章節 12: Fallout
Harry and Hermione weren't going to discuss his status in the middle of the Gryffindor Common Room, so they made their way out into the corridor through the portrait of the Fat Lady. Harry had decided to get the reveal over with for both of his friends, so he'd tried to get Ron to come with them, but he was locked in a conversation with Dean and Seamus and had waved off their attempts to get him to come with them.
Erica noted their movements, but when Harry caught her eye she gestured to go on without her. Harry supposed they'd been his friends from before he became a Campione, so she didn't want to interfere. Ginny also caught his eye, and Harry deliberated for a few moments on whether or not he should include her. In the end, he decided Ginny could be trusted after they'd gone back down the chamber, so he'd gestured for her to follow them out.
"So what's this all about?" Ginny asked once they'd made it out of the Common Room and a way down to an empty classroom. The Professors were more than likely too busy dealing with the events of the day to patrol the hallways properly, but they still made sure they were hidden.
"I think Harry is a Campione," Hermione came out and said. Her words cause Ginny's eyes to widen in shock, her head whirling back and forth between the two.
"Just out of curiosity, what led you to that conclusion?" Harry asked. There were plenty of things that could have contributed to her getting to that point, but he wanted to know what exactly had finally tipped her over the edge.
"There's been a lot since we met back up with you this summer. The first thing was that your scar was gone. It doesn't make sense that no one has tried foreign magic to heal it after all this time," Hermione began. Harry mentally commented that it wouldn't surprise him with how most British wizards and witches acted.
"Then there was the way you carried yourself and everything that has to do with Erica. Things started to add up more and more, from Professor Dumbledore asking you to come to his office at the start of term, your disappearance after going to meet with him again, the increase in magical prowess, and more and more things being different about you. I found more in-depth information about Campione in some of the books Erica got for me, and one day I tried a tickling charm on you when you weren't paying attention and it had no effect."
Most of that stuff was things that Harry expected, but the tickling charm was surprising. Usually, he felt when magic was resisted by his body, but then that had always been offensive magic or things of a stronger nature. Something as minuscule as a tickling charm must've felt like a gnat landing on his skin, such a tiny thing it escaped his notice.
"Wait, wait. Are you serious? We're entertaining the idea that Harry became a Campione over the summer?" Ginny took this moment to regain her bearings and join the discussion.
"What, don't think I'm good enough to be a Campione," Harry asked, mock hurt.
Ginny quickly shook her head. "No, of course not, but how would we never have heard about it? Campione is a big deal, like a worldwide important level big deal. Your identity would have been announced to the magical community of Britain by the Wizenmagot as soon as it was discovered."
"I was also wondering how it has remained a secret," Hermione mentioned.
"Who is the head of the Wizenmagot?"
They both only took a second to consider his question before the answer presented itself. "Professor Dumbledore! He's hiding it for you."
Harry nodded his head and channeled his magic. A visible aura erupted around his body, forming pressure on the two girls that sent their knees shaking before he reined it back in. "I'll just go ahead and confirm it, you were spot on Hermione."
Hermione and Ginny had to take a moment to compose themselves. Ginny seemed the much more shocked of the two as she sat there open-mouthed attempting to process the reveal. Harry supposed it was because she'd grown up in the magical world, so she had a much deeper understanding of the significance of a Campione than Hermione.
"I've got so many questions. How did it feel to become a Campione? What changes happened to your body because of it? I've heard about their inherent magic resistance, but is it really impossible to affect you with magic?" Hermione began to rattle off question after question, but Ginny interrupted.
"More importantly, how the bloody hell did you kill a Heretic God."
Harry chuckled and ran his hands through his hair. One thing that had certainly not changed since he became a Campione was how untameable his hair was; his absentminded messing with it made it look no different. He transfigured the chairs in the room into more comfortable beanbags, and the three sat down before Harry began his story.
He regaled them of the events in Rome, from meeting Erica to slaying Adam. He briefly touched upon the death of the Dursleys, something he hadn't mentioned to anyone besides Erica at this point. That turned the mood somber, but Harry pushed past it and continued his explanation.
The other two encounters with gods were only briefly touched on, and eventually, he began to answer Hermione's slew of questions while Ginny sat there and listened closely. She seemed to be thinking about something, but Harry was too distracted by all of Hermione's different questions about the concept of Campiones and how it had changed him.
Eventually, they realized that too much time had passed and they needed to get back to the dorms. The three stood up and made their way back into the hall, quickly making it to the portrait of the Fat Lady.
Hermione went up to the girls' dorms after saying she was going look even more deeply into everything to do with Heretic Gods and Campione. Harry also took the chance to mention the god he had seen in his vision, and he promised to look into it as well. It was obvious the god wasn't from one of the better-known religions, he'd already looked through the better-known gods in the major pantheons like Greek, Roman, Shinto, and Aztec. It had to be a god in a lesser-known one.
Harry thought that Ginny would also head to bed, but she stopped and looked at him deeply. "Would it be alright if I introduced you to someone tomorrow?"
Ginny's tone was unsure and slightly awkward, and Harry quickly realized what the problem was. His original reason for hiding his status in the first place was that he didn't want to change his relationships with his friends. Hermione was muggle-born, so it didn't affect her the same way, but Ginny was clearly feeling awkward interacting with someone whose status had been impressed upon her since childhood.
Harry reached forward and ruffled her hair, which caused her to pout up at him. "What's with the tone, I'm still the same person from before. I'm not any different than at the start of the year, don't go acting all weird now."
Ginny grumbled about her messed up hair, and used her hands to fix it. "I know, it's just weird." She then got a sly grin on her face. "I suppose I'll have to call you my lord now. I shall do your bidding, Lord Potter." She mock bowed at the end and looked up at him. When he met her eyes, Harry couldn't help but exhale lightly as the mood returned to how it always was.
"I shall deign to allow you to refer to me by name." Harry chuckled as Ginny righted herself. "But back to your question, yeah who'd you want me to meet?"
"A friend I've known forever, but she's got some...unique circumstances. It'll be better if I have her meet you and then explain."
Harry agreed, and Ginny gave him a brief hug before she walked up to the girl's dorms as well. When he made his way up the stairs to the boy's dorms, Harry found Ron passed out and snoring lightly. He planned to talk to his best friend tomorrow and tell him the truth, hoping that it would go as well as it had with the other two.
----
It turned out his hopes were in vain. Harry had waited until after breakfast, the school still abuzz with Erica's reveal as a Triwizard Champion.
The other thing that excited everyone was the figure sitting next to Dumbledore at the head table. Paolo Blandelli was quite a well-known figure, and it had been announced that he'd be staying at Hogwarts until the New Year to support his niece, due to her unwilling entrance into the Tournament.
They'd eaten, and Hermione had her nose buried in a book as she stymied her questions due to the fact there were so many people around them.
After they'd eaten their fill, Harry had taken Ron aside and asked to speak to him, Hermione also coming along as they made their way out onto the lawn and far away from anyone else. Once there, Harry had just come out and told him the truth.
"Mate, that's not funny. I know you grew up with muggles, but Campione are serious, you can't joke about stuff like that."
Hermione quickly added that she'd figured it out as well, but Ron wasn't hearing any of it. Harry couldn't do the same thing he'd done last night, with so many people out and about, so instead he made sure no one could see them and then cast the severing curse on his own hand. He was using his own wand, not the Elder Wand, so the spell wasn't all that powerful and just shattered on his skin.
That certainly served as proof. Ron took his hand and looked it over, trying to find some evidence of damage. It took him a few minutes as he processed that reveal, but then came the outburst.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me. And Hermione, you knew?" His best friend's tone grew irate.
"I figured it out and Harry only confirmed it last night. That's what we were trying to get you for, but you were busy with Dean and Seamus. Harry, Ginny, and I ended up talking about it until it was late, and you were already asleep."
Mentioning Ginny had been the wrong thing to say, as that only left Ron feeling more betrayed. The fact that his sister had found out the truth before him, even if it was because of his own actions.
Harry and Hermione tried to placate him, and Ron calmed down slightly, but in the end, he shook his head. "Just, leave me alone for a bit."
The two watched as Ron walked away, and Hermione bit her lip. "Maybe we should've waited for him. I was just so excited, I didn't think about how he'd feel."
Harry sighed. "No, I think this would've been how he'd react either way. We just need to give him a bit, hopefully he'll calm down. I didn't tell you guys at the start and that's on me."
Harry hoped Ron would get over it quickly, but he didn't see his friend for the rest of the day as it seemed like he was avoiding him. He'd had a brief conversation with Paolo, where the older man had informed him of what he and Dumbledore had discussed the night before.
They'd be doing a deep audit of the teachers and students at Hogwarts first, and if nothing turned up then they'd continue to Beauxbatons and Durmstrang afterward. The other schools were likely to resist, but the combined pressure that Dumbledore and Paolo could put on them wasn't something they could fight against.
The plan seemed sound to Harry, so he let the two of them handle it. It was only late into the afternoon that he got the chance to meet the person Ginny had mentioned. It turned out to be a girl in the same year as Ginny. He could vaguely remember seeing her sorting, but he hadn't seen her anywhere this entire year.
She was wearing Ravenclaw robes and an assortment of odd trinkets. Her hair was dirty blonde and wavy, with silvery eyes that seemed vaguely distracted. It seemed like the girl had to be forced by Ginny to speak to him, as she dragged her feet.
"Harry, this is Luna Lovegood."
They were alone, far away from any other students or staff in another unused classroom. Luna was seemingly avoiding looking at him, her eyes focused anywhere but his face.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked confused.
"Nothing, Lord Potter," Luna spoke, her voice distant. Her comment, though, drew a surprised look from Harry. He glanced at Ginny, but the girl quickly shook her head.
"I didn't tell her."
"She didn't have to. I've known since I saw you again this year what you were. Just like that man, when a tyrant arrives mortals should beware." The end of her sentence was tinged with bitterness, and Ginny looked at her friend in surprise. She vaguely knew about the girl's circumstances, which is why she'd wanted Harry to meet her, but her normally serene and quirky friend was acting in a way she'd never seen her before.
Harry quickly figured out the reason. "You've met a Campione before."
"Marquis Voban took my mother for a ritual, and she never returned. That is the fate of those who catch the attention of a devil king." She mentioned the death of her mother in a distant tone, her voice seemingly uncaring, and yet it was obvious that wasn't the case.
"Marquis Voban, huh," Harry muttered. He'd heard of the oldest Campione from Erica, he was the very man who currently had her only friend serving him.
"Mother was a seer, a Hime-Miko, as they are known in Japan. Marquis Voban wished to summon a god to slay, and it only cost the lives of those he used for the summoning."
Harry put the pieces together quickly. "And you're also one as well, aren't you? That's why Ginny wanted us acquainted, in case he tried again."
Luna nodded her head. "One tyrant to stop another."
Her tone never changed, but based on her words and past it was obvious Luna had no good feelings for Campione. It wasn't something Harry could assuage in one conversation, especially not with a girl he'd just met.
"I already have a dispute with Voban in the first place. If he comes for you, I'll stop him from taking you." Perhaps it wasn't advisable to get involved in this situation, but Harry always had his 'saving people thing.' Luna was Ginny's friend, and he already was going to have a problem with Voban anyway, so it made sense that he would help.
Unfortunately, it seemed that he had chosen the wrong words. "Thank you, Lord Potter." Luna's words didn't change, there wasn't any real sign that she was angry, but it seemed like his words had confirmed his belief.
It took Harry a moment, but once he replayed that conversation in his head he realized that the way he'd worded it, it implied he was helping her because it suited his own interests. He sighed as Luna bowed and left the room, Ginny quickly thanked him and ran after her.
'And this is only a small taste of what will happen when everyone knows the truth.'
----
Author's Note:
For those who don't know, I'm using Yuri's past mixed with Luna's. In Campione, Yuri was used in a ritual by Marquis Voban to summon a Heretic God for him to slay, only for Doni to steal it from him. Yuri was the only survivor.
In this case, Luna's mother was used in the ritual and died. In canon, Luna's mother died due to her own spell backfiring, and with Luna's character, she made the most sense to fill that role. To be honest, I actually hate the "Luna knows all" trope, so it's not going to be that egregious. Hime-Miko in canon have varying abilities, Luna having the Spirit Vision that allows them knowledge of the Memories of the Void that lay within the Netherworld. This gives them knowledge of the past and lets them subconsciously make predictions of the future.
The Voban arc is getting set up, but we won't be getting around to that until after the first task. As far as Ron's reaction goes, I tried to keep him in character for Book 4. He's not as in the wrong as he was in canon, he was objectively just a bad friend in the books. Here, Harry did hide the truth from him, and even if it was his own decision that led to it, it feels bad to be the last in the group to find out. Let me know if there are any ways you could suggest making the conversation flow a little smoother.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票