Harry entered the Gryffindor common room from the boys' dorm at 6 in the morning. It was the day after the announcement of the Tri-wizard tournament. When he entered the common room he saw that Katie and Angelina were already there. Each of them was wearing a crimson tracksuit with gold accents. Harry quickly made his way over to Katie and kissed her on the lips. "Good morning." He grinned.
"Morning." Katie answered with a warm smile.
"And where's my morning kiss?" Angelina teased.
"Ask Rodger Davis." Katie answer with a grin.
"Very funny." Angelina scowled playfully, causing both Harry and Katie to grin. "Is this everyone?" She asked, changing the topic.
"Neville should be down soon, I didn't even bother with the twins." Harry answered.
"What about Mclaggin?" Angelina teased. She basked the annoyed faces of her teammates.
Neville soon joined them in the common room. "Is it just us?" He asked.
"It looks like it." Katie answered.
"Let's go." Harry said before leading them out of the common room.
The group remained fairly quiet until they made there way down the moving stairs when Angelina spoke up. "Hey, Harry."
"Yeah?"
"Apart from looking up monster hunting guides, what else should I look at for the Triwizard Tournament?"
"Elemental magic. Don't bother with the monster books, because now you won't get one, and it wouldn't be much use until you know what you are fighting. Elemental magic is one of the most versatile forms of magic there is, so it'll help you in all the tasks, and not just that one creature."
When they made their way they saw some others already running around the lake, not as many as there usually but there were still about 20 of them. Susan and Capella waiting at the entrance for them. After a quick greeting to each other, they began to jog around the lake, making small talk as they did. At around half seven, they stopped and sat under a nearby tree with some of the other runners.
"So, who's putting their name in?" Angelina asked.
"I will be." Cedric answered.
"Same here." Rodger Davis announced.
Harry looked and Angelina made eye contact, and Harry gave her a smirk that said "Well played." Angelina returned the smile with one of their own.
"Hey Harry, you entering your name?" Cedric teased him with a grin.
"He better not." Katie joked
"If you don't kill him, Mum definitely will." Capella grinned, while Harry shuddered at the thought. He had only seen his Mother truly angry a few times in his life, and each and every time he was very glad it wasn't at him.
"Yeah, I'm definitely gonna stay out now." Harry answered, causing some of the group to chuckle.
"Does anyone know anything about the other schools?" Cho Chang asked as she sat particularly close to Cedric.
Everyone looked at Harry. "What you all looking at me for?" He asked.
"Well, you're the one who went to Atlantis." Rodger answered.
"So did Ella!" Harry argued. "Even then we went to Atlantis, not Beauxbatons and Durmstrang."
"So what do you know?" Cho asked.
"Nothing more than they advertise." Harry shrugged. "Beauxbatons is a mansion in the Pyrenees mountains and the head is a half-giant named Madame Olympe Maxime. Beauxbatons prides itself on equality and the verity magic than can be studied there. Durmstrang is a castle in the far north of Europe, and the head is former Death Eater, Igor Karkaroff. The school focuses on battle magics and will push its students to the very limits, possibly breaking them in the process. Something rumored to have happened to Grindelwald during his time there."
"See, you do know about them." Cedric teased.
"Fuck you."
Their attention was caught by Madam Hooch as she blew her whistle mean that it was now 8. On days when they had lessons, a house-elf would be waiting at the door, who could give your sandwich order to and you could pick it up now when you went to a nearby classroom to change, with the boys and girls using separate classrooms. But on the first day of the new school year, Sirius would lead the new firsties around the school so they knew where everything is instead of being left to figure it out for themselves, they would also meet all the teachers as well as Madam Phomphry. Thus today served as a time to finish homework assignments and a chance to catch up for the older students.
Everyone began to make their way indoors and head to the great hall for breakfast. Most of the students were already in the hall as well as all of the staff. On the way to the hall, most of the runners had used some charms to help get rid of their sweaty smell, but that wasn't enough for some people such as Katie's friend Lenne Runcorn who sprayed both Katie and Harry with some perfume.
"Thanks." Harry scowled.
"You're welcome." Lenne grinned, ignoring Harry's scowl.
During breakfast Harry, Katie, Angelina, Alica, and Capella, were all given a note to go to the Headmasters office after breakfast.
Soon.
"You think this is about the world cup?" Alica asked.
"I can't think of what else it could be about." Angelina answered.
The group arrived at the gargoyle, but it didn't step aside. "Does anyone know the password?" Katie asked. When no one spoke up she sighed. "Fuck sake."
The gargoyle stepped aside and Alastor Moody walked down the stairs. The group watched as the recently retired Auror walked down the stairs with a Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Once he was at the bottom, he stopped and looked at them, his magical eye zipping from one of them to the other. The entire group felt their muscles tense up as he continued to evaluate them, before settling on Katie. "Language Lass." He said before hobbling off.
"Was that... Alastor Moody?" Angelina asked.
"Think so." Harry answered, before flinging a silent hair coulouring jinx at the man's back. Just as the spell was about to hit him he slammed his staff onto the ground, causing a dome of pure magic to surround him and send the hex straight back at Harry, which he quickly dodged.
"Going to have to do better than that Potter!" Alastor yelled with stopping or turning around.
"Yeah, that's him." Harry commented, before heading up the stairs to the headmaster's office.
Both Angelina and Alica looked at Harry in shock, noticing this Katie decided to answer their unasked question. "He's one of Harry's mentors."
Harry went to knock on the door when Dumbledore called them in. Opening the door they found five seats in front of the headmaster's desk. He gestured to the seats and the students complied. "I'm sure you have all by now guessed that I have called for you about the incident at the world cup..."
"Incident? More like attack!" Harry thought but gave no indicator of what he was thinking.
"... I wanted to check in on you all. See how you were coping. How about we start with Miss Johnson, and finish with Mister Potter." He suggested as Angelina was sat on the far left while Harry sat on the far right. Harry didn't avoid being close to the headmaster just because he didn't like him, but also because wands made of elder don't like each other.
"Well, I was knocked out, and I really don't remember much from the game, and I don't remember the attack at all." Angelena answered.
Dumbledore nodded, then looked to Alica. Alica remained quiet though, she looked at her feet. The silence dragged on, quickly irritating the Potter siblings. "She doesn't want to tell you, and she doesn't have to, you're not a mind healer." Everyone looked at Harry, Alica looked thankful, while Dumbledore frowned momentarily frowned.
"Very well. Miss Potter, would you like to tell me about how you feel about the incident?" He asked Capella, who was sat directly in front of him.
"No Headmaster I'd rather keep that to myself and those close to me." Capella quickly replied. Dumbledore frowned again, Katie snorted and grinned.
"Miss Bell?"
"I was knocked out like Angie. I can't remember much." Katie answered.
Dumbledore audibly sighed and looked to Harry. "I killed the two Death Eaters that attacked us and got everyone to Saint Mungo's, thanks to Capella's idea." Harry answered.
"Do you think murdering those two men was the right thing to do Harry?" Dumbledore question with a disappointed gaze.
Harry had expected this, knowing how much of an idealist the headmaster was, and been thinking on his response for a while. "I didn't care for what the proper procedure is for taking down wild animals, I cared about the safety of my friends and family." Harry stated firmly. Dumbledore was startled by Harry's conviction, something he quickly took advantage of. "Is there anything else Headmaster?"
Meanwhile at the hospital wing.
"And this lovely lady is Madam Poppy Pomfrey." Sirius introduced the healer animatedly to the first years. Some of them were missing mouths for talking when he was. "She has seen every know injury and sickness known to magical kind and then some. She's going to give you all a check-up and then we'll have a break." One by one, the first years were seen to by the healer, it was mostly vaccines, and potions for colds and homesickness. While Pomfrey saw to a first-year, Sirius would answer questions and tell stories to the others.
"What was the most points you lost?"
"By myself, a hundred for stinking up the Slytherin common room with hippogryph dung. As part of a group a thousand for flooding the school, and then freezing it all."
"What was Hogwarts like when you were here?"
"It wasn't too bad during my first years, although the constant swapping of defense teachers was annoying. But things got bad during the later years, the house rivalries got out of hand, with students openly provoking each other because of blood statues, whispers of a dark lord and disappearances caused a lot of tension throughout the school.
"Who was your favorite teacher?"
"Gotta say old McGonagal. Being a Black in Gryffindor wasn't easy, but I'm glad that she gave me a chance. Ad although she will never admit it, I know she was amused by some of our pranks."
Even Pomfrey got asked the odd question.
"How long have you worked here?"
"Fifty-nine years."
"What made you want to be a healer?"
"I've had a gift for the healing arts, and it just felt like it was what I was born to do."
"Have you ever delivered any babies?"
"Yes. I have delivered thirty-two humans, including a pair of twins, and countless magical creatures."
"Did you know my grandma?" Charlie asked.
"Dora?" Poppy asked to which Charlie nodded. "Yes, she was a friend of mine, a year ahead of me, but I knew her and Charles pretty well."
"Can you tell me about them?"
"Some other time perhaps, I've still got the rest of your year to attend to." Poppy answered with a smile.
Soon.
Hermione Granger knocked on Professor Hartwell's office door and she soon opened it. "Miss Granger, come in." The alchemy professor stepped aside and allowed her in. Mary Hartwell was an average looking witch with blue eyes and brown hair. Her office was a lot like those of other professors. A desk, two chairs, bookshelves, and some photos. Once the pair were seated Professor Hartwell spoke. "What would you like to talk about today, Miss Granger?"
"I finished the work you gave me." Hermione answered taking some parchment out of her bag and offering it to Mary.
Mary gave the work a brief look and noted it was far more concise than last year. "There is something else isn't there Miss Granger?"
"The world cup." Hermione answered quietly.
Mary nodded, she had expected as much. "The Death Eater attack?" Mary guessed, and Hermione nodded. "Were you hurt?"
Hermione shook her head. "I made it to the woods, but I saw Harry. I saw him kill those two Death Eaters."
"And what does that make you feel about Harry?" Mary asked.
"I don't know. I thought that killing would change him. For him to become more aggressive. That he might kill someone over the smallest thing. But he doesn't seem to have changed a bit." Hermione answered in confusion.
"Not everyone who has killed becomes a serial killer, Miss Granger. Every Auror who survived the blood war, including James Potter, Bellatrix is said to have killed as well. As far as the law and his family are concerned, Mr Potter has done nothing wrong. He defended himself and those close to him, ad any issues would have been quickly seen to by his aunt." Hermione nodded and a silence fell over the pair. "Do you plan on approaching Mr. Potter?"
"I don't know. I'm afraid he might still be mad at me." Hermione answered as she recalled his last words to her. "You're nothing more than a stupid idealist, who doesn't know how the real world works!"