Harry curled in on himself, breathing hard. He felt like his heart was about to burst with how hard it beat. He could hear the thumping in his ears, feeling his head throb and ache. His breathing was shallow and frenzied. He felt faint.
"Harry! Let me in!" Hermione cried, pounding on the door. "I know you're in there! It's just me, please let me in."
For a brief moment he was going to ignore her, but he knew she only wanted to help.
She seemed like she was the only one in the whole castle.
He tried to undo the locking spell from a distance but his arm shook too much. He crawled to the door, not trusting his shaking legs. It took a few tries but he finally undid the locking spell and the door flew open, knocking him to the side.
"I'm so sorry!" Hermione cried, seeing that she had knocked him back. She closed the door behind her and knelt beside him. "Are you okay? I mean," she blushed, "I didn't just hurt you did I?"
He shook his head, hand clutching the side of his face. "It's okay," he mumbled.
She looked at him, at the state of him. Her eyes teared up and she hugged him. "Oh Harry. It's not fair! Why did your name come out of the Goblet?"
He sobbed from relief. "You believe me?"
"Of course I do. You looked absolutely terrified when your name was called and you told us you weren't going to put your name in. You said you didn't."
Tonight, the Goblet of Fire had spat his name out as a fourth champion for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. So many students had wanted to put their names in but Harry was one of the few that did not. When asked he said as much, hoping to repeat his quiet year from last year. He had enjoyed having a normal school year and had hoped for the same.
Obviously, he would be denied that.
To make matters worse, practically everyone else did not believe him. He still saw the faces of all the students in the hall when his name was called. No one seemed to believe him, staring at him with disgust. Even the students from the other schools did that. Half of Gryffindor thought he put his name in, the other half did not care since they had their own champion to support.
Ron had accused him of going behind his back, to once again chase fame and fortune while he languished with nothing, to always be overshadowed.
Nothing Harry said would change his mind and Harry ran from the tower, unable to withstand Ron's hate and the attitude of the Gryffindors. Hearing that Hermione believed him made the ache hurt less and he breathed freely for the first time since the feast.
"Why won't anyone else believe me?" he whispered.
"No one else?" Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Surely Ron believes you." Her face changed when he told her what he said. "That git! How dare he! Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry. Maybe when he calms down he will see reason."
"I don't know," Harry said, dejected. "I've never seen him that angry before. He was really mad."
Hermione sighed and rested her head against his. "What did the Headmaster and the others say when you met with them?"
"That I have to compete. That or forfeit my magic or die. Whichever."
She shivered at his dead tone. "That's terrible. They don't think you put your name in, do they?"
"The heads from the other schools think that I did. Dumbledore didn't really say. Snape didn't really say either."
"That's not fair," she said again. "How are you supposed to do anything if they don't support you?" She wiped tears from her eyes.
"I don't know," he said faintly.
"Well, you're not alone Harry," she said firmly. "I'm here for you."
"Thank you," he said gratefully and hugged her as hard as he could. Then a thought arose. "We're not alone either."
"Oh! The Tonkses and Sirius!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Dora said she heard something was going to happen here this year. This must be it. She didn't say I'd get picked but warned me to be careful. I have to talk to them."
"If you send a letter now hopefully they can reply by late tomorrow."
"I have something faster. It's called a two-way mirror. It's for emergencies and this is one for sure." His face twisted. "It's in my trunk."
"I'll go get it," Hermione said. "It looks like a small mirror?"
"Yes, thank you," he said, deeply relieved. "It's in a leather case in the bottom right of my trunk." He locked the door behind her when she left and waited, willing himself to breathe. When she knocked softly, he reopened the door and took the mirror from her.
He held it in both hands. "Dora Tonks." He felt the mirror tingle. "Please Dora, please answer," he begged. "I need you."
The image inside the mirror swam for a few moments before stabilizing. Dora appeared in the mirror, her hair turning into soft pink when she saw Harry. "Harry! How's it going?" She saw how upset he looked and then saw Hermione, an equal expression of misery. "What happened? Tell me."
"The champions got picked tonight for the tournament and somehow my name came out," Harry said in a rush. "I didn't put my name in and somehow, I'm the fourth champion! People in the school are already giving me bad looks and mutters and the only person that believes me here is Hermione. I need your help!"
Dora's face had gone still and her eyes cycled in color. "Hold on, let me get Mum." She held the mirror to her chest and ran. "Mum!" she yelled. "Something happened at Hogwarts and Harry needs us!" Eventually the mirror showed both Andromeda and Dora and they looked back with concern.
"Harry, tell me what happened," Andromeda said in her most professional tone.
He repeated what happened from the start of term to now. How Dumbledore announced the tournament, about the Goblet being the chooser of champions, about the age line, and how tonight his name came out as a fourth champion. He described how Dumbledore and the officials acted, how the students during the feast reacted, how he felt. When he finished, Andromeda looked like her eyes could Curse from will alone. Dora's hair was long and bright red; her eyes looked the color of blood.
"I will kill him for this," Andromeda breathed. "I warned him. Not even one year ago, I warned him that if he allowed something to happen to you, I would end him for this. I'm going to kill him and hang his body from the gates."
Hermione shuddered from the words and how coldly they were said. Harry patted her hand and while it was comforting, the fact that he did not look bothered was also disquieting.
"Only if you beat me to him," Dora growled.
"What do I do?" Harry asked. He felt much better talking to them, knowing that he had someone more experienced helping him. "Do I have to compete?"
"I will have to see the contract first," Andromeda said slowly. "I will try to find a way out for you but even if you have to compete, you will not do it alone."
"Dumbledore said champions do it alone," Hermione said quietly.
"I do not care what he says," Andromeda retorted. "That is for willing participants. Harry is underaged and unwilling. If he has to participate then I will glean every advantage I can to ensure his survival."
"How are you doing?" Dora asked Harry, her eyes radiating care and worry. They slowly shifted to soft blue.
"Panicky, terrified," Harry confessed. "Glad Hermione is here and you are helping me though."
"We're here for you," Dora said emphatically.
"Yes, it is good you told us tonight." Andromeda looked at Hermione fondly. "Thank you for supporting Harry dear. You have earned a friend for life and the Blacks will be in your debt."
Hermione blushed. "Harry's my best friend."
"It shows and we appreciate it." Andromeda looked at Harry. "I will contact Amelia and get things rolling legally on my end. Then we will be coming up to the castle tomorrow first thing in the morning to file a…personal protest. Do attend breakfast, it will be enlightening."
"Hang tight," Dora said, "we're coming."
"Thank you," Harry said. He and Hermione waved while the Tonks witches waved and the mirror changed to show Harry and Hermione like a normal mirror would.
"I see what you mean," Hermione said after a moment. "When they say they will do things, you believe them. I really do think she would try to…kill Professor Dumbledore. Her and Dora."
"Is it bad that I find it comforting? That they are so adamant in helping me?"
"No, not really. I mean, I know you would never condone actual murder and violence like that. And you haven't had a lot of support in the past." She smiled wryly. "It is nice how strongly they feel about you. Intimidating and somewhat disquieting, but nice. I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end."
Harry squeezed her hand. "No, and really, thank you for supporting me. I don't think I say it enough."
She squeezed his hand back. "You say it enough and you help me too. I'm happily your best friend and you're mine." She chewed her lip. "I wonder what's going to happen tomorrow."
"No idea but it'll be something impressive." He had no idea just how much of an understatement he just made.
-0-
Ted walked into a full-blown argument. He had worked late and was expecting to come back to a silent home, but he could hear them arguing from outside. He spent a few moments staring blankly at his wife and daughter as they debated heatedly.
"I am your mother and you will defer to me on this," Andromeda said severely.
"Not this time! I'm going to kill him and I'm faster than you so there!"
"I have been dreaming of this for a while now and you will not take this from me! I have years of resentment built up to work out. I will flay him alive."
"Okay, let's take a few steps back." Ted looked at his suddenly guilty-looking family. "Who are we allegedly flaying and killing?" His jaw dropped as they explained. "What?! Dumbledore told the Board that there would be no way anyone underaged would be involved!"
"Hence why we wish to obliterate him," Andromeda growled. "This is just the tip of his many crimes."
Ted rubbed his face. "I bet he hasn't even sent anything to the Board about this yet. Well, two can play at that game. I'm writing everyone now and will call for an emergency meeting to discuss this."
Dora blinked at him. "Wow. It's been a while since I've seen you upset."
"Which means we are morally in the right," Andromeda said smugly. "And now I will heap more punishment on him for upsetting my Teddy."
"Good thing Sirius is out of the country right now. He'd be storming the castle right now," Ted said.
"I am tempted to do the same but I am preparing first before bringing our wrath down," Andromeda said. "I am going to make people bleed for this."
"What's the plan?" Ted asked.
"Dora is going to contact Amelia. I want her and an Auror escort tomorrow morning. You will be writing the Board and we will be inspecting everything very closely from now on. I will write Sirius a letter, he would never forgive me if I did not. Tomorrow I will demand a copy of the contract and see if we can get Harry out of the tournament. If not, we will ensure that he is taken care of and will have every chance to…survive."
Dora's hair turned grey and she gripped the table. "If something happens to Harry during all this, I am going to gut whoever's responsible."
"Oh, thank you Dora. That actually reminds me of something." Andromeda looked at Ted. "Do you remember where we put Mathilda?"
Ted winced slightly but then thought about the circumstances. His reservations evaporated. "Yes, in our closet. She was in the basement but when we cleaned it up for Sirius, we put her case in our closet because you wanted to give her a once-over."
"Ah and might as well do it now." Andromeda looked cheery. "Splendid timing."
"You're bringing Mathilda?" Dora asked, her lips spreading in a grin.
"Of course. You should always approach a meeting with the right equipment to make the right point. And she will help immensely." She walked to her bedroom and found the large black leather case. She carried it down to the sitting room and carefully undid the charms and opened it, sighing lovingly at the sight of the contents. "It has been too long, Mathilda."
Ted shook his head but his smile was warm. "And what point are we making?"
"A declaration," Andromeda said.
-0-
Amelia's eyes widened when Andromeda and Dora appeared. She had arrived at the Hogsmeade apparition point with a full squad of Aurors as requested. She had been absolutely livid when Dora contacted her the night before.
The tournament was a big point of contention for her. Dumbledore had refused an Auror presence on the grounds for the duration of the tournament, saying he had everything handled. He had also refused any kind of discussion over the tasks from the DMLE which, to be fair, was his right, but she thought they would at least provide some feedback over what was safe and feasible.
Now that Dumbledore had failed before the tournament even truly began, not to mention a distinct lack of communication over what happened last night from Ludo Bagman, Bartemius Crouch, or Dumbledore, she was even more angry over the whole situation. Thus she was not only happy to show up early in the morning with an escort, she was eager. She knew Andromeda would rain fire on Dumbledore and his cronies for what he had done. She was there when the woman made the promise after all.
However, seeing the case that Andromeda held really showed how serious she was taking this. And Amelia was all for it. The other Aurors looked at the case curiously, but neither Tonks witch elaborated or explained for the moment.
They stopped at the gates and waited for someone to let them in. "What's the plan?" Amelia asked.
"I am going to demand to see the written contract to see if I can get my ward out of this travesty of a tournament," Andromeda said sweetly but her eyes burned. "If that is not possible, then I am going to ensure his and our rights will be met and be sacrosanct. Teddy has informed the rest of the Board as well and I am sure they will support us over Dumbledore. I recommend that you have yours examine the Goblet and push for your presence on the grounds for the duration of the tournament as well."
"Agreed. Don't worry. I intend on insinuating that if we were allowed on the grounds to begin with, this might not have happened."
"Agreed as well. I will also be having many words with Dumbledore and would ask that you nor your Aurors interfere unless I…deliberately break the law."
"Andromeda Tonks has my full confidence," Amelia said to the Aurors. "No one is to interfere with her or do anything against her without my express order. Am I clear?"
They all nodded and made noises of assent.
"Good." Andromeda gestured with her wand and the case floated up in front of her. It opened and all the Aurors reacted to the contents. One whistled long and low while others paled and took a step back. "If anyone tries to interfere then I will be using Mathilda on them after I finish with Dumbledore."
The Aurors that stood closest to her took small but definite steps away from her.
Andromeda and Dora smiled when they saw Hagrid approach the gates. "Let's go get our boy," Dora said.
-0-
If they had not asked Harry to be there at breakfast, Harry would have gone anywhere else. The whispers and glares from everyone around him were suffocating. It was worse than the time in second year when people thought he was the Heir of Slytherin and was trying to kill the Muggleborns.
Somehow.
The majority of the school glared at him and said scathing things. The Hufflepuffs were united in their displeasure and he had really hoped Cedric would have said something. He was particularly hurt by Susan's reaction. They were not close friends but he had hoped the few times they saw each other over the summer when she came to visit with Amelia meant something. Apparently not.
The Ravenclaws seemed to share in the displeasure and the Slytherins as a whole typically treated Harry terribly. The Gryffindors were still split between supporting him as a champion but only just while the rest thought he had entered illegally as well. Like Ron did.
He shuddered.
The students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang shot their share of dirty looks at him. At least he could not understand their insults which was some form of comfort.
Luckily Hermione was by his side and she looked coolly at everyone around, seemingly unperturbed by the ire thrown his way. She had glared at Ron especially but the other boy had looked away without being bothered by it.
"Thank you," he said quietly to her.
"I'm really sorry this is happening to you," she huffed. "This is utterly ridiculous."
"I got so comfortable last year with a relatively care-free year," he sighed. "I was so looking forward to just not having to worry about things this year."
She looked at him sadly. "I know. I…" She looked around. "What's that sound?"
Harry heard it too. It was a low scraping noise, of metal on stone. It was low and grating, sending shivers sliding up and down his spine. It was growing louder. Eventually the chatter in the great hall faded and people looked about for the source of the sound. His jaw dropped.
Andromeda walked into the great hall. She was dressed in black robes with tight fittings over the elbows and knees. Padding and protective gear was apparent and her hair was tied and braided. Dora was dressed in similar clothes and her hair was long and black, her eyes green. Amelia followed after and a team of Aurors spread out behind them.
What drew his attention though was the source of the sound. Andromeda was dragging a very large battle axe along the ground behind her. The head was grinding along the stone floor, making loud scraping sounds. Yet the edge of the axe gleamed, showing no signs of wear or chipping. She walked slowly and smoothly, holding the axe handle in an easy grip, eyes focused on Dumbledore sitting at the staff table.
Everyone stared, unsure of what they were seeing. The professors at the table looked at one another before watching them approach. Dumbledore had been reading the Daily Prophet but as they entered the hall, he looked around it and blanched at the sight.
As they came to the table, Andromeda reversed her grip on the handle. She twisted her upper body, swinging the axe up laterally building momentum before holding it high over her head. She brought it down with a sharp cry. Dumbledore reeled back; the tip of the axe sliced the newspaper in half vertically. The axe buried itself into the wooden table with a heavy thud that filled the hall. Shrieks and gasps erupted from all over. The Aurors and the professors had flinched while Andromeda, Dora, and Amelia looked unperturbed.
"This is a single bladed war axe, made from Goblin steel. Forged in the 14th century by the master weaponsmith Magog. It was formally awarded to the Blacks after they did a personal favor to the family of Magog and it has been instrumental in several conflicts, numerous duels, and three declarations." Andromeda ran a hand lovingly up the metal handle. "I call her Mathilda."
Dumbledore gaped at the weapon embedded in the middle of his place at the table. He looked up at Andromeda, the gears in his brain turning. "Declarations?" he sputtered.
"Yes. Declarations of war." Andromeda leaned over the table and her dam of calmness broke under the storm of her fury. "I warned you. I warned you a bit over a year ago. If you engineered any situation where Harry is in danger, if he was placed in a situation that could have been avoided, I would rain fire on you. You have once again, failed."
"I did not!" Dumbledore said loudly.
"So he is not in a tournament against his will? His life and magic is not threatened by a situation that you were handling? Have you done absolutely everything to have prevented this from happening?"
"I am not omnipotent," he seethed.
"As much as you like to pretend you are. The great Albus Dumbledore, infallible! Unapproachable!" Andromeda glared at him. "You are a failure and in typical Dumbledore fashion, others suffer from your idiocy. This could have been avoided!"
"I drew an age line. I tried to plan for the extremes. I did all that I could. You cannot blame me for this."
"I can," Amelia said. "I wanted Aurors stationed here for the safety of the visitors and the students. You claim you did all you could while ignoring additional resources and possibilities."
"I blame you as well. I hold you responsible for this and I will not allow your weakness to endanger my ward. I want to read a written copy of the magical contract. I will go over it to my satisfaction to try and clean up your mess. I want it, now." Andromeda glared at him.
"The Goblet of Fire is an artifact," Dumbledore said, trying to retain some dignity. "It has its own magic, not sentience. Do you think it signed some form of contract?"
"No, but every magical arbiter of decisions will have some form of contract written out, much like a ritual. Insult my intelligence at your risk," she retorted. "Get me a copy of it now."
"Ludo and Bartemius might have one," Dumbledore said shortly.
"Good, I want to speak to them too. All three of you in fact, considering that none of you thought this was worth alerting the DMLE over," Amelia said severely.
"It only happened last night and we had hoped to do our own investigations." Dumbledore frowned. His eyes drifted to the Gryffindor table. "How did you know of this-"
Andromeda wrenched the axe out of the table and slammed it down again, arresting Dumbledore's attention and making others cry out. "Wandering eyes have a habit of wandering so far, they leave the head entirely," she said sweetly. "Get those two here, now. I want to read that contract. I am not leaving until I get my answers and the longer I wait, the more upset Mathilda will get."
"Do not presume to threaten me," Dumbledore said. He rose completely and stared down his nose at her.
"I have not threatened you in the slightest," she replied, wholly unimpressed. "I am a finer solicitor than you are a headmaster and I have made no threatening statements to your person since walking in here. I have made references to a past instance but have made no new threatening remarks. The bit about the eyes was advice willingly given."
"I can force you to leave," Dumbledore said.
"This is an official Ministry matter," Amelia interrupted. "There is an official investigation and it is completely out of your hands, Dumbledore. Madam Tonks is here as my legal counsel and as a concerned legal magical Guardian of one of your students." She smiled at his embarrassed look. "One that is also involved in this matter."
Dumbledore looked between the two witches and cast glances on either side of the table. None of the other Aurors seemed to be willing to step in with Dora staring at him with naked hostility. The professors present for breakfast sat back and watched the situation with differing levels of concern and trepidation. A part of him wanted to drag this out, to make a fight of it. However, he knew that they had him over a barrel at the moment and if it came to public opinion, he would suffer for it. "I…will summon Ludo and Barty," he finally conceded.
"Very good. I will wait here with my ward." Andromeda turned but stopped when Dora cleared her throat. "Ah of course." She spun and pulled Mathilda out of the table in one smooth motion, balancing it over one shoulder. Without turning, she walked towards the Gryffindor table and after one final glare, Dora followed. Students shrank from them as they walked past. Only two looked at them: Harry with utter delight and Hermione with utter concern.
"How's my boy?" Andromeda cooed as she hugged Harry before walking to the other side of the table. She placed Mathilda down gently before sitting.
"Much better with you two here," Harry said with naked relief. He hugged her back and hugged Dora hard when she walked up. She too crossed to the other side and sat beside her mother. The gap that was there widened as no one wanted to get near the two older witches.
"Told you we were coming," Dora said. She looked around, her eyes crimson and no one met her gaze.
"And how are you doing Hermione?" Andromeda asked warmly as she poured herself a cup of juice.
"F-Fine, th-thank you," Hermione stammered. She looked askance at the axe. "Is that really 600 years old?"
"She is! Quite proud of her age too." Andromeda patted the axe. "One of the few things I kept when I was cast out of the family. In the Blacks, weapons are passed down from user to user and none may take them once gifted. So they tried to take her but she reacted rather violently to the insult. Poor thing, she had been sitting in her case for a long time."
"One of the few decent traditions," Dora said.
Andromeda clapped her hands. "I will take you to the shop one day soon," she said to an alarmed Hermione. "Wands are good and all but everyone should have a secondary option for self-defense. This will be my first step in repaying you. We can find you something that suits you and you will be the first in your line to have a legacy weapon. When your own children are ready for it, you can pass it down."
"Oh, I mean, that, is that necessary? Not to say I don't appreciate the gesture." Hermione looked a little panicked. "I don't think my parents will appreciate me having an axe."
"I am sure they will understand once we explain it. And it may not be an axe. We will find something that suits you physically and personality wise. I have been meaning to take Dora so it will be a fun excursion for all of us." Andromeda looked positively gleeful.
Hermione shot Harry that plainly said 'help'.
"Can I come?" Harry asked.
"Of course! I will ask Sirius to check your family vaults to make sure James did not leave you something similar. I do not know if the Potters did this. Otherwise we will find something for you as well. We might even check the Black vaults and Grimmauld. There might be a few blades that suit you."
McGonagall approached and she gave Andromeda a carefully crafted blank look. "The Headmaster would like for the necessary parties to meet in his office."
"Splendid. Come along, dears."
McGonagall looked at Harry and Hermione who had risen to join them. "He said only the necessary ones."
Andromeda raised an eyebrow. "This impacts Harry so he is necessary and Hermione is under the aegis of the Blacks." She picked up Mathilda.
McGonagall blanched. "Very well."
-0-
The atmosphere in the office was thick and heavy. Ludo stood in the corner, twitching. Earlier he tried to argue with Andromeda and she had forced him to stand in the corner, prodding him with the butt of Mathilda's handle. Crouch fumed, almost shaking from fury as he stood next to Dumbledore who sat behind his desk, rubbing his temples to stave off his headache.
Andromeda sat on a conjured chair, reading the contract meticulously. Harry and Hermione sat behind her, watching silently. Dora stood at his side, watchful. Amelia stood beside Andromeda, looking over Andromeda's shoulder.
McGonagall stood to one side directly between the two parties, as if unwilling to show support to anyone. Flitwick and Sprout stood with her. Snape had refused to attend the meeting.
Andromeda sighed with disgust. "Whoever wrote this should be fired. From a siege engine. This is a travesty. First year law students can write better contracts than this. This thing is riddled with holes for the important things and is hilariously inflexible on others. I would not use this to clean the bathroom. It is so filthy there would be no point."
"We made do with what we had," Crouch said through gritted teeth.
"Oh I am sure," Andromeda replied blandly. "If there was only a department at the Ministry whose sole purpose was to help with writing contracts and legal things."
"If only," Amelia said dryly.
"Do I have to compete?" Harry asked. He already knew the answer but he hoped nevertheless.
Andromeda sighed unhappily. "Unfortunately, yes you do love. I am so sorry, but you have to. You will forfeit your magic or your life if you do not. If I ever find the idiot who wrote that line into the contract, I will ensure they forfeit their life."
"At least we know how to prevent this from happening in the future," Dumbledore said wearily.
"I'll turn the Goblet into kindling before this happens again," Dora said angrily.
"That is a priceless magical artifact," Crouch spat.
"And you're a cheap magical idiot," Dora retorted.
"Since we cannot change what happened," Andromeda said, interrupting Crouch, "we should go about ensuring Harry's health and survival moving forward."
"He cannot have any assistance from the staff," Crouch said. "None of the champions can be aided by their schools."
"I was not insinuating that he would get any assistance from Hogwarts," Andromeda said scathingly. "I do not trust a soul here in having his best interests in mind." She ignored the looks from the three professors on the side. "Not to mention he is at least three years younger if not more compared to the other champions. He lacks valuable knowledge and experience. He needs help. I demand times for either myself, Sirius, or Dora to teach and train him. In fact, I almost wish for him to have a guard at all times."
"Done." Amelia looked at Dora. "Auror Tonks, consider yourself on assignment. You're Potter's shadow and you'll help train him. His safety is your priority. Do you accept?"
"Yes," Dora said swiftly.
"Is that necessary?" Dumbledore asked. "Him having a guard would be disruptive to his schooling and the like."
"It's clear that someone is messing with things, including his life," Amelia replied. "I think it is necessary but we can come to a compromise of sorts. She won't go into his classes with him and won't be in his dorm but I expect her to have quarters nearby and she will be with him otherwise unless she needs to leave the school for other reasons."
"But if the immediate threat has passed and with your continued…observation on the tasks at large, I cannot think of a reason for him needing a full-time escort," Dumbledore protested. "And do not say I do not care about his safety. I am trying to provide a peaceful experience for him. He is perfectly safe."
"I wasn't the first two years," Harry said all of a sudden.
"What was that?" Dora asked; she looked down at him.
Dumbledore looked pained. "Harry, please-"
"Please explain," Andromeda interrupted.
"First year, there was the thing with the Philosopher's Stone and Quirrell being possessed," Harry said, staring unblinkingly at Dumbledore. "We," he gestured at Hermione and himself, "even went to Professor McGonagall and she ignored us."
Flitwick and Sprout looked at her with shock and she hung her head.
"How come I've never heard of this," Amelia said, her voice dangerous.
"Second year there was the basilisk," Harry continued, going for broke. "Hermione was petrified."
"A basilisk?!" Amelia shouted.
"That's basilisk venom in your system?!" Andromeda exclaimed.
"It bit me."
"You were bit by a basilisk?!" Dora screeched.
Harry pulled up the sleeve on his arm, showing the scar. He pointed at the phoenix sitting behind Dumbledore's desk. "Fawkes saved me."
"You knew there were petrifications from a basilisk and you did nothing?!" Amelia snarled at a red-faced Dumbledore.
"I did not know it was a basilisk until the end," he protested. "I was also removed from my post by that point."
"And my point is," Harry said slowly, looking at Dora and Andromeda, "I never really felt safe here until last year. And that was because I had you two and Uncle Ted in my life. That's when I actually felt safe here. I knew that if anything happened, you would help. Just like you helped today. Before I never felt like I had any support aside from Hermione…and Ron." He sighed unhappily but pushed the ache aside. "The only reason I haven't panicked completely over this is because I know you are helping me."
Dora whimpered slightly at the thought of Harry being grossly unsupported his first two years, dealing with things on his own. She hugged him tightly before letting him go. Her hair became metallic spikes. She tried to walk past Andromeda, hefting Mathilda in her free hand.
"No," Andromeda scolded, pulling the axe from her hand. "I am going to use Mathilda." She pointed it at Dumbledore who shied away from it. Crouch visibly distanced himself. "Third time is the harm. You have failed, egregiously, three times. There will be blood for this." She smiled dangerously. "And that was not a threat, that was a fact."
She pulled out some parchment and a quill and began writing swiftly. Her quill scratched as she wrote, muttering softly. Everyone watched her as she did. When she finished, she put the parchment in front of Dumbledore. "I demand you to sign this contract. You will do everything in your power to prevent any more dangerous things to happen to Harry. You will not interfere with anything the family does to protect him and his friends. If anything is to happen to him and you fail in this contract in my sole estimation, you will acquiesce to my demand for restitution, or you will suffer the consequences."
"I know you think me an idiot but if I sign this, you must think me an even greater one," he said with disgust. "Do you really think I would let you interpret the tasks as something dangerous?"
"Read the damn thing. I have my pride as a solicitor on this," she replied with greater disgust. "I exempted you from the task themselves, as much as I wished not to."
He slowly read the contract. "What if I do not sign it?"
"Then I am going to ensure that what happened to Harry his first two years is investigated in full and make you pay dearly for it. Not to mention I will do everything in my power to ensure you suffer for everything you have done to him."
"That's not including an independent investigation from the DMLE," Amelia said. "And before you whine about us colluding, I am beyond pissed that my niece was here when there was a possessed individual and a bloody basilisk roaming about."
Dumbledore sighed and signed the contract. Andromeda summoned it back to her and tucked it securely in her pocket. "Very well," he said tiredly. "Is there anything else?" he asked in a pawky tone.
"Not at the moment." Andromeda smiled thinly. "But I am sure there will be when Sirius returns."
-0-
McGonagall showed them the quarters that Dora would live in while she was at the school. They were located in the same tower as Gryffindor's dormitories, just down the hall from the portrait door. After some more talk between the adults, Harry and Hermione met with Dora, Amelia, and Andromeda in Dora's quarters.
"Right. So I'll increase the standing Aurors in Hogsmeade for the duration of the tournament," Amelia said. "On task days, there will be a presence on the grounds. Tonks, you are still fairly junior so no commanding the others but when it comes to Potter, you're primary."
"I'll shadow him when he's not in class and outside his dorm. I'll also set up training times for him and train with him as much as we can," Dora said.
"Let me or Sirius know if you require anything," Andromeda said. "We will also come to assist with training when we are able to."
"We should also still investigate how they messed things up here and what happened your first and second year." Amelia rubbed her neck. "I wonder why Susan never told me these things. I better ask her again and you may need to give us statements if you can."
"Sure," Harry said and Hermione agreed. He took a deep breath. "Thank you, again. I really would be a complete mess right now if I didn't have your help. All of you."
Dora hugged him. "You're ours and nobody messes with us."
Hermione looked upset. "Professor Dumbledore really did just let things happen…didn't he? I used to look up to him, and Professor McGonagall so much. But in there, they weren't really trying to help you and the way you said what happened our first and second year. It's…really not good."
Andromeda sighed. "People make mistakes and I will not be the first to say that Dumbledore is a bad person. However, he is not a good person and his mistakes are costly. What vexes me the most is that he gets to avoid the consequences of his mistakes and like you said, he does not seem interested to help in some odd way. No matter. We will not rely on him. We will take care of this and each other ourselves."
-0-
The days after the champion selection were easier with Dora there. Sure, Harry still suffered some dirty looks and mutterings. Sure, he still had most of the school thinking he was a cheat. Some even thought he was like the Blacks: volatile and unhinged morally. He still missed Ron who refused to do anything with him.
However, having Dora near helped a lot. Her presence was a comfort and most gave him a wide berth in the halls. She provided a lot of help to him and Hermione when they did homework, telling them where to look in books for information and helping them understand a few things.
Training with her was hard but rewarding. The times he trained with her last summer paled in comparison. She was relentless now, driven in a way that pushed him to his limits. Yet she never went overboard and he was grateful in the ways he grew under her tutelage. Hermione trained somewhat too but spent most of her time researching spells and examining past tournament tasks to try and guess what his tasks would be.
He would soon learn that Dora being around would help him more than he could imagine.
-0-
Dora was walking through the grounds on the way back into the castle. She had gone to Hogsmeade to meet with the Senior Auror there and to make a report. Grabbing some treats from Honeydukes, she was walking back when she stopped in the courtyard. She saw Weasley twins talking to a third redhead that looked like them. This redhead she knew so she deviated from her path. "Wotcher, Charlie," she said.
Charlie Weasley turned and smiled at her. "Hey Dora! Fancy seeing you here, how're you doing?"
"I'm okay. I'm on special assignment, hence me being here."
"Oh yeah? Well I'm here for my work too believe it or not."
The twins looked at each other and gave Dora a significant look but said nothing.
Dora felt her blood go cold. "Yeah? Not visiting one of the local dragon sanctuaries?"
"Nope. Our sanctuary was asked for specifically and decided to tag along so I can see the family. Say, you free anytime soon? I'd love to catch up."
"I'll let you know if I am," Dora replied swiftly. "Good seeing your Charlie." She turned and walked fast towards the castle, trying to maintain control over her breathing. She knew Charlie worked with dragons and if he was at the school for work, that really could only mean one thing. She started walking down the hall and towards the dungeons, knowing that Harry would be out of Potions class soon.
Her nerves already on edge, she noticed a gathering of students and recognized the raised voices. She started pushing her way through the crowd.
-0-
"Where are you running off to Potter? Going to run and cry?"
Harry sighed. "I mean, yeah since anything is better than being around you Malfoy."
Draco flushed. "You're pathetic. Going to hide behind the weird-haired girl's skirts again?"
Harry stopped and turned to glare at Draco. "Auror Tonks doesn't wear skirts. Why are you so hung up on them by the way? Wish you could look good in a skirt?" He enjoyed the way Draco flushed more at the snickers from the students around them. "Just leave me alone, Malfoy. I'm not in the mood."
"I guess if I was about to die a laughingstock, I wouldn't be in one either," he taunted. "You know, you really only have yourself to blame. Entering the tournament for attention when you're such a pathetic excuse for a wizard. Personally, I think you should be expelled for being a cheat."
Harry rolled his eyes. "I didn't enter the tournament." He gave a sigh of mock pity. "I suppose you'll have to talk to someone on the Board of Governors to get me expelled. Oh wait," Harry smiled, "your father isn't on the Board anymore, is he? Uncle Ted is and he's doing a better job than your father ever did in all his years of being on it. Who's the pathetic excuse for a wizard now?" He turned to walk away.
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked.
He dove when she yelled and he felt the spell rush past him. He rolled, summoning his wand to his hand. But before he could cast, Draco was already sending a second spell at him.
"Protego!"
A shield appeared between them and dissipated the hex heading his way. Dora charged through the last of the students blocking her way. Draco turned, his wand up at this new threat. He crumpled forward slightly as a bludgeoner hex hit him in the stomach, dropping his wand. Dora kept running and her left hand went around his throat and he found himself lifted into the air and slammed against the wall. He whimpered from pain and fear, the sound diminishing when Dora tightened her grip.
"You little bastard," she hissed. "How about you try me on for size huh?" She grew slightly in height and breadth, her muscles stood out as her hair turned wild. She pointed her wand at Crabbe and Goyle without looking away from Draco. "One more step and I'll Curse you both into the ground and then do to you what I'll do to blondie here."
She glared at Draco who was trying to break her grip. "You try to hurt Harry again, and I'll gut you like a fish." She dragged her wand lightly down his neck and abdomen. He whimpered louder; eyes wide as he felt the wand tip slide down.
Her eyes swept over the crowd. "Harry is under my protection. If any of you try to hurt him, I will respond with extreme prejudice. That goes for his friends too and only those that he says is his friend, not others who claim they're his friends."
Everyone gulped.
She relaxed her grip, dropping Draco to the ground. She watched him crawl away from her but when he reached for his wand she spoke, "No. Leave it. You can get it from Snape later." She returned his glare. "If you pick it up, I'll see it as a desire to duel right now." She sneered as he scrambled to his feet and ran, followed closely by Crabbe and Goyle. She picked up his wand and stuck it into her pocket. "Anyone else want to pick up their wands later from their Head of House? No? Then fuck off."
Everyone save Harry and Hermione ran off, all desiring to be anywhere else.
"You okay?" Dora asked Harry.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Thanks." He smiled at her. "That was brilliant."
"You're a little terrifying," Hermione said, giving Dora a wary look.
"Aww thank you," Dora smiled. "But don't worry, I like you as does Harry so you don't have any reason to be scared of me."
Hermione did not know if it was good that she felt that much relief.
Dora looked around at the empty corridor. "Never mind that for now, follow me." She led them to her quarters and threw up a privacy charm. "I think I know what the first task is. I saw Charlie Weasley and he says he's here for work."
"Doesn't he work with dragons?" Hermione said faintly.
"Bloody hell," Harry gasped. Hermione was so upset she did not scold his use of language. "They want me to fight a dragon? What am I going to do against a dragon?!"
Dora also looked a little rattled. "I don't know and I want to shove whoever made this task into the dragon pen without a wand for it. I have to double check with Mum and Dad and Sirius but there are some spells we can do to help. I can't imagine you're going to fight a dragon to the death or anything," she gulped, "but maybe it's trying to escape one or something."
Harry took a deep breath. "We still have a week. We'll think of something. Hopefully."
-0-
"In the future, any sort of punishment comes from me alone," Snape hissed.
Dora stared back at him. "Sure, as long as he doesn't try to attack the one I'm protecting."
"I was told Potter started it."
Dora laughed. "Oh yeah. Potter, who was walking away with his wand holstered, almost took a spell to the back. That sure sounds like he started it." She gave Draco's wand to Snape.
He glared at her. "You will never speak to Draco or any of my students like that again."
"I'm not one of your students so you don't tell me to do anything. I am operating within the parameters established by the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. If you think I am working beyond my remit, feel free to contact her."
He ground his teeth.
"Glad we had this talk," she said and walked away.
-0-
Sirius, Andromeda, and Ted were appalled when they heard what Dora told them that night when they came to help with training. Sirius was about to storm Dumbledore's office again, like he did as soon as he returned to the country and learned of Harry's involvement in the tournament. Andromeda managed to keep him from going but he muttered darkly about getting his revenge later.
"You can't go toe to toe with a dragon," Sirius said eventually. "I mean, their weakness is their eyes so you could hit them with a Conjunctivitis Curse but that's not easy to do and you also piss it off a lot so I wouldn't recommend it."
"I wouldn't recommend hitting them directly with spells," Ted mused. "Dragons are notoriously magic resistant. You need to be extremely powerful and working in concert with others to have a chance."
"Too bad I can't just transfigure rocks into meat and force feed it into complacency like Dora," Harry joked feebly.
She huffed and poked him while the others chuckled. "Dragons eat more than me," she said with a half-smile. "You'd need a lot of food."
"How about sleeping potions or slowing potions?" Hermione suggested.
"Not a bad idea but they won't willingly drink them and you'd need a lot," Sirius said.
"Wait. Slowing them down." Andromeda looked up. "We can use the environment to the advantage." She outlined her idea.
"That's doable," Sirius said, hope rising. "That's what, three pretty general spells and you already learned two of them from over the summer. You'll need to pump some power into them but it has a pretty good chance of working."
Harry felt elated. "Let's do it then!"
-0-
"You look good."
Harry grinned. He was dressed in black robes with protective padding laced over the torso, elbows, and knees. They were originally designed for combat and dueling, magically reinforced for protection, and made special by the Blacks. "Thanks. Wish I felt as good as I looked."
Dora kissed him on the forehead. "You got this. Just keep your head, don't panic." Her voice broke slightly. "Come back alive."
He hugged her hard. "I will. Thanks to all of you, I will."
She sniffled, squeezing him desperately before reluctantly letting him go. She watched him walk into the waiting tent before making her way back to the stands where the watchers of the tournament waited.
"How is he?" Andromeda asked.
"He's okay," Dora said softly.
"Let's hope he stays that way," Sirius said quietly.
Dora nodded in agreement as she sat by Hermione. The other girl was shaking slightly and Dora offered her hand, gripping it tight to share in the nervousness.
They watched as the other champions challenged their dragons to mixed results. Cedric Diggory managed to distract the dragon with transfigured animals but was caught by the dragon's breath on the way out. Viktor Krum used the Conjunctivitis Curse that Sirius suggested but as predicted, the dragon went mad from pain and rage, inflicting considerable damage and some injury to the champion. Fleur Delacour managed to put her dragon to sleep with an impressive display of magic.
Then it was Harry's turn. He faced the Hungarian Horntail, a gargantuan dragon festooned with spikes. She hunched over the nest that held Harry's objective, a large golden egg.
"Come on Harry," Dora whispered. "You can do it." She heard Hermione whimper and hugged the girl to her.
"I'm going to fucking murder whoever put Harry's name in the Goblet," Sirius swore.
Harry stared at the dragon, shaking slightly from nerves and fear. He could feel his heart pound in his chest, imagining his robes were moving with his heart beat. He took a deep breath and nodded. The last few days he had trained hard, learning the spells that might help. Seeing the arena, where the nest was, how the dragon sat and stared, he decided that the plan still could work.
He waved his wand in a complicated pattern and started to incant. A thick fog spilled forth from his wand, conjured from the air and thickened by magic. It billowed across the arena, flowing along the ground smoothly. He continued to cast it, letting it drift over the ground between him and the nest.
The dragon tried to bite the fog, rearing her head back in confusion as it clung to her teeth and scales. It almost oozed over everything it touched, clinging and coating. Harry twisted his wand, preventing the fog from flowing over the nest but surrounding it. The dragon shook irritably, trying to shake off the thick air.
"So it looks like Mister Potter is trying to cover the dragon in a thick jumper," Ludo joked and the crowd laughed appreciatively.
"I'm going to shove my hand down your throat and watch you choke," Dora muttered. "Ignore him, Harry. Keep it up."
The fog continued to build and the dragon was clearly confused and irritated. It even ignored her flapping wings, flowing languidly about. She started to stumble around the nest, clearly reluctant to step any closer so she would not crush the eggs. She rose on her hind legs, spreading her wings wide and roaring in frustration.
Exactly what Harry was waiting for.
He made a complicated gesture with his wand, casting a variant of a spell. "Glacius!" The Water to Ice spell was manipulated by the change in wand movement, dropping the temperature of the air as well as the moisture. The fog froze, turning into a wet slick mush where it was thinnest and into ice where it was thickest. The dragon slipped on the ice below her hind claws but could not keep her balance with her hind legs suddenly caught in the ice. Flapping her wings, she overbalanced, falling down the slight slope with a roar.
As the dragon fell, Harry leapt down the slope created from the frozen fog. He slid down the slick slope and just barely kept his feet when he slid into the walls of the nest. Scrambling over the lip, he grabbed the golden egg. Jumping back over the edge of the nest, Harry concentrated his remaining strength. "Ventus Maxima!" He drew the smallest circle he could manage, concentrating the Wind Blast Charm into a point that propelled him away from the nest and the struggling dragon. He slid up the slope and flew over the edge, rolling head over heels.
"Yes!" Sirius shouted, punching the air. Andromeda waved her arms, howling in delight while Dora and Hermione jumped up and down, shrieking with relief. The crowd cheered and exclaimed with wonder at this combination of magical spells.
"And our youngest champion manages to get the egg in fine style!" Ludo said. "A modified fog spell and a modified water to ice spell coupled with good timing and a wind blast! That's some smart magical thinking and casting right there."
Andromeda, Dora, Sirius, and Hermione rushed out of the stands and hurried to the medical tent where Harry limped to. They ran into the tent and Harry's smile was bright when he saw them.
"That was incredible!" Andromeda praised as she reached him first, hugging him tight.
"That was your idea," Harry gasped. "It really worked!"
"You still cast the spells Harry, not easy and especially in that condition! Way to go!" Sirius grabbed him by the shoulders. "I'm so fucking proud of you!"
Hermione hugged him hard before passing him to Dora who hugged him and kissed his cheek. "That's my Harry," Dora said with bright eyes.
For the first time in weeks, Harry laughed freely and the others shared in his laughter. He knew the rest of the tournament would be as grueling if not more so, but he had completed the first task without injury aside from bruising from the rough landings and for now, that was more than enough.