"Harry please let me come with you! Hermione is only going to complain about Ron and I finished all my work! Please!"
Harry had told Lizzie about a dozen times that she wasn't going to be able to go with him on his outing with Hagrid since he had no idea what the outing was about. That and it was entirely too late for the girl. But he couldn't deny the fact that she was right. Hermione would only talk about how insensitive Ron was, and Ron never wanted to look after her. Harry's rendez vous with Hagrid was a mystery, but there couldn't be much harm in bringing her; Hagrid would be with them after all. Besides, it would keep her busy until their meeting with Sirius later that night, which Harry had previously told her she could attend (he had requested she go to bed early and he would wake her when it was time, but that was clearly not going to happen).
And so when Harry donned the invisibility cloak he beckoned Lizzie to stand underneath it with him. Harry had never walked with a child underneath it before, of course, and found that it was rather difficult. He eventually wound up carrying Lizzie in his arms while the cloak was draped over the both of them.
They walked to Hagrid's hut, and Harry shushed Lizzie. He didn't know what they were getting into so he thought it best Hagrid not know she was there. Once Hagrid emerged, they passed by the Beauxbatons carriage in the grounds, and Hagrid knocked on the door. Madame Maxime, the headmistress, emerged and it became clear that Hagrid was not only showing Harry something important, but that he was on a date as well.
Harry watched under the dim glow from Hagrid's lantern as Lizzie rolled her eyes at the disgusting display they were watching as they followed behind the large pair. Eventually they were very deep in the forest they heard something. Men were shouting and there was a loud roar. They followed the twosome around a clump of trees and when they all came to a stop the reason for the outing was clear.
There was fire and several very large lizard like creatures. Dragons. The first task was dragons.
They were riotous and ferocious. Lizzie's grip around Harry's neck tightened. He held her closer. Eventually all the men in the area shot stunners at the ones who were spitting fire and they were down for the count and everything was quiet. For the moment.
Harry remained behind a bush, setting Lizzie down and listening to Hagrid talk to Charlie when the redheaded oldest of the Weasley clan emerged. He listed the dragons and pointed out each one, described the look and size of them. He lightly chastised Hagrid for bringing Madame Maxime and recounted what his mother had said when she found out that Harry was a champion in the tournament.
It was at this point Harry had had enough. He lifted Lizzie again and they made their way out of the clearing and back into the woods, heading for the castle.
"I don't know if I feel better knowing or not," Lizzie whispered.
"Me either, but until we get back to school who knows who we might run into. Best to wait and talk when we get back."
They stayed silent, and it was a good thing to because when Lizzie pointed to her watch to remind Harry of the time he started out at a run, and they ended up running right into Igor Karkaroff, the other headmaster who had come leading Durmstrang (school for dark wizards, Ron had said). He was confused and called out, but when no one answered he merely continued on ward through the murky black of night.
They barely made it back for Sirius to come calling on the common room fireplace. After the attempted niceties of asking how Harry was, Harry spilled it all. Everything he was feeling and everything they had just seen. "…and it's dragons, Sirius, and I'm a goner."
The conversation was going about as fast as Lizzie could think. Any fast she would have missed quite a bit.
"I won't mention how inappropriate bringing Lizzie with you is because we haven't got time. Dragons, well, we can deal with that in a minute. I don't have much time. I've broken into a wizarding house but they could be back any minute. I have something I need to tell you."
"What?"
"Karakaroff. He was a Death Eater, Harry. You know what Death Eaters are don't you?" (It seemed that for all his concern over appropriateness, Sirius hadn't had the time to tell Lizzie to dismiss herself for the conversation. Maybe he knew she would argue and he would lose all his time if he tried. Either way she was glad to be in the loop.)
"Yes-he-what?"
"He was caught. He was in Azkaban with me, but he was released. I'd bet everything that's why Dumbledore wanted an Auror at Hogwarts this year-to keep an eye on him. Moody caught Karkaroff. Put him in Azkaban in the first place."
"Why did they release him?"
"He gave names that led to more arrests." Lizzie spoke this time. Sirius appeared to nod; it was difficult to tell with his flaming head.
"He did a deal with the Ministry. Said he'd seen the error of his ways, and then he named names…he put a load of other people in Azkaban in his place…He's not very popular in there, I can tell you. And since he got out from what I can tell, he's been teaching the Dark Arts to every student who passes through that school of his. So watch out for the Durmstrang champion as well."
"Okay…but are you saying Karkaroff put my name in the goblet? Because if he did he's a really good actor. He seemed furious about it, he wanted to stop me from competing."
"We know he's a good actor because he convinced the Ministry of Magic to set him free, didn't he? Now I've been keeping an eye on the Daily Prophet, Harry-"
"You and the rest of the world."
"Reading between the lines of that Skeeter woman's article last month Moody was attacked the night before he started at Hogwarts. I know she says it was another false alarm, but I don't think so somehow. I think someone tried to stop him from getting to Hogwarts. I think someone knew their job would be a lot more difficult with him around. And no one's going to look into it too closely. Mad-Eye's heard intruders a bit too often. But that doesn't mean he can't still spit the real thing. . Moody was the best Auror the Ministry ever had."
"So…what are you saying? Karkaroff's trying to kill me? But-why?"
"He's a death Eater, it's what they do." Lizzie crawled closer to the fireplace and sat in front of Harry. "Sirius, that magical eye of Moody's-can it see darkness in a person? Evil or dark power or anything?"
"Not that I'm aware, Lizzie. Why?"
"Something he said to me: darkness in you, child. He said that a while ago and I can't figure what it means."
"Have you considered-" but Harry was waving his arms behind where Lizzie sat in front of him at the fireplace. Sirius pursed his lips a moment and said, "I had a thought, but it's gone now. Anyway," he continued, turning his attention back to Harry. "I've been hearing some strange things. The Death Eaters seem to be a bit more active than usual lately. They showed themselves at the Quiddich World Cup, didn't they? Someone set off the Dark Mark…and then-did you hear about the Ministry of Magic witch who's gone missing?"
"Bertha Jorkins?"
"Exactly. She disappeared in Albania, that's definitely where Voldemort was rumored to be last…and she would have known the Triwizard Tournament was coming up, wouldn't she?"
"Yeah but it's not very likely she would have walked straight into Voldemort is it?"
"Wasn't she a little batty Sirius?" Lizzie knew Bertha. She had been against a proposal her dad tried to put through when he was younger, before she was born. It was a petition to start werewolf colonies like the ones in France. She shot it down and made it known what he was to whoever would listen. To this query, Sirius nodded.
"I knew Bertha," he said. "She was at Hogwarts when I was, a few years ahead of your fathers and me. And she was an idiot. Very nosy, but no brains, none at all. It's not a good combination. I would say it would be very easy for her to fall into a trap."
"So…Voldemort could have found out about the tournament? Is that what you mean? You think Karakaroff is here on orders?"
Lizzie shook her head. "He'd be here anyway. He's the Durmstrang headmaster. He might be trying to do away with you on orders, but I doubt it. From what he did during the trials I would think if he's the one pulling the strings he just trying to get in good again with Voldemort so he doesn't get hunted and killed when he comes back."
"I don't know…" Sirius sighed. "I just don't know…" Sirius thought for a second and Lizzie covered a yawn. "Anyway," Sirius added, "It's late. Too late for a six year old."
"I'm seven now, Sirius."
"Right right, July 4. I forgot. Anyway, to bed with you, little miss."
For once Lizzie went without a fight. She bade Sirius good night, and Harry's back ached as he saw she headed straight up the boys' dormitories, not the girls. Another night on the floor then. His back was going to be in terrible shape for the task…
"Well it looks like a really good plan from where I'm standing," Harry said bleakly. "They just have to stand back and let the dragons do their stuff."
"Right-" Sirius was back on track. "-these dragons. There is a way. Don't be tempted to stun them. Dragons are too strong and too magically powerful to be knocked by a single stunner. You'd need half a dozen at a time to overcome a dragon."
"I know I just saw."
"But you can do it alone. A simple spell's all you need. Just-"
Someone was coming down the dormitory stairs that Lizzie had just climbed. "Go," Harry hissed. "Someone's coming."
Sirius left, and Harry spun to see a sleepy Ron. The two of them were still on sour terms. After exchanging certain ill-tempered remarks, Harry ended up throwing one of the POTTER REALLY STINKS badges at him, screaming that he wanted a scar of his own. Harry was about to head up to bed when the fire took on the form of Sirius again.
"Harry."
"Sirius I told you to go."
"One more thing-ask Lizzie for help with the dragons. She'll figure it out. Your godsister's a smart one."
"Godsister?"
"What do you think Remus did when he came to see me in that cell at Hogwarts before I was sprung? Said Lizzie never had a godfather and maybe she should. Considering I had been proven innocent it was his way of apologizing for suspecting me. He didn't know about the plan of course, but she's your godsister since you're my godson. Look after her okay? No more tournament outings. What was that about darkness?"
Harry shrugged. "I thought it was about maybe her starting to go through the moons as a werewolf. Been keeping wolfsbane on me since she told me what Moody said."
Sirius nodded. "Too bad Remus is unreachable right now. He should know. Can you handle it?"
"I think so."
Harry bid Sirius goodnight a last time and headed for bed. When he made himself comfortable on the floor next to his own bed, none too few of his bunkmates grumbling because of the noise, a small voice from above his head said softly, "You will tell Cedric won't you Harry? It's not fair if Fleur and Krum and you know and he doesn't."
It did seem fair. Harry made a mental note to try and get Cedric's attention the next time they were in the same corridor. Hopefully before Tuesday night.
