On The Hunt: Chapter 2 (1/2) (Patreon)

The soft glow of the morning sun filtered through the slightly cloudy sky of the Scottish Highlands. Flickering orange, it encased the millennium-old castle in its entirety, casting long shadows of the tall towers over the grassy expanse of the Hogwarts grounds.

High up inside a tower, in a four-poster bed surrounded by scarlet curtains, twin emerald orbs slowly opened. The owner of said eyes blearily wiped at them, scratching the crumbs away before putting his glasses on. Slowly, he pushed the covers aside and stepped out of his bed, stretching, and relaxing his muscles and joints. A soft sigh escaped his lips when several pops were heard.

Today was the day of the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Finally, it would be over, and Harry wanted it to end soon. He had had enough of dangerous adventures for the year already, and he didn’t want to add more to the long list.

The champions had been summoned to the Quidditch pitch a month ago, and Harry had looked on in shock at the monstrosity that had covered it. By the time he had fully processed the sorry state of the Quidditch pitch, he had been seething inwardly, and as he had looked, Krum had been faring no better. Bagman’s reassuring words hadn't helped any, but it wasn’t as if they could do anything. They had been told that they had to traverse through that maze, find the cup which was supposed to portkey them out, and that was all. Simple enough.

Shaking his head, Harry looked around to see Ron still snoring away. Letting him be, he made his way to the bathroom. Half an hour later, a fully refreshed Harry Potter made his way down the stairs into the common room. It took him barely ten seconds to find that bushy mane of a nest that his best friend called hair, and he made his way over to the couch in the corner with a small smile. As he reached her, he ruffled her hair softly, which earned him a harsh glare from the brunette.

“Morning, ‘Mione,” he began with a chuckle as the witch narrowed her eyes at him.

“You’re awfully chipper this morning,” she remarked as she tried to pat her hair down. Harry looked over before tapping his wand on her head, and her hair quickly made itself. Hermione let out a resigned sigh.

“How many times have I told you not to play with my hair?” She asked exasperatedly, and Harry grinned.

She released a deep breath and packed her bag.

“Where’s Ron?”

“He’s gonna take some time, the bloke woke up barely five minutes ago. We can go ahead, he’s fine,” Harry said and pushed his hand forward for her to grab.

Hermione nodded and grasped his hand, and let herself get pulled up. The duo made their way out of the common room and started walking toward the Great Hall for breakfast.

XXXXX

Harry and Hermione were sitting on the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, helping themselves to some omelette when he felt someone slide next to him. He quickly turned around, and a smile crept upon his face as he looked into those blue eyes that had become extremely familiar in the past few months.

“Morning Scowler, Morning Hermione,” Gabrielle chirped, as she took a bite of his omelette and looked up at him with a smile.

Long used to her bubbly self, and not even minding the fact that she had just stolen his food off his plate, Harry smirked.

“Morning Leetle girl.”

His grin widened when he saw her scrunch her nose. He couldn’t help but think she looked adorable whenever she did that.

Hermione, meanwhile, simply shook her head at their antics and smiled at the French girl.

“Good morning, Gabrielle.”

Ever since their interaction during the second task, the French veela had become a constant presence around him. Sharing meals, talking in corridors, studying, and practising spells – they did almost all of it together.

Ron and Hermione did join in a few practice sessions every other week or so, but they did not linger for long. The redhead couldn’t be bothered with what he considered more work on top of academics, and Hermione already had the load of twelve classes scattered all over the week that she barely had time to do anything extra.

During their time together, Harry had come to know quite a lot about her. How she had been looking forward to get started at Beauxbatons and once she did, she began learning everything excitedly. It made her so happy at finally getting to use magic. However, he didn’t fail to detect the tinge of sadness in her eyes whenever she talked about her recent life at school.

The fact that she spent most of her time with him and his friends and not with other Beauxbatons students who had also come to Hogwarts was something he initially used to find weird. However, he never probed.

It took a slip of the tongue on her part for him to know what was wrong with her school life. Her friends had all grown into their teenage bodies, and unfortunately for Gabrielle, she was stuck in her 8-year-old self. What slowly started as awkwardness gradually morphed into indifference until estrangement became the new normal.

By then, they had grown much closer than before, and Harry had tried to support her the best he could, sharing a few private aspects of his own life and trying to establish some sort of bond with the girl he was quickly coming to consider one of his closest friends. They had spent the entirety of that evening discussing their lives, not overly personal but enough that by the end of their time together they had come to see the other in a new light.

Since then, they made sure to spend at least an hour a day together, mostly talking, but sometimes studying, or practising spells.

It had been a different experience, studying magic with her. They both added their inputs to various situations, and it had the benefit of broadening the horizon of their thinking. The result was apparent in their class assignments. Even Hermione was surprised to see the creativity of spell usage and magic in his work. Still, she preferred to study on her own.

Harry was brought out of his musings at the sound of her voice.

“So, it’s the big day, right? You ready?”

Harry looked down at her and marvelled at the fact that she could speak clearly while still chewing. He shook it off as another oddity about this girl.

He pursed his lips.

“It’s not as if I have any other choice, right? The final task at last, might as well get this over with.”

“Oh, don’t be such a bore, you’ve got to entertain us. I missed out on the second task, so I want my dues repaid with interest in this one, you understand?” She finished with a stern look on her face that reminded Harry of those little girls he sometimes saw on the TV whenever the Dursleys were watching. He snickered inwardly at the thought.

“It’s a maze. I don’t know how exciting it will be.”

Gabrielle frowned, and Hermione chimed in with her old argument once again.

"The creatures and enchantments will provide enough entertainment, Harry.”

Gabrielle nodded and Harry shrugged. He honestly didn’t care. He just had to somehow compete tonight, and discharge whatever liability he had inadvertently incurred.

The headmaster had asked Professor Moody to investigate his name coming out of the Goblet of Fire, but the former auror had come up empty-handed, much to the wizard’s consternation. Harry understood perfectly. Here was a man responsible for the imprisonment of so many Death Eaters, so his inability to crack a case like that was sure to cause him immense discontent.

Harry had given up any hope long ago. He simply kept in mind the fact that someone had entered his name in the goblet. He knew he had to avoid any surprise trap that might be sprung on him when he least expected it. Constant Vigilance, and all that.

Outwardly he was perfectly normal, but his mind was in slight turmoil. Whoever had entered his name was going to do something tonight, he was sure of it. Nothing had happened during the first two tasks, so it was obvious that anything, in case it happened, would happen during the final task.

Sighing, Harry looked down to see Gabrielle looking back at him with a deep frown. Her hand grabbed his, and her eyes seemed to ask him what was wrong. Harry simply mouthed ‘Later’. Gabrielle nodded.

Looking up, Harry saw Hermione engrossed in her book while simultaneously taking a bite out of her toast. Things had been… different, for the lack of a better word, with his friends for a while. Now that he thought about it, this year they had not spent as much time together as they had in previous years. He attributed it to the events that had transpired over the course of this year and went back to finishing his breakfast.

Suddenly, Ron plopped down beside Hermione and quickly started piling up food on his plate. Without a moment to pause, he started eating, albeit at a normal pace. Harry saw that Hermione had looked at him with a sharp gaze, and chuckled.

“Good morning to you too, Ron,” she said in a faux-sweet voice, and Ron somehow got the words out.

Hermione scrunched her nose in irritation and Harry smiled. No matter what, their antics never got old. Suddenly, Ron paused, his gaze behind him on the right, and Harry turned around to see Professor McGonagall making her way over.

“Potter, done with your breakfast?”

“Yes, Professor,” he nodded as he stood up and got out of his seat. He saw Gabrielle turn around to look at the two of them while eating a piece of toast.

“It is a tournament tradition for the families of the champions to come and meet them before the final task. As such, the families are gathered in the Entrance Hall. You are supposed to make your way over there.”

Harry’s brain stopped functioning for a second. He seriously hoped she didn’t mean who he thought she meant.

“My family? Surely not,” he whispered, and McGonagall looked confused before her eyes widened slightly.

“No Potter, not them,” Harry released a breath at that. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Gabrielle looking on questioningly.

“Alright Professor, I won’t keep them waiting,” Harry replied with a small nod.

“See that you don’t. Off you go, and Miss Delacour,” she turned to address Gabrielle, “Your parents have arrived as well. I suggest you make your way over to the Entrance Hall post haste.”

Gabrielle nodded respectfully and McGonagall walked away.

“I’ll see you guys soon,” Harry said, looking at Ron and Hermione, who nodded. He turned toward Gabrielle and gestured for her to follow.

Gabrielle finished eating and nodded. Harry took a step back and she got out of the seat. Nodding toward his two friends once again, he walked out of the Great Hall with Gabrielle walking beside him.

"You're tense. Something wrong?" Gabrielle broke the silence as they walked through the corridor.

Harry sighed.

"Whoever entered my name... tonight would be the last chance to do whatever this person wants..."

Gabrielle nodded.

“Makes sense. You think something’s gonna happen in that maze?”

“That’s the most obvious conclusion. Moody said someone might want to get me killed in this tournament, and I’m inclined to believe him. However, killing me in the maze seems the obvious move.”

“I can’t think of anything else then. When if not in the maze, away from everyone?”

Harry sighed. He could not think of anything else either. He stopped when she suddenly grabbed his hand and stepped in front of him. Harry looked down at her resolute face staring back at him.

"I’ve seen you practicing for the past four months, and I have no shame in admitting that you are a better and more powerful wizard than even my sister. You'll be alright, you understand?" She looked up at him with a serious face, and as Harry gazed into her eyes, he found she truly meant everything she said. He gave her a small nod.

"Good," she said with a firm nod of her own before stepping back by his side. Harry noted she didn't let go of his hand, and he found he didn't mind in the slightest. Slowly, they resumed walking toward the Entrance Hall.

“Can I ask something?” She began hesitantly.

Harry looked at her and nodded.

"Feel free to not answer. What’s up with your family? You were… shocked when Professor McGonagall mentioned it."

Harry clicked his tongue with a sigh, and Gabrielle turned her head sideways to look up at him. He was staring straight ahead.

“I live with my muggle relatives. Let’s just say that they’re not too fond of magic. That’s why I was surprised when McGonagall said my family had come here. They wouldn’t touch anything magical with a barge pole.”

Gabrielle nodded. She knew he wasn’t telling her the full story but she didn’t probe. She could read between the lines. His relationship with his family was rocky, and that was probably understating it.

Meanwhile, Harry was secretly thankful that she didn’t enquire further. They might have become close friends but he was not comfortable sharing that part of his past with her. Hell, even Hermione had no idea about the entirety of it, and only Ron and the twins knew more than her. Although their knowledge was also limited to what they had seen when rescuing him at the beginning of his second year. If they had made any inference from that incident, they had never discussed it with him. Harry was perfectly fine with that.

“There you are!” The voice of Fleur Delacour sounded out as they made their way inside the Entrance Hall. As the beautiful silvery-blonde woman made her way over, Harry looked around. He could see Krum talking to a dark-haired older couple and a young boy. Harry assumed they were his parents, and his brother perhaps. Not that he knew much, the two seekers hadn’t had much personal chat during the year, opting to stay perfectly cordial with each other.

Behind Fleur, he saw a middle-aged man with dark hair and a pointed black beard accompanied by a beautiful silvery-blonde woman. He knew they were Gabrielle and Fleur’s parents. Although their father looked like it, their mother looked to be in her late twenties at the most. Had he not known she was a Veela, he wouldn’t have believed that she was their mother.

Slowly, he moved his gaze to the figure leaning against the wall by the pillar to his left, and his world stopped. His eyes opened wide, and his jaw dropped as he looked at the man who had quickly become the only father figure in his life. The man softly smiled as he pushed off the wall.

'Fuck propriety,' Harry thought, as he sprinted and tackled his Godfather in a bone-crushing hug. The man grunted at the impact as he righted himself, before chuckling softly and wrapping his arms around his son in all but blood.

Everyone looked at the two of them hugging each other in the middle of the hall, with eyebrows raised and small smiles on their faces. They couldn’t care less about the attention they must be garnering from the others.

Sirius patted Harry on the back, and with a wide grin on his face, he pulled back slightly. He held his godson at arm’s length, his hands on his shoulders, and smiled.

“Looking good, Harry, you’ve grown!” Sirius remarked as he looked up and down at Harry. Harry smiled. The past year had been good for him as far as his body and magic were concerned. At least there was something positive about his name coming out of that goblet.

“Me? Look at you! When did they release you?”

“Just last night. Apparently, I was too handful for the healers over there, and they were happy to let me out in advance,”

“It’s done then?”

“Completely,” Sirius grinned, “the therapy is over, and so is the potion regimen,”

“That’s great,” Harry remarked, smiling.

“So,” Sirius began with a teasing grin, “mind telling me who that cutie you came with is?”

Harry gawked at his godfather, who guffawed. Embarrassed, he sneaked a glance at where the Delacour family was standing and was relieved to notice that they hadn’t heard anything. He caught Gabrielle’s eyes and she smiled, something that inadvertently mirrored on his face.

“Earth to Harry!” Sirius snapped his fingers in front of his face, and Harry blinked.

“Uh yeah?”

“I asked, who’s that cutie?” Sirius grinned.

“Could you, you know, not call her that? It’s creepy.”

Sirius laughed.

“Sure kiddo, no calling your girlfriend cu-that.”

Harry sighed.

“She’s not my-” he lowered his voice and whispered, “She’s not my girlfriend.”

Sirius looked at him.

“Really?” He drawled, and Harry looked at him and nodded.

“Cause the way you two were standing together, holding hands, it looked awfully like that,”

“Really?” Harry deadpanned, “You see me with a little girl like her and that’s the conclusion you draw?”

Sirius cuffed him on the back of his head.

“I wasn’t born yesterday, kiddo. I know what she is, that hair is a dead giveaway. Although,” his voice turned to tease again, “a Veela, Harry? You sure set your sights high,” he snickered.

Harry facepalmed, sighing.

His heartbeat picked up its pace when he saw the Delacours making their way over to where he was standing with Sirius. He could see the look of confusion on Gabrielle’s face, and hoped he didn’t somehow make a fool of himself, or rather, Sirius didn’t do the same on his behalf.

“She’s not really a child though, right? That shit would be illegal,” Harry heard Sirius whisper so that only the two of them could hear, and he sucked in a deep breath. Glaring at his snickering godfather, Harry turned toward the Delacours, wishing for nothing but the ground to swallow him up.