The Dark Apprentice Chapter 54

Chapter 54

When Tracey’s family offered to buy Harry and his friends lunch in Hogsmeade, he didn’t feel like he was much in a position to refuse.  The offer had come from Tracey’s mother in gratitude for saving her daughter so quickly, but the look on Auror Davis’ face indicated to Harry that this wouldn’t be the pleasant celebration he was hoping for.

When he had made it back to the dock with his friends at his side, Harry saw Barty in his usual disguise waiting off to the side.  Promising to catch up with his friends in a moment, the teen separated himself from the group and approached the man, who had a scarred grin on his face.

“He wants to see you tonight.” Barty said right away, leaning against the tall walking stick of Alastor Moody.

“The usual place?” Harry asked softly, as people called out their congratulations from nearby.

Barty merely nodded his head and then mumbled, “You did well, lad.  It was lucky that Krum’s got more of a conscience then his Headmaster though.  Things are changing quickly out there, and you need to be ready.”

In understanding trepidation, Harry merely nodded, saying nothing further, and separating himself from the disguised Death Eater, and going after his friends who were walking the path to the Hogsmeade carriages.

.o.

At the Three Broomsticks, Harry retold the mostly true story of what had occurred down in the Black Lake.  He admitted that after he cracked the clue of the task he had begun scouting the lake, and even sent many serpents through the water to ensure he could find Tracey as fast as possible.

He spared a few details about the basilisk scaring off the merpeople, and instead explained that the fighting sent them cowering into the depths of the underwater village.  It was clear that while his friends were interested in his tale, Tracey’s parents were fixated on the details, particularly her father, as if he were trying to detect any wrong doing on his part.

“Fleur hit me pretty hard with the opening spell, I didn’t even see her coming.  I was so focused on getting Tracey out, that I am lucky she decided to try and hurt me instead of incapacitate me.  When I regained my senses the fight kicked off.” Harry explained.

“Idiots.” Blaise scoffed, “Krum has to have had at least heard what you could do in a duel, and Delacour attacking you in an environment that she is naturally weaker in was foolish.”

“Regardless,” Mr. Davis interjected, “He defeated two other champions in magical combat.  An impressive feat for one so young.”

“I warned them not to get in my way before we dived in.” Harry offered with a shrug.

Blaise snorted, “Probably hurt their pride when you threw that kind of challenge down.”

Daphne agreed at once, “I would’ve sought you out just because you said it, if I was Delacour.”

“We will see if they learned their lesson.  I may be in first now, but it is my understanding that the winner of the 3rd task usually takes all.  I will be playing for keeps in the last task.” Harry promised.

“Even if it means seriously hurting one of them?” Auror Davis asked.

“Daddy!” Tracey exclaimed.

“What?” The man defended, “It’s a fair question.  The French Champion was in shambles, and appeared to have only made it out because Krum helped her.”

“The truth is Mr. Davis,” Harry began, his eyes meeting the Aurors' unflinchingly, “Since I have stepped out of the shadows at the end of my 3rd year, my life has been full of challengers.  My strength seems to incite these challenges.  Challenges that incite conflict, and those conflicts breed catastrophe.”

The man seemed to think over his words, the entire group did, but Harry wasn’t done, “Is it wrong that I have chosen to defend myself in ways that I have hoped would dissuade others from trying to hurt me or my friends?”

Before the Auror could answer, a soft hand went on his arm, and to his surprise it was Tracey’s mother, “Of course it's not, Harry.  Powerful wizards have often attracted trouble throughout our history.  Look no further than your own headmaster. Dumbledore is not a man of conflict, war or violence, but when the Wizarding World has needed him the most against You-Know-Who, or Grindelwald, he rose to the occasion.  I only see a young man that is rising to his own occasions and still trying to find his way.”

Harry was surprised by the woman's words, and even more surprisingly he was warmed by them.  He may not have liked the comparison to Dumbledore, but the fact that the woman acknowledged that he was a powerful young wizard just trying to find his way was more understanding then he imagined he would get from any other adults.

“You could say you have sought out so many of these conflicts by putting yourself in the middle of this tournament though.” Roland Davis interjected.

Blaise and Daphne both seemed uncomfortable by the discussion, but Violetta Davis was having none of it, “He helped our son and I at the World Cup, putting himself in danger to do so.  If not for him and his friends, who knows what would’ve happened.”

This seemed to quiet Mr. Davis, and he searched for a counter-argument, but seemed to find none, “What about the tournament?  It was very dangerous, and maybe even illegal for you to enter it.”

Harry couldn’t prevent the scoff that escaped his mouth, “Illegal?  This is the first tournament in the history of its existence to have an age limit.  Any student could enter their name into the Goblet, and it was left to the ancient Magical Artefact to deem who was worthy.”

“The Ministry said no one under the age of 17!” The man said thunderously, “You flaunted the rules, and put Dumbledore and the Ministry in a bad light.”

Instead of thundering back and allowing his temper to get the better of him, he just shook his head, getting quiet for a long moment.  He wanted to draw his wand and make the Auror shut up, an unnatural rage coursed through him as eyes from around the Three Broomsticks fell upon him.  If his rage was not the dominating feeling, perhaps he would’ve been embarrassed, but he knew there was no reason to be.  He had made the Ministry and Dumbledore look foolish, but Hogwarts was on top, with a wizard three years younger than the other schools chosen champion.  That was something worth celebrating, not chastising.

“What I did today, Mr. Davis,” Harry said quietly, "Was save your daughter.  I fought for her with everything I had, because I was not going to let anyone put her in danger.”  His eyes then shifted to both Blaise and Daphne as he said, “And I would’ve done the same for either of them.  My only real friends in the world.”

Harry's eyes narrowed towards the man as he felt his magic begin to rise in pressure as his irritation mounted, “Let me tell you something else, sir, I don’t give a damn about the Ministry.  They have never done a thing for me except let my parents get killed, and allow me to be raised by Muggles who hated magic.  Your precious Ministry and Dumbledore can share the blame for that in my eyes, I don’t really care.  My only care in this world is to be strong enough to make sure no other wizard is strong enough to mark me the way the Dark Lord did.  To make sure no other wizard can take from me the way Peter Pettigrew did.  Any that stand in my way, now, tomorrow, or in the future, are going to regret it.”

The man looked surprised by Harry’s rage, and leaned back in his chair slowly, while the rest of the table seemed to hold their breath.  Finally the man exhaled saying, “I believe you.”

Tossing a few coins on the table, he rose to his feet, and gestured with his head to follow, “Let’s take a walk, son.”

Harry’s eyes furrowed in confusion, not understanding the man.  Tracey shook her head immediately telling Harry, “Maybe we should just go back to the castle.”

“I’m not gonna hurt the lad.” The man protested. While Violetta Davis interjected, “Is that really necessary Roland?”

“I’ve clearly upset the lad, let me make it right.”

The two women both looked at Harry, but he shrugged, figuring he would rather be anywhere than in this crowded bar while he was in a disagreement with his best friend's dad, “It’s alright.  I could use the fresh air.”

Roland nodded his head, offering him a clearly forced smile, “Clearly me too.  Let’s go lad.”

.o.

As soon as the two men exited the bar Tracey buried her face on the table, “He’s never going to speak to me again.”

“Don’t be dramatic dear.  It's a difference of opinions.  Besides, your father doesn’t know the whole story.” Her mother comforted, “I think they will sort it out.”

Blaise looked uneasy as he leaned back in his chair with his butterbeer, “I wouldn’t count on that. Harry can be scary when he gets riled up.  He has no love for the Ministry or Dumbledore.  Defending either one, will only end in a bigger argument.”

The woman looked concerned by Blaise’s words, while Tracey just nodded, “My father has been a career Ministry employee.  He doesn’t want to see the bad side of it, that Harry has seen.”

“What do you know?” Violetta asked in concern.

“Nothing.” Daphne said, speaking for the first time, “We’ve made a lot of assumptions though, with the bread crumbs he’s left us.  You also don’t become as reclusive or anti-social as he was when we first started becoming close without an unpleasant upbringing.”

“Harry’s a dangerous wizard.” Tracey said softly, alarming her mother, but finished the thought with, “To any that try to hurt him.  In all our time together, I have never seen him attack or have a go with anyone with anything besides words, but Merlin help any that have tried to target him.”

Blaise and Daphne both nodded confirming they shared a similar opinion, while Violetta said softly, “You care for the boy?  Beyond what you’ve put in your letters.”

Tracey blushed deeply at being asked that in front of her friends, but she swallowed, and nodded, “He pushes us all to be better.  Studying with him has made us all better witches and wizards.”

“We all respect him.” Blaise said, trying to help Tracey out of her discomfort, “Ever since we allied with him, he has been nothing but kind to us.”

“He’s not the most empathetic person,” Daphne added, “And we often have to explain things to him in ways he can understand.”

“But despite his past, he still has a heart.  He’s still a good person.  He may go looking for the fight sometimes, but he never starts it.  He just wants to be challenged, to be pushed.  He doesn’t care about the glory of the TriWizard tournament, he just wanted to test himself against the best of our generation.” Tracey said with a sigh.

“Hell of a job he is doing there.” Blaise mumbled as he took a long swig of his butterbeer, leaving the rest of the table to contemplate Tracey’s words.

.o.

The biting wind whipped through the deserted cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade as Harry Potter and Auror Roland Davis exited The Three Broomsticks, the heavy wooden door creaking shut behind them. A thick, uneasy silence descended between them, heavy and palpable in the crisp afternoon air. They walked side-by-side, their footsteps lost in the sounds of the bustling wizarding village. 

The late afternoon hour cast long, stark shadows from the snow-dusted rooftops and quaint shop fronts, painting the scene in hues of grey and deepening blue. Despite the constant rambles of those around them, an undercurrent of hushed excitement permeated the atmosphere. The whispers followed Harry like a persistent draft, and furtive glances were cast in his direction from those still out and about. The second task of the Triwizard Tournament was clearly the primary topic of conversation, and Harry, as the winner of today's task, found himself the center of attention. He kept his gaze fixed ahead, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, a familiar gesture of discomfort and a desire to become invisible amidst the scrutiny. The weight of the final task, coupled with the unresolved tension with the Auror beside him, made the silence all the more oppressive.

As the two reached the end of the village, and neither had spoken, Harry was tempted to make excuses and find his way to Tom.  Harry could sense that the man was near, as he always could, and had the suspicion that his mentor was already in the Shrieking Shack, waiting for his arrival.

Before he could make such excuses to disappear, Tracey’s father began to say, “I don’t know much about you, Harry Potter, but an idiot can see that you are a capable young man.  A true Triwizard champion.”

Outside of a few members of the press that had sucked up to Harry, this was the first adult that had ever openly admitted his worthiness.  It was strange to come from an Auror, Tracey’s father, and one who had seemed to be so vehemently against him just minutes ago.  Not knowing quite what to say, he tried to think of what Tom would do, and played the innocent charming young man, “Thank you, sir.”

The man grunted, and waited a long moment, stopping in his tracks, looking at the young man before him saying, “And you’re right about what you said back there, if the Ministry did put you with people who disliked magic, and mistreated you… then they did fail you.  Fallen Aurors' children are treated very well in our society.  There are good Ministry sponsored programs out there to ensure things like this don’t happen.”

“Considering I didn’t even know what the Ministry of Magic was until I discovered it in a book in my first year, I think we can consider that point nil, sir.” Harry countered with a bit of heat.

The man looked peeved for a moment, before his shoulder deflated, and the fire in his eyes seemed to fall, “Then I failed you as well.  All the Aurors did.  We were in the middle of a war, and our own were getting killed on a near-daily basis.  Their children were being well taken care of though, even when the Ministry coffers were plunging.  The fact that your mother and father paid the ultimate price to end the war, and then their child fell through the cracks, is unforgivable.”

Harry pushed his Occlumency to the forefront of his mind to keep the rage from coming out at his man's words.  His image of Hogwarts, the grounds, and the Black Lake, kept him feeling serene and unshaken by the emotional words of the man beside him.  Unsure of what to say this time, Harry remained silent, and kept his gaze locked onto the man before him, who shook his head before saying, “I will look into this matter myself, and if you do not wish to ever go back to your muggle relatives, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you don’t.  You have my word.”

“My muggle relatives,” Harry began, “Are no longer a problem.  I put some distance between them and myself last Summer.  Dumbledore didn’t like it, so he will be moving me to live with another Wizarding family.  Somewhere he can keep a better eye on me.”

The teen could hardly keep the bitterness out of his tone, and this made the Auror laugh, “Ha! A teenager who wants his freedom.  Maybe you aren’t so different.  You are certainly not what I imagined for my daughter, but you have brought out a different side to her.  A more confident one, that shows me a glimpse of the young woman she will become.”

The man seemed to hold the thought for a long moment, before his eyes hardened, “I imagine you have a lot to do with that.  You are dangerous for one so young.  When I joked about you wanting to date my daughter over the Summer, I never would’ve expected it to be true.”

Feeling distinctly uncomfortable over the topic, Harry just shrugged, “At the time I wouldn’t have either.  She’s grown into my closest friend at Hogwarts this year.  I trust her even above the others.  I under-estimated her, and I am glad for it.  She has surprised me a lot in these past few months.  She is as Slytherin as Blaise or Daphne.  It’s her faith in me though, that has really put her past the others.”

“Faith and loyalty.” The man said with another chuckle, but this one seemed more forced, “The qualities of a Hufflepuff, which both her mother and I were.  I suppose she took those traits from us.”

“In a world full of ambitious and cutthroat people, your daughter is a breath of fresh air, sir.  Those qualities are rare, particularly in Slytherin.” Harry said admiringly.

“You care for her then?” The man asked in a tone that had more than a hint of steel in it.

“More than I would like to admit.” Harry said softly as his eyes drifted back towards the Three Broomsticks on the opposite side of the village..

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Harry's eyes returned to the father of his friend, who said, “I believe you.  Something tells me we won't agree on the Ministry, the law, or Dumbledore, but we can both agree that my daughter is pretty special.  Would you say so?”

Instead of using his words he offered the man a nod of his head, and Roland clapped him on the shoulder, “For now that will have to be enough.  I would love for you to come visit over the Summer, so we can get to know each other more.  You are both very young, too young to be in a relationship, but if that is where the tide flows down the road, I’d like to have a good measure of the man you are, Harry Potter.”

Offering his hand to the man, Harry channeled his mentor's charisma with a smile, “I would be honored sir.”

.o.

When the two returned to the Three Broomsticks, Tracey looked so relieved she might fall over.  Harry could tell it was taking all of the girl's willpower not to demand to know what they talked about, but Roland put her mind at ease, “A little rough patch, but I think we understand each other more now.”

Harry offered Tracey a light smile, trying to ease his friend's worries, “We do.  Just don’t expect me to be wearing any junior Ministry shirts.”

“Cheeky little bugger, aren’t you.” The man said as he kissed his wife on the cheek, taking his seat.

This caused the group to laugh, and Harry made polite conversation, and re-entered conversations like there had been no annoying disruptions.  Despite this false bravado, Harry still felt a lingering irritation to the man that thought so highly of this corrupt Ministry that was running the country.  He had no idea that they had sentenced Sirius, an innocent man to die, and that it had happened on Dumbledore’s watch.  He had no idea that Dumbledore had likely committed numerous crimes to keep him out of the reach of the friends of Lily and James Potter, to Harry these were all unforgivable acts.  Something he would make them all pay for one day.

Before long, Harry was making excuses for an early departure.  The Davis’ tried to protest to keep his company longer, but he said he had studies to attend too, and a personal matter he needed to finish before the day was over.  His friends looked curious by his words, but all knew better than to question him in front of an Auror, even if it was Tracey’s dad.

On his own, Harry departed the The Three Broomsticks, after promising to catch up with his friends in the Common Room.  This time when he reached the streets of Hogsmeade the sun had almost set in the distance.  It was always dark early this time of year, but twilight seemed to have fallen even earlier than usual as Harry broke off the normal beaten path of Hogsmeade, and began making his way to The Shrieking Shack.

As soon as crossed the ward line he turned and swiftly apparted to where he knew Tom would be waiting for him.  When he arrived his mentor stood peering over an old book, shaking his head, and clearly frustrated by whatever he was seeing on the pages.

Harry approached cautiously, aware that his mentor was likely aware of his presence. He paused a respectful distance away, observing Tom's appearance while he waited for the other man to acknowledge him. In the span of their last two years together, Tom's youthful features had undergone a remarkable transformation. He now appeared closer to thirty years of age, a stark contrast to how he had looked before. Harry often pondered the reasons behind this accelerated aging. He speculated whether the process of absorbing the fragments of his former soul had taken a toll, or if the constant wielding of potent dark magic was the primary cause. Whatever the reason, the changes were undeniable. Tom's once lighter brown hair had deepened to a richer, darker shade, and the lines of his face had become more defined, lending him a sharper, more severe countenance. The passage of time, accelerated or otherwise, had etched itself visibly upon his mentor.

“Your performance today was uninspiring.” Tom said softly.

Harry’s eyes widened as his brain faltered at the accusing words.  For Tom’s part, the man didn’t take his eyes off the text as he spoke the dagger like words, and Harry was grateful, because he was sure the look on his own face was unpleasant, “I don’t understand, master,” The teen said trying to play the part of a respectful apprentice, “I won the task.  I defeated both champions in combat.”

“You looked like a dolphin flopping in the water,” the man chastised, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that seemed to vibrate the very air around them, indicating how displeased the man was.. “And you needed Sesha to aid you against imbeciles and creatures barely approaching what could be considered intelligence. A few commoners and some overgrown lizards, and you were floundering for ideas like a beached fish. I had expected more. Far more, considering the resources poured into your training. This performance... fell short of the expectations I have for my Apprentice.”

Bowing his head, Harry felt a stab of disappointment.  The man had been so pleased with his performance in the first task, and in this one he had won even more decisively.  The message however was clear now, winning wasn’t the only task he had to accomplish.

“What should I have done?” Harry asked.

“The most pliable, impressive piece of magic, would’ve been runic.” Tom countered as he slammed the book shut, and placed both hands on the table as he leaned over it, “I would never have even entered the water, to place myself in danger for another.  You knew the girl was going to be taken, and had even a pretty general idea of where she would be.  A broomstick, a tracking rune, and a little showmanship would’ve been a much better approach.”

Harry’s brain wandered to all the runes he knew, and began puzzling the thought together.  When it came to a conclusion his head sagged, realizing he had likely missed out on a better solution, “I failed you, and put myself in unnecessary danger.  I am sorry, master.”

“Sorry?” Tom asked dangerously, turning to face him for the first time now, “Don’t be sorry, be better.  You may have won the task, but after seeing what happened to you through Sesha it was only because that idiotic French girl didn’t stun you, and decided to curse you instead.  You won by the arrogance of a teenage girl.”

Harry fought the stab of embarrassment that went through him, and didn’t look up to see Tom as the man moved to stand before him, “That girl is a distraction to you.  I would advise you to proceed very carefully.  I will not allow my apprentice to fall to a pretty face before he even reaches a third of his potential.”

“I understand, master.” Harry said softly, as his mind whirled with thoughts of distancing himself from the brunette girl, and likely hurting her in the process.

"You do not have to turn your back on your ally completely."  Tom said with annoyance clear in his voice. "There is a balance in all things, but I will have little patience when it comes to distractions that will temper your growth.”

Tom paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing, "I can remember that you only started forming alliances on my orders.  I trust you can see the wisdom in my advice now, but even the purest intentions can become a snare if not handled correctly. If you allow her presence, her needs, her very existence, to become a distraction from your primary purpose – your studies, your growth, your mastery of the magical arts– then we will face a problem. If her influence derails your mind, pulls you from the disciplined path you have chosen, clouds your judgment or dilutes your focus, then I will be left with no other recourse."

Harry felt his stomach drop as Tom’s expression hardened, though his tone remained calm, the teen could feel the man’s displeasure. "Understand this clearly: I will take steps to see the girl removed from the equation. My commitment is to your development, to ensuring you reach your full potential unhindered. Don't make it come to that. Choose wisely, and maintain the necessary discipline, for the sake of both your progress and her continued existence."

Harry’s eyes darted upwards meeting Tom’s that may have naturally been brown, but were currently holding an undercurrent of red.  Swallowing hard, Harry bowed, “It won’t come to that.”

“Good.” Tom said, “See to it that it doesn’t.  Now I have questions, unrelated to the tournament.”

Harry said nothing as the man strided away from his apprentice, and began pacing the room.  There was an unsettling feeling about the man tonight.  Harry could tell Tom was very disturbed by something, and he remained silent waiting for the man to speak.

“Have you noticed anything off…about Barty?” Tom asked, in a tone that was cautious.

“Barty?” Harry asked, completely caught off guard, “I mean the man is half of a lunatic at the best of times, but it’s nothing different than what I am used to.”

Tom hummed with uncertainty, as he continued pacing, “What about his magical abilities?”

Thinking about the duel the two had shared a little over a week ago, Harry could not think of anything irregular in the encounter, and shrugged, “He is as talented as he always is, master.  We duel viciously in the Defense Classroom after hours, but if something was off, I would have noticed…can you tell me what this is about?”

Tom paused, staring at the dilapidated wall in front of him, as if his eyes could see through it.  The man's mind seemed to swirl in thought, before his left hand ran through his hair, and combed past it one time before saying, “Very well.  I would like you to watch the man.  Closely.  While you are in his class, and on the Marauder's Map from time to time.  I want you to report anything out of the ordinary to me immediately.”

Frowning at the request Harry nodded in understanding before asking, “Of course, master, but what can you tell me?  Perhaps if I knew what I was looking for then-”

“If something is out of the ordinary you will know it immediately.” The man said dismissively, “I want this to be your sole focus beyond the third task.  You have done well winning each of the tasks, but it will all be for nothing if another is crowned champion.  I also expect you to finish acquiring all the ingredients required for the ritual before the end of term.  Do you understand?”

A long moment passed, before Harry offered a final bow, “Yes, master.”

“Good,” The man said, shaking his head, and moving towards the door, “Do not let me down.”

With that the man apparated away with a soft pop, leaving a very confused young man in his wake.