Note: I do not own anything in this story that may come from or has a likeness to the movies and/or books. I also do not own any of the characters except for my own (I.e. Crystal, her sister Melody, and their parents.) Enjoy and please comment with any changes (I'm open for improvements) and opinions. Thank you Destined Love.
Chapter 3
The summer dragged on. I longed to see my friends again, especially Harry. I found that I was thinking about him all summer. "Crystal," I heard my sister call, "There's a letter here for you!" I hurried to the kitchen, hoping to see Hedwig, Harry's snowy white owl, sitting on the window sill. The owl wasn't Hedwig, but I recognized it all the same. It was Ron's owl. I read the note eagerly.
"Oh, cool," I said excitedly. "Ron's parents got seats for the Quidditch World Cup tomorrow! And Ron wants to know if I can come!" I quickly wrote Ron a response saying I would love to attend and would be at his house early the next morning. Later that night, I quickly packed my trunk for school (the day after the game was the day we would board the train for Hogwarts) and hurried back to where Melody was waiting for me. Under age wizards (under the age of seventeen) weren't allowed to use magic outside of school, so I had to travel with my sister by Side along apparition. I grasped her hand and we took off. It wasn't the first time I'd traveled like this, it still made me quite ill.
It was still dark when we arrived in the cornfield surrounding Ron's home. A small burrow that looked cheerful in the moonlight. I hugged my sister goodbye and made my way to the door. Mrs. Molly Weasley greeted me, and asked if I would go and help Hermione wake the boys. I set my trunk next to their sofa and headed up the rickety stairs. Hermione was already shaking Ron awake. Harry was still sleeping although not peacefully. He was tossing and turning, sweat glistening on his neck and forehead, "Harry," I said, shaking him, "Harry, wake up." His eyes flashed open and he scrambled into a sitting position. "Are you alright?" I asked, touching his shoulder,
"Crys, bad dream," he said, grabbing his glasses from the bedside table. "When did you get here?" He put them on, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Just now," I said lighting the lamp beside the bed. "Now get up, Mrs. Weasley has breakfast ready." Hermione and Ron had already headed downstairs, so Harry and I were alone in the room. He seemed to be staring at me. I tried not to look at him. I never knew he slept without a shirt. He wasn't extremely muscular but he had enough to look good.
"Did you grow your hair out?" He asked, pulling on his shirt. I looked at my light hair which had reached past my shoulders, happy to have something to keep me distracted and smiled,
"Yea, do you like it?" I asked running my hand through it, he nodded pulling on his shoes,
"It looks great," He said sweetly. I felt myself blush. I noticed his hair had gotten a little longer as well. It was thicker and almost reached his shoulder. As always it was messy. We headed downstairs and sat at the small table for breakfast. After we ate, Mr. Weasley had come in,
"Alright, are we ready?" He asked of us. We all got up from the table and headed out.
As we walked we came across another wizard, whom Mr. Weasley greeted graciously, "Ah Amos," he said grasping the man's hand in a firm handshake. "This is Amos Diggory everyone." He introduced. Amos waved to us and we continued walking, each one greeting Amos as his son, Cedric jumped down from a tree. "Hey Cedric," Fred and George, Ron's two older twin brothers greeted him. He said hey in return and walked with them. As Harry and I reached Amos, he gasped slightly,
"Bless my soul, Harry Potter," He said holding out his hand, "What an honor to meet you, dear boy." Harry shook his hand briefly,
"Nice to meet you sir," He said. We walked for what seemed to be another half hour until we were gathered around an old boot. I placed my hand on it as soon as I could reach it. Harry looked confused. I started to feel the pull from my stomach and noticed he was touching it.
"Harry," I said grasping his hand, I placed it on the boot and held it there. We disappeared, flying through the air. We let go after a few moments and fell to the ground. I stood up, laughing and helped Harry up.
"What was that?" He asked, as we walked into a crowd of tents and people covered in paint.
"Portkey," I said, making my way around a group of wizards buying souvenir, "Safest and quickest way to travel, next to apparition of course." Harry nodded. We arrived at a tent after parting with Amos and Cedric, which Mr. Weasley had set up the night before, securing our spot. It looked too small to fit eight people (Harry, myself, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George, Ginny…Ron's sister… and Mr. Weasley), but once we entered it looked and felt as if we were in a house. There were two different bedrooms; Ginny and Hermione already claimed one side for the girls. I joined them, unpacking the small bag I had put together on the side for this event. I had my mother's locket around my neck, as always, which swung back and forth as I dug through the bag trying to find my books. I had packed two books to read while we waited to head to the field.
I had no time to read, however, as Hermione and Ginny wanted to know how my summer went. I told them about the trip Melody and I had taken to Florida. "A completely magic free vacation," I explained, "we wanted to get away from the magical world for awhile." Hermione nodded in agreement,
"It's good to get away sometimes." She said. She smiled suddenly, holding back a laugh and I caught her,
"What's funny?" I asked, and she nodded to where the boys were sitting, talking. I looked and saw that Harry was looking in my direction. "Oh," Was all I could say as I quickly returned my attention to Hermione.
"Crys, I have to tell you something," She whispered, leaning forward. I leaned toward her in return and she whispered in my ear, "Last year, when Harry and I went back to save Sirius. He couldn't take his eyes off you in Hagrid's hut. I had to get him to focus several times." She smiled, and I knew what she was thinking. I blushed at the thought. Before we could talk any further about it, Mr. Weasley called for us to get going.
We made our way to a huge stadium in the center of nowhere, about a mile away from our camp site. We had to climb quite a few stairs to get to our seats, "Blimey, dad, how far up are we?" Ron asked, stopping to rest,
"Well let's put it this way." Said a cold voice; I looked down into the eyes of Lucius Malfoy and his son. "If it rains, you'll be the first to know." Draco smirked,
"Father and I are in the minister's box; by personal invitation of Cornelius Fudge himself." Lucius looked at his son,
"Don't boast, Draco, especially not to these people." He said, spitting the last few words. I hid behind Harry as we moved, but Lucius stopped Harry with his cane, the snake head clamping his hand to the railing of the stairs. "Do enjoy yourself, won't you?" He said and then smirked, "While you can." He looked at me when he said those words. I gulped. Harry jerked his hand away in disgust and gently nudged me up the stairs, keeping me ahead of him. Lucius Malfoy was the man who killed my parents. I was still shaking when we finally reached our seats. Harry grasped my hand comfortingly and held it the entire match. After the game, and Ron gushing over Viktor Krum, the seeker for the Bulgarian team, we headed back to the tent for the night. I didn't notice that Harry still had hold of my hand as we walked. Ron was breaking into another dramatic gush over Krum, and teased by Fred and George when the camp was ambushed. We thought that it was the fans of the Irish team, who had won the match, were celebrating a little too much, but then Mr. Weasley burst into the tent and yelled,
"STOP," Fred and George quit teasing their brother and looked worried, "We need to leave now! Gather your things!" We scrambled to get our things together and exited the tent.
They were destroying everything. Nobody could see who they were; they were wearing hoods and masks. I followed Ron and Hermione, looking back to see if Harry was still with us. He'd been knocked down by a couple of frantic men. "HARRY," I yelled, going back for him. Another wizard kicked him in the head, knocking him out. I shook him violently, "HARRY, GET UP!" I screamed, looking around me, scared to death. He wouldn't budge; I grabbed his arms and pulled him into a nearby tent that was still standing and peered out the entrance waiting until the Death eaters left. A few minutes later, Harry came to, sitting up and rubbing his head. He gave a groan. I kneeled beside him, checking his head over. "Harry, are you alright?" I asked, not finding any bruises or cuts. He nodded and stood up, brushing himself off. He went ahead of me and peeked out the tent.
"It looks clear," He said, and held his hand out to me, "Come on," I grasped it and allowed him to lead me out into the rubble. He ducked quickly pulling me down with him as a man kicked past the rubble. He pointed his wand at the sky and shouted,
"MORSMORDRE," a green streak erupted from his wand into the sky. The clouds above shifted, forming a giant skull. A smoky snake slithered through the mouth and it let out a kind of roar.
"Harry, where are you?" Ron's voice called, the man ran off at the sound.
"HERE," Harry called back, "CRYSTAL'S WITH ME!" Ron and Hermione soon joined us, relieved. "What is that?" he asked his voice softer. He was looking at the mark the man had made in the sky. He gave out a yell and clamped his hand to his scar.
I looked at it, shivered and looked away. Then several voices came from all sides, shouting,
"STUPEFY!" I screamed and ducked, followed by the others. Then we heard Mr. Weasley's voice
"STOP, that's my son!" He yelled shoving past the five wizards who'd tried to stun us. "Harry, Ron, Hermione, Crystal, are you okay?" He asked, once he reached us. We nodded, me grasping to Harry's jacket in fear.
"Which of you conjured it?" the leader, a dark haired man with a mustache asked, Mr. Weasley was astounded,
"Crouch, you can't possibly think that kids," Crouch cut him off,
"Do not lie! You've been discovered at the scene of the crime!" He said, pointing a shaking wand at each of us.
"Crime," Harry asked, "What crime?"
"It's the Dark Mark, Harry," Hermione whispered, "It's HIS mark." Harry looked at it,
"What, Voldemort?" He said, "those people tonight, in the masks, they're his too aren't they? His followers,"
Mr. Weasley nodded, and looked at Crouch, "Death Eaters," He said simply. Crouch's eyes widened,
"Follow me," He said and Harry stepped forward, my hand slipping from his jacket.
"There was a man, before….there!" He pointed to the spot where the Dark Mark was conjured. Crouch nodded and started walking swiftly,
"All of you, this way!" He said, we didn't move,
"A man, Harry," Mr. Weasley asked, "who?" Harry turned back to face us.
"I don't know," he said, "I didn't see his face." He looked back up at the Dark Mark. The next morning on the train, Hermione was reading a copy of the Daily Prophet. The Dark Mark glared at us from the front page.
"Hermione, can you please put that down?" I asked, my voice shaking. An elderly Witch came down the aisles with her cart of candy,
"Anything from the trolley dears," She asked us, Ron dug through his pocket for the bit of money his mother had given him.
"Packet of Drooble's, and a licorice wand," He said standing up. "On second thought," He looked at the money in his hand, "Just the Drooble's," Harry joined his side,
"It's all right, I'll get it," He said and turned to me, "want anything Crys?" He asked, I shook my head,
"I'm not in a fit state to eat right now, Harry, but thanks." I said my arms wrapped around myself as if I was cold; although the train was comfortable. He shrugged thanked the Witch and sat down beside me. He put his arm around my shoulders trying to comfort me.
"How can the ministry not know who conjured it?" Hermione asked when she'd left. Crookshanks was on the seat next to her licking his paws. "Wasn't there any security, or…" She looked at Ron,
"Loads," He said around a mouth full of candy, "According to dad. That's what worried them so much. Happened right under their noses," Harry rubbed his head with his finger. I caught him, so did Hermione,
"It's hurting again, isn't it? Your scar," She said, sounding worried, Harry shook his head,
"I'm fine," He assured us, but I didn't believe him. I gently took his hand. Hermione leaned forward, ignoring that little movement.
"You know Sirius will want to hear about this." She said softly, "What you saw at the World Cup, and the dream." Harry looked out the window, his fingers squeezing mine gently.
A few moments before arriving at the school, Harry wrote Sirius, explaining everything, and sent Hedwig to deliver the letter. He then grasped my hand again, smiling at me. I smiled back, weakly, still thinking about the World Cup. Once at school we noticed that a carriage pulled by flying horses was landing in the courtyard. "Clear the runway," Hagrid called, directing the carriage in. As we sat in the Great Hall waiting for the first years to be sorted Harry and I were whispering in low tones,
"I was just afraid that Lucius would know who I was. He looked right at me, the whole time he was speaking to you," I said, but Harry shook his head,
"I think it was just a coincidence, you said you weren't there when they were killed."
"That's just it, Harry, he could know they had a daughter. He probably meant to kill me too." I said, our conversation was cut short as Dumbledore stood up in front of the room and called us to silence,
"Now that we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement." The mumbling around us grew still, "This castle will not only be your home this year," He began as Filch, the castle's caretaker, came in through the doors. He ran up the aisle as Dumbledore spoke, "But home to some very special guests as well. You see, Hogwarts has been chosen…" He paused as Filch reached him and whispered something in his ear. "So Hogwarts has been chosen, to host a legendary event: the Triwizard Tournament," the mumbling started up again, "For those of you who don't know, the Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools, for a series of magical contests; from each school, a single student is selected to compete; Now let me be clear, if chosen you stand alone; and trust me when I say, these contests are not for the faint-hearted. But more of that later; for now please join me in welcoming, the lovely ladies, of the Beauxbatons academy of Magic, and their head Mistress Madame Maxime." The Great Hall doors opened once more and several beautiful girls all wearing blue dresses entered, making me feel insecure by their presence. I immediately grew jealous but for some reason when I noticed Harry wasn't looking at them like the other guys were, I felt better. Following the girls was a tall woman, taller than any I had ever seen. Dumbledore greeted her with a kiss on the hand and returned to his podium. "And now, our friends from the North please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their High Master, Igor Karkaroff!" A group of well dressed men came into the Hall with canes. They stamped them on the floor causing sparks to shoot up. They then proceeded to show off, doing acrobats and breathing fire.
Two men entered behind the students, walking proudly. One of them we all recognized as Viktor Krum from the World Cup. Igor Karkaroff greeted Dumbledore with a manly hug. Dumbledore then allowed us to eat our dinner. "This is going to get interesting." I whispered, smiling. After we'd finished eating, four men carried in a strange looking box and set it in front of the teachers' table,
"Your attention please," Dumbledore called, moving to stand beside the box, "I'd like to say a few words. Eternal glory, that's what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do that, the student must survive three tasks; three, extremely dangerous tasks. For this reason the ministry has seen fit to set a new rule. To explain this, we have the head of the Department of international, Magical Cooperation, Mr. Bartemius Crouch." The man who tried to accuse us of conjuring the Dark Mark stepped forward. As he did so, the ceiling which was always designed to look like the night sky, burst into Lightning bolts, causing most of us to duck. A man came limping out of the shadows to the right of the teachers' tables, pointed his wand and the ceiling grew calm. This man scared me from the moment I saw him. He had a lazy eye which swiveled in its socket, and scars covered his face. He limped toward Dumbledore on a crooked cane which he probably made himself, stowing his wand back in his cloak.
"Bloody hell," Ron murmured, "It's Mad Eye Moody."
"Alastor Moody, the auror," Hermione asked, Dean Thomas who was sitting next to her, raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Auror," He asked, Ron nodded,
"Dark Wizard catcher; half the cells in Azkaban are filled thanks to him." He said, "He's supposed to be mad as a hatter these days though." I scoffed,
"He sure looks mad to me," I looked away from him, unable to bear the sight. Little did I know that he was to be our Defense against the Dark Arts teacher that year; I noticed he was drinking from a flask. What made me notice it was he turned away from us to do it…as if he didn't want anyone to see.
"What's that he's drinking do you suppose?" Seamus Finnegan asked, Harry shrugged,
"I don't know, but I don't think it's pumpkin juice," He said. I gulped,
"He freaks me out," I whispered, then looked at Crouch, trying to keep my eyes away from the grisly sight. He had started to speak,
"After due consideration, the ministry has concluded that for their own safety, no student under the age of seventeen may compete. This decision is final," He concluded. Dumbledore called for silence when the room erupted with upset students calling out obscenities. He then tapped the strange box with his wand and it disappeared to reveal a large stone Goblet. Blue flames appeared at the brim,
"The Goblet of Fire; anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament merely write their names on a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly, if chosen, there's no turning back. As of this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun." After that we headed to our dorms.
The next morning, our first class, to my dread, was Defense against the Dark Arts. As we walked in, Mad Eye Moody was waiting. As we filed in and took our seats he wrote briskly on the chalkboard. "Alastor Moody," He said fiercely, "Ex Auror, Ministry Malcontent, and your new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher; I'm here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story, goodbye, and the end." he said. "Any questions?" we remained silent. He continued, "When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach. But first, which of you can tell me how many unforgiveable curses there are?" He asked, Hermione gulped and answered,
"Three, sir," she said shakily. Moody wrote it on the board,
"And they are so named,"
"Because they're unforgiveable, use of any one of them will…" Hermione started, Moody looked at her,
"Earn you a one way trip to Azkaban! Now the ministry does not wish you to know of these curses, but I say different. You need to know what you're up against, you need to be prepared; WEASLEY!" He yelled, and Ron jumped,
"Yes," He asked in a small voice, Moody got close to him,
"Name a curse," He whispered, Ron thought for a moment.
"Well, my dad did tell me about one…" Moody nodded, "The Imperious Curse," Ron said and Moody nodded,
"Oh yeah, your father would know all about that one. Gave the ministry quite a fright a few years ago; Perhaps this will show you why," He then moved back to the table beside the chalkboard and picked up a spider. He muttered a few words and the spider jerked and swayed at his command. He forced it to jump around the room making us laugh. I chuckled a little, starting to relax. Who knows, maybe this wasn't so bad after all? But then he stopped laughing and playing around, "What shall I have her do next? Jump out the window," the laughs ceased and I felt a pit in the bottom of my stomach. The spider was mashed against the window, its tiny legs tapping the glass. "Drown her," He moved his wand and the bug fell slowly to a pail of water sitting below the window. He then maneuvered the bug back into his hand. He looked around, "Many witches and wizards claimed that they only did You Know Who's bidding under the effects of the imperious curse. Name another," He said and Neville raised his hand, "Yes, Longbottom isn't it? Stand up," he said a little too harshly. Neville stood up. "Give us a curse," Moody said.
Neville swallowed and murmured, "The Cruciatus curse," Moody brightened,
"Well done," and he turned to the spider in his hand, "Crucio," he sneered and the bug started screeching and jerking in pain. I even winced. Neville started shaking and Hermione finally screamed,
"STOP IT; CAN'T YOU SEE IT'S BOTHERING HIM?" Tears fell from her eyes as Moody approached her,
"Perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse, Ms. Granger." Hermione shook her head, still crying silently. Moody placed the spider on her desk, pointed his wand at it and said "Avada Kedavra!" A flash of green and it lay still…dead. Harry was staring at it, "The killing curse," Moody explained, "Only one person is known to have survived it…and he's sitting in this room." He looked right at Harry. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I looked at the spider, not wanting to imagine Harry's poor parents suffering the same fate. Moody drank form his flask and moved on. After class dismissed, we headed down the stairs, Hermione was outraged,
"There's a reason those curses are unforgiveable, to perform them in a classroom! I mean did you see Neville's face?" she asked. I spotted Neville standing on the stair, looking out the window.
"Neville," I started to ask, but then Moody nudged past us and took Neville back with him for a cup of tea.
Later that evening, Hermione and I were sitting in the Great Hall, studying. The tables had been removed and replaced with bleachers for down time. The Goblet of Fire sat in the center of the room, with a glowing circle around it. Harry and Ron were walking around it watching students put their names in. I caught Harry looking at me through the blue flames, a smile on his face. I blushed and looked away, wishing I could just walk right up to him and tell him how I felt. But it wasn't that easy. Hermione always kept trying to talk me into it, but I just couldn't. She was sure he liked me the same way, but if so, then why hadn't he told me? Suddenly, Fred and George came running into the Hall holding up two vials of a yellow potion. Many cheers and yells followed them. We looked up from our work."Just cooked it up this morning," Fred said, jumping onto the bleachers. George followed him.
"It's not going to work," Hermione said, and they looked at her,
"Oh yeah, and why is that Granger?"
"See this," she pointed to the circle, "this is an age line. Dumbledore drew it himself."
"So," they said in unison,
"So, Dumbledore is not so dimwitted as to allow it to be fooled by something as childish as an aging potion." The boys laughed,
"That's why it's so brilliant, because he's so pathetically dimwitted," they then stood up and shook the vials, "Ready Fred,"
"Ready George, bottoms up!" They jumped over the line and when nothing happened, they high fived each other and approached the Goblet. I closed my book and watched, eager to see it backfire. And sure enough once they put their names into the blue inferno, the flames engulfed them and threw them back over the line. When they sat up, they looked older than they wished for. I cracked up laughing and stood up.
"You two are the pathetically dimwitted ones," I mocked, and they started fighting each other, with,
"You said," and "no you said" The fight was interrupted by Viktor Krum who had entered to put his name in the goblet. As he did so, he looked straight at Hermione, who smiled and blushed. I sat next to her,
"Oooo, Hermione, Krum is giving you the eye," I whispered and she gave me a friendly nudge,
"Harry's been giving YOU the eye ever since you showed up at the Burrow." She said, and I shrugged,
"I just don't know how to tell him," I said and got up, "I'm off to bed, night." I bid Ron and Harry a good night as well, trying not to blush when Harry smiled at me and headed up to the common room.
On Thursday evening, we entered the Great Hall once more for dinner and the Goblet was still placed in the center of the room. After everyone had gotten seated, Dumbledore approached the Goblet. The flames turned red and the first name came out of the cup. "The Durmstrang champion is," He unfolded the paper, "Viktor Krum," Applause and cheers filled the room as Krum approached Dumbledore, shook his hand and headed toward a door behind the teachers' table. The flames turned red again and the second name flew out, "The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour." More cheers as she did the same as Krum. The third and final name flew out of the cup and the room swelled with excitement, "And your Hogwarts Champion….Cedric Diggory!" Cedric shook hands with many students as well as Dumbledore when he passed. "That's it," Dumbledore said holding up his hands, "We have our three champions. But in the end, only one will go down in history, only one will hoist the chalice of champions." Just then Barty Crouch entered carrying the trophy under a blanket, "this vessel of victory. The Triwizard Cup!" the blanket was pulled from the cup which glittered blue like the flames of the goblet. As the crowd applauded I noticed the goblet was yet again turning red. Baffled, Dumbledore approached the cup which spit out another piece of parchment; an uncomfortable silence filled the room. His eyes widened as he read it, "Harry Potter," He murmured, then louder, "Harry Potter." I tensed. How could it be? Harry was only fourteen! This couldn't be happening, "HARRY POTTER!" He said even louder when Harry didn't move. Hermione shoved him gently forward,
"Go Harry," He stood up, nervously and walked over to the Headmaster, who handed him the parchment. All eyes fell on him as he headed toward the door where the other champions had gone. McGonagall, a worried look on her face, placed her hand on his shoulder as he walked by. He nodded to her slightly and disappeared behind the door. I couldn't move…or breathe. When he emerged again with the other champions I ran to him.
"Harry," I said, he shook his head,
"I have to do it," He whispered, "I have no choice." I couldn't help it. I started to cry,
"You can't," I said, grasping his shirt, "It's too dangerous!"
"If it was my choice, I would back out, Crys, believe me!" He said back, grasping my hand in both of his, "I don't want this," Back at the common room, Ron was arguing with Harry over the whole thing. "Ron, I don't want eternal glory! I just wanna be…" He paused, "Look, I don't know what happened tonight and I don't know why it just did." Ron continued to protest, and I spoke up,
"RON, stop it! He didn't enter; he doesn't want to do this!" I said, and Ron went up to the Boys' dorm. Harry slumped on the couch beside me.
"He claims to be my best friend, but he doesn't believe me." He said. I put down my book and scooted closer to him.
"He's just being ridiculous...a lot of people are thinking the same thing...thinking you want attention…as if you're not getting enough already." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
The next evening Harry went down to Hagrid's hut and when he returned, he looked pale, "Harry," I asked, "What is it?" he swallowed hard and attempted to speak,
"Dragons," was all he could say. My eyes widened, "That's the first task…" He finished. I shook my head,
"I'm going to Dumbledore…you can't do this!" I said shoving past him. He grabbed my arm,
"Crys, I have to do it….it's the rules. I can't back out." He said. I shook my head, holding back tears.
"I can't let you do this!" I breathed; He started to get upset,
"I have no choice!" He said, "You're the only one really freaking about it…why?" He asked. I didn't think…I just blurted it out.
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU," He didn't say a word…just stood there. I clapped a hand over my mouth and ran down the hall.
"Crystal…WAIT" Harry called but I wouldn't stop. I ducked into the nearest bathroom and crouched to the floor, gasping. I felt like I had just nearly been run over by a car. I peeked out the door and saw Harry looking around for me. He saw me and I slammed it shut again. "Crys," He said gently; he had approached the door. "Come on, open the door." I opened it a crack and looked at him. He wasn't mad, and he wasn't embarrassed. Something told me that he was glad I said it. I emerged from the bathroom; he backed up, letting me out.
"I'm sorry…I-I can't believe I said that…I" He didn't let me say another word. One minute he was standing about a foot away from me and the next he had me in his arms, kissing me. I closed my eyes, let out a pleased sigh and returned the kiss eagerly. My arms snaked around his neck, his around my waist. When we parted, he looked at me, his green eyes sparkling.
"I've wanted to do that ever since you showed up at Ron's place." He said with a laugh. I smiled in reply and pulled him to me again.
The next day, we walked out to the courtyard, hand in hand…ignoring the gasps and the "Is that Harry Potter, with Crystal Martin?" We didn't want to hide our relationship, but we didn't like the gossip about it either…Harry wasn't particularly bothered by it…having been famous and gossip spreading to everything he did…I felt slightly intimidated…but I didn't care. Harry was all that mattered. Hermione didn't find out until later that day…and Ron was still too pissed at Harry to care. Harry first told Cedric about the dragons then spotted Ron. He stopped him in the doorway to the courtyard and said,
"You're a right foul Git, you know that?" He said it rather fiercely. Ron looked hurt,
"You think so," He said, no emotion in his voice,
"I know so," Harry replied, I tried to pull him away, but he wouldn't budge,
"Anything else," Ron asked, sarcasm starting to flow into his voice. Harry nodded,
"Yea, stay away from me."
"Harry," I said, grasping his hand. He finally stopped and looked at me. He sighed and Ron smirked,
"You two are together finally?" He asked with a laugh, "Took you long enough." That's when I lost it,
"Excuse me?" I said stepping in front of Harry, Ron glared at me,
"You two start dating a few days after he enters a deadly tournament? Just can't handle it if your rebel gets another girl before you, eh?"He sneered, I wanted to slap him.
"How dare you," I said, "I didn't want him because he's famous!" I raised my voice. "What did I do to you?" Harry gently tugged on my hand and Ron shoved past us. "How could he say something like that?" I whispered, on the verge of tears. Harry pulled me into a hug, kissing the top of my head.
"He's just in a foul mood," He said gently, "He'll get over it." Just then more trouble found us. Malfoy was sitting in a tree above us. Harry grew rigid when he spotted him.
"Why so tense potter?" He asked, jumping down, "My father and I have a bet going you see. I think you won't last ten minutes in this tournament….he disagrees…he thinks you won't last five." Harry pulled away from me and shoved Malfoy into the tree,
"I don't give a damn what your father thinks, Malfoy! He's vile and cruel….and you're pathetic." He turned his back and Malfoy pulled out his wand. Just then Professor Moody showed up and turned Malfoy into a ferret. He started throwing him up in the air, yelling at him.
"Professor Moody," McGonagall approached her wand out, "Professor!" Moody stopped yelling, but continued to torture Malfoy. I cracked up as he put him down Goyle's pants…one of Malfoy's idiot friends. After turning Malfoy back to his proper self and scolding Moody, McGonagall headed back to where she was helping a few students with homework. Moody told Harry to follow him. With one reluctant look at me, I smiled,
"Go, on. I'll go find Ron…try to talk to him." I said, he scoffed,
"Good luck with that," he said kissing me quickly on the lips when no one was looking. Trying to talk to Ron was hopeless…all it resulted in was me crying again. I decided to just cry and be done with it…I wouldn't tell Harry. After his meeting with Moody he prepared for the first task that evening. Hermione had gone to the champions' tent to see how he was…I refused to go for fear that I might just yank him off to the castle, unable to bear him risking his life. When she returned to the stands, she seemed flustered,
"Is he okay? What happened?" I asked, nervously. I had told her about what happened in the hallway outside the common room the night before. She nodded,
"Nothing happened, he's a little nervous, but okay. He's confident he can do this." She said. Ron looked at me over Hermione's shoulder,
"Crys," He said, "I'm sorry….about earlier. I was upset and I said a bunch of stuff I didn't mean. I truly am sorry." He meant it, I could tell. I smiled and accepted his apology.
After the first three champions beat their dragons, and succeeded in apprehending the golden egg that sat in the center of the Quidditch field which had been turned into a Dragon's fortress for the task, it was Harry's turn. Another egg magically appeared in the same spot as the other three and the Hungarian Horntail was led into the field. I gulped and grasped the railing in front of me…unable to move. When Harry stepped out, there was a mixture of cheers and boos. When he caught my eye, I smiled and blew him a kiss. He smiled back and turned his attention on the egg. He rushed forward to get it and almost got stomped on by the monstrous dragon. My body went rigid and stayed that way as I watched Harry dodge the monster's fiery breath and huge claws. Hermione shouted down to him,
"YOU'RE WAND, HARRY! YOU'RE WAND!" He lifted his wand and said as loud and clear as he could,
"ACCIO, FIREBOLT!" After a few moments the broom flew in and Harry jumped on it just as the dragon spit more fire at him. He flew out of the ring and disappeared, the dragon close behind him. I whimpered and grasped Hermione's arm who patted my hand gently,
"He'll be okay," she whispered, "I know it." And sure enough a few moments later he came zooming back, grasping the egg as if he were catching the tiny snitch. I leapt to my feet and cheered, jumping up and down excitedly. He held the prized egg over his head as more cheers joined mine.
After it was over, we headed back to the common room, where Harry was examining the egg carefully. I was the first one to reach him, luckily. I threw my arms around him, kissing his cheek over and over again. He hissed in pain as I accidently brushed the cut just above his neck. I smiled apologetically and he laughed, putting his arms around my waist. Soon other students were pulling and pushing their way through to get to him. He whispered in my ear, "We'll head somewhere quiet in a moment." And kissed me briefly, I nodded and let his fans flood in. They lifted him up and he hoisted the egg.
"OPEN IT," Someone behind me shouted. Harry was beaming,
"YOU WANT ME TO OPEN IT?" He called to his classmates. There was a huge roar of
"YES" He clicked open the clasp at the top and the sides split apart. An earsplitting scream caused every person in the room to collapse, covering their ears. Harry disappeared as his fans dropped him. He fumbled with the clasp until the egg shut again.
The next morning at breakfast, Hermione was furious. She was reading that day's copy of the Daily profit when I appeared, sitting next to Harry. His left arm was in a sling and the cut on his cheek was held shut with surgical tape, but other than that he was fine. Luckily I sat on his right side. I grasped his hand and his fingers entwined with mine. "Look at this!" Hermione said, slamming the paper on the table, "I can't believe it! She's done it again!" She started to read, "Ms. Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey, sources report, is none other than the Bulgarian Bonbon Viktor Krum! No word yet on how Harry Potter's taking this latest emotional blow." I snagged the paper from her hands,
"What is all this rubbish?" I asked looking at the picture included. It was heart shaped with Harry and Hermione hugging. Harry potter's newest heartache was printed around the heart. "Wait 'til I get my hands on that Rita Skeeter! She'll wish she'd never been born!" I said wadding up the paper and throwing it behind me. Harry stroked the top of my hand with his thumb.
"Don't worry about it, Crys," He said with a shrug, "She does nothing but lie anyway….she tried to get away with saying I was twelve when she interviewed me."
A first year came over to our table then carrying a large box, "Package for you Mr. Weasley!" He said with a smile. Ron took the box thanking him. The kid just stood there, looking at Harry. Hermione cleared her throat and Ron looked at him.
"Not now, Nigel," He said, nudging the kid away, "I'll get it later." Harry looked down at the cereal he was eating and I looked at Ron suspiciously, so did Hermione. Ron shrugged "I told him I'd get him Harry's autograph." He said, opening the box. "Look, Mum sent me something." He stood up and pulled out what looked like a really old robe. Hermione and I burst into giggles. Ron looked disgusted, "Mum sent me a dress!" He said, holding it up to himself. Harry smirked and dug through the box,
"Well it does match your eyes. Is there a bonnet? Ah hah" He said pulling out a frilly piece of fabric attached to a bowtie.
"Put it down Harry," Ron said pushing it away. He walked down the table where his sister Ginny sat. "Ginny, these must be for you." She looked just as appalled.
"I'm not wearing that, it's hideous." She said; Hermione and I laughed harder. Ron looked at us,
"What are you on about?" He asked, Harry was laughing a little himself,
"They're not for Ginny, they're for you!" the whole table was laughing now, "Dress robes" Hermione finished,
"Dress robes…for what?" He asked.
We soon found out. After breakfast Professor McGonagall called all Gryffindor students to an empty classroom; Girls on one side, boys on the other. A giant record player was placed in the room and Filch was setting it up as McGonagall talked, "The Yule Ball, Has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament, since its inception. On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests, gather in the Great Hall for a night of well mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this literally, because. The Yule Ball is first and for most….a dance." The girls chattered excitedly while most of the boys groaned. "Silence," McGonagall demanded, "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name, by behaving like a babbling bumbling band of baboons." I saw Fred and George whispering and shook my head…obviously they were goofing off as always. "Now to dance," McGonagall continued, "is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst forth and take flight." Ron whispered something to Seamus and McGonagall caught him because she glared at him as she continued, "Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance .Mr. Weasley."
"Yes," Ron muttered, McGonagall held out her hand,
"Will you join me please?" She asked. Harry was trying not to smile. I giggled at the look on his face and he winked at me. He gave Ron a little push and Ron finally stood and joined McGonagall in the middle of the room. Then he was smiling and laughing softly. "Now," McGonagall said, "Place your right hand on my waist." Ron's eyes widened,
"Where," he asked, McGonagall pursed her lips in annoyance,
"My waist," she said, and he did so. One of the other boys catcalled and I stifled another giggle as Ron made to ambush them. "And extend your arm." McGonagall continued, regaining his attention. "Mr. Filch, if you please," She said and Filch placed the needle on the record he'd set up, and they began to dance. Fred and George were smiling. Harry whispered to them and they kneeled beside him. I heard what he said even over the music,
"You're never gonna let me forget this are you?" He said smiling; the boys shook their heads and said together,
"Never," Harry's smile broadened and he looked back at Ron.
"Everybody come together." McGonagall called, and the girls immediately stood up. I stood too, but headed over to where Harry sat, laughing. He wasn't in the position to dance at the moment; his arm still in the sling. So I sat next to him and laid my head on his good shoulder. Neville was the only boy brave enough…besides Harry, to stand up and dance.
He rested his hand on my leg. "The sling comes off tonight." He said, answering my unasked question. "I promise," I smiled and covered his hand with mine.
"I wouldn't mind not dancing; I just want to be with you." I said. The next day Harry, Ron and I were wandering around the courtyard. Ron was trying to find a girl to ask.
"Why do they have to travel in packs?" He asked, nervously, "How am I supposed to get one alone to ask?" I giggled and patted Ron's shoulder. Harry smacked him on the back playfully.
"Sorry mate," He said, looking at me, "I really do wish you were as lucky as me right now." Ron mumbled something about going alone and sauntered off. I could hardly be still; I was so excited about the ball,
"Oh, it's going to be amazing!" I said, "I wondered why my sister bought me a new dress. I guess she knew about this and hoped I'd go." Harry smiled,
"I can't wait to see you in it. You'll look great." He said.
Just about every night before the dance, Harry got out the invisibility cloak and we snuck into the room where McGonagall taught the dancing and practiced. When we finally got it down, we still snuck out simply to have some times alone with each other. One night as we were sitting against the wall, me lying against his chest with his arm around me…I contemplated telling him about the image in the mirror our first year. I thought it wouldn't be best just yet. I didn't want to scare him away now that I had him. The night of the dance, everything was perfect. Hermione, dressed in a beautiful purple gown, helped me with my hair, styling it in a gorgeous up do with her wand, adding curls and a bit of glitter. My dress was floor length and black with red trimming in a diagonal on the skirt. We walked to the Great Hall together, laughing and chatting about our dates. I told her about Harry and me sneaking out to practice since he was in a sling the day McGonagall taught us. Once we reached the corner. I peeked around it. Harry and Ron were talking, Ron waiting for Pavarti Patil whom Harry suggested he ask, and Harry of course waiting for me. "Oh, I'm so nervous!" I whispered to Hermione who was searching for her date, Krum. She smiled as she searched,
"It'll be just fine. Just take deep breaths and smile" She said, "Okay, let's go." I spotted Krum who had seen Hermione and was heading for the stairs. We ducked behind the wall again took deep breaths and stepped out to the landing. Thank goodness I was used to walking in stiletto heels. If I had tripped it would have forced me to skip the ball and hide in the bathroom, too embarrassed to come out. I giggled at the thought of Harry trying to coax me out of the restroom a second time. I felt like a princess walking down the stairs with my best friend by my side.
"They look beautiful," Pavarti said, breathless; Harry was the first to turn. I took another deep breath when I saw him smile. Ron was staring at Hermione, slack jawed. When we reached the last stair, Harry offered me his hand which I took without hesitation. My dress made a silent whoosh sound as I descended the last stair. Hermione waved to us as she took Krum's hand and headed for the doors. McGonagall came hurrying toward us as if she'd been searching for us.
"There you are Potter," she said, "Are you and Ms. Martin ready?"
"Ready, Professor?" He asked confused,
"To dance," McGonagall said, sounding surprised. Harry and I exchanged glances. "It's traditional that the three champions—well, in this case, four, are the first to dance." She paused as we continued to look confused, "Surely I told you that?" Harry shook his head,
"No," he said and McGonagall sighed,
"Oh well now you know." She said, looking at Ron, "As for you, Mr. Weasley…uh…you may proceed into the Great Hall with Ms. Patil." She finished and headed off to greet some other students.
My nerves multiplied by ten."The first to dance," I whispered, and Harry heard my nervousness. He squeezed my hand gently,
"We can do this," He whispered back, "Try to stay calm…if you are too uncomfortable we can leave." I shook my head,
"I want to do this Harry. I love to dance; I just don't like thousands of people watching me." I laughed nervously, pulled myself together and waited with Harry as the other champions entered the hall. The Great Hall had been decorated for Christmas. A giant Christmas tree stood where the teachers normally sat to eat. Snow was falling from the ceiling, however it wasn't cold. I walked nervously down the aisle of crowded students as they applauded the champions. I heard many gasps and awes as Harry and I walked past. I even heard someone mention my dress. On the dance floor, Harry was as nervous as me. But we got through the first dance perfectly. After that was just fun; Ron ended up sitting down the entire time and Pavarti was getting irritated. I danced with Hermione and Krum during a rock song while Harry went to check on Ron. After the song was over, Hermione and I were laughing at a joke Krum told as we sat down next to the boys. Ron looked utterly peeved. "What's his problem now?" I whispered to Harry. Ron glared at me,
"I can hear you, you know." He said grumpily.
"Don't talk to Crys like that!" Hermione scolded and he got to his feet.
"Maybe if you weren't fraternizing with the enemy, I wouldn't be in a foul mood." He said and stormed off, Hermione following him. Harry sighed; I kissed his cheek and he looked at me,
"One more dance, then I think I'll be ready to bail." I said, jokingly. He smiled, standing. Holding his hand out, he said,
"One more dance then," A slower song was playing as we made our way to the dance floor. We stayed in our own space away from wandering eyes; luckily Hagrid was dancing with Madame Maxime right in front of us.
Halfway through the dance, we gave up on the whole hand on waist outstretched arm deal and my arms ended up around his neck, my hands gently playing with his hair. Both his hands were on the small of my back, pulling me closer; His face inches from mine, I could see the detail of his scar. He was a few inches taller than me so I had to look up slightly to see his eyes. "All the girls who claimed they've liked me," He said softly, one hand leaving my back to mess with a stray curl on my shoulder, "Only wanted to date the Boy Who Lived." I smiled, knowing what he was saying. I was the only girl who wanted to date Harry Potter, the sweetest guy I knew, not Harry Potter the sole survivor of the killing curse. "But you," He continued, "You are completely different." I narrowed my eyes lovingly,
"How do you know I'm not like them?" I asked, "For all you know, I'm just another crazed fan." He laughed and shook his head,
"I know you're not like that," He said, twirling me around gently. The music seemed to fade into the background along with the other remaining dancers, as if it were only me and him. "I can tell by your eyes. Plus I've known you long enough to know you don't like me for that reason."
"You've read me like an open book." I smiled, removing one of my hands from his neck. I brushed the hair away from his forehead revealing the scar. "However, I must say that this scar makes you look even handsomer." He laughed,
"I wouldn't mind it if it didn't sear with pain for no reason." He said. My smile faded,
"Harry, I think there is a reason." We stopped dancing and were just staring at each other.
"How do you mean?" He asked, his brows furrowed together in confusion.
"When the Dark Mark appeared, you cried out in pain and placed your hand on the scar. Whenever you experience something to do with Voldemort, it hurts." I explained, tracing the scar with my fingertip. "I think it's a kind of connection." He shook his head,
"I doubt that, Crys, it's just a scar." I looked into his eyes; my finger paused on the tip of the scar,
"It's a scar from a curse that NOBODY, but you, has survived. It's not JUST a scar. It's different." I said.
After a few moments we decided to find somewhere a little more secluded from the other students. Harry decided on the room where the Mirror of Erised used to be and we headed there. Once inside the quiet room, Harry pulled me into his arms again. When he kissed me, I felt the world melt away; all my worries flew from me, never to return. He was the only one I wanted at that moment. He was all I needed, all I desired. My eyes flew open as I remembered where we were. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to tell him. "Harry," I said, when we parted, "I need to tell you something." He nodded,
"Sure, what is it?" I took a deep breath,
"Remember when we came here and you showed me the mirror?" I glanced at the empty space where it once sat. He nodded,
"Yeah,"
"I lied about what I saw in the mirror." I said, he remained calm,
"Then what did you see?" He asked. I moved away from him, to the window. Looking down, I told him the truth,
"I saw us….together, like we are now." I said. I looked over my shoulder at him and he started laughing,
"You saw that?" He asked, I didn't like the fact that he laughed, "Wow," I realized he thought I was joking. I made to leave the room. He saw my anger, and the smile left his face, "Crys, I…"
"Just forget it," I said opening the door. He grabbed my arm,
"No, please," He said, I turned to look at him, anger bubbling inside me,
"This isn't a joke, Harry; I'm not playing around here. I REALLY saw it! I was just…too scared to tell you the truth; afraid you'd run off and never speak to me again." I said, He wrapped his arms around me,
"I'd never do that, Crys." He said,
"So, you're not freaked out?" I asked, and he chuckled,
"Not in the slightest." He said and kissed me again.
The next morning, Hermione was chastising Harry about the egg. "The task is only a few days away Harry!" She exclaimed. I was sitting cross legged on a rock as they bickered,
"Really, Hermione, I had no idea," Harry replied, irritated. "I've been trying, there's just no way to open that egg without going deaf." He said, sitting next to me. Ron was throwing Rocks in the water near us. I spotted Cedric up the hill. He saw us and headed down, calling Harry's name. Harry looked over his shoulder and stood up. He chatted with Cedric for awhile, and then hurried back to where we waited. He grabbed his books and kissed me swiftly, "I'll see you guys later. I think I have the solution!" The night before the task we were in the library, Harry finally achieving the mysterious egg.
"Harry, tell me again!" Hermione said, excited. Harry sighed, his chin resting on an open book, his eyes drooping, tired.
"Come seek us, where our voices sound," He began, reciting the clue,
"The Black Lake, that's obvious." Hermione said, pacing back and forth. I was searching through the book shelves around us, looking for nothing in particular.
"An hour long you'll have to look. To recover what we took." He finished, with an agitated sigh.
"Again obvious," Hermione replied, still pacing. I looked at her, placing a hand on my hip.
"An hour," I said, pushing aside Harry's books and perching myself on the desk. He raised his eyes to look at me without lifting his head from the desk, "How in the world is he supposed to hold his breath for an hour?" I asked. Just then, Professor Moody joined us.
"Professor McGonagall wishes to see you two in her office, right now," He said looking at me and Hermione. He placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "I need to speak with Potter, off with you." I glanced at him, not a pleasant look, and hopped off the table.
Once in McGonagall's office, we met up with a small blonde girl we'd never seen before. We soon found out that it was Fleur Delacour's little sister, and Cho Chang, another Hogwarts student. We soon found out that we were to be involved in the second task. McGonagall explained everything. A charm would be placed on us, so we would be safe under the water. We would not be able to move or see but would still have some consciousness. Able to hear and feel what was going on. The champions would have to dive into the black lake to save us. Harry would come for me, Krum for Hermione, Fleur for her sister and Cedric for Cho. I grew nervous as we stood in a line a few moments before the task waiting for the charm. Dumbledore performed it himself which helped me relax a little. I felt frozen but my hearing was fine. I felt someone pick me up and carry me outside. It was cold; Next thing I knew, I felt water surrounding me. I heard soft singing and felt the cold water pressing on my body. I felt something swim past me and figured I was at the bottom of the lake. Something was tied around my leg.
I waited; I felt a hand on my face, and thought of Harry. But the thing on my ankle still bound me. The hand disappeared and moved to my ankle. Harry was trying to figure out how to unbind me from whatever was keeping me from floating away. I felt my heart pound in my chest. The pressure on my ankle disappeared and I heard a hiss. "But, she's my friend too!" Harry's bubbly voice reached my ears. There was another hiss,
"Only one!" a voice I didn't recognize said. I still couldn't move. What was he waiting for? Finally after what seemed like forever, I felt Harry link his arm with mine and drag me through the water. When I reached the surface, the charm was lifted. I gasped and spluttered as I emerged; looking beside me to see not Harry, but Fleur's little sister.
"Harry," I gasped looking around. He was nowhere to be found. I grasped the girl's arm and swam to the land where the students and teachers were waiting. Cedric pulled me up and wrapped a towel around me. Fleur had hold of her sister, sobbing. "Where is he?" I asked, worried. Hermione came over to me wrapped in her own towel, her hair dripping. I held back tears as I watched the water. Then suddenly he shot out of the water, landing a few feet away from me. I shoved past the cheering students surrounding him. He was coughing and spluttering, gasping for air. He was dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top with the Gryffindor colors. "Potter" was printed on his back. "Harry, honey," I said taking the towel Cedric had given me and placing it around his shoulders. His neck and arms were covered in red circles. It looked like he'd been attacked by an octopus.
Harry cried out in pain as Hermione dropped to her knees beside him and kissed the top of his head. "We thought we'd lost you, Harry." She said,
"I came in last," he replied, I sat next to him.
"Next to last," Hermione said, "Fleur couldn't finish. She couldn't even get past the Grindylows." She said. Harry took my face in his hands.
"You okay" He asked, brushing my wet hair out of my eyes. I nodded and kissed him,
"Better now that I know you're not drowned." I said. He pulled me into his arms and held me tight.
Dumbledore proceeded with places. Cedric of course was first. Harry gained second place for making sure each of us below the water was rescued as well as saving Fleur's sister and me. I shivered in Harry's arms as a gush of wind blew past. Bartemius Crouch joined me and Harry as we headed back to the castle. Harry wrapped his towel around my shoulders as we walked. "Mr. Potter," Crouch said, walking beside us.
"Sir," Harry greeted, shaking his hand.
"I'm very sorry we haven't spoken, after all, your story is one I've heard many times. Very devastating for one to lose his family," Crouch said, as we walked. Later that evening Harry found Crouch lying by a tree near the forbidden forest. We were walking with Hagrid as he did his chores.
"It seems like only yesterday," Hagrid said, "that I met you lot. Biggest bunch of misfits I'd ever laid eyes on." I laughed, and looked at Harry who was a few feet away from us, deep in thought. "And now, we have Harry here, soon to be the youngest wizard ever to win the Triwizard cup! HOORAY," Hagrid boomed. Suddenly, Harry stopped, looking down. "Harry, are you okay?" I called. He didn't respond, just continued to stare at the ground, eyes wide. I walked over to where he stood. I gasped, when I looked down. Crouch wouldn't move, his eyes seeming to stare at us.
"Oh no…" I said. I rushed back to get Hagrid who then took us back to the castle. He got Dumbledore and the body of Bartemius Crouch's body was taken off the grounds.
The third and final task took place the next day. We all gathered in the Quidditch field yet again only this time, it was transformed into a maze. I stood next to Moody, waiting for Harry to arrive. There was something not right about the man standing next to me, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I'd never been that close to him for more than a few moments, but something told me this wasn't right. Harry shouldn't be doing this. The champions entered the field and Harry came right over to me. "After this it's all over." He whispered, hugging me close. I nodded,
"You can win this Harry." I said. He smiled and stroked my cheek.
"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me." He said, making me blush,
"And YOU are the best thing that has happened to ME." I replied. "Please be careful, Harry." Dumbledore called for silence.
"Now, Professor Moody has placed the cup deep within this maze. The first champion to reach it wins the tournament." He said, "Finishing in first and second place. Mr. Diggory and Mr. Potter will be the first to enter the maze; followed by Ms. Delacour, and Mr. Krum." He turned to face Cedric and Harry, "Gentlemen at the sound of the cannon you may begin the task." He said. The cannon fired and Harry turned to the entrance. He took a deep breath and stepped forward. He turned back to look at me one last time before the green shrubs closed around him. I smiled and blew him a kiss. He returned the smile and the shrubs engulfed him.
As we waited, I couldn't stand still. I swayed from left to right as the quiet maze remained still. Nothing moved. The world seemed to be frozen in time. Then a blast of red sparks appeared above the huge maze. I grew worried. That was the sign that the champions were to shoot into the sky if they wished to withdraw from the tournament. But when the maze opened up…it wasn't Harry that came through, it was Fleur, carried by Professor Snape. I gasped as they passed me. Fleur was covered in cuts and bruises. I immediately had the urge to run into the maze before it closed again. It started to close when I made my decision. I jumped through the shrubs just as they came together. I heard brief yelling, and then silence. I bolted down the path, trying to reach Harry before he reached the cup. It finally dawned on me. Someone put his name into the Goblet of Fire for a reason. And that reason was to get him killed. I HAD to reach him. Something told me I HAD to stop this. I found the body of Viktor Krum, unconscious. I stepped over him thinking I MUST have been going the right way. Sure enough, I saw Harry and Cedric running for the cup. Cedric fell and vines emerged from under the bushes. "HARRY," He yelled as the vines constricted him.
Harry stood still for a moment, looking from the cup, shimmering at the end of the path, and back at Cedric. He finally pointed his wand at the vines shouting,
"REDUCTO," The vines retreated, and Cedric scrambled to his feet. I bolted straight for them but then they started running in the direction of the cup. I had no choice; I wasn't going to reach them,
"HARRY, DON'T TOUCH THE CUP!" I screamed. He didn't hear me; there was a buzzing sound coming from the cup. Harry and Cedric reached out to touch it. I dove, grasping Harry's robe just as his fingers touched the glimmering blue cup. We disappeared, twirling through the air. Once we landed in a foggy area, Harry noticed me.
"Crystal," He said, surprised, "What are you doing here?" I stood up, brushing myself off. Cedric was by the cup.
"It's a portkey," he said, "Harry, the cup is a portkey." I looked around us.
"Let's go back," I said, "Harry come on," Harry was looking around, trying to figure out where we were. "Harry," I said, scared.
"I've been here before," he whispered. I was standing by the cup,
"Harry," I said again. Suddenly he cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.
"Harry, what is it?" Cedric asked, "What's wrong?" a fired burst to life under a giant pot. A light came on and a figure stepped out from a stone building. I finally saw where we were. A graveyard sat before us, gloomy and cold.
"Take, Crystal and get back to the cup!" Harry said, clutching his forehead. I tried to pull Cedric with me, but he wouldn't move. I hid behind a gravestone a few feet away, relieved that it was tall enough to hide me completely. Cedric raised his wand as the figure drew closer.
"Who are you?" He demanded, "What do you want?"
"Kill the spare!" A hissing voice commanded, the figure raised HIS wand, pointing it right at Cedric,
"Avada Kedavra," I tried not to scream as Cedric's body lay before me, motionless. I cried silently, peeking over the stone.
The figure, who turned out to be, Peter Pettigrew, dumped what appeared to be a small animal into the pot. He began a kind of ritual. I moved quickly, crouching low so I wouldn't be seen. Pettigrew seemed to be too preoccupied in his work to notice me. I moved past grave stones until I was hiding on the side of the mausoleum Pettigrew had emerged from. Harry was standing before the biggest headstone in the whole place. A dark angel suddenly came to life and pinned Harry to the stone with a giant scythe it held in its bony hand. "Bone of the father, unwillingly given," Pettigrew said shakily, removing a bone from the headstone. It burst into flames as he dropped it into the pot. "Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed." He pulled out a knife and sliced off his own hand. I covered my mouth to stifle another scream." His hand fell into the pot with a sickening plop. He then turned to Harry, who was groaning with pain. "Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken," He ripped open the sleeve of Harry's robe and sliced his arm with the knife. Harry screamed in pain.
"The Dark Lord," He recited, allowing the blood to drip into the pot, "shall rise once more." I couldn't think straight. I couldn't move out of fear. The pot disappeared and a hideous lump bubbled and formed. It formed into a man, black smoke swirling around him, turned into a set of robes. His skin was pale white, his eyes red with slits like a snake's. Voldemort breathed deeply, taking in his surroundings. He approached Pettigrew, holding out his boney white hand.
"My wand, Wormtail," He hissed. Pettigrew handed him a white, creepy looking wand. "Hold out your arm." Pettigrew smiled weakly,
"Thank you, master, thank you" He said raising his bloody stump. Voldemort shook his head,
"The other arm, Wormtail," He said. Pettigrew seemed frightened as he held up his good arm. Voldemort pushed up his sleeve and touched the wand to his forearm. Black smoke swirled around the sight again, turning into a group of Death Eaters. Fear bubbled inside me as I looked at Harry, wincing, still bound by the statue. "Ah, my friends," Voldemort said, looking around at his followers. He proceeded to accuse his followers of abandoning him. My heart pounded when he addressed Lucius Malfoy. After replacing Pettigrew's bloody stump with a silvery hand, Voldemort looked down at Cedric's body. "Such a handsome boy," He said pushing his head aside with his gnarly foot.
"Don't touch him!" Harry shouted, struggling to get free. Voldemort looked at him,
"Ah, Harry," He said, "I'd almost forgotten you were here." He looked at his followers, "The Boy Who Lived." He moved closer.
He turned away and said to his followers, "Shall I tell what truly happened that night? That fateful night; shall I tell how I truly lost my powers? You see when dear Lily Potter gave her life for her only son; she placed upon him a spell that I didn't fore see. It was love; I couldn't touch him. It was old magic. But now," He turned back to Harry, "Now, I can overcome it." He raised his hand and placed his finger right on the lightning bolt scar, "I can touch you now." Harry screamed in agony. I twitched with anger. My hand gripped my wand tightly. "It's amazing what a bit of your blood can do, eh, Harry?" He said and waved his wand. The statue released Harry, who fell to the ground."Pick up your wand Potter," Voldemort commanded, Harry didn't move, "GET UP, GET UP!" Harry shakily got to his feet, grasping his wand. "Surely Dumbledore taught you how to duel." Voldemort said, facing Harry, "First, we bow to each other." He bowed slightly, "Come now Harry, Dumbledore would want you to remember your manners! I said BOW!" He forced Harry into a bow, and he cringed with pain. "Very good, and now," Voldemort waved his wand, "Crucio!" Harry dropped to the ground again writhing in pain. That was when I acted,
"EXPELLIARMOUS," I screamed Voldemort's wand flew from his hand. Harry stopped writhing and lay still breathing hard. Voldemort looked at me,
"Well, well, what have we here? Another tag along," He said. His followers moved to jinx me, but he stopped them, "Be still, friends, she is but a girl. I shall kill them both." When Harry finally regained his strength, he scrambled to his feet and tackled Voldemort. "DO NOTHING!" Voldemort called as Harry pinned him to the ground. His wand was shaking as he pointed it at his throat. Voldemort smiled, reaching for his wand which lay a foot away. I ran forward, kicking it out of the way.
"NOBODY MOVES!" I yelled, when the death eaters moved forward, "OR WE DESTROY YOUR PRECIOUS MASTER!" Voldemort finally reached his wand and blasted Harry off him. He grabbed me and held me against his chest, his wand at my throat.
"I'll make you a deal, Potter." He said; I was frozen in fear, "Come quietly and I shall spare your friend," He glared at Harry who shook his head,
"I'll never come quietly," He sneered, "Stupefy!" the curse bounded off the Dark Lord but caused him to release me. I ran to Harry and spun around, raising my wand. "Get to the cup!" He told me sternly, I shook my head,
"I'm not leaving you!" I said, aiming my wand at Malfoy, "Besides, I have a score to settle myself!" I snarled.
Harry touched my arm, "Do as I say, Crystal. Get to the cup!" Voldemort was getting to his feet as I hesitantly moved to the cup. Then everything happened at once. Voldemort pointed his wand at me, shouting the killing curse as Harry shouted the stunning spell. The streams collided in a splash of sparks. A shield like bubble erupted from the wands and surrounded them. A white mist appeared, as Voldemort demanded his followers to do nothing. He'd completely forgotten about me. The Death Eaters watched eagerly as the Dark Lord's stream started to overcome Harry's. Then four white orbs burst from the white wand, forming into figures. One I recognized as Cedric. The other was a man, possibly a Muggle, which Voldemort had killed. The two remaining figures stood on either side of Harry. His father spoke to him,
"Now when we say, you must break the connection and get back to the portkey," He said in a ghostly voice, "We can linger for a moment, but ONLY a moment, do you understand?" Harry nodded, and then his mother spoke,
"Sweetie, you're ready, let go….LET GO!" Harry broke the connection and ran to me. He fell beside Cedric's body, grasping my hand and pulling me with him.
"Accio" he said, and the cup flew toward us. We disappeared as soon as he grasped the handle.
Soon we were back in front of the maze. The crowd erupting with applause; Harry sobbed as he continued to hold onto Cedric, unwilling to let go. "Harry," I whispered, holding him. Dumbledore came running over and, waving me away, tried to pry Harry off the body,
"NO," Harry yelled, "NO, I WON'T LEAVE HIM!"
"Harry, HARRY, it's alright," Dumbledore said, shaking him violently. "You are safe, you both are." He said. Harry looked up and around,
"Crystal," He said grasping for me. I practically dove into his arms, crying hard. I covered him in kisses, saying in between each,
"Harry, I'm so sorry, I should have acted sooner!" He looked at Dumbledore,
"He's back," He whispered hoarsely, "He's back, Voldemort's back" Dumbledore stood slowly. Harry held me tightly. He stood as well, pulling me with him. Moody grasped his arm and pulled him away from me. Harry tried to resist, but Moody's grasp was firm.
I followed behind. Listening through the door to Moody's office, once they were inside, "Were there others?" Moody asked his voice muffled but clear. "In the graveyard, were there others?" there was a pause, then Harry said,
"Professor, I don't think I said anything about a graveyard." I heard Moody sifting through what sounded like bottles. I felt uneasy and ran to get Dumbledore.
"HEAD MASTER," I yelled, reaching the field. He was conversing with Snape and McGonagall. I gasped for air, pointing in the direction of the school, "Moody's office, Harry, in trouble, please!" Dumbledore immediately ran for the castle; Snape, McGonagall, and I followed. Dumbledore burst through the office door, pointing his wand. He pinned Moody to the wall with a flick of his wand. I grabbed the edge of Harry's robe and pulled him to my side. I reached for his hand as Snape took out a green bottle. He poured a clear liquid down Moody's throat,
"Do you know who I am?" Dumbledore asked, furious.
"Albus Dumbledore," Moody answered,
"Are you Alastor Moody?"
"No,"
"Is he in this room?" When the imposter hesitated, Dumbledore sneered, "Is he in this room?" He asked harshly. The man just looked at a chest behind Harry. "Harry away from there," He said, approaching the chest. When it opened we heard a moan from inside. "Are you alright Alastor?" Dumbledore's tone softened,
"I'm sorry Albus," A voice said weakly from inside the chest. Harry looked at the Moody standing before us, pinned now by Snape.
"If that's Moody in the chest," He said, "then who is that?" Snape had the flask in his hand. He sniffed it briefly.
"Polyjuice Potion." He said. The man started to shift; the lazy eye falling from his face. He grew skinny, his hair shortened. A young man then stood before us.
"Barty Crouch Jr." Dumbledore said approaching the man.
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." The man said rolling up his sleeve. The Dark Mark moved on his arm, the snake wiggling slowly.
"Harry, your arm," Dumbledore replied, grasping Harry's arm. He winced as his sleeve was pushed up, revealing the cut. It was shaped just like the mark. I covered my mouth, gasping. As we all stared at the cut on Harry's arm, Crouch took his move. He knocked Snape out of the way and lunged at Harry. I jumped in between them and took the blow. Crouch pinned me to the ground.
"Just as well," He snarled, pointing his wand in my face. "Malfoy didn't know the Martins had a kid, so I'll finish the job for him. Crucio," I screamed in pain. Harry broke free of Dumbledore's grasp and shoved him off me. The curse lifted and I could move again. I didn't want to; I shivered, unable to breathe. Snape got a hold of Crouch again and Harry kneeled next to me. I jumped when he touched my arm,
"Easy Crystal, it's just me." He whispered, lifting me. He carried me to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey went straight to work, asking Harry what had happened. Harry explained, holding my hand as she examined me. I screamed a few times as she felt my stomach.
"A few ribs broken as well as her arm." Pomfrey explained, "Otherwise she's just fine. You can go, Potter." Harry shook his head,
"I'm staying with her." He said calmly. Pomfrey shrugged,
"Okay then," She said and walked away. She came back carrying a bottle of Skele-grow.
"Harry," I whispered, "what is that?" He squeezed my hand gently, kneeling on the floor beside the bed. He stroked my hair away from my face, as he spoke,
"Skele-grow; it'll help you heal properly." He whispered back, "It's not particularly painless." I remembered how much he'd screamed second year when his arm had to be re-grown. During a Quidditch match, he'd broken his right arm. One of the teachers a proud wizard, Gildory Lockhart, tried to mend it but ended up making every bone in the arm vanish. He smiled when he saw the fear on my face. "It will be less painful for you. You're bones aren't completely gone." He said. I nodded, still scared.
Madame Pomfrey poured the thick liquid into a cup and handed it to me. I released Harry's hand and grasped the cup. Taking a deep breath I downed the liquid. The fiery pain shot through my arm and my stomach. I grasped Harry's hand again, my face scrunching in pain. I tried not to scream. Harry continued to stroke my hair with his free hand, his smile faded, as I held my breath. The pain was gone in an instant, just vanishing. I relaxed finally, opening my eyes, which had squeezed shut. I took a deep breath and tried to relax. A dull ache resided in my arm, but nothing more than that seemed present. "You know that man don't you?" I asked, and Harry nodded,
"He was in that dream I kept having." He said, "I told Dumbledore about it all. He said not to linger on it…but I feel it's more than just a dream. It was like I was seeing inside Voldemort's mind. Like I knew what he was thinking and planning." I fell asleep soon after that.
When I awoke the next morning, Harry was asleep beside the bed. Madame Pomfrey had brought him a chair and had bandaged his cut. I smiled when I saw him. He was even cuter when he was asleep. I noticed that he wasn't tossing or turning, but sitting very still, his hand limp in mine, his chest rising and falling in a slow smooth rhythm. No nightmares haunted him. When I shifted my body trying to get comfortable, his eyes flashed open. "Good morning sleepy head," I said with a laugh. He sat up straight, stretching.
"I didn't want to leave you," He said as if I needed an explanation. "I guess Madame Pomfrey came in to check on you already…" He said looking at his bandage. "This wasn't here when I fell asleep." I laughed and attempted to sit up. Harry immediately stood and supported my back as I moved.
"Harry, I'm fine." I said, succeeding in my attempt. I looked at my arm; it looked like nothing even happened. I ran a hand across my stomach which felt just as healthy. "That potion works wonders. When I was little, I broke my hand. My parents took me to a muggle doctor. I had to be in a cast for a month while it healed. Harry smiled,
"That's the joy of magic. My Aunt and Uncle would never take me to a doctor if I got hurt. I wouldn't be surprised if I was a surgeon by now." He said, stroking the top of my hand he still held. I glared at the opposite wall,
"As if I needed another reason to hate those people," I mumbled, and he laughed,
"Trust me, Once Sirius is free, I'm moving in with him." He said.
He leaned over and kissed my forehead, "Let's get you up. We should be in the Great Hall by now." He helped me get out of the bed. I was a little weak but otherwise perfectly fine. He kept one arm around my waist as we entered the Hall. The banners above us were black. I suddenly remembered Cedric and my stomach dropped,
"I don't think I can do this right now," I whispered as he led me to the table. I sat down across from Hermione who looked at me comfortingly. I felt several other eyes on me making me realize the attack was spilled to the other students. I felt my face go red as I tried to hide my face from the staring eyes. Harry pulled me close, helping a great deal. Dumbledore was sitting in his chair, slumped low.
"Today," He said, his voice cracking "Is a dreadful day. Not only was Cedric Diggory a wonderful student, but he was also a joy to have around. A cheerful young man, bright, and a fierce, fierce friend," He stood up then, "which is why I feel you have the right to know exactly how he died! You see his death was no accident. Cedric Diggory was murdered, by Lord Voldemort! Now the ministry does not wish me to tell you this, but I feel that not to do so would be an insult to his memory." I started to cry, my mind flashing to Cedric's limp body lying before me as I hid behind the gravestone. Harry squeezed me gently. After the moment of silence for poor Cedric, we headed back to our dorms to pack for the summer.
Harry was waiting for me in the common room, his trunk sitting near his feet, Hedwig in her cage. She didn't look happy, neither did Harry. He was on the couch staring at the empty fireplace, a frown etched into his face. "Harry," I said, sitting next to him, my trunk by the door.
"I shouldn't have let him touch it." He whispered, "I told him we'd take it together. It's my fault."
I curled up, next to him, his arm wrapping around me,
"Harry, don't blame yourself," I said, "You didn't know that was going to happen." He sighed and looked at me,
"I still feel responsible." He said. We sat there for a few moments longer, and then got up to head for the train. At the London station, I didn't want to leave him.
"Come with me," I said, staring into his green eyes. "I can't bear to think of you with those horrible people." He laughed,
"I've dealt with them my whole life," He said, "One more summer isn't going to kill me. Besides," He pulled me closer, "I'll be thinking about you and nothing else. That'll give me something to look forward to."
"I still don't like it. We have a spare room and I know my sister won't object to Harry potter staying in her home." I said jokingly. He looked over my shoulder at Melody, who was waiting for me,
"I'll be fine, Crys," he said, but I wasn't giving up so easily. I wanted to see him, visit him one summer, give him a break from his Aunt and Uncle.
"Then let me have your address. I'll come visit you. Take you away from all that for at least a good few hours."
"No," He said firmly, "It's bad enough they say horrible things about my parents, and me. I'd probably kill them if they said anything to my girlfriend at all." I shot him the one smile he couldn't resist,
"Please," I begged, using the smile. It was more of a pretty smirk, but he loved it all the same. He sighed and dug through his trunk. I cheered inside, as he wrote something down. He handed it to me and I read it, Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Winging, Surrey. And under the address, If my Aunt or Uncle answers the door, (not likely) don't let them get under your skin. "Not likely," I repeated, and looked at him. He smirked,
"They treat me like I'm their butler or something. I open the door for guests, cook breakfast lunch and dinner, get the mail. They say it I have to do it." He said. My blood boiled, but I ignored it. I wrapped my arms around his neck,
"'I'll come see you when I get the chance," I said. He leaned down and kissed me. He pulled me even closer as I eagerly kissed him back. Reluctantly I let him go; he placed one last kiss on my lips and headed for the exit. I watched him go, reining back my attempt to run after him. He turned around at the door, looked at me, his eyes reluctant. He didn't want to leave me either. I waved and he smiled. He left the station, walking down the street. I watched him until he was out of sight.
Here's chapter 3 from my friend. Hope you like it as much as the last chapter. Okami out.