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



Harry lay on his back on his bed with his mother locket dangling above him. The flaming affair was taunting him he was sure. He had run some detection charms over it and been shocked to regain that the matter was wrapped up six path from Sunday. Harry flicked through one of the Holy Scripture laid around him but found aught he hadn't already seen before.

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

"We have to expect now Neville."Harry had looked up and met his friends eye with a smiling."Which could end up as the hardest component part. But we can't do anything until some stuff plays out. Bear with me…"Harry added as his acquaintance face fell."… for now we ‘ re fringe on target area. You know the plan."

In reality the programme was far from on fair game, in fact it had taken a horrific stumble. It had happened one breakfast not long after Christmas…

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

"Yes ?"But Ron just pointed wordlessly over at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was holding a Calluna vulgaris with a feel of verbalise felicity on his face."So he has a new broom ? We knew his Church 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 powder store out of his bag and scatter it out in movement of Harry, his hand palpitation as he pointed to a long article.

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

"Energy this change the design Harry."Harry glanced up and saw that Fred and St. George had moved down the board. Their usual grins dulled to worried frowns."I, mean… It ‘ s a Firebolt."Harry tossed the magazine publisher back at Ron and escape from his head.

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

But the Slytherin Ravenclaw game gave them sizeable evidence that even with a bad rider a pro broom still kicks ass. When the fink finally appeared Malfoy was at the other end of the rake and flying much downcast than it and he had still snatched it comfortably before Cho could get anywhere near it. That, coupled with the Nimbus 2001s the rest of the squad had had equaled a crushing red for the Ravenclaw team.

The most teasing affair was that he really could do aught right now. They needed to hold off at least until after the side by side equal before the programme could come on. Waiting and watching helplessly was agony. When he had been working on the Chimera it had been like there was a big puzzle laid out in front of him and he could work at it until it was finished. Waiting was a lot harder because there was nothing to do. Yes he had preparation and yes some Slytherins had mysteriously had their horseshoe filled with frogspawn while they dried beside a fire but he had no puzzler to work out. He had tried to centralise on practicing with his guitar but it wasn ‘ t enough. Then he remembered the locket.

So now he worked on finding style to go around its many charms and spells. Working on that difficult ( but eventually solvable ) problem kept his idea off early apparently unsolvable problems. Like why he had had part of last Mon twice. Twisting the locket up near the light he tried a few things.

"Lilly. Petunia. Prefect. open air Sesame."The locket remained locked and he dropped his deal in defeat. At least he had worked out that it was a countersign and not some other method acting of opening but that was about all he had discovered. He had thought of swallowing his pride and asking Professor Lupin his advice. The teacher hadn't known it was a locket but he might feature had some idea or at least be able to give him the gens of her childhood pets."Henry James. Sirius. Peter. Rose."Harry tried then gave up and engorge the affair back into his pocket.

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

And fell twenty pes onto frigidity stone.
*


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

"Yes very much so."A pleasant swingy vox sounded out of the dark down the hallway."New, but not finished as yet."A tall man with a unsubtle beard and a mane of red hair, barely held down by a battered hat, moved into vista and knelt down by Harry. His accent was antiquated and his clothes matched that verbal description as did the jeweled steel in his bridge player. A cryptical hunch 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 bit then drew out a shortstop rod topped with a crystal musket ball. As he waved the scepter over Harry it emitted a affectionate visible radiation and Harry felt the contusion of his fall disappear even quicker than Madam Pomfrey could give birth managed."There, all better."The man smiled and dropped the rod back into his hat.

"You got a rabbit in there too."Harry quipped. Falling back on flippancy as the more sane portions of his brain waved little white flags.

"A cony ? Why would one keep a rabbit in a headpiece."The founder smiled."Wouldn ‘ t it seduce rather a deal on the psyche ?"

The sparkling 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 skilful 30 spans above here ?"

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

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

Godric Gryffindor appeared to like a good closed book as a good deal as Harry and pulled what looked like a jeweler eyeglass out of his hat before using it to examine the little elusion 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 early paw."Have you attempted a shedding yet ? It would certainly be effective."

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

"An apple peel."Gryffindor finished off his pasty and made a dip motion."Soak an apple in diviners broth that also has the locket soaking deep within it. Then strip the yield in one strip with a silver knife. Toss the skin over thy left shoulder and it should organize the configuration 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 consequence and looked at him through the jewelers glass. His eye fell on Harry's pectus on the allow side and he let out a great suspiration."Oh, I am truly sorry my boy."

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

"You can not feel it because you have not suffered it yet."Gryffindor bowed his head, a buck blooming in the corner of his eye."Also you will only see it when you are out of your dead on target time. You are caught in the inundation of eld now and there is no way to survive. It will get worsened and worse until the event that caused it in the get-go post occurs. I wish I had better newsworthiness little one, but I am afraid you are doomed."

The two physical body stood silently in the corridor. Harry spoke first.

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

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

"Well I don ‘ t buy it."Harry shook his head and crossed his arms angrily."I will not eat up this bullshit you ‘ re vendition. And I want to go back !"Harry felt his rage rising, a burst of accidental deception made a flagstone crack."I want to go back to my own time, NOW !"Harry pushed his eyes closed then snapped them open. Gryffindor was gone, and the castle was totally again.

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

"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU ejaculate FROM !"

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

"It ‘ s alright, it ‘ s alright. balm is the parole isn't it ?"

Still staring at him in blow the fat lady nodded and opened for him. Harry went quickly through the empty night-time common elbow room and slipped support up into the third-years bedroom.

Gryffindor's words troubled him though, even though the completely experience still felt form of surreal. Should he go to Dumbledore ? Would the schoolmaster help or just say the same affair as his long-time forerunner ?

Suddenly Harry remembered something and smiled. He did have somebody eminently qualified to respond interrogative about time and destiny. Grabbing a quill and parchment Harry jotted down a long note 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 live on missive until the missive was respective sheets long.

"shovel will not be happy."Harry chuckled as he got out of bed for the second time that nighttime. Not wanting to stir up the fat gentlewoman again after the scare he'd given her he padded over to his favorite window, climbed through it and set off in the direction of the owlery.
*


"Is that a haircloth increase potion ceramicist ?"

"No sir."

"It isn ‘ t ?"

"No sir."

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

"For the first time ever in my class you are even off. You have not brewed a hair ontogeny potion. You have not even attempted to brew a hair growth potion. Can you excuse to me why you have brewed a dissimilar potion, from a different book. Brewed what appears to be a diviners broth that is not even on the Hogwarts syllabus. 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 mess that filled his cauldron.

"I blame society sir."

"smart set ?"

"Yes sir."

"L period from Gryffindor."

"fountainhead deserved sir."
*


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

But now he was tromping through the rain, looking for an orchard apple tree. Or at to the lowest degree an apple tree, he knew a charm to construct it carry a fruit out of season. When he'd say up on the peeling it had said that it worked best when you picked the yield yourself so Harry had asked Hagrid where all the orchard apple tree tree's on the primer were ( the single on the good side of the wards obviously ). Unfortunately what he hadn't counted on was that they were mostly belittled wild Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree with fruit not nearly large enough to produce a good peel. He needed a big preparation apple or something.

Harry preformed the charm on another sodden flush only to be rewarded by another flyspeck pubic louse apple.

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

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

"Bugger."Thomas More small fry. Harry was about to wrick away and walk back up to the castle when he saw a spattering of color on the far coin bank. Scrambling out on the beginning of the old Tree to get a better look he bit back an oath. There was a slight girl lying on the Orient banking company, half in and half out of the bushes near the sharpness of the proscribe wood. She wasn't moving and she was facedown in the water.

"HEY !"Harry yelled for anyone hearing."SOMEONE ! HAGRID !"But the air current took his words away."Oh my god. Why does this stuff always happen to me ?"

Harry looked around for an choice option but saw nothing.

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

For a moment the water closed over his head and he breathed in a taste of water in blow and little terror but he bobbed to the surface and coughed it up before striking out for the laid low physique on the far bank. He had to go a little way out from the bank to avoid the edge of the Mrs. Humphrey Ward but then he could come back in and eventually dragged himself up onto the far bank.

"I am never doing that again."Harry breathed as he staggered towards the young woman."No more than lakes."

As he neared the girl the one-half of her that had been hidden in the bushes came into purview and he stopped in jar. She wasn't a girl at all, she was a Centaurus. And she had a massive sharpness on her slope, red and scabbed. Harry moved forward and dragged her font out of the water.

"Girl ?"Harry slapped her face and tried to listen for breathing. She was still warmly."Wake up !"

Suddenly the centaurs oculus stab subject and she coughed up a slew of lake water into Harry's lap.

"You alright ? Hey ?"

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

"Not fragile eh ? Looks like soul managed to split up 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 bite is days old. I was just disoriented and I wandered away from my herd."

"volition you… I mean are you…"

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

"Shall I get Dumbledore ? Or Hagrid ?"

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

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

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

"Are you sure you don't want to go to Hogwarts instead ?"Harry pointed back at the rook being rapidly obscured by trees."It ‘ s flop 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 forest. After half an hour or so Harry heard something huge approaching and tensed. But then relaxed as three centaurs emerged from the undergrowth.

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

"Of course of study father."The girl replied annoyed 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 gravid centaur spat and Harry suddenly found two arrowheads pointed at his neck."loathing !"

"scourge, we need to kill him now !"The third centaur said shock and fear dripping from his voice. Lachesis and her Church Father were standing off to one side."We can not lay on the line him living."

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

"He is an exception."The third wheel spoke."Do you tangle live how deviant he is ? How unsafe ?"

"Um…"Harry's head just kept flicking from slope to side, trying to conform to the conversation. running game was impossible, he was in their woodland."Is this about the torrent…"But Lachesis interrupted him.

"He saved my biography father. The ruck has spirit debt to him."They did ? First Harry had heard of it. The leading centaur had still not spoken but grimaced and lowered his bow.

"For the debt the young one bears you…"He began, his voice deep and malevolent."… you live today. But heed me foal, if we find you in our forest again not even Lachesis will pause to toss off you."Harry looked at the young Centaur and saw her give a confirming nod.

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

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

"Why did the early centaur want to belt down me ?"Harry asked as he stumbled over a root.

"Not other."The centaur said curtly.

"What ?"

"Not former centaurs. I also want to kill you, but I will go on to the Torah of our kind that prohibit harming the youth and I acknowledge my girl 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 point."As you heard before. You are aberrant."

"It this about the torrent of historic period ?"Harry guessed. The Centaur looked up and the asterisk and sighed.

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

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

"What possible association could there be between those things ?"The centaur scoffed."No the lycanthrope gather for an altogether different reason."

"Which is… ?"

"Their leader had come."Damwain sounded wild now."A man almost as a good deal an abomination as you. He has gathered them here. He seems to think he has some way to put down Hogwarts."

"Does he ?"Harry asked.

"I seriously doubt it."Damwain scoffed."The Hogwarts wards have stood against the enceinte intellect in contemporaries. They will not pass to something little more than an animal."Damwain fell silent then came to a halt. He turned to Harry and said…

"farewell now."Harry started, then realized that he could see the castle through the tree. They had returned by a much more channelize 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 keep open visiting the damn tabu forest !"Harry yelled after him.
*


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

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

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

Harry stuck his clapper out at her.

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

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

"I meant about the werewolves !"

"But the Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth keep them out."Ron narrowed his eyes. Harry groaned, an argument was about to set off."I think a hale species who want to fulfil Harry with arrows is more important."

"Then Harry just doesn't go into the woods. 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 valued werewolves."Ron crossed his weapon triumphantly.

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

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

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

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

"wellspring I agree it's a puzzle."Harry said shaking his pass."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 pressing one…"Pythea still hadn't written back. Had Digger got into some sort of trouble ?"… so I think we need to focus on the werewolves."

Reluctantly the marauders nodded.

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

"Oh !"A disturbance came from beyond the al-Qur'an 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 loup-garou in Hogwarts castle."

"cellblock would stop it getting in."Ron said dismissively.

"But if it was already inside the wards."

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

"I think that prof Lupin is a werewolf."

The prorogue went silent in jounce. Then…

"Of course ! It all convulsion, he ‘ s ‘ sick of'during entire moon. His Humphrey DeForest Bogart is the full lunation ! It all fits !"Parvati snapped her fingers.

"I wonder if Dumbledore knows."Neville said.

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

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

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

"Do you think he ‘ s gathered the werewolves."Parvati said in a quiet 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 predator stared at him.

"Doing what Harry ?"Ron asked.

"I have had enough déjà vu this year without intentionally repeating last year. We. Will. Not. Jump. To. Conclusions."Harry punctuated each Son by poking the board hard."lastly year 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 small fry."We have a werewolf, we have a assemblage of werewolves. That's not jumping to decision that's putting two and two together."

"You all think its Lupin."Harry said it flatly. most of the marauder seemed unclear as to whether it was a doubtfulness or not. Ron nodded quickly, Parvati as well. Neville seemed to be trying to void 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 recitation and Vinca minor ‘ s not here. You ‘ re the utmost un-voted marauder."

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

"No ?"Harry stood up suddenly."Lashkar-e-Toiba ask him."

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


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

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

"So we know you ‘ re a werewolf, we know the forest currently has a werewolf problem. Naturally certain interrogative have arisen from this state of affairs namely ‘ Are you in any way involved ? ’. I personally think the answer is no, certain of my supporter are not so sure and it would be remiss of me to dismiss their suspicion as they are, after all, not unfounded."Harry said all this in one hint then stood waiting for an answer. A genteel cough made him turn around. professor Dumbledore was sitting at a table behind him. He did not search pleased.

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

"Harry, I am gladiolus 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 primer coat last night ?"

Damn.

"Um… There was a Centaurus hurt, at the slope of the lake. I went to see if I could help. She was face down in the water."Harry was quick to add."If I had gone to fetch soul she could have died in the base metre. Ask Damwain, or… or bane. They were there."Harry had though centaur-name dropping might add credibility to his news report. In fact neither Dumbledore nor Lupin reacted to his statement.

Suddenly the room darkened, the light from the windows fading into night. Harry quickly checked his chest, the wound was there. Harry looked up too see that Dumbledore and lupine were still in the way, this sentence sitting in two comfortable chairs.

"It ‘ s just…"lupin began, his vocalisation catching."… he looks so wish him."

"I know Remus, I know."Dumbledore was holding a mug of something steaming. It had a marshmallow floating in it."Have you been watching him ?"Dumbledore gestured to a raged while of newspaper 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 secretive for fear of being seen.

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

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

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


"The hale castle ! ?"Ron squeaked.

"Every foursquare inch of corridor."Harry repeated to the dumfounded marauder."With this."He held up a small hand brush.

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

"I have a belief that they ‘ re using this one matter they can essay as an exculpation to punish me for all the matter they can't."Harry shrugged, unconcerned."It won ‘ t take that long."

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

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

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

"I ‘ m could marry that spook !"

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

"seminal fluid on, fall 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 silver knife. He had to be heedful now, a mistake would signify he had to start all over. Slowly, carefully he peeled it in a single farseeing spiral that ended up all over the table. He'd cut quite deep so the Sir Robert Peel wouldn't rift and now wondered if that was a problem.

"Only one way to find out."Harry moved so that the tabular array was behind him and threw the Sir Robert Peel over his left shoulder. Turning he saw the peel snaking around violently, kinking and twisting as it formed recognizable letters. A long password for an apple peel, it had had to dilute and still only just managed it.

Harry picked up the locket and, with some trepidation, spoke the countersign. The locket fell open in his bridge player and he held it up to his eye to get a sound look at what was inside. And snapped it shut, dropped it back into the box, locked the box with the solid charm his suddenly beleaguered mind could issue forth up with, slid the box into his bag, grabbed the peel, tore it up so no one else could read the password then, to be trusted, threw the peel in the flame and then sat down.

"I hate mysteries."Was all he said.



Ooooo ... Mysterious ! Please review.


disclaimer ... blah bombast 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 eyes, Ron would be talking about this all week. The Chimera's execution had been impressive though, he had to yield. Ginny had slipped past Cedric Diggory, using her brooms improved manageability to body-swerve him, and had left him floundering in the centre of the pitch while she snagged the snitch.

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

"I ‘ m just glad its over."Harry sighed and put his hands behind his headspring."It means we can move 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 go bad to fill me with confidence."

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

"You know me Harry."Annapurna 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 congealed mickle at the bottom of his cauldron.

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

"Twenty full stop from Gryffindor for your insolence ceramist and ten to a greater extent for the potion. Honestly potter, having you in this classroom is nothing to a greater extent than a barren of metre and potion ingredients."

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

"WE WERE NOT MAKING A SLEEPING POTION !"

"Oh…"Harry flipped to the next Page of his Scripture, then back to the one he had been looking at before."So I wasn ‘ t meant to add true cedar sawdust ?"Snape's madness was actually making him thrill as he stood in nominal head of Harry's desk."How about the sheep ‘ s liver, was I meant to add that ?"

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

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

Snape turned around, his regard screamed blooming murder.

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

Harry sighed theatrically then stiffened as he felt another painful thrust at the back of his brain. He tore his eyes away quickly and mumbled.

"Yes sir."Snape turned away.

"Occlumency still not working Harry ?"Annapurna 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 foreland onto his arms dejectedly. He honestly wasn't that bothered about Occlumency any to a greater extent but it had reminded him of something else. Pythea still hadn't wrote back.
*


The day of the Gryffindor Ravenclaw plot dawned mucky and wet. A steady downpour that patterned heavy dark smirch across the castles wall and made it look like it was crying.

Harry was a screaming ball of nerves as he sat with the former marauder near the top of the Gryffindor stall. Anything could go unseasonable, absolutely anything, but that was normal. What was making him so insane was that there was now zilch he could do about it. The metaphoric arrow had left the bow, it would either hit or it wouldn't, there was nothing he could do.

"Will the rainfall screw up the programme ?"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 aliveness in self-denial ? Because I don't want to disappoint anyone ? Because I'm delusional ? Because if I actually admitted that there's a very dependable chance this could go fantastically Pyrus communis shaped on us I might just set out crying ?

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

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

"Shh ! Here they come."

"Ellen Price Wood ! President Johnson ! BELL ! SPINNET ! WEASLEY, WEASLEY AND WEASLEY !"

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

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

"How much do we ask to win by ?"Harry heard a voice say below him and looked down. On the row beneath him Colin Creevey was leaning over to let the cat out of the bag to Luna Lovegood."The snitch is worth one hundred and L so…"

"We have to get at to the lowest degree twelve end when Ginny catches the snitch or we lose to Slytherin."The back year said dreamily."Ravenclaw have to hold 30 seven goal before they catch it. Its as champaign as frackswhiskers."

Harry smiled, how wrong she was.
*


"Another goal for Ravenclaw !"Ginny saw the bluing segment of the rack erupt in cheer beneath her.

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

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

Ginny shook her head. Gryffindor had had a well-fixed six goal principal but now they were down to just four. And they still didn't have enough to gravel Slytherin. She could see Cho out of the recession of her eye, shadowing her. She liked to do that, Oliver had told her, it was her preferred tactic.

Ginny scanned the crowds through the rainwater, searching for any hovering flicker of gold. The stoolpigeon had to come out sometime, not that it would do either squad any good. Gryffindor needed another destination and Ravenclaw needed twenty or something. She craned her cervix around and saw it. Fluttering behind her, nearer to Cho than to her. Trying not to make it obvious Ginny turned away from the stoolie. But Cho must bear sensed something was ill-timed and a present moment later had spotted it herself. The sometime seeker tore after it and Ginny was forced to give chase her, cursing.

Ginny tried to get between Cho and the snitch to stop the older seeker. Ginny knew she couldn't apprehension it yet, they'd win the match but lose the cup. But Cho wasn't letting her in, they were shoulder to shoulder with the snitch tantalizingly close in front of them. Cho reached out and Ginny knocked her hand away. So close, Gryffindor just needed one to a greater extent goal. Cho was reaching again and Ginny shoulder barged her to make her miss. Ginny tried to pull in ahead but whatever she did Cho seemed to be able to agree her. However strong she pushed Cho seemed to be able to continue just a little bit ahead of her. It was just a matter of time, she couldn't keep the Ravenclaw off forever. Cho was reaching out again…

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

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

"I know Ginny."Oliver Wood looked resigned."I don ‘ t incrimination you."

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

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

"What does that mean ?"Ginny frowned. But it was as if a light had just gotten switched on in Joseph Oliver Natalie Wood head."What happens when we thread ?"

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

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

Ginny's eyes went wide and she looked over at the Slytherin stands and caught a low temperature Second Earl Grey gaze staring back at her. It could sustain been her imagination but she could have sworn she saw Malfoy mouth the news ‘ rematch ’.

"Do you recognise how the affaire d'honneur works Ginny ?"Oliver Sir Henry Joseph Wood sounded like he could barely continue the joy from his voice.

"We both go for the stool pigeon ?"She guessed.

"Not quite, the rules are unlike than in worldwide frolic. Specifically the formula for fouls."

"No illusion and no interfering with the early seekers broom."Angelina said, off to one incline."Everything else is on the board. He could really anguish you up there Gin."

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

Ginny's center went wide with fear.
*


"Are both seeker ready ?"Madam hooch asked, looking between them. Ginny took her broom from Harry and nodded, he ‘ d been giving it a go instant once-over before the duel. Malfoy just scoffed."Very well then."She opened the box that contained the sneak and held it in her custody. Ginny looked over to see the almost feral look in Malfoy's eyes.

"On, your marks."

He'll vote down me…

"Ready…"

Oh god…

"Set…"

I'm going to die !

GO !"She tossed the snitch straight up and the quester shot after it.

Ginny felt finger's breadth curl into her hair and try and yank her backwards, she kicked out savagely and managed to force away. The snitcher was still shooting upwards and the searcher followed it. Malfoy was scratching and punching at her and she responded by elbowing him in the kidneys. Having six brothers gives you a lot of training in brawling. Malfoy jerked instinctively and Ginny swerved in front of him.

She had to stay 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 figurehead again and heard him cry out in frustration.

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

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

"good girl."She urged the broom on. The snitch was tantalizingly close up."Just a little more."But she felt something brush her leg. Malfoy had managed to sneak to her side of meat ! In another secondment he would be in front of her !

With the prospect of losing the cup filling her mind she did the sole thing she could think of. She pulled back her leg and aimed with her heel. She just had time to record the stupor hit Malfoy's face.

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

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


"YES !"The Gryffindor stand erupted in cheers. Harry even leapt to his infantry and yelled himself buck. Not so lots 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 Wood was floating down with his arms wrapped around Ginny whispering…

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

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

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

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


Damn.

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

To have come down to an exact haul, of all the unfathomable luck. Then being forced to trust 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 blame this loss on Potter ( he refused to consider the ridiculous rumor that ceramicist had made the fille broom ).

Then why was Potter looking so triumphant ? Snape recognised that manifestation, he had come to hate that expression all seven old age of his clip at Hogwarts. The Potter boy caught his eye and shifted to a mysterious grin, then nodded towards the scoreboard. Snapes eyes followed.

What were the hazard that it would come to an precise draw ? Snape felt a frightful certainty rising inside him. And the Weasley twins who, for all their clumsiness in the classroom, were not bad beaters. But they had performed horribly in that match, hitting or just missing their own team-mates. Stopping Gryffindor from getting that last goal. The Chang young lady, missing the snitch three metre ? Even for a Ravenclaw that was unlikely. Even the death secret plan with Hufflepuff. Cedric Diggory had shown no guile, he had practically shown Malfoy where the canary 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 feature been able to equalize.

Snape's eyes were once again drawn to the potter boys unripe ones.

Legilimens

He cast non-verbally and after a moments resistance a retention floated to the surface…
*


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

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

Harry wandered up into the castle. If he was properly about her schedule she should be right… Ah !

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

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

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

"What variety of favor ?"

"A big one. heed I ‘ ve never cashed in on the entirely 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 room access."Firstly we need to get some things clear. You can ‘ t win the Quidditch cup, can you ?"

Cho stared at him indignantly.

"I'm just saying you have to win with how many end ? 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 right, it ‘ s not going to befall is it. It ‘ s your fault you know."Cho pointed at him."When Ginny broke her broom and didn't get a new one directly away I thought we were in with a chance."

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

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

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

"How ?"

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

"Harry the teachers won ‘ t allow a dispute secret plan like that."Cho shook her headspring."And even if they do no-one will get to watch."

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

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

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

"No !"Cho's middle 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 sound showing."Cho said primly."I won ‘ t throw the match. I'm surprised at you Harry."She added."I didn ‘ t think you wanted the cup this badly."

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

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

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

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

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

"She did OK in the Hufflepuff game."

"I removed it for that too."

"I still don't know…"

"Well…"Now this is where the petty eff benefit of having gossip-queen Anapurna as a marauder comes in."… I ‘ ve already got Cedric Diggory on my incline. You know him, right ?"Cho's eyes widened a lilliputian and she nodded.

"Well, he ‘ s agreed to help me. short thank you for the unscathed snake-army incident in the cellar last year."Harry smiled knowingly at the sometime girl."If you did require to help us then we should probably arrange for you to meet up with him. Discuss… strategy… and stuff."

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

"I know."
*


Snape tore his eyes away. He could find the fad bubbling up in his bloodstream.

"You !"He pointed at the boy.

"Me ?"Potter put his hand to his chest in feign innocence.

"You… you… you…"

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

"You will not get away with this !"

"With what pray tell ?"

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

"Really ? And you can prove it how ?"Potter smiled and knocked away his hand."Bearing in mind that Legilimency on educatee 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 hellhole to an icy, vengeful ache."But I am still your teacher and I can make your four Sir Thomas More yr here a living hell."

"Was that an invitation to take aim your NEWT class professor ?"

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


Harry gulped as the potions master strode away. Perhaps he'd overdone matter this meter. Harry glanced over at the still celebrating squad. No, it was Worth it. Whatever Snape did couldn't be that bad could it ?
*


"Do you call this a shut up draught Potter ! ?"

"I…"

"I DO NOT call in THIS A SILENCING DRAUGHT !"

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

"This is a despicable batch potter !"

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

"And you won ‘ t ! I will not ingest any more ware ingredients !"Snape vanished the contentedness of Harry's cauldron."You will be doing lines for the ease of this lesson James IV Potter. You will write ‘ I will not be an incompetent, pathetic, halfwit and a pariah on this school.'in the promise that perhaps the proposition will sink in."

"My epithet is Harry."Harry muttered under his breathing place 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 minute of arc of a two 60 minutes moral. Harry pulled out a quill and a flat solid of parchment.

Snape had been making in force on his ‘ living the pits'hope since the lucifer but Harry was beginning to think that the potions victor had more deep seated issues than a simple biz of quidditch. The fact that he kept calling him James I was a definite clue. Snape seemed to be taking out baker's dozen yr of pent-up, un-sated rage on Harry.

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

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

"seam Sir."Harry had been trying to keep his cool in Snape's year. With patched success.

"These chicken scraping ? This scribble ? !"

"Would you like me to redo them Sir ?"Harry had to jump back as his parchment caught on fire and burnt away before his eyes.

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

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

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

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

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

"That's not the properly attitude."Hermione said shrilly."Harry needs to acquire at least basic knowledge of potions to function in wizard society and Professor Snape is stopping him from even participating. You ‘ ll have to hit the books really hard if you want to clear the end of year exam at this rate."

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

The marauder laughed but Harry stiffened as he realized the the true in his words. He still had the soaker of age hanging like a guillotine above him. He hadn't had any Major sentence jump lately, just a few transactions here and there. For the love of Merlin why hadn't Pythea written back ?

As if his thinking itself had been a magical spell excavator dropped out of the afternoon sky clutching a letter in his claws. Harry grabbed it and hastily made an excuse to the startled piranha before slipping out onto the green goddess outside Hogwarts. Harry sent excavator back to the owlery, promising him treats later to thank him for the long misstep. His mitt shaking, Harry tore open the gasbag and pulled out the varsity letter inside.

beloved Harry

It is so safe to discover from you. I am beaming you have taken up my trace to watch Occlumency, you will witness it a useful acquisition I assure you. I can easily conceive of you with a guitar, wandering Hogwarts or sitting in your common elbow room entertaining the other scholar with Sung and tales. You are beneficial at spinning a good tale you know, I can narrate from your letters.

Harry almost scrunched the varsity letter in frustration. Usually he enjoyed letters from the niggling seer but wasn't it about time she got to the full stop ?

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

Harry quickly looked ahead through the letter, scanning down and down. There was no honorable mention of the torrent or meter change of location anywhere. Harry fell to the trading floor in desperation, had she simply abandoned him to his destiny ? She had been his last hope. Pythea's letter ended without so much as a tip that his own letter had contained the threat of his inevitable death.

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

Your Friend
Pythea

Friend ? Ha ! That was a joke.

"Harry ?"Harry looked back towards the rook. 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 lummox in his throat and the tear beginning to form in his eyes. Neville's eyes flickered to the letter still clutched in Harry's bridge player but he scrunched it up and stuffed it in his pocket.

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

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

"Anything you want to talk about ?"

"Not now. Maybe when it ‘ s a fiddling to a lesser extent fresh."Harry pushed open the door to the defending team schoolroom. At to the lowest degree he could be assured of a hush lesson, professor lupin tended to ignore him in classes.

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

Standing arrogantly at the straw man of the course was Professor Snape. Harry felt like a block of ice was settling into his breast as he sat down in his usual chairman, he couldn't take this right now.
*


Harry tried to obliterate behind his Christian Bible as Snape stalked around the class. He could still find the ice in his chest and the lump 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…"

Fine, I had no insight.

"…for nearly 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 ingest mangled the spelling and grammatical rules of the side language to a greater extent 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 glad you made that appraisal Sir."Harry kept his eyes down on the book in forepart of him."It ‘ s the like one as Professor Lupin made."

"But of course hoagie Potter doesn ‘ t need to learn defence against the dark arts."Snape scowled down at Harry."You don't need to get a line how to duel someone properly if you and your three footling friends sneak up behind them and attack from ambush like cowards."

I have more than three friends.

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

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

"You are nothing but a mediocre adept at best and a worst you are a disgrace and yet you are under the notion you are unassailable. How I wish this class gave me the opportunity to point you precisely how amateurish you truly are."

"Alright."Harry set his quill feather down.

"What ?"

The whole course was watching by now.

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


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

The division was deadly quiet. Not a scholarly person dared move or speak. Out of the box of his eye Snape could see Potter's little friends, wide eyed and frightened, in their seats.

"Are you serious 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 anger that was his constant companion rising again as he moved to guide a stance face-to-face Potter.

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

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

Potter was not even in a dueling stance. Pathetic.

"Two…"

ceramist looked up suddenly, his heart meeting Snape's.

"One…"

A memory floating to the surface, Potter in the Gryffindor usual way holding a shining aim. Lily's pendant ! He would do it that little slip-up of silver anywhere. ceramicist bending over the pendent in his hands and whispering something. The pendent splitting open. Looking inside, a mental picture. 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 icon had been taken in fourth year.

She had worn it around her neck the wholly time. Even after she had married, she had worn it the unit time.

"Duel !"

"Expelliarmus !"



Review please.


The gerbil made me do it.







Snape's wand clattered to the trading floor but the teacher didn't seem to have noticed. Harry watched as the potions master fell to his knees on the floor, forefront bowed, his face hidden by his lank greasy hair.

Harry watched, waiting for the explosion, but none came. Harry, with much trepidation, knelt down and tried to take care at the teachers face. Which was why he was the only one in the division to point out the tear fall down from the end of Snape's long hooked olfactory organ and drop onto his knees.

"Oh my god."Harry thought in repress shock."I ‘ ve gone too far this time."Harry turned to the stratum and spread his hands.

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

The educatee needed no more incentive and quickly scrambled for the relative safety of the corridor.

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

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

Harry didn't let them lead until he had looked each student in the eye and get wind them anticipate to that core. They began leaving in ones and twos, scurrying off along the corridor. Harry turned back towards the classroom.

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

"I kind of have to."Harry answered.

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

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

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

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

Snape still said goose egg, he just stared at the floor.

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

Snape was still not moving. Harry began to enquire if he had been rendered catatonic or something, but there was still an casual drip-drip of teardrops from behind the bang of hair.

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

Snape stayed motionless for a moment Sir Thomas More then slowly brought the flatware locket up to his oral cavity. Then, in a buy the farm, weeping phonation he said…

"Spinners end."

The locket cracked unresolved. Snape seemed to break all at once and started sobbing. His whole, long, gangling physical structure shaking with each sob. Harry didn't really know what to do, he certainly couldn't comfortableness this man who had tormented him so much.

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

He kept going until the box was empty. Giving a few tidings each to recite Snape what it was he was giving him, an essay, a letter, a prefects badge. Harry hid the love letters from his begetter back in his bag. By the time nothing was left Snape had stopped crying, he was even breathing a niggling gentle, deep breathes instead of the racking dickhead that had plagued him a moment ago.

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

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

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

"You mentioned that you told the rest of your class to go on 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 master regained a picayune of his old spite and sneer.

"I just…"Harry licked his lips and started again. As unwilling as he was to give Snape ammunition to use against him…"go year I broke down completely in the infirmary annexe. rightfield on the trading floor. It was after Colin Creevy got petrified, it all just got too much for me. At the metre I remember wishing everyone there would just forget it ever happened. I thought you might find the same."

Snape snorted. He seemed to be recovering himself. Harry took this as his cue to result. He picked himself up off the floor and headed for the room access. Snape made no motion 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 pass snapped towards him."Can I tell you something I ‘ ve noticed about wizards ?"Harry took Snape's silence as an plausive."Wizards… wizards use quills."

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

"And they use automobile trunk even when they can bewitch udder to curb more. You use a steam train to get to Hogwarts. This class a steam-boat. We live in a medieval castling, the store I bought my wand in predates Jesus Christ and we write on paradiddle of parchment. But its more than just that, lots of hotshot are named after members of their menage. A lot Sir Thomas More of them than muggles. Even portraiture 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 apprehensiveness at what the reaction to his next point would be.

"… wizards seem to spend a lot of clock time aliveness in the past."Harry forced himself to meet Snape's eyes."Maybe it ‘ s time you moved on."

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

He managed to get almost halfway down the corridor before his cheek broke and he made a mad dash for Gryffindor pillar. When he was through the portrait kettle of fish he leaned against the wall and caught his breath.

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

"We honestly thought you were a toast Harry."Ron said, shaking his head. But then his nerve broke into a grin."But that was blooming splendid what you did !"

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

"What piece 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 worse than what he ‘ s done to you."

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

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

It was only as Harry got into bed that night that he remembered the letter from Pythea, the duel and its aftermath had blown it completely out of his head. He dug it back out of his robe and scan it again, trying to find some hint of a clue. But there was zip. aught at all.
*


Professor Snape dropped the photograph back onto the oak table of his fourth and held his heading in his custody. The only luminosity in the room came from the guttering candle before him and faded into the iniquity around him. Snape refilled his glass with sharp-sightedness potion and tried to make himself sip it this time. eternal rest was not an alternative, not at least until he was too tired to dream.

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

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

The locket lay on the tabular array in front of him. He hadn't dared surface it again for fear of breaking down once to a greater extent. He picked it up and trailed its Ag chemical chain through his fingers. Stupid thing. 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 wax light out too and he was left in bitter swarthiness clutching the damn matter so laborious it hurt.

Snape drew his wand out to relight the taper but stopped with it held loosely in his script. Another tour was floating in the front of his mind.

No.

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

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

You abandoned me.

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

You chose your booster Sev.

I did, but it was always you.

They hate me.

There was no one else.

You hate me.

Never. Why will you not give me peace ?

You were my full friend.

Be silent.

But you betrayed me.

Please.

I can't pretend anymore Sev.

I just want to forget.

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

Snape curled his digit around his auricle, trying to stop listening to his own intellect. He knew what came next.

I can ‘ t love this you, not even as a friend. good-bye Severus.

Snape threw his head back and howled in pain. Oh why engagement it. Snape pointed his scepter out and yelled…

"Expecto Patronum !"

The elbow room was lit once more by flatware Light as the spell erupted from Snapes wand. The smooth-spoken doe just stood there cocking her head at him. Snape felt tears running down his cheeks again.

"I love you."

The doe said null, she never did, but she walked over on her mute hooves and rested her head in his lap. She felt warm but Snape knew it wasn ‘ t real, if he tried to touch her she ‘ d just feel like mist.

Snape laid his head down on his implements of war and closed his centre. Later he finally fell asleep like that, leant over the table with his face in his arms, the doe warming him like a pet dog and the locket still held tight in his hand.
*


Harry stared down at his chest and essay hard to keep his ventilation in impediment as the vast wound faded in and out. Harry gritted his teeth and concentrated on staying in this clip. The wounding began to fade more, after a few minute if vanished completely. Harry breathed a sigh of fill-in, but it was one tainted with concern. It was getting worse.

"Harry you ok in their ?"Ron's interpreter sounded from the toilet 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 century. Harry looked up into the mirror in front line of him, even without the wound he looked like a wreck. Harry opened the doorway and smiled at his friend."Probably flu or something."

"You don't say ? You ‘ ve been form 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 pipe down. Intentionally in the kickoff, 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 class either, Snape spent most of his deterrent example at his desk and had large handbag under his eyes.

But lately the torrent had been getting worse. He had thought that it getting worse would think of he'd jump further back but in fact it was the opposite. He kept jumping second gear, minutes or hours back and Forth River, several times a day now. Sometimes the world would simply vibrate like a ship's bell and he'd be left spinning as he flickered between prison term so fast he couldn't even catch it. And then there were the times like this morning when he simply slipped back and forth like a metronome, the lesion on his breast porta and end like hideous sphincters.

Even speculative were the times when he didn't even realize what had happened. He'd be going to lunch then be asked why he wasn't at breakfast. He'd sit down to dinner and detect grain and goner appear in straw man of him. lesson were even worse, they could be twice as long as formula or the doorbell could sound when Harry had barely put his book down. His mug in class were falling, preparation was hard to hand in on time when you didn't know what day it was. Harry knew he should distinguish Dumbledore or McGonagall or Hermione even, but somehow he couldn't muster the vigor. They'd only evidence him what he already knew.

He was doomed.

"You sure you ‘ re alright Harry ?"

Harry was drawn back from his thoughts by his booster voice.

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

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

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

"No just… I mean why would I…"

"It ‘ s alright Ron. Never mind."Harry shook his head, smiling wanly as he wandered away.

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

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

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

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

"I might get caught."Harry said lamely.

Harry rightly deserved the horrified glare Ron gave him.

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


Harry dragged himself out of the lake and gave himself a drying charm before wandering up towards town. After meeting up with the former predator the showtime place they visited was Zonko's prank 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 grayness moustache too and a greenish felt hat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Harry found that he was enjoying the day despite himself. He had only jumped a few youngster meter and he did like the townsfolk ( having not really had a chance to see it on the last visit ).

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

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

"Buttery ?"Harry wheedled, grinning.

"wellspring yeah."

"I don't know. A drink based on a fat facing pages doesn ‘ t exactly wakeless appetizing."Harry grinned to show that he was joking."Or hefty !"

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

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

"Honestly Ron it just means…"

Harry rolled his optic 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 account."I ‘ ll have to find some way to come here more often."

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

Harry looked down. There was broken field glass, he looked around and saw that it had come from the up the stairs windowpane of a nearby house.

Perhaps it was the deficiency of sleep, perhaps some latent endowment as a seer or perhaps some consequence of the torrent but right at that moment Harry felt his stomach stagger. There was something dreadful behind that let on window.

"time lag here."Harry said quietly. The predator heard his look and fell silent. Harry slipped in through the garden gate and felt the Stone of the wall. Rough, like Hogwarts. Harry gripped the blocks with his finger and clambered slowly up to the windowpane. He pushed aside the heavy pall but inside the elbow room was hollow. A dim storeroom piled with box seat with the door unfastened onto the well lit corridor behind.

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

Harry just had time to see yellowish teeth streaked with grime and smell rancid breathing place before he was thrown backwards off the wall. He landed with a thud in the garden and looked up in sentence to see a disheveled man, covered in shite and dressed in spoilt rags leap from the window with something clutched in his handwriting. Harry rolled out of his way and the man hit the priming coat running, panting like a dog as he dashed out through the logic gate and down the street.

"Stop !"Harry looked up and saw a wizard leaning out of the windowpane franticly sending bolts of red light after the flee image."plosive speech sound him ! He took my son !"

Harry jolted himself off the ground and vaulted the bulwark after the fleeing man. He could hear the piranha trying to go on pace behind him.

"Annapurna ! Go to Hogwarts ! Go and tell them what's happened !"Harry felt his words carried away by the malarky and had no idea whether he was being heard."Neville ! Go warn the village ! Get help ! Or brooms !"

They had reached the end of the short road now and hit the discipline beyond. Harry jumped the fencing and fought his way through the Scots heather after the distant figure. Their stone pit had made it sluttish for them by flattening a path but it was still punishing going. They were not gaining on the man. Not by a long shot.

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

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

Harry aimed and shot a bludgeoning hex at the man, now little Sir Thomas More than a smudge of black on the distant purpleness heather mixture. The smudge dodged and shot sideways behind a large rock-and-roll before the early marauders magic spell could connect.

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

Harry cursed and began running forwards again. He should have known that ! Harry felt like he was passing acid through his lungs instead of air by the meter they reached the rock. The panting and gasping he heard behind him told him the marauders were in even piteous physical body. Worse, the image was nowhere in great deal and there was no crystallise trail to follow.

Ignoring the bother in every sinew Harry pulled himself to the top of the boulder and looked around. From here he could see the night shape of the prevent forest spreading out to the South. A wall, like the wall of Hogwarts, sealed it off from the rest of the mankind. Harry squinted through his glasses and just made out a dark Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe silhouette against the brighter paries before it disappeared. Harry tore off the mask to get a wagerer look but there was nothing more, just dummy wall.

"He ‘ s gone into the forest."Harry called down, trying not to lease his eyes off the blank space 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 proscribe forest ?"Padma was clutching her tum and wheezing."We should check off where it went and hold for help."

"He ‘ s going to have as much problem with the forest as we are."Harry argued."We can still hitch him !"

"But Harry it ‘ s a werewolf !"

Harry was jolted back by her words. Of course of study it was a werewolf and not just some unwashed kidnapper. And it had gone straight back to its home. Harry shook his head, once again he wasn't thinking straight.

"When ‘ s the next full moon ?"Harry asked quickly."When is it ?"

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

Harry shook his head.

"Then we can't hold for help. We have to notice them before nightfall or that little kid is going to get one hell on earth of a lovebite. We can ‘ t wait for help, its us or no one."Harry looked back at the marauder and saw them shimmer and fade.

NO !

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

"Harry you alright ?"Ron asked.

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

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

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

In Harry's head he could hear the words ‘ We can't wait for avail. Its us or no one'repeating over and over like a talisman against the threat rising inside him. That affright itself had its own vocalisation saying ‘ We are following it into its forest where it knows its way around and we don't and you can't even stay in your own metre for five minutes. And that's not even mentioning the centaurs… ’. Harry was forced to admit that that voice as well was the right way. What they were doing was dullard and dangerous. But as the offset articulation said, there was no one else.

As Harry neared the wall a 3rd little part piped up. Spiteful, sarcastic and whiney but, like the other two voices, essentially right.

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


They reached the wall and Harry instantly saw how the wolfman had gotten over. A huge tree had fallen over the wall, crushing the top piece of it and resting on the remaining meters of batty stonework. Everywhere else the wall was at to the lowest degree two storey magniloquent of blank grey stone. Unscalable.

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

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

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

"smell, I know this is softheaded but there ‘ s no one else here to assist. I ‘ m not leaving now. Any of you who don ‘ t want to follow me go back and tell them where the golf hole in the ward is."Harry pulled himself on to the tree proboscis and looked down at his ally."Anyone else shut up and get in the tree."

Harry began climbing along the automobile trunk and felt it shake as individual else began to climb. When Harry reached the other end he climbed down by the radical and dropped onto the mulch of the timberland floor. He turned and looked up at the tree, a present moment later Padma pushed her way through the branches. Harry waited a bit Sir Thomas More but no one came. Harry felt a hunk grade in his throat, first Pythea abandoned him then them.

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

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

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

"Did you think any of us wanted to see a kid turned into a werewolf ?"Padma added to cut him off with a handshaking of her header and began to climb down. Harry helped her down the last few human foot 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 human face fell and he looked around for some obvious augury. There was nothing, now that they were in the woods the werewolf knew how to cut across his tracks better.

"cattle ranch out and calculate. Don ‘ t go too far."Harry said and the marauder obediently fanned out. Harry was about to get together them when his head fixed on a screwball idea.

He had been able to hold the torrent at bay a few times. Could he wedge it to come to him ?

Harry undid the forepart of his shirt and looked down at his unblemished chest. He splayed one deal across where he knew the injury would seem and clinch 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 blood well on his bureau but it was gone a moment later.

"Harder !"He thought desperately. His fingers were slick on his chest but it wasn't blood, it was swither."come on !"

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

He was swaying with the effort and fell to his knees on the afforest floor. The leave-taking that were kicked up by his movement only swirled in the air for a second before wither as he pushed himself further back.

Then, just for a moment, a shadowy material body dropped out of the air above Harry and scampered away into the Tree with something held in its gnarled hands. Perhaps it was his imaging, but Harry thought he could get wind a child's scream.

Harry let go with both mitt and collapsed into the leaf. A moment later he felt bridge player pulling him up. As his head was tilted back for him Harry saw his acquaintance shocked faces.

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

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

"That way !"Harry cut her off and raised a rickety finger."Went that way."Harry grabbed Ron's shoulder joint and managed to pull 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 sentence. You just faded out of beingness then returned with your hand covered in blood."Harry looked down, his hand was bloody. This was the first time any star sign of the violent stream had remained after he returned to his own sentence. Hermione continued…"We deserve an explanation, is this to do with why you ‘ ve been poorly for week ?"

"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 start on us."

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

"wellspring I ‘ m not waiting around."The Gemini turned and began to walk off in the focusing 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 calm him

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

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

They walked in silence for a while. Padma spotted a set of footprint on the primer coat that told them they were still going in the decently direction. It looked as if the lycanthrope was following a sorting of deer trail through the woodland. After ten mo or so Harry was able to walk unaided again but he was still glad they had found the track. He really didn't want to birth to omit himself into the deluge again.

"Shush…"Harry waved the others to quieten."Do you guys hear that ?"Faint part drifted between the trees before them. Angry voices and one high gear pitched cry.

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

"piece of malicious gossip !"A loudly smacking auditory sensation filtered up from the dell. Followed by a thump like a body hitting the storey. Through it all Harry could get a line a baby crying."Why did you have to screw it up !"

Harry crawled to the edge of the dingle and poked his pushed a hole through some tufts of grass to see down. The werewolf they had chased was cowering on the base in front of a vast bear like man. A huge bear like lycanthrope, Harry amended as he saw the sharp brown dentition and yellow eyes staring balefully out of its head. Now that he could get a clear look at them Harry could see that they were both wearing the Saame mud and dirt encrusted tatter, their original color and cut lost completely beneath the grunge. Their tomentum and hand were caked in mud as well, as were their discalced feet.

"You bastard Verrine !"The gravid man growled as he picked the stringy werewolf off the floor and shook him.

Harry could see the baby lying abandoned on the priming nearby. He could palpate the predator getting in billet 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 snarf one child ! They ‘ ll be on the lookout for us now !"

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

"Happy ? Happy ! ?"The buirdly loup-garou threw the former to the ground and kicked him in the breadbasket."You moron ! We ‘ ve been working for months and you screw it up in a day !"

"But… but…"Verrine wrung his mitt."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 concentrated to stop now."greyback aimed another savage kick at the man on the floor and Harry slid back a little from the dell. Harry figured the weeping babe was cover enough to speak without being heard and whispered…

"Any musical theme ?"

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

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

"Two full grown lycanthrope ?"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 right hand !"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 sceptre and we have the element of surprise. Hermione, Padma…"Harry pointed back at the clearing."… you aim for the big guy. Me and Ron will aim for the smaller one."

"What are we firing ?"Padma asked.

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

Harry raised to his knees and aimed his sceptre at the startled loup-garou. Hermione had fired a full-body-bind that froze grayback in his rail before Padma's blasting expletive threw him to the ground. Harry had stuck by the reliable bludgeoning hex. He didn't hear what Ron cast but whatever it was combined with his own onrush threw the scrawny werewolf exculpated across the clearing and smacked him into a rock.

Harry rushed into the dingle. He followed Hermione's example and petrified Verrine from close range as he tried to get to his feet. The werewolf'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 pile on the floor and was picking him up.

"Is he alright ?"Harry asked worriedly.

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

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

"You mean kill them."Hermione said flatly."In moth-eaten blood. While they ‘ re petrified."

"Hermione ‘ s right."Harry shook his head. In his unretentive life he had already killed two people ( Tom brain-teaser didn ‘ t tally ). But both metre it had been to spare his life or the liveliness of his friends."We can ‘ t. Maybe we should, but we can ‘ t."

"They ‘ ll kill early people Harry."Ron said hesitantly."They ‘ ll turn early the great unwashed. They ‘ re animals."

"mulct then. Do it."Harry pointed at the immobile men on the base."close them."

Ron's optic widened in shock. He raised his verge and pointed it at the big lycanthrope on the level. For a consequence he stood there, indecision open 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 moral for today's story."

The marauders were about to follow him when…

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

Harry felt the cold sweat of terror again. The net of the sunset was just visible over the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and the shadows were at their longest.

Not long before nightfall. Not long before the moon.

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


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

"Wah ! ! Wah ! !"

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

"Bring him here."Harry slowed down and pointed his wand at the squalling baby."Silencio !"The sister's rima oris still worked but no strait came out. Harry breathed easier for a moment, then he heard a ululation go up from the Tree behind them.

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

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

Not a clip to commit punches.

"Acerbus Cuspis !"

The sickly light enveloped the hook matter and it's impulse rolled it into a heap at Harry feet. He petrified it for good criterion. Harry turned and sprinted to catch up with the rest of the marauders.

"How… close…"Ron panted."… tree."

"Further."Was all Harry managed to gasp out. A growl 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 floor, but his hex missed and smacked into a President 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 floor and began running forward again.

"There it is !"Harry heard Padma yell from far ahead. Harry squinted and realized he could make out the dim shape of the wall in straw man of them. Another howl went up behind them and was picked up by another representative and another and another, stretching across the forest.

"cum on come on !"Harry skidded to a layover by the bottom of the fallen tree diagram and scanned the darken forest. social movement ? Harry fired another curse into the shadow but it hit nothing."Hurry up !"Harry helped Ron into the tree then scrambled up behind him. He heard a tangle behind him and whirled, aiming his wand at the sound.

"Acerbus cuspis !"

The brightness level brightened the clearing like a firework but the werewolf dodged it. Harry slipped and fell onto the leaf mulch. The masher pounced at him but was hit in the air by three patch from above and fell hard. Harry scrambled back into the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and ran as hard as he could for the safety of the outside. He dropped onto the primer coat 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 foresighted slavering tongue glistening in the moonlight.

"Depulso !"Harry banished the loup-garou and saw it voyage back over the wall.

"Wingardium Leviosa !"Harry heard Hermione outcry and saw the tree rock on its rubble provenance."helper me !"

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

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

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

Harry concentrated on the tree, trying to didder it unblock of its trestle. Another dark form jumped onto the trunk and Padma blasted it off. Two more than jumped on and Harry forced himself to center only on the tree and rely his friends to deal with the werewolves.

Suddenly, with a shuddering crack, the Tree came free of the paries and jumped a few time 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 basis nearby. Harry yelped in surprise as they saw a werewolf scrabble over the damaged wall, its curse giving it strength beyond any lifelike animal.

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

Harry kept his sceptre trained on the matter but didn't cast anything. The dark soma squatted on the top of the wall for a moment then bunched up and leapt at them. There was a slap-up flash of light and it was repulsed, confuse back into the woods with a yelping of pain.

"Hermione ? What the all-fired hell…"Ron asked.

"The Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth. The tree was disrupting them."Hermione brushed her hair off her sweat-dripping forehead."They should be back now."

"Hermione…"Harry didn't finish the condemnation, he just stepped forward and hugged the startled girlfriend fiercely."keep being smart ok. God knows one of us has to be."Harry released her and looked back at the rampart. Three loup-garou sat there now but they made no relocation to come up any finisher. Perhaps they had retained just enough of their human being brainiac to memorize a lesson. Harry gave them the finger then turned back to his friends.

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







Try to leave alone a negative critical review here. I want to know what I can transfer for the better. Not spelling, I do n't worry about that. Do you cerebrate the tempo 's ok ? I sometimes think I 'm moving the plot too fast.


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



Hogsmeade looked a lot more menacing at nighttime. Perhaps it was the way the old houses seemed to slant out over the street. Perhaps it was the eerie want of noise or that light smell you get at the beginning of night.

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

When the marauders had wandered back into the small town they had had the ( then sleeping ) infant taken off their hands rather swiftly and been hurried back up the road towards Hogwarts.

"Of all the irresponsible, folly and idiocy you lot have got yourselves into !"McGonagall raged as they walked back along the road. Snape was uncharacteristically still 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 proud of yourselves !"McGonagall continued as they passed the gates of Hogwarts.

"‘ Oh, thank you for saving the baby.'” Harry muttered under his breath."‘ Without you kids he would have suffered a fate worse than death. You ‘ re heroes.'” But the instructor didn't seem to hear him ( which was perhaps for the Charles Herbert Best ).

They walked in silence up the long way of life towards Hogwarts but McGonagall surprised them by not taking them inside. Instead she led them round of drinks to the left towards the nursery. Harry could see the shimmering wrinkle of the cellblock, easily visible in the dim light.

Harry then saw who they were heading for. Dumbledore was standing on a patch of scuffed basis near the edge of the nursery staring out towards the forbidden wood. Occasionally he would take a few stairs and glance at a particular place in the wards. He also kept glancing at a ragged piece of sheepskin he held in his deal. As they approached he folded it calmly and slipped it into his robes.

With a glower 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 think back, it had been a map of Hogwarts and they had been keeping watch on him with it. Did it somehow picture what he was doing ?

"Mr Potter."The master had turned to wait at him. He did not appear delight."So you return to us again."

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

"And can you recite me why you think you have the right to shamelessly cut school day regulation and swank the protections set up specifically to protect the students of this schoolhouse ?"

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

"Mr ceramist this is not a matter of results it is a matter of intentions."Dumbledore said, staring at him over the rim of his spectacles."Do you expect me to continually overlook your flagrant rule breaking simply because it coincidentally causes some estimable ?"

"We coincidentally saved a babe !"Harry argued. He heard Hermione trying to shush him and pulled back a little."There was cypher else we could do. No one else was there to help."

"Why were you in Hogsmeade in the first place ?"

"testing how well that minuscule bit of paper in your air hole works."It was a shot in the dark but Harry saw the looking of cushion hybridizing Dumbledore's look before he steadied himself again. Harry noticed that both Snape and McGonagall looked put off. Was lupine the only teacher who knew ?

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

"The map of Hogwarts."Harry spoke slowly and carefully. Taking an evil gloating in seeing every word bring further shock to the old man's case."The one you and lupine have been using to take in me. catch everything I do. You sit up at dark, with a mug of coco and a marshmallow and lookout man me."

The secrecy between the young sensation and the old one was almost palatable. Harry broke it first.

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

"I could not use it to witness the child because it does not go beyond the borders of Hogwarts."Dumbledore said slowly. His voice oddly shamed."And I could not use it to come up Miss Weasley because neither the chamber, nor the passageway leading to it, nor the cloaca under Hogwarts are displayed on it. It ‘ s makers never ventured into them."

A secretiveness fell again. Neither company seemed to take in anything to add to the conversation.

"The loup-garou said they had a plan to get into Hogwarts tonight."Ron blurted out in a upsurge. Everyone looked at him and he blushed to the roots of his hair."Well they have to know."He defended to Harry.

"I know Ron."Harry turned back to the schoolmaster."He ‘ s in good order, 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 twelvemonth the werewolf have never breached the wards around the edge of the forest."

"But I breached them earlier this year !"

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

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

"Harry…"Dumbledore seemed to recover some of his old humour."To you the monster calamari is merely a playful lake creature. But it in fact one of the most ancient guardians of Hogwarts. If any dark creature attempted to reach 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 William Tell me that Voldemort is in hiding in Albania."Dumbledore explained."As he has been since you evicted him from the body of prof Quirrel."

"Oh…"Harry felt anger ebbing out of him, leaving a form of holler."… good."

"Now…"prof Dumbledore raised both his palm, facing out. A cool it gesture."… we will continue this discourse, and discussion of any punishment incurred, in the morning. delight takings to your rough-cut room, Severus will follow you. Minerva, would you help me check over the wards one final time before we all retire ?"The two old teachers moved off, leaving the marauders with only Snape for company.

"Come on."Snape's vox sounded buck and Harry realized that this was the for the first time sentence he had spoken during the entire exchange.

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

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

Harry walked into the Gryffindor common room.

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

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

"Um… yes ?"

"Oh good."It had just been normal déjà vu, not the clip change of location form. Harry opened his eyes and walked over to sit at the marauders table with Ginny, Neville and Parvati who had been waiting for them. The other vulture sat down too. It was the middle of the Nox but somehow everyone knew they couldn't go to catch some Z's yet. The four who had come from the timber hastily outlined what had happened to their friends.

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

"If they hired some curse breakers somehow…"Neville's vocalization trailed off as they all contemplated the possibleness of penniless timberland devil hiring the services of skilled wizards and of the skilled wizard working for them willingly and of the werewolves retaining enough ego mastery 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 synagogue with his digit and felt the grit on them, they were still all mucky from the forest.

"Could they somehow deflect the giant squid ?"Ginny asked looking tired as well. No one answered her. No one had any answers. But Harry was willing to swear that whatever it was was right in presence of his face.

"Can werewolves even drown ?"Ron asked and Harry groaned. They weren't getting anywhere. Not a surprise really. Harry looked over his troops, Ginny was virtually at peace on her chairman ("We keep forgetting she ‘ s not as used to this as us."Thought Harry. ) Hermione looked almost make to faint, the stress of all the classes this year on top of the day they'd all had was just too often. Neville and Parvarti were o.k. 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 turd all night. Which, Harry admitted, they had.

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

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

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

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

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

His hand, beaten and scratched. One fingernail broken a footling from a declension. stain under his fingernails. Dirt everywhere on his mitt. stain everywhere on their hands…

Harry stood slap upright and scrambled for the door.

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

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

"They were too colly. Don't you see !"Harry motioned them to get a move on out of their chairs but they didn't budge. Harry threw up his hands in exasperation."You don ‘ t get that dirty just running around a woodland. And it was the damage type of dirt too… loamy… dark. Under their fingernails and in their tooth !"The vulture still looked on in bare incomprehension.

"Don't you see what they're doing ! bounder behind a fencing !"Harry saw understanding dawn in one or two exercise set of oculus."They ‘ re digging a bloody tunnel !"
*


"Neville : McGonagall ! Ron : Dumbledore ! Padma : Snape !"Harry rattled off as they raced out the portraiture hole. Harry cupped his handwriting to his backtalk and yelled."Vinca minor ! Sweet vulture theatre shade ! Get here NOW !"

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

"loup-garou, tunneling into the school."Harry saw the ghosts already white look twist whiter and her eyes extrusion."Is must add up up somewhere on this side of the Barbara Ward. Go under…"

"Go resistance and find it."Myrtle finished for him. She sounded absolutely frightened. Her smoky form was ever quavering in the air. But she swooped off in the focusing of the greenhouses, her lank tomentum whipping in the confidential information behind her.

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

Harry barged through a side door and the nighttime air hit him like a wall. He breathed it in, welcoming the frigidness into him because it would help oneself heat him up.

"Lumos !"Hermione had lit her baton. Smart that one. Harry followed suit and soon the four predator were scowering the undercoat. Harry glanced over them, had he chosen wrongly ? He'd sent the tired marauders to find the teachers and kept the relatively refreshed 1 with him. Except for Hermione of course of action, 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 damage way.

Harry shook his head, zilch to be done about it now. Harry saw Myrtle arc out of the reason like a dolphin, elicit her hands as if to say ‘ I'm going as fast as I can ’, then dip back underground.

"Where would they be ?"Harry peered at the tree personal line of credit, trying to overtake some hint of bowel movement. zilch."tinker's damn it !"Where would they tunnel up to ? Would they even be able to aim at a specific place when underground ? The world blurred around Harry and he clamped his hands over his pendent.

backbone ! Not now ! The wound on his depart chest was beginning to hurt now, and was streaking his shirt with blood. I need to be here !

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

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

Harry followed the line of her bridge player, it was the piece of scuff sod they had stood on earlier that evening during their word with Dumbledore. With some trepidation Harry got closer and stopped to listen. From under the priming coat came the apparent sound of scrabbling claws.

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

"guy wire ! Get back !"Harry waved the vulture away."Get behind stuff, we ‘ ll need to save them back if they break through."Harry looked around, panicked. Was there something they could cover the soil with ? No.

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

The specter shook her head vigorously, her eyes wide behind her goggle-like glasses.

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

The ghost began crying and hugged her arms into herself but she slowly floated down and slid into the ground. After a moment the scrabbling stopped and a growling and yip filtered up through the Earth. Harry glanced around desperately, that had bought him mo at well-nigh. His oculus lighted on a pile of plant cutting off in a wooden bin beside the glasshouse. Yes !

"Help me roast ! Wingardium Leviosa !"Harry pointed his verge at the bin. It rocked on its base and Harry heard his ally add their voices to his. Glancing fearfully at the bulging land Harry maneuvered the bin onto the ground and dropped it with a crunch.

"Incendio !"The bin burst into flame. Harry sent a few bludgeoning hex's at the side of meat of the matter and it collapsed into a bonfire. Harry saw the early marauders levitating offshoot onto it from where they hid near the greenhouses.

"Well, that won ‘ t stop them from digging up."Harry thought, scraping sweat off his eyebrow."But it ‘ ll move over them a surprise when they do."

Suddenly the bonfire sagged in the midriff. Harry looked around and realized he should probably be behind something. He turned and dashed towards the threshold of Hogwarts. Behind him he heard a ululation of inhuman pain sensation and a dry collapse as the bonfire caved in on itself. Thomas More ululation of pain sensation, filling the air with dismal veneration. Harry glanced over his shoulder at the fire.

A burning werewolf, howling in searing pain, burst up through the footing like an ancient god, savage and mightily. It clawed its way onto the grass and set off like a bullet towards him. Harry was so scared he tripped and was sent sprawling across the ground. He rolled and tried to aim a hex at it but he was shaking so much it missed by a mile. Harry could see another werewolf erupt out of the basis and charge the marauders but all his care 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 celebrate breath.

"Sectumsempra !"

The wolf's neck exploded in a blinking fountain but its momentum carried it onto Harry, crushing him under its. Harry could feel his costa crack and smell its putrid mephitis 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 spell stroke across the basis and the lycanthrope 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 reason. Snape said no incantation this time but it's head snapped back as if it had been shot and it slid back into the gob. Three more scrambled out, slavering and growling to rent its place.

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

"Leave them to me Potter."Harry heard Snape growling."Go help 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 temblor rocked the earth and a cracking cloud of rubble poured up from the pit. Snape had collapsed the tunnel. She potions master copy smiled evilly, the smoke and junk giving him an almost demonic visage as he turned and began throwing swearing at the remaining two werewolves.

Harry ran towards the marauders and skidded to a stop in forepart of them. They looked tired and scared and Hermione was leaning on Annapurna and not putting weight unit on her get out foot, but for having just battled wolfman they looked alright.

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

"No !"
*


A instant of coincidence can change everything.

Only individual floating above the prospect could have seen the unit thing.

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

Harry turning and stepping over to pick it up, holding its golden Ernst Boris Chain clenched in his fist.

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

The sound of shattering form. Far louder than it had any right to be.

The spray of silver Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin, fanning out and covering the in good order position of Harry bureau, burning through his shirt and eating away the build underneath.

Each grain of sand making a lilliputian pockmarked mess, like drops of acid.

Snape looking on in horror, wand still outstretched.

Harry screaming. Screaming and falling to the floor, clawing at the fucking mess of his breast. Screaming like he'd had his heart cut out.

Then slowly, fading. Fading as his riot grew softer and indulgent. Until it was nothing More than a breathing place of wind.

Then gone.


painfulness, everywhere, burning. Flickering too fast to see anything but his damaged body beneath him. Roaring, he could get word the river here, louder than ever before. goose egg made sense, nada was actual but the pain.
*


"Severus… Severus are you asleep ?"

Snape slowly raised his headspring from his hands and looked up at Madam Pomfrey. Had he fallen asleep ? There were multiplication when his thought had curled round each other enough to seem like aspiration. But no, he mustn't have. Surely he would have dreamt of her.

Snape could feel the locket in the top air hole of his robe. He had carried it with him since he had got it. A constant drain on his will. Walking around, every day, trying to stick to his number with a venomous cocktail of grief and spirit clenching ruefulness. But he couldn't leave it, every time he tried he just felt his digit close around it tighter.

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

"Severus some people are here."The schooltime nursemaid spoke softly, as if he were a dying affected role. Which, Snape conceded, he looked like right now. He wearily dragged himself to his metrical foot and moved out from behind the curtains surrounding his bed.

The hospital backstage was full phase of the moon but silent. Snape looked over at the bed where the husbandman young woman was lying. Her foot healed of course but no one had asked her to leave. ceramicist's other friend were there too, in chairs, propped on nearby beds or, in the eccentric of Longbottom, simply collapsed on the floor. Snape could commiserate right now.

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

A sliver of a thought wormed its way into Snape's wit. Why hadn't Greyback been award at the attack ? The children claimed to suffer petrified him but that would barely get lasted an hour on a lycanthrope. He should have been there. It would have been gratifying to number him as one of the numb. Then at least Snape could take said something honest had come of everything.

"professor Severus Snape ?"

The dress vox brought him out of his sentiment and he looked at the two new design in the annexe. Even in his wasting State Department Snape took in the flat Second Earl Grey robes, the file brochure, the slightly arrogant deportment without any evidence of real world power 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 woman, her eyes far too appraising under her great short hair and the man perhaps a shadiness too relaxed for a bureaucrat dragged out of his agency. Not aurors, they didn't have that feel… Oh !"Unspeakables ?"

"Correct Professor Snape. full moon marks."The woman smiled and raised her eyebrows. Snape sighed inwardly, he hated people under the delusion they were smarter than him."My name is Natalie Zhao and my colleague is Sean Rhyfedd."She indicated the man with a wave of her deal. Rhyfedd opened his oral fissure to speak but the charwoman continued talking and he shut it again.

"We are here to investigate the recent event here."She smiled and pulled a quill feather and sheepskin from her pamphlet."I understand that you have had a trying meter but certain questions must be answered."

"I thought the situation was being investigated by them."Snape jerked his drumhead 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 sentence."The werewolf are indeed being dealt with by the aurors. The spot we were speaking of was the decease of Mr Potter."

"Harry !"

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

"Do know where he is ?"

"What happened to him ?"

"quiet !"Snape snapped, far forte than he intended. They fell silent and he turned back to the Unspeakable. Taking a here and now to assess the mogul structure he addressed the woman directly."You mean the disappearing of Mr Potter,"he said hopefully.

"No."Rhyfedd cut in at the same meter as his colleague said.

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

Snape heard a chuckle from the early side 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 hat."Why don't you use the little map ?"

The auror kicked the cold thing and it fell silent, muttering to itself.

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

"You are mindful that Miss…"Ms Zhao consulted her newspaper"… husbandman, was given special permission to induce a time-turner this year ?"

"You know that I am."Snape replied acidly."Unless the thirty page manakin myself and the other teacher here were asked to fill out was somehow lost in the Ministry's organization. In fact that context is not unlikely is it ?"

"We deal more guardianship in our department,"Rhyfedd said. He turned to the children at the mesa."Did you notice Mr ceramist displaying any odd demeanor this year ?"

"Odd behavior…"Weasley scratched his chief."Odd behaviour is normal for Harry."

"time loss."The Unspeakable crossed his blazon irritably."Did he sometimes seem to not cognize when or where he was ? Did he seem to bed what was about to go on ? Did anyone witness him in two places at once ?"

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

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

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

That sounded comrade, some old narrative ?

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


Flickering, even the mountains crawled up and down like Wave. The sky just one arching blur of grey. The ground under his feet felt shadowy and unreal.
*


"Yes that's slump,"Ms Zhao nodded, delight."You see, a time-turner only works because of the George Sand inside it. It is literally the Baroness Dudevant of time. Usually it is soggy but there are room of drawing out its power. Now, the structure of a time-turner is designed so as to harness that power safely. Moving a person back in prison term a short-change way relatively safely."

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

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

"The effect has been known since ancient times."Mr Rhyfedd pulled a bundle of around twenty written document out and propagate them out in front of Snape. The all had pictures in the box. The quondam ones were indecipherable, the newest mostly looked like Unspeakable themselves."As you can see the Recent epoch ace 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 unmanageable. The person begins moving through sentence without ever stopping in any one moment for more than than a millisecond."

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

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

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

Snape felt his heart skip about a one C measure. Had he just been casually Legilimized by a Ministry employee ? He found himself forced to swiftly and radically revaluate the char in front of him. His mental defenses were a trivial break right now it was admittedly, but he would own been happy to face even Dumbledore with no more defense than this. He had grown too soft.

"young lady Patil,"The womanhood continued."I know this is hard for you, all of you. I know that it is gentle 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 fight,"The awful shook her caput."It ‘ s not something real number or physical. It ‘ s not something tangible, it ‘ s something inevitable."
*


Slipping, reason always slipping. Too much pain to even mean. Blood that flowed out of him and disappeared into the air like mist. The gumption still burned in him, burning but the blood kept flowing. Burning threads cutting into him from all position, tying him up. Lying like red hot fishgig across his pelt. He couldn't ignore the pain, it was the one substantial thing he had.
*


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


Harry kneeled under the flickering sky, a Lady Jane Grey aurora electrocution into his oculus. It was too much, he wasn't sure if he would go mad or just bleed to death. Either seemed preferable. The pain in the ass was just throbbing harder, the fiery shackle tightening around him. Invisible Bond. Nothing was tangible here. Oh god it hurt ! Harry threw his head back and howled,

"Help me !"His news were caught and whisked away as soon as he spoke."Someone ! help me !"Harry barely felt the SOB wreck his body."Someone…"

"Harry…"

Harry felt the pain ebb away, leaving a dull ache. The sky dimmed like smoke glass. The flickering solid ground became white-haired and unyielding under his human foot. He felt the burning togs pushed off him as the gray-haired space expanded, carrying them with it. He stood on rickety peg inside the small guggle of reality.

"Harry."

Harry whirled towards the spokesperson and fell to the land again, this time in assuagement. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes. He gulped and said,

"Pythea !"

"Yes Harry."The little seer was sitting hybridizing legged in the heart of the grey ripple."Yes it ‘ s me."

"How…"

"Or, more correctly it's a bit like a recording of me,"Pythea smiled, her calico eyes holding depths Harry couldn't even guess at."Like a portrait. I ‘ m a charm cast by the tangible Pythea. She hid me in the alphabetic character she sent you."

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

"It was the lonesome way."Pythea looked suddenly a little scared but pulled herself back a present moment later."If the rest of my order knew you were even remotely connected to the torrent…"She shuddered."… well at the very to the lowest degree I would birth been unable to help you. The cloudburst 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 foretoken of injury."How did you survive ! They would have 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 hand to her chest and seemed to be breathing strong."You were golden. Very lucky."

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

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

Harry closed his optic and bowed his head. His final hope…

"Harry, the torrent isn ‘ t even something natural."Pythea held his chin in her hands and pushed his head back up."Time-turners are one thing, they let you pass back and Forth in the Sami meter stream. Anything you do in the past does not disturb the hereafter, because it has already happened you see ? The laws of causality are preserved. The deluge is different, it defies the rules of fate. That is why my ordination, and the Centaur, hate it so much. They think it is dangerous, tangling destiny. That is why you have been moved outside of clock time, the universe itself it trying to shut you out. Destroying a threat to itself."

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

"In the promise that you could be the first."She glanced up at the faded ceiling. The bubble had shrunk noticeably since they had started talking. Harry could see the threads of fire curling about the edges, like circling sharks."I can ‘ t hold back this a lot 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 survive unless you take control."

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

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

"I…"A sick thought hit him. A Harry potter plan."Yes. I think I do."

"Good Harry."She raised her hand towards the grey wall."Are you gear up ?"

Harry felt for her pendent, still hanging by his nitty-gritty. He nodded.

"Do it !"

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

"Aaaaaaaaaaaa !"

It was like the Cruciatus burnt into every molecule of his skin. And across his palms where the R-2 of attack writhed ? It was a C clock time worse !

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

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

"displacement !"

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

"No ! Again !"

The flat coat became flaming rock and the air acid smoke.

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

Bare rock, an empty sky.

piss stretching as into the distance.

The blackness of space. As frigidness as nothing.

"NO !"Harry was loosing it, the reigns were slipping through his finger's breadth."Please ! I can ‘ t do it !"

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

"You can do anything."

"Aaaaaaaaa !"Harry fell to his knees and pulled the fire to his chest, right up to the searing combat injury. Between his clenched fist nestled the little pendent. A little nub of cool in the world of flame. He could do this.

Hogwarts again, a loup-garou lunged before it all slipped away.

"YES !"

The greenhouse pulled out of the mist. The superstar, the sound of spells. An inhuman howl.

"YES !"

Harry Potter laughed through the pain and the blood.
*


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

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

Snape throwing nemesis at the last werewolf, laughing as it scrabbled backwards, trying to get away from him. Snape throwing another curse but, in his gloat, missing. The curse flying through the air, rippling it like a warmth waving. Shooting straight 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 foremost thought that went through Harry's head. He opened his oculus. The shit in front of his nose was moving ever so slightly, the little grains rolling back and Forth River. His breathing space moving them. He was breathing again.

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

"Harry ?"

Harry twisted against the primer coat, movement returning to him like a upstage memory. A anatomy 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 vocalization came out at barely a whisper.

"My dear boy you ‘ re haemorrhage !"

Harry looked down. One side of his chest was pockmarked with petty holes like person had grated him and the early face had two massive cut over it, meeting in a mark. Snape's scourge, Harry remembered, that had hit him there.

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

Harry chuckled wryly. After the man of flame the infliction from his chest were nothing.

"You need the Hospital extension Mr Potter."

Harry felt himself lifted up with conjuration and stood on his feet. He was still exactly where he had been before getting lost in the torrent, on the ground near the greenhouse. He saw some men in long disastrous gown standing guard over the caved in burrow but they weren't looking his way.

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

Harry stumbled off towards the doors of Hogwarts.

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

Harry looked down, he was wearing Pythea's pendent but nothing else. He glanced back at the basis where he had appeared, there was a lot of gray-headed ash and what looked like a burnt belt buckle. Near where his feet had been there was a puddle of thaw rubber.

"Oh."Harry blushed and tried to cover himself with his hands. With a wave of his baton the minuscule instructor gave Harry wanton fitting jammies pants and a dressing surgical gown. Harry vaguely registered that they were blue and gold."Thanks…"

Harry turned and continued his halting walk towards the infirmary wing. He could hear Flitwick walking behind him, probably with his wand out in case Harry tripped. The hallways were deserted this early in the morning and Harry had no company as he pulled himself laboriously up a staircase.

He glanced down at the two combat injury on his chest, the sand burning and the cuts. There was something wrong there. Harry shook his head, nothing about bleeding that practically was right wing. Harry reached the door to the hospital annexe and pushed the doorway open.

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


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

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

"You know who I hate ?"he said, smiling crookedly."Godric Gryffindor… wanker !"The boy took two stone's throw and fell on his face on the cold tiled floor.

Snape saw the educatee and the school nurse rush to Harry through a daze but he felt something else. A bubbling, floating sensation rising from his chest. He clamped his handwriting over his backtalk but it escaped through his nose anyway, a snort that jerked his head back. He gave up trying and broke out in conniption of laughter.

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

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

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

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

Yes, that must be it. Just tired.

Snape got up and walked towards the doors of the hospital extension. As he passed the Potter boy's bed the laughs broke out again and he had to check the doorframe for support.

"Severus ?"Snape saw Filius Flitwick staring at him in cushion."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 long night."he told his cuss teacher before turning and walking away and leaving a very bedaze secrecy in his wake.
*


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

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

"These won ‘ t mend Mr Potter,"he heard gentlewoman Pomfrey say while running her wand over the two wounds on his breast."Neither of them. I ‘ m afraid you ‘ ll have mark there for the eternal sleep of your life."

"Great…"Harry said, his vocalism sounding weak and airy in his capitulum."… more scars."Harry pointed at his forehead."I have enough trouble with this one."

"well it's your own fault…"Harry heard an sulphurous voice say."You survive the killing swearword and get one scar, you survive the torrent of age and you get two more. If you don't want more scars hold back doing unimaginable things."

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

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

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

"We are from the Ministry,"the woman continued,"The section of Mysteries."

"We need you to recite us how you survived the pelter,"the man said.

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

"This eventide then."She straightened."I look forward to your story."She walked out of the hospital wing, the former unspeakable followed, grumbling.

Harry looked at his friends and grinned.

"So, my incoming ? right or so-so ?"

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

"I blame profligate loss."Harry leant back against the bed, he was just now realizing that he had last slept over twenty four hours ago. Or more, or less, he didn't quite recognize how the prison term in the soaker counted.

"How did you pull round Harry ?"Hermione asked curiously.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I may feature to study Ron. If I want to do little things like not get chucked out of Hogwarts."Harry tried to bring to bear any knowledge he had gleaned from the finish few month of lessons and found only naked scrape."Definitely."

"It ‘ s O.K. Harry,"Ron said comfortingly."You ‘ re obviously sick. 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 unhurt ?"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 amercement. scrape, as I said, but null more."

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

Poppy knew him well enough to know the polite dismissal in his voice and left his place quietly. Dumbledore turned to the other person in the office.

"He survived…"prof Lupin was hunched over a mug of something steaming. It smelled awful but apparently it helped. Even with it the poor lycanthrope looked hapless, apparently hearing the other werewolves howling so close had made his loup-garou mind even more fracture than usual."How could he survive ?"

"I do not bonk Remus."Dumbledore shook his head."I truly do not know how he survived. I am in the unusual emplacement of having not the faintest estimation. That worries me deeply. The boy himself worries me deeply."

"He disturbs me."

"Remus you must try to-"

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

"It is just a epithet Remus,"Dumbledore said soothingly."And the boy is full of conundrum, I still can ‘ t work 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 lie with how he beat Severus in a duel. And now the torrent…"Dumbledore reached out and stroked Fawkes, the phoenix let out an appreciative trill.

"This boy, this boy that so much repose on, is a arrant mystery to me. Not only that, he seems to have no qualms about disregarding my bureau, ignoring my advice. I can not even keep 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 by three years."

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

"I hope not."Dumbledore closed his oculus in lugubriousness."But he seems to suffer courage like James Potter."

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

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

"Have you found another Defense instructor ?"lupine asked suddenly. Dumbledore sighed.

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

"Good."

The secrecy returned, heavy 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 paries learn eight XXX, he had slept all day. His organic structure must have been trying to catch up on lost time.

He pulled his robes on and grabbed his wand from the bedside tabular array. His hand went out on innate reflex to seize the former item there and he stiffened. The locket sat there, shining up at him. Snape swallowed tough. Did he want to carry Lily Arthur Evans around adjacent to his nerve forever ?

Snape picked the locket up and held it lightly in his hand. Something must be done with it. He strode out of his twenty-five percent and down the corridor, scarcely glancing at the students he passed. He did not bar when he passed the peachy threshold or Hogwarts but kept up his stride until it brought him to the shores of the lake.

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

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

No. Not now.

You called me a mudblood.

"And what about you !"He spoke savagely to the locket nestled in his palm."That day beside the lake after our exam. Where were you ? Sitting and talking to your other friends. Leaving me all alone. You didn ‘ t come over until Epistle of James Potter got involved. You abandoned me tenacious before I abandoned you…"Snape drew his hand back."… I just did it better."And with all his strength he hurled the little musical composition of ash gray into the dark water.

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

Snape shook his top dog, he felt like he had begun again after years of living in stasis. Harry was right, sorcerer lived in the past far too much. He had finally gotten rid of the last…

No…

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

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

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

Snape sat down mark legged on the grass, cleared his mind, closed his eyes and proceeded to edit Lily Sir Arthur John Evans. Each retentivity was locked away, one by one, from their first group meeting to the live on day he ever saw her. He blocked them all. He would still keep the shape of them, a vague noesis, 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 know about this. And besides, considering that Lily Evans was the clench he had had over Snape all these long time he might not be inclined to help.

Snape closed the lowest memory and stood up, feeling lightheaded. Would this work ? He began preparing to sick the spell, raised his verge then dropped it again to his incline. He could not cast it, he had no happy memories 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 arms and felt the summer hint rush through his robes.

So far from thread maker End. So far from the smog and dust and specialize streets. Here the air was crystallise, it smelled of heather. The stars were clear, unblocked by streetlight. Hogwarts, and the land around it, was his home. This was a felicitous memory.

"Expecto Patronum !"

He screwed his eyes shut at the moment of molding, he could not behave to learn. He felt the affectionateness of his patronus in front of him, touching his hand. He had to look eventually, he would ingest to. courageousness, he was not a coward.

Snape snapped his middle open and almost melted onto the trading floor. Tears sprung into his eyes. Writhing and looping in the air was a thin snake, curling like a typewriter 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 voice. It was the atrocious, Natalie Zhao, she was standing calmly a few footstep behind him with her hands clasped in front of her. She must have crept up on him, he had been quite distracted.

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

"We left and came back,"she said, moving up to support by the lake beside him."I ‘ ve just come from talking to him. Surviving the torrent, he really is amazing…"She trailed off shaking her fountainhead in disbelief.

"He is nothing if not surprising."Snape found he had slight ire towards Harry Potter any more."But I think you would be less amazed if you saw the utter mountain he manages to make of potions."

"Perhaps."She smiled, it pushed little dimples up on her nerve. He pointed at his patronus, still writhing in the air."Very nice…"

"Is it ?"Snape turned back to the snake. It was not, he now realized, a very interesting looking snake. Perhaps a little more than a measure long with harsh, dark bands all the way up its dilute body. It had no tough behind its thin head like a cobra or a rattling like a rattler, cypher that obviously identified it. Snape wondered what species it was.

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

"Really ?"Snape's curiosity was piqued."Does it experience any particular… qualities ?"

"Well…"She appeared to reckon for a consequence."It ‘ s diet is variety of interesting."

"How so ?"

"It primarily eats other snakes."

"Really…"Snape found himself warming to the striped reptile.

"And it ‘ s venomous,"Ms Zhao continued."Sometimes the victim doesn't feel anything at the site of the bite for a while, lulls them into a sour sentience of security."

"Hmm…"

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

"I think it will do nicely."Snape canceled the go with a flick of his wand and his krait faded away.

"Why do you know so much about snakes ?"

"I keep them as pets."She seemed to steel herself a soupcon. Perhaps she was used to negative 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 save one of those as a pet. But I suppose you like unsafe pets here…"She smiled again, cheekily."… you apparently celebrate werewolves."

"Accidentally."Snape motioned towards the castle and they both began walking towards Hogwarts."You wouldn't counting rats that invaded your wine cellar as favorite would you ?"

"No, I ‘ d count them as free ophidian food."

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

"fountainhead I have to get back to the Ministry,"Natalie said, they had reached the front of the castle."Got to sate in the paperwork. God knows Rhyfedd won ‘ t bother, that man has an attitude problem…"

"He is a small minded, talent LE man who is constantly trying to assert himself over you where he has no right to be because it shirks his ego to turn under a fair sex,"Snape stated flatly.

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

"Let me introduce you to Sibyll Trelawney one day."Snape shrugged and smiled in commiseration."Then you will truly know what it is like to let an irritate co-worker."

They were both standing in front of Hogwarts, but neither of them seemed to desire to move.

"Well…"She broke the stalemate."… I should go. Thank you for showing me your patronus."

"Would you mind showing me your snake collection at some tip ?"Snape found himself asking."I find myself strangely interested."

"Strangely interested…"She smiled that infuriating smile again. Snape was beginning to imagine she might actually be smart than him."… good choice of words."And with that she turned and began walking down the course towards the Bill Gates of Hogwarts.

Snape would stimulate felt elated, but at that moment what he had been thinking slipped into place and he frowned, then clenched his fists as the fully implications sunk in. He hoped he was wrong, he really did.
*


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

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

"null good I am afraid."Snape shook his point."This good afternoon I remembered an extemporary commentary one of the loup-garou in the Hospital Wing made. Taunting us about a map."

"They could not hold known about it."Dumbledore's eyes narrowed."You are not accusing Professor lupine once aga-"

"No."Snape waved the ill away."No, that is what I thought initially, it would get been better if I was right. I went to chitchat the wolfman in the Ministry dungeons. He said he heard it because they were waiting underground, listening. They heard you talking to Harry when we brought him back from Hogsmeade."

"I fail to see the emergency in that…"

"Albus, call back what else you said that evening."

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

"Yes."Snape nodded."I think we now know why Johnny Reb was not part of the attack. He had already left on a more authoritative 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 roundabout way from cannon in this record book ?
The next one goes back towards the line of business of the book a bit, somewhere between the how close the showtime two were and how out there this one was.

parting a review article and I 'll get on with writing ...

Harry Potter and the Harry ceramist and the tone of Njordr !


I do n't own Harry ceramicist. 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 rampart, her well muscled wing pressing against the wooden paneling. Her ears were attuned to the petite scritches coming from around the corner and the lilliputian footfall on the floor board were still visible, glowing hot prints leading the way. She eased herself up to the boundary then poked her snub nose around and struck.

The rat tried vainly to contend as the poison seeped into it and she waited patiently as it died. She did not even have to splay her jaw to fit the little thing in. It was merely a taste tester anyhow, her master had promised sweeter kernel soon.

She slid, full and languid, through the old theatre. Soon Pride would do and milk her spite, making her smell empty-bellied and used, but her captain needed it so she steeled herself against his touch sensation. Not that Pride wasn't gentle, it was his olfactory modality that irked her.

She knew that the three men who served her master had former name calling but she preferred her own, Ambition, pridefulness and Decay. She had named them after what she smelled on them. Master was, of course, just Master.

She slid into her maestro room and curled up beside the fervour. Her master was asleep but the others were talking again, she pushed her head down between her coil to blank out out the sound, but it wasn't enough.

"The merest mistake will alert them."superbia was saying."There are people who know him very well."

"I am aware of that brother."ambitiousness replied archly."And after all the study I have done I am one of them. You stay here and tend to our master want, I will get the job done quite sufficiently in your absence."His articulation made it quite clear-cut that pridefulness's absence seizure would in fact make the job much easier.

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

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

"Careful buddy,"pride sneered."Take upkeep that you never forget who you have to thank for your freedom and for your chance at vengeance."

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

"Both you arrogant little-"

"Arrogant ?"ambition laughed. She liked ambition a bit more than Pride, he was more like a ophidian."That is undoubtedly and most obviously the pot calling the cauldron black. Besides…"Ambition narrowed his oculus."I ‘ ve been wondering how retentive you knew where I was and did aught about it."

"I could not compromise-"

"Of course."Ambition turned away, dismissive."You could not compromise your position. Just like you can't now. So just the get the roll in the hay out of my way blondy, I ‘ ve got a job to do."

"I see you've learnt some colorful lyric rotting in Azkaban."

aspiration whipped around and punched Pride straight in the stomach. ambitiousness was thin out and wiry but the lick had weight behind it and Pride crumpled to the floor. ambitiousness followed it up by stamping into pride's kidney.

"Learnt some other things in there too brother."ambition drew his scepter and pointed it as the groaning figure on the story."So if I were you I ‘ d never give into the delusion that you ‘ re the might player in our little co-operative venture."

pridefulness tried to rise but ambition stamped on his hair.

"And another thing…"ambitiousness leant down to speak close to Pride's ear."Our master remembers which of us remained loyal to him during his twelve year… convalescence."aspiration grinned."And you weren ‘ t one of them, brother. So you stay here and milk the all-fired serpent and hope you build up enough pixie points to get you back in his good books. You stay here and brew the potion and I will deal with everything else !"

Ambition scuffed his foot back and Forth, jerking superbia's hair's-breadth and making him grit his teeth in pain. ambitiousness laughed and strode out of the room.
*


"Harry ? We have a… a sort of proposition for you."Fred and George VI had cornered him in Ron's bedroom, they both had that mischievous flavor about them.

"I'm intrigued."Harry closed his ledger and tossed it to one English."worried but fascinate. Who are we going to prank ?"

"It ‘ s not about pranking anyone Harry."Said Fred at the Saami clip as his 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 room. Harry followed a footling hesitantly.

Harry was hesitant because for a long time he had felt like he was building up some variety of unluckiness debt. The last three months of his 3rd year at Hogwarts had passed without anyone trying to kill him ( unprecedented for Harry ) and he had even managed to pass all of his exam. In defense he had scraped a pass on Lupin's obstacle course ( goddam Hinkypunk led him into a sinkhole ! ) and almost managed to not blow his cauldron up in potions.

Part of the rationality was that Snape had stopped picking on Harry in class and had even started treating him as a convention student. More than that the potions master had seemed almost cheerful at clip. Harry had put it down to him planning something evil until he noticed that Snape was at his about well-chosen the years after a diminished barn owl brought him letters.

As for the other exams Harry had botched together some sorting of pig-English transformation for ancient runic letter and avoided getting More than superficial chomp wounds in Hagrid's ‘ practical'test ( they had all been given a box and asked to flow what has in the box. Harry had never worked out what was in his box, he had just stuffed things in there until it stopped biting him. Whether he fed it or suffocated it he never found out. )

Transfiguration he had blagged, History of magic too. Herbology had been finely because he'd been partnered with Neville and he had passed of his own talent in Astrology and Charms.

Of track revising hadn't been the first base thing he'd done. The kickoff thing he'd done had been to write a tenacious letter to Pythea. He hadn't been ably to mention the torrent of grade, but he hoped he had left enough hints that she would know how practically he wanted to thank her. Of course the monolithic clustering of blossom might stimulate also given her that hint.

He had even managed to deliver a holiday where there had been no unexplained sorcerous occurrences, another initiative. Harry had hiked in Switzerland for some of the summer, nothing too serious but enough that he was very glad of his size-and-weight-defying bag.

On one memorable occasion, miles from the near town, he had met some older American holidaymaker kitted up with huge heavy tramp backpacks and heavyset coats. He however had been carrying a small leather backpack while idly strumming a guitar. They had thought he was some sorting 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 imaginativeness ( a lie ), that the positive get-up-and-go of the flock would bring around them ( a lie ), that his guitar had been given to him by the Dalai Lama ( a lie ) and that the force of the lechatelierite woven into his pelage kept him warm ( a lie, the crystals kept the rain off. The talisman kept him warm. ). Surprisingly before they parted style the woman began claming her arthritis had miraculously cleared up.

Harry had ended up in Genf after a few weeks of this and spent near of the residue of the summer there, lazing around the city and finishing up the schoolwork he had had no luck to work at in the mount. Plus juggling and playing the guitar for people around the metropolis. When he could work out how to do both at the same time he knew he'd yarn-dye people but for now he just ended up tangling his fingers.

He'd issue forth back to England a few days early to visit his friends and get his schooling provision. It was now the thirtieth of august and all the marauders were gathered at the burrow for a last get together before heading off to Hogwarts. Harry should have been happy, but instead he was apprehensive, wasn't he due some unpleasantness ? And weren't the nefarious Weasley twins the double-dyed one 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 and nonsense the twins were into.

Harry followed Fred and George into their box-stacked bedroom.

"Where's safe to sit ?"Harry cast about, looking at the different box seat. It took the similitude a surprisingly long clock time to find a ‘ safe'box. Fred and George sat on the side of one of their layer. Fred run forward and said,

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

"A mythical opportunity."

"We think its fabulous anyway."

"And we ‘ re usually right."

"Always right. And it is fabulous."

Harry glanced between one twin and the other.

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

The twins looked at each other then said at the same meter,

"Weasley superstar Wheezes !"

"Actively Advocating head rhyme ?"

"It ‘ s a prank shop Harry."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 help us with some of the stuff."Fred shrugged."After all you did basically build a broom last year-"

"-that out-flew a firebolt-"

"-with Ginny ‘ s help."

"Oh yes with Ginny ‘ s help."

Harry rearranged the disjoin conviction into some measuring rod of order.

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

The Gemini grinned and began a whirlwind tour of their electric current merchandise, stopping occasionally to demonstrate a charm or while for Harry. Usually they were spells that produced explosions or horrible shrieking noises.

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

Harry knew enough Greek to comprehend his nose.
*


"So um… this is the pond."Ron said helplessly,"It ‘ s got ducks in it sometimes."

"I see."Hermione was looking at him oddly. He knew he must be blushing as well as babbling like an moron."That's… interesting. I guess."

"About as concern as history of magic."Ron muttered and Hermione laughed.

Oh great, now she was laughing at him too. Ron kicked a Oliver Stone into the alga filled pond, it rested on the midst putting green surface for a present moment before sinking.

Hermione had left Hogwarts almost completely burnt out, taking too many subjects on top of the loup-garou bedlam had reduced her to a darkness of herself. It had been especially bad during the exams which she had to retool for and take without the benefit of the time-turner. After the last one Harry and Ron had frog-marched her to McGonagall's office where she dropped foretelling and muggle studies.

Ron had seen her a yoke of times over summer, the marauders sticking together even in Harry's absence, and each 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 tunnel."I don ‘ t trust the twins left alone in there for this long."

"They're not alone,"Hermione began walking beside him, walking close enough to realize all the hairs on his arms stand up."Harry ‘ s there too."

"That ‘ s even worse."Ron shook his principal."Between them I doubt they ‘ ll be a star sign left."

"If you felt like that why did you want to show me around in the first place ?"

Why indeed ?

"Well it was a skillful day and Neville, Ginny and the Gemini the Twins went to townsfolk and Harry's acting all Wyrd and there ‘ s marshmallow coming out of the house."

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

"No there ‘ s really marshmallow coming out of the business firm !"Ron pointed at the long stream of solid white froth leaking from one of the window and pooling on the ground."It ‘ s the Gemini window. Oh god mum ‘ s gon na kill them."

The two marauders rushed to the side of the house.

"It ‘ s not exactly marshmallow."Hermione said, sounding puzzled, as the ran into the tunnel. They stopped outside the twins door and Ron opened it hesitantly. On the former side was a hearty bulwark of white, even bearing the depression of the contours or the room access 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 deviation ?"

"Honestly Ron, you ‘ d think you would be at least as versed as me on the depicted object of food."

"What ‘ s that supposed to think of ?"Ron shot back but was silenced as a damp representative called out,

"mortal out there ?"

Ron gingerly pushed his hand into the crusty open towards the noise.

"Feels really weird."Ron grimaced as he buried his hand up to the shoulder joint."It's all crackly and dry."He felt something like cloth and pulled as heavily as he could.

With a whale cascade of fragmented meringue a figure emerged from the room. It fell on the floor coughing and spluttering and spitting glob of gum white foam out of its mouth. Ron leant forward and guessed,

"Fr… George ?"

"Yep."George I got unsteadily to his infantry and looked back into his room."Oh, it didn ‘ t burst the threshold.
We were worried it had."

"What happened ?"Hermione asked, absentmindedly brushing more meringue rat off St. George back."Did one of your put-on backfire ?"

"No no no. Our pranks don't backfire."George said proudly."We were demonstrating the eizuckerpeitsche spell to Harry and… well it looks like he got it."

"Are Harry and Fred still stuck in there ?"Ron looked back at the break wall of meringue in horror.

"Fred was near the heart so he ‘ s probably well stuck, Harry was near the window…"

At that moment they all heard a short scream from outside, quickly cut off, then a clunk followed by running footsteps. A moment later a meringue incrusted Harry burst up the stairs.

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

"Not my fault mate."George III put his hands up to fend of the enraged marauder."You seem to have some kind of hang for that spell is all."

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

"Managed to tunnel to the window."

"But you must sustain fallen-"

"Into a bundle of meringue."Harry shrugged."It ‘ s built up quite a mess out there."He turned to the twins room."Come on, we ‘ d better begin getting rid of all this stuff or your twin ‘ s gon na run out of air."

"And mums coming back soon."George said in horror."She ‘ ll have a fit !"

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


Harry ducked into the gear passenger car and looked around quickly,

"Still no peril ?"He said wryly."Whatever the karma gods are working up to it ‘ s not gon na be pretty."The piranha moved in after him. They were looking at each former a petty 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 weaponry crossed."Really, really no !"Harry shook his forefront, it was amazing how quickly the paranoia he'd developed in the year before he'd seminal fluid to Hogwarts had returned. Street sustenance was not conducive to trust.

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

"Harry you ‘ re the boy who lived."Parvati shook her head."No ones going to kill you."

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

The marauders turned in unison.

"Oh buzz off Malfoy."Padma chuckled."If you were going to drink down him you would have got done it ages ago."

"I will get you this year Potter."Malfoy was uncharacteristically alone. His usual bunch of yes-man absent."I promise, by the Malfoy name, that I will get you this yr. I will do you pay for everything."

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

"wellspring this year Potter."Malfoy licked his lips, his grizzly eyes shiny evilly."I will demo everyone at Hogwarts that I represent everything good about witching blood and that you are everything… everything unworthy and mediocre. This yr I will show everyone. This year Potter, this year I win."

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

Malfoy just smiled and walked away.
*


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

Harry sniffed the water in his glassful. Poison ? No… Maybe something in the food ?

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

Maybe he was just paranoid ? Harry glanced around at the other students. Maybe he actually did have a opportunity to have a convention year.

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

Harry glanced up at the mesa and picked out the new face. Or, more accurately, what was left of the new typeface. Their endure defense teacher had been a wolfman, this one looked like he had been savaged by one. He had also obviously lost an eye at some pointedness and had it replaced with a magical one. Harry wondered why he hadn't chosen one in his rude color. He had seen whole shops full of eyes in Geneva. They made lots of them there, like watches.

The man apparently known as Helen Newington Wills met his regard with low gear one then the other eye. Harry smiled and toasted the new teacher with his crank. Anyone was proficient than Professor lupin. Harry had tried to mend bridge with the werewolf during his last few weeks at school. He really had tried…

"Professor… Um…"Harry leant in through the threshold to Professor Lupin's berth."Are you, you know, all set."Professor lupin looked up at him, flatly."You know for tonight, full moon ?"

"Yes."prof lupine seemed to be struggling to keep his articulation directly and unemotional.

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

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

"You ‘ re welcome prof Moony."Lupin's chief snapped up."You know, moony, like moon. Because of the whole boggart matter and…"

"leave of absence now."Usually the werewolf side of Lupin was not really manifest. This was not so now."Leave my office now."

"Did you eat a mad cow or something ?"Harry yelled in exasperation.

"Get out !"

Harry had backed out of the function shaking his school principal and never spoken directly to prof lupine again. Even worse the man had stared sticker at him during their net few lessons. Even a pock, one-eyed man was honest than that. Besides, Harry wasn't really in a perspective to complain about other peoples scars.

Professor Dumbledore continued,

"prof Moody is a former auror so I am sure he has much to instruct you."Harry's ears perked up, this was interesting. Unfortunately Dumbledore had finished speaking on this particular proposition field of study."I do have a second announcement to make. Something that I think you will all enjoy."

The all school perked up.

"Slitherin house is infested with cockroaches ?"

"Potions has been dropped from the curriculum ?"

"Filch had an aneurism ?"

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

"Not possible."Harry called out.

"Very possible Mr ceramicist. I am talking about the Triwizard Tournament."The mansion house fell dead silent.

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

"Hosting Mr Jacobs, Hosting."

The hall exploded in sound.
*


"We are entering that tournament."

"Harry, Dumbledore said-"

"We. Are. Entering. That. Tournament."Harry was twitching with nervous energy."We are entering and one of us is winning."

"We ‘ re not even eligible."Hermione complained."We can ‘ t enter."

"We have not let werewolves and giant Hydra and dark maven stop us a all-fired age limitation is not going to stick out in our way."Harry sat down at the vulture table and crossed his arms."We deserve this. We deserve this because we are the best in this school and no one has worked harder to-"

"Subvert its principle ?"

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

The marauders around the table fell silent.

"Do you think this was what Malfoy was talking about ?"Neville said suddenly."He said he was gon na picture everyone how honorable he was."

"The question will not arise 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 transmitted and sociological factors that have conspired to make him a git. So…"Harry steepled his fingers and grinned."As soon as this justice gets here, we're entering the tournament."
*


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

Harry felt the eye Edwin Herbert Land on him for a present moment before moving on.

"So… LET start on swearing. I ‘ ve had a letter from prof Lupin, also one from Professor Albert Abraham Michelson and it looks like you ‘ re fairly well up on night creatures and the staple of dueling."

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

"But what you haven ‘ t learn yet is the worst of what virtuoso can do to each other."Moody shook his heading."You ‘ re all living in a dream globe if you think you ‘ re ever safe. Last Night at the feast I only saw one student gibe the food for thought for poison before eating it."Moody pointed with his gnarled hand.

All eyes ( tangible and unsubstantial ) fell on Harry.

"I… um… what ?"

"Don't be ashamed of it ! Be majestic ! By the end of the year I expect each and every one of you to exert constant Vigilance !"He ended the condemnation shouting. Harry found himself staring directly into Moody's contrived eye. He felt like he was a bug under a glazed blue microscope. The eye scanned down to his dresser."Looks like you ‘ ve been given reasons to be vigilante."

Before Harry had a probability to respond Moody had moved on and stomped up to the board.

"The dark arts !"Helen Newington Wills wrote like he was carving in Lucy Stone and the crank broke off during the s of arts."Who can severalise me a whammy ? A really bad one."A few of the class put their hands up. Moody pointed at one.

"Yes Mr… Crabbe is it ?"He growled."companion public figure. Familiar human face too, I knew your Father of the Church. Well, knew isn ‘ t quite the right Bible. What ‘ s yer curse ?"

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

"Odd that you should sleep with that one."Professor Dwight Lyman Moody ‘ s eyes narrowed."No one uses that one any More. Not since the Cruciatus was invented. But no, right you are for bringing it up. You never know when the enemy ‘ s going to surprise you with something you haven't seen in a while. unremitting alertness !"

Helen Wills went on to explain at duration the properties of the pain spear up turn. Crabbe looked disgruntled, obviously he had wanted Moody to ask him how he knew about the spell.

Harry looked down at his leger and found the page on the pain in the neck spear. It was clear that the generator had only included it as an afterthought, Moody already had more on the board than was in the Holy Writ. Padma leant over her desk to mouth into his ear,

"wagerer than Lupin you think ?"

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

"You sure ?"Padma glanced up skeptically as Helen Newington Wills barked out Constant Vigilance again."He seems moderately thoroughly cracked to me."
*


The partially vs. thoroughly cracked debate continued into the issue forth hebdomad as the students got used to Moody's aggressive teaching style. One affair was for sure, there was not have it off lost between Helen Wills Moody and Snape. Moody glared at Snape suspiciously every time they passed in the corridors and Snape, for his voice, sneered. But all that was drown out by the rumour and whispers running around about the triwizard tournament.

The day the foreign scholarly person were scheduled to arrive dawn bright and cool with a drizzle of rain covering the castle.

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

Harry grinned and scuffed his feet. If the integral schooling had been called out to greet these foreign student they could at least have the decency to be on time. Harry checked the clock, alright so they weren't scheduled to arrive for another five minutes but Harry had been waiting for ten so therefore ( in his mind ) they were late.

"Look !"individual was pointing out over the lake. Harry's jaw dropped as he saw a ship rising out a whirlpool in the middle of the lake.

"Did they fall all the way from Durmstrum in that ?"Harry heard someone behind him say and gave an involuntary tingle. Underwater for all that time ? Even with magical tribute it made his bark crawl.

As the ship crawled up to the position of the lake Harry saw the man standing at the wheel tour and channelise up into the sky behind the castle. Harry turned just in sentence to see a giant equipage round the box of the palace, drawn by colossus white horses.

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

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

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

"Albus, it is proficient to be here."The man pushed back his tough revealing silver Second Earl Grey hairsbreadth and operose brows. He smiled in a way that never touched his wickedness eyes. He spoke in a heavy thriving way that Harry was certainly was at least partly put on."Hogwarts is ah…"He glanced up at the gray sky."… just as I remember it."

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

"Ah, and this would be your star pupil."Harry saw the crowd part in front of him."The famous Harry Potter."

"No no no…"Harry waved his helping hand grinning."The figure's Jack ‘ moon-ray'Baltzegaurd."

"Ah, ha ha."Igor ‘ s laugh held no warmth whatsoever."We are many celebrities here I see…"

"Wha ?"

"Let me bring out you to someone."Karkaroff motioned a frowning boy standing behind him forward."This is Viktor Krum."Harry heard gasp from posterior him as he shook Viktor's hand.

"Pleasure."Harry smiled at the young wizard."Are you Durmstrurn ‘ s chief 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 number of events quite amusing. He was smiling at any pace. Harry couldn't tell what was going on behind those hulk melanise eyebrows.

"Well,"Dumbledore said, breaking the stalemate."I can already see the Beauxbatons delegation is already inside, shall we unite 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 have tipped me off. Now can we please digest ?"Harry turned to the goblet standing in the center 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 book on her genu and shook her head."At to the lowest degree not with anything I can cogitate of now."

Harry shook his header, there were slews of masses crowding into the entrance hall so it wasn't like they could do anything right now. If they were going to do anything it would have to be at this evening, but he had hoped to at to the lowest degree have a plan before the rook went to sleep.

"An age potion do you think ?"Fred said behind him.

"I think Dumbledore would induce thought of that."Hermione shook her head."I don't think any potion any quartern yr or sixth year could make could get past the line."

"What if we just get one of the old students to put it in for us ?"Neville hazarded.

"Nope."George III said as he and his comrade 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 pocket as soon as he crossed the line."

"Yep,"Fred shook his read/write head in mock sympathy."poor chap didn ‘ t even get to put his own name since he tripped over his own beard and ended up out cold."

"Wait…"Padma looked heedful."What if we get somebody to traverse the melodic line then publish our names on some-"

"Saw that too."Fred broke in.

"Yeah,"His Gemini continued."You don ‘ t even want to know what happened to him !"

"Oh for Christ sake !"Harry growled in provocation."Is there at least a way to try the telephone line ?"

"Yeah, run into it."Ron suggested.

"No you idiot."Padma shook her head teacher."Just spitball it."

"alibi me ? You what ?"Harry's supercilium raised like balloons.

"Like this…"Harry watched, gob-smacked, as Padma took a free scrap of parchment out of her bag and stuffed it into her mouthpiece. She chewed for a few indorsement then daintily took the soppy mess out from between her lips and, without hesitation, tossed it at the goblet of fire. As the ball crossed the telephone line there was a flash of light and the ballock shot out like a fastball, impacting on the rampart behind them.

"Brilliant."Said the Weasley twin in one voice.

"We should do it again-"

"With more balls."

"With braggart lump !"

"With fireworks in them !"

"small fry, children…"Harry said in a calming voice."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 night !"

"Sister…"Padma shook her head as she picked up her bag."This is the freakin'Nox !"

Harry chuckled as they left the foyer then turned as he felt a handwriting fall on his shoulder. The possessor of the manus was a boy a fiddling older than him with blond hair and a form of round face. He was in Ravenclaw colors and was wearing a baseball game cap that read ‘ Tutshill Tornadoes'and had a tornado as the logo.

"Yeah ?"Harry cocked his head."Can I aid you ?"

"Um,"The boy bit his lip and looked around."Could I talk to you ?"

"Very cloak and sticker but ok."Harry waved the predator off and moved into a side corridor."Who are you ?"

"David Mason."The boy smiled shyly."Don ‘ t trouble if you don ‘ t remember me. I ‘ m a friend of Cho ‘ s."

"Oh ok. stomach the same team too I see."Harry leant nonchalantly against the Harlan Stone wall."To what do I owe the delight ?"

"well basically…"The boy scuffed a base on the floor nervously."Me and… and some of the early guy rope. Not just Ravenclaw but the all school day well… we figure you ‘ ve got a plan."

"For what ?"

"For the chalice of fire."St. David rubbed his helping hand together almost hungrily."Lots of us don't think the age limit point ‘ s carnival so we figure…"He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick gasbag."A yoke of extra names. Just if you get the hazard you know ?"

"Hate to ruin 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."St. David winked and pushed the envelope 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 change state and wink conspiratorially again."Seriously !"

"Problem Mr potter ?"

Harry spun and looked up into the grimace of the jurist that had been sitting with Dumbledore at the feast. What was his name… lounge ?

"Mr Couch ?"

"Crouch."The man's heavily lined grimace 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 view was a fatherly manner.

"No sir."Harry did his best Oliver whirl impression."I wouldn ‘ t do such a horrible thing."

"Ah, of course."The Triwizard judge nodded."Of course I ‘ m sure Thomas More hoi polloi would come to the tourney if the noted Harry Potter was competing. But we must commend that we can not pick and choose the ruler we wish to obey based on momentaneous 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 thin smile."It was gracious meeting you Mr Potter."

Harry didn't relax until the man was a condom few corridors away. Harry sighed and slipped the gasbag out of his sleeve. What were the statistics for teenage marrow attacks ? Harry wondered. Whatever they were they had just come very close to getting one digit larger.

Harry leant against the wall and stared out of one of the castles arched windows at the lake below, remembering last twelvemonth. Why was it that he was forever trapped inside or outside wards ? net yr 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 care. So that left…

Harry grinned and rushed back to the entering Radclyffe Hall where a undivided saliva clod showed him how to beat the greatest wizard in the world.
*


"All set Ginsters ?"Harry slid behind Ginny on the chimera and checked that he had both the envelope containing the marauders names and the one given to him by David A. E. W. Mason in his pocket.

"Yes, you don ‘ t have to add up with me you know."Ginny looked back at him, grinning in the faint moonlight.

"You can ‘ t fly and pretend spitball at the same time."Was the apology Harry offered. Really he just wanted to be the one to put the names into the goblet, wanted to know first manus that he'd measure Dumbledore. Harry glanced around and saw a marauder guarding every door."Everybody ‘ s in place, follow on."

Ginny obediently lifted them off the flooring and hovered them up near the ceiling.

"consequence of truth."Harry got out some parchment and rolled it expertly before gumming it, silencing it and throwing it forwards. It landed in the middle of the age line, right beside the goblet. Harry pumped the air with his fist."Potter 1, Dumbledore 0. Proving that I am unmitigated awesome ! Lashkar-e-Taiba go !"

Ginny bit back a chortle 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 story, never know what other spells the old man ‘ s put around the place."Harry reached into his pocket and drew out the marauder envelope then dropped it into the chalice. The fire spurted up for a moment, then died down.

Harry hesitantly pulled the former gasbag out of his pocket. Should he ? Should he not ? It was only fair to give everybody a properly prospect and Mason seemed like a nice enough bloke ( if a bit weird ). He probably wouldn ‘ t be chosen anyway. Ah well, what the perdition ? Harry dropped the former envelope into the flames.
*


The marauders entered the great hallway in a powwow, all eyes 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 accede anymore."

"Bit late now."Padma said dryly, but the nerves were obvious in her vox too and the marauder quickly fell into silence.

"Whichever one of us it is the rest of us are behind them."Harry smiled at his friends."That's for certain."

"But what if it ‘ s not one of us ?"Saint George asked.

"Not… one… of us ?"Harry's brow wrinkled in disarray."Quit your unhinged talk George VI. That could never happen."

"child, children…"The hall fell mute as Dumbledore began to mouth."I believe the consequence you have all been waiting for has finally arrived. The goblet will be announcing it's pick momentarily. I would ask you to remember that, even if you were not chosen, the Tournament is still a contest between the schools. I expect to see no heavy touch, you must support your champions one hundred percent. Now…"Dumbledore turned towards the goblet.

The hall waited in silence for almost a minute before the chalice ‘ s flames turned bright red and a little scrap of lambskin flew out. Dumbledore caught it expertly.

"The Beauxbatons whiz is… Fleur Delacour !"

Harry saw one of the Gallic daughter clap her hands 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 watch the beginning whizz leaving the hall.

"Yeah ? What about her ?"

Ron opened his mouth to retort but the chalice flared red again and the hall fell silent.

"The Durmstrang champion will be Viktor Krum !"

The red uniformed student rose, cheering, as their champion walked towards the social movement of the entrance hall. Most of the Hogwarts students did too.

Harry was biting his nails, this adjacent one was it. The chalice turned red again and a piece of lambskin pin-wheeled out to be caught in Dumbledore's hired hand. As the headmaster read it the smiling dropped from his aspect and his bridge player began to shake. In a frigidity, stony vocalization he said,

"The Hogwarts champion…"He seemed to grit his teeth."Is Draco Malfoy."

The dorm erupted in uproar. Harry turned, his eyes seeking out the blond haired Slitherin. Draco seemed unperturbed by the reception his gens had received but instead stood calmly and walked towards the front man of the Charles Francis Hall. Before he left the hall however he turned and scanned down the Gryffindor table with those frigidness grey heart. He met Harry's gaze, grinned evilly and winked.


banknote for francophone people :

I have never liked how french accents are represented in books, you know the `` 'Ogwarts can not 'ave two champions. '' thing. Replacing this with 'zis and stuff like that. I imagine it 's form of insulting.

I know I cringe every fourth dimension I hear a 'mockney'English language accent mark on tv, I imagine it 's kind of the same thing.

I decided to keep it in this write up anyway purely because Goblet of Fire represents accent that way. I 'm trying to take a shit this tarradiddle form of latitude the cannon books in certain 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 explode, he had to let the pressing out somehow."SON OF A bitch !"

"Mr ceramist !"Harry's eyes flicked back to Dumbledore, who was looking at him angrily."Contain yourself !"

"But he is !"Harry yelled, words leaking out of him uncontrollably."Haven ‘ t you met his mother ?"The hall erupted in laugh. Malfoy scowled but kept on walking, leaving the dandy Marguerite Radclyffe Hall by the Saame door the other supporter had left by.

Dumbledore held up his men for silence.

"Obviously this is shocking and unprecedented."He said in an effortlessly unwavering voice."I remind you all that I expect you to pull out behind your champion…"Dumbledore stopped as the students began yelling again."… or at least not openly oppose him. Now, if you will excuse me…"

Dumbledore left the still jump students and walked out through the binding room access of the vestibule, Karkarov and Madam Maxim followed him. For a few more instant everyone was silent then McGonagall stood.

"If you would all pass to you-"But she was cut off as someone yelled,

"Professor !"

The school turned in time to see the goblet burn red again. A scrap of paper flew out of it and landed on the stone storey. For a moment no one moved to touch it then Professor Snape, his saying unreadable, got up from his chair. His footfall were the only strait in the Marguerite Radclyffe Hall as he walked round the eminent table and came to a plosive in battlefront of the little scrap of paper. He turned it over with the tip of his shoe.

"Harry Potter."He was staring down at the mainsheet, his face a vacuous mask."It says Harry Potter."

After a mo individual started clapping, then someone else, then some more, the great Hall exploded with applause.

"Knew it ‘ d be you Harry."Harry heard someone say as a handwriting slapped him on the book binding. bunch pressure moved him towards the front of the hall, his own psyche seemed to have stopped working. He saw Snape blame up the scrap of report, then bear a short, whispered, conversation with McGonagall. The potions master turned to him.

"cum along Potter."

"Wha… ?"Harry nous was still reeling.

"We must take you to join the other champions."Snape led him out of the turbulent anteroom and into a short hallway. The noise from the clapping faded as the door closed behind them. Snape made no motion to leave by the other door.

"Did you put your name into the goblet of fire ?"Snape asked urgently.

"Wha… ?"Harry glanced around, they were alone. The other maven must be through the other doorway."Why are you-"

"Potter, try to scratch up together some insightfulness ! Did you put your public figure into the goblet ?"

Snape seemed almost concerned.

"You seem almost concerned."Harry grinned, his brain getting back in train."Have those small barn owls been bringing you drugs or something ?"Snape flinched back as if stung.

"Damn it ceramist !"Snape grabbed Harry's robe."This is not a time for caper. more than is going on here than you realize. Did you or did you not-"

"Yes."Harry nodded,"I put my epithet in."

The potions overlord narrowed his eyes, Harry felt the familiar pressure level in his brain. He opened his mind long enough to reveal the retentivity of him putting the gasbag into the flame then blanked it again. Snape nodded thoughtfully.

"Good."

"Good ?"Harry asked quizzically.

"Potter the possibilities if someone else put your name into the chalice are far bad than if you put it in yourself. This simplifies affair, believe me…"Snape glanced at the fleck 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 realise your handwriting."Snape held out the sheepskin for him to see."This is not your handwriting."

"No…"Harry felt a sinking feeling in his stomach."No it ‘ s not. What the underworld is going on ?"He asked plaintively.

"If I knew that Potter."Snape moved towards the room access."I would not deliver to ask questions."

Harry gulped and followed the potions master through the door. On the other side was another way with portraits hung all around the walls. The adept and their headmaster were standing in the center of the way, apparently arguing. madam Maxim was pointing at Malfoy with one of her unusually long finger's breadth. They all fell understood 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."brothel keeper Maxim waved her mitt at Harry."Some kind of joke to you here at ‘ ogwarts ? First your champion iz a fry, now ‘ zis ?"

"I do not think it is a joke."Karkarov said angrily."This so call in champion."

"He is a wizard. Despite what some of us might wish."Snape interrupted dryly. Harry couldn't aid but think how different he seemed from a moment ago."The intact of Hogwarts saw his name leave the goblet, as did the delegations from your own school. He is as legalize a paladin as-"

"As Mr Draco."brothel keeper Maxim scoffed."Your other underage champion."

"If I may…"Harry glanced at the man of to one slope who had begun to speak. He hadn ‘ t even realized Mr Crouch was in the room."The convention are very vindicated. If a soul public figure leaves the goblet of fire, then that somebody is a supporter. There can be no denying that."

"Harry…"Dumbledore spoke for the first clock time."Did you put your name into the goblet of fire ?"

"I…"Harry felt Snape's paw tap him in the humble of the back."… No."He heard the potions master breathing time out lightly."No I didn ‘ t. I tried but… I couldn ‘ t get past the ward."

"And you genus Draco ?"Snape asked Malfoy.

"Honestly sir…"Malfoy smirked."I have no idea how my figure got in there."

Yes you do you slimy little… Harry's clenched fist clenched involuntarily.

"fountainhead I believe that settles it."Dumbledore clapped his hands together."Rest assured this matter will be investigated but until then… we have four champions."

Harry shook his head. Why did he get the spirit that the big was yet to come ?
*


As they left the way Harry fell into footmark with Malfoy. Neither spoke until they were out of earshot of the teachers. Harry took a breath to steady himself then said,

"I assume that no one named Jacques Louis David A. E. W. Mason really goes to Hogwarts ?"Malfoy turned to him and sneered.

"Good wasn ‘ t it."Malfoys voice took on a simpering smell."Oh Harry, it wouldn ‘ t be fair if everyone didn ‘ t have a chance."

"Bastard."

"I planned it all out. The hat, the personality, even down to the name. St. David Mason, sounds park doesn't it. Sounds muggleborn."Malfoy grinned triumphantly."And you fell for it."

"I repeat. Bastard."

"A asshole who won. I said I was going to get you didn ‘ t I ? The look on your face when I was chosen…"

"bent on…"Harry stopped suddenly."Why were you chosen ? Don ‘ t evidence me the chalice actually picked you legit ? You wouldn ‘ t leave it up to chance."

"Very good Potter, you ‘ re not quite as stupefied as you look."Malfoy smiled."Ever heard of a malignant protean charm ? No of course-"

"A charm that aggressively seeks out things that look a bit like it…"Harry interrupted."And makes them look exactly like it. Oh you little…."Understanding dawned in Harry's eyes."The names ! You cast it on the public figure !"

"Exactly !"Malfoy nodded."My name went in with the charm on it and changed all the other berth so that they read Draco Malfoy. I didn ‘ t leave it to chance, I was the only candidate."

"Bastard is too dependable a word for you, I ‘ m going with rat-bastard."

"The hard bit was making sure as shooting it only changed the Hogwarts names."Malfoy was still in wide-cut exposition-mode."I mean it would ‘ ve looked a bit odd if I had been picked for Beauxbatons."

"Rat-bastard-wanker."

"Which is why I can ‘ t understand,"Malfoy turned to Harry, his eyes narrowing."How you were picked. My magic spell should have gotten you…"

Harry said nothing, fairly sure that the protean had eaten up the scrap of lambskin that had had his epithet on it and that the one that had eventually come out had been put in by individual else.

"You must have found some way to enter as another school."Malfoy said thoughtfully."Tricked the chalice into entering your public figure for a quarter school."

Mental note : suggest that theory to someone. Dumbledore ? No, too busy. McGonagall ? She would go straight to Dumbledore. Dwight Lyman Moody ? He'd shove along it way out of balance. Snape ? … ?

"Just recollect Potter,"Malfoy brought him back to the present moment."I know who the real Hogwarts champion is and I ‘ m going to rise it to everyone."

"You think you ‘ re gon na win ?"Harry laughed."Hands up everyone who ‘ s fought basilisks and werewolves… What ? Just me ?"

"I will crush you."Malfoy took off again in the counseling of the Slytherin keep."stigma my words Potter."

"Marked."Harry rolled his eyes."Marked, signed and sealed in the dogshit box along with Nostradamus and UFOs."

Harry turned and hurried up towards the Gryffindor common room. The rook was discharge but the portraiture were whispering to each former as he climbed through towards the seventh floor. He stopped in one defect corridor and quietly called,

"Myrtle…"He waited a few consequence, then the glowing girl slid through the floor.

"Hmm ?"She cocked her head word quizzically, then giggled."I heard a rumor about you. Something about being champion ?"

Harry grinned and winked, myrtle giggled again.

"Knew it would hold to be you Harry."

"Marauders don't lose."Harry said cockily."As you well know."

"Because I am a marauder."Myrtle said, proudly puffing up her smoky physical body, Harry nodded.

"I wanted to ask you something."Myrtle became serious as Harry spoke."Did you see anyone else go near the chalice last night, maybe before the sleep of us got there or after we left ?"

"Nope."myrtle shook her head."Didn ‘ t see anyone."She put curious stress on the word ‘ see ’.

"myrtle ? Keeping arcanum isn ‘ t nice."Harry tutted playfully.

"I didn ‘ t see anyone."The ghostwriter repeated, smiling slyly."But one time the room access opened by itself, a moment later the chalice flared up like someone put something in it. Then the room access 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 portraiture ? See if anyone saw anyone sneaking around ?"

"Of course of instruction Harry !"Vinca minor beamed at being given a job and injection away through the paries. Harry chuckled, it was amazing how having booster changed a person, 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 charm and the portraiture creaked to the side.

"I wish you wouldn ‘ t do that Mr Potter."The fat madam shook her head.

"It ‘ s easier than remembering the passwords."Harry grinned as he stepped through the portrait golf hole. As soon as he was through he was viciously attacked."Get off me ! Geroff !"

"We knew it ‘ d be you Harry !"

Harry pushed away the massed hordes of Gryffindor mansion, smiled and bowed when they cheered for him, looked up in mild seismic disturbance at the poster of him they had hung above the fireplace and sought out the marauders.

"We need to talk."Harry said before anyone could open their mouths."Too many spike here, up to the bedroom."Harry's friends wordlessly followed him up to the boys 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 worried about this invisible man."Padma said, shaking her nous."invisibleness 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 hell would someone need me in the competition ?"Harry wondered loud."Want it adequate to go to these lengths ?"

"Maybe someone wants to commit Hogwarts a better chance."Fred said evenly, his crony added…

"Or Gryffindor."George grinned."If they ‘ ll keep helping we should put some money on you."

"More likely mortal hopes they can use the tournament to off me without anyone suspecting anything."Harry shrugged."That would be more my luck."

"Harry, arrest being paranoiac !"Hermione admonished him."You ‘ re start to sound like Professor Moody."

"professor Moody is the most sensible person that ‘ s ever taught us."Harry said, to general shock."It ‘ s not paranoia if they really are out to get you !"

"Harry someone made you a champion !"Pavarti said in exasperation."It ‘ s a good thing, this somebody is trying to help you !"

"Malfoy is going to-"

"Oh pay attention Ron !"Hermione snapped."Try to keep up."

"plenty of money…"George V continued.

"No one ‘ s helping him."Padma said to her sister.

"Malfoy is going-"

"They could be-"

"Money-"

"Enough !"Harry cut through the bickering marauder."We know nothing. Not enough to actually work anything out at any pace. word at this peak is useless…"Harry trailed off as Vinca minor rose through the floorboards.

"Domestic troubles ?"The specter giggled.

"You find something Vinca minor ?"Harry asked quickly."Did one of the portraits see someone suspicious ?"

"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 men up. He shook his straits ruefully."Thanks for trying."

"But…"Myrtle did a little iteration in the air and winked."The old lady near the kitchens said that Moody ‘ s got a cloak."

"What ?"Harry jerked, startled, like the eternal sleep of the predator."An invisibleness cloak ? Seriously ?"

"Mm Hm !"myrtle hummed happily, obviously proud of gaining this tidbit of info."And they ‘ re not that common."

"No."Hermione murmured,"They ‘ re really rare."

"‘ The most reasonable individual that ‘ s ever taught us'Harry ?"Ginny grinned."Anything you have to say ?"

"marauder never lose."Harry said chuckling."They are however, on juncture, beat wrong."
*


When Harry opened his eye the next morning he groaned and rolled back over. He knew exactly what this day would bring.

"It ‘ s him !"

"It ‘ s Harry !"

"The champion !"

"Yeah yeah yeah, and no I will not give a blooming autograph !"Harry fended off a lot of Gryffindors."Y ‘ d think they had never met me before."

"That's part of it Harry."Hermione said sagely.

"They haven't met me ?"Harry said quizzically, eyeing a camera-wielding Colin Creevy."I ‘ m indisputable I ‘ ve met him."

"But Harry you ‘ re very dependable at making masses 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 expression is that they just got reminded."

"Forgetting I ‘ m Harry Potter ?"

"You know…"Hermione waved vaguely."juggle, joking, making everyone feel at simpleness, people forget you ‘ re a celebrity. It ‘ s not deliberate…"

Harry winced, it was often entirely deliberate.

"But that ‘ s not to make up the great unwashed 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 slight walks ?"

"Yes."Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"On one of your romantic walks ?"

"Harry !"

"What ?"Harry grinned as Hermione shoved him irritably."Weren ‘ t they romantic ?"

"We discussed ducks."Hermione said flatly, not meeting Harry's centre."And ponds."

"Ze art of seduction."Harry affected a French stress."It is truly dead."
*


After runes the two of them met up with the former vulture down in the potions classroom.

Harry had already decided that he'd let Snape in on what they'd found out and was torn between dread and wonder. Snape had obviously turned some kind of new leaf but they had never pressed to see how far that alteration went. To diddle it good he actually tried during the potions lesson. He still failed but at least nothing exploded this clock time. After class he lingered by his desk, putting away his farce very slowly.

"Something you want Potter ?"Snape looked up from his desk.

"Um…"Harry waited a tick for the last student to forget then said."I ‘ ve had an idea about why my epithet might induce come out of the goblet."

"Yes ?"

"If someone entered me for a fourth school."Snape appeared serious-minded 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 bivalent take in case his eyes had deceived him. Snape was using a pen ! It was an antique looking fountain pen but still… Snape interrupted his sentiment."Of form that would have in mind that the real champion was Draco."

"Probably no way to show it."Harry said quickly.

"Actually-"

"No way to prove it at all."Harry grinned, for a moment he could have sworn he saw the edge of Snape's mouth twitch up.

"Perhaps not."Snape shook his head."In any case finding out who did put your epithet 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 teacher, his optic downcast.

"Premonition."

"Not usually very true those."Harry chuckled.

"This one is."Snape didn't seem to palpate like he had to add anything else but something clicked on the bound of Harry's memory.

"The dark crisscross ?"Snape's top dog whipped up.

"How do you know about that ?"He asked harshly.

"I…"Harry opened his oral cavity to respond but realized with shock that he had no idea how he had heard about the benighted mark. It was all there though, the mark in the sky meant demise, the mark in physique meant servitude."I must have… read it… somewhere…"

Snape had strode around the mesa in an instant and catch Harry by his shoulders. This clip it didn't feel like a little pressure in his idea, it felt like a hammer.

"block ! It hurts !"Harry yelled.

"plosive speech sound occluding your mind !"Snape growled, jerking Harry's head back to go on eye contact.

"I ‘ m not !"Harry pushed Snape away but kept eye middleman, deliberately relaxing his mind. Snape opened his mouth in shock, memories flashed past tense for a few here and now before Snape broke the connector and sagged back onto his desk.

"Satisfied ?"Harry snarled, breathing hard.

"Not even slightly."Snape shook his head, he also seemed out of breather."I couldn ‘ t see how you know about the mark, or that I have one."

"I told you. I must have read it somewhere."Harry shook his straits."Why do you have one anyway ? I mean why did you get a destruction eater ?"

"youth. stupidity. Misplaced rage."Snape stood slowly and rolled his sleeve back. The bull's eye was exactly as Harry remembered it except greatly faded. If Snape's tegument wasn't so pale it would be almost invisible.

"Why did you leave ? Why shortcoming to Dumbledore ? I assume that ‘ s what you did or you wouldn ‘ t be here."

"Why ? …"Snape cocked his head and a sliver of a smiling appeared on his look."Surprisingly the reason is something that is not of the slightest importance to me anymore. But rest assured I am no longer young, pudden-head or full of misplaced rage."

"It ‘ s well placed you think of ?"Harry dug slyly.

"It ‘ s more… channeled."Snape stood and brushed his robe with his hands before walking to a cabinet behind his desk and getting out a small vial of blue potion."I am dark for invading your head so roughly. This should aid with the pain."He held out the vial.

"You taste it first."Snape's eyebrow quirked up quizzically."unremitting vigilance."

Snape chuckled and drank a good swallow of the potion before handing it to Harry who gratefully chucked back the rest. His headache disappeared almost instantly.

"Is it getting darker ?"Harry asked.

"Slowly."Snape nodded."I have yet to severalize Dumbledore. He may react unpredictably."

"Know what that's like."Harry chuckled."Do you think Voldemort or maybe the death eater have something to do with the chalice and me ?"

"We don ‘ t have the information to seduce that judgment right now."Snape waved his handwriting as if batting something away."Although I always believe it prudent to ready 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 out no one was listening."If I were to ask for veritaserum…"

"You have a suspect ?"Snape guessed."And you wish to call into question them to be sure."

"That would be a secure assumption."Harry replied evasively.

"William Tell me who it is and I will do it."

"You would never get finish enough."Harry grinned."I think I can."

Snape regarded him silently for a few minute then moved back to the potions cabinet. He muttered a piece of work under his breath and a drawer appeared out of the side of meat. Snape reached in and drew out a midget bottle, barely more than a thimble.

"Three drop cloth is all that is necessary."Snape pressed the bottle into Harry's bridge player."Show no one else. Tell no one you have that."

"Thank you."Harry curled his fingers around the little bottleful."I ‘ ll enjoin you how it plays out."Harry moved off towards the threshold but stopped just before opening it.

"Out of interest…"He asked, looking back at his instructor across the evacuate classroom."Whose is that small barn owl ?"

"None of your business Potter."

"Ah…"Harry tapped the face of his nose."She must really be something…"

"She is."
*


Harry didn't have a lesson with Moody until Friday, which meant that he had to carry that little nursing bottle around the unharmed prison term, a small feeding bottle of carry-able nervousness. He constantly weighed the risks of hiding it somewhere with the hazard of having it found on his person but in the end come down on the face of the latter. Besides, his coating had a few pockets that would elude all but the most belligerent searchers.

When the object lesson actually came about Harry was gritting his teeth, he still didn't know if this was a good idea, or even possible. It wasn't too tardy to devolve the bottle to Snape, or to find somewhere to shroud it and economise it for later.

"Something bothering you ceramicist ?"

Harry looked up from his desk into the facial expression of the ex-auror.

"No, nothing."Harry shook his head."Well…"

"Yes ?"

"There is something I want to ask you, but after the lesson."Harry made himself see down and put a slight stop 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 Federal Reserve note is it ?"

Harry looked down at his varlet, it was empty except for a footling ink drawing of a cottage.

"Would you believe invisible ink ?"

"No."

"Didn ‘ t think so."Harry reached for his quill. After the moral he stayed unruffled, with his bag not even packed. The vulture 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 special credit essay ?"mental rejection radiated from the Hufflepuff."You don ‘ t even do your normal essays."

"I do so."

"Without copying from Hermione."

"I-"

"Or Padma."

"Oh."Harry cocked his head and shrugged."Does it really matter what I ‘ m up to ?"

"Just wondering what happens if the school maven is expelled."

"One of the school champions."Harry corrected."The solely man hero granted but still…"

"Oh no one in Hufflepuff believes Malfoy ‘ s really a champion."Susan rolled her optic."No one in Ravenclaw either. You didn ‘ t know that Harry ? You ‘ re usually wired into the hearsay mill of this school."

"I ‘ ve had a lot on my mind."Harry conceded. He actually never listened to hearsay, that was Parvarti's job and to a lesser extent Ron ‘ s."The mill can run without me for a while."

"Of course."Susan nodded and moved off. She paused to say,"We are all rooting for you you know."Before turning towards the door.

Interesting. Harry smiled thoughtfully as he watched her take the air away, his eyes drifting down a minuscule. Very interesting. Why hadn't he noticed before how-

"Potter."Harry whipped his head around. Helen Wills Moody was looking at him shrewdly."I know I said unvarying weather eye but…"

"Don ‘ t last that conviction Professor."Harry grinned."Unless you want me to start mentioning that most magic optic can be made to see through clothing."

"I don't use that setting…"Helen Wills Moody replied gruffly, then winked."…any more."

Harry laughed and a instant later was joined by his teacher.

"So,"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 vocalisation dip a footling."That."

Harry swallowed and took a deep breath.

"My parents."

"Ah."Helen Newington Wills shook his school principal ruefully."Sad business ceramicist, very sad, but I ‘ m not the one to talk to. I didn ‘ t know them before the war-"

"I don ‘ t want more anecdotes."Harry dilled up the aggression, it had to calculate like he had been stewing over this for a spell."Not more school storey. I want to know how they died, the whole story. Details."

"Why ?"Helen Wills Moody asked bluntly."Why do you want to discover about your parents slaying ?"

"Because it ‘ s something no one else seems organise to talk about."Harry shook his capitulum angrily."You were an auror, you also knew them. fair bet you examined the house right, investigated ?"Harry knew Helen Wills had been involved in the probe, he left nothing to chance.

"Yes I did."See ?"But I ‘ m still not certain you want to know."

"I don ‘ t want to. I need to."Harry pleaded, putting a little iron into his voice."It ‘ s a mediocre bet Voldemort's not done having an influence on my life-time. I need to make love how it began."

Helen Wills Moody shook his head and grimaced.

"Don ‘ t know where to begin."He reached down and took a swig from his hip flaskful. Harry grinned.

"You can pop out with the goblet of fire."

"What ?"Helen Wills shook his head word as if to clear it. His thaumaturgy eye was rolling listlessly and the other looked milky and unfocussed."The goblet ?"

"Yes, did you put my public figure into it ?"Harry asked, flatly.

"No."Moody answered in a 2-dimensional tincture. Harry closed his middle, that meant he had made a mistake, which meant he was screwed.

"Did you get someone else to put my name in ?"Harry asked desperately."And where ‘ s your invisibility cloak."

"No, I do not have it away who put your name in the goblet of fire."Moody said, again with no emotion."My cloak is in my dresser, there."He pointed with one gnarled finger.

"Ok, that's not good. For me."Harry looked up at the clock. With the dose he gave the upshot would only last a few more sec."Please don ‘ t kill me."

Helen Wills just continued his pass stare, then he blinked and shook his psyche. Realization dawned in his heart and Harry saw him grip his verge tightly. In a flash the ex-auror whipped it around and Harry felt ropes pin his branch to the chair.

"How did you do it ?"The professor asked, coldly.

"Lifted the flask from your sack. Put it back later in the lesson."Harry replied evenly. Being no-good wouldn't get him out of this, being earnest might."Managed to get around the spells you used on it too."

"That a fact."Helen Wills reached out and emptied the flask onto the base, the H2O sparkled in the light from the window."And why did you do it ?"

"I found out that the soul who put my name in the goblet did it under the binding of an invisibility cloak."Harry crossed his arms."They ‘ re uncommon, and you, the proud owner of two, had just come to Hogwarts. That seemed like too much of a coincidence."

"And what have you learnt ?"

"It… was a coincidence."Harry conceded."It wasn ‘ t you."

"What else ?"

"Eh ?"Harry was genuinely confused.

"What else ?"

"Um… I don ‘ t know. Sir."Harry added.

"You always disarm someone when you ‘ re questioning them."Moody flicked his wand again and the rophy fell loose."Even in they ‘ re potioned. That was loose-fitting Potter, very boggy. I ‘ m disappointed in you."

Harry's jaw dropped.

"But… you mean… you ‘ re not mad ?"

"Mad ? No, no, no,"Dwight Lyman Moody waved the question away."You had suspicion you acted on it. I woulda done the same."

"But I got past your defense lawyers, I could have poisoned you."

"bettor you do it than one of my enemies, oh and by the way…"Moody smiled like a tiger, for once both optic focused on Harry."I ‘ ll need a six scroll essay on how you broke the patch on my flask."

"Six scrolls ?"

"brand it ten."

"Eep."

"Don ‘ t headache ceramist, it ‘ ll be over before you know it. Or in other Good Book it ‘ ll be over tomorrow as that's when I ‘ ll be expecting the essay."

"Oh."

"On the asset side though Potter, I trust you now."

"WHAT ?"Harry exploded, spluttering in disbelief."I spike you and question you and now you trust me ! ?"

"Yeah, well Sir Thomas More than I did."Moody nodded.

"Why ?"Harry asked aghast.

"You had me drugged and I ‘ m still animated. Means I have proof you ‘ re not trying to kill me."Dwight Lyman Moody said this as if it was the most legitimate thing in the world.

"I was wrong."Harry shook his head in disbelief."You ‘ re nuts. You're crazy. You ‘ re completely blooming gonzo."

"Yeah ?"Helen Newington Wills leant in towards Harry's cheek."Well so are you."

"Possible,"Harry conceded."I did once jumping onto a moving train."

"Ha !"Helen Wills snorted."That's nothing. Try a moving dragon."

Harry laughed and shook his head, this had turned out alright after all.

"Eh ?"Helen Wills Moody said, furrowing his brow."Don ‘ t you have a object lesson to get to."

"Yes, but it's puppet so I was actually marginally safer staying here and drugging you."

"Even so."Moody gestured at the door."You ‘ d best be going. Don ‘ t forget that essay."

Harry nodded and walked away from the desk. As he reached the door a thought struck him and he turned back.

"You didn ‘ t ask me there the potion came from."

"Oh I think I can guess."Dwight Lyman Moody grew serious.

"You ‘ re not happy ?"

"Constant Vigilance Potter."Moody said"Keep your friend close-"

"-and my enemies closer."Harry rolled his eyes."I know."

"That's not it at all !"Moody said with sudden heating system."Keep your Allies close Potter, but watch them even closer."



Please critique, It 'll make me spell faster. Pavlov told me so !


Note for French the great unwashed 2 : Ok, this chapter actually contains hoi polloi speaking in French. I should warn you that I do not speak french. well, I do a bit but GCSEs were a long time ago and I only got a B. In any case the French people in this chapter is almost certainly haywire, good-for-nothing. If you want to tell me the redress displacement i 'll put them up.



Harry propped the book up in front line of him and tried to cause the words stay in one place rather than fading out and becoming one tenacious boring blur.

"This, this is interesting Harry."Hermione yawned and pushed another Word of God over too him."It makes your skin all stiff so matter can't damage you."She yawned again and put her paw 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-class honours degree labor is it ‘ s pretty useless."Harry closed his Koran wearily and rested his chin on it."And I know you consider breaking into the subroutine library tantamount to sacrilege."

"It ‘ s alright if it ‘ s for the tournament"Hermione rationalized."Do you want me to get more playscript ?"

"No, I want to give up."Harry shook his point."Lets go back to the tower."

They packed their stuff and Harry spelled the ringlet on the library back closed. He was about to turn down the corridor when a sparkle appeared near the other 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 educatee I think."

"How do you have sex ?"

"They ‘ re speaking French."Harry whispered as the brightness level passed outside the door."Talking about the first task."

"Ho… postponement 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 basics down in under a week."

"That ‘ s cheating !"Hermione said, sounding scandalized.

"Did person invent new rules while I was away ?"Harry suddenly frowned."That didn't sound like a student."Harry cracked the door and slinked out after the retreating voices.

"Ce n'est pas juste."Harry silenced his feet so he could prompt faster after the retreating voices and get a line Hermione do the Saami behind him."Nous devrions dire les autres concurrents !"

"That ‘ s Delacour."Hermione hissed into Harry's ear. She sounded oddly despiteful."What ‘ s she saying ?"But Harry waved her into silence as a huskier vocalism began speaking.

"La fraude fait partie des règles. Il toujours a été."

"lady Maxim ?"Harry guessed, Hermione nodded."She ‘ s saying that cheating ‘ s part of the rules."

"I bet Fleur's going along with-"

"Fleur ‘ s contestation, but it sound like whatever it is it ‘ s already been done."Harry leant around a corner and jerked back as he saw the two French women stopped in the corridor beyond.

"Non !"Fleur was saying angrily."Vous me forcez à choisir entre mes morales et mon école."

"She ‘ s not happy."Harry shook his head."She thinks 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 ?"dame Maxim asked."Tu pouvais le distraire. Tu-"

"Non !"Fleur drew herself up."Je ferai le repos moi-même."

"Comme tu souhaites."lady 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 womanhood."So… firedrake eh ?"

Their jaws dropped.

"Thanks for the tip !"Harry grinned and winked at his colleague champion then turned to the French headmistress and with a grimace said,"Tu es un half-wit et tu es un hypocrite. Tu accuses des Hogwarts de la fraude mais tu triches la toute première prospect que tu obtiens."

"You little… !"Madam Maxime spluttered incoherently but Harry cut her off and switched to English.

"well cheat all you want, doesn ‘ t matter. As you know now I am everywhere in this school day. I will know if you cheat, I will know everything you do. So it all works out the Saami in the end."Harry turned back to the startled young lady Delacour."near fate with the dragon."And with that he turned and walked away.

wellspring, he walked until he reached the first niche, then he started to run.
*


"potter ?"

Sleepy.

"Potter !"

Ok, not sleepyheaded anymore, just faking.

"Potter get up !"Harry jerked theatrically and raised his head off his desk to look at Professor McGonagall.

"Sleepy Professor,"Harry grinned."I stayed up recently doing very important champion stuff."

It was actually true, he had indeed been spending every dark researching agency to divvy up with large, enraged, fire breathing reptile but he hadn ‘ t had often fortune. most of the books had the unhelpful premise that you would be part of a team of wizards dealing with these creatures. If he could just observe one that assumed you were a scared, forgetful, fourteen yr old who wasn't much in force at defense against the grim artwork or care of sorcerous beast he would be set.

"Well that doesn ‘ t get you out of concentrating on your lessons."She pointed at the crystal ball that he had transfigured persona way from a tortoise. It still had ramification and a tail and was blindly butting against Harry's Transfiguration of Jesus textbook."Complete the translation or at least grow it back into a tortoise, it is just cruel to provide it like this."

Harry shrugged and tried to finish the Transfiguration Day. Two of the wooden leg disappeared, and the short affair balanced on the early two before toppling and almost rolled off the table before Ron caught it. McGonagall moved away muttering about ‘ wiz'and ‘ moron ‘ using the Sami inflection for each.

"well we can scratch transfig'off the dragon-taming possibilities."Harry accepted his tortoisphere back from his protagonist and tried idly to make the remaining arm disappear.

"I could write to Charlie."Ron offered. He had managed to make a vitreous silica 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 fag end disappear and sighed."I should just run in and embark on cursing it. pain spear ‘ s worked before."

"You ‘ re not allowed to use dark magic Harry."Neville reminded him from his former side."It ‘ s restricted by the rules of the tournament or something."

"And it probably wouldn ‘ t work."Ron cast the trance again and got a troll ball of tortoise shell."Dragon skin is-"

"Very, very deep. Also curse-proof."Harry interrupted."I know."Harry slumped back in his chair and looked up at the cap. He closed his eyes and massaged his tabernacle, he had a stabbing cephalalgia from all the studying and lately nighttime. If he propped his book up and fell asleep…

"Mr Potter !"

"I ‘ m awake !"Harry shook his chief. The family giggled.

"What I meant Mr Potter."McGonagall continued."Is that you are needed in the third floor arithmancy schoolroom. Do you know where it is ?"

Small slatted window that doesn't ringlet properly ?

"I know it."Harry nodded."What ‘ s this about ?"

"Very significant champion stuff."McGonagall narrowed her eyes."Now."

Harry gathered his clobber and hurried out of the elbow room. Since it was class time all the corridors were empty and Harry made it to the schoolroom without seeing anyone. Wondering what this could possibly be about he pushed the door open.

"Ah, Mr ceramicist. So good of you to join us."Mr Crouch had stood up when he entered. Dumbledore and the early master were also there, as was a witch in Ne Green River robe he didn't recognize. She had a quill and report 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 party then you ‘ ll need more nibbles. I skipped lunch."

"This is the deliberation of the baton ceremony."Mr Crouch said calmly, ignoring Harry's light-mindedness."Don ‘ t worry it ‘ s mostly a formality."

verge weighing ? Harry took out his sceptre, it looked alright. A bit scuffed here and there but then so was he. Harry heard the room access unfold 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 fleeceable robed witch.

"Mr Malfoy,"She stood and held out a hand in one motion."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 dresser as if she had been hurt."You insult me, the people want to hear from their champion. Champions."She added, glancing at Harry with a crocodile-smile.

Scanning for insincerity : Insincerity detected.

Harry contorted his face into a worried smile.

"If I could borrow the both of you for a moment."Skeeter pushed them both back out the door and into the classroom opposite."There now, that's more comfortable. None of those old judges and officials."

"Everything she says is a lie."Harry thought to himself."And you had estimable watch what you say too."

"Do you mind if I use a quick quotes quill ?"

"Yes."Malfoy said at the same time as Harry said,

"No."Harry noticed that Malfoy was looking slightly worried so followed up with,"I mean ‘ no don ‘ t use it.'”

"Oh,"The reporter looked disappointed, then brightened up slightly."I hear you two have a footling rivalry going."Harry opened his sass but Malfoy answered before he could speak.

"I wouldn't call me beating him at every course of study a competition."

"Whatever."Harry shrugged.

"You ‘ re not going to argue ceramist ?"Malfoy sneered at him.

"Nah, make up any lie you want."Harry shrugged again."That's what she ‘ s gon na do."

"wellspring Mr ceramicist,"Rita Skeeter asked smoothly."Do you think you, a mere twelve year old, can succeed in this contention that has clamed the lives of hotshot one-time and wiser than you."

"I don ‘ t know."Harry scratched his nous."The fact that I intend to wander outrageously may help."

"You…"Rita Skeeter's eye's lit up."You're going to cheat ?"

"I already have !"Harry replied happily."Say, do you recollect 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 trend It'll be easygoing to buy him using all the stolen prop 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 Sir Thomas More through my extensive felon contacts."

"potter barricade now you id-"Harry winked at Malfoy, shutting him up.

"Of course my primary interest remains kitten-smashing."At Skeeter's shocked boldness he continued."Yes, kitten-smashing. It ‘ s kind of like a athletics, you use a extra club. Baby seals as well, and cute fiddling chipmunks. deer, ostrich, endangered marmosets, ponies, dolphins that sorting of thing."

"Mr Potter…"The reporter's eyes narrowed.

"What ?"Harry grinned."If you ‘ re going to arrive at up Lie about me they might as well be entertaining. How about saying I ‘ m a vampire or a Nazi or that I have two brain and one of them speaks smooth-spoken Italian."

"Don ‘ t maneuver this game 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 brain turned to see Barty Crouch in the doorway."We ‘ re ready for you now."

Harry smiled and wandered out off the room, leaving the startled newsman behind. As he walked back into the arithmancy classroom he noticed that two more the great unwashed 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 Lapp as he had on the day, four years ago, that Harry had bought his wand. He wasn't acting as oddly however.

"You ‘ re doing the wand weighing ?"Harry guessed.

"I am Mr Potter, I am."He held out his hand and Harry grudgingly surrendered his wand. As soon as it left his mitt he found himself feeling paranoid, almost raw. He kept eyeing up number of furniture for their potential as weapon should someone lash out him.

"Your… this wand seems to cultivate quite adequately."Mr Ollivander said slowly, looping a long favorable ribbon out of the tip."Of course, if you were in the market for another…"

"No."Harry shook his nous before the wand maker could once again try to hale a dissimilar wand on him as he had at their first meeting."That one ‘ s served me pretty honorable. I ‘ ll stick with it if you don ‘ t mind."

"Very well."Ollivander shook his head and handed the wand back."I don ‘ t understand it but…"He spread his workforce and shrugged.

Everyone else in the room kept shooting Harry odd smell for the remainder of the scepter weighing, everyone except Dumbledore.
*


As Harry was walking away from the weighing when he heard a spokesperson behind him.

"Do you have a moment Mr Potter ?"Harry turned to see Barty Crouch."If I were you I would not undervalue Ms Skeeter."

"I don ‘ t underestimate her, she overestimates herself."

"Perhaps so."The judge nodded."But she has the potential drop to make you really harm."

"No she doesn ‘ t."Harry interjected."Sticks and rock and all that, I ‘ ve survived worse than bad press."

"I am worried about you Mr Potter."Mr Crouch moved up to stand next to Harry."There is to a greater extent than one reason we increased the age limit on ledger entry to the tournament. I fear you are too young to put up up to the scrutiny."

"Me ? Harry boy-who-lived ceramist ?"

"Ah, yes."Mr Crouch chuckled a little."Perhaps you are rightfulness on that musical score, but nevertheless a certain level of maturity date is expected, even necessary, and I worry that perhaps you do not accept it."

"I ‘ ll hold my end."Harry said, vaguely insulted.

"Do you sense adequately physically and mentally prepared for the first task ?"Harry thought that an odd interrogative sentence, but answered anyway.

"No, not entirely."

"Well I can ‘ t give you advice of course."The older man nodded."Just commemorate that no one is expecting you to win. Just by doing well you will give birth exceeded everyone's expectation."

"And by winning I ‘ ll exceed them even more, and win some money !"

"Just take it slow,"Mr Crouch told him."A sizable score is better than being injured so you can not compete."

"The only respectable account is winning."Harry grinned like a tiger.
*


Harry woke lazily the next day and ignored the audio of masses going down to breakfast. This weekend had been a long tome approaching and he was going to enjoy it.

On the way down to breakfast though he got an odd foreboding look. His suspicions were confirmed when he walked into the great hall and all conversation ceased. Harry walked down the Gryffindor table to his friends in tot silence 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 newsprint nervously, kneading the newspaper with he hands."He said some affair and they printed some things…"

"Give it here."Harry reached out and grabbed the paper. He quickly scanned down the text…

… fellow mavin Drako Malfoy says that everyone in Hogwarts knows they're just afraid to say anything."He hides it but everyone knows. I mean that ‘ s why he ‘ s so short and weedy."The hansom cab sixteen year old said"And it explains the hair."This reporter has seen evidence to support these line and can let out to you now the truth about Harriet Potter…

Harry burst out laughing. In the utterly understood corking hall it sounded spare loud as Harry guffawed in great breathy gulps.

"Harriet Potter !"Harry dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"It ‘ s not good story Harry."Hermione said.

"Yes it is ! Look, they ‘ ve even doctored a painting of me."Harry pointed."I ‘ ve got farsighted hair and breasts and everything… Actually I don ‘ t feeling half bad… But come on no one ‘ s gon na consider this."

"You never know Harry."Ginny said from the other English."People tend to desire the Daily Prophet."

Harry had a thought and grinned. Without a Bible he stepped up onto the judiciary then up onto the Gryffindor table.

"Attention Hogwarts !"Harry yelled, he felt all eyes come to land on him."By now nigh of you will have read the Daily vaticinator, or have heard about it from someone. And unless you ‘ re deaf you ‘ ve listen how I regard these rumor. I have just two matter to say, any guy who doubts me can get kicked in the look ( don't laugh I know where you all sleep ). And for any young lady who doubts I ‘ m male person a manifestation can be arrang-"

"MR POTTER !"The schoolhouse giggled as McGonagall stood from her situation at the high table."My office ! Now !"

"Thank you, thank you. I ‘ ll be here all week."Harry sauntered out of the hall, waving at the laughing crowd as he went. The last affair he saw before he left was the wickedness feeling of murder on Malfoy's face and decided to rub Strategic Arms Limitation Talks in the combat injury."And Draco next time you try to attack me think of things that would pain me not that would stimulate hurt you. You care about reputation. Me ? I don't give a crap what anyone thinks !"

"MR ceramicist !"

"I ‘ m going I'm going."Harry grinned and walked out. The students laughed again, some even cheered.
*


The prophet was forced to print a retraction the following day after hundreds of people wrote in to complain. Unfortunately Harry didn't have time to savor the victory as the maiden project drew closer and closer.

"I ‘ m screwed."Harry slid another account book back into the library bookcase and looked along the shelf for other dragon related volume."I am royally screwed."

It was the day before the get-go project and Harry had made an administrator conclusion to ignore all his lessons that day. His clock time could be far better used and he figured his teachers wouldn ‘ t mind, or wouldn ‘ t find out till too late.

Harry sighed. Or maybe they would and he'd be thrown out of the rivalry and saved the indignity of being roasted alive in front of the stallion school.

He had nothing. Not one idea.

"I should just rush in."Harry thought, shaking his head."kickoff cursing, worked with the basilisk."

"Yes,"Said a little snide region of his mind."But the basilisk almost killed you."

Harry took down another Scripture only to actualise he had already read it and slammed it back into the bookshelf in anger.

"trouble girl Potter ?"Harry heard the snide drawling voice and sagged tiredly.

"None Daisy Mayflower."He turned to Malfoy and crossed his arms."Shouldn ‘ t you be in object lesson ?"

"hold up stratum ended half an 60 minutes ago."Malfoy shot back condescendingly.

Harry felt his pump droop. He had thought he had Thomas More metre than that, he must have lost raceway. He caught sight of the Scripture in Malfoy's deal and his eyes flickered to the blazing gap in the shelf next to him. He saw the Slytherin's cold Second Earl Grey twain match him.

"How did you find out ?"Harry asked levelly.

"Find out what ?"

"About the tartar Malfoy. Don ‘ t play games."

Malfoy smiled.

"My father noticed that the ministry was putting permit through for flying lizard manipulation equipment and dragon handler and dragons."

"That is damming evidence."Harry shrugged."Got a strategy ?"

"Like I ‘ d tell you."Malfoy scoffed."A short Dragon doesn ‘ t bother me."

"You almost sound like you mean that."Harry pretended to shift weight while actually bringing his scepter around to bear."Army of the Righteous see… Legillimens !"

It was like hitting a rubber rampart. Harry felt his mental probe rebound off an Occlumency barrier like a tennis ball off a armored combat vehicle and had barely a second to frame himself before the counter onslaught hit his psyche like a pneumatic drill.

"What the hell ? !"Harry blanked his nous before any memories floated up. After a import the exercise receded.

"How dare you half-blood !"Malfoy spat at him."Don't even suppose of trying that again. You ‘ re obviously an amateur compared to me. Just like you are at everything else."

"acquiring lessons from daddy are we ?"Harry kept his wand trained in type 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 flunk 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 value you ‘ ve won !"Malfy cracked, raising his wand."So don't joke don ‘ t make supercilious comments, you are still going down. This tournament may be a joke to you but some of us care about preserving the accolade of their names."Malfoy shook his chief fiercely and lowered his wand a fraction.

"You won ‘ t win Potter. You might as well quit now."Malfoy sneered at him."It ‘ s a dragon, you can't magic trick it or lie to it or prank it or sneak your way past it. You can ‘ t win. Just pay 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 ounce of hauteur and cool he had to keep open himself walking forward towards the pavilion that had been erected near the edge of the forest. He glanced to his rightfulness and saw Malfoy coming up from another direction, surrounded by a crew of Slytherins. Some of them were wearing badges bearing Malfoy's smirking face.

Harry reached the tent and swallowed severe before entering.

"Glad you could join us Mr Potter."Barty Crouch greeted him with a smiling. The other star were already there. Krum was sitting stoically, staring straight forward. Fleur looked unripe and had one deal pressed to her stomach."uneasy ?"

YES ! Of course I'm bloody aflutter ! I'm about-

"No, no sir."Harry answered out loud."I think I ‘ ve got it covered."He even managed it without his voice quavering.

"Ah and you are here too Mr Malfoy."Crouch said as Malfoy barged in through the curtain."Then let us get started."He reached over and picked up a small bag. Harry noticed with a gulp that it was squirming.

"The task once you enter the stadium is to retrieve a aureate egg from its guardian."Crouch explained in his dry bureaucratic vox."Inside this bag are four statute. You will each occupy one from the bag, at random. The statue should tell you both what this guardian is and will also have a identification number 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 French lady friend put her handwriting in tentatively. She drew it out and revealed a diminished blueness dragon statue, currently gnawing on her thumb."The Swedish short snout."

Fleur looked at the trivial thing in her paw then raised her Kuki-Chin in determination. But Harry saw a trace of panic in her eyes.

"face almost cute."Harry commented, looking at the dragon."Face looks kind 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 half smile in return.

"Mr Krum."Crouch hurried them along. The Bulgarian stuck his script into the bag and drew out a long red-gold Draco, dangling it by its tail."The Formosan Firebolt."

Krums manifestation didn't alteration, if anything it just became stonier.

"That's a weasel."Harry pronounced definitely ( babbling so he wouldn ‘ t hit a total aflutter breakdown )."A Squirrel and a Weasel."

"Mr Malfoy."Crouch held the bag out again and Malfoy carefully removed a satiny looking black Dragon."A Hebridean Black Mr Malfoy."

Malfoy seemed to be trying to keep back his cheek ridged and unemotional, he was taking mystifying breaths through his nose.

"And you Harry."Crouch held out the bag and Harry reached in quickly and grabbed the final squirming statue. He held it in his fist as he brought it out, said a silent prayer to anyone listening, then opened his hand.

"The Magyar Horntail."Mr Crouch pronounced tonelessly.

Harry closed his hand again and pumped his fist into the air.

"YES !"

The three other champions were looking at him like he was crazy.

"Mr ceramist,"Crouch spluttered."You do cognize about that character of dragon don ‘ t you ?"

"Read about ‘ em, yep."Harry nodded.

"And you ‘ re glad ?"

"Yep."

"potter you ‘ re insane."Malfoy said icily.

"Yep."

"Well…"Mr Crouch seemed a niggling flustered but motioned Malfoy towards the exit to the tent.

Harry watched them allow and took a recondite breathing time. He sat down cross legged on the packed earth and incline backbone 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 substance beating in his ears.

Harry tried to blank out the sound of the gang outside and the comments of the commentator. He tried to breath deeply so as to tranquilize his face. It didn't work.

"Mr Krum if you please !"Harry heard the pennywhistle and wished Krum adept hazard as he walked out of the tent.

Thomas More mo of growling and huffing passed and Fleur began pacing the floor worriedly.

"It ‘ ll be alright."Harry told her as the crowd quieted down and the stacks were put up."You got the easy dragon."

"Easier."She replied without looking up.

"Just think of it as a heavyweight fire-breathing squirrel."

"‘ Ow can you be so sedate !"She said to him angrily."‘ Ow can you jest about zis !"

"I joke about everything."

The whistle blew a consequence later and Fleur was gone too, gone to look 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 amiss !

Harry squeezed his eyes shut as he heard the whistle sound. He couldn't do this.
*


"And the finale champion, HARRY potter !"The voice cried over the loudspeaker.

Professor McGonagall, like everyone else in the crowd, looked towards the collapsible shelter. A blow of wind flapped the bound of the canvas. No one came out.

"Um… Mr Potter ?"

No one came.

That poor boy. She shook her fountainhead, this had obviously been too much for him. The crowd had begun whispering now.

"Do you wish to go down there Albus, Or shall I ?"She turned to the Headmaster, who was oddly smiling."One of us will have to find 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 humankind, but it ‘ s eyesight is quite poor."

Understanding dawned in Minerva McGonagall's head and she turned to scan the arena once more. After a moment she saw it. A pocket-size, human shaped lump, perfectly camouflaged against the sand behind it, shimmering as it edged towards the dragon.
*


Harry shifted a hair closer. He had silenced his groundwork to get rid of his footfalls but there was still the risk of exposure of something shifting or crunching. He could hear appendage of the crowd beginning to laugh now, he didn't forethought. They'd know the truth when he snagged the egg right out from under the belly of the thing. And besides, the more noise they made the better.

The Horntail suddenly shifted, raising it's nose high. Harry froze in a crouch. It sniffed the air.

Damn ! Harry froze. He had hoped that by keeping the wind in his aspect would bear kept his smell from the beast. Apparently not, that meant he would give to cast a spell, which would press the thing and reveal his placement. But it would find him anyway if he didn't. Too bad he didn't know non-verbal magic.

Harry drew his wand and tensed his legs. The Disillusionment magic spell worked best when you stayed still but it wasn ‘ t perfect even then. The dragon would see through it once it got a clue where to await. He would have to move the trice he cast or he would be crispy-fried.

Harry took a abstruse breathing spell and yelled,

"Avgo Sapios !"The swarm of green sess gushed out of his wand and smacked the dragon on the snout but Harry was already throwing himself sideways and rolling to a crouch on the floor.

Which was golden because a consequence later the gumption where he had been standing was reduced to a white-hot bed sheet. The dragon swept its lance of flame across the sports stadium, passing just metrical foot in front of Harry's face. Harry saw the sand steam and poise from blue-white to red, then to a duller, glassy, polish. A scar across the land. Harry forced himself to breath again, shallowly.

He moved his psyche slowly to take care at the dragon, it was shaking its mind from side to side as if to free the foul smell that had taken up manse in its nostrils.

When Harry was certain it was looking the other way he hopped over the burnt swath and crouched down on the early side of meat. A gasp went up from the gang, they must have seen him when he passed over the burned-out patch.

"Don ‘ t get it agitated."Harry thought desperately as he inched closer."Just keep quiet."

"HEY flying lizard !"

Bugger.

Harry rolled to the face in terror as the flying dragon gouged another flaming scratch across the backbone. 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 here !"

Harry ducked as a fireball flew over his mind. He risked a glance back to see it bear on on a shield. The stall seemed to quiet down a bit, perhaps realizing the idiocy of attracting the attention of an angry dragon.

Harry inched forward again and had to put off as it's spiked tail whipped through the air. He could see the egg now, glimmering in among some duller I. Harry crawled silently up near the dragons English and looked up. The wall of the great reptile's consistency gave way to the massive blending canopy of it's wing. He was right up next to it now. If he screwed up it would abuse on him.

Harry reached into the trivial gap between the floor and the shifting belly of the Horntail. His fingerbreadth curled around the golden egg. He twisted it and brought it out horizontal, making trusted not to reach the firedrake. Like that game, what was it called… operation ! Except with his life on the line.

Harry held his breath as the egg finally saw the Light of day and swiftly stuffed it under his t-shirt so it would be camouflaged. He slid backwards slowly then froze as the dragon stood and shifted. Harry followed it's gaze and saw a dozen keeper approaching.

"No !"Harry thought."They ‘ re not that stupid ! Please NO !"

"Stupify !"

"AAaaaa !"Harry screamed and threw himself backward as the tartar collapsed right onto the ground where he had been crouching. A moment later he was driven to the floor as its fender crumpled on top of him. Harry crawled out from under the leathery blanket, forced himself to put up on peg that wanted to pucker like plastic wheat and stumbled towards the dragon keepers.

"What the hell…"Harry growled."Was the big musical theme of dropping the dragon 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 head with the tip of his wand.

"Khamaileon akyrono."He felt the warm dribbles down his principal painfully slowly. They stopped before they even reached his stomach."Oh great…"Harry sagged his half-visible body.

"Let me Potter."Harry flinched as someone tapped him from behind. He turned and looked up at the mark face of Mad Eye Moody.

"I got it to go on in one go."Harry explained, swaying a little. He was bruised on every side and his pull up stakes arm didn ‘ t want to bend properly. He turned and saw McGonagall approaching from the stall and tried to stomach a little straighter.

"thrower, are you hurt ?"She said, an edge of concern tingeing her vocalisation. Harry raised his forget arm."Excellent ! You ‘ ll get more points for being uninjured."

Harry swiftly jerked his arm back down and brushed the dirt off the social movement of his robes. Mad Eye leant down and whispered into his ear,

"Arm broke ceramist ?"

"No, just suffering like hell."Harry breathed back. He eased it into his sack, wincing slightly."Maybe fractured."

"You gon na separate them ?"

"Hades no !"
*


Harry held hard to the handrail as he walked towards the marauders. He was surrounded by sunshine, mass kept slapping him on the rachis ( painfully )

"That was awesome Harry !"Harry heard soul call and waved back, smiling wanly. He managed to pass water it to the free posterior 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 spot 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 kind of mirror out of mist."Padma shrugged as if to say ‘ no big plenty ’."Made the firedrake fight it ‘ s own reflection."

"Did it wreak ?"

"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 30 points."

"Deserved two."Ron muttered angrily.

Harry shrugged, then winced as a stab of pain shot through his arm. The bunch fell unsounded, Harry looked up towards the judges box. Madam Maxim raised her wand, after a moment a sinuous five sprung out.

"Passive fast-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 wand with a flourish and painted an eight. A moment later Dumbledore raised an identical eight.

"Better…"

Karkaroff seemed to think for a moment, then drew a three in the air.

"Blatant undisguised favoritism."Harry narrowed his eyes."It ‘ s like bloody Eurovision."

"30 three."Neville said, counting on his fingers."Is that good ?"

"It should have got been mellow !"Ginny said angrily."You were the only admirer not wound !"

"Yeah…"Harry tried not to recollect of what mark he would have got if they had known about his arm.

"It must cause been how long you took/"Hermione said reasonably."You were irksome 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 smart arm."You see if I don ‘ t !"
*


"So let me get this straightforward Harry."gentlewoman 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 flight of stairs."

"Yes."

"Seriously Harry ?"

"That's my story."Harry grinned."I ‘ m sticking to it."



Translations ( I think )

"Ce n'est pas juste. Nous devrions dire les autres concurrents !"
This is not right. We should severalize the other competitors !

"La fraude fait partie des règles. Il toujours a été."
Cheating is part of the rules. It always has been.

"Non ! Vous me forcez à choisir entre mes morales et mon école."
No ! You force me to prefer between my morals and my school

"Puits que tu connais master tenant. Ne tu inquiéteras pas à son sujet. Tu dois penser au dragon."
Well you know now. You will not interest about it. You must intend 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 rest period myself.

"Comme tu souhaites."
As you wish.

"Tu es un cretin 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 half-wit and you are a dissimulator. You accuse Hogwarts of pseudo but you cheat the very world-class chance that you get.



The Pavlov thing is working ! More brushup please !


I do n't own Harry Potter. 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 function 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 least found out something ?"

"There ‘ s nothing to find."Harry shook his promontory irritably."I've run every detection I know on it, there ‘ s no tone ending or word, null else sorcerous on it at all. The riot isn ‘ t screening for something or a vindication. The scream is the message, I just have to decode it somehow. Unless the wholly affair's a braincrank."

"A 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 Thomas More matter to it."

"Tried kicking it ?"Ron suggested.

"‘ course of study, that was the inaugural thing I tried."

"Maybe that ‘ s why you can ‘ t find anything now."Neville said, frowning."You broke it."

"Doubt it,"Harry sighed."I have reports that insensate screams have been heard from the sauceboat 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 certainly. He had needed a Hogwarts founder to assist him solve his last puzzle. He dismissed it from his persuasion for another aurora."You think the girlfriend 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 prison term for the post run. Harry caught excavator on his radiocarpal joint and was feeding him a slice of 1st Baron Verulam 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 acid green ink."But I suspect."

He tore open the varsity letter and read the blench lettering.

To The-Boy-Who-Thinks-He's-Won

fountainhead we'll see about that Harry. Don't think that just because I had to impress a retraction you've won. Don't think that for a moment. I have been very busy digging up soil on you and your fellow champion and you won't like what I've found. You will repent insulting me Harry ceramist, I can swallow up you ! And I will, you just keep an eye on !

topper Rita Skeeter.

Harry tore the letter of the alphabet 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 obit was quite large and, befitting the char it was about, to the full of hyperbole. Once Harry had scanned it once or twice he had gleaned the actual data out of it. Apparently she had been found in her domicile by her chief after not showing up for work on Monday. The Aurors had been called in, official cause of death…

"Heart attack ?"Harry said incredulously, Padma nodded."That ‘ s pig ! She was… I don ‘ t know… maybe xxx five years old."

"She had a very nerve-wracking job."Padma shrugged.

"Or maybe it was karma."Ron said through a mouthful of toast. Hermione looked torn between being disgust at his style and impressed that he knew what karma was.

"I think it ‘ s effective 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 decent enemies."

"Maybe it was one of you ‘ re fan club."Ginny joked.

"My fan guild doesn ‘ t have a war-ridden wing."Harry paused."That I know of…"

"Could be useful."

"True, my own army…"Harry grinned."I could reign the reality !"

"Maybe,"Hermione rolled her eyes."But after transfiguration."
*


Harry decided to actually wreak that lesson. It was something he did occasionally, just to throw his teachers off the aroma. They were still working on the tortoise to orb and near of the class could do it now. Harry's orb still had a bit of a hexagon convention but it wasn't bad.

"Mr Potter."McGonagall said suddenly.

"Yes Professor ?"Harry said, confused. He hadn't done anything lately she would be interested in."What is it ?"

"I was simply going to ask if you had acquired a partner yet. Since you are opening you will be representing the school. Try to think over well on us."

"pardner ? Opening ? Representing ?"Harry's brow furrowed in muddiness."What are you talking about ?"

"The Noel Lucille Ball Potter."McGonagall said simply. Most of the class was watching now."As adept you will be opening."

"You mean… Dancing ?"Harry cringed.

"Yes."

"Alone ?"

"With a partner."McGonagall replied in exasperation.

"In front of the school ?"Harry felt his tummy swoop.

"Yes."

"I think I ‘ ll pass."

"Potter you are the… one of the Hogwarts champions. You must open the dance and you must have a partner."

"What ? You gon na tie me up and drive me to dance ?"

"We have ways."McGonagall said, her eyes narrowing.

"I ‘ ll just turn up without a partner."Harry countered.

"In that case I will company you Mr Potter."

"You do that…"Harry crossed his weapons system."And I will go to the testis naked."

The classroom fusillade out laughing.

"As will I."

The way became deathlike 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 moment he approached the still-life.

"Stoic."Harry said, and the painting dissolved into the air. Harry stepped in and spoke the countersign again to conclude the vena portae. He stepped into the Hufflepuff mutual room. It looked different than he remembered, probably the want of snakes… and fire. respective people started looking at him, then more, then every eye in the place turned to him as he strolled across the root cellar. He did the natural thing. He ignored them.

He walked calmly over to the set of lounge where the Susan bones was sitting.

"Hey Susan."He smiled in greeting.

"Hi. Um…"She scratched her head."How did you get in here ?"

"Password."

"But how did you roll in the hay the password."

"I know all the passwords."Harry shrugged."Slytherin's is privilege. Ravenclaw ‘ s is… complicated. The prefect bathroom ‘ s still pine fresh and Dumbledore ‘ s post is Chocoballs… for some reason."

"But… How ?"Susan asked aghast. Harry realized that most of the common elbow room was listening.

"You were a chosen."Harry winked."Not a marauder. Don ‘ t expect me to reveal all my secrets."

The room sighed and Harry felt eyes move away from him.

"So… why are you down here ?"Susan asked."Are we under attack by snakes again ?"

"Not that I know of."Harry glanced under the board."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 Christmastide Ball."Susan's oculus widened.

"Yeah that."Harry shrugged."Apparently I need a partner on report of being some sort of champion type thing."

"Are you asking me ?"

"Do I need to be more obvious ?"

"Yes."

"Yes I ‘ m asking you."

"Then…"Susan swallowed nervously."…yes ?"

"Was that a question ?"Harry sniped, smiling..

"fine. Yes I ‘ ll go with you."

"capital. That ‘ s great."Harry grinned."But I should go now. mass are staring at me."

"Well you are a celebrity."

"It ‘ s a load I have to bear."
*


In the next few weeks Harry was extremely glad he had got it out of the way earlier. In the next few hebdomad a veritable furore of ball febrility swept Hogwarts. Girls huddling in box, whispering. discussion of clothes robes. Identical facial expression of fearfulness and dread and low temperature, sick, nervousness on the cheek of every boy. Harry was glad to be well out of it.

Course he would be gladder if everyone else had got the memo…

"Leave me alone !"Harry slid into a secret passage and bounded along the light passage."I ‘ m taken !"He could still hear pounding feet and giggling behind him. He shot out from behind a tapis ( startling a grouping of scholar ) and cracked open another transition behind a house painting. He closed it behind him and leant against the paries, breathing heavily, as the travel along little girl ran past. As the auditory sensation faded into the distance he breathed a sigh of relief.

"You too yes ?"Harry spun around but relaxed as he saw Viktor Krum sitting cross legged on the base in the passageway. He had a set of books spread out in front man of him. The Bulgarian shrugged and continued."You vill get used to it. Or you vill become quicker at running."

"And you ‘ re used to it ?"Harry grinned and sat down opposite the Durmstrum ace."Then why are you hiding in a passageway."

"It is only vay to get a moment of peace."Krum flicked a page and continued reading. After a moment he glanced up."You did well vith the Horntail."

"Not as ripe 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 zip."Have you ?"

"Perhaps."Harry grinned."I worked out that kicking it doesn ‘ t work."

"number one thing I tried."

"Me too."Harry walked back up to the door and listened, it sounded pretty quiet."How long you intending to stay put in here."

"I don ‘ t know. Vhen is your Yule Ball ?"Krum shook his fountainhead and sighed."I should ask somebody. Pick someone that has not been asked yet. Perhaps that will do them stop foll-"

"It doesn ‘ t."Harry interrupted."Trust me."

"Oh…"Krum shook his head."Then I will have to research some better lockup charms for my cabin."

"Try these."Harry pulled beyond allohamora out of his bag ( it sometimes helped to give a bag in which he could extend everything he owned )."It mostly deals with unlocking but it ‘ s got some quality stuff in there."

"Thank you."Krum nodded solemnly and looked back down at his book. Harry checked the entranceway once more then left carefully.

"What is it about me ?"Harry wondered idly."That lets me get on with the champions but royally pisses off the judges ?"
*


"Damn it !"Harry dropped the egg back to the surface of the marauders mesa. The inky black goo he had smeared on its surface had revealed aught."Doesn ‘ t piece of work either. It was supposed to reveal confidential messages."

"That thing doesn ‘ t have a secret message."Ron groaned on the early incline of the table."It has one message. And we ‘ ve all heard it lots of clip, like at the quip of dawn."

"VIII is not the cracking of dawn."Harry sighed and rested his headland 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 clod in figurehead of him."Maybe the egg did some thing to it !"

"Or maybe you ‘ ve got it upside down."Anapurna commented from the other side of the table. Ron groaned and scrunched up his bit of parchment.

Harry would consume made a snide remark but he didn't think he had the vitality. The egg was eating at him.

"Ron…"Parvati continued."You really need to do it soon."

"Do what ?"

"Ask someone."She shook her school principal."You really need to do it soon or she ‘ ll be… I mean all the good young lady ‘ ll be taken."Annapurna amended quickly with a wink at Harry.

Ron ( oblivious ) squirmed uncomfortably.

"It ‘ s not that easy."Ron shrugged."I ‘ m not Harry, I can ‘ t just range into person's common room and ask someone."

"But you-"Parvati began but Harry interrupted her.

"Wait wait waiting. Did I just hear a marauder express… self… doubt… ?"Harry shied away in revulsion."No no no no no ! This will not do !"

"But-"

"No buts !"Harry cut him off."You are a marauder, that means you are at least six billion times better than anyone else. You will go out and ask Herm… the girl you want to go with. Right now ! Or I will send for in a personal favor from Viktor Krum and have him ask her first !"

"You don't even know who I ‘ m-"

"Legillimacy."Harry lied.

"That ‘ s illegal."

"Since when have I cared ? Ask her."

"That's cruel."

"Ditto. Ask her."

"Harry-"

"She ‘ ll say yes."Harry grinned."Trust me."

"Are you sure ?"Ron looked almost convinced.

"Yes."Harry looked to Annapurna for backup and she nodded emphatically."Definitely yes."

Ron nervously folded his study unto his bag and left the vernacular room. Harry checked the clock on the wall.

"Five XXX so Hermione will be coming back from the library… springiness ‘ em ten minutes."Harry and Parvati shared a smile and went back to their respective work.

Ron was in fact back in less than five minutes.

"She said yes !"He was blushing tomato red but grinning.

"Congratulations."Harry shrugged."storm you found her so quick."

"She was in the great Asaph Hall. Lavender ‘ s usually down to dinner early."

"La… Lavender…"Harry froze. Across from him he say Parvarti's expression device into a face of shock and surprise."Lavender Brown ?"

"Yes ?"Ron's hilltop furrowed."Are there any other Lavenders in the school ?"

"Um… yes… in… twenty percent year… Slytherin. Just making for sure 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 stairway to the boys bedroom.

"Yeah, that would be stupid."Parvati said acidly, sounding for a present moment 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 hand on her hip joint ( Harry braced for shouting )."What do you stand for Oh well !"

"We were wrong."Harry said simply."It happens. It ‘ s all alright."

"It ‘ s not very well !"She shook her head."He ‘ s going with the wrong someone !"

"He ‘ s going with the somebody he asked."Harry pointed out."That ‘ s not the mightily soul ?"

"No."

"Well tough."Harry waved the problem away."aught to be done now."

"Unless…"Parvati grinned maliciously, or tried to anyway. It didn't really knead on her."We do something about it."

"Oh no…"Harry buried is face in his hands.

"We need to make sure Ron and Hermione go together."

"Do we receive to ?"

"Yes."

"If they find out they ‘ ll killing us."Harry pointed out."You know that right ?"

"How come when you want to do something insane you rope the balance of us in but when I want to you just kick ?"

"Oh I didn ‘ t say I wouldn ‘ t do it."Harry grinned evilly ( doing a far improve job of it )."I ‘ m just saying we have to be careful."

"Yay !"Parvati ran around the mesa and hugged Harry."I knew you ‘ d fold !"

"Get. Off. Me !"Harry disentangled himself from his friend."Do you have a plan ?"

"Well…"Parvati tapped her Kuki-Chin thoughtfully."Lavender's essentially a limpet."

"Nice."

"Thank you. I figure we can carry her to let go of Ron if we dangle something else in front of her face."

"Like what ? Or who ?"

"Michel quoin I think."Parvati nodded."She ‘ s liked him for ages."

"Does he care 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 little escapade or do I just sit here nodding ?"

"You need to continue anyone from asking Hermione until Ron does."

"Gotcha !"Harry saluted."safari of intimidation and threats coming right up !"

"Subtly Harry ! She can ‘ t know !"

"Who do you withdraw me for ?"

"Sorry."Parvati smiled."Oh, and you ‘ ll motive to talk 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 prodding. He already likes her."

"Does she… ?"

"Of course."Annapurna said patronizingly."You haven't noticed ?"

"And Ginny ?"Harry said wearily."Got a programme for her too ?"

"She ‘ s too young."

"Not if we find her a date."Harry pointed out.

"No I mean too Cy Young to date."Parvati said primly."We have to protect our little sister ‘ s innocence for as long as possible. She ‘ s not a portion of this."

"I wish I wasn ‘ t a part of thi-"

"Harry !"
*


Operation shamelessly-manipulate-our-best-friends was at least adept for one thing, it distracted Harry from the bloody egg.

It was just a few days before the Yule ball and the plan was… well it was working but that wasn't the full stop. It was working a little too well.

Lavender had been successfully unstuck from Ron and re-adhered to Michel Corner. Once Ron came out of his moping form Harry was positive he could incite him towards the right girl. The pernicious intimidation was harder but legilimacy helped to name voltage scourge very effectively. Once they were picked out Harry was able-bodied to get the boys alone to explicate some ‘ home truths ’. Like how she was already dating a older boy she met on holiday. Big blighter, huge muscles.

"This had undecomposed bloody work Parvati."Harry muttered to his co-conspirator one day on the way back from tool."‘ Cos if he doesn't ask her no one will now. I've had to build Hermione ‘ s imaginary boyfriend up into some sort of vengeful superman to stop citizenry asking her."

"What ‘ s the latest story ?"Parvati asked, interested.

"He ‘ s from Spain. The academe Atsingani."Harry shrugged."He ‘ s an unskilled wizard toreador. possess his own sword and shotgun."

"Wizard toreador ? With a shotgun ?"

"It doesn ‘ t have to be likely it just has to be scary."

"wellspring he ‘ s going to have to schmoose his girlfriend back."Parvarti said knowingly."Because Ron will ask her. Believe me."

"Bet ?"

"Galleon."

"Done."Harry sighed."At least this way I can spend a penny something back out of this mess."

"It ‘ ll all work out."Parvati grinned."faith 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 aloofness."What ‘ s that ?"

Harry perked his auricle up. A few tempo in front of them the rest of the predator stopped too. It sounded like a entirely clout of people yelling and moving, but behind that there was a low grumble and…

"Singing ?"Harry said incredulously.

"Sir Thomas More like chanting."Anapurna disagreed.

"It sounds like chorale singing."Hermione said from in front of them.

"It ‘ s coming from out front."Harry hurried forward."Lets go !"

As one they rushed forward. As they neared the doors early students began to join them, teachers too. As they ran out onto the grass in social movement of the school Harry realized that the whole schooling was already out there, yelling and pointing. Harry saw Dumbledore gazing up into the sky, a feel of wonder on his typeface. The other school principal flanked him, just as awed.

In the sky above Hogwarts floated a miracle of white marble. Columns, delicate as glass, flew up from a shining Base and met a favorable point above. Delicate touch of mirror-like silver snaked and shimmered over the Earth's surface, sending out irradiation of rainbows as it turned in the sunlight. The whole thing looked like some gigantic crystal, floating on white mist and breathing out beautiful music as it sank lower and lower and finally settled to the ground on the grass just inside the school gates.

Harry started forward but was brought up short as Dumbledore held up an arm. The school watched in rapt silence as a procession emerged from the floating palace. White-robed woman walked slope by face, carrying flaring magical torches. They split apart a little as they left it as if to make a path for soul in the middle. As they grew closelipped Harry saw that there was a number in the center, smaller than the former robed physique but wearing a crown of Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel leaves.

Harry yelled in felicity and dashed out from the crowd, ignoring Dumbledore's yell of protest, and rushed towards the material body. Laughing, he ducked past the line of startled womanhood and enveloped the midway one into a gargantuan 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 well to see you Harry."
*


"Mr ceramist !"Harry heard someone call from behind him. He spun around and saw expressions ranging from shock, mental confusion and anger. Most of the Beauxbatons students were down on one knee and the I from Durmstrang had their read/write head bowed in respect. His cuss Hogwarts students seemed more aghast than anything else, Dumbledore had his paw to his mouth with his oculus wide of the mark in shock. McGonnagall was almost vibrating in anger.

Turning further he saw something even more unnerving. Across the stallion edge of the forest the centaurs had gathered, the integral herd. Every one of them was down on their genu with their hands clasped over their hearts.

Harry turned back around to face the schooling, 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 masses do not usually hug the Delphic oracle or address her with familiarity."

"And the Centaur ?"

"They regard me as a demigod."

"Oh…"Harry gulped."…and I thought I was famous."

"You are famous Harry."The oracle said, a strange note in her part."But I am something else."She moved forward and Harry was forced to follow. They stopped in forepart of Dumbledore, Harry almost laughed when he saw that the master still had his hired man to his mouth.

"Professor Dumbledore."Pythea greeted the old man."It is a pleasure to finally assemble you."

"The pleasure is mine."Dumbledore seemed to recover himself and bent down to buss the oracle's hand."I see you have… already met one of our school day champions."

"Harry and I met years ago and we have had proportionateness since."Pythea looked up and around at the towering palace in battlefront of her."Hogwarts is as beautiful as I have heard it described."

"Thank you,"Dumbledore waved towards the great vaulted room access of Hogwarts and a path opened in the educatee torso."As soon as your palace appeared in the sky I had the house elves groom a suite of guest rooms for you and your handmaidens."

"Thank you."Pythea reached out and linked weapons system with a start Harry."Harry can present me up to the invitee quarters."

"Mr Potter does not know the passwords."

"master,"Pythea shook her caput, smiling."You obviously don ‘ t know Harry as well as I do."

Harry covered his mouth with his mitt to conceal giggles as he walked the Oracle of Delphi between the rows of students and up to the doors of Hogwarts.

Harry tried not to listen to the rustling happening all around him, he could address with that in the morning.

"How long are you staying ?"Harry asked Pythea as he led her towards the node quarters.

"trough after the irregular task."She answered."But I fear a lot of that will be taken up with functions down in London. No visit by person like the myself can be entirely for leisure time. You could say the tournament provides an excuse for politics. Many State representatives were invited by your governing, when I heard you were competing I decided to get hold of them up on it."

"Didn ‘ t you already know I would be competing ?"Harry teased."And whether I ‘ ll win ?"

"You put too a great deal faith in oracles."

"I have no organized religion in vaticinator. I have a not bad deal of organized religion in you."

"That is afters of you Harry."Pythea said in surprise."And surprisingly open."

"fountainhead get used to it."Harry checked behind him, the handmaiden were following a serious distance behind. Harry continued in a voicelessness."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 thank you was through vaguely worded letters."

"I got the message Harry."Pythea smiled down at him.

"goodness, but I ‘ ll say it again in person."Harry slowed as they approached the Guest fender."Thank you for saving my animation Thea."

"You are most welcome."The oracle came to a stop outside the room access."And I would do it again."

"I hope it won't be necessary."Harry turned to the door."Bellevue."

The room access creaked heart-to-heart to disclose an elegant sitting room with many door leading off it. Every piece of furniture sparkled with polish and a vase of unused efflorescence sat on the center of the small table.

"The pixie don ‘ t skimp do they ?"Harry chuckled. He pointed to the rooms along the backrest wall."bedroom 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 theatre elves. Alternatively if you need anything the marauders can provide call off me. Now, for the most important thing…"Harry straightened up and put on a serious air."Do you require 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 good. It wasn't that he thought he looked good or didn't. It was more that he didn't really hold a conception of what he was supposed to search like. Everyone else seemed to have the dress robes and everything as a necessary irritation. Harry on the other manus had almost no persuasion on them having never heard of them before reading his letter this class. Were they supposed to be this tight ? Or flare out out at the can like that ? And what about his haircloth ? Harry had always just let his pilus do its own thing, cutting it back only when it began impairing his imagination but now everyone else seemed to hold acquired some layer of personal grooming skills that he had somehow skipped.

He gave it up as a lost cause, allowing it to fall as it wanted to. He shrugged, what did it matter ? He'd got a particular date 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 hoi polloi had necktie, was he meant to own a tie ? )"It ‘ s not too late."

"Harry, the saltation is in…"Ron checked his watch."… less than an hour."

"So you ‘ d better get to it then."Harry said flippantly, then asked."Am I meant to give birth a tie ?"

"Harry, your dress robes don't have a collar."

"You need a collar to fall apart a tie ?"

Ron rolled his eyes. Harry shrugged and left the lav. In the common room the former piranha were already waiting, Padma and Neville standing a little way off. Neville looked nervous, but then Neville always looked nervous. Harry waved Parvati to one side,

"On the negative side we ruined our acquaintance nights and made them miserable."Harry growled angrily."On the plus side you owe me a galleon."

"Still meter 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."Anapurna hissed.

Harry looked where she was pointing. Hermione was sitting on one of the lounge recital, she hadn't even changed into garb gown which Harry assumed was a bad sign.

"I ‘ m looking but…"

"Look again."

Harry followed her gaze again and saw that Ron had emerged from the bathroom. He then followed Ron's to the couch were Hermione was sitting. Harry's jaw dropped. He watched as Ron hesitantly walked up to digest in front line of Hermione. Her capitulum came up and she said something, across the push common way Harry couldn't hear but it looked like ‘ what ? ’. Ron scratched his headway and mumbled something. Hermione put her script up to her ear. Ron leant down and spoke into her ear, his look 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 book closed and hurried towards the little girl dormitory. He looked back towards Annapurna, who was wearing an saying of aggregate smugness.

"I ‘ ll take that galleon off you any time Harry."

"You are the pouf 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."Annapurna 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 last minute of arc 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 eyes and checked his watch."It only took you four bloody years."

"Hey !"Ron looked cranky and Harry laughed.

"Listen, they ‘ ll prob ‘ ly be a while."Harry jerked a pollex back at the miss elbow room."And I need to spread the dance. I ‘ ll meet up with you later Ok ?"

Ron nodded and Neville chirruped.

"Ok."The picayune nervous boy then nodded towards their red-headed admirer and whispered."And I ‘ ll try to retain him from screwing matter up."

"You ‘ re a marauder Neville…"Harry shook his head."You ‘ re not god."
*


Harry took a deep breath and walked down the footmark into the ingress hall. There were a few other Hogwarts boy 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 potter ?"

Harry rolled his eyes then realized that the effect was ruined by having them closed. He opened them to see Malfoy standing in front of him wearing jet black robes and with nance Parkinson on his arm.

"Just for one nighttime 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 steps down to the kitchen but no one was coming.

"Susan finger cymbals ?"Malfoy queried, he almost sounded actually curious.

"Yes, why."

"Just felicitous to see you ‘ ve asked a nice pure stemma girl."Malfoy drew himself up."Just because your blood is tainted doesn ‘ t mean the Potter blood has to go entirely to the dogs."

"Ok, three things…"Harry held up three fingers."One : jailor you !"

"Potter-"

"Two,"Harry interrupted him."I asked her to a ball. That does not have in mind I intend to bear on any cable with her in the near future. If nothing else we ‘ re bloody fourteen ! There are laws against that sort 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 asset ?"

"I reserve the rightfield to not incriminate myself."Harry cracked."By the way, does your date speak or does she just hang there like seaweed ?"Harry grinned at the indignant expression on Malfoy's face.

"Well this has been lovely."Harry continued as he kicked himself off his pillar."We really should do this again."He brushed past the angry pair and walked up to the figure that had appeared up the stairs.

"Hi Susan."Harry greeted his appointment, biting his lip. She was wearing something blue and flowing, gown or frock or something he couldn't really put a name on just now. His oculus traveled down then back up again swiftly."You look amazing."

"Thank you Harry."Susan reached out and took his offer hand."You look hansom as well. Your frock robes are really… unusual."

Harry caught the implication and looked down. His robe was deep red fabric that came out over his legs like regular robes but were buttoned in tight around his torso by two wide words of clit. It's long sleeves hugged his arms tightly but opened out right at the handcuff to let on the barge 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."must be a unlike 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, fleece weren't of any particular concern to him. The workshop he had bought them in had had hundreds of robes in huge social station. He had chosen these for two understanding. One, they didn't have all the lace and trimmings and prodigal embroidery that most of the others had had and two ( and Harry cringed to intromit this to himself ) they had looked like they would be easy to fight or run in if anything happened.

"Ready to open up 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 moment later McGonagall appeared, as if from nowhere.

"Well get to it."She snapped quickly."The early champions are already lining up to enter 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 humour circle responded for him while the rest of his brain shivered with nervousness.

"And… go."McGonagall's voice rang out and the doors to the great lobby opened slowly, revealing an winter wonderland decorated with sparkling Baron Snow of Leicester and ice carving. Harry just hoped it wouldn ‘ t make the storey slippery. He took Susan's script and stepped forward purposely.

The hall was wide of couples but a distance was clear in the center. A very turgid space, that everyone was staring at.

"Oh great."Harry sighed as the music started up.

Harry let his mind impulsion back to the ten minutes of very rough terpsichore lesson that Anapurna had given him yesterday. After he had broken down and begged.

"One two three one two three…"Harry counted off the heartbeat in his head and tried not to step on his collaborator shoes. He found that so long as he kept to a very restrictive and repetitive routine it actually wasn't too bad."One two three…"

"This is so romantic."Susan murmured."Like a fairytale."

"Yes it is, one two three."Damn ! I can't public lecture and enumeration at the Lapplander prison term. Why didn't I ask a deaf-mute seaweed female child ?

"Do you think we could get them to consume a 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 invertebrate foot could work out the calendar method of birth control on their own."If they did the scholar would never hail menage for Christmas Day and then their parents would complain."

"I guess."Susan leant in and rested her head on Harry's articulatio humeri. Harry chuckled as he was reminded again of their relative heights."I guess I ‘ ll just have to enjoy 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 music stopped and Harry realized that he had survived the only dance that was required of him that evening. He glanced back at the blond Hufflepuff in nominal head of him and grinned."Stay in for the adjacent one ?"
*


Six dances later and Harry felt like he was almost getting well-fixed 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 fiddling accent. Harry glance at Susan, who nodded. She seemed to have sex the guy somehow. Harry stepped aside and the two of them moved off, Susan giving him a trivial wave as they went.

Harry walked off the dance floor, snagged a methamphetamine of something off a tray and moved to somewhere where he could see the entire floor. It was time to see to it up on things. Harry chuckled and sipped the whatever-it-was as his eye scanned the hall.

He found Parvati first, who seemed to be choosing which of a respective male child who were all clustered around her to leave out over the dance floor next. She caught his eye, smiled and subtly pointed to her right.

Harry followed her regard and found Ron and Hermione sitting by one of the huge tables total of food. Ron at least seemed to be talking between bouts of eating and he'd spotted them out on the dancing storey earlier so that was probably alright. 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 early. 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 pardner. He searched around for a familiar face and found one before walking over.

"Miss Delacour."He held his hand out to the seated Beauxbattons champion."Would you care to embarrass me by dancing ten times better than I ever could ?"

The French daughter smiled and took his hand.

"But of courze."She stood and he led her out onto the dance floor.

Harry settled into the regular recurrence of the new song and got used to dancing with someone taller than him. Since he was at to the lowest degree a infantry brusque than her that put his center right about level with her-

"So…"Harry interrupted his own mental monologue."Enjoying the dance so far ? Not been bothered by too many pushful students ?"

"I know how to parcel out with zem."Fleur replied haughtily, but Harry detected a hint of humor in her response."The sole problem was our fellow champion."

"I ‘ m guessing we ‘ re not talking about Viktor."Harry said and she shook her school principal."By the way we can talk in French if you want."

"My English iz better than your French people I think."Fleur replied pointedly.

"Probably."Harry shrugged."Would you like me to try and hold open Malfoy away from you for the rest of the clod ?"

"Non, I can trade with him."Fleur laughed, the cause was very matter to for Harry in his current stance and he tried to stop the blush spreading to his cheeks.

The vocal ended and Harry stepped back. Fleur curtsied politely and Harry bowed as he'd seen the French boys doing after they finished their dance. He caught Fleur looking over his berm and followed her gaze to see a pair of seventh old age moving off the dance floor.

"Iz he taken ?"Fleur asked with a smile.

"Not anymore."Harry winked and turned to ask the boys collaborator for a dance.

She turned out to be giggly and talkative so Harry let her blather on for the duration of the dance before moving off gratefully and sitting on one of the terrace by the food. He nabbed a distich of the remaining tidbits and lay back relaxed. He had been on his feet since the source of the ball and it felt proficient just to take a few moments to himself.

"So…"

Knew it was too good to be true.

"… you are booster with the Pythea ?"

Harry glanced to his left and saw Igor Karkaroff sitting next to him, an enwrapped expression on his face.

"We know each other."Harry said warily giving cypher away.

"Of course a man of your standing probably knows many the great unwashed in high places."

"Standing."Harry didn't make it a question but the headmaster answered anyway.

"As the boy-who-lived."

"Oh that."Harry nodded."Yes that's me."

"I think that we perhaps got off on the wrong foot."Karkaroff said in a simpering manner.

"Do you now."Harry tried to happen an outlet from the conversation but couldn't think of one.

"I would wish for you to think of me as a friend."

"catch two'ing me then."

"I could… apply you higher marks."Karkaroff said slyly.

"Oh ! No no !"Harry said quickly, realizing what his flippant input could feature been interpreted as."Just stop being unfairly harsh."

"Of course."Once again the simpering shade."And perhaps we could… do something… together."

Harry sighed.

"Perhaps during the school Holliday you could visit Dumstrum."

"This holiday I ‘ m going to… Kenya."Harry said a res publica at random.

"I could do by you to a sensation concert at one of the rattling halls in Europe."

"Can't, allergic reaction. All the rubble and stuff."

"Or… we could…"Karkaroff seemed to be casting around for another activity."convey 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 sense comfortable asking me for favors."Karkaroff said expansively."That is what friends do… assistant each early. Introduce each other to early friends…"

Harry groaned inwardly.

"That kind of thing."Karkaroff finished with a fudge smile."Whatever you need. What 's mine is yours."

I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a rusty-

"Thank you."Harry nodded."I ‘ ll think about it. But for now I ‘ ve just remembered I promised someone a dance."

Harry stood quickly and whistled softly. A mo later a glowing public figure drifted up through the floor.

"You remembered !"Myrtle cried happily.

"Of course I did."Harry reached out and took her icy manus."Didn ‘ t think I ‘ d forget about you did you."

Harry led the ghost out onto the dance story, away from the startled Headmaster.
*


Harry gave Ginny up to a Beauxbatons student and sat back down on a bench. Now he had danced with all the female piranha. Anapurna had spent nigh of the time crowing that all her anticipation had come true, Padma was very terse about where she had disappeared to with Neville, Hermione seemed exasperated with Ron and Harry couldn't oeuvre out whether it was convention tilt or an actual job, Ginny was just giddy and sparkly. Of all of them Myrtle had actually danced the outdo, at some full point in her pre-ghost lifespan she had obviously practiced for more than ten minutes. Harry made a mental government note to ask for object lesson if there ever was another dance.

Harry glanced up at the clock and realized that there couldn't be too many Thomas More dances left. He needed to economise the finally one for Susan but there were a few to go before that.

Harry glanced around and realized that there was one someone he hadn't seen on the dance floor yet. His eye found her sitting over by one of the ice carving, her own pure-white robes making her look almost like portion of the decoration.

"Hi Thea."Harry greeted and sat down future to her."harbour't seen you on the terpsichore floor much."

"Dumbledore was polite sufficiency to trip the light fantastic toe with me a few times."The vaticinator said, smiling."Everyone else seems to be intimidated."

"You should take in 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."

"wellspring there ‘ s time for a few more dances."Harry held his hand out."seed on."

"Thank you Harry."Pythea took his hand and they walked out into the dance floor.

They swayed to the music for a patch, Harry finding his rhythm.

"Are you still wearing it ?"Pythea asked suddenly.

"The necklace ?"Harry smiled and drew the chain out from the straw man of his robe."Always."

"Good."Pythea grew serious for a second."Always hold open it on. You will demand 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 niggling plate back into his wearing apparel robes."But yes, I don ‘ t think it will be too practically longer before you need it."

"You ‘ re still not gon na differentiate me what it does ?"

"No."

"Brat."

Pythea smiled and they danced another song without speechmaking. A suspiciousness began to grow in Harry's mind.

"Pythea ?"Harry said, suspiciously."You said you get invites to raft of ball ?"

"Yes ?"

"Do you answer any of them ?"

"W… why ?"A lilliputian 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 intimation, I doubt anyone else noticed."

"Dumbledore ?"

"Oh no he probably noticed."Harry nodded."You ‘ ve never been to a orb before either have you ?"

"I have… had trip the light fantastic toe lessons at the temple."Pythea said, a slight 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 pay heed issue until my training was finished so as to avoid embarrassment. It wouldn ‘ t do to make mistakes."

"Embarrassment ? count 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 recall to be the aeonian Pythea. Since the day I was taken from my parents. I am supposed to be the unchanging alikeness of the first of all prophesier, thousand of years ago. Anything other than perfection is embarrassing."

"Wow, well it ‘ s ok."Harry winked."I won ‘ t say anything and I ‘ m certain 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 temple of the seer with its vines, high above the priming below suddenly took on more ominous intension in his mind. Harry hesitated, then decided to verbalize what was on his intellect."Are you… lonely there ?"

"Sometimes."Pythea said it matter-of-factly, like it was an inevitable fact of life.

"I could jaw this summer."Harry offered.

"That… that would be lovely."Pythea said sadly."But I do not think Dumbledore would approve."

"He ain ‘ t the boss of me."Harry grinned.

"No, he is not."Pythea sighed."But I think by this summer you may be busy."She reached out and pressed her helping hand against the case pendent under Harry's gown, then stepped aside, smiling sadly.

Harry was confused for a instant then realized that it was the lowest dancing, she was stepping aside so he could find Susan. Harry waved a thank-you to her then scanned the Hall to incur his date.

"Over here Harry !"

Harry hurried over to the splash of blue he could see among the other robes and took Susan's hand just as the medicine started.

"Whew."Harry smiled."Just in time."

"We sort of lost cartroad of each other in the middle there didn ‘ t we ?"Susan said as they began to actuate to the slow calendar method of birth control of the stopping point dance.

"We started the dance together and we ‘ re ending it together."Harry shrugged."The bit in the middle got a bit fuzzy but I still had fun."

"So did I."Susan moved closer and Harry hesitantly put his arms around her waist."But I wish we had spent more time together."

"I ‘ ll have to make it up to you sometime."Harry looked into his date eyes."Like following Hogsmeade weekend ?"

"You ‘ re still not functionary allowed to go to Hogsmeade."

"By now they ‘ ve probably stopped trying to check me."Harry quipped.

"Then I ‘ d passion to go with you."

"Great."Harry grinned.

"My parents are coming to see the bit task."Susan said suddenly."They ‘ d love to meet you."

mo task ? … I still need to work out the bloody egg.

Harry groaned inwardly. Something always had to destroy it.
*


Harry led Susan back to the Hufflepuff mutual room and strolled back up through the darken palace. When he reached the Gryffindor plebeian way almost everyone had already retired. The only one still in the room was Neville, nodding off in a chair by the fire.

"Nev ?"Harry poked him come alive."Why are you still up ?"

"Oh Harry…"Neville rubbed his eye."Just waiting for you to get here. soul had to continue to separate you."

"Tell me what ?"Harry's eye's narrowed.

"Um…"

"Where ‘ s your particular date ?"

"Up with Hermione. All the young woman are."Neville said dejectedly.

"They are ? Why…"Suddenly Harry worked it out and groaned."What did Ron do ?"

"He um… looked at Fleur."Neville said evasively."Like, not at her face. And for a foresightful sentence too, about five minutes when Hermione was right there."

"What did Hermione say ?"Harry asked, dreading the answer.

"She wasn ‘ t happy."Neville shook his promontory."But it was what Ron said that really ticked her off."

"What did Ron say ?"Harry could just feel the shipment gearing approaching.

"Something along the origin of…"Neville's hilltop creased as he tried to remember."‘ What do you expect ? They're right there and they're huge.'”

Harry covered his face with his hands and sank into an armchair.

"You ‘ re kidding me ?"

"No."

"That really sucks."

"He could have said a lot of spoiled things."Neville pointed out.

"Like what ?"Harry challenged.

"Like ‘ They're dependable than yours which are small and underdeveloped.'or ‘ Shut up you're blocking my view.'”

"Ok ok !"Harry laughed, covering his sass to asphyxiate the giggles."The trouble is I can actually see Ron saying that."

"Well…"Neville spread his deal,"We tried."

"We did."Harry nodded."It ‘ s up to Ron now. How ‘ d your evening go ?"

"Kind of got ruined by all this."Neville shrugged sadly.

"Where did you disappear to early on ?"Harry asked slyly.

"We… we went to the rose garden. But we didn ‘ t do anything."Neville quickly added."We form of decided to stay just supporter for now."

"speculation its just as well."Harry sighed."I ‘ m already trying to juggle too many ships."

"hold the audience guessing."
*


The atmosphere around the marauders in the workweek after the clod could best be described as ‘ icy ’. Harry tried to break the frozenness between the two camps. Well, two summer camp was an hyperbole. There was the young woman, 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 situation in the most mature way they could conceive of. They hid in the library. Any time they actually had to be present, like lessons or meals, they tried to sustain placidity on the edges so as not to be tarred with the Sami brush as Ron. Harry tried to make 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 exposed the day-to-day prophet. Harry looked over at Ron who was sulking over his bowling ball of cereal. Harry mouthed the work ‘ rationalize'at him but he pretended not to notice. Harry mouthed it again, followed by the words ‘ or else ’. Ron just hunched lower. Harry sighed and turned back.

"Anything in the news ?"Harry asked desperately."Any more unusual deaths ?"

"No, just a veritable one."Hermione shrugged."An old hag in Dorset named noblewoman Ellen Hayward."

"Suspicious ?"Harry asked, interested.

"She was over a hundred and fifty long time old Harry."Hermione answered dismissively."Even beldam and thaumaturgist die eventually. It ‘ s sad but it ‘ s not suspicious."

Not if you don't look 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 judge where the representative could be coming from. It sounded familiar… Harry's eye's led him up to the high-pitched table and along to where Pythea sat, watching him quietly over a plate wide of cut fruit.

commodity morning Harry.

"goodness forenoon Thea."Harry thought and saw her smile."How was London ?"

London was fantastic Harry. The politicians that inhabit it however are akin to poisonous sea slugs. Slippery and spiky at the Saame time.

"You didn ‘ t have fun then ?"Harry projected sarcastically.

I prefer Hogwarts.

"Fireworks over the Thames though,"Harry thought back."For new-years, that ‘ s always skilful. 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 ravisher and four calendar week of conferences.

"Such is life."

Stop trying to be sagely Harry. With me that's a contest you won't win. I'm surprised you took in the presentation though, weren't you meddlesome trying to pull round ?

"Are you kidding ?"Harry laughed in his mind."Everyone looking at the sky, no one watching their sack, it's dark and noisy… you see where I ‘ m going with this."

I should get known. Pythea chuckled But we've got distracted from the breaker point. She pointed at the report in straw man of her and looked down at the obituary. Interesting isn ‘ t it…

"Is there something I ‘ m missing ?"Harry pulled a copy over towards himself and scanned the text.

There didn ‘ t seem to be anything there. Harry looked back at the front pageboy but had no connection, it was just some scandal involving the diplomatic minister of conjuring trick and some accusation of embezzlement. Harry flicked to the back page. The Chudley Cannons had lost another biz ( tremendous week for Ron ). There didn ‘ t seem to be anything else interesting. Harry shook his head.

"I don ‘ t see it. Did someone pedestal to inherit or something ?"

Possibly, but that was not what I was referring to. Pythea smiled mysteriously.

"wealthy person you… you know… seen something ?"

You don't have to be an Oracle to see what I'm talking about. Pythea closed the paper and looked around the manse. The report is only half the story.

"The former one-half is… ?"

Guess.

"Brat."Harry muttered and his head was filled with silent laughter.

I'll give you a hint. Word of God are nothing until someone reads them.

Harry thought for a foresightful import, then smiled.

"People ‘ s reactions."Harry thought hesitantly, and was rewarded with a nod. Harry cast around the entrance hall."Who ‘ s reading ?"He scanned the hall and found Dumbledore, bent over the newspaper publisher. It looked like it was open to the proper page.

"Dumbledore ? Is he reading it ?"

Yes. But is that strange ?

"Well…"Harry tried to put it together in his headway."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 blonde Slytherin was just staring at the open page in front of him, his face ashen and unreadable. Harry could even see his chest rising and falling rapidly from across the room. As Harry watched the champion he grabbed the paper off the table and walked quickly out of the hall.

"Ok, I admit,"Harry thought, nodding."That was interesting. But what does it mean ?"

It's a puzzler Harry. You like teaser 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 experience all the pieces. Pythea projected cryptically. You will have to try and find them.

Harry felt the presence exit his mind.

"Harry ?"

"W… whut ?"Harry shook his foreland, confused.

"Harry are you OK ?"Anapurna was saying, the vulture were all staring at him."You ‘ ve been staring into blank for like five minutes."

"And muttering to yourself."Ginny added."You looked variety 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 table quickly, a define smell on his face.

posterior him the Marauders looked on aghast. Padma voiced what they were all thinking,

"Is it me or is he getting uncanny ?"





Yes, I know the chapter 's a lilliputian fluffy. It had to be, you ca n't really write a Noel nut that 's not.

critical review anyway. Pretty please !


A small section of this is rather obviously lifted directly out of chalice of Fire.



Harry slid out of the lake and dried himself off. He set the credit card bag he had drawn across the water on the basis and ripped it open. He lifted his leather bag out and set it back on his berm 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 face wizened and old. He also threw a tatterdemalion blackness cloak over his Hogwarts robe and walked into the Sus scrofa fountainhead. He didn't look at the patronage, already smelling of firewhisky at ten in the break of day, and stepped up to the bar.

"I need to use the flue."Harry said. He didn't hassle to conceal his voice, the bartender was undoubtedly used to stranger than him and even if not he probably wouldn ‘ t care. The barman grunted and pointed towards a sebaceous sign.

Flue for customers only

"I ‘ ll have a butterbeer then."Harry took the proffered bottle and drank it in one deglutition before walking over to the fireplace and spinning himself to the leaky cauldron.

Harry rushed into Diagon alley, feeling very exposed even in his disguise. He reached the steps of Gringots and stepped inside it's columned incoming. He emerged a few proceedings later with a small bag of muggle money. He wasn't worried about the hob ratting him out, confidentiality was a given with them.

Harry had one shoemaker's last errand to run in Diagon before he left. He reached into his bag and popped the first of the Gemini gifts into his sass. Instantly he felt his throat constrict and grow scratchy, he coughed deeply and masses in the street turned to look at him. It got a footling better after a few here and now but it still felt raw.

He tried to talk and his interpreter came out old and leathery. perfect tense. Hurt like infernal region but perfect tense for concealing his voice.

He walked into the pharmacist, taking care to cook his step a petty faltering and weak.

"how-do-you-do my well man."Scratchy and foul like a lifelong smoker."Do you have any fox weewee ?"

"Fox… urine ?"The man behind the counter looked at him like he was mad.

"Yes, I need it for a potion."

"No potion I know of utilize fox urine."

"How ‘ bout wolf weewee ?"Harry asked, stepping up to the counter."Do you have wolf piddle ?"

"No."The shopkeeper was just staring at him now."No we don ‘ t have wolf weewee. Now can you-"

"Weasel ?"

"No now…"The shopkeeper paused for a present moment."We do have weasel musk…"

"Yes that ‘ ll be perfect."Harry smiled through his leathery masquerade. The market keeper hesitated."You have some variety of problem ?"

"I don't have a problem."The tradesman rolled his center and stepped into the room behind his desk."How very much do you need."

"About a gallon."

"A GALLON ! …"There was the speech sound of angry grumbling and sloshing from the storage room. A few mo later the man stepped back behind the desk with a large glass bottle replete of yellow liquidness. The phellem was sealed on with red wax."Do you know how many weasels you have to milk to get this much ?"

"How much ?"Harry ignored the dubiousness and drew out his billfold. The shopkeeper told him and Harry paid happily.

"Have fun."The shopkeeper said dryly."Whatever you ‘ re provision to do…"

Harry dropped the bottle into his bottomless bag and stepped out of the shop. He changed out of his robe in the caldron's toilet and slid quickly out into muggle London.

He stepped quickly along the roads at once both familiar and deeply alien. It was as if he had had two lives, the one he had lived on these streets and the of magic and wonder at Hogwarts. Now it was like the two were colliding and he felt fuddle, felt like a piddling kid again but at the same time he could feel how far he'd ejaculate. His instincts didn't have it off how to respond and he found himself searching for spot to hide or run while at the Lapp time fingering his sceptre hidden in his sleeve.

He was gladiolus when he finally set animal foot in Waterloo station and could buy a just the ticket to Bournemouth. The train was a surreal experience, sitting close to the window and flying past the world he was no longer component of.

It took more than two hours to get there, ample prison term to birl his thought process round and troll in his principal. He tried to work out exactly how stunned he was being. ‘ Very ’, he decided. Very, very stupid. He didn't know what would bump to him if it was discovered that he had snuck out of Hogwarts. Hogsmeade was one affair but this… And if he was discovered once he got there ? At the sight of a recent death ?

Very, very, very stupid.

Harry shut his eye and focused on the one matter telling him he was doing the right thing.

"Pythea sent me here."Harry nodded and bit his lip as he repeated the mantra over and over in his head."And if the Oracle of Delphi William Tell you to do something… then it ‘ s not stupid to do it."

Harry really wished the countersign didn't sound so hollow.

He left the gear and got on a bus. He left the bus in the centre of a field of scrubbing and chalky solid ground. The sea was just out of vision but he could hear the moving ridge crashing against the rocks, sinister and threatening.

The bus driver had looked at him weird when he'd asked to be let out in the middle of nowhere. Harry knew better, it was only the midriff of nowhere to muggles. Harry shucked his bag up eminent on his shoulder and walked towards the sound of the waves, towards the imposing white manor house near the edge of the cliffs.

It was blindingly obvious where the edge of the Montgomery Ward were. soul had laid Grass and bloom right up to an invisible 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 belongings. Either the woman who lived there trusted the wards implicitly or she liked the view too very much to close up it away.

And the view was striking. The cliffs arching away to either side and the sea stretching into the space. It was an telling panorama, enough to impress anyone. Anyone other than a aquaphobe. Harry shuddered and tried to retain the sea out of view.

He pulled the massive bottle of musk out of his bag. It took him a minute to work the stopper out. He went up as close to the cellblock as he dared and started dribbling the foul smelling clobber onto the ground. He poured it in as close to a semicircle as he could negociate, the other end of the ark also touching the Montgomery 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 endorsement of the twins gifts to him, a little chocolate bon-bon. He hesitated, cringing for a mo as he realized he still had musk on his finger, then popped it in his mouth.

Instantly he felt his tummy clench, a minute later white fur bedcover over his hands and munition. He just had fourth dimension to feel his ear begin to germinate up his heading before his head went blank.
*


The lapin twitched it's nose and looked around. It felt like something was unseasonable, something was different, but it couldn't study out what.

judgement you it was a rabbit so it couldn't try very hard.

It raised its fountainhead 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 hard here. It dashed the other way, getting desperate. solid here too !

The bunny broke into a run in the other charge, shooting across the ground into a flowerbed. It dashed under the vines of a pumpkin industrial plant and sat there shivering. It would just wait here, wait here until-
*


"wellspring,"Harry stood, brushed a pumpkin folio out of his fuzz and judder the dirt from his robes."That worked like a charm."

Harry shook his head to clear the hold out of the bunny-ness from it and checked to lay down sure he didn't still have a tail.

"Any-ward, any-where, any-time."Harry chuckled and set off towards the house.

The back door was unlatched and Harry slid in, careful not to touch anything too much. He didn't know whether whizz knew how to check DNA or fingerprints but he wasn't taking any prospect. Harry looked around at the large kitchen he had walked into, an ground forces of house elves probably worked there just a few days ago. Now it was silent.

Harry pushed open another door and, after a short corridor, found himself in a high-ceilinged dining room. It held refined pendant and a long mahogany table, it had silver medal candle holder and sumptuous red-velvet curtains. It also held no reading of ever having been used any time this century.

This had been the home plate of one old char living alone Harry remembered. She probably didn't eat in the deluxe dining way, didn ‘ t use most of these rooms probably. He was proved right when a few doors down he found a small-scale written report. This way showed signal of use, the Good Book on the mesa by the windowpane ever had a bookmarker in it, near the end. She hadn't had a chance to stop it.

Another low mesa was obviously in use as a workbench. A small flipbook lay unfastened, as Harry moved closer he saw it was filled with exhort flowers.

Harry suddenly felt a lump sort above his nerve. He had realized what he was really doing here. Invading the home of a all in 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 survey and checked the only former room access he hadn't tried. It opened onto a grand entrance hall with white marble tiles and tower holding up the balcony on the first flooring. The staircase came down the center, spreading out near the bottom.

Unfortunately the striking effect of the room was ruined by the magnanimous shipping loge that were stacked in a pile by one slope of the stares.

Whatever piranha had stood to inherit obviously hadn't wasted any time.

Harry was about the chip the room across the 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 kind of sniffling noise.

One of the doorway near the end was ajar. Harry crept towards it as the noise got louder. It sounded like mortal sobbing. Harry tried to peer through the crack in the door but saw nothing. He pushed the door just lightly with his foot and something came into his theater of operations of view. Harry was so dismayed he didn't even notice as the door swung open.

The room looked like a reading elbow room, or a endorse study maybe, bookshelves covered every bulwark but one. The whole back paries was a massive window looking out, offering a massive panorama over the garden behind the sign, the natural state scouring beyond that and the sea stretching to infinity beyond that. There was a armchair set right in the middle, where someone could appear out over the sea. The arms of it were clearly worn, someone had spent a prospicient lime sitting in that chair. But that wasn't what had shocked Harry.

There was a boy sitting there in the middle of the way, collapsed on the trading floor on his knees. Under his chummy black robes his thorax was racked with sobs. He had his hands over his grimace and his fingers curled into his white-blond hair.

Malfoy.

Harry just stood there, it was as if his dead body had been frozen. He must have made some motion because a mo later Malfoy's head jerked up and Harry's putting surface centre met the watery greyness 1 staring up at him.

There was a moment when no one moved, then Malfoy's face flickered from heartbreak to disbelief, skepticism to confusion and confusion to rage.

"Stupefy !"

Harry threw himself back into the corridor as the tour snapshot past his shoulder. Harry drew his verge and shot a bludgeoning hex at Malfoy but found to coming back at him a moment later. Harry was forced back down the corridor as the enraged Slytherin threw hex after hex at him.

"Confringo !"Harry shot at a marble female chest by Malfoy's head and the clap caused him to duck and stumble.

"Ferio !"The while hit Malfoy in the English and sent him to the floor

"Petrificus To-"

"Expelliarmus !"

Harry felt his wand jerked out of his hand. He tried to grab it but it slipped through his fingers and landed in Malfoy's open palm. A moment later a glowing expletive hit him in the human face like a lump of needles and threw him to the floor.

As Harry shivered in bother and tried to shake off off the feeling that his face was being grated a phantasm passed over him.

"Now Potter."Malfoy grated."We ‘ re going to have a yearn lecture about why you ‘ re here and what I ‘ m going to do to you."

"I doubt it."Harry snarled and kicked Malfoy's groundwork out from under him. Some spell pin-wheeled over Harry's oral sex and he ducked to the storey. He leapt at Malfoy and grabbed both his arms to intercept him casting More charm. Malfoy was writhing and spitting to try and get him off. Harry head butted him in the Kuki-Chin and he yelled out in pain.

Somehow Malfoy managed to get a hand justify and stabbed his finger into Harry's pharynx. Harry grabbed Malfoy's hair and jerked him away. Harry shot back and managed to find out his feet, he saw Malfoy lift and bring in his wand to birth. Harry reacted on instinct and launched himself, shoulder first, into the Slytherins's abdomen. They both flew backwards and Harry heard a tawdry wreck of splintering wood. The two boys dropped like Lucy Stone, far further 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 second as he brought up his hands to track his head."This is going to hurt far too much."

The marble floor rose to meet him. Harry felt the wallop in every bone and muscle, like some shockwave had shot through him and break in everything. He winced and tried to agitate himself up. The instant his bequeath hand hit the flooring a dead reckoning of pain in the neck ran through him and he gingerly pulled it back.

Broken wrist. Wonderful.

Harry stood on shaky leg and looked over at where Malfoy had fallen. The slimy pure blood was whimpering into the floor so he was probably alert. Harry walked over and snatched both their wands from where they ‘ d rolled. Malfoy was bleeding from somewhere. Harry knelt by him and pushed him over to get a better look.

"Oh bar crying you big baby."Harry said disgustedly."You ‘ ve only got a wiped out nose."

"It hurts."

"That ‘ s why they call them broken."Harry shrugged and stood."What the underworld are you doing here anywhere ?"

"I could ask you the same."Malfoy snapshot back, looking very silly. He was trying to pull of regal lordliness with blood dripping from his nose.

"Yes you could. You wouldn ‘ t get an solvent though because I hold all the cards."Harry grinned."Oh, did I say cards ? I meant sceptre !"Harry lowered his towards the boy on the base."Tell me why you ‘ re here ! Why did you creep out of Hogwarts to come here ?"

"I have more right to be here than you do."Malfoy pulled himself up to a sitting stance and wiped the blood off his face with a sleeve."Why shouldn't I visit Ellen ‘ s house ?"

"You know she ‘ s absolutely ?"

"Yes thrower that ‘ s painfully obvious."Malfoy sneered."I ‘ m here because she ‘ s an old kin ally. What ‘ s your exculpation ?"

"Following a tip."Harry's question snapped back as a loud bell rang out across the hall.

"That ‘ s the wards."Malfoy said, surprised.

Harry ran to the strawman door and peered out from between the drape. He saw a photoflash of black robe and jerked back, his feet skidding on the floor.

"Aurors !"There wasn't fourth dimension to leave the hall, Harry dove behind a pile of boxful just as the boor handle began to turn. He felt Malfoy slide in beside him. The two male child waited in mortal silence as the door creaked open.

"Signs of a struggle sir."Harry heard a girls voice say."Broken banister, blood on the floor."

"Thomas More than a simple looting call then."A cryptical vocalization, heavy.

"Perhaps they fought with the homeowner ?"A irregular manful voice, younger, suggested.

"Didn ‘ t you read the note ?"Girly said irritably."The homeowner ‘ s dead. That ‘ s the entirely reason we ‘ re here."

"Trainee Nymphadora is correct."Deep agreed."There shouldn ‘ t be any legerdemain at this premise, let alone nonaged magic."

Harry groaned silently. Of course. The ministry could find underage magic, and he and Malfoy had been throwing tour around like they were back at Hogwarts.

"We are changeling,"Harry thinking. He turned and his eyes met Malfoy's, he could severalise the other boy was thinking the Saami thing.

"So maybe the despoiler fought each other."The male person trainee was saying."Arguing over spoil ?"

"Possible."deep sounded as if he was just tolerating this nestling."We can not know at present."

"Should I take a blood sample ?"

Malfoy's eyes shot full open.

"No, we search the family first. They could still be here. Jandred you stay here and make for sure they do not try to leave by the movement door. Nymphadora, with me."

Harry heard step affect away to the door towards the dining room. His judgement was already churning possibilities. If they took the blood, they would find it was Malfoy's and arrest him. At which pointedness Malfoy would plough Harry over in a heartbeat.

Harry drew his wand and disillusioned himself as quietly as potential. He heard Malfoy raspberry something behind him but ignored him. Harry peered out from behind a box and saw that the man, Jandred, was looking the other way. Harry slid out from behind the box and moved closer as silently as he was able.

Should have silenced my feet.

Harry cursed himself for forgetting but kept tiptoeing closer. When he was within a few meters of the patch of blood line on the story he whispered,

"Scourgify !"The blood disappeared and Harry shot behind a pillar just as the trainee auror turned around.

Harry forced himself to breath shallowly and quietly. A long moment went past but the man didn't seem to notice that the blood line was gone. Harry looked over and saw that Malfoy had made his way to a incline room access 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 former end he pushed on a discussion section of wall and Harry was amazed to see it swing inwards. A mystery doorway !

Harry followed quickly behind and closed the threshold behind him.

"Where are we ?"

"Servant's enactment Potter."Malfoy seemed to be able to make even a whisper a sneer."All true old pure blood household have them so the servants can make a motion around without getting underfoot."

"opinion you used house extremely low frequency ?"Harry said disparagingly as they made their way through the dusty corridor.

"There was a meter when it was seen as a mark of true wealth to be able to yield wizards slaves as well."Malfoy ducked under a monumental gossamer."Alas those meter have passed."

"Oh for the unspoilt old days."Harry said sarcastically.

Malfoy came to a stop near a trapdoor in the flooring and levered the door assailable with his foot.

"We can get out here, the handing over goes all the way outside the wards. It ‘ s how I got in."

"Why are you doing this ?"Harry asked quizzically."Why are you helping me ?"

"Why did you pick up the blood ?"

"Are you kidding ? If they ‘ d have caught you you'd bridge player me over in a mome-"Harry paused."That ‘ s why you ‘ re doing this isn ‘ t it ?"

"slur on Potter. Get in the red cent tunnel."
*


The two boys emerged like jetty in a field miles away from the house, blinking and shielding their eyes from the sunlight. Harry could see the business firm far in the space, a white blot against the sky.

"That was a serious tunnel."Harry tried to get his heading and work out how to get back to the train place."town ‘ s that way."

"Give me my baton back."Malfoy said to Harry's back. Harry hesitated, then tossed it over his shoulder.

Harry began trudging through the weed and a moment later Malfoy fell into step beside him.

"Why were you really there ?"Harry asked suddenly.

"I told you potter she was a home friend."Malfoy said curtly.

"If she was a family line friend your Father could have taken you out of school."Harry pointed out."Instead you sneak out on your own."

"I wanted to know the whole story."Malfoy said angrily.

"What do you mean the whole tale ?"

"You don ‘ t… ? You don ‘ t know."Malfoy shook his head then began again as if explaining something to a child."The Daily Prophet works hard not to infract the wizarding families you understand."

"Yeah."

"You remember what it said Ellen Hayward died of ?"

"She…"Harry tried to cast her head back."It said she must give birth commingle one of her medicinal potions wrong. Used too much-"

"Exactly !"Malfoy cut in."That's what they say on the aerofoil. They don't want to infract us but they still need to spread the news so they have these slight codes."

"codification in the paper ?"

"Yes Potter,"Malfoy gestured with his hands as he explained."If they say soul say… died in his sleep then that means he was smothered by a category member."

"Nice."Harry cringed back.

"Don ‘ t be so squeamish."Malfoy scoffed."Spell misfired agency they were experimenting with colored magic, unexpected sickness usually means they caught something from a orange red woman."

"You ‘ re fourteen Malfoy, say prostitute."

"And a mistake admixture potions is codification for suicide."Malfoy lapsed into silence.

"So…"Harry said carefully.

"So Ellen was the to the lowest degree probable person in the humanity to consider suicide !"Malfoy snapped."She had more lifetime in her than char half her age ! She used to pop around to our house all the time, or we would go to hers. She was an fighting member of pure lineage society, and in salutary health. She would not kill herself !"

They walked in quiet for a little slipway as Harry digested all off that.

"You suspect off then."Harry said quietly.

"I just think it ‘ s suspicious."Malfoy said angrily.

There was to a greater extent silence. They reached the tarmac road and fell into step along it easily.

"Did you hear about Rita Skeeter ?"Harry said after a piece."That was funny too."

Malfoy said nothing, but he bit his lip and seemed to be thinking. As they reached the edge of town Malfoy stopped suddenly.

"I ‘ m going this way."He pointed up a obsolete looking alleyway."This is my way home."

"You wouldn ‘ t consider giving me a aerodynamic 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 gamey up on his berm and headed into town.

As he was walking through a shopping street on his way back to the power train station he heard an odd interference. A sort of low moaning without words. It was also intimate. His ears pricked up as he tried to pinpoint it. It was coming from a small store, one of those nature shop that sold incense, wicker wall-hangings, wooden carving and useless junk like that. Harry moved into it and tried to cull out the disturbance, it was coming from a mag tape 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 thickening to no outcome, he tried another marked pitching and the sound got lower berth. Ah ! Harry twisted it all the way the early way and jerked the mass node to full.

A high pitched warbling shriek filled the shop, causing Harry to both cringe in pain and call in triumph. It sounded almost exactly like the golden egg.

"Hey !"The tradesman yelled at him and rushed over to readjust the simple machine."What the hell do you think you ‘ re doing kid ?"

"Sorry,"Harry shrugged apologetically."What was that ?"

"It was whale Song before you screwed with it."The man said angrily.

"Whale song…"Harry smiled and nodded."Thank you."He turned and walked out of the shop.

*

It was obscure and bitingly cold by the fourth dimension Harry hauled himself out of the lake and squelched into Hogwarts. Swimming across the lake at night with a wear out radiocarpal joint had possibly been the most terrorise experience of Harry's life and he was glad when he managed to arrive at the fat lady's portrait.

"Oh you poor dear."She said."You look like a you've been through the wars."

"flavor worse from in here."Harry smiled up at her and she opened without him saying anything else.

Harry barely had the energy to drop his clothes on the floor and crawl into bed before eternal rest took him.

He the rabbit again, running through the woods away from something. The apple tree diagram were in broad flower and the air was full moon of garden pink flower petal. A sophisticate counterpoint to the fear coursing through his petite eubstance. Something caught him, grabbed him by the ears. He kicked and scratched as knockout as he could but it was no adept, the monolithic dark configuration holding him just laughed. Harry screamed as it plunged it's long fingers into his forehead.

"Harry !"

Harry jerked awake and looked around, Ron and Neville were standing over him worriedly.

"Bad dream."Harry muttered and slid out of bed."The one where I'm naked in the middle of the heavy hall again. Time to get up anyway."

"How was Dorset Harry ?"Neville said quietly.

"common cold. Going to the beach in January ‘ s a really stupid idea."Harry grinned and walked towards the showers.

Harry visited the hospital wing quickly to fix his wrist ("stairs again Harry ?"“ Sure, we can go with that.") and wandered down towards the dandy hall in adept tone. He had a good clue on the egg, he hadn't been caught and he'd gained a valuable clue. All in all it was a good…

Bugger.

Harry froze as he reached the entrance of the keen hall before forcing himself to continue and take a behind. Up on the high table, sitting next to Dumbledore, was a marvellous black man in auror's robes.
*


"goodness sunup students."Dumdledore stood as soon as everyone had gathered in the nifty G. Stanley Hall."Before we eat this morning, auror Shacklebolt from the ministry has something to say."

Everyone in the foyer was looking at the marvellous auror as he stood. Everyone except the marauders who were all looking at Harry.

"What the hell did you do ?"Hermione hissed in his ear and Harry shushed her into silence.

"commodity morning."The auror said, he seemed to call back this was all the entry necessary because he proceeded to launch right in."Yesterday there was an incident at the planetary house of a recently deceased Wiccan near Bournemouth."

"That ‘ s in Devon."Hermione hissed.

"Is it ? Is it really ?"Harry hissed back."The geography lesson is fascinating now kindly shut up !"

"We were alerted to it by underage magic."The auror continued."But whoever it was is also guilty of breaking and entering, illegally breaching Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, property harm, vandalism and theft."

Theft ?

"Judging by the difficulty of the enchantment detected the suspect must be at least of Hogwarts age."The auror's dark middle swept over the educatee."And since there are currently no school day age virtuoso in Britain who chose not to give ear Hogwarts the perpetrator is mortal in this room."

Harry glanced over at Malfoy and met the other boy's eyes. They were both thinking the same affair, ‘ If one of us goes down, we both go down. ’.

"There was line of descent left at the scene, but whoever it was cleaned up after themselves."Harry breathed a sigh of relief in his mind."But thankfully we were able to see some fibril of hair."

The auror held up a belittled, clear envelope. Harry adjusted his deoxyephedrine but couldn't see anything in there before the auror put it back in the scoop of his robes.

"A dim-witted cirrus ab clavis trance will fix who it belongs to."Shacklebolt continued."So in a present moment 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 help him much. Malfoy would still rat him out.

"Harry what ‘ s going on ?"

"Not now Hermione."Harry stood and walked calmly towards the end of the table, plenty of other the great unwashed were getting up to go the talking to so he hoped it wasn't too fishy. The teacher had begun wrangling the blond students into groups. Harry deliberately didn't aspect over at the Slytherin table, he already knew what he'd see.

As soon as he was out of good deal of the Granville Stanley Hall he broke into a sprint, shooting along the corridor and sliding sideways behind a tapestry before throwing himself up a secret staircase. He had to strive the hospital annexe before the auror did, or he was dead marrow. 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 give the auror no suit for suspicion, and this guy seemed pretty on the testis. He saw him change by reversal 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 digit slipped into the auror's pocket. Dip-grasp-out-hide !

Harry slipped the envelope into his gown and kept walking. For a terrific here and now he thought the auror had noticed, that he was going to turn and yell for Harry to kibosh. 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 losing regard for these ministry types. Not adequate vigilance, Moody would be disappointed. Harry wandered back to the dandy dorm and looked in. The marauder 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 skilful as mine."Harry shrugged.

"Harry don ‘ t aim me for an idiot."Susan crossed her arms."This involves you."

"Why would you recall 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 centre."Is it going to be ok for you ? They ‘ re not going to arrest you are they ?"

"Relax, it ‘ s all good. I ‘ ve got it under control."Harry whispered. Susan smiled and hugged him.

"ceramist !"Harry sighed and turned around. Malfoy was standing right behind him."A word please ?"

"Relax Malfoy, I took charge of it."Harry said, after checking that no-one was listening."You owe me."

With that Harry turned, waved bye-bye to Susan and walked out of the Hall.
*


Harry saw Malfoy again about an 60 minutes later. Harry was heading back from he library when his fellow title-holder appeared out of nowhere and beckoned him into an hollow classroom. Harry obliged before closing the door and casting silencing good luck charm around.

"Where is it ?"Malfoy asked bluntly.

"Where ‘ s what ?"

"The evidence."Malfoy said angrily."I know you took it ! Is this your plan ? hold 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 consume from the Hayward theater ?"Malfoy went dead 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 verity and you were investigating the suspicious Death of a family friend then what I just did was a good thing."Harry held out his hands like equalizer scales."On the early bridge player if you ‘ re an opportunist, lying, hyena who was stealing from her then what I did was a bit more morally ambiguous. In that case I ‘ d have to generate the tomentum back to the aurors and see your bastard arse go down."Harry snapped out the accusation viciously, Malfoy even jerked back a step. It was a mo before Malfoy responded.

"I took…"The Slytherin swallowed hard."It was an heirloom of her family. A ring, ancient. If it had been boxed up with everything else to go to her first cousin he would have sold it. It deserved better than that."

"It did, or she did ?"Harry asked, Malfoy hesitated then…

"Both."

Harry nodded faintly, safe enough. He reached into his gown and drew out the envelope.

"You still owe me."He tossed it to Malfoy and headed for the door.
*


It would get been nice if that was the end of it. It wasn't.

"So Potter…"

Harry slowed to a stop outside the Fat madam's portrait and turned around to see the unreadably scarred face of Mad Eye Moody.

"Oh great,"Harry grumbled."Is this chapter gon na be entirely duologue ? ‘ Cos my throat ‘ s getting tired."

"I was just talking to my old Friend Kingsley Shacklebolt."Moody stumped up towards Harry and looked down at him."Seems some evidence just disappeared from his pocket."

"Did he jibe his former pocket ?"Harry suggested."That always happens to me."

"Cut the drivel Potter."Moody sighed."I already know you did it I just want to acknowledge whether you had a well reason."

"Protecting myself and a valuable informant."Harry said levelly."And because there are more important crimes going on right now than breaking and entering."

"Like ?"

"Ellen Hayward."

"I assume it was suicide, reported at an accident."Moody said, though he didn't sound convinced.

"My witnesser is convinced otherwise."

"Guess I could pretend some inquires."Moody said thoughtfully."See whether there ‘ s anything to this."

"Thank you."Harry nodded and turned towards the plebeian room.
*


"Harry !"Still not over.

"Bloody hell."Harry groaned and headed over to the piranha table and slouched down onto a unblock hot seat."I suppose you want an explanation."

"Too flop we do !"Ron said angrily.

"We ‘ ve been worried Harry."Neville list forward and spoke quietly, but Padma interrupted him.

"We ‘ ve also been angry."She said through clenched teeth."What the hell ‘ s going on with you ?"

"I was investigating the execution, Ellen Hayward."Harry checked to see if anyone was listening then continued."soul said it was suspicious so I went to count 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. At the end the piranha seemed stunned.

"Why did you do all this Harry ?"Parvarti asked."Why did you go there in the inaugural place ?"

"Um… because murder is bad ? Because I was bored ? Because I hadn ‘ t spent nearly sufficiency time as a lagomorph this 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 disbelief."You didn ‘ t talk to her or anyone else, you just stood up and told us you were going to Dorset !"

"vaticinator don ‘ t have to speak directly to you my anti-spiritual disciple."Harry tapped his temple."They have other ways."

"So effectively what you ‘ re telling us,"Padma crossed her arms."Is that you broke out of Hogwarts, invaded a slaying scene and stole evidence because the articulation in your head told you too."

"Well if you put it like that you can make anything phone crazy."Harry shrugged and smiled cheekily.

"Harry you ‘ ve gone too far."

"You're just being antsy, I know you believe me really."

"Why ?"

"You called it a murder scene."Harry pointed out."mean you believe me that something else is going on."

Padma opened her rima oris to rejoin but keep out it angrily and glared at him.

"mentation so,"Harry grinned."But I do have some former news program. 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 john. 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 unsound than normal."

"Yes Nev I do."Harry nodded and winked.

"You did it on design ?"

"Yep."

"Why ?"

"wellspring I don ‘ t know if you ‘ ve noticed Nev,"Harry grinned like a devil."But they ‘ ve completely forgotten about Ron."
*


Harry slid into the water gingerly and pulled the egg in after him. The early piranha were already waiting amongst the bubbles. He motioned them down and they all slipped underwater. Harry swallowed his revulsion and twisted his capitulum just enough to put one ear under weewee then opened the egg.

‘ ejaculate seek us where our vocalism sound
We can not peach above the ground
And while you're searching, ponder this
We've taken what you'll sorely escape,
An hour long you'll have to bet,
But past an hour - the prospect's black
Too late, it's gone, it won't fall back..'

Harry pulled his pass back up the same moment the former vulture emerged. Several of them were spluttering or flushed from the water. Harry was the only if one who was white grey.

"wellspring that ‘ s easy."Hermione said excitedly."You just experience to go somewhere and get something back in under an hour."

"Probably in the lake."Padma chimed it."It ‘ d make sense if it was underwater ‘ we can not sing above the land ‘ 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 marauders turned to Harry, who still hadn't moved. He was shaking despite the strong water.

"Harry…"Ginny reached out to touch his shoulder and he flinched away from her hand.

"Guys…"Harry spoke slowly and weakly, like his throat didn't want to travel."You remember the boggart in third year ?"

"Yes it… Oh !"Hermione clasped both custody over her mouth in shock."Yours was water ! Your afraid of weewee. 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 question ‘ s above water I can cope. Just."Harry shun his eyes and bowed his question, he felt wretched to be admitting this."But as soon as it closes over my head I lose it. My nous just goes blank, I can't think, can ‘ t control myself. I start trying to breath in the water, commencement choking. I don ‘ t even have the signified to try and float back up to the surface."Harry felt like iron weights had been hooked to the side of meat of his essence but he kept going.

"I can push a flying dragon again, or werewolves, Voldemort. But I can ‘ t swim."Harry shook his head, trying to hold back tear."I can ‘ t swim."

The room was silent, the easy sloshing of the water against the tub, and the seven teens, sounded unnaturally loud.

"Ah,"Padma said dryly."That could pose a problem."

"Could you um…"Ron flapped his hands vaguely."Wear something over your mind ? Like a bucket or something ?"

The early marauder shared a look and Ron fell silent.

"Ok…"Hermione rubbed her hands together nervously."That ‘ s ok. We can cover with this. We ‘ ll get you better, maybe get you used to it slowly. Immersion therapy. We ‘ ve got almost three weeks before the second undertaking, we can get you ready."

"Yeah !"Ron brightened up."See, like this !"He jumped forward and pushed Harry's school principal underwater.

Harry screamed and felt water surge into his air passage. A instant later he was dragged out of the water and he collapsed against the edge of the bath, 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 hard to be cheerful right now."Maybe we can amount up with something in the morning."

Harry nodded, it took too much vim to do anything else.
*


Harry had chains around his ankles, an anchor on the other end. Pulling him deeper and profoundly down into the lake. He tried to hollo but goose egg came out. It was getting darker and darker… black. Harry kept screaming but the inkiness water supply filled his mouth like a gag. It was everywhere.

Harry woke up sweating and shaking and stumbled out of bed. He felt, and smelled, like he had run a endurance contest. He reached the bath and shed his sodden pajamas quickly before spinning the tap for a shower. The spray fell into the fiddling tiled cubical but Harry didn't enter, instead he stood outside it shaking.

He hesitantly put a mitt forward but as soon as the atomiser splashed it he jerked back. His nerve was racing. He turned the shower off and grabbed his wand, he ran a cleaning spell all over his body before changing into his robes and scurrying out of the bathroom.
*


"Harry are you OK."Someone asked him for the fiftieth sentence that day.

Harry growled at him and the student scurried off. Harry sighed, it was too a lot to take.

He had another nightmare that dark, again trapped in the lake. This clock time in a cage that was bolted to the lakebed. He kept trying to get out but the bars were made of steel.

Once again he couldn't bring himself to shower down and made do with a cleansing good luck charm. When soul offered him a trash of piddle at breakfast he almost cursed them into oblivion.

Harry buried his typeface in his hands, it was getting worse. It was like every nightmare left a little piece of itself in him. Bulking fear on top of fear until he self-destructed.

"Harry…"representative ? Harry looked up and saw Parvarti's worried look."We ‘ ve got animate being now… but I ‘ m sure Hagrid won ‘ t mind if you miss it."

Harry shook his caput and stood up. Maybe something trying to gore him would contain his mind off his phobia.

They walked down to Hagrid's cabin. Harry didn't say anything, neither did anyone else.

"commodity morning all,"Hagrid was his common jolly self."We ‘ re having today ‘ s lesson down by the lake."

No !

Harry almost collapsed on the Grass. Hermione and Padma moved off at a run, trying to intercept Hagrid as he strode off towards the blue expanse.

Harry leadenly put one foot in front of the early. He was vaguely cognizant of Ron and Neville trying to talk to him but he blanked them out. He stopped as the grass sloped down towards the water system. There were some things in pens near the pee surface, Hagrid was opening one while Hermione and Padma talked to him. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying but the hand movements were pretty emphatic.

Harry felt his forehead get slick magazine with perspiration. He tried to step closer to the lake but the speech sound of it filled his ears. The blue sloshing waves echoed somehow in his head and became a raging cataract, making it impossible to rivet on anything. The water seemed to rise while staying in the same place, creeping tightlipped to is eyes.

Harry's nerve broke and he turned and ran back towards the castle. He heard vociferation 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 gradation of Hogwarts at a sprint and kept going. He had to blot out !

All the while the water system kept rushing in his ears.
*


The vulture begged out of Hagrid's object lesson to go find him. They spit into teams and searched the rook. It was nightfall before they found him. Neville and Ron stumbled on him in the keep, in a diminutive, dead-end corridor. It didn't flavor like it had been used in year. Harry was just slouched against the back wall, his arms tucked into his robes.

"Harry ?"Ron approached carefully.

Harry didn't answer, his regard was fixed of a footling dribble division of the ceiling. His middle followed each droplet as it grew, dropped and splashed into a fogyish bandage on the floor.

"Harry ?"

dripping, drip mold, drip.

"Are you Ok ?"

Drip, drip mold, drip.

"Is there anything we can do ?"

Drip, drip, drip… Harry looked up and his eye met Ron's. The redhead almost flinched back, his acquaintance gaze was dig and deadening, like all the life had been sucked out of him. But even so it seemed to deem barely contained fury.

"Yes,"Harry's vox sounded like it was seeping out through 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 absorption therapy thing again. Except this time you ‘ re gon na hold me under."
*


Harry turned the taps to fully and forced himself to watch as the bathing tub filled to the brim. He didn't add any soap, he had a touch sensation he would be inhaling a good deal of this water.

"Are you sure you want to do this Harry ?"Neville said nervously.

"I have to."Harry tensed himself and slipped one leg down into the weewee. He felt like his skin was tightening up, like his wholly leg had pins and phonograph needle. He gritted his teeth and dropped the repose of his consistence in. Already he felt like screech, the urine was everywhere.

"Ok, Neville you ‘ ve got a watch ?"Harry said through chattering tooth that had nothing to do with the temperature.

"Yes."

"Ok,"Harry began taking deep breathing space in preparation."Keep me under for five secondment, whatever I do. We ‘ ll push button it up from there."

"Are you su-"

"Stop asking me if I'm sure !"Harry snapped. He turned to Ron, who was already in the tub."Do it !"

Harry closed his eyes and felt manus close around his shoulders. A moment later he was dunked down. He tried to keep his back talk shut but as soon as the piss closed over his head he panicked and breathed in a great gulp of weewee. His lungs and throat burned and he flailed helplessly.

After what felt like a lifetime he was pulled to the surface. He collapsed against the side of the bath and lay there, coughing up his lungs onto the tiles. He weakly realized that there was blood sundry in with the weewee, he must of bit his tongue trying to breathe.

"Was that five seconds ?"Harry said feeble once he had stopped coughing.

"Yes."

"Make the following one ten."

"Harry !"Ron protested."I can ‘ t do this to you ! The tourney ‘ s not worth this !"

"It ‘ s not even about the tournament any more."Harry shook his head teacher."It's got so much unfit I can't charter a shower, I can ‘ t go near the lake. I ‘ m dehydrated because I don ‘ t even want to drink a trash of urine. I can ‘ t live like this. Please mate… ten seconds."

Harry felt Ron move towards him through the body of water and pull him to his foot. Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Again he was plunged into hell. Harry broke again and gulped in piddle. He saw lights flash on the inside of his eyelids. He felt like the bath had become a whirlpool spinning him around and around. Every musculus clenched and released like he was having a raptus. The lights faded, and darkness replaced it.
*


Harry woke confused. He was lying on a bed, with sheets over him. He wasn't wearing his glasses so the world in presence of him was blurred. His chest of drawers felt heavy and ventilation was hard.

"Where am I ?"He croaked out.

"The hospital wing Mr thrower. You stopped breathing. Mainly because your lungs were full of water."A white blob appeared into Harry's eyeshot and a moment later his looking glass were returned. madam 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 get laid what to say this time."

"At least I can ‘ t inculpation this one on stairs."Harry smiled weakly. The school nurse snorted.

"You ‘ re friend is over there."She jerked her nous at another bed where Ron lay."He hasn ‘ t left since you were brought in. He seems to feel 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 sound of Harry's part the predator stirred."Ron heat up."

"Harry ? Harry you ‘ re awake !"Ron rubbed his optic 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 for the first time topographic point none of this would be necessary."

"You ‘ re not screwed up Harry. You ‘ re just… Harry."

"I jump onto trains."Harry shook his head and express joy, but here was no body fluid in it."I ‘ m fourteen and I ‘ ve murdered two people you can ‘ t separate 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 affair I shouldn ‘ t know. Something ‘ s wrong with me."

"But-"

"I manipulate people, I have no sentience 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 formula, not with a straight face."

"But Harry,"Ron moved up and put a hired hand on his shoulder comfortingly."All that clobber's what makes you you."

"existence me sucks."Harry rolled over away from Ron. Madam Pomfrey returned with a trash of water and a lowly tumbler of blue sky liquid.

"swallow all of it. It ‘ s quite bitter."She disappeared into her federal agency again.

Harry reached out and gulped down the anise seed flavored potion. He reached out for the water chicken feed but his fingers stopped an column inch from the meth. 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 password then knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Harry turned the handle and stepped into the guest fourth of Hogwarts. A few of the temple handmaidens were sitting at the mesa reading material, they looked up pointedly as he entered. He tried to push aside them. He walked over to where Pythea was sitting by the window on a piddling couch. Harry pulled over a chair and sat.

"Are you feeling better ?"Pythea asked, though she didn't strait concerned.

"Yes. Thank you."

"I looked in on you in the hospital offstage, but I couldn't stay."Pythea's eye's flickered to the white soak adult female around the table.

"That ‘ s alright."Harry smiled."That ‘ s not what I came here about. I need advice."

"About the second task ?"Pythea smiled faintly."You fear it."

"Yeah."Harry answered, not bothering to wonder how Pythea knew."I don ‘ t think I can do it. I mean there are enchantment and things, bubblehead charm, Neville suggested gillyweed. But none of them ‘ ll work for me, not if I go crazy the minute I hit the urine. I don't know what to do. I ‘ m scared Theia, I need help."

"Are you asking for my advice as an seer ?"Pythea cocked her head teacher."Or as a booster ?"

"Please Thea,"Harry begged."Just open me something."

"I have advice for you Harry."Pythea took his mitt in hers."But you may not like it."

"Tell me."

"Give up."

"What ?"Harry frowned, confused.

"Don't compete in the second gear task. You can still win on the third base even if you get zero for this one."

"But… The chalice ‘ s a binding contract."Harry shook his forefront."I have to compete."

"You have to compete in the tournament."Pythea corrected."There have been various times in the past tense where a wizard has skipped a task for medical reasons. And a phobia is a legitimise medical reason."

"But… I ‘ d have to tell them."Harry bit his lip."The unanimous 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 than 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 enigmatic one ?"

There isn ‘ t one Harry. There never is with you.

Harry was about to serve but Pythea put a finger to her lips and smiled.

"Would you like a biz of chess while you ‘ re here ?"She said out loud.

"chess game with a mind-reading seer."Harry rolled his heart."This should be fun."
*


Harry took Pythea's specification of hope that he would intend of something and clung onto it like a lifeline. He spent every availably moment in the depository library trying to find some former way into the lake. He researched astral projection, animagi, freezing and boiling patch and obscure magic spell. He got his supporter to brew a potion of bravery to try to get the better of the concern but it wasn't enough and the effect only lasted a few transactions anyway.

So it came to be the night before the task and Harry was still in the library, sitting behind a pile of books, despairing.

There was no answer, he should just give up.

"Burning the midnight oil ceramist ?"Harry heard Malfoy's voice and jerked his foreland up to see the boy walk out from behind a bookshelf, a pile of books under his arm.

Harry's brow furrows as he worked back through Malfoy's prison term. It took him a few seconds to operate out what was bothering him about it. There hadn't been an insult in it ! It had been a simple-minded, normal 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 titles to Harry's own."You have a plan for tomorrow ?"

"Yes."Malfoy nodded."Just making sure cipher can go wrong. You ?"

"No."Harry admitted shaking his head."No I ‘ ve got nothing."

secretiveness reigned in the dark, musty library.

"You must induce something."Malfoy said, shrugging."A picayune charm or so-"

"No."Harry shook his head again."Nothing that will work for me."

"But wh…"Malfoy leant back in his chair. Harry could almost see the geared wheel turning in his question."The Boggart in third year…"

Harry said nothing, he didn't have to.

"You ‘ re afraid of pee ?"

Silence.

"That ‘ s… not good for you then."Malfoy smiled."But very unspoiled for me."

"jailer you Peroxide !"Harry sneered and knocked over a pile of Koran 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 outdoors, balancing on the vertebral column two legs of his chair. Harry had the unbearable urge to tip him over.

Harry gritted his teeth and ignored him, pulling another Quran over. A few minutes passed in silence then…

"Potter, what the pit is 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 insult correctly."

"Would you like me to try again ?"Harry jabbed."I ‘ ve got lots."

"I tend to stick with mudblood."

"Evidence of a sound lack of imagination."Harry shut his volume 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 you shortarse !"

Harry chuckled despite himself and dropped his centre back to the text in forepart of him. It had some data 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, cryptic in thought.

"Courage potion… ?"

"Tried it, burden doesn't finis hanker enough."

"A transformation of some kind ?"

"Any transformation that keeps my head intact sustenance my phobic disorder intact as well."

"How about charming an animal to get whatever-it-is for you ?"

"Against the prescript of the contest."

"Some variety of diving ship's bell ?"

"Now you ‘ re just scraping the stern of the barrel."Harry sunk onto his hands on the table."Face it, if I ‘ ve had weeks to come up with an resolution you ‘ re not gon na get it in one night. I ‘ ve been racking my brains trying to think of some way that's within the rules but it just isn ‘ t there."

"Well how about outside them."Malfoy shrugged."You said you were going to cheat anyway."

"In front line of the total school ? And the judges ?"Harry shook his psyche."I ‘ d never get away with it."

"Is this Harry ceramicist I ‘ m talking to or some sort of imposter."Malfoy laughed dismissively."You don't worry about how to get away with things. You do them and get away with them later."

Harry opened his backtalk to object but a light-bulb came on in his mind. He stood suddenly, driving his electric chair back.

"I need different books."He stated suddenly before turning and walking away. After a 2nd he turned and said,"Thank you."

"I owed you one."Malfoy said, his eyes back on the book in front of him.
*


"Ginny !"

Why is he shaking me ?

"Ginster wake up !"

"Harry ?"Ginny woke slowly and groggily."Harry it ‘ s still the midriff of the night."

"I know."

"How did you even get up the stairs ?"

"Listen Gin, I need to adopt the Chimera."Harry was whispering but he sounded insistent.

"Sure Harry."Ginny shook her head, clearing cobweb."What do you need it for ?"

"Can ‘ t tell you."Harry smiled evilly."If I told you you ‘ d be an accessory."

"An add-on to what ?"Ginny was wide awake now.

"A Harry Potter Plan !"Harry grinned in the dark, then disappeared.
*


"Mr Potter…"Minerva McGonagall licked her rim and stopped speaking. All around her the various adults were starting to titter, the students too. Dumbledore was giving Harry an valuate face, Maxim was laughing openly, Crouch just looked scandalized.

They were standing by the edge of the lake, the second task was about to start and all but one of the title-holder were wearing swimsuit. Those three were the ace giggling at the fourth.

"Mr Potter…"She tried again, pointing at what Potter 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."Potter shrugged.

"You realize that the broomstick will not even go underwater ?"

"Yes."

"Is there any chance that you will recite me what you ‘ re planning."

"No."

McGonagall shook her head and turned back towards the stands. Behind her the champions moved into line by the edge of the lake. She shook her heading as Bagman read out the rules in his loud roaring part, then…

"One… two… tercet !"

Harry shot into the air like a bullet and careened backwards towards the viewpoint. Audience members scattered but Harry managed to regain control at the live on minute and pulled up to charge over and out, following the curve of the lake until he disappeared behind a hill.

"Did he run away ?"

"Where did he go ?"

mussitation broke out around the stall. McGonagall shook her pass, they had said the Saami things conclusion fourth dimension and Harry had come through.

Her centre were drawn to the top bandstand, to the sliver of ashen amongst the dark robes. The Pythea was standing before her seat, her eyes fixed in the instruction Harry had disappeared. A moment 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 nix. A moment later a shape appeared in the lake, rounding the hill that had hid it from scene and pushing out quickly into the open water.

One by one the bunch fell silent, every eye fixed on the thing in the lake. McGonagall put her hand to her mouth, even given a thousand days she would never sustain thought of this.

Karkaroff was the first to break the secrecy. Shooting from his chair, his face red with madness he raised his fist and yelled,

"THAT LITTLE illegitimate child ! HE ‘ S STOLEN MY BLOODY SHIP !"



critique, please. Reviewing is good for you, it 's got atomic number 20 in it !