Chapter 342: Triwizard
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The next morning, the quiet calm of Privet Drive was broken by the sound of the doorbell. Harry glanced up from the kitchen table, where he'd been reviewing a stack of parchment Misty had left for him—an assortment of updates from various ventures. Petunia, who was sipping her tea, raised an eyebrow at him but made no move to answer.
"Don't look at me," she said, setting her cup down. "If it's one of your kind, they're your responsibility."
Harry rolled his eyes but stood, brushing off her lazy joke.
Opening the door, Harry saw Amelia and Susan stepping into the house. Petunia, noticing the Minister for Magic herself, quickly walked over with a welcoming smile. The two women exchanged a warm hug.
Susan, meanwhile, beamed as she hugged Harry, who returned it with a quick but firm pat on the back.
"Minister in our house! We're honored," Petunia teased lightly, glancing toward Amelia with raised eyebrows.
Amelia rolled her eyes, her no-nonsense demeanor softening just a little. "Petunia, drop the formalities. I am here to visit a friend."
Petunia smirked. "Ah, so I shouldn't bother polishing the fine china?"
"Only if you're serving tea," Amelia replied smoothly. "I could use some after the chaos of last night."
Harry stepped aside to let them in, closing the door behind them as the group moved toward the living room. Misty had already appeared silently and was placing a fresh pot of tea on the coffee table, accompanied by a neat plate of biscuits.
As Amelia took a seat on the sofa, Petunia poured the tea. Susan plopped down beside Harry, her posture more relaxed than her aunt's.
"Merlin, last night was a mess," Susan said, shaking her head as she grabbed a biscuit from the plate. She leaned back in her chair, still looking mildly rattled. "Luckily, the tent was warded, and we were oblivious to all of it. Hard to imagine what kind of chaos those troublemakers could've caused if we hadn't been safe."
Nigel snickered in Harry's mind. "Luck, she says. As if the Great Harry Potter would leave anything to chance. Go on, take a bow for your genius planning."
Harry ignored the comment, keeping his focus on Susan. "Yeah, lucky," he said with a straight face. "Though honestly, I can't imagine what kind of disaster Fred and George might've added to the Death Eater raid if they'd been out there. Knowing them, they would probably challenge the lot of them to a prank war."
Susan chuckled, almost choking on her biscuit. "Can you imagine? Two Death Eaters hexed into singing leprechauns, another one stuck with a Canary Cream transformation mid-duel. Absolute pandemonium."
Petunia, sipping her tea across the table, gave a small laugh. "From what I saw in this morning's paper, someone beat them to it. That mark in the sky—what was it supposed to be? A threat? It looked ridiculous."
Harry's lips twitched as he fought to keep his expression neutral. "Ridiculous? How so?" he asked casually, pouring himself another cup of tea.
Amelia smirked as she set her teacup down. "Oh, you didn't see? Some joker tampered with the Dark Mark. By the time anyone realized, the snake looked like one of those balloon animals you see at children's parties. I heard there were honking noises too." She paused, her lips twitching as she tried not to laugh. "The Prophet called it an insult to the Dark Lord's legacy."
Susan giggled, reaching for another biscuit. "Serves them right. Imagine being a terrifying Death Eater, only to have your big, scary symbol turned into… whatever that was."
Petunia raised a brow. "Sounds like someone's got a sense of humor. Shame they didn't take it further. Maybe a clown hat on top of the skull?"
Amelia shook her head, smiling faintly. "If nothing else, it threw the Death Eaters into chaos. I doubt they expected to be the ones humiliated last night."
Harry sipped his tea, hiding the smirk threatening to surface. Nigel's voice chimed in his head, full of mock admiration. "Oh, bravo, Master Harry. Not only a prankster, but a performer! Your audience is loving it."
"Pipe down, Nigel." Harry shifted slightly, placing his cup down. "Well, whoever it was, I'm sure they had their reasons. The important thing is that no one got seriously hurt."
Susan nodded, her expression turning more thoughtful. "Aunt Amelia, did you figure out who was behind the attack? Was it just a random show of force?"
Amelia leaned back in her chair, her gaze sharp. "Not entirely random. Most of the attackers were low-level Death Eater sympathizers—easy to catch and even easier to interrogate. The ringleader, though…" Her expression darkened. She paused, as if debating whether to continue, then waved her hand dismissively. "Well, let's not talk about that." Her tone shifted, more direct now. "Harry, can I have a word with you?"
"Of course. Let's go to the study." Harry nodded, standing up as the room fell quiet. Without further explanation, he gestured for Amelia to follow him to the study. Susan gave him a curious glance but stayed put, sipping her tea. Petunia raised an eyebrow but made no comment.
Once inside the study, Harry shut the door, ensuring their conversation would remain private. The room was neat and simple, lined with shelves stacked with books and parchments. Amelia took a seat across from him. After a moment, she let out a heavy sigh, meeting Harry's gaze.
"You were right," she began. "They're bringing the Triwizard Tournament back."
A few months ago, during the peak of her campaign, Harry had been one of Amelia's strongest supporters. While most were hesitant to align themselves too closely with a candidate who wasn't promising pureblood favoritism or pandering to entrenched families, Harry had backed her without hesitation. And with good reason. His support had paid off—Amelia Bones had taken the Minister's seat, and though her position was still politically fragile, Harry had someone in the Ministry he could rely on.
Harry had tipped her off early about the Triwizard Tournament's return. Amelia, however, had explained that the preparations had been set in motion long before her appointment. Even if she had wanted to stop it, she didn't yet wield enough influence to override decisions made by the previous administration. What Harry truly wanted, however, wasn't for her to stop the tournament—he wanted her to keep him informed about every step of the process.
She finally broke the silence with a small smile. "You shouldn't worry too much about the Triwizard Tournament, Harry. There will be an age limit this time—only those seventeen or older can participate."
Harry raised an eyebrow, setting his cup down with a faint clink. "An age limit?" He didn't press further. He already knew Voldemort's plan to force him into the Triwizard Tournament, but there was no need to stop it. In fact, he had several reasons to participate. However, jumping in without assessing the situation first? That wasn't his style. Shaking his head slightly, he let a small smile play on his lips. "That's unfortunate, but I don't exactly lack fame or fortune, do I?"
Amelia chuckled softly, leaning back in her chair. "True, you don't. In fact, you're the last person who needs to worry about gaining notoriety. So really, there's no reason for you to participate at all."
Harry leaned back in his chair, eyeing Amelia carefully. "So you brought me here because you want to keep it a secret?"
Amelia exhaled sharply and gave him a small nod. "Yes. Please keep it a secret, even from Susan."
Without hesitation, Harry rose to his feet, his face neutral as he looked down at her. "I promise."
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