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Chapter 9

The difference in the students' attitude towards him was noticeable at a first glance. Of course, there was more than a handful of students from different Houses, and even his own that were still wearing the 'Cedric rules, Potter stinks' badge, but their numbers lessened drastically. At least, that was Harry's first impression as he made his way through the Great Hall towards the Staff Table. He had to admit that he was surprised by the number of greetings, and friendly patting on his back from people he sometimes barely recognized. Some of the teachers and other staff members were looking at him sympathetically with something in their eyes that resembled pride. Harry smiled awkwardly as he stopped in front of Madam Pomfrey, placing the four empty vials on the table in front of her.

"I hope none of the potions landed in the sewers?" The Hogwarts Matron asked as her gaze shifted from the empty glasses back to him.

"No," Harry replied, shaking his head. The fingers of his left hand were twitching slightly; he's never been the biggest fan of slings, however, Madam Pomfrey has assured him that he would be allowed to take it off right after the weekend. If he had to guess, that was the strongest argument that had forced him to drink those potions.

"Good," she commented, hiding the empty vials in a small bag that she always seemed to carry with her. Without wasting any more time, Harry turned around; instead of his brain, it was his stomach that forced his muscles to work. With the stress of the First Task behind him, his senses have finally registered the fact that he had skipped every single meal the previous day – something that his belly was constantly reminding him of.

Despite his Housemates' change of attitude, Harry quickly found the spot at the Gryffindor Table that he's been occupying for the past few weeks, right next to the entrance to the Great Hall. His stomach growled loudly, and he felt his mouth salivating as he eyed all the goodies that were waiting to be devoured. He wasted no time in grabbing a few toasts and placing them on his plate. With only one healthy arm, Harry didn't bother himself with the usage of the utensils.

He could still feel peoples' eyes on his back, though the feeling wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as it used to be. Harry vaguely registered someone yelling at him from the middle of the Gryffindor Table as his attention was solely focused on the book he retrieved from his bag. Harry managed to surprise even himself that morning when his feet carried him towards the Library before making his way down for breakfast. And by the look on Madam Pince's face, he was sure that he surprised her as well with his presence. However, even though the Second Task was three months away, Harry was grateful for forcing himself to collect a book about the history of the Triwizard Tournament. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he first saw how thick the old tome was – it was even wider than his hand. And with all the homework and other school duties, Harry doubted if three months would be enough to read the entire book.

He sighed heavily between the bites as he eyed the old tome that was lying on the table, right next to his plate. However, the memory of the ears-piercing scream that erupted from the Golden Egg the previous evening had forced him to start reading it in a hope of finding some clue regarding the trophy he collected the previous day.

"I can't believe I lived to see the day," a voice spoke from the opposite side of the table, one he would never fail to recognize. However, Harry resisted the temptation to raise his head, forcing his eyes to remain glued to the first page of the book. "I would never have thought I would see you reading during a meal," Hermione added; there was a slight amusement in her voice, though it was mixed with something else.

Harry's only response was an incoherent mumble as his mouth was occupied with a piece of toast.

"That was something else yesterday, mate," Ron's voice spoke from his right, causing Harry to look in that direction, though his eyes quickly returned to the book. He held back a cough when Ron's hand collided with his back. "I mean, a dragon?" the redhead asked, chuckling slightly. "You should have seen Malfoy's face when that Horntail managed to break free from that chain. Seriously, I've never seen anyone more ready to piss himself than him," he said with another chuckle.

I have, Harry said to himself as he remembered Ron's terrified expression when they first met Aragog in the Forbidden Forest two years earlier. However, even with the words making their way onto his tongue, he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he bit off another piece of toast to prevent his mouth from speaking. Instead, he only nodded.

"The teachers were concerned as well," Hermione said. Even with his eyes still focused on the large book, Harry could clearly feel the bushy-haired witch's gaze on his face. "Professor McGonagall tried to keep that dragon at bay, but she didn't manage to do anything as you flew through the teachers' stands."

"Snape had to throw himself on the ground to avoid getting hit," Ron added, laughing once again. "You should be watching your back during Potions, mate. I don't think he's going to let you go away with that so easily," he said, patting Harry on the back once again.

Harry's eyes shifted from the book to Ron's hand that remained on his shoulder. Do they think that nothing has happened? He asked himself before brushing Weasley's hand off.

"Harry," Hermione spoke softly. He more felt than saw her leaning over the table. "Look, I know that-"

"Oi, Potter!" a voice interrupted whatever she intended to say. As one, the former Gryffindor Golden Trio turned their heads towards the spot where the voice came from. Approaching them was none other than Cedric Diggory. Harry watched with raised eyebrows as the Hufflepuff Prefect made his way towards them, sitting on the Gryffindor's left. Just as Ron before him, Cedric patted Harry's back, though it was much stronger than before. At that moment, Harry failed to suppress a cough that followed the impact. "I haven't thanked you yet for the tip about the First Task," he said in a lowered voice, though he was seemingly unphased by Ron's and Hermione's presence. Harry nodded his head a couple of times.

"It was nothing," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "We both represent Hogwarts, after all. It was only fair that you should know if I knew as well," he said, closing the book. "I'm sure you would have done the same."

Cedric shrugged his shoulders. "I hope I would have," he commented. "Have you opened the Egg already?" he asked. Harry nodded once again. "Pretty messed up, isn't it? I was really expecting to find something useful there."

"I can say the same," Harry replied with a slight chuckle. "Thought this might help," he said, pointing at the book. Cedric's eyes widened when he noticed the thickness of the old tome.

"You're not one to rest, are you?" he asked with a chuckle. "Look, if I manage to find out anything about the Egg, I swear I'll point you in the right direction," he said, earning himself a surprised look from Harry. "What? You've said it yourself that I would have done the same, haven't you? Though I must admit that seeing your display yesterday makes me rethink my proposition," he said, laughing once again. "I mean, compared to what you did, my performance was rather… boring."

"You were allowed to watch other Champions?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Cedric replied, shrugging his shoulders once again. "I mean, there was no point in keeping it a secret after I had finished the Task, right? Your display makes me regret that there is no Quidditch Tournament this year. I mean, can you imagine you, me, and Krum on the pitch? Just thinking about it makes me want to grab a broom."

"Yeah, I'd rather attempt to outfly the two of you than face that dragon again," Harry replied with a weak chuckle that was mimicked by Cedric. "Well, maybe next year."

"Definitely," Cedric agreed. "We still have that match from the last year to repeat after all," he added. Harry shuddered unwillingly as the memory of the Dementors returned to his mind with full strength.

"Yeah."

"And that Patronus… dude," Cedric said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Transfiguring a rock into a dog was nothing compared to that."

"Well, it didn't work out perfectly."

"But still, many of the seventh-years are unable to conjure a Patronus, not to mention a fully corporeal one. I guess that the last year had some advantages after all."

Pettigrew escaped, and Sirius is still considered a criminal, Harry thought as he forced his lips to curl up in a weak smile. "Yeah," he replied.

"Look, if I find out anything about the Egg, I'll let you know," Cedric repeated before standing up. "And thanks again, Potter."

"Don't mention it."

"Hey, Hannah!" Cedric shouted suddenly. Harry's eyes followed Cedric's gaze until he found the girl the older boy called. The Hufflepuff girl from his year was just about to leave the Great Hall. "Come over here for a second."

Harry watched as Hannah's eyes traveled from her Housemate to him. A sneer of disgust was plastered all over her face, but she complied with the Prefect's request nonetheless.

"Yes?" she asked with a wide smile as her attention was focused solely on the Hufflepuff Prefect.

"Can I see your badge?" Cedric asked, pointing at the plaque that was still proudly present on her chest.

"Of course," she replied, removing it from her robes. A subtle blush colored her cheeks as she handed the badge to her Housemate. Due to the close proximity to both Champions, it was changing rapidly from 'Cedric rules' to 'Potter Stinks.' The older boy held it in his hand for a few seconds with a lazy grin before he dropped it to the ground. His smile faded quickly from his lips as he slammed his foot against the plaque, destroying it entirely.

"See you around, Potter," Cedric said over his shoulder as he left the Great Hall; a lazy grin was once again present on his face. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Hannah stared in disbelief at the boy's back, though their reasons weren't the same.

"You told him about the dragons?" Ron whispered into his ear in disbelief. "Do you have any idea what I went through to tell you about them? And you just revealed that to the enemy?"

Harry sighed heavily, packing the book back into his bag. Grabbing the last toast from his plate, he stood up, ready to follow the other Hogwarts Champion. It was only then that he noticed that the recent scene gathered the attention of the students not only from the Gryffindor Table but from other Tables as well. Harry watched in amusement as many unclipped the badges from their chests and hid them in the pockets of their robes or their bags. As if his eyes were moving on their own, he soon found Daphne sitting at the Slytherin Table. As was often the case, her icy-blue eyes were focused on him; her trademark smirk was firmly present on her lips as she stirred the cup with what he presumed to be pumpkin juice in her hand.

"You didn't tell me about the dragons," Harry said, turning around to look at his friends for the first time that day. "Hagrid did."

Harry wasn't sure if he was more surprised or relieved when the news arrived that the afternoon classes have been canceled and the Gryffindors were summoned by Professor McGonagall to the Transfiguration Classroom. He found himself squished between George, presumably, and Neville on the back bench next to the wall. With the book on his lap, he was waiting anxiously for his Head of the House to arrive. His and other students' anxiousness was only multiplied by the fact that they were separated by gender with boys sitting on one side of the class and girls on the opposite one.

"What do you think this is all about?" Neville whispered to him, glancing nervously around the classroom. Harry couldn't help but share his anxiousness. House meetings like that were a rare occurrence, and, as far as he could remember, it's never been anything good. Last year, Professor McGonagall had summoned all of her students to discuss the details of the Dementors with them. And two years earlier, the meeting regarded the whole thing with the Chamber of Secrets. It can't be anything good with this damn Tournament, Harry deduced.

"I have no idea," he replied, also looking around the classroom. He moved his eyes back to the book on his lap when Hermione intercepted his gaze. "But I don't think I'm going to like it."

"You'd bested a dragon yesterday," Neville countered with a nervous chuckle, forcing a small smile on Harry's lips. "I'm sure that whatever McGonagall wants from us won't be a problem for you."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "We shall see."

"Ah, everyone is here. Good," Professor McGonagall said upon entering the classroom. Immediately, all eyes turned to her and Caretaker Filch, who wobbled inside, carrying a small wooden box in one hand and something that looked like a large horn in the second hand. Mrs. Norris was walking a few steps behind her owner, scanning the Transfiguration Classroom with her red eyes. Harry instinctively looked away from the cat's piercing gaze. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I've summoned you," Professor McGonagall continued, once again gathering the attention of all her students as Filch placed the wooden box and the horn on a table next to the door. "Some of you may be aware that the Triwizard Tournament is not only about the Tasks."

The book only mentions the Tasks, Harry thought as he looked at the old tome in his hands. "In fact, as per tradition, the Triwizard Tournament has always been accompanied by a Yule Ball," Professor McGonagall said, glancing behind her back at Filch, who seemed to be connecting the two elements he brought with him. "This event had been established simultaneously with the first Tournament in history. On Christmas Eve Night, we, and our guests, gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity," she continued, earning herself a few excited whispers from the female part of the Gryffindor House. "As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this literally because the Yule Ball is first and foremost… a dance!" Professor McGonagall explained with one of her rare smiles.

The previously excited whispers immediately became louder while the boys let out a collective groan of disapproval. Harry closed his eyes, allowing his head to hit the stone wall behind him. Yeah, I think I'd rather take on that dragon again.

"Silence!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, clapping her hands twice. Just as during lessons, it was enough to make everyone listen to her once again. "The House of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the Wizard World for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you in the course of a single evening besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!" she said, looking around the classroom. Harry barely managed to hold back a chuckle when he heard Fred and George competing in who managed to repeat McGonagall's words five times faster. From what he heard, he guessed that Fred managed to get close enough.

"Now, to dance is to let the body… breathe," Professor McGonagall continued, seemingly unaware of the Weasley Twins' competition. Harry could barely believe his eyes as he saw his usually stern Head of the House practically gliding across the floor of her own classroom. "Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst forth and take flight!" she said, her lips curled up in a smile once again. "Inside every boy a lordly lion, ready to prance," McGonagall continued, turning around to face their side of the classroom. Harry gulped nervously when he noticed that the Professor's eyes focused on him for a split second. "Mr. Weasley!"

"Y-yes?" Ron asked hesitantly, slowly raising his eyes from the floor. Harry could swear that he heard him gulping nervously as well.

"Will you join me, please?" McGonagall asked, reaching out with her hand towards Ron. Even though her tone was friendly, Harry had no doubts that it was an order rather than a request. After clearing his throat, Ron reluctantly stood up, following their Head of the House to the center of the classroom. "Now, place your right hand on my waist," McGonagall instructed.

"Where?" Harry struggled to hold back laughter after hearing his former best mate's terrified voice.

"My waist," McGonagall repeated, placing her left hand on Ron's shoulder. Clearing his throat again, Ron did as she asked. Harry could swear that it was one of his brothers that whistled loudly, causing Ron's face to turn bright red; his skin matched the color of his hair nearly perfectly. "Mr. Filch, if you please," the Transfiguration Professor addressed the old Caretaker, who seemed to be waiting for her command. Immediately, the man hated by practically every student in Hogwarts tapped something on the wooden box. As the result, a soft tune came out from the large horn, quickly traversing across the entire classroom. "One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three," McGonagall dictated the tempo of the dance, forcing Ron to follow her example.

"Oi!" Harry turned towards Fred and George. If the expressions on their faces were any indication, the Twins were having the time of their lives as they watched their youngest brother dancing with their Head of the House. "You'll never let him forget this, will you?" he asked, feeling the wide grin spreading on his face as well.

"Never!" they promised simultaneously, not for a split second allowing their eyes to leave their brother. Harry chuckled at that.

"Everybody, come together!" McGonagall ordered as she continued dancing with Ron. As one, all the girls stood up from the benches they were occupying. Their reaction to the announcement of the Yule Ball was a stark contrast to that of the male part of the Gryffindor House. They all were excited at the prospect – something Harry couldn't quite understand.

"Can you imagine Snape doing this with the Slytherins right now?" Harry asked, turning towards Neville as some of the boys stood up sluggishly. The shy boy shook his head with a chuckle, running his hand through his hair.

"If I knew it a year ago, I would have turned that Boggart into something different," Neville replied, chuckling once again. Harry laughed as well as he imagined the Potions Master dancing the waltz, dressed as Neville's grandmother. Sirius wouldn't be able to stop laughing at that, Harry commented in his mind as he watched as more and more of his Housemates stood up from the benches and joined the girls in the middle of the classroom. Professor Lupin would laugh as well.

A sudden clearing of the throat brought Harry back to reality. He raised his head, only to see Professor McGonagall standing right in front of him. "Any explanation as to why you're not joining the others, Mr. Potter?" she asked, crossing her arms on her chest. Harry looked around, only then noticing that he was the only boy that remained on the bench as the rest of his Housemates were paired up with the girls, practicing the dance Professor McGonagall had just shown them.

"My arm is still healing," he said, gesturing to his left hand, still remaining in the sling.

"I didn't know you were planning to dance on your hands."

"I wasn't planning to dance in the first place, Professor," Harry countered, correcting his glasses. McGonagall huffed at that, raising one of her eyebrows.

"Too bad, Mr. Potter, because you don't have that option. You and the other Champions will be opening the Yule Ball with an official dance, so I would suggest you not to waste your time."

Harry paled visibly upon hearing that information. Nothing like that was in the book. "But, Professor… I don't know how to dance," he admitted sheepishly, once again correcting his glasses as if he hoped that the small item could protect him from McGonagall's soul-piercing gaze.

"Well, there's a first time for everything, and that's why the students have been informed about the Ball one month in advance. Or perhaps you expect me to believe that yesterday was the first time you've conjured a Patronus or that water shield, Mr. Potter?" Harry chose not to inform his Head of the House that the water shield was something he had done accidentally. He seriously doubted that it would help his situation.

"No, Professor, but still-"

"Mr. Potter, I'm still torn between awarding you with House Points and sending you to a detention for the rest of your time at Hogwarts, preferably for the rest of your life, for your most reckless behavior yesterday, so I would suggest you not to push your luck with me, young man!" McGonagall interrupted him, saying everything in one breath. Harry gulped nervously, watching the stern Professor take in a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Well, I didn't really have a choice yesterday since I 've been forced to participate in this Tournament," Harry said, choosing his words carefully. "But still, I really don't know how to dance, Professor, and I doubt I will be able to learn it in a month."

"That's rich coming from someone who decided that his best option of winning the First Task was to outfly a dragon. Not to mention that that plan has somehow worked," McGonagall replied with a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"That was a necessity," Harry defended himself.

"Well, perhaps if you applied a similar approach to your studies, you wouldn't be struggling with passing some of the exams," she countered, causing Harry's face to heat up in embarrassment as he attempted to shrink down on the bench, as much as possible. "Like it or not, Mr. Potter, you, and the other Champions will be opening the Yule Ball. You have one month to learn how to dance and to find a date, so once again, I suggest you not to waste your time!"

I should have allowed that dragon to fry me, he thought to himself.

"Professor, is there really no way to avoid this?" he asked hopefully. His hopes were crushed, however, as he saw McGonagall shaking her head.

"No, Mr. Potter," she replied. "And if you try to worm your way out of this, you'll quickly learn that a Hungarian Horntail wasn't the most dangerous opponent you could have faced," she said, causing Harry to pale even more, if that was even possible. "Did I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Professor," he replied with a weak nod of his head, once again correcting his glasses.

"Good," McGonagall commented as her smile returned to her face. "And don't think I'll so easily forget that stunt you pulled out yesterday. One more thing like that, and I'll make good on my promise, and you will spend the rest of your time here in detention, understood?"

"At least I survived," Harry commented, attempting to somewhat lighten the mood. His efforts turned out in vain, though, as he watched his Head of the House pinch the bridge of her nose once again.

"Just like James," she muttered with a heavy sigh. "You have one month to prepare yourself, Mr. Potter. Don't disappoint me!"

Harry gulped heavily as he watched the retreating back of Professor McGonagall, who returned to the rest of the Gryffindors. She traveled between various couples, correcting their forms and giving more instructions. I should have allowed that dragon to fry me, he thought once again.

The next day, on Saturday evening, Harry was waiting next to the one-eyed witch statue on the third floor. His watch showed that he had ten minutes for Daphne's arrival, so he waited, hidden beneath his Invisibility Cloak.

He lost count of how many times he glanced nervously at his watch before the hands finally showed the hour he was waiting for. Harry stepped forward from his hiding place, looking around at the corridors. Except for a few students who decided to take an evening stroll around the castle, the area around him was completely empty. He scanned the corridors with his eyes, but the familiar flash of blonde hair was nowhere to be seen.

It was only when the Hogwarts bells rang, signaling the beginning of the curfew, did Harry realize how much time he actually spent waiting for the Slytherin girl. But she never showed up. Standing up from the floor he was sitting on, Harry stretched his back, releasing a content sigh as his joints cracked, releasing the tension. With quick but careful steps, he made his way back to the Gryffindor Tower.

Only when he was back in the safety of his bed, hidden from his Dormmates by the thick curtains, did Harry pull out the Marauder's Map. He had to admit that he was surprised by Daphne's absence. Despite her being a Slytherin, he has somehow gotten used to her presence over the past few weeks. The fact that she failed to show up hurt him more than he was willing to admit. She must have forgotten it or something.

She wouldn't forget anything if she scored straight 'O's in every subject, his mind countered quickly. With only a split second of hesitation, Harry unfolded his father's artifact.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he muttered, pressing his wand against the empty piece of parchment. Even with his voice low, it seemed to him as if he shouted those words were said with as much strength as his lungs would allow. Harry held his breath, listening to the snoring of his Dormmates. After a few seconds of lying in complete silence, he buried himself beneath the bedsheets.

"Lumos," Harry whispered, flipping the pages until the Map showed the layout of the dungeons. Even though the lowest floor of the castle was a true labyrinth of corridors, Harry quickly managed to locate the Slytherin Common Room. He would never be able to forget that one time two years earlier when he and Ron slipped inside there as Crabbe and Goyle.

The Slytherin Common Room was almost entirely empty; Harry could count the students sitting there on the fingers of his one hand. After double-checking if Daphne was one of them, Harry's eyes traveled to what he assumed to be the Girls' Dormitories.

The first surprise was the presence of Professor Snape, just outside of the entrance to the girls' room. Harry's gaze followed the small dots on the Map; his gaze widened even more upon noticing that Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout were actually inside of the Girls' Dormitories.

And right next to the two members of the Hogwarts Staff, Harry found Daphne's name floating lazily on the Map; the two dots that represented her seemed to be frozen in place as she remained motionless next to one of the Slytherin girls. Harry's eyebrows traveled almost to his hairline as he read the name.

"Astoria Greengrass," he whispered to himself as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't connect that name to any face. In fact, he was pretty sure he had never heard that name before in the first place. Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout also weren't moving, remaining motionless not more than two meters away from the girl's bed, with Professor Snape still standing just outside the door.

Harry had no idea how much time had passed before he saw a movement on the Map. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw that it was well past midnight when the three women finally moved. He watched as the trio left the Girls' Dormitories, stopping next to Snape who was still standing patiently. After a dozen or so seconds, the three Staff members left the Slytherin Common Room, and Harry watched as Daphne returned to her Dormitory for the night.

A bit slower chapter today, but still, I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know down below what you thought about it and, as always, see you next time!