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Ron nodded, glancing to the letter that was now in Hermione's hands before looking to Harry. "He said that he's around Hogsmeade and he wants to see me, as he has something he thinks I'd be interested in seeing, … but he specifically mentioned not to bring you. Sorry mate."

Harry stared for a second before his eyes widened slightly in understanding, realizing what it was that Charlie wanted to chat about.

"I thought Charlie was busy in Romania working with dragons." Hermione stated, as she put down the letter, saving Harry from coming up with an appropriate response to Ron's summary of the letter. "I wonder what he's doing here."

Looking to her, Ron shrugged, "Haven't the foggiest. I don't think he's ever done something like this before … at least the twins haven't mentioned something like this. And it's only every other year that he gets enough time off that he is able to come home and visit the family around the holidays … I can't recall the twins or even Percy mentioning him ever randomly showing up to Hogwarts or Hogsmeade."

Hermione glanced back to the letter before looking back to the two of them, "Well it looks like he wants to meet up early … so you could always go see him and then meet up with us before we go and catch up with … Harry's four-legged friend."

Ron leaned over to grab the note, reading it once more before looking to Harry, "Is that alright, mate? I know I promised to be there with you, but it might be nice to see Charlie … and he always brings the coolest gifts." He said with a laugh.

Smiling, Harry nodded. "Of course, Ron. That's no problem … when does he want to see you?"

Ron paused, looking back down at his plate of food that was only half finished, before looking back up at Harry, a forlorn look on his face. "He suggested I head out as soon as I receive the letter."

His longing expression towards his food caused both Harry and Hermione to chuckle slightly. Laughter that only increased after seeing Ron reluctantly stand up from the table and manage to take two steps towards the entrance hall, before freezing, turning back, and grabbing a handful of bacon and three pieces of toast. With a quick look at Harry and Hermione, he shrugged guiltily, ignoring their chuckles, and turned, jogging off in the direction of the hall.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other for a second, before bursting into laughter that lasted for several seconds before they both manage to sober up.

Calming down, Harry looked across the hall taking a couple deep breaths to calm his heart which he was positive was fluttering with excitement at the thought of the quickly approaching opportunity to see Sirius.

As he ran his hand through his messy black hair, which seemed to be even more unruly than usual, he shook his head and looked back to his food before absently poking at the bowl of porridge in front of him.

"Hey, Harry," Hermione's soft voice broke through his reverie. "You look like you are 100 miles away … Padfoot?"

Looking up, Harry smiled at the sight of Hermione who had someone managed to lay out what looked like half of the books from the library in front of her, while he had been distracted. Making eye contact with her he nodded. "I know he didn't specify a time, but I just can't stop thinking of him."

"Oh?" Hermione said with a laugh. "A little excited to see him?"

Laughing, Harry smiled at her, "Maybe slightly more than a little." He replied, his grin widening. "But … I was wondering …"

Noticing his pause, Hermione arched an eyebrow. "Wondering about what?"

Shifting in his seat, Harry felt his fingers fiddling with the edge of his robe as he made eye contact with her again. "Well … since we don't know what time … Padfoot … was going to arrive … I was wonder … I mean, since we've been really busy with homework, casting spells in the room, tournament preparation, and everything … would you want to go to Hogsmeade now with me?"

Hermione looked at him for a second, eyes opened slightly in surprise. "You mean …"

Feeling his cheeks heat up slightly, he nodded. "Um, yeah, I guess … I just thought it'd be nice to spend some time together, away from all the usual stuff we've been doing …" he rushed out before trailing off. For a moment, Hermione's face was unreadable … then, a bright smile spread across her face. "I'd absolutely love that, Harry."

Letting out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Harry smiled. "Great! I thought we could head out right as soon as we are done breakfast."

Hermione's eyes shot up in concern as she hurriedly began closing the books in front of her before hastily stuffing them into her bag. "That sounds great … I just need to run these back up to my room and … I need to … get ready. If that's ok, that is. I'll meet you in the front entrance in 45 minutes?"

Harry had barely nodded before he watched Hermione run out of the Great Hall, almost knocking over a first year Ravenclaw in the process. Smiling at the fact that Hermione didn't even stop as she shouted an apology over her shoulder before disappearing out of the room, he looked back to his bowl of porridge and tried to force himself to eat something, only to eventually push the bowl away, realizing his stomach seemed to be even more knotted than before.

- HP - HP - HP - HP - HP -

Standing in the front entrance to Hogwarts, Harry found himself shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he glanced between the front door to the castle and the stairs. Even though it was still a few minutes before they were supposed to meet, he couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. He rubbed his hands together, trying to ward off the chill from the brisk gusts of Autumn air that entered every time a group of students exited on their way to Hogsmeade, and gazed up the staircase, hoping to see Hermione.

As he stood there, he tried to understand where the anxiety that he was feeling was coming from. While he knew that he was slightly concerned about Sirius, he was fairly certain that his godfather would be safe and was likely more than capable enough of dealing with any situations that might arise. And yet … he couldn't quite place why he was feeling so nervous, but there was an undeniable flutter in his stomach … As he watched another group of giggling girls exit the castle his eyes shot open as he recognized the feeling, remembering that he had felt this feeling once before.

However, his thoughts were disrupted as, just then, exactly 45 minutes after she had said she'd be down, he heard the soft sound of footsteps descending the stairs.

Spinning around, Harry felt his breath catch in his throat.

Hermione was coming down the stairs towards him, her cheeks pink, as if from the cold, wearing a shy smile on her lips. He noticed that she was wearing a new periwinkle coat, that seemed to fit her perfectly, the color accentuating her warm brown eyes and bushy hair, which framed her face in soft curls, which Harry was fairly certain hadn't been there at breakfast. Momentarily at a loss for words, Harry couldn't help but stare.

"Hi, Harry," Hermione said, her voice a little breathless as she reached the bottom of the staircase.

Harry blinked and shook his head, realizing that he'd been staring. "Hey, Hermione. You … you look … great." He said, feeling his cheeks heating up slightly as he spoke.

Hermione's blush deepened and she glanced at him shyly. "Thanks, Harry. My parents just sent me this coat for the fall, and I had felt like it might be a little much but as I was getting ready, I thought now would be a good time to wear it."

"It definitely is," Harry said, still a little awestruck, feeling a warm glow spread through him. "Shall we get going?"

Smiling, Hermione nodded and allowed herself to be led towards the door before setting off with Harry towards Hogsmeade, passing a large group of students from Beauxbatons, absently noticing that they quieted slightly as they passed.

As they walked along the path, choosing to walk and enjoy the crisp invigorating air, rather than take the carriages, Harry stole glances at Hermione, unable to completely get over just how relaxed and content she looked. Finally, Hermione caught Harry on one of the times he had been looking over, smiling as their eyes met.

Embarrassed Harry looked away before clearing his throat and looking back to her, hoping to deflect from the moment.

"So, Hermione," Harry began, breaking the silence. "I've been thinking a lot about the Triwizard Tournament. I think you are right, and it seems that the first task might involve a magical creature that I will need to face … I was wondering if you had any idea about possible creatures and their weaknesses or how I could overcome them."

Hermione's eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement at the topic although judging by the brief look that flashed in her eyes as she looked at him Harry was pretty sure she recognized his weak attempt to change the topic.

"Of course, Harry! I've been reading on all the magical creatures I could think of. Let's start with something common … like a Blast-Ended Skrewt …"

Harry looked back to Hermione with a raised eyebrow raised. "A Blast-Ended Skrewt?"

Nodding, Hermione looked at him. "I've looked though all the previous syllabi for Care of Magical Creatures classes and not once has the Skrewt ever been included, including in Hagrid's first year last year. So, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if you might encounter one or two."

Harry nodded slowly, impressed by her reasoning.

"Now as I was saying, while they are not the most threatening creature that you might come across, they can be extremely dangerous up close because of their explosive nature. That being said they are not very smart … or fast, for that matter. You could use a Shield Charm to block the blasts and maybe freeze them with a freezing charm. As long as you keep yourself from being overrun you should be alright if you encounter them."

She paused and looked back to Harry smiling, "Of course, you would be okay if the tasks involved Hippogriphs … you were remarkable last year after all …" she trailed off blushing slightly before she shook her head. "And then you likely wouldn't have too much trouble with a Demiguise, just shoot out jets of water till you hit it and then a simple stunning spell would do, and a doxy or boggart should be pretty simple … but what else … maybe an Acromantula?"

Even knowing they weren't going to be part of the event; Harry gulped and shook his head. "I sure hope not."

Hermione shrugged. "While I highly doubt Hagrid would enjoy if the ones from the Forbidden Forest were used in a task, Mr. Bagman could always arrange to obtain one from another den. But even though you and Ron struggled in second year they aren't that difficult … Acromantulas are vulnerable and scared of fire. Pretty much any fire conjuring spell that is a little more powerful than Incendio should be able to keep them at bay. Also, even though they have eight eyes, they are nocturnal and live deep within forests, caves, or mountain passes and have difficulty seeing or adapting to bright light … so a simple Lumos Maxima would allow you to do whatever you need to do."

Harry stared at Hermione with his mouth open, seriously wishing that he and Ron had known that piece of information in their second year.

Seeing his look of surprise, Hermione shook her head, "Sometimes it's the easy solutions that are best. No need to make up incredibly complex plans when the simple one would do."

Pausing along the path, Harry nodded considering her words before taking off to catch up to her as she continued on.

"Also, while I doubt, they'd use a chimera … especially after what happened in a previous Tournament … a sphinx wouldn't be unreasonable. In fact, I'd almost be willing to bet that you might encounter a sphinx at some point in the Tournament. They are fascinating creatures. They are incredibly intelligent, and they pose riddles to anyone who tries to pass them. Answer correctly and they'll let you go by without issue. If not … well then, they can be quite dangerous. So, they key is to stay calm and think logically. We could work on your riddle-solving skills."

They continued all the way to Hogsmeade with Hermione talking about magical creatures and how to face them. From the more dangerous options such as Bicorns, Runespoors, or Occamies to ones that would likely require more thinking rather than complex combat, such as Red Caps, Re'ems, or Porlocks. And while Harry was certain that unless something significant changed, he was unlikely to face any of those, he enjoyed the conversation. That being said he couldn't discount the fact that he had likely only explored a small percentage of the maze previously and anything could be in store for him.

As they passed the Shrieking Shack and approached the border of the village Hermione looked to Harry. "Well … those are pretty much all the creatures that you are likely to encounter. Of course, there are also the ones that just aren't practical or are much too dangerous. Things like Basilisks, dragons, or Nundus."

Harry choked on his saliva at the mention of dragons and in an attempt to move along he coughed out. "Nundu … what's that?"

Hermione frowned, a worried look crossing her face. "Nundus are one of the most dangerous magical creatures in the magical world. While not as immediately lethal as something like a basilisk's gaze, their breath can spread diseases that are incredibly difficult, borderline impossible to treat. Beyond that they are almost impossible to subdue. Honestly, Harry, …" she paused, looking at him, "… some risks aren't worth taking, not matter what the prize is for winning the Tournament. If you came across one of those your best bets would be to avoid it at all costs … but if that was impossible a powerful Shield Charm might protect you … and that is not certain, it would depend on the age of the Nundu. Fighting one of those alone … well you'd likely need backup for something like that, they are honestly just too dangerous to be handled alone."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "So, if I see one … run the other way, got it." He said with a laugh before looking to Hermione, a serious look on his face. "But thanks, Hermione, it's always nice to know that someone has my back."

Smiling, Hermione slightly inclined her head, her eyes softening. "Always." She said softly. "You'll do just fine, Harry, but I'm glad I can help. You just need to remember to stay calm and think on your feet. You're great at improvising and reacting under pressure."

Reaching the center of the village, Harry paused and looked back to Hermione, a serious expression back on his face. "I guess now that we are here, it brings us to an important question."

Raising her eyebrows, Hermione looked back to him. "Oh?"

"Well … we need to decide where we are going first. Honeydukes or Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop."

Hermione stared at him for a second before bursting into laughter. "I suppose you are right though, that is an important question. I know I had mentioned needing supplies from Scrivenshaft's but you don't need to come with me for that."

Shrugging his shoulders, Harry looked to Hermione. "It's up to you but you were willing to come with me to Hogsmeade so whether I buy you a bunch of treats or something Scrivenshafts or … Merlin forbid, from both options, it is up to you."

Smiling at him, Hermione mumbled, "Thanks, Harry," before turning around. And although Harry saw the momentary look of longing in her eyes as she glanced towards Scrivenshaft's, she started walking towards Honeydukes.

As they made their way into Honeydukes, the sweet aroma or chocolates, candies, and assorted treats welcoming them inside, Harry smiled watching as Hermione's eyes lit up at the sight of the shelves of treats.

"Harry, look at these!" She exclaimed excitedly. "They have new flavors of Sugar Quills. That's so exciting! I didn't even know they came in different flavors."

Chuckling at her enthusiasm and the expression on her face, he moved to join her alongside the display. "Well we should probably stock up them. After all you never know when an emergency will occur and you are in need of a good Sugar Quill."

He watched as her expression fell slightly as she put the Quills that she had picked up back down. "I probably don't need them … and my parents would say that candy isn't necessary and leads to cavities."

Shaking his head, Harry leaned past her and began over-filling a bag with the Sugar Quills. 'Well that is totally fair, but in this case I'm just going to get a bunch and I solemnly swear to you that if one … or all of them go missing before I get to them, I won't tell Dr. and Dr. Granger anything." He said with a laugh.

Smiling shyly up at Harry, Hermione responded quietly, "Thanks, Harry, that's really nice."

As they continued wandering through the shop, Harry and Hermione examined the shelves with great interest, Harry laughing when Hermione actually began debating the pros and cons of certain candies, mentioned that she could have prepared better for this visit.

Coming to the display case with the Chocolate Frogs, she picked one up and turned to Harry, her eyes bright with excitement. "I suppose we should get a couple of these …" she paused and smiled, "… every time I see them I remember your first experience with them."

Harry chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, "The wizarding world is full of weird things and Ron hadn't mentioned that they could jump yet. How was I supposed to know it was going to jump out the window." Putting them into the basket he shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe we can get a new card for Ron."

Hermione laughed as she looked over Harry's shoulder to the next display case. "Speaking of Ron …" she began stopping next to the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, as she started filling a bag. "Do you remember when Ron got the vomit flavored one?"

Harry paused for a seconds, before remembering the memory. "How could I forget? I honestly don't understand some things about the wizarding community. And never understand how they think those are worth the risk."

Continuing through the store, he quickly guided Hermione past the bin filled with Spicy Bubotubers, suppressing a shudder and laugh before pausing in front of the last display in the back of the store. "Hey, Hermione!" He called out motioning for her to join him. "Ever tried one?"

Hermione paused for a secondbefore shaking her head. "No, I don't think so. They look adorable though."

Smiling, Harry picked up a couple and added them to their quickly growning collection. "Well then let's give it a try."

Finally, after what felt like getting at least one of everything … except, of course, the Spicy Bobotubers … they approached the counter, their baskets nearly as heavy as Colin Creevy.

After paying for their haul, Harry led Hermione outside, the crisp air hitting them once more, and handed her one of the Sugar Mice. "Here, might as well see how these are."

He watched her take a bite and the immediate reaction of her eyes lighting up. "These are absolutely delicious! Maybe not Sugar Quill level but I love it! Try yours."

Harry bit into his Sugar Mouse, the sweet flavor instantly melting in his mouth almost overwhelming his senses. "Wow ... you weren't overselling it. This is great!"

Finishing the treats, they decided to stroll through the village, enjoying their time before they came to a natural break, stopping along side the edge of the pathway. As they looked around, they noticed they were standing just across the path from Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop., the windows adorned with pink lace, couples filling in, holding hands and giggling.

Harry and Hermione paused, both glancing at the tea shop and then at each other. An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment, both of them unsure of what to say.

"Do you want to …" Hermione started, breaking the silence, before letting out a small laugh and shaking her head. "I mean that's not quite our place, is it?"

Chuckling, Harry shook his head, "Probably not. But how about we head to the Three Broomsticks?"

Hermione paused for a second, looking towards Madam Puddifoot's before shaking her head and looking back to Harry. "That actually sounds perfect." She agreed, her smile warm and genuine.

Making their way into the cozy and welcoming pub that was already mostly full, they found a small table in the back, near the window; and settled in as madam Rosmerta greeted them with a smile and took their orders for two butterbeers.

Immediately, Harry took a sip, savoring the taste. "You, know, Hermione, … I was a bit nervous asking you to come with me … I wasn't sure if you'd want to."

Hermione looked up at him surprised. "Why wouldn't I? You're my best friend, Harry. I love spending time with you."

Feeling his heart swell slightly, Harry smiled at Hermione. "I love spending time with you as well, I'm really glad you came with me, it was a great morning."

Hermione reached across the table, clasping Harry's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Anytime, Harry. I mean it."

At that moment, the door to the Three Broomsticks swung open, and Ron burst in.

Harry was unable to stifle a chuckle at the sight of his flustered and excited looking friend, who was scanning the room. After making eye contact, Ron waved and motioned for them to stay, before running to the bar, grabbing a butterbeer from Madam Rosmerta, and hurriedly making his way over to Harry and Hermione's table, his eyes wide with barely contained excitement.

Sitting down heavily beside Hermione, he smirked slightly when he saw their clasped hands before taking a large drink from his glass, almost finishing the beverage before he slammed it down heavily.

Letting go of Harry's hand, Hermione turned to face him. "Wow, Ron, … how'd the visit with Charlie go …" She began before being cut off.

"Harry! Hermione! You'll never believe what I just saw!" Ron exclaimed not taking a pause between words.

Hermione looked to Harry before turning back to Ron as she raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What was it?"

Ron took a quick breath of air before finishing his butterbeer and leaning towards Harry, his voice a hurried whisper. "I … I can't actually say, but I was with Charlie, and … well let's just say that I'd enjoy going on a walk with you in the Forbidden Forest one evening … soon … I mean my brothers are always mentioning how the forest is exciting … it might be fun?"

While Hermione looked at Ron, with confusion clearly evident in her expression, Harry nodded slowly realizing what Ron was hinting at. "Dragons," he whispered softly. "The first task involves dragons?"

Seeming to not have heard him, Ron continued, "I mean I know there are risks but we don't have to go very far in, Charlie showed me this small clearing …" he froze mid-sentence, his brain finally realizing what Harry had said, his mouth dropping open. "How did you know?"

Hermione whose eyes had widened in alarm looked at Ron. "Dragons? Are you sure, Ron?"

He nodded his expression serious. "Positive! Charlie showed me himself. He said that while he was not allowed to tell Harry and neither was I, since he told me, it was alright if Harry just happened to be walking in the vicinity and stumbled upon them by 'pure accident' … and let me tell you it's not like they are particularly hard to stumble across. Based on the amount of noise and fire they are making I wouldn't be surprised if half the school sees them from some of the upper floor windows in the castle before the first task begins."

Nodding, Hermione, looked back to Harry. "Ron had a good question though; how did you know?"

Fighting to keep his face neutral, he looked to Hermione. "Well, I mean, it seemed like a good guess. Charlie, who works with dragons and never gets personal time off, shows up around Hogwarts right before the first task, asks to only see Ron while specifically mentioning not to bring me. Then Ron comes in here suggesting we go for a walk into the Forbidden Forest while not mentioning what he saw/talked about with his brother … I mean, seemed like a reasonable guess."

Hermione stared at him for several seconds before eventually nodding, although the suspicious look didn't leave her face. "I guess … although that doesn't …"

However, the rest of her sentence was cut off by the sound of excited barking from just outside the window … the sound of very familiar excited barking.

Almost dropping his glass of butterbeer, Harry's eyes shot open. "Sirius …" he mumbled slightly louder than he intended, before slamming his glass onto the table, jumping out of his chair, and running towards the door. Completely oblivious of the individual sitting by themselves, at the neighboring table … an individual who had overheard his exclamation … an individual who was staring after Harry as he ran out the front door of the Three Broomsticks, their eyebrows slowly raising as they muttered under their breath, "Sirius … Black?"

Kind Regards,

FavoriteAuthor

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Story Note 1 – This chapter was obviously a chapter mostly dealing with Harry discovering he has feelings concerning Hermione. I hope it was handled well. The next little while, especially once he finishes the promotional Quidditch event and the first task, will be with Harry coming to terms with his feelings and deciding how he wants to move forward.

Story Note 2 – Harry really has got to start being more observant of who is around him! I wonder who it was?! Looking forward to seeing if anyone guesses it!

Thanks to those of you out to those of you who enjoy my stories, I promise to keep updating the stories as long as you enjoy them, and a special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to leave feedback or reach out to me directly.

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jslee102 - Thanks, it was something I knew I planned to write separately and was a little nervous as it is slightly different from the rest of the story, but I am glad the feedback to the flashback interlude chapter was generally well received. That being said, those will pop up every so often explaining Draco's journey until the flashbacks coincide with a ... confrontation ... a conversation between Harry and Draco

starboy454 - Thanks so much!

LadyPhoenix68 - Those were the passages that led me down this path and while I definitely think he might not be as "bad" as some of Voldemort's other followers I do think those tendencies were definitely there, although I admit I did take writers liberty possibly pushing some of his character traits

Hudy Leak613 - And hope you enjoyed this chapter!

TimC34 - Glad you enjoyed it! It was hard coming up with exactly how I wanted it to go, but in general I like how the idea came out and it seems to be well received. Hmmm ... fanfic site things. If it helps, I try to post my stories every Sunday between 12-4 PST. Of course this sometimes shift a bit due to puppy schedule.

Rebell 01 - I try not to give anything away in replies ... but I wouldn't be too quick to write off Narcissa ...