A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any character thereof! I just like to play with them!

Chapter 67

Harry had a huge headache but he decided to go to Hogsmeade anyway. However, he was going to do so under his invisibility cloak.

The stares, teasing, and rumors had subsided some but the first task was next weekend so they hadn't gone away yet. In fact, it seemed that they had started back up in full force again.

Just thinking of whatever the first task could be made him feel like a knot was growing in his stomach. Whenever he spied Cedric, Fleur, and Victor, they looked calmer, but then again - they had also signed up for this.

After spending some time in the Three Broomsticks, Harry and Hermione left, which made them almost run straight into Ron, who was entering the pub.

"Where's Harry at? Off giving an interview with Skeeter again?"

"No Ron. I'm not," he hissed.

Ron jumped. "Why are you hiding?"

"Because I'm tired of every bloody person staring at me."

"Whatever."

Harry watched him walk away. "I'm going back Hermione. I'll see you at dinner."

Before she could respond, he turned and walked away.

"What do you mean the first task involves dragons?" hissed Severus.

Albus sighed. "I can't tell you what all it involves but it does involve dragons."

"Potter is only a 4th year. How is he supposed to get past a dragon? Normally it's a 5th year discussion in Care of Magical Creatures. I doubt he knows anything about them."

"Sit down Severus before I put a sticking charm on you and on that chair. You're wearing a hole in my floor with your pacing."

Glaring, Severus sat down.

"Now. Harry is resourceful. The first task is designed to test bravery in the face of the unknown. We already know he has courage in spades against the unknown from his first three years. He will be fine during this task."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I have faith. You should too."

The glare Severus gave the Headmaster told him what he thought of that faith and where he could put it too.

Harry stared in utter shock at the four dragons.

He was dead.

It was as simple as that.

There was no way that he'd be able to do anything that involved dragons. Even the dragon tamers were having trouble with the Hungarian Horntail.

Harry was walking in a semi-daze back to the castle when he was caught off guard by someone slamming into him. Thankfully his invisibility cloak didn't fall off of him.

When he looked up, he saw that it was Karkaroff. He frowned. Madame Maxime was on a date with Hagrid down by the dragon enclave. That meant that every champion would know about them but Cedric.

Harry sighed. He would need to find some way to tell him.

In the meantime, he needed to get back to the dorms without being caught - which sadly took longer than normal because there were teachers patrolling everywhere. In fact, he had almost been caught by Snape. That would be all he needed. Detention on top of dragons.

Severus had been prowling the corridors looking for people to give detention to when he heard a noise. He stopped and listened. A wordless spell told him that someone was standing not more than 3 feet from him.

He had been about two seconds away from storming over there and giving whoever it was a detention when he realized that it was his son. What in Merlin's name was he doing out after curfew? He eyed the footprints that led to where he was standing and realized that he had been outside.

Severus backed off down the hallway some, hoping to see where Potter was going. Satisfied that he seemed to be returning to the Tower, he back traced the footprints. He would see where the boy had been.

When he got outside, he lost the trail, but there would only be one reason that he would be out at night. He had gone to see Hagrid.

Severus scowled. Hagrid should know better, and so should Harry.

Unless ... he knew that the dragons would be delivered tonight and placed on the other side of the Forbidden Forrest. He also knew that Hagrid had a huge fascination for the creatures. Maybe he showed them to Harry? If so, that would definitely give him a chance to prepare for the first task.

Without making a sound, he stole back into the castle and finished his rounds.

"Mister Potter. Please summon that pillow to yourself."

"Accio pillow," Harry said while pointing his wand at the pillow and giving it a swift flick back toward himself.

Nothing happened. He sighed.

"See me after class."

"Yes sir."

After class let out, Harry approached Professor Flitwick's desk.

"Have a seat Mister Potter."

Harry sat down at the nearest table.

Flitwick pointed to the board. "Using your wand, write on that."

Harry blinked but pointed his wand at the chalk board and said, "Ascribo Harry Potter."

Flitwick nodded in satisfaction when Harry's name wrote itself on the board.

"Make this chair levitate."

Harry was confused but nevertheless did as he was told.

"You can cast a seventh year spell just as easily as you can a first year spell."

Harry frowned. He didn't know that writing with his wand was a 7th year spell. He'd been able to do that since his first year. He watched as Flitwick summoned a book off of his shelf and opened it.

"Read that section on banishing charms and try to banish the pillow to the box in the corner of the room."

"Sir, I'm afraid -"

"Humor me."

"All right." Harry read the section on banishing charms. After 10 minutes of reading, he looked at the pillow, and while flicking his wand toward the box in the corner said, "Depulso Pillow."

His aim was off by a foot, but it did fly in the general direction of the box.

Flitwick nodded.

Harry suddenly got the feeling that he was some kind of experiment.

"Banishing objects is a spell that you will learn how to do later this year. It's something that most people can't do unless they can perform the summoning charm."

"I don't understand sir."

Harry saw Flitwick sit down in his chair behind the desk. "Did you know that I taught your mother? She was one of the brightest students in charms that I had taught in a long time. She actually obtained a mastery in it after she graduated."

Harry smiled but he was still confused as to what this had to do with anything.

"I remember your mother had the worst time getting stuff to levitate - a simple first year spell. There was actually a handful of spells that was classified as easy to cast that she had trouble with, yet the most difficult ones, she could cast with the bat of an eye."

"How did she get around it?"

"After many discussions, I discovered that it was her inability to focus properly."

"I'm confused, sir."

"That was the problem," he said grinning. "Right now, you're probably worried about the first task in two days so your mind isn't all here, yet when I had you read about the banishing charm, it forced you to focus harder. Humor me and summon the pillow to yourself now."

"Accio pillow. AHH!" Harry ducked. Four of them zoomed at his head.

"A little too much power but it worked because your mind was no longer wandering. Keep practicing. You'll get better at it."

"Sir, is it like this in all my classes? I ask because I'm pants at Transfiguration and I swear I'm concentrating in there."

The tiny professor chuckled. "I seriously doubt it. I knew that you had the potential in here, especially considering that you've been able to write with your wand since your first year."

"How did you know that?" asked Harry suspiciously.

"The staff talks Mr. Potter."

Harry groaned in mortification. He then had a question float through his mind. "Sir ... I know that sometimes some of my classmates have trouble with charms. Is it because they aren't focusing either?"

"No, Mister Potter. You seem to be pre-naturally gifted, like your mother, when it comes to charms. Some people have no talent for it what so ever. You said that you were having trouble with Transfiguration and it's not because of your concentration. It could be that you just don't have any real talent for it. Not everyone can be gifted in everything."

"Except for Hermione," Harry said before he could stop himself.

Professor Flitwick chuckled. "Ms. Granger, too, will eventually run across something she will struggle with. Right now, her photographic memory is on her side. Down the road, she might find it a hindrance rather than helpful."

Harry seemed to ponder that as he gathered his things to leave. "Thanks for helping me Professor. I'll keep practicing."

"And Mister Potter?"

Harry turned around. "Good luck on Friday."

"Thank you sir." Having said that, Harry headed off to dinner.

Harry was leaving Moody's office to head up to the dorms when he saw Gabriella talking to her friend from Ravenclaw.

"Hey Harry."

"Hey Gabriella, Morgana."

"Detention?" the third year Slytherin girl asked.

"Not exactly." Harry readjusted his book bag. It was crammed full of stuff. "He was just helping me with something. I'm heading to the library. If I don't return some of these books, Madam Pince will murder me."

Gabriella laughed. "I just wanted to wish you luck on Friday."

"Thank you. I'll see you around." As he headed towards the library, he heard both of them giggling.

"Moody, what are you doing in my personal stores?" demanded an irate Snape.

"Searching for dark artifacts."

"I'll have you know that the Headmaster trusts me, so remove yourself from my ingredient cupboard at once."

"I'll be keeping an eye on you Snape."

Severus watched with a blank expression as Moody limped away.

That had been the second time he had caught the man rummaging around in his stores. A quick search didn't reveal anything missing, so he immediately set up wards around his cupboard, stronger than normal.

Severus then headed back to his office. He had a detention to supervise for Professor Vector.

A/N: Hm.. I didn't realize that this was so short. *Accepts the flogging.* In case you can't tell, I happen to like the charms professor. hehe =) Up next, the first task! I should have it posted sometime tomorrow. I just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews so far. They really do encourage me!