Chapter 16: Yule Ball
Hermione Granger grew to regret the day she'd let Harry read her book of muggle fairy tales. She'd had good intentions- she knew Harry's home life was terrible, and wanted him to experience the magic that all muggle and muggleborn children experience when they hear these stories: the feeling that anything, and everything, is possible.
For children who come from magical backgrounds, this illusion of possibility is broken from a young age. It is not long before they learn that all magic has rules, can do terrible damage when used incorrectly or with the wrong intention and that there are things even magic cannot fix.
Had she known that these fairy tales would have bought upon them the carnage that they did, she never would have lent Harry the stupid book.
"RAPUNZEL RAPUNZEL, LET DOWN YOUR HAIR!" She heard one of the Weasley twins bellow as Draco's hair grew. And grew. And grew some more.
Draco was shrieking, Hermione was honestly surprised he wasn't crying.
"The yule ball is in 4 hours, cut it out Harry!" Ginny snapped as she turned away from the mirror to glare at him before returning to tending to her eyebrows. Harry just grinned at her, throwing a chameleon plushie at her.
The ballroom, which was now basically just a clubhouse, had been refurnished by the group, with the help of Remus (And Sirius, but only Harry, Ron and Hermione knew that). There was a few dressing tables with mirrors, plenty of comfortable seating and games, and lots of books at Draco and Hermione's request.
Hermione just closed her eyes and sighed. Luna giggled and continued to tend to her hair, applying all sorts of products Hermione had never seen before in her life.
Her head was hurting already. Harry and the twins had been loud and annoying all morning, and there was nothing Ginny or Hermione could do to stop them. Ron was useless as he found it hilarious, and Neville didn't want to get involved. Draco kept sulking, and Luna was, well, Luna.
Cedric, Fleur and Krum were getting ready with their own friends, which just left Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Draco, Luna, Fred, George and Neville.
Daphne had been nowhere to be found all day. Which sucked for Hermione, cause Daphne was excellent at keeping Harry and the twins in line, and anyone who was joining in with them by extension.
"HA! IT'S ALL MINE!" Harry cackled, carboard cut out of a mermaid tail from a cereal box he got from who knows where clutched in his hand.
"NOOOOOOO!" Fred wailed, throwing himself to his knees. "MY TAIL!"
"And your voice, stupid." George said
"NOOO, MY VOICE! Wait. OH!" Fred starting dramatically sobbing in silence.
Harry rubbed his hands together evilly
"NAH NAH NE NAH NAH, I'VE GOT YOUR VOICEEEE!" He taunted, and was instantly pounced on by a silently raging Fred. George shrugged and joined in too.
Hermione put her head in her hands, grateful that Luna had let go of her hair so she could do so. The room was getting louder, lights bright, and there was so much shouting and noise and -
"Enough!" The door slammed open. Everyone froze. Hermione looked up. Harry, Fred and George had stopped mid-fight, looking guilty but still slightly entangled. Ron and Neville's amused grins quickly slid off their faces, and Luna and Draco smiled in relief. Ginny was still plucking at her eyebrows. The girl had six brothers, seven if you included Harry, so she was used to nonsense.
Hermione finally settled her eyes on Daphne, who was stood in the doorway, looking unimpressed.
"Potter, Weasleys, listen up. The Ball starts in 4 hours, Harry and Hermione are needed earlier that that for the opening dances. So we do not have time for fun and games right now. Get yourselves together and go and shower, you smell gross!"
Harry opened his mouth.
"Argue with me Potter and I'll take away Ron and Hermione for a month." Daphne said sternly. Harry spluttered. So did Ron.
"You can't just-"
"Don't make me take away Luna too." Daphne stepped to the side and held the door open, not breaking eye contact with Harry.
"Ughhhhhhh. Fine, but ONLY because I want to." Harry stomped out like stroppy toddler, followed by Fred and George, who stuck their tongues out at Daphne as they left, earning them stinging hexes to the backsides.
"They're just like overgrown children, I swear." Daphne sighed. "Come here Draco, I'll fix your hair."
"Thank you!" Draco exclaimed, sighing with relief. Ron snickered.
"You too, Ronald. Go shower. Take Neville with you."
"Doesn't he need to shower too?" Ron pointed at Draco, looking mildly offended.
"Nah, Draco showers in the morning, he smells fine." Draco smiled smugly at Ron. "You know how vain he is, I would honestly be more surprised if he hadn't showered." The smile dropped from Draco's face and Ron laughed loudly.
"I am not vain." Draco pouted, running his hand through his hair as he caught a glimpse of the tangled mess in the mirror. Daphne slapped his hand away.
"You are. Now be quiet."
Hermione smiled slightly as the room was quiet once again. She wasn't keen on noise, or being surrounded by loads of people. Let alone people like the Weasley twins, who were like the energy 20 people in two bodies.
All of the boys that were banished to shower returned slowly within the next half an hour, and started to help each other with their hair. Daphne, who had finished with Draco, sat down in Draco's vacated seat in front of another mirror and made a start on her makeup. Hermione switched places with Luna and started to work on Luna's hair, whilst Ginny made a start on Luna's makeup.
After hair and makeup was finished, everyone split up to go and change in their respective common rooms. Luna went with Hermione and Ginny.
"Wow! You look incredible, Hermione"" Harry said, bowing as Hermione descended the stairs. She smiled at him and took his proffered arm, the pair heading straight to the entrance. They were running late, otherwise they would have waited for their friends.
"Ah! There you are! Quick, into a line." McGonagall ushered Harry and Hermione to the back of the short queue. Cedric and Cho were leading the way, Fleur and Viktor behind them.
They watched their gaggle of friends quickly hurry past them into the hall. Draco, arm in arm with Pansy, shot them a look that clearly said he would rather be anywhere else. Harry poked his tongue out at him and Draco somehow managed to give him the finger without Parkinson noticing. Daphne strolled passed and grinned at both of them, before continuing on her conversation with Susan and Padma, who were also flying solo. Harry nudged Hermione and pointed at the Weasley twins.
"Look." He snickered.
They watched as Fred and George, dressed in identical dress robes, kept ushering their dates forwards and then swapping places behind their backs, all whilst keeping a good flow of conversation.
"Katie and Angelina both know exactly what they're doing." Hermione pointed out to Harry. She wasn't wrong - the two girls kept exchanging long suffering looks, and waited to be ushered forwards again. When they did, they quickly turned around before the boys could swap again and dragged them into the hall by their ties. Harry and Hermione giggled.
Neville, Ginny, Luna and Ron bought up the rear. Luna seemed content, chatting away as Ron nodded. He seemed to be listening intently. Neville and Ginny both waved at Harry and Hermione before entering the hall.
A couple of minutes later and everything was ready to begin.
"Sorry for the delay, the band was late." McGonagall sniffed disapprovingly. "As soon as the music starts the doors will open. You will all file in, take up your positions, and begin to dance. Are you ready?"
"As we'll ever be." Harry said, grinning, taking a gentle hold of Hermione's arm.
As the music began, the doors opened wide, and Cedric and Cho led the way into the hall.
Unfortunately for Draco, he was unable to stand with the group due to his rather unfortunate date, Pansy Parkinson. She dragged him over to Theodore Nott and Millicent Bulstrode instead. Thankfully, he managed to catch eyes with Blaise, who swanned his way over, Hannah in tow. Draco watched Daphne smirk at them, shamelessly alone. Draco wished he could have done that.
The rest of the group, not including the Weasley twins, who stayed with their dates and Lee Jordan, who was accompanied by Alicia Spinnet, remained together. They were all watching the doors eagerly.
As the music started and the champions filed into the room, Susan gasped.
"Is that Hermione? She looks amazing." Hermione's hair was still curly but there was more of a pattern to them, and she'd pinned them back in an elegant half up half down style. Her dress was a soft pink, and floor length. It suited her. Really, really well.
"Yess queen!" Ginny exclaimed under her breath. Ron gave her a look. "What? She was going to go with the boring green one but this? SO much better."
Ron rolled his eyes at her, watching his two friends dance with something akin to fondness in his eyes.
"Uh, no. Don't get soppy!" Ginny whacked him on the arm.
"But it's a coming of age." Ron said, wiping fake tears from his eyes. Neville laughed.
After a couple of minutes (blimey, his feet couldn't be tired already, surely?) the music drew to an end, and the champions took their seats at the head table.
"Harry, my boy-" Dumbledore didn't finish his sentence, however, because as soon as he started to speak Harry had opened his mouth and taken a deep breath, ready to scream. Cedric, noticing what was going on, quickly grabbed Harry and Hermione by the shoulders and led them to the other end of the table, where he and Cho were sitting.
"Is that Percy?" Harry asked, looking at the ginger haired young man sat close to Dumbledore.
"Yeah, looks like it. I wonder what he's doing here."
Harry just shrugged, He didn't really care either way. There was no sign of Crouch to Harry assumed Percy was there as his replacement. Harry was just fine with that, he'd take a Weasley over Crouch any day.
Once the everybody present was seated, Dumbledore cleared his throat and stated his order to no one, and the food appeared on his plate. Everyone followed suit.
"Fish and Chips please Dobby." Harry said, grinning when his favourite food, introduced to him by Draco of all people, appeared on his place.
"Harry, you're supposed to order off the menu."
"But Hermione, I've got a Dobby subscription for 10 sickles a month! It includes whatever food and drinks I like, plus foot massages, but I don't think I'll take him up on that last part." Harry grimaced and Cedric chuckled.
The dinner passed with little chaos, as everyone relaxed and enjoyed their evening. Except for our resident Potions Master, who knew something was afoot.
Literally. Because a shaggy black dog was sat on his foot. And it wouldn't move.
"Off me, mutt." He whispered. The stupid dog just wagged his tail and panted. Snape rolled his eyes. Remus watched him, smirking.
"Wipe that smug smile off your face, Lupin." Snape muttered. Remus just laughed.
After dinner Dumbledore and Bagman both made incredibly boring speeches and dancing resumed. Harry and Hermione joined the fray, finally letting completely loose, jumping up and down and singing at the tops of their lungs with their friends. Then everyone started to scream and cheer when the Weasley twins were invited on stage, grabbing two spare electric guitars and playing along with the band.
Harry's inner circle had decided to meet back in their special room after the ball, to end the night with a group sleepover. They all left around midnight, Draco the last to arrive, looking slightly dishevelled.
"She tried to kiss me!" He said, stricken.
Susan decided not to stay in the end, claiming she and Hannah had something similar planned with the Hufflepuffs in their common room.
It was the perfect end to a great night, and everyone fell asleep that night with bright smiles on their faces.
Chapter 17: Second Task
"Harry, wait!" Cedric panted, finally catching up to the fourth year Gryffindors.
"Hello Cedric! Um... why is your hair wet?" Harry asked him.
"I know what the second task is." Cedric muttered to him.
"OHMYGOSH!" Harry squealed, jumping up and down and squealing. "Wait... you are the first to figure it out, yes?"
"I think so? Viktor and Fleur haven't mentioned anything, and you have purposely done absolutely nothing to even try and figure it out yet." Harry grinned sheepishly when Hermione glared at him.
"Okay, good. Let's go find the Queen of the Night Time!" Harry grabbed Cedric by the arm and dragged him off, Hermione, Ron, Neville and Ginny following closely behind.
"Harry, that is not our astronomy professor's name!" Hermione scolded.
Harry skidded to a halt. "Since when?" He said, looking shocked.
"I- forget it. Just keep walking."
When they arrived at the astronomy tower, Harry knocked on Professor Sinistra's office door. She opened it, looking mildly irritated, pulling it almost shut behind her.
"Your majesty." Harry bowed deeply. "I come bearing gifts." He pulled a somehow completely undamaged pumpkin pasty out of his robe pocket and handed it to her.
"I'm not giving you a homework extension Mr Potter, you asked me the same thing yesterday. Off with you."
"Hey! The extension is well deserved, I'm a poor little orphan being forced to die in a school competition here!" Harry said, looking mock outraged. "Anyway, I'm here about him." He pointed at Cedric, who looked incredibly confused.
"What has Mr Diggory done that merits you knocking on my office door on my evening off, Potter?"
"He figured out the second task. First. You owe me 20 galleons. So does Snape." Harry grinned when the puzzled expression on his astronomy professor's face became a scowl.
"Seriously? I was SO sure Miss Delacour was going to figure it out first. No offence Diggory." She said, shoving a bag of galleons into Harry's waiting hand.
"To be fair, someone technically told me." Cedric said helpfully.
"Oh did they now?" Sinistra raised her brows. "Well, that rather changes things then, doesn't it?"
"Ah, Harry, Cedric, thank goodness I found you!" The group turned around to see Fleur, looking elegant as always, but rather flushed and out of breath. "I know what ze task is!"
"Oh?" The astronomy Professor raised a brow, and Fleur blushed. "How did you figure it out?"
"By accident, I suppose. Eet was a, what do you call it? A happy mistake."
"Well then, Mr Potter. We have a bit of a dilemma. Who gets the cash?"
"Me!" He exclaimed. "Cedric found out first."
"Yes, but he was told. Fleur found out on her own."
"By a complete fluke!"
"Enough." The group turned around once again, to see Snape stood directly behind Ron, who leapt about a foot in the air and scampered closer to Hermione.
"The money is mine. Mr Krum informed his headmaster he had figured out the contents of the egg about half an hour ago."
"What? How?" Harry cried, looking aghast.
"Be experimenting, Potter. Now, hand it over." Snape held out a hand expectantly.
"Nuh uh." Harry shook his head, hugging the bag close to his chest. "It's mine!"
"Expelliarmus!" The bag was ripped from his grasp and floated over everyone's heads, into the waiting hand of Remus Lupin.
"How is it yours?" Sinistra yelled, looking furious. "Harry is still completely clueless!"
"Am I?" Harry said with a smirk. "Or have I been pulling your leg from the very beginning?"
"Potter-"
"What is going on?" Ron asked loudly. Everyone turned to look it him. "Hey, it's not my fault not one is explaining anything!"
"Basically, we all made a bet on who would figure out the egg first. Remus bet on me, me on Cedric, Snape on Vicky and Sinistra on Fleur. Winner gets 20 galleons from each of the losers."
"Oh my Merlin, Harry! I give up." Hermione rubbed her forehead, looking fed up. "When did this bet get made?"
"Severus here got in a little... spat... with Harry." Remus said, smirking. Me and Aurora just happened to be passing by at the same moment."
"Anyway, what none of them realised was I figured out what the egg was weeks ago! Way before we even made the bet" Harry interjected, smiling brightly.
"You WHAT? POTTER!" Harry jumped back, in case the astronomy professor tried to strangle him.
"You foolish, arrogant, little-"
"How did you work it out then, Remus? If you didn't already know Harry knew?" Hermione asked, looking more curious than fed up now.
"I didn't. A... friend heard you talking to Dobby earlier and told me."
"PADFOOT, YOU LITTLE SNITCH!" Harry yelled.
"Dogs can't talk, Harry." Cedric said.
"I DON'T CARE! IT'S HIS FAULT!"
"Potter, explain yourself!" Sinistra demanded.
"Fine. I figured it out when I was annoying Draco and opening it behind him randomly, because I was bored and he was a fun target, and he threw it at me in retaliation and it landed in the black lake and started singing." Harry said. "So we decided to keep it quiet and prank his lovely Godfather and my lovely Honorary Uncle and our coolest Professor!"
"Awww, I'm the coolest?" Sinistra's anger seemed to melt away instantly as she smiled at Harry.
"Well, McGonagall is impossible to beat to be fair, but you are a close second!" Harry said.
"Fair, no one can compete with Minerva."
"You would be higher on the list Mr Snake, but you get a bit grumpy when you're tired." Harry said. "Anyway, I'm hungry. Toodles!" Harry strutted off, his friends close behind.
"I would be less tired if you would just leave me alone, Potter!" Snape shouted after him.
"Wait. Did he ever actually tell us what the task is?" Remus asked suddenly.
"Nope." Said Sinistra
"Little menace."
"Indeed." Snape turned on his heel and swaggered away in his typical bat-like fashion.
Meanwhile, Harry's little gaggle of gossip girls were having a giggle.
"So anyway, what is the task? Ron asked.
"We have to save the people we love most from the black lake." Harry said. "But what they don't know is that there's a whole other prank taking place right this minute."
"You what?"
"Okay, so basically..."
The day of the second task dawned bright and early. Harry would have woken up serenely, smile on his face, but he didn't. Because Dobby tipped a glass of cold water on his head.
"OI! What was that for?" Harry said indignantly, shoving the elf off his bed.
"Master Harry Potter was going to miss the task!" Dobby exclaimed.
"What? Oh, oopsie! Thanks Dobby, can you leave whilst I change?"
"Of course Master Harry Potter." He disappeared with a crack and Harry quickly chucked some clothes on. Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be found, as expected. Ron was self explanatory. Hermione simply because she'd been seen studying alone with Krum in the library (intentionally) and Harry and Daphne had been carefully implanting the rumour that they liked each other (purposefully).
Harry jogged down to the black lake, where everyone was waiting for him.
"You're late!" Ginny scolded, shoving something in his hand. "Moody told Neville there are anti summoning spells on the hostages, so he got you this instead. As soon as you eat it dive in the water."
"Thanks Ginny." Harry said, tugging off the clothes he had only just put on and shivering in his swimming trunks. He wished he owned a muggle wetsuit.
"Champions at the ready!" Bagman's once again magnified voice rose over the crowd. Harry took his place beside Cedric, who grinned at him.
"When the canon fires, you can go." Bagman told them. Everyone waited with bated breath, the silence was deafening.
BOOM!
Harry shoved the Gillyweed in his mouth and dove. The water was freezing and he tried to yell when he broke the surface, but suddenly all the air was whooshed from his lungs. Oh.
He let himself sink into the water as he felt a sting on the sides of his neck, and suddenly his lungs were filled with air again. He made a mental note to give Neville a trillion people points later.
He swam down, eyes adjusting to the murky water. He saw Cedric up ahead, bubble head charm working well for him. Fleur and Krum were nowhere to be seen.
He kept swimming, down and down, until the sudden appearance of Myrtle made him jump.
"The hostages are that way." She pointed, simpering at him. "Good luck!"
Harry gave her a thumbs up and swam off. She'd need people points now too.
He kept swimming in the direction Myrtle told him. It was remarkably uneventful. After what felt like days, he found the village.
None of the other champions had arrived yet. Harry, having been coached on Mermaid etiquette by Hermione, did not swim directly to the hostages, but to the Mer-person who was clearly in charge. He bowed low, and offered them a handful of pearls. Real ones - Daphne had given him her bracelet that she was given as a courting gift when her father tried to get her to start courting in preparation for her arranged marriage.
The Mer-chief looked at the pearls carefully then accepted, taking them from Harry's grasp and gesturing the guards to trop the ropes around Ron when Harry pointed to him. Harry grabbed him but didn't leave. Instead, he waited.
Cedric was next. He too bowed and offered a gift to the Chief. Cho's ropes were released and Cedric joined Harry, waiting.
Krum came next, with a shark's head. He did the same as The other two, and Hermione was released.
They waited for Fleur for what felt like hours. Eventually she appeared, looking thoroughly beaten up. She bowed and offered a gift just like the others and Gabrielle, her sister, was released. The champions began to rise to the surface together.
Harry noticed just in time that Fleur had fallen unconscious. They were almost at the surface when she had started to sink instead of rise. Harry shoved Ron upwards and dived back down, Swimming after her as quickly as he could, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her up with him. His lungs began to burn, the Gillyweed wearing off.
He broke the surface, gasping.
"Cedric!" He called. The others weren't far away, no one yet back to shore. The cheers were deafening. Cedric looked back and gasped, swimming back to help Harry pull Fleur to shore.
They made it onto the shore and were instantly swamped. Hermione, Ron, Cho, and Gabrielle were all looking incredibly confused.
Madam Pomfrey rushed down to meet them, tending to Fleur first. Once she awake and wrapped up in blankets, she turned her attention to the other three champions.
"Goodness me, it's a miracle you haven't all got Hypothermia!" She muttered.
"LOOK!" Someone from the stands yelled suddenly. Everyone fell quiet, looking at the four rescued hostages, who were changing before their very eyes.
Before anyone knew it, Hermione, Ron, Cho and Gabrielle were four completely different people.
"Um." Hermione, now Penelope Clearwater said. "I thought it was the people the champions loved the most that were being put in the lake?"
"Yeah?" Gabrielle, now Vincent Crabbe, said intelligently.
Ron, now Blaise, Sniggered.
"Eez this a prank?" Cho, now one of the Beauxbatons girls, asked.
"Well, this wasn't supposed to happen!" Bagman said brightly. Harry noticed Crouch was sat next him, scowling.
"No, it wasn't. What is the meaning of this?" Karkaroff demanded.
"Well, we thought it was a bit odd that you were deciding who we loved the most, so we decided for ourselves." Harry said. "Actually that's a lie, we just pulled names out of a hat."
"Also side-note, how awful of you to enchant students to sleep against their wishes and put them in the lake?" Cedric added.
Murmurs spread through the crowd. Harry grinned.
"Oh before I forget, Neville gets 50 people points and Myrtle gets 20." He said to himself.
"Well, this is a bit of a pickle." Bagman said.
At that moment, the Chief rose to the surface. Dumbledore went to speak with him.
"The Chief informs me you all showed the utmost respect and waited to one another to rise to the surface. He tells me Mr Potter arrived first, then Mr Diggory, then Mr Krum, then Miss Delacour."
"Let's confer."
In the end, Harry received 50 points, Cedric 45, Krum 40 and Fleur 30.
Soon enough, the champions were released by Pomfrey and said their goodbyes as they split off to join their own friends.
"Nice one, Harry!" Ron said. "I gave Dean and Seamus a fright when I sat down behind them, they thought I was in the lake!"
"It was so funny." Neville said, grinning. "Good job, Harry."
"Thanks Nev, it was all down to you though. Gillyweed, genius!" Harry clapped him on the back.
They all headed back to the castle. Ginny, Ron and Draco in the lead again, arguing over quidditch. Neville and Luna close behind, discussing turnips, maybe? Harry wasn't sure. Harry himself walked slowly behind with Daphna and Hermione, the two bickering.
"You know." Harry said loudly, stopping walking. Everyone turned to look at him. "That was such a poorly designed task. No one viewing was able to see anything at all!"
"Yes, Harry, we discussed this already." Hermione said impatiently.
"I know but, like, it wasn't even good weather! You all got drenched and for what? Gasp! Payback time!"
If all the tournament organisers and teachers had rainclouds that couldn't be banished floating above them and drenching them for three solid hours, Harry had nothing to do with it.
He definitely didn't give Peeves water balloons either.
Chapter 18: Crazy Mr Crouch
"Hey, Daphne?"
"What now, Potter? I'm trying to study here!" She reached for the jug of pumpkin juice in the middle of the table and poured herself a glass.
"... I snogged a dementor." Daphne's pumpkin juice shot out of her mouth and straight into Neville's face.
"Excuse me?" She said, after she'd finished coughing.
Harry shuddered. "It wasn't very nice. Their faces are very slimy. Well, mouth. It didn't really have a face. Do you think dementors use the toilet?"
Daphne sighed. "I don't know Harry. I assume not, since the emotions they feed off aren't exactly a physical object like normal food is."
"What are we talking about?" Ginny asked, plonking herself down next to Harry.
"Whether dementors use the toilet or not." Neville responded, still wiping his face. "Harry snogged one, did you know that?"
"I did, actually. He told me during a game of truth or dare when I asked who his first kiss was."
Daphne laughed at that.
"Hey! That was a secret. Minus 10 points." Harry said, pouting.
It had only been about a week since the second task. Overall, nothing major had happened. Harry had been up to his usual antics, decorating the corridors with bunting made out of turnips with Luna, singing Christmas carols at 3 am outside Snapes' sleeping quarters in an eerie voice under his invisibility cloak (Snape honestly thought it was the bloody baron), and of course, having lots of fun in divination.
"Professor." Harry had said to Trelawney only a few hours ago. "I had another dream last night!"
"Oh, marvellous! Enlighten us, dear boy! Your third eye is opening!" Ron sniggered.
"Well, I was sat on a chair-" Harry started.
"Where?" Trelawney asked.
"On the chair." Harry said, the "duh" was silent.
"Yes, but where was the chair?"
"Oh! It was...on the ground." Harry nodded, looking pleased with himself.
"Yes, but where on the ground?" She pressed on.
"On the chair! I told you that already!" Harry exclaimed.
"I mean where were you, child? What location were you in?" She said, sounding mildly irritated.
"Erm, I could be wrong, but I think it was somewhere on planet Earth." Harry said solemnly. "Anyway, the chair suddenly grew wings, and we flew somewhere."
"Where?"
"Somewhere. It's a beautiful country, you should definitely go there!"
Trelawney chose to ignore him. "And then what happened?" She asked.
"I saw a bumblebee chasing a frog. They were both being chased by a cat. The frog was bright pink, and the bumblebee had a beard." Harry rubbed his chin, and shuddered.
"What happened next?" Ron asked, leaning forwards on his elbows, looking completely engrossed. "I'm on the edge of my seat here!" (He was, in fact, on the edge of his seat. He did, in fact, fall off.)
"Then Hermione whacked me in the head with a book and told me not to sleep in class." Harry said, rubbing the sore spot. Trelawney looked disappointed, and didn't notice the hidden smirks of her students.
"A shame. I will let you know if any revelations about your dream come to me dear."
Harry's favourite lesson, however, was still potions. He had mastered the fine art of meringue, and was now focusing on creating the right consistency for a perfect ice cream. Snape had him complete the real potions in detention of course, but Harry wasn't complaining; he loved spending quality time with the dungeon bat.
Harry waltzed into the potions classroom on Monday morning - literally, he waltzed with Blaise, who was getting closer and closer to becoming a member of the ever-growing friend group.
"Potter, Zabini, sit down." Snape intoned, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the dramatic teens in front of him.
"Boop!" Harry said loudly, poking his professor on the nose. "View stats." He then muttered under his breath. A large negative 5,000 appeared over Snape's head.
"Tut tut professor," said Ron, looking disappointed and shaking his head. "You must've been really naughty."
"Potter, Weasley, out!" Snape snarled, waving his wand to try and get the number above his head to vanish.
The two boys skipped out of the room, giggling.
"How do I-" Snape growled to himself, now trying to use his hand to wave the number away from him.
"You have to, uh... boop, sir." Neville said uncomfortably. Snape glared at him.
"50 points from Gryffindor." He said, before turning his back on the class and touching his nose. The number vanished.
"Get your textbooks out. Potter will, once again, have to catch up in detention. Apparently with Weasley this time. Now, turn to page 394..."
The rest of term flew by, and before they knew it, the Easter holidays were approaching quickly. Harry was looking forward to them immensely (He did, after all, still have a chocolate related prank to play on Sirius). But before the Easter Holidays he still had a few things to do.
Namely, annoy the Triwizard tournament staff members as much as possible.
The champions had all been summoned to the great hall, where Ludo Bagman was waiting for them.
"Hello Mr Wasp. My, is that a goblin?" Harry asked sweetly. Bagman squeaked and spun around, but of course, there was nothing there except a very bad drawing of a Bowtruckle.
"Good morning, champions? Please follow me." Bagman hurried out of the hall. The other champions shared a look and followed.
"Why'd you ask him about goblins?" Cedric asked Harry in a whisper.
"Oh, Fred and George overheard him in the three broomsticks at Hogsmeade the other day, he's in a spot of... money trouble." Harry whispered back, before the grin slid off of his face.
"NO!" He screamed, falling to his knees, grabbing Cedric's arm as he did so.
"Mr Potter-"
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" He sobbed, staring at the quidditch pitch in horror. Several hedges were beginning to sprout from the perfectly kept field, destroying the pitch.
"Mr Potter, get up and and don't be so dramatic." McGonagall said sternly, as she, Dumbledore and the other two headteachers arrived. "The pitch will be absolutely fine by next year, no need to whine."
Krum was grimacing, which Harry appreciated. Cedric, too, looked fuming.
"Ah, well, hello Sirs, Madams!" Bagman said to the professors, wiping sweat from his brow. "So, champions, welcome to the third task! The hedges you can see growing here will soon be tall enough to create a maze. The Triwizard cup will be placed in the middle, and there will be many obstacles and challenges in your way. The first to reach the cup will win. Any questions?"
"Me! Me!" Harry waved his hand in the air.
"Yes, Mr Potter?" Bagman still didn't meet his eye.
"Where's Mr Crouch?" Harry asked.
"He, er, isn't very well at the moment, the Weasley boy, Peter was it? Is going to be standing in for him."
"He wasn't well at the yule ball either, then." Krum stated. "The red head was there then too."
"But he came to the 2nd task?" Cedric questioned. "Did he get better and then worse again?"
"Yes, that's right." Bagman nodded. "Now, any more questions related to the task?" He ignored Harry's waving hand. "Well then, wonderful! Best of luck in your preparations!"
"Well, that was weird." Harry said as the four champions headed back to the castle, walking past the forbidden forest on their way.
"What was?" Cedric asked.
"He said Crouch was ill."
"Yeah, so?"
"Crouch was there the whole time." The other three champions turned to Harry, looking confused and surprised.
"Where?" Fleur asked.
"He was stood in the trees. Over here, look!" Harry led them back towards the pitch, and pointed towards the forbidden forest. Indeed, there was Crouch, stooped over, swaying as he walked.
"What is he doing?"
"Eez he drunk?"
"I don't know." Before they could stop him, Harry had taken off in the Ministry official's direction. The other three champions chased after him.
"Whatever is going on is weird." Cedric said to Fleur and Krum as they ran after Harry. "I'll go and find a Professor."
He turned around and started running towards the castle, leaving Krum and Fleur to catch up to the youngest champion.
He headed straight for the Headmaster's office, but to his unfortunate luck ran headlong into Professor Snape.
"Watch where you are going, Diggory! And no running! 20 points from Hufflepuff!" Snape said angrily, regaining his balance.
"I'm sorry, professor, but I need to see the Headmaster as quickly as possible."
"Why? The headmaster is busy."
"Mr Crouch is in the forbidden forest. With Harry. He looked really intoxicated, all bent over and stumbling. Harry went to talk to him before we could stop him, so I came to find Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall whilst the other two caught him up."
"Mr Crouch? With Potter? Are you sure?" Snape asked hurriedly, looking... worried, almost? Cedric suppressed smirk as he nodded. As much as he tried to fight it, Snape seemed to be growing ever so slightly fond of Potter.
"Yes, I'm sure. So I really need to-"
"The Headmaster is speaking with Lupin in his office. The password is Gumdrops. Go!" Cedric nodded and rushed over to the gargoyle, saying the password and ascending the staircase, knocking on the door at the top.
"Come in, Mr Diggory!" He heard Dumbledore say, and he pushed the office door open, quickly relaying everything he had just told Snape to the Headmaster and Remus, who sprang into action immediately.
Cedric led the way, Remus, Dumbledore and a big black dog following closely behind.
Meanwhile, Harry was having a very enlightening conversation.
"Mr Crouch? Are you well?" Harry asked, approaching slowly.
"Ah, Wezly, good to see you. Once coffee, black if you will. I have a meeting in five minutes." Suddenly, he had a vicelike grip on Harry's arm, and looked at him with something akin to desperation on his face.
"Must... warn... Dumbledore." He said through clenched teeth, the effort of speaking appearing to pain him greatly.
"Warn Dumbledore of what?" Harry asked, surprisingly calmly, just as Fleur and Krum reached him. They seemed to sense the atmosphere and kept a little bit of distance, so as not to provoke Crouch into attacking anyone.
"Terrible things... approaching..." Crouch said croakily, grip becoming tighter before loosening.
"I'll return shortly, Weaselby, please ensure all my paperwork is up to date."
"What is he doing?" Fleur asked. Harry shrugged.
"I think he's hallucinating, or under a curse or something." All of a sudden, Harry felt a sharp pain in the back of his head and he fell, the world turning back before he reached the floor.
"Enervate"
"Potter? Slowly Potter, there, easy does it." Harry groaned as he came to, sitting up slowly and blinking. Someone handed him his glasses and he the world came into focus. Fleur and Viktor were on either side of him, helping him sit, and Snape, of all people, was crouched in front of him.
"What happened? Where did Crouch go? What-"
"Potter, slow down. Foolish boy, running into danger at the drop of a hat."
"He looked ill, he needed help. He wanted to warn Dumbledore-"
"Yes yes, I know, your fellow champions told me. Can you stand?" Harry got to his feet slowly, using Fleur and Viktor as support.
"So, what happened?" Harry asked urgently.
"When you turned to talk to us, he hit you on the back of the head with a curse." Viktor explained. "We didn't catch you in time. As soon as you were down he ran into the forest. I tried to follow him but lost him."
"Ze weird professor, with ze funny eye, came past and told us to keep an eye on you whilst he searched for Crouch." Fleur added. Snape looked at her sharply.
"Professor Moody came by?" She nodded. "And left Potter unconscious?" She nodded again.
"Professor Snape came by just as Fleur was leaving to get help." Viktor added. "He said Diggory was on his way with the Headmaster and a man called Lupin?"
"Is Padfoot coming?" Harry asked, giving Snape a pleading look.
"I expect so. However, they can meet us on the way, we need to get you to the hospital wing. Can you walk?"
"Yeah, I think so." He wobbled slightly, but steadied himself, walking at a slow and easy pace. Fleur and Viktor still flanked his either side, and Snape walked a few paces behind them.
They made it halfway to the castle before being swamped by a bundle of black fur. Harry stumbled to the ground when it hit him, which led to the dog being thoroughly scolded by Snape.
"Stupid Mutt, the boy was just unconscious! Calm yourself!" The dog whined and licked Harry's face apologetically.
Dumbledore somehow had the forethinking to bring Madam Pomfrey with them.
Remus helped Harry stand, and Pomfrey gave him a once over before handing him a bright pink potion. Harry swallowed it in one gulp and his headache eased instantly.
"Mr Diggory, Mr Krum and Miss Delacour, please return to your common rooms and your schools." Professor Dumbledore said. The three did as they were told, promising to catch up with Harry later.
"Harry, my boy, if you would come to my office, I need to know exactly what-"
"Headmaster, the boy has just been attacked by an adult wizard. He is in no fit state to answer questions, at least until morning." Snape said firmly. Harry blinked at him in surprise. Snape, standing up for him? How unusual.
"I agree with Severus. Come on Harry, you can come back to my quarters for tonight. Minerva is already putting the kettle on, she knows what happened. Severus, care to join us?" Remus offered, feeling he owed the man for protecting Harry. It couldn't hurt to mend old wounds, either. The Headmaster sighed and went on his way, knowing he had lost for now.
"Not today thank you, Lupin. I have work to do." He swept off, and Remus chuckled.
"He's mellowing. He would never refuse so politely otherwise." He whispered to Harry, who snorted.
Padfoot growled and Remus nudged him with his foot. "That's enough from you, grow up." The dog gave him such a condescending look that Remus burst out laughing.
They returned to Lupin's quarters and Harry collapsed on the sofa, suddenly tired.
It was a pleasant evening after that. Once safe in their quarters, Sirius resumed his human form and fussed over Harry for about 20 minutes before finally accepting he was okay. Minerva came out of the kitchen with a plate of biscuits in one hand, her wand in the other, and four cups of tea, a milk jug, a sugar dish and a teapot floating in behind her. Harry didn't say much, and just revelled in being able to relax on a comfy couch with his godfather and Remus (who is pretty much his uncle now), whilst they chatted and reminisced of their Hogwarts days with Minerva. The three shared plenty of stories about his father and mother with him.
It was a good end to a good day. If it had been the end, which it wasn't. Unbeknownst to him, Cedric had filled all of Harry's friends in on what had happened, so as soon as he returned to the common room, he was attacked by Hermione.
"- running into danger like that, you foolish idiot!"
When he finally escaped to his dorm with Ron, he decided to check the map. Seeing Crouch in the forest reminded him of a couple of incidents recently, where he had seen Crouch in the castle, roaming the halls.
However, when he opened his hiding place for his most valuable possessions, he gasped.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked.
"The Marauders Map, it isn't here!"
Chapter 19: Never Give Dogs Chocolate
The holidays were upon them. The last few days of classes had sped by, and Harry and his friends had spent every spare moment turning the castle upside down in search of the map. The summoning spell had failed. They had, however, been told very sternly by Remus Lupin to give up when Harry and the twins had burst into his quarters unannounced and without knocking, magnifying glasses in hand and horrified expressions on their faces.
Harry didn't know what shocked Fred and George more - the fact escaped convict Sirius Black was a welcome guest in the castle, the fact escaped convict Sirius Black and their ex professor Lupin were both shirtless and dancing to Queen whilst singing at the top of their lungs, or the fact that their ex-professor Lupin and the escaped convict Sirius Black were two of the marauders - the twins' idols.
Harry always knocked after that unfortunate timing, and covered his eyes and announced his presence when entering any room anywhere in the castle, including classrooms and the great hall, for days afterwards. To most it was just another typical crazy Potter fad, but the Weasley twins knew he was making a point, and didn't hesitate to catch on and do it too.
The map had disappeared, for good it seemed. No amount of summoning spells, tracking spells or revealing spells had identified where it had gone. George even tried a spell Bill had taught him, called "point me" but the wand just spun in circles on his hand before dropping to the floor.
Accepting defeat they moved on, hoping it would show up in due course.
The holidays began with a metaphorical bang, as once again, Harry hit the Monday morning papers.
"What have you told that Skeeter woman now?" Hermione sighed exasperatedly, reading the headline with a defeated expression.
"The truth, dear!" Harry said, patting her shoulder. "The whole truth, and nothing but the truth!"
"Poor Orphaned Saviour Survives the First Two Triwizard Tasks." Draco read, looking faintly amused.
"Read the rest out." Ginny said, stealing a slice of Draco's toast sitting next to the now disgruntled blonde. They were all sat with Luna at the Ravenclaw table. The Hogwarts Express was taking some students home for Easter, since most stayed for Christmas, but Harry's friends had all elected to stay at the castle.
"Okay, fine." Draco glared at Ginny. The two fought like cat and dog, more than anyone in the group, but it was more out of habit than anything else.
Poor Orphaned Saviour Survives the First Two Triwizard Tasks
Once again, I was given the exciting and privileged opportunity to speak to the wizarding world's favourite young wizard, Harry Potter, after his success in the first two tasks of the Triwizard tournament. I received an exclusive update on his feelings towards the tournament thus far.
"So we meet again, Harry! How are you holding up?" I of course remembered how emotional the poor boy had been when I spoke to him before the tournament tasks had begun.
"Oh yeah, he was crying all the time!" Fred said sarcastically.
"I'm actually doing okay!" He assured me, giving me a small smile. "I'm still alive, anyway, just one task left now!"
"Well, that's wonderful! So, let's go back to the beginning, shall we? The first task." I prompted him. As we all know, the first task was a test of bravery against the unknown
"Except they all figured it out."
and the champions were all tasked with getting past a dragon to reach the golden egg - which contained the clue to the next task.
"It was a silly task, really." Viktor told me in his interview (page 4). "It was cruel, to put the dragons through that."
"They were kept chained up in tiny pens in the forbidden forest, just big enough for them to pace about 3 steps in either direction." One of the dashing young dragon keepers, Charlie Weasley, informed me. "None of us were very pleased at all, but we weren't given any choice." I gasped. How awful for those magnificent beasts!
"Skeeter's good, when used right." Daphne said thoughtfully. "That'll get people questioning the morals of this tournament."
"The first task was hard." Harry admitted, emerald eyes glazing over as he remembered. "I felt so awful for those poor dragons."
"How did you complete the task?" I asked him curiously. I knew, of course, as I'd watched the task, but I wanted to hear it from the young man himself. For the other champions success stories, see their own exclusive interviews on page 4, 5 and 6.
"Well, everyone pretty much knows now, after what happened in my second year, but I'm a parselmouth." Harry said, looking mildly nervous at what my reaction would be.
"Oh come on, you didn't care at all!" Ron snorted. Harry just winked at him.
I smiled at him reassuringly. We looked at the events of Harry's previous Hogwarts years, including how he saved a young student and the entire school from the basilisk in the chamber of secrets, a story kept incredibly quiet from the ministry and wizarding community.
"Susan's aunt was fuming when she found out." Cedric said, joining them.
"Harry, dear, no one thinks you are evil for speaking to snakes. In fact, it made you a hero!" I reminded him. He smiled a little weakly, but nodded. Again, so humble.
They all looked at Harry, eyebrows raised. He shrugged at them.
"Her words, not mine!" He said innocently.
"Well, I figured if I could speak to snakes, why not other reptiles? Like how all humans speak, but with different languages, slang, accents and dialects!" He said more enthusiastically.
"Harry goes all Hermione when it comes to parseltongue." Daphne said jokily, nudging Hermione so she knew it wasn't a dig at her. Hermione nudged her back gratefully.
"It's so interesting though!" Harry pouted.
I didn't fully understand his meaning, but nodded regardless. "So when I saw the dragon, and how scared she was, I put my wand down so she knew I wasn't a threat, sat down to make myself small and vulnerable so she didn't feel intimidated or threatened
"Putting yourself in extreme danger." Hermione added. Harry just huffed.
and tried to speak to her."
"And it worked?" He nodded, smiling as he remembered. "We became quite good friends actually. We talked a bit, I explained the task, and she gave me the egg with no issues. She's allergic to bumblebees you know." I didn't take the last bit seriously. As many of you know, our chosen one has been a bit out of sorts recently, trying to process the trauma of his life so far.
The whole group laughed.
"It was incredibly foolish, is what it was." One of his good friends told me. "He could've gotten himself burned to a crisp!"
"Daphne or Hermione?" George asked.
"Me." Hermione said.
Aware of the time, I moved the conversation along to the second task.
"Mermaids." Harry told me, grinning. "I actually enjoyed this one a lot! I learnt a lot about Mermaid customs and culture. Did you know they've been feuding with the Veela for years? Thankfully Fleur was okay."
"I still can't believe they knowingly let a Veela in a lake with mermaids." Ginny said, shaking her head.
Fleur Delacour, Beauxbatons champion, revealed to us her Veela heritage and worries about the second task on page 6.
"But you didn't just take this task at face value, did you Harry dear?" I asked him, and the boy's grin became mischievous.
"Well, let's just say, me and my fellow champions were a bit... unhappy about this task." He said. "So to prove a point, we may have a pulled a little prank on the judges." The prank included the four chosen tributes to be switched using polyjuice potion with 4 other students.
I can understand Harry's reasoning. Sending 4 students into the territory of mermaids whilst asleep is incredibly dangerous, not to mention they were not given the chance to consent.
"Oooo, that'll get people annoyed." Daphne said, looking pleased.
"So, did switching the tributes make you feel better?"
"Not really, to be honest. It gave everyone a shock for sure, but in the end it just made us as bad as the people who were willing to create this task in the first place." Harry said, looking guilty. "We did technically get permission from them all, they played dumb really well. Well, except Crabbe. I think he just says yes to everything to be honest. But still, we probably shouldn't of done it."
"How are you feeling about the third task?" I asked Harry. His face fell and he grew serious again.
"Honestly? Terrified." He said solemnly. "We were told what it was yesterday, a maze. But I have a really horrible feeling something is going to go wrong."
"Do you actually?" Hermione asked, looking at her friend in concern. He nodded.
"A bit, yeah."
"You'll all survive." Luna said, and Harry breathed a small sigh of relief. Luna was always right.
"Why is that?" I asked gently, although I had a feeling I knew why already.
"All the worst things happen to me at the end of the year." He said, tears welling up in his eyes. "What if one of my friends dies? What is you-know-who attacks me again? or comes back properly?"
I stopped the interview here, as I could see the lad was getting worked up. How awful that a 14 year old has to worry about being attacked all the time! Hopefully one day, these fears will be alleviated by those around him, but until them, our hearts and prayers are with you, Harry Potter.
"Well, that ended emotionally." Harry said, looking unbothered by his friends concerned glances. "Anyway, Gred, Forge, I need your help."
"Anything for you-"
"Harrykins!" The twins said, eyes lighting up with their usual mischief.
"I think it's time we paid Sirius back, don't you?" The group gave each other wary looks as the twins and Harry started to plan.
Sirius had been unbearable since he'd moved into the castle. Whilst he was still mostly confined to dog form, he had, somehow, been sneaking around the castle fully human and pranking the Weasley twins, Harry, and other Hogwarts students every chance he got. And when he targeted those unsuspecting Hogwarts students, the twins and Harry almost always got the blame, especially if it was Snape who witnessed it.
"He owes us, like, 50 detentions." Fred said grumpily. George huffed in agreement.
Harry grinned. "Trust me, I have just the thing."
Saturday evening, before school started up again, saw Harry in Remus' quarters again, with Remus, Sirius, Minerva, and a reluctant Severus that Minerva had dragged along. Sirius, out of protest, remained in dog form to avoid speaking to Severus. Although Harry swore he saw the two talking perfectly amicably on one of his midnight jaunts under the cloak.
Speaking of the cloak... Harry glanced ever so briefly over to the corner of the room, where he knew the twins were hiding.
"Hey Padfoot, come try this!" Harry said, holding his hand out. Padfoot sniffed the cake suspiciously, but ate it nonetheless.
"Uh oh." Harry said. Padfoot's ears pricked up and he tilted his head. "That was chocolate cake." Padfoot quickly became Sirius again, patting Harry's shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't worry, pup, I've eaten plenty of chocolate as a dog before."
"Erm, no, you haven't." Remus pointed out. "James always stopped you in case it was poisonous for dogs, remember?"
Sirius completely freaked out. It was glorious.
After half an hour of watching chaos unfold, Harry got bored.
"APRIL FOOLS! He shrieked, and darted out of the room before Sirius could catch him. Sirius tried to follow, but the Weasley twins pulled the invisibility cloak off with a flourish and began shooting him with muggle water guns they had charmed to fire glitter that multiplied every time you tried to vanish it instead.
Even Severus found himself laughing.
Dear Mr Potter,
Your presence is requested at a ministry trial as a witness for Sirius Black. Please do not discuss or share this information with anyone until it becomes public information. The trial will take place on the first of August. Please do not bring anything with you.
Best Wishes,
Amelia Bones
Harry,
Don't tell the ministry I slipped an extra note in, I'll get in trouble. We've been looking into your housing situation and have found out all we need to know in order to remove you from 4 privet drive permanently. However, Sirius cannot take guardianship of you until his name has been cleared and he's had the required therapy. Unfortunately, the creature laws still stand and Remus is not allowed to be your guardian in the meantime. Molly and Arthur Weasley have stepped in and offered to have you, and hope you accept. No one has told Dumbledore any of this, don't worry.
Keep safe Harry,
Amelia.
Harry grinned. "200 points to Amelia Bones."
Chapter 20: Noseless Return
"And so, after a year filled with humour, chaos, and a sprinkle of trauma, fourth year is drawing to a close. And this means, the third task is approaching..."
"Er, Harry, who are you talking to?"
Harry blinked. "The audience Hermione, duh. I thought you were smart?" Hermione rolled her eyes and Ron sniggered.
"Speaking of the third task, Potter." Draco said. "Are you in any way prepared?"
"Nope." Harry said cheerfully, popping the p. "I do, however, have a master plan!"
"Oh no, not another one!" Ginny said sarcastically. "What is it then?"
"Set the bushes on fire." Harry said with a shrug. "Or levitate Cedric over the maze and drop him in the middle."
"Not Cedric, he might die." Luna said calmly. Everyone turned to look at her but she just continued staring at the clouds.
"Oh, Okay. Krum?" Luna shook her head. "Fleur?" Luna shook her head again.
"But Luuuunnaaaa!" Harry whined.
"She's right Harry." Daphne added. "If you drop them you'll kill them, and your levitation spells aren't exactly the best."
"They worked amazingly well when I made those teaspoons of jam chase Draco around the quidditch pitch." Harry argued.
Draco's eyes went wide. "I KNEW it was you!" Harry turned to wink at nothing.
"Again, Harry, there's no one there." Hermione scolded.
"How do you know? For all we know, we're just a bunch of words on paper, a figment of some random lady's imagination that is now shared by millions. They could be watching us right now!" Harry whispered the last sentence, looking around suspiciously.
"Harry stalkers." Ron sniggered. "Maybe they call themselves Potterheads."
"Absolutely NOT!" Harry gasped. "What a terrible fandom name!"
"Better then the snake tongue club." Hermione pointed out.
Harry stuck his tongue out at her. "You're just jealous I can speak to snakes and break the fourth wall."
Hermione just shook her head and turned the page of her book.
"Don't ask." She said quickly when Neville opened his mouth to ask what a fourth wall was.
"Anyway, the task is tomorrow, so you need to have at least something sensible planned." Daphne cut in smoothly.
"Luna?" Harry asked the blonde girl, who smiled. "Any mysteriously clever and cryptic insight as to how tomorrow will play out?"
"The nargles aren't speaking to me today." She said airily. "But they were talking about evil rats yesterday."
"Fun!" Harry exclaimed. "I thought for sure Hagrid would be including those weird orange things but maybe he's got giant rats with powers to stick in the maze too!"
"Wouldn't be surprising." Ron added. "Those skrewts almost killed me yesterday, I bet they're in there."
"Maybe enlarged, to make it harder." Daphne added as they all shuddered. "If they are, aim for the stomach Harry."
"Why can't I just kill it with kindness? It worked with Snape." Harry said, waving merrily at the Potions master, who ignored him.
"If you hug a skrewt, I'll give you fifty Galleons." Daphne said, smirking.
"Daphne Greengrass, don't encourage him!" Hermione exclaimed, hitting her with her book.
"Deal." Harry grinned and dodged Hermione's book, because superheroes are always super nimble and agile and look really handsome.
The day of the third task was bright and sunny, to Harry's disappointment.
"I wanted it to rain." Harry grumbled to Cedric as they stood at the entrance of the maze, waiting for Bagman to announce the third task.
"Why?" Cedric muttered.
"Because beards look funny when they are wet. And Dumbledore isn't wearing a hat. I bet his hair gets so frizzy!" Harry muttered a smell and a cloud appeared over Dumbledore's head, dumping water all over him. Cedric sniggered as Dumbledore quickly banished the spell and turned to look at Harry, who waved with a big smile.
"LAGDIES AND GENLEMEN!"
"BOYS AND GIRLS!" Harry yelled. Everyone looked at him and Bagman looked annoyed. "Oh sorry, thought it was a double act. Carry on."
"WELCOME TO THE FINAL TASK OF THIS YEAR'S TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT."
Harry covered his ears. Bagman was always so loud, it was so irritating.
After a while, Cedric poked him.
"What?"
"The person who gets the cup earns themselves 50 extra points." Cedric muttered. "Which means-"
"NO WAY!" Harry shouted. Everyone looked at him again. "50 Points? That's rigged! That means only me or Cedric can win anyway, which gives Hogwarts an automatic win! This is worse than the snitch in quidditch! Ooooh, let's have a seeker-off for the last task instead!" Funnily enough, all the champions were seekers, and had already had a very exciting tournament with each other in which Harry and Krum drew. Krum had promised to get Harry in touch with some people that offer good opportunities.
"Er, I, well..." Bagman trailed off.
"Listen here, Mister." Harry said sternly. "The cup should just add like 10 points to the final score after you give us points on our skills in the maze."
"How though Mr Potter? No one will be able to see you."
"Seriously, again? You guys really need to get a grip and find a better events organiser. " Harry sighed and shook his head. "Luckily, I'm really clever, and asked Hermione to be really clever for me and make this." Harry pointed his wand at the quidditch hoops and two massive white sheets unrolled, and each one was split in two.
"You can watch us all at once." Harry explained, as He, Cedric, Fleur and Viktor appeared in half of a screen each. "Isn't Hermione so awesome?"
Hermione blushed as almost everyone clapped for her gratefully.
"Oh, okay then. Cedric and Harry, you are tied for the most points so far, so you enter the maze first. Ready?"
A canon went off, and the two boys shook hands and darted into the maze, Harry singing here we go round the mulberry bush as he skipped.
Once he was a good distance into the maze, he pulled out a walkie talkie.
"Hey, Cedric! They work!" Harry said excitedly. "Your girlfriend is awesome."
"She is, isn't she?" Cedric said cheerfully. "So, what are these for again?"
"I just wanted to tell you something super secret." Harry said with a shrug. "And they might come in useful if one of us gets beaten to a pulp by an evil rat. Luna said there was an infestation."
"Oh dear."
"I know right? At least the bumblebees pollinate, I can handle them."
Harry winked. "See Hermione? I'm winking at a REAL audience now!"
Ron and Ginny cackled when Hermione groaned.
"I was practicing all along. Got to keep you lot entertained, haven't I? Thought you'd like to hear the super secret secret I was going to tell Cedric!"
"I'm on the edge of my seat here." Cedric said cheerfully. The audience gasped as he quickly dodged a Cornish Pixie aiming for his face and turned it into a pasty.
"Well, the secret is, one time a house elf came to visit me, and threw a pudding at a muggle visitor. So my uncle put bars on my window." Harry said.
"Can confirm, we-"
"Saw it ourselves!" The Weasley twins shouted.
"That's an... odd secret."
"That wasn't the real secret, I got scared so said something random."
"So what's the real secret?"
"I don't know. Right, my lovely viewers, here we have a humungous orange skrewt thing that really wants to kill me." Harry said, doing his best impression of some guy he heard on Dudley's television talking about animals before he had changed the channel.
"A WHAT!" Cedric yelled. "Harry, where are you? Do you need my help?"
"Nah, I'll just tickle it." Harry said delightedly, running up to the skrewt and giving it a hug before being shaken off and charged at. "You owe me fifty galleons Greengrass!" He said. She rolled her eyes, giving the Harry on the screen a rude gesture.
Harry just stood still and sidestepped when the creature got too close, and the skrewt hurtled into the distance.
"I'm alive." He told Cedric. "And richer. Daphne must be crying right now. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, I was thinking about Goblins, right, and how cool their runic magic is. Wizards have tried to replicate it for ages, but we always fail cause Goblins are super cool and we aren't. Yet they still protect our money for us! How kind! If I were them I might be tempted to steal from the rich and give to the poor, like good old Robin Hood. My primary school teacher told us all about robin hood." Harry rambled on, and on, and on, walking through the maze.
"How come nothing is attacking me?" Harry asked suddenly.
"I dunno mate, I've had to fight off like 6 different magical creatures." Cedric said, sounding out of breath. "Wait."
"What's wrong?" Harry asked him. Ginny suddenly yanked on Hermione's arm.
"Look at Krum." They looked at Krum's part of the screen. His eyes were hazy, and he was pointing his wand at-
"Fleur!" Hermione gasped, as a red light hit the witch and she collapsed as Krum continued on.
They audience watched with baited breath as Moody and Madame Pomfrey entered the maze and removed Fleur. They apprehended Krum just as he was raising his wand at Cedric.
"Cedric?" Harry asked again.
"Nothing. Viktor and Fleur are out. I think Viktor was put under the imperius curse."
"Vicky? Oh dear." Harry shook his head forlornly.
They continued on in silence, Harry occasionally showing the screen a pretty leaf and giggling like a seven year old girl.
"Oh." Harry paused mid skip. "Cedric, how stupid do you think the designers of this task are?"
"Why?"
"Accio Triwizard Cup." Harry waited patiently, and soon enough a gold cup came whizzing around the corner, flying straight at him.
As soon as it touched him he vanished. His screen went blank.
"Ouch!" Harry exclaimed, dropping the cup as he landed heavily on his arm. "That really hurt! Since I got the cup does that mean I win? Oh, hey Wormtail!"
Oh. Wormtail.
"Petey boy, why are you here?" Harry asked, then realizing he was in a graveyard and not at Hogwarts. "Why am I here? When did you have a kid?"
"Silence!" Peter shouted, zapping Harry with a spell that had him pressed flat against a gravestone.
"Well, this is kind of unpleasant." Harry said, wriggling as ropes appeared around him. "I was kind of not expecting you. WAIT, YOU'RE THE EVIL RAT! Never mind, this was totes meant to happen!"
Peter glared at him, and Harry noticed a cauldron, and watched with barely concealed dread as Peter started muttering like a madman.
Harry retched when the man chopped his whole flipping hand off.
"Broski, ouch, that's gotta hurt. Why would you do that?"
Peter approached Harry slowly, grabbing his arm and pressing the knife into his skin.
"Erm, okay."
"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken!"
"Enemy? That's not very nice." Harry pouted. "Please, though, take as much blood as you need. I'm chill like that!"
Harry had to admit, he wasn't surprised that the baby Peter was holding quickly turned into Voldemort once placed in the cauldron. What was surprising was how ugly the Dark Lord was.
"They could've at least made him handsome. Ugly villains are so old school." Harry grumbled under his breath.
"Old school?" Voldemort muttered to himself, then shook his head. He was super modern and hip and cool, the idiot boy had no clue what he was talking about.
"Harry Potter, we meet again. I can touch you now." Voldemort reached out a long scaly finger. Harry bit it.
"Fool!" Voldy spat, glaring at the so called saviour of the wizarding world. "You will see, soon enough, that you are nothing."
"I'm nothing? Let me go then. Go on, do it!" Harry taunted. "If I'm nothing, Tommy boy, then why use my blood to resurrect yourself?"
"I-what?"
"Well, if it wasn't for me, you would still technically be dead. Doesn't that mean you owe me?"
Voldemort blinked. Harry smiled sweetly.
"No, boy, because I would've come back another way."
"Sure Tommy, if you say so. Don't call me boy, my muggle uncle calls me that and he gave me loads of trauma that Snape did a terrible job helping me with in therapy. Oh look, new friends!" Harry squealed. He would've clapped, but the ropes wouldn't let him move.
Harry was kind of bored when Voldemort was monologuing to his weird emo pals. He did make a note of their names though, and vowed silently to himself to get Draco out of Malfoy manor this summer.
"POTTER?"
"Yeah, what? Sorry, zoned out for a bit." Harry said nonchalantly, giving Voldemort a bored look.
"We duel." The man snarled.
"Sounds like fun!" Harry said brightly. Voldemort waved his wand and Harry fell to the ground with a thud.
"Ouch! Will you people stop throwing me around like a sack of potatoes please? If I'm about to die my corpse needs to roguishly handsome, not covered in cuts and bruises." Harry grumbled, getting to his feet and picking up his wand that Pettigrew tossed at him with a shiny new silver hand.
"Heyyy, looking good cyborg rat!" Harry said to him. "Maybe now you'll be useful!"
"Bow." Voldemort ordered. Harry shook his head.
"No. Don't want to thanks."
"Insolent brat. BOW!"
"Nuh uh. Make me. Snape calls me an insolent brat too!"
"Imperio!" Harry let the spell take a hold, but when the urge to bow became ever so slightly too overwhelming he started to spin in circles instead, throwing the spell off and doing jazz hands.
"What's the bet crucio doesn't work on me either?" He grinned. He was playing with fire, but he didn't really care. He was so done with stupid wizards.
Okay, he kind of asked for what came next. Pain like he had never experienced before overtook him- it felt like a thousand knives being buried in his flesh and his flesh set on fire. He clenched his fists and fell to the ground. He refused to scream. When Tommy finally released the spell, Harry was shaking.
Voldemort waited for Harry to get to his feet before striking again. Harry was quicker this time - the spells collided in mid-air and connected, several shadowy figures appearing before them in a web of tangles golden light.
"Oh, hey mum and dad. Wait. MUM! DAD!"
"SON!" James yelled happily "You little troublemaker, I'm so proud! The therapy thing was hilarious, and the jam-"
"Not now honey." Lily said. "Harry, we love you, and are so proud of you. Kill this madman sometime in the next three years please. And eat more vegetables!" She said sternly.
"Yes ma'am. Sorry tommykins, got to break up the party, mum wants me to go eat carrots cause apparently I'm a rabbit now." Harry said conversationally as he broke the connection and summoned the cup, waving at Tommy and his emo squad as Voldemort cried out in rage.
Meanwhile, at camp Hogwarts...
"HARRY!" Hermione screeched.
"Where did he go?" Ron yelled, glaring accusingly at Dumbledore. "Where is Harry? Where did the portkey take him?"
"The cup shouldn't-"
"Impossible!"
Harry's friends all turned to each other frantically, watching as Remus, Minerva, Severus and Padfoot all ran from the stands to speak to Dumbledore, the other headteachers, Bagman and a few ministry officials. Minister Fudge himself was apparently present, Hermione realised. Sinistra dashed up to the castle, probably to check for Harry.
"When did Moody get down there?" Hermione muttered to Daphne, who shrugged. Moody had moved from Krum and Fleur to stand with Dumbledore and the rest of the staff.
"There's something weird about him." Ron said, cracking his knuckles. "Harry said so ages ago."
"Everyone, please, take a seat!" Dumbledore magnified his voice his magic and the students from all three schools began to calm down, resuming their seats. Professor Sinistra came running from the castle, shaking her head. No Harry up there.
"As of right now, Harry Potter is missing." He held up a hand and people started shouting. "SILENCE! We are doing everything we can do locate him and return him safely to us. The cup, a portkey, has been tampered with and taken Mr Potter to an unknown location. I felt him leave the wards, and Professor Sinistra has confirmed he is not in the castle. I urge you to come forward now if you have information that could help. Until Mr Potter has safely returned, we stay here and wait."
"Surely it would be better for us to go to the castle."
Draco shrugged. "Dumbledore's a bit of an idiot."
It was the worst 2 hours of Hermione and Ron's lives. Molly Weasley and Bill, who had come to watch the third task and surprise Harry after at the celebratory feast for the winner, had found his group of friends and stayed with them, Molly hugging a crying Hermione whilst Ron and Bill spoke in hushed whispers and Ginny paced, carding her hands through her hair.
Daphne and Draco murmured to one another and Luna was comforting Neville. The twins were sat in silence, staring at the screens. The champions had been retrieved from the maze and Madam Pomfrey was tending to them.
Harry appeared with a thud, and blood all over his robes. Someone screamed. Harry looked up, panting, hair messier than usual and a haunted look on his face.
His friends all dashed towards him, Hermione kneeling next to him. He started to sob, body shaking with exhaustion. Remus crouched down.
"He's back. Voldemort's back."
Chapter 21: Aftermath
Harry felt gentle but firm hands pull him upwards, and he melted into his Remus' embrace.
"Moody." Harry whispered hoarsely. Remus froze.
"What about him?"
"Something's off with him. I've thought it a few times, but he's laughing right now."
Remus reluctantly let go of Harry, who had started to shake, and went to speak to Snape and McGonagall in low tones. Snape nodded curtly and headed back to the castle. McGonagall, looking very pale, whispered something to the Headmaster.
Harry watched from between Hermione and Ron, leaning on them slightly for support, as Dumbledore summoned Moody's flask just as he went to take a swig.
"Polyjuice." Dumbledore said. He spoke no louder than normal, but the silence was palpable and so everybody heard him.
Moody changed before their eyes. He got younger, thinner, and grey hair became dark.
"Barty Crouch Junior?" Remus said in surprise. "But-"
"He died in prison!" Barty cackled. Amelia leapt into action, capturing Barty quickly and forcing veritaserum down his throat. He told the whole story to a crowd of witnesses.
Thinking quickly, Amelia handed Harry the veritaserum.
"You don't have to." She said quietly. "But it'll make you more believable. People will be reluctant to admit Voldemort has returned."
Harry took a large swig, and in front of the whole school, told them. Not everything, just that Voldemort had been resurrected by Peter Pettigrew and the names of the deatheaters that were there. He also told them Sirius was innocent, so that he hopefully wouldn't have to go to the ministry and witness in his trial.
The rest of the evening was a blur. Harry let himself be escorted to the hospital wing, barely able to walk he was shaking so much, and almost cried with relief when Molly burst in right after him, refusing to leave his side.
"Mr Potter, again? Why am I not - oh you poor, poor child." Everyone watched in silence as Poppy pushed Harry to sit on a bed, and summoned her medical kit. The one specifically for torture situations.
"Why-"
"Cruciatus." Harry said sullenly, and Hermione stifled a sob.
Whilst Poppy worked, Harry forced himself to eat the chocolate Remus handed him. Sugar was good for shock, he new that. He couldn't see Padfoot, but felt the dip in the bed where the dog was watching him carefully.
Fudge came in, red faced and angry, followed by Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape. Harry, still under the affects of veritaserum, answered more of Amelia's questions, and watched as Fudge went from angry to fearful. He heard the Minister agree to clear Sirius' name without a trial and smiled weakly. He could see Snapes' carefully constructed dull expression, and could feel Dumbledore's solemn gaze bore into him. He couldn't bring himself to look at Professor McGonagall.
He refused to the drink the dreamless sleep Poppy handed to him.
"Now isn't the time to rest." He argued weakly, shaking his head. He heard more than saw Draco, Daphne, Ginny, Luna, Neville and the twins enter the hospital wing. He heard Bill escort them straight back out, along with Hermione and Ron. He could hear them all protesting until the door swung shut with a soft thud.
"They're gone, Harry." Dumbledore said gently. "You should rest now." Harry shook his head. He heard the Minister leave with Amelia. He was still shaking.
"Harry." He looked up, flinching at the contact. He relaxed when he saw it was only Remus. "Sleep, please."
"Can't." He bit out through shudders. Molly, Remus, Dumbledore, and Poppy tried to persuade him for ten minutes. Padfoot, after assurance from Dumbledore it was safe, turned back into Sirius and tried too, to no avail.
Eventually, it was the heads of Slytherin and Gryffindor house that got through to him.
"Mr Potter." Harry looked up, and met McGonagall's stern, but not unfriendly, gaze. "It wasn't your fault." Harry broke. Molly held him tightly, stroking his hair, whispering words of comfort no one around them could hear.
Once he'd calmed down, he looked between McGonagall, and to everyone else's surprise, Snape.
"What if..." Harry knew he sounded desperate, but he couldn't stop himself.
"Potter," Snape said coldly, but not meanly. "If you do not rest, you will give yourself magical exhaustion so strong that you will take weeks to recover. You will be bed-ridden, and of use to no one in whatever fight you are so fixated on. If you want to help, help by resting." Harry glared at him. Snape raised a brow. Harry dropped his gaze, and nodded.
"Fine." Snape handed him the bottle, and he took it.
When he awoke the next morning, only Ron and Hermione were with him.
"Like the good old days." Her murmured with a smile, sitting up. Hermione smiled through a sob, and Ron patted him on the shoulder.
They filled him in. He'd been asleep for three days, and in that time, Fudge had apparently tried to deny Voldemort's return. However, most of the Hogwarts populace, Amelia Bones, Hogwarts staff and Harry's friends fought back with Skeeter, and most people believed what Harry was saying.
Fudge was yet to admit he was wrong, and yet nothing seemed to be being done about his position as minister.
"It's all very tricky." Hermione said. "Politics always is. No one will try and push Fudge out, because if he is replaced with a more competent minister that minister is putting themselves on Voldypa- Voldemort's hit list. And there's a risk of one of Voldemort's people taking the position too."
Crouch junior had been given the Dementor's kiss. Crouch senior was dead.
The questions Harry had answered under Veritaserum in his dazed state meant Amelia could clear Sirius' name without the scheduled hearing. Sirius had consented to Veritaserum and answered some of his own, and had been sent to live with his cousin Andromeda for the time being, as she was a skilled mind healer.
Harry loved Sirius, but he was sightly relieved he wouldn't be forced to choose between him and the Weasleys yet. Not that Harry didn't want to live with Sirius, but more so that he loved the security of the Weasleys, and felt like a child with siblings and loving parents when he was there. With Sirius, he felt more like a friend.
Ron and Hermione told him through laughter about the chaos Harry's friend group had been causing whilst he was out, in an effort to keep spirits light.
Daphne, Blaise and Ron had made a wedding cake in potions class and claimed it was for Dobby and Winky. Hermione and Draco had been jinxing books to read aloud during study sessions in the great hall, but made sure they had funny voices or sang everything they read.
Ginny, Luna, and Colin travelled as a pack. Ginny stole Harry's invisibility cloak and used it to accost random students and hold them still whilst Luna dressed them up in wigs and costumes and jewellery, and then Colin took photos. Harry flicked through them when Hermione handed them to him, laughing at the one of Sirius in dog form covered head to toe in glitter, from before he was sent to his cousin.
Harry couldn't help but feel worried about Voldemort's return, but he didn't feel as crushed as he would have if one of his friends had been with him and died. He also had a lot of hope. Hope that grew when all of the rest of his friends came to visit, and Hermione and Ron refused to leave his side. Hope that caused him to cry when Molly returned with a warm hug and cake. Hope when Remus showed up with a tired smile and chocolate. Hope when he was finally released from the hospital wing and he could give his winnings to Fred and George. Hope when the three other champions met him on the quidditch pitch for one last seeker-off before the two other schools left, and Krum invited him to practice with the Bulgarian quidditch over summer.
He had hope, and joy, and love, and it was Awesome.
He couldn't resist intercepting Snape's owl order of shampoo and changing the contents to green and silver hair dye. It didn't work, of course, but it made Harry laugh nevertheless.
Especially when a big black dog showed up for the end of year celebrations with Remus as a surprise, with bright green and silver fur.