A/N: Hey everyone! Welcome back to another story, this one a commissioned fic for 5Firehawk!

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Bold = Parseltongue

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October 31, 1994

"Go on," Daphne whispered despite all the eyes in the room being on the two of them. "Harry, you need to go. I'll wait for you."

Those words of reassurance were what he needed on some level, as with them, he stood up on legs that felt like they were made of jello and began walking towards the back room where the other 'champions' had gone. He didn't feel remotely on their level, especially with his lack of fighting prowess that he knew would be necessary for any form of chance in a tournament based around fighting; they could deny that latter piece of information all they wanted, but he read the previous records.

Death after death after death. That occurred whilst under the 'protection' of numerous Professors considered the best in their fields… which showed Harry how well the wizarding world evolved and cared about its youths. While Muggles weren't much better considering their planet-spanning wars, at least they tried to keep children safe.

"Harry? What're you doing here, do they need us?" Cedric asked, standing up and moving towards the younger boy.

He shook his head. There weren't any words Harry particularly wanted to say to Cedric, and he certainly wouldn't be saying anything to the other two in the room either; Fleur and Viktor, their names were, if he recalled correctly.

Really, his mind was running amuck after hearing his name read by Professor Dumbledore. The only reason he'd been fine was Daphne, and Daphne's name hadn't been called alongside his. As such, he doubted he could bring a friend into the various tasks.

Merlin, I should've taken those duelling lessons with her more seriously, Harry thought belatedly, the realisation that he'd missed them very bothersome.

"Harry?" Cedric asked again, only this time he was close enough to put a hand on either of the younger boy's shoulders.

"No. No, they don't need you," Harry finally said after he swallowed nothing, the action a reflex more than anything else. "I… I've been selected too."

Cedric looked over his shoulder at the other two and then he leaned in closer to Harry. "You're not kidding around, right?" Cedric whisper-asked, picking up on how quiet Harry had made his voice and doing the same to afford the young lad some privacy.

"I wish I was," Harry said as he brought a hand up to rub at the back of his neck. "Professor Dumbledore read my name when it came out on a slip of paper. I didn't do it, Ced, you would've heard everyone talking about me visiting the Goblet considering the number of people camped out at it."

"I believe you, Harry. We've practised and played with each other enough times for me to know you're not a liar — well, you're a horrible one when you try," Cedric chuckled, hoping to make the younger boy a bit more at ease but when that failed, he smiled and patted his shoulder. "We're teammates then, aren't we?"

"No, I'm afraid you're not, for our young friend Harry was entered into the tournament under the guise of a fourth school," Professor Dumbledore said, his entrance quiet and his presence only a few feet from the two boys equally so. "Harry, would you mind accompanying an old man for a stroll through the halls? I find myself in need of a conversation I'm sure'll be most enlightening."

Harry looked to Cedric and saw the boy was already watching him. He gave a smile that conveyed everything was alright — despite it not being so — and turned to face Professor Dumbledore completely. The two of them got along well, especially with the assistance the Professor had given him in his earlier years, and so he figured the older man would aid him once more.

"Yes Professor," Harry said as he made his way over to the man and slipped an arm through the Professor's offered one.

"Mister Diggory, I believe the others will be in for you and the other champions shortly. If I may, I do believe a bit of discretion on behalf of Mister Potter would be most appreciated," Professor Dumbledore said over his shoulder towards the older boy, and when he received a nod, he smiled kindly.

With that, Harry and Professor Dumbledore were off to begin their walk.

Thankfully, Harry wouldn't be completely alone for it.


"Headmaster," Daphne greeted when the two emerged, the Great Hall already back to its usual chattering with the more studious pupils making their exits.

"Good evening, Daphne," Dumbledore greeted, his eyes dancing between Harry and the aforementioned girl with a wonderous quality. "Ah, a friendship of the truest, purest kind. It's a wonderful thing, isn't it?"

With those words, Dumbledore set off with Harry again, but only after the man gave the subtlest of nods to Daphne to tag along.

Harry knew there was a reason he liked the Headmaster so much despite the errors he'd had in regards to his safety.

Once the trio were far enough away from any populated portion, Harry broke the silence. "Professor Dumbledore," he began, "I don't understand. I didn't enter my name, sir, Daphne can tell you that too. I never even set foot in the room. Somebody's af—"

Dumbledore raised a hand and despite how small of an action that was, Harry went quiet. Respect for his Professor was something he had in spades… that, and he knew when to shut up because somebody smarter and with more experience was speaking.

"I know, Harry. Many and more had tried to cheat their way into the tournament, I should know, with how many students seemed to copy my wonderfully grown beard," Dumbledore chuckled to himself and turned serious again when Harry didn't give such a reaction. "I'm afraid there's no way for me to remove you from a magically-binding contract without the loss of your magic or life. I do believe you're correct in the motives of attempting harm on you, for only a wizard more powerful than a simple school-child would have needed to fool such an old cup and powerful ward."

From that point on, Dumbledore would assure him that his safety would be paramount and that assistance, while banned, could still be and would always be given to those who needed it. Harry wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but he figured he'd trust his Professor. He'd never led him astray before.


"That was a quicker conversation than I'd have thought," Daphne remarked when the Professor was completely gone, his long robes no longer visible around the corner he'd turned.

"Yeah," Harry said dryly. "I was hoping he could get me out with him being the greatest wizard since Merlin. You think… you think we could have some more lessons? I know you were trying to study on your own from time to time considering how poor I am in regards to what you like, but— "

Daphne looked around for a second or so, if that, before her hand found his and she pulled him along with her. "I've helped you year after year since first we became friends, Harry. Did you really think you needed to ask for my help now that you've found yourself in more trouble than ever before?" Daphne shook her head at him, a small smile on her face as she swung their still connected hands between them. "Unfortunately for you, I'll be stuck to your side until the year is over — perhaps longer, depending on how unlucky you continue to be."

"I wish I could live with you," He blurted.

She blinked at him. Daphne seldom spoke of her home life, though he knew it was similar to his in the sense that it wasn't remotely decent. Her family was dark, after all; the followers of Voldemort could never be all that pleasant to be around.

"Thanks, I meant… sorry. Just feeling a bit worried right now," Harry corrected, smiling at her and swinging their hands as she'd previously done.

That seemed to suffice for Daphne, and so the pair continued their walking until they bumped into an unlikely duo who 'swore on their lives' they'd not been waiting for Harry and Daphne.

I'll believe Tracey the same day Voldemort stays dead.

"You two were holding hands," Tracey said, initiating the group's conversation with those few pointedly said words.

Daphne nodded, uncaring. "Friends hug, hold hands and kiss one another on the cheek or forehead all the time. I don't find that indicative of anything."

"Defensive Lioness, aren't you?" Tracey shot back, beaming when Daphne's face morphed into a small frown — the former girl was smart enough to step behind her taller, stronger friend before she spoke up again. "Millicent and I were hoping we'd catch the two of you, actually. Cedric's looking for Harry, the other two Champions are too, but more importantly, we figured we'd tell you that most of the school isn't all that happy with you right now, Harry."

"They think you're stealing the show from Hufflepuff and Cedric," Millicent said, picking up for Tracey when the girl needed a breather. "Despite you going through a fair few things — things you're incredibly reluctant to speak about — they still don't care to see you as the person we've come to know you as. Don't be surprised if Malfoy attempts another prank or what have you, now that public opinion isn't in your favour."

Harry shrugged. "I don't think he'll try anything, not after last time, but thank you both. It was wicked of you two to warn me."

"That's what friends are for," Tracey said with an innocent smile and cheery tone before she switched her attention back to Daphne. "Only friends too, promise. He's still yours."

No action was taken by Daphne in response to Tracey's teasing, for the latter girl's friend wisely began to pull her away. "Had we all been in the same house, I'm sure you'd be allowed to tease Greengrass at further length. Unfortunately, since that isn't the case and you've still not mastered manners, we'll be off — be careful, Harry, and talk later, Daphne."

Millicent's apology and her farewell were done quickly, Tracey struggling in her arms the whole way until they too were gone around a corner. Unlike the Professor, however, they were still very audibly nearby. That little fact didn't stop Daphne and him from continuing on with their walk, but following that, there was little of importance that came up.

Well, except for the schedule, if it could be called as much.

He and Daphne would be spending whole days together going forward. They'd find a secluded spot, take out as many books from the library or, in the case of Daphne, her familial library, and go through them. There were likely dozens, hundreds really, of spells that they could find to help him.

So that was their goal from that point on.


November 13, 1994

"Merlin," Harry said under his breath with air still coming into his lungs rapidly as he raced through the halls with Daphne at his side. "Thanks, Daphne… really… something seemed off… about her."

Daphne halted, making him do much the same, and pulled him into the nearest classroom once she knew it was empty. She turned on him once the door was closed. "Everybody knows about Rita Skeeter. She's horrible, a parasite and unless one has the means to control what she edits out or otherwise mentions. Blackmail or money in large part is what keeps her from doing anything harmful to one's career — I assumed you'd not done either for her, which is why I made an excuse that you were urgently needed."

"Won't she come back for me then?" Harry asked, looking over his shoulder at the door behind him with a worried look on his face.

Rita wasn't overly scary. There wasn't anything intimidating — physically speaking — about the woman, but her gaze and the way the other tributes avoided her… Well, suffice to say Harry had learned enough in the scant few seconds he'd known the woman. Those other Champions of his were especially helpful considering their lack of hiding anything thus far.

"Rita doesn't have permission to wander the school," Daphne said, withdrawing the books they would study from and laying them out upon one of the many old desks. "She'll never have that level of freedom whilst at Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't allow it, and even if she by some chance did talk her way into all-access, she'd still have to find you. I do believe with our privacy charms and the wards you're capable of putting up, it'd be no easy task to a woman whose magic is still near our level."

Harry nodded a few times, his confidence restored. Next, he took his seat, his eyes solely on Daphne as she edged herself closer to him so that they could share the book she'd brought.

"Offensive Magic," Daphne told him. "That's all this tome contains, spell after spell. You'd be wise to notice that the writing style is mine too, for I put this tome together in the hopes that I could one day pass it along to my family. Astoria would've been a wonderful recipient, but her pursuit of knowledge or strength ceases at the point in which her life would be comfortable."

"You're not giving this to me, are you?" Harry asked, his tone slightly stricken as he looked at a book that was undoubtedly filled with years of writing and references; he couldn't take it, least of all when a good portion of the spells within weren't found in Hogwarts or official curriculum.

"I am," Daphne said with one hand coming to rest upon her hip while the other flipped open the book onto the seventy-seventh page. "We'll start here. It's further in so that you can avoid my earlier writing from when I was in my first and second years. Should you care to read those earlier portions — you're an inquisitive person, don't act surprised that I got that — do so on your own time."

Harry smiled toothily at Daphne and nodded a fair few times. She was being nice, very nice, but she would always need to counterbalance that in some way. Her rough outer layer, one that showed a girl quick to anger and lock others out, was hiding the inner portion of her that loved to help those who couldn't find strength alone.

That was how they'd met.

"Thanks, Daph, really," Harry said when the goofy smile of his was gone. "It means a lot to me, especially with how much work you've put into this."

He began to put it away then, but one dainty, cool hand stopped him from doing so when it took control of his wrist.

"What're you doing?" She asked him curiously, a small smile once more coming to rest on her face.

"Putting the book in my satchel, we're st- oh, we're using that instead of all these other ones now, aren't we?" Harry hung his head slightly, nearly letting the useless thing hit the table when he realised he'd been a touch stupid.

Daphne nodded rather than spoke, and her hold of his wrist was stopped when she pulled her hand back to her side.

"Page seventy-seven, don't forget," Daphne said, a small grin on her face as she watched him.

He opened the book to the page she'd previously mentioned and then looked at her again. "I thought you said these types of spells took a bit more than the others we're currently spending time on?"

"I did say that," Daphne agreed, her chair now close enough to his that their legs were touching as she pointed out a specific paragraph in the top-left most corner of the left page. "This spell, as you can see by my notes, requires constant practice, not unlike those advanced healing spells you've been working on. While we both know it's not your forte, if we're to get you further ahead, a lot further ahead, we can't continue teaching you at such a slow pace — in other words, Harry, we can't afford to have you learn what you'd like to rather than what you need to."

It was a bitter potion to drink, but he knew Daphne was right. When wasn't she?

Still, it didn't make him any happier knowing that he'd have to stop his learning of healing magic and the other sorts just so that he could stay alive in a tournament he hadn't entered himself into in the first place.

"We'll do it, then," Harry said, smiling at her again to convey how thankful he was for her help.

He knew how many times he would've been well and truly fu—

The door slammed open behind the pair of them, making Harry and Daphne both jump; the latter wheeled around with her wand out after her startled reaction while the former was already in the process of transfiguring the desk between the new enteree and them into cover.

As it turned out, and very thankfully, the person who'd found them was a resident troublemaker in friend form: Tracey. The only oddity, well, the oddity that struck Harry more than the lack of Millicent was how Tracey had found them in the first place. She wasn't known for being perceptive and she certainly wasn't known for her tracking spells.

"I knew this little tool of mine worked," Tracey said triumphantly before whispering something to a piece of parchment that was then folded and tucked away. "How're you two doing? Getting up to anything fun or romantic in here?"

Daphne looked… less than pleased, while Harry was dumbfounded.

"Did you follow us, or were you simply in the area?" Daphne asked, unmoving and with her eyes still on the other girl — her wand was aimed at the ground, but it too was still pointed in Tracey's general direction.

Harry had a feeling too suspicious or annoying an answer from Tracey would likely leave the girl stunned or otherwise dealt with. It was very tempting to allow, but he supposed it wouldn't be very nice of him; the snitch was very much in Tracey's bubble, he figured.

"I told you already, I was playing around with one of my new toys. It's nothing special, it just lets me find a person or two that I'm looking for. Can thank those Weasley Twins in your house too, Daph, I snagged it off of the pair of them because I figured it was homework," Tracey grinned and walked closer to them, taking a seat across from Harry. "You can't begin to imagine how long it took me to find out what it really was, and it's only because I heard them arguing on the way to some Quidditch practise… it could've been a game too, now that I think about it. Anyhow, what're you two doing up here and so alone?"

Daphne looked at Harry as if that was the answer, then she looked back to Tracey. "You figured out how to use one of the Weasley Twins inventions all by yourself but you can't imagine why Harry and I are alone with numerous books around us?"

"You said it wasn't to snog, which is boring, so I guess you're helping him with that tournament after all," Tracey leaned as far back into the chair as she could as she brought her feet up to rest on top of the desk. "If you need anything from Milly and I, we're willing to help. Us four against the rest of the idiots here, right?"

Harry saw that Daphne was hesitant, and so he answered for the pair of them whilst he gently lowered Daphne's wand by way of grabbing her forearm. "Right. Us four together, don't see much of a reason to stick to ourselves. Not when we make such a good team together."

"Exactly! Now, what can I help with? I can do anything, I'm great like that," Tracey's final words earned a snort from Daphne, but the former girl didn't react outwardly in response to the latter's action.

"How about you tell us about that little parchment of yours? If it can find people, we could use it to figure out where Snape or Malfoy is at any time and then we could avoid them," Harry said, his idea making Tracey go wide-eyed as if she hadn't thought about it.

Merlin, he hoped she thought about it before he spoke, else she was even more clueless than he thought her to be — that was pretty damn clueless, really.

"I could do that," Tracey said when she'd fully blinked away her awe. "Milly could probably help with the practical stuff too, she's heaps better than me when it comes to figuring out new spells or mastering the ones we've known for years. I could bring her up here after dinner if you'd want."

"That works," Harry said with a smile, getting comfortable in his seat once more and causing Daphne to do the same as Tracey edged herself closer to the pair.

Daphne spoke again then, her brief silence ended. "Will you be joining us from here on out, Tracey?" Before Tracey could answer, Daphne held up one of her small, pale hands to signal silence. "Don't give an affirmative answer immediately and without any sense of hesitation. We both know you enjoy goofing off, but do keep in mind, Harry's in over his head just as either of us would be — this tournament is meant for fellow students a good few years older than us. In a roundabout way, what I'm saying is that you'd need to be on your best, most concentrated behaviour."

The moment Daphne was finished speaking, Tracey nodded, her pleasant smile still in place and Daphne's speech fazing her in no physically shown way. "I can be serious and helpful, swear."

Reckon we're about to find that out, Harry thought before looking at Daphne and seeing her outwardly show much the same line of thinking based on her facial expressions.

"Come on!" Tracey said in a near whine. "Trust me, I'll be helpful, really helpful. I bet you'll find nobody better than me — after Milly joins — to help."

Considering the lack of friends he and Daphne both had as well as the greater population of the school disliking him, he would hedge a guess that Tracey was correct in saying that. Very few people spoke with him and fewer still with Daphne despite the girl's affinity to help the weak or less fortunate.

For her, it was her familial history and for him? Well, he was just the person that got blamed when stuff went south despite his relation to it. Malfoy was the cause of that by and large, and when it wasn't him, it was a few of the Gryffindors who simply enjoyed making his life difficult despite not outright bullying him.

"We'll start now, then," Daphne said abruptly, her hand with the wand in it turning towards the vast space beside Harry and forcing a chair beside him. "You'll sit on Harry's other side so that you can see what spell I'm helping him with. It'd be immensely helpful if you and Millicent both would bring books that could benefit him in any form for the upcoming challenges."

Tracey grimaced, making Daphne huff and look at her with slightly annoyed eyes.

Harry could see very easily she was losing her patience despite her manners and acceptance of the other girl.

"Well, you see, Daph, my skill sets are a bit different than that," Tracey said, drawing out her sentence as she looked between the other two.

Now that he thought about it, he didn't exactly recall Tracey standing out in any subject. Not one. At best, he figured she was more towards the centre of every class, and at worse, she was barely passing on her own… he could believe the latter a bit more easily than the former, based on her personality.

"Go on, Tracey," Daphne prompted, her manicured nails now tapping against the wooden desk in a clear form of impatience.

"My parents both work at the Ministry and are in higher positions than most people usually get to. That's why nobody really bothers with me, and that's why I could owl you each a gift over Christmas," Tracey smiled tentatively at them both then. "Sorry about that, by the way. It must've been pretty great and pretty weird."

Harry shrugged. "I liked it. Thanks… again."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Fine. You help him learn about the Ministry every now and then, but more importantly, speak with your parents regularly to see if you can get any information from them. Anything would be helpful regardless of how mundane it sounds — before you ask how I mean, let me give you an example. Say you write to them and receive a letter a few days later, one that speaks of Egyptians, Yanks or Chinese showing up for the Tournament, tell us and we could better prepare Harry for the beasts or magic native to those regions."

Tracey grinned and nodded emphatically. "I can do that, easy!" her grin fell a few seconds later as she nodded towards the book. "Can I still join these sessions? I've learned a spell here and there from my parents, I could probably offer tips every now and then."

Daphne looked at Harry, and Harry, Daphne. When he shrugged whilst the two were making eye contact, that was all the answer Daphne needed.

"You can join us, just remember what I said earlier about staying focused on the task at hand," Daphne told Tracey, before again — finally — she tried to teach the spell.

Its pronunciation was rough, especially thanks to it being four syllables, but the effects when cast correctly were well worth it. He didn't know any other spell that could cut effectively with a higher chance at breaking through anti-magical properties be it against something living or an object and at the same time inflict a far greater feeling of pain than was matching the damage it left behind.

He supposed it was the leading reason the spell wasn't taught at Hogwarts; nobody wanted a bunch of school children knowing a spell that caused severe pain from the smallest cut. Harry wasn't overly fond of it either, but Daphne said it was necessary because of its ability to break through magic resistance.

Harry would trust her as he'd always done before.


November 16, 1994

"You're certain?"

Those were the first words Harry heard when he walked into the usual abandoned classroom they'd taken over to make their private study for the duration of the tournament. They were spoken by Daphne, the girl's voice holding no small amount of nervousness as she spoke at Tracey.

Millicent was with them too, but she was off to the side; that position didn't matter when he walked into the room, for all three heads turned towards him as soon as he arrived.

"Sorry that I'm late, I got a bit caught up in dealing with something," Harry said with a smile and a dip of his head as he looked between the three witches, noticing Daphne's worried look mirrored by the other two. "What'd I miss?"

Tracey smiled at him as was usual of her, the nervousness gone in a second. "Well, Mister Potter, for one, you haven't met with the other three Champions yet. Cedric really wants to talk to you, and the other two would like to meet you sometime before the First Task. I've told them you're not feeling well — nerves and that because somebody entered your name — and that you'll speak with them all really soon," Tracey paused for a breath and then continued. "Aside from that, we figured out what your first task is!"

"Wicked," He said, rubbing his hands together as he took his usual seat between Tracey and Daphne. "What're we facing?"

"Dragons," Daphne said dryly, her usually confident and vaguely bossy tone replaced with the worried one he'd heard earlier. "We don't know which breed, only that Dragons were brought from a Romanian reservation and required clearance to be kept on the grounds of Hogwarts for a fair bit of time."

"Dragons?" Harry repeated back to her, not hearing or registering the rest of what she said.

Daphne rested one hand on his shoulder and nodded. "Yes, Harry, Dragons. I know it sounds terrifying, but it's good that we know — it means we can get you prepared well in advance rather than having you go in without any form of information. You can thank Tracey, or rather her parents, for letting us know what the first task is."

"I'll take the thanks," Tracey said, raising her hand. "It took me bugging them with a huge letter before they caved in and told me. They made me promise I wouldn't tell anybody either, so keep it a secret or lie about how you know."

Harry laughed, his nerves and Tracey's personality the perfect mixture to tickle him in some weird way. "I won't tell anybody," he assured the girl.

Millicent coughed, turning his attention towards her and away from the other two girls in the room. "Daphne and I haven't had the chance to go through the many books in our possessions to determine which would work best against a dragon just yet, so do continue with that modified cutting charm she initially taught you. So long as it's not a completely grown-up and abnormally powerful one, there should be a good chance of the curse working against it."

Daphne nodded. "You may find yourself focusing on magic that's meant to impress, heal or otherwise create more often than anything else, but it doesn't take away from the fact that you're incredibly powerful," Daphne's hand that was on his shoulder slid down to play with the top of his shirt, fixing it to her perfect standards. "We'll help you beat the task, and with today being Hogsmeade, we'll see if there's anything in the village that could help us too."

Tracey prodded him in the back, away from Daphne's vision, and then she spoke.

Harry knew it was going to be something teasing before she opened her mouth.

"So you two are going on a date while Milly and I have to keep watch of your hands? Sounds unfair to me."