Second Task and a Night Wander

A/N: Okay, so here's the next chapter. Just a quick notice: I'm coming down with a case of writer's block for this, so...yeah. I wrote what I could, I don't know if it's good or not, I have no clue what the next chapter's going to be about, but I'll figure it out ;) Thanks for all the feedback!

July 7. Such an important day. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS!? Lol. Just kidding. I wouldn't either if I were you. It's the Love and Hate's Daughter series' one year anniversary! That's right. A year ago, I posted the prologue of the first one, 'Love and Hate's Daughter.' I've come so far since then, I wouldn't have done it without you all! ;) ;) Plus, I didn't think I'd get this far. Honestly. I thought I'd have discontinued this. So thanks for all your support! I shall continue until seventh year (hopefully) ;)

Notice: I changed the avatar to Lina's Yule Ball dress. I'll leave it up until the end of the fourth year before changing it back to the original one ;)

Enjoy the next chapter of, 'The Years of Change!' :)

Lina

The next thing I felt was wetness, and an arm wrapped around me. And the fact that I was clinging on to the arm for dear life because I suck at swimming. Siriusly. I was one of the only ones at Camp who couldn't really swim, but Chiron guessed it's because I control fire, and water can extinguish fire.

I blink and look at my surroundings. I was at the surface of the water. Harry had one arm around me, and one arm around the little girl that was supposed to be rescued by Fleur.

I gasp, "Second Task, oh, right, Dumbledore was serious about taking us to the Black Lake—how did you manage to go underwater? And why's she here?"

"I'll explain once we get to the surface," Harry says.

As soon as we reach the surface, Fleur seizes the little girl and pulls her into her arms. Ron rushes down to join us as soon as we reach there.

"Come here, both of you," Madam Pomfrey says, seizing Harry and I and wrapping us up in tight blankets, before forcing us to drink a hot potion.

"Harry, well done! You figured out how all by yourself!" Hermione exclaims.

"Well..." Harry says. But he noticed Karkaroff glaring at our little group. "Yeah, that's right." I couldn't blame him for not wanting to say anything with Karkaroff around...I'll ask when he's gone.

"You haff a water beetle in your hair," Viktor says to Hermione, who brushes it off.

"Did you find us alright? It's been way over an hour..." I say.

"No...I found you okay..." Harry trails off.

Then they started awarding us. Fleur got twenty five points, Cedric got forty seven, Viktor got forty, and then they reached Harry.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect. He returned last, but the delay was due to not just returning Lina Quimby to safety but the others as well. Most of the judges," Bagman turns to glare at Karkaroff. "Feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks, however...Mr. Potter's score is forty five points."

"You're tied for first!" I exclaim while clapping, "Tied with Cedric Diggory!"

People kept swarming Hermione and I after the task, demanding to know what happened down at the bottom of the lake. We just told them that Dumbledore gave us a potion to put us to sleep and we didn't wake up until after our Champions retrieved us.

The school was indifferent toward me for being Harry's hostage. In fact, I think they all expected it. But, Hermione...well, let's just say a lot of girls liked Viktor Krum and started making fun of her. Usually a death glare from me would shut the girls up, but sometimes I'd go as far as to hex them secretly if the insults got really bad.

"You don't think Sirius has come back to Hogsmeade, do you?" I ask after reading a letter from him addressed to us.

"It looks like it," Hermione says.

"If he's caught, then..." Harry trails off.

"But he made it to Hogsmeade, then he's gotten really far. Besides, the place isn't flooded with Dementors anymore, is it?" Ron asks.

After that lunch, we walked to Double Potions. "Oh, there they are!" Pansy says. "There might be something to interest you, Quimby! Granger, especially you!" She threw a copy of Witch Weekly at us.

Harry's Love Issue: Fire Can Burn

By: Rita Skeeter

Harry Potter, aged fourteen, deprived by the loss of his parents, thought he had found solace in love. He has feelings for two girls: one, a plain ambitious Muggle born girl, Hermione Granger. The other, Lina Quimby, a half blood witch with a fiery streak. ("What lies is she going to say about us now?" I sigh.)

Both girls basically broke the poor boy. Miss Granger has a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone could not satisfy. She has been toying with the affections of Viktor Krum, international Quidditch player as well. Krum is smitten with her, and has invited her to visit in Bulgaria, insisting that he 'never felt this way about any other girl.' It has been reported by Pansy Parkinson, a pretty ("Not," Hermione scoffs.) Slytherin fourth year, that she is quite brainy and might be making a love potion. ("Really?" Hermione sighs.)

Let's get on to Miss Quimby. It's been reported around Hogwarts that the two are pretty much an unofficial couple. But then, if that's the case, what did we see at the Yule Ball? Apparently the two were in a fight because Harry asked another girl before her. So she decided to take, aka, use Klaus Evergoth, a handsome Durmstrang student, to rub it in his face. ("What the Hades!" I exclaim angrily.) But, even so, Harry and Lina were found in a rather compromising position after the Yule Ball... ("She's going to Tartarus!" I exclaim.)

Harry, watch out. You could very well be under the charm of Miss Granger's love potion or Miss Quimby's jealousy—as the two of you are, 'best friends with benefits.'

"What utter rubbish," I snarl. "I did not take Klaus to what does she say, 'rub it in your face,' I took him because he asked me and we're friends. I can only hope Klaus has enough sense not to believe this piece of crap. And Harry? I'm not jealous of anybody, okay? And how the hell does she know about the best friends with benefits thing? Does she spy on us or something?"

"I'm not making a love potion," Hermione scoffs.

"I believe you," Harry says. "Rita Skeeter simply writes lies for a good story."

"I told you two not to mess with Rita Skeeter!" Ron hisses. "She's made you, Hermione, into some scarlet woman, and turned Lina into some sort of jealous person!"

"Well, it could be worse." I say. "She could have revealed my biggest secret that I'm a you-know-what."

"Fascinating your social lives are," Snape snaps. "Do not discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."

Malfoy flashes, POTTER STINKS, at Harry from behind.

"Ah, reading magazines, are we?" Snape says. "Another ten points from Gryffindor...Potter must keep up with his press cuttings, doesn't he?" Snape sneers.

Then Snape reads the entire article aloud. He pauses at the end of every sentence so the Slytherins could laugh. Slytherin biased git. "I'd better separate you four, so you can keep your minds on potions instead of your messed up love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, go over there beside Miss Parkinson. Mr. Potter, the empty table in front of my desk. Miss Quimby, go over there next to Mr. Malfoy. Move. Now."

Hermione and I share a half smile. Obviously, we got the worst end of the bargain here, actually having to go sit with the Slytherins. I sit down next to Malfoy. "You know," He whispers. "I don't believe the article."

"Really?" I snap. "You had a great time laughing with the rest of the Slytherins at the paragraph bashing Hermione! You might have kept quiet during my part, but I guarantee you Brooke and Parkinson did not! And all of you were flashing POTTER STINKS at Harry!"

Malfoy took a breath, as if he was trying to figure out where to proceed with me. "Who was the other girl Potter asked?"

"Cho Chang," I say. "But she's with Cedric so it doesn't really matter...but I'm not using Klaus...and Rita's just...ugh. Don't you agree? Wait...I'm talking to Malfoy, aren't I?"

"Or you could be talking to my alter ego," Malfoy says.

"I like your alter ego better. He sure is nicer." I roll my eyes and turn back to my Potion.

"You're stirring the potion wrong. You should be stirring counterclockwise," He comments. "It says it right there..."

"Well, unlike you I suck at this subject," I say, stirring it counterclockwise instead. "Or maybe it's the fact that we have a very biased Professor. Face it. He may like you Slytherin gits, but he hates everyone else, including Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. You only like him because he has it in for Harry, I presume."

"Oh, yes, your precious Potter. Tell me, what does friends with benefits even mean exactly?" He muses. "Oh, wait. I think I know. It means that you're friends that snog each other."

"When does this bell ring...when will it ring?" I grind out.

"Am I that bad?" He asks.

"Yep," I say simply. Harry shoots me a look of pity from where he sat. When he did so, Malfoy took another opportunity to flash POTTER STINKS.

"Yes, you are that bad," I say. "Or maybe I can see your alter ego for relief?"

"Maybe you can, and maybe you can't," He says.

Just then the bell rang. "Oh, thank the gods!" I exclaim before putting some of the potion in a flask for grading and was about to leave the prison, when an arm pulls me back. It was Malfoy.

"Sure. You can see my alter ego when you want. Maybe you'll actually be civil to me then."

I give him a weird look before leaving the classroom, bumping into someone.

"Oh, Klaus." I say breathlessly. "You can't believe that rubbish article, right? You know I went with you as a friend, right?"

"I do not believe ze article," Klaus says. "Zat Skeeter woman is a—"

"Female dog?" I finish.

He nods and I sigh with relief. Klaus didn't believe the article. Midnight flies towards me with a letter. "Thanks, Midnight." I say, petting her beak affectionately before reading:

Dear Lina,

Things at Camp are alright, though there are some people in a frenzy about the Prophecy and the Romans. Leo's working on building the Argo II, which is coming along quite well. Hopefully this helps us get Seaweed Brain back.

How about you? How's Hogwarts, and how's your 'friend' holding up in the Tournament?

I miss you and please reply soon.

Annabeth

I sigh with relief and put the letter away before Hermione could see it. Everything's alright at Camp.

The four of us were making our way towards a far end of the Hogsmeade village the next day I go to when I Iris Message Camp Half Blood. A shaggy black dog waited for us. "Hello, Sirius," Harry says. Sirius/Padfoot sniffs the bag of food Harry brought before trotting away, us following in his footsteps.

We eventually make it to the top of a mountain when Sirius reveals himself. He looked very skinny, pale, and thin. I guess that's what happens if you try and stay in hiding for a long time with barely any food...

It was nice to see Sirius again. We talked about possible people that could've entered Harry in the tournament: Lucius Malfoy came up a couple times, and Igor Karkaroff. Then the whole matter of Crouch and his son came up, but was instantly put aside.

"Now, listen," Sirius says as soon as our meeting was over. "I don't want you lot sneaking out of the school to see me. Just send notes to me here. I still want to hear about anything odd. And don't leave without permission, and remember to call me Snuffles when you talk about me. Good luck."

"You have done wonderfully." A cold voice says.

"Thank you, my Lord." Another voice says.

"Now. I have another task for you. I want my daughter at this graveyard." The cold voice says.

"My Lord, your daughter will accompany you during your revival." The other voice says.

"Oh, I know that!" The cold voice snarls. "I am not talking about Brooke. I'm talking about Alina!"

"But, my Lord! How am I to do that? You said only put Potter's name in!" The other voice says.

The cold voice mutters something inaudible.

"Yes, my Lord." The other voice says. "But you know, she's friendly with Potter and the rest, how exactly is this going to work?"

"If I make her a Death Eater, our side will win for sure. How can it not? Her mother is an immortal goddess, and she's a fair witch, she can wield a knife. And I hear she has control over an element." The cold voice says.

"Certainly, my Lord. You should see her in her spell-work too, I know I have." The other voice says. "I still don't get how you're going to turn her over? Especially after you kill her little boyfriend, Potter?"

"That's easy," the cold voice says. "We bring out her dark side. I know her flaws. Surely a girl like her has been through enough that she's almost at the breaking point? Remind her of the people that caused her pain and bring out her vengeance streak. I say bring her while we have the chance."

"Certainly, my Lord." The other voice says.

I jolt upright out of bed.

"Lina?" Parvati Patil's voice says. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine," I gasp.

"You kept saying, 'I will never, ever, turn evil or join the Death Eaters,' in your sleep..." She trails off.

"No, really. I'm fine." I insist.

She makes a grunting noise before going back to sleep. I attempt sleep but it isn't working. I could guess that the cold voice was my Father, Voldemort. He's going to revive soon. Whoever the other voice was put Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire. My Father wants to kill Harry and turn me into a Death Eater. Is he right?

Do I have a dark side?

I think I need a night walk to think things through. I look at the clock. It was only 1am. I sneak into Harry's dormitory and grab his Invisibility Cloak before leaving Gryffindor tower, and walk up to the Astronomy Tower where I take off the Cloak.

I can't have a dark side.

But my father's the Dark Lord.

Damn heritage.

I'm best friends (with benefits of course...) with my father's nemesis, the one he'd give anything to kill.

Harry's friends with me because...?

I'm only his downfall.

What the Hades is wrong with me?

"Lina?" A voice calls. I jump immediately. I was relieved to know it wasn't a Professor: they don't call me Lina. Hermione, unlike me, actually has sense not to sneak around at night. I doubt Ron is...he and Harry were sound asleep when I grabbed the Invisibility Cloak. My Ravenclaw friends also have sense, and Klaus doesn't know how to get here.

So exactly how many options does this leave?

"You shouldn't be out here this late, you know." The voice says.

I turn around and instantly, my eyes narrow with hatred. "Malfoy," I snarl.

A/N: I have no clue if this is any good, but CLIFFHANGER! I can imagine every chapter as an episode and each story as a season, so this'd be season two, episode fourteen...look forward to when I get episode fifteen out, lol ;) So, yeah. Lina ran into Draco Malfoy...let's see how this goes. ;)

Please R&R :)

-Ana