The silence that had fallen in the room with the champions was broken as several others rushed into the room. The first was Dumbledore who grasped Harry and pressed him to the wall.
"Did you put you name in the Goblet Harry?" Harry looked oddly at the man. His face read anger, but there was an odd gleam of laughter in his eye. From the position with the greatest wizard of the age holding him, Harry quickly drew his wand.
"I, Harry James Potter, swear that I did not place, nor did I get someone else to place my name in the Goblet of Fire. So mote it be." The flash that followed blinded everyone for a moment before chaos ruled again.
"I want a second champion Dumbledore."
"We, as do I!" The other headmasters were demanding and it took Dumbledore a few minutes before peace was restored. It was Fleur who spoke next.
"But he is just a leetle boy."
"Be that as it may, Mr. Potter is now in a binding contract with the Goblet. His name came out, whether he entered it or not. It will be his magic lost if he does not compete." Barty Crouch was speaking next, a disgruntled look on his face. It was the sneering Professor Snape who then jumped in.
"This is just Potter seeking attention."
"Surely sir." Harry said, addressing his question to Dumbledore, "There is some way to get me out of this?"
"Afraid not Harry my boy. But I have complete faith in you to get through this." There was still that humored twinkle in the professor's eye. Harry caught it for sure. The professor knew something. Maybe even something about why Harry could remember another life. But if professor Dumbledore thought he could make it, then just maybe..
"Fine, for the sake of my magic, I will compete, but I am not a Hogwarts Champion. That right belongs to Cedric." Several of those present seemed ready to protest until Dumbledore once again intervened.
"Yes, well let's you and I discuss that Mr. Potter. The rest of you, please enjoy your evenings and we will discuss things tomorrow."
Everyone in the room seemed to know better than to argue when Dumbledore was so authoritative. They shut their mouths and departed, leaving Harry and the old Headmaster alone. There were a tense few moments of staring before Dumbledore spoke.
"Tell me, Harry, there is something different about you. Care to tell me what it might be?"
There were a few more tense moments of staring before Harry relented.
"I cannot really explain it professor. I remember all of this happening. And not like Déjà vu, but actually happening. I know I'm in this. I know I'm going to face a dragon for the first task. I know we will be in the lake for the second task and a maze will overrun the quidditch pitch for the third task. So tell me, professor, am I going mad?" As Harry reached the end of his rant, he slumped into a couch in the room, waiting for the headmaster's response.
"That is quite a great deal of information you really should not know, Mr. Potter. While I will neither confirm nor deny what is going on, it does seem to have led to, perhaps, some positive changes in you?"
"Sir?" Harry felt lost. What could have changed so positively overnight?
"I noticed you sitting beside one Miss Granger during dinner and you two seemed ot be, well, holding hands?"
Harry felt the blush rage right down to his feet. He had really enjoyed that. The other life he remembered told him that he adored that witch, but he didn't realize it was showing so much.
"With all due respect, Headmaster, but that is between Hermione and myself." The headmaster considered him for a few more minutes with eyes twinkling.
"Indeed it is, Harry. In the meantime, however, I do believe you and I should go take care of some business which seems to have arisen."
"Sir?" Harry felt lost all over again as Dumbledore came to grasp his hand. He strode over to the fireplace, offering Harry a handful of green powder which made Harry groan.
"To Gringots, Mr. Potter. See you there soon!"
With that, Dumbledore jumped into the floo himself without giving Harry a chance to say a word. It was a very reluctant Harry who stumbled out of a floo in Gringots only a moment later. Dumbledore helped him to his feet before leading him to a counter where one Griphook sat.
"How may I help you?" It was the long drawn out tone used to annoy and discourage various wizards as they worked on getting their money. Harry just seemed happy to recognize anyone.
"Hello Griphook!"
The look on the goblins face was priceless as he was recognized. He stared carefully over his glasses at the two before him as he rose. Then both saw something known as a rare sight within the wizarding world: a goblin smile.
"Welcome back Mr. Potter, and you too Mr. Dumbledore. How may we here at Gringots be of assistance to you today?"
"Ah yes, I believe young Harry should see his accounts and needs to complete some paperwork. If we might have the chance to meet with Director Ragnok, I'm sure he could clear everything up. We would love to have you assist us as well, Master Griphook." Dumbledore's tone and demeanor shocked the goblin as well. It was calm and polite, but there was a raging sense of power and energy behind it. Griphook immediately sent someone to check if Director Ragnok was available for these two guests. After receiving the affirmative, he turned back to the pair.
"Please gentlemen, follow me."
There was a short trip through the maze that was the Gringots corridors before stopping at what seemed to be the most regal looking door available. A simple knock from Griphook led to the doors being thrown open and a deep voice calling from within.
"Please gentlemen, enter."
Harry, Dumbledore, and Griphook entered with the later bowing deeply and the other two politely bowing their heads to the Goblin leader. He was a large and powerful specimen. He seemed to emit energy and quickly offered the three seats.
"So how may we here at Gringots be of assistance today?"
"Well, Mr. Potter here has been entered in a tournament which, according to ministry standards, is only for those of legal age. As such, I was hoping those of you here at this wonderfully fascinating bank might be able to assist him in becoming emancipated?"
Harry's eyes opened wide at this. It was not at all what he had anticipated. Still, Dumbledore had just asked for it, surely that meant something big. In his musings, Harry missed the contented glance shared by Ragnok and the headmaster.
"Of course Headmaster, just this here." Ragnok produced a large roll of parchment with a great deal of writing on it and indicated at the bottom for Harry to sign. Harry's signature was soon followed by Ragnok's and Dumbledore's.
"Thank you, this will be filed with the Ministry in the morning, but Mr. Potter, you are indeed emancipated."
"Thank you Director Ragnok, I appreciate your support in this matter. Please call me Harry. May your gold overflow." Harry did not know where any of that came from, but it felt right. As soon as he saw the smiles on everyone's faces, he knew it was the right thing to say. The booming laughter of Ragnok confirmed it.
"Please call me Ragnok, Harry. And I look forward to working with you a great deal in the future. Now what else can we do for the two of you?"
"We would like a record of Harry's holdings."
"Immediately, Griphook, please go find them."
As the younger goblin left the room, Harry felt an overwhelming presence. He looked to the two in the room and suddenly felt very out of place. These two resonated power and it was clear to see. He felt himself fade into darkness at their strength, but before he did, he caught their conversation.
"So has he found a soul mate yet?" The deep voice of Ragnok asked.
"Ah, well he has been rather close to young Hermione, but it is too soon to tell. And there still are two more."
"True. Well we shall see. I fear this meeting may raise more questions."
"Indeed."
At this Harry blacked out completely, waking up sitting in his chair what felt like only a few minutes later. Indeed, it must have been because soon thereafter Griphook returned. He handed a large stack of files to Ragnok who reviewed tem, quietly passing them off to Dumbledore. Then something caught Ragnok's eye.
"I believe you should both see this."
At that statement, Dumbledore moved over to see the parchment now held by the bank director. When Dumbledore's eyes shot wide open, Harry knew this was big.
"Well then."
"Indeed."
"Mr. Potter." Ragnok began. "It seems you are betrothed."
This shocked Harry. "Betrothed? As in Married?"
"Yes, betrothed as in pledged to wed a young lady."
"Wow."
"Would you like to know who it is, Harry?" Dumbledore's grandfather instincts seemed to be kicking in. It felt like more than Harry could take.
"Who is it sir?" Harry was putting on his most composed countenance, but he could feel it breaking.
"One Daphne Greengrass, it would seem. She is a Slytherin in your year."
"Yes sir." Harry nodded mutely as he reflected on this. One of the other women whose fall had affected him so much during that battle he remembered. How could this be happening. Worse yet, how could anyone put him and Daphne into this situation. She deserved to fall in love on her own. That struck an idea.
"Sir, is the contract permanent?"
"Excuse me, Mr. Potter?" Ragnok seemed a bit shocked by his question.
"I mean is there any way to cancel the contract. I may not know too much about her, but Daphne really is a wonderful woman and does not deserve to be trapped in anything like this." His response drew a large grin from the others present in the room. This young man indeed did not have a care for the 'traditions' of wizarding society and it was refreshing.
"Well indeed there is, Mr. Potter, but breaking it would cost the offending party a great deal." Ragnok reflected on his words for a moment. "Well, it would not cost you too much, but it would indeed ruin the Greengrasses."
"So I could break it and it would not harm them?"
"Indeed you could Mr. Potter."
"I would like to do that. But is it possible not to let them know?"
"Not a problem at all Mr. Potter. Your secrets are safe here."
"Thank you Ragnok. I appreciate that."
"It is indeed my pleasure."
"Yes, Thank you Director Ragnok. At this time, however, I'm afraid that young Mr. Potter and myself must be getting back. School tomorrow!"
After some goodbye's and Harry promising a return visit, they flooed back to Hogwarts before Dumbledore escorted him back to the Gryffindor common room. Before they could enter, Dumbledore turned to Harry.
"Harry, Keep in mind that your friends, your true friends, will stick beside you no matter what. And those who love you, they will do that and more."
Without another word and before Harry could respond, the old man swept himself away, gone in the blink of an eye. This left Harry confused as the portrait of the fat lady swung open. Harry carefully stepped inside and was immediately beset by a brunette haired missile which grasped him in a desperate hug.
"Harry where were you I was so worried and you just disappeared and now you're here and we are all so confused and I hope you're alright and-" Hermione was shut down as Harry did something unimaginable. He carefully withdrew himself from the rushing with and planted a deep kiss on her lips.
In that kiss was lost years of devotion and love. Each cared and loved one another from a distance, but in that moment they knew it was together. More than that, there was a feeling of contentment in that kiss.
What they both missed, and only a few others noted, was the blinding flash of light as their lips met.
Neville, who had waited up with Hermione, gasped at the brilliant light.
Ron, who had snuck downstairs to apologize to Hermione before his ex-best mate got back (I mean who would manage to fool the cup and not tell their best mate), was shocked.
One young blond in Slytherin felt the energy from the light flash through her and for some unexplained reason, it made her deliriously happy. For some reason it turned her thoughts to Harry.
In another place, one other young blond was sharing a similar experience to Daphne, though she had no idea as to why.
Dumbledore, Ollivander, Ragnok, and Dobby all smiled as they felt the energy burst forth.
VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX
Wow. Harry Thought. I have wanted to do that for some time and it was well worth the wait.
"Was it really?" Harry suddenly looked down into the eyes of a blushing Hermione.
"Was it really what?"
"Worth the wait?"
Did I say that out loud?
"Did you say what out loud Harry?"
Suddenly Harry heard or rather felt something else invading his thoughts.
Ok, this can't be a good sign. One kiss that I have waited over three years for and he forgets it after one question?
Harry began laughing to himself.
"Mione, I could never forget kissing you. In fact, if you would grant me the privilege of becoming my girlfriend, I hope to do that many many more times. I was just distracted because….we, you were answering my questions when I was not even saying anything out loud."
This revelation drew a small gasp from Hermione. She stared up at him, her hands suddenly hiding her mouth. They were drawn out of their reverie when they heard Neville call from near the fire.
"Hey, what are these?"
"What are what, Neville?" Hermione asked as she moved over to join him. She did not, however, let go of Harry's hand in the process, a small fact which made Harry delightfully happy.
"Well you two kissed and there was a bright light, then these appeared. There seem to be one for each of you."
After a cursory glance at one another, Harry and Hermione each grasped the letter addressed to them and opened them.
Dear Mr. Harry James Potter,
We at the Ministry of Magic were pleased to learn of you completing the first of your soul bonds today on November 1st, 1994 with Hermione Jane Potter nee Granger. We wish the two of you, and the rest of your bond mates, the best.
Sincerely,
The Ministry of Magic
The look on Hermione's eyes as Harry finished his letter suggested hers said something similar. So you and married? What else could happen!