Their hero is my cause
My cause, an enemy's legacy
~ The Return Of Krum ~
It was four-thirty the next morning, but not all of Hogwarts was asleep. Harry, Ron, Fred and George - equipped with wands and backpacks - were lurking in the darkness of the school grounds. The storm had soothed for now, though the ground was still wet, and there was a portentous electricity lingering in the air. Prior to setting off, Harry updated Ron about Fred and George finding Professor Snape's Portkey, and the secret laboratory. That's where they were heading now. Snape's Portkey was their only hope of making it to the Annual Drakon Hunt.
`This way, step lively!' called Fred from up front. `Should be almost half-past six in the morning at Mount Olympus.'
`I thought Snape's secret laboratory was inside, not outside!' said Ron grumpily. Although he was keen to conduct the mission like everyone else, he was not fond of having to wake up so early.
`It is, brother,' said George, picking up the rear. `But the proper entrance is on the outside. That Slytherin snake statue was only the exit. Ah ha! Here we are!'
They were now standing before an ordinary stone wall at the back of the castle. Harry and Ron looked dumfounded.
`This is it?' said Ron skeptically.
`Yep!' said George, nodding.
`Where's the door then?'
`Think, brother! Snape wouldn't be stupid enough to put a door here with a sign saying "Snape's secret laboratory, come one come all!", would he?'
`I didn't say - '
`There's an inscription on the stone,' Fred identified, shutting Ron up. Harry walked over to where Fred was referring for a closer look.
`I don't see anything,' he said, squinting.
`Ingenious, is it not? Here, watch this.'
Plucking out his wand, Fred tapped the wall and pronounced: `aperio!'
To Harry's astonishment, words suddenly illuminated on the stone, shimmering like water and glowing bright green. It appeared to be riddle.
`Ta da!' said Fred, putting his wand away. `Instant inscription!'
Harry read it out loud:
Their hero is my cause
My cause, an enemy's legacy
`What's the answer then?' Ron asked, turning to Fred and George with anticipation. They shrugged.
`Dunno. Changes everyday.' Ron snorted.
`Great! Just when you need Hermione.'
`OI!' George suddenly yelled, pointing upwards. `What's that up in the sky?'
Everyone looked up and saw a dazzling orange light, falling from the night sky like a shooting star. As it ventured closer, Harry and the others could make out a flame and a large, bulky shape of some kind.
`It's coming right for us!' said Ron, panicked.
`Wicked!' said Fred and George, excited.
`DUCK!' cried Harry as, whatever it was, soared right over their heads, before landing a few metres away.
`Hey!' said Ron, un-ducking his head. `It's one of those Bulgarian vulicra bovine thingos!' And suddenly, realising what this could mean, `oh know, don't tell me!'
Ron's fears were confirmed. On top of the `vulicra bovine thingo' - or rather, the vulicrus bovine, also known as a flying ox - was Viktor Krum, bearing a torch of fire.
`Harry Potter!' he cried, dismounting the ox and rushing towards them.
`Er, hi Krum,' said Harry gawkily, still in shock. `What are you doing here?'
`The Viktor Krum?' said Fred, stepping in front of Harry.
`It is!' said George, also stepping out. `We've never been formally introduced Mr Krum, but I'm George Weasley! And that's my brother, Fred. This is such an honour!'
`A tremendous honour!' said Fred, shaking Krum's hand.
`Get out of it you two! Honestly!' said Ron, irritated, and pushing them aside. Fred scoffed.
`What's your problem? You were all over Krum like Malfoy on Snape's ass last year!'
`Shut up!'
`I have journeyed all day and all night,' said Krum, ignoring the Weasley's dispute. `I vote a letter to Hermowninny, asking her to the Annual Drakon Hunt, but she did not vite one back. So I come to Hogwarts, to see her in person and ask for her hand in marriage. Again.'
`Looks like this one's got love potion relapse, too,' George muttered to Harry.
Harry couldn't believe they had forgotten about Krum! Ginny, Malfoy and himself weren't the only ones who'd taken the Aphora Bewitching Potion. Krum had as well.
`Hermione isn't here, Krum,' said Harry.
`Yeah, go home!' said Ron, more rudely.
`Ron!' Fred nudged him.
`Vhere is she?' said Krum, looking to each of them seriously.
`We think she's in Greece, at the Annual Drakon Hunt,' Harry said straight out. On hearing this, Krum frowned.
`She vent vithout me?'
`She's been kidnapped, Mr Krum,' George cut in. `By the evil blonde duo: Lucius and Draco Malfoy.'
`Draco Malfoy?' Krum seemed to recall, crossing his thick, bushy eyebrows. `The one vith flat hair?'
Fred and George broke into laughter.
`Yeah,' said Harry. `That's him.'
`Then,' began Krum, puffing out his chest, `I vill go Greece and rescue her!'
`No you won't!' Ron objected. `We're going to Greece to rescue her. You're "going avay" back home to Bulgaria!'
`Then I vill go to Greece vith you then,' Krum settled.
`Sorry! Only those who can speak proper English are allowed to come.'
Krum glowered at Ron.
`You are very rude red-haired boy.'
`Sometimes we like call him Ronald,' said George affectionately, grinning.
`Ron-hold?' Krum tried to enunciate.
`Thank you!' Ron retorted sarcastically, glaring at George. `Now he's got another name he can't bloody pronounce!'
Krum remained firm on being recruited.
`How are ve getting to Greece then?'
`You're not coming!' blasted Ron.
`Oh, just bring him with us already!' said Fred, growing impatient. `Has anyone figured out the riddle yet?'
`Yeah,' Harry uttered.
`Really?' said George, impressed. `Bravo, Harry! What is it?'
`What else,' said Harry evidently. `Harry Potter.'
At Harry's words, the lawn under their feet disappeared, sending them tumbling down into a deep, black void.
~ Snape's Secret Laboratory ~
Harry opened his eyes. He was in a room with stone walls, and an extensive array of potion bottles and equipment, all the while squashed under a human heap of Ron, Fred, George and Krum. Despite this minor shortcoming, they seemed to have successfully infiltrated Snape's secret laboratory.
`We're supposed to levitate down, not fall,' noted Fred.
`That information might have been more useful earlier,' marked Ron, finding it difficult to breathe under Krum's weight.
Filing themselves in order, everyone stood up and dusted off.
`Good riddle solving, Harry,' Fred commented again. `Lucky you were the answer, huh?'
`C'mon guys, the Portkey's over here!' said George, without a moment to lose. He led them to a broom cupboard in the far corner of the room. Inside was, amazingly enough, a broom and a dustpan.
`The Portkey's the dustpan,' he defined.
`How do you know?' said Ron.
`As if Snape would ever use a real dustpan!'
`Right!' said Fred, looking at the others. `All we have to do is hold on to it, just like at the Quidditch Cup last year. Then we'll be transported to Greece. Everyone at the exact same time, all right?'
They all nodded, except Krum. He was looking politely confused, but did what he was told none the less.
`On the count of three! One - two - two and half - two three quarters - '
`Fred!'
`Sorry! Being daft - THREE!'
Harry closed his eyes. He had a familiar feeling of a hook pulling on his navel, and his feet lifting up off the ground…
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