I don't own Harry Potter. Some lines are taken directly from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire from pages 168 and 169.

Chapter Two

Some things are just meant to happen. Harry had known that for a long time. Ireland once again win against Bulgaria but with Krum catching the Snitch. The twins losing all their money to Bagman was just one of those things that couldn't have been helped. Harry warned them but the older boys thought they knew better. And there were parties that celebrated the Irish win.

Another thing that was inevitable was what happened that night when nearly everyone had gone to bed, dreaming of gold and Veela. That was the attack on the Muggles by the Death Eaters. Harry couldn't have stopped it no matter how much he wanted to. Harry, Ron, and Hermione got separated from the rest of their friends and the twins. He also couldn't stop Crouch Jr. from stealing his wand. It was important that his skills remained unknown to the enemy.

All of this left Hermione confused and Sirius angry. Neither of them could understand why Harry allowed any of them in such a dangerous position. Though it was more likely that Sirius was angry that he was forced into having a conversation with Crouch Sr. It was obvious that the man still saw Sirius as the scum of the earth and Sirius thought that men like Crouch should be removed from power.

The small clearing nearly became a scene of an epic battle when Crouch called Sirius and Harry a Death Eaters. It was only Harry and Hermione's presence that stopped that from happening. The fact that it was absurd caused Arthur Weasley to protest such accusations.

When Winky was found with Harry's wand only made things more complicated. Sirius was so angry when Crouch once again tried to call Harry a Death Eater a steady flare of sparks steamed out of his own wand. Once Mr. Weasley had everyone calmed down he suggested that they all went back to the camp site.

On the way back to the tent Sirius refused to listen to Harry's apologies. Only speaking to him to tell him to get as much sleep as he could, the next day they were increasing his training. Harry and Hermione didn't like the sound of that at all.

Harry knew that they just didn't understand what he had to do. His family didn't understand that he wanted to do this on his own to keep them safe. It was the same reason why he didn't tell the others everything from his past. Knowledge was powerful but in some cases it was also dangerous. Even right now it was possible that his friends and family could know too much.

But it was Sirius' lack of knowledge that made him angry with Harry. As far as he was concerned Harry was still a child and he had every right to know what was going on. He wanted to, no, needed to know what was going on. What happened at the World Cup, Harry's wand being stolen being the least of his worries, left him feeling unprepared and vulnerable. He hated feeling vulnerable... he was a guy after all.

He had to get Harry to talk about what he had to expect in the upcoming school year. That was always easier said than done. Harry could be a virtual mute if he chose to. He had to make sure that Harry didn't feel like he was being cornered. Now that he was getting closer to his actual birth age his emotions and behaviors were fluctuating even more than what they did when he was 'eleven'. Sometimes it was hard to know what age he would be acting like from one moment to the next. His Occlumency training was tested every day because of this. This meant that Sirius had little opportunity to find a time to talk to him. He also had to ensure Harry that he wasn't that angry anymore. That opportunity came the day before everyone left for Hogwarts.

"Hi." Sirius sat down next to him on the floor. Harry only looked at him. "Are you finally going to tell me what's going on with you?"

Harry shrugged. His independent 'adult' side was warring with the fourteen-year-old that knew he should rely on Sirius. "This year is hard, Dad. You know that Voldemort comes back, right?" Sirius nodded. "I never told you exactly what happened or what possibly will happen."

"You told me that someone dies."

"Cedric dies... and I was there to watch. I just stood there and let Pettigrew kill him. I am not going to let that happen again. Cedric doesn't deserve to die like that."

Sirius didn't know what to say. He knew Harry could see thestrals. He believed it was because he saw him die not because of someone else and certainly not because it was just a kid who barely entered adulthood. After a long moment Sirius finally spoke up. "It's not going to end up that way. You know what could happen and you know how to prevent from happening. And you won't be doing this alone."

"I have to do this alone. I won't put you in anymore danger than you are already in."

"Harry―"

"No, we have to think of Phoe. If something happens to you he'll be in the same situation that I'm in. He doesn't deserve to grow up not knowing you."

Sirius looked down at his feet, Harry was right. "It won't be like that. Nothing is going to happen to me. You're too stubborn. But you have to let me make my own decisions. While you are at school I'm going to hunting down the Horcruxes. You can't help me with that."

"You'll stay as safe a possible, right?"

"You know I will."

Harry sighed at the monotony of yet another train ride. After going it all for the past nine years made it all seem so mundane. With four of those years as repeats of what he already experienced, it was starting to get a little boring. At least this time he had Neville, Susan, and Luna as a sort of entertainment. But for once, he really didn't want to talk about Quidditch. Or rather he didn't want to talk about what happened at the Quidditch Cup. He couldn't blame his friends for being curious. He didn't expect anything less from them.

He also didn't expect anything less than Malfoy being a complete idiot. He made an appearance with his dimwitted cronies about halfway through the trip. The entertainment Malfoy provided gave Harry mixed feelings. Harry only paid mild attention to Ron's an Malfoy's argument over the rancid robes that Mrs. Weasley. Apparently she didn't know about the blue ones.

"So... going to enter, Weasley? Going to try to bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know... you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won..."

"What are you talking about?" Ron was turning more red by the minute. Whether it was from anger or embarrassment, Harry wasn't sure.

"Are you going to enter? I suppose you will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?" There was a sense of bitterness and jealousy in his words.

Harry spoke up before things went any further. "Actually, they changed the rules. I can't enter myself even if I wanted to. I'm surprised that father dearest didn't tell you that little tidbit... but then again he might not have known." Malfoy paled to an even more vampire white. He obviously thought that they wouldn't know anything. The others shot Harry confused looks. "Only those of age can participate."

Malfoy made to storm out but he was attacked by a stinging hex. He turned around but no one had a wand out. He glared at the group trying to figure out who stung him but none of them gave him any indication that they were the guilty party. Once the evildoing trio left everyone turned to Harry.

"What was that about?" demanded Hermione harshly.

The others were even more confused. They all thought that if Harry knew than Hermione had to know as well. They lived in the same house after all.

"Nothing that concerns you now. You can learn about it with everyone at the feast." He smirked knowing that it would annoy Hermione, Ron and Susan. Luna probably didn't care one way or the other but you really can't tell with her. "Don't worry it isn't that much longer. Dumbledore will likely make an announcement at the end of the feast like he usually does." He smiled knowingly at Hermione letting her know that was exactly what was going to happen.

A/N sorry about the long wait. I haven't been in a Harry Potter mood lately. My NCIS stories have been on my mind a lot lately. But since my birthday is tomorrow maybe you'll review anyways. 12/28