Bruh. It's been helluva while. Last time we posted COVID wasn't yet a thing. BUT with general cheeriness (& after actual days of Ermory pestering me for editing) we present chapter The Love Tri—dent. Because it's not really a triangle. Ah well, you'll see.

Oh and of course— nothing is ours! Except for the translation!

~ helena

Protocol: We do not own this. The character and story belong to (Unfortunately ) JK Rowling and the og fanfic is called "Sono Ginny Weasley e questa e' la mia storia" it is originally in Italian and can be found on EFPfanfic. The translator is Ermory and the editor is Helena.

The Second Task

The next day it became immediately clear to Ginny (but who are we kidding, she's seen for herself) that last night, Demelza had clambered around draining any glasses of alcohol she could get her hands on, while her boring date devolved to talking only about nineteenth century literature. Of course, Demelza also could be sometimes— no, she simply was— a girl who loved to talk about books and literature, but still in moderate doses, which does not mean the sole content of conversation; then even a girl like her would begin to get annoyed. Imagine that boy: ultra-mega-scary! Though what's important was that the girl had fun, by sending down her throat the alcohol that would give her a terrible headache the next day.

"I do not want to see him ever again in my life!" she declared with a giant ice bag resting on her forehead, while Ginny laughed and Vicky opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish, too shocked of what had become of the brilliant boy who had come to her.

Since even Vicky gave a full account of her evening, so did Ginny: and at the end of the story her friends found Micheal very likeable and quite seductive, so they molested her for days in order to convince her to go out with him. But perhaps most disturbingly, Hermione also forced her to see the Ravenclaw, and so the girl had no choice but to listen to the advice/ threats of her friends. Yes, she'd finally let Harry go for the while (though, of course, the boy would keep coming to mind) and, trying to live her life with other boys, a month after the dance, she was going out with Michael Corner. What's more, Hermione kept telling Ginny about how she had spent the night of the Yule Ball, emphasising the humongous fit of huge jealousy Ron had thrown, looking as if he wanted to rip Viktor Krum apart.

First come, first serve... Ginny found herself thinking with malice, staring at her brother and his best friend. But in the end, be it jealousy or romance, that hateful dance had brought something for everyone.

"If Hagrid shows us a Flobberworm again, I'll run straight to hell and don't you dare stop me."

"For sure ..."

"I mean really, I did not waste my time doing Demelza's nails for nothing!"

"So, doing all right with your raven, mh?" Christopher asked suddenly, in a very low voice.

Ginny turned slowly, taking a little time to make sure she understood her friend, and finally replied: "Everything is fine with my — with Michael, but I can ask, why are you speaking to me so quietly? You usually scream! Who the hell are you, and what have you done with my howling friend?"

The boy laughed heartily, and he again said in a low voice: "You know, my badger has changed me and I ... wait a minute, where the hell is Hagrid?" he added, letting go of the low tone and screaming as usual. And this was because his dear Susan Bones had changed him ... nevermind if she hadn't actually! Something was up, and something big it was.

When the Gryffindors reached the Ravenclaws at the edge of the Forbidden Forest— where the lessons were held with Hagrid— Ginny noticed not only a lack of the half-giant but also the presence of someone who seemed to be some sort of substitute teacher: incredible and suspicious. But the real question was ... where actually in hell was their friend Hagrid? Perhaps ill, bagging too much freezing wind on a walk too long in the forest. But giants didn't have this kind of problem, right? They were giants! Even there something was up.

"And who is she?" Colin whispered.

"That's a really good question ..." Ritchie replied.

"Are we all here?" the woman asked in a brisk tone, looking sternly at the latest arrivals. "Well, then ... I'm Professor Grubbly-Plank and I'll teach Care of Magical Creatures for the indefinite future. So, where to start? The matter that ..."

"But where's Hagrid?" Ginny asked quickly, interrupting her more abruptly than she wanted.

"Unwell," Professor Grubbly-Plank replied evasively in a flat voice, quickly returning away to ignore her. Luna Lovegood stared at the girl with a certain interest, as if expecting a greeting after they had introduced themselves to the ball, but the latter quickly turned her face and immediately leaned towards Demelza. "I was saying, before your classmate interrupted me, that the Care of Magical Creatures is a very important subject for two equally important and fundamental reasons, which are ..."

"What do you think?" Ginny muttered to her friend under her breath.

"I think Hagrid just doesn't feel like teaching," she replied.

"Could something serious have happened to him?"

"Nothing serious ..." she said reassuringly, returning to pay attention to the teacher.

Professor Grubbly-Plank, with that constant and annoyingly hasty and almost bored tone of hers, led the students to an enclosure near Hagrid's hut, and only let the girls enter to approach the creatures within: beautiful unicorns. According to the teacher, those unicorns adored the feminine touch, and Luna Lovegood did not have to be told twice before trotting forth without the slightest trace of fear towards a unicorn — to gently caress it. Emboldened by her example, the other girls immediately followed suit. The teacher walked among them to point out the various characteristics. "And the blood of the unicorn is of a silvery colour scarcely seen by any, because no one is ever so cruel to kill a creature so pure: it is said that whoever drinks that blood lives longer than he himself believes. What do you think, students?" Grubbly-Plank said, strolling among the unicorns and stroking their mane.

Demelza raised her hand to say her thing, and the teacher signaled for her to speak.

"Very beautiful, aren't they?" Luna Lovegood asked softly, turning to Ginny as she stroked a unicorn next to hers.

"Yes," she murmured.

"I know a lot of things about unicorns, but I didn't know anything about their blood ..." the girl continued, convinced that Ginny is hanging onto her every word as she is the beauty of her unicorn. "I hope this lady stays, you know, this is a real Care of Magical Creatures lesson! Don't you think?"

Ginny nodded, then composed herself: "No, that is ... I prefer Hagrid."

"Do you prefer Hagrid?"

"Yup!"

"Really," Luna commented absently, leaning over to touch the creature's horn.

"I don't think it's a good idea—I would not do it if I were ..."

... you.

Too late: the girl had already reached what she wanted to touch, remaining quiet and not at all worried or anxious about receiving any attack. Strange to say, but the unicorn seemed somehow awfully fond of her and her touch. Perhaps Lovegood had already been with a few unicorns before, which is why she was so prepared for this lesson on those fascinating creatures.

"Have you seen a unicorn before?" Ginny asked, unable to restrain herself.

"Oh no, but my father told me about them..."

At the end of the lesson, Luna bid her goodbye with a gentle gesture of the hand and trotted alone towards the castle, her heavy pink satchel slung on the shoulder. Ginny, very relieved for not having to feed Flobberworms, was so impressed by their new teacher that she had almost forgotten about Hagrid: she seemed really smart and experienced, to be able to show students such beautiful and hard-to-find creatures.

"Who was the one talking to you?" Demelza asked, walking towards Hogwarts followed by her friends. The boys had lingered to talk to Colin and the girls started without them, not just because it was impossible to make the redhead think rationally about Colin.

"Loony Lovegood" the girl answered absently, consulting the time and throwing back her red hair with a hasty gesture.

"What did you say?"

Demelza was so politely puzzled that Ginny stared at her and burst out laughing. Gathering herself, she said: "Oh basically, her name is really Luna Lovegood, but everyone calls her Loony, since she is so strange and dazed and ... loony, in fact!"

"And how did you meet her?"

"At the ball— and luckily Neville didn't see her ... those two would have made a comedy troupe!"

"Who has their head more in the clouds?"

"Luna, I would say."

"Oh everyone knows she's got her head in the clouds even without you telling us," Vicky retorted, with a small laugh of derision. "You know, I've heard a lot about her from the Ravenclaws, but I've never had the honour of talking to her. What is she like, apart from the stuff you said?"

Ginny thought about her, index finger under her chin. "One you should seriously stay away from" she replied, taking her finger off her chin and reaching for her friend's ribs to tickle her. "Don't ever start talking about boys with her ... she wouldn't understand anything!"

"Really?"

"Would she not even understand what a boy is like anatomically?" Demelza asked, with obvious bewilderment.

The two girls burst out laughing loudly, and Ginny was so caught up in their conversation and laughter that she didn't notice the boy who came to stand before her: a dazzling smile that showed two dimples on his cheeks, framed by dark hair silky and long ... It was Michael Corner. But what was Michael doing there then? Ginny was sure that if William saw him, even just for a second, he would be raising merry hell and she'd have to say good-bye to all hopes of getting Harry Potter because Micheal would surely send her off to Antarctica.

Ginny decided to act quickly, and with the utmost promptness.

"Hi! What a surprise! Where are you going?"

"Hi Michael ..." Demelza and Vicky muttered, trying to stifle their laughter. Ginny would have liked to kill Demelza: she was always composed and full of decorum, and right that moment everything left her? Who knows what those two said when she was not looking.

"Hi ... Anyway, I was coming for you. Just in time, aren't I?"

Oh yeah, just in time for you and William both to banish me straight to the North Seas.

"I have to go to Herbology, walk with me?"

The girl hesitated, then hurried to say: "I'll come, yes, sure ... er, I want to go that way though!"

"At her command," said Michael, but looked slightly perplexed.

She waved goodbye to the girls, who could not stop giggling like two madmen straight out of Azkaban, and walked with Michael towards the castle lawn, abruptly turning to the boy's right to avoid being seen by friends (ahem, William) and Michael stared at her rather puzzled, before starting to giggle. Obviously, he had no idea that his life was in extreme danger with William Todd in the neighbourhood, and perhaps it was for his best that she omitted this insignificant little detail while concentrating on his safety.

"Isn't it a little early for class?" Ginny asked, peering into the empty Herbology greenhouse and turning to face Michael. "Professor Sprout isn't ..." but she suddenly broke off, noticing that the boy had led her behind the greenhouses rather than near the entrance.

"... here yet, because it's a little too early for class" he concluded in a mischievous whisper.

"You've been lying to me! I should have expected it!" the girl protested, but she wasn't angry.

In fact, more than angry she was immobilized, because now Michael was stroking her cheeks, a thumb ghosting over her lips from time to time and smiling in the way that drove girls so crazy, including the redhead. Okay, maybe Corner's intentions were good (Ginny seriously doubted it and was starting to blush up just then) but he wasn't supposed to start in fifth gear right away.

To save the girl was the bell ringing unexpectedly.

"Didn't you say..."

"Or so I thought!" Michael snorted annoyedly, pulling away from her and putting the hand that caressed her face in his pocket. "I'd better go, a very boring hour of Herbology with Slytherins awaits me ... pray for me, ey!" he added, popping a kiss on her cheek and walked away, winking.

Ginny found her fingers lifting to the spot where he had kissed her and immediately turned around, sneaking away from the greenhouses. In no time, or at least that was what she thought, she reached the seventh-floor corridor with her mind completely left behind in the greenhouses, and saw in the Fat Lady's portrait when someone grabbed her by the robe's sleeve, making her turn and return abruptly to reality: William. Ginny was quite surprised to see him, but she still stared at him with extreme curiosity. What a day to be remembered.

"Will!" the girl said, trying to look as happy and natural as possible.

"Did you have fun with the beau behind the greenhouses?" he asked, absolutely pungent.

Ginny told herself it was best to lay the cards plain once and for all. And so thinking, she said forcefully: "What I do and with whom is none of your business, Will. You've been acting like this to me for months ... cut it out and stop behaving like a child!"

"And you?"

"Me?"

"Don't you think you're exaggerating? First Harry Potter, then Neville Longbottom ... now this damn Micheal Corner!" he spat every name with a different rage, but so angry as when he had pronounced the last boy's name. "I don't know what the hell is it you've got, seriously, jumping from one after another— what kind of disease is it?"

"YOU REALLY ARE AN IDIOT! STOP IT!" the girl shouted, taking a step toward him threateningly.

"You are making people think badly of you ..."

He didn't have time to finish the sentence before Ginny gave him a loud slap, making his face glow red like a roasted pepper. But William's face couldn't compete with that of the girl: purple without external intervention. That slap had been one of those rash actions of hers that she would soon regret, but at that moment her anger possessed her.

"... and then you just can't understand that I'm in love with you, for Merlin's sake!"

There, he'd said it. The first bomb had dropped just then, what comes next? To suspect it was one thing, and to hear that phrase from one of her best friends was another. Ginny stood there, bearing the weight of those damned words and wondering what to do and what to say, staring at William as if she couldn't believe her ears— hoping that what he said wasn't true.

Could the situation be worse? No, Ginny would have said a few seconds before William, blinded and overtaken by anger and passion, took her face in his hands and kissed her, pressing his warm lips against the girl's cold ones. Yeah, the situation could definitely get worse and not just by a little.

There was a clutter of books falling to the floor, and at the same time Ginny broke away from the boy: Demelza and the others were gaping at the scene as if they had swallowed their tongues. Even Christopher, who could never stay quiet for a second, was very silent.

William sighed and walked briskly away from everyone.

"So?"

"What exactly happened? We were distracted for a moment and William came looking for you because he saw you with Michael Corner near the lawn, while you were trying in vain not to be seen ... He said he wanted to wait because he had to tell you something and... "

"... we let him do it, convinced that he wouldn't do anything wrong!"

"And instead? He lied to us all, of course. If he found Michael, he would have beaten him to death and then ... how the hell did you kiss? I swear the library books are all bruised, I just hope Madam Prince will not—"

"DEMELZA!" Ginny bellowed, silencing her immediately. She pressed a hand over her head in trying not to listen to her friend's monologue sprinkled with additional comments from the others. Right then she didn't even know how she felt or how she should act with any of her friends, or whoever was her friend. She was losing them all, one by one ... and that was not good. It was bad luck when the bad luck takes over.

"Sorry," Demelza muttered, lowering her head and realizing that she had been waffling on. Usually, she was the one that made people think when they were wrong or did something unusual, but this time she just could not help herself: the kiss had shocked her.

"Um ..." Vicky coughed to get over that little moment of embarrassment, "why don't we go for a walk in the grounds?"

Ginny stared at her; Demelza returned to herself immediately and, resuming her speech, not nagging but calm and consoling, quickly drew up a small program for that afternoon.

"Yes, we could stay in the grounds, then around five or half past we come back to the castle for dinner, and after dinner you go to rest, try to sleep on what happened. Would you like that?"

"Yes, thank you ... fresh air is what I need now," said Ginny, who was very grateful to her friends.

She would have explained all the details of what had happened to her friends, but only when she had enough air in her head: thoughts of Harry Potter, Michael Corner and now also of her dear friend William Todd had to settle somewhere else.

"But at least, is he a good kisser?" Vicky insisted, too curious for her own good, before Demelza brutally dragged her out of Ginny's reach.

The days passed quickly, too near the speed of light for Ginny's tastes, and in a blink of an eye it was already February. In those days, the girl spent her time alternating between perfect solitude and days of company with friends, because everyone wanted to stay close with both the girl and William and couldn't risk losing either for a crush on the part of the boy. The two hadn't spoken to each other for nearly a month, and for Ginny that was really pure torture. In her time alone, the girl would seek Hermione's company for a chat and now, their meeting place was, as anyone could have imagined, the Hogwarts library.

"Miss Weasley!" called Professor McGonagall at the end of a boring Transfiguration class. Ginny slowly turned around, praying to Merlin and Morgana that the teacher wasn't thinking of laughing at her ugly racoon transfiguration, and found that she looked rather sad and tense.

"Yes?"

"You have to come to my office," she said.

The boys, who were waiting for Ginny to put her stuff away while Ritchie ran after William to try to keep him company (or at least make him think), glanced anxiously at McGonagall, who had no eyes but for the girl in question.

"But..."

"I'll explain in my office, don't worry, you go all the same"

Kind. Professor McGonagall had been kind indeed, and this didn't really bode well at all. Christopher waved for his friend to be quiet and dragged himself into the corridor with the others, while the girl was alone with the teacher. Why did she want her in her office? Had she done something bad? She wasn't the one concocting disasters right and left like Fred and George and ...

Speaking of the devil: Fred and George appeared panting on the threshold of the Transfiguration class looking too innocent as if they had been caught by the teacher doing something strange and wanted to appear perfectly calm.

"Did you want to see us, Professor?" asked Fred, taking a step forward.

"Yes, I need you to get your brother and Miss Granger from the library while your sister and I will wait for you in my office," McGonagall answered in a dejected voice, taking a pile of notes and approaching the door. Ginny raised her eyebrows in the direction of the twins who, for once in their lives, made no objections and disappeared to the library, probably glad that they weren't punished for anything.

"Professor, did something happen?" the girl asked as soon as the twins left.

"Nothing serious, we will explain when we are all inside"

McGonagall strode through the corridor, ordering wandering students to respective classes they're already late for, and when she opened her office door she was not surprised to see Madame Maxime with a tiny blonde girl who looked about seven or eight. They'd waited for a few more minutes before the twins, Ron, Hermione and, to Ginny's amazement, Cho Chang joined them in McGonagall's office.

"We're all there," McGonagall said, conjuring a few chairs.

"What are you doing here?" Ron whispered to his sister, who shook her head in confusion. Hermione stared at her as if she suspected something of the situation and the twins settled on Ginny's sides, while Cho Chang stared at the little girl and sat herself down.

"The situation is very simple, I sent for you because you were chosen as bait for the four champions," explained McGonagall. Then, looking at the twins and Ginny she added, "Not you three, only your brother, but it seemed right to warn you since you are his relatives, so it does not directly concern you and you can be a little calmer."

Ginny had listened carefully: what did she mean chosen as bait?

"In other words, you four" the teacher pointed to the little girl, who listened to Madame Maxime for a French translation, and a very confused Ron, Hermione and Cho, "you are the most precious things of our four champions, considered their treasures: little Gabrielle Delacour for the Beauxbatons champion, Mr Weasley for Potter, Miss Chang for Diggory and Miss Granger for the Durmstrang champion."

At those words, Hermione blushed a fire and Ron clenched his fists.

"What the champions have to do is rescue you from the Great Lake within exactly an hour."

"What do you mean to rescue us from the Great Lake?" Ron interrupted abruptly, anxiety in his voice.

"It means that you will fall into an enchanted sleep until your champion brings you back to the surface," said the professor, sitting on the chair opposite them and looking at them firmly. "Professor Dumbledore himself will perform the charm and has kindly asked me to ensure you that you are not at risk: you will not remember anything. You four, you must be calm and calm ... we have the whole situation under control"

"But if ..." Chang intervened timidly, "but if a champion gets… caught up ... and can't get back up with us within an hour?"

"We have set the time limit to ensure that the champions return in time, so you won't run any risks if you stay underwater for more than an hour," McGonagall replied.

"And when do we have to go down to the lake?" Hermione asked, still red in the face.

"Right now, with me of course. They're organizing tomorrow's rehearsal," McGonagall resumed, rising from her chair and walking around the desk. "So, if you could follow me ... here, don't panic because nothing will happen to you. You three may go back to the Gryffindor Tower ... and don't wander around the corridors!" she added, shouting after the twins and Ginny as they climbed a staircase to reach the tower.

"What do you think?" asked George, breaking the silence.

"It's creepy," Ginny replied after a few seconds, rubbing her arms because she really got the chills.

"In my opinion it's an ingenious test!" Fred said instead, excited as ever. "Basically, the champions won't know that they are safe, and this puts them in the perfect dilemma with how much they want to win the race. Brilliant!"

"Dilemma? They will definitely race on!" replied George with hilarity.

"By the way ... did you see Ron's face when Hermione turned out to be Krum's dearest thing?" Ginny asked, starting to laugh like crazy and quickly moving a red tapestry, a sign that they were about to reach the tower.

The twins laughed too, and George said, "Well ... something good the tournament brought him. Maybe Ron and Hermione will get married someday!

The twenty-fourth of February dawned early, and the students were far from themselves due to the excitement of the new task to be held at the Great Lake in mere minutes.

Ginny finally resolved to put her problems aside to devote herself to Harry and the task, still anxious about the four hostages kept underwater in an enchanted sleep— while everyone was up there having fun and partying. What if something really happened to one of the champions? Nothing would happen to the four hostages, this was certain ... but no one had mentioned the fate of the champions after an hour or if they were attacked. Nobody could know what the hell was down there! And that only added to the girl's anxiety.

"Sonorus!" shouted the voice of Ludo Bagman making them all jump. "Well, our four champions are ready for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament! All four will have exactly an hour to recover what was stolen from them: the four treasures lie at the bottom of the Great Lake, and each champion must save only their treasure and return to the surface. Is everything clear? Starting at the cannon shot—"

The cannon fired mightily and the champions all dived into the water, disappearing from view.

"The four treasures?" Demelza asked, in a daze.

"Er ..." Ginny stammered evasively, but then decided it was time to tell her friends the truth about what happened yesterday after Transfiguration. Even William listened to the story, though he didn't say a word the entire time, and all were rather frightened by what they had just heard. After the story, the task was drawing to an end, the girl had no choice but leave them to join Percy and the twins, near the judges' stand.

"Shall we keep Micheal away from you?" Demelza asked with insight.

"I'd be grateful," Ginny replied and went down a staircase to reach the grandstand below.

Down there was a bustle of people, all ready to intervene in case of danger but there was no need for external interventions for the four champions: each of them reached the surface, bringing their treasures safe and sound. Everyone congratulated the three champions who had left the lake ... because only three champions had left the lake and one without even her hostage.

Where was Harry?

"Hermione don't worry... he's strong— calm down," Ginny tried to reassure her, while Krum put a towel over her shoulders, trying to get her attention because he was the one who pulled her from the lake. He probably expected the girl to give an affectionate hug or a passionate kiss to her hero.

Hermione sighed, wringing her hands in her lap.

"Herr-miun" Krum muttered, but Hermione ignored him once again as something moved in the water.

"And finally, our fourth— Hogwarts champion!"

Harry emerged with some difficulty, and along with him Ron as well as the tiny girl who was in McGonagall's office— rather bewildered and supported by the two boys for perhaps she didn't swim very well. Fleur Delacour jumped to her feet and rushed towards her little sister to drag her onto dry land. Hermione and Ron escaped from Madam Pomfrey's adminsterings and crowded round Harry, while Ginny, Percy and the twins watched the scene.

"They were the Grindylows, they attacked me! I thought ... I thought ... oh, Gabrielle!" she cried, squeezing her in her arms, tears in her eyes. Then she added, turning to Harry: "You saved her, even though she wasn't your hostage!"

"Yeah," the boy replied, and Fleur pressed two kisses on his cheeks.

Ginny quickly turned away, disgusted and eyes narrowed to slits. Even more disgusted was she when the girl also kissed Ron, and Hermione began to look embittered as well. In the end, Harry, though having returned last, managed to take the lead because he had saved a hostage that wasn't his (Fleur clapping loudly at this) and was on a par with Cedric Diggory in his final points. Ginny for a moment fantasised about herself underwater, rescued by Harry for a second time in her life since he had saved her from Tom Riddle ... but then she pushed that thought resolutely out of her mind, and not just because it brought to mind her best friend in the diary, but because she had to leave that boy alone once and for all.

Then, moving away from a celebrated Harry, she walked to Micheal Corner and threw her arms around his neck.

T/N

WE ARE BACK. Both me and Helena are finally back and wow there was a whole lot of drama. We are collecting translated chapters so that we will have more in case we can't finish one so we can maintain a regular schedule this time. We will update every Friday. There are 90 chapters total so a lot of content for y'all to look forward. I translated until around 34 now so pls look forward to this.

And like that, the hiatus is over hatchlings.

About this chapter: I loved it because it shows ginny was immature and that she is a child when she is 13, thus she is a tad insensitive to others' emotions and mostly thinks about hers. Shows a realistic approach. Also, should I include translated notes of the original authors' notes?

~Ermory