The world around Harry was changing rapidly with a manhunt being organized for his safety. His magical guardian, or former magical guardian, Albus Dumbledore was leading the search. The DMLE had been notified and it was reported on heavily by the Daily Prophet with stories lambasting him for his attention-seeking behaviour as the fourth champion. They featured interviews with students that were known to despise Harry Potter, particularly Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, which added fuel to the already inflamed situation.

After the second full day of Harry's disappearance from the castle, Dumbledore had initiated a search for him. By the fourth day, he had contacted Amelia Bones to discuss the situation with her directly. He had not wanted to, but McGonagall forced his hand, saying she would if he did not. She was, after all, the one to receive the letter. Sprout had also pointed out in the short staff meeting, where the sole agenda item was about Harry Potter, that Susan more than likely would have already informed her aunt. The major source of the castle's gossip was that the youngest champion had gone missing. The staff knew that this information would have already left the castle.

Press coverage on his vanishing began when it was leaked, from a DMLE source, that Harry Potter was considered a missing person. Rita Skeeter, the gossip columnist, lost her exclusivity on writing on the Triwizard Tournament for the Daily Prophet. The coverage began speculating and requests for information from the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts and the Tournament's organizing Committee, began in earnest. Coverage of the tournament took a large uptick as well. The three individual events made for rather sparse coverage and extremely limited access to the actual competitors made coverage rather dull. Plans to cover the event grew from a single reporter being assigned to cover it, to many journalists actively seeking out stories that could be linked to it.

With the compelling story of a fourth champion that subsequently snuck out of Hogwarts, with its legendary security, there was an ongoing story to cover, which was surprising, considering that most editors of the major European wizarding press firms thought it would only have been three major stories with a possible follow up with the local champion after its conclusion. Perhaps a couple of other minor pieces but a three task tournament over nine months was rather minimal. The Committee's decision to keep the tournament a secret until its official announcement on September first killed any opportunity to build awareness and hype with their readers.

Interviews of eligible-to-enter students should've been done as well as months of coverage investigative reporting and special interest stories which might've illustrated a better picture of the competition. Instead, access to the champions was limited to just the Weighing of the Wands Ceremony and all details were kept as secret as possible. The only press agency given access was the Daily Prophet and not even they were running extensive coverage. Instead of creating political upheaval for a small set of stories for an event most people wouldn't even be expecting to occur, the editors decided to not kick up a storm to increase the news potential for the tournament.

That all changed when the most famous underage wizard in the world was named the fourth champion. The Boy-Who-Lived had kept a remarkably low profile since that fateful night and the first article of his emergence as a champion hadn't caught the attention of the wizarding world, direct results of the lack of coverage and no announcement ahead of time. Rita Skeeter was also a glorified gossip columnist that few took seriously to actually believe this was actual news. It was the breaking story that the underage champion, who Skeeter reported was an attention-seeking glory hound, had vanished which brought the scrutiny of the general public. The press had a recognizable celebrity in Harry Potter as the main focus, locked into a deadly tournament that had ties to most of continental Europe in some way, with both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang competing. Having Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump and Headmaster of the school presiding the event, it was just too juicy of a story to pass on. With such a broad audience and two of the best-known wizards at the epicentre, a media storm was born overnight.

Albus Dumbledore may be the Headmaster of Hogwarts but he is also the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and it is in this capacity that he was compelled to be accessible to the press of the European nations. Furthermore, the DMLE in Britain had opened an investigation and the Department Head, Amelia Bones, would have to comment on the case as it developed. Instead of the scant few stories on the Tournament announcement, Champion Selection, Weighing of Wands, First Task, Yule Ball, Second Task, Final Task, and a follow up with the individual champion comprising the expected seven stories over ten months, there were now weekly or daily stories to be followed.

The most well known underage wizard being forced into a tournament that he was three years too young to compete in and his subsequent disappearance, with Albus Dumbledore as a possible culpable party, was just too great a scoop to keep under wraps. Dumbledore was perhaps the foremost wizard in the world, being a well-published academic across multiple fields, the defeater of Grindelwald, the counterpart of Lord Voldemort, the political head of the ICW, and the longtime Headmaster of a world-renowned school, even he did not have the clout to stop the press. The juicy story became an overnight sensation in Britain and throughout nations that now covered the Triwizard Tournament.

A shotgun approach on coverage began: Harry Potter's disappearance, speculation into the befuddlement of the goblet, crackpot theories, expert analysis. An insatiable appetite for the Triwizard Tournament was born. November seventh was the day Harry Potter had ventured out to Gringotts, the seventh day of the week and the date of his first-ever ritual. It was the second day of his disappearance and a day prior to the DMLE marking him as a missing person. The press had wind of his status as a missing person within twenty-four hours and on the morning of November ninth, the story broke.

The weighing of the wands was scheduled for November thirteenth and press coverage of the event was forced to be changed. Every major publication had run multiple stories, the Daily Prophet even having daily articles related to Harry Potter or the Tournament since his disappearance was announced. No longer could the organizers allow only a single reporter. The Ministry of Magic was under intense scrutiny for losing the Boy-Who-Lived. Dumbledore himself felt the pressure and they had to cave to the demands, lest further conspiracy stories are born. The short ceremony now became a public press event. A podium for each champion to answer questions as well as a broader audience for the wand analysis.

On the fourteenth, just ten days before the first task, papers had multiple reports on the Weighing of the Wands. Foremost, in the coverage, was the absence of the youngest champion. Dumbledore had to divulge Harry's note that he had withdrawn from Hogwarts at this time. Further, the Committee had failed to inform him of the event as they had only given him information on the date of the first task before he left Hogwarts. Scathing coverage of those revelations followed. The press decried the Committee's rampant failures to keep the poor missing boy out of the deadly affair and then they didn't even disclose all the relevant information properly to him. Leading up to the first task, everyone wondered if Harry Potter was even going to show up to the task. Had he run away? Was he kidnapped? Why had no information or possible leads come forward yet? There were numerous angles for the press to follow up on.

On November sixteenth it was revealed by Amelia Bones that Harry Potter had been sighted, just once, since his disappearance from Hogwarts. He had been in Diagon Alley, alone, on November seventh. Few details were divulged by the Director of the DMLE, however, investigative journalism quickly followed up on which shopkeepers had seen him and what they recalled he'd purchased.

Questions were raised about his purchase of a new wardrobe. Why would he need a new set of clothes when he had already shopped and picked up his school robes in the summer? The shopkeepers knew Harry somewhat well as he had spent weeks in the Alley the previous summer. Eager to have their time in the spotlight, the shop keepers had no qualms about reliving all their experiences with the Boy-Who-Lived.

This led to further articles on why such a well-known person was staying in an establishment that was respectable enough but couldn't shake the fact it was still just a dingy pub. The private life of Harry Potter was delved into both by investigators and the press. Albus Dumbledore had kept his extracurricular school activities relating to Sirius Black and Voldemort a secret. The best sources for information on him, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley were protected from the press by Hogwarts. Dumbledore should be thankful for that merciful fact or his positions of power in the wizarding world could very well crumble away from him.

 

 

The fourteen-year-old boy staying in the personal quarters of Salazar Slytherin, hidden deep in the bowels of the school, knew none of this. A new way of life had taken hold of Harry Potter. Solitude in Slytherin's sanctum, which was a breath of fresh air to him. No expectations, no bullying, no staring, and just whatever he chose to do each day. Studying magic under the guidance of the freakishly sentient memoirs or personal books of Salazar Slytherin. This quickly became his new favourite thing to do. Reading the teachings of the man and practising magic took up every single one of his days.

Following the guidelines for the rituals and practising magic were his daily tasks. As he learned and mastered the new material, more became available. Harry had learned the system that the chamber used. There was the main memoir that slowly let out more information. It followed the life, or stories about the life, of the man, teachings on a plethora of subjects, or guidance for his heirs. New books would get a soft glow of magic when they became available and the titles would show themselves. The glow also occurred when a title released new pages for Harry to study.

So far Harry had only had four topics. Charms, DADA, Transfiguration and Runes. Potions was only covered if and when a ritual called for one to be brewed. Harry had completed six rituals, all focused on the mind, and was reading up on the next ritual. Five rituals on the normal 3rd and 7th days of the week with an extra slotting in on the 13th day of the month. A logbook of the rituals had appeared in the library and glowed when a new ritual was added. Some were added a few days in advance, as preparing for them could require more than a day to do. Potions that had to sit after completion for a minimum specified period of time, parts that had to soak in blood for three days, and other tedious tasks that had to be followed.

Today he was reading up on the next ritual. It was called the Dragon Power ritual. The journal had marked it in the seventh column. There were six foci for ritual sets on different aspects of either his body or his magic, but the seventh column was marked simply as special. This was the first ritual in this category and Harry began to read through it. The ritual had good results with a single dragon but the variation he had been requested to do called for the use of three dragons. It theorized seven dragons would have a more powerful effect. Having seven dragons in close proximity to perform the ritual was, as far as Salazar knew, never tested. Wild dragons do not congregate in such large groups, so even the likelihood of finding three all together, in the wild, was a pipe dream.

Yet, the ritual was calling for Harry to use three dragons of different breeds. He had to mark them with runes drawn in his blood mixed with a complicated potion. On top of drawing runes on the dragons, he had to drink some of each of their blood as the final step before activating the ritual. A preliminary ritual would take place here in the chamber which would prepare his body and magic to accept the draconic influence. The second stage was linking the three dragons to him through the blood. His blood on them and their blood within him. The next step of the process was to return to the prepared ritual room and activate the second part.

The book was not perfectly clear on the exact effects it would have on him. Being considered a special ritual in the journal had him wondering about its effects. The obvious question for Harry though, was where the bloody hell would he find three dragons. His mind had made the connection that it was supposed to be done on November 24th. The day of the 1st Task and coincidentally the third day of the week. It was also his seventh ritual. Given the importance placed on seven sets of seven, Harry wondered if that made a difference as well.

He knew that he was a complete novice and was essentially walking down this path utterly blind. For all he knew, he was on the path to becoming a Dark Lord. It may have been where Voldemort had started his path to insanity. He knew for certain that Tom Riddle had found the Chamber and had commanded the basilisk found within. Was it possible that he had bungled a ritual? Salazar had written it over and over to not forget magic was sentient. How did that transfer to rituals? Intent was of paramount importance, so how did it affect rituals?

Thinking back to the unicorn example, Harry knew that powdered horn was used in healing potions and hairs were used in wands. He thought he'd heard the hairs could also be used in bandages, due to its strength, but he wasn't certain on that. He'd not really seen any bandages used in the wizarding world that would require strength. The types of injuries he had sustained may just have not required it. He had not heard of any further uses so he was left with a couple of underlying points of data. Unicorn's parts were used for healing, defence, and strength for the pure uses. Drinking a unicorn's blood that was forcibly taken would curse the person, or so he'd been told. The intent of the use made all the difference.

Applying that to rituals, if the ritual was used in a way that was consistent with stealing a unicorn's blood and harming them, then would the ritual curse the person? Harry pondered that for a moment before he found a minor flaw. When Quirrell drank the unicorn blood he did get his intended result. It kept him and Voldemort alive. They gained the result they wanted but they were punished for their abhorrent act by magic? They received a strength at the cost of being cursed. He had died shortly after, rather painfully, and there might've been side effects Harry was simply unaware of. It seemed unlikely that the aged Headmaster would give up any kind of gruesome details to an 11-year-old. Was his gruesome fate linked to the unicorn blood curse? Could it be that the curse was what burnt him when he sought to damage something else that was also pure, like an eleven-year-old child? Dumbledore had said it was a remnant of his mother's protection that hurt Voldemort. Was he honest and truthful or spinning a web of lies? Maybe he was just keeping ugly details from the mind of a boy who just went through a traumatic experience…

Perhaps the situation and its concepts could apply to Ritualistic Magic. Voldemort undergoing rituals for the purpose of hurting others, subjugating them, and ruling over all others. The sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle he had met in the Chamber was a cruel and twisted teen. Though, he was still human. His humanity may have been warped but there was no denying it was still there. The Voldemort he met in first year was deranged and the memory of him from the dementor-induced night of his parent's murder was no longer fully human-looking. There was no way Harry should have survived either encounter. Quirrel could have simply killed him with a single spell as soon as he had the stone. He could have blasted him with a single curse the second he appeared.

Voldemort knew he had it and instead of just ensuring his victory, he acted illogically and allowed Harry Potter to destroy his host. If Harry was the Dark Lord hiding under a turban, as soon as he knew the stone was retrieved, he would have killed the witness and made a quick escape. There was no reason to toy with Harry or act as he had. The boy who caused his vanquishing would have been dead and he would have been immortal with the potential for limitless wealth. Provided he escaped with the stone and the stone did all it was purported to do.

Even at sixteen, Tom Riddle was making odd choices. He had a wand and could cast spells. Instead of releasing the basilisk why would he not have just done the deed himself. Playing with his prey allowed Harry the opportunity to stop him and his pet snake. Would Riddle have seen it that way? Was it the magic of the rituals affecting him? Making him powerful, smart, all the while extolling a subtle price for his intentions? As a novice, he knew he would not reach a definitive answer. The constant reminder by Salazar's memoir just often made him think about it. Tom could have gone the same path as Salazar hinted of his hope for a true heir. Instead, he was like Salazar's first son. A young man that wanted power and foolishly went after it.

What did that say about Harry himself? He was willingly following the path of a man who made that mistakes first. Could he have truly learned enough to prevent it? The magic that made up the Chamber and that was training him, seemed far too precise to be done by a person who had lost their mental faculties. The point of argument still stood though. Could the one who had fallen to his quest for power be trusted to lead Harry in a better direction? The best source of information on Salazar Slytherin were his memoirs and how could he know they were honest reflections and not a cunning conniption to propagate future followers of his dark plans? There was a lingering sick feeling that he could be on the path to becoming the same sixteen-year-old boy he met in his first foray into the mythical sanctuary he now called home.

Harry knew that Riddle and he were somewhat alike. Dumbledore had admitted it. Both were orphans with a rough childhood. Isolated from their peers, Riddle a muggle raised in Slytherin and Harry a muggle raised and at odds with his housemates. Both were ostracized for events out of their control. They were both gifted magically with Harry having realized it when Lupin explained most teenagers did not have the ability to produce a corporeal Patronus charm let alone adults and even some aurors. Dumbledore had said it was their choices that made them different. From the evidence Harry had seen, Harry suspected Riddle took in the same teachings he was now undergoing. Would there be a crossroads that would separate the two? Was it all based on the intent behind the magic? Riddle's cruel, sadistic and ambitions of grandeur. Harry hoped his true intentions were nobler.

This time, he was not descending into the Chamber to save his best friend's little sister from a monster. Those were noble intentions. Though he could reason they were not fully noble because Harry had not wanted the school to close. If it did, he'd be stuck back with his relatives instead of just for the two months that the school wasn't in session. Harry had different ambitions now. He wanted to be able to protect himself and those he cared about from enemies. He wanted to be himself and not some moniker given to him for some fluke of magic or for something his parents had done to protect him. He wanted to be himself and control his destiny. He needed to get himself into a position that allowed him to be independent, free from Dumbledore and the Ministry having control over him.

Under Dumbledore's watch, he had almost died every single year! And now, this year, he was in a tournament meant for the best and brightest students who were completing their final year of education. Harry knew Cedric was one of the top students in the entire school. Every time a Hufflepuff was looked down upon for being in Helga's house, Cedric Diggory and Amelia Bones were the two ready-made examples of proving Hufflepuffs were not hard-working dunderheads. Cedric was pretty well mister everything. Seeker on the Hufflepuff team, son of a prominent ministry worker, and from an old family. He was supremely talented, hardworking, fair, honest, and popular. Harry, a student with half the magical education and muggle raised on top of that, was supposed to compete at his level. Dumbledore hadn't even tried to find a solution to his entry. He'd just accepted it like it was somewhat expected.

The Headmaster had shown surprise when the fourth name came out, Harry had seen that, and yet he'd done nothing to assist him. Harry had told him and Sirius about his dream about Voldemort and they'd done nothing. Year after year his life was in danger and they did nothing. Harry would consider the Ministry of Magic but it was common knowledge that the Minister's funding for his political interests had private funding from Lucius Malfoy. The man that had tried to kill him after his second year. The man that had given a cursed diary to an eleven-year-old girl and knew attacks were going on in the school his son was living at. The same minister who said that they must be seen to be doing something when they threw another innocent person into a prison that was tantamount to prolonged and ceaseless torture.

No, Harry's path to independence and protecting himself would have to be wrought from his own actions. It is why his intentions were not fully pure. Perhaps there wasn't much of a price for his ascendance towards greatness. He didn't want this to change him. He still valued friendship and his real goal was to have a family that loved him. A family he would sacrifice himself for like his parents had done for him if it was necessary. He was only 14 and didn't have any business or political goals. He barely even knew about anything in either topic in the magical world. There was no scheme for economic, political or magical power to enable him to control the wizarding world. Discerning his true intentions for undertaking ritualistic magic was downright troubling.

Troubled, this lead Harry back to his original problem. Locating three dragons. None of the other rituals had been difficult to find ingredients. In fact, Dobby had found some of them already prepared within the Chamber or in Hogwarts. Harry had gleefully known some must've come from the potions stores or from Snape's personal stores. Harry sat back in the chair and began to think of how Hogwarts and dragons could be related. The only thing he could come up with from his past was the incident in his first year. Could Hagrid have acquired three dragons? The ritual called for three adult dragons to be used. The proverbial light bulb went off in his head and he realized it must be for the first task. The painful conversation he'd done his best to forget when he overheard his former best friend in the Great Hall flooded his mind again.

Harry only had two days before the first task to check his theory, prepare for the ritual, and then come up with a strategy for whatever the task was. He'd gotten so wrapped up in his newfound freedom and the pursuit of magical knowledge he now had just two days in advance to prepare to be competing against dragons. A thought broke to the forefront of his mind that chilled all the others. How had the book that was recording and preparing him for rituals known about the first task and that they were going to be using dragons? Was it a haphazard coincidence of happenstance? That the seventh ritual would always be the Dragon Power ritual?

Harry didn't know how to react. It was already rather unsettling how sentient the chamber was. Harry had discretely tried to look for portraits. It was the best idea he had so far- that there were hidden portraits that watched and setup the entire curriculum for him. It was far too responsive. If Salazar had been able to set this up before he died, why wouldn't this school have had some kind of function like it somewhere else? History of magic could easily be taught this way. The most unsettling part, before the dragon coincidence, was the immediacy of how things occurred. How he'd finish reading a book and then a moment later another would light up for him to continue his studies. It was best not to think about that again. He only had two full days to prepare and so he grabbed the ritual book to see exactly what the Dragon Ritual was. He wanted understanding as to why it was marked in the seventh category.

This dragon ritual is based upon the understanding that dragons are magical creatures. Many beasts have magical properties and yet they should not be considered magical creatures. The Dire Wolf is an example of a great beast that has been deemed to be magical. A Dire Wolf is simply a regular wolf that has gained magical properties. Magic has allowed the Dire Wolf to gain size, strength, intelligence and, dependent on which researchers one believes, various degrees of magical traits. At one end of the research pendulum is the understanding that they have a base resistance to magical attacks and that their ability to blend into their environment is a form of magical camouflage. On the other end is the understanding that their natural strength is augmented by magic, their camouflage abilities are enhanced by magic and their hide gains magical resistance. The distinction is magic enhances nature versus magic adding new magical traits. Regardless, the point of the matter is Dire Wolves are mundane wolves that have gained magical properties.

Dragons are beasts that are not simple mundane creatures that have gained magical properties. A dragon cannot exist without magic. Stripping the magic from the dragon ends their life. They are a being of magic. Their robust scales, immense size, small wings, and internal flame cannot exist without magic. Dragons are one of the few species of beasts that are born of magic. Dragons, Phoenixes, Unicorns and Basilisks are the four well known magical creatures. Most of the beasts that are improperly named as magical creatures are the results of magical experimentation. Thestrals, Hippogryphs, Minotaurs, Chimeras, and Griffons, for example, all have their roots in wizards and witches experimenting with magic.

The animagus transformation is one avenue of finding infallible proof while the uneducated will wrongfully interpret the results. It is a well-known fact there are no magical creatures for anyone's animagus form. The general explanation is that it is not possible, however, this is a falsehood. There are two aspects to the general understanding that are errantly combined. The first is magic does not recognize the experimental magical creatures as options. They are bastardizations of magic. Only one that has an equally bastardized form of magic could become one. Theoretically, a wolf animagus could similarly abuse their magic to what turned a regular wolf into a Dire Wolf. Theoretically possible but practically impossible. One cannot change a human soul as easily as one can change the soul of a mundane beast.

There is another aspect that is misunderstood that is related to this topic that I will explain. The distinction between beasts with magical properties and magical creatures is important to the generally accepted fact that magical animagus forms are not possible. The human body is not infused with enough magic to allow it to become a true magical creature. True magical creatures are beings born of magic with every single part of their being deeply infused with magic. Their body parts are so instilled with magic that they are some of the most potent potions reagents available. Many possible reagents are simply unsuitable as their powerful latent magic creates volatile reactions with other ingredients that are incredibly difficult to devise a way to stabilize. There are no healing potions with Phoenix tears because they simply overpower any potion and act with their normal use as if they were not a part of the potion. They destabilize any potion they have been added to leading to the tears being used directly when available. Their potency is so strong the tears override any intent to change or modify their magical properties.

Theoretically, it is possible for a wizard to become a magical animagus. My supposition is if one had a high enough level of magic infused into their body they could become a magical creature. There is the inherent understanding that their soul would have to be compatible with the magical animagus form. Even if one was able to transform into a magical creature I expect the true magical abilities would not be fully accessible. Infusing enough magic to become a magical creature is the first step and is only theoretical. Performing magical abilities would take high levels of magic. Perhaps if one was able to become a phoenix they would be able to fly as the majestic bird does and perhaps even gain tears that heal to some minor capacity. It is doubtful they would ever be able to gain the prized abilities of flame travel and being reborn from their own ashes. The base level of magic required for those abilities is far beyond just being able to take their shape. Given the size and levels of magic required, I would postulate it would not be possible to become a dragon or a basilisk. A unicorn would be at the very point of meeting between theoretically possible and most practical. It was thought that Merlin could turn into a phoenix but it was him simply taking the form of the bird and not having any of its magical abilities. A magical form of animagus but not a real magical creature.

This leads to the effects of the Dragon ritual. The first stage of the ritual is preparing your body to allow the vast magical potential of a dragon to be taken into your body. Infusing your body with the dragon's magic can have a number of effects. True magical creatures have a few things in common. They are incredibly durable against physical, mental and magical attack. They are incredibly potent magically. For example, the venom of a basilisk is far beyond any other form of snake venom, including those that have gained magical properties for their venom. Beyond durability and potency is their magical abilities. Dragons can fly with wings that physically could not support their weight, they can breathe fire and are a mobile and impregnable fortress of destruction. Each magical creature has magical abilities and it is possible the wizard that undergoes the ritual to gain a magical ability. Though the level of infusion of magic would more than likely require seven dragons in the ritual based upon my experience of a single dragon. Do not expect to be able to breathe fire, fly or have armoured skin.

From my own use, I noticed a few changes. Most noticeably were my changes were that found more in the improvement on the physical level. Strength, limited durability, improved senses, and reaction times all with varied rates of increase. On the magical side, there was perhaps a change in how sensitive I was to magic. I felt I could feel magic to a greater degree. It was not like lighting a candle in a dark storeroom. The change was more akin to adding an additional candle to a room that already has some lit. There is a change when looking for it but it was not a stark difference. As for my mind, I did notice a greater change there. Upon reflecting I became more confident and sure of myself. It must be what it feels like to be a dragon. To know you are the apex predator and there are none greater than you. I was already a powerful wizard, both fierce and feared. It could have been natural or perhaps it was the dragon magic. The exact changes one undergoes has too many factors to conclusively predict especially as intent plays a part.

What is known about those that have used this ritual is that it is one of the few that I have placed in their own category. Most rituals cannot be noticed by themselves. Only within combinations will there be any kind of change that is noticeable to the wizard. The Dragon ritual has the potential to be impactful enough that it can bring about as much or greater change than a set of rituals. There is very little that is precise within ritualistic magic. The breed of dragon, its age, sex, and personality are just a few characteristics that mould the results. Let alone taking into consideration how they blend with the intent of the wizard, the aspects of the target, and even how many dragons are being used. When more than one dragon is used, how they are all mixed together matters as well. The only true guide can be found by understanding the areas where change can occur and your own intent for the ritual. Accurately predicting the results would take weeks of endless study.

Infusing your body with magic is how one becomes more powerful in a literal sense. There are no stores of magic kept within a person. Wizards and witches have the ability to use and absorb magic. They are able to interact with it and creatively use it in various forms. There is no storage in a literal sense. There is no extra organ or space where magic is synthesized, processed, or even stored. Instead, each wizard is infused with magic. Those that are more powerful are able to saturate and channel more magic through their bodies. The purpose of the Dragon ritual is to gain aspects of their ability and to over saturate your body with magic. Dragons are beings made of magic and far surpass any level of saturation by a human. Power is a mixture of saturation and the ability to channel magic through the body. In short, how much body your magic can handle inhabiting it and how much can be channelled through it. The Dragon Ritual is meant to aid in both aspects. Magic is a truly wonderful thing. Taking in magic from a sentient creature you connect to is a powerful undertaking and be sure your intent is pure.

 

 

Harry could feel the adrenaline coursing through his body. This is the first crazy adventure he was voluntarily getting into because it was going to solely benefit him. No Hermione to rescue from the troll, no dragon to smuggle out for Hagrid, no legendary artefact to protect from a mad man, no gigantic snake to battle to save Ron's sister, no giant spiders to seek out for Hagrid, and no dementors to drive off to protect his and others souls.

This was the first ludicrous activity that he was going through with at Hogwarts that no sane person would expect a fourteen-year-old boy to be caught up in. Yet here was Harry Potter, ready to enact the plan he had come up with. He'd scouted the dragon's handlers under his invisibility cloak and found out a key detail. The ministry had wanted to ensure the dragons were well rested for the task to put on a good show. They were to be put to sleep the night before. The handlers had laced their dinners with sedatives strong enough to force the dragon to sleep through the night.

The handlers were all heading to bed early to be as prepared for the task the next day. They expected to have ornery dragons. Forcing them to sleep while they were watching their clutch of eggs was a terrible idea. No matter how many times they explained it the official refused to not accept any other course of action that was not their own. That led to the current state of affairs.

Every dragon handler in bed with alarms set to wake up two hours before the dragons were expected to wake up at 10 am. The task was to start at 11 am and they would be waking the dragons up at 10 am. They would all be irate and extra defensive of their clutches. They were not looking forward to their alarms going off. Every one of the twelve dragon preserve employees was bunkered down in their tents and sleeping or preparing to sleep.

Harry Potter was lurking outside the temporary dragon enclosure. He'd overheard their plans and was going to add his own to them. If he could pull this off it would be quite the heist. Fate seemed to be working for him this time, and not to screw him. He'd discovered that there had been a potion invented specifically for keeping dragons asleep. To brew it was a NEWT level or beyond NEWT level potion. He'd followed the exact instructions of the book and thought it had come out fine. He did not want to trust that the dragons he was painting his blood with were not going to suddenly come out of their nap time and fry him to a crisp.

Harry cast the basic detection charm for sensing if there are wards. He was grateful the tents were not warded. He hadn't learned anything yet about dismantling or any ways to overcome even basic wards. He'd been told outright destroying them would be an option. For a stealth mission such as this, it was not feasible.

Harry crept into the first of the two tents and saw it was much as he was expecting. A magically enlarged tent. He walked into the entrance that led down two steps into a sunken sitting area that was complete with couches, armchairs and a lit fireplace. He slowly made his way down two steps when he realized a mistake he had made. He'd forgotten to cast the charm to detect how many human souls were within the immediate area. The more power he put into the charm the greater the distance it would cover. When he first learned the charm, he remembered the French Champion had used it when he was under his cloak.

What did not make any sense was the incongruity between what the book stated and what he had experienced. Salazar's book was very clear. The charm would reveal even those found under invisibility cloaks. Wizards had no method to defeat the simple charm. It was an infallible, an inerrant and impossible to trick, charm. The result should have been blatantly obvious. Harry was the only person to have ever survived the Killing Curse. The curse was inerrant, infallible and if it made contact with you death was the only result.

That was until young Harry Potter had it cast on him. Now he was not revealed by a charm that detects human souls. What did that mean about his soul? Had the Killing Curse done something to his soul? There was that growing list… Harry had never even heard of soul magic before. There was no elective class for it at Hogwarts. Another mystery that was simply beyond him and had no bearing on his immediate future.

His left foot skipped the first step and he moved onto the top step on the far side of the shrunken living room. The kitchen was off to his left but he was unconcerned with it. The charm had told him there were six persons ahead of him. There were three doors and that meant two to a room. Harry slowly made his way down the hallway as quietly as he could. He'd never been so thankful for sneaking around the castle and at the Dursley's before that.

He snuck his way into the room and cast Sonimum silently. That had taken some practice to learn how to cast his first-ever silent spell. It was less work than he expected because he understood why it was more difficult. It was said to require more focus and wasn't done until the NEWT level classes. By removing the verbal and mental queues from spell casting the caster often failed to supply the intent and willpower required. It took some time to figure it out and become comfortable to go into this kind of undertaking.

Harry was not certain of how legal rituals of this nature were, but he was willing to wager his entire trust vault that this specific one would be deemed illegal. That did not bother him and neither did casting silent sleeping charms for dragons on the two dragon handlers. They were situated in a bunk bed with each man lying down on the mattress. Whether they were asleep or not didn't matter. Two very fast spells while he was still under his cloak and he was ready to go. He'd put enough power that he thought they shouldn't wake for a couple of hours. Beyond that, he had no way to really gauge. It wasn't like he'd ever run around casting silent sleeping charms on men that were already sleeping beforehand.

Harry continued onto the next two rooms and though his blood pressure would infer he was in an extremely dangerous event, it was rather anticlimactic. None of them were expecting a Triwizard Champion to break into the supposedly secret temporary dragon preserve and to incapacitate the handlers. It was all over in less than ten minutes of him entering camp. Now came for the part he was less sure of. He'd be exposed inside the pens as he began to make his way out of the final tent. This tent held the more senior staff members. There were four rooms instead of just three. Walking past the coffee table, he saw something that piqued his interest.

There were four life-like renditions of the dragons that were outside the cages. He saw they were miniatures of the actual dragons. Harry looked at them and quite liked the Hungarian Horntail miniature. He decided it would make a nice desk ornament in the chamber. He pocketed it, without guilt, and made his way out of the tent.

The air was frigid and fresh. It smelled of old tree growth and tickled his senses with the hint of the winter that was to come. The cold air surrounded him as he made his way into the first dragon pen. He'd researched the four dragons and decided to use the Hungarian Horntail, the Chinese Fireball and the Swedish Short-Snout. The most deadly dragon in existence, the scarlet-coloured reptile known as the lion dragon, and thirdly the gorgeous silver-blue dragon that was agile and the one that could throw out blue hot flames.

He'd thought them a good mix. A lion-like dragon, the most feared and combative dragon paired with an agile, blue hot flamed dragon that was reclusive by nature. The Common Welsh Green was more of a sheep eating docile dragon. Its calm demeanour and general lackadaisical nature did not appeal to him. It would be skipped as the ritual only required three.

He'd practised the runes he had to draw on the dragons in his own blood tirelessly. He could do them blindfolded without any issues. The blood he had simply siphoned out the previous afternoon as it would take around two quartz per dragon. It worried Harry that he would be losing so much blood until his brain kicked in and he realized he could simply use a blood replenishing potion. His muggle upbringing really hindered the thought processes that most wizards would have. In some ways, that was good, as it allowed him to think differently than magically raised children and there were times where it sorely hindered him. An exhausted Harry Potter made it back to the chamber by 2 am to engage the next part of the ritual.

 

 

When Harry's body finally recovered from the ritual, it was eight hours later, just as the book had predicted. The worst discovery, upon waking, was the incredible pain he was in. His entire body had been infused with the foreign magic and it had incredibly painful results. When he activated the connection between them he felt like his body was bathed in fire. He knew there was no warning of it in the instructions for the ritual. Was it left out so that he wouldn't have second thoughts about performing it or because something went wrong? Either way, It hurt beyond anything Harry had ever experienced. He was used to pain and had a rather high tolerance for it. All of the previous experiences paled in comparison. It was like every cell in his body was on fire and it knocked him out. He could not stay conscious with that level of pain. Thankfully, he had planned ahead and Dobby helped him like usual.

As quickly as he could, he scarfed down the meal Dobby provided and completed his morning rituals. The pain relief potion that he'd taken prior to his meal had thankfully kicked in. Each minute, the after-effects of the ritual were lessening and if the rate of change continued he would be right as rain in no time. Harry made his way back towards the bedroom so he could look for a robe that would be ideal for today. Dobby had been delighted to be allowed to take on such an arduous task. It still amused Harry to see how excited he got by the prospect of work.

Harry stood in the walkthrough closet and asked for Dobby.

"Dobby, is there any kind of outfit fit for combating a dragon?" It was kind of a shot in the dark but maybe Dobby had found something. He'd already come through with a mokeskin pouch for discretely and safely storing items. He'd no longer go anywhere without this invisibility cloak that could, somehow, fully hide his presence. Storing even the map on him would be prudent too.

Harry had not explored all the clothes. Others might have. He cared rather little for clothing. Dobby put outfits out for him to wear everyday anytime he required it. Harry hadn't asked him to and he appreciated it.

Dobby hadn't responded verbally, he had just popped away without comment.

A few seconds later, he reappeared with a new set of clothes in hand. Harry thanked the little elf and looked at what had been procured for him. He was able to easily identify a set of black dragonhide boots with silver finishings. There was a dark green set of pants that were so dark they appeared black except under light. There was a light black undershirt to go over his bare skin with a set of robes that matched black and silver boots in parts and his pants in others.

Harry ran his hand along it and there were perceptible differences in the materials. Very fine and small scales that may have been from a dragon. There were smooth portions that felt like a cool brisk stream. Those portions he safely thought were acromantula silk and the final portion almost felt like an odd mixture between the two. It wasn't standard muggle leather, he knew that much. A snakeskin? Basilisk hide or just part of it? It was an outfit that came from this closet and was better than wearing his simple Hogwarts robes.

Harry slowly changed out of his clothes and put these on. He'd never considered clothes before and now he felt that was an error. His plain school robes and hand-me-downs did affect him. Unconsciously, he was embarrassed by his shabby attire. He did not care how expensive or if they were from a well-known designer. The error was that he'd never felt this good before. These were well made, tough, durable, fashionable and incredibly comfortable. Though he didn't notice, his chin was held just a little higher.

Harry checked himself again. He had his mokeskin pouch, which Dobby had provided, and it contained his wand, the map, his cloak, and his Firebolt. He realized he should consider putting in some basic potions as well. He squared his shoulder, brought his chin up and strode, with purpose, to go and face the first task. He'd looked the part, he felt the part and he would perform the part up to his expectations today. It had only been a couple of weeks but Harry felt different. He was preparing for what was to come and take the reigns of his life back under his control.

 

 

Harry was not expecting to see what he was experiencing now. There was far more to this tournament than he had expected. Harry made up his mind to head towards the stadium, under his cloak, and try to find out where he was supposed to show up. The throngs of people showed that there were far more than even the end of season quidditch games that were packed with parents, scouts and friends. There was a buzz in the air and apprehension festered through the atmosphere. Harry did his best to make his way towards what he overheard as being termed the Champion's Tent. It was not hard to find, as it was a massive tent off to the side of the new temporary stadium.

Harry made his way to the Champion's tent quite easily. The place was crowded by people and all were being barred entry. Harry found a hidden spot and took off his invisibility cloak, putting it back into his mokeskin bag. Harry slipped his way through until he got to the entrance, where there was a witch. Not just any witch though, one in Auror robes that had eye-catching pink hair standing guard. Harry made his way right to her.

She stood tall impeding his entry. "Hey! Nobody but the champions and those authorized are allowed in. Move away or you will be forcibly removed." She said in a clear commanding voice that was touched with irritation obviously stemming from having to say it over and over to anyone trying to gain unauthorized entry.

Harry grinned a little and responded facetiously. "Are Champions allowed in?"

He expected her to bite back at him, be sarcastic back, or even apologize. Harry wasn't ready for her response. She grabbed his upper arm forcibly and pretty well threw him forward into the tent, abandoning her post.

"Director! Director!" she called out and pulled him along to another female in auror robes. This one gave off quite the presence. Auburn hair, middle-aged and with a monocle in one eye. She gave a quick once over of the pink-haired female that had dragged him into the tent and then raised her eyebrows at seeing him. That was the only noticeable change in the seemingly unflappable woman.

"Good work, cadet Tonks." The older witch said without taking her eyes off of Harry. She quickly barked out a command. "Return to your post cadet Tonks." Her eyes flicked off him for a second as she made eye contact with the pink-haired cadet and gave her a simple nod.

Harry wasn't really sure what was going on with the auburn-haired witch. She was a director of the aurors? "Mr Potter I am Amelia Bones the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Please follow me." It may have been phrased politely but Harry knew this a command and she was not a witch to cause any issues with. Harry had no real choice but to follow her.

Amelia briskly marched to the side compartment of the entrance of this massive tent. The tent was originally meant to be used for the tournament organizing Committee and the Triwizard Champions. Due to the extenuating circumstances, and the ongoing saga of the missing Boy-Who-Lived, the tent was massively upgraded and was now a mobile command post. She led him from the room that her aurors had taken over this morning and into the section, she had claimed as her own office. She needed to conduct an interview with the teen as quickly as possible. Her task would be far easier without any form of outside interference. Tonks spotting the young man before the press or Hogwarts staff was beyond fortuitous.

Harry followed the witch into a room that had a desk with a lot of paperwork on it. There were half a dozen paper aeroplanes in a holding pattern circling the office as well. He watched her motion with her wand as she conducted the paper aeroplanes to unfold back into flat parchment and sort themselves neatly into a pile directly in front of the chair she was in. She beckoned him to sit in one of the two chairs facing her.

Harry watched as she directed her wand at a piece of parchment and she quickly wrote a short note before casting a spell she did not verbally intone and it folded itself into a paper aeroplane before zoomed out of the room. She then quickly skimmed the paperwork that were previously paper aeroplanes. He wished he knew what was going on. Why would he need to talk to the Director of the DMLE in person before he was allowed to compete? Did the investigation into his being named champion actually find out what happened?

Harry was marvelling at the woman as she worked with a single-minded purposefulness. She wasn't distracted by anything and not even given cursory glances to him. He felt she was keenly aware of him and if he made any sort of threatening manoeuvre, she'd respond lightning quick. Harry didn't know what to do with himself so he tried to say calm and sit watching her work. Did they know he had done the Dragon Power ritual?

That was his chief concern but he tried to use the calming exercises he had learned recently. They were exercises for calming his mind to begin Occlumency exercises each day. While Harry was waiting, for a total of two minutes, Amelia Bones was reading the latest reports from her department. There was only one good thing about this morning and that was the healthy-looking Harry Potter in front of her.

Amelia looked up as Harry caught the movement in the entrance to the office he was sitting in. Coming in through the door was the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore. He looked irritated until his eyes saw Harry Potter sitting in front of Amelia's desk. She had just summoned him in a way he did not appreciate, regardless of what was going on. Especially on catastrophic mornings like this one.

Before either male was able to acknowledge one another or even say something, she got things started. "Now that your magical guardian is here, Mr Potter, we can begin. This is an informal questioning into the matter of the missing person case for Harry James Potter. The conversation is being recorded by dictaquill as you can see to my right."

Harry swivelled his head back to see there was a quill working independent of human hands and it was writing out word for word what was being discussed.

"Is this really necessary Amelia? Harry is in good health, we can shut the case and I'll take charge of him." He said with aplomb after transfiguring the chair beside Harry into the chair he had in his own office. He adeptly sat into his throne-like high-backed chair.

"Excuse me but what is going on here? Why am I being questioned?" Harry interrupted quickly.

Both adults focused on him. "Mr Potter you were reported missing by your magical guardian and have not been located by any volunteer or law enforcement agents seeking to locate you. You were blocked from any form of communicating with you and your disappearance has been the major media story in the wizarding world. Once you failed to show up to the Weighing of the Wands ceremony your case was escalated."

"I was reported missing?" Harry asked rather confused by the information bomb he was just given. Volunteer groups were looking for him as well as law enforcement agents? Him being out of reach was the news story of the wizarding world? Why? He was just a 14 year old… What was the Weighing of the Wands ceremony? Why would the weight of his wand matter for the tournament? He did not recall his wand being given a weight when he bought it. Ollivander told him the length but not weight. Was it like muggle boxing? An official weighing in before a fight? That didn't make sense, boxing had weight classes, do wands have them as well? Were there school wands and competition wands? Was the weight important because this was a wand competition instead of using something like a staff? Was that even a thing? Harry's thoughts ran adrift from what was pertinent.

"Yes, well, Amelia you can see this has been sorted out now and Harry needs to be prepared with the rest of the Champions."

"Headmaster Dumbledore. While this is an informal questioning you are still required to only speak when spoken to. Remain quiet or you will be removed." Harry made a mental note to not upset this woman. Compared to McGonagall's version of stern, it would leave her looking like a declawed cat compared to this woman. McGonagall was a stern authoritarian that was a no-nonsense kind of person. One that had a palpable aura of discipline. Director Bones had the authority and discipline aspects down. Where she differed from the teacher, was her radiating feelings of power, fortitude and confidence as though she could handle anything you could throw at her.

"To answer your question, Mr Potter, your magical guardian, Headmaster Dumbledore, reported you missing and my department has been searching for your whereabouts ever since. As you arrived here unharmed, can you tell me where you have been since you were last seen in Diagon Alley?"

Huh, they knew he had been to Diagon Alley. His meeting with Bloodfang should be confidential if they follow muggle world banking privacy standards, so that should be fine. Though that did make his mind connect to a rather salient point.

"Wait, I think it would be best to clarify something first. I do not have a magical guardian." Harry stated with a frown on his face. As far as he was aware, he was legally considered an adult for the duration of the tournament. He'd sent his letter of withdrawal to Hogwarts stating he would be finding alternate education this year. Why was he reported missing? The frown deepened with his confusion.

"Mr Potter, all minors in the wizarding world have a guardian. Minors with muggle guardians must have a magical guardian to assist with making informed decisions on matters within the wizarding world. Since your guardians are listed as Vernon and Petunia Dursley you were assigned a magical guardian. Headmaster Dumbledore has assumed the role since your parent's death, according to the records we have on file."

It made sense that he should have a magical guardian but why had he never been informed? The Headmaster had never told him or helped him make any decisions in the magical world. He'd sent Hagrid to introduce him and the Weasley family took him shopping for school supplies. What were his responsibilities to Harry as his Magical Guardian? Had he failed Harry there too?

"Well, there is one major point of contention with this situation then. I am not a minor." The grin on his face must have shown because he got a puzzled look from Amelia Bones and he did not catch the Headmaster's by glancing over at him.

"Explain. Wizards are not considered an adult until they are 17."

Harry liked how she conducted herself. She was smart, direct, and straightforwardly dealt with him. He'd added a new element and she took it in stride asking for an explanation while giving him the counter-argument to why his statement should be false.

She did not accuse him of falsehood, though, as most of the adults he had ever dealt with would have. She asked for an explanation instead of assuming she knew better than him. Perhaps it was his grin that led to her treating him differently than he had always experienced from authority figures. Harry took a second to marvel at the Chamber of Secrets again. Just yesterday it had given him some educational material that was not related to magic. It was, from what Harry could tell, on expanding his rational abilities. How to think and present yourself logically. It would get immediate use. He had no idea there were actual terms for differing styles of argumentation.

"As I understand it, there were consequences beyond just being a Triwizard Champion. Let me present it with deductive reasoning:

If only adults are allowed entry into the tournament, all the Champions are adults.

Harry Potter is a Triwizard Champion.

Harry Potter is an adult.

I can tell you Gringotts confirmed the deductive argument was both valid and enforced by magic." Harry saw no reason to also let them know that it was only temporary while the magic of the goblet enforced the contract.

"I see." Was the simple reply from Director Bones. It was easy to see she was deep in thought on how the new information would affect things. Harry snuck a look at Dumbledore who was running his fingers along his beard. He too appeared deep in thought though their looks different. Amelia Bones was pensive and contemplative. Dumbledore was both of those just with an added air of resignation and frustration. Harry gave them a moment as neither looked like they were ready to continue the conversation immediately before he voiced his next question.

"I'm still at a loss of how this became a missing person's case."

Amelia quirked her head slight, diagonally to the left, as she focused back on the recently emancipated minor, giving him her full attention. "The case was opened when news broke of you no longer being seen in Hogwarts and after the magical guardian we had on file was unable to explain your absence."

That didn't make any sense, Harry realized. Dumbledore must not have allowed anyone to know he had withdrawn from Hogwarts. He had no idea how to legally do so, but the Director of the DMLE should have been made aware of that letter. "I informed Hogwarts, in a letter, that the Goblet of Fire chose me as a competitor for no named school. I decided it would be best to withdraw from Hogwarts and not attend it at present. They were informed I was seeking education elsewhere and due to the secure nature of my accommodations, I've been cut off from the outside world."

Harry had to hide a smile as the revelations changed Amelia Bones line of sight from Harry to the Headmaster. It seemed she did not enjoy information being withheld from her. Dumbledore though seemed ambivalent to this occurrence.

"And where have you been learning Harry? Hogwarts is the premier school of magic and the safest place for you. We can get you caught up to continue in your studies here, Harry my boy." Dumbledore told him with his normal patronizing grandfatherly tone.

"Safest place for me?" Harry scoffed and scowled at Dumbledore. He was upset with the man and Harry's cursory thoughts about him being a rather useless magical guardian was still percolating in his emotions.

"Mr Dumbledore, Mr Potter is an adult and can make his own decisions at this time." Harry loved the blatant use of a patronizing tone she reciprocated at the aged wizard. She turned to give her attention fully to Harry. "If you were not in fact missing, and have no concerns, I will end this interview and apologize for wasting your time. Our investigation was conducted with the understanding you are a minor at the request of your former magical guardian. We can shift any further inquiries that way."

"I have not been missing, Director, I have been studying magic with time for nothing else. Are you able to tell me what this Weighing of the Wands ceremony you referenced earlier was? You said I missed it but I don't even know what it is and why I wasn't told about it."

Amelia continued her death glare at the headmaster as Harry asked spoke. She did not look impressed. "The Weighing of the Wands is a traditional part of the tournament. A wand maker comes to check that the wands of the Champions are in good working order and it is normally a large meet and greet with the press. This year, they had a podium for the Champions to be asked questions. They were told, by your former Headmaster, that you were aware of the event and had failed to show up." She practically growled her final statement.

"Thank you for fully informing me, Director Bones," Harry blatantly failed to hide his smirk at his sarcastic comment. He wasn't sure where this newfound confidence had come from. He was enjoying the results of his changed demeanour when dealing with authority figures. He'd have never taken an open shot, even as minor of a single sarcastic comment, at Dumbledore before. It wasn't a concern of Harry's as it could be a combination of a number of innocuous things like he was an adult now, Amelia Bones shared his opinions, and he was still annoyed at the Headmaster for his lack of action regarding him.

"Mr Potter, you are needed with the other champions. The task starts shortly. Please exit out the door and continue to the left. You can't miss it." The low key growl in her voice hadn't dissipated and Harry reminded himself, mentally, that he should not piss off this witch. He gave her a nod and a quick thanks before he fled from the room. He quickly followed the directions and found the appropriate room.

He walked out to the left and into where he saw Cedric, Fleur and Viktor all congregated. He walked into the large open room and made his way towards the other champions.