Harry disappeared into one side of the tent, presumably to change since he was still in his wetsuit, and maybe to nurse his red cheek, but he'd assured her he was fine and had seemed to mean it even if he was a bit distracted, so Hermione'd find him again once she'd sorted out her own relationship; she followed Viktor into another section of the tent.

"This vill do?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. She put up a silencing charm and sat down, biting her lip. Krum pulled up a chair beside hers and sat.

"You said you vanted to talk?" he prompted, thick brows drawn together.

"Yes," Hermione said again, looking at her hands. Her cheeks felt hot, but she was glad for the quiet privacy of the tent; as soon as Viktor got outside he'd be swept up in celebrations and they'd never get a moment alone, and as much as Hermione was dreading this conversation she couldn't bear the idea of putting it off. "I- about the task."

"Vot about it?" His knee pressed gently against hers and she shifted away. Viktor frowned but didn't try again.

"I was your hostage," she said.

"Yes."

"They chose me to be your hostage," she said.

"Yes," he said, looking confused.

"That which you'd miss beyond all measure," she recited in a tiny voice, unable to look at him. Her face felt like it was on fire.

"Oh," Viktor said, and straightened, now looking just as uncomfortable as she did.

"Is that true?" Hermione asked. Viktor opened his mouth and then closed it again. "Because if it is, I'm flattered, but-"

"Is not completely true," Viktor said with a wince. "I care about you - very much. You know this from second task, where I hesitated." Hermione nodded. "But most important... it has only been a few months." Relief flooded her. "A very good few months, and perhaps after more months you might be the most important to me-" He eyed her sideways and cringed. "but-"

"Oh, thank goodness," Hermione said gustily. Viktor looked at her, startled and wary. "I- I care about you a lot too, but I agree we haven't known each other very long, and I wouldn't expect to be the most important person in your life and I wasn't really sure what to do with the task suggesting I was-"

"You're not upset?" Viktor asked, and shifted closer again. She pressed their knees together the way he had before and he smiled slightly.

"Definitely not upset," Hermione assured him, and then laughed a little. "As long as you're not upset that you wouldn't be my hostage either."

"Not upset," Viktor said, and took her hand. "It would be my mother if they really chose the most important person." Hermione smiled. "And my father is close second. And then probably Nina and Popa and Alexei - you do not know Alexei."

"Is he a Quidditch player?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Viktor said, nodding. "Then maybe you?" Hermione laughed. "My mother and father vere watching today." Viktor looked nervous, suddenly. "I could introduce you?" Hermione squeezed his hand and nodded and Viktor smiled at her, then cocked his head.

"For you it vould be Potter, yes?"

"I- yes, I think so," Hermione said, biting her lip.

"Vhy not your parents?" He sounded curious rather than disapproving, which was a relief; his most important person was his mum while hers was another boy (who she thought of as a brother, but still…).

"I'm without them for most of the year anyway," Hermione said. "I mean, we write, so I'm not completely without them-" Though, after last summer and them wanting to pull her out of Hogwarts, her letters had been highly censored - all about schoolwork (and even then there was only so much of it they understood), about Viktor (since he was a safe topic), and occasionally about the academic competition Harry was involved in. "And I do miss them when I'm here, but not as much as I miss Harry and the others when I'm not here." She released his hand. "Shall we go and find your parents?"

"Soon," Viktor said, with a smile that made Hermione smile automatically in response. "But ve haff finished talking but ve still haff privacy…" Hermione blushed and shifted closer to him. Viktor leaned in, then paused. "You haff a beetle in your hair," he said.

"Oh! Where?" He flicked it away without fuss, then tucked her hair back behind her ear and leaned forward to kiss her.


Harry heard footsteps approaching his part of the tent which gave him warning enough to ensure he was dressed before the curtain was wrenched back and Fleur strode in.

"Hello," Harry said, with no small amount of trepidation; his cheek still stung from earlier. He'd planned for a quick change so he could catch Bagman before he left, but there was a look of steely resolve on Fleur's face that meant he wouldn't be going anywhere until she'd had her say.

Fleur said nothing, shutting the curtain behind her again and flicking her wand. The canvas of the tent gleamed purple briefly with what Harry recognised as a silencing charm.

That can't be good, he thought, and - though he'd rather be just about anywhere else - cast his own quick, silent charm to check for other people. It was only him and Fleur, which was a surprise, a relief, and a worry all at once; what had Skeeter found that tickled her fancy even more than Harry and Fleur?

"Merci," Fleur said, looking gentler than he'd ever known her to. "Thank you."

"Er… What?"

"You waited wiz 'er - she told me. You and Weasley. And zen, when ze dome fell, you saved 'er." It took him a moment to realise she meant Gabrielle.

"Ron actually-"

"Oui, but you 'elped. Thank you!" Fleur sounded so sincere that Harry snapped his mouth shut. "And sorry." She reached out and touched his cheek, fingers soft. Harry leaned away, uneasy. "I 'ad to make it convincing."

"That you're angry?" Harry asked, not following.

"Oui," Fleur said with a nod of her silvery head. "You saved my sister. Zere would be no 'ating you and breaking up wiz you after zis - 'ow could I? Unless I 'ated you for it, played ze part of an un'appy competitor."

"So… just so I'm clear… you're not an unhappy competitor?" Harry asked.

"Not if ze price of winning is Gabrielle," Fleur said firmly.

"Fair enough," Harry said. Fleur's smile was small but dazzling. "So… er… is this it, then? We're breaking up?'

"It 'as gone on long enough, don't you theenk?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "But- I don't want to sound like a prat, but with how it's happened… people are going to take my side."

"Zat would 'ave happened anyway," Fleur said, tossing her head, with a resigned sort of amusement. "You are younger, and you are well liked, and I am-"

"People like you," Harry said awkwardly.

"People like ze way I look," Fleur said dismissively. "Zey will say I 'ave broken your heart." She squinted at him, and Harry wasn't sure if she was looking for agreement or disagreement or something else, but she seemed satisfied with whatever she saw. "But, at least zis way it is on my terms and zere can be no rumours about why because everyone was zere."

"Yeah," Harry said. "Sure. Okay." He glanced at the fabric behind her, where he could hear Bagman saying goodbye to Cedric and Pemberley.

"You do not mind," she said, sounding equal parts amused, annoyed, and exasperated. "Of course."

"I- not really," Harry said, grimacing. "Sorry." Fleur just shook her head. "And… uh… sorry to just run out, but I really, really need to talk to Bagman."

"What about?"

"The dome," Harry said. "About why it fell." Outside, he heard Bagman call out a goodbye to him and Fleur. "Sorry, I've got to-"

"Will you pretend?" Fleur asked.

"Pretend what?" Harry asked, hopping on one foot as he pulled his trainer on.

"Zat you are at least a little upset by zis," Fleur said, and sounded oddly uncertain.

"Won't that be worse?" Harry said, pulling his other shoe on. "They really will think you've broken my heart-"

"I would prefer it to ze alternative," she said.

"Okay, sure." Harry nodded. "Now I've really got to go, sorry. See you later." He pushed through the tent flap, leaving her standing there.

"He's alive!" Bagman said, chortling from the entrance to the tent. "Talked her around have you, Harry?"

"Er… not exactly," Harry said, trying to look as pathetic as he could. Fleur chose that moment to scoff and pull the curtain shut again but he swore he saw the tiniest smile at the corner of her mouth. Bagman laughed again and clapped Harry on the shoulder.

"I dated Naylan Tabak - Seeker of the Turkish National Quidditch team - until I knocked her off her broom in a match back in eighty-one… Never forgave me." Harry stared at him, not thinking this would be particularly comforting if he was upset about the demise of his relationship with Fleur. Bagman seemed to realise it too. "But, I can say from experience, that even if it feels like the end of the world, there'll be other witches."

"Better than Fleur?" Harry asked. He wondered if Fleur could still hear him through the canvas.

"Well, you've set the bar high," Bagman said. "Part veela and all, but you're Harry Potter! Triwizard Champion, and the Boy-Who-Lived. You'll be just fine. Especially if you win this Tournament outright, and honestly, I think you could!" He beamed at Harry, and gave him another pat on the shoulder, then glanced at a pair of goblins who were loitering by the lakeside. "But if you'll excuse me Harry, I really must be heading off." Bagman's scent spiked with nerves and Harry glanced at the goblins again, uncertain, then followed after Bagman. Padfoot - standing with Marlene and Shacklebolt - moved to join him but Harry gestured at him to wait. Padfoot arched an eyebrow.

"I'll walk you to the carriages if you'd like," Harry said to Bagman, just loud enough for Padfoot to hear. Padfoot didn't look particularly happy about that.

Surprised and visibly curious, Bagman nodded and the pair of them set off, Padfoot following them from a distance.

"I really do think you could win, you know," Bagman said, as they made their way through the people clustered around the lake; lots seemed to be families or friends of current students and were making the most of the opportunity to catch up; Moony and Dora were chatting with a pair of men in faded Hufflepuff scarves, Stella on Dora's hip, and Harry saw Luna with her father, and Oliver Wood - sporting a Walpurgis stinks badge - with Angelina and Alicia. "I'm not the only one, either; the odds on you to win this were enormous at the start, and now you're the favourite."

"Oh," Harry said, not sure what to make of that.

"Pretty impressive for someone who claimed he didn't enter," Bagman said, nudging Harry with his elbow.

"I didn't," Harry said. Bagman made an amused sound. They passed Cedric and Cho standing with the Diggorys and Cedric smiled in Harry's direction and cocked his head slightly at the sight of him with Bagman. Harry shrugged. "I'm just trying to stay alive."

"Well, I'd say you're doing well so far," Bagman said, "and you're winning while you're at it."

"Thanks," Harry said, trying not to sound awkward, and then seized his chance. "I keep thinking I'm going to muck it all up, or- more than I won't be good enough. Every task so far there's been something - the first task it was when I broke my broom-"

"I thought you were done for," Bagman said. "Not a nice feeling."

"-and then," Harry continued, "when Ron fell in the second task, and then today when the dome collapsed-"

"Bit of a mean trick, that one," Bagman said, sounding amused again.

"So it was supposed to fall?" Harry asked.

"Not necessarily," Bagman said. "The dome was set up to collapse if any Champion spent more than three minutes in there."

"So it'd catch out anyone that wasn't prepared, or anyone that waited, like I did," Harry said.

"Exactly," Bagman said brightly. "Although, honestly, I can't say I'm surprised it was you - like I said earlier, after seeing you in the second task, you're a little bit predictable when it comes to your friends. And the hostages consisted of two of your friends, your current - or now, newly ex - girlfriend's little sister, and - if Skeeter's to be believed - your ex-girlfriend."

"Yeah," said Harry, who'd realised that earlier. Bagman obviously picked up on his unhappy tone:

"No one was in any danger - we had the merfolk on deck, and the Aurors too," Bagman said. "It was just a way to add a bit of drama to it all."

"I s'pose it managed that," Harry said, forcing a laugh and a wry grin. "It's a clever idea - did you come up with it?"

"Not me," Bagman said.

"Oh," Harry said, and hoped he wasn't laying it on too thick. "I figured you would have." Bagman raised his eyebrows. "Just- you're good at that - making things exciting, I mean."

"I've picked up a thing or two over the years," Bagman said, winking. "But it really wasn't me - I don't design tasks, I just talk about them. It would have been one of Damaris Sprottle's lot."

"Ludo!" A witch with short curly hair waved them down. "Shall we share a carriage?!"

"Bertha!" Bagman said, waving back. "Absolutely. Harry, do you know Bertha? Bertha, you know who this is, of course."

"Of course!" Bertha - Jorkins, Harry wondered? - grabbed Harry's hand and gave it a rigorous shake. "And not just your face - thanks to the Tournament and all of Skeeter's work, I feel like I know you, Harry - can I call you Harry?"

"Er-"

"Bertha." Padfoot materialised beside Harry. There was a pleasant smile on his face but his scent was exasperated. Bertha'd been distracted enough by Padfoot's appearance that Harry was able to tug his hand free of hers. "Came to watch the task?"

"Wouldn't have missed it," Bertha said. "You were fantastic, by the way," she said to Harry.

"Wasn't he!?" Bagman agreed, beaming.

"Walpurgis couldn't have asked for a better Champion, underage or not." Bertha winked and Harry stared at her.

"We'll leave you to it," Padfoot said, putting a hand on Harry's recently healed shoulder. "Nice to see you, Bertha, Ludo. Come on Harry."

Grateful, Harry let himself be steered away.

"Thanks," he said fervently, once they were out of earshot. Padfoot quirked a grin. He had led them away from the lake and the bustle of students and Tournament spectators, toward the edge of the forest. It would make the walk back to the castle longer, and Harry's tired legs protested at the thought, but Padfoot obviously wanted a bit of quiet:

"Why were you asking about the dome?" he asked; he must have overheard some of the conversation as they were walking.

"Because it was designed to fall," Harry said.

"Okay," Padfoot said, and he wasn't skeptical, but it was clear he wasn't following.

"Voldemort doesn't want me dying in the tasks," Harry said. If he did, he could simply have withheld the information about the dragon and Harry'd probably have died unprepared in the first task. "But others? People I care about?" Padfoot's mouth turned down. "There were so many people around in the second task that a tragic accident would've been really tricky to stage. Ron fell, and if I hadn't jumped and Ginny hadn't blasted that platform out of our way, he'd have been hurt, but he wouldn't have died; Madam Pomfrey was right there.

"This task, though, it was just us, the merfolk and a few Aurors. A bit of sand or squid ink stops the Aurors and merfolk from being able to find us, and then it's just us. Everyone else was on the surface, and not really in a place to be able to help. And this task had creatures and stuff in the arena, and there are grindylows in the lake, and Merlin knows what else. If there was going to be an accident, it was going to be in this one. We knew that going in, and the task designers must have known that too, but then they've still designed the dome to fall if a Champion couldn't work out how to get their hostage breathing underwater, or if someone waited deliberately? They were asking for an accident."

"Okay," Padfoot said again, slowly. "But that's not just something that's targeting you. It could've happened to the other Champions."

"Sure," Harry said. "Except the only person important to any of the other Champions down there was their hostage. They'd have left them nice and safe in the dome and got on with the task because this is just a big competition. I had two of my best friends down there, my girlfriend's sister, and Cho, who Wormtail knows I was sort of seeing because he was there at Hogsmeade last year, and I know it's not just a competition." The corners of Padfoot's mouth turned down. "They could've picked Krum's friends, and Fleur's friends, and Cedric's friends - people that were in the second task, people that the Champions trust with their lives and their place in the Tournament - but they didn't."

"No," Padfoot said slowly. "I overheard Hermione with Ginny and Draco when I was waiting for you to surface… it was news to her that she was the person Krum would miss most."

"Maybe she wasn't," Harry said.

"Maybe," Padfoot said, looking troubled. "And put like that it's not so much of a leap."

"It's not a leap at all," Harry said.

"Maybe not to you," Padfoot said, and he ruffled Harry's hair but Harry didn't miss the way his thumb brushed over Harry's scar.

"It's not a leap," Harry said again.

"So what if the dome had come down because one of the others was too slow?"

"They might've tried to help the others down there-" Cedric would have, anyway, Harry thought, but he wasn't so sure about Krum or Fleur. "-but if they couldn't get their own hostage sorted, what use would they be helping the others?" Padfoot's mouth was a grim line. "Different trigger, but the result'd be the same."

"Bad," Padfoot said.

"Yeah," Harry said. "So, either someone would have drowned because I was too slow getting there-" Which had been a thought plaguing Harry since he knew what the task was, and he'd had enough nightmares about it for Voldemort to know it. "-or because I was waiting around. Either way it would've been my fault."

"No," Padfoot said firmly.

"No," Harry agreed. "But it would've felt like it." And that would have been enough; Padfoot knew it too, from the way his eyes softened and the way he slung an arm over Harry's shoulders and pulled him close.

"Then let's be grateful it didn't come to that," Padfoot said. "And if you're right-"

"I am right," Harry said. "They could've picked anyone else to be the others' hostages - people that would've made more sense - but they didn't, and then they rigged the dome. It should have been a disaster." Had Voldemort been trying to hurt Harry just for the sake of it, or had there been a bigger point to it, some sort of message - that nowhere was safe, that Voldemort was ultimately in control, that Harry wasn't good enough…? Was Voldemort trying to get a particular reaction out of Harry, to get him to act a certain way? And what would happen now that it hadn't happened? Would Voldemort try something else to accomplish whatever he'd been hoping to? Or was it enough that Harry now knew what could have happened?

"It could've been," Padfoot said, "but it wasn't. And some of that's luck, but the majority isn't; you and Ron trained for this and you trained well. You won this one - and I don't mean the task." Padfoot grinned. "Although you won that too." Harry snorted. "Let yourself have this one, and let's not think about the Tournament for a few hours."

"I want to, though," Harry said, and smiled slightly. "This is the first proof we've had that Voldemort's got a way to control the Tournament - that he's actively involved. We knew he had a way to get information about it because he knew about the dragons, and we knew he knew how the goblet worked and the rules, but hostages can't have been decided much before Christmas because Hermione and Krum weren't together and neither were Cedric and Cho. And Bagman said the idea of the dome collapsing had to have come from someone in Sprottle's department-"

"Yes, but that doesn't tell us if Crouch - I'm assuming it's Crouch-"

"It's got to be," Harry said.

"Yeah," Padfoot agreed. "But that doesn't tell us if Crouch is in Sprottle's department, or just has access to someone in it-"

"Imperius," Harry said grimly.

"Or just a bribe," Padfoot said, shrugging. "Or maybe not even that. Maybe he's got a friend in there and he suggested it over lunch or in the lift at the Ministry."

"Maybe," Harry said, deflating a bit. Padfoot knocked their shoulders together.

"I'm just trying to cover our bases," he said. "But I think you're probably right. It'd make sense for them to be in Sprottle's department - it gives them more control over things. Merlin, it could be Sprottle herself."

"She was on the possibly-Crouch list," Harry remembered. "And Pemberley, right?" He didn't want it to be Pemberley, who'd grown on him since the Tournament began. Padfoot nodded.

"And Bagman," he said. "If it's him, he could have told you the dome was an idea from Sprottle's department to throw you off." Harry sighed, conceding that. "Or it could be someone like Bertha Jorkins-" Padfoot tilted his head back toward the carriages. "-who's technically one of Bagman's but she's been working under Sprottle as one of the Tournament organisers."

"Or it could be someone we don't know," Harry said. "Almost getting caught could've made Crouch change his disguise."

"There is that," Padfoot said. He opened his mouth but whatever he was going to say was disrupted by a shout from across the grounds:

"Tea at Hagrid's!" Ron called to them. "You coming?"

"Timing's not great," Harry said to Padfoot, who raised his eyebrows.

"We don't have to," he said. "We can head back up to the school-"

"No," Harry said, with a grin, "I just meant it's nearly lunchtime and that probably means Hagrid will try to feed us."

"Rock cakes," Padfoot said and grimaced, even as the pair of them gave Ron a thumbs up headed in that direction. "And stoat sandwiches." Harry actually didn't mind the stoat sandwiches - he guessed it had something to do with his animagus form - but rock cakes were to be avoided at all costs.

"Maybe I'll pretend to nod off once I've got my mug of tea," Harry mused.

"Oh, goody," Padfoot said with a snort, "more for the rest of us."