Authors Note: Thanks again for all the support. I'm currently getting less reviews than at the start but I guess that was to be expected since the last two ones in particular weren't that interesting compared to the first but still I have an average of 10.5 reviews per chapter and more than 100 who faved this and nearly 200 who follow my story. I'm so happy about it! And I hope to get more reviews again with this one and would like to know if there is anything you would like to see in a review if it isn't in here.

Shadow Phoenix

Chapter 13

The beginning of the end

Sirius is getting closer to his godson now that he's finally free again and even going with Harry and the Malfoys to most of the Quidditch games since Severus isn't a big fan of the sport and is busy due to his newest potion anyway. He finally cured Remus of his Lycanthropy the first day of summer which is why the former wolf doesn't have time for Sirius either since he is helping Severus where he can to repay him. Harry is happy that his father's friend, that is hanging around often since he is helping Severus, is cured but he misses his dad who is gone a lot during this summer due to it.

Harry is happy for all the positive attention Severus is receiving, especially from other potions masters but he still misses him. It's fun though to spend time with Sirius who is more like a big kid at times and is showering Harry with gifts. Apparently the firebolt was only the first of many. Sirius loves to fly too, and sometimes takes Draco and Harry out to fly somewhere and even though he doesn't get along with Lucius he does enjoy watching the games with the boys and mostly ignores the stuck up blond as he calls him just like Lucius ignores the mongrel.

Lucius isn't the only one Sirius doesn't really get along with. He and Draco occasionally have shouting matches where both just scream three words, "Harry is MINE!" Sirius usually gives in at some point, or rather pretends to be distracted by something but he is always grinning towards Draco a little later and Harry is sure that Sirius just loves to rile Draco up a little.

Around Severus, Sirius is walking on eggshells. Harry assumes that Remus told him some more about how close Harry and his dad are and Sirius seems dead set not to annoy the man too much and get kicked out. Sirius is always visiting Harry, it's a miracle he didn't move in, but truth be told, Severus would probably kick him out the second he tried.

For a while, Harry was wondering why Sirius sometimes looks strangely towards his dad though. Especially when he's visiting early in the mornings which by now seems to be his favourite time to show up unannounced catching Severus before he put on his robe for the day and is still walking around in his pants and shirt as he usually does until after breakfast when he's at home at Spinners end. But Harry didn't have to wonder for long, with Sirius around he got "the talk" from him the second Sirius found out just how innocent his little godson was.

Today during the finals Sirius, Harry and the two Malfoys are camping. Harry was wondering about the blonds camping anywhere but as it turns out, their tent is a Manor itself with a bathroom for each of the ten rooms and a kitchen. An elf is with them too of course. There is even a small library and a potions lab.

By now Sirius can walk around freely and without any troubles. The first few months had been hard since it took some time for people to finally understand that he was not a mass murderer as they had believed. He does however like the attention he is getting now. The girls fawning over him having survived the harsh injustice he had to live through.

Fudge, who is still sucking up to Sirius to avoid Sirius suing the ministry for wrongful imprisonment, is with them when they watch the game, as he had been during the game in Spain and a few others since the world championship had started. Harry watches the Bulgarian seeker, he's better than the one from Spain had been and better then the Irish one who gets hurt from a wronsky faint during the game. Harry sighs and mumbles, "I wish I could fly against him."

"Why?" Draco asks upset, "He's ugly by the way."

"But he's fast and daring." Harry replies, "He might be a challenge. I mean, I'm thinking about quitting the house team since it's plain boring to catch the snitch when you don't have anyone playing against you."

"You have people playing against you." Draco points out.

"They don't count and you know it." Harry just waves him of. "I'm even still using my nimbus 2000 when in a game since flying THEM on my firebolt would make it even more boring!"

"Is that why you offered to borrow your firebolt to the Slytherin seeker last time?" Draco grins, "He thought you weren't serious and only wanted to insult him."

"Nope," Harry replies, "I was dead serious, but it might be an insult too, considering that I did because they aren't as good as me. They are decent, mostly, the Slytherin one better than the other two were but, still, no challenge. Wish you would take over for your seeker since I know you are better than him."

"You're just too good for school Quidditch. You should go pro!" Draco replies. "And as I said before, I don't fancy getting my ass kicked all the time. But then again, if the others are worse, I might do it to kick theirs."

"If there would be more like Krum I might go pro." Harry replies, "But remember the Spain debacle? No thank you I rather NOT play a player like that all the time."

"You'd wipe Krum's ass too." Draco points out.

"I'd like to whip it too," Sirius grins "It's hot, the rest not so much my type and he's a little young but that ass is something!"

"Sirius, do I have to tell dad again that you're talking dirty around minors?" Harry questions calmly much to Draco's surprise.

"Don't tell me your dad talked to you?" Draco asks grinning "I thought he wouldn't tell you enough to recognise dirty talking until you're 30."

"Didn't work with Siri around." Harry grins. "And to answer your question from before, I Probably would wipe his ass in a game." Harry shrugs, "But I might actually have to try to kick his ass!"

Draco just laughs, "You mean you don't even try for a house game anymore?"

"Nope." Harry sighs, "Nearly fall asleep on my broom and think about my homework. Maybe I should take some up with me next time."

"That would be even more insulting to the others than offering your better broom!" Draco laughs. "But I would LOVE to see their faces!"

"So, would I kiddo!" Sirius grins, "But you should really go pro! England would win the next championships easily. You'd single handily would win it for us!"

"We would still need a good keeper because like now, if Krum doesn't hurry to catch the little ball that is over there with the Irish beater, the red haired one, they'll lose even if he catches it!"

"That's it." Draco says, "You don't only fly better but you know where the snitch is faster than they can get the ball into the goal. Meaning, there still wouldn't have to be a good keeper or anything else."

"Yeah when I'm here I see it faster." Harry says, "But when I play I don't cheat."

"What do you mean cheat?" Sirius asks.

"I can sense the snitch with my magic but I'm keeping my magic on a leash around me when I play." Harry explains. "Wouldn't be fair to be able to feel the snitch constantly, and would make it way too boring."

"You're still seeing it quickly." Draco points out. "You're always finding it in less than 15 minutes during a game. That's why Gryffindor games are always the shortest. Did you see how long the last Ravenclaw Hufflepuff game took? They played for five hours."

"Told you they suck!" Harry just waves him off again. "But no, I really don't want to go pro, it would be too boring."

"But Harry, just think of all the hot chicks and guys you could land." Sirius grins earning himself a glare from Draco who suddenly stops to talk about going pro and rather asks Harry about his summer homework.

A little later the game had ended and the Bulgarian Seeker caught it after the Irish got enough points to win anyway. On their way back to the tent, Harry sees the Weasleys and Hermione and he and Sirius talk to them a little finding out that Fred and Gorge made a lot of money betting on this outcome. Ron also agrees that Victor Krum is the best seeker, apart from Harry maybe. Draco still doesn't seem to like Krum though and when Ron suggests that Harry should go pro, Draco changes the topic to school again with some aid from Hermione who prefers the new topic. While Sirius just grins at the blond boy who clearly wants to keep his little friend all to himself.

They are still with the Weasleys when they hear a commotion starting outside and moments later Arthur tells them to run since death eaters are attacking. Harry keeps an eye on the other kids and wonders if he should help but instead he trips and pretends to hurt his head to stay behind and see what happens and help if needed. The death eaters don't stay long, probably afraid of the Ministry employees that show up soon after. Later Harry is wondering if everyone else is okay and looks around only to see a man stand a little way and cast a spell into the sky.

Harry looks at Mouldy's mark and uses his magic to sense the man's magic wondering if he should stop him but decides against it to keep the extent of his power a secret and to see if this is going somewhere. He will however recognise him next time he senses the wizard's magic.

A little latter some from the ministry temporarily think that he, Draco, Ron and Hermione, who found him faster than the ministry employees even with the mark so close, conjured the mark.

They don't believe it for long since Arthur and Lucius are there to talk some sense into them and Harry can go home with the Malfoys and Sirius. With a sigh, Harry falls to bed that night and is still wondering about the strange man. A few days later he's even more confused than before since he had dreamed about the strange man with Mouldy and what was really strange is that Wormtail was there too and ordered to take care of the weakened Mouldy while the other had some business at Hogwarts. Mouldy did show that even weakened he was powerful enough to kill a muggle that had watched them. The strangest thing about the dream however was that he saw it from Nagini's point of view. At least he knows that it can't be true since Wormtail was caught and is in Azkaban. Of course, in a rat proof cell.

When he wakes up that morning, the first Phoenix is there just watching him. "What was this?" Harry asks her but she watches him silently before flashing away not saying anything. Harry is confused but none of the Phoenixes show up while he's at Spinners end.

Harry has already forgotten all about it when he goes to Hogwarts and is soon further distracted when Dumbledore explains about the triwizard tournament and welcomes the other schools. Seeing Krum makes Harry beam at the chance to possibly fly against him at some point.

Barty Crouch from the Ministry is also there and explains about the age restriction, causing many of the students to complain. Harry doesn't really care since he worked so hard to hide most of his abilities to at least most people, he wouldn't want to be forced to show how advanced he is considering that he hadn't learned anything in this school apart from his dad's class in two years.

He does however get curious about a man with a magical eye and a wooden leg. He walks on quietly from a small side entrance behind the head table. The celling is acting up with thunder and lightning and the wizard casts a spell towards it to calm it. Albus greets him and Harry already hears the name Mad eye Moody the ex Auror before Albus introduces him as their new defence teacher and Harry wonders if he should tell them that he's a fake and the one who had casted the dark mark into the sky recently or not.

He decides to wait since no one, not even Draco knows how easily he can feel someone's magic. On the contrary, apart from Dumbledore who touched his magic at the end of his first year for a moment, they don't know he can do it at all. If the man sucks as a teacher like Lockhart had, Harry can still bust him. He wishes Remus would have stayed but he wants to spend more time with his old friend Sirius and possibly write a book about werewolves now that he doesn't have to help Severus who mostly returns to teaching now that most Werewolves are cured. There are still some out there, like Fenrir Grayback, some like the power it gives them at least once a month and the fear they can spread.

The ministry is trying to force them with a new law especially since Sirius offered to pay for the ingredients and Severus to brew it for free it doesn't cost anything. But Fenrir never cared to much about the law to begin with and won't just come forth to drink that potion just because of some law! Sadly, Fenrir is not the only sick wizard with a kink for causing fear or for power who was turned but with strict regulations and force feeding it to caught sickos like Fenrir the disease might be extinct in a few years.

That evening, the Phoenix woman Li shows up at his bed after he drew the curtains for the night as he always does to get out for a fly unnoticed. He doesn't get to it this time though. "It's time." His friend says with her trill "The first observed you travelling in your mind on one of our sporadic check-ups. You'll understand what I meant soon but we need to teach you something first. It's going to be the last time we teach you anything. But they're also going to be the most important lessons you'll get."

Harry just sighs "Can't I go fly first."

"Fly in the morning, if you have the time." Li chuckles in her thrilled voice. "You're having multiple lifetimes to fly and get physically stronger. But unless you want to spend those regretting your friends' early deaths, you'll learn what you'll need to learn now. We only want the best for you and help you protect you from even more pain than the Muggles you lived with could inflict."

Harry looks worried but does as asked and lies down. By morning, for the first time since he met them, does he not understand everything instantly. Well he understands what he was shown but not why. He had been shown how constantly killing people had slowly caused a wizard to turn evil. He wasn't evil when it started, he was just doing his job as an executioner. But every time he killed someone, his soul was fractured! The break healed, but only slowly and usually he had to kill before the last fracture was healed. Every fracture also had left a mark on his soul. Like a scar. Eventually parts of the soul stopped working properly and the man started to enjoy power, fear and most of all death. He became cold, uncaring and selfish.

Harry felt sorry for the man after waking up and while now understanding more about the human soul and how it reacts to different things since in the end the man had not only killed for fun. He had tortured people, physically and mentally, he had kidnapped people and starved them, caused mayhem and fear wherever he went and became probably at least nearly as bad as Mouldy. Harry still doesn't know how this is supposed to help him protect his friends. He can't ask Li though since she is gone by the time he wakes up.

He doesn't have time to think about it for long since his first defence class is that day. The pretend Moody seems strict and can capture his students interest for the topic which happens to be the unforgivables. He even shows them on a spider. Using the knowledge Harry had just learned and his ability to use magic by letting his considerable amount of magic float and bend it to his own wishes and of course sense things that it touches, Harry senses the effect killing the animal has. Killing a small insect usually doesn't do anything, but with sadistic intent rather than just being annoyed by yet another bug, it does temporarily warp a soul. With spiders, it heals relatively fast, but slow enough that if done regularly and often it eventually slows the healing enough to make it seem permanently. And could turn someone cruel. But only with a malicious intent.

In this particular case though, it's already too late! This man's soul has some scaring from proper fractures, meaning he killed humans before, and ripped areas that are only partly healed meaning he either has tortured recently, extensively or often in the past. Either way Harry knows he'll have to keep a close eye on him and binds a small fraction of his own magic to this man's to know whenever he's doing any magic and what. He does consider telling someone but after a rather good lesson he decides to postpone. Harry hadn't learned anything and only done a great show of learning to overcome the imperio since he refused to embarrass himself for that sick man's amusement. But at least the others learned something from him. And after getting Quirrell dead only to get Lockhart next, Harry is rather reluctant to get rid of a decent teacher.

He does ask Li that evening if she thinks he should tell them but she tells Harry that they'll also keep an eye on fake Moody and ensure that he won't cause any damage to the children or other teachers unless it will also teach them something and even that only if the damage won't be lasting longer than a few minutes.

Harry is glad to know that everyone is safe and will wait for now. The next month he can only fly during the mornings since during the evening Li or one of the others is showing him different wizards and witches with similar lifestyles and happenings some started because they've been mistreated over years, some had due to work but they all had their soul changed. Harry also learns that even though only the first can use her magic like Harry does all of them could spread it enough to sense those things as well as others magic. Just not as easily and as a result only did when they felt the need to do it.

Dumbledore, while powerful, doesn't quite reach their power level and probably has to use a lot of his magic to do that. Which explains why Albus hadn't noticed the fake Moody. He probably hardly ever does what he did at the end of Harry's first year and only did it to see how powerful Harry was at the time.

When it finally is time for the champions to be chosen, Harry watches the show wondering if Krum will be the champion for his school. So far Harry hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him since Draco is always showing up and distracts him.

A little later the cup has chosen Flur Delacour, Victor Krum and Cedric Diggory for their respective schools and they were send to small room at the side. Harry cheered for all of them and is just as surprised as the rest when the cup chooses a fourth person. Harry watches as Dumbledore catches the paper and reads it before he glances towards Severus. Albus takes a deep breath and says the name "Harry Potter!"

Harry's jaw drops and he stares shocked towards the old man who calls out his name again saying he should come forth. Harry still stares when Hermione grabs him and pushes him to the front. Harry walks past McGonagall who gently pushes him towards the same room the others are in.

He enters and they are all looking up. "Shall we come back?" Flur asks seeing his confused and uncertain face.

"I…" Harry mumbles uncertain what to say and decides to change the topic since he rather not explain to them what happened, "I wanted to ask Krum if he'll fly with me sometime? I saw you at the finals against Ireland and you were pretty good."

"Pretty good?" He asks with his accent, "I'm the best. But I read about you after your stay in Spain. I'd like to see if you are as good as they said. But that blond boy that is always around you said you don't want to fly against me at dinner some night."

"That blond boy? Do you mean Draco?" Harry asks confused, "Because he knew that I wanted to ask you but always has something that we have to do instead!"

"Of course, he said that." Cedric grins, "He's probably jealous that you could like Krum. After all little Malfoy is nearly drooling when he's staring at your ass."

"He's not!" Harry insists, "I mean he is pretty possessive and doesn't like me having other friends but we're only friends."

"Yeah." Cedric says, "We all know that, but he's still nearly drooling over your ass whenever you don't see it since well, your eyes are on the wrong side then! Trust me, he's got it bad!"

"I agree." Krum says, "I noticed how he's looking too, which is why I asked him. I thought your boyfriend could ask you for me but he said you didn't want to."

"That's the thing," Cedric grins, "They aren't boyfriends yet! I think they'd be cute but little Malfoy is probably scared that Harry here might like you better."

Harry wishes he'd told them about his name coming from the cup instead of ending at this talk but doesn't get around to change it since the two headmasters, the headmistress, Barty Crouch, fake Moody, Harry's head of house and his dad walk into the room. "This is not fair." Madam Maxime complains. "It's not fair that you have two champions. We should get a second too!"

"Harry," Albus asks calmly, "Did you enter yourself?"

"Why would I?" Harry asks, "I hate being in the spotlight and you know it!"

"I assume then that you didn't ask someone?" Albus questions.

"No, and I doubt that would work considering the…." He's been about to say the spells I sensed around it but instead says, "the spells you probably casted to prevent that. You mentioned an age line but knowing you, I doubt that was all."

Albus looks at him over the halve moon glasses and Harry feels his magic like he had the last time when he's been in the hospital wing at the end of his first year here. Harry wasn't as experienced with moving his magic and sensing with it then and only now notices that Dumbledore, while strong enough to move it, can't sense as much as Harry or even the other Phoenixes can. He's probably barely able to get an impression of someone's magic and doesn't even know how to move his magic at a certain direction or the unique way someone's magic feels, meaning even if he would do it more often, he still wouldn't be able to expose fake Moody. Harry watches him a moment and pulls most of his own magic in and sees him look confused and grins, yeah, he can't even feel where the magic around him comes from and can only get a feel how much is around him but not from whom and if Harry pulls his own into himself enough, Albus has no idea why it's going. Well, he wouldn't have had he not noticed Harry's grin.

"That's not possible." Barty says finally pulling Harry from his thoughts. Obviously too late since he has no idea what isn't possible. "The cup can't be activated again."

'Ah' Harry thinks, 'It was still about getting more champions for themselves too.'

"Can't they just pick someone?" Harry asks.

"The cup makes a binding magical contract." Barty explains, "Those others wouldn't have it and due to that may not participate. It also means that you can't withdraw."

"Awesome." Harry grumbles wondering who made up that bull shit since there was no magic bound to his unless it was with whoever threw his own name in. It gave him an idea. He let go of his magic again to check the other three champions and indeed there is a connection between them but it seems to connect them to each other and the fake Moody. Once again Harry wonders if he should bust him since apparently Harry has him to thank for this predicament, but decides to ask his feathery friends that night first.

"He can't participate and no magical contract is binding with him since he's a minor and I didn't give my permission." Severus points out. "I don't think he should participate. He's too young."

All eyes are on Albus, all but his own who are on Harry. He had felt the change in magic and that it seemed to correspond with Harry since he looked concentrated on things whenever it rose or fell and he had grinned when Albus had noticed it meaning he had something to do with it. Harry blushes and after Albus looks at him with a curiously raised eyebrow Harry sighs and lets the man feel a little more of his own power and sees his eyes widen at the sudden increase of magic while Harry just smiles innocently at him. Albus just grins after a moment and shakes his head saying, "What do you want Harry? Would you like to participate?"

Harry looks thoughtful for a moment since he hadn't asked his Phoenix friends first but since one is in the room he looks at it and sees a tiny nod from it. Harry sighs and says, "I don't like being in the centre of attention but it seems someone wants me to participate and unless I do we won't find out who or why!"

"You can't be considering to use yourself as bait." Severus grumbles, "Albus tell him that this is a stupid idea. This is my son we're talking about."

Albus just smiles proudly at Harry and says, "Severus, if it weren't Harry, you would agree and we both know that. But Harry, I do have a condition!"

"And what would that condition be?" Harry questions.

"You stop holding back in your classes." Albus grins, "Since you'll be in everyone's focus of attention anyway, you might as well let it all out now and get them used to it while they are staring anyway and have peace after this without holding back as much as you did at least last year, possibly since your first day."

"Who said I held back?" Harry asks innocently.

"Someone with that much power, must hold back or you'd be a straight O student at least in the practical parts." Albus replies, "You shouldn't even know the word problem with simple spells that only need to be focused on to get enough power into them. Those that need a special mindset like the Patronus, could have been tricky but the rest, you must have held back considerably."

"Are you sure, I shouldn't hold back?" Harry questions.

"Positive!" Albus replies.

"I'm not sure that's safe." Harry points out.

"And why would that be?" Albus wonders.

"Because if I don't hold it back constantly, this happens." Harry grins and just let's go of most of his tightly wound magic. He lets it float around himself to its full extent, or rather just the excess, the way everyone who can't sense or move it at will does. Only the fraction that moves out freely at a constant rate. Something that Harry instinctively has learned to stop before he could think about it. Or maybe just before he remembered and from getting in trouble with the Dursley's he isn't sure but he does know that he doesn't remember a time he hadn't pulled it in. He can feel the magic flare around himself and sees everyone stare at him. He knows why. He can feel his hair move with the energy around himself.

What he doesn't know is, that his eyes are glowing with power and that the energy crackles around him causing flashes of magic to move across his body like colourful lightnings They all have a feeling like Harry's magic is starting to fill the room so completely that the pressure in the room seems to rise with it and press against their skin. "I guess we'll be competing for second?" Cedric deadpans after the first shock fades and Harry just grins at him pulling his magic in again.

"Like I said, I never use my full magic and I don't want the attention or the win." Harry grins, "I don't mind getting disqualified right before the end for having been illegally entered. But I do want to know why I'm in." Harry looks at Moody when he says that and sees him pale. "I want to know what this is about."

Severus just stares at his adoptive son in awe before he sighs, "I guess you do have a point." After that he frowns at him, "And you're grounded for not doing your best in your classes."

"Great." Harry grumbles glaring at Albus, "This is all your fault!"

Albus just grins, "Just show them what you can do and hold back just enough to keep everyone safe."

"Fine." Harry grumbles before looking at his dad "May I at least talk to Draco before I'm confined to my room?"

Severus sighs "Yes you may, you may even study with your friends after your last class until dinner."

"You know dad, I love having you around but sometimes it sucks." Harry grumbles before he looks at Dumbledore "Can I go?"

"You may all go and celebrate with your friends." Dumbledore agrees "We'll talk more about the tournament another time."

Harry runs off before anyone can say anything and his dad watches after him. Everyone but Dumbledore leaves with or right after the champions. "Do you regret being too strict now?" Albus questions.

"On the contrary. This is the first time Harry shows at least a hint of normal teenage rebellion." Severus sighs "It shows that he's getting better. And he's used to me being strict and knew it would happen should I find out that he's been doing less than his best. If I wouldn't punish him, he'd have been confused about it. He needs me to be predictable and as he said he still usually likes me being around."

Albus sighs hoping that Severus knows what he's doing but trusts him since so far, the man's care has greatly helped Harry in his recovery. He just hopes that letting Harry talk Severus into letting him participate in this tournament wasn't a mistake. The boy is powerful, much more powerful than Albus had dared to believe possible and definitely more powerful than Voldemort but he's also getting a little too confident with his power and even he could be caught off guard. What Albus doesn't know is that it was only the excess magic he sensed and that Harry was still holding most of his power inside. And such, Albus just hopes that the boy will be safe.

Harry walks to find Draco and as soon as he does he says "I talked to Krum, guess what he told me!"

Draco blushes "No idea."

Harry grumbles "He mentioned that a certain blond that is always with me told him I don't want to fly with him."

"Really?" Draco asks innocently "I wonder why he would lie to you like this? You better stay away from him he clearly can't be trusted."

Harry just frowns and says "Cedric seems to believe him. He thinks you're jealous of him and want to keep us apart."

"Hufflepuff, they believe everyone to love everyone." Draco waves it off with a blush "Just forget about it."

"Whatever," Harry sighs "I've got to go, dad found out I was holding back a little and now I'm grounded. And stay out of me flying with Krum."

"I told you, I never interfered." Draco blushes and looks upset that Harry doesn't believe him.

"Good," Harry grins, "Than keep up the good work on that."

Authors Note: Will Sirius get Severus or will Godric make a move when he notices that someone else seems to be interested in his snake? And how will the tournament go? Will Harry really be kicked out close to the end or will he win in the end since everything probably will be very easy considering that fighting a Dracon should be easy for someone who could have summoned one too or cause enough distractions or just flash to the blasted egg. He could of course also fly circles around the creature on his broom or by giving up his little secret. And what about the lessons he was learning at the start that still go on? Why are they teaching him about changes in a human soul due to torture or killing someone or even mistreatment? Why do they want him to learn about souls? Does it have to do with the Horocruxes? Will Harry learn about them soon? Will he find all of them and if yes, how will he destroy them? And what about the one in him? Is there another solution than letting Mouldy kill him and if yes how and if not will giving up the current body and getting a new one from the ashes be enough or will the Horocrux stay with him? Will it be impossible to get rid of that one or will Harry find a way? How did Wormtail get into that dream? Isn't he caught and under strict surveillance in Azkaban? But most of all, what about Harry hearing that Draco might be jealous? Will it do anything that he now starts to believe that at least maybe Draco want's more than just friendship? Will they get together during this year and if yes how? Will Harry have to save him again and now understand why he worries so much more about the blond? Or will Draco get overly worried with the tasks and the resulting talk about those open Harry's eyes about the relationship and his feelings being different from what he feels for Ron or Hermione? Or will it be something else that will help them get together and will it be in time to get to the Yule ball together or will seeing Draco with someone else cause Harry to feel jealous and fight for his beloved? Or will it only be towards the end of the tournament that Draco just kisses him after Harry was in danger yet again but comes back from a fight with Mouldy triumphantly? Will that be the missing piece to change Harry from a Shadow Phoenix to a real on and if yes, will Severus be sad that it wasn't because of him directly or will he understand that without his aid Harry wouldn't have gotten to this point at all?

The next chapter will end shortly after the yule ball and will at least let you find out if Harry and Draco will be together by then and how he'll fair with the Dragon. After that it's only one more before you'll have to wait for the Epilogue.