Author's notes:
The site has decided to screw with the formatting of my stuff when I upload now. Meaning everything uploads as one big long paragraph, no page breaks, no new paragraphs for new speakers, nothing. Which means I get to spend forever reformatting the story so it's readable. I apologize now if I missed something and you spot something goofy.
Standard disclaimer: It all belongs to JKR. Thank you JKR for letting us play with your toys.
I will continue to use the occasional song lyric in the story and will give credit at the time when needed.
This is the fifth book in my Slytherin Harry series.
Book 1: Harry Potter and the Muggle's Daughter
Book 2: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Book 3: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Book 4: Harry Potter and the Blood Traitor's Daughter
Book 5: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
If you haven't read books 1-4 you won't know what's going on. But the bonus is you've got four completed books before you even get to this one!
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
CHAPTER XII
Soap?
HPHPHP
Harry and his friends were sitting at their usual table in the library when Ginny's brother Ron came up to them. "Bill says you didn't enter the tournament."
"Hello, Ronald," Luna said, "It's nice to see you again. How long has it been? Have you met all my friends? No? Well let me introduce you, this is Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Daphne Greengrass, Harry Potter and Ginevra Weasley, your sister. Perhaps you might like to try that entrance again?" Ron glowered at her.
"Luna," Ginny said, "enough." She turned to her brother. "Hi Ron, it's good to see you."
He eyed her for a second, trying to decide if she was being earnest or not. "Hi, Ginny, how are you?"
"Well enough thank you. You?"
He shrugged. "Fine."
The six stared at him as the silence that followed quickly became awkward.
"So you wanted to know if I entered the tournament?" Harry asked.
"Well, how else did your name come out of the Goblet?"
Harry was well on his way to eviscerating him but held his tongue with Ginny's hand on his arm. "Maybe let me handle this?"
Harry shrugged. "Ok."
Ginny gave him a smile before turning to her brother. "Do you remember what happened on the platform after the Christmas hols?"
"Yeah, what's that got to do with the tournament?"
"Someone wants to kill Harry, Ron," Ginny said.
"So?"
"So!" Luna jumped in.
"Luna," Ginny said sharply.
She subsided. "Sorry."
"People die competing in the tournament, Ron," Ginny said. "Entering Harry is a good way to get him killed."
"Dumbledore isn't going to allow anyone to get hurt," Ron scoffed.
"The Headmaster didn't know Professor Quirrell was practicing the dark arts," Ginny said. "He didn't stop a troll getting in the school. He didn't stop me being kidnapped second year by a dark wizard. He's not as infallible as you think."
Ron frowned. "But why wouldn't you want to enter? It'd be great to be a champion. And all the prize money, why wouldn't you want that?"
"I don't need money," Harry said in a tight voice. "I don't need fame. All I want is to go to school, play quidditch and hold your sister's hand."
Ron frowned. "I guess I'll believe you, even if it sounds like you're a coward." Before any of them could say anything he turned and left.
"Believe me," Harry muttered. "Like I need him to believe me." He turned to Ginny. She was scowling at the table. "Ginny?"
"I'm going for a walk." Harry opened his mouth. "No I don't want company," she snapped and was gone.
Harry tipped his head back to the ceiling. "Why can't they just leave her alone?" He started gathering his things.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked.
"Do you honestly think I'm just going to let her wander around alone with those bastards from Durmstrang here?"
"Let's go," Daphne sighed.
"Utterly ridiculous we can't walk through the halls alone without worrying about being attacked," Hermione muttered.
Harry tracked Ginny to the clock tower. "Just wait here," he said, a landing below the top floor. The others settled in. Harry climbed the last flight of stairs and stopped in the doorway. Ginny was standing at the rail looking out over the grounds. Her arms were crossed over her chest and the wind was enough to whip at her dreads.
"Wolf sense?" she asked without turning.
"Wolf sense," he confirmed. "Do you want me to go?"
She turned and moved into him, tucking her arms up between them as his arms went around her. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."
"I'm sorry they keep hurting you."
"You're not mad at him for saying those things about you?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't put much stock in his opinion."
"You think he's an idiot, don't you?" Harry hesitated. "You can say it, Harry. I'm not going to be mad at you for telling the truth."
Harry pushed her back, holding her by the shoulders. "He is an idiot, Ginny. But not for any of the things he's said or done to me. That's just ignorance. He's an idiot because he's jealous. He's an idiot because he's lazy. He's an idiot because he refuses to accept the facts that contradict his myopic view of the world."
"In other words he's an idiot and I should quit holding my breath he'll pull his head out before I pass out and die?"
"Well," Harry sighed, "he did come over and ask the question; so maybe you're not hoping in vain."
"You're a glutton for punishment, Harry," Ginny said, "waiting out even one, much less two, Weasleys."
Harry grinned at her. "Thank the goddess the cute one's got an ounce of sense."
"I'm sorry."
"So am I."
She watched him a few moments. "You, are not a coward."
"Good thing, that. I don't think you'd have a coward."
She smiled and moved into his chest, fisting his shirt in her hand. "I love you."
Harry kissed her crown. "Always."
HPHPHP
Harry was at lunch the next day when Professor Sprout approached the table. "Mr Diggory," she said, "you'll need to report to the anterior chamber after lunch today for the wand weighing."
"Yes, Ma'am," he agreed.
"Very good then." She glanced at Harry. "You as well, Potter."
Harry fixed her with hard eyes. "Yes, Ma'am." He continued to stare her down. "Was that all, Ma'am?"
"No, that will be all, Potter." Harry continued to stare straight back at her. A commotion down the table drew her attention and she used the excuse to hurry away. "Coward," Harry muttered and went back to his bangers and mash.
"You could give her a break," Cedric said.
Harry turned to him. "Why?"
"Because—"
"Did she not just come over here and purposely tell me to go with you as an afterthought?" Harry asked. Cedric said nothing. "Is it so much to ask that I be treated fairly?"
"Life isn't fair, Harry," Cedric said. "I would have thought you knew that by now."
Harry pushed his plate away. He stood so he was looking down on Cedric. "Of the two of us, I'm the one being forced to compete in a tournament I was smart enough not to enter. Don't talk to me about fair." He walked away before Cedric could respond.
"Ahh," Bagman said when Harry entered, "our first arrival."
Harry barely had time to register who was speaking before he was blinded by the flash of a camera. "I didn't give permission for my picture to be taken," he said.
"Your permission was given when you entered the tournament, Mr Potter," Dewer said.
"I – Did – Not – Enter," Harry said, precisely enunciating each word.
"We are aware of your position, Mr Potter," Dewer said. "That does not change the fact you must take part in all activities related to the Triwizard Tournament; including various press related events."
Harry glowered at him a second longer before turning to the reporter. This was going to be interesting. Rita Skeeter was a prime example of too much. She was too blonde, with too much blush, too much mascara, too much lipstick and far too green robes tailored just a bit too tight, pushing her too big chest out her too low cut blouse. Harry was pretty sure there wasn't a single thing about her that wasn't fake, including the glasses she wore on a chain perched on her too perfect nose. Still, Sirius had developed a working relationship with the woman. He fed her information. She refrained from defaming him; or anyone else he didn't want defamed. "Ms Skeeter," he said.
She gave him a patently false smile and gushed, "Mr Potter."
"I read your latest," Harry said, "you must have an amazing source." He held her eyes. If she were half as smart as Sirius said she was she'd catch the threat he'd just made.
Her smile grew. "I'm afraid I can't talk about my sources, Harry."
Harry went for the kill. "Well I do hope nothing happens to them, the wizarding world needs stories like yours. I can't imagine who would fill your shoes if your source were to dry up."
"My sources know they can trust me, Lord Potter."
Harry smiled. "I'm sure they do."
She tipped her head, considering. "Well, you are the only one here, would you like to get started?"
"I'd like to get finished," Harry answered, "so no, but let's anyway."
She took his arm and led him to a private corner of the room with two chairs. "You're good," she said.
"I have no idea what you're talking about and flattery will get you nowhere." Harry sat down across from her. "No Quick Quotes Quills," he said when a lurid green quill jumped up off the table and dipped itself in an inkwell.
"Harry," she chided, "must you make me work so hard?"
"Yes." He eyed the parchment. The quill was skritching away. He turned his attention to Rita again. "Be a shame if something happened to that."
She sighed. "Very well, Harry. Quill stop." The quill stopped writing. Harry plucked the bit of parchment up, crumpled it and threw it in the fire. "Not a word of that wasn't true," she complained. Harry said nothing. "Fine." She pulled another quill from her bag. "It will write exactly what you say, nothing more, nothing less, you can read it before I take it. Deal?"
"Peachy."
She sat back in her chair. "So, you're the youngest champion in over three hundred years; the second youngest ever."
"Yes."
She glared at him. "How do you feel about that?"
"Angry."
She pressed her lips into a thin line. Harry returned her look. She leaned forward. "Quill stop." She eyed Harry for a second. "Harry, Luv," she said, "the thing about biting the hand that feeds you, well, it has to, on occasion, feed you, yes?" Harry grit his teeth. "You're the story. You know it. I know it. Everyone else knows it." She sat back in her chair, meeting his glare. "Surely we can come to an agreement."
Harry tapped his finger against his leg. "The other champions get equal space."
She considered. "What else?"
"Just don't lie about me."
"Different people often have very different truths."
"My experience is there's one truth and one person deluding themselves."
"Truth is written by the victor."
"The victor often lies."
"And you, Harry, do you lie?"
"I'm not lying about entering the tournament. I didn't enter myself. I didn't ask someone to enter my name. I didn't want to be in the tournament before my name came out of the Goblet and I don't want to be in it now."
She considered him, pursing her lips. "Quill write that last question and answer." The quill quickly started skritching across the parchment. "Would you care to comment on the qualifying nature of that answer, Harry?"
"Make of it what you want."
She tapped a perfectly manicured nail against blindingly white teeth. "And why don't you want to be in the tournament? Most people would consider it a great honor to be a champion. Even those who don't win often gained renown for themselves."
Harry forced himself to take a few breaths before answering. "Quidditch is considered pretty dangerous, isn't it?" She simply tipped her head, waiting for him to elaborate. "People die playing quidditch," Harry went on. "They get hurt quite often. But as dangerous as it is, quidditch has nothing on the Triwizard. If quidditch were as dangerous as the Triwizard, there would be a death every single match."
Her brow quirked. "That seems a bit of an exaggeration. Are you certain of your information?"
"Read, Triwizard Tragedy by Teodora Daskalov."
"One source?"
"If properly sourced, sometimes that's all you need."
"You insist you didn't enter. If we're to take you at your word, how did your name come out of the goblet?"
"Someone put my name in."
"Who?"
"No idea, but my first guess would be the eejit who tried to kidnap me last year."
"Peter Pettigrew?"
Harry grit his teeth… and lied. "Yes."
"How would he have done such a thing? Hogwarts is known to be one of the safest places in all of England."
"Tell that to Sandra Strout."
"Sorry?"
"The American witch who was murdered outside the infirmary by a dark wizard two years ago when he kidnapped Ginny Weasley."
"Are we talking about that now?"
"You asked about the safety of Hogwarts. My experience is, it isn't."
"What other experiences have you had that support that statement?"
"A murder and kidnapping aren't enough support for the statement?"
"It is one incident."
"A deranged professor let a troll in the school my first year. It killed my familiar and left two of my friends with permanent scars."
"Two, are there others?"
"You mean other than being entered in a tournament I don't want to compete in?"
"Moving on, assuming someone did, as you say, enter you against your will, why?"
"Well, Professor Moody thinks someone is trying to get me killed."
"Ahh, yes, Mad-eye Moody, the former auror. He's considered a bit deranged, isn't he?"
"He's alive. Given what he's done in his life, I'd say deranged is serving him well."
"You believe he's correct in his thinking?"
Harry shrugged. "Someone's taken a swing at me every year I've been in school, no reason this year should be any different."
She considered him for a moment. "One more question."
"Can't wait."
"If the tournament is as dangerous as you say, why was it brought back?"
"Because Fudge wasn't the only one who needed a distraction."
"A distraction?"
"From his incompetence." She raised a brow. "Are we finished now?"
She smiled. "Of course."
Harry held out his hand. "I look forward to speaking with you again, Ms Skeeter."
"And I you, Harry." Harry dropped her hand. While he'd been with Rita, the other champions, their headmasters, Dumbledore, Sirius and Mr Ollivander had come in.
"All right, Pup?" Sirius asked.
"Lovely. Ms Skeeter and I were just discussing the infrequency of your bathing habits."
Sirius snorted. "I'll have you know I bathed just last year," he said pompously.
"Did you use soap?"
"Soap?" Sirius asked.
"Ahem," Mr Dewer cleared his throat. "Shall we begin?"
Bagman clapped his hands, excitedly bouncing on his toes. "Yes, exciting events happening. He motioned to Mr Ollivander. "Our Master of ceremonies."
Mr Ollivander stepped forward, smiling pleasantly." Mademoiselle Delacour, I believe the saying is, ladies first?" He bowed slightly to her. She swept over to the old wandmaker and handed him her wand. He twirled the wand between his long fingers. Harry wondered if he wouldn't make a good drummer the way he made it dance. He also got a nice stream of pink and gold sparks from it. He then held it close to his eye as he examined it; eventually turning it so he was looking straight down the barrel. "Very nice," he said quietly, "nine and a half inches… inflexible… hmm, rosewood… and containing… my goodness." He looked up sharply. "Is this…"
"An 'air from ze 'ead of a veela," Fleur said. "From my grandmuzzer." Harry kept his face impassive. He'd been right. Fleur was veela.
"My, my," Mr Ollivander said. "Not my favorite medium, but to each his own, and if it suits you…" He returned to examining the wand. Harry really had no idea what he was looking for but figured the barmy old codger knew what he was about. "Orchideous!" Mr Ollivander said. A very pretty bouquet of flowers burst from the wand. He plucked them from the air and handed them to Fleur. "With compliments, my Lady."
She smiled and graciously took them and her wand. "Merci, Wandmaster."
He beamed at her before turning to Cedric. "Mr Diggory. Fleur flashed a blinding smile at Cedric as she went past. He seemed to stagger just a bit before giving his head a shake and stepping to Mr Ollivander and offering him his wand. Mr Ollivander took the wand from him, smiling. "Ah yes, how lovely to see an old friend again. A single tail hair from a particularly fine unicorn." He smirked at Cedric. "Fellow nearly gored me he was so displeased to have been plucked." He wobbled the wand between his thumb and forefinger, making it almost seem to be made of rubber and not wood. "Ash, quite springy. Good condition. I see you take good care of it?"
"Yes, Sir," Cedric said, "polished it last night." Harry nearly snorted but managed to control himself by biting his cheeks. And he flat refused to look at Sirius.
Mr Ollivander used the wand to send a stream of silver smoke rings across the room. "Excellent," he said and handed the wand back to Cedric.
"Thank you, Sir."
Mr Ollivander turned to Viktor. "Mr Krum, if you please?" The big Bulgarian pushed off the wall and moved to Mr Ollivander. He thrust his wand at the man. "A Gregorovitch creation if I am not mistaken?"
"Da."
"Excellent wand-maker," Mr Ollivander said, returning to examining it. "Unique styling he has; one can almost always pick out his work, even from ten feet or more… "Yes… hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he shot at Krum. He simply nodded. "Thick, powerful, unbending… AVIS!" The wand went off like a blast from a gun. Half a dozen small, brown birds flew out of the wand and disappeared out the window. "Good," Mr Ollivander said. He handed the wand back to Viktor and turned to Harry. "And that leaves us with you, Mr Potter."
Harry approached and handed over his wand. He stood stiffly and waited. He well remembered his visit to the wand-maker and what he'd learned that day. The wand that had chosen him contained a feather from a phoenix; the same phoenix that had given a feather used in the creation of Voldemort's wand. Harry hadn't been pleased then to learn his wand was the brother wand to the one used to kill his father, put his mother in a coma for six years and give him the unmistakable lightening bolt scar on his forehead and he wasn't any more pleased about it now. He used it. It worked. But he much preferred his mum's wand. If his wand sang in his hand, than his mum's wand was like a full on orchestra.
"Ah, yes," Mr Ollivander said, "I remember you."
"Zat is not ze wand 'e used zee ozzer night," Fleur said, stepping forward. Everyone turned to her. Harry remained stoically focused on Mr Ollivander.
"It isn't!" Karkaroff said.
"'E used a wand in 'is left 'and!" Madame Maxime accused.
Harry triggered the release for his mum's wand. "It's called ambidextrous," he said. "And Mr Ollivander can only examine one wand at a time."
"'E can't 'ave two wands!"
"Not enough to cheat your vay in is it, Boy? Now you're going to cheat during the tournament too?" Harry forced his reaction to being called boy aside.
"Mr Dewer," Sirius said. "You're the resident expert on the rules of the tournament. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe there is anything that forbids Harry registering and using two wands, is there?"
"There is not."
"Then it would be allowed, yes?"
"Correct," Dewer said. Harry smiled patronizingly at Fleur.
"And do the rules state a timeframe for when champions must register wands for the competition?"
"They must be registered no later than midnight, the day of the Wand Weighing."
"Well," Sirius said, "he might not want to be in it, but no one can accuse my ward of not understanding the rules, can they? After all, a competition like this, a broken wand wouldn't be unusual at all, would it?" Sirius grinned. "Myself, I sure as hell wouldn't want to go into a task with a repaired wand because I failed to register a backup." He shrugged. "But that's just me."
"Oi," Harry complained.
Sirius smirked. "Right, sorry, Harry. And you." He rocked up on his toes. "Why I wouldn't be surprised at all to find you had company for your return to London today, Mr Ollivander." Fleur, Maxime and Karkaroff all glowered at him. Viktor was watching them both through narrowed eyes. Cedric just looked embarrassed that he hadn't found the loophole himself.
"Indeed," Mr Ollivander agreed quietly. "Accio!" Harry's bag zipped across the room into the wand-maker's hand. He handed the bag and wand to Harry. "In perfect working order.
Harry took it and then offered his mum's wand. "My dad's," he said. Mr Ollivander took it from him. His brow quirked and he glanced at Harry. "Mahogany," Harry provided, "Dragon Heartstring."
"Indeed," Mr Ollivander agreed. "Quite pliable." He pointed the wand at a tea set. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The set floated into the air and back down again. "Excellent." He handed the wand to Harry. Harry took it from him and sent it away.
"Well, I've spoken with Ms Skeeter, registered my wands, unless there's something else I'll be going."
"Harry," Rita said, "I'm afraid I need a shot of the champions together…" Harry scowled. "Unless, of course, you'd like me to use the other shot of you?" Harry took the picture. She'd use both, he was sure, but he would play nice in the sandbox till she gave him reason not to.
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"Well," Hermione said, "you can't claim she didn't meet your terms." And Rita had, each of the champions had full-page spreads in the paper. If the pictures on Harry's page took up a bit less space and the type was a few points smaller, well, Hermione was right, he was going to need to be a bit more specific in dealing with the reporter. Strangely, he was almost looking forward to it.
HPHPHP
Harry was in Quidditch and Quodpot, aimlessly wandering the aisle with Ginny while they waited for his new Stargazer 12 broom to be wrapped up when a thought occurred to him. "Ginny?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you think it'd be possible to charm a bludger to specifically attack one person?"
"I don't see why not, how come?"
"I was kind of thinking it might simulate flying against an actual dragon. I could even practice shooting spells at it while it was chasing me."
Ginny considered. "Well, bludgers are already designed to go after anything on a broom. If we put a rune for searching and then a targeting rune on it and the same targeting rune on you and linked the two runes with a binder I'm pretty sure we'd have ourselves a Harry hunting harbinger of ill health."
"Harry hunting harbinger of ill health?" Harry asked.
Ginny grimaced. "Needs work doesn't it?"
"It's all the H(s)."
"Harry Hunting missile of mayhem?"
Harry nodded thoughtfully. "You miss the H theme, but it's better. I don't suppose you'd know a rune that would allow you to shut the thing off if it got out of hand, would you?"
She grinned. "I think I could manage that."
"Brilliant," Harry said. He kissed her nose and grabbed a set of bludgers.
HPHPHP
"Ready?" Hermione asked.
It was three days since Hogsmeade. Harry had spent the last few days getting used to his new broom. It wasn't the absolute fastest on the market; the Nimbus 2000 had that, but the Stargazer 12 did offer quicker acceleration, better braking and tighter cornering. Those three won out over highest top end. He didn't need it to go 180 when 150 would do. But he would need it hit 150 faster than the dragon hit 150 and the fastest dragon could do that pretty damn quick. At least Harry thought eight seconds to 150 was pretty quick. Especially when the broom was only going to do it in six point five. While Harry had been getting used to the broom, Ginny, Hermione, Daphne and Luna had been working on their bludger-dragon. Tonight was their first go at it.
"As I'll ever be," Harry said. He was already on his broom, floating about twenty feet from where Hermione, Daphne, Luna and Neville were all standing. Ginny was on her broom a few feet away from him. Harry was thinking he should have bought her a new broom as well; just in case.
"Do it," Ginny said.
Neville kicked the bludger loose. It shot out of its restraints, whipped a circle around Harry and Ginny once before slicing hard right and rocketing at Harry. And if Ginny was in its path, well, bummer for her. "Nimue!" she cried and rolled out of the way.
Harry broke the other direction and whipped around to track the bludger. Ginny moved away from him a bit. The bludger was closer to Ginny and seemed to angle for her for a moment before veering sharply at Harry. He jerked up and over it. It was far closer than he'd have liked it to be though. The thing was wicked fast. Over the next few minutes Harry avoided getting hit while Ginny tried ever more daring attempts to get the thing to chase her instead, but very quickly it became apparent they'd created just what Ginny had dubbed it; a Harry hunting missile of mayhem.
"I'm going to try shutting it off now!" Hermione shouted.
"Not yet," Harry called back. He flashed by over her head. "Let's see what the thing can do!"
With Ginny trailing at a safe distance he zipped to the end of the pitch and pulled hard around one of supports for the giant hoops. The bludger couldn't turn quite as tightly as him and ended up slamming into the wall surrounding the pitch. Harry pulled back around and waited. The bludger burst out of the wreckage. Harry could hear the thing greebling like it was disgusted and angry and thinking about how to actually get its target. Harry floated in front of it. The bludger darted forward a bit. Harry slid away. The bludger stopped. It moved one direction and Harry went the other. It stopped and so did he. It was a good thing he was such a good flyer because even knowing what was coming Harry barely avoided getting creamed when the bludger darted left and then instantly went right. Harry whipped around and accelerated away towards his friends.
"Shut it down!"
"Finite Ṭryākiṅg!" Hermione shouted.
Harry felt the tracking rune on his arm power down. He turned over his shoulder to see the bludger plow itself into the ground. Neville ran up and pounced on it before it could get back in the air. Luna levitated the containment crate over and Neville wrestled the bludger into it. Harry landed. "That was brilliant!"
"Only you would think getting chased by a bludger attuned to you was brilliant," Daphne said.
Harry grinned at her. "Oh come on, you were all over the chance to maim me and you know it." Daphne smirked back at him.
"It did work well," Luna said.
"I agree," Hermione said.
"I wonder if we could get it to behave a bit more like the dragon though," Ginny said.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"Well, it chased Harry like we wanted. But the dragon isn't just going to chase him. It's going to stay by its eggs till Harry makes it angry enough that it comes after him."
"True," Luna agreed. "He's going to need to entice it off the ground. Perhaps we can find some way of making Harry more appealing to the dragon."
"I'm a wizard," Harry said, "pretty much its preferred food. About the only way to make myself more enticing to a dragon would be to slather myself in blood."
"Ohhh, that's perfect!" Luna exclaimed. "If you can't get it to come after you, cut yourself and drip the blood on it. It will come after you like Ginny does chocolate cake."
The others all stared at Luna, then, as one, shifted to Ginny. "What?" she demanded.
"We didn't say anything," they all said together.
"Actually," Harry said, "dripping blood on a dragon is probably still safer than chocolate cake is around you."
"There are things I like more than chocolate cake!"
"Name one," Luna challenged.
"Harry's tongue in my mouth."
"Eww!" Hermione cried. Harry snorted and leaned against the wall to keep from falling over.
"That is, by far, the most crass thing you have ever said," Daphne complained.
"Don't knock it till you've tried it," Ginny retorted.
Daphne looked Harry up and down. "Thanks, I'll pass."
"Can I try?" Luna asked. Harry and Hermione looked at her sharply. She giggled. "Your faces."
"Brilliant, Luna," Ginny sniggered.
"Mental, the lot of you," Neville grumbled.
Ginny slipped up to Harry. "Kissing you is better than chocolate cake," she said. Harry grinned and pecked her lips.
"Ahh," Daphne said holding her hand over her eyes. "I'm leaving now."
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A week before the first task, Harry and Ginny slowly climbed the stairs to the clock tower and joined the rest of their friends. The two had just spent the last half hour in their wolf forms scouting the arena where the first task would take place. Harry's determination to 'cheat so bad it would make Hades blush' was coming up aces for him. Of course, they'd known what the tasks were to be before they even arrived at school for the year. But since then they had researched and found the counters to dozens of Anti-summoning charms. Ginny's knowledge of runes and a childhood spent defeating Bill's curse puzzles were a priceless asset. She had been speaking with Bill near every night as they came up with contingencies to deal with what they might find when they finally set out to deal with the eggs. Meanwhile Neville and Daphne had about worn out their copies of the Marauder's Map and Harry's invisibility cloak eavesdropping on various judges and ministry officials as they came and left the school to try and figure out when the eggs would be delivered and where they were to be kept. They'd also discovered the Room of Requirement was far more than they already knew it to be. Somehow magic could turn the room into an entire quidditch pitch, allowing them to keep secret their bludger-dragon. In short, things were going well. They were just exhausted.
Harry flopped down beside Neville. Ginny sat down between his legs and leaned against his chest. Harry dropped a kiss on her head before tipping his head back against the wall and closing his eyes. "Would anyone object to skipping training tomorrow?" he asked wearily.
The others exchanged glances. "Really?" Hermione asked.
"Really," Harry said. "I'm done."
"Oh, that makes it so much easier," Luna said.
Harry focused on her. "Makes what easier?"
"We were afraid we'd have to gang up on you to get you to agree to take the day off. This is much better."
"We think we should only train Tuesday and Thursday this week," Hermione said.
"Friday's going to be really late, Harry," Ginny said.
"Honestly," Daphne said, "every night has been late for the last week. None of us are sleeping."
"What do you mean you aren't sleeping?"
"We're worried, Harry," Luna said.
"I've used Dreamless Sleep Draughts the last two nights," Hermione said.
Harry glanced at his other friends. Daphne nodded. Luna gave him a small smile. "Four nights.
"Not yet," Neville said. "But I probably will tonight."
Harry pushed Ginny up and turned her to face him. "Almost two weeks," she whispered.
"Two weeks! Why didn't you say something? Ginny, you can't keep taking it like that."
"We didn't want to worry you, Harry," Hermione said.
"Daphne and I have been monitoring Ginny very carefully," Luna said. "She's been on quarter doses till last night.
"You worry about you, Mate," Neville said. "We'll worry about each other and make sure Ginny isn't hurting herself."
"Guys," Harry said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Ginny pulled his hand away. "We're your pack, Harry. Your job is to survive everything thrown at you. Our job is to make sure you survive yourself."
"Maybe I should give up quidditch," Harry said.
"Quidditch and Ginevra are the only things you have that are entirely because you enjoy them Harry," Luna said. "I know it takes up time, but I don't think you quitting is the right choice."
"Besides," Hermione said, "you not being on the team doesn't lighten the load because we'd still need to go and watch Ginny's back while she's at practice."
"I could quit too," Ginny said.
"NO!" Harry said. "Absolutely not. You will not quit quidditch for me."
"Don't tell me what I will and won't do, Harry Potter."
Harry pressed his lips together. "You love quidditch."
"I love you more."
Harry scowled at her. "Please don't."
She returned his scowl. "That's cheating."
"Guys," Daphne said. They turned to her. "No one is quitting quidditch."
"You despise quidditch," Ginny said.
"I do not despise quidditch. I simply do not need to speak of it fifteen of the eighteen hours I'm awake every day."
"Can't be more than fourteen," Harry retorted.
"It feels like thirty," Daphne countered.
"Amen," Hermione agreed.
"I must admit it can try my patience," Luna said.
"Regardless, there is only one practice this week and since telling Paden and Terrance to focus their bludger attacks on you it is probably better than time spent flying against our bludger-dragon," Hermione said.
"But I'm on the wrong broom."
"If you can avoid them on the slower broom, then you'll be that much safer on the faster."
"Provided I can stay on it," Harry muttered. "The thing is bloody evil."
"You're fine," Luna said. "Quit being a drama queen." Neville snorted.
"Oi!" Harry complained.
"Before you get going," Hermione interrupted, "I do have a serious question."
Harry sighed. "What did he do now?" Hermione gave him a look. One he'd learnt to interpret over the years as meaning he was about to get his arse kicked six ways from Sunday. "Sorry. You were asking?"
"What are we going to do about the other champions?"
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.
"Do we tell them about the dragons and the eggs or do we let them fend for themselves?"
"We are not telling them about summoning the eggs," Ginny said. "I'm not taking any chances they reset those charms if Harry isn't the first to compete."
"Cedric's our friend," Hermione said. "Cedric got himself into this mess. Let him worry about how to get out of it!" "He's the only reason the whole school doesn't hate us right now," Hermione countered.
"The reason he's in the mess in the first place is because he wouldn't listen to us. We did everything short of locking him in a broom closet to stop him from entering. Now were supposed to tell him Harry's plan? We don't owe him anything."
"That is utterly selfish!"
"Cedric or Harry, Hermione," Ginny countered. "Choose."
"I agree with Ginny," Luna said.
"I think we should tell him," Daphne said at the same time.
"Thank you/You what? Excuse me/You do?" Ginny and Hermione said together.
"Cedric has made his choice. We owe him nothing," Luna said.
"Except friendship," Daphne retorted. The four girls glowered angrily at each other. As one they turned on Neville. "What do you think?" they demanded.
Neville quailed under their anger. "M–Me?" His eyes darted between them before settling on his almost girlfriend.
"Yes, you," Ginny said.
"I'm going to tell him," Harry said, saving Neville from having to answer. "I'm going to tell all of them."
"You're what!" Ginny exploded.
"Look," Harry pleaded, "I've been thinking about this for weeks. And at first I was like you. But the more I thought about it the more I realized it's no different than going after the stone, or after you into the Chamber, or saving Astoria. The only difference between those situations and this one is having time to think about what you're doing."
Ginny scowled at him. "Why didn't you just fly us to safety at the quidditch match?" he pressed.
She sagged. "Because it's the right thing to do."
"Even if they're blithering idiots," Luna muttered.
Ginny turned to Hermione. "I'm sorry."
Hermione leaned forward and pulled Ginny into a hug. "You were just trying to keep him safe."
"Is there any way we can try and ensure Harry is the first to compete?" Neville asked.
"How are we going to do that?" Daphne asked.
They all looked at Ginny. She focused on Hermione. "It shouldn't be any different than getting the bludger to chase after him, right?" Hermione said. "If we can determine the order for the dragons it should be a simple matter of putting a rune on Harry to attract that dragon totem when he reaches in the bag."
"It won't be foolproof unless we can put a corresponding rune on the totem," Ginny said.
"And even that could fail if Harry isn't the first to draw."
"Well," Ginny said, "we start with determining the order and putting the correct rune on Harry. If we can do more, we will. In the meantime, I think we should go to bed."
A half an hour later, after escorting first Luna and then Hermione and Neville to their respective towers, Harry, Ginny and Daphne entered the Slytherin common room. The girls walked Harry to the hallway to the boys' dormitories where Daphne gave him a hug. "Take care of her," he whispered.
"I will." She kissed his cheek and let him go.
Ginny stepped to him and he wrapped her in his arms. "Mine," she said.
"Always," he answered.
She kissed him softly. "I love you."
"Sleep well."
"You too." She let him go and watched as he walked down the hallway. As always he turned the corner without looking back.
Twenty minutes later Ginny crawled into bed with Daphne and sat cross-legged facing her "You're not angry with me?" Daphne asked.
Ginny shook her head. "I was wrong, Daph. Thank you for having the courage to stand up to me."
"He wouldn't be who he is if he didn't tell them."
"I know. And I wouldn't love him if he weren't. But he's right, the only difference is being given time to think about what might go wrong because we try to help them."
"I don't blame you for not wanting to tell them. I don't really want to tell them either. It's just—"
"The right thing to do, Daph." Ginny took Daphne's hands in hers and raised them to her lips.
Daphne smiled at her. "Do you want the potion?"
Ginny sighed. "No, but I really don't think I can sleep without it."
Daphne reached into her nightstand and pulled two tiny phials from it. She handed the fuller one to Ginny. "Thank the goddess the task is only five days away." They downed the phials and Ginny scooted up so she could climb under the covers with Daphne.
"It really is strange," Ginny said. Daphne snuggled in behind her, wrapping an arm around Ginny's waist. "I don't think I'd have believed even the goddess if she'd told me by my fourth year you and I would be such good friends I'd be sleeping in your bed near every night because I was too terrified to sleep alone."
"Speak for yourself, Ginevra," Daphne said. "I knew we were going to be friends from the instant you first walked through our door."
"Wha—tever," Ginny said through a yawn.
"Goodnight, Ginny," Daphne said. But Ginny had fallen asleep just that fast. Daphne was barely ten seconds behind her in being dead to the world. Spread across the castle four others, not so lucky as them, tossed fitfully in their beds.
HPHPHP
Author's notes:
Snarky Harry continues.
Need I mention what they say about the best laid plans? Poor Harry and company.