Chapter 5

"There now, how does that feel?" Madam Pomphrey asked.

"Much better" Hermione said. Harry was sitting with his best friend in the hospital wing, holding her hand while her teeth were shrunk back to normal.

It was all Malfoy's fault. As usual. Harry had lost his temper with the bully, after his incessant taunting, again. Only one person could push Harry's buttons more than him. Severus Snape.

The potions professor had as usual done nothing about Draco's behavior and even joined in when Hermione's teeth got hexed and enlarged down to her toes. "I see no difference" He had said. Harry had been ready to hex him into oblivion for that comment but Hermione's whimpering had stopped him. She needed him more right now and besides he'd only get detention plus a couple hundred points lost for it. So he'd walked his best friend to the hospital wing and stayed by her side the whole time.

On the way to their next class Hermione explained about her parents wanting her to get braces and her decision to have Madam Pomphrey fix them for her instead.

"You didn't have to do that, you know" Harry said feeling a blush come on as he finished, "You look fine just the way you are, no matter what the likes Malfoy and Parkinson say."

"I wanted to. And not because of them, because of me. But...thank you Harry. That was very sweet of you to say" Hermione turned pink too. Harry grinned embarrassed.

He wanted to hold her hand again and the thought surprised him. He had been feeling this way a lot lately. Wanting to show affection to her. He used to be uncomfortable when she gave him hugs but now...Something was different, something had changed yet he still couldn't figure out what it was.

"Harry Harry" Came a familiar voice. Colin Creevey came running down the corridor. "I've been sent to get you."

"What?" Harry asked bewildered.

"Mr. Bagman wants all four champions to meet with him. I'm supposed to bring you to him" Colin explained proudly. Harry glanced at Hermione uncertainly.

"Go on. And don't worry I'll tell Snape what happened and be sure to take plenty of notes so you don't miss anything important."

"Thanks 'Mione" Harry said gratefully. He turned back to Colin and followed him, feeling a sudden sense of dread.

Dragons. Harry was stunned. He was sitting in bed that night contemplating the day's events. First Hagrid had snuck him along on his outing with Maxime and revealed that the first task was to get past a dragon. Then he'd had a talk with Sirius via the floo network and learned that Karkaroff was a death eater, Moody being attacked was probably for real, and someone named Bertha Jorkins had completely vanished.

He desperately wanted to talk to Hermione but she had already gone to bed. He didn't think he'd get any sleep tonight and he wished she was here to offer advice and comfort as she always did. Sighing he took off his glasses and lay down, but no matter how hard he tried, sleep wouldn't come.

The next morning Harry waited anxiously for Hermione to come down from her dorm. As soon as he spotted her bushy hair on the staircase, he rushed over to her. "We need to talk now" He whispered. Hermione started to protest but stopped when she caught a look at his face.

"Alright, let's grab some breakfast from the great hall and we'll walk down by the lake again."

"Dragons!" Hermione exclaimed looking very pale. "Are you sure?"

"Oh I'm sure. I saw the scales, wings and claws myself. Charlie's even come to help out." He had told her about the meeting with Sirius first and then broke the bad news to her.

"That'd be hard enough for a sixth or seventh year to face let alone a fourth year!"

"I know" He answered glumly. Hermione started pacing as she often did when she was thinking things through. Harry gazed at her while he waited for her to speak again. He had never given much thought to the way she looked before, after all why would he? He'd always been more interested in what she said and did than how she looked while doing so.

But now he noticed that she was growing up to be rather pretty. Not like Cho's kind of pretty, but her own Hermione kind of pretty. It felt odd to be thinking about this. Why was he comparing his best friend and his crush anyway? Harry shook the thoughts away.

"Let's go to the library and look at the spellbooks for sixth year and above. It's sure to have something in it you can use" Hermione finally said and Harry was glad to have a change of subject for his mind.

"Uh ok" He said still feeling a bit awkward. Again the urge to take her hand was there but he forced himself not to. She's my best friend and besides I like Cho so why do I feel so different all of a sudden and why can't I get her out of my head?

"Hi Harry" The boy turned his head at the sound of his name. Catching a glimpse of red hair, Harry dared to hope it was Ron. But no, the voice was female.

"Oh hi Ginny" Harry greeted, a bit surprised that she had been the one to say hi to him first. Usually he had to initiate conversation with the shy Weasley. Well not really shy, only around him anyway. He'd heard plenty from Ron and the twins about Ginny's feisty personality.

"Have you talked to Ron yet?" She asked him.

"What about?"

"I mean have you made any attempt at making up with him?" Ginny said with a roll of her eyes.

"Why should I? I'm not the one who started it. If he's sorry then he should be the one coming to make up with me" Harry felt his anger rising again. Hermione had been urging him to do the same thing but every time he thought about it, the anger in him won out.

"Oh don't start that again, I know you miss him. So does Hermione."

"Been comparing notes have you?" He replied dryly.

"Look just try talking to him" She replied. Something in her tone piqued Harry's curiosity.

"What's going on here, why are you asking me to do this?"

Ginny looked at war with herself for a moment. Blowing air out of her lips in exasperation, with him or herself he wasn't sure. "He's been having a really rough time without you" she admitted.

"That's his fault!" Harry snapped.

"He's lonely!" She snapped back. "You don't see because you won't even look at him but the fact is he has no friends outside of you and Hermione. Dean and Seamus are already such close friends that he feels like an outsider with them. He's miserable without you and I know you are too. He thought he still had Hermione but she's been spending all her time with you and he feels abandoned. He feels like it's proof that everyone will always pick famous Harry Potter over him, even Hermione."

Harry suddenly had an image in his head. A tall freckly faced, red haired, first year boy with hand me down robes and corned beef sandwiches. Lonely lonely lonely. It went round and round in his brain, nothing would ever take it out. Harry had been lonely, achingly so. And Ron had been the one to take that empty feeling away from him. Hermione followed soon there after, but Ron had been the first. He had shared his family with him, even though he had already felt overshadowed enough.

"I'm sorry" He whispered to the boy in his head.

"Don't tell me that" Ginny replied. "Tell him."

"I will."

"Good." They stood there quietly for a moment, neither one knowing quite what to say after that. The silence was shattered two minutes later when a strange girl came up to them. She had straggly waist length blonde hair, wide blue eyes that never seemed to blink properly, and her wand tucked behind her ear.

"Hello Ginny, Hello Harry Potter" She said in an airy dreamy voice. Ginny smiled at her.

"Hello Luna. Harry this is my very best friend Luna Lovegood. Luna this is Harry" Ginny introduced.

"You can call me Looney if you like, most everyone does" The girl replied nonchalantly.

"Don't tell him that!" Ginny exclaimed. "I've told you it's not okay to let others call you Looney. They're picking on you"

"Alright" Luna replied as if she was agreeing to take a stroll through the garden.

"Er, nice to meet you" Harry said though it came out more like a question. He stared at the girl, baffled by her behavior.

"We both believe you about the goblet Harry, that you didn't enter your name" The girl said bluntly. Harry blinked.

"Really? Um, thank you" He glanced at Ginny who nodded.

"It's true Harry. More people believe in you than you realize."

"It was most certainly done by Ludo Bagman because he wants to to use the magical contract binding the champion's to compete to win a bet he has with the goblins. He entered you so he can win extra for betting that the boy who lived would win. The goblet if infested with Wrackspurts which everyone knows the ministry created in an experiment gone wrong at the department of mysteries and now they're using them to confuse the magical workings of the certain enchanted items like the cup" Luna continued as if neither of them had spoken.

"Sorry what?" Harry replied dazedly. What on earth was she talking about?

"Don't mind Luna" Ginny cut in. "Her dad's the editor of the quibbler, a paper that's known for it's um...unique outlook on the wizarding world. It's just one of the theories she has about things. C'mon Luna let's get to class" Ginny smiled at Harry one last time before walking off with her strange friend.

"You did it Harry, you did it!" Hermione flung her arms around him. He had just mastered the summoning charm which would be the key to helping him get past the dragon. He hugged her back, grinning. Her bushy hair smelt like vanilla and he felt warm and fuzzy inside.

"All thanks to you 'Mione" He said when she let go. Hermione smiled shyly at him.

"It wasn't just me. You worked very hard on it. I'm so proud of you" She answered modestly.

"Achem!" The sound of a cough came from behind them. Harry and Hermione turned around. Ron was standing in the doorway of the classroom they had been practicing in.

"Yes?" Harry asked calmly. His conversation with Ginny was still fresh in his mind and he was ready to make up. He was just glad Ron had sought him out first.

"Can I um, can I talk to you?" Ron asked awkwardly.

"Sure" He answered, more than a little curious as to what he would have to say to him.

"I'll go return these books to the library" Hermione said. He smiled at her gratefully. It'd be easier for Ron to apologize to Harry without anyone else around. Hermione gathered up the books and left the room.

"Listen, Harry I uh...I owe you an apology" Ron began. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting."

"Why'd you do it Ron?" He asked in reply. It would've been easier on them both for Harry to just accept his apology and move on. But they needed more than that. They needed to clear the air between them, even if it meant talking about feelings.

"I don't know" He mumbled, not looking him in the eye.

"Ron" Harry began.

"Look I didn't believe it!" He burst out. "I swear I didn't, I was just jealous. I wanted to make up with you the next morning but I..."

"But you what?"

"It's not important" Came another mumble.

"I think it is. There's something that's bee bothering you Ron. I've know that for a while now. Please tell me what it is."

Ron looked up at him and when he saw the look in Harry's eyes he let out a puff of air. "You and Hermione" He finally said.

"What about us?" Harry said in surprise. That had nit been what he was expecting.

"It's just...you know..." Ron fumbled helplessly. "You two looked so happy together when you walked into the great hall that morning after breakfast. And then you were spending all your time with each other, going to the library, walking around the lake, whispering in class. I thought" His voice started choking up. "I thought you didn't need me" He said in barely a whisper.

Harry put his hand on his friends shoulder. Ron looked at him in shock. "I'll alwaysneed you, Ron" The look of disbelief made him continue. "You were my first friend, I didn't have any one that cared about me before I came to Hogwarts, before you walked into my empty compartment and offered your friendship. Yes I have Hermione and yes I care about her, more than I can even out into words. But I care about you too Ron. Your friendship is just as important to me as hers is. Who else would I talk about quidditch with? Who else makes me laugh like you do? I need a mate who I can relax and joke around with, someone who would stand on a broken leg and fight for me if I needed him to. You're that friend Ron, no one can replace you."

"Not even Neville?" Ron asked hopefully after a few minute silence. "I saw you hanging around with him more too."

"I just thought he could use a friend. You, Hermione and I were always off solving mysteries and having adventures together that we left him alone when he could've used a friend too. I only recently realized that. But no, to answer your question no, he can't replace you. No one can" Harry repeated firmly. Ron's face glowed at this sentiment. Another awkward cough.

"Well then, how're you coming along on preparing for the first task?" He asked next and Harry was glad to have the subject change. What needed to be said had been said and all was back to normal. No. Better than normal.

"Wait til I tell you what I found out I'll be facing" Harry said and the two of them left together, friends once again.

Harry paced back and forth inside the tent. Any minute now they would call his name and he would be facing the Hungarian Horntail, the most dangerous dragon of the four brought to Hogwarts. Somehow he managed to always have the worst luck. At least he'd managed to patch things up with Ron. Now his head was cleared and ready to face the first task.

"Psst! Harry" Came a familiar voice. Harry turned to the sound. Hermione.

"'Mione what're you doing here?" He asked nervously. He didn't want her to get in trouble for sneaking in to see him.

"I wanted to wish you luck before you go on" She told him.

"I thought you already did that" He said, remembering her telling him so before he was called to the tent with the other champions.

"I wanted to give you something but I just couldn't in front of Ron and Ginny and everyone" She said anxiously.

"What would that be?" He asked in wonder.

"This" And she kissed him on the cheek. Harry felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach and suddenly he couldn't think, couldn't remember his own name. He felt the urge again, but stronger than ever before. He wanted to give her a real kiss, even leaned forward to do so.

"Harry Potter!" Came the announcer. The moment was gone and Harry stepped back.

"Thank you" He said blushing at the thought of what he'd almost done.

"Good luck" She said again, smiling. Then he turned and went to face his dragon.

A/N: I had Ron and Harry make up earlier, it just seemed to fit better. I know fourteen year old boys aren't likely to talk about their feelings like that but it needed to be done which is why I had Ginny and Hermione convince them both to do it. It also gave me a chance to bring Luna into the story. Gosh though, she's a really hard character to write. I can never come up with bizarre things for her to say. I hope I did an okay job of it. She'll be important later on so I'll just have to keep working at it. The coronavirus is preventing me from getting a copy of book four from the library so I'm doing this all by memory. Sorry if I forgot anything.

Reply to SLYNNR: Yes I probably will have Neville become an Animagus with them. Not sure about the twins though, sorry.