Author's note: I cannot believe how many people clicked on this story in it's first 30h online and because of that I literally wrote all day and all night, totally intoxicated by the love you've shown this story. I might be sleep-deprived right now, but that's the kind of sacrifice I am willing to make to make other people's life (more) enjoyable for a few hours. I hope you guys all had the (great) Christmas I wished you and now.. it's time for you to read the letters that really matter ;-)
With a flash of light Harry reappeared on Hogwarts ground, a trophy that looked like the Triwizard Cup firmly in the grasp of his hand, his other arm holding the body of another student, limbs all slack and eyes gazing into nothingness.
"Oh my god, what's happening here?" I whispered to Ron beside me whose jaw just dropped at the realization that something terrible must have happened mere moments before.
"No, no, no!" My best friend repeated again and again, his voice a mixture of deep sadness and denial as he clung to the body that had reappeared with him in front of the stands.
"Is that who I think it is?" I thought to myself and as the terrible truth hit me I gasped, holding my hand over my mouth.
"Not my son!" Amos Diggory cried out, his face contorted with pain and the same denial as Harry's as he ran down the stands, pushing quite some people out of the way before sinking to his knees in front of Cedric's dead body, letting his tears run free as he tenderly touched his son's face. And then total chaos broke out.
As the masses realized that Cedric Diggory had died, a feeling of highly contagious panic spread through the ranks, pulling me out of my temporary paralysis.
Grabbing Ron's hand I tried to manoeuvre us down the stands towards Harry and I caught a glimpse of Professor Dumbledore hurrying towards our friend as well.
He grabbed Harry's head firmly and looked at him in what I believed was a reassuring way, the usual twinkle in his eyes completely missing.
The headmaster then turned to face a bewildered Cornelius Fudge and whatever he told the minister made him just look even more bewildered.
A few seconds later and only one or two rows closer to our destination I saw Professor Moody marching towards Harry like he was in hurry, firmly gripping his arms and with what I assumed was a "Come, Potter." I watched the youngest triwizard champion leave the arena with the ex-auror.
"Something's wrong here.. Terribly, horribly wrong!" I thought as my gaze darted around the entrance to the maze, then to the podium where Professor Dumbledore had held a speech and then back to where Harry had been moments ago. Wait, had been?
"Who on earth would take Harry away from safety after god knows what happened?" I thought and suddenly the situation felt even more dangerous than it already was for my best friend. I had to get to Dumbledore. Quickly.
"Professor Dumbledore!" I called at the top of my lungs, the need to get the headmaster's attention something I had rarely felt in my life. But he didn't seem to hear me as he continued to talk to the minister with a sincere expression etched into his face.
"Professor Dumbledore!" I repeated when we came closer to the pair of elderly men, but just like fate wanted to deny my wish, they suddenly began walking away from us again.
"PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE!" Ron yelled and when the headmaster indeed turned towards us after a few seconds, I would have given the redhead a kiss on the cheek if it wasn't for the urgency of the situation.
"What is it, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger?" He asked us when we came to a halt in front of him and I didn't waste a second to start.
"Moody has taken Harry away from the arena, sir!" I exclaimed and the second the words left my lips Dumbledore's blue eyes widened in what I assumed was shock.
"Minerva! Severus! I need you both at the castle at once!" He yelled and just multiplied my nervousness by the way the usually so calm Albus Dumbledore practically roared those words.
Without even giving the minister an apologetic look, he took off towards the castle, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape not far behind him. And I just invited myself and Ron along as well.
"Bloody hell! What do you think Moody's trying to do with Harry?" Ron asked as we marched up towards the castle's portal, the both of us breathing heavily because of the mixture of physical work and nervousness coursing through our arteries.
"I don't know Ron! But it can't be good.." I briefly responded and mentally cursed the founders of Hogwarts for building a school atop of a hill so steep and exhausting to climb.
"C'mon then, hurry." The youngest Weasley boy said and pulled me with him, his longer legs a clear advantage in this involuntary race.
"Why must I be so small?" I hissed under my breath as we entered the castle just to hear a distant blast of some explosion spell echoing through the corridors, making me and Ron instinctively draw our wands.
"No, that doesn't sound good at all.." He shook his head lightly and I agreed mentally as my right hand clutched the only tool in the world that I would call a part of myself.
After a minute or so we came close to Moody's office and when we were to dash through the door Professor McGonagall exited the room.
"Mr. Weasley! Miss Granger! You should really wait outside for now until Mr Potter is being relocated to the hospital wing." The head of our house said after we had barely managed not to run into her, but when I heard that Harry was about to be brought to the hospital wing, I didn't care any more what I should and shouldn't do.
"Miss Granger!" The transfiguration teacher called after me, but I had already made my way into the office and I gasped when I saw my best friend sitting on a stool with an expression on his face that looked like he wanted to throw up, cry, rage and kill somebody at the same time before I lunged myself at him full force, kissing both his cheeks and his forehead before he could even say one single word.
"Oh my god, Harry, what happened? Are you hurt? What's up with Moody and.."
"He's back Hermione. Voldemort is back.", My very best friend said as he shed a tear, "And he killed Cedric."
As the words began to sink in I only hugged him tighter, thinking that my embrace kept him on this world and that if I let go, so would his sanity leave him.
It felt like an eternity until I felt like I could let him go, but eventually I did.
"You must be fuckin' joking, mate." Ron said as he as well entered the office and came to a stop in front of the boy who lived yet again.
"No Ron, I'm not. Ask him if you don't believe me." Harry responded, every syllable dominated by pain, as he pointed his right hand to his left before wincing in anguish, making me aware of the big and deep red cut on his arm. That triggered an alarm.
"Ron, help me supporting Harry's weight. He's going to the hospital wing right now." I commanded, not wasting a care in the world for the chained stranger that was guarded by Professor Snape as I slung an arm around his shoulder, the redhead following my lead in a matter of seconds.
"You won't have a problem if we take Harry to the hospital wing on our own, right Professor?" I asked Snape and thought that even if he had a problem with it, I would continue my mission to get Harry some medical care.
"Not the slightest, Miss Granger. Just make sure that Weasley doesn't hurt himself the way down.." The potion's master remarked without any emotions in his voice as he continued to poke his wand into the stranger's cheek in a way that looked very painful.
"What a twat that slimy old grease ball is.." Ron hissed under his breath when we were out of Snape's earshot and I gasped because of his usage of words. This guy and his swear words.
"Ronald!" I exclaimed and shot the Weasley a death glare that only made him groan.
"It's not my fault he is what he is." He countered and I rolled my eyes.
"That's still no justification to insult a teacher." I retorted and the redhead snorted.
"Yeah, the day you insult a teacher is the day my bones are rotting underground." Ron riled against me and Harry moaned in pain.
"I'm happy to have both of you back as well." He said and I instantaneously ceased the bickering.
"That was so tactless of you..", I silently told myself, "Your best friend escaped the dark lord yet again and all you can do is annoy him by arguing with his best mate."
Ron seemed to understand the not-so-hidden message in Harry's statement as well, thus the remainder of the walk to the hospital wing was very silent.
When we arrived an inpatient, black and shaggy dog was pacing through the room, but when he saw the three of us he barked happily before sprinting towards us, greeting us with a lick on the face.
"Snuffles, that tickles!" I giggled and the dog stopped his antics before he whimpered in concern when he realized how in pain Harry seemed to be.
Madam Pomfrey was soon at our side and before we knew it she had assigned my best friend a bed and had given him some pyjamas in his size for later.
The medic witch healed the long cut on Harry's arm and various other bleeding wounds with fair ease, me, Ron and Snuffles all staying by his side the entire time. As good friends or family members should do.
When Madam Pomfrey informed us that there was no antidote for the pain of the Cruciatus Curse I not only had to hold back tears as I realized that Harry had been tortured in the most cruel way possible, but also felt admiration for the teenager that seemed to withstand anything that was thrown at him.
"Man, that he doesn't even faint now is a wonder!" Ron exclaimed and Snuffles gave Harry a compassionate lick on the face.
"Oi, Snuffles, watch it! I don't want my eyelids to be glued together thanks to your dribble." The raven-haired wizard managed a weak smile and the dog just barked sadly before he settled on Harry's still unoccupied bed.
"What a cheeky lad you've yourself, mate." Ron chuckled and even I had to smile in amusement as Snuffles eyed us with rakishness.
"C'mon, you know I have to lie down there in a few minutes." Harry groaned but Snuffles wouldn't move a muscle.
"Right you are, Mr. Potter! In fact, that time for you to lie down is right now so for your own health I'd suggest to make that dog of yours leave the bed." Madam Pomfrey commented from the other side of the hospital wing before she exited the ward.
"Thanks Snuffles." My best friend sighed when the cheeky mammal left the bed and rubbed it's head against Harry's hand.
"Yeah, that's Sirius Black: A prankster on the outside and a big softy on the inside." I thought as Harry took his pyjamas and pulled off his shirt without a warning, giving me quite a good look at his hard chest muscles and although I would have loved to look at this sight for hours, I quickly averted my gaze and turned around, my face heating up significantly.
For quite some time now I have felt physical attraction for Harry Potter. Ever since I had seen him in that tuxedo on the evening of the Yule Ball, my brain suddenly couldn't stop reminding me how attractive my best friend looked like, how easy he was on the eyes and it didn't take long until I found myself thinking about his muscular body. Thank the gods for quidditch.
Thoughts transformed into fantasies, fantasies into desire and desire into.. well, teenage shenanigans. Though I would NEVER, EVER let these feelings seep through to him. It could and most certainly would ruin the wonderful thing we had.
"What's the matter with you, Hermione, he's just changing?" Ron asked with a chuckle and I rolled my eyes at his denseness.
"Maybe I am a girl and don't want to see my best friend almost naked?" I countered and regretted phrasing my sentence in the way I had.
"Ugh, now he probably thinks I find him unattractive." I thought with an annoyed tone but luckily Ron hindered me from falling into arguments with myself.
"Oh, right, yeah.. I forgot that part." He admitted, making me snort.
"And here I thought you would remember something that you know for more than a week." I countered and Ron laughed at me.
"Unlike you I had a miserable Yule Ball evening.." He said, knowing exactly what I meant with my jab at him.
"Oh, don't you dare start that debate again! You know exactly it's your fault why you had such a bad evening. And do I need to remind you that you destroyed my evening as well Ronald, mh?!" I retorted with fury in my voice, but my "friend" just snorted.
"Serves you right for going out with Victor Cunt." He said and I just was about to have a complete outburst when the doors swung open and Professor Dumbledore entered the hospital wing.
"Ah, I see you have made it your own task to bring Harry to the hospital wing." He remarked with a smile, the twinkle in his eyes shining brightly behind his half-moon spectacles.
"Now, I don't wish to be disrespectful, but I have urgent matters to discuss with Harry and Snuffles." He explained and both Ron and I got his hint.
"No, professor, they can stay. I'd tell them anyway but I don't want to tell the same story twice. It's painful enough to go through once.." Harry admitted with a sombre tone.
"Very well, then I don't see a problem here." Dumbledore said before sitting down on a chair beside the bed, encouraging me and Ron to follow his lead.
"Ah, and Mr. Weasley: Would you be so kind to close the door? I don't wish to let the entire school know all the details." The headmaster winked at the redhead and I had to seriously suppress a laugh when the lanky boy made his way to the door.
"Did he overhear our conversation?" I wondered silently as I tried to look like there was nothing funny at all.
"Well, he's Dumbledore.. He didn't defeat Grindelwald for nothing." I concluded before focusing on my best friend's gloomy yet intriguing tale…
My eyes were glued to my best friend's lips as he explained how he and Cedric had agreed on sharing the title of Triwizard Champion before touching the cup together, only to find themselves on a graveyard in the village of Little Hangleton where Wormtail killed Cedric without second thoughts before performing a ritual of dark magic to bring back the dark lord. Death Eaters were summoned, Harry and Voldemort duelled and the Boy-Who-Lived, lived yet again.
I probably gasped multiple times during his recap of events and was maybe a bit too amazed when Dumbledore explained the concept of Priori Incantatem and I blushed during that part, feeling a bit embarrassed that my thirst for knowledge made me act so tactless.
Harry explained how he saw his parents on the graveyard and when he looked me in the eyes he suddenly turned red in the face, which made me really curious what made him feel so.. embarrassed?
My focus soon returned to where it most definitely should be when my best friend told us how "Moody" turned out to be nobody else but Bartemius Crouch Jr., son of the recently killed Bartemius Crouch Senior and faithful servant of the dark lord.
I felt terribly disgusted as it came to my mind that this man had lived in the body of another for an entire year, teaching children and enjoying the status of a trustworthy person only to make us all lower our guards around him. And then he trapped the real Moody in his own case! A shudder went down my spine.
The headmaster then told us a few things only Albus Dumbledore could know before Professor Snape entered the hospital wing.
"The minister wishes to perform the dementor's kiss on him." He just stated, his icy voice mixed with something that I identified to be.. anger?
"Then I shall remind Cornelius of the rules this school has." The headmaster of Hogwarts replied in a way that couldn't be described as anything but menacing before he stalked out of the room.
"No, Severus, you stay. I'm afraid we're not quite done here." Dumbledore called after the professor without even turning around but I assumed he just knew the master of potions good enough to know his dislike of us three Gryffindors.
Snape rolled his eyes in response before closing the door of the ward with his wand and remained beside the entrance, distancing himself from the three of us. But then his eyes narrowed on.. OF COURSE!
"I see that you've got yourself a pet dog, Potter." Snape remarked with a cold voice and Snuffles barked threateningly before baring his sharp teeth.
"Don't listen to him, Sirius." The raven-haired wizard whispered as he stroked the dog's fur.
That was the last bit of dialogue until the headmaster returned and I almost sighed in relief when he did so. The silence had been so awkward.
"Now, as we are all aware of the fact that Lord Voldemort has returned, it is crucial that those who oppose him stand united. We must let the past rest if we are to see the future." Dumbledore explained and gave both Snape and Sirius a knowing look.
"Never will I cooperate with that Slytherin snake!" Harry's godfather spat out when he had transformed himself back into his human form, something that made the professor on the other end of the room.. smile?
"Is Snape smiling?" Ron asked Harry and me silently with a gobsmacked expression and I shrugged my shoulders, not being able to believe that Severus Snape was able to smile.
"Believe me, I don't plan wasting my time with you either, Black." He retorted and Harry snorted lightly.
"For once they seem to agree on something." He stated and both Ron and I had difficulties containing our laughter.
"I do not ask you to be the best of friends from now on, but to merely show some respect to each other. A handshake will suffice for now, I think." Dumbledore said and then I saw one of the most awkward things ever:
Walking towards Sirius in the stiffest and most reluctant way ever, Professor Snape came to a halt in front of the animagus, whose teeth were so clenched that I thought they might shatter any second.
"Splendid!" The headmaster exclaimed when the two old enemies barely had touched each other's hand and even then they looked like their hands had been in contact with hydrochloric acid.
"I take it that this.. business is conceded then?" Professor Snape asked and bored his black eyes into Sirius', who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but in the presence of the potions master.
"Yes Severus, you might go after the surely more thrilling part of your job now, old friend." Dumbledore chuckled with a twinkle in his blue eyes, the man in black clothes immediately taking his leave, robes flowing behind him in a way that made him look like an abnormally large bat.
"As for you Sirius, I think it would be unwise to stay here for much.." Dumbledore said but was cut off by the doors of the hospital wing swinging open, revealing a VERY angry Professor McGonagall.
"Albus, I told you that the minister wouldn't give a damn about school rules if it meant that he could keep You-Know-Who's return a secret! And now guess what?! A dementor in the school corridors, and not only that, we now also have a soulless Barty Crouch Jr.. existing in Alastor's office!" She almost yelled at Dumbledore before realizing the man standing beside the headmaster.
"Sirius Black!" The head of Gryffindor exclaimed with horror as she drew her wand but Dumbledore raised a hand as to tell her everything was in order.
"Calm down, Minerva. I know what you must think but for now I need you to trust me when I say that Sirius Black isn't a danger for Harry, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger. Though what you said about Cornelius gives me reason for concern.." The headmaster said with a calm yet worried voice before turning towards Harry's godfather.
"I'll send you Fawkes when it's time for you to leave." He said and winked at Sirius before accompanying the transfiguration teacher through the castle, probably in search for the minister. Again.
"Now Harry, I know we don't have much time until we must part ways again..", Sirius began as soon as the doors closed, "But first I just wanted to say how proud I am of you."
Harry's eyes lit up and I could see how much it meant to him to receive a compliment from a family member.
"You managed to survive a fight with Voldemort, and that Harry is something few people ever achieved. You are a fighter, just like your parents and I'm sure that if James and Lily could see this.. then they'd be so, so proud of their boy as well." He continued with an emotional voice as he talked about Harry's parents.
"But believe me Harry: This was just the beginning. Dark times lie ahead and if there is anything that I've learnt from the last wizard war then it's this: Keep those you trust close to you and be careful around everyone else. Anybody might be a spy for the enemy.." He explained and I saw it in Sirius eyes how important it was for him that Harry followed this advice.
"You're like the son I never had nor will have. I had to let your parents go way too early and spent more than a decade in prison, never being able to watch you grow up. So don't you dare dying now, Harry James Potter!" He concluded and Harry smiled weakly at his relative.
"I promise I'll do everything against that, siriusly." He retorted in a similar manner and Sirius chuckled heartily.
"Now you two: Make sure he remembers what he just promised me." Harry's godfather instructed me and Ron, making us laugh as well.
"I'll jinx him if he should forget." I said and Sirius smirked.
"And you'll do so expertly." He remarked and I blushed at his praise.
Suddenly Fawkes the phoenix appeared out of thin air and settled on Harry's bedpost, giving the heir of House Black a meaningful look.
"I guess that means farewell for now..", Sirius gave us a sad smile as he took one last look at us, "Take care of Harry."
He then winked at me and before his godson could even respond, Sirius Black reached out for the phoenix and in the glimpse of a moment, both bird and human were gone.
"Why did he wink at me?" I thought but didn't have any time to ponder about my thought as the doors to the hospital wing opened yet again.
In came a very tense and red-headed Cornelius Fudge and I assumed that Professor Dumbledore had held quite a speech to make the minister feel bad.
"As unusual as the circumstances of the Triwizard Tournament might be, you are still it's champion, Harry. Which entitles you to the prize money for successfully finishing all the three tasks. Congratulations, my boy." Fudge said when he came to Harry's bed and left a bag on his bedside table.
"Mr. Fudge! Voldemort's back. You have to warn the wizarding world." Harry told the minister, whose face tensed even more at the mention of the dark lord's name.
"Rubbish, boy! If I had to guess then you've been hit by a confundus charm in that maze and now think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-nNmed has returned. Especially you, Harry, should know best that the dark lord was killed when his own killing curse backfired on him the night your parents died." Fudge tried to come up with a decent lie, but oh was he about to face my wrath now!
"HOW DARE YOU TELL HIM THE DARK LORD IS DEAD WHEN HARRY JUST SURVIVED A DUEL WITH THE PERSON THAT KILLED HIS PARENTS? AND DON'T YOU DARE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE MURDER OF JAMES AND LILY POTTER TO MAKE YOUR LIE BELIEVABLE!" I yelled at the man with a bowler on his hat and I received an odd amount of satisfaction when the minister was taken aback because of my outburst.
"My dear, has Dumbledore told everybody this lie who is willing to hear it?" He asked and his response only infuriated me even more.
"AND HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE SOULLESS BODY OF BARTEMIUS CROUCH JR. IN PROFESSOR MOODY'S OFFICE, MH? OH, AND HOW DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN THE DEATH OF CEDRIC DIGGORY? MAYBE A CAR CRASH?!" I continued, my veins boiling with all the anger that coursed through them and I couldn't help but laugh when Fudge quickly took his leave.
"YOU'RE A PATHETIC MINISTER, YOU KNOW THAT?" I called after him before he rounded a corner and I saw Ron's jaw dropping at my statement.
"Hermione! You just insulted the Minister of Magic." Ron gasped but I snorted.
"Serves him right, that prick." I countered and Harry laughed because of my choice of words.
"Ron, I think we gotta celebrate Hermione's first swear word." He said and his best mate nodded eagerly.
"Oh yes, this is a moment I want to remember forever." The Weasley sighed dreamily and I rolled my eyes at the boys for their stupid behaviour.
The dark lord might have returned, but it was just as Professor Dumbledore once had said: Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.
And friendship was such a bright beacon of light.. even if it meant to be teased mercilessly at times…
