AN: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter Seven

Day before the First Task

Harry, AJ, Petunia and Dudley were walking along the shore of the Black Lake, chatting idly about anything but the fact that Harry was going to be facing a very angry, nesting Dragon tomorrow. "So, all of your classes are going well?" Petunia asks and Harry nods, glancing over at her and Dudley.

They looked a lot better than they had after they'd awoken from having their Blocks removed. Aunt Petunia's hair and eyes had returned to their natural colors from when she was a child and Dudley's blonde hair had it's red tint back, eyes a swirling mixture of blue and green. "The tutors that are helping you with your magic are working out alright?"

"Of course," she breathes twirling a curl around her finger, Harry knew it was a nervous gesture, one he'd seen since he was small and his gaze snapped up and over to the school, lip curling into a snarl.

AJ, seeing his sudden change in demeanor, looked over to where he was staring and growled under her breath at the two figures making their way around the lake towards them. "Petunia, Dudley, the two of you need to remain calm, I'll take care of this," she says and they both look towards where she was, Petunia grabbing her son's arm and pulling him back with her as she stepped back as the two men came to a stop a few feet in front of AJ. "Headmaster, Muggle, to what do we owe your pesences?"

Vernon's face turned a horrid shade of purplish-blue as the Headmaster's mask started to fade away, which was rare, considering Harry was in his presence. "Miss Snape..."

"If this is about my family, sir, you will address me as Lady Sinclair," AJ murmurs enjoying as Albus' blue eyes lost their twinkle and another crack appeared in his masks.

"Lady Sinclair, Petunia and Dudley Dursley need to return to their life with their husband and father, respectively," Dumbledore says barely keeping the snarl out of his voice and AJ raised an eyebrow. "They should never have left him or come to you, they've been perfectly happy in their lives together." Harry scoffed as his magic began to leak out from behind his shields and AJ could feel tendrils of it curl around herself and the two scared forms behind him. "You will also return Harry into my custody, even in your emancipated state, you are still too young to be his Magical Guardian."

AJ put her hands into her pockets as she dropped her shields, letting her magic explode out into the air around her, concentrating it around the three behind her, concealing them from view. "Let me make this as clear as humanly possible," she growls as her eyes begin to glow, "so you can get it through your thick skull. Harry is no longer under your Magical Guardianship and he will not be under it ever again." Taking a step in their direction, she smirked as both men took several steps back and chuckled at the fear that danced in Dumbledore's eyes. "Petunia and Dudley, as of the night I saved them, were no longer Dursleys and that fat, tub of lard has no claim here, in fact, he's lucky all he got that night was a rather nice bump on the back of the head after what I walked in on him doing to her." Vernon's face had gone from that ugly shade of purple to deathly pale and AJ took another step forward, chuckling again when both men scrambled backward. "So, before this gets out of hand, I suggest the two of you get very far away from me while I fix what seeing that fat bastard has done to the two newest members of my family." Albus and Vernon beat a hasty retreat back to the school and AJ waited until they disappeared back inside before pulling her magic back behind her shields, taking a deep, calming breath as she popped her neck, turning back to the other three. "Well, that was fun."

The three of them stared at her for a second before Dudley said, "That was bleeding awesome," causing Harry and Petunia to burst out laughing as AJ smirked.

"Of course," AJ says rejoining the group as they began walking around the shore of the lake again. "How's the cottage working out for the two of you?"

Petunia answers once she's calm enough to do so, "It's working out very well and those little creatures, House Elves, make keeping up with it a lot easier." Dudley just stared out over the lake as ripples move along the surface and AJ grins when a long, black tentacle rises from the water, moving as if in a wave towards them. "Should I be concerned about them thinking they have to punish themselves?"

"Most of them have that quality," AJ murmurs waving back to the squid and patting Petunia's hand when she reached out to grasp AJ's arm. "The only thing I can tell you is to tell them not to do so but they might just stop doing it in your presence."

Dudley and Harry were talking about something a little away from them and Petunia sighed, leaning a little more heavily on AJ, who angled them towards a patch of grass so they could sit down. "Sometimes, I wish I'd stayed with Dudley's father," she breathes and AJ glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "Vernon isn't his father, you know, I only told Lily about him and, I guess she told someone who told Dumbledore. I went to the spot we'd always meet to tell him I was pregnant and he wasn't there like he said he would be, but Dumbledore was and before I knew it, I was walking down the aisle toward Vernon Dursley, unable to remember most of what happened before that. Now, I remember Dumbledore telling me that I was never supposed to have contact with the Magical world, right before he sent some kind of magic at my stomach, causing a red shield to appear around it. He got so angry when that happened, wanted to know how my magic was reacting to stop him from terminating my baby but I could tell it wasn't my magic." She stopped to look over at where Dudley and Harry were sitting at the water's edge as Harry showed Dudley something with his wand and Dudley tried to repeat it, only to fail so miserably that they both started laughing. "I don't know who's it was or why it was helping me but I thank whatever higher power out there that it did because if it hadn't, I wouldn't have a piece of the only man I ever loved."

AJ was watching the two boys while Petunia was speaking and snickered when Dudley finally got the spell Harry had been trying to teach to work, somewhat. "He should be well enough off by September 1st next year to begin coming here," she says patting Petunia's hand when she giggled at her son's attempts at recreating Harry's spell. "Do you happen to remember his father's name?"

"Evan," she breathes looking out across the lake with slightly narrowed eyes, "Evan Rosier."

===============POV=Change=================

Harry snickered when Dudley lost his concentration on the spell again and ducked away when his cousin made to push him into the lake. "You wouldn't have really pushed me in, would you?" he asks and Dudley glanced at him, shaking his head.

"No, but if you keep laughing I just might," he snickers and Harry rolled his eyes, dancing out of reach when Dudley reached for him again.

Harry glanced over to where AJ and Petunia were sitting in the grass, having what seemed to be a rather serious conversation. "What do you think they're talking about?" Harry asks and Dudley shrugs trying the spell Harry had been teaching him again, getting nothing for his troubles.

"Probably talking about how Vernon's not my father," Dudley murmurs putting his wand in the holster on his wrist that AJ bought him. "Mum's been wanting to get that off her chest to someone other than me for years."

Dudley stopped and turned towards Harry to see him, staring at him with a completely gobsmacked expression. "Vernon's not your father?" he asks and Dudley shook his head making Harry raise an eyebrow. "Then why did she put up with him for so long, why did we have to stay with him?"

"Because everytime she did take us and run from him, he went straight to Dumbledore and had him use his magic to find us," Dudley breathes staring at Harry with haunted eyes. "And everytime the beatings would get worse."

===============POV=Change=================

Albus stared out the window of the Headmaster's office, watching the group as they talked and messed around at the edge of the Black Lake, plotting what to do next as he'd already lost control of Potter, never had control of the Snape brat and now had no way of keeping the truth of Petunia and her spawn's father from coming out. "This is a nightmare," he murmurs glancing over at the drooling heap of obese Muggle lying, writhing on his floor. "Not as good as the Cruciatus, but it'll do until I can bend the Wards to allow me to get away with using the damn thing without alerting the Ministry." Staring down at the unconscious Muggle, he snarled and returned to glaring out the window at the group of Sinclairs making their way back to the castle. "What good are you, Mister Dursley, if you cannot control one stupid Witch and her spawn?"

===============POV=Change=================

Hermione was sitting at a hidden table at the far back of the library, going over a book on Magical Law that she'd found and was trying to find anything that would help her build a case for her parents. She'd already read and reread a section on prisoners that hadn't been given a trial but because they'd been put there during a state a civil unrest, their imprisoning was lawful. So far, the only way her parents were getting out, was if they pulled a Sirius and escaped, they were broken out, they died or and the most unlikely to happen, was if the Longbottoms suddenly got better and told everyone that they hadn't been the ones to curse them. Closing the book, she buried her hands in her hair and dropped her head to the top of the desk, groaning quietly so as not to attract Madame Pince's attention. "This is so freaking hopeless," she mutters under her breath as she pulls one of her hands free and lifts her head up, staring at the Law book with enough venom she was surprised it didn't burst into flames. Pushing the book to the far edge of the table, away from her, she glanced at the Marauder's Map to see that Harry and AJ were still with Dudley and Petunia, smiling when she realized they were getting along.

She jumped in surprise when the twins sat in the seats across from her and glared at them for a second before sighing, returning her glare to the Law book at the end of the table. "What's up with you, 'Mione?" they ask leaning halfway across the table as they put their heads in their hands, looking at her. Fred glanced over at the book she was glaring at and bumped George's arm, motioning for him to grab the book. After they examined the book and George pointed out something, causing them both to smirk and snicker. "Did you happen to, we don't know, look for a newer book, maybe?" they ask sliding the book over to her and tapping at the date underneath the name of the author and publisher.

Narrowing her eyes at them, she leant forward to look and growled at them both, standing up to go look for a newer law book, ignoring the twin Devils as they followed along behind her, picking out their own selection of books. "Annoying Devils," she growls glancing over her shoulder at them as they walk along behind her, both of them smirking when they heard her and she shook her head, searching through the Law section of the library. The twins were both leant against the bookcase behind her, reading a book with a pitch-black cover and whispering back and forth about something in hushed tones so as not to bother Hermione. "What're the two of you doing?" she asks staring at them with a suspicious look on her face.

"One of our many projects, love, wouldn't want to bore you," George breathes glancing at her over the top of the book as Fred continued to read ahead of his brother.

Hermione snickered, pulling a book off the shelf to skim through to see if it had any of the information she needed. "You mean like your Undetectable Aging Potion you tried to use to get into the Tournament?" she snickers and both of the twins glared at her over the top of the book they were reading. "I never said it was a bad thing, you shouldn't have tried to use it after brewing it only once."

"We thought it was alright to use after a month of testing," Fred murmurs looking back down at the book in George's hand. "We may have overestimated our abilities just a bit."

She hummed, keeping her comment of 'a bit?' to herself as she put the book she was holding under her arm and continued looking through the the rest of the books to see if she could find anything else helpful. "What are the two of you working on now?" she asks finding another book that looked interesting and the twins paused in what they were reading to look at her.

"Top secret," they say as George closes the book they were reading and putting it in his bag as the two of them looked back to her. "What are you working on that has you so interested in the Law section of the library?"

"Hmm," she breathes looking at them over her shoulder, "if the two of you can't tell me what you're doing, I'm definitely not telling you what I'm doing." Picking out another Law book at random, she headed back to her table at the back of the library and made herself comfortable in her seat as she began reading through the three Law books she'd picked. Both of the twins made whimpering noises and followed her back to the desk, twin kicked-puppy looks in their faces as they sat in the seats across from her again. Glancing over at the Marauder's Map, she noticed Dumbledore and a pair of footprints labeled Muggle, hurriedly making their way towards AJ and Harry's group. "Oh, that's bad," she murmurs looking up at the windows to see if she could find one that looked out over the Black Lake. Finding one, she floated herself up to it and glanced out just in time to see Aurora's magic burst from her skin, surrounding her, Harry, Peunia and Dudley as she spoke to Dumbledore.

The twins took the window next to hers and gaped in shock as AJ caused the Headmaster to back away, not once, but twice, before he and the Muggle man with him retreated hastily towards the safety of the castle. "Did that just happen, Gred?"

"I don't rightly know, Forge, I believe I might've been dreaming."

The twins both turned to look at Hermione before floating over to her and giving her twin, mischievous grins. "Pinch us so we know we're not dreaming?" they ask and she rolls her eyes, pinching both of them in the sides at the same time before returning to her reading. "Ow."

===============POV=Change=================

Alec glared up at the castle as Aiden and Lucius Malfoy apparated into existence beside him, making him flinch, minutely, thanks to the almost deafening crack. "Something wrong, Alec?" Lucius asks and the boy shook his head, bumping shoulders with his brother as the three of them began their walk towards the school. "The two of you will be masquerading as distant cousins of the Malfoy family from the Voclain family, you are known to everyone here as Alec and Aiden Voclain, you're from America. I cannot stress how important it is for the two of you not to be outed as Werewolves while you are here, so please, try to make sure no one notices."

The twins nodded, both of them staring at the Malfoy Lord as they came to a stop outside the doors, apparently waiting for the Headmaster or Deputy Headmistress to arrive. McGonagall pulled open the door, a surprised look gracing her features before she hid it behind a pleasant smile. "Lord Malfoy, a surprise to see you, I can go see if the Headmaster..."

"That will not be necessary , Mrs. McGonagall," he murmurs giving her a small, pleasant smile to apologize for cutting her off. "I'm just here to drop off my new wards, I sent their papers here a few days ago."

Her eyes showed confusion for a moment before she frowned, waving her wand in an absent-minded gesture to summon whatever transfer paperwork was on her desk. Looking through the papers that appeared in her outstretched hand, she glanced at Lucius before looking over the boys behind him. "Did you send them to me or Albus?" she asks as she sent the paperwork back to her office.

"I'm sure I sent it to you," he answers tightening his grip on his cane. "Could it have been redirected to Headmaster Dumbledore's office?"

"It shouldn't have," she says turning and motioning them to follow her as she moved in a clipped pace towards her office, causing everyone who saw her to not goof around. "Did you happen to bring copies of their paperwork, Lord Malfoy?"

Lucius looked at the boys behind him for a second before lifting his briefcase onto her desk and opening it to grab the two stacks of parchment sitting on top of all his other papers. "Here you are," he says holding them out to her.

Reaching out to take them, Minerva watched as the pages bent back, away from her hand and her eyes narrowed, a growl-like noise vibrating through her chest. "Oh really, Albus?" she growls as her magic filled the room and whatever magic was keeping her from taking the papers fell to shreds around her as she took the papers he was holding out to her. "Thank you, Lord Malfoy, I'll just file these and they'll be sorted at dinner."

"Of course, thank you, Mrs. McGonagall," Lucius murmurs giving her a slight bow before leaving the office, leaving the school grounds a few minutes later.

Minerva studied the two young men standing across her desk from her before giving them both small smiles and turning her attention to the cabinets behind her to file their paperwork. "So, where are the two of you from?" she asks turning back to them as she takes her seat behind her desk.

"America," Aiden answers pressing the back of his hand against Alec's and glancing toward the chairs across from the woman, McGonagall.

Alec's hand pressed back before he sat down across from McGonagall and leant back when his brother took the seat next to him. "Oh, that's great, we had another transfer from America, as well, at the beginning of the year, her name is Aurora Snape, she's a fifth year and she's in Slytherin house," Minerva says tapping the empty tea tray with her wand to signal the elves that she wanted tea sent up. "She's the daughter of our Potions Master. What year will the two of you be in?"

Aiden glanced at Alec, hoping he'd answer this question as he didn't like speaking with people he was unfamiliar with. "We'll be fifth years, also," Alec says as he glanced around the room, feeling the magic of the building moving all around them until a small pop sounded, the tea tray on McGonagall's desk now full.

"Tea?" McGonagall asks and both boys nod at her, seeming more open to conversing with her now. "I think Aurora would be the best choice to show you around, seeing as you have some things in common."

===============POV=Change=================

AJ was sprawled out on one of the couches in the Room of Requirement, reading as Harry, Hermione, Luna and Isadora were doing their various homework assignments, all of them hurrying to get them done so they didn't have to worry about it tomorrow or the rest of the weekend. The empty portrait the AJ let sit in the Room because none of the other portraits used it was suddenly filled by a very bored Phineas Nigellus Black. "McGonagall would like to see you, Aurora," he murmurs and AJ closed her book, rolling off the couch, setting the book on the coffee table.

"Thank you, Lord Black," she says looking over the younger children who hadn't bothered to look up from their homework. "I'll see you guys when I get back." The four of them just waved absent-mindedly as they continued with their work.

Skipping down to McGonagall's office, she delighted in the jingle-jangle of the chains on her boots as she turned the corner and almost smacked into the Weaslette. "Why don't you watch where you're going, Snake?" she sneers and AJ flutters her eyelashes while putting a hurt expression on her face before smirking.

"Why don't you come up with a new insult, carrot-top," she snickers playing with her Slytherin-green tie as she stared down the red-head. "After all, being called a snake isn't all that insulting when it's true." Skipping around a bright-red Weasley, she knocked on the door to McGonagall's office and waited for her to call her in.

"Diffindo," Ginny snarls whirling towards AJ as she did the spell and AJ rolled her eyes, letting the spell hit her. It shredded the arm of her robe, slicing into her skin and she let out a whimper as the door to McGonagall's office opened, the stern-faced woman standing in the doorway.

"One hundred, fifty points from Gryffindor for attacking and injuring a fellow student, Miss Weasley," she says softly eyes pinning Ginny to the spot. "You will also have a week of detention with Mr. Filtch, starting Monday."

McGonagall stepped out of the way so AJ could come in and closed the door behind her with a soft click. "I was told you were looking for me, Professor," AJ says as she pulled her robe off to check on her arm and froze in her inspection when she realized McGonagall wasn't alone. "I can come back later..."

"That won't be necessary, Miss Snape," she says retaking her seat behind her desk. "I would like you to show Alec and Aiden Voclain around Hogwarts, starting with the Infirmary," she gave AJ a stern look as she said that and AJ knew she'd ask Pomfrey to make sure she did go. "The two of them will be sorted at supper tonight, so please have them in the Great Hall at the beginning of dinner."

"Of course, Professor," she murmurs looking at the twins, motioning towards the door and they both stood. "See you at dinner, Mrs. McGonagall." The professor nodded as the three of them left her office and AJ shrunk her robe, putting it in the pocket of her skirt as she glanced over her shoulder to see if they were following her.

Seeing that they were, she headed off in the direction of the Infirmary and forced her magic to not heal her arm like it would've had no one witnessed her get wounded. "So, where are you from?" she asks keeping an eye on the wounds on her arm, hating the fact that they were still bleeding and one of her uniform shirts was ruined.

"America," one of them answered quietly as they both seemed a little too preoccupied with the cuts on AJ's arm.

"Me, too," she murmurs pushing open the doors to the Infirmary and walking over to Pomfrey's office door, knocking to get the Med-Witch's attention.

She came bustling out with a cheery smile on her face when she saw AJ, that was until she saw the cuts all up and down her arm. "Are you okay?" she asks. "Do you need me to call your father?"

AJ raised an eyebrow at that and shook her head, "And have an angry Potions Master burying the red-headed bint under a mountain of potions essays that she's just going to fail and make everyone look bad with, no thank you."

Pomfrey's lips pursed as she examined the cuts on AJ's arm before sitting her down in the chair outside her office as she went to get what she needed. "Miss Weasley normally uses spells that don't leave any permanent damage," she says spreading a thick, blue-green cream over the cuts before wrapping the arm and leaving just loose enough that AJ could move it. "She must've been especially angry with you." When AJ didn't respond to her poke to tell her why the Weasley girl was cross with her, Pomfrey sighed and stepped back from her. "You should be all better by Sunday but come see me so I can make sure."

AJ nodded, skipping out of the Infirmary with Alec and Aiden walking along behind her. "So, that was the Infirmary, that rather lovable Med-Witch was Poppy Pomfrey but you might want to stick to calling her Madame Pomfrey or just Pomfrey," she says as she looks over her shoulder at them. "The wonderful woman you were with when you met me was Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Transfiguration Professor and Gryffindor's Head of House, her classroom was the door next to her office." She stopped as the staircase decided to move, crossing her arms over her stomach as she waited for another one to come she could head down to the entrance hall. Once down in the entrance hall, she turned to them. "This is the ground floor of Hogwarts, we are in the entrance hall and the great hall, where meals are served is to my left, the entrance down to the dungeons is through there. The Potions classrooms and Slytherin Dorms are in the dungeons." Turning so she was facing forward, she lead them towards the East Wing of the castle, "Through here, we have the grand staircase, staff room, the entrance to the courtyard and down this hallway and to the left, there is a study room."

===============POV=Change=================

Marcus sat at the small, apprentice's desk in Professor Sinistra's office marking papers and trying very hard not to fall asleep from boredom. "You have most of those done, why don't you go ahead and head down to dinner, I'll take care of those," Sinistra says from her desk and Marcus represses the urge to jump in surprise, having forgotten she was there.

"Thank you, Professor Sinistra," he says collecting his things and putting them in his bag, barely containing the need to run from the room. Sometimes, the woman gave him the creeps and he shook his head before heading down to the great hall, knowing he was early for a change.

===============POV=Change=================

Harry, Hermione, Luna and Isadora were running down to the great hall, having lost track of time and thinking they were way later than they were. "Is it scary that I'm excited about tomorrow?" Harry gasps as they wait for a staircase on the third floor landing.

Hermione glanced at him, eyebrow raised, "Yes," she snickers as she takes deep breaths from running down from the seventh floor. "I'm pretty sure most fourth years would've soiled themselves at the idea of facing a Dragon tomorrow."

"He's not most fourth years," Luna giggles barely even breathing hard from the run downstairs.

A loud rumbling laugh from behind them caused them all to look over their shoulders and, seeing Marcus, were even more convinced that they were late. "We've established he's not a normal fourth year," Marcus chuckled and Harry glared at the four of them as they all start laughing. "Why are the four of you in such a hurry, dinner hasn't even started yet?"

"It hasn't?" Hermione asks looking at Marcus who shook his head. "We thought we were late."

Isadora snickered, playing with a silver-grey curl that hung beside her cheek. "Which is bad if you sit at the Gryffindor table because Weasel tries to inhale all of the food on the table," she snickers causing the others to laugh. "Has anyone else noticed that the green is starting to fade a little?"

"Yep," Harry chuckles as they step off the staircase, heading towards the great hall only to come to a stop as their eyes are assaulted with a hot pink Ginny Weasley. Her feet seemed to be stuck to the floor and she was singing the most outrageous song any of them had ever heard.

AJ was leaning against the wall beside the doors to the great hall, giggling so hard they could tell she couldn't breathe and staring at the bright pink menace stuck to the floor. "AJ, did you do that?" Marcus asks and AJ shook her head as she tried to get a handle on her laughter. "Do you know who did?" She nodded, dissolving into another fit of giggles as the song Ginny was singing changed, becoming very bawdy and full of naughty suggestions.

"Red-headed Devils?" Hermione questions and AJ shook her head again, trying to calm down.

Harry started chuckling as Ginny began to change colors and walked over to AJ, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the great hall, hoping that distance from the chartreuse Ginny would help her calm down. "Thanks, Harry," she gasps taking a seat at the end of the Slytherin table as she began taking deep, even breaths to calm herself. "I was asked to show around a couple of fifth year transfer students that arrived today but, I got into a small altercation with the Weaslette right in front of McGonagall's office, she threw a cutting hex at me and I let it hit so she got points taken away and detention with Filtch." Marcus looked over his mate, catching sight of the bandage from the wrist of her uniform shirt and growled. "Showed them around the castle and brought them here like McGonagall asked, about fifteen minutes before dinner and the Weaslette was sitting on the stairs. She started going on and on about how she was able to hit me, then, suddenly, she's rainbow-colored, stuck to the floor and singing the dirtiest songs anyone can think of."

Isadora giggles as people start wandering into the great hall, most of them with bright red blushes on their faces. "Whatever she's singing right now must be particularly dirty, Seamus just walked in blushing up a storm," Hermione chuckles and AJ looks over to the Gryffindor table to see that all of them are some shade of red.

All of the Hufflepuffs looked like they had permanent blushes on their faces, the Ravens and Snakes were laughing at different intensities. Draco sat on the other side of AJ, unable to breathe because he was laughing so hard and there were tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. "Please tell me that you or the twins are responsible for that?" he gasps and AJ shook her head as she sees the twins arrive, motioning for them to come over to the Slytherin table. "Who did it then?"

"According to AJ, the new kids," Isadora giggles as the teachers, all of them showing embarrassment in one way or another came in, followed by a cross-looking Dumbledore and an embarrassed Ginny. The girl was still shifting colors but she was no longer stuck to the floor or singing dirty limericks and for that the whole school was thankful.

Dumbledore waved a hand as he stepped behind the podium and the stool and Sorting Hat appeared at the front of the room. "We have two fifth year transfer students waiting to be Sorted, but myself and the other teachers had to remove some rather obnoxious pranks played on Miss Weasley," he says and the tone made most of the students want to bow their head in shame for laughing at the girl, except for the Slytherin, Ravenclaws, some Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, as well. "Bullying will not be tolerated and in saying so, Aurora Snape, Fred and George Weasley, the three of you will have detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest every night for the next month."

"We didn't do anything," the three of them say at the same time, standing from their seats to glare up at the Headmaster as the whole great hall went silent.

Dumbledore smirked from behind the podium, staring down at the three of them and shrugged. "There is evidence against that," he says and Aurora raised an eyebrow, cocking her head to the side as she stared up at Dumbledore.

"Really?" she murmurs slipping her wand free of its holster on her wrist and gripping it tight. "I, Aurora Sinclair-Prince-Black do hereby swear on my magic that I had nothing to do with today's prank on Genevra Weasley. So mote it be." Smirking up at the Headmaster as her magic flashed to seal the vow, she lifted her wand above her head and yelled, "Avis." A whole flock of small red birds burst from the tip of her wand and flitted around the room. "Seems your evidence was wrong, Headmaster." Retaking her seat, she stared up Dumbledore as the twins repeated the same vow, using a simple Lumos to show that they still had their magic. "Oh and Headmaster, before you start the Sorting of the new students, maybe you should hand out that punishment to those who deserve it."

Most of Dumbledore's masks cracked and AJ hid her triumph behind a tiny, pleased smirk as he gripped the edges of the podium so tightly his old, knarled hands turned white. "Do not presume to order me about," he growls and she raised an eyebrow as Hogwarts began to tremble, barely noticeable at first but getting steadily stronger. "I am Headmaster of Hogwarts."

AJ shrugged, looking away from him and Dumbledore got the feeling he'd just been dismissed, actually, it felt more like he was so far beneath her notice, she didn't need to pay him any mind. The castle began to shake violently with his anger and AJ shook her head, stabbing the pad of her pointer finger on one of the pins attached to her skirt, squeezing a couple drops of blood onto the stone floor. "Sweet Lady Hogwarts, the Headmaster's anger is putting the children at risk," she breathes and the shaking immediately stopped as the blood AJ had put on the floor sunk into the stones at her feet. The magic in the walls began to flow, like it'd been dormant before and AJ's eyes narrowed as she glanced up at the Headmaster from the corner of her eye. He stared around him like he didn't understand why the castle was no longer shaking with his anger and AJ looked away from him, turning her attention back to her friends. The Voclain twins were sorted into Slytherin and they became fast friends with the Weasley twins, especially once they revealed that they were the ones that had pranked Ginny.

===============POV=Change================

Harry stared up at the canopy of his bed, feeling excitement and fear as they wrapped around each other in the pit of his stomach. He must've fallen asleep because the red canopy of the bed in his dorm became a silver canopy and he felt an arm wrap around his waist as he rolled onto his side to face silver bed curtains. "I can feel your restlessness," Tom breathes in his ear as he tightens his hold around his waist. Harry glanced at him through the corner of his eye before rolling onto his back, lifting his head up to kiss him, running a hand through Tom's slightly curly hair. Tom groaned into Harry's mouth, quickly taking control of the kiss and mapping out his mate's mouth.

Harry pulled away to kiss along Tom's jaw and down his neck, nipping at his pulse point as his small hands push up underneath the hem of Tom's shirt to run over his bare skin. Tom hummed as he pulled Harry's shirt off over his head, pulling away to look over his beautiful, little mate. Harry's long, auburn hair was spread out on the pillows beneath him as mismatched eyes stared up at him and Harry ran his hands over Tom's skin underneath the shirt, slowly pushing it up so Tom would remove it. "Tom," Harry breathes running a hand through his mate's brown hair as he lifts himself up to kiss him and Tom settles himself between Harry's legs. Deepening the kiss, Tom let out a surprised groan, his hips bucking forward into his mate's, when Harry's hand dragged down his chest, grazing a nipple before moving around to press into his back.

Harry arched up into him at the contact as he broke the kiss with a gasp and his nails dug into Tom's back. Tom licked his lips as his mate lay back on the pillows, unwittingly exposing his throat and he leant down, kissing up and down the exposed column before nipping at the pulse point, rocking against him at the same time. A breathless moan and Harry's legs wrapping around his waist as he rocked his hips back against Tom's were enough to make him want his mate naked and writhing under him. "My pretty, little mate," he murmurs against Harry's pulse before lifting his head and catching his lips with his own, dominating and devouring his mate's mouth. Harry moaned into the kiss, thrusting his hips up into Tom's and arching back in surprise when Tom put a hand against the small of his back, pressing him closer to him.

"Tom," Harry pleads and he pulled back from placing open-mouthed kisses to Harry's throat, glancing up through his lashes to see the want in his mate's eyes.

Licking his lips, he returned to nip at Harry's pulse point before sliding down to lick and kiss at his chest, tongue flicking lazily over a nipple. His mate's reaction to that almost made him pause and continue playing but a quick glance told him it wouldn't be a good idea. Continuing his journey down Harry's body, he paused to lick around his navel before turning his head to nip at a hipbone and worried the skin over his hip enough to leave a mark as he slowly began sliding Harry's pajama bottoms down his legs. Harry was staring down at him with glazed over eyes as he teased his mate, kissing the insides of his thighs while completely removing his pants. Tom gave Harry a naughty smirk before licking the tip of his erection, hands coming up to pin Harry's hips to the bed as he thrust upward at the feeling.

Harry's fears of what tomorrow's task might bring had totally evaporated once Tom had begun touching him and he fought the grip Tom had on his hips to thrust up into his mate's mouth as Tom swallowed him. "Oh... Fuck," he gasps out as Tom's hold on his hips tightened as his mate pulled back, tongue swirling around him and Harry shuddered, one hand gripping the sheets as the other tightened in Tom's hair. Another smirk appeared on Tom's face as he licked his lips, making an appreciative noise at Harry's taste and making him blush. Lowering his head, he presses his tongue against the tip before going back down on Harry, realeasing Harry's hips and putting an arm around under his back, lifting him up. Casting a silent, wandless Lubrication spell, he circled Harry's entrance with a single finger and felt Harry's muscles tense as he arched up at the sensation. "Tom."

===============POV=Change=================

AJ strengthened her Occlumency shields as she threw a Containment spell at Harry to keep his thoughts and emotions from being seen by the wrong people, hoping to finish breakfast without catching a glimpse of Harry's wonderfully vivid Mate Dreams. An image of a red-eyed Tom going down on Harry flashed through her mind, causing her to choke on the mouthful of toast she'd been chewing on and she added more layers to her shields as Marcus pat her back, snickering under his breath. Thankfully, Draco was the one to broach the subject of Harry's emotions and memories leaking through his shields. "Harry, as hot as seeing you and your mate together is," he murmurs quietly so only Harry, AJ, Hermione and Marcus could hear him. "I would like to finish breakfast without having to worry about choking on my food, sorry AJ, because you accidentally project something."

Harry turned the same color as his natural hair before all of the emotions and memories that had been barraging the group since Harry had come down to breakfast disappeared, pulled back behind Harry's shields. "Sorry," he breathes sheepishly and AJ let out a thankful sigh, easing back on her shields. "I'm just..." he stopped speaking as McGonagall walked into the great hall, calling for the Champions.

AJ stood with Harry, gathering him into a hug and kissing his forehead. "It's okay to be happy, Harry," she murmurs as she pulled free of the hug and ruffling his hair. "Now, remain calm, take a deep breath before walking in front of that Dragon and make sure to have a solid plan when you do face it."

Harry snickered when she pulled him into another hug, this one almost bone-crushingly tight and he knew she was wishing that he wasn't a part of this stupid tournament. "You need to stay calm, I've got everything covered," he murmurs looking at Marcus over her shoulder, "and stay close to Marcus if you think you're about to lose your temper."

She nodded, giving him one final squeeze before releasing him and taking a step back. "You better make it out of there alive or I'll bring you back to life and beat you up," she says giving him a small, concerned smile before pushing him towards where McGonagall and the other Champions were waiting.

===============POV=Change=================

A glamoured Tom sat in his office, impatiently waiting for the arrival of Lucius and Narcissa so they could head to Hogwarts to watch the First task of the Triwizard Tournament. "Ready, my lord?" Lucius asks the moment he steps through the floo, dusting off his robes before assisting his wife when the toe of her boot caught on the carpet a step from the fireplace.

When Tom nodded impatiently, Lucius held out the portkey to Hogwarts, barely concealing the smirk that wanted to grace his features and taking a deep breath before it activated. They landed a little away from the stadium, Narcissa wobbling a bit before they began walking in that direction and clinging to Lucius' arm for support. "Are you feeling well, Narcissa?" Tom asks and the Lady Malfoy nodded, giving him a small, tight smile.

"A little dizzy," she murmurs and he nods, looking over the crowd of students already in the stadium before he and the Malfoys were directed to the area where the Headmasters, the Champions' families and the VIP Guests were being sat.

===============POV=Change=================

AJ wanted to growl at the fact she, Marcus, Petunia and Dudley were placed in the seats beside Dumbledore. To make matters worse, she was sitting next to the old goat because he'd tried to get Petunia to sit beside him and she wasn't having that after the stunt he'd pulled yesterday. "Headmaster Dumbledore," the voice of Lucius Malfoy broke through her inner rage rant and she glanced over at them through the corner of her eye.

"Lord and Lady Malfoy," Dumbledore says giving them just the barest of nods and AJ fought the urge to roll her eyes, letting out a quiet sigh instead as she places her hand atop Marcus' arm. "And who have you brought with you?"

AJ's eyes moved to the tall, lean figure standing behind the Malfoys and gave an inner smirk as the glamour flared brightly in her sight, showing who was beneath it. "This is Kevin Voclain, Alec and Adrien's older brother, he's apprenticing for Narcissa to become a Healer," Lucius murmurs and Dumbledore nods, giving the man behind Lucius and Narcissa another look. Lucius and Narcissa moved past Dumbledore, coming to a stop in front of AJ, who stood, tilting her head into a bow to Lucius. "Good morning, Lady Sinclair."

"To you as well, Lord and Lady Malfoy," she breathes as she felt 'Kevin's' stare begin to weigh on her. "Mister Voclain." She held her hand out for him to shake and he took it, giving it one good, firm shake before withdrawing, a look of confusion on his face.

===============POV=Change=================

Harry sat in the tent, staring at the figurine sitting in the palm of his hand as he took deep, even breaths to stay calm, even as the miniature Hungarian Horntail spat fire for a few moments before curling up in the center of his palm. As he flared out his magic, he got a tingle from where AJ sat and felt kind of bad when he noticed she was sitting next to Dumbledore. There were loud cheers as Viktor Krum finished retrieving his egg and Harry stood, casting a stasis charm on the miniature before shoving it into his robes, moving to stand by the exit to the tent. Taking a deep breath as the cannon fired, he stepped into the hall between the tent and stadium.

===============POV=Change=================

AJ took a deep, shakey breath as the cannon fired for Harry to start and her grip on Marcus' arm tightened, causing him to let out a low hiss. "Stupid, pink fleshlings," the Horntail hisses and AJ had to agree with her, normal Wizards were stupid for thinking of this as a Task."I do not like this, my eggs are not fully protected out in the open like this and I don't know why I'm here."

"Great," AJ murmurs as Harry steps into the stadium and the Horntail immediately goes into defensive mode, gaze zeroing in on him. "Please have a Fire-Proof spell on, at least, Harry."

The Horntail had moved before Harry had seen it and he approached the nest cautiously, looking around for her. Petunia gasps as a jet of flame is sent towards Harry and he dodges out of the way just in time. "Why do you approach my nest, hatchling?" the Horntail hisses moving so she was crouched, curled around her nest. "I will not let you take my eggs, too many fleshlings have done so today."

"Hatchling?" Harry asks cocking his head at the Horntail.

AJ groaned, releasing her grip on Marcus to rub her forehead. "Not what you need to be focusing on, Harry," she breathes leaning into Marcus' shoulder.

"Yes, definitely a hatchling," the dragon croons nuzzling the eggs in her nest, scenting them. She nudged the golden one as a growl echoed through the stadium. "This one isn't mine, isn't even a real egg," a great golden eye landed on Harry. "Were you supposed to collect this, hatchling?"

"Yes," Harry says as he nodded and the Horntail nudged it from her nest, sending it rolling towards Harry who bent down to pick it up. "Thank you."

The Horntail cocked her head at him as cheers slowly started around the stadium and she stretched out to nudge him in the center of his chest with her nose. "You're very welcome, hatchling," she trills withdrawing to curl around her nest. "You should come speak to me in the forest later, the fleshlings will not be taking us home until tomorrow."

Harry chuckled, "I'll try," before leaving the stadium and AJ sighed, leaning fully into Marcus' side as her mate tried to make her feel better before she was up, vaulting over the railing into the crowd, heading in the direction of the tents.

===============POV=Change=================

Harry was getting checked over by Madame Pomfrey when AJ suddenly flew through the entrance to the tent and paused to look around before rushing over to stand next to his cot. "I'm fine, AJ," he snickers and she levels a glare on him before looking at Madame Pomfrey for confirmation.

"A minor singe on his left arm," she says in amusement, "otherwise, he's perfectly fine."

Moving around to his right side, she punched him in the arm before crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the floor. "Were you worried about me?" he asks and she could practically hear the smirk so she didn't bother to look to see if it was really there. "Aw, I love you, too, AJ."

"Brat," she growls glaring at him as she reaches out to ruffle his hair, making it stand up up even crazier than normal.

Marcus, Petunia, Dudley, Lucius, Narcissa and the rest of the group rushed through the entrance, followed by Mr. Voclain. "Harry," Hermione and Luna yell as they run forward, swamping him in a hug and AJ saw the flash of emotion that crossed 'Kevin's' face, wanting to chuckle.

"I'm fine, I promise," Harry gumbles from his crushed space between Hermione and Luna, causing the rest of the group to laugh, except the Malfoys and 'Kevin.' "Someone, help, my sisters are trying to suffocate me." He glanced at AJ who was closest. "AJ, help."

AJ snickered as she went to work, prying Luna off first and sending her off in the direction of Cedric's cot. Hermione was harder to remove, thanks, in part, to her Creatures and the fact that she really didn't know what to expect of today. "Gred, Forge, a little help with your girlfriend would be appreciated," she growls after removing Hermione's grip a third time only to have her reattached to Harry seconds later. The red-headed twins laughed at her as they walked over, "Fred, you take the left arm, I'll take the right and George, you move Harry away from her."