Family meeting

// THIS IS AN OLD CHAPTER. THE NEW CHAPTERS ARE IN VOLUME 2. YOU CAN READ THESE CHAPTERS IF YOU WANT SOME INSIGHT ON WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN LATER BUT SOME EVENTS CAN BE DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW CHAPTERS.

Four months have passed since the second task, and it's in the Great Hall that I look forward to the start of the final task and the reward of a full year of preparation to bring Harry to this moment. There were of course some unforeseen events, but the situation went well in the end.

Snape kept an eye on Barty Crouch Jr. to make sure he didn't do anything that might attract attention, like killing his father for example. Barty Crouch Senior is alive and well in front of me with the other judges. He came back from the hospital where he had spent a short stay for overwork but nothing too bad. Anyway, there is little chance that Junior will survive this evening, Snape poisoned his polynectar with very slow poison, then it will be easy to destroy the body and there will be no trace of the Crouch son.

Filburg has grown up well too, but Daphne is so attached to him that I cannot bring myself to absorb him. The funny thing is that he behaves with Daphne as if it was his mother, but he respects me as if I were the leader of the flock. He behaves so differently with the two of us that I sometimes have the impression that I have two phoenixes instead of one.

As I was eating a fat slice of bacon, McGonagall walks over to me.

"Bones, the champions are to meet in the backroom after breakfast. You are going to see your families before the last task begins."

"I see, thank you, professor."

I quietly finish my lunch with Daphne. She is nervous about the exam she has to take today. I admit that one of the advantages of this competition is that you don't have to worry about these exams.

"You can come with me if you want." She seems hesitant, I guess she still wants to represent herself to my parents under her new status.

"I really can't, I have an exam on HoM just now. If I get a bad grade, my dad will kill me!"

"I see. It's a shame but I understand. I'm going, I'll see you later when I have collected the cup." She smiles before returning to her lunch.

When I go through the doors of the back room which is normally reserved for teachers. The other champions are already there with their parents. Viktor talks in Bulgarian with a man and a woman who must be his parents. Fleur is also there with her mother and her little sister, Gabrielle. Lilly and James are there as well, waiting for their son, the tension between the two is palpable and I have the distinct impression that the situation could turn into a disaster at any moment.

I spot my family sitting at a table by the window. My mother left her account books, my father was surely granted a day of vacation by my aunt who took the opportunity to accompany him. Even grandmother Stryga made the trip in the company of the headmaster of Ilvermorny.

"Sean! Over here." My father jumps up when I walk through the doors of the room and hug me. "To think that I thought you only inherited the bookworm side of your mother, but I see you also inherited your old father's thirst for adventure! It must have been ten months since the last time we saw each other and all the news we heard about you comes from the Daily Prophet. You could call more often! "

"Sorry dad, I was busy."

"I see that, Hogwarts Triwizard Tournament champion. And does the girls like champions?"

"A little. Do you remember Daphne?"

"The little Greengrass girl? What was all this drama about the engagement if it was to go out with her in the end?" He comes closer to me so that I'm the only one to hear him whisper. "I brought you something just in case. Don't let your mother see it." He slips a small notebook into my pocket before pretending to hug me.

"Darling, what did you just put in our son's pocket? "A drop of cold sweat runs over my father's forehead who reacts in the worst possible way, he starts to flee in the direction of the door "Locomotor Mortis" a flash of light bursts from my mother's wand, which she removes from her jacket in a fluid movement.

My father narrowly avoids it and the spell escapes through the door that has just opened on McGonagall accompanied by Harry. My father makes his way running between the two newcomers before fleeing.

"Arthur Bones, sixteen years may have passed but the rules didn't change! DON'T RUN IN THE CORRIDORS!"

"Sean, what did your father give you?" My mother's face is terrifying, a tight smile that doesn't seem warm at all distorts her face. I give her the little notebook that my father slipped into my pocket. When my mother sees it, she turns scarlet and gives me the little notebook back before running for the door. "ARTHUR, WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR HEAD TO GIVE OUR NOTEBOOK TO SEAN! "

"ELENEA GAUNT, WHAT GOES FOR ARTHUR, APPLIES TO YOU TOO! MINUS FIVE POINTS FOR SLYTHERIN AND RAVENCLAW!" McGonagall had just ushered Potter in when my mother ran past her before she walked through the door of the room.

"But professor, it's been sixteen years since they graduated." I'm not going to lose any points for that though.

"I don't care, Bones. Your parents did nonsense after nonsense for seven years, I don't want to see history repeat itself again today." McGonagall sets off on their chases, leaving us alone in the room with what remains of the parents of champions.

"Can I see this notebook, Sean?" Stryga holds out her hand and I put the notebook in it. But she recognizes it just looking at the cover and bursts out laughing.

"What's so funny grandma?"

"Oh, nothing. I just remember how many times I stumbled upon this notebook while your mom was trying to hide it. Please read it and use what you learn from it. I can't wait to see my great-grandchildren arrive. " I don't quite understand what the great-grandchildren have to do with that, but there's no point in insisting, I'll find out what's in this notebook later.

"So, Sean, are you nervous?" My aunt is much more down-to-earth than her brother.

"Um, a little. I'm especially curious about what I'm going to stumble upon in the maze."

"That's good but remember not to let your guard down. I've been told that it was Mad-Eye who was tasked with creating some of the traps in the labyrinth. It's not for nothing that he was fired from the ministry. This man deserves his place in Azkaban as much as some of the people he sent there. Or at least, a definitive place in the psychiatric wing of saint mungo."

"I don't plan on letting my guard down for a second, actually, I have a plan to move through the maze while completely avoiding the traps."

"It's even better, but don't underestimate Mad-Eye and stay on your guard, this is very important. Once in the labyrinth, you will be alone. I must leave you now, I must return to the ministry for an urgent matter, but I'll be there to see you tonight. Good luck my boy. " She puts a caring hand on my shoulder before leaving the room.

"So, Sean, ready to go to your new home. This is my first time at Hogwarts but I'm a little disappointed. The place has a lot of history but it's unnecessarily big for so few students. and there are so few teachers. "

"Yes. However, I'm not sure Professor Dumbledore would like to see you recruiting into his institution."

"To hell with Albus, he doesn't even know I'm here. Besides, I'm not here as the headmaster of Ivelmorny but as a member of the family." They must surely see my air of incomprehension because my grandmother takes my hand before telling me the news.

"Sean, Ephthalius and I are getting married this summer." There I am speechless.

"Is this not going a bit too fast? It mustn't have been a year yet since you've known each other."

"Well, we've discussed it and we think it's the right time. After the wedding, we plan to have our honeymoon in Paris, my cousin lives there. She got married to a French wizard. That's her daughter and her two little granddaughters over there. " She gives Fleur and her mother a quick little wave of her hand, "I haven't gone to introduce myself yet, they must think I'm crazy."

Suddenly the door of the room opens wide letting Dumbledore rushes straight towards our table not without taking the time to make a small gesture of the hand to greet Lilly and James who are still discussing with Harry.

"Ephthalius, I didn't know you were coming to the castle. Usually, you should have sent us a letter notifying us of your visit." Dumbledore had one of his rare smiles where he wasn't really smiling.

"Albus, you invited me when you invited the Champions Families. I don't see why I should announce myself when I'm not coming in as a headmaster." The tension is almost palpable between the two men.

"So, it's not enough for you to try to recruit my students by mail. You now have to come in person."

"Come on Albus, don't take it that way. I didn't lie about being related to the boy. His grandmother and I are getting married this summer."

"So, you are not part of his family yet."

"Let's not play on words. Let's go take a drink in your office if you don't mind. I was told that two of our colleagues are also in your school. Wouldn't this be the perfect opportunity to discuss between school headmasters? "

"Well, follow me. I'll take you around the school while Karkaroff and Madame Maxime receive my invitation. "

"With pleasure."

The two men leave, leaving us alone with Stryga.

"I'm sorry our family reunion was cut short. I'll make sure to give all the idiots a beating when they get home. Do your best during the ordeal and if anything happens to you. Be sure that I would reduce this labyrinth to dust to come and get you."

She plants a big kiss on my cheek before leaving the room to follow the two headmasters.