Author's Note:

Thank you all for the feedback, it definitely helped me to write this chapter. This particular fanfic is just a brief break from the others, because I need to research some stuff which quite honestly is interesting but sometimes dry like a sandpaper. Well, I'm writing all my fics with my pants off and a loose guideline.

Although, I will be busy for the next months. So updating will be sporadic. But we shall see.

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Fool's Gamble

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Harry Potter's legs were frozen as if he was charmed by the Immobulus. He stood in front of a crowd full of sneering pirates, although they call themselves ironborn, he couldn't disassociate the thought that they were just filthy pirates.

"This greenland'r hath killed Rodrik." The greenlander was apparently an insult.

Another said, in between the laughter from the crowd, "Ye mean a thrall hath kill him." The captain chuckled actually. He couldn't contain his bewilderment, after all, he killed one of them. Shouldn't they all be furious at him?

"The Fool had the balls," the captain said, "consider me impressed."

And being killed by a greenlander was shameful. He got it. He wasn't stupid. At least, he won't be killed, right?

"He paid the iron price." The whole crowd went silent. He didn't like the serious looks at all. He was being scrutinized by all, especially by the captain's harsh blue eyes. What was the iron price anyway?

"Ye name." The captain stared at him, daring him to ignore the order.

"Harry Potter." He wasn't scared at all. He faced Voldemort time and time again.

"I told ye, captain, this greenland'r some fancy noble." The pirate who played with the knife which danced around his fingers like he often saw by street performers, spoke again.

The captain turned his head slightly to the side. " 'Twas a fool's bet. I'm not blind, Dagmer."

Dagmer caught the tip of the knife perfectly between his two fingers. "Aye, the silken dress must be something out of Essos."

The captain raised an eyebrow. "Thought ye would fight him f'r it."

"Now." Dagmer's answer brought the captain into a coughing fit, no, rather a laughing fit. Once again he was confused. Wait.

He couldn't believe that his clothing was valuable at all, but the looks he got convinced him otherwise. Like some hungry wolves.

As he inspected his grey jersey and his black jeans, he grimaced as a thought struck him. He glanced at the crowd and saw the strange clothing articles which were quite admittingly shit. He was the only one with decent clothing. Well, modern at least.

Bollocks.

The captain hummed in thought.

In the end, he said, "Let him play the finger dance." Harry got looks of mocking pity.

"Tis but a won game." He saw a pirate with an axe shaking his head.

"Ye right. He won't stand a chance." Could someone explain the game?

So he asked, "What's this finger dance?" He got wide grins as far as his eyes could see.

"I bet two stags he'll lose his whole hand."

Another joined, "Five stags, he'll lose just four fingers before he'll cry on the ground."

"Ten stags. One finger and he'll give up." That really irked him. He didn't like the direction at all if all won't have confidence in him as it meant his opponent, Dagmer, was apparently very good in this finger dance.

"Shut ye mouth, cunts!" The captain shouted. Silence.

"Now, Fool, it's quite a simple game. A traditional game. The law even. One of ye will begin to throw an axe at the other while he catches or dodges it. The loser will lose his fingers or die." At the end of his sentence, he bowled over, cackling madly at his own funny pun.

He said hesitantly, "I understand." He didn't really. Although, he could easily catch things thrown at him. It was the very description of a seeker. It was just... why would someone play this clearly insane game?

"I win, ye will strip ye fancy clothes." - Dagmer cackled - "Some of us would want to see a little boy naked." Harry saw that some licked their lips in anticipation. Disgusting.

"I -"

Harry was interrupted by the captain who held the girl, he had saved earlier, by her hairs. She sobbed. The pain all too obvious. Unconsciously, he stepped forward.

He yelled, "Let her go!"

The captain took out a dagger and held it far too close to her neck, drawing a little blood.

With a slightly lowered voice, he tried to reason. "She has nothing to do with all this." The bastards laughed at him.

"Tis just a little motivation, after all, you saved her like a good knight that ye'."

"You bloody bastard!" If he had just his wand...

"Aye, my father fuck'd his way thru many whores." The captain admitted unconcerned, not ashamed in the slightest.

"Ye win the game, ye win the little whore here." Harry really wanted to punch the smug smile out of him. "Or ye could just opt out and I'll fuck her till she dies. Now choose, Fool."

His glared at the bastard. With a grim mine, he said, "I will win." The bastard smiled with his crooking foul teeth.

It was a promise. He didn't break them easily.

"Alright, here catch" - An axe was lazily thrown at him - "and show ye worth, green boy."

Harry reacted, his right hand struck forward and caught the handle of the axe. The weight was little on the heavier side, but he could manage it. A snitch was more difficult than this.

He looked at the axe and then turned to look at Dagmer who taunted him with his tongue. "Eh, I should throw that, right?" Of course.

The handle was a little wet with his sweat as he gripped it tightly.

He tossed the axe a little high up in the sky, carefully not to mess the trajectory and injure others. He didn't want to kill again. As much as he didn't like them, he wouldn't just kill them in cold murder.

The axe was caught without much effort from Dagmer as it flew in a parable.

"Ye really ar' a fool." Dagmer shook his head. "I'm feeling a little pity even."

The sad look cracked, morphed into a wide grin. "As if. I'm an ironborn. There's no pity f'r some pathetic greenland'r."

Dagmer hurled the axe straight at him.

The axe spun, fast at him. Time slowed down. His instinct acted up. His right arm swung forward. Palm open to meet the incoming object. It met the wooden handle. His fingers clasped around it as the force struck him. It dissipated as he let his muscle do the work, bracing against it with his shoulder.

Dagmer clapped. His claps were slow. "At least, the boy can catch."

"Now, throw it like a man." Harry's hesitation was seen by the captain who then slapped the girl. She cried out in pain, striking at his heart painfully.

"Alright! Don't hurt her, bastard!" The hand of the captain instead caressed her cheeks.

With a grimace, he clenched the handle and hurled it with so much force he could muster with his tired arms straight into Dagmer. Unfortunately, it was caught with a little more effort, yet it wasn't enough to win the game. He would need to use magic. But without a wand, it was...

No, he could. Wandless magic was possible. He could clearly see that Dagmer was very proficient in that game while Harry relied on instinct which he honed through matches of Quidditch as a Seeker. The game would go on without a winner in sight until one of them tired. He was already tired. His arms ached. He even had difficulties to remain awake. Yet, he gritted his teeth and focused on the deadly game. It wasn't just his fingers, but a life of an innocent.

He would need to use his magic in a subtle way. Wandlessly at that. He doubted himself. Impossible was impossible. But, he couldn't let the doubt conquer himself.

Harry narrowed his eyes as he saw the axe coming.

He could influence the thrown axe with his will if he timed it right. It wouldn't be easy, but if he didn't win... Harry glanced at the girl whose expression was of despair like that of his godfather at the last moment.

He won't fail someone again. He confronted Voldemort, the most feared Dark Wizard in history. He was Harry Potter.

He muttered absently, "I am Harry Potter."

He caught the thrown axe again. The blade upside down. His palm deep red from the impact. It hurt. Yet, the pain wasn't important. He would win.

Perhaps...

Harry changed the grip so that the axe blade was up as he clutched the handle.

As he took a deep breath, he stepped with the left forward, using that momentum from his hips, he hurled the axe straight back, ignoring his aching shoulder as he forced it through the pain. His eyes followed the axe like a hungry hawk after his prey. He saw Dagmer preparing to catch it with the left hand. At this moment, he willed the magic into existence.

His focus laid on the axe as he forced the word out. "Depulso." Something invisible simmered into existence which only he could feel. It spread out of his right hand straightforward in an arc, hitting the crowd like a breeze. The axe in its path gained additional acceleration.

Dagmer's eyes bulged as the axe missed his left hand and hit him in the chest, the blade cut deeply in. He coughed blood as he fell back down the ground.

Harry's jaw hung loosely as he couldn't comprehend that which his eyes saw. He didn't expect to really hit Dagmer. He just wanted him to dodge. After that, he would win the game, right?

"Well, fuck." The captain simple said. The crowd was in an uproar.

"Fuck. My stags!" Others had the same expression of shock while some grumbled angrily at the lost bet.

"Eh, sorry?"

The captain stared at him puzzled as if he couldn't make sense of him. "Ye impressed me the first time ye killed Rodrik. Now. Ye really impressed me!" He laughed as if Harry didn't just kill one of his crewmembers. The crowd followed suit.

Harry was completely out of the field. He couldn't comprehend the insanity which befell him on the ship.

The captain calmed down his laugher till a coughing fit. With breathless face, he ordered to the crowd. "Cunts! Shut the fuck up!"

The crowd fell into a collective coughing fit as they all tried to silence their laughing with not much success.

"Now" - The captain raised his voice - "I am Dalton Pyke and welcome on the Fingerdancer, Harry The Fool."

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Author's Note:

Ironborn won't really give much fuck to each other most of the time. Of course, some build bonds, but generally might is justice. Show your worth and they will have you onboard with a smile.

As always, tell me what you liked or what you don't.