Harry's POV

Harry Potter sat in the owlery, his feet dangling over the edge as he stared up at the star-filled

night sky. He let out a frustrated sigh, his mind racing. Why had this happened to him again? He

didn't put his name in the Goblet—he was sure of that. But Ron didn't believe him. Why didn't

Ron understand? Why would he lie to him about this?

He clenched his jaw, biting back his frustration, and dropped his head into his hands. The "what

ifs" swirled around his mind, heavy and relentless. A sudden noise behind him snapped him back

into focus. His instincts kicked in, and in one swift motion, his wand was in his hand as he stood

up and spun around.

A girl stood in the shadows, blonde hair glowing in the faint moonlight. She raised her hands in a

calming gesture, a slight smirk playing on her lips. "Whoa there, Potter. I come in peace," she

said, her voice laced with amusement.

Harry's shoulders relaxed, and he lowered his wand slightly. "What are you doing here?" he

asked, trying to shake off the tension.

Now that his initial shock had passed, he took a closer look at her. Ice-blue eyes met his, sharp

and almost too intense as if they could see straight through him. Her slender, graceful features

gave her a regal look, and there was a quiet confidence in her stance. She was wearing Slytherin

robes, and though he didn't know her well, he recognized her immediately—Daphne Greengrass,

always poised and composed.

She caught him staring, and her smirk deepened.

Daphne's POV

"See something you like, Potter?" Daphne teased, raising an eyebrow.

His face flushed red almost instantly, and he stammered, trying to form a coherent response. She

chuckled softly, waving off his embarrassment. "Relax, I'm just teasing. No need to get all

flustered."

She held up a letter. "I'm just sending something home," she said with a shrug, her tone more

casual now. As she spoke, she couldn't help but notice the way he looked—a little lost, a little on

edge. She knew that look. It wasn't just the Tournament weighing on him; there was something

deeper, something personal.

Not wanting to pry, she turned to her owl, Midnight, gently rousing the black bird from sleep.

"Sorry, girl, but I need you to take this home," she whispered. Midnight blinked her gray eyes

and stretched her wings before obediently holding out her leg. Daphne tied the letter to her, and

the owl flew off into the night.

This whole time Daphne has had to try hard to keep her demeanor frigid and cool, but on the

inside she is freaking out she couldn't have made their first meet any better. She turns back

around to see Harry staring at her with a look of curiosity, his arm now at his side and his wand

in his pocket. She imagines Harry on his knees in a cute slytherin colored maid dress, his now

longer hair in pigtails, his feminine face caked in makeup as he kneels before her kissing her

toes. He cleared his throat awkwardly, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Why not send the letter

in the morning?" he asked.

Daphne let out a soft laugh, a hint of embarrassment in her smile. "I forgot to send it earlier, and

this was the only free time I had," she admitted. To her relief, that earned a chuckle from him.

Merlin, his laugh is adorable, she thought.

Before she could think twice, the words tumbled out of her mouth. "I don't think you put your

name in the Goblet."

Harry blinked, clearly startled by the outburst. A bitter smile crept onto his face as he looked

away. "You'd be the only one," he said quietly, his voice tinged with sadness.

Daphne frowned. "Weasley and Granger don't believe you?"

He scoffed, shaking his head. "No. That's why I'm up here."

She bit her lip, watching him closely. She felt a pang of sympathy for him—isolated in his own

battle, even from his closest friends. "They're idiots, then," she said bluntly.

That brought a genuine laugh out of him, and for a moment, the tension seemed to lift. Daphne

glanced at her watch and sighed. "I have to go, or my sister and best friend are going to worry."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away, not daring to look back.

Time skip to after Hagrid shows Harry the dragons

Harry's POV

Harry sat in the library, his head buried in books about dragons, but no matter how hard he tried,

the words blurred together. He had been at it for over an hour, but finding a way to face the

massive beasts was proving more difficult than he imagined. Worse, he had no idea what kind of

plan would even work.

The sound of a chair scraping back pulled him from his thoughts. He looked up to see Daphne

standing there, her eyebrow raised.

"What are you doing, Potter?" she asked, her eyes scanning the books in front of him.

"Dragons?"

"Yeah," Harry said wearily. "They're the first task."

Daphne snorted. "Of course. Bloody dragons. Do you have a plan?"

Harry gave her a half-smile. "A plan? Yeah, not to die. That's about as far as I've gotten."

Daphne chuckled. "That's a good plan. But you might want something a bit more… specific."

She glanced around. "Where's Granger? I'd think she'd be glued to your side with all this."

"She thinks I put my name in too," Harry muttered, bitterness lacing his tone.

Daphne's eyes narrowed, but then a thoughtful expression crossed her face. "I can help you

prepare. I'm the second-best student in our year, you know." She paused and muttered under her

breath, "Only because Granger is taking a million classes."

Harry laughed quietly at her muttering. "Sure. I'd appreciate the help."

Daphne smiled, a glint of excitement in her eyes. "Great. Meet me in the abandoned classroom

on the fifth floor after dinner. I'll help you come up with something."

Before he could respond, she was already up and heading toward the door, a slight spring in her

step. Harry shook his head in disbelief. He checked his watch—it was time for lunch. He put the

book away, his mind spinning, not sure what to expect from the blonde Slytherin.