Somewhere Safe - Chapter 23

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked staring at his friend.

"Finding you, you prat!" Hermione snapped.

"Excuse me, Miss Granger?" Professor Dumbledore asked as he approached.

Hermione turned to face the Headmaster. She stared at him for a moment, not recognizing the man.

"Yes?" She said slowly.

"Please come with me." Dumbledore motioned toward the door. "We need to have Madam Pomphrey look you over. No one knows how traveling to another world can do to the body."

"I'm fine." Hermione snapped. She turned back to Harry. "Who is that?"

"Hermione Granger." Harry smiled wickedly at her. "May I introduce you to Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts."

The confusion on her face quickly morphed into abject embarrassment. She had just yelled at the Headmaster.

"How?" She looked from Dumbledore to Harry. "That's not Dumbledore!"

"I assure you, I am." Professor Dumbledore said with a good-natured chuckle. "Come along."

Hermione nodded. Her brain going too many directions at once.

"We're not done." Hermione shot a dirty look at Harry as she walked away.

Hedwig sighed dramatically.

"She was supposed to look after you." Harry explained.

"Mister Potter." Professor Flitwick called. "If you would please return to the waiting area."

"Right." Harry nodded. "You're coming along?"

Hedwig gave him a flat look.

"It's the middle of the day." Harry explained as he headed out of the auditorium. "You should be sleeping."

She pecked him on the side of the head.

"Ow." Harry whined. "Stop that."

She pecked him again.

"Ok. Ok." Harry groaned. "I'm sorry I left you. I would have taken you if I knew how."

Hedwig gave him a steady stare.

"I'm not going back." Harry said.

She reared back to peck him again.

"We are staying here." Harry added quickly.

That seemed to mollify her. Instead of pecking him, she began to gentle groom his hair. He couldn't help but smile as she carefully went about her task. Harry sat in the chair across from Aureum.

"Aureum, Hedwig." Harry introduced. "Hedwig, Aureum."

"Charmed." Aureum said with a smile on her face.

Hedwig paused to give the witch a quick nod before she continued to groom him. The sound of approaching footsteps caught their attention. Harry looked over to see a group of people heading his way. He had expected the group of ladies that he had seen in the stands. Lily, James, and the twins were a surprise.

"Berk?" Hedwig stopped and stared at Rose.

"Hedwig?" Rose asked. "Why aren't you in the owlery?"

"You know her?" Harry asked.

"Of course." Rose nodded. "She's been my owl since first year."

"This is Hedwig." Harry said with a smile. "She's been my owl since first year."

"Berk?" Hedwig looked between the two of them.

"I think we broke her." Rose chuckled as she stroked the owl's chest.

Hedwig hopped off of Harry's shoulder and onto Rose. She examined the girl from a few different angles before letting out a dramatic sigh. Hedwig began to groom Rose, an even more daunting task considering her hair was longer.

Harry shifted his attention to Lily and James.

"Hello." He gave them a bright smile. "I didn't expect you to be here."

"We wouldn't miss it." Lily returned the smile. "This afternoon you're sitting with us while we cheer for Iris."

"Luna was kind enough to explain that you don't know what a coven is." James added. "We can tell you about how that works once you're finished."

The twins were bouncing, ready to get in the conversation.

"That was wicked." Charles cut in.
"The shield broke." Gerry made a shattering sound.
"Then you launched it." Charles made a whooshing sound.
"And she went. BOOSH." Gerry pretended to fall.

"Thanks, guys." Harry chuckled. "Dueling is pretty great."

"You aren't going to abdicate." Delphi stated.

"Aureum and I already planned on seeing it through." Harry motioned to the girl. "How do they decide if it's a split vote?"

"Then the two who wanted to continue have the option to duel while the others sit it out." Lavender explained. "It's rude not to introduce your family to your coven, Harry."

"A coven?" Aureum asked. "You agreed to that, cousin?"

Delphi looked at Harry with a mixture of desire and worship. She nodded.

"What about the other Hermione?" This Hermione spoke up.

The group turned to see she had followed them in. She had hung back a few steps as to stay out of sight.

"I don't know." Harry shrugged. "We can deal with that after the tournament. I have a feeling that Madam Pomphrey is going to keep her there for a while. Not even Hermione can fight that woman."

"Miss Granger." Lily turned her attention to Hermione.

"Yes, ma'am?" Hermione snapped to face the older witch.

"Do you think your parents would welcome another daughter?" Lily asked.

"I don't know." Hermione said slowly. "I would need to talk to them about it, but it shouldn't matter. She's going to go back, right?"

"Are you going to go back too?" Iris whispered.

Delphi let out a pulse of raw power. Everyone around them could feel the panic mingled with rage packed in the energy. Harry held out a hand to her. She hurried over, snuggling against his side. He offered his other hand to Iris. She joined the hug as well. The two girls locked eyes for a moment. Harry braced for an argument. Instead, the two locked hands behind his back to hold him even tighter. He squeezed them.

"No." Harry shook his head. "This is my home now."

Lily and James shared a look. They scanned the small group that had gathered around. Harry could see them studying the girls closely. Lily was the first one to look at Rose, she bumped James with her elbow and motioned to their oldest daughter.

"We'll talk about that later." James whispered.

"Lord and Lady Potter." Professor Flitwick bowed as he approached.

"Filius." Lily sighed. "I was your apprentice; you can call me Lily."

"If this was a social conversation, I would." Flitwick smiled cheekily at her.

"Oh?" Lily asked.

"As proctor, I need to ask you to leave the preparation area while the tournament is being held." Professor Flitwick explained. "Only active duelists are allowed in the back."

Lily stuck her tongue out at Flitwick. The half-goblin giggled and walked away.

"Come along, ladies and Potters." James patted Harry on the shoulder. "We'll get together for lunch. Shame we don't have more time. I'm sure I could sweettalk Minnie into letting us take the kids to Hogsmeade."

Delphi and Iris slowly unwrapped themselves from him. Their hands stayed together as they walked away. Harry shook his head. At least they were arguing now. Hedwig didn't stop her task and stayed with Rose.

"That was a nice distraction." Aureum chuckled. "You've been here for a week and you already have a coven? That's impressive."

Harry smiled.

"Duelists." Professor Flitwick called. "Please gather around."

Harry and Aureum headed over to where the half-goblin stood. Elphaba West and Padma Patil were already waiting for them.

"Congratulations on becoming one of the duelists that will represent Hogwarts." Professor Flitwick spoke with such positive energy it was hard not to smile around him. "As it stands, the results have been reached and the competition for this bracket is completed. However, if you so wish it, we can continue until the top duelist is crowned."

"I would like to continue." Aureum said quickly.

"I would too." Harry added.

Professor Flitwick nodded happily. He looked at the other two witches.

"I would like to continue as well." Padma gave him a shy smile.

"Sure." Elphaba shrugged. "I'm in."

Harry looked at her, actually paying attention to her for the first time. She was attractive with a darker complexion than his own but lighter than Padma, like her skin was a natural tan. Harry didn't have a lot of knowledge to draw from to figure out what that meant to her heritage. He couldn't rely on her eye or hair color to help him out either. They were both green. Her eyes were dark emerald while her hair was closer to mint. All things considered; it didn't seem odd considering the day he was having.

"Would any of you like to place a challenge?" Flitwick asked.

"I challenge Potter." Aureum said with a sly grin.

"Do you accept?" Flitwick asked.

"And here I thought we were starting to be friends." Harry sighed. "I do."

"We are friends." Aureum flashed him a cheesy smile. "Try to remember that once you lose."

"Ha." Harry scoffed. "Do you want this over quick, or do you want me to make you look good?"

"Please." Aureum rolled her eyes. "Just because you beat Longbottom and Swann doesn't mean you can take me out."

"Quick it is." Harry winked at her.

"Dueling on blue, Harry Potter." Professor Riddle announced.

The crowd cheered. He could hear his family among them.

"Dueling on red, Aureum Malfoy." Professor Riddle continued.

The crowd cheered once more.

"Ready? Begin." Professor Riddle yelled.

Harry cast a stunner. Her eyes went wide at the speed of the spell. Aureum brought up a shield just in time. Even then, it knocked her back a step. She hopped to the side trying to put more space between herself and the edge of the platform. Her feet didn't land. Aureum found herself floating. She looked across to Harry to see him smiling at her. Once their eyes met, he let her go. Her body jolted as she dropped a few inches back onto her feet. The sudden change made her stumble.

"Winner, Harry Potter." Professor Riddle called.

Aureum scrunched her brow in confusion. She was still on the platform, she hadn't surrendered, and her wand was… Aureum stared at her empty hand. Her gaze drifted over to Harry. He had her wand. She muttered a string of curses under her breath that no Pureblood witch should even know.

Harry crossed the platform. He came to a stop before her holding out her wand.

"That was quick." Aureum muttered.

"I like to keep my word." Harry chuckled. "See you later."

Harry hopped off the platform. He let the mist catch him. It lowered him steadily to the floor and returned to the waiting area. He waved to Padma and the other witch as he walked by. The introduction had taken longer than the actual duel.

"Well done, Mister Potter." Professor Flitwick said once the two witches headed out to the platform.

"Thank you, Professor." Harry nodded. "My mother was your apprentice?"

Harry liked the way that sounded.

"Oh, yes." Professor Flitwick replied. "An amazing talent at charms. She would have been a legend on the circuit if she wanted to become a duelist. Lucky for them, her interest was in creation and enchantment. I can't tell you how proud I am of her."

"She didn't like to duel?" Harry asked, glad to hear more about Lily.

"Quite the opposite." Professor Flitwick clarified. "She was quite the adept duelist and enjoyed it, however it wasn't her passion. The dueling world lost out on a legend, but the entire magical world has benefited dozens of times over from her enchanting."

Harry felt an easy smile settle on his face. It seemed to be his resting expression these days. He couldn't remember smiling so much in the other world. Hopefully, Hermione would see reason. Professor Flitwick returned to his post by the doorway leaving Harry alone with his thoughts.

It was not a place were he wanted to be. Hermione had found her way here. He knew that she would. If there was anyone that could, it was her. He had no idea why she had brought Hedwig with her. At least she hadn't been left behind for someone else to take care of her. He trusted Hermione with her care. She knew how intelligent Hedwig was and how to handle her. Ron would probably lose a finger or two before just giving up. Maybe the twins could take care of her but he doubted she would put up with their tomfoolery.

Harry sighed, finding that train of thought not lasting nearly as long as he hoped.

Hermione. She was here and he knew she would want to make him go back. When she got an idea into her head of what was right and wrong, it stuck. He wasn't sure he even missed the other world. That was another thing. Somewhere along the line, it wasn't his world anymore.

"Mister Potter." Professor Flitwick called. "You are needed on the platform."

Harry gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you, professor."

He hurried out to the auditorium to see a triumphant Padma Patil waiting for him. She gave him a proud smile, which he returned. Harry bounded up the steps onto the Red portion of the platform. He bowed to her, showing his respect.

That got a cheer from the crowd.

"Congratulations on being the final duelists of Bracket B." Professor Riddle announced. "This is the final match of this stretch. After this we will break for lunch and the Quidditch Cub team will start their tryout. Thank you all for coming and thanks to the duelists for the impressive show of talent."

The crowd clapped in reply.

"Now!" Professor Riddle swapped from his formal tone to an excited announcer. "Dueling on Blue. Padma Patil."

The crowd cheered loudly. A chant of 'Padma' started by a group of Ravenclaw students. She blushed brightly, trying to look anywhere but at the stands. Harry found the loudest cheers were coming from Parvati and what had to be her parents.

"Dueling on Red. Harry Potter." Professor Riddle announced.

His little portion of the crowd erupted in cheers. A few Gryffindor students joined in, but they weren't as enthusiastic about it. Harry felt his cheeks start to hurt from how much he was smiling.

"Bow to your opponent." Professor Riddle had to magically enhance his voice to be heard. "Ready? Begin!"

Unlike the previous duels, neither cast a spell. Instead, they studied the other. Her wand was held by her side, in a tight grip, but her arm was relaxed. She had angled her stance to present a smaller target. Her body was coiled to strike. The air surrounding her crackled with power, lifting a few strands of her hair in an unseen breeze. In short, she had never looked sexier.

Padma began to sway to music only she could hear. She spun and twirled, leading with her wand. A whirlwind formed around her. A moment later spears made from compressed air rocketed toward him. Each one caused the whirlwind to shrink.

Harry dipped and juked from side to side. He could feel the magic in the spears crackle as they flew by. His skin began to tingle as excess energy set his hair on end.

She had him on the defensive. If he summoned a shield, he would be locked in place, making him an easy target. All the while, he felt like he was about to overload from the static building on his skin. Harry feigned a stumble, hoping this theory was correct. The next spear sent a jolt of energy up his leg where it had barely missed.

Harry nodded in appreciation. The spears were a distraction. She was using the air to build a charge on his skin. He made a mental note to study elemental magic. That was later. Now, he needed to figure out how to disperse the building energy. He wasn't sure how to properly gather it without accidentally zapping himself. The best way to deal with it was to ground the charge. Harry didn't have the sophisticated knowledge of elemental magic on his side, but he did know a few things about transfiguration.

A flick of his wand transfigured the ground under his feet to meld with the bottom of his shoes. The charge along his body faded but didn't completely vanish. He summoned a shield, angling it to send the spears upward.

Her whirlwind dropped as she saw her plan foiled.

Harry sprang into motion before she could act. A jagged crack formed on the platform, racing toward her. Dust launched into the air as It shook under their feet and a few pieces along the sides fell away. Padma danced around the split as it neared. The dust between them began to pop in small explosions of color. She summoned a shield only to find it quickly covered in a thin film of multicolored silt.

Padma lurched as she felt something tug on her wand. She gritted her teeth as she tightened her grip. The colors clinging to her shield began to shift and swirl. She ignored them as she continued to wrestle the force trying to wrench her wand from her hand. It wasn't until she felt something cold on her ankle that she realized something was wrong.

She looked down to see the stone beneath her slowly encasing her legs. It had made it beyond the top of her socks and had brushed against a small strip of skin. The break in concentration caused her shield to fail. She flinched as the gooey, colorful muck covered her body from the bottom of her neck down. It solidified a moment later, locking her in place mid-motion.

Padma watched as her wand zipped out of her frozen outstretched hand. The muck dropped away, leaving her thankfully clean and dry.

"Winner, Harry Potter." Professor Riddle announced.

She sighed and began to walk over to him. Harry returned the smile as he held out her wand.

"That was clever." Harry inclined his head to her. "You almost had me."

"You were clever enough yourself." Padma returned the gesture. "How did you do the bursts of color?"

"Color changing charm." Harry replied with a sly smile. "Small focus with a bit of transfiguration to make it flashy."

"A color changing charm." Padma grumbled. "You're joking."

Harry shook his head.

"We're going to have a rematch." Padma stated.

"I look forward to it." Harry replied.

The noise from the crowd washed over them as the protective barrier around the stands fell away. Harry jumped at the sudden wave. They both turned toward the crowd and waved. Harry could see Delphi glaring daggers at Padma while everyone else was celebrating. Luna pulled her into an excited hug, which soothed her building ire. He was happy to see she was sitting next to Iris as well.

Much to his surprise, he saw another set of twins sitting among the group. Both Hermione's had joined them. It was easy to distinguish between the two. His Hermione was wearing her school robes while the other one wore casual muggle style clothing.

Harry stepped off of the platform and headed back to the waiting area. He anticipated a long conversation that required privacy. Plus, he didn't fancy standing the entire time. He hoped they'd be finished in time to have lunch.