I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

Note: Thank you so much everyone for your kind words and thoughtful reviews. I was very nervous how yesterday's chapter would go and am grateful to see you all enjoy it for the most part. It's a very big change to the story and I really hope y'all like the direction.

I wrote a lot of chapters this week already so I'm doing an extra update and since yesterday's chapter was a bit thin, this is an extra thick one.

As always, thank you for the loves and follows, the reviews. You make this story great by reading it. Have a lovely day!

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The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 81 – Tasks and Task

"Hmm, it appears we are about to have guests."

Harry looked up from his work, intrigued by Daphne's remark. He, Daphne, Hermione, and Luna were sitting together in the courtyard studying Runes together. Luna was in the year behind them and Harry was helping her. It was still slightly sunny and not quite chilly yet, so they were taking advantage of the good weather before it truly became wet and cold. His eyebrows rose when he saw Fleur walking up to them with Aimee and Colette beside her.

Harry frowned slightly. Luna had told him later what they said to her when she introduced herself and offered her help. He never liked people that treated his friends poorly, especially Luna. With Percy's aid last year, he was able to stop her own House from bullying her. He would be more than happy to stop anyone else personally.

The three French witches stopped before them and the two groups of people looked at each other for a moment in shared awkwardness.

"Bonjour," Harry said slowly. At the looks of surprise from the three Beuaxbaton girls, he shrugged. "Luna and Hermione have been teaching me a little French here and there. But I can only say a few words and understand less."

"That explains the accent," Colette said softly to her two friends.

"And how do you expect an Englishman sound who is just learning?"

Everyone turned to look at Daphne with clear surprise. The Slytherin girl smirked, looking very smug. "Yes, I do speak it fairly well. Also, I am far less polite than Luna and I will repeat everything I hear," she said, looking directly at the French girls.

"I guess I can ask you for help in learning too," Harry said with a smile.

"I'll be happy to tutor you but I do expect payment in baked goods," Daphne said.

"So just like Luna and Hermione then."

"Hey, I didn't say I expect it," Hermione protested. "Just strongly suggested I would like some."

"Just how many girls does the Boy-Who-Lived have ensnared?" Aimee asked snarkily.

"We are his friends after all and we very much care for his well-being, to say nothing about ensnaring." Hermione glared at Aimee.

"And do NOT call him that," Luna said in a very sharp tone.

Fleur softly hissed at her friends who had the grace to look abashed. Harry looked between his friends and the other girls, concern on his face.

"I wish to apologize," Fleur said slowly. "I…we…said some not-kind words about you when you have been nothing but kind. I would like to explain myself, if I could."

"Oh, well, apology accepted but you didn't have to," Harry said. "You don't have to explain either. If it's a private reason, I don't need to know it."

Fleur bit her lip. "Normally I would not. However, I feel uncomfortable not explaining things to you for some reason." She waved her wand and conjured a very stylized bench in front of them. She and her friends sat and she took a moment to gather her thoughts.

"I am a Veela," she said finally. "Do you know what that means?"

"We went to the Quidditch World Cup," Harry replied, pointing at himself and Hermione. "We saw the Bulgarian cheerleaders."

"Ah, so you are somewhat familiar. So you know of their…abilities?"

"I remembered they danced and people watching them did dumb things," Harry said.

The French girls suppressed snorts and snickers.

"Did you?" Aimee asked.

"Oddly enough, he didn't." Hermione smirked. "Sirius, however, took his shirt and robes off and tried to climb out of the top box."

Fleur smiled. "Yes, that is the sort of thing people who are attracted to Veela will do when they are being influenced by their allure. It is an aura of sorts. People who have…amorous feelings towards Veela will feel compelled to do silly things to impress them."

Her smile died. "Because of the allure, Veela have a very poor reputation in magical societies. We are blamed for much. Some Veela take advantage of their gifts, some do not."

"I heard the allure isn't completely controlled," Daphne said thoughtfully.

"Indeed. Veela can control it a little, but we cannot completely erase it without a spell or something to aid us."

"That's not very fair," Harry frowned. "To be blamed about something you can't control."

"Not many share your viewpoint," Colette said, a little impressed by the lack of hostility from the four Hogwarts students.

"Is that why so many guys look at you funny?" Harry asked. "Is that why not even people from your own school seem to treat you well?"

"He is rather observant about some things," Daphne said to the three shocked French girls.

"Unfortunately, he is very familiar with dark looks and with people not treating him well for various reasons," Hermione added sadly.

"Really? But he's the Boy…I mean, he's Harry Potter," Aimee protested.

"Which is part of the reason he understands," Luna said. "His fame is usually incorrect and unwanted and plenty of people make unfounded accusations." She gave the French girls an arch look that clearly said "like you".

Harry smiled at her in thanks, knowing what they were talking about with her speaking in English for his benefit. He looked at Fleur. "I'm sorry for misunderstanding you. I noticed the looks you kept giving me and I thought I was making you feel uncomfortable."

"And yes, he does apologize for things even if it's not his fault," Daphne said with a sigh.

Fleur blinked slowly. "Well, you did not make me uncomfortable at all. I was looking at you oddly because you seem to be rather resistant to the allure and that's rare for me to experience."

"Perhaps you are more interested in boys?" Aimee asked cheekily. She laughed and dodged an irritable slap from Fleur.

Harry went bright red. "No! I'm not into blokes." He hid his face with his Runes text while all the witches giggled. "I, uh, don't know why I am. Resistant I mean."

"Please excuse Aimee's crudeness," Fleur said with a scowl at her unrepentant friend. "She focuses too much on things like that."

Aimee tossed her brown hair. "I am a young, beautiful woman. Why would I not be focused on romance and fun?"

"You can pretend to be proper at least," Colette scowled.

"Where's the fun in that?" Aimee retorted.

Fleur cleared her throat, throwing her friends imperious looks. "Any case, I wanted to…clear the air? Yes, clear the air. I did appreciate your help and you asking your friend to help us."

"You're welcome and I'm glad we did clear things," Harry said sincerely. "Oh, congratulations on becoming the Beauxbatons Champion. That's really exciting."

Fleur brightened. "Thank you. Yes, I worked really hard to be part of the applicants from my school. With this I have the chance that I am more than just a Delacour and a Veela. I aim to prove myself."

Daphne gave a demure smile. "As someone who also suffers under a name and has to constantly prove myself, I salute you. I wish you luck. Not too much since I should support my school of course, but I applaud your goals."

"I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to explain," Harry said. "I know it's hard to do that, especially to strangers."

Luna giggled to herself. When everyone looked at her, she spoke. "Well, out of most people at Hogwarts, Fleur came to the ones that would understand the most. I'm looney," she pointed at Hermione, "you're a very intelligent Muggle-born that stands out and is unfortunately looked down on for." She pointed at Daphne, "You're very isolated from others and also are talked about for various reasons."

Her dreamy smile turned impish. "And you have messy hair," she said to Harry, making the others laugh.

"It really is my strongest most obvious quality," Harry deadpanned.

"You should wear your tiara to distract from it," Hermione giggled.

"You have a tiara?" Daphne asked, eyes sparkling.

"It's a circlet," Harry complained.

"Hmm, I do believe we were rather wrong about him," Colette whispered softly.

"Just as good that we came to apologize," Aimee whispered back.

"And yet you two have not done that," Fleur said snidely.

The unlikely group of burgeoning friends chatted some more before they had to leave on other errands. As Harry walked away from everyone, he heard Aimee call his name. By then everyone else had scattered leaving him alone with her.

"I really am sorry," the brown-haired girl said earnestly. "I said some unkind things about you and your friend in blue."

"It's okay, really." Harry blushed lightly. "But I appreciate it."

"I'm glad you really are kind. Fleur…well you were correct. She is very nervous around strangers." Her face fell slightly. "She has difficulty making friends and people she trusts."

"I know what that's like," Harry said.

"You know, I believe you do." Aimee sighed softly. "In some ways, things have been worse since she was chosen to be Champion. There are many who would be pleased to see her fail. She stands alone for the most part, despite Colette and I's best efforts."

"I'd like to help if I can," Harry said just as softly, sincerely.

"You already have. But I'll let you know if there is anything else you can do."

-0-

"Hey Harry!" Ron flopped down beside Harry in the common room. "I'm going to go onto the grounds for a while. Want to come?"

"I can't," Harry said with a sheepish smile. "I have to finish this Runes essay and really want to get a handle of this Banishing Charm Professor Flitwick talked about. Then I was going to spend a little time in the kitchens."

"Oh making something?"

"Yep, and yes I'll make extra for you."

"Wicked, thanks!"

"Why are you just wandering about?" Harry asked.

"Charlie's here! All of us Weasleys are going to go hang out with him for a while."

"Oh that's nice, say hello for me. Actually, if I finish baking fast enough, I'll try to find you all. Did he never go back to Romania after the Cup?"

"No he did, he's just back for work. He brought over some dragons."

Harry looked at his friend closely. "He brought over dragons?"

"Well him and his co-workers but yeah."

Harry's brow creased in thought. "Do you think he brought them for the Tournament?"

Ron looked nonplussed. "You know, I never asked him but I bet he did. Bloody hell. I have no desire to go against a dragon." He looked troubled. "Do you think the Champions know?"

Harry looked unsure. "I don't know but I doubt it. The tasks are supposed to be a surprise."

Ron's eyes narrowed. "But I saw that Kackadoo guy wandering around the forest."

"Karkaroff? The Durmstrang Headmaster?" Harry frowned when Ron nodded. "He must be trying to cheat for his school."

"That tosser." Ron looked mutinous. "Should we tell someone?"

Harry shook his head. "It'd be our word against his."

Ron sighed. Then he smiled slightly. "Well, what if we did the same thing?"

"What, tell Dumbledore to wander around the forest?"

"Well not exactly. What if I just mentioned to Cedric that Charlie's around school? Like, casually. Say they can catch up on Quidditch stuff cause they're both Seekers."

Harry grinned. "And if Cedric figures out why a dragon handler and researcher is around randomly, it isn't our fault now is it?"

"And if anyone says it is, it's their word against ours," Ron said with an equal grin.

-0-

Katie stared at the array of books and notes around her, feeling more than a little overwhelmed. She had known the O.W.L. year would be difficult, but she was starting to panic a little. She was a good student, did not earn the highest marks but she always did well. Yet knowing her future prospects depended on these tests that went over five years' worth of information was daunting.

It did not help that she was still fighting with Leanne. They had repaired their friendship somewhat over the summer but the problem never really went away. Now that they were back at school in their separate Houses, it made things worse. She felt bad about even calling it a problem but it was still a point of contention. Not to mention she was still peeved that the problem was such a cliché one.

Then she had her career prospects meeting with McGonagall that went disastrous. Apparently an eloquent shrug and a look of confusion and panic were not acceptable answers to "what do you want to do with your life". Unlike most people, Katie still was a little unsure what she wanted to do career-wise. She had things she liked of course, but was not sure what her so-called 'passion' was. She loved Quidditch but not enough to want to play it professionally.

She adored her mother and was proud of her mother's work, but she knew she did not have the drive nor the credentials for it. She did well in school but not to the degree that a true Healer needed. She loved to help people and would like to be in the Healer field, but she also wanted to have a life away from the job. Too many times, Samantha brought her work home with her.

She rested her head on the table, trying to fight against the waves of panic and sadness, tried to fight the feeling of the world pressing down on her.

She felt something wriggle against her cheek and she almost snapped her head up. Before she did, she recognized the rich scent of chocolate, the faint sweetness of raspberries, and she smiled as she felt the unwrapped bar of chocolate being pushed towards her.

"You really are the best Harry," she said as she bit into the chocolate, her voice muffled by table and food. She finally raised her head and smiled gratefully at her friend. "You always show up when you're needed with the right thing."

Harry smiled. "Maybe that's my superpower. Does the Wizarding World have superheroes?"

"What's a superhero?"

"It's someone with special powers and they use them to save people and fight super villains. Like Superman is super strong and tough and can fly. Batman is smart and fights crime even though he's mostly normal."

"Superman sounds super arrogant," Katie giggled. "And is Batman part bat?"

"No, he just dressed like one and uses a bat as a symbol."

"Well that's just silly. No, we don't have anything like that. People talk about witches and wizards that did exist and were really great at things though." She ate more chocolate. "I'll call you Super Harry if you want."

Harry stuck his tongue out in distaste. "That sounds terrible, no thank you." He laughed with her. "Is everything okay?" he asked, his amusement turning into concern."

Katie sighed. "Yes and no. Just feeling the pressure from O.W.L.s, fighting with Leeanne again, worrying about Lyla but you've been such a good friend to her so that's helped a lot. And I just got back from my career meeting with McGonagall."

"She didn't approve of your career choices?"

"Well, I didn't have any so," Katie shrugged pathetically. "I have no idea what I want to do."

Harry looked at her for a moment before fishing out some parchment and a quill. "Let's do what Oliver would suggest."

"Go play Quidditch?"

Harry snickered. "Well yes that. But he was a big fan of lists. Let's make a list of pros and cons or likes and not-likes."

Katie smiled. "Sure, why not."

Harry wrote down things Katie said and soon they had a list of things she was interested in, things she was not, and a question-mark category.

"Hmm, seeing it all written out, I still have no idea," she joked feebly.

Harry chewed on the end of his quill. "Hey I have a question. What's the difference between a Medi-Witch or Wizard and a Healer?"

"A Healer is like your general medical professional. They can treat all sorts of illnesses and injuries, do a lot of procedures, and stuff like that. There are specialized Healers of course like Potion Healers or Trauma Healers, but they are more broad in their skills.

"Medi-Magicals are sort of more specialized Healers where they focus on one thing specifically. Like Mum is technically both, but she specializes with kids. She did her basic Healer training and education but loved working with kids so she specialized in that."

"That's interesting. Can you be a Medi-Magical without being a Healer?"

"Yeah, depending on the field. You can do apprenticeships and special programs to get your license in that field. Some you have to be a Healer too, but not all of them."

Harry drew a line on Katie's lists connecting Medi-Magical and Quidditch. "Oliver told me that every League team has their own team Healer or Medi-Magical to treat injuries and help them exercise and things. He said the best ones played before."

He looked at her and blushed a little. "You're very caring and smart. I know you love Quidditch but don't really want to play professionally. This way you could still be involved with Quidditch and do something you're good at. Only if you want of course," he finished hurriedly.

Katie stared at him.

Harry blushed deeper and looked down at the table. "I'm sorry, I only wanted to help and suggest something-"

She grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him on both cheeks. "Harry, you're a genius!"

His smile brightened. "Really?"

"Yeah! It's perfect! I could be a team Medic and I think the credentials are a little lighter than full Healers and I think I might be able to get into the N.E.W.T.s classes if I do well on O.W.L.s. I need to go check with McGonagall and oh! Can I borrow Hedwig? I want to send Mum a letter and ask her what she thinks!"

"Of course! I'm sure she'd love to help."

"Thanks Harry! I'm so excited now. You're a lifesaver!" She got up and ran half way to the door before running back. She kissed him on the cheek again. "Maybe you're my superhero," she said with a huge smile and ran off.

Harry sat there dumbfounded and more than a little happy, as well as something else he could not quite identify, but he liked how it made him feel.

-0-

That night Katie tackled Harry onto a couch and squeezed him tight.

Angelina grinned at the sight. "Usually it's the other way 'round."

"Harry, have you been giving Katie baked goods that you haven't been giving us?" Alicia asked with a gimlet glare.

Katie smile was from ear to ear. "Harry practically saved my future today."

Harry's face looked like a tomato. "I wouldn't go that far," he protested.

"Take credit where it's due," Katie said firmly. She looked back at the smirking Chasers. "I had a disastrous meeting with McGonagall about my future career prospects and was feeling really put out. Harry and I talked and gave me the awesome idea of trying to be a team Medic and specialize in Sports Healing."

"Whoa! That is perfect for you," Angelina gushed.

"A blend of your interests!" Alicia praised.

"So I ran back to ask McGonagall and she thought it was a great idea. She agreed my good marks in Charms would help a lot and if I bring up my Transfiguration, then that would help a lot too. Normal Healers have to do great in Potions but she thinks I might be able to get away with decent scores in it since team Medics treat sport injuries and any long-term potion management can be handled by another Healer or specialist. I can always work on that in the field too."

Katie held up a letter. "I wrote a letter to Mum and she replied so fast! She was as excited as me and she thinks it's a great idea too! She even knows team Medics and programs that specialize in Quidditch medicine. So if I do well in Charms and work hard on Transfiguration and Potions, I'll meet the minimums!"

The Chasers hugged and squealed. Angelina and Katie got into a discussion on what team Katie would want to work with and Alicia rolled her eyes at the inevitable Quidditch talk. She sat by a grinning Harry and hugged him fondly. "When did you get so smart?" she teased.

Harry hugged her back. "I had good role models."

-0-

The first time the dragon roared, everyone watching went horribly silent.

It was the First Task and everyone watching learned that each Champion had to face a dragon. Not just a dragon, a nesting-mother dragon. Essentially the time when a dragon was especially protective and belligerent. The Champion not only had to survive the encounter, they had to steal a Golden Egg from the dragon's nest.

At first, the other students treated things like a carnival of sorts. Lots of laughing and chatting with some unsanctioned betting with one another. They filled the stands, showing off who they supported with tokens or clothes or things. The students bragged to each other about their favorites. Some were sour, claiming they should be down there to represent their school, that they could do better than the chosen Champions.

The roar of the Swedish Short-Snout put all the noise into silence.

It seemed terribly real now. Any magical knows what a dragon was, even Muggles had an idea of what dragons were. It was easy to read about them, to see them from afar, to learn about them.

To see one so close, to hear it breath, to feel their magical and physical strength in close proximity, was far more educational than the sterility of textbooks.

When Cedric walked out of the tent, he was treated to a deluge of applause. The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students clapped politely but the Hogwarts students cheered for their Champion. Under the cheers, there was a note of hysteria. Cedric was well-liked among most students and none truly wanted to see him be hurt. There was worry in the cheer. Fear. Dread.

Angelina stared at the dragon with horrid fascination. She saw Cedric face the giant magical creature. That could have been me…

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her with frantic strength. Harry buried his face into her shoulder as he gripped her tight. He held her like he was trying to protect her, to remind himself that she was there. "I'm really glad you're not down there," he said into her shoulder. She felt tears moistening her shirt.

She hugged him back with desperate strength. "Me too," she confessed.

Cedric stood still for long moments before he moved slowly, almost mechanically. As he cast his spells, he began to breath more easily. Cedric spent his time changing various rocks into a variety of animals. Then he sent them straight at the dragon, moving in all sorts of ways. The dragon, distracted by the myriad of targets, rose from her nest, snapping and biting.

Cedric ran in and snatched up the egg, running as fast as he could away from the dragon's inevitable retaliation.

The Short-Snout saw Cedric fleeing with what she thought was one of her eggs. Prevented by the chains to give chase, she breathed a stream of blue fire at him. He dove out of the way but a flicker of flame caught his side and face and he screamed in pain.

The crowd screamed with him.

The handlers ran out, subduing the dragon while medics doused him with a thick white foam summoned from their wands. After a moment of terrible silence, Cedric rose to his feet without assistance. He waved with his unburnt arm and the crowd screamed in relief.

The watchers chatted with relief as the handlers swapped out the dragons and placed another gold egg inside the nest. Cedric, bandaged and daubed with cream, came out and received his scores to applause.

Krum stomped out next. His cheers and applause were beyond enthusiastic. Students from all the schools, not to mention the media, cheered and roared their approval for the international Quidditch star.

He looked at the long crimson-scaled Chinese Fireball with barely any emotion. The dragon stared back. Every breath was accompanied by tendrils of smoke and cinders.

Krum raised his wand and said something in his language. A jet of scarlet light struck the dragon right in the eyes. The dragon's spine arched and it screamed horribly, her head swayed from side to side, her tail whipped the air in frenzy and pain. The Fireball fell over and rolled in obvious agony, crushing some of the real eggs.

Krum braved the undulating body and ran in, scooping the golden egg up without breaking stride, clearing the wounded dragon and reaching safety. The handlers ran to the dragon, trying to calm it down while others cried out as they looked at the broken eggs.

The Durmstrang Champion looked unapologetic at the broken eggs. Instead he looked satisfied at his performance, bowing to the applause and cheers that rained down on him. He ignored the questions of the Medi-Magicals, choosing to approach the judge's table for his score. He scowled when his scores were reduced and Karkaroff was incensed that the broken eggs had cause his Champion to lose points. However, Krum ended up as the new lead, barely beating Cedric.

"I wonder what that spell was," Alicia remarked. "Dragons are notoriously tough. I guess their eyes are one of their few weak-points."

"Poor thing," Hermione said sadly, looking at the keening dragon. "I hope she'll be okay…"

It took longer for the handlers to take the suffering dragon from the arena and reset the ground. They placed more eggs in the nest and placed a third golden egg in the middle. Finally, the Welsh Green dragon was brought out and it sat possessively over the eggs.

Fleur stepped into the arena.

She took one look at the dragon and stopped. She breathed deep, steeling herself.

Her appearance had a very different reaction than her previous two competitors. Before, Cedric and Krum received cheers and applause unstinting, especially Krum. Fleur's received next to none. Some polite claps. Two voices rang out, Aimee and Colette, but their vocal support sounded thin by themselves.

Harry frowned as he looked around him. He saw that none of the Durmstrang students had applauded at all, chatting amongst themselves. The Beauxabatons students, aside from Colette and Aimee, had pretended to or gave one or two limp claps. Some even had the gall to look on in glee at the circumstances. The Hogwarts students had clapped politely, but far less for her, and far less did even that little.

Harry stood and filled his lungs. "ALLEZ FLEUR DELACOUR!" he cried into the open air.

Everyone turned to stare at him in open astonishment.

Aimee and Colette smiled wide with sparkling eyes. Fleur looked beyond surprised, her jaw fell open. The Beauxbatons students looked on incredulously. The Durmstrangs stared. The Hogwarts students whispered.

"DELACOURS S'ELEVER AU-DESSUS!" he yelled, knowing he butchered the pronunciation but not caring. He had asked Aimee if the Delacour family had a family saying or motto. He liked the sound of 'Delacours rise above' as a saying.

"DELACOURS S'ELEVER AU-DESSUS!" Aimee and Colette screamed with much better pronunciation but equal fervor.

Hermione and Luna cried out "Allez!" a moment later and then Harry's closest friends clapped and cheered loudly, lending their voices and hands to join him.

Fleur's smile outshone the sun. She held her skirt in one hand and did a formal leg, half-bow half curtsy. She saluted them with her wand and when she faced the dragon, she had no more hesitation.

"Why'd you do that?" Ron asked Harry a moment later.

"Not even her own school was cheering for her," Harry replied. "It's not right."

"But she's an enemy," Ron protested.

"No, she's a competitor. There's a difference." Harry looked down into the arena. "Despite her being a competitor, she deserves people cheering her on and believing in her." He sighed. "I know what it's like when everyone is against you. She isn't lucky enough to have a team and more than a couple friends fighting for her."

Ron did not say anything else.

The Welsh Green glared down at Fleur, utterly unimpressed by her.

Fleur glared back. Then she started to trace an intricate pattern with her wand. She started to sing. Her voice gained in strength as she moved the wand in the pattern over and over. She sang in French and though he did not understand a word, it sounded very pretty to Harry.

The dragon's eyes followed the path of the wand. It rose slightly, wings mantled, tail lashed. However, the dragon began to change, to relax. Her eyelids drooped, her wings smoothed out, her tail became languid. Fleur continued to sing, walking slowly to the dragon.

"She's charming the dragon!" Hermione squeaked.

"That's hard right?" Harry asked.

"Hard? Dragons are immune to most forms of magic. She somehow modified a sleep charm and is doing something to amplify the charm and her singing. It's honestly incredible." Hermione's eyes were wide. "I have to ask her later what's she's doing."

As Fleur reached the nest, the dragon was almost completely asleep. She settled down on all fours, her tail coiling about her. The dragon's maw opened in an impressive yawn and with a soft snort, it fell asleep. When the dragon snored, a gout of greenish flame spurt out and Fleur's skirt caught on fire.

She hastily put it out with a bit of water from her wand. She threw a hurried glance at the dragon but she slumbered on. Fleur immediately picked up the golden egg and ran from the nest, picking her steps carefully to not cause any noise. Once she reached the safety zone of the arena, everyone cheered this time.

Fleur gave a wave that was practically disinterested to the crowd but she smiled warmly at Colette and Aimee, at Harry and his friends around him. Medics checked her for injury but the damage was only sartorial. When the judges revealed her scores, she had comfortably taken first place.

Ludo Bagman, announcer for the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the Head of the Department of Games, congratulated the Champions and announced that the next Task would be in February. With that, the First Task was over and people began leaving the stadium in droves, chatting wildly about what they saw.

Harry and his friends waited for the crowd to thin out more, resting in the stands. Hermione scribbled on her wax tablet, questions she wanted to ask Fleur when she could with Alicia and Luna also interested.

Angelina shivered. "I really am glad I wasn't chosen as Champion. I probably would have fainted if I knew I had to go against a dragon." She pulled Harry closer as the boy hugged her again. "Nope, I rather be here watching and shaking from fear."

The twins looked pale themselves. "Yeah, guess it's just as good that we failed too," they said in unison.

Finally, Harry and the others left the stands, walking down the steps and onto the grounds.

"Psst!" Aimee poked her head out from around the corner of the stands. She waved at them, beckoning them closer.

As Harry rounded the corner, he found himself enveloped by a pair of arms. He stiffened automatically, going rigid and resisting the urge to push and run.

"Thank you so much Harry!" Fleur was so ecstatic and flush from victory, she immediately did not realize Harry's reaction to her touch. All of a sudden, she did and she relaxed her grip, leaning back and looking at Harry in surprise with a slightly hurt expression. "Harry? Are you well?"

Aimee and Colette saw the face that Harry made and looked at each other with surprise.

Harry looked sheepish and smiled weakly. "I'm sorry, you just surprised me," he said. By now the others arrived and the girls were giving Fleur hostile looks. Ron and the twins looked a little glassy-eyed but they too were suspicious of what was going on. He waved at them with one hand while awkwardly patting Fleur's arm with his other.

Fleur stepped back, releasing him. Confusion replaced her hurt expression and she chewed her lip worriedly. "Have I…hurt you?" she asked with a softness that no one had heard her speak with before.

"No!" He shook his head. "No, I mean, I have a thing about being touched when surprised. You couldn't have known." He plastered a large smile over his face. "Congratulations on the First Task! First place, that's incredible!" Following his lead, the Chasers, the twins, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ginny, Lyla, and Mirabelle offered their congratulations too.

Fleur smiled. "Thank you. I am surprised my own self at how well it worked. I assume one of my friends taught you the Delacour saying?"

"They did, and that Allez was a cheer or encouragement. How badly did I mispronounce the words?" he asked with a self-depreciating smile.

"I would hesitate to buy any meat from you from that butchering," Colette giggled. "But honestly, not completely indecipherable."

"Hey, I only said it a few times," Aimee defended. "The fact that he sort of remembered it is very good."

"It was the encouragement I needed. Thank you." She slowly held her hand up. She felt much better when Harry took it without hesitation.

"I'm glad. You deserve some cheers," Harry said sincerely. "I know what it's like to face huge odds without a lot of support."

They started walking back to the school. Hermione and Alicia began asking Fleur questions about her spell and her wandwork. The twins and Angelina even showed a lot of interest in listening to her describe what she said. Ron, Ginny, and Harry listened too but they carried on a conversation on the side. Katie walked hand in hand with Lyla and Mirabelle.

Aimee gave Colette a look and shared a nod. Aimee gently drew Luna aside. "May we ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why did Harry react like that? When Fleur hugged him?" Aimee asked.

"Does he find a beautiful woman's touch to be painful? Which would be strange considering most of his friends are female," Colette said with forced levity.

Luna's typical airy countenance faded and looked sad. "That is information that is not mine to tell, not without his permission. He may never give it either, he's very private. I will only say Harry needs to trust you to feel comfortable with your touch."

The girls shared another uncomfortable look.

"Okay, well, then what about what he said last? About knowing what it is like to not have a lot of support?" Colette asked.

"Harry has gone through terrible things. He's been blamed for a lot that he had nothing to do with. The people you see now, the older ones, are the friends that have always supported him and he relies on us as much as we rely on him."

"Really? But I thought he was the…thing you told me to not call him," Aimee said. "I thought he was beloved by the British."

"Beloved? They love an idea of him, an image. Only the people here and a few others know who he really is."

Colette and Aimee looked at each other again. "No wonder Fleur is drawn to him, even if she won't admit it," Aimee said thoughtfully. "He really does seem like he understands."

"It's like when moon frogs cluster around a starred fish." Luna blinked at Colette and Aimee's obvious confusion. "The starred fish soothes them with its song and reminds them that they aren't alone."

The Beauxbatons pair did not know what to say to that, but they did find some comfort in the words as they walked back with the rest.

-0-0-0-

FanfictionFanGirl59 - It's good to see you. I haven't seen you around lately. Hope you are doing well.

Padawanjarjar - Thank you for the encouragement. I felt like some things I've been obvious about, but what one finds obvious may not be the case.

SvenHPotterFan - Dialogue and character interactions is a big reason I do this fic so I'm glad you like them. As for the ball, you'll find out in a couple more chapters.

alix33 - Neither have I, but it soudns tasty.

Penny is wise - Thank you, I'm glad you like it.

SilverLightning26 - That's fair to feel. Rest assured, there will be situations for the family to comfort him and support him, it just won't be about the tournament.

Urgwaew - I wanted to show that they all still care about each other, despite growing up some and changing some. I didn't want to wave away one of the core conccepts of the fic after time has passed. I want them to continue to grow together, to care, to comfort. I always thought Fleur was a deeply lonely person. She is someone that is looked down upon for many reasons and I want to give her a chance to shine and to come to terms with it.

It's fair to be disappointed but I'm happy to hear that you came to a different conclusion after thinking about it. Don't worry, the tournament will still be there, just more in the background but I did make some changes that hopefully will breathe new life. And there will still be plenty of opportunity for them fussing over him. You have a lovely day too.

magitech - Nope, no testing or games anymore like that.

D.J. Scales - Nope, no curse this Halloween.

Trafalgar-D 122 - Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed.

Guest - Not a seer really. I definitely put that line in their as a cheeky fourth wall break. I used to write dense paragraphs in my past things, and have really tried to write more focused paragraphs. I want to expound and expand, but do it in a way that shows purpose. I am so happy to hear you say that. Thank you.

Imaginer.012 - I'm glad I could entice you to read the whole thing and impressed how fast you binged through it. I don't know when I will actually finish this fic, as of today I am mostly through fourth year so it may take a while yet. I'm glad you like the mental health aspects too. Mental health is one of those things that should be talked about more, that more people share in mental pain than they think. So I'm glad you like those moments. Comfort is a big thing for me too, and I like showing care and comfort.

yogibears - Yes, it's implied that the Diary Horcrux tore the Harry Horcrux from him, but it will be addressed eventually. I'm glad you are still enjoying things and are still along for the ride.

Maya Grey - I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying the change. I do like Snape as a character and I'm hoping to make him a believable character in my story. Same with Luna and the Slytherin girls. I want to give them a chance to shine and grow in different ways. Thank you for reading.