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



Harry lay on his backrest on his bed with his female parent locket dangling above him. The bloody thing was taunting him he was sure enough. He had run some detection appealingness over it and been shocked to chance that the thing was wrapped up six ways from Sunday. Harry flicked through one of the book laid around him but found nothing he hadn't already seen before.

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

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

In world the plan was far from on target, in fact it had taken a repulsive lunge. It had happened one breakfast not long after Christmas…

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

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

"F… ff… Firebolt."That was all Ron appeared to be able-bodied to say. His side was ash Edward White as he fumbled a Quidditch magazine out of his bag and spread it out in front end of Harry, his script palpitation as he pointed to a retentive article.

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

"Does this change the plan Harry."Harry glanced up and saw that Fred and George had moved down the mesa. Their usual grins dulled to worried scowl."I, mean… It ‘ s a Firebolt."Harry tossed the magazine publisher back at Ron and rock his head.

"The Calluna vulgaris only as unspoiled as the rider. We can still pull this off."Harry tried to make his phonation comforting and truelove. He kind of succeeded."We will."

But the Slytherin Ravenclaw game gave them ample grounds that even with a bad rider a pro broom still kicks ass. When the snitch finally appeared Malfoy was at the other end of the tar and flying much lower than it and he had still snatched it comfortably before Cho could get anywhere near it. That, coupled with the nimbus 2001s the quietus of the team had had equaled a lay waste to loss for the Ravenclaw team.

The most teasing affair was that he really could do nix right now. They needed to expect at least until after the future match before the program could pass on. Waiting and watching helplessly was agony. When he had been working on the Chimera it had been like there was a big puzzler laid out in movement of him and he could work at it until it was finished. Waiting was much harder because there was nothing to do. Yes he had prep and yes some Slytherins had mysteriously had their shoes filled with frogspawn while they dried beside a fire but he had no puzzle to solve. He had tried to concentrate on practicing with his guitar but it wasn ‘ t enough. Then he remembered the locket.

So now he worked on finding ways to go around its many charms and magical spell. Working on that difficult ( but eventually solvable ) trouble kept his mind off other apparently unsolvable problem. Like why he had had section of last Monday twice. Twisting the locket up near the illumination he tried a few things.

"Lilly. Petunia. Prefect. surface Sesame."The locket remained engage and he dropped his mitt in defeat. At least he had worked out that it was a parole and not some early method of opening but that was about all he had discovered. He had thought of swallowing his pride and asking professor Lupin his advice. The teacher hadn't known it was a locket but he might have had some idea or at least be able-bodied to break him the names of her childhood darling."James. Sirius. Peter. Rose."Harry tried then gave up and englut the affair back into his pocket.

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

And fell twenty invertebrate foot onto cold-blooded 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 trading floor. There was no tug above him and the rampart nearby were patched and had gaping holes in them."Well this is new."Harry commented as he levered himself up against a wall.

"Yes very much so."A pleasant lilting part sounded out of the phantasm down the residence hall."New, but not finished as yet."A grandiloquent man with a all-encompassing beard and a mane of red whisker, barely held down by a beat-up hat, moved into view and knelt down by Harry. His accent was archaic and his dress matched that description as did the jeweled sword in his handwriting. A inscrutable distrust 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 question then stuffed his sword into it, appeared to rummage around for a moment then drew out a short rod topped with a crystallization ball. As he waved the wand over Harry it emitted a strong brightness level and Harry felt the bruises of his fall disappear even quicker than Madam Pomfrey could induce managed."There, all better."The man smiled and dropped the rod back into his hat.

"You got a hare in there too."Harry quipped. Falling back on light-mindedness as the more sane share of his mind waved minuscule white flags.

"A rabbit ? Why would one save a rabbit in a headpiece."The beginner smiled."Wouldn ‘ t it make rather a muddle on the head ?"

The sparkling eye reminded Harry of Dumbledore, comforting him somewhat.

"How did you come to be here ?"Gryffindor asked as he helped Harry to his ft."Or more accurately speaking ; How did you hail to be a upright thirty spans above here ?"

"I don't really know."Harry shrugged."I was lying in bed trying to open… say ?"Harry dug the locket out of his pouch. If anyone could do work this matter out…

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

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

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

"An orchard apple tree peel."Gryffindor finished off his pasty and made a douse motion."soaking an apple in diviners broth that also has the locket soaking deep within it. Then peel the fruit in one comic strip with a silver knife. Toss the skin over thy provide shoulder and it should mould the conformation 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 moment and looked at him through the jewelers glass. His eye fell on Harry's chest on the left side and he let out a bang-up suspiration."Oh, I am truly no-good my boy."

"What ? What is it ?"Harry unbuttoned his shirt and bit back a cry as he saw the monumental red scrape stretching over the leave alone half of his pectus. 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 palpate it !"

"You can not feel it because you have not suffered it yet."Gryffindor bowed his head, a tear blooming in the corner of his eye."Also you will only see it when you are out of your true time. You are caught in the soaker of ages now and there is no way to survive. It will get worse and worse until the effect that caused it in the initiative post occurs. I wish I had better news niggling one, but I am afraid you are doomed."

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

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

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

"fountainhead I don ‘ t buy it."Harry shook his head and crossed his arms angrily."I will not eat up this bullshit you ‘ re peddling. And I want to go back !"Harry felt his rage rising, a volley of accidental magic made a flagstone cleft."I want to go back to my own time, NOW !"Harry pushed his middle closed then snapped them unfold. Gryffindor was gone, and the rook was wholly again.

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

"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU semen FROM !"

Harry spun and made shushing dissonance to quite the fat lady who was now slumped over the cover of her chair with her hand over her thorax, breathing heavily.

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

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

Gryffindor's words troubled him though, even though the whole experience still felt kind of surreal. Should he go to Dumbledore ? Would the schoolmaster help or just say the Saami matter as his long-time predecessor ?

Suddenly Harry remembered something and smiled. He did have someone eminently qualified to do interrogative about time and portion. Grabbing a quill and parchment Harry jotted down a long note to his Greek pen-pal. Originally he only meant to ask about the flood but as he wrote he began to include everything that had happened since his death letter until the missive was several sheet of paper long.

"Digger will not be happy."Harry chuckled as he got out of bed for the second prison term that nighttime. Not wanting to waken the fat lady again after the scare he'd given her he padded over to his favored windowpane, climbed through it and set off in the way of the owlery.
*


"Is that a hair growth 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 course of instruction you are correct. You have not brewed a haircloth growth potion. You have not even attempted to brew a haircloth growth potion. Can you excuse to me why you have brewed a different potion, from a different Holy Writ. Brewed what appears to be a diviners broth that is not even on the Hogwarts syllabus. And can you explain why, even when you have chosen your own potion, you have still managed to utterly fail."

The unacceptable boy glanced at the scummy cat valium mess that filled his cauldron.

"I blame lodge sir."

"Society ?"

"Yes sir."

"50 points from Gryffindor."

"well deserved sir."
*


Almost a calendar week later Harry was out hunting for an Malus pumila. He had finally acquired some tolerable diviners broth by the round-eyed dint of asking any of the marauders if they could vex it out. The potion wasn't that hard, it was just beyond Harry's unfathomable level of skill. Somehow the two bent to Twin Falls had puzzled it out. Harry smiled to himself, had he just referred to Fred and George as marauders ? Well, they almost were, but Myrtle didn't like them because they had throw a pail of mire through her once so they'd have to apologize before they could be officially sworn in.

But now he was tromping through the rainfall, looking for an apple. Or at least an orchard apple tree tree, he knew a magic spell to arrive at it bear a fruit out of season. When he'd read up on the peeling it had said that it worked best when you picked the fruit yourself so Harry had asked Hagrid where all the Malus pumila tree diagram's on the grounds were ( the I on the safe position of the wards obviously ). Unfortunately what he hadn't counted on was that they were mostly belittled unwarranted Tree with fruit not nearly orotund enough to grow a good peel. He needed a big preparation orchard apple tree or something.

Harry preformed the good luck charm on another sodden salad days only to be rewarded by another lilliputian crab apple.

"Sod this."Harry grumbled and pulled his gown closer around himself. On reflex he checked the pelt on his left position, plain and unmarred, to reassure himself that he was still in the right-hand clock time. His finger's breadth moved to his pendent hanging on its new chain. Pythea hadn't written back yet, but then it took a while for an owl to fly to Hellenic Republic and back and Harry had asked digger to stay on there until the seer had a response for him to bring through her making four trips.

"I ‘ m testing one finally tree then getting inside where it ‘ s warm."Harry stomped through the mud down to a wizened old tree by the lakeside. And performed the charm one last time.

"Bugger."Sir Thomas More small fry. Harry was about to reverse away and walk back up to the castle when he saw a splash of color on the far banking concern. Scrambling out on the roots of the old tree to get a better look he bit back an oath. There was a little missy lying on the due east bank, one-half in and half out of the bushes near the bound of the preclude timber. She wasn't moving and she was facedown in the water.

"HEY !"Harry yelled for anyone listening."SOMEONE ! HAGRID !"But the lead took his Holy Writ away."Oh my god. Why does this stuff always happen to me ?"

Harry looked around for an alternative choice but saw nothing.

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

For a moment the body of water closed over his promontory and he breathed in a taste of weewee in stupor and brat but he bobbed to the Earth's surface and coughed it up before striking out for the struck figure on the far bank. He had to go a little way out from the bank to avoid the edge of the Mary Augusta Arnold Ward but then he could get back in and eventually dragged himself up onto the far bank.

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

As he neared the girl the half of her that had been hidden in the bushes came into position and he stopped in shock. She wasn't a girl at all, she was a centaur. And she had a massive snack on her incline, red and scabbed. Harry moved forward and dragged her font out of the water.

"missy ?"Harry slapped her face and tried to mind for breathing. She was still tender."Wake up !"

Suddenly the centaurs eyes shot give and she coughed up a slew of lake water into Harry's lap.

"You alright ? Hey ?"

"Of trend, I am alright."The lady friend vocalization was washy but she seemed to be working her ramification as if trying to get up."We are not slight like humans."

"Not fragile eh ? Looks like someone managed to stop 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 synodic month in the sky."This bite is days old. I was just disoriented and I wandered away from my herd."

"Will you… I mean are you…"

"Infected ?"She used the Son like a smear."Of course not. Lycanthropy is a man 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 smell them."

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

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

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

"I do not require Humans."

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

"Shut up foal."

Harry frowned but followed the lame centaur deeper into the forest. After half an time of day or so Harry heard something vast approaching and tensed. But then relaxed as three centaurs emerged from the undergrowth.

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

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

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

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

"curse, we need to bolt down him now !"The one-third centaur said shock and fear dripping from his voice. Lachesis and her father were standing off to one side of meat."We can not risk him living."

"I thought we did not harm foals."The don moved in finisher and reached out for the leaders shoulder.

"He is an exception."The third spoke."Do you ravel know how aberrant he is ? How life-threatening ?"

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

"He saved my life Father. The ruck has life 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 new one bears you…"He began, his voice deep and malefic."… you live today. But heed me foal, if we find you in our forest again not even Lachesis will hesitate to kill 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 regain my way back."Harry glanced apologetically over his shoulder.

"Damwain, show him to Hogwarts."Bane was already turning and moving off through the undergrowth. Harry was relieved to see that Damwain was Lachesis'father and not the one-third Centaurus who had been so intent on killing him. Damwain set off the way Harry had come and Harry had to trot to go on up. After a while the silence began to grate on Harry and he decided to let on it.

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

"Not other."The centaur said curtly.

"What ?"

"Not former centaurs. I also want to toss off you, but I will keep to the laws of our kind that prohibit harming the young and I acknowledge my daughters debt to you."

"But why ? What have I done to so royally spend a penny off the integral Centaur nation ?"

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

"It this about the torrent of ages ?"Harry guessed. The centaur looked up and the hotshot and sighed.

"The violent stream ? It is at the centre of it."The Centaurus lapsed into muteness again but didn't seem angry or anything. Harry decided it was probably alright to ask another question.

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

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

"Which is… ?"

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

"Does he ?"Harry asked.

"I seriously doubt it."Damwain scoffed."The Hogwarts wards have stood against the capital mind in coevals. They will not fall to something little more than an animal."Damwain fell silent then came to a arrest. He turned to Harry and said…

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

"Do you imagine I want to prevent visiting the bloody proscribe timber !"Harry yelled after him.
*


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

"That's what he said. course of action he also said I was an abomination."

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

Harry stuck his tongue out at her.

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

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

"I meant about the werewolves !"

"But the wards keep back them out."Ron narrowed his eyes. Harry groaned, an argument was about to start."I think a whole specie who want to take Harry with arrow is more important."

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

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

"That doesn ‘ t make it a safe thing ! We should…"Hermione continued talking as Harry gently stood a large Word of God up on its edge between the arguing couple and the rest of the marauder. The argument safely contained Harry turned and asked…

"Any scuttlebutt from the non-old-married-couple section of the board ?"The predator grinned ( except for Parvati who was moping a trivial. She hadn't liked having her fantasy about centaurs shattered. )

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

"Well 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 to the lowest degree not a pressure one…"Pythea still hadn't written back. Had shovel got into some sort of hassle ?"… so I think we need to focus on the werewolves."

Reluctantly the marauders nodded.

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

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

"What do you mean ?"

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

"Aaron Montgomery Ward would stop it getting in."Ron said dismissively.

"But if it was already inside the wards."

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

"I think that Professor lupin is a werewolf."

The table went silent in seismic disturbance. Then…

"Of course of action ! It all fits, he ‘ s ‘ pallid'during broad moonlight. His Bogart is the good synodic month ! It all fits !"Anapurna snapped her fingers.

"I wonder if Dumbledore knows."Neville said.

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

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

"prof Snape knows."Hermione added."He must do, that's why tried to instruct us about loup-garou. So we ‘ d employment it out."

"Do you mean he ‘ s gathered the werewolves."Parvati said in a hushed 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 twelvemonth without intentionally repeating last year. We. Will. Not. leap. To. Conclusions."Harry punctuated each word by poking the tabularise hard."Last year we went off all righteous against Professor A. A. Michelson and we turned out to be short wrong. We won't do that again."

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

"You all think its Lupin."Harry said it flatly. well-nigh of the marauder seemed ill-defined as to whether it was a interrogation or not. Ron nodded quickly, Parvati as well. Neville seemed to be trying to ward off being looked at but shook his school principal, Padma smiled at him and also said no. Harry turned to Hermione."Two votes yes, two votes no. Ginny ‘ s at practice session and Myrtle ‘ s not here. You ‘ re the lowest un-voted marauder."

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

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

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


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

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

"So we know you ‘ re a wolfman, we know the forest currently has a loup-garou problem. Naturally certain questions have arisen from this res publica of affairs namely ‘ Are you in any way involved ? ’. I personally think the answer is no, certain of my friends are not so certainly and it would be remiss of me to sack their suspicions as they are, after all, not unfounded."Harry said all this in one breath then stood waiting for an answer. A polite coughing made him turn around. professor Dumbledore was sitting at a table behind him. He did not look pleased.

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

"Harry, I am glad you came here."professor Dumbledore spoke softly."It has saved us the hassle of fetching you. Can you please explicate why you left the school day priming terminal Night ?"

Damn.

"Um… There was a centaur hurt, at the side 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 someone she could have died in the mean sentence. Ask Damwain, or… or nemesis. They were there."Harry had though centaur-name dropping might lend credibleness to his taradiddle. 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 Lupin were still in the room, this sentence sitting in two comfortable chairs.

"It ‘ s just…"Lupin began, his representative 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 piece of paper on the board between them. From where Harry stood he could just about make out the outline of Hogwarts but didn't want to get closer for fear of being seen.

"Yes. I have."Was all Lupin said before the elbow room lit back again and Harry was forced to try and think of 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 professor lupin was a werewolf before you penalise me ?"

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


"The whole castle ! ?"Ron squeaked.

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

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

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

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

"Of all the affair currently happening Ron this is the least of them."

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

"I ‘ m could marry that ghost !"

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

"seminal fluid on, do on."Harry urged, looking at the clock. When the needed five minutes were up he fished both items out of the broth and reached for a silver knife. He had to be careful now, a error would entail he had to start all over. Slowly, carefully he peeled it in a 1 long helix that ended up all over the board. He'd cut quite deep so the skin wouldn't break and now wondered if that was a problem.

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

Harry picked up the locket and, with some trepidation, spoke the password. The locket fell unresolved in his helping hand and he held it up to his eye to get a better smell at what was inside. And snapped it shut, dropped it back into the box, locked the box with the strongest good luck charm his suddenly beleaguered mind could come up with, slid the box into his bag, grabbed the skin, tore it up so no one else could scan the parole then, to be sure, threw the peel in the fervor and then sat down.

"I hate mysteries."Was all he said.



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Disclaimer ... blah fustian blah ...



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

Harry rolled his eye, Ron would be talking about this all hebdomad. The Chimera's performance had been telling though, he had to grant. Ginny had slipped past Cedric Diggory, using her broom improved manageability to body-swerve him, and had left him floundering in the gist of the auction 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 forefront."It means we can move on with the plan."

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

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

"Why does that go to fulfil me with confidence."

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

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

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


"Pathetic ceramist. Absolutely Pathetic."

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

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

"20 points from Gryffindor for your freshness Potter and ten to a greater extent for the potion. Honestly potter, having you in this classroom is goose egg more than than a barren of time and potion ingredients."

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

"WE WERE NOT qualification A SLEEPING POTION !"

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

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

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

Snape turned around, his regard screamed flaming murder.

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

Harry sighed theatrically then stiffened as he felt another unspeakable thrust at the vertebral column of his wit. He tore his eyes away quickly and mumbled.

"Yes sir."Snape turned away.

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

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


The day of the Gryffindor Ravenclaw game dawned mucky and wet. A steady downpour that patterned great dark grunge across the castles paries and made it look like it was crying.

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

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

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

"How can you say that ?"

Because I'm support in denial ? Because I don't want to disappoint anyone ? Because I'm delusional ? Because if I actually admitted that there's a very undecomposed fortune this could go fantastically pear shaped on us I might just part crying ?

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

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

"Shh ! Here they come."

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

The squad swept onto the pitch shot, their gown quickly becoming spattered and sodden.

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

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

"We have to have at to the lowest degree twelve goals when Ginny catches the stoolpigeon or we lose to Slytherin."The second class said dreamily."Ravenclaw have to own 30 seven end before they catch it. Its as plain as frackswhiskers."

Harry smiled, how wrong she was.
*


"Another goal for Ravenclaw !"Ginny saw the blue section of the stands erupt in sunniness beneath her.

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

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

Ginny shook her head. Gryffindor had had a easy six goal booster cable but now they were down to just four. And they still didn't have enough to beat Slytherin. She could see Cho out of the quoin of her eye, shadowing her. She liked to do that, Oliver had told her, it was her favorite tactic.

Ginny scanned the crowds through the pelting, searching for any hovering glint of gold. The stoolie had to number out sometime, not that it would do either team any undecomposed. Gryffindor needed another goal and Ravenclaw needed XX or something. She craned her neck around and saw it. Fluttering behind her, nearer to Cho than to her. Trying not to get it obvious Ginny turned away from the snitch. But Cho must have sensed something was wrong and a moment later had spotted it herself. The old seeker tore after it and Ginny was forced to tail her, cursing.

Ginny tried to get between Cho and the snitch to stop the older seeker. Ginny knew she couldn't catch it yet, they'd win the 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 more goal. Cho was reaching again and Ginny articulatio humeri barged her to pretend her miss. Ginny tried to perpetrate ahead but whatever she did Cho seemed to be able to match her. However knockout she pushed Cho seemed to be able to stay just a little bit ahead of her. It was just a thing of time, she couldn't hold on the Ravenclaw off forever. Cho was reaching out again…

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

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

"I know Ginny."Oliver woods looked resigned."I don ‘ t inculpation you."

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

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

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

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

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

Ginny's eyes went wide and she looked over at the Slytherin pedestal and caught a cold grey gaze staring back at her. It could hold been her imagination but she could have sworn she saw Malfoy mouth the word of honor ‘ rematch ’.

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

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

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

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

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

Ginny's eyes went broad with fear.
*


"Are both seeker ready ?"Madam hooch asked, looking between them. Ginny took her heather from Harry and nodded, he ‘ d been giving it a go minute of arc look-over before the affaire d'honneur. Malfoy just scoffed."Very well then."She opened the box that contained the stoolpigeon and held it in her hired man. Ginny looked over to see the almost savage look in Malfoy's eyes.

"On, your marks."

He'll drink down me…

"Ready…"

Oh god…

"Set…"

I'm going to die !

GO !"She tossed the fink straight up and the searcher shot after it.

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

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

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

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

"Good girl."She urged the ling on. The snitch was tantalizingly near."Just a little more."But she felt something brush her leg. Malfoy had managed to lift to her side ! In another bit he would be in straw man of her !

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

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

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


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

"Thank you, thank you."And the residue of the squad were clustered around them.

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

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

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


Damn.

prof Snape clenched his hired man into clenched fist and he saw the cup being brought out. And Slytherin had been on such a winning streak. He had got so used to the cup being in his office that he even had a little ledge in his console for it.

To experience come down to an exact draw, of all the unfathomable lot. Then being forced to rely on a seeker that had bribed his way onto the team. The slight cutting of a Weasley girl had humiliated him. And he could not even blame this loss on Potter ( he refused to believe the laughable hearsay that potter had made the girlfriend broom ).

Then why was Potter looking so prideful ? Snape recognised that expression, he had come to hate that expression all seven year of his sentence at Hogwarts. The potter boy caught his eye and shifted to a mysterious smiling, then nodded towards the scoreboard. Snapes eyes followed.

What were the probability that it would come to an precise draw ? Snape felt a atrocious certainty rise inside him. And the Weasley twins who, for all their ineptitude in the schoolroom, were not bad beaters. But they had performed horribly in that peer, hitting or just missing their own team-mates. Stopping Gryffindor from getting that last goal. The Chang daughter, missing the canary three times ? Even for a Ravenclaw that was unbelievable. Even the last game with Hufflepuff. Cedric Diggory had shown no wile, he had practically shown Malfoy where the snitch was. Of course he had, Snape realised, if the biz had gone on too farseeing and Slytherin had won by too much Gryffindor could not deliver been able-bodied to equalize.

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

Legilimens

He cast non-verbally and after a import resistance a memory floated to the surface…
*


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

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

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

"Cho ! Cho wait up."Harry trotted up to the quondam lady friend, who had just left magic spell form."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 stop me."Harry rolled his eyes."No, what I was going to say was that I variety of pauperism a favor."

"What sort of favor ?"

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

Cho stared at him indignantly.

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

Cho held out a present moment longer, then her articulatio humeri slumped.

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

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

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

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

"How ?"

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

"Harry the teachers won ‘ t appropriate a challenge secret plan like that."Cho shook her heading."And even if they do no-one will fall to watch."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Two points. One : Fred and George will be stopping Gryffindor from getting that live on goal. Two : I built The Chimera especial for this."Harry grinned evilly."There's a minuscule 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 little known benefit of having gossip-queen Annapurna as a piranha comes in."… I ‘ ve already got Cedric Diggory on my side. You know him, right ?"Cho's optic widened a little and she nodded.

"fountainhead, he ‘ s agreed to help me. Little thank you for the unanimous snake-army incident in the cellar live on year."Harry smiled knowingly at the older female child."If you did need to help us then we should probably coiffe for you to converge up with him. Discuss… strategy… and stuff."

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

"I know."
*


Snape tore his optic away. He could feel the rage bubbling up in his bloodstream.

"You !"He pointed at the boy.

"Me ?"thrower put his script to his chest in feigned innocence.

"You… you… you…"

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

"You will not get away with this !"

"With what pray William 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 handwriting."mien in judgement that Legilimency on students is illegal."

Oh the potter boy thought he was smart did he.

"Well potter perhaps you are correct."Snape's anger changed from a raging the pits to an icy, vengeful ache."But I am still your instructor and I can make your four more days here a living hell."

"Was that an invitation to take your NEWT class prof ?"

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


Harry gulped as the potions master strode away. Perhaps he'd overstated matter this clip. 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 anticipate this a hush up draught Potter ! ?"

"I…"

"I DO NOT CALL THIS A SILENCING gulp !"

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

"This is a worthless mess potter !"

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

"And you won ‘ t ! I will not have any more consume ingredients !"Snape vanished the subject of Harry's cauldron."You will be doing argument for the rest of this lesson James I Potter. You will pen ‘ I will not be an incompetent, silly, halfwit and a castaway on this school.'in the Leslie Townes Hope that perhaps the hypnotism will sink in."

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

Harry motioned to Padma who held out her arm without oral presentation. Harry groaned, they had barely had 15 minutes of a two hour lesson. Harry pulled out a quill and a sheet of parchment.

Snape had been making dependable on his ‘ living hell'promise since the lucifer but Harry was beginning to guess that the potions master had more bass seated issues than a simple plot of quidditch. The fact that he kept calling him James was a definite clue. Snape seemed to be taking out thirteen years of pent-up, un-sated cult on Harry.

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

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

"Lines Sir."Harry had been trying to go on his assuredness in Snape's classes. With pick out success.

"These chicken scratchings ? This scribble ? !"

"Would you like me to refashion them Sir ?"Harry had to jump back as his sheepskin caught on fire and burn off away before his eyes.

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

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

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

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

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

"That's not the right attitude."Hermione said shrilly."Harry needs to teach at least basic knowledge of potions to mathematical function in sensation society and Professor Snape is stopping him from even participating. You ‘ ll have to study really voiceless if you want to pass the end of year exams at this rate."

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

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

As if his intellection itself had been a enchantment excavator dropped out of the good afternoon sky clutching a letter in his pincer. Harry grabbed it and hastily made an excuse to the startled marauder before slipping out onto the grass outside Hogwarts. Harry sent Digger back to the owlery, promising him treats later to give thanks him for the foresighted stumble. His hands shaking, Harry tore opened the envelope and pulled out the varsity letter inside.

Dear Harry

It is so honest to hear from you. I am glad you have taken up my hint to learn Occlumency, you will obtain it a utilitarian skill I assure you. I can easily imagine you with a guitar, wandering Hogwarts or sitting in your common room entertaining the other student with songs and tales. You are good at spinning a trade good tarradiddle you know, I can secern from your letters.

Harry almost scrunched the letter in defeat. Usually he enjoyed varsity letter from the niggling seer but wasn't it about meter she got to the point ?

I learnt to play the mouth organ as region of my apprenticeship here…

Harry quickly looked ahead through the missive, scanning down and down. There was no citation of the deluge or meter change of location anywhere. Harry fell to the floor in despair, had she simply abandoned him to his fate ? She had been his last hope. Pythea's letter ended without so much as a hint that his own letter had contained the terror of his inevitable death.

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

Your Friend
Pythea

admirer ? Ha ! That was a joke.

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

"Yes Neville I ‘ m fine."Harry said quietly, but he could find the chunk in his throat and the bust beginning to form in his eyes. Neville's centre flickered to the letter still clutched in Harry's hand but he scrunched it up and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Well defense grade is starting now."Neville pointed back towards the castle."You sure you ‘ re alright Harry ?"

"No."Harry pushed himself up and trudged towards the castling."To be dependable 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 slight to a lesser extent fresh."Harry pushed open the door to the defence classroom. At least he could be assured of a hush lesson, professor lupin tended to push aside him in classes.

"fountainhead Potter, I see you decided to adorn us with your presence."

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


Harry tried to hide behind his script as Snape stalked around the course of instruction. He could still sense 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 observe himself under control.

"It displays no brainstorm into the subject…"

amercement, I had no insight.

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

Did I ? Who the hell cares.

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

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

"…and you could not have mangled the spelling and grammatical rules of the English language More if you had tried. All in all…"Snape slapped the essay onto the desk beside Harry angrily."… a admittedly T if I ever saw one."

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

"But of trend bomber Potter doesn ‘ t demand to larn defense against the colored arts."Snape scowled down at Harry."You don't need to learn how to duel someone properly if you and your three little friends sneak up behind them and blast from ambuscade 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 wizard at best and a worst you are a disgrace and yet you are under the impression you are untouchable. How I wish this class gave me the chance to show you precisely how amateurish you truly are."

"Alright."Harry set his quill down.

"What ?"

The whole course was watching by now.

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


"ejaculate on Professor."The thrower boy was just standing there holding his wand and looking at his horseshoe."Show me."

The category was deadly smooth. Not a pupil dared move or speak. Out of the street corner of his eye Snape could see potter's lilliputian champion, 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 fellow traveller rising again as he moved to occupy a position polar Potter.

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

"Um… Three."The skittish Hufflepuff boy Duke Wayne Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins began to count.

Potter was not even in a dueling stance. Pathetic.

"Two…"

thrower looked up suddenly, his centre coming together Snape's.

"One…"

A memory floating to the open, thrower in the Gryffindor commons room holding a shining aim. Lily's pendent ! He would recognize that petty slick of silver anywhere. Potter bending over the pendent in his manus and whispering something. The pendant splitting open. Looking inside, a picture. Lily Evens bundled up against the nose candy 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 picture had been taken in fourthly year.

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

"duel !"

"Expelliarmus !"



followup please.


The gerbils made me do it.







Snape's sceptre clattered to the floor but the teacher didn't seem to take noticed. Harry watched as the potions master fell to his knee on the flooring, head bowed, his human face hidden by his lank greasy hair.

Harry watched, waiting for the plosion, but none came. Harry, with much trepidation, knelt down and tried to reckon at the instructor face. Which was why he was the only one in the course of instruction to comment the pluck fall down from the end of Snape's long hooked nose and drop onto his knees.

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

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

The students needed no more bonus and quickly scrambled for the relative safety of the corridor.

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

"None of you will mention this lesson to anyone."Harry said, looking each student in the eye as he did so."None of you will talk about it, even to each early. None of you will think about it the next time you have Snape for your lesson. In Department of 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 talk, I find out everything. Remember Malfoy ? You have all seen what happens to people who cross me. see ?"

Harry didn't let them go out until he had looked each educatee in the eye and heard them promise to that effect. They began leaving in ones and II, scurrying off along the corridor. Harry turned back towards the classroom.

"You ‘ re not going back in there are you ?"Susan Bones 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 mystifying breath and sat down cross legged in front of his teacher.

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

Snape still said nothing, he just stared at the floor.

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

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

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

Snape stayed motionless for a minute more then slowly brought the silver locket up to his sassing. Then, in a choked, lachrymose interpreter he said…

"Spinners end."

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

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

He kept going until the box was empty. Giving a few words each to state Snape what it was he was giving him, an essay, a letter, a prefects badge. Harry hid the love letters from his father back in his bag. By the fourth dimension aught was left Snape had stopped crying, he was even breathing a little easier, deep breathes instead of the racking asshole that had plagued him a moment ago.

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

The potions original took it and blew his nose on the sheepskin. After doing so he brought it away from his olfactory organ, a shadow of curiosity crossing his side, and looked at it. After a moment of reading the ( now hideously smudged ) alphabetic character his center flickered up and met Harry's. It could have been his imagination, but for a moment Harry thought he saw a flutter of a smile.

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

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

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

"Why ?"The potions superior regained a little of his old cattiness and sneer.

"I just…"Harry licked his lips and started again. As unwilling as he was to give Snape ammunition to use against him…"death year I broke down completely in the hospital wing. Right on the floor. It was after Colin Creevy got petrified, it all just got too a good deal for me. At the clock time I remember wishing everyone there would just forget it ever happened. I thought you might palpate the same."

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

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

"Sir ?"Snape's head snapped towards him."Can I severalize you something I ‘ ve noticed about wiz ?"Harry took Snape's silence as an affirmative."Wizards… thaumaturge use quills."

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

"And they use trunks even when they can entrance bags to hold Sir Thomas More. You use a steam train to get to Hogwarts. This twelvemonth a steam-boat. We live in a medieval castle, the shop I bought my scepter in predates Jesus Christ and we write on rolls of parchment. But its more than just that, lots of necromancer are named after penis of their family. A lot more of them than muggles. Even portrayal and ghosts ; half the sentence we seem to be surrounded by multitude who died hundred ago. What I ‘ m getting at is…"Harry swallowed in apprehensiveness at what the chemical reaction to his next tip would be.

"… wizard seem to spend a lot of time living in the past."Harry forced himself to meet Snape's eye."Maybe it ‘ s time you moved on."

Snape just stood there, his sneer seemed to have frozen on his sassing but his middle just seemed confused, even a little doomed. Harry opened the room access and left quickly.

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

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

"We honestly thought you were a toast Harry."Ron said, shaking his chief. But then his face broke into a grinning."But that was bally glorious what you did !"

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

"What tour 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 atrocious to you for three age. You can't tell me it was worsened than what he ‘ s done to you."

"No, it probably wasn ‘ t. But it was forged than I ever want to do to anyone else."Harry leant down and put his heading on his thwart branch."I don't want to be like them."

The marauders assured him he was not but Harry just sighed. Impending death aside if he jumped back in 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 capitulum. He dug it back out of his gown and read it again, trying to chance some hint of a clue. But there was nothing. naught at all.
*


Professor Snape dropped the photo back onto the oak table of his quarters and held his school principal in his hands. The only light in the elbow room came from the guttering taper before him and faded into the swarthiness around him. Snape refilled his glass with alerting potion and tried to hold himself sip it this prison term. Sleep was not an option, not at to the lowest degree until he was too tired to dream.

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

The amentia of the boy, telling him to motivate on piece at the same clock time giving him a pile of photos and a locket that proved she loved him all along. Snape gave up and knocked back a taste of the searing potion.

The locket lay on the tabular array in figurehead of him. He hadn't dared open it again for fear of breaking down once More. He picked it up and trailed its silver gray chemical chain through his fingers. Stupid thing. Snape smacked it back down onto the tabletop. But even then his finger instinctively curled to protect the thing and he ended up skinning his knucks. His bowel movement blew the candle out too and he was left in bitter darkness clutching the damn thing so punishing it hurt.

Snape drew his scepter out to relight the wax light but stopped with it held loosely in his script. Another spell 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 thrower boy was acting more and more like a Slytherin. Potter boy… King James Potter… who took Lily away. Snape could still feel the sharpness of the locket cutting into his palm.

"Why…"Snape forced himself to spread out his hand."Why wear this but marry him ?"What sensory faculty did that make.

You abandoned me.

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

You chose your friends Sev.

I did, but it was always you.

They hate me.

There was no one else.

You hate me.

Never. Why will you not dedicate me peace ?

You were my best 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 fingers around his pinna, trying to stop listening to his own mind. He knew what came next.

I can ‘ t love this you, not even as a friend. goodbye Severus.

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

"Expecto Patronum !"

The elbow room was lit once Sir Thomas More by atomic number 47 light as the trance erupted from Snapes verge. The silver doe just stood there cocking her fountainhead at him. Snape felt binge running down his impudence again.

"I love you."

The doe said nothing, she never did, but she walked over on her mum hooves and rested her headland in his lap. She felt lovesome but Snape knew it wasn ‘ t actual, if he tried to touch her she ‘ d just feel like mist.

Snape laid his oral sex down on his arms and closed his oculus. Later he finally fell asleep like that, leant over the board with his grimace 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 well-tried hard to keep his breathing in check as the Brobdingnagian lesion faded in and out. Harry gritted his dentition and concentrated on staying in this prison term. The wounding began to fade more than, after a few proceedings if vanished completely. Harry breathed a suspiration of relief, but it was one tainted with fear. It was getting worse.

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

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

"You don't say ? You ‘ ve been kind of… um…"Ron waved his hired man as if searching for the powerful word."…muted… for week. Ever since Snape."

Harry nodded, he had been a little quiet. Intentionally in the beginning, he had known that he needed to keep a low profile. But Snape seemed to be pulling a lupine and ignoring Harry in his lessons. Not that he was paying much attention to the respite of his class either, Snape spent most of his lessons at his desk and had large pocketbook under his eyes.

But lately the flood had been getting worse. He had thought that it getting forged would mean he'd jumping further back but in fact it was the paired. He kept jumping seconds, second or hours back and forth, several prison term a day now. Sometimes the world would simply tickle like a bell and he'd be left spinning as he flickered between times so fast he couldn't even catch it. And then there were the time like this dawn when he simply slipped back and forth like a metronome, the wounds on his chest orifice and closing like hideous sphincters.

Even worse 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 observe cereal and goner appear in front of him. Lessons were even worse, they could be twice as long as normal or the bell could voice when Harry had barely put his Word of God down. His scar in class were falling, homework was severely to hand in on clip when you didn't know what day it was. Harry knew he should differentiate Dumbledore or McGonagall or Hermione even, but somehow he couldn't conscription the vim. They'd only tell him what he already knew.

He was doomed.

"You sure you ‘ re alright Harry ?"

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

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

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

"You want a quip ? Ok…"Harry grinned evilly at his champion."‘ 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 drumhead, 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.

"semen on Harry, sneak out again."Ron wheedled."It ‘ ll shuffling 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."seaport ‘ t been eating a great deal either… My dead body 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 least the water ‘ ll be warmer this time !"
*


Harry dragged himself out of the lake and gave himself a drying good luck charm before wandering up towards town. After meeting up with the other marauders the get-go billet they visited was Zonko's joke shop.

"Pretty good don't you think ?"Harry grinned through the wizardly mask that made him calculate like an old man. He had a big grey moustache too and a green felt hat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Just about metre for the Three broomstick 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 strong and smooth and… and…."

"Buttery ?"Harry wheedled, grinning.

"fountainhead yeah."

"I don't know. A boozing based on a fat spread doesn ‘ t exactly level-headed appetizing."Harry grinned to designate that he was joking."Or levelheaded !"

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

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

"Honestly Ron it just means…"

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

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

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

Harry looked down. There was broken glassful, he looked around and saw that it had come from the upstair window of a nearby house.

Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, perhaps some latent talent as a seer or perhaps some effect of the deluge but right at that moment Harry felt his stomach lurch. There was something terrible behind that bring out window.

"Wait here."Harry said quietly. The marauders heard his step and fell silent. Harry slipped in through the garden gate and felt the Harlan Stone of the wall. Rough, like Hogwarts. Harry gripped the blocks with his fingers and clambered slowly up to the windowpane. He pushed aside the heavy curtains but inside the room was empty. A dim storeroom piled with boxwood with the door open onto the well lit corridor behind.

Harry breathed a sigh of stand-in 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 and roll tight. There it was again. Harry scrambled back up and force his head teacher back through the window.

Harry just had clock time to see yellow dentition streaked with grime and olfactory sensation rancid breath before he was thrown backwards off the wall. He landed with a clump in the garden and looked up in time to see a disheveled man, covered in dirt and dressed in spoilt shred leap from the window with something clutched in his hands. Harry rolled out of his way and the man hit the priming coat track, panting like a dog as he dashed out through the logic gate and down the street.

"plosive speech sound !"Harry looked up and saw a superstar leaning out of the window franticly sending dash of red lighter after the fleeing figure."closure him ! He took my son !"

Harry jolted himself off the ground and vaulted the rampart after the fleeing man. He could hear the marauder trying to keep step behind him.

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

They had reached the end of the brusk route now and hit the field beyond. Harry jumped the fencing and fought his way through the heather after the distant figure. Their quarry had made it comfortable for them by flattening a path but it was still heavy going. They were not gaining on the man. Not by a hanker shot.

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

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

Harry aimed and shot a bludgeoning hex at the man, now little to a greater extent than a smudge of black on the aloof purpleness ling. The slur dodged and shot sideways behind a large rock before the other vulture spells could connect.

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

Harry cursed and began running forwards again. He should accept known that ! Harry felt like he was passing acid through his lungs instead of air by the sentence they reached the tilt. The panting and gasping he heard behind him told him the marauders were in even poorer shape. Worse, the shape was nowhere in view and there was no clear track to follow.

Ignoring the pain in the ass in every muscle Harry pulled himself to the top of the boulder and looked around. From here he could see the dreary physique of the forbid forest spreading out to the south. A wall, like the bulwark of Hogwarts, sealed it off from the rest of the worldly concern. Harry squinted through his glasses and just made out a dark shape silhouette against the brighter bulwark before it disappeared. Harry tore off the mask to get a better spirit but there was nothing more, just lacuna wall.

"He ‘ s gone into the forest."Harry called down, trying not to fill his eyes off the place 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 watch over it into the forbidden forest ?"Padma was clutching her stomach and wheezing."We should mark where it went and wait for help."

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

"But Harry it ‘ s a werewolf !"

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

"When ‘ s the following 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 time lag for supporter. We have to detect them before fall or that slight kid is going to get one hell of a lovebite. We can ‘ t delay for avail, its us or no one."Harry looked back at the vulture and saw them play and fade.

NO !

He hand clenched around his pendant and he squeezed his eyes shut. He did not bear prison term for this ! When he opened his centre again his friends looked solid, but confused.

"Harry you alright ?"Ron asked.

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

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

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

In Harry's mind he could see the discussion ‘ We can't wait for supporter. Its us or no one'repeating over and over like a talisman against the brat rising inside him. That scourge itself had its own voice saying ‘ We are following it into its forest where it knows its way around and we don't and you can't even stay put in your own time for five minutes. And that's not even mentioning the centaurs… ’. Harry was forced to admit that that voice as well was mighty. What they were doing was stupid and life-threatening. But as the start voice said, there was no one else.

As Harry neared the paries a thirdly little voice piped up. Spiteful, sarcastic and whiney but, like the former two articulation, essentially right.

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


They reached the wall and Harry instantly saw how the werewolf had gotten over. A vast tree had fallen over the rampart, crushing the top part of it and resting on the remaining measure of cracked stonework. Everywhere else the bulwark was at least two storey tall of blank shell grey stone. Unscalable.

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

Again Harry felt like a saphead. Obviously it would be warded. His brain seemed to be in a tomentum. Harry grabbed some of the low arm of the tree and pulled himself up.

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

"Look, I know this is crazy but there ‘ s no one else here to help. I ‘ m not leaving now. Any of you who don ‘ t want to follow me go back and recount them where the hole in the hospital ward is."Harry pulled himself on to the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree trunk and looked down at his friends."Anyone else shut up and get in the tree."

Harry began climbing along the trunk and felt it judder as someone else began to climb. When Harry reached the former end he climbed down by the beginning and dropped onto the mulch of the afforest floor. He turned and looked up at the tree diagram, a import later Padma pushed her way through the branch. Harry waited a moment more but no one came. Harry felt a chunk bod in his throat, first off Pythea abandoned him then them.

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

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

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

"Did you think any of us wanted to see a kid turned into a werewolf ?"Padma added to cut him off with a milkshake of her heading and began to climb down. Harry helped her down the last few base 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 font fell and he looked around for some obvious sign. There was cypher, now that they were in the forest the loup-garou knew how to cover his tracks better.

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

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

Harry undid the front line of his shirt and looked down at his unmutilated chest. He splayed one hired man across where he knew the lesion would come out and clenched the former around his pendent.

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

Harry forced everything he was into that one thought. For a here and now he felt lineage well on his breast but it was gone a moment later.

"Harder !"He thought desperately. His fingerbreadth were slick on his dresser but it wasn't blood, it was elbow grease."ejaculate on !"

Harry saw his friends fade in front of him. Ron turned back towards him and yelled in surprisal. But the sound was like a removed whisper and Harry gripped his bloody pectus tighter. He could still pick up his acquaintance as ghosts on the hint but couldn't see them anymore.

He was swaying with the movement and fell to his knees on the forest floor. The farewell that were kicked up by his question only swirled in the air for a moment before fading as he pushed himself further back.

Then, just for a mo, a shadowy number dropped out of the air above Harry and scampered away into the tree diagram with something held in its knotty manpower. Perhaps it was his imaginativeness, but Harry thought he could try a infant's scream.

Harry let go with both hands and collapsed into the leaves. A moment later he felt hands pulling him up. As his forefront was tilted back for him Harry saw his ally shocked faces.

"What the blaze 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 wonky fingerbreadth."Went that way."Harry grabbed Ron's shoulder and managed to force himself to his foot."We need to hurry."

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

"Hermione now is not…"

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

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

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

"Well I ‘ m not waiting around."The counterpart turned and began to walk off in the centering 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 steady him

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

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

They walked in silence for a piece. Padma spotted a set of footmark on the ground that told them they were still going in the right-hand direction. It looked as if the werewolf was following a sort of cervid trail through the forest. After ten minute or so Harry was able-bodied to take the air unaided again but he was still beaming they had found the track. He really didn't want to have to drop himself into the torrent again.

"Shush…"Harry waved the others to silence."Do you ridicule discover that ?"Faint voices drifted between the tree before them. Angry interpreter and one high pitched cry.

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

"firearm of dirt !"A tawdry smacking sound filtered up from the dell. Followed by a thumping like a trunk hitting the floor. Through it all Harry could hear a baby crying."Why did you have to screw it up !"

Harry crawled to the sharpness of the dell and poked his pushed a fix through some tuft of grass to see down. The werewolf they had chased was cowering on the story in front of a immense bear like man. A vast bear like werewolf, Harry amended as he saw the sharp brownness teeth and lily-livered eyes staring balefully out of its forefront. Now that he could get a clear flavour at them Harry could see that they were both wearing the same mud and dirt encrusted rags, their original colouring and cut lost completely beneath the grime. Their haircloth and hands were caked in mud as well, as were their unshoed feet.

"You bastard Verrine !"The bigger man growled as he picked the wiry loup-garou off the level and shook him.

Harry could see the baby lying abandoned on the reason nearby. He could feel the marauder getting in stance beside him. Making their own viewing holes.

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

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

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

"But… but…"Verrine wrung his work force."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 operose to block now."greyback aimed another savage thrill at the man on the floor and Harry slid back a little from the dell. Harry figured the rallying cry baby was cover enough to verbalise without being heard and whispered…

"Any estimation ?"

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

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

"Two entire grown wolfman ?"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 wands and we have the element of surprisal. Hermione, Padma…"Harry pointed back at the clarification."… 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 in high spirits. We don't want to hit the baby."Harry crawled back to the edge of the dell."On three. One… Two… leash !"

Harry raised to his knees and aimed his wand at the galvanise werewolf. Hermione had fired a full-body-bind that froze Johnny in his tracks before Padma's blasting nemesis threw him to the flat coat. Harry had stuck by the reliable bludgeoning hex. He didn't hear what Ron cast but whatever it was combined with his own attack threw the scrubby werewolf authorise across the clearing and smacked him into a rock.

Harry rushed into the dell. He followed Hermione's example and lapidify Verrine from close image as he tried to get to his ft. The werewolf's limbs smacked to his sides and he toppled like a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree. Harry turned back and saw that Padma had already reached the crying parcel on the base and was picking him up.

"Is he alright ?"Harry asked worriedly.

"I have no idea."Padma admitted."Since he ‘ s been dragged through the forest with only a mantle to protect him, I ‘ m guessing he ‘ s a niggling cranky. skillful thing it's a warm day."

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

"You mean belt down them."Hermione said flatly."In stale blood. While they ‘ re petrified."

"Hermione ‘ s right."Harry shook his head. In his abruptly life he had already killed two the great unwashed ( Tom brain-teaser didn ‘ t reckoning ). But both sentence it had been to relieve his life-time or the life of his friends."We can ‘ t. Maybe we should, but we can ‘ t."

"They ‘ ll pour down other people Harry."Ron said hesitantly."They ‘ ll turn other citizenry. They ‘ re animals."

"amercement then. Do it."Harry pointed at the fast men on the story."stopping point them."

Ron's center widened in shock. He raised his wand and pointed it at the big werewolf on the base. For a present moment he stood there, indecision brighten on his case, then he dropped his arm to his position again.

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

The predator were about to surveil him when…

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

Harry felt the cold perspiration of threat again. The end of the sunset was just visible over the trees and the phantom were at their longest.

Not long before nightfall. Not long before the moon.

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


Harry dared a coup d'oeil back through the woodwind as he pelted as fast as he could down the racetrack they had come up on. It was fully nighttime now, and the synodic month 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 baton at the squalling baby."Silencio !"The baby's sass still worked but no phone came out. Harry breathed easier for a moment, then he heard a ululation go up from the tree diagram 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 articulatio humeri and saw a embodiment hurtling down the path towards them.

Not a time to pull punches.

"Acerbus Cuspis !"

The sickly lighting enveloped the ensnare thing and it's momentum rolled it into a stack at Harry foundation. He petrified it for good mensuration. Harry turned and sprinted to arrest up with the rest period of the marauders.

"How… close…"Ron panted."… tree."

"Further."Was all Harry managed to gasp out. A growling behind him was all the word of advice 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 Dubyuh. The wolf snarled and lifted itself to its base before getting hit from behind by Hermione and being slammed into the ground. Harry pulled himself and Ron off the flooring and began running forward again.

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

"Come on come on !"Harry skidded to a stop by the bottom of the fallen tree diagram and scanned the darkened forest. Movement ? Harry fired another curse into the duskiness but it hit nada."hurry up !"Harry helped Ron into the tree diagram then scrambled up behind him. He heard a snarl behind him and whirled, aiming his sceptre at the sound.

"Acerbus cuspis !"

The light brightened the clearing like a pyrotechnic but the werewolf dodged it. Harry slipped and fell onto the leaf mulch. The wolf pounced at him but was hit in the air by three 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 priming coat outside and stumbled a few steps to where the marauders were standing. He saw Hermione stop back at the paries and yell.

"Harry !"

A werewolf was clambering along the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, its long slavering knife glistening in the moonlight.

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

"Wingardium Leviosa !"Harry heard Hermione outcry and saw the tree sway on its junk birthplace."Help me !"

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

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

"No ! You two hold on any more of them getting over !"

Harry concentrated on the Tree, trying to agitate it free of its trestle. Another dark form jumped onto the trunk and Padma blasted it off. Two more jumped on and Harry forced himself to concentrate only on the tree and hope his supporter to sell with the werewolves.

Suddenly, with a shuddering quip, the tree came destitute of the paries and jumped a few m into the air. Shaking its rider off in the process. At Hermione's urging they pulled the tree forwards and dumped it on the ground nearby. Harry yelped in surprisal as they saw a wolfman scrabble over the damaged paries, its curse giving it military posture beyond any natural animal.

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

Harry kept his sceptre trained on the matter but didn't cast anything. The dark flesh squatted on the top of the rampart for a moment then bunched up and jump off at them. There was a neat flash of lighting and it was repulsed, throw off back into the forest with a yelp of pain.

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

"The wards. 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 prison term, he just stepped forward and hugged the startled girl fiercely."dungeon being overbold ok. God knows one of us has to be."Harry released her and looked back at the rampart. Three werewolves sat there now but they made no movement to come any closer. Perhaps they had retained just enough of their homo head to learn a lesson. Harry gave them the finger then turned back to his friends.

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







Try to leave a negative review here. I want to know what I can commute for the improve. Not spelling, I do n't care about that. Do you think the pacing 's ok ? I sometimes think I 'm moving the patch too fast.


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



Hogsmeade looked a lot more menacing at night. Perhaps it was the way the old houses seemed to slant out over the street. Perhaps it was the eerie lack of interference or that light spirit you get at the starting time of night.

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

When the marauders had wandered back into the village 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 mute but he glowered at them with his bloodshot eyes. All of them except Harry, who's eyes he didn't seem to want to meet.

"I hope all of you are majestic of yourselves !"McGonagall continued as they passed the William Henry Gates of Hogwarts.

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

They walked in secrecy up the hanker way of life towards Hogwarts but McGonagall surprised them by not taking them inside. Instead she led them round to the leftfield towards the greenhouse. Harry could see the shimmering line of the wards, easily seeable in the dim light.

Harry then saw who they were heading for. Dumbledore was standing on a patch of scuffed ground near the sharpness of the greenhouses staring out towards the forbidden forest. Occasionally he would lead a few stride and glance at a particular proposition situation in the wards. He also kept glancing at a ragged musical composition of parchment he held in his mitt. As they approached he folded it calmly and slipped it into his robes.

With a scowl Harry realized it was the Saami objet d'art 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 show what he was doing ?

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

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

"And can you tell me why you think you have the right to shamelessly cut school rules and flash the aegis set up specifically to protect the students of this school ?"

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

"Mr thrower this is not a issue of results it is a issue of intentions."Dumbledore said, staring at him over the rim of his spectacle."Do you await me to continually overlook your flagrant rule breaking simply because it coincidentally causes some good ?"

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

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

"Testing how well that little scrap of newspaper publisher in your sack works."It was a jibe in the dark but Harry saw the look of blow crossbreed Dumbledore's face before he steadied himself again. Harry noticed that both Snape and McGonagall looked confound. Was lupin the only instructor who knew ?

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

"The map of Hogwarts."Harry spoke slowly and carefully. Taking an evil gleefulness in seeing every watchword bring further shock to the old man's facial expression."The one you and Lupin have been using to check me. Watch everything I do. You sit up at Nox, with a mug of coco and a marshmallow and ticker me."

The quiet between the unseasoned wizard and the old one was almost toothsome. Harry broke it first.

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

"I could not use it to find the youngster because it does not expand beyond the moulding of Hogwarts."Dumbledore said slowly. His voice oddly shamed."And I could not use it to incur Miss Weasley because neither the sleeping room, nor the passage leading to it, nor the sewers under Hogwarts are displayed on it. It ‘ s makers never ventured into them."

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

"The werewolves said they had a plan to get into Hogwarts tonight."Ron blurted out in a bang. Everyone looked at him and he blushed to the source of his tomentum."wellspring they have to know."He defended to Harry.

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

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

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

"Perhaps."Dumbledore conceded."But in a thousand days the werewolf have never breached the wards around the boundary of the forest."

"But I breached them earlier this year !"

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

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

"Harry…"Dumbledore seemed to regain some of his old humour."To you the giant squid is merely a playful lake tool. But it in fact one of the most ancient defender of Hogwarts. If any drear 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 tells 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 variety of hollow."… good."

"Now…"Professor Dumbledore raised both his decoration, facing out. A calming gesture."… we will go forward this word, and treatment of any punishment incurred, in the morning. Please return to your unwashed elbow room, Severus will accompany you. Minerva, would you help me check out over the Mrs. Humphrey Ward one final time before we all retire ?"The two old teachers moved off, leaving the predator with only Snape for company.

"Come on."Snape's representative sounded horse cavalry and Harry realized that this was the first metre he had spoken during the integral exchange.

The marauder followed him in secretiveness up to the fat noblewoman's portraiture and spoke the password. Snape didn't even say anything to them then, he just stalked off with his headland bowed down into his neck.

Harry shook his head. Every clock 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 centre and held out his hands for secrecy."Did I just come back from a Hogsmeade weekend that ended with us chasing a werewolf into the forestall wood ?"

"Um… yes ?"

"Oh good."It had just been normal déjà vu, not the time traveling kind. Harry opened his eyes and walked over to sit at the marauder mesa with Ginny, Neville and Anapurna who had been waiting for them. The other vulture sat down too. It was the middle of the nighttime but somehow everyone knew they couldn't go to sleep yet. The four who had come from the forest hastily outlined what had happened to their friends.

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

"If they hired some curse surf somehow…"Neville's voice trailed off as they all contemplated the possibleness of penniless forest monsters hiring the services of skilled adept and of the skilled champion working for them willingly and of the werewolves retaining enough ego ascendence after transforming to not eat them.

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

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

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

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

"Could they somehow distract the giant squid ?"Ginny asked looking tired as well. No one answered her. No one had any answers. But Harry was volition to depone that whatever it was was right in nominal head of his face.

"Can werewolves even swim ?"Ron asked and Harry groaned. They weren't getting anywhere. Not a surprisal really. Harry looked over his troops, Ginny was virtually gone on her professorship ("We keep forgetting she ‘ s not as used to this as us."thought Harry. ) Hermione looked almost ready to faint, the stress of all the family this year on top of the day they'd all had was just too much. Neville and Parvarti were delicately but himself and Ron ? Ha ! Harry laughed to himself. Both him and Ron, and to a less extent Padma and Hermione, looked like they'd rolled in the shit all Night. Which, Harry admitted, they had.

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

"Guy ‘ s…"The marauder's promontory 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 thought of something too."

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

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

His hired hand, beaten and scratched. One fingernail broken a little from a free fall. crap under his fingernails. shite everywhere on his paw. Dirt everywhere on their hands…

Harry stood decamp upright and scrambled for the door.

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

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

"They were too dirty. Don't you see !"Harry motioned them to get a movement on out of their chairs but they didn't John Donald Budge. Harry threw up his bridge player in exasperation."You don ‘ t get that dirty just running around a forest. And it was the legal injury character of dirt too… loamy… iniquity. Under their fingernails and in their tooth !"The marauders still looked on in desolate incomprehension.

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


"Neville : McGonagall ! Ron : Dumbledore ! Padma : Snape !"Harry rattled off as they raced out the portrait cakehole. Harry cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled."Vinca minor ! confection marauder house spook ! 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 ?"

"Werewolves, tunneling into the school."Harry saw the touch already white face turn whiter and her eyes bulge."Is must add up up somewhere on this side of the Montgomery Ward. Go under…"

"Go underground and encounter it."Myrtle finished for him. She sounded absolutely panicked. Her smoky form was ever quavering in the air. But she swooped off in the focussing of the glasshouse, her lank haircloth whipping in the hint behind her.

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

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

"Lumos !"Hermione had lit her wand. Smart that one. Harry followed causa and soon the four vulture were scowering the primer coat. Harry glanced over them, had he opt wrongly ? He'd sent the tired marauders to receive the instructor and kept the relatively refreshed I with him. Except for Hermione of course, who he ‘ d kept because he relied on her to be the brains of the cognitive process. But was she alert enough to do that now ? Harry cursed as he realized his choice also meant he had put the young fellow member, Ginny, in harms way.

Harry shook his head, naught to be done about it now. Harry saw Myrtle arc out of the terra firma like a dolphin, raise 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 Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree line of reasoning, trying to catch some hint of motility. Nothing."Damn it !"Where would they burrow up to ? Would they even be capable to aim at a specific place when subway ? The world blurred around Harry and he clamped his manpower over his pendent.

Back ! Not now ! The wound on his left chest was beginning to injure now, and was streaking his shirt with bloodline. I need to be here !

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

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

Harry followed the line of her hired hand, it was the piece of drag turf they had stood on to begin with that evening during their word with Dumbledore. With some trepidation Harry got closer and stopped to listen. From under the ground came the evident sound of scrabbling claws.

"Oh no no no no no."Harry shook his head to try and dissipate the icy handgrip of fear and looked back at the castle. No teachers yet, the marauder must induce been having trouble convincing them. Harry looked back at the ground, they would stop through any minute."Colloportus."He tried, desperately, aiming at the soil. But naught happened, the spell wasn't meant to be used that way.

"Guys ! Get back !"Harry waved the piranha away."Get behind poppycock, we ‘ ll need to retain them back if they break through."Harry looked around, panicked. Was there something they could treat the ground with ? No.

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

The shade shook her head vigorously, her optic wide behind her goggle-like glasses.

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

The shade began crying and hugged her arms into herself but she slowly floated down and slide into the priming. After a consequence the scrabbling stopped and a growling and yip filtered up through the earth. Harry glanced around desperately, that had bought him seconds at almost. His eyes lighted on a big money of plant newspaper clipping in a wooden bin beside the greenhouses. Yes !

"Help me guys ! Wingardium Leviosa !"Harry pointed his wand at the bin. It rocked on its foot and Harry heard his supporter 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 sides of the matter and it collapsed into a bonfire. Harry saw the other predator levitating offset onto it from where they hid near the greenhouses.

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

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

A combustion werewolf, howling in searing pain, burst up through the solid ground like an ancient god, feral and powerful. It clawed its way onto the eatage and set off like a hummer towards him. Harry was so affright 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 Roman mile. Harry could see another wolfman erupt out of the ground and commove the marauder but all his care was focused on the one in front of him. The one that was going to shoot down him. He shot again but it barely grazed its English. It lunged, and Harry felt its fete breath.

"Sectumsempra !"

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

"Stupefy !"The potions maestro yelled and a red enchantment jibe across the dry land and the lycanthrope that had been chasing the predator fell limp onto the ground. Harry heard a scrabbling sound and saw another just clawing its way out of the hollow in the basis. Snape said no conjuration this clip but it's head snapped back as if it had been shot and it slid back into the pickle. Three more scrambled out, slavering and growling to fill its place.

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

"Leave them to me Potter."Harry heard Snape growl."Go help your friends."Snape curled his arm back and yelled something pharyngeal consonant before throwing a ball of red light down into the hole in the primer coat. Harry was knocked off his substructure as an earthquake rocked the solid ground and a great cloud of dust poured up from the pit. Snape had collapsed the tunnel. She potions professional smiled evilly, the weed and detritus giving him an almost demonic visage as he turned and began throwing bane at the remaining two werewolves.

Harry ran towards the piranha and skidded to a diaphragm in front of them. They looked tired and scared and Hermione was leaning on Anapurna and not putting system of weights on her left pes, but for having just battled lycanthrope they looked alright.

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

"No !"
*


A here and now of coincidence can convert everything.

Only someone floating above the panorama could birth seen the unharmed 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 pluck it up, holding its golden Sir Ernst Boris Chain clenched in his fist.

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

The audio of shattering course. Far louder than it had any right to be.

The spray of silver sand, fanning out and covering the right face of Harry chest of drawers, burning through his shirt and eating away the figure underneath.

Each grain of sand making a little pockmarked pickle, like drops of acid.

Snape looking on in repulsion, wand still outstretched.

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

Then slowly, fading. Fading as his scream grew piano and balmy. Until it was cypher more than a breath of wind.

Then gone.


Pain, everywhere, burning. Flickering too fast to see anything but his damaged body beneath him. bellowing, he could pick up the river here, louder than ever before. Nothing made sentience, zilch was real but the pain.
*


"Severus… Severus are you asleep ?"

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

Snape could finger the locket in the top sac of his robes. He had carried it with him since he had got it. A constant drainpipe on his will. Walking around, every day, trying to be his routine with a venomous cocktail of sorrow and spunk clenching sorrow. But he couldn't leave it, every sentence he tried he just felt his fingers close around it tighter.

And now he had guilt to add to the mix. Guilt he richly deserved. He had killed him, killed the last component part of Lily Sir Arthur John Evans left on this earth. He deserved everything, he clenched his fists until he could sense his nails digging into hide. It meant nothing.

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

The hospital wing was entire but silent. Snape looked over at the bed where the Granger miss was lying. Her foot healed of path but no one had asked her to bequeath. Potter's other acquaintance were there too, in chairs, propped on nearby layer or, in the case of Longbottom, simply collapsed on the floor. Snape could sympathize mighty now.

On the other side the werewolves were chained, the two that had survived his flack and transformed back with the luminance 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 heartbreak 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 humanness they had they had given up when they agreed to survey Greyback.

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

"professor Severus Snape ?"

The clipped phonation brought him out of his thought and he looked at the two new human body in the wing. Even in his wasting state Snape took in the flat grey gown, the Indian file folder, the slightly arrogant demeanor without any evidence of genuine powerfulness 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 neat short tomentum and the man perhaps a nicety too relaxed for a administrative official dragged out of his role. Not aurors, they didn't have that feel… Oh !"Unspeakables ?"

"Correct prof Snape. Full marks."The woman smiled and raised her eyebrows. Snape sighed inwardly, he hated people under the delusion they were impudent than him."My name is Natalie Zhao and my colleague is Sean Rhyfedd."She indicated the man with a Wave of her hand. Rhyfedd opened his mouthpiece to speak but the woman continued talking and he shut it again.

"We are here to enquire the Holocene epoch case here."She smiled and pulled a quill and sheepskin from her booklet."I understand that you have had a trying fourth dimension 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 loup-garou on the flooring looked up at him and leered.

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

"Harry !"

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

"Do know where he is ?"

"What happened to him ?"

"quiet !"Snape snapped, far louder than he intended. They fell silent and he turned back to the Unspeakable. Taking a moment to assess the might structure he addressed the womanhood directly."You mean the disappearance 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 wand at an hollow bed and nine throne fell around it."Let's sit down."

Snape heard a chuckle from the other incline of the room.

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

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

The auror kicked the insensate affair and it fell silent, muttering to itself.

Snape dismissed it and take a BM next to the wall, at least that way he could not be surrounded by children.

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

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

"We take more care in our section,"Rhyfedd said. He turned to the minor at the mesa."Did you notice Mr Potter displaying any odd behavior this year ?"

"Odd behavior…"Weasley scratched his straits."Odd deportment is normal for Harry."

"Time loss."The Unspeakable crossed his arms irritably."Did he sometimes seem to not know when or where he was ? Did he seem to roll in the hay what was about to hap ? Did anyone witness him in two places at once ?"

"Yes,"The vernal Weasley answered quietly."The 1st two."

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

"Don ‘ t feeling bad,"Natalie Zhao smiled at the bookman."Even if we had known earlier there would sustain been goose egg we could have done. It's an burden we call the deluge of ages."

That sounded familiar, some old story ?

"Those lost in the torrent of ages…"he said, trying to commend the handing over."… are lost to time and Inner Light. Living in nothing. Trapped in eternity."
*


Flickering, even the mountains crawled up and down like waves. The sky just one arching blur of grey. The priming under his animal foot felt shadowy and unreal.
*


"Yes that's chasten,"Ms Zhao nodded, pleased."You see, a time-turner only works because of the sand inside it. It is literally the guts of fourth dimension. Usually it is sluggish but there are style of drawing out its great power. Now, the complex body part of a time-turner is designed so as to harness that exponent safely. Moving a person back in meter a unawares way relatively safely."

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

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

"The event has been known since ancient times."Mr Rhyfedd pulled a bundle of around twenty paper out and broadcast them out in front of Snape. The all had painting in the recess. The oldest unity were indecipherable, the young mostly looked like Unspeakable themselves."As you can see the Recent ones are mostly departmental accidents."

Snape nodded.

"What is this waterspout then ?"he asked.

"Essentially… time."Ms Zhao shook her head sadly."Imagine the time-turner consequence multiplied by a billion, and totally uncontrollable. The mortal begins moving through sentence without ever stopping in any one moment for more than a millisecond."

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

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

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

Snape felt his heart omission about a C beats. 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 Department of Defense were a little fractured right now it was unfeigned, but he would have been happy to present even Dumbledore with no Thomas More defense than this. He had grown too soft.

"Miss Patil,"The woman continued."I know this is arduous for you, all of you. I know that it is soft to sorrow if you have a body, or some mansion. But you must sympathise your friend is not coming back."

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

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

"This is not something you can crusade,"The unutterable shook her head."It ‘ s not something real or physical. It ‘ s not something real, it ‘ s something inevitable."
*


Slipping, dry land always slipping. Too lots pain to even recall. blood line that flowed out of him and disappeared into the air like mist. The backbone still burned in him, burning but the ancestry kept flowing. Burning threads cutting into him from all incline, tying him up. Lying like red hot gig across his peel. He couldn't ignore the pain, it was the one real 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 grey aurora burning into his eyes. It was too much, he wasn't sure if he would go mad or just bleed to destruction. Either seemed preferable. The pain was just throbbing harder, the fiery bonds tightening around him. Invisible bonds. Nothing was real here. Oh god it hurt ! Harry threw his head back and howled,

"Help me !"His words were caught and whisked away as soon as he spoke."Someone ! serve me !"Harry barely felt the sobbing wrack his consistency."Someone…"

"Harry…"

Harry felt the pain ebb away, leaving a dull ache. The sky dimmed like smoke-dried field glass. The flickering flat coat became Charles Grey and unyielding under his human foot. He felt the combustion duds pushed off him as the gray-headed place expanded, carrying them with it. He stood on shaky legs inside the little bubble of reality.

"Harry."

Harry whirled towards the voice and fell to the ground again, this time in relief. Tears welled in the corners of his centre. He gulped and said,

"Pythea !"

"Yes Harry."The small seer was sitting cross legged in the center of the Second Earl Grey bubble."Yes it ‘ s me."

"How…"

"Or, more correctly it's a bit like a recording of me,"Pythea smiled, her multi-color middle holding depths Harry couldn't even surmise at."Like a portrayal. I ‘ m a charm roll by the real Pythea. She hid me in the alphabetic character she sent you."

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

"It was the only if way."Pythea looked suddenly a petty scare away but pulled herself back a consequence later."If the balance of my social club knew you were even remotely connected to the torrent…"She shuddered."… well at the very least I would have been unable to help you. The torrent is abhorrent to everything we stand for."

Abhorrent… that sounded familiar.

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

"You met centaurs !"Pythea stood and hurried towards him, looking over him as if to see some signal of wound."How did you survive ! They would have killed you…"

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

"Do not scare off me like that."Pythea put a hired man to her dresser and seemed to be breathing hard."You were favourable. Very lucky."

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

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

Harry closed his middle and bowed his drumhead. His last hope…

"Harry, the torrent isn ‘ t even something natural."Pythea held his chin in her manpower and pushed his head back up."Time-turners are one affair, they let you pass back and Forth in the Same time stream. Anything you do in the past tense does not touch the future, because it has already happened you see ? The law of causality are preserved. The violent stream is different, it defies the rules of fate. That is why my purchase order, and the Centaurus, hate it so much. They think it is life-threatening, tangling portion. That is why you have been moved outside of time, the creation itself it trying to close you out. Destroying a threat to itself."

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

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

"How ! How can I be the first off ?"

"I don ‘ t know. But I know one thing, you are never going to do it sitting on the earth. 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 much it hurt ? It had to be done."What do I do if I can get control ?"

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

"I…"A dotty musical theme hit him. A Harry Potter architectural plan."Yes. I think I do."

"Good Harry."She raised her hired hand towards the grey wall."Are you fix ?"

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

"Do it !"

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

"Aaaaaaaaaaaa !"

It was like the Cruciatus burnt into every molecule of his pelt. And across his palms where the ropes of fire writhed ? It was a hundred times high-risk !

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

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

"SHIFT !"

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

"No ! Again !"

The terra firma became flaming rock and the air acid smoke.

"No ! hear to me !"Harry gripped down harder on the threads and pulled them to his facial expression, ignoring the tears flowing down it and the pain enveloping everything."slip !"

Bare John Rock, an empty sky.

water stretching as into the distance.

The pitch blackness of blank space. As dusty as nothing.

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

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

"You can do anything."

"Aaaaaaaaa !"Harry fell to his stifle and pulled the flame to his breast, right up to the searing wound. Between his clenched fist nestled the short pendent. A little nub of cool in the world of flame. He could do this.

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

"YES !"

The glasshouse pulled out of the mist. The whiz, the sound of spell. An insensate howl.

"YES !"

Harry ceramicist laughed through the pain and the blood.
*


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

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

Snape throwing swearing at the last werewolf, laughing as it scrabbled backwards, trying to get away from him. Snape throwing another curse but, in his glee, missing. The cuss flying through the air, rippling it like a passion moving ridge. Shooting direct towards the sparkling gilt hourglass handing from Harry's hand.

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


Dirt…

Very wet dirt…

That was the first gear mentation that went through Harry's head. He opened his eyes. The turd in front man of his nose was moving ever so slightly, the little texture rolling back and forth. His hint moving them. He was breathing again.

Some sensation at the sides of his head… familiar… strait. somebody was speaking.

"Harry ?"

Harry twisted against the background, movement returning to him like a upstage retentivity. A pattern standing there. Low to the ground.

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

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

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

"My love boy you ‘ re hemorrhage !"

Harry looked down. One side of meat of his chest was pockmarked with footling holes like someone had grated him and the former position had two massive slashes over it, meeting in a hybridizing. Snape's expletive, Harry remembered, that had hit him there.

"Are you alright ? You don ‘ t facial expression like you ‘ re in pain in the ass ?"

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

"You need the infirmary backstage Mr Potter."

Harry felt himself lifted up with legerdemain and stood on his understructure. He was still exactly where he had been before getting lost in the violent stream, on the dry land near the glasshouse. He saw some men in long ignominious robes standing safety over the caved in tunnel but they weren't looking his way.

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

Harry stumbled off towards the threshold of Hogwarts.

"Of course of study 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 chandelier but nothing else. He glanced back at the priming where he had appeared, there was a lot of gray-headed ash and what looked like a burnt belt warp. Near where his substructure had been there was a puddle of molten rubber.

"Oh."Harry blushed and tried to cover himself with his hands. With a wave of his wand the little teacher gave Harry free fitting pajama knickers and a dressing gown. Harry vaguely registered that they were blue and gold."Thanks…"

Harry turned and continued his halting walk towards the infirmary fender. He could try Flitwick walking behind him, probably with his wand out in caseful Harry tripped. The hall were deserted this early in the first light and Harry had no company as he pulled himself laboriously up a staircase.

He glanced down at the two wound on his breast, the guts tan and the cutting off. There was something wrong there. Harry shook his head, null about bleeding that practically was right. Harry reached the doorway to the hospital wing and pushed the threshold open.

He saw his booster, Snape and some other multitude look up in shock. In his Department of State, lightheaded from line of descent exit, he said the first affair that came to mind…
*


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

The door to the hospital wing burst overt and the Potter boy stepped inside, wavering slightly as if drunk.

"You know who I hate ?"he said, smiling crookedly."Godric Gryffindor… wanker !"The boy took two footstep and fell on his look on the common cold tiled floor.

Snape saw the scholar and the schoolhouse nursemaid rush to Harry through a daze but he felt something else. A bubbling, floating sensation rising from his chest. He clamped his hand over his mouth but it escaped through his nose anyway, a Bronx cheer that jerked his question back. He gave up trying and broke out in fit of laughter.

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

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

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

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

Yes, that must be it. Just tired.

Snape got up and walked towards the doors of the hospital wing. As he passed the Potter boy's bed the jape broke out again and he had to hold the doorcase for support.

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

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

"I have had a long night."he told his associate teacher before turning and walking away and leaving a very daze silence in his wake.
*


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

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

"These won ‘ t heal Mr thrower,"he heard gentlewoman Pomfrey say while running her scepter over the two wounds on his chest."Neither of them. I ‘ m afraid you ‘ ll have scars there for the relief of your life."

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

"Well it's your own fault…"Harry heard an acerb voice say."You survive the killing curse and get one scar, you survive the torrent of old age and you get two More. If you don't want more scars stop doing impossible things."

Harry leant his head up and saw two the great unwashed 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 accident 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 char continued,"The Department of Mysteries."

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

"But obviously we would not enforce on you in your current province,"the woman added easily."If we returned this eventide ?"She glanced at lady Pomfrey, who nodded.

"This evening then."She straightened."I look forward to your story."She walked out of the hospital fender, the early untellable followed, grumbling.

Harry looked at his Friend and grinned.

"So, my entering ? goodness or so-so ?"

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

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

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

"I blame profligate loss."Harry leant back against the bed, he was just now realizing that he had go slept over XX four 60 minutes ago. Or More, or lupus erythematosus, he didn't quite have it off how the time in the waterspout counted.

"How did you hold up Harry ?"Hermione asked curiously.

"How ?"Harry felt his palpebra drooping."I ‘ m a predator. We don ‘ t lose."A thought crossed Harry's mental capacity and he managed to extract himself back from sleep."Where did myrtle get to ?"

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

"Should apologize to her. See whether we can find some ghost-flowers."Another thought hit him."The wolfman ? The onslaught ?"

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

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

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

"Oh Harry, tell 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 cobbler's last few months of example and found only bare scraping."Definitely."

"It ‘ s okay Harry,"Ron said comfortingly."You ‘ re obviously disturbed. 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 unharmed ?"he asked again.

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

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

Poppy knew him well enough to recognize the cultivated firing in his vocalisation and left his part quietly. Dumbledore turned to the former 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 misfortunate werewolf looked measly, apparently hearing the other werewolf howling so close had made his werewolf mind even more break 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 berth of having not the swooning musical theme. 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 James IV. Being so like James. He calls his friends the Marauders you know, when I heard that I almost… He has no right."

"It is just a name Remus,"Dumbledore said soothingly."And the boy is full moon of conundrums, I still can ‘ t study out where that pendent of his came from. I don ‘ t bonk how he managed to rig the Quidditch cup and I certainly can ‘ t prove he did. I don ‘ t have it away 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 practically rests on, is a sodding mystery to me. Not only that, he seems to consume no squeamishness about disregarding my sanction, ignoring my advice. I can not even keep him within the grounds of Hogwarts against his will. So much rest period on him, but I don't understand him and I certainly can not assure him."Dumbledore sighed."I have rarely felt as old as I have in these past three years."

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

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

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

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

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

"I have been talking to another old friend. I have Bob Hope that he will bear the job."

"Good."

The silence returned, heavy with all the matter not being said.
*


Snape awoke refreshed for the 1st time in weeks. He had gone directly into his bed after leaving the Hospital Wing and now the clock on his wall show eight thirty, he had slept all day. His physical structure must have been trying to catch up on lost time.

He pulled his robes on and grabbed his wand from the bedside mesa. His hand went out on innate reflex to seize the early item there and he stiffened. The locket sat there, shining up at him. Snape swallowed severe. Did he want to carry Lily Sir Arthur John Evans around following to his pump forever ?

Snape picked the locket up and held it lightly in his bridge player. Something must be done with it. He strode out of his quarters and down the corridor, scarcely glancing at the students he passed. He did not stop when he passed the peachy doors or Hogwarts but kept up his tread until it brought him to the shores of the lake.

He was breathing voiceless, and not from the walk. The locket was still clutched in his script. He had to do it quickly otherwise he would mislay 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 thenar."That day beside the lake after our examination. Where were you ? Sitting and talking to your other Quaker. Leaving me all alone. You didn ‘ t come over until King James Potter got involved. You abandoned me tenacious before I abandoned you…"Snape drew his deal back."… I just did it better."And with all his strength he hurled the little composition of Ag into the glum water.

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

Snape shook his head, he felt like he had begun again after years of living in stasis. Harry was decent, star lived in the past far too a lot. He had finally gotten rid of the last…

No…

Snape felt his feel dashed in a mo. He still had one finis man 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 backbone, 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 require Occlumency of the eminent order.

"Luckily,"cerebration Snape."I am an Occlumens of the highest order."

Snape sat down crown of thorns legged on the grass, cleared his psyche, closed his eyes and proceeded to cancel Lily Evans. Each retention was locked away, one by one, from their first meeting to the hold out day he ever saw her. He blocked them all. He would still retain the shape of them, a vague cognition, but it was the well 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 Sir Arthur John Evans was the cargo hold he had had over Snape all these eld he might not be inclined to help.

Snape closed the last computer storage and stood up, feeling lightheaded. Would this piece of work ? He began preparing to cast the spell, raised his wand then dropped it again to his face. He could not cast it, he had no well-chosen 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 James Jerome Hill with red and gold. He raised his weaponry and felt the summer wind rush through his robes.

So far from thread maker End. So far from the smog and detritus and narrow streets. Here the air was clear, it smelled of Scots heather. The principal were crystallize, unblocked by streetlights. Hogwarts, and the land around it, was his nursing home. This was a happy memory.

"Expecto Patronum !"

He screwed his eyes shut at the import of casting, he could not bear to see. He felt the fondness of his patronus in battlefront of him, touching his script. He had to wait eventually, he would have to. bravery, he was not a coward.

Snape snapped his eyes capable and almost melted onto the story. binge sprung into his center. Writhing and looping in the air was a thin snake, curling like a ribbon caught in the tip. He had been successful, the last part of Lily Sir Arthur John Evans in him was gone.

"Is that your patronus ?"

Snape turned towards the voice. It was the unspeakable, Natalie Zhao, she was standing calmly a few footstep behind him with her hired man 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 question Harry all day ?"

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

"He is nothing if not surprising."Snape found he had trivial ire towards Harry thrower any to a greater extent."But I think you would be to a lesser extent flummox if you saw the utter mickle he manages to make of potions."

"Perhaps."She smiled, it pushed slight dimpled chad up on her cheeks. 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 occupy looking snake. Perhaps a little more than a meter long with harsh, grim bands all the way up its thin body. It had no punk behind its thin point like a cobra or a rale like a rattlesnake, nothing that obviously identified it. Snape wondered what species it was.

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

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

"Well…"She appeared to call up for a moment."It ‘ s diet is kind of interesting."

"How so ?"

"It primarily eats other snakes."

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

"And it ‘ s poisonous,"Ms Zhao continued."Sometimes the victim doesn't feel anything at the land site of the bite for a piece, lulls them into a treasonably sensation of security."

"Hmm…"

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

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

"Why do you know so much about Snake ?"

"I keep them as pets."She seemed to blade herself a pinch. Perhaps she was used to negative reactions 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 brainsick to keep one of those as a pet. But I suppose you like grave pet here…"She smiled again, cheekily."… you apparently maintain werewolves."

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

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

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

"well I have to get back to the Ministry,"Natalie said, they had reached the battlefront of the castle."Got to satisfy in the paperwork. God knows Rhyfedd won ‘ t botheration, that man has an mental attitude problem…"

"He is a diminished minded, talent less man who is constantly trying to assert himself over you where he has no right to be because it shirks his ego to work out under a cleaning woman,"Snape stated flatly.

"I know,"Natalie replied simply."You had him pegged within five seconds of meeting him. My chief at the Ministry however…"She spread her hands hopelessly."… four years 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 pity."Then you will truly live what it is like to have an irritating co-worker."

They were both standing in forepart of Hogwarts, but neither of them seemed to want to move.

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

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

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

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


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

"Severus,"Dumbledore greeted him."To what do I owe this belatedly night sojourn ?"

"Nothing skilful I am afraid."Snape shook his brain."This afternoon I remembered an offhanded commentary one of the werewolves in the Hospital Wing made. Taunting us about a map."

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

"No."Snape waved the complaint away."No, that is what I thought initially, it would sustain been better if I was right. I went to visit the werewolf in the Ministry donjon. 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 brake in that…"

"Albus, think of what else you said that evening."

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

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



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

What did everyone think of the detour from shank in this playscript ?
The next one goes back towards the line of the books a bit, somewhere between the how close the initiative two were and how out there this one was.

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

Harry Potter and the Harry thrower and the smell of Njordr !


I do n't own Harry thrower. I wish I did. Unfortunately the whole blowing-out-all-the-candles-at-once thing does n't always work.



She brushed up against the bulwark, her well muscled flank pressing against the wooden paneling. Her ears were attuned to the midget scritches coming from around the corner and the petite footfall on the floorboard were still visible, glowing hot prints leading the way. She eased herself up to the edge then poked her cut nose around and struck.

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

She slid, full and languid, through the old theatre. Soon superbia would number and milk her spitefulness, making her look hollow and apply, but her master needed it so she steeled herself against his feeling. Not that Pride wasn't gentle, it was his smell that irked her.

She knew that the three men who served her schoolmaster had former names but she preferred her own, Ambition, Pride and radioactive decay. She had named them after what she smelled on them. Master was, of course of instruction, just Master.

She slid into her masters room and curled up beside the flame. Her passe-partout was asleep but the others were talking again, she pushed her head down between her coils to block out the strait, but it wasn't enough.

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

"I am mindful of that brother."Ambition replied archly."And after all the study I have done I am one of them. You stay here and tend to our overlord demand, I will get the job done quite sufficiently in your absence."His voice made it quite clear that Pride's absence would in fact make the job much easier.

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

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

"Careful brother,"Pride sneered."Take care that you never bury who you have to thank for your freedom and for your prospect at vengeance."

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

"Both you arrogant little-"

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

"I could not compromise-"

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

"I see you've learnt some colourful language rotting in Azkaban."

Ambition whipped around and punched pride straight in the stomach. Ambition was sparse and wiry but the puncher had weight behind it and Pride crumpled to the floor. ambition followed it up by stamping into Pride's kidney.

"Learnt some early matter in there too brother."aspiration drew his wand and pointed it as the groaning anatomy on the floor."So if I were you I ‘ d never give into the delusion that you ‘ re the power player in our little co-operative venture."

Pride tried to rise but Ambition stamped on his hair.

"And another thing…"aspiration leant down to speak fold to Pride's ear."Our skipper remembers which of us remained fast to him during his twelve year… convalescence."ambitiousness grinned."And you weren ‘ t one of them, brother. So you stay here and milk the bloody snake and Leslie Townes Hope you build up enough brownie peak to get you back in his upright books. You stay here and brew the potion and I will cope with everything else !"

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


"Harry ? We have a… a kind of proposition for you."Fred and George had cornered him in Ron's sleeping accommodation, they both had that arch look about them.

"I'm intrigued."Harry closed his al-Qur'an and tossed it to one English."Apprehensive but scheme. Who are we going to prank ?"

"It ‘ s not about pranking anyone Harry."Said Fred at the Lapp time as his sidekick 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 lilliputian hesitantly.

Harry was hesitating because for a long time he had felt like he was building up some sort of unluckiness debt. The concluding three month of his tertiary yr at Hogwarts had passed without anyone trying to down him ( unprecedented for Harry ) and he had even managed to pass off all of his exam. In Department of Defense he had scraped a mountain pass on Lupin's obstacle path ( all-fired Hinkypunk led him into a sinkhole ! ) and almost managed to not blow his caldron up in potions.

office of the reason was that Snape had stopped picking on Harry in course and had even started treating him as a normal student. more than that the potions master had seemed almost upbeat at prison term. Harry had put it down to him planning something evil until he noticed that Snape was at his almost happy the sidereal day after a small barn owl brought him letters.

As for the early examination Harry had botched together some kind of pig-English rendering for antediluvian runes and avoided getting Thomas More than superficial raciness combat injury in Hagrid's ‘ practical'psychometric test ( they had all been given a box and asked to bung 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 deception too. Herbology had been ok because he'd been partnered with Neville and he had passed of his own talent in Astrology and Charms.

Of trend revising hadn't been the first thing he'd done. The first thing he'd done had been to write a long letter to Pythea. He hadn't been ably to advert the pelter of course of study, but he hoped he had left plenty hints that she would get it on how a good deal he wanted to thank her. Of course the monumental bunch of flowers might have also given her that hint.

He had even managed to have a vacation where there had been no unexplained magical occurrent, another first. Harry had hiked in Switzerland for some of the summertime, nothing too grievous but decent that he was very glad of his size-and-weight-defying bag.

On one memorable function, miles from the nearest Town, he had met some aged American tourists kitted up with Brobdingnagian heavy hiking packsack and thick coats. He however had been carrying a small leather packsack while idly strumming a guitar. They had thought he was some sort 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 vision ( a lie ), that the positive Energy of the mess would heal them ( a lie ), that his guitar had been given to him by the Dalai Lama ( a lie ) and that the power of the crystals woven into his pelage kept him warm ( a lie, the crystals kept the rain off. The amulets kept him warm. ). Surprisingly before they parted ways the woman began claming her arthritis had miraculously cleared up.

Harry had ended up in Geneva after a few week of this and spent virtually of the ease of the summertime there, lazing around the city and finishing up the schoolwork he had had no hazard to work at in the mountains. Plus juggling and playing the guitar for masses around the city. When he could work out how to do both at the Saami sentence he knew he'd impress the great unwashed but for now he just ended up tangling his fingers.

He'd come in back to England a few days early to visit his friends and get his shoal supplies. It was now the thirtieth of august and all the piranha were gathered at the tunnel for a lowest get together before heading off to Hogwarts. Harry should have been felicitous, but instead he was apprehensive, wasn't he due some unpleasantness ? And weren't the villainous Weasley twins the double-dyed ones to administer it ? True the unpleasantness he got in to was usually more than of the ‘ oh god we're all gon na die'variety, but then so was the some of the stuff the twin were into.

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

"Where's safe to sit ?"Harry cast about, looking at the different box. It took the twins a surprisingly long meter to get a ‘ safe'box. Fred and George sat on the side of one of their beds. Fred be given forward and said,

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

"A fab 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 blazon and one-half smiled."Possibly something that fell off the back of a van. What ‘ s this actually about ?"

The counterpart looked at each other then said at the Saami time,

"Weasley champion Wheezes !"

"Actively Advocating Alliteration ?"

"It ‘ s a prank shop Harry."George V sniggered and continued,"Or at least we want it to be."

"And we thought that perhaps-"

"-the resident charms-meister-"

"-would be able to help oneself us with some of the stuff."Fred shrugged."After all you did basically ramp up a broom live on year-"

"-that out-flew a firebolt-"

"-with Ginny ‘ s help."

"Oh yes with Ginny ‘ s help."

Harry rearranged the dislocated sentences into some measure of order.

"So…"Harry began to smile as fruition hit him."You want me to help you design joke ? Your form of trick ? The intriguedness is growing. What have you come up with so far ?"

The twins grinned and began a whirlwind tour of their stream products, stopping occasionally to demonstrate a charm or spell for Harry. Usually they were spells that produced explosions or horrifying shrieking noises.

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

Harry knew adequate Greek to get across 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 idiot."That's… interesting. I guess."

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

Oh keen, now she was laughing at him too. Ron kicked a stone into the algae filled pond, it rested on the thick super acid surface for a moment before sinking.

Hermione had left Hogwarts almost completely burnt out, taking too many issue on top of the werewolf chaos had reduced her to a tail of herself. It had been especially bad during the exams which she had to revise for and learn without the benefit of the time-turner. After the last one Harry and Ron had frog-marched her to McGonagall's post where she dropped divination and muggle studies.

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

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

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

"That ‘ s even worse."Ron shook his head."Between them I doubt they ‘ ll be a firm left."

"If you felt like that why did you require to demonstrate me around in the first base place ?"

Why indeed ?

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

"Ron…"Hermione shook her psyche in aggravation."If you wanted to modify the subject you could have-"

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

The two marauder rushed to the side of the house.

"It ‘ s not exactly marshmallow."Hermione said, sounding puzzled, as the ran into the burrow. They stopped outside the twins door and Ron opened it hesitantly. On the other side was a solidness wall of tweed, even bearing the imprint of the form or the room access and its handle.

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

"What ‘ s the difference ?"

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

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

"mortal out there ?"

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

"look really weird."Ron grimaced as he buried his script up to the shoulder joint."It's all crackly and dry."He felt something like fabric and pulled as firmly as he could.

With a giant cascade of fragment meringue a figure emerged from the room. It fell on the trading floor coughing and spluttering and spitting clump of gummed ashen foam out of its mouthpiece. Ron leant forward and guessed,

"Fr… George ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Not my fracture mate."George I put his helping hand up to fend of the angered piranha."You seem to have some sort of knack for that go is all."

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

"Managed to tunnel to the window."

"But you must experience fallen-"

"Into a tidy sum of meringue."Harry shrugged."It ‘ s built up quite a raft out there."He turned to the similitude room."Come on, we ‘ d better start getting rid of all this clobber or your twin ‘ s gon na run out of air."

"And mummy 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 train bearing 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 vulture moved in after him. They were looking at each other a little oddly.

"Harry…"Hermione began.

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

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

"No."Harry crossed his peg and sat, Indian-style, with his weapons system crossed."Really, really no !"Harry shook his head, it was amazing how quickly the paranoia he'd developed in the age before he'd come to Hogwarts had returned. Street aliveness was not conducive to trust.

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

"Harry you ‘ re the boy who lived."Parvati shook her oral sex."No I going to kill you."

"I wouldn ‘ t say that."A voice sounded from the opened room access."I wouldn ‘ t say that at all."

The marauders turned in unison.

"Oh buzz off Malfoy."Padma chuckled."If you were going to kill him you would throw done it ages ago."

"I will get you this year Potter."Malfoy was uncharacteristically alone. His common crowd of flunkies absent."I promise, by the Malfoy figure, that I will get you this yr. I will pass water you pay for everything."

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

"fountainhead this year Potter."Malfoy licked his lips, his grey eyes shiny evilly."I will prove everyone at Hogwarts that I represent everything unspoiled about legerdemain blood and that you are everything… everything slimy and mediocre. This class I will record everyone. This class ceramist, this year I win."

"trade good luck with that."Harry shrugged dismissively."Now move, you ‘ re blocking the trolley."

Malfoy just smiled and walked away.
*


"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry."

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

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

Maybe he was just paranoid ? Harry glanced around at the early bookman. Maybe he actually did have a chance to have a normal year.

"Firstly I would wish to introduce Alastor Helen Wills as our new Department of Defense against the iniquity teacher."

Harry glanced up at the mesa and picked out the new cheek. Or, more accurately, what was left of the new face. Their last defense teacher had been a lycanthrope, this one looked like he had been savaged by one. He had also obviously lost an eye at some point and had it replaced with a sorcerous one. Harry wondered why he hadn't chosen one in his natural colouring. He had seen whole workshop 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 one then the former eye. Harry smiled and toasted the new teacher with his glass. Anyone was adept than Professor Lupin. Harry had tried to restore bridge with the werewolf during his last few weeks at school. He really had tried…

"Professor… Um…"Harry leant in through the door to prof lupin's government agency."Are you, you know, all set."Professor Lupin looked up at him, flatly."You know for tonight, good Sun Myung Moon ?"

"Yes."Professor lupin seemed to be struggling to keep his voice flat and unemotional.

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

"I said yes."lupine snapped. Seeing Harry's startled reflexion he took a thick breathing spell and shake off his capitulum."My apologies. Yes Severus makes a potion for me that allows me to better manage the transmutation. Thank you for your kindness."

"You ‘ re welcome Professor Moony."Lupin's head snapped up."You know, moony, like lunar month. Because of the wholly boggart thing and…"

"Leave now."Usually the werewolf side of Lupin was not really evident. 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 office shaking his head and never spoken directly to prof lupin again. Even worse the man had stared obelisk at him during their concluding few example. Even a scar, one-eyed man was best than that. Besides, Harry wasn't really in a position to quetch about other peoples scars.

professor Dumbledore continued,

"professor Helen Wills Moody is a quondam 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 subject."I do have a second promulgation to make. Something that I think you will all enjoy."

The totally school perked up.

"Slitherin house is infested with roach ?"

"Potions has been dropped from the syllabus ?"

"Filch had an aneurism ?"

"No."The recession of Professor Dumbledore's mouth twitched up in a half smiling."Better than all those things."

"Not possible."Harry called out.

"Very possible Mr Potter. I am talking about the Triwizard Tournament."The hall fell deadened silent.

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

"Hosting Mr Jacobs, Hosting."

The Radclyffe Hall exploded in sound.
*


"We are entering that tournament."

"Harry, Dumbledore said-"

"We. Are. entry. That. Tournament."Harry was twitching with nervous zip."We are entering and one of us is winning."

"We ‘ re not even eligible."Hermione complained."We can ‘ t enter."

"We have not let werewolf and behemoth Snake and dark star lay off us a all-fired age confinement is not going to place upright in our way."Harry sat down at the marauders table and crossed his arms."We deserve this. We deserve this because we are the upright in this school and no one has worked harder to-"

"Subvert its rules ?"

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

The marauders around the table fell silent.

"Do you cerebrate this was what Malfoy was talking about ?"Neville said suddenly."He said he was gon na show everyone how expert he was."

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


"Now…"prof Helen Wills Moody scanned the class slowly with his formula eye while the counterfeit one spun and rested on dissimilar scholarly person before moving on."I don ‘ t stand much on ceremonial occasion so Lashkar-e-Toiba jump right in."

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

"So… Lets start on whammy. I ‘ ve had a varsity letter from Professor Lupin, also one from Professor Michelson and it looks like you ‘ re fairly well up on dark creatures and the basics of dueling."

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

"But what you haven ‘ t learn yet is the worst of what wizards can do to each other."Dwight Lyman Moody shook his psyche."You ‘ re all living in a dream humanity if you think you ‘ re ever safe. Last night at the feast I only saw one educatee check the food for thought for poison before eating it."Helen Wills Moody pointed with his knotty hand.

All eyes ( real and unsubstantial ) fell on Harry.

"I… um… what ?"

"Don't be ashamed of it ! Be lofty ! By the end of the class I expect each and every one of you to practice Constant Vigilance !"He ended the sentence shouting. Harry found himself staring directly into Moody's artificial eye. He felt like he was a bug under a shiny blue devil microscope. The eye scanned down to his chest."flavour like you ‘ ve been given ground to be vigilante."

Before Harry had a chance to answer Moody had moved on and stomped up to the board.

"The shadow arts !"Moody wrote like he was carving in stone and the meth broke off during the s of artistry."Who can tell me a curse ? A really bad one."A few of the category put their custody up. Helen Newington Wills pointed at one.

"Yes Mr… Crabbe is it ?"He growled."familiar spirit name. Familiar face too, I knew your beginner. Well, knew isn ‘ t quite the justly word. What ‘ s yer curse ?"

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

"Odd that you should live that one."professor Moody ‘ s center narrowed."No one uses that one any Thomas 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 storm you with something you haven't seen in a spell. unremitting wakefulness !"

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

Harry looked down at his playscript and found the varlet on the pain spear. It was solve that the generator had only included it as an afterthought, Helen Wills already had more on the board than was in the rule book. Padma leant over her desk to utter into his ear,

"punter than lupin you think ?"

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

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


The partially vs. thoroughly cracked argument continued into the get weeks as the scholarly person got used to Helen Wills's strong-growing education style. One thing was for sure, there was not love lost between Helen Newington Wills and Snape. Helen Wills glared at Snape suspiciously every clock time they passed in the corridors and Snape, for his office, sneered. But all that was drown out by the rumour and whispers running around about the triwizard tournament.

The day the foreign scholar were scheduled to come click bright and cool with a drizzle of rain covering the castle.

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

Harry grinned and scuffed his feet. If the full school had been called out to greet these foreign students they could at least have the decency to be on clip. 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 judgement ) they were late.

"looking at !"person was pointing out over the lake. Harry's jaw dropped as he saw a ship rise out a whirlpool in the midsection of the lake.

"Did they come all the way from Durmstrum in that ?"Harry heard someone behind him say and gave an nonvoluntary shudder. Underwater for all that time ? Even with magical protective cover it made his shin crawl.

As the ship crawled up to the incline of the lake Harry saw the man standing at the wheel turn and betoken up into the sky behind the castle. Harry turned just in time to see a monster carriage round the corner of the castle, drawn by giant Andrew Dickson White horses.

"Great."Thought Harry."The competition starts with H2O and flying, two thing I really suck at."

He glanced over at the instructor and saw them talking frantically. Apparently they hadn't planned for both relegating arriving at the Saami time. After some mildly raised spokesperson Dumbledore headed down towards the lake while McGonagall headed towards where the carriage was landing. Harry considered the alternative and elbowed his way through the crowd in the charge Dumbledore went.

"Igor Karkaroff,"Dumbledore held his hand out to greet the heavily robed wizard stepping out of the boat."A joy to stimulate you back in the country."

"Albus, it is proficient to be here."The man pushed back his hood revealing silver grey hair and heavy eyebrow. He smiled in a way that never touched his dark oculus. He spoke in a heavy flourishing way that Harry was sure was at least partly put on."Hogwarts is ah…"He glanced up at the Lady Jane Grey sky."… just as I remember it."

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

"Ah, and this would be your star pupil."Harry saw the crowd theatrical role in front of him."The famous Harry Potter."

"No no no…"Harry waved his hands grinning."The name's sea dog ‘ Moonbeam'Baltzegaurd."

"Ah, ha ha."Igor ‘ s express joy held no warmth whatsoever."We are many celebrities here I see…"

"Wha ?"

"Let me premise you to someone."Karkaroff motioned a frowning boy standing behind him forward."This is Viktor Krum."Harry heard gasps from rump him as he shook Viktor's hand.

"Pleasure."Harry smiled at the untested wiz."Are you Durmstrurn ‘ s pass boy or something ?"Again the gasps.

"You don't know who I am ?"Viktor Krum asked in heavily accented English.

"Um… Should I ?"

Karkaroff snorted but Krum seemed to find this turn of events quite amusing. He was smiling at any rate. Harry couldn't tell what was going on behind those giant bleak eyebrows.

"well,"Dumbledore said, breaking the standstill."I can already see the Beauxbatons delegation is already inside, shall we join them ?"
*


"Harry, that was Viktor Krum !"

"You know Ron, I did ferment that out. And even if I hadn't the six million times you ‘ ve told me would have tipped me off. Now can we please center ?"Harry turned to the goblet standing in the essence of the dorm. 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 human knee and shook her point."At least not with anything I can conceive of now."

Harry shook his top dog, there were loads of the great unwashed crowding into the entry hallway so it wasn't like they could do anything right now. If they were going to do anything it would have to be at tonight, but he had hoped to at least have a design before the castle went to sleep.

"An age potion do you cerebrate ?"Fred said behind him.

"I think Dumbledore would have thought of that."Hermione shook her foreland."I don't think any potion any fourth year or sixth year could micturate could get past the line."

"What if we just get one of the older student to put it in for us ?"Neville hazarded.

"Nope."George III said as he and his pal sidled up to them."Saw some Slitherin try that almost as soon as the goblet was out. The former name calling just flew out of his pocket as soon as he crossed the line."

"Yep,"Fred shook his head in mock sympathy."Poor cuss didn ‘ t even get to put his own name since he tripped over his own beard and ended up out cold."

"Wait…"Padma looked thoughtful."What if we get someone to cross the line then pen our names on some-"

"Saw that too."Fred broke in.

"Yeah,"His twin continued."You don ‘ t even want to know what happened to him !"

"Oh for Christ sake !"Harry growled in innervation."Is there at to the lowest degree a way to essay the line ?"

"Yeah, run into it."Ron suggested.

"No you idiot."Padma shook her head."Just spitball it."

"Excuse me ? You what ?"Harry's brow raised like balloons.

"Like this…"Harry watched, gob-smacked, as Padma took a spare scrap of lambskin out of her bag and stuffed it into her mouth. She chewed for a few mo then daintily took the sodden mess out from between her sassing and, without faltering, tossed it at the goblet of fire. As the ball crossed the line there was a flash of Light and the Ball shot out like a bullet, impacting on the paries behind them.

"Brilliant."Said the Weasley Twin Falls in one voice.

"We should do it again-"

"With more balls."

"With heavy nut !"

"With firework in them !"

"Children, children…"Harry said in a steady voice."Lets not get sidetracked."

"It's almost curfew anyway."Parvarti looked down at her watch then smiled."Don't vexation, it'll all be alright on the night !"

"Sister…"Padma shook her header as she picked up her bag."This is the freakin'night !"

Harry chuckled as they left the manor hall then turned as he felt a handwriting dusk on his articulatio humeri. The owner of the hand was a boy a little older than him with blonde hair's-breadth and a sort of round fount. He was in Ravenclaw colouring and was wearing a baseball cap that read ‘ Tutshill tornado'and had a tornado as the logo.

"Yeah ?"Harry cocked his head."Can I help you ?"

"Um,"The boy bit his lip and looked around."Could I talk to you ?"

"Very cloak and dagger but ok."Harry waved the marauder off and moved into a side corridor."Who are you ?"

"Jacques Louis David Mason."The boy smiled shyly."Don ‘ t worry if you don ‘ t remember me. I ‘ m a friend of Cho ‘ s."

"Oh ok. corroborate the same team too I see."Harry leant nonchalantly against the stone bulwark."To what do I owe the joy ?"

"Well basically…"The boy scuffed a foot on the storey nervously."Me and… and some of the early Guy. Not just Ravenclaw but the whole school well… we figure you ‘ ve got a plan."

"For what ?"

"For the goblet of fire."David rubbed his hands together almost hungrily."Lots of us don't think the age limit ‘ s fair so we figure…"He reached into his air hole and pulled out a loggerheaded envelope."A couple of extra epithet. Just if you get the luck you know ?"

"Hate to violate it to you mate."Harry shrugged apologetically."But I don't have the slightest hint how to get through the age line."

"Really ? But you ‘ re Harry potter ! You always… Oh, I get it."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 turn and blink conspiratorially again."Seriously !"

"job Mr Potter ?"

Harry spun and looked up into the facial expression of the judge that had been sitting with Dumbledore at the feast. What was his name… couch ?

"Mr couch ?"

"Crouch."The man's heavily lined look was utterly humorless.

"Mr Crouch, sorry. And no there ‘ s no problem."

"Not thinking of trying to get past the age line are you lad ?"He said in what he must of thought was a fatherly manner.

"No sir."Harry did his skilful Joseph Oliver Twist effect."I wouldn ‘ t do such a ugly thing."

"Ah, of course."The Triwizard judge nodded."Of course I ‘ m sure More multitude would come to the tourney if the famous Harry Potter was competing. But we must recollect that we can not pick and choose the rules we wish to obey based on momentary expediency. You understand Mr Potter ?"

"Yes sir."Harry felt it was better to stick with wide-eyed answers.

"Very well."Mr Crouch's mouth twitched into a slender grin."It was nice encounter you Mr Potter."

Harry didn't relax until the man was a rubber few corridors away. Harry sighed and slipped the envelope out of his sleeve. What were the statistics for teenage heart 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 rook arched windows at the lake below, remembering last class. Why was it that he was forever trapped inside or outside Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth ? Last year 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 attention. So that left…

Harry grinned and rushed back to the entrance Granville Stanley Hall where a individual spit formal showed him how to ticktock the greatest sorcerer 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 Saint David James Neville Mason in his pocket.

"Yes, you don ‘ t have to come in with me you know."Ginny looked back at him, grinning in the faint moonlight.

"You can ‘ t fly and make spitballs at the Sami time."Was the excuse Harry offered. Really he just wanted to be the one to put the name into the goblet, wanted to sleep with first-class honours degree hired man that he'd beatnik Dumbledore. Harry glanced around and saw a predator guarding every room access."Everybody ‘ s in place, come on."

Ginny obediently lifted them off the floor and hovered them up near the ceiling.

"Moment of truth."Harry got out some sheepskin and rolled it expertly before gumming it, silencing it and throwing it forwards. It landed in the eye of the age line, right beside the chalice. Harry pumped the air with his fist."Potter 1, Dumbledore 0. Proving that I am unmitigated awesome ! Lashkar-e-Tayyiba 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 level, never know what former spells the old man ‘ s put around the place."Harry reached into his sack and drew out the marauders envelope then dropped it into the goblet. The fervidness spurted up for a moment, then died down.

Harry hesitantly pulled the early envelope out of his scoop. Should he ? Should he not ? It was only fair to give everybody a decent chance and A. E. W. Mason seemed like a skillful enough fellow ( if a bit weird ). He probably wouldn ‘ t be chosen anyway. Ah well, what the underworld ? Harry dropped the other envelope into the flames.
*


The marauder entered the great hall in a huddle, all eye focused directly on the goblet.

"I ‘ m nervous."Neville admitted as they sat down at the Gryffindor board."I don't know if I want to enter anymore."

"Bit late now."Padma said dryly, but the cheek were obvious in her voice too and the marauders quickly fell into silence.

"Whichever one of us it is the sleep of us are behind them."Harry smiled at his supporter."That's for certain."

"But what if it ‘ s not one of us ?"George VI asked.

"Not… one… of us ?"Harry's eyebrow wrinkled in mental confusion."Quit your dotty public lecture George. That could never happen."

"nestling, children…"The hall fell silent as Dumbledore began to speak."I believe the moment you have all been waiting for has finally arrived. The goblet will be announcing it's choices momentarily. I would ask you to call back that, even if you were not chosen, the tournament is still a contest between the schools. I expect to see no hard feelings, you must bear your champions one hundred percent. Now…"Dumbledore turned towards the goblet.

The hallway waited in silence for almost a bit before the goblet ‘ s flames turned shiny red and a short scrap of sheepskin flew out. Dumbledore caught it expertly.

"The Beauxbatons champion is… Fleur Delacour !"

Harry saw one of the French girls clap her deal to her font 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 first champion leaving the hall.

"Yeah ? What about her ?"

Ron opened his oral cavity to retort but the goblet flared red again and the hall fell silent.

"The Durmstrang genius will be Viktor Krum !"

The red uniform students rose, cheering, as their champion walked towards the figurehead of the hall. Most of the Hogwarts students did too.

Harry was biting his nails, this next one was it. The goblet turned red again and a man of parchment pin-wheeled out to be caught in Dumbledore's hand. As the Headmaster read it the smiling dropped from his aspect and his hand began to throw off. In a cold, stony spokesperson he said,

"The Hogwarts champion…"He seemed to grit his tooth."Is Draco Malfoy."

The hall erupted in uproar. Harry turned, his centre seeking out the blonde haired Slitherin. Dragon seemed unperturbed by the reception his gens had received but instead stood calmly and walked towards the front end of the G. Stanley Hall. Before he left the mansion house however he turned and scanned down the Gryffindor table with those cold grayish eyes. He met Harry's gaze, grinned evilly and winked.


Note for francophone citizenry :

I have never liked how French people dialect are represented in script, you know the `` 'Ogwarts can not 'ave two champions. '' thing. Replacing this with 'zis and stuff like that. I imagine it 's kind of insulting.

I know I cringe every meter I hear a 'mockney'english speech pattern on tv, I imagine it 's kind of the same thing.

I decided to retain it in this story anyway purely because goblet of fire represents accents that way. I 'm trying to make this story kind of analogue the cannon books in certain agency 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 thorax was going to burst, he had to let the pressure out somehow."SON OF A kick !"

"Mr ceramicist !"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."harbour ‘ t you met his mother ?"The hall erupted in laughter. Malfoy scowled but kept on walk, leaving the great hall by the same door the other wiz had left by.

Dumbledore held up his hand for silence.

"Obviously this is shocking and unprecedented."He said in an effortlessly level voice."I remind you all that I expect you to 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 startle scholarly person and walked out through the rear door of the hall, Karkarov and Madam Maxim followed him. For a few More moments everyone was silent then McGonagall stood.

"If you would all return to you-"But she was cut off as someone yelled,

"Professor !"

The school turned in clock time to see the chalice burn red again. A flake of report flew out of it and landed on the I. F. Stone floor. For a present moment no one moved to touch it then prof Snape, his expression unreadable, got up from his chair. His footfalls were the only sound in the manor hall as he walked round the high-pitched tabular array and came to a block in battlefront of the little trash of paper. He turned it over with the tip of his shoe.

"Harry Potter."He was staring down at the sheet, his face a blank masquerade party."It says Harry Potter."

After a minute person started clapping, then someone else, then some more, the nifty hall exploded with applause.

"Knew it ‘ d be you Harry."Harry heard individual say as a hand slapped him on the back. crowd pressure moved him towards the front of the hall, his own learning ability seemed to birth stopped working. He saw Snape pick up the combat of paper, then accept a short, whispered, conversation with McGonagall. The potions master turned to him.

"come along Potter."

"Wha… ?"Harry mind was still reeling.

"We must admit you to join the former champions."Snape led him out of the tumultuous residence and into a short hallway. The noise from the clapping faded as the room access closed behind them. Snape made no move to result by the former door.

"Did you put your gens into the goblet of fire ?"Snape asked urgently.

"Wha… ?"Harry glanced around, they were alone. The other virtuoso must be through the other door."Why are you-"

"Potter, try to scrape together some acumen ! Did you put your epithet into the goblet ?"

Snape seemed almost concerned.

"You seem almost concerned."Harry grinned, his wit getting back in gear."Have those little barn owls been bringing you drugs or something ?"Snape flinched back as if stung.

"shit it Potter !"Snape grabbed Harry's robe."This is not a clip for jokes. Thomas More is going on here than you realize. Did you or did you not-"

"Yes."Harry nodded,"I put my name in."

The potions master narrowed his eyes, Harry felt the fellow pressing in his genius. He opened his head long enough to let out the computer storage of him putting the envelope into the flaming then blanked it again. Snape nodded thoughtfully.

"Good."

"Good ?"Harry asked quizzically.

"Potter the hypothesis if somebody else put your public figure into the goblet are far worse than if you put it in yourself. This simplifies things, believe me…"Snape glanced at the scrap of paper he was holding and frowned."… or perhaps not."

"What is it ?"

"Suffice to say I have spent long enough trawling through what you seem to call back constitute essays to recognize your handwriting."Snape held out the sheepskin for him to see."This is not your handwriting."

"No…"Harry felt a sinking feeling in his belly."No it ‘ s not. What the hell is going on ?"He asked plaintively.

"If I knew that Potter."Snape moved towards the threshold."I would not have to ask questions."

Harry gulped and followed the potions master through the door. On the early side was another way with portrayal hung all around the walls. The champions and their headmaster were standing in the substance of the room, apparently arguing. madam Maxim was pointing at Malfoy with one of her unusually hanker fingers. They all fell understood as Harry and his teacher entered the room.

"Severus what is this ?"Dumbledore asked pointedly.

"This is the fourthly champion."Snape glanced down at Harry."Apparently."

"What is ‘ zis."dame Maxim waved her manus at Harry."Some kind of jest to you here at ‘ ogwarts ? First your wiz iz a minor, now ‘ zis ?"

"I do not think it is a joke."Karkarov said angrily."This so holler champion."

"He is a star. Despite what some of us might wish."Snape interrupted dryly. Harry couldn't help but think how unlike he seemed from a moment ago."The entire of Hogwarts saw his epithet leave the chalice, as did the commission from your own school day. He is as legitimatize a supporter as-"

"As Mr Draco."Madam Maxim scoffed."Your other underage champion."

"If I may…"Harry glanced at the man of to one slope who had begun to verbalize. He hadn ‘ t even realized Mr Crouch was in the room."The rules are very clear. If a persons name leaves the goblet of fervidness, then that person is a friend. There can be no denying that."

"Harry…"Dumbledore spoke for the get-go time."Did you put your gens into the goblet of fervidness ?"

"I…"Harry felt Snape's handwriting tap him in the low of the back."… No."He heard the potions master breath out lightly."No I didn ‘ t. I tried but… I couldn ‘ t get past the ward."

"And you Draco ?"Snape asked Malfoy.

"Honestly sir…"Malfoy smirked."I have no musical theme how my gens got in there."

Yes you do you slimy little… Harry's fists clenched involuntarily.

"Well I believe that settles it."Dumbledore clapped his manpower together."quietus assured this topic will be investigated but until then… we have four champions."

Harry shook his head. Why did he get the feeling that the worst was yet to come ?
*


As they left the room Harry fell into step 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 David James Mason really goes to Hogwarts ?"Malfoy turned to him and sneered.

"Good wasn ‘ t it."Malfoys voice took on a simpering whole tone."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 figure. David Mason, sounds common doesn't it. Sounds muggleborn."Malfoy grinned triumphantly."And you fell for it."

"I repeat. Bastard."

"A SOB who won. I said I was going to get you didn ‘ t I ? The look on your face when I was chosen…"

"Hang on…"Harry stopped suddenly."Why were you chosen ? Don ‘ t tell me the goblet actually picked you legit ? You wouldn ‘ t leave it up to chance."

"Very commodity potter, you ‘ re not quite as stupid as you look."Malfoy smiled."Ever heard of a malignant protean appealingness ? No of course-"

"A charm that aggressively seeks out matter that look a bit like it…"Harry interrupted."And makes them attend exactly like it. Oh you little…."Understanding dawned in Harry's centre."The names ! You cast it on the names !"

"Exactly !"Malfoy nodded."My name went in with the charm on it and changed all the other slips so that they read Draco Malfoy. I didn ‘ t leave it to prospect, I was the only candidate."

"Bastard is too good a word for you, I ‘ m going with rat-bastard."

"The strong bit was making sure it only changed the Hogwarts names."Malfoy was still in full exposition-mode."I mean it would ‘ ve looked a bit odd if I had been picked for Beauxbatons."

"Rat-bastard-wanker."

"Which is why I can ‘ t understand,"Malfoy turned to Harry, his center narrowing."How you were picked. My spell should let gotten you…"

Harry said zippo, fairly sure that the protean had eaten up the scrap of parchment that had had his name on it and that the one that had eventually come out had been put in by someone else.

"You must have found some way to move into as another school."Malfoy said thoughtfully."Tricked the goblet into entering your epithet for a fourth school."

Mental note : suggest that hypothesis to someone. Dumbledore ? No, too meddlesome. McGonagall ? She would go straight to Dumbledore. Helen Newington Wills ? He'd blow it way out of proportion. Snape ? … ?

"Just remember ceramicist,"Malfoy brought him back to the present moment."I know who the rattling Hogwarts champion is and I ‘ m going to prove 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 mash you."Malfoy took off again in the centering of the Slytherin dungeon."Mark my words Potter."

"Marked."Harry rolled his eyes."Marked, signed and sealed in the shit box along with Nostradamus and UFOs."

Harry turned and hurried up towards the Gryffindor common elbow room. The rook was vacate but the portraits were whispering to each other as he climbed through towards the seventh floor. He stopped in one deserted corridor and quietly called,

"Myrtle…"He waited a few mo, then the glowing girl slid through the floor.

"Hmm ?"She cocked her chief quizzically, then giggled."I heard a rumor about you. Something about being champion ?"

Harry grinned and winked, Vinca minor giggled again.

"Knew it would experience 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 human body, Harry nodded.

"I wanted to ask you something."Myrtle became serious as Harry spoke."Did you see anyone else go near the goblet lastly night, maybe before the rest of us got there or after we left ?"

"Nope."myrtle shook her principal."Didn ‘ t see anyone."She put peculiar accent on the watchword ‘ see ’.

"myrtle ? Keeping secrets isn ‘ t nice."Harry tutted playfully.

"I didn ‘ t see anyone."The ghost repeated, smiling slyly."But one clip the doorway opened by itself, a import later the goblet flared up like someone put something in it. Then the doorway 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 stuffy. I wasn ‘ t seen."She added proudly.

"I know you weren't."Harry nodded, Myrtle looked a slight happier."Can you ask around the portraiture ? See if anyone saw anyone sneaking around ?"

"Of grade Harry !"Myrtle beamed at being given a job and shot away through the wall. Harry chuckled, it was amazing how having friends changed a soul, or a ghost.

Harry walked around the recess and stood in front of the fat Lady. The woman in the portrait crossed her weapon system and said,

"I ‘ m waiting."

"I ‘ m not."Harry spelled an unlocking charm and the portrait creaked to the side.

"I wish you wouldn ‘ t do that Mr Potter."The fat lady shook her head.

"It ‘ s easier than remembering the passwords."Harry grinned as he stepped through the portraiture hole. As soon as he was through he was viciously attacked."Get off me ! Geroff !"

"We knew it ‘ d be you Harry !"

Harry pushed away the massed hordes of Gryffindor mansion, smiled and bowed when they cheered for him, looked up in mild shock absorber 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 ears here, up to the bedroom."Harry's friends wordlessly followed him up to the boys chamber and he hastily sketched out everything that had happened. After he had finished the first gear thing Ron said was,

"Malfoy ‘ s gon na pay."

"I ‘ m a bit more worried about this inconspicuous man."Padma said, shaking her head."Invisibility cloaks are rare."

"Maybe someone just really wanted Harry to win."Her babe suggested.

"Then why bother wearing the cloak."Hermione pointed out."hoi polloi 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 desire me in the competition ?"Harry wondered loud."Want it enough to go to these lengths ?"

"Maybe somebody wants to give Hogwarts a secure chance."Fred said evenly, his brother added…

"Or Gryffindor."George grinned."If they ‘ ll celebrate helping we should put some money on you."

"More belike individual hopes they can use the tournament to off me without anyone suspecting anything."Harry shrugged."That would be more my luck."

"Harry, stop being paranoid !"Hermione admonished him."You ‘ re offset to sound like Professor Moody."

"professor Helen Wills Moody is the most reasonable somebody that ‘ s ever taught us."Harry said, to general impact."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 mortal is trying to help you !"

"Malfoy is going to-"

"Oh pay attention Ron !"Hermione snapped."Try to hold on up."

"Lots of money…"George VI continued.

"No one ‘ s helping him."Padma said to her sister.

"Malfoy is going-"

"They could be-"

"Money-"

"enough !"Harry cut through the bickering marauders."We know nothing. Not enough to actually work anything out at any rate. Discussion at this point is useless…"Harry trailed off as Vinca minor rose through the floorboards.

"Domestic troubles ?"The ghost giggled.

"You find something Myrtle ?"Harry asked quickly."Did one of the portraits see someone leery ?"

"Yes."She pointed at Harry."You. And you and you and you…"She pointed at Padma, Ginny and Ron."… and you and you and you -"

"Ok, we get the point."Harry held his hands up. He shook his head teacher ruefully."Thanks for trying."

"But…"myrtle did a little loop in the air and winked."The old madam near the kitchens said that Helen Newington Wills ‘ s got a cloak."

"What ?"Harry jerked, startled, like the rest of the marauders."An invisibleness cloak ? Seriously ?"

"Mm Hm !"myrtle hummed happily, obviously proud of gaining this tidbit of information."And they ‘ re not that common."

"No."Hermione murmured,"They ‘ re really rare."

"‘ The most sensible person that ‘ s ever taught us'Harry ?"Ginny grinned."Anything you have to say ?"

"marauder never lose."Harry said chuckling."They are however, on affair, perfectly wrong."
*


When Harry opened his eyes the next morning he groaned and rolled back over. He knew exactly what this day would bring.

"It ‘ s him !"

"It ‘ s Harry !"

"The champion !"

"Yeah yeah yeah, and no I will not generate a bloody autograph !"Harry fended off a bunch of Gryffindors."Y ‘ d think they had never met me before."

"That's part of it Harry."Hermione said sagely.

"They haven't met me ?"Harry said quizzically, eyeing a camera-wielding Colin Creevy."I ‘ m sure I ‘ ve met him."

"But Harry you ‘ re very good at making people forget you ‘ re Harry Potter."The two of them moved out of the commons elbow room on the way to ancient runes."What I'm locution is that they just got reminded."

"Forgetting I ‘ m Harry Potter ?"

"You know…"Hermione waved vaguely."Juggling, joking, making everyone feel at ease, masses forget you ‘ re a celebrity. It ‘ s not deliberate…"

Harry winced, it was often entirely deliberate.

"But that ‘ s not to make mass forget."Harry ducked behind a suit of armor as a mathematical group of scholarly person passed by, then continued,"That's just… you know… breaking the ice."

"Like with Ginny ?"Hermione grinned slyly.

"Like with Ginny."Harry nodded, unfazed."Ron told you about that ?"

"Yes."

"On one of your little walks ?"

"Yes."Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"On one of your romanticist walkway ?"

"Harry !"

"What ?"Harry grinned as Hermione shoved him irritably."Weren ‘ t they romantic ?"

"We discussed ducks."Hermione said flatly, not meeting Harry's eyes."And ponds."

"Ze art of seduction."Harry affected a Daniel Chester French accent."It is truly dead."
*


After runes the two of them met up with the other marauders down in the potions classroom.

Harry had already decided that he'd let Snape in on what they'd found out and was torn between dread and peculiarity. Snape had obviously turned some kind of new leaf but they had never pressed to see how far that modification went. To fiddle it condom he actually tried during the potions moral. He still failed but at to the lowest degree nothing exploded this time. After class he lingered by his desk, putting away his stuff very slowly.

"Something you want thrower ?"Snape looked up from his desk.

"Um…"Harry waited a check for the last student to leave then said."I ‘ ve had an idea about why my public figure might feature come out of the goblet."

"Yes ?"

"If someone entered me for a fourth school."Snape appeared thoughtful and Harry pressed on."That would check I got picked, and it would explicate why there were four champions."

"Interesting…"Snape tapped the end of his pen on his lip thoughtfully. Wait… ! Harry did a double return in case his center had deceived him. Snape was using a pen ! It was an old-timer looking fountain pen but still… Snape interrupted his thought process."Of trend that would signify that the veridical hotshot was Draco."

"Probably no way to prove it."Harry said quickly.

"Actually-"

"No way to prove it at all."Harry grinned, for a mo he could have sworn he saw the edge of Snape's mouth vellication up.

"Perhaps not."Snape shook his capitulum."In any case finding out who did put your name in and why is of corking importance."Snape's hired man moved to his arm involuntarily, like a reflex.

"Problem ?"Harry asked. Snape shook his read/write head, his eyes downcast.

"Premonition."

"Not usually very reliable those."Harry chuckled.

"This one is."Snape didn't seem to feel like he had to add anything else but something clicked on the boundary of Harry's memory.

"The wickedness mark ?"Snape's forefront whipped up.

"How do you make love about that ?"He asked harshly.

"I…"Harry opened his oral fissure to suffice but realized with electric shock that he had no estimation how he had heard about the dark chump. It was all there though, the mark in the sky meant decease, the mark in flesh meant servitude."I must have… read it… somewhere…"

Snape had strode around the tabular array in an instant and grabbed Harry by his shoulders. This time it didn't flavour like a little pressure in his mind, it felt like a hammer.

"plosive consonant ! It hurts !"Harry yelled.

"Stop occluding your mind !"Snape growled, jerking Harry's head back to continue eye contact.

"I ‘ m not !"Harry pushed Snape away but kept eye liaison, deliberately relaxing his mind. Snape opened his mouth in seismic disturbance, store flashed past for a few mo before Snape broke the connector and sagged back onto his desk.

"Satisfied ?"Harry snarled, breathing hard.

"Not even slightly."Snape shook his fountainhead, he also seemed out of breath."I couldn ‘ t see how you know about the scrape, or that I have one."

"I told you. I must have got read it somewhere."Harry shook his foreland."Why do you sustain one anyway ? I mean why did you become a expiry feeder ?"

"Youth. stupidity. Misplaced rage."Snape stood slowly and rolled his sleeve back. The mark was exactly as Harry remembered it except greatly faded. If Snape's struggle wasn't so blench it would be almost invisible.

"Why did you pass on ? Why defect to Dumbledore ? I assume that ‘ s what you did or you wouldn ‘ t be here."

"Why ? …"Snape cocked his head and a sliver of a grinning appeared on his grimace."Surprisingly the reasonableness is something that is not of the flimsy grandness to me anymore. But rest assured I am no longer young, stupid or entire of misplaced rage."

"It ‘ s well placed you have in mind ?"Harry dug slyly.

"It ‘ s more… channeled."Snape stood and brushed his gown with his hands before walking to a locker behind his desk and getting out a minuscule vial of blue potion."I am pitiful for invading your mind so roughly. This should facilitate with the pain."He held out the vial.

"You taste it first."Snape's eyebrow quirked up quizzically."Constant vigilance."

Snape chuckled and tope a serious drink 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 tell Dumbledore. He may oppose unpredictably."

"Know what that's like."Harry chuckled."Do you cogitate Voldemort or maybe the death feeder have something to do with the chalice and me ?"

"We don ‘ t have the selective information to urinate that opinion right now."Snape waved his hand as if batting something away."Although I always believe it prudent to machinate for the worst."

"Yeah…"Harry said, but he had thought of something. He bit his lip and looked at Snape thoughtfully.

"thrower ? What are you thinking ?"

"Just wondering how far our new truce goes."Harry glanced back at the door to retard no one was listening."If I were to ask for veritaserum…"

"You have a defendant ?"Snape guessed."And you wish to question them to be sure."

"That would be a rubber assumption."Harry replied evasively.

"Tell me who it is and I will do it."

"You would never get ending enough."Harry grinned."I think I can."

Snape regarded him silently for a few mo then moved back to the potions cabinet. He muttered a workplace under his breather and a drawer appeared out of the side. Snape reached in and drew out a tiny bottle, barely more than a thimble.

"Three cliff is all that is necessary."Snape pressed the bottle into Harry's paw."Show no one else. Tell no one you have that."

"Thank you."Harry curled his fingers around the little bottle."I ‘ ll assure 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 empty schoolroom."Whose is that petty barn owl ?"

"None of your job Potter."

"Ah…"Harry tapped the side of his olfactory organ."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 niggling bottle around the solid time, a short bottleful of carry-able nerves. He constantly weighed the risks of hiding it somewhere with the danger of having it found on his person but in the end come down on the face of the latter. Besides, his coat had a few pockets that would circumvent all but the most aggressive searchers.

When the lesson actually came about Harry was gritting his teeth, he still didn't know if this was a safe idea, or even possible. It wasn't too late to recall the bottle to Snape, or to find somewhere to conceal it and save it for later.

"Something bothering you ceramicist ?"

Harry looked up from his desk into the boldness of the ex-auror.

"No, nothing."Harry shook his read/write head."Well…"

"Yes ?"

"There is something I want to ask you, but after the lesson."Harry made himself look down and put a little gimmick in his voice."If you ‘ re not too busy."

"Hmm."Dwight Lyman Moody scratched his chin."Well, whatever it is it isn ‘ t keeping you from taking billet is it ?"

Harry looked down at his Page, it was empty except for a little ink draught of a cottage.

"Would you believe invisible ink ?"

"No."

"Didn ‘ t think so."Harry reached for his quill feather. After the deterrent example he stayed quiet, with his bag not even packed. The marauders already knew he had something planned and left him be but…

"You not leaving Harry ?"Harry turned and saw Susan off-white paused near his desk.

"Getting an spare credit essay."Harry replied glibly.

"You ? Doing an additional course credit essay ?"Disbelief 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 caput and shrugged."Does it really matter what I ‘ m up to ?"

"Just wondering what happens if the school whizz is expelled."

"One of the school champions."Harry corrected."The only human champion granted but still…"

"Oh no one in Hufflepuff believes Malfoy ‘ s really a champion."Susan rolled her eyes."No one in Ravenclaw either. You didn ‘ t know that Harry ? You ‘ re usually wired into the rumor mill of this school."

"I ‘ ve had a lot on my mind."Harry conceded. He actually never listened to hearsay, that was Parvarti's job and to a lesser extent Ron ‘ s."The mill can run without me for a while."

"Of course."Susan nodded and moved off. She paused to say,"We are all rooting for you you know."Before turning towards the door.

Interesting. Harry smiled thoughtfully as he watched her take the air away, his centre drifting down a little. Very interesting. Why hadn't he noticed before how-

"Potter."Harry whipped his headway around. Dwight Lyman Moody was looking at him shrewdly."I know I said unremitting Vigilance but…"

"Don ‘ t finish that condemnation Professor."Harry grinned."Unless you want me to start mentioning that most wizard eye can be made to see through clothing."

"I don't use that setting…"Moody replied gruffly, then winked."…any more."

Harry laughed and a moment later was joined by his teacher.

"So,"Moody, walked back to the teachers desk and motioned for Harry to sit nearby."What was it you wanted to blab about ?"

"Oh yeah."Harry made his vocalism dip a lilliputian."That."

Harry swallowed and took a oceanic abyss breath.

"My parents."

"Ah."Moody shook his header ruefully."Sad business sector ceramicist, very sad, but I ‘ m not the one to talk to. I didn ‘ t know them before the war-"

"I don ‘ t want Thomas More anecdotes."Harry dilled up the aggression, it had to count like he had been stewing over this for a patch."Not more school stories. I want to know how they died, the whole report. Details."

"Why ?"Helen Newington Wills asked bluntly."Why do you want to hear about your parents execution ?"

"Because it ‘ s something no one else seems machinate to talk about."Harry shook his school principal 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 sure enough you want to know."

"I don ‘ t want to. I need to."Harry pleaded, putting a little iron into his voice."It ‘ s a fair bet Voldemort's not done having an influence on my sprightliness. I need to know how it began."

Moody shook his head and grimaced.

"Don ‘ t know where to begin."He reached down and took a gulp from his hip flask. Harry grinned.

"You can start with the goblet of fire."

"What ?"Moody shook his head as if to realise it. His magic eye was rolling listlessly and the other looked milky and unfocused."The goblet ?"

"Yes, did you put my name into it ?"Harry asked, flatly.

"No."Moody answered in a flat tone. Harry closed his eyes, 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 do it who put your gens in the chalice of fire."Moody said, again with no emotion."My cloak is in my bureau, there."He pointed with one gnarled finger.

"Ok, that's not good. For me."Harry looked up at the clock. With the Venus's curse he gave the effect would only last a few more seconds."Please don ‘ t killing me."

Moody just continued his faded stare, then he blinked and shook his head. Realization dawned in his eyes and Harry saw him grip his wand tightly. In a heartbeat 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 pocket. Put it back later in the lesson."Harry replied evenly. Being grim wouldn't get him out of this, being solemn might."Managed to break the piece you used on it too."

"That a fact."Moody reached out and emptied the flask onto the trading floor, the body of water sparkled in the brightness level from the window."And why did you do it ?"

"I found out that the mortal who put my gens in the goblet did it under the cover of an invisibility cloak."Harry crossed his arms."They ‘ re uncommon, and you, the proud possessor 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."Dwight Lyman Moody flicked his wand again and the roach fell loose."Even in they ‘ re potioned. That was baggy ceramicist, very sloppy. I ‘ m disappointed in you."

Harry's jaw dropped.

"But… you mean… you ‘ re not mad ?"

"Mad ? No, no, no,"Helen Newington Wills waved the head away."You had distrust you acted on it. I woulda done the same."

"But I got past your defenses, I could have poisoned you."

"Better you do it than one of my enemies, oh and by the way…"Moody smiled like a tiger, for once both eyes focused on Harry."I ‘ ll need a six coil essay on how you broke the spells on my flask."

"Six coil ?"

"make it ten."

"Eep."

"Don ‘ t concern ceramist, it ‘ ll be over before you know it. Or in other words it ‘ ll be over tomorrow as that's when I ‘ ll be expecting the essay."

"Oh."

"On the plus side though Potter, I trust you now."

"WHAT ?"Harry exploded, spluttering in incredulity."I spike you and interrogate 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 alive. mean I have proof you ‘ re not trying to pour down me."Dwight Lyman Moody said this as if it was the most coherent thing in the world.

"I was wrong."Harry shook his read/write head in disbelief."You ‘ re ball. You're crazy. You ‘ re completely fucking gonzo."

"Yeah ?"Helen Wills Moody leant in towards Harry's face."Well so are you."

"Possible,"Harry conceded."I did once jumping onto a moving train."

"Ha !"Moody snorted."That's nix. Try a moving dragon."

Harry laughed and shook his brain, this had turned out alright after all.

"Eh ?"Helen Newington Wills said, furrowing his eyebrow."Don ‘ t you have a lesson to get to."

"Yes, but it's puppet so I was actually marginally safer staying here and drugging you."

"eventide so."Dwight Lyman Moody gestured at the room access."You ‘ d best be going. Don ‘ t forget that essay."

Harry nodded and walked away from the desk. As he reached the doorway a thought struck him and he turned back.

"You didn ‘ t ask me there the potion came from."

"Oh I think I can guess."Moody grew serious.

"You ‘ re not happy ?"

"Constant Vigilance Potter."Moody said"Keep your friend close-"

"-and my enemy closer."Harry rolled his eye."I know."

"That's not it at all !"Moody said with sudden heat."Keep your allies close ceramist, but watch them even closer."



Please review article, It 'll make me drop a line faster. Ivan Petrovich Pavlov told me so !


Note for french people 2 : Ok, this chapter actually contains multitude speaking in french. I should discourage you that I do not verbalize Gallic. Well, I do a bit but GCSEs were a foresightful prison term ago and I only got a B. In any case the Daniel Chester French in this chapter is almost certainly wrong, good-for-naught. If you want to narrate me the right transformation i 'll put them up.



Harry propped the book up in front end of him and tried to make the parole stay in one shoes rather than fading out and becoming one long boring blur.

"This, this is concern Harry."Hermione yawned and pushed another Koran over too him."It makes your skin all stiff so affair can't hurt you."She yawned again and put her bridge player up to her mouth.

"Go to bed."Harry told her, sighing."You don ‘ t have stay up with me, I ‘ m the bloody champion."

"No Harry I like looking up… stuff…"Hermione yawned again, breaking up whatever she was going to say.

"Without knowing what the first task is it ‘ s pretty useless."Harry closed his Quran wearily and rested his mentum on it."And I know you consider breaking into the library tantamount to sacrilege."

"It ‘ s alright if it ‘ s for the tournament"Hermione rationalized."Do you want me to get more Christian Bible ?"

"No, I want to dedicate up."Harry shook his head."LET go back to the tower."

They packed their stuff and Harry spelled the lock on the library back closed. He was about to change by reversal down the corridor when a light appeared near the other end and Harry pushed Hermione back into the library.

"Who is it ?"

"No clue."Harry shrugged and closed the room access quietly. He put his ear to it as the vocalization got closer."Beaxbattons students I think."

"How do you know ?"

"They ‘ re speaking French."Harry whispered as the light passed outside the door."Talking about the foremost task."

"Ho… Wait you speak French ?"Hermione whispered hoarsely.

"You gave me the phrase books for my birthday."

"But I didn ‘ t think you ‘ d actually use them !"

"You learn languages a lot quicker with wit sharpening potion. Had the basics down in under a week."

"That ‘ s cheating !"Hermione said, sounding scandalized.

"Did someone invent new rules while I was away ?"Harry suddenly frowned."That didn't sound like a student."Harry cracked the door and slinked out after the retreating voices.

"Ce n'est pas juste."Harry silenced his understructure so he could incite faster after the retreating voices and heard Hermione do the same behind him."brain devrions dire les autres concurrents !"

"That ‘ s Delacour."Hermione hissed into Harry's ear. She sounded oddly spiteful."What ‘ s she saying ?"But Harry waved her into silence as a burly representative 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 arguing, but it sound like whatever it is it ‘ s already been done."Harry leant around a niche and jerked back as he saw the two French people 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."

"Draco ?"Harry broke into a grin. He turned to Hermione."See this is why I eavesdrop."

"Cheater."She smiled though.

"Tu as une stratégie ?"lady axiom asked."Tu pouvais le distraire. Tu-"

"Non !"Fleur drew herself up."Je ferai le repos moi-même."

"Comme tu souhaites."ma'am Maxim said and they began to walk back towards where the two predator 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 social movement of the two woman."So… dragons eh ?"

Their jaws dropped.

"Thanks for the tip !"Harry grinned and winked at his comrade champion then turned to the Gallic headmistress and with a grimace said,"Tu es un idiot et tu es un phony. Tu accuses des Hogwarts de la fraude mais tu triches la toute première prospect que tu obtiens."

"You little… !"ma'am Maxime spluttered incoherently but Harry cut her off and switched to English.

"fountainhead cheat all you want, doesn ‘ t matter. As you know now I am everywhere in this school day. I will know if you cheat, I will know everything you do. So it all works out the same in the end."Harry turned back to the startled girl Delacour."Good portion with the dragon."And with that he turned and walked away.

fountainhead, he walked until he reached the first nook, then he started to run.
*


"ceramist ?"

Sleepy.

"Potter !"

Ok, not sleepy-eyed anymore, just faking.

"ceramist get up !"Harry jerked theatrically and raised his head off his desk to look at Professor McGonagall.

"Sleepy Professor,"Harry grinned."I stayed up belatedly doing very important champion stuff."

It was actually true, he had indeed been spending every night researching ways to deal with gravid, enraged, fire breathing reptilian but he hadn ‘ t had much luck. Most of the account book had the unhelpful supposition that you would be part of a team of wizards dealing with these creatures. If he could just find one that assumed you were a scared, abruptly, xiv year old who wasn't much thoroughly at defense against the darkness arts or attention of magic animal he would be set.

"wellspring that doesn ‘ t get you out of concentrating on your lessons."She pointed at the vitreous silica bollock that he had transfigured character way from a tortoise. It still had legs and a posterior and was blindly butting against Harry's transfiguration textbook."over the transformation or at least turn it back into a tortoise, it is just cruel to leave it like this."

Harry shrugged and tried to finish the Transfiguration of Jesus. Two of the legs disappeared, and the poor matter balanced on the other two before toppling and almost rolled off the tabular array before Ron caught it. McGonagall moved away muttering about ‘ ace'and ‘ imbecile ‘ using the Saami inflection for each.

"Well we can scratch transfig'off the dragon-taming possibilities."Harry accepted his tortoisphere back from his friend and tried idly to give the remaining limbs disappear.

"I could write to Charlie."Ron offered. He had managed to seduce a watch crystal tortoise that looked like it should be in some seaside gift shop.

"Don ‘ t, I ‘ m cheating just by using you guys."Harry made the fanny disappear and sighed."I should just run in and come out cursing it. ail spear ‘ s worked before."

"You ‘ re not allowed to use dark magic Harry."Neville reminded him from his early face."It ‘ s restricted by the regulation of the tourney or something."

"And it probably wouldn ‘ t work."Ron cast the piece again and got a round of drinks ball of tortoise shell."dragon skin is-"

"Very, very thick. Also curse-proof."Harry interrupted."I know."Harry slumped back in his chairwoman and looked up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and massaged his temple, he had a stabbing vexation from all the perusing and later nights. If he propped his book up and fell asleep…

"Mr Potter !"

"I ‘ m awake !"Harry shook his head. The class giggled.

"What I meant Mr Potter."McGonagall continued."Is that you are needed in the tertiary floor arithmancy classroom. Do you know where it is ?"

Small slatted window that doesn't lock properly ?

"I know it."Harry nodded."What ‘ s this about ?"

"Very significant champion stuff."McGonagall narrowed her eye."Now."

Harry gathered his stuff and hurried out of the room. Since it was class time all the corridors were hollow and Harry made it to the classroom without seeing anyone. Wondering what this could possibly be about he pushed the doorway open.

"Ah, Mr Potter. So good of you to join us."Mr Crouch had stood up when he entered. Dumbledore and the other Headmasters were also there, as was a witch in atomic number 10 green robes he didn't recognize. She had a quill and paper out and looked like she was currently grilling Krum. The Bulgarian, for his part, seemed resigned to this and was answering her monosyllabically. Fleur and Malfoy were no where to be found.

"What an I joining you for ?"Harry asked."If it's a party then you ‘ ll pauperization to a greater extent nibbles. I skipped lunch."

"This is the weighing of the wand ceremony."Mr Crouch said calmly, ignoring Harry's flippancy."Don ‘ t worry it ‘ s mostly a formality."

wand weighing ? Harry took out his verge, it looked alright. A bit scuffed here and there but then so was he. Harry heard the door unfastened and turned,

"What is this ?"Malfoy stood in the doorway with his bag."Why was I called ?"

"Just the wei-"Dumbledore began but was interrupted by the green robed witch.

"Mr Malfoy,"She stood and held out a hand in one motion."Rita Skeeter. delight to meet you, if I could just-"

"My beginner has a several very good lawyers."Malfoy interrupted her suddenly."So if you print anything libelous…"

"Mr Malfoy,"Rita Skeeter held her workforce to her chest as if she had been hurt."You insult me, the the great unwashed want to take heed from their ace. Champions."She added, glancing at Harry with a crocodile-smile.

Scanning for insincerity : hollowness detected.

Harry contorted his face into a worried smile.

"If I could take over the both of you for a moment."Skeeter pushed them both back out the threshold and into the classroom opposite."There now, that's more well-fixed. None of those old judges and officials."

"Everything she says is a lie."Harry thought to himself."And you had better watch what you say too."

"Do you mind if I use a fast inverted comma quill ?"

"Yes."Malfoy said at the Lapplander prison term as Harry said,

"No."Harry noticed that Malfoy was looking slightly worried so followed up with,"I mean ‘ no don ‘ t use it.'”

"Oh,"The reporter looked disappointed, then brightened up slightly."I hear you two have a little rivalry going."Harry opened his mouth but Malfoy answered before he could speak.

"I wouldn't call me beating him at every year a competition."

"Whatever."Harry shrugged.

"You ‘ re not going to fence Potter ?"Malfoy sneered at him.

"Nah, make up any lie you want."Harry shrugged again."That's what she ‘ s gon na do."

"well Mr thrower,"Rita Skeeter asked smoothly."Do you guess you, a mere 12 year old, can succeed in this competitor that has clamed the lives of wizards older and sassy than you."

"I don ‘ t know."Harry scratched his mind."The fact that I intend to cheat outrageously may help."

"You…"Rita Skeeter's eye's lit up."You're going to cuckold ?"

"I already have !"Harry replied happily."Say, do you think that Karkarov guy ‘ s open to buy ? He looks like a man who enjoys the finer things."

"Potter…"Malfoy hissed from between clenched teeth but Harry ignored him.

"Of course It'll be easy to bribe him using all the stolen belongings that I own. Would you like a diamond necklace ?"

Rita's quill was moving so fast she was tearing the paper.

"I can always prevail more through my all-embracing criminal contacts."

"potter stop now you id-"Harry winked at Malfoy, shutting him up.

"Of course my primary interest remains kitten-smashing."At Skeeter's shocked face he continued."Yes, kitten-smashing. It ‘ s variety of like a mutation, you use a special club. Baby Navy SEAL as well, and cute little chipmunks. Deer, ostriches, endangered marmosets, ponies, dolphins that sort of thing."

"Mr Potter…"The newsperson's eyes narrowed.

"What ?"Harry grinned."If you ‘ re going to pull in 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 capitulum and one of them speaks fluid Italian."

"Don ‘ t play this secret plan with me Mr Potter."Rita Skeeter tapped her quill pen against her quill against her notepad."You won ‘ t win."

"Yes I will."Harry smiled."Marauders always do, in the end."

"Am I interrupting ?"Their three heads turned to see Barty Crouch in the threshold."We ‘ re ready for you now."

Harry smiled and wandered out off the way, leaving the startled reporter bottom. As he walked back into the arithmancy classroom he noticed that two more people had arrived. Fleur Delacour he was expecting, the other was more of a surprise.

"Mr Ollivander ?"

"Mr Potter, so good to see you again."The old man looked the same as he had on the day, four days 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 hired man and Harry grudgingly surrendered his sceptre. As soon as it left his hand he found himself feeling paranoid, almost nude. He kept eyeing up bits of piece of furniture for their potential as artillery should somebody attack him.

"Your… this wand seems to work on quite adequately."Mr Ollivander said slowly, looping a retentive halcyon ribbon out of the tip."Of line, if you were in the market for another…"

"No."Harry shook his question before the verge maker could once again try to force a dissimilar sceptre on him as he had at their number 1 encounter."That one ‘ s served me pretty good. I ‘ ll reefer with it if you don ‘ t mind."

"Very well."Ollivander shook his caput and handed the wand back."I don ‘ t understand it but…"He spread his work force and shrugged.

Everyone else in the room kept shooting Harry odd feel for the remainder of the baton weighing, everyone except Dumbledore.
*


As Harry was walking away from the weighing when he heard a interpreter behind him.

"Do you have a moment Mr Potter ?"Harry turned to see Barty Crouch."If I were you I would not underestimate Ms Skeeter."

"I don ‘ t underestimate her, she overestimates herself."

"Perhaps so."The judge nodded."But she has the possible to make you material harm."

"No she doesn ‘ t."Harry interjected."stick and Harlan Stone and all that, I ‘ ve survived worsened than bad press."

"I am worried about you Mr Potter."Mr Crouch moved up to stand next to Harry."There is Thomas More than one reason we increased the age point of accumulation on incoming to the tournament. I fear you are too young to brook up to the scrutiny."

"Me ? Harry boy-who-lived Potter ?"

"Ah, yes."Mr Crouch chuckled a short."Perhaps you are correctly on that score, but nevertheless a sure level of due date is expected, even necessary, and I worry that perhaps you do not have it."

"I ‘ ll hold my end."Harry said, vaguely insulted.

"Do you feel adequately physically and mentally prepared for the first base undertaking ?"Harry thought that an odd question, but answered anyway.

"No, not entirely."

"fountainhead I can ‘ t give you advice of course."The older man nodded."Just remember that no one is expecting you to win. Just by doing well you will have exceeded everyone's expectation."

"And by winning I ‘ ll exceed them even more, and win some money !"

"Just take it slow,"Mr Crouch told him."A respectable sexual conquest is honest than being injured so you can not compete."

"The only tidy score is winning."Harry grinned like a tiger.
*


Harry woke lazily the next day and ignored the sounds of people going down to breakfast. This weekend had been a long tome coming and he was going to savour it.

On the way down to breakfast though he got an odd foreboding flavour. His mistrust were confirmed when he walked into the great hall and all conversation ceased. Harry walked down the Gryffindor table to his friend in tally silence and sat down in the empty seat they had left for him.

"account ?"Harry asked quietly, the room was still almost mortal silent.

"Um, we think Malfoy may own talked to Rita Skeeter after you left."Hermione was holding a newsprint nervously, kneading the paper with he hands."He said some things and they printed some things…"

"Give it here."Harry reached out and grabbed the paper. He quickly scanned down the text…

… young man adept 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 sixteen year old said"And it explains the hair."This reporter has seen evidence to support these arguments and can reveal to you now the truth about Harriet Potter…

Harry burst out laughing. In the dead silent big hall it sounded excess loud as Harry guffawed in great breathy gulps.

"Harriet thrower !"Harry dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"It ‘ s not singular Harry."Hermione said.

"Yes it is ! flavor, they ‘ ve even doctored a picture of me."Harry pointed."I ‘ ve got long hair's-breadth and breasts and everything… Actually I don ‘ t look one-half bad… But come on no one ‘ s gon na trust this."

"You never know Harry."Ginny said from the early side of meat."People tend to commit the Daily Prophet."

Harry had a thought and grinned. Without a word he stepped up onto the bench then up onto the Gryffindor table.

"Attention Hogwarts !"Harry yelled, he felt all eyes come to land on him."By now most of you will take in read the Daily vaticinator, or have heard about it from someone. And unless you ‘ re deaf you ‘ ve try how I regard these hearsay. I have just two things to say, any guy who doubts me can get kicked in the look ( don't jest I know where you all sleep ). And for any lady friend who doubts I ‘ m male person a manifestation can be arrang-"

"MR POTTER !"The school giggled as McGonagall stood from her space at the high table."My office ! Now !"

"Thank you, give thanks you. I ‘ ll be here all week."Harry sauntered out of the hall, waving at the laughing crowd as he went. The last thing he saw before he left was the gloomy looking at of murder on Malfoy's face and decided to rub salt in the wound."And genus Draco next time you try to round me suppose of matter that would hurt me not that would sustain hurt you. You care about repute. Me ? I don't give a poop what anyone thinks !"

"MR ceramicist !"

"I ‘ m going I'm going."Harry grinned and walked out. The student laughed again, some even cheered.
*


The prophet was forced to publish a retraction the next day after 100 of mass wrote in to sound off. Unfortunately Harry didn't have prison term to bask the triumph as the first task drew tightlipped and closer.

"I ‘ m screwed."Harry slid another leger back into the library bookcase and looked along the shelf for early dragon related books."I am royally screwed."

It was the day before the firstly project and Harry had made an executive decision to disregard all his moral that day. His sentence could be far better used and he figured his teacher 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 competitor and saved the indignity of being roasted alive in front of the entire school.

He had cypher. Not one idea.

"I should just rush in."Harry thought, shaking his head."Start cursing, worked with the basilisk."

"Yes,"Said a little snide function of his mind."But the basilisk almost killed you."

Harry took down another book only to agnize he had already read it and slammed it back into the bookshelf in anger.

"job Miss 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 moral ?"

"survive social class ended half an hour ago."Malfoy shot back condescendingly.

Harry felt his heart droop. He had thought he had more time than that, he must have lost track. He caught sight of the Word of God in Malfoy's hand and his optic flickered to the blatant gap in the ledge next to him. He saw the Slytherin's common cold grey duet match him.

"How did you find out ?"Harry asked levelly.

"discovery out what ?"

"About the Dragon Malfoy. Don ‘ t gambling games."

Malfoy smiled.

"My male parent noticed that the ministry was putting permit through for dragon manipulation equipment and dragon coach and dragons."

"That is damming evidence."Harry shrugged."Got a scheme ?"

"Like I ‘ d tell you."Malfoy scoffed."A little dragon doesn ‘ t bother me."

"You almost sound like you mean that."Harry pretended to dislodge weight while actually bringing his scepter around to bear."Lets see… Legillimens !"

It was like hitting a rubber eraser wall. Harry felt his mental probe rebound off an Occlumency roadblock like a tennis ballock off a armoured combat vehicle and had barely a second to compose himself before the counter flack hit his mind like a pneumatic drill.

"What the hell ? !"Harry blanked his mind before any memories floated up. After a moment the exercise receded.

"How dare you half-blood !"Malfoy spat at him."Don't even think of trying that again. You ‘ re obviously an amateur compared to me. Just like you are at everything else."

"acquiring object lesson from daddy are we ?"Harry kept his wand trained in typeface of another attack.

"I ‘ ve been an Occlumens since I was eight Potter."Malfoy said through gritted teeth."Don ‘ t try to get into my mind, the very thought disgusts me. Even after a failed attempt I feel like bathing."

"I ‘ m shocked you know what a bath is Daisy."Harry shot back."We all thought you just-"

"SHUT UP ! Just because the Prophet printed a retraction doesn ‘ t mean you ‘ ve won !"Malfy cracked, raising his baton."So don't joke don ‘ t make snide scuttlebutt, you are still going down. This tournament may be a joke to you but some of us care about preserving the honor of their names."Malfoy shook his headway fiercely and lowered his baton a fraction.

"You won ‘ t win thrower. You might as well chuck up the sponge now."Malfoy sneered at him."It ‘ s a firedrake, you can't legerdemain it or lie to it or prank it or sneak your way past it. You can ‘ t win. Just give up potter, while you still can."

Malfoy turned and strode away, disappearing between the shelf. But Harry had begun to grin.

"Why the hell not ?"
*


Harry mustered together every ounce of arrogance and cool he had to keep himself walking forward towards the pavilion that had been erected near the edge of the forest. He glanced to his right 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 hard before entering.

"gladiolus you could conjoin us Mr Potter."Barty Crouch greeted him with a grinning. The other ace were already there. Krum was sitting stoically, staring straight forward. Fleur looked park and had one hired man pressed to her tummy."flighty ?"

YES ! Of course I'm bloody nervous ! I'm about-

"No, no sir."Harry answered out tawdry."I think I ‘ ve got it covered."He even managed it without his spokesperson 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 swig that it was squirming.

"The project once you enter the arena is to retrieve a golden egg from its guardian."Crouch explained in his dry bureaucratic voice."Inside this bag are four statute. You will each take one from the bag, at random. The statue should tell you both what this guardian is and will also have a number on it representing the order you will go in."

And first to the gallows will be…

"fille Delacour…"Crouch held out the bag and the Daniel Chester French girl put her hired man in tentatively. She drew it out and revealed a small blue angel dragon statue, currently gnawing on her pollex."The Swedish brusque snout."

Fleur looked at the little thing in her script then raised her chin in determination. But Harry saw a trace of panic in her eyes.

"Looks almost cute."Harry commented, looking at the tartar."brass looks kind of like a squirrel."

Fleur glanced again at the thing in her mitt then looked at Harry in disbelief.

"Well… a bit."Harry grinned and saw a half grin in return.

"Mr Krum."Crouch hurried them along. The Bulgarian stuck his hand into the bag and drew out a long red-gold dragon, dangling it by its tail."The Formosan Firebolt."

Krums expression didn't alteration, if anything it just became stonier.

"That's a weasel."Harry pronounced definitely ( babbling so he wouldn ‘ t hit a total nervous breakdown )."A Squirrel and a Weasel."

"Mr Malfoy."Crouch held the bag out again and Malfoy carefully removed a sleek looking black dragon."A Hebridean total darkness Mr Malfoy."

Malfoy seemed to be trying to save his nerve ridged and restrained, he was taking recondite breathing space through his nose.

"And you Harry."Crouch held out the bag and Harry reached in quickly and grabbed the last squirming statue. He held it in his fist as he brought it out, said a soundless prayer to anyone listening, then opened his hand.

"The Magyar Horntail."Mr Crouch pronounced tonelessly.

Harry closed his hired man again and pumped his fist into the air.

"YES !"

The three other champions were looking at him like he was crazy.

"Mr Potter,"Crouch spluttered."You do know about that eccentric of tartar don ‘ t you ?"

"Read about ‘ em, yep."Harry nodded.

"And you ‘ re felicitous ?"

"Yep."

"Potter you ‘ re insane."Malfoy said icily.

"Yep."

"Well…"Mr Crouch seemed a petty perturbed but motioned Malfoy towards the release to the tent.

Harry watched them go out and took a deep breathing space. He sat down cross legged on the packed earth and lean back 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 heart drubbing in his ears.

Harry tried to blank out the sound of the crowd outside and the comment of the observer. He tried to breath deeply so as to quiet his nervus. It didn't work.

"Mr Krum if you please !"Harry heard the pennywhistle and wished Krum good hazard as he walked out of the tent.

Thomas More minutes of growling and huffing passed and Fleur began pacing the floor worriedly.

"It ‘ ll be alright."Harry told her as the bunch quieted down and the loads were put up."You got the easy dragon."

"Easier."She replied without looking up.

"Just think of it as a whale fire-breathing squirrel."

"‘ Ow can you be so tranquillise !"She said to him angrily."‘ Ow can you joke about zis !"

"I joke about everything."

The pennywhistle blew a moment later and Fleur was gone too, gone to face the dragon. Harry got up and began pacing himself. He gripped his baton and began rehearsing what he would do again.

Nothing could possibly go wrong.

What the hell ? Everything could go wrong !

Harry squeezed his eyes shut as he heard the whistle audio. He couldn't do this.
*


"And the last star, HARRY POTTER !"The voice cried over the loudspeaker.

professor McGonagall, like everyone else in the crew, looked towards the collapsible shelter. A gust of wind instrument flapped the edges of the canvas tent. No one came out.

"Um… Mr Potter ?"

No one came.

That poor boy. She shook her brain, this had obviously been too a good deal 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 give birth to find him."

"Oh I know exactly where he is."Dumbledore chuckled.

"You see it too ?"Helen Wills Moody cackled from the row below."darn 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 receive the Horntail."Dumbledore smiled."I did not quite understand that until now. The horntail is the most dire dragon in the world, but it ‘ s eyesight is quite poor."

Understanding dawned in Minerva McGonagall's brain and she turned to scan the arena once more. After a present moment she saw it. A small, human shaped clump, perfectly camouflaged against the gumption behind it, shimmering as it edged towards the dragon.
*


Harry shifted a hair closer. He had silenced his metrical unit to get rid of his footfalls but there was still the jeopardy of something shifting or crunching. He could discover members of the crew beginning to laugh now, he didn't precaution. They'd know the true statement 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 gear. Harry froze in a stoop. It sniffed the air.

shucks ! Harry froze. He had hoped that by keeping the jazz in his face would deliver kept his smell from the beast. Apparently not, that meant he would take in to cast a magic spell, which would agitate the affair and bring out his location. 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 good luck charm worked Charles Herbert 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 search. He would throw to actuate the instant he cast or he would be crispy-fried.

Harry took a oceanic abyss breathing time and yelled,

"Avgo Sapios !"The cloud of green smoke 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 lucky because a moment later the sand where he had been standing was reduced to a white-hot flat solid. The dragon swept its lance of flaming across the arena, passing just foot in front of Harry's face. Harry saw the sand steam and cool from blue-white to red, then to a duller, glassy, finish. A scar across the country. Harry forced himself to breath again, shallowly.

He moved his head slowly to look at the dragon, it was shaking its point from face to side as if to shift the foul spirit that had taken up residence in its nostrils.

When Harry was sure it was looking the other way he hopped over the burnt swath and crouched down on the former side. A gasp went up from the crowd, they must have seen him when he passed over the burn off patch.

"Don ‘ t get it agitated."Harry thought desperately as he inched closer."Just keep quiet."

"HEY DRAGON !"

Bugger.

Harry rolled to the side in panic as the flying lizard gouged another fire scratch across the Baroness Dudevant. He realized belatedly that the downside of choosing to approach the firedrake from downwind was that it put the Slytherin stands at his back.

"OVER HERE !"

Harry ducked as a fireball flew over his caput. He risked a glance back to see it impact on a shield. The stand seemed to still down a bit, perhaps realizing the amentia of attracting the aid of an angry dragon.

Harry inched forward again and had to circumvent 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 tartar side and looked up. The paries of the great reptile's body gave way to the massive blending canopy of it's wing. He was right up future to it now. If he screwed up it would ill-treat on him.

Harry reached into the little gap between the floor and the shifting belly of the Horntail. His fingers curled around the favourable egg. He twisted it and brought it out horizontal, making indisputable not to disturb the flying dragon. Like that game, what was it called… operation ! Except with his lifetime on the line.

Harry held his intimation as the egg finally saw the Light of day and swiftly stuffed it under his jersey so it would be camouflaged. He slid backwards slowly then froze as the flying lizard stood and shifted. Harry followed it's gaze and saw a dozen steward approaching.

"No !"Harry thought."They ‘ re not that stupid ! Please NO !"

"Stupify !"

"AAaaaa !"Harry screamed and threw himself backward as the dragon collapsed right onto the ground where he had been crouching. A moment later he was driven to the flooring as its wing crumpled on top of him. Harry crawled out from under the leathery blanket, forced himself to stand on legs that wanted to crumple like charge card stubble and stumbled towards the dragon keepers.

"What the hell…"Harry growled."Was the big idea 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 form of laborious 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 head 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 pock face of Mad Eye Moody.

"I got it to go on in one go."Harry explained, swaying a short. He was bruised on every slope and his left arm didn ‘ t want to bend properly. He turned and saw McGonagall approaching from the standpoint and tried to suffer a little straighter.

"ceramicist, are you hurt ?"She said, an boundary of business tingeing her voice. Harry raised his allow arm."Excellent ! You ‘ ll get to a greater extent points for being uninjured."

Harry swiftly jerked his arm back down and brushed the dirt off the forepart of his gown. Mad Eye leant down and whispered into his ear,

"Arm broke thrower ?"

"No, just damage like hell."Harry breathed back. He eased it into his pocket, wincing slightly."Maybe fractured."

"You gon na separate them ?"

"Hell no !"
*


Harry held hard to the banister as he walked towards the marauders. He was surrounded by cheerfulness, the great unwashed kept slapping him on the back ( painfully )

"That was awful Harry !"Harry heard person yell and waved back, smiling wanly. He managed to make it to the free place by the marauder 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."sorting of the point of invisibility."

"That was really undecomposed 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 flock ’."Made the dragon fight it ‘ s own reflection."

"Did it cultivate ?"

"Until he got close to the eggs."Padma grinned evilly."Then it caught on and flamed him. He only just got the egg. They gave him thirty points."

"Deserved two."Ron muttered angrily.

Harry shrugged, then winced as a shot of annoyance stroke through his arm. The crew fell still, Harry looked up towards the judge box. Madam Maxim raised her wand, after a second a sinuate five sprung out.

"passive aggressive revenge bitch."Harry growled.

Next Crouch nodded thoughtfully and tapped a nine into the air.

"That ‘ s more close to awesomeness."

Next the heavyset jurist Harry didn't know raised his scepter with a brandish and painted an eight. A moment later Dumbledore raised an identical eight.

"Better…"

Karkaroff seemed to remember for a import, then drew a three in the air.

"Blatant undisguised favoritism."Harry narrowed his heart."It ‘ s like bloody Eurovision."

"Thirty three."Neville said, counting on his fingers."Is that proficient ?"

"It should have been high-pitched !"Ginny said angrily."You were the entirely champion not injured !"

"Yeah…"Harry tried not to think of what mark he would have got if they had known about his arm.

"It must have been how long you took/"Hermione said reasonably."You were sluggish 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."

"sodomist. I ‘ ll get him next time."Harry felt his bruised and aching arm."You see if I don ‘ t !"
*


"So let me get this straight Harry."Madam Pomfrey sighed,"You beat the dragon…."

"Yes."

"Left the stadium."

"Yes"

"Then on the way back to Gryffindor tower…"

"Yes."

"You happened to precipitate 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. mind devrions dire les autres concurrents !"
This is not right. We should tell 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 pick out between my morals and my schooltime

"Puits que tu connais main tenant. Ne tu inquiéteras pas à son sujet. Tu dois penser au dragon."
Well you know now. You will not worry about it. You must conceive 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 myself.

"Comme tu souhaites."
As you wish.

"Tu es un moron et tu es un phoney. Tu accuses des Hogwarts de la fraude mais tu triches la toute première prospect que tu obtiens."
You are an moron and you are a dissembler. You accuse Hogwarts of fraud but you cheat the very kickoff chance that you get.



The Pavlov thing is working ! More reviews please !


I do n't own Harry potter. Neither do you. Unless you 're J K Rowling, which is unlikely.



"Shut that bloody matter off Harry !"Ron yelled over the screaming.

"Alright, alright."Harry snapped the egg shut and the inhuman screeching ceased as it always did."Just trying to work the affair out."

"Well can you not do it in our bedroom."Ron grumped, rolling out of bed. Harry chuckled and replaced the egg on his nightstand."Have you at least found out something ?"

"There ‘ s nothing to find."Harry shook his brain irritably."I've run every detection I know on it, there ‘ s no release or password, nothing else magical on it at all. The scream isn ‘ t concealment for something or a vindication. The shrieking is the message, I just have to decode it somehow. Unless the all thing's a braincrank."

"A trick ?"Neville translated, sitting up in bed."You think it really could be ?"

"doubtfulness it. Too elaborate."Harry shrugged."dead reckoning I just have to do More things to it."

"Tried kicking it ?"Ron suggested.

"‘ Course, that was the outset thing I tried."

"Maybe that ‘ s why you can ‘ t find anything now."Neville said, frowning."You broke it."

"question it,"Harry sighed."I have report card that inhuman howler have been heard from the gravy holder the carriage and the Slytherin keep as well. I ‘ m not the solely one stumped."

"That ‘ s something."Neville said encouragingly."You ‘ ll employment it out eventually."

"Maybe…"Harry wasn't so sure. He had needed a Hogwarts laminitis to help him solve his last puzzle. He dismissed it from his sentiment for another morning."You think the miss 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 meter for the mail service run. Harry caught excavator on his wrist and was feeding him a piece of bacon when he was surprised by a letter falling into his lap.

"You got a varsity 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 missive and understand the pale lettering.

To The-Boy-Who-Thinks-He's-Won

Well we'll see about that Harry. Don't think that just because I had to publish a retraction you've won. Don't think that for a here and now. I have been very engaged digging up crap on you and your mate champion and you won't like what I've found. You will regret insulting me Harry Potter, I can bury you ! And I will, you just watch out !

C. H. Best Rita Skeeter.

Harry tore the alphabetic character 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, full of exaggerations. Once Harry had scanned it once or twice he had gleaned the genuine data out of it. Apparently she had been found in her home by her boss after not showing up for work on Monday. The Aurors had been called in, official suit of death…

"Heart flak ?"Harry said incredulously, Padma nodded."That ‘ s bull ! She was… I don ‘ t know… maybe XXX five years old."

"She had a very nerve-racking job."Padma shrugged.

"Or maybe it was karma."Ron said through a taste of goner. Hermione looked mangled between being disgust at his manners and impressed that he knew what karma was.

"I think it ‘ s good riddance."Ginny cut in emphatically.

"I think it ‘ s fishy."Harry folded the paper and handed it back."God knows the fair sex must cause made decent enemies."

"Maybe it was one of you ‘ re fan club."Ginny joked.

"My fan cabaret doesn ‘ t have a militant wing."Harry paused."That I know of…"

"Could be useful."

"True, my own army…"Harry grinned."I could rule the world !"

"Maybe,"Hermione rolled her eyes."But after transfiguration."
*


Harry decided to actually exercise that example. It was something he did occasionally, just to throw his teacher off the odour. They were still working on the tortoise to orb and most of the class could do it now. Harry's orb still had a bit of a hexagon formula but it wasn't bad.

"Mr Potter."McGonagall said suddenly.

"Yes professor ?"Harry said, confused. He hadn't done anything lately she would be concern in."What is it ?"

"I was simply going to ask if you had acquired a better half yet. Since you are opening you will be representing the shoal. Try to contemplate well on us."

"Partner ? Opening ? Representing ?"Harry's eyebrow furrowed in confusion."What are you talking about ?"

"The Yule clod Potter."McGonagall said simply. Most of the form was watching now."As maven you will be opening."

"You mean… Dancing ?"Harry cringed.

"Yes."

"Alone ?"

"With a partner."McGonagall replied in exasperation.

"In strawman of the school ?"Harry felt his stomach 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 force me to trip the light fantastic ?"

"We have ways."McGonagall said, her optic narrowing.

"I ‘ ll just turn up without a partner."Harry countered.

"In that case I will accompany you Mr Potter."

"You do that…"Harry crossed his arms."And I will go to the egg naked."

The classroom outburst out laughing.

"As will I."

The way became deathly silent. Harry nodded slowly.

"Touché, nicely argued."He complemented."And I ‘ ll have a partner by the end of the day."
*


Harry wandered down the to the let down floors of Hogwarts that evening and found the kitchens corridor. Glancing around for a instant he approached the still-life.

"Stoic."Harry said, and the picture dissolved into the air. Harry stepped in and spoke the word again to close the hepatic portal vein. He stepped into the Hufflepuff common room. It looked different than he remembered, probably the lack 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 cellar. He did the natural thing. He ignored them.

He walked calmly over to the set of couches where the Susan clappers 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 live the password."

"I know all the passwords."Harry shrugged."Slytherin's is favor. Ravenclaw ‘ s is… complicated. The prefect bathroom ‘ s still pine fresh and Dumbledore ‘ s billet is Chocoballs… for some reason."

"But… How ?"Susan asked aghast. Harry realized that most of the unwashed elbow room was listening.

"You were a chosen."Harry winked."Not a vulture. Don ‘ t expect me to disclose all my secrets."

The elbow room sighed and Harry felt eyes move away from him.

"So… why are you down here ?"Susan asked."Are we under tone-beginning by snakes again ?"

"Not that I know of."Harry glanced under the tabular array."Nope, nothing."

"So what are you here for ?"

"What ? I can ‘ t just visit ?"Harry grinned.

"Hufflepuff or me ?"

"Currently… you."Harry grinned again."There ‘ s this dance… thing… at Christmas."

"The Yule Ball."Susan's eyes widened.

"Yeah that."Harry shrugged."Apparently I need a partner on news report of being some variety of champ eccentric 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..

"mulct. Yes I ‘ ll go with you."

"Capital. That ‘ s great."Harry grinned."But I should go now. multitude are staring at me."

"Well you are a celebrity."

"It ‘ s a burden I have to bear."
*


In the next few weeks Harry was extremely glad he had got it out of the way earlier. In the next few calendar week a bona fide hysteria of orb fever swept Hogwarts. daughter huddling in corners, whispering. Discussion of apparel robes. very tone of fear and apprehension and cold, sick, nervousness on the face of every boy. Harry was glad to be well out of it.

trend he would be gladder if everyone else had got the memo…

"farewell me alone !"Harry slid into a closed book passage and bounded along the shortsighted passage."I ‘ m taken !"He could still hear pounding infantry and giggling behind him. He shot out from behind a tapestry ( startling a group of students ) and cracked open up another passageway behind a house painting. He closed it behind him and leant against the bulwark, breathing heavily, as the comply girls ran past. As the sounds faded into the length he breathed a suspiration of relief.

"You too yes ?"Harry spun around but relaxed as he saw Viktor Krum sitting cross legged on the floor in the passageway. He had a set of leger spread out in front of him. The Bulgarian shrugged and continued."You vill get used to it. Or you vill turn quicker at running."

"And you ‘ re used to it ?"Harry grinned and sat down opposite the Durmstrum genius."Then why are you hiding in a passageway."

"It is only vay to get a moment of peace."Krum flicked a Thomas Nelson Page and continued reading. After a minute he glanced up."You did well vith the Horntail."

"Not as good 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 zilch."Have you ?"

"Perhaps."Harry grinned."I worked out that kicking it doesn ‘ t work."

"First thing I tried."

"Me too."Harry walked back up to the door and listened, it sounded pretty tranquillise."How long you intending to quell in here."

"I don ‘ t know. Vhen is your Yule formal ?"Krum shook his oral sex and sighed."I should ask someone. Pick someone that has not been asked yet. Perhaps that will cause them lay off foll-"

"It doesn ‘ t."Harry interrupted."faith me."

"Oh…"Krum shook his promontory."Then I will cause to research some better lockup charms for my cabin."

"Try these."Harry pulled beyond allohamora out of his bag ( it sometimes helped to have a bag in which he could persuade everything he owned )."It mostly deals with unlocking but it ‘ s got some lineament stuff and nonsense in there."

"Thank you."Krum nodded solemnly and looked back down at his books. Harry checked the entrance once more then left carefully.

"What is it about me ?"Harry wondered idly."That lets me get on with the champions but royally pisses off the justice ?"
*


"darn it !"Harry dropped the egg back to the surface of the marauder table. The inky black goo he had smeared on its aerofoil had revealed nothing."Doesn ‘ t piece of work either. It was supposed to reveal orphic messages."

"That thing doesn ‘ t have a secret message."Ron groaned on the other face of the table."It has one content. And we ‘ ve all heard it lots of times, like at the crack of dawn."

"Eight is not the crack of dawn."Harry sighed and rested his head 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 ball in figurehead of him."Maybe the egg did some thing to it !"

"Or maybe you ‘ ve got it upside down."Parvati commented from the other side of the table. Ron groaned and scrunched up his bit of parchment.

Harry would have made a snide comment but he didn't think he had the vim. The egg was eating at him.

"Ron…"Parvati continued."You really demand to do it soon."

"Do what ?"

"Ask someone."She shook her chief."You really need to do it soon or she ‘ ll be… I mean all the good girls ‘ ll be taken."Parvati amended quickly with a instant at Harry.

Ron ( forgetful ) squirmed uncomfortably.

"It ‘ s not that easy."Ron shrugged."I ‘ m not Harry, I can ‘ t just wander into someone's common way and ask someone."

"But you-"Annapurna began but Harry interrupted her.

"Wait delay wait. Did I just hear a predator 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 predator, that means you are at least six billion fourth dimension better than anyone else. You will go out and ask Herm… the girl you want to go with. Right now ! Or I will call in a personal favor from Viktor Krum and have him ask her first !"

"You don't even know who I ‘ m-"

"Legillimacy."Harry lied.

"That ‘ s illegal."

"Since when have I cared ? Ask her."

"That's cruel."

"ditto mark. Ask her."

"Harry-"

"She ‘ ll say yes."Harry grinned."trust me."

"Are you sure ?"Ron looked almost convinced.

"Yes."Harry looked to Parvati for backup and she nodded emphatically."Definitely yes."

Ron nervously folded his oeuvre unto his bag and left the vulgar elbow room. Harry checked the clock on the wall.

"Five 30 so Hermione will be coming back from the library… Give ‘ em ten minutes."Harry and Anapurna shared a grin and went back to their respective work.

Ron was in fact back in LE than five minutes.

"She said yes !"He was blushing tomato red but grinning.

"Congratulations."Harry shrugged."Surprised you found her so quick."

"She was in the great hall. Lavender ‘ s usually down to dinner early."

"La… Lavender…"Harry froze. Across from him he say Parvarti's face twist into a face of shock and surprise."Lavender Brown University ?"

"Yes ?"Ron's brow furrowed."Are there any other Lavenders in the schooltime ?"

"Um… yes… in… fifth year… Slytherin. Just making 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 staircase to the boy bedroom.

"Yeah, that would be stupid."Annapurna said acidly, sounding for a 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 hands on her articulatio coxae ( Harry braced for shouting )."What do you mean Oh well !"

"We were wrong."Harry said simply."It happens. It ‘ s all alright."

"It ‘ s not alright !"She shook her head."He ‘ s going with the damage soul !"

"He ‘ s going with the soul he asked."Harry pointed out."That ‘ s not the right person ?"

"No."

"Well tough."Harry waved the problem away."Nothing to be done now."

"Unless…"Parvati grinned maliciously, or tried to anyway. It didn't really knead on her."We do something about it."

"Oh no…"Harry buried is face in his hands.

"We need to make for sure Ron and Hermione go together."

"Do we have to ?"

"Yes."

"If they find out they ‘ ll kill us."Harry pointed out."You know that right ?"

"How come in when you want to do something insane you rope the rest 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 salutary job of it )."I ‘ m just saying we have to be careful."

"Yay !"Annapurna ran around the table and hugged Harry."I knew you ‘ d fold !"

"Get. Off. Me !"Harry disentangled himself from his supporter."Do you have a plan ?"

"Well…"Parvati tapped her chin thoughtfully."Lavender's essentially a limpet."

"Nice."

"Thank you. I figure we can persuade her to let go of Ron if we dangle something else in forepart of her face."

"Like what ? Or who ?"

"Michel niche I think."Parvati nodded."She ‘ s liked him for ages."

"Does he like her ?"

"He will once I ‘ m thru talking him into it."

"I like this new malicious incline of you."Harry nodded approvingly."Do I have any part in this minuscule lark or do I just sit here nodding ?"

"You need to keep anyone from asking Hermione until Ron does."

"Gotcha !"Harry saluted."movement of intimidation and threats coming right up !"

"Subtly Harry ! She can ‘ t know !"

"Who do you take me for ?"

"Sorry."Parvati smiled."Oh, and you ‘ ll demand to talk to Neville too."

"Um… why ?"Harry asked, confused."Is he gon na ask Hermione ?"

"No silly. You need to win over 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."

"Energy Department she… ?"

"Of course."Parvati said patronizingly."You haven't noticed ?"

"And Ginny ?"Harry said wearily."Got a design for her too ?"

"She ‘ s too young."

"Not if we find her a date."Harry pointed out.

"No I mean too young to date."Parvati said primly."We have to protect our little baby ‘ s sinlessness for as long as possible. She ‘ s not a part of this."

"I wish I wasn ‘ t a piece of thi-"

"Harry !"
*


Operation shamelessly-manipulate-our-best-friends was at least good for one thing, it distracted Harry from the bloody egg.

It was just a few days before the Yuletide ball and the plan was… well it was working but that wasn't the point. It was working a lilliputian too well.

Lavender had been successfully unstuck from Ron and re-adhered to Michel niche. Once Ron came out of his moping form Harry was confident he could poke him towards the ripe girlfriend. The subtle deterrence was harder but legilimacy helped to place potential threats very effectively. Once they were picked out Harry was able to get the boys alone to explain some ‘ family truths ’. Like how she was already dating a older boy she met on vacation. Big fella, huge muscles.

"This had best bloody oeuvre Parvati."Harry muttered to his co-conspirator one day on the way back from puppet."‘ Cos if he doesn't ask her no one will now. I've had to build Hermione ‘ s complex number boyfriend up into some form of vengeful superman to stop people asking her."

"What ‘ s the late floor ?"Parvati asked, interested.

"He ‘ s from Spain. The Academia Atsingani."Harry shrugged."He ‘ s an amateur wizard bullfighter. Owns his own sword and shotgun."

"virtuoso bullfighter ? With a shotgun ?"

"It doesn ‘ t have to be likely it just has to be scary."

"Well he ‘ s going to have to schmooze his girlfriend back."Parvarti said knowingly."Because Ron will ask her. Believe me."

"Bet ?"

"Galleon."

"Done."Harry sighed."At least this way I can prepare something back out of this mess."

"It ‘ ll all piece of work out."Annapurna grinned."Trust me."

"Don ‘ t say that."Harry shook his head."I know I say it… but don ‘ t."

"You can ‘ t complain…"But Parvati trailed off as they all began hearing a sound in the distance."What ‘ s that ?"

Harry perked his ears up. A few gait in front man of them the ease of the marauders stopped too. It sounded like a solid poke of mass yelling and moving, but behind that there was a low rumbling and…

"tattle ?"Harry said incredulously.

"More like chanting."Parvati disagreed.

"It sounds like choral singing."Hermione said from in figurehead of them.

"It ‘ s coming from out front."Harry hurried forward."Lets go !"

As one they rushed forward. As they neared the door other pupil began to connect them, teachers too. As they ran out onto the eatage in front of the shoal Harry realized that the whole shoal was already out there, yelling and pointing. Harry saw Dumbledore gazing up into the sky, a look of admiration on his nerve. The former school nous flanked him, just as awed.

In the sky above Hogwarts floated a miracle of ovalbumin marble. tower, delicate as crank, flew up from a shining home and met a gold full point above. Delicate ghost of mirror-like silver medal snaked and shimmered over the surface, sending out beam of rainbows as it turned in the sun. The whole matter looked like some gigantic watch crystal, floating on Edward D. White mist and breathing out beautiful music as it sank scummy and depress and finally settled to the land on the sens just inside the schooltime gates.

Harry started forward but was brought up short as Dumbledore held up an arm. The school watched in rhapsodic silence as a procession emerged from the floating palace. White-robed women walked side by side, carrying flaring magical woolly mullein. They split apart a little as they left it as if to urinate a track for someone in the eye. As they grew closer Harry saw that there was a figure in the midsection, belittled than the other robe name but wearing a jacket of laurel leaves.

Harry yelled in happiness and dashed out from the gang, ignoring Dumbledore's outcry of protest, and rushed towards the figure. Laughing, he ducked past the line of startled women and enveloped the middle one into a giant hug.

"Why didn ‘ t you tell me you were coming ?"Harry laughed, releasing her and looking up into her picket, ethereal face.

"I wanted it to be a surprisal for you."Pythea said with a warm smile."It ‘ s good to see you Harry."
*


"Mr Potter !"Harry heard someone call from behind him. He spun around and saw expressions ranging from shock, disarray and ire. Most of the Beauxbatons students were down on one knee joint and the 1 from Durmstrang had their heads bowed in respect. His fellow Hogwarts scholarly person seemed more aghast than anything else, Dumbledore had his mitt to his mouth with his eyes widely in shock. McGonnagall was almost vibrating in anger.

Turning further he saw something even more unnerving. Across the integral edge of the wood the Centaur had gathered, the full herd. Every one of them was down on their human knee with their hands clasped over their hearts.

Harry turned back around to face the school day, 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 centaurs ?"

"They regard me as a demigod."

"Oh…"Harry gulped."…and I thought I was famous."

"You are illustrious Harry."The seer said, a strange note in her part."But I am something else."She moved forward and Harry was forced to follow. They stopped in straw man of Dumbledore, Harry almost laughed when he saw that the schoolmaster still had his bridge player to his mouth.

"professor Dumbledore."Pythea greeted the old man."It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"The pleasure is mine."Dumbledore seemed to retrieve himself and deform down to kiss the oracle's helping hand."I see you have… already met one of our school champions."

"Harry and I met years ago and we have had correspondence since."Pythea looked up and around at the towering castle in front of her."Hogwarts is as beautiful as I have heard it described."

"Thank you,"Dumbledore waved towards the heavy vaulted door of Hogwarts and a path opened in the pupil body."As soon as your palace appeared in the sky I had the house elves prepare a suite of guest rooms for you and your handmaidens."

"Thank you."Pythea reached out and linked arms with a startled Harry."Harry can show me up to the Guest quarters."

"Mr Potter does not sleep with the passwords."

"headmaster,"Pythea shook her head, smiling."You obviously don ‘ t know Harry as well as I do."

Harry covered his mouth with his hand to hold back giggles as he walked the Oracle of Delphi between the rowing of students and up to the doors of Hogwarts.

Harry tried not to listen to the whispers happening all around him, he could deal with that in the morning.

"How long are you staying ?"Harry asked Pythea as he led her towards the guest quarters.

"boulder clay after the bit task."She answered."But I fear a lot of that will be taken up with functions down in Jack London. No visit by someone like the myself can be entirely for leisure time. You could say the tourney provides an excuse for political relation. Many state representatives were invited by your regime, when I heard you were competing I decided to choose them up on it."

"Didn ‘ t you already know I would be competing ?"Harry teased."And whether I ‘ ll win ?"

"You put too practically religion in oracles."

"I have no faith in seer. I have a gravid deal of trust in you."

"That is dessert of you Harry."Pythea said in surprise."And surprisingly open."

"well get used to it."Harry checked behind him, the handmaiden were following a good distance behind. Harry continued in a rustling."You saved my biography, from something had no right hand to survive. Even more, if I got the message straight, you risked your place at the temple too. And the only way I could thank you was through vaguely worded letters."

"I got the message Harry."Pythea smiled down at him.

"Good, but I ‘ ll say it again in person."Harry slowed as they approached the guest flank."Thank you for saving my biography Thea."

"You are most welcome."The oracle came to a stop consonant outside the door."And I would do it again."

"I hope it won't be necessary."Harry turned to the door."Bellevue."

The doorway creaked open to reveal an refined posing way with many door leading off it. Every piece of furniture sparkled with polish and a vase of fresh flowers sat on the core of the humble table.

"The elves don ‘ t skimp do they ?"Harry chuckled. He pointed to the rooms along the binding paries."Bedrooms are along there. All of them en-suite of course."

"You ‘ ve been here before ?"Pythea chuckled."Were you meant to be ?"Harry grinned and ignored her.

"If you need anything call the sign elves. Alternatively if you need anything the marauders can provide call me. Now, for the most important thing…"Harry straightened up and put on a serious air."Do you want us to try and trouble Professor Trelawny or simply drug her for the duration of your visit."
*


Harry looked at himself in the mirror and sighed, it was no thoroughly. It wasn't that he thought he looked good or didn't. It was more that he didn't really have a concept of what he was supposed to expect like. Everyone else seemed to film the frock robes and everything as a necessary pique. Harry on the other hand had almost no opinion on them having never heard of them before reading his alphabetic character this year. Were they supposed to be this tight ? Or flare out at the keister like that ? And what about his hair ? Harry had always just let his whisker do its own matter, cutting it back only when it began impairing his visual sense but now everyone else seemed to induce acquired some level of personal grooming acquisition that he had somehow skipped.

He gave it up as a lost campaign, allowing it to fall as it wanted to. He shrugged, what did it matter ? He'd got a date so the hard office 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 multitude had necktie, was he meant to bear a tie ? )"It ‘ s not too late."

"Harry, the dancing is in…"Ron checked his scout."… less than an hour."

"So you ‘ d better get to it then."Harry said flippantly, then asked."Am I meant to have a tie ?"

"Harry, your dress robe don't have a collar."

"You need a collar to don a tie ?"

Ron rolled his eye. Harry shrugged and left the bathroom. In the plebeian room the early marauders were already waiting, Padma and Neville standing a trivial way off. Neville looked uneasy, but then Neville always looked queasy. Harry waved Parvati to one side,

"On the minus English we ruined our protagonist nights and made them miserable."Harry growled angrily."On the plus side you owe me a galleon."

"Still prison term Harry."Parvati smiled chirpily."Trust me."

"Don ‘ t say that. finish saying that. I promise never to say it again if you stop saying it now."

"Shut up and look."Parvati hissed.

Harry looked where she was pointing. Hermione was sitting on one of the couches reading, she hadn't even changed into attire robe 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 stand in front of Hermione. Her forefront came up and she said something, across the crowded uncouth room Harry couldn't hear but it looked like ‘ what ? ’. Ron scratched his head and mumbled something. Hermione put her hand up to her ear. Ron leant down and spoke into her ear, his face bright red. Then, to Harry's heart-attack-inducing surprise, Hermione blushed as red as the boy standing in front of her.

"No way…"Harry chuckled as Hermione flipped her book closed and hurried towards the daughter dormitory. He looked back towards Anapurna, who was wearing an expression of total smugness.

"I ‘ ll take that galleon off you any time Harry."

"You are the queen of the manipulative harpy-vultures you know that ?"Harry said, flipping a galleon at his friend.

"From you Harry I take that as a complement."Parvati snagged the coin and moved to follow Hermione. Harry saw that Padma and Ginny had both already gone up after her.

"Probably pulling off some sort of last arcminute 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 oculus and checked his watch."It only took you four bloody years."

"Hey !"Ron looked petulant and Harry laughed.

"Listen, they ‘ ll prob ‘ ly be a while."Harry jerked a thumb back at the little girl room."And I need to spread the saltation. I ‘ ll meet up with you later Ok ?"

Ron nodded and Neville chirruped.

"Ok."The little nervous boy then nodded towards their red-headed friend and whispered."And I ‘ ll try to keep him from screwing thing up."

"You ‘ re a marauder Neville…"Harry shook his forefront."You ‘ re not god."
*


Harry took a cryptic breath and walked down the steps into the entrance hall. There were a few other Hogwarts male child already waiting down there, huddled in skittish groups waiting for their dates. Harry waved to a few of them and settled down to waitress, leant against pillar.

"What is that your eroding Potter ?"

Harry rolled his eyes then realized that the consequence was ruined by having them closed. He opened them to see Malfoy standing in social movement of him wearing jet lightlessness robes and with faggot Parkinson on his arm.

"Just for one night Malfoy…"Harry sighed."…leave off. Just try to be almost human for once."

"Fine."The Slytherin's eye's narrowed."I ‘ ll stay away from you if you extend me the same courtesy."

"I ‘ ll be out of your hair as soon as Susan gets here."Harry glanced at the steps down to the kitchen but no one was coming.

"Susan Bones ?"Malfoy queried, he almost sounded actually curious.

"Yes, why."

"Just felicitous to see you ‘ ve asked a decent pure rip girl."Malfoy drew himself up."Just because your lineage is tainted doesn ‘ t mean the ceramist line has to go entirely to the dogs."

"Ok, three things…"Harry held up three fingerbreadth."One : Screw you !"

"Potter-"

"Two,"Harry interrupted him."I asked her to a ball. That does not mean I intend to stay any line 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 assets ?"

"I reserve the right to not criminate myself."Harry cracked."By the way, does your date speak or does she just hang there like seaweed ?"Harry grinned at the incensed expression on Malfoy's face.

"wellspring this has been lovely."Harry continued as he kicked himself off his column."We really should do this again."He brushed past the wild couplet and walked up to the figure that had appeared up the stairs.

"Hi Susan."Harry greeted his escort, biting his lip. She was wearing something blue and flowing, robe or dress or something he couldn't really put a name on just now. His eyes traveled down then back up again swiftly."You look amazing."

"Thank you Harry."Susan reached out and took his proffered hand."You look hansom as well. Your attire gown are really… unusual."

Harry caught the significance and looked down. His robes was deep red material that came out over his legs like habitue robe but were buttoned in tight around his trunk by two wide rows of clitoris. It's farsighted arm hugged his arms tightly but opened out right at the handcuff to let out the lighter lining. Plus, as Ron had noted, it ended at his cervix with just a ticket stub of a collar.

"I bought them in Switzerland."Harry shrugged."Must be a different vogue than here in Britain. Oh well…"

"No it ‘ s nice."Susan said reassuringly."I saw some of the Beauxbatton boys wearing gown like that."

Harry shrugged, robes weren't of any fussy business organisation to him. The workshop he had bought them in had had hundreds of robes in huge ranks. He had chosen these for two understanding. One, they didn't have all the lace and trimmings and extravagant embroidery that most of the others had had and two ( and Harry cringed to admit this to himself ) they had looked like they would be easy to crusade or run in if anything happened.

"Ready to open the dance."Harry asked, knowing that he himself wasn't.

"I think I ‘ ll do ok. My mother gave me lessons once."

"Lucky."Harry smiled ruefully. A consequence later McGonagall appeared, as if from nowhere.

"wellspring get to it."She snapped quickly."The other champions are already lining up to go into the hall."

Here we go. Harry gulped as they got into position.

"Nervous ceramicist ?"

"Just don ‘ t trip over your seaweed and surrender on me Malfoy."Harry's automatic witticism circuits responded for him while the residue of his encephalon shivered with nervousness.

"And… go."McGonagall's vocalization rang out and the doorway to the big residence opened slowly, revealing an winter wonderland decorated with sparkling snow and ice sculpture. Harry just hoped it wouldn ‘ t make the story slippery. He took Susan's handwriting and stepped forward purposely.

The hall was full of distich but a outer space was clean in the center. A very big space, that everyone was staring at.

"Oh great."Harry sighed as the euphony started up.

Harry let his mind drift back to the ten moment of very rough saltation moral that Parvati had given him yesterday. After he had broken down and begged.

"One two three one two three…"Harry counted off the beats in his foreland and tried not to mistreat 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."red cent ! I can't talk and count at the same fourth dimension. Why didn't I ask a mute seaweed little girl ?

"Do you think we could get them to own a nut every year ?"

"Probably one two not three."

"They might if sufficiency of us asked them too."

"I don ‘ t one two think so. one two thr… shucks !"Harry almost fouled up his footwork and let himself breath. He stopped counting, hopefully by now his feet could work out the rhythm on their own."If they did the scholar would never total habitation for Christmas and then their parents would complain."

"I guess."Susan leant in and rested her oral sex on Harry's shoulder. Harry chuckled as he was reminded again of their comparative meridian."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 alone dance that was required of him that evening. He glanced back at the blond Hufflepuff in straw man of him and grinned."Stay in for the next one ?"
*


Six dances later and Harry felt like he was almost getting well-heeled with it when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked around to see one of the Durmstrum pupil that he didn't know.

"May I cut in ?"The boy said, with very little accent. Harry glance at Susan, who nodded. She seemed to acknowledge the guy somehow. Harry stepped aside and the two of them moved off, Susan giving him a little moving ridge as they went.

Harry walked off the dance level, snagged a methamphetamine of something off a tray and moved to somewhere where he could see the stallion storey. It was clock time to check up on things. Harry chuckled and sipped the whatever-it-was as his oculus scanned the hall.

He found Annapurna first, who seemed to be choosing which of a several son who were all clustered around her to leave out over the dancing trading floor side by side. She caught his eye, smiled and subtly pointed to her right.

Harry followed her gaze and found Ron and Hermione sitting by one of the vast tables total of food. Ron at least seemed to be talking between binge of eating and he'd spotted them out on the dance floor 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 other. Harry shrugged and took another sip of what he suspected was champagne charmed to be non-alcoholic. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Except that he now didn't have a terpsichore partner. He searched around for a familiar face and found one before walking over.

"Miss Delacour."He held his deal out to the seated Beauxbattons champion."Would you care to block me by dancing ten time better than I ever could ?"

The Gallic girl smiled and took his hand.

"But of courze."She stood and he led her out onto the dance floor.

Harry settled into the rhythm method of birth control of the new song and got used to dancing with somebody taller than him. Since he was at least a metrical unit shorter than her that put his eyes right about level with her-

"So…"Harry interrupted his own mental monologue."Enjoying the dance so far ? Not been bothered by too many pushy students ?"

"I know how to deal with zem."Fleur replied haughtily, but Harry detected a shadow of body fluid in her response."The only trouble was our boyfriend champion."

"I ‘ m shot we ‘ re not talking about Viktor."Harry said and she shook her head."By the way we can talk in French if you want."

"My English iz best than your French I think."Fleur replied pointedly.

"Probably."Harry shrugged."Would you wish me to try and keep Malfoy away from you for the rest of the ball ?"

"Non, I can deal with him."Fleur laughed, the movement was very interesting for Harry in his current position and he tried to block up the bloom spreading to his cheeks.

The vocal ended and Harry stepped back. Fleur curtsied politely and Harry bowed as he'd seen the Daniel Chester French male child doing after they finished their dances. He caught Fleur looking over his articulatio humeri and followed her gaze to see a couplet of 7th years moving off the terpsichore floor.

"Iz he taken ?"Fleur asked with a smile.

"Not anymore."Harry winked and turned to ask the boy partner for a dance.

She turned out to be giggly and talkative so Harry let her spill the beans on for the duration of the dance before moving off gratefully and sitting on one of the benches by the food. He nabbed a couple of the remaining titbit and lay back relaxed. He had been on his substructure since the beginning of the ball and it felt good just to take a few here and now to himself.

"So…"

Knew it was too sound to be true.

"… you are friends with the Pythea ?"

Harry glanced to his left and saw Igor Karkaroff sitting adjacent to him, an spirit expression on his face.

"We know each other."Harry said warily giving naught away.

"Of row a man of your standing probably knows many mass 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 find an exit from the conversation but couldn't think of one.

"I would like for you to think of me as a friend."

"stop consonant two'ing me then."

"I could… break you high marks."Karkaroff said slyly.

"Oh ! No no !"Harry said quickly, realizing what his flippant remark could have been interpreted as."Just stop being unfairly harsh."

"Of course."Once again the simpering spirit."And perhaps we could… do something… together."

Harry sighed.

"Perhaps during the school Holliday you could travel to Dumstrum."

"This holiday I ‘ m going to… Kenya."Harry said a nation at random.

"I could treat you to a whiz concert at one of the marvellous mansion in Europe."

"Can't, allergic reaction. All the dust and stuff."

"Or… we could…"Karkaroff seemed to be casting around for another activity."Take the Durmstrum ship and go sportfishing, as friends."

"Are you trying to ask me out ?"Harry said tersely, tired of the conversation."I ‘ m flattered but you ‘ re too old for me."

"I just want you to feel comfortable asking me for favors."Karkaroff said expansively."That is what friends do… assistant each early. Introduce each early to early friends…"

Harry groaned inwardly.

"That sorting of thing."Karkaroff finished with a bullshit smile."Whatever you need. What 's mine is yours."

I'd rather gouge my center 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 instant later a burn name drifted up through the floor.

"You remembered !"myrtle cried happily.

"Of course I did."Harry reached out and took her icy hand."Didn ‘ t think I ‘ d forget about you did you."

Harry led the trace out onto the dance trading floor, away from the startled Headmaster.
*


Harry gave Ginny up to a Beauxbatons scholarly person and sat back down on a bench. Now he had danced with all the female marauders. Parvati had spent most of the sentence crowing that all her predictions had come true, Padma was very terse about where she had disappeared to with Neville, Hermione seemed exasperated with Ron and Harry couldn't employment out whether it was convention argument or an actual job, Ginny was just giddy and aglitter. Of all of them Myrtle had actually danced the sound, at some point in her pre-ghost life she had obviously practiced for more than ten mo. Harry made a genial note to ask for deterrent example if there ever was another dance.

Harry glanced up at the clock and realized that there couldn't be too many more saltation left. He needed to save the last one for Susan but there were a few to go before that.

Harry glanced around and realized that there was one person he hadn't seen on the saltation floor yet. His eyes found her sitting over by one of the ice sculptures, her own pure-white robe making her flavor almost like part of the decoration.

"Hi Thea."Harry greeted and sat down future to her."haven't seen you on the dancing trading floor much."

"Dumbledore was polite enough to dance 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 fourth dimension for a few more dances."Harry held his helping 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 spell, Harry finding his rhythm.

"Are you still wearing it ?"Pythea asked suddenly.

"The necklace ?"Harry smiled and drew the chain out from the front of his robe."Always."

"Good."Pythea grew sober for a second."Always keep it on. You will necessitate 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 fiddling shell back into his dress robe."But yes, I don ‘ t think it will be too a good deal 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 speaking. A distrust began to grow in Harry's mind.

"Pythea ?"Harry said, suspiciously."You said you get invites to tons of clump ?"

"Yes ?"

"Do you answer any of them ?"

"W… why ?"A little quaver entered the seer's voice.

"You ‘ re counting."Harry grinned.

"I am ?"Her eye's opened wide.

"One two three one two three."Harry nodded."Under your breath, I doubt anyone else noticed."

"Dumbledore ?"

"Oh no he probably noticed."Harry nodded."You ‘ ve never been to a ball before either have you ?"

"I have… had terpsichore lesson at the temple."Pythea said, a little defensively. A minute later she sagged, dejectedly."I haven ‘ t been the Pythea very long."

"How long ?"

"The twelvemonth you visited was my first."Pythea whispered into his ear."I wasn ‘ t allowed to attend case until my training was finished so as to avoid overplus. It wouldn ‘ t do to make mistakes."

"Embarrassment ? Counting is embarrassing ?"

"Harry didn ‘ t you see how everyone acted when I got here ?"Pythea spoke quietly into his ear."I have been trained since before I can call up to be the eternal Pythea. Since the day I was taken from my parents. I am supposed to be the static similitude of the first Oracle, 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 sure Dumbledore won ‘ t. He ‘ s too polite."

"Thank you Harry."Pythea seemed to be surprisingly relieved."If they found out about a parapraxis like that they wouldn't let me out again for a long time."

"Let you out ?"Harry shuddered. The floating temple of the oracle with its vines, richly above the flat coat below suddenly took on more menacing connotations in his judgement. Harry hesitated, then decided to speak what was on his mind."Are you… lonely there ?"

"Sometimes."Pythea said it matter-of-factly, like it was an inevitable fact of life.

"I could natter 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 summertime you may be busy."She reached out and pressed her script against the shell pendent under Harry's gown, then stepped aside, smiling sadly.

Harry was confused for a moment then realized that it was the lastly dance, she was stepping aside so he could rule Susan. Harry waved a thank-you to her then scanned the Hall to discover his date.

"Over here Harry !"

Harry hurried over to the splash of blue he could see among the former robes and took Susan's hand just as the music started.

"Whew."Harry smiled."Just in time."

"We sort of lost track of each early in the middle there didn ‘ t we ?"Susan said as they began to travel to the behind rhythm of the finally dance.

"We started the dance together and we ‘ re ending it together."Harry shrugged."The bit in the middle got a bit fuzzed 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 meter together."

"I ‘ ll have to make it up to you sometime."Harry looked into his dates eyes."Like adjacent Hogsmeade weekend ?"

"You ‘ re still not official allowed to go to Hogsmeade."

"By now they ‘ ve probably stopped trying to barricade me."Harry quipped.

"Then I ‘ d love to go with you."

"Great."Harry grinned.

"My parents are coming to see the second task."Susan said suddenly."They ‘ d sexual love to converge you."

instant task ? … I still need to forge out the bloody egg.

Harry groaned inwardly. Something always had to ruin it.
*


Harry led Susan back to the Hufflepuff green room and strolled back up through the darkened castle. When he reached the Gryffindor vernacular room 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 wake up."Why are you still up ?"

"Oh Harry…"Neville rubbed his centre."Just waiting for you to get here. soul had to stay to tell you."

"Tell me what ?"Harry's eye's narrowed.

"Um…"

"Where ‘ s your date ?"

"Up with Hermione. All the girlfriend are."Neville said dejectedly.

"They are ? Why…"Suddenly Harry worked it out and moan."What did Ron do ?"

"He um… looked at Fleur."Neville said evasively."Like, not at her face. And for a long clip too, about five proceedings 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 freight train approaching.

"Something along the billet of…"Neville's supercilium creased as he tried to remember."‘ What do you expect ? They're right there and they're huge.'”

Harry covered his side with his hands and sank into an armchair.

"You ‘ re kidding me ?"

"No."

"That really sucks."

"He could suffer said a lot of worse things."Neville pointed out.

"Like what ?"Harry challenged.

"Like ‘ They're in effect than yours which are small and underdeveloped.'or ‘ Shut up you're blocking my view.'”

"Ok ok !"Harry laughed, covering his mouth to muffle the giggles."The trouble is I can actually see Ron saying that."

"Well…"Neville spread his helping hand,"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 sort of decided to appease just friend for now."

"Guess its just as well."Harry sighed."I ‘ m already trying to beguile too many ships."

"donjon the audience guessing."
*


The air around the marauders in the workweek after the clump could best be described as ‘ icy ’. Harry tried to crack the frozenness between the two encampment. Well, two bivouac was an overstatement. There was the girls, there was Ron and there was Harry and Neville trying to remain out of passel by the sidelines.

The two son dealt with the spot in the most suppurate way they could imagine of. They hid in the depository library. Any time they actually had to be confront, like lessons or meals, they tried to keep placidity on the edges so as not to be tarred with the same clash 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 afford the daily prophet. Harry looked over at Ron who was sulking over his bowlful of cereal. Harry mouthed the piece of work ‘ excuse'at him but he pretended not to notice. Harry mouthed it again, followed by the words ‘ or else ’. Ron just hunched small. Harry sighed and turned back.

"Anything in the news ?"Harry asked desperately."Any More strange deaths ?"

"No, just a regular one."Hermione shrugged."An old crone in Dorset named Lady Ellen Hayward."

"Suspicious ?"Harry asked, interested.

"She was over a hundred and fifty years old Harry."Hermione answered dismissively."Even Wiccan and thaumaturge die eventually. It ‘ s sad but it ‘ s not suspicious."

Not if you don't look too closely.

Harry sat bolt out upright. Had he really heard that or had he imagined it ?

You heard it.

Harry looked around surreptitiously, trying to judge where the vocalization could be coming from. It sounded familiar… Harry's eye's led him up to the high mesa and along to where Pythea sat, watching him quietly over a plate full of cut fruit.

trade good morning Harry.

"trade good daybreak Thea."Harry thought and saw her smiling."How was London ?"

London was wonderful Harry. The politicians that inhabit it however are akin to poisonous sea biff. Slippery and spiky at the Sami time.

"You didn ‘ t have fun then ?"Harry projected sarcastically.

I prefer Hogwarts.

"pyrotechnic over the Thames though,"Harry thought back."For new-years, that ‘ s always good. I saw a few of them when I lived in London."

Oh yes, I'd almost forgotten. Pythea smiled wryly. One day of brightness and peach and four weeks of conferences.

"Such is life."

occlusive trying to be sagely Harry. With me that's a contest you won't win. I'm surprised you took in the displays though, weren't you busy trying to survive ?

"Are you kidding ?"Harry laughed in his intellect."Everyone looking at the sky, no one watching their pockets, it's nighttime and noisy… you see where I ‘ m going with this."

I should have known. Pythea chuckled But we've got distracted from the point. She pointed at the paper in front of her and looked down at the obit. 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 Thomas Nelson Page but had no connection, it was just some malicious gossip involving the minister of religion of legerdemain and some accusation of embezzlement. Harry flicked to the back Page. The Chudley Cannons had lost another game ( wonderful week for Ron ). There didn ‘ t seem to be anything else interesting. Harry shook his head.

"I don ‘ t see it. Did someone stand to inherit or something ?"

Possibly, but that was not what I was referring to. Pythea smiled mysteriously.

"rich person you… you know… seen something ?"

You don't have to be an Oracle to see what I'm talking about. Pythea closed the theme and looked around the student residence. The paper is only half the story.

"The former half is… ?"

Guess.

"Brat."Harry muttered and his head was filled with unsounded laughter.

I'll give you a hint. actor's line are zilch until someone reads them.

Harry thought for a tenacious moment, then smiled.

"masses ‘ s reactions."Harry thought hesitantly, and was rewarded with a nod. Harry cast around the hall."Who ‘ s reading ?"He scanned the hall and found Dumbledore, knack over the paper. It looked like it was undetermined to the right page.

"Dumbledore ? Is he reading it ?"

Yes. But is that unusual ?

"Well…"Harry tried to put it together in his promontory."They were about the Lapplander age, maybe they even went to schooltime together. It ‘ s not surprising he ‘ s taking an interest."

trade good, who else ?

Harry scanned further and alighted on an unbelievable candidate.

"Malfoy ?"The blond Slytherin was just staring at the open Page in front of him, his face ashen and unreadable. Harry could even see his dresser revolt 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 think of ?"

It's a mystifier Harry. You like puzzles don't you ?

"I have too many of them right now but usually yes."Harry shrugged."But I don ‘ t know what to take of this."

That's because you do not have all the bit. Pythea projected cryptically. You will have to try and find them.

Harry felt the presence leave his mind.

"Harry ?"

"W… whut ?"Harry shook his head, confused.

"Harry are you OK ?"Parvati was saying, the Marauders were all staring at him."You ‘ ve been staring into quad for like five minutes."

"And muttering to yourself."Ginny added."You looked kind of weird."

Harry stood up suddenly.

"I need to go to Dorset."

"You… What ? !"

"But initiative I need to talk to your brothers."Harry set off down the tabularise quickly, a determined aspect on his face.

rear him the predator looked on aghast. Padma voiced what they were all cerebration,

"Is it me or is he getting weirder ?"





Yes, I know the chapter 's a little fluffy. It had to be, you ca n't really indite a Christmastide orchis that 's not.

Review anyway. Pretty please !


A small part of this is rather obviously lifted directly out of Goblet of Fire.



Harry slid out of the lake and dried himself off. He set the plastic bag he had drawn across the piss on the basis and ripped it loose. He lifted his leather bag out and set it back on his articulatio humeri before setting off at a jog towards Hogsmeade.

As he neared the settlement he flicked it open and pulled a wizardly masquerade out that made him wait wizened and old. He also threw a shattered inglorious cloak over his Hogwarts robes and walked into the Hogs Head. He didn't look at the clientele, already smelling of firewhisky at ten in the morning, and stepped up to the bar.

"I need to use the flue."Harry said. He didn't annoyance to conceal his interpreter, the barman was undoubtedly used to unusual than him and even if not he probably wouldn ‘ t caution. The barman grunted and pointed towards a oily sign.

Flue for customer only

"I ‘ ll have a butterbeer then."Harry took the proffered bottle and drank it in one drink before walking over to the hearth and spinning himself to the leaky cauldron.

Harry rushed into Diagon alley, feeling very exposed even in his disguise. He reached the stairs of Gringots and stepped inside it's columned entrance. He emerged a few minutes later with a little bag of muggle money. He wasn't worried about the hob ratting him out, confidentiality was a given with them.

Harry had one last errand to run in Diagon before he left. He reached into his bag and popped the start of the twins gifts into his sass. Instantly he felt his throat constrict and grow scratchy, he coughed deeply and people in the street turned to attend at him. It got a little bettor after a few moments but it still felt raw.

He tried to talk and his part came out old and leathery. perfect tense. suffering like hell but perfective for concealing his voice.

He walked into the apothecaries, taking care to make his step a picayune faltering and weak.

"hi my good man."Scratchy and nasty like a lifelong smoker."Do you have any fox urine ?"

"Fox… urine ?"The man behind the counterpunch looked at him like he was mad.

"Yes, I need it for a potion."

"No potion I know of apply fox urine."

"How ‘ bout wildcat piddle ?"Harry asked, stepping up to the counter."Do you have wolf urine ?"

"No."The shopkeeper was just staring at him now."No we don ‘ t have wolf pee. Now can you-"

"Weasel ?"

"No now…"The shopkeeper paused for a moment."We do have weasel musk…"

"Yes that ‘ ll be perfect."Harry smiled through his leathery masquerade. The shopkeeper hesitated."You have some sort of problem ?"

"I don't have a problem."The shopkeeper rolled his eyes and stepped into the way behind his desk."How much do you need."

"About a gallon."

"A Imperial gallon ! …"There was the strait of wild muttering and sloshing from the storage room. A few minutes later the man stepped back behind the desk with a expectant glass nursing bottle full of yellow liquid. The cork 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 question and drew out his billfold. The shopkeeper told him and Harry paid happily.

"Have fun."The shopkeeper said dryly."Whatever you ‘ re planning to do…"

Harry dropped the bottle into his bottomless bag and stepped out of the shop class. He changed out of his robes in the cauldron's commode and slid quickly out into muggle London.

He stepped quickly along the roads at once both familiar and deeply unknown. 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 jumble, felt like a piddling kid again but at the same clip he could feel how far he'd seminal fluid. His instincts didn't know how to react and he found himself searching for topographic point to obliterate or run while at the same sentence fingering his wand hidden in his sleeve.

He was gladiola when he finally set foot in waterloo station and could buy a slate to Bournemouth. The power train was a phantasmagoric experience, sitting close to the window and flying past the world he was no foresighted persona of.

It took more than two hours to get there, ample prison term to spin his thought process round and rung in his mind. He tried to work out exactly how stupid he was being. ‘ Very ’, he decided. Very, very pillock. He didn't know what would pass off to him if it was discovered that he had snuck out of Hogwarts. Hogsmeade was one matter but this… And if he was discovered once he got there ? At the heap of a recent end ?

Very, very, very stupid.

Harry shut his centre and focused on the one thing telling him he was doing the the right way thing.

"Pythea sent me here."Harry nodded and bit his lip as he repeated the mantra over and over in his head."And if the Oracle of Delphi tells you to do something… then it ‘ s not stupid to do it."

Harry really wished the words didn't sound so hollow.

He left the train and got on a bus. He left the bus in the middle of a field of honor of scrub and chalky reason. The sea was just out of deal but he could hear the waves crashing against the rocks, sinister and threatening.

The bus device driver had looked at him weird when he'd asked to be let out in the eye of nowhere. Harry knew better, it was only the midsection of nowhere to muggles. Harry shucked his bag up higher on his berm and walked towards the sound of the undulation, towards the stately white manor sign of the zodiac near the edge of the cliffs.

It was blindingly obvious where the edge of the wards were. Someone had laid grass and flowers right up to an invisible air on the terra firma, bush gave way to garden like it was cut with a razor. Harry wondered why there wasn't a rampart around the belongings. Either the woman who lived there trusted the wards implicitly or she liked the view too much to block it away.

And the view was spectacular. The drop arching away to either side and the sea stretching into the distance. It was an telling aspect, enough to impress anyone. Anyone other than a aquaphobe. Harry shuddered and tried to keep the sea out of view.

He pulled the massive bottle of musk out of his bag. It took him a minute to shape the plug out. He went up as close to the wards as he dared and started dribbling the foul smelling material onto the footing. He poured it in as conclude to a semicircle as he could manage, the other end of the ark also touching the Montgomery Ward, boxing him in.

Harry corked the feeding bottle again and pushed it back into his bag. Now came the risky role. He pulled out the second of the twins natural endowment to him, a little chocolate bon-bon. He hesitated, cringing for a moment as he realized he still had musk on his finger's breadth, then popped it in his mouth.

Instantly he felt his stomach clench, a minute later white fur spread over his mitt and implements of war. He just had time to find his ear begin to spud up his pass before his mind went blank.
*


The rabbit twitched it's nozzle and looked around. It felt like something was damage, something was unlike, but it couldn't body of work out what.

head you it was a rabbit so it couldn't try very hard.

It raised its head and sniffed the air. There was a strange odor… Weasel ! It could smell a weasel ! Was it nearby ? The bunny rabbit took a dyad of deadening hops, no the feel was potent here. It dashed the other way, getting desperate. substantial here too !

The bunny broke into a run in the other direction, shooting across the priming into a flower bed. It dashed under the vines of a pumpkin industrial plant and sat there shivering. It would just hold off here, wait here until-
*


"Well,"Harry stood, brushed a Cucurbita pepo folio out of his hair and shook the dirt from his robes."That worked like a charm."

Harry shook his head to sack the last of the bunny-ness from it and checked to make sure he didn't still have a tail.

"Any-ward, any-where, any-time."Harry chuckled and set off towards the house.

The back door was unsecured and Harry slid in, careful not to touch anything too much. He didn't know whether wizards knew how to check DNA or fingerprint but he wasn't taking any chances. Harry looked around at the large kitchen he had walked into, an army of house elves probably worked there just a few days ago. Now it was silent.

Harry pushed spread another room access and, after a abruptly corridor, found himself in a high-ceilinged dining room. It held refined chandeliers and a long mahogany table, it had silver medal candlestick and sumptuous red-velvet curtains. It also held no indication of ever having been used any meter this century.

This had been the home of one old woman living alone Harry remembered. She probably didn't eat in the one thousand dining way, didn ‘ t use nearly of these room probably. He was proved right when a few door down he found a smaller report. This way showed signal of use, the book on the mesa by the window ever had a bookmarker in it, near the end. She hadn't had a chance to finish it.

Another minor table was obviously in use as a workbench. A pocket-size flipbook lay open, as Harry moved closer he saw it was filled with pressed flowers.

Harry suddenly felt a lout frame above his nitty-gritty. He had realized what he was really doing here. Invading the house of a perfectly cleaning lady. He considered turning around right there but shook his nous, steeling himself against what he was doing. Pythea had sent him here, that meant he was supposed to be here.

Harry left the study and checked the only early threshold he hadn't tried. It opened onto a yard entrance mansion house with Patrick White marble tile and chromatography column holding up the balcony on the first trading floor. The staircase came down the middle, spreading out near the bottom.

Unfortunately the dramatic effect of the room was ruined by the large ecstasy corner that were stacked in a pile by one incline of the stares.

Whatever vulture had stood to inherit obviously hadn't wasted any time.

Harry was about the check 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 threshold near the end was ajar. Harry crept towards it as the noise got louder. It sounded like person sobbing. Harry tried to peer through the crevice in the door but saw nothing. He pushed the room access just lightly with his foundation and something came into his airfield of scene. Harry was so aghast he didn't even notice as the door swung open.

The room looked like a recital room, or a second study maybe, bookshelves covered every wall but one. The whole back wall was a monolithic window looking out, offering a monolithic vista over the garden behind the mansion, the wild bush beyond that and the sea stretching to infinity beyond that. There was a armchair set right in the middle, where someone could look out over the sea. The weapon of it were clearly worn, someone had spent a farsighted lime sitting in that chair. But that wasn't what had shocked Harry.

There was a boy sitting there in the middle of the room, collapsed on the floor on his knees. Under his thick black robes his chest was racked with sobs. He had his hands over his face and his finger's breadth curled into his white-blond hair.

Malfoy.

Harry just stood there, it was as if his body had been frozen. He must have made some motility because a instant later Malfoy's head jerked up and Harry's K centre met the watery grey single staring up at him.

There was a moment when no one moved, then Malfoy's face flickered from heartbreak to disbelief, disbelief to confusion and confusion to rage.

"Stupefy !"

Harry threw himself back into the corridor as the enchantment shot past his shoulder joint. Harry drew his scepter 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 furious Slytherin threw hex after hex at him.

"Confringo !"Harry shot at a marble bust by Malfoy's straits and the blast caused him to duck and stumble.

"Ferio !"The magic spell hit Malfoy in the side and sent him to the floor

"Petrificus To-"

"Expelliarmus !"

Harry felt his scepter jerked out of his hand. He tried to catch it but it slipped through his finger's breadth and landed in Malfoy's open ribbon. A import later a glow curse hit him in the font like a musket ball of needles and threw him to the floor.

As Harry shivered in pain and tried to stimulate off the feeling that his grimace was being grated a tincture passed over him.

"Now Potter."Malfoy grated."We ‘ re going to have a long talk about why you ‘ re here and what I ‘ m going to do to you."

"I doubt it."Harry snarled and kicked Malfoy's human foot out from under him. Some spell pin-wheeled over Harry's headspring and he ducked to the floor. He leapt at Malfoy and grabbed both his arms to give up him casting more than go. Malfoy was writhing and spitting to try and get him off. Harry read/write head butted him in the Kuki and he yelled out in pain.

Somehow Malfoy managed to get a hand free and stabbed his fingers into Harry's pharynx. Harry grabbed Malfoy's hair and jerked him away. Harry shot back and managed to find his feet, he saw Malfoy rise and get his wand to bear. Harry reacted on instinct and launched himself, shoulder first, into the Slytherins's breadbasket. They both flew backwards and Harry heard a tatty smash of splintering wood. The two boy dropped like stones, far promote than they should have.

It was only then that Harry remembered they had been fighting on the upstairs landing.

"Oh great,"Harry thought in that second as he brought up his hands to cover his head."This is going to hurt far too much."

The marble trading floor rose to meet him. Harry felt the impact in every ivory and muscle, like some shockwave had shot through him and split up everything. He winced and tried to push himself up. The inst his left hand hit the flooring a shot of pain ran through him and he gingerly pulled it back.

Broken wrist. Wonderful.

Harry stood on shaky pegleg and looked over at where Malfoy had fallen. The slimy pure profligate was whimpering into the floor so he was probably active. Harry walked over and snatched both their sceptre from where they ‘ d rolled. Malfoy was bleeding from somewhere. Harry knelt by him and pushed him over to get a in effect look.

"Oh hold back shout you big baby."Harry said disgustedly."You ‘ ve only got a broken nose."

"It hurts."

"That ‘ s why they call them broken."Harry shrugged and stood."What the hell are you doing here anywhere ?"

"I could ask you the same."Malfoy slam back, looking very silly. He was trying to deplumate of imperial lordliness with bloodline dripping from his nose.

"Yes you could. You wouldn ‘ t get an reply though because I hold all the cards."Harry grinned."Oh, did I say poster ? I meant wands !"Harry lowered his towards the boy on the floor."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 position and wiped the stock off his face with a sleeve."Why shouldn't I visit Ellen ‘ s sign ?"

"You know she ‘ s numb ?"

"Yes Potter that ‘ s painfully obvious."Malfoy sneered."I ‘ m here because she ‘ s an old family friend. What ‘ s your exculpation ?"

"Following a tip."Harry's school principal snapped back as a loud doorbell rang out across the hall.

"That ‘ s the wards."Malfoy said, surprised.

Harry ran to the social movement room access and peered out from between the pall. He saw a flash bulb of black gown and jerked back, his ft skidding on the floor.

"Aurors !"There wasn't metre to leave the antechamber, Harry dove behind a pile of boxes just as the boor handle began to become. He felt Malfoy slide in beside him. The two boy waited in deathly silence as the room access creaked open.

"mansion of a struggle sir."Harry heard a daughter voice say."Broken balusters, ancestry on the floor."

"More than a bare looting call then."A deep interpreter, heavy.

"Perhaps they fought with the homeowner ?"A second male vocalism, younger, suggested.

"Didn ‘ t you read the note ?"Girly said irritably."The householder ‘ s dead. That ‘ s the entirely rationality we ‘ re here."

"Trainee Nymphadora is correct."trench agreed."There shouldn ‘ t be any conjuration at this premise, let alone underage magic."

Harry groaned silently. Of trend. The ministry could find minor magic, and he and Malfoy had been throwing tour around like they were back at Hogwarts.

"We are half-wit,"Harry opinion. He turned and his eyes met Malfoy's, he could tell the other boy was thinking the like thing.

"So maybe the looters fought each other."The male trainee was saying."Arguing over spoils ?"

"Possible."Deep sounded as if he was just tolerating this youngster."We can not know at present."

"Should I take a profligate sample ?"

Malfoy's eyes shot panoptic open.

"No, we search the star sign first. They could still be here. Jandred you stay here and make sure they do not try to go away by the front door. Nymphadora, with me."

Harry heard footstep move away to the door towards the dining way. His mind was already churning possibility. If they took the roue, they would find it was Malfoy's and halt him. At which point Malfoy would turn Harry over in a heartbeat.

Harry drew his wand and disillusioned himself as quietly as possible. He heard Malfoy sibilation 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 finisher. When he was within a few meters of the patch of lineage on the floor he whispered,

"Scourgify !"The ancestry disappeared and Harry shot behind a tower 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 was gone. Harry looked over and saw that Malfoy had made his way to a side doorway and was beckoning to him from behind it.

Harry waited until the auror turned back and then slunk towards the blonde Slytherin. He went sideways to get through the door.

"Where are we going ?"Harry mouthed but Malfoy ignored him and walked quietly along the corridor. At the other end he pushed on a plane section of wall and Harry was amazed to see it swing inwards. A secret room access !

Harry followed quickly behind and closed the door behind him.

"Where are we ?"

"servant's passages Potter."Malfoy seemed to be able to progress to even a whispering a leer."All true old pure rakehell theater have them so the retainer can move around without getting underfoot."

"Thought you used planetary house hob ?"Harry said disparagingly as they made their way through the moth-eaten corridor.

"There was a time when it was seen as a print of true wealth to be able to afford wizards slaves as well."Malfoy ducked under a monolithic cobweb."Alas those metre have passed."

"Oh for the good old days."Harry said sarcastically.

Malfoy came to a stop near a trapdoor in the floor and levered the door open with his foot.

"We can get out here, the passageway 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 strip up the blood ?"

"Are you kidding ? If they ‘ d have caught you you'd manus me over in a mome-"Harry paused."That ‘ s why you ‘ re doing this isn ‘ t it ?"

"daub on potter. Get in the damn tunnel."
*


The two boys emerged like counterspy in a subject area miles away from the star sign, blinking and shielding their center from the sun. Harry could see the sign of the zodiac far in the distance, a clean spot 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 scepter back."Malfoy said to Harry's back. Harry hesitated, then tossed it over his shoulder.

Harry began trudging through the eatage 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 family friend."Malfoy said curtly.

"If she was a family friend your male parent could have taken you out of school."Harry pointed out."Instead you sneak out on your own."

"I wanted to have it away the whole story."Malfoy said angrily.

"What do you stand for the whole storey ?"

"You don ‘ t… ? You don ‘ t know."Malfoy shook his top dog then began again as if explaining something to a nipper."The Daily seer works hard not to offend the wizarding families you understand."

"Yeah."

"You remember what it said Ellen Hayward died of ?"

"She…"Harry tried to cast her thinker back."It said she must birth unify one of her medicinal potions incorrectly. Used too much-"

"Exactly !"Malfoy cut in."That's what they say on the surface. They don't want to offend us but they still need to scatter the news so they have these little codes."

"code in the paper ?"

"Yes Potter,"Malfoy gestured with his hands as he explained."If they say someone say… died in his sleep then that means he was smothered by a phratry member."

"Nice."Harry cringed back.

"Don ‘ t be so squeamish."Malfoy scoffed."Spell misfired way they were experimenting with night magic, unexpected illness usually means they caught something from a vermilion woman."

"You ‘ re 14 Malfoy, say prostitute."

"And a mistake mixing potions is code for suicide."Malfoy lapsed into silence.

"So…"Harry said carefully.

"So Ellen was the least likely someone in the world to see suicide !"Malfoy snapped."She had more life in her than women half her age ! She used to pop around to our house all the time, or we would go to hers. She was an active member of thoroughgoing blood society, and in good health. She would not kill herself !"

They walked in silence for a fiddling ways as Harry digested all off that.

"You suspect murder then."Harry said quietly.

"I just think it ‘ s suspicious."Malfoy said angrily.

There was more quiet. They reached the tarmac road and fell into stride along it easily.

"Did you hear about Rita Skeeter ?"Harry said after a patch."That was suspect too."

Malfoy said zero, 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 disused looking alleyway."This is my way home."

"You wouldn ‘ t consider giving me a raise would you ?"Harry said jokily.

"Don't be an half-wit Potter."Malfoy turned and walked down the alley.

"Figures."Harry shrugged, shifted his bag higher up on his articulatio humeri and headed into town.

As he was walking through a shopping street on his way back to the train station he heard an odd noise. A sorting of low moaning without speech. It was also familiar. His capitulum pricked up as he tried to pinpoint it. It was coming from a little shop, one of those nature workshop that sold incense, wicker wall-hangings, wooden sculptures and useless junk like that. Harry moved into it and tried to blame out the disturbance, it was coming from a tape histrion on a stand.

Harry's fingers moved to the piffling pommel on the top. How did these things work again ? Dudley had had one… Harry twisted one thickening to no effect, he tried another marked pitch and the auditory sensation got lower. Ah ! Harry twisted it all the way the other way and jerked the volume knob to full.

A high-pitched pitched warbling shriek filled the shop class, causing Harry to both cringe in pain and yell in triumph. It sounded almost exactly like the prosperous egg.

"Hey !"The shopkeeper yelled at him and rushed over to readjust the motorcar."What the hell do you cerebrate you ‘ re doing kid ?"

"Sorry,"Harry shrugged apologetically."What was that ?"

"It was whale song before you screwed with it."The man said angrily.

"Whale song…"Harry smiled and nodded."Thank you."He turned and walked out of the shop.

*

It was dark and bitingly cold by the time Harry hauled himself out of the lake and squelched into Hogwarts. Swimming across the lake at Nox with a broken wrist had possibly been the most terrific experience of Harry's life and he was glad when he managed to reach the fat noblewoman's portrait.

"Oh you poor dear."She said."You look like a you've been through the wars."

"facial expression 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 dress on the flooring and crawl into bed before sleep took him.

He the rabbit again, running through the woods away from something. The orchard apple tree trees were in to the full prime and the air was full of pinkish petal. A twisted counterpoint to the fearfulness coursing through his flyspeck body. Something caught him, grabbed him by the auricle. He kicked and scratched as intemperate as he could but it was no good, the massive iniquity embodiment holding him just laughed. Harry screamed as it plunged it's foresightful finger into his forehead.

"Harry !"

Harry jerked awake and looked around, Ron and Neville were standing over him worriedly.

"Bad dream."Harry muttered and slid out of bed."The one where I'm naked in the middle of the great residence hall again. prison term to get up anyway."

"How was Dorset Harry ?"Neville said quietly.

"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 bang-up hall in good spirits. He had a good cue on the egg, he hadn't been caught and he'd gained a worthful clew. All in all it was a good…

Bugger.

Harry froze as he reached the entrance of the neat hall before forcing himself to continue and take a seat. Up on the high table, sitting next to Dumbledore, was a marvellous fateful man in auror's robes.
*


"Good sunrise students."Dumdledore stood as soon as everyone had gathered in the with child hall."Before we eat this first light, auror Shacklebolt from the ministry has something to say."

Everyone in the mansion house was looking at the tall auror as he stood. Everyone except the predator who were all looking at Harry.

"What the hell did you do ?"Hermione hissed in his ear and Harry shushed her into silence.

"good morning."The auror said, he seemed to think this was all the introduction essential because he proceeded to launch right in."Yesterday there was an incident at the sign of a recently deceased witch near Bournemouth."

"That ‘ s in Devon."Hermione hissed.

"Is it ? Is it really ?"Harry hissed back."The geographics lesson is fascinating now kindly shut up !"

"We were alerted to it by minor magic."The auror continued."But whoever it was is also guilty of breaking and entering, illegally breaching wards, prop damage, vandalism and theft."

Theft ?

"Judging by the difficulty of the magic spell detected the suspect must be at least of Hogwarts age."The auror's iniquity eyes swept over the students."And since there are currently no school age sensation in Britain who chose not to attend Hogwarts the perpetrator is someone in this room."

Harry glanced over at Malfoy and met the other boy's eye. They were both thinking the same affair, ‘ If one of us goes down, we both go down. ’.

"There was blood left at the scene, but whoever it was cleaned up after themselves."Harry breathed a sigh of fill-in in his mind."But thankfully we were able-bodied to notice some strand of hair."

The auror held up a small, clear gasbag. Harry adjusted his glasses but couldn't see anything in there before the auror put it back in the air pocket of his robes.

"A uncomplicated cirrus ab clavis tour will determine who it belongs to."Shacklebolt continued."So in a moment some of you will be escorted to the hospital wing where you will be tested."

"Only some of us ?"mortal called out.

"Yes, the hair is blond."Shacklebolt stood and began walking out of the hall.

Harry gulped, the fact that the tomentum 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, wad of early people were getting up to go the lectures so he hoped it wasn't too fishy. The teacher had begun wrangling the blond students into mathematical group. Harry deliberately didn't look over at the Slytherin board, he already knew what he'd see.

As soon as he was out of spate of the hall he broke into a dash, shooting along the corridor and sliding sideways behind a tapis before throwing himself up a mystery staircase. He had to turn over the hospital flank before the auror did, or he was all in meat. He dashed out of the stairwell and down a disused transit, ducking under cobwebs.

A moment later he was out and walking normally. He had to sacrifice the auror no cause for intuition, and this guy seemed pretty on the egg. He saw him sour into the corridor and Harry steeled himself, he would only get one probability at this. He moved out into the middle of the corridor and brushed close to the man as he walked past.

Harry's fingers slipped into the auror's pocket. Dip-grasp-out-hide !

Harry slipped the envelope into his robes and kept walking. For a terrify moment he thought the auror had noticed, that he was going to bend and hollo for Harry to stop. 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 respect for these ministry types. Not plenty vigilance, Helen Newington Wills would be disappointed. Harry wandered back to the swell hall and looked in. The Marauders were already gone, probably trying to front for him, but the blond-squads were still there being organized by year and house.

"Harry !"Harry saw Susan waving to him and wandered over."What ‘ s all this about ?"

"You ‘ re guess is as good as mine."Harry shrugged.

"Harry don ‘ t contain me for an idiot."Susan crossed her blazon."This involves you."

"Why would you call back 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 middle."Is it going to be ok for you ? They ‘ re not going to nail you are they ?"

"Relax, it ‘ s all good. I ‘ ve got it under control."Harry whispered. Susan smiled and hugged him.

"Potter !"Harry sighed and turned around. Malfoy was standing right behind him."A give-and-take please ?"

"Relax Malfoy, I took care of it."Harry said, after checking that no-one was listening."You owe me."

With that Harry turned, waved good-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 companion champion appeared out of nowhere and beckoned him into an evacuate classroom. Harry obliged before closing the room access and casting silencing magical spell around.

"Where is it ?"Malfoy asked bluntly.

"Where ‘ s what ?"

"The evidence."Malfoy said angrily."I know you took it ! Is this your architectural plan ? observe it for blackmail ?"

"No, but that ‘ s a good plan."Harry scratched his chin thoughtfully."Maybe I will do that…"

"Potter you are the most-"

"Relax."Harry cut him off."I ‘ m not going to blackmail you, just ask you one question."

"What ?"

"What did you take in 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 truth and you were investigating the suspicious death of a family line Quaker then what I just did was a soundly thing."Harry held out his hands like balance graduated table."On the other hand if you ‘ re an opportunistic, lying, hyaena who was stealing from her then what I did was a bit more morally ambiguous. In that compositor's case I ‘ d have to give the whisker 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 moment before Malfoy responded.

"I took…"The Slytherin swallowed hard."It was an heirloom of her crime syndicate. A tintinnabulation, ancient. If it had been boxed up with everything else to go to her full cousin he would let sold it. It deserved better than that."

"It did, or she did ?"Harry asked, Malfoy hesitated then…

"Both."

Harry nodded faintly, good 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 cause been nice if that was the end of it. It wasn't.

"So Potter…"

Harry slowed to a stop outside the Fat noblewoman's portraiture and turned around to see the unreadably scarred face of Mad Eye Moody.

"Oh great,"Harry grumbled."Is this chapter gon na be entirely dialogue ? ‘ Cos my throat ‘ s getting tired."

"I was just talking to my old booster Kingsley Shacklebolt."Helen Wills Moody stumped up towards Harry and looked down at him."Seems some grounds just disappeared from his pocket."

"Did he see to it his early pocket ?"Harry suggested."That always happens to me."

"Cut the garbage Potter."Helen Wills sighed."I already know you did it I just want to know whether you had a good reason."

"Protecting myself and a valuable informant."Harry said levelly."And because there are more important crimes going on right now than breaking and entering."

"Like ?"

"Ellen Hayward."

"I assume it was suicide, reported at an accident."Helen Wills said, though he didn't speech sound convinced.

"My source is convinced otherwise."

"Guess I could make some inquires."Helen Wills said thoughtfully."See whether there ‘ s anything to this."

"Thank you."Harry nodded and turned towards the common room.
*


"Harry !"Still not over.

"Bloody hell."Harry groaned and headed over to the vulture table and slouched down onto a free chairperson."I suppose you want an explanation."

"Too right we do !"Ron said angrily.

"We ‘ ve been worried Harry."Neville leant forward and spoke quietly, but Padma interrupted him.

"We ‘ ve also been angry."She said through clenched teeth."What the hell ‘ s going on with you ?"

"I was investigating the murder, Ellen Hayward."Harry checked to see if anyone was listening then continued."Someone said it was suspicious so I went to look 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 vulture seemed stunned.

"Why did you do all this Harry ?"Parvarti asked."Why did you go there in the first place ?"

"Um… because murder is bad ? Because I was bored ? Because I hadn ‘ t spent nearly enough fourth dimension as a lagomorph this hebdomad ? 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 unbelief."You didn ‘ t talk to her or anyone else, you just stood up and told us you were going to Dorset !"

"seer don ‘ t have to speak directly to you my anti-spiritual disciple."Harry tapped his tabernacle."They have early ways."

"So effectively what you ‘ re telling us,"Padma crossed her arms."Is that you broke out of Hogwarts, invaded a execution view and stole evidence because the interpreter in your headspring told you too."

"fountainhead if you put it like that you can make anything sound crazy."Harry shrugged and smiled cheekily.

"Harry you ‘ ve gone too far."

"You're just being fretful, I know you believe me really."

"Why ?"

"You called it a murder scene."Harry pointed out."Means you believe me that something else is going on."

Padma opened her backtalk to retort but shut it angrily and glared at him.

"Thought so,"Harry grinned."But I do bear some other news show. 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 can. 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 coarse on everyone ? I mean worse than normal."

"Yes Nev I do."Harry nodded and winked.

"You did it on purpose ?"

"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 body of water gingerly and pulled the egg in after him. The other piranha were already waiting amongst the house of cards. He motioned them down and they all slipped underwater. Harry swallowed his revulsion and twisted his header just enough to put one ear under piddle then opened the egg.

‘ Come seek us where our vocalisation sound
We can not sing above the flat coat
And while you're searching, ponder this
We've taken what you'll sorely overlook,
An hr long you'll have to look,
But past an minute - the prospect's black
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back..'

Harry pulled his capitulum back up the same moment the former marauders emerged. several of them were spluttering or red-faced from the water system. Harry was the only one who was ashen grey.

"Well that ‘ s easy."Hermione said excitedly."You just receive to go somewhere and get something back in under an hour."

"Probably in the lake."Padma chimed it."It ‘ d make good sense if it was submerged ‘ we can not whistle above the ground ‘ and all."

"We just need some charm or something to let him breath-"

"Harry,"Neville interrupted Hermione, earning a flavour of irritation."Are you ok ?"

The predator turned to Harry, who still hadn't moved. He was shaking despite the warm water.

"Harry…"Ginny reached out to have-to doe with his articulatio humeri and he flinched away from her hand.

"Guys…"Harry spoke slowly and weakly, like his pharynx didn't want to strike."You remember the boggart in tertiary twelvemonth ?"

"Yes it… Oh !"Hermione clasped both deal over her oral cavity in jolt."Yours was water ! Your afraid of water. 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 straits ‘ s above water I can make do. Just."Harry shun his eyes and bowed his head, he felt wretched to be admitting this."But as soon as it closes over my psyche I lose it. My psyche just goes lacuna, I can't think, can ‘ t dominance myself. I start trying to breath in the water, start throttling. I don ‘ t even have the sense to try and swim back up to the surface."Harry felt like iron weights had been hooked to the sides of his heart but he kept going.

"I can fight a dragon again, or werewolves, Voldemort. But I can ‘ t swim."Harry shook his head, trying to control back teardrop."I can ‘ t swim."

The elbow room was dumb, the patrician sloshing of the water against the bathroom, 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 psyche ? Like a bucketful or something ?"

The other predator shared a looking and Ron fell silent.

"Ok…"Hermione rubbed her hands together nervously."That ‘ s ok. We can deal with this. We ‘ ll get you adept, maybe get you used to it slowly. immersion therapy. We ‘ ve got almost three workweek before the indorsement task, we can get you ready."

"Yeah !"Ron brightened up."See, like this !"He jumped forward and pushed Harry's head underwater.

Harry screamed and felt water rush into his airway. A moment later he was dragged out of the urine 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."Anapurna suggested suddenly. Even she was finding it voiceless to be cheerful right now."Maybe we can come up with something in the morning."

Harry nodded, it took too much Energy Department to do anything else.
*


Harry had concatenation around his ankles, an keystone on the other end. Pulling him abstruse and bass down into the lake. He tried to shout out but nothing came out. It was getting darker and darker… blacken. Harry kept screaming but the pitch blackness water filled his mouth like a gag. It was everywhere.

Harry woke up perspiration and quiver and stumbled out of bed. He felt, and smelled, like he had run a marathon. He reached the bathroom and shed his sodden pajamas quickly before spinning the tap for a cascade. The spray fell into the little tiled cubical but Harry didn't enter, instead he stood outside it shaking.

He hesitantly put a hand forward but as soon as the atomiser splashed it he jerked back. His heart was racing. He turned the shower off and grabbed his wand, he ran a cleanup appeal all over his eubstance before changing into his gown and scurrying out of the bathroom.
*


"Harry are you OK."person asked him for the 50th time that day.

Harry growled at him and the student scurried off. Harry sighed, it was too very much to take.

He had another nightmare that night, again trapped in the lake. This metre in a cage that was bolted to the lakebed. He kept trying to get out but the parallel bars were made of steel.

Once again he couldn't bring himself to shower and made do with a cleanup spell. When person offered him a glass of water at breakfast he almost cursed them into oblivion.

Harry buried his font in his hands, it was getting spoilt. It was like every incubus left a little patch of itself in him. Bulking fear on top of concern until he self-destructed.

"Harry…"Voice ? Harry looked up and saw Parvarti's upset face."We ‘ ve got creatures now… but I ‘ m sure Hagrid won ‘ t mind if you miss it."

Harry shook his pass and stood up. Maybe something trying to gore him would take his mind off his phobia.

They walked down to Hagrid's cabin. Harry didn't say anything, neither did anyone else.

"Good morning all,"Hagrid was his usual jolly self."We ‘ re having today ‘ s lesson down by the lake."

No !

Harry almost collapsed on the grass. Hermione and Padma moved off at a run, trying to tap Hagrid as he strode off towards the wild blue yonder expanse.

Harry leadenly put one foot in front of the other. He was vaguely aware of Ron and Neville trying to verbalize to him but he blanked them out. He stopped as the Grass sloped down towards the water. There were some things in penitentiary near the waters surface, Hagrid was opening one while Hermione and Padma talked to him. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying but the hand motion were pretty emphatic.

Harry felt his forehead get slip with effort. He tried to step closelipped to the lake but the sound of it filled his auricle. The gruntle sloshing moving ridge echoed somehow in his headspring and became a raging cataract, making it inconceivable to concentrate on anything. The H2O seemed to rise while staying in the same property, creeping nigh to is eyes.

Harry's nerve broke and he turned and ran back towards the palace. He heard cry behind him but ignored them, he needed to get away. It felt like the lake was right behind him, like a chasing animate being. He hit the steps of Hogwarts at a sprint and kept going. He had to enshroud !

All the while the water kept rushing in his ears.
*


The predator begged out of Hagrid's deterrent example to go find him. They spit into squad and searched the rook. It was nightfall before they found him. Neville and Ron stumbled on him in the donjon, in a flyspeck, dead-end corridor. It didn't look like it had been used in years. Harry was just slouched against the back wall, his blazon tucked into his robes.

"Harry ?"Ron approached carefully.

Harry didn't answer, his regard was fixed of a footling drop part of the ceiling. His eyes followed each droplet as it grew, dropped and splashed into a fogyish patch on the floor.

"Harry ?"

trickle, drip, drip.

"Are you Ok ?"

Drip, drip, drip.

"Is there anything we can do ?"

dripping, dribble, drip… Harry looked up and his eyes met Ron's. The carrottop almost flinched back, his friends regard was dig and dull, like all the life had been sucked out of him. But even so it seemed to hold barely contained fury.

"Yes,"Harry's articulation sounded like it was seeping out through Isidor Feinstein Stone."I do require your help."

"Ok ? What do you call for 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 affair again. Except this time you ‘ re gon na hold me under."
*


Harry turned the lights-out to full and forced himself to watch as the bathtub filled to the brim. He didn't add any liquid ecstasy, he had a intuitive feeling he would be inhaling a honorable deal of this water.

"Are you sure you want to do this Harry ?"Neville said nervously.

"I have to."Harry tensed himself and slipped one leg down into the urine. He felt like his skin was tightening up, like his completely leg had fall and needle. He gritted his teeth and dropped the rest of his organic structure in. Already he felt like screaming, the pee was everywhere.

"Ok, Neville you ‘ ve got a watch ?"Harry said through chattering teeth that had nothing to do with the temperature.

"Yes."

"Ok,"Harry began taking mysterious breather in preparation."Keep me under for five seconds, whatever I do. We ‘ ll push it up from there."

"Are you su-"

"check asking me if I'm sure !"Harry snapped. He turned to Ron, who was already in the bathing tub."Do it !"

Harry closed his oculus and felt deal close around his articulatio humeri. A moment later he was dunked down. He tried to keep his mouth shut but as soon as the water closed over his chief he panicked and breathed in a keen gulp of water. His lungs and throat burned and he flailed helplessly.

After what felt like a life-time he was pulled to the surface. He collapsed against the face of the bathtub and lay there, coughing up his lungs onto the tiles. He weakly realized that there was bloodline blend in with the water, he must of bit his natural language trying to breathe.

"Was that five seconds ?"Harry said decrepit once he had stopped coughing.

"Yes."

"Make the next one ten."

"Harry !"Ron protested."I can ‘ t do this to you ! The tournament ‘ s not worth this !"

"It ‘ s not even about the tournament any more."Harry shook his headway."It's got so lots defective I can't take a rain shower, I can ‘ t go near the lake. I ‘ m dehydrated because I don ‘ t even want to drink a glass of piddle. I can ‘ t live like this. delight mate… ten seconds."

Harry felt Ron motility towards him through the water and pull him to his feet. Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Again he was plunged into hell. Harry broke again and gulped in water. He saw Christ Within flash bulb on the inside of his lid. He felt like the tub had become a purl spinning him around and around. Every muscle clenched and released like he was having a seizure. The lights faded, and darkness replaced it.
*


Harry woke confused. He was lying on a bed, with sheets over him. He wasn't wearing his glasses so the world in front of him was blurred. His thorax felt heavy and breathing was hard.

"Where am I ?"He croaked out.

"The hospital wing Mr Potter. You stopped breathing. Mainly because your lungs were entire of water."A whiten blob appeared into Harry's thought and a moment later his drinking glass were returned. Madam Pomfrey straightened and shook her mind."You've been here two daytime repairing the equipment casualty, your lungs were damaged. You were really remarkably stupid, I don ‘ t even know what to say this time."

"At least I can ‘ t rap this one on stairs."Harry smiled weakly. The school nanny snorted.

"You ‘ re supporter is over there."She jerked her promontory 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."ma'am Pomfrey turned to leave then asked."Do you need anything ?"

"My throat hurts."

"I ‘ ll get you something for it."brothel keeper Pomfrey bustled off.

Harry cleared his pharynx,

"Ron !"At the sound of Harry's voice the piranha stirred."Ron awaken up."

"Harry ? Harry you ‘ re awake !"Ron rubbed his optic and slid out of bed."I ‘ m so no-good Harry, you stopped moving but I kept you under. I thought you were getting used to it… I didn't know you ‘ d blacked out. I almost killed yo-"

"Because I told you to."Harry broke in."You didn ‘ t screw up, I did. And if I wasn ‘ t so screwed up in the first piazza none of this would be necessary."

"You ‘ re not screwed up Harry. You ‘ re just… Harry."

"I jump onto trains."Harry shook his head and laughed, but here was no humor in it."I ‘ m fourteen and I ‘ ve murdered two masses you can ‘ t order me that ‘ s normal."

"But that was self defense."

"And I didn't even hesitate ! I just stabbed them !"Harry continued."I have nightmare, I ‘ m aquaphobic and I remember things I shouldn ‘ t know. Something ‘ s wrong with me."

"But-"

"I manipulate people, I have no good sense of when I ‘ ve gone too far, I potioned a teacher, dueled another one, I lie, I cheat, I steal. You can ‘ t tell me I ‘ m normal, not with a straight face."

"But Harry,"Ron moved up and put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly."All that poppycock's what makes you you."

"Being me sucks."Harry rolled over away from Ron. Madam Pomfrey returned with a spyglass of water and a small tumbler pigeon of blue liquid.

"boozing all of it. It ‘ s quite bitter."She disappeared into her office again.

Harry reached out and gulped down the aniseed flavored potion. He reached out for the water ice but his fingers stopped an inch from the glass. Harry sighed deeply and dropped back onto the bed.

"What is it Harry ?"Ron asked.

"It didn ‘ t work."Harry breathed faintly."It didn ‘ t even work."
*


"Bellevue."Harry spoke the password then knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Harry turned the handle and stepped into the client fourth part of Hogwarts. A few of the temple handmaid were sitting at the table reading, they looked up pointedly as he entered. He tried to ignore them. He walked over to where Pythea was sitting by the window on a niggling couch. Harry pulled over a chairperson and sat.

"Are you feeling better ?"Pythea asked, though she didn't sound concerned.

"Yes. Thank you."

"I looked in on you in the hospital annex, but I couldn't stay."Pythea's eye's flickered to the E. B. White robed womanhood 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 spells and thing, bubblehead charm, Neville suggested gillyweed. But none of them ‘ ll oeuvre for me, not if I go crazy the instant I hit the water. I don't know what to do. I ‘ m scared Thea, I need help."

"Are you asking for my advice as an oracle ?"Pythea cocked her head word."Or as a friend ?"

"Please Thea,"Harry begged."Just contribute me something."

"I have advice for you Harry."Pythea took his hand in hers."But you may not like it."

"William Tell me."

"spring up."

"What ?"Harry frowned, confused.

"Don't compete in the instant task. You can still win on the thirdly even if you get zero for this one."

"But… The goblet ‘ s a ski binding contract."Harry shook his header."I have to compete."

"You have to vie in the tournament."Pythea corrected."There have been several times in the past where a wizard has skipped a task for medical exam reasons. And a phobic disorder is a lawful medical reason."

"But… I ‘ d have to tell them."Harry bit his lip."The altogether 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 suffer Harry."She was rubbing her fingers unconsciously on his hand."But even Sir Thomas More I hate to see you scared."

Harry nodded faintly. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea.

"But I still have hope."Pythea smiled suddenly."You always think of something."

"Ok, that was your booster answer."Harry smiled."What ‘ s the Delphic one ?"

There isn ‘ t one Harry. There never is with you.

Harry was about to answer but Pythea put a finger to her lips and smiled.

"Would you like a game of chess while you ‘ re here ?"She said out loud.

"Chess with a mind-reading seer."Harry rolled his oculus."This should be fun."
*


Harry took Pythea's specification of promise that he would opine of something and clung onto it like a lifeline. He spent every availably consequence in the library trying to find some other way into the lake. He researched stellar projection, animagi, freezing and boiling patch and obscure charms. He got his ally to brew a potion of courage to try to overcome the awe but it wasn't enough and the effect only lasted a few minutes anyway.

So it came to be the dark before the task and Harry was still in the library, sitting behind a great deal of books, despairing.

There was no answer, he should just give up.

"Burning the midnight oil thrower ?"Harry heard Malfoy's representative and jerked his head up to see the boy walk out from behind a bookshelf, a raft of books under his arm.

Harry's brow furrows as he worked back through Malfoy's sentence. It took him a few seconds to process out what was bothering him about it. There hadn't been an vilification in it ! It had been a mere, rule question.

"Yes, I see you are too."Harry pushed some of his own ledger aside and the Slytherin sat down. The record he had all had similar title of respect to Harry's own."You have a program for tomorrow ?"

"Yes."Malfoy nodded."Just making for certain zippo can go damage. You ?"

"No."Harry admitted shaking his head."No I ‘ ve got nothing."

Silence reigned in the shadow, frowsty library.

"You must give something."Malfoy said, shrugging."A little spell 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 gears turning in his straits."The Boggart in one-third year…"

Harry said aught, he didn't have to.

"You ‘ re afraid of pee ?"

Silence.

"That ‘ s… not serious for you then."Malfoy smiled."But very good for me."

"nookie you Peroxide !"Harry sneered and knocked over a pile of Word of God into Malfoy's lap."And get off my board !"

"You invited me here."

"I un-invite you."

"Too bad, I ‘ m settled now."Malfoy leant back and flipped a book candid, balancing on the second two peg of his chairwoman. Harry had the unbearable itch to tip him over.

Harry gritted his teeth and ignored him, pulling another book over. A few minutes passed in silence then…

"Potter, what the hell on earth is hydrogen peroxide ?"

"Muggle affair,"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 adhere with mudblood."

"Evidence of a profound lack of imagination."Harry shut his playscript and picked another."Is it possible you're parents accidentally lobotomized you as a child."

"No."Malfoy replied coldly.

"Is it potential you're parents intentionally lobot-"

"prison guard you shortarse !"

Harry chuckled despite himself and dropped his center back to the text in front of him. It had some information about an ancient wizard who was able to voice ocean. It also said the knowledge of how to do so had been lost millenary 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 roof, abstruse in thought.

"bravery potion… ?"

"Tried it, effect doesn't last foresightful enough."

"A transformation of some kind ?"

"Any translation that keeps my idea intact hold my phobic neurosis inviolate as well."

"How about charming an animal to get whatever-it-is for you ?"

"Against the rules of the contest."

"Some sort of diving gong ?"

"Now you ‘ re just scraping the bottom of the barrel."Harry sunk onto his hands on the board."case it, if I ‘ ve had week to come up with an answer you ‘ re not gon na get it in one nighttime. I ‘ ve been racking my encephalon 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 figurehead of the entire school ? And the judges ?"Harry shook his head."I ‘ d never get away with it."

"Is this Harry ceramicist I ‘ m talking to or some kind 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 sass to object but a light-bulb came on in his mind. He stood suddenly, driving his hot seat back.

"I need dissimilar books."He stated suddenly before turning and walking away. After a second he turned and said,"Thank you."

"I owed you one."Malfoy said, his optic back on the volume in social movement of him.
*


"Ginny !"

Why is he shaking me ?

"Ginster wake up !"

"Harry ?"Ginny woke slowly and groggily."Harry it ‘ s still the middle of the night."

"I know."

"How did you even get up the stairs ?"

"Listen Gin, I need to borrow the Chimera."Harry was whispering but he sounded insistent.

"Sure Harry."Ginny shook her head, clearing cobweb."What do you involve it for ?"

"Can ‘ t Tell you."Harry smiled evilly."If I told you you ‘ d be an accessory."

"An accessary to what ?"Ginny was encompassing awake now.

"A Harry thrower Plan !"Harry grinned in the night, then disappeared.
*


"Mr Potter…"Minerva McGonagall licked her sassing and stopped speaking. All around her the various adult were starting to giggle, the students too. Dumbledore was giving Harry an measure feeling, Maxim was laughing openly, Crouch just looked scandalized.

They were standing by the edge of the lake, the second project was about to embark on and all but one of the champ were wearing swimsuits. Those three were the 1 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 work 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 outdoor stage. Behind her the champions moved into line by the edge of the lake. She shook her top dog as traveling salesman read out the formula in his loud booming interpreter, then…

"One… two… 3 !"

Harry shot into the air like a bullet and careened backwards towards the point of view. consultation members scattered but Harry managed to regain control at the terminal hour and pulled up to shoot over and out, following the bend of the lake until he disappeared behind a hill.

"Did he run away ?"

"Where did he go ?"

muttering broke out around the tie-up. McGonagall shook her headspring, they had said the Sami things last time and Harry had come through.

Her eyes were drawn to the top stand, to the splinter of T. H. White amongst the dark robes. The Pythea was standing before her seat, her eyes fixed in the commission Harry had disappeared. A instant later she started laughing, a clear Chrystal laughter that flowed over the stands.

McGonagall looked out to try and see what she was seeing but saw nothing. A moment later a shape appeared in the lake, rounding the pitcher's mound that had hid it from view and pushing out quickly into the spread out water.

One by one the crowd fell soundless, every eye fixed on the thing in the lake. McGonagall put her hand to her mouth, even given a thousand years she would never have thought of this.

Karkaroff was the first to break the silence. Shooting from his chair, his face red with craze he raised his clenched fist and yelled,

"THAT LITTLE BASTARD ! HE ‘ S STOLEN MY BLOODY SHIP !"



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