Chapter 12: Spring 1995 and the end of the TriWizard Tournament

April was as rainy as ever that year and Harry spent a lot of time in protest sitting out in the back gardens in the rain. One of the few consequences of his actions was the amount of colds he caught that he had to fight off on his own all while keeping up with his hundreds of lessons. Daphne became incredibly stressed about her own upcoming end of the year exams and was increasingly antsy about the end of the contest, as she likes all of the contestants and didn't want them to die.

Easter break also came and went with only Astoria coming home and visiting Grimmauld place. Daphne had failed a potion and Professor Snape was allowing her to make it up over the break but that meant that she would miss seeing Harry. It was an unhappy trade-off she was willing to make in order to get the best grades she could get. Blaise and Draco stayed behind to help her figure out what went wrong in her potion and brew it correctly before the break ended, something Harry was thankful for as it made his betrothed less stressed.

"I swear, Daphne's going to go prematurely grey with the amount she worries. Did you know that Draco is starting to hang out with Ginny one-on-one now? I think he likes her!" Astoria babbled to Harry one night after dinner when the adults had all retired to the study to make plans and the twins had been put to bed.

"No, I didn't know that but as I have no idea about her character I cannot comment on whether or not that would be a good match. If we are going on the fact that she is a Weasley then that might cause problems but they both play chaser as I've heard she made reserve chaser when the Gryffindor team held seeker tryouts last year after the other seeker graduated and they both have Hermione's best interest at heart I think. But isn't she dating that guy from Ravenclaw, Michael Corner or something? Also, this has been bugging me for a while but do you know what happened to Hedwig, I couldn't exactly take care of her and get her back. I hope she's not too mad at me when I finally see her again."

"You really do listen to Daphne when she tells you all of the Hogwarts gossip." Harry had to roll his eyes at Astoria's declaration but let her continue to speak. "Yes, she is, has been since he asked her the day after the Yule Ball actually. It is one of the worst matches I have ever seen! He tries to control her and she is not one to be controlled. It's like watching a time bomb and waiting for it to explode. I give it another month or so. It doesn't help that Pansy still follows Draco around like her life depends on it and still tells everyone that will listen that she is Draco's girlfriend. He only took her to the ball because she had scared off the Ravenclaw he was going to ask and told him she had already bought him the matching tie to her dress. It was so funny to watch that train wreck, I felt so bad. He ended up dancing with a girl from Beauxbatons most of the night after Pansy got drunk and ended up leaving with Goyle to do god-knows-what, thinking it was Draco no doubt.

"As for Hedwig, there was a lot of arguing going on over the years between Ron and Ginny about Hedwig as she instantly took to Ginny when Ron thought, as your supposed best friend, that he should get the bird. Hedwig didn't take too kindly to that and had bit his fingers until they bleed whenever he tries to touch her. It's quite funny. Ginny has taken good care of her and I've even heard her telling Hedwig some of those ridiculous Harry Potter stories as well as the story from 1st year that Hermione told her when Ginny started. Of course, now she doesn't even tell those ridiculous stories to Hedwig, instead telling her that you didn't abandon her and will return soon. I think they've bonded a bit but I'm sure Hedwig misses you tremendously."

"I miss her too but I'm glad Ginny is taking care of her for me, she seems like a great girl. However, I think I have learned more than I ever needed to know on the inner workings of the female mind. I need to go find my balls after that gossip session, excuse me." Harry left a giggling Astoria by the fire as he went up to his room to remind himself of his masculinity. He really needed more guy friends. Gossiping with his betrothed, her sister and even Draco and Blaise was making him start to question his sexuality.

Hogwarts, Easter Break

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Daphne practically screamed in the empty Slytherin common room as Blaise and Draco retreated away from the hormonal, head-banging blonde. They were three of the 27 remaining Slytherins who decided to stay for this break and the rest had quickly evacuated the common rooms for the grounds or their rooms at the sound of the frustrated fourth year.

"Daphne," Blaise called from the other side of the room," We can't help you if you don't stop having these moments. Why don't we go to the Library where you are forced to be quiet so you can concentrate and what Draco and I have to say." Daphne looked up through her hair as she lifted her head up from the coffee table she had been banging her head against.

"Besides," Draco added, "you wouldn't want to have brain damage the next time you see your betrothed, right?" Daphne chucked one of the many, heavy potions book at him before scooping the rest up into her bag with her notes and starting to make her way out of the common room. Luckily for Draco's chaser abilities, he was able to catch the book before it hit him and was damages from the fall.

"I wonder how he puts up with her," Draco whispered to Blaise as they went to follow Daphne.

"I HEARD THAT!" Daphne shrieked, whirling around to face her tutors for the week, they both gulped before pushing her towards the library where they would be more productive.

Four days later, they group had finished Daphne's essay on what went wrong and now Professor Snape had given her permission to start brewing. Luckily she knew what she was doing this time and finished with an hour and a half before dinner with a perfect potion.

Break ended and Astoria returned to her sister and quickly informed her of how much Harry missed her and what the gossip session and lack of teenage male contact was doing to him. Daphne vowed that after they had gotten reacquainted with each other's lips that she and Draco and Blaise would spend the whole summer together, or every weekend that summer as Harry would have no breaks with him starting NEWT work.

Grimmauld Place

"Sirius, your mother is driving me mad! But Remus is awesome! Why hasn't he been teaching me the entire time? He makes everything much easier to understand!"

"Well, pup, he wasn't exactly available before but as he is out from under Dumbledore for the moment and happily dating my cousin, Nymphadora, he will be taking over all of the lessons that I have been teaching you while I will be taking on half of what Elizabeth was teaching you as the twins have become a bit of a full time job and we need more time to manage them. I hope you don't feel like we've abandoned you for them because we haven't. All three of you have our love equally. You just don't need us to change your diapers, feed you and give you a bath. Not to mention you don't need to be supervised every second you are awake incase you do any accidental magic or try to rip up your mothers nice jewelry in a game of tug-of-war." Harry and Sirius shared a laugh at those memories of the twin terrors. Harry would never admit it, but Sirius saying that had really reassured him that his godfather was still there for him and wouldn't abandon him now that he had a family of his own. It felt nice to be included in such a loving family, even if it was an incredibly dysfunctional one, but Harry wouldn't have it any other way at this point.

Just then, the front door banged open and cursed was heard as a distinctly feminine voice tripped and fell down the front hall troll leg umbrella stand. Harry and Sirius turned to each other with a grin and said, "Tonks". The woman in question quickly entered the kitchen and told Harry that his appointment for the Gringotts Inheritance testing was set for July 31, his birthday.

"Why my birthday? What if Daphne and I had plans?" Harry grew angry at the thought of the adults messing with his life and keeping him from having any fun, again.

"Well, Harry, if we are correct, you coming into any inheritance you have will push for you to be made legal in every way, of course you still need to take your NEWTs in order to be able to get a real job but you will be legal and allowed to take over as head of your family, removing all forms of trace magic from your person and your wand. You could also go through your full core maturity in the next 6 months or in three or so years but it would be best if you are already head of your family and not a minor when that happens as funky things can happen. I remember mine happened when I was seventeen and my hair, size, skin color wouldn't stop changing size shape and color for a week even my breast-"

"Ok, Tonks, I think Harry gets it. Look, Harry, you may be able to do some things Metamorphs can but I do not think you will go through what Tonks went through. Your father just grew in height and his spells had more power than he knew what to do with and had to go to the hospital wing for a calming potion because he couldn't think straight after he blasted through a desk. Unfortunately his happened in March or April, just after his eighteenth birthday and well, it was very funny. Most witches and wizards don't have too many problems. Maturity is just your core finishing growing and stabling out. The later your maturity happens, the more powerful you are. The youngest recorded it 14 while the oldest recorded is 19 and that was Nicholas Flamel. I assume you'll follow your parents and be eighteen when it happens. Mine happened when I was eighteen as well, I don't know when Elizabeth went through hers though."

"It was eighteen, just a few weeks shy of my nineteenth birthday, and I was in Russia and I almost blew up the apartment I was in at the time. Almost beat the record, if only I could have held out for a few more months. Oh well, that's in the past." Elizabeth said as she walked into the Kitchen. The twins were down for a nap, thankfully, and Elizabeth and Tonks caught up while she prepared Tea for the small group.

"Remus is out, Tonks, said something about making his house livable, any ideas about that?" Sirius said when there was a pause in conversation and Tonks was caught looking around the kitchen and at the kitchen door expectantly.

Tonks blushed and grew her hair out to cover her face while she took a sip of tea. "I don't know what you are talking about dear cousin." Tonks left shortly after that, saying her shift was about to start.

"I got the bleedin' night shift today! Stupid Robards, just because I'm a rookie and he thinks he can make my life hell when he makes the schedules." Tonks grumbled into her hugs to her extended family before leaving for the Ministry.

"So, dearest Auntie, when is Remus going to propose?" Harry asked.

Elizabeth smiled, as her eyes grew a bit unfocused for a minute. "Not for a few months or a few years, depending on how their relationship plays out and the dark tosser becoming active again and what not."

Hogwarts, June 24, 1995, last minutes of the Final Task

Daphne waited anxiously for the competitors to come out of the maze. She didn't know what was taking so long but then again, they were facing all manner of beats and enchantments in the maze. Luckily, none had had to pull out due to injury yet. Next to her sat Hermione with Adrianna, Viktor's fiancée on Hermione's other side. The three had become friends along with Fleur, Susan, Hannah, Lavender, Parvati, Padma, Luna, Astoria and Ginny, forming a group of girls who would study and listen to Adrianna as she talked about Healing and the joy it brought her. Just then, there was the sound of crunching leaves and then, all three Champions, Fleur limping with what looked like a broken ankle, Viktor with his left arm at an odd angle, un-doubtable broken, and Cedric with three gashes on the right side of his torso, came out of the maze all holding the TriWizard Cup. The champions had all decided to show international cooperation and take the cup together, no doubt from a little prodding by Hermione whom all the Champions had felt protective over after witnessing one of Ron's outbursts towards her or another.

The cheers were deafening and the press snapping hundreds of photos at the sight of the three champions, bruised and battered, all smiling and holding the cup together. They all dropped the cup together and collapsed in a heap as the mediwitches and wizards descended on them, healing their cuts, contusions and bruises in front of everyone before levitating them up to the school. Daphne couldn't believe it but was proud to say she knew them and call them her friends. She was hoping to introduce Viktor and Cedric to Harry, knowing he would love to meet with two other seekers and get the lo-down about Hogwarts Quidditch and Professional Quidditch.

Getting up with Hermione and Adrianna, the three went up to the castle so Adrianna could help heal her fiancé and his fellow champions. "That vas amazing vat the champions did! I cannot believe it! Vat and amazing show off sportsmanship and cooperation!" Adrianna exclaimed.

"Yes," Hermione agreed, "I am so proud of them and all they have done, not only in the tournament but to better international relations amongst out peers. It was such a great year because of this." Hermione's smile darkened a bit as she recalled that the beginning of the school year had not been so good. Luckily for her, Ron had not complied with the terms of his in school suspension and would be continuing it next year with a restraining order to not come anywhere near her in the next twenty year and not to speak, touch or look at her while in school.

"Vell you von't haff to worry about that ass next year. He von't be allowed to Hogsmeade or Quidditch next year and you haff that restraining order which, if he violates, sends him right to Azkaban," Adrianna reminded Hermione with a tight side-hug. Hermione smiled up at her friend and mentor as she recalled that all of those details were true. Adrianna had been there for Hermione from the start, after healing her and informing her that she still had her hymen intact, which meant she still had her virginity; Hermione had broken down and thanked the deities that Ron hadn't taken everything from her.

"Yes," Daphne added, "And Slytherin House will prank him and pretend it was someone else if he even thinks about it."

"Thank you," Hermione said through sniffles as they continued their trek to the Hospital Wing. Once there, Daphne rushed over to Fleur and gave her a soft hug and congratulated her before sitting by her bedside and hearing all about what Fleur had to say. Just as she was about to get up to see how Viktor and Cedric were doing, she heard a crash of a window breaking and a smirking Hermione hold a glass jar.

"Sorry guys, thought I saw a bug," she said before sitting down in her seat and holding the glass jar. Since the Yule Ball, Rita Skeeter had been nothing but nasty to Hermione, trying to dig up and all dirt on her, she had published some articles that had been borderline harassment and all hinted at what Ron had done while making it out to sound like she was a whore. We had all pondered how Rita had gotten that information but none of us had been able to figure it out. Hermione must have with the shit-eating grin on her face.

"Alright, Hermione, what is in the jar?" Cedric asked when individual conversation did not pick up. Hermione shook her head, still grinning manically.

"Iz zat a beetal?" Fleur asked, squinting at the jar from across the wing. Hermione's grin became even wider if that was possible and they all knew, Rita Skeeter was an illegal animagus. They would leave Hermione to deal with the pest but Daphne decided that she should be there when Hermione dealt with that parasite in order to get Hermione her deserved justice.

The next few days went in a blur until all of the Champions were up on the dais in the Great Hall with the press up front and everyone else in elevated seats behind them, watching each school be rewarding with a miniature version of the cup and each Champion awarded 1000 Galleons.