(1) Patrimony (H. Potter)

Chapter Five

Harry walks through the dark halls of the school, silent around him. But he is listening out for any other sounds. Just in case he is not alone or about to be caught. He reaches a small alcove and lets out a breath, eyes scanning around as if he's waiting for something...or someone. He wrinkles his nose. A little disappointed. Then lets out a startled noise when someone grabs the back of his jumper and pulls him into the shadows.

"Shush" A voice warns, he turns his head to see Rhiannon's eyes glowing in the dark.

"You sacred me" Harry scolds her, she chuckles and leans back against the wall.

"I got your note" She counters and holds up a piece of paper in her hand, it had come via Hedwig who had landed on her window on the ship and scared Attila at the time. "What did you want to talk about?" He gives her a look back. "Right" She draws out. "Tri-Wizard" She mumbles.

"Are you okay?" he asks her, she slides down the wall to sit on the floor, Harry does the same opposite her.

"Fine. I am wunderbar" She assures him. "It's crazy but nothing to be done....clearly" She shrugs a little. "What about you?" He shrugs. She shrugs back at him. "What does that mean?" She asks him, he looks at her. "Good...bad....?"

"I don't feel great" He admits.

"What?" She teases. "Getting picked to do a really dangerous magic competition at fourteen is not what you've always wanted to do?" He laughs a little and shakes his head.

"No" He offers, they share a look, she smiles a little and shrugs.

"No..." She agrees. "How did your friends react?" She asks him. "The redhead boy..."

"Ron" He offers, she hums a little. "He didn't believe me" Harry whispers.

"I believe you" She offers. "Mostly because I know I didn't put my name in, and if it can happen to me....then it can happen to anyone"

"Do you think it's the same person?" He asks her.

"I don't know" She admits. "Would be weird if it was, we've never met, I doubt we share enemies" She narrows her eyes a little. "Why did you really ask to meet me?" She asks him, he fiddles with his hands a little.

"I figured we could help one another" He answers quietly. "We're both been thrown into this..." She softens a little.

"Okay," She agrees.

"I mean, I know that you are probably.." He stops and then cocks his head. "Wait, what?"

"I said okay" She answers him. "You are right. And if your friends currently don't believe you, that means they are not going to help you, for now, so you need all the help you can get...I have Karkaroff, he's backing me..." She lets out a breath. "But I'll help you as best I can, Potter...But I can't make any promises that you'll come out of this alive..."

"I know" He agrees, the two of them sharing a look.

"Gut," She tells him and leans forward. "Then we need somewhere quiet to practice; I'll have Attila find somewhere"

"Attila?" He asks her, she smirks.

"My cat" She answers and then stands. "Good night, Potter, get some sleep" She is then walking away and disappearing into the dark. Harry lets out a breath and closes his eyes.

...........

Smoke trails from a box camera that takes a photo of the four champions gathered together in a trophy room. The photographer nods from behind the camera.

"Thank you," He tells them. Rhiannon lets out a breath and folds her arms over her chest.

"Well, now, aren't we the charismatic quartet...." A woman steps through the smoke and into the light, eyeing the four champions with an almost feral intensity. Rita Skeeter. "Hel-lo, everyone" She greets. "I'm Rita Skeeter and I write for the Daily Prophet, but you all know that, don't you?"

"No" Rhiannon mumbles to herself.

"It's you we don't know" Rita then starts pacing in front of them. "What quirks lurk beneath the rosy cheeks? What mysteries do the muscles mask? Does courage lie beneath the curls? In short: what makes a champion tick. Me, myself and I want to know. Not to mention my rabid readers. So, who's feeling up to sharing? Mmm? Shall we start with the youngest?" Rita looks between Rhiannon and Harry. "Which one first?" Harry's panicked eyes meet Rhiannon's for a moment as Rita grabs his arm and practically drags him off. "Lovely."

.............

Rhiannon pulls a face at the broom cupboard as Rita sits across from her. It's her turn now. And she has a plan to get out of it without giving too much away. She just has to be patient, and wait out this reporter.

"Don't mind if I use the quick-quotes quill do you?" Rita motions to the magical quill hovering close by, Rhiannon cocks her head a little. "Good" Rita carries on as if Rhiannon had actually answered her. "So, Rhiannon, here you sit, a mere girl about to compete against three students. Two who are not only vastly more emotionally mature than yourself but have mastered spells that you wouldn't attempt in your dizziest daydreams. Concerned?" Rhiannon remains silent. "You're Rhiannon Grindelwald" Rita points out. "Daughter of the infamous Gellert Grindelwald..." Rita stares at Rhiannon, waiting for her to give her something, anything. "How do you think he'd feel? Proud?" Rhiannon just stares back at her, her nails pressing into her palm.

"Klappe zu, affe tot" Rhiannon states. Rita sighs, her shoulders sagging with the realisation that Rhiannon cannot speak English. Rita waves her off, Rhiannon stands and turns to the door. Rhiannon smirks to herself as she leaves the broom cupboard and walks away.

........

Harry notes Rhiannon glaring at Rita as she talks with Fleur, Rhiannon was in there for a far shorter time than Harry and Cedric were. He stands from his seat and moves to her side, she glances at him and then looks back at Rita as she walks away with Fleur.

"You weren't in there very long," He tells her, she looks at him.

"Didn't do it" She offers.

"How did you get out of it?" Harry asks her, Rhiannon smirks at him.

"Stared at her for a bit and then mumbled in German.....She thinks I don't speak English" She admits, Harry laughs slightly and smirks back at her.

"That's pretty genius," He tells her.

"I know" She agrees teasingly inn a whisper. Behind them, Dumbledore lingers watching them together. He then clears his throat, causing the two of them to turn to him.

"Mr Crouch is about to give a speech" Dumbledore informs them. Harry nods and goes to follow as Dumbledore watches Rhiannon a moment she is uncomfortable under the gaze and lets out a breath.

.........

Crouch stands before the champions, while McGonagall, Karkaroff, Dumbledore, Moody, and Rita watch on. Rhiannon takes a steady breath through her nose and then lets it out again.

"Courage in the face of the unknown is essential for any wizard," Crouch tells them. "If one cannot defeat the devil he imagines he surely cannot hope to defeat the devil himself. Therefore, you will be told nothing of what awaits you. You will, however, have two weapons upon which to rely; your wand and your wits. On behalf of the Minister for Magic, I wish each of you good luck" Rita eyes Crouch with cruel amusement, she then speaks to the photographer.

"'On behalf of the Minister...' I remember when ol' Barty Crouch thought he would rule the world. Of course, that was before. Mad as a bloody Hatter these days...." Rita then turns and leaves the trophy room.