A/N: Here's the neter! Which also means the four chapters are up on my Patreon for early access as well as the ce to vote on the dire of the story!

  Poor Harry, riding high on life until he's just pin fused.

  -x-X-x-

  “… I will reserve judgment.”

  Fleur fli first, not really hearing the words and still expeg nation. When her mother’s actual words finally process, Fleur’s head shoots up, her eyes wide.

  “Mama?”

  Apolline Decour doesn’t look happy, but she repeats herself all the same.

  “I will reserve judgment, my daughter. Until I’ve met with him personally and gotten his measure myself. Perhaps… perhaps he will be able to vince me to entrust my eldest child to him, just as he seems to have vinced you to give over your heart.”

  Fleur blushes hard at that, biting her lower lip.

  “I already told you that he has made no true overtures, mother. He’s had every opportunity to take me and hasn’t. How you say he has cim to my heart?”

  Rather than respond with words, Apolline just gives her daughter a look… ohat Fleur ultimately shies away from, her face growing hotter and redder by the sed.

  “Arrange a meeting for me, Fleur. If you wish for my blessing in this foolhardy endeavor, it is the least you do to vince me. I would meet with this wizard face to face, one on one… and I will see just what sort of maruly is.”

  Seeing no other choice, Fleur finally nods.

  “I’ll make it happen, mama…”

  Though part of her wonders if this is really a good idea. Her mother seems to dead set on seeing Harry as the enemy. Fleur isn’t sure what he could possibly do or say that would vihe Deatriarch to give them her blessing. Still… it was better than immediate nation and disow, right? Had to be…

  -x-X-x-

  One might think that Harry had gone overboard at the Sed Task when he’d healed Cedri front of all of those witnesses. Dragonfire was no ughing matter, and injuries caused by it were even worse. Episkey was not the sort of spell that should have been capable of healing such wounds, a… well, Poppy had said it herself in front of the entire crowd. Cedric was pletely healed.

  On the surface, those who thought themselves in the know would likely think Harry had been foolhardy and reckless, that he’d allowed emotion to rule him and acted entirely on instind impulse. This simply wasn’t the truth. Everything Harry had done had been calcuted.

  For starters, he knows the other Champions were all too busy with their own starting efforts to see it, but the truth was, Harry hadn’t been pying around sihe start of the task. He’d actually apparated himself right off of the dod deep uer, right to the ter of the Merman Vilge.

  Normally, apparating uer was a terrible idea. But Harry wasn’t normal. He’d appeared o the hostages ages before any of the others had made it, but he’d stuck around and waited just in case. And good that he had too. Fleur might not have had any difficulties this time around thanks to his little ‘pick me up’ before the task even started, but Cedric wasn’t so lucky.

  He never should have gone ier, and even if Harry accepted that Cedric Diggory was defihe kind of guy who would try to tinue anyways… he never should have been allowed to.

  Fortunately, Harry had put surreptitious monit charms on all of his petition before the Sed Task began. When his monit charm alerted him to Cedric being in life-threatening danger, Harry hadn’t hesitated to grab both Hermione and Cho a out of the Merman Vilge. A simple pulse of his magic had sent the fish people scattering in all dires out of fear.

  From there, he’d retrieved Cedric, stabilized him, auro the surface. He’d eve Krum to the surfa the process, not that he’d necessarily been aiming for that. And not that it had ultimately mattered when it came time for judging. Karkaroff had it out for him of course and was eager to use the excuse of Harry’s ‘defiaowards authority’ to score him low.

  But holy, that didn’t matter at this point. The sg of the Sed Task was meaningless. Who went first ihird Task was also meaningless, because Harry knew he would make it to the ter of the maze to touch the disguised portkey before anyone else could anyways.

  No, what truly mattered was how he looked in the eyes of the Wizarding World. The first time around, Harry hadn’t really ehe level of fame he was saddled with from the momeepped foot into the Magical World. However, this time around, he reized that being a celebrity was something he couldn’t avoid, and he was either going to be loved or hated.

  Givehings he o aplish, better to be loved. The Wizarding World might be full of nitwits and morons, but they were useful nitwits and morons by and rge. And the ohat weren’t… the ohat would try to stand in his way… well, they could be culled.

  Of course, there were always those who would try to shackle him. As a result, Harry wasn’t particurly surprised to be called to the Headmaster’s Office shortly after the Sed Task was plete and he’d made his statement for all to see. It didn’t matter in the end, because Rita already had her marg orders. There would be a special nighttime edition of the Daily Prophet this evening, and the story would run again in the m to boot.

  As such, as he stands in the Headmaster’s Office, watg Dumbledore pace bad forth behind his desk, Harry feels a certain sense of… satisfa. And this time around, he doesn’t bother hiding it either.

  “Harry, my boy… that was a very brave thing you did out there. A very brave thing. But I have to wonder if you thought your as ehrough.”

  Of course, he wasn’t going pletely mask off with Dumbledore just yet. That would be actually foolhardy, pared to his earlier as whily seemed foolhardy to the aged wizard.

  “It was the right thing to do, sir. I don’t regret saving or healing Cedric. Like I said at the Lake, he should never have been allowed to go uer in the first pce.”

  Albus Dumbledore’s shoulders slump a little at that even as he turns to give Harry a grandfatherly smile.

  “You’re right, of course. On all ats. If it were up to me, I would have removed Mister Diggory from the petition after the First Task. Unfortunately, for all my power, I am still just a single man. But you… what you did today ectacur, Harry. I have to wonder where it came from. Have you felt something e over you in these past few months? Has this petitiht something to the forefront that you perhaps don’t quite uand?”

  Fishing. The Headmaster is fishing, and rather btantly at that, for information on ‘the power he knows not’. At some point in time, Dumbledore had decided that Harry’s secret power, whiort didn’t know, would be love. Privately, Harry had always felt like the power Voldemort didn’t know… was his own.

  It was the Horcrux in Harry’s scar that had allowed Harry to survive a killing curse from Voldemort and e back from the dead. It was that shard of Voldemort’s soul, dying in his stead, that had allowed Harry to challehe Dark Lord one final time a him ond for all.

  That, Harry suspected, was the power the Dark Lord didn’t know about. That was his undoing. Of course, this time around, Harry would sider the time travel to be the power Voldemort didn’t know about. Or perhaps the binding ritual that had allowed Harry to already take the power of four witches and two wizards for his own.

  Still, he doesn’t say any of that to Dumbledore. And he knows the Headmaster is getting nothing from his miher. His Occlumency Shields are s and bright at this point that they likely don’t even appear as Occlumency Shields. He caught Dumbledore wince for a sed earlier, and he suspects the Headmaster had to pull back his Legimens probe after taking a white hot bst of searing light to the mind.

  Regardless, Harry pretends to sider Dumbledore’s question for a long moment before finally nodding his head.

  “There is… something, sir. I do feel more powerful. I feel stronger. When I cast that Episkey on Cedric earlier, I didn’t eveate. I just… k would work, somehow. And it did.”

  Dumbledore smiles, but while the smile is nid wizened and grandfatherly, it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

  “I did, my boy. I did.”

  There’s the risk that Dumbledore will believe Harry is being influenced by his scar, perhaps. If the Headmaster is far enough along in his research to realize that Harry is a Horcrux, then that ossible expnation for this sudden ge. However, Harry doubts that Dumbledore will ultimately e to that clusion. Mostly because he knows he’s already radiating more power than Voldemort had ever dispyed in his past life.

  Of course, that’s not going to stop the old coot from making the parison anyways to try and scare Harry into pliance.

  “Still… you must be careful, Harry. I’ve seen power like yours before, I’m afraid. And not always used food. I trust you, my boy, and so far you have dohing wrong. But be mindful of your strength, for it es with obligation.”

  Subtle, Dumbledore. Really subtle. Still, Harry makes a show of being taken in by the Headmaster’s ‘oh-so-wise’ words, nodding along slowly and thoughtfully.

  “I uand, Headmaster.”

  “I knew you would, Harry! Please e to me immediately if you feel anything else of a simir nature. And… a hundred points to Gryffindor as well. I’d say at least that much is in order for the amazing act of bravery you performed today, along with the wonderful dispy of magical healing.”

  Harry makes a show of being suitable impressed by the generosity as well, smiling wide and giving Dumbledore a sharp nod.

  “I will sir. Thank you, sir.”

  With that, he leaves the Headmaster’s Office behind. Obviously, he was now on Dumbledore’s radar in an even bigger way than he was before, but Harry… didn’t really care. Albus Dumbledore wasn’t to be uimated of course, but this wasn’t that. Harry wasn’t uimating Dumbledore; he was estimating just fine. He had the older wizard’s measure and kly how to keep Albus off of his bad in line.

  With a smile on his fad a pep in his step, Harry begins making his way back tryffindor Tower, pns already swirling through his head. However, before he get bato the tower itself, he’s stopped outside by an… ued visitor. Fleur Decour shuffles nervously as she waits for him, only to perk up when he finally es into sight.

  Huh, was she already eager for another dose? That was… surprising.

  “H-Harry!”

  Raising an eyebrow, Harry lets his grin cool down a bit, transitioning into a smirk.

  “Fleur. gratutions on taking the lead today. You ear.”

  Stopped for a sed by his praise, the part vee flushes and crosses her arms over her chest.

  “… We both know that is not true, Harry. You deserve to be in the lead, not me. But that is not why I’m here.”

  “Oh? I’m all ears.”

  “I… my mother wishes to meet with you. I’m here to extend an invitation to see her in her quarters at your earliest venience.”

  That… wasn’t what Harry had been expeg. His eyes narrow a bit at that. Apolline Decour wished to meet with him? Whatever for? Hm, probably something to do with her daughter, actually. He didn’t know how much Fleur had told her mother about them, but even if she’d said nothing, it ossible Apolline had… suspis.

  Still, did HE want to meet with HER? That was the real question here. He could just blow Fleur and her mother off, he supposed.

  …

  Ah, who was he kidding? Of course he’d meet with a woman as fine as Apolline Decour. Fshing Fleur a smile, Harry gestures back down the hall.

  “Well, no time like the present, right? Lead the way, Fleur.”

  The supernaturally beautiful blonde perks up at that, though she also seems nervous still, even as she hurriedly escorts Harry to the part of Hogwarts dedicated to housing guests. Harry’s curiosity remains piqued all the way until they arrive outside of a door where Fleur stops aates for a moment before turning to him.

  “Harry… whatever my mother says or does in there, please don’t let her bait you. You must be on your best behavior, alright? She will test you, but I am fident you pass any trial she puts before you!”

  … What? Harry blinks owlishly, but before he ask Fleur what the fuck she’s talking about, the door in front of them suddenly swings open, revealing Apolline Decour in all of her half vee glory. The Deatriarch is possibly the most beautiful creature iirety of Hogwarts right now, but if she’s expeg her Vee Allure to work on him, she has ahing ing.

  Was that what Fleur meant by testing him?

  “e in, Mister Potter.”

  Brow furrowed, Harry heless steps iill retively rexed. He’s certainly fused, but her anxious nor worried even as Apolline closes the door behind him, shutting her daughter out of this versation. Moving to the middle of the room, Harry turns tard the Deatriarch carefully.

  “Lady Decour. Your daughter said you wished to speak with me?”

  Staring him doolline is quiet for a long moment… before finally speaking.

  “I seek a reason, Mister Potter.”

  A reason? Harry tilts his head to the side, more curious than ever before.

  “A reason for what exactly, Lady Decour?”

  Lifting her head and jutting out her , Apolline’s nostrils fre.

  “A reason for what you have done, Mister Potter. I do not pretend to be able to challenge you. But I am not so dumb as to engage you in private without… assurances in case you decide to silence me.”

  Silence her?! Why the fuck was Fleur’s mom talking like he was going to kill her and hide the body? What the fuck was going on here?!

  “That said, you have goo great lengths to ensnare my daughter in yames. And so I require a very pelling reason not to expose you ht to the rest of the world.”

  … Did she know? Did she know the truth about him? Harry’s eyes narrow, but Apolline doesn’t back down. There’s a slight tremble in her hands that she quickly hides, but she doesn’t move from her spot.

  “You have created a Wizard’s , Mister Potter. You have uncovered a magiot seen sihe likes of Merlin himself. If my senses do not deceive me, you have bound as much as six witches to you at this point. I know you are beyond me. But are you beyond the entire world? Kill me and the information will get out. Fail to vince me to give you my daughter, and the information will get out.”

  … What the fuck was a Wizard’s ? Well no, from text alone Harry retty sure he knew what she was talking about. Still, unc a magiot seen sihe likes of Merlin himself? Harry had developed the binding ritual iure of his own intelled power. Bel had helped, and she’d also modified the ritual to work through ale retives, but Harry had never heard of a Wizard’s before, or Merlin having simir magic to what he was enag.

  “Your choices are thus, Harry James Potter. Kill me and see knowledge of your as released to every er of the world. vince me that your Wizard’s is necessary and secure my silence. Or… swear an Unbreakable Vow here and now to leave my daughter out of your and ouch Fleur again. In turn, I will swear an Unbreakable Vow not to reveal this information about you to anyone.”

  Choices. None of those were very good choices, outside of ving Apollihat what he was doing was necessary. That said… those weren’t his only choices. There was no world in which he was going to kill Apolline Decour. And he certainly wasn’t going to swear an Unbreakable Vow to the womaher.

  … But when it came to ving her, he definitely had options. It was just a matter of how far he was willing to go.

  -x-X-x- The Vote: [ ] Tell her the truth about where he es from and what he's trying to prevent - 3%[X] Don't just tell her, SHOW her the future that's ing for them all - 93%[ ] Lie as vingly as his boatload of magic will allow him to lie - 4%

  -x-X-x- If you'd like to read more of my work not seen on this website, check out Hentai-Foundry. and QuestionableQuesting. where I have over a thousand stories!

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