Answering one of the comments: I've watched the scene of the First Task multiple times before and during writing the previous chapter. And while I agree that lifting that egg with one hand could be difficult, Harry did exactly that in the movie. When he first approached the egg on the Firebolt, he tried to grab it only with one of his hands, and then later, in the Gryffindor Common Room, during the party, he was showing it to everyone while holding it only in one hand. So, yeah, I think it's not farfetched that he lifted it and showed it to the entire arena only with his right hand, especially with the adrenaline and joy kicking in.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 8

Despite having spent more time in the Hospital Wing than his peers, Harry has never managed to get used to that place. Each time he ended up under the stern eye of Madam Pomfrey, he kept remembering all the abuse he had suffered on Privet Drive that had never been tended to. The fact that he could count the scars from Hogwarts on the fingers of one hand didn't make him fall in love with the infirmary, though. Madam Pomfrey's scolding about his reckless behavior most of the time also didn't help.

Still, he couldn't remember a single moment when he's been more grateful than when the Hogwarts Matron took care of his damaged arm. The Bludger that Dobby has sent against him two years earlier has done far less damage in his opinion. Back then, at least, his bone had been removed almost immediately, however, during the First Task, he couldn't hope for any medical help. Madam Pomfrey continued muttering something under her nose as she took care of his hand and some minor cuts. From her words, colored with anger and worry, Harry only managed to hear 'just like James.' He couldn't help but chuckle at that. The Hogwarts Matron also made sure to examine his chest, which was attacked by the Hungarian Horntail. She let out a satisfied sigh when the spell she cast didn't inform her of any serious damage other than slight bruising.

It took Harry a lot of effort to convince Madam Pomfrey to let him return to his Dormitory. The Hogwarts Matron insisted on him staying in the infirmary for the night so she could monitor his health. The young wizard was more than sure that the older woman was ready to pin him to the bed with a spell at one point. Only when he downed all the potions she ordered him to drink and promised to return the empty vials as early as the next morning, right after breakfast, did the stern Matron allow him to leave her small kingdom.

"Drink this right before going to bed, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey instructed him, pointing to three vials that each contained a potion of different color. "And drink this tomorrow, half an hour before breakfast, to make sure your arm heals properly. And if I find out that any of these potions ended up in the sewers, then I assure you, Mr. Potter, that the Tournament will be the least of your worries," she said, pointing her finger at him. "Now, off you go, and straight to bed!"

"I will," Harry promised. Right after the Chamber, he added in his mind, fully aware that saying those words aloud wouldn't be a great idea. With a nod of his head, Harry left the infirmary with four potions and the egg in his healthy arm, and headed towards the Grand Staircase. Instead of heading towards the Gryffindor Tower, the young wizard entered the short corridor on the second floor, heading straight towards Myrtle's Bathroom. After making sure that no one was following him, he slipped inside, certain that Daphne would know that he was already there. Somehow, she always seemed to know, even if he was sure that he couldn't see her in the corridor.

It wasn't long before he found himself standing in his usual spot deep in the Chamber with the egg placed right in front of him. He was staring at it, barely able to keep himself from opening it. He wanted the Slytherin girl to be there when he listened to the clue for the first time. Harry was sure that if it wasn't for her idea, then he wouldn't have survived the encounter with the Hungarian Horntail. She deserves to hear it as well.

Harry wasn't sure how much time had passed, before he heard a subtle echo of footsteps coming from one of the many corridors. He turned around almost immediately; his lips curled up in a smile as he waited for the Slytherin girl. It seemed to him as if seconds turned into hours before the echo became loud enough to indicate that Daphne was almost there.

"Well done, Potter," she greeted him just before she left the dark tunnel. The left corner of her lips was raised, as usual, and she was clapping slowly as she approached the young wizard. Harry's grin widened even more before his legs moved seemingly on their own. Before either of them knew what was happening, Daphne found herself wrapped in Harry's arms.

"It worked!" Harry exclaimed joyfully as he rotated both of them; due to Daphne being shorter than him, her feet were dangling in the air.

"Of course, it worked. It was my idea after all," she commented when the initial shock wore off, and Harry stopped spinning them around. "Now, hands off me, Potter, you reek," she said; she wrinkled her nose as if she wanted to confirm her words. Harry chuckled slightly before apologizing and releasing her from the embrace. It took him a few seconds to realize that it was the first time he had initiated a hug with someone. "Although, I have to admit that after seeing your… display, it wouldn't have been such a bad idea if you tried to learn the Conjunctivitis Curse," she added, correcting her robes.

"What display?" Harry asked, somewhat puzzled by her words.

"That water shield you've conjured, for example," Daphne informed him with a slightly raised eyebrow. "I must admit that I was surprised when I saw that you've learned to combine both Protego and Aquamenti. I think it wouldn't be an overstatement if I said that not many wizards would come up with that."

"Oh, that," Harry commented, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I was both stupid and incredibly lucky, to be honest," he admitted with a nervous chuckle as he recalled his actions that could have gone horribly wrong and ended his life in a split second. Daphne's eyebrow rose slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I've wanted to cast Aquamenti, but I might have forgotten the wand movement at that moment," Harry admitted sheepishly, once again scratching the back of his head. "I think that my hand decided for me that Protego would have been a much better option at that point."

"You do know that Protego doesn't work against the dragon fire, right?" Daphne asked, looking at Harry as if he had grown out a second head. "And let me get this straight, you haven't practiced that water shield before?" she added quickly, before Harry could respond to her previous question. With eyes wide in surprise, she watched as the boy in front of her nodded his head slowly. "Be so kind and cast the Aquamenti right now."

Although Harry wasn't sure what was the intention of Daphne's words, he did as she asked. With an ease that came only with a lot of practice, the young wizard drew a letter 'S' in the air and said the incantation of the water charm. A small water jet erupted from his wand before he canceled the spell.

"And you want me to believe that you've hoped to defend yourself against the dragon fire with that?" Daphne asked, pointing at his wand; her eyebrows almost disappeared behind her hair. Unsure of what the correct answer was, Harry only managed to nod his head with a sheepish smile. Daphne sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm not sure if you realize how lucky you are, Potter," she commented after a second. "I hope you are aware that if you made the correct wand movement, that dragon would have fried you?"

"Well, now that you put it that way, perhaps it wasn't my best idea," Harry agreed with a nervous chuckle. He hadn't had a chance to wonder previously about his actions, and it was only then that he started realizing how close he was to being eliminated from the Tournament and life in general. "But it worked," he added in self-defense, causing Daphne to shake her head in disbelief.

"While I can understand the necessity to cast Aquamenti while dealing with the dragon, I still can't understand what made you conjure the Patronus, though," Daphne continued after taking in a deep breath. "Dragons aren't the Dementors, after all."

"I think I've recalled you saying that the dragon would be more interested in an animal than me," Harry informed her after thinking about his answer for a few seconds. "So, I guess my first instinct was to cast the Patronus," he admitted.

"I'm flattered that you've remembered my words," she said, though the tone of her voice didn't carry a single positive emotion. As usual, it was indifferent, almost bored. "But I'm surprised that it took you so long to cast the Accio spell," Daphne added, crossing her hands on her chest. "I thought it would have been your first option."

"And it was," Harry said, turning around towards the egg. "I've tried summoning it right in the beginning, but something didn't work. I simply must have lost faith in myself after that," he admitted. As if he wanted to prove his point, Harry tried to summon the egg to himself. Just like during the First Task, it didn't work.

"It must have some protection spells on it," Daphne commented immediately, drawing her own wand. She mimicked Harry's actions, and the result was exactly the same as before. "It would have been all too easy if it was possible simply to summon the egg," she deduced.

"Oh," was all Harry managed to say as his cheeks warmed up in embarrassment. "I guess it makes some sense," he added after a moment of silence.

"So, what's the clue?" Daphne asked him as she pointed at the golden egg, not allowing the silence to continue. Harry's grin returned to his face.

"I don't know. I've been waiting for you to open it," he replied, still smiling at her. "I mean, if it wasn't for you, that dragon would have burned me alive, so I just wanted you to be here when I first opened it," Harry clarified when he noticed her eyebrows rising again. "Which reminds me, I want to make it up to you for your help," he continued before Daphne could say anything.

"Really?" she asked; her arms akimbo as she stared at him with an expression that was a mixture of amusement and bewilderment. "After casting a fully corporeal Patronus and combining two spells into an effective shield, you want to thank me for teaching you the Summoning Charm? Something that Professor Flitwick has done with you literally the next day?" Daphne queried, wanting to make sure that she understood him correctly.

"Well, if it wasn't for your idea to summon Firebolt, I guess I wouldn't have been so focused on learning Accio," Harry replied, shrugging his shoulders. Daphne huffed quietly at that and shook her head.

"Compared to what you have done yourself, me teaching you Accio spell is nothing more than teaching a first-year how to conjure simple sparks," Daphne commented, shrugging her shoulders as well.

"Still, I wouldn't have thought about using Firebolt," Harry continued, crossing his arms over his chest. "So, I think it's safe to say that I owe you, and I don't see anything wrong in wanting to make it up to you."

One of Daphne's eyebrows rose, though her eyes lacked previous bewilderment; instead, Harry could notice subtle traces of mirth in her ice-blue irises. "If you insist. And what exactly do you have in mind, if I may ask? I must tell you that I'm a hard person to please," she added. For a split second, Harry could swear that the left corner of her lips rose a little higher. His own lips curled up in a smile.

"How about we hit the Three Broomsticks this Saturday?" Harry suggested immediately.

"Someone's here getting bold," Daphne commented slowly. "Are you asking me out on a date, Potter?" she added, causing Harry's cheeks to warm up in embarrassment once again.

"What? No!" he exclaimed immediately, taking a step backward as if the Slytherin girl had slapped him. "I just thought that it would be nice to spend some time together, other than in the Library or here," Harry said, gesturing around himself with his hand.

"But Hogsmeade Weekend is not due in a few weeks," Daphne countered; the mirth in her eyes indicated that she was taking pleasure from Harry's embarrassment. "Do you suggest we actually break the rules, Potter?"

"Don't I always?" he replied with a question of his own and a smirk on his lips. "Besides, I can assure you that no one will catch us."

"Really?" Daphne challenged him, crossing her arms over her chest. "And how can you be so sure of that?"

"You'll see if you meet me on Saturday next to the one-eyed witch statue on the third floor at eight," Harry countered, not allowing his smirk to drop. The Slytherin girl huffed at that.

"How could I have allowed myself to fall so low that a Gryffindor is bossing me around?" Daphne asked though Harry wasn't sure if she directed those words to him or herself. "Well then, if you want to spend your money on me, who am I to stop you?" she added, earning herself a snort and a shake of the head from Harry. "Now, didn't you say you were waiting for me to open the egg? I can't deny that I would also want to know why I've been wasting my time by helping you."

If it wasn't his first conversation with her, Harry would be sure that it was the infamous bitchy side of her Ice Queen persona. However, her voice lacked its usual indifference. If he had had to hazard a guess, Harry would have said that she was trying to mask her own curiosity. Not that he could blame her; he could barely wait to open the egg himself.

"Right."

Even when he was making his way back into the Gryffindor Tower, Harry could swear that his hearing didn't return to normal. To say that he was surprised by the unexpected screaming would be an understatement. There was supposed to be a clue, he said to himself as he was approaching the seventh floor. Perhaps I'll be screaming like that when the Second Task comes, Harry thought glumly.

With the golden egg safely in his grasp and four vials in the pocket of his trousers, the young wizard quickly found himself standing in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Balderdash," Harry muttered and waited for the Guardian to allow him entrance. It wasn't long before he was squeezing himself through the hole behind the portrait.

Harry wasn't exactly sure what he expected upon entering the Gryffindor Common Room, but a bone-crushing hug from Hermione wasn't high on that list. He was more than certain that if it wasn't for his Quidditch reflexes, the bushy-haired witch would have sent them both to the ground. The next thing that reached his senses was a loud cheering, similar to the one he heard a few hours earlier when he entered the arena.

"I was so worried," Hermione whispered into Harry's ear before she finally released him and allowed him to breathe normally once again. He didn't have any time to reply, though, as the Weasley Twins were quick to pull him away from Hermione and lifted him high into the air. They've placed him on their shoulders and started parading with him around the Common Room, showing the Fourth Champion to everyone. The egg fell away from his grasp, and Harry caught a faint glimpse of his trophy being passed from hands to hands of his Housemates.

"What is going on?" Harry asked though he wasn't sure if his words managed to get through the ruckus in the Common Room.

"And what does it look like, mate?" Fred, he guessed, answered with a question of his own.

"We're celebrating!" George added as they encouraged the gathered crowd to cheer even louder.

"Shut up!" someone exclaimed finally. It was a miracle that that simple command managed to silence practically everyone in the Tower. There were still some excited whispers here and there, but it was nothing compared to the initial noise. Harry's eyes traveled across the Common Room in an attempt to locate the source of the voice. Finally, his eyes found Seamus, holding the egg right in front of Fred and George. "Come on, Harry, open it! What's the clue?!" Seamus exclaimed, beaming with pride and joy as he passed the egg to its rightful owner. Yesterday, he had the badge on his chest, Harry couldn't stop himself from thinking.

Harry slipped from the Twins' shoulders before retrieving his trophy. "There is nothing in here," he said simply, looking his Dormmate straight in the eyes. He allowed his gaze to wander about the faces of his Housemates; they were all smiling expectantly at him, looking at the egg in his hands from time to time. How would they react if I failed today? His mind came up with the question that he couldn't find the answer to.

"Come on, Harry, there's got to be something inside!" someone shouted. I guess I shouldn't be surprised they don't believe me.

"Fine," he muttered. "Hold it for me, will you?" he asked, handing the egg back to Seamus, who gladly accepted it. Harry slowly raised his right hand to the lock on top of his trophy; his left arm moved slightly upwards towards his left ear. One deep breath later, Harry turned the lock, moving both of his hands towards his ears as soon as possible.

The result wasn't any different than when he first opened the egg back in the Chamber of Secrets. Even with the palms of his hands pressed firmly against his ears, the piercing scream still managed to reach him, though it wasn't nearly as painful as it was previously. It didn't take long for others to mimic Harry's actions, as no one was able to protect themselves from the unexpected onslaught of the egg. Harry's trophy fell to the ground as Seamus did his best to cover his ears as well.

It took Harry a few solid seconds to gather his courage and remove his hands from his ears before he finally forced the egg to close. He blinked a few times and corrected his glasses before standing up with the trophy from the First Task in his hand. The shock was slowly wearing off as Harry's Housemates were standing up one by one, staring in disbelief at the golden egg.

"Bloody hell!" someone commented from the back of the Common Room. Harry thought for a split second that it was Ron's voice, but he wasn't sure. After all, he hasn't spoken to him for a month.

He cleared his throat nervously.

"As I've said, there's nothing here," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders. He cleared his throat again. "Now, if you excuse me, I think I'll call it a day. I've managed to get out of the infirmary only after promising Madam Pomfrey that I would go straight to bed, and I'd rather not think what she would do to me if she found out that I didn't keep my word. Thanks for the ummmm… support and all," Harry added before turning around. Without giving anyone the chance to say anything, he ran up the stairs towards the Boys' Dormitory.

Harry didn't bother himself with acknowledging the shouts that followed him from the Common Room as he closed the door behind him. After a quick sniff of his clothes, Harry wholeheartedly agreed with Daphne's previous comment. His Tournament robes were drenched with sweat and dried blood, and they were burned in a few spots. No wonder she pushed me away so quickly, he commented with a small chuckle.

A quick shower and three potions later, Harry found himself lying in the safety of his bed with the golden egg on his stomach. The heavy curtains around him were drawn, allowing him privacy from his Dormmates, who already have returned from the Common Room. Harry's eyes were digging holes in the First Task trophy as if he wanted to intimidate the egg to give him the clue he so desperately needed. Barty's words were clear – without withdrawing the knowledge that was hidden there, Harry wouldn't be able to complete the Second Task. He wiped his face, trying desperately to fight against the exhaustion that was tightening its grip around him. The young wizard glanced at the empty vials next to his bed. He was more than sure that the Dreamless Sleep Potion was amongst those he drank. With a heavy sigh, he placed the egg on the pillows right next to his head before finally allowing his tired eyes to close. Sleep found him much sooner than any previous night.

"And where might you have been this evening?" Malfoy greeted Daphne as soon as she entered the Slytherin Common Room. The young girl rolled her eyes in annoyance as her Housemate's words made their way into her still hurting ears. The layout of the Chamber of Secrets only helped to magnify the agonizing scream that came from the egg.

"I don't see how that's any of your concern," she countered, scanning the room with her eyes. Malfoy was sitting on his favorite couch, although 'spread' would be a much more accurate description of his position. His legs were placed on one of the small tables in front of him, and Daphne had to admit that she was surprised that his usual guards were not around. Although, as always, her face didn't betray her astonishment. A few Slytherins from younger years were scattered across the Common Room that was otherwise empty.

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Of course, it's my concern since I've heard some interesting news, Greengrass," he replied, watching her carefully. "It was quite… disturbing, to say the least, to learn that you've polluted yourself with a certain Gryffindor," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Then perhaps you should address our whole year, Malfoy," Daphne countered immediately, slowly making her way through the Common Room towards the stairs that would take her to her Dormitory. "We've all been forced to work with the Gryffindors during Potions, in case you've forgotten about that. I won't allow any circumstances to hinder my results in classes. If I have to waste my time in the Library with Potter to make sure I get an 'O' for that assignment, so be it. Speaking of which, how is your cooperation with the Weaselbee going?" Draco snorted at that and shook his head. "I thought that the two of you would be best friends by now, seeing how both of you were wearing those badges so proudly," she added, gesturing to the small plaque on Malfoy's chest.

"I'll sooner kill myself than make friends with a Blood-Traitor like he," Draco countered. "Speaking of badges, where's yours? I don't think I've seen you wearing it."

"Such childish behavior is simply below me, Malfoy," Daphne replied, not allowing herself to be caught off-guard by his questions. "Though I'm not surprised that you've jumped for it. You've always had… maturity problems."

"Watch your words, Greengrass," Draco growled, standing up from his seat. Daphne glanced around, noticing that their small banter started attracting the attention of other students. Just what I need, she thought dryly. Her gaze returned to the blonde boy, who was slowly making his way toward her. "Still, you haven't answered my question. Where were you tonight?" he asked when he was a few steps away from her.

"In the lavatory, if you must know," Daphne replied through gritted teeth. Her hand inched closer towards the sleeve of her robe, where she kept her wand. If there was one thing she'd learned about her Housemate during the past three years, it was that he could be unpredictable. "Once again, I don't see how that's any of your concern."

"You're sure you weren't with Potter again?" Malfoy challenged, raising one of his eyebrows. "You seem to be spending far too much time with him. I'm sure that Potions assignment isn't such a time-consuming task."

"What I do with my free time is my own business, and certainly not yours," Daphne countered, taking a step forward. "I would suggest you remember that. Flint had seemingly ignored it in the last year. I don't think I have to explain to you why he was unable to make it to a few Quidditch matches last season, do I?" she asked. Her wand was already drawn, and it was pointed below Malfoy's stomach. The blonde boy followed the length of Daphne's wand with his eyes, taking an involuntary step backward.

"I'm concerned about you, that's all," he said as his eyes found Daphne's once again. "After all, I wouldn't want you to be too… polluted in a few years," he added with a smirk. "I'm sure you know that our fathers have been in touch, right?"

"Does your father really has such a low opinion of you, that he believes you need a marriage contract to get a wife?" Daphne countered with a raised eyebrow as she directed her wand away from Draco. Snape had a bad habit of barging into the Common Room at the most unexpected moments, and it wouldn't do her any good if he found her pointing her wand at his pupil. "I know they've been in touch, and I know that they haven't reached any sort of agreement, Malfoy," she said, stepping around the boy.

"Yet," she heard behind her back as she made her way across the stairs that led to the Girls' Dormitory. Only when the doors closed behind her did Daphne allow her body to tremble due to the disgust Draco's words caused. She was well aware that Malfoy Senior had been pestering her father for a few months already, and the prospect of an agreement being reached made her nauseous.

"You've surely taken your time in that lavatory," Daphne's Dormmate acknowledged her presence as soon as the echo of closing doors traveled across the Girls' Dormitory. The Slytherin girl found the owner of the voice almost instantly. Tracey Davis was lying on her bed with a book in her lap, though Daphne doubted if it had even been used. She was willing to bet her monthly allowance that her friend placed it there simply to create an illusion of boredom. However, Daphne wasn't a person who could be fooled that easily, especially not by a girl she had known ever since she had learned how to walk.

"I should have known you would be eavesdropping," she replied, looking around other beds.

"Relax, neither Pansy nor Millie are here," Tracey said, quickly noticing Daphne's habit. The brunette girl tossed the book away from her before straightening herself up. A small smirk was dancing in the corners of her lips – the first indication that Daphne wouldn't be able to get away with vague answers. "Besides, I'm learning from the best," she added, shrugging her shoulders as she leaned forward on her bed. Tracey's tongue slipped past the border of her mouth as she licked her lower lip in anticipation.

"Smooth, Tracey," Daphne commented, rolling her eyes. Tracey and Blaise Zabini were the only people outside of her family who had known her before the birth of the Ice Queen. Therefore, sometimes, Daphne allowed herself to somewhat relax in their presence. However, just as years were passing by and the difference between her true self and the mask she showed to the world were blurring away, those moments were becoming less and less frequent. It was something both of her friends often made sure to point out to her.

"So?" Tracey asked expectantly as Daphne slowly made her way towards her bed.

"So what?" the blonde asked innocently, failing to resist the temptation of tormenting her friend. She knew what Tracey wanted, but she wouldn't give it to her so easily. With a quick glance at the brunette's bed, Daphne allowed her body to fall on the soft mattress. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, marveling at the smell of fresh covers. She couldn't truly state how grateful she was to all the house elves for their work – fresh bedsheets were the best reward one could hope for after a long day.

"The Golden Trio falls apart, you start disappearing from the Common Room much more than previously, and then you end up paired with Potter in Potions," Tracey said, counting her enumerations with her fingers. "And Potter stared at you today after the Task," she added as the grin on her face grew wider. Daphne glanced at her friend, shaking her head in mock annoyance.

"I had nothing to do with me and Potter being paired up for Professor Snape's assignment," she replied, once again closing her eyes to attempt to relax in the comfort of her bed. "Speaking of which, how is your work going? Has Finnigan done anything useful?"

Tracey groaned heavily, dropping her head. "Don't think I will forget that you haven't countered any of my other arguments," she said, pointing an accusing finger at Daphne. "And it's as bad as I thought it might be."

"How so?"

"Oh, you know him and Thomas, right?" Tracey asked, shaking her head. "I swear to you, there isn't much going in his head other than girls. I've already lost count of how many times he stared at my butt." Daphne groaned in sympathy. "I've also heard him talking about you to some of his friends."

"I'm not sure if I want to know what he said."

"It was something like 'I'd hit that if she wasn't a snake.'"

"I most definitely didn't want to hear that," Daphne replied, resisting the urge to groan once again. Tracey shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I guess there's at least one good thing that can come out of it."

"Really?" Daphne queried, raising her head.

"I think I've caught Blaise glancing at me from time to time," Tracey replied with a wide grin. "I guess he's a little worried that I'm working with Finnigan. Maybe he'll finally make a move?"

"About time," Daphne commented. "You've been dancing around each other for over a year now. Though I'm not sure if it's a good thing that he's worried about Finnigan. I mean, it shows Blaise in a bad light if he's concerned because of him."

"Perhaps," Tracey agreed with a somewhat dreamy smile. "But I still think it's cute. Now, as much as I love to talk about myself, your relationship with Potter is a much more interesting subject," she said; the smile on her face turned into a predatory grin as she stared at her friend. Daphne managed only to growl and roll her eyes, fully aware that she wouldn't be allowed to rest.