Chapter 21

AN: Why...hello everyone. Did you all have a good week? Mine was...meh...but I did get to work on this story for a long while so that's good news.

I know what you're all thinking, "Oh dear, here we go again. I wonder how long the rant will be this time." Good news though. I have no rant. Ann never messaged me back (if they did, then they hid their name behind 'guest') so I guess that's the end of that tale. Was really looking forward to it too...hmm... By the way, thank you, literally everybody, who PM'd me, left a review, whatever. You guys are so supportive and I love you all so much. The fact that you felt the need to tell me how much you loved the story and what you thought of Ann really meant a lot to me. A few of you told me not to quit writing and, I just wanted to tell you, I don't think I could if I tried. Definitely expect more out of me after this story is done.

But, legit though, this chapter really is 10,000+ words long. As with my last chapter featuring Harry and Ron, I lost track of what I was doing and just kept writing. I hope none of you minds too much as I think this chapter will answer a lot (not all unfortunately) of the questions you had in earlier chapters. Duner89 really wanted me to get to the Marauders in this chapter and, I'm sorry to say, but that isn't happening here. Next chapter for sure, but I had something I had to do before we met them.

So, I hope you enjoy this long ass chapter. I'm not sure if this will continue to be a pattern the more we get into the TWT. I want you to tell me whether you prefer longer chapters or the shorter ones. This chapter I could've divided up, but I just didn't want to. However, tell me your opinion and I'll go with the majority in the future (depending on if I encounter another chapter like this or not).

Disclaimer: Whew boy. Nope, I do not own Harry Potter. I do not own the characters. And I do not own a majority of the names of people, creatures, and/or locations.

-xXx-

Hermione couldn't help the yawn that escaped her as she and Fleur walked through the Forbidden Forest. The Dictator (Hermione couldn't think of another name for the blonde at this point) demanded that she be up and dressed at the crack of dawn. Just to go traversing through the Forest to talk with Centaurs.

She wished Dumbledore had never given them the offer.

Of course, she understood the need for this journey. She remembered the story Harry had told her and Ron about his encounter with Firenze and the other Centaurs during that fateful detention and she knew how finicky they were with Magicals. Hence, the reason they were going to talk with them about sharing the Forest for a year. She just wished they could've done it later in the day.

"Stop complaining, Maya." Fleur laughed at her. "At least you are warm in your current form. The warming charm I placed this morning is already starting to fade."

Hermione immediately brushed against the blonde, hoping to share some of the heat her fur provided. An arm wrapped around her neck and a kiss was placed against the top of her head.

"Thank you, my love. I just cannot wait for us to go inside."

Hermione quickly snorted, thinking about last night and how Fleur had wanted to explore the Forest a bit before meeting with Harry and Ron. Her mate had been so excited to be in the Forest, to encounter the creatures that lived there, to communicate with the trees (Fleur denied that she was able to do this, but Hermione knew the truth). But now, even though it was the blonde who demanded they get up this early, she was anxious to go inside. Bloody typical.

Fleur playfully shoved her away, "Haha, yes, very funny. Laugh it up, my love. Just remember that I-"

"Halt! State your business Witch and be on your way. You are trespassing." A group of five Centaurs quickly surrounded them, bows drawn but not aimed.

Their sudden appearance startled Hermione (she cursed herself for not remaining vigilant) and she could not help it as she felt her fur raise and a growl rumble free. She slowly crouched down, preparing herself for a fight as she felt the tension rising quickly in the air. The saber tooth saw the Centaurs begin to fidget, some of them played with their notched arrows as others swished their tails back and forth. Before a fight broke out, Fleur quickly silenced her (for which she instantly complied) and silence reigned in the Forest once more. She didn't want a fight with the Centaurs, but they did not need to be disrespectful in their wishes (or scare her half to death).

"Greetings, 'erdsmen. We come 'ere in peace, I promise. My name is Fleur Delacour and zis is my mate, 'ermione. I am no Witch, I am Veela."

"Veela?" A Centaur with a brown coat stepped forward and looked at them curiously for a long moment. Hermione twitched her ears back in awkwardness as they were inspected.

"Yes, I see it now. We offer you a humble apology, Veela. We meant no offence."

"I accept your apology and ensure you zat no offence was taken."

"This beast is your mate?" Hermione looked over to a black-coated Centaur. Without needing prompting, she quickly shifted out of her fur and stepped closer to Fleur, the cold air around them quickly becoming apparent to her.

"Yes, Herdsman, I am." She stated proudly, using the same term as Fleur. She did not want to offend these Centaurs, but was unsure of how to refer to them. Hermione just hoped that Fleur knew what she was doing.

"Fascinating." The brown coat muttered as he walked around them. "You do not seem like one of the Magical Skin-Changers, yet your technique is similar."

"No, 'erdsman, she is a Being known as a Kanaima. Zey are not native to zese woods." Fleur brushed her hand against Hermione's arm reassuringly.

Suddenly, a spotted Centaur said something in a gruff language that caused the brown coat to step back a few paces. An argument of sorts was then exchanged between the two (with a few others joining in) before the spotted Centaur huffed and galloped off into the forest.

During all of this, Fleur and Hermione remained perfectly still, not wanting to intrude or disrupt the Centaurs in anyway. Hermione couldn't remember the last time she had been this tense while meeting somebody (her first encounter with Maxime comes close). She had a feeling that if she made one wrong move, this entire meeting could turn sour.

"Forgive us, Veela. Jorah was out of line with his judgement." The brown coat stepped forward once more. "I go by the name Firenze and these are my Brothers; Bane, Agar, and Magnus. We welcome you to our Forest."

"But we are curious as to why you are here." The black coat (which had nodded briefly when the name Bane was mentioned) stepped forward.

"Well met, 'erdsmen." Fleur quickly bowed in greeting before continuing. "We are part of zee Beauxbatons delegation and were told zat we and our Sisters were free to explore parts of zee Forest. We wanted to meet your 'erd and discuss were zee boundaries were so zat we did not accidently cross zem."

Agar (a brown coated Centaur with white socks) snorted something to which the other Centaurs laughed on.

Firenze quickly silenced them before turning to her and Fleur once more. "Yes, our friend Hagrid informed us about your arrival. While we respect this request, we ask that you only stay near the edges of the Forest; where the trees are less dense."

Agar said something else in their language which caused Firenze to shoot him a glare. Hermione couldn't help but feel she was missing something important the longer they were in the Centaurs' presence.

"May I ask a question, Firenze, while meaning no offense and only filled wiz curiosity?" Fleur held eye contact with the brown coated Centaur.

"You may, Veela, but I cannot promise that my Brothers will not take offense if the question is severe."

Hermione felt Fleur's sudden hesitation. She knew (even in her little knowledge of Centaurs) that offending one could cause more problems than they wanted to deal with at the moment. Fleur definitely needed to word her question carefully (there was no way of backing out of it, unfortunately).

Before she could push any emotion or reassurance along the Bond, Fleur squared her shoulders, "I was wondering why so little of your Forest is offered to us. Zee way 'eadmaster Dumbledore talked, I 'ad assumed zat 'ogwarts owned more zan just zee edges."

"It is because, Veela," Bane stepped forward until he was beside Firenze, "we do not recognize Hogwarts' claim on our lands." A sneer formed across his face as he gazed at them.

Magnus (a tan coated Centaur) called out, "Even then, the edge of the Forest also belongs to us. However, out of respect to Hagrid, we allow him the use this space for teaching their young foals about the different creatures of this world. This is why we allow you and your Sisters there."

Hermione quickly wondered when Hagrid started teaching Care of Magical Creatures while Fleur bowed slightly to them, "Zank you for explaining, 'erdsmen. I understand your claim and will inform my Sisters of zee boundaries you 'ave set."

"It was no problem at all. We thank you for coming to see us." Firenze bowed in return. Hermione watched as the other three Centaurs did the same before turning and galloping into the woods. Firenze cantered to the side for a moment, watching his Brothers leave before turning back to them, his demeanor changing to one of extreme urgency.

"Fleur, I must also warn you, do not allow your young foals into the woods alone. Even within the boundaries just set."

Hermione felt her heart stop as Fleur tensed up. "May I ask why?"

Firenze's face turned to one of despair as he turned to look once more in the direction his Brothers had gone. "My Herd, they are bitter with Magicals and are growing more bitter with each passing season. They have even started pushing the wolf pack out of this Forest, fearing their claim to parts of it. I fear that if your foals are left alone, my Brothers might take them."

"Why would zey do zat? We are not Magicals and we want no claim to your Forest. Zee only zing we want is somezing zat reminds us of 'ome for zee short time we are 'ere. Zat is all." Fleur growled out, the Veela rising to the surface. Hermione remained quiet, watching the young Alpha warily as she easily understood what Fleur left unsaid, 'If they do, there will be Hell to pay'.

Firenze reared up slightly and his nostrils flared, "Easy, Veela. I do not want a fight between our Races which is why I gave you this warning. Always have an Elder with your foals or not allow them in the Forest at all. I would also suggest you travel in pairs, yourselves. I do not think my Brothers will attempt anything on an Elder, but I would not risk it. This is not just for your Clan either, so please, I mean no offense. There are very few in Hogwarts at this moment that are respected enough to travel alone and remain untouched."

Hermione felt Fleur's anger rise towards the Centaurs and quickly stepped forward, "Thank you, Firenze, for your warning. We will be sure to relay your messages to our Sisters. I must ask that you try and dissuade any of your Brothers from making attempts on our Clan. We do not wish a fight either."

Firenze quickly glanced between them before nodding, "I will try my best, but can promise nothing, Feline. Please, stay safe." With a final glance towards Fleur, the Centaur turned around and raced after his Brothers.

Silence reigned in the Forest after Firenze departed, the chattering of the creatures slowly returning. Hermione quickly pulled a dark-eyed Fleur in for a hug, pushing love through their Bond all while hoping to calm the Veela down. She felt Fleur shaking with rage in her arms and immediately tightened her hold.

"How dare them for threatening our Clan." Fleur said through clenched teeth. "I will bring the entire force of the Delacour Clan down upon them if they so much as look at one of us."

Hermione remained silent, letting the Veela work through her rage. The only thing she could do was be there in support.

It was a long moment before Fleur stopped shaking and the tension left her. Hermione sighed in relief as arms came up to wrap around her. It was only then that she spoke. "Come on, my Veela. Let us get out of here and back to our family."

"I do not think I should go back into the school for a while." Fleur shook her head as they began walking. "The Veela is still close and I fear that one wrong word from an innocent would set it off."

"Shall we take the time to explore the Forest then?" Hermione leaned her head against Fleur's shoulder; slowly relaxing the more distance they put between themselves and the Centaurs.

"Yes," Fleur sneered, "we should explore our 'set boundaries'. I have never been more insulted in all of my life. Had this been in reverse and they were visiting our lands, Grandmaman would not have hesitated in letting them into our forest. I cannot wait to write her and tell her all that has happened in such a short amount of time."

"Do you think they will force us back?"

Fleur stopped them as the trees began to clear. Hermione could just see Hogwarts' castle ahead of them and knew that they had crossed into the area the Centaurs were talking about. At least it is the entire edge, Hermione thought, that will be of some help.

"No, I do not think so. This is a small thing, truthfully. I am just blowing it out of proportion."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at the blonde, "Am I supposed to be surprised?"

"How dare you?!"

Hermione jumped back as Fleur lunged for her, giggling at the blonde's expression. She saw the returned grin before quickly dashing off into the woods, Fleur's playful shout echoing behind her.

-oOo-

"So…who wants to go first? Do we go first? Do you go first? How do you want to do this?"

"I zink you should go first since it will probably take longer. But, I 'ave a quick question before you begin. Where are we?"

Hermione looked around the, seemingly, cozy room. It reminded her of how she remembered the Gryffindor common room being; complete with the fireplace and red couches. What Fleur was referring to, however, is how the door to the room seemed to appear out of thin air in an abandoned hallway on the Seventh Floor.

"Oh, that's easy." Ron waved his hand dismissively, "This is the Room of Requirements or, as some call it, the Come-and-Go Room."

Hermione and Fleur waited a moment, hoping he would elaborate a bit. Once it became obvious that nothing more would be said, Hermione leaned forward. "…And?"

"And what?"

"And how did you find it?" Hermione gestured around them. "Why was it hidden? HOW was it hidden? Who created it? Was it always here? Where…"

"Woah 'Mione. Slow down." Harry gestured towards her. "In order of what I can remember. One of the previous Marauders found it and told us about it. We have no clue how or why it's hidden, a bit beyond our scope really. Yes, it has always been here, at least, since the beginning of the school because Rowena Ravenclaw is rumored to have made it."

Hermione looked quickly between Harry and Ron while Fleur sighed beside her. "It is obvious zat zis information is not important to our discussion, yes?" The boys quickly nodded. "Alright, one more question before I let you begin, is zis where zee Marauders are going to meet tomorrow?"

Harry gave them a lopsided grin while Ron laughed, "Of course not! The Room of Requirements isn't secure enough."

"We are going to be meeting in the Chamber of Secrets." Harry looked between them, his smile growing on his face.

Hermione's confusion only grew at the name. The Chamber of Secrets? What's the Chamber of Secrets?

Fleur simply snorted and crossed her arms, "You boz speak as if you expect us to know what zat is. Besides… Room of Requirement? Chamber of Secrets? Could you not come up wiz better names or are you just unimaginative?"

Hermione laughed at the boys' offended expressions. "Don't worry you two," she chuckled, "France's version of Diagon Alley is called the Alley of Dreams. They aren't very imaginative either." She ignored Fleur's insulted look in favor of watching Harry and Ron. "But seriously, what is the Chamber of Secrets?"

Harry and Ron gave each other a puzzled look before Ron leaned forward, "You…you really don't know what the Chamber is?"

"Yea, 'Mione. Of everybody, I'd expect you to know."

"In fact, one of the reasons that we really needed you in our Second year was because we were absolutely SURE you would know and help us figure it out."

Hermione rubbed her temples in aggravation. She searched through her memories, trying to remember if she had ever heard the term 'Chamber of Secrets' before, but came up blank. Being around them is so exhausting.

"I really don't know, guys. Please, just tell us."

Harry sat back in his chair and crossed him arms, his brow furrowed in thought.

Ron glanced at him briefly before shrugging, "Alright. Well, the simple version of it is this. When Hogwarts was first founded, each of the four founders gave something to the school. Gryffindor gave the Sorting Hat, Ravenclaw created the Room of Requirements…"

"Which only allows students and those who mean them no harm inside." Harry spoke up.

"That is only a rumor though." Ron shrugged, "Anyways, Hufflepuff allowed a safe environment for all rejected House Elves, and Slytherin created the Chamber of Secrets."

"We found out that the Chamber of Secrets was originally intended to protect Hogwarts from invaders, but when Slytherin left, the location of the Chamber was lost."

"That is, until somebody found it 50 years ago and opened it up, commanding Slytherin's beast to wreak havoc on the school. The beast disappeared after a Muggleborn student was killed."

Hermione leaned forward, enthralled by their tale, "Who opened up the Chamber?"

Harry sneered, "A young man by the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"Who is also known as Lord Voldemort." Ron said stone-faced.

"You are joking, yes?" Fleur also leaned forward, "You know zee true name of Voldemort? Why 'ave you not told anybody?"

Harry shrugged, "Who would believe us? During his War, Voldemort made such a large name for himself and people were so afraid of him that they can't even SAY 'Voldemort' anymore without freaking out. Anytime you try and talk about him, people shut you down and refuse to listen."

"However," Ron butted in, "the Marauders know and that is all that matters."

"Wow," Hermione leaned back, mulling over the story. "Wait, what does this have to do with your Second Year?"

Harry grimaced, "The Chamber was reopened and Slytherin's beast was released once more."

"Who opened it? Voldemort's dead."

"My sister did." Ron said in a small voice, head hung in shame, "Ginny opened the Chamber."

Hermione sucked in a breath while Fleur growled low in her throat. "Why is she still in school?" the blonde demanded, "Why is she not being punished?"

Ron put his head in his hands and shook his head while Harry spoke up, "She was possessed by Voldemort. Lucius Malfoy somehow gave her a diary that had an echo of Tom Riddle within it. Ginny started writing in the diary and she was slowly possessed by him."

Hermione glanced at Fleur and barely breathed, "That must be the dark aura we sensed." She knew that Fleur heard her even though her mate gave no indication.

Instead, Fleur placed her hand on Ron's arm and said quietly, "She is still not alright, is she?"

Ron shook his head, his entire being radiating with despair. Harry gave Fleur a curious look, "How did you know that, Fleur?"

"You know by now zat I am Veela, yes?" She waited for them to nod before continuing, "One of our gifts is zee ability to read ozers emotions, zeir auras if you will. When we met at zee World Cup, Ginny 'ad zis dark aura around 'er and she seemed detached from everyzing. I knew zen zat somezing was wrong."

"Mum refuses to listen to us when we try and tell her." Ron finally spoke, "She won't take her to a Mind Healer and some of us are afraid that it will only get worse."

Hermione couldn't imagine the pain Ron was going through. The thought of seeing somebody you love go through something like that was unimaginable to her. Especially if there was no way for you to help them.

"Ron, per'aps you would allow me and my Sisters to see if we can 'elp 'er." Fleur stated slowly, glancing at Hermione out of the corner of her eye.

"How could you do that?"

"We…" Fleur hesitated, "…Veela, zat is, can influence zee emotions of ozers. Per'aps if we …er… encourage her to feel joy and 'appiness, zen 'er mind will 'eal on its own. I make no promises zat zis will work, but we can try if you permit us."

Hermione watched as tears of joy welled up in Ron's eyes as he nodded vigorously, "Yes! Merlin, yes. Please! Anything that you think would help, please, try it. I will do anything! I just want my little sister back."

Fleur smiled and patted his arm once more before leaning back, "Zere is no need for you to do anyzing. I will inform zee ozers when I see zem next and we will try our best to return 'er to you."

Hermione sent gratitude through their Bond and Fleur grabbed ahold of her hand in response. A smile was exchanged between the two before she turned back to Harry, "You never explained what happened when the Chamber was opened again."

Ron glanced at Harry as the Boy-Who-Lived simply sighed. He brushed a hand through his messy hair and resumed the tale. "When the Chamber was open, several Muggleborn students were petrified. Dumbledore," Harry spat the name out, "refused to send for the Mandrakes that were needed to wake them up. He claimed that the ones from Herbology class would be good enough and the students could wait."

"They weren't ready until the end of school, though." Ron said simply. "The first student was petrified within the first few months that school started."

"Zere were students 'oo spent zee entire school year petrified?" Fleur asked, horrified at the thought.

Harry nodded, "And what is worse is that neither Dumbledore nor the School Board informed any of their parents about what had happened. We didn't know at the time or we would've sent them letters ourselves. It was only in our Third Year, when the Marauders were formed, that we were told."

Fleur rubbed her forehead, whispering 'Mon Dieu', while Hermione leaned forward once more, "Is this another reason you are convinced that Dumbledore is being manipulating?"

"Of course!" Harry waved his hands about his head dramatically.

"Think about it, Hermione." Ron tapped a finger to his temple, "A secret room from the Founder's time was opened and unleashed a beast upon the school which, not only petrified students, but could've easily killed one of us. When Harry and I went down there…"

"You two went down there?!" Hermione shouted in shock.

"Of course we did!" Ron crossed his arms "We couldn't let Ginny die down there! But anyways, when we went down there, the, then, current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor…"

"Gilderoy Bloody Lockhart." Harry muttered.

"…went with us." Ron looked between the two of them, "Surely you've heard of Lockhart."

" 'e was an auzor, yes?" Fleur looked to Hermione for confirmation, "Claimed to do a lot of zings zat never made sense. Seemed sort of phony if you ask me."

"Yes, that's right." Hermione tapped her finger to her chin, "He stopped producing books…"

"A little over a year ago." Harry nodded. "That is because he accidently wiped his own memory while down in the Chamber and is now in St. Mungo's with not a clue on who he is."

"That's not really important." Ron said dismissively, "What is important is that none of this was in any of the papers. Nobody said a word of petrified students or a famous author suddenly losing his mind. There was no uproar from parents, the government. Nothing."

"It was covered up?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded once more, "That is the only conclusion we could gather. And who had the most to lose if word got out that students were in danger?"

"Dumbledore." Fleur growled.

"Exactly." Ron pointed at them and sat back in his chair, arms crossing in triumph.

"Wait, wait, wait." Hermione rubbed her forehead in confusion, "So Dumbledore covered up the fact that a monster was roaming the halls and petrifying students, to what? Keep his job?"

"That's what we gathered, yes."

"But what happened to Slytherin's beast?" Hermione looked between the two.

"I killed it." Harry said proudly while rolling up the sleeve of his right arm, "Got a cool scar to prove it too."

Hermione and Fleur inspected the jagged scar closely, looking at the, once severe, puncture wound. Harry turned his arm over to show the matching wound on the other side, proving that whatever harmed him was long enough to go through his arm.

"What kind of beast was this?" Fleur whispered, glancing up at Harry.

The Boy-Who-Lived simply smirked at them and held out his hand, the silver band around his finger shimmering in the firelight. Hermione saw the thick coil of scales and the diamond shaped head resting on top of them. The eyes shined a bright gold (similar to how her own ring flashed) when she gently touched the band.

"Of course Slytherin's beast would be a snake." She whispered.

"Not just any snake, Hermione..." Harry said pensively

"It was a Basilisk." Fleur breathed out before leaning back in her chair, staring at the Boy-Who-Lived with wide eyes, "You killed a Basilisk? When you were twelve?"

"Yep," Harry rolled down his sleeve.

"And it bit you?"

"Eh, not really." Harry rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I kinda rammed my arm into its tooth when I stabbed it with Gryffindor's sword. It was my own fault for not paying attention."

Hermione and Fleur were silent for a moment, staring at the Boy-Who-Lived in wonder. At the same time, they each glanced at each other before looking back to Harry.

"Let me get this straight." Hermione quickly shook her head, "You are trying to tell us, that in Second Year, a very dead Voldemort possessed eleven-year-old Ginny and forced her to open the Chamber of Secrets to release a BASILISK on the students? Then, somehow, you two found out about it…"

"The finding out about it was actually quite funny." Ron said. "We received an anonymous package after Valentine's day that contained the information about the Basilisk which is how we figured out what the beast was. We think it was Dumbledore, but can't confirm it. Anyways, the location of the Chamber was a bit harder to figure out. Imagine it. There we were, walking along the First Floor when we noticed that the entire hallway was flooded. Not only that, but we heard this immense wailing sound coming from one of the rooms so, of course we had to see what was wrong."

"Turns out, the room we walked into was an abandoned girl's lavatory and there is a ghost called Moaning Myrtle haunting it because that was where she died." Harry happily supplied.

"And, of course, Harry being the nice guy he is," Ron playfully pushed the bespectacled boy, "we stood there and talked to her."

"That's also how we came by Tom Riddle's diary."

"Ginny had thrown it and had hit Myrtle who took offense at having an object thrown at her. The flooding and wailing was her throwing a fit."

"Fast-forward a few months when the cryptic message was written saying that Ginny was going to die and we finally put all the pieces together that Myrtle was the student who was killed by Slytherin's beast 50 years ago."

"And since Harry here is a Parseltongue…"

"Wait, what?" Hermione looked towards the boy in question. "You're a Parseltongue?"

"Yea, got shunned for that all year when it came out, but people don't mention it now." Harry shrugged. "Anyways, there was a snake on the side of one of the faucets and I told it to open. That's how we found the Chamber."

Hermione simply shook her head, "Merlin, you two. How do you get into these messes?"

Harry and Ron laughed. "We're just that lucky I guess."

" 'arry." Fleur called out, gaining the three Fourth Years' attention. "I am still confused. 'ow are you not dead? Basilisks are extremely dangerous. Too dangerous for a well-trained Auror, let alone a twelve-year-old."

Harry immediately scowled, "That is because our Headmaster is a manipulative asshole. Not that I'm complaining in this case, but this is another example. He has a pet Phoenix named Fawkes. When I entered the Chamber and the Basilisk first came out, Fawkes flew in, dropping the Sorting Hat, which is how I got Gryffindor's sword by the way, and proceeded to blind the beast. After I got bit, Fawkes cried on the wound."

"And zis is an example of Dumbledore because…"

"Because," Ron butted in, "he had to have told Fawkes where to go to rescue Harry. That means that the Old Goat knew about the Chamber and the Basilisk the entire time."

Hermione hesitated for a moment, "Harry…have you had yourself tested for Magical properties?"

The confused look he gave her indicated that he had no clue what she was talking about. That, in and of itself, was rather concerning.

"Harry, Basilisk venom is not only very deadly, but it is also very magical. So magical, in fact, that when it is used in potions, and it is only used in very dark potions, it is diluted. Same for Phoenix tears. You must dilute each tear before using them."

Harry opened his mouth to say something before closing it with a snap. Hermione watched as he turned his head away in thought, mumbling something to himself that sounded like 'That explains a couple of things'.

Before she could question him, Ron butted in, "What about Basilisk blood? Does it have magical properties as well?"

"Oui…" Fleur slowly said, "Oui, it does. Probably more zan zee venom itself."

Ron 'hmm'd' before turning to the Boy-Who-Lived, "Welp, Harry. I guess that answers a couple of things."

"What things?" Hermione asked.

"Well," Harry turned back to them, running his hand through his hair before continuing, "in Third Year, we were beat up by a tree and, while Neville broke his arm, I barely had a scratch."

"Not only that, but when we were chased by Lupin, he barely left a mark on you despite knocking you down." Ron said.

"Who?" Hermione questioned.

"Oh, he was our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in Third Year." Harry said happily, "Probably the best yet, if I do say so myself."

"He is also a werewolf." Ron shrugged at their looks. "We accidently happened to be around him when he shifted. And of course he forgot to take his Wolfsbane, so he lost control."

" 'e is addicted to Wolfsbane?" Fleur asked in horror. At their confused nods, she shook her head and elaborated, "Wolfsbane was found to be poisonous to werewolves shortly after it was created. It poisons zee beast's mind and if zey miss a dose, zee beast goes into a rage. It would be better if 'e is off zee stuff. Zat way 'e can regain control over zee beast and live in 'armony wiz it."

Harry's eyes grew large, "I didn't know werewolves could gain control of themselves during the full moon. I thought that was why Wolfsbane was created."

" 'oo told you zat?"

"Lupin did." Harry furrowed his brow. "Lupin said that he had a hard time controlling the wolf when he was younger and that it helped keep him calm"

"Well, of course zee wolf is 'ard to control during teenage years." Fleur sat back and shook her head, "Every Being, no matter whezer zey are Magical, Muggle, or Creature, 'as a 'ard time controlling zeir emotions during zat time. It is called puberty! Let me guess, zis Lupin got addicted to zee stuff while 'e was still young, yes?"

"Yea." Harry nodded his head while glancing at Ron, "As soon as it was released to the public."

"Which is why 'e is 'aving such a 'ard time now. Zee wolf was poisoned during its youz and 'as no idea what to do if not on zee stuff." Fleur turned to Hermione, "We are going to 'ave to send 'im to Clara and 'er Pack before 'e gets well." The blonde turned back to Harry and Ron, "You will tell zis Lupin to contact us and we will 'elp 'im gain control. Now, Lupin attacked you and what?"

Harry and Ron were silent for a moment (probably trying to understand what just happened, Hermione thought) before Harry shook his head. "Um…well…yea. Lupin transformed and attacked us, slashing me with his claws. Only, I barely got scratched and they didn't scar like creature wounds usually do."

"So, you more zan likely 'ave a form of Tough 'ide. Useful to 'ave, but I would still get a full read-out of my magical abilities if I were you." Fleur nodded.

"Where would I go do that?"

"Gringott's should be able to do it." Fleur tapped her chin in thought, "But you will 'ave to pay a small fee. Your Ministry can also do it, but I do not zink zat wise. If you 'ave too many abilities, zey can lock you up."

"What?! Why?"

"Because, Harry," Hermione said, "the British Ministry doesn't like those with 'creature' blood. If you have too many 'abnormal' abilities, they will call you a creature and lock you up to 'observe' you." She grimaced as she explained, remembering the talk she, Fleur, and Régine had before they left. The brunette was basically told the same thing, only warned against changing to her fur in front of people.

"That is messed up, 'Mione." Harry shook his head.

"But it makes sense, mate." Ron spoke up. "Lupin complained about not being able to find any jobs in Britain because of his furry problem. He was surprised when Dumbledore offered him the position."

Harry muttered 'True' as Fleur shook her head, "We will worry about 'arry's magical abilities later. Now, I want you to finish your tale. 'ow did you get away from Lupin?"

Harry squared his shoulders and sat up straight, suddenly serious as he stared at them, "This is the part that I need to know that I trust you two before I tell you. What I am about to say is extremely classified and if word about this escapes, then we could all be in serious trouble."

Hermione and Fleur exchanged glances. "Harry," Hermione started, "I haven't ever betrayed your secrets and I am not about to start."

"And, even zough you do not know me well, know zat I will always protect 'ermione. Since she protects your secrets, I am obliged to do zee same."

Harry was silent for a long moment, glancing between them before nodding, "Good. We were saved by Sirius Black."

"Zee murderer!?" Fleur nearly leapt from her chair. Luckily, Hermione grabbed a hold of her arm to calm her down.

"He is not a murderer." Harry glared at the blonde, his green eyes flashing. Hermione sensed danger in the air and knew that it was radiating from the boy. Perhaps he got a little bit more from the Basilisk than just Tough Hide.

"I am sorry, 'arry. It is just…we 'ave been taught in school zat Sirius Black was a strong Voldemort supporter and zat 'e betrayed you and your parents. When 'e escaped last year, we were all worried zat 'e might come to France to 'ide."

"It's alright, Fleur. I over-reacted. It's just that…I hate when people say that about my godfather, especially when he was wrongfully accused and locked away without a trial."

"Sirius Black is your godfather?" Hermione asked, her brain working overtime to process the information given to them.

"Yep, and that's the reason he escaped. Do you remember Scabbers?" Harry suddenly asked.

With a quick glance towards Ron, Hermione nodded, "He was Ron's rat right?"

Ron grimaced and Harry shook his head, "Not really. Scabbers was actually an Animagus named Peter Pettigrew."

"Zee man zat Sirius killed?"

"Yep, the very one. Sleeping in my bed and eating out of my hand at meals." Ron shuddered.

"Anyways, the Weasley's won some Daily Prophet lottery last year and got their picture taken. Ron had Scabbers in his hands and Sirius recognized him while in Azkaban."

"How did he recognize him?" Hermione asked.

Harry grimaced, "They were Marauders together."

"So that's how you found them!" Hermione exclaimed. "I've been wondering about that since I got Silver-Tongue's letter. So, Sirius and Pettigrew started the Marauders and what?"

"Pettigrew was the one who really betrayed my parents, but blamed it on Sirius. And, for the record, it wasn't JUST Sirius and Pettigrew. My dad and Lupin were also Marauders. In the beginning, at least."

"And they didn't start the group. Sirius told us that the Marauders had been around for centuries." Ron smiled. "We were just lucky to be chosen to be in this generation's version."

"Unbelievable." Hermione shook her head. "So it's all not a hoax?"

"Of course not, 'Mione. We like to do pranks…"

"Not as much as the Twins." Harry muttered.

"…but we would never joke about something like this."

Silence reigned for a moment, allowing Hermione to process all of the information. The past two years sounded stressful for her boys and she wished she had been there to help them. Although, she glanced quickly at Fleur, I'm kind of glad that I wasn't.

"So, do you mind if I summarize everyzing? Just to make sure we 'ave all of zee information?" Fleur asked them. She waited for their conformation before beginning. "In your Second Year, a very dead Voldemort possessed a girl and opened zee Chamber of Secrets, which is where we will be 'aving zee meeting tomorrow, yes?" Two more nods. "Alright. In zis Chamber, a Basilisk 'ad lived for 'oo knows 'ow long and you, 'arry, went down and killed it. I am also assuming zat zis is zee reason zey call you 'Basilisk', yes?"

"Yep!" Harry smiled. "It also has to do with how the ring was shaped which is why Ron is called 'Rook'." Ron showed them his ring which looked like a complicated mixture of chess pieces. The details are remarkable, Hermione thought as she grazed her finger over a small pawn. The rooks hidden within the mess gleamed gold for a moment.

"Why can I not see zee rings?" Fleur asked while Hermione was inspecting Ron's.

"It is because you aren't a Marauder."

"Yet I can see 'ermione's."

A glance was exchanged between Harry and Ron before Harry shrugged, "Probably because of you two being soulmates, but I don't know. You will see ours tomorrow when you get your ring."

"Speaking of which, Hermione, we are going to have to look at yours." Ron said as he withdrew his hand, "You won't gain your Marauder name until tomorrow's meeting, but we can at least get an idea."

"Marauder's name?"

"Yea, each Marauder gets a special name based on how their ring is shaped. It helps us identify each other and if we speak about somebody and we don't want people around us to overhear, we can use their Marauder name to protect them."

"Fascinating." Fleur said, tilting her head to the side, "May I continue now?"

Harry nodded while Ron simply motioned for her to continue. "Zank you. So, you killed zee Basilisk at zee end of your Second Year and in your Zird year, you 'ad to deal wiz an escaped Sirius Black and finding out zat a pet rat was actually a supposed dead man? While also dealing wiz a poisoned werewolf?"

"Eh, basically. A lot more happened in Third Year, including finding out about the other Marauders and escaping from a horde of Dementors. Stuff like that." Harry shrugged.

Hermione blinked. "A horde of Dementors?"

"Yes, a horde of Dementors." Harry grimaced. "Because of Sirius being an escaped convict, the Ministry thought it would be a good idea to send Dementors out roaming the country side. After Sirius chased Lupin away, Neville and I chased after them to see a horde of Dementors swirling over a downed Sirius. We still to this day have no clue where Lupin went, but I casted a massive Patronus that drove them away. Neville and I then gathered Sirius up and carried him to a nearby cave where we healed him."

"Neville was a part of that?"

"Yea, 'Mione! Little Neville grew up pretty quickly." Ron leaned forward in his chair. "He was the first person that we, ourselves, inducted into the Marauders. His name is 'Bearclaw'."

"Wow, I never imagined that he would step up like that." Hermione shook her head.

"Neville was zee brunette boy you sat beside last night, yes?" Fleur turned to her questioningly.

She nodded, "Yes, and I remember him being this stuttering, forgetful boy that was terrified of his own shadow. I'm glad that he is growing up. But Harry," Hermione turned to the boy, "I felt nearly a dozen pulses when I first put the ring on. There are you, Ron, Neville, Sirius, Lupin, Pettigrew…"

"Pettigrew is NOT a Marauder." Harry growled.

"…I'm sorry… and Silver-Tongue, who you still haven't told me who that is."

"They want their identity to remain secret until tomorrow." Harry smirked.

"Ok? But that's still only six people. Who are the rest?"

Ron smirked at her, "Sorry, 'Mione. You'll find out the rest tomorrow. Just remember to keep an open-mind though, ok?"

Hermione simply shook her head and leaned back in her chair, "Alright. Be pensive then." Harry and Ron simply laughed at her.

"So," Harry clapped his hands together, "that's basically our story. There are a few more things here and there, but really they aren't important and you'll probably figure out more at the meeting. But, it's your turn now, Hermione. What happened that caused the Delacour's to adopt you?"

Hermione's happy mood immediately turned sour. She clenched her hands together as a lump formed in her throat, trying to stop the growl that threatened to form. Worry was sent through the Bond as Fleur reached out and covered her hands with her own.

The brunette spared a quick glance at her mate before turning to see the worried looks of Harry and Ron.

"It will be alright, 'Mione." Harry said softly.

"No matter what happened, we will always be here for you." Ron said, reaching forward to lightly touch her knee.

She gave a small smile (it felt more like a grimace) before taking a deep breath, "The Granger's abandoned me during our First Year."

Hermione looked at the boys' stunned expressions, waiting to see if they were going to say anything. When she realized that they were basically frozen in place, she continued, "When I found out, I sold my school stuff and bought a ticket to France to try and stay with my grandmother. When I got there, I was told that she had passed away sometime in April." She felt tears well in her eyes as she thought of the old woman. The pouring of love and reassurance through the Bond was the only thing that stopped the tears from falling. "After that, I was basically on my own for a few months. I…I had to steal food and money and I lived under a pier by the beach."

She couldn't stop from turning her hand over and gripping Fleur's hand, smiling as the blonde immediately laced their fingers together. "Sometime in October, Fleur and her family found me. She knew that we were soulmates and they accepted me with open arms. I've been with them ever since."

Silence was all that remained after she finished talking, the soft crackling of the fireplace the only source of noise. Hermione closed her eyes, afraid that the boys would judge her for what had happened. It surprised her when she felt a set of arms wrap around her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." Harry whispered into her hair, "I knew that it had to be something bad, but I had thought that the Granger's had died. Not that they…abandoned you."

"Have you found them?" Ron suddenly asked, rage clear in his voice. Hermione glanced up only to see that he was looking at Fleur.

"Non, we 'ave not," Fleur said just as determined, "and it 'as not been for a lack of trying. Grandmaman is a 'igh ranking official in zee Ministry and not even 'er and all of 'er connections can find zem. Wherever zey are 'iding', zey are doing it well."

"We will have our sources begin looking." Ron nodded. "They need to pay for what they put our sister through."

"You 'ave my full support, but, if you find zem, I demand zat you tell me where zey are first before you do anyzing. I 'ave first dibs."

"Fine by me."

"Enough you two," Hermione couldn't help but smile at the two. Leave it to them to discuss who would go after the Granger's first. "Please, I do not wish to discuss them anymore."

"Alright, 'Mione. We won't ever bring up the Granger's again." Harry squeezed her shoulders one more time before sitting back down. Suddenly, Ron's guts growled quite loudly throughout the room. Fleur just looked at the sheepish redhead while Hermione bust out laughing.

"What?" The slowly reddening boy asked, "It's nearly suppertime."

"Oh! The Tournament." Harry leapt out of his seat. "I nearly forgot about the Tournament! They will choose the champions tonight."

"Oui, which should be soon. So, are we done 'ere?" Fleur stood up and stretched, "We 'ave sat 'ere for 'ours now."

"I just have one more question, Hermione." The brunette turned to Ron, who had leaned forward once more in his chair. "How did you get that scar around your wrist?"

Hermione immediately wrapped her hand around the faded mark, feeling the echo of the burning of the blocker that remained. She and Fleur had discussed whether they should tell the boys about Hermione's fur or not. The brunette had wanted to, but her mate had insisted on secrecy. Fleur was terrified that Harry and Ron would turn on her if they found out (which she thought was silly, especially now that she knew they accepted this Lupin who was a werewolf), but she agreed to not mention it.

So, she simply shrugged and told them the excuse they made up, "It was a bout of accidental magic when I found out about the Granger's. The bracelet I had on heated up and left the mark."

Both boys looked at her for a long moment before Harry shrugged, "Alright. We were worried that it was something bad. It looks like it was rather nasty."

"It was." Hermione grimaced. She did not like lying to them, but understood Fleur's desire for it.

She just hoped that Fleur was wrong about them.

-oOo-

The Halloween feast was slowly dying down. Fleur was right in thinking that she could not handle another large feast (she had grimaced when Ron had attacked the food like a starving animal). Luckily though, nobody seemed to mind that she didn't eat (except for the odd look from Hermione) as they all enjoyed the festivities themselves.

She had laughed when Ron and Harry had looked wide-eyed at Hermione's ring. They had fingered the long, sharp fangs and then stared at her mate in wonder, probably curious as to why Hermione's magic had created such a violent object. The girl had been bashful during the inspection, but had just shrugged off their comments, claiming that she hoped they would be able to explain it. Fleur was happy (even though she knew it upset Hermione) that the brunette listened to her and hid her fur from the boys. Hopefully, in time, Hermione could show them her true form, but that would not happen until Fleur knew that she could trust them completely.

Suddenly, a series of claps rang through the Great Hall and the tables cleared. Everybody directed their attention to Dumbledore, whom had stood up and was slowly making his way around the teacher's table. The Goblet of Fire was still sat in front of the table, swirling and pulsing with ancient magic that made Fleur's Veela crawl to the surface.

"Well, students, guests, professors," Dumbledore smiled out at them, "it is now time for the Goblet to tell us who will be our champions!"

The Great Hall cheered as the Goblet flared a bright blue. Amélie elbowed her and quietly whispered, "I hope Edmond is the one chosen."

Fleur turned to her, ignoring Dumbledore as he spoke of rules and expectations, "Why? He is good, yes, but not as good as Inés."

"I bet 5 Galleons on him being chosen for Beauxbatons. He better get it."

The Great Hall roared as Dumbledore announced Viktor Krum's name as the Durmstrang champion. Fleur rolled her eyes as she heard somebody (that sounded suspiciously like Ron) shout 'No surprise there'. Of course it was not a surprise, she sneered at the Durmstrang boy making his way to the front, anybody could tell that Krum was Karkaroff's favorite. The others did not stand a chance.

She had been all for cooperating and being friendly with the Durmstrang delegation (a lot of her Sisters were interested in the boys after all). She had even been planning on introducing her Clan to them. However, that was all before she saw Krum and a few others staring at her Sisters (at Hermione, the Veela screeched) like toys to be played with last night. After that, Fleur did not care what happened to the lot. The simple fact that Krum was chosen as Champion made her hate him more than the rest.

The students grew silent once more as the Goblet swirled with magic. Fleur heard Amélie whispering 'Please' over and over again, as the parchment shot out of the Goblet and into Dumbledore's hands. She could not help the smirk that came to her face as she leaned over and whispered. "That was a stupid bet to make, Amélie. Obviously it will be…"

"Fleur Delacour."

The crowd cheered once more while it felt like ice water rushed down her spine. Fleur barely registered the horrified looks around her as she quickly looked up to see Dumbledore watching her expectantly, an eyebrow raised as he held a bright blue piece of parchment. She felt a massive amount of fear rush down the Bond and turned to a wide-eyed Hermione sitting beside her.

"Fleur…"

"I'm sorry." Dumbledore called out once more, "But there is a Fleur Delacour here, yes?"

Fleur closed her eyes to calm herself as she slowly stood up and walked to the front. She heard a few whispers over the loud cheering and knew what they were saying.

"Veela."

"A Veela competing in the Tournament."

"Illegal."

The blonde ignored them as she passed by a smiling Dumbledore, trying to think of how her name got entered. She had been with Hermione all night and all morning and then with Harry and Ron for the rest of the day. Surely she can prove that she herself did not do this.

Just as she passed through the door behind them, Fleur glanced towards the professors and immediately knew who had submitted her name, a scowl forming on her face as the door slammed behind her.

-oOo-

Breathe.Just keep breathing.

These were the thoughts that kept running through Hermione's mind as she watched her mate, her Veela, her beloved Fleur walk through the ante-chamber of the Great Hall.

Champion. She was chosen as Champion. Hermione put her head in her hands, her throat closing up as panic rose once more. She is going to be facing dangers and imprisonment and there's nothing I can do.

"Maya! Maya, listen to me." A voice said, but Hermione ignored it. All of her thoughts were on her mate. How Fleur could be imprisoned. How she could be killed.

Hands suddenly gripped her shoulders and shook her. "Hermione! Snap out of it." Ron whispered harshly, "It will be ok! We will figure this out. Together."

"She was chosen, Ron." Hermione mumbled, "She's a Veela and she was chosen as Champion for the Tournament. An international, competitive tournament."

"So? Who cares? We will help her get through all of this and she will win. Trust me."

Hermione shook her head as tears streamed over her cheeks. He doesn't understand.

"Ron, was it?" Amélie said from across the table. Hermione placed her head in her hands once more as the redheaded boy turned to the Veela. "You do not understand." She hissed through clenched teeth, "What just 'appened is ILLEGAL. Fleur could go to jail over zis."

"What?!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione tuned out Amélie's whispered explanation as she felt magic rise through the air once more. Cedric Diggory had already been chosen as the Hogwart's Champion (she only knew that by the celebrating and chanting Hufflepuff table) and Dumbledore was announcing when the first Task would take place. He wasn't watching the, once more, swirling Goblet.

"Oh shit," she heard Harry mutter. "Oh Merlin, please. No. Not this year. Please."

Dread formed a tighter knot in her gut as another piece of parchment shot out of the Goblet into the hands of the surprised Headmaster. She watched him read the name wide-eyed and look towards them. It was then that she heard Harry's head thump down on the table.

"Harry Potter?"

The Great Hall went silent and unanimously turned to stare at them. Hermione also turned to see the Boy-Who-Lived cussing up a storm while trying to slide beneath the table and disappear from view.

"HARRY POTTER!"

"Bloody Hell!" the bespectacled boy shouted as he surged to his feet. "I didn't enter the bloody Tournament and I refuse to accept this. You cannot make me compete."

Snape (of all people) then stood up and glared at him, "Get over here boy! Stop making a fool out of yourself."

"No!"

Hermione watched as the Potion Master sneered before marching to them and forcefully grabbing Harry's arm. A few people gasped when Harry growled low in his throat and ripped his arm away, glaring at the older man. The two stared at one another for a long moment (Hermione shuddered as the dangerous feeling from before came back) before Harry lowered his head with a huff and stomped towards the door, his footsteps echoing through the quiet Great Hall. Everybody silently watched the Boy-Who-Lived as he walked by with Snape and Dumbeldore following closely behind.

Hermione felt more tears form as her brother also disappeared from her view.

-oOo-

Fleur stood before the large, bay window, staring out at the Forbidden Forest longingly. What she would give to go back to that morning when she and Hermione were chasing each other through the trees. She closed her eyes and leaned against the window panes, trying to swallow the lump in her throat and ignore her mate's intense fear. There was no way she could calm the girl down. Fear was creating a knot in her belly as well.

Cedric Diggory had been excitedly chatting about the Tournament since he had entered the room. Of the three of them (Viktor had been staring into the fireplace since she arrived), he seemed the most excited. Poor boy was either too stupid to realize that something was going on or was too narcissistic to care. Fleur snurled up her nose and pointedly stared out of the window as he talked once more about how honored he was to be chosen.

The door opening once more had her quickly glancing up. She was hoping that once the Tournament officials entered the room, she could explain the situation and they could redraw a Beauxbatons Champion. Hopefully, they would not blame her too much and instead investigate Maxime for this treachery.

When Harry walked through the doors, however, she understood the last surge of fear she had felt from Hermione.

" 'arry…" Fleur started to say, walking to the red-faced Boy-Who-Lived.

Just before she reached him, the door opened once more and Ludo Bagman entered the room followed by the schools' headmasters, a greasy looking man, and Mr. Crouch.

"Can you believe it?" Mr. Bagman exclaimed, "Four Champions! Oh the excitement. The drama."

Fleur quickly glanced towards the scowling Harry and understood what had happened. Her thoughts immediately went out to Hermione, trying to send reassurance through the Bond. We will figure this out, my love, Fleur thought with determination, they will see. They must. There will be no way either of us will be allowed to compete in this dangerous and stupid Tournament. And when they do, when these Magicals see and reverse this, we are all packing up and heading home. Apollo curse them for this.

"He's right, Dumbledore. The boy must compete."

Fleur glanced up in shock at a sweating Barty Crouch. The man was looking anywhere but her or Harry and that caused her eyes to narrow.

"And vat of the Veela?" Karkaroff spat out. "Surely she should be locked up for entering her name."

Fleur began to open her mouth to explain the situation when she felt her muscles lock up. What the Hell? She raged in her mind. The Veela thrashed against the invisible bonds, trying desperately to be set free.

"She is not full-Veela, Karkaroff." Madame Maxime stated. The woman walked around Fleur and placed her hands on her shoulders, pushing down slightly as Fleur managed to twitch her arm.

How dare she?!The Veela screamed, raking its claws up and down the bonds, That stupid Half-Giantess. I will rip her apart and happily leave the remains for the rats!

Fleur promised it that, if it got them out of this, she would allow it that action.

"Vat do you mean, Maxime?" Karkaroff stepped forward, lewdly looking her up and down. Fleur felt her skin crawl at the man's gaze and told the Veela that it could tear him apart as well once they were free.

" 'er grandmozer was zee Veela and she married a Witch. 'er mozer zen married a Wizard. Zerefore, Fleur 'ere is only a quarter-Veela, not a full-blooded one."

I will show you a quarter-Veela, you half-Giantess bitch.

"Of course." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling as he turned to look at Bagman and Crouch, "Since that's the case, everything is perfectly legal. We have our four champions and there is nothing we can do differently. Bagman, would you like to give them the instructions for the First Task."

"Of course, of course." Fleur watched as Bagman took a deep breath before facing the four of them, "In a few weeks, we will have the Weighing of the Wands. This is to show that your wands are in full working order and there is no funny business. The First Task will occur on the 24th of November. I cannot give you any information on what you will face, but just know that it will be exciting." Bagman clapped his hands eagerly.

"Remember you four," Dumbledore frowned at them, "you all stand alone in this Tournament. You each must prepare alone, train alone, and fight alone." Fleur felt his gaze linger on her for a minute before moving on. After a moment of tense silence, the Headmaster smiled and spread his arms, "However, I want you to make friends during this. The entire point of the Tournament is for international cooperation and for making friends with each other. Now, you are free to leave and I will see you all on the morning of the 24th."

Fleur remained bewitched as she watched Krum and Diggory leave the room. Harry spared her a parting glance (she could tell that he was desperate to talk to her) before Bagman dragged him out of there as well, whispering excitedly about the Tournament. The rest of the Wizards left the room without a glance until it was only her and Maxime. Alone. In the room together.

She hoped the woman was stupid enough to release the enchantment.

"Listen, Fleur." Maxime whispered, "I know you are upset, but you must understand. You have the best chance on beating this Tournament. None of the other students could have done it. Only you. Just keep up the illusion that you are a quarter-Veela and everything will be okay. You will not be imprisoned and nothing will happen to your mate. Alright?"

The Veela screamed as the Half-Giantess threatened Hermione. Fleur felt her teeth grind together and her hands twitch as the enchantment slowly (too slowly) wore off. She glared up at the woman with (assuredly) dark eyes when Maxime walked in front of her. The blonde felt the Veela beginning to break free and felt the tell-tale itch of feathers about to emerge.

"I know you will do what is right." Maxime told her, "You always do." The woman nodded once, patting her on the shoulder, before turning around and walking out of the room.

As the Half-Giantess left, the enchantment finally broke and Fleur and the Veela screamed their rage after her.

-xXx-

Thanks for reading!