Disclaimer: No really guys, how many times do I have to say it.

AN: You guys are great! I know I can't please everyone but I do try to make it enjoyable. I've had requests to hurry up and get to the third task but sorry, I'm having too much fun and hopefully you are too. As far as how some of you feel as to how Harry is acting towards his old friends, I will admit that maybe I'm making Harry into a somewhat petulant child but everything has a purpose and the story is far from over.

On another note, I may not have made myself clear on the debt issue. Most families do not owe the Potters an honor debt but it is more of a financial one with very relaxed terms. As I've tried to say, the Potters were a force for good in their world and tried very hard to help others realize their dreams (businesses) much like the Bells. The only families that are sworn allies are Bones and Longbottom at this time. I will expand more as we go but also keep in mind that nothing is free. Someone suggested that the Potters were the only family doing this but it would also be true that the Blacks would do the same thing for the darker families. Depending on which way I go, this may come out more later.

BTW….This has got to be the longest freaking chapter I have ever written. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 7

Poppy had thoroughly checked over Harry the day he woke and pronounced him in good shape but he would have to remain under her care while his strength returned. As part of his treatment, she made him exercise in his room to get used to his repaired body as well as build the muscles back to the proper level. As it was, his coordination and balance were slightly off and in the current environment in the school, she didn't feel it would be a wise move for him to move around amongst the other students.

Harry pushed himself and worked hard to get back in shape since he knew he still had the third task facing him. As far as the results from the potions, the super skele-gro had indeed repaired his bone structure and in the process added a few inches to his height. Poppy expected this and said that over the next few months, it would seem as if he was having a major growth spurt as his body tried to catch up to what would have been his optimum size for his age and then he would grow normally. The musculus potion was already working wonders as his frame was slightly beefed up and his eyesight had improved dramatically. As Poppy adjusted the prescription in his lenses, she told him that it was her hope that his eyesight would improve to the point where he no longer needed glasses.

The highlight of the afternoon was when he removed his hospital gown to change into normal clothes and found that the musculus potion had indeed repaired the damage including the nipple. With all the damage that had been done, he didn't know why the loss of it bothered him so much but he just put it down to his desire to be normal for once in his life and not some freak of nature. A smirk formed on his face and he whooped out in happiness. Just as he expected, Poppy ran back in the room to see what was wrong only to find Harry laughing at her as he rubbed his finger in a circular motion around it. She shot him a glare before saying "Yes, I was happy to see that it did grow back but I was wrong about you. That move is more Sirius Black than James Potter."

She realized what she had said when his whole demeanor darkened. "I'm sorry baby. I…I never meant…"

Harry stepped over and squeezed her hand. "It's okay Poppy and I see your point. It was something Sirius would probably have done in the middle of the Great Hall. Too bad he had to be such a selfish prick."

"Don't judge him too harshly. Azkaban does things to people and makes them do things they never would."

Harry sat down on his cross legged and nodded for her to take a chair. Once she sat, he said "It's not Azkaban. It's his whole Peter Pan complex. Hell Poppy, I'm more mature than he is and he's over twice my age. Did he come to you for help when he got out? I'm sure there are potions you could give him to restore him to better condition. I mean, look at what you've done for me."

"No Harry, he has not contacted me for help. He was one of my boys too. He knows I would have helped."

"That makes my point for me. If he truly cared about me or was even concerned about me in any way, he never would have made the choices he made. Last year, I was just thrilled to have someone in my life that was mine. It was great having friends but here was someone who had sworn to love and protect me and the more I find out, the more I doubt that was ever the case. I'm sure he loved dad. Who wouldn't love someone who saved them from their own personal hell? But me? No, I think he only did it to make dad happy."

Poppy looked at him with concern in her eyes. "I don't think that's true. I saw him with you as a baby. He was more proud of you than James was."

Harry looked at her and she could see the pain in his eyes. "Then tell me how come every single person listed in the will abandoned me. Tell me how every single family the Potters were allied with failed me in every way. Hell Poppy, you weren't listed but you did what you had to do until you had an opportunity. I've been classes with children of those families for over three years and not a single one of them have ever said anything to me about our families."

"How do you know this?"

"I didn't tell you all that mum left me. I've seen the will."

"Oh dear."

"YOU KNEW?"

"No, but I suspected. The only thing I could ever figure out was that Albus somehow blocked your parents' will so that he could get control over you. The only people who could dispute it would be the witnesses. Who were they?"

"Frank and Alice Longbottom, Lawrence and Elaina Bones, Sirius Black, Minerva McGonagall, Bearclaw, and Albus Dumbledore."

"The Longbottoms are in the long term ward at St. Mungos for overexposure to the cruciatus curse. The Bones were murdered not long before that. Sirius, well he is no way capable of trying to do anything about it. Wasn't Bearclaw the one you dealt with at Gringotts? And Minerva, I don't know what to say."

Harry said "I'm sorry Poppy but Aunt Minnie evidently has her lips stuck too firmly to Albus' arse or something else to care much what happens to me. I could give you so many examples of where I went to her about things and she brushed me aside. It's obvious that she signed the will out of loyalty to Albus and no matter what she says, it had nothing to do with me or my parents."

They looked up to see Cedric and Megan standing there with their mouths hanging open. Cedric finally said "Did we show up at a bad time?"

Harry got up from the bed and walked to the window to stare out of it as Poppy remained seated. "Harry, we will figure it out. I promise you I will be there for you."

"I know and I'm sorry for taking it out on you. You don't deserve that."

"It's okay and I'm glad you told me. I think its time you talked with your friends. The little schemers have done a lot in your absence and I think you should listen to them and work with them to plan your next move. You have my support in whatever you decide to do."

He nodded as he kept staring out the window while he tried to get his anger and pain under control. Poppy motioned with her head and Megan moved over behind him and wrapped her arms around his stomach. It took a few minutes but Harry finally relaxed into her embrace as he stared out the window. In a soft voice, she said "Come on Harry. Its time for Cedric and me to tell you what we've done. Just remember we did what we felt was best to help you and we are in no way trying to control you."

She slid her hand into his and then led him back to sit on the loveseat Dobby had 'borrowed' from somewhere in the castle. From its condition, Harry assumed it came from a professor's private quarters. Poppy got up and kissed his cheek before going back to her duties. Cedric was already in an armchair waiting for Harry to calm down. He said "You're looking better."

Harry snorted "I hope so. The last time you saw me, I was missing half my chest and back."

"Yeah well, I'm just looking forward to having you back around. I missed you."

He smiled "Thanks Ced. I missed you guys too even though I was asleep most of the time. That reminds me, we need to have guy talk sometime so I can tell you about some of the dreams I had. I can't say anything now because my girlfriend might get jealous but there were quite a few where this gorgeous dark haired girl climbed in bed with me and….well you get the picture."

Megan blushed and then slapped his arm. When he winced, she started apologizing and rubbing where she slapped. Cedric laughed and said "Her bedside manner needs a little work."

Harry grinned "I don't know I found her bedside manner quite enjoyable this morning well except for the drool."

Megan crossed her arms over her chest and started pouting at being picked on by the both of them. Harry smiled and said "I was just teasing love. I rather enjoyed waking up with you curled up next to me."

Megan looked up wide eyed at him. He asked "What?"

"You called me love."

"Well yeah I guess I did. Isn't that what you call someone when that's how you feel about them? I mean I know I'm not that…." He was cut off as her lips connected to his.

Cedric finally coughed and said "Um…I really don't want to sit here and watch my sister snogging. Nothing against you Harry but…"

Megan pulled away and cut him off. "Oh shut it Ced, how many times have I had to watch as you and Cho made doe eyes at each other and generally made me sick. I never said anything as all I wanted was for my brother to be happy."

Cedric replied "Yeah right. I'm sure Harry is enjoying all this but we need to get started before we are missed. Now, we did some things that you may or may not be happy with but it was what we felt was best for the time being. Our intention was to stir the cauldron and pull some of the attention off you and at the same time, block any attempts to try and control you until your plans could be put into effect."

Megan squeezed up close to him and pulled the newspaper article out of her bag. He read it and sat back in thought. When he had absorbed the information, he said "Tell your fathers I said thank you. This will make it easier in the long run I think. I don't understand all of the political stuff but I assume this will keep anyone from attempting to stop me taking control of my House."

"Yeah but there's more. We had several people come to us and offer their help. They were neutral families just like ours but are somewhat darker."

"I don't understand."

Megan said "That's another thing we will be doing from now until your birthday. We will be teaching you the political aspects of our world and try to help you understand and learn just what it means to be the Lord of a Most Ancient and Noble House."

Harry still looked at them with a blank expression.

Cedric said "Our families are Noble Houses that are quite a bit lower in the pecking order but still have some power. The Potters were a very old and respected house. Under normal circumstances, we shouldn't be able to offer any protection to you but this is a special case and to be honest, not many would have the balls to go against it if our fathers had the full weight of the Potter family behind them."

"But I'm the only Potter left and I can't even make my own choices according to the powers that be."

"Yes you are but we aren't talking about people but families. I know this is confusing but we will teach you everything we know. Just know that you will have a decision to make. House Potter has always been a house of the light just like House Black has always been a house of Dark. In easier terms, you can support Dumbledore, Malfoy, or come in somewhere in between. We are in between and are friendly with both sides but our philosophy is more along the lines of following the rule of law and trying to make things equal for everyone. I don't want you taking our word for it. Our Dads feel the same way and even though they would like for you to share their views, they don't want you to do so out of some sense of obligation to them for helping you. I've brought some books that are amazingly impartial that do a good job of explaining the political climate and the factions involved in it."

Harry sat back and thought for a minute. He finally asked "Who are the other families?"

"Greengrass, Davis, and Moon." They expected to hear him shout about being Slytherins but it never came.

"I don't know them very well but Daphne, Tracey, and Lilith have never treated me badly. The most I could say about them is that they were neutral towards me. When the badges came out, Tracey and Lilith both wore one but I didn't see Daphne with one. I also remember that after that first day, Tracey and Lilith didn't wear them again."

Megan said "No they didn't and the only reason they had them on that day was due to a sticking charm. They are embarrassed about it and would like to apologize as they didn't know about the second message. That also brings up another point. In our discussions with them, it was decided that we would teach you everything we could but the Lords wanted to meet with you. Before you say anything, Cedric and I stated that for that meeting, we would be Potters and stand with you."

Harry smiled at them and then Cedric added "Daphne offered herself in the same way. To better explain it, for that meeting, we will be on your side completely and it is understood that our families cannot hold it against us especially since they all saw this as the proper thing to do. Under normal circumstances, it would be your family allies that would serve in this capacity."

When Megan saw him frown, she said "We know Harry. We heard the whole thing not that we didn't already suspect it. In their defense, Augusta Longbottom and Amelia Bones would know nothing of the will as they didn't sign it. If they had, I'd bet things would be very different right now."

Cedric said "I know we are getting ahead of ourselves but when you take control over your house, you will be able to officially make or break formal alliances. As much as you probably want to at this point, it's not something I would recommend and if you were to declare your house neutral, they might break the alliances with Potter without you having to do anything more. The Lords of all five of our families are ready to swear an oath to you at any time that they will support you and protect you from harm until the time comes that you can stand on your own. "

Harry looked up at them with tears in his eyes. He asked "Why would they do this?"

Megan kissed his cheek and said "Several reasons. The most important is that a true Lord Potter would emerge that would be a strong force for good in our world. A house of your status carries a lot of weight and is probably the reason why Dumbledore wanted you in his control. They want to help change the world for the better and see you as their best chance at that. And yes, it means we all want something from you but not like what has been going on."

"I trust you both and more importantly, Dobby trusts you. He would tell me if you weren't being honest with me. You said there were several reasons."

Cedric said "Well they see an injustice being done and it goes against their morals to allow it to remain unchecked. Then there is also the legend."

Harry looked up at this as Megan blushed bright red. "What legend?"

Megan turned to him and said "The legend says that Potter men find their life mates early in life. It says the connection grows quickly and will cause both of them to defend the other above all others."

Harry sat back again in thought. When he finished sorting his thoughts, he said "Up until this year, it would have been Hermione. I defended her before I even really knew her and once we truly connected, she was by my side through everything."

Megan said "I know but she broke the bond by betraying you. What do you feel for her now?"

"Nothing. It's like I have no feelings for her at all anymore."

Cedric smiled "That's good."

"Why?"

Megan took his hand and said "It means that the pain has gone away because another bond took its place."

Harry smirked "Is that why you blasted Fleur in the middle of the Great Hall and have been terrorizing my former friends?"

"How did you know about that?"

"Poppy told me, she also said to not let you go because you reminded her of my Mum."

Cedric laughed. "That's not the real reason."

Megan laughed "Well let's tell this properly. Fleur came in and claimed that since you saved her that a debt was formed and that she would have to claim you as her mate to satisfy the debt. Well it pissed me off that she thought she could come in and take my Harry away from me. (Harry looked at Cedric and mouthed 'my Harry' to which he just got a grin in return.) So I told her that the best she could hope for was to say thank you and let it go at that because you would never be interested in someone like her."

Cedric laughed "Yeah then she said 'You love him don't you' and she stopped you cold. I think it was that moment that you realized how you felt about him."

Megan grinned "Well yeah but I did the stuff to your former friends just because they hurt you and I felt like being a bitch. Not that you would ever have to deal with that Harry."

Harry snorted "Remind me to let you read the letter from my mum sometime. It sounds like it may have been a trait the Potter men were attracted to."

Poppy looked back in on them when she heard them laughing and asked "What's got you so tickled?"

Harry asked "Was my grand mum a bitch?"

Poppy was shocked at the question at first and then said "Well, she could be."

Harry turned to Megan "Well there you go. Smart and bitchy, the Potter man's most sought after traits."

Cedric was about to fall out of his chair as Megan just sat there with her mouth hanging open. Harry quickly added "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention absolutely beautiful as well. We can't put up with the brains and the mouth unless we can zone out by staring at how hot they are."

Megan blushed at the compliment while Cedric finally fell out of his chair. Poppy let out a chuckle as she left the room saying something about "Just like Jamie."

When Megan was able to respond she asked "So every time you zone out on me, you're undressing me with your eyes?"

Harry feigned hurt but then grinned. "Of course not dear, I'm just mesmerized by your beauty. We're a little too young for me to be undressing you yet."

Megan stuttered out "Where did this Harry come from?"

Harry looked thoughtful for a minute before replying "I don't know. Maybe during our talk I realized that I had real friends around me for the first time. It also doesn't hurt that I have an awesome girlfriend that makes me happy."

She rewarded him with a kiss before Cedric said "We don't have a lot of time left so let's get back to business."

Cedric and Megan told him of the events in the castle since the second task and the reaction the article got from quite a few of the parents. They told of the hopeless looks on the faces of quite a few students and how every time they saw either of them, they looked up in hope that Harry was there but their eyes dropped when he wasn't. Harry was informed of Arthur's request and promised to consider it but wasn't inclined to accept anytime soon.

In the end, they discussed studying sessions and how they would proceed up until the third task. The first hour after dinner would be dedicated to teaching Harry wizarding culture and politics. Megan asked to bring Daphne into the loop for that part as her house had ancient status and would be a big help in the training. Harry finally agreed on the condition that a secrecy oath would have to be sworn to them at first and them to him once they met.

After that session, Harry said that they would dedicate the time before curfew to help Megan finish the fourth year material while he studied whatever they left him and the fifth year material during the day. Once Megan was ready, he would begin the fifth year material with her at an accelerated pace since it was just the two of them with Cedric tutoring whenever they ran into a stumbling block. They worked it out this way so that Cedric would be free to spend time with Cho as well as work on his own studies and prepare for the third task.

Cedric asked "When will you prepare for the task?"

"I've got all day while you guys are in class. Dobby can pop me somewhere he knows about where I can work on my spellwork without ever being seen. I know my reasons but I worry that this is going to be too much for you Megan. Are you sure you want to try and keep up with your current lessons and then also try to finish out this year and then go through next?"

"Yes, I can handle it Harry. Besides, we will have part of the summer to prepare so we should be fine."

"Okay but why?"

She gave him a shy grin and said "I have my reasons. Why don't we leave it at that?"

"Okay, if you're sure."

"Yeah, I'm sure Harry."

**LC**

The first lesson was held the following Monday evening and included Daphne who jumped at the opportunity. The first night, she could see that her thoughts were correct and Harry had chosen Megan. She might have suffered a moment of disappointment but could clearly see that they were well matched and shared a lot of affection for each other that would only deepen over time.

The Harry Potter she met that night was completely different than the one she shared classes with these last few years. His intelligence and comprehension was at the level that was only shared by a few in their year and luckily for Harry, Megan was one of these individuals. Whenever Harry was having a hard time with something, she would explain it in terms he could better understand. In most cases, the difficulties didn't come from his lack of being able to grasp the subject but from his different point of view and way of looking at things. Daphne's earlier hopes that Harry would be a force for good in their world soared when she saw the two of them work together and the way they worked seamlessly with each other pointed to the legendary Potter bond. She could only hope that she would be as lucky as Megan when she found her life partner.

Another thing she noticed about Harry was how relaxed and open he was compared to earlier years and especially earlier this year. It was evident that they brought out the best in each other because Megan was more open and friendlier than she had been in years. Daphne had known Megan ever since they were little as their mothers were friends during school. It was evident that Harry filled a hole that had remained in Megan's heart ever since the loss of Michael and for that she was thankful that her friend could be happy again. As Daphne watched, she could see how Harry could fill that hole as he was Megan's best friend and so much more.

**LC**

Midway through April, breakfast was interrupted when Cornelius Fudge, the Bulgarian minister, and the French minister were escorted into the Great Hall by Amelia Bones and a mixed team of Aurors from all three countries. As they approached the head table, only a low murmur could be heard as Fudge said "We want all three headmasters along with the other judges in the first floor conference room in one hour. In the meantime, we are going to speak to our constituents and try to get a better idea of how things have been going."

An hour later, the judges were sitting at the table as Cornelius fired the opening shots. "The article put forward by Mr. Diggory has all of us very concerned. You all have been accused of being biased in your judging and have even gone as far as to punish a young man for doing what this whole thing was supposed to be about. We won't even get into the fact that the same young man should have never been allowed to compete in the first place. We are all in agreement on this so I'll make it as plain as I can. ANY irregularities, any favoritism, and oh screw it, if anything goes wrong at all in this last task that makes your school or our countries appear in a bad light will see every single one of you being sacked from every one of your positions and a black mark placed on your records so big that I doubt you will be able to find a job mucking out stables. Do I make myself clear?"

Albus evidently didn't have any sense at all as he replied "You can try Cornelius but you have no say in my position at the ICW."

The French minister stood and looked the old man straight in the eye. "Non, Cornelius may not be able to do it alone but three ministers calling for your removal will go a long way to seeing it happen."

The Bulgarian minister then added "If they don't comply with our wishes in this matter, I'm sure the withdrawal of our membership and support will make them see things our way."

Once the short meeting was over, every single one of them could only worry about what would happen and if Harry Potter would be at the tournament. His not appearing would be a quick death sentence for their careers. On the other hand, with the way things were going, his appearance would probably mean the same thing if the rumors were true that he would come back seeking revenge. In the end, they could only hope for the best as this would probably be their last few months in their positions.

**LC**

The lessons went well and by the time of the third task, they felt Harry was ready to face the five Lords which they scheduled a week after. Harry and Megan's academic studies were also going well and they had taken on the courses one at a time. Transfiguration, charms, defense, and potions were already complete and they only needed to revise for them before the exams. They had thrown out divination and muggle studies as the former was a waste of time and the latter could be passed without even studying. They were currently finishing up magical creatures and were about to go through herbology before tackling arithmancy and ancient runes.

It was Megan's idea as she had been taking the subjects and knew of the Potter's affinity for ward crafting. As she explained it to him, they would do that once they were away from school as he had two years of catching up to do before moving on the fifth year material. She felt arithmancy was something he would pick up quickly since he had algebra in primary school and runes would be the most difficult. Megan convinced him by telling of his family's history of being some of the best warders in the world. It was how they made their fortune and how only since the death of Charlus had the Goblins managed to obtain the majority of the warding business. She told him that the reason the Potter's wards were so powerful was based on the fact that the Potter's themselves were powerful witches and wizards due to the bonds they shared with their mates and some family secrets that had yet to be discovered. These traits and abilities were always passed to their children.

It was so typical of Harry to sit there and listen quietly as Megan talked about his family as she was the only one who had ever done that for him. It was evident she had put in a lot of effort on his behalf on top of all the studying she was having to do so that he would know of his family and it made her even dearer to him. As he sat listening to her, he knew that if he was to become Lord Potter, then it only made sense that Megan would be the Lady Potter. Not only was he sure that he loved her but he couldn't imagine sharing the results of their hard work with anyone else.

Megan noticed him zoning out and asked "Am I boring you Harry?"

He immediately replied "Not at all love. I was just thinking about how lucky I am that you came into my life and how pitiful I would be if I ever lost you. I do have one question though."

"What is it?"

"If my family were warders, then how come my father was an Auror?"

"I don't know. Maybe he was a DMLE warder. I'm sure Poppy would know."

He nodded his head but the words along with the patented Potter grin in shot her a few seconds ago were enough to see him tackled on the loveseat and the most intense snogging session between the two of them up to this point.

**LC**

It was finally the night before the third task and Harry had not been seen in public since the second task. The few who were in the know found it amusing to watch as the rumors and accusations flew all around the Wizarding world. The Daily Prophet reported that Viktor Krum was a predator in every sense of the word as it was revealed that Mandy Brocklehurst was indeed pregnant with his child and several others who were hoping they weren't in the same boat. It didn't take Hermione's brilliant mind to figure out what would have happened to her if she had actually went to the Yule Ball with Viktor. In a round about way, Harry had saved her once again. It had been quite a few months but every time she thought of Harry, she spiraled back into depression.

Whenever Cedric or Megan were asked whether he should be punished for what he did to Harry, they would just smile and say he would get everything he deserved during the third task. That led to further rumors that Harry Potter was going to return to Hogwarts seeking vengeance against those who had wronged him.

Harry, Megan, Daphne, Cedric, and Cho sat around in Harry's room relaxing before the big day. No one said to much as the weight of what faced them was sitting heavily on Harry and Cedric's shoulders. Megan was in Harry's lap and holding on tight to him as Cho was doing the same thing. Daphne finally asked "Are you two ready for this?"

They both nodded but Harry said "As ready as we're going to be. Tell your dad thanks for lending us those advanced offensive magic books. There's some nasty stuff in there but with the history of the tournament, we'll probably be facing the nastiest creature Hagrid can drag out of the forest not to mention everything else they throw at us."

"You can tell him yourself when it's over. Our families are coming to watch. Have you decided what you're going to do about Krum?"

They all shivered as the nastiest smile formed on Harry's face. "I'm a firm believer in taking care of your children. I don't think killing him will help the baby he put in Mandy but I do think he needs to be paid back. If he comes any where near me, I'm putting him down badly enough to where he can't continue. Cedric, I advise you to do the same thing. He'll be gunning for both of us."

Cho said "If it were me, I'd remove his bits so that he can't make any more babies. He's trying to deny that he got Mandy pregnant and is claiming she's just a little slag trying to latch onto his fame. She was a virgin until he got his hooks in her."

Harry smirked "We can't do something like that directly because he could come back and sue us for taking away his ability to produce an heir. However, we could arrange for him to have an accident with one of the creatures."

Daphne said "I'm impressed. You have taken our lessons to heart."

Harry laughed "Well between the punishment and reward system, it was hard not to."

Cho said "Oh, I've got to hear this. What did you do to him?"

Megan smiled brightly "Every correct answer earned him five minutes of snog time. If he got one wrong, he lost ten minutes. He worked very hard because the loss of minutes carried over to the next day."

Daphne smirked "Yes but if he answered every question correctly, Meg had to remove an article of clothing of his choice."

Cho started laughing while Cedric put his hands over his ears so that he didn't have to hear any more. As the conversation wound down, Harry asked "So what should I do tomorrow?"

Megan said "Tomorrow is show off my boyfriend day. We girls have a plan that will see you through to the beginning of the tournament with little trouble." Harry nodded and didn't catch the looks the others were casting at each other. If he was to know the truth, all four of his friends were nervous about what would happen as soon as Harry appeared. It made them even more nervous because the champions usually had time with their families before the task and they had no idea who would show up for Harry. Megan recruited the whole Potter protection group to help and to keep Harry focused on the task instead of upset over what others may do or say to him.

As Poppy announced curfew, Dobby came in and popped Daphne down close to the Slytherin dorms. Cedric and Cho rose and looked at Megan expectantly. She remained in her spot beside Harry and said "I'm under Poppy's care tonight."

They both nodded in reply and left to spend a few minutes together before turning in for the night. That night would be special for both couples as they finally said the three words that they all wanted to hear. With a long but sweet and loving kiss, Megan wrapped her arms around Harry as he fell asleep. Cedric shared a long and passionate kiss with Cho that left them both breathless. Their hands lingered in each others until the portal finally closed and Cedric turned for his dorm. Thoughts of getting this damned tournament over with were foremost in his mind.

**LC**

Harry woke the next morning to the sound of a soft voice speaking and then a small pop. As he rose up, he got a good view of his girlfriend bent over in a t-shirt that left him with an incredible view. He was praising Poppy for the potions she made him take as before them, his eyes would have never been able to see the view in front of him. He listened as she whispered "Did you get everything I asked for?"

"Yes Mistress, Harry will be well protected in this. The pants, vest, and boots are horntail. Dobby had them make the boots like muggle combat boots. Dobby got blood red long sleeved t-shirt and charmed it to be impervious. Dobby put picture on back of vest. Dobby can take it off if Mistress don't like."

She opened the bag and took one look at the vest and hugged Dobby. "That is brilliant Dobby. Did you get the same for Cedric?"

"No Mistress, the pants, vest, and boots are the same but Dobby got Master Cedric a yellow t-shirt and Dobby did not put picture on back of vest. Dobby also left Mistress' note."

"You're the best Dobby. Now, what are your instructions for today?"

"Dobby listen for Masters and Mistress. If yous calls Dobby, Dobby is to go protect Masters and get them home safely."

Megan bent over further and hugged Dobby. "I'll see you in a little while. Go rest so that you are ready."

"Yes Mistress, Dobby needs to tell his Mistress that Master is staring at Mistress' bum."

She let out a little 'eeep" and stood up.

Harry groaned "Thanks for ruining my view Dobby. What are you two up to?"

Megan crawled back into the bed as Dobby popped away. She said "Don't worry about it right now, we've got a little bit before we have to get up so lay back down and wrap your arms back around me."

"Yes dear"

An hour and a half later, Poppy stuck her head in the door and looked at the cute scene in front of her. Megan had her head on Harry's chest and her leg wrapped over his as his arms were curled around her. She knew nothing happened because both of them knew that it was too soon for something like that. Poppy had even offered the potion to Megan who flatly refused saying that is was enough for them just to hold each other at this time. She also knew Megan wouldn't let anything happen because she didn't want Harry to be at anything less than his absolute best for the day. Poppy chuckled to herself that the girl must have a high opinion of herself but shook that thought away as she remembered how drained James was after he and Lily first made love and needed strengthening potions for a few days.

She finally said "It's time to get up kids."

She heard Harry groan and say "Can't we just stay here all day like this?"

Megan softly said "No love, its time to face reality."

She hopped up and made her way into the bathroom where Poppy heard the shower come on. She went and sat on his bed and placed her hand on his cheek. He looked up at her worried expression and said "Everything will be fine Poppy. All we have to do is step in the maze. Once we do that, the contract is complete."

"But you won't do that will you? You'll watch over Cedric and make sure he's okay."

"He'd do the same for me."

"I know, just promise me that you'll watch out for each other."

"You know we will."

She got up and left the room just as the shower cut off. Megan came out wrapped in a towel. "What are you still doing in bed? Get up and get in that shower."

Harry threw off the covers and plodded to the bathroom in his boxers. They both cast appreciative glances at each other as they passed each other and just as Harry reached the door, she said "Harry wait" As he stopped, she went over to the garment bag Dobby brought this morning and handed it to him. "Wear this for me today. Please?"

He reached out and wrapped his hand in her wet hair and gave her a kiss. "Anything love, you know that."

He opened the door and disappeared. She heard the shower come on and started getting herself ready for the day. She was nervous as she thought about everything that could go wrong today but did her best to push her fear down when she heard the shower cut off. Things were quiet for a few minutes until she heard him laugh. The next thing she knew, he came out into the room in his pants and boots without a shirt on.

"Sweetheart, I love it but the shirt just doesn't work for me."

"Oh, I thought it'd look good. Is there something you prefer?"

"I assume you want to make a statement?"

"Well yes. The Potters may have been master warders but they originally earned their reputations as warriors. It has been rumored that you are descended from…"

He cut her off and said "Godric Gryffindor. Yes I know and it is no rumor."

Her eyes grew wide. He just shrugged his shoulders and said "Mum's letter which you still haven't read."

He opened his trunk and then uncovered a compartment she didn't know existed. He started pulling out a few things and throwing them on the bed. During his Christmas break, he had done some shopping and bought some things just because he thought they looked cool and finally had the freedom to do so. He turned to her and said "How far do you want to go with it?"

"Well my parents are going to be here and meeting you for the first time so I want you to look cool but not like a psycho."

He laughed "But you had Dobby put a punisher skull on the back of my vest?"

"I thought it'd be better than the symbol of your family for now."

"You're right. I'm sorry." He pulled out a deep blood red short sleeve t-shirt and pulled it over his head and then strapped a wand holster and a knife sheath to his forearms. He went back over to the trunk and put some things back in before pulling out his silver dagger and sliding it in the sheath.

He looked over at her and said "I can always change before the task and put on the shirt." She nodded and went back to fixing her hair. He stepped back into the bathroom and finished up and when he stepped out zipping up his vest, he stopped dead as he took in her appearance.

She had on a pair of tight black jeans which molded to her thighs and bum just as well as the knee high black dragon-hide boots did for her calves. She had topped that with a silvery blouse that flowed as she walked. She had fixed her hair to where it was long and curly and fell half way down her back. She applied a light dusting of make up to her face that made her even more beautiful than normal. She twirled around and said "Do you like?"

"Um…Yeah…I think we need to get out of here love?"

"Why?"

"You looking like that and that bed is sitting right there? No. love, we need to go before I break a promise to you."

She giggled "You don't look so bad yourself."

They were saved when Poppy stuck her head back in and said "Are you guys about ready? Oh, don't you both look nice."

Harry said "Nice? Geez Poppy, she's got to be the hottest thing I've ever seen. I pray every night that she doesn't wizen up and dump me."

Megan stepped over and kissed his cheek. "Don't think that's going to happen. I've put too much work into you to give up now."

Poppy chuckled at their antics and said "I'm going down to the Great Hall. I don't want to miss this."

Megan called for Dobby and had him pop them down to an unused classroom near the Great Hall where they were meeting everyone else.

When they arrived, Harry and Cedric found themselves surrounded by six women who were dressed to the nines and would definitely make a statement when they walked into the hall. Megan looked at Cedric and pouted when she saw that he wasn't wearing the shirt either. "Megs, I love it but yellow? I looked like a freaking bumble bee."

Harry turned around for a minute to talk to Megan when he heard Cedric yell "No fair! How come Harry gets a punisher skull and I don't?"

Harry laughed and asked "You know what this means?"

Daphne snorted "Of course. We might be purebloods but we are not out of touch with the world."

Cedric added "Yeah, this summer I'll show you my comic book collection."

Megan said "Dobby"

'POP'

"Yes Mistress?" When the other heard him call Megan that, they snickered and Daphne just raised an eyebrow.

"Cedric is whining because he doesn't have a picture on his back like Harry does."

Dobby grinned and then snapped his fingers. Cedric turned around and said "Well?"

His answer was laughter and he pulled off his vest only to find a scowling hello kitty on it. He said "Dobby?"

"Mistress said Master Cedric whining like a little girl so Dobby make his picture proper."

By this time, Harry was on the floor laughing with Megan quickly joining him. The Slytherin quartet were doing their best to hide their laughter and Cho was patting his back while turning her head so that he couldn't see her laughing.

Harry gasped out "Dobby that was great! But please fix it before we have to get him a dolly."

Cedric glared at Harry at first before he started laughing as well. Once Dobby fixed the picture, he popped back out.

Cedric looked at everyone and asked "Ready to make an entrance?"

The Slytherin girls led the way and pushed the doors to the Great Hall open. They stepped in side by side hiding the view behind them and parted to reveal Cedric and Cho following them down the stairs into the hall. As the whole hall watched, Cedric stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned back towards the door. It took a moment for everyone to look where Cedric was looking and that's when the doors flew open once more as Harry came through with Megan on his arm. There were gasps all over the hall as he loudly said "What? If Voldemort couldn't kill me then how could a prick like Krum stand a chance?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dumbledore and McGonagall rise and then make their way towards him. The look in Minerva's eyes showed a hint that she was happy and relieved that he was alive and well or if the rumors were correct, Albus stood a chance of having a job after today. With the twinkle going full blast, Albus asked "May I ask where you have been Mr. Potter? We have been quite worried about you."

"Yeah, I'll just bet you were worried and please cut off that damn annoying twinkle in your eyes. You're giving me a headache and by the way, my occlumency shields can feel your probes."

Harry smirked as he heard several gasps around him. "As for where I have been, I spent most of my time in a hospital trying to heal from the injuries you caused during the last task. Other than that, I have been studying my arse off so that I might survive this damn tournament that you tricked me into participating in."

"I think we should take this discussion to my office Harry."

"No. It was your actions that placed me in the position I have been in this year. In fact, just so you people will not have an excuse to say anything different even though I know you will because you are a bunch of spineless sheep. I, Harry James Potter, swear on my life, my soul, and my magic that I did not enter this blasted tournament or have anyone else do it for me. And the only reason I'm still participating is to keep my magic. So mote it be."

When the flash ended from his oath, he pulled his wand and cast his patronus. As it galloped around the room, Megan pulled him towards a seat.

Dumbledore said "I still require you to accompany me to my office."

"NO! If I've told you once, I've told you a million times, you have nothing to say to me that I want to hear. If you are unhappy with that then you should expel me and be done with it. I refuse to play your games anymore."

Minerva said "Mr. Potter, you will show respect towards the Headmaster."

Megan was watching the whole thing and knew Harry was close to losing it and did the only thing she could think of. She grabbed him and kissed him hard and didn't release it until she felt him calm down. She whispered in his ear "Not yet love. We aren't ready."

He nodded his head and turned to the table. Minerva said "Miss Jones that will be fifty points and one week's detention for such an improper public display."

Megan stood and stared face to face with Minerva. "You can take as many points as you wish Professor McGonagall and it won't make a bit of difference to me. As far as the detention, I claim my rights as an heir of a noble house to have my Lord present to decide if I should be punished. I'm sure Lords Diggory and my father will be most curious that someone was trying to once again interfere in the matters of House Potter or in this case, with Harry himself. Maybe I should just call them now."

Albus finally lost it and made a move towards Megan. As soon as he saw the wand start to move, Harry was up and pushed the wand towards the ceiling where the spell blew a hole in the roof. Before Albus could react, Harry had taken the wand from his hand and delivered a punch which broke the old man's nose once again while sitting Albus back on his arse.

As soon as the wand was in Harry's hand, it shot golden sparks and instantly bonded to Harry. Albus' eyes grew wide then closed as the ramifications of what just happened settled in. His momentary loss of self control was responsible for all of his plans to finally crash down. As soon as the wand completely bonded with Harry, he would forever be out of Albus' reach. Albus made a quick grab for the wand but Harry responded by pulling his hand away.

The hall was quiet before but it grew even more so as they watched the wand start glowing. They sat there and watched as the glow moved from the wand and up Harry's arms until it moved to encompass his whole body. When the glow subsided, Harry stood unsteadily on his feet until he remembered what had caused the whole confrontation. It was then he squatted down and said in a low voice. "If you ever touch Megan again, I will kill you."

He stood and grabbed Megan's hand and led her to a seat at the Hufflepuff table where the others were waiting with wide eyes. Daphne asked "What was all that with the wand Harry?"

"Not now."

She nodded but was still confused as she had never seen or heard of something like that happening. McGonagall helped Albus up and with a few worried looks cast in Harry's direction; they made their way back to the head table.

After the display of magic that just occurred, no one was brave enough to approach Harry or his entourage so they were able to eat in peace without having their low conversation disturbed. Lilith finally whispered "I'm surprised that we haven't heard a peep from our house over this."

Daphne whispered back "And we probably won't. More than likely, they'll hold their comments until they've had time to talk to their fathers. Right now, more people are afraid of what our being together means."

Harry snorted but whispered "Yeah, just look at the Gryffindors. They look like they just lost their best friend. I guess when the golden boy of Gryffindor would rather sit with Slytherins; they finally see how far they've fallen."

Tracey huffed in indignation. "I don't appreciate that."

Harry snorted "I wasn't talking about present company."

Daphne said "Still, there are some good people there that we should bring in once things settle down. They could help and it would give us a bigger power base. In fact, it might be best if you repaired some of your relationships in the Lion's den."

Cedric said "Merlin Daph, you sound like you want to overthrow the government."

Daphne smiled that evil smile of hers. "Overthrow is such a strong word. How about modernize and make more effective. The more people we have that think like us, the easier it will be."

Harry said "Listen, I'm just a dumb Quidditch player. I'll leave all the political intrigue up to you ladies."

Cedric said "Here! Here! We play Quidditch and then step in to look pretty when they need us. It definitely works for me."

Megan asked "So the future powerful Lords would step back and let their wives run the world?"

Harry replied "If they were as smart as you guys, definitely!"

As breakfast was coming to an end, Minerva stood and said "We have a special treat for the champions today and request they remain in the Great Hall as the other students go to class."

As the four Slytherins got up form the table, Daphne waved her wand and transformed their clothes into school robes. As she was about to leave, Cho laid her hand on her arm and said "The Chang family would like to formally join with the Potter coalition." Daphne shot a look to Megan who nodded.

"I'll tell my father today so that they can set up a meeting."

Harry and Megan waited for the hall to clear before they rose as Harry was going to walk her to class. He heard Minerva's voice call out "Mr. Potter, you are one of the champions. You are expected to attend as well."

"May I ask the nature of the event?"

"We have gathered your families to spend the day with you before you compete in the final task."

Harry turned and started walking out of the Great Hall. Minerva called out "Mr. Potter, may I ask where you are going?"

"Professor McGonagall, seeing as I have no family, I would prefer to escort my girlfriend to her class and then go prepare for the task."

"Nevertheless Mr. Potter, you have people waiting for you to spend the day with you. I'll ask again that you remain."

"I'll remain on one condition."

"And it is?"

"That Megan is excused from classes to join me."

"What ever for?"

"Because anyone who claims to be my family will more than likely just upset me and I need someone with me that will keep me calm. I would prefer to have my wits about me tonight when I have to participate in the third task."

She looked pensive for a minute and said "Very well Mr. Potter, Miss Jones is excused from classes for the day."

**LC**

The champions were led into the antechamber of the Great Hall where the families of the champions were waiting. Viktor made his way to his family while Fleur ran over and was quickly wrapped in hugs by her sister before she moved on to her parents. Cedric approached his and Megan's parents who had Luna with them. After he greeted them, he hugged Luna and said "I was wondering where you were. I haven't seen you in forever."

"You've been busy and I found other stuff to do. I knew where to find you if I needed you."

They looked up to see Megan and Harry come in the room a few minutes later. Megan led him past the people who were waiting for him and straight over to her parents. "Daddy, Mum, this is Harry Potter. My boyfriend."

Kathleen didn't miss the way her daughter was dressed or the fact that she never let go of his hand. Reginald held out his hand and when Harry shook his, he said "It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Potter. I trust that you will be very careful with my little girl. She is very precious to me."

Harry smiled and said "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Megan is precious to me as well so I will promise to do my best."

Kathleen held out her hand and Harry bent over it and brushed his lips across the back of it as he had been taught. When he rose, he said "It's a pleasure to meet you Lady Jones. I can see where Megan gets her beauty from."

Kathleen chuckled and said "Oh, he's good Megan. You've taught him well. With all the work you've put into him, it's be a pity to let him go. Now, may I call you Harry? (He nodded.) Well then Harry, I'm Kathleen and the man standing beside me trying to look tough is Reginald." She turned and waved the Diggorys over where they went through introductions and Harry was once again asked to call the adults Amos and Celeste.

Amos and Reginald were talking with Harry who had Cedric and Megan standing beside him. Amis said "Cedric reported that you were doing quite well in your tutoring with them. We would hope that you will join us this summer so that we can continue your training. It would only be to better prepare you for the future."

"I would be most grateful Amos. It seems I was left woefully ignorant of my place in this world and…."

He was stopped as Molly Weasley grabbed his arm and spun him around. "Harry Potter, you will not ignore us like that. I raised you better than that so you will come over here right now and speak to your family this instant. And who is this little chippie that's holding on to you? I didn't give you permission to date anyone. Did you know my Ginny sits in her room crying most days because you refuse to talk to her anymore?"

The whole room went deathly silent during her tirade and everyone looked at her as if she had lost her mind. When they glanced at Harry, they could see he was bright red but weren't sure if it was from embarrassment or anger. When they saw the cold, hard look he was giving her, they had their answer. Harry started speaking back to her in a very low voice that everyone had to strain to hear despite there not being a sound in the room.

"Mrs. Weasley, I appreciate the times you have allowed me to come to your home but a few weeks do not give you the right to act as my mother. You will not order me to do a damn thing and if you ever insult my Megan again, I will rain holy hell down upon you and your family. My problems with your family were confined to your younger children and that massive git Percy until you opened your mouth today."

She stood there gaping like a fish that Harry would speak to her like this. In her anger, she slapped his face. Harry straightened back up and gave her a hard glare. It was then that Molly realized what she had done and her hand went to her mouth. "Harry, I'm so sor…"

She never finished as he stepped away from her and approached Mr. Weasley. "Mr. Weasley, you have always had my respect and it was my intention to sit down with you in the near future so that we could talk things through. I however did not want that day to be today. It was my hope that you could understand my point of view and I would have given you a promise that I would never do anything to harm Ginny in any way."

"When you invited me into your home and made me feel welcome, it meant a lot to me and I began to see your sons and daughters as the siblings I never had. I guess I've lived in a fantasy world where brothers and sisters may fight but they were always there for one another. They turned their backs on me Mr. Weasley. Ron even told me he hated me at one point. I… I won't make the same mistake my father did."

Arthur said "I am sorry Harry. I hold myself to blame for this. If I had been a better father, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Harry then did something that surprised everyone. He pulled Mr. Weasley into a hug and said "It's not your fault. Ever since I met you, I've always thought of you as the perfect dad. You don't yell and scream and you guide your family with a loving hand. Since I grew up without a father, I use you as the example of how I hoped my dad would have been and how I want to be with my children one day."

He released the hug as tears were flowing down Arthur's cheeks. Harry looked up to the older redheads and said "I assume you are Bill and Charlie, it's a pleasure to meet you after I've heard so many great things about the cool older brothers. I'm just sorry it's under these circumstances.

Bill shook his hand and said "Me too Harry."

Harry stepped back in front of Molly and noticed tears were also in her eyes. "Mrs. Weasley, I want to thank you again for what you have done for me but I don't think I will ever be able to return to the Burrow. The truth is that I will not feel comfortable there again no matter what you say or do."

He looked at the next couple and was confused for a minute before he made the connection. "Hello Harry, I'm Martin Granger and this is my wife Miranda. We didn't want to intrude but after talking with Arthur, we felt this may be the only chance we get to speak with you. We want to apologize for what has happened. You didn't deserve to be treated that way after what you have done for Hermione. I…I served in the SAS and I'm sure you are aware of that organization. We value honor above everything and I thought I taught my daughter my values. I…I'm sorry. I really don't know what to say."

Harry closed his eyes for a second and nodded his head. He started to walk away but was stopped by another voice. Miranda softly asked "Don't you have anything to say?"

Harry looked at her and said "What do you want me to say Mrs. Granger? That the girl I thought I was in love with ripped out my heart and spit on it? That the girl I fully intended to ask out this year and hopefully start a long term relationship was only with me to earn money for books? That I risked my own life to save hers so that she could make me look like a fool? I don't know what to say. I don't blame you; Hermione is a smart girl and makes her own decisions. I've heard the Dumbledore coerced her defense but you forget, I KNOW HERMIONE! She doesn't do anything that she doesn't want to do."

He stepped back and said "When it all first happened, I hated all of them but two friends showed me that all hate will do is eat you up inside. I forgive all of them for what they did but I never want to have anything else to do with them. I've moved on and suggest they do the same."

Harry then stepped in front of Professor Lupin who had a dog beside him. When Remus made a move to approach him, Harry held up his arm where he could see the silver knife sheathed. As he stepped back, Harry said "You lost the right to even speak to me. The fact that you chose Dumbledore over me is the biggest betrayal of all after all the promises and apologies you made about my life. In my eyes, you're no better than Peter and if we meet again, I will treat you as I would him."

Harry faced the others in the room and said "I apologize for detracting from what should be a happy occasion with your families. It seems that the drama surrounding my life seems to follow me wherever I go."

In his hurry to get away, Harry went to the door and quickly stepped through. Megan broke away from her mother's embrace and raced for the door but once she opened it, he was gone. When she turned back around, everyone could see tears running down her face and rage bubbling up to the surface. She stalked over in front of Harry's so called family and yelled "WHY? Why did you have to come here today of all days? You knew it wouldn't go well but you came anyway."

Molly said "We only wanted to show our support."

"It's more like you're trying to clear you conscience. Where was your support all year when he was alone? Where were you when he was crying at the loss of his brothers and sister and love? (She turned facing Remus) Where were you when he begged for help or just someone to talk to?"

When no one responded she huffed and said "So you show up here today when he needs to remain calm and focused for the task ahead and you upset him. Do you realize how dangerous this tournament is? Do you realize that he could die? I did some research on this stupid tournament and the reason family day was instituted in the first place was because of the death toll as it was intended to give the champions a relaxing day before the final and usually bloody task."

Molly said "Dumbledore won't let that happen."

Megan snorted "Yeah, that's worked out well for Harry so far hasn't it. Mum, Dad, I need to go find Harry and calm him down. I will catch up to you in a little while."

**LC**

As soon as Megan entered the Great Hall, Minerva stopped her and asked "I saw Mr. Potter leave the castle in a rush. Is something wrong?"

Megan snapped "You could say that. You invited people that Harry has no wish to see to come for 'family' day and all they managed to do was upset him."

Minerva replied "Albus thought it might help the situation if they were here to show their support."

Megan snorted "Where have you been all year? The only thing you have accomplished today is sending Harry further over the edge to the point that he will be reckless and suicidal when he steps into that maze. You idiots have undone all the work I did to keep him from just walking away from this world. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find my boyfriend and try to calm him down before he does something stupid."

Minerva was horrified at what had been said to her but somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew Harry would be fine because he had found his Lily. In the end, she did as she always did and just went about her business.

**LC**

Harry made his way down to the lake without any interruption and found himself on the rock that he preferred to watch the world from.

Once he sat down, several merpeople stuck their heads out of the water and then disappeared. A few minutes later, another head rose from the water than looked as if it had a crown on it. When they made eye contact the merman said "Yew ah Haawy Pahtah."

Harry gave him a nod.

"I wans to thank yew fah de giff. Few men no ow to honor us wif giffs."

Harry cocked his head for a minute as he processed what was said and replied "You are most welcome. Tell your warriors that I thank them for their actions. I don't know how much longer I would have lasted."

The merman chief nodded and said "Yew ah strong yung one. Yew cawy the air ov yor ancestor. Yew will do fine."

Harry bowed to the chieftain as he slipped back under the water.

Harry sat holding the new wand for quite a while as he tried to get a grasp on what happened. The feeling he got when he first held the wand in his hand was indescribable and he needed time to sort it out. Megan taught him meditation when she was teaching him occlumency so he slipped into a trance to try and focus his mind better. Once he had done this, he felt the cloak in his pocket react to the wand and subconsciously pulled it out and over him. When this happened, his whole world went wild as information started assaulting his mind. The long history of the cloak went through his mind and he watched as generations of Potters used it over the years. Towards the end of the session, he saw a man that looked a lot like him use the cloak to conceal a wounded wizard in what appeared to be a fierce battle. The next flashes he got were of his father and the Marauders using it to pull pranks and stay out of trouble. As the memories were slowing down, he watched as the headmaster used the very wand he held to poke and prod the cloak to try and discover its secrets. In the last image, he watched as he opened it and the cloak was almost joyous as it was once again in the right hands.

No sooner than the cloak finished, he was watching the bloody history of the wand until it finally came back to the hands of the family it belonged to. He learned that the wand needed someone with a lot of power to wield it which meant that the Potter line was about the only family line that produced wizards powerful enough to wield it. He watched a scene that showed his grandfather as he lay dying as Albus Dumbledore stood over him. He watched Albus reach for the wand only for Charlus to use the last of his strength to banish the wand into the Potter family vaults. It remained there until the faces of Albus Dumbledore and Bearclaw appeared above it and the wand was forced into the service of Dumbledore. Harry was horrified at all the things Albus had done with the wand and how he had used it to bend people to his will through curses and charms. Harry felt the happiness of the wand because now that Harry had laid his hands on it, it was able to purge the evil it had done with Albus and Harry felt as if the wand felt relieved that it was back in the hands of its family.

As he sat there in meditation, a symbol appeared in his mind and he felt a pull to the south. The feeling he got was that he wasn't complete and once he was restored whole, the family would regain its rightful place in the world.

**LC**

The families made their way out of the anteroom and out onto the grounds. As they were walking around, Cho joined up with them and greeted the adults after giving Cedric a quick kiss on the cheek. As they strolled around, they found Megan staring at the lake intensely. Reginald asked "What are you doing sweetheart?"

Megan sighed "I know Harry is out here, I can feel him but just can't find him."

Luna said "Oh well that's easy, he's right over there on his rock."

"No he's not Luna. I can plainly see that he is not on his rock. I looked there first."

Luna giggled and skipped off towards the rock. When she got there, she sat down and started a conversation. "Hello Harry, I know we've never really met before but your girlfriend knows you're out here and is getting quite frustrated in her attempts to find you."

A voice came out of the air "Oh, I didn't notice, I was kind of in a trance."

Luna giggled "You've got to hate it when that happens of course it happens to me all the time."

"How so? And how did you find me?"

"Well, don't tell anyone but I'm a little on the crazy side because I can see stuff no one else can. I kind of zone out at times and as to how I found you, well you're putting off some serious vibes."

"Well at least it wasn't the nargles that told on me."

"You know about the nargles? Damn, I thought that was my secret."

Harry chuckled "Megan has told me all about her cousin. She said it was one of the things you liked using against her."

"Oh you rat. You cheated!"

"I'm no cheat. I just use the information I am given to my advantage. Well, is she mad? I'm kind of scared of a mad Megan."

"No just worried about you. To tell you the truth, I think the Regulan Blood Worms are finally getting to her."

Harry started laughing. "Is that the best you can do? You know I've seen Star Trek too."

"Shit! You're no fun. Now I have to do more research and find some new material."

"Tell you what, if you promise to not tell anyone, I'll take you to my secret hiding place. It has the Sci Fi channel and about four hundred others."

"Would you really? I'll do it as long as you don't let Cedric or Megan watch. It gets hard making up new weird crap to use on them."

Harry was really laughing and pulled off his cloak. "I like you Luna. I think we're going to be good friends."

"I don't think so mister. You'll ruin my reputation. The only way you can hang around me is to be family but I think you've pretty much got that covered with that Potter bond thing."

"Yeah, I guess I'm stuck with your cousin. Do you know how it works? I mean, can I switch to someone else? Now that I've found you I don't know if I can live without you."

"It's too late for that Mr. Potter. You had your chance before you bedded my cousin. Besides, there's no way I want Mistress Megs mad at me."

"Me either. Well, I guess we should join the others and thanks Luna."

"Anytime Harold. I will always be here to talk with you even if it is about serious things."

**LC**

As Megan was starting to get frantic and Luna wasn't really helping, Kathleen watched her for a minute before asking "Is there something you want to tell me Megan?"

Cedric chuckled and she turned and asked "What? You didn't tell?"

He replied with a smirk. "Oh no, I wanted to watch this for myself."

Megan grabbed her mother's hands and asked "Um…mum, have you ever heard of the Potter bond?"

Her mother gave her a smile and chuckled "Is that what you think this is? It's just a myth."

"No mum, it's real. I can feel it drawing me to him."

With eyes sparkling, Kathleen replied "No baby, you're just in love and both of your magics are responding to each other."

It was about this time that Megan saw Luna and Harry approaching while holding hands. She broke away from her mother and ran to Harry hugging him tightly.

As Kathleen watched the scene in front of her, Celeste came over and whispered "I can't believe you didn't tell her the truth. You know as well as I do that the Potter bond is real."

"I know and I do feel bad for lying to her but I remember what happened when Lily and James connected. She was pregnant before she knew it. I'm too young to be a grandmother yet."

"But you're not against the pairing?"

"No, of course not. I'm rather proud that my daughter caught a Potter man. Lord knows how many of us tried to snag James before he decided on Lily."

"Cedric thinks the world of him and said that he was the only young man in this school that was worthy of her."

"I can see that. Have you ever seen Megan acting girlish and being happy about it?"