Author's Note:
I LOVED giving Sirius his first real white hair freakout. I have a fun prank in mind for later on when Harry finds out. You will meet Zee's editing friend, just wait. Yes, the Weasley twins do know about the gambling ring or will be finding out and yes, they will be placing their own bets. Casually debating how and when Seamus should give his virginity away over dinner is exactly how it should be! No one cares that he is gay and I want that to be important, as why should it matter who you love? Love is love, simple as that. Ah, the Yule Ball — so many interesting suggestions, but as I have already finished up the Third Task, it is done already! Thank you for all of your kind words.
Reviews and Comments: To ladyinwaiting2005: Thank you for saying my story is the best thing to ever happen to you! You're too sweet! To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! To EnchantedLynx: Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To Leaf Ranger: Thank you! It was fun giving names to the dragons. I have a plan for the first task, you will see. Thank you! To iKingAnomalyII: Well, the somewhat beginning of Hinny. As I said, it is a slow burn. Thanks for loving how I write Molly, I hate it when I see her bashed! Thank you! To speedsONEandONLY: Victoria Day is to honour Queen Victoria. Hermione is very focused on what she wants and she does listen to everything, she just is very determined. Minnie is definitely here to save Harry from Skeeter. Thanks for loving Sirius' reaction to the white hair! As to Harry turning his whole head white… this may happen. Thank you!
To supersandman86: I think tough love is what Seamus needed to make him realize he needs to be true to himself. Dean knows Seamus better than anyone and he hates seeing his best friend doubting himself. Harry is noticing Ginny more and more. As to the Yule Ball, we will see. Charlie does take his love for dragons very seriously. Thank you! To love reading20613: The start of Hinny… but as I said, this will be a slow burn. Thank you! To trekkifulron: Thank you! To Wolf's scream: Dobby was so happy to see Harry! As to language at the dragon reserve, I would think Romanian since its Romania, but I also imagine that since dragon tamers come from all over the world, it would be a mix of different languages; kind of like it's own little town. Is Padfoot having a mid-life crisis? Nah. He is just very horrified to have a white hair LOL. Thank you! To coloredwords: It is true, no one is as perfect as Jamie Fraser. It's impossible. And yes, I love Outlander too! Been reading the books for over a decade now and the tv show is awesome! Yes, I love them casually debating whether Seamus should give his virginity to Will. It is how it should be. Yes, poor Sirius, LOL. Thank you!
To darkhk: Yes, stress does give us white hairs! I have a few myself, but my hair is so red, it blends in with the blonde and it's hard to see. A blessing LOL. Thank you! To WinkingSkeever: You hope Harry and Ginny will go to the Yule Ball together? We shall see. Thank you! To Blaze1313: Thank you! I hate when stories don't have a consistent upload schedule. It often makes me stop reading because I lose interest in them and I didn't want people to do that with ASC. Thank you so much! To LeglessFishOnRollerskates: Thanks for loving Sirius' hair, I am proud of it! Thank you! To ClarieRoss: Wow! You read this whole thing in a day and half, that's dedication! Thanks for enjoying it so much! To Guest: No, Neville's plant won't be in the ritual potion, I don't know what I will use it for yet. I only have some vague notions. Thank you! To alix33: Yes, the Outlander books are way better than the tv show! I agree! I've been a fan since before An Echo in the Bone was released (as I had to wait three years for it). I met Diana 2 months before the tv show started and got my copy of Written In My Own Heart's Blood autographed. I treasure it greatly! I also love the Lord John books! I re-read the whole series once a year. Yes, Zee needing a telephone is important because she has grandparents who are Muggles. Thank you!
To Steelcode: Yes, one white hair and Sirius thinks it's the end of the world. He's a tad dramatic. Ha, he is a bit like Uncle Jesse from Full House. Thank you! To prachetmakwana13: Ha, Sirius will definitely get more white hairs. Thank you! To Jmcglynn522: Hmm, you're the only person to notice that Dobby said Winky thinks she "failed her masters." Points to you. Asking for a friend LOL. Thanks for loving Theo! He definitely started a betting pool instead of making badges and he convinced Draco to bet on Harry — he really is the best. Thank you for saying the white hair scene was epic! Thanks for the congrats on the one year anniversary of ASC, I am quite proud! Thank you! To krelofwerewolf: I am sorry you missed the chapter, but exciting you got two! I love Harry's friends supporting him too. Thank you!
Thank you to my Beta — SilverStarwolfe!
Thanks to Steel for giving me this suggestion — of course, I changed most of it, but the idea is still there.
Thanks to Saz for some slang words here — wrote them down for future use :D
My posting schedule: Once a week and sometimes on weekends.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-THREE:
The One Where Zee Just Wants A Damn Telephone
But Sirius Can't Stop Bitching
Tonks headed towards Hogwarts, coming in through the front gate and smiling at McGonagall when she greeted her in the entrance hall.
"Hi, Minerva."
McGonagall merely pursed her lips. "Nymphadora Tonks, are my eyes deceiving me or did you just use the front door? Colour me impressed."
She grinned. "I wanted to make it formal and all when I requested to see Harry."
McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "Colour me amazed as well."
Tonks chuckled. "May I see him?"
"I believe he is on his way to Professor Lupin's office to organize his first training lesson with Sirius, but he may also still be eating dinner."
"I wanted to catch him before he met with Sirius."
McGonagall nodded. She gestured for Tonks to stay where she was before she headed into the Great Hall. It was less than two minutes later before Harry came out. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw her.
"Tonks, hi. What are you doing here?"
She tucked his arm in hers and smiled. "Care to take a walk with me?"
Harry looked back at McGonagall questioningly, but she merely shrugged.
"I assume that this is a secret from Sirius and Remus, Miss Tonks?"
Tonks grinned, cheekily. "Yes, please."
Harry was doubly curious now as Tonks led him outside. Once they were far enough away from the castle, she reached up and kissed his cheek.
"I need Scout."
Harry, still not really sure what was going on, changed into his Animagus form. Then to his surprise, Tonks scooped him up into her arms.
"Ooh, you're getting bigger every time I see you! I won't be able to pick you up much longer."
Harry merely barked in response.
She shushed him and quickly hurried into the Forbidden Forest, puppy in her arms. Harry wasn't sure where they were going or what she was doing, but she carried him for almost thirty minutes through the thicket until he heard a loud familiar roar that made his ears perk up.
Tonks placed him on the ground at her feet. "Stay with me. Do not wander off or I will conjure you a leash."
Harry thought that that was a little extreme and he barked at her to tell her so, but he followed quietly behind Tonks anyway. He had heard roars such as that once before, he thought, when he had been on holiday with Sirius, when they had gone to Sicily to visit a dragon reserve…
His fears were alleviated when he saw the flames dancing ahead through the thicket.
"Trotsky, hold!" Charlie yelled out.
Harry's green eyes widened in shock. Charlie was surrounded by a group of eleven other witches and wizards and they were all surrounded by four large dragons.
He let out a little squeak of a bark and Tonks reached down to scratch him behind the ears.
"I know," she told him. "It's why I had to show you. I didn't know if you'd believe me without proof."
Harry simply stared.
Each dragon looked more fearsome than the next. He was completely frozen in his spot. He was pretty sure that if he wanted to move right now, he couldn't. He watched as Karkaroff and Maxime approached the paddock, both with their eyes wide in interest. And to his surprise, Hagrid, who was with Madame Maxime and was once again wearing his ugly suit as if hoping to impress the headmistress.
Harry's eyes moved across the four large dragons. They seemed to be sealed in some form of magical cage; he could see the blue-white sheet in front of them that confined three of them in place rather peacefully. However, one dragon was chained up and locked inside an iron cage inside of the magical barrier. Her black scales were dark and glistened in the moonlight and her bronze horns and spikes seemed to shimmer down her long tail. Her yellow eyes looked murderous as she let out another deathly roar and set a tent on fire.
"Get closer to her from the back, Trotsky! Ilka needs another chain! We have to contain her. Aims, you go around the other side of her."
Trotsky nodded and ran to grab another chain with a large shackle to attach to her other foot.
"She's beautiful!" Hagrid exclaimed, eyes wide as he watched the tamers struggle to keep the dragon in place.
Charlie wiped sweat off his forehead. "That she is, Hagrid; but she's also a demon in disguise! Whichever champion ends up facing that Horntail, I pity them."
"Ah, Charlie, she's just seriously misunderstood! Yeh have ter see th' beauty in her!" Hagrid exclaimed as the Horntail shot another stream of fire out at Trotsky and he rolled out of the way just in time. He let out a slow whistle. "Er, well, I suppose tha' Horntail is a righ' nasty piece of work, but she's still gorgeous!"
Charlie snorted. "You have no idea. Getting her here was only half the problem. But we needed to be here early to get them settled. The less riled up they are before the First Task, the better for everyone."
Harry was still staring at the dragons with eyes wide as Hagrid asked if each champion was going to be facing a dragon. Obviously, Harry thought, why else would they be here? He was a goner. How was he supposed to fight a dragon? He didn't protest when Tonks picked him up and Charlie approached them with a smile.
"Tonks, twice in one week? I'm starting to feel special," he said, reaching out to scratch Harry behind the ears. "Who's this handsome fella?"
"Scout," Tonks said with a smile. "We wanted to say hi before we headed home."
"What wonderful green eyes," Charlie said, still scratching Scout behind the ears.
Hagrid stood next to him, grinning widely. "Scout, eh? 'E looks just like 'Arry!"
Tonks smirked at him. "Hagrid, shh; no one can know that I brought him to see the dragons."
Charlie's eyes had widened slightly. "Harry? He's an Animagus? What am I saying, of course he is! I saw Ginny and Ron. Hello, Scout."
Harry barked once in response and Charlie grinned.
"Look at you, I can see it now, the green eyes and you have a mark here, almost like a lightning bolt in your fur, fascinating. If I didn't know it was you, I don't know if I would have put two and two together."
Tonks grinned and kissed the top of the dog's head, before she turned him and cuddled him into her shoulder like a baby. "He's an amazing young man. Charlie, and a pretty damn cute puppy. What can you tell us about the dragons?"
Charlie sighed, "Not much I'm afraid. As I was saying to Hagrid, I don't know the specifics, but I'm pretty sure that the task involves getting past the dragon who will be guarding something. One dragon for each champion. Each dragon will be in the arena along with her nest of eggs which makes her extra dangerous. The last thing that you want to do is get between a mother and her children and I have a feeling that whatever they want the champions to get past will involve exactly that. Ilka is the most bad-tempered and the most dangerous, but don't underestimate the other three. They may seem calm and collected in comparison, but they're just as deadly and dangerous," he warned.
Tonks nodded, snuggling the puppy closer into her arms. Scout wasn't much of a puppy anymore, as his body was the length of Tonks' torso, but as he wasn't a fully grown Tamaskan, he had yet to grow into his paws, and was still small enough for her to pick up. "Thanks Charlie."
He nodded, smiling at Harry. "I'll be watching the First Task. Good luck, Har-Scout."
Scout barked in response and Tonks smiled, hugging Charlie goodbye before she carried Scout away from the paddock in the forest. It was only when they had been away for almost ten minutes, did he jump out of her arms and transform back into himself.
"I can't fight a bloody dragon!" he exclaimed. "Tonks, that's insane! What are they thinking? It's completely unsafe! Not to mention unethical!"
Tonks glared at him. "Scout, now!"
Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm not an actual dog that you can command, Tonks!"
"No, but if you're seen near the dragons then we're both in trouble. Change into Scout, now!"
He knew that she was right. He changed back into his dog and trotted dutifully behind her, glancing back every once in a while, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. They had just returned to the castle when Harry saw McGonagall waiting for them. She nodded to Tonks and then to Harry and Harry knew that she knew exactly what Tonks had shown him.
McGonagall only ushered them inside before bidding them goodnight and making her way to her own office.
He changed back as he watched McGonagall go before turning on Tonks. "Isn't it cheating for me to know what the task is?"
Tonks shook her head. "No. As you saw, Maxime and Karkaroff were there which means that their champions will know by the morning."
He nodded, looking pale. "I… I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Tonks. How can I beat a dragon? You saw them back there! You saw how big they are! I remember being at the reserve in Sicily! It takes dozens of witches and wizards to control them! It's not like I can stun her and run away! I'll get eaten! I'll get trampled on! I'll get burned alive!"
Tonks reached up to grab his shoulders tightly. "Harry!" she said, giving him a shake. "It's going to be all right."
He stared at her, eyes wide and when he saw that she was smiling at him, his eyes narrowed. "Why the bloody hell are you smiling?"
Tonks merely grinned wider. "Listen, I know that Sirius is going to be training you, with my help obviously, but according to Charlie, he's pretty sure that you just have to get past the dragon. Charlie would never agree to anything that involved you physically harming an animal, especially a dragon, which bodes well for you because it means that fighting the dragon is out of the question. She's going to be guarding something that they want you to take. I have no idea what that could be, but that's the plan. Which means in theory, that you shouldn't have to do anything particular to the dragon; you just have to distract her. Are you listening to me?"
He nodded, calming slightly. "Yes."
"Harry, what is the one thing that you can do better than anyone else?"
He shrugged, leaning back against the wall and dragging his fingers through his hair. "I don't know."
"Yes, you do. Think."
"Well, I mean, I'm a fair flier, but —"
"— Exactly!" she exclaimed with a grin. "And if I wanted to sneak past a dragon..."
Harry's slow grin had her grinning back. "You're brilliant, Tonks!"
She grinned widely. "I have my moments." She slipped her arm around his waist and smiled. "Now listen, I think that the less people who know about your plan, the better it will be."
Harry's eyebrow rose. "You don't think that I should tell Uncle Sirius or Uncle Remus? What about Zee?"
Tonks smiled at him. "You read my mind. You, Zee, and I; we'll keep it between the three of us. Zee and I can both help keep the men calm in the stands and you can fly your heart out there and impress everyone on your Firebolt. We both know that Sirius and Remus will be worried sick enough as it is — let's just keep the plan quiet, all right?"
Harry nodded, thinking of how he could fly around a dragon. "I've been practicing a bit; going over old drills that Wood used to have us to do last year. I find it kind of calming to run around the pitch and up the stands and what not before I take to the skies. Wood's training regimen, as exhausting as it was, is oddly satisfying at the same time."
Tonks nodded in understanding. "I agree with you there. I need the physical outlet myself. Sometimes it just helps me to put my thoughts into perspective and to burn some of that excess energy off. But, I think going out to practice is a good bet for the next two weeks. You still have time to do this. Just think of it like a Quidditch game and the dragon is the opposing team's Beaters and they are sending Bludgers at you left and right. What do you do?"
"I outmanoeuvre them."
Tonks grinned widely. "Exactly."
He let out a slow breath. "Thanks, Tonks."
She reached up to kiss his cheek. "I know how terrified you must be because I'm scared shitless enough for you and I won't even be facing this thing. But I know that you can do this! I have every faith in you, Harry." When he smiled at her, she hugged him tight. "Now come on; let's head to Remus' suite before they send out a search party for you. I'm sure that McGonagall already let them know that I was talking with you, but I still bet they're antsy."
He nodded and they walked companionably up the stairs to the second floor, heading to Lupin's office and then onto his suite. Even though he wasn't living there anymore, the suite still belonged to him and was still used when he needed it. They stepped through the portrait and Zee immediately jumped to her feet.
Harry smiled at her and let her engulf him in a tight hug. She was in heeled boots, but she was so short that her head still only rested at his shoulder. When she released him, he saw the worry in her eyes and he smiled.
"I'm fine. I'm… dealing with it," he admitted.
She nodded and kissed his cheek. "You're too damn brave for your own good sometimes."
He let her lead him over to the sofa and he sat down, propping his feet up on the coffee table next to his godfather. "Thanks for waiting. Tonks wanted to talk to me."
Sirius nodded and draped an arm around his son's shoulders. "How's the week been? Students still giving you grief over your name being pulled?"
Harry shrugged. "It's not so bad. I'm pretty sure that all of Hufflepuff House hates me, but the rest of the school seems to be divided and only three quarters of them think that I'm a lying cheat."
Sirius frowned. "Pillocks."
"I have my friends and they've all been really supportive so that's been nice. And you know, someone wants to kill me, just another school year, right?"
Remus came out of the kitchen nook with a platter of tea and scones and shook his head. "We already told you, that's not exactly reassuring, Harry."
Harry smiled at him. "Well, maybe not, but it's kinda true," he said as he counted off on his fingers. "First, a Quirrell-possessed Voldy tried to throw me off my broom and then tried to kill me when I followed him after the Stone; then a giant Basilisk tried to kill me multiple times which in turn made Filch try to strangle me before I fought said Basilisk and almost was killed by a memory of Voldemort; and then last year I almost got Kissed by Dementors after Hermione was kidnapped by an escaped Death Eater… a tournament really sounds kind of tame in comparison."
Sirius flicked his son in the forehead in annoyance. "Why have I not removed you from this school and locked you in a giant bubble?"
He stuck his tongue out in response and Sirius lightly cuffed him across the head.
"Brat."
Remus sighed and took a seat on the love seat next to his mate as Zee made herself comfortable on the other side of Harry. "Harry, we know that you've found yourself in difficult situations before; some of them have been your fault entirely and others more of a troublesome circumstance, but this is different. You will not be alone and any time you feel that the task is too much trouble or you think that something is wrong, you have the option of opting out. It's a clause in the contract, however, you always must try. Simply not competing is not an option and after what we spoke about the other day, I think that we can both agree that getting through the tasks is first and foremost what's important."
Harry nodded. "I know. I'm just trying to make light of the situation."
"Which we applaud you for," Sirius told him. "But this is a serious situation, no pun intended, and I want to make sure that you feel ready for anything that they might throw at you in the First Task. Speaking of the task, we think that we might know what it is."
"I already know — it's dragons."
Sirius' eyebrow rose. "How the bloody hell do you know that?"
"Hagrid showed me," he said without thinking as Tonks winked at him.
Sirius stared at him. "You're awfully calm about this rather alarming announcement. Care to explain?"
Tonks smiled at him. "Harry and I talked about it on the way up here. He has a plan."
"I don't want to talk about the dragon right now anyway," Harry said. "Uncle Rem and I have something that we want to talk to you about."
Sirius only stared between the two of them.
Harry let out a slow sigh. "Voldemort wants me for the ritual to bring him back and he plans on making a play for me. Draco told me as much, and that my being in this tournament is intentional."
"Well, it's nice to know that our fears have been confirmed," Zee said, carefully. "But are you saying that you know who put your name into the Goblet of Fire?"
Harry shook his head. "No, I still have no idea about that, but Draco just warned me to watch my back and well, he said some things that made me think."
"Made both of us think," Remus corrected. "When Quirrell died three years ago, it was because of the protection spell that Lily left over Harry when she sacrificed herself for him. When he tried to physically attack him, his very touch burned him. It was too much for Voldemort to bear and the love that Lily left for her son, destroyed him, and he in turn destroyed Quirrell when he dispossessed him. Harry and I believe that part of the reason why Voldemort is so insistent on wanting to use Harry for this unknown ritual is because if he uses Harry's blood then, that protection will become a part of him as much as it is a part of Harry."
Sirius stared at them for a minute. "We considered that, Rem. And you're only telling me this now because…?"
"Sirius, we assumed that you'd react badly and decided to wait until we saw you tonight," Remus interjected before Harry could speak up. "We considered it, yes, but I think this proves it's more than just a theory."
"Uncle Siri, it doesn't change what we already know it just… it makes more sense as to why he wants me specifically. Draco said it best: I'm the one who got away. It makes sense that he would want revenge on me or something. And I don't know what the tournament has to do with that… I mean, if he does want me for the ritual, obviously he doesn't want me dead which means he thinks that I can get through it… I don't know."
"Of course you can get through it," Zee said, sternly. "We have every faith in you and we will be here as much as we possibly can every step of the way. I've been working all week trying to come up with a list of spells and charms and hexes that we can teach to you."
Harry smiled at her. "Really? You've been working on it all week?"
Zee leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Papa's been helping me. He says hello by the way and that he knows you are strong enough to do amazing in this tournament."
Harry hugged her back as Remus spoke up.
"It's something else that we can add to this mysterious ritual. But for now, Harry, getting through the tournament is what's important."
"I handled that just fine," Sirius exclaimed, pouting. "I don't understand why you both kept it from me."
"I figured that you'd be upset," Harry said simply.
"Well, of course I'm upset! Some asshat wants to hurt my son!"
Harry smirked at him. "But first a dragon does."
Sirius let out a slow breath. "Okay, we'll get back to the dragon. Tonight, is about discussing when and where we're going to have lessons and going over what you've already covered with Misha and in Defence Club. Agreed?"
Harry nodded. "Agreed."
Remus leaned forward in his seat and nodded at Zee who had a notepad ready. "Let's start discussing useful spells."
Harry listened to them brainstorm, adding in things that he'd covered already and new spells that Misha had sent him in his letters, but mostly he just listened. He wasn't alone in this. His family was going to make sure that he was prepared in any way that they could and he knew that no matter what, it was going to work out. One task at a time, he told himself and he grinned at Tonks.
He couldn't wait to show his fathers what he had planned.
And most of all, he really hoped that he could pull it off because if flying didn't work, he had no idea how he was going to distract a dragon.
No idea at all.
~ ASC ~
The next morning after leaving Defence Against the Dark Arts class, the sound of someone yelling Cedric's name made him turn his head. He had spent most of the night thinking about the four dragons that he had seen hidden in the Forbidden Forest. Maxime and Karkaroff had been there which made him pretty positive that they had told their champions. But it also meant that there was one champion who had been left in the dark. He couldn't let Cedric go in blind. Not only wasn't it fair, but Cedric Diggory was a genuine nice bloke and the real champion in most of the eyes of the student body. Harry couldn't exactly dispute it either since it was for all intents and purposes, true.
He urged his friends on, promising to see them in the Great Hall for dinner. Neville only looked back at him, curiously, but he shook his head. He had a few things that he needed to do and one of them had just presented an opportunity. He adjusted his book bag on his shoulder and let out a slow breath as he approached Cedric and the crowd of Hufflepuffs.
"Well, if it isn't Potter? Come to find another way to cheat Cedric out of his well-earned Champion status?"
"No," Harry said simply, his eyes on Cedric. "Can I have a word?"
"Yeah, you can have a word," the blond Hufflepuff exclaimed, pointing to the badge on his chest. It was a large circle that read: Go Cedric, the REAL Hogwarts Champion. "Like my badge? Watch this." He pressed his fingers to the centre of it and in a swirl of green the words vanished and changed to, Potter Stinks!
"Clever," Harry said, not amused.
"I thought so. Macmillan gave it to me. He and some fellow Hufflepuffs were handing them out for free this morning. I'll make sure that your friends all get a copy."
Harry ignored him, his eyes on Cedric. "I need to speak with you for a moment. Alone."
"No way, Ced!" the blond boy next to him exclaimed. "Look how he already got his name into the tournament! You can't trust him!"
Cedric held his hand up to silence his friend. "Go. I'll meet you in the Great Hall. Ryan, I'll be fine!"
His friends looked like they wanted to protest, but he gave them a look that told them that he wasn't going to argue. Ryan and the three other Hufflepuffs hurried off, shooting Harry nasty looks over their shoulders, flashing their Potter Stinks badges as they went. Once they were out of earshot, he looked at Harry curiously.
"Can I help you with something?"
Harry stared at him for a moment. "It's dragons."
"What?" he asked in bewilderment.
"The First Task. It's dragons."
Cedric's book bag slipped out of his hand and landed with a loud clunk. "I beg your pardon?"
Harry nodded. "Look, I just… I found out and… I just thought that you should know."
"Why are you telling me this?" he whispered in surprise.
Harry shoved his hands into his pockets. "I know that you don't believe me, but I did not enter this tournament. You deserve to be Hogwarts Champion way more than I do, Cedric, and everyone knows it. But I'm in it now, for better or for worse, and I found out that the First Task is dragons — nesting mothers. I think that we just have to get past them, not fight them, at least I sincerely hope not, and I know for a fact that Delacour and Krum know. It's only fair that we all go in on the same footing, isn't it?" he said rather quickly.
Cedric nodded, his eyes still wide. "Thanks."
Harry nodded. "Good luck."
Cedric picked up his book bag and hurried off and Harry felt a little lighter. The hand on his shoulder made him jump and he spun around to look at McGonagall.
"Er, hi, Auntie Minnie."
"Professor, Harry," she said for the umpteenth time making him grin. "That was a really decent thing that you just did for Diggory."
Harry shrugged. "It's only fair, isn't it?"
She smiled. "I agree, but not everyone is as kind as you. Ten points to Gryffindor."
Harry grinned in surprise. "Thanks."
"Did you set up plans with Sirius to get some extra lessons in?"
He nodded. "Yeah. We're going to meet on Mondays and Thursdays since I have Defence Club on Wednesday nights."
McGonagall smiled. "Good. If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Actually, Auntie Minnie, can I use your Floo?"
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Whatever for?"
"I need to talk to Zee and I was hoping that she could call me."
McGonagall's eyes softened and she nodded. "Nyx is sleeping in there, but she shouldn't disturb you."
"Thanks."
He grabbed his bag and hurried down the hall to her office, closing the door behind him. He needed to get his homework out of the way after dinner so that he could perfect his summoning charm. He had spoken to Flitwick at lunch today and the Charms professor had assured him that he could summon anything that he put his mind to provided that it was in Scotland. Harry had felt very reassured by those words. But first, he needed to talk to Zee.
He greeted Nyx affectionately, who nuzzled his hand in greeting before burying her head under the cover of her long feathered tail which covered over her body like a blanket. He tugged out his wand and concentrated on what he wanted to do. He hadn't used his Patronus as a messenger yet and he was a little nervous that it wouldn't work. He let out a slow breath, convincing himself to be confident before he called it forward and watched in amazement as the stag, wolf, and dog moved around him; the light of them illuminating the office in a glow that had Nyx's head rising.
He focused on the stag, closing his eyes as he concentrated on just the stag. The stag's form seemed to brighten as he pranced around him.
"Expecto Patronum Secretum Disputatio," he said and a message bubble seemed to appear above the stag's head and he grinned. "Zee, I'm in Auntie Minnie's office at Hogwarts. Floo-call as soon as possible. I'll wait. Don't tell Uncle Sirius." He waved his wand and the speech bubble vanished. "Zee Zacarias," he said and the stag disappeared through the wall of the castle.
Five minutes later, Zee's head appeared in the fireplace, making him jump. "Harry! Are you all right?"
He grinned at her, crossing his legs in front of the fire. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just wanted to talk to you. The Patronus worked then? I've never used that spell before."
"It worked beautifully. It appeared while Forrester and I were working on a report."
"Did Forrester hear my message?"
She shook her head. "No, you did it correctly, only I could hear the words."
He grinned. "Brilliant!"
Zee smiled at him. "Yes, it was quite an impressive display of magic. You've mastered it very well. Now, what's going on, sweetie?"
Harry let out a slow breath before he told her about everything that he and Tonks had discussed after seeing the dragons. "I have a plan, kind of anyway, and Tonks and I agree that surprising Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus is probably for the best because they're going to be worried enough as it is. But if you and her know then maybe…"
"We can keep them from losing their minds," she finished with a smile. "Harry, you're a wonderful flier, I think that this sounds like a great plan, but even knowing what you have planned I am still going to be worried watching you go up against a dragon. But as for the plan, it sounds like a decent one."
"Good," he said. "I think so, too. I want to practice other charms and hexes in case the dragon gets too close but, using my Firebolt is my first line of defence."
"Remember, if you just need to get past the dragon, distraction is the key. As an animal lover, I obviously don't want you to hurt the dragon, but I also want you to come out in one piece. Distract the dragon, remember that."
"I will," he told her with a smile. "My first thought was maybe to use my Animagus form, but I haven't registered yet and well, I'm not quite fully grown."
Zee smiled. "By March you should be or soon afterwards. It takes a little less then two years for a dog to grow from puppy to adult and with an Animagus it would be a lot less. Harry, about registering your form. I think that you should wait to register it."
"You do?"
She nodded. "Yes. I've been meaning to talk to Minerva about it. But with everything that's going on and with this mysterious ritual in the works, this could be something that could help keep you safe and if no one knows what animal you can be, I think it would be safer for you if anything ever happens where you need to remain hidden or to make a quick getaway."
"You're right," he said. "I guess I just… Uncle Siri and I talked about the consequences of it if the Ministry finds out."
Zee nodded. "I think those consequences are not as important as keeping you safe right now."
Harry smiled at her. "Okay. I can deal with that. Um, so you won't tell Uncle Siri about my plan with the dragon?"
Zee smiled warmly at him. "Your secret is safe with me."
Harry beamed at her. "Thanks. I have to get to dinner. Will you be at my lesson on Monday?"
"If you'd like me to be there I will be."
"I do," he insisted, liking the way her smile lit up her whole face.
"I wouldn't miss it. Anything else going on?"
He shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle. Thanks, Zee."
She smiled warmly. "You're welcome. Have a good weekend, Harry."
"You, too," he said, watching as her head disappeared from the fireplace.
All right, he thought, Tonks and Zee knew what the plan was. Now he just had to figure out how to execute the plan. His stomach let out a loud grumble and he grinned.
But first he had to eat.
~ ASC ~
Sirius watched Zee hang up the phone before dinner that evening and he merely raised an eyebrow. "Well? What did he say?"
"For you to stop bitching and let me install a damn telephone in your house."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "I don't bitch."
Zee chuckled and moved to wrap her arms around his waist, smiling up at him. "If you say so."
Sirius leaned down to capture her lips. "Lies, woman."
She slid her hands up his back, her fingers nestled in his hair as she kissed him. When he pulled away, she smiled against his lips.
"We're moving my stuff in slowly. Part of that will be the phone. Now, Papa says that our list looks great. But in all honesty, Sirius — it's a dragon. Tonks confirmed that and Harry knows it's coming, and he's ready."
Sirius let out a slow breath. "I know and he's way too damn calm about it! The task is coming up in less than two weeks and he's all nonchalant, telling me that he knows what he's going to do! What does that even mean? How does he know? Who the hell knows how to go up against a bloody dragon? I sure as hell don't!"
Zee smiled. Harry and Tonks had filled her in on the plan and she had to admit, it was a brilliant one. She thought that it was clever and would allow for Harry to play to his own strengths. He was very talented and very powerful, but he could also fly incredibly well and she thought that flying was one of the safer ways for him to make it through the First Task if she was honest.
"He has a plan, Sirius, and frankly, I think letting him surprise us is a good idea. He is the Champion and we are here to guide him and only to guide him," Zee said, carefully.
Sirius sighed and tugged her close to kiss her, softly. "I know. I just don't like the idea of not knowing what he has planned against a dragon, you know? I mean, what if something goes wrong? What if he gets hurt?"
"Madam Pomfrey will be there. As will we. He can do this, Sirius."
"I know," he told her. "And that's what scares me."
Zee snuggled into his embrace and held him for a moment. "Well, I think that we both need a distraction."
Sirius' hand immediately moved to knead her breast. "Oh yeah?"
Zee slapped his hand away and kissed him chastely. "Not that. I moved over some clothes, but I need to actually go through my stuff and pack."
Sirius grinned. "You do, Miss Zacarias, that you do."
"Come help me?"
"What do I get out of this?"
She merely raised an eyebrow. "Other than me moving in with you?"
He smirked. "Right, of course," he said and she jumped to her feet.
"Let's go see how much stuff I need to get rid of."
"You know my closet is only so big, right?"
Zee grinned at him. "A little expansion never hurt anyone."
He only rolled his eyes as she led him upstairs to her bedroom.
He had already expanded the closet while she had been at work today, he thought with a grin. He'd pushed it into the hallway and brought it into the bedroom a bit. He'd added shelves and new racks for her shoes all out of wood and he thought it looked damn good. It was twice as big now and came equipped with an organization charm to assist and had enough room for all of her stuff and his to sit side by side. He knew that she was going to love it.
But most of all, he knew how much he was going to love having her living with him and he couldn't wait.
~ ASC ~
Ginny finished her Potions paper in the study hall just off of the library. She turned her neck from side to side to stretch it out, relishing in the cracking sound in relief. She stretched her arms up over her head as she stood up and her blue jumper rose up a little and she felt the cool air hit her stomach before she put her arms back down. She reached down to grab her book bag off the floor as a shadow fell over her. She looked up at the boy who stood there, a handsome smirk on his face.
"Hi," he said, casually leaning his hip on the table that she had been working on.
"Hi," Ginny said back. She noticed that he had rather lovely warm brown eyes.
The boy crossed his arms in front of him and he grinned at her. "I've noticed you around. You prefer to study in here rather than in the library?"
Ginny nodded. "It's too quiet in the library. I sometimes find that it's too hard to concentrate. I like a little noise and someone is always playing music or talking or something in here."
"Agreed," he said. "You're not getting ready to go already, are you?"
She shook her head. "Not yet. I still have a paper for McGonagall. I just needed to stretch my legs."
The boy nodded. "Good. This room needs a little more beautiful."
She blushed and he grinned, brushing his dark hair behind his ear. He wore it a bit on the long side, brushing the nape of his neck and a bit shaggy. It suited him, she thought.
"Would you mind if I borrowed your Transfiguration text for a moment? I forgot mine up in Ravenclaw Tower and I just need to check something with my friend Terry over there. I'll be but a moment?" he asked, smiling sweetly and making a dimple appear in his right cheek.
Ginny smiled back at him. "Sure. I need to go over my notes first anyway." She handed him the textbook and his fingers brushed hers sending a little thrill through her.
"Great. Be back in five."
She nodded and watched him walk away. She placed a hand over her stomach as it fluttered nervously. He was incredibly handsome, she thought, and very sweet. She turned to her Transfiguration notes and tried not to sneak glances over at him and his friend Terry, but she found that she couldn't concentrate.
When he came back over, her textbook in his hands a few minutes later, she was drawn to his warm brown eyes again. She watched him tuck a strand of dark hair behind his ear.
"Thanks. Good luck on your paper."
She nodded and watched him walk back to his friend. She turned to look down at her textbook and saw that there was a piece of parchment sticking out of it. She almost called out to him, but stopped herself. It was probably her homework, she thought, tugging out the parchment and opening it up.
But to her surprise, it wasn't her homework.
Hi, Beautiful!
I'd love to know your name and more about you. I'll buy you a Butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade next Saturday at noon. Hope you'll meet me there with a smile.
PS — My name is Michael.
Ginny blushed to the roots of her hair and snuck a glance up at him. His arm was hanging over the back of the chair, his brown eyes on her, and he had a sexy smirk on his face.
Ginny pulled her quill out and turned the parchment over to scrawl a quick message in her loopy cursive.
Michael,
If you throw in a chocolate scone, I'll be there.
PS — My name is Ginny.
She folded the parchment into a butterfly and used the levitation charm to send it over to him. He caught it with a grin and opened it. She bit her bottom lip as she watched him grin at his friend and write a message before levitating it back over to her. She re-opened it, smiling as she read.
Beautiful Ginny,
Chocolate scone? You sound like my kind of girl. You got yourself a date. See you at 12.
Love,
Michael
Ginny grinned widely and tucked the parchment back into her textbook. She watched the two boys stand up, talking to each other and Michael shot her a wicked grin that made the butterflies in her stomach dance before they left the room. She flipped through her Transfiguration textbook mindlessly, but took in nothing for ten minutes until Colin slid into the seat across from her.
"Oh, Colin, thank Merlin!"
He merely raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you all right? You're all flushed."
Ginny passed him the note and his eyes widened.
"You have a date in Hogsmeade next weekend!"
Ginny nodded, biting her bottom lip. "Um, yes. He just… came over to say hi and then he sent me this!"
Colin was beaming at her. "Ginny! This is great news! So, Michael who?"
She shook her head. "I don't know. I've never really noticed him before. I think he's a fourth year at least as he's pretty tall and he was wearing a Ravenclaw tie. He was sweet and he has dark hair that's kind of swept around his face in a dashing sort of way and brown eyes. And a really cute dimple on his right cheek when he smiles."
Colin grinned. "What are you going to wear?"
Ginny's eyes widened. "Oh, Merlin! I don't know!"
Colin grinned and jumped to his feet. "Come on; let's go find Luna. You need to figure this out. Your first date, you have to make his jaw drop even more than it already did when he sees you."
Ginny bit her lip, her eyes twinkling in happiness. "It is just a drink, I don't want to be too fancy."
He rolled his eyes. "I didn't say fancy, I said jaw-dropping. Come on!"
Ginny laughed as he took her hand and led her out of the study hall, her books and papers in her arms as she struggled to hold onto her bag.
~ ASC ~
Forty minutes later, Luna and Ginny had each chosen three potential outfits and had brought them down into the Gryffindor common room before Colin had urged them to follow him to one of the unused classrooms on the seventh floor. They had just stepped inside when Theo poked his head in.
"Ah, thought this was the room, but wasn't entirely sure," he said with a grin, closing the door behind him. "I never come up to this floor. Too many Gryffindors."
Ginny rolled her eyes at him. "You love Gryffindors."
"Nah, just you, chick," he said with a smile, sitting up on the desk. "So, your note said that it was important."
Colin grinned at him. "Our girl has her very first date tomorrow."
"Potter?" Theo asked, his eyes widening.
Ginny rolled her eyes again. "Hardly. I've told you, Theo — Harry and I are just friends."
Theo shrugged. "That is sad. So, who's the bloke then?"
"His name is Michael and he's a Ravenclaw, I think he's in your year."
"Dark hair, sexy as sin dimple, brown eyes, and a really nice bum?"
She nodded, blushing a bit. "Yes."
Theo grinned. "Lucky girl." He took in the outfits that she had with her and grinned. "That would be Michael Corner. I heard that he really knows how to snog well. And you want to find the perfect outfit, I get it. What are we going for? Sexy Siren or Breathtaking Angel?"
Ginny blushed. "I want to look like myself."
Luna grinned and erected a room divider with her wand. "Ginny and I will be back here. You boys can help us with picking the right outfit."
Theo grinned at Colin. "I feel like I should be offended that she asked the gay bloke for fashion advice, but I'm too excited to care."
Ginny scoffed at him. "You know I asked you here for information on Michael and because I value your opinion and Colin has the eye for this sort of thing. I think it's the creativity because of his photography skills."
Colin grinned. "Go, pick an outfit so that we can vote."
Ginny hurried behind the privacy wall that her friend had erected and grinned at Luna. "I'm nervous."
Luna smiled at her. "Nervous is a good thing. Colin and I will be nearby if you need us, but far enough away to give you the privacy that you want."
Ginny nodded as she shimmied out of her uniform and changed into a black long-sleeved crop top with knee length denim skirt overalls with black and white striped tights and black block heeled boots.
Theo whistled as she came out from behind the privacy screen. "Looking fit! Your tits look great in that top."
Ginny blushed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Luna smiled at her. "Don't be embarrassed, Ginny. You have very nice breasts."
"I'm trying another outfit," Ginny said, turning around to change.
She came out next in black slacks with a white cotton blouse and black suspenders with dark grey velvet ankle wedged boots.
Colin grinned. "I like that one."
"Accents her tits again," Theo said with a smirk.
"I hate you, Theo."
He grinned. "Don't be cheeky, love. You have them, flaunt them. Also, your arse looks great in those slacks. Let's see the final outfit."
Ginny went back behind the screen and a few minutes later emerged wearing a white and grey spaghetti strap dress that cut low at her breasts with thick black velvet buttons down the chest to her waist and a white long-sleeved tee shirt underneath. She kept the red suede ankle boots with a chunky heel and added a purple velvet ribbon choker.
"Well?"
Colin grinned. "That's definitely it. You look smashing, Gin."
"Lush," Theo said with a grin. "And your tits are covered, yet still lovely."
"Will you stop with the tits?" Ginny exclaimed, covering her chest with her arms. "You don't even like baps!"
Theo grinned. "Not true, I do like lovely man baps and a nice thick pecker, but you, darling, look lovely. Truly. Michael is going to be gobsmacked."
"Really?" Ginny asked, glancing down at her outfit.
Colin grinned and moved to hug her. "Truly, you look wonderful."
Ginny grinned at the three of them. "You lot are the best."
Luna hugged her tight and smiled. "So you better tell us all the deets, especially if he snogs you."
Ginny smiled back. She had a date and she couldn't wait.
End Author's Notes:
Yes, Harry will be flying for the First Task, but it will also be different. Wait and see — as you know, I have my changes.
Also, I had a lot of fun picking 90s clothes for Ginny's first date LOL. Anyone remember wearing long-sleeved or short-sleeved tees underneath dresses? Oh, the 90s lol. And yes, Ginny's first boyfriend will still be Michael Corner. I always thought he would be one of those adorably charming first boyfriends, at least at first.
Expecto Patronum Secretum Disputatio = secret talk
(I was trying to figure out how to make the Patronus talk and decided to add to the spell myself so, this is it, only the person it is sent to can hear the message). Thanks!
Also, I meant to add this last chapter and forgot. Here is a list of my Hogwarts students mentioned in Cedric Diggory's year:
Hufflepuff:
Cedric Diggory
Caden Ryan (Original Character)
Ravenclaw:
Christopher Cayden (Original Character) — mentioned a while back as gay and dating Leopold
Leopold Herman (Original Character) — mentioned a while back as gay and dating Chris
Juliet Rinaldi (Original Character) — part of the Hogwarts Herald
Slytherin:
Melinda Cumming (Original Character)
Cassius Warrington
Gryffindor:
Fred Weasley
George Weasley
Angelina Johnson
Alicia Spinnet
Lee Jordan
Siobhan Templeton (Original Character)
Thank you for reading and please review!