Chapter 27

Staring into those green eyes she loved had her frozen. The expression on his face was even, but only for a moment. When it turned into a playful smirk, he opened his arms asking, "Aren't you going to hug your betrothed?"

This was all the invitation she needed to close the distance. Fleur had her arms around the young man so tight she was certain she was hurting him as he chuckled, "I missed you too, mon amour."

The words surprised her, but she sighed before letting go and then returning with a searing kiss. It may have escalated, but she had so many questions that she had to ask when they separated, "Where have you been?"

"Grindelwald and I have created a fortress of wards, charms, and defensive traps. It would take most of the population of wizarding Britain to capture our base camp at this point. It is there we are attempting to create a feat of magic that will change the world." Harry said with an air of confidence that she missed so deeply.

"What can you tell me?" Fleur asked desperate to help in any way she could.

"For the safety of everyone involved, not a lot. I just want you to know that I will be back for the third task. Grindelwald and I have a plan. I just had to see. I had to know you were okay before I went back."

Without a moment's hesitation, Fleur took both of Harry's hands, "Take me with you. We can iron out your plan together. We can come at this together, and it will give us a better chance of success. What is even your goal in all this?"

Flattered and touched by her words Harry smiled at the young woman as he cupped her cheek, "It means the world to me that you would be willing to take such steps for us to be together, but I don't believe it is necessary. Gellert and I have this handled. Our goal is for me to win this tournament, and then hunt down Voldemort this summer. Wipe out anything that keeps him anchored to this world, and put an end to him before he ever truly gains his power. Something big is still coming, and our endgame must be to show the world that I am not some dark pariah that is destined to be the next world-ending threat. Voldemort may not be enough. It is possible for the next several years I will have to go around the world stamping out every dark lord that even attempts to rise to power, but if that is what it takes to prove to these people that I am on their side then so be it. I don't want to have to look over my shoulder, or have you looking over yours just because of who my mentor is. At the same time, I can't forsake him. Not after everything he has done for me."

"And I would never ask you to." Fleur said immediately, "Even I can recognize that power like yours has to be guided. You are an incredible wizard, 'Arry, but Grindelwald turned you into what you are today. Gabby and I owe him our lives as much as we do you. Merlin only knows if you would've had the strength to interfere at the World Cup that day if you didn't have the training you do now."

This made Harry grin slightly, "Oh those sods were getting their asses handed to them regardless of who trained me. I had to save my damsel in distress."

Fleur huffed at this, but still managed a smile, "It will be the only time you will have to save this damsel, 'Arry Potter."

Putting an arm around her waist and bringing his intended closer to him he smiled, "I believe you. Now there is something I want to show you."

Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out a small mirror levitating it wandlessly for both to observe their reflections. Suddenly the mirror split in two however and Harry held out his hand towards the mirror chanting, "Sanguis foras"

Out of the palm of Harry's hand, a small cut appeared, and a single drop of blood floated in the air, split in two, and then touched both mirrors. Turning to face the girl who was staring at the mirrors in wonder he whispered into her ear, "Your turn."

It took her a moment, and then a look of concentration went over her face as she attempted to replicate his magic by holding out her hand and repeating the incantation. A triumphant look overtook her features as the blood came from her hand and touched the mirrors just as it had for her intended.

Harry then flicked his wrist before calmly saying, "Fleur."

The mirror in front of Fleur immediately began to light up, before she was suddenly looking into familiar green eyes. She gasped and separated herself from the young man taking a hold of the mirror, but noticing the angle of the view didn't change despite it being in her hand, "Magnifique. Blood magic on the mirrors, porquoi?"

"So we can communicate. Only in private of course. I would hate the ICW to try and arrest you on obstruction of justice charges, but now you can call me if you need me or want to speak with me at night. This is of course just a temporary solution until we can clear my name." Harry said with confidence.

Fleur's eyes darkened reminded of the crimes her boyfriend had been accused of, "Harry...not that I would think any differently of you, but-"

"I didn't kill Marcus Flint, Fleur. Nor did I kill Highmaster Karkaroff. This has been a setup, I just have no idea by whom. Believe me, though I am going to find out, and then they are going to be sorry for the pain they have put the ones I love through. That is my promise to you."

The two locked eyes for a moment, and then the young man sighed, "I'm sorry I haven't been here to put your mind at ease sooner. I am also sorry that my time to return to base camp is upon us. I will take the cloak my brother gave you, and we must say our goodbyes...for now."

Fleur had been so tied-up in the moment of seeing Harry she had forgotten she was carrying his family's amazing cloak in her hands, "Harry. This cloak...it's different isn't it?"

Giving the girl a smile Harry shook his head, "You have no idea, but one day I will tell you. Perhaps I will sit you and my brother both down to tell you because to be honest, it is an amazing story, but tonight is not that night."

Pouting slightly the young woman sighed, "You have to go now?"

"If I don't go now, I don't think I will be able to go back at all. Believe me, no part of me wants to leave you in this misery. A large part of me wants to accept your offer, and have you run off with me, but that would leave a mark on your reputation that you should not have to bear. There will be whispers about you having been involved with me, but thankfully no one truly knows the depth of our relationship, nor that we are intending to marry each other one day. Until this storm passes it is best kept that way so I do not prevent you from living your own life. I saved you that day at the World Cup so you could live your life, not so you can be ridiculed by the sheep of the world that have no idea that there is a bigger game afoot."

"Will I see you before the third task?" Fleur asked, biting her lip nervously awaiting his answer.

Looking pained, the young man shook his head, "It wouldn't be a good idea for me to return here, but you have the mirror, and you can call me whenever you have time. Grindelwald and I can work any hour of any day that you are not trying to talk with me, so use it at your will... I love you, Fleur."

"I love you, Harry." She answered with tears coming to her eyes.

The young man leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, taking the cloak out of her hands as he did so. Then he apparated away with a sudden twist, leaving the veela alone in the Chamber of Secrets feeling more lonely than ever.

Scene Break

The crowd was apprehensive. It had been months since the last sighting of Harry Potter and his master of the magical arts, Gellert Grindelwald, though there wasn't a soul on the grounds of Hogwarts that believed they would not attempt to make their return this evening. To not do so would mean Harry had violated his magical oath to the Goblet of Fire, and everyone knew that a wizard of his caliber would likely not survive the fallout of losing his magic. For that reason the ICW had swarmed the third task arena with Hitwizards and International Aurors. It would seem nearly one hundred witches and wizards were there that evening to represent the ICW and attempt to arrest the infamous master and apprentice. Justin and Fleur had been glancing around nervously wondering just how the powerful sorcerers were going to defeat this many witches and wizards without leaving a high death toll.

Fleur had begged Harry the night before to tell her their plan, but he would not relent. He insisted that she must be as surprised as the rest in case their plan failed. She would not be arrested for aiding and abetting him if he could help it.

Dumbledore looked around nervously as the sun had finally hidden behind the horizon and the time to begin the third task was upon them. At the corner of his eyes, Perseus Chase sat looking smug next to a Ravenclaw student that surprised him. Pieces of a large puzzle began to fall together as his eyes narrowed for a moment, but before the thought could finish, a voice interrupted him, "Are we ready to begin, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore's eyes immediately shifted away from the odd duo, and nodded at his Deputy Head offering her a calming assurance, "Yes, let us begin."

Waving his hands, and stepping up to the podium he glanced at Fleur Delacour. If not for the older man's innate sense of magic he would think the young veela was completely unphased by recent events, but the young woman's allure was slipping in and out of her control indicating her emotional state. Justin Potter wasn't holding up any better. His expression may have been even, but the tension in his shoulders indicated he was a spring-loaded trap ready to be sprung if necessary. Dumbledore began to ponder just what game may be played this evening, and the unsettling thought that he may witness something historical in the coming hours weighed upon him. Deciding no further could be accomplished in the ponderance of his thoughts he cried out, "Sonorus!"

In tribute to the respect the old wizard still carried, the singing and dancing across the small makeshift stadium came to a stuttering halt as the man began his introduction, "Earlier today, Professor McGonagall placed the Triwizard Cup deep within the Maze. Only she knows its exact position. Now as the standings go, Mr Harry Potter would have entered the maze first, followed by the second Hogwarts Champion, Justin Potter-"

An eruption of cheers from the Hogwarts stands interrupted the man momentarily only for him to walk the crowd through the remainder of the standings for the other four champions, "The first person to touch the cup will be the winner! I have instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter of the maze, and should any contestant wish to withdraw they must only shoot up red sparks with their wand signaling their withdrawal from the contest."

Cheers and applause again rose throughout the stadium, and Dumbledore took a brief sweeping glance through the crowd wondering what he may find out of the ordinary, but nothing seemed amiss. Taking a deep breath his heart pounded at the loss of his student. He knew better than most that if Harry did not return to compete in the task tonight he would likely perish. Seeing tension begin to rise in the youngest Potter, and the French Champion he began to wonder if something had gone wrong with their plans.

"Champions, gather around. Quickly." Dumbledore commanded. Putting an arm around the closest champion the Hogwarts Headmaster spoke softly, "In the maze, you'll find no dragons or creatures of the deep. Instead, you will face something even more challenging."

Dumbledore glanced at each of the champions feeling their apprehension at his words, but regardless he continued with his warnings, "You see people change in the maze. Oh, find the cup if you can, but be very wary. You could just lose yourself along the way. Champions, prepare yourselves!"

Justin gave one last nervous glance to Fleur as he lined up in front of the maze. He looked over at his parents who were looking around rapidly as if expecting Harry to suddenly appear in the highly warded area, but no answer to their prayers arrived. Fleur looked like she was going to be sick as she took her place behind Justin, preparing to follow him into the maze as soon as her turn allowed.

Dumbledore warily held his wand out looking towards Filch with a stern warning on his face, "Champions, on the count of three. 1-"

Dumbledore's voice immediately trailed off as his eyes caught movement coming from the tunnel all the champions had previously entered the stadium from. A cloaked figure with his hood up and wand in hand gave a slow stride forward. Behind him, an elderly man with spiky white hair in a nice button-up white shirt with the collar popped up walked behind him. Regardless of the dark jacket the man wore, his appearance was not hidden at all. Even if it was, Dumbledore would have recognized his old friend's magical signature from anywhere. The crowd immediately became quiet as the cloaked figure and his companion stepped into view. Bustling in the stands clearly indicated the Aurors and hit wizards were trying to jump into action, but the duo didn't even grace them with a glance as they walked straight toward Dumbledore.

Dumbledore slowly dropped his wand into his hand, prepared to defend the lives of the innocent if he must, but already knowing that they would all perish despite his efforts if Harry chose to battle with him while holding the Elder Wand. Knowing his old friend would not have risked his apprentice if he didn't have a foolproof plan Dumbledore spoke to the older man, "I expected Harry because of his commitment to the Goblet, but you shouldn't have come, Gellert. You are both outnumbered over 50 to 1."

The man offered a sinister smile in return to those words that made the skin crawl of all who could witness it, "Now, now, Dumbledore. You know I have overcome much greater odds than that. It would be foolish of these witches and wizards to engage my apprentice and I in combat. We are not here to choose violence. We merely wish to fulfill young Harry's magical binding contract with the Goblet of Fire. After that, we will depart in peace. No blood needs to be spilled today."

Turning to face the hundred or more wands facing him, Gellert raised his hands unarmed, and cast a wandless sonorous charm, "You hear that my brother and sisters. There is no need for violence. My apprentice merely wishes to finish this contest so there is no risk to his magic. Who here would deny him his right to live."

A familiar voice immediately called back, "Gellert Grindelwald, you are under arrest. Get down on your knees now and surrender. Harry Potter for consorting with an enemy and wanted mass murderer you are to be treated equally guilty. Surrender, or we will take you by force."

The voice of Perseus Chase echoed around the stadium, and it seemed to freeze the world for a moment. Grindelwald looked at the ground as if he were greatly disappointed in his child, before raising his eyes, "Let it be known. It is not we who are violent."

Fleur and Justin were both staring at Harry waiting for him to make a move as orders were being called out down the line to prepare to open fire. Neither of the two could even see his face as it was obscured by his hood.

Grindelwald finally turned and placed a hand on his apprentice's shoulder, "My boy. It is time."

At this time the crowd heard the lead investigator call to his force, "Let's take them."

Speaking the action into existence the wizards in the crowd began to fire spells in unison at the duo, but with a whip like motion the cloaked figure lashed his wand causing an explosion of force to erupt from the Elder Wand creating a massive ward that spread across the length of the stadium. Before Dumbledore could do anything, Grindelwald had raised his wand towards his friend, "Don't make me kill you, Albus. We mean none of these young champions harm."

Dumbledore looked conflicted as Harry flicked his hood down admiring his own handiwork for a moment as the aurors attempted to break his ward by force. Harry paced several times as he watched spell after spell strike his ward without even as much of a fracture being left behind. Dumbledore himself was now watching in amazement as he watched well over a hundred wizards attempt to break through with no success, "How is this possible?"

"My apprentice has accomplished feats of magic in the last few months that the world would not believe possible. It would take thousands of wizards days to figure out how to break this particular ward. It is ancient in nature, but perfected by Harry, and cast by the wand of destiny." Grindelwald said with a smile.

Krum began to surge forward with his wand raised above his head as if he planned to attack Grindelwald, but Dumbledore quickly stepped in front of the boy, "Mr Krum, while I understand your anger, this is not a fight you could possibly hope to win."

Krum looked angry, "So we do nothing? Headmaster Dumbledore, you once defeated this man. Together, us champions and you will finish the job you started 50 years ago."

Sighing, Dumbledore placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, "I wish we could, but alas, engaging in combat with these two wizards would only lead to our deaths. Besides, in case you haven't noticed, not all of the champions are behind you in this task."

Justin had already surged forward in the meantime embracing his brother tightly, while Fleur had walked over to the pair taking his offered hand with a loving look clear on her face. Aimee was watching the scene in confusion, clearly unsure of what to do, while Alexia could clearly remember the last time she faced off against the Potter brothers in a duel, and those were under fair circumstances. She understood any fight that followed the current situation would be anything but fair.

When Harry finished the reunion with Justin he pulled Fleur into a soft kiss, "I told you I wasn't going to let you win this tournament so easily."

As he separated from the breathless veela he strode towards the entrance to the maze, and then turned to face the assembled champions, "I promise all of you that I mean no harm. I only wish to complete the final task so I do not lose my magic. If we encounter each other in the maze I will not engage you unless you attack first."

Krum spat at the boy, "I refuse to compete alongside a murderer."

"Then you will be dead as soon as my hand touches the cup for refusing to compete." Harry said without care, "Don't be a fool, Krum. I swear to you, on my life and magic, that we have not interfered with the creation or design of this task. We all have an equal chance of finding the cup upon our entrance to the maze."

Krum stared at his adversary with hatred for a moment, before finally giving the slightest nod of acceptance. Turning to Dumbledore, Harry now asked, "I believe I was in first place, so I get to enter the maze first?"

The Hogwarts Headmaster seemed surprised by the question, but nodded his head as he began to put away his wand, "Yes, Mr Potter, that is correct."

"Then I do believe we have a tournament to finish." Harry said with a slight smile turning to his brother and fiance, "May the best witch or wizard win."

With that, the young man turned to offer a slight bow to his master before facing the maze. Offering Justin and Fleur a final wink he stepped into the maze prepared to put his name in the annals of wizarding history.

(A/N) Let the games begin! If you would like to read through the end of this story