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Bonded chapter 44
🕑 Added 2023-10-13 22:18:32 +0000 UTCChapter 44 -
"Harry?" Cedric blurted out as soon as Harry had entered the chamber, Cedric along with the other champions looked quite confused by his presence.
"Do they want us back in the hall?" Fleur asked.
"What's going on?" Cedric spoke once more.
"Some bullshit, that's what," Harry huffed as he took a stop next to a pillar and leaned against it, crossing his arms. "Some cunt tossed my name into the Goblet of Fire, and now apparently they want me to compete."
"What?!" Cedric blinked, looking as stunned as the other champions.
"But that cannot be!" Fleur protested. "This is the Triwizard tournament! 'Tri' for 'triple' and 'triple' means three, does it not?!" She asked the other two champions, both of whom nodded in agreement.
"Exactly!" Harry said happily, giving her a grateful look. "Tell everyone else that, they appear to have forgotten. I already told them all that I hadn't entered."
'It's true, I've been watching him all day,' Venom added in, even though only Harry could hear him. It was at that moment that Dumbledore entered the room, followed by the other tournament judges, Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt (One of the other aurors that had been assigned to Hogwarts), Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.
"Harry!" Dumbledore said, quickly stopping in front of him. "Why did you do that?"
"I told you already, I hadn't entered."
"Not that," Dumbledore said, dismissing his response with an agitated wave. "I'm referring to you threatening your fellow students."
"You threatened everyone?" Krum blinked, looking minutely shocked.
"They don't listen when you are nice," Harry shrugged. "I'm not having another year of getting unfairly accused of something I didn't do. I'm also not about to pull another miracle out of my ass just to prove people wrong."
"You could have brought your concerns to me or your other teachers," Dumbledore told Harry, gesturing to Professor McGonagall.
"You didn't do anything in my second year, why would I expect this year to be different?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Dumbly-door," Madam Maxime spoke up. "We have important things to discuss right now, like how this boy is entered in the tournament."
"Madam Maxime," Fleur quickly cut in. "He cannot compete, there are already three champions. This is the Triwizard tournament! 'Tri' for 'triple' and 'triple' means three, does it not?!"
"Thank you," Harry told her, sending her an amused look at her for knowingly repeating the exact same words. "She's right," He told the rest. "There are already three champions, and I didn't enter. So do me a favour and please just allow me to go back to my seat in the great hall, I don't want anything to do with this tournament," Harry said in a firm voice.
"Well...of course he is lying," Madam Maxime accused.
"You can't wear that much makeup and accuse me of being the one who is dishonest," Harry snorted, earning a furious glare from Madam Maxime.
'Ha!' Venom laughed.
"Mr Potter! Behave yourself!" Professor McGonagall admonished him.
"Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" Dumbledore asked calmly, staring right at Harry.
"No, I bloody did not, as I've stated repeatedly," Harry told Dumbledore who stared back at Dumbledore, Harry couldn't help but wonder for a moment if Dumbledore was going to try to read his mind just like Snape had tried before. Though thankfully for both of them that never happened, Dumbledore looked away and turned to the others.
"I don't at this point in time have any reason to doubt Mr Potter," Dumbledore stated.
"It's a bit suspicious, don't you think?" Karkaroff spoke up, glaring at Dumbledore. "That Hogwarts happens to have two champions, easier chances at getting a victory, isn't that right, Dumbledore?"
"My dear Igor, I can't help but feel like you are implying something," Dumbledore said patiently.
"I am, Dumbledore," Karkaroff hissed. "You helped him enter his name into this tournament, did you not?!"
"Right, because that makes all the sense," Harry scoffed. "Putting a fourth year into a tournament as a backup when he could just put a seventh year instead. With brains like that, I can't help but fear for the educational standards at Durmstrang." Harry said in a mock-thoughtful voice, he glanced at Krum and saw that the older student looked more amused than anything else. The same thing couldn't be said about the Durmstrang headmaster who had turned an almost purple shade of anger.
"Mr Potter, I will not tell you to behave again," Professor McGonagall said warningly.
"Fine, I'm sorry, Professor, I'm just a little bit bothered right now about unfounded accusations," Harry sent a glare around the room before turning back to Professor McGonagall. "I am sincerely sorry, Professor McGonagall."
"How did this boy's name come into the Goblet of Fire?" Karkaroff demanded to know.
"Do not blame Dumbledore," Snape spoke up in a silky voice, "Potter has been breaking rules from the moment he entered this school,"
"Professor, you can't demand me to behave and let him get away with bad-mouthing me," Harry protested to Professor McGonagall.
'Why is he even here?' Venom wondered.
"And why is he even here?" Harry asked the room at large. "He's just a potions teacher, I'm not even in his house, he has nothing to do with this."
"Silence Potter!" Snape glared at him.
"Or what?" Harry asked challengingly. "Going to read my mind again?" He asked as loud as he could get without shouting. "Had better watch out for that," Harry told the others. "Look him in the eye long enough and he'll try and read your every thought." He warned the others.
"How dare you?!" Snape hissed furiously, taking a step forward only to stop when he saw Tonks, Shacklebolt and Moody all pull their wands out and aim them at him.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you," Tonks said warningly. "You seem to have a bad history with Harry, I personally think it's best if you leave the room. I don't believe your presence is necessary here,"
"Aye," Moody agreed. "The last thing we need is an instigating little rat like you here."
"Alastor!" Dumbledore said sharply before turning to Snape. "Severus, please leave the room," He requested in a tired voice.
"Headmaster, you can't be serious!" Snape protested.
"This is the quality of your school, Dumbly-Door?!" Madam Maxime butted in.
"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Professor McGonagall cut in. "Severus leave this room now, your presence is not required here." She ordered Snape, Snape stared between her and Dumbledore for a moment before sending a sneer at everyone. He spun on his foot and stormed off, his robes billowing behind him. "And Mr Potter, you will be receiving a detention for your behaviour tonight."
"Yes, Ma'am," Harry nodded stiffly.
"Now," Dumbledore cut in. "Let's decide what to do about Mr Potter, calmly, please."
"Headmaster," Percy Weasley spoke up, holding a book in his hands. "I've been reading through the tournament rules, and I believe that Mr Potter must compete. The goblet of fire constitutes a magically binding contract, Mr Potter has to compete. At least, that's what I've gotten so far, I really wish Mr Crouch was here. He knew the book off by heart, he did."
"So, what you're saying is that I got no choice in the matter, I have to compete?" Harry said in an irritated voice.
"I believe so," Percy frowned. "I'll continue looking at the rules to see if we can find a way to get you out, but for now, yes, you have to compete."
(.)
"This is bull," Harry grunted as he walked towards the common room, the other students had already left by the time he had gotten out of the hall. Tonks had been tasked to escort himself and Cedric back to their common rooms. Once they had dropped off Cedric, they both started walking to the Gryffindor common room.
'We've been set up,' Venom agreed.
"For what it's worth, Harry, I believe you," Tonks spoke up. "I don't think you entered your name into the tournament."
"Thanks, Tonks," Harry said appreciatively. "But I know that a lot of people in the school won't feel the same way."
"I mean...you did tell them all to their faces that you didn't so maybe it won't be that bad," Tonks said hopefully.
"I doubt it," Harry snorted. "In my second year, they thought that I was the heir to Slytherin even though my mother was a muggleborn, I'm not putting much hope on them. Anyway, thanks, Tonks," Harry said as they arrived in the corridor, leading them towards the Gryffindor common room. "I'm glad you believe me, it means a lot."
"Don't worry, Harry," Tonks said, patting him on the shoulder. "We'll get you out of this tournament, but if we can't then I'm sure you'll win it."
"That's the plan," Harry grinned at her, giving her a wave before walking towards the portrait. The Fat Lady appeared to be asleep, as did every other portrait nearby. Harry looked back and saw that Tonks had already left. He took in a deep breath before turning around and walking away. 'We got to do something about this,' He mentally told Venom. 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' He asked as he slid into a nearby classroom.
'Oh yeah,' Venom said slowly, gleefully, Harry could easily picture his wide grin. A second later a tentacle shot out of Harry's elbow and dropped a time turner into his hand before retracting itself back into him. 'I think last evening should do it,'
'Let's go,' Harry nodded before placing the time turner around his neck and turning it just as Venom covered his body in his signature black goo, leaving him in his sleek black with white eyes form, complete with a spider logo.
"That's fun," Venom whispered once they found themselves back in time. He turned himself invisible before leaping up to the ceiling and crawling along it.
It didn't take the pair long before they reached the great hall, Venom shot two tentacles out that grabbed the doors and pulled them open with barely a grunt before sneaking in and closing them after him. He spotted the Goblet of Fire, sitting innocently in its place. Venom grunted before leaping up and through the enchanted sky with ease and landing on the rafters above.
"And now, we wait," Venom said, keeping his gaze fixed on the goblet as his invisibility cut out.
'Neither of us can be classified as the patient type,' Harry couldn't help but point out.
'What do you want to do while we wait?' Venom asked. 'Do you want to play twenty questions?
'Why would we do that?' Harry couldn't help but ask.
'So we can get to know each other better,' Venom answered. 'You know all about me, so I thought we'd make it even,'
'You're in my head, you know everything there is to know about me,' Harry reminded him.
'I could have pretended not to know,'
(.)
An hour or so later, Harry had learnt that for some reason or the other, Venom was not a fan of geese and for a completely different reason hated wolverines. Before he could discover why, the doors to the great hall opened and Igor Karkaroff walked in.
"Dick-head, spotted," Venom softly whispered as he watched Karkaroff nervously walk up to the Goblet of Fire, looking in every direction he could as he did so. Though Venom couldn't help but note that the man didn't look up. "Nobody ever suspects attacks from above," Venom tutted disappointedly before seeing Karkaroff pull out a piece of parchment. 'That looks like it has your name on it,'
'Why would Karkaroff want to put me in the tournament?' Harry couldn't help but wonder.
'Let's find out, violently,' Venom suggested before leaping down towards Karkaroff, landing between him and the Goblet of Fire, causing Karkaroff to jump and stumbled backwards, falling on his butt and cursing in his native language.
"What the...who are you?!" Kararoff cried out.
"We are Venom," Venom answered with a grin before sending out a tentacle that wrapped around Karkaroff's legs and pulled him closer.
"Get off me!" Karkaroff yelped before sending a cutting curse right at Venom, the curse cut into his shoulder but was repaired nearly immediately. A second tentacle shot out and knocked the wand out of his hand before wrapping it around his arms and body.
"Why were you trying to put Harry Potter's name into the Goblet of Fire?" Venom asked, holding him up in the air.
"I...I wasn't..." Karkaroff denied it, he let out a cry as Venom's tentacles squeezed him.
"You want to keep lying?" Venom hissed.
"I...I was ordered to do it...if I don't...he'll kill me!" Karkaroff blurted out in a pained voice.
"Who?" Venom growled.
"We...we don't speak his name," Karkaroff groaned.
"Voldemort," Venom realised. "Where is he? Tell me!" Venom ordered, tightening his grip on Karkaroff.
"I can't say!" Karakaroff cried out. "You'll both kill me but he'll make it much more painful! So if you're going to kill me then do it!"
"Fair enough," Venom growled, ready to move forward and rip his head off when a sizzling noise echoed throughout the hall. Venom looked to his left in time to see what appeared to be a large, jagged cut hanging in the middle of the air. Inside the cut appeared to be a swirling black and grey mass of clouds that were constantly moving.
"What are you doing?!" Kararof shrieked fearfully.
"Quiet," Venom flicked his hand and covered Kararoff's mouth with his goo before dropping the bound and gagged man on the floor. "This isn't us," He whispered as he took a step forward.
'What the hell is that?' Harry asked.
Venom was about to answer when all of a sudden something shot out of the cut, charging towards Venom. Venom found himself lifted high up into the air before being slammed straight into the wall behind him, denting it. Holding him in place by his neck, was a creature that at first glance could be mistaken for a dementor. It was all black, seemingly floating with horrid black skin, but it didn't take long to realise that this wasn't a dementor. Much smaller and definitely faster than a dementor, there wasn't the cold or fearful aura that came with it either. There was no cloak either, just the same horrid black skin. Its face may have appeared faceless at first, but a closer look revealed it did in fact have eyes, but every part of its eye was so black that it looked like part of its skull. Complete with this was a set of blunt, grey teeth.
"KLYNTAR!" The creature hissed. "WIZARD! TOGETHER! DESTROYING THE TIMELINE!"
"Get off!" Venom roared and kicked the thing hard, sending it flying back while he crawled up the wall in time to see two more of the same creatures flying out of the cut.
"DESTROYING THE TIMELINE!" The creatures hissed as one as they accusingly pointed their long, ugly fingers at Venom. "DESTROY THE DESTROYER!"
'Harry,' Venom mentally spoke up.
'Um...yeah?' Harry asked, more focused on the weird floating monsters in front of them.
"Multiple dickheads, spotted."
Comments
Q
Actually I do have a plan to make the goblet a bit less stupid. You'll see in the next chapter or maybe the chapter after that. It also bothers me as well, if that was how it worked then dumbledore could grab Tom's name from his old homework and just toss it in and not tell him about it. I don't know if that bothers me more than the time turner's being lent out to 13 year old.
Christian Jeffress
Thanks for another, entertaining chapter and one really interesting twist at the end
Kurozake
So many Fanfictions use the Goblet the way it was used in canon without thinking about the consequences of there being an artifact that can practically enslave people with a signed piece of parchment (in a world where everyone signs a whole bunch of letters). It always seriously annoys me.
