The Slytherin Common Room was in uproar that evening, the Slytherins furious that an underage Gryffindor had not only managed to enter the Triwizard Tournament but was also being allowed to compete. Draco in particular seemed particularly angry as he paced around the Common Room ranting as Penny wrote a Transfiguration essay by the fireplace, Juno watching the commotion over the back of the armchair.
"Saint Potter" Draco sneered bitterly for the hundredth time "Dumbledore is only letting him compete because he is famous. Wait until my father hears about this." Penny rolled her eyes but said nothing. Uncle Lucy would undoubtedly have a great deal to say, she thought, but there was nothing he could actually do about it.
The next day Penny had looked around the Great Hall to see Ron sat next to the twins at the Gryffindor table with a stubbornly vexed expression. Juno had opted to stay in the warm Common Room as the descending cold did not agree with her. Ginny sat a few seats along from the youngest brother, chatting to a couple girls in her house. On meeting her eyes Penny glanced questioningly to her brother to which Ginny rolled her eyes to the enchanted ceiling. Where's Harry? Penny mouthed to which Ginny shrugged and gestured upwards towards the upper levels of the castle. After grabbing a couple slices of toast Penny glanced around the Entrance Hall considering as she chewed before heading out onto the grounds. Her hunch proved right as she saw two figures in the distance, she saw Harry fling a piece of toast into the lake as she approached.
"Hi" Penny said as she reached them and got grunts in response. "Not handling the break up with your boyfriend well?" She asked a small smile forming as Harry looked puzzled. "With the Weasel?" She added, sniggering as Harry scowled, Hermione narrowing her eyes at her.
"Don't." Hermione said warningly. Penny just shrugged defensively.
"What?" She said innocently "Honestly between Draco and Weasel I don't know who is greener." She said despairingly "At least Draco doesn't pretend to be your friend." She finished scoffing. Both Harry and Hermione frowns deepened.
"I didn't enter." Harry said firmly, his green eyes truthful as Penny scrutinised them.
"I know you didn't." Penny replied softly. "If I couldn't get over the Age Line, there is no way you could have." She said dismissively. "That and you are pretty much the only person I know who doesn't want to be centre of attention. Ironic really."
Penny walked with them as they headed towards the Owlery, Penny glancing at Harry who answered her unspoken question.
"Writing to Sirius, he is back in the country, said he wanted to be kept up to date on news. Guess this counts." Harry said with a sour laugh.
"What is he doing back in the country?" Penny asked a note of concern, as Harry glanced at Hermione for confirmation.
"My scar hurt during the summer." He revealed with a low tone, to which Penny raised an eyebrow. "The last time it hurt Voldemort was here at Hogwarts trying to steal the Philosopher's stone." He went on, as if determined for Penny to understand he wasn't being overdramatic. Penny frowned as she took this information in. She had of course heard stories about the school year before her first, but the fact had been hard to extract from fiction. "I…I also had a dream about him, he was with Wormtail. Pettigrew." Harry went on as they walked.
"And Sirius came back because of that?" Penny enquired. She peered intently at Harry's scar as they entered the top of the Owlery, the gentle hoots of the dozing owls filling their ears.
"Apparently there was been various signs Voldemort is on the move." Harry said as he dug in his bag for parchment.
"Do you know if old magical scars hurt for no reason?" Hermione asked Penny hopefully but the dark haired just shook her head, her eyes still fixed on Harry's scar. She felt him shift, uncomfortable under her unrelenting gaze.
"Did it hurt when he opened the Chamber?" Penny asked, Harry shook his head. "And it's never hurt when Voldemort's not around?"
"Not like that no. It has only ever really burned during my first year and this summer." Harry answered as he wrote. Penny peered around the Owlery, lost in thought.
"You are the only person ever to survive the Killing Curse." Penny said quietly, to herself as much to them "There are no other cases to compare your scar to." She added "But if it hurts when Voldemort is active, and if the events of the dream were real…." Penny frowned as she thought "Somehow that scar links you to Voldemort." Penny concluded as Harry finished his letter. "But to what extent….and is it one way or not?" Penny trailed off thinking, running a hand through her black curls. Hermione looked terrified of her trail of thoughts, whereas Harry just looked confused as he searched for an owl to use. His own owl was not pleased as he rejected her, hooting indignantly in the rafters.
"It's got to be connected." Penny said as they descended the stairs. "Your dream, the Dark Mark, your name coming out of the Goblet. It can't all be coincidence." Penny said as Hermione made a noise of agreement. "But if it is him, how could he ensure you were put in the Tournament? And more importantly, why?" Penny asked exasperated.
"Oh I don't know, to get me killed?" Harry said sarcastically, Hermione taking a sharp intake of breath.
"Perhaps" Penny said conversationally "But why go to such elaborate lengths if it were just to kill you? Surely there must be a hundred simpler ways to kill you. A cursed object, a bit of poison…"
"This really isn't making me feel any better Penny" Harry cut her off drily making Penny cackle.
"Rather flattering for him to go to such lengths though isn't it?" Penny said smirking as Harry snorted. Even Hermione's lips twitched as she looked scornfully at Penny who winked teasingly at her.
"In your dream..." Penny began slowly as they walked back out from the Owlery and along the bank of the lake. "Voldemort….My father…" She said, her voice chewing around the word in distaste "He didn't mention me did he?" She asked, looking sideways at Harry whose forehead creased as he thought.
"No… I don't believe he did." Harry said his brilliantly green eyes looking into Penny's who looked away as his overbearing concern.
"Do you think he knows about you?" Hermione asked as Penny turned to look at her, her expression guarded.
"I don't know. I was born after he fell, my mother…" Penny's voice caught slightly, her mask slipping before she resumed her impassive expression. "I mean nobody seems to have been aware of my existence, who knows if my m…if she told him or not." Penny finished shrugging as if indifferent. "Anyway, let me know if you hear back from Sirius, I'll see you later." Penny said abruptly turning her heel and heading up to the main castle without a backwards glance.
The next couple of weeks passed without much event for Penny, but she knew pretty much the entire school were still furious with Harry for being a champion, plus the foreign schools. Her own house, Draco in particular seemed determined to belittle him in any way possible. Having seen Hermione's S.P.E.W badges Draco had pestered Penny for hours to teach him how to make similar badges. Despite her refusal he, along with Cassius Warrington and other older students had eventually figured it out and the Support Cedric Diggory, the REAL Hogwarts Champion and Potter Stinks were made. Theo had accidently pierced his thumb in his haste to remove his when he saw Penny's unamused glare. Pansy had sneered at Penny's demand Draco get rid of the badges.
"Oooh protecting your boyfriend Black?" Pansy said mockingly as Penny scowled "Aww, Penny loves Potter, Penny loves Potter" She chanted, her gang of Slytherin girls jeering. They went silent as Penny drew her wand whereas Draco groaned audibly. Pansy unsuccessfully trying to duck out of the way before she found herself hanging upside down, her feet glued firmly to the ceiling above. Penny looked up at her with a cruel grin, her wand still raised.
"Really Parkinson" Penny said sneering "You really need to stop letting things go to your head" She taunted as Pansy's face began to flood with colour as she hung there. Penny snickered at outraged face above her.
"Penny." Draco said with a slight growl.
"What?" Penny replied with mock innocence as she turned her back on the hanging girl to face her cousin.
"Persephone, let her down" Draco said more firmly as Penny pouted at the use of her full name. With a dramatic sigh she flicked her wand, Pansy falling with an undignified crash onto the Common Room floor. He hadn't said gently after all, Penny thought slyly.
"Come on." Penny said carelessly to her friends, before sweeping out of the Common Room. Last thing on the same day Penny had found Hermione and Goyle in the Hospital Wing, having gotten hit from wayward hexes from Draco and Harry. After Madam Pomfrey had rubbed lotion on Goyle's face, the boils were slowly shrinking, Madam Pomfrey had placed a mirror in front of Hermione whilst she shrank her teeth. Penny had raised an eyebrow as Hermione allowed the matron to shrink them past their usual size and into normal sized teeth. Once Madam Pomfrey had finished and moved way Penny's face broke into a Cheshire cat grin as Hermione smiled sheepishly, noticeably prettier than before. Penny looked away as a slight blush ran up her neck.
On reading Rita Skeeter's article Ginny was beside herself. Penny had scoffed at the apparent quotes of Harry. He might be overly proud of his heritage, but Penny did not believe for a second that any teenage boy would admit crying at all, let alone to a random reporter. Ginny however disagreed.
"Well he isn't like other boys" She said with a longing sigh that made Penny growl. "Well he's not." She repeated stubbornly. "But there definitely isn't anything going on with him and Hermione. Or anyone else. I guess he hasn't started to notice girls yet" Ginny said staring into the distance.
"Oh I don't know" Penny said bitterly, stabbing her lunch with her fork "He likes that Ravenclaw girl." She said sourly, a bittersweet pang of satisfaction at the flash of hurt on Ginny's face. At that moment Hermione and Harry had approached the table, Pansy calling after Hermione obviously unaware of Penny's presence.
"Stunningly pretty? Her?" Pansy shrieked, Daphne smiling widely next to her, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder. "What are they comparing her to, a chipmunk?" She said, Daphne and her shrieking with laughter. As Penny rose they quickly shut up.
"Awww don't call yourself a chipmunk Pansy" Penny said smiling sweetly "They might get offended" She finished causing Ginny to choke on her pumpkin juice as Harry and Hermione roared with laughter, the Weasley twins chortling further down the table. Penny swore she even saw Ron's mouth twitch. Pansy looked livid but apparently the memory of their last encounter was fresh enough for her to refrain from retorting. She evidently feared Penny too much to have even reported Penny for her last hex, as neither points deduction or detention had come Penny's way.
"Sirius replied" Penny looked at Harry sharply, sensing rather than seeing Ginny's puzzlement at his use of Parseltongue. "He said to make sure the Gryffindor Common Room is clear at one o'clock on the 22nd" He said to a dismayed Penny.
"Oh. Well say hi to him" Penny said bitterly. There was no way she could risk getting caught in the Gryffindor Common Room, even if she used his Invisibility Cloak, there would be too many questions. With that the bell rang and Penny and Ginny headed off to Ancient Runes together.
Penny had found Hermione and Harry up to their ears in books on dragons the next day. Penny had stayed with them briefly, but all of her suggestions were beyond anything Harry had any chance of mastering in the next day. Before long she had been dragged away by Heather and Ursula who were struggling with a Defence Against the Dark Arts essay and were terrified of angering the ex-Auror. Penny had seen Hermione and Harry leave soon after as Krum had walked into the library, his usual gang of girls followed shortly after. Penny felt his intense gaze and was amused as he shot Theo, who sat opposite her a surly look. Jealousy? Penny chuckled internally, of Theo? She suppressed a snort.
Karkaroff had approached the young witch a few days after Halloween, apparently set on making a better impression than his initial panic. Sat with Draco in the library correcting his Astronomy chart, the thin man had approached somewhat warily, rocking on the balls of his feet slightly. Juno was curled up under Penny's bag, her five foot length barely concealed as she snored.
"I believe we got off on the wrong foot. Igor Karkaroff." He said smoothly, offering his hand palm up to take hers. Penny glanced coldly at it, but with a sideways glance to Draco, extended her own and allowed him to lower himself to kiss it respectfully. As he straightened up, Penny continued watching him, her bluey green eyes guarded. Her cool arrogance seemed to make him uncomfortable as he shifted nervously before continuing. "So Miss Black, yourself and Master Malfoy are cousins, yes?" He paused as she made a non-committal noise. "I knew your mother well…. and your father too" He said, cautiously, he eyes watching carefully for her reaction to this. Penny fought to keep her expression neutral but felt her lips thin despite herself.
"Funny, most people associated with my father are either in Azkaban or have avoided it by deception and betrayal" Penny retorted, ignoring the anger she sensed from Draco. "Which are you?" She challenged, her lips twitching in amusement as she saw the thin man squirm at her words. Her piercing stare only seemed to add to this effect, but Karkaroff carried on regardless.
"I hear you are rather exceptionally gifted" He stated evasively, to which Penny raised an eyebrow. "It is a shame you did not enrol at Durmstrang, I think you would have excelled under my guidance."
"Under your guidance?" Penny repeated in a mocking tone, an arrogant sneer forming "You believe I need your help?" She taunted, again amused by his discomfort.
"No, no" He said his voice rising half an octave, his hands twisting together "I merely meant, if it please you, I could supply you with access to reading materials and other…goods that might be of interest to you. Ones that might be more" He paused cocking his head slightly to the side "That might be more censored at Hogwarts." He finished silkily, his finger twirling his little goatee anxiously. Penny looked at him, purposely taking a long moment to pretend to consider him, noting the beads of sweat forming as she took her time.
"Bring me one of these books you think I may be interested in" She said authoritatively "Then we shall see." With a dismissive wave of her hand she turned her back to the Durmstrang Headmaster, who seemed slightly disgruntled at his obvious dismissal, but turned and left without a small bow. Across the table Draco stared at Penny, who smirked. Meeting his gaze he looked distinctly bemused.
"What?" Penny said, her innocent tone completely counteracted by her enormous smirk. "Nothing more fun than seeing a grown man squirm" She said sniggering, as Draco smirked despite himself.
The First Task was a spectacular show to watch, Penny choosing for once to join Ginny in the stands rather than down with Madam Pomfrey. Penny cheered and gasped with Ginny as Cedric impressively turned a rock into a dog, and they both yelped as he got the egg but received a nasty burn. The beautiful Veela girl went next, and whilst Penny watched with interest, Ginny laughed nastily as Fleur's skirt caught on fire. The Bulgarian Krum went third and got his dragon right in the eye. The judges took marks off for the crushed real eggs, which Penny thought unfair. The whole school hushed when Harry came out, both Ginny and Penny on the edges of their seats as he entered. After summoning his broom he began darting around the sky rapidly, making Penny's head spin. Fighting down her nausea Penny watched him dodge flames and heard Ginny yelp next to her as the dragon's tail caused blood to splatter out of the skinny boy's shoulder. After he got his egg the whole crowd erupted with cheers, the only ones booing were some of her house, especially Draco who looked half furious and half disappointed by the results. Theo, Ursula, Heather and Astoria were all clapping quietly, unlike the cheer the girls had given Cedric. Penny looked round to see Hermione dragging a pale Ron with her through the crowd, and Ginny and her gave Hermione a quick thumbs up.
Leaving the stadium, Ginny and Penny walked together with both their friends, for once, a reasonable peace between the houses. Penny and Ginny saw Harry rebuff a blonde witch in acid green robes. Sensing Ginny's anger Penny glanced at the quill in the woman's hand realising who this must be.
"Rita Skeeter." Penny said quietly, yet the blonde turned and her green eyes met Penny's and she froze, surprise and intrigue all over her face. Cutting in front of Penny she extended her hand with two inch nails painted green.
"Rita Skeeter." She said smiling as she stared into Penny's face, who ignored the offered hand. Unperturbed Rita pushed on "I'm writing an article about the First Task, I wanted to get a spectators view, what was your name again?" She asked quickly, her fingers twirling her quill as she waited. Penny however scowled irritably. Looking into those green eyes she could see her mother's image racing amongst others, various screaming headlines already forming in the reporter's mind. She already suspected, Penny knew, but she wasn't going to give her anything. Instead Penny carried on walking, sniggering when Ginny shoulder slammed the blonde with surprising force for such a small girl.
"Little lion dragon you are" Penny said making Ginny smile. "I'll have to start calling you the Fireball" She said cackling.
Ginny's grin simply widened as they walked up the Entrance Stairs.
