'baranora ssuuenssanova g nesTuu lu emreiira siy valazhuun'

Harry had really been worried, when they got back into the tent, how he was supposed to address what had just happened. After all, there was no getting around what had just happened and Cedric was bound to want to know exactly why they couldn't have waited for a more appropriate time...or he'd be angry because this wasn't really something to be doing while Voldemort was gaining in power and terrorizing people. Cedric was staring at him, eyes somehow placid despite what they were all about to say. Harry was surprised when Cedric was the first to speak.

"I can't believe you two did it outside." Cedric gave the Slytherins an incredulous look. "It's bloody freezing out there and...well, it's out there."

"Well, is really none of your business where we do it, is it?" Theodore took a seat across from the other and summoned up food from where he kept it stored in his bag. "Starving..."

"Sex tends to work up an appetite." Cedric said blandly and both Theodore and Harry, who had already started eating, gagged on their food. Cedric continued talking, nonplussed, "So what have you two been up to?"

"None of your business." Theodore cleared his throat and took a drink of water, which he then passed to Harry.

"In case you didn't know," Cedric pointed out. "I kind of just saved your boyfriend from drowning while you were off frolicking in the woods somewhere."

"Would never 'frolic' anywhere. Was busy with You-Know-Who." Theo snapped, scowling, and then rounded his anger on Harry. "What do you mean you almost drowned?"

Harry related the story to his boyfriend, who was glaring at him the entire time.

"Thought the deer was mine?" He asked with a scoff. "Have already proved twice now that my Patronus is now a falcon!"

"I wasn't thinking!" Harry felt his cheeks blaze with red. "I was getting desperate for a sign that you were all right! So I saw it and I forgot that your Patronus had changed and...well, then Cedric said he thought it was mine and that mine had changed...and I thought...m-maybe yours had turned back."

Theodore's glare made Harry's blood chill.

"I don't think that anymore, I swear!" He quickly put in. "It was just a momentary thought! I...w-was really...I wasn't thinking."

"Give him a break, Nott." Cedric's tone was reprimanding. "He was clearly distraught about you being gone. You should have seen him when he was with me while you were gone. I thought he was going crazy. I thought, maybe, he was a bit over-attached to be honest. I can't imagine him being any better completely alone."

Harry cast Cedric a quick thankful glance and then returned his attention to Theodore, who's anger seemed to have died a little.

"Who sent the Patronus then?" He asked, looking at Cedric. "Did you happen to see? Or is it your Patronus?"

"Mine's a Labrador Retriever."

"Knew there was something I didn't like about you..." Theodore grumbled as he and Harry both really didn't like dogs. "Among other things..."

Cedric rolled his eyes and moved on. "So if it wasn't either of ours and definitely not Harry's, whose?"

"It was Snape."

Cedric turned baffled eyes to Harry and Theodore muttered disdain under his breath.

"Why do you think it was Snape?" Cedric asked in perplexity.

"I just think it is." Harry told him with assurance he barely felt was there. "He helped me at the castle by not turning me over when I fell down and he recognized my wand (he didn't let Cedric interrupt him here), he hit a Death Eater when I escaped my house, and he sent three students attempting to steal the sword to Hagrid so they didn't actually get punished. He knew the one was a fake when he sent it to Gringott's and he was hiding the real one, probably in his office. He left the sword in that pond for me and he sent the Patronus. "

"He killed Dumbledore." Theodore stated harshly, clearly enraged he was repeating himself.

"You said last year that Dumbledore was going to die anyway and that he was in a lot of pain." Harry wasn't going to give up on his idea too easily. "You said that what Snape did to Dumbledore was mercy. Well, maybe it was? Maybe Dumbledore asked him to kill..."

"This is..."

"Listen to me." Harry stood. "Maybe Dumbledore wanted to die before the pain got to be too much. I was there when he died! I know he was weak and he still kept asking for Snape! He wanted Snape to come and make it stop!"

Theodore also stood. "Is just speculation..."

"Malfoy was ordered to kill Dumbledore." Harry continued, ignoring his boyfriend's attempt for him to see reason. "If he did it, his soul would have been ripped apart and Dumbledore wouldn't have wanted that! He would have wanted Malfoy's soul to remain whole! If Snape did it, it'd be mercy, so it wouldn't have damaged his soul."

"Harry..."

"He planned his own death, so that Malfoy could escape with a fully intact soul, so that Snape could be trusted by You-Know-Who, and become Headmaster at Hogwarts, so he could protect the students and give me the sword when the time was right!"

"How would he even know where you were?" Theo had given up trying to convince Harry that he was wrong. He would have to show Harry through logic.

"I don't know, but I'm sure there are ways."

"Not even Dumbledore could have found this place without a hint." Theo stated sternly.

"How did you then?"

"Sleipner." Theo straightened. "Found the old campsite and a hint that you were all right, so I called Sleipner and he led me back. Was quite...shocked...when I didn't see you anywhere within the wards..."

Harry felt a leap of guilt as he realized he'd been off following a Patronus and nearly drowning himself in a pond trying to get the sword while Theodore was at the camp, terrified because Harry was gone.

Then his mind lit with shock. "Phineas..."

"Phin..."

"Phineas Nigellus Black!" Harry grabbed the bag and waved it around in front of Theodore's face. "I was feeding Sleipner and Nuckel and I was going through the bag and...I...uh...kind of mentioned where I was."

"You idiot!" Theodore snatched the bag away and then yanked out the portrait. "Phineas! Get over here!"

There was nothing and he shook the painting in his growing rage. "Phineas! Get over here now!"

"He's not going to listen to you if you're rude to him." Harry snapped, grabbing the portrait away from Theo and said, "Um...Professor Black...could you come over here...please?"

"'Please' always helps." Phineas said as he started into his portrait.

"Obscuro." Theodore cast the spell lazily and a blindfold appeared over Phineas' eyes.

"What...how dare...what are you...?"

"Oh, I am terribly sorry, Black." Theodore's sarcasm was so thick it was like sap from a pine tree. "Just a necessary precaution."

"Remove this foul addition at once! Remove it, I say! You are ruining a great work of art! Where am I? What is going on?"

"Quiet." Theo hissed.

Harry sighed. "Please, Professor. We'll remove it as soon as we can."

"Ah, Potter." Phineas abandoned the attempt to remove the blindfold. "Should have known you'd have a hand in this. I noticed I was abducted from my spot in Grimmauld Place."

Theo ignored this and plowed on, "Did you tell Snape where we are?"

"Professor Snape. Where you are? I have no idea where you are."

"Or maybe where we were? Or where you thought we were?"

"Professor Snape has more important things on his mind than the whereabouts of truants and werewolves." Phineas had found the exit. "Good-bye."

"Wait!" Harry stopped him. "What kind of important things?"

"It is not my duty to inform you of the Headmaster's business." Phineas seemed even more enraged by this question than by the rudeness Theodore had sent him.

"Did he send it?" Harry yelped before Phineas could disappear. "Please, tell me, did he send it?"

"Send?" Phineas was hesitant at the exit. "Send...what?"

"He didn't then, did he?" Harry whispered, staring at the man in nervousness. "He didn't..."

He was too nervous to say more in case his assumptions were wrong.

"Can you send Dumbledore a message?" Harry asked after a moment and Cedric gasped.

"Perhaps..." Phineas gave an indignant huff. "If you can remove this blindfold."

"I don't know how." Harry admitted. "And I know Theodore won't...but this is for me, not him."

"Fine. Fine." Phineas seemed flustered now. "What is your message, but I make no guarantees to provide a return message."

"Tell Dumbledore that whoever he's got sending us aid..." Harry felt Theo's glare on him. "That we really appreciate it and...thank you."

Phineas waited a moment as if contemplating a reply to this message and then nodded and left.

Several minutes later, he returned, blindfold still in place. "Dumbledore has a message in return, 'You're welcome, good luck, and to not let your path waver from where your heart leads you.' If that is all, I would really like to return to my other painting."

"Yes, of course." Harry nodded. "Thank you, Professor."

He gave a hmph before abandoning them and Harry, too nervous to look at Theodore, put the painting away and sighed. "Well, that was...weird."

Theodore turned and stormed from the tent.

Translation: "Never fault for deeds of love or war" or "All is fair in love and war" in my language.