A/N: So sorry guys, for getting this up so late in the month. I came to live to Los Angeles three months ago and I really thought I had finally found my little piece of heaven on Earth... well, long story short, this little heaven has turned Hell and as such I've been doing everything in my power to go back to Mexico.

I was not planning on updating anything until I was back to my home-city, but then, I keep getting alerts that people is favoring and following my story and I just feel awful... So, against my better judgment (because I haven't found the time to write, let alone proof read) I present you Chapter 38:

I own nothing other than my plot and that nagging feeling in the back of your heads that something's bad is going to happen soon.

Chapter Thirty-Eight – The Third Task

"You're pulling my leg, right?" Hermione scoffed incredulously. "You are actually trying to tell me that I was practically dead for four days and that I came back just because?"

She was currently sitting in the Arthurian Room, resting on a clingy Luna's lap as Helena, Myka and the rest of what usually formed her Council hovered around. The rest all had already heard what the two witches were saying and it was now matter of getting their stubborn leader to believe.

Yes, Hermione had been dead for four days. Four stupid, long, agonizing days in which Luna had to be kept under a low dose of Living Death Draught to avoid any kind of accident and the rest of the Fight had to play the card that the pair had caught a mild case of Dementor Pox and were confined to bed until further notice.

Dumbledore was pleased with that, ecstatic even. The Third Task was scheduled to begin the morning of the twenty-fourth and that made it hard for Hermione to compete. So happy had been the Headmaster that it had been painfully easy to avoid getting Poppy involved. The Matron had been not happy, going so far as to demand entrance to the Dungeons, yet the Headmaster had calmly pointed out that the girls were being well taken care of and that was that.

"Yes." Myka said in total seriousness.

Hermione scoffed. "You lot are crazy." She shook her head, not minding that Luna's arms around her were making it difficult to breath. "I didn't die."

Myka frowned. The girl was proving to be rather annoying with her lack of faith. She liked her, she really did, but if she kept being so fucking stubborn she would be forced to take drastic measures. "You died, Shorty, and then you woke up." She deadpanned. "Get over it now."

"That's impossible." Hermione argued. "Coming back from the death is impossible."

Myka simply threw her hands to the air, finally at the end of her rope. "You are impossible." She grumbled before crossing her arms over her chest and effectively retiring from the conversation.

The smaller brunette blinked at such a childish act. Myka was usually composed and she rarely showed any emotion to other than Helena and, during the time she had stayed with them back at South Dakota, Hermione. Unknowing to Myka, that act of frustration did more to convince her than everything she had been hearing for the last hour.

Helena, though, was seeing their interaction with a growing smile that formed fully to a grin the moment Myka gave up. Chuckling to her partner, she addressed Hermione. "It's also impossible to come back in time, no? And you did it."

Hermione blinked owlishly again at that. "He made it possible."

Helena's smile widened so that she eerily resembled the Cheshire Cat. "And who do you think made it possible for you to resuscitate?"

The small brunette blushed a nice Weasley shadow at that. "Oh."

The Wandmaker simply chuckled again. "Oh, indeed."

"Wait." Neville said as Hermione tried to wrap her head around what she was just told. "Didn't you say it was the Coatl venom on her veins that made it possible for her to come back?"

"Wha-?"

Helena interrupted Hermione before she even got a word out. "Yes, I did. The venom played a part, but it was mostly His intervention that made it possible."

The Slytherin Basilisk shook her head confused. "What do you mean?"

"Remember we talked about why He sent you to steal Kukulkan's feathers?"

Hermione pondered the question. Yes, she remembered they had that talk not too long after they met. Helena had explained who she was and why was she interested in the little Champion, she had told her all about what being in His debt and command meant and they had talked why she had been commissioned to get herself killed by the winged serpent god. "I needed to die at the hand of a god to have a chance of remembering." She told after a minute.

"And…?"

"… And the venom was a way for him to find me?"

"Exactly." Helena said triumphal.

That was met with absolute silence.

"So… tell me again what does the venom do?" Neville asked when it was clear the witch was not going to explain anything.

Myka looked at her too gleeful partner and shook her head. Sometimes she hated how Helena liked to ensnare people in her stories and this was one of those times. Sometimes people did not need to hear the whole tale, just the facts and Helena had a bad habit of doing just the opposite. So it was Myka's job to teach them what she had learnt over the years. "Each and one of our souls are unique. Our souls usually leave our bodies when we die just to latch onto another one so we are born again; the souls that end on Elysium or Tartarus are the souls of those that are already at the end of their journey, those that are no longer fit to keep coming back, which are too shattered latch into another body. The rest of the souls, though, are wandering in between worlds, searching for the body they'll enter next.

"Now, as each soul is unique it is possible to identify them. Even though there are so many of them, gods can do just that but sometimes it takes time to find them, time in which the soul could either go into another body or to Hades. That's why sometimes gods put markers on certain souls, to make them easier to find and to make them ever easier to manipulate as it pleased them.

"The Coatl venom," She pointed at Hermione. "Is as good marker as any. That kind of venom doesn't enter the blood and coagulates it, no, it enters the soul itself and detach it from the body… pretty much as the Killing Curse does, leaving the body intact and without blemish… yet the venom carries on with the soul. That's her marker. The amount of people that had ever died by Coatl poison, Coatl God poison, can be counted in one hand."

Hermione did not know if it was wise to believe such farfetched story or not. Myka was not one to tell tales, that was Helena's specialty and to hear the American witch speak with that fluency and security make her want to believe, yet…

"And us?" Draco spoke for the first time. "What about us? How is that we didn't reborn in another body?"

Helena sighed. "The Blood War you fought against Voldemort weakened your souls too much. When you died they were too weak to jump into another body."

"How can a soul be weakened?" Neville asked.

Helena and Myka exchanged a wary look that Hermione easily caught. "What? What is it?"

"There are three ways to weaken the soul," Helena began hesitantly.

"The most common one is age. An old soul sooner or later weakens on its own." Myka continued. "Other is the cause of death. A traumatic death experience weakens the soul, the most traumatic, brutal it is, the most broken the soul is and the harder it is to reincarnate."

"The third way would be if the soul is compromised in some way… if the soul is fractured while living or if it's forced to move differently as it should while in between words. If one mixes the three, the soul can weaken enough in one lifetime so that no matter how strong the soul is, there's just not coming back."

"Compromise the soul?" Draco asked. "How do you compromise the soul?"

Hermione paled. She knew how one compromised the soul as she also knew the main reason those the room had been to Elysium before coming back. "Murder."

Draco startled at that. "What?"

Hermione gulped as she focused on Myka and Helena. She knew the reason why all of her friends ended in Elysium and not in another body, ready to live again. She knew the reason they had shattered their souls enough to lost all chance at reborn. "Murder fractures the soul. Murder is the way to compromise the soul."

Helena sighed as Myka nodded. "Yes." Helena said quietly. "Murder."

XxXxX

"Hey." The small, quiet voice was loud in the silence. "I thought you were asleep?"

Luna smiled weakly as she burrowed deeper in the duvet. "I couldn't."

Hermione echoed the sad smile as she made sure all the lights were off and climbed to the bed, immediately embracing her still shaken girlfriend. "I'm sorry." She mumbled into her soft corn hair. "I'm so sorry."

Luna's tears immediately started running. She buried her face on the brunette's chest, latching on her as if her life depended on it. "I-I should've wa-watched your b-b-back." She cried as she shook her head vehemently. "I'm- I'm the one who's sorry."

"Shh, Little Moon." Hermione closed her eyes briefly, a single tear running down her cheek. "I wasn't supposed to enter there, it's my fault. We planned for you to kill them as I guarded the door. I'm so sorry."

Luna shook her head more violently. "I don't care- I don't care wh-whose fault it was." She looked up, all the pain and sorrow she carried easily seen in her eyes. "You died!"

"I know." The smaller girl could not help but miss her old body, the one that was tall enough to curl around Luna's and protect her from evil. Right now she wanted to comfort Luna and her bloody body was too small to embrace her properly. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

The older witch sniffed as she pushed Hermione away slightly. She locked eyes with her as she steadied her voice and forced her tears to retreat. "I know you're angry. I know I hurt you and that I'll spend the rest of my lives making it up to you. I know you think I betrayed you and that I don't love you. But I do. I love you with all my heart and body and soul and- and I can't live without you. You won't ever forgive me, I know that…" She placed a single finger against Hermione's lips when it was clear the other girl was going to protest to that. "No, you know that's true. I hurt you too much for you to forgive me and that's fine. You hate me and I deserve to-"

"You don't deserve that." Hermione murmured against the finger. Gently, with the most care she could muster, she took hold of Luna's hand and interlaced their fingers, leaving her mouth free to speak her mind. "You're such a wonderful person, Little Moon, with such a big heart and infinite compassion. You're brilliant and brave. You don't deserve to be hated."

Luna squeezed the hand in hers. "But you do." She said in a small voice. "You hate me."

"No, I-"

"Don't lie, please." The blonde sobbed out, her temporary mask of composure finally cracking. "Please, d-don't lie to me."

Hermione sighed, pained. "I love you, Luna."

"Y-Yet you hate me."

The brunette closed her eyes again, yet she did not answer. Luna deserved better than a lie, better than what she was able to give at the moment. Luna was not wrong. Yet she was. She loved Luna with all her being, she would kill the entire Greek Pantheon and all the gods out there just to make sure she was safe. She loved her with everything that she was and she was ready to die for her, to kill for her, to torture for her, to do anything for her.

She could never wish harm upon her, she could never push her away, she could never leave her behind. She could never hate her. Yet, she did resent her… resent her enough that sometimes she felt something close to hatred.

And that was the root of all her problems.

She used to think that those that forgave a betrayal were either too good or too stupid but that their love for their partners was so strong that made them overlook whatever transgression, whatever infidelity or error they had made. Part of her admired those that forgave, while the other part gloated she would never be one of them, that she would never cheat and that Luna, her beloved Luna, would never stray.

How wrong she had been and how stupid she felt.

Hermione was honest with herself and others, she knew she had many defects and that she was not an easy person to satisfy… but she believed she was not that hard to love. Yes, she was stubborn and a little too bend on killing Voldemort, she sometimes lost sight of what was really important and she often forgot about everything other than whatever goal she had set upon herself. Yes, she was not above stealing someone's freewill to ensure they had a chance to win the War, she had no qualms to see people die nor she felt guilty when she was the one taking a life.

Yet she felt she was honest and true. She did not hide her motives nor her plans. Everyone knew where she stood and what she believed in and she was hardworking and loyal. She had no secrets and she was bare for anyone close to her to see her.

Then, why had Luna cheated?

"Why?" The brunette asked finally, opening her eyes. She was not surprised to see that the other girl was crying in earnest. "Why did you do it?"

"I was lonely, I-"

"No." Hermione cut her off, sitting on the bed and letting go of the blonde's hands. "You don't get to lie either." She ordered softly.

Luna nodded. It was fair. It would hurt like hell, but it was fair "I hated you." She confessed. "For a moment I hated you enough to bed him."

Hermione stilled at that. She knew that was the main reason why Luna had first slept with Harry, but it did not explain the other times. "And then?"

The blonde blinked, a couple of fat tears leaving her eyes. "I was hurting and I wanted you to hurt too… and he was a good enough diversion." She paused for a moment, knowing she had to tell her, but also knowing Hermione would flip. "He- He confessed to me, before we left Hogwarts. I knew he'd do it if I asked… that's why I cheated with him."

The smaller girl closed her eyes again. "Figures." She muttered. Luna was a lovely person, she had a true heart and morals that always sought for the better of others. She had been a little odd, yes, after her mother's death, but that had changed the more time Hermione spent with her. She was intelligent and beautiful, she could charm her way out of trouble by either talking or flirting. Hermione knew, she had always known, that Luna was more than she deserved and that sooner or later she would tire of the brunette enough to leave.

"I never loved him." Luna mumbled. "I've never loved any other than you."

Hermione snorted. "Yet you hate me." She threw Luna's own words back at her.

"No." Luna shook her head furiously. "I hated you. For a moment." She smiled sadly. "That's how I know you hate me right now… even when you still love me."

The Slytherin Basilisk nodded at that, there was no point in lying anymore. "I do love you, with all my heart. But I'm hurt… I don't hate you, love, at least not enough to forget I love you."

Luna's tears started again. "But I did. I- I did hate you enough to for-forget how much I love you." She wailed. "I'm so sorry!"

Hermione gathered the distraught girl in her arms, unwilling to let her suffer and unwilling to show just how much that confession had hurt her. They were being honest with each other, though, and they were finally addressing what bothered them. That, at least, made this conversation worth it. "I know." She murmured into soft flaxen hair. "I'm sorry too."

"I-I love you."

"I know, Little Moon." The brunette breathed out. "I love you, too. No matter what, I love you. With all my heart."

And she knew that no matter how many lives she had to live before she was able to forgive her, in the end, Hermione loved Luna too much to live without her and she knew the same was true for her lovely blonde.

XxXxX

"I'm gonna puke."

The miserable whimper made her heart clench painfully. For the last several days, before she had taken a small four day vacation, the small brunette had been unable to stomach more than a couple of apples a day and the odd sip of water. It was no shock to her that the day of the Third Task had dawned and the girl was a mess, even though she was a lot calmer than she had been in a while.

"Do you want a potion for that?" Helena asked her quietly.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think I can stomach it."

Helena sighed. "You need to eat something before the Task, if only to not pass out in the middle of it."

"I can't."

"Hermione…" The older witch shook her head, making herself not scold the girl. She knew the smaller brunette was nervous and she was feeling the pressure than in less than twelve hours Voldemort was going to be corporeal again. She knew the girl had been nervous for weeks and her body had taken the toll of it.

Over the last year Hermione had grown less than three inches and her body mass had not really changed, she was still petite but muscular, Neville's training regimen had done not much for her, although the rest of the Fight had never been as fit as now. When she met her first Helena was faced with a depressed little girl, but she had seen what was behind her sadness. She had been small, yes, but also vibrant girl whose rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes spoke of an intelligence and mischief not usually encountered in an eleven-years-old once she was no longer as sad.

But now, months after being cast out her family, months after discovering Luna had been unfaithful, months after being trust in the stupid Tournament, months after Harry gaining his Head of House, weeks after Voldemort's attacks, days after being killed… Hermione's body was almost broken and it showed in her sunken cheeks and hollow eyes, in her bony arms and her dull hair.

"Are you sure you are up to this?" Helena asked her. They were the only ones in the Chamber of Secrets, it was still early in the day, early enough that the rest of the Fight were in classes, and Helena had volunteered to help Hermione prepare for the Task that was going to start at midnight.

"I don't really want to." Hermione answered honestly. She felt like dragon dung and she was in seventh heaven at the moment. She really did not want to get up and face her destiny. She was currently cuddled next to the older witch in one of the beds that made up for their infirmary. Fleur, Helena and her were going to do a power-bust ritual in a couple of hours, a ritual that would help the two Champions face the Task, but in the meantime, she was letting Helena comfort her the only way she really wanted right now.

It had been only a day since their talk and while wounds had been opened they were at least now healing somewhat properly. They both knew they resented the other but they also know they loved each other enough for them too still be together and forgive each other, even if it would take them years to do so. Luna was now sedated, more languid and tranquil than ever after the talk but even she was in no position, emotionally and physically, to comfort Hermione.

Hence why Helena was doing just that.

"Try to sleep." Helena murmured as she threaded her fingers through the girl's messy hair. "We have some hours before Fleur comes, rest a little."

Hermione sighed, focusing on the calming sensation. She readjusted her position, letting her head rest against Helena's chest and letting her relaxing breathing lull her to a more calming place.

She would give anything, everything, to have a simple life in which she was not the key to defeat Voldemort, in which she was the daughter, the biological daughter, of the woman next her, in which she and Luna were together and there was nothing that made their love as bittersweet as it was. But, she was not a normal girl with a normal life and she needed to resign to that. She was sent back, allowed to be back, so she could make a difference and she would be damned if she failed now.

She had sacrificed too much to let Voldemort win.

"Náni to paidí mou, náni." Helena's sweet, calming voice started filling the air, too quiet to actually disturb it but loud enough to be carried all over the room. "Pou den í̱thele neró, T' álogo mas to megálo. Ach! Kardoúla mou poiós xérei, ti na léei to potamáki sto livádi to chlo̱ró."

"What's that?" Hermione asked drowsily as her eyes closed.

She did not see it, but she was sure the other witch was smiling when she answered. "And old song my mother used to sing to me…" She kissed the top of the small girl's head, her caressing hand lowering to trace circles all around Hermione's back. "Now, sleep. Náni, to neró to máv̱ro, mes sta prásina chortária, pou psiló tragoúdi piánei.

"Náni ti̱n triantafylliá mou, pou ti̱ gi̱s dákryo potízei, t' álogó mas to kaló." The younger brunette sighed, listening carefully to what Helena was singing, not understanding what she was saying, but knowing that, just for a moment, she was far from harm. She was safe.

Sleep claimed her quickly and for the first time in a long time, no nightmares plagued her.

XxXxX

"Welcome all to the Third and Last Task of this Tournament." Ludo Bagman's voice rang all across the Quidditch Pitch. It was somewhat disappointing to know the Third Task was the same as the one from the original TriWizard Tournament, but Hermione could see, at least, a small blessing in that. "In just a short minute our Champions will enter the maze to face whatever obstacles they may come to pass! In the heart of it the Goblet of Fire awaits the winner of this Task!"

Hermione let his words wash through her, not really listening to what he was saying. The rest of the Champions had been given a small introduction to the Task a couple of days before, while Hermione was otherwise undisposed, and Fleur had told her that the maze looked pretty much the same she had run a life-time back. Apparently there was a catch with it, though, or so Bagman had hinted when he met the Champions to be informed of their final Task.

"To come to the Goblet our Champions will need to face several obstacles and traps along the way, all of them designed by a team of Wizards and Witches from all around the world. To excel at this Task our Champions will need to show us courage, intelligence, quick thinking and raw talent. Let us hope they make it out alive!"

The small brunette looked around. Sabrina was eyeing the maze's entering with a greenish face that switched between fear and determination, clearly portraying what Hermione herself was feeling. Fleur's hand was on her shoulder, the French witch standing behind her in a silent show of support, letting the Slytherin girl drink up her strength. And Harry, Harry was as far away as possible from her as he could, he was looking at her with not little worry and she wondered where was the hate that she had gotten used to see in his eyes.

Harry was looking at her like he used to once upon a time, a time when they were still innocent in so many ways and he had yet to face his destiny, a time when she and Luna were still in trying to figure out their relationship, a time when they attended Hogwarts together as two Gryffindors looking out for each other. He was worried, sad and he was dying to tell her something, something important, but what? And more importantly, why was he giving her that look right now? What happened with his hate?

"And so we will let the champions enter one by one, according to the points they have, to face their destiny!" Bagman's amplified voice rose in volume to be heard over the noise the spectators were creating, finally making Hermione pay attention to what was happening around her. "As such Miss Hermione Potter will enter the maze first, followed two minutes after by Mister Harry Potter and Miss Fleur Delacour, two minutes after that Miss Sabrina Spellman will join them. Mister Syaoran has five minutes to arrive before he forfeits the Task! Champions, please, come stand near the entrance!"

Hermione and the rest obeyed, standing near where the enormous hedges parted a couple of paces to create a makeshift archway into the maze. It was as dark as a wolf's mouth beyond it and Hermione had to consciously suppress a shiver of fear went an icy draft came out of it. There was something inside that was simply wrong.

"Wait for me?" Fleur's quiet voice murmured into her ear.

The small brunette nodded. Their plan called for her to enter and wait for her friend just a few feet into the maze. While they had already encountered Dementors, Boggarts, Al-Basties, Vampires and five-level monsters, they were not naïve enough to imagine the Third Task would not be filled with all kind of dangerous obstacles. "Where's Li?" She asked touching Fleur's hand.

Fleur shrugged, scanning the area around them and ignoring the Heads of School that were coming their way. Yamamoto Sensei was sombre and Miss Stephens could not quiet hide her fear. It was the lack of Dumbledore, though, that started alarms in both the witches' minds. "Haven't seen him in a while. There's his Headmaster, though."

Hermione saw as the elderly man shook his head sadly at Bagman's inquisitive brow and a sense of dread planted itself firmly in her stomach. She did not miss either the slight glare McGonagall and Lily Potter, no doubt dubbing for the Headmaster, sent her way.

"Syaoran-kun," Mahoutokoro's Head said sombrely when he and the rest of the adults were near the Champions. "Isu illu. He cannotu compeetu."

"What happened to him?" Minerva's concerned voice echoed in their little gathering.

"He'su illu." The man glared at her. "He cannotu standu, noru du magiku."

"Will he loose his magic?" Harry asked what was in all their minds.

"He can't wield magic, you say?" Bagman asked concerned.

"No."

The ex-Beater pursed his lips for a second, checking the watch on his wrist. "We can push the Task back some more minutes, I'll ask Barty what can we do." And with that he was off to the raised platform where the judges where seated.

Hermione kept her eyes on the Hogwarts' Muggle Teacher the whole time, there was something in her demeanour that was off and it had nothing to do with the glare she sent her. The witch had been too eager when she made her way towards the Champions and that eagerness had suddenly stopped when her eyes had landed on her. She was wearing an all-black robe, something she had never seen her wearing, and it was disturbing how she resembled Snape when she kept glaring at her.

"Harry, son." She said after a minute in which the other Heads fussed over their charges. "A word, if you'd please?"

The young Potter nodded and followed his mother out hearing range, so Hermione turned her attention to the rest of the gathered. Madame Maxime was trying unsuccessfully, as always, to give Fleur some advice while Miss Stephens was trying to help a suddenly wobbly Sabrina. The American witch's face was now totally green and Hermione had the common sense to look away just a second before the retching started.

Apparently whatever had caught Li had gotten its clutches on Sabrina too.

"Oh, no, no, no, no!" Miss Stephens' frantic cries stilled all movement and conversation around them. "No, Sabrina, no!"

"What's wrong?" Fleur asked as she rushed to the other blonde's side. Little known fact, Fleur had wanted to start Mediwitch training and knew a fair range of healing spells, but the war and life had simply prevented her from starting any formal training.

"It-It hurts." Sabrina whimpered as she doubled onto herself, panting exhausted after throwing up.

"What's the meaning of this?" Bagman had returned after hearing the commotion.

"She's sick." Lily stated the obvious.

Bagman groaned, especially when he noticed that all sound in the stands had ceased. Who would had thought that seeing a Champion vomit and another not appearing made the masses nervous? "Please tell me you can still use your wand?" He practically begged.

Sabrina fought Miss Stephens for a moment so she could stand on her own. With a little effort she pointed her wand forward and muttered. "Lumos."

Nothing happened.

"It appears Miss Spellman is not able to compete either." Minerva said quietly.

Bagman groaned. "This is not good!" He lamented. Looking at the two affected Heads of Scholl he said regrettably. "If they can't do magic they can't compete." He said.

"What?!" Miss Stephens said aghast as she cradled the weak blonde witch to her. "She'll lose her magic for sure then!"

The ex-Beater shook his head. "No. The rules are clear on that. If a Champion can't use magic to complete any of the Tasks, for whatever reason, such as Dementor Pox or the like, it's considered that the Champion had participated in the Task, without winning any of points for it. It practically disqualify them, yes, but they don't get to lose their magic."

The moment he said those words Hermione tensed.

Dementor Pox.

The only magical illness that literally takes away the person's magic and weakens the body severely.

Dementor Pox.

The only magical illness that was had no cure other than rest.

Dementor Pox.

The magical illness that was so fickle it could sicken the person either months or hours after Dementor exposure.

Dementor Pox.

The magical illness that Severus had claimed had taken Luna and Hermione down for days.

Dementor Pox.

Panicked, Hermione shared a brief glance with Fleur and discovered that the older witch also thought something was wrong. Was someone vile enough to do something to the Champions?

"I-I can't compete?" Sabrina whimpered. "Why?"

Bagman looked at her with sad and understanding eyes, and for the first time showing true remorse. "If you got in there you'll die." He simply said.

The American Headmistress glared at the man, making him gulp, before her eyes found McGonagall. "This is all your fault!"

Yamamoto Sensei's glare, though, found another target. "Dementorus Poxu. You weru the firstu!" He yelled to Hermione.

"Wait." Harry said breathless. "Li has Dementor Pox?"

XxXxX

"What's happening?"

Sirius looked down to the boy that was sitting next to him. James had been called away to help with the Task's security and Lily had agreed to accompany Minerva who was taking Albus' place for the day. The Headmaster had been busy the last handful of days, ever since Azkaban was attacked, and he was currently overseeing the meetings that are trying to make sense of the situation.

"Apparently some of the Champions can't compete." He told Sony.

The young redhead looked up at his Uncle. Over the last several months he had not seen much of him, the Professor being away doing only Merlin knew what and it was nice to have him around again. Sure, he would have loved to watch the Task with both his parents, but he was content enough to just be sitting with Padfoot. "You can hear all that from here?" He asked amazed.

The Black Lord simply shrugged. "That's what it looks like."

Sony's eyes went back to the small group gathered at the front of the maze. "I just hope Harry and Hermione make it alive."

Sirius frowned. "Harry is going to win."

The younger wizard looked at his Uncle perplexed, the devotion and aggressiveness behind that statement making him confused. "Why would you say so?"

"He's better than the rest."

"Hermione's amazing, too." He pointed out.

The dog Animagus growled at that. "She's not. She's a vile snake that cheated her way into the Tournament and does nothing but create trouble."

Sony just stared at him. One thing was to try and knock sense into his brother and another one completely different was to try and do the same to his Uncle. He knew convincing him of Hermione's greatness would be a lost cause, so he simply stared.

"What's that look for?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing." Sony said quickly.

The older wizard snorted, unamused. "Come," He said after a minute. "This is going to take a longer than I thought. I want to show you something."

The redhead frowned, seeing that the Champions were gathered close but not moving. "And what if they start?"

Sirius stood and motioned to the younger boy. "Come on, I promise you won't miss a thing."

Still frowning and with a slight feeling of doom, Sony got up and followed his Uncle past the grades and past where all the spectators were gathered towards the Forbidden Forest.

Just what had his Uncle in mind?

A/N: Please leave a review? That'd made my day and help me think I'm not such as a failure that I'm feeling right now.