A/N: Apologies for not updating last week. I ran into a horrible case of writer's block while writing this chapter and I have been lagging behind on writing my other chapters. Thankfully, I am on break at the moment, so I shall have more time to write! As always, I have taken several quotes directly from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Momento Mori

Chapter Nineteen: No Darkness But Ignorance

Much to Bethany's relief, Hermione and Ron's friendship remained intact after the events of the Yule Ball. When Bethany joined her Gryffindor friends in the library, she noticed that they were both making an effort to unnervingly polite towards one another. "Thank you, Ronald," said Hermione as he passed her a book. Bethany looked to Harry, who miraculously seemed unfazed by this.

"No problem," said Ron, reaching back and rubbing his neck. "Do you, erm, need anything else?"

"That should be fine, thank you."

What the hell? Was something wrong with them? They had never been like this before! "So," said Bethany, choosing not to voice the questions filling her mind, reached for a book titled Mystical Charms for Magical Creatures by Ceres O'Dinnean, "How was the rest of the Yule Ball for you three? I didn't get a chance to see you again."

Hermione's face suddenly flushed, and Bethany had a feeling she would find out later, once the boys were gone— or, namely, Ron. Harry also seemed embarrassed, burying his face in his own book, but Ron was eagerly ready to share. "Well, Harry and I went for a walk after you left, and you'll never guess what we found out!"

"I'm sure I won't. Care to tell me?"

Ron craned his head, making sure nobody was listening in before leaning across the table to whisper, "Hagrid's a half giant!"

Bethany, who had read about giants during her skimming of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, felt her jaw drop. "What?"

"He's a half giant! We overheard him telling Madame Maxime!"

"She's one, too," Harry added, speaking up for the first time since she had arrived. "No matter what she says."

"Well, I thought he must be. I knew he couldn't be pure giant because they're about twenty feet tall. But honestly, all this hysteria about giants. They can't all be horrible... It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves... It's just bigotry, isn't it?" Hermione mused aloud.

Bethany's brow furrowed. "But how is that physiologically possible? How can— it can't possibly work? There's no way a human and giant could conceive a child!"

Hermione's eyes widened, and Harry's book fell out of his hands onto the floor. Ron's pale face had gone green. "Merlin, Beth, why would think of that?" He demanded.

"I'm trying not to, but it doesn't seem possible!" Bethany said, setting her book down on the table. She had always assumed Hagrid had some sort of genetic disorder that made him larger than most people, but a half giant? It defied the laws of science!

"Is it common in the wizarding world, for two species to— erm, procreate?" Hermione asked, flustered.

Ron shook his head. "I've heard of a couple half vampires and some half werewolves but it's really rare. It's dangerous, you know."

Bethany frowned. "What do you mean? Professor Lupin was perfectly fine, most days of the month. He's so kind too, he's make a fantastic father to a child."

"Most werewolves aren't like Lupin, though," Ron pointed out. "There was this one, Fenrir Greyback— He'd attack children, even when it wasn't the full moon. He did a— a lot of other awful things, too." At this, Bethany shuddered.

"Half veelas exist, too," Harry piped up, steering the conversation away from the dark direction it had taken. "Fleur Delacour said her grandmother was one."

Bethany's eyes widened. So... that explained quite a lot. Ron and Rodger had not been the only victims of her inhuman beauty, as she had observed. It seemed as every man she had encountered (as well as even a couple female students) had left star struck by her.

The four of them continued researching, scratching down notes for Harry to look over later. When Ron finished scanning through his book, he picked up Enchanting Herbs and Remedies, opening it up only to suddenly slam it shut. "Merlin!" Harry exclaimed, causing Madame Pince to shush them. "What's in that book?"

"Neville!"

"Neville's in the book?"

"No! Neville! He's got a girlfriend!"

Harry seemed annoyed, unsurprised. Bethany and Hermione, however, were intrigued. "Who is it?" Bethany asked, leaning forward.

"That girl you set me up with for the Yule Ball! Luna Lovegood!" Ron seemed to be brimming with excitement to tell them.

Bethany smiled. "I saw them dancing together last night, after Ginny started dancing with Michael Corner." At this, Harry looked up from his book with a frown, while Ron scowled. "Good for them! Luna's a sweet girl, but she doesn't have many friends."

"Hard to see why," mumbled Ron, earning a sharp glare from Bethany. "Only kidding," he added hastily. "But you have to admit, she's odd."

"Almost all Ravenclaws are odd," countered Bethany, flicking the pages of her book. "In fact, it's odd if a Ravenclaw isn't odd in some way or another."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked Ron, closing her own book momentarily.

"She kept talking to me about Wrackspurts," said Ron.

"What on Earth are those? I've never heard of them before in my life!"

"Tiny, invisible creatures that make your brain go all fuzzy," Ron told her, smirking. He seemed to be struggling not to laugh. "She said that Harry had some messing with him when he was looking at Cho."

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed, which earned a laugh from the remaining three and another warning from Madame Pince.

"Well, I don't think they exist," said Hermione, bristling. "It sounds like a lot of nonsense to me."

While Bethany privately agreed with Hermione's conclusion, it always irritated her when her friends refused to look at things with a more open mind. "Perhaps," said Bethany, flipping through the book. "I'm glad she's found Neville, though. I think they'll be a cute couple."

"He's already mad about her," commented Harry, raking his hands through his messy dark hair. "He told me all about all the places he wants to take her to in Hogsmeade during the next visit."

"I'm just shocked," Ron said, before Bethany could express how adorable she found Neville's devotion. "I never thought Neville'd be the first one out of us guys in Gryffindor to get a girlfriend."

"That's not nice, Ron," Hermione said shrewdly, pressing her lips together. "Neville's a very kind boy."

"Exactly," Bethany agreed. "He's sweet, and it sounds like he's got a romantic side to him. That's never a bad quality."

"I wasn't insulting him!" Ron sputtered. "I just— well, I thought Harry would. Boy Who Lived and all," he said. "After all, you saw how many girls asked him to the Ball! And the only reason Cho didn't go with him was because Diggory asked her first!"

Bethany nodded. "Fair enough." Harry was, whether he realized it or not, rather popular. In was unfair, in Bethany's opinion, that it stemmed only from his fame. Very few people knew Harry the way his friends did and knew how kind and selfless he was. All anybody saw was the boy who had vanquished the Dark Lord.

The conversation seemed to have reached its conclusion, but was restarted when Harry asked, "So... is Ginny dating Michael now?"

Bethany and Hermione exchanged a glance. "I don't know," said Hermione, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, choosing her words carefully. "I haven't talked to her since last night, and she was still dancing with Neville then."

"She better not be," Ron frowned. "She's too young!"

Bethany rolled her eyes. "She's thirteen. She's old enough to have a boyfriend."

"I think she could do better," said Harry, looking down at his book. "He seems like a git."

Bethany and Hermione looked at one another once more, trying to contain their excitement. "He is," said Bethany, "At least I think so. Don't worry, though. I'm sure that sooner or later she'll be dating someone worthier of her affections."

"She shouldn't be dating anybody!" Ron burst out. "I'm telling you, she's too young!"

This prompted Madame Pince to beeline to their table, her thin lips pursed in a frown as she marched towards them. "Out! I have had enough disruptions from you two!" She hissed, glaring at Harry and Ron. "Go on! Leave!"

Harry and Ron rose to their feet, and Bethany and Hermione did the same. "Bethany and I will check out these books and meet you in the Common Room, alright?" Hermione told the boys, who had already slung their bags over their shoulders.

"Alright," said Harry, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Come on, Ron."

The boys left, leaving Bethany and Hermione to gather up the thick tomes so that they could check them out. "So," said Bethany, "did you have a good time with Viktor last night?"

Hermione's eyes fell to her feet as a small smile creeped across her face. "Yes," she admitted, promoting a squeal from Bethany, earning a glare from Madame Pince. The girls were silent as she stamped each book, and they did not resume conversation until they reached the hallway.

"What happened?"

"Well, we danced," said Hermione, bringing the books closer to her chest, "and we talked a lot— he's actually quite sweet, once you get to know him. I think he's just shy, and that's why he comes across as being unfriendly at times. He just isn't the most talkative person."

Bethany nodded, already suspecting this. "And?"

"And... we went for a walk around the hallways— and we kissed," Hermione said the last part so quickly that it took Bethany a minute to process what she had said.

Her eyes widened. The first emotion she felt was surprise. Hermione, kissing Viktor Krum? It was very exciting and all but... what about Ron? Did she even like him like that anymore? But instead, she asked, "What was it like?"

Hermione seemed to be lost in another world as she replied. "Very nice." She stopped walking suddenly. "But you can't tell the boys about this! Especially not Ron..."

"I wouldn't dream of it," vowed Bethany. "Come on, let's go."

The first day of the new term began with the Ravenclaws in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Bethany's stomach was turning as Professor Moody described terrible, gruesome curses, scratching out their names with an enchanted piece of chalk. Mercifully, he was not showing the effects that such curses had; Bethany doubted she could watch him harming some poor insect for the sake of teaching them the dangers of Dark Magic.

Bethany began her solo trek to Hagrid's hut (she was the only Ravenclaw in their year that had chosen to take Care of Magical Creatures; the other Ravenclaws had opted for other extracurriculars), shuddering when the icy blast of wind hit her. Her gloved hands reached up to pull her thick, woolen hat over her ears. The gloves were thin, useless things that served no other purpose than making her look elegant. It had been a Christmas gift from Lucius and Narcissa, and she was of the opinion that the pale pink gloves were pretty enough to sacrifice warmth.

By the time Bethany had made it, the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were already there, huddled close together. Bethany squeezed through the crowd, standing beside Harry. "Hey," she greeted them. Hagrid was in the paddock, wrangling the Blast Ended Skrewts. Bethany couldn't say that she was exactly pleased to see them; they were squat creature with a taste for blood.

"Lovely day, isn't it?" Harry said, his breath misting in the air.

Before any of them could respond, the growing sound of murmurs and laughing drew attention to the fact that the Slytherins had arrived. Bethany turned around, resisting the urge to giggle as Theodore Nott tried to throw a snowball at Blaise Zabini, only to miss and hit Draco in the shoulder. She quickly drew her glance away; she blushed whenever she thought of the unusual thoughts that had invaded her mind at the Ball. It had been silly stuff, really.

"Riddle!" Bethany hadn't even noticed that Pansy Parkinson was walking towards her, hands clutching a glossy magazine. "Just the person I wanted to see!"

Bethany felt Harry's arm rest on her shoulder and mentally thanked him. "Why?" She said, racking her mind quickly for some kind of witty retort. "You're the last person I would want to see."

Ron let out a laugh, and Bethany heard Harry chuckle beside her. It wasn't nearly as funny as they made it seem, in her opinion, but she adored them all the more for supporting her.

Unlike any other time, however, Pansy ignored the jab, smiling instead. She was wearing bright red lipstick, Bethany noticed; a new addition apparently. "I received this today," Pansy said, holding up the magazine as if it were on display. She could now see that it was Witch Weekly. "It's a special edition copy, you know— and I thought, seeing as you looked like an absolute wreck at the Yule Ball, you would find more use out of this than I."

At that moment, a myriad of acceptable responses to this entered her mind. There was, of course, the scathing My robes didn't make me look like Cruella de Vil to Puffskeins, but she wouldn't understand the reference to Muggle media... or she could say Funny, that's not what Draco thought, but she ultimately decided there was too much room for innuendo and misinterpretation, and besides, that was silly, her and Draco would never—

"Bethany looks a good sight better than you do any day of the week," Ron snapped.

"It's sweet that you're defending you're girlfriend, even though she danced with two different boys at the Yule Ball," said Pansy, grinning menacingly.

"She could have danced with everybody in the Great Hall that night and I wouldn't have given a rat's—"

"A'right, everybody!" Hagrid's booming voice attracted the attention of the rest of the class.

Pansy rolled her eyes, as if she couldn't believe that Hagrid had the nerve to interrupt her to teach his class. "Whatever. Take it, Riddle." The magazine was shoved into Bethany's hands, and Pansy pushed her way to stand beside Daphne Greengrass.

Bethany looked down at the magazine with distaste. It wasn't that she had any issues with the publication itself— in fact, she usually scanned through Narcissa's copies at home— but it was more of the fact that it had been given to her by Pansy. Nevertheless, she shoved it inside her bag, not feeling sorry when she felt the pages bending and crumpling.

The lesson was of the usual for Hagrid, and with it ensued its regular chaos. The skrewts ran amuck, shooting fire at anyone they deemed a threat. Bethany had nearly tripped and fallen into a snowbank to avoid being burnt, had it not been for Draco grabbing ahold of her hand and pulling her to her feet. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, thanks," she said, her heart pounding inside her chest. She looked up, noticing that a snowflake had settled on his pale eyelashes. Of course, she couldn't dwell on this long as a skrewt ran towards them, hissing.

Once class had ended, Bethany rejoined her friends as they eagerly headed back to the castle for lunch. "Aren't you going to read that magazine?" Hermione asked her.

"Why should she?" Harry questioned. "Pansy was only trying to get a rise out of her—"

Before he could finish, she interjected, "She wouldn't have bothered giving it to Bethany if there weren't a reason. Otherwise, she would have left it at insulting her. Knowing Pansy, there's probably something nasty in there she is hoping Bethany will find."

While Hermione's logic was as sound as ever, Bethany doubted there would be anything inside a copy of Witch Weekly that would seriously upset her— well, apart from the occasional sexist articles that reduced women to nothing but objects. "Fine," said Bethany, fishing the now bent magazine out of her bag. "I'll scan through it."

The crowd in front of the Great Hall was a large one, meaning that it was taking ages for the students to filter inside. Bethany opened to the table of contents, scanning through the titles of the articles. "Easy Hairstyling Tips from Beauty Guru Janice Flemming, Society Pages, Ten Sex Tips That Will Blow His Mind—" Bethany looked up, making a face as she felt her face grow warm.

"Don't be childish," said Hermione, even though her cheeks had flushed. "What do the rest say?"

"How To Make Your New Years Resolutions Come True, Self Esteem in Young Witches, An Exclusive Article From Rita Skeeter— oh no."

Her friends surrounded her, crowding over her shoulder. "What page is it on?" Hermione asked, voice quiet.

"45," said Bethany, shoving the magazine into Ron's hands, growing more and more hysterical by the minute. "Oh, God, I don't think I can read it! You do it!"

Ron didn't respond with a joke, instead clearing his throat while he flipped through the pages. A growing sense of dread filled her. "We're in for a treat," said Ron, letting out a sigh. "It's called Harry Potter's Public Heartbreak."

"Wonderful," Harry muttered.

A boy like no other, perhaps — yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen year old Harry Potter thought that he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger. Little did he know that he would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss.

Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and hero of the last Quidditch World Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boys' affections. Krum, is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, took her to Yule Ball, sending a clear message to Potter of his girlfriend's shocking infidelity.

To make matters even worse, Harry Potter was reported to have taken Bethany Riddle to the Yule Ball, a strategic move many believe was to make the deceitful Miss Granger jealous. Miss Riddle is a young witch hailing from Ravenclaw, has been one of Harry Potter's constant companions ever since he arrived to Hogwarts. Up until very recently, she was involved in a turbulent love affair with Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's best friend. However, there is more to Miss Riddle than what meets the eye. She harbors a very dark secret, according to numerous sources. Several students at Hogwarts have confirmed that Miss Riddle is the alleged daughter of You-Know-Who, the terrifying dark wizard who cursed Harry Potter with his iconic lightening bolt scar. Is Miss Riddle seducing Mr. Potter so that she can fulfill her father's work?

"She isn't even good looking," says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth year student, "Anybody will tell you she fancies herself good at Potions. I suspect she is drugging him with a Love Potion."

Love Potions are, of course, banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims. However, one must question his leadership and wonder why he would allow such a dangerous, violent girl into Hogwarts in the first place.

"She's threatened me before," Miss Parkinson told Rita Skeeter exclusively. "And in second year, she began screaming at me in the middle of class before physically attacking me. She even ripped out some of my hair."

No investigations into the school records were able to uncover any more on the history of the disturbed Miss Riddle save for being caught out of bed as a first year, the incident named by Miss Parkinson, and an unnamed violation of school rules at the end of her second year. In the meantime, Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart on worthier candidates— and shuns the forces of evil from his life before they lead him down a path of destruction.

A silence fell over all four of them. Ron lowered the magazine, ashen faced. Hermione and Harry's eyes were trained on Bethany, holding their breath. So far, she had yet to display any emotion. The only thing that betrayed her feelings was her hands, balled into fists.

Finally, she gulped, looking surprisingly calm. "I'm going to kill her," Bethany stated nonchalantly, as if she had announced she was going to start an essay for potions or read a book. "Pansy, that is," she clarified, but amended, "but if I wouldn't mind watching Rita drop dead, either."

The three Gryffindors exchanged dubious glances. "That's a little...violent, isn't it?" Harry asked lightly, though he was looking at her with concern.

"Probably, but I am past reason at this point."

"Why don't we eat lunch together?" Ron said suddenly, desperately attempting to ease the tension that had risen with the article. "Come on, we'll just throw this rag away and you'll sit with us today, Beth."

"Don't," Bethany reached for the magazine, snatching it. "It might be useful. At any rate, I'll send it to Lucius and Narcissa. Then they'll know I had a motive."

The Gryffindors exchanged uneasy glances as she shoved the magazine into her bag with an unusual amount of aggression. The more she talked, the more it sounded like this was not hyperbole and in fact a conscious stream of thought detailing her desire to end the life of their classmate. Normally, Bethany was so docile, only expressing negativity through complaining about Malfoy annoying her or how ridiculous it was that they had to write an essay for Divination. Her fury was not a palpable component in those scenarios.

As they ate, Bethany's rage seemed to dissipate. She eventually stopped stabbing at the food on her plate and began instead chewing thoughtfully while staring at the wall overtop Ron's head. "Feeling better?" Harry offered her a smile.

"A bit."

"That's good!" Ron acted as if Christmas had arrived early. "Glad to hear you no longer wish to exact a fiery revenge upon Pansy Parkinson."

"Oh, I do," Bethany said, and Hermione's eyes widened as her knuckles whitened as she gripped her fork. "But I thought it over, and I don't really need to add fuel to the fire. After all, what better way to prove I'm You-Know-Who's daughter than to off somebody?"

"Exactly," said Ron, nowhere near as pleased as he had been before. "So...erm, what are you thinking now?"

"Well, I was giving consideration to seriously maiming her—"

"Bethany, no!" Hermione burst out. "You can't! What if you get caught? Then you won't be a prefect next year!"

"Forget that! You could get sent to Azkaban! Or worse," Ron began gesticulating wildly, trying to think up a worse fate before deciding on, "expelled!"

Bethany felt her lips twitch involuntarily as Hermione gave Ron an awestruck look. "Calm down," she said, looking back down at her plate. "I was just thinking, alright? I won't be punished for that."

The trio breathed a collective sigh of relief. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that," said Harry, messing his hair up even more at ran his finger through it. "Do you have any idea how scary you can be when you are actually mad?"

"I've been told before," she said, already sounding more conversational. The same hard look was in her eyes, but they sparkled with amusement. "My temper was something of legend at the orphanage."

"Here's hoping we won't see it again for a while," Ron said, raising up his cup full of pumpkin juice in the air.

The next Saturday, the copy of Witch Weekly was released for the public to read and the first Hogsmeade trip of the term coincided. Bethany could tell the article had been read judging by the stares she received when she walked through the hallways to meet up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She did her best to ignore them, realizing there was nothing she could do to prove to them outright that she wasn't a murderous, maniacal villain. Besides, if they thought Harry was dim enough to befriend somebody who wanted him dead, then they were the foolish ones.

Pansy has been gloating over her victory the rest of the week in Herbology, constantly making little remarks and quoting excerpts from the article. Bethany never trusted herself enough to say anything to hear and would instead focus on attempting to repot her plants, though at one point Daphne Greengrass's pot miraculously shattered when nobody was touching it. Bethany couldn't say she wasn't sore when she saw that Draco was among many of the Slytherin (and, when including Anthony Goldstein, Ravenclaw) boys rushing to her aid.

It was a grey morning as they walked down to the village. The ground was wet from the melting snow, and the gravel crunches beneath their feet. Bethany's gaze fell onto the Black Lake, where, to her shock, somebody was swimming. "Who's that?"

"Looks like Krum," said Ron with a scowl, wrapping his red scarf tighter around his neck.

Harry seemed as shocked as Bethany was. "He's mad! It must be freezing, it's January!" By this point, Krum had stepped out of the lake, water dripping off of him.

"It's a lot colder where he comes from. I suspect the water is quite warm to him," Hermione smiled at his soaking wet figure as Krum bent over to pick up his towel.

"Yeah, but there's still the giant squid," Ron pointed out, as if he was hoping the creature would crawl onto land and drag the Quidditch star into the lake's murky depths.

Hermione wasn't amused. "He's really nice, you know. He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me so."

The village was bustling by the time they reached in. The Three Broomsticks offered warmth from the chill outside, and Bethany pulled her hat off of her head and stowed it away into the pocket of her coat, where her wand sat. Harry and Hermione walked up to the bar, ordering the drinks while Bethany and Ron found an empty booth.

"How're you holding up?" Ron asked, once they had squeezed into their respective sides of the table so that they could save Harry and Hermione seats.

"Swell," Bethany lied. In truth, she hated feeling everyone's eyes on her. Part of her wished she had stayed inside the castle, but she hadn't wanted to break off an arrangement with her friends.

"Look, if anyone tries to give you problems, you can just tell Harry and I about it and we'll see it's sorted out, yeah?" Ron said solemnly, hands folded on the table.

The reassurance his words brought her quelled the nerves. "Thanks, Ron," she said, as warmly as she possibly could.

It was then Hermione rejoined him, holding two glasses full of foamy Butterbeer in her hand. "Harry's got yours, Bethany," said Hermione, sitting next to Ron and sliding it over to him.

Bethany frowned. Where was Harry then? She turned around, only to see Ludo Bagman chatting with him. Judging by the expression on her friend's face, he seemed uncomfortable. Poor Harry.

A group of Hufflepuffs shuffled past their table, a couple of the girls whispering loudly to one another once they spied Bethany. "Ignore them," Ron said, glaring at them as they settled at their own table.

Harry returned a short while later, relating to the group about how Bagman was trying to give him hints for the upcoming task. It was unethical, of course, and Bethany was pleased to hear Harry had declined his help.

Their conversation, as it so often did, veered off topic. Hermione and Bethany were busy explaining to Ron about the intricacies of the Goblin Rebellion when a grating yet familiar voice filled the pub.

"...didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway?" Rita Skeeter was examining her manicured nails which were a bright pink, clashing horrendously with her garish yellow robes. "Showing them the sights... what nonsense... he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? 'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman?' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo—we just need to find a story to fit it—"

"Trying to ruin somebody else's life?" Harry all but shouted, causing several people to turn and see what the commotion was about. Much to Bethany's dismay, the Hufflepuffs from before were gaping at them as if they had been witness to some gruesome crime. A few older Slytherins were watching the scene as well.

Rita was either ignoring or simply ignorant of Harry's utter disdain directed towards her. "Harry! How lovely! Why don't you come over and join—?"

"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick! Bethany has been one of my best friends from the start! Why did you do that to her, eh?"

"Harry!" Bethany whispered, both petrified and flattered that he was defending her in such a public manner.

Rita Skeeter was unaffected by Harry's rage. "Our writers have the right to know the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my job. Besides, shouldn't you be pleased I have exposed that girl for who she truly is? The daughter of the monster who scarred you and has made you an orphan?"

"Who her parents are is none of your damn business!" By now, everyone in the pub was watching the showdown play out.

A slow smile appeared on the woman's bright red lips. "Perhaps you would like to give an interview on the Bethany Riddle you know. After all, it isn't everyday a young boy chooses to befriend the child of his enemy. A remarkable story of unlikely friendship and forgiveness! Maybe you could bring her here, so that you may give a joint interview about the nature of your relationship?"

Before Harry or Bethany could respond, Hermione stood up, looking disgusted. "You horrible woman! You don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, wont they? Even Ludo Bagman—"

"Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand. I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl... not that it needs it—" Rita eyed Hermione's hair with disdain. Bethany's hands tightened into fists. How dare she call Hermione, the brightest witch of their age and the smartest girl in their year, silly? She was embarrassing herself!

"Let's go," Hermione said between gritted teeth. "C'mon... Harry, Bethany..."

"Bethany?" Rita suddenly seemed more amiable than before. "This is the famous Bethany Riddle?"

"The infamous, thanks to you," Bethany replied cooly. "And I am afraid must decline on your offer for an interview. After all, I wouldn't want you to feel unsafe, given all my dark powers," she spat.

"Bethany!" Hermione's hand was wrapped around her arm, and she felt herself being pulled out of the pub. It wasn't until they were standing outside, in the cool air, that the tension began to leave her body.

"Well," began Harry, "that went well." A nervous laugh escaped her.

Ron, however, saw no humor in the situation. "She'll be after you next, Hermione," he said, looking at her with concern.

"Let her try!" Hermione was fuming. ""I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this. First Harry, then Bethany..."

Ron protested, insisting that Hermione was going to only make things worse for herself, but Bethany couldn't help but feel grateful for the two friends on either side of her. Having friends like this, who truly cared, and were willing to stick up for her, was more than she had ever dreamed or deserved.

"Do you want some tea?" Bethany asked kindly, staring down at Harry, whose face was pressed up against his book. Ron and Hermione had just been summoned by Professor McGonagall, so she was the only one left to help him. "I could fetch you some."

"No thanks," Harry mumbled against the pages. "Thanks, though."

Even though her anxiety was rising more and more every time she thought about the second task in the morning, she couldn't help but feel a surge affection for the dark haired boy beside her. "Don't worry. We'll find something. I know we will."

"Easy for you to say."

"We will!" Bethany insisted. As if to prove her point, she flipped the pages of the book in front of her on magical plants. "Harry, right here! Gillyweed!"

"What's that?"

"It's a plant that lets you breathe underwater!" Bethany was delighted, tracing her finger underneath the words. "It allows you to grow gills—"

"Where am I supposed to get Gillyweed?" Harry despaired, running his hands through his hair.

Bethany's excitement disappeared. "Good question," she said flatly, closing the book.

It was already dark in the library, rapidly approaching eight o'clock. Bethany knee Madame Pince was going to be ordering them to leave soon.

It hit her suddenly. "I think I know how you can get your Gillyweed, Harry," she said, pressing her lips together when he lifted his head up. "But...you aren't going to like it."

"Wait out here," Bethany said quietly, slipping out from underneath the Invisibility Cloak. It wasn't so late that they would be in trouble for roaming the halls, but given that Harry was a Triwizard champion, it was best to handle things without suspicion from others.

Bethany knocked on the door to Professor Snape's classroom, knowing that he would likely be there brewing a potion or just waiting to help any students looking for help. "Come in," he called out.

Bethany nodded at the empty space where Harry was standing and slipped inside. "Bethany," Professor Snape greeted her. "What a surprise! We didn't schedule a lesson for tonight, did we?"

"No, sir. I actually stopped in because... well, I'd like to borrow something from you," said Bethany, already feeling embarrassed. It was unlike her to seek help or a favor from somebody, let alone a professor.

He looked up from over his potion, frowning. "Of course," he said, folding his hands together. He stirred the potion thrice. "What can I give you?"

"Gillyweed, sir," she said hastily.

His eyebrows rose. "Gillyweed?" When she nodded, he asked, "Why on Earth would you require Gillyweed? You aren't planning on taking a swim in the Black Lake tonight, are you?"

"No, sir," she affirmed. "But one of my dear friends is planning on doing so tomorrow."

"Ah. Is this friend perchance Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, sir. We've ran into some difficulties, seeing as Harry can't hold his breath for an hour and expect to survive, and a lot of the spells are too complex for him to perform. So I thought Gillyweed would be a better solution."

"I see," Professor Snape said. "Unfortunately, I cannot assist Champions."

Bethany gaped at him. She was well aware of his disdain for her friends, but denying Harry help seemed low. "However," Professor Snape continued, "if Mr. Potter was sneak in under his Invisibility Cloak and take it from my storage cabinets, I would have no way of stopping him."

Bethany smiled brightly. "Thank you, sir!"

"Don't thank me," Professor Snape said, though he seemed amused. "I had nothing to do with it."

Once Bethany had left Professor Snape's classroom, she ducked under the cloak again, relaying what had happened to Harry. "That git!" Harry ground out between gritted teeth.

"Harry! He's helping you! I know you don't like him, but he could be in trouble if they discovered he was giving preferential treatment to a champion, especially one from the school he teaches at!"

"Moody helped me," said Harry sullenly.

"He helped lead you to the answers," said Bethany, feeling more than a little exasperated. "And I'm not sure if he was exactly following the rules by doing that. Besides, Professor Snape has given you his permission! That's something, isn't it?"

Harry made a noise that was a half groan, half sigh. "I suppose I'll sneak down here tomorrow and get it, then."

"Why not do it now?" Before he could respond, she said, "Never mind. It's been a long night."

Harry seemed relieved that she wasn't challenging him. "C'mon. I'll walk you to the Ravenclaw Tower."

Bethany smiled, and they began walking through the hallways. They didn't speak to one another; Bethany was relieved to finally have found something to help Harry out, and she suspected he felt the same. A major weight had been lifted off their shoulders.

When they finally reached the golden eagle knocker, Bethany pulled Harry in for a hug. "You're going to do great tomorrow," she whispered. "I know you are. Please don't spend all night worrying."

"I won't," he said. Bethany was sure if she believed him or not, but she hoped her words of encouragement did him some good. "Thanks."

Bethany stepped away, beaming at him. "I'll meet up with you tomorrow, alright?"

"In front of the Gryffindor common room?"

"Sounds good to me."

A/N: Thank you so much for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and for those of you who celebrate it, merry Christmas!