Muggle-Raised Champion

Running Into Some Hurdles

Disclaimer – I solemnly swear that JKR owns everything Harry Potter. Whether or not I am up to no good with her characters is for you to decide.

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A/N – I know, it's been far, far too long. There's been reasons. Good reasons even (including but not limited to, a new job, lack of writing motivation, sport and RL). All I can do is tell you how sorry I am and that I appreciate your patience. The good news is that it's now November – National Novel Writing Month – a time that in and of itself is a massive motivator that lasts for many, many months for me. Expect regular weekly updates. So, without further ado, on with the story. a

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Muggle-Raised Champion

Chapter 28 – Running Into Some Hurdles

Sunday, 24 April 1995

Front Page Article of The Daily Prophet

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Boy-Who-Lived to Abandon Britain?

by Rita Skeeter

The-Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, has always been an enigma to the magical world. After the events of October thirty-one, nineteen eighty-one, Harry Potter was hidden away from us, deposited somewhere in the muggle world, apparently "for his safety".

We all expected him to return to us nearly four years ago to begin his magical education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but due to the very muggles who he was placed with, this did not happen. Instead, Harry Potter was left alone and abandoned by our government to fend for himself in the muggle world.

Finally, though, due to an irregularity with the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter returned to the wizarding world to compete in the TriWizard Tournament as the Fourth Champion. Every piece of news since that day last November has indicated that The-Boy-Who-Lived has been living up to the expectations that we hold him to, advancing quickly through his studies and making a great number of friends.

Harry Potter's performance in the TriWizard Tournament, though, has been unconventional, to say the least.

He completed the First Task, a task that involved retrieving a golden egg from the nest of a female horntail dragon, by demonstrating that he speaks parseltongue, a skill that is usually the mark of a dark wizard (see page 5 for a recap of Harry Potter's performance in the First Task). And in order to complete the Second Task, Harry Potter paid a merman to retrieve his hostage for him (see page 6).

And now, as the Third Task of the TriWizard Tournament approaches, this reporter has uncovered the startling fact that Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, is set on abandoning Britain at the completion of the Tournament.

Where is he going? What about his education? What is he planning to do? These are all good questions that I know that you are all asking.

The answer, dear readers, is that Harry Potter is seriously considering going to a dragon reserve to learn to be a dragon handler!

It seems that the very skill that we find the most questionable about The-Boy-Who-Lived, the fact that he can speak parseltongue, is exactly what has caught the attention of the dragon handlers of the world. They've offered young Harry a contract that includes him completing his education while travelling around the world to work with dragons!

As far as this reporter is aware, no contracts have yet been signed, so there's still a chance, however small that may be, that The-Boy-Who-Lived may decide to complete his education at Hogwarts. I urge you readers to do all you can to encourage young Harry to stay where he belongs, within the magical community here in Britain, now that he's returned. To lose our icon after so recently having him returned to us would truly be a tragedy.