Chapter 1
Draco found himself being roughly pulled into an empty classroom on his way back to the common rooms. He spun around with his wand out.
"Potter," he growled. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't stun you for touching me."
Potter's answer was surprising. "I'll give you a few," he looked scared, worried, it was strange.
Not that he hadn't noticed Potter's decline since his name had come out of the cup, it had been invigorating to see his housemates turn on him after seeing Potter's name exit the cup. Especially Weasley, even Draco hadn't imagined that Weasley would be such a turncoat on Potter of all people. The mudblood was still sticking to Potter, for now. Draco was determined to help drive wedge in between all of the Gryffindors.
"I didn't put my name in the cup," Potter was saying.
Draco looked at Potter, he sounded desperate. "So, what's that to do with me Potter?"
Potter bit his fingernails, Draco could see that most of them had already been bitten down to the flesh of his fingers. "You looked surprised."
That Potter had observed him was surprising, Draco countered his surprise at this revelation with a inquisitive statement. "Thought you'd want the attention Potter."
Potter shook his head. "I didn't want any of this Malfoy."
"Why'd you drag me in here Potter?" He demanded, repeating his initial query.
"I need your help," Potter said looking at him carefully. "I don't know what to do, I didn't put my name in the cup, Dumbledore said I just have to do my best...after the last few years..." Potter trailed off sounding almost defeated.
It was because of Potter his father had needed to source a new house elf, although Dobby had become quite unreliable in the last few years, so his mother had said, it was something of a hidden blessing that Potter had helped them rid themselves of the unbalanced elf, his father obviously couldn't free him, no pureblood family would do that.
"Why me Potter?" Draco asked, both his parents had spoken at length that if a witch or wizard sought assistance from a Malfoy they should listen, at least, knowledge was useful.
"When we first met in Diagon you suggested your family was powerful, after meeting your dad, he thinks he's powerful," Potter commented without showing much reverence to his father, Draco scowled.
"Whoever put my name in the cup has to be knowledgable enough to have done it, I'll need someone powerful on my side," Potter paused and gave him a pained look. "As much as I used to trust Ron I'm sure you've seen how he's turned."
Draco couldn't help but smirk and just as he was about to ask why Potter had approached him he spoke again.
"You've been consistently a dick Malfoy."
Draco didn't know what to say to this observation by Potter.
Potter then crossed the distance between them, not paying attention to Draco's drawn wand.
"I don't know who to go to, but better you who's been consistent in your attitude than Ron," Potter paused, and sighed. "I don't know how to bargain with you Malfoy, so I'll tell you some things no one knows, not even Ron and Hermione."
Draco wanted to take a step away from Potter, but instead lowered his wand.
"I was almost sorted into Slytherin," Potter said in a soft voice.
"Why weren't you?" Draco asked snidely.
Harry shrugged. "I met you and then Ron, Hagrid told me about magic and how 'no good people went into that house'."
Draco frowned, this wasn't what he thought he knew about Potter. "What?"
Potter looked at him and rolled up his sleeve. "I felt like Hogwarts was the safest place to be after living with my muggle relatives, see these," Potter gestured at the marks up his arms.
Draco recognised them as burns, but had never seen unhealed ones as scars. He didn't know what to say as Potter continued to speak, pausing only to bite his fingernails again.
"After the chamber of secrets I thought it was all going to be safe here, then the world cup and now this..." Potter shook his head and looked at him again. "I can't do the Tournament, you heard Dumbledore," he paused. "I don't know what to do Malfoy, and I've asked Dumbledore, and tried to ask Ron, you know what he said?"
"No," Draco said, he didn't want to try and think down to Weasley's level.
"Nothing, he just threw a bad version of your insult at me," he tilted his head and looked at Draco. "I think it hurt more, coming from him," Potter gave him a withering look. "From you I'm used to it."
"Betrayal hurts more Potter," Draco found himself saying. "You lived with muggles?"
Potter nodded. "Didn't know about magic at all until my eleventh birthday," Potter chuckled to himself. "Dunno why I'm telling you of all people this," Potter's tone was thick with sarcasm.
"I will send an owl immediately to my father Potter," Draco found himself saying in the gap of silence. "I won't share this with anyone."
Potter looked at him. "I don't know if I believe you, but I don't know if anyone would care if I threw myself off of the astrology tower," he let out a sigh. "So I hope you can help."
Potter departed the room leaving Draco alone.
-/
Professor McGonagall had stopped him as he was the last to exit the transfiguration classroom. "Lord Malfoy requested I inform you that he wished to meet you Mr Potter," she said watching him.
Harry shifted under the weight of her gaze.
"You have contacted him haven't you, or spoken with Mr Malfoy?" She asked calmly.
Again Harry wasn't sure what to say. It felt like everyone in his house was throwing glances at him recently as the start of the tournament got closer.
He nodded. "I spoke with Malfoy."
She nodded. "The Headmaster currently is not aware of this meeting Mr Potter, if you're sure."
Harry wasn't sure of anything at the moment, but he nodded nonetheless.
-/
Professor McGonagall had told him where the meeting was scheduled, one of the rooms near the front of the castle.
Draco Malfoy was already in the room. "You got the message Potter?"
Harry nodded.
Then after barely a minute of silent waiting the fire at the side of the room flared Lord Malfoy stepped out.
"Thank you Draco," he said dismissing his son as he gestured to Harry.
Harry looked to Draco Malfoy who lingered near the door, meeting Harry's gaze for a moment. Harry didn't know what to say or do, but smiled briefly at him. Unlike Ron or anyone else, Malfoy had at the least helped him this much.
"Draco informs me you did not place your name in the cup," Lord Malfoy gazed at him carefully. "You are particularly brave approaching him, and me, considering out past interactions Mr Potter."
"Like I had much choice, I don't know many wizarding families Mr Malfoy, Lord Malfoy," Harry corrected himself and then admitted to the man in front of him he didn't know what to call him.
Lord Malfoy laughed and the looked seriously at him. "I have asked someone to attend to us, to you Mr Potter, our history is complicated and I think it best I would not assist, directly."
He turned to go back over to the floo pot.
"Then why help me Lord Malfoy?" Harry asked, making Lord Malfoy stop at the floo pot and turn.
"You're an underage wizard Mr Potter and the headmaster has failed in his duty to protect you, as a member of the board of governors, that is something I cannot dismiss, nor forget," he paused looking at Harry carefully. "Your indiscretion regarding my house elf is a personal issue, this is a matter of society, something the headmaster seems to have forgotten," he finished and threw some powder into the floo muttering something.
A moment later the floo flared again and a stern looking woman stepped out.
"Mr Potter, Lord Malfoy here seems to suggest you have yourself in something of a situation," she paused and added. "Again," with some amusement.
She introduced herself as Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"Thank you for your assistance Lord Malfoy, I think I can take it from here," she said dismissing Lord Malfoy who was stood by the floo.
Harry nodded. "Yes, thank you, I didn't know who to turn to, and..." Harry stumbled to say "Your son could have turned on me like my other friends did, but he didn't."
Lord Malfoy nodded stiffly before throwing floo powder into the floo and disappearing.
Amelia Bones looked to the floo for a moment and then back to Harry. "You took quite a gamble with him Mr Potter," she smiled gently "Or Harry?"
"Harry's fine Ms Bones," Harry answered awkwardly. "I didn't have much choice, I didn't know who to contact," he paused and looked at her, "I didn't even know there was head of magical law enforcement," he admitted adding "or how to contact them," he said thinking previous encounters with the law was with Fudge turning up at the Leakey Cauldron after making aunt Marge explode.
"I see, and call me Amelia, I'm here to help," she smiled in a friendly way, but her face took a turn downwards as she removed a scroll from her pocket and she gestured to the table at the side of the room. "Unfortunately we have few options in this case."
"Oh," Harry said in a dull tone as they sat down.
"What happens here on school grounds is under the purview of the headmaster, and the Tournament has been set up by him with the other two schools, your participation was not foreseen, nor anticipated."
"Oh," Harry repeated in the same tone.
"That you are a participant, and have been entered into the event leaves you with few options, none of them particularly desirable, but as the Ministry's law enforcement head I will present them to you, so you can make an informed decision, something headmaster Dumbledore should have explained," she paused. "I understand you spoke with him?"
Harry nodded. "He said that he couldn't do anything about it, that I'd just have to do my best," Harry felt his voice crack a little bit. "After the last couple of years I just wanted to watch the Tournament with my friends, and now..." he shook his head feeling bile creep up as he thought of the way Ron looked at him, and how Ron looked at distaste with Hermione for helping him in class but not Ron, it was like they were both scum and...
Amelia reached out and touched his hand. "We'll work through this matter Harry, the law is...complicated but we can find a way through."
Harry nodded.
"Good," she paused. "Your options," she said indicating the scroll. "You can participate in the Tournament, the exact specifics of the Tournament and the contract only state you have to participate, not that you have to participate to the best of your abilities."
Harry looked to her puzzled. "So I could just turn up and do nothing?"
Amelia pursed her lips. "Technically yes, Harry that is one reading of it. However in the past there been tasks to retrieve something, or pass through a maze. The specifics mean you may have to get past a dangerous creature or walk through a maze of salamanders to be counted as 'participating'," she explained.
"Oh," Harry repeated again in his same tone.
"You can participate to the best of your abilities like another competitor, during which you can pursue the headmaster and all others connected to the tournament for your having been entered in."
"That doesn't really help my safety though does it?" Harry asked glumly.
Amelia chuckled. "No. The final option is the most extreme, you voluntarily leave the host school and any protections, participations therein, you engage law officials, to investigate how this came to pass, during which time you may not participate in the tournament, or any of the host schools' activities, education or social engagements."
"That sounds like I have to leave Hogwarts," Harry said watching her.
She nodded. "Yes, and no one usually does this option Harry, there is the quite high likelihood you may never return as a student, this option is the extreme option."
Harry thought, for less time than he probably should have. "Each year something terrible has happened here Amelia," Harry sighed. "I had to go to Malfoy because my best friend turned his back on me, for something that I didn't do, I don't want fame or any of this," his voice cracking as he shook his head in despair. "What happens if I leave do I have to give up magic?"
Amelia smiled softly. "No, Harry, that is something within you, something that no one can make you give up. There are other options, Hogwarts is not the be all and end all of magical education in this country," she paused. "But you need to be certain, once we move forward, that is the path you will need to follow, especially once the Tournament proper begins," she warned.
-/
Minerva McGonagall had to admire Mr Potter's gumption, especially pursuing Mr Malfoy as a point of contact, that was unexpected. And Lord Malfoy's engagement of Amelia Bones was also unexpected. What was not unexpected was Albus' reaction.
That Amelia Bones and Lord Malfoy had both used their executive access to gain entry and exit to the castle through the guest floo set up for the visiting schools was also unexpected, although silently she admitted that was something she should have anticipated as Deputy Headmistress.
Had she considered the possibility that one of her students would contact a Ministry official, even by proxy.
She might even have helped Mr Potter, had he brought his concerns to her.
Instead it seemed Harry Potter had gone direct to the headmaster, and he had not given him the answer he had been seeking.
And now she was standing at the front of the Great Hall preparing to address the students, Albus was elsewhere, presumedly at the Ministry, seeking Mr Potter.
-/
Ron looked wide eyed from Professor McGonagall to Hermione as the Professor stepped down having explained Harry had sought 'Ministry protection'.
Hermione turned away from him to pour herself some water from one of the blue jugs, she hadn't been in the mood for pumpkin juice since Ron had "accidentally" knocked it over her when she'd defended Harry who'd taken to not coming to dinner until Ron had stuffed his face and wandered off.
Ministry protection was an interesting term, how Harry had even contacted someone in the Ministry was a question all on its own. She knew that he'd gone to the Headmaster, but he hadn't shared what had happened, he'd come back quite late to the common room and just said he'd been 'wandering the corridors making bad decisions'.
"Hermione," Ron's loud voice encroached into her thoughts as she focused on her food.
"Hey Hermione, weird weather we're having at the moment," said another Weasley voice.
"Water?" Asked another on the other side of her as another body sat down beside her. "Pumpkin juice has been tasting a bit weird."
"Too much bile and jealousy probably," Hermione muttered earning a laugh from either side from the twins.
She couldn't see what Ron said or did, she focused instead on the edge of her plate.
-/
Madam Amelia Bones sat watching the headmaster of Hogwarts school for witchcraft and wizardry pace and speak calmly, in as close to a rant as possible.
"Headmaster, as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement you do not need to inform me of my place regarding the law," she paused. "Please. Sit," she ordered in short sentences gesturing at a chair.
"How did Mr Potter contact you Madam Bones?" He asked in a somewhat demanding tone as he took a seat opposite her.
"That is not a question I am willing to answer, nor one you should ask," she chastised lightly. "Mr Potter did inform me that he visited you and said he did not put in name in the cup, is this correct?" she asked him.
The older wizard shifted in his chair. "That is a matter relating to Hogwarts Madam Bones."
Amelia gave him a hard smile. "Then we are at an impasse," she paused. "I will inform you that I will be taking on Mr Potter's case personally Headmaster."
"Personally?" he repeated. "Surely you have-"
She cut him off. "As the saviour of the wizarding world, and a notable individual, I think of it as my duty to the Ministry and the wizarding world. You disapprove?" she asked letting the question hang.
"No, of course not," Headmaster Dumbledore said after a longer than normal pause as he seemed to collect his thoughts. "Might I know where Mr Potter is currently? As a student of Hogwarts he is under my duty of care-"
She cut him off. "Mr Potter acknowledged that he would have to suspend his education at Hogwarts for the foreseeable future while this is investigated and pursued, I informed him there are plenty of other Ministry approved educators outside of the Hogwarts. Mr Potter will continue to be educated, have no concern."
"I would still like a means of contacting him Madam Bones," he pushed.
Amelia smiled again. "Currently, I'm afraid that won't be possible Headmaster, the law needs to be pursued first."
"I...I see," he stood up and walked over to the door, pausing on the threshold. "Do inform Mr Potter that I would like to speak with him regarding this matter, I am sure his friends would also like to speak."
"He can still send owls Headmaster," she said, making him continue to pause on the threshold of her office. "He may choose to write to you."
-/
A/N:
This is another in a thematically linked series of stories based on the idea of an AU splitting from when Harry's name goes into the cup.
Others in a similar style are:
Extradition Escape - Harry escapes the Ministry's reach (and extradition) outside of Europe.
The Lawyers Against the Cup - Harry engages lawyers to fight the contract.
Dames & Broads, Witches & Wizards / Detectives & Lawyers, Prophecies & Horcuxes - Harry engages a private eye to investigate the magical contract. Noir-esque style.
This story came out of Extradition Escape and Lawyers Against the Cup, and the original idea was 'what if Harry goes to a powerful family for help?'. But I wanted to do a different spin on the trope of 'The Malfoys take Harry under their wing' sort of thing. And as I wrote and edited this story I realised I couldn't, but did something better I think.
Thanks for reading.