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 blooming thing was taunting him he was sure. He had run some detection charm over it and been shocked to find that the thing was wrapped up six path from William Ashley 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 former that day when Harry was dragging his way through some antediluvian runes homework."With the plan, what do we need to do now ?"

"We have to wait now Neville."Harry had looked up and met his friend eye with a smile."Which could end up as the hardest part. But we can't do anything until some clobber plays out. Bear with me…"Harry added as his friends face fell."… for now we ‘ re bash on aim. You know the plan."

In world the plan was far from on fair game, in fact it had taken a hideous lurch. It had happened one breakfast not long after Christmas…

"Harry…"Harry looked up from his arena of cereal at the tone of stark revulsion in Ron's voice.

"Yes ?"But Ron just pointed wordlessly over at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was holding a ling with a feel of unadulterated happiness on his face."So he has a new ling ? We knew his father would buy him a new one."

"F… ff… Firebolt."That was all Ron appeared to be able to say. His face was ash white as he fumbled a Quidditch magazine out of his bag and spread it out in front of Harry, his handwriting shaking as he pointed to a recollective article.

Harry's expression went from confused to fearful then moving swiftly to terrified as he read down the Firebolt's specs. The Chimaera was unspoilt but there was no way she could contend with the raw might of the Firebolt.

"Does this transfer the plan Harry."Harry glanced up and saw that Fred and Saint George had moved down the table. Their usual smile dulled to occupy frowns."I, mean… It ‘ s a Firebolt."Harry tossed the powder store back at Ron and shook his head.

"The brooms only as adept as the passenger. We can still pull out this off."Harry tried to make his spokesperson comforting and brace. He kind of succeeded."We will."

But the Slytherin Ravenclaw plot gave them ample evidence that even with a bad rider a pro broom still kicks ass. When the sneaker finally appeared Malfoy was at the early end of the tar and flying much turn down than it and he had still snatched it comfortably before Cho could get anywhere near it. That, coupled with the halo 2001s the rest of the team had had equaled a devastating personnel casualty for the Ravenclaw team.

The most irritating thing was that he really could do aught right now. They needed to wait at least until after the next equal before the plan could progress. Waiting and watching helplessly was excruciation. When he had been working on the chimera it had been like there was a big puzzle laid out in social movement of him and he could cultivate at it until it was finished. Waiting was 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 fire but he had no teaser to solve. He had tried to focus on practicing with his guitar but it wasn ‘ t enough. Then he remembered the locket.

So now he worked on finding ways to bypass its many appealingness and spells. Working on that difficult ( but eventually solvable ) trouble kept his mind off early apparently insolvable problems. Like why he had had share of last Monday twice. Twisting the locket up near the light he tried a few things.

"Lilly. Petunia. Prefect. Open Sesame."The locket remained locked and he dropped his hand in frustration. At to the lowest degree he had worked out that it was a password and not some former method acting of opening but that was about all he had discovered. He had thought of swallowing his superbia and asking professor Lupin his advice. The teacher hadn't known it was a locket but he might have had some estimation or at to the lowest degree be able to establish him the figure of her childhood darling."James River. Dog Star. Peter. Rose."Harry tried then gave up and binge the thing back into his pocket.

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

And fell twenty feet onto stale 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 story. There was no tugboat above him and the walls 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 phantasma down the Granville Stanley Hall."New, but not finished as yet."A tall man with a encompassing face fungus and a mane of red haircloth, barely held down by a beat-up hat, moved into thought and knelt down by Harry. His accent was antediluvian and his clothes matched that description as did the jeweled sword in his hand. A thick 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 sword into it, appeared to rummage around for a moment then drew out a short-circuit rod topped with a watch crystal ball. As he waved the scepter over Harry it emitted a quick light and Harry felt the contusion of his fall disappear even quicker than Madam Pomfrey could feature managed."There, all better."The man smiled and dropped the rod back into his hat.

"You got a hare in there too."Harry quipped. Falling back on light-mindedness as the more sane portions of his brain waved short bloodless flags.

"A rabbit ? Why would one keep a coney in a headpiece."The founder smiled."Wouldn ‘ t it nominate rather a mess on the head ?"

The sparkle eyes reminded Harry of Dumbledore, comforting him somewhat.

"How did you come to be here ?"Gryffindor asked as he helped Harry to his feet."Or more accurately speaking ; How did you come to be a good thirty 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 pocket. If anyone could work this affair out…

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

Godric Gryffindor appeared to like a ripe mystery story as much as Harry and pulled what looked like a jeweller eyeglass out of his hat before using it to try out the niggling slip 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 former hand."Have you attempted a peeling yet ? It would certainly be effective."

"Peeling ?"Harry had never heard of a appeal or spell like that."No, what's that ?"

"An apple peel."Gryffindor finished off his pasty and made a douse apparent motion."soak an apple in diviners broth that also has the locket soaking deep within it. Then disrobe the fruit in one strip with a silverish knife. Toss the peel over thy forget shoulder joint and it should organize the shape 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 year. Never this far though."Harry shook his head.

"Truly ?"Gryffindor sounded sad for a here and now and looked at him through the jewelers glass. His eye fell on Harry's thorax on the left side and he let out a dandy sigh."Oh, I am truly drear my boy."

"What ? What is it ?"Harry unbuttoned his shirt and bit back a cry as he saw the massive red mark stretching over the forget half of his bureau. 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 find it because you have not suffered it yet."Gryffindor bowed his headway, a tear bloom in the corner of his eye."Also you will only see it when you are out of your confessedly time. You are caught in the pelter of ages now and there is no way to make it. It will get worsened and forged until the event that caused it in the first place occurs. I wish I had better news 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 drive and effect must be followed, even if they do not happen in the traditional order."

"fountainhead I don ‘ t buy it."Harry shook his oral sex and crossed his branch angrily."I will not eat up this bullshit you ‘ re vending. And I want to go back !"Harry felt his rage insurrection, a salvo of accidental magic made a flagstone crack."I want to go back to my own time, NOW !"Harry pushed his oculus closed then snapped them open. Gryffindor was gone, and the castle was whole again.

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

"WHERE THE hellhole DID YOU come FROM !"

Harry spun and made shushing noises to quite the fat Lady who was now slumped over the back of her chair with her helping hand over her chest, breathing heavily.

"It ‘ s alright, it ‘ s alright. Unguent is the word isn't it ?"

Still staring at him in seismic disturbance the fat noblewoman nodded and opened for him. Harry went quickly through the empty night-time green room and slipped back up into the third-years bedroom.

Gryffindor's Christian Bible troubled him though, even though the unhurt experience still felt kind of surreal. Should he go to Dumbledore ? Would the headmaster assist or just say the Same thing as his long-time forerunner ?

Suddenly Harry remembered something and smiled. He did have individual eminently qualified to do head about prison term and destiny. Grabbing a calamus and parchment Harry jotted down a foresightful billet to his Greek pen-pal. Originally he only meant to ask about the torrent but as he wrote he began to include everything that had happened since his last alphabetic character until the missive was respective sheets long.

"Digger will not be happy."Harry chuckled as he got out of bed for the second clip that dark. Not wanting to wake the fat gentlewoman again after the panic he'd given her he padded over to his favorite windowpane, climbed through it and set off in the direction of the owlery.
*


"Is that a haircloth growth potion potter ?"

"No sir."

"It isn ‘ t ?"

"No sir."

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

"For the first-class honours degree sentence ever in my grade you are correct. You have not brewed a hair growth potion. You have not even attempted to brew a tomentum growth potion. Can you excuse to me why you have brewed a different potion, from a different book. Brewed what appears to be a diviners broth that is not even on the Hogwarts programme. 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 green deal that filled his cauldron.

"I blame society sir."

"Society ?"

"Yes sir."

"fifty points from Gryffindor."

"wellspring deserved sir."
*


Almost a hebdomad 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 marauders if they could stick it out. The potion wasn't that hard, it was just beyond Harry's abysmal level of skill. Somehow the two Set to Twin had puzzled it out. Harry smiled to himself, had he just referred to Fred and George IV as marauder ? Well, they almost were, but Vinca minor didn't like them because they had throw a bucket of swill through her once so they'd have to apologize before they could be officially sworn in.

But now he was tromping through the rain, looking for an apple. Or at least an apple Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, he knew a magical spell to make it stand a yield out of time of year. When he'd read 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 apple tree diagram's on the grounds were ( the ones on the safe incline of the Mrs. Humphrey Ward obviously ). Unfortunately what he hadn't counted on was that they were mostly small wild tree diagram with fruits not nearly large enough to produce a thoroughly Peel. He needed a big cooking Malus pumila or something.

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

"Sod this."Harry grumbled and pulled his gown closer around himself. On instinctive reflex he checked the tegument on his allow side, knit stitch and unblemished, to reassure himself that he was still in the the right way time. His fingerbreadth moved to his pendent hanging on its new range. 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 shovel to stick around there until the oracle had a reply for him to redeem her making four trips.

"I ‘ m testing one final stage tree then getting inside where it ‘ s warm."Harry stomped through the mud down to a wizened old Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree by the lakeshore. And performed the charm one last time.

"Bugger."More pocket-size fry. Harry was about to move around away and walk back up to the castle when he saw a splash of color on the far savings bank. Scrambling out on the solution of the old tree to get a better look he bit back an oath. There was a little daughter lying on the Orient banking company, one-half in and half out of the Dubya near the edge of the preclude timberland. She wasn't moving and she was facedown in the water.

"HEY !"Harry yelled for anyone listening."SOMEONE ! HAGRID !"But the breaking wind took his Word away."Oh my god. Why does this stuff always befall to me ?"

Harry looked around for an choice selection but saw nothing.

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

For a moment the water closed over his head and he breathed in a mouthful of water in electrical shock and terror but he bobbed to the aerofoil and coughed it up before striking out for the stricken figure on the far bank. He had to go a minuscule way out from the money box to stave off the edge of the ward but then he could hail back in and eventually dragged himself up onto the far bank.

"I am never doing that again."Harry breathed as he staggered towards the fille."No Thomas More lakes."

As he neared the girl the half of her that had been hidden in the crotch hair came into persuasion and he stopped in shock. She wasn't a girl at all, she was a centaur. And she had a massive insect bite on her slope, red and scabbed. Harry moved forward and dragged her grimace out of the water.

"daughter ?"Harry slapped her nerve and tried to listen for breathing. She was still warm."Wake up !"

Suddenly the centaurs eyes changeable unfold and she coughed up a sight of lake body of water into Harry's lap.

"You alright ? Hey ?"

"Of line, I am alright."The young woman voice was decrepit but she seemed to be working her legs as if trying to get up."We are not fragile like humans."

"Not fragile eh ? Looks like someone managed to break 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 moon in the sky."This morsel is twenty-four hour period old. I was just disoriented and I wandered away from my herd."

"Will you… I mean are you…"

"Infected ?"She used the news like a aspersion."Of track not. Lycanthropy is a human illness."

"Shall I get Dumbledore ? Or Hagrid ?"

"Unnecessary."She waved a human being 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 hitch 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 palace being rapidly obscured by trees."It ‘ s right 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 timber. After half an time of day or so Harry heard something huge approach and tensed. But then relaxed as three centaur emerged from the undergrowth.

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

"Of form father."The fille replied nark 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 neck."detestation !"

"curse, we need to kill him now !"The 3rd centaur said blow and fearfulness dripping from his voice. Lachesis and her father were standing off to one side of meat."We can not risk him living."

"I thought we did not harm foals."The Father moved in closer and reached out for the loss leader shoulder.

"He is an exception."The third spoke."Do you ravel know how deviate he is ? How unsafe ?"

"Um…"Harry's head just kept flicking from position to side, trying to follow the conversation. running was unsufferable, he was in their woods."Is this about the torrent…"But Lachesis interrupted him.

"He saved my lifetime don. The herd has spirit debt to him."They did ? First Harry had heard of it. The leading Centaurus had still not spoken but grimaced and lowered his bow.

"For the debt the Danton True Young 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 spring a confirming nod.

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

"Damwain, show him to Hogwarts."Bane was already turning and moving off through the undergrowth. Harry was relieved to see that Damwain was Lachesis'father and not the third gear centaur who had been so purport on killing him. Damwain set off the way Harry had come and Harry had to clip to restrain up. After a while the quiet began to fret on Harry and he decided to break it.

"Why did the early Centaur want to kill me ?"Harry asked as he stumbled over a root.

"Not other."The centaur said curtly.

"What ?"

"Not early centaurs. I also want to kill you, but I will hold on to the police of our kind that prohibit harming the young and I acknowledge my daughter debt to you."

"But why ? What have I done to so royally piss off the entire centaur 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 ages ?"Harry guessed. The centaur looked up and the maven and sighed.

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

"Does the torrent have anything to do with why the loup-garou are gathering ?"

"What potential connection could there be between those things ?"The Centaurus scoffed."No the werewolves gather for an altogether different reason."

"Which is… ?"

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

"Does he ?"Harry asked.

"I seriously doubt it."Damwain scoffed."The Hogwarts Ward have stood against the peachy minds in generations. They will not fall to something little more than an animal."Damwain fell silent then came to a halt. He turned to Harry and said…

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

"Do you think I want to continue visiting the blooming tabu forest !"Harry yelled after him.
*


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

"That's what he said. track 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 serious !"Hermione chided them."This is important."

"You're telling me. The Centaur want to shoot down Harry !"Ron said, aghast.

"I meant about the werewolves !"

"But the Aaron Montgomery Ward observe them out."Ron narrowed his eye. Harry groaned, an argument was about to take off."I think a unharmed species who want to meet Harry with pointer is 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 centaur or your precious werewolves."Ron crossed his arms triumphantly.

"That doesn ‘ t make it a good thing ! We should…"Hermione continued talking as Harry gently stood a large Bible up on its edge between the arguing dyad and the rest of the piranha. The disceptation safely contained Harry turned and asked…

"Any comments from the non-old-married-couple section of the table ?"The marauders grinned ( except for Annapurna who was moping a piddling. She hadn't liked having her illusions about centaur shattered. )

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

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

"well I agree it's a puzzle."Harry said shaking his headspring."But I ‘ m really not going to be visiting the forest 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 form of problem ?"… so I think we need to focus on the werewolves."

Reluctantly the marauders nodded.

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

"Oh !"A noise came from beyond the script barrier and a moment later Hermione pushed it down."Maybe he did."

"What do you have in mind ?"

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

"Barbara Ward would barricade 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 Professor Lupin is a werewolf."

The tabularize went silent in seismic disturbance. Then…

"Of course ! It all scene, he ‘ s ‘ sick'during full moon. His bogart is the full moon ! It all fits !"Anapurna 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 exercise it out Dumbledore could."

"professor Snape knows."Hermione added."He must do, that's why tried to instruct us about werewolf. So we ‘ d body of work it out."

"Do you call back he ‘ s gathered the werewolves."Anapurna said in a pipe down tone.

"it's the right 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 marauder stared at him.

"Doing what Harry ?"Ron asked.

"I have had enough déjà vu this class without intentionally repeating concluding year. We. Will. Not. jumping. To. Conclusions."Harry punctuated each word by poking the table hard."Last class we went off all righteous against professor Michelson and we turned out to be dead wrong. We won't do that again."

"Harry…"Ron said as if explaining something to a child."We have a wolfman, we have a gathering of werewolves. That's not jumping to conclusions that's putting two and two together."

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

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

"No ?"Harry stood up suddenly."Army of the Pure ask him."

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


"Professor lupin listen…"Harry pushed open the threshold to the teachers spot 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 second. His rima oris began working but no audio came out.

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

"So we know you ‘ re a werewolf, we know the afforest currently has a werewolf job. Naturally certain questions have arisen from this state of affairs namely ‘ Are you in any way involved ? ’. I personally think the reply is no, certain of my friends are not so sure and it would be remiss of me to force out their suspicions as they are, after all, not unfounded."Harry said all this in one hint then stood waiting for an answer. A civilized coughing made him turn around. Professor Dumbledore was sitting at a table behind him. He did not appear pleased.

"You ‘ re obviously meddlesome I ‘ ll come back later."Harry hadn't moved a single step before the doorway 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 please explain why you left the school yard last night ?"

Damn.

"Um… There was a Centaurus hurt, at the position of the lake. I went to see if I could help. She was face down in the water."Harry was immediate to add."If I had gone to fetch someone she could have died in the entail prison term. Ask Damwain, or… or nemesis. They were there."Harry had though centaur-name dropping might add credibleness to his story. In fact neither Dumbledore nor lupine reacted to his statement.

Suddenly the room darkened, the spark from the windows fading into night. Harry quickly checked his thorax, the wound was there. Harry looked up too see that Dumbledore and Lupin were still in the elbow room, this meter sitting in two comfortable chairs.

"It ‘ s just…"Lupin began, his voice catching."… he looks so like him."

"I know Remus, I know."Dumbledore was holding a mug of something steaming. It had a marshmallow natation in it."Have you been watching him ?"Dumbledore gestured to a chide piece of paper 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 closer for fear of being seen.

"Yes. I have."Was all Lupin said before the elbow 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 to the lowest degree narrate me whether you knew professor lupin was a werewolf before you punish me ?"

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


"The whole castle ! ?"Ron squeaked.

"Every square in of corridor."Harry repeated to the dumfounded predator."With this."He held up a minor hand brush.

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

"I have a tactual sensation that they ‘ re using this one thing they can establish as an excuse to punish me for all the things 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 least of them."

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

"I ‘ m could espouse that shade !"

Harry went out that day and acquired a monumental gullible apple from the Tree. Returning to Gryffindor tugboat in a rush he set up the diviners broth and dropped first the locket then the apple into it.

"come on, fare on."Harry urged, looking at the clock. When the needed five minutes were up he fished both detail out of the broth and reached for a atomic number 47 knife. He had to be thrifty now, a error would mean he had to commence all over. Slowly, carefully he peeled it in a single prospicient whorl that ended up all over the table. He'd cut quite deep so the peel wouldn't break and now wondered if that was a problem.

"Only one way to find out."Harry moved so that the table was behind him and threw the Peel over his left articulatio humeri. Turning he saw the skin snaking around violently, kinking and twisting as it formed recognizable letters. A tenacious watchword for an apple peel, it had had to stretch and still only just managed it.

Harry picked up the locket and, with some trepidation, spoke the word. The locket fell open in his hand and he held it up to his eye to get a practiced look 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 with, slid the box into his bag, grabbed the peel, tore it up so no one else could interpret the password then, to be sure, threw the peel in the flack and then sat down.

"I hate mysteries."Was all he said.



Ooooo ... Mysterious ! Please review.


disclaimer ... blah blah bombast ...



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

Harry rolled his eye, Ron would be talking about this all week. The Chimera's performance had been impressive though, he had to profess. Ginny had slipped past Cedric Diggory, using her brooms improved manageability to body-swerve him, and had left him floundering in the inwardness of the rake 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 work force behind his headway."It means we can impress on with the plan."

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

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

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

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

"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."
*


"Pathetic Potter. Absolutely Pathetic."

Harry leaned over and looked at the jell mess at the bottom of his cauldron.

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

"Twenty decimal point from Gryffindor for your insolence potter and ten Sir Thomas More for the potion. Honestly potter, having you in this schoolroom is nothing more than a waste of meter and potion ingredients."

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

"WE WERE NOT devising A quiescency POTION !"

"Oh…"Harry flipped to the side by side 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 vacillate as he stood in front man of Harry's desk."How about the sheep ‘ s liver, was I meant to add that ?"

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

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

Snape turned around, his gaze screamed flaming murder.

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

Harry sighed theatrically then stiffened as he felt another painful twinge at the spine of his learning ability. He tore his eyes away quickly and mumbled.

"Yes sir."Snape turned away.

"Occlumency still not working Harry ?"Parvati 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 header onto his weapons system dejectedly. He honestly wasn't that bothered about Occlumency any Sir Thomas More but it had reminded him of something else. Pythea still hadn't wrote back.
*


The day of the Gryffindor Ravenclaw game dawned miry and wet. A stabilize deluge that patterned great glum stains across the castles walls and made it look like it was crying.

Harry was a screaming ball of nerve as he sat with the other predator near the top of the Gryffindor point of view. Anything could go legal injury, 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 nada he could do.

"Will the rain 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 living in disaffirmation ? Because I don't want to let down anyone ? Because I'm delusional ? Because if I actually admitted that there's a very safe chance this could go fantastically pear shaped on us I might just get going crying ?

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

"Stop saying that."Padma was grinding her teeth together."It doesn ‘ t help."

"Shh ! Here they come."

"WOOD ! Johnson ! doorbell ! SPINNET ! WEASLEY, WEASLEY AND WEASLEY !"

The team swept onto the pitch, their robe quickly becoming spattered and sodden.

"Here we go."cerebration Harry as he tugged his coat closer around him.

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

"We have to have at least twelve end when Ginny catches the canary or we lose to Slytherin."The second gear year said dreamily."Ravenclaw have to have 30 seven finish before they catch it. Its as plain as frackswhiskers."

Harry smiled, how wrong she was.
*


"Another end for Ravenclaw !"Ginny saw the bluish section of the stands erupt in sunshine beneath her.

"Sorry Angelina ! I was aiming for hunt !"She heard Fred squall their team-mate shoved two fingers up at him.

"Gryffindor now ahead by just four goals !"Yelled Lee Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan."Wake up Twin Falls ! What are you doing out there !"

Ginny shook her pass. Gryffindor had had a comfortable six goal jumper lead but now they were down to just four. And they still didn't have enough to beat out Slytherin. She could see Cho out of the corner 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 gold. The snitcher had to descend out sometime, not that it would do either team any beneficial. 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 snitch. But Cho must have sensed something was wrongfulness and a here and now later had spotted it herself. The old seeker torus after it and Ginny was forced to tail her, cursing.

Ginny tried to get between Cho and the snitch to stop the older seeker. Ginny knew she couldn't catch it yet, they'd win the couple 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 deal away. So close, Gryffindor just needed one more finish. Cho was reaching again and Ginny shoulder barged her to create her miss. Ginny tried to pull ahead but whatever she did Cho seemed to be able to match her. However toilsome she pushed Cho seemed to be able to stay just a picayune bit ahead of her. It was just a matter of clip, she couldn't keep back the Ravenclaw off forever. Cho was reaching out again…

"Sorry Oliver."She thought, and grabbed the sneak. A cheer went up around the lakeshore 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 Grant Wood looked resigned."I don ‘ t inculpation you."

"cheerfulness up Olli !"Fred floated past times, strangely jubilant.

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

"What does that think ?"Ginny frowned. But it was as if a igniter had just gotten switched on in Oliver Natalie Wood straits."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 linguistic rule ‘ s so old they never bothered to overturn it."His twin came up, placed his arm on her other shoulder and said….

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

Ginny's centre went wide and she looked over at the Slytherin stands and caught a cold Zane Grey gaze staring back at her. It could have been her imagery but she could have sworn she saw Malfoy mouth the watchword ‘ rematch ’.

"Do you have sex how the Duel works Ginny ?"Oliver wood sounded like he could barely keep the joy from his voice.

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

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

"No deception and no interfering with the other seekers broom."Angelina said, off to one side."Everything else is on the board. 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 last opportunity at the Quidditch cup. My very lowest fortune, so get the snitch or die trying."

Ginny's eyes went extensive with fear.
*


"Are both quester ready ?"Madam hooch asked, looking between them. Ginny took her ling from Harry and nodded, he ‘ d been giving it a lowest hour look-over before the duel. Malfoy just scoffed."Very well then."She opened the box that contained the snitcher and held it in her hands. Ginny looked over to see the almost feral feel in Malfoy's eyes.

"On, your marks."

He'll pop me…

"Ready…"

Oh god…

"Set…"

I'm going to die !

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

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

She had to remain 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, she blocked him. He swerved right, she twitched in front again and heard him cry out in frustration.

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

Once more he tried to overtake her and she used The chimaera's hair-trigger turning big businessman to cut him off again.

"Good girl."She urged the ling on. The snitch was tantalizingly close."Just a little more."But she felt something brush her leg. Malfoy had managed to sneak to her incline ! In another second he would be in figurehead of her !

With the candidate of losing the cup filling her creative thinker she did the merely thing she could cogitate of. She pulled back her leg and aimed with her heel. She just had time to cross-file the cushion hit Malfoy's face.

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

She looked back up and caught sight of the golden ball. Straining up she reached…
*


"YES !"The Gryffindor stand erupted in sunniness. Harry even leapt to his ft and yelled himself gymnastic 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 squad was landing. Oliver Sir Henry Joseph Wood was floating down with his arms wrapped around Ginny whispering…

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

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

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

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


Damn.

prof Snape clenched his hands into fists 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 office that he even had a petty shelf in his cabinet for it.

To let come down to an demand draw, of all the abysmal lot. Then being forced to rely on a seeker that had bribed his way onto the team. The trivial slip of a Weasley girl had humiliated him. And he could not even find fault this loss on ceramist ( he refused to believe the ridiculous rumor that Potter had made the lady friend Scots heather ).

Then why was ceramicist looking so exultant ? Snape recognised that expression, he had come to detest that aspect all seven years of his time at Hogwarts. The ceramist boy caught his eye and shifted to a mysterious smiling, then nodded towards the scoreboard. Snapes oculus followed.

What were the chances that it would amount to an exact drawing card ? Snape felt a horrible sure thing 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 mates, hitting or just missing their own team-mates. Stopping Gryffindor from getting that last goal. The Yangtze Kiang fille, missing the snitch three metre ? Even for a Ravenclaw that was unlikely. Even the finally game with Hufflepuff. Cedric Diggory had shown no slyness, he had practically shown Malfoy where the fink was. Of course he had, Snape realised, if the game had gone on too long and Slytherin had won by too much Gryffindor could not have been able-bodied to equalize.

Snape's optic were once again drawn to the Potter boys green ones.

Legilimens

He cast non-verbally and after a instant electrical resistance 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 castle. If he was right about her schedule she should be right… Ah !

"Cho ! Cho wait up."Harry trotted up to the older miss, who had just left good luck charm course of study."Been looking for you."

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

"As if that could stop me."Harry rolled his eyes."No, what I was going to say was that I kind of motivation a favor."

"What variety of party favor ?"

"A big one. Listen I ‘ ve never cashed in on the whole saved-everyone-from-Voldemort-before-I-knew-how-to-walk-and-then-twice-again-in-the-last-two-years thing but I really need your help."Harry motioned Cho into the now empty classroom and closed the door."Firstly we need to get some thing 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 xxx four but he wasn't gon na say that.

Cho held out a moment longer, then her shoulder joint slumped.

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

"I know."Harry nodded, not believing his portion that Cho had brought this up of her own pact."Horrible business enterprise 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 variety of what this is about."

"How ?"

"I want to make it so that Ginny can abase him in front of the entire school. Not the unharmed squad, just him. One on one."

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

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

"But Harry there ‘ s no way you can make for certain the biz will come down that way."

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

"No !"Cho's heart suddenly narrowed with intellect."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 contribute a imp'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 draw ? This is about what Malfoy did to my friend, your friend too after last yr, and letting her get even."

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

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

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

"Two stop. One : Fred and George will be stopping Gryffindor from getting that utmost finish. Two : I built The Chimera especial for this."Harry grinned evilly."There's a niggling surprise on there that I ‘ ll remove before the affaire d'honneur. Trust me, she can't walk 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 trivial known benefit of having gossip-queen Parvati as a marauder comes in."… I ‘ ve already got Cedric Diggory on my face. You know him, right ?"Cho's eyes widened a small and she nodded.

"Well, he ‘ s agreed to help me. Little thank you for the entirely snake-army incident in the cellar last year."Harry smiled knowingly at the elder female child."If you did want to help oneself us then we should probably arrange for you to foregather up with him. Discuss… strategy… and stuff."

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

"I know."
*


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

"You !"He pointed at the boy.

"Me ?"potter put his hand to his chest in feigned innocence.

"You… you… you…"

"Me, me, me !"Potter was grinning in his insufferable way. By Falco columbarius he was exactly like William James Potter !

"You will not get away with this !"

"With what pray Tell ?"

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

"Really ? And you can prove it how ?"thrower smiled and knocked away his hand."aim 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 anger changed from a raging inferno to an icy, vengeful aching."But I am still your teacher and I can spend a penny your four More years here a aliveness hell."

"Was that an invitation to train your newt socio-economic class prof ?"

"Potter…"Snape released him and turned away."… you will regret this. gull my words, you will regret this."
*


Harry gulped as the potions master strode away. Perhaps he'd exaggerated things this 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 call this a hush tipple Potter ! ?"

"I…"

"I DO NOT CALL THIS A SILENCING potation !"

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

"This is a wretched mess ceramicist !"

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

"And you won ‘ t ! I will not experience any more run off ingredients !"Snape vanished the contents of Harry's cauldron."You will be doing lines for the rest of this deterrent example James ceramicist. You will write ‘ I will not be an incompetent person, poor, halfwit and a pariah on this school.'in the promise that perhaps the suggestion will sink in."

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

Harry motioned to Padma who held out her arm without speaking. Harry groaned, they had barely had XV minutes of a two hour deterrent example. Harry pulled out a quill and a rag of parchment.

Snape had been making estimable on his ‘ living perdition'promise since the match but Harry was beginning to guess that the potions master had more deep seated issues than a unsubdivided game of quidditch. The fact that he kept calling him James was a definite hint. Snape seemed to be taking out thirteen years of pent-up, un-sated fury on Harry.

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

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

"Lines Sir."Harry had been trying to prevent his cool in Snape's classes. With spotted success.

"These chicken scratchings ? This scrawl ? !"

"Would you like me to make over them Sir ?"Harry had to spring back as his parchment caught on blast and fire away before his eyes.

"Please."Snape blew the parchment ashes into Harry's boldness 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 unjust, you should go to McGonagall. Or Dumbledore."

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

"He ‘ s right Hermione."Ron said from the other incline, then added to Harry."Don ‘ t worry mate, you can neglect his family after OWLs."

"That's not the right hand attitude."Hermione said shrilly."Harry needs to pick up at least basic knowledge of potions to function in wizard beau monde and Professor Snape is stopping him from even participating. You ‘ ll have to canvass really hard if you want to pass the end of year test at this rate."

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

The piranha laughed but Harry stiffened as he realized the verity in his words. He still had the torrent of ages hanging like a guillotine above him. He hadn't had any John Major clock time leap lately, just a few mo here and there. For the love of Merlin why hadn't Pythea written back ?

As if his thought itself had been a charm Digger dropped out of the afternoon sky clutching a letter in his claws. Harry grabbed it and hastily made an exculpation to the startled vulture before slipping out onto the grass outside Hogwarts. Harry sent excavator back to the owlery, promising him treats later to give thanks him for the yearn trip. His workforce shaking, Harry tore opened the gasbag and pulled out the letter inside.

Dear Harry

It is so good to hear from you. I am glad you have taken up my proffer to learn Occlumency, you will ascertain it a useful skill I assure you. I can easily suppose you with a guitar, wandering Hogwarts or sitting in your unwashed room entertaining the other students with vocal and tales. You are right at spinning a serious tale you know, I can tell from your letters.

Harry almost scrunched the letter of the alphabet in thwarting. Usually he enjoyed varsity letter from the lilliputian seer but wasn't it about time she got to the decimal point ?

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

Harry quickly looked ahead through the letter, scanning down and down. There was no acknowledgment of the waterspout or time travel anywhere. Harry fell to the floor in desperation, had she simply abandoned him to his lot ? She had been his finale hope. Pythea's alphabetic character ended without so much as a hint that his own letter had contained the threat of his inevitable death.

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

Your Friend
Pythea

ally ? 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 feel the lump in his pharynx and the tears beginning to form in his optic. Neville's eyes flickered to the letter still clutched in Harry's paw but he scrunched it up and engorge it in his pocket.

"fountainhead defense stratum is starting now."Neville pointed back towards the castling."You sure you ‘ re alright Harry ?"

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

"Anything you want to tattle about ?"

"Not now. Maybe when it ‘ s a little less fresh."Harry pushed open the threshold to the defense classroom. At least he could be assured of a quiet lesson, Professor lupin tended to brush aside him in classes.

"well thrower, I see you decided to decorate us with your presence."

Standing arrogantly at the front of the class was professor Snape. Harry felt like a block of ice was settling into his pectus as he sat down in his usual hot seat, he couldn't take this right now.
*


Harry tried to cover behind his book as Snape stalked around the course. He could still palpate the ice in his thorax and the oaf in his pharynx, if Snape provoked him he would never be able 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…"

amercement, I had no insight.

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

Did I ? Who the hell cares.

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

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

"…and you could not have mangled the spelling and grammatical regulation of the English language 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 gladiola you made that assessment Sir."Harry kept his center down on the book in front of him."It ‘ s the Same one as Professor lupin made."

"But of course hero Potter doesn ‘ t need to learn defense lawyers against the sullen arts."Snape scowled down at Harry."You don't need to pick up how to duel individual properly if you and your three little champion sneak up behind them and attack from trap like cowards."

I have to a greater extent than three friends.

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

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

"You are nothing but a mediocre hotshot at best and a uncollectible you are a shame and yet you are under the mental picture you are untouchable. How I wish this class gave me the opportunity to show you precisely how amateurish you truly are."

"Alright."Harry set his quill down.

"What ?"

The unharmed course of instruction was watching by now.

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


"ejaculate on Professor."The Potter boy was just standing there holding his verge and looking at his shoes."appearance me."

The class was deathly calm. Not a bookman dared move or speak. Out of the recess of his eye Snape could see ceramist's slight friends, wide eyed and frightened, in their seats.

"Are you grave thrower ?"Snape asked.

"Yes."Was all the boy said.

"You will lose."

"Try me."

"You do not have a chance."

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

Snape felt the wrath that was his never-ending companion rising again as he moved to ask a stead paired Potter.

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

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

potter was not even in a dueling stance. Pathetic.

"Two…"

thrower looked up suddenly, his eyes meeting Snape's.

"One…"

A retentivity floating to the open, Potter in the Gryffindor vernacular way holding a shining objective. Lily's pendent ! He would know that minuscule slip of silver anywhere. ceramicist bending over the pendent in his hands and whispering something. The pendent splitting open. Looking inside, a depiction. Lily Evens bundled up against the snow for a Hogsmeade weekend, the snow even still falling in the picture, and holding her by her shoulders keeping her warm… his own face… himself… that flick had been taken in fourth year.

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

"duel !"

"Expelliarmus !"



revue please.


The gerbil made me do it.







Snape's wand clattered to the floor but the teacher didn't seem to give birth noticed. Harry watched as the potions master fell to his stifle on the floor, header bowed, his grimace hidden by his lank greasy hair.

Harry watched, waiting for the burst, but none came. Harry, with much trepidation, knelt down and tried to reckon at the teachers face. Which was why he was the only one in the class to notice 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 shock."I ‘ ve gone too far this time."Harry turned to the class and spread his hands.

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

The students needed no more incentive and quickly scrambled for the relative safe of the corridor.

"Stop !"Harry yelled at some of them as they tried to get away away."I need to let the cat out of the bag to all of you."Harry closed the classroom door behind him and corralled the bookman within earshot.

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

Harry didn't let them allow until he had looked each student in the eye and heard them promise to that effect. They began leaving in unity and twos, scurrying off along the corridor. Harry turned back towards the classroom.

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

"I kind of take to."Harry answered.

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

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

Snape was still where he had been before they left. Harry took a deep breath 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 unhinge you, you know… freak out you out for a moment so I could disarm you. I never thought it would affect you like this."

Snape still said nothing, 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 question if he had been rendered catatonic or something, but there was still an casual drip-drip of teardrops from behind the outer boundary of hair.

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

Snape stayed motionless for a second Thomas More then slowly brought the ash gray locket up to his mouth. Then, in a decease, dolourous part he said…

"thread maker end."

The locket cracked exposed. Snape seemed to break away all at once and started sobbing. His wholly, long, gangly consistency shaking with each sob. Harry didn't really roll in the hay what to do, he certainly couldn't comforter this man who had tormented him so much.

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

He kept going until the box was abandon. Giving a few tidings each to secernate Snape what it was he was giving him, an essay, a letter, a prefects badge. Harry hid the sexual love letters from his don back in his bag. By the prison term nothing was left Snape had stopped crying, he was even breathing a little easier, mystifying breathes instead of the racking sobs that had plagued him a moment ago.

Snape sniffed loudly and put his hired 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. Struck by a twinge of mischief Harry grabbed something back out of his bag, scrunched it between his custody and handed it to Snape.

The potions master took it and blew his nose on the lambskin. After doing so he brought it away from his nose, a shadow of curiosity crossing his face, and looked at it. After a moment of reading the ( now hideously smudged ) letter his optic flickered up and met Harry's. It could have been his imagination, but for a moment Harry thought he saw a waver of a smile.

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

"You mentioned that you told the rest of your class to keep silent."Snape's voice 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 overlord regained a little of his old cattiness and sneer.

"I just…"Harry licked his mouth and started again. As unwilling as he was to give Snape ammo to use against him…"Last year I broke down completely in the hospital annexe. right wing on the level. It was after Colin Creevy got petrified, it all just got too practically for me. At the metre 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 leave. He picked himself up off the floor and headed for the threshold. Snape made no move to stop him. When Harry reached the door 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 hotshot ?"Harry took Snape's muteness as an approving."Wizards… wizards use quills."

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

"And they use trunks even when they can charm bags to hold Thomas More. You use a steam train to get to Hogwarts. This year a steam-boat. We live in a gothic palace, the shop I bought my verge in predates Jesus Jesus Christ and we write on bowl of sheepskin. But its more than just that, lots of wizards are named after penis of their family. A lot Sir Thomas More of them than muggles. Even portraits and ghosts ; half the time we seem to be surrounded by people who died centuries ago. What I ‘ m getting at is…"Harry swallowed in dread at what the reaction to his next point would be.

"… wizards seem to spend a lot of time 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 brim but his middle just seemed confused, even a fiddling 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 hole he leaned against the wall and caught his breath.

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

"We honestly thought you were a toast Harry."Ron said, shaking his forefront. But then his face broke into a smiling."But that was all-fired brilliant what you did !"

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

"What charm 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 cruel it was he ‘ s been horrible to you for three years. You can't tell me it was unfit than what he ‘ s done to you."

"No, it probably wasn ‘ t. But it was spoiled than I ever want to do to anyone else."Harry leant down and laid his nous on his span munition."I don't want to be like them."

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

It was only as Harry got into bed that night that he remembered the letter of the alphabet from Pythea, the duel and its aftermath had blown it completely out of his head. He dug it back out of his robes and read it again, trying to find some pinch of a clew. But there was nothing. goose egg at all.
*


prof Snape dropped the picture back onto the oak table of his quarters and held his foreland in his hired man. The only when igniter in the elbow room came from the guttering cd before him and faded into the darkness around him. Snape refilled his shabu with alerting potion and tried to urinate himself sip it this time. eternal sleep was not an alternative, not at least until he was too tired to dream.

"motion on."Snape growled into the darkness."Were it that easygoing Potter, everyone would be doing it."

The amentia of the boy, telling him to affect on while at the Sami time giving him a sight of photos and a locket that proved she loved him all along. Snape gave up and knocked back a taste of the searing potion.

The locket lay on the board in social movement of him. He hadn't dared open it again for concern of breaking down once more. He picked it up and trailed its silver chain through his finger's breadth. stupe matter. Snape smacked it back down onto the tabletop. But even then his fingers instinctively curled to protect the thing and he ended up skinning his knuckles. His movement blew the candle out too and he was left in bitter darkness clutching the imprecate matter so unvoiced it hurt.

Snape drew his wand out to relight the candle but stopped with it held loosely in his hand. Another enchantment was floating in the front of his mind.

No.

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

"Why…"Snape forced himself to spread out his handwriting."Why wear this but marry him ?"What good sense did that make.

You abandoned me.

No. Snape curled his paw over his face and tried to force the memory down using Occlumency. But in his precondition he could barely deem 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 sacrifice me peace ?

You were my honorable friend.

Be silent.

But you betrayed me.

Please.

I can't make-believe anymore Sev.

I just want to forget.

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

Snape curled his fingers around his auricle, trying to turn back hearing to his own nous. He knew what came next.

I can ‘ t have intercourse this you, not even as a friend. good day Severus.

Snape threw his point back and howled in pain. Oh why conflict it. Snape pointed his sceptre out and yelled…

"Expecto Patronum !"

The room was lit once more by silver light as the spell erupted from Snapes scepter. The silver doe just stood there cocking her header at him. Snape felt tears 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 nous in his lap. She felt quick but Snape knew it wasn ‘ t actual, if he tried to touch her she ‘ d just feel like mist.

Snape laid his fountainhead down on his blazon and closed his center. Later he finally fell asleep like that, leant over the mesa with his look in his blazon, the doe warming him like a pet dog and the locket still held tight in his hand.
*


Harry stared down at his thorax and tried hard to keep his external respiration in check as the vast lesion faded in and out. Harry gritted his teeth and concentrated on staying in this time. The lesion began to fade Thomas More, after a few mo if vanished completely. Harry breathed a sigh of succor, but it was one tainted with awe. It was getting worse.

"Harry you ok in their ?"Ron's vocalization sounded from the lav door.

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

"You don't say ? You ‘ ve been kind of… um…"Ron waved his hands as if searching for the right Good Book."…muted… for weeks. Ever since Snape."

Harry nodded, he had been a little quiet. Intentionally in the beginning, he had known that he needed to keep 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 repose of his social class either, Snape spent about of his moral at his desk and had large bags under his eyes.

But lately the torrent had been getting worse. He had thought that it getting big would mean he'd parachuting further back but in fact it was the opposite word. He kept jumping mo, minutes or time of day back and Forth, respective multiplication a day now. Sometimes the world would simply thrill 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 time like this morning when he simply slipped back and forth like a metronome, the wounds on his chest opening move and closing like outrageous sphincters.

Even tough were the meter 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 and find cereal and toast appear in front of him. lesson were even worse, they could be twice as long as normal or the campana could go when Harry had barely put his Koran down. His marks in family were falling, homework was hard to hand in on 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 evidence him what he already knew.

He was doomed.

"You sure you ‘ re alright Harry ?"

Harry was drawn back from his view by his ally 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 sally ? Ok…"Harry grinned evilly at his friend."‘ monosyllabic ‘ ? Been reading the lexicon Ron ? Or just spending more than time with Hermione ?"Ron blushed and began spluttering…

"No just… I mean why would I…"

"It ‘ s very well Ron. Never mind."Harry shook his top dog, 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 brand you feel better. Get some sun, you ‘ re getting all white and pastelike like Snape."

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

"I might get caught."Harry said lamely.

Harry rightly deserved the horrified public eye Ron gave him.

"Alright."Harry shrugged."I ‘ ll seed. At least the water system ‘ ll be warmer this clip !"
*


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 base home they visited was Zonko's caper shop.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"These are Slytherins we ‘ re talking about."Harry said, paying for the ware."Don't expect great mental feats 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 last sojourn ).

"Just about clip for the leash broomsticks before we head back."Parvati said cheerily as they walked down a backstreet, away from the main concourse."We all need some butterbeer !"

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

"buttery ?"Harry wheedled, grinning.

"wellspring yeah."

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

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

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

"Honestly Ron it just means…"

Harry rolled his middle as Hermione started into an explanation. Ron's eyes glazed over after about the third base word.

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

"It ‘ s not all nice."Padma commented."There ‘ s broken Methedrine here."

Harry looked down. There was split up glass, he looked around and saw that it had come from the upstairs window of a nearby house.

Perhaps it was the want of quietus, perhaps some latent natural endowment as a vaticinator or perhaps some issue of the waterspout but right at that minute Harry felt his tum lurch. There was something terrible behind that broken window.

"hold here."Harry said quietly. The marauder 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 blocks with his fingers and clambered slowly up to the windowpane. He pushed aside the backbreaking curtains but inside the room was empty. A dim stowage piled with boxes with the door undefendable onto the wellspring lit corridor behind.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and began to wax down. When he was about halfway he heard a auditory sensation from inside the house. He stopped, his fingers gripping the John Rock tight. There it was again. Harry scrambled back up and thrust his mind back through the window.

Harry just had time to see chickenhearted teeth streaked with grime and smell rancid breathing space before he was thrown backwards off the wall. He landed with a thump in the garden and looked up in time to see a tousled man, covered in grime and dressed in spoilt rag week leap from the window with something clutched in his script. Harry rolled out of his way and the man hit the ground running, panting like a dog as he dashed out through the logic gate and down the street.

"Stop !"Harry looked up and saw a virtuoso leaning out of the window franticly sending dash of red light after the flee digit."period him ! He took my son !"

Harry jolted himself off the ground and vaulted the wall after the fleeing man. He could pick up the marauders trying to celebrate pace behind him.

"Parvati ! Go to Hogwarts ! Go and recount them what's happened !"Harry felt his watchword carried away by the wind and had no idea whether he was being heard."Neville ! Go warn the small town ! Get help ! Or ling !"

They had reached the end of the short road now and hit the field beyond. Harry jumped the fence and fought his way through the heather after the distant fig. Their quarry had made it well-heeled for them by flattening a path but it was still sound 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 aloof purpleness Scots heather. The smudge dodged and shooter sideways behind a expectant rock before the former marauder spells 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 throw known that ! Harry felt like he was passing acid through his lungs instead of air by the time they reached the John Rock. The panting and gasping he heard behind him told him the marauders were in even short shape. Worse, the figure was nowhere in visual sense and there was no pull in trail to follow.

Ignoring the pain in every muscle Harry pulled himself to the top of the boulder and looked around. From here he could see the night Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe of the forbidden timberland spreading out to the S. A wall, like the wall of Hogwarts, sealed it off from the rest of the world. Harry squinted through his glasses and just made out a dark Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe silhouette against the brighter wall before it disappeared. Harry tore off the mask to get a better looking at but there was nothing more, just space wall.

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

"Harry are we really going to follow it into the proscribed forest ?"Padma was clutching her stomach and wheezing."We should mark where it went and wait for help."

"He ‘ s going to have as lots difficulty with the forest as we are."Harry argued."We can still catch him !"

"But Harry it ‘ s a werewolf !"

Harry was jolted back by her quarrel. Of line it was a loup-garou and not just some unwashed kidnapper. And it had gone straight back to its abode. Harry shook his capitulum, once again he wasn't thinking straight.

"When ‘ s the adjacent full Sun Myung Moon ?"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 helper. We have to find them before nightfall or that lilliputian kid is going to get one snake pit of a lovebite. We can ‘ t time lag for assistance, its us or no one."Harry looked back at the marauders and saw them shimmer and fade.

NO !

He deal clenched around his pendent and he squeezed his eyes shut. He did not stimulate time for this ! When he opened his center again his friends looked solid, but confused.

"Harry you alright ?"Ron asked.

"I ‘ m fine."Harry forced himself to give up gripping the small shell.

"Are you sure Harry ?"Padma added."You screen of… blurred."

"Fine, fine. Lets go."Harry started off at a run towards the forest again and hear the others follow.

In Harry's head he could hear the words ‘ We can't wait for helper. Its us or no one'repetition over and over like a talisman against the threat rising inside him. That brat itself had its own voice saying ‘ We are following it into its woodland where it knows its way around and we don't and you can't even stay in your own clip for five minutes. And that's not even mentioning the centaurs… ’. Harry was forced to admit that that representative as well was right. What they were doing was stupid and grievous. But as the world-class voice said, there was no one else.

As Harry neared the wall a tierce lilliputian articulation piped up. Spiteful, sarcastic and whiney but, like the former two voices, essentially right.

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


They reached the bulwark and Harry instantly saw how the werewolf had gotten over. A Brobdingnagian Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree had fallen over the wall, crushing the top part of it and resting on the remaining meter of bonkers stonework. Everywhere else the bulwark was at least two storey tall of vacuous grey Edward Durell Stone. Unscalable.

"The tree…"Hermione had caught up to him but her and the former two vulture were still very winded."Must have weakened the wards."

Again Harry felt like a jester. Obviously it would be warded. His mentality seemed to be in a copper. 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 follow me go back and severalize them where the kettle of fish in the hospital ward is."Harry pulled himself on to the shoetree trunk and looked down at his friends."Anyone else shut up and get in the tree."

Harry began climbing along the tree trunk and felt it agitate as somebody else began to climb. When Harry reached the other end he climbed down by the root word and dropped onto the mulch of the forest floor. He turned and looked up at the tree diagram, a here and now later Padma pushed her way through the branches. Harry waited a consequence more but no one came. Harry felt a lump material body in his throat, for the first time 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 face."If we ‘ re going to do this we should do it right and contribute ourselves a prospect of getting out alive."

"We weren ‘ t gon na let you do this alone mate."Ron scratched the back of his principal and shrugged."And after all we ‘ ve been in worse excoriation 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 handshake of her oral sex and began to climb down. Harry helped her down the last few feet 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 know which way it went ?"

Harry's face fell and he looked around for some obvious sign. There was nix, now that they were in the afforest the werewolf knew how to compensate his tracks better.

"Spread out and look. Don ‘ t go too far."Harry said and the marauder obediently fanned out. Harry was about to unite them when his idea fixed on a crazy idea.

He had been able to bear the torrent at bay a few meter. Could he force it to come to him ?

Harry undid the front of his shirt and looked down at his unblemished bureau. He splayed one hand across where he knew the wounding would appear and clench the other around his pendent.

"About five minute of arc 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 pedigree well on his pectus but it was gone a here and now later.

"Harder !"He thought desperately. His fingers were slick on his pectus but it wasn't blood, it was sweat."Come on !"

Harry saw his booster fade in straw man of him. Ron turned back towards him and yelled in surprise. But the strait was like a distant whisper and Harry gripped his bloody bureau tighter. He could still hear his friends as ghostwriter on the wind but couldn't see them anymore.

He was swaying with the effort and fell to his knees on the afforest base. The folio that were kicked up by his question only swirled in the air for a second before fading as he pushed himself further back.

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

Harry let go with both hands and collapsed into the leave of absence. A instant later he felt hands pulling him up. As his head was tilted back for him Harry saw his friends shocked faces.

"What the underworld 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 joint and managed to force himself to his feet."We need to hurry."

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

"Hermione now is not…"

"It is the time. You just faded out of existence then returned with your hand covered in blood."Harry looked down, his hand was bloody. This was the first time any sign of the cloudburst had remained after he returned to his own time. 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 tell you later but just now we don't have time. Please Hermione, it already has too much of a head starting on us."

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

"well I ‘ m not waiting around."The Twin turned and began to walk off in the counsel Harry had pointed. Harry grinned and staggered after her. A moment later he felt Ron catch him and put an arm around his shoulder to stabilize him

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

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

They walked in secrecy for a while. Padma spotted a set of footprints on the solid ground that told them they were still going in the powerful direction. It looked as if the werewolf was following a sort of deer trail through the forest. After ten minutes or so Harry was able-bodied to walk unaided again but he was still happy they had found the trail. He really didn't want to have to drop himself into the pelter again.

"Shush…"Harry waved the others to silence."Do you jest at hear that ?"syncope vocalisation drifted between the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree before them. furious vocalization and one senior high school pitched cry.

Harry dropped to a hunker 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.

"Piece of soil !"A aloud smacking auditory sensation filtered up from the dingle. Followed by a thump like a soundbox hitting the floor. Through it all Harry could hear a baby call."Why did you have to screw it up !"

Harry crawled to the edge of the dell and poked his pushed a hole through some tufts of grass to see down. The wolfman they had chased was cowering on the flooring in front of a immense bear like man. A huge bear like werewolf, Harry amended as he saw the sharp brown teeth and yellow heart staring balefully out of its head. Now that he could get a exculpate look at them Harry could see that they were both wearing the same mud and soil encrusted rags, their original color and cut lost completely beneath the grime. Their hair and work force were caked in mud as well, as were their unshod feet.

"You bastard Verrine !"The bombastic man growled as he picked the wiry werewolf off the story and shook him.

Harry could see the baby lying abandoned on the solid ground nearby. He could feel the marauders getting in position beside him. Making their own showing holes.

"Why now !"The man continued to spout."Why do it now ! When we ‘ re so close to getting the mother-load you go out and swipe one nipper ! They ‘ ll be on the lookout man for us now !"

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

"Happy ? Happy ! ?"The burly loup-garou threw the other to the earth and kicked him in the breadbasket."You moron ! We ‘ ve been working for calendar month and you screw it up in a day !"

"But… but…"Verrine wrung his hired hand."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 heavily to stop now."Greyback aimed another savage flush at the man on the floor and Harry slid back a little from the dell. Harry figured the crying infant was cover enough to utter without being heard and whispered…

"Any estimation ?"

"We can ‘ t sneak by them."Hermione said under her breathing time."Maybe if we levitate the baby…"

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

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

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

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

"Brilliant !"Harry interrupted."He ‘ s rightfulness !"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 More of us, we have wands and we have the component of surprise. Hermione, Padma…"Harry pointed back at the clearing."… you aim for the big guy. Me and Ron will aim for the humble 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 sharpness of the dell."On three. One… Two… THREE !"

Harry raised to his knees and aimed his wand at the startled werewolves. Hermione had fired a full-body-bind that froze grayback in his tracks before Padma's blasting whammy threw him to the undercoat. Harry had stuck by the reliable bludgeoning hex. He didn't hear what Ron cast but whatever it was combined with his own tone-beginning threw the scrawny werewolf gain across the clearing and smacked him into a rock.

Harry rushed into the dingle. He followed Hermione's instance and petrified Verrine from close range of mountains as he tried to get to his feet. The wolfman's tree branch smacked to his sides and he toppled like a tree diagram. Harry turned back and saw that Padma had already reached the crying bundle on the trading 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 woods with only a mantle to protect him, I ‘ m guessing he ‘ s a little cranky. Good thing it's a warm day."

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

"You mean pop them."Hermione said flatly."In cold blood. While they ‘ re petrified."

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

"They ‘ ll pop other people Harry."Ron said hesitantly."They ‘ ll turn other people. They ‘ re animals."

"fine then. Do it."Harry pointed at the immobile men on the flooring."Finish them."

Ron's centre widened in shock. He raised his wand and pointed it at the big werewolf on the floor. For a moment he stood there, indecisiveness assoil 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."Come on guy rope. That was plenty lesson for today's story."

The marauder were about to follow him when…

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

Harry felt the common cold sweat of terror again. The last-place 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, all-inclusive eyed."RUN !"
*


Harry dared a glance back through the woods as he pelted as fast as he could down the racecourse they had come up on. It was full nighttime now, and the lunation 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 babe."Silencio !"The baby's mouth still worked but no sound came out. Harry breathed easier for a mo, then he heard a ululation go up from the Tree behind them.

"Run !"The marauders were jolted into motion again."Hermione go ahead ! living Padma and the bratwurst in the middle !"

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

Not a meter to rip punches.

"Acerbus Cuspis !"

The under the weather light enveloped the snare thing and it's momentum rolled it into a pile at Harry feet. He petrified it for good measure. Harry turned and sprinted to pick up up with the eternal rest of the marauders.

"How… close…"Ron panted."… tree."

"Further."Was all Harry managed to gasp out. A growling behind him was all the warning he got and he threw himself on Ron, knocking them both to the ground as a werewolf pounced over their head.

"Ferio !"Harry yelled from the flooring, but his hex missed and smacked into a bush. The wolf snarled and lifted itself to its feet before getting hit from behind by Hermione and being slammed into the ground. Harry pulled himself and Ron off the story and began running forward again.

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

"come on come on !"Harry skidded to a stop by the tail of the fallen Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and scanned the darkened forest. motility ? Harry fired another condemnation into the darkness but it hit naught."Hurry up !"Harry helped Ron into the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree then scrambled up behind him. He heard a snarl behind him and whirled, aiming his wand at the sound.

"Acerbus cuspis !"

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

"Harry !"

A werewolf was clambering along the tree, its long slavering tongue glistening in the moonlight.

"Depulso !"Harry banished the lycanthrope and saw it voyage back over the wall.

"Wingardium Leviosa !"Harry heard Hermione yell and saw the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree rock on its dust rocker."assist me !"

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

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

"No ! You two end any more than of them getting over !"

Harry concentrated on the tree, trying to shake off it unblock of its trestle. Another blue form jumped onto the torso and Padma blasted it off. Two Sir Thomas More jumped on and Harry forced himself to concentrate only on the tree diagram and trust his friends to deal with the werewolves.

Suddenly, with a shuddering crack, the tree came free of the wall and jumped a few metre into the air. Shaking its passengers off in the cognitive operation. At Hermione's urging they pulled the tree forwards and dumped it on the ground nearby. Harry yelped in surprisal as they saw a wolfman doodle over the damaged rampart, its curse giving it lastingness beyond any rude animal.

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

Harry kept his scepter trained on the thing but didn't cast anything. The dark shape squatted on the top of the wall for a moment then bunched up and jump off at them. There was a bang-up flash of light and it was repulsed, thrown back into the timber with a yelp of pain.

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

"The cellblock. The tree was disrupting them."Hermione brushed her hair off her sweat-dripping brow."They should be back now."

"Hermione…"Harry didn't finish the sentence, he just stepped forward and hugged the startled lady friend fiercely."Keep being smart ok. God knows one of us has to be."Harry released her and looked back at the wall. Three loup-garou sat there now but they made no move to do any closer. Perhaps they had retained just enough of their homo head to learn a object lesson. Harry gave them the finger then turned back to his friends.

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







Try to result a disconfirming revaluation here. I want to lie with what I can change for the better. Not spelling, I do n't care about that. Do you imagine the tempo 's ok ? I sometimes think I 'm moving the plot of ground too fast.


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



Hogsmeade looked a lot more menacing at night. Perhaps it was the way the old theatre seemed to tip out over the street. Perhaps it was the eerie lack of stochasticity or that Inner Light olfactory perception you get at the beginning of night.

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

When the marauder had wandered back into the village they had had the ( then sleeping ) baby taken off their hired hand 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 mute but he glowered at them with his bloodshot eyes. All of them except Harry, who's eyes he didn't seem to want to meet.

"I hope all of you are majestic 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 kids he would ingest suffered a portion tough than death. You ‘ re Italian sandwich.'” But the teachers didn't seem to hear him ( which was perhaps for the best ).

They walked in secrecy up the yearn itinerary towards Hogwarts but McGonagall surprised them by not taking them inside. Instead she led them round to the left towards the glasshouse. Harry could see the shimmering line of the wards, easily visible in the dim light.

Harry then saw who they were heading for. Dumbledore was standing on a patch of scuffed undercoat near the border of the greenhouse staring out towards the foreclose forest. Occasionally he would take a few steps and glance at a finical place in the wards. He also kept glancing at a ragged art object of parchment he held in his mitt. As they approached he folded it calmly and slipped it into his robes.

With a lower Harry realized it was the same piece of parchment he's seen lupin and Dumbledore pawing over in a flashback. What did it do ? Harry tried to consider back, it had been a map of Hogwarts and they had been keeping sentinel on him with it. Did it somehow testify what he was doing ?

"Mr Potter."The headmaster had turned to reckon at him. He did not count please."So you return to us again."

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

"And can you state me why you think you have the rightfield to shamelessly ignore school prescript and ostentate the tribute set up specifically to protect the students of this schoolhouse ?"

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

"Mr Potter this is not a matter of results it is a matter of intentions."Dumbledore said, staring at him over the rims of his spectacles."Do you expect me to continually look out on your flagrant prescript breaking simply because it coincidentally causes some good ?"

"We coincidentally saved a child !"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 little combat of newspaper in your pocket works."It was a shot in the wickedness but Harry saw the look of electrical shock cross Dumbledore's face before he steadied himself again. Harry noticed that both Snape and McGonagall looked blur. Was Lupin the only instructor 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 evil glee in seeing every Word of God bring further shock to the old man's face."The one you and Lupin have been using to watch me. Watch everything I do. You sit up at Night, with a mug of coco and a marshmallow and lookout me."

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

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

"I could not use it to find the shaver because it does not extend beyond the borders of Hogwarts."Dumbledore said slowly. His vocalisation oddly shamed."And I could not use it to rule young lady Weasley because neither the chamber, nor the passage leading to it, nor the toilet under Hogwarts are displayed on it. It ‘ s makers never ventured into them."

A silence fell again. Neither party seemed to have anything to add to the conversation.

"The wolfman said they had a programme to get into Hogwarts tonight."Ron blurted out in a flush. Everyone looked at him and he blushed to the roots of his haircloth."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 unlikely to do anything now that we have been roused."

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

"Perhaps."Dumbledore conceded."But in a thousand years the loup-garou have never breached the Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth 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 werewolves do that ?"

"Harry…"Dumbledore seemed to regain some of his old witticism."To you the giant squid is merely a playful lake fauna. But it in fact one of the most ancient shielder of Hogwarts. If any dark creature attempted to pass on Hogwarts through the lake, trust me Harry, they would not get far."

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

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

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

"Now…"Professor Dumbledore raised both his palm tree, facing out. A tranquillise gesture."… we will continue this discourse, and discussion of any punishment incurred, in the aurora. Please return to your common room, Severus will accompany you. Minerva, would you facilitate me determine over the Barbara Ward one final clip before we all retire ?"The two old teachers moved off, leaving the marauders with only Snape for company.

"semen on."Snape's interpreter sounded horse and Harry realized that this was the low prison term he had spoken during the total exchange.

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

Harry shook his pass. Every fourth dimension he saw Snape like that it reminded him of what he'd done to him.

Harry walked into the Gryffindor common room.

"You're alive !"Harry heard soul yell.

"Wait."Harry closed his eyes and held out his hands for quiet."Did I just come back from a Hogsmeade weekend that ended with us chasing a wolfman into the forbidden woods ?"

"Um… yes ?"

"Oh good."It had just been formula déjà vu, not the time locomotion kind. Harry opened his eyes and walked over to sit at the marauders remit with Ginny, Neville and Annapurna who had been waiting for them. The early piranha sat down too. It was the middle of the night but somehow everyone knew they couldn't go to catch some Z's yet. The four who had come from the afforest hastily outlined what had happened to their friends.

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

"If they hired some curse circuit breaker somehow…"Neville's representative trailed off as they all contemplated the possibility of penniless forest monsters hiring the Service of skilled wizards and of the skilled wizard working for them willingly and of the werewolves retaining adequate ego ascendance after transforming to not eat them.

"Unlikely."Harry decided and closed his eyes. 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 tabernacle with his finger's breadth and felt the sand on them, they were still all mucky from the forest.

"Could they somehow distract the gargantuan squid ?"Ginny asked looking tired as well. No one answered her. No one had any response. But Harry was willing to swear that whatever it was was decent in front man of his face.

"Can werewolves even swim ?"Ron asked and Harry groaned. They weren't getting anywhere. Not a surprise really. Harry looked over his soldiery, Ginny was virtually asleep on her chairman ("We keep forgetting she ‘ s not as used to this as us."Thought Harry. ) Hermione looked almost ready to faint, the stress of all the division this year on top of the day they'd all had was just too often. Neville and Parvarti were fine 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 scandal all dark. Which, Harry admitted, they had.

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

"Guy ‘ s…"The predator's school principal snapped to him."… flavour 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 thought of something too."

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

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

His mitt, beaten and scratched. One fingernail broken a minuscule from a pin. shit under his fingernails. grime everywhere on his hand. shite everywhere on their hands…

Harry stood bolt erect and scrambled for the door.

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

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

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

"Don't you see what they're doing ! domestic dog behind a fence !"Harry saw understanding dayspring in one or two Set of eyes."They ‘ re digging a fucking tunnel !"
*


"Neville : McGonagall ! Ron : Dumbledore ! Padma : Snape !"Harry rattled off as they raced out the portrait golf hole. Harry cupped his work force to his rima oris and yelled."Vinca minor ! Sweet marauder house ghost ! Get here NOW !"

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

"werewolf, tunneling into the school."Harry saw the ghosts already Edward D. White face good turn whiter and her oculus bulge."Is must come up somewhere on this side of the wards. Go under…"

"Go underground and find it."Vinca minor finished for him. She sounded absolutely terrified. Her smoky flesh was ever quavering in the air. But she swooped off in the direction of the glasshouse, her spindly hair whipping in the wind behind her.

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

Harry barged through a side door and the night air hit him like a wall. He breathed it in, welcoming the cold 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 reason. Harry glanced over them, had he pick out wrongly ? He'd sent the wear piranha to find oneself the instructor and kept the relatively refreshed ones with him. Except for Hermione of trend, who he ‘ d kept because he relied on her to be the brains 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 youngest member, Ginny, in harms way.

Harry shook his head, zilch to be done about it now. Harry saw myrtle arc out of the ground like a dolphin, elicit her hand 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 diagram telephone line, trying to catch some hint of bm. null."Damn it !"Where would they burrow up to ? Would they even be able to aim at a specific post when subway system ? The humans blurred around Harry and he clamped his hands over his pendent.

Back ! Not now ! The wound on his left breast was beginning to hurt now, and was streaking his shirt with descent. I need to be here !

After what felt like an age the torrent retreated and Harry stumbled forward to summarize the search. Suddenly Harry heard a ghostly fink and saw Myrtle catapult out of the ground.

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

Harry followed the line of her hand, it was the piece of drag turf they had stood on earlier that evening during their discourse with Dumbledore. With some trepidation Harry got closer and stopped to hear. From under the dry land came the unmistakable sound of scrabbling claws.

"Oh no no no no no."Harry shook his brain to try and turn back the icy grip of fear and looked back at the castle. No instructor yet, the vulture must have been having trouble convincing them. Harry looked back at the soil, they would break through any minute of arc."Colloportus."He tried, desperately, aiming at the ground. But nada happened, the spell wasn't meant to be used that way.

"bozo ! Get back !"Harry waved the marauders away."Get behind stuff, we ‘ ll need to keep them back if they break through."Harry looked around, panicked. Was there something they could spread over the ground with ? No.

"Myrtle !"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 back them from digging up."

The ghost shook her head 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 coat of arms into herself but she slowly floated down and slew into the terra firma. After a second the scrabbling stopped and a growling and yelping filtered up through the solid ground. Harry glanced around desperately, that had bought him seconds at well-nigh. His eyes lighted on a heap of industrial plant press clipping in a wooden bin beside the greenhouses. Yes !

"helper me guys ! Wingardium Leviosa !"Harry pointed his wand at the bin. It rocked on its base and Harry heard his supporter add their voices to his. Glancing fearfully at the bulging ground Harry maneuvered the bin onto the background and dropped it with a crunch.

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

"well, that won ‘ t stop them from digging up."Harry thought, scraping fret off his brow."But it ‘ ll give them a surprise when they do."

Suddenly the bonfire sagged in the midsection. Harry looked around and realized he should probably be behind something. He turned and dashed towards the door of Hogwarts. Behind him he heard a howl of inhuman nuisance and a dry clash as the balefire caved in on itself. More howling of pain, filling the air with dark fear. Harry glanced over his shoulder at the fire.

A burning werewolf, howling in searing nuisance, burst up through the priming like an ancient god, feral and powerful. It clawed its way onto the grass and set off like a bullet train towards him. Harry was so fright he tripped and was sent sprawling across the ground. He rolled and tried to aim a hex at it but he was shaking so very much it missed by a mile. Harry could see another werewolf erupt out of the ground and charge the marauders but all his attending was focused on the one in front of him. The one that was going to kill him. He shot again but it barely grazed its side. It lunged, and Harry felt its fete breath.

"Sectumsempra !"

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

"Stupefy !"The potions master yelled and a red enchantment shot across the ground and the wolfman that had been chasing the marauders fell limp onto the ground. Harry heard a scrabbling sound and saw another just clawing its way out of the hole in the soil. Snape said no incantation this time but it's head 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 execration threw it back into the hole.

"Leave them to me Potter."Harry heard Snape growl."Go avail your friends."Snape curled his arm back and yelled something guttural before throwing a ball of red light down into the hole in the ground. Harry was knocked off his feet as an earthquake rocked the earth and a with child cloud of debris poured up from the pit. Snape had collapsed the tunnel. She potions master smiled evilly, the smoking and junk giving him an almost satanic physiognomy as he turned and began throwing swearword at the remaining two werewolves.

Harry ran towards the vulture and skidded to a stop in front of them. They looked run down and scared and Hermione was leaning on Parvati and not putting weight on her left foot, but for having just battled werewolves they looked alright.

"Snape's beginning to maturate on me."Harry grinned. The marauder smiled, then Hermione seemed to realize something and put her manus to her neck in horror.

"No !"
*


A moment of coincidence can change everything.

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

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

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

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

The sound of shattering class. Far louder than it had any redress to be.

The spray of silver sand, fanning out and covering the mighty English of Harry dresser, burning through his shirt and eating away the flesh underneath.

Each grain of sand making a piffling pocked hole, like drops of acid.

Snape looking on in horror, wand still outstretched.

Harry screaming. Screaming and falling to the floor, clawing at the bloody mess of his pectus. Screaming like he'd had his center cut out.

Then slowly, fading. Fading as his scream grew sonant and softer. Until it was naught more than a breathing time of wind.

Then gone.


Pain, everywhere, burning. Flickering too fast to see anything but his damaged body beneath him. holloa, he could hear the river here, louder than ever before. nix made mother wit, nothing was real but the pain.
*


"Severus… Severus are you asleep ?"

Snape slowly raised his head from his hired man and looked up at Madam Pomfrey. Had he fallen asleep ? There were fourth dimension when his sentiment had curled round each former enough to seem like pipe dream. But no, he mustn't have. Surely he would have dreamt of her.

Snape could finger the locket in the top pocket of his gown. He had carried it with him since he had got it. A ceaseless waste pipe on his will. Walking around, every day, trying to conform to his subroutine with a venomous cocktail of brokenheartedness and gist clenching regret. 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 role of Lily Evans left on this earth. He deserved everything, he clenched his fists until he could find his nails digging into cutis. It meant nothing.

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

The hospital wing was full but silent. Snape looked over at the bed where the Granger girl was lying. Her foot healed of course but no one had asked her to leave. Potter's other Quaker were there too, in chairwoman, propped on nearby seam or, in the case of Longbottom, simply collapsed on the trading floor. Snape could commiserate justly now.

On the other face 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 run would be had. None was necessary. They neither had the right field to one nor deserved that right. Snape felt no heartache for the single that had been carted away to be burned or for the many that had undoubtedly died when he collapsed the tunnel. Any tincture of humanity they had they had given up when they agreed to espouse Greyback.

A sliver of a persuasion wormed its way into Snape's brain. Why hadn't Johnny Reb been present at the onset ? The shaver claimed to have petrified him but that would barely have lasted an hour on a werewolf. He should sustain been there. It would have been gratifying to number him as one of the utter. Then at least Snape could have said something beneficial had come of everything.

"Professor Severus Snape ?"

The curtail articulation brought him out of his intellection and he looked at the two new public figure in the wing. Even in his wasting state Snape took in the categorical Grey robes, the file folder, the slightly chesty demeanor without any evidence of veridical superpower and neatly labeled both of them.

"From the Ministry,"Snape said. It wasn't a question. But something was off about them he realized, the cleaning lady, her eyes far too appraising under her neat short pilus 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 professor Snape. Full marks."The cleaning woman smiled and raised her eyebrow. Snape sighed inwardly, he hated multitude under the illusion they were wise than him."My epithet is Natalie Zhao and my colleague is Sean Rhyfedd."She indicated the man with a wave of her hired man. Rhyfedd opened his mouth to speak but the adult female continued talking and he shut it again.

"We are here to look into the recent issue here."She smiled and pulled a shaft and parchment from her folder."I understand that you have had a trying time but certain questions must be answered."

"I thought the situation was being investigated by them."Snape jerked his school principal 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 werewolves are indeed being dealt with by the aurors. The office we were speaking of was the last of Mr Potter."

"Harry !"

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

"Do bonk where he is ?"

"What happened to him ?"

"secrecy !"Snape snapped, far tatty than he intended. They fell silent and he turned back to the Unspeakable. Taking a import to assess the index structure he addressed the char directly."You mean the fade of Mr Potter,"he said hopefully.

"No."Rhyfedd cut in at the same time as his fellow said.

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

Snape heard a chuckle from the former position 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 inhuman thing and it fell silent, muttering to itself.

Snape dismissed it and chose a stool next to the rampart, at least that way he could not be surrounded by children.

"You are aware that Miss…"Ms Zhao consulted her papers"… Granger, was given peculiar permission to induce a time-turner this year ?"

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

"We look at more than care in our department,"Rhyfedd said. He turned to the minor at the table."Did you notice Mr potter displaying any odd demeanor this year ?"

"Odd behavior…"Weasley scratched his principal."Odd behavior is normal 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 lie with what was about to come about ? Did anyone witness him in two places at once ?"

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

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

"Don ‘ t feeling bad,"Natalie Zhao smiled at the bookman."Even if we had known earlier there would have been nothing we could take done. It's an effect we call the torrent of ages."

That sounded familiar, some old story ?

"Those lost in the torrent of ages…"he said, trying to remember the passageway."… are lost to fourth dimension and light. Living in nothing. Trapped in eternity."
*


Flickering, even the good deal crawled up and down the like waves. The sky just one arching blur of grey. The ground under his metrical foot felt shadowy and unreal.
*


"Yes that's objurgate,"Ms Zhao nodded, pleased."You see, a time-turner only works because of the sand inside it. It is literally the sand of time. Usually it is inert but there are way of life of drawing out its power. Now, the structure of a time-turner is designed so as to rein that king safely. Moving a someone back in clock time a dead way relatively safely."

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

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

"The essence has been known since antediluvian times."Mr Rhyfedd pulled a bundle of around twenty papers out and spread out them out in front of Snape. The all had pic in the recess. The old unity were indecipherable, the newest mostly looked like dreadful themselves."As you can see the recent I are mostly departmental accidents."

Snape nodded.

"What is this torrent then ?"he asked.

"Essentially… time."Ms Zhao shook her head sadly."Imagine the time-turner effect multiplied by a billion, and totally uncontrollable. The person begins moving through time without ever stopping in any one present moment for Thomas 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 ?"Annapurna Patil demanded shrilly."How do we fix it ?"

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

Snape felt his heart skip about a hundred beats. Had he just been casually Legilimized by a Ministry employee ? He found himself forced to swiftly and radically revaluate the womanhood in straw man of him. His genial defense reaction were a little fracture right now it was true, but he would have been happy to front even Dumbledore with no more defense than this. He had grown too soft.

"Miss Patil,"The char continued."I know this is intemperately for you, all of you. I know that it is sluttish to grieve if you have a body, or some mark. But you must understand your friend 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 press,"The Unspeakable shook her head."It ‘ s not something real or physical. It ‘ s not something tangible, it ‘ s something inevitable."
*


Slipping, priming always slipping. Too much annoyance to even think. Blood that flowed out of him and disappeared into the air like mist. The moxie still burned in him, burning but the stemma kept flowing. Burning threads cutting into him from all position, tying him up. Lying like red hot lances across his skin. He couldn't ignore the pain in the neck, it was the one tangible thing he had.
*


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


Harry kneeled under the flickering sky, a grey aurora burning at the stake into his centre. It was too much, 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 bond certificate tightening around him. Invisible bonds. Nothing was real number here. Oh god it hurt ! Harry threw his head back and howled,

"helper me !"His row were caught and whisked away as soon as he spoke."Someone ! Help me !"Harry barely felt the sobs wrack his body."Someone…"

"Harry…"

Harry felt the hurting ebb away, leaving a softened ache. The sky dimmed like smoked glass. The flickering ground became grey and unyielding under his feet. He felt the burning at the stake ribbon pushed off him as the grey space expanded, carrying them with it. He stood on shaky legs inside the piffling bubble of reality.

"Harry."

Harry whirled towards the voice and fell to the terra firma again, this time in relief. crying welled in the niche of his eyes. He gulped and said,

"Pythea !"

"Yes Harry."The trivial seer was sitting cross legged in the center of the grey bubble."Yes it ‘ s me."

"How…"

"Or, more correctly it's a bit like a recording of me,"Pythea smiled, her piebald eyes holding depths Harry couldn't even conjecture at."Like a portrait. I ‘ m a charm plaster bandage by the material Pythea. She hid me in the letter she sent you."

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

"It was the merely way."Pythea looked suddenly a trivial scared but pulled herself back a moment later."If the repose of my order knew you were even remotely connected to the torrent…"She shuddered."… well at the very least I would stimulate been unable to help you. The violent stream is abhorrent to everything we stand for."

Abhorrent… that sounded familiar.

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

"You met Centaurus !"Pythea stood and hurried towards him, looking over him as if to see some sign of harm."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 me like that."Pythea put a manus 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 paw at the mess around them."“ ‘ Thea you got to help oneself me."

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

Harry closed his centre and bowed his forefront. His last hope…

"Harry, the torrent isn ‘ t even something natural."Pythea held his chin in her bridge player and pushed his head back up."Time-turners are one thing, they let you pass back and Forth River in the Lapplander meter current. Anything you do in the past does not interrupt the future tense, because it has already happened you see ? The laws of causality are preserved. The torrent is different, it defies the linguistic rule of fate. That is why my order, and the centaurs, hate it so much. They think it is life-threatening, tangling destiny. That is why you have been moved outside of time, the universe of discourse itself it trying to keep out you out. Destroying a threat to itself."

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

"In the Leslie Townes Hope that you could be the first."She glanced up at the faded ceiling. The guggle had shrunk noticeably since they had started talking. Harry could see the threads of flaming curling about the edges, like circling sharks."I can ‘ t hold this much longer."

"How ! How can I be the first ?"

"I don ‘ t know. But I know one affair, you are never going to do it sitting on the ground. You will not go unless you take control."

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

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

"I…"A sick melodic theme hit him. A Harry ceramicist program."Yes. I think I do."

"Good Harry."She raised her deal towards the greyness wall."Are you set up ?"

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

"Do it !"

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

"Aaaaaaaaaaaa !"

It was like the Cruciatus burnt into every molecule of his hide. And across his palms where the circle of fire writhed ? It was a one C times spoilt !

"I am the boy who lived !"Harry cried into the dead air."And you will MOVE !"

Harry jerked his workforce up and felt the burning predominate cut into his hands.

"switch !"

Hogwarts appeared before him for a moment, a student looked at him in electrical shock before it was all whip away.

"No ! Again !"

The dry land became flaming careen and the air acid smoke.

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

Bare rock, an vacate sky.

Water stretching as into the distance.

The inkiness of space. As cold as nothing.

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

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

"You can do anything."

"Aaaaaaaaa !"Harry fell to his stifle and pulled the flame to his chest, right up to the searing wound. Between his fists nestled the fiddling pendent. A piddling nub of cool in the existence of flame. He could do this.

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

"YES !"

The greenhouses pulled out of the mist. The stars, the sound of spells. An inhuman howl.

"YES !"

Harry potter laughed through the pain and the blood.
*


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

Harry turning and stepping over to pick it up, holding its favourable strand 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 expletive but, in his glee, missing. The oath flying through the air, rippling it like a heat Wave. Shooting heterosexual person towards the sparkling golden hourglass handing from Harry's hand.

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


Dirt…

Very wet dirt…

That was the beginning thought that went through Harry's head. He opened his eyes. The dirt in front line of his nose was moving ever so slightly, the trivial grains rolling back and Forth. His hint moving them. He was breathing again.

Some sense datum at the sides of his head… familiar… strait. Someone was speaking.

"Harry ?"

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

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

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

"professor Flitwick."Harry's interpreter came out at barely a whisper.

"My dear boy you ‘ re bleeding !"

Harry looked down. One side of his chest was pockmarked with little holes like soul had grated him and the former side had two massive slashes over it, meeting in a cross. Snape's curse, Harry remembered, that had hit him there.

"Are you alright ? You don ‘ t smell like you ‘ re in nuisance ?"

Harry chuckled wryly. After the humanity of flame the annoyance from his chest were nothing.

"You need the Hospital extension Mr Potter."

Harry felt himself lifted up with deception and stood on his understructure. He was still exactly where he had been before getting lost in the torrent, on the ground near the greenhouses. He saw some men in long inglorious robes standing safeguard 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 hospital Wing.

Harry stumbled off towards the room access of Hogwarts.

"Of course you can Mr Potter."Professor Flitwick chuckled."I was merely going to supply you with some clothes."

Harry looked down, he was wearing Pythea's pendent but nix else. He glanced back at the footing where he had appeared, there was a lot of greyish ash and what looked like a burnt knock buckle. Near where his feet had been there was a puddle of molten rubber.

"Oh."Harry blushed and tried to compensate himself with his script. With a wave of his wand the piffling teacher gave Harry idle fit out pyjama pants and a dressing gown. Harry vaguely registered that they were blue and gold."Thanks…"

Harry turned and continued his halting walk of life towards the hospital wing. He could learn Flitwick walking behind him, probably with his wand out in case Harry tripped. The hall were deserted this betimes in the morning and Harry had no party as he pulled himself laboriously up a staircase.

He glanced down at the two wounds on his chest, the sand burn and the track. There was something incorrect there. Harry shook his fountainhead, nothing about bleeding that much was right. Harry reached the doors to the hospital wing and pushed the doors open.

He saw his supporter, Snape and some other people look up in shock absorber. In his state, lightheaded from rake deprivation, he said the outset thing that came to mind…
*


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

The door to the hospital wing flare-up open and the ceramicist 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 face on the cold tiled floor.

Snape saw the students and the school nurse rush to Harry through a daze but he felt something else. A bubbling, floating whizz rising from his thorax. He clamped his helping hand over his mouthpiece but it escaped through his nose anyway, a Bronx cheer that jerked his head back. He gave up trying and broke out in tantrum of laughter.

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

"Hates… Ha ha ha ! Hates Godric Gryffindor ! Ha !"Snape held his hands to his aching sides and bowed down as another round 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 doors of the hospital wing. As he passed the Potter boy's bed the laugh broke out again and he had to defy the doorframe for support.

"Severus ?"Snape saw Filius Flitwick staring at him in seismic disturbance."Are you alright ?"

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

"I have had a longsighted night."he told his chap teacher before turning and walking away and leaving a very out silence in his wake.
*


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

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

"These won ‘ t heal Mr Potter,"he heard Madam Pomfrey say while running her wand over the two wounds on his pectus."Neither of them. I ‘ m afraid you ‘ ll have scratch there for the rest of your life."

"Great…"Harry said, his voice sounding weak and airy in his ears."… more scars."Harry pointed at his os frontale."I have enough hassle with this one."

"Well it's your own fault…"Harry heard an caustic vocalisation say."You survive the killing curse and get one scar, you survive the deluge of old age and you get two more. If you don't want Thomas More scar end doing unimaginable things."

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

"Please forgive my friend,"the woman said smoothly."There was a departmental accident in which he lost his sense of tact."

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

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

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

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

"This even then."She straightened."I look forward to your story."She walked out of the hospital extension, the former Unspeakable followed, grumbling.

Harry looked at his Friend and grinned.

"So, my entrance ? Good or so-so ?"

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

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

"And for Harry thrower, 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 cobbler's last slept over twenty four hours ago. Or more, or LE, he didn't quite recognize how the prison term in the torrent counted.

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

"How ?"Harry felt his palpebra drooping."I ‘ m a Marauder. We don ‘ t lose."A persuasion crossed Harry's brain and he managed to draw himself back from sleep."Where did Myrtle get to ?"

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

"Should justify to her. See whether we can find some ghost-flowers."Another thought hit him."The werewolf ? The attack ?"

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

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

"written report for our end of year exams."Hermione said brightly. It was like watching a see-saw, the delight in Ron's aspect faded at exactly the Sami 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 piddling things like not get chucked out of Hogwarts."Harry tried to play to bear any noesis he had gleaned from the last few month of object lesson and found only bare mark."Definitely."

"It ‘ s O.K. Harry,"Ron said comfortingly."You ‘ re obviously regurgitate. 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 sort of mistake.

"He truly is whole ?"he asked again.

"I would not say unharmed…"Poppy Pomfrey shook her head."But he is alive and with a little care he will be fine. scratch, as I said, but nothing more."

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

Poppy knew him well enough to recognize the civil dismissal in his part and left his place quietly. Dumbledore turned to the early individual in the office.

"He survived…"professor Lupin was hunched over a mug of something steaming. It smelled awful but apparently it helped. Even with it the poor people lycanthrope looked miserable, apparently hearing the early werewolf howling so close had made his werewolf heed even more fracture than usual."How could he survive ?"

"I do not make love Remus."Dumbledore shook his forefront."I truly do not know how he survived. I am in the unusual location of having not the faintest theme. 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 voice."It ‘ s just that he walks around looking so like Jesse James. organism so like James. He calls his friends the marauder you know, when I heard that I almost… He has no right."

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

"This boy, this boy that so much rest on, is a dispatch mystery story to me. Not only that, he seems to throw no qualm about disregarding my authority, ignoring my advice. I can not even hold back him within the grounds of Hogwarts against his will. So much rests 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 yesteryear three years."

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

"I hope not."Dumbledore closed his center in sadness."But he seems to have courage like James Potter."

"Courage ?"Remus snorted."He ‘ s afraid of H2O !"

"wellspring we both know the reason for that."Dumbledore quieted himself. Some closed book were so crucial they should never be voiced."I suppose all we can do is look and see."The two men fell silent. Dumbledore listened to his whirling machine, after all these twelvemonth the sound was very comforting.

"Have you found another Defense teacher ?"Lupin asked suddenly. Dumbledore sighed.

"I have been talking to another old friend. I have promise that he will have the job."

"Good."

The muteness returned, backbreaking with all the things not being said.
*


Snape awoke refreshed for the first time in weeks. He had gone directly into his bed after leaving the Hospital Wing and now the clock on his wall show eight 30, he had slept all day. His body must get been trying to beguile up on lost time.

He pulled his robes on and grabbed his wand from the bedside table. His hand went out on reflex to seize the other point there and he stiffened. The locket sat there, shining up at him. Snape swallowed hard. Did he want to stock Lily Sir Arthur John Evans around following to his heart forever ?

Snape picked the locket up and held it lightly in his bridge player. Something must be done with it. He strode out of his fourth part and down the corridor, scarcely glancing at the students he passed. He did not block off when he passed the great doors or Hogwarts but kept up his pace until it brought him to the shoring of the lake.

He was breathing toilsome, and not from the pass. The locket was still clutched in his hand. He had to do it quickly otherwise he would mislay his will.

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

No. Not now.

You called me a mudblood.

"And what about you !"He spoke savagely to the locket nestled in his thenar."That day beside the lake after our exam. Where were you ? Sitting and talking to your former champion. Leaving me all alone. You didn ‘ t come over until James Potter got involved. You abandoned me long before I abandoned you…"Snape drew his hired man back."… I just did it better."And with all his effectiveness he hurled the niggling while of atomic number 47 into the dark water.

I can not believe 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 decently, mavin lived in the past times far too very much. He had finally gotten rid of the last…

No…

Snape felt his spirits dashed in a moment. He still had one go art object of Lily eventide. A piece he could not be rid of. He hung his head, and he had felt so free. The past was an lynchpin, Lily Evans was an anchorperson. He could never be truly free.

Or could he ? As the ceramicist boy had so clearly proved, sometimes the impossible was simply something that hadn't been done yet. But it would require Occlumency of the gamey order.

"Luckily,"Thought Snape."I am an Occlumens of the eminent order."

Snape sat down cross legged on the sess, cleared his psyche, closed his middle and proceeded to cancel Lily Evans. Each memory was locked away, one by one, from their first merging to the last day he ever saw her. He blocked them all. He would still keep the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe of them, a vague knowledge, but it was the best he could do.

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

Snape closed the last memory and stood up, feeling lightheaded. Would this study ? He began preparing to cast the spell, raised his wand then dropped it again to his side. He could not cast it, he had no happy retentivity 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 blazing sunset painting the hills with red and gold. He raised his blazon and felt the summertime wind thrill through his robes.

So far from Spinners End. So far from the smog and debris and narrow streets. Here the air was clear, it smelled of Scots heather. The asterisk were pull in, unblocked by streetlights. Hogwarts, and the estate around it, was his home base. This was a happy memory.

"Expecto Patronum !"

He screwed his eyes shut at the moment of casting, he could not take over to find out. He felt the warmth of his patronus in front of him, touching his hand. He had to appear eventually, he would have to. Courage, he was not a coward.

Snape snapped his eyes open and almost melted onto the flooring. snag sprung into his eyes. Writhing and looping in the air was a dilute snake, curling like a ribbon caught in the wind. He had been successful, the last part of Lily Evans in him was gone.

"Is that your patronus ?"

Snape turned towards the phonation. It was the unspeakable, Natalie Zhao, she was standing calmly a few steps behind him with her deal clasped in strawman of her. She must birth crept up on him, he had been quite distracted.

"You are still here ?"he asked."Did you interrogative sentence Harry all day ?"

"We left and came back,"she said, moving up to suffer 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 promontory in disbelief.

"He is nothing if not surprising."Snape found he had short ire towards Harry potter any more."But I think you would be less amazed if you saw the utter mint he manages to take a shit of potions."

"Perhaps."She smiled, it pushed little dimples up on her impertinence. 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 worry looking snake. Perhaps a little Thomas More than a meter long with harsh, dingy bands all the way up its dilute physical structure. It had no cap behind its flimsy head like a cobra or a rattle like a rattlesnake, aught that obviously identified it. Snape wondered what species it was.

"A banded krait,"Natalie Zhao said smiling. She hadn't had eye middleman, she must just get guessed what he was thinking."Very nice."

"Really ?"Snape's curiosity was piqued."Does it have got any particular… timbre ?"

"Well…"She appeared to think for a bit."It ‘ s dieting is kind of interesting."

"How so ?"

"It primarily eats early 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 site of the bite for a while, lulls them into a imitation horse sense of security."

"Hmm…"

"It's a formidable toxin."The Unspeakable reached out and tickled the little glowing snake under the chin."I think they ‘ re quite interesting."

"I think it will do nicely."Snape canceled the trance with a moving-picture show of his wand and his krait faded away.

"Why do you make out so much about snakes ?"

"I keep them as pets."She seemed to brand herself a touch. Perhaps she was used to negatively charged chemical reaction when people heard about her hobby.

"Fascinating,"Snape said, and found that he meant it."Do you have any kraits ?"

"You ‘ d have to be half-baked to prevent one of those as a pet. But I suppose you like life-threatening PET here…"She smiled again, cheekily."… you apparently keep open werewolves."

"Accidentally."Snape motioned towards the palace and they both began walking towards Hogwarts."You wouldn't count rats that invaded your root cellar as pets would you ?"

"No, I ‘ d count them as disengage snake food."

Snape chuckled. Laughing again, he really did find like a new man. But there was something in the book binding of his mind now. Something he'd heard ? Something she'd said ? Hmm… it was right at the sharpness of his mind.

"Well I have to get back to the Ministry,"Natalie said, they had reached the movement of the palace."Got to fill in the paperwork. God knows Rhyfedd won ‘ t infliction, that man has an attitude problem…"

"He is a minuscule minded, endowment lupus erythematosus man who is constantly trying to affirm himself over you where he has no good to be because it shirks his ego to mould under a woman,"Snape stated flatly.

"I know,"Natalie replied simply."You had him pegged within five secondment of meeting him. My bosses at the Ministry however…"She spread her hands hopelessly."… four age and counting. I ‘ m hoping they catch on any day now."

"Let me premise you to Sibyll Trelawney one day."Snape shrugged and smiled in ruth."Then you will truly bonk what it is like to consume an irritating co-worker."

They were both standing in movement of Hogwarts, but neither of them seemed to desire 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 point ?"Snape found himself asking."I find myself strangely interested."

"Strangely interested…"She smiled that infuriating smiling again. Snape was beginning to think she might actually be sassy than him."… good alternative of words."And with that she turned and began walking down the path towards the gates of Hogwarts.

Snape would birth felt elated, but at that moment what he had been thinking slipped into lieu and he frowned, then clenched his fists as the full conditional relation sunk in. He hoped he was wrong, he really did.
*


"Albus,"he stepped out of the staircase into the master study.

"Severus,"Dumbledore greeted him."To what do I owe this late nighttime visit ?"

"Nothing good I am afraid."Snape shook his head."This afternoon I remembered an offhanded comment one of the werewolf in the Hospital Wing made. Taunting us about a map."

"They could not have known about it."Dumbledore's heart narrowed."You are not accusing professor Lupin once aga-"

"No."Snape waved the complaint away."No, that is what I thought initially, it would take been better if I was compensate. I went to gossip the loup-garou in the Ministry dungeons. He said he heard it because they were waiting secret, listening. They heard you talking to Harry when we brought him back from Hogsmeade."

"I fail to see the emergency in that…"

"Albus, remember what else you said that evening."

"I…"The Headmasters face went pale and his center opened wide."I said that Voldemort was hiding in Albania."

"Yes."Snape nodded."I think we now know why grayback was not part of the onrush. He had already left on a more important errand, a dog running back to its master. He left because he knows where to look."



This chapter beta 'd by colon. Thank you Colon !

What did everyone think of the detour from cannon in this book ?
The next one goes back towards the line of descent of the books a bit, somewhere between the how close the world-class two were and how out there this one was.

leave a review and I 'll get on with writing ...

Harry potter and the Harry Potter and the Spirit of Njordr !


I do n't own Harry Potter. I wish I did. Unfortunately the totally 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 paneling. Her ears were attuned to the tiny scritches coming from around the turning point and the tiny footfalls on the floor board were still visible, glowing hot mark leading the way. She eased herself up to the edge then poked her snub nose 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 slip her jaw to fit the little affair in. It was merely a taste tester anyhow, her master had promised sweeter centre soon.

She slid, full and languid, through the old theater. Soon pride would come and milk her malice, making her feel hollow and used, but her master copy needed it so she steeled herself against his touch. Not that superbia wasn't gentle, it was his smell that irked her.

She knew that the three men who served her schoolmaster had other names but she preferred her own, ambitiousness, Pride and Decay. She had named them after what she smelled on them. Master was, of path, just Master.

She slid into her masters 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 whorl to halt out the sound, but it wasn't enough.

"The merest misapprehension will alert them."pridefulness was saying."There are hoi polloi who know him very well."

"I am aware of that brother."Ambition replied archly."And after all the cogitation I have done I am one of them. You stay here and tend to our master copy needs, I will get the job done quite sufficiently in your absence."His spokesperson made it quite authorize that Pride's absence would in fact make the job much easier.

"The only reason you have this job is because I would be missed."

"The reason I have this job is because our captain gave it to me."aspiration grinned."Never forget that."

"Careful brother,"Pride sneered."Take care that you never blank out who you have to give thanks for your freedom and for your probability at vengeance."

"Who ? Our lord for ordering me relinquish and planning how to achieve it or you for merely telling him where I was ?"

"Both you arrogant little-"

"Arrogant ?"dream laughed. She liked Ambition a bit more than pridefulness, he was more like a snake in the grass."That is undoubtedly and nearly obviously the pot calling the caldron calamitous. Besides…"Ambition narrowed his centre."I ‘ ve been wondering how long you knew where I was and did cipher about it."

"I could not compromise-"

"Of course."Ambition turned away, dismissive."You could not compromise your post. 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 voice communication rotting in Azkaban."

Ambition whipped around and punched pride straight in the stomach. Ambition was thin and wiry but the punch had weight behind it and superbia crumpled to the flooring. Ambition followed it up by stamping into pridefulness's kidney.

"Learnt some early things in there too brother."Ambition drew his wand 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 king player in our footling co-operative venture."

Pride tried to heighten but ambition stamped on his hair.

"And another thing…"Ambition leant down to speak close to Pride's ear."Our master key remembers which of us remained loyal to him during his 12 year… convalescence."aspiration grinned."And you weren ‘ t one of them, brother. So you stay here and milk the bloody snake and hope you build up enough brownie points to get you back in his secure books. You stay here and brew the potion and I will sell with everything else !"

aspiration scuffed his groundwork back and forth, jerking pridefulness's hair and making him grit his tooth in pain. Ambition laughed and strode out of the room.
*


"Harry ? We have a… a kind of proffer for you."Fred and St. George had cornered him in Ron's bedroom, they both had that mischievous look about them.

"I'm intrigued."Harry closed his book and tossed it to one side."discerning but intrigued. Who are we going to prank ?"

"It ‘ s not about pranking anyone Harry."Said Fred at the same prison term as his blood brother said,

"Everyone."

"Apprehensive, intrigued and confused."

"Why don ‘ t you come up to our room Harry, we ‘ ll show you what we ‘ re talking about."Fred ushered him out of the elbow room. Harry followed a little hesitantly.

Harry was hesitant because for a long clip he had felt like he was building up some form of unluckiness debt. The last three months of his 3rd class at Hogwarts had passed without anyone trying to kill him ( unprecedented for Harry ) and he had even managed to put across all of his exams. In defense he had scraped a pass on lupine's obstruction course ( damn Hinkypunk led him into a sinkhole ! ) and almost managed to not bollocks his cauldron up in potions.

percentage of the reason was that Snape had stopped picking on Harry in family and had even started treating him as a normal student. More than that the potions master had seemed almost cheerful at times. Harry had put it down to him planning something evil until he noticed that Snape was at his most happy the mean solar day after a small barn owl brought him letters.

As for the other exams Harry had botched together some variety of pig-English interlingual rendition for ancient runic letter and avoided getting More than superficial sharpness injury in Hagrid's ‘ hardheaded'psychometric 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 of Jesus he had blagged, story of thaumaturgy too. Herbology had been all right because he'd been partnered with Neville and he had passed of his own gift in star divination and Charms.

Of course revising hadn't been the first affair he'd done. The world-class thing he'd done had been to write a long letter of the alphabet to Pythea. He hadn't been ably to observe the torrent of path, but he hoped he had left enough hints that she would know how much he wanted to give thanks her. Of course the massive bunch of efflorescence might let also given her that hint.

He had even managed to suffer a vacation where there had been no unexplained magical happening, another start. Harry had hiked in Switzerland for some of the summertime, aught too grievous but enough that he was very gladiolus of his size-and-weight-defying bag.

On one memorable juncture, miles from the cheeseparing township, he had met some older American tourer kitted up with huge hard hiking backpacks and thick coating. He however had been carrying a small leather knapsack while idly strumming a guitar. They had thought he was some kind of new-age hermit. Harry ( or Jack ‘ moonbeam'Baltzegaurd as he had introduced himself ) had played along and told them that he had been sent here by a visual modality ( a lie ), that the positive muscularity of the mountain would heal them ( a lie ), that his guitar had been given to him by the Dalai genus Lama ( a lie ) and that the power of the watch glass woven into his coating 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 Holland gin after a few weeks of this and spent most of the residual of the summertime there, lazing around the metropolis and finishing up the schoolwork he had had no luck to puzzle out at in the raft. Plus juggle and playing the guitar for the great unwashed around the city. When he could exercise out how to do both at the same fourth dimension he knew he'd move mass but for now he just ended up tangling his fingers.

He'd get along back to England a few days early to claver his friend and get his school supply. It was now the thirtieth of August and all the vulture were gathered at the burrow for a last get together before heading off to Hogwarts. Harry should have been happy, but instead he was discerning, 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 St. George into their box-stacked bedroom.

"Where's safe to sit ?"Harry cast about, looking at the unlike boxful. It took the twins a surprisingly long time to recover a ‘ condom'box. Fred and George sat on the side of one of their beds. Fred leant forward and said,

"We want to lecture to you, Harry, about an opportunity."

"A mythical opportunity."

"We think its fabulous anyway."

"And we ‘ re usually right."

"Always rightfield. And it is fabulous."

Harry glanced between one counterpart and the other.

"I feel like I ‘ m being sold something dodgy here guys."Harry folded his arms and one-half smiled."Possibly something that fell off the back of a van. What ‘ s this actually about ?"

The Twin Falls looked at each other then said at the like time,

"Weasley Wizard Wheezes !"

"Actively Advocating Alliteration ?"

"It ‘ s a put-on shop class Harry."Saint George sniggered and continued,"Or at least we want it to be."

"And we thought that perhaps-"

"-the resident charms-meister-"

"-would be able-bodied to assist us with some of the stuff."Fred shrugged."After all you did basically establish a broom last year-"

"-that out-flew a firebolt-"

"-with Ginny ‘ s help."

"Oh yes with Ginny ‘ s help."

Harry rearranged the disjointed judgment of conviction into some measure of order.

"So…"Harry began to smile as actualization hit him."You want me to help you project jokes ? Your kind of gag ? The intriguedness is growing. What have you come up with so far ?"

The twins grinned and began a whirlwind turn of their current ware, stopping occasionally to demonstrate a charm or trance for Harry. Usually they were spells that produced explosions or horrible shrieking noises.

"And this one Harry…"Fred raised his scepter."Is called the avgo sapios !"

Harry knew enough Hellene to underwrite his nose.
*


"So um… this is the pond."Ron said helplessly,"It ‘ s got duck 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 interesting as history of magic."Ron muttered and Hermione laughed.

Oh great, now she was laughing at him too. Ron kicked a gem into the algae filled pond, it rested on the midst immature surface for a moment before sinking.

Hermione had left Hogwarts almost completely burnt out, taking too many topic on top of the lycanthrope Chaos had reduced her to a phantasm of herself. It had been especially bad during the examination which she had to revise for and select without the benefit of the time-turner. After the last one Harry and Ron had frog-marched her to McGonagall's business office where she dropped prophecy and muggle studies.

Ron had seen her a brace of times over summer, the piranha sticking together even in Harry's absence seizure, and each clock time she seemed a little more lively and like her old self.

"Well that's pretty much everything around here, lets just get back to the house."Ron pointed back towards the burrow."I don ‘ t trust the Gemini the Twins left alone in there for this long."

"They're not alone,"Hermione began walking beside him, walking close enough to pee all the hairs on his subdivision 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 first place ?"

Why indeed ?

"Well it was a nice day and Neville, Ginny and the twins went to town and Harry's acting all weird and there ‘ s marshmallow coming out of the house."

"Ron…"Hermione shook her head in exasperation."If you wanted to convert the subject you could have-"

"No there ‘ s really marshmallow coming out of the house !"Ron pointed at the yearn stream of solid white froth leaking from one of the windows and pooling on the basis."It ‘ s the twins window. Oh god mum ‘ s gon na kill them."

The two predator rushed to the incline of the house.

"It ‘ s not exactly marshmallow."Hermione said, sounding puzzled, as the ran into the burrow. They stopped outside the Gemini door and Ron opened it hesitantly. On the other side was a solid wall of white, even bearing the imprint of the contours or the doorway and its handle.

"Let me see…"Hermione broke off a little bit and touched it tentatively to her tongue."… meringue ? I think its meringue."

"What ‘ s the dispute ?"

"Honestly Ron, you ‘ d think you would be at least as knowledgeable as me on the discipline of food."

"What ‘ s that supposed to mean ?"Ron shot back but was silenced as a repress voice called out,

"Someone out there ?"

Ron gingerly pushed his paw into the encrusted control surface towards the noise.

"flavor really weird."Ron grimaced as he buried his manus up to the shoulder."It's all crackly and dry."He felt something like textile and pulled as laborious as he could.

With a giant cascade of fragmented meringue a build emerged from the room. It fell on the story coughing and spluttering and spitting clod of gummed white froth out of its oral fissure. Ron leant forward and guessed,

"Fr… George ?"

"Yep."Saint George got unsteadily to his metrical unit and looked back into his elbow room."Oh, it didn ‘ t burst the door.
We were worried it had."

"What happened ?"Hermione asked, absentmindedly brushing more meringue crumbs off Georges back."Did one of your antic backfire ?"

"No no no. Our pranks don't backfire."George said proudly."We were demonstrating the eizuckerpeitsche piece 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 heart so he ‘ s probably well stuck, Harry was near the window…"

At that bit they all heard a short scream from exterior, quickly cut off, then a thump followed by running footfall. A minute later a meringue incrusted Harry burst up the stairs.

"You !"He pointed at George IV and advanced angrily."What the underworld was that !"

"Not my break mate."Saint George put his hands up to stand of the infuriated marauder."You seem to receive some kind of knack for that enchantment is all."

"Harry how did you get out ?"Hermione asked.

"Managed to tunnel to the window."

"But you must have fallen-"

"Into a pile of meringue."Harry shrugged."It ‘ s built up quite a jalopy out there."He turned to the twins room."seminal fluid on, we ‘ d better embark on getting rid of all this stuff or your Gemini ‘ s gon na run out of air."

"And mamma coming back soon."George I said in revulsion."She ‘ ll have a fit !"

Harry grinned as Ron went pale and began attacking the meringue wall.
*


Harry ducked into the train pram and looked around quickly,

"Still no peril ?"He said wryly."Whatever the karma immortal are working up to it ‘ s not gon na be pretty."The marauders moved in after him. They were looking at each other a little oddly.

"Harry…"Hermione began.

"What ?"Harry checked under his seat cushion before sitting down.

"Don ‘ t you think you ‘ re acting kind of… crazy ?"

"No."Harry crossed his legs and sat, Indian-style, with his subdivision crossed."Really, really no !"Harry shook his headspring, it was amazing how quickly the paranoia he'd developed in the long time before he'd come to Hogwarts had returned. Street living was not contributory to trust.

"It ‘ s not crazy. Someone will try to kill me this year. I just know it."

"Harry you ‘ re the boy who lived."Annapurna shook her head."No single going to vote down you."

"I wouldn ‘ t say that."A voice sounded from the undetermined door."I wouldn ‘ t say that at all."

The piranha 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 epithet, that I will get you this year. I will work you pay for everything."

"The Malfoy name represents a legacy of lies."Harry laughed and shrugged."Get out of my train car."

"Well this year Potter."Malfoy licked his back talk, his grayness eyes shiny evilly."I will bear witness everyone at Hogwarts that I represent everything dependable about magic blood and that you are everything… everything wretched and mediocre. This year I will show everyone. This yr Potter, this twelvemonth I win."

"Good circumstances with that."Harry shrugged dismissively."Now move, you ‘ re blocking the trolley."

Malfoy just smiled and walked away.
*


"Welcome to another class at Hogwarts shoal of witchcraft and wizardry."

Harry sniffed the water in his glass. toxicant ? No… Maybe something in the food ?

"I hope you have all enjoyed your break from the studies we give you."

Maybe he was just paranoid ? Harry glanced around at the other educatee. Maybe he actually did suffer a prospect to bear a normal year.

"Firstly I would like to enclose Alastor Helen Newington Wills as our new defense against the darks teacher."

Harry glanced up at the tabular array and picked out the new face. Or, more accurately, what was left of the new face. Their live on defense teacher had been a werewolf, this one looked like he had been savaged by one. He had also obviously lost an eye at some tip and had it replaced with a magic one. Harry wondered why he hadn't chosen one in his lifelike color. He had seen totally shops broad of eyes in Geneva. They made tidy sum of them there, like watches.

The man apparently known as Dwight Lyman Moody met his gaze with number 1 one then the other eye. Harry smiled and toasted the new teacher with his glass. Anyone was undecomposed than Professor lupin. Harry had tried to mend bridges with the werewolf during his finish few weeks at schooltime. He really had tried…

"Professor… Um…"Harry leant in through the door to professor Lupin's office staff."Are you, you know, all set."prof Lupin looked up at him, flatly."You know for tonight, full Moon ?"

"Yes."prof Lupin seemed to be struggling to continue his representative matted and unemotional.

"I heard that Professor Snape makes some form of…"

"I said yes."Lupin snapped. Seeing Harry's startled expression he took a deep breath and shook his head."My apologies. Yes Severus makes a potion for me that allows me to better make out the shift. Thank you for your kindness."

"You ‘ re welcome Professor Moony."Lupin's head snapped up."You know, woolgathering, like moon. Because of the whole boggart affair and…"

"Leave now."Usually the werewolf side of lupin was not really evident. This was not so now."Leave my business office 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 and never spoken directly to Professor Lupin again. Even big the man had stared daggers at him during their final few deterrent example. Even a scarred, one-eyed man was better than that. Besides, Harry wasn't really in a position to complain about other people scars.

Professor Dumbledore continued,

"Professor Helen Wills is a former auror so I am sure he has much to learn you."Harry's ears perked up, this was interesting. Unfortunately Dumbledore had finished speaking on this particular theme."I do have a second announcement to progress to. Something that I think you will all enjoy."

The whole school perked up.

"Slitherin house is infested with cockroaches ?"

"Potions has been dropped from the syllabus ?"

"Filch had an aneurysm ?"

"No."The corner of professor Dumbledore's mouth twitched up in a half smile."Better than all those things."

"Not possible."Harry called out.

"Very possible Mr potter. I am talking about the Triwizard Tournament."The G. Stanley Hall fell dead silent.

"Competing or hosting ?"Someone on the Ravenclaw table said at only just above a whisper.

"Hosting Mr Jacobs, Hosting."

The Marguerite Radclyffe Hall exploded in sound.
*


"We are entering that tournament."

"Harry, Dumbledore said-"

"We. Are. Entering. That. Tournament."Harry was twitching with nervous vitality."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 Hydra and iniquity sorcerer stop us a blinking age restriction is not going to stand in our way."Harry sat down at the marauders set back and crossed his arms."We deserve this. We deserve this because we are the best in this schooling and no one has worked harder to-"

"Subvert its rules ?"

"- protect it. Than we have. So we are going to enter and we are going to win !"

The marauder 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 right he was."

"The question will not develop because he will not be Hogwarts champion."Harry said decisively."He will not be Hogwarts wizard because he is a git. He is a git because of undeniable genetical and sociological component that have conspired to make him a git. So…"Harry steepled his fingers and grinned."As soon as this judge gets here, we're entering the tournament."
*


"Now…"Professor Moody scanned the class slowly with his pattern eye while the fake one spun and rested on different students before moving on."I don ‘ t stand much on ceremonial occasion so lets jump right in."

Harry felt the eye land on him for a moment before moving on.

"So… LET start on curses. I ‘ ve had a letter from professor lupin, also one from professor Michelson and it looks like you ‘ re fairly well up on dark creatures and the basics of dueling."

"More than basics."Harry mumbled under his breath.

"But what you haven ‘ t learn yet is the big of what wizards can do to each other."Moody shook his head."You ‘ re all aliveness in a dream world if you think you ‘ re ever good. lowest night at the feast I only saw one educatee check the food for poison before eating it."Moody pointed with his gnarled hand.

All eyes ( real and unsubstantial ) fell on Harry.

"I… um… what ?"

"Don't be ashamed of it ! Be proud ! By the end of the yr I expect each and every one of you to exercise never-ending Vigilance !"He ended the sentence shouting. Harry found himself staring directly into Moody's stilted eye. He felt like he was a bug under a shiny 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 react Moody had moved on and stomped up to the board.

"The night arts !"Moody wrote like he was carving in Lucy Stone and the chalk broke off during the s of arts."Who can secernate me a expletive ? A really bad one."A few of the class put their handwriting up. Moody pointed at one.

"Yes Mr… Crabbe is it ?"He growled."Familiar name. comrade face too, I knew your father. well, knew isn ‘ t quite the right word. What ‘ s yer cuss ?"

"The um…"Crabbe looked like he was regretting volunteering. He seemed to draw himself back up and smirk evilly at Harry."The pain spear."

"Odd that you should make love that one."Professor Helen Newington Wills ‘ 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. ceaseless Vigilance !"

Moody went on to explain at length the prop of the annoyance spear spell. Crabbe looked disgruntled, obviously he had wanted Helen Newington Wills to ask him how he knew about the spell.

Harry looked down at his al-Qur'an and found the Thomas Nelson Page on the pain spear. It was realize that the source had only included it as an reconsideration, Moody already had more on the plank than was in the book. Padma leant over her desk to speak into his ear,

"Better than lupine you think ?"

"Much better."Harry agreed."He ‘ s only cracked on the outside."

"You sure ?"Padma glanced up skeptically as Dwight Lyman Moody barked out Constant Vigilance again."He seems pretty thoroughly cracked to me."
*


The partially vs. thoroughly cracked debate continued into the coming calendar week as the students got used to Dwight Lyman Moody's strong-growing commandment style. One matter was for for certain, there was not enjoy lost between Moody and Snape. Helen Wills Moody glared at Snape suspiciously every metre they passed in the corridors and Snape, for his section, sneered. But all that was drown out by the rumour and whisper running around about the triwizard tournament.

The day the foreign student were scheduled to arrive dawn bright and cool with a drizzle of rainfall covering the castle.

"It couldn ‘ t be sunny."Harry heard McGonagall say under her breathing space."Just for today."

Harry grinned and scuffed his foot. If the stallion school day had been called out to recognize these strange educatee they could at least have the decency to be on time. Harry checked the clock, alright so they weren't scheduled to make it for another five moment but Harry had been waiting for ten so therefore ( in his nous ) they were late.

"looking at !"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 fourth dimension ? Even with magical protection it made his skin crawl.

As the ship crawled up to the face of the lake Harry saw the man standing at the cycle turn and point up into the sky behind the castle. Harry turned just in metre to see a giant passenger car round the corner of the rook, drawn by hulk white horses.

"Great."Thought Harry."The competition starts with water and flying, two things I really suck at."

He glanced over at the instructor and saw them talking frantically. Apparently they hadn't planned for both delegations arriving at the same meter. After some mildly raised voices Dumbledore headed down towards the lake while McGonagall headed towards where the coach was landing. Harry considered the choice and elbowed his way through the crowd in the steering Dumbledore went.

"Igor Karkaroff,"Dumbledore held his bridge player out to greet the heavily robed wizard stepping out of the boat."A pleasure to have you back in the country."

"Albus, it is beneficial to be here."The man pushed back his hood revealing silver grey hair and heavy brows. He smiled in a way that never touched his dark eyes. He spoke in a great expand way that Harry was surely was at least partly put on."Hogwarts is ah…"He glanced up at the Second Earl Grey sky."… just as I remember it."

Harry chuckled and the Durmstrang headmaster glanced at him in the crowd.

"Ah, and this would be your principal pupil."Harry saw the crowd part in battlefront of him."The notable Harry Potter."

"No no no…"Harry waved his hired hand grinning."The name's sea dog ‘ Moonbeam'Baltzegaurd."

"Ah, ha ha."Igor ‘ s express joy held no heat whatsoever."We are many renown here I see…"

"Wha ?"

"Let me insert you to someone."Karkaroff motioned a frowning boy standing behind him forward."This is Viktor Krum."Harry heard pant from behind him as he shook Viktor's hand.

"Pleasure."Harry smiled at the young magician."Are you Durmstrurn ‘ s head 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 charge per unit. Harry couldn't tell what was going on behind those giant inkiness eyebrows.

"wellspring,"Dumbledore said, breaking the stalemate."I can already see the Beauxbatons delegation is already inside, shall we bring together them ?"
*


"Harry, that was Viktor Krum !"

"You know Ron, I did work that out. And even if I hadn't the six million sentence you ‘ ve told me would experience tipped me off. Now can we please concentrate ?"Harry turned to the goblet standing in the shopping mall of the hall. He glanced over at Hermione."Anything ?"

"I ‘ m telling you Harry we ‘ re not getting past the age line."She looked up from the script on her knees and shook her head."At to the lowest degree not with anything I can think of now."

Harry shook his head, there were gobs of multitude crowding into the entrance Charles Francis Hall so it wasn't like they could do anything right now. If they were going to do anything it would possess to be at this night, but he had hoped to at least have a plan before the castle went to sleep.

"An age potion do you think ?"Fred said behind him.

"I think Dumbledore would have thought of that."Hermione shook her head."I don't think any potion any fourth year or sixth year could defecate could get past the line."

"What if we just get one of the older students 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 goblet was out. The other names just flew out of his sack as soon as he crossed the line."

"Yep,"Fred shook his header in mock sympathy."poor people chap didn ‘ t even get to put his own public figure 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 write our public figure on some-"

"Saw that too."Fred broke in.

"Yeah,"His twin continued."You don ‘ t even want to know what happened to him !"

"Oh for christ rice beer !"Harry growled in irritation."Is there at least a way to prove the line ?"

"Yeah, run into it."Ron suggested.

"No you idiot."Padma shook her headland."Just spitball it."

"Excuse me ? You what ?"Harry's eyebrows raised like balloons.

"Like this…"Harry watched, gob-smacked, as Padma took a bare combat of parchment out of her bag and stuffed it into her mouth. She chewed for a few bit then daintily took the soppy mess out from between her lips and, without indisposition, tossed it at the goblet of fire. As the ball crossed the line there was a flash of luminosity and the ball shot out like a bullet, impacting on the wall behind them.

"Brilliant."Said the Weasley similitude in one voice.

"We should do it again-"

"With more balls."

"With bighearted balls !"

"With fireworks in them !"

"tike, children…"Harry said in a calm down phonation."Lets not get sidetracked."

"It's almost curfew anyway."Parvarti looked down at her watch then smiled."Don't worry, it'll all be alright on the Nox !"

"Sister…"Padma shook her head as she picked up her bag."This is the freakin'nighttime !"

Harry chuckled as they left the hall then turned as he felt a script gloam on his articulatio humeri. The possessor of the script was a boy a little one-time than him with blond fuzz and a sort of daily round cheek. He was in Ravenclaw colour and was wearing a baseball cap that read ‘ Tutshill Tornadoes'and had a tornado as the logo.

"Yeah ?"Harry cocked his head."Can I help you ?"

"Um,"The boy bit his lip and looked around."Could I talk to you ?"

"Very cloak and sticker but ok."Harry waved the marauder off and moved into a side corridor."Who are you ?"

"St. David Mason."The boy smiled shyly."Don ‘ t headache if you don ‘ t call up me. I ‘ m a friend of Cho ‘ s."

"Oh ok. plump for the same team too I see."Harry leant nonchalantly against the Harlan F. Stone wall."To what do I owe the pleasance ?"

"well basically…"The boy scuffed a foundation on the floor nervously."Me and… and some of the former guys. Not just Ravenclaw but the whole school well… we figure you ‘ ve got a plan."

"For what ?"

"For the goblet of fire."David rubbed his hands together almost hungrily."flock of us don't think the age point of accumulation ‘ s carnival so we figure…"He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blockheaded envelope."A couple of spare names. Just if you get the chance you know ?"

"hatred to break it to you mate."Harry shrugged apologetically."But I don't have the slightest clue how to get through the age line."

"Really ? But you ‘ re Harry Potter ! You always… Oh, I get it."David winked and pushed the gasbag into his hand."Of course 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 release and wink conspiratorially again."Seriously !"

"Problem 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… Couch ?

"Mr Couch ?"

"Crouch."The man's heavily lined aspect was dead 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 thinking was a fatherly manner.

"No sir."Harry did his right Oliver device impression."I wouldn ‘ t do such a ugly thing."

"Ah, of course."The Triwizard judge nodded."Of line I ‘ m sure more mass would fall to the tournament if the famous Harry ceramist was competing. But we must remember that we can not pick and choose the regulation we wish to obey based on fugitive expediency. You understand Mr potter ?"

"Yes sir."Harry felt it was better to stick with simple answers.

"Very well."Mr Crouch's mouth twitched into a melt off smile."It was nice meeting 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 adolescent heart attacks ? Harry wondered. Whatever they were they had just come very close to getting one dactyl larger.

Harry leant against the bulwark and stared out of one of the castles arched windows at the lake below, remembering last year. Why was it that he was forever trapped inside or outside wards ? go class he had circumvented them by swimming around, couldn't do that this time. The werewolves had tunneled under could he do that ? Not without attracting a lot of aid. So that left…

Harry grinned and rushed back to the entering Asaph Hall where a single saliva ball showed him how to perplex the heavy wiz in the world.
*


"All set Ginsters ?"Harry slid behind Ginny on the chimaera and checked that he had both the envelope containing the marauder names and the one given to him by Jacques Louis David Alfred Edward Woodley 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 seduce spitball at the same time."Was the excuse Harry offered. Really he just wanted to be the one to put the name into the goblet, wanted to live first script that he'd beat Dumbledore. Harry glanced around and saw a marauder guarding every door."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 sheepskin and rolled it expertly before gumming it, silencing it and throwing it forwards. It landed in the centre of the age dividing line, right beside the chalice. Harry pumped the air with his fist."Potter 1, Dumbledore 0. Proving that I am unmitigated awesome ! Lets 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 base, never know what other spells the old man ‘ s put around the place."Harry reached into his pocket and drew out the predator envelope then dropped it into the goblet. The fervor spurted up for a moment, then died down.

Harry hesitantly pulled the other gasbag out of his pocket. Should he ? Should he not ? It was only comely to give everybody a properly chance and James Neville Mason seemed like a nice enough bloke ( if a bit weird ). He probably wouldn ‘ t be chosen anyway. Ah well, what the sin ? Harry dropped the other gasbag into the flames.
*


The marauder entered the keen hall in a powwow, all eye focused directly on the goblet.

"I ‘ m nervous."Neville admitted as they sat down at the Gryffindor table."I don't know if I want to record anymore."

"Bit belated now."Padma said dryly, but the nerves were obvious in her voice too and the vulture quickly fell into silence.

"Whichever one of us it is the balance of us are behind them."Harry smiled at his Friend."That's for certain."

"But what if it ‘ s not one of us ?"George III asked.

"Not… one… of us ?"Harry's brow wrinkled in disarray."Quit your crazy lecture George. That could never happen."

"fry, children…"The mansion house fell silent as Dumbledore began to speak."I believe the bit you have all been waiting for has finally arrived. The goblet will be announcing it's alternative momentarily. I would ask you to recall that, even if you were not chosen, the tourney is still a contest between the schoolhouse. I expect to see no hard feelings, you must stand your supporter one hundred percent. Now…"Dumbledore turned towards the goblet.

The mansion waited in secrecy for almost a minute before the goblet ‘ s flames turned shining red and a little scrap of lambskin flew out. Dumbledore caught it expertly.

"The Beauxbatons champion is… Fleur Delacour !"

Harry saw one of the Gallic miss clap her helping hand to her face in shock 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 see the first champion leaving the hall.

"Yeah ? What about her ?"

Ron opened his mouth to come back but the goblet flared red again and the mansion fell silent.

"The Durmstrang adept will be Viktor Krum !"

The red uniformed students rose, cheering, as their champion walked towards the front of the Charles Martin Hall. Most of the Hogwarts scholar did too.

Harry was biting his nails, this succeeding one was it. The goblet turned red again and a piece of lambskin pin-wheeled out to be caught in Dumbledore's mitt. As the schoolmaster read it the smile dropped from his facial expression and his hand began to shake. In a frigid, flinty voice he said,

"The Hogwarts champion…"He seemed to grit his dentition."Is genus Draco Malfoy."

The Marguerite Radclyffe Hall erupted in uproar. Harry turned, his eye seeking out the blonde haired Slitherin. Draco seemed unruffled by the response his name had received but instead stood calmly and walked towards the movement of the antechamber. Before he left the hall however he turned and scanned down the Gryffindor table with those common cold grey center. He met Harry's regard, grinned evilly and winked.


annotation for francophone citizenry :

I have never liked how Gallic accent are represented in books, you know the `` 'Ogwarts can not 'ave two paladin. '' thing. Replacing this with 'zis and stuff like that. I imagine it 's kind of insulting.

I know I cringe every fourth dimension I hear a 'mockney'english accent on tv, I imagine it 's kind of the Saami thing.

I decided to preserve it in this story anyway purely because Goblet of Fire represents idiom that way. I 'm trying to make this storey kind of parallel the shank books in sure ways inluding aspects 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 set off, he had to let the atmospheric pressure out somehow."SON OF A squawk !"

"Mr ceramist !"Harry's center flicked back to Dumbledore, who was looking at him angrily."Contain yourself !"

"But he is !"Harry yelled, words leaking out of him uncontrollably."harbour ‘ t you met his mother ?"The hall erupted in laughter. Malfoy scowled but kept on walk, leaving the groovy Charles Martin Hall by the same doorway the former champions had left by.

Dumbledore held up his helping hand for silence.

"Obviously this is shocking and unprecedented."He said in an effortlessly level voice."I remind you all that I expect you to deplumate behind your champion…"Dumbledore stopped as the pupil began yelling again."… or at to the lowest degree not openly oppose him. Now, if you will condone me…"

Dumbledore left the still start students and walked out through the back up door of the hall, Karkarov and madam maxim followed him. For a few more mo everyone was silent then McGonagall stood.

"If you would all reelect to you-"But she was cut off as soul yelled,

"Professor !"

The school turned in time to see the goblet burning red again. A fighting of paper flew out of it and landed on the stone flooring. For a moment no one moved to touch it then Professor Snape, his construction unreadable, got up from his chair. His footfalls were the exclusively sound in the hall as he walked round the senior high table and came to a period 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 weather sheet, his face a blank mask."It says Harry Potter."

After a moment person started clapping, then someone else, then some more, the great hall exploded with applause.

"Knew it ‘ d be you Harry."Harry heard individual say as a hand slapped him on the back. Crowd pressure moved him towards the front of the hall, his own brain seemed to have stopped working. He saw Snape pick up the scrap of newspaper publisher, then hold a short, whispered, conversation with McGonagall. The potions original turned to him.

"come along Potter."

"Wha… ?"Harry judgment was still reeling.

"We must get hold of you to join the other champions."Snape led him out of the turbulent hall and into a short hallway. The haphazardness 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 attack ?"Snape asked urgently.

"Wha… ?"Harry glanced around, they were alone. The other adept must be through the other door."Why are you-"

"potter, try to scrape together some acumen ! Did you put your public figure into the goblet ?"

Snape seemed almost concerned.

"You seem almost concerned."Harry grinned, his brain getting back in gearing."Have those little b owls been bringing you drugs or something ?"Snape flinched back as if stung.

"hoot it Potter !"Snape grabbed Harry's robe."This is not a metre 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 familiar spirit air pressure in his brainpower. He opened his brain 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 possibility if someone else put your name into the goblet are far unsound than if you put it in yourself. This simplifies affair, 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 think constitute essays to recognize your handwriting."Snape held out the parchment for him to see."This is not your handwriting."

"No…"Harry felt a sinking touch sensation in his stomach."No it ‘ s not. What the hell is going on ?"He asked plaintively.

"If I knew that Potter."Snape moved towards the door."I would not sustain to ask questions."

Harry gulped and followed the potions master through the doorway. On the early side was another room with portraits hung all around the walls. The champions and their Headmasters were standing in the center of the room, apparently arguing. brothel keeper Maxim was pointing at Malfoy with one of her unusually long digit. They all fell mum 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 Maxim waved her hired hand at Harry."Some variety of prank to you here at ‘ ogwarts ? First your whiz iz a minor, now ‘ zis ?"

"I do not intend it is a joke."Karkarov said angrily."This so called champion."

"He is a champion. Despite what some of us might wish."Snape interrupted dryly. Harry couldn't help but think how different he seemed from a present moment ago."The total of Hogwarts saw his name leave the goblet, as did the delegacy from your own shoal. He is as licit a booster as-"

"As Mr Draco."Madam Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim scoffed."Your other underage champion."

"If I may…"Harry glanced at the man of to one face who had begun to speak. He hadn ‘ t even realized Mr Crouch was in the elbow room."The principle are very net. If a persons name leaves the chalice of fervour, then that person is a paladin. There can be no denying that."

"Harry…"Dumbledore spoke for the initiative meter."Did you put your name into the goblet of flak ?"

"I…"Harry felt Snape's hired man tap him in the small of the dorsum."… No."He heard the potions master breath 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 approximation how my name got in there."

Yes you do you slimy little… Harry's fist clenched involuntarily.

"well I believe that settles it."Dumbledore clapped his manpower together."quietus assured this matter will be investigated but until then… we have four champions."

Harry shook his school principal. Why did he get the feeling that the forged was yet to derive ?
*


As they left the room Harry fell into footmark with Malfoy. Neither spoke until they were out of earshot of the instructor. Harry took a breathing spell to steady himself then said,

"I assume that no one named David Mason really goes to Hogwarts ?"Malfoy turned to him and sneered.

"Good wasn ‘ t it."Malfoys phonation took on a simpering tone."Oh Harry, it wouldn ‘ t be bonnie if everyone didn ‘ t have a chance."

"Bastard."

"I planned it all out. The hat, the personality, even down to the name. Jacques Louis David Mason, sounds commons 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 look on your boldness when I was chosen…"

"Hang on…"Harry stopped suddenly."Why were you chosen ? Don ‘ t secern me the goblet actually picked you legit ? You wouldn ‘ t leave it up to chance."

"Very good ceramist, you ‘ re not quite as stupe as you look."Malfoy smiled."Ever heard of a malignant protean charm ? No of course-"

"A good luck charm that aggressively seeks out affair that look a bit like it…"Harry interrupted."And makes them seem exactly like it. Oh you little…."sympathy dawned in Harry's eyes."The names ! You cast it on the name calling !"

"Exactly !"Malfoy nodded."My name went in with the magic spell on it and changed all the other slips so that they read Draco Malfoy. I didn ‘ t leave it to probability, I was the solitary candidate."

"Bastard is too good a word for you, I ‘ m going with rat-bastard."

"The hard bit was making certainly it only changed the Hogwarts names."Malfoy was still in full 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 tour should stimulate gotten you…"

Harry said nothing, fairly sure that the protean had eaten up the scrap of parchment that had had his name on it and that the one that had eventually come out had been put in by somebody else.

"You must sustain 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 be adrift it way out of proportion. Snape ? … ?

"Just think back Potter,"Malfoy brought him back to the moment."I know who the real Hogwarts hotshot is and I ‘ m going to rise it to everyone."

"You think you ‘ re gon na win ?"Harry laughed."Hands up everyone who ‘ s defend basilisks and werewolves… What ? Just me ?"

"I will beat out you."Malfoy took off again in the direction of the Slytherin donjon."bell ringer my discussion 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 commons room. The rook was empty but the portraits were whispering to each other as he climbed through towards the seventh floor. He stopped in one desert corridor and quietly called,

"Myrtle…"He waited a few moments, then the glowing miss slid through the floor.

"Hmm ?"She cocked her nous quizzically, then giggled."I heard a rumor about you. Something about being star ?"

Harry grinned and winked, Vinca minor giggled again.

"Knew it would have to be you Harry."

"vulture don't lose."Harry said cockily."As you well know."

"Because I am a marauder."Myrtle said, proudly puffing up her smoky descriptor, Harry nodded.

"I wanted to ask you something."myrtle became grievous as Harry spoke."Did you see anyone else go near the goblet last dark, maybe before the rest period of us got there or after we left ?"

"Nope."Myrtle shook her top dog."Didn ‘ t see anyone."She put odd stress on the Son ‘ see ’.

"Myrtle ? Keeping secrets isn ‘ t nice."Harry tutted playfully.

"I didn ‘ t see anyone."The spectre repeated, smiling slyly."But one time the room access opened by itself, a here and now later the goblet flared up like someone put something in it. Then the door closed."

"Invisibility cloak."Harry guessed, nodding."Did you try to get a look-see ?"

"Of course."Myrtle looked offended."I followed them but I couldn't get close. I wasn ‘ t seen."She added proudly.

"I know you weren't."Harry nodded, Myrtle looked a little happier."Can you ask around the portrait ? See if anyone saw anyone sneaking around ?"

"Of course Harry !"Myrtle beamed at being given a job and slam away through the wall. Harry chuckled, it was amazing how having ally changed a mortal, or a ghost.

Harry walked around the corner and stood in front of the fat Lady. The woman in the portrait crossed her arms and said,

"I ‘ m waiting."

"I ‘ m not."Harry spelled an unlocking magical spell and the portrait 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 portrait gob. 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 swarm of Gryffindor house, 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 open up their rima oris."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 first affair Ron said was,

"Malfoy ‘ s gon na pay."

"I ‘ m a bit more disquieted about this invisible man."Padma said, shaking her pass."invisibility cloaks are rare."

"Maybe someone just really wanted Harry to win."Her sister 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 netherworld would someone want me in the rivalry ?"Harry wondered loudly."Want it enough to go to these lengths ?"

"Maybe soul wants to give Hogwarts a better chance."Fred said evenly, his brother added…

"Or Gryffindor."George III grinned."If they ‘ ll keep helping we should put some money on you."

"More probable someone hopes they can use the tournament to off me without anyone suspecting anything."Harry shrugged."That would be more my luck."

"Harry, stop being paranoiac !"Hermione admonished him."You ‘ re offset to voice like Professor Moody."

"prof Helen Wills is the most sensitive person that ‘ s ever taught us."Harry said, to general shock."It ‘ s not paranoia if they really are out to get you !"

"Harry soul made you a fighter !"Pavarti said in exasperation."It ‘ s a good thing, this soul is trying to help you !"

"Malfoy is going to-"

"Oh pay care Ron !"Hermione snapped."Try to hold up."

"Lots of money…"George III continued.

"No one ‘ s helping him."Padma said to her sister.

"Malfoy is going-"

"They could be-"

"Money-"

"enough !"Harry cut through the bickering piranha."We know nix. Not enough to actually work anything out at any rate. Discussion at this point is useless…"Harry trailed off as Myrtle rose through the floorboards.

"domestic trouble ?"The ghost giggled.

"You find something myrtle ?"Harry asked quickly."Did one of the portrayal 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 foreland ruefully."Thanks for trying."

"But…"Vinca minor did a little loop in the air and winked."The old ma'am near the kitchens said that Helen Wills Moody ‘ s got a cloak."

"What ?"Harry jerked, startled, like the rest of the marauders."An invisibility cloak ? Seriously ?"

"Mm Hm !"Myrtle hummed happily, obviously proud of gaining this titbit of information."And they ‘ re not that common."

"No."Hermione murmured,"They ‘ re really rare."

"‘ The most sensible individual that ‘ s ever taught us'Harry ?"Ginny grinned."Anything you have to say ?"

"Marauders never lose."Harry said chuckling."They are however, on social occasion, dead wrong."
*


When Harry opened his optic the next aurora 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 move over a bloody autograph !"Harry fended off a bunch of Gryffindors."Y ‘ d think they had never met me before."

"That's function 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 dear at making hoi polloi blank out you ‘ re Harry Potter."The two of them moved out of the common 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 make people forget."Harry ducked behind a lawsuit of armor as a group 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 eyes."And ponds."

"Ze art of seduction."Harry affected a French accent."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 apprehensiveness and curio. Snape had obviously turned some kind of new leafage but they had never pressed to see how far that alteration went. To play it safe he actually tried during the potions moral. He still failed but at least null exploded this clip. After class he lingered by his desk, putting away his stuff very slowly.

"Something you want Potter ?"Snape looked up from his desk.

"Um…"Harry waited a tick for the stopping point student to leave then said."I ‘ ve had an approximation about why my name might have come out of the goblet."

"Yes ?"

"If someone entered me for a fourthly 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 proceeds in character his eyes had deceived him. Snape was using a pen ! It was an antique looking fountain pen but still… Snape interrupted his thoughts."Of course of action that would mean that the veridical wizard was Draco."

"Probably no way to show it."Harry said quickly.

"Actually-"

"No way to prove it at all."Harry grinned, for a second he could have sworn he saw the border of Snape's rima oris twitch up.

"Perhaps not."Snape shook his brain."In any case finding out who did put your name in and why is of greater importance."Snape's hand moved to his arm involuntarily, like a reflex.

"problem ?"Harry asked. Snape shook his head, his optic 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 nighttime bull's eye ?"Snape's caput whipped up.

"How do you know about that ?"He asked harshly.

"I…"Harry opened his mouth to answer but realized with jar that he had no thought how he had heard about the black marking. It was all there though, the fool in the sky meant demise, the score in flesh think servitude."I must have… read it… somewhere…"

Snape had strode around the tabular array in an blink of an eye and seize Harry by his shoulders. This prison term it didn't flavour like a little pressure in his mind, it felt like a hammer.

"Stop ! It hurts !"Harry yelled.

"occlusive occluding your mind !"Snape growled, jerking Harry's nous back to keep eye contact.

"I ‘ m not !"Harry pushed Snape away but kept eye middleman, deliberately relaxing his creative thinker. Snape opened his sass in jar, memory flashed past for a few moments before Snape broke the connecter and sagged back onto his desk.

"Satisfied ?"Harry snarled, breathing hard.

"Not even slightly."Snape shook his head, he also seemed out of breath."I couldn ‘ t see how you know about the bull's eye, or that I have one."

"I told you. I must have read it somewhere."Harry shook his head."Why do you take in one anyway ? I mean why did you become a death eater ?"

"Youth. Stupidity. Misplaced rage."Snape stood slowly and rolled his arm back. The 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 defect to Dumbledore ? I assume that ‘ s what you did or you wouldn ‘ t be here."

"Why ? …"Snape cocked his read/write head and a sliver of a smile appeared on his face."Surprisingly the reason is something that is not of the tenuous importance to me anymore. But rest assured I am no longer Lester Willis Young, stupid or full of misplace rage."

"It ‘ s well placed you stand for ?"Harry dug slyly.

"It ‘ s more… channeled."Snape stood and brushed his robes with his hired man before walking to a cabinet behind his desk and getting out a small vial of blue potion."I am sorry for invading your nous so roughly. This should assist with the pain."He held out the vial.

"You taste it first."Snape's eyebrow 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 sleep. His concern disappeared almost instantly.

"Is it getting darker ?"Harry asked.

"Slowly."Snape nodded."I have yet to tell 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 mitt as if batting something away."Although I always believe it prudent to prepare for the worst."

"Yeah…"Harry said, but he had thought of something. He bit his lip and looked at Snape thoughtfully.

"ceramist ? What are you thinking ?"

"Just wondering how far our new cease-fire goes."Harry glanced back at the door to check up on 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.

"William 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 present moment then moved back to the potions cabinet. He muttered a study under his breath and a drawer appeared out of the incline. Snape reached in and drew out a tiny nursing bottle, barely more than a thimble.

"trey dip is all that is necessary."Snape pressed the bottle into Harry's hand."show no one else. secern no one you have that."

"Thank you."Harry curled his fingers around the slight bottleful."I ‘ ll evidence 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 teacher across the empty classroom."Whose is that little barn owl ?"

"None of your clientele Potter."

"Ah…"Harry tapped the side of his olfactory organ."She must really be something…"

"She is."
*


Harry didn't have a deterrent example with Moody until Friday, which meant that he had to carry that little bottle around the altogether clip, a little bottle of carry-able nervousness. He constantly weighed the hazard of hiding it somewhere with the risk of exposure of having it found on his person but in the end come down on the side of the latter. Besides, his coat had a few pockets that would elude all but the most aggressive searchers.

When the lesson actually came about Harry was gritting his teeth, he still didn't know if this was a good melodic theme, or even possible. It wasn't too belatedly to revert the bottle to Snape, or to find somewhere to shroud it and relieve it for later.

"Something bothering you ceramicist ?"

Harry looked up from his desk into the face of the ex-auror.

"No, nothing."Harry shook his principal."Well…"

"Yes ?"

"There is something I want to ask you, but after the lesson."Harry made himself search down and put a little catch in his vocalism."If you ‘ re not too busy."

"Hmm."Moody scratched his chin."Well, whatever it is it isn ‘ t keeping you from taking annotation is it ?"

Harry looked down at his varlet, it was void except for a little ink drawing of a cottage.

"Would you believe invisible ink ?"

"No."

"Didn ‘ t think so."Harry reached for his pinion. After the example he stayed quiet, with his bag not even packed. The piranha 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 spare credit essay ?"incredulity 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 point and shrugged."Does it really count what I ‘ m up to ?"

"Just wondering what happens if the school champion is expelled."

"One of the school champions."Harry corrected."The only human hotshot granted but still…"

"Oh no one in Hufflepuff believes Malfoy ‘ s really a champion."Susan rolled her centre."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 rumor, 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 walk away, his eyes drifting down a little. Very interesting. Why hadn't he noticed before how-

"Potter."Harry whipped his head around. Moody was looking at him shrewdly."I know I said Constant weather eye but…"

"Don ‘ t land up that time Professor."Harry grinned."Unless you want me to start mentioning that most magic center can be made to see through clothing."

"I don't use that setting…"Moody replied gruffly, then winked."…any more."

Harry laughed and a second later was joined by his teacher.

"So,"Dwight Lyman Moody, walked back to the instructor desk and motioned for Harry to sit nearby."What was it you wanted to talk about ?"

"Oh yeah."Harry made his voice dip a little."That."

Harry swallowed and took a abstruse breath.

"My parents."

"Ah."Moody shook his head ruefully."Sad concern potter, very sad, but I ‘ m not the one to spill the beans to. I didn ‘ t know them before the war-"

"I don ‘ t want more anecdotes."Harry dilled up the hostility, it had to face like he had been stewing over this for a while."Not more schoolhouse stories. I want to know how they died, the whole level. Details."

"Why ?"Helen Wills asked bluntly."Why do you want to try about your parents murder ?"

"Because it ‘ s something no one else seems prepared to blab about."Harry shook his head angrily."You were an auror, you also knew them. Fair bet you examined the house right, investigated ?"Harry knew Helen Wills Moody had been involved in the investigation, he left nothing to chance.

"Yes I did."See ?"But I ‘ m still not certainly you want to know."

"I don ‘ t want to. I need to."Harry pleaded, putting a slight iron into his phonation."It ‘ s a fair bet Voldemort's not done having an influence on my life sentence. I need to know how it began."

Moody shook his capitulum and grimaced.

"Don ‘ t know where to begin."He reached down and took a draft from his hip flask. Harry grinned.

"You can start with the goblet of fire."

"What ?"Dwight Lyman Moody shook his head as if to clear it. His legerdemain eye was rolling listlessly and the former looked milky and unfocussed."The goblet ?"

"Yes, did you put my figure into it ?"Harry asked, flatly.

"No."Helen Newington Wills answered in a straight smell. Harry closed his eyes, that meant he had made a mistake, which meant he was screwed.

"Did you get soul else to put my figure in ?"Harry asked desperately."And where ‘ s your invisibleness cloak."

"No, I do not know who put your epithet in the goblet of fire."Moody said, again with no emotion."My cloak is in my chest, there."He pointed with one gnarled finger.

"Ok, that's not good. For me."Harry looked up at the clock. With the STD he gave the event would only last a few more seconds."Please don ‘ t kill me."

Helen Wills Moody just continued his fleet stare, then he blinked and shook his header. Realization dawned in his eyes and Harry saw him grip his verge tightly. In a blink of an eye the ex-auror whipped it around and Harry felt roach pin his arms to the chair.

"How did you do it ?"The prof asked, coldly.

"Lifted the flask from your pocket. Put it back later in the lesson."Harry replied evenly. Being no-account wouldn't get him out of this, being solemn might."Managed to get out the charm you used on it too."

"That a fact."Moody reached out and emptied the flask onto the floor, the water sparkled in the lighting from the window."And why did you do it ?"

"I found out that the person who put my name in the goblet did it under the cover of an invisibility cloak."Harry crossed his arms."They ‘ re uncommon, and you, the gallant owner of two, had just come to Hogwarts. That seemed like too a good deal 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 somebody when you ‘ re questioning them."Moody flicked his scepter again and the ropes fell loose."Even in they ‘ re potioned. That was mucky ceramist, very sloppy. I ‘ m disappointed in you."

Harry's jaw dropped.

"But… you mean… you ‘ re not mad ?"

"Mad ? No, no, no,"Helen Wills waved the question away."You had suspicion you acted on it. I woulda done the same."

"But I got past your defending team, I could have poisoned you."

"Better you do it than one of my foe, oh and by the way…"Dwight Lyman Moody smiled like a tiger, for once both center focused on Harry."I ‘ ll need a six scroll essay on how you broke the turn on my flask."

"Six gyre ?"

"shuffling it ten."

"Eep."

"Don ‘ t worry 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 incline 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 more than I did."Helen Wills Moody nodded.

"Why ?"Harry asked aghast.

"You had me drugged and I ‘ m still alive. agency I have proof you ‘ re not trying to toss off me."Helen Wills 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 nuts. You're crazy. You ‘ re completely crashing gonzo."

"Yeah ?"Helen Newington Wills leant in towards Harry's face."fountainhead so are you."

"Possible,"Harry conceded."I did once jump onto a moving train."

"Ha !"Helen Newington Wills snorted."That's zilch. Try a moving dragon."

Harry laughed and shook his head, this had turned out alright after all.

"Eh ?"Moody said, furrowing his supercilium."Don ‘ t you have a deterrent example to get to."

"Yes, but it's creatures so I was actually marginally safer staying here and drugging you."

"evening 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 room access a thought struck him and he turned back.

"You didn ‘ t ask me there the potion came from."

"Oh I think I can guess."Helen Wills Moody grew serious.

"You ‘ re not glad ?"

"Constant Vigilance Potter."Moody said"Keep your allies close-"

"-and my foeman closer."Harry rolled his eyes."I know."

"That's not it at all !"Moody said with sudden heat."living your ally close Potter, but watch them even closer."



Please review, It 'll make me save faster. Pavlov told me so !


billet for Daniel Chester French hoi polloi 2 : Ok, this chapter actually contains masses speaking in Gallic. I should warn you that I do not utter french. Well, I do a bit but GCSEs were a long time ago and I only got a B. In any vitrine the french in this chapter is almost certainly wrong, lamentable. If you want to severalize me the right translations i 'll put them up.



Harry propped the book up in front of him and tried to make the words stay in one home rather than fading out and becoming one long boring blur.

"This, this is interesting Harry."Hermione yawned and pushed another book over too him."It makes your peel 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 book wearily and rested his Chin on it."And I know you consider breaking into the library tantamount to sacrilege."

"It ‘ s alright if it ‘ s for the tournament"Hermione rationalized."Do you desire me to get more books ?"

"No, I want to pass up."Harry shook his school principal."Lets go back to the tower."

They packed their stuff and Harry spelled the lock on the library back closed. He was about to bend down the corridor when a luminance appeared near the early end and Harry pushed Hermione back into the library.

"Who is it ?"

"No clue."Harry shrugged and closed the door quietly. He put his ear to it as the voices got closer."Beaxbattons student I think."

"How do you have intercourse ?"

"They ‘ re speech production French."Harry whispered as the light passed outside the door."Talking about the first task."

"Ho… Wait you speak French ?"Hermione whispered hoarsely.

"You gave me the phrase books 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 fundamentals down in under a week."

"That ‘ s cheating !"Hermione said, sounding scandalized.

"Did someone invent new rules while I was away ?"Harry suddenly frowned."That didn't sound 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 incite faster after the retreating voices and take heed Hermione do the Saame 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 burly 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 component part 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 Gallic women stopped in the corridor beyond.

"Non !"Fleur was saying angrily."Vous me forcez à choisir entre mes esprit de corps et mon école."

"She ‘ s not happy."Harry shook his pass."She thinks Maxim ‘ 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."

"firedrake ?"Harry broke into a grin. He turned to Hermione."See this is why I eavesdrop."

"Cheater."She smiled though.

"Tu as une stratégie ?"ma'am axiom asked."Tu pouvais le distraire. Tu-"

"Non !"Fleur drew herself up."Je ferai le repos moi-même."

"Comme tu souhaites."Madam Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim said and they began to walk back towards where the two marauders 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 front of the two cleaning woman."So… dragons eh ?"

Their jaws dropped.

"Thanks for the tip !"Harry grinned and winked at his lad champion then turned to the Daniel Chester French headmistress and with a face said,"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 little… !"Madam Maxime spluttered incoherently but Harry cut her off and switched to English.

"fountainhead cheat all you want, doesn ‘ t matter. As you know now I am everywhere in this school. I will do it if you cheat, I will eff everything you do. So it all works out the same in the end."Harry turned back to the startled young woman Delacour."Good hazard with the dragon."And with that he turned and walked away.

fountainhead, he walked until he reached the initiative box, then he started to run.
*


"Potter ?"

Sleepy.

"potter !"

Ok, not sleepy anymore, just faking.

"Potter get up !"Harry jerked theatrically and raised his head off his desk to search at professor McGonagall.

"Sleepy Professor,"Harry grinned."I stayed up late doing very crucial wiz stuff."

It was actually unfeigned, he had indeed been spending every night researching ways to deal with large, enraged, fire external respiration reptile but he hadn ‘ t had much luck. to the highest degree of the Holy Scripture had the unhelpful assumption that you would be division of a team of magician dealing with these fauna. If he could just rule one that assumed you were a scared, short, fourteen twelvemonth old who wasn't much ripe at defense mechanism against the sorry arts or maintenance of wizard creatures he would be set.

"Well that doesn ‘ t get you out of concentrating on your lessons."She pointed at the crystallization testis that he had transfigured part way from a tortoise. It still had legs and a tooshie and was blindly butting against Harry's transfiguration textbook."dispatch the transformation or at least flex it back into a tortoise, it is just cruel to leave it like this."

Harry shrugged and tried to polish off the August 6. Two of the legs disappeared, and the short affair balanced on the other two before toppling and almost rolled off the mesa before Ron caught it. McGonagall moved away muttering about ‘ champions'and ‘ changeling ‘ using the same inflection for each.

"wellspring we can come up transfig'off the dragon-taming possibilities."Harry accepted his tortoisphere back from his friend and tried idly to pass water the remaining tree branch disappear.

"I could spell to Charlie."Ron offered. He had managed to make a crystal tortoise that looked like it should be in some seaside gift shop.

"Don ‘ t, I ‘ m cheating just by using you guys."Harry made the tail disappear and sighed."I should just run in and start cursing it. Pain spear ‘ s worked before."

"You ‘ re not allowed to use dark witching Harry."Neville reminded him from his other English."It ‘ s restricted by the formula of the tournament or something."

"And it probably wouldn ‘ t work."Ron cast the spell again and got a round ball of tortoise eggshell."Dragon skin is-"

"Very, very thick. Also curse-proof."Harry interrupted."I know."Harry slumped back in his death chair and looked up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and massaged his temples, he had a stabbing worry from all the studying and later night. If he propped his book up and fell asleep…

"Mr Potter !"

"I ‘ m awake !"Harry shook his head. The class giggled.

"What I meant Mr Potter."McGonagall continued."Is that you are needed in the one-third floor arithmancy schoolroom. Do you be intimate where it is ?"

Small slatted window that doesn't lock properly ?

"I know it."Harry nodded."What ‘ s this about ?"

"Very important champion stuff."McGonagall narrowed her heart."Now."

Harry gathered his stuff and hurried out of the room. Since it was division prison term all the corridors were void and Harry made it to the classroom without seeing anyone. Wondering what this could possibly be about he pushed the door open.

"Ah, Mr Potter. So good of you to join us."Mr Crouch had stood up when he entered. Dumbledore and the other headmaster were also there, as was a witch in neon leafy vegetable robes he didn't recognize. She had a quill and composition out and looked like she was currently grilling Krum. The Bulgarian, for his section, 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 nibbles. I skipped lunch."

"This is the weighing of the wands ceremony."Mr Crouch said calmly, ignoring Harry's light-mindedness."Don ‘ t worry it ‘ s mostly a formality."

scepter weighing ? Harry took out his scepter, it looked alright. A bit scuffed here and there but then so was he. Harry heard the door undetermined and turned,

"What is this ?"Malfoy stood in the doorway 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 hand in one move."Rita Skeeter. Pleasure to match you, if I could just-"

"My father has a several very good lawyers."Malfoy interrupted her suddenly."So if you print anything libelous…"

"Mr Malfoy,"Rita Skeeter held her hands to her chest as if she had been hurt."You insult me, the people want to take heed from their wiz. Champions."She added, glancing at Harry with a crocodile-smile.

Scanning for insincerity : falseness detected.

Harry contorted his look into a worry smile.

"If I could adopt the both of you for a moment."Skeeter pushed them both back out the room access and into the classroom contrary."There now, that's more comfy. None of those old evaluator and officials."

"Everything she says is a lie."Harry thought to himself."And you had better observe what you say too."

"Do you mind if I use a prompt citation quill ?"

"Yes."Malfoy said at the same prison term 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 newsman looked disappointed, then brightened up slightly."I hear you two have a little rivalry going."Harry opened his mouth but Malfoy answered before he could speak.

"I wouldn't call me beating him at every class a competition."

"Whatever."Harry shrugged.

"You ‘ re not going to argue Potter ?"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 think you, a mere XII twelvemonth old, can succeed in this contender that has clamed the lives of superstar honest-to-god and wiser than you."

"I don ‘ t know."Harry scratched his school principal."The fact that I intend to chouse outrageously may help."

"You…"Rita Skeeter's eye's lit up."You're going to rip off ?"

"I already have !"Harry replied happily."Say, do you think that Karkarov guy ‘ s open to bribes ? 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 easy to buy him using all the stolen property that I own. Would you like a diamond necklace ?"

Rita's quill was moving so fast she was tearing the paper.

"I can always obtain more through my across-the-board felon contacts."

"Potter block off now you id-"Harry winked at Malfoy, shutting him up.

"Of course of instruction my primary pastime remains kitten-smashing."At Skeeter's shocked face he continued."Yes, kitten-smashing. It ‘ s variety of like a sport, you use a exceptional club. baby seals as well, and precious footling chipmunks. Deer, Struthio camelus, endangered marmosets, trot, dolphins that sort of thing."

"Mr Potter…"The reporter's eyes narrowed.

"What ?"Harry grinned."If you ‘ re going to realize up Lie about me they might as well be entertaining. How about saying I ‘ m a vampire or a national socialist or that I have two point and one of them speaks fluid Italian."

"Don ‘ t play this biz with me Mr Potter."Rita Skeeter tapped her quill against her quill against her notepad."You won ‘ t win."

"Yes I will."Harry smiled."Marauders always do, in the end."

"Am I interrupting ?"Their three heads turned to see Barty Crouch in the room access."We ‘ re ready for you now."

Harry smiled and wandered out off the way, leaving the startled reporter behind. As he walked back into the arithmancy classroom he noticed that two to a greater extent mass had arrived. Fleur Delacour he was expecting, the early was More of a surprise.

"Mr Ollivander ?"

"Mr Potter, so good to see you again."The old man looked the Same as he had on the day, four class ago, that Harry had bought his baton. He wasn't acting as oddly however.

"You ‘ re doing the wand weighing ?"Harry guessed.

"I am Mr ceramicist, I am."He held out his hand and Harry grudgingly surrendered his wand. As soon as it left his hand he found himself feeling paranoid, almost naked. He kept eyeing up bits of furniture for their potential as weapons should mortal attack him.

"Your… this wand seems to work quite adequately."Mr Ollivander said slowly, looping a long prosperous thread out of the tip."Of course, if you were in the grocery store for another…"

"No."Harry shook his head before the wand maker could once again try to thrust a different wand on him as he had at their first coming together."That one ‘ s served me pretty honest. I ‘ ll stick with it if you don ‘ t mind."

"Very well."Ollivander shook his head and handed the verge back."I don ‘ t understand it but…"He spread his handwriting and shrugged.

Everyone else in the way kept shooting Harry odd flavour for the remainder of the verge weighing, everyone except Dumbledore.
*


As Harry was walking away from the advisement when he heard a interpreter 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 underestimation her, she overestimates herself."

"Perhaps so."The judge nodded."But she has the potency to cause you real harm."

"No she doesn ‘ t."Harry interjected."Sticks and stones and all that, I ‘ ve survived tough than bad press."

"I am worry about you Mr Potter."Mr Crouch moved up to abide next to Harry."There is more than one grounds we increased the age bound on entree to the tournament. I fear you are too Whitney Young to remain firm up to the scrutiny."

"Me ? Harry boy-who-lived thrower ?"

"Ah, yes."Mr Crouch chuckled a lilliputian."Perhaps you are right on that score, but nevertheless a certain level of adulthood is expected, even necessary, and I worry that perhaps you do not have it."

"I ‘ ll hold my end."Harry said, vaguely insulted.

"Do you feel adequately physically and mentally prepared for the first of all undertaking ?"Harry thought that an odd question, but answered anyway.

"No, not entirely."

"Well I can ‘ t give you advice of course."The one-time man nodded."Just remember 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 decelerate,"Mr Crouch told him."A good score is better than being injured so you can not compete."

"The only respectable score is winning."Harry grinned like a tiger.
*


Harry woke lazily the side by side day and ignored the sounds of people going down to breakfast. This weekend had been a recollective tome advent and he was going to enjoy 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 and all conversation ceased. Harry walked down the Gryffindor table to his Quaker in total secretiveness and sat down in the empty seat they had left for him.

"Explanation ?"Harry asked quietly, the room was still almost mortal silent.

"Um, we think Malfoy may have talked to Rita Skeeter after you left."Hermione was holding a newspaper nervously, kneading the composition with he hands."He said some things and they printed some things…"

"Give it here."Harry reached out and grabbed the paper. He quickly scanned down the text…

… young man champion 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 suddenly and weedy."The hansom sixteen year old said"And it explains the hair."This newsman has seen grounds to support these arguing and can reveal to you now the Sojourner Truth about Harriet Potter…

Harry burst out laughing. In the utterly tacit great hall it sounded spear carrier loud as Harry guffawed in swell breathy gulps.

"Harriet Potter !"Harry dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"It ‘ s not funny Harry."Hermione said.

"Yes it is ! tone, they ‘ ve even doctored a picture of me."Harry pointed."I ‘ ve got long whisker and boob 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 early side."the great unwashed 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.

"attending Hogwarts !"Harry yelled, he felt all oculus come to set down on him."By now about of you will give birth read the Daily Prophet, or have heard about it from someone. And unless you ‘ re deaf you ‘ ve heard how I regard these rumors. I have just two things to say, any guy who doubts me can get kicked in the face ( don't jest I know where you all sleep ). And for any girl who doubts I ‘ m male a presentment can be arrang-"

"MR POTTER !"The schoolhouse giggled as McGonagall stood from her place at the high up table."My office ! Now !"

"Thank you, thank you. I ‘ ll be here all week."Harry sauntered out of the hall, waving at the laughing bunch as he went. The last thing he saw before he left was the drab spirit of murder on Malfoy's face and decided to rub Strategic Arms Limitation Talks in the injury."And Draco next prison term you try to attack me think of things that would offend me not that would take hurt you. You care about reputation. Me ? I don't give a dogshit what anyone thinks !"

"MR ceramicist !"

"I ‘ m going I'm going."Harry grinned and walked out. The students laughed again, some even cheered.
*


The seer was forced to print a recantation the next day after hundreds of the great unwashed wrote in to complain. Unfortunately Harry didn't have sentence to taste the victory as the kickoff task drew secretive and closer.

"I ‘ m screwed."Harry slid another book back into the program library bookcase and looked along the shelf for early dragon related leger."I am royally screwed."

It was the day before the first job and Harry had made an executive director decision to snub all his lessons that day. His fourth dimension could be far better used and he figured his teachers wouldn ‘ t psyche, 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 active in battlefront of the entire school.

He had goose egg. Not one idea.

"I should just rush in."Harry thought, shaking his head."Start cursing, worked with the basilisk."

"Yes,"Said a little snide part of his mind."But the basilisk almost killed you."

Harry took down another book only to agnize he had already read it and slammed it back into the bookshelf in anger.

"problem missy ceramist ?"Harry heard the snide drawling interpreter and sagged tiredly.

"None Daisy Mayflower."He turned to Malfoy and crossed his coat of arms."Shouldn ‘ t you be in lesson ?"

"Last class ended half an 60 minutes ago."Malfoy shot back condescendingly.

Harry felt his warmness droop. He had thought he had Thomas More time than that, he must have lost raceway. He caught muckle of the script in Malfoy's hand and his centre flickered to the conspicuous gap in the shelf future to him. He saw the Slytherin's cold greyness pair match him.

"How did you witness out ?"Harry asked levelly.

"find out what ?"

"About the dragons Malfoy. Don ‘ t play games."

Malfoy smiled.

"My don noticed that the ministry was putting licenses through for dragon handling equipment and flying dragon handler and dragons."

"That is damming evidence."Harry shrugged."Got a scheme ?"

"Like I ‘ d tell you."Malfoy scoffed."A little dragon doesn ‘ t bother me."

"You almost sound like you mean that."Harry pretended to shift weight while actually bringing his wand around to bear."Lets see… Legillimens !"

It was like hitting a synthetic rubber bulwark. Harry felt his mental probe rebound off an Occlumency roadblock like a tennis ball off a tank and had barely a second to compose himself before the parry attack hit his nous like a pneumatic drill.

"What the sin ? !"Harry blanked his intellect before any remembering floated up. After a moment the drill receded.

"How dare you half-blood !"Malfoy spat at him."Don't even intend of trying that again. You ‘ re obviously an amateur compared to me. Just like you are at everything else."

"Getting lessons from daddy are we ?"Harry kept his baton trained in 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 thought disgusts me. Even after a failed 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 recantation doesn ‘ t mean you ‘ ve won !"Malfy cracked, raising his wand."So don't caper 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 honor of their names."Malfoy shook his head fiercely and lowered his verge a fraction.

"You won ‘ t win ceramist. You might as well step down now."Malfoy sneered at him."It ‘ s a Draco, you can't trick it or lie to it or prank it or creep your way past it. You can ‘ t win. Just give up Potter, while you still can."

Malfoy turned and strode away, disappearing between the shelves. But Harry had begun to grin.

"Why the hell not ?"
*


Harry mustered together every snow leopard of haughtiness and cool he had to keep himself walking forward towards the pavilion that had been erected near the bound of the forest. He glanced to his right and saw Malfoy coming up from another focal point, surrounded by a crowd of Slytherins. Some of them were wearing badges bearing Malfoy's smirking face.

Harry reached the tent and swallowed voiceless before entering.

"Glad you could unite us Mr Potter."Barty Crouch greeted him with a smile. The other wiz were already there. Krum was sitting stoically, staring uncoiled forward. Fleur looked green and had one hand pressed to her belly."Nervous ?"

YES ! Of course of instruction I'm bloody nervous ! I'm about-

"No, no sir."Harry answered out garish."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 little bag. Harry noticed with a draft that it was squirming.

"The task once you enter the stadium is to retrieve a golden egg from its guardian."Crouch explained in his dry bureaucratic voice."Inside this bag are four statutes. You will each take one from the bag, at random. The statue should recite you both what this guardian is and will also have a routine on it representing the order you will go in."

And first to the gallows will be…

"Miss Delacour…"Crouch held out the bag and the Gallic daughter put her hand in tentatively. She drew it out and revealed a humble blue dragon statue, currently gnawing on her thumb."The Swedish forgetful snout."

Fleur looked at the little thing in her helping hand then raised her chin in decision. But Harry saw a suggestion of affright in her eyes.

"facial expression almost cute."Harry commented, looking at the firedrake."expression looks variety of like a squirrel."

Fleur glanced again at the thing in her hand then looked at Harry in disbelief.

"Well… a bit."Harry grinned and saw a one-half smile in return.

"Mr Krum."Crouch hurried them along. The Bulgarian stuck his hired hand into the bag and drew out a prospicient red-gold flying lizard, dangling it by its hind end."The Formosan Firebolt."

Krums formulation didn't variety, if anything it just became stonier.

"That's a weasel."Harry pronounced definitely ( babbling so he wouldn ‘ t hit a summate nervous equipment failure )."A Squirrel and a Weasel."

"Mr Malfoy."Crouch held the bag out again and Malfoy carefully removed a sleek looking black flying dragon."A Hebridean inkiness Mr Malfoy."

Malfoy seemed to be trying to hold back his facial expression ridged and restrained, he was taking deep breathing time through his nose.

"And you Harry."Crouch held out the bag and Harry reached in quickly and grabbed the last squirming statue. He held it in his fist as he brought it out, said a silent prayer to anyone hearing, then opened his hand.

"The Hungarian Horntail."Mr Crouch pronounced tonelessly.

Harry closed his helping hand again and pumped his fist into the air.

"YES !"

The three former champions were looking at him like he was crazy.

"Mr thrower,"Crouch spluttered."You do acknowledge about that type of dragon don ‘ t you ?"

"Read about ‘ em, yep."Harry nodded.

"And you ‘ re happy ?"

"Yep."

"potter you ‘ re insane."Malfoy said icily.

"Yep."

"Well…"Mr Crouch seemed a small perturbed but motioned Malfoy towards the loss to the tent.

Harry watched them leave and took a deeply breathing time. He sat down cross legged on the take solid ground and tip spinal column against a tent pole.

"You are very confident."Krum said in his heavily accented voice.

"I ‘ m not worried."Harry said as he heard his racing fondness beating in his ears.

Harry tried to blank out the phone of the crowd outside and the comments of the commentators. He tried to breath deeply so as to quiet his nerves. It didn't work.

"Mr Krum if you please !"Harry heard the pennywhistle and wished Krum good luck as he walked out of the tent.

Thomas More bit of growling and snorting passed and Fleur began pacing the flooring worriedly.

"It ‘ ll be alright."Harry told her as the crowd quieted down and the scores were put up."You got the well-off dragon."

"Easier."She replied without looking up.

"Just think of it as a heavyweight fire-breathing squirrel."

"‘ Ow can you be so tranquil !"She said to him angrily."‘ Ow can you jest about zis !"

"I joke about everything."

The whistle blew a moment later and Fleur was gone too, gone to confront the Dragon. Harry got up and began pacing himself. He gripped his wand and began rehearsing what he would do again.

Nothing could possibly go wrong.

What the hell ? Everything could go wrong !

Harry squeezed his eye shut as he heard the whistle audio. He couldn't do this.
*


"And the last hotshot, HARRY POTTER !"The voice cried over the loudspeaker.

prof McGonagall, like everyone else in the gang, looked towards the collapsible shelter. A blast of wind flapped the sharpness of the canvas. No one came out.

"Um… Mr ceramicist ?"

No one came.

That poor boy. She shook her head, this had obviously been too much for him. The crew had begun whispering now.

"Do you wish to go down there Albus, Or shall I ?"She turned to the schoolmaster, who was oddly smiling."One of us will throw to chance him."

"Oh I know exactly where he is."Dumbledore chuckled.

"You see it too ?"Helen Wills Moody cackled from the row below."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 happy to invite the Horntail."Dumbledore smiled."I did not quite understand that until now. The horntail is the most fearsome flying lizard in the world, but it ‘ s sightedness is quite poor."

Understanding dawned in Minerva McGonagall's mind and she turned to scan the arena once more. After a moment she saw it. A small, human shaped gawk, perfectly camouflaged against the backbone behind it, shimmering as it edged towards the dragon.
*


Harry shifted a hairsbreadth closer. He had silenced his feet to get rid of his footfalls but there was still the risk of something shifting or crunching. He could hear members of the bunch beginning to laugh now, he didn't care. They'd know the truth when he snagged the egg right out from under the belly of the matter. And besides, the more than noise they made the better.

The Horntail suddenly shifted, raising it's nose richly. Harry froze in a hunker down. It sniffed the air.

darn ! Harry froze. He had hoped that by keeping the idle words in his font would have kept his smell from the creature. Apparently not, that meant he would have to cast a turn, which would agitate the thing and divulge his location. But it would find out him anyway if he didn't. Too bad he didn't know non-verbal magic.

Harry drew his sceptre and tensed his legs. The Disillusionment spell worked best when you stayed still but it wasn ‘ t perfect even then. The Draco would see through it once it got a hint where to depend. He would experience to move the minute he cast or he would be crispy-fried.

Harry took a deep breathing place and yelled,

"Avgo Sapios !"The cloud of immature fume gushed out of his verge and smacked the Draco on the rostrum but Harry was already throwing himself sideways and rolling to a crouch on the floor.

Which was prosperous because a moment later the sand where he had been standing was reduced to a white-hot canvas. The dragon swept its lance of flame across the arena, passing just infantry in front of Harry's face. Harry saw the sand steam and poise from blue-white to red, then to a duller, glassy, last. A mark across the estate. Harry forced himself to breath again, shallowly.

He moved his head slowly to await at the dragon, it was shaking its read/write head from side to side as if to dislodge the foul sense of smell that had taken up residence in its nostrils.

When Harry was surely it was looking the early way he hopped over the burnt swath and crouched down on the other English. A gasp went up from the gang, they must have seen him when he passed over the incinerate 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 panic as the dragon gouged another flaming scar across the George Sand. He realized belatedly that the downside of choosing to approach the dragon from downwind was that it put the Slytherin stands at his back.

"OVER Hera !"

Harry ducked as a fireball flew over his head. He risked a coup d'oeil back to see it impact on a shield. The standstill seemed to quiet down a bit, perhaps realizing the idiocy of attracting the attention of an tempestuous dragon.

Harry inched forward again and had to circumvent as it's spiked can whipped through the air. He could see the egg now, glimmering in among some duller 1. Harry crawled silently up near the dragon English and looked up. The bulwark of the great reptilian's dead body gave way to the monolithic blending canopy of it's wing. He was right up following to it now. If he screwed up it would step on him.

Harry reached into the petty gap between the floor and the shifting belly of the Horntail. His digit curled around the gold egg. He twisted it and brought it out horizontal, making sure not to touch the Dragon. Like that game, what was it called… mathematical process ! Except with his life on the line.

Harry held his intimation as the egg finally saw the Light Within 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 XII custodian approaching.

"No !"Harry thought."They ‘ re not that pudden-head ! Please NO !"

"Stupify !"

"AAaaaa !"Harry screamed and threw himself backward as the dragon collapsed right onto the ground where he had been crouching. A moment later he was driven to the floor as its annexe crumpled on top of him. Harry crawled out from under the leathery blanket, forced himself to stand on stage that wanted to crumple like plastic chaff and stumbled towards the firedrake keepers.

"What the hell…"Harry growled."Was the big idea of dropping the Draco on me when I ‘ m still bloody under it !"

"Sorry Harry."The red-head at the front of them shrugged."You ‘ re kind of hard to see."

Harry looked down, he was still Disillusioned. Harry raised his aching arm and tapped himself on the pass with the tip of his wand.

"Khamaileon akyrono."He felt the warm dribbles down his mind painfully slowly. They stopped before they even reached his belly."Oh great…"Harry sagged his half-visible body.

"Let me Potter."Harry flinched as individual tapped him from can. He turned and looked up at the pock human 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 and his left arm didn ‘ t want to bend properly. He turned and saw McGonagall approaching from the stands and tried to stand a lilliputian straighter.

"potter, are you hurt ?"She said, an boundary of concern tingeing her voice. Harry raised his left arm."first-class ! You ‘ ll get more points for being uninjured."

Harry swiftly jerked his arm back down and brushed the dirt off the straw man of his robes. Mad Eye leant down and whispered into his ear,

"Arm broke thrower ?"

"No, just hurts like hell."Harry breathed back. He eased it into his sac, wincing slightly."Maybe fractured."

"You gon na tell them ?"

"Hell no !"
*


Harry held hard to the bannister as he walked towards the marauders. He was surrounded by cheer, hoi polloi kept slapping him on the back ( painfully )

"That was awesome Harry !"Harry heard someone yell and waved back, smiling wanly. He managed to draw it to the free butt 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."form of the point of invisibility."

"That was really good you know Harry."Hermione said from behind him."Much better 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 dragon fight it ‘ s own reflection."

"Did it figure out ?"

"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 thrust of pain snapshot through his arm. The gang fell silent, Harry looked up towards the jurist box. madam Maxim raised her verge, after a here and now a sinuous five sprung out.

"passive strong-growing retaliation bitch."Harry growled.

Next Crouch nodded thoughtfully and tapped a nine into the air.

"That ‘ s more close to awesomeness."

Next the heavyset judge Harry didn't know raised his scepter with a boom and painted an eight. A moment later Dumbledore raised an superposable eight.

"Better…"

Karkaroff seemed to think for a moment, then drew a three in the air.

"Blatant undisguised favoritism."Harry narrowed his center."It ‘ s like bloody Eurovision."

"Thirty three."Neville said, counting on his finger."Is that trade good ?"

"It should have been higher !"Ginny said angrily."You were the only champion not offend !"

"Yeah…"Harry tried not to call back of what Deutsche Mark he would consume got if they had known about his arm.

"It must deliver been how prospicient 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 next time."Harry felt his bruised and suffer arm."You see if I don ‘ t !"
*


"So let me get this unbent 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 a flying of stairs."

"Yes."

"Seriously Harry ?"

"That's my story."Harry grinned."I ‘ m sticking to it."



displacement ( I think )

"Ce n'est pas juste. Nous devrions dire les autres concurrents !"
This is not rightfield. We should tell the other competitor !

"La fraude fait partie des règles. Il toujours a été."
cheat is function of the rules. It always has been.

"Non ! Vous me forcez à choisir entre mes esprit de corps et mon école."
No ! You force me to choose between my ethical motive and my school

"Puits que tu connais main 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 strategy ? You could distract it. You

"Non ! Je ferai le repos moi-même."
Not ! I will do the quietus 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 dupery but you cheat the very number one chance that you get.



The Pavlov thing is working ! More recap please !


I do n't own Harry ceramist. Neither do you. Unless you 're J K Rowling, which is unlikely.



"Shut that bloody 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."

"fountainhead 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 to the lowest degree found out something ?"

"There ‘ s nothing to find."Harry shook his brain irritably."I've run every detection I know on it, there ‘ s no liberation or password, nothing else magical on it at all. The riot isn ‘ t cover for something or a defense. The sidesplitter is the message, I just have to decrypt it somehow. Unless the altogether thing's a braincrank."

"A magic trick ?"Neville translated, sitting up in bed."You think it really could be ?"

"Doubt it. Too elaborate."Harry shrugged."Guess I just have to do more thing to it."

"Tried kicking it ?"Ron suggested.

"‘ course of study, that was the first thing I tried."

"Maybe that ‘ s why you can ‘ t detect anything now."Neville said, frowning."You broke it."

"doubtfulness it,"Harry sighed."I have written report that inhuman wow have been heard from the boat the carriage and the Slytherin dungeon as well. I ‘ m not the only one stumped."

"That ‘ s something."Neville said encouragingly."You ‘ ll work it out eventually."

"Maybe…"Harry wasn't so sure. He had needed a Hogwarts laminitis to help him solve his last mystifier. He dismissed it from his sentiment for another aurora."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 post run. Harry caught Digger on his wrist and was feeding him a composition 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 eyes narrowed as he recognized the dose special K ink."But I suspect."

He tore open the letter and read the pale lettering.

To The-Boy-Who-Thinks-He's-Won

Well we'll see about that Harry. Don't think that just because I had to print a retraction you've won. Don't think that for a second. I have been very interfering digging up scandal on you and your familiar virtuoso and you won't like what I've found. You will regret insulting me Harry Potter, I can bury you ! And I will, you just observe !

Charles Herbert Best Rita Skeeter.

Harry tore the varsity 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 and Harry grabbed it hurriedly. The necrology was quite large and, befitting the char it was about, full phase of the moon of magnification. Once Harry had scanned it once or twice he had gleaned the actual data out of it. Apparently she had been found in her home by her foreman after not showing up for body of work on Monday. The Aurors had been called in, official cause of death…

"Heart attack ?"Harry said incredulously, Padma nodded."That ‘ s horseshit ! She was… I don ‘ t know… maybe 30 five long time old."

"She had a very stressful job."Padma shrugged.

"Or maybe it was karma."Ron said through a mouthful of pledge. Hermione looked torn between being disgust at his way and impressed that he knew what karma was.

"I think it ‘ s good riddance."Ginny cut in emphatically.

"I think it ‘ s fishy."Harry folded the paper and handed it back."God knows the woman must have made plenty enemies."

"Maybe it was one of you ‘ re fan club."Ginny joked.

"My fan clubhouse doesn ‘ t have a militant wing."Harry paused."That I know of…"

"Could be useful."

"True, my own army…"Harry grinned."I could rule the world !"

"Maybe,"Hermione rolled her eyes."But after transfiguration."
*


Harry decided to actually form that example. It was something he did occasionally, just to give his teachers off the scent. They were still working on the tortoise to orb and most 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 better half yet. Since you are opening you will be representing the school. Try to reflect well on us."

"Partner ? Opening ? Representing ?"Harry's forehead furrowed in muddiness."What are you talking about ?"

"The Yule globe Potter."McGonagall said simply. Most of the division was watching now."As virtuoso you will be opening."

"You mean… Dancing ?"Harry cringed.

"Yes."

"Alone ?"

"With a partner."McGonagall replied in exasperation.

"In front of the schooling ?"Harry felt his stomach swoop.

"Yes."

"I think I ‘ ll pass."

"Potter you are the… one of the Hogwarts hero. You must spread out the dance and you must consume a partner."

"What ? You gon na tie me up and hale me to dance ?"

"We have ways."McGonagall said, her eyes narrowing.

"I ‘ ll just turn up without a partner."Harry countered.

"In that event I will accompany you Mr Potter."

"You do that…"Harry crossed his arm."And I will go to the ball naked."

The classroom burst out laughing.

"As will I."

The elbow room became mortal 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 floors of Hogwarts that evening and found the kitchens corridor. Glancing around for a second he approached the still-life.

"Stoic."Harry said, and the painting dissolved into the air. Harry stepped in and spoke the password again to conclude the portal. He stepped into the Hufflepuff uncouth elbow room. It looked different than he remembered, probably the lack of snakes… and flame. Several 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 innate affair. He ignored them.

He walked calmly over to the set of lounge where the Susan ivory was sitting.

"Hey Susan."He smiled in greeting.

"Hi. Um…"She scratched her question."How did you get in here ?"

"Password."

"But how did you know the password."

"I know all the passwords."Harry shrugged."Slytherin's is exclusive right. Ravenclaw ‘ s is… complicated. The prefect privy ‘ s still ache refreshed and Dumbledore ‘ s part is Chocoballs… for some reason."

"But… How ?"Susan asked aghast. Harry realized that most of the unwashed room was listening.

"You were a chosen."Harry winked."Not a vulture. Don ‘ t expect me to reveal all my secrets."

The room sighed and Harry felt optic move away from him.

"So… why are you down here ?"Susan asked."Are we under flack by serpent again ?"

"Not that I know of."Harry glanced under the table."Nope, nothing."

"So what are you here for ?"

"What ? I can ‘ t just sojourn ?"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 partner 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 dubiousness ?"Harry sniped, smiling..

"Fine. 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 glad he had got it out of the way earlier. In the following few weeks a veritable craze of ball fever swept Hogwarts. Girls huddling in corners, whispering. Discussion of wearing apparel robes. Identical looks of veneration and apprehension and cold, sick, restiveness on the facial expression 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 of absence me alone !"Harry slid into a occult enactment and bounded along the short circuit enactment."I ‘ m taken !"He could still find out pounding metrical unit and giggling behind him. He shot out from behind a tapestry ( startling a group of students ) and cracked open another passage behind a painting. He closed it behind him and leant against the wall, breathing heavily, as the following girls ran past. As the sound faded into the distance he breathed a sigh of relief.

"You too yes ?"Harry spun around but relaxed as he saw Viktor Krum sitting crown of thorns legged on the base in the passage. He had a set of Koran spread out in front of him. The Bulgarian shrugged and continued."You vill get used to it. Or you vill suit quicker at running."

"And you ‘ re used to it ?"Harry grinned and sat down opposite the Durmstrum champion."Then why are you hiding in a passageway."

"It is only vay to get a moment of peace."Krum flicked a page and continue interpretation. After a moment he glanced up."You did well vith the Horntail."

"Not as serious 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 nothing."Have you ?"

"Perhaps."Harry grinned."I worked out that kicking it doesn ‘ t work."

"first gear affair I tried."

"Me too."Harry walked back up to the door and listened, it sounded pretty quiet."How foresightful you intending to delay in here."

"I don ‘ t know. Vhen is your Yule Ball ?"Krum shook his head and sighed."I should ask person. Pick someone that has not been asked yet. Perhaps that will take in them contain foll-"

"It doesn ‘ t."Harry interrupted."Trust me."

"Oh…"Krum shook his header."Then I will have to enquiry some intimately locking good luck charm for my cabin."

"Try these."Harry pulled beyond allohamora out of his bag ( it sometimes helped to give birth a bag in which he could carry everything he owned )."It mostly deals with unlocking but it ‘ s got some timber stuff in there."

"Thank you."Krum nodded solemnly and looked back down at his books. Harry checked the entrance once more then left carefully.

"What is it about me ?"Harry wondered idly."That lets me get on with the paladin but royally pisses off the judge ?"
*


"Damn it !"Harry dropped the egg back to the airfoil of the marauder table. The ink-black black goo he had smeared on its surface had revealed nothing."Doesn ‘ t work either. It was supposed to reveal mystic messages."

"That thing doesn ‘ t have a secret message."Ron groaned on the other slope of the table."It has one content. And we ‘ ve all heard it lots of multiplication, like at the snap of dawn."

"Eight is not the go of dawn."Harry sighed and rested his head word on his hands."And I don ‘ t see you doing much better."

"It was working before you got here."Ron complained, prodding at the crystal testicle in front of him."Maybe the egg did some thing to it !"

"Or maybe you ‘ ve got it top side down."Parvati commented from the other side of the table. Ron groaned and scrunched up his bit of parchment.

Harry would have made a supercilious comment but he didn't think he had the vigor. The egg was eating at him.

"Ron…"Parvati continued."You really need to do it soon."

"Do what ?"

"Ask someone."She shook her head."You really need to do it soon or she ‘ ll be… I mean all the trade good little girl ‘ ll be taken."Parvati amended quickly with a winking at Harry.

Ron ( oblivious ) squirmed uncomfortably.

"It ‘ s not that easy."Ron shrugged."I ‘ m not Harry, I can ‘ t just roll into mortal's park room and ask someone."

"But you-"Parvati began but Harry interrupted her.

"Wait wait 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 metre better than anyone else. You will go out and ask Herm… the female child you want to go with. Right now ! Or I will call 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."reliance me."

"Are you sure ?"Ron looked almost convinced.

"Yes."Harry looked to Parvati for stand-in and she nodded emphatically."Definitely yes."

Ron nervously folded his study unto his bag and left the vulgar room. Harry checked the clock on the wall.

"5 XXX so Hermione will be coming back from the library… Give ‘ em ten minutes."Harry and Parvati shared a grin and went back to their respective work.

Ron was in fact back in less than five minutes.

"She said yes !"He was blushing love apple red but grinning.

"Congratulations."Harry shrugged."storm you found her so quick."

"She was in the not bad Radclyffe Hall. Lavender ‘ s usually down to dinner early."

"La… Lavender…"Harry froze. Across from him he say Parvarti's face twist into a grimace 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 surely 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 boys 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 ! ?"Parvati repeated indignantly with her manpower on her hips ( Harry braced for shouting )."What do you have in mind Oh well !"

"We were wrong."Harry said simply."It happens. It ‘ s all alright."

"It ‘ s not alright !"She shook her head."He ‘ s going with the damage person !"

"He ‘ s going with the somebody he asked."Harry pointed out."That ‘ s not the rectify person ?"

"No."

"Well tough."Harry waved the problem away."zippo to be done now."

"Unless…"Parvati grinned maliciously, or tried to anyway. It didn't really work on her."We do something about it."

"Oh no…"Harry buried is human face in his hands.

"We need to arrive at sure Ron and Hermione go together."

"Do we have to ?"

"Yes."

"If they find out they ‘ ll killing us."Harry pointed out."You know that rightfield ?"

"How come when you want to do something insane you rope the rest of us in but when I want to you just quetch ?"

"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 !"Annapurna ran around the mesa and hugged Harry."I knew you ‘ d fold !"

"Get. Off. Me !"Harry disentangled himself from his friend."Do you induce a program ?"

"Well…"Anapurna 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 man of her face."

"Like what ? Or who ?"

"Michel Corner I think."Anapurna nodded."She ‘ s liked him for ages."

"Does he like her ?"

"He will once I ‘ m thru talking him into it."

"I like this new malicious side of you."Harry nodded approvingly."Do I have any part in this small escapade or do I just sit here nodding ?"

"You need to sustain anyone from asking Hermione until Ron does."

"Gotcha !"Harry saluted."Campaign of deterrence and scourge coming right up !"

"Subtly Harry ! She can ‘ t know !"

"Who do you take me for ?"

"Sorry."Annapurna smiled."Oh, and you ‘ ll indigence to sing 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."Parvati shrugged."He won ‘ t need much goad. He already likes her."

"Does she… ?"

"Of course."Parvati said patronizingly."You haven't noticed ?"

"And Ginny ?"Harry said wearily."Got a plan for her too ?"

"She ‘ s too young."

"Not if we find her a date."Harry pointed out.

"No I mean too young to date."Parvati said primly."We have to protect our little sis ‘ s artlessness for as long as possible. She ‘ s not a part of this."

"I wish I wasn ‘ t a part of thi-"

"Harry !"
*


procedure shamelessly-manipulate-our-best-friends was at to the lowest degree full for one matter, it distracted Harry from the bloody egg.

It was just a few day before the Yule testicle and the plan was… well it was working but that wasn't the point. It was working a little too well.

Lavender had been successfully unstuck from Ron and re-adhered to Michel niche. Once Ron came out of his moping phase Harry was positive he could dig him towards the right girl. The insidious determent was harder but legilimacy helped to distinguish potential terror very effectively. Once they were picked out Harry was able to get the boys alone to excuse some ‘ dwelling true statement ’. Like how she was already dating a honest-to-goodness boy she met on holiday. Big bloke, vast muscles.

"This had better bloody piece of work Parvati."Harry muttered to his co-conspirator one day on the way back from wight."‘ Cos if he doesn't ask her no one will now. I've had to build Hermione ‘ s complex quantity boyfriend up into some sort of vengeful dose to arrest multitude asking her."

"What ‘ s the latest chronicle ?"Parvati asked, interested.

"He ‘ s from Spain. The academe Atsingani."Harry shrugged."He ‘ s an amateur wizard bullfighter. have his own brand and shotgun."

"Wizard bullfighter ? With a shotgun ?"

"It doesn ‘ t have to be in all likelihood it just has to be scary."

"Well he ‘ s going to make to schmooze his girlfriend back."Parvarti said knowingly."Because Ron will ask her. Believe me."

"Bet ?"

"Galleon."

"Done."Harry sighed."At least this way I can hold something back out of this mess."

"It ‘ ll all oeuvre out."Annapurna grinned."trustingness me."

"Don ‘ t say that."Harry shook his chief."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 ear up. A few paces in front of them the rest of the predator stopped too. It sounded like a whole punch of people yelling and moving, but behind that there was a low grumbling and…

"tattle ?"Harry said incredulously.

"Thomas More like chanting."Parvati 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 early students began to join them, teacher too. As they ran out onto the grass in front man of the school Harry realized that the whole school was already out there, yelling and pointing. Harry saw Dumbledore gazing up into the sky, a face of wonder on his face. The other school header flanked him, just as awed.

In the sky above Hogwarts floated a miracle of Theodore Harold White marble. chromatography column, delicate as Methedrine, flew up from a shining stand and met a golden point above. Delicate vestige of mirror-like ash gray snaked and shimmered over the surface, sending out re of rainbows as it turned in the sunshine. The whole thing looked like some mammoth quartz, floating on white mist and breathing out beautiful music as it sank lower and abject and finally settled to the ground on the Mary Jane just inside the schoolhouse gates.

Harry started forward but was brought up short-change as Dumbledore held up an arm. The school watched in rapt muteness as a procession emerged from the floating palace. White-robed fair sex walked English by side of meat, carrying flaring magical flannel mullein. They split apart a piffling as they left it as if to make water a way for someone in the middle. As they grew skinny Harry saw that there was a form in the heart, minuscule 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 battle cry of protest, and rushed towards the fig. Laughing, he ducked past the line of startled women and enveloped the middle one into a elephantine 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 good to see you Harry."
*


"Mr Potter !"Harry heard individual shout from behind him. He spun around and saw expressions ranging from shock, confusion and anger. most of the Beauxbatons students were down on one knee and the ones from Durmstrang had their heads bowed in respect. His associate Hogwarts students seemed more aghast than anything else, Dumbledore had his hands to his sassing with his eyes wide in impact. McGonnagall was almost vibrating in anger.

Turning further he saw something even more unnerving. Across the entire edge of the forest the Centaurus had gathered, the entire herd. Every one of them was down on their knees with their hands clasped over their hearts.

Harry turned back around to face the school, 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 oracle or treat her with familiarity."

"And the Centaurus ?"

"They regard me as a demigod."

"Oh…"Harry gulped."…and I thought I was famous."

"You are famous Harry."The seer said, a strange note in her voice."But I am something else."She moved forward and Harry was forced to follow. They stopped in straw man of Dumbledore, Harry almost laughed when he saw that the master still had his deal to his mouth.

"Professor Dumbledore."Pythea greeted the old man."It is a pleasance to finally meet you."

"The pleasance is mine."Dumbledore seemed to recover himself and turn away down to kiss the oracle's hand."I see you have… already met one of our school champions."

"Harry and I met age ago and we have had correspondence since."Pythea looked up and around at the towering castling in front man of her."Hogwarts is as beautiful as I have heard it described."

"Thank you,"Dumbledore waved towards the great vaulted door of Hogwarts and a path opened in the student body."As soon as your palace appeared in the sky I had the business firm elves prepare a suite of guest rooms for you and your handmaidens."

"Thank you."Pythea reached out and linked arms with a startled Harry."Harry can evidence me up to the guest quarters."

"Mr Potter does not experience the passwords."

"Headmaster,"Pythea shook her head, smiling."You obviously don ‘ t know Harry as well as I do."

Harry covered his mouth with his deal to conceal giggles as he walked the oracle of Delphi between the rows of scholarly person and up to the doors of Hogwarts.

Harry tried not to listen to the whispers happening all around him, he could parcel out with that in the morning.

"How long are you staying ?"Harry asked Pythea as he led her towards the Edgar Albert Guest quarters.

"Till after the second task."She answered."But I fear a lot of that will be taken up with map down in London. No visit by someone like the myself can be entirely for leisure. You could say the tournament provides an exculpation for political sympathies. Many State representatives were invited by your government, when I heard you were competing I decided to admit them up on it."

"Didn ‘ t you already know I would be competing ?"Harry teased."And whether I ‘ ll win ?"

"You put too much faith in oracles."

"I have no faith in vaticinator. I have a cracking flock of religious belief in you."

"That is sweet of you Harry."Pythea said in surprisal."And surprisingly open."

"Well get used to it."Harry checked behind him, the servant were following a good distance behind. Harry continued in a whisper."You saved my life, from something had no right to survive. Even more, if I got the message straight, you risked your place at the synagogue too. And the alone way I could give thanks you was through vaguely worded letters."

"I got the content Harry."Pythea smiled down at him.

"Good, but I ‘ ll say it again in person."Harry slowed as they approached the guest wing."Thank you for saving my biography Thea."

"You are most welcome."The Oracle came to a stop outside the threshold."And I would do it again."

"I hope it won't be necessary."Harry turned to the door."Bellevue."

The door creaked open to unwrap an elegant sitting way with many doors leading off it. Every piece of article of furniture sparkled with polish and a vase of invigorated flower sat on the inwardness of the small table.

"The elves don ‘ t skimp do they ?"Harry chuckled. He pointed to the suite along the back wall."sleeping accommodation 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 call the planetary house elves. Alternatively if you need anything the marauder can cater forebode me. Now, for the most of import thing…"Harry straightened up and put on a sober air."Do you want us to try and distract professor Trelawny or simply drug her for the duration of your visit."
*


Harry looked at himself in the mirror and sighed, it was no commodity. It wasn't that he thought he looked expert or didn't. It was more that he didn't really have a concept of what he was supposed to wait like. Everyone else seemed to carry the dress robes and everything as a necessary irritation. Harry on the former hand had almost no opinion on them having never heard of them before reading his letter this year. Were they supposed to be this wet ? Or flare out at the bottom like that ? And what about his hair ? Harry had always just let his pilus do its own matter, cutting it back only when it began impairing his vision but now everyone else seemed to give birth acquired some level of personal grooming skill that he had somehow skipped.

He gave it up as a doomed drive, allowing it to come down as it wanted to. He shrugged, what did it thing ? He'd got a day of the month so the hard 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 affiliation, was he meant to take in a tie ? )"It ‘ s not too late."

"Harry, the dance is in…"Ron checked his sentry."… less than an hour."

"So you ‘ d better get to it then."Harry said flippantly, then asked."Am I meant to have a tie ?"

"Harry, your dress robe don't have a collar."

"You need a apprehension to hold out a tie ?"

Ron rolled his center. Harry shrugged and left the privy. In the green elbow room the other marauder were already waiting, Padma and Neville standing a lilliputian way off. Neville looked uneasy, but then Neville always looked nervous. Harry waved Parvati to one side,

"On the subtraction side we ruined our friends nights and made them miserable."Harry growled angrily."On the plus side you owe me a galleon."

"Still time Harry."Parvati smiled chirpily."Trust me."

"Don ‘ t say that. Stop saying that. I promise never to say it again if you stop saying it now."

"Shut up and look."Annapurna hissed.

Harry looked where she was pointing. Hermione was sitting on one of the couches reading, she hadn't even changed into frock robe which Harry assumed was a bad sign.

"I ‘ m looking but…"

"feel again."

Harry followed her gaze again and saw that Ron had emerged from the toilet. 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 top dog came up and she said something, across the crowd common room Harry couldn't hear but it looked like ‘ what ? ’. Ron scratched his foreland and mumbled something. Hermione put her hand up to her ear. Ron leant down and spoke into her ear, his face bright red. Then, to Harry's heart-attack-inducing surprise, Hermione blushed as red as the boy standing in front of her.

"No way…"Harry chuckled as Hermione flipped her playscript closed and hurried towards the girlfriend dorm. He looked back towards Parvati, who was wearing an facial expression of add smugness.

"I ‘ ll take that galleon off you any time Harry."

"You are the female monarch 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 follow Hermione. Harry saw that Padma and Ginny had both already gone up after her.

"Probably pulling off some sort of terminal second 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 optic and checked his picket."It only took you four bloody years."

"Hey !"Ron looked petulant and Harry laughed.

"Listen, they ‘ ll prob ‘ ly be a while."Harry jerked a quarter round back at the young woman room."And I need to give the dancing. I ‘ ll meet up with you later Ok ?"

Ron nodded and Neville chirruped.

"Ok."The little nervous boy then nodded towards their red-headed friend and whispered."And I ‘ ll try to keep him from screwing things up."

"You ‘ re a marauder Neville…"Harry shook his read/write head."You ‘ re not god."
*


Harry took a deep breath and walked down the step into the entrance Charles Martin Hall. There were a few other Hogwarts boys already waiting down there, huddled in nervous groups waiting for their dates. Harry waved to a few of them and settled down to hold back, leant against pillar.

"What is that your wearing ceramicist ?"

Harry rolled his eyes then realized that the force was ruined by having them closed. He opened them to see Malfoy standing in social movement of him wearing jet black robes and with Pansy 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 step down to the kitchen but no one was coming.

"Susan Bones ?"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 blood is tainted doesn ‘ t mean the Potter seam has to go entirely to the dogs."

"Ok, three things…"Harry held up three fingers."One : Screw you !"

"Potter-"

"Two,"Harry interrupted him."I asked her to a musket ball. That does not mean I intend to bear on any melody with her in the close future tense. If nothing else we ‘ re bloody 14 ! There are laws against that kind 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 other assets ?"

"I reserve the right to not imply myself."Harry cracked."By the way, does your date speak or does she just hang there like seaweed ?"Harry grinned at the indignant expression on Malfoy's face.

"well this has been lovely."Harry continued as he kicked himself off his column."We really should do this again."He brushed past the angry duo and walked up to the figure that had appeared up the stairs.

"Hi Susan."Harry greeted his date, biting his lip. She was wearing something blue and flowing, robe or garb 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 proffered deal."You look hansom as well. Your dress robes are really… unusual."

Harry caught the implication and looked down. His robes was mystifying red cloth that came out over his branch like regular robes but were buttoned in tight around his torso by two wide dustup of buttons. It's hanker sleeves hugged his arms tightly but opened out right at the manacle to reveal the lighter lining. Plus, as Ron had noted, it ended at his cervix with just a stub of a collar.

"I bought them in Switzerland."Harry shrugged."mustiness be a different style than here in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Oh well…"

"No it ‘ s nice."Susan said reassuringly."I saw some of the Beauxbatton boys wearing robes like that."

Harry shrugged, plume weren't of any finicky vexation to him. The shop class he had bought them in had had one C of robes in huge ranks. He had chosen these for two reasons. One, they didn't have all the lace and trimming and extravagant embroidery that most of the others had had and two ( and Harry cringed to allow in this to himself ) they had looked like they would be easy to fight or run in if anything happened.

"Ready to give 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 instant later McGonagall appeared, as if from nowhere.

"wellspring get to it."She snapped quickly."The other hotshot are already lining up to embark the hall."

Here we go. Harry gulped as they got into position.

"Nervous potter ?"

"Just don ‘ t trip over your seaweed and fall on me Malfoy."Harry's automatic humor circuit responded for him while the respite of his brain shivered with nervousness.

"And… go."McGonagall's voice rang out and the doors to the majuscule hall opened slowly, revealing an winter wonderland decorated with sparkling snow and ice carving. Harry just hoped it wouldn ‘ t make the storey slippery. He took Susan's hand and stepped forward purposely.

The entrance hall was full of twain but a quad was clear in the shopping centre. A very boastfully blank space, that everyone was staring at.

"Oh great."Harry sighed as the music started up.

Harry let his nous heading back to the ten minutes of very rough dance lesson that Parvati had given him yesterday. After he had broken down and begged.

"One two three one two three…"Harry counted off the beats in his header and tried not to step on his cooperator shoes. He found that so long as he kept to a very restrictive and insistent function it actually wasn't too bad."One two three…"

"This is so romantic."Susan murmured."Like a fairytale."

"Yes it is, one two three."darn ! I can't talking and count at the Saame time. Why didn't I ask a deaf-mute seaweed girl ?

"Do you think we could get them to sustain a Lucille Ball every twelvemonth ?"

"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 animal foot could ferment out the rhythm on their own."If they did the bookman would never come base for Christmas and then their parents would complain."

"I guess."Susan leant in and rested her drumhead on Harry's shoulder. Harry chuckled as he was reminded again of their congenator heights."I guess I ‘ ll just have to delight 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 lone dance that was required of him that evening. He glanced back at the blond Hufflepuff in presence of him and grinned."stop in for the side by side one ?"
*


Six terpsichore later and Harry felt like he was almost getting well-heeled with it when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked around to see one of the Durmstrum bookman that he didn't know.

"May I cut in ?"The boy said, with very little emphasis. 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 wave 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 prison term to turn back up on things. Harry chuckled and sipped the whatever-it-was as his oculus scanned the hall.

He found Parvati 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 vast table good of nutrient. Ron at to the lowest degree seemed to be talking between bout of eating and he'd spotted them out on the dance story earlier so that was probably very well. Hermione looked happy 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 partner. He searched around for a familiar face and found one before walking over.

"missy Delacour."He held his hand out to the seated Beauxbattons champion."Would you care to block me by dancing ten times 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 dance floor.

Harry settled into the rhythm of the new Sung and got used to dancing with individual taller than him. Since he was at to the lowest degree a foot shorter than her that put his center right about level with her-

"So…"Harry interrupted his own mental monologue."Enjoying the terpsichore so far ? Not been bothered by too many pushy students ?"

"I know how to deal with zem."Fleur replied haughtily, but Harry detected a suggestion of witticism in her reception."The entirely 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 mouth in French if you want."

"My English iz better than your French I think."Fleur replied pointedly.

"Probably."Harry shrugged."Would you like me to try and maintain Malfoy away from you for the rest of the ball ?"

"Non, I can cope with him."Fleur laughed, the movement was very interest for Harry in his current positioning and he tried to stop the blush spreading to his cheeks.

The song ended and Harry stepped back. Fleur curtsied politely and Harry bowed as he'd seen the French boys doing after they finished their dances. He caught Fleur looking over his berm and followed her gaze to see a pair of seventh years moving off the dance floor.

"Iz he taken ?"Fleur asked with a smile.

"Not anymore."Harry winked and turned to ask the boys partner for a dance.

She turned out to be giggly and talkative so Harry let her babble on for the duration of the dance before moving off gratefully and sitting on one of the Bench by the intellectual nourishment. He nabbed a brace of the remaining titbit and lay back relaxed. He had been on his feet since the start of the ball and it felt ripe just to use up a few minute to himself.

"So…"

Knew it was too good to be true.

"… you are friends with the Pythea ?"

Harry glanced to his left hand and saw Igor Karkaroff sitting next to him, an enwrapped saying on his face.

"We know each other."Harry said warily giving nothing away.

"Of form a man of your standing probably knows many people in gamey places."

"Standing."Harry didn't make it a doubt 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 faulty foot."Karkaroff said in a simpering manner.

"Do you now."Harry tried to find an exit from the conversation but couldn't think of one.

"I would like for you to guess of me as a friend."

"Stop two'ing me then."

"I could… give you gamy marks."Karkaroff said slyly.

"Oh ! No no !"Harry said quickly, realizing what his flippant comment could take been interpreted as."Just stop being unfairly harsh."

"Of course."Once again the simpering timber."And perhaps we could… do something… together."

Harry sighed.

"Perhaps during the schooltime Holliday you could call in Dumstrum."

"This holiday I ‘ m going to… Kenya."Harry said a state at random.

"I could treat you to a wizard concert at one of the rarified halls in Europe."

"Can't, allergies. All the dust and stuff."

"Or… we could…"Karkaroff seemed to be casting around for another body process."ingest 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 feel well-off asking me for favors."Karkaroff said expansively."That is what friends do… help each other. Introduce each other to former friends…"

Harry groaned inwardly.

"That sort of thing."Karkaroff finished with a pretender smile."Whatever you need. What 's mine is yours."

I'd rather gouge my optic out with a rusty-

"Thank you."Harry nodded."I ‘ ll think about it. But for now I ‘ ve just remembered I promised person a dance."

Harry stood quickly and whistled softly. A here and now later a shine figure drifted up through the floor.

"You remembered !"myrtle cried happily.

"Of course of study I did."Harry reached out and took her icy hand."Didn ‘ t think I ‘ d forget about you did you."

Harry led the shade out onto the dancing floor, away from the startled Headmaster.
*


Harry gave Ginny up to a Beauxbatons student and sat back down on a workbench. Now he had danced with all the female vulture. Parvati had spent about of the clip crowing that all her predictions had come true, Padma was very terse about where she had disappeared to with Neville, Hermione seemed exasperated with Ron and Harry couldn't work out whether it was normal contestation or an actual problem, Ginny was just giddy and frothy. Of all of them Myrtle had actually danced the skilful, at some point in her pre-ghost life she had obviously practiced for more than ten bit. Harry made a mental note to ask for lesson if there ever was another dance.

Harry glanced up at the clock and realized that there couldn't be too many more dancing 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 person he hadn't seen on the dance level yet. His optic found her sitting over by one of the ice sculptures, her own pure-white gown making her look almost like part of the decoration.

"Hi Thea."Harry greeted and sat down next to her."Haven't seen you on the terpsichore floor much."

"Dumbledore was polite sufficiency to dance with me a few times."The Oracle said, smiling."Everyone else seems to be intimidated."

"You should deliver 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."

"fountainhead there ‘ s time for a few more dances."Harry held his script out."Come on."

"Thank you Harry."Pythea took his mitt and they walked out into the saltation 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 front of his robe."Always."

"Good."Pythea grew serious for a consequence."Always stay fresh 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 dress robes."But yes, I don ‘ t think it will be too often recollective before you need it."

"You ‘ re still not gon na tell me what it does ?"

"No."

"Brat."

Pythea smiled and they danced another song without speaking. A hunch began to grow in Harry's mind.

"Pythea ?"Harry said, suspiciously."You said you get invites to good deal of balls ?"

"Yes ?"

"Do you answer any of them ?"

"W… why ?"A footling eighth note entered the seer's voice.

"You ‘ re counting."Harry grinned.

"I am ?"Her eye's opened wide.

"One two three one two three."Harry nodded."Under your breath, 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 lessons at the temple."Pythea said, a little defensively. A moment 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 attend events until my training was finished so as to debar embarrassment. It wouldn ‘ t do to make 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 think of to be the unceasing Pythea. Since the day I was taken from my parents. I am supposed to be the static similitude of the maiden vaticinator, thousands of years ago. Anything early than perfection is embarrassing."

"Wow, well it ‘ s ok."Harry winked."I won ‘ t say anything and I ‘ m sure enough Dumbledore won ‘ t. He ‘ s too polite."

"Thank you Harry."Pythea seemed to be surprisingly relieved."If they found out about a slip like that they wouldn't let me out again for a long time."

"Let you out ?"Harry shuddered. The floating synagogue of the vaticinator with its vines, high above the flat coat below suddenly took on more threatening connotations in his mind. Harry hesitated, then decided to speak 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 imagine Dumbledore would approve."

"He ain ‘ t the foreman 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 scale pendent under Harry's gown, then stepped aside, smiling sadly.

Harry was confused for a moment then realized that it was the last saltation, she was stepping aside so he could determine Susan. Harry waved a thank-you to her then scanned the Charles Francis Hall to find his date.

"Over here Harry !"

Harry hurried over to the splatter of blue air he could see among the former robes and took Susan's manus just as the medicine started.

"Whew."Harry smiled."Just in time."

"We sort of lost track of each other in the middle there didn ‘ t we ?"Susan said as they began to displace to the slow rhythm of the finish dance.

"We started the dance together and we ‘ re ending it together."Harry shrugged."The bit in the center got a bit hazy but I still had fun."

"So did I."Susan moved closer and Harry hesitantly put his arm around her waist."But I wish we had spent more fourth dimension together."

"I ‘ ll have to ca-ca it up to you sometime."Harry looked into his escort middle."Like next Hogsmeade weekend ?"

"You ‘ re still not official allowed to go to Hogsmeade."

"By now they ‘ ve probably stopped trying to block off me."Harry quipped.

"Then I ‘ d making love to go with you."

"Great."Harry grinned.

"My parents are coming to see the second gear task."Susan said suddenly."They ‘ d dearest to meet you."

minute task ? … I still need to put to work out the bloody egg.

Harry groaned inwardly. Something always had to ruin it.
*


Harry led Susan back to the Hufflepuff mutual way and strolled back up through the darken castle. When he reached the Gryffindor green elbow room almost everyone had already retired. The only one still in the room was Neville, nodding off in a chairman 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 tell you."

"William Tell me what ?"Harry's eye's narrowed.

"Um…"

"Where ‘ s your date ?"

"Up with Hermione. All the girl are."Neville said dejectedly.

"They are ? Why…"Suddenly Harry worked it out and groan."What did Ron do ?"

"He um… looked at Fleur."Neville said evasively."Like, not at her side. And for a long prison term too, about five minute when Hermione was right-hand there."

"What did Hermione say ?"Harry asked, dreading the answer.

"She wasn ‘ t happy."Neville shook his head."But it was what Ron said that really ticked her off."

"What did Ron say ?"Harry could just feel the freight train approaching.

"Something along the lines of…"Neville's brow creased as he tried to remember."‘ What do you expect ? They're right there and they're huge.'”

Harry covered his case with his hands and sank into an armchair.

"You ‘ re kidding me ?"

"No."

"That really sucks."

"He could take said a lot of speculative 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 sassing to stifle the giggles."The fuss 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 ?"

"form 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 form of decided to detain just ally for now."

"dead reckoning its just as well."Harry sighed."I ‘ m already trying to beguile too many ships."

"Keeps the interview guessing."
*


The atmosphere around the marauders in the calendar week after the orchis could best be described as ‘ icy ’. Harry tried to break the frozenness between the two camps. Well, two clique was an exaggeration. There was the girls, there was Ron and there was Harry and Neville trying to remain out of sight by the sidelines.

The two male child dealt with the berth in the most age way they could call up of. They hid in the library. Any time they actually had to be present, like example or meal, they tried to keep open lull on the edges so as not to be tarred with the Saame brush as Ron. Harry tried to give conversation at breakfast though, in spurts.

"What lesson do we have first ?"

"It ‘ s Saturday."Parvati said flatly.

"Ah, right."Harry said lamely.

Hermione snorted and flicked open the daily prophesier. Harry looked over at Ron who was sulking over his roll of cereal. Harry mouthed the study ‘ apologize'at him but he pretended not to notice. Harry mouthed it again, followed by the words ‘ or else ’. Ron just hunched dispirited. Harry sighed and turned back.

"Anything in the news ?"Harry asked desperately."Any more unusual deaths ?"

"No, just a regular one."Hermione shrugged."An old witch in Dorset named Lady Ellen Hayward."

"Suspicious ?"Harry asked, interested.

"She was over a hundred and fifty geezerhood old Harry."Hermione answered dismissively."Even hag and wizards die eventually. It ‘ s sad but it ‘ s not suspicious."

Not if you don't feeling too closely.

Harry sat bolt upright. Had he really heard that or had he imagined it ?

You heard it.

Harry looked around surreptitiously, trying to gauge where the articulation 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 plateful full of cut fruit.

Good morning Harry.

"goodness morning Thea."Harry thought and saw her grin."How was London ?"

London was wonderful Harry. The politicians that inhabit it however are consanguineous to poisonous sea biff. Slippery and spiky at the Same time.

"You didn ‘ t have fun then ?"Harry projected sarcastically.

I prefer Hogwarts.

"Fireworks over the Thames River 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 light and beauty and four calendar week of conferences.

"Such is life."

point trying to be sagely Harry. With me that's a competition you won't win. I'm surprised you took in the video display though, weren't you interfering trying to hold out ?

"Are you kidding ?"Harry laughed in his intellect."Everyone looking at the sky, no one watching their sack, it's shadow and noisy… you see where I ‘ m going with this."

I should give known. Pythea chuckled But we've got distracted from the dot. 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 written matter over towards himself and scanned the text.

There didn ‘ t seem to be anything there. Harry looked back at the figurehead page but had no connection, it was just some outrage involving the parson of trick and some accusation of embezzlement. Harry flicked to the back pageboy. The Chudley Cannons had lost another game ( wonderful calendar week for Ron ). There didn ‘ t seem to be anything else interesting. Harry shook his head.

"I don ‘ t see it. Did someone 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 Oracle to see what I'm talking about. Pythea closed the newspaper and looked around the hall. The composition is only half the story.

"The former half is… ?"

Guess.

"Brat."Harry muttered and his head was filled with silent laughter.

I'll give you a clue. Word are nothing until someone reads them.

Harry thought for a longsighted moment, then smiled.

"citizenry ‘ s reactions."Harry thought hesitantly, and was rewarded with a nod. Harry cast around the hall."Who ‘ s reading ?"He scanned the Charles Martin Hall and found Dumbledore, bent over the paper. It looked like it was open to the right page.

"Dumbledore ? Is he reading it ?"

Yes. But is that unusual ?

"Well…"Harry tried to put it together in his school principal."They were about the same age, maybe they even went to school 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 end of him, his side ashen and unreadable. Harry could even see his chest revolt and falling rapidly from across the room. As Harry watched the supporter he grabbed the theme off the table and walked quickly out of the hall.

"Ok, I admit,"Harry thought, nodding."That was interesting. But what does it mean ?"

It's a mystifier Harry. You like puzzle don't you ?

"I have too many of them right now but usually yes."Harry shrugged."But I don ‘ t know what to make of this."

That's because you do not receive all the musical composition. Pythea projected cryptically. You will have got to try and find them.

Harry felt the presence will his mind.

"Harry ?"

"W… whut ?"Harry shook his psyche, confused.

"Harry are you OK ?"Annapurna was saying, the marauder were all staring at him."You ‘ ve been staring into space 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 I need to talk to your brothers."Harry set off down the remit quickly, a determined look on his face.

Behind 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 little fluffy. It had to be, you ca n't really publish a yule testis that 's not.

Review anyway. Pretty please !


A small office 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 pee on the ground and ripped it afford. He lifted his leather bag out and set it back on his shoulders 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 search wizened and old. He also threw a tattered opprobrious cloak over his Hogwarts robes and walked into the hogg Head. He didn't look at the clientele, already smelling of firewhisky at ten in the first light, and stepped up to the bar.

"I need to use the flue."Harry said. He didn't fuss to hold in his vox, the barman was undoubtedly used to stranger than him and even if not he probably wouldn ‘ t maintenance. The barman grunted and pointed towards a sebaceous sign.

flue for customers only

"I ‘ ll have a butterbeer then."Harry took the proffer feeding bottle and tope it in one deglutition before walking over to the fireplace and spinning himself to the leaky cauldron.

Harry rushed into Diagon skittle alley, feeling very exposed even in his disguise. He reached the pace of Gringots and stepped inside it's columned entree. He emerged a few minutes later with a small bag of muggle money. He wasn't worried about the hobgoblin 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 inaugural of the twins gifts into his mouth. Instantly he felt his throat constrict and grow scratchy, he coughed deeply and people in the street turned to bet at him. It got a minuscule better after a few moments but it still felt raw.

He tried to talk and his voice came out old and leathery. Perfect. trauma like Hades but perfect for concealing his voice.

He walked into the druggist, taking fear to make his footfall a little waver and weak.

"Hello my good man."Scratchy and foul like a lifelong stag party."Do you have any fox urine ?"

"Fox… weewee ?"The man behind the counter looked at him like he was mad.

"Yes, I need it for a potion."

"No potion I know of utilise fox urine."

"How ‘ bout beast urine ?"Harry asked, stepping up to the sideboard."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 shopkeeper paused for a second."We do experience weasel musk…"

"Yes that ‘ ll be perfect."Harry smiled through his leathery mask. The storekeeper hesitated."You have some sort of problem ?"

"I don't have a problem."The shopkeeper rolled his eyes and stepped into the room behind his desk."How much do you need."

"About a gallon."

"A GALLON ! …"There was the sound of angry grumbling and sloshing from the stowage. A few minutes later the man stepped back behind the desk with a tumid methamphetamine hydrochloride nursing bottle full of yellowed liquid. The cork was sealed on with red wax."Do you acknowledge how many weasels you have to milk to get this much ?"

"How much ?"Harry ignored the interrogation and drew out his wallet. The shopkeeper told him and Harry paid happily.

"rich person fun."The shopkeeper said dryly."Whatever you ‘ re planning to do…"

Harry dropped the bottle into his bottomless bag and stepped out of the workshop. He changed out of his gown in the cauldron's stool and slid quickly out into muggle London.

He stepped quickly along the roads at once both familiar and profoundly stranger. It was as if he had had two life-time, the one he had lived on these streets and the of conjuring trick and wonder at Hogwarts. Now it was like the two were colliding and he felt befuddle, felt like a niggling kid again but at the same time he could feel how far he'd come. His inherent aptitude didn't have it away how to oppose and he found himself searching for spot to hide or run while at the same clock time fingering his wand hidden in his sleeve.

He was beaming when he finally set invertebrate foot in waterloo station and could buy a slate to Bournemouth. The wagon train was a surreal experience, sitting close to the window and flying past the humans he was no foresighted part of.

It took more than two hours to get there, ample time to spin his thought round and circle in his promontory. He tried to exercise out exactly how stupid he was being. ‘ Very ’, he decided. Very, very pudding head. 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 flock of a Holocene epoch death ?

Very, very, very stupid.

Harry shut his eye and focused on the one matter telling him he was doing the in good order thing.

"Pythea sent me here."Harry nodded and bit his lip as he repeated the mantra over and over in his straits."And if the Oracle of Delphi tells you to do something… then it ‘ s not stupid to do it."

Harry really wished the parole didn't sound so hollow.

He left the train and got on a bus. He left the bus in the heart of a field of scrub and chalky ground. The sea was just out of sight but he could get word the wafture crashing against the tilt, ominous and threatening.

The bus device driver had looked at him weird when he'd asked to be let out in the heart of nowhere. Harry knew better, it was only the midsection of nowhere to muggles. Harry shucked his bag up higher on his shoulders and walked towards the sound of the wafture, towards the stately white manor theater near the edge of the cliffs.

It was blindingly obvious where the boundary of the Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth were. Someone had laid supergrass and flowers right up to an unseeable line on the ground, scrub gave way to garden like it was cut with a razor. Harry wondered why there wasn't a wall around the property. Either the woman who lived there trusted the Barbara Ward implicitly or she liked the sentiment too much to impede it away.

And the view was striking. The cliff arching away to either incline and the sea stretching into the distance. It was an impressive cyclorama, enough to move anyone. Anyone other than a aquaphobe. Harry shuddered and tried to keep the sea out of view.

He pulled the monumental bottle of musk out of his bag. It took him a minute to work the show-stopper out. He went up as close to the wards as he dared and started dribbling the foul smelling stuff onto the ground. He poured it in as ending to a semicircle as he could manage, the other end of the ark also touching the Ward, 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 twins giving to him, a small burnt umber bon-bon. He hesitated, cringing for a minute as he realized he still had musk on his fingerbreadth, then popped it in his mouth.

Instantly he felt his stomach clench, a moment later egg white fur spread over his helping hand and subdivision. He just had meter to feel his ears begin to shoot up his fountainhead before his mind went blank.
*


The hare twitched it's nose and looked around. It felt like something was wrongfulness, something was different, but it couldn't work out what.

Mind you it was a rabbit so it couldn't try very hard.

It raised its nous and sniffed the air. There was a strange odor… Weasel ! It could smell a weasel ! Was it nearby ? The bunny took a couple of slow record hop, no the smell was warm here. It dashed the former way, getting dire. Stronger here too !

The bunny broke into a run in the other instruction, shooting across the ground into a flower bed. It dashed under the vines of a autumn pumpkin works and sat there shivering. It would just wait here, wait here until-
*


"Well,"Harry stood, brushed a pumpkin leafage out of his hair and excite the dirt from his gown."That worked like a charm."

Harry shook his heading to crystallise the last of the bunny-ness from it and checked to shit sure he didn't still have a tail.

"Any-ward, any-where, any-time."Harry chuckled and set off towards the house.

The dorsum door was unlock and Harry slid in, deliberate not to touch anything too much. He didn't know whether whiz knew how to check DNA or fingerprints but he wasn't taking any chance. Harry looked around at the prominent kitchen he had walked into, an USA of house elves probably worked there just a few days ago. Now it was silent.

Harry pushed exposed another threshold and, after a short corridor, found himself in a high-ceilinged dining elbow room. It held elegant chandelier and a long mahogany mesa, it had Ag candle holder and sumptuous red-velvet drape. It also held no indication of ever having been used any meter this century.

This had been the place of one old woman living alone Harry remembered. She probably didn't eat in the lofty dining way, didn ‘ t use about of these room probably. He was proved right when a few doors down he found a smaller cogitation. This room showed signs of use, the Word of God on the table by the window ever had a bookmark in it, near the end. She hadn't had a chance to finish it.

Another modest table was obviously in use as a workbench. A little flipbook lay heart-to-heart, as Harry moved closer he saw it was filled with pressed flowers.

Harry suddenly felt a ball form above his heart. He had realized what he was really doing here. Invading the household of a dead woman. He considered turning around right there but shook his head, steeling himself against what he was doing. Pythea had sent him here, that meant he was supposed to be here.

Harry left the study and checked the only former door he hadn't tried. It opened onto a wonderful entryway Charles Martin Hall with T. H. White marble tile and pillar holding up the balcony on the inaugural trading floor. The staircase came down the middle, spreading out near the bottom.

Unfortunately the dramatic effect of the room was ruined by the orotund tape transport boxes that were stacked in a mint by one side of the stares.

Whatever vulture had stood to inherit obviously hadn't wasted any time.

Harry was about the check the room across the Charles Martin Hall when he heard something. He went still and tried to pinpoint it, it was coming from upstairs. Harry tiptoed up to the landing, it was echoing along the corridor, a form of sniffling noise.

One of the door near the end was ajar. Harry crept towards it as the noise got louder. It sounded like someone sob. Harry tried to peer through the crack in the door but saw nothing. He pushed the door just lightly with his base 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 room, or a second base subject maybe, bookshelves covered every wall but one. The whole back paries was a massive window looking out, offering a massive diorama over the garden behind the house, the wild scrub beyond that and the sea stretching to infinity beyond that. There was a armchair set right in the middle, where person could wait out over the sea. The sleeve of it were clearly worn, person had spent a long fluxing lime sitting in that chair. But that wasn't what had shocked Harry.

There was a boy sitting there in the middle of the room, collapsed on the story on his stifle. Under his thick black robes his chest was racked with sobs. He had his hands over his face and his digit curled into his white-blond hair.

Malfoy.

Harry just stood there, it was as if his body had been frozen. He must sustain made some question because a present moment later Malfoy's head jerked up and Harry's park eyes met the watery Second Earl Grey ones staring up at him.

There was a bit when no one moved, then Malfoy's face flickered from brokenheartedness to disbelief, disbelief to confusion and confusion to rage.

"Stupefy !"

Harry threw himself back into the corridor as the trance stab past his berm. Harry drew his wand and scene a bludgeoning hex at Malfoy but found to coming back at him a moment later. Harry was forced back down the corridor as the infuriated Slytherin threw hex after hex at him.

"Confringo !"Harry stroke at a marble tear by Malfoy's question and the blast caused him to duck and stumble.

"Ferio !"The magic spell hit Malfoy in the position and sent him to the floor

"Petrificus To-"

"Expelliarmus !"

Harry felt his scepter jerked out of his script. He tried to grab it but it slipped through his fingers and landed in Malfoy's exposed palm. A consequence later a radiance curse hit him in the typeface like a glob of needles and threw him to the floor.

As Harry shivered in pain and tried to throw off off the feeling that his case was being grated a darkness passed over him.

"Now Potter."Malfoy grated."We ‘ re going to have a farseeing talk about why you ‘ re here and what I ‘ m going to do to you."

"I doubt it."Harry snarled and kicked Malfoy's feet out from under him. Some spell pin-wheeled over Harry's head teacher and he ducked to the floor. He leapt at Malfoy and grabbed both his blazon to break off him casting Sir Thomas More spells. Malfoy was writhing and spitting to try and get him off. Harry head butted him in the Chin and he yelled out in pain.

Somehow Malfoy managed to get a hand release and stabbed his fingers into Harry's throat. Harry grabbed Malfoy's pilus and jerked him away. Harry shot back and managed to regain his feet, he saw Malfoy boost and get his wand to gestate. Harry reacted on inherent aptitude and launched himself, berm first, into the Slytherins's stomach. They both flew backwards and Harry heard a cheap clangoring of splintering wood. The two boys dropped like I. F. Stone, far promote than they should have.

It was only then that Harry remembered they had been fighting on the upstairs landing.

"Oh great,"Harry thought in that moment as he brought up his hands to cover his head."This is going to hurt far too much."

The marble floor rose to meet him. Harry felt the impact in every bone and muscle, like some shockwave had shot through him and interrupt everything. He winced and tried to tug himself up. The instant his left hand hit the base a shot of botheration ran through him and he gingerly pulled it back.

Broken wrist joint. Wonderful.

Harry stood on wobbly peg and looked over at where Malfoy had fallen. The slimy pure blood line was whimpering into the trading floor so he was probably live. Harry walked over and snatched both their sceptre from where they ‘ d rolled. Malfoy was bleeding from somewhere. Harry knelt by him and pushed him over to get a respectable look.

"Oh stop crying you big baby."Harry said disgustedly."You ‘ ve only got a founder 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 pluck of imperial arrogance with rip 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 plug-in ? I meant sceptre !"Harry lowered his towards the boy on the floor."Tell me why you ‘ re here ! Why did you sneak out of Hogwarts to amount here ?"

"I have more rightfield to be here than you do."Malfoy pulled himself up to a sitting berth and wiped the blood off his face 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 snapped back as a loud bell rang out across the hall.

"That ‘ s the wards."Malfoy said, surprised.

Harry ran to the front threshold and peered out from between the curtains. He saw a flash of black-market robe and jerked back, his infantry skidding on the floor.

"Aurors !"There wasn't time to get out the lobby, Harry dove behind a pile of boxwood just as the boor handle began to turn. He felt Malfoy chute in beside him. The two boy waited in deathly silence as the door creaked open.

"Signs of a struggle sir."Harry heard a girls spokesperson say."Broken banister, rakehell on the floor."

"More than a simple robbery call then."A rich interpreter, heavy.

"Perhaps they fought with the homeowner ?"A sec male vocalisation, younger, suggested.

"Didn ‘ t you read the short letter ?"Girly said irritably."The homeowner ‘ s numb. That ‘ s the wholly rationality we ‘ re here."

"Trainee Nymphadora is correct."Deep agreed."There shouldn ‘ t be any magic at this premiss, let lone underage magic."

Harry groaned silently. Of course. The ministry could detect minor magic, and he and Malfoy had been throwing spells around like they were back at Hogwarts.

"We are idiots,"Harry sentiment. He turned and his eyes met Malfoy's, he could tell the other boy was thinking the same thing.

"So maybe the looters fought each other."The Male trainee was saying."Arguing over spoils ?"

"Possible."deep sounded as if he was just tolerating this youngster."We can not know at present."

"Should I take a line sampling ?"

Malfoy's centre shot wide open.

"No, we search the house first. They could still be here. Jandred you stay here and progress to surely they do not try to leave by the front door. Nymphadora, with me."

Harry heard pace travel away to the door towards the dining room. His mind was already churning hypothesis. If they took the roue, they would regain it was Malfoy's and arrest him. At which point Malfoy would turn Harry over in a heartbeat.

Harry drew his baton and disillusioned himself as quietly as possible. He heard Malfoy hiss 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 finisher. When he was within a few cadence of the piece of rake on the floor he whispered,

"Scourgify !"The descent disappeared and Harry shot behind a pillar just as the trainee auror turned around.

Harry forced himself to breath shallowly and quietly. A retentive consequence went past but the man didn't seem to find 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 section of wall and Harry was amazed to see it swing inwards. A secret door !

Harry followed quickly behind and closed the door behind him.

"Where are we ?"

"retainer's passages Potter."Malfoy seemed to be able-bodied to make even a whisper a leer."All true old pure line of descent houses have them so the servants can move around without getting underfoot."

"Thought you used sign elf ?"Harry said disparagingly as they made their way through the dusty corridor.

"There was a time when it was seen as a stigma of confessedly wealth to be able to open sorcerer slaves as well."Malfoy ducked under a massive cobweb."Alas those times have passed."

"Oh for the good old days."Harry said sarcastically.

Malfoy came to a stop near a trapdoor in the floor and levered the door assailable with his foot.

"We can get out here, the passage goes all the way outside the hospital ward. 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 helping hand me over in a mome-"Harry paused."That ‘ s why you ‘ re doing this isn ‘ t it ?"

"Spot on ceramicist. Get in the damn tunnel."
*


The two boy emerged like mol in a field miles away from the house, blinking and shielding their oculus from the sun. Harry could see the house far in the distance, a white smudge against the sky.

"That was a severe tunnel."Harry tried to get his bearings and work out how to get back to the train post."Town ‘ s that way."

"Give me my verge 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 step beside him.

"Why were you really there ?"Harry asked suddenly.

"I told you ceramist she was a family friend."Malfoy said curtly.

"If she was a family friend your founder could bear taken you out of school."Harry pointed out."Instead you sneak out on your own."

"I wanted to be intimate the altogether story."Malfoy said angrily.

"What do you stand for the unharmed report ?"

"You don ‘ t… ? You don ‘ t know."Malfoy shook his header then began again as if explaining something to a child."The Daily prophesier 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 hold integrate one of her medicative potions wrongly. Used too much-"

"Exactly !"Malfoy cut in."That's what they say on the airfoil. They don't want to appall us but they still need to broadcast the news so they have these little codes."

"Codes in the paper ?"

"Yes potter,"Malfoy gestured with his men as he explained."If they say someone say… died in his sleep then that means he was smothered by a kinfolk member."

"Nice."Harry cringed back.

"Don ‘ t be so squeamish."Malfoy scoffed."Spell misfired means they were experimenting with darkness illusion, unexpected illness usually means they caught something from a scarlet woman."

"You ‘ re fourteen Malfoy, say prostitute."

"And a misunderstanding admixture potions is code for suicide."Malfoy lapsed into silence.

"So…"Harry said carefully.

"So Ellen was the least probable person in the world to regard suicide !"Malfoy snapped."She had more sprightliness in her than women half her age ! She used to pop around to our house all the sentence, or we would go to hers. She was an active voice member of virtuous rip society, and in good wellness. She would not kill herself !"

They walked in secrecy for a little ways as Harry digested all off that.

"You suspect hit then."Harry said quietly.

"I just think it ‘ s suspicious."Malfoy said angrily.

There was more silence. They reached the tarmac route and fell into step along it easily.

"Did you hear about Rita Skeeter ?"Harry said after a patch."That was shady too."

Malfoy said goose egg, 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 idiot Potter."Malfoy turned and walked down the alley.

"Figures."Harry shrugged, shifted his bag higher up on his articulatio humeri and headed into town.

As he was walking through a shopping street on his way back to the railroad train station he heard an odd noise. A kind of low moaning without words. It was also associate. His ears pricked up as he tried to nail it. It was coming from a little shop, one of those nature shop class that sold incense, wickerwork wall-hangings, wooden sculpture and useless rubble like that. Harry moved into it and tried to plunk out the dissonance, it was coming from a tape recording player on a stand.

Harry's fingers moved to the little knobs on the top. How did these things work again ? Dudley had had one… Harry twisted one knob to no effect, he tried another marked sales talk and the sound got dispirited. Ah ! Harry twisted it all the way the other way and jerked the volume knob to full.

A senior high pitched warbling thigh-slapper filled the shop, causing Harry to both cringe in bother and yell in triumph. It sounded almost exactly like the golden egg.

"Hey !"The market keeper yelled at him and rushed over to reset the machine."What the hell do you mean you ‘ re doing kid ?"

"Sorry,"Harry shrugged apologetically."What was that ?"

"It was giant song before you screwed with it."The man said angrily.

"hulk song…"Harry smiled and nodded."Thank you."He turned and walked out of the shop.

*

It was sour and bitingly cold by the clock time Harry hauled himself out of the lake and squelched into Hogwarts. Swimming across the lake at nighttime with a broken wrist had possibly been the most terrorise experience of Harry's life story and he was glad when he managed to give the fat lady's portrait.

"Oh you poor dear."She said."You look like a you've been through the wars."

"aspect worse from in here."Harry smiled up at her and she opened without him saying anything else.

Harry barely had the Energy to deteriorate his clothes on the flooring and creeping into bed before sleep took him.

He the rabbit again, running through the woods away from something. The Malus pumila tree diagram were in fully blossom and the air was replete of pink petals. A distort counterpoint to the fear coursing through his tiny body. Something caught him, grabbed him by the ear. He kicked and scratched as surd as he could but it was no good, the massive shadow shape holding him just laughed. Harry screamed as it plunged it's long finger 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 eye of the capital hall again. Time to get up anyway."

"How was Dorset Harry ?"Neville said quietly.

"coldness. Going to the beach in January ‘ s a really dolt idea."Harry grinned and walked towards the showers.

Harry visited the infirmary wing quickly to fix his wrist ("Stairs again Harry ?"“ Sure, we can go with that.") and wandered down towards the swell hall in good purport. He had a secure hint on the egg, he hadn't been caught and he'd gained a worthful clue. All in all it was a good…

Bugger.

Harry froze as he reached the incoming of the great hallway before forcing himself to continue and make a rump. Up on the high mesa, sitting next to Dumbledore, was a tall Black person man in auror's robes.
*


"trade good sunrise students."Dumdledore stood as soon as everyone had gathered in the great hall."Before we eat this morning, auror Shacklebolt from the ministry has something to say."

Everyone in the hall was looking at the tall auror as he stood. Everyone except the predator who were all looking at Harry.

"What the nether region did you do ?"Hermione hissed in his ear and Harry shushed her into silence.

"goodness morning."The auror said, he seemed to remember this was all the unveiling necessary because he proceeded to launch right in."Yesterday there was an incident at the mansion 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 shamefaced of breaking and entering, illegally breaching wards, property legal injury, malicious mischief and theft."

Theft ?

"judging by the difficulty of the enchantment detected the suspect must be at least of Hogwarts age."The auror's disconsolate heart swept over the educatee."And since there are currently no school age thaumaturgist in Britain who chose not to attend Hogwarts the culprit is person in this room."

Harry glanced over at Malfoy and met the early boy's eyes. 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 suspiration of easing in his mind."But thankfully we were able to find some strands of hair."

The auror held up a small, clean envelope. Harry adjusted his drinking glass but couldn't see anything in there before the auror put it back in the pocket of his robes.

"A simple cirrus ab clavis patch will determine who it belongs to."Shacklebolt continued."So in a instant some of you will be escorted to the hospital 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 hair wasn't his really didn't avail 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, plenty of other people were getting up to go the public lecture so he hoped it wasn't too suspicious. The teacher had begun wrangling the blond students into group. Harry deliberately didn't look over at the Slytherin table, he already knew what he'd see.

As soon as he was out of mess of the hall he broke into a dash, shooting along the corridor and sliding sideways behind a tapestry before throwing himself up a private staircase. He had to gain the infirmary extension before the auror did, or he was suddenly gist. He dashed out of the stairwell and down a disused passage, ducking under cobwebs.

A moment later he was out and walking normally. He had to break the auror no cause for distrust, and this guy seemed pretty on the ball. He saw him sour into the corridor and Harry steeled himself, he would only get one fortune at this. He moved out into the middle of the corridor and brushed close to the man as he walked past.

Harry's fingers slipped into the auror's sac. Dip-grasp-out-hide !

Harry slipped the envelope into his gown and kept walking. For a terrifying moment he thought the auror had noticed, that he was going to turn and yell for Harry to barricade. But nothing came and Harry walked on.

He began breathing when he got a corridor away. That had been easier than he thought, he was really recede respectfulness for these ministry types. Not enough vigilance, Moody would be disappointed. Harry wandered back to the expectant hall and looked in. The Marauders were already gone, probably trying to front 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 guess is as respectable as mine."Harry shrugged.

"Harry don ‘ t train me for an idiot."Susan crossed her subdivision."This involves you."

"Why would you retrieve that ?"

"Because everything involves you !"

"Too right,"Harry grinned."But since I ‘ m not blond…"

"It was dye, or a spell, or you were involved in some other way."Susan moved closer and looked into his eyes."Is it going to be ok for you ? They ‘ re not going to arrest you are they ?"

"Relax, it ‘ s all expert. 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 give-and-take please ?"

"Relax Malfoy, I took forethought of it."Harry said, after checking that no-one was listening."You owe me."

With that Harry turned, waved goodbye 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 champion appeared out of nowhere and beckoned him into an evacuate classroom. Harry obliged before closing the threshold and casting silencing charms around.

"Where is it ?"Malfoy asked bluntly.

"Where ‘ s what ?"

"The evidence."Malfoy said angrily."I know you took it ! Is this your plan ? keep open 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 take from the Hayward house ?"Malfoy went bushed 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 death of a folk friend then what I just did was a skillful thing."Harry held out his hired man like Libra the Balance scales."On the other helping hand if you ‘ re an timeserving, lying, hyena who was stealing from her then what I did was a bit more morally ambiguous. In that case I ‘ d have to give the hair back to the aurors and see your dickhead rear go down."Harry snapped out the accusation viciously, Malfoy even jerked back a step. It was a moment before Malfoy responded.

"I took…"The Slytherin swallowed unvoiced."It was an heirloom of her fellowship. A ring, antediluvian. If it had been boxed up with everything else to go to her full 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, upright 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 bear been nice if that was the end of it. It wasn't.

"So Potter…"

Harry slowed to a stop outside the Fat dame's portrait and turned around to see the unreadably scarred font of Mad Eye Moody.

"Oh big,"Harry grumbled."Is this chapter gon na be entirely dialogue ? ‘ Cos my pharynx ‘ s getting tired."

"I was just talking to my old admirer Kingsley Shacklebolt."Moody stumped up towards Harry and looked down at him."Seems some evidence just disappeared from his pocket."

"Did he checker his other pocket ?"Harry suggested."That always happens to me."

"Cut the garbage Potter."Helen Wills Moody sighed."I already know you did it I just want to know whether you had a respectable reason."

"Protecting myself and a valuable informant."Harry said levelly."And because there are more of import criminal offense going on right hand now than breaking and entering."

"Like ?"

"Ellen Hayward."

"I assume it was suicide, reported at an accident."Moody said, though he didn't sound convinced.

"My informant is convinced otherwise."

"Guess I could create some inquires."Helen Newington Wills said thoughtfully."See whether there ‘ s anything to this."

"Thank you."Harry nodded and turned towards the rough-cut room.
*


"Harry !"Still not over.

"Bloody hell."Harry groaned and headed over to the vulture mesa 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 leant forward and spoke quietly, but Padma interrupted him.

"We ‘ ve also been angry."She said through clenched teeth."What the hell ‘ s going on with you ?"

"I was investigating the murder, Ellen Hayward."Harry checked to see if anyone was listening then continued."someone said it was suspicious so I went to front into it."

"We guessed that much."Ginny said impatiently.

"well get this…"Harry leant forward and quickly related what had happened in the manor house house. At the end the marauders seemed stunned.

"Why did you do all this Harry ?"Parvarti asked."Why did you go there in the first office ?"

"Um… because murder is bad ? Because I was bored ? Because I hadn ‘ t spent nearly enough time as a gnawing mammal this calendar week ? 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 verbalise 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 execution scenery and stole evidence because the voices in your school principal told you too."

"well if you put it like that you can make anything sound crazy."Harry shrugged and smiled cheekily.

"Harry you ‘ ve gone too far."

"You're just being fretful, I know you believe me really."

"Why ?"

"You called it a murder scene."Harry pointed out."mean value you believe me that something else is going on."

Padma opened her mouth to come back but exclude it angrily and glared at him.

"opinion so,"Harry grinned."But I do have got some other news. 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 lav. 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 worse than normal."

"Yes Nev I do."Harry nodded and winked.

"You did it on purpose ?"

"Yep."

"Why ?"

"Well I don ‘ t know if you ‘ ve noticed Nev,"Harry grinned like a hellion."But they ‘ ve completely forgotten about Ron."
*


Harry slid into the water gingerly and pulled the egg in after him. The former marauders were already waiting amongst the house of cards. He motioned them down and they all slipped underwater. Harry swallowed his revulsion and twisted his head just enough to put one ear under weewee then opened the egg.

‘ cum seek us where our voices sound
We can not sing above the dry land
And while you're searching, ponder this
We've taken what you'll sorely neglect,
An hour long you'll have to count,
But past an 60 minutes - the prospect's smutty
Too late, it's gone, it won't total back..'

Harry pulled his foreland back up the same here and now the other marauders emerged. respective of them were spluttering or red-faced from the body of water. Harry was the only one who was ashen grey.

"wellspring that ‘ s easy."Hermione said excitedly."You just have to go somewhere and get something back in under an hour."

"Probably in the lake."Padma chimed it."It ‘ d make horse sense if it was subaqueous ‘ we can not sing above the soil ‘ and all."

"We just need some charm or something to let him breath-"

"Harry,"Neville interrupted Hermione, earning a look of irritation."Are you ok ?"

The predator turned to Harry, who still hadn't moved. He was shaking despite the warm water.

"Harry…"Ginny reached out to touch his articulatio humeri and he flinched away from her hand.

"Guys…"Harry spoke slowly and weakly, like his throat didn't want to make a motion."You remember the boggart in third year ?"

"Yes it… Oh !"Hermione clasped both hands over her mouth in shock."Yours was water ! Your afraid of piddle. 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 different, when my oral sex ‘ s above urine I can make do. Just."Harry shun his eyes and bowed his oral sex, he felt wretched to be admitting this."But as soon as it closes over my fountainhead I lose it. My thinker just goes blank, I can't think, can ‘ t ascendance myself. I start trying to breath in the water, offset choking. I don ‘ t even have the sense to try and swim back up to the surface."Harry felt like branding iron weights had been hooked to the face of his sum but he kept going.

"I can oppose a flying dragon again, or werewolves, Voldemort. But I can ‘ t swim."Harry shook his head, trying to hold back teardrops."I can ‘ t swim."

The room was silent, the gentle sloshing of the water against the bathroom, and the seven teenager, sounded unnaturally loud.

"Ah,"Padma said dryly."That could mystify a problem."

"Could you um…"Ron flapped his manus vaguely."Wear something over your point ? Like a pail or something ?"

The former predator shared a looking at and Ron fell silent.

"Ok…"Hermione rubbed her hands together nervously."That ‘ s ok. We can sell with this. We ‘ ll get you better, maybe get you used to it slowly. submerging therapy. We ‘ ve got almost three calendar week before the 2nd task, we can get you ready."

"Yeah !"Ron brightened up."See, like this !"He jumped forward and pushed Harry's headway underwater.

Harry screamed and felt water rush into his airline. A moment later he was dragged out of the weewee and he collapsed against the edge of the bathroom, coughing up the foamy, multicolor, bathwater.

"What… the hell…"Harry gasped out."Is wrong with you !"

"S…Sorry."Ron mumbled."Thought it would help."

"Let ‘ s go back to the tower."Parvati suggested suddenly. Even she was finding it severely to be cheerful right now."Maybe we can number up with something in the morning."

Harry nodded, it took too much energy to do anything else.
*


Harry had irons around his ankles, an anchorperson on the other end. Pulling him deeper and recondite down into the lake. He tried to scream but nothing came out. It was getting darker and darker… black. Harry kept screaming but the black water filled his oral cavity like a gag. It was everywhere.

Harry woke up sweating and quivering and stumbled out of bed. He felt, and smelled, like he had run a marathon. He reached the lavatory and shed his sodden pajama quickly before spinning the tap for a shower. The spray fell into the little tiled cubical but Harry didn't enter, instead he stood outside it shaking.

He hesitantly put a hand forward but as soon as the spray splashed it he jerked back. His heart was racing. He turned the shower off and grabbed his scepter, he ran a cleansing charm all over his physical structure before changing into his robes and scurrying out of the bathroom.
*


"Harry are you OK."soul asked him for the 50th time that day.

Harry growled at him and the student scurried off. Harry sighed, it was too much to take.

He had another nightmare that Nox, again trapped in the lake. This prison term in a John Milton Cage Jr. that was bolted to the lakebed. He kept trying to get out but the legal profession were made of steel.

Once again he couldn't bring himself to lavish and made do with a cleaning charm. When mortal offered him a glass of H2O at breakfast he almost cursed them into oblivion.

Harry buried his face in his hired man, it was getting worse. It was like every nightmare left a little spell of itself in him. Bulking concern on top of fear until he self-destructed.

"Harry…"voice ? Harry looked up and saw Parvarti's worried grimace."We ‘ ve got creatures now… but I ‘ m certain Hagrid won ‘ t head if you miss it."

Harry shook his straits and stood up. Maybe something trying to gore him would take his mind off his phobia.

They walked down to Hagrid's cabin. Harry didn't say anything, neither did anyone else.

"Good morning all,"Hagrid was his usual jolly self."We ‘ re having today ‘ s lesson down by the lake."

No !

Harry almost collapsed on the supergrass. Hermione and Padma moved off at a run, trying to intercept Hagrid as he strode off towards the blue expanse.

Harry leadenly put one foot in figurehead of the other. He was vaguely cognisant of Ron and Neville trying to lecture to him but he blanked them out. He stopped as the grass sloped down towards the water. There were some thing in pens near the piddle 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 frontal bone get guileful with fret. He tried to step closemouthed to the lake but the sound of it filled his ears. The aristocratical sloshing waves echoed somehow in his head and became a raging cataract, making it impossible to concentrate on anything. The urine seemed to lift while staying in the Lapp place, creeping confining to is eyes.

Harry's boldness broke and he turned and ran back towards the palace. He heard shout behind him but ignored them, he needed to get away. It felt like the lake was right behind him, like a chasing beast. He hit the steps of Hogwarts at a dash and kept going. He had to cover !

All the while the water kept rushing in his ears.
*


The vulture begged out of Hagrid's lesson to go find him. They spit into squad 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 eld. Harry was just slouched against the back wall, his arms tucked into his robes.

"Harry ?"Ron approached carefully.

Harry didn't answer, his gaze was fixed of a little dripping role of the ceiling. His eyes followed each droplet as it grew, dropped and splashed into a mossy patch on the floor.

"Harry ?"

drip mould, drip, drip.

"Are you Ok ?"

trickle, dribble, drip.

"Is there anything we can do ?"

Drip, drip, drip… Harry looked up and his oculus met Ron's. The carrottop almost flinched back, his friends gaze was dig and boring, like all the life sentence had been sucked out of him. But even so it seemed to control barely contained fury.

"Yes,"Harry's voice sounded like it was seeping out through Harlan Stone."I do need 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 submerging therapy thing again. Except this fourth dimension you ‘ re gon na hold me under."
*


Harry turned the taps to full and forced himself to watch as the bath filled to the rim. He didn't add any soap, he had a feeling he would be inhaling a just 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 urine. He felt like his cutis was tightening up, like his unharmed leg had personal identification number and needles. He gritted his teeth and dropped the rest of his eubstance in. Already he felt like screech, the water supply was everywhere.

"Ok, Neville you ‘ ve got a watch ?"Harry said through chattering teeth that had zip to do with the temperature.

"Yes."

"Ok,"Harry began taking deep breather in preparation."Keep me under for five seconds, whatever I do. We ‘ ll push it up from there."

"Are you su-"

"Stop asking me if I'm for sure !"Harry snapped. He turned to Ron, who was already in the bath."Do it !"

Harry closed his heart and felt hands close around his shoulder joint. A moment later he was dunked down. He tried to keep his oral cavity shut but as soon as the water system closed over his head he panicked and breathed in a peachy gulp of weewee. His lungs and throat burned and he flailed helplessly.

After what felt like a lifespan he was pulled to the surface. He collapsed against the side of the bath and lay there, coughing up his lungs onto the tiles. He weakly realized that there was blood sundry in with the water, he must of bit his lingua trying to breathe.

"Was that five s ?"Harry said sapless 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 tournament any more."Harry shook his head."It's got so lots speculative I can't take a shower, I can ‘ t go near the lake. I ‘ m dehydrated because I don ‘ t even want to wassail a glass of water. I can ‘ t live like this. Please mate… ten seconds."

Harry felt Ron move towards him through the water and pull him to his fundament. Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Again he was plunged into Inferno. Harry broke again and gulped in water. He saw lights instant on the interior of his eyelids. He felt like the Bath had become a whirlpool spinning him around and around. Every brawniness clenched and released like he was having a seizure. The lights faded, and darkness replaced it.
*


Harry woke confused. He was lying on a bed, with mainsheet over him. He wasn't wearing his glasses so the world in straw man of him was blurred. His chest felt heavy and ventilation was hard.

"Where am I ?"He croaked out.

"The infirmary wing Mr Potter. You stopped breathing. Mainly because your lungs were entire of water."A white blob appeared into Harry's view and a moment later his trash were returned. dame Pomfrey straightened and shook her head."You've been here two days repairing the scathe, your lungs were damaged. You were really remarkably stupid, I don ‘ t even know what to say this time."

"At least I can ‘ t blame this one on stairs."Harry smiled weakly. The schoolhouse nurse snorted.

"You ‘ re protagonist is over there."She jerked her headway at another bed where Ron lay."He hasn ‘ t left since you were brought in. He seems to find guilty over something."

"Sorry."

"Don ‘ t say it to me, say it to him."Madam Pomfrey turned to leave then asked."Do you need anything ?"

"My throat hurts."

"I ‘ ll get you something for it."lady Pomfrey bustled off.

Harry cleared his throat,

"Ron !"At the speech sound of Harry's vocalisation the marauder stirred."Ron come alive up."

"Harry ? Harry you ‘ re awake !"Ron rubbed his eyes and slid out of bed."I ‘ m so sorry 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 place none of this would be necessary."

"You ‘ re not screwed up Harry. You ‘ re just… Harry."

"I jump onto trains."Harry shook his heading and express joy, but here was no humor in it."I ‘ m XIV 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 things I shouldn ‘ t know. Something ‘ s wrong with me."

"But-"

"I manipulate people, I have no 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 straight person face."

"But Harry,"Ron moved up and put a hand on his berm comfortingly."All that stuff's what makes you you."

"Being me sucks."Harry rolled over away from Ron. ma'am Pomfrey returned with a glass of water and a lowly tumbler of low-spirited liquid.

"Drink all of it. It ‘ s quite bitter."She disappeared into her office again.

Harry reached out and gulped down the aniseed flavored potion. He reached out for the water supply glass but his fingerbreadth stopped an inch from the glass. 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 parole then knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Harry turned the handle and stepped into the Guest one-quarter of Hogwarts. A few of the temple handmaidens were sitting at the table version, they looked up pointedly as he entered. He tried to snub them. He walked over to where Pythea was sitting by the window on a little cast. Harry pulled over a chair and sat.

"Are you feeling meliorate ?"Pythea asked, though she didn't sound concerned.

"Yes. Thank you."

"I looked in on you in the hospital wing, but I couldn't stay."Pythea's eye's flickered to the albumen robe cleaning lady around the table.

"That ‘ s alright."Harry smiled."That ‘ s not what I came here about. I need advice."

"About the second job ?"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 charm, Neville suggested gillyweed. But none of them ‘ ll work for me, not if I go weirdo the instant I hit the water system. I don't know what to do. I ‘ m scared Thea, I need help."

"Are you asking for my advice as an prophesier ?"Pythea cocked her oral sex."Or as a supporter ?"

"Please Thea,"Harry begged."Just cave in me something."

"I have advice for you Harry."Pythea took his paw in hers."But you may not care it."

"Tell me."

"Give up."

"What ?"Harry frowned, confused.

"Don't compete in the 2nd undertaking. You can still win on the third gear even if you get zero for this one."

"But… The goblet ‘ s a binding contract."Harry shook his foreland."I have to compete."

"You have to compete in the tournament."Pythea corrected."There have been various times in the past where a champion has skipped a task for medical reason. And a phobia is a decriminalize medical examination reason."

"But… I ‘ d have to order them."Harry bit his lip."The all school would know."

"You fear that happening ?"

"Yes."

"more than you fear the lake ?"

"No."Harry shuddered and shook his head."Why are you telling me this ?"

"Because I hate to see you hurt 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 friend answer."Harry smiled."What ‘ s the oracular one ?"

There isn ‘ t one Harry. There never is with you.

Harry was about to answer but Pythea put a finger to her sass and smiled.

"Would you like a game of chess while you ‘ re here ?"She said out loud.

"chess with a mind-reading seer."Harry rolled his eyes."This should be fun."
*


Harry took Pythea's spec of hope that he would conceive of something and clung onto it like a line of life. He spent every availably moment in the library trying to find out some early way into the lake. He researched astral acoustic projection, animagi, freezing and boiling spell and becloud charms. He got his friends to brew a potion of braveness to try to overcome the care but it wasn't enough and the effect only lasted a few minute anyway.

So it came to be the night before the task and Harry was still in the library, sitting behind a pile of book, despairing.

There was no answer, he should just give up.

"burn the midnight oil Potter ?"Harry heard Malfoy's voice and jerked his head up to see the boy walk out from behind a bookshelf, a pile of books under his arm.

Harry's hilltop furrows as he worked back through Malfoy's sentence. It took him a few instant to work out out what was bothering him about it. There hadn't been an insult in it ! It had been a simple, formula question.

"Yes, I see you are too."Harry pushed some of his own books aside and the Slytherin sat down. The books he had all had similar title to Harry's own."You have a architectural plan for tomorrow ?"

"Yes."Malfoy nodded."Just making sure zilch can go wrong. You ?"

"No."Harry admitted shaking his point."No I ‘ ve got nothing."

quiet reigned in the dark, mouldy library.

"You must ingest something."Malfoy said, shrugging."A little charm or so-"

"No."Harry shook his head again."goose egg that will work for me."

"But wh…"Malfoy leant back in his chair. Harry could almost see the gear turning in his head."The Boggart in third year…"

Harry said nothing, he didn't have to.

"You ‘ re afraid of water ?"

Silence.

"That ‘ s… not good for you then."Malfoy smiled."But very serious for me."

"Screw you Peroxide !"Harry sneered and knocked over a pile of Quran 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 book open, balancing on the back two legs of his chair. Harry had the unendurable urge to tip him over.

Harry gritted his teeth and ignored him, pulling another account book over. A few minute of arc passed in silence then…

"Potter, what the hell is hydrogen peroxide ?"

"Muggle thing,"Harry muttered."Come 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 abuse correctly."

"Would you like me to try again ?"Harry jabbed."I ‘ ve got lots."

"I tend to stick with mudblood."

"Evidence of a profound deficiency of imagination."Harry shut his Book and picked another."Is it possible you're parents accidentally lobotomized you as a child."

"No."Malfoy replied coldly.

"Is it possible you're parents intentionally lobot-"

"screw propeller you shortarse !"

Harry chuckled despite himself and dropped his eyes back to the text edition in front end of him. It had some info about an ancient wizard who was able to part seas. It also said the cognition 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 deeper into the book.

"And you can ‘ t think of a way around it ?"

Harry sighed and looked up. Malfoy was staring at the ceiling, mysterious in thought.

"Courage potion… ?"

"Tried it, event doesn't conclusion long enough."

"A transmutation of some kind ?"

"Any transformation that keeps my mind intact keeps my phobias intact as well."

"How about charming an animal to get whatever-it-is for you ?"

"Against the rules of the contest."

"Some kind of diving Vanessa Stephen ?"

"Now you ‘ re just scraping the bottom of the barrel."Harry sunk onto his hand on the table."nerve it, if I ‘ ve had weeks to fall up with an answer you ‘ re not gon na get it in one night. I ‘ ve been racking my brain trying to remember of some way that's within the dominion but it just isn ‘ t there."

"Well how about away them."Malfoy shrugged."You said you were going to cuckold anyway."

"In battlefront of the full schooling ? And the judges ?"Harry shook his header."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 affair. You do them and get away with them later."

Harry opened his mouth to object but a light-bulb came on in his intellect. He stood suddenly, driving his hot seat back.

"I need dissimilar books."He stated suddenly before turning and walking away. After a irregular he turned and said,"Thank you."

"I owed you one."Malfoy said, his eyes back on the Word in strawman 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 steps ?"

"Listen Gin, I need to take up the Chimera."Harry was whispering but he sounded insistent.

"Sure Harry."Ginny shook her principal, clearing cobwebs."What do you want it for ?"

"Can ‘ t tell you."Harry smiled evilly."If I told you you ‘ d be an accessory."

"An accouterment to what ?"Ginny was wide awake now.

"A Harry potter Plan !"Harry grinned in the dark, then disappeared.
*


"Mr Potter…"Minerva McGonagall licked her sassing and stopped speaking. All around her the various grownup were starting to giggle, the scholarly person too. Dumbledore was giving Harry an appraising facial expression, axiom was laughing openly, Crouch just looked scandalized.

They were standing by the border of the lake, the secondment task was about to start and all but one of the protagonist were wearing swimsuits. 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 task before you consists of."

"Anything ‘ s possible."ceramicist shrugged.

"You realize that the broomstick will not even exploit underwater ?"

"Yes."

"Is there any probability that you will recount me what you ‘ re planning."

"No."

McGonagall shook her head and turned back towards the rack. Behind her the champions moved into line by the bound of the lake. She shook her headland as roadman read out the ruler in his loud prosperous vocalism, then…

"One… two… THREE !"

Harry stroke into the air like a bullet and careened backwards towards the stands. consultation members scattered but Harry managed to find control at the net minute and pulled up to charge over and out, following the curve ball of the lake until he disappeared behind a hill.

"Did he run away ?"

"Where did he go ?"

Muttering broke out around the stands. McGonagall shook her head, they had said the same affair last clip and Harry had come through.

Her optic were drawn to the top standstill, to the sliver of white amongst the dark gown. The Pythea was standing before her seat, her optic fixed in the focal point Harry had disappeared. A bit later she started laughing, a clear 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 shape appeared in the lake, rounding the J. J. Hill that had hid it from view and pushing out quickly into the receptive water.

One by one the gang fell silent, every eye fixed on the thing in the lake. McGonagall put her hand to her mouth, even given a thousand geezerhood she would never birth thought of this.

Karkaroff was the first to break the silence. Shooting from his chairwoman, his look red with rage he raised his fist and yelled,

"THAT LITTLE BASTARD ! HE ‘ S STOLEN MY BLOODY SHIP !"



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