Chapter 7

The walk from the room of requirement to the great hall seemed like forever. He hadn't run into anyone yet and for that he was thankful. The thought of seeing everyone else for the first time after his selection was making him nauseous, even after his talk with Daphne the previous night.

He had ended up telling her the entire story of the room of requirement and its features. They proceeded to experiment with the versatility of the room, Daphne excited by the training dummies and access to multiple books. He hadn't made any mention of the crow blood, not anxious to share that secret with anyone else.

He was already late to breakfast and that annoyed him because it meant most people would already be there eating. He steeled himself before descending the final staircase and walked straight through the hall, keeping his head down. Moving quickly to the Gryffindor table and sitting near the end, he felt elated that no one had seen him yet, but of course, luck was not on his side.

"Hey look. It's Harry Potter!" a Ravenclaw told his friend; saying it so loud that everyone on his table had heard. Whispering and jeers started immediately. Some people quoted parts of the Skeeter article, causing those around them to laugh, while others shouted insults from other tables. He looked towards the Slytherin table in front of him, where Malfoy was making mock crying noises to those around him. Shouts of 'cheat' and 'liar' sporadically were propelled towards him.

"Enough!" Dumbledore shouted, his voice easily carrying over all the noise. "Please behave yourselves, before I start deducting points and giving detentions" he ordered.

The noise immediately decreased, but Harry could still hear the whispers being carried out. "Just ignore them", a voice said to the right. Harry turned to see the twins and Lee Jordan bringing their plates and food to sit next to him.

"Yeah Harry, they're just jealous sods", Fred added, eliciting an agreeing nod from Lee.

"And if it's any worth, Harry. I believe you too", Lee added, causing Harry to grin.

"Thanks, guys. That means a lot", Harry replied.

"And remember," George said. "If they mess with you, they mess with us. We'll prank them until they never utter anything bad about you", he remarked; the statement causing Harry to chuckle.

"Well, I better go to Potions now. Can't wait to get through a lesson with Snape and Malfoy", Harry sighed, finishing the last bit of his porridge.

"Ahh, well at least you'll have the company of a pretty lady", Fred winked.

"Yes, she is a fiery one, Harry. Good job there", George added, patting Harry on the back.

"It's nothing like that", Harry said. "We're just friends". At the twins continued smirks, "Oh sod off you pricks" he laughed. "I'll see you guys later", Harry said, waving a goodbye.

The trip to the dungeons was anything but fun. Students he didn't even know were glaring at him, those mainly from Hufflepuff. Numerous students seemed to be wearing badges that showed their support of Cedric. However, whenever he walked past, they would press it and his face would appear with an insult. He reached the dungeon and ignoring the malicious glares from the Slytherins, he walked into the room.

"Psst… Potter", Malfoy spoke, when everyone had entered the class. "Is it true you've been hiding and crying this entire weekend about your impending death?" he laughed. Pansy Parkinson laughed as well, while Crabbe and Goyle made human-like grunts.

Harry remained quiet; no one from Gryffindor seemed to stand up for him, and Daphne hadn't reached class yet. Hermione had her nose in a book, seemingly trying to avoid eye contact with him. Whereas, Ron just looked at the confrontation lazily, not bothering to step in. His heart sunk at their reactions. 'They're not worth it' he chided himself, Neville looked slightly angry, his hands clutched in a fist, but he also remained quiet.

"What Potter? Remaining quiet? Did all the crying make your throat raw?" Malfoy chided at Harry's lack of response. "Oh wait. I know why you're silent. Is it because of the badges?" Malfoy snickered. "In case you were wondering, those were my creation", he said proudly, pumping his chest out to show the badge.
Clutching his wand from his robes, Harry was about to turn and threaten Malfoy, when the boy in question elicited a girl like scream.

Harry turned around to see him shaking violently, and slapping parts of his body. "It's everywhere!" he shrieked, causing Harry and the Gryffindors to laugh at the boy's weird movements.

"Mr Malfoy, what is the meaning of this?" Snape asked, finally entering the room.

"I don't know professor", Malfoy replied. He was now slapping his chest as the strange hex took place. "Potter did it, sir!"Snape sent a quick glare to Harry before muttering a spell, causing Malfoy's twitching to stop immediately.

"Miss Parkinson, escort him to the infirmary now!" Snape told the whimpering girl.
"And Mr Potter, let's see…" Snape continued, glowering at Harry. "Hexing a student, we'll take 20 points for that now. Perhaps detention as well; I do need new labels for my ingredients" he said, smirking at Harry. "Just because you're the new champion, does not give you special privileges. I didn't think it was possible for your arrogance to reach higher levels, but with you, it does not surprise me.", he finished, sneering as he spoke.

Harry threw him a murderous glare but didn't reply, knowing that it wouldn't end well. Snape stalked off to the board and began explaining. Today was a theoretical lesson, which Harry was grateful for because it meant that he just had to take notes, giving him a smaller chance of antagonising Snape.

"Told you I had your back", a voice whispered as Snape started talking about the properties of Ashwinder eggs.

Turning, he saw Daphne settling her books on the desk next to him. "You did that to Malfoy?" he asked, stifling his laughter.

"Well I came in late and saw the little ferret being his usual self, so I sent this nice spell my mother taught me", she smirked.

"What was it?" he inquired.

"It's just a hex that sends little rashes all around his body, which stings him unpleasantly" she replied, smiling as she wrote down notes. "Think of it as a widespread body stinging hex" she expressed.

"Ingenious", Harry smiled. "Those 20 points definitely seem worth it, especially if Malfoy screams like that again. Who knew he could sing so femininely?" he replied.

"Well, I've always thought he was missing a few male parts. So perhaps that explains it?"She grinned, her face still looking down to make sure others didn't see her smiling. Continuing, she asked, "So training session tonight in the room of requirement?" she inquired.

"Yeah", Harry responded. "I thought today we could do some charms work. I spent enough time doing offensive spells this weekend."

"That sounds good. How far exactly have you progressed with the charms spells?" she questioned.

"I've finished the fourth year stuff, and have read a bit of the fifth year theory", he replied.

"Merlin, you've done a lot, but you'll need every piece of knowledge you can get for this tournament."

"Yeah, it's at the end of the month and I've got to be prepared. I've got absolutely no idea what this task is about", he sighed.

"There's nothing you can do about that, but just work to your very best. I know that's not much for motivation, but it is the only way", she finished, however, she suddenly smiled at the end.

"What?" Harry asked quizzically at her smile.

"Well, with all this training, you'll be much ahead of the class in almost all your subjects, right?" she reiterated.

"Yeah. Well, why does that make you smile?" Harry replied.

Smiling again, she continued, "Well just the satisfaction of seeing Granger getting annoyed for not being top in everything".

Harry chuckled lightly at this. "Well she already thinks I'm up to something dark and nefarious anyway, so who cares."

The bell rang, signalling the end of class, Snape giving them more homework at the end. "I'll see you later for training then" Daphne confirmed, putting her books in her bag.

"See you there", Harry said, walking to his next class.

The next two weeks gave way to a continual routine for Harry. He still hadn't moved back to the Gryffindor Common room and was still sleeping in the room of requirement; periodically asking Dobby to bring him supplies and his possessions. He still attended all his classes because of his promises to Dumbledore earlier in the year and he wouldn't let the headmaster down, no matter how much he wanted to skip History of Magic.

Professor Moody had also taken a greater interest in him, which Harry felt was on Dumbledore's orders. The ex-auror had invited him on occasion after class to talk about his progress for the tournament and seemed to give him subtle tips on what aspects of his training he should be focusing on. Moody also seemed to showcase Harry a lot, evidently still impressed about him being the only one to throw off the Imperius curse. He would often bring Harry forward when teaching new spells (which he had already perfected in training) to the class. Sometimes Harry felt the auror was trying to gauge his skill level and technique, perhaps testing if he was good enough for the tournament.

There had been no breaks in his training, and he diligently worked through the spells in his textbooks. Sometimes he trained with Daphne, but mostly he worked by himself, pushing himself to the limit before exhaustedly collapsing to his bed in the room of requirement. However, he wasn't only learning from his current curriculum. The wide array of books provided by the room meant that he had a never-ending supply to the number of spells that he could learn. Yet he couldn't keep the nervousness from creeping up anytime he saw Cedric or the other champions in the castle, a giant reminder that he was still far behind.

The only change to his routine came from his transfiguration lesson, two weeks before the first task. "Mr Potter, could you stay back after the lesson. I'd just like to have a small chat with you", Professor McGonagall had told him halfway through their lesson. They had been learning to do cross-species switches. Harry who had learnt it weeks prior had completed the spell easily in the first few minutes, not caring anymore about Hermione's glares throughout the lesson. In most of his lessons, he would finish first, prompting his professors to often give him harder tasks on the same topic as a challenge.

Waiting, as everyone left, Harry walked over to McGonagall's desk. "What may I do for you, Professor?" Harry asked.

"Let's discuss it my office, Mr Potter," she said, leading him towards a room in the back. Harry had never been and therefore was surprised by the request. The office matched her personality with her desk being perfectly tidy and every bit organised. The room was decorated simply, nothing like the chaos of the headmaster's personal office. She had her own personal bookshelf, filled to the brim with different transfiguration books. In the corner, a wall was filled with small photos, and just like every picture in the Wizarding world, they moved. Inspecting them closer, he saw that they were ex-students, and the people in the pictures were all performing complex and intricate transfiguration spells to various objects.

"Ahh you've seen the photos", McGonagall said; a small smile on her face. "I'm surprised you haven't noticed one," she said, pointing to a photo at the top. There lay a photo of his dad performing spells on the very classroom he had just come from. He was transforming different objects into animals and changing parts of the room into different scenarios.

"As a teacher, you're not supposed to have favourites, but when you've been teaching as long as I have, I like to keep memories of the reasons I became a teacher in the first place," she said, pointing to dozens of students that she had trained through the years.

"Was he really that good?" Harry asked, still transfixed on the photo.

"Best in his year, every year. You don't get that very often" she replied genuinely.

"What about my mother. Was she not that good in Transfiguration?", Harry asked.

"In all honesty, Mr Potter, transfiguration wasn't your mother's interest, and while she was good in the subject, she didn't have the same passion as your father did. Her skills lay in charms and runes, and if you were to ask Professor Flitwick, he would happily entertain you on her talent", she replied. Harry smiled, always happy to hear anything about his parents.

Looking away from the photo, he looked towards the professor. "So what do you want to discuss professor?" Harry asked, taking a seat in front of her desk.

"A few things" she replied. "Firstly the headmaster wanted me to give this to you," she said, pulling out a note from her drawers. He took the note, putting it away in his robes.

"Secondly, I'd like to discuss your performance in Transfiguration this year" she continued.

Shifting in his seat slightly, Harry responded. "I haven't done anything wrong, have I?" Harry replied.

"I feel that your closer acquaintance with the Weasley twins have been rubbing off on you and has made you render guilty to things you have not done," she said causing Harry to smirk amusedly."No Mr Potter, on the contrary, I'm pleased with your progress. However, you're holding back" she finished perceptively.

"What do you mean professor?"

"I mean that I can see that you have progressed beyond this year's curriculum", she noted.

"How did you know?"Harry replied, taken aback.

"Well Mr Potter, befuddling as it is, I have been teaching transfiguration for more than 50 years, and do feel I am quite competent in the subject" she retorted jokingly. Continuing, "the last task I made you do today for the cross-species switch was between the chicken and turkey. Your successful demonstration showed me that you've reached around halfway through the fifth year course due to the difficulty of those animals. Would I be correct in my assumption?"

"Yes Professor. That would be correct", Harry replied.

Remaining silent for a few seconds, the professor spoke again; "Well done Mr Potter. I don't give praise often, but you've earned it. You were unjustly thrown in this tournament, and no matter the odds, you're persevering" she smiled, but not one of her light smiles, but a full smile, something Harry had only seen her do when Gryffindor decimated Slytherin in Quidditch.

"Thank you Professor", Harry said, smiling back. Standing up to leave, he was stopped.

"Just one last thing before I take any more of your time. However, this is coming as your head of house, not your transfiguration professor" she spoke. Not sure of what she meant, Harry let her proceed. "It's come to my attention that since your selection, you haven't been residing in the Gryffindor common room."

Harry's mouth slightly opened, realising only one person would have told him off to a teacher; a person who he hadn't talked to in weeks. Hermione did this… She sunk this low. Unbelievable.

"Now I realise this tournament has been tough for you and has strained your relationships. But a word of advice, Mr Potter. Some people will use anything they have against you to cause issues and greater animosity. Don't hide away from them, but embrace the qualities of Gryffindor that I know you so strongly represent, and if you have even the slightest of issues, come to me and I will sort it out. I won't have dissension within my house" she concluded, standing up.

"I know Professor. I'll go back to living there today. I just didn't want to cause problems with anyone in the house", he replied softly.

Moving to open the door, she spoke as he walked out. "Perhaps it wasn't what the general Gryffindors thought of you that pushed you away, but specific individuals," she said finishing the talk.

Harry walked out the door, coming to a realisation of what she meant. She was right. He had never cared what people usually thought of him, but he had never been against both his two ex-best friends before, and he had been scared to have another face off with them. That's why he had moved away, but no longer. His friendship with Ron and Hermione were over, but it didn't mean he should avoid them and subsequently his common room because of them.

Remembering the note, McGonagall had given him at the start of their talk; he pulled it out from his robes and began to read.

Harry,
Would it be possible for you to visit my office after dinner tonight? Around 8 pm would be splendid as we have a few things to do.

P.S: I do seem to enjoy acid pops lately.

Smiling at the Headmaster's way of telling him the password, he stowed the note away.

"So I told Terry Boot no. If he wants to take me to Hogsmeade, he cannot suggest Madame Puddifoot's shop as a first date", Tracey spoke. "He just thinks if he takes me there, I'll have some need to desperately snog him" she continued, causing Daphne to laugh.

"So what did you say back to him?" Daphne inquired.

"Well, I obviously said no", Tracey replied haughtily.

"And…?" Daphne pressed.

"What do you mean?" Tracey questioned.

"Tracey with you, it's never a simple no. You always say something extra and I bet this time was no different. So what else did you say?"

"Well…. I might have told him that he would have better luck if his appearance matched his confidence" Tracey smiled guiltily.

"Tracey!" Daphne admonished, but laughed slightly. "You just broke that boy"

"Well, it is true!" Tracey giggled. "And you know how he is. He probably asked out fifty girls hoping to get some kind of response"

"Ew, why are some guys so desperate" Daphne replied, shaking her head.

"Well your guy isn't", Tracey snickered.

"Ufff Tracey… Harry isn't my guy" Daphne responded.

"Hmmm… funny that you knew I was talking about Harry", Tracey smirked, prompting Daphne to throw a crumpled parchment at her.

"Shut up. It's nothing like that. Yes, we're friends, but that's it" Daphne replied, glaring at her best friend.

"Well this is the first time I've ever seen you spend so much time with a boy alone", Tracey said.

"I just help him with training. That's it"

"Well, that's so boring. You're out alone with him in some room and you guys haven't done anything", Tracey sighed. "Damn Daphne, I'm just trying to live vicariously through you, but you refuse to let me"

"Hmm… maybe you need a boy for yourself, I'm sure I could convince Terry Boot that you'd love to go to Madame Puddifoot's with him", Daphne smirked.

"You… wouldn't… dare", Tracey said, reinforcing each word.

"I'm surprised you two get any work done with all this talking", a voice interjected, before Daphne could reply.

"Oh, hey Blaise. How did you find us?" Tracey inquired. The girls had been sitting in a secluded spot in the library that allowed them to move away from the prying eyes of Madam Pince.

"Even though you may be hidden away, your giggles travel across the room, interrupting a perfectly good book I was reading", Blaise answered jokingly, taking a seat next to the girls.

"You know Blaise if you hadn't dated Hannah Abbot last year, I'd really think you were sexually inclined towards those books of yours", Daphne replied.

"Interesting choice of words since I hear someone might be sexually inclined towards the Gryffindor Golden Boy" retorted Blaise, a smirk marring his face.

Tracey burst out laughing at this, causing Madame Pince to shout a warning about the noise. "I am not Blaise," Daphne replied seriously, sending a glare towards Tracey. "But even if I was, how is that any concern of yours?"

Looking serious all of a sudden, Blaise edged forward. "You need to be careful Daphne. I was talking to Nott a few days ago, and he told me that Draco is getting suspicious about you and Potter's relationship"

"I couldn't give a Hippogriff's arse about Malfoy and his suspicions", Daphne replied, rolling up her finished runes homework.

"Daphne you underestimate him. Yes, you may be more skilled with a wand, but the boy is smart and manipulative. You forget that he learnt from the hands of his father, and say what you will but Lucius Malfoy is no fool", Blaise finished solemnly.

"So what are you trying to say?" Daphne questioned.

"Just watch out, and keep an eye out for him. If word got out about you being friends with a Gryffindor, especially him, your life would become worse than Potter's at the moment" Blaise said, standing up once again.

"I know this Blaise, but I will keep an eye out for Malfoy" Daphne replied seriously.

"It's not only Malfoy. He may have power in our year, but you know there are more dangerous enemies to have than him", Blaise finished, nodding his dismissal.

Daphne knew exactly what he was talking about. Slytherin had a hierarchy. There were certain unwritten rules that everyone followed. Malfoy may be a big cog in the hierarchal chain, but he was not the most important. That role resided in a few select sixth and seventh years, who essentially governed any disputes.
Professor Snape may have dealt with any big issues, but any smaller problems were corrected by them. Malfoy may be a pain in the arse, but if he brought those issues up towards the elder students, she'd be in big trouble.
They weren't malicious in any way or would provoke her physically (maybe Malfoy would, but she barely considered him a Slytherin) because of her relationship with Harry. But provocation wasn't a trait of Slytherin, and they would find other ways of making her Hogwarts life as hard as possible.

I have to be more secretive about my dealings with Harry now.

"Acid Pops," Harry said to the gargoyle statue, which promptly moved to show the staircase towards the headmasters' office. Knocking at the door, he heard a soft 'enter', before proceeding inside. The room seemed to be the same since he had first visited it in his second year. The circular room still had the same charm and chaos that came with it. Dumbledore's curious instruments were in the corner making different whirring noises. Bookshelves lined one corner with the oldest books Harry had ever seen. Behind the claw-footed desk, sat Dumbledore, looking a lot more jovial than his last encounter with the man in the trophy room.

"Ahh, Harry… take a seat, and we'll have a small chat before we get to the main reason I wanted to see you today."

Harry obliged, pulling up a chair in front of the headmaster, the twinkle in his eye diminishing as he spoke; "Firstly, however, I'd like to make an apology for the students' behaviour towards you."

"It's not a problem anymore Sir… I've gotten used to it", Harry said, trying to downplay the issue, however, Dumbledore didn't fall for it.

"Harry…" he said slowly. "If I could, I'd find a way to make people see reason, but one of the earliest lessons you get when teaching children, is their innate stubbornness", Dumbledore concluded, a small sad smile on his face.

"I know sir, but… it hasn't all been bad. Cedric's been fine to me, and he even offered his help for anything I needed. I've also got some friends to help me and that's all I truly care about", Harry replied.

"That's great to hear Harry. And Mr Diggory is a truly good person, unwavering in loyalty to his friends, and helpful to anyone who asks for it. It was those reasons, I chose to make him Head Boy, and you Harry would benefit from his help, even though I believe that you haven't taken him up on his offer", Dumbledore finished perceptively.

Harry didn't bother asking how he knew that; Dumbledore was just too good in judging his character. "You're right sir… I haven't. I just can't bring myself to ask for help because I want to prove myself. I want to show everyone here, that even though I was forced into this, I'll try and succeed in it. The other champions are fighting to win, while I'm fighting for my survival, a much greater motivator", Harry answered.

"Harry your reasons are sound, but there is nothing wrong with asking for help if you need it. Asking for help isn't a weakness. It's a sign of strength, and shows that you have the courage to admit you don't know something… and that allows you to learn something new. However, it is your choice, and you know your training better than anyone else."

"I'll… I'll keep that in mind sir", Harry replied quietly.

Nodding his head at Harry's answer, Dumbledore continued. "Now to the main part of the evening", Harry moved forward, in anticipation of what was to come. "Professor McGonagall shared her chat with you, to me at dinner today. She was quite proud, I haven't seen her like this in quite a while and that was refreshing to hear", he said causing Harry to smile.

Adding on, he said, "Now when I met you at St Mungo's, I promised that I'd see you and test you periodically on your training. I believe this is a good as time as any to make well on that promise."

"Really sir?" Harry asked, not being able to keep the excitement out of his voice. Training with Daphne was great, but a chance to be tested with Dumbledore is something most students never got the chance to do.

"Well, we'll start now then", Dumbledore said, getting off his chair.

"Here?" Harry asked confusingly.

Dumbledore merely chuckled at his question. Taking out his wand he whispered a few enchantments and the small area that they were in expanded until it was the size of a normal classroom. Continuing, he aimed his wand at his personal possessions, sending them to the side, to make a large circular empty space for the two.

He then erected a ward over the empty area. Harry was familiar with the ward from Ancient Runes. They hadn't actually done it in class, but he had read up on the theory. The ward was essentially a massive shield charm, which meant any spells hitting the ward would be absorbed by the shield, meaning no stray spells would go out and destroy Dumbledore's office. However, these were very taxing on energy, and Harry wondered how Dumbledore would be able to keep it up and train him at the same time. However, his thoughts were soon answered by Dumbledore, who summoned a small stone from his desk, laying it on the exterior off the ward. Harry recognised it as a rune stone, which would supplement the power of the ward. Harry just shook his head at the ingenuity of the headmaster.

"Well that seems good enough", Dumbledore said jovially. "Now how about we have a small duel so that I can test you."

Harry nodded eagerly, pulling his wand out from his robe.

"However, before we begin, how far are you with your spell knowledge?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Well sir, in defence I've finished the fifth year spells, but for most of my other subjects, I'm going through the fifth year course", Harry answered.

"Impressive", Dumbledore said. "Well to ensure fairness, I will not attempt any spells above the fifth year course." Harry nodded in reply.

"Well let's begin," the aged headmaster said.

Harry waited as Dumbledore hadn't made an attempt to do anything yet.

As quick as lightning, Dumbledore sent a stinging hex towards Harry, who didn't have any time to dodge, so he hastily erected a shield against it.

"INCENDIO", Harry shouted, trying to send a quick reply. Dumbledore merely batted it away against the ward which absorbed the charm.

"Is that seriously all you've got Harry? I'm quite disappointed", Dumbledore said, casually sending another hex his way, which Harry was able to dodge this time.

"Aqua Erecto", Harry shouted again. This was a spell he had learnt from the books in the room of requirement. However, if Dumbledore was surprised that he knew it, it didn't show on the headmaster's face.

A jet of water propelled at the headmaster, who swiftly turned his wand, causing the water to stop in mid-air. However, this time he didn't send away but shot it back at Harry. He wasn't as quick this time, and the water drenched him.

"Well Harry, if this is all you've been able to do with your training, then you really need to try harder", Dumbledore added calmly.

Harry spent the next ten minutes sending spells of various natures, mixing up transfiguration and charms together; nothing even coming close to hitting the headmaster, even as he sent them as fast as he could.

Harry was getting angry now, mostly at the headmaster's comments about his skills. He quickly sent a succession of devastating spells towards the headmaster. "BOMBARDA MAXIMA, CONFRINGO, DEPRIMO…" Spell after spell he shot, most missing Dumbledore in his anger. After the onslaught Harry looked forward only to see Dumbledore not there. Walking to the place, Dumbledore had been standing; he looked around confusingly for the headmaster.

"Stupefy" was all he heard, as a red spell impacted his back, and he fell towards the ground.

Harry woke up in the same place. Standing up he saw Dumbledore in front of him, the ward still surrounding them. "You beat me", Harry said dumbly.

Dumbledore chuckled once again. "I did Harry. But you put up quite the fight. Had I been any of the students in your year, and perhaps even the years above, you would have easily defeated me".

"Oh… but I thought you were disappointed in my training" Harry replied scathingly.

"I am not. Everything I said was false, but it was supposed to be a test"

"A test?" Harry asked.

"Yes, a test", Dumbledore reiterated. "Harry, you wear your heart on a sleeve, and while that is one of your most endearing qualities, it will get you seriously hurt in a fight," Dumbledore finished grimly.

"You mean, you said those things so I'd get angry", Harry said, realising what the headmaster had been trying to do.

"Exactly, and as you got angry, you started missing me. Your spells impacted the ward, which didn't hold on very long against them". Dumbledore pointed at the ward, and Harry looked closely, and saw for the first time, huge cracks in it, looking like it was on the point of breaking.
Dumbledore smiled at Harry's expression. "Had it not been for that ward stone, and my power, your spells would have destroyed the ward and most of my office", Dumbledore, continued.

Harry smiled sheepishly at the statement. "Sorry sir"

"Not a problem at all Harry. In fact, it also showed me how much raw power you have, and for someone, your age is hugely impressive", Dumbledore added. "However, back to your problem. You need to know that what I said was nothing compared to what the Death Eaters will say if you were to ever face them. They will mock you, your parents' death, your friends… they do not care" Dumbledore said, looking slightly disgusted at the mention of the death eaters. "Fighting isn't only physical. If you have beaten your opponent emotionally, they will lose the fight."

"So what do I do?" Harry inquired.

"Don't express your feelings in a fight. I know it will be hard, but fighting angry is not a way to win a fight. You need to control them, and not show your opposition that they have gotten to you", Dumbledore responded. Continuing, he spoke; "Professor Snape is a very good example of being able to keep his feelings under control which makes him a very formidable duellist and fighter."

"I'll try my best" Harry added sincerely, brushing off the compliment about Snape.

"That's all I can ask" Dumbledore replied. Pointing his wand at the ward, he dissolved it and picked up the runestone. He took a seat at his desk before speaking, "Now Harry before I forget, the Weighing of the Wands is tomorrow."

"What's that sir?" Harry questioned.

"As a champion of the tournament, every member has to get their wand checked to see if it is in proper working order. We will be bringing Mr Ollivander, and you are to meet us before lunch. I will send someone to take you from your classes", he said finishing with a bow of his head, which Harry recognised as his dismissal.

Saying goodbye to his headmaster, he walked down the staircase to the corridor. He felt annoyed that he hadn't landed a single shot on the headmaster, but Dumbledore had been learning magic for more than a century, and he had only begun properly training two months ago. However, he knew that Dumbledore was only using a fraction of his full power, and could have easily beaten Harry in seconds.

However, he pushed that out of his head as he walked to his common room for the first time in weeks. Whispering the password to the Fat Lady, he was thankful that it hadn't changed in the last few weeks. Since it was after curfew, the common room was mostly empty, except for the older years. However, he didn't have eyes for anyone except the bushy-haired girl sitting and doing her homework by the fireplace.

"So you'd sink this low Hermione," he said softly, not noticing others straining their ears to hear the Gryffindor champion's conversation. Ignoring her look of surprise, he continued, "You went and tattled to McGonagall because I wasn't staying here" he scathed, his voice a harsh whisper.

She took a few seconds to compose herself at the intrusion, but replied in the same tone, "Well where have you been then? Professor McGonagall is our head of house and deserves to know when people aren't staying-"

"Bullshit!" Harry interrupted, his teeth clenched. "How does it matter where I've been? You've made it clear we're not friends anymore, so where I reside is of no matter to you", he shot back.

"Because it is a concern to me when you're up to something dangerous and dark, so Professor McGonagall deserves to know" she retorted.

"No Hermione. You try and make it your concern" he said. "Listen here… you're not the boss of me. You don't get to decide what I'm up to, and you sure as hell can't demand me to tell you things." Not bothering to hear her response, he turned on his heel and walked up to his dormitory.

His moment of peace was ruined, with Ron stomping through the room, his face, a similar shade to his hair. "What did you say to her?" he shouted.

"I told her the truth Ron, and our conversation is between her and me, so don't get involved", he replied threateningly but kept his voice neutral.

"Well when you've pissed off my friend, then it makes me involved" Ron retorted.

"I am really getting sick of you guys wanting to get involved with me so much," Harry said, stepping closer to Ron. "You better leave me alone", Harry said, his voice sharp and harsh.

He walked to his bed, and before shutting the curtains of his four-poster bed, he looked to the redhead who was still standing. "Next time one of you tries to interfere with my life, it'll be my wand that you'll be speaking to" he spoke, and closed the curtain before he could see the fearful shiver that ran through Ron

Finishing his dinner, he walked towards his bedroom. His master didn't like to be kept waiting, even if he had to talk through a third party. He didn't understand why his master insisted on him working with Barty Crouch, especially with their history, but he could never question it.

Placing the floo power into his fireplace, he put his head through, calling for Riddle Manor. The rat answered, "What news do you have", Pettigrew spoke contemptuously. He wanted to slap the look out of the rat's face. Ever since the rat had found his master, he began to think he was better than everyone.

Sighing the figure replied, "The plan has been put in place. I've put the boy in and smeared the blood as the master wished. The old fool put Crouch in charge of searching the Goblet for tampering so our cover will not be blown" he answered, relaying all the events.

Pettigrew moved away from the fire, and the figure knew he had gone to tell his master about the news. The rat came back after a few minutes, "The Dark Lord is pleased with the progress that the pair of you have made. He says he wants you to continue playing your role. That is all" the rat finished.

Moving away from the fireplace, Pettigrew spoke again, "He also warns you to not fail him again… Karkaroff."

There we go. Another chapter is done. Now, as usual, I'd like to address things here. I hope no one gets upset that Harry isn't already some super powerful deity who could take down Dumbledore. But no, Dumbledore could kick Harry's arse easily at this moment, but remember his training has only started.

Next Chapter, some more Sirius for all of you fans who love him. Also, I'd just like to make another thank you for your response to the last chapter. Your reviews and follows mean everything, so please continue to keep those up because they're really helpful.

So once again the gist is to just keep reviewing because you guys are great!