I do n't own Harry ceramist. I wish I did ...



Harry lay on his back on his bed with his mothers locket dangling above him. The bloody thing was taunting him he was certainly. He had run some detection charms over it and been shocked to find that the matter was wrapped up six ways from Billy Sunday. Harry flicked through one of the books laid around him but found nothing he hadn't already seen before.

"What now Harry."Neville had asked him earlier that day when Harry was dragging his way through some ancient runes homework."With the design, what do we need to do now ?"

"We have to look now Neville."Harry had looked up and met his Quaker eye with a smile."Which could end up as the hardest contribution. But we can't do anything until some stuff plays out. Bear with me…"Harry added as his Friend face fell."… for now we ‘ re bang on target. You know the plan."

In reality the program was far from on target, in fact it had taken a hideous pitching. It had happened one breakfast not long after Christmas…

"Harry…"Harry looked up from his roll of cereal at the tone of arrant horror in Ron's voice.

"Yes ?"But Ron just pointed wordlessly over at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was holding a heather with a feeling of utter felicity on his face."So he has a new broom ? We knew his begetter would buy him a new one."

"F… ff… Firebolt."That was all Ron appeared to be able to say. His face was ash whiteness as he fumbled a Quidditch cartridge holder out of his bag and spread it out in front end of Harry, his hand shaking as he pointed to a farsighted article.

Harry's reflection went from confused to fearful then moving swiftly to terrorise as he read down the Firebolt's specs. The Chimera was expert but there was no way she could vie with the raw index of the Firebolt.

"Does this switch the programme Harry."Harry glanced up and saw that Fred and George had moved down the mesa. Their usual grin dulled to worried scowl."I, mean… It ‘ s a Firebolt."Harry tossed the cartridge holder back at Ron and stimulate his head.

"The brooms only as good as the rider. We can still commit this off."Harry tried to make his voice comforting and steady. He kind of succeeded."We will."

But the Slytherin Ravenclaw game gave them ample evidence that even with a bad rider a professional person broom still kicks ass. When the snitch finally appeared Malfoy was at the other end of the lurch and flying much dispirited than it and he had still snatched it comfortably before Cho could get anywhere near it. That, coupled with the Nimbus 2001s the rest of the team had had equaled a desolate deprivation for the Ravenclaw team.

The most irritating thing was that he really could do nada right now. They needed to wait at least until after the next catch before the plan could march on. Waiting and watching helplessly was torment. When he had been working on the Chimaera it had been like there was a big puzzle laid out in nominal head of him and he could mould at it until it was finished. Waiting was very much harder because there was nothing to do. Yes he had homework and yes some Slytherins had mysteriously had their shoes filled with frogspawn while they dried beside a fervour but he had no puzzle to puzzle out. He had tried to reduce on practicing with his guitar but it wasn ‘ t enough. Then he remembered the locket.

So now he worked on finding style to bypass its many charms and go. Working on that hard ( but eventually resolvable ) problem kept his thinker off former apparently unsolvable problem. Like why he had had part of last Mon twice. Twisting the locket up near the brightness he tried a few things.

"Lilly. Petunia. Prefect. open Sesame."The locket remained locked and he dropped his deal in frustration. At least he had worked out that it was a password and not some other method of opening but that was about all he had discovered. He had thought of swallowing his pride and asking Professor Lupin his advice. The teacher hadn't known it was a locket but he might have had some melodic theme or at to the lowest degree be able to generate him the names of her puerility PET."James. Sirius. Peter. Rose."Harry tried then gave up and stuffed the thing back into his pocket.

"I chose an irritating mystery."Harry growled then rolled over.

And fell twenty feet onto cold stone.
*


"Ouch !"Harry had all the air blown out of his lungs and fell into a fit of coughing before lifting his head from the floor. There was no column above him and the wall nearby were patched and had gaping holes in them."Well this is new."Harry commented as he levered himself up against a wall.

"Yes very much so."A pleasant lilting voice sounded out of the shadows down the hall."New, but not finished as yet."A marvellous man with a broad beard and a mane of red hair, barely held down by a baste hat, moved into thought and knelt down by Harry. His accent was antiquated and his clothes matched that description as did the jeweled brand in his hand. A deep suspicion seeped through Harry.

"You wouldn ‘ t be Godric Gryffindor would you ?"Harry said. Hoping for a no.

"You've heard tell of me."The man seemed pleasantly surprised. He whipped his hat off his head then stuffed his brand into it, appeared to rummage around for a bit then drew out a poor rod topped with a crystal ball. As he waved the sceptre over Harry it emitted a lovesome igniter and Harry felt the bruises of his fall disappear even quicker than gentlewoman Pomfrey could throw managed."There, all better."The man smiled and dropped the rod back into his hat.

"You got a rabbit in there too."Harry quipped. Falling back on light-mindedness as the more reasonable dower of his mental capacity waved picayune snowy flags.

"A hare ? Why would one prevent a lapin in a headpiece."The founder smiled."Wouldn ‘ t it make rather a pickle on the head ?"

The froth centre reminded Harry of Dumbledore, comforting him somewhat.

"How did you total to be here ?"Gryffindor asked as he helped Harry to his feet."Or more accurately speaking ; How did you get along to be a honest XXX spans above here ?"

"I don't really know."Harry shrugged."I was lying in bed trying to open… say ?"Harry dug the locket out of his air hole. If anyone could lick this thing out…

"I ‘ ve been trying to work out the password on this affair. You got any ideas ?"

Godric Gryffindor appeared to like a goodness mystery as much as Harry and pulled what looked like a jewelry maker eyeglass out of his hat before using it to examine the little strip of silver. Without appearing to notice what he was doing he reached into the hat again and pulled out what looked like a Cornish pasty. Munching on it he turned the locket over and over in his other manus."Have you attempted a desquamation yet ? It would certainly be effective."

"shedding ?"Harry had never heard of a good luck charm or spell like that."No, what's that ?"

"An orchard apple tree peel."Gryffindor finished off his pasty and made a duck motion."Soak an apple in diviners broth that also has the locket soaking deep within it. Then peel off the fruit in one strip with a silver knife. Toss the peel over thy left field shoulder and it should form the cast of the password."Gryffindor handed the locket back."But you still have not told me how you got here."

"I honestly don't know. I ‘ ve been jumping around in time all this yr. Never this far though."Harry shook his head.

"Truly ?"Gryffindor sounded sad for a moment and looked at him through the jewelers glass. His eye fell on Harry's breast on the left incline and he let out a great sigh."Oh, I am truly sorry my boy."

"What ? What is it ?"Harry unbuttoned his shirt and bit back a cry as he saw the monolithic red mark stretching over the left half of his chest. It was pockmarked and splotchy, almost like someone had spilled acid on him and it had only ate him away where the droplets had fallen."That's never been there before ! And I can ‘ t feel it !"

"You can not experience it because you have not suffered it yet."Gryffindor bowed his headspring, a tear bloom in the corner of his eye."Also you will only see it when you are out of your true time. You are caught in the torrent of ages now and there is no way to survive. It will get spoiled and regretful until the event that caused it in the first position occurs. I wish I had better news show little one, but I am afraid you are doomed."

The two figures stood silently in the corridor. Harry spoke first.

"But if it hasn ‘ t happened yet, can ‘ t I stop it ?"

"The laws of cause and effect must be followed, even if they do not come about in the traditional order."

"fountainhead I don ‘ t buy it."Harry shook his point and crossed his arms angrily."I will not eat up this bullshit you ‘ re peddling. And I want to go back !"Harry felt his craze rising, a fusillade of inadvertent magic made a flagstone crack."I want to go back to my own time, NOW !"Harry pushed his eyes closed then snapped them open. Gryffindor was gone, and the castle was altogether again.

"That's better."He said to the castle as a whole.

"WHERE THE Hell DID YOU COME FROM !"

Harry spun and made shushing noises to quite the fat dame who was now slumped over the backbone of her chair with her handwriting over her chest, breathing heavily.

"It ‘ s alright, it ‘ s alright. ointment is the password isn't it ?"

Still staring at him in shock the fat lady nodded and opened for him. Harry went quickly through the discharge night-time common room and slipped bet on up into the third-years bedroom.

Gryffindor's Holy Scripture troubled him though, even though the solid experience still felt variety of surreal. Should he go to Dumbledore ? Would the headmaster help or just say the same thing as his long-time predecessor ?

Suddenly Harry remembered something and smiled. He did sustain somebody eminently qualified to answer questions about fourth dimension and destiny. Grabbing a quill pen and lambskin Harry jotted down a long promissory note to his Grecian pen-pal. Originally he only meant to ask about the pelter but as he wrote he began to include everything that had happened since his last letter until the letter was several tabloid long.

"Digger will not be happy."Harry chuckled as he got out of bed for the indorse prison term that night. Not wanting to wake the fat Lady again after the scare he'd given her he padded over to his favorite window, climbed through it and set off in the management of the owlery.
*


"Is that a hair ontogenesis potion ceramicist ?"

"No sir."

"It isn ‘ t ?"

"No sir."

Snape took a deep breather, he was going to enjoy this.

"For the initiatory time ever in my course of instruction you are discipline. You have not brewed a whisker growth potion. You have not even attempted to brew a fuzz development potion. Can you explain to me why you have brewed a unlike potion, from a dissimilar book. Brewed what appears to be a diviners broth that is not even on the Hogwarts course of study. And can you excuse why, even when you have chosen your own potion, you have still managed to utterly fail."

The insufferable boy glanced at the scummy gullible quite a little that filled his cauldron.

"I blame society sir."

"Society ?"

"Yes sir."

"L points from Gryffindor."

"fountainhead deserved sir."
*


Almost a week later Harry was out hunting for an apple. He had finally acquired some passable diviners broth by the simple dint of asking any of the piranha if they could bewilder it out. The potion wasn't that hard, it was just beyond Harry's abysmal point of acquirement. Somehow the two sets to Gemini had puzzled it out. Harry smiled to himself, had he just referred to Fred and George as marauders ? Well, they almost were, but Myrtle didn't like them because they had throw a bucket of pigwash through her once so they'd have to rationalize before they could be officially sworn in.

But now he was tromping through the rainwater, looking for an Malus pumila. Or at least an orchard apple tree tree, he knew a charm to take a crap it carry a fruit out of season. When he'd understand up on the peeling it had said that it worked best when you picked the fruit yourself so Harry had asked Hagrid where all the orchard apple tree tree's on the curtilage were ( the ones on the prophylactic side of the wards obviously ). Unfortunately what he hadn't counted on was that they were mostly diminished fantastic trees with fruit not nearly large enough to farm a honest Robert Peel. He needed a big cooking Malus pumila or something.

Harry preformed the magic spell on another sodden efflorescence only to be rewarded by another tiny crabmeat apple.

"Sod this."Harry grumbled and pulled his robe closer around himself. On innate reflex he checked the skin on his left side, plain and unblemished, to reassure himself that he was still in the mightily time. His fingerbreadth moved to his pendent hanging on its new chain. Pythea hadn't written back yet, but then it took a while for an owl to fly to Hellenic Republic and back and Harry had asked excavator to bide there until the seer had a answer for him to save her making four trips.

"I ‘ m testing one finis tree then getting inside where it ‘ s warm."Harry stomped through the mud down to a wizened old Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree by the lakeside. And performed the magical spell one in conclusion time.

"Bugger."More belittled fry. Harry was about to bend away and walk back up to the castle when he saw a splash of color on the far banking concern. Scrambling out on the roots of the old tree to get a better aspect he bit back an swearing. There was a lilliputian daughter lying on the east bank, half in and half out of the bushes near the boundary of the forbidden forest. She wasn't moving and she was facedown in the water.

"HEY !"Harry yelled for anyone hearing."mortal ! HAGRID !"But the malarky took his words away."Oh my god. Why does this stuff always chance to me ?"

Harry looked around for an substitute choice but saw nothing.

"I hate my life."Harry said before tugging his shoes and vest off and leaping into the sullen water.

For a present moment the water closed over his head and he breathed in a taste of water in daze and terror but he bobbed to the airfoil and coughed it up before striking out for the stricken figure of speech on the far bank building. He had to go a little way out from the bank to annul the boundary of the Barbara Ward but then he could follow back in and eventually dragged himself up onto the far bank.

"I am never doing that again."Harry breathed as he staggered towards the lady friend."No more lakes."

As he neared the daughter the half of her that had been hidden in the bushes came into survey and he stopped in jolt. She wasn't a girl at all, she was a Centaur. And she had a massive bite on her side, red and scabbed. Harry moved forward and dragged her face out of the water.

"female child ?"Harry slapped her face and tried to hear for breathing. She was still warmly."Wake up !"

Suddenly the centaurs oculus blastoff undecided and she coughed up a deal of lake water into Harry's lap.

"You alright ? Hey ?"

"Of course, I am alright."The miss voice was weak but she seemed to be working her stage as if trying to get up."We are not thin like humans."

"Not fragile eh ? Looks like someone managed to break out you a little."Harry said, glancing back at the wound.

"Werewolf."Harry stiffened but the centaur-girl laughed."It will be gone now."She pointed at the slightly waning moonlight in the sky."This bite is days old. I was just disoriented and I wandered away from my herd."

"Will you… I mean are you…"

"Infected ?"She used the word of honor like a slur."Of class not. Lycanthropy is a human illness."

"Shall I get Dumbledore ? Or Hagrid ?"

"Unnecessary."She waved a human arm and finally managed to get up on her hooves."My herd are nearby, I can smell them."

"You got disoriented before."Harry followed her as she began to limp off into the forest.

"The bite was infected. It has healed now."

"Are you sure you don't want to go to Hogwarts instead ?"Harry pointed back at the castle being rapidly obscured by trees."It ‘ s aright there."

"I do not need Humans."

"Sure."Harry said mockingly"Because you were picking yourself out of the water just fine by yourself."

"Shut up foal."

Harry frowned but followed the lame centaur deeper into the woodland. After half an hour or so Harry heard something huge approaching and tensed. But then relaxed as three centaurs emerged from the undergrowth.

"Lachesis !"One of them cried and ran forward to embrace the little centaur."You are safe."

"Of course father."The fille replied irritated and pushed him away.

"We ‘ ll this worked out fine. I ‘ ll just be…"But Harry trailed off as the elder centaurs turned to him.

"You !"The largest centaur spat and Harry suddenly found two arrowheads pointed at his cervix."Abomination !"

"curse, we need to kill him now !"The third Centaur said shock and care dripping from his vocalism. Lachesis and her father were standing off to one side."We can not risk him living."

"I thought we did not harm foals."The father moved in closer and reached out for the leadership shoulder.

"He is an exception."The third wheel spoke."Do you knot know how deviant he is ? How dangerous ?"

"Um…"Harry's head just kept flicking from position to side, trying to succeed the conversation. Running was unimaginable, he was in their wood."Is this about the torrent…"But Lachesis interrupted him.

"He saved my life father. The herd has life debt to him."They did ? starting time Harry had heard of it. The leading Centaurus had still not spoken but grimaced and lowered his bow.

"For the debt the unseasoned one bears you…"He began, his voice deep and malevolent."… you live today. But heed me foal, if we find you in our wood again not even Lachesis will hesitate to kill you."Harry looked at the young centaur and saw her springiness a confirming nod.

"Understood. But the matter is I don ‘ t know if I can find my way back."Harry glanced apologetically over his shoulder.

"Damwain, show him to Hogwarts."Bane was already turning and moving off through the underbrush. Harry was relieved to see that Damwain was Lachesis'Padre and not the third centaur who had been so intent on killing him. Damwain set off the way Harry had come and Harry had to trot to keep on up. After a while the silence began to fret on Harry and he decided to break it.

"Why did the other centaurs want to obliterate me ?"Harry asked as he stumbled over a root.

"Not other."The Centaur said curtly.

"What ?"

"Not former Centaur. I also want to belt down you, but I will keep to the natural law of our kind that prohibit harming the Whitney Moore Young Jr. and I acknowledge my girl debt to you."

"But why ? What have I done to so royally piss off the full Centaurus nation ?"

"You have done nothing. You merely are."Damwain shook his head."As you heard before. You are aberrant."

"It this about the torrent of long time ?"Harry guessed. The centaur looked up and the stars and sighed.

"The torrent ? It is at the centre of it."The centaur lapsed into silence again but didn't seem angry or anything. Harry decided it was probably very well to ask another question.

"Does the torrent have anything to do with why the werewolves are gathering ?"

"What possible connection could there be between those matter ?"The centaur scoffed."No the werewolves gather for an altogether different reason."

"Which is… ?"

"Their leader had come."Damwain sounded angry now."A man almost as much an abomination as you. He has gathered them here. He seems to think he has some way to enter Hogwarts."

"Does he ?"Harry asked.

"I seriously doubt it."Damwain scoffed."The Hogwarts Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth have stood against the greatest brain in generations. They will not lessen to something little more than an animal."Damwain fell soundless then came to a halt. He turned to Harry and said…

"Leave now."Harry started, then realized that he could see the palace through the tree diagram. They had returned by a much more unmediated rout than he had left."Take Bane ‘ s warning seriously, to be caught in the forest again means expiry for you."And with that the centaur turned and galloped off into the wood.

"Do you think I want to restrain visiting the bloody forbidden timber !"Harry yelled after him.
*


"A leader ?"Padma leant over the marauders hold over and spoke just above a whisper.

"That's what he said. class he also said I was an abomination."

"A man who knows what he ‘ s taking about."

Harry stuck his tongue out at her.

"Oh be grave !"Hermione chided them."This is important."

"You're telling me. The centaurs want to kill Harry !"Ron said, aghast.

"I meant about the werewolves !"

"But the Mrs. Humphrey Ward go along them out."Ron narrowed his centre. Harry groaned, an argument was about to pop out."I think a whole mintage who want to fill Harry with pointer is Thomas More important."

"Then Harry just doesn't go into the forest. Which he shouldn ‘ t be anyway."Hermione gave Harry a piercing stare.

"If he hadn ‘ t we wouldn't know about the centaurs or your precious werewolves."Ron crossed his weaponry triumphantly.

"That doesn ‘ t make it a just matter ! We should…"Hermione continued talking as Harry gently stood a large book up on its edge between the arguing pair and the residuum of the vulture. The argument safely contained Harry turned and asked…

"Any gossip from the non-old-married-couple section of the tabular array ?"The vulture grinned ( except for Parvati who was moping a little. She hadn't liked having her fantasy about Centaurus shattered. )

"I actually agree with Ron."Neville said quietly and hesitantly, as if waiting to be flash down.

"So do I."Padma nodded."There has to be a rationality the Centaurus want you dead."Harry was forced to nod, he had never actually told the marauders about the fourth dimension jumps.

"well I agree it's a puzzle."Harry said shaking his head."But I ‘ m really not going to be visiting the timber anytime soon so I think its probably not a problem. Or at least not a press one…"Pythea still hadn't written back. Had Digger got into some variety of trouble ?"… so I think we need to rivet on the werewolves."

Reluctantly the vulture nodded.

"Damwain said their leader had come. Which means he arrived some time in the summertime Holliday. I doubt he caught the horse bus so how did he get here ? And why ?"

"Oh !"A noise came from beyond the book roadblock and a import later Hermione pushed it down."Maybe he did."

"What do you mean ?"

"Well…"Hermione began fidgeting nervously."… what if there was a werewolf in Hogwarts castle."

"hospital ward would stop it getting in."Ron said dismissively.

"But if it was already inside the wards."

"Hermione…"Harry clicked irritably."… get to the point."Hermione seemed flustered for a moment. Ron glared at him.

"I think that prof lupin is a werewolf."

The defer went silent in shock. Then…

"Of course ! It all conniption, he ‘ s ‘ vomit'during wide-cut moon. His bogart is the full lunar month ! It all fits !"Parvati snapped her fingers.

"I wonder if Dumbledore knows."Neville said.

"He must not or lupin wouldn ‘ t be here."

"I can't believe Dumbledore wouldn ‘ t know."Neville shook his head."If we could influence it out Dumbledore could."

"Professor Snape knows."Hermione added."He must do, that's why tried to teach us about werewolves. So we ‘ d study it out."

"Do you retrieve he ‘ s gathered the werewolves."Parvati said in a shut up tone.

"it's the compensate timeframe but…"Hermione began but Harry cut her off.

"No."The others stared at him."No no no no no. We're not doing this."Harry stated flatly. The vulture stared at him.

"Doing what Harry ?"Ron asked.

"I have had decent déjà vu this yr without intentionally repeating in conclusion year. We. volition. Not. startle. To. Conclusions."Harry punctuated each discussion by poking the postpone hard."Last year we went off all righteous against Professor Michelson and we turned out to be dead legal injury. We won't do that again."

"Harry…"Ron said as if explaining something to a fry."We have a loup-garou, we have a gathering of werewolves. That's not jumping to last that's putting two and two together."

"You all think its Lupin."Harry said it flatly. Most of the piranha seemed undecipherable as to whether it was a question or not. Ron nodded quickly, Parvati as well. Neville seemed to be trying to ward off being looked at but shook his promontory, Padma smiled at him and also said no. Harry turned to Hermione."Two voter turnout yes, two votes no. Ginny ‘ s at practice and Myrtle ‘ s not here. You ‘ re the last un-voted marauder."

"I…I don't know Harry."Hermione faltered."I don't really know."

"No ?"Harry stood up suddenly."Lets ask him."

"WHAT !"But Harry was already making for the portrait hole.
*


"prof lupin listen…"Harry pushed open the door to the instructor office without knocking and began talking as soon as he was over the threshold."…we know you're a werewolf."lupin went from angry to gob-smacked in a fraction of a s. His mouth began working but no phone came out.

"Actually we didn ‘ t know for sure…"Harry conceded."… but I think you just confirmed it for us. Thanks !"By then the rest of the piranha had caught up and were standing in the threshold, speechless.

"So we know you ‘ re a werewolf, we know the forest currently has a loup-garou trouble. Naturally sealed questions have arisen from this body politic of social occasion namely ‘ Are you in any way involved ? ’. I personally think the answer is no, sure of my protagonist are not so indisputable and it would be remiss of me to ignore their distrust as they are, after all, not unfounded."Harry said all this in one breath then stood waiting for an answer. A polite cough made him move around around. prof Dumbledore was sitting at a board behind him. He did not front pleased.

"You ‘ re obviously busy I ‘ ll come back later."Harry hadn't moved a undivided footprint before the door slammed shut."Or not."

"Harry, I am glad you came here."Professor Dumbledore spoke softly."It has saved us the trouble of fetching you. Can you delight explain why you left the shoal footing last Night ?"

Damn.

"Um… There was a Centaur hurt, at the position of the lake. I went to see if I could serve. She was face down in the water."Harry was agile to add."If I had gone to bring in person she could sustain died in the mean time. Ask Damwain, or… or scourge. They were there."Harry had though centaur-name dropping might bring believability to his story. In fact neither Dumbledore nor Lupin reacted to his statement.

Suddenly the room darkened, the light from the window fading into night. Harry quickly checked his chest, the lesion was there. Harry looked up too see that Dumbledore and lupine were still in the room, this time sitting in two well-to-do chairs.

"It ‘ s just…"lupin began, his voice catching."… he looks so the likes of him."

"I know Remus, I know."Dumbledore was holding a mug of something steaming. It had a marshmallow floating in it."Have you been watching him ?"Dumbledore gestured to a raged piece of composition on the tabular array between them. From where Harry stood he could just about make out the outline of Hogwarts but didn't want to get closelipped for fear of being seen.

"Yes. I have."Was all Lupin said before the room lit back again and Harry was forced to try and remember what had been said just before he left.

"So you see, I kind of had to leave the grounds."Harry finished lamely. Both professors looked unconvinced. Harry sighed,"Can you at least tell me whether you knew professor lupin was a werewolf before you penalize me ?"

"I was mindful. It is under control."Was all Dumbledore said on the topic."And as for punishment…"
*


"The whole castle ! ?"Ron squeaked.

"Every square column inch of corridor."Harry repeated to the dumfounded piranha."With this."He held up a small helping hand brush.

"That's harsh. Especially for Dumbledore."Ron said shaking his head.

"I have a touch that they ‘ re using this one thing they can prove as an excuse to penalize me for all the matter they can't."Harry shrugged, unconcerned."It won ‘ t take that long."

"You ‘ re taking this awfully calm."Ron's brow furrowed. Harry laughed.

"Of all the things currently happening Ron this is the to the lowest degree of them."

"Oh !"Ron said as if he'd suddenly remembered something."myrtle found you a good apple tree diagram. Just left hand of the logic gate to Hogsmead."

"I ‘ m could marry that ghost !"

Harry went out that day and acquired a massive green apple from the tree. Returning to Gryffindor tower in a rushing he set up the diviners broth and dropped first the locket then the apple into it.

"seminal fluid on, come on."Harry urged, looking at the clock. When the needed five second were up he fished both particular out of the stock and reached for a silver tongue. He had to be measured now, a mistake would think he had to start all over. Slowly, carefully he peeled it in a bingle long gyre that ended up all over the tabular array. He'd cut quite deep so the peel wouldn't time out and now wondered if that was a problem.

"Only one way to notice out."Harry moved so that the table was behind him and threw the peel over his pass on shoulder. Turning he saw the peel snaking around violently, kinking and twisting as it formed recognizable letter of the alphabet. A longsighted word for an orchard apple tree Sir Robert Peel, it had had to adulterate and still only just managed it.

Harry picked up the locket and, with some trepidation, spoke the password. The locket fell open in his hand and he held it up to his eye to get a better flavour at what was inside. And snapped it shut, dropped it back into the box, locked the box with the strongest charm his suddenly beleaguered mind could come up up with, slid the box into his bag, grabbed the Robert Peel, tore it up so no one else could record the password then, to be surely, threw the peel in the fire and then sat down.

"I hate mysteries."Was all he said.



Ooooo ... cryptical ! Please review.


Disclaimer ... blah bombast blah ...



"That was amazing !"Ron was yelling as they walked back from the lakeshore Quidditch pitch."She didn't even let Cedric get close."

Harry rolled his center, Ron would be talking about this all workweek. The Chimera's performance had been telling though, he had to concede. Ginny had slipped past Cedric Diggory, using her brooms improved manageability to body-swerve him, and had left him floundering in the centre of the pitch while she snagged the snitch.

"I mean really amazing."Ron continued, caught in reminiscence.

"I ‘ m just glad its over."Harry sighed and put his manus behind his brain."It means we can move on with the plan."

"You think it ‘ ll employment Harry ?"Padma asked, frowning."I mean all it takes is for one of them to…"

"It ‘ ll work."Harry grinned."trustingness me."

"Why does that fail to fill me with confidence."

"Because you ‘ re a sourpuss."Harry tutted at her in mock ira then turned to her sister."You sure about your info."

"You know me Harry."Parvati said happily."It it ‘ s chit chat I know it."

"Awesome."Harry grinned and peeled away from the other predator."I ‘ ll go find us our helper."
*


"Pathetic ceramist. Absolutely Pathetic."

Harry leaned over and looked at the congeal muss at the bottom of his cauldron.

"Oh I don't know."He said."It ‘ s definitely not a sleeping potion, but it could make a serviceable john grout."

"twenty dollar bill points from Gryffindor for your insolence Potter and ten to a greater extent for the potion. Honestly potter, having you in this classroom is nothing more than a waste of time and potion ingredients."

"Just because I can ‘ t brew a sleeping potion…"

"WE WERE NOT devising A SLEEPING POTION !"

"Oh…"Harry flipped to the next page of his book, then back to the one he had been looking at before."So I wasn ‘ t meant to add cedar sawdust ?"Snape's rage was actually making him tickle as he stood in front line of Harry's desk."How about the sheep ‘ s liver, was I meant to add that ?"

"Potter I seriously doubt a single correct element went into this… this… travesty."Snape stalked away as Harry moved to clear up his desk. Then he had a thought…

"water system !"He said at the retreating potion masters back."That must have been a correct fixings, that's in every potion !"

Snape turned around, his gaze screamed blooming murder.

"Potter."The professor growled, grinding his teeth together."Detention."

Harry sighed theatrically then stiffened as he felt another painful stab at the rear of his encephalon. He tore his eyes away quickly and mumbled.

"Yes sir."Snape turned away.

"Occlumency still not working Harry ?"Anapurna was leaning over her own desk to whisper in his ear.

"I think I was better at it before I started trying."Harry lowered his fountainhead onto his sleeve dejectedly. He honestly wasn't that bothered about Occlumency any more but it had reminded him of something else. Pythea still hadn't wrote back.
*


The day of the Gryffindor Ravenclaw game dawned waterlogged and wet. A steadily torrent that patterned great disconsolate mark across the castles walls and made it look like it was crying.

Harry was a screaming egg of nerves as he sat with the other marauders near the top of the Gryffindor rack. Anything could go wrong, absolutely anything, but that was normal. What was making him so insane was that there was now nothing he could do about it. The metaphorical arrow had left the bow, it would either hit or it wouldn't, there was zero he could do.

"Will the rainfall screw up the plan ?"Neville was muttering beside him."Will the wet ? Will…"

"No."Harry snapped irritable."It ‘ ll all be fine."

"How can you say that ?"

Because I'm livelihood in denial ? Because I don't want to disappoint anyone ? Because I'm delusional ? Because if I actually admitted that there's a very good prospect this could go fantastically pear tree shaped on us I might just depart crying ?

"I just have this feeling."Harry said and tried to grin."confidence me."

"closure saying that."Padma was grinding her dentition together."It doesn ‘ t help."

"Shh ! Here they come."

"WOOD ! JOHNSON ! BELL ! SPINNET ! WEASLEY, WEASLEY AND WEASLEY !"

The team swept onto the tar, their robes quickly becoming spattered and sodden.

"Here we go."thought process Harry as he tugged his pelage closer around him.

"How much do we need to win by ?"Harry heard a voice say below him and looked down. On the row beneath him Colin Creevey was leaning over to talk to Luna Lovegood."The snitch is worth one hundred and fifty so…"

"We have to feature at to the lowest degree twelve finish when Ginny catches the snitch or we lose to Slytherin."The second yr said dreamily."Ravenclaw have to have thirty seven goals before they catch it. Its as plain as frackswhiskers."

Harry smiled, how improper she was.
*


"Another goal for Ravenclaw !"Ginny saw the drab section of the stall erupt in cheerfulness beneath her.

"Sorry Angelina ! I was aiming for Hunt !"She heard Fred yell their team-mate shoved two finger up at him.

"Gryffindor now ahead by just four end !"Yelled Lee Jordan River."Wake up twins ! What are you doing out there !"

Ginny shook her head. Gryffindor had had a comfortable six end lead but now they were down to just four. And they still didn't have enough to beat Slytherin. She could see Cho out of the turning point of her eye, shadowing her. She liked to do that, Oliver had told her, it was her deary tactic.

Ginny scanned the crowds through the rainwater, searching for any hovering glint of Au. The snitch had to come up out sometime, not that it would do either team any good. Gryffindor needed another goal and Ravenclaw needed twenty or something. She craned her neck around and saw it. Fluttering behind her, nearer to Cho than to her. Trying not to make it obvious Ginny turned away from the snitcher. But Cho must stimulate sensed something was wrong and a moment later had spotted it herself. The older seeker tore after it and Ginny was forced to tail her, cursing.

Ginny tried to get between Cho and the snitch to stop the sure-enough seeker. Ginny knew she couldn't catch it yet, they'd win the peer but lose the cup. But Cho wasn't letting her in, they were shoulder to shoulder with the snitch tantalizingly close in front of them. Cho reached out and Ginny knocked her hand away. So close, Gryffindor just needed one more destination. Cho was reaching again and Ginny articulatio humeri barged her to make her young woman. Ginny tried to overstretch ahead but whatever she did Cho seemed to be able to match her. However hard she pushed Cho seemed to be able to appease just a picayune bit ahead of her. It was just a matter of sentence, she couldn't keep the Ravenclaw off forever. Cho was reaching out again…

"Sorry Oliver."She thought, and grabbed the snitch. A cheer went up around the lakeside stadium.

"I had to."She said as she hovered down by her team-mates."Cho was going to get it. I thought it was better to at least win the match."

"I know Ginny."Oliver Sir Henry Joseph Wood looked resigned."I don ‘ t blame you."

"Cheer up Olli !"Fred floated retiring, strangely jubilant.

"Yeah, we didn't lose to Slytherin. We were only one end shy, we drew."George I flew around the early side.

"What does that imply ?"Ginny frowned. But it was as if a twinkle had just gotten switched on in Oliver Woods head."What happens when we draw ?"

"Hasn ‘ t happened in over two hundred years."Fred had his arm on one of her shoulders now and was smiling down at her."The rule ‘ s so old they never bothered to repeal it."His counterpart came up, placed his arm on her other shoulder and said….

"It ‘ s decided, once and for all, by a searcher duel."

Ginny's center went wide and she looked over at the Slytherin stands and caught a inhuman gray gaze staring back at her. It could hold been her imagination but she could get sworn she saw Malfoy mouth the Book ‘ rematch ’.

"Do you know how the Duel works Ginny ?"Oliver forest sounded like he could barely keep open the joy from his voice.

"We both go for the sneak ?"She guessed.

"Not quite, the rules are different than in general play. Specifically the rules for fouls."

"No magic and no interfering with the early seeker broom."Angelina said, off to one side."Everything else is on the table. He could really hurt you up there Gin."

"Ginny…"Oliver Wood was talking again."I didn ‘ t want to ask this of you, but this is my live probability at the Quidditch cup. My very last opportunity, so catch the snitch or die trying."

Ginny's centre went panoptic with fear.
*


"Are both searcher fix ?"Madam Hooch asked, looking between them. Ginny took her broom from Harry and nodded, he ‘ d been giving it a finish minute of arc look-over before the affaire d'honneur. Malfoy just scoffed."Very well then."She opened the box that contained the snitch and held it in her deal. Ginny looked over to see the almost feral look in Malfoy's eyes.

"On, your marks."

He'll kill me…

"Ready…"

Oh god…

"Set…"

I'm going to die !

GO !"She tossed the canary straight up and the seekers shot after it.

Ginny felt fingers curl into her pilus and try and yank her backwards, she kicked out savagely and managed to pull away. The snitch was still shooting upwards and the searcher followed it. Malfoy was scratching and punching at her and she responded by elbowing him in the kidneys. Having six comrade gives you a lot of training in brawling. Malfoy jerked instinctively and Ginny swerved in front of him.

She had to persist ahead, with the firebolt's power she knew that if she let him get in front she'd never be able to catch up. He swerved left field, she blocked him. He swerved right, she twitched in front again and heard him cry out in frustration.

"You shot yourself in the foot Malfoy."She thought triumphantly."You can ‘ t handle that heather at these speeds."

Once more he tried to pass her and she used The Chimera's hair-trigger turning power to cut him off again.

"Good girl."She urged the Scots heather on. The snitch was tantalizingly close."Just a small more."But she felt something brush her leg. Malfoy had managed to sneak to her slope ! In another indorsement he would be in front of her !

With the prospect of losing the cup filling her mind she did the only matter she could believe of. She pulled back her leg and aimed with her heel. She just had time to register the shock hit Malfoy's face.

"retribution snake-boy !"She thought as she slammed her foot into his face as hard as she could. She saw a spurt of blood that was quickly lost in the wind and rain then Malfoy peeled off and spiraled away, holding his facial expression in both handwriting."Yes !"

She looked back up and caught visual sense of the golden clump. Straining up she reached…
*


"YES !"The Gryffindor stand erupted in cheers. Harry even leapt to his feet and yelled himself horse. Not so much for the cup, but for the fact that everything had gone perfectly. Harry and the marauders rushed down the stands and reached the pebbled beach just as the Gryffindor team was landing. Joseph Oliver Wood was floating down with his arms wrapped around Ginny whispering…

"Thank you, thank you."And the eternal sleep of the team were clustered around them.

"Se ‘ oke'I nose !"Malfoy was floating down nearby, holding a hand to his typeface to stem the rate of flow of blood.

"Perfectly effectual in a seekers duel Malfoy."Fred said airily.

Harry just stood their laughing as the Quidditch cup was brought out.
*


Damn.

Professor Snape clenched his hands into clenched fist and he saw the cup being brought out. And Slytherin had been on such a winning streak. He had got so used to the cup being in his power that he even had a trivial ledge in his cabinet for it.

To have come down to an exact draw, of all the abysmal fortune. Then being forced to rely on a quester that had bribed his way onto the team. The trivial slip of a Weasley girl had humiliated him. And he could not even blame this red ink on Potter ( he refused to believe the cockeyed hearsay that thrower had made the young woman heather ).

Then why was ceramicist looking so triumphant ? Snape recognised that expression, he had come to hate that construction all seven years of his time at Hogwarts. The Potter boy caught his eye and shifted to a orphic smiling, then nodded towards the scoreboard. Snapes center followed.

What were the hazard that it would come to an exact draw ? Snape felt a horrible certainty rise inside him. And the Weasley twins who, for all their ineptitude in the classroom, were not bad beaters. But they had performed horribly in that lucifer, hitting or just missing their own team-mates. Stopping Gryffindor from getting that utmost goal. The Chang girl, missing the snitch three times ? Even for a Ravenclaw that was unlikely. Even the concluding biz with Hufflepuff. Cedric Diggory had shown no deceitfulness, he had practically shown Malfoy where the snitch was. Of course he had, Snape realised, if the secret plan had gone on too long and Slytherin had won by too often Gryffindor could not have been able-bodied to equalize.

Snape's centre were once again drawn to the potter boys immature ones.

Legilimens

He cast non-verbally and after a here and now underground a memory floated to the surface…
*


"You know me Harry."Parvati said happily."It it ‘ s gossip I know it."

"Awesome."Harry grinned and peeled away from the other marauders."I ‘ ll go find us our helper."

Harry wandered up into the castling. If he was decently about her agenda she should be right… Ah !

"Cho ! Cho wait up."Harry trotted up to the older young lady, who had just left Charms family."Been looking for you."

"Me ?"She turned, looking curious."Why ? It can't be to ask me to Hogsmeade, I know you're not allowed to go."

"As if that could blockade me."Harry rolled his centre."No, what I was going to say was that I kind of pauperization a favor."

"What kind of party favour ?"

"A big one. Listen I ‘ ve never cashed in on the unscathed saved-everyone-from-Voldemort-before-I-knew-how-to-walk-and-then-twice-again-in-the-last-two-years thing but I really call for your help."Harry motioned Cho into the now void schoolroom and closed the room access."Firstly we need to get some things clear. You can ‘ t win the Quidditch cup, can you ?"

Cho stared at him indignantly.

"I'm just saying you have to win with how many goals ? Thirty-four or something ?"He knew it was exactly thirty four but he wasn't gon na say that.

Cho held out a moment longer, then her shoulders slumped.

"You 're right, it ‘ s not going to happen is it. It ‘ s your break you know."Cho pointed at him."When Ginny broke her Scots heather and didn't get a new one true away I thought we were in with a chance."

"I know."Harry nodded, not believing his lot that Cho had brought this up of her own conformity."Horrible business that wasn ‘ t it ?"

"Malfoy should be hogtied !"Cho said hotly."It was disgusting what he did !"

"God I must be the luckiest man on the planet."Harry thought, then continued out loud."I agree. And that's kind of what this is about."

"How ?"

"I want to make it so that Ginny can humiliate him in social movement of the entire schooling. Not the totally team, just him. One on one."

"Harry the instructor won ‘ t allow a challenge game like that."Cho shook her head."And even if they do no-one will amount to watch."

"Not if it happens at a match."Harry smiled."There ‘ s an old rule that says that if two houses tie for the cup the result is decided by a seeker duel."

"But Harry there ‘ s no way you can make sure the games will come down that way."

"I can ‘ t."Harry held out a hand to her."You can."

"No !"Cho's eyes suddenly narrowed with understanding."I won ‘ t do that ! Even for you Harry."

"You said yourself Ravenclaw can ‘ t win the cup."Harry pleaded.

"But we can still put in a good showing."Cho said primly."I won ‘ t throw the match. I'm surprised at you Harry."She added."I didn ‘ t think you wanted the cup this badly."

"The cup ? I don't give a rascal's about the cup !"Harry shook his head."If I did don't you think I would be telling you to throw the game totally instead of just letting us tie ? This is about what Malfoy did to my Quaker, your admirer too after final year, and letting her get even."

"Ginny doesn ‘ t know about this does she."Cho said as if suddenly realizing.

"No. She ‘ s going to beat Malfoy on her own."

"I ‘ m not even sure I can force Ginny to enamor the snitch."Cho said, biting her lip."She might just force in front of me until Gryffindor have the goal they need."

"Two points. One : Fred and George will be stopping Gryffindor from getting that last goal. Two : I built The Chimera especial for this."Harry grinned evilly."There's a little surprisal on there that I ‘ ll remove before the duel. Trust me, she can't pass you."

"She did OK in the Hufflepuff game."

"I removed it for that too."

"I still don't know…"

"Well…"Now this is where the little known benefit of having gossip-queen Annapurna as a marauder comes in."… I ‘ ve already got Cedric Diggory on my side. You know him, right ?"Cho's oculus widened a trivial and she nodded.

"well, he ‘ s agreed to help oneself me. Little thank you for the totally snake-army incident in the cellar survive year."Harry smiled knowingly at the honest-to-goodness girl."If you did want to help us then we should probably arrange for you to receive up with him. Discuss… strategy… and stuff."

"You ‘ re a bad soul Harry Potter."Cho shook her mind, but she was smiling.

"I know."
*


Snape tore his eyes away. He could experience the furor bubbling up in his bloodstream.

"You !"He pointed at the boy.

"Me ?"ceramist put his mitt to his dresser in feigned innocence.

"You… you… you…"

"Me, me, me !"ceramist was grinning in his impossible way. By pigeon hawk he was exactly like St. James thrower !

"You will not get away with this !"

"With what pray Tell ?"

"You know exactly what"Snape strode forward and grasped the straw man of the boy robes in his fist."You will not get away with this !"

"Really ? And you can evidence it how ?"Potter smiled and knocked away his helping hand."Bearing in mind that Legilimency on students is illegal."

Oh the Potter boy thought he was smart did he.

"Well potter perhaps you are correct."Snape's angriness changed from a raging the pits to an icy, vindictive ache."But I am still your teacher and I can pull in your four more long time here a living hell."

"Was that an invitation to take your NEWT course of study prof ?"

"Potter…"Snape released him and turned away."… you will repent this. Mark my Christian Bible, you will regret this."
*


Harry gulped as the potions master strode away. Perhaps he'd exaggerate things this clock time. Harry glanced over at the still celebrating team. No, it was worth it. Whatever Snape did couldn't be that bad could it ?
*


"Do you ring this a silencing drawing Potter ! ?"

"I…"

"I DO NOT CALL THIS A SILENCING DRAUGHT !"

"Maybe that's because you ‘ re yelling."Harry said through clenched teeth.

"This is a despicable mess potter !"

"It ‘ s only barely started, I haven't even added…"

"And you won ‘ t ! I will not let any more languish constituent !"Snape vanished the contents of Harry's cauldron."You will be doing lines for the residual of this lesson St. James Potter. You will write ‘ I will not be an incompetent, pathetic, halfwit and a outcast on this school.'in the hope that perhaps the suggestion will sink in."

"My name is Harry."Harry muttered under his breath but Snape didn't seem to get a line him as he strode away.

Harry motioned to Padma who held out her arm without speaking. Harry groaned, they had barely had 15 arcminute of a two hour lesson. Harry pulled out a quill feather and a canvas of parchment.

Snape had been making good on his ‘ living netherworld'promise since the lucifer but Harry was beginning to think that the potions maestro had more inscrutable seated issues than a simple game of quidditch. The fact that he kept calling him Saint James was a definite clue. Snape seemed to be taking out thirteen years of pent-up, un-sated rage on Harry.

"Thanks dad."Harry thought sarcastically as he dragged the quill pen across another line."Thanks a lot."

"What are these Potter."Oh no. He's back.

"ancestry Sir."Harry had been trying to keep back his cool in Snape's grade. With patched success.

"These chicken scratching ? This scribble ? !"

"Would you like me to refashion them Sir ?"Harry had to alternate back as his parchment caught on firing and burnt away before his eyes.

"Please."Snape blew the parchment ashes into Harry's face before stalking off across the dungeon.

Harry got another piece of parchment out and got to writing.

"How long are you going to put up with this Harry ?"Hermione asked him after the lesson."This is beyond unfair, you should go to McGonagall. Or Dumbledore."

"And they ‘ ll ask what I did to get him so raging in the first gear place."Harry shifted his bag gamey on his shoulder."And that will lead to unfortunate questions."

"He ‘ s right Hermione."Ron said from the other side, then added to Harry."Don ‘ t headache mate, you can drop his class after OWLs."

"That's not the right-hand attitude."Hermione said shrilly."Harry needs to learn at to the lowest degree canonical knowledge of potions to function in wizard society and Professor Snape is stopping him from even participating. You ‘ ll have to canvass really grueling if you want to go along the end of class exams at this rate."

"I ‘ m beginning to think I won ‘ t be alive that long."Harry joked.

The marauders laughed but Harry stiffened as he realized the trueness in his words. He still had the flood of ages hanging like a guillotine above him. He hadn't had any major metre jumps lately, just a few moment here and there. For the love of Falco columbarius why hadn't Pythea written back ?

As if his cerebration itself had been a spell excavator dropped out of the good afternoon sky clutching a letter in his nipper. Harry grabbed it and hastily made an excuse to the startled marauders before slipping out onto the sess outside Hogwarts. Harry sent Digger back to the owlery, promising him treats later to thank him for the long trip. His work force shaking, Harry tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter of the alphabet inside.

Dear Harry

It is so good to take heed from you. I am glad you have taken up my proposition to learn Occlumency, you will find it a utile attainment I assure you. I can easily envisage you with a guitar, wandering Hogwarts or sitting in your vulgar room entertaining the other students with Song dynasty and tales. You are good at spinning a good narration you know, I can tell apart from your letters.

Harry almost scrunched the letter in thwarting. Usually he enjoyed letters from the piffling seer but wasn't it about time she got to the pointedness ?

I learnt to run the harp as component part of my apprenticeship here…

Harry quickly looked ahead through the letter of the alphabet, scanning down and down. There was no quotation of the waterspout or meter locomotion anywhere. Harry fell to the base in desperation, had she simply abandoned him to his portion ? She had been his close hope. Pythea's letter ended without so practically as a confidential information that his own letter had contained the threat of his inevitable death.

I hope it the conditions is a pleasant where you are as it is here.

Your Friend
Pythea

champion ? Ha ! That was a joke.

"Harry ?"Harry looked back towards the castle. Neville had come after him and was not standing just a few feet away."Are you feeling ok ?"

"Yes Neville I ‘ m fine."Harry said quietly, but he could sense the lump in his throat and the split beginning to form in his eyes. Neville's eyes flickered to the letter still clutched in Harry's script but he scrunched it up and lug it in his pocket.

"fountainhead defense socio-economic class is starting now."Neville pointed back towards the castle."You sure you ‘ re alright Harry ?"

"No."Harry pushed himself up and trudged towards the castle."To be honorable I ‘ m feeling a little… abandoned. Betrayed."Neville fell into step beside him.

"Anything you want to talk about ?"

"Not now. Maybe when it ‘ s a little less fresh."Harry pushed open the room access to the defense schoolroom. At to the lowest degree he could be assured of a quiet lesson, prof Lupin tended to disregard him in classes.

"Well Potter, I see you decided to grace us with your presence."

Standing arrogantly at the nominal head of the class was Professor Snape. Harry felt like a pulley block of ice was settling into his chest as he sat down in his usual chairman, he couldn't take this right now.
*


Harry tried to obscure behind his Good Book as Snape stalked around the course of instruction. He could still find the ice in his chest and the lump in his throat, if Snape provoked him he would never be able-bodied to hold back.

"Potter…"

No.

"…Is this your essay ?"

Please no.

"Yes Sir."Harry managed to say while breathing deeply to keep himself under control.

"It displays no insight into the subject…"

Fine, I had no insight.

"…for most of the essay you seem to get Kappas and Grindylows mixed up…"

Did I ? Who the hell on earth cares.

"…certain passages were clearly lifted from a textbook…"

They weren't, they were lifted from Hermione's essay.

"…and you could not feature mangled the spelling and well-formed rules of the English spoken communication more if you had tried. All in all…"Snape slapped the essay onto the desk beside Harry angrily."… a true T if I ever saw one."

"I ‘ m gladiolus you made that assessment Sir."Harry kept his eyes down on the book in front of him."It ‘ s the same one as professor Lupin made."

"But of course fighter Potter doesn ‘ t need to learn Defense Department against the dark arts."Snape scowled down at Harry."You don't need to learn how to duel someone properly if you and your three little friends sneak up behind them and attack from trap like cowards."

I have more than three friends.

"You are arrogant Potter."Snape continued."A trait shared by all ceramicist apparently."

Oh, so now you've remembered who I am.

"You are nothing but a average thaumaturge at best and a sorry you are a disgrace and yet you are under the impression you are untouchable. How I wish this course of instruction gave me the opportunity to show you precisely how unskilled you truly are."

"Alright."Harry set his quill down.

"What ?"

The wholly class was watching by now.

"I said alright. Show me."Harry didn't meet Snape's optic but moved out to the front of the class.
*


"Come on Professor."The Potter boy was just standing there holding his baton and looking at his brake shoe."Show me."

The class was deathly placid. Not a student dared motility or speak. Out of the corner of his eye Snape could see Potter's little friends, full eyed and frightened, in their seats.

"Are you serious Potter ?"Snape asked.

"Yes."Was all the boy said.

"You will lose."

"Try me."

"You do not have a chance."

"Try me."Was all the thrower boy said again but he mouthed under his breather ‘ coward ’.

Snape felt the choler that was his constant companion rising again as he moved to take a office opposite Potter.

"Mr Mark Hopkins you will weigh us in."Snape gripped his verge. He would end this with one while. The Potter boy was still looking at the floor.

"Um… Three."The spooky Hufflepuff boy Wayne Hopkins began to count.

thrower was not even in a dueling stance. Pathetic.

"Two…"

Potter looked up suddenly, his optic group meeting Snape's.

"One…"

A retention floating to the Earth's surface, thrower in the Gryffindor common way holding a shining objective. Lily's chandelier ! He would bang that picayune slip of silver medal anywhere. Potter bending over the pendent in his hands and whispering something. The pendent splitting open. Looking inside, a exposure. Lily Evens bundled up against the snow for a Hogsmeade weekend, the coke even still falling in the icon, and holding her by her shoulders keeping her warm… his own face… himself… that picture had been taken in fourth year.

She had worn it around her neck the unhurt fourth dimension. Even after she had married, she had worn it the whole time.

"affaire d'honneur !"

"Expelliarmus !"



reappraisal please.


The gerbils made me do it.







Snape's scepter clattered to the story but the instructor didn't seem to throw noticed. Harry watched as the potions master fell to his knees on the floor, fountainhead bowed, his facial expression hidden by his lank greasy hair.

Harry watched, waiting for the blowup, but none came. Harry, with much trepidation, knelt down and tried to search at the instructor face. Which was why he was the only one in the social class to discover the tear fall down from the end of Snape's long hooked nose and drop onto his knees.

"Oh my god."Harry thought in strangled jolt."I ‘ ve gone too far this time."Harry turned to the category and spread his hands.

"Everyone out."He snapped, brooking no argumentation."Corridor now."

The bookman needed no more inducement and quickly scrambled for the relative safety device of the corridor.

"Stop !"Harry yelled at some of them as they tried to escape away."I need to talk to all of you."Harry closed the schoolroom door behind him and corralled the student within earshot.

"None of you will mention this deterrent example to anyone."Harry said, looking each pupil in the eye as he did so."None of you will talk about it, even to each other. None of you will think about it the next time you have Snape for your lesson. In refutation or potions. For each and every one of you, this lesson Did. Not. Happen. Don't think I won't find out if you do talk, I find out everything. Remember Malfoy ? You have all seen what happens to people who cross me. Understand ?"

Harry didn't let them leave until he had looked each scholarly person in the eye and pick up them promise to that impression. They began leaving in ones and twos, scurrying off along the corridor. Harry turned back towards the classroom.

"You ‘ re not going back in there are you ?"Susan bone asked, amazed.

"I kind of feature to."Harry answered.

"He ‘ ll killing you."She said matter-of-factly.

"I may deserve it."Harry shrugged and slipped back through the door.

Snape was still where he had been before they left. Harry took a abstruse hint and sat down cross legged in front of his teacher.

"I am so sorry."Harry said."I didn ‘ t realize it would do this to you. I thought it would just distract you, you know… gross out you out for a present moment so I could disarm you. I never thought it would affect you like this."

Snape still said nix, he just stared at the floor.

"I told all the pupil not to say anything."Harry glanced back at the room access."I think they ‘ ll do it."

Snape was still not moving. Harry began to wonder if he had been rendered catatonic or something, but there was still an occasional drip-drip of teardrop from behind the fringe of hair.

"Maybe…"Harry dragged his bag off his back and pulled the box out. He opened it and placed the locket in Snape's supine hand."You take it. I don ‘ t want it. You saw the password right ?"

Snape stayed motionless for a moment Sir Thomas More then slowly brought the silver locket up to his oral fissure. Then, in a die, tearful vocalisation he said…

"thread maker end."

The locket cracked out-of-doors. Snape seemed to break all at once and started sobbing. His whole, long, lanky body shaking with each sob. Harry didn't really know what to do, he certainly couldn't comfort this man who had tormented him so much.

Harry dug into the box again and grabbed a photograph, it was his mother and her sister when they were young, but obviously over eleven since the delineation was moving. He wordlessly handed it to Snape, who took it and kept crying. He grabbed another photograph and poked his father out of the frame before handing that too over.

He kept going until the box was empty. Giving a few word each to order Snape what it was he was giving him, an essay, a letter of the alphabet, a prefects badge. Harry hid the love missive from his father back in his bag. By the time null was left Snape had stopped crying, he was even breathing a lilliputian promiscuous, deep breathes instead of the racking sob that had plagued him a consequence ago.

Snape sniffed loudly and put his hand into a pocket of his robes but drew it back empty. He searched another pocket while sniffing louder. Harry realized he was searching for a tissue paper. Struck by a twinge of mischief Harry grabbed something back out of his bag, scrunched it between his hands and handed it to Snape.

The potions master key took it and blew his nozzle on the parchment. After doing so he brought it away from his nose, a shadower of oddity crossing his face, and looked at it. After a here and now of reading the ( now hideously smudged ) letter his eyes flickered up and met Harry's. It could feature been his imagination, but for a moment Harry thought he saw a flicker of a smile.

"Seemed appropriate."Harry said and shrugged. Snape chucked the letter away and glanced at the door.

"You mentioned that you told the rest of your class to keep silent."Snape's articulation was almost monotone.

"Yes."Harry nodded."They ‘ ll do it too. I threatened to do to them what I did to Malfoy."

"Why ?"The potions master regained a small of his old spite and sneer.

"I just…"Harry licked his rim and started again. As unwilling as he was to give Snape ammunition to use against him…"shoemaker's last class I broke down completely in the hospital offstage. Right on the base. It was after Colin Creevy got petrified, it all just got too much for me. At the time I remember wishing everyone there would just forget it ever happened. I thought you might feel the same."

Snape snorted. He seemed to be recovering himself. Harry took this as his cue to allow. He picked himself up off the floor and headed for the room access. Snape made no motion to stop him. When Harry reached the threshold he turned back for a moment.

"I probably shouldn ‘ t say this…"Harry thought."But if I don ‘ t it ‘ ll just eat at me."

"Sir ?"Snape's head snapped towards him."Can I tell you something I ‘ ve noticed about magician ?"Harry took Snape's quiet as an affirmative."Wizards… wizards use quills."

"Fascinating Potter…"Snape sneered, but Harry interrupted him.

"And they use trunks even when they can charm purse to hold more. You use a steam geartrain to get to Hogwarts. This yr a steam-boat. We live in a knightly rook, the store I bought my sceptre in predates Redeemer christ and we write on roller of parchment. But its Sir Thomas More than just that, quite a little of wizards are named after members of their family. A lot More of them than muggles. Even portraits and ghosts ; half the meter we seem to be surrounded by multitude who died century ago. What I ‘ m getting at is…"Harry swallowed in dread at what the reaction to his succeeding point would be.

"… wizards seem to drop a lot of meter living in the past."Harry forced himself to meet Snape's eye."Maybe it ‘ s prison term you moved on."

Snape just stood there, his sneer seemed to have frozen on his lips but his eyes just seemed confused, even a little lost. Harry opened the door and left quickly.

He managed to get almost halfway down the corridor before his nerve broke and he made a mad dash for Gryffindor tower. When he was through the portrait pickle he leaned against the wall and caught his breath.

"You're alive !"Harry turned and saw that the marauders were waiting on their common board. He staggered over to them and sat down.

"We honestly thought you were a goner Harry."Ron said, shaking his caput. But then his case broke into a grinning."But that was bloody brilliant what you did !"

"You wouldn ‘ t say that if you knew how I won."Harry said waving his protagonist to silence."It was roughshod, just cruel."

"What magic spell did you…"Hermione began but Harry shook his head.

"I won ‘ t say. I won ‘ t ever say."

"Snape deserved it whatever it was."Parvati said."However savage it was he ‘ s been atrocious to you for three years. You can't tell me it was worse than what he ‘ s done to you."

"No, it probably wasn ‘ t. But it was worse than I ever want to do to anyone else."Harry leant down and laid his top dog on his crossed branch."I don't want to be like them."

The marauders assured him he was not but Harry just sighed. Impending last aside if he jumped back in clock time now he'd consider it a blessing.

It was only as Harry got into bed that night that he remembered the letter from Pythea, the duel and its aftermath had blown it completely out of his nous. He dug it back out of his robes and show it again, trying to find some hint of a clew. But there was zip. Nothing at all.
*


prof Snape dropped the photograph back onto the oak table of his poop and held his oral sex in his hands. The only light in the room came from the guttering candle before him and faded into the dark around him. Snape refilled his glass with alertness potion and tried to realise himself sip it this time. Sleep was not an option, not at least until he was too tired to dream.

"motility on."Snape growled into the wickedness."Were it that easy Potter, everyone would be doing it."

The idiocy of the boy, telling him to move on while at the same time giving him a galvanic pile of photos and a locket that proved she loved him all along. Snape gave up and knocked back a mouthful of the searing potion.

The locket lay on the table in forepart of him. He hadn't dared overt it again for fear of breaking down once More. He picked it up and trailed its silver chain through his fingers. Stupid thing. Snape smacked it back down onto the tabletop. But even then his fingers instinctively curled to protect the affair and he ended up skinning his knuckles. His movement blew the standard candle out too and he was left in bitter wickedness clutching the blamed thing so backbreaking it hurt.

Snape drew his wand out to relight the candela but stopped with it held loosely in his hired man. Another spell was floating in the presence of his mind.

No.

He shouldn't do it. He was already sickening himself with his wallowing in brokenheartedness. He was acting like a Gryffindor. Ha ! He shuddered, he was acting like a Gryffindor and the ceramist boy was acting more and more like a Slytherin. Potter boy… James IV Potter… who took Lily away. Snape could still feel the boundary of the locket cutting into his palm.

"Why…"Snape forced himself to give his bridge player."Why wear this but marry him ?"What sense did that make.

You abandoned me.

No. Snape curled his hands over his face and tried to force the memory down using Occlumency. But in his precondition he could barely hold it back and another surfaced just as quickly.

You chose your friends Sev.

I did, but it was always you.

They hate me.

There was no one else.

You hate me.

Never. Why will you not give me peace ?

You were my safe friend.

Be silent.

But you betrayed me.

Please.

I can't pretend anymore Sev.

I just want to forget.

You've changed. You've changed too much.

Snape curled his digit around his ear, trying to hold on listening to his own mind. He knew what came next.

I can ‘ t get laid this you, not even as a protagonist. Goodbye Severus.

Snape threw his head back and howled in pain sensation. Oh why fighting it. Snape pointed his wand out and yelled…

"Expecto Patronum !"

The room was lit once Sir Thomas More by silver Light as the charm erupted from Snapes wand. The silver doe just stood there cocking her head at him. Snape felt tear running down his cheeks again.

"I love you."

The doe said nothing, she never did, but she walked over on her silent hooves and rested her mind in his lap. She felt strong but Snape knew it wasn ‘ t real, if he tried to match her she ‘ d just feel like mist.

Snape laid his headspring down on his sleeve and closed his eyes. Later he finally fell asleep like that, leant over the mesa with his face in his weapons system, the doe warming him like a pet dog and the locket still held plastered in his hand.
*


Harry stared down at his chest and try out hard to keep his breathing in check as the huge wound faded in and out. Harry gritted his teeth and concentrated on staying in this time. The wound began to fade more, after a few instant if vanished completely. Harry breathed a suspiration of relief, but it was one tainted with veneration. It was getting worse.

"Harry you ok in their ?"Ron's voice sounded from the can door.

"Yeah Ron I ‘ m fine. Just think I ‘ m coming down with something."Harry almost chuckled to himself, that was the understatement of the C. Harry looked up into the mirror in strawman of him, even without the lesion he looked like a crash. Harry opened the door and smiled at his friend."Probably flu or something."

"You don't say ? You ‘ ve been kind of… um…"Ron waved his script as if searching for the properly Son."…muted… for workweek. Ever since Snape."

Harry nodded, he had been a trivial quiet. Intentionally in the commencement, he had known that he needed to hold on a low profile. But Snape seemed to be pulling a lupin and ignoring Harry in his lessons. Not that he was paying much attention to the rest of his course of instruction either, Snape spent most of his lessons at his desk and had magnanimous dish under his eyes.

But lately the torrent had been getting worse. He had thought that it getting worse would stand for he'd startle further back but in fact it was the opposition. He kept jumping second base, min or hr back and Forth River, various times a day now. Sometimes the worldly concern would simply vibrate like a bell and he'd be left spinning as he flickered between times so fast he couldn't even catch it. And then there were the clock time like this sunrise when he simply slipped back and Forth River like a metronome, the wounds on his breast opening and closing like repulsive sphincters.

Even spoiled were the times when he didn't even realize what had happened. He'd be going to lunch then be asked why he wasn't at breakfast. He'd sit down to dinner party and bump grain and pledge appear in front of him. deterrent example were even worse, they could be twice as long as rule or the bell could sound when Harry had barely put his script down. His bull's eye in class were falling, prep was difficult to hand in on clock time when you didn't know what day it was. Harry knew he should tell Dumbledore or McGonagall or Hermione even, but somehow he couldn't muster the energy. They'd only narrate him what he already knew.

He was doomed.

"You sure you ‘ re alright Harry ?"

Harry was drawn back from his mentation by his friends voice.

"Yeah."Harry nodded again."Fine."

"That just proves you ‘ re not alright."Ron said triumphantly."You ‘ re usually loud, talking and wisecracking all over the place, you're never monosyllabic."

"You want a crack ? Ok…"Harry grinned evilly at his Friend."‘ monosyllabic ‘ ? Been reading the dictionary Ron ? Or just spending More time with Hermione ?"Ron blushed and began spluttering…

"No just… I mean why would I…"

"It ‘ s O.K. Ron. Never mind."Harry shook his headspring, smiling wanly as he wandered away.

"You coming to Hogsmeade Harry ?"Ron called after him.

"You know I can't."Harry turned back, frowning quizzically.

"Come on Harry, sneak out again."Ron wheedled."It ‘ ll make you feel better. Get some sun, you ‘ re getting all gabardine and pasty like Snape."

"Probably because I haven't been sleeping much."Harry thought."harbor ‘ t been eating often either… My body clock ‘ s all screwed to hell by the jumps."

"I might get caught."Harry said lamely.

Harry rightly deserved the horrified glower Ron gave him.

"Alright."Harry shrugged."I ‘ ll come. At to the lowest degree the H2O ‘ ll be warmer this time !"
*


Harry dragged himself out of the lake and gave himself a drying charm before wandering up towards town. After meeting up with the early piranha the first place they visited was Zonko's trick shop.

"Pretty good don't you think ?"Harry grinned through the sorcerous mask that made him look like an old man. He had a big grey mustache too and a park felt hat.

"You ‘ re not actually going to buy that garbage are you Harry ?"Padma asked him shaking her head.

"Of course. And I ‘ m wearing it all day."Harry said from behind the wrinkled face.

"Why ?"She shook her head."Why would you do that ?"

"So that no Slytherin will say that they saw Harry ceramist in Hogsmeade."intellect dawned on Padma's human face then she suddenly frowned.

"So all they'll see is someone obviously disguised walking around with all Harry potter ‘ s champion ? I think they might work it out Harry."

"These are Slytherins we ‘ re talking about."Harry said, paying for the product."Don't expect great mental effort of them, you ‘ ll just be disappointed."

Harry found that he was enjoying the day despite himself. He had only jumped a few minor times and he did like the town ( having not really had a opportunity to see it on the shoemaker's last visit ).

"Just about time for the Three broomsticks before we head back."Parvati said cheerily as they walked down a backstreet, away from the chief throng."We all need some butterbeer !"

"You ‘ ll love butterbeer Harry."Neville said to the disguised Harry."It ‘ s all warm and smooth and… and…."

"Buttery ?"Harry wheedled, grinning.

"wellspring yeah."

"I don't know. A potable based on a fat spread doesn ‘ t exactly sound appetizing."Harry grinned to show that he was joking."Or healthy !"

"It ‘ s alright Harry."Hermione said laughing."My parents went mad when they heard about it but it turns out its actually pretty beneficial for you. It contains antioxidants."

"Anti-oxygen…"Ron's brow furrowed."That sounds bad for you."

"Honestly Ron it just means…"

Harry rolled his centre as Hermione started into an account. Ron's heart glazed over after about the third word.

"I really like this place."Harry said over the explanation."I ‘ ll have to determine some way to get along here more often."

"It ‘ s not all nice."Padma commented."There ‘ s unkept glass here."

Harry looked down. There was busted field glass, he looked around and saw that it had come from the on a higher floor window of a nearby house.

Perhaps it was the lack of eternal sleep, perhaps some latent talent as a seer or perhaps some gist of the inundation but right hand at that moment Harry felt his stomach lurch. There was something terrible behind that broken window.

"wait here."Harry said quietly. The vulture heard his tone and fell silent. Harry slipped in through the garden gate and felt the stones of the wall. Rough, like Hogwarts. Harry gripped the blockage with his fingers and clambered slowly up to the windowpane. He pushed aside the heavy curtains but inside the way was empty. A dim stowage piled with boxwood with the door open onto the wellspring lit corridor behind.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and began to climb down. When he was about halfway he heard a sound from inside the house. He stopped, his fingers gripping the rock'n'roll tight. There it was again. Harry scrambled back up and thrust his head back through the window.

Harry just had time to see yellow teeth streaked with grime and odour rancid breathing spell before he was thrown backwards off the wall. He landed with a thud in the garden and looked up in time to see a disheveled man, covered in turd and dressed in spoilt rag leap from the window with something clutched in his hands. Harry rolled out of his way and the man hit the primer coat running, panting like a dog as he dashed out through the logic gate and down the street.

"Stop !"Harry looked up and saw a wizard leaning out of the windowpane franticly sending thunderbolt of red light source after the fly fig."occlusion him ! He took my son !"

Harry jolted himself off the ground and vaulted the wall after the fleeing man. He could hear the marauder trying to restrain stride behind him.

"Anapurna ! Go to Hogwarts ! Go and secernate them what's happened !"Harry felt his words carried away by the confidential information and had no estimate whether he was being heard."Neville ! Go warn the village ! Get help ! Or brooms !"

They had reached the end of the unretentive road now and hit the field of view beyond. Harry jumped the fence and fought his way through the heather after the distant fig. Their quarry had made it easier for them by flattening a path but it was still heavy going. They were not gaining on the man. Not by a farsighted shot.

"We're… can ‘ t…"Hermione panted."We're… not…"

"Whatever it is, we are !"Harry yelled back as they crested a little hill."Try to hit him !"

Harry aimed and shot a bludgeoning hex at the man, now little more than a smudge of black on the distant purple heather. The smear dodged and blastoff sideways behind a orotund rock before the other vulture trance could connect.

"Harry what are you doing !"Hermione screeched angrily."A bludgeoning hex ? It ‘ s carrying a baby !"

Harry cursed and began running forwards again. He should get known that ! Harry felt like he was passing battery-acid through his lungs instead of air by the fourth dimension they reached the rock'n'roll. The panting and gasping he heard behind him told him the marauders were in even short material body. regretful, the figure was nowhere in deal and there was no absolved trail to follow.

Ignoring the annoyance in every heftiness Harry pulled himself to the top of the boulder and looked around. From here he could see the drab shape of the prohibit forest spreading out to the south. A rampart, like the rampart of Hogwarts, sealed it off from the balance of the world. Harry squinted through his glasses and just made out a wickedness shape silhouette against the brighter rampart before it disappeared. Harry tore off the mask to get a better face but there was nix more, just white wall.

"He ‘ s gone into the forest."Harry called down, trying not to pack his eyes off the place where the man had disappeared."Let ‘ s go."Harry slid off the rock 'n' roll and landed beside Ron, Hermione and Padma.

"Harry are we really going to abide by it into the out forest ?"Padma was clutching her breadbasket and wheezing."We should mark where it went and delay for help."

"He ‘ s going to have as a lot trouble with the forest as we are."Harry argued."We can still enamor him !"

"But Harry it ‘ s a werewolf !"

Harry was jolted back by her news. Of course it was a werewolf and not just some vulgar snatcher. And it had gone straight back to its place. Harry shook his headland, once again he wasn't thinking straight.

"When ‘ s the next broad moonlight ?"Harry asked quickly."When is it ?"

"Tonight."Hermione answered, pained and breathless, but also resigned.

Harry shook his head.

"Then we can't wait for aid. We have to find them before nightfall or that little kid is going to get one the pits of a lovebite. We can ‘ t wait for helper, its us or no one."Harry looked back at the marauders and saw them shimmer and fade.

NO !

He hired hand clenched around his pendent and he squeezed his eyes shut. He did not have metre for this ! When he opened his eyes again his friends looked square, but confused.

"Harry you alright ?"Ron asked.

"I ‘ m fine."Harry forced himself to stop gripping the little shell.

"Are you certainly Harry ?"Padma added."You sort out of… blurred."

"mulct, fine. Lets go."Harry started off at a run towards the woods again and try the others follow.

In Harry's psyche he could hear the Christian Bible ‘ We can't delay for help. Its us or no one'repeating over and over like a talisman against the terror rising inside him. That little terror itself had its own voice saying ‘ We are following it into its woods where it knows its way around and we don't and you can't even delay in your own time for five second. And that's not even mentioning the centaurs… ’. Harry was forced to admit that that voice as well was the right way. What they were doing was stupid and dangerous. But as the first vocalism said, there was no one else.

As Harry neared the rampart a third little vox piped up. Spiteful, sarcastic and whiney but, like the other two interpreter, essentially right.

"Why me."Harry thought."Why is it always me."
*


They reached the rampart and Harry instantly saw how the wolfman had gotten over. A huge Tree had fallen over the wall, crushing the top part of it and resting on the remaining meter of cracked stonework. Everywhere else the rampart was at least two storeys marvelous of blank grey stone. Unscalable.

"The tree…"Hermione had caught up to him but her and the other two marauders were still very winded."moldiness have weakened the wards."

Again Harry felt like a fool. Obviously it would be warded. His brain seemed to be in a fuzz. Harry grabbed some of the lower branches of the tree and pulled himself up.

"Are we…"Hermione began again but Harry cut her off.

"Look, I know this is crazy but there ‘ s no one else here to help. I ‘ m not leaving now. Any of you who don ‘ t want to watch me go back and differentiate them where the hollow in the Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth is."Harry pulled himself on to the Tree trunk and looked down at his Quaker."Anyone else shut up and get in the tree."

Harry began climbing along the trunk and felt it stir as somebody else began to climb up. When Harry reached the other end he climbed down by the roots and dropped onto the mulch of the forest level. He turned and looked up at the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, a moment later Padma pushed her way through the branches. Harry waited a mo Sir Thomas More but no one came. Harry felt a lout physique in his pharynx, first Pythea abandoned him then them.

"Did they…"Harry began but was cut off as Ron and Hermione pushed their way in through the branches.

"We were marking the spot."Hermione said upon seeing Harry's grimace."If we ‘ re going to do this we should do it right and collapse ourselves a prospect of getting out alive."

"We weren ‘ t gon na let you do this alone mate."Ron scratched the back of his headspring and shrugged."And after all we ‘ ve been in worse scrapes than this."

"Did you think any of us wanted to see a kid turned into a werewolf ?"Padma added to cut him off with a milk shake of her drumhead and began to climb down. Harry helped her down the last few infantry then moved to do the same for the others.

"Just one thing Harry."Hermione said once they were all down."How are we supposed to jazz which way it went ?"

Harry's nerve fell and he looked around for some obvious foretoken. There was nothing, now that they were in the forest the werewolf knew how to wrap up his trail better.

"feast out and depend. Don ‘ t go too far."Harry said and the predator obediently fanned out. Harry was about to join them when his mind fixed on a crazy idea.

He had been capable to hold the torrent at bay a few fourth dimension. Could he force it to derive to him ?

Harry undid the movement of his shirt and looked down at his unblemished bureau. He splayed one script across where he knew the wound would come along and clench the other around his pendent.

"About five minutes ago."Harry thought as he gritted his teeth down hard."That's where I need to be."

Harry forced everything he was into that one thought. For a moment he felt rake well on his dresser but it was gone a moment later.

"Harder !"He thought desperately. His finger's breadth were slick on his bureau but it wasn't blood, it was lather."cum on !"

Harry saw his friends fade in nominal head of him. Ron turned back towards him and yelled in surprise. But the auditory sensation was like a distant whisper and Harry gripped his bloody chest tighter. He could still get a line his friends as spectre on the wind but couldn't see them anymore.

He was swaying with the effort and fell to his genu on the forest floor. The leaves that were kicked up by his motion only swirled in the air for a moment before blow over as he pushed himself further back.

Then, just for a moment, a shadowy soma dropped out of the air above Harry and scampered away into the trees with something held in its gnarled hands. Perhaps it was his imagination, but Harry thought he could hear a baby's scream.

Harry let go with both hand and collapsed into the parting. A consequence later he felt work force pulling him up. As his capitulum was tilted back for him Harry saw his friends shocked faces.

"What the pit was that Harry ?"Ron asked fearfully."You just disappeared ! We couldn ‘ t find you anywhere !"

"You can ‘ t have Apparated."Hermione sounded just as scared."You aren ‘ t old…"

"That way !"Harry cut her off and raised a shaky finger."Went that way."Harry grabbed Ron's shoulder and managed to force himself to his feet."We need to hurry."

"No Harry !"Hermione crossed her blazon."You need to tell us what you just did !"

"Hermione now is not…"

"It is the meter. You just faded out of existence then returned with your hand covered in blood."Harry looked down, his bridge player was bloody. This was the first time any mansion of the pelter had remained after he returned to his own clip. Hermione continued…"We deserve an explanation, is this to do with why you ‘ ve been poorly for weeks ?"

"Yes."Harry gulped in some air and nodded."And I promise I will distinguish you later but just now we don't have time. Please Hermione, it already has too practically of a head scratch line on us."

Hermione still looked stubborn but Padma took the situation out of her hands.

"wellspring I ‘ m not waiting around."The twin turned and began to take the air off in the direction Harry had pointed. Harry grinned and staggered after her. A second later he felt Ron catch him and put an arm around his shoulder to steady him

"You ‘ re in really bad shape mate."He commented.

"William Tell me about it."Harry quipped to his taller friend as they stumbled forward."I ‘ d like to end just one twelvemonth without ending up a crash of one kind or another."Harry turned back and saw Hermione following and smiled.

They walked in silence for a while. Padma spotted a set of footprint on the soil that told them they were still going in the flop direction. It looked as if the werewolf was following a sort of deer trail through the forest. After ten minute of arc or so Harry was able-bodied to walk unaided again but he was still glad they had found the trail. He really didn't want to take to flatten himself into the soaker again.

"Shush…"Harry waved the others to silence."Do you guys hear that ?"swoon vocalism drifted between the tree diagram before them. Angry phonation and one high pitched cry.

Harry dropped to a crouch and went forward as quietly as he could. He couldn't hear the marauder following but he knew they were. The voices got louder as they approached a shaded dell in the woods.

"musical composition of dirt !"A tatty smacking sound filtered up from the dell. Followed by a thump like a body hitting the floor. Through it all Harry could listen a child crying."Why did you have to screw it up !"

Harry crawled to the edge of the dingle and poked his pushed a trap through some tuft of pasturage to see down. The werewolf they had chased was cowering on the trading floor in front of a huge bear like man. A Brobdingnagian bear like loup-garou, Harry amended as he saw the knifelike brown teeth and white-livered eyes staring balefully out of its head. Now that he could get a clear face at them Harry could see that they were both wearing the same mud and crap encrusted rags, their pilot color and cut lost completely beneath the grime. Their tomentum and manpower were caked in mud as well, as were their unshod feet.

"You bastard Verrine !"The larger man growled as he picked the wiry wolfman off the floor and shook him.

Harry could see the sister lying abandoned on the basis nearby. He could palpate the marauders getting in view beside him. Making their own screening holes.

"Why now !"The man continued to mouth off."Why do it now ! When we ‘ re so closely to getting the mother-load you go out and abstract one child ! They ‘ ll be on the scout for us now !"

"But Greyback."The smaller man ( who seemed to be called Verrine ) whined."This was what you told us all to do. What you taught us. Get the nipper so we can turn them. When I found the gap in the ward I had to chance it. I thought you ‘ d be happy."

"Happy ? Happy ! ?"The strapping werewolf threw the other to the ground and kicked him in the stomach."You moron ! We ‘ ve been working for calendar month and you screw it up in a day !"

"But… but…"Verrine wrung his hands."They still don't know about it ! We can still go through with it !"

"We ‘ ll have to you runt ! I haven ‘ t worked this hard to stop now."Reb aimed another beast beef at the man on the base and Harry slid back a small from the dell. Harry figured the call sister was cover enough to mouth without being heard and whispered…

"Any estimate ?"

"We can ‘ t stoolpigeon by them."Hermione said under her breath."Maybe if we levitate the baby…"

"They'll see that."Harry shook his head teacher."They'll see anything inside the clearing. We need to take them out."

"Two broad grown werewolves ?"Padma shook her head."We ‘ ll need a plan."

"Will we ?"Ron asked, glancing back at the Mary Jane between them and the creatures."I mean there are four of us and two of them. Why don't we just chute them ?"

"Ron !"Hermione hissed."Of all the stupid…"

"Brilliant !"Harry interrupted."He ‘ s right wing !"Padma and Hermione looked shocked. Surprisingly so did Ron.

"We've got so used to being the underdogs we didn ‘ t see it. There are Sir Thomas More of us, we have wands and we have the constituent of surprisal. Hermione, Padma…"Harry pointed back at the clearing."… you aim for the big guy. Me and Ron will aim for the minuscule one."

"What are we firing ?"Padma asked.

"Anything disabling, and aim high. We don't want to hit the baby."Harry crawled back to the edge of the dell."On three. One… Two… THREE !"

Harry raised to his knees and aimed his wand at the galvanize loup-garou. Hermione had fired a full-body-bind that froze Reb in his tracks before Padma's blasting curse threw him to the solid ground. Harry had stuck by the honest bludgeoning hex. He didn't hear what Ron cast but whatever it was combined with his own attack threw the boney lycanthrope clear across the clearing and smacked him into a rock.

Harry rushed into the dell. He followed Hermione's example and lapidify Verrine from close range as he tried to get to his groundwork. The werewolf's limbs smacked to his sides and he toppled like a tree. Harry turned back and saw that Padma had already reached the crying bundle on the floor and was picking him up.

"Is he alright ?"Harry asked worriedly.

"I have no idea."Padma admitted."Since he ‘ s been dragged through the Mrs. Henry Wood with only a blanket to protect him, I ‘ m guessing he ‘ s a trivial cranky. safe thing it's a warm day."

"Harry…"Ron was standing over the big werewolf with his baton still out."… should we… you know… do something permanent to them ? Stop them ?"

"You mean kill them."Hermione said flatly."In cold bloodline. While they ‘ re petrified."

"Hermione ‘ s right."Harry shook his head. In his short life he had already killed two people ( Tom Riddle didn ‘ t count ). But both times it had been to save his aliveness or the life of his admirer."We can ‘ t. Maybe we should, but we can ‘ t."

"They ‘ ll kill other citizenry Harry."Ron said hesitantly."They ‘ ll turn other mass. They ‘ re animals."

"Fine then. Do it."Harry pointed at the immobile men on the floor."polish them."

Ron's middle widened in seismic disturbance. He raised his sceptre and pointed it at the big loup-garou on the floor. For a moment he stood there, irresolution clear on his face, then he dropped his arm to his side again.

"See. Not so easy."Harry turned and began walking back the way they had come."cum on guy wire. That was enough moral for today's story."

The marauders were about to follow him when…

"Harry…"Ron said worriedly."Isn ‘ t it a bit… dark ?"

Harry felt the cold effort of terror again. The utmost of the sunset was just seeable over the tree and the shadows were at their longest.

Not long before nightfall. Not long before the moon.

"Oh god ..."Harry said, wide eyed."RUN !"
*


Harry dared a glance back through the woods as he pelted as fast as he could down the track they had come up on. It was fully dark now, and the moon rode over the trees.

"Wah ! ! Wah ! !"

"Can ‘ t you shut that brat up !"Ron yelled at Padma, who shot him a deadly glare.

"Bring him here."Harry slowed down and pointed his wand at the squalling baby."Silencio !"The infant's lip still worked but no sound came out. Harry breathed easier for a instant, then he heard a howl go up from the tree behind them.

"Run !"The marauder were jolted into motion again."Hermione go ahead ! keep Padma and the holy terror in the middle !"

Harry looked back over his shoulder and saw a shape hurtling down the path towards them.

Not a time to commit punches.

"Acerbus Cuspis !"

The sickly light enveloped the snaring thing and it's momentum rolled it into a mint at Harry human foot. He petrified it for good measuring stick. Harry turned and sprinted to view up with the rest of the marauders.

"How… close…"Ron panted."… tree."

"Further."Was all Harry managed to puff out. A growl behind him was all the word of advice he got and he threw himself on Ron, knocking them both to the solid ground as a werewolf pounced over their head.

"Ferio !"Harry yelled from the floor, but his hex missed and smacked into a George Bush. The skirt chaser snarled and lifted itself to its infantry before getting hit from behind by Hermione and being slammed into the ground. Harry pulled himself and Ron off the level and began running forward again.

"There it is !"Harry heard Padma vociferation from far ahead. Harry squinted and realized he could bring in out the dim shape of the wall in front line of them. Another howl went up behind them and was picked up by another vox and another and another, stretching across the forest.

"come on come on !"Harry skidded to a stop by the backside of the fallen tree and scanned the darkened forest. motion ? Harry fired another curse into the darkness but it hit cypher."Hurry up !"Harry helped Ron into the tree diagram then scrambled up behind him. He heard a tangle behind him and whirled, aiming his verge at the sound.

"Acerbus cuspis !"

The light brightened the clearing like a firework but the lycanthrope dodged it. Harry slipped and fell onto the leaf mulch. The wolf pounced at him but was hit in the air by three spells from above and fell hard. Harry scrambled back into the tree and ran as difficult as he could for the safety of the outside. He dropped onto the ground outside and stumbled a few steps to where the marauders were standing. He saw Hermione power point back at the wall and yell.

"Harry !"

A wolfman was clambering along the tree diagram, its longsighted slavering natural language glistening in the moonlight.

"Depulso !"Harry banished the werewolf and saw it sail back over the wall.

"Wingardium Leviosa !"Harry heard Hermione call and saw the tree careen on its rubble birthplace."avail me !"

"Wingardium Leviosa !"Harry yelled, pointing his baton at the tree.

"Wingardium…"Ron began but Harry cut him off.

"No ! You two arrest any more of them getting over !"

Harry concentrated on the tree, trying to escape from it free of its trestle. Another dark contour jumped onto the trunk and Padma blasted it off. Two more jumped on and Harry forced himself to concentrate only on the Tree and trust his protagonist to portion out with the werewolves.

Suddenly, with a shuddering sally, the tree came free of the wall and jumped a few time into the air. Shaking its rider off in the unconscious process. At Hermione's urging they pulled the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree forwards and dumped it on the soil nearby. Harry yelped in surprise as they saw a loup-garou scribble over the damaged paries, its execration giving it strength beyond any natural animal.

"No !"Hermione said as Harry raised his wand."I want to see if its worked."

Harry kept his verge trained on the affair but didn't cast anything. The dark conformation squatted on the top of the rampart for a import then bunched up and leapt at them. There was a great flash of sparkle and it was repulsed, thrown back into the timber with a yelp of pain.

"Hermione ? What the bloody hell…"Ron asked.

"The Mrs. Humphrey Ward. The Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree was disrupting them."Hermione brushed her whisker off her sweat-dripping os frontale."They should be back now."

"Hermione…"Harry didn't finish the sentence, he just stepped forward and hugged the start girl fiercely."Keep being smartness ok. God knows one of us has to be."Harry released her and looked back at the wall. Three werewolves sat there now but they made no movement to come any closer. Perhaps they had retained just enough of their human brains to check a object lesson. Harry gave them the finger's breadth then turned back to his friends.

"We should go."Harry lit his wand and waved the marauders back towards Hogsmeade."I may be faulty. But I think we ‘ re past curfew."







Try to pass on a negative revaluation here. I want to know what I can change for the well. Not spelling, I do n't care about that. Do you think the pacing 's ok ? I sometimes think I 'm moving the plot too fast.


Yeah, i know this chapter 's a bit brusk but it was a logical place to stop.



Hogsmeade looked a lot more menacing at night. Perhaps it was the way the old houses seemed to lean out over the street. Perhaps it was the eery lack of noise or that light olfactory modality you get at the first of night.

Or perhaps it was that the professors that had eventually found them were McGonagall and Snape.

When the marauders had wandered back into the settlement they had had the ( then sleeping ) baby taken off their hired man rather swiftly and been hurried back up the road towards Hogwarts.

"Of all the irresponsible, foolishness and idiocy you lot have got yourselves into !"McGonagall raged as they walked back along the road. Snape was uncharacteristically unsounded but he glowered at them with his bloodshot middle. All of them except Harry, who's centre he didn't seem to desire to meet.

"I hope all of you are proud of yourselves !"McGonagall continued as they passed the gates of Hogwarts.

"‘ Oh, thank you for saving the baby.'” Harry muttered under his breath."‘ Without you tike he would hold suffered a portion unsound than death. You ‘ re heroes.'” But the teachers didn't seem to hear him ( which was perhaps for the best ).

They walked in muteness up the prospicient way of life towards Hogwarts but McGonagall surprised them by not taking them inside. Instead she led them round to the left hand towards the greenhouse. Harry could see the shimmering line of the Barbara Ward, easily visible in the dim light.

Harry then saw who they were heading for. Dumbledore was standing on a patch of scuffed priming coat near the edge of the greenhouses staring out towards the preclude forest. Occasionally he would conduct a few gradation and coup d'oeil at a particular plaza in the Montgomery Ward. He also kept glancing at a ragged piece of parchment he held in his helping hand. As they approached he folded it calmly and slipped it into his robes.

With a lour Harry realized it was the like piece of sheepskin he's seen Lupin and Dumbledore pawing over in a flashback. What did it do ? Harry tried to think back, it had been a map of Hogwarts and they had been keeping ticker on him with it. Did it somehow show up what he was doing ?

"Mr Potter."The Headmaster had turned to look at him. He did not expect pleased."So you return to us again."

"Yeah, like a bloody boomerang."Was what Harry wanted to say but he wisely replaced it with"Yes Sir."

"And can you secernate me why you think you have the right to shamelessly disregard school prescript and flash the security set up specifically to protect the scholarly person of this school ?"

"We saved a baby."Harry said through gritted dentition."Doesn ‘ t that count for something ?"

"Mr ceramicist this is not a affair of solution it is a matter of intentions."Dumbledore said, staring at him over the lip of his spectacles."Do you expect me to continually drop your rank pattern breaking simply because it coincidentally causes some good ?"

"We coincidentally saved a baby !"Harry argued. He heard Hermione trying to shush him and pulled back a little."There was nothing else we could do. No one else was there to help."

"Why were you in Hogsmeade in the number one place ?"

"Testing how well that petty scrap of newspaper in your air hole works."It was a dig in the dark but Harry saw the flavor of shock Cross Dumbledore's expression before he steadied himself again. Harry noticed that both Snape and McGonagall looked confused. Was Lupin the only teacher who knew ?

"I do not know of what you speak Mr Potter."Dumbleore said lightly.

"The map of Hogwarts."Harry spoke slowly and carefully. Taking an malign glee in seeing every countersign bring further shock to the old man's grimace."The one you and Lupin have been using to look out me. look out everything I do. You sit up at nighttime, with a mug of coconut and a marshmallow and spotter me."

The silence between the Pres Young wizard and the old one was almost palatable. Harry broke it first.

"Why didn ‘ t you use it to line up the kid ? Or Ginny at the end of last yr ?"Harry stared Dumbledore down. He felt a gentle prod on the back of his brain."And don't even think about Legilimensing me. Honestly, and you talk to me about breaking rules ?"The goading receded and Dumbledore looked down at his feet.

"I could not use it to find the child because it does not extend beyond the borders of Hogwarts."Dumbledore said slowly. His voice oddly shamed."And I could not use it to happen young woman Weasley because neither the chamber, nor the passageway leading to it, nor the sewers under Hogwarts are displayed on it. It ‘ s makers never ventured into them."

A quiet fell again. Neither party seemed to take anything to add to the conversation.

"The werewolf said they had a plan to get into Hogwarts tonight."Ron blurted out in a rush. Everyone looked at him and he blushed to the rootage of his hair."well they have to know."He defended to Harry.

"I know Ron."Harry turned back to the Headmaster."He ‘ s right, they did say that."

"Harry they are unconvincing to do anything now that we have been roused."

"No, they are."Harry shook his pass."They specifically said they were going through with it anyway."

"Perhaps."Dumbledore conceded."But in a thousand old age the werewolves have never breached the wards around the edge of the forest."

"But I breached them earlier this year !"

"Yes."Dumbledore nodded."By swimming out into the lake past their boundaries."

"well couldn ‘ t the loup-garou do that ?"

"Harry…"Dumbledore seemed to regain some of his old liquid body substance."To you the giant squid is merely a playful lake wight. But it in fact one of the most ancient guardians of Hogwarts. If any dark beast attempted to reach Hogwarts through the lake, swear me Harry, they would not get far."

"And what…"Harry swallowed nervously."… what if all this is connected to… you know… Voldemort ?"

"My information William Tell me that Voldemort is in hiding in Albania."Dumbledore explained."As he has been since you evicted him from the physical structure of professor Quirrel."

"Oh…"Harry felt anger ebbing out of him, leaving a kind of hollow."… good."

"Now…"prof Dumbledore raised both his laurel wreath, facing out. A calming motion."… we will continue this word, and discussion of any punishment incurred, in the morning. delight return to your usual room, Severus will accompany you. Minerva, would you help me check over the Montgomery Ward one terminal prison term before we all go to bed ?"The two old instructor moved off, leaving the marauders with only Snape for company.

"Come on."Snape's vocalization sounded horse and Harry realized that this was the first clip he had spoken during the total exchange.

The marauders followed him in silence up to the fat madam's portrait and spoke the password. Snape didn't even say anything to them then, he just stalked off with his head bowed down into his neck.

Harry shook his head. Every time he saw Snape like that it reminded him of what he'd done to him.

Harry walked into the Gryffindor common room.

"You're animated !"Harry heard someone yell.

"Wait."Harry closed his heart and held out his mitt for silence."Did I just come back from a Hogsmeade weekend that ended with us chasing a lycanthrope into the out woods ?"

"Um… yes ?"

"Oh good."It had just been formula déjà vu, not the time traveling form. Harry opened his eyes and walked over to sit at the piranha table with Ginny, Neville and Parvati who had been waiting for them. The other marauders sat down too. It was the center of the dark but somehow everyone knew they couldn't go to sleep yet. The four who had come from the timberland hastily outlined what had happened to their friends.

"What am I missing ?"Harry murmured, tilting himself back on his chair."How else could they get into the grounds ?"

"If they hired some curse circuit breaker somehow…"Neville's vocalism trailed off as they all contemplated the possibility of penniless woodland lusus naturae hiring the services of skilled wiz and of the skilled wizard working for them willingly and of the werewolf retaining enough self control after transforming to not eat them.

"Unlikely."Harry decided and closed his centre. God he was tired.

"If some of them trained as curse breakers…"Ron began but Hermione cut him off.

"Then they ‘ d forget everything once they transformed."

Harry massaged his temples with his fingers and felt the grit on them, they were still all mucky from the forest.

"Could they somehow trouble the giant calamari ?"Ginny asked looking tired as well. No one answered her. No one had any solution. But Harry was willing to aver that whatever it was was justly in front of his face.

"Can werewolves even float ?"Ron asked and Harry groaned. They weren't getting anywhere. Not a surprisal really. Harry looked over his troop, Ginny was virtually at rest on her chair ("We keep forgetting she ‘ s not as used to this as us."Thought Harry. ) Hermione looked almost ready to swoon, the tenseness of all the classes this year on top of the day they'd all had was just too a great deal. Neville and Parvarti were very well but himself and Ron ? Ha ! Harry laughed to himself. Both him and Ron, and to a lesser extent Padma and Hermione, looked like they'd rolled in the dirt all night. Which, Harry admitted, they had.

Harry looked at his dirt encrusted hand. There was something there. Something just out of reach.

"Guy ‘ s…"The marauder's heads snapped to him."… look at my hand. There ‘ s something we ‘ re missing and it ‘ s here."

"Harry you ‘ re imagining things."Hermione sounded like she was barely remaining conscious."I know, I keep thinking I ‘ ve persuasion of something too."

"No, no there is something."Harry shook his point. His hand, what was there ?

"Harry you look faint mate."Ron's voice, but Harry wasn't listening.

His hand, beaten and scratched. One fingernail broken a little from a Fall. stain under his fingernails. turd everywhere on his manus. turd everywhere on their hands…

Harry stood smack vertical and scrambled for the door.

"They were covered in grunge !"He yelled, a bit hysterically."Why didn ‘ t I see it before !"

"See what Harry ?"Hermione asked. The marauder were staring at him.

"They were too pestiferous. Don't you see !"Harry motioned them to get a relocation on out of their chairs but they didn't Budge. Harry threw up his hired hand in exasperation."You don ‘ t get that dirty just running around a forest. And it was the wrong type of dirt too… loamy… shadow. Under their fingernails and in their teeth !"The marauders still looked on in dim incomprehension.

"Don't you see what they're doing ! Dogs behind a fence !"Harry saw understanding sunup in one or two sets of eye."They ‘ re digging a fucking tunnel !"
*


"Neville : McGonagall ! Ron : Dumbledore ! Padma : Snape !"Harry rattled off as they raced out the portrayal pickle. Harry cupped his mitt to his mouth and yelled."MYRTLE ! Sweet marauder sign of the zodiac ghost ! Get here NOW !"

"Harry ?"The glowing little girl slid out of the stonework and flew alongside him as he pelted down the corridor."What is it ?"

"Werewolves, tunneling into the school."Harry saw the ghosts already white-hot grimace turn whiter and her middle excrescence."Is must come up somewhere on this face of the Mrs. Humphrey Ward. Go under…"

"Go underground and incur it."Myrtle finished for him. She sounded absolutely terrorize. Her smoky manikin was ever quavering in the air. But she swooped off in the direction of the nursery, her lank hair whipping in the wind behind her.

"Wonderful."Harry thought as he shot down a staircase."At least one of the marauders has her head on straight."

Harry barged through a side door and the night air hit him like a wall. He breathed it in, welcoming the insensate into him because it would help wake him up.

"Lumos !"Hermione had lit her wand. Smart that one. Harry followed courtship and soon the four marauders were scowering the grounds. Harry glanced over them, had he chosen wrongly ? He'd sent the jade marauders to find out the teachers and kept the relatively invigorated single with him. Except for Hermione of course of action, who he ‘ d kept because he relied on her to be the psyche of the operation. But was she alert enough to do that now ? Harry cursed as he realized his choice also meant he had put the untried member, Ginny, in harms way.

Harry shook his head, nothing to be done about it now. Harry saw Vinca minor arc out of the background like a mahimahi, get up her hands as if to say ‘ I'm going as fast as I can ’, then dip back underground.

"Where would they be ?"Harry peered at the tree course, trying to catch some hint of cause. Nothing."Damn it !"Where would they tunnel up to ? Would they even be capable to aim at a specific billet when underground ? The world blurred around Harry and he clamped his men over his pendent.

Back ! Not now ! The wound on his odd chest was beginning to hurt now, and was streaking his shirt with stock. I need to be here !

After what felt like an age the torrent retreated and Harry stumbled forward to resume the search. Suddenly Harry heard a ghostly fink and saw Vinca minor ballista out of the ground.

"There ! There !"myrtle was panicked and shaking, pointing back down at the ground.

Harry followed the line of her mitt, it was the piece of drag turf they had stood on before that evening during their give-and-take with Dumbledore. With some trepidation Harry got closer and stopped to listen. From under the ground came the unmistakable speech sound of scrabbling claws.

"Oh no no no no no."Harry shook his head to try and run off the icy grasp of fear and looked back at the castle. No teacher yet, the piranha must experience been having fuss convincing them. Harry looked back at the ground, they would break through any instant."Colloportus."He tried, desperately, aiming at the ground. But null happened, the spell wasn't meant to be used that way.

"Guy ! Get back !"Harry waved the marauders away."Get behind clobber, we ‘ ll need to save them back if they break through."Harry looked around, panicked. Was there something they could hide the ground with ? No.

"Vinca minor !"Harry looked up at the quivering ghost."I don ‘ t want to ask this but… can you go down there ? Distract them. Try to keep them from digging up."

The ghost shook her mind vigorously, her eye wide behind her goggle-like glasses.

"Please myrtle !"Harry begged."I can't think of anything else !"

The ghost began crying and hugged her arms into herself but she slowly floated down and slid into the basis. After a moment the scrabbling stopped and a growling and yelping filtered up through the earth. Harry glanced around desperately, that had bought him minute at most. His eyes lighted on a pile of flora cuttings in a wooden bin beside the greenhouses. Yes !

"assistance me laugh at ! Wingardium Leviosa !"Harry pointed his sceptre at the bin. It rocked on its foundation and Harry heard his protagonist add their voices to his. Glancing fearfully at the bulging ground Harry maneuvered the bin onto the ground and dropped it with a crunch.

"Incendio !"The bin burst into flaming. Harry sent a few bludgeoning hex's at the sides of the thing and it collapsed into a bonfire. Harry saw the other marauders levitating offset onto it from where they hid near the greenhouses.

"fountainhead, that won ‘ t arrest them from digging up."Harry thought, scraping sweat off his brow."But it ‘ ll impart them a surprisal when they do."

Suddenly the bonfire sagged in the middle. Harry looked around and realized he should probably be behind something. He turned and dashed towards the threshold of Hogwarts. Behind him he heard a howl of inhuman pain and a dry crash as the bonfire caved in on itself. More ululation of bother, filling the air with dark fear. Harry glanced over his articulatio humeri at the fire.

A combustion loup-garou, howling in searing pain sensation, burst up through the ground like an ancient god, ferine and potent. It clawed its way onto the grass and set off like a bullet towards him. Harry was so scared he tripped and was sent sprawling across the ground. He rolled and tried to aim a hex at it but he was shaking so lots it missed by a mile. Harry could see another werewolf erupt out of the ground and institutionalise the marauder but all his tending was focused on the one in battlefront of him. The one that was going to wipe out him. He shot again but it barely grazed its side. It lunged, and Harry felt its feted breath.

"Sectumsempra !"

The wolf's neck exploded in a bloody fountain but its momentum carried it onto Harry, crushing him under its. Harry could sense his ribs crack and smell its putrid malodour but then it was lifted off him and tossed aside. Harry looked up and saw Snape framed in the threshold, a look of execution in his eyes.

"Stupefy !"The potions original yelled and a red spell stab across the ground and the werewolf that had been chasing the marauders fell limp onto the priming. Harry heard a scrabbling strait and saw another just clawing its way out of the hole in the ground. Snape said no incantation this fourth dimension but it's psyche snapped back as if it had been shot and it slid back into the hole. Three more scrambled out, slavering and growling to take its place.

"Ferio !"Harry yelled, and the one he had been aiming at jerked back."Confringo !"The blasting jinx threw it back into the hole.

"parting them to me Potter."Harry heard Snape growl."Go aid your friends."Snape curled his arm back and yelled something guttural before throwing a orchis of red light down into the pickle in the terra firma. Harry was knocked off his feet as an earthquake rocked the land and a smashing swarm of debris poured up from the pit. Snape had collapsed the tunnel. She potions master smiled evilly, the gage and dust giving him an almost demonic visage as he turned and began throwing curses at the remaining two werewolves.

Harry ran towards the marauders and skidded to a stoppage in presence of them. They looked tired and scared and Hermione was leaning on Annapurna and not putting exercising weight on her left animal foot, but for having just battled werewolves they looked alright.

"Snape's beginning to turn on me."Harry grinned. The marauders smiled, then Hermione seemed to recognise something and put her paw to her neck in horror.

"No !"
*


A moment of happenstance can change everything.

Only someone floating above the shot could have seen the whole thing.

Hermione pointing to something sparkling on the primer. Pushing herself off her friend and hopping towards it frantically. Tripping…

Harry turning and stepping over to plunk it up, holding its favourable chain clenched in his fist.

Snape throwing curse word at the last wolfman, laughing as it scrabbled backwards, trying to get away from him. Snape throwing another whammy but, in his glee, missing. The curse flying through the air, rippling it like a heat wave. Shooting straight into the sparkling golden hourglass handing from Harry's hand.

The phone of shattering class. Far forte than it had any decently to be.

The atomiser of silver sand, fanning out and covering the aright face of Harry breast, burning through his shirt and eating away the flesh underneath.

Each grain of sand making a petty pockmark hole, like driblet of acid.

Snape looking on in repugnance, sceptre still outstretched.

Harry screaming. Screaming and falling to the base, clawing at the damn mess of his chest. Screaming like he'd had his essence cut out.

Then slowly, fading. Fading as his shriek grew softer and voiced. Until it was null Thomas More than a hint of wind.

Then gone.


Pain, everywhere, burning. Flickering too fast to see anything but his damaged body beneath him. Roaring, he could hear the river here, louder than ever before. Nothing made sense, zero was real but the pain.
*


"Severus… Severus are you asleep ?"

Snape slowly raised his head from his hands and looked up at dame Pomfrey. Had he fallen asleep ? There were time when his view had curled round each early enough to seem like dreams. But no, he mustn't have. Surely he would give birth dreamt of her.

Snape could experience the locket in the top pocket of his gown. He had carried it with him since he had got it. A constant waste pipe on his will. Walking around, every day, trying to trace his routine with a venomous cocktail of grief and heart clenching rue. But he couldn't leave it, every time he tried he just felt his fingers close around it tighter.

And now he had guilt to add to the mix. Guilt he richly deserved. He had killed him, killed the last part of Lily Evans left on this earth. He deserved everything, he clenched his fist until he could feel his nails digging into skin. It meant nothing.

"Severus some masses are here."The shoal nurse spoke softly, as if he were a dying patient role. Which, Snape conceded, he looked like right now. He wearily dragged himself to his feet and moved out from behind the curtains surrounding his bed.

The infirmary annex was wax but mum. Snape looked over at the bed where the Granger young lady was lying. Her infantry healed of course but no one had asked her to leave. potter's other friends were there too, in chairperson, propped on nearby beds or, in the case of Longbottom, simply collapsed on the story. Snape could sympathise good now.

On the other side the werewolves were chained, the two that had survived his attack and transformed back with the light of day. They had been dragged up here by the aurors so that they could be treated before being thrown in Azkaban. No trial would be had. None was necessary. They neither had the right hand to one nor deserved that right. Snape felt no grief for the I that had been carted away to be burned or for the many that had undoubtedly died when he collapsed the tunnel. Any trace of mankind they had they had given up when they agreed to accompany Greyback.

A sliver of a thinking wormed its way into Snape's brain. Why hadn't Greyback been present at the attack ? The nestling claimed to have petrified him but that would barely have lasted an hour on a wolfman. He should have been there. It would feature been gratifying to number him as one of the dead. Then at least Snape could have said something good had come of everything.

"Professor Severus Snape ?"

The dress voice brought him out of his sentiment and he looked at the two new public figure in the flank. Even in his wasting province Snape took in the vapid Grey gown, the file cabinet booklet, the slightly arrogant demeanor without any evidence of literal power and neatly labeled both of them.

"From the Ministry,"Snape said. It wasn't a interrogative. But something was off about them he realized, the adult female, her eyes far too appraising under her neat short tomentum and the man perhaps a shade too relaxed for a bureaucrat dragged out of his office. Not aurors, they didn't have that feel… Oh !"Unspeakables ?"

"Correct prof Snape. Full marks."The woman smiled and raised her eyebrow. Snape sighed inwardly, he hated the great unwashed under the delusion they were smarter than him."My epithet is Natalie Zhao and my colleague is Sean Rhyfedd."She indicated the man with a wave of her hand. Rhyfedd opened his mouth to speak but the char continued talking and he shut it again.

"We are here to look into the recent events here."She smiled and pulled a shaft and parchment from her leaflet."I understand that you have had a trying fourth dimension but sure inquiry must be answered."

"I thought the situation was being investigated by them."Snape jerked his top dog towards the aurors. One of the werewolves on the floor looked up at him and leered.

"You misunderstand Mr Snape."The man spoke for the first time."The wolfman are indeed being dealt with by the aurors. The situation we were speaking of was the demise of Mr Potter."

"Harry !"

Snape heard a curtain being thrown back and a moment later felt himself surrounded by Potter's clique.

"Do cognise where he is ?"

"What happened to him ?"

"quiet !"Snape snapped, far tawdry than he intended. They fell silent and he turned back to the Unspeakable. Taking a present moment to assess the power social structure he addressed the cleaning lady directly."You mean the disappearance of Mr Potter,"he said hopefully.

"No."Rhyfedd cut in at the Lapp clip as his workfellow said.

"I ‘ m afraid not."She waved her wand at an vacuous bed and nine pot fell around it."Let's sit down."

Snape heard a chuckle from the early English of the room.

"Something to add, werewolf ?"Rhyfedd said angrily.

"lost your hero."The werewolf chuckled insanely as he stared out from behind his crusted lids."Why don't you use the minuscule map ?"

The auror kicked the cold-blooded thing and it fell tacit, muttering to itself.

Snape dismissed it and pick out a pot next to the bulwark, at to the lowest degree that way he could not be surrounded by children.

"You are mindful that Miss…"Ms Zhao consulted her papers"… husbandman, was given special permit to possess a time-turner this twelvemonth ?"

"You know that I am."Snape replied acidly."Unless the thirty Page form myself and the early teachers here were asked to fill out was somehow lost in the Ministry's system. In fact that condition is not unbelievable is it ?"

"We take More care in our department,"Rhyfedd said. He turned to the nipper at the tabular array."Did you notice Mr Potter displaying any odd behaviour this year ?"

"Odd behavior…"Weasley scratched his head."Odd behavior is formula for Harry."

"Time loss."The Unspeakable crossed his arms irritably."Did he sometimes seem to not know when or where he was ? Did he look to recognise what was about to happen ? Did anyone witness him in two situation at once ?"

"Yes,"The younger Weasley answered quietly."The inaugural two."

"I saw him in two places,"Longbottom said wetly. They all sounded as tired as Snape felt."I was with him in the library and I looked out the windowpane and I saw him on the dope outside too. I just thought it was some sort of gag he was pulling."He sounded like soul had drowned his puppy. Or perhaps a bag of puppies.

"Don ‘ t feel bad,"Natalie Zhao smiled at the scholarly person."Even if we had known earlier there would have been nada we could have done. It's an effect we call the torrent of ages."

That sounded familiar, some old story ?

"Those lost in the cloudburst of ages…"he said, trying to remember the passage."… are lost to time and luminousness. Living in aught. Trapped in eternity."
*


Flickering, even the mountains crawled up and down like wafture. The sky just one arching fuzz of gray. The basis under his pes felt shadowy and unreal.
*


"Yes that's sort out,"Ms Zhao nodded, pleased."You see, a time-turner only works because of the sand inside it. It is literally the sand of sentence. Usually it is inert but there are ways of drawing out its power. Now, the body structure of a time-turner is designed so as to tackle that magnate safely. Moving a person back in time a curt way relatively safely."

"Relatively safely,"Rhyfedd said, chuckling dryly and shaking his head.

"But…"Zhao continued."If the Sand is loosed from the time-turner after it has been activated and it touches a person. That person gets the full-of-the-moon brunt of the sands'power."

"The effect has been known since antediluvian times."Mr Rhyfedd pulled a bundle of around twenty theme out and spread them out in front of Snape. The all had characterisation in the box. The Old 1 were undecipherable, the fresh mostly looked like dreadful themselves."As you can see the recent unity are mostly departmental accidents."

Snape nodded.

"What is this torrent then ?"he asked.

"Essentially… time."Ms Zhao shook her head word sadly."Imagine the time-turner upshot multiplied by a billion, and totally uncontrollable. The individual begins moving through metre without ever stopping in any one here and now for more than a millisecond."

"Of course we can only guess at the effect…"Rhyfedd said."… Since no one has ever come back."

"So what are you going to do ?"Anapurna Patil demanded shrilly."How do we fix it ?"

"Miss…"Zhao met Snape's middle for a second then continued."…Patil."

Snape felt his heart skip about a 100 beats. Had he just been casually Legilimized by a Ministry employee ? He found himself forced to swiftly and radically revaluate the woman in forepart of him. His mental defenses were a little break right now it was true, but he would have been glad to face even Dumbledore with no Sir Thomas More defense than this. He had grown too soft.

"fille Patil,"The woman continued."I know this is backbreaking for you, all of you. I know that it is easy to grieve if you have a body, or some sign. But you must understand your protagonist is not coming back."

"You don ‘ t know that !"Ginevra Weasley almost screamed.

"He ‘ s stronger than you think,"Longbottom said desperately.

"This is not something you can fight,"The unnameable shook her head."It ‘ s not something literal or physical. It ‘ s not something palpable, it ‘ s something inevitable."
*


Slipping, ground always slipping. Too much pain to even cogitate. Blood that flowed out of him and disappeared into the air like mist. The Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin still burned in him, burning but the lineage kept flowing. Burning threads cutting into him from all English, tying him up. Lying like red hot lances across his skin. He couldn't ignore the pain, it was the one real thing he had.
*


"Just face it kids."Rhyfedd crossed his weapons system."The boy who lived is gone for good."
*


Harry kneeled under the flickering sky, a grey cockcrow burn into his center. It was too often, he wasn't sure if he would go mad or just bleed to death. Either seemed preferable. The pain was just throbbing harder, the fiery bonds tightening around him. inconspicuous trammel. Nothing was real here. Oh god it hurt ! Harry threw his headspring back and howled,

"assist me !"His Good Book were caught and whisked away as soon as he spoke."mortal ! aid me !"Harry barely felt the cocksucker wrack his body."Someone…"

"Harry…"

Harry felt the pain in the neck ebb away, leaving a dull ache. The sky dimmed like smoke-cured glass. The flickering reason became Grey and unyielding under his invertebrate foot. He felt the burning threads pushed off him as the greyness infinite expanded, carrying them with it. He stood on rickety stage inside the little burp of reality.

"Harry."

Harry whirled towards the vocalisation and fell to the ground again, this time in stand-in. Tears welled in the corners of his oculus. He gulped and said,

"Pythea !"

"Yes Harry."The little visionary was sitting cross legged in the middle of the grey babble."Yes it ‘ s me."

"How…"

"Or, more correctly it's a bit like a recording of me,"Pythea smiled, her multicolor eye holding depths Harry couldn't even guesswork at."Like a portraiture. I ‘ m a magical spell cast by the literal Pythea. She hid me in the letter she sent you."

"Why ?"Harry shook his head."Why this way ?"

"It was the only way."Pythea looked suddenly a short scared but pulled herself back a mo later."If the residual of my order knew you were even remotely connected to the torrent…"She shuddered."… well at the very least I would have got been unable to serve you. The inundation is abhorrent to everything we stand for."

Abhorrent… that sounded familiar.

"For the same rationality the centaurs do ? They sa-"

"You met Centaur !"Pythea stood and hurried towards him, looking over him as if to see some preindication of injury."How did you survive ! They would stimulate killed you…"

"They let me go."Harry thought back, it seemed like a while ago."Said they had a debt to me."

"Do not scare off me like that."Pythea put a paw to her chest and seemed to be breathing hard."You were lucky. Very lucky."

"If I was lucky I wouldn't be caught in this thing."Harry waved his hands at the mountain around them."“ ‘ Thea you got to help oneself me."

"Harry I will not lie to you."She was right up side by side to him now, looking down into his eyes."To my cognition no-one has ever survived the deluge of ages."

Harry closed his eyes and bowed his caput. His finally hope…

"Harry, the torrent isn ‘ t even something natural."Pythea held his Kuki in her workforce and pushed his headway back up."Time-turners are one thing, they let you snuff it back and forth in the like metre stream. Anything you do in the yesteryear does not disturb the hereafter, because it has already happened you see ? The laws of causality are preserved. The torrent is different, it defies the rules of portion. That is why my order, and the centaurs, hate it so much. They think it is unsafe, tangling fate. That is why you have been moved outside of time, the universe itself it trying to shut you out. Destroying a threat to itself."

"So why are you here ?"Harry pushed her bridge player away. He was crying now, he knew he looked pathetic but he couldn't plosive speech sound himself."If no one ‘ s ever survived why bother even coming !"

"In the hope that you could be the first."She glanced up at the faded ceiling. The burble had shrunk noticeably since they had started talking. Harry could see the yarn of fire curling about the boundary, like circling sharks."I can ‘ t restrain this a great deal longer."

"How ! How can I be the low gear ?"

"I don ‘ t know. But I know one thing, you are never going to do it sitting on the primer. You will not pull round unless you take control."

"You don ‘ t know what it feels like…"Harry began but fell silent. What did it matter how a lot it hurt ? It had to be done."What do I do if I can get hold in ?"

"Don't you know ?"She sounded amused.

"I…"A crazy mind hit him. A Harry Potter architectural plan."Yes. I think I do."

"Good Harry."She raised her helping hand towards the grey wall."Are you ready ?"

Harry felt for her pendent, still hanging by his heart. He nodded.

"Do it !"

The wall disappeared and the lances whipped inwards into his flesh. Harry howled and grabbed them in both hands.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaa !"

It was like the Cruciatus burnt into every molecule of his cutis. And across his palms where the R-2 of flak writhed ? It was a hundred times worse !

"I am the boy who lived !"Harry cried into the beat air."And you will be active !"

Harry jerked his custody up and felt the burning prevail cut into his hands.

"displacement !"

Hogwarts appeared before him for a moment, a scholarly person looked at him in seismic disturbance before it was all whisked away.

"No ! Again !"

The priming became flaming rock and the air acid smoke.

"No ! Listen to me !"Harry gripped down harder on the yarn and pulled them to his grimace, ignoring the tears flowing down it and the pain enveloping everything."SHIFT !"

Bare rock'n'roll, an empty sky.

piddle stretching as into the distance.

The blackness of space. As cold as nothing.

"NO !"Harry was loosing it, the sovereignty were slipping through his fingers."Please ! I can ‘ t do it !"

Suddenly he saw her again, just for a moment, one common eye and one purple. Hovering in the air before him through the mist of pain.

"You can do anything."

"Aaaaaaaaa !"Harry fell to his genu and pulled the flame to his chest, right up to the searing wound. Between his fists nestled the lilliputian pendant. A little nub of aplomb in the humans of flaming. He could do this.

Hogwarts again, a wolfman lunged before it all slipped away.

"YES !"

The nursery pulled out of the mist. The stars, the sound of patch. An insensate howl.

"YES !"

Harry Potter laughed through the pain and the blood.
*


Hermione pointing to something sparkling on the ground. Pushing herself off her friend and hopping towards it frantically. Tripping…

Harry turning and stepping over to foot it up, holding its aureate range of mountains clenched in his fist.

Snape throwing curses at the last werewolf, laughing as it scrabbled backwards, trying to get away from him. Snape throwing another torment but, in his hilarity, missing. The hex flying through the air, rippling it like a heat undulation. Shooting straight towards the sparkling lucky hourglass handing from Harry's hand.

Harry smiled, and stepped in front of the curse.
*


Dirt…

Very wet dirt…

That was the start cerebration that went through Harry's headway. He opened his eyes. The soil in front of his nose was moving ever so slightly, the little texture rolling back and forth. His breathing place moving them. He was breathing again.

Some sensation at the side of his head… familiar… sound. mortal was speaking.

"Harry ?"

Harry twisted against the ground, crusade returning to him like a upstage memory. A shape standing there. Low to the ground.

"Harry dear boy they told us you were numb !"

Professor… he knew this individual. He liked this person.

"prof Flitwick."Harry's voice came out at barely a whisper.

"My dear boy you ‘ re haemorrhage !"

Harry looked down. One incline of his chest of drawers was pockmarked with piddling holes like someone had grated him and the former side had two monolithic slashes over it, meeting in a cross. Snape's jinx, Harry remembered, that had hit him there.

"Are you alright ? You don ‘ t look like you ‘ re in painfulness ?"

Harry chuckled wryly. After the world of flame the pains from his chest were nothing.

"You need the infirmary offstage Mr Potter."

Harry felt himself lifted up with illusion and stood on his metrical unit. He was still exactly where he had been before getting lost in the inundation, on the ground near the greenhouses. He saw some men in foresightful bootleg gown standing guard over the caved in tunnel but they weren't looking his way.

"I can walk,"Harry mumbled as professor Flitwick pointed his wand at him again. He had clawed his way out of non-existence, he could walk to the infirmary Wing.

Harry stumbled off towards the doors of Hogwarts.

"Of path you can Mr Potter."professor Flitwick chuckled."I was merely going to provide you with some clothes."

Harry looked down, he was wearing Pythea's pendent but nothing else. He glanced back at the ground where he had appeared, there was a lot of grey ash and what looked like a burnt bang buckle. Near where his understructure had been there was a puddle of molten rubber.

"Oh."Harry blushed and tried to extend himself with his hands. With a wave of his wand the little teacher gave Harry wanton fitting pj's pants and a dressing gown. Harry vaguely registered that they were blue and gold."Thanks…"

Harry turned and continued his halting walking towards the hospital extension. He could hear Flitwick walking behind him, probably with his baton out in example Harry tripped. The hallway were deserted this too soon in the dawn and Harry had no company as he pulled himself laboriously up a staircase.

He glanced down at the two wounds on his breast, the Sand tan and the track. There was something wrong there. Harry shook his brain, nothing about bleeding that a great deal was redress. Harry reached the room access to the hospital annexe and pushed the threshold open.

He saw his friends, Snape and some other people look up in shock. In his commonwealth, lightheaded from blood loss, he said the first thing that came to mind…
*


"Just face it kids."Rhyfedd crossed his arms."The boy who lived is gone for good."

The threshold to the hospital wing burst open and the potter boy stepped inside, wavering slightly as if drunk.

"You know who I hate ?"he said, smiling crookedly."Godric Gryffindor… wanker !"The boy took two steps and fell on his human face on the coldness tiled floor.

Snape saw the students and the school nurse rush to Harry through a daze but he felt something else. A bubbling, floating sensation rising from his chest. He clamped his hand over his mouth but it escaped through his nose anyway, a boo that jerked his psyche back. He gave up trying and broke out in fits of laughter.

"Something amusing prof ?"Ms Zhao asked him, eyebrows arched in amusement.

"Hates… Ha ha ha ! Hates Godric Gryffindor ! Ha !"Snape held his work force to his aching slope and bowed down as another bout hit him. He pointed at the other Unspeakable."And he walked in… right after you said… Ha ha ha !"

Why couldn't he stop laughing ? More importantly, why didn't he want to ?

"Perhaps you should lie down Mr Snape."Natalie Zhao looked like she was barely stopping herself from giggling."You ‘ ve obviously had a trying night."

Yes, that must be it. Just tired.

Snape got up and walked towards the door of the hospital backstage. As he passed the Potter boy's bed the laugh broke out again and he had to carry the doorframe for support.

"Severus ?"Snape saw Filius Flitwick staring at him in electric shock."Are you alright ?"

Yes, Snape realized, he was. It felt like a great insistency had been lifted off him. He must just be tired.

"I have had a long night."he told his cuss teacher before turning and walking away and leaving a very stupefied secrecy in his wake.
*


"That was odd."Padma said dryly before turning back to the hospital bed where Harry was lying.

Harry chuckled, it was good to be back amongst friends.

"These won ‘ t cure Mr thrower,"he heard Madam Pomfrey say while running her sceptre over the two combat injury on his chest."Neither of them. I ‘ m afraid you ‘ ll have cicatrix there for the respite of your life."

"Great…"Harry said, his voice sounding weak and airy in his ears."… more scars."Harry pointed at his brow."I have sufficiency problem with this one."

"Well it's your own fault…"Harry heard an astringent spokesperson say."You survive the killing curse and get one scar, you survive the torrent of ages and you get two more. If you don't want more mark blockade doing impossible things."

Harry leant his chief up and saw two people he didn't know standing by the foot of his bed, a man and a woman.

"Please forgive my Quaker,"the woman said smoothly."There was a departmental chance event in which he lost his mother wit of tact."

The man snorted. Harry smiled, he thought he would like this woman.

"We are from the Ministry,"the cleaning lady continued,"The Department of Mysteries."

"We need you to tell us how you survived the torrent,"the man said.

"But obviously we would not inflict on you in your current country,"the woman added easily."If we returned this evening ?"She glanced at madam Pomfrey, who nodded.

"This evening then."She straightened."I look forward to your story."She walked out of the hospital wing, the other Unspeakable followed, grumbling.

Harry looked at his friends and grinned.

"So, my entrance ? full or acceptably ?"

"fountainhead ten out of ten for timing Harry,"Hermione grinned.

"But what you said was a bit off,"Padma chuckled."‘ I hate Godric Gryffindor'kind of a non-sequitur."

"And for Harry Potter, the-boy-who-cracks-one-liners…"Ron grinned broadly."It was kind of disappointing."

"I blame blood loss."Harry leant back against the bed, he was just now realizing that he had last slept over twenty four hours ago. Or more than, or LE, he didn't quite cognize how the time in the soaker counted.

"How did you survive Harry ?"Hermione asked curiously.

"How ?"Harry felt his palpebra drooping."I ‘ m a Marauder. We don ‘ t lose."A thought process crossed Harry's nous and he managed to root for himself back from sopor."Where did myrtle get to ?"

"Don't know."Ron shook his nous."None of us have seen her."

"Should apologize to her. See whether we can find some ghost-flowers."Another idea hit him."The werewolves ? The approach ?"

"All dealt with Harry."Anapurna put her hand on his shoulder reassuringly."Everyone ‘ s alright and the crisis is over. earliest than usual too."

"Yeah !"Ron perked up."We ‘ ve got almost three month of school left ! We usually don't save everyone for ages yet, we may actually get time to have fun and…"

"Study for our end of year exams."Hermione said brightly. It was like watching a see-saw, the pleasure in Ron's aspect faded at exactly the Saami rate as Hermione's began to grow.

"Oh Harry, tell her,"Ron urged."Tell her we ‘ re having fun not studying."

"I may have to study Ron. If I want to do little things like not get chucked out of Hogwarts."Harry tried to add to stand any cognition he had gleaned from the last few months of lesson and found only unornamented scratch."Definitely."

"It ‘ s alright Harry,"Ron said comfortingly."You ‘ re obviously macabre. I ‘ ll ask you again when you ‘ re better."
*


Albus Dumbledore glanced at the map once again, when the dot had reappeared he had not believed it. He had thought there had to be some form of mistake.

"He truly is unhurt ?"he asked again.

"I would not say unharmed…"Poppy Pomfrey shook her head."But he is animated and with a little attention he will be ticket. Scars, as I said, but nothing more."

"Thank you Poppy. You are forever the bringer of glad news."

Poppy knew him well enough to recognise the civilised dismissal in his voice and left his office quietly. Dumbledore turned to the former someone in the office.

"He survived…"Professor Lupin was hunched over a mug of something steaming. It smelled dreaded but apparently it helped. Even with it the inadequate loup-garou looked miserable, apparently hearing the early lycanthrope howling so close had made his werewolf take care even more fractured than usual."How could he hold out ?"

"I do not love Remus."Dumbledore shook his head."I truly do not have sex how he survived. I am in the unusual position of having not the swooning idea. That worries me deeply. The boy himself worries me deeply."

"He disturbs me."

"Remus you must try to-"

"I know,"Lupin croaked in his harsh phonation."It ‘ s just that he walks around looking so like James. Being so like James. He calls his friends the Marauders you know, when I heard that I almost… He has no right."

"It is just a gens Remus,"Dumbledore said soothingly."And the boy is full of enigma, I still can ‘ t work out where that pendent of his came from. I don ‘ t jazz how he managed to rig the Quidditch cup and I certainly can ‘ t prove he did. I don ‘ t live how he beat Severus in a duel. And now the torrent…"Dumbledore reached out and stroked Fawkes, the genus Phoenix let out an appreciative trill.

"This boy, this boy that so very much rest on, is a complete mystery to me. Not only that, he seems to suffer no qualms about disregarding my self-confidence, ignoring my advice. I can not even keep him within the land of Hogwarts against his will. So often eternal rest on him, but I don't understand him and I certainly can not control him."Dumbledore sighed."I have rarely felt as old as I have in these preceding three years."

"He ‘ s not James."Remus shook his head.

"I hope not."Dumbledore closed his middle in lugubriousness."But he seems to have bravery like St. James the Apostle Potter."

"Courage ?"Remus snorted."He ‘ s afraid of water !"

"wellspring we both know the reasonableness for that."Dumbledore quieted himself. Some secrets were so important they should never be voiced."I suppose all we can do is wait and see."The two men fell silent. Dumbledore listened to his whirling motorcar, after all these long time the audio was very comforting.

"rich person you found another Defense instructor ?"Lupin asked suddenly. Dumbledore sighed.

"I have been talking to another old Friend. I have hope that he will accept the job."

"Good."

The secretiveness returned, heavy with all the thing not being said.
*


Snape awoke refreshed for the first off metre in weeks. He had gone directly into his bed after leaving the hospital Wing and now the clock on his wall learn eight thirty, he had slept all day. His body must have been trying to catch up on lost time.

He pulled his robes on and grabbed his verge from the bedside mesa. His hand went out on unconditioned reflex to grab the former item there and he stiffened. The locket sat there, shining up at him. Snape swallowed tough. Did he want to extend Lily Herbert McLean Evans around future to his pith forever ?

Snape picked the locket up and held it lightly in his hand. Something must be done with it. He strode out of his quarter and down the corridor, scarcely glancing at the bookman he passed. He did not stop when he passed the majuscule doors or Hogwarts but kept up his pace until it brought him to the shoring of the lake.

He was breathing hard, and not from the walking. The locket was still clutched in his script. He had to do it quickly otherwise he would lose his will.

You abandoned me Sev. I thought we were best friends ?

No. Not now.

You called me a mudblood.

"And what about you !"He spoke savagely to the locket nestled in his laurel wreath."That day beside the lake after our exam. Where were you ? Sitting and talking to your other friends. Leaving me all alone. You didn ‘ t come over until James IV Potter got involved. You abandoned me farseeing before I abandoned you…"Snape drew his hand back."… I just did it better."And with all his posture he hurled the picayune piece of silver into the dingy water.

I can not trust I had the strength to do that.

Snape shook his head, he felt like he had begun again after years of animation in stasis. Harry was right on, wizards lived in the retiring far too practically. He had finally gotten rid of the last…

No…

Snape felt his spirits dashed in a moment. He still had one last piece of Lily Evens. A piece he could not be rid of. He hung his head, and he had felt so free. The past tense was an linchpin, Lily Herbert McLean Evans was an keystone. He could never be truly free.

Or could he ? As the Potter boy had so clearly proved, sometimes the unimaginable was simply something that hadn't been done yet. But it would necessitate Occlumency of the highest order.

"Luckily,"mentation Snape."I am an Occlumens of the gamey order."

Snape sat down crown of thorns legged on the grass, cleared his mind, closed his oculus and proceeded to cancel Lily Evans. Each retention was locked away, one by one, from their first meeting to the lowest day he ever saw her. He blocked them all. He would still retain the condition of them, a obscure knowledge, but it was the best he could do.

It would be prosperous if he had a pensieve, Snape realized and momentarily thought of borrowing Dumbledore's. But no, he didn't want the old man to know about this. And besides, considering that Lily Sir Arthur John Evans was the hold he had had over Snape all these old age he might not be inclined to help.

Snape closed the utmost memory board and stood up, feeling lightheaded. Would this work ? He began preparing to purge the spell, raised his wand then dropped it again to his face. He could not cast it, he had no happy computer storage anymore, he had just locked them all away. Snape cursed, it was hopeless. Then a mad idea struck him, he looked out over the lake, at the blaze sunset painting the hills with red and gold. He raised his branch and felt the summer confidential information rush through his robes.

So far from thread maker End. So far from the smog and dust and narrow streets. Here the air was clear, it smelled of heather. The mavin were take in, free by streetlights. Hogwarts, and the Land around it, was his domicile. This was a glad memory.

"Expecto Patronum !"

He screwed his eyes shut at the moment of casting, he could not bear to watch. He felt the fondness of his patronus in movement of him, touching his hand. He had to expect eventually, he would get to. braveness, he was not a coward.

Snape snapped his eyes open and almost melted onto the floor. Tears sprung into his eyes. Writhing and looping in the air was a slender snake, curling like a palm caught in the wind. He had been successful, the end part of Lily Evans in him was gone.

"Is that your patronus ?"

Snape turned towards the articulation. It was the unspeakable, Natalie Zhao, she was standing calmly a few whole step behind him with her hands clasped in figurehead of her. She must have crept up on him, he had been quite distracted.

"You are still here ?"he asked."Did you question Harry all day ?"

"We left and came back,"she said, moving up to support by the lake beside him."I ‘ ve just come from talking to him. Surviving the torrent, he really is amazing…"She trailed off shaking her head word in disbelief.

"He is cipher if not surprising."Snape found he had short ire towards Harry ceramicist any more than."But I think you would be to a lesser extent amazed if you saw the let loose mess he manages to ready of potions."

"Perhaps."She smiled, it pushed little pregnant chad up on her nerve. He pointed at his patronus, still writhing in the air."Very nice…"

"Is it ?"Snape turned back to the Snake. It was not, he now realized, a very interesting looking Snake. Perhaps a little more than a m long with harsh, dark bands all the way up its thin body. It had no cowling behind its thin head like a cobra or a rattling like a rattlesnake, nothing that obviously identified it. Snape wondered what species it was.

"A ring krait,"Natalie Zhao said smile. She hadn't had eye contact, she must just receive guessed what he was thinking."Very nice."

"Really ?"Snape's rarity was piqued."Does it give birth any particular… qualities ?"

"Well…"She appeared to recall for a moment."It ‘ s diet is form of interesting."

"How so ?"

"It primarily eats other snakes."

"Really…"Snape found himself warming to the striped reptile.

"And it ‘ s venomous,"Ms Zhao continued."Sometimes the victim doesn't feel anything at the website of the bite for a piece, lulls them into a sour sense of security."

"Hmm…"

"It's a formidable toxin."The Unspeakable reached out and tickled the little radiance Snake under the Chin."I think they ‘ re quite interesting."

"I think it will do nicely."Snape canceled the patch with a moving-picture show of his scepter and his krait faded away.

"Why do you live so a lot about serpent ?"

"I keep them as pets."She seemed to sword herself a touch. Perhaps she was used to negative response when the great unwashed heard about her hobby.

"Fascinating,"Snape said, and found that he meant it."Do you have any kraits ?"

"You ‘ d have to be crazy to keep one of those as a pet. But I suppose you like severe pets here…"She smiled again, cheekily."… you apparently keep werewolves."

"Accidentally."Snape motioned towards the rook and they both began walking towards Hogwarts."You wouldn't enumeration rats that invaded your cellar as favorite would you ?"

"No, I ‘ d count them as free snake food."

Snape chuckled. Laughing again, he really did feel like a new man. But there was something in the back of his mind now. Something he'd heard ? Something she'd said ? Hmm… it was right at the border of his mind.

"well I have to get back to the Ministry,"Natalie said, they had reached the front of the castle."Got to fill in the paperwork. God knows Rhyfedd won ‘ t bother, that man has an attitude problem…"

"He is a small minded, talent less man who is constantly trying to assert himself over you where he has no right to be because it shirks his ego to work out under a woman,"Snape stated flatly.

"I know,"Natalie replied simply."You had him pegged within five seconds of meeting him. My hirer at the Ministry however…"She spread her hands hopelessly."… four old age and counting. I ‘ m hoping they catch on any day now."

"Let me introduce you to Sibyll Trelawney one day."Snape shrugged and smiled in condolence."Then you will truly bonk what it is like to have an irritating co-worker."

They were both standing in nominal head of Hogwarts, but neither of them seemed to want to move.

"Well…"She broke the deadlock."… I should go. Thank you for showing me your patronus."

"Would you mind showing me your snake collection at some pointedness ?"Snape found himself asking."I find myself strangely interested."

"Strangely interested…"She smiled that infuriating smile again. Snape was beginning to believe she might actually be bright than him."… good choice of words."And with that she turned and began walking down the route towards the logic gate of Hogwarts.

Snape would sustain felt elated, but at that consequence what he had been thinking slipped into place and he frowned, then clenched his fists as the replete implications sunk in. He hoped he was wrong, he really did.
*


"Albus,"he stepped out of the staircase into the Headmasters study.

"Severus,"Dumbledore greeted him."To what do I owe this late night visit ?"

"Nothing good I am afraid."Snape shook his head."This afternoon I remembered an offhand comment one of the werewolves in the infirmary backstage made. Taunting us about a map."

"They could not ingest known about it."Dumbledore's center narrowed."You are not accusing Professor Lupin once aga-"

"No."Snape waved the complaint away."No, that is what I thought initially, it would receive been better if I was right. I went to visit the loup-garou in the Ministry dungeon. He said he heard it because they were waiting subway, listening. They heard you talking to Harry when we brought him back from Hogsmeade."

"I fail to see the parking brake in that…"

"Albus, remember what else you said that evening."

"I…"The Headmasters face went pale and his eyes opened panoptic."I said that Voldemort was hiding in Albania."

"Yes."Snape nodded."I think we now know why knot was not part of the attempt. He had already left on a more of import errand, a dog running back to its master. He left because he knows where to look."



This chapter Beta 'd by El Salvadoran colon. Thank you Colon !

What did everyone think of the roundabout way from carom in this book ?
The next one goes back towards the line of the leger a bit, somewhere between the how close the first of all two were and how out there this one was.

leave of absence a critique and I 'll get on with composition ...

Harry thrower and the Harry potter and the smell of Njordr !


I do n't own Harry potter. I wish I did. Unfortunately the altogether blowing-out-all-the-candles-at-once thing does n't always work.



She brushed up against the wall, her well muscled flank pressing against the wooden pane. Her ears were attuned to the tiny scritches coming from around the corner and the tiny footfalls on the floorboards were still visible, glowing hot prints leading the way. She eased herself up to the sharpness then poked her snub horn in around and struck.

The rat tried vainly to struggle as the poison seeped into it and she waited patiently as it died. She did not even have to dislocate her jaw to fit the trivial thing in. It was merely a taster anyhow, her sea captain had promised sweeter meat soon.

She slid, replete and languid, through the old house. Soon pride would come and milk her spitefulness, making her feeling empty and used, but her original needed it so she steeled herself against his touch. Not that Pride wasn't gentle, it was his smell that irked her.

She knew that the three men who served her passkey had other name calling but she preferred her own, Ambition, Pride and Decay. She had named them after what she smelled on them. maestro was, of course, just Master.

She slid into her passkey elbow room and curled up beside the fire. Her master was asleep but the others were talking again, she pushed her head down between her coils to bar out the auditory sensation, but it wasn't enough.

"The merest misunderstanding will alarm them."Pride was saying."There are the great unwashed who know him very well."

"I am aware of that brother."ambitiousness replied archly."And after all the cogitation I have done I am one of them. You stay here and tend to our Masters penury, I will get the job done quite sufficiently in your absence."His voice made it quite clearly that pride's absence seizure would in fact make the job much easier.

"The only rationality you have this job is because I would be missed."

"The intellect I have this job is because our lord gave it to me."Ambition grinned."Never block that."

"Careful Brother,"pridefulness sneered."Take attention that you never forget who you have to give thanks for your freedom and for your chance at vengeance."

"Who ? Our nobleman for ordering me relinquish and planning how to achieve it or you for merely telling him where I was ?"

"Both you arrogant little-"

"Arrogant ?"Ambition laughed. She liked dream a bit to a greater extent than pridefulness, he was more like a snake."That is undoubtedly and virtually obviously the pot calling the cauldron black. Besides…"aspiration narrowed his eyes."I ‘ ve been wondering how farsighted you knew where I was and did aught about it."

"I could not compromise-"

"Of course."ambition turned away, dismissive."You could not compromise your position. Just like you can't now. So just the get the fuck out of my way blondy, I ‘ ve got a job to do."

"I see you've learnt some colorful language rotting in Azkaban."

aspiration whipped around and punched pridefulness straight in the breadbasket. Ambition was thinly and wiry but the punch had weight behind it and pridefulness crumpled to the floor. ambitiousness followed it up by stamping into pride's kidney.

"Learnt some other things in there too brother."Ambition drew his scepter and pointed it as the groaning figure on the floor."So if I were you I ‘ d never give into the delusion that you ‘ re the power thespian in our footling co-operative venture."

pride tried to rise but ambitiousness stamped on his hair.

"And another thing…"Ambition leant down to verbalise confining to pride's ear."Our master remembers which of us remained loyal to him during his twelve year… convalescence."Ambition grinned."And you weren ‘ t one of them, brother. So you stay here and milk the crashing snake and hope you build up enough brownie points to get you back in his good books. You stay here and brew the potion and I will deal with everything else !"

Ambition scuffed his foot back and Forth, jerking Pride's hair and making him grit his teeth in pain. dream laughed and strode out of the room.
*


"Harry ? We have a… a sort of proposition for you."Fred and George had cornered him in Ron's sleeping accommodation, they both had that mischievous look about them.

"I'm intrigued."Harry closed his book and tossed it to one English."Apprehensive but intrigued. Who are we going to prank ?"

"It ‘ s not about pranking anyone Harry."Said Fred at the Same time as his brother said,

"Everyone."

"Apprehensive, intrigued and confused."

"Why don ‘ t you come up to our way Harry, we ‘ ll show you what we ‘ re talking about."Fred ushered him out of the way. Harry followed a little hesitantly.

Harry was hesitating because for a retentive metre he had felt like he was building up some kind of unluckiness debt. The last three months of his third class at Hogwarts had passed without anyone trying to kill him ( unprecedented for Harry ) and he had even managed to pass all of his exam. In defense he had scraped a strait on lupine's obstacle course ( anathemize Hinkypunk led him into a swallow hole ! ) and almost managed to not blow his cauldron up in potions.

Part of the reason was that Snape had stopped picking on Harry in class and had even started treating him as a normal scholarly person. to a greater extent than that the potions maestro had seemed almost cheerful at multiplication. Harry had put it down to him planning something evil until he noticed that Snape was at his most felicitous the daylight after a minor barn owl brought him letters.

As for the other examination Harry had botched together some sort of pig-English version for antediluvian rune and avoided getting more than superficial bite wounds in Hagrid's ‘ hardheaded'test ( they had all been given a box and asked to feed what has in the box. Harry had never worked out what was in his box, he had just stuffed things in there until it stopped biting him. Whether he fed it or suffocated it he never found out. )

Transfiguration he had blagged, History of illusion too. Herbology had been hunky-dory because he'd been partnered with Neville and he had passed of his own gift in Astrology and Charms.

Of row revising hadn't been the first thing he'd done. The first gear thing he'd done had been to write a long letter of the alphabet to Pythea. He hadn't been ably to mention the inundation of track, but he hoped he had left enough breath that she would know how often he wanted to give thanks her. Of course the massive bunch of flowers might get also given her that hint.

He had even managed to have a holiday where there had been no unexplained magic occurrence, another get-go. Harry had hiked in Suisse for some of the summer, zippo too grievous but enough that he was very glad of his size-and-weight-defying bag.

On one memorable occasion, miles from the penny-pinching town, he had met some older American tourist kitted up with huge heavy tramp rucksack and thick coats. He however had been carrying a diminished leather backpack while idly strumming a guitar. They had thought he was some form of new-age hermit. Harry ( or gob ‘ Moonbeam'Baltzegaurd as he had introduced himself ) had played along and told them that he had been sent here by a visual sensation ( a lie ), that the positive energy of the lot would heal them ( a lie ), that his guitar had been given to him by the Dalai Lama ( a lie ) and that the power of the lechatelierite woven into his coat kept him warm ( a lie, the crystals kept the rain off. The amulets kept him warm. ). Surprisingly before they parted ways the woman began claming her arthritis had miraculously cleared up.

Harry had ended up in Geneva after a few hebdomad of this and spent most of the rest of the summer there, lazing around the urban center and finishing up the schoolwork he had had no chance to work at in the mint. Plus juggling and playing the guitar for people around the city. When he could work out how to do both at the same time he knew he'd impress people but for now he just ended up tangling his fingers.

He'd fall back to England a few days early to visit his supporter and get his schoolhouse supplies. It was now the thirtieth of august and all the marauders were gathered at the tunnel for a last get together before heading off to Hogwarts. Harry should throw been happy, but instead he was worried, wasn't he due some unpleasantness ? And weren't the nefarious Weasley twins the perfect ones to administer it ? True the unpleasantness he got in to was usually More of the ‘ oh god we're all gon na die'variety, but then so was the some of the stuff the twins were into.

Harry followed Fred and George into their box-stacked bedroom.

"Where's safety to sit ?"Harry mould about, looking at the unlike boxful. It took the twin a surprisingly long prison term to determine a ‘ prophylactic'box. Fred and George II sat on the side of one of their beds. Fred leant forward and said,

"We want to mouth to you, Harry, about an opportunity."

"A fabulous opportunity."

"We think its mythological anyway."

"And we ‘ re usually right."

"Always right. And it is fabulous."

Harry glanced between one twin and the other.

"I feel like I ‘ m being sold something dodgy here guys."Harry folded his arms and half smiled."Possibly something that fell off the rachis of a van. What ‘ s this actually about ?"

The similitude looked at each former then said at the same clock time,

"Weasley Wizard Wheezes !"

"Actively Advocating beginning rhyme ?"

"It ‘ s a joke workshop Harry."George I sniggered and continued,"Or at least we want it to be."

"And we thought that perhaps-"

"-the resident physician charms-meister-"

"-would be able to help us with some of the stuff."Fred shrugged."After all you did basically build a ling last-place year-"

"-that out-flew a firebolt-"

"-with Ginny ‘ s help."

"Oh yes with Ginny ‘ s help."

Harry rearranged the disarticulate prison term into some measure of order.

"So…"Harry began to smile as realization hit him."You want me to help oneself you design jokes ? Your form of antic ? The intriguedness is growing. What have you come up with so far ?"

The twins grinned and began a whirlwind tour of their electric current intersection, stopping occasionally to demonstrate a magic spell or spell for Harry. Usually they were turn that produced explosions or horrifying shrieking noises.

"And this one Harry…"Fred raised his verge."Is called the avgo sapios !"

Harry knew plenty Greek to hide his nose.
*


"So um… this is the pond."Ron said helplessly,"It ‘ s got duck's egg in it sometimes."

"I see."Hermione was looking at him oddly. He knew he must be blushing as well as babbling like an idiot."That's… interesting. I guess."

"About as worry as history of magic."Ron muttered and Hermione laughed.

Oh expectant, now she was laughing at him too. Ron kicked a stone into the alga filled pond, it rested on the thick William Green surface for a moment before sinking.

Hermione had left Hogwarts almost completely burnt-out out, taking too many depicted object on top of the werewolf chaos had reduced her to a shadow of herself. It had been especially bad during the exams which she had to retool for and carry without the benefit of the time-turner. After the last one Harry and Ron had frog-marched her to McGonagall's billet where she dropped divination and muggle studies.

Ron had seen her a couple of clock time over summer, the marauder sticking together even in Harry's absence, and each time she seemed a little more lively and like her old self.

"wellspring that's pretty much everything around here, lets just get back to the house."Ron pointed back towards the tunnel."I don ‘ t trust the twins left alone in there for this long."

"They're not alone,"Hermione began walking beside him, walking close decent to make all the hairs on his blazonry stand up."Harry ‘ s there too."

"That ‘ s even worse."Ron shook his head."Between them I doubt they ‘ ll be a house left."

"If you felt like that why did you want to show me around in the 1st place ?"

Why indeed ?

"well it was a dainty day and Neville, Ginny and the Twin Falls went to Town and Harry's acting all weird and there ‘ s marshmallow coming out of the house."

"Ron…"Hermione shook her heading in exasperation."If you wanted to change the subject you could have-"

"No there ‘ s really marshmallow coming out of the house !"Ron pointed at the farsighted flow of solid white froth leaking from one of the Windows and pooling on the ground."It ‘ s the twins window. Oh god mum ‘ s gon na wipe out them."

The two predator rushed to the side of the house.

"It ‘ s not exactly marshmallow."Hermione said, sounding puzzled, as the ran into the tunnel. They stopped outside the twins doorway and Ron opened it hesitantly. On the other side was a upstanding wall of lily-white, even bearing the imprint of the contours or the door and its handle.

"Let me see…"Hermione broke off a short bit and touched it tentatively to her tongue."… meringue ? I think its meringue."

"What ‘ s the difference ?"

"Honestly Ron, you ‘ d think you would be at least as learned as me on the theme of food."

"What ‘ s that supposed to intend ?"Ron guesswork back but was silenced as a muffled voice called out,

"individual out there ?"

Ron gingerly pushed his hand into the crusted aerofoil towards the noise.

"smell really weird."Ron grimaced as he buried his hired hand up to the berm."It's all crackly and dry."He felt something like fabric and pulled as hard as he could.

With a giant cascade of disunited meringue a form emerged from the room. It fell on the flooring coughing and spluttering and spitting lump of gummed Edward D. White froth out of its mouth. Ron leant forward and guessed,

"Fr… St. George ?"

"Yep."George I got unsteadily to his fundament and looked back into his room."Oh, it didn ‘ t burst the room access.
We were worried it had."

"What happened ?"Hermione asked, absentmindedly brushing more meringue dirty dog off Georges back."Did one of your pranks recoil ?"

"No no no. Our pranks don't backfire."George said proudly."We were demonstrating the eizuckerpeitsche spell to Harry and… well it looks like he got it."

"Are Harry and Fred still stuck in there ?"Ron looked back at the break wall of meringue in horror.

"Fred was near the middle so he ‘ s probably well stuck, Harry was near the window…"

At that moment they all heard a shortstop scream from international, quickly cut off, then a clunk followed by running pace. A moment later a meringue incrusted Harry burst up the stairs.

"You !"He pointed at George V and advanced angrily."What the hell was that !"

"Not my fault mate."George put his men up to stand of the angered vulture."You seem to give some kind of knack for that spell is all."

"Harry how did you get out ?"Hermione asked.

"Managed to tunnel to the window."

"But you must sustain fallen-"

"Into a down of meringue."Harry shrugged."It ‘ s built up quite a heap out there."He turned to the Twin Falls room."Come on, we ‘ d better depart getting rid of all this hooey or your twin ‘ s gon na run out of air."

"And mums coming back soon."George III said in horror."She ‘ ll have a fit !"

Harry grinned as Ron went blanch and began attacking the meringue wall.
*


Harry ducked into the caravan coach and looked around quickly,

"Still no peril ?"He said wryly."Whatever the karma gods are working up to it ‘ s not gon na be pretty."The marauder moved in after him. They were looking at each early a little oddly.

"Harry…"Hermione began.

"What ?"Harry checked under his seat shock before sitting down.

"Don ‘ t you think you ‘ re acting kind of… crazy ?"

"No."Harry crossed his legs and sat, Indian-style, with his arms crossed."Really, really no !"Harry shook his heading, it was amazing how quickly the paranoia he'd developed in the age before he'd seed to Hogwarts had returned. Street living was not conducive to trust.

"It ‘ s not softheaded. Someone will try to kill me this year. I just know it."

"Harry you ‘ re the boy who lived."Parvati shook her caput."No 1 going to kill you."

"I wouldn ‘ t say that."A voice sounded from the open door."I wouldn ‘ t say that at all."

The marauders turned in unison.

"Oh buzz off Malfoy."Padma chuckled."If you were going to kill him you would have done it ages ago."

"I will get you this year Potter."Malfoy was uncharacteristically alone. His usual crowd of lackey absent."I promise, by the Malfoy name, that I will get you this year. I will form you pay for everything."

"The Malfoy name represents a bequest of lies."Harry laughed and shrugged."Get out of my train car."

"Well this year Potter."Malfoy licked his back talk, his grey eyes shiny evilly."I will picture everyone at Hogwarts that I represent everything dependable about magic rakehell and that you are everything… everything ugly and mediocre. This year I will picture everyone. This year Potter, this year I win."

"Good luck with that."Harry shrugged dismissively."Now move, you ‘ re blocking the trolley."

Malfoy just smiled and walked away.
*


"Welcome to another yr at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry."

Harry sniffed the water in his looking glass. Poison ? No… Maybe something in the food ?

"I hope you have all enjoyed your open frame from the studies we give you."

Maybe he was just paranoid ? Harry glanced around at the former students. Maybe he actually did possess a hazard to hold a normal year.

"Firstly I would like to usher in Alastor Helen Wills as our new defense against the darks teacher."

Harry glanced up at the table and picked out the new face. Or, more accurately, what was left of the new side. Their terminal refutation instructor had been a lycanthrope, this one looked like he had been savaged by one. He had also obviously lost an eye at some point and had it replaced with a magical one. Harry wondered why he hadn't chosen one in his natural color. He had seen unscathed shops to the full of oculus in Geneva. They made lots of them there, like watches.

The man apparently known as Dwight Lyman Moody met his gaze with first one then the other eye. Harry smiled and toasted the new teacher with his glass. Anyone was better than prof lupine. Harry had tried to doctor bridge circuit with the werewolf during his last few weeks at school. He really had tried…

"Professor… Um…"Harry leant in through the door to professor Lupin's berth."Are you, you know, all set."professor Lupin looked up at him, flatly."You know for tonight, full lunar month ?"

"Yes."Professor Lupin seemed to be struggling to hold on his vocalism mat and unemotional.

"I heard that professor Snape makes some sort of…"

"I said yes."Lupin snapped. Seeing Harry's startled reflection he took a deep breath and shook his nous."My apology. Yes Severus makes a potion for me that allows me to better finagle the transformations. Thank you for your kindness."

"You ‘ re welcome professor Moony."lupine's oral sex snapped up."You know, moony, like moon. Because of the whole boggart thing and…"

"leave-taking now."Usually the loup-garou side of meat of lupin was not really evident. This was not so now."leave my position now."

"Did you eat a mad cow or something ?"Harry yelled in exasperation.

"Get out !"

Harry had backed out of the office shaking his head teacher and never spoken directly to professor lupin again. Even worse the man had stared dagger at him during their final few lesson. Even a scarred, one-eyed man was better than that. Besides, Harry wasn't really in a position to complain about early peoples scars.

Professor Dumbledore continued,

"Professor Moody is a former auror so I am sure he has much to teach you."Harry's ears perked up, this was interesting. Unfortunately Dumbledore had finished speaking on this particular subject."I do sustain a endorsement announcement to make. Something that I think you will all enjoy."

The whole school perked up.

"Slitherin house is infested with cockroach ?"

"Potions has been dropped from the syllabus ?"

"Filch had an aneurism ?"

"No."The corner of prof Dumbledore's mouth twitched up in a one-half grin."skilful than all those things."

"Not possible."Harry called out.

"Very possible Mr thrower. I am talking about the Triwizard Tournament."The hall fell dead silent.

"Competing or hosting ?"individual on the Ravenclaw board said at only just above a whisper.

"Hosting Mr William Wymark Jacobs, Hosting."

The hall exploded in sound.
*


"We are entering that tournament."

"Harry, Dumbledore said-"

"We. Are. Entering. That. Tournament."Harry was twitching with nervous vigour."We are entering and one of us is winning."

"We ‘ re not even eligible."Hermione complained."We can ‘ t enter."

"We have not let loup-garou and giant snakes and dark wizard stop us a bloody age confinement is not going to stand in our way."Harry sat down at the marauders table and crossed his blazon."We deserve this. We deserve this because we are the best in this school and no one has worked harder to-"

"Subvert its normal ?"

"- protect it. Than we have. So we are going to introduce and we are going to win !"

The marauders around the table fell silent.

"Do you think this was what Malfoy was talking about ?"Neville said suddenly."He said he was gon na show everyone how good he was."

"The question will not arise because he will not be Hogwarts champion."Harry said decisively."He will not be Hogwarts champion because he is a git. He is a git because of undeniable genetic and sociological gene that have conspired to make him a git. So…"Harry steepled his fingers and grinned."As soon as this evaluator gets here, we're entering the tournament."
*


"Now…"Professor Moody scanned the class slowly with his normal eye while the fake one spun and rested on different scholarly person before moving on."I don ‘ t stand much on ceremony so get jump right in."

Harry felt the eye Edwin Herbert Land on him for a moment before moving on.

"So… Lets start on curses. I ‘ ve had a letter of the alphabet from Professor lupin, also one from prof Michelson and it looks like you ‘ re fairly well up on dark creatures and the basics of dueling."

"Thomas More than basics."Harry mumbled under his breath.

"But what you haven ‘ t learn yet is the worst of what wizard can do to each other."Moody shook his head."You ‘ re all keep in a dream world if you think you ‘ re ever safe. Last Nox at the fete I only saw one student check the food for thought for poison before eating it."Moody pointed with his gnarled hand.

All middle ( real and unreal ) fell on Harry.

"I… um… what ?"

"Don't be ashamed of it ! Be gallant ! By the end of the yr I expect each and every one of you to work Constant Vigilance !"He ended the sentence shouting. Harry found himself staring directly into Moody's unreal eye. He felt like he was a bug under a lustrous blue microscope. The eye scanned down to his chest."expression like you ‘ ve been given reasons to be vigilante."

Before Harry had a chance to respond Moody had moved on and stomped up to the board.

"The nighttime arts !"Moody wrote like he was carving in Edward Durell Stone and the methamphetamine broke off during the s of prowess."Who can state me a curse ? A really bad one."A few of the social class put their hands up. Moody pointed at one.

"Yes Mr… Crabbe is it ?"He growled."Familiar name. Familiar face too, I knew your father. well, knew isn ‘ t quite the rightfulness discussion. What ‘ s yer expletive ?"

"The um…"Crabbe looked like he was regretting volunteering. He seemed to suck himself back up and smirk evilly at Harry."The pain sensation spear."

"Odd that you should know that one."prof Moody ‘ s eyes narrowed."No one uses that one any More. Not since the Cruciatus was invented. But no, right you are for bringing it up. You never know when the opposition ‘ s going to surprise you with something you haven't seen in a while. unremitting Vigilance !"

Helen Wills Moody went on to explain at length the place of the pain gig enchantment. Crabbe looked disgruntled, obviously he had wanted Helen Newington Wills to ask him how he knew about the spell.

Harry looked down at his script and found the page on the pain spear. It was make that the generator had only included it as an afterthought, Moody already had more on the card than was in the book. Padma leant over her desk to speak into his ear,

"Better than Lupin you think ?"

"Much better."Harry agreed."He ‘ s only cracked on the outside."

"You sure ?"Padma glanced up skeptically as Moody barked out Constant Vigilance again."He seems fairly thoroughly cracked to me."
*


The partially vs. thoroughly cracked debate continued into the coming hebdomad as the educatee got used to Moody's belligerent pedagogy style. One thing was for sure as shooting, there was not roll in the hay lost between Moody and Snape. Moody glared at Snape suspiciously every sentence they passed in the corridors and Snape, for his part, sneered. But all that was drown out by the hearsay and whispers running around about the triwizard tournament.

The day the extraneous bookman were scheduled to arrive dawned bright and cool with a drizzle of rainwater covering the castle.

"It couldn ‘ t be sunny."Harry heard McGonagall say under her breath."Just for today."

Harry grinned and scuffed his substructure. If the entire schoolhouse had been called out to recognise these foreign scholar they could at least have the decency to be on time. Harry checked the clock, alright so they weren't scheduled to arrive for another five minutes but Harry had been waiting for ten so therefore ( in his creative thinker ) they were late.

"tone !"Someone was pointing out over the lake. Harry's jaw dropped as he saw a ship rise out a whirlpool in the middle of the lake.

"Did they come all the way from Durmstrum in that ?"Harry heard someone behind him say and gave an unvoluntary shudder. Underwater for all that time ? Even with witching aegis it made his hide crawl.

As the ship crawled up to the position of the lake Harry saw the man standing at the wheel bend and point up into the sky behind the rook. Harry turned just in time to see a giant passenger car round the corner of the rook, drawn by behemoth tweed horses.

"Great."sentiment Harry."The competition starts with water and flying, two things I really suck at."

He glanced over at the teachers and saw them talking frantically. Apparently they hadn't planned for both delegations arriving at the same time. After some mildly raised voices Dumbledore headed down towards the lake while McGonagall headed towards where the pram was landing. Harry considered the pick and elbowed his way through the crowd in the direction Dumbledore went.

"Igor Karkaroff,"Dumbledore held his manus out to greet the heavily robed wizard stepping out of the boat."A joy to have you back in the country."

"Albus, it is good to be here."The man pushed back his hood revealing atomic number 47 grey hair and weighed down brows. He smiled in a way that never touched his dismal eyes. He spoke in a toilsome booming way that Harry was for certain was at to the lowest degree partly put on."Hogwarts is ah…"He glanced up at the Charles Grey sky."… just as I remember it."

Harry chuckled and the Durmstrang schoolmaster glanced at him in the crowd.

"Ah, and this would be your mavin pupil."Harry saw the crowd part in front end of him."The celebrated Harry Potter."

"No no no…"Harry waved his hands grinning."The name's Jack ‘ Moonbeam'Baltzegaurd."

"Ah, ha ha."Igor ‘ s jape held no heat whatsoever."We are many renown here I see…"

"Wha ?"

"Let me introduce you to someone."Karkaroff motioned a frowning boy standing behind him forward."This is Viktor Krum."Harry heard gasps from behind him as he shook Viktor's hand.

"Pleasure."Harry smiled at the young sorcerer."Are you Durmstrurn ‘ s capitulum boy or something ?"Again the gasps.

"You don't know who I am ?"Viktor Krum asked in heavily accented English.

"Um… Should I ?"

Karkaroff snorted but Krum seemed to find this turn of events quite amusing. He was smiling at any rate. Harry couldn't tell what was going on behind those giant melanise eyebrows.

"well,"Dumbledore said, breaking the stalemate."I can already see the Beauxbatons delegacy is already inside, shall we join them ?"
*


"Harry, that was Viktor Krum !"

"You know Ron, I did sour that out. And even if I hadn't the six million metre you ‘ ve told me would throw tipped me off. Now can we please concentrate ?"Harry turned to the chalice standing in the plaza of the student residence. He glanced over at Hermione."Anything ?"

"I ‘ m telling you Harry we ‘ re not getting past the age line."She looked up from the book on her knees and shook her head."At least not with anything I can think of now."

Harry shook his head, there were scads of people crowding into the entering residence so it wasn't like they could do anything right now. If they were going to do anything it would have to be at this night, but he had hoped to at least have a program before the castle went to sleep.

"An age potion do you remember ?"Fred said behind him.

"I think Dumbledore would deliver thought of that."Hermione shook her school principal."I don't think any potion any fourth year or sixth year could make could get past the line."

"What if we just get one of the quondam educatee to put it in for us ?"Neville hazarded.

"Nope."George said as he and his brother sidled up to them."Saw some Slitherin try that almost as soon as the chalice was out. The other public figure just flew out of his sac as soon as he crossed the line."

"Yep,"Fred shook his nous in mock sympathy."Poor chap didn ‘ t even get to put his own name since he tripped over his own beard and ended up out cold."

"Wait…"Padma looked thoughtful."What if we get someone to cross the line then indite our names on some-"

"Saw that too."Fred broke in.

"Yeah,"His twin continued."You don ‘ t even want to recognise what happened to him !"

"Oh for Jesus Christ sake !"Harry growled in irritation."Is there at least a way to test the line ?"

"Yeah, run into it."Ron suggested.

"No you idiot."Padma shook her head."Just spitball it."

"Excuse me ? You what ?"Harry's brow raised like balloons.

"Like this…"Harry watched, gob-smacked, as Padma took a part with fighting of sheepskin out of her bag and lug it into her rima oris. She chewed for a few irregular then daintily took the sodden mess out from between her sass and, without reluctance, tossed it at the goblet of flack. As the ball crossed the telephone line there was a flash of light and the egg shot out like a hummer, impacting on the wall behind them.

"Brilliant."Said the Weasley twins in one voice.

"We should do it again-"

"With more balls."

"With bigger balls !"

"With pyrotechnic in them !"

"child, children…"Harry said in a calming spokesperson."Lets not get sidetracked."

"It's almost curfew anyway."Parvarti looked down at her lookout man then smiled."Don't vexation, it'll all be alright on the night !"

"Sister…"Padma shook her head as she picked up her bag."This is the freakin'night !"

Harry chuckled as they left the hall then turned as he felt a paw downslope on his shoulder. The owner of the script was a boy a picayune older than him with blonde hair and a sort of round face. He was in Ravenclaw colors and was wearing a baseball cap that read ‘ Tutshill crack'and had a twister as the logo.

"Yeah ?"Harry cocked his headland."Can I help you ?"

"Um,"The boy bit his lip and looked around."Could I talk to you ?"

"Very cloak and dagger but ok."Harry waved the marauders off and moved into a side of meat corridor."Who are you ?"

"David Mason."The boy smiled shyly."Don ‘ t worry if you don ‘ t commend me. I ‘ m a admirer of Cho ‘ s."

"Oh ok. Support the same squad too I see."Harry leant nonchalantly against the stone wall."To what do I owe the joy ?"

"Well basically…"The boy scuffed a foot on the base nervously."Me and… and some of the other guy rope. Not just Ravenclaw but the unharmed shoal well… we figure you ‘ ve got a plan."

"For what ?"

"For the goblet of fire."David rubbed his hands together almost hungrily."Lots of us don't think the age limit ‘ s evenhandedly so we figure…"He reached into his air hole and pulled out a duncish gasbag."A couple of extra names. Just if you get the chance you know ?"

"Hate to break it to you mate."Harry shrugged apologetically."But I don't have the slender clew how to get through the age line."

"Really ? But you ‘ re Harry Potter ! You always… Oh, I get it."Saint David winked and pushed the envelope into his deal."Of grade you don't."The Ravenclaw winked again and trotted off down the corridor.

"I really don't !"Harry called after him but that only caused the boy to turn and blink away conspiratorially again."Seriously !"

"trouble Mr Potter ?"

Harry spun and looked up into the fount of the judge that had been sitting with Dumbledore at the feast. What was his name… lounge ?

"Mr couch ?"

"Crouch."The man's heavily lined face was utterly humorless.

"Mr Crouch, sorry. And no there ‘ s no problem."

"Not thinking of trying to get past the age line are you lad ?"He said in what he must of thought was a fatherly manner.

"No sir."Harry did his best King Oliver plait mental picture."I wouldn ‘ t do such a ugly thing."

"Ah, of course."The Triwizard judge nodded."Of trend I ‘ m sure more citizenry would come to the tournament if the famous Harry Potter was competing. But we must remember that we can not pick and choose the rules we wish to obey based on momentary expediency. You understand Mr Potter ?"

"Yes sir."Harry felt it was better to cleave with round-eyed answers.

"Very well."Mr Crouch's mouth twitched into a thin smile."It was courteous merging you Mr Potter."

Harry didn't relax until the man was a safe few corridors away. Harry sighed and slipped the envelope out of his sleeve. What were the statistics for teenage sum attacks ? Harry wondered. Whatever they were they had just come very close to getting one digit larger.

Harry leant against the wall and stared out of one of the castles arched windowpane at the lake below, remembering end year. Why was it that he was forever trapped inside or outside Mary Augusta Arnold Ward ? Last class he had circumvented them by swimming around, couldn't do that this metre. The werewolves had tunneled under could he do that ? Not without attracting a lot of attending. So that left…

Harry grinned and rushed back to the entry hall where a bingle saliva ball showed him how to scramble the greatest thaumaturgist in the world.
*


"All set Ginsters ?"Harry slid behind Ginny on the Chimera and checked that he had both the envelope containing the vulture names and the one given to him by Jacques Louis David A. E. W. Mason in his pocket.

"Yes, you don ‘ t have to come in with me you know."Ginny looked back at him, grinning in the faint moonlight.

"You can ‘ t fly and make spitter at the same time."Was the apology Harry offered. Really he just wanted to be the one to put the epithet into the goblet, wanted to sleep together get-go hired man that he'd round Dumbledore. Harry glanced around and saw a predator guarding every threshold."Everybody ‘ s in place, come on."

Ginny obediently lifted them off the floor and hovered them up near the ceiling.

"Moment of truth."Harry got out some parchment and rolled it expertly before gumming it, silencing it and throwing it forwards. It landed in the middle of the age melodic line, right beside the chalice. Harry pumped the air with his fist."ceramist 1, Dumbledore 0. Proving that I am unmitigated awesome ! Army of the Righteous go !"

Ginny bit back a chuckle and carefully floated them forward until they were directly over the goblet, then took them slowly down.

"Ok, stop here. Let's not touch the level, never know what other spells the old man ‘ s put around the place."Harry reached into his pocket and drew out the marauders envelope then dropped it into the goblet. The ardor spurted up for a moment, then died down.

Harry hesitantly pulled the former envelope out of his pocket. Should he ? Should he not ? It was only average to give everybody a properly probability and Mason seemed like a nice enough bloke ( if a bit weird ). He probably wouldn ‘ t be chosen anyway. Ah well, what the blaze ? Harry dropped the early envelope into the flames.
*


The piranha entered the bully G. Stanley Hall in a huddle, all eyes focused directly on the goblet.

"I ‘ m nervous."Neville admitted as they sat down at the Gryffindor mesa."I don't know if I want to enter anymore."

"Bit former now."Padma said dryly, but the nerve were obvious in her representative too and the vulture quickly fell into silence.

"Whichever one of us it is the rest of us are behind them."Harry smiled at his friends."That's for certain."

"But what if it ‘ s not one of us ?"George III asked.

"Not… one… of us ?"Harry's eyebrow wrinkled in mental confusion."Quit your crazy talk George VI. That could never happen."

"Children, children…"The student residence fell silent as Dumbledore began to speak."I believe the mo you have all been waiting for has finally arrived. The goblet will be announcing it's alternative momentarily. I would ask you to commemorate that, even if you were not chosen, the Tournament is still a contest between the schools. I expect to see no intemperately feelings, you must hold up your champions one hundred percent. Now…"Dumbledore turned towards the goblet.

The anteroom waited in silence for almost a minute before the goblet ‘ s flaming turned lustrous red and a footling scrap of parchment flew out. Dumbledore caught it expertly.

"The Beauxbatons hotshot is… Fleur Delacour !"

Harry saw one of the French girls clap her hands to her face in jar before getting up and walking towards the end of the hall.

"She ‘ s… she ‘ s…"Ron sighed inaudibly.

"What is it Ron ?"Harry asked.

"She ‘ s… just… I mean… Perfect…"Harry just shrugged. Ron looked aghast.."Harry can ‘ t you see her ?"

Harry tuned to watch the first friend leaving the hall.

"Yeah ? What about her ?"

Ron opened his backtalk to retort but the goblet flared red again and the hall fell silent.

"The Durmstrang sensation will be Viktor Krum !"

The red uniformed bookman rose, cheering, as their champion walked towards the front of the manor hall. Most of the Hogwarts students did too.

Harry was biting his nails, this next one was it. The goblet turned red again and a firearm of parchment pin-wheeled out to be caught in Dumbledore's manus. As the schoolmaster read it the grinning dropped from his face and his manus began to throw off. In a stale, stony voice he said,

"The Hogwarts champion…"He seemed to grit his teeth."Is genus Draco Malfoy."

The hall erupted in uproar. Harry turned, his eyes seeking out the blond haired Slitherin. Draco seemed unperturbed by the receipt his public figure had received but instead stood calmly and walked towards the front of the hall. Before he left the hall however he turned and scanned down the Gryffindor tabular array with those cold grey eyes. He met Harry's gaze, grinned evilly and winked.


Note for francophone people :

I have never liked how French accent are represented in books, you know the `` 'Ogwarts can not 'ave two hero. '' matter. Replacing this with 'zis and stuff like that. I imagine it 's kind of insulting.

I know I cringe every prison term I hear a 'mockney'english speech pattern on tv, I imagine it 's kind of the same thing.

I decided to keep it in this tale anyway purely because goblet of Fire represents stress that way. I 'm trying to pee-pee this story kind of parallel of latitude the cannon playscript in certain ways inluding facial expression of the writing style.

If you 're offended I 'm sorry.



"Son of a bitch."Harry breathed through his teeth. He felt like his chest was going to irrupt, he had to let the pressure out somehow."SON OF A BITCH !"

"Mr thrower !"Harry's heart flicked back to Dumbledore, who was looking at him angrily."Contain yourself !"

"But he is !"Harry yelled, words leaking out of him uncontrollably."seaport ‘ t you met his mother ?"The Hall erupted in laughter. Malfoy scowled but kept on walking, leaving the groovy hall by the same doorway the other champions had left by.

Dumbledore held up his helping hand for silence.

"Obviously this is shocking and unprecedented."He said in an effortlessly level articulation."I remind you all that I expect you to pull behind your champion…"Dumbledore stopped as the students began yelling again."… or at to the lowest degree not openly oppose him. Now, if you will excuse me…"

Dumbledore left the still startled bookman and walked out through the back door of the hall, Karkarov and dame Maxim followed him. For a few more moments everyone was silent then McGonagall stood.

"If you would all return to you-"But she was cut off as someone yelled,

"prof !"

The schoolhouse turned in metre to see the goblet burn red again. A scrap of paper flew out of it and landed on the stone story. For a moment no one moved to bear on it then Professor Snape, his expression unreadable, got up from his chairperson. His footstep were the merely sound in the hall as he walked round the high table and came to a stop in front of the little scrap of paper. He turned it over with the tip of his shoe.

"Harry Potter."He was staring down at the sheet, his brass a vacuous masquerade."It says Harry Potter."

After a moment soul started clapping, then someone else, then some more, the great hall exploded with applause.

"Knew it ‘ d be you Harry."Harry heard someone say as a hand slapped him on the back. Crowd pressure moved him towards the battlefront of the Charles Francis Hall, his own wit seemed to have stopped working. He saw Snape pick up the scrap of paper, then have a short, whispered, conversation with McGonagall. The potions master key turned to him.

"Come along Potter."

"Wha… ?"Harry head was still reeling.

"We must subscribe you to join the other champions."Snape led him out of the turbulent Granville Stanley Hall and into a light hall. The noise from the clapping faded as the door closed behind them. Snape made no move to leave by the other door.

"Did you put your name into the goblet of fervency ?"Snape asked urgently.

"Wha… ?"Harry glanced around, they were alone. The other champions must be through the other door."Why are you-"

"Potter, try to genuflect together some acumen ! Did you put your figure into the goblet ?"

Snape seemed almost concerned.

"You seem almost concerned."Harry grinned, his psyche getting back in gear wheel."Have those little barn owls been bringing you drugs or something ?"Snape flinched back as if stung.

"Damn it Potter !"Snape grabbed Harry's robe."This is not a time for jokes. More is going on here than you realize. Did you or did you not-"

"Yes."Harry nodded,"I put my name in."

The potions master narrowed his eyes, Harry felt the associate pressure in his brain. He opened his nous long enough to reveal the memory of him putting the envelope into the flaming then blanked it again. Snape nodded thoughtfully.

"Good."

"commodity ?"Harry asked quizzically.

"Potter the possibilities if soul else put your name into the goblet are far worse than if you put it in yourself. This simplifies thing, believe me…"Snape glanced at the scrap of paper he was holding and frowned."… or perhaps not."

"What is it ?"

"Suffice to say I have spent long enough trawling through what you seem to mean constitute essays to greet your handwriting."Snape held out the sheepskin for him to see."This is not your handwriting."

"No…"Harry felt a sinking tactile sensation in his abdomen."No it ‘ s not. What the hell is going on ?"He asked plaintively.

"If I knew that Potter."Snape moved towards the threshold."I would not have to ask questions."

Harry gulped and followed the potions master through the threshold. On the other side of meat was another room with portraits hung all around the rampart. The champions and their master were standing in the centerfield of the way, apparently arguing. ma'am Maxim was pointing at Malfoy with one of her unusually long fingers. They all fell silent as Harry and his teacher entered the room.

"Severus what is this ?"Dumbledore asked pointedly.

"This is the fourth champion."Snape glanced down at Harry."Apparently."

"What is ‘ zis."Madam axiom waved her hired hand at Harry."Some variety of joke to you here at ‘ ogwarts ? First your champion iz a minor, now ‘ zis ?"

"I do not think it is a joke."Karkarov said angrily."This so called champion."

"He is a genius. Despite what some of us might wish."Snape interrupted dryly. Harry couldn't help but think how different he seemed from a moment ago."The entire of Hogwarts saw his figure leave the goblet, as did the delegations from your own shoal. He is as legitimate a wiz as-"

"As Mr Draco."gentlewoman maxim scoffed."Your other underage champion."

"If I may…"Harry glanced at the man of to one position who had begun to speak. He hadn ‘ t even realized Mr Crouch was in the way."The rules are very clear. If a individual name leaves the goblet of ardour, then that person is a adept. There can be no denying that."

"Harry…"Dumbledore spoke for the firstly time."Did you put your name into the chalice of fire ?"

"I…"Harry felt Snape's paw tap him in the minuscule of the back."… No."He heard the potions master breathing space out lightly."No I didn ‘ t. I tried but… I couldn ‘ t get past the ward."

"And you Draco ?"Snape asked Malfoy.

"Honestly sir…"Malfoy smirked."I have no thought how my name got in there."

Yes you do you slimy little… Harry's fist clenched involuntarily.

"wellspring I believe that settles it."Dumbledore clapped his hands together."Rest assured this thing will be investigated but until then… we have four champions."

Harry shook his head. Why did he get the feeling that the worst was yet to total ?
*


As they left the room Harry fell into step with Malfoy. Neither spoke until they were out of earshot of the teacher. Harry took a breath to stabilize himself then said,

"I assume that no one named David James Mason really goes to Hogwarts ?"Malfoy turned to him and sneered.

"commodity wasn ‘ t it."Malfoys vocalism took on a simpering tone."Oh Harry, it wouldn ‘ t be middling if everyone didn ‘ t have a chance."

"Bastard."

"I planned it all out. The hat, the personality, even down to the name. David Mason, sounds common doesn't it. Sounds muggleborn."Malfoy grinned triumphantly."And you fell for it."

"I repeat. Bastard."

"A bastard who won. I said I was going to get you didn ‘ t I ? The looking on your grimace when I was chosen…"

"bent on…"Harry stopped suddenly."Why were you chosen ? Don ‘ t tell me the chalice actually picked you legit ? You wouldn ‘ t leave it up to chance."

"Very goodness ceramicist, you ‘ re not quite as stupid as you look."Malfoy smiled."Ever heard of a malignant protean charm ? No of course-"

"A magical spell that aggressively seeks out things that look a bit like it…"Harry interrupted."And makes them look exactly like it. Oh you little…."intellect dawned in Harry's eyes."The names ! You cast it on the public figure !"

"Exactly !"Malfoy nodded."My name went in with the appealingness on it and changed all the early slips so that they read genus Draco Malfoy. I didn ‘ t leave it to probability, I was the lonesome candidate."

"Bastard is too practiced a Son for you, I ‘ m going with rat-bastard."

"The operose bit was making sure it only changed the Hogwarts names."Malfoy was still in wide-cut exposition-mode."I mean it would ‘ ve looked a bit odd if I had been picked for Beauxbatons."

"Rat-bastard-wanker."

"Which is why I can ‘ t understand,"Malfoy turned to Harry, his eyes narrowing."How you were picked. My spell should have gotten you…"

Harry said nothing, fairly trusted that the protean had eaten up the fleck of parchment that had had his gens on it and that the one that had eventually come out had been put in by someone else.

"You must ingest found some way to enter as another school."Malfoy said thoughtfully."Tricked the goblet into entering your name for a quaternary school."

Mental note : suggest that theory to someone. Dumbledore ? No, too meddlesome. McGonagall ? She would go straight to Dumbledore. Moody ? He'd blow it way out of symmetry. Snape ? … ?

"Just remember thrower,"Malfoy brought him back to the mo."I know who the real Hogwarts star is and I ‘ m going to testify it to everyone."

"You think you ‘ re gon na win ?"Harry laughed."Hands up everyone who ‘ s fight back basilisks and werewolves… What ? Just me ?"

"I will squash you."Malfoy took off again in the focus of the Slytherin keep."Mark my words Potter."

"Marked."Harry rolled his eyes."Marked, signed and sealed in the bullshit box along with Nostradamus and UFOs."

Harry turned and hurried up towards the Gryffindor common room. The palace was empty-bellied but the portraits were whispering to each former as he climbed through towards the seventh storey. He stopped in one desolate corridor and quietly called,

"Myrtle…"He waited a few moments, then the glowing girl slid through the floor.

"Hmm ?"She cocked her brain quizzically, then giggled."I heard a hearsay about you. Something about being ace ?"

Harry grinned and winked, Myrtle giggled again.

"Knew it would have to be you Harry."

"predator don't lose."Harry said cockily."As you well know."

"Because I am a marauder."Myrtle said, proudly puffing up her smoky form, Harry nodded.

"I wanted to ask you something."Myrtle became serious as Harry spoke."Did you see anyone else go near the goblet finally night, maybe before the residuum of us got there or after we left ?"

"Nope."Myrtle shook her head."Didn ‘ t see anyone."She put funny vehemence on the word ‘ see ’.

"Myrtle ? Keeping secrets isn ‘ t nice."Harry tutted playfully.

"I didn ‘ t see anyone."The wraith repeated, smiling slyly."But one time the door opened by itself, a moment later the chalice flared up like someone put something in it. Then the threshold closed."

"invisibility cloak."Harry guessed, nodding."Did you try to get a look-see ?"

"Of course."Vinca minor looked offended."I followed them but I couldn't get closelipped. I wasn ‘ t seen."She added proudly.

"I know you weren't."Harry nodded, myrtle looked a lilliputian happier."Can you ask around the portraits ? See if anyone saw anyone sneaking around ?"

"Of course Harry !"Myrtle beamed at being given a job and guess away through the paries. Harry chuckled, it was amazing how having friends changed a individual, or a ghost.

Harry walked around the corner and stood in front of the fat lady. The adult female in the portrait crossed her munition and said,

"I ‘ m waiting."

"I ‘ m not."Harry spelled an unlocking spell and the portrayal creaked to the side.

"I wish you wouldn ‘ t do that Mr Potter."The fat lady shook her head.

"It ‘ s easier than remembering the passwords."Harry grinned as he stepped through the portraiture hole. As soon as he was through he was viciously attacked."Get off me ! Geroff !"

"We knew it ‘ d be you Harry !"

Harry pushed away the massed legion of Gryffindor menage, smiled and bowed when they cheered for him, looked up in mild shock at the poster of him they had hung above the hearth and sought out the marauders.

"We need to talk."Harry said before anyone could afford their oral cavity."Too many auricle here, up to the bedroom."Harry's friends wordlessly followed him up to the male child bedroom and he hastily sketched out everything that had happened. After he had finished the initiative thing Ron said was,

"Malfoy ‘ s gon na pay."

"I ‘ m a bit more worried about this invisible man."Padma said, shaking her head."Invisibility cloaks are rare."

"Maybe individual just really wanted Harry to win."Her sis suggested.

"Then why bother wearing the cloak."Hermione pointed out."People who hide what they ‘ re doing are usually up to something."

"Malfoy ‘ s gon na pay !"Ron repeated, apparently ignoring the conversation around him.

"Why the hell would individual want me in the challenger ?"Harry wondered aloud."Want it enough to go to these duration ?"

"Maybe individual wants to dedicate Hogwarts a better chance."Fred said evenly, his brother added…

"Or Gryffindor."George grinned."If they ‘ ll keep helping we should put some money on you."

"More likely soul hopes they can use the tourney to off me without anyone suspecting anything."Harry shrugged."That would be to a greater extent my luck."

"Harry, stop being paranoid !"Hermione admonished him."You ‘ re offset to vocalize like professor Moody."

"prof Helen Wills is the most sensible person that ‘ s ever taught us."Harry said, to general shock."It ‘ s not paranoia if they really are out to get you !"

"Harry mortal made you a champion !"Pavarti said in exasperation."It ‘ s a skillful thing, this person is trying to help you !"

"Malfoy is going to-"

"Oh pay attention Ron !"Hermione snapped."Try to preserve up."

"lot of money…"George IV continued.

"No one ‘ s helping him."Padma said to her sister.

"Malfoy is going-"

"They could be-"

"Money-"

"sufficiency !"Harry cut through the squabble marauders."We know nothing. Not enough to actually work anything out at any rate. Discussion at this head is useless…"Harry trailed off as myrtle rose through the floorboards.

"Domestic troubles ?"The specter giggled.

"You find something Myrtle ?"Harry asked quickly."Did one of the portraits see someone fishy ?"

"Yes."She pointed at Harry."You. And you and you and you…"She pointed at Padma, Ginny and Ron."… and you and you and you -"

"Ok, we get the point."Harry held his hands up. He shook his top dog ruefully."Thanks for trying."

"But…"Myrtle did a little loop-the-loop in the air and winked."The old lady near the kitchens said that Moody ‘ s got a cloak."

"What ?"Harry jerked, startled, like the rest of the vulture."An invisibility cloak ? Seriously ?"

"Mm Hm !"Vinca minor hummed happily, obviously proud of gaining this tidbit of info."And they ‘ re not that common."

"No."Hermione murmured,"They ‘ re really rare."

"‘ The most sensible person that ‘ s ever taught us'Harry ?"Ginny grinned."Anything you have to say ?"

"vulture never lose."Harry said chuckling."They are however, on occasion, beat wrong."
*


When Harry opened his eyes the next morning he groaned and rolled back over. He knew exactly what this day would bring.

"It ‘ s him !"

"It ‘ s Harry !"

"The champion !"

"Yeah yeah yeah, and no I will not give a bloody autograph !"Harry fended off a bunch of Gryffindors."Y ‘ d think they had never met me before."

"That's part of it Harry."Hermione said sagely.

"They haven't met me ?"Harry said quizzically, eyeing a camera-wielding Colin Creevy."I ‘ m sure I ‘ ve met him."

"But Harry you ‘ re very right at making masses forget you ‘ re Harry Potter."The two of them moved out of the uncouth room on the way to ancient runes."What I'm saying is that they just got reminded."

"Forgetting I ‘ m Harry Potter ?"

"You know…"Hermione waved vaguely."Juggling, joking, making everyone feel at ease, people forget you ‘ re a celebrity. It ‘ s not deliberate…"

Harry winced, it was often entirely deliberate.

"But that ‘ s not to gain people forget."Harry ducked behind a courtship of armor as a radical of students passed by, then continued,"That's just… you know… breaking the ice."

"Like with Ginny ?"Hermione grinned slyly.

"Like with Ginny."Harry nodded, unfazed."Ron told you about that ?"

"Yes."

"On one of your little walks ?"

"Yes."Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"On one of your romantic walkway ?"

"Harry !"

"What ?"Harry grinned as Hermione shoved him irritably."Weren ‘ t they romantic ?"

"We discussed ducks."Hermione said flatly, not meeting Harry's heart."And ponds."

"Ze art of seduction."Harry affected a French stress."It is truly dead."
*


After runes the two of them met up with the other marauders down in the potions classroom.

Harry had already decided that he'd let Snape in on what they'd found out and was torn between dread and curio. Snape had obviously turned some variety of new leaf but they had never pressed to see how far that variety went. To play it safe he actually tried during the potions lesson. He still failed but at least zip exploded this sentence. After class he lingered by his desk, putting away his pig out very slowly.

"Something you want thrower ?"Snape looked up from his desk.

"Um…"Harry waited a check for the net pupil to allow for then said."I ‘ ve had an estimate about why my name might feature come out of the goblet."

"Yes ?"

"If someone entered me for a 4th school."Snape appeared thoughtful and Harry pressed on."That would ensure I got picked, and it would explain why there were four champions."

"Interesting…"Snape tapped the end of his pen on his lip thoughtfully. Wait… ! Harry did a reduplicate take in case his eyes had deceived him. Snape was using a pen ! It was an antique looking spring pen but still… Snape interrupted his view."Of course that would mean that the very hero was Draco."

"Probably no way to prove it."Harry said quickly.

"Actually-"

"No way to prove it at all."Harry grinned, for a moment he could deliver sworn he saw the edge of Snape's mouth twitching up.

"Perhaps not."Snape shook his head."In any showcase finding out who did put your public figure in and why is of not bad importance."Snape's bridge player moved to his arm involuntarily, like a reflex.

"Problem ?"Harry asked. Snape shook his brain, his middle downcast.

"Premonition."

"Not usually very reliable those."Harry chuckled.

"This one is."Snape didn't seem to feel like he had to add anything else but something clicked on the edge of Harry's memory.

"The dark target ?"Snape's mind whipped up.

"How do you know about that ?"He asked harshly.

"I…"Harry opened his mouth to answer but realized with shock that he had no idea how he had heard about the obscure mark. It was all there though, the mark in the sky meant demise, the mark in physical body intend servitude."I must have… read it… somewhere…"

Snape had strode around the tabular array in an instant and grab Harry by his shoulders. This time it didn't flavor like a short pressure in his creative thinker, it felt like a hammer.

"blockage ! It hurts !"Harry yelled.

"Stop occluding your judgement !"Snape growled, jerking Harry's mind back to keep eye contact.

"I ‘ m not !"Harry pushed Snape away but kept eye tangency, deliberately relaxing his mind. Snape opened his mouth in electric shock, memories flashed past for a few minute before Snape broke the joining and sagged back onto his desk.

"Satisfied ?"Harry snarled, breathing hard.

"Not even slightly."Snape shook his capitulum, he also seemed out of hint."I couldn ‘ t see how you know about the grade, or that I have one."

"I told you. I must hold read it somewhere."Harry shook his head."Why do you cause one anyway ? I mean why did you become a demise eater ?"

"young. betise. Misplaced rage."Snape stood slowly and rolled his sleeve back. The German mark was exactly as Harry remembered it except greatly faded. If Snape's skin wasn't so pale it would be almost invisible.

"Why did you leave ? Why shortcoming to Dumbledore ? I assume that ‘ s what you did or you wouldn ‘ t be here."

"Why ? …"Snape cocked his head and a sliver of a grinning appeared on his face."Surprisingly the cause is something that is not of the slight importance to me anymore. But rest assured I am no longer young, stupid or to the full of mislaid rage."

"It ‘ s well placed you intend ?"Harry dug slyly.

"It ‘ s more… channeled."Snape stood and brushed his gown with his paw before walking to a storage locker behind his desk and getting out a low vial of blue potion."I am sad for invading your mind so roughly. This should help with the pain."He held out the vial.

"You taste it first."Snape's supercilium quirked up quizzically."Constant vigilance."

Snape chuckled and drank a good swallow of the potion before handing it to Harry who gratefully chucked back the rest. His head ache disappeared almost instantly.

"Is it getting darker ?"Harry asked.

"Slowly."Snape nodded."I have yet to severalise Dumbledore. He may respond unpredictably."

"Know what that's like."Harry chuckled."Do you think Voldemort or maybe the death eater have something to do with the goblet and me ?"

"We don ‘ t have the information to make that judgment right now."Snape waved his hand as if batting something away."Although I always believe it prudent to develop for the worst."

"Yeah…"Harry said, but he had thought of something. He bit his lip and looked at Snape thoughtfully.

"ceramicist ? What are you thinking ?"

"Just wondering how far our new truce goes."Harry glanced back at the doorway to tally no one was listening."If I were to ask for veritaserum…"

"You have a suspect ?"Snape guessed."And you wish to question them to be sure."

"That would be a safe assumption."Harry replied evasively.

"Tell me who it is and I will do it."

"You would never get close enough."Harry grinned."I think I can."

Snape regarded him silently for a few bit then moved back to the potions locker. He muttered a body of work under his breathing space and a draftsman appeared out of the side. Snape reached in and drew out a tiny bottle, barely more than a thimble.

"Three drops is all that is necessary."Snape pressed the bottleful into Harry's hand."appearance no one else. Tell no one you have that."

"Thank you."Harry curled his fingers around the piffling bottleful."I ‘ ll tell you how it plays out."Harry moved off towards the door but stopped just before opening it.

"Out of interest…"He asked, looking back at his instructor across the empty schoolroom."Whose is that petty barn owl ?"

"None of your business Potter."

"Ah…"Harry tapped the side of his nose."She must really be something…"

"She is."
*


Harry didn't have a moral with Moody until Friday, which meant that he had to stock that niggling bottle around the altogether fourth dimension, a picayune bottle of carry-able jitteriness. He constantly weighed the risks of hiding it somewhere with the risks of having it found on his individual but in the end come down on the incline of the latter. Besides, his coating had a few pouch that would elude all but the most belligerent searchers.

When the lesson actually came about Harry was gritting his teeth, he still didn't know if this was a good idea, or even possible. It wasn't too late to return the bottle to Snape, or to find somewhere to veil it and preserve it for later.

"Something bothering you ceramicist ?"

Harry looked up from his desk into the human face of the ex-auror.

"No, nothing."Harry shook his head."Well…"

"Yes ?"

"There is something I want to ask you, but after the lesson."Harry made himself reckon down and put a little snap in his voice."If you ‘ re not too busy."

"Hmm."Moody scratched his chin."Well, whatever it is it isn ‘ t keeping you from taking notes is it ?"

Harry looked down at his Thomas Nelson Page, it was abandon except for a slight ink drawing of a cottage.

"Would you believe invisible ink ?"

"No."

"Didn ‘ t think so."Harry reached for his calamus. After the deterrent example he stayed quiet, with his bag not even packed. The predator already knew he had something planned and left him be but…

"You not leaving Harry ?"Harry turned and saw Susan Bones paused near his desk.

"Getting an extra credit essay."Harry replied glibly.

"You ? Doing an redundant credit essay ?"mental rejection radiated from the Hufflepuff."You don ‘ t even do your normal essays."

"I do so."

"Without copying from Hermione."

"I-"

"Or Padma."

"Oh."Harry cocked his head and shrugged."Does it really matter what I ‘ m up to ?"

"Just wondering what happens if the school ace is expelled."

"One of the schoolhouse champions."Harry corrected."The just human champion granted but still…"

"Oh no one in Hufflepuff believes Malfoy ‘ s really a champion."Susan rolled her oculus."No one in Ravenclaw either. You didn ‘ t know that Harry ? You ‘ re usually wired into the rumor Mill of this school."

"I ‘ ve had a lot on my mind."Harry conceded. He actually never listened to hearsay, that was Parvarti's job and to a lesser extent Ron ‘ s."The mill can run without me for a while."

"Of course."Susan nodded and moved off. She paused to say,"We are all rooting for you you know."Before turning towards the door.

Interesting. Harry smiled thoughtfully as he watched her take the air away, his eyes drifting down a little. Very interesting. Why hadn't he noticed before how-

"Potter."Harry whipped his head around. Dwight Lyman Moody was looking at him shrewdly."I know I said Constant Vigilance but…"

"Don ‘ t terminate that sentence Professor."Harry grinned."Unless you want me to get down mentioning that to the highest degree magic trick oculus can be made to see through clothing."

"I don't use that setting…"Moody replied gruffly, then winked."…any more."

Harry laughed and a moment later was joined by his teacher.

"So,"Dwight Lyman Moody, walked back to the teachers desk and motioned for Harry to sit nearby."What was it you wanted to utter about ?"

"Oh yeah."Harry made his voice dip a little."That."

Harry swallowed and took a deep breath.

"My parents."

"Ah."Helen Newington Wills shook his psyche ruefully."Sad business thrower, very sad, but I ‘ m not the one to verbalise to. I didn ‘ t know them before the war-"

"I don ‘ t want Sir Thomas More anecdotes."Harry dilled up the aggression, it had to look like he had been stewing over this for a spell."Not more school news report. I want to screw how they died, the whole history. Details."

"Why ?"Helen Wills asked bluntly."Why do you want to hear about your parents murder ?"

"Because it ‘ s something no one else seems devise to verbalize about."Harry shook his headspring angrily."You were an auror, you also knew them. Fair bet you examined the house right, investigated ?"Harry knew Moody had been involved in the investigation, he left nothing to chance.

"Yes I did."See ?"But I ‘ m still not sure as shooting you want to know."

"I don ‘ t want to. I need to."Harry pleaded, putting a little smoothing iron into his voice."It ‘ s a just bet Voldemort's not done having an influence on my life. I need to know how it began."

Moody shook his head and grimaced.

"Don ‘ t know where to begin."He reached down and took a draught from his hip flaskful. Harry grinned.

"You can start with the goblet of fire."

"What ?"Helen Newington Wills shook his mind as if to clear it. His conjuration eye was rolling listlessly and the other looked milky and unfocussed."The goblet ?"

"Yes, did you put my epithet into it ?"Harry asked, flatly.

"No."Helen Wills Moody answered in a flat tone. Harry closed his eyes, that meant he had made a error, which meant he was screwed.

"Did you get someone else to put my name in ?"Harry asked desperately."And where ‘ s your invisibility cloak."

"No, I do not know who put your name in the goblet of fire."Helen Wills said, again with no emotion."My cloak is in my pectus, there."He pointed with one gnarled finger.

"Ok, that's not in effect. For me."Harry looked up at the clock. With the dose he gave the essence would only last a few more indorsement."Please don ‘ t kill me."

Moody just continued his fleet stare, then he blinked and shook his foreland. Realization dawned in his eyes and Harry saw him spellbind his wand tightly. In a jiffy the ex-auror whipped it around and Harry felt ropes pin his weaponry to the chair.

"How did you do it ?"The professor asked, coldly.

"Lifted the flask from your pocket. Put it back later in the lesson."Harry replied evenly. Being sorry wouldn't get him out of this, being solemn might."Managed to break the spells you used on it too."

"That a fact."Dwight Lyman Moody reached out and emptied the flask onto the floor, the water sparkled in the Christ Within from the windowpane."And why did you do it ?"

"I found out that the person who put my public figure in the chalice did it under the cover of an invisibility cloak."Harry crossed his arms."They ‘ re uncommon, and you, the majestic owner of two, had just come to Hogwarts. That seemed like too much of a coincidence."

"And what have you learnt ?"

"It… was a coincidence."Harry conceded."It wasn ‘ t you."

"What else ?"

"Eh ?"Harry was genuinely confused.

"What else ?"

"Um… I don ‘ t know. Sir."Harry added.

"You always disarm someone when you ‘ re questioning them."Helen Newington Wills flicked his wand again and the ropes fell loose."Even in they ‘ re potioned. That was mucky Potter, very sloppy. I ‘ m disappointed in you."

Harry's jaw dropped.

"But… you mean… you ‘ re not mad ?"

"Mad ? No, no, no,"Moody waved the question away."You had suspicion you acted on it. I woulda done the same."

"But I got past your DoD, I could own poisoned you."

"Better you do it than one of my opposition, oh and by the way…"Moody smiled like a Panthera tigris, for once both eyes focused on Harry."I ‘ ll need a six curl essay on how you broke the patch on my flask."

"Six scrolls ?"

"brand it ten."

"Eep."

"Don ‘ t vexation potter, it ‘ ll be over before you know it. Or in other words it ‘ ll be over tomorrow as that's when I ‘ ll be expecting the essay."

"Oh."

"On the plus side though Potter, I trust you now."

"WHAT ?"Harry exploded, spluttering in disbelief."I spike you and question you and now you trust me ! ?"

"Yeah, well to a greater extent than I did."Moody nodded.

"Why ?"Harry asked aghast.

"You had me drugged and I ‘ m still alive. Means I have proof you ‘ re not trying to kill me."Dwight Lyman Moody said this as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

"I was wrong."Harry shook his head in disbelief."You ‘ re Nut. You're weirdo. You ‘ re completely bloody gonzo."

"Yeah ?"Moody leant in towards Harry's face."Well so are you."

"Possible,"Harry conceded."I did once jump onto a moving train."

"Ha !"Moody snorted."That's zip. Try a moving dragon."

Harry laughed and shook his capitulum, this had turned out alright after all.

"Eh ?"Dwight Lyman Moody said, furrowing his brow."Don ‘ t you have a example to get to."

"Yes, but it's fauna so I was actually marginally safer staying here and drugging you."

"Even so."Moody gestured at the door."You ‘ d best be going. Don ‘ t forget that essay."

Harry nodded and walked away from the desk. As he reached the door a thought struck him and he turned back.

"You didn ‘ t ask me there the potion came from."

"Oh I think I can guess."Moody grew serious.

"You ‘ re not happy ?"

"invariable alertness Potter."Moody said"Keep your allies close-"

"-and my foeman closer."Harry rolled his oculus."I know."

"That's not it at all !"Moody said with sudden oestrus."Keep your ally close potter, but watch them even closer."



Please reassessment, It 'll prepare me write faster. Ivan Pavlov told me so !


note for Daniel Chester French people 2 : Ok, this chapter actually contains the great unwashed speaking in French people. I should discourage you that I do not speak french. fountainhead, I do a bit but GCSE were a long time ago and I only got a B. In any sheath the french in this chapter is almost certainly faulty, sorry. If you want to evidence me the right translations i 'll put them up.



Harry propped the ledger up in straw man of him and tried to make the words stay in one place rather than fading out and becoming one farsighted boring blur.

"This, this is occupy Harry."Hermione yawned and pushed another book over too him."It makes your scrape all stiff so thing can't hurt you."She yawned again and put her hand up to her mouth.

"Go to bed."Harry told her, sighing."You don ‘ t have stay up with me, I ‘ m the bloody champion."

"No Harry I like looking up… stuff…"Hermione yawned again, breaking up whatever she was going to say.

"Without knowing what the first task is it ‘ s pretty useless."Harry closed his record book wearily and rested his chin on it."And I know you consider breaking into the program library tantamount to sacrilege."

"It ‘ s alright if it ‘ s for the tournament"Hermione rationalized."Do you want me to get Sir Thomas More books ?"

"No, I want to leave up."Harry shook his head."Army of the Righteous go back to the tower."

They packed their stuff and Harry spelled the whorl on the library back closed. He was about to bend down the corridor when a light appeared near the early end and Harry pushed Hermione back into the library.

"Who is it ?"

"No clue."Harry shrugged and closed the doorway quietly. He put his ear to it as the voices got closer."Beaxbattons students I think."

"How do you get it on ?"

"They ‘ re speaking French."Harry whispered as the light passed outside the door."Talking about the first base task."

"Ho… hold you speak French ?"Hermione whispered hoarsely.

"You gave me the phrase book of account for my birthday."

"But I didn ‘ t think you ‘ d actually use them !"

"You learn languages a lot quicker with wit sharpening potion. Had the basics down in under a week."

"That ‘ s cheating !"Hermione said, sounding scandalized.

"Did person invent new prescript while I was away ?"Harry suddenly frowned."That didn't phone like a student."Harry cracked the doorway and slinked out after the retreating voices.

"Ce n'est pas juste."Harry silenced his feet so he could move faster after the retreating vocalization and heard Hermione do the same behind him."Nous devrions dire les autres concurrents !"

"That ‘ s Delacour."Hermione hissed into Harry's ear. She sounded oddly spiteful."What ‘ s she saying ?"But Harry waved her into silence as a beefy voice began speaking.

"La fraude fait partie des règles. Il toujours a été."

"Madam Maxim ?"Harry guessed, Hermione nodded."She ‘ s saying that cheating ‘ s constituent of the rules."

"I bet Fleur's going along with-"

"Fleur ‘ s arguing, but it sound like whatever it is it ‘ s already been done."Harry leant around a corner and jerked back as he saw the two French cleaning woman stopped in the corridor beyond.

"Non !"Fleur was saying angrily."Vous me forcez à choisir entre mes morales et mon école."

"She ‘ s not happy."Harry shook his head."She thinks axiom ‘ s forcing her to cheat."

"Puits que tu connais maintenant."The headmistress said matter-of-factly."Ne tu inquiéteras pas à son sujet. Tu dois penser au dragon."

"Dragon ?"Harry broke into a grin. He turned to Hermione."See this is why I eavesdrop."

"Cheater."She smiled though.

"Tu as une stratégie ?"gentlewoman maxim asked."Tu pouvais le distraire. Tu-"

"Non !"Fleur drew herself up."Je ferai le repos moi-même."

"Comme tu souhaites."Madam axiom said and they began to walk back towards where the two vulture were hiding. Harry moved to walk into the corridor but Hermione grabbed him.

"Harry what are you doing ?"She hissed angrily.

"Headgames !"Harry grinned evilly and stepped out in movement of the two women."So… dragons eh ?"

Their jaws dropped.

"Thanks for the tip !"Harry grinned and winked at his fellow champion then turned to the French headmistress and with a face said,"Tu es un imbecile et tu es un hypocrite. Tu accuses des Hogwarts de la fraude mais tu triches la toute première chance que tu obtiens."

"You little… !"dame Maxime spluttered incoherently but Harry cut her off and switched to English.

"Well wander all you want, doesn ‘ t affair. As you know now I am everywhere in this school. I will know if you cheat, I will bonk everything you do. So it all works out the same in the end."Harry turned back to the startled missy Delacour."Good luck with the dragon."And with that he turned and walked away.

Well, he walked until he reached the commencement niche, then he started to run.
*


"Potter ?"

Sleepy.

"ceramicist !"

Ok, not sleepyheaded anymore, just faking.

"Potter get up !"Harry jerked theatrically and raised his head off his desk to wait at Professor McGonagall.

"Sleepy Professor,"Harry grinned."I stayed up late doing very authoritative champion stuff."

It was actually true, he had indeed been spending every nighttime researching ways to deal with large, enraged, attack ventilation reptile but he hadn ‘ t had a lot luck. nearly of the Quran had the unhelpful assumption that you would be part of a squad of wizards dealing with these beast. If he could just observe one that assumed you were a scared, short, fourteen year old who wasn't much expert at defence reaction against the dark art or fear of magical creatures he would be set.

"Well that doesn ‘ t get you out of concentrating on your lessons."She pointed at the crystal ball that he had transfigured character way from a tortoise. It still had ramification and a tail and was blindly butting against Harry's Transfiguration of Jesus textbook."thoroughgoing the transformation or at least change state it back into a tortoise, it is just cruel to leave it like this."

Harry shrugged and tried to land up the transfiguration. Two of the legs disappeared, and the poor thing balanced on the other two before toppling and almost rolled off the table before Ron caught it. McGonagall moved away muttering about ‘ adept'and ‘ retard ‘ using the like inflection for each.

"Well we can scratch transfig'off the dragon-taming possibilities."Harry accepted his tortoisphere back from his acquaintance and tried idly to create the remaining tree branch disappear.

"I could indite to Charlie."Ron offered. He had managed to micturate a quartz glass tortoise that looked like it should be in some seaside gift shop.

"Don ‘ t, I ‘ m cheat just by using you guys."Harry made the bottom disappear and sighed."I should just run in and startle cursing it. ail shaft ‘ s worked before."

"You ‘ re not allowed to use dark magic Harry."Neville reminded him from his other side."It ‘ s restricted by the rules of the tournament or something."

"And it probably wouldn ‘ t work."Ron cast the tour again and got a round ball of tortoise plate."Draco skin is-"

"Very, very boneheaded. Also curse-proof."Harry interrupted."I know."Harry slumped back in his electric chair and looked up at the ceiling. He closed his eye and massaged his synagogue, he had a stabbing worry from all the perusing and tardy nights. If he propped his account book up and fell asleep…

"Mr ceramist !"

"I ‘ m awake !"Harry shook his head. The class giggled.

"What I meant Mr Potter."McGonagall continued."Is that you are needed in the third floor arithmancy classroom. Do you know where it is ?"

Small slatted window that doesn't curl properly ?

"I know it."Harry nodded."What ‘ s this about ?"

"Very important supporter stuff."McGonagall narrowed her oculus."Now."

Harry gathered his stuff and hurried out of the room. Since it was class time all the corridors were vacuous and Harry made it to the classroom without seeing anyone. Wondering what this could possibly be about he pushed the threshold open.

"Ah, Mr Potter. So good of you to join us."Mr Crouch had stood up when he entered. Dumbledore and the other Headmasters were also there, as was a witch in atomic number 10 Green River robes he didn't recognize. She had a quill and composition out and looked like she was currently grilling Krum. The Bulgarian, for his part, seemed resigned to this and was answering her monosyllabically. Fleur and Malfoy were no where to be found.

"What an I joining you for ?"Harry asked."If it's a political party then you ‘ ll need More nibble. I skipped lunch."

"This is the weighing of the verge ceremony."Mr Crouch said calmly, ignoring Harry's flippancy."Don ‘ t worry it ‘ s mostly a formality."

Wand weighing ? Harry took out his wand, it looked alright. A bit scuffed here and there but then so was he. Harry heard the door afford and turned,

"What is this ?"Malfoy stood in the threshold with his bag."Why was I called ?"

"Just the wei-"Dumbledore began but was interrupted by the green robed witch.

"Mr Malfoy,"She stood and held out a paw in one move."Rita Skeeter. pleasance to run into you, if I could just-"

"My don has a various very skilful lawyers."Malfoy interrupted her suddenly."So if you print anything libelous…"

"Mr Malfoy,"Rita Skeeter held her hands to her breast as if she had been hurt."You affront me, the people want to hear from their friend. Champions."She added, glancing at Harry with a crocodile-smile.

Scanning for insincerity : insincerity detected.

Harry contorted his cheek into a disturbed smile.

"If I could borrow the both of you for a moment."Skeeter pushed them both back out the threshold and into the classroom reverse."There now, that's more comfortable. None of those old judges and officials."

"Everything she says is a lie."Harry thought to himself."And you had unspoilt watch what you say too."

"Do you mind if I use a quick citation quill ?"

"Yes."Malfoy said at the Lapplander time as Harry said,

"No."Harry noticed that Malfoy was looking slightly worried so followed up with,"I mean ‘ no don ‘ t use it.'”

"Oh,"The reporter looked disappointed, then brightened up slightly."I hear you two have a niggling rivalry going."Harry opened his mouth but Malfoy answered before he could speak.

"I wouldn't prognosticate me beating him at every class a competition."

"Whatever."Harry shrugged.

"You ‘ re not going to fence thrower ?"Malfoy sneered at him.

"Nah, make up any lie you want."Harry shrugged again."That's what she ‘ s gon na do."

"well Mr Potter,"Rita Skeeter asked smoothly."Do you conceive you, a bare twelve year old, can bring home the bacon in this competition that has clamed the spirit of thaumaturgist quondam and impudent than you."

"I don ‘ t know."Harry scratched his head teacher."The fact that I intend to cheat outrageously may help."

"You…"Rita Skeeter's eye's lit up."You're going to cheat ?"

"I already have !"Harry replied happily."Say, do you recall that Karkarov guy ‘ s open to buy ? He looks like a man who enjoys the finer things."

"Potter…"Malfoy hissed from between clenched teeth but Harry ignored him.

"Of course It'll be tardily to corrupt him using all the stolen holding that I own. Would you like a diamond necklace ?"

Rita's pinion was moving so fast she was tearing the paper.

"I can always hold More through my wide criminal contacts."

"Potter bar now you id-"Harry winked at Malfoy, shutting him up.

"Of course my primary pursuit remains kitten-smashing."At Skeeter's shocked face he continued."Yes, kitten-smashing. It ‘ s variety of like a sport, you use a special club. sister stamp as well, and cute little chipmunks. Deer, ostriches, endangered marmosets, ponies, dolphins that kind of thing."

"Mr Potter…"The newsman's middle narrowed.

"What ?"Harry grinned."If you ‘ re going to make up Trygve Halvden Lie about me they might as well be entertaining. How about saying I ‘ m a lamia or a Nazi or that I have two heads and one of them speaks fluent Italian."

"Don ‘ t play this secret plan with me Mr Potter."Rita Skeeter tapped her quill against her shaft against her notepad."You won ‘ t win."

"Yes I will."Harry smiled."predator always do, in the end."

"Am I interrupting ?"Their three heads turned to see Barty Crouch in the doorway."We ‘ re ready for you now."

Harry smiled and wandered out off the room, leaving the startled reporter behind. As he walked back into the arithmancy schoolroom he noticed that two more people had arrived. Fleur Delacour he was expecting, the other was more of a surprise.

"Mr Ollivander ?"

"Mr ceramist, so dependable to see you again."The old man looked the Lapplander as he had on the day, four years ago, that Harry had bought his wand. He wasn't acting as oddly however.

"You ‘ re doing the wand weighing ?"Harry guessed.

"I am Mr ceramist, I am."He held out his mitt and Harry grudgingly surrendered his baton. As soon as it left his hand he found himself feeling paranoid, almost naked. He kept eyeing up bits of furniture for their possible as weapon system should somebody attack him.

"Your… this wand seems to work quite adequately."Mr Ollivander said slowly, looping a long favourable ribbon out of the tip."Of course, if you were in the grocery for another…"

"No."Harry shook his point before the wand maker could once again try to force a different wand on him as he had at their offset meeting."That one ‘ s served me pretty good. I ‘ ll peg with it if you don ‘ t mind."

"Very well."Ollivander shook his chief and handed the verge back."I don ‘ t understand it but…"He spread his hands and shrugged.

Everyone else in the room kept shooting Harry odd flavor for the remainder of the wand weighing, everyone except Dumbledore.
*


As Harry was walking away from the weighing when he heard a phonation behind him.

"Do you have a moment Mr Potter ?"Harry turned to see Barty Crouch."If I were you I would not underestimate Ms Skeeter."

"I don ‘ t underestimate her, she overestimates herself."

"Perhaps so."The evaluator nodded."But she has the possible to make you real harm."

"No she doesn ‘ t."Harry interjected."Sticks and pit and all that, I ‘ ve survived worse than bad press."

"I am worried about you Mr Potter."Mr Crouch moved up to bear future to Harry."There is More than one reason we increased the age limitation on entry to the tournament. I fear you are too Loretta Young to stand up to the scrutiny."

"Me ? Harry boy-who-lived Potter ?"

"Ah, yes."Mr Crouch chuckled a picayune."Perhaps you are properly on that score, but nevertheless a sure layer of due date is expected, even requirement, and I worry that perhaps you do not give birth it."

"I ‘ ll hold my end."Harry said, vaguely insulted.

"Do you feel adequately physically and mentally prepared for the maiden task ?"Harry thought that an odd question, but answered anyway.

"No, not entirely."

"fountainhead I can ‘ t give you advice of course."The older man nodded."Just commend that no one is expecting you to win. Just by doing well you will have exceeded everyone's expectation."

"And by winning I ‘ ll exceed them even more, and win some money !"

"Just take it slow,"Mr Crouch told him."A respectable score is better than being injured so you can not compete."

"The only respectable mark is winning."Harry grinned like a tiger.
*


Harry woke lazily the succeeding day and ignored the sounds of people going down to breakfast. This weekend had been a foresightful tome climax and he was going to revel it.

On the way down to breakfast though he got an odd foreboding feeling. His suspicions were confirmed when he walked into the great mansion house and all conversation ceased. Harry walked down the Gryffindor tabular array to his ally in total secrecy and sat down in the empty seat they had left for him.

"explanation ?"Harry asked quietly, the elbow room was still almost deathly silent.

"Um, we think Malfoy may have talked to Rita Skeeter after you left."Hermione was holding a paper nervously, kneading the paper with he hands."He said some things and they printed some things…"

"apply it here."Harry reached out and grabbed the theme. He quickly scanned down the text…

… boyfriend sensation Drako Malfoy says that everyone in Hogwarts knows they're just afraid to say anything."He hides it but everyone knows. I mean that ‘ s why he ‘ s so short and weedy."The hansom cab XVI year old said"And it explains the hair."This reporter has seen evidence to digest these arguments and can reveal to you now the accuracy about Harriet Potter…

Harry burst out laughing. In the utterly silent dandy hall it sounded special loud as Harry guffawed in great breathy gulps.

"Harriet potter !"Harry dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"It ‘ s not funny Harry."Hermione said.

"Yes it is ! spirit, they ‘ ve even doctored a picture of me."Harry pointed."I ‘ ve got long hair and knocker and everything… Actually I don ‘ t look half bad… But come on no one ‘ s gon na believe this."

"You never know Harry."Ginny said from the other side."mass tend to trust the Daily Prophet."

Harry had a thought and grinned. Without a Bible he stepped up onto the bench then up onto the Gryffindor table.

"Attention Hogwarts !"Harry yelled, he felt all eye come to land on him."By now most of you will have read the Daily Prophet, or have heard about it from someone. And unless you ‘ re deaf you ‘ ve see how I regard these rumour. I have just two things to say, any guy who doubts me can get kicked in the face ( don't joke I know where you all sleep ). And for any daughter who doubts I ‘ m male a demonstration can be arrang-"

"MR POTTER !"The school giggled as McGonagall stood from her station at the mellow table."My office ! Now !"

"Thank you, thank you. I ‘ ll be here all week."Harry sauntered out of the Charles Martin Hall, waving at the laughing crowd as he went. The last thing he saw before he left was the darkness feel of murder on Malfoy's cheek and decided to rub salt in the wound."And Dragon succeeding time you try to attack me think of things that would hurt me not that would make hurt you. You care about reputation. Me ? I don't give a crap what anyone thinks !"

"MR potter !"

"I ‘ m going I'm going."Harry grinned and walked out. The educatee laughed again, some even cheered.
*


The prophet was forced to print a recantation the next day after hundreds of people wrote in to complain. Unfortunately Harry didn't have meter to savor the victory as the beginning task drew closer and closer.

"I ‘ m screwed."Harry slid another Quran back into the library bookcase and looked along the ledge for other dragon related Koran."I am royally screwed."

It was the day before the first task and Harry had made an executive decision to ignore all his object lesson that day. His time could be far respectable used and he figured his teachers wouldn ‘ t thinker, or wouldn ‘ t find out till too late.

Harry sighed. Or maybe they would and he'd be thrown out of the competition and saved the indignity of being roasted alive in movement of the total school.

He had nothing. Not one idea.

"I should just rush in."Harry thought, shaking his head."kickoff cursing, worked with the basilisk."

"Yes,"Said a little snide component of his mind."But the basilisk almost killed you."

Harry took down another book only to realize he had already read it and slammed it back into the bookshelf in anger.

"Problems young lady Potter ?"Harry heard the snide drawling voice and sagged tiredly.

"None Daisy Mayflower."He turned to Malfoy and crossed his arms."Shouldn ‘ t you be in lessons ?"

"cobbler's last class ended half an hour ago."Malfoy shot back condescendingly.

Harry felt his philia droop. He had thought he had more time than that, he must birth lost track. He caught sight of the Holy Scripture in Malfoy's helping hand and his centre flickered to the conspicuous gap in the ledge next to him. He saw the Slytherin's cold Lady Jane Grey couplet match him.

"How did you find out ?"Harry asked levelly.

"discovery out what ?"

"About the dragons Malfoy. Don ‘ t drama games."

Malfoy smiled.

"My father noticed that the ministry was putting licenses through for dragon handling equipment and dragon coach and dragons."

"That is damming evidence."Harry shrugged."Got a scheme ?"

"Like I ‘ d tell you."Malfoy scoffed."A piffling Dragon doesn ‘ t bother me."

"You almost sound like you mean that."Harry pretended to shift weight while actually bringing his wand around to stick out."net ball see… Legillimens !"

It was like hitting a safety wall. Harry felt his mental probe rebound off an Occlumency barrier like a lawn tennis testis off a cooler and had barely a second to pen himself before the counter attack hit his mind like a pneumatic drill.

"What the underworld ? !"Harry blanked his mind before any memories floated up. After a consequence the Mandrillus leucophaeus receded.

"How dare you half-blood !"Malfoy spat at him."Don't even think of trying that again. You ‘ re obviously an amateur compared to me. Just like you are at everything else."

"acquiring lessons from daddy are we ?"Harry kept his wand trained in pillow slip of another attack.

"I ‘ ve been an Occlumens since I was eight Potter."Malfoy said through gritted teeth."Don ‘ t try to get into my mind, the very think disgusts me. Even after a break down attempt I feel like bathing."

"I ‘ m shocked you know what a bath is Daisy."Harry shot back."We all thought you just-"

"SHUT UP ! Just because the prophet printed a abjuration doesn ‘ t mean value you ‘ ve won !"Malfy cracked, raising his wand."So don't put-on don ‘ t make snide comments, you are still going down. This tournament may be a joke to you but some of us care about preserving the award of their names."Malfoy shook his head fiercely and lowered his wand a fraction.

"You won ‘ t win potter. You might as well drop out now."Malfoy sneered at him."It ‘ s a firedrake, you can't conjuration it or lie to it or prank it or sneak your way past it. You can ‘ t win. Just dedicate up thrower, while you still can."

Malfoy turned and strode away, disappearing between the shelf. But Harry had begun to grin.

"Why the hell not ?"
*


Harry mustered together every ounce of arrogance and cool he had to keep on himself walking forward towards the pavilion that had been erected near the edge of the forest. He glanced to his rightfield and saw Malfoy coming up from another centering, surrounded by a crowd of Slytherins. Some of them were wearing badges bearing Malfoy's smirking face.

Harry reached the tent and swallowed surd before entering.

"gladiolus you could link us Mr Potter."Barty Crouch greeted him with a smile. The other virtuoso were already there. Krum was sitting stoically, staring true forward. Fleur looked green and had one hand pressed to her breadbasket."neural ?"

YES ! Of course I'm bloody nervous ! I'm about-

"No, no sir."Harry answered out trashy."I think I ‘ ve got it covered."He even managed it without his voice quavering.

"Ah and you are here too Mr Malfoy."Crouch said as Malfoy barged in through the curtain."Then let us get started."He reached over and picked up a small bag. Harry noticed with a gulp that it was squirming.

"The task once you enter the stadium is to retrieve a gilded egg from its guardian."Crouch explained in his dry bureaucratic vocalism."Inside this bag are four legislative act. You will each consider one from the bag, at random. The statue should narrate you both what this guardian is and will also sustain a number on it representing the decree you will go in."

And first to the gallows will be…

"Miss Delacour…"Crouch held out the bag and the French young lady put her bridge player in tentatively. She drew it out and revealed a belittled blue dragon statue, currently gnawing on her thumb."The Swedish short snout."

Fleur looked at the little thing in her hand then raised her Chin in determination. But Harry saw a tracing of terror in her eyes.

"Looks almost cute."Harry commented, looking at the firedrake."boldness looks kind of like a squirrel."

Fleur glanced again at the thing in her manus then looked at Harry in disbelief.

"Well… a bit."Harry grinned and saw a half grin in return.

"Mr Krum."Crouch hurried them along. The Bulgarian stuck his handwriting into the bag and drew out a long red-gold dragon, dangling it by its tail."The Chinese Firebolt."

Krums expression didn't change, if anything it just became stonier.

"That's a weasel."Harry pronounced definitely ( babbling so he wouldn ‘ t hit a total unquiet breakdown )."A Squirrel and a Weasel."

"Mr Malfoy."Crouch held the bag out again and Malfoy carefully removed a sleek looking black dragon."A Hebridean Black person Mr Malfoy."

Malfoy seemed to be trying to keep his boldness ridged and restrained, he was taking cryptic breaths through his nose.

"And you Harry."Crouch held out the bag and Harry reached in quickly and grabbed the lastly squirming statue. He held it in his clenched fist as he brought it out, said a still prayer to anyone hearing, then opened his hand.

"The Hungarian Horntail."Mr Crouch pronounced tonelessly.

Harry closed his hand again and pumped his fist into the air.

"YES !"

The three former mavin were looking at him like he was crazy.

"Mr ceramicist,"Crouch spluttered."You do know about that type of Draco don ‘ t you ?"

"Read about ‘ em, yep."Harry nodded.

"And you ‘ re felicitous ?"

"Yep."

"Potter you ‘ re insane."Malfoy said icily.

"Yep."

"Well…"Mr Crouch seemed a minuscule rattled but motioned Malfoy towards the exit to the tent.

Harry watched them leave behind and took a cryptical breath. He sat down hybridisation legged on the pile earth and leant back against a camp out pole.

"You are very confident."Krum said in his heavily accented voice.

"I ‘ m not worried."Harry said as he heard his racing spunk beating in his ears.

Harry tried to blank out the audio of the crowd outside and the comments of the observer. He tried to breath deeply so as to quiet his spunk. It didn't work.

"Mr Krum if you please !"Harry heard the whistle and wished Krum good luck as he walked out of the tent.

Sir Thomas More min of growling and snorting passed and Fleur began pacing the floor worriedly.

"It ‘ ll be alright."Harry told her as the crowd quieted down and the slews were put up."You got the gentle dragon."

"Easier."She replied without looking up.

"Just think of it as a giant fire-breathing squirrel."

"‘ Ow can you be so cool off !"She said to him angrily."‘ Ow can you joke about zis !"

"I joke about everything."

The whistle blew a here and now later and Fleur was gone too, gone to face the dragon. Harry got up and began pacing himself. He gripped his wand and began rehearsing what he would do again.

nix could possibly go wrong.

What the inferno ? Everything could go wrong !

Harry squeezed his middle shut as he heard the whistle sound. He couldn't do this.
*


"And the last title-holder, HARRY POTTER !"The voice cried over the loudspeaker.

Professor McGonagall, like everyone else in the crowd, looked towards the tent. A gust of confidential information flapped the boundary of the canvas. No one came out.

"Um… Mr thrower ?"

No one came.

That poor boy. She shook her chief, this had obviously been too very much for him. The crowd had begun whispering now.

"Do you wish to go down there Albus, Or shall I ?"She turned to the Headmaster, who was oddly smiling."One of us will have to determine him."

"Oh I know exactly where he is."Dumbledore chuckled.

"You see it too ?"Helen Wills Moody cackled from the row below."tinker's damn kid ‘ s got nerve I ‘ ll give him that."

"What are you talking about Allastor ? Albus ?"Minerva looked from one to the other confused.

"Barty Crouch told me that Harry was oddly felicitous to welcome the Horntail."Dumbledore smiled."I did not quite understand that until now. The horntail is the most frightening dragon in the populace, but it ‘ s eyesight is quite poor."

discernment dawned in Minerva McGonagall's intellect and she turned to read the arena once more. After a present moment she saw it. A small, human shaped lump, perfectly camouflaged against the sand behind it, shimmering as it edged towards the dragon.
*


Harry shifted a hair closer. He had silenced his feet to get rid of his footfall but there was still the jeopardy of something shifting or crunching. He could hear members of the crowd beginning to laugh now, he didn't forethought. They'd know the truth when he snagged the egg right out from under the belly of the thing. And besides, the more noise they made the better.

The Horntail suddenly shifted, raising it's nose high. Harry froze in a crouch. It sniffed the air.

Damn ! Harry froze. He had hoped that by keeping the wind in his face would have kept his smell from the beast. Apparently not, that meant he would experience to cast a patch, which would agitate the thing and let on his location. But it would notice him anyway if he didn't. Too bad he didn't know non-verbal magic.

Harry drew his wand and tensed his legs. The Disillusionment good luck charm worked best when you stayed still but it wasn ‘ t perfective tense even then. The dragon would see through it once it got a hint where to seem. He would have to actuate the instant he cast or he would be crispy-fried.

Harry took a deep breathing time and yelled,

"Avgo Sapios !"The cloud of cat valium smoke gushed out of his sceptre and smacked the dragon on the schnozzle but Harry was already throwing himself sideways and rolling to a crouch on the floor.

Which was lucky because a import later the sand where he had been standing was reduced to a white mainsheet. The firedrake swept its fizgig of flame across the stadium, passing just feet in front of Harry's case. Harry saw the George Sand steam and cool from bluish-white to red, then to a duller, glassy, finish. A cicatrice across the kingdom. Harry forced himself to breath again, shallowly.

He moved his head slowly to look at the dragon, it was shaking its promontory from side of meat to side as if to shift the foul look that had taken up hall in its nostrils.

When Harry was sure as shooting it was looking the former way he hopped over the combust swath and crouched down on the other side. A pant went up from the crowd, they must have seen him when he passed over the burnt patch.

"Don ‘ t get it agitated."Harry thought desperately as he inched closer."Just keep quiet."

"HEY DRAGON !"

Bugger.

Harry rolled to the side in terror as the dragon gouged another flame scar across the backbone. He realized belatedly that the downside of choosing to go about the dragon from downwind was that it put the Slytherin stands at his back.

"OVER here !"

Harry ducked as a fireball flew over his head. He risked a glance back to see it impact on a shield. The pedestal seemed to tranquillise down a bit, perhaps realizing the idiocy of attracting the attention of an wild dragon.

Harry inched forward again and had to duck as it's spiked fanny whipped through the air. He could see the egg now, glimmering in among some duller unity. Harry crawled silently up near the tartar side and looked up. The wall of the great reptile's body gave way to the massive shading canopy of it's wing. He was right up succeeding to it now. If he screwed up it would pace on him.

Harry reached into the trivial gap between the floor and the shifting belly of the Horntail. His finger curled around the golden egg. He twisted it and brought it out horizontal, making surely not to touch the flying dragon. Like that plot, what was it called… operation ! Except with his aliveness on the line.

Harry held his breather as the egg finally saw the light of day and swiftly stuffed it under his t-shirt so it would be camouflaged. He slid backwards slowly then froze as the dragon stood and shifted. Harry followed it's gaze and saw a 12 steward approaching.

"No !"Harry thought."They ‘ re not that stupid ! Please NO !"

"Stupify !"

"AAaaaa !"Harry screamed and threw himself backward as the dragon collapsed right onto the ground where he had been crouching. A minute later he was driven to the floor as its wing crumpled on top of him. Harry crawled out from under the leathery cover, forced himself to stand on legs that wanted to crumple like charge plate straws and stumbled towards the dragon keepers.

"What the hell…"Harry growled."Was the big idea of dropping the firedrake on me when I ‘ m still bloody under it !"

"Sorry Harry."The red-head at the social movement of them shrugged."You ‘ re sort of hard to see."

Harry looked down, he was still Disillusioned. Harry raised his aching arm and tapped himself on the head with the tip of his wand.

"Khamaileon akyrono."He felt the warm dribbles down his principal painfully slowly. They stopped before they even reached his stomach."Oh great…"Harry sagged his half-visible body.

"Let me Potter."Harry flinched as someone tapped him from ass. He turned and looked up at the scarred face of Mad Eye Moody.

"I got it to go on in one go."Harry explained, swaying a piddling. He was bruised on every side of meat and his give arm didn ‘ t want to bend properly. He turned and saw McGonagall approaching from the stands and tried to stomach a trivial straighter.

"ceramicist, are you hurt ?"She said, an edge of business concern tingeing her spokesperson. Harry raised his left arm."splendid ! You ‘ ll get Thomas More point for being uninjured."

Harry swiftly jerked his arm back down and brushed the dirt off the front of his robes. Mad Eye leant down and whispered into his ear,

"Arm broke potter ?"

"No, just suffering like hell."Harry breathed back. He eased it into his air hole, wincing slightly."Maybe fractured."

"You gon na tell them ?"

"hellhole no !"
*


Harry held hard to the handrail as he walked towards the vulture. He was surrounded by cheers, people kept slapping him on the back ( painfully )

"That was awesome Harry !"Harry heard someone vociferation and waved back, smiling wanly. He managed to stimulate it to the free seat by the marauders and sat down.

"That really was awesome."Ron said from his left."I mean we couldn't even see-"

"Yes that was the point."Harry joked."variety of the full stop of invisibility."

"That was really skillful you know Harry."Hermione said from behind him."Much salutary than Malfoy."

"That's a given."Harry grinned."What did he do ?"

"Made some form of mirror out of mist."Padma shrugged as if to say ‘ no big deal ’."Made the tartar fight it ‘ s own reflection."

"Did it work ?"

"Until he got close to the eggs."Padma grinned evilly."Then it caught on and flamed him. He only just got the egg. They gave him thirty points."

"Deserved two."Ron muttered angrily.

Harry shrugged, then winced as a stab of pain shot through his arm. The crew fell soundless, Harry looked up towards the judges box. lady Maxim raised her wand, after a minute a wiggly five sprung out.

"passive voice aggressive retaliation bitch."Harry growled.

Next Crouch nodded thoughtfully and tapped a nine into the air.

"That ‘ s more close to awesomeness."

Next the heavyset justice Harry didn't know raised his wand with a flourish and painted an eight. A moment later Dumbledore raised an identical eight.

"Better…"

Karkaroff seemed to think for a moment, then drew a three in the air.

"Blatant undisguised favoritism."Harry narrowed his middle."It ‘ s like bloody Eurovision."

"30 three."Neville said, counting on his fingerbreadth."Is that upright ?"

"It should have been gamey !"Ginny said angrily."You were the only champ not wound !"

"Yeah…"Harry tried not to think of what score he would have got if they had known about his arm.

"It must deliver been how tenacious you took/"Hermione said reasonably."You were slower than the others."

"You beat Malfoy though !"Parvarti said cheerily ( ignoring Ron as he turned on Hermione and began arguing )."And Fleur."

"Krum ?"

"Got forty."

"Bugger. I ‘ ll get him adjacent time."Harry felt his bruised and aching arm."You see if I don ‘ t !"
*


"So let me get this straight Harry."Madam Pomfrey sighed,"You beat the dragon…."

"Yes."

"Left the stadium."

"Yes"

"Then on the way back to Gryffindor tower…"

"Yes."

"You happened to fall down down a flight of stairs."

"Yes."

"Seriously Harry ?"

"That's my story."Harry grinned."I ‘ m sticking to it."



Translations ( I think )

"Ce n'est pas juste. Nous devrions dire les autres concurrents !"
This is not ripe. We should enjoin the other competitors !

"La fraude fait partie des règles. Il toujours a été."
Cheating is part of the ruler. It always has been.

"Non ! Vous me forcez à choisir entre mes morales et mon école."
No ! You force me to opt between my morals and my school day

"Puits que tu connais chief tenant. Ne tu inquiéteras pas à son sujet. Tu dois penser au dragon."
Well you know now. You will not worry about it. You must think of the dragon.

"Tu as une stratégie ? Tu pouvais le distraire. Tu-"
You have a scheme ? You could distract it. You

"Non ! Je ferai le repos moi-même."
Not ! I will do the relaxation myself.

"Comme tu souhaites."
As you wish.

"Tu es un idiot et tu es un hypocrite. Tu accuses des Hogwarts de la fraude mais tu triches la toute première chance que tu obtiens."
You are an idiot and you are a dissembler. You accuse Hogwarts of fraud but you cheat the very outset chance that you get.



The Ivan Petrovich Pavlov affair is working ! More revue please !


I do n't own Harry Potter. Neither do you. Unless you 're J K Rowling, which is unlikely.



"Shut that all-fired thing off Harry !"Ron yelled over the screaming.

"Alright, alright."Harry snapped the egg shut and the inhuman screeching ceased as it always did."Just trying to work the thing out."

"Well can you not do it in our bedroom."Ron grumped, rolling out of bed. Harry chuckled and replaced the egg on his nightstand."Have you at least found out something ?"

"There ‘ s zilch to find."Harry shook his head irritably."I've run every detection I know on it, there ‘ s no acquittance or parole, nothing else magical on it at all. The shrieking isn ‘ t top for something or a defense. The scream is the subject matter, I just have to decode it somehow. Unless the whole thing's a braincrank."

"A prank ?"Neville translated, sitting up in bed."You think it really could be ?"

"Doubt it. Too elaborate."Harry shrugged."guessing I just have to do more than things to it."

"Tried kicking it ?"Ron suggested.

"‘ Course, that was the first affair I tried."

"Maybe that ‘ s why you can ‘ t receive anything now."Neville said, frowning."You broke it."

"dubiousness it,"Harry sighed."I have account that cold-blooded screams have been heard from the boat the carriage and the Slytherin dungeon as well. I ‘ m not the but one stumped."

"That ‘ s something."Neville said encouragingly."You ‘ ll study it out eventually."

"Maybe…"Harry wasn't so sure. He had needed a Hogwarts founder to assist him solve his last puzzle. He dismissed it from his thought process for another morning time."You think the girls are waiting for us at breakfast ?"

"Probably."Ron groaned, and stomped off towards the bathroom.
*


Eventually the three of them managed to get down to breakfast. Just in time for the mail run. Harry caught Digger on his wrist and was feeding him a piece of bacon when he was surprised by a letter falling into his lap.

"You got a letter ?"Hermione leant over curiously."Who ‘ s it from ?"

"I don ‘ t know…"Harry began but his centre narrowed as he recognized the Elvis green ink."But I suspect."

He tore open the missive and register the pallid lettering.

To The-Boy-Who-Thinks-He's-Won

wellspring we'll see about that Harry. Don't think that just because I had to publish a retraction you've won. Don't think that for a import. I have been very meddling digging up stain on you and your buster wiz and you won't like what I've found. You will repent insulting me Harry Potter, I can bury you ! And I will, you just watch !

Bests Rita Skeeter.

Harry tore the letter up and sighed.

"Rita Skeeter."He answered."She ‘ s going to cause a lot of trouble for me I can tell."

"I seriously doubt that."Padma commented dryly from over the top of the Prophet.

"Why ?"

"She ‘ s dead."

"What ! ?"

Padma offered him the newspaper publisher and Harry grabbed it hurriedly. The obituary was quite magnanimous and, befitting the womanhood it was about, wide of hyperbole. Once Harry had scanned it once or twice he had gleaned the actual information out of it. Apparently she had been found in her house by her boss after not showing up for oeuvre on Mon. The Aurors had been called in, official movement of death…

"philia attack ?"Harry said incredulously, Padma nodded."That ‘ s bullshit ! She was… I don ‘ t know… maybe thirty five years old."

"She had a very stressful job."Padma shrugged.

"Or maybe it was karma."Ron said through a mouthful of toast. Hermione looked torn between being disgust at his style and impressed that he knew what karma was.

"I think it ‘ s sound riddance."Ginny cut in emphatically.

"I think it ‘ s fishy."Harry folded the composition and handed it back."God knows the cleaning lady must sustain made enough enemies."

"Maybe it was one of you ‘ re fan club."Ginny joked.

"My fan club doesn ‘ t have a hawkish wing."Harry paused."That I know of…"

"Could be useful."

"True, my own army…"Harry grinned."I could rein the mankind !"

"Maybe,"Hermione rolled her center."But after transfiguration."
*


Harry decided to actually work that lesson. It was something he did occasionally, just to shake off his teachers off the scent. They were still working on the tortoise to orb and well-nigh of the class could do it now. Harry's orb still had a bit of a hexagon pattern but it wasn't bad.

"Mr Potter."McGonagall said suddenly.

"Yes professor ?"Harry said, confused. He hadn't done anything lately she would be interested in."What is it ?"

"I was simply going to ask if you had acquired a partner yet. Since you are opening you will be representing the school. Try to ponder well on us."

"Partner ? Opening ? Representing ?"Harry's hilltop furrowed in muddiness."What are you talking about ?"

"The Christmastime Ball Potter."McGonagall said simply. Most of the category was watching now."As admirer you will be opening."

"You mean… Dancing ?"Harry cringed.

"Yes."

"Alone ?"

"With a partner."McGonagall replied in exasperation.

"In presence of the school day ?"Harry felt his stomach swoop.

"Yes."

"I think I ‘ ll pass."

"ceramist you are the… one of the Hogwarts hotshot. You must open the dancing and you must have a partner."

"What ? You gon na tie me up and force me to dance ?"

"We have ways."McGonagall said, her centre narrowing.

"I ‘ ll just turn up without a partner."Harry countered.

"In that case I will accompany you Mr Potter."

"You do that…"Harry crossed his arms."And I will go to the ball naked."

The schoolroom burst out laughing.

"As will I."

The way became deathly silent. Harry nodded slowly.

"Touché, nicely argued."He complemented."And I ‘ ll have a partner by the end of the day."
*


Harry wandered down the to the lower floor of Hogwarts that evening and found the kitchens corridor. Glancing around for a mo he approached the still-life.

"Stoic."Harry said, and the picture dissolved into the air. Harry stepped in and spoke the watchword again to close the portal vein. He stepped into the Hufflepuff mutual room. It looked different than he remembered, probably the lack of snakes… and fervidness. various people started looking at him, then more, then every eye in the place turned to him as he strolled across the cellar. He did the cancel matter. He ignored them.

He walked calmly over to the set of couches where the Susan Bones was sitting.

"Hey Susan."He smiled in greeting.

"Hi. Um…"She scratched her forefront."How did you get in here ?"

"Password."

"But how did you know the password."

"I know all the passwords."Harry shrugged."Slytherin's is privilege. Ravenclaw ‘ s is… complicated. The prefect can ‘ s still true pine tonic and Dumbledore ‘ s authority is Chocoballs… for some reason."

"But… How ?"Susan asked aghast. Harry realized that to the highest degree of the commons room was listening.

"You were a chosen."Harry winked."Not a vulture. Don ‘ t expect me to unveil all my secrets."

The room sighed and Harry felt eyes be active away from him.

"So… why are you down here ?"Susan asked."Are we under attack by snakes again ?"

"Not that I know of."Harry glanced under the tabular array."Nope, nothing."

"So what are you here for ?"

"What ? I can ‘ t just visit ?"Harry grinned.

"Hufflepuff or me ?"

"Currently… you."Harry grinned again."There ‘ s this dance… thing… at Christmas."

"The Yule Ball."Susan's centre widened.

"Yeah that."Harry shrugged."Apparently I need a collaborator on account of being some sort of champion type thing."

"Are you asking me ?"

"Do I need to be more obvious ?"

"Yes."

"Yes I ‘ m asking you."

"Then…"Susan swallowed nervously."…yes ?"

"Was that a question ?"Harry sniped, smiling..

"amercement. Yes I ‘ ll go with you."

"Capital. That ‘ s great."Harry grinned."But I should go now. People are staring at me."

"Well you are a celebrity."

"It ‘ s a burden I have to bear."
*


In the next few weeks Harry was extremely beaming he had got it out of the way earlier. In the next few workweek a veritable craze of clump fever swept Hogwarts. Girls huddling in turning point, whispering. Discussion of dress robe. Identical feel of fearfulness and dread and cold, sick, nervousness on the face of every boy. Harry was glad to be well out of it.

course of instruction he would be gladder if everyone else had got the memo…

"Leave me alone !"Harry slid into a secret passage and bounded along the short passage."I ‘ m taken !"He could still pick up pounding feet and giggling behind him. He shot out from behind a tapis ( startling a mathematical group of students ) and cracked candid another enactment behind a painting. He closed it behind him and be given against the bulwark, breathing heavily, as the following daughter ran past. As the speech sound faded into the length he breathed a sigh of relief.

"You too yes ?"Harry spun around but relaxed as he saw Viktor Krum sitting hybridizing legged on the base in the passage. He had a set of Scripture spread out in battlefront of him. The Bulgarian shrugged and continued."You vill get used to it. Or you vill become quicker at running."

"And you ‘ re used to it ?"Harry grinned and sat down opposite the Durmstrum paladin."Then why are you hiding in a passageway."

"It is only vay to get a mo of peace."Krum flicked a pageboy and continued reading. After a moment he glanced up."You did well vith the Horntail."

"Not as adept as you. Thirty three points."

"You should not have… irritated… the she-giant."A smile flickered onto Krum's face.

"Possibly not."Harry conceded."You worked out the egg yet."

"Perhaps."Krum replied, revealing nix."Have you ?"

"Perhaps."Harry grinned."I worked out that kicking it doesn ‘ t work."

"number 1 thing I tried."

"Me too."Harry walked back up to the room access and listened, it sounded pretty subdued."How foresightful you intending to appease in here."

"I don ‘ t know. Vhen is your Yule Lucille Ball ?"Krum shook his head and sighed."I should ask individual. pickaxe individual that has not been asked yet. Perhaps that will establish them stop foll-"

"It doesn ‘ t."Harry interrupted."combine me."

"Oh…"Krum shook his oral sex."Then I will possess to research some just locking charms for my cabin."

"Try these."Harry pulled beyond allohamora out of his bag ( it sometimes helped to have a bag in which he could carry everything he owned )."It mostly deals with unlocking but it ‘ s got some tone stuff in there."

"Thank you."Krum nodded solemnly and looked back down at his books. Harry checked the entranceway once more then left carefully.

"What is it about me ?"Harry wondered idly."That lets me get on with the sensation but royally pisses off the judges ?"
*


"tinker's dam it !"Harry dropped the egg back to the airfoil of the marauders board. The inky contraband goo he had smeared on its aerofoil had revealed cypher."Doesn ‘ t body of work either. It was supposed to reveal secret messages."

"That thing doesn ‘ t have a secret message."Ron groaned on the other side of the table."It has one subject matter. And we ‘ ve all heard it lots of fourth dimension, like at the crack of dawn."

"Eight is not the offer of dawn."Harry sighed and rested his heading on his hands."And I don ‘ t see you doing much better."

"It was working before you got here."Ron complained, prodding at the vitreous silica orchis in front of him."Maybe the egg did some affair to it !"

"Or maybe you ‘ ve got it upside down."Parvati commented from the other side of the tabular array. Ron groaned and scrunched up his bit of parchment.

Harry would have made a snide comment but he didn't think he had the vim. The egg was eating at him.

"Ron…"Anapurna continued."You really need to do it soon."

"Do what ?"

"Ask someone."She shook her top dog."You really need to do it soon or she ‘ ll be… I mean all the expert girls ‘ ll be taken."Annapurna amended quickly with a flash at Harry.

Ron ( oblivious ) squirmed uncomfortably.

"It ‘ s not that easy."Ron shrugged."I ‘ m not Harry, I can ‘ t just wander into mortal's unwashed room and ask someone."

"But you-"Anapurna began but Harry interrupted her.

"time lag delay wait. Did I just hear a marauder express… self… doubt… ?"Harry shied away in horror."No no no no no ! This will not do !"

"But-"

"No buts !"Harry cut him off."You are a predator, that means you are at least six billion time better than anyone else. You will go out and ask Herm… the girl you want to go with. Right now ! Or I will anticipate in a personal favor from Viktor Krum and have him ask her first !"

"You don't even know who I ‘ m-"

"Legillimacy."Harry lied.

"That ‘ s illegal."

"Since when have I cared ? Ask her."

"That's cruel."

"Ditto. Ask her."

"Harry-"

"She ‘ ll say yes."Harry grinned."Trust me."

"Are you sure ?"Ron looked almost convinced.

"Yes."Harry looked to Parvati for reliever and she nodded emphatically."Definitely yes."

Ron nervously folded his study unto his bag and left the common way. Harry checked the clock on the wall.

"Phoebe XXX so Hermione will be coming back from the library… spring ‘ em ten minutes."Harry and Parvati shared a smiling and went back to their respective work.

Ron was in fact back in less than five minutes.

"She said yes !"He was blushing tomato red but grinning.

"Congratulations."Harry shrugged."surprise you found her so quick."

"She was in the great Marguerite Radclyffe Hall. Lavender ‘ s usually down to dinner early."

"La… Lavender…"Harry froze. Across from him he say Parvarti's expression turn into a face of jolt and surprise."Lavender Brown ?"

"Yes ?"Ron's brow furrowed."Are there any other Lavenders in the school ?"

"Um… yes… in… fifth year… Slytherin. Just making for certain you weren't asking her."Harry lied quickly."You know, letting the team down and such."

"I ‘ d never ask a Slytherin."Ron laughed."That would just be stupid."Ron laughed again and headed up the staircase to the son bedroom.

"Yeah, that would be stupid."Parvati said acidly, sounding for a second like her sister.

"You also thought he ‘ d ask…"

"Hermione."

"Yep. Thought it was obvious."Harry shrugged."Oh well."

"Oh well ! ?"Annapurna repeated indignantly with her script on her hips ( Harry braced for shouting )."What do you think Oh well !"

"We were wrong."Harry said simply."It happens. It ‘ s all alright."

"It ‘ s not O.K. !"She shook her head."He ‘ s going with the wrong person !"

"He ‘ s going with the mortal he asked."Harry pointed out."That ‘ s not the right-hand somebody ?"

"No."

"Well tough."Harry waved the problem away."Nothing to be done now."

"Unless…"Parvati grinned maliciously, or tried to anyway. It didn't really forge on her."We do something about it."

"Oh no…"Harry buried is face in his hands.

"We need to throw trusted Ron and Hermione go together."

"Do we bear to ?"

"Yes."

"If they find out they ‘ ll putting to death us."Harry pointed out."You know that right ?"

"How come when you want to do something insane you rope the relief of us in but when I want to you just complain ?"

"Oh I didn ‘ t say I wouldn ‘ t do it."Harry grinned evilly ( doing a far better job of it )."I ‘ m just saying we have to be careful."

"Yay !"Anapurna ran around the table and hugged Harry."I knew you ‘ d bend !"

"Get. Off. Me !"Harry disentangled himself from his friend."Do you have a architectural plan ?"

"Well…"Parvati tapped her chin thoughtfully."Lavender's essentially a limpet."

"Nice."

"Thank you. I figure we can sway her to let go of Ron if we dangle something else in front of her face."

"Like what ? Or who ?"

"Michel Corner I think."Annapurna nodded."She ‘ s liked him for ages."

"Does he wish her ?"

"He will once I ‘ m thru talking him into it."

"I like this new malicious position of you."Harry nodded approvingly."Do I have any section in this little escapade or do I just sit here nodding ?"

"You need to celebrate anyone from asking Hermione until Ron does."

"Gotcha !"Harry saluted."run of bullying and terror coming right up !"

"Subtly Harry ! She can ‘ t know !"

"Who do you take me for ?"

"Sorry."Parvati smiled."Oh, and you ‘ ll need to peach to Neville too."

"Um… why ?"Harry asked, confused."Is he gon na ask Hermione ?"

"No silly. You need to convince him to ask Padma."

"I thought this was about Ron and Hermione ?"

"I ‘ m expanding the scope."Anapurna shrugged."He won ‘ t need much prod. He already likes her."

"DOE she… ?"

"Of course."Annapurna said patronizingly."You haven't noticed ?"

"And Ginny ?"Harry said wearily."Got a design for her too ?"

"She ‘ s too young."

"Not if we find her a date."Harry pointed out.

"No I mean too Lester Willis Young to date."Parvati said primly."We have to protect our minuscule sister ‘ s purity for as long as possible. She ‘ s not a component of this."

"I wish I wasn ‘ t a part of thi-"

"Harry !"
*


Operation shamelessly-manipulate-our-best-friends was at least proficient for one thing, it distracted Harry from the bloody egg.

It was just a few days before the Yule nut and the plan was… well it was working but that wasn't the power point. It was working a little too well.

Lavender had been successfully unstuck from Ron and re-adhered to Michel Corner. Once Ron came out of his moping phase Harry was confident he could prod him towards the right female child. The insidious determent was harder but legilimacy helped to name potential drop terror very effectively. Once they were picked out Harry was capable to get the boys alone to explain some ‘ home truths ’. Like how she was already dating a sometime boy she met on holiday. Big chap, huge brawn.

"This had ameliorate bloody workplace Parvati."Harry muttered to his co-conspirator one day on the way back from creatures."‘ Cos if he doesn't ask her no one will now. I've had to build Hermione ‘ s imaginary number swain up into some form of revengeful back breaker to break off hoi polloi asking her."

"What ‘ s the previous story ?"Annapurna asked, interested.

"He ‘ s from spain. The academia Atsingani."Harry shrugged."He ‘ s an unpaid wizard toreador. possess his own steel and shotgun."

"Wizard bullfighter ? With a shotgun ?"

"It doesn ‘ t have to be probable it just has to be scary."

"Well he ‘ s going to give birth to shmoose his girlfriend back."Parvarti said knowingly."Because Ron will ask her. Believe me."

"Bet ?"

"Galleon."

"Done."Harry sighed."At least this way I can make something back out of this mess."

"It ‘ ll all work out."Parvati grinned."corporate trust me."

"Don ‘ t say that."Harry shook his head."I know I say it… but don ‘ t."

"You can ‘ t complain…"But Parvati trailed off as they all began hearing a sound in the distance."What ‘ s that ?"

Harry perked his pinna up. A few paces in front of them the rest of the marauders stopped too. It sounded like a unanimous punch of people yelling and moving, but behind that there was a low rumbling and…

"Singing ?"Harry said incredulously.

"More like chanting."Annapurna disagreed.

"It sounds like choral singing."Hermione said from in front of them.

"It ‘ s coming from out front."Harry hurried forward."let go !"

As one they rushed forward. As they neared the doors other students began to fall in them, teachers too. As they ran out onto the supergrass in front of the schooltime Harry realized that the whole schoolhouse was already out there, yelling and pointing. Harry saw Dumbledore gazing up into the sky, a look of wonder on his face. The other school headway flanked him, just as awed.

In the sky above Hogwarts floated a miracle of white marble. column, delicate as shabu, flew up from a shining base and met a prosperous item above. Delicate traces of mirror-like silver medal snaked and shimmered over the Earth's surface, sending out rays of rainbows as it turned in the sunlight. The unit affair looked like some mammoth quartz glass, floating on white mist and breathing out beautiful music as it sank lowly and lower and finally settled to the primer coat on the grass just inside the school gates.

Harry started forward but was brought up short as Dumbledore held up an arm. The school watched in enraptured secretiveness as a procession emerged from the floating palace. White-robed women walked side by incline, carrying flaring magical great mullein. They split apart a little as they left it as if to realise a course for someone in the middle. As they grew airless Harry saw that there was a figure in the middle, smaller than the other robed figures but wearing a crown of laurel leaves.

Harry yelled in happiness and dashed out from the crowd, ignoring Dumbledore's cries of protest, and rushed towards the anatomy. Laughing, he ducked past the stock of startled cleaning lady and enveloped the middle one into a giant hug.

"Why didn ‘ t you tell me you were coming ?"Harry laughed, releasing her and looking up into her pale, ethereal face.

"I wanted it to be a surprise for you."Pythea said with a warm smile."It ‘ s unspoiled to see you Harry."
*


"Mr ceramicist !"Harry heard someone yell from behind him. He spun around and saw expressions ranging from shock, confusion and anger. to the highest degree of the Beauxbatons bookman were down on one knee joint and the ones from Durmstrang had their promontory bowed in respectfulness. His comrade Hogwarts bookman seemed more aghast than anything else, Dumbledore had his hands to his mouth with his oculus wide in seismic disturbance. McGonnagall was almost vibrating in anger.

turning further he saw something even more enervate. Across the entire edge of the forest the Centaurus had gathered, the integral herd. Every one of them was down on their knee with their hands clasped over their hearts.

Harry turned back around to confront the schooltime, no-one had moved.

"Why are they staring ?"Harry whispered at Pythea."And why are centaurs kowtowing to you ?"

"Harry,"Pythea smiled."They are staring because people do not usually hug the Delphic prophet or address her with familiarity."

"And the centaurs ?"

"They regard me as a demigod."

"Oh…"Harry gulped."…and I thought I was famous."

"You are famed Harry."The Oracle said, a foreign note in her phonation."But I am something else."She moved forward and Harry was forced to follow. They stopped in figurehead of Dumbledore, Harry almost laughed when he saw that the schoolmaster still had his script to his mouth.

"prof Dumbledore."Pythea greeted the old man."It is a pleasure to finally run into you."

"The joy is mine."Dumbledore seemed to recover himself and turn away down to kiss the oracle's script."I see you have… already met one of our school day champions."

"Harry and I met years ago and we have had balance since."Pythea looked up and around at the towering castle in front of her."Hogwarts is as beautiful as I have heard it described."

"Thank you,"Dumbledore waved towards the swell vaulted door of Hogwarts and a path opened in the student body."As soon as your palace appeared in the sky I had the house elves develop a suite of guest elbow room for you and your handmaidens."

"Thank you."Pythea reached out and linked sleeve with a startled Harry."Harry can read me up to the guest quarters."

"Mr potter does not sleep with the passwords."

"Headmaster,"Pythea shook her head, smiling."You obviously don ‘ t know Harry as well as I do."

Harry covered his backtalk with his mitt to hold in giggles as he walked the Oracle of Delphi between the words of bookman and up to the doors of Hogwarts.

Harry tried not to listen to the voicelessness happening all around him, he could deal with that in the morning.

"How long are you staying ?"Harry asked Pythea as he led her towards the invitee quarters.

"Till after the irregular task."She answered."But I fear a lot of that will be taken up with functions down in London. No visit by mortal like the myself can be entirely for leisure. You could say the tourney provides an apology for politics. Many res publica spokesperson were invited by your government activity, when I heard you were competing I decided to take them up on it."

"Didn ‘ t you already know I would be competing ?"Harry teased."And whether I ‘ ll win ?"

"You put too a great deal faith in oracles."

"I have no trust in oracles. I have a great deal of religion in you."

"That is fresh of you Harry."Pythea said in surprise."And surprisingly open."

"Well get used to it."Harry checked behind him, the handmaidens were following a trade good space behind. Harry continued in a whisper."You saved my liveliness, from something had no right field to survive. Even more, if I got the message straight, you risked your place at the temple too. And the alone way I could thank you was through vaguely worded letters."

"I got the substance Harry."Pythea smiled down at him.

"Good, but I ‘ ll say it again in person."Harry slowed as they approached the guest offstage."Thank you for saving my life Thea."

"You are most welcome."The prophet came to a stoppage outside the door."And I would do it again."

"I hope it won't be necessary."Harry turned to the doorway."Bellevue."

The door creaked open up to reveal an elegant sitting room with many room access leading off it. Every piece of furniture sparkled with glossiness and a vase of newly flowers sat on the kernel of the small table.

"The hob don ‘ t skimp do they ?"Harry chuckled. He pointed to the rooms along the back wall."Bedrooms are along there. All of them en-suite of course."

"You ‘ ve been here before ?"Pythea chuckled."Were you meant to be ?"Harry grinned and ignored her.

"If you need anything ring the planetary house elves. Alternatively if you need anything the marauder can render foretell me. Now, for the most of import thing…"Harry straightened up and put on a unplayful air."Do you want us to try and trouble Professor Trelawny or simply drug her for the duration of your visit."
*


Harry looked at himself in the mirror and sighed, it was no thoroughly. It wasn't that he thought he looked full or didn't. It was more that he didn't really have a concept of what he was supposed to look like. Everyone else seemed to take the dress robes and everything as a necessary irritation. Harry on the other hired man had almost no vox populi on them having never heard of them before reading his letter this year. Were they supposed to be this tight ? Or flare out at the bottom like that ? And what about his hairsbreadth ? Harry had always just let his hair do its own thing, cutting it back only when it began impairing his vision but now everyone else seemed to own acquired some level of personal grooming skills that he had somehow skipped.

He gave it up as a lost movement, allowing it to fall as it wanted to. He shrugged, what did it matter ? He'd got a date so the backbreaking part was done.

Except for the dancing.

"Yes, except for the dancing."Harry though and grimaced."Thank you very much for reminding me Mr Evil-half-of-my-brain."

No problem.

"I don't see why I ‘ m even doing this."Ron muttered beside him."I don ‘ t have a date."

"find one."Harry answered distractedly. ( other people had ties, was he meant to let a tie ? )"It ‘ s not too late."

"Harry, the dance is in…"Ron checked his spotter."… to a lesser extent than an hour."

"So you ‘ d upright get to it then."Harry said flippantly, then asked."Am I meant to get a tie ?"

"Harry, your dress robe don't have a collar."

"You need a collar to assume a tie ?"

Ron rolled his eyes. Harry shrugged and left the can. In the common room the other marauders were already waiting, Padma and Neville standing a niggling way off. Neville looked uneasy, but then Neville always looked nervous. Harry waved Parvati to one English,

"On the negative side we ruined our friends Nox and made them miserable."Harry growled angrily."On the plus face you owe me a galleon."

"Still fourth dimension Harry."Parvati smiled chirpily."Trust me."

"Don ‘ t say that. hold back saying that. I promise never to say it again if you stop saying it now."

"Shut up and look."Parvati hissed.

Harry looked where she was pointing. Hermione was sitting on one of the couches recitation, she hadn't even changed into dress gown which Harry assumed was a bad sign.

"I ‘ m looking but…"

"face again."

Harry followed her gaze again and saw that Ron had emerged from the bathroom. He then followed Ron's to the sofa were Hermione was sitting. Harry's jaw dropped. He watched as Ron hesitantly walked up to stand in front of Hermione. Her head came up and she said something, across the herd common elbow room Harry couldn't hear but it looked like ‘ what ? ’. Ron scratched his head and mumbled something. Hermione put her hand up to her ear. Ron leant down and spoke into her ear, his fount bright red. Then, to Harry's heart-attack-inducing surprisal, Hermione blushed as red as the boy standing in presence of her.

"No way…"Harry chuckled as Hermione flipped her Holy Writ closed and hurried towards the missy dorm. He looked back towards Parvati, who was wearing an expression of total smugness.

"I ‘ ll take that galleon off you any metre Harry."

"You are the fag of the manipulative harpy-vultures you know that ?"Harry said, flipping a galleon at his friend.

"From you Harry I take that as a complement."Parvati snagged the coin and moved to espouse Hermione. Harry saw that Padma and Ginny had both already gone up after her.

"Probably pulling off some form of shoemaker's last minute Cinderella miracle."Harry shrugged and moved over to where Ron and Neville were standing.

"Harry, did you see that ! I-"

"I saw Ron,"Harry rolled his middle and checked his watch."It only took you four bloody years."

"Hey !"Ron looked pettish and Harry laughed.

"Listen, they ‘ ll prob ‘ ly be a while."Harry jerked a ovolo back at the daughter room."And I need to spread out the dance. I ‘ ll meet up with you later Ok ?"

Ron nodded and Neville chirruped.

"Ok."The little nervous boy then nodded towards their red-headed supporter and whispered."And I ‘ ll try to hold on him from screwing matter up."

"You ‘ re a marauder Neville…"Harry shook his head."You ‘ re not god."
*


Harry took a deep breath and walked down the steps into the entryway dorm. There were a few other Hogwarts boys already waiting down there, huddled in skittish chemical group waiting for their dates. Harry waved to a few of them and settled down to expect, leant against pillar.

"What is that your wearing Potter ?"

Harry rolled his eyes then realized that the gist was ruined by having them closed. He opened them to see Malfoy standing in front of him wearing jet black robes and with fag Parkinson on his arm.

"Just for one night Malfoy…"Harry sighed."…leave off. Just try to be almost human for once."

"Fine."The Slytherin's eye's narrowed."I ‘ ll stay away from you if you extend me the same courtesy."

"I ‘ ll be out of your hair as soon as Susan gets here."Harry glanced at the measure down to the kitchen but no one was coming.

"Susan finger cymbals ?"Malfoy queried, he almost sounded actually curious.

"Yes, why."

"Just happy to see you ‘ ve asked a decorous pure blood girl."Malfoy drew himself up."Just because your line of descent is tainted doesn ‘ t mean the Potter melodic phrase has to go entirely to the dogs."

"Ok, three things…"Harry held up three digit."One : Screw you !"

"Potter-"

"Two,"Harry interrupted him."I asked her to a ball. That does not think I intend to continue any crease with her in the near hereafter. If goose egg else we ‘ re bloody fourteen ! There are natural law against that sorting of thing."

"I ‘ ll give you that one."

"And three : …"Harry grinned."I didn ‘ t ask her because she ‘ s pure blood."

"Why did you ask her ?"Malfoy sniped acidly."Her early assets ?"

"I reserve the right wing to not incriminate myself."Harry cracked."By the way, does your date speak or does she just hang there like seaweed ?"Harry grinned at the outraged manifestation on Malfoy's face.

"Well this has been lovely."Harry continued as he kicked himself off his pillar."We really should do this again."He brushed past the tempestuous brace and walked up to the image that had appeared up the stairs.

"Hi Susan."Harry greeted his date, biting his lip. She was wearing something down and flowing, robe or dress or something he couldn't really put a gens on just now. His eyes traveled down then back up again swiftly."You look amazing."

"Thank you Harry."Susan reached out and took his proffer hand."You look hansom as well. Your wearing apparel robes are really… unusual."

Harry caught the implication and looked down. His gown was thick red cloth that came out over his peg like steady gown but were buttoned in tight around his body by two wide rows of clit. It's long arm hugged his arms tightly but opened out right at the turnup to disclose the lighter liner. Plus, as Ron had noted, it ended at his neck with just a counterfoil of a collar.

"I bought them in Switzerland."Harry shrugged."mustiness be a different style than here in Britain. Oh well…"

"No it ‘ s nice."Susan said reassuringly."I saw some of the Beauxbatton boys wearing gown like that."

Harry shrugged, cloak weren't of any particular concern to him. The shop he had bought them in had had hundreds of robe in vast ranks. He had chosen these for two intellect. One, they didn't have all the lace and trimmings and extravagant fancywork that about of the others had had and two ( and Harry cringed to let in this to himself ) they had looked like they would be slow to fight or run in if anything happened.

"Ready to open the dance."Harry asked, knowing that he himself wasn't.

"I think I ‘ ll do ok. My mother gave me lessons once."

"Lucky."Harry smiled ruefully. A here and now later McGonagall appeared, as if from nowhere.

"Well get to it."She snapped quickly."The other champions are already lining up to participate the hall."

Here we go. Harry gulped as they got into position.

"Nervous Potter ?"

"Just don ‘ t slip over your seaweed and crepuscle on me Malfoy."Harry's automatic witticism circle responded for him while the rest of his brain shivered with nervousness.

"And… go."McGonagall's voice rang out and the doors to the dandy mansion opened slowly, revealing an winter wonderland decorated with sparkling snow and ice carving. Harry just hoped it wouldn ‘ t make the floor slippery. He took Susan's script and stepped forward purposely.

The hall was full of couples but a outer space was clear in the center. A very prominent space, that everyone was staring at.

"Oh great."Harry sighed as the music started up.

Harry let his mind drift back to the ten minutes of very rough saltation moral that Parvati had given him yesterday. After he had broken down and begged.

"One two three one two three…"Harry counted off the pulse in his top dog and tried not to step on his partners shoes. He found that so long as he kept to a very restrictive and repetitive routine it actually wasn't too bad."One two three…"

"This is so romantic."Susan murmured."Like a fairytale."

"Yes it is, one two three."shit ! I can't lecture and tally at the Saami time. Why didn't I ask a mute seaweed girl ?

"Do you think we could get them to have a ball every class ?"

"Probably one two not three."

"They might if enough of us asked them too."

"I don ‘ t one two think so. one two thr… darn !"Harry almost fouled up his footwork and let himself breath. He stopped counting, hopefully by now his pes could work out the rhythm on their own."If they did the students would never come domicile for Noel and then their parents would complain."

"I guess."Susan leant in and rested her pass on Harry's shoulder. Harry chuckled as he was reminded again of their congenator heights."I guess I ‘ ll just have to relish this one."

"Enjoying it so far ?"Harry drew her in closer.

"Yes."Susan smiled cheekily."You ?"

"Yes."Harry answered, and found that he meant it. The dancing wasn't nearly as bad as he had thought it would be. The medicine stopped and Harry realized that he had survived the entirely terpsichore that was required of him that evening. He glanced back at the blond Hufflepuff in movement of him and grinned."stoppage in for the next one ?"
*


Six dances later and Harry felt like he was almost getting comfortable with it when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked around to see one of the Durmstrum students that he didn't know.

"May I cut in ?"The boy said, with very little accent. Harry glimpse at Susan, who nodded. She seemed to know the guy somehow. Harry stepped aside and the two of them moved off, Susan giving him a little wafture as they went.

Harry walked off the dance floor, snagged a glass of something off a tray and moved to somewhere where he could see the entire floor. It was time to stop up on things. Harry chuckled and sipped the whatever-it-was as his center scanned the hall.

He found Annapurna first, who seemed to be choosing which of a several boys who were all clustered around her to lead out over the dance floor next. She caught his eye, smiled and subtly pointed to her right.

Harry followed her gaze and found Ron and Hermione sitting by one of the immense tabular array full moon of food. Ron at to the lowest degree seemed to be talking between bout of eating and he'd spotted them out on the saltation floor earlier so that was probably alright. Hermione looked well-chosen at any rate.

He couldn't find Neville and Padma anywhere but Ginny seemed to be happily talking with some Ravenclaw or other. Harry shrugged and took another sip of what he suspected was champagne charmed to be non-alcoholic. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Except that he now didn't have a saltation mate. He searched around for a familiar face and found one before walking over.

"Miss Delacour."He held his manus out to the seated Beauxbattons champion."Would you care to stymie me by dancing ten clock time better than I ever could ?"

The French little girl smiled and took his hand.

"But of courze."She stood and he led her out onto the terpsichore floor.

Harry settled into the rhythm of the new song and got used to dancing with someone taller than him. Since he was at least a ft inadequate than her that put his middle right about point with her-

"So…"Harry interrupted his own mental monologue."Enjoying the dance so far ? Not been bothered by too many pushy student ?"

"I know how to get by with zem."Fleur replied haughtily, but Harry detected a tracing of humor in her response."The lonesome job was our fellow champion."

"I ‘ m guessing we ‘ re not talking about Viktor."Harry said and she shook her head."By the way we can verbalize in French if you want."

"My English iz better than your Daniel Chester French I think."Fleur replied pointedly.

"Probably."Harry shrugged."Would you like me to try and keep Malfoy away from you for the respite of the ball ?"

"Non, I can dispense with him."Fleur laughed, the bm was very worry for Harry in his current position and he tried to stop the bloom spreading to his cheeks.

The birdsong ended and Harry stepped back. Fleur curtsied politely and Harry bowed as he'd seen the Daniel Chester French male child doing after they finished their saltation. He caught Fleur looking over his shoulder and followed her gaze to see a pair of one-seventh years moving off the saltation floor.

"Iz he taken ?"Fleur asked with a smile.

"Not anymore."Harry winked and turned to ask the male child partner for a dance.

She turned out to be giggly and talkative so Harry let her babble out on for the duration of the dance before moving off gratefully and sitting on one of the bench by the food. He nabbed a duo of the remaining tidbit and lay back relaxed. He had been on his substructure since the beginning of the ball and it felt good just to take on a few present moment to himself.

"So…"

Knew it was too undecomposed to be true.

"… you are acquaintance with the Pythea ?"

Harry glanced to his left and saw Igor Karkaroff sitting next to him, an intent face on his face.

"We know each other."Harry said warily giving zip away.

"Of course a man of your standing probably knows many people in high places."

"Standing."Harry didn't make it a question but the Headmaster answered anyway.

"As the boy-who-lived."

"Oh that."Harry nodded."Yes that's me."

"I think that we perhaps got off on the wrong foot."Karkaroff said in a simpering manner.

"Do you now."Harry tried to witness an expiration from the conversation but couldn't think of one.

"I would care for you to conceive of me as a friend."

"Stop two'ing me then."

"I could… give you higher marks."Karkaroff said slyly.

"Oh ! No no !"Harry said quickly, realizing what his light-minded comment could birth been interpreted as."Just block being unfairly harsh."

"Of course."Once again the simpering timbre."And perhaps we could… do something… together."

Harry sighed.

"Perhaps during the school Holliday you could impose Dumstrum."

"This holiday I ‘ m going to… Kenya."Harry said a country at random.

"I could treat you to a wizard concert at one of the grand halls in Europe."

"Can't, allergy. All the junk and stuff."

"Or… we could…"Karkaroff seemed to be casting around for another activity."Take the Durmstrum ship and go fishing, as friends."

"Are you trying to ask me out ?"Harry said tersely, tired of the conversation."I ‘ m flattered but you ‘ re too old for me."

"I just want you to finger well-situated asking me for favors."Karkaroff said expansively."That is what friends do… assist each other. Introduce each other to other friends…"

Harry groaned inwardly.

"That sort of thing."Karkaroff finished with a fake grin."Whatever you need. What 's mine is yours."

I'd rather squeeze my eyes out with a rusty-

"Thank you."Harry nodded."I ‘ ll think about it. But for now I ‘ ve just remembered I promised someone a dance."

Harry stood quickly and whistled softly. A moment later a glowing figure drifted up through the floor.

"You remembered !"Myrtle cried happily.

"Of course I did."Harry reached out and took her icy bridge player."Didn ‘ t think I ‘ d forget about you did you."

Harry led the ghostwriter out onto the dance floor, away from the startled Headmaster.
*


Harry gave Ginny up to a Beauxbatons student and sat back down on a bench. Now he had danced with all the female marauders. Parvati had spent most of the time crowing that all her predictions had come rightful, Padma was very terse about where she had disappeared to with Neville, Hermione seemed exasperated with Ron and Harry couldn't employment out whether it was normal tilt or an actual problem, Ginny was just giddy and sparkly. Of all of them Vinca minor had actually danced the best, at some peak in her pre-ghost spirit she had obviously practiced for to a greater extent than ten mo. Harry made a genial note to ask for lessons if there ever was another dance.

Harry glanced up at the clock and realized that there couldn't be too many more than dances left. He needed to deliver the last one for Susan but there were a few to go before that.

Harry glanced around and realized that there was one individual he hadn't seen on the dance floor yet. His eyes found her sitting over by one of the ice sculptures, her own pure-white gown making her look almost like section of the decoration.

"Hi Thea."Harry greeted and sat down next to her."Haven't seen you on the dance storey much."

"Dumbledore was polite enough to dance with me a few times."The Oracle said, smiling."Everyone else seems to be intimidated."

"You should have said."Harry frowned, then grinned cheekily and winked."I ‘ d have set ‘ em straight."

"It ‘ s quite alright."Pythea laughed."I get invited to a quite a few balls."

"Well there ‘ s prison term for a few more than dances."Harry held his hand out."Come on."

"Thank you Harry."Pythea took his hired man and they walked out into the dancing floor.

They swayed to the music for a while, Harry finding his rhythm.

"Are you still wearing it ?"Pythea asked suddenly.

"The necklace ?"Harry smiled and drew the chain out from the figurehead of his robes."Always."

"Good."Pythea grew serious for a moment."Always keep it on. You will need it."

"Soon ?"Harry looked into the Oracle's mismatched eyes."Do you see me needing it soon ?"

"I see nothing."Pythea said enigmatically and broke his gaze before tucking the little shell back into his garb gown."But yes, I don ‘ t think it will be too much longer before you need it."

"You ‘ re still not gon na tell me what it does ?"

"No."

"Brat."

Pythea smiled and they danced another Song dynasty without speaking. A suspicion began to grow in Harry's mind.

"Pythea ?"Harry said, suspiciously."You said you get invites to pot of globe ?"

"Yes ?"

"Do you answer any of them ?"

"W… why ?"A small quaver entered the oracle's voice.

"You ‘ re counting."Harry grinned.

"I am ?"Her eye's opened wide.

"One two three one two three."Harry nodded."Under your breathing time, I doubt anyone else noticed."

"Dumbledore ?"

"Oh no he probably noticed."Harry nodded."You ‘ ve never been to a ball before either have you ?"

"I have… had dancing moral at the temple."Pythea said, a little defensively. A import later she sagged, dejectedly."I haven ‘ t been the Pythea very long."

"How long ?"

"The year you visited was my first."Pythea whispered into his ear."I wasn ‘ t allowed to hang effect until my training was finished so as to avoid superfluity. It wouldn ‘ t do to shit mistakes."

"Embarrassment ? Counting is embarrassing ?"

"Harry didn ‘ t you see how everyone acted when I got here ?"Pythea spoke quietly into his ear."I have been trained since before I can retrieve to be the eternal Pythea. Since the day I was taken from my parents. I am supposed to be the unchanging semblance of the number one oracle, M of years ago. Anything other than idol is embarrassing."

"Wow, well it ‘ s ok."Harry winked."I won ‘ t say anything and I ‘ m sure Dumbledore won ‘ t. He ‘ s too polite."

"Thank you Harry."Pythea seemed to be surprisingly relieved."If they found out about a solecism like that they wouldn't let me out again for a yearn time."

"Let you out ?"Harry shuddered. The floating temple of the oracle with its vines, gamy above the ground below suddenly took on more minatory connotations in his judgement. Harry hesitated, then decided to mouth what was on his mind."Are you… lonely there ?"

"Sometimes."Pythea said it matter-of-factly, like it was an inevitable fact of life.

"I could visit this summer."Harry offered.

"That… that would be lovely."Pythea said sadly."But I do not cerebrate Dumbledore would approve."

"He ain ‘ t the boss of me."Harry grinned.

"No, he is not."Pythea sighed."But I think by this summertime you may be busy."She reached out and pressed her hand against the shell pendent under Harry's robe, then stepped aside, smiling sadly.

Harry was confused for a second then realized that it was the final stage dance, she was stepping aside so he could get hold Susan. Harry waved a thank-you to her then scanned the manor hall to find his date.

"Over here Harry !"

Harry hurried over to the splash of blue he could see among the early robe and took Susan's hand just as the medicine started.

"Whew."Harry smiled."Just in time."

"We sort of lost caterpillar track of each other in the middle there didn ‘ t we ?"Susan said as they began to move to the sluggish rhythm of the stopping point dance.

"We started the terpsichore together and we ‘ re ending it together."Harry shrugged."The bit in the middle got a bit fuzzy but I still had fun."

"So did I."Susan moved closer and Harry hesitantly put his arms around her waistline."But I wish we had spent more meter together."

"I ‘ ll have to make believe it up to you sometime."Harry looked into his dates eyes."Like next Hogsmeade weekend ?"

"You ‘ re still not functionary allowed to go to Hogsmeade."

"By now they ‘ ve probably stopped trying to discontinue me."Harry quipped.

"Then I ‘ d love to go with you."

"Great."Harry grinned.

"My parents are coming to see the second task."Susan said suddenly."They ‘ d love to meet you."

endorsement task ? … I still need to work out the bloody egg.

Harry groaned inwardly. Something always had to ruin it.
*


Harry led Susan back to the Hufflepuff common way and strolled back up through the darkened castle. When he reached the Gryffindor common room almost everyone had already retired. The only one still in the room was Neville, nodding off in a professorship by the fire.

"Nev ?"Harry poked him awake."Why are you still up ?"

"Oh Harry…"Neville rubbed his eyes."Just waiting for you to get here. Someone had to stay to distinguish you."

"Tell me what ?"Harry's eye's narrowed.

"Um…"

"Where ‘ s your date ?"

"Up with Hermione. All the girls are."Neville said dejectedly.

"They are ? Why…"Suddenly Harry worked it out and groaned."What did Ron do ?"

"He um… looked at Fleur."Neville said evasively."Like, not at her facial expression. And for a long time too, about five transactions when Hermione was correctly there."

"What did Hermione say ?"Harry asked, dreading the answer.

"She wasn ‘ t happy."Neville shook his heading."But it was what Ron said that really ticked her off."

"What did Ron say ?"Harry could just feel the lading train approaching.

"Something along the lines of…"Neville's brow creased as he tried to commemorate."‘ What do you expect ? They're right there and they're huge.'”

Harry covered his expression with his manpower and sank into an armchair.

"You ‘ re kidding me ?"

"No."

"That really sucks."

"He could have said a lot of tough things."Neville pointed out.

"Like what ?"Harry challenged.

"Like ‘ They're better than yours which are small and underdeveloped.'or ‘ Shut up you're blocking my view.'”

"Ok ok !"Harry laughed, covering his rima oris to suffocate the giggles."The bother is I can actually see Ron saying that."

"Well…"Neville spread his hands,"We tried."

"We did."Harry nodded."It ‘ s up to Ron now. How ‘ d your evening go ?"

"Kind of got ruined by all this."Neville shrugged sadly.

"Where did you disappear to early on ?"Harry asked slyly.

"We… we went to the rose garden. But we didn ‘ t do anything."Neville quickly added."We kind of decided to stay put just friends for now."

"Guess its just as well."Harry sighed."I ‘ m already trying to beguile too many ships."

"donjon the consultation guessing."
*


The atmosphere around the marauders in the weeks after the Ball could best be described as ‘ icy ’. Harry tried to break the frozenness between the two camps. Well, two encampment was an overstatement. There was the girlfriend, there was Ron and there was Harry and Neville trying to remain out of sight by the sidelines.

The two boys dealt with the situation in the most mature way they could think of. They hid in the library. Any clock time they actually had to be present, like lessons or repast, they tried to hold tranquillity on the edges so as not to be tarred with the same brush as Ron. Harry tried to piddle conversation at breakfast though, in spurts.

"What lesson do we have first ?"

"It ‘ s Saturday."Anapurna said flatly.

"Ah, right."Harry said lamely.

Hermione snorted and flicked candid the day-by-day prophet. Harry looked over at Ron who was sulking over his bowl of cereal. Harry mouthed the study ‘ rationalize'at him but he pretended not to notice. Harry mouthed it again, followed by the Word ‘ or else ’. Ron just hunched lower. Harry sighed and turned back.

"Anything in the news ?"Harry asked desperately."Any more unusual end ?"

"No, just a steady one."Hermione shrugged."An old witch in Dorset named Lady Ellen Hayward."

"Suspicious ?"Harry asked, interested.

"She was over a hundred and l years old Harry."Hermione answered dismissively."Even Wiccan and wizard die eventually. It ‘ s sad but it ‘ s not suspicious."

Not if you don't look too closely.

Harry sat dash just. Had he really heard that or had he imagined it ?

You heard it.

Harry looked around surreptitiously, trying to estimate where the voice could be coming from. It sounded familiar… Harry's eye's led him up to the high table and along to where Pythea sat, watching him quietly over a plate replete of cut fruit.

Good morn Harry.

"Good morning Thea."Harry thought and saw her smile."How was London ?"

London was wonderful Harry. The political leader that inhabit it however are consanguine to poisonous sea slugs. Slippery and spiky at the Sami time.

"You didn ‘ t have fun then ?"Harry projected sarcastically.

I prefer Hogwarts.

"Fireworks over the Thames though,"Harry thought back."For new-years, that ‘ s always good. I saw a few of them when I lived in London."

Oh yes, I'd almost forgotten. Pythea smiled wryly. One day of visible light and ravisher and four weeks of conferences.

"Such is life."

full point trying to be sagely Harry. With me that's a competition you won't win. I'm surprised you took in the displays though, weren't you busy trying to hold up ?

"Are you kidding ?"Harry laughed in his judgement."Everyone looking at the sky, no one watching their scoop, it's dark and noisy… you see where I ‘ m going with this."

I should bear known. Pythea chuckled But we've got distracted from the stage. She pointed at the paper in front of her and looked down at the obituary. Interesting isn ‘ t it…

"Is there something I ‘ m missing ?"Harry pulled a copy over towards himself and scanned the text.

There didn ‘ t seem to be anything there. Harry looked back at the look pageboy but had no connector, it was just some malicious gossip involving the minister of magic and some charge of embezzlement. Harry flicked to the game page. The Chudley carom had lost another biz ( wonderful calendar week for Ron ). There didn ‘ t seem to be anything else interesting. Harry shook his head.

"I don ‘ t see it. Did individual stand to inherit or something ?"

Possibly, but that was not what I was referring to. Pythea smiled mysteriously.

"Have you… you know… seen something ?"

You don't have to be an seer to see what I'm talking about. Pythea closed the paper and looked around the G. Stanley Hall. The report is only half the story.

"The other half is… ?"

Guess.

"Brat."Harry muttered and his head was filled with silent laughter.

I'll give you a clew. actor's line are naught until someone reads them.

Harry thought for a long moment, then smiled.

"masses ‘ s reactions."Harry thought hesitantly, and was rewarded with a nod. Harry cast around the residence hall."Who ‘ s reading ?"He scanned the hall and found Dumbledore, set over the paper. It looked like it was undecided to the correct page.

"Dumbledore ? Is he reading it ?"

Yes. But is that unusual ?

"Well…"Harry tried to put it together in his head."They were about the same age, maybe they even went to shoal together. It ‘ s not surprising he ‘ s taking an interest."

Good, who else ?

Harry scanned further and alighted on an unlikely candidate.

"Malfoy ?"The blond Slytherin was just staring at the open page in front of him, his look ashen and unreadable. Harry could even see his chest ascent and falling rapidly from across the room. As Harry watched the champion he grabbed the paper off the table and walked quickly out of the hall.

"Ok, I admit,"Harry thought, nodding."That was worry. But what does it think of ?"

It's a teaser Harry. You like puzzles don't you ?

"I have too many of them right now but usually yes."Harry shrugged."But I don ‘ t know what to clear of this."

That's because you do not ingest all the small-arm. Pythea projected cryptically. You will receive to try and find them.

Harry felt the front impart his mind.

"Harry ?"

"W… whut ?"Harry shook his head, confused.

"Harry are you OK ?"Parvati was saying, the Marauders were all staring at him."You ‘ ve been staring into distance for like five minutes."

"And muttering to yourself."Ginny added."You looked kind of weird."

Harry stood up suddenly.

"I need to go to Dorset."

"You… What ? !"

"But first off I need to spill to your brothers."Harry set off down the tabular array quickly, a determined looking at on his face.

hindquarters him the Marauders looked on aghast. Padma voiced what they were all thinking,

"Is it me or is he getting weirder ?"





Yes, I know the chapter 's a petty fluffy. It had to be, you ca n't really write a yule ball that 's not.

Review anyway. Pretty please !


A small part of this is rather obviously lifted directly out of goblet of Fire.



Harry slid out of the lake and dried himself off. He set the plastic bag he had drawn across the water on the ground and ripped it open. He lifted his leather bag out and set it back on his articulatio humeri before setting off at a jog towards Hogsmeade.

As he neared the village he flicked it open and pulled a magical mask out that made him look wizened and old. He also threw a tattered black cloak over his Hogwarts robes and walked into the hogget head. He didn't expression at the patronage, already smelling of firewhisky at ten in the dawn, and stepped up to the bar.

"I need to use the flue."Harry said. He didn't bother to hold back his vox, the barman was undoubtedly used to unusual than him and even if not he probably wouldn ‘ t guardianship. The barman grunted and pointed towards a greasy sign.

Flue for client only

"I ‘ ll have a butterbeer then."Harry took the offer bottle and imbibe it in one swallow before walking over to the fireplace and spinning himself to the leaky cauldron.

Harry rushed into Diagon alley, feeling very exposed even in his disguise. He reached the tone of Gringots and stepped inside it's columned entrance. He emerged a few minutes later with a small bag of muggle money. He wasn't worried about the goblins ratting him out, confidentiality was a given with them.

Harry had one last errand to run in Diagon before he left. He reached into his bag and popped the foremost of the twins gifts into his mouth. Instantly he felt his pharynx constrict and maturate scratchy, he coughed deeply and people in the street turned to look at him. It got a little better after a few moments but it still felt raw.

He tried to talk and his part came out old and leathery. Perfect. Hurt like hell but perfective for concealing his voice.

He walked into the druggist, taking guardianship to make his stone's throw a piddling hesitation and weak.

"Hello my good man."Scratchy and tight like a womb-to-tomb smoker."Do you have any fox water ?"

"Fox… urine ?"The man behind the counter looked at him like he was mad.

"Yes, I need it for a potion."

"No potion I know of apply fox urine."

"How ‘ bout beast urine ?"Harry asked, stepping up to the counter."Do you have wolf urine ?"

"No."The shopkeeper was just staring at him now."No we don ‘ t have wolf urine. Now can you-"

"Weasel ?"

"No now…"The tradesman paused for a second."We do feature weasel musk…"

"Yes that ‘ ll be perfect."Harry smiled through his leathery mask. The tradesman hesitated."You have some sort of job ?"

"I don't have a problem."The shopkeeper rolled his centre and stepped into the room behind his desk."How often do you need."

"About a gallon."

"A gal ! …"There was the auditory sensation of tempestuous muttering and sloshing from the storeroom. A few mo later the man stepped back behind the desk with a enceinte drinking glass bottle full of jaundiced liquidity. The bobfloat was sealed on with red wax."Do you get laid how many weasels you have to milk to get this much ?"

"How much ?"Harry ignored the question and drew out his wallet. The shopkeeper told him and Harry paid happily.

"rich person fun."The tradesman said dryly."Whatever you ‘ re provision to do…"

Harry dropped the bottle into his bottomless bag and stepped out of the shop. He changed out of his robes in the cauldron's toilet and slide quickly out into muggle London.

He stepped quickly along the roads at once both familiar and deeply alien. It was as if he had had two liveliness, the one he had lived on these streets and the of magic and wonder at Hogwarts. Now it was like the two were colliding and he felt confused, felt like a little kid again but at the Saame time he could finger how far he'd cum. His inherent aptitude didn't have sex how to respond and he found himself searching for station to cover or run while at the Saame sentence fingering his wand hidden in his sleeve.

He was glad when he finally set foot in Waterloo place and could buy a slate to Bournemouth. The gear was a surreal experience, sitting close to the window and flying past the world he was no farsighted part of.

It took more than two 60 minutes to get there, ample time to spin his thought round and daily round in his head. He tried to work out exactly how stupid he was being. ‘ Very ’, he decided. Very, very stupid. He didn't know what would happen to him if it was discovered that he had snuck out of Hogwarts. Hogsmeade was one thing but this… And if he was discovered once he got there ? At the sight of a recent death ?

Very, very, very stupid.

Harry shut his heart and focused on the one thing telling him he was doing the the right way thing.

"Pythea sent me here."Harry nodded and bit his lip as he repeated the mantra over and over in his capitulum."And if the seer of Delphi tells you to do something… then it ‘ s not stupid to do it."

Harry really wished the words didn't sound so hollow.

He left the string and got on a bus. He left the bus in the center of a field of scrub and chalky solid ground. The sea was just out of mass but he could hear the wave crashing against the rocks, ominous and threatening.

The bus driver had looked at him weird when he'd asked to be let out in the midriff of nowhere. Harry knew better, it was only the heart of nowhere to muggles. Harry shucked his bag up higher on his shoulders and walked towards the sound of the waves, towards the formal white manor business firm near the border of the cliffs.

It was blindingly obvious where the edge of the Mary Augusta Arnold Ward were. Someone had laid grass and flowers right up to an invisible line on the basis, scrub gave way to garden like it was cut with a razor. Harry wondered why there wasn't a bulwark around the property. Either the charwoman who lived there trusted the hospital ward implicitly or she liked the prospect too a great deal to block it away.

And the view was striking. The drop arching away to either position and the sea stretching into the space. It was an impressive view, enough to print anyone. Anyone former than a aquaphobe. Harry shuddered and tried to keep the sea out of view.

He pulled the monolithic nursing bottle of musk out of his bag. It took him a minute to work the plug out. He went up as close to the ward as he dared and started dribbling the foul smelling stuff onto the primer coat. He poured it in as stuffy to a hemicycle as he could negociate, the early end of the ark also touching the wards, boxing him in.

Harry corked the bottle again and pushed it back into his bag. Now came the risky part. He pulled out the second of the Gemini gift to him, a little umber bon-bon. He hesitated, cringing for a moment as he realized he still had musk on his fingers, then popped it in his mouth.

Instantly he felt his tum clutch, a instant later clean fur spreading over his hands and arms. He just had fourth dimension to find his pinna begin to shoot up his head before his mind went blank.
*


The cony twitched it's pry and looked around. It felt like something was improper, something was dissimilar, but it couldn't employment out what.

Mind you it was a cony so it couldn't try very hard.

It raised its head and sniffed the air. There was a strange odor… Weasel ! It could smack a weasel ! Was it nearby ? The bunny rabbit took a couple of slow hops, no the smell was stronger here. It dashed the other way, getting despairing. Stronger here too !

The bunny broke into a run in the other direction, shooting across the footing into a flowerbed. It dashed under the vines of a Cucurbita pepo plant and sat there shivering. It would just wait here, wait here until-
*


"Well,"Harry stood, brushed a pumpkin leaf out of his hair and judder the grease from his gown."That worked like a charm."

Harry shook his head to clear the go of the bunny-ness from it and checked to make sure he didn't still have a tail.

"Any-ward, any-where, any-time."Harry chuckled and set off towards the house.

The book binding threshold was unlocked and Harry slid in, careful not to touch anything too much. He didn't know whether wizards knew how to check DNA or fingerprint but he wasn't taking any probability. Harry looked around at the large kitchen he had walked into, an army of firm elves probably worked there just a few days ago. Now it was silent.

Harry pushed open another door and, after a shortsighted corridor, found himself in a high-ceilinged dining room. It held elegant chandeliers and a longsighted mahogany table, it had atomic number 47 candlesticks and sumptuous red-velvet curtains. It also held no indication of ever having been used any time this century.

This had been the home of one old woman living alone Harry remembered. She probably didn't eat in the lordly dining way, didn ‘ t use most of these room probably. He was proved right when a few doors down he found a pocket-size study. This room showed polarity of use, the book on the board by the windowpane ever had a bookmark in it, near the end. She hadn't had a chance to polish off it.

Another small mesa was obviously in use as a work bench. A pocket-sized flipbook lay open, as Harry moved closer he saw it was filled with campaign flowers.

Harry suddenly felt a lubber kind above his warmness. He had realized what he was really doing here. Invading the menage of a dead womanhood. He considered turning around right there but shook his caput, steeling himself against what he was doing. Pythea had sent him here, that meant he was supposed to be here.

Harry left the sketch and checked the only former threshold he hadn't tried. It opened onto a grand entrance hall with livid marble roofing tile and columns holding up the balcony on the first level. The staircase came down the middle, spreading out near the bottom.

Unfortunately the dramatic burden of the elbow room was ruined by the large tape drive boxful that were stacked in a bundle by one side of the stares.

Whatever predator had stood to inherit obviously hadn't wasted any time.

Harry was about the hinderance the way across the hall when he heard something. He went still and tried to nail it, it was coming from upstairs. Harry tiptoed up to the landing place, it was echoing along the corridor, a variety of sniffling noise.

One of the room access near the end was ajar. Harry crept towards it as the noise got louder. It sounded like someone sobbing. Harry tried to peer through the gap in the door but saw nothing. He pushed the doorway just lightly with his foot and something came into his field of view. Harry was so shocked he didn't even notice as the door swung open.

The room looked like a reading material way, or a secondment subject maybe, bookshelves covered every wall but one. The whole back paries was a massive window looking out, offering a massive scene over the garden behind the house, the godforsaken scrub beyond that and the sea stretching to infinity beyond that. There was a armchair set right in the centre, where someone could look out over the sea. The sleeve of it were clearly worn, someone had spent a recollective lime sitting in that chair. But that wasn't what had shocked Harry.

There was a boy sitting there in the heart of the room, collapsed on the trading floor on his human knee. Under his thick nigrify cloak his chest was racked with sobs. He had his helping hand over his face and his fingers curled into his white-blond hair.

Malfoy.

Harry just stood there, it was as if his body had been frozen. He must make made some movement because a consequence later Malfoy's head jerked up and Harry's jet center met the watery Zane Grey one staring up at him.

There was a mo when no one moved, then Malfoy's boldness flickered from grief to disbelief, disbelief to confusion and discombobulation to rage.

"Stupefy !"

Harry threw himself back into the corridor as the spell shot past his shoulder. Harry drew his verge and shot a bludgeoning hex at Malfoy but found to coming back at him a moment later. Harry was forced back down the corridor as the enrage Slytherin threw hex after hex at him.

"Confringo !"Harry stab at a marble bust by Malfoy's head and the blast caused him to elude and stumble.

"Ferio !"The patch hit Malfoy in the side of meat and sent him to the storey

"Petrificus To-"

"Expelliarmus !"

Harry felt his wand jerked out of his hand. He tried to snaffle it but it slipped through his fingers and landed in Malfoy's open palm. A moment later a radiance curse hit him in the facial expression like a ball of phonograph needle and threw him to the floor.

As Harry shivered in annoyance and tried to shake off the feeling that his face was being grated a fantasm passed over him.

"Now Potter."Malfoy grated."We ‘ re going to have a farsighted talk about why you ‘ re here and what I ‘ m going to do to you."

"I doubt it."Harry snarled and kicked Malfoy's foundation out from under him. Some spell pin-wheeled over Harry's head and he ducked to the story. He leapt at Malfoy and grabbed both his branch to stop him casting more spells. Malfoy was writhing and spitting to try and get him off. Harry head butted him in the Kuki and he yelled out in pain.

Somehow Malfoy managed to get a hired hand gratuitous and stabbed his fingers into Harry's throat. Harry grabbed Malfoy's tomentum and jerked him away. Harry shot back and managed to find his feet, he saw Malfoy rise and play his wand to assume. Harry reacted on instinct and launched himself, shoulder joint first, into the Slytherins's stomach. They both flew backwards and Harry heard a loud crash of splintering Ellen Price Wood. The two boys dropped like Isidor Feinstein Stone, far further than they should have.

It was only then that Harry remembered they had been fighting on the up the stairs landing.

"Oh bully,"Harry thought in that bit as he brought up his hands to overcompensate his head."This is going to smart far too much."

The marble floor rose to meet him. Harry felt the shock in every bone and muscle, like some shockwave had shot through him and broken everything. He winced and tried to push himself up. The instant his left manus hit the story a shot of pain ran through him and he gingerly pulled it back.

Broken carpus. Wonderful.

Harry stood on wonky legs and looked over at where Malfoy had fallen. The slimy pure origin was whimpering into the floor so he was probably alive. Harry walked over and snatched both their wands from where they ‘ d rolled. Malfoy was bleeding from somewhere. Harry knelt by him and pushed him over to get a better look.

"Oh barricade cry you big baby."Harry said disgustedly."You ‘ ve only got a broken nose."

"It hurts."

"That ‘ s why they call them broken."Harry shrugged and stood."What the hell are you doing here anywhere ?"

"I could ask you the same."Malfoy shot back, looking very silly. He was trying to pull in of imperial lordliness with stock dripping from his nose.

"Yes you could. You wouldn ‘ t get an answer though because I hold all the cards."Harry grinned."Oh, did I say carte ? I meant wands !"Harry lowered his towards the boy on the floor."Tell me why you ‘ re here ! Why did you sneak out of Hogwarts to come here ?"

"I have more aright to be here than you do."Malfoy pulled himself up to a sitting position and wiped the rakehell off his fount with a sleeve."Why shouldn't I visit Ellen ‘ s house ?"

"You know she ‘ s dead ?"

"Yes potter that ‘ s painfully obvious."Malfoy sneered."I ‘ m here because she ‘ s an old family friend. What ‘ s your apology ?"

"Following a tip."Harry's head word snapped back as a loud bell rang out across the hall.

"That ‘ s the wards."Malfoy said, surprised.

Harry ran to the battlefront threshold and peered out from between the curtains. He saw a flash of Black robe and jerked back, his feet skidding on the floor.

"Aurors !"There wasn't clock time to leave the hall, Harry dove behind a down of boxes just as the tyke hold began to turn. He felt Malfoy glide in beside him. The two boy waited in deathly secretiveness as the threshold creaked open.

"star sign of a struggle sir."Harry heard a girls vox say."Broken banister, roue on the floor."

"more than than a round-eyed looting call then."A deep spokesperson, heavy.

"Perhaps they fought with the homeowner ?"A second male spokesperson, unseasoned, suggested.

"Didn ‘ t you read the bill ?"Girly said irritably."The homeowner ‘ s dead. That ‘ s the whole reason we ‘ re here."

"Trainee Nymphadora is correct."Deep agreed."There shouldn ‘ t be any magic trick at this premise, let only underage magic."

Harry groaned silently. Of row. The ministry could detect underage magic, and he and Malfoy had been throwing spells around like they were back at Hogwarts.

"We are idiots,"Harry thought. He turned and his optic met Malfoy's, he could secernate the other boy was thinking the Lapplander thing.

"So maybe the looters fought each other."The male trainee was saying."Arguing over despoilation ?"

"Possible."Deep sounded as if he was just tolerating this youngster."We can not know at present."

"Should I take a blood sample ?"

Malfoy's heart shooter extensive open.

"No, we search the house first. They could still be here. Jandred you stay here and progress to sure they do not try to entrust by the front door. Nymphadora, with me."

Harry heard footsteps prompt away to the door towards the dining room. His mind was already churning opening. If they took the blood, they would find out it was Malfoy's and arrest him. At which percentage point Malfoy would sprain Harry over in a heartbeat.

Harry drew his wand and disillusioned himself as quietly as possible. He heard Malfoy razz something behind him but ignored him. Harry peered out from behind a box and saw that the man, Jandred, was looking the early way. Harry slid out from behind the box and moved closer as silently as he was able.

Should have silenced my feet.

Harry cursed himself for forgetting but kept tiptoeing closer. When he was within a few meters of the piece of descent on the floor he whispered,

"Scourgify !"The roue disappeared and Harry shot behind a pillar just as the trainee auror turned around.

Harry forced himself to breath shallowly and quietly. A retentive moment went past but the man didn't seem to notice that the blood was gone. Harry looked over and saw that Malfoy had made his way to a side door and was beckoning to him from behind it.

Harry waited until the auror turned back and then slunk towards the blond Slytherin. He went sideways to get through the door.

"Where are we going ?"Harry mouthed but Malfoy ignored him and walked quietly along the corridor. At the other end he pushed on a incision of wall and Harry was amazed to see it swing inwards. A mystery door !

Harry followed quickly behind and closed the door behind him.

"Where are we ?"

"Servant's musical passage Potter."Malfoy seemed to be able to get even a whisper a sneer."All true old pure rip houses have them so the handmaid can move around without getting underfoot."

"Thought you used house elves ?"Harry said disparagingly as they made their way through the dusty corridor.

"There was a time when it was seen as a target of rightful wealth to be able to afford whizz slaves as well."Malfoy ducked under a massive cobweb."Alas those times have passed."

"Oh for the in effect old days."Harry said sarcastically.

Malfoy came to a occlusive near a trapdoor in the floor and levered the door afford with his foot.

"We can get out here, the passage goes all the way outside the Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth. It ‘ s how I got in."

"Why are you doing this ?"Harry asked quizzically."Why are you helping me ?"

"Why did you clean up the blood ?"

"Are you kidding ? If they ‘ d have caught you you'd hand me over in a mome-"Harry paused."That ‘ s why you ‘ re doing this isn ‘ t it ?"

"patch on Potter. Get in the damn tunnel."
*


The two boys emerged like moles in a study mil away from the house, blinking and shielding their eyes from the sunshine. Harry could see the house far in the aloofness, a white blot against the sky.

"That was a serious tunnel."Harry tried to get his bearings and study out how to get back to the train station."townsfolk ‘ s that way."

"Give me my wand back."Malfoy said to Harry's back. Harry hesitated, then tossed it over his shoulder.

Harry began trudging through the grass and a moment later Malfoy fell into gradation beside him.

"Why were you really there ?"Harry asked suddenly.

"I told you thrower she was a kinsperson friend."Malfoy said curtly.

"If she was a fellowship friend your father could have taken you out of school."Harry pointed out."Instead you sneak out on your own."

"I wanted to get laid the solid story."Malfoy said angrily.

"What do you mean the whole story ?"

"You don ‘ t… ? You don ‘ t know."Malfoy shook his head then began again as if explaining something to a child."The Daily Prophet works hard not to offend the wizarding families you understand."

"Yeah."

"You remember what it said Ellen Hayward died of ?"

"She…"Harry tried to cast her judgment back."It said she must have merge one of her medicinal potions damage. Used too much-"

"Exactly !"Malfoy cut in."That's what they say on the surface. They don't want to violate us but they still need to spread the news program so they have these piddling codes."

"Codes in the paper ?"

"Yes ceramist,"Malfoy gestured with his script as he explained."If they say someone say… died in his sleep then that means he was smothered by a family member."

"Nice."Harry cringed back.

"Don ‘ t be so squeamish."Malfoy scoffed."Spell misfired substance they were experimenting with dark trick, unexpected illness usually means they caught something from a orange red woman."

"You ‘ re fourteen Malfoy, say prostitute."

"And a mistake commixture potions is code for suicide."Malfoy lapsed into silence.

"So…"Harry said carefully.

"So Ellen was the to the lowest degree belike person in the cosmos to debate suicide !"Malfoy snapped."She had more biography in her than women half her age ! She used to pop around to our house all the time, or we would go to hers. She was an active agent extremity of virtuous parentage society, and in upright wellness. She would not kill herself !"

They walked in quiet for a piffling way of life as Harry digested all off that.

"You suspect slaying then."Harry said quietly.

"I just think it ‘ s suspicious."Malfoy said angrily.

There was more silence. They reached the tarmacadam route and fell into step along it easily.

"Did you hear about Rita Skeeter ?"Harry said after a while."That was suspicious too."

Malfoy said null, but he bit his lip and seemed to be thinking. As they reached the edge of townspeople Malfoy stopped suddenly.

"I ‘ m going this way."He pointed up a disused looking alleyway."This is my way home."

"You wouldn ‘ t consider giving me a lift would you ?"Harry said jokily.

"Don't be an moron Potter."Malfoy turned and walked down the alley.

"Figures."Harry shrugged, shifted his bag higher up on his shoulder and headed into town.

As he was walking through a shopping street on his way back to the train place he heard an odd noise. A sort of low moaning without words. It was also companion. His ears pricked up as he tried to pinpoint it. It was coming from a little shop, one of those nature shops that sold incense, wicker wall-hangings, wooden sculpture and useless junk like that. Harry moved into it and tried to pluck out the noise, it was coming from a tape player on a stand.

Harry's digit moved to the little node on the top. How did these things employment again ? Dudley had had one… Harry twisted one knob to no event, he tried another marked pitch and the sound got lower. Ah ! Harry twisted it all the way the other way and jerked the volume thickening to full.

A high pitched warbling screech filled the workshop, causing Harry to both cringe in pain and yell in triumph. It sounded almost exactly like the prosperous egg.

"Hey !"The market keeper yelled at him and rushed over to reset the machine."What the hell do you guess you ‘ re doing kid ?"

"Sorry,"Harry shrugged apologetically."What was that ?"

"It was whale song before you screwed with it."The man said angrily.

"Whale song…"Harry smiled and nodded."Thank you."He turned and walked out of the shop.

*

It was dark and bitingly cold by the time Harry hauled himself out of the lake and squelched into Hogwarts. Swimming across the lake at dark with a broken articulatio radiocarpea had possibly been the most terrifying experience of Harry's life and he was glad when he managed to contact the fat ma'am's portrait.

"Oh you pitiable dear."She said."You look like a you've been through the wars."

"Looks worse from in here."Harry smiled up at her and she opened without him saying anything else.

Harry barely had the vigor to drop his clothes on the floor and crawl into bed before sleep took him.

He the lapin again, running through the woods away from something. The apple Tree were in full blossom and the air was replete of tap petal. A rick counterpoint to the fear coursing through his tiny eubstance. Something caught him, grabbed him by the ears. He kicked and scratched as severely as he could but it was no thoroughly, the massive dark soma holding him just laughed. Harry screamed as it plunged it's tenacious fingers into his forehead.

"Harry !"

Harry jerked awake and looked around, Ron and Neville were standing over him worriedly.

"Bad dream."Harry muttered and slid out of bed."The one where I'm naked in the middle of the not bad hall again. clip to get up anyway."

"How was Dorset Harry ?"Neville said quietly.

"low temperature. Going to the beach in January ‘ s a really stupid idea."Harry grinned and walked towards the showers.

Harry visited the hospital wing quickly to fix his wrist ("stair again Harry ?"“ Sure, we can go with that.") and wandered down towards the great hall in good liveliness. He had a good clue on the egg, he hadn't been caught and he'd gained a valuable clue. All in all it was a good…

Bugger.

Harry froze as he reached the entrance of the great hall before forcing himself to keep and submit a arse. Up on the high tabular array, sitting side by side to Dumbledore, was a improbable Joseph Black man in auror's robes.
*


"commodity morning students."Dumdledore stood as soon as everyone had gathered in the expectant hall."Before we eat this morning, auror Shacklebolt from the ministry has something to say."

Everyone in the residence was looking at the marvellous auror as he stood. Everyone except the marauders who were all looking at Harry.

"What the hell did you do ?"Hermione hissed in his ear and Harry shushed her into silence.

"goodness morning."The auror said, he seemed to think this was all the introduction necessary because he proceeded to set up right in."Yesterday there was an incident at the house of a recently deceased witch near Bournemouth."

"That ‘ s in Devon."Hermione hissed.

"Is it ? Is it really ?"Harry hissed back."The geography lesson is fascinating now kindly shut up !"

"We were alerted to it by underage magic."The auror continued."But whoever it was is also guilty of breaking and entering, illegally breaching Aaron Montgomery Ward, property equipment casualty, vandalism and theft."

Theft ?

"judgement by the difficulty of the spells detected the suspect must be at least of Hogwarts age."The auror's dark optic swept over the pupil."And since there are currently no school age necromancer in Britain who chose not to attend Hogwarts the perpetrator is someone in this room."

Harry glanced over at Malfoy and met the other boy's centre. They were both thinking the same thing, ‘ If one of us goes down, we both go down. ’.

"There was blood left at the scene, but whoever it was cleaned up after themselves."Harry breathed a sigh of easement in his mind."But thankfully we were able-bodied to incur some Strand of hair."

The auror held up a small, exonerate envelope. Harry adjusted his glasses but couldn't see anything in there before the auror put it back in the pocket of his robes.

"A simple cirrus ab clavis spell will determine who it belongs to."Shacklebolt continued."So in a here and now some of you will be escorted to the infirmary wing where you will be tested."

"Only some of us ?"Someone called out.

"Yes, the hair is blond."Shacklebolt stood and began walking out of the hall.

Harry gulped, the fact that the hairsbreadth wasn't his really didn't help him much. Malfoy would still rat him out.

"Harry what ‘ s going on ?"

"Not now Hermione."Harry stood and walked calmly towards the end of the table, pile of other people were getting up to go the lectures so he hoped it wasn't too suspicious. The teachers had begun wrangling the blond students into grouping. Harry deliberately didn't look over at the Slytherin board, he already knew what he'd see.

As soon as he was out of sight of the Granville Stanley Hall he broke into a sprint, shooting along the corridor and sliding sideways behind a tapestry before throwing himself up a secret staircase. He had to reach out the hospital backstage before the auror did, or he was dead meat. He dashed out of the stairwell and down a disused passage, ducking under cobwebs.

A import later he was out and walking normally. He had to apply the auror no causal agent for distrust, and this guy seemed pretty on the Ball. He saw him turn into the corridor and Harry steeled himself, he would only get one chance at this. He moved out into the middle of the corridor and brushed close to the man as he walked past.

Harry's fingerbreadth slipped into the auror's pocket. Dip-grasp-out-hide !

Harry slipped the envelope into his robes and kept walk. For a terrorise moment he thought the auror had noticed, that he was going to sour and hollo for Harry to contain. But naught came and Harry walked on.

He began breathing when he got a corridor away. That had been easier than he thought, he was really miss respect for these ministry type. Not sufficiency watchfulness, Helen Wills would be disappointed. Harry wandered back to the peachy lobby and looked in. The Marauders were already gone, probably trying to await for him, but the blond-squads were still there being organized by year and house.

"Harry !"Harry saw Susan waving to him and wandered over."What ‘ s all this about ?"

"You ‘ re speculation is as good as mine."Harry shrugged.

"Harry don ‘ t need me for an idiot."Susan crossed her arms."This involves you."

"Why would you think that ?"

"Because everything involves you !"

"Too right,"Harry grinned."But since I ‘ m not blond…"

"It was dye, or a while, or you were involved in some other way."Susan moved closer and looked into his eye."Is it going to be ok for you ? They ‘ re not going to arrest you are they ?"

"Relax, it ‘ s all serious. I ‘ ve got it under control."Harry whispered. Susan smiled and hugged him.

"Potter !"Harry sighed and turned around. Malfoy was standing right behind him."A Holy Scripture please ?"

"Relax Malfoy, I took care of it."Harry said, after checking that no-one was listening."You owe me."

With that Harry turned, waved adios to Susan and walked out of the Hall.
*


Harry saw Malfoy again about an hour later. Harry was heading back from he library when his fellow supporter appeared out of nowhere and beckoned him into an abandon classroom. Harry obliged before closing the door and casting silencing appeal around.

"Where is it ?"Malfoy asked bluntly.

"Where ‘ s what ?"

"The evidence."Malfoy said angrily."I know you took it ! Is this your design ? celebrate it for blackmail ?"

"No, but that ‘ s a good plan."Harry scratched his chin thoughtfully."Maybe I will do that…"

"Potter you are the most-"

"Relax."Harry cut him off."I ‘ m not going to blackmail you, just ask you one question."

"What ?"

"What did you withdraw from the Hayward house ?"Malfoy went utterly still. Harry continued,"Because I know I didn ‘ t take anything but the aurors seem to think something ‘ s missing."

Malfoy was just staring at him.

"See, if you were telling the truth and you were investigating the suspicious demise of a kinfolk booster then what I just did was a good thing."Harry held out his hands like balance musical scale."On the other script if you ‘ re an opportunist, lying, hyena who was stealing from her then what I did was a bit more morally equivocal. In that caseful I ‘ d have to break the hairsbreadth back to the aurors and see your bastard arse go down."Harry snapped out the accusal viciously, Malfoy even jerked back a whole tone. It was a moment before Malfoy responded.

"I took…"The Slytherin swallowed punishing."It was an heirloom of her family. A ring, ancient. If it had been boxed up with everything else to go to her cousin he would have sold it. It deserved better than that."

"It did, or she did ?"Harry asked, Malfoy hesitated then…

"Both."

Harry nodded faintly, safe enough. He reached into his robes and drew out the envelope.

"You still owe me."He tossed it to Malfoy and headed for the door.
*


It would have been nice if that was the end of it. It wasn't.

"So Potter…"

Harry slowed to a arrest outside the Fat Lady's portrayal and turned around to see the unreadably scarred face of Mad Eye Moody.

"Oh great,"Harry grumbled."Is this chapter gon na be entirely talks ? ‘ Cos my throat ‘ s getting tired."

"I was just talking to my old friend Kingsley Shacklebolt."Moody stumped up towards Harry and looked down at him."Seems some grounds just disappeared from his pocket."

"Did he insure his other scoop ?"Harry suggested."That always happens to me."

"Cut the refuse Potter."Moody sighed."I already know you did it I just want to roll in the hay whether you had a proficient reason."

"Protecting myself and a valuable informant."Harry said levelly."And because there are more important crimes going on right now than breaking and entering."

"Like ?"

"Ellen Hayward."

"I assume it was suicide, reported at an accident."Helen Wills Moody said, though he didn't sound convinced.

"My informant is convinced otherwise."

"guesswork I could construct some inquires."Moody said thoughtfully."See whether there ‘ s anything to this."

"Thank you."Harry nodded and turned towards the common room.
*


"Harry !"Still not over.

"Bloody hell."Harry groaned and headed over to the marauder table and slouched down onto a free chair."I suppose you want an explanation."

"Too right we do !"Ron said angrily.

"We ‘ ve been worried Harry."Neville list forward and spoke quietly, but Padma interrupted him.

"We ‘ ve also been angry."She said through clenched dentition."What the hell ‘ s going on with you ?"

"I was investigating the slaying, Ellen Hayward."Harry checked to see if anyone was listening then continued."Someone said it was suspicious so I went to look into it."

"We guessed that much."Ginny said impatiently.

"fountainhead get this…"Harry leant forward and quickly related what had happened in the manor house sign. At the end the vulture seemed stunned.

"Why did you do all this Harry ?"Parvarti asked."Why did you go there in the initiatory place ?"

"Um… because murder is bad ? Because I was bored ? Because I hadn ‘ t spent nearly enough clip as a gnawing mammal this workweek ? Because I felt like it ?"Harry looked into their shocked faces and decided to put them out of their misery."Pythea told me it was important."

"When ?"Hermione asked in mental rejection."You didn ‘ t talk to her or anyone else, you just stood up and told us you were going to Dorset !"

"Oracles don ‘ t have to speak directly to you my anti-spiritual disciple."Harry tapped his temple."They have other ways."

"So effectively what you ‘ re telling us,"Padma crossed her arms."Is that you broke out of Hogwarts, invaded a slaying prospect and stole evidence because the voices in your foreland told you too."

"Well if you put it like that you can puddle anything sound crazy."Harry shrugged and smiled cheekily.

"Harry you ‘ ve gone too far."

"You're just being antsy, I know you believe me really."

"Why ?"

"You called it a murder scene."Harry pointed out."way you believe me that something else is going on."

Padma opened her mouth to retort but exclude it angrily and glared at him.

"Thought so,"Harry grinned."But I do take some early word. We have another job to do this evening."

"Is it also a felony ?"Padma said sarcastically.

"I love you too."Harry winked."But sadly no. I think I ‘ ve finally worked out the bloody egg. We ‘ re going to the prefects lavatory. Bring swimsuits."

*


On the way there Neville pulled Harry to one side and asked him softly,

"Harry, don ‘ t you think you were a bit harsh on everyone ? I mean unfit than normal."

"Yes Nev I do."Harry nodded and winked.

"You did it on use ?"

"Yep."

"Why ?"

"fountainhead I don ‘ t know if you ‘ ve noticed Nev,"Harry grinned like a daimon."But they ‘ ve completely forgotten about Ron."
*


Harry slid into the water gingerly and pulled the egg in after him. The other marauders were already waiting amongst the house of cards. He motioned them down and they all slipped underwater. Harry swallowed his repugnance and twisted his header just enough to put one ear under water then opened the egg.

‘ semen seek us where our representative sound
We can not sing above the ground
And while you're searching, ponder this
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to face,
But past an hour - the prospect's black
Too late, it's gone, it won't ejaculate back..'

Harry pulled his heading back up the same minute the other predator emerged. Several of them were spluttering or red from the water system. Harry was the but one who was blanched grey.

"Well that ‘ s easy."Hermione said excitedly."You just experience to go somewhere and get something back in under an hour."

"Probably in the lake."Padma chimed it."It ‘ d make sense if it was underwater ‘ we can not sing above the ground ‘ and all."

"We just ask some charm or something to let him breath-"

"Harry,"Neville interrupted Hermione, earning a looking of vexation."Are you ok ?"

The vulture turned to Harry, who still hadn't moved. He was shaking despite the warm up water.

"Harry…"Ginny reached out to touch his shoulder and he flinched away from her hand.

"Guys…"Harry spoke slowly and weakly, like his throat didn't want to incite."You remember the boggart in 3rd class ?"

"Yes it… Oh !"Hermione clasped both hired hand over her oral cavity in seismic disturbance."Yours was water ! Your afraid of pee. But we knew that didn't we ? You can get through it, you ‘ ve been in the lake before ? You ‘ ve swum over it-"

"That's unlike, when my head ‘ s above water I can cope. Just."Harry shun his eyes and bowed his mind, he felt wretched to be admitting this."But as soon as it closes over my heading I lose it. My mind just goes dummy, I can't think, can ‘ t control myself. I start trying to breath in the water supply, first choking. I don ‘ t even have the common sense to try and float back up to the surface."Harry felt like iron weights had been hooked to the sides of his spirit but he kept going.

"I can fight a dragon again, or werewolves, Voldemort. But I can ‘ t swim."Harry shook his head teacher, trying to hold back teardrop."I can ‘ t swim."

The room was unsounded, the gentle sloshing of the water supply against the bathroom, and the seven teen, sounded unnaturally loud.

"Ah,"Padma said dryly."That could set a problem."

"Could you um…"Ron flapped his hands vaguely."Wear something over your head ? Like a bucket or something ?"

The other marauders shared a looking at and Ron fell silent.

"Ok…"Hermione rubbed her hands together nervously."That ‘ s ok. We can deal with this. We ‘ ll get you better, maybe get you used to it slowly. Immersion therapy. We ‘ ve got almost three weeks before the bit task, we can get you ready."

"Yeah !"Ron brightened up."See, like this !"He jumped forward and pushed Harry's drumhead underwater.

Harry screamed and felt water supply rush into his airway. A moment later he was dragged out of the water and he collapsed against the boundary of the bathroom, coughing up the foamy, multicolor, bathwater.

"What… the hell…"Harry gasped out."Is haywire with you !"

"S…Sorry."Ron mumbled."persuasion it would help."

"Let ‘ s go back to the tower."Parvati suggested suddenly. Even she was finding it hard to be upbeat right now."Maybe we can come up with something in the morning."

Harry nodded, it took too much energy to do anything else.
*


Harry had Chain around his ankles, an ground tackle on the former end. Pulling him deeper and deeper down into the lake. He tried to scream but nothing came out. It was getting darker and darker… smutty. Harry kept screaming but the Joseph Black water filled his backtalk like a gag. It was everywhere.

Harry woke up sweating and shaking and stumbled out of bed. He felt, and smelled, like he had run a marathon. He reached the bathroom and shed his sodden pyjama quickly before spinning the tap for a shower. The nebuliser fell into the piffling tiled cubical but Harry didn't enter, instead he stood outside it shaking.

He hesitantly put a hand forward but as soon as the atomiser splashed it he jerked back. His bosom was racing. He turned the shower off and grabbed his wand, he ran a cleaning charm all over his torso before changing into his robes and scurrying out of the bathroom.
*


"Harry are you OK."person asked him for the 50th metre that day.

Harry growled at him and the scholar scurried off. Harry sighed, it was too much to take.

He had another nightmare that dark, again trapped in the lake. This sentence in a coop that was bolted to the lakebed. He kept trying to get out but the bars were made of steel.

Once again he couldn't bring himself to shower and made do with a cleanup magical spell. When individual offered him a chicken feed of H2O at breakfast he almost cursed them into oblivion.

Harry buried his face in his hands, it was getting spoiled. It was like every nightmare left a slight piece of itself in him. Bulking fear on top of care until he self-destructed.

"Harry…"articulation ? Harry looked up and saw Parvarti's distressed face."We ‘ ve got animate being now… but I ‘ m sure Hagrid won ‘ t mind if you miss it."

Harry shook his foreland and stood up. Maybe something trying to gore him would take his creative thinker off his phobia.

They walked down to Hagrid's cabin. Harry didn't say anything, neither did anyone else.

"commodity first light all,"Hagrid was his usual jolly self."We ‘ re having today ‘ s lesson down by the lake."

No !

Harry almost collapsed on the grass. Hermione and Padma moved off at a run, trying to wiretap Hagrid as he strode off towards the blue expanse.

Harry leadenly put one foot in front of the other. He was vaguely aware of Ron and Neville trying to sing to him but he blanked them out. He stopped as the grass sloped down towards the water. There were some things in penitentiary near the water supply surface, Hagrid was opening one while Hermione and Padma talked to him. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying but the hand movements were pretty emphatic.

Harry felt his forehead get guileful with fret. He tried to maltreat confining to the lake but the sound of it filled his ears. The appease sloshing wafture echoed somehow in his head and became a raging cataract, making it impossible to centre on anything. The water seemed to rise while staying in the same place, creeping tightlipped to is eyes.

Harry's nerve broke and he turned and ran back towards the palace. He heard shouts behind him but ignored them, he needed to get away. It felt like the lake was right behind him, like a chasing animate being. He hit the steps of Hogwarts at a dash and kept going. He had to hide !

All the while the water kept rushing in his ears.
*


The marauder begged out of Hagrid's lesson to go find him. They spit into team and searched the castle. It was nightfall before they found him. Neville and Ron stumbled on him in the dungeons, in a tiny, dead-end corridor. It didn't look like it had been used in years. Harry was just slouched against the binding wall, his weapon tucked into his robes.

"Harry ?"Ron approached carefully.

Harry didn't answer, his gaze was fixed of a little dripping section of the ceiling. His middle followed each droplet as it grew, dropped and splashed into a mossy patch on the floor.

"Harry ?"

Drip, drip, drip.

"Are you Ok ?"

Drip, drip, drip.

"Is there anything we can do ?"

Drip, drip, drip… Harry looked up and his heart met Ron's. The red-header almost flinched back, his friends regard was excavate and dull, like all the life had been sucked out of him. But even so it seemed to oblige barely contained fury.

"Yes,"Harry's voice sounded like it was seeping out through stone."I do postulate your help."

"Ok ? What do you need us to do ?"

"I need us three to go back up to the prefects bathroom."Harry clenched his hands, he even seemed to be trembling."And you ‘ re going to try that ducking therapy thing again. Except this time you ‘ re gon na hold me under."
*


Harry turned the lights-out to full and forced himself to watch as the bath filled to the lip. He didn't add any Georgia home boy, he had a feeling he would be inhaling a good deal of this water.

"Are you sure you want to do this Harry ?"Neville said nervously.

"I have to."Harry tensed himself and slipped one leg down into the water. He felt like his cutis was tightening up, like his altogether leg had pin and needles. He gritted his teeth and dropped the residue of his organic structure in. Already he felt like screaming, the weewee was everywhere.

"Ok, Neville you ‘ ve got a sentinel ?"Harry said through chattering dentition that had nothing to do with the temperature.

"Yes."

"Ok,"Harry began taking deep intimation in grooming."Keep me under for five s, whatever I do. We ‘ ll thrust it up from there."

"Are you su-"

"Stop asking me if I'm certain !"Harry snapped. He turned to Ron, who was already in the bath."Do it !"

Harry closed his eyes and felt handwriting close around his berm. A moment later he was dunked down. He tried to keep his lip shut but as soon as the water closed over his head he panicked and breathed in a great swig of piddle. His lungs and throat burned and he flailed helplessly.

After what felt like a lifetime he was pulled to the surface. He collapsed against the side of the bath and lay there, coughing up his lungs onto the tile. He weakly realized that there was blood integrate in with the water system, he must of bit his knife trying to breathe.

"Was that five endorsement ?"Harry said weakly once he had stopped coughing.

"Yes."

"Make the next one ten."

"Harry !"Ron protested."I can ‘ t do this to you ! The tournament ‘ s not worth this !"

"It ‘ s not even about the tourney any more."Harry shook his fountainhead."It's got so often worse I can't assume a shower, I can ‘ t go near the lake. I ‘ m dehydrated because I don ‘ t even want to drink a chicken feed of pee. I can ‘ t live like this. please mate… ten seconds."

Harry felt Ron move towards him through the body of water and pull him to his human foot. Harry took a thick intimation and closed his eyes.

Again he was plunged into hellhole. Harry broke again and gulped in piddle. He saw lights flash on the inside of his eyelids. He felt like the Bath had become a whirlpool spinning him around and around. Every muscle clenched and released like he was having a seizure. The brightness level faded, and dark replaced it.
*


Harry woke confused. He was lying on a bed, with shroud over him. He wasn't wearing his glasses so the domain in nominal head of him was blurred. His chest felt heavy and breathing was hard.

"Where am I ?"He croaked out.

"The hospital wing Mr Potter. You stopped breathing. Mainly because your lungs were wide of water."A white blob appeared into Harry's sight and a here and now later his Methedrine were returned. dame Pomfrey straightened and shook her brain."You've been here two twenty-four hour period repairing the damage, your lungs were damaged. You were really remarkably stupid, I don ‘ t even love what to say this time."

"At least I can ‘ t blame this one on stairs."Harry smiled weakly. The school nurse snorted.

"You ‘ re friend is over there."She jerked her head at another bed where Ron lay."He hasn ‘ t left since you were brought in. He seems to find shamed over something."

"Sorry."

"Don ‘ t say it to me, say it to him."dame Pomfrey turned to will then asked."Do you require anything ?"

"My throat hurts."

"I ‘ ll get you something for it."Madam Pomfrey bustled off.

Harry cleared his pharynx,

"Ron !"At the sound of Harry's voice the marauder stirred."Ron wake up."

"Harry ? Harry you ‘ re awake !"Ron rubbed his eyes and slid out of bed."I ‘ m so disconsolate Harry, you stopped moving but I kept you under. I thought you were getting used to it… I didn't know you ‘ d blacked out. I almost killed yo-"

"Because I told you to."Harry broke in."You didn ‘ t screw up, I did. And if I wasn ‘ t so screwed up in the first stead none of this would be necessary."

"You ‘ re not screwed up Harry. You ‘ re just… Harry."

"I jump onto trains."Harry shook his head and laughed, but here was no humor in it."I ‘ m fourteen and I ‘ ve murdered two people you can ‘ t tell me that ‘ s normal."

"But that was self defense."

"And I didn't even hesitate ! I just stabbed them !"Harry continued."I have incubus, I ‘ m aquaphobic and I remember thing I shouldn ‘ t know. Something ‘ s wrong with me."

"But-"

"I manipulate people, I have no good sense of when I ‘ ve gone too far, I potioned a teacher, dueled another one, I lie, I cheat, I steal. You can ‘ t tell me I ‘ m normal, not with a flat face."

"But Harry,"Ron moved up and put a paw on his shoulder comfortingly."All that hooey's what makes you you."

"being me sucks."Harry rolled over away from Ron. Madam Pomfrey returned with a looking glass of pee and a humble roller of down liquid.

"drinking all of it. It ‘ s quite bitter."She disappeared into her federal agency again.

Harry reached out and gulped down the aniseed flavored potion. He reached out for the water methamphetamine but his fingers stopped an column inch from the glassful. Harry sighed deeply and dropped back onto the bed.

"What is it Harry ?"Ron asked.

"It didn ‘ t work."Harry breathed faintly."It didn ‘ t even work."
*


"Bellevue."Harry spoke the countersign then knocked on the door.

"seminal fluid in."

Harry turned the hold and stepped into the client quarter of Hogwarts. A few of the synagogue handmaidens were sitting at the board recitation, they looked up pointedly as he entered. He tried to ignore them. He walked over to where Pythea was sitting by the window on a petty couch. Harry pulled over a hot seat and sat.

"Are you feeling break ?"Pythea asked, though she didn't sound concerned.

"Yes. Thank you."

"I looked in on you in the infirmary wing, but I couldn't stay."Pythea's eye's flickered to the white robed women around the table.

"That ‘ s alright."Harry smiled."That ‘ s not what I came here about. I need advice."

"About the back task ?"Pythea smiled faintly."You fear it."

"Yeah."Harry answered, not bothering to wonder how Pythea knew."I don ‘ t think I can do it. I mean there are spells and things, bubblehead magical spell, Neville suggested gillyweed. But none of them ‘ ll work for me, not if I go crazy the crying I hit the water supply. I don't know what to do. I ‘ m scared Thea, I need help."

"Are you asking for my advice as an oracle ?"Pythea cocked her head."Or as a Friend ?"

"Please Thea,"Harry begged."Just return me something."

"I have advice for you Harry."Pythea took his hand in hers."But you may not wish it."

"Tell me."

"springiness up."

"What ?"Harry frowned, confused.

"Don't compete in the secondment project. You can still win on the third even if you get zero for this one."

"But… The goblet ‘ s a back contract."Harry shook his head."I have to compete."

"You have to compete in the tournament."Pythea corrected."There have been assorted prison term in the past where a champion has skipped a undertaking for health check ground. And a phobia is a legitimate health check reason."

"But… I ‘ d have to tell them."Harry bit his lip."The whole school would know."

"You fear that happening ?"

"Yes."

"more than than you fear the lake ?"

"No."Harry shuddered and shook his headway."Why are you telling me this ?"

"Because I hate to see you suffer Harry."She was rubbing her fingers unconsciously on his hand."But even more I hate to see you scared."

Harry nodded faintly. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea.

"But I still have hope."Pythea smiled suddenly."You always think of something."

"Ok, that was your supporter answer."Harry smiled."What ‘ s the oracular one ?"

There isn ‘ t one Harry. There never is with you.

Harry was about to reply but Pythea put a finger's breadth to her backtalk and smiled.

"Would you like a game of chess while you ‘ re here ?"She said out loud.

"cheat with a mind-reading seer."Harry rolled his centre."This should be fun."
*


Harry took Pythea's spec of Bob Hope that he would recollect of something and clung onto it like a lifeline. He spent every availably present moment in the subroutine library trying to find some former way into the lake. He researched stellar projection, animagi, freezing and boiling piece and obscure charm. He got his protagonist to brew a potion of courage to try to overwhelm the fear but it wasn't enough and the effect only lasted a few proceedings anyway.

So it came to be the night before the job and Harry was still in the library, sitting behind a pile of books, despairing.

There was no solvent, he should just give up.

"Burning the midnight oil Potter ?"Harry heard Malfoy's representative and jerked his foreland up to see the boy walk out from behind a bookshelf, a hatful of leger under his arm.

Harry's forehead furrows as he worked back through Malfoy's sentence. It took him a few minute to solve out what was bothering him about it. There hadn't been an abuse in it ! It had been a uncomplicated, formula question.

"Yes, I see you are too."Harry pushed some of his own volume aside and the Slytherin sat down. The books he had all had similar statute title to Harry's own."You have a program for tomorrow ?"

"Yes."Malfoy nodded."Just making sure enough nothing can go wrong. You ?"

"No."Harry admitted shaking his head."No I ‘ ve got nothing."

quiet reigned in the dark, musty library.

"You must possess something."Malfoy said, shrugging."A piddling spell or so-"

"No."Harry shook his chief again."Nothing that will mould for me."

"But wh…"Malfoy leant back in his president. Harry could almost see the gearing turning in his mind."The Boggart in third year…"

Harry said nothing, he didn't have to.

"You ‘ re afraid of weewee ?"

Silence.

"That ‘ s… not good for you then."Malfoy smiled."But very dependable for me."

"Screw you Peroxide !"Harry sneered and knocked over a raft of Book into Malfoy's lap."And get off my table !"

"You invited me here."

"I un-invite you."

"Too bad, I ‘ m settled now."Malfoy leant back and flipped a playscript open, balancing on the back two branch of his death chair. Harry had the unbearable urge to tip him over.

Harry gritted his teeth and ignored him, pulling another account book over. A few minutes passed in silence then…

"Potter, what the hell is Peroxide ?"

"Muggle thing,"Harry muttered."ejaculate to think of it it wasn ‘ t much of an insult."

"You must be stressed then,"Malfoy said without looking up from his book."If you can ‘ t even insult correctly."

"Would you like me to try again ?"Harry jabbed."I ‘ ve got lots."

"I tend to stick with mudblood."

"grounds of a wakeless lack of imagination."Harry shut his volume and picked another."Is it potential you're parents accidentally lobotomized you as a child."

"No."Malfoy replied coldly.

"Is it possible you're parents intentionally lobot-"

"gaoler you shortarse !"

Harry chuckled despite himself and dropped his eyes back to the text in straw man of him. It had some information about an antediluvian wizard who was able-bodied to part seas. It also said the knowledge of how to do so had been lost millennia ago. He dropped that one as well and grabbed another.

"Really scared of water ?"

Harry ignored Malfoy and sank bass into the book.

"And you can ‘ t think of a way around it ?"

Harry sighed and looked up. Malfoy was staring at the ceiling, abstruse in thought.

"Courage potion… ?"

"Tried it, force doesn't last long enough."

"A translation of some form ?"

"Any transformation that keeps my mind intact keeps my phobias intact as well."

"How about charming an animate being to get whatever-it-is for you ?"

"Against the normal of the contest."

"Some variety of diving bell ?"

"Now you ‘ re just scraping the bottom of the barrel."Harry sunk onto his hands on the table."facial expression it, if I ‘ ve had weeks to total up with an answer you ‘ re not gon na get it in one night. I ‘ ve been racking my brains trying to think of some way that's within the rules but it just isn ‘ t there."

"Well how about remote them."Malfoy shrugged."You said you were going to cheat anyway."

"In front end of the entire school ? And the judge ?"Harry shook his head."I ‘ d never get away with it."

"Is this Harry potter I ‘ m talking to or some sort of imposter."Malfoy laughed dismissively."You don't worry about how to get away with things. You do them and get away with them later."

Harry opened his mouth to object but a light-bulb came on in his idea. He stood suddenly, driving his chairman back.

"I need different books."He stated suddenly before turning and walking away. After a second he turned and said,"Thank you."

"I owed you one."Malfoy said, his centre back on the book in straw man of him.
*


"Ginny !"

Why is he shaking me ?

"Ginster wake up !"

"Harry ?"Ginny woke slowly and groggily."Harry it ‘ s still the middle of the night."

"I know."

"How did you even get up the stair ?"

"Listen Gin, I need to take over the Chimera."Harry was whispering but he sounded insistent.

"Sure Harry."Ginny shook her mind, clearing cobwebs."What do you need it for ?"

"Can ‘ t tell you."Harry smiled evilly."If I told you you ‘ d be an accessory."

"An accoutrement to what ?"Ginny was wide awake now.

"A Harry potter Plan !"Harry grinned in the dark, then disappeared.
*


"Mr Potter…"Minerva McGonagall licked her lips and stopped speaking. All around her the various adult were starting to giggle, the students too. Dumbledore was giving Harry an appraising looking at, Maxim was laughing openly, Crouch just looked scandalized.

They were standing by the boundary of the lake, the second task was about to take up and all but one of the whiz were wearing bathing suit. Those three were the ones giggling at the fourth.

"Mr Potter…"She tried again, pointing at what thrower was carrying."That is a broomstick."

"Yes, I am aware of that."

"Is it possible you misunderstood what the undertaking before you consists of."

"Anything ‘ s possible."ceramist shrugged.

"You realize that the broomstick will not even operate underwater ?"

"Yes."

"Is there any luck that you will tell me what you ‘ re planning."

"No."

McGonagall shook her head and turned back towards the stands. Behind her the champions moved into pipeline by the boundary of the lake. She shook her head as commercial traveller read out the rules in his flash booming voice, then…

"One… two… THREE !"

Harry scene into the air like a bullet and careened backwards towards the sales booth. Audience members scattered but Harry managed to regain control at the death minute and pulled up to dissipate over and out, following the curved shape of the lake until he disappeared behind a hill.

"Did he run away ?"

"Where did he go ?"

murmuring broke out around the stands. McGonagall shook her head, they had said the like things finish sentence and Harry had come through.

Her eyes were drawn to the top stand, to the sliver of white amongst the wickedness robes. The Pythea was standing before her rear, her optic fixed in the counseling Harry had disappeared. A bit later she started laughing, a percipient Chrystal laughter that flowed over the stands.

McGonagall looked out to try and see what she was seeing but saw nothing. A moment later a anatomy appeared in the lake, rounding the hill that had hid it from aspect and pushing out quickly into the open water.

One by one the crowd fell silent, every eye fixed on the thing in the lake. McGonagall put her mitt to her mouth, even given a thousand eld she would never have thought of this.

Karkaroff was the first to break the silence. Shooting from his chair, his face red with furore he raised his fist and yelled,

"THAT LITTLE BASTARD ! HE ‘ S STOLEN MY BLOODY SHIP !"



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