Harry Potter and the Fires of Heart
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters and themes mentioned in the books, films, videos... All rights belong to JK Rowling.
Chapter one
The Fourth Champion
"Harry Potter!" the Triwizard Tournament relic shouted through the Great Hall to the astonishment of all.
"Impossible!" or "He cheated!" were shouted relentlessly until Professor Dumbledore silenced everyone with his deep voice full of respect.
"Mr Potter, please follow me to join the other Champions…" the Old Mage asked Harry with sincerity in his calculating eyes. `Yes, it will be a good test for him… He needs to prepare himself for his sacrifice to destroy Voldemort once and for all.` he thought as they entered the back hall, where the other Champions were stationed.
"May I have your attention? The Cup selected a fourth Champion, while this is highly suspicious, the contract cannot be broken, unless young Harry is willing to offer up his life. Harry…" he said, turning to the Gryffindor. "Did you throw or did you ask somebody to throw your name into the Cup?"
"No…" he answered as sweat appeared on his forehead. He thought it was a just joke at first, but this was getting deadly serious. The tasks were supposed to be extremely difficult, so why would a fourteen year old want to endanger himself? "I have no idea who did it… I've already faced dangers in this school and I'm not willing to extend the list."
"Very well, my boy." The headmaster mentioned while turning to the others. "The First Task will be held on November 24, 2004. Please try to find as many clues as possible till the start of the task. We will host a Yule Ball on the Christmas Day from 8 p.m. The Champions will arrive with their dates to start the dance. Please inform your Head of House or your Headmaster of your partner… You have time to choose till the end of November." The Old Wizard looked at them with curiosity, what the youngest generation will do in the Tournament. "If you have no further questions, please go to your bedrooms and rest. This is going to be long and hard year for all of you."
Cedric was first to leave the room, probably to meet up with his girlfriend – Cho Chang. They were an item from the end of the last year and he wanted to tell her the great news. Harry was eager to leave the place – the calculating look on the Headmaster's eyes was something he was afraid of. During the summer, Harry often wondered, why Dumbledore hadn't granted Sirius at least a trial – he had legal authority to do that… Sirius could have been interrogated under the Oath or under Veritaserum, but Dumbledore did nothing… The young Gryffindor still couldn't understand why.
Harry for the next hour wandered through the silent halls wondering, how his friends would react. He was certain Ron will have a fit – he could see his face before he left the Great Hall. Hermione, on the other hand, always supported him, even if he couldn't see it at first – the fiasco with the Firebolt from the last year, although she only had his best interests on mind.
Harry entered the Common Room, literary feeling the glares from fellow Housemates. He searched the room for Hermione, but just before he could ask, his Redheaded appeared in front of his eyes.
"How did you do it?" Ron asked. "You knew I really wanted to enter, but you had said it was impossible… I wanted to get the Glory and Money from being a Champion."
"Ron, I've told already you several time!" Hermione yelled at the Redhead, trying to pull him from Harry to leave him some space. "Why would Harry do something as reckless as that… Someone had to do this, to hurt him!"
Harry was meanwhile surprised by Ginny's actions when she approached to him. "You are great Harry… You've really tricked everyone – I know that… and you don't have to tell me… I was certain you will enter the Tournament and you know what, Harry… I'm sure you will win. You are the Hero – the Great Harry Potter I've read about since my childhood…"
Ginny was interrupted by the Twins, "Stay cool, Harry," said Gred as he silenced Ginny with his hand.
"We will protect you from our little siblings." added Forge.
"They will soon realize…" (Gred)
"You were forced to enter." (Forge)
"And don't mind Ginny …" (Gred)
"She is bonkers." (Forge)
"She read so much about you…" (Gred)
"And she has crush on you." (Forge)
"If you excuse us…" (Gred)
"We will take our sister." Fred grabbed her legs while George took her arms, taking Ginny with them.
Harry was stunned by the actions of his friends – he could understand why Ron was so immature, Ginny was something new – he always thought of her as his sister – and that was something he wouldn't change in a million years. Fred and George were as usual, and he could sense their sincerity, when they realized this Tournament wasn't a game at all.
The Common Room was disturbed by the shouts of the youngest Weasley boy, he was swearing at Hermione as he didn't believe – Harry had to find a way how to enter the Tournament and Ron was unwilling to let it go.
Hermione was furious – she didn't comprehend, why Ron just couldn't have faith in their friend. The anger was getting stronger every second and the whining of the Redhead wasn't exactly calming. When her self control lost the fight, she smacked him hard on his left cheek, leaving a bright red trace of her hand on his face. She hurried to Harry, forcibly pushing him through the opening - back to the staircases. She took his hand, moving quickly from the Portrait of Fat Lady. Taking the Invisibility cloak from her pocket, Hermione threw it over them, slowly leading the pair of young Gryffindors out of the Castle to the Lake.
The night was beautiful, when they finally got outside, Hermione dragged Harry to the Lake, quickly casting Warming Charms on both. She lowered herself behind Harry as he sat near the water surface. The Moon was shining brightly and they saw the beauty of the undisrupted nature.
"I believe in you, Harry… I always did and always will…" Hermione said as she locked her legs and arms around his torso. "There is nothing to separate me from you…" she added when she put her head on his back.
"Thanks… You are the first, who told me that… I'm grateful… I really am, Hermione," Harry spoke. He felt uncomfortable, when she first hugged him, but relaxed quite fast. "Even Dumbledore's face was different today, 'Mione. I'm not sure I can trust him anymore… His stare was cold and eerie… There was something he knew about me, something important, but he just didn't tell me. How can I trust him?" Harry asked questions more for himself than to find the answers. "He had authority as a Member of the Wizengamot to request Trial for Sirius, when he was arrested, but he did nothing."
Hermione for the first time in her life didn't know how to answer, maybe it was for better as Harry stopped talking and started crying. She realized she could only stay silent, holding him to let him know he wasn't alone, Harry would never be alone again. The sobbing stopped after several minutes, when Harry finally drifted to sleep exhausted from anxiety and long day.
Hermione withdrew her casting hand to conjure futon for two, after which she laid Harry to Magical bed. Whenever she lessened the contact, Harry stiffened a bit. She decided to stay with her best friend in the bed, hugging Harry as much as she could.
Harry had the best sleep of his life, forgetting about his everything, everything except Hermione and Sirius. She was his true friend, Harry knew that. He dreamt about his parents and Sirius, but for the first time, he remembered a happy memory from his childhood. It was a memory of him, where he changed into a black dog, then he became a stag upon laying his eyes on his father.
Harry wasn't sure where he was as he waked up still feeling night in the air, but his hand was touching something … something hot and soft, yet firm. Every time he squeezed, he heard a soft moan. Confused he finally opened his eyes, looking into deep cinnamon orbs. The eyes that could tell anything about him – Hermione's eyes. He squeezed again, shocked when another sweet moan escaped from her lips. Looking down Harry realized he not only groped her breast, but his hand was beneath her clothes, he started moving his hand away.
"You don't have to…" Hermione surprised him. "If you want, you can keep it there before we get out of bed.
Harry was confused, they always said girls hated this kind of forceful behaviour – men should be gentleman, he always thought. Assured by her words, he slowly put his hand back on her breast. "How long?"
"Just before I had fallen asleep, you were already in the limbo and you touched me." Hermione paused for a bit. "I know what are you thinking about, but it was My choice not to do anything… Bear with it, Harry." She said when she saw his attempt to apologize. "I've told you yesterday – I will always stay with you, Harry. And if holding my breasts is all you need, I will gladly do it. If you wanted a child, I would be honoured to help you with it as well. I'm here for you, Harry."
"But I don't deserve it…" he tried to protest.
"I don't care if you don't think you aren't worthy of me… I will tell you again and again – I'm here for you! I won't ever push you into something you don't want to do, and if you want something, all you have to do is to ask… I love you, Harry."
"Thank you… Thank you for everything, Hermione." Harry said as tears started to flow from his eyes. "I'm not sure what I feel for you, but I can't imagine life without you… You are the only one, except Sirius and Remus, that trusts me and the only one I trust completely. Yet I'm not sure I'm ready to announce you officially as my girlfriend." He said truthfully, worried about consequences.
"That's fine, Harry… I've already told you – we will do it, when you are ready. We still have half an hour before we have to go back to the Castle. It would be nice if we could do this more often, maybe a room in the Castle, but I'm not sure about the consequences."
"Musses wanted Roomie for Previto Stuffie?" Dobby asked as if he was there the whole conversation.
"Dobby!" Harry spoke with a hint of surprise. "I wasn't expecting you here."
"Yes… Dobby bondid with Master Harry…" the elf said in his weird English "There is Roomie, a big roomie, where you be safe. Go seven floor, walk around three near the Statie and think what you want."
Harry couldn't understand most of it, but fortunately Hermione worked everything out. "Dobby, I've read House Elves can teleport in Hogwarts. Is it possible to carry us with you to show us?"
"Yes Mussus, no biggie…" Dobby replied and when he snapped his fingers and all three disappeared with the Invisibility Cloak firm in Hermione's hand only to reappear on the floor close to the Portrait of Fat Lady "When Mussis and Master need Dobby, just say Dobby and Dobby will appear!" the eager elf said disappearing before Harry or Hermione could thank him.
Hermione didn't waste any time as she immediately started walking there and back, thinking about a nice and safe room for them. All of sudden a doorknob appeared on the wall, quickly followed by a wooden door. When Harry and Hermione entered the Room of Requirement – the name was written on the door, their jaws almost fallen out – the room was even bigger than the Great Hall with countless shelves full of books, a swimming pool and a double bed decorated in Gryffindor's colours.
The young pair explored the library first, Hermione took several books on Defensive and Offensive Magic, Runes and Arithmancy. She had a new task – to teach Harry these important branches of Magic.
Once their time was up, Harry and Hermione walked to the Great Hall to find Professor McGonagall, to ask her, whether or not it would be possible for them to stay in the room in the nights. When the pair found their Scottish teacher, she was surprised at first, but assured the duo it was all right as the Room of Requirements was considered a part of Gryffindor's territory.
"One more question Professor – could Harry take Arithmancy and Runes next semester, if he catches up and passes the Midterm exams?"
"It's highly uncommon, but if he passes, yes he can take them." Turning to Harry "If you pass your exams, I would suggest to drop Divination, Mr Potter. Otherwise your schedule will be too much with all your additional duties as Champion" Minerva said to the pair.
Happy with her results, they've thanked the Scottish Matron and hurried to the classroom for their first class of the day – Potions. The meeting with Professor Snape was never pleasant, but Harry found it bearable today. Neither one of them even bothered to think about their former Redhead friend, who could be seen steaming, destroying the his attempt of the Invisibility Potion.
Over the next couple of weeks, Harry and Hermione separated themselves from the rest of the House, staying in the Room of Requirements most of their free time and during nights, they became closer – much closer and relaxed with each other's company. But it was still too fast for Harry – he still couldn't admin Hermione was his girlfriend - he feared she would be even a greater target for his enemies.
Harry was happy when he asked Hermione to be his date for the Yule Ball, she reassured him that she will teach him yet another thing – how to dance properly. They've danced everyday at least for half an hour. Harry became proficient rather fast, but the lessons were anything but difficult - Harry had to concentrate not only on steps and rhythm, but to keep himself from touching Hermione too much.