Harry Potter with Technology System

On the morning of the 16th, Harry and his group were going through another round of tort—practice by the lake. The winter air was sharp, the ground frozen solid beneath their boots, but they were used to it by now. Snow had settled over the landscape, the Black Lake coated with a thin layer of ice that cracked ominously whenever a strong gust of wind rushed across the surface.

They had just finished their first round of laps when they noticed movement near the shore. Krum, dressed in only his swimwear, stood at the edge of the ice-covered water. Without hesitation, he dove straight in, shattering the ice as he disappeared beneath the surface.

Daphne pulled off her gloves, exhaling into her hands. “Either he’s mad, or he’s training for the second task.”

“Both can be true,” Tracey muttered.

Astoria, who was balancing on the balls of her feet to stay warm, tilted her head. “Harry, seeing it like this feels worse… much worse.”

Pansy crossed her arms, watching the ripples settle. “How’s he not freezing to death?”

Neville shifted beside them, frowning at the lake. “So you really have to stay underwater for an hour?”

“Unless I feel like breaking the rules again,” Harry said, smirking.

Susan rubbed her arms. “You’re not actually thinking of just walking in and taking whoever they put down there, are you?”

“I don’t see why not,” Harry said. “It’s not like they can stop me.”

Hermione sighed. “Harry, the point of the task isn’t just getting them back. You’re supposed to find a way to do it within their guidelines.”

Harry shrugged. "If it’s not in the rules, it’s fair game."

Fred and George exchanged knowing grins. “Loopholes. Our favorite.”

“Exactly,” Harry said, watching as the lake settled back into stillness. Krum still hadn’t surfaced. Either he was used to freezing water, or he had a trick up his sleeve. "No point making things harder than they have to be."

Hermione folded her arms. "That’s not how the tournament is meant to work."

"Right," Harry said flatly. "Because everything so far has been entirely fair and aboveboard."

She huffed but didn’t argue. Even she couldn’t deny the tournament had been a disaster from the start. A loud splash interrupted them. Krum surfaced near the shore before pulling himself onto the frozen ground. He was shivering, his skin pale from the cold, but he looked satisfied.

Daphne raised a brow. "Guess he’s got his answer."

Krum exhaled, shaking some of the water from his arms before he turned toward them. His gaze landed on Harry. "You vill need strong lungs," he said, voice slightly hoarse from the cold. "Or a good plan."

Harry smirked. "I’ll manage."

Krum nodded once, then strode off toward the castle, dripping water along the way.

Pansy crossed her arms. "You do realize they’re probably going to take one of us, right?"

Harry smirked. "Wanna be my precious that gets taken?"

Pansy scoffed, crossing her arms. "Please, as if they would pick me. I'm not the tragic, helpless type."

Tracey grinned. "No, but it would be hilarious if they tried. Imagine you just sitting there, waiting for Harry to fetch you, complaining the whole time."

"I would refuse to be saved out of sheer spite," Pansy said.

Astoria huffed. "I don't think we get a choice. But if they take me, you would better not keep me down there longer than necessary, Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Right, because I would leave you there just to get some peace and quiet."

Astoria smirked. "Exactly."

Daphne tapped her fingers against her coat. "We should assume they'll take someone from this group. You’re the only Hogwarts champion with more than one name in the tournament, so it wouldn't be surprising if they pulled two people instead of one."

Hermione frowned. "That’s a fair point. If the Goblet still thinks of you as two competitors, it might mean you have to rescue more than one person."

Harry nodded. "That’s a given. Doesn’t change anything. I’ll just grab two and be done with it."

Daphne exhaled through her nose, brushing a strand of hair over her shoulder. "You make it sound like you’re picking up groceries."

"Should I be more dramatic about it?" Harry smirked. "Maybe demand a ransom from the merpeople?"

Tracey snorted. "That would be a sight—holding the hostages hostage. You would probably get points deducted for ‘unsportsmanlike conduct.’"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. If that were a rule, the entire tournament would be disqualified."

With that settled, they finished their training by the lake. By the time they made it back inside, their hands were stiff from the cold. The Great Hall, thankfully, was warm, the enchanted ceiling showing thick clouds threatening more snow.

Lunch passed quickly, talk about the second task, various bets on who’d be taken, and Fred and George exchanging theories about sneaking fireworks into the lake just to see if they would work underwater. The general consensus was that it would end in detention, but that had never stopped them before.

After eating, they prepared on a trip to Hogsmeade. This year, Ginny and Luna finally had permission to go, while Astoria was still stuck sulking at the castle whenever the rest of them left.

"I don’t see why they won’t let me," Astoria grumbled as she walked with them toward the gates, her hands stuffed into her coat pockets. "I’m perfectly capable of handling myself."

"You say that," Daphne said, glancing at her, "but I caught you trying to bribe a portrait to let you into the kitchens last week."

Astoria huffed. "That’s completely unrelated."

"That’s exactly related," Tracey said. "The last thing the professors want is you sneaking off to some underground black market for exotic sweets or something."

Astoria looked far too pleased with the idea. "There’s an underground black market for sweets?"

Harry smirked. "If there wasn’t before, there will be by the time you’re a third year."

Daphne sighed. "And that’s why you’re not allowed to go yet."

They left her behind though from the look on Astoria’s face, trouble was still very much on the table.

The air in Hogsmeade was sharp, snow crunching beneath their boots as they stepped onto the main street. The village was already bustling, students bundled up in cloaks and scarves as they wandered between shops. Zonko’s had a line forming outside, Honeydukes was packed, and The Three Broomsticks was already filled with groups huddled around steaming mugs of butterbeer.

As they ordered their butterbeers and sat down, the conversation naturally shifted back to Rita Skeeter. The pub was lively, filled with students thawing out from the cold, their cheeks flushed from the bite of winter. The warmth of the Three Broomsticks, mixed with the scent of butterbeer and roasted nuts, made for a comfortable break from the icy streets of Hogsmeade.

“Have you heard?” Tracey said, blowing on her drink before taking a sip. “They say she retired and left the country after pissing off too many people. No one's seen her in weeks.”

Pansy scoffed, swirling her butterbeer. “Please. You think a vulture like Skeeter would give up that easily? She probably just got hexed by the wrong person and is lying low until the heat dies down.”

Blaise smirked. “Wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to get rid of her. What was it last year? That scandal with the Minister’s aide?”

“I still don’t get how she gets away with half the rubbish she prints,” Ginny muttered, rolling her eyes. “One of these days, someone’s going to shut her up for good.”

Harry took a slow sip of his drink, watching them speculate. He knew exactly where Skeeter was—trapped in a glass jar in his room, probably panicking over how long he planned to keep her there.

Daphne leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table. “Honestly, she should’ve known better than to hover around you, Harry. You’ve got a habit of making problems disappear.”

Harry smirked. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Tracey gave him a knowing look. “Right. Completely innocent. Sure.”

Luna, who had been quietly stirring her butterbeer with her finger, suddenly said, “If she really did leave the country, I wonder where she went. Somewhere with more scandals to dig up, I would imagine. Or perhaps a place with bigger insects.”

The table fell silent for a second before Pansy sighed. “Why do I feel like you actually know something?”

Luna just smiled and took a sip of her drink.

They didn’t press her. It was Luna. She always sounded like she knew things no one else did.

Harry glanced at Luna but wasn’t surprised. Most people dismissed her as loony, but he’d learned better. The creatures she spoke about might not be figments of her imagination. He wasn’t about to brush off what she saw just because others did. After all, he could see Rita’s Animagus form even when she hadn’t transformed in front of him. It wasn’t impossible that Luna could see things others couldn’t.

Luna, still stirring her butterbeer with her finger, spoke without looking up. “She could be somewhere unexpected. Some insects are drawn to places people wouldn’t think to look.”

There was a brief pause before Pansy rolled her eyes. “Yep, definitely know something."

Harry smirked, finishing off his butterbeer. “Doesn’t matter where she is. If she pops up again, we’ll deal with it.”

Daphne gave him a knowing look. “And by ‘deal with it,’ you mean you already have, don’t you?”

Harry didn’t answer. He just set his empty mug down and stretched.

The warmth of the pub making it easy to ignore the chill still clinging to his clothes from outside. The others were still talking about Rita Skeeter, throwing out theories on where she’d disappeared to. They had no idea she was currently trapped in a glass jar on his desk, probably panicking over what he’d do next.

Fred and George leaned in. “Alright, we’ve been waiting all afternoon to ask,” Fred started.

“How exactly are you planning to handle the second task?” George finished.

Harry glanced at them, then at the others. Most of his friends had been waiting for the same answer.

He shrugged. “Haven’t decided yet.”

Blaise raised an eyebrow. “Liar.”

Tracey smirked. “Yeah, come on, Potter. We know you already have something ridiculous planned.”

Susan’s eyes lit up with amusement. “So, will the King of the Lake summon Krak for help?”

Harry shook his head. “Thought about it, but Karkaroff would probably throw a fit and call it unfair.”

Tracey smirked. “As if he hasn’t already whined about everything else.”

Daphne sipped her butterbeer. “He does love acting like he’s been personally wronged by the entire tournament.”

Pansy leaned back in her chair. “Still, Krak wouldn’t be the worst idea. No one’s stopping you from making the tournament more interesting.”

Harry gave her a dry look. “Pretty sure the judges would disagree.”

Blaise spoke up. “You do realize if you don’t play this carefully, you might end up being the first champion disqualified for excessive creativity.”

Fred perked up. “Oh, that would be an honor, though. Can you imagine? ‘Harry Potter, expelled from the Triwizard Tournament for being too competent.’”

George nodded solemnly. “They’ll probably make a new rule after you’re done with it.”

Ginny grinned. “I mean, they should’ve expected something like this after the first task.”

Hermione huffed. “That’s not the point. The task is meant to test problem-solving, not how quickly you can break the rules.”

Theodore, who was seated next to Draco, smirked. “I don’t think they can disqualify him. Otherwise, Harry wouldn’t be a two-time champion. You’d think they’d at least make him participate properly once, but so far, the judges seem completely useless.”

Draco scoffed. “They’re useless by design. If they actually had any control, half the things that happened this year wouldn’t have.” He swirled his butterbeer idly. “Besides, disqualifying Potter would just mean admitting the tournament’s broken. They’d rather let him win than admit they cocked it up.”

Fred grinned. “Which means we get to watch the chaos unfold. Personally, I’m hoping for an encore of the first task. Still haven’t gotten over the look on Bagman’s face when Harry bantered with a bloody dragon.”

George nodded. “Truly a moment of educational brilliance.”

Harry snorted. “And yet, no extra credit.”

Blaise smirked. “Tragic, really.”

Ginny leaned forward. “So, what’s the actual plan? We all know you’re not just going to swim down there like a normal person.”

Hermione gave him a sharp look. “And you’re not going to do something completely reckless, right?”

Harry raised a brow. “Define reckless.”

Hermione groaned.

Luna sipped her butterbeer. “He’s already decided. He just wants to see how long we’ll keep guessing.”

Daphne gave him a look. “She’s right, isn’t she?”

Harry smirked.

Pansy sighed. “Fine. Let’s do this properly.” She held up a hand and started counting on her fingers. “Bubble-Head Charm, Gillyweed, Transfiguration, magical artifact, Giant Squid—”

Hannah frowned. “He said Karkaroff would whine if he used Krak.”

Pansy shrugged. “He whines about everything.”

As they tossed out more ridiculous ideas, Harry pulled out a notebook and started jotting them down. That got immediate reactions.

“Oh, come on,” Tracey groaned. “You’re actually writing these down?”

Harry shrugged, still scribbling. “Might as well. Some of you occasionally have decent ideas.”

Pansy leaned over, trying to see what he was writing. “You do realize half of these were jokes, right?”

“Maybe,” Harry said. “But sometimes the best plans start as jokes.”

“Then at least let me see the list,” Blaise said, reaching for the notebook.

Harry shut it with a snap and tucked it into his coat. “Not a chance.”

Daphne raised a brow. “So that means one of them was actually good.”

Harry smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

They weren’t getting anything else out of him, so the conversation moved on. They spent the rest of their time in Hogsmeade going through Honeydukes, picking up some chocolates and a few experimental sweets Fred and George wanted to test.