The Hero They Needed: Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Sirius stood in the middle of the Hogwarts trophy room, arms folded over his chest as Frank examined the Goblet of Fire. It irritated him that he could only stand and watch, but he had never been any great shakes at enchanting. He could only stare as Frank muttered incantations under his breath, causing multi-colored arcs of light to pulse from the ancient stone goblet.

After he checked his watch for the twelfth time in fifteen minutes, the door opened. Alastor Moody limped into the room, his wooden leg landing with a thunk every step he took while his fake eye spun in its socket. Amelia Bones trailed in after him, her auburn hair tied back in a tight bun and a monocle over her left eye.

Sirius relaxed his arms even as his nerves skyrocketed. He’d known both of them for years – worked with them on a number of cases – before fleeing Britain for America. He wasn’t sure how they would react to seeing him again, especially under the circumstances.

“Black,” Moody nodded as he stopped and leaned on his staff. “Good to see you in one piece.”

“You too,” Sirius smirked. “Unless you lost another body part while I was gone.”

“No one’s gotten that lucky yet,” Moody replied.

Snorting, Sirius turned and gave Amelia his most charming smile.

“Amelia, you’re looking as beautiful as ever,” he said.

“Agent Black,” Amelia nodded. “I’ve been asked by the Minister to offer our humblest apologies for this unforeseen complication.”

“And did Fudge ask you to relay that before or after the president ripped him a new one for suggesting Harry somehow entered his own name?” Sirius asked.

The corners of Amelia’s lips twitch the slightest amount.

“After,” she replied with an amused lilt to her voice. “He also tasked me, personally, to oversee the investigation.”

Sirius arched an eyebrow, “Really? That must have been one hell of an ass-chewing Fudge got.”

“Officially, the Ministry is determined to get to the bottom of this,” Amelia said.

“Unofficially, Fudge is shitting himself,” Moody huffed. “Between Death Eaters at the Quidditch World Cup and this cock up, the whole Ministry looks incompetent.”

“Have either of you found anything?” Sirius asked, tilting his head toward the Goblet.

“Other than the fact Crouch is an idiot for using the Goblet in the first place?” Moody grumbled. “We know whoever entered Potter’s name used a powerful Confundus Charm. They tricked the Goblet into forgetting about Ilvermorny and submitted his name as the only entrant from a different school. They made certain he’d be chosen.”

“I concur,” Frank said, lowering his wand and joining them.

“Amelia, Alastor, this is my partner, Frank Rapaport,” Sirius said by way of introduction. “Did you figure out if Harry’s magic is at risk?”

“It’s doubtful but still possible,” Frank replied. “The underlying enchantments are so old it’s hard to determine if they were affected by the Confundus Charm.”

“That’s what our Unspeakables thought as well,” Amelia nodded.

Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Do you have any idea who’s behind this?” he asked.

“Not yet,” Amelia replied.

“It had to be someone inside the castle when the names were being entered,” Moody said. “My bet is they’re still here. Most likely one of the older students or someone on the staff.”

“Great,” Sirius muttered.

“Our job isn’t meant to be easy, lad,” Moody muttered. “Come on, we can discuss where to get started over at the Three Broomsticks. You still owe me a drink for saving your arse back in eighty-two.”

Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

“I forgot about that,” he smiled as they all headed toward the door.

~

Meanwhile, on the Ilvermorny Express, Harry followed Professor Turner down the aisle. The train had been heavily modified by charms, making it much more spacious on the inside than it looked from the outside. The normally open cars were now closed off and held four rooms on either side, each of which housed two students.

“As Champion, you’ll have a room to yourself at the back of the train,” Professor Turner said. “If you find Hogwarts lacks any resources you may need, let me know, and I’ll do what I can to get them. There’s also a Floo in my car if you need to talk with any of your professors.”

“Thanks, professor,” Harry smiled. “Do you have any idea what the tasks will be?”

“The organizers will give you that information,” she replied. “I’m afraid I can’t give you any specifics. You’ll also be required to attend the Weighing of the Wands ceremony the day after tomorrow and the Yule Ball on Christmas.”

“Alright,” Harry nodded.

As they reached the end of the final car and stopped in front of the door, Professor Turner turned to him with a serious look.

“Mr. Potter, I know you didn’t choose to enter this Tournament, but I have the utmost confidence you will do your school proud,” she said, patting his arm. “You’re one of the most gifted students I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing come through Ilvermorny. Just… try and keep the destruction to a minimum.”

“I’ll do my best,” Harry grinned.

Professor Turner sighed, “I suppose that’s the best I can hope for,” she smiled.

Grabbing the doorknob, she gave it a twist and pushed open the door. They both paused and watched amusedly as Dora, who didn’t realize they were there, struggled to push her trunk in line with Harry’s at the end of the bed. When she finally got it into place, she let out a sigh, wiped the sweat from her brow, and sat down on the trunk.

“Oh, hello,” Dora smiled, waving brightly.

“Good evening,” Professor Turner said before turning to Harry. “I take it you don’t have any objection to Ms. Tonks’ presence?”

“No, ma’am,” Harry grinned.

“Then I’ll leave you to get settled,” she replied. “My car is at the front if you need anything.”

Patting his arm, she turned and headed back toward the front of the train while Harry stepped inside his new room and closed the door behind him. Dora stood with a grin on her face, sauntered up to him, and wrapped her arms around his neck while Harry rested his hands on her hips.

“What do you think of the room?” Harry asked.

“It’s not as nice as having an entire dorm all to ourselves, but it’ll do,” Dora shrugged and smiled. “Want to go test out the bed?”

Grinning, Harry slid his hands around to her ass and lifted her off of the ground. Dora squealed and laughed as he carried her over to the bed and tossed her onto the mattress.

~

The next morning, Harry and Dora made their way to the Great Hall with the rest of their classmates. Jenna was quieter than usual, and Harry thought she was nervous about starting their first full day of classes at a new school. Just as they took their seats at the Gryffindor table, Professor McGonagall appeared behind them.

“Good morning,” she said, handing him, Dora, and Jenna a sheaf of parchment. “These are your timetables. Ms. Tonks, your classmates should be able to show you where your classes are by now. However, if you require assistance, you can ask Mr. Telford or Ms. Jennings.”

Professor McGonagall gestured a few seats down, where two seventh years sat. When they noticed Dora looking in their direction, they smiled and gave her a friendly wave.

“Ms. Granger,” McGonagall called loudly, crooking her finger.

A girl about Harry’s age with thick, bushy brown hair quickly stood from her seat and rushed over to the professor.

“Mr. Potter, this is Hermione Granger,” McGonagall said. “Since you’re in a different year than the rest of your classmates, I’ve asked Ms. Granger to show you around the castle. Her schedule is identical to yours. As a Triwizard Champion, you’re also granted unrestricted access to the library. And even though our schools are competing, if you have any questions regarding magic, our professors will provide you with any assistance you require. Ms. McKinnon, I’ve asked Ms. Weasley to show you to your classes.”

She pointed to a thin redhead who looked away quickly and blushed heavily, pretending she hadn’t been watching the entire time the moment Harry and Jenna looked at her.

“Thanks, professor,” Harry smiled.

“You’re welcome, Mr. Potter,” Professor McGonagall replied. “Now, if you don’t have any further questions, I need to go prepare for class.”

“Actually,” Harry called, “I did have one. Professor Turner said I could skip class to prepare for the tournament, and it wouldn’t affect my grade. Is that true?”

McGonagall’s lips thinned as she regarded him.

“Yes, that’s true,” she said. “However, I would suggest that you attend as many classes as you are able. The grades you earn here will still be reflected in your record when you return to Ilvermorny.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Harry said.

McGonagall stared at him suspiciously for a moment before she nodded and left the hall. Hermione watched her leave and then glanced back at the table, looking unsure if she should stay or go.

“You can grab a seat,” Harry offered, gesturing to the empty spot next to Jenna.

“Thank you,” Hermione replied primly.

As if that was some sort of signal, several students descended on their section of the table and crowded into the seats directly across from them.

“Hi, Fred Weasley,” A tall, gangly redhead said, extending his hand to shake Harry’s. “This handsome bugger next to me is George.”

The identical twin to his right grinned and waved.

“The ugly one next to him is Ron.”

“Hey!” another redhead yelled indignantly.

“And one trying to hide in her cereal is Ginny,” Fred finished with a smirk.

Ginny blushed again and tried to hide her face behind a curtain of copper-colored hair. A pretty blonde with a prominent bust flashed him a dazzling smile and tossed her long hair over her shoulder.

“I’m Lavender,” she said.

Harry smiled politely and struggled to hold back a smirk when Dora scooted closer to him and wrapped her arm around his. He didn’t need to look to know she was giving the girl a glare by the way Lavender’s smile turned slightly nervous.

“I’m Parvati,” the Indian girl next to her jumped in. “And this is Dean, Seamus, and Neville.”

“Pleasure,” Harry smiled. “Are you the welcoming crew?”

“You could say that,” George grinned.

“We’re in your year in Gryffindor. Well, they’re not,” Lavender said, smiling prettily as she jerked a thumb toward the twins. “We just thought we’d come over and introduce ourselves.”

“And to thank you for the way you handled Malfoy,” Ron added with a grin. “That was brilliant! I’ve wanted to hit that git for years.”

Everyone around him nodded while Hermione pursed her lips disapprovingly.

“Glad I could be of service,” Harry grinned.

“We told McGonagall you should be given an award for services to the school, but she didn’t seem to like the idea very much,” Fred said.

“Looked right miffed when we suggested it,” George added.

“You might want to watch out for Professor Snape, though,” Parvati said, glancing at the Head Table. “I don’t think he’ll be very happy with you.”

“Oh, I know all about Snape,” Harry smirked. “Probably more than he wants me to. My Godfather went to school with him.”

As one, all of them leaned forward with interest sparkling in their eyes.

“Really now,” Geroge said.

“Do tell,” Fred smirked.

“Maybe later,” Harry grinned. “We’ll see if he can behave himself first.”

Geroge scoffed loudly, “Fat chance of that.”

“How come you have a weird accent?” Ron asked suddenly.

“What?” Harry blinked, tilting his head to the side curiously.

“You sound like an American,” Ron said.

“Yeah…,” Harry said, not sure where the redhead was going.

“But you were born in Britain,” Ron said. “Shouldn’t you sound, you know, British?”

Everyone looked at Ron like he was an idiot.

“Sorry about him,” George said.

“We think Mum dropped him on his head when he was little,” Fred whispered loudly.

“Oi!” Ron shouted.

“Accents aren’t determined by where you’re born,” Hermione sighed. “They grew up in America. It’s expected that they would sound American.”

“Yeh daft git,” Seamus said to Ron. “Did yeh expect him to sound like he’s from Chippy Norton?”

“Speaking of accents, what the hell was that?” Harry asked, causing everyone but Seamus to snort with laughter. “I’m going to need a translator for that one.”

“Oi!” Seamus yelled as the others laughed.

“I love the color of your hair,” Parvati said to Dora. “Is it a charm or a potion?”

“Neither,” Dora smirked. “This is all natural.”

She shook her head, and her hair cycled through a rainbow of colors before settling back down on her preferred shade of purple.

“You’re a Metamorphmagus!” Hermione exclaimed.

“Yep,” Dora grinned.

“What’s a Metamorphamajig?” Ron asked.

Harry nearly snorted pumpkin juice out of his nose at Ron’s wording, and Dora snickered.

“It’s just a big word for someone who can change their body at will,” she explained.

Closing her eyes and scrunching up her face cutely, her nose flattened until it resembled a pig’s. Just as the transformation finished, she covered her face and sneezed.

“Ugh, that one tickled my sinuses,” she said.

When she uncovered her face, her nose was back to normal. Scrunching up her face again, Dora stuck out her tongue. The Gryffindors across from them watched in awe as it split in half, and she wiggled the tips before it sealed itself back together.

“Wicked,” Fred and George said in unison.

“Can you change anything?” Seamus asked, his eyes glancing down at her chest.

Dora rolled her eyes, “Yes, but only Harry gets to see that.”

“I wish I could do that,” Lavender sighed wistfully.

“Yeah, it’s pretty great,” Dora smirked.

The light banter continued through the rest of breakfast until the bell rang. Gathering his bag, Harry slung it over his shoulder, gave Dora a kiss, and followed Hermione out of the hall.

“We only have Transfigurations and Charms before lunch,” Hermione said. “Those are pretty easy to find. The Transfigurations classroom is on the second floor near the courtyard, and the Charms classroom is on the third floor. You just turn right, and it’s at the end of the corridor.”

“I feel like I need a map for this place,” Harry said.

He spun as he spoke, taking in the meandering hallways and moving staircase.

“It’s not that bad once you get used to it,” Hermione assured him. “Didn’t you have some trouble finding your way around Ilvermorny when you first got there?”

“A bit,” Harry replied. “But this place seems like it was built to confuse people.”

“It does feel like that sometimes,” she admitted.

They reached the Transfigurations classroom and stepped inside. Half the desks were already occupied by students wearing yellow and black ties. Giving them a friendly wave when they looked up, Harry followed Hermione to the front of the class and sat at the same desk she did. The classroom filled up quickly as the rest of the Gryffindors entered and took their seats. Just as the bell rang, signaling the start of the lesson, McGonagall stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

“Good morning, class,” she said, walking to the front of the room and standing with her hands folded in front of her. “Today, we’ll be continuing our work on basic conjuring. Mr. Potter, have you started this at Ilvermorny?”

“Not yet,” Harry replied. “Professor Banks had that planned for after Christmas break.”

“Then you should be able to perform the spell,” Professor McGonagall nodded. “If I go over something you haven’t covered or don’t understand, let me know, and I will set time aside to teach you. Now, you’ve all used specific spells to conjure specific items; however, today, we’ll be using a universal conjuring spell Pario. This spell can be used to conjure a wide variety of objects, but remember, simple conjurations like these will only last a few hours at most. For today, we will be working on conjuring objects made of a single material, in this case, a wooden spool.”

Professor McGonagall reached into her pocket, pulled out an empty spool of thread, and set it on her desk. Hermione sat up as straight as possible in her chair for a better look.

“You may begin,” she said.

The sound of chairs scraping loudly filled the room as several students stood and walked to the front to examine the spool. Staying seated, Harry drew his wand and started lazily practicing the wand movement over his desk.

“Since you haven’t studied this before, I think we should start by going over the theory,” Hermione said. “The Pario spell was invented in 1432 by Juliette Blanchard. It uses a checkmark wand movement and is used to conjure simple objects made of only basic, natural materials such as wood, stone, and metal. It’s important to focus on the-”

There was a soft pop and a puff of smoke as Harry attempted the spell. Before the smoke cleared, an empty spool fell onto his desk with a wooden thunk.

“Ha!” Harry cheered. “Got it.”

“What?” Hermione gasped.

“Impressive,” Professor McGonagall said as she approached their desk from behind, picked up the spool, and examined it closely. “I see you inherited your father’s talent for Transfigurations.”

Harry shrugged, “I do alright. I’m better at Charms.”

McGonagall looked at him over the top of her wireframe glasses with a small smile and set the spool back down on the desk.

 “A talent you share with your mother,” she said softly.

“But you did even use the incantation,” Hermione said, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Harry smiled and shrugged, “I used to steal my Godfather’s wand as a kid, and it was easier to get away with it if I didn’t shout incantations when I used it. Now, it’s just easier for me not to use them most of the time.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes in annoyance, and it very much reminded him of the way Michelle would glare at him when he showed off in class. When his only response was a grin, she huffed and turned away from him, drawing her wand.

“Very well, since you found this lesson so easy, perhaps you can try something harder,” Professor McGonagall said.

Turning to her desk, she grabbed a sheaf of parchment and a quill and wrote something out quickly. A moment later, she put the quill back in its place and turned to set the parchment on the desk in front of him.

“Here’s a list of objects I want you to try and conjure,” she told him. “Let’s see how many you can complete before the end of class.”

Harry nodded as she turned away and glanced at the list.

Spool with thread

Metal thimble

Pincushion

Empty matchbox

Smiling to himself, Harry began trying to conjure each one. The spool with thread was simple, and he managed it on the first try, but the metal thimble gave him some trouble. It took half an hour and more than a dozen attempts before it had the proper shape and contours. When he finally got it right, he took a break to look over at Hermione.

“Pario,” she said.

Her wand movement was perfect, but the spool that landed on her desk was lopsided and misshapen. With an angry huff, she swished her wand sharply.

“Evanesco,” she said, causing it to vanish.

“Want some advice?” Harry asked.

Hermione turned to him sharply, almost angrily, and regarded him with suspicion. He thought for a moment that she was going to refuse his help, but after taking a deep breath, she nodded mutely.

“Pick an object in the room, any object,” he told her.

Her eyes scanned the classroom for a moment before they landed on something behind Professor McGonagall’s desk.

“Alright,” she said.

“Your tongue knows what that feels like,” Harry said.

Hermione turned to him with a bewildered expression on her face.

“What?” she asked incredulously.

Harry grinned, “It’s true. Think about anything you’ve ever touched. Even if you haven’t licked it, your tongue knows what it feels like.”

Hermione furrowed her brow as she thought about his words before shaking her head.

“Okay, but how does that help with a spell?” she asked.

“Transfiguration is all about visualization, right?” he asked, receiving a nod in return. “Well, it’s not just about what something looks like; you need to think about how it feels, too. The best way to do that is to imagine what it would be to lick it. Trust me. Give it a try.”

Hermione gave him a dubious look and turned back to her desk. With a sigh, she closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she tried the spell again.

“Pario,” she said.

There was a familiar puff of smoke above the desk, and then a perfectly shaped wooden spool landed on her desk with a thunk.  

“It worked!” she cheered, examining the spool closely. “I can’t believe that actually worked.”

“An unusual technique, but effective,” Professor McGonagall said, appearing behind them. “Five points to Gryffindor, Ms. Granger. Why don’t you share Mr. Potter’s list and see how many you can complete before the end of class?”

“Yes, Professor,” Hermione said with an excited smile.

Harry smiled at her enthusiasm and turned his attention back to his own work. It took him a couple of attempts to get the amount of stuffing in the pincushion right, and then he moved on to the matchbox. Once he’d finished with that, he watched Hermione silently for a while. Now that she had a better grasp of the spell, her conjurations came more quickly. By the end of class, she’d managed to conjure everything except the thimble.

“Well done, class,” Professor McGonagall said, standing in front of her desk. “Next class, we’ll be working on conjuring more complex objects. Continue to practice, and for homework, I want eight inches of parchment on the historical uses of the Pario spell.”

Harry quickly gathered his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and joined the line to leave the classroom with Hermione. While they waited for the other students to file out of the room, McGonagall approached his desk and examined the objects left behind. When she picked up the matchbox to inspect the inside, she blinked in surprise. It was full of perfectly formed matches, complete with bright red tips. There was even a striking surface attached to the side of the box.

Looking up towards the door, she watched him slip from the classroom with a soft smile on her face.