him, his tender flesh for pleasure, and then teach him, and Fenryr would finally have his cub.
.oOo.
All Daphne could do was to be strong. Be strong for herself, be strong for her friends, and be strong for Harry. She believed in him, and she knew he was going to return to them. When her own family arrived, she tried to remain calm and explain what was happening. When Hermione was crying, the witch knew what she had to do. And that seemed to be enough so Fleur could regain her bearings. Together, they were stronger, and they could better support each other.
And as she waited, Daphne noticed another problem.
Katie was looking directly at the field in the hope of seeing Harry returning; the she-wolf would sniff the air, from time to time, trying to catch his scent. Daphne remembered when Katie said, "Harry's scent is like an approaching storm, powerful and inevitable…"
Daphne reached for the girl's hand and squeezed it tenderly. "Katie," The witch said when the she-wolf looked at her. "I know you are worried, we all are, but… it's almost nightfall. You… you can't be here. It is too dangerous for you, and we can't risk losing you too."
That seemed to bring Katie back to reality. The girl looked at the sky, then at the forest's edge with tears in her eyes.
"You… you're right… Please, tell Harry I will be waiting for him." Katie said, hugging Daphne before she did the same to Hermione and Fleur. Daphne watched with a heavy chest as the girl ran towards the trees.
.oOo.
Harry had tears in his eyes.
At first, the werewolf couldn't distinguish the figures coming from the magical clash, but as the battle of wills continued, the wraiths became more and more real.
There were many, and it didn't take long for Harry to realize they were all dead. All of them victims of the psychotic monster in front of him.
The werewolf knew they were real. The scents, the colors, his instincts screamed at him. They were here, and they're still suffering.
Then, Harry saw them. They were approaching him with soft smiles on their faces, looking so young and beautiful, floating hand in hand. Harry felt warm, his parents' eyes glowing with love and acceptance as they looked at him; even the raging wolf inside him felt calm and focused.
"You did great, son; I'm so proud of you…" James Potter said, with a genuine smile, his eyes glinting with pride. "You are a better man than I could ever be, and I know you are going to go on and do great things." Harry's tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Harry… my baby…" Lily said, her cold, ethereal hands caressing the boy's face. "I… we love you so much, and we always will. Please, don't let anyone tell you how you should live, how you should love. Embrace who you are…" The phantom had her own teary eyes as she spoke. "Remember this, Harry, you are loved, and you have the capacity to love, don't let anyone take this from you… and that is why you have to go… your loved ones are waiting for you."
"But… but.. what about you?" Harry cried.
"We will always live with you, son," James said. "In your magic and your blood."
"There are others that need you, Harry," Lily said, and images of Fleur, Daphne, Hermione, Katie, Sirius, and his friends came into Harry's mind. "Don't you want to come back to them?"
"Yes… yes, I do…"
"Then, I need you to trust me, Harry…" The woman said. "Let it go, don't fight… let us protect you one last time."
Harry looked at them in disbelief, yet all his instincts told the werewolf he could trust them, that they loved him. The young wizard gave them a decided nod and called his magic back, lowering his wand.
Harry could barely hear the dark lord's triumphant laugh as the killing curse hit him, and his world became pain. He felt like something was being ripped inside him; the fabric of his very being was being undone, claiming for the end, yet Harry fought. The wolf inside him, the one who was him, now fought back, the rage burning, the passion, the love. In his fighting, Harry realized something was inside him, feeding off his magic, like a parasite, and the wolf would not have it. Not anymore. Roaring in pain, the werewolf fought inside himself, and he felt like his skull was going to crack, and the pain would never end. Far away, he could hear Voldemort's laugh turning into screams as the pain traveled from Harry into the Dark lord. The dark tendrils fought back, trying to stick into Harry's very being, but the wolf was stronger, and with a roar, Harry came back to the world, his soul was his, and no one would take it from him. The werewolf turned around to see the monster on his knees trembling and screaming in pain, his followers in awe, unsure of what to do, all but Fenrir, who looked at him with a hungry smile.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Harry ran to Cedric's body, lying on the ground, and screamed. "Acio shoes!" Before falling one more time into the portkey.
Amidst the cacophony of sounds and smells, it took Harry a couple of seconds to realize he was back at Hogwarts. His mind was dazed, his head hurt like hell, and he grabbed Cedric's body so hard that his fingers' knuckles had turned white. The werewolf could hear people around him talking and screaming, but he couldn't understand what they were saying or who was saying it. He could feel the moon starting to call to him, to call on his magic.
"He's… back…" Harry whispered. "He is back…" He said a little louder before someone threw himself screaming at Cedric's body, crying and screaming. All hell was breaking loose, and Harry felt like he was getting lost in his senses, the devil's snare still acting to numb him. A strong hand grabbed him from his shirt, and Harry found himself being dragged by someone inside the castle.
Harry's senses began to calm down as he was being led away from the crowd into the castle by professor Moody's firm grip on his shoulder. The boy could feel the moon starting to call, and Harry knew he didn't have much time. Still dizzy, his scar still hurting, and with his magic drained, he barely had the strength to accompany the older man's speed, and now that he could focus his senses, the werewolf felt something was wrong.
Harry was forcefully thrown into a chair inside the professor's office, and a second smell hit the werewolf. Someone else was in the room, but Harry couldn't see who it was.
"That was a close call, heim Potter!" Moody said, and Harry noticed how he was anxiously licking his own lips. "Good thing I was keeping an eye on you when those hit wizards show up. You have some powerful enemies, kiddo."
"You…" Harry whispered, rage starting to boil inside him.
"Yes, I saved you little punk ass out there Potter." The man said, again disgustingly licking his lips.
"Who are you?" Harry asked with a graw.
The man laughed and glued Harry into the chair with a flick of his wand. "You send me to him!" The young wizard roared.
"Indeed I did; indeed I did." The man laughed, and Harry could see the professor's skin changing in hue and trembling like something was moving underneath it. "And must I say, I was shocked when you came back!" The man approached him, and the boy could see the effects of the polyjuice potion starting to wear off. "You are always full of surprises!"
Harry clenched his teeth, the moonlight entered through the window, and he could feel the first hint of pain from the transformation, starting at his fingertips.
"Did you see him?" The man had a melting face, still licking his lips. "Did you see the dark lord? I know he's back. I can feel…" The strange wizard looked at Harry and noticed something was off. "What is happening?"
Harry was breathing heavily, looking at the ground; his body was covered in sweat, his hair wet and glued to his face. With a crack, the boy convulsed, and his back shot up, almost like his bones wanted to escape his body. As the boy's fingers grew, the man took a step back, and claws made their way from the tips, spilling blood into the ground. A thick, black fur was growing all around his body.
"Merlin!" The strange man, now completely reverted into his proper form, called as Harry lifted his head and roared, his teeth turning into fangs, while the boy's face distorted itself in painful ways, growing and moving into the predator's jaws. With a powerful push, the werewolf broke the chair and started ripping his clothes apart, trying to escape them. The whole process couldn't have taken more than a minute, but it felt like an eternity for Harry, and the big, black werewolf took his place at the end. He stood tall on his legs and howled, a shilling, powerful sound that echoed through the room.
The man whimpered, and it was a mistake. The wolf turned his head to him, his deep green predatory eyes locked into his prey. Faster than anyone could react, the werewolf closed the gap between them and pinned the man against the wall with his strong hands. Harry felt the smell of fear and blood as he growled at the man, his jaws dangerously close to the man's neck. All that Harry felt was anger and rage; that man had hurt him and sent him to his death. The werewolf opened his jaws, ready to bite the crying man and rip his face off.
"HARRY!" The wolf heard a familiar voice and turned around; looking at the door, Sirius had his hand up, and behind him, Harry saw Dumbledore, Fudge, and Amelia Bones with wide-open eyes. "Harry, please, calm down… is not worth it…"
The werewolf roared, hitting the crying man against the wall one more time with a crack. "Bartolomeu Crouch?" Amelia whispered after regaining her bearings.
"Listen to me, Harry, listen to my voice…" Sirius stepped forward. "I'm here for you… you are safe now…" the werewolf roared, unsure of what to do until he heard a howling. Deep, longing, coming from the forest, calling for him.
Katie.
Harry answered with his own howl, Fudge and Amelia crowing at the sound. After he finished, the werewolf looked deep inside Sirius' eyes, and let the man in his claws go, gasping for air. With a quick move, Harry jumped out of the window, breaking the glass and wood on its way, before disappearing into the woods of the forbidden forest.