AN/- This is for all the wonderful people who reviewed and for my best friends Vidhi and Ruchika who would never ditch me like Gabrielle. I love you guys!

Chapter 9

Audrey walked into the room; she was scared more than she had ever been. Why had she been named champion, she had absolutely no business being called the Beauxbatons champion, because she hadn't applied to be it in the first place, she hadn't put her name in the goblet then why had her name popped out of the bloody thing. Audrey didn't understand what was happening but when she finally did reach the room she saw Harry standing there talking to Cedric Diggory the boy everyone had a crush on, Audrey dashed to Harry who was shocked to see her.

"You too?" he said surprised and thrilled to see her all at once, she nodded.

"Did you?" she asked him slowly as he shook his head vigorously and repeated what she just said as she gave him the same response, the fear hadn't gone but Audrey's mind had made an effort to decrease it. Maybe this was a mistake and they would fix it, maybe Fedora would replace Audrey and some other kid would replace Harry. Yes, it was all a mistake, all a big mistake.

"What is going on—Audrey are you the second champion?" asked Fleur a little worried but sounding excited, as Audrey's stomach clenched in tightly, she imagined what Gabrielle would think of her, she gave Fleur a small nod as the older girl threw her a big smile.

Suddenly the door to the room opened and tall figures walked in, a hoarse voice could be heard fighting and shouting loudly at the other two that tried to calm it.

"This is unfair—first two champions and now this—I refuse to let my champion compete in such environment," said Karkaroff walking down the steps as Maxine walked down the steps behind Dumbledore as she knocked down a hanging lamp that was too close to her face, the lamp almost fell on Jean as he stopped and Maurice knocked into him from behind.

Audrey noticed Remus, Padfoot and Mad eye enter the room from the other side as Dumbledore jumped a few steps and launched himself onto Harry and Audrey questioning them both simultaneously.

"Did you put your names in the goblet of fire?" he asked sternly pushing them both against the wall as the other champions looked on.

"No," they chorused equally scared, neither had seen this side of Albus Dumbledore.

"Did you make any older student do it for you?" asked Dumbledore in the same voice.

"No," they replied.

"Are you absolutely sure?" he asked again.

"Yes," they chorused together.

"But of course they are lying!" said Karkaroff snidely in his Russian accent.

"The hell they are!—the goblet of fire is a extremely powerful magical object—only an very powerful wizard could have hoodwinked it—magic way beyond the talents of fourth years," said Moody practically as Karkaroff took a sharp step towards him.

"You have given this a fair bit of thought mad eye!" said Karkaroff his yellow teeth making him look deadly fearsome.

"It was once my job to think like dark wizards do Karkaroff, perhaps you remember!" said Moody in not less than a whisper as Karkaroff's face turned pale and Dumbledore broke them apart.

"It does not help Alastor," he said stepping in between the two.

"What did you do Audrey—I swear if I find out-!" began Rachel stepping closer to Audrey as Jean pulled her back.

"You can't possibly think she had anything to do with it Rach!" said Lupin from where he was standing as everyone looked at him.

"Are you serious?—you know what she's capable of—after that spell episode I don't trust her at all!" said Rachel giving Audrey her best death glare, as Audrey looked down at the ground, it was sad that she was gifted but no one cared about her talents, they were wasted on this world.

"Whatever may be the case!—Barty we leave this for you to decide," said Dumbledore rudely interrupting the conversation as Remus smiled at Audrey pityingly but she didn't raise her head.

Harry sighed inaudibly waiting for Crouch to give his ever so important judgment, he glanced over at Audrey as he saw her looking down her hair covering her face from view but Harry knew he saw two tears fall from the hidden face, no one must have noticed but he did and he felt bad for her. He had experienced grave public humiliation too, when his uncle and aunt kept telling people that he was a hopeless delinquent who thought he was too cool for school and only Harry knew how it felt when people were repulsed by looking at you because they thought they were above you or worse afraid of something you were not, a freak. He slipped his hand into hers, which made her look at him, he couldn't see tear stains but her eyes were definitely wet and her cheeks were flushed, he smiled understandingly at her.

Audrey felt like hugging him, it was as if he was pushing all the pain away with his smile, she didn't know people could do that, she didn't know she could feel that way, she let him hold her hand some more but he let go quickly as Remus's eyes darted towards him. Audrey smiled as she saw a red flush cross Harry's face as Remus propped a quizzical eyebrow at her, she shrugged but he ended up smiling which made her smile a little too. She loved her godfather; she'd be dead if he hadn't been there for her.

"There is nothing we can do—the goblet of fire had already passed out and a re-selection is not possible—the only option from here forward is that Mr. Potter and Ms. Adams will be considered to be the champions," finished Crouch as he smiled at the champions while the rest looked worried beyond words even Padfoot seemed to have gone extremely quiet but as everyone departed for dinner talking about new developments Harry led Padfoot out as he growled at Snape to let them go out first, which Snape grudgingly moved away hoping that the idiot wouldn't bit him and give him rabies

Severus noticed Rachel leave the room with a final glare at Audrey, he wished to comfort her but he couldn't he had nothing to say really, so he just stood there as Jean threw him a nasty glare and stalked out behind his fiancée.

"Are you alright?" Remus asked as he walked up to Audrey who threw herself into his arms, she wasn't crying but she seemed extremely upset.

"I didn't do it!—I swear! I didn't!" she said into his chest as he held her close stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head.

"I know—I believe you Drey!" he said using the name he reserved only for her.

"But—she doesn't Rem—why is it so hard to trust me?" she asked as if begging him for something.

"I don't know Drey—give her time," he said softly, as she pushed her head further into him as Snape found himself standing there in an awkward situation.

"Come on, professor Snape's looking—stop crying," he whispered softly, pulling her out of the embrace.

"I wasn't crying," she said indignantly.

"Of course you weren't" he said shaking his head pulling her back into him as she smiled a bit, she liked being hugged by Remus, he was everything she had close to her father, but that didn't mean she was happy, there would always be a void he would never be able to fill.

" So Severus—I was wondering about the Wolfsbane?" said Remus walking Audrey forward as she felt a little embarrassed that she had displayed her affections so openly in front of a random man.

"I wanted to talk about that," said Severus finding an escape route to have been looking at Remus and Audrey meet like that, he felt awkward to have been standing there looking at them.

"I suppose you've met my goddaughter—she is a potions fan just like you—aren't you Drey?" smiled Remus looking at Audrey making her feel comfortable as his hand soothed her back a bit as she nodded slowly her hair once again hiding her face.

"Yes—I have noticed Ms. Adams's talent in that particular field—but excuse my curiosity but what did your aunt mean by the spell episode?" asked Severus as the group walked out of the room walking into the empty great hall and towards the grounds were the feast was being held. This was a new development for Severus actually, talking to a Marauder wasn't easy yet the truth was he had never hated Remus that much, but there was a difference between not hating someone and liking someone and Severus was stuck in the middle and his new finding of Lupin being the girl's godfather made him feel threatened for some reason he had no clue why and therefore he tried to be friendly but not overtly desperate because that way he thought he seemed cold but somewhat approachable.

"Audrey—here has a talent for spells," said Remus sounding a bit proud as his hand still rest on the girl's shoulders as if reassuring her of his presence.

"I design Spells—Rem it's an art," said Audrey indignantly as if Remus had just described her new doll to Snape in a very basic way it was like calling a firebolt a broomstick.

"Design spells?—don't you think that is a bit too much Ms. Adams," chuckled Severus as Remus did the same, Audrey didn't like the way they were treating her like a five year old who thought that she could make Christmas come every day.

"No!—I don't— I design spells and well—one went terribly wrong and I managed to hurt someone in the process and my aunt had to clear my name out with the French ministry so from that day I was banned from developing them any further by her," said Audrey as if cursing the ministry.

"And—knowing you—you wouldn't have really listened to her or the ministry now would you Drey?" said Remus shaking his head as Audrey blushed slightly.

"What spell was it?" asked Severus taking the conversation forward as they took a right from the great hall and walked into the corridor towards the entrance hall.

"It's a mixture of transfiguration and defense," she muttered slowly as Severus looked at her disbelievingly, a fourth year couldn't possibly make a defense spell, but he remembered a particular one that had—himself.

"It makes limbs disappear—leaves you helpless unless you say a magic word," she smirked as Remus shook his head.

"Almost killed that boy," muttered Remus as Audrey grinned shamelessly.

"He deserved it—called me some terrible things- he did!" said Audrey

"What's the magic word?" asked Severus curiously.

"It's a secret—and a good witch never reveals her secrets," said Audrey smirking as Remus shook his head again.

"There is no magic word—it is her choice or rather she'll reverse it if and when she fancies it," finished Remus as Severus looked impressed, he knew he had created the sectumsempra in his third year but hadn't been successful in making it perfect till his sixth.

"It doesn't work though—but it could have killed that kid," said Remus as they reached the grounds where the tables had been set and students had already started eating.

"It does now—I worked on it all summer," she said a little proud of herself.

"And she didn't find out?" said Remus disbelievingly not knowing about this matter.

"She was too busy with Jean arse-a-lot" sneered Audrey pouting as Remus raised his eyebrows while Snape's face went cold. Audrey left Remus and Severus and went to sit with Leon who greeted her with a fierce hug.

"At least she has her friends close," said Remus as Severus turned to look at Remus curiously as they walked to the head table.

"Did Rachel really have a sister?" asked Severus taking a seat next to Flitwick while Remus sat next to him.

"Apparently—whoelse's kid could she possibly have?" said Remus laughing lightly as if trying to cover up something. That was the answer Severus was looking, he didn't push it further knowing that if he needed to find out he would sooner or later, but he still wondered why in the world Remus was named as godfather but after Dumbledore announced Remus's return to Hogwarts for the year as a healer for the tournament, Remus himself spoke to Severus after a glass of wine.

"Audrey didn't really have a godfather, Rachel named me after she took over guardianship for the girl—I was kind of always around—I really do love her— but you should know she is quite exceptional in every way—she's a good kid," finished Remus as he sipped his next glass of wine, while Severus nodded his eyes resting on Audrey who was now smiling as Padfoot jumped in the air to catch a chicken leg that Potter swung out for him, but he knew better, she was internally being pressed by the fact that she was being blamed for something she didn't do. Truthfully, he felt sorry for her but what was done was done and Severus knew the solution for this issue would be more pressing on the girl than anything she would ever face in her life.

After dinner the grounds had been cleared and the tables had magically been floated back inside along with the benches, the great hall was now restored to what it had been before that night, like it had never happened but the occupants in Dumbledore's office were well aware that something had happened, something that they had never anticipated or even hoped for.

Dumbledore stood over his pensieve like he was going to be sick any minute, while Snape stood next to McGonagall, Moody in a corner drank deeply from his hip flask while he openly leered at Rachel whose hand was around Jean's hand who didn't really acknowledge her as he spoke animatedly to Sirius who was back in human form and Remus sat silently observing them, he did not understand how Jean had taken so quickly to Sirius like they had been destined to meet and talk about their common interest-girls and booze.

"This can't go on Albus," said Minerva her voice grave as Dumbledore sighed and looked up from the pensieve but didn't turn to look at his wife as everyone else was at that moment.

"First the dark mark now this—how can we sit back and call it a coincidence?" she said loudly trying to make him look at her but he didn't.

"What do you suggest Minerva?" asked Albus exasperatedly, he seemed to be extremely tired.

"Put an end to it—don't let Potter and Adams compete," said Minerva in a very obvious way but a little annoyed that he didn't see the obvious.

"You heard Barty the rules are clear," argued Albus.

"To devil with Barty and his rules-and since when have you accommodated the ministry?" asked Minerva feeling a little beaten that he wasn't seeing her point.

"I too find these more than mere coincidences headmaster—but if we are to truly now the reason behind them—we should for the time being let them unfold," said Severus walking up to Minerva articulating exactly what he had been thinking for some time now. Remus nodded in the corner while Sirius threw Severus a very cold look.

"So you believe they should just be offered up as bait!—they're kids—not a piece of meat!" said Rachel getting up from her seat as Jean now looked at his fiancée a little worried, he didn't like it when she got mad.

"I wouldn't say it like that—but yes I believe it is the only option we are left with," sneered Severus.

"Brilliant—so we should all just watch them walk into the hands of death—oh! What the heck just add in a few more fourteen year olds for fun?" snarled Rachel as Severus threw her death glares while Sirius looked at Rachel and smiled proudly.

"That will be enough!—I agree with Severus," said Dumbledore announcing the end of the discussion as he turned away from the pensieve and opened a small cabinet in the wall that held several bottles.

"Shall I pour you all a night cap?" asked Dumbledore as glasses appeared out of nowhere and settled on the desk, while he pulled out his finest Meade. Minerva sank into a chair and held her head in her hand.

"I believe that they will need care-taking though—Alastor I want you to keep an eye out for Harry—and Severus Remus tells me Ms. Adams has taken a fancy to you—I understand that you can decline but I would request you to look after her—don't let them know though—it is not likely that they have enough on their heads already," said Albus passing the now filled glasses around.

"Uncle Albus!—I don't think that is a good idea," said Rachel glaring at Severus who didn't look at her but smirked to himself, he had been expecting this.

"I will not hear it Rachel—you are permitted to help him but— he stays!" said Dumbledore as Rachel looked away from Severus, her jaw was clenched in the hope that she wouldn't burst into one of her well known tantrums.

"I need to leave—I have class at seven tomorrow," said Severus declining the drink as Albus smiled.

"You must stay for one Severus!" smiled Remus holding up his glass as Severus shook his head politely, just as he turned he could hear Sirius sneer.

"Snivellus—is still that bloody git—how the hell does that girl fancy him?" said Sirius to himself or rather to Jean who chuckled at his choice of name for.

"Audrey Adams has odd choices, I would say only a bloody idiot could fancy him," grinned Jean as Sirius laughed and clanked their glasses. Severus knew this was all a classic effort to provoke him and it took all his energy and mind to make him stop himself from killing Black and that Claude character but the only thing he did was fold his hands into fists that were held in so tight that they could crush anything if he were holding any, but when Severus turned Rachel caught his eyes, she looked a little annoyed because she knew Sirius was making a reference to her, she looked into his eyes, with what was it pity. Severus quickly looked away and walked out of the office into the dark corridor and towards the dungeons; he didn't need her pity—not for the time being.

Next morning Audrey woke up to realize that the detention she had with Jean was to be held today before breakfast, so she dragged herself out of bed and after a quick shower she left the room as everyone else in the room slept on, Hermione too with a big book on her chest.

Audrey left the common room with her Libsec 950 broomstick, she didn't know why Jean wanted her broomstick for detention, maybe he would be cursed and ask her to hit him with it—no that was definitely not going to happen. Though Libsec wasn't a brand that was known to many not even in France, it was a very rare broomstick to come by, they were usually custom made and Audrey loved her broomstick more than anything in the world because it had been her twelfth birthday gift from her mother, who was pleased that Audrey had gotten on to the quidditch team that she had ordered the broomstick three months before her birthday that birthday had been the only one Audrey wanted to remember, it was the year when everyone had made an effort to make her feel special, this year her mother had gone out with Jean in the evening for a date not really bothering to celebrate something that her daughter considered important with her. Audrey was tired of this behaviour, but she couldn't say much, Rachel had been dating Jean since the past four years and since the past two years they had become extremely serious about each other, obviously that meant less time with Audrey which didn't go down with Audrey very well. She missed the woman who loved her more than anything in the world and since the past two years all they did was pick fights about how Audrey had become very disrespectful or how Rachel didn't care about Audrey anymore.

Audrey pushed her feet to walk forward as she swung the broomstick on her back, she passed the entrance hall were the caretaker Filch was standing and talking to his cat. Audrey smiled at him but he threw her a cold suspicious look, she walked ahead as she tugged the detachable straps around her broomstick, she wondered what Jean could have possibly installed in the detention for her. She reached the quidditch pitch were Jean was waiting for her, he was wearing a white shirt under a grey jumper and black jeans with what looked like converse shoes similar to the ones Audrey was wearing.

"You're late," muttered Jean as Audrey unstrapped her broomstick, she had kept in a very good condition she just hoped it would go out in the same way after that detention, there was no trusting Jean, he might even ask Audrey to break it apart and set it on fire, there were rumours that he had made one student burn her scrap book and photo album because she mistakenly opened it in his class thinking it was some other book. His detention were always the talk of the school because no one really came out carefree after their detention with him, they were dreadful of just unstable for least a week.

"I want you to run nine laps of this quidditch pitch with your broomstick over your shoulders—and then come back and I'll give you something else to do," said Jean briskly as a gush of wind blew across them. It was very windy and cool Audrey wasn't wearing a jacket only a quarter sleeved black t-shirt.

"Nine laps!" said Audrey as she gulped and Jean nodded a little pout on his face as he smirked and Audrey slumped a bit.

"Come on! What are you waiting for?" snarled Jean and Audrey picked up her broomstick and began her 'torture time' rather than detention. It was ridiculous, she would faint or die before she made even six rounds around the bloody huge quidditch pitch, thank Merlin they weren't in Durmstrang and she had heard their quidditch pitch was as big as the whole Hogwarts grounds.

Audrey cursed Jean under her breath, he deserved to be called everything she had ever called him, making her run a whole quidditch pitch was stupid, futile and a desperate shout out to something called revenge, but Audrey wasn't one of the those who would go complaining to her mother, no she would take it, complete it and then shove an imaginary middle finger in Jean's face as she would then imagine herself laughing while he ran into the castle crying like a girl.

Audrey chuckled evilly to herself, she loved having these thoughts about insulting Jean in public, how lovely would it be if she would just graduate next year and then when she got top honours in her class she would give out her speech.

"I wouldn't like to thank Jean Claude—because all he was, was a jack ass—I hate him and I hope he dies with maggots chewing on every bit of his small brain and every other hampered organ that he has—so fu-"

"Adams! I haven't got all day—I asked you to run not walk!" shouted Jean from the stands as Audrey looked up at him from her beautiful day dream, reality seemed like such a nightmare in comparison.

It took Audrey one and half hour and a little bit of—a lot of cheating to finish the task at hand, she was happy that Jean's idea of asking her to carry her broom over her shoulders had failed for him completely as every time Audrey got tired she'd push her broomstick up and pull her legs up and let the broomstick hover in the air for a while as it moved forward as slowly as an old silver arrow—she normally did it when she was furthest from Jean so he would think she was running.

"Impressive Adams!" he muttered a little disappointedly as Audrey was drenched from head to toe in sweat, the cold wind hitting her made her shiver slightly. He had made them walk over to the lake as Audrey waited for the next task, she was exceedingly hungry.

"You cold?" Jean asked sounding a little worried as he pulled out a parcel.

"I bit," she muttered murderously as she eyed the package suspiciously, her eyes widened as she saw her name on it.

"Do you know what this is Adams?" asked Jean opening the package as he hungrily tore the cardboard wrapping around it, Audrey shook her head—no! why was it with him.

"You see—I'm in-charge of checking large parcels that are sent to the Beauxbatons students—and to my surprise I found this at my doorstep this morning," said Jean removing a black wooden polished guitar out of the bubblewrap that he discarded it disregarding its presence.

"Please don't—please anything but that!" said Audrey begging him—her guitar was everything that was currently binding her to the real world, she would go mad without it. Audrey believed that ever since Remus had bought her that guitar her life had been different, she was much calmer than she was before—it helped her keep a balance within her life, though Rachel thought it was nothing but a racket maker Audrey knew what exactly it was—it had everything to do with her inner turmoil's and dilemmas and if that guitar was in Jean's hands Audrey knew nothing good would come of it—if that guitar would break she would lose her sanity and she knew it—he would win—if it broke he would win everything that she was fighting for—she didn't know why everything connected to the guitar but her life just did—it had always revolved around music when she had been low and this was the time she needed it desperately and he was going to take it away from her—he had already take her mother, she couldn't let him take this.

"Please!" she begged and pleaded as her heart cried out to fall to her knees and beg for it but her pride wouldn't let her, but this wasn't working on Jean, he smirked evilly, it wouldn't be a surprise if he were to grow horns at that moment.

"I want you to blast this piece of rubbish—with a reducto or an incendio since you are so cold—and then you can go!" he smirked as he placed the guitar on the soft grass as the wind blew ripples in the water.

"Don't make me do this—please," she said repeating as Jean scoffed inaudibly as he shook his head and stepped aside.

"Come on Adams—I want to have some coffee, this detention had wasted my whole morning," he said as Audrey looked at the guitar as if she was being forced to do a sin.

"Do it!" he commanded as Audrey raised her wand which was pointed at the lifeless guitar on the grass, she closed her eyes but her hand came down automatically.

"I can't," she said as she looked at Jean pleadingly, her feature going as soft as they could she looked as pale as she had ever been, truth was she looked beautiful when she was sad but this didn't affect Jean.

"Do it—Adams you're wasting my time," he said as Audrey turned her face away not wanting him to see the tears in her eyes.

"You're a coward—just like the other girls," said Jean shaking his head disappointedly.

"I'm not a coward!" said Audrey suddenly anger rising through her veins—how dare he? How dare he accuse her of such a thing—she would show him—she was no coward!

"Really—you sure don't act-" he began.

"Reducto!" shouted Audrey as invisible rays flew from her wand and burst her guitar into nothing but dust as a few wooden pieces were left scattered on the grass.

"Well—I suppose that is it—you can go now—detention over," smirked Jean as he yawned and started walking towards the castle.

Audrey stood there dumbfounded at her mistake, he had provoked her, he had purposely ticked her off—he knew it would affect her and now she had gone and done it—there sat nothing but dust instead what had been five years of memories was now nothing—it was dust—all was dust. The wind blew the dust away as Audrey fell to her knees in front of the lake where her guitar had been—now there was nothing not even dust and after a very long time Audrey wept—Audrey cried about all that was wrong with her life, the pleasure that she had prohibited herself from enjoying, she finally collapsed to the need of it—she didn't need any one she was happy that she was alone—she would enjoy it alone as always, she didn't have a father to hold her—so she would enjoy it and she would enjoy it alone.

AN/- thanks to everyone who reviewed and to Voldemort for his retarded laughter Eh-heh-heh!=D