Chapter 3

The Boy-Who-Lived and the Champion of Passion

I think they would be proud of me? He told me, as he choked back sobs, thinking on his dead parents. I was young, young and he took them from me.

Harry James Potter was an emotional wreck, as I interviewed him for the first time.

And that wasn't all. Not only did he show a true desire for his long dead parents. He had told this reporter all about his desires to prove himself to them.

The reason that I did it, enter my name into the cup, was to honor and prove myself to them.

What do you say folks? Isn't this the ambition of a boy, who could already be considered a hero?

I know that I will be keeping my eyes glued to him, and I think you folks at home should to, as this reporter will be bringing you the juiciest of gossip, as it comes straight to me, here from the heart of the Triwizard Tournament here at Hogwarts.

"I can't believe this," Harry said, sitting at the Gryffindor table. "This lady is a true nightmare."

"Harry," Hermione called out to him, sorrow evident in her eyes. "I can't be sure; but I think this can only get worse."

"I know Hermione, Professor Dumbledore warned me about her."

"No Harry, that is not what I mean. Look around you," and as he did, he began to notice the smirks and looks of loathing he was getting.

"Hey Potty, get a good cry in?" Malfoy said, smirking as if he just won a load of gold.

"Sure did, it was right after I saw your mother at the tournament, and realized just how bad I felt for her. I mean, you are the reason she looks like she had a load of dung hanging under her nose, right?"

"Or was it cause she just had to kiss your father?"

"I kind of felt bad for her."

"Potter!" Draco cried out, standing, hand brandishing his wand. "How dare you speak of my family."

"Especially you, a filthy little Half Blood, whose only memory of his, was when he was sucking on his mudblood mother's tit."

"I will tell you this, if you wish to speak of them again, I will-"

"Silence Draco," came the calm, quiet voice of Professor Snape.

"But Professor," cried Draco.

"I said silence," a disconcerting look in his eye, which caused Draco to quiet his mouth right there.

"And as for you Potter, I heard every word that you had said, twenty points from Gryffindor."

"But, Professor-" Harry called out, getting cut off by the Potion Master's ice cold look. "Should I make it thirty, and two nights detention?"

This was enough to silence him.

"I thought so. So cease your petty quarreling so I can eat in peace," Professor Snape said, as he walked away.

"Geez," Harry cried out, after the professor left.

"Oh Harry, it only gets worse, I'm sorry," Hermione said, as she read through more of the paper, and pointed towards Hufflepuff table.

"They wrote nothing of Cedric Diggory. Well, they did, as an unnamed Hogwarts extra. And it was done in a rather crude way."

And when Harry finally looked over, he was not shocked to see the looks of utter contempt and loathing. Even Cedric, had a look of irritation on his face. Looking at Harry, he just shook his head.

"I see," Harry replied. "Professor Dumbledore had mentioned the fact that she likes to build up a reputation for a person, then she crushes them."

"I think she just wants to crush me."

"No," Hermione said. "That's not it Harry. If you think about it, the school is a bit biased against you at the moment."

Harry stared at Hermione, giving her a blank look.

"Harry, it is only the school that thinks this way. The rest of the world thinks of you as the defeater of Dark Lords and such. No matter how foolish it is. And if you think about it, there are a lot of people, adults and children, that look at you as a hero already."

Harry sighed, "It's not like I-"

"Yes Harry, I know. You don't want or like it; but this lady, if she is as bad as Dumbledore says. Harry, please be prepared for the worst."

Looking at Hermione, Harry could tell that she was really worried for him. Worried, and probably scared for him. Cause, how could she, a person who runs to the books to try and solve problems help him, against the type of person who writes the stories?

"Thanks Hermione," Harry said, putting his head on her shoulder for a moment. "Thanks."

HPatW-TS

Some time later, Harry found himself wandering the corridors, wondering if he should go and send Sirius another letter. Keeping Sirius in the loop was essential to him; as he didn't want his overprotective godfather showing up at the school. Probably with a stolen wand in hand.

Did Sirius have a wand?

Harry wasn't sure; but he hoped that he did. A framed convict on the run, both in the magical and muggle worlds he was wanted. Harry seriously worried for him.

It was apparent to him, after he came free from his mental wandering, that he was indeed headed to mail off a letter he wrote earlier. Basically, a letter of his complaints.

But Harry was smart this time; compared to his last. Harry wrote a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, letting them know that he was okay, and that not too much, other than the obvious was out of the ordinary.

This letter was more for the sake of Hedwig, than anything. To keep her busy. And for this reason, he had been loaning her out to Fred, George, and Ginny also.

As he made his way in, the Owlery was its usual décor, plenty of wooden beams for owls to land and there was quite the number of raucous birds flying about. The room as usual was in a frenzy. Also, one could not forget about the hay that littered the floor. All Harry could guess about the reasoning for that was it probably made the floor easier to clean for somebody with no magic whatsoever.

Looking around, he found the only snowy white owl off playing with a little Asian girl.

At first glance he was unsure of who it was, but it was a girl that he had maybe had exchanged a word or two with, over the length of their time at Hogwarts. Su Li he thought her name was.

This girl had always been a lively girl for a Ravenclaw. Harry would often see the short girl, running laps around the school which was rather rare despite the number of students.

Harry stood there watching for a short while before the girl stopped playing removing expression from her face.

What made Harry wait, was both a bit of amusement and simply the fact that Hedwig did not just play with anybody. More than a few had been pecked pretty badly just from trying to touch her.

It wasn't that Hedwig let no one other than Harry close; but she was more often than not annoyed from her adoring gawkers.

That was the one problem with being the only snowy white owl in the school. a gorgeous one at that.

"Sorry she is such a beautiful bird that I could not help," Su apologized, a soft expression slowly creepng onto her face. "She is yours if I am correct?"

"No need to sweat it," Harry replied. "Hedwig will do as she pleases and I don"T plan on interferin if she is in a playful mood."

As he said this Hedwig gave him a playful nip at his ear.

"I see her as a friend more than a pet."

"Oh my god." Su said, unable to hide the mirth in her eyes.

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"Who knew The-Boy-Who-Lived was this cute." Su cooed.

"I wish I could say the same but I had been raised with them as carriers."

"Yeah, you get that a lot in this school. the Wizarding World is a bit-" Harry said as he was still trying to figure out to react to being called cute. As a guy it kind of hurt his ego but at the same time it doesn't feel all that bad.

"Old fashioned," Su finished for him.

"Yeah, you would not believe how many times I have heard that from people coming from the Muggle World."

"Um, I mean no offense by that," she hastily put in. "Do you take offense to that?"

"Sorry. Most people I know wouldn't but it can get so confusing on what is and what isn't so offensive." Su laughed.

"But, when we say old fashioned what we mean by it is this place gives off a feel of what one would get back in the middle ages."

"Not only does technology more advanced than a watch break from all the magic; but we use candles for light and flames for heat; or at least it seems that way."

"Yeah, I can't say that I have spent too much time in the Muggle World; but it is different. I mean, those television boxes are like our pictures; but not at the same time. My uncle, he is a big Bruce Lee fan, and that is about the extent of those movies that I have watched."

"But it is much more entertaining than a pensieve play."

"A what?"

"A pensieve play. It is when Witches and Wizards perform a play and it is recorded through a memory, for others to buy and watch. Quite interesting really; but a lot of them have some really bad acting. A good few of them are phenomenal though."

"Hmm," Harry mumbled, as he was realizing just how much of this world (the world he belonged) that he did not know.

"Sorry, listen to me ramble on. I am curious though what is it about this world that you like? I mean, you have spent the best part of the last few years here?"

"Well, I think it is the secrets. I mean, I don't really like all of them. Probably not even half of them; but I always find them intriguing," Harry answered after thinking for a moment.

"That," Su replied, a contemplative look on her face, "Would explain a lot."

"No, it wouldn't," Harry laughed, a sardonic laugh. "I can guess what you are thinking; but that would be far from the truth."

Trying to figure out what she thought of his response, Harry watched her. He was not Snape or Professor Dumbledore who seemed to excel in reading people.

Professor Snape's bias aside, he did seem good about it at the wrong moments but he could read some of her actions.

A look of intense curiosity began to creep onto her face as she asked, "Waht does that mean?"

At that moment he made a decision. It may not have been the best decision but he felt rather reckless today.

True he was reckless rather often but that was withh other things. Dangerous things that left him no other choice than to be reckless.

But what the hell. Some things were a bad idea but he had wanted to do this for so long. Always talked out of it by Ron and Hermione.