We are Champions

10th of January, 1995.

Harry made his way down from the Charms classroom. He was going to meet up with the other Champions on the Durmstrang Ship. Cedric came up from the Hufflepuff common room as Harry walked through the entry hall. "Heading out, huh?" he said.

Harry nodded. "You joining me?" he asked.

"Have you seen the snowstorm outside?" Cedric asked.

"Come on Cedric. It is just a bit of snow," Harry said. He pulled the great doors open and a gust of wind almost pushed him back. "Okay, maybe it's a bit more than just a little snow," he said. He smirked at Cedric and headed out despite the bad weather.

It took Cedric a little while to catch up with him. "You are crazy," Cedric said.

"Tell me something I don't already know," Harry said.

Cedric grumbled, but he didn't say anything else. As they reached the ship, they could see Fleur standing at the top of the gangway. Her hair blew in the wind and the blue cloak that Harry had given her was wrapped tightly around her. She looked like an Ice Queen where she stood. Then Viktor moved up next to her clad in his heavy fur coat, and Harry started laughing.

"Vhat is so funny?" Viktor asked as they reached him.

"Just the image you made," Harry said. "The beautiful Ice Queen standing on her ship in the bustling wind and then you next to her and I can't make up my mind if you are the Evil King who has captured her or the Valiant Knight who has rescued her."

Viktor looked like he was processing what Harry had said and Fleur turned to him and explained it all in Bulgarian. Viktor chuckled. "Many here vould say I am the Evil King," he said.

"I think that is unfair," Harry said.

Viktor nodded. "You told me the image. You did not say I had to be one of them," he said.

"Exactly," Harry said. "I'd prefer you be you and not just some caricature."

Viktor looked confused, but so did Fleur.

Harry explained himself as best he could. Using rarer English words did bring about certain problems, especially when speaking to non-English speakers sometimes.

"Come inside," Viktor said. "It is varmer in my cabin." He offered his arm to Fleur and they walked into the ship. There was a certain amount of commotion when the four champions walked through the ship. Viktor wore a permanent glare on his face until they reached his room. It would have been cosy if it wasn't so cold. It seemed to be a recurring feature when it came to Durmstrang. They wanted their students to freeze.

Harry sighed. "Winky!" he called.

The house-elf popped into the cabin. "What can Winky be doing for Master Harry?" she asked.

"Is there any way you could heat this place up or make it less…" Harry went looking for the word but had a hard time finding it.

"Winky can fix," Winky said. "If owner thinks it is alright."

"Viktor is living in here right now," Harry said as he gestured to their host.

Winky turned to look at Viktor. "Would Mr Viktor, sir like his room to be warmer?" she asked.

"Very much," Viktor said. He watched as the little elf went to work. It would be nice to not have to wear layers for once.

"Winky is having shut the cold out," Winky said. "Would Master like Winky to bring heat too?"

"No, but a few fluffy blankest would be nice," Harry said. "I think we will heat the room up enough just by being here now that it won't just disappear on us."

"Winky will fetch," Winky said before disappearing. She reappeared with a blanket for each of them and they settled down in a couch set that was far more comfortable than it looked.

Harry sat next to Fleur, and he wrapped an arm around her and turned up the heat. He could with the help of his magic regulate his body heat at least somewhat. It had helped him many cold nights in Skyrim and he wasn't about to stop doing it now.

"So we need to somehow figure out how to fight and swim as a group," Harry said.

Cedric nodded. "And we have to do that without revealing too much to each other about what we ourselves are learning. In case this isn't a mission to rescue hostages."

Harry brought out a pen and notebook that he had picked up in the non-magical world. While he didn't mind writing with a quill, a pen was so much easier to use for quick notes. "I'd say we could all research one thing that could be used by each of us individually, but that we could share in case we work together," he said.

"Things like night vision, for example," Fleur said.

"Or locator spells," Harry said.

"Or heating," Cedric said. "That lake will be cold."

"I could look into an all-round shield or a detection vard. That vay ve vould knov if something vas coming at us," Viktor said.

"These all sound like great ideas," Harry said. "Of course, you can go ahead and look into this yourselves, but should we work together then we will know that it is researched."

"Do you really think they wouldn't use hostages?" Fleur asked. "Your reasoning is too good."

Harry shrugged. "I know I won't try very hard if it is an item. Nothing they can take from me is that important to me," he said.

"I get vhat you mean," Viktor said. It was becoming more and more apparent to him that Harry seriously did not care about this competition. It was wrong that he had to compete. He hadn't put his name in that goblet and the Professors knew that. Why couldn't they remove him from the competition?

"So we will research something helpful each. Then we need a place to train formation," Harry said.

"The lake is crazy cold and frozen over," Cedric said. "The prefects' baths are too small for what we want."

Winky had shown up to check if they wanted something to eat and she pulled at Harry's robes.

"What is it Winky?" Harry asked.

"There be room that changes to users' wishes on the seventh floor," Winky said.

"Alright," Harry said. "You think it can become a big pool?"

"Winky thinks it might," Winky said.

Harry looked up at the others. "I'll look into this before next week," he told them.

"Sounds good," Cedric said.

Harry brought out his guitar and started playing. He hummed softly as he slowly started playing the ancient tune of the Dragonborn.

"Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin,

Naal ok zin los vahriin,

Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!

Ahrk fin norok paal graan fod nust hon zindro zaan,

Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!

Huzrah nu, kul do od, wah aan bok lingrah vod,

Ahrk fin tey, boziik fun, do fin gein!

Wo lost fron wah ney dov, ahrk fin reyliik do jul,

Voth aan suleyk wah ronit faal Krein!

Ahrk fin zul, rok drey kod, nau tol morokei frod,

Rul lot Taazokaan motaad voth kein!

Sahrot Thu'um, med aan tuz, vey zeim hokoron pah,

Ol fin Dovahkiin komeyt ok rein!" he sang softly.

"You 'ave picked up on playing the guitar again quickly, 'Arry," Fleur said with a smile.

"I've been practising a lot," Harry said. He kept playing until the food arrived while they all talked about regular school stuff. Viktor enjoyed History and he knew a lot about magical history all over the world.

Cedric was quite good with Charms and knew more than the curriculum asked him to, but he was lamenting the fact that his father wished to pick his career for him. "He is rather smug about me being in this tournament and he is trying to get me to work at the Ministry, but I'm not so sure I want to do that," he said.

"Well, you shouldn't do something you don't want to do," Fleur said.

"Agree," Viktor mumbled.

"But you could always try it out and decide later," Harry said.

"I guess that is true," Cedric said.

"Unless you want an apprenticeship somewhere I would go into the Ministry for the opening your father has made and then keep my eyes and ears open for an opportunity you like more. You still have another year of school though don't you," Harry said.

"I do," Cedric said. "And I guess you are right. I could always do that. It would be a secure income at least."

"Just don't forget to try to figure out vhat you really vant to do," Viktor said. "I had an uncle vho did that. He was miserable for years before father pushed him in another direction."

"I will keep that in mind," Cedric agreed.

They settled down to eat and the conversation turned to the future. Of course, Viktor hoped to play quidditch for quite a few years yet. Fleur wasn't sure what she wanted to do, but she was considering healing.

Harry. Harry wasn't sure he was starting up a lot of different things as Kato and he preferred keeping his options open. He liked the idea of doing many different things. He might freelance for the goblins who knew.

14th of January, 1995.

The halls at Hogwarts held many secrets that few had ever seen. It was an old castle. Every generation probably found most secrets, but not every secret was passed on. That was how Harry found himself outside of the Come and Go Room. It was located on the seventh floor opposite a painting of a man teaching trolls to dance ballet. Harry had brought Hermione along since she had been feeling left out lately. He didn't want her to feel left out, but he wasn't ready to tell her everything. Not yet.

"So how was this supposed to work again?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged and walked past the empty wall a few times. "Winky wasn't all that great at explaining. She was drunk most of the times they went here," he said. "I didn't push her."

A door appeared and Harry opened it.

"Whoa," Hermione stepped inside. It looked like a lake. But not like the lake on the grounds. This looked like a very different lake altogether.

Harry looked out over a very good copy of Lake Illinata. He was actually surprised that the room was this accurate. "It looks like this will work fine for what we need it for," he pointed out.

"This is something else. I wonder how the room does this," Hermione said.

"Don't know and I wouldn't go meddling in the magic. Who knows how old this room is? It might have been created by the founders," Harry said.

Hermione nodded and walked around. A fish jumped out of the water and startled her. "It has fish?" she asked.

"As I understand it, it becomes whatever the user needs," Harry said. "The more detailed your needs are, the more the room can do. Of course, I don't know what the limits are."

Hermione nodded. "The water looks inviting," she said.

"It does yeah," Harry responded.

"I wish we could go for a swim."

Harry chuckled. "You would need a bathing suit for that unless you want to do it, stalkers," he said.

Hermione huffed at him. "Oh, I know that," she said. "Still it would be nice."

Harry agreed with her. It would be nice to be able to just take a relaxing day off sometimes.

16th of January, 1995.

Hi Moony, (I hope you don't mind

me calling you that.)

I realised that after last year I haven't

really heard from you.

You know I don't care that you are a

werewolf right? You are practically my father's

brother which makes you my uncle.

I want my Uncle Moony in my life.

Fleur, she is the French champion in

the Tournament, and Hermione gave me

a guitar for Christmas.

I have been practising and I'm getting quite good.

I enjoyed the book you sent me. It is nice to

get to read something that isn't schoolwork

for once. I hope you liked the slippers. We are

getting ready for the second task now.

We'll have to dive in the lake and none of

us look forward to it.

Don't worry I'll keep myself safe.

I hope you are doing well and that we can write to

each other more often. I could really use a voice

of reason in my life. Of course, one could

say that is Hermione, but there are

some things I'd rather not discuss with her.

Both you and I know that Sirius

will never be a voice of reason, so I'll choose to

talk about less life-alerting things with him.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Harry James Potter

Remus stared down at the letter. Maybe he had neglected Harry just a bit since last year. Back then he had needed to look at things from a teacher's perspective and a teacher isn't supposed to have a too familiar relationship with any student, but now he wasn't Harry's teacher. Why hadn't he written to him? Maybe it had been because he was worried Harry would hate him for what he was even though both Harry's parents had thought that was stupid. Remus had gotten so used to the bad reaction that he almost always expected it by now.

It wasn't fair to Harry. He was a good kid.

Remus put the letter away as he stepped into Gringotts. Tonight was a full moon. Tonight he would turn for what would hopefully be the last time ever.

Kato met him as he walked through the same doors as the last time he had been there.

"Welcome, Mr Lupin. We have a room all ready for you. I will monitor the transformation and then the goblins will rotate in through the night," Kato said. "I will be entering your room at some point after you have turned. Do not worry. I will be perfectly safe."

Remus wanted to point out that he highly doubted that but something about the way that Kato moved and acted stopped him. He entered his room and found a nice meal and some books to read to pass the time.

The pain was the first sign Remus got that he was transforming. He would not miss that. He ripped his clothes apart and growled. He couldn't get out and he howled. He ripped the chair apart and attacked the bed.

At some point, the door opened and someone walked inside.

Rip. Tear. Bite.

Moony turned around and pounced only to hit an invisible barrier. The person spoke and he calmed down. He didn't feel the need to attack. He was actually kind of tired. He yawned and curled up before slowly drifting off to sleep. It was alright. His pup would take care of things.

"What is he doing?" Mr Lee asked Dumac as he watched Kato Peverell walk from room to room.

"He is studying the curse," Dumac said. "He wants to understand it better in case he ever comes across a werewolf in the wild."

"But isn't it dangerous?" Mr Lee asked.

"Certainly, but Mr Peverell is quite capable of taking care of himself," Dumac said.

Kato returned to them. "The wolf part of them isn't hostile," he said. "There is an obsessed over mind on the human part that goes haywire and that is what makes them attack."

"How does that make any sense?" Mr Lee asked.

"Have you ever met a wolf, sir?" Kato asked.

"I have seen them," Mr Lee answered.

"Then you might have noticed that it didn't attack you," Kato said. "Wolves don't attack people unless they feel like they have to. The dangerous part of a werewolf is not the wolf. Unlike wolves, people kill each other for no reason at all sometimes. That has happened more times than I can count through history."

"Well, when you put it that way," Mr Lee said. "I guess that does make sense."

"Everything seems to be going alright here. I doubt you need my help for the rest of the evening so I will be heading home. Good evening gentlemen," Kato said.

Mr Lee and Dumac responded and Kato headed out of the bank. He wanted to sleep. A nice cosy bed sounded good right about now.

17th of January, 1995.

It was Tuesday once again and Harry met up with the other Champions down in the entrance hall. "I hope everyone either brought swimwear or is fine with bathing stalkers 'cause I found a place we can swim," he said.

"Considering we will need to do this in front of an entire school later I think it might be best if we wore our bathing suits," Fleur said.

"Touché," Harry said.

They reached the seventh floor and Harry opened up the room. He had summoned a pool this time since he needed it to do several other things besides playing salmons. They needed an accurate representation of the lake in a clinical environment. There was no real danger here, but there would be illusionary representations of danger. Harry had tested it all out and knew that it worked.

There were four stalls for them to change in and they walked up to the water. "Well, how are we going to do this?" Cedric said. "I assume we don't want to share our methods for breathing underwater."

"I don't mind sharing mine," Harry said. He placed a jar of green slimy seaweed-looking stuff on a table.

"Is that gillyweed?" Cedric asked.

"Yupp," Harry said.

"Cool, I guess that will work pretty well," Cedric said.

Harry grabbed some gillyweed and swallowed it before jumping into the pool. He grew gills and looked around. The other three joined him and he started gesturing. They would need to figure out how to swim in formation and how to fight underwater. He started out in front. He led them further down and the illusions started appearing. He spun around suddenly and shot a spell at the illusion grabbing onto Fleur. He turned back around and they kept swimming. Viktor and Cedric did fine on either side of him. It was Fleur that had trouble. Harry switched their positions because he didn't have to fight at all. It would seem like most things that lived in the lake preferred to attack from behind. That shouldn't have been surprising.

Harry did worry about Fleur. With her problems, she wouldn't do very well in the lake by herself. After he had shifted them around so he was at the back, he sent the locator spell out for all of them. It was a modification to the spell that allowed for a linked group to follow the same locator spell.

It went better after that. Harry would quickly spin and attack whenever something came close to them. Half the time he used spells and half the time he used illusion magic. He would probably be able to do the same when they were in the lake. From the back, he had a much better overview than he had from the front. If he needed to help Fleur, he could easily do that.

The gillyweed started wearing off and they swam back up.

"Vell, that could have gone vorse," Viktor said. "Ve need to figure out how to keep to the same speed."

"There might be some way of locking us in so all our movement moves all of us forward the same," Cedric said. "I can look into that before next time."

"I think we should do some spell testing so we know how spells react underwater," Harry said.

"That is probably a good idea," Viktor said.

They marked down a list of spells and split them up between them. Harry sat down by his end of the pool and dropped into the water. He cast a water-breathing spell on himself and dipped his head underwater. He had a dozen or so spells to cast. He was thrown back as he cast bombarda. So they should probably not use that one. Most spells acted more like nasty bubbles that did different things than proper spells. He made a target appear so he could tell what the spells did if they hit something.

"So all agree that explosives are out," Cedric said. "I almost blew myself up."

"Yeah, it seems to be a bad idea to use any spell that creates an explosive-type reaction," Harry said.

They compiled their findings and made a master list of spells that they would use while underwater together. Then it was back into the water and trying again. This time Harry had made a golden egg appear at the bottom of the pool so they had something to go for. They still had difficulties keeping to formation but at least they got down to the egg and got back out.

After that, Harry changed the room to look like Lake Illinata instead. He called for Winky and they had dinner delivered to them.

"This is a nice palace," Fleur said as she looked around.

"I think so too," Harry said.

They ate by the lake then they left to go their separate ways. Hopefully, they would be able to work things out before their next meeting.