A/N: Hello again everyone! I hope your holidays went well! First and foremost, I would like to say thank you so much for the support you've given for this fic of mine. For the first time in my years of writing, I've actually managed to hit 100 follows! It's the first time I've ever hit 100 of anything on this site, be it reviews, faves or follows. So, thank you so much everyone! I hope you guys continue to tune in for the rest of this story hehe.

So, I've read a lot of really encouraging reviews after posting the previous chapter. First of all, I'd like to again clarify, that I have NOT read any of the books. I've only watched the movies. I do understand if it's frustrating that I do not follow the books, but as I mentioned, I'm writing this story by following the movie. The reason for this is that in my opinion, it is much easier to write fanfiction/my own story based on the movie because there are a lot of gaps in the movies that present an author with events that they may use to begin their story with or even base their entire story off of. Just to clarify for everyone who is still reading, THIS STORY IS CANON-DIVERGENT. I apologize if I did not clarify that from the first chapter. I intend to borrow some elements of the series from the book, but for the most part I'm trying to minimize doing so and focusing more on actually creating my own twist for this story, if that makes sense? Another reason for this is I simply do not have the time to read the book, and I don't even own a hardcopy of GoF (I can't find my brother's copy anymore). For those reading this story thinking that I used the book as reference, I apologize, but you will indeed be disappointed, because I used the film as reference. I hope I've clarified that, and again, I apologize for not clarifying this earlier. Given this, I like to also add that in this story, Dumbledore and Moody does not warn Harry that there is someone out to get him, and simply allows him to compete the tournament and keeps the information to themselves.

All that being said, let me make it clear that this chapter is where I will start to rely on my knowledge of the film less, and actually try to make my own plot. So from here on out, there will be less references to the film. Just a heads up.

Review Responses:

Guest: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! As I mentioned, I followed the film as reference, and not the book for this story. I would actually like to read the book, but as I also mentioned above, it's quite difficult for me to find the time to do so these days due to personal reasons. I write as a hobby, to have a creative outlet. I'm not as keen on reading, to be quite honest. And I really started this story with the film as reference, which I also mentioned in passing in the first chapter. I apologize if I wasn't clear on that. But thank you for your feedback though!

HPFan1999: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! That's actually the reason why I did not write the scene where Harry writes his letter, or even the contents of his letter. From what happened in the movie, Harry simply wrote to Sirius about having his dream and what he saw on the night of the Quidditch World Cup. I wasn't too sure on the details of the dream, hence I did not write it anymore and just started with the scene where Harry and Sirius were already talking. And regarding the plot to kill him, I remember in the film where Harry tells Sirius that he knew Voldemort wanted "to get" to him. It was directly out of the movie, in short. So I simply used it hehe. Thank you so much for the kind words! And I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

decadenceofmysoul: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! And thank you for the kind words! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Joeking18: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! Thank you for the kind words! I hope your holidays went well, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Hortensia: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! Thank you for the kind words! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Skjolty: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! I apologize for that actually; that detail of Hermione teaching Harry Accio totally slipped my mind when I posted that chapter. I only remembered when it was already too late to work around it, so I sincerely apologize for that Regarding the Harry/Hermione moments in the book, it is a shame I'm not aware of those sweet gestures between the two, but I promise you that I intend to make up for the scenes I won't include in this story that were in the book by creating my own, so please bear with me. As for reading the book, like I mentioned, it's quite difficult for me to find the time to do so (for personal reasons), and this story is at the point where it starts to really become canon-divergent, so I'm not sure how useful it would still be at this point. Also, thank you so much for that pointer. I just wanted to sort of make a remark on the detail I mentioned? I didn't mean to give away a plot point with my author's notes. I will do better moving forward And I will also keep in mind your advice on the small details. I'm really grateful for that, because I constructive and helpful criticism is something I really like getting. So thank you so much again! I hope you keep on reading though hehe

ranchod das chanchad: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! And thank you for the kind words! I actually wasn't too sure about how detailed I should've been with the Polyjuice scene, but I'm happy it got your attention! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Now, on to the story!

Harry found lunch to be more uncomfortable than he ever thought possible. Lunch was meant to be the one time in the day where people could rest from work and enjoy a nice meal. It was meant to be the time for people to relax a bit, and for the fortunate ones, do so with their friends and family. And for Harry personally, it was the time to temporarily ignore his thoughts (as best as he could) and just…well…eat.

It was not meant to be the time for people to stare at you while you try to finish a plate of mashed potatoes and turkey.

The boy resisted the urge to shiver from the stares everyone was giving him. As soon as he entered the Great Hall to eat lunch, the entire room fell silent as everyone stopped whatever he/she was doing (be it eating, chatting, chewing or drinking) to peer at him. The assortment of gazes ranged from proud, flirtatious, and appreciative ones, to jealous, spiteful, and almost evil ones.

Of course, he had been the center of attention (both good and bad) for many times in his life. But he hadn't been as uncomfortable as he was now. In fact, he was even more uncomfortable now than when his name was summoned from the Goblet of Fire. Because at least then, he was just sitting. But now, he was eating and drinking—acts that generally showed vulnerability.

It also didn't help that some people, specifically women, took an even bolder approach. Some of them would 'walk past' where he was seated and greet him in a rather flirty manner. One example was the Padma twins. When they passed him by earlier, they greeted him with a "Hello, Harry" in perfect sync while smiling a little too brightly than usual.

He didn't know whether he should be flattered or worried. And to think everyone hated him just before yesterday…

"You okay, Harry?" a soft voice whispered on his left.

He didn't need to look to know who it was. He swallowed before whispering back "Yes. I'm just amazed at how fickle most people here are"

Hermione frowned, although he couldn't see it "I'm sorry to hear that. It is unfortunate how docile the lot of them are" she said sympathetically. She also noticed how everyone stared at him, and the not-so-subtle ways girls were trying to catch his attention.

"Will you be busy after lunch?" he inquired, this time turning his gaze to meet hers.

"No, not really. I'll just stay in the library and do some reading. Why?" Hermione asked after a moment of thought.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Harry asked almost hesitantly.

His best friend nodded at him with a smile "Of course not" she answered reassuringly. They had done this plenty of times over the past few weeks. He would ask her if he could go with her to the library, and she'd always say yes. It amused the brunette to know that Harry would still ask her at this point—she'd never turn him down anyway. Besides, Harry was by no means bad company in the library. He was quiet and didn't disturb her, but that was because he was either asleep or was trying to most of the time. Hermione guessed that her best friend wasn't getting enough sleep at night, so she let him be. She would only lightly pester him to work when a deadline was approaching or when he was spacing out too much. This would explain why despite spending more time in the library, Harry's grades barely improved, if at all. She didn't want to push him given what he's been dealing with. Also, he preferred to be alone sometimes, and would go out to the lakeside or some isolated place by his lonesome when he wasn't in the mood for company.

Harry took a few last sips from his goblet and nodded to her. They both stood up and began to gather their belongings.

"H-hey, mate" a familiar voice spoke as Harry bent down to grab his shoulder bag. He turned around and was met with the sight of one Ronald Weasley. The redhead stood awkwardly with his hands clasped in front of him. It seemed like he was fighting to keep his eyes on Harry's face, clearly not able to look at his best friend (former?) "I just…I just wanted to say…" Ron gulped "…that I'm s-sorry. For not believing in you, I mean. I realized that you'd never…willingly participate in something as dangerous as that" he finished in a small voice.

Hermione stood silently, watching for Harry's reaction. The other Gryffindors around them also stopped what they were doing and tuned in.

Harry honestly thought that he would be a lot more emotional when this moment finally came. He had missed his redhead best friend terribly—he was his best and first mate after all. But Harry couldn't deny the fact that his blatant distrust and dislike of him over something he had nothing to do with created a considerable rift in their friendship; at least on Harry's end. Ron spoke words he never thought he'd hear from him, and did things he never thought he'd do to him. Harry knew he wasn't perfect, but he also knew that if his and Ron's roles were reversed, he would have given Ron at least the benefit of the doubt in a heartbeat, similar to what Hermione did for him.

But despite all of this, Harry felt…nothing. In a way he felt guilty over his lack of an emotional response to Ron's apology. But he just couldn't bring himself to feel anything. He wasn't angry. He wasn't upset. He wasn't even disappointed. He was just…indifferent. Maybe it was because a part of him had already forgiven Ron. Harry preferred not to hold grudges for as much as he could. Also, Ron's mistreatment of him won't make him forget all the good he'd done for him—he and his family had all but adopted him and treated him as one of their own.

Even so, it didn't mean that he would forget everything Ron had done to hurt him. He knew he would eventually fully forgive him, but he would never forget. In his greatest time of need, Ron chose to turn away from him. No matter how much he treasured their friendship, that would never, ever be forgotten.

Harry simply shrugged "It's alright. Apology accepted" he took a few steps towards the redhead and extended a hand.

Ron let out an inaudible gasp. To say he was shocked was a massive understatement. Just like that? No violent reaction whatsoever? With raised eyebrows and wide eyes, Ron reached out his own hand to shake Harry's.

Harry nodded at him "See you" he bade before turning to leave.

Ron's jaw slacked and his mouth went agape. As Harry went on, Hermione approached the redhead.

"Just give him some time, Ron. He'll come around" she advised in a near whisper so that only Ron could hear her. Ron was still too shocked to say anything but nonetheless nodded stiffly. She patted his shoulder affectionately, then turned on her heels to follow Harry.

When the two arrived in the library, they sat on Hermione's usual table. The brunette read up on Ancient Runes, while Harry borrowed her notes to see what he had missed since he didn't attend class the day before the First Task. They barely spoke a word to each other until it was time for their next class.

The silence between them was welcomed by Harry.

Sirius managed to reply to his letter much more quickly than he did last time—only six days after Harry sent his own. This made Harry think that either the Ministry had stopped intercepting owls, or that Sirius moved closer to Hogwarts for some reason. Sirius' responsorial letter only contained one sentence—that they would need to talk face to face again on the 30th of November. Also, much to Harry's joy, Sirius was finally able to send Hedwig back to him.

During the midnight of November 30th, Harry found Sirius as he did a week ago—the pieces of coal in the Gryffindor common room fireplace arranged in the shape of his visage. Harry then proceeded to recount the events of the First Task to his godfather, about how he was almost burned alive by the dragon, how he flew around it, how he was almost killed again when he crashed against a pillar, and how he managed to finally retrieve his egg.

"Very impressive, Harry. Not many wizards and witches can handle themselves the way you did against that dragon" Sirius praised sincerely.

Harry couldn't hide his scowl "I just wish I didn't have to do anything like that at all" he replied bitterly.

"I know, Harry, I know. Have you figured out the clue in the egg though?"

Harry sighed "No, not yet. When I opened it, all I heard were screams and shrieks. It's a bloody miracle I didn't go deaf to be honest"

"Hmm…interesting. Try not to think too much about it though. For now, just focus on trying to get some rest. How long until the Second Task?"

"Almost three months. It's due to be some time on the third week of February"

"Good, that's quite a bit of time for you to ease up, I hope. Anyways, regarding that nightmare of yours," Harry's forehead creased slightly at this "you mentioned you had a more detailed version of the one you've been having since the summer?"

Harry fell silent. Sirius grew increasingly worried as the moments passed. His godson was clearly in deep thought. He was about to try changing the topic of their conversation when he finally heard the raven-haired boy continue.

"He knows" Harry said stiffly. Sirius refrained from speaking, waiting for Harry to continue, which the latter did "Voldemort. He knows"

Sirius' makeshift face scrunched up in worry (and perhaps fear) "Knows what, Harry?" he muttered lowly.

His godson gulped "Everything. He knows I'm isolated, vulnerable. He knows that Dumbledore's not going to act in time, that he'd prefer to understand what's going on first before acting at all. He knows I don't have a lot of people to rely on right now" Harry explained, fighting to resist being eaten up by the anxiety that was crawling up his back "He knows that he has a clear path to me"

This time it was Sirius who fell silent. As Harry steadied himself, Sirius took a few minutes to think his next words carefully.

"How did you feel in the dream, Harry?" Sirius asked slowly.

Harry turned to him with a look of confusion "What do you mean?"

"What was going through your mind while you were watching Voldemort talking to his lackeys?" the animagus clarified.

Harry paused for a moment before answering "Nothing. At least, nothing personal. I felt like a mere spectator, like someone who wasn't meant to hear the conversation but somehow did" Harry tilted his head to the side "Why do you ask?"

Sirius let out what sounded like a sigh "I believe in you, Harry, you know that. I was just wondering how deep your connection to Voldemort really is"

"Connection?" Harry blurted out, confused and intrigued at the same time.

"The dreams, Harry. I'm sure by now that you refuse to believe they're simply dreams, correct?" Harry nodded "I'm with you on that. I think those 'dreams' of yours are most likely visions of what's actually happening. Voldemort is indeed on the move" Sirius stated grimly "And regarding the small bottle you sent me? What about it?"

"I found it in a cubicle in sixth-floor boys' bathroom. Hermione said it's Polyjuice Potion, but it honestly smelled a little too strong for me to identify on my own" Harry explained.

Sirius hummed "I see. I agree with Hermione's assessment—the bottle did contain Polyjuice Potion. However, this particular one was brewed to bloody perfection. It's the kind that perhaps only your mother would be able to brew"

Harry was taken aback at the mention of his mother. Whenever Sirius would make a passing comment about his parents, it was always about his father. They were fellow marauders after all. He rarely ever mentioned anything about his mother. This small snippet of information about her caused a swirl of emotions to wash over Harry. All of the sudden, thoughts of Voldemort, his dreams, and the bottle of Polyjuice disappeared. All he had on his mind were his parents—his mother to be exact.

"Really?" Harry almost whispered, his voice full of emotion "Was she good?" he asked shakily

Sirius' expression softened. He gazed at his godson, the young boy staring off into nothingness. His emerald green eyes were shining with words, thoughts, and feelings he could never express out loud. His heart went out to him. He was robbed of so many things in his life. But most of all, he was robbed of his loving parents, parents that loved him so much it was beyond all comprehension. "Yes, but she wasn't just good—she was the best. She was the brightest witch of her age. And she was absolutely brilliant at potions. In fact, Potions was her favorite class" Sirius answered in a soft voice "She was so excellent at Potions that oftentimes she would know more about certain topics than our Professors did"

Harry let a watery smile spread on his lips. His mother was brilliant. She was the best. Of course, she was; she was the one who saved him from the killing curse after all. He couldn't help but feel proud. Even if he never got to actually meet her, he was honored that she was his mother.

The boy felt a lone tear slide down his left cheek. He couldn't help it. The thought of his amazing mother seemed to open floodgates of emotions that he had always tried to keep shut.

"I'm sorry" Harry mumbled as he wiped the tear away "I just wish I could've met her"

"Don't be sorry, Harry" Sirius chided gently "I'm sure she'd be proud of the brilliant young man you've become"

Minutes of silence passed with Harry trying to calm his emotions and Sirius simply letting him. While Harry always loved talking with his godfather, he was more than appreciative of the silence he allowed to befall them. When he was calm enough to proceed with their talk, Sirius got started again.

"Given that this is the case, then I think it's more likely that this potion was not brewed by some students looking to pull some pranks" Sirius surmised.

"I figured as much. When I found the bottle and smelled it, I just had a gut feeling that something wasn't quite right" Harry admitted.

"I think it's time we start trusting your gut feelings more, Harry. You did well by informing me of this—at least now we know of this possibility regarding Polyjuice Potion. As a matter of fact, I believe it's going to be your gut feelings that may help ultimately help us in the long run"

"How so?" Harry inquired

"Well, your dreams, or rather, visions, for one—they're the key to what Voldemort has been planning up to this point. See if any further developments occur. We might be able to gather more information through them. And the Polyjuice—if there really is more to the potion, like we think so, then this may be involved in things that are actually happening in Hogwarts. Be vigilant about this, Harry. As I told you last time, be careful of who you trust" Sirius paused for a moment. He said his next words with conviction and encouragement "We can do this, Harry. We can fight back. We can defeat him"

Harry wanted to believe him, but couldn't bring himself to fully do so. "How? I'm so caught up with the tournament that I don't know how to worry about other things. Plus, I'm only fourteen—I don't even know enough spells to last me through the tournament without getting nearly killed" He answered sadly.

To his surprise, Sirius smiled at him "I do believe I have a solution for the last part"

Harry raised an eyebrow "What, then?" he asked hesitantly.

"Are you free tomorrow afternoon?" Sirius asked seemingly out of the blue.

Harry thought for a moment "After four o'clock, yes. Why do you ask?" he replied, growing more and more confused.

Sirius' smile brightened "Great! I have two people I want you to meet with. They'll help you in all the necessary ways they can. And don't worry; they can be trusted as much as I can" Sirius answered vaguely "How about thirty past four tomorrow afternoon, by the bridge just outside Hogwarts?"

"Um, sure, but who are they, and why?"

Harry could see a glint of mischief despite his godfather's appearance made out of wood and charcoal "You'll see soon enough" Sirius stated mysteriously.

Harry then remembered that his godfather was a marauder.

"Just trust me on this, Harry"

He didn't know whether he should be worried or excited.

A sigh escaped his lips as he leaned back against the bench he was currently sitting on. His unruly blond hair was exposed to the setting sun's rays, and he was glad for it. Merlin knows how rarely he's allowed himself to do this in a public setting lately. Still though it wasn't like he didn't prefer to work while it was dark, since it made it easier for him to accomplish his duties.

He glanced at his wristwatch. The person he was supposed to meet should be here any second now. And as if right on cue, he heard footsteps approach him from his right. He didn't turn to see who the approaching figure was.

He didn't need to—he knew exactly who it was.

When the footsteps became silent to indicate the figure had stopped a few feet away from him, he finally turned and shot the person a polite smile "Good afternoon, Mister Black. Please take a seat" he greeted as he gestured on the space beside him.

"Good afternoon, and thank you" the man greeted back and sat beside him.

"It's nice to see you up and about, Mister Black. It's good to see that you're not as gaunt as you were a year ago" the blond remarked.

Sirius smiled at the young man "I never got to thank you personally for your help. I am in your debt for assisting me in escaping that horrible place"

The blond waved his hand dismissively "There's no need for that. You were unjustly imprisoned after all. Now, on to the matter at hand—what do you have for me this fine afternoon, if I may ask now?"

Sirius turned serious (no pun intended) "I believe I have information regarding the Dark Lord's plans"

The blond beside him raised an eyebrow and gazed at him with a challenging look "Oh? And why would you go to me, of all people, Mister Black?"

Sirius calmly returned the young man's look and answered smoothly "Because I know you would listen…Mister Scamander"

Harry couldn't believe it. Of all the possible things, he certainly did not expect this. He tried prying more information out of his godfather regarding who he was going to meet. The marauder simply dismissed his questions with a teasing remark or by bringing something up that was completely unrelated to the matter at hand.

And now it was clear why.

A few feet in front him, stood two people—a man and a woman. He recognized the man as his former DADA professor in Remus Lupin. A wide grin broke out on his face and before he knew what he was doing, his feet were already dragging him to approach his all-time favorite instructor.

"Professor Lupin!" he greeted "I didn't expect you!" he added as he held out his hand.

His former professor grinned back at him and shook his hand firmly "Good to see you, Harry. It was meant to be a sort of a surprise" Remus' expression suddenly turned slightly serious "Padfoot tells me you could use some pleasant ones these days"

Harry chuckled half-heartedly "Well isn't that right?" he paused and let out a sigh "He told me that you'd help me, Professor. But he didn't exactly mention with what" Harry said with slightly narrowed eyes.

Remus nodded "We'll explain as we go. But first of all, don't call me 'Professor'. I'm not your teacher anymore, Harry. Please call me Remus, or if you want, Moony—my marauder nickname. And second, I'd like to introduce you to a close friend of mine. She'll be here to assist me with helping you" Remus turned to the woman beside him and gestured for her to introduce herself.

Harry turned to the said woman and was slightly disoriented by just how…pretty she was. She was shorter than Remus by a little over half a head. Her hair was pink in color and ended just above her shoulders. She had toned limbs and a nicely-shaped, lithe figure. She was wearing several layers of clothing, no doubt to shield her from the cold, but it was apparent that she was…well…female. She also looked at least a few years younger than Remus was.

The woman walked up to him and held out a hand with a smile that made her look even prettier than she already was "You look just like I thought you would. Wotcher, Harry! I'm Tonks"

Harry fought down a blush and shook her extended hand "H-hi" he greeted back awkwardly. Remus and Tonks exchanged a glance, resisting the urge to smile at the boy's reaction.

Remus cleared his throat "Okay then, we should get down to business. We're here to train you, Harry" Harry turned back to his professor with a questioning look "Padfoot told us about pretty much everything we needed to know about. You handled yourself brilliantly against that dragon, Harry" he praised.

"Yeah, that was amazing! I can't believe you managed to do that! Bloody impressive work that was, Harry" Tonks added. This time, Harry couldn't fight his blush and Tonks silently giggled at this.

"W-well, I just got lucky I suppose…" Harry trailed.

Remus shook his head "Nonsense. Anyways, Padfoot figured it would help if you learned some more advanced spells considering you're only a fourth year participating in a tournament meant for sixth and seventh years. Tonks and I will teach you some spells that you'll most certainly find useful, especially in the succeeding tournament tasks. On top of that, I will teach you several other charms, while Tonks will help you with physical conditioning since she's an Auror"

"Auror?" Harry blurted out before he could stop himself "Like Professor Moody?"

Tonks nodded "Yep" she replied, popping the 'p' "Alastor Moody was actually my mentor. But since he's already occupied with teaching this year, Remus asked me if I could help with you instead. Besides, I've just graduated from Auror Academy, and I'm excited to try my hand at teaching" she explained with a smile.

"O-oh…ok-kay…" Harry answered lamely, no doubt affected by the woman's rather aesthetic smile. Wow…she was an Auror? It's not that he had a prejudice against women or anything. It's just that…she is really attractive and is a dark wizard catcher. Harry couldn't help but admit that the teenage boy in him was very, very impressed already.

Remus sniggered under his breath "We'll train you in a different environment, some place away from here. Wouldn't want anyone to sneak up on us while we practice, do we? We'll first start with the shielding charm. Let's get you to learn that properly first before we proceed with other spells. We can finalize your weekly schedule with us later"

A shielding charm? This was surely going to be exciting! Harry grinned. The shock over Sirius' 'surprise' for him was quickly replaced with anticipation. For the first time this year since his name came out of the Goblet, he suddenly had something he was genuinely looking forward to. "Alright then!" Harry exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement. But then his forehead creased questioningly "But how do we get to the place we're supposed to go?"

Both Remus and Tonks smirked at him.

"Have you ever heard of Apparition, Harry?"

Harry narrowed his eyes "No, can't say I have. Why?"

Their smiles widened at his response.

Somehow, Harry had a gut feeling that things might not go so well for him…

Harry stumbled up the seventh-floor stairs. Everything hurt. Every muscle, tendon, ligament, you name it—all of it just bloody hurt. He was now more thankful than ever that he wasn't hit with Stupefy when Barty Crouch and his squad arrived at the scene in the aftermath of the attack during the Quidditch World Cup. He thought Stupefy was just a stunning curse meant to…you know, stun its target. Boy, how wrong he was.

Or maybe he was right. It might just be that the effects of Stupefy increasingly gets worse the more times you get hit with it. And he was hit with it. A lot. A. Lot.

After their conversation near the bridge, Remus explained that they were going to travel via Apparition. His former professor then asked him to grab onto his arm.

And that was when bloody bollocks hit the fan.

Apparition was fucking horrible. It felt like being forced through a very, very tight rubber tube. If Harry didn't know that they were supposed to travel in that fashion, he would've thought that Remus was attempting to mutilate him in the most painful manner possible. He wanted to vomit his guts out as soon as they had arrived in the supposed area where he was to be trained. Harry shakily took a few minutes to compose himself as he fought down the bile that was rising in his throat. Remus and Tonks simply let him be, remaining silent as they waited for him.

When he was sure he wouldn't throw up anymore, he glanced around him and found that they were in a large room of some sorts. The room did not have any windows in it, but it was lit with torches all around. It was also rather long and spacious, reminding Harry of how a part of the Great Hall used to look when the Dueling Club became a thing during his second year. He later found out that it was one of Tonks' personal training rooms in the Tonks family manor.

They then got down to actually practicing the shielding charm. Remus lectured him on a few things regarding the spell, such as its purpose, duration, casting parameters, and limitations, before actually demonstrating how to cast the spell. During the demonstration, Tonks fired a stunner at Remus, to which the latter deflected with his shielding charm. Harry felt the excitement bubble up in him upon seeing how handy the spell he was going to learn was.

If only it hadn't been so difficult to actually cast properly…

They then began his training—Remus was going to hit him with a stunner, and he was supposed to deflect it. During his first three tries casting the shielding charm, the shield he put up was quite pathetic as Remus' stunning spell completely pierced it and hit him square in the chest. By his fourth try, he was able to cast a strong enough shield to prevent half of his body from being stunned. By his ninth try, only his arm was being affected by Remus' stunner. And finally, by the fifteenth try, he was able to completely deflect his former professor's spell.

Harry insisted that they keep going but Tonks (who volunteered to be his 'healer' for his training session) told him that being stunned and Rennervated over and over again was not good for one's health. She lightly chided him and stated that he shouldn't overexert himself on his first day of training, much to his embarrassment. He tried to toughen it out, but it was obvious his new teachers knew that his body shouldn't be pushed any further.

Remus apparated him back near the bridge just outside Hogwarts afterwards. Harry did feel like throwing up again, but he was too distracted by his aching muscles to even care. Remus told him that he couldn't accompany him inside school grounds (saying something like enduring the results of training was also part of his training), and asked him to rest as soon as he got the opportunity to do so. They agreed to meet again same time tomorrow afternoon and bade each other farewell.

As Harry entered the common room, he realized that it was a miracle he didn't just keel over before making it. He then noticed that there were still quite a number of people who were still up. Some of them even started whispering amongst themselves when they saw him. The boy rolled his eyes. Don't they have anything better to do?

He decided that he didn't really want to shower just yet—he'd like to rest for a bit before washing up. He walked over and sat down on 'their trio's' table. The boy let out a silent groan, his sore limbs enjoying how he could finally settle down for a while. He slouched against his chair with his eyes closed, getting as comfortable as he could be in his current spot.

A few minutes of peaceful silence passed. Harry was just about to doze off when someone spoke to him.

"H-hiya, Harry" a familiar voice stammered.

Harry opened his eyes and turned to acknowledge the source of the voice "Oh, hey Ron"

"Mind if I join you?" the awkwardly standing redhead asked hesitantly. While Harry had 'forgiven' him, things still weren't normal between them. Sure, they'd greet each other whenever they saw each other in class or during meal times, but they haven't really had a proper conversation without Hermione around to mediate between them. It wasn't like Harry was intentionally making it more difficult for the both of them to talk. It's just that…Harry's had a lot on his mind lately. Aside from Hermione, he didn't really hang around anyone, and even then, he wasn't always with his brunette best friend.

Harry shook his head no "Not at all" he said as he gestured to the seat across him.

Ron muttered a quiet thanks and sat down across him. "We…uh…we didn't see you at dinner tonight"

Harry chose to not tell anyone of his conversations with Sirius, not even Hermione. He didn't really feel like explaining anything. And Hermione wouldn't really fully believe him until he had some sort of proof to back his claims up.

The raven-haired boy shot the redhead an apologetic smile "I was busy with an errand from Professor Moody" he lied smoothly "I didn't realize it was already past dinnertime when I finished"

Ron's mouth formed the shape of an 'o' "Oh, that's why…" he trailed "How are you though? I hope you've fully recovered from the First Task. Seemed like you got banged up a bit by that dragon"

"I'm doing a lot better now, actually. Still have a few bruises, but I'll live"

"Ah…that's…nice…"

Another wave of awkwardness engulfed the both of them again. Harry sighed. He took a good look at the redhead that was his best friend. A part of him didn't like how hesitant and awkward Ron had become with him. He had already apologized; even if it wasn't a grand one, he did do it in the end. And a week has already passed since Harry's rather 'formal' acknowledgement of the redhead's awkward apology. He still hurt from what Ron did, and he'd never forget how he was let down, but realized it was up to him to initiate anything that would involve their friendship moving forward.

He might never be able to forget what Ron did, but seeing how drastically different their friendship had become, he decided that he was willing to at least get things started again on a good note.

"Look, Ron, I'm sorry if I haven't been…normal lately. I just have a lot of things on my mind at the moment. I'll be alright, but I just…I just need some time" Harry explained.

Ron turned to him, his face clearly showing how surprised he was at Harry's words. He quickly shook his head no "No, don't apologize, Harry! I completely get it. I should be the one who's sorry for being a complete git to you" Ron apologized again, his head dropping slightly in shame.

"It's okay, mate. You've already apologized. And like I said, I've forgiven you already" Harry said with a smile.

Ron looked back up and slowly returned his smile. The awkward tension between them lessened considerably—it was pretty obvious to Harry upon seeing how Ron's shoulders relaxed.

It was then Harry decided to put off his shower for maybe about another hour in favor of trying to spend time with Ron. They had some catching up to do anyways. "Up for a game of Wizards' Chess, then?" Harry asked, his smile still on his lips.

From the way Ron's face lit up, Harry knew that he more likely than not made the correct decision.

A/N: Thank you for reading everyone! I hope I didn't do too horribly with the last scene where Ron approaches Harry in the common room. From what I can tell from Harry's character, he's a very forgiving person, but he rarely forgets anything, especially unpleasant memories. I didn't really like how easily Harry forgave Ron for his behavior after his name came out from the Goblet, at least from the film. I hope you guys enjoyed! If you have any questions or clarifications, please don't hesitate to ask (PM or review). See you guys next time!