"You look a bit off today," Neville asked as he sat beside Harry during breakfast. He saw Harry look towards the Slytherin table where Daphne was having breakfast with Tracey and Astoria. "Something with her?" Neville asked.

"It's nothing," Harry said focusing on his breakfast.

"I heard the date for the first challenge was announced. It's in a week," Neville said.

"I know," Harry said. "Don't tell anyone about this but they are making us face dragons."

"WHAT?" Neville said loudly as he grabbed attention from the Gryffindor and other house tables. He looked around before lowering his voice as everyone went back to eating and discussing their own. "Sorry," he said. "Are they out of their minds?"

"Well, it's not called the most dangerous tournament for no reason," Harry said. "We are to obtain a golden egg from the dragon in as little time as possible as that is how we will be scored – based on who took the least time to grab the egg. Also, the egg contains clue for the second challenge so without it you'll be disqualified."

"Does that mean that you will lose your magic?" Neville asked.

"I honestly don't know," Harry said. He glanced at Daphne before looking at Neville. "How much do you know about reptiles?"

"Not as much as I know about plants," he said. "Why?"

"I was thinking maybe a dragon could understand parseltongue?" Harry said as Neville looked at him bewildered. "What?"

"Harry, this is no joke!" Neville said. "If you mess this up you'll die!"

"I know," Harry said. "I was just thinking. My parseltongue works on conjured and real snakes so…Daphne and I had a fight," he said unable to keep it within himself anymore. "I don't know what to do. I got angry on her for doing something that she probably shouldn't have and I think I got a little too angry."

Neville glanced at Daphne and saw her expressionless face. She was pretty good at hiding her emotions. "What happened?" he asked.

"Well…ah, this was her idea, you see," Harry said. "She's been helping me prepare for the challenges and it was her plan to use my parseltongue ability on the dragon and decided to test it. Like it had happened in our second year she conjured a snake and I was able to talk to it but then she brought a three-tailed chamilleon to test my parseltongue on it."

"Where did she get a three-tailed chamilleon at this time of the year?" Neville asked. "Don't they hibernate during this season?"

"She got it from Hagrid," Harry said. "She lied to him that she loved magical creatures and you know how simple-minded he is? He trusted her and she took the chamilleon from him. I got angry when I heard that she'd tricked him, taking excuse of his innocence."

Neville said nothing as he thought about what Harry had just said. He then spoke after about a minute of silence. "That's really not a reason for you to be angry on her."

"I know that!" this time Harry was loud as everyone looked at it, wondering what the hell were he and Neville talking about. Harry realized and lowered his voice. "I know that," he said slowly. "And I'm regretting it now. I've tried contacting her through the mirror but she won't answer. I don't know what to do."

"Give it time," Neville said. "That's all you can do – give it time. It's not that she doesn't know that you're feeling guilty. One can only try so many times before giving up so let's just take a small break and see what happens."

"Will it work?" Harry asked, a rare sense of desperation in his voice which Neville didn't miss as he smiled.

"I don't know," Neville said, "but you trying to talk to her isn't working either so let's give this one a shot. It's nice, by the way."

"What?" Harry asked.

"You caring about her," Neville said.

"I…I don't…" Harry couldn't speak as Neville enjoyed the blushed look on his face.

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She finally felt distracted since the day Harry had been angry on her as Daphne enjoyed the company of Tracey during breakfast. It was finally the day of the tournament as the first task was scheduled to take place in a few hours.

"So who's your money on?" Tracey asked.

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked.

"Well, even though he's the youngest amongst the four Potter can still surprise us." Daphne almost choked on her toast as she looked at her best friend with wide eyes who was looking at her with a victorious smile."Or you thought I wouldn't notice?" she said. "You might be the famous ice princess of Slytherin but I know you better than anyone…probably even better than your parents. So, how long as it been going on?"

Daphne said nothing for the first minute as she thought about the situation she was in. She had somewhat expected that Tracey would figure things out as she was a clever girl, a true Slytherin - to put it better in words.

"How did you know?" Daphne asked. "Does anyone else know?"

Tracey shook her head. "I know no one's as observant as I am in Slytherin. However, I can't say about other house's students," she said. "So, when were you planning on telling me?"

"You're clever enough to figure out why I didn't tell you," Daphne said.

"True but still…why him?" Tracey asked.

"I take it the way you're asking me those questions…you think we both like each other," Daphne said.

"You don't?" Tracey asked. Daphne said nothing as she just looked at her with uninterestedly. "Then what's going on between the two of you?"

"I am not the one who can say anything in that," Daphne said knowing how she was the one who'd told Harry not to tell anyone about them or the fact that he was living with her family. "Figure it out on your own."

Tracey pouted when the sudden silence in the great hall grabbed their attention as the two looked at the entrance and saw the champions enter together. Except for Harry the remaining three were wearing a jersey resembling their schools' colors. Harry, on the other hand, was wearing his Quidditch uniform on which he'd cut the Gryffindor name much to the shock of the lions and McGonagall. Some Slytherins took pleasure in that as he joined Neville at the table away from everyone. All of his house mates were looking at him, some in shock while others in rage wondering why he'd cut the Gryffindor name from his Quidditch uniform. He paid no attention to them and focused on his breakfast.

He hadn't talked to her nor had she talked to him and being in the tournament very near Harry had been skipping all of his classes in order to prepare for it. So this was the first time she was seeing him after their little fight in the chamber or rather Harry getting angry with her for tricking Hagrid. He looked different. She hadn't been down in the chamber during these days either, thinking it was low of her to use it when it was Harry who'd been angry with her. He was the one who'd showed her the place.

With breakfast coming to an end Dumbledore made a short speech about the start of the first challenge of the tournament and asked the students to make their way towards the small hill behind the castle where the challenge will be taking place.

Daphne had no intention or interest to see the tournament but she couldn't say no to Tracey and Astoria who both dragged her to the arena and found the best seats possible to have a better view.

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Harry entered the tent as he was asked to and saw Fleur and Cedric were already there. Viktor joined them a few minutes later with Karkaroff as Maxime, Crouch, Bagman and Moody walked in as well.

"Sorry boys, Dumbledore couldn't come," Moody said standing beside Cedric and Harry. "He'd some important matters to attend to. Don't worry; he'll still be present at the judges' table."

Neither Harry nor Cedric said anything as Bagman walked forward and looked at the champions before taking out a small pouch. "So, the first challenge of the Tri Wizard Tournament! How are you all feeling?" he asked in an excited tone when he saw their disinterested faces looking back at him. He waved his hand as he shook the pouch. "Ahem, so, your first challenge as champions of this esteemed tournament is to procure a golden egg. It is important that you get this egg because without it you will be disqualified. The egg contains a clue that is vital for the second challenge. Also…" he opened the pouch and showed them what was inside it as they four saw tiny little dragons in it. "…you'll have to get past dragons in order to get the egg."

None of the four said or reacted in any way whatsoever as Bagman's face was something to look at. He'd wanted to see their look of shock or fear when he'd tell them what their first challenge was going to be. Damn these teenagers, acting all tough and cool, he thought as he made a face before shaking his pouch. "Alright, enough talking! Ms Fleur," he said bringing the pouch closer to her, "ladies first." She looked at him with a confused face. "Put your hand in there and pick a dragon," Bagman said.

She slowly put her hand inside the pouch before fiddling around for a few seconds and pulling out a green colored dragon, holding it in her hand.

"Ah, the Common Welsh Green," Bagman said before moving over to Cedric. "Mr Diggory?"

Cedric looked at him before putting his hand in the pouch and taking out his dragon. "A Swedish Short-Snout," Bagman said before moving over to Viktor. The Bulgarian seeker took out a dragon of somewhat fiery red color which Bagman said was called a Chinese Fireball before moving over to Harry who looked at the pouch nervously. He knew there were four dragons and he knew that the most dangerous of the four had not been picked yet. He cursed his luck but didn't feel surprised about it as he put his hand inside the pouch and felt something like a ball of small nails. He pulled it out as Bagman seemed to swallow a load looking at it.

'Oh right, like you didn't know which dragon was left to be chosen,' Harry thought looking at Bagman while other people also looked at the dragon that was in Harry's hands.

"The Hungarian Horntail," Bagman said before stepping back. "These are the dragons that you'll have to get your golden eggs from. If you don't know then let me tell you dragons are very protective of their nests. You have to retrieve the egg as failure to do so will result in your disqualification. Also, you will be timed and the one who retrieves the egg in the shortest time will get the first position. As you've been told the scores that you get based on your performance will make it easier for you in the final challenge. Good luck. Ms Delacour?"

Fleur nodded knowing she was the first one to go as Maxime came and stood behind her while the others moved to their own separate places with Cedric and Harry standing with Moody while Viktor standing with Karkaroff as they all discussed their respective strategies with their faculty heads.

"Potter, you've been awfully quiet all this time," Moody said. "Surely you must have a plan?"

"I don't," Harry said. "All I have to do is not die and that's good enough for me." With that he walked over to the other side and sat on a small bench as Moody and Cedric looked at him.

"You can't really blame him," Cedric said to Moody who grunted as he rolled his eyes before leaving the tent. "I'm sorry that I couldn't be of much help to you, Harry. Now's not the time," he said to himself as he looked at Harry before taking a seat in another corner of the tent as Fleur's arrival in the arena was announced followed by the cheering of her supporters.

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"Do you have any idea that doing such a thing will have you removed from your position as the DMLE head?" Fudge asked as he looked at Amelia who was in his office at the moment. "I had plans to visit Hogwarts to see the first challenge but because of you now I can't!"

"I didn't do it as head of DMLE, minister," she said. "I did it as proxy head of the house of Bones and an ally to the ancient and noble house of Longbottom. I've stated that in my record and I am confident that the Wizengamot will take it into consideration if and when they'll discuss my removal from my current post. As for being the head of DMLE all I did was take a glance at the public records and anyone, even you can do that without having anyone's permission. This is why it's called public records. It's open for all, even for people like you and me."

Fudge didn't know how to respond to that. He knew Dumbledore will give him an earful once he knows that he failed to carry out his 'request'. He didn't know that Augusta Longbottom will have such a huge backing when she proposed for Sirius Black's trial. Now it was Fudge who was wondering whether Sirius was actually innocent. To have such a huge backing…even if Black wasn't interrogated he'll win just with the number of votes that were pushing for his trial. Sometimes Fudge hated democracy. Why would people have a leader elected when the power of decision making remained with them? This was something he never understood.

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Harry readied himself as he heard Viktor retrieve the egg. It was his turn now as he stood up and closed his eyes. He'd decided what he had to do. He'd waited long enough for things to happen on their own. Now he wouldn't. Enough was enough.

He stepped out into the arena as his name was announced and could already see the horntail. One of its legs was tied with a chain to the large boulder but the chain looked so weak Harry wondered if the dragon was amusing itself by letting the trainers shackle its leg to the boulder. He could also see the golden egg amongst the rest of the dragon eggs in the nest behind the dragon but then noticed that the horntail was looking at him intently. Harry stopped, looking back at the dragon.

"{A whisperer}" the horntail said as Harry's shock knew no bounds. It had spoken to him and it was in parseltongue. A smile came on Harry's face while everyone present in the arena watching the match had their mouths hung open in shock and fear when they heard him speak in parseltongue.

"{I am}" he replied. "{I'm sorry that you've been treated in such a way}"

The dragon looked from him to its shackled leg before breathing out. "{This tiny chain cannot hold me}" the dragon said as Harry noticed that the entire arena had gone dead silent. He smirked. "{However, they have my babies}"

"{But your nest is right there}" Harry said.

"{It is}" the dragon said, "{but I had six eggs. Now there's only four}"

Harry saw that the nest had four normal dragon eggs and one golden egg. He felt angry towards the trainers. "{Do you know where they are keeping the eggs?}" he asked.

"{I do not but he does}" the dragon said before looking at the committee's table and Harry followed its gaze and frowned.

"Mr Bagman!" he shouted so that he had the coordinator's complete attention as Bagman flinched. "I believe you have something that belongs to this dragon."

Daphne couldn't believe what was happening. She was just as shocked as everyone else but a part of her couldn't stop but feel excited and proud. Her theory was definitely working. Harry seemed to be effectively talking to the dragon with parseltongue but she wondered what the two were talking about. She was even more confused when Harry looked at where the committee members of the tournament were sitting and asked Bagman about something he'd been keeping of the dragon.

"What is the meaning of this?" Bagman said standing up. "What do you think you're doing, boy?"

"{Please, whisperer. He has them…my children. Don't be hasty or he will kill them}" the dragon said.

'Is that so?' Harry thought before looking at the dragon. "{Here's what we're gonna do}" he said as everyone saw him speak to the dragon in parseltongue for quite some time before in a sudden move Harry fired a spell at the dragon's shackle breaking it. The horntail flapped its huge wings and roared loudly as everyone shouted and shrieked in fear when Harry raised his hand and surprisingly everyone quieted down. "I've been told that you have something that belongs to this dragon," he said looking at Bagman. "It would be a wise move if you returned those eggs to it."

"You really expect us to fall for this act?" Harry saw it was Charlie. So he was here as well. It made sense since Charlie Weasely was working as a dragon trainer in Romania and being a Hogwarts student back in the days he would be here.

"{Scare them but not too much}" Harry said as the dragon gave a single nod before flapping its wings and roaring at Charlie and Bagman who both quivered in fear. Harry was sure he saw a wet spot formed between Charlie's legs, who was wearing a khaki colored pants. "I won't ask again," Harry said ignoring Charlie and looking at Bagman. "Return the dragon's eggs or I will set it loose and make sure none of you get in its way to the best of my abilities. Mr Bagman?"

Bagman grit his teeth as he slowly walked towards the tent and returned a few minutes later holding two eggs which he kept a few feet away from Harry and the dragon who sniffed it before carefully picking them up in its mouth and putting it in its nest. It then picked up the golden egg and put it in front of Harry who smiled. "{Thanks}" he said as the dragon nodded. It then took its nest, spread its enormous wings and flew away as everyone watched it go in amazement, fear and shock.

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The prophet had printed a special evening edition that day after the first challenge came to an end and Harry was on the front page.

"I have to say you look really scary with the horntail behind you," Neville said as the two looked at the paper. Everyone was talking about it and some Gryffindors had even come to Harry trying to apologize. He'd simply ignored them. He was done with their two-faced characters. He was holding the egg in his hand and could see everyone who was expectantly looking at it. Sometimes ago he and Neville had opened it to see what the clue was but it shrieked so loud they had to close it quickly before they could become deaf. They looked at each other wondering what kind of a clue was that.

It was also that same evening that he informed McGonagall that he wouldn't be in the Gryffindor Quidditch team anymore. It surely had come as a shock to the deputy headmistress but she understood and told Harry so as well. He felt a bit relieved that McGonagall had not changed at all. She was strict on the outside but understood her students and only wanted what was best for them. Of course his decision of leaving the team wouldn't be taken kindly by his so called house mates but he didn't care about them or what and how they felt towards him.

As he sat in his bed that night holding the egg in his hands thinking about what the clue could be his eyes fell on the marauders' map that he had opened and lying on the side. Most of the names on it had disappeared meaning that those people were sleeping or were not in the castle but there were some names floating around when he saw Daphne's moving towards the dungeons. She was coming from the library. It hadn't been curfew hours yet but most of the students were inside their respective house towers so the corridors were pretty much empty.

He hadn't got a chance to talk to her and felt bad for getting angry with her after he'd given it some thought but the day had been so crazy that he never got the chance. Maybe he could meet her tonight and apologize. She was still quite far from the dungeons and would pass through the Gryffindor tower's corridor on her way to it so he decided to meet her there but as he was about to get off of his bed he stopped as he saw two people pursuing her. The names said McNair and Collins and Harry knew both of their families thanks to the Matt and Anna.

The way they were moving tailing Daphne, Harry knew she was in trouble and wondered whether she knew about it. Whatever be the case he hurriedly got off his bed, grabbed his cloak, the map and the wand and left the dorm.

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Daphne was aware that she was being tailed by McNair and Collins ever since she'd left the library. With the way they'd been following her she knew they had planned for it. She often spent late hours in the library a few days a week. Not many knew it because she came to the library when it was mostly empty so to know of her routine meant that McNair and Collins had been planning about it for a few days at least.

She knew she could take on McNair if he decided to do something stupid as he was in the same year as her but Collins was a different story. His family was amongst the closest death eaters of Voldemort and he was also a sixth year student and very good with his wand. While Daphne knew a variety of spells far complex for the year she was in she lacked practice when casting them which is why she knew she couldn't hold off Collins while dealing with McNair at the same time which she deduced how it would be in a few minutes. She was still quite a bit away from the dungeons and knew anything could happen before she reached there. She cursed that she didn't have her holster at that time as accessing her wand was easier when she was carrying it in her holster.

By the time she reached for her wand in her pocket it would be too late. For probably the first time in her life she felt a little worried about herself as she knew that these two wouldn't just torture her. They had nastier thoughts in their head if they got control of her tonight. Her palms coiled into fists as she held her books closer to her while secretly reaching for her wand when suddenly Collins was standing in front of her.

She stopped panic filling her head for a moment before she quickly tried to calm herself. He must've taken a shortcut when she wasn't paying attention. She cursed herself for being so stupid and careless.

"What's the rush, Greengrass?" Collins said eyeing her from top to bottom.

"Tailing a lonely girl through the corridors now are we, Collins?" she said in a cool tone. "When did you become so desperate?"

"Since girls like you forgot where you belong," Collins said as he nodded. Daphne turned quickly and disarmed McNair but then felt the magical bindings wrap her body as she fell on the floor, struggling to get out. "Really? Falling for such an easy trick?" Collins said, his wand drawn at her. He then crouched down, bringing his face close to hers as she looked away. "Calling me desperate when you're hanging with a Gryffindor?" Her eyes widened when she heard that. "And it's Potter nonetheless! Huh…who knew you had fantasies shagging with Potter? Even for you Greengrass that's a new kind of low. Hopefully your sister will make better decisions."

Daphne struggled harder hearing her sister's name come up. These guys will pay.

"See, what I told you?" McNair said as he crouched down too and caressed her face with his fingers. "I wouldn't worry about your sister when she chooses a partner like me in a few years, or maybe even now. Some girls are into older boys you know. I promise I'll keep her very happy…"

He never finished his sentence as he fell on the floor unconscious. Collins was immediately on his feet looking around with his wand drawn. "Who's there?" he asked when a spell flew his way as he conjured a shield to block it effectively. It had come out of thin air so whoever was attacking him was surely under very strong concealment charms as he couldn't see them at all. As he thought about casting revealing spells a barrage of spells flew towards him. Conjuring a shield he blocked some of them while most just miss its target. Whoever this mystery person was they sure lacked experience for duels, Collins thought when Daphne hit his leg as hard as she could and he lost his balance and fell down.

A spell hit her and her binds were off as she looked around too wondering who was firing spells when she heard Collin grunt. She went for her wand but realized it was with Collins when another spell hit him which he blocked.

"Come out!" Collins shouted as he gripped his wand tighter when a spell hit him on the back as he fell on the floor unconscious. Daphne was quick to retrieve her wand along with Collins' and McNair's before looking around with her wand drawn when she saw Harry appear from under his cloak walking over to her.

"If things were better between me and my housemates I'd surely be hailed as a hero right now…" Harry stopped as Daphne hugged him out of the blue. He was shocked for a moment before slowly returning the hug as he realized she was crying. "Hey, hey, hey…it's alright," he said trying to convince her but he had no idea if it was working. He'd never been in a situation where he had to convince others. It had always been others convincing him. This was all very new to him. "Alright, it's getting a little weird now. I don't know what to do," he said.

Daphne broke the hug a minute later as she sniffed before looking at McNair and Collins unconscious on the floor. "They knew," she said in a shaky voice. "They knew we were meeting. They must've seen me…or you…Astoria…I don't know who else they told about it…"

"Hey," Harry said putting his hands on her shoulder as she looked at him with teary eyes. "Nothing's gonna happen. They wanted to leverage you, that's it."

"How can you be so sure?" she asked. "I have to see if Astoria is alright," she said turning away when she stopped and looked at her housemates. "We have to erase their memories too."

Harry agreed on that. "I don't know any memory charms though," he said.

Daphne said nothing as she cast binding spells on both McNair and Collins before waking them up and cast a silencing charm so they didn't make any noise. She then crouched down and roughly grabbed Collins' face as he looked at her with terrified eyes. His pupils widened as he saw her wand pointed right between his eyes before a faint yellow glow left her wand.

"Obliviate," Daphne said erasing McNair's memories as well before standing up when she thought of something else as Harry looked at her with a raised brow and a few minutes later the two were heading back to their respective common rooms.

"I wanted to apologize for how I behaved in the chamber that day," he said as they stopped where their paths split. "I shouldn't have acted like that."

"Thank you," she said slowly, "for tonight. And it's alright. It wasn't your fault. You had every right to be angry with me."

Harry stood there looking at her for a minute before nodding slowly. He watched as Daphne left for the dungeons as he slowly turned towards the corridor which led to Gryffindor tower.

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Thanks for reading…