Harry collapsed on the grass once the portkey had returned him to Hogwarts. Once again it was Professor Snape who took him to the infirmary where Madam Pomfrey was waiting for him. Just as he had last year, he stood over the boy until the Matron had him firmly under her care. Moody, who was that year's Defence teacher, kept trying to take custody of Harry from Snape but Snape refused to let him. Mainly because once again Harry was muttering and talking off the top of his head, unaware of what he was truly saying. Harry was muttering all the way to the ward and the Professor was chilled to the bone by his words as he kept saying, "He's back. The turf war has a new player. He's returned."
Once again Dumbledore had him teleported straight to Privet Drive as soon as he was aware enough to leave the medical ward. The old man was angry that Harry had made such a poor showing during the Tournament and that he hadn't been able to effect any kind of a loss upon the boy that would hold any true meaning for him. He simply didn't understand there was nothing else he could take from the boy who had nothing left to lose.
He had been hoping that Hermione would die under the water as Victor's hostage since he had told Victor to use the shark transformation for the event. Unfortunately now he would have to find another way to get the girl killed. Because to his way of thinking, Hermione Granger had to die as the final nail he needed to subvert Harry to his will. And only his will. He needed that brat under his complete control.
It was unfortunate Victor could only do a partial transformation into the shark. But it turned out to be enough. Dumbledore knew the merpeople well enough to know any hint of a shark in their waters would enrage them and inflame their senses until they attacked without remembering the competition. He had known Victor would be killed but hadn't counted on him living long enough to rescue the Granger girl first. Nor had he cared Victor was an international superstar for the masses. In fact, that was all the more reason to get the boy killed. He was popular and a household name. Equal to his own glory and fame though for a different reason. Better for the boy to die now before he could do anything else fame garnering to eclipse his own fame.
But Granger now. She was a different story. He'd been tickled pink when he learned she was to accompany Krum to the Ball and could be used in the second task. He'd thought it a surefire method of ending her life. He'd counted on the three years of friendship she and Harry had shared to break the boy to his will when she died at the bottom of the lake he'd believe he could've rescued her from but had failed to do so. A belief he knew he would've reinforced for the boy he was playing with right now. A belief his other two pawns would definitely confirm and embellish twisting the knife and enhancing the guilt the brat would feel.
He'd even reinforced her bonds to prevent Harry from being able to release her though after the brat had rescued the little French tartlet, he wished he'd done the same for all the victims of the event. He'd never considered the brat might see the other hostages as unwilling and innocent victims as well. Krum could still release Hermione but Potter couldn't have. Therefore, he knew Victor had been the one to rescue Hermione from the depths. His double miscalculation had cost him a victim to guilt the brat with.
Her death along with that of his bird, because of course it was his intention that Hedwig would die in the challenge as well, he felt would break the Potter child to the point where Harry would mindlessly do whatever he told him to do from that point onward without question. And yet it hadn't worked. Nor had his plans to let the Minister threaten to arrest him for the deaths of the true competitors affected the boy. He'd returned from wherever the portkey had taken him too shaken up and tired to even realize the Minister was threatening to arrest him. So the threats hadn't impacted him at all and he'd never even glanced to the Headmaster to save him from the Minister's efforts.
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