Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: I'm not a big fan of quidditch, so this was a difficult chapter to write. Also, that's why there really isn't much of the game in here, so don't get your hopes up if you are a fan.

Dear Hermione,

First of all, I absolutely promise I'm fine. Remember how I ran away from home last summer…well, I'm staying the same place I stayed last year, only this time I got kidnapped into it instead of running away. Seriously, 'Mione, it's brilliant! Dobby and…my host, have made sure that I've already been working on my homework. You'd be so proud of me; it's almost done already.

They said that when I get my homework done, they'll take me to the beach! Can you imagine it, the beach and the Quidditch World Cup all in one summer?! I'm so excited, I'm not really sure what to do with myself.

I still have your phone number, and my host has a phone she said I can use. Are you free on Sunday for me to give you a call?

Harry

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Dear Ron,

We're on for the Quidditch World Cup! This is going to be epic! Oh, don't come get me from the Dursleys; I'm not there. I got waylaid on the way out of the train station, and I'm staying the same place I stayed last summer. We're actually going to the beach for my birthday! I've never been to the beach before. Dobby is very excited as well. He's been brewing sunscreen for all of us. I think he's worried I'm going to fall asleep outside and turn into a tomato or something.

Oh, I have to tell you all about it when I see you, but Hagrid has this awesome motorbike that he lent to my host. We drove it from the station, and I think we almost crashed like ten times, but it has so many magical protection spells that we just bounced. It was the most fun I've had, ever! See you soon!

Harry

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Dear Cedric,

Are you going to the Quidditch World Cup?! Please say you are! Ron invited me, so I'll be going with them. Don't you live close by the Weasleys? I heard that Bulgaria is playing, and that Krum is supposedly one of the best seekers alive. We have to go and watch him! See you there?

Harry

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Dear Pup,

Thank you for the care package. I shared the biscuits with my healer as you said to do, as much of a huge sacrifice as that was. She said to send along her thanks to you. So…Poppy kidnapped you? I love that woman. If she ever decides she wouldn't mind a younger man around, tell her I'll marry her any day. I'm positive she is way out of my league though.

I'm so jealous you're going to the Quidditch World Cup! You have to write and tell me all about it! I think they'll let me escape from here around mid-August. That's the most they'll commit to telling me. I guess I'm a bit of a mess. I'm still working on what I'll do after. My healer and I have been talking about it though, so I'll come up with something.

Lupin requested a visit, but my healer turned him down. I know you said that I shouldn't make a decision about being his friend based on your experiences with him, but pup, I really don't think that's possible. At least I can put off that confrontation a little longer. It'd probably be best if the scars he left from our last encounter heal a bit first anyway. Be good for Poppy and Dobby and have a whole lot of fun. You deserve it.

Love you, Pup

Snuffles

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Dear Gred and Forge,

Snuffles sends his love. He asked if you guys had finished that potion he asked you about at the end of term that would cause someone to lose all their hair until it naturally grew back? I did make him swear that it wasn't for his healer or for Poppy, so I'm good with passing it along if you have it finished.

Also, Gideon and Fabian said to tell you that your mum knows about the potion lab in the attic with the ghoul. They said you'll want to move it if you have anything you don't want her to see that you're developing. I think they're planning to join us for the World Cup, so that'll be great!

Summer going well? You see Cedric any? Miss you guys!

Harry

Harry woke himself screaming, tears streaming from his eyes. His panic slowly subsided enough for him to take in the ocean breeze coming in through his window and the strong but tiny arms wrapped around him. "Shh, Master Harry had a nightmare," Dobby patted his hair. "Dobby is here. Everything is fine."

Harry took in a deep calming breath, letting the sound of the waves wash over him. They'd been at a beach in France for about a week for his birthday, and Harry had firmly decided that he wanted to live by the ocean after he graduated. Dobby was still patting his back as Harry wiped the moisture from his face. "I'm sorry I woke you up, Dobby," he squeezed his friend's hand with a smile.

The elf scoffed and glared at the teen. "Dobby is here for his little master. You's wake Dobby whenever you need him, and no apologies!"

"Thanks," Harry chuckled as the elf tightened his hold on him in a loose hug.

"Now, you tells Dobby what the nightmare was about and Dobby will fix it."

Harry frowned as the nightmare that had been so vivid moments before started to slip away. "Er…do you think dreams are something truth? I mean, I have a connection to Voldemort, and I think I might have been seeing something that really happened. There was an old muggle man that he killed, but I think Pettigrew was still alive. I don't even know how that would be possible though."

Dobby gave it some deep thought. "Yes, I think dreams can be true, especially if the soul-parasite yous have is from the Dark Lord. The rat-man faked his own death once before, didn't he?"

Harry groaned, seeing where Dobby was going with the question and really not wanting it to be true. "Maybe it was just a nightmare. Voldemort was this weird, evil baby and usually he just possesses someone, so that doesn't seem his standard go-to."

"Could Master Harry have a spirit goes check?" Dobby frowned and started petting Harry's back again comfortingly.

"I don't even know where they were holed up for me to tell a spirit. Spirits can go wherever they want, but they don't have any supernatural powers to find someone if they don't know where they are already," he sighed.

"Then, there's nothing Master Harry can do right now," Dobby said decisively and with a firm nod. "The master will keeps a dream journal and start writing everything down. We's two will talk through the dreams and see what they's telling us."

Harry smiled, wondering what he'd done in his life to deserve such a good friend. "Ok, thank you Dobby. You always know just what to say."

Dobby snorted and slid off the bed. "Goes back to sleep, Master. Mr. Hagrid will be by later today and then you's need to get ready for yous Wheezy's house."

"Night, Dobby," Harry smiled and closed his eyes, the last of the dream slipping away as he sank back into sleep.

Hagrid stayed with Harry, Poppy, and Dobby for a couple days before he was to take Harry to the Weasley's house and Poppy and Dobby went back to Durham. It was a quite a sight to see the half-giant in swim trunks, a wide-brimmed hat, and Dobby's homemade sunscreen on his nose sunbathing by the ocean. He called out suggestions and encouragement while Poppy tried to teach Harry to swim. Harry felt like he was just about getting it when they went inside for a beautiful seafood dinner that Dobby had made and to be thoroughly trounced in poker by Hagrid.

It was with great sadness that Harry threw his things in a bag to leave the ocean. He really wanted to see the World Cup, but they'd been having so much fun lounging around the beach house Poppy had rented and just hanging out. It was the best summer he'd had so far, and it wasn't even over yet.

"Keep your wand on you at all times, and don't get separated from your friends," Poppy fussed over him while Dobby made the portkey to take Harry and Hagrid to Ottery St. Catchpole, something that Harry was certain was very illegal based on the amused and mischievous look Poppy gave the elf when he suggested it.

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded and took the hat she handed him that proudly supported the Irish National Team. Apparently, she was a big fan and was trying to convert him.

"I know Hedwig is staying with us but call Dobby or send the Weasley owl if you need anything," she told him for the hundredth time.

"I'll be back in just a few days. I'll be fine, Poppy," he assured her with a quick hug. "Padfoot will be back in a few days too, and we'll read trashy novels and play poker again the rest of the summer."

She sniffed in an act of not caring, but she also straightened his t-shirt and tried to flatten his hair anyway. "Right, well, I'm your guardian this summer, legal or not, and I take that seriously. Even if no one else ever has for you," she sneered. She still hadn't informed her charge of the fact she'd left a few cursed objects around his aunt and uncle's house when she'd visited to inform them she would be taking their nephew for the summer. That really wasn't important for him to know…they couldn't be traced back to her anyway, Amelia had made sure of that.

"Righ' grab on Harry," Hagrid held out the tiny cocktail umbrella Dobby had turned into the portkey that looked ridiculous in his large hand.

"Harry!"

Harry had been at the Weasley house for a grand total of two minutes before he was tackled to the ground by two over-zealous redheads that no one else could see. "Oi! Prats!" He exclaimed under his breath while Ron rushed over to help him up, obviously thinking he was just very clumsy and had fallen on his way up the path to the house.

"You ok, 'Arry?" Hagrid helped him up before Ron could get there.

"I'll live," he joked with a wry grin at his large friend.

"This is going to be brilliant!" Fabian Prewett ruffled Harry's hair, making it look like non-existent wind was really blowing just on Harry's head.

"Yeah! You're going to love the World Cup! We got to go ourselves when we were around your age," Gideon added on.

"Plus, you get to meet the rest of the family. I think you'll really like Charlie!" Fabian bounced over and dramatically motioned to a Weasley Harry hadn't met before that was fairly burly and had a few nasty burn scars peeking out from under his sleeves. He looked more like the Prewett twins than anyone else in the family Harry had met so far being stockier and a bit shorter than the rest, like the twins.

"Ron!" Harry hugged his friend who finally reached them.

"Good to see you, mate!" Ron laughed. "Getting a bit clumsy there, aren't we?"

"You must be Charlie," Harry reached out a hand with a smile to the man who'd followed his brother.

"Right in one!" Charlie grinned broadly and crushed Harry's hand in his much larger one.

"Oh, you meet Bill yet?" Ron asked as the older Weasley brother walked over, looking much too cool to work for a bank, even if it was in curse breaking.

"Nope, just heard the stories!" He laughed and shook the other man's hand.

"Don't believe any of them," Bill smiled. "And if they mention anything having to do with an Egyptian tomb and a puffskein, they are lying through their teeth and I'll claim that to my dying day."

"Ok, enough of this, who's up for a quidditch match? I haven't flown in ages!" Charlie gave a long-suffering sigh as if he were suffering from withdrawals.

"I am!" Cedric Diggory walked up with Hermione from where they had been talking over by the garden and threw an arm around Harry's shoulder. "The twins ambushed me this morning as soon as I stepped out my door saying that you were coming in," he said with a fake glare to where the Weasley Twins were already pulling brooms out of the shed while the Prewett Twins followed along behind them, unbeknownst to them.

"Brilliant! You all do realize we have three seekers here though, right?" He laughed. "Someone's going to have a play a different position."

"And that be my cue to leave," Hagrid said, wanting to escape before they seriously got into the quidditch talk. He wasn't a huge fan. "Have fun, Harry!" He clapped the teen on the shoulder, almost making his knees buckle.

"See you in a few days, Hagrid!" He waved as the man activated the tiny umbrella portkey to take him back to Dobby and Poppy.

"So, Hermione…wanna play beater?" Charlie looked at their friend assessingly. "You look like you're probably tougher than you appear. You'd have to be to keep my little brother in line."

"Merlin, no!" She exclaimed in a scandalized tone. "I'll keep score. Make Harry play keeper or his team will win too quickly."

"I don't believe he's that good," Charlie was already herding the group out to their make-shift pitch. "I might have to see that for myself."

"It's your ego we're trying to save," Cedric snorted and ruffled a glaring Harry's hair, messing it up even more than it had been.

"Oi! Where'd you get the Irish National hat?! That's brilliant! I'm supporting them too…well, them and Krum!" Ron gushed as Harry pulled the ballcap on his head to keep people's fingers out of his hair.

"Poppy's a fan," he shrugged with a fond smile on his face. "She said to get it signed if I meet any players."

"I can't believe the school medi-witch kidnapped you for the summer," Hermione shook her head with a questioning raise of her eyebrow. "She must have had a good reason."

Harry shifted nervously under where Cedric still had an arm over his shoulder. "Erm, well…you know how the Dursleys feel about magic…Poppy didn't approve…" He really wasn't comfortable saying any more than that.

"Yeah, but…" Hermione started.

"Leave him be, 'Mione," Ron cut her off, seeing his friend's nervous and embarrassed look. He also had a very good guess at why the medi-witch might not want Harry to go back to his relatives. Normal, loving families don't put bars on their child's second floor window and feed them through a cat-flap, even Ron knew that. "Madam Pomfrey is good people. She had her reasons."

"She could really get in trouble though," Hermione frowned in confusion at Ron's protective look.

"Eh," Harry snorted. "Madam Bones has stopped by a few times this summer and no one's gotten arrested, so I think we're in the clear. However, I may also have lost all my fear of the head of the DMLE after she's three martinis in and singing the Hogwarts school song as a rap while Poppy beatboxes."

"You lead such an odd life," Bill looked at the teen in surprise, but all of Harry's friends just rolled their eyes and looked at each other over Harry's head. He didn't know the half of it.

Harry was completely overwhelmed. Apparently, die-hard quidditch fans maintained that enthusiasm even after they died. Harry lived in a castle with ghosts and was frequently visited by crossed-over spirits, and he'd never seen so many dead people in his (life?) than what had decided to join the living at the Quidditch World Cup. "Wow," he breathed out to the Prewett twins who were taking in the chaos beside him.

"Welcome to one of the most popular living-person events amongst the dead," Gideon grinned excitedly. "It's really this and the Super Bowl over in America that have the biggest turn-outs."

Somehow Harry could usually always tell if someone he was looking at was living or dead just based on how their spirit felt to him, but he reminded himself to be extra vigilant in the press of people around him. He was almost shoved to the side as a dead Bulgaria fan taunting a living Ireland fan passed him, almost trying to walk right through him like a normal living person. "This is insane!" He shook his head at the hundreds of people just in his current line of sight.

"I know, right?" Ron looked on gleefully beside him.

"Right, real talk, little brother," Fabian turned to him with a serious expression on his face. "Try not to let on that you can see the dead or you may find yourself mobbed by people wanting you to pass on messages to their loved ones."

"But, if you happen to see Godric, tell him Gideon wants to put fifty on Bulgaria," the man added with a smirk.

"You wouldn't think one of the revered founders is running the largest afterlife betting pool, but here we are," Fabian chuckled. "I want thirty on Ireland, if you see him first." Harry gave them a stunned nod before they ran off to join the fun and he turned back to his living friends.

"Er, I should probably go now," Cedric said after a glance at where his father was motioning for him to get a move on and follow.

"Sure, see you after?" Harry smiled up at him.

He wasn't sure what he felt about Cedric's father who he'd met just that morning. Amos Diggory obviously cared for his son, but he didn't see how his focus on Cedric's achievements made his son uncomfortable. Harry wondered how much of Cedric's anxiety and stress over his grades, quidditch, and becoming a healer was really just pressure from his father. His friend wasn't exasperated by his dad's praise like Bill had been when Arthur Weasley talked about him…with Cedric, it was almost fear or concern. He figured he was probably reading too much into it though and gave the Hufflepuff a quick hug before he left to find their camping area on the other side of the pitch.

The quidditch game itself was actually a whole lot of uncomfortable. Many of the spirits crammed into the top box where they were sitting, and it was only the fact that he was flanked on one side by Ron and the other by Fabian that kept him from getting run into or sat on. Interestingly, it seemed that, like the dead around him, Harry was immune to Veela allure. Thank Merlin for small mercies in his opinion. He didn't fancy himself wanting to get all gooey over a group of pretty girls. Harry mentally registered that the Malfoys were with them and there was some drama with a house elf, but he had his eyes closed for a lot of what happened to block out the sensory overload of the noise and too many people around him. He breathed out a sigh of relief when Krum caught the snitch, even though Gideon was indignantly yelling at the seeker from in front of him.

"Hey, baby. Fabian stopped by to say you were overwhelmed today," Lily Potter sat on Harry's cot that night and ran her fingers through his shaggy curls once Ron fell asleep in the tent.

"Hmm, yeah. There were just too many people and too much noise," he smiled lovingly at his mum. "Before Hogwarts, I was never around people besides school, and this was so much more than Hogwarts."

"I know, Love. I'm sorry I didn't think to warn you," she sighed sadly at her son's life.

"I think I'm looking forward to going back to Durham," he hated to admit since Ron had made such a big deal about spending time with him. "It was interesting though."

Loud bangs and screams suddenly filtered into the tent causing Lily Potter to shoot up in surprise. "I'll go check it out! Stay here!"

Harry went ahead and got out of bed and put on his trainers, not liking the sound of what he was hearing. "What is it?" He asked as Lily appeared worriedly beside his bed again.

"It's Death Eaters! Call Dobby and go home!" She instructed him firmly in her best Mum voice. "There are plenty of ministry workers here to handle it; you need to get away before Voldemort's supporters notice you here."

Harry really didn't need to be told twice. "Dobby!" He yelled loudly, waking Ron in the process.

It took Dobby about seven trips, but Harry, all the Weasleys, and Hermione were in Poppy's sitting room before the campgrounds could even start to be evacuated. "Well…I say…er, hello?" Arthur Weasley looked at Poppy in confusion when Dobby dropped him last on the couch.

"Oh, Harry, are you ok? What happened?" The matron fussed over him and ignored Arthur.

"There were Death Eaters…" he started.

"Death Eaters!" Sirius Black interrupted as he ran into the room and physically lifted Harry up into a concerned hug. "Merlin, Harry! Are you hurt?! I just got in and you've already been attacked! I knew I shouldn't have left you!"

"I'm fi…" Harry wasn't able to finish the sentence as they both took in the six wands currently pointed at Sirius's chest.

"Riiight…" Sirius slowly placed Harry back on the ground. "You all can curse me in a bit, but I want Harry to answer me if he's injured first," he glared down Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Ron, Hermione, and surprisingly Percy who were all ready to attack.

"Dad, chill…Padfoot's all right," Fred huffed and sat on the couch.

"Yes, Siri is completely innocent," George added in shoving Ron's wand down.

"I'm fine, Sirius," Harry cut in to assure him quickly. "Dobby got us out before the Death Eaters got anywhere near us."

"Merlin, the war is supposed to be over," Madam Pomfrey sighed tiredly. "Arthur, stand down, Mr. Black is harmless."

"Yes, please don'ts kill the dog-man. He owes Dobby money," the elf grinned widely at the fugitive who glared back.

"Dobby cheats at cards," Sirius huffed.

"Do not!" The elf smirked.

"Sirius Black is a wanted fugitive," Bill Weasley spoke up, not lowering his wand an inch. "We should turn him in immediately."

"Siri has been hanging around Harry and Hogwarts for an entire year and hasn't hurt anyone," George informed them.

"Yeah, you all remember Snuffles?" Fred laughed in explanation.

"You're Madam Pomfrey's dog?!" Hermione gasped. "Why?!"

"Peter Pettigrew framed him," Harry put an arm around his godfather's waist in support. "I found him last summer, and he's spent most of this summer with healers. Pettigrew was…might still be…alive."

"Wait, what?! You said Hagrid's dog ate him!" Sirius turned surprised eyes on his godson.

"Probably?" Harry asked more than told with a grimace. "I had a dream a few days ago that he was in. I think it might have been a real dream since I have a weird connection-thing with Voldemort."

"Wait…how did Fang eat a man?" Charlie asked, having met Hagrid's dog frequently.

"Er…" Harry looked to the twins for help.

"He's a rat animagus…" Fred began with a look between Percy and Ron.

"Yeah…he disappeared around the middle of last term," the other twin finished.

"No!" Ron backed up and looked between his brothers and Harry with horror in his eyes. "You are not telling me…just no!"

"It's best to not think about it," Harry nodded at him slowly with a wince.

"What happened?" Arthur asked, slowly lowering his wand along with Bill beside him.

"Ron's pet rat disappeared around the middle of last term," Hermione said with a disgusted look on her face.

"Scabbers?" Percy went completely white before he just passed out in the middle of the sitting room.

Poppy sighed loudly. "Right, Dobby, please go get everyone some tea," she instructed in a business-like manner. "Sirius, sit and explain to everyone. I'll take care of Mr. Percy Weasley," she bent down and checked his head to see if he'd injured it by falling.

"Arthur, you should probably also send Molly an owl or a patronus or ask Dobby to contact her or something. She's going to be concerned once she hears about what happened," the matron reminded the man.

"Ah, yes," Arthur nodded quickly. "Just, so Poppy…thank you." He said, casting a patronus and sending it off. Harry sighed at the silvery weasel with a bit of wistfulness. He really wished he could do that too.

"Er…ok, well, I guess I should start with the fact that I wasn't the Potter's secret keeper," Sirius sat in an armchair and began his story.

Up Next: Poppy is pissed...aka the Triwizard Tournament...