Awhile back, Sparky She-Demon suggested Remus check up on young Harry. While I didn't go that route, though it's possible in the future, I do agree that Remus should've been more involved in Harry's life. In canon he totally vanishes for all of fourth year. This story shows Remus being there for Harry at a key time in fourth year.
It was the evening after the selection of the Triwizard Champions and Harry and Hermione were sitting in armchairs by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room.
It had been a tough twenty four hours for Harry.
There was the shock of his name having come out of the Goblet of Fire in the first place and the fact that Ron had betrayed him after his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire.
Hermione had proven herself to be the loyal friend that she was, and Harry had written to Sirius, though he knew it was a little too soon for a response.
But on this night, Harry would find he had another source of support.
A few minutes and a few nanoseconds after Harry and Hermione had sat down, the portrait hole that was the entrance to Gryffindor Tower swung open and to their great surprise, Harry and Hermione saw Remus Lupin walk in.
Remus instantly spotted Harry and Hermione in the armchairs by the fire and walked over to them.
"Harry?" called Remus cautiously.
"Remus?" replied Harry uncertainly, "What are you doing here?"
"I've come to offer you support. I read in the Daily Prophet this morning that you were selected as a Triwizard Champion."
"I didn't put my name into the Goblet of Fire-" began Harry angrily.
"Of course, you didn't, " said Remus reassuringly, "It would take powerful Dark Magic to trick the Goblet of Fire, you would never do the one thing that would guarantee you more fame and attention, both of which you hate, and between Voldemort and Dementors, I'm sure you have had more than your fill of danger already."
"Thank you, Remus," said Harry gratefully, relief etched upon every inch of his face.
"Most people don't believe you then?" realized Remus sadly.
"Most don't, " sighed Harry, "Ron betrayed me by not believing me and not standing by me."
Cold fury came across Remus's face.
"Part of being of a good friend, " said Remus angrily, "Is standing by your friends even when other people turn against them. Ron's reaction to your name coming out of the Goblet of Fire proves he is incapable of doing that. He has proven that when other people turn on you, then he will too."
"That I would have had no interest in being a Triwizard Champion should've been as obvious to Ron as that cheetahs are faster than snails, " said Harry bitterly, "He knows I hate fame and attention and he knows I never expressed any interest in being in the tournament."
"Not only that," added Hermione fiercely, "But he SAW Fred and George try and fail to beat Dumbledore's Age Line. Ron knows that Fred and George are far more magically gifted than Harry, especially in trickster magic. He should've easily realized that that if Fred and George couldn't do it, then Harry certainly couldn't."
"Hermione, on the other hand, " said Harry, smiling at her, "Has proven her loyalty here. She proved herself by believing me without question when I told her that I hadn't put my own name in the Goblet of Fire."
"So," pressed Remus, looking seriously at Harry, "You've been dealt a bad hand. You're in a position where the dealer has a face card for his up card and you're holding a sixteen."
"What can I do?" Harry asked Remus desperately.
"First, " said Remus seriously, "Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, "The worst thing you can do is stress yourself out. Being too stressed out will cause you to perform poorly both in the tournament and in the classroom. Stress can also lead to serious health issues. It's important for you to take it upon yourself not to put too much pressure on yourself."
"One aspect of that, " offered Hermione, "Is to keep your expectations of your own performance in check. Keep in perspective that you were involuntarily chosen for a tournament meant for witches and wizards several years older than you. Mind you, it shouldn't have been revived at all. Bagman and Crouch have lost their marbles to reinstate an event that was discontinued because of the high death rate."
"The premise of the tournament is also a false dichotomy, " declared Remus clearly, "Far from creating ties between witches and wizards of different nationalities, an event such as this will only drive wedges between them as rivalries form over everyone rooting for their own champion."
"Keeping my expectations low is all well and good, " agreed Harry, "But two questions. First do you know any good stress relief strategies?"
"Read," chorused Remus and Hermione.
"Well, " said Harry wryly, "There's only so many times you can read The Standard Book of Spells Grade Four."
"We don't mean academic books," clarified Hermione.
"No, " explained Remus, "We mean reading for pleasure. It could be about a topic you enjoy such as sports or music. Or it could be a story. The point is that reading for pleasure is a great relaxation strategy."
"Could you suggest some good books for me to read that are stories?" Harry asked Remus.
"I'd suggest the Magician's Nephew, " piped up Remus, "It's the first book of a seven part series called The Chronicles of Narnia, a series widely regarded as a classic in the fantasy genre."
"Thanks for the suggestion, Remus, " said Harry appreciatively.
"I'll send you a copy by tomorrow night, " promised Remus, "I'll also send you some simple crossword puzzles. Doing crossword puzzles is another excellent activity for relaxation. And it's also relaxing to sit by the Black Lake and take in the sound of the birds or the sight of the night sky."
"I think I've got that part down pat," voiced Harry, "But, how am I supposed to stay safe?"
"This tournament isn't safe, " said Remus honestly, "But there are things you can do. The Third Task is always the most straightforward of the Triwizard Tasks. You will know what it is months beforehand. Be sure to dedicate time and effort into preparing yourself for the Third Task. You'll know which spells are most useful for this task beforehand and you need to make sure you master them."
"So, the key to succeeding in the Third Task is hard work and preparation, " said Harry in understanding.
"Yes, " confirmed Remus, "After the First Task, you will be given a clue and will have to work out that clue. This clue will tell you what the Second Task is. My advice here is to get to work on decoding the clue that will tell you what the Second Task is the nanosecond you have that clue. You want to give yourself as much time as possible to work out the clue and then prepare for the Second Task once you have figured it out. Procrastination is not your friend here."
"So," took in Harry, "The Second Task comes down to logic and cleverness combined with commitment,"
"You're getting it Harry, " said Remus approvingly, "Unfortunately, because the First Task is designed to test your daring, you will not be told what it is until your moment to participate in it comes. For this reason, the First Task is always the scariest of the Triwizard Tasks. I will give you some general advice though. Make sure to get a good night's sleep on the days before the tasks and be sure to eat a good breakfast on the days of the tasks. It could be fatal to go into the tasks tired or hungry. Attentiveness is very important to not only for your performance, but also for your safety during the Triwizard Tasks."
Harry nodded.
"Harry, " said Remus, looking Harry eye to eye, "I promise to be here for you when I can."
"Could you meet me back here again tomorrow night? I have my first day of classes since my name came out of the Goblet of Fire tomorrow and I'm sure it's not going to be a pleasant experience. I'd like to talk out whatever happens. I wrote to Sirius this morning, but I know it'll take him a few days to respond and at any rate, he can only write to me. I want to talk these things out face to face," Harry asked Remus.
"Absolutely, " said Remus firmly, "Sirius is as loyal to you as he was to James, but, sadly, he's not in a position to help you as much as he should be able to. I'm glad you're keeping him informed of things though."
"He asked me to tell him if anything unusual happened at Hogwarts this year," explained Harry.
"Now, " said Remus with a kind smile, "I have one last piece of advice. There is a student at Hogwarts, that, if you get to know her, will be the best friend to you that you've ever had. Unfortunately, she's neither in your house nor your year. She's a Ravenclaw in the year below you. Her name is Luna Lovegood and if you get to know her, she will be a wonderful friend to you."
"Thank you for coming, Remus, " said Harry warmly, "I feel better knowing I can talk things out with you."
"I'll be back tomorrow night and we can talk out anything you need to talk out," promised Remus.
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