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"Welcome to the final dueling match between Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Durmstrang Institute of Magic!" The last month had passed with little fanfare in regards to the tournaments for the New Marauders. Viktor and Harry were photographed shaking hands with each other the day after the Quidditch final at the trophy presentation; both had rather goofy grins on their faces. After the shake between the two seekers both teams got up and congratulated each other in the photo. Rita Skeeter for once wrote a rather flattering article for the teams; well half an article, the other half contained various shots at Dumbledore for failing to catch the culprit of her harpy prank.

Harry was in the stands with his friends as well as Alastor, Xavier, Evelyn, Belladonna, and Neville's Gran. Neville's Gran was sitting next to Alastor with her vulture hat sitting like she was holding court with among the other parents and generally glaring at Karkaroff and Snape. Harry struggled not to laugh as Neville rolled his eyes at his grandmother's attitude. She had yet to accept Severus or Belladonna but Neville usually just disregarded what his grandmother said. Luckily though since he was picked to represent Hogwarts on the dueling team she had toned it down but he was likely to get another ear full when she saw he wasn't using his father's wand.

"Now please welcome the Durmstrang Institute duelers," Kevin Vorenus, the current dueling champion of North America; they brought him for today's competition. "Lead by Zoran Illic, their seventh year captain. Followed by fellow seventh year Oleh Husyev, sixth years Yuriy Rotan, Davor Suker, Helmut Rahn, Grzegorz Lato, and fifth year Karl Belanov. Durmstrang's alternate is sixth year Elena Rogova and their coach Headmaster Igor Karkaroff."

At the Karkaroff's name both Moody and Xavier snorted in contempt from behind Harry. Harry turned and raised an eyebrow at them as did Susan, Hermione, and Tracey.

Moody fixed his magical eye on Karkaroff as he answered their unasked question, "Karkaroff was at best a subpar dueler and I know for a fact Yuri Zavurov, a former Russian auror and dueling champion is a Professor at Durmstrang. Karkaroff is looking to impress people, and his duelers are going to suffer for it."

Xavier added his own thoughts when Moody finished, "Karkaroff has always been a weasel. If Durmstrang wins the dueling competition it will make him look good in front of his students' parents. Lato's father for instance is a high ranking politician in Ukraine; Karkaroff wants asylum should Voldemort rise again. He thinks this is how he'll get it."

"Bit risky isn't?" Harry said glancing at Karkaroff, "If they lose he's going to look like a self indulgent prick." The others nodded in agreement with Harry.

"Yes, but he was counting on Dumbledore being the one in charge of Hogwarts' dueling team," Xavier answered. "Luckily for us and unlucky for him the board made the decisions on who would run each of the teams. If Dumbledore was in charge of the dueling team he most likely would have had them practicing tickling charms where as Severus and Professor Flitwick," Xavier trailed off with a smirk and the teens nodded understanding his meaning.

"Now for the Hogwarts dueling team," Vorenus announced to the cheer of the crowd that was spilt about seventy/thirty for Hogwarts. "Lead by seventh years Thomas Kennsington and Jason Murray; followed by sixth years Samantha Fawcett and Thomas Avery, and fourth years Daphne Greengrass, Neville Longbottom, and Blaise Zabini. Hogwarts' alternate is sixth year Lee Jordan. And give a round of applause for the Hogwarts' coaches Dueling and Charms Master Filius Flitwick and Dueling and Potions Master Severus Snape!"

Harry started chuckling, "Anyone else think Karkaroff's looking nervous now?" The others around him looked and Karkaroff was indeed sweating a bit more and the man's beady little eyes were darting from Severus to Professor Flitwick to the Hogwarts duelers and back.

"Now welcome our first duelers to the platform for Durmstrang the seventh year ZORAN ILLIC and for Hogwarts the fourth year DAPHNE GREENGRASS!"\

Harry tensed as Daphne walked to the platform and faced the large teen from Durmstrang. Harry hated seeing Daphne fight, though she could handle herself, he didn't like seeing curses flying at her. 'calm yourssself hatchling,' Aiolos spoke inside Harry's head, 'your magic isss gathering.' Harry looked down at his hands and saw what Aiolos meant; his hands had a faint greenish glow. Harry took some deep breaths and Evelyn placed a hand on his shoulder helping to calm him. Harry looked back up to the platform and almost snarled Illic was starring at Daphne's chest and eyeing her like a piece of meat. Then the bastard winked at her, Daphne's blank expression hardened.

"Damn!" Viktor said from Hermione's left side, "Daf-nee iz going to wipe floor wif' him now, right?"

Hermione laughed at her boyfriend's putout expression, "Yes, yes she is," Hermione replied. Harry smirked down the row at Viktor and nodded.

Daphne's expression as hardened as the barbaric boy across from her and the nerve to wink at her with Harry in the stands. 'He's lucky he's still breathing,' crossed Daphne's mind as the announcer talked about the rules for the crowds benefit. Nothing automatically lethal and no weapons besides your wand were the rules in a nutshell. Daphne started smirking as the announcer went through his spiel and Zoran started to sweat as the fourth year little thing across from him smirked.

"Bow," Vorenus said to the competitors. Daphne barely nodded her head forward where as Zoran bowed. "Begin!"

Zoran shot a powerful arching reducto at Daphne, who ducked under the spell while firing off three silent stunners. Zoran dodged on and shielded another but the third broke through his shield. The shield took off some of the power leaving his left shoulder and arm slightly numb. Zoran was surprised at the power behind the spell and Daphne fired off the gouging curse with perfect aim, Zoran's wand hand. Daphne's spell impacted Zoran's wand hand in the back the curse went through the flesh and bones and cracked his wand as it kept traveling into the spelled boundary of the platform. Zoran let out a strangled cry as the spell impact and tore through his hand and wand. Blood spilled out of the hand as did bone fragments and parts of his wand fell to the ground. Karkaroff looked outraged while Daphne, Harry, Xavier and Evelyn, Severus, smirked and Professor Flitwick let out a sigh and shook his head.

"He shouldn't have winked," Tracey said in a sing-song voice that made Viktor shake his head in disgust.


"Now that was a gouging spell, folks! Next duelers to the platforms. For Durmstrang we have sixth year HELMUT RAHN and for Hogwarts SAMANTHA FAWCETT!" The opponents faced each other and bowed. Fawcett fired first and kept up a barrage of spells while Rahn shielded and dodged a bit. Rahn finally found an opening and fired a cutting curse at Fawcett. The duel evened out after that and they traded spells for close to twenty minutes before Rahn managed to land a lucky disarming spell against Fawcett.

The next two duels followed a similar pattern with Avery losing to Yuriy Rotan and Murray taking out Durmstrang's other seventh year Oleh Husyev.


"Now were tied up with two matches a piece and three to go, welcome the next competitors. From Durmstrang we have KARL BELANOV and representing Hogwarts this round is fourth year BLAISE ZABINI!"

Blaise stepped up onto the platform eyeing the crowd around him. His eyes settled on his friends and then flickered to his mother, who was smiling proudly at him. He grinned back at her as she laid a hand over her heart, a small sign of affection that they had been doing since Blaise could remember.

His focus turned back to his opponent a fifth year who stood around the same height as Blaise but that was where the similarities ended. While Blaise was in top physical condition thanks to Severus and Sirius's training, the Durmstrang boy was thin and spindly. Flitwick had drilled into the duelers the background of all their opponents, Karl Belanov was on the Durmstrang team for his knowledge of spells not dueling skills.

"Begin!" Blaise heard as Belanov came up from his bow firing an icing spell at Blaise's feet, but Blaise was already casting. Four arching stunners were sent at Belanov as Blaise used it to give him time to dispel the ice on the platform where he stood. Blaise was silently holding a shield at the same time he was casting, aspis, the spell worked as the ancient shield of the same name did. The charm, taught to the duelers by Flitwick, applied a magical version of the ancient shield to the casters left arm. As they moved their arm the shield moved and as an added bonus the shield was only visible to the opponent when a spell struck it. The charm also required minimal concentration once cast, if you had enough magic and proper occlumency training one didn't even have to concentrate on the shield at all.

The aspis flared red as an unknown curse impacted it as Blaise shielded the unfriendly gray spell, the spell deflected and blew up a chunk of the platform. Blaise thinking quickly banished the fragments of the platform at Belanov who jumped to his right to avoid it. Unfortunately for Belanov nobody had taught him to dodge so he was sprawled on the ground as Blaise sent a silent stunner at him, knocking the Durmstrang boy out. Blaise summoned the other teen's wand ending the duel.

"MATCH HOGWARTS! Hogwarts now leads three to one."

Blaise nodded to Kensington as the older boy moved passed him to take his place on the platform.


"Please welcome to the platform our final duelers who will decide this thrilling DUELING CHAMPIONSHIP!" Vorenus announced, "From Durmstrang sixth year GREZGORZ LATO! And anchoring the Hogwarts team fourth year NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM!"

Neville moved to take his spot on the platform not even sparing a glance for the crowd but focused on his task, Severus had chosen him to anchor the team and he was going to make the stern Professor proud. As he turned and faced his opponent Neville was calm and collected, the small nervous pudgy boy from first year long forgotten memory. The older boy across from him smirked at Neville who simply blinked in return, irking Lato a bit. Lato bowed in a sarcastic manner showing Neville exactly what he thought of facing a fourth year, cocky. As Neville leaned back from his slight bow, Vorenus hesitated leaving the crowd in suspense before shouting, "BEGIN!"

Lato lazily fired off a disarming charm at Neville, who just as lazily flicked his wand sending the spell wide. Lato snapped his wrist a bit more, showing his anger at Neville's silent deflection, as he sent a stunner at Neville this time. Neville again lazily sent the stunner off to the side. Lato's jaw clench and fired three more stunning spells in quick succession, Neville once again deflected two of the spells and to Lato's ever growing anger simply step aside from the last stunner. Neville now stood slightly to the left of his previous position and did something that caused Lato to yell in furry, he smirked at the older boy and imitated Lato's earlier bow. Lato began throwing cutting curses, gouging hexes, reductos, and stunners one right after another nonstop for a good two minutes. Neville easily dodged or parried his spells to the side. Finally Lato stopped out of breath and red in the face, Neville struck. Neville snapped his wand up and sent a silent bombarda curse at the sixth year. The light orange spell raced at the Durmstrang boy who tried to summon a shield but the curse was too fast and slammed into the Durmstrang boy sending him flying back ten feet into the shield around the dueling platform. The boy flopped down to the ground unconscious as Neville summoned his wand.

"MATCH! HOGWARTS WINS!"


"You were brilliant out there," Harry quietly muttered to Daphne. They were currently sprawled out on a couch in front of a fireplace in the Slytherin common room. The common room was currently empty as everyone was either asleep or passed out, the party having ended a few hours ago at one.

Daphne leaned her head back on Harry's chest so she was looking up at him and flashed him smile, "He had it coming. I mean really who blatantly checks out their dueling opponent."

Harry grinned down at her lopsided and kissed her sweetly and slowly once before pulling back a little and still grinning before deepening the kiss. Their tongues tangled and Harry pulled her tighter to him for a few minutes before releasing her from the kiss, he kissed down her neck and then just wrapped her in his arms again.

"Aiolos what did you think of the match," Daphne said lovingly to the snake that was perched on the hearth. Aiolos hissed back to Daphne before letting out a snake-ish laugh.

"She commends you on your win and says Zoran would make a good weasel," Harry said laughing. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Harry spoke again, "Have you thought about the wedding at all?"

"Some of the time but we've both been kind of busy," Daphne said with a light laugh.

"True but I thought girls plan weddings from the womb or something," Harry asked with a grin.

Daphne poked him in the side before smiling, "while Tracey may have hers planned, I never really thought about it. I've known about the contract my whole life I knew the wedding wasn't my choice, hell some people in contracts don't even have a ceremony, with you not being around I didn't know what to expect. So I just didn't think about it," Daphne explained with a shrug.

Harry flipped them on the couch so Daphne was now under him as he hovered over her. Harry looked into Daphne's eyes and saw some lingering sadness in them. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her tracing her lips with his tongue. Daphne opened her mouth to him and Harry gently explored the inside of her mouth before he pulled back slightly and once again looked her in the eyes, "Well I'm here now and you can have any wedding you want this summer be it one fit for queen or trip to Vegas to have Elvis marry us. I don't care as long as I get to marry you and you're happy," Harry whispered lovingly. Daphne smiled up at him and threaded her hands through his hair and pulled him down once again to her lips.

Aiolos watched her hatchling kiss his mate for a few minutes letting him enjoy his peace before slithering down off the hearth and giving Daphne's bare foot a flick with her tongue.

"EEEkkk," Daphne shrieked as something cold and wet hit her foot. She pushed Harry back to see what it was and saw Aiolos smirking; oddly enough Aiolos accomplished the human display quite well.

Harry leaned back and looked down at Aiolos and hissed, "Not cool."

"Well asss much fun asss you ssseem to be having it isss called the common room for a reassson, I don't think Daphne will appreciate an audience," Aiolos hissed back calmly.

Harry mockingly huffed, "fine," he hissed and then turned to Daphne and spoke in English, "Aiolos pointed out were still in the common room." Daphne blushed bright red as the realization hit her that anyone could have seen them snogging on the couch. Harry grinned down at her as she blushed, so Daphne did as any good girlfriend would and pushed him off the couch. He landed with an, humph, followed by Aiolos' laughing hiss.

"Prat," Daphne muttered.

Harry grinned in reply and helped her stand, "Sometimes but always yours," he commented and gave her one more quick kiss before she turned and entered the hallway to the girls' dorms.


"Ten galleons on Hogwarts," Harry said smiling slyly at Viktor and Fleur who were sitting with him and the New Marauders. Today was the finally the academic challenge and Hermione was a basket case, well on the inside. You could practically see her thoughts running over everything she, Tracey, and the rest of the Hogwarts team learned for today. The New Murauders minus Tracey and Hermione but with Theo and Draco were in the stands waiting for the Challenge to get underway and Harry decided it had been to long since he parted someone from their money.

"Done," Fleur spoke right away.

Viktor though hesitated and eyed his girlfriend at the Hogwarts team's table, "Vat is the expression?" He thought for a moment and then announced, "Ah, no dice! Mione on her own vould beat Durmstrang vith how hard she studied."

The group chuckled at that while Fleur just raised an eyebrow and said, "Almost all of ze Beauxbatons team iz like Hermione when it comes to studying."

Jaws dropped around Fleur at her statement but Draco managed to speak, "I don't think I could handle more than one Granger. I mean she already has us studying for finals and we have two months, the schedules not even out yet!" Blaise nodded along with him only for both of them to regret that as they were smacked upside the back of their head by Susan and Daphne respectively.

"Shut up it's about to start," Daphne said before muttering, "It's too bad the Grangers can't be here."

Harry wrapped an arm around Daphne's shoulders and pointed out the Davis parents who were sitting in the front row with camcorder.

"When did you buy a camcorder?"

"I had Sirius pick up a catalog and then circled the one to get and sent him to the store with the catalog. Then I wrote step by step instructions for how to work it, see the paper Marius is holding? Instead of idiot proof its wizard proof." Daphne started laughing so hard she snorted making Harry chuckle. "Have you thought any about the wedding?"

Daphne nodded, "Small. That's it so far."

"Small is good," Harry replied and gave Daphne's neck a quick nip.

"WELCOME TO THE ACADEMIC CHALLENGE!" Ludo Bagman announced from his spot on the stage that had been set up in the Great Hall.

"Does anyone else find Bagman ludicrously under qualified for this," Blaise asked?

Everyone in the vicinity laughed causing Bagman to falter in his speech as the laughter rang out.

"Yes, well," Bagman stuttered as the crowd quieted down again. "Today's competition is between all three schools. For Beauxbatons Academy we have Amelie Lisle, Marie Robert, Constance Desmarais, Cecile Desmarais, Anton Aucion, and Thierry Evra." The Beauxbatons team stood from their table and bowed to the gathered spectators. "The Durmstrang contestants are Olof Baier, Axel Kluge, Grigori Dolohov, Raina Jakov, Sonia Chinca, and Viviana Radu." Once again the students rose from their seats and bowed to the crowd. "AND REPRESENTING HOGWARTS, "Blair Simon, Hermione Granger, Tracey Davis, Nathan Clearwater, Andrew Harper, and Odin Blane!"

"Alright the format for today's competition will be as follows. I, your announcer, will ask a question the first team to answer correctly will be given five points. The second team to answer correctly will be award three points. And the last team will be given one point; if you have a wrong answer no points will be awarded. Now each team has one writer who is responsible for the answer, it will appear on the front of the table. As you can see it is impossible for one team to see another's answer. The first team to reach seventy five points is the winner!"

"Now the first question is, Name the magical properties of the number seven?"

The questions continued on in the same manner with Bagman asking them and the three teams answering them. After five questions Beauxbatons lead twenty to Hogwarts seventeen and Durmstrang five. Viktor looked at the scoreboard and shook his head muttering about Karkaroff being a biased ass. Blaise was asleep on Susan's shoulder. Susan, Hannah, and Daphne were discussing some of the questions as they came up; currently they were debating whether or not oven cleaner qualified as a use of dragon blood. Draco and Theo were playing the card game war. Harry was chatting with Fleur and Viktor about possibilities for the third task.

The academic competition contoured on for another three hours before a Beauxbatons ended the competition by answering which properties of transfiguration the philosopher's stone uses. Beauxbatons one with seventy six points, Hogwarts finished with sixty seven points, and Durmstrang finished with forty eight points.

"And there you have BEAUXBATONS WINS the ACADEMIC CHALLENGE!

As Bagman announced Beauxbatons as the winner Fleur turned to Harry, Blaise, and Draco with her hand out. "I believe 'uo owe mio some money," Fleur said with a smirk. The three boys grumbled as they handed over their ten galleons each. The others who didn't bet just laughed at them as Tracey and Hermione came over to join them.

"Well at least they cared enough to bet on us, even Blaise was asleep through the whole thing," Tracey commented sarcastically to Hermione and shot Blaise a look.

Blaise just shrugged and Hermione laughed, "Well I'm just happy people actually showed up. In primary school when there were competitions like this the only ones to show were parents."


"Today you're going to brew the antidote to amortentia," Severus lectured quietly to the silent class of fourth years, most of which were taking notes, well the Slytherins for some unknown reason the Gryffindors still had yet to learn the art of note taking in potions class. Severus internally sighed as he envisioned cauldrons blowing up. "Amortentia is the strongest love potion to have been invented if brewed properly it can turn you into a blubbering idiot faster than a full blooded veela. Now begin!"

"Nev, get the fluxweed, hellebore, and cinnamon sticks. I'll get the essence of murtlap, ginkgo leaves, and the puffer fish." Harry and Neville went to the potions cabinet to get their ingredients. Harry took the murtlap and ginkgo leaves back to their station before putting on his dragon hide gloves and going to a tank filled with pufferfish and pulling one out.

As he made his way back to the table with the fish under a stasis charm he heard Severus yell out, "WEASLY, put your gloves on before you pick up a puffer fish! Impudent whelp."

Harry just shook his head at Neville and tried to hold in his laughter, "He really tried to pick up a poisonous fish without gloves?"

Neville nodded, "He was 'bout an inch away from the puffer too." Neville took the ginkgo leaves and began to detach them from the stems; he had already finished with the hellebore.

"Nice job Nev, alright you need to crush the cinnamon sticks with the marble mortar and pistol. You can watch at the same time as I clean the puffer fish. Normally you can just get the part you need already clean, but Professor Snape wants us to know how to do this. The quills are used in other potions." Harry turned to the cauldron and added the essence of murtalp to the cauldron; they needed to heat it until it turned red. He then started on the puffer fish he needed to clean it and add only the liver to the potion. Harry carefully went about cleaning the puffer, taking the quills off and then separating the parts with the silver knife.

"Just so you are all aware I will be testing one antidote on a student." Severus spoke in a sharp voice, "though as you should no doubt realize due to the ingredients you're working with if brewed incorrectly the antidote functions as a poison."

Half the students gulped while the others went pale, Harry smirked well use to Severus's scare tactics. Harry finished with his fish and put the pieces to the side as the potion turned red. "Nev, add the ginkgo leaves one at a time as I stir." The leaf had to dissolve before they could add another, one by one the leaves dissolved and the potion turned a dark blue. Neville then took the ground cinnamon sticks and added it to the potion as Harry added the hellebore, the potion turned bright blue after five minutes of stirring five clockwise and then one counter-clockwise stir. "Alright now we need to wait two and a half minutes before adding the diced puffer liver." Neville counted down the time and Harry added the liver. Harry started stirring every minute they need to add a counter-clockwise stir, for three minutes. Finally Harry turned off the heat and let the potion cool, now clear in color. After it cooled they bottled it, it made three bottles.

Severus called for time about ten minutes after Harry and Neville had finished. Harry took a look around and noticed only three other groups with the correct finished product, Blaise and Daphne, Tracey and Millicent, and Draco and Theo.

"WEASLY, FINNEGAN, don't even touch your cauldron just leave it there! Same for you Crabble, Goyle," Severus bit out as he moved to their stations in the back of the room and placed a spell around the two stations. Harry thought it looked like someone had spread tar over both stations. Pansy Parkinson and Parvati Patil's potion was light blue, Harry guessed that would garner an acceptable from Severus. Dean Thomas and Lavender Brown's potion was an angry red color.

"Congratulations Mr. Thomas, Miss Brown you've managed to make a poison, not an antidote," Severus said scathingly as he eyed their potion. Then Severus smirked, "Any volunteers for testing Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Nott's potion? No, well then I'll just have to pick. WEASLEY, front and center! Close your eyes Weasley." Severus pulled a potion out of his pocket that had a pearl shine to it, amortentia. Severus walked around the classroom and stopped by Crabble, he pricked Crabble's finger with a small needle and let a drop of blood into the amortentia. The prick healed on Crabble's finger and Severus moved back to Weasley who was at the front of the class shaking and pale with his eyes closed. "Drink up Mr. Weasley," Severus gave him the amortentia and Weasley relaxed, opening his eyes and focusing on the burly fourth year Slytherin in the back. Weasley's mouth opened slightly and he looked dazed, he waved to Crabble shyly before Severus gave him the antidote Draco and Theo brewed. Weasley snapped out of it and immediately blushed bright red, whether it was from anger or not Harry didn't know.

"Class dismissed," Severus said with a smirk.


Harry and the new marauders were outside in spread out in front of the black lake enjoying the good weather brought with the first of May. Blaise was currently snogging off to the side and ignoring his potions essay with his current flavor of the week, fifth year Ravenclaw Nola Johnston.

"Cho and her annoying band of followers are going to irritate us even more after this," Daphne commented looking up from her Ancient Runes essay.

"At least you don't have to live in the same house as them," Hermione said with a scowl. "Nola's horrible you'd think being in Ravenclaw and knowing Blaise has gone through three other girls since Padma and him split she'd realize Blaise isn't serious. But know she simpers all around the common room claiming she's in love."

"Really," Susan asked a bit skeptically, Johnston was one of the top students in fifth year.

"Mmhmm, last night she crowed to Cho about winning her own Slytherin," Hermione's voice held no small amount of disgust.

"Wait what's this about winning a Slytherin," Tracey asked looking up from her Arithmancy text book with a curious look, "we're no longer pariahs?"

Susan and Hermione shared a look before Susan spoke, "well you probably wouldn't have heard since the older years in your house are the only ones who have been willing to date outside the house. Since the teams for the tournament started the older girls from Ravenclaw, Huffelpuff, and Gryffindor have started adding the Slytherin males to the eligible bachelor list. Harry's at the top and Blaise is damn near close to it after the dueling tournament."

Daphne's look turned possessive at that comment and Harry who was trying to steadily ignore the conversation at Daphne's side pressed a calming kiss to the back of Daphne's neck. "Relax Daph, they can take their list and shove it for all I care, besides I won't even qualify for bachelor after this summer. I'll be yours in every way," Harry whispered into her ear. Daphne relaxed and gave him a quick kiss before returning to her work and the conversation.

Neville who was across from them and working on potions snickered at Harry. Harry smirked in reply and asked aloud, "So where's Neville of this list?"

Susan caught on fast and answered, "Well since the beginning of the year and his minor growth spurt he moved up to about thirteenth on the list. But after his impressive dueling showing I believe he's up to fifth on everyone's list." Neville blushed as Susan finished and turned even redder as she added, "Hannah's hexed a few of the older puffs with some interesting results."

"So Harry any word on the third task yet," Hermione asked changing the subject earning a look of thanks from the still red Neville.

"Yeah we got a letter earlier today saying Bagman wants to meet with us next week."

"That's it?"

"Yep, I'm getting rather sick of the whole thing," Harry said before turning to Neville, "Done?"

"Yep, you?" Harry nodded and they switched essays, so Neville could look over his herbology essay on Astragalus and Harry could look over Neville's potions easy on amortentia.


"Harry… I'm trying… to read," Daphne managed to gasp out as Harry kissed down her neck. They were currently lying on his bed in the Slytherin dorms, Blaise was off on his own and Aiolos was stealing one of Tracey's dirty books.

"But this so much more fun," Harry muttered against her neck and nipped behind her ear. Daphne moaned and Harry took her book and set it down before he flipped them and hovered over her. Harry hovered over her and brought his lips down to hers and parted her lips with his tongue. Harry explored Daphne's mouth with his tongue before moving back to her neck. Harry moved his hands to her shirt and drew it up her body, Daphne's arms went up and Harry parted her from her shirt. Harry looked down at his fiancé with a hungry gaze in his eye, one that made Daphne feel as if she was the goddess Aphrodite herself. Harry next rid her of her bra and kissed down her chest, he nipped at her breasts playfully and teased her nipples with his tongue.

"Haaarrryy," Daphne moaned pleadingly.

Harry looked up at her and smirked playfully before slowing kissing a path down her stomach, stomping to amuse himself with her navel before moving lower and divesting her of her skirt and thong at the same time. Harry slowly kissed his way up to the apex of her thighs, he looked up at her and locked eyes with her as he gave her lower lips one long lick. Daphne moaned and thrust her hips up off the bed and into Harry who started to eat her in earnest. As Daphne moaned and mewed her appreciation, Harry switch to parseltongue and proceeded to recite his love of Daphne's taste against her. Daphne's hands wound their way into his hair and tugged hard as she arched off the bed and screamed out her release.

"HAAARRRRYY!" Harry lapped happily at Daphne's release until she relaxed back onto the bed. Harry placed one final kiss against her before kissing his way back up her body. Daphne was still breathing hard as Harry pulled her to his chest and she wrapped around him, settling her breathing. "Not that I don't appreciate it but what was that for," Daphne asked placing a kiss on Harry's neck.

Harry wrapped his arms tighter around her for a moment and shrugged, "I love you." Daphne smiled up at him before looking over at the clock on Harry's bedside, "We need to get to dinner."


Harry made his way down to the quidditch pitch with the other champions to meet with Bagman laughing at a joke Viktor made that had Fleur blushing. Abruptly Cedric, Viktor, and Harry came to a stop as they saw the quidditch pitch, Fleur kept walking not realizing they had stopped until Harry shouted.

"What the bloody hell did you wankers do to the pitch!" Harry shouted as he took in Bagman and Percy Weasley standing by the pitch that now had very large shrubs growing out of it.

Bagman just continued smiling having no idea how close three quidditch stars were to ending his pathetic little life. Percy Weasley looked affronted and Fleur rolled her eyes.

"Boys you can kill Bagman after I win, but for now 'ow about we just let 'im tell us what's going on," Fleur asked with a mock lock of superiority that Percy Weasley sneered at but the others laughed at.

"Uhhuhh sure Frenchie keep dreamin'," Harry said with a smile.

"Vight keep dreaming, for ve all know I vill vin," Viktor added with a smirk.

"Right now that's the spirit," Bagman said trying to take control. "This is the location of the third task, any guesses as to what it is?" Bagman said in his annoyingly cheerful voice while bouncing in place like a five year old. All four champions looked like they wanted to either deck the guy or call the men in white coats.

"Maze," Viktor grunted out in reply. Harry snorted at Viktor's grunt as Bagman looked like little kid that just had their balloon animal popped in front of them.

"Yes, too right my boy! A maze, well it will be after the hedges finish growing," Bagman said happily only to take a step back when all three male champions glared at him for daring to damage the pitch. "Now, now boys the pitch will be fine after the third task is over."

"It better be," Cedric muttered to Harry who nodded.

Bagman paled a bit, "Well that's all for tonight," he tried to say cheerfully.

"That's it? That's all we get is it's a maze? You're kidding right," Harry questioned.

"Well, yes. The first to find their way through the maze to the cup wins the tournament," Bagman spoke like that was obvious. "Now off with ya."

Harry looked like he wanted to continue to have it out with Bagman but Fleur, Viktor, and Cedric steered him off toward the castle.

"A bloody dragon, followed by merry romp in the Blake Lake when it's practically frozen and now just a bloody maze! I hate this damn tournament!" Harry was ranting as the three others kept leading him toward the castle all trying to contain there laughter. "Stupid bloody bastards," Harry muttered as he quieted.

"You done now," Cedric asked laughing?

"For now," Harry replied seriously.

"Vell for vhat its vorth, you are right, vis tournament iz fucked," Viktor said making Cedric and Harry laugh.

Fleur's laughter trailed off as she noticed someone stumbling in the Forbidden Forest. Fleur stopped and the others turned to look at her.

"Fleur everything alright," Cedric asked. Fleur raised her hand and pointed out the shadowy figure stumbling around the edge of the Forest. They looked and could just make out the figure of a man in bowler hat and suit. Cedric turned to the others and shrugged, "Wands out?"

"Yes," Harry said bluntly, "Fleur call out to him."

"Monsieur," Fleur called out to the man who looked around but couldn't seem to locate Fleur. They moved closer to the Forest as a group and Fleur called out louder this time, "Monsieur, do 'ou need some help?" Fleur lit up her wand this time and the man turned towards them and let out a noise recognition. The man stumbled violently towards them and Harry wondered if he was drunk.

"Monsieur Crouch?" Fleur was the first to recognize the man. As he gripped onto Viktor's robes to steady himself Barty Crouch came into the light looking pale and shaky.

"We need to get him to the hospital wing now," Cedric said urgently. They nodded and as they did a spell came racing towards them. Harry had a shield up and ready guarding all of them as the gray spell hit.

"Viktor start helping him towards the hospital wing; Fleur shield them," Harry snapped out. Both Viktor and Fleur immediately obeyed and started helping Crouch toward the castle, Fleur with a shield up. "Aiolosss, go after the cassster!" Harry hissed out as Aiolos rose out of tattoo form and shot off towards the Forest.

"Luminos maxima," Cedric shouted the spell and it lit up the Forest. They saw Aiolos moving into the Forest but so did the caster, who apparently didn't like snakes as he yelped and took off running.

Harry pulled out the mirror in his pocket and called into it, "Padfoot!" He waited for about twenty seconds before Sirius's smiling face showed up in the mirror. "Padfoot I need you and Amelia in full auror mode at Hogwarts now, bring help if you can but get here now!" Sirius's face turned worried but he nodded, "I'll put up red sparks so you know where we are." Sirius left the mirror shouting for Amelia. Harry put his mirror away. "Come on, carefully," Harry said to Cedric who nodded and was moving forward rather like a trained auror, with his wand up and his arm steadying it further. "Nice who trained you," Harry asked?

"My uncle was an auror in the first war. Any ideas as to who were after?"

"Yes unfortunately, but were stopping by the edge of the Forest, Amelia will kill me if I rush in there with only one other person. She says I let my inner Gryffindor out to much in fights some times," Harry said grinning over to Cedric. They stopped at the edge of the Forest with their wands ready. About a minute later the mirror in Harry's pocket started heating up. "Periculum," Harry said with his wand pointed in the air.

Soon after the red sparks shot up Sirius, Amelia, Tonks, Professor Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared. "Damn," Cedric said, "you really called in the cavalry with this one."

Harry raised an eyebrow in surprise at Sirius.

Sirius shrugged, "I didn't like the look on your face. Now what's going on?"

"We were coming back from finding out about the third task." Cedric snorted interrupting Harry who tried to look innocent as he continued, "Fleur spotted a man stumbling around the edge of the Forest. We called out to him after the second time he heard us and stumbled towards us."

"Thought he was drunk," Cedric piped in.

"Same here, but then he got into the light and he was pale and shaky. It was Barty Crouch, he had to grab onto Viktor to stand. He was mumbling and not making sense and looked pretty freaked out. Cedric said he needed the hospital wing and right after that a spell shot out at us. I shielded the group and had Fleur and Viktor take him to the hospital wing and had Aiolos go after the caster. Cedric lit up the Forest so we could see whoever it was shouted and took off upon spotting Aiolos coming for him." Harry paused and looked at Sirius with a hard look, "It looked like Pettigrew," the rest sucked in a breath at that, "but I was too far away to see for certain."

"Damn it," Sirius barked out.

"Right well," Amelia started, "Sirius come with me to the hospital wing. Moody, Tonks, Shacklebolt sweep the Forest were they spotted him for any clues. Cedric, Harry, stay here and help." Amelia looked appraisingly at Cedric, "I'm giving you both clearance to act should you spot Pettigrew still in the Forest but, do not do anything stupid, clear?"

Harry nodded, "Got it."

"Yes, ma'am," Cedric said with his own nod. Amelia and Sirius turned and walked away from them.

"Where'd you see 'im lads," Moody questioned. They walked into the forest a ways and pointed out the area. As the aurors looked around the site casting spells here and there, Harry and Cedric kept their wands up ready for anything.

As Harry looked around he called out to the aurors, "Professor, Aiolos's track is over here, it leads deeper in.

"A'righ Cedric, Tonks go back to the castle and see what's going on. Kingsley, Hadrian with me. Aiolos' tracks lead only a few feet deeper into the forest before going to the right. They followed and around five to ten minutes later they found themselves outside the forest and out of the wards where a very angry Aiolos was waiting.

"Aiolosss," Harry questioned his familiar with worry.

"I'm not hurt hatchling," she replied, "it wassss the rat. I'm ssssorry he essscaped me."

Harry held his arm down to Aiolos who slithered up and draped herself over his shoulders, "It'ssss okay we sssaw the ssspell damage along the way. Are you sssure you are unharmed."

"Yesss hatchling."

Harry turned to Moody and Kingsley who was avoiding looking at Aiolos, "Aiolos confirmed it was Pettigrew, she wasn't able to catch him. He must have apparated once he reached the clearing. You alright there Kingsley," Harry asked with a smirk?

"Fine Hadrian just don't want to be on the wrong side of an angry king cobra," Kingsley said in his deep voice. Harry chuckled at the auror.

"Alright let's get back; the appirition trail will have died out by now."

A/N

So the bad news is I'm sick. Good news is that it made it relatively easy to get this chapter out. Hope to get another done soon.

Enjoy,

AM