The Teacher's Son

Chapter 36

"Headmaster, you cannot allow Harry to participate in-"

"The Goblet has chosen him, Minerva. You know as well as I that this means he must be a part of the competition." Dumbledore said simply, his voice never wavering. 

McGonagall sighed. "The age line was supposed to stop this from happening. He could get injured quite badly. He could die, Albus! I will not let my son-"

"Minerva." He didn't raise his voice, but his tone stopped her.

Dumbledore had made up his mind about this, and he was not going to change that decision.

"He is a very competent young man. We will do our best to make sure he doesn't get hurt in any way, but he is required to participate."

Minerva sighed again. "Alright. Thank you for your time Albus."

The headmaster nodded and she walked off, towards her private quarters.

When she arrived, the door was open slightly. Minerva frowned and reached for her wand, then she heard soft footsteps on the carpet, pacing back and forth. Anyone trying to catch her off guard would be trying to stay as silent as possible. She pushed the door open fully.

"Mimmy!" Harry spun around, his eyes already pleading for her to believe him even though he hadn't spoken more than her name yet. "I didn't put my name in, I promise, I don't want the attention, I-"

"Harry." McGonagall said softly, holding up a hand to stop him. He stuttered to a halt, chewing on his lip. "I know. I believe you."

"You do?"

"Of course I do."

"D-do I have to participate?" Harry asked, chewing at his lip.

McGonagall sighed. "Yes. The goblet has chosen you, you have to participate."

"Hermione says people have died." He said quietly, looking worried. 

McGonagall shook her head lightly. "In the past, yes, but Headmaster Dumbledore and the others involved in all of this have promised that there is a very, very small chance that anyone will even be heavily injured. No one is going to die in this tournament." That small chance did worry her a little bit, but she wasn't going to let Harry see that. He needed strong relationships with friends and family to hold him up through all of this.

Harry nodded slowly, still looking scared. Minerva stepped forward and pulled him gently into a hug.

"You're going to be okay, Harry." She promised him quietly. "There will be Ministry officials watching over the tasks and making sure no one gets hurt." Too badly, anyway. 

"Okay." He took a deep breath and looked up at her. "I should probably go find Hermione and Ron."

Minerva nodded. "Of course. Stay safe."

"I love you, Mimmy."

"I love you too, dear." She smiled at him.

Harry stepped away and scrunched his face up for a moment before turning into a tiny black kitten again. He meowed at Minerva before turning to leave.

Minerva stepped forward and opened the door for him, wondering briefly if she might as well just install a magical version of a cat flap, so both she and Harry could come and go as they pleased. 

"Be good, Harry. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

He meowed again and padded off. Minerva watched him before closing her door again.

Harry's paws pattered quietly on the stone floors of the corridors as he wound his way through the huge castle. It seemed much bigger when he was a kitten, and he had to remind himself that this was because he could currently fit himself inside a teacup.

There were voices ahead of him, but there were no side halls to go through, so Harry just stuck to a wall and tried to slink past.

One of the Beauxbatons girls was leaning against the wall, playing with the tie of the Slytherin she was flirting with. Harry did his best to ignore them and hurried away, rounding the corner and huffing a small sigh of relief that he hadn't been spotted.

Or so he thought.

"No no, you must find ze kitty. He is so cute! It cannot be zat 'ard to find him."

Harry scrambled out of sight quickly. The Slytherin and the Beauxbatons girl passed, looking around for him. After a moment of silence, he peeked out.

They were just going around the corner. Harry slipped down the hall after them, making sure to keep his footsteps quiet. Unfortunately, they were going in the same direction he'd have to go so he could get back to the Gryffindor common room.

"Mr. Kenyon," Professor Flitwick's reedy voice echoed out of the darkness. "What are you doing so far from the common room? Don't you think you should be getting back to your dormitory soon?"

The Slytherin began to stammer out some answer, and Harry took his chance, rushing off towards his dormitory.

He changed back into his human self before rounding the last corner.

Hermione was waiting outside the portrait hole. "Cutting it kind of close, aren't you?" She asked, turning and giving the Fat Lady their password.

"I made it." Harry shrugged in response.

Hermione rolled her eyes.