Chapter 1
The sound of heels tapping on the floor was muffled by the laughing ministry employees. Lunch break had just begun, but Helen Natt had no time for something as trivial as dinner. She was furious with the rumors spreading through the halls of the Ministry of Magic. She quickly reached the office of Cornelius Fudge. She sighed and knocked on the door. Without waiting for permission, she entered.
"Cornelius, is that true?" - She tried to make her voice gentle. She had noticed that the minister didn't tolerate wizards who could dominate him with their self-esteem. - "Is it true that it was decided to revive the Triwizard Tournament?"
The wizard sitting at the desk nervously adjusted his dark gray robes. He looked at her and she knew he was embarrassed. - "That's true. And it wasn't my idea. Albus Dumbledore thinks this is a good idea to strengthen the cooperation between the magical schools. You know yourself that what the Hogwarts director wants is the law in this country. Sometimes I wonder if I am even needed here."
"Can I sit?" - she asked carefully.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Where are my manners?" - The smile on his face was uncertain - "What exactly brings you here?"
"Age limit. We live in quite uncertain times. I wish no student under 7th year would be drawn from the Goblet of Fire." - she couldn't say directly that she would prefer her daughter not to participate in the tournament - "And to be honest, I would prefer this initiative to be included in the contract related to the tournament."
She saw the minister's eyes widen in panic at first, and then they very quickly calmed down. - "You're right. You will have to communicate with the goblins. They deal with magical contacts."
"You look resigned. Not that I was complaining, but you agreed to my proposal too quickly."
"Dumbledore once again blocked my proposal to create a Magic School for Adults. Every time I take the initiative, this wizard blocks me. I try and because of him I become the most inept minister in the history of Magical Great Britain." - Cornelius Fudge visibly winced in disgust. "We have to order tea and something to eat. I think we will need some time to discuss the necessary changes to the contract related to the tournament."
Helen smiled. She thought it would be more difficult to convince the minister to listen to her idea. She was afraid that working in the Magical Population Records department wouldn't be important enough to get his attention.
xxx
For some time he had wondered if his friend Lucius Malfoy's grumpiness was due to his lack of adrenaline with the Dark Lord's fall. He was almost sure of it. But in the last hour, the word 'almost' disappered from his mind. He was sitting in front of the nervous blonde and he wondered if what he had just heard was true or just his drunken hallucinations.
He couldn't believe that with so much to lose, because of their inglorious past, Lucius would willingly lend a hand to anything related to the Death Eaters. They had a long conversation about giving Ginny Weasley an enchanted diary that belonged to young Tom Ridle in the past. Back then, he thought he had reached those gray cells that were responsible for the logical thinking of the Malfoys.
" Am I dreaming or did you really say that?" - Severus got up from his chair and, in his old habit, began to shuffle his friend's office nervously. - "You better don't answer. I know you were serious. But do you really think I'm going to change all my plans? And for what reason? You just want to remind people that the threat wasn't only Lord Voldemort but also his Death Eaters!"
"Would you please calm down?" - from Lucius' mouth came something that reminded him of Malfoy's tone of voice rebuking his son. - "I'm not going to talk to you when you act like a ragged kid or a Narcissus who has her period. By Salazar, have a little dignity!"
The black-haired wizard didn't know what he should feel more offended about. Whether compared to the self-absorbed Draco or the comparison to Narcissa... Usually, Lucius' wife was extremely composed. During her monthly bleeds, her temper was turning 'Black' again and she behaved more like Bellatrix than the sedate ice queen.
Without a word, he sat down and after a moment of silence while he was trying to calm down, he asked, "Do you really think a Death Eater raid on a cultural event protected by Aurors from almost every corner of the magical world is a good idea? This is pure madness to me."
"It doesn't matter if it's crazy. This year our Lord will come back. We have to prepare society for his return. Many believe that the Dark Lord was SUCCESSFULLY defeated by the young Harry Potter." Lord Malfoy sighed before meeting Severus' eyes. - "We'll get back to that in a moment. What is so important you will be doing this vacation that you refuse to do something that would never be a problem for you in the past?"
"Merlin, I'm going on vacation. I'm going on a trip. This year at Hogwarts, as you are well aware of it, there will be a Triwizard Tournament. I won't be able to leave the castle for more than a few hours until my next vacation. I want to use this time."
Lucius Malfoy looked at Severus. He had never heard of this stubborn dungeon bat taking a vacation. To be honest, he was aware that Severus hadn't taken a single day off from the day he was hired as a Potions Master.
"You made me curious. What have you planned?"
"I bought a ticket for a tour of the largest Magical Libraries of Magical Europe."
"If I hadn't known better, I would have thought you were the father of Miss Granger about which my son is torturing me. I'd make an engagement contract with you right away for these two if it was true." - Lucius had a broad smile on his face. Severus could see that he was being honest in what he had just said.
"Even with my 'dirty' blood? After all, I'm only half-blood." - Snape replied defiantly. He watched Malfoy's reaction.
"It doesn't matter to me. You make up for Muggle blood with your skills. Besides, we share the strangest bond of friendship I have ever seen. This is more important than blood."
"No matter what you think, Luc if Miss Granger WAS my daughter, and certainly ISn'T, I wouldn't have condemned her to a spoiled kid like your son."
xxx
She was angry. She didn't want to spend her time doing what she thought was a complete waste of time. She at the Quidditch World Cup? At Hogwarts, he only goes to matches because of Harry. He is her friend, and it seemed logical to her that she would support him. But how could he and Ron have thought that she was going to be watching at something that didn't interest her?
"Honey, what's going on?" - her mother was clearly worried. - "Just a moment longer and you can scratch a hole in this plate with a fork."
"Ron and Harry invited me to the ... Quidditch World Cup."
Helen Granger covered her mouth with her hand so that her daughter wouldn't notice that she was refraining from laughing. After a moment she sighed and with a smile still visible on her face said, "You can just write that you aren't going. We could go on a trip of which you showed us at the beginning of the summer vacation. Plus, you spend about 10 months a year with Harry and Ron." - the woman stretched out her arms and put her daughter in an embrace - "We spend holidays as a family."
"Thank you, mom. Then we will be watching the Magic Libraries of Europe or the European Magic Schools?"
"Schools. France and Bulgaria. We checked with your dad that thanks to this option we will be able to see not only other schools of magic, but also non-magical places. In this way, we will have a trip with something interesting for you and with something interesting for us."
xxx
I have decided that Hermione will not come to the World Cup because she spends very little time with her parents anyway. Boarding school year and then part of the Weasley vacation. It's a bit too much for me.
Depending on the interest in this story, the chapters will get longer and longer. How did you like this chapter? Regards, katie-krum