"Cedric, can I speak with you for a moment?" Harry called from the door.
Cedric pulled away from his friends and walked over. He was smiling until he got a close look at Harry, "Are you alright?"
"I need some place to speak to you without anyone hearing." He whispered.
"Ok, I've got just the place." He started up the stairs at a quick pace and Harry followed along. On the seventh floor he stopped and walked in front of the door three times. Harry was awestruck as he followed Cedric into what had to be the Hufflepuff common room.
"What is this place?" Harry asked still gaping.
"The Come and Go Room. I asked it to duplicate the Hufflepuff common room, except no one to listen." Cedric replied laughing, "I also asked it not to let you in if you intended to harm me. So what did you want to talk about?"
Cedric fell into a comfy looking chair and a grinning Harry plopped on the couch, "Dragons."
"What?" the other boy sat up.
"The first task is facing a dragon; they have one for each of us." Harry stated calmly, "I saw Rangovich and Madam Maxine heading into the forbidden forest so I followed them. Odds are Fleur and Victor also know they're going to face them. You were the only one not represented."
"Wow, thanks." Cedric looked astounded, "I really owe you one."
"Actually you don't." Harry laughed, "I've been looking for this room ever since I arrived here. Thanks for showing me."
"Ok even then." Cedric laughed a minute and then it died, "Dragons."
"Female if I'm not mistaken. I would bet nesting too. I have a feeling we need to steal a dragon's egg." Harry was also void of any humor.
"Merlin." He sighed.
"I agree whole heartedly." Harry leaned back.
"I feel terrible for you." Cedric said, "You got entered without agreeing to it. I wonder why?"
"I would imagine someone wants me dead." Harry sat up, "Bellatrix Lestrange isn't very fond of me at the moment."
"Did she really kidnap you?" he wondered.
"Peter Pettigrew kidnapped me from my parent's house and took me to her. Voldemort gave her the job of raising me to kill people. I was never so relieved in my life than the day I found out she wasn't my mother. She is a sadistic, cruel old hag. I was tortured if I didn't do as well on my lessons as she thought I should."
"So are you going to kill people?" he asked. Harry was sure he was trying to be nonchalant.
"No. I don't like killing and torture. It drives you crazy." Harry waved him off, "If you don't believe me just look at Bellatrix. She loves torture and murder and look how crazy she is. I have to leave now or my mum is going to ground me for being late. I already know I have to face one female dragon and I don't want to make it two."
"Good luck Harry and thanks." Cedric followed him to the door and they exited together.
"You too." Harry took off at a trot back to the front of the school.
Harry was tied for first place after out flying the dragon. Sirius and his dad were going nuts reliving his turn play by play. Remus was just laughing at them and Lily had him in a death grip and wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon. It took a while to calm down but finally Sirius turned to Harry.
"So can I come with you to collect?" he asked.
"Sure." Harry grinned.
"Collect what?" Lily looked up at him.
"A bet." Harry grinned and then explained, "Yesterday when Sirius and I were playing fetch on the pitch Draco and his buddies approached me. He told me he had a bet with his father that I wouldn't last ten minutes in the tournament. He said his father disagreed and said I wouldn't last five. I asked how much he was betting and he said ten galleons. So I said ok I'm in."
"You didn't." Lily glared at him.
"I did, I told him I was sure I'd finish the first task. Anyway I lasted eleven minutes just to make sure I'd win his bet." Harry grinned, "So let us go collect before he forgets."
Harry cornered the blond in the Great Hall in front of his crowd of friends, "I'm here to collect Draco."
"What?" he asked with true confusion.
"You did bet me ten galleons I wouldn't last ten minutes. I lasted eleven." Harry grinned, "Or are you going to skip out on me."
"You made a bet at school Potter?" Snape turned with a grin, "That's grounds for expulsion."
"Good thing I don't go to your school then." Harry grinned at the man, "It was Draco that made the bet so I guess you'll have to expel him instead, bad luck Drake. You still owe me ten." Snape growled and turned away telling the rest of the group to disperse. Draco sneered at him and turned to go with the other. Harry threw out one more barb, "What will Gringots think about a wizard that doesn't pay his gambling debts."
Draco dug in his pocket and threw a pouch at Harry. He let it fall to the floor and checked it for spells before he picked it up and put it in his own pocket grinning as he did so. Sirius was leaning against the wall not far away when Harry turned around. He was leaning on the wall because he was laughing too hard to hold himself up. Harry left his godfather on the wall and went to find Hermione and Ginny. Both were sitting not far away with their hands over their mouths as they tried to stifle their giggles.
"Liked that did you?" they nodded and giggled more. He grinned at them, "Then you're going to love this. Follow me."
They followed him up to the seventh floor and watched as he paced in front of a bare stretch of wall. A door appeared and he opened it and followed them in. They didn't go very far before they stopped and stared.
"What is this place?" they asked together.
"The room where things are hidden I would guess." He grinned, "A version of the Room of Requirement. I asked it for the room where the lost Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw was and this is what we've got."
"How did you know it was Diadem that was hid here?" Hermione asked still in awe.
"Process of elimination." He grinned, "The first three times I passed I asked for the sword and nothing came. This time I asked for the Diadem."
"Next you would have asked for one of the others than if that didn't work." She nodded at his logic.
Every day they searched a different section of the room. It took until just before Christmas before they found what they were looking for. Ginny was the one to begin yelling, "Harry I think I found it."
The other two weren't far away and they both hurried to her side but Hermione got there first, "Looks like the one in the book but I've not seen it close up."
Harry took a hold of it to look closer, "This is it. Wit beyond measure blah, blah, blah. Come on let's go to the headmaster."
Once in the office they showed Dumbledore and he stepped out for a moment. When he came back he had the vial of venom and dripped a few drops onto the stone in the middle. Another blast of thick black smoke caused them all to cough and Albus sent a breeze through the room to clear it out.
"Excellent work you three. I'm calling your parents Harry." Albus sent a silvery spell out the window, "I've received some more news and I think we're ready. I'm sorry but you girls are going to have to head on to dinner without Harry."
The girls were gone by the time the other four arrived. Albus showed them the diadem and then caught them up on the next news, "Severus came back last night with a job to do. He's supposed to locate the sword of Godric Gryffindor."
"He's not made the last one yet then." Sirius grinned.
"No but he's planning it. My bet is that he plans to make it with Harry's death." Albus didn't like this thought but he was sure it was what the man was thinking.
"You think that's the reason Harry's name was entered then." James held on to Lily as she sagged in terror.
"I do." he took his seat, "Harry have you figured out the clue in the egg?"
"Yes, I'll have to find the mermaids in the lake and save something of value to me." He told them, "I'll have an hour to look."
"Have you done any preparation?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm ready. I don't think it's going to take me an hour." He stated.
"Good we want you in and out as soon as possible." Albus breathed deeply, "I'm going to get a few aurors to watch the… items."
"Namely Potter and Black?" Sirius asked.
"No." he disagreed but explained when they tried to argue, "They may say you helped Harry. I'm getting Tonks and Shacklebolt."
"At least they're good ones." James agreed.
"Tell me, who had the bright idea to have us swim in the lake in February?" Harry grumbled as he left the office, "Freezing cold winter time."
Christmas was quickly upon them and Harry found himself staring in awe as his two beautiful best friends walked down the steps. Hermione gave him a quick hug and went to stand by Victor Krum who had asked her to the ball. Ginny gave him a hug and then took his arm and they waited for their turn to enter the Great Hall.
The evening was wonderful and Harry danced every song with Ginny. Several times someone had tried to cut in but they were always sent away, even her brothers. When it was over Harry walked her to the door of her common room.
"I'm ever so glad I received dancing lessons now." Harry grinned, "I considered them torture when Bellatrix was teaching me. Mum helped me remember the lessons over the last few weeks and that wasn't nearly as bad."
"I never thought I'd be thankful to that woman for anything." Ginny giggled.
They two stood quietly for a few minutes just looking at each other. A few more students passed them to enter their common room. Ginny had turned slightly and was just deciding on the need to go back when Harry interrupted.
"Listen you remember what the egg said?" Ginny nodded so he continued, "I think I know what they're going to put in the lake."
"What?" she asked.
"Really less of a what and more of a who." He gazed into her eyes, "I'd miss you more than anything else if you were gone."
Ginny smiled for a moment before it dropped off her face, "I suppose it will have to be a stasis charm to keep us under water for an hour or more."
"I thought so too." He sighed, "If you don't want to do it get a note from your father saying you aren't allowed to participate in the tournament."
"No I'll do it." She said, "But if we're going to be linked together I think I'd like to get a little advanced training in defense."
"I'll let dad know." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, "I better go now they're waiting."
"Night." She called just before the portrait closed behind her.
Ginny and Hermione started extra lessons the next day. Both of them spent most of their extra time learning to defend themselves and others along with some handy charms. They were amazed at their progress after just a few short months. Ginny felt much better about herself when she was notified she would be placed in the lake for Harry to save.
The second task was really a walk in the park for Harry. They made a few preparations the night before and when the whistle was blown Harry summoned one of the small boats the first years used to cross the lake. He conjured a sail and used a blowing spell to move the boat to the middle of the lake. From there he dove in and did a quick bubble head charm. Swimming straight down he found the village and Ginny. He quickly untied her and swam back up and helped her get into the boat. He noticed that Fleur was being pulled out of the lake as he was helping Ginny so he dove back in. From a distance he sent a spell at the other girls tether and then summoned her to him as he swam away from the angry merfolk. He placed the blond girl in the boat and held on with one hand while he pointed his want at the sail and blew them into shore. It had taken him thirty minutes. He was pulled from the water by Fleur and thanked over and over for saving her sister.
"Mr. Potter why did you bring a hostage that wasn't yours?" one of the judges asked.
"I saw Fleur being pulled from the lake and I just went back for her." He stated, "I knew she'd be worried when she woke up. What got her?"
Harry was the only one to make it back with his hostage before the hour was up. So he was solidly in first place going into the last task. When Cedric made it back to the dock he saw the little boat and recognized it.
"Let me guess, you summoned it." He grinned at Harry who only nodded in response with his own grin in place, "How did you get extra points?"
"Fleur didn't make it and I saw before I left the middle of the lake so I went back for her sister." He replied, "Good moral fiber they called it."
"How did you think of the little boat?" Victor asked as he pushed Hermione onto the dock and pulled himself out afterwards.
"First years ride them from the train to the castle on September first." Harry shrugged, "Ginny introduced me to her friend Collen Creevey and he was telling me how his little brother fell in on his way across. Once I got the whole story I had the idea, then it was just finding the village."
"How did you find it so quickly?" Fleur asked.
"There was no rule about swimming in the lake before the task started." Harry grinned as the older three groaned.
"You are a worthy opponent." Victor smiled.
"But he has his parents to help." Fleur argued with Victor.
"No they aren't." Harry said, "They are following the rules. If I ask to learn a spell like the bubble head charm they can help me learn it. They do not suggest spells or tactics or anything of that sort."
"Then how did you think of flying your broom in the first task?" she asked.
"The dragon was tethered to the ground. I could get away from flames faster with the broom." He shrugged.
"What are your plans for the next part?" Victor grinned.
"I don't know yet." He grinned, "And you'll be the last to know."
Weeks passed at a dizzying rate for Harry and he was quite shocked one day to exit their door near Hagrids and look to the quidditch pitch to find it full of plants. He ran to the stadium and found Cedric and a few other quidditch players gaping along with him.
"What did they do to it?" he sounded suspiciously close to tears.
"I don't know but they deserve to be hexed for it." Harry had loved flying over that pitch during the year. He knew how much it meant to the quidditch teams.
Reluctantly the group turned and walked back to the castle. Every once in a while one of them would glance back and grimace. Ludo Bagman met them at the door grinning like the idiot he was. He ushered the Harry and Cedric off to meet with the other champions.
"A maze." Cedric stated, "And my pitch will be back to normal after it's gone right?"
"Yes it will Mr. Diggery." One of the officials reassured him.
"Now today is family day so you are off classes and will get to spend time with them." Ludo exclaimed, "Good luck champions."
Harry hurried off to the designated room with the others and found his parents and uncles along with Ted, Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks. They spent a lovely day out of the grounds catching up with everyone and all they were doing. They talked about anything but the tournament. Eventually they rolled around to his new abilities.
"Working with the wand it going well, my spells are more focused and stronger. I am physically stronger and more agile. Invisibility is completely under control." Harry explained.
"Have you tried the other?" Ted asked.
"No and I really have no plans to." Harry said, "I just feel weird about talking to dead people, especially since I'll be the only one who can see and hear them."
"I think that's fine." Ted said, "I just didn't want you to try with no one around to ground you."
"I won't." Harry agreed, "I really don't need my life to get any weirder at the moment. We might think about tackling that part when I'm thirty or forty years old."