AN:All thanks given to Katherine my beta.

I own nothing


By the time Gabe slid open the door and dragged in his trunk, Mia's eyes were dry and her face had lost any redness. Gabe's excitement started to infect her, she was smiling and laughing before the train was full. Gabe stood when the compartment door slid open and greeted Roger Davis and Jason Samuels with high fives and half hugs. When he sat, he took the spot next to Mia, letting the two boys sit across from them. They spent a few hours talking about the Quidditch world cup, Davis had gone, but Samuels had not, and the boys looked onto Mia with awe when Gabe told them how she and Hermione had even been splattered by a bit of Victor Krum's blood in the top box.

The compartment door continually opened and closed as students came in and out to greet Gabe and Mia. Mia was surprised so many students were treating her as if they had always been friends. A part of her wanted to hold a grudge against the ones who had treated her poorly, but she let it go. She would never be good friends with these people, but she was tired of living on edge and just wanted to relax into the comfortable amenity.

As the windows grew dark, they all donned their school robes, and anticipation built in Mia's chest. She was going back to Hogwarts. The first place she had ever felt safe, or seen as her home. It hadn't been perfect, but it had welcomed her and shared some of its secrets. She couldn't wait to see what the castle had in store for them in the coming year.

Thunder roared in the sky, and a heavy cold rain started to fall as they exited the train and moved through the Hogwarts gates towards the carriages. Gabe leaned in towards Mia through the downpour. "Are they still there?" he whispered as he gestured towards the carriages.

Mia laughed to herself. "Of course they are. They're always there," she said, looking at the black bat like thestrals, batting their wings playfully in the rain.

Gabe crossed to the first empty carriage they could find and stopped in front. He straightened his posture and stood stiffly in front of the step and held out a hand. "My lady," he said formally, rain dripping down his face.

Mia rolled her eyes and put her hand in his. As she stepped up into the carriage he braced her, then climbed in after her.

Laughter rang out behind them, it wasn't the nice kind of laughter and Mia flinched on instinct. She turned to see who was laughing at her, but it wasn't her being laughed at. A cart back a short blond figure was petting a thestral and three older girls were laughing at her.

Mia frowned and reached into her memory for the name.

"Hey, Luna!" Mia called through the rain. The blond girl flinched and turned to look at Mia with her pale silvery eyes. "Come join us in our carriage."

Luna smiled and walked past the laughing girls as if they never existed. Mia had forgotten about the girl she had met in the hospital wing the year before, who had promised to be friends with. She knew it wasn't easy when the world was turned against you, and Luna didn't even have the benefit of people being too afraid to bully her.

"Luna, you know Gabe right? He's a fourth year like me."

As the thestrals started their walk towards the castle, Gabe turned in his seat to greet Luna in the back.

"You didn't laugh when my shoes wound up in the fireplace last term," Luna said in a very matter of fact voice.

"No, I didn't." Gabe frowned and Mia decided to question him about it later. Maybe they could work together to teach some bullies some lessons this year.

"I can see them too Luna, you aren't alone," Mia said. She wouldn't pet the thestrals in person like Luna did, but she didn't blame the girl for being herself despite how others would treat her.

Luna smiled and looked over Mia to the thestrals pulling the carriage. "Their ghastly creatures, and quite wonderful. Who did you see die?"

"I don't know."

It was one of the many questions she hadn't asked Sirius over the summer. There had been so many things that were left unsaid between them. Maybe she would make a list of her questions, and she could ask him over owl mail. That would be easier.

Mia thought about addressing a letter to Sirius, how would she address it when she couldn't even address him in person? She pushed away the thoughts and leaned back in her chair to look up at the castle as they came around the trees. It was just the same as it had always been, but somehow seemed so much more after her first time away, as if the castle glowed with its own excitement as its people came home.

They left the cart, Gabe helping down both Mia and Luna, and each gave the thestrals a pat before joining the flood of students heading up the stone steps of the castle. The entrance hall was more wet than it should have been from just the foot traffic. Mia saw bits of red balloon scattered on the floor, and on the edges of wet paintings. Professor McGonagall stood by the entrance to the great hall looking irritated. She smiled when her eyes met Mia. Mia ran to her, and the professor leaned down and wrapped Mia in a hug, not even flinching at the water covering her.

"I missed you, child," she said, in a voice a little lighter and higher than was typical. Mia pretended not to notice as McGonagall wiped something off of her face when they separated. "You will have to come around for tea this term so I can make sure you are still holding yourself to appropriate academic standards," she said, her voice again formal and stiff.

"You couldn't keep me away," she told her teacher before joining Gabe and entering into the great hall lit in all its splendor. Gabe waved as he headed to his table, and Mia turned to her own long house table. Something turned in her stomach with dread as she looked for a place to sit. Her stomach settled and something bubbled in her chest as she saw Hermione waving her over, gesturing to the seat between her and Fred. Mia sat between them, and smiled to George across from her.

"How goes it, Black?" George asked. And with that, Mia officially felt like she really was home, even as a small part of her twinged with guilt at the thought of two men eating bad food alone in a big empty house without her.

She laughed and joked with the twins who told Mia about the water balloon incident Peeves had started in the entrance hall. A third year, Colin Creevey, who everyone thought Mia had petrified her second year, came around to talk excitedly to Harry about his brother, a new incoming first year. When he spotted Mia his eyes lit up.

"Oh, Amelia! I almost forgot. I got a lot of my film developed over the summer and have some pictures you may want. They are in my trunk, but I can get them to you tomorrow!"

This took Mia of guard and she only nodded awkwardly as the boy bounded away to find a seat. She still wasn't used to her schoolmates not fearing the ground she walked on. It was weird. She realized then that the kids who walked past smiling and waving to them made eye contact with Mia right along with Hermione and the others, as though they were greeting her the same.

This would take some getting used to.

They all shushed as McGonagall opened the large wooden doors and brought in a group of frightened looking children. Mia didn't remember being so small her first year, but watched the sorting with a smile, clapping and cheering along with the rest of her house as the new kids were sorted. When Colin's brother was sorted into Gryffindor and crossed the room to their table, he loudly whispered to his brother. "Colin, I fell in! It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!"

Mia shook her head chuckling as the older brother loudly and awkwardly pointed out Harry to the new Gryffindor.

Professor Dumbledore told them all to tuck in, and Mia gladly did just that as the plates in front of her filled with an amazing feast. While they ate, The twins told Mia in hushed voices about a few of their summer projects, and a few mishaps they hoped she could help tweak. The thunder rolling outside was a peaceful backdrop to the chaos and excitement of the students.

Hermione talked with Nearly Headless Nick about house elves. Mia barely listened until she realized Hermione had stopped eating, refusing another bite made by slave labor.

"Hermione, the elves take pride in their service, they would be really upset knowing you didn't eat their food, especially if they knew they were the cause," Mia told her.

"And how do you know?" Hermione asked, her arms crossed.

"Because I know a few of them. Look, I can introduce you to one later ok? You can ask them for yourself."

Hermione didn't say anything, just looked down at her plate with longing, then shook her head stubbornly again. Mia gave up as Ron started trying to tempt Hermione with the food on the table.

When the food cleared from the tables, Dumbledore stood and began his start of term speech, listing the out of bound areas, and the banned items. All usual orders of business. He continued.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year," Dumbledore said.

"What?" Harry gasped.

Cries of outrage rang out around the room. Mia saw Gabe across the room staring at the professor with his mouth hanging open. He looked absolutely crushed. Fred and George started saying something about a revolt, but Dumbledore continued.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts–"

Just then there was a particularly loud roar of thunder and the doors to the great hall burst open. A man entered. He was covered head to toe in a long dark cloak and something loomed from him like a cloud of danger that prevented Mia from looking away. When the light caught his face she could see he was badly scarred. He had a large chunk taken from his nose, and one eye was small and normal while the other was a large glass blue eye that protruded from his head and spun around in every direction. It made Mia feel sick to watch. He crossed the room, a thump on every other step and reached out a hand to Dumbledore who shook it, and gestures for the man to sit beside him.

The man picked up a fork and stabbed a sausage before lifting it to his nose and sniffing.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Dumbledore said brightly as the school looked on in horror. "Professor Moody."

"Moody?" Harry asked quietly to Ron. "Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?"

"Must be," Ron said softly.

"What happened to him?" Hermione whispered. "What happened to his face?"

"Dunno."

"As I was saying," Dumbledore continued, smiling out to the students watching the new professor eat with awe or disgust. "We are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" Fred said loudly.

Mia laughed along with the rest of the school. It was as though the laughter broke the spell the new professor had caused.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore chuckled. "Though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar..."

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Er– but maybe this is not the time... no... Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament... well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"Death toll?" Hermione whispered.

Mia chuckled. It sounded cool.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued. "None of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

"I'm going for it!" Fred hissed. His face was glowing with excitement. It was catching. Mia didn't think she would do well in a competition like that, but still, a part of her buzzed at the idea.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age, that is to say, seventeen years or older, will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This–"

People started making loud noises of disgust and Dumbledore raised his voice slightly

"is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. " Dumbledore glanced towards Mia's section of the room and Fred and George glared right back. Their eyes were lit with anger. "I, therefore, beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

Dumbledore sat down and turned to the new professor. Students started to stand and file out, but George slammed a fist on the table stopping Mia.

"They can't do that!" George said. "We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?"

"They're not stopping me entering," Fred said, glaring at Dumbledore still. "The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!"

"Yeah, a thousand Galleons..." Ron looked love stuck with the idea.

Gabe slipped into the empty spot next to George, his eyes brimming with excitement. "Who do you think this impartial judge will be?" Gabe asked.

"Come on, we'll be the only ones left here if you don't move," Hermione said.

They all stood and started walking towards the staircase.

"Dunno, but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George... "

"Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though," said Ron.

"Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he? Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names."

"People have died, though!" Hermione said.

"Yeah, but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk?"

"What do you think, Stripe?" Gabe nudged Mia. "Just the sort of thing that would look good on an Auror application?"

"Don't even think about it." Mia pushed Gabe making him stumble on the stairs. "If you make me go through the last three years of school alone because you decided to get yourself killed, I will find a way to bring you back, and kill you again."

Gabe laughed and wished them all a good night as he parted ways towards the Ravenclaw tower.

Ron and Harry talked about entering while Fred and George whispered about Aging Potions.

When they reached the common room, Mia and Hermione made their way to their room, Hermione muttering about slave labor. She shook her head and wished her friend a good night, as she got ready for bed, fighting Lavender once again for a spot by the mirror. She was definitely home.


AN: YAY! The Triwizard is on! What do you guys think? Excited to see things from a different perspective? Think Mia will enter? or what about Gabe? any ideas how things will go?

I have this idea after writing 4th year, how much fun would a fanfic be about Dumbledore, a century ago, attending the last Triwizard when he was in school? If I get enough comment encouragement, maybe I will write it when this one is finished :] Writing this fic has been a good side project while my novel is getting published.