Having won the duel against Krum, Harry used the time turner in the chamber to go back another 10 hours. He still slept for over a day, his body demanding rest for the sheer amount of magic that he had used. He awoke on Sunday, the day after most of the other students in the castle had left, awoken not by being well rested or anything like that, but rather the sheer coldness of the almost winter air filling the chamber.

Good afternoon

'Why do I feel like this?'

You are still young, in a decade, that match might have been nothing more than a short warm up for you. But since you have yet to reach your peek, your body requires rest equal to the effort that you put out.

'Great, any way that I can make this not happen again. What if I have another duel with Krum?'

Then we will simply put him down faster, you were much to kind to him in the previous duel. There is no reason to allow people such kindness, he casted dangerous magic at you. You will never respond to such attempts on our lives again with schoolyard spells again, am I clear?

'Yes'

Good, now let's go get something to eat, it should be nearly lunch time.

Harry used one of the many exits to the chamber to appear on the third floor before making his way to Great Hall. The hall was mostly empty, the majority of the students having gone home for the holiday. In fact, all of the students were sitting at the Ravenclaw table, fitting on the single table with ease. The fifty something odd students gave him a wave, but none of them said anything as they waited for the food to arrive.

Harry's body was shivering, even under his winter robes, his long fluffy PJs worn under them, and the heating charm that was over his body.

I don't think I've seen you this cold since you fought Barty since before the World Cup incident.

'I don't know if I will ever be that cold again in my life. This is not ideal, but I will get better once I start eating'

That was a rather bad moment, you laid down in the ashes of the clearing that he attempted to kill you in, in the field where you actually did manage to kill him

'I didn't kill him, my magic did'

I stand corrected, good catch child

'Who the fuck makes the food around here, I am starving'

Probably the house elves still, I imagine they are down in the kitchen, waiting for everything to be done or waiting for Dumbledore to give the signal to release the food to the students

'You think Dobby is down there/'

We can check later, someone is approaching.

All of the students had continued to ignore Harry, leaving the boy alone. None of them wanted to cross him after watching him duel and they knew how moody he could be when he was all bundled up waiting for food. While not on Ron's level of hunger or manners, Harry was rather sarcastic and rude when hungry.

Thus, everyone knew not to bother him and had no plans to do so. Except for a blonde haired, blue eyed young girl with radishes for earrings as she plopped down across from him, "Hell-OH"

Harry let loose a large yawn, his body shaking from the force of the yawn, "Hi, um … I dunno your name"

The girl didn't bat an eye at the admission, "My name is Luna Lovegood, you can call me Looney if you want. Everyone else does"

She finished her statement with a wave gesture to the rest of the students sitting at their table, the remaining Ravenclaw students looking slightly scared as she made the damning remark.

"No, I think I will call you Luna" said Harry, his sleepy feeling leaving him, "How can I help you?"

"My father is the owner of The Quibbler, I was hoping to be able to get an interview for the paper" answered Luna

Harry blinked at the straightforward request, it was the first time excluding the BS that Rita tried to pull on him, that someone actually asked him for an interview.

"Sure" shrugged Harry

How she spawned the tiny notepad and quill was rather awe inspiring, the white fedora that had a red ribbon around it that read: Press was adorable too.

"Okay first question, how long have you been the best wizard in the castle?" asked Luna, a rather serious look on her face

I like her, can we keep her

'Only if you remember to feed, walk, and take care of her'

I promise

"I am not the strongest wizard in the castle, Dumbledore is still the most powerful wizard in the world as well as this castle" answered Harry as the food finally appeared on the table, his plate instantly being loaded up with chicken, potatoes, and everything he could reach around him.

"Ok" muttered Luna as she wrote down Harry's answer word for word before moving her notepad out of the way of a pitcher of Lemonade that zipped across the table into Harry's outstretched hand, "And how long have you been a liar about your greatness"

Junior didn't have a mouth or nose as far as Harry knew, but the snort he let off inside his mind caused Harry to choke on his first bite of chicken.

"I *cough* excuse me, um. I try my best" said Harry

Luna nodded as if Harry gave her the most profound answer ever given, "And do you plan on becoming Minister to lead our country to success or will you have a hostile takeover as a Dark Lord?"

Harry stared at her as he felt his head start to throb as a headache came in, but Luna just stared right back at him and repeated her question when a minute of silence passed.

"I have no plans to be in charge of Magical Britian as minister or as a dark lord" answered Harry

"Understandable, I had heard Hermione Granger was the real brains behind the operation, thank you for confirming" said Luna with a large smile

Harry just bit into his chicken leg as he suppressed a smile.

"So, when does Ronald Weasley master time travel and become Dumbledore?" asked Luna, "I think he could pull off the beard, but that's just this journalist's opinion"

Harry shrugged as the randomness of her questions was slowly becoming normal to him, "Is that something he was working on?"

Luna shrugged herself, "I was hoping you would know"

"We could ask him" said Harry as he pointed at the red haired boy munching on a sandwich siting down the table, waving at them when he noticed them looking at him.

"Eh, he's just gonna deny it" said Luna

"Probably" agreed Harry, "Besides who can really master time travel?"

"You mean besides you?" said Luna as she tilted her head and Harry noticed the odd glasses she was wearing for the first time as they slipped down her nose.

Holy Merlin, do you know what this girl is?

'Nosy and terribly misinformed for a lot of things?'

No, do you know what a mage is?

'I dunno, a really strong witch or wizard?'

Sometimes I forget how tragically under educated you still are

'Are you going to tell me or just insult me, you prat'

Mind your tongue boy and of course I am going to tell you, after I finished insulting you. A mage is not just a strong witch or wizard as you thought, but rather a witch or wizard who is completely in tune with their magic and the magic that fills the world

'And you think this girl is a mage?'

Of course, those glasses are probably to keep her eyes from being harmed by the things she can really see. If a mage isn't slowly and carefully eased into their abilities, they can sometimes be driven mad by seeing too much too soon.

'Oh, so she's not crazy?'

No, she definitely is, she called Hermione the brains of our operation. But she also can see the ripples of time magic on your very being, she's beyond brilliant. It's why she is in Ravenclaw.

"You know it can be seen as rude to not answer questions" noted Luna, "But since this is your first interview, I will forgive you"

"Um thanks" said Harry, "I have not mastered Time Travel"

"Then why are you covered in blue and brown magic?" asked Luna

"You tell me?" challenged Harry

"Maybe you didn't shower correctly if you aren't time traveling" suggested Luna

"I probably do need a shower" admitted Harry

"You smell like hard work" said Luna as she wrote down that line, "That is going to be the line of the article, "Harry Potter smells like Hard Work"

And with that, Luna got up and left, leaving Harry to finish his lunch in peace.

As the winter break came and went, Harry continued to have basically double days, but making sure to rest more than his preparation for the next task. It was some kind of puzzle room that would be timed or a race to the finish. His golden egg sat in the bottom of his trunk, Junior had already helped him solve the screeches, the Mermish was not something either of them enjoyed.

For Christmas, due to Ron being such a good friend (begging for continued friendship multiple times with several apologizes thrown in), Harry actually gifted the redhead the golden egg.

"Oi, what the bloody hell am I supposed to do with this screechy thing?" asked Ron

"Have it sent to someone who can melt it down and give you a bunch of gold" replied Harry as if it was obvious, "That thing is like 20 pounds of solid gold"

Ron looked at him as if he had gifted him the sun itself as he raced off to gather several owls to assist him in getting the egg to someone who would be able to do so.

Harry had received a six pack of monstrous chocolate eggs that looked just like a dragon egg from Molly, he was certain that the other ones were to be shared with Ron and Hermione, but he didn't feel like sharing with them. He had also taken to wearing his golden Weasley made sweeter over his clothing every day.

Ms. Weasley was really talented because the built in heating runes were absolutely perfect, to the point that Junior even questioned how the Weasley's could be poor if the mother of the family was capable of making this type of quality clothing.

Hermione and he had exchanged several book on advanced magical theory. Harry giving her books on Transfiguration and Charms and him receiving books on Chinese Runes and Dueling practices from Greece.

Dumbledore had sent him a homemade leather bound journal that was filled with notes about defensive magic, mostly runes and warding.

Sirius had sent him another firebolt to replace the one that the dragon had burned. Remus sent him some pictures of his parents. Harry had tea with Hagrid the morning of Christmas, missing the giant gentle man.

The twins did a prank during the Christmas dinner that gave everyone antlers and had them letting out yips like a deer world. Dumbledore's nose was glowing bright red as he looked down at the twins with a fond smile.

They are quite the pair of crafters

'You think so?'

Harry, I've never heard of a spell that gives you antlers, let alone a potion that does it. They have managed to create unique pastes, potions, elixirs, and candies time and time again. They are the most talented people, outside of you and Dumbledore, probably in this castle. It is a shame that they are poor, or they would probably be able to further their … well everything.

'What if they weren't poor?'

Oh, do you have a plan that suddenly doesn't make them part of the Weasley family? What if you simply gave them the money they needed to start?'

'You think I should invest in them?'

Why not? You have the funds, you have the ability to do so. You would not miss a thousand or even two thousand galleons. And you'll make it back when you win this tournament

And Harry did just that, approaching the twins to provide them with a magically signed letter gifting them 1000 galleons each. They tried to reject it, but Junior provided Harry with the correct words to have them accept it, but they insisted on making him 1/3 of ownership and included their own letter to Gringotts to confirm that Harry was to make 1/3 profit from their business.

It was the last week of winter break on the 28th when Harry ran into her, quite literally. He turned the corner, and his nose slammed right into the chin of a girl who was taller than him by almost 3 or 4 inches. Not that he was overly short, but 5 foot 6 inches at almost 15 years old wasn't exactly tall either.

"Ouch" whined Harry as he rubbed his nose

"Oh, it is you" said Fleur, her voice being soft and velvety, unlike anything he had ever heard before, her hand drifting to her chin.

She looked great for a girl who had been burned alive by dark magic less than a full month ago. But Harry could make out the fading grid-like design on her skin that went from her face, down to her neck and what little he could see of her collarbone.

"How are you?" asked Harry as they started walking once more, Fleur turning around to accompany him back to the top of Gryffindor's tower

"I have been better" admitted Fleur as her hand made its way to her repaired cheek, "I find that the new skin is … itchier is the word"

"It looks almost healed" noted Harry, "You'll be as good as new in no time"

Fleur nodded, "The healers said another couple of weeks for the ritual to be complete. My magic protected me from so much of the fire that I will make a full recovery, but they said there was so much dark magic in the spell that it will still take time"

"Dumbledore ripped the referee to shreds over that" remembered Harry, "I was very mad too. It was such bullshit that they allowed that to happen"

"I heard something about the referee not being the correct one or something" said Fleur, "Do you have any idea what that was about?"

Harry shook his head, "I don't know much other than that. The wrong person was overseeing the duel"

Fleur grit her teeth, "The wrong person walked away from that duel"

"I beg a differ" said Harry, "Only I walked away from that duel"

Fleur raised an eyebrow, "You won?"

"They didn't show you?" asked Harry, "I told your headmistress to have a good view of the fight to show you later"

Fleur shrugged, "If they told me the results of the fight, they did not do so while I was in the state of mind to process it properly"

Silence filled their little walk, neither of them really sure of what to say in the aftermath of the gruesome duel. Harry had felt much more victorious post duel, but upon seeing that Fleur was still dealing with the effects of the duel, clearly mentally and physically, he felt a lot less okay with letting him off the hook without something more physically punishing.

Tell her the truth about what happened

'You sure?'

…

"After Krum pulled that dirty tactic with the Greek Fire … I wanted to, maybe even needed to stop the duel. It felt so wrong to watch you be hit by what should have clearly been an illegal spell. I, momentarily, unlocked an elemental ability to control wind and escaped my binds. Upon making sure that you were okay, I hit Krum with spells that keep him off balance" said Harry as he licked his lips, "Then I pinned his feet to the ground and used a simple leg dancing spell to force him to break his own legs. I let him get up than reversed a spell on him, sending him flipping up into the air, suspended by his ankle. I disarmed him and then used a gag spell to remove the bones from his arms and legs, then banished him through the warding into the lap of his headmaster"

Fleur hummed in appreciation but didn't say anything as she listened to Harry recount the duel, her eyes casted in a downward position as she slowly took in what Harry was saying. The floor was not that interesting as she mindlessly continued to look downwards as she finally digested what Harry had said.

"So, you can't control wind anymore?" she asked

Harry shook his head, "No, that seemed to be a onetime thing so far. I might be able to do so again in the future with some more practice"

Fleur stopped walking beside him and he turned back to look at her, unsure of whether he should be concern or not. She was giving him a fairly intense look, but he could not make out the emotion in her eyes or the one on her face.

'Is she mad at me?'

I am knowledgeable about many things … complex magic, ancient runes, magical theory and concepts. I am as clueless as you are when it comes to understanding women.

'I thought you knew everything and were always right?'

I am … about magic, how would I know anything about girls Harry? I live inside your head, I have the same experience with females as you do

Harry was going to mentally retort to Junior about how that didn't make any sense as he didn't know shit about half the things that Junior taught him when Fleur spoke again.

"You unlocked a rare magical ability because I got hurt" she whispered, but his ears still picked up the words and he absentmindedly nodded in agreement.

Harry and Junior will never be able to explain why what happened next happened as it did, but then again neither of them could ever say they understand the advance complex workings of the female mind.

Fleur slapped him with enough force to leave a very red mark on his right check, but when opened his mouth to ask why she did that, she used the same hand she slapped him with to grab the front of his robes and pull him into a deep aggressive kiss.

The push of her lips on his felt like he was sinking into the most perfect pillow, but his mind couldn't focus on that as he lost all ability to think as the kiss extended on, approaching the 30 second mark before ending.

Fleur looked at him with a hint of pride, "I do not need you to stand up for me Harry, but I do appreciate a man who is capable of having my back if I need it"

And with that, she turned around and Harry found his eyes drawn to her swaying hips and he could hear Fleur laughing as she threw him a final look over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

'What the actual fuck just happened'

That is my question Harry

'Chamber?'

Yeah, we have advanced intent warding to convert to runes

With Durmstrang:

Krum and Karkaroff both were in less than stellar moods at the moment as they once again rewatched the duel between Harry and Krum for the countless time, trying to figure out where things went wrong.

"What do you think?" asked Karkaroff

"That he is much more talented than I thought" admitted Krum

"He's more powerful than any other 14 year old that I've ever seen" added Karkaroff, "But what about his technique really stood out to you"

Krum shrugged, "He knew what to dodge, I guess"

Karkaroff rolled his eyes, "And what does that tell us Viktor?"

"I dunno" replied Krum

Karkaroff shook his head in disappointment, "You're thinking too hard boy. If he knows what to dodge, what to absorb, what to repel. It means that he knew what each of the spells would do"

Krum frowned, "But Hogwarts doesn't teach dark arts"

"Unless things have drastically changed since I came here in my youth, no they do not" confirmed Karkaroff, "However school isn't the only way to learn things now is it?"

Krum nodded, "No, it is not. I should expand myself past the reputation of Hogwarts and do some deeper digging"

"I would have thought after watching the kid kill a dragon that you would have been taking him seriously" tsk'd Karkaroff

"I thought it was dumb luck" countered Krum

"You do not pull of dark magic that has been forgotten with 'dumb luck' Viktor, you do so with determination and skill" corrected Karkaroff

"I will do better in the future, I am in second in the tournament currently. With 7 more tasks to go, there is plenty of time to catch up to Potter" snarled Krum

"There is always plenty of time to continue to fall behind and be humiliated along the way as well" hissed Karkaroff

Krum frowned, that was also true. He was behind because he had underestimated the girl in the first round, then the boy in the second round.

"I need to do some research on the Potter boy?" asked Krum

"You should have been doing research from the beginning" dismissed Karkaroff before he turned and left Krum's cabin on the boat.

Defeat

It was something unfamiliar to Krum. He had always been the most talented at everything. The best duelist in his school during his time, the best flyer in the world, the best Seeker in the world. And yet?

Defeat

Twice in two bouts it had found him, latching onto him like a parasite that wanted nothing more than remove success from his grasp, never to be seen from again. He found himself wondering aimless as he left the boat himself and wondered the grounds of Hogwarts.

It was too early for dinner, too late for lunch. He didn't wish to ruin his appetite at the moment, the food here was rather agreeable with his stomach. He blinked as his feet had carried him to a familiar place, he found himself looking at the door to the Library inside the school.

He entered the maze of bookshelves, his eyes seeking something that maybe even he did not fully know that he wanted to find. But when his eyes landed on it, his hand pulled it off the shelf at once.

The Secret of Elementals by L.N.T Longbottom

A book about the lore of Elementals was something he couldn't ignore, and he slowly made his way to a table in the corner of the library. He sat down and opened the book, taking in the handwritten words:

In the ancient tapestry of magic, there exists a rare and revered branch of witches and wizards known as the Elementals. These extraordinary beings, whether witches or wizards, possess a profound connection to the primal forces of nature. Unlike ordinary practitioners of magic, Elementals command the very elements themselves: earth, air, fire, and water. Capable of bending a single element to their will with effortless grace.

Elementals are not just powerful; they are the most feared and revered magic-wielders in all the lands. No other sorcerer, mage, or enchantress rivals the raw might that an Elemental can summon. Their mastery over nature's primal forces makes them the uncontested rulers of magical domains. Kingdoms rise and fall with their favor, and even the bravest armies tremble at the thought of facing one in battle. Their storms can drown cities, their flames can turn castles to ash, and they can carve mountains or split seas with a single command.

The origins of Elementals are shrouded in mystery, their power said to stem from a primordial pact made with the elemental spirits that govern the natural world. This bond grants them the ability to manipulate these forces with unparalleled precision, shaping landscapes, conjuring storms, and summoning flames as easily as breathing.

Elementals are not merely spellcasters; they are conduits of elemental balance, maintaining harmony between the forces they wield and the world around them. Their presence can be felt in the serene calm of a breeze, the fierce blaze of a wildfire, or the steady growth of a verdant forest. Yet, their power comes with great responsibility, for the elements are capricious and their wrath can be as devastating as their benevolence.

Legends speak of Elementals as guardians of ancient secrets, their knowledge and power passed down through generations. They are both revered and feared, their ability to shape reality itself making them pivotal figures in the ever-unfolding story of magic and the natural world. Wherever they walk, the very fabric of existence bends to their will, solidifying their place as the most powerful beings in all the realms.

Krum flipped through the book, devouring the knowledge inside the book and before he knew it, there was a cough that caused him to flinch as he looked up.

Standing there was a bushy haired girl, dressed in Hogwarts robes with the symbol of Gryffindor. She looked vaguely like someone he had made a passive mental note about, but he could not recall who she was.

"You're going to miss dinner" said the girl in a matter of fact tone

Krum frowned, "What time is it?"

"It's nearly a quarter past 6 PM" replied the girl

Krum closed the book and slipped it into a pocket of his robes, he would finish it in due time. But the sound of food got his stomach to rumble as he realized how hungry he was.

"Don't worry, during the holidays, Dinner runs until 7:15 PM because of how lazy everyone is" said the girl

"I appreciate you stopping me, I was deep into research mode" said Krum as he stood up, "Shall we go get some dinner?"

The girl blushed and Krum realized she was almost half a foot shooter than him, but she was cute in a rather girly way. Everything about her said she was all prim and proper, she was a good girl, Krum thought that was adorable.

Because in a world full of magic, why follow all the rules?

"My name is Viktor Krum" said Krum, attempting to introduce himself to the kind younger girl

"I know who you are, all the boys refuse to shut up about you" replied the girl before she blushed in embarrassment, "Sorry, that was a rather rude thing to say"

Krum let out a chuckle, "No, I like the honesty. I deal with a lot of fangirls and sadly, a lot of fanboys. It's nice to hear someone tell me the truth"

The girl have a small smile, her two big teeth flashing at him, "I know but it isn't proper comportment"

"Comportment?" asked Krum

"It means behavior" supplied the girl

Krum nodded, "But who makes those rules that say what is and what isn't proper?"

The girl blinked at him, "I … I imagine it's the ministry"

"And do you trust the ministry to have your best interest at their heart?" questioned Krum, "Because at Durmstrang, we base everything on the ability and power of the individual. If you feel that peace is the most important thing to you, you must work hard to become the most skilled that you can be to issue out peace"

The girl bit her lip as her eyebrows burrowed, she was clearly deep in thought as they continued to walk together towards the Great Hall. It took a few minutes before she spoke again.

"That type of logic is flawed, the Theory of Meritocracy overlooks social, economic, and systemic influences on success, challenging the assumption of personal ability as sole determinant" countered the girl, "Just because you know more spells or have better wand work shouldn't really make you in charge of other people"

Krum shook his head, "Not in charge, but rather bless with … what is the word, Privilege"

The girl gave a slow nod before double checking her understanding, "So the better you are, the more favorable you're treated?"

"Correct, is it the best manner of understanding in the school. We all start off as nothing, bottom feeders. Blood purity, family names, and wealth all mean nothing. You must work to be the best, nothing is given"

The girl's eyes shined as if she loved that idea, "I wish Hogwarts was like that, there is a severe lack of appreciation for academia around here. You wouldn't know the number of times that I've been made fun of for knowing the answer or studying"

Krum frowned, "They make fun of the smart cute girls here?"

The girl blushed again, "I don't think half the schools sees me as a girl to be honest. They all treat me like a source of notes and a secondary teacher"

"Even your friends?" asked Krum as his mind drifted, they are using her much like they tried to use me when I was younger

"I don't really have all that many friends" admitted the girl, "I had two best friends but one of them had … has a nasty jealous streak and isn't the best with dealing with the success of others. The other has slowly pulled away over the last year, he's been different this year"

Krum mentally shook his head, "No worries than, you can study with me in the library after lunch everyday if you wish. I find my biggest moments of peace are those in which I do not have a hoard of fans around me, but rather when I am lost in my pursuit of something new"

The girl have him a soft smile, big teeth still making an appearance, it was rather cute to see her try to hide them.

"Thanks, I would like that" admitted the girl, "My name is Hermione Granger by the way"

Krum extended his hand to her and when she went to shake his hand, he slipped his hand underneath hers and leaned down to kiss the back of her hand, "Ms. Granger, the pleasure is all mine to meet you"

She turned bright red once more and stammered something that Krum didn't hear, but as they arrived at the Great Hall, he opened the door for her and she slipped inside, shooting glances over her shoulder at him.

What a strange yet pleasant girl.

With Harry:

The third task coming up had him slightly stressed, but that stress could also be the massive days he was having at this point.

Twist your wand, not your wrist, then do the slash

Harry quickly made the adjustment and smirked as the orange bolt of magic ripped through the boulder he was practicing on.

Very good, but I believe the time for practice is over Harry. The task is in 3 days, we must rest

'Really? Couldn't we just use the time turner to get some extra rest the day before?'

No, I must remind you that you are a growing boy. For you to continue to you pile on this number of hours every day, it's not good for you or your body. You must rest.

'Okay, so what would you like for me to do in the meantime?'

You have been neglecting your friends to hide away in this chamber and practice magic, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to be social

Harry agreed and left the chamber before making his way up to the common room, where he entered through the portrait hole and found himself walking in on a big argument.

"HE IS HARRY'S COMPETITION" spat Ron

"HE IS JUST A FRIEND" countered Hermione

Harry groaned and when both of them took a step forward, he flared his magic throughout the room and that brough both of them to their knees.

Everyone looked at him as he slowly parted the rest of the students and upon arriving at his friends, he waved his wand to put a cone of silence around the three of them.

"What is going on here?" asked Harry before he quickly added, "One at a time"

"Hermione is hanging out with Viktor Krum" said Ron, his tone full of anger

"We're just friends, you don't even come up" said Hermione, tears bubbling up in her eyes

"I know" replied Harry

Both of them looked at him as if he had grown a tail, "You know?"

"Yes Ron, Yes Hermione, I know. I go to the library too. I've seen them there a couple times in the last week or so, but it's not that serious Ron. Hermione doesn't know what my plan for the tasks are and she doesn't know everything that I know. She can't give him any information that he can use against me. Now Hermione, I am trusting you not to tricked by this guy and to maintain our friendship over whatever this is" said Harry in a Junior guided mini speech.

Hermione nodded, "I would never betray you Harry"

"Good, already better than a jealous Ron" joked Harry, causing his red haired friend to pout and mutter, "Not that jealous mate"

Pulling his magic back into his body, Harry released them from their pinned positions on the ground, "Now kiss and make up"

Ron turned a shade of red that made Gryffindor proud, and Hermione looked away as her cheeks turned rosy as well.

They might just like each other

'Oh, is that so?'

Yeah, we'll find a way to lock them in a broom closet soon

'Agreed'

"Not literally guys, but maybe let's not argue about things that don't matter" suggested Harry, "Now if you forgive me, I must rest"

The next day, Harry didn't really do much either. Just long naps that were only stopped by mealtimes. He tried to hang out in the common room, but everyone was slightly skittish around him due to the display of magic from the previous day.

The day before the tournament, there was an announcement of a Valentine's Day Ball, to make up for the cancelled Yule Ball due to all the members of the TriWizard Tournament not being able to participate.

Harry was very taken back by the idea of a ball, he had known that the rich wealthy purebloods threw them for celebrations on the rare occasion, but he had never once expected the school to be throw one. He was also more surprised by the fact that there had been a Yule Ball that had been cancelled. Perhaps Junior was right that he needed to ease up on the time turner.

The funnier part was that even though Harry had been completely unprepared for a ball, Mrs. Weasley had been all over it as he had a pair of dress robes in his trunk inside of a magical bag that kept it from wrinkling. He would have to send her an owl with a thank you for the thoughtfulness. And maybe a follow up letter asking why she hated Ron, because whatever his set of robes were, they were clearly selected to embarrass the boy.

'How do I find a date?'

You look around for a young women inside the school that you find a mixture of attractive, smart, not annoying, and not going to let a moment like this go to her ego. Then you ask her best friend to help you get her alone, then you ask her.

'Does that work? Because that seems really simple'

Your experience may vary

'Is that a manner of saying that I might get rejected?'

All I am saying is that I would never get rejected by anyone that I asked to a ball

'Who should I ask?'

You should ask your bushy haired friend, she is a suitable partner for you to take to a ball and if it goes poorly, you can cross her off all lists of potential future mates.

Harry blushed at the thought of him and Hermione having a 3 bedroom home, a pair of kids, with her cat roaming the house looking for a place to nap.

But after lunch, he intercepted her on the way to the Library

"Hermione, wait up, I want to ask you something" called out Harry

Hermione stopped and looked at him, "Is it important? I have a standing appointment after lunch"

"It could be deemed important, depends on the person and the outcome" said Harry parroting Junior

"Notes aren't really that important" scoffed Hermione, "You rarely bother to show up for class anymore, but I guess you can have the charm notes"

Harry put his hand up, "No, this isn't about notes Hermione. I wanted to ask you to the Valentine's Day Ball"

Hermione had turned to dig through her bookbag, but she froze upon hearing that what Harry wanted to actually ask her.

"Um … I … er, Ialreadygotaskedbysomeoneelseandsaidyes" stammered Hermione

"Huh?" asked Harry

"I already got asked by someone else and said yes" repeated Hermione as she took a deep breathe, "Sorry but while you didn't realize I was a girl, other guys have"

Harry frowned but repeated what Junior whispered in the back of his mind, "I always thought you were a girl Hermione. I just also know that Ron has a big crush on you and didn't want to get in the way of that if I could help myself"

Hermione's twisted into a look that neither Harry nor Junior could understand the meaning of, "I appreciate that Harry, but Ron doesn't really 'do it for me' as the girls in my dorm would say. He doesn't take himself seriously enough for me to take him seriously. Maybe one day that might change, but for now? Let's just pretend that you didn't say anything to me"

She pushed past him, and Harry watched her make her way towards the library.

Okay, I guess he likes her more than she likes him. Small miscalculation on my end, but I will openly admit to never being the best at reading the romantic chemistry between other people.

'Back up plan?'

Ask Fleur

'And get rejected? Possibly in a public and embarrassing manner?'

Use your Gryffindor courage brat, also she already kissed you. So, she has to like you at least a little.

'Bloody hell, I got nothing to lose'

Just our pride

Harry didn't go for his normal post lunch but pre dinner nap, instead choosing to go over his runes notes of the task the next day. He was outside in the admittedly cold January air, carving runes into a small disk of wood. The wind blew past him, and he shivered under his robes, but that just made him speed up.

"Harry, what are you doing out here?" called out a familiar French accent

"Just working on some runes" replied Harry as he waved over Fleur

"Are you insane? It's freezing out here" she gasped as she got closer, "You need to get back inside, come on"

"Just one more moment" said Harry before he finished the last rune, and the disk of wood glowed with magic before a small bubble of warding exploded from it and Fleur hissed as the magic washed over her.

"What did you do?" she asked as she looked around them

Harry smiled and handed the disk to her as it finished activating and the bubble of warding around them heated the air up, replacing the bitter coldness of the Scottish January with the pleasant warmth of a France July.

"Mon Dieu, c'est parfait" whispered Fleur as she stopped shivering and a pretty smile graced her face, "This reminds me of a trip to the beach on summer break from when I was younger"

"I figured that our cold hellscape didn't really agree with you or any of the other visitors" admitted Harry, "I believe you would say that the weather is tragically British"

Fleur giggled and Harry swallowed hard at the sound of it.

You did not stand in the cold for a giggle Harry, you know what to do

"This is a brilliant set of runes Harry" commented Fleur as she inspected the runes, her magic washing over them with a gentleness that Harry had never once felt in his magic, but it also felt more natural than his magic normally felt.

"I made that for you" continued Harry

"Oh, did you now?" questioned Fleur as she closed her eyes and basked in the French warmth, "I did not get you anything, that is rather rude of me. But to be fair, I didn't know that were giving each other gifts"

Harry gave a soft smile in reply, "You didn't have to, it was a rather spur of the moment thing to make for you. Although it would have been terrible if I had missed you coming in for dinner"

They both laughed at his subpar joke, but then Harry felt the urge from Junior once more and he mustered up all of his Gryffindor courage.

Pointing at the disk, Harry cleared his throat that was slightly too tight and dry at the moment and said, "You should flip it over and see what's on the other side"

Fleur opened her eyes, those beautiful crystal blue eyes looking at Harry's emerald green eyes.

"You did such a masterful job at making this, you didn't need to add anything else to it. It is like a slice of paradise brought here" said Fleur as she looked down at the disk, the glowing runes that brough the warmth on one side. She flipped it over and there was nothing there at first, but when her hand touched it, words started to appear.

Harry wished his handwriting was better, Junior would have written it much better than he could have, but the words that appeared were in his sloppy handwriting:

Will You Go To The Valentine's Day Ball With Me?

Fleur read the words and looked at the nervous Harry Potter standing before her, and she felt torn. This was her biggest opponent in the tournament, they even had a task that they would be competing in tomorrow. Yet, he was also a boy who had gifted her a French summer in the middle of a brutal Scottish Winter.

"Yes, I will go to the ball with you, but you have to promise me that you wouldn't take it easy on me tomorrow" exclaimed Fleur

"I would never disrespect you like that" replied Harry

"Then the answer is yes" said Fleur as she stepped forward and kissed Harry

A/N: And here we are, arriving at my third task with the ball never being forgotten, just moved to make more sense for the story.

Yeah, there is no Harry/Hermione in this story, this is going to be a Harry/Fleur story as with Harry aging faster than the average person, he's going to be more suitable for someone a year or so older. Also, as much as I like Harry x Hermione stories, it really worked better if the Harry is closer to a canon Harry because then he needs her.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop a review or send a PM.

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Until next time