Chapter 1: Confrigo? Sounds Like Fun!
The boy lay perfectly still in his dorm room bed. It wasn't because he was asleep, in fact he had been awake for hours and had barely slept the night before.
Just typical! Could my life get any more messed up? While many teenagers have thought this over the years, for young 14-year-old Harry it was quite apt. The last 13 years had been filled with one disaster after another, cumulating in the shit show that had been the previous night.
It's my own fault for thinking that this Halloween would be any different to the last three, something about this day really hates me. A quick glance at his watch revealed that it was almost nine and as such too late to catch breakfast in the Great Hall, but if he hurried he would be able to make his morning charms class with Professor Flitwick.
He had just grabbed his uniform out of his trunk to chuck on, when he remembered Hermione complaining to him a month ago, after she found out that Tri-Wizard Champions didn't have to go to classes.
"Why would someone choose not to go to class? Think of all the knowledge you might miss out on!" Harry could still hear her scandalised tone. "Well I'm up, I may as well do something with my day." He declared to the empty room, grabbing his toiletries and heading for the bathroom.
20 minutes later, having showered and gotten dressed, he felt quite a bit better and decided that his best option was to head to the library and study as much as he could. It was his best chance of staying alive during this stupid tournament as well.
If only I knew where the kitchen was, I would be able to grab something to eat rather than having to wait until lunch. Harry thought as he walked towards the door out of the dorm room, only to be stopped by a loud pop behind him.
"Dobby be seeing that the Great Harry Potter not be goings to Hallses for breekiefast so Dobby brings you food." The excitable little house elf told Harry while hopping from foot to foot with a plate in his hands.
The plate was piled high with toast, bacon, sausage and croissants, something that the house elves had started providing after many requests from the Beauxbatons students. It looked devine.
"Did Dobby do good?" The elf inquired while looking up at Harry with hope in his eyes.
"Thank you Dobby. You did great. You're a good friend for looking out for me." Harry stated honestly as he took the plate from his friend.
Dobby flung himself at the boy, wrapping his arms around Harry's legs, as tears started streaming down his face.
"Harry Potter calls Dobby his friend! Harry Potter sir is the greatestest wizard in the whole world! And he calls Dobby his friend." Anything else he may have said was lost to Harry's ears as Dobby's sobbing overcame his ability to articulate words.
The 14 year old was left standing a metre from the door, a plate in his hands, with a blubbering house elf hugging onto his legs with a vice like grip. Not knowing what to do Harry was left with the only option of thanking the diminutive creature a second time.
"That's okay Dobby, you are my friend. And thank you for the food." Dobby stepped back, tears still falling, with the widest smile he possibly could have, and vanished with a quiet *pop* leaving the teen shaking his head.
He carried the plate out of the room, and down into the common area of Gryffindor House. Sitting at one of the study desks scattered around the room, Harry dug into his breakfast.
/
Harry had been in the library for almost an hour already, and had yet to find much of worth. He was grabbing any books that looked helpful off the shelves, before returning to the back table he had claimed and skimming through the book.
So far he had struck out in seven books, and found three spells that intrigued him from two others. Fumis Spatium, a spell which provide a covering of smoke for almost 10 meters around the caster in every direction which was great to hide a person or their movements.
Caesa Ligna, the wood chopping spell, similar to Diffindo but less precise, and more powerful, had stuck out to Harry as it could be a handy spell in many different situations. Harry's favourite new spell he had found was certainly the blasting curse.
A spell that creates explosions and can do heaps of damage to anything in its path? What teenage boy wouldn't love that! Yet Harry was far from happy.
I need to learn way more than three new spells if I want to survive the tournament, let alone win it! The other three are all sixth or seventh years and have those extra years of schooling as an advantage. I need to find more! Where can I find what I need? His eyes scanning the shelves looking for any sign of where to look, when he saw what could very well be his solution.
The restricted section. Of course! Where else would he find books with powerful spells but in the place only senior students could go! If only I was allowed in... Maybe Professor McGonagall will write me a note, being a Champion and all. He thought to himself as he took off running past a scowling Madam Pince and out into the first floor corridor.
Harry didn't stop running until he reached the Professor's office door, near the Gryffindor common room on the 7th floor. Wheezing as he knocked on the door, hoping to get his breath back before she answered, Harry reflected on his need to get fitter for the blasted tournament and resolved to start running every morning before breakfast.
Having finally got control of his breathing once more, he knocked again on her door hoping she wasn't teaching a class at the moment. After waiting a whole minute longer, Harry came to the conclusion that she was out, and he would have to get a note from another teacher.
Knowing that his charms class would be finishing any minute, and that Professor Flitwick didn't have a class after the 4th years, Harry decided that his best bet was to head over to the diminutive Professors office on the other side of the castle, but thankfully still on the 7th floor.
Keeping his head down, and doing his best to avoid other students on his way to the office, Harry was able to get there in minutes and decided to sit in the alcove across from the Professors door while he waited. Hearing what other students were saying about him after last night's bombshell of a Champion selection, combined with his perceived lack of progress this morning, had left him feeling pretty down, and Ron's behaviour the night before certainly wasn't helping.
What is the gits problem? Surely he should know me better than that by now? His train of thought was interrupted as the charms professor came into view as he unlocked his office door.
"Sir, can I come in briefly?" The student asked as he rose from where he had been seated on the floor.
"Mr. Potter, please do not do that again! You gave me quite a fright. Well yes, come on in." Filius Flitwick recovered quickly from the start his student had just giving him.
Indicating a seat in front of his desk for the lad, he climbed up onto his own seat, with its added cushions to give him extra height, and turned his gaze upon, if he was honest, one of his favourite students. He knew that he shouldn't have favourites, and especially not a student that wasn't even in his House, but there was something about young Mr. Potter that Filius couldn't help but like.
He was always respectful, was inquisitive, even if he hid it well, was a very talented wizard with great potential, had a knack for adventure, and the Charms Professor was convinced that Harry was much smarter than he let on. His mother was brilliant after all, and his father was far from stupid, even if he chose to only apply himself with that silly past time of his.
"What can I do for you Mr. Potter?" His curiosity was piqued, as it was very uncommon for Harry to seek out any of his professors.
"Firstly, I would like to apologise for not being in class, Sir, but after last nights shock I was not feeling up for it, and wanted the peace and quite of the library to get some study done. That is why I came, I was wondering if... Um... Perhaps Sir... Um... You could write a note allowing me access to the Restricted Section in the library. I would really like to survive this tournament Sir and maybe there is some helpful information that I could find if I had access." The hope was clear in the teens eyes as Harry asked the teacher for his help.
"That is most alright, I fully understand why you didn't attend class. I know that as a Champion attendance is optional, but I hope you don't make it a regular occurrence missing my class. Charms is a fascinating subject, if I say so myself, and you could very well learn something that could help you in the tournament. I will of course write you a permission slip for Madam Pince, you need to learn all that is available to you as the Triwizard is a very dangerous tournament. I also want you to know if you need any help understanding what you read, some personal tutorship, or any other help I can give you please don't hesitate to come find me." Filius told his student as he wrote a note, explaining Harry's need for access to the Restricted Section, for the stern librarian.
"Thank you Sir. Thank you so much." Harry said as he took off once again, note in hand, and a smile on his face.
/
Waiting for Harry in the library was his best friend, Hermione, sitting at the table he had been using reading "Advanced Duelling and Combat." He shouldn't have been surprised that she knew where he was going to be, it had always been her favourite table to study at, because of the less distractions, and at times it was scary just how well she could read his mind.
She didn't notice him until he sat down in an empty chair across from her, with a crooked grin and his dazzling emerald eyes. She found herself lost in those eyes for a moment, before shaking herself out of the trance.
"You missed a good class with Professor Flitwick. I hope you aren't going to keep skipping classes just because you can." The disapproval in her tone was only enhanced by the frown on her face. Hermione couldn't understand why someone would choose not to attend class; it just wasn't in her nature.
"Yeah sorry about that." Harry's smile dropped as he looked at her with chagrin. "I just wasn't up to it this morning, so came down here to see if there is anything that will help me with this bloody tournament."
"Harry! Language! Just because you are frustrated doesn't mean you should let your manors slip. Would you like help finding and learning spells?" After the scolding, Hermione ended with a much gentler tone, she could see how much the curveball of his name being drawn for the tournament was distressing him. She resolved to be there for the entire thing, no matter what he needed.
"Well I figured that the best material would be in the Restricted Section so I went and got a signed note so I could look for relevant books." The teenage boy sheepishly told his friend scratching his head awkwardly.
He was caught off guard when Hermione launched herself around the desk and latched onto him in one of her patented hugs, almost crushing him in the process. He was surprised at just how much he enjoyed it.
"That's genius Harry! You can get the books and I'll help you read them. It will be much quicker than you on your own, and I can learn out of the Restricted Section." She rattled on, in much the same vane, for another minute before Harry's quite chuckling drew her attention.
Hermione looked at him with a raised eyebrow, in a gesture that she had learnt from her hero Professor McGonagall, and waited for an explanation. "Sorry but you weren't letting me get a word in. Firstly are you so surprised that I had a good idea? It's hardly that surprising is it?" The humour was evident in the boy's tone.
"And I would be grateful for any help you are willing to give me, just as I always have been. I will get access granted from Madam Pince, and then come back when I have found a few helpful looking books." He stood up with a smile, and left the table to get what could be a very long process started.
A/N: Enjoy the first chapter? Please review!
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