A/N: Welcome to the Hogwarts Games! Your objective? Survive! ^-^
~~~
Thomas Gaunt, Lord of the Ancient House of Gaunt, smiled thinly at Albus Dumbledore from the side of Lucius Malfoy. "Headmaster Dumbledore." He held out his hand. "Thomas Gaunt. It's a pleasure to meet you, as I have heard quite a lot from Lucius about you..."
"Ah, all good things I hope?" With eyes that twinkled merrily, the Headmaster took his hand, patting the back like some friendly old man. "I heard that a young man had claimed the Gaunt heirship- did you go to school here? If so, I'm sorry but I don't remember you off the top of my head, my boy."
"I was homeschooled." He took his hand back slowly but with enough force that the man couldn't keep a hold on it, clasping his wrist behind his back, suspecting that the man knew exactly who he was.
Dumbledore nodded. "A Defense Master too, as I've heard... Perhaps I'll have to talk to you about teaching sometime."
He couldn't hide all of his shock, blinking at where the man smiled and then bid him goodbye before moving to talk to 'Moody', who only glanced at him in a way that looked to be in suspicion but was really to check with him that everything was still on plan.
Lucius looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "Shall we find a seat?"
"Please." Turning away from the strange old man (that he would never understand), they moved to the middle of the small V.I.P stands and settled on the seats that even with the cushioning spells were still slightly uncomfortable.
Though- he reminded himself - it was well worth it for the opportunity to see Lena in action.
The Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch looked like an abandoned muggle village with tall hedges in some places blocking sight, tires laid out to form obstacles, crates laying around, and areas of tall grass growing in patches around the edges.
Ludo Bagman stepped up to a platform, smile wide and cheery. "Hello everyone! Welcome to the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, a test of physical strength and adaptability! The four champions will have to survive the arena for thirty minutes- fear not, we have specialized healers on staff should any of the champions get too injured, though they will lose points should the healers be called! As well, scattered around the area are three hidden weapons, one hidden healing potion, and ten deadly creatures!!"
Thomas looked to Lucius, who determinedly wouldn't look at him before his eyes slid back to Bagman.
He was not pleased with this.
"Because of the creatures and the lives on the line, everyone in the crowd- including myself- are silenced to the champions, but the arena itself is amplified so we should be able to hear every single word that's spoken! Now, please welcome our CHAMPIONS!"
A sharp whistle echoed around the quidditch pitch, four figures appearing around the edges of the arena.
His eyes immediately went to the smaller girl, who was in the dragonhide pants she'd worn the first task and muggle t-shirt.
"Great." Lena's muttered voice echoed around the area, sounding as if her patience was about worn thin- the girl stalking through the tall grass she'd arrived in, hands stuffed in her pockets and a slight pout on her face. "I swear, the second I get out of here I'm going to rip that stupid grin off Bagman's face... putting children in with dangerous creatures, honestly, what a load of rubbish."
Ludo seemed not to know what to say to that, his smile flickering before it was back in full effect. "Well then folks, looks like the youngest champion woke up on the wrong side of the bed! And while the others are being cautious about their noise level and how they're studying the course, Miss Farland seems not to even care!"
But Lena wasn't done with her bitter grumbling. "I bet this has Lucius Malfoy's grubby hands all over it." The girl made a scoffing sound, kicking a rock at a hedge moodily. "I only threw him out of the Common Room once, and this is how he repays me? Prideful bag of dicks."
Thomas looked to where Lucius was turning red, the man's hand gripping his cane tightly, and smirked.
Totally worth it.
"Oh.. kay..." Ludo Bagman seemed to be a bit thrown, but after a second regained his normal stage presence, clearing his throat. "Uh- right! Oh and we see here, the creatures are being released into the stadium, oh and Krum's already found a sword-"
Karkaroff gave a self-satisfied fist pump, making him roll his eyes.
He'd almost forgotten that traitorous swine was still alive... well for now at least.
Bagman's excited voice cut through his murderous thoughts. "Okay okay- we might be getting our first taste of the action! Krum just charged a troll and- OH! He ran that ugly mug right though! That's one kill to Viktor Krum! And- look at that, there's an acromantula heading for Miss Farland!"
A what now?
His eyes darted to where Lena was marching across the patch of tall grass, a large brown spider with dripping fangs and multiple beady black eyes climbing the hedge to her side and gearing up to spring.
There was no way to get her attention or help, and he could do nothing but watch in horror as the beast barreled her over, his hands turning white in where they were clenched onto the bench.
"Get off!" The girl twisted, kicking the spider off her, not even sparing a glance at the bloody wound on her shoulder as she leveled the beast with a deadly glare. "Don't you dare-" The girl spun out of the way, narrowly avoiding another of the beast's lunges, and held up her palm as if about to tell it to stop. "Ignis!"
With a horrible screech, the spider seemed to catch fire and as the girl clenched her hand, the orange flames burned a bright blue, consuming the beast in its blaze.
The horrible noises of high-pitched agony slowly died out and slowly Lena dropped her hand to her side, the fire flickering and dying as she eyed the charred corpse.
Lena's voice was flat as she walked around the spider's dead form towards the middle of the area. "Fried spider anyone?"
"Well- uh- that was unexpected... it seems that our youngest champion knows wandless fire spells!" Ludo Bagman seemed a bit shaken, even as he tried to smile. "One kill to Lena Farland- and over here it seems that Miss Delacour and Mr. Diggory have teamed up and are fending off one of the Hogwarts Groundskeeper's beasts, a- uh- a Blast-Ended Skrewt! And there goes Mr. Krum, barging his way in and- Yes! Krum's killed the Skrewt! Another kill to Viktor Krum!"
The three champions on the other side of the pitch from Lena huddled, giving each other brief hugs.
The part-veela girl looked worried. "Viktor, have you seen Lena?"
"Not yet." The larger boy put a hand on the French girl's shoulder. "You heard her. She will be better without bother, as she is not in good moods."
Ludo beamed. "It looks like the teams have been made and the youngest has been left out! What a turn of events! Oh, and look at that! Not only has Miss Farland got a Niffler trying to steal her bracelet by the looks of it, but a unicorn is also moving slowly towards the girl! She must be an absolute treat in Care of Magical Creatures!"
Indeed a small black shape had latched itself onto her arm and the girl sighed deeply as if a parent looking at a child doing something incredibly dumb. "That won't come off. Both my bracelets and dog tags have tiny carved rune sequences to not leave my person unless I myself remove them."
The Niffler ignored her for the sake of tugging harder.
"Fine. If I give you something sparkly will you stop trying to steal Jack's bracelet?" The small creature paused and she knelt to undo something from her ankle, holding it out for the beast, who grabbed it and shoved it in its pouch. Lena huffed. "Ridiculous thing. That was my birthday present from my manager at the bookstore... though I never did like him, so I guess you can keep it."
Off in the background, Ludo was commenting on the other three champions that were fighting off a Quintaped, but he (and half of the crowd) was watching a unicorn foal bound up to Lena and start to nuzzle at her.
Lena snorted. "Wow. Way to clear up half of Skeeter's articles for me in one fell swoop." Hugging the foal's neck, the girl's voice was a soft murmur. "You wouldn't go near that horrible woman in a million years, would you? No, no you wouldn't~"
"Look at that folks! Miss Farland has befriended a unicorn and seems to be hugging it! Is this really the all-feared Slytherin Queen we've heard so much about?"
Cedric Diggory on the other side of the arena was wiping sweat from his brow, he and Viktor having fought off a chupacabra. "I bet Lena's doing her wandless magic. No way would she be having any trouble with this."
Viktor grunted. "She does not need her wand. We do."
"We 'ave to remember that Lena went for almost four years with a broken wand." Fleur let the two boys fight, using her allure to distract the beast, and she stood with her arms crossed. "I would not be surprised if she is ignoring the task as a whole. She seems to never sleep as it is."
The two other boys glanced at each other, Krum shrugging, but Diggory frowned. "I wouldn't be able to sleep either if I had to relive the memory of seeing my father figure dead in front of me or of almost drowning."
There was a pause and the three looked at each other grimly.
"We should keep moving." Viktor's gruff voice had the three champions fell to silence again.
Bagman started up a running commentary of the conversation- but as it was mostly a retelling of the second task and things from the Daily Prophet, Thomas instead looked back to where Lena was still hugging the unicorn foal, face hiding in its neck and small hand stroking its silvery coat fondly.
Thomas' eyes caught on where the tall grass seemed to be rippling, moving towards the girl, and the Unicorn tossed its head... but it was too late.
A manticore- with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and a tail of a scorpion- jumped from the grass, and a think spike-like barb shot from its tail to pierce the girl in the lower back.
Stumbling, cursing softly, Lena turned to face the beast and closed her eyes briefly with a sigh. "A fucking manticore? Are you serious!? "
His hands clenched around the bench again as the beast stalked forward slowly.
"Human meat..." The beast's twisted face bared its teeth, voice a low raspy hiss. "I feast on human meat tonight, as frail as human looks... So hungry..."
"Find someone else to eat. I'm off the menu." Pulling the spine out of her back with just a small wince, the girl raised her hand and glared at the beast venomously, her emerald green eyes seeming to glow with power. "Gladius."
From her hand, a large broadsword seemed to materialize.
The manticore growled out a laugh, stalking forward yet. "You are no match for me! Not with just a puny-"
"Caedis." The word was just barely a whisper, the sword swinging and there was a sickening slicing sound as the beast was sliced in half cleanly, blood staining the grass as its body fell with a thump. Lena looked away from the beast, closing her eyes tightly, and then she was bending over and throwing up.
The unicorn ambled over to her side, the Niffler on its back, and when the girl stopped heaving violently, it bushed its nose against her cheek as if kissing her.
He blocked out Ludo's astounded recount of what she'd just done (the man's bias against the girl seeming to have disappeared in the face of her magic for the moment), watching as Lena's hands shook slightly as she wiped her mouth, turning her head into the unicorn's neck.
Her voice was just a whisper. "Quaeso veniam indulgentiae tribuas..."
It seemed like a prayer and his temper flared at the thought of the green-eyed girl having to apologize for something she was forced into, sending a glare to Lucius, who shivered slightly as if feeling his icy wrath.
Thomas' eyes turned back to where Lena was limping over to a small crate, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like curse words under her breath before shedding her shirt for a simple black piece of fabric covering her chest, wiping off the blood from her back to reveal healed skin.
A whistle echoed from the crowd, others laughing, and he clenched his jaw.
How dare they.
She was not theirs.
"What a waste." Lena held up the bloody shirt to examine the hole in it before sighing and dabbing at her wounded shoulder. "Royal Fashion Police is going to kill me."
That raised laughter from the Slytherins, a redhead in the front- Ginny, as his mind supplied - leaning over the railing, her voice a yell even if the girl couldn't hear her. "Damn, Lena! Look at those abs!"
The house of the snakes started into laughter, starting to yell things, but the tone remained positive and playful.
"Idiots." Thomas sneered, not liking any of this. Not that his girl was in danger, not that she was practically half-naked, not that she had gotten hurt, and not that Bagman was now talking about her 'bachelorette status' and 'marriage availability'.
"Oh shit." Lena's muttered curse broke Bagman's rant, the crowd's eyes going to where a massive cat beast with a long pink plume tail was climbing down from the top of a nearby hedge to snarl at her. "What did do in my past life to deserve this? "
The Chinese Zouwu- that Thomas recognized from his travels and studies- slowly prowled forward, its eyes narrowed, snarling with every step it took and he saw the girl's face smooth out into a blank mask of indifference as she stood up slowly.
The girl looked to the Niffler out of the corner of her eyes, careful not to show the cat creature any weakness. "Hey, um, can I borrow something- maybe a bell?"
With a small terrified chirp, the Niffler tossed two shiny objects at her and the girl glanced at them before licking her lips slowly. "Maybe- uh- another pair? Please? So we both don't get eaten?" Another two shiny objects were tossed at her and the girl looked down, seeming to be doing something with her hands.
The Zouwu roaring at the lack of attention she was paying it, starting to move further forward-
Lena straightened, raising a hand as if to snap, but when she brought her fingers together, a soft cling rang out.
The eyes of the creature shot to the source of the sound.
"Miss Farland has on traditional finger cymbals! What in Merlin's name-"
"Okay..." The girl's voice was soft but cut over Ludo, her eyes on the creature before her and she took a deep breath, shoulders seeming to relax. "It's just like dancing or skating with the Court. Just... while being stared at by a huge mythological cat demon."
The girl sighed, before starting to hum something softly under her breath, she padded gently across the grass as if dancing with a partner, steps light and keeping time to the song that she obviously had in her head with the cymbals on her fingers.
Her soft laugh filled the stadium as the cat creature seemed to bounce back and forth to the beat of the soft cling sounds coming from her hands, Lena started to spin and the Zouwu (like an overgrown puppy), decided to run in a circle around her as she did. Stopping suddenly, the girl burst into a bright peel of laughter when the creature tumbled over itself trying to stop.
On its back, eyes dilated in where they were peeking at her, the creature made a soft rumbling sound.
"Yeah, okay." The girl took off the cymbals and tossed them back to the Niffler, moving forward to scratch the Zouwu's belly and giggling when it started to purr loudly. "I wonder if Severus would let me keep you. He did say he would consider a pet for the house..." The girl then reached for its neck where Thomas could see a thick metal collar digging into its skin, breaking the lock on the band with just a touch.
Marvelous.
Purring even louder, the cat creature moved to lick her face, seeming to grin when she made a sound of disgust.
"Lena? Lena, where are you?" Diggory was yelling, the other three champions following him as they hurried across the field.
Looking up, the girl moved away from the hedge, looking at the small group and smiling tiredly. "Hey." With a huff, the unicorn (with the niffler clinging to it) and the Zouwu moved to Lena's back, the cat demon putting its head on top of hers, making her grin a little wider. "I made a few friends."
"Zat is a Zouwu." Miss Delacour looked at Lena as if she was insane.
"I know. They like dancing though, so we're friends now." Then the girl smiled as if that was common sense.
Diggory moved to pull her into a hug, sounding relieved even as the cat creatures made disapproving noises at being pushed out of the way. "I thought you'd been hurt and- well- Adrian would kill me if you died." The boy then paused as if realizing something. "Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"
Shugging, she waved a hand with a disarming grin. "Aesthetics."
"You are ridiculous." Krum was smiling though. "We found four creatures."
"I found five." The girl's frame tensed when the nearby crate rattled and she pushed Diggory away slightly. "A boggart. This keeps getting better and better..."
Diggory frowned. "I can-"
"No." The girl looked to Diggory, her smile barely there. "I want to see what it shows itself as. I doubt it'll be able to take Jack's form anymore and would like to see what... what I'm afraid of."
Thomas leaned forward, steepling his hands under his chin.
This would be interesting...
"Oh, we're in for a real treat here folks- the chance to see the one fear of the girl that Hogwarts named the 'Queen of Ice'. I wonder what form it will take? Maybe a lake?" Ludo chuckled but stopped quickly when the whole Slytherin section hissed violently at him like a literal pit of snakes.
He hid a smile behind a blank mask, watching the girl walk forward slowly, shattering the lid of the crate with a flick of her hand.
A black mist seeped out of the box, pulsing and then congealing into a figure.
With brown eyes and neatly styled hair, a younger version of himself stood in front of her with a familiar smirk. Then the boy moved to sit elegantly on the edge of the box, winking at the girl.
She feared... him?
"I can't wait for the look on Tom's face when I tell him he's my boggart. He's going to be so offended. " Snickering softly, Lena shook her head and raised her hand, taking a deep breath. "Sorry 'bout this, but you're not really him."
The image of his younger self raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, yeah, don't give me that look, I'm just trying to collect the fragments of my magic from where it's being annoyingly slow." Then the girl turned her head from the boggart. "LUX!"
A blinding white light consumed the arena, the light dispelling the dark form of the boggart like it was shredding it to pieces, and when it cleared the boggart was gone but Lena was swaying on her feet.
Viktor Krum moved to catch her as her knees gave out.
Green eyes moved to lock on him, a bitter smile cresting her lips as her eyes fluttered. "T- tom?..."
The two other champions moved forward to surround her, Fluer putting a hand to her forehead. "She's burning up."
"I wouldn't be surprised if she's been using way too much wandless magic and overloaded her core." Diggory sighed. "Now what do we do? Is the time almost up do you think? Because I swear Slytherin's going to skin us if we don't get her to a medical professional."
"HELL YEAH WE WILL!" That was Theodore Nott, the snake pit snickering slightly but nodding along.
Krum huffed, moving to hoist the girl into his arms. "I have a sword. Let's break the wards."
Ludo paled, motioning to someone and the arena shimmered, the silencing ward falling. "No need Mr. Krum! The task is over and healers will be coming out any moment to take care of Miss Farland- but for now, the scores!"
"How about you just tell us who won and then we call it good?" Diggory crossed his arms, scowling. "Because honestly? All four of us think this competition is pretty much an over-glorified dangerous waste of time."
"Well- that- I-..." Bagman sputtered, before composing himself. "Fine. First place is tied between Viktor Krum and Lena Farland, meaning in exactly two days there will be a duel and the winner will be the Triwizard Champion!"
With a shuddering cough, Lena shook her head, somehow finding enough energy to blink slightly. "I completed three tasks. The tournament's over. I quit. Viktor wins." Her voice was soft, hand moving to pat the larger boy's arm. "Good job Vik... Now can I please go to sleep for a week?"
Bagman started to speak but his voice was drowned out by a commotion as the Slytherin and Durmstrang students flooding the field and surrounding the two, Zabini taking Lena into his arms and twirling around with a big smile as she groaned softly.
Lena's head pounded with the noise and movement, before a shadow fell over her, Severus shaking his head. "You're impossible."
"It's a talent." She took the pepper-up and locket from him, downing the potion and putting back on the locket, sighing deeply when her headache faded. Then she shoved at Zabini and made him set her down, steadying herself on Draco and smiling when she found all three schools mingling in celebration.
Eyes drifting to the stands where she'd seen the mirage of Tom before, she found it was empty, some random man talking to Lucius Malfoy quietly as the two of them approached her. Sighing, she pulled away from Draco. "I think I'm going to lay down."
"Miss Farland." Lucius Malfoy stood near Severus, him and his guest watching her closely. "If I may introduce you to-"
"No. You may not, because I still don't like you." Ignoring both men, she instead looked to Severus. "I'm going back to the castle and will probably sleep through the party and the feast. Will you need my help packing?"
With a lopsided grin, Sev shook his head. "I don't think so."
"Packing?" Lucius sounded a bit nervous. "What- where are you two going?"
She smirked. "Vacation. Severus and I are taking a summer off to study under Nicolas Flamel, as Dumbledore set up a connection for us. That and I insisted on dragging him somewhere warm that preferably has a beach for my birthday."
The man aside Malfoy Sr. frowned slightly. "Shouldn't you stay for your birthday this summer? I hear Lady Malfoy quite liked having a girl around the Manor... Isn't that right Lucius?"
"Y-yeah." Lucius looked a bit pale.
Lena eyed the other man (who was nothing if not the example of 'plain' ) suspiciously, before shrugging casually as if it was no big deal. "My recent brush with a Death Eater makes me think I should find a good way to keep myself occupied away from Britain when I'm not at Hogwarts. Severus just decided to come with me instead of waking up to find me gone one morning."
"Ah. I see..." The man nodded as if he understood, even if it was clear he didn't agree.
Glancing to Severus, who raised an eyebrow at her, she rolled her eyes and then turned away.
She had sleep to catch up on.
Thomas watched Lena walk away from him, her long hair swaying slightly with the light glinting off it like a waterfall of ink.
He was reluctant to let her go, much less somewhere he didn't have influence...
But he'd been patient so far, made his plans, and waited for her to find all his Horcruxes- to let her piece his soul back together with care- before he would let her see him, as she deserved nothing but all of him.
"You are going to France then." He looked to Severus, who he hadn't revealed himself to, but wouldn't be surprised if the man already knew. "And this next school year?"
"Lena is safe at Hogwarts." Severus Snape turned his eyes to him, lips quirking up just the slightest bit in a dark smirk. "It is only the people outside the school that she would rather not deal with, Mr. Gaunt... Especially those she doesn't already know."
Scowling slightly, he nodded, watching the Potions Master stride away with his black robes billowing behind him. It was obvious he was not recognized or the man would not have turned his back on him after saying such things.
Though the worry that his darling held about his more fanatic followers...
That would not do.
What if she was attacked without his oversight and was hurt again? Or worse- if she left for good?
No...
He would not let a few deranged fools give her any reason to fear him.
~~~
A/N: Viktor Krum has Himbo energy, Lena is almost exclusively Tomsexual, Cedric and Ginny are bisexual disasters, Fleur is a dignified lesbian, Luna is a soft lesbian, Draco is a dignified gay, Charlie is a disaster gay, Theo and Daphne are the Functioning Straights TM of the group, and Blaise is attracted to females that could kill him. :)))