Chapter Four
"Leave that part to me." Hermione said as she rushed off to find the right book.
She quickly scanned the shelves until she found the book she had read during her third year as preparation for taking Care of Magical Creatures. Removing it from the shelf and checking out, she hurried towards the Great Hall to meet Neville and Harry, she saw Cedric entering the room with Cho Chang who was now dating the Hufflepuff champion.
"Cedric, do you have a minute?" She asked only for Cho to glare at her. "It's about the tournament."
"I have to get a book from Davies, but I will be right back." He replied and quickly went to get the book that he needed for his transfiguration assignment.
"Stay away from my boyfriend, Granger." Cho said with a flick of her long hair so that it was now over her shoulder. "Just because Potter doesn't see you as anything more than a pal, get a life, loser."
Cedric had just returned from the corner of the hallway when he heard the girl he had been crushing on for a few years insult Hermione Granger and say some very horrible things.
When the Granger girl rushed off, he walked up and quietly said "I would say that you are the real loser, Chang. I knew that you only agreed to go out with me because I was the Hogwarts champion. I shouldn't have accepted that but some part of me wanted to believe that those that warned me were wrong."
"Are you breaking up with me over what I said to Granger?" Cho asked in astonishment. "Granger is a nobody. Why do you think she hangs all over Potter? She wants to bask in the glory that is the boy who lived."
"No, Granger isn't a social climber. Harry and her are genuinely good friends. Something someone like you, knows nothing about."
Cho stood there in the middle of the hallway, stunned at what had just happened, unable to believe that she had been dumped by Cedric Diggory. After a moment, she hurried off to the Ravenclaw tower.
A reporter had been sending her owls requesting an interview since she was dating one of the Hogwarts champions and she had the perfect way to make the little know it all pay for causing Cedric to break up with her.
Over the next three weeks, the trio of Harry, Hermione and Neville worked hard to master the skills that Neville would need to succeed in his plan to get past the dragon. Things were progressing slowly when Harry had a thought and went to find Cedric Diggory.
Giving him the warning, he sheepishly admitted "We found out about it a couple of weeks ago. I never realizing no one would have warned you."
"The others know?" The Hufflepuff asked as he grappled with the new knowledge.
"Madam Maxine saw them while walking with Hagrid and I saw Karkaroff on my way back to the castle. I warned Neville the day after the Hogsmeade visit." He said.
"Granger, that was what she was trying to tell me." Cedric said as he realized the valuable time that Cho Chang's jealousy had cost him. "Thanks, Potter. I owe you."
"Just making sure that the playing field is level." Harry replied as he went back to where Neville was working on the summoning charm with Hermione. "Neville you are going to have to be extra careful you don't ruin your cauldron before the first task."
"Snape is going to be laughing at me for weeks in class." Neville moaned. "If this doesn't go right, I am going to be mocked at forever."
Harry wanted to tell him that Snape was the one who showed him the potion but stayed silent knowing that Neville's sense of fair play would keep him from using the potion if he thought it had been suggested by a professor. That the other boy would worry about it being a form of cheating.
The day of the task arrived quickly and Harry felt for Neville as they watched him struggle to finish his toast. Harry turned to Hermione and said "I am going to walk Neville down to the tent. Would you please rally the Lions and anyone else you can think of to cheer him on."
Hermione went to speak to the twins and Harry pulled Neville to a quiet corner and said "Neville, I am not going to tell you to just ignore your fear."
"Good, because right now I would rather be facing Snape actually wearing my grandmother's hat and dress after I had accidentally charmed it onto him." Neville said nervously.
His lips twitching, Harry said, "Remember how scared you were that day in class? Even worse how scared you were to attend Potions after Snape found out?"
"Yes," Neville answered.
"You still managed to defeat the boggart, Neville." Harry softly pointed out. Seeing Neville look at him with a confused expression on his face, Harry reminded the other boy "Every single potions class you face Professor Snape, your biggest fear. You have been brave enough to do that for four years now. Compared to Professor Snape, a dragon will be a piece of cake. Just imagine the dragon as a version of Snape that can fly and breathe fire."
"You mean he can't breath fire?" Neville asked and Harry looked at the other boy and they both laughed. "Thank you, Harry. For everything."
Harry said "Neville, there is a muggle saying that courage isn't running into danger mindlessly. That courage is knowing of the danger and still facing it."
"I wish I didn't have to," Neville confessed. "I wish I had your courage."
"Neville you are more than courageous, you are a Gryffindor. You were placed in this house for a reason." Harry said. "Just stay calm, take a deep breath and follow the plan until it is no longer possible. Just do what you need to. Nothing fancy, just stick to your strengths.
The two boys exited the quiet corner and were quickly seen by Professor McGonagall who said "There you are, Mr. Longbottom. I need to escort you to the tent."
Harry parted from the two at the path to the stands. Soon seated in the very quiet Gryffindor area, he looked at Hermione who was biting her nails and at Ginny who was seated on her other side twisting her hands in her robe and said "Neville will be fine. He will surprise all of us."
Inside the school, Severus Snape was feeling almost proud of Lily's son. He had been heading to the Great Hall when Potter and Longbottom had slid into the nearby corner. Eavesdropping, he heard Potter comforting Neville and was reminded so very much of his mother and her support of himself during their time at Hogwarts.
Even the comment about Neville's rather infamous boggart didn't bother him at the moment. Soon seated in the guest stands near Lucius and Draco, he saw the blond glaring at Karkaroff and said: "Ignore the weasel, Lucius."
"Lying son of a bitch." Lucius hissed under his breath as the former Death Eater now branded a coward sat in the judging area.
As Ludo Bagman began making announcements, he looked over at the first dragon being brought into the arena and sneered. "Longbottom is going to be lucky to survive this. What was the Headmaster thinking in allowing that boy to compete?"
"I don't think he is. I think he is trying to trap whoever put the boy's name into the goblet by insisting on his competing." Snape replied. They watched as first Cedric and then the French girl competed and he found himself agreeing that Longbottom was in over his head.
"Diggory should have done better." Draco sneered when the other boy was led off to be treated for burns. The fourteen year old boy was staring at the part Veela, so his father smacked his arm with his snake cane and admonished his behavior when the girl had finished competing. His son was acting a fool over a half breed and he wouldn't stand for it.
She was also led off to be treated for burns just as Victor Krum entered the arena. When the famous seeker enraged the dragon causing it to break some of it's eggs, Lucius shook his head and sneered. "Bad form but what would you expect from someone taught by Karkaroff. I am rather glad I acceded to Narcissa's wishes and sent Draco to Hogwarts."
There was complete silence after Krum was also led off to be treated for injuries and Neville Longbottom's name was announced. The roar of the dragon had the audience terrified when the students saw that the Gryffindor was going to have to face the most ferocious dragon brought from Romania.
"Even I feel bad for the squib." Malfoy said as they saw the small boy enter the arena. When Neville just raised his wand and nothing happened at first the entire audience went still as well as silent.
Snape heard a very quiet buzzing sound and looked up to see the fourth year boy reach down and pull some of the belladonna out of his pocket with gloved hands just as a potions' cauldron landed at Neville's feet full of water.
The boy dropped in the noxious weed and then pointed his wand at the dragon's wing.
"What is that silly child doing?" Lucius asked as he lifted his Omniuculars and looked through them. "I know you said his lack of potion's skills were dangerous, but surely he doesn't expect to explode..."
The dragon did exactly what Neville had wanted and began to breathe fire as he tried to defend itself against attack. Neville sent a banishing charm at the cauldron and watched as the fire-breathing dragon flew towards him and heated the now diluted poison.
Mere millimeters away from its heated breath when the Dragon collapsed fast asleep, Neville ran around its large green scaly body and grabbed his golden egg without breaking a single dragon egg.
Holding it aloft, he looked around the stands until he saw Hermione and Harry. Grinning at his friends, he heard the shouts of his name and the clapping and wondered if this rush of adrenaline was how Harry felt when he had an adventure. Suddenly recalling the sleeping dragon, he looked over his shoulder and noticed it was slowly waking up and rushed from the arena as quickly as he could.
The keepers including Charlie Weasley rushed into the arena to tend to the now angry dragon and Neville moved out of the way just as the Headmaster entered the arena to greet Neville. "Very nicely done, Mr. Longbottom."
Nodding but not saying a word to the man who had only spoken to him once since insisting he compete in this very dangerous tournament, Neville moved towards his Head of House and asked "Was my Grandmother here?"
"She is being treated by Madam Pomfrey," Minerva said struggling to control her pride at his accomplishment. She had truly been expecting to have to rescue him from the dragon at some point this afternoon, in spite of the rules against it. "She found out about the dragons minutes after the contest already started. Now, Madam Pomfrey wants you in her tent, immediately to be checked over."
Neville thanked her and rushed to check on his grandmother who was sitting up and when she saw Neville insisting that Poppy check her grandson over even as she told him repeatedly how proud she was of him. "I'm fine, grandmother. Not even a scratch."
He saw the other competitors were behind screens healing up from their own battles with the dragons and looked down at the golden egg in his hands. "I survived."
With that, he felt a bit wobbly in the knees and sank down on the cot. Looking at Harry and Hermione along with several of his fourth year Gryffindors as they rushed inside to see him, Neville said with a loopy grin. "Harry, I did it."
"Congratulations, Neville. Great job, you are tied for first." Harry told him with a huge grin on his own face.
"Oh, okay," Neville said in a numb tone. With a slight frown on his face, he asked, "What does that mean?"
"I'm not sure," Harry admitted as the others gathered around their classmate. Lavender and Parvati were crying and hugging him while Dean, Seamus, and Ron were staring at the dark haired boy like they had never seen him before.
Ludo Bagman and several officials entered the tent and announced that the golden egg contained the clue for their next task to take place in February. When they had left, the Gryffindors moved back to allow Neville to spend some time with his grandmother.
Ron was quiet as the entire fourth year Gryffindor class walked back to the common room. Looking at Harry and Hermione he admitted. "I'm sorry. I have been a right git."
"You have but it isn't to us you need to apologize to," Harry replied. "It's Neville."
"I still can't believe he succeeded," Ron said shaking his head. "And using what looked like a potion at that. Wow, Snape must be livid."
In truth, Snape was pleased that Potter had figured out the clue he had given him in class a month before as he walked Lucius to the apparition point. "I will keep a close eye on Karkaroff."
"Good. I don't trust the man." Lucius admitted. Arriving at the spot from which he could apparate home, he said "I can't believe the Longbottom boy succeeded. If it had been Potter, I wouldn't have been shocked but I was sure that the other boy was practically a squib."
"Longbottom has his issues but bravery isn't one of them. Add that to Potter and the muggleborn witch Granger helping him and he might just survive this." Snape answered wincing at the pride he could hear in his own voice about that statement.
"I have to go back to the manor and check on Narcissa," Lucius said before popping out of the area.
Snape slowly walked back to the castle, watching from the clearing as Karkaroff lectured his champion near the Black Lake. The beetle on the nearby tree in the late fall weather caught his attention considering they normally were hibernating at this time of year. Dismissing it as unimportant, he continued on to the school, watching as Lupin tried to evade an amorous Trelawney.
The party in the Gryffindor tower lasted late into the evening. The twins had brought up plenty of food from the kitchen and butter beer was flowing all night long. Ron wasn't even angry about being turned into a large yellow canary after eating some of the twins' test products.
Hermione had been enjoying herself until she overheard the twins telling Harry about the kitchen elves. At that point, she sat down the piece of pie she had been eating and refused another bite. Harry was reminded that he had to speak to her, ask her if she had read the book he had gotten for her and if she understood what it was saying.
Still, he found himself enjoying the party, even when Neville opened the screeching egg. Harry vowed to find a way for Neville to be told it was mermish so that the other boy could take it from there.
When McGonagall came to break up the party, the students reluctantly went to bed. Except in the Fourth year tower where they stayed up later talking. Ron had apologized to Neville for doubting him and the others helped to smooth things over as they relived the day with the Gryffindor champion.
As the week passed, Harry sent Sirius an owl telling him how things were going and asking if his godfather had been in contact with Moony yet. He was waiting for the letter when he saw an oddly dressed house elf and remembered that Dobby was now an employee of the castle.
Thinking that talking to Dobby and if he recalled correctly, Winky might convince Hermione that she might need to rethink her SPEW plans, Harry got the twins to once again tell him where the entrance to the kitchens was.
The trio went to visit the little house elf on the day that Neville had to deal with more of the official Tournament business and Ron quickly settled into eating the offered food. Hermione however at the end of the visit was even more convinced that she was doing the right thing.
Harry silently banged his head on the stone wall after slowing down to give him enough distance from his friends.
"Potter what are you doing? Don't you damage your tiny brain enough when playing Quidditch?" Snape asked as he watched the idiot on his way to Lupin's office.
"I am finding this rather soothing at the moment, sir." Harry replied. Looking at his potion's professor carrying a smoking goblet for Moony, he said "However I will find someplace else to do so."
"Follow me Potter." Snape ordered and when he had ensured that the werewolf had taken his potion, he said "I found Potter in the corridor trying to damage his head by banging it against the wall. I suggest that you take the idiot in hand. He informed me that he found it soothing to be doing so."
"Harry, is this true?" Remus asked with a concerned expression on his face as he moved to where Harry was standing looking at a photo of him as a teenager with his father and Sirius. The sandy haired man brushed the hair off of Harry's forehead to look at the red spot while the three teenage boys including Harry's father grinned and waved from the picture.
"I was banging my head at the stubbornness of a friend of mine." He replied being careful not to name names.
Remus was amused and said "Your father only did that when your mother was driving him over the edge with her plans. Do you know who Don Quixote is, Harry?"
"Spanish peasant who thought he was a knight and that attacked windmills thinking they were soldiers, right?" Harry asked a bit uncertainly.
"Close enough. My guess is that this is in regards to Ms. Granger's rather uphill battle to convince the House-elves that they are slaves. Am I correct?" Remus asked.
Looking at Snape, not wanting to confirm this but needing to talk to Remus about it, he admitted. "Yes. I was told of a book that might get through to her and it didn't work. I tried to get her to talk to the elves but all that did was convince her she is right."
"Potter, the only thing you can do is allow Ms Granger to learn of her mistake and to let that happen naturally." Snape said once again reminded of Lily and her own crusade during her time at Hogwarts after she had learned of how goblins were treated by pureblood wizards.
"Professor Snape is correct, Harry. Just try to be supportive and whatever you do, don't do what your father did when your mother found out she couldn't change the world by herself." Lupin said with a half smile on his face. "In fact it is a lesson that all men learn at some point. Never, ever tell a woman I told you so."
"Got it. May I go now. I have to finish my charms assignment." Harry admitted.
"I hope your potions essay is finished as well." Snape said as he exited the office at the same time. Seeing Harry grimacing, he stopped the boy and said "Potter, I don't know if anyone ever told you but your mother was quite talented at Potions. You have the potential to have her skill but your attention span holds you back."
"Mom was good at Potions?" Harry asked the usually taciturn professor. "Why didn't anyone ever tell me?"
"Yes, she was good at potions, she was second to myself in the class." Severus softly replied. "As to why no one mentioned it. Several of your professors have very fond memories of your mother, Harry. I have noticed them all claiming their subjects to be your mother's favorite. When my predecessor retired, there was no one left but myself who noticed. Speak to Lupin, he can tell you about it."
Harry was quiet for a moment then said: "Thank you for telling me, sir."
Severus went to his office, angry with himself not for telling Potter about his mother but for relaxing enough to call the boy by his first name. Hearing a knock on the door, he walked to let whoever it was in and when Karkaroff entered, he grimaced as the man went on and on about his dark mark become more defined.
"I am already aware of this, Karkaroff. I would suggest that you leave me alone unless you would like me to remind the press about your past. I am quite certain that Rita Skeeter might find it rather interesting, after all she loves to dig up dirt on those in positions of authority."
Harry knew what was coming a few days later when Professor McGonagall ended class early to make an announcement. He grimaced as he recalled the Yule Ball and it's inherent drama resulting from needing a date. He had embarrassed himself by asking out Cedric Diggory's girlfriend. This time however, Cedric and Cho were broken up, so maybe he would work up the courage to ask her yet again.
He knew that Victor would be asking Hermione soon so he decided to make sure that Ron managed to ask a girl to go before that happened. Hopefully he could prevent Ron from asking out Fleur. He almost grinned when he realized he wouldn't have to dance the first dance as a Hogwarts champion this time.
Looking over at Neville, he saw the other boy turn the same shade of green as when he heard about the dragon. He wondered if he should encourage him to ask out Ginny right away this time, so as to save the other boy some heartache later on.
When McGonagall asked Neville to stay behind when the rest of the class was dismissed, Harry waited for the other boy who came out of the transfiguration classroom almost hyperventilating. "It's going to be okay, Neville."
"I not only have to find a date but dance with her in front of everyone. Why didn't I let that dragon turn me into a crispy little bite for herself?" The other boy moaned as they walked towards the Great Hall for lunch. "It would be less painful. I told Grams I didn't want dress robes so I now have to ask her to send me some."
"Or you could just pick some up while we are in Hogsmead?" Harry suggested as they sat down with their friends. The girls were discussing dresses and who they hoped asked them while the boys just looked at each other wondering who was going to work up the nerve to ask a girl out first.
When Dean pointed out that Harry wouldn't have to worry about a girl saying no, he looked at his classmate and said with a grimace. "I want someone to go with me who wants to go with me, not the boy who lived."
Seamus turned to Lavender who was talking about how her dress was a dark blue and asked "Hey, we should go together. It sounds like your dress is almost the same color as my dress robes."
"Really?" Lavender's squeal was so loud that Harry was sure that its pitch was high enough to shatter glass before she quickly said "Yes! Yes! Yes."
Dean clearly not wanting to left behind turned to ask Parvati who looked at Harry with a longing glances before saying yes. Neville just moaned and buried his head in his hands as he realized that that he was going to be without a date because surely Harry would be asking out Hermione.
Looking around, trying to find a girl he felt comfortable talking to, he saw Ginny Weasley and perked up a bit until he saw the almost desperate longing on her face as she looked at Harry. Not wanting to spend the entire ball dealing with a date who wants to be with someone else, he crossed Ginny off his rather short list.
Hermione hurried to the library so that she could finish her homework essay for Runes. Seeing Victor Krum without his entourage, she breathed a sigh of relief as she settled in at her favorite table and went to work on her assignment.
"Excuse me." Hermione groaned inwardly as she heard the foreign accent. Looking up as politely as she could, she saw Krum standing there. "May I sit down?"
Hermione really wanted to point out that there were several other open tables nearby but instead just said yes.
"I am Victor." He said pointing to himself and speaking as slowly as if to be clearly heard. "You are Hermione Granger, correct?"
"Yes." She answered and then said, "I know who you are."
"Oh." He said with a twist of his lips as he gave her a thorough looking over. "You, you are not a Quidditch fan are you?"
"Only when my friend Harry is playing. He is a seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team." She said shortly before lifting her quill hoping he would get the non-verbal cue and leave.
"Good." He said with a look of relief on his face. "I have a girlfriend back in Bulgaria. Her name is Sophie. She cannot come to Hogwarts because she already left school for work."
Hermione wondered why he didn't tell his huge fan club this and was about to ask when he continued to speak. "I have to dance with a girl at this ball your school has planned but I do not want t-to to, what is the word- er, mislead, no m-misrepresent why I was asking someone out. I just need a date for the dance. Would you go with me?"
Hermione looked at Krum and was reminded of Harry when Victor Krum went on and on about why he had asked her. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Hermione said "I get it. My friend Harry deals with something similar but I don't think that I should go with you. Thank you for asking me though."
"Who should I ask then?" He said his head tilting to the side. "Who does not want to go with me because I play quidditch and am a champion? You ignored me when I come here to study. It is why I asked you."
"I have no idea. I am sorry but I just don't want to deal with the crowd that surrounds you." She said not adding that part of her also knew that Ron would overreact and Ginny had been hinting that maybe he liked her.
She knew that Harry would never see her that way, but Ron had been her friend just as long and she was comfortable around him. Maybe he would get up the courage to ask her himself, she reasoned.
Harry saw Cho exiting the Great Hall by herself and he was about to ask her out when he saw Cedric nearby trying to get his attention. As he tried to tell the other boy he would be with him in a minute, Cho approached and smiled at him. "Hello Harry. Have you asked anyone to the Yule Ball yet?"
Harry heard footsteps and quickly replied, "Not yet."
"I was hoping you would want to ask me." She replied with another smile his way. "After all, we have a lot in common and I have liked you for a while, it's why I broke up with Cedric."
"Are you serious?" Harry heard the words coming not only from his mouth but from the Hufflepuff's Hogwarts champion. Turning to Cedric, he saw the other boy looked more shocked than upset.
"Maybe before agreeing Harry, you should know. Granger tried to tell me about the first task but Cho here attacked her out of jealousy. Cho is after you because she wants to be noticed and entering the ball on the arm of the boy who lived would certainly do that. She didn't break up with me, I ended things with her after hearing her insulting your best friend."
Harry gaped as he saw Cho glaring at Cedric, her face not quite so pretty as she told him that he was just jealous that she liked Harry. "Don't listen to him, Harry. I really want to go to the ball with you."
Cedric saw the gobsmacked expression on Potter's face and stalked off hoping that the other boy wasn't fooled by the fake sweetness that was Cho Chang's public face. Since ending things with the girl, he had heard other stories similar to how she had treated Hermione Granger. If there was one thing that Hufflepuffs stood for it was loyalty.
"So, will you?" Cho asked Harry after Cedric had left.
Harry felt a bit of a dent to his heart because he wanted to go with Cho but Cedric had no reason to lie to him and Cho had never approached him before this moment. He was however determined to speak to Hermione and find out what happened before he answered. "I uh, I am not sure I want to go to the ball. I can't dance and... I just don't think that it is a good idea."
"That's okay. I am fine with that. That you can't dance." After telling Harry that, Cho left before he could respond. He walked away towards his next class and then stopped groaning, knowing he would have to speak to Cho and make sure that they were in agreement that he wouldn't be attending the dance with her.
In the common room that evening, Harry was playing chess with Ron when Hermione entered the tower, glared at him and without another word rushed up the stairs to the dorms. "Wonder what is up with Hermione?"
"Someone probably annoyed her in the library," Ron said with a shrug before defeating him at chess yet again. Harry frowned, this hadn't happened last time, so clearly something had changed, but what?
When Hermione wasn't at breakfast, Harry overheard some of the Slytherins laughing and pointing at him as they rushed off to their first classes. When he arrived in Potions and sat down next to Hermione, she got up and moved to his total shock.
Ron settled in next to him while Hermione was preparing her cauldron and notes beside Neville. "Harry, why is Hermione so mental today?"
"I don't know." He said feeling sick to his stomach when he saw that it looked like all of the Slytherins and the feminine half of the Gryffindors knew why she was so mad at him.
When Snape entered the room and ordered them to begin the shrinking potion, Harry struggled to let it go but found it easier to pay attention as he blocked out all of the quiet taunts from Malfoy who was seated behind him.
Hermione rushed off as soon as the class ended, dragging Neville with her before Harry could ask him if he knew what was going on. Hearing Malfoy calling out his name, Harry ignored the snake but found that Lavender and Parvati were both glaring at him as he walked past them. "What did I do?"
"You asked out Chang?" Lavender asked.
"No, she asked me out." He said and found himself smacked in the face by her long hair as she flicked it around and rushed off to History of Magic class. The minute class was out, Harry was heading towards the Great Hall hoping to catch Hermione only for Lupin to ask him to step into his classroom for a moment.
"Can it wait?" Harry asked only for Moony to say in a terse tone no. Once the door was closed, he quickly asked "Is it Sirius? Was he caught or something?"
"No, this is about some rumors that have been flying around the castle since last night," Lupin said as he waved at a chair and suggested Harry sit down. "Harry, are you attending the Yule Ball with Miss Chang?"
"How do so many people know she asked me out?" He asked in a frustrated tone. "I can't believe Diggory was so jealous he told everyone."
"It wasn't Mr. Diggory. He was defending you today. He suggested that maybe Miss Chang had exaggerated what she told her friend Miss Edgecombe." Lupin stated.
"Why is it anyone's business who I attend the ball with?" Harry asked getting angry at all of the attention his date was getting when he wasn't even the champion this time nor even truly had a date.
"I am just rather disappointed that you would attend a ball with a young woman who has been rather unpleasant to Miss Granger. I am surprised you would hurt someone that has stood by you so much over a pretty face, Harry." He said as he shook his head, clearly looking disappointed.
"I don't know what you are talking about. Diggory said the same thing but didn't tell me what it is that Cho has supposed to have done. Besides, I never actually said that I would go to the dance with Cho." He responded.
Remus saw the frustrated expression on Harry's face and realized he really hadn't been told. He had spoken to Hermione after overhearing Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang arguing about her behavior to the young lady and she had assured him that she was fine. He had suggested she tell her friends what had happened but it was becoming clear that Hermione hadn't listened to his suggestion.
He found himself reminded of the missteps that James had made during his own time at Hogwarts and decided to do what he could to help Harry. Filling him in on what he had overheard between Ms Chang and Mr Diggory and avoiding mentioning the gossip he had heard in the faculty room, he ended with "I have heard other stories regarding this young woman that are quite similar."
"I would never treat Hermione that way, at least not on purpose," Harry said quietly feeling bad for not being blunter with Cho because some part of him had wanted Hermione to deny the story Diggory had told him.
"Harry, Ms. Chang was bragging about going to the Yule Ball with you. That she had gotten one over on that bucktoothed know it all." Lupin said while silently hoping that Harry didn't remain as obtuse for as long as James had.
"Thank you for telling me," Harry said feeling sick to his stomach as he knew he had to speak to Cho Chang and make it clear that they weren't going to the ball together.
TBC