Professor McGonagall isn't the kind of person you'd want to meddle with. Sturdy looking, with pursed lips and a white face growing whiter with anxiety, she had some sense of reliable authority in her. Karkaroff was just this big ol' scary bloke. Alex didn't respect Karkaroff at all. Well, at least not deep down.

Professor McGonagall was taken aback at Alex's presence in the grounds, and his story came out a bit ridiculous to himself too. But at least I didn't lie, thought Alex desperately.

"You must be aware that there must be no apparition on the premises," said Professor McGonagall, her blue eyes peering directly into Alex's. "And the only means of fast transportation is with Floo Network and obviously Durmstrang isn't registered with the Floo."

Alex merely gazed back into her eyes, nodding dreamily.

"Do you understand, Mr. Vivankovich?" pressed McGonagall.

Alex's slow nod turned into a vigorous one instantaneously.

"Good. The headmaster, Mr. Dumbledore, has decided best, concluding all our recommendations and consultations, that it would be best to keep you sheltered within the premises, until the guests from Durmstrang arrive." McGonagall was organizing the papers on her desk. "Meanwhile, Mr. Karkaroff will be contacted soon, being informed on your arrival at Hogwarts." McGonagall sat back at her desk. Her elbows were laid on the desk, fingers intertwined, supporting the weight of her stern-looking chin. She might have as well had a lockjaw.

"I will assign Mr. Harry Potter — I assume you two have already been introduced — exclusively to your care. He will be responsible for anything you may need. Since you will stay in the Room of Requirements, you will naturally find all of your neccessities — I assume you don't know about the Room of Requirements?"

Alex shook his head slowly.

"The room on the seventh floor, on the right side. You will naturally not find the door. If you pass in front of the wall in the end of the corridor thrice, and concentrate severely on what you need — which will technically be a well-provided dormitory room — you will find the door then."

Alex merely nodded.

McGonagall opened her mouth as to say something, and closed it again after a short silent pause. She was looking disconcerted. Sighing nasally, she took hold of Alex's hand.

"Let me get you to Mr. Potter, Mr. Vivankovich."


The boy with the green eyes called Harry was standing by the portrait of a corpulent lady, talking and laughing vehemently with a bushy-haired girl and a very freckly blond boy. The laughing eased into infrequent snickers as Alex and McGonagall approached them.

"Mr. Potter, if you please come with me." ordered McGonagall politely.

Harry looked at the other two for a few seconds curiously, and muttered something about waiting for him in the common room to them, before shuffling towards Professor McGonagall.

"Is anything wrong Professor?" Harry was glancing intently at Alex frequently, mainly looking plainly into McGonagall's eyes.

"No, Potter," breathed McGonagall briefly. "You have met Mr. Vivankovich of the Durmstrang institute. The headmaster has assigned you the responsibility of keeping care of Mr. Vivankovich here for 38 days until our guests from the Durmstrang institute arrive for the Triwizard Tournaments. I'm sure that is none of a trouble to you?"

Harry was utterly taken aback. His firm stance had loosened into a sloppy anxiety.

"But, Professor —" Harry looked at Alex, then back at McGonagall, then back at Alex.

Staring into Alex's eyes, he continued. "How — what am I supposed to do then?" He furrowed his brows in concentration. "Is Mr. Vivankovich assigned a dormitory room, a place to stay or whatever?"

Before McGonagall could answer, Harry, looking more aggravated now, started again.

"I mean, how am I supposed to do my homework, exams, schoolwork, detentions and —" waving his hands in the air in an obviously irritated manner, "— whatsits?"

McGonagall took hold of Harry by the shoulders.

"There's not much you need to do, Mr. Potter. Mr. Vivankovich will kindly be staying in the Room of Requirements, preferably away from public view. Everything he may need will be easily found within that room. Now, you will just be responsible if anything will be needed to be reported to me or the headmaster, and for regular checking. Also, some small talk won't hurt. It wouldn't be quite nice to our guest to be isolated, away from human commmunications, correct?"

Alex was feeling very awkward. He felt guilty of some crime he hadn't done, he felt like a burden. Harry looked at him like some great responsibility and he could almost hear him grunting in mere displeasure. He didn't want that to happen. He wanted to intervene, tell McGonagall that he could've taken care of himself, but that didn't feel right to do anyway.


On their way to the seventh floor, with Harry leading the way, Alex thought he should tell him.

"Um, Harry?"

"What is it, Alexander?"

"Oh please call me Alex — "

"I will call you as I please." said Harry, looking back at him in the eyes doing so.

Alex felt numb all over. For one second, he thought of abandoning the idea. But he just had to get it off his chest. After a minute of footstep sounds, he let out a tiny cough to indicate his resumption.

"Um, I just wanted to tell you that I — I don't really need that much care. I can really look after myself, mind you. You don't need to sacrifice anything for me alright? A glimpse a week should suffice."

"Mmhm," nodded Harry, speeding up his pace. Alex jogged up to him.

A couple more minutes of walking in silence, and climbing the stairs.

Very suddenly, Harry stopped dead in his tracks, so abruptly that Alex nearly collided with him.

Looking up nonplussed, he intended to ask what was wrong when Harry made a deep resonating breath of frustration and a familiar act of eye-rolling, as he began to speak to him in a quick but distinct manner.

"Look, it's not you. I'm not mad at you or anything. I'm not upset or irritated — okay I might be a bit — at all. It's about McGonagall, he keeps assigning me things to obviously throw me off focus somehow. I think there's something about the Triwizard Tournaments she doesn't like me to think about too much. Unfortunately — or fortunately — it just has the opposite effect. It's making me more curious than ever. But my sanity's being attacked whatsoever. I'm being sorta bad-tempered recently due to this matter, and I didn't mean anything back then. There's nothing against you. I want you to understand that."

Harry's eyes were fidgeting back and forth, gazing at each of Alex's eyes intently. Like they were scavenging for an approval. Alex recognized this as a form of apology.

"It's alright, of course. Don't worry." he said coolly.

"Yeah. Great. Thanks." said Harry, his green prominent eyes still gazing at him in the dark staircase. He sounded slightly embarrassed anyway. Alex understood that. He felt a slight elation, like butterflies flying in his stomach.