Daé was walking back towards his room, while Fleur was doing damage control with the teachers. No matter what they, or their students, thought of it, it was legal and they couldn't change it.

"It's not fair, Charlie. Why can Beauxbatons sent a far older student to fight, and there wasn't even a scuffle over the spot. If we had fought like that Harry could have participated."

Some Hogwarts students were coming his way and Daé frantically looked around for a hiding spot. He didn't feel like a confrontation in the hallway.

"Ron. Harry doesn't want to participate."

The savior of the British Wizarding World appeared flanked by two red-heads.

Shit-

"He's right Ron, and apart from that if this is the way the representatives from Beauxbatons want to play it, there is nothing you can do against it. Ho-"

Daé collided with the one person in Hogwarts he wasn't supposed to meet. Fleur would have his head when she found him again.

"You're alright mate, didn't saw you there."

His frantically beating heart had been trying to calm down after colliding with his mate, when it went back to being out of control. Daé knew 'mate' was just a way of saying for the students in Hogwarts, but for his Veela it had a far deeper meaning.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He wasn't, but Fleur's words that he shouldn't interact with his mate before he had a plan stopped him from saying more.

"Hé isn't that the Beauxbatons champion?"

The younger brother of his mate took a step forward stepping inside Daé personal space. His harpy wanted to lash out and only the calming presence of his mates arms still keeping him upright stopped him from doing something he would deeply regret. 

"Ron, don't go off the handle. It's not his fault there wasn't a battle to watch."

"You don't know that, Harry!"

Technically it was his fault, but they didn't need to know that, it wouldn't do to tell the world they sabotaged the battle. Fleur would most likely call it a diplomatic disaster and never let him leave his rooms again.

"Really? Now I recognize you, you were the seeker during the last Quidditch match. You're really good, if you hadn't been distracted you could have given Harry a run for his money."

The compliment from his mate did Daé imaginary feathers flutter, but before he could further indulge in the presence of his mate did a teacher interrupt. 

"Misters Weasley and Potter, could you please tell me why you're accosting a transfer student about his participation in the Tournament?"

The heads of the two youngest slowly rose to stare open-mouthed at the teacher behind him. To then immediately turn around to run away and leaving Daé and Charlie to handle their problems.

"Well mister Weasley, what are you even doing here? Last time I checked you graduated, twenty points from Gryffindor for tardiness."

Daé could almost hear the glee in the man's voice.

"That's not fair Snape, you just said I'm no longer a student why are you taking points than."

His mate didn't seem to distressed by the presence of the teacher, which did slowly calm Daé's  beating heart.

"Exactly, if you could remove yourself from the premise that would be wonderful."

 Charlie cheerfully waved in goodbye to the teacher and then let go of Daé's arms, something he deeply despised. 

Now it was only him and the teacher, as a responsible student Daé turned around and froze. 

"If you would follow me, we have something to discuss. I'll notify Albus to send the hint for the First Task to my chambers so you can collect it."

Without waiting for a response the man turned around in a twirl of dark robes and stormed towards the dungeons. Daé belatedly started walking after recognizing the man from the nightly encounter, this was a Veela's mate if they were correct.

-

When the door to the professor private chambers closed behind them, did the man really look at Daé. 

"I don't know if you're stupid, irresponsible or just plain young, but you need to watch your steps. Sit."

Daé sat down in the less used fauteuil farther away from the hearth.

"Creature laws don't take light on Veelas. Fleur and her sister are accepted because they have a powerful family backing them, but you, an outcast have not. And other Veelas don't count, the purebloods here will skin you alive if you go after one of their own, even if it's a Weasley spawn that cares more about dragons than anything else."

The professor was pacing in front of the fire place and wildly gesturing with his hands to make his point clear.

"Sir, I understand."

The professor whose name he only now remembered was Severus Snape, froze in his track and faced Daé with a murderous expression on his face.

"No you don't. If I hadn't interfered would you have thought things through, or would you have done something with irreversible consequences. Minerva or Filius won't go after you, but if the press finds out anyone, regardless of your intentions, has been influenced by Veela magic. A Veela who than proceeds to court a pureblood, all hell will break lose."

Daé knew Snape was right, but that didn't meant he believed the man had solely altruistic reasons for telling him this.

"And that won't be good for you."

Snape had an incredulous look on his face, which was an upgrade from the murderous one he wore several moments before. Daé just hoped the man wouldn't ask him how he knew about it.

"No, but I've met my fairshare of protective Veela idiots. We are only now slowly coming back from Voldemort's reign, we can't handle another war. And one will come if you continue like this."

Daé couldn't contradict him one that, if no one had interfered he would have run his mouth and scared of his mate like Fleur said he would. And if this sour man was willing to help him prevent that outcome from happening he would gladly accept his help.

"You're right, but you probably didn't drag me down here to merely tell me that. So if we could go to the core of the problem it would be appreciated. I do have a riddle to solve."

A smile escaped Snape and made him instantly look like his actual thirty years of life, instead of the scowl which made him look like he was sixty at least.

"True."

Before Snape could say anything more the fireplace lit green up and the head of Albus Dumbledore appeared.

"My dear Snape, why are you all holed up here? Be nice to the exchange students no need to traumatize them. Here is the first clue for Mister Hommleur, please return it to him as quick as possible. Now have a good afternoon."

Dumbledore went as fast as he came leaving Daé looking perplexed in the now calm flames.

"Here is the clue, if you have any real questions that are Veela related I will answer them. Otherwise I will have to ask you to leave, my own mate will most likely use the commotion to sneak inside again."

Daé accepted the piece of paper and opened it to read the carefully written words.

Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard. You will face the First Task with only your wand, which will be checked by Ollivander beforehand to see if it's fully functioning. I wish you all the best of luck,

Cornelius Oswald Fudge,

Minister of Magic

The clue was quite useless, but it was nice their wands would be checked for any damage.

Their wands.

"Uhm..."

"What is it."

The long drawl of the man did not encourage Daé to continue talking, but it was an issue and he did need some advice.

"The want to check my wand before the actual First Task. Isn't it illegal here to even posses one as a Veela?"

Daé was quite sure about that last part, he had read up about the creature laws before he entered Britain to be sure what he could expect as a Veela

"Yes, but do you use one?"

He didn't. He had one, like every other student from Beauxbatons. But magic didn't come natural for him through his wand. His Veela side had so much more magic and it was so much more easy to tap into that than to rely on a piece of wood. He wasn't even sure he had packed his wand when he put his stuff in a suitcase. It was absolutely possible his wand was now in his dormitory back in France.

"No..."

That did not seem to ease the man.

"Do they know you're a Veela?"

How was Daé supposed to know that, he thought it was quite clear, but a lot of students could be fooled. He didn't look like an usual Veela after all. 

"Maybe, they should. But it's possible they think only females can be Veelas and brushed it off."

"Do the teachers know apart from me, McGonagall and Flitwick know?"

"They should."

Could they really call themselves a teacher of a Wizarding school without recognizing a Veela.

"When they ask for your wand, show yours, if you even brought it. Otherwise tell them you don't need one and hope everything will turn out alright."

Snape was steering him towards the door, when it was opened from the other side and a blond man stepped inside, immediately engulfing Snape in a hug. 

"Sevvie! I haven't seen you in ages. Oh, hello person who isn't Draco."

The man who must be Lucius Malfoy stepped away from Snape to create some distance, but the damage had already been done.

"Thank you Lucius, for revealing a secret we have been trying to keep a secret for how long again?"

Lucius had the decency to look embarrassed, though Daé didn't think he looked very convincing. 

"But darling, how was I supposed to know there would be a student inside your rooms?"

That was an extremely weak excuse and Snape seemed to think the same as he admonished his mate without further prompting.

"Maybe because there are several Veelas here and one meeting their mate is not completely unexpected."

Apart from that excuse, would it really be so weird for a student to ask their head of house for help.

"Oh, so he already knew."

Lucius face lit up with a mischievous grin Snape didn't notice as he continued talking.

"Yes, but-"

Daé quietly exited the room and went back to his own rooms, he had a lot to think about.

-

January 2, 2023