Thank you to everyone who has started following the story and for the reviews!

Also, I'm a lousy speller, if you see something rampant ie Slytherian vs Slytherin (Thanks Walrus for the heads up!) let me know and I'll go back and fix.

Bit of dark nastiness in this one - but after all Malfoy would need a pretty good reason to ask Potter for anything so it has to be there.

As always, JKR and the movie people own all.

Harry hadn't told Ron and Hermione about the conversation with Malfoy yet. He knew how they would both react. He really couldn't explain why he was considering helping out Malfoy so he figured it would be best to avoid the conversation for now.

That night as they were finishing up supper he told them he had to go to the library to pick up his Potions book that he had left behind. He left quickly before they could invite themselves along; not for the first time he wondered why he was going to so much trouble for Malfoy.

Diggory and Malfoy were already in the room when he arrived, they stopped talking as he entered the room. He nodded to them and sat down at the empty desk next to Diggory. Malfoy's face was set and he refused to look at Harry, instead choosing to stare at the wall opposite of him. The only sign of movement was the steady tapping of his right index finger on the table. Harry looked over at Cedric questioningly, "What's wrong?"

"Harry, when you told me about this... it really seemed like a bad idea. But, I met with Draco earlier and he has convinced me that he does have a compelling reason why he wants to do this. And, I understand why he wants to keep those reasons private." Harry looked over at Draco who returned his stare, gray eyes cool with disdain. "What I need to know from you is why you are even considering helping him?"

"Erm, I've been asking myself that all day." Harry felt like he was being interviewed by a teacher rather than a fellow student, "I think it is because he asked me, I mean, for Malfoy to be willing to let me use the curse on him." Harry looked at Cedric and shrugged, "That he wants to learn this so badly that he is willing to ask me for help...it must mean he desperately needs to-"

"Oh, sod off, Potter." Malfoy looked over at him and leaned across the table, his hands laying flat against the surface like he was about to launch himself over it. "You know the only reason I asked you is because you are the only person who can do it."

"I don't even know if I can teach you. Why take the risk?" Harry leaned forward, his eyes flashing in anger.

Diggory looked at them and shook his head. "You two have been fighting each other since you got here four years ago. Do you really think you can work together?"

"I'm game, if Malfoy is." Harry responded with a shrug.

"If Potter can do it, I can." Malfoy bit out, he leaned back in his chair. "I think I'll have the tougher task, trying to teach potions to a git who clearly doesn't know the first thing about them."

Diggory nodded, "Okay, then we'll need to set up some ground rules before I agree to help. First, you can do the potions studying on your own, but I have to be present any time Harry here is using the Imperius curse." both boys nodded and he went on. "Draco, you are going to make a list of the commands that you want Harry to use on you while you are under. That way there is no question of you being made something that you find objectionable." Harry nodded, but Malfoy hesitated.

"Won't that affect my ability to resist the curse? If I know what to expect then it will be easier to just go along with it and not fight it?"

Harry started to say something and then stopped, looking to the older student to see what his response was. Cedric encouraged him, "Go ahead, what you were thinking, Harry?"

"I think it is harder to resist an easy command that you are expecting than an order to do something that you don't want to do. Moody told me to jump on a desk. There wouldn't have been any harm in doing it. I could have easily just done what he was telling me to do. However, if he had asked me to hurt someone, that would be something I clearly wouldn't want to do and would be easier to fight the temptation."

"Makes sense to me, what do you think, Draco?" Cedric looked over at Malfoy.

"We'll try it. What are your other rules?"

"Harry will need to practice the Imperius curse on an animal first, to make sure he can do it before he does it to you. An improperly administered Imperius curse can have serious consequences."

"Fortunately, Potter's wand work is better than his potions." Malfoy smirked, "What animal shall you practice on? How about your mud-"

Harry jumped up and reached across the table for Malfoy. "Don't say it. I'll walk out the door and that will be the end of this little partnership."

Malfoy pushed Harry's hand away, "Fine. Use a rat or skrewt then."

"Sit down, both of you." Cedric sighed, "Where are we going to hold these practice sessions?"

Malfoy straightened his robes and sat down at the table. After a moment, Harry sank back down in his chair. The blond wizard looked over at Cedric, "Do you know where the old Quidditch locker rooms are?"

Both Cedric and Harry shook their heads, "Good, no one does. They are under the West Tower, the Quidditch pitch used to be located on that side of the castle until it was moved right after my grandfather graduated from here. Grandfather told my father about the rooms when he came to Hogwarts and my father passed it on to me."

"Why would he tell you the password to get into the locker rooms?" Harry wondered, thinking uneasily that any mention of Malfoy's father in this plan was something to be leery off. He had never noticed the locker room on the Marauder's Map, but maybe the Marauders hadn't known about it either.

"There is an entrance to the Slytherin dungeon through the locker rooms. Malfoys never leave themselves with just one way out." Malfoy drawled. "Fortunately, I never shared this with anyone. We can practice down there and no one will be the wiser. Even the ghosts don't go there."

"Spend a lot of time down there do you, Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes. You don't get the top grades in this school without studying and I go there to get work done."

"I do believe you are second from the top." Harry said with a smile that got a little bigger at Malfoy's scowl, "Bet it gets your goat that a Muggle-born is at the top, doesn't it."

"Tell me again why you two think that you are going to be able to pull this off?" Cedric looked at the two fourth years and shook his head, "You can't even sit at a table without digging into each other."

"Potter is the perfect choice," Malfoy snapped, "Who better than your enemy to curse you?"

Harry tilted his head and looked over at the blond boy curiously, "You said that yesterday, that we are enemies. Do you really think of me like that? We are never going to be friends but enemies? I don't see you that way. Voldemort is my enemy. And although you seem to appreciate his view of the world, you aren't pure evil, at least not yet. Opponent. Stupid git. Major pain in the arse. All of those things but, an enemy? Too strong of a word for what we are."

Malfoy looked surprised for just a moment as Harry's words sank in, but then his face hardened into the all too familiar Malfoy mask, "Trust me, Potter. You are the enemy. I've always followed the advice that you should keep your friends close but your enemies closer."

"Pretty funny, you quoting a Muggle general." Harry said with a laugh.

"A Muggle? Potions isn't the only class you are sleeping through; if you paid attention in History of Magic you would know that Sun-Tzu was a wizard."

"Really?" Harry looked to Diggory for confirmation, Diggory nodded. "Well, anyway. Are we set, anything else we need to do?"

"This is all still hinging on the Triwizard Tournament. If I'm picked I might not have time to do this. The other school's delegates arrive tomorrow, and the Hogwarts champion will be picked on Halloween the day after. Let's wait until then."

Cedric stood up and looked at the two of them. "Neither of you asked me why I am willing to help you. Basically the reason is this - you both are the ideal representatives for your houses. Harry has already demonstrated remarkable bravery and dauntless courage. Draco, you are the epitome of a Slytherin. I've never seen a student with such cunning or ambition. Since you two started at Hogwarts I've noticed that the divisions between the houses are growing greater and greater."

He held up his hands when they both looked like they were about to object, "I'm not saying that you are to blame. These are very tough times in the wizarding world. We saw that at the World Cup. If you two can learn to work together I think it will go along way to mend the riff between the houses. You two, as a team, would be unstoppable. And, I look forward to seeing it happen." with a smile he turned and walked out the door.

Draco and Harry stared at the door for the moment. Malfoy turned to Harry, "What a Hufflepuff. The day you and I are a team is the day I kiss your arse." Malfoy laughed and left the room.

Harry sat in the room alone. He agreed with Malfoy, the chances that this would make any difference in how he and Malfoy got along was practically nil. But is was a distraction to keep his mind off worrying about his scar hurting, Sirius and...his other problem, he thought with a flush. He wondered when he would stop thinking of being gay as a problem. Probably around the same time that he thought blast ended skrewts would make a nice pet he thought with a scowl.

OOOOoooO

Halloween Night - The Great Hall

"Harry Potter"

Stunned. There was dead silence in the Great Hall. Harry sat at the Gryffindor table and was sure he must have misheard Dumbledore. He felt everyone in the room turn and stare at him and knew that it was true, Dumbledore had just read his name from the piece of paper that the Goblet of Fire had spit out. He stared at the paper that Dumbledore held in his hand. How could his name have been on it?

"Harry Potter. Harry, come up here, please." Dumbledore's voice rang loudly in the silent room.

He felt Dumbledore's eyes on him and he slowly forced himself to stand and walk towards the staff table. As he moved forward the silence gave way to noise and it grew until it had become a deafening crescendo. It took a lifetime to walk through the passageway between the tables. He finally stood before Dumbledore. The headmaster looked at him soberly and nodded his head towards the doorway where the other three champions had already gone through.

Harry felt frozen inside but his mind was screaming. He didn't understand how this could be happening to him. "Harry, join the others." Dumbledore said, nodding towards the doorway. Harry turned and walked through to the other room where Cedric and the other two champions stood by the fireplace.

Cedric broke away from the other two and came over to him, "How about it, Harry! I can't believe I..." Cedric trailed off, seeing the pallor in the other boy's face. "What's wrong, what happened. Are you okay?" He reached out and gripped Harry's arm.

Harry opened his mouth but no words could come out. All of the sudden there was a burst of movement from the door and Ludo Bagman entered the room. "Extraordinary! May I introduce, as incredible as it may seem, the FOURTH Triwizard champion!"

Cedric looked from Bagman to Harry in disbelief. His hand fell away from Harry's arm and Harry felt its loss. "What? What does he mean?"

"My name, my name came out of the goblet." Harry gulped. He couldn't think, "I don't understand-"

Just then the Madam Maxime and Karkaroff burst into the room followed closely by Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape. They were all arguing loudly and Harry could scarcely follow what they were saying. He walked to the other side of the room and stood staring fixedly at the fire in the fireplace. Not for the first time did he wonder how these things could keep happening to him.

"Harry," he felt Dumbledore's hand on his shoulder. "Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire." Harry stared into the intense blue of Dumbledore's eyes, he wasn't sure what he saw in them was it disappointment, fear, or just confusion?

"No." he said as vehemently as he could. "I..."

Dumbledore held up his hand to silence Harry, "Did you ask someone else to put your name in the Goblet?"

"No." Harry could hear Snape's snort of disbelief. Dumbledore turned back to Maxime, Karkaroff and the other staff members in the room and Harry didn't even bother trying to follow the conversation. He felt Cedric looking over at him but he didn't know what to say to him.

Dazed as he was Harry realized that the shouting had stopped and he heard Dumbledore's quiet voice declaring that both he and Cedric would compete in the competition. Bagman announced that the first task would be held in three weeks and the task itself would be a secret until that day. Finally, Dumbledore dismissed them all and he and Cedric walked out of the room together.

The Great Hall was mercifully empty, the Halloween decorations from the feast still floated in the air. Harry stopped and turned to Cedric.

Cedric gave him a half-smile, "I guess we're playing together again...How did you do it?"

"I didn't! I don't understand how this happened." Harry put his hand on Cedric's arm. "I didn't put my name in the goblet. You have to be believe me."

Cedric looked down at him for a few minutes and then shrugged, "Ah, okay. I... good-night, Harry."

Harry watched Cedric walk away and felt the fear that his friendship with the other boy was walking away too. Cedric did not believe that he hadn't entered his name. Although he had only been friends with him for a couple of months he had really come to appreciate his friendship. With dragging steps he made his way up to the Gryffindor Tower. He would try and find Cedric tomorrow and talk to him.

OOOoooooO

The next few days were the worst Harry had ever experienced at Hogwarts. Ron wasn't talking to him. With the exception of his fellow Gryffindors, the whole school was treating him like a pariah. He hadn't been able to talk to Cedric. No one in the Hufflepuff House would speak to him and Cedric was always surrounded by a protective crowd of people wherever he went. In desperation Harry finally wrote Cedric a note and owled it to him.

Harry watched across the Great Hall when the owls swooped in to deliver the mail at breakfast. Cedric was laughing and joking around with his seatmates as the school owl delivered Harry's letter. Cedric looked down at the letter and read it, the smile fading from his face. He looked up and saw Harry watching him. Cedric gave a quick nod to Harry and slipped the letter into his pocket.

As soon as he was finished eating supper that night, Harry stood up. Ron was sitting on the other side of Hermione and was deliberately not looking towards Harry. Harry sighed and looked at Hermione. "I have to go, I'll catch you later." Hermione looked at him and gave a sad nod.

Harry quickly walked out of the Great Hall and left the castle,. He took the path that lead to the lake. Cedric caught up to him as Harry was nearing the boathouse. Both boys started talking at once

"Cedric, I-"

"Harry, I need to-"

Harry flushed, "Go ahead, yell at me."

Cedric smiled down at him and putting both hands on Harry's shoulders said, "I'm not going to yell. I started to say I owe you an apology." Harry looked at him in confusion. "I didn't, well, I didn't believe you the other night when you told me that you hadn't entered yourself in the competition. And, I actually thought that you had done it for about a day. Then I remembered something you said one of the first times we talked. How you had hoped that this year would be the one where you could just blend in and have nobody notice you. I realized that there was no way you would have entered. And then watching how everyone has been treating you these last few days... I haven't done anything to stop it, and I'm sorry for that, too."

"You can't stop it, it just has to run its course. I learned that second year when everyone thought I was the one attacking everyone." Harry said with a grimace.

"It always does seem to happen to you, doesn't it? Your first year was the troll and whatever happened that put you in the hospital wing for a week...never did get the story on that one."

Harry gave a shudder just thinking of Quirrell and the Sorcerer's Stone. "Maybe someday I'll tell you about it. If I live through this tournament."

"Have you talked to Dumbledore? Does he have any idea how this happened?"

"I haven't talked to him. I think he is disappointed in me... I don't think he believes that I didn't do it."

"I imagine he is just pretty scared that something is going to happen to you. A 14-year old in a Triwizard competition? That has never happened before and since the tasks are already set they can't change them. You haven't even taken your O.W.L.s yet. Who ever entered you clearly is not a friend."

Harry laughed, "Well, gee, thanks for spelling out my impending doom clearer than Trelawney has... She just says, "A cloud of death is lurking over the castle."

The Hufflepuff laughed and clasped an arm around Harry's shoulder and they started walking down the path. "You'll get through it, hopefully with all of your limbs."

"How do you feel about competing against Viktor Krum?" Harry asked with a sideways smile.

Cedric laughed, "Wasn't that a surprise! Here's hoping that none of the tasks are performed on brooms, although you could give him a run for his money." Harry scoffed at that, "Simon wants me to get Krum's autograph. "

Harry relaxed and listened to Cedric talking about his last letter from Simon and the advice that he had given on preparing for the competition. It felt good to know that he still had the Hufflepuff's friendship. For the first time in a week he was able to relax the tight knot that he'd had in his stomach since hearing Dumbledore call his name out. He looked up with surprise when Cedric stopped talking; they were back at the castle.

"Harry, I am trying to convince my house that it isn't your fault that you didn't do anything to get your name picked." Cedric grimaced, his gray eyes looked at Harry seriously, "but, there are a lot of hard feelings. Hopefully things will die down soon and everyone can just be excited to see the first task, rather than being mad at you for something that you didn't do."

Harry nodded, "It helps, knowing that you believe me. As for the rest," he shrugged. "Maybe I'll be so injured in the first task that I won't have to do the rest."

Cedric laughed, "I don't think that Madam Pomfrey wants to see you again anytime soon."

OOOOooOO

Ron stalked away from Harry after they had served their detention together cleaning cauldrons in Snape's classroom. He hadn't spoken a word to Harry during the entire two hours they had been stuck in the classroom.

"Potter." Malfoy's voice rang out down the corridor. Harry ignored him and kept walking. He heard Malfoy's footsteps running towards him and whirled around, his wand ready.

"Leave me alone, Malfoy."

Malfoy looked down at Harry's wand and sneered. "Pretty quick with the draw there, Potter." The Potter Stinks pin was flashing on his robes.

Harry tightened his grip on the wand and repeated, "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to thank you for screwing everything up for me. You really just couldn't resist trying to steal more attention for yourself, could you?"

Harry looked at him in disbelief, "Screw things up for you? What are you on about-"

"Diggory! After how you double-crossed him there is no way he was going to help out on our little 'study project' is there?"

Harry laughed bitterly, "As a matter of fact, Malfoy. He and I just talked about it yesterday and he said he would still be willing. Of course, that was before you hexed my best friend and put her in the hospital wing." he tapped Malfoy's pin with his wand so it changed back to the Diggory side. "What makes you think I would even consider helping you now?"

Malfoy's face went blank, "You mean..." Malfoy broke off as he looked over Harry's shoulder and saw Snape coming out of his classroom and turning towards them. "What is the problem here?" Harry cursed as he heard Snape behind him and slid his wand back into his pocket before turning around.

Snape glared at Potter, "Your detention is over, Potter. There is no reason for you to still be down here." Harry stared defiantly at Malfoy, daring him to say anything.

"I was just asking Potter about our Transfiguration homework." Malfoy responded quickly.

Snape turned towards Malfoy, his eye dropping to the Potter Stinks pin and back up at Malfoy. "Why do I get the feeling that you are not being truthful, Draco? Could it be because you surely have more sense than to ask Potter for anything?"

Malfoy didn't respond, but kept his gaze steadily on the Potions teacher. "Very well, if I catch you out here again after classes are over I will demand a full explanation." He turned and walked down the corridor.

Both students watched as Snape turned and went into his office. Harry turned to go up the stairs but Malfoy grabbed him by the arm and stopped him. Harry shook it off, "Leave me alone, Malfoy."

"Damn it, Potter. What do you mean Diggory is still willing to do it-"

"I meant just that, Diggory knows I didn't put my name in the goblet," Harry ignored Malfoy's incredulous laugh, "And, he was still willing to go along with it. But the deal is off, I'm not going to put up with this kind of crap from you." He pointed at the Potter Stinks pin, "and then have you have the nerve to still expect me-"

"I was angry, okay." Malfoy bit out, "I was sure that Diggory wouldn't help, and that it was all your fault because you just wanted to see your name in the paper."

"When will you get it through your thick Slytherin skull. I don't want these things to happen to me, they just do." Harry pushed Malfoy towards the wall, "I can't control what the papers right about me. Skeeter made up that entire story. It's not my fault she choose to leave Diggory out. I wish for Merlin's sake that she hadn't but it's not my fault. Back off, Malfoy. Leave me alone, leave my friends alone."

Harry turned and went up the stairs without a backwards glance.

OoOOOOoO

That night at supper he sat in his usual spot facing the Slytherins. Everyone at the Slytherin table was wearing the Potter Stinks pins, but he noticed that only Malfoy's was permanently set to the Diggory side. He watched as Malfoy toyed with the food on his plate but didn't eat. Shepherd's Pie was Malfoy's favorite, he always had an extra helping whenever it was on the menu. It suddenly occurred to Harry that knowing what Malfoy's favorite foods wasn't normal. He never paid attention to just how closely he watched the other boy. Malfoy stood up and walk over Diggory at the Hufflepuff table. He bent down and spoke to the 6th year and Cedric looked over at Harry.

Harry immediately dropped his gaze back to his own plate. He should have known that Malfoy wouldn't drop it. Well, it wasn't going to work, there was no way he was going to work with the git on anything, let alone risk being expelled or worse. He watched as Diggory stood up from the table and walked out of the room with Malfoy.

"Where do you suppose they are going together?" Ron puzzled. "I've never seen Diggory and Malfoy together before, do you think Malfoy is..."

"Honestly, Ron, why are you obsessed with who is or isn't gay?" Hermione snapped, looking up from the book on the history of house elves. "Ask Harry if they are friends."

Ron glared over Hermione's head at Harry and continued eating, stabbing at the food on his plate like he was wishing it was Harry's head.

OoOOoO

The next morning at breakfast a school owl swooped down towards Harry. He untied the letter with a sigh. Since the Daily Prophets article about him he had been getting hate mail slid into his book bag, delivered by owl, and written on the school blackboards.

"Aren't you going to read it?" Hermione asked when Harry left the letter sitting next to his plate. "It could be from Padfoot." Harry saw Ron's head turn towards them for just a moment before looking back down at the Potions essay he was trying to finish before class.

"Can't be from Padfoot, was a school owl." Harry said with a grimace, "I'm sure it is just more hate mail."

"You can't be sure, Harry. Why don't you just open it and see." Hermione persisted. With a sigh he picked up and opened the letter.

Potter, Tonight. Same place. Same time.

Incendio. Harry murmured before Hermione could see the letter and watched as the note disappear in a puff of smoke. "Sorry, Harry, I thought maybe it could be some good news for you." Hermione murmured, putting her hand on his and giving it a squeeze. "This will all die down eventually."

Harry looked over at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was staring at him. Unbelievable. The git really had no grasp on reality. What did he think he could say if they met that would convince Harry to help him. Harry's gaze dropped down to Malfoy's robes. He wasn't wearing the pin. He looked back at Malfoy's face. Malfoy raised his eyebrow at him and Harry mouthed "Fuck off" to him. The boy's face tightened into a scowl and he threw his fork down on his plate and and left the room.

Diggory caught up to Harry after lunch. "Harry, I talked to Draco for a long time last night. I really think you should meet us tonight."

"There is no way I'm going to help him." Harry looked at him, "I can't really believe you are taking his side."

"There are no sides, not really. I'm just a neutral bystander, but you two both yell at each other and never listen." Cedric sighed, "I just want to make sure that you both get a fair chance to air your differences."

Harry grimaced. "Fine. I'll be there, but there is nothing Malfoy can say that will change my mind."

OOoOOoOoO

Malfoy was the last one to enter the second floor classroom. Harry stood leaning against the teacher's desk. Cedric went over to Malfoy, who was still standing by the doorway. Putting his hand on Malfoy's arm he pulled the boy farther into the room. "You are going to have to tell him. There is no other way to convince him otherwise." Malfoy shrugged off Cedric's hand and walked over to the windows.

Harry just wanted to get this over with and leave; he had come as a courtesy to Cedric and that was all. Malfoy stood looking out the windows. After a minute Harry said, "See, even he knows there is no point." he stooped down and picked up his bookbag and headed for the door.

"Harry, stay. Draco, if you want this to happen you are going to have to tell him."

"Fine!" Malfoy snapped and turned around. Harry stopped walking and turned to face him. "I need to know how to fight the Imperius curse." he stopped and closed his eyes as if wishing Harry wasn't in the room. "My father...my father uses it on me."

"What do you mean he uses it on you? Is it a Malfoy after supper game?" Harry looked at him in disbelief.

"No...it isn't a game, Potter." Malfoy turned back towards the window and gazed out unseeingly. "If I do not perform up to his expectations he puts me under the Imperius curse until he feels I've learned my lesson."

"I don't get it," Harry looked at him, even though he suddenly had a dreadful feeling that he didn't want to get it.

"Let me spell it out for you then, Potter." Malfoy turned and walked towards the raven-haired wizard. Poking a finger in his chest. "hen I defended my mother against one of my father's rage he put me under the Imperius curse and made me be the one to hit her. The day I raised my voice to him he used it and made me sit at the dining room table watching them eat every meal but wouldn't let me eat for two days. When I failed to have the top grade against a mud-blood he made me kill my dog. Does that make it any more clear for you?"

Harry felt all the blood drain out of his face. He opened his mouth but no words came out. Malfoy cursed and turned back to the window. "I had no idea..." Harry said at last.

"Well, don't knock yourself out running for the door, Potter." Malfoy sneered, his mask firmly back in place. "It was just too much to ask of you, wasn't it."

"Draco, give Harry a minute to make sense of what you said," Cedric said coming over and standing at the window. Cedric dropped his voice so that Harry couldn't hear what they were saying. He stood frozen in the middle of the room, Malfoy's words running through his head - how could anyone do that to his own son. He remembered the blind rage on Lucius Malfoy's face the day that he had confronted him in Dumbledore's office after slaying the basilisk. Harry had been sure that the older Malfoy was going to attack him right in front of Dumbledore. It wasn't hard to imagine what he could do inside of his own home with no one to stop him.

"Malfoy, I..."

"Spare me your pity, Potter. Just tell me whether or not you'll do it."

Harry nodded, "Yeah, I'll do it."

"Fine, meet me outside the West Tower tomorrow night at 7." Malfoy nodded to Diggory and walked out of the classroom.

Harry sat down at one of the desks. "Who would do that to his own son?"

Cedric sat down next to Harry. "Lucius Malfoy...have you met him?"

Harry nodded, "A couple of times. He was involved with the Chamber of Secrets thing two years ago."

"Do you have any doubts that Draco isn't telling the truth?"

"No." Harry shook his head, "I never would have thought that Malfoy was going through that at home, but I don't think he is making up. It would take a pretty sick mind and Malfoy isn't sick he is just...mean."

"You never know what kind of lives people live when they leave school and go back home." Cedric murmured. Harry thought about the Dursleys. His life was never easy with them. But they didn't torture him, nothing they'd done approached the abuse that Malfoy had described.

"Do you think this will work?" Harry asked, "Even if he is able to learn how to throw off the curse, his father will just think of something else..."

Cedric looked over at Harry, "I think he is afraid his father will force him to do something far worse...and he is preparing for that day."