Book Three: The Heir and The Champions

XXV - The Ace of Swords

Harry Potter

It has been a week since Harry had his adventure in the Hedge and the following talks with Dumbledore and Zoë, they had gone up to Dumbledore's office to meet with Madam Maxime as Ron and Hermione were asked by the Headmaster to take Gabriella to the Hospital wing. When Harry, Zoë, Fleur, and Dumbledore got to the office, Madame Maxime was already there, she had turned to look as they walked in with a confused faces before seeing Fleur, and then all she did was sigh, pitched the bridge of her nose and had asked what she had done. So, Dumbledore had gone on to explain what had happened between Zoë and Fleur and the fight that almost brought down a corridor on the first floor, as Zoë glared at the Fae, and Fleur had just sat on the opposite side of the room smiling at Zoë with a coy and overly friendly smile.

When the question of what had caused the fight between the two girls came up, it was then that Dumbledore turned to Harry, asking him to explain what had happened between Him and Gabriella.

Harry had hesitated, as much trouble and danger Gabriella had dragged them into, she didn't mean it, she was just a lonely kid looking to play with someone in the only way she knew how. Harry was mad at Gabriella, but he didn't want her to get into serious trouble, so he told everyone in the room a water-down version of what had happened, skipping over the attempted stabbing altogether knowing if Zoë found out she wouldn't hesitate with killing the small child. After he was done, all the Headmaster had done was look him in the eye and asked "Are you sure that is everything, Harry?" Harry nodded his head while looking away from the elderly Wizard before Dumbledore said "As you wish, Mister Potter," and let the matter drop.

While neither Fleur nor Gabriella were students at Hogwarts so Dumbledore could not assign a punishment to either of them, he had banned them from entering the castle until further notice and would leave their actual punishment in Madame Maxime's capable hands. Fleur was sent from the office to collect her sister from the hospital wing before heading back to the Beauxbatons' carriage, all the while giving Harry an odd look as she left. Madame Maxime had apologized about what had happened with Fleur, but Dumbledore had pointed out it was just her fault.

"My guest is just as much at fault as Miss Delacour with her overreaction, which now turns our conversation to you, Lady Nightshade," Dumbledore says with a frown as he leans back in his chair and steepling his fingers looking at Zoë with disappointed eyes, "While you are not a student here, nor are you under my command, I can do very little to punish you for your hasty actions this day, but a punishment is still needed," Dumbledore said as Zoë had crossed her arms and put her nose in the air.

"I have done nothing that I would not do again, Headmaster, why you let those things in the castle in the first place is beyond me," Zoë said snidely as Madame Maxime turned to her with a glare.

"I have explained to you why I allowed them into this school, Lady Nightshade," Dumbledore said calmly, but Harry could see the steel in his eyes, "But your reasons do not dismiss what you did, putting the lives of students in danger with your fight is unacceptable, and seeing that you were invited here by me and that you have broken guests rights, it would be in my right to fully eject you from this castle," the Headmaster said, his voice growing harder as Zoë begins to gape like a fish.

"But, since I neither want to do this nor do I think it would be a good idea to take away Mister Potter's support in this tournament, I will be assigning you a much lighter punishment," The Headmaster said, a small grin growing on his face, "You, Lady Nightshade, will be serving detention," he said to the shock of Zoë.