A/N: Alas, I still do not own Harry Potter. Seriously, please review. The lack of review is making me sad.

Chapter 4: Year the Fourth

"So what exactly happened between you and Ron at the end of term?"

Hermione lowered her voice to a whisper as she and Sandy helped Mrs. Weasley prepare dinner. There was no need, for the boys were playing Quiddtich outside and Mrs. Weasley was quite busy preparing food. "What d'you mean?" Sandy muttered, gathering some plates into her arms.

"Well, all I know is that he was planning to talk to you about starting a real relationship the night before we left Hogwarts," Hermione replied in hushed tones. "But then on the train, you two obviously weren't…"
"Oh," Sandy said, comprehension dawning on her. "I told him I wasn't ready yet."

"You told him you weren't ready yet!" she yelped, dropping a glass, which shattered when it fell to the floor.

"Oh, Hermione, honestly-!" cried Mrs. Weasley, looking frustrated. "Reparo!"

After making her apologies, Hermione led Sandy outside so that they could set the tables for dinner. Making sure the boys were still engaged in their game of Quidditch, she said, "Sandy, you've liked him for ages! Where the bloody hell do you get off telling him you aren't ready for a relationship yet?"

"Language, 'Mione," Sandy said, scolding her mockingly. "Well, let's see. The only real family Harry and I have got left just went on the run from the law again, just when we thought his name would be cleared and we'd be able to go and live with him instead of the Dursleys. Not to mention Trelawny making that prophecy about Wormtail returning to Voldemort- oh, honestly, Hermione- and Voldemort rising again… I've got too much on my mind right now to be worrying about a boyfriend on top of it all."

"If you say so," Hermione said, still sounding skeptical. "Ron would be really good for you, you know. I bet you'd hardly notice difference… well, perhaps the snogging, but otherwise…" She let her voice trail off, as she caught sight of the boys approaching them.

"Does this mean dinner is almost ready then?" Ron asked. "I'm bloody starving."

"Hardly, Ronald," Sandy teased, passing him and poking him in the stomach.

"That hurt!" he protested, but he flashed her a brilliant smile nonetheless. "You need some help those, love?" She turned slightly red, but nodded, allowing him to take a stack of the plates from her.

"Blimey," said Charlie, "I've never seen Ron offer to help with the house work before. You better keep an eye on your sister, Harry."

Harry chuckled and said, "She can look out for herself. If Ron crosses her, he'll be sorry."

"And why is that?" asked Bill, looking curiously at him.

"You've never seen one of her Jelly-Leg Jinxes, have you?" Harry said, smirking.

"Aaah, young love."

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

"Hold on, where's my wand?"

Sandy looked in her pockets frantically for her wand, but could not find it. "I've lost my wand!" she cried frantically, scanning the forest floor around her, but seeing no trace of it. She saw Harry, Hermione and Ron pause several yards ahead of her. Ron seemed to be saying something to them. Harry and Hermione continued onward, but Ron made his way back toward her.

"Sandy, listen to me," he said, taking her hand in his. "Don't worry about your wand right now, we've got to get out of here-"

"Ron, it's my wand!"

"Sandy, there are Death Eaters out there!" he said urgently, snapping around to face her. "D'you think they're gonna leave Hermione alone? No! D'you think they're going to leave you and Harry alone? No! I can't let anything happen to you, so let's get the bloody hell out of here!" Ron was worried she would protest further, but she allowed him to pull her by the hand through the forest. In fact, she seemed to be grasping his hand tighter, and he squeezed her hand, hoping to reassure her.

They had just caught up to Harry and Hermione when-

"Did you hear something in the trees over there?" Harry said, looking frantically to his right.

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but then-

"MORSMORDE!"

A bright green skull erupted in the otherwise starless, cloudless night, a snake emerging from it's mouth. Sandy gave a small sort of yelp that she managed to stifle soon after it left her mouth. "What's that?" she asked hoarsely, squeezing Ron's hand even tighter than before.

"That's the Dark Mark," said Hermione. "That's You-Know-Who's mark…"

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

"Crucio!"

Professor Moody held his wand pointed viciously at the spider, which was writhing in pain on his desk. Though the spider could not make noise, one could easily imagine the screams it would be producing if it could…

"Stop, stop it!" said Hermione shrilly, standing up at her desk. "Can't you see he's upset?" She gestured toward Neville, who had gone chalk white and who was clutching his desk so tightly that his knuckles were even whiter than his face.

Moody released the spider from his curse. Then he said, "Can anyone name the third Unforgiveable Curse?"

"The K-killing Curse," said Hermione, her voice wavering.

Moody nodding, then directed his wand toward the spider. "Avada Kedavra!"

There was a flash of brilliant green light, then the spider lay motionless, obviously dead, on the desk. Ron noticed that, next to him, Sandy had recoiled and begun shaking. Harry's mouth was a thin line that rivaled McGonagall's and his eyes were filled with horror. "Only two people have ever survived that curse," Moody continued. "And they're both sitting in this room."

Sandy made a small noise like a wounded animal, then she bolted and made for the door.

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

"Harry and Sandy Potter!"

Dumbledore read aloud the names on the piece of parchment in his hand, looking just as surprised as everyone else in the Great Hall. Both the twins seemed to have frozen in shock. Finally, Sandy managed to stand up from her seat, and, taking her brother's hand, she hissed, "Come on, Harry!"

Somehow, they managed to make it all the way up the Great Hall and into the room into which Dumbledore had directed the other champions. Neither of them spoke as they walked; neither of them really had anything to say. Cedric looked very confused when he saw them. "What's going on?" he asked, his brows knitting together. "Why are you two here?"

Harry opened his mouth, planning to make a valiant attempt to answer Cedric's question, but just then a group of adults burst through the doors- Moody, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Crouch, Bagman, Karkaroff, and Madam Maxime. They were all bickering.

Madam Maxime and Karkaroff were furious that the twins' names had come out of the goblet; it seemed entirely unfair to them that Hogwarts would have three champions rather than one.

Moody seemed to be insinuating that someone had planted their names in the Goblet, hoping to get them killed.

Neither Harry nor Sandy paid much attention to what anyone around them was saying. Both were numb, wondering how on earth this had happened. "Harry," Sandy muttered under her breath, making sure only he could hear, "I know you didn't put your name in the Goblet."

"Good," he replied, fervently and quietly. "I know you didn't put yours in." She nodded, her black hair cascading across her face.

"Well, Barty?" said Dumbledore. "It's up to you."

"The Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract," said Crouch grimly. "I'm afraid they have to compete. Could I see the piece of parchment with their names please?"

Sandy numbly handed it to him. Upon examining it, his brows furrowed together. "What is it?" McGonagall asked sharply.

"What's more," Crouch replied, "the Goblet seems to think that the twins are a single entity, as their names are written on one piece of parchment. It will not allow for them to compete separately, but they must both compete, as both their names were put into the Goblet. In short, they must complete all three tasks, together. They lose together or they win together."

"Zat eez not fair!" complained Madam Maxime. "Not only does 'ogwarts get two champions, but zey-" she gestured here at the twins, "-get a far better chance at it zan anyone else!"

"Not really," drawled Moody. "Having an extra person to look after is a liability, not a blessing, in the tournament. Trust me, after the first task, you'll be glad you've only got one champion."

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

When Harry awoke, he had forgotten about his fight with Ron the night before. However, he was first reminded by Ron's empty four-poster bed next to his, then by the sounds of a row coming from the common room.

"You just always have to get the attention, don't you?" bellowed Ron's voice. Harry's face hardened, as he wondered who Ron was rowing with now. "I bet that's why you've kept leading me since the end of first year, isn't it? You just like all the attention I give you!"

"That's not true, Ronald!" replied a second voice. With a sickening lurch of his stomach, Harry realized that Ron was rowing with Sandy.

Without bothering to change out of his pajamas, he grabbed his wand and raced down the stairs in the Gryffindor common room, and he saw Ron and Sandy standing on opposite sides of it. Ron was very red in the face, glaring malevolently at her, while Sandy merely looked on the verge of tears. "Why don't you just go snog some other bloke, then? How about Neville? I've heard he fancies you… or perhaps you want to lead him on as well?"

"Don't you have a go at my sister!" Harry bellowed, standing in between them and pointing his wand directly at Ron's throat. "Have a go at me all you like, but you leave her alone!"

"Oh, Harry, don't…" Sandy whimpered from behind him, but he ignored her.

Ron turned his glare on Harry. "Fine, then. Go ahead. Jinx me. No one cares about Ron Weasley. I'm just Sandy Potter's stupid boyfriend- oh, wait! I'm not even her boyfriend!"

At this, Sandy gave a strangled sob and collapsed in a heap on the floor, and Ron stormed out of the common room. Stowing his wand away, Harry knelt down next to his sister, hugging her. "Shhh, Sandy, it's okay… he's just being an arse, don't mind him…"

"What's all this racket?" asked a voice. Hermione made her way into the common room. "Harry, what's happened? Why's Sandy crying?" Her voice raised several octaves in alarm.

"Ron," Harry told her simply, watching as a look of comprehension dawned on her face.

"I'm going to kill him," she said passionately. "I can't believe he'd do this to her."

She bent down to comfort Sandy, but Sandy had stopped crying. She was wiping her tear-stained face with the sleeve of her robes. "I can't believe that git!" Sandy seethed.

Harry cocked his head at Hermione, as if he thought she could explain this sudden change in emotion.

Hermione shrugged. "Mood swings. A woman's prerogative."

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

"Are you nervous?"

Sandy glanced sideways at her brother as they waited to be called into the arena. They were the only two left in the champions' tent now. "Yes," he replied honestly. "More nervous than I've ever been in my entire life."

"Me too," she admitted. "I'm terrified. It would be better if-"

Harry knew that she had been about to say that she would feel better if they knew that Ron was on their side, but she had cut herself off. Out of anger, Sandy had given Ron the cold shoulder entirely, pretending as though he didn't exist. She refused to even talk about him with Harry and Hermione. Harry took her hand and gave it a quick, reassuring squeeze. "We'll do just fine," he told her. "Hermione's been helping us practice the Summoning Charm, and we've been flying since our first year here. We'll be fine."

She smiled at him, though she still looked unconvinced.

Neither of them really remembered being brought into the arena. The next thing either of them remembered was being in the air. "All right, Sandy," Harry said, as they hovered about twenty feet in the air. "You know what to do."

Watching in the stands as Sandy jerked hard to the left to avoid a billow of fire shooting out of the Horntails' mouth, Ron turned pale and said hoarsely, "Blimey, she'd have to be nutters to put her own name into that Goblet!"

"Caught on, have you?" Hermione said coldly. She was sitting behind him, and when he turned to face her, she only glared at him. "You really hurt her, you know. I mean, Harry was upset too, but he's a bloke, and he'll get over it soon enough. Sandy's a strong girl, but she trust you, and you really, really hurt her, Ronald."

Ron bit his lip, but said nothing, turning back around just in time to see Harry and Sandy luring the Hungarian Horntail away from its eggs. "Come on," he muttered, gripping the railing of the stands in front of him. "Come on!"

The crowd watched in reverential awe as Harry went into a spectacular dive while Sandy zoomed round the dragon's head, keeping it occupied. Harry pulled out of the dive, clutching the golden egg, and the crowd went mad.

Ron waited outside the champions' tent for what felt like ages before the twins emerged. They both glared at him coldly, and Sandy grabbed her brother's hand and said, "Come on, Harry, let's go get some food…"

"No, wait!" Ron called desperately. "Please wait."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Sandy stopped and dropped Harry's hand. "Yes?" she said, irritably.

"I'm sorry," said Ron, looking down at his own feet, ashamed. "I'm sorry, I was wrong. I was wrong to be angry, I was wrong to say those things to both of you, but especially to you, Sandy. I was wrong, I was a complete and total arse."

When he looked up again, Harry was grinning at him. "Glad to have you back, mate," he said, clapping him on the shoulder. Harry then glanced back at his sister. "Er- I think I'll leave you two alone for a moment. I'll see you two up at the Great Hall?" Sandy nodded, and Harry left them.

"I'm really sorry," Ron said again. "I-"

"Ron," she said, interrupting him, "did you really think that? I know you were angry, otherwise you never would've said that to me. But did any part of you really think that I was just leading you on, and that's why I told you I wasn't ready for a relationship?"

"No!" he said, looking horrified. "Well," he amended, "not exactly. But when you first told me you weren't ready, I thought maybe you had stopped fancying me and you hadn't quite worked out how to tell me. I know my temper can be something frightful."

She grimaced. "Tell me about it." Then, "I'm sorry you felt that way, Ron. I'm sorry… I should've been more clear. I do still fancy you, Ron. A great deal. I fancy you more and more every day. I'm truly just not ready."

"I understand now," he said. "And I'm sorry that I've been such an arse… I was bang out of order."

"S'okay," she said, flashing him one of her brilliant smiles that he had so missed in the weeks that they had been fighting. "I forgive you."

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

"How many more horoscopes do you need?"

Sandy had been helping Ron with his horoscopes homework for Divinations since the end of dinner, but they had been having such a good time while doing so, chatting and laughing, that it was now nearly one in the morning and they were the only ones in the common room. "Just one more," he said, a pleading tone entering his voice. "Please don't make me think of one on my own, I'm horrible at it…"

"Oh, fine," she groaned, closing her eyes as she thought. "Oh! Here's a good one- you'll be pecked to death by a peck of owls."

"Brilliant!" he exclaimed, scribbling it down eagerly. When he was done, he rolled up the parchment and said, "You're the best, Sandy."

"So you've told me," she said, turning faintly pink, but grinning ruefully at him nonetheless. "What would you do without me?"

"Fail," he replied without hesitation.

Yawning and getting up to stretch, she said, "Well, it's pretty late. I'm going to go up to bed."

"Wait!" he said hastily, turning bright red at the thought of what he was about to do.

"What?" she asked, looking bewildered. He usually didn't turn red until after she said something sweet to him.

"You know the, erm, Yule Ball that's coming up?" he said, scratching the back of his head in what he hoped was a casual manner.

"The whole school's been talking about it, Ronald, of course I do," she said, giving him a plaintive look that told him she knew where he was going with this.

"I was wondering, if, erm… ahh… oh, bloody hell," he cursed. Sucking in a deep breath, he spit out, "Sandy, do you want to go to the ball with me?"

She allowed a bright smile to spread over her face. "Yes, Ron. I'd love to go to the ball with you."

He beamed at her. "Brilliant! Great! I'll, erm, I'll see you in the morning then! Good night!"

Chuckling, she said, "Good night, Ron." He stood there, waving like a fool, as she climbed the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

"I'm really glad you came to the ball with me."

Ron beamed at Sandy as he held her close to him and they spun rather aimlessly in a circle, not paying much attention to the music of the Weird Sisters at all. "Me too," she said, smiling softly at him.

"I am sorry that my dress robes are so awful though," he said, frowning and looking down at the lacy mess that were his robes. When she chuckled, he added, "Yours are gorgeous though." Her dress robes were emerald green to match her eyes, and they conformed to her figure quite nicely.

"Thanks," she said, her smile growing broader at his praise. Then, grimacing, she asked, "D'you mind if we take a break? My feet are bloody killing me."

Chuckling, he said, "Sure." He took her hand and, spotting Harry seated near the edge of the dance floor, led her over to him.

"Enjoying yourself?" she asked her brother, seating herself next to him and looking at him expectantly.

He grunted, rolling his emerald green eyes, but otherwise did not answer her question. "I can't believe she's came with him."

"Who?" Ron asked, perplexed.

"If you're talking about Hermione," Sandy said sharply, her voice cold, "then you're being a downright arse, Harry."

"Who else would I be talking about?" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. "I can't believe she came with Viktor Krum!"

"Hermione was asked to the ball by Krum?" Ron said, raising his eyebrows in an impressed manner. "Very nice."

"No, no, it's not nice at all!" Harry said, glaring at Ron, who had seated himself on Harry's other side. "She's… she's… she's fraternizing with the enemy!"

"Oh please!" Sandy said, her eyes narrowing. Ron felt himself recoil, even though he knew the look wasn't directed at him. He had been on the receiving end of that look many times in the weeks that they hadn't been speaking to each other. "Harry, you're being a complete tosspot. You didn't ask Hermione to the ball, because you were being stupid, so you have no right at all to be upset with her for going with a bloke who did ask her! Don't be such an ass, you're better than that! And I swear to Merlin, if you say anything to Hermione along the lines of 'fraternizing with the enemy', I'll castrate you with a rusty spoon, brother or not."

With that, she gathered up the skirts of her dress robes and stormed out into the garden. "What d'you reckon?" Ron said after a moment, looking after her retreating figure.

"I reckon you better go after her," Harry said grimly. "If I talk to her now, she'll probably just, er- what was it? Oh yeah, castrate me with a rusty spoon."

Chuckling, Ron said, "See you, mate."

He found her sitting on a bench in the garden, staring quite miserably at her shoes. She looked up when she heard him approaching, and she said, "Ron, I'm sorry to lose my temper like that back there. It's just that Harry-"

"No, it's okay," he said, holding up his hands to silence her. He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her. "You're right, he is being a total tosspot. If he wanted to go with Hermione, he should've asked her before Krum did."

"So… you agree with me?" she said, her green eyes wide as though she hardly dared to believe what she was hearing.

"Yes," he replied, nodding. "I kept putting off asking you, because I was rather nervous. But then I heard that Neville was planning on asking you, and so was Colin. And even though I know you fancy me, I knew that I should ask you first, if I really want you to go with me. Harry should've done the same for Hermione."

She smiled at him. "I hate yelling at my brother like that. I really do. But she's my best mate. And she does fancy Harry. She would've said yes, had he asked… but what was she supposed to do? Turn down Krum? I mean, it didn't look like Harry was going to ask her… and Krum is a decent bloke."

"He is a fantastic Quidditch player," Ron added, grinning. "Well, look. Harry could never be mad at you, at least for long. I don't think he's even mad at you now. And deep down, he knows your're right. He'll come round, Sandy. Don't you worry."

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

Sandy glanced at her watch, lugging Fleur's sister along with her as best as she good. They were outside the hour time limit now. They had to get back to the starting place. Harry was swimming just a few feet ahead of her, carrying Ron. They had been swimming back for what felt like ages, surely they were nearly there…

Suddenly, she noticed that Harry's feet were losing their webbing, and she realized that the gillyweed must be wearing off. She opened her mouth to warn him, or least issue a long stream of bubbles at him.

Big mistake.

Her gills were disappearing, and she swallowed a mouthful of water, which she promptly choked on. She couldn't keep swimming…

Harry, meanwhile, finally broke the surface, and just in time too. Ron awoke as soon as their heads were above the water. "Are you the last one then, mate?" he asked, seeing the other champions on the bank. "Wait, where's Sandy?"

"She's right behind me," Harry replied, coughing a bit. But, upon turning around, he saw that Sandy was nowhere to be seen. "Shit," he cursed. "Ron, swim to the bank. She didn't make it to the surface, and she's got Fleur's sister." Ron turned pale, but did as he was told.

Harry dove back under the water and saw his sister several feet below him, her mouth open, her hands still clenched on Fleur's sister's robes. Swimming to her, he grabbed her and Fleur's sister, and, with great difficulty, hauled them to the surfaced. Fleur's sister awoke as soon as her head broke the surface, and she spoke in rapid French, sounding frightened. "Help me with her," Harry panted, gesturing to his sister.

The girl still looked frightened, but nonetheless, grabbed Sandy's other arm and helped Harry pull her ashore. Ron was upon them almost as soon as they reached the bank. "Is she okay?" he croaked.
"I dunno, the gillyweed wore off right before I surfaced, I guess she didn't make it in time," Harry told him.

Madam Pomfrey bustled over to her. "Oh dear," she tutted. "There, this should do it." She tapped her wand to Sandy's rib cage, and Sandy immediately opened her eyes and shot out a stream of water. She sat up and coughed several times. "Here, dear, take this," said Madam Pomfrey, handing her some Pepperup Potion. Sandy downed it in one gulp, and steam poured out of her ears.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked her anxiously, taking off a towel that had been wrapped around him and placing it on her shoulders.

"I am never," she said, her voice hoarse, "going near that lake again."

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

"I vant to know vat is going on between you and Hermy-own."

Krum glared at Harry, his arms crossed.

"Oh!" Harry said, realization dawning on him. Krum wanted to talk to Harry about Hermione. "We're just friends."

"Are you sure?" Krum pressed. "She talks about you a lot."

Hope burgeoned in Harry's chest for the first time since the ball. "We're just friends," he repeated.

"And you do not vant more?" he asked.

Harry hesitated. He felt that if he lied to Krum, Krum would know. "Well… the thing is, I do. But I've been a bit of an idiot about it, so right now, she's not interested in me. She's interested in you. It's her decision not mine."

Krum eyed him warily, as if he were judging Harry right on the spot. Then his expression softened. "You are correct," he admitted. "It is up to her… you and your sister are very good fliers, you know. Have you ever considered playing Quidditch as a career?"

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

"Take the cup."

Diggory looked at them, his expression determined. "I wouldn't have made it this far without the two of you," he continued. "You told me about the dragons, you saved me from Krum back there, and the spider just now. You take it."

"No," insisted Harry from his seated positing on the ground, clutching his bleeding leg. Sandy knelt down next to him and ripped off part of his sleeve and tied it haphazardly around his leg, stemming the bleeding. "Thanks," he murmured to her. Then turning back to Cedric, he said, "You were going to beat us to the cup. It's yours, fair and square. Take it."

Cedric shook his head. Turning to Sandy, he said, "You take it then! You were in front of me, I wasn't really going to beat you."

"No, Cedric, I can't," she said, shaking her head. "You heard Mr. Crouch the night we were selected. Whoever put Harry's name and my name into the Goblet bewitched it into the thinking that, not only are there four schools competing, but that Harry and I are one entity. We have to compete together. We win together, we lose together. I wouldn't have been able to take the cup and win until Harry got there. You were going to beat us, Cedric. Just take it."

"We'll take it together then," said Cedric, with the tone of a person whose mind has been made. "All three of us."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, looking up at Cedric incredulously.

"Yes." He nodded.

"All right then," said Sandy, allowing a small smile to spread across her face as she helped Harry get up and hobble over toward the cup. "On the count of three."

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

"Are you ready to die now?"

Voldemort stared at the twins cruelly, his scarlet eyes boring into them. Sandy was very grateful when she felt her brother grab her hand and squeeze it tightly in his.

They were in this together.

"How touching," Voldemort mocked, and the Death Eaters encircling them laughed. "Brotherly love. Or perhaps it's that you are too weak to stand on your own?"

Sandy felt herself shaking, but somehow she managed to keep her voice steady as she told him, "A true mark of strength is recognizing that death is but the next great adventure."

Harry realized that she was quoting Dumbledore, and he felt stronger for it.

"Pathetic," spat Voldemort. Raising his wand, he said, "Who shall I kill first? You're all grown up, and too old to kill with one curse now. Ahh, yes… I'll kill the boy first. Step forward, Harry." Harry squeezed his sister's hand once more before releasing it, and he stepped forward. Grinning cruelly at him, Voldemort said, "D'you reckon your sister will go mad when she watches you die? Don't worry, I'll kill her soon after… the Dark Lord is always merciful… ready to die, Harry?"

Ignoring the sounds of Sandy's shallow breathing coming from right behind him, he nodded. "Right then," said Voldemort. "We duel." He raised his wand and cried, "Avada Kedavra!"

At the same time, two shouts of "Expelliarmus!" could be heard, echoing throughout the graveyard.

Harry turned to see who else had tried to Disarm Voldemort. Sandy had her wand raised and a wild look in her eye; she had not been willing to let her brother face Voldemort alone. However, Harry's attentions were soon taken from his sister, as the three wands- his, Sandy's, and Voldemort's- were connected by golden beams of light.

The Death Eaters called urgently up to Voldemort, wondering what to do and asking for instructions.

"Nothing! Do nothing!" he shrieked at them. "They are mine to kill!"

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

"He's-not-back!" insisted Fudge, turning bright red before storming out of the Hospital Wing.

Dumbledore gave instructions to nearly everyone in the room, but neither of the twins were listening. Except for when Sirius left. "Does he have to leave?" Sandy asked sadly, looking at Dumbledore.

"I'm afraid so," the Headmaster replied.

"Don't worry," Sirius told her softly, kissing her on the head. "I'll be in touch soon enough." He hugged Harry before transforming back into a black, shaggy dog and bounding out the door.

When everyone else had gone, it was just Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Mrs. Weasley left with the twins. "Er- can I go back to sleep?" Harry asked sadly.

"Oh, Harry, dear!" Mrs. Weasley cried, looking and sounding as though she were on the verge of tears. She sprang up from her seat and enveloped him in a bone crushing hug. "Oh you poor thing…" Despite his desire for a dreamless sleep, Harry did not make a move to push her away. He had never been hugged like this before, as though he were her child…

Sandy, meanwhile, looked over at her brother being hugged by Mrs. Weasley, then down at her own hands. Ron, seeing this, stood up from his chair and made his way over to her decisively. He took her face in his hands and leaned toward her. "What're you doing?" she muttered softly, though she did not push him away.

"Something I should've done a long time ago," he replied in a whisper.

Then he kissed her for all to see.

TIBTOTIBTOTIBTO

"To Cedric Diggory!"

The toasts echoed through the Great Hall, though Harry did notice that the Slytherin table remained conspicuously silent. He glanced at his sister, who was resting her head on Ron's shoulder, a single tear making its way down her cheek. As he watched, Ron turned and placed a soft kiss on Sandy's black hair, closing his eyes as he did so.

At this, Harry managed a small smile, one of the few he had managed since he had entered that maze. They would make a good couple, and they would keep each other happy. And he had a feeling that everyone would be needing some more happiness in the days to come.