A/N: I do not own the Harry Potter series. If I did, I would disown books 5, 6 and especially, 7.

CHAPTER 12: The Arrival (Part two)

Hogwarts grounds

The applause that had broken out when the Durmstrang ship emerged from the lake only stopped after it finished mooring. Slowly, a heavy drawbridge was dropped and people began filing out and arranging themselves in neat rows on either side of the drawbridge. The smaller forms of the first-years were apparent in the front.

Suddenly, the blaring sound of drums tore through the quiet night air, strong and hard. Two drummers walked out, their instruments that were half their size, strapped to their bodies. They were followed by a man wrapped in luxurious fur, Igor Karkaroff. Behind him were acrobats, fire-breathers and a group of older boys who were performing with staffs. Titters went through the crowd as Krum was recognized.

Karkaroff and the drummers led the way towards Hogwarts. After a brief interaction with Dumbledore, he and his students were escorted inside by Prof. Bathsheba. Only Karkaroff stopped behind to greet the other guests.

Silence fell again. The night air was steadily cooling, causing some of the students to shiver. Then, more fireworks flew into the sky, exploding into a hundred different colors of sparkles at the same time. There were "ooohs" from the crowd and more than one reporter clicked pictures.

This time, the sparkles faded to reveal something almost blocking the moon. As it got closer, the massive flying carriage of Beauxbatons came into view. It was being pulled by twelve winged horses attached at the front and sides. But right behind the horses at the front, and doing most of the heavy lifting, were four creatures that most had only ever seen in books. Griffins!

Their powerful and steady wings seemed to carry the huge carriage with little or no trouble. There were cheers from the students, particularly the Gryffindors, as they landed on the vast Hogwarts grounds.

A similar pattern followed with the students filing out before their Headmistress walked out imperiously, surrounded by singers and dancers, pretty butterflies and sparkles around them. Beauxbatons seemed to consist largely of female students, as most noted. In any case, they were applauded with just as much aplomb as Durmstrang.

Jasmin stepped into the biting cold air of Scotland for the first time in her life, shivering underneath her thick cloak and muffler. Even with everything but her eyes covered, it wasn't a pleasant sensation.

She had made sure to take extra care while dressing today. Though she was only allowed to wear her uniform, unlike Fleur who looked stunning in her dress robes, she had still wanted to look...pretty. The climate, however, had had other plans for her. Now, covered under three layers of clothing, she sadly wondered if she looked poufy.

Her gentle, dark eyes looked up at the towering castle in front of her in awe. Beauxbatons was maybe a fourth of this size and that's not even to mention the sprawling grounds, serene lake and the mysterious forest that stretched as far as the eye could see. This place was much more like a magical school, she decided.

But she would have to think about that later. Next to her, Fleur was having an even worse time dealing with the cold. Even underneath her sweater and cloak, the dress robes were too thin to provide much warmth. Jasmin clutched her sister's hand a little tighter. At least they didn't have to sing or dance.

Her attention turned to the Hogwarts headmaster who was greeting Madame Maxime. Immediately, her eyes began to scan the students behind him. There were so many. Jasmin felt her heart begin to race as she scoured every face for her first real friend.

With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore dispersed the students back into the Hall and they began to separate and leave, making it impossible to identify anyone. She walked behind them along with the rest of the Beauxbatons contingent, a little dejected. As they approached the fountain, the students started to mix.

Jasmin felt Fleur stiffen and looked up quickly. There were boys standing around with familiar dazed looks and blank expressions. Since her face was covered, she realised they must be staring at Fleur. The thing was, Fleur was keeping her allure completely under control, which meant they were just staring at her out of base instincts.

"Keep walking, Bell," she said, increasing her pace and trying to make her way in between larger groups.

The Entrance Hall of Hogwarts was huge and contained a bunch of adults she did not recognize, just standing around and gossiping. Near the doors to the Great Hall, two professors were ushering in the students.

"Adri?"

Jasmin turned so fast, her neck hurt. Standing to her other side and looking directly into her eyes were two emerald green orbs she had been thinking about for the past couple of weeks. Her heart raced faster than it ever had.

He looked so... carefree, as opposed to everything in her life. So positive and full of hope. It always seemed to fill her with it too. His hands were open in a friendly wave and the smile playing on his lips conveyed nothing but unadulterated happiness. The robes he was wearing matched those entrancing eyes of his and made him look, regal.

In a heartbeat, she had let go of Fleur and enveloped Harry in a tight hug. It had felt like such a natural thing to do, that she didn't think about it until she had done it. But the arms that came around were strong and comforting. She lightly sighed into him before the full realisation of what she was doing hit her.

Jasmin jumped back as if electrocuted, flushing crimson, silently glad the muffler hid her face. There were a few people staring at them with curious expressions now and she was glad that Harry, at least, was still smiling.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Great," she replied, all thought of cold and tiredness forgotten. "I can't believe this is all really happening!"

Harry just nodded happily. She noticed a red-haired boy next to him staring almost longingly at Fleur who had also greeted Harry, albeit without a hug and a slight deal of stiffness.

Harry turned to her with a grin, "Decided to become a Ninja, then?"

She remembered her face was still covered and after making sure her allure was under control, she took off the muffler and scarf. The effect was instantaneous. Boys went slack-jawed and so did a few men, disgustingly. The red-hair boy was looking at her like she was the last sip of water in a desert. Someone dropped a glass and that at least, took some of the attention away from her. But the room had definitely quietened a bit.

Harry, however, either didn't notice or didn't care. "There she is," he said, eyes sparkling. "No dress robes? Thought you made it into duelling?"

"Non. Madame Maxime said they changed the format again and I didn't make the cut," she chirped back happily. "It's okay though. I'll cheer you and Fleur on."

It was true. She had only joined for the sake of Fleur and had been only too willing to give up her spot.

Harry nodded again before turning to Fleur, a quizzical expression appearing on his face, "Still mad about the Harpy comment?"

Fleur, who had been eyeing everyone with disdain, looked taken aback, "What?... Non, of course not. I was just...tired."

He continued to stare at her quizzically before shrugging, "Okay then. I'm just glad you weren't part of the Beauxbatons singing team."

At that, Fleur flushed red too, although for different reasons. Jasmin knew the expression well. Her sister was about to burst into a rant or just turn her nose up and walk away.

Before she could do either though, Harry had reached for Fleur's hand, lightly brushed the back with his lips and said in heavily accented French, "Welcome to my home, mademoiselle."

Fleur just stared wide-eyed at him. Surprise at his completely eccentric behaviour, shock at what he had done and a little amusement at how he had sounded. She settled for pulling her hand back, shaking her head and muttering something in French. Jasmin resisted the urge to ask her sister if she didn't consider Harry one of the "things"?

With each passing second, more eyes were turning towards their little gathering and Jasmin began to wonder if this could get any more uncomfortable. And then, as if on cue, the red-haired boy blurted out, sounding pained, "Go out with me... Please."

What was really comical though, was that no one seemed to be sure who he was talking about. His eyes flicked between both her and Fleur, as if waiting for either one to say something. When neither did for a few moments, Harry stepped in and put an arm around him, "Alright, Ron. Come on, let's get some food into you."

"I'll see you soon, okay?" he said, waving back at them as he led his friend, Ron, into the Great Hall.

Jasmin reached out and grabbed Fleur. "Oh, stop pouting, Bell. Don't you feel better knowing he's here?" She didn't wait for an answer, being only too familiar with her sister's stubbornness. "Now, come onnnn! We're about to miss the event of the century because you want to be all gloomy-doomy." Fleur was dragged, protesting and spluttering, into the Hall.

Great Hall, Hogwarts

For a magically enhanced Hall that was supposed to take upwards of a thousand people, today, the pride of Hogwarts somehow felt a little... cramped.

The students themselves had just barely enough space at the two tables reserved for each of their schools. And that was with people sitting pressed up against one another.

The three heads of school and all their professors sat atop on the teacher's table, seated very close to one another, looking down on the entire melee solemnly.

The gallery filled with the press and low-level officials wasn't much better of either with no empty seat in sight. Only the area set aside for special guests had any breathing room and that wasn't without effort. The heads of state of the attending schools, six other heads of state, their contingents, as well as tournament officials like Crouch and Bagman, all made for one hell of a hullabaloo.

Truly, it was a testament to magic that they could all fill into one room. It took some doing for everyone to settle down. There was a quiet, almost nervous, energy filling the room with each passing second. At long last, Dumbledore stood up, immediately causing a diminish in noise.

The wizened headmaster was wearing sweeping golden robes, embroidered with gems, in honor of the occasion. He waved his hand, causing most candles and lanterns to go out, making him the center of attention. The stage had been set, the mood expectant.

Every word he spoke was carefully spoken and carried weight, "Welcome, one and all. There hasn't been a gathering like this in many lifetimes. I thank the many wonderful minds and visionary leaders who made this moment possible." He paused to give a small bow in the direction of the visitors' gallery. "Now then, I'm glad to say, it will be the honor of Hogwarts to be your home for this year and host the Triwizard tournament."

Wild cheering and applause broke out, every face alight with the joy of expectations. Dumbledore waited for it to die out before continuing, "Tired and hungry as most of you are, I beg you to bear with me as some of these announcements are of great import and cannot wait."

And off he went, on a speech that lasted for nearly fifteen minutes, as he explained many of the things he already had during the opening day feast- original tournament, death toll, new tournament, points given for winners...

"... and the duelling format was recently changed to reflect the wishes of the schools involved and the general public. There were simply too many claims that the old format was outdated and a bore."

"Speaking of a bore, I can only imagine how much of one you must imagine me to be by now," his eyes twinkled at the titters, "Not to worry. We have arrived at the cusp of the matter. Indeed, the reason we are all gathered here today."

The interest in the room perked back up again. "This year, unlike all other preceding tournaments, there will be two champions chosen from each school, meaning there will be a total of six Triwizard champions. And since the idea behind this effort is to encourage new talent, all students above the age of fourteen are allowed to enter. I warn you though, only the most skilled witch or wizard will be chosen."

Barely anyone heard Dumbledore's last line as most students erupted in shouts of joy, their faces alight at the prospect of being able to compete for eternal glory. The headmaster waited for them to settle down again.

"The champions will have to compete in three tasks that will test every single one of their skills and require every ounce of their strength to beat. They will be allowed the help and advisory services of any member of staff they choose for the rest of the year as well as being exempt from exams. Once chosen, the champions sign a binding magical contract and cannot withdraw. I warn you again, do not take this lightly."

Dumbledore walked up to a pedestal that had been placed in front of his table. The item that sat atop the pedestal had been covered by a silk cloth. "The champions will be chosen by an impartial judge," he whipped off the cloth with a flourish, "The Goblet of Fire."

"It will be placed here in the Hall for the next twenty-four hours. An age line will be drawn around it to keep younger competitors out. Tomorrow, after the feast, the champions will be selected. Now then, since I think I have exhausted all the announcements that need to be made, and because I know I'll be mobbed if I delay any further, please," Dumbledore waved his hand again. The lights came back on, along with a feast unlike any other, "tuck in."

Fleur barely noticed the mountain of food appear before her from out of nowhere. The din of the Hall diminished considerably as hungry students dug into dinner all around her.

Lightly, almost unconsciously, she rubbed the back of her hand. The last few minutes had been rather confusing for her. Running into Harry was something she had been expecting, sort of looking forward to, even. But the last few days had left a bad taste in her mouth and she had no idea what she would feel when she saw him. When they had spoken to each other, he had made her feel the same way he always did. Confused.

He was frustratingly rude sometimes and it didn't help that her allure didn't work on him, not that she had any idea of using it on anyone ever again. But then he had gone and pecked her hand, sounding so stupid. It was obvious he had just learnt that one sentence. That had made her feel… weirdly happy- the idea he went through the trouble of doing that.

Then, there had been the way her body had reacted to his lips, like a jolt of lightning had passed through her. She had withdrawn the hand more from reflex than on purpose. Why? She had never felt like that before. She had to know... If it was just her imagination.

Fleur felt a nudge from Jasmin, "Why aren't you eating, Bell? Nothing you like?"

She just shook her head before looking down at her empty plate. That had just given Fleur an idea. She had noticed where Harry was sitting and there was a bowl of her favourite seafood stew next to him.

Before she could think about it, her feet had moved. Halfway up to him, she realized her mistake. Until now, both she and Jasmin had avoided drawing any kind of major attention. But now that she had removed her scarf and cloak, anyone who caught sight of her continued staring, or went slack-jawed, or started whispering. Anyone who caught sight of their friends staring, turned to look and the same process would follow. This was not something Fleur was unused to, but she had just hoped to avoid making a scene on the first day.

Since what was done was done, Fleur soldiered forward. As she neared Harry, many of the boys were craning their necks or even standing while a spate of whispers had broken out amongst the female population.

For now, though, she only had eyes on one person. "Excuse me, 'arry. Are you wanting the Bouillabaisse?" He turned and she immediately found herself staring at his eyes- the very same eyes that had given her hope in her darkest time. The long, jet-black hair framing his face did not help either. Fleur wasn't sure if she had flushed.

Harry was giving her a half-amused, half-calculating look. She realized how she must appear, but hoped he didn't read too much into it. Finally, he just shrugged and said, "Sure. Have it."

As she reached out to take the dish from him, Fleur deliberately brushed her fingers against his… and felt it immediately. Her fingers tingled from where she was touching him and Fleur was sure she had taken a few seconds longer than necessary to let go. She quickly thanked him and left.

On her way back to her seat next to Jasmin, she had one thought running in her mind. It hadn't been her imagination.

Harry watched the angelic form of Fleur glide away in all its ethereal beauty before being brought sharply down to earth by Ron's voice, "Harry, are those the two you saved?"

He turned to see half the table staring at him like he'd grown two heads, hanging onto every word. "Yeah," he muttered quietly to Ron.

His friend was starting to worry him. Ron had sullenly picked at his food without a word since the incident in the Entrance Hall. Harry just assumed he was going through something and had left him to his devices.

"Why didn't you tell me you went and saved two veelas?" Ron almost sounded wounded now.

"I guess it never crossed my m-"

"You wanted me to make a fool of myself, didn't you?" Ron's face was half-covered by his hair, voice quiet as can be, "What was it you said? Wait a couple of days and find out for yourself?"

"Ron, what-", Hermione started, but Harry blurted out, "Well, how was I supposed to know you'd end up acting like a git in front of them?"

Ron slammed his fist on the table causing more curious looks from those who couldn't hear what was being said. "I've had enough." There was a note of finality in his voice that Harry had not heard before. In seconds, Ron had left the Hall.

Harry just looked at Hermione, silently asking for an explanation. Hermione just rolled her eyes, "He's jealous and being a prat. Don't let it get to you. Although... " she looked at him mischievously, "I can't help but feel he's right about you hiding something."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied smoothly, avoiding her eyes and going back to his Treacle tart.

Dean interrupted him before he could take his first bite, "Hey mate. If she doesn't have a boyfriend, think you can introduce me?... Actually, even if-"

And that had been the dam breaking. With members from every house sitting close to each other, news travelled fast. By the end of the feast, Harry had already been barraged with questions ranging from what his relationship with Fleur was, to what her favourite corsage was. Harry didn't even know what a corsage was.

It came as a relief when Prof. Sprout walked down to escort those who had qualified for duelling and quidditch outside, although that feeling didn't last long either. It turned out, the only reason they had been asked to wear dress robes was so that their pictures could be posted in the papers tomorrow.

After about half an hour of posing in front of the fountain along with his teammates and they were finally free. Harry watched most of the press troop back into the castle, while a few stragglers started leaving to make the morning news.

Fleur was standing on the other side of the fountain, watching the Beauxbatons contingent head towards the tower built for their stay. Her gloriously long, silver hair was doing that thing where it seemed to move with the wind and her dress robes suited her to perfection, highlighting all things wonderful. Harry couldn't see her expression, but the body language looked strained. It took him a moment to realize that almost everyone else were leaving or had already left.

She turned, hearing his footsteps approaching. Harry saw something inscrutable pass her beautiful face before she schooled it into a neutral expression. Harry sighed and asked, "Not heading back with your friends?"

Fleur looked at their retreating backs before replying, "Non, I'll go in a bit."

Harry didn't press the matter. He could see something was bothering her and that it was personal. Instead, he contentedly stood there watching the starry sky. The picturesque fountain added to the pleasant atmosphere.

The silence stretched on. It was Fleur who broke it, "Are you not going to bed?"

"Uh... Yeah, in a bit," Harry said lightly, not trying to hide the fact he was lying.

Fleur gave him a curious glance and just shook her head, "You are an oddball, 'arry."

Harry waited for an explanation. There didn't seem to be one forthcoming. He bit, "Meaning?"

"You make no sense to me?" she replied simply.

"Is that such a bad thing? You and Adri don't make much sense to me either."

There was definitely a touch of annoyance in Fleur's voice, "Why do you call her that? Her name is Jasmin."

Harry was a little taken aback, both by the note of displeasure and by the abrupt change of topic. "You call her that," he retorted, before adding, "Besides, that's how I met her. I only found out the name later."

"You didn't meet me as Fleur either and yet you seem to have had no problem making the correction." Fleur challenged.

"Yes, well," he replied dryly, "the risk of having my bollocks hexed by you proved to be motivation enough." That elicited a short, lilting giggle from Fleur, making Harry wonder what on earth he had been smoking to have likened her to a harpy.

"So," she said. "You're in the Quidditch team too? You're definitely crazy enough. I hope you get to play. What is your position?"

"Seeker."

Her eyes widened a bit. "Really? I have only been reading about the game for a few days now, but that is the hardest position, non?"

Harry Potter had many defenses. The last year and everything since had been spent preparing for a war that was to come. His mental and psychological defenses were nothing to scoff at and he had stabilized enough emotionally to be his own person. In short, getting Harry Potter to open up was a tall order indeed. But if there was one question or topic that could have gotten him to do exactly that, then Fleur had stumbled onto it.

Off he went, explaining about what he considered the greatest game in the world, how it worked, what he did and how much he loved it. Fleur for her part seemed happy to listen and somehow find another question that got him going again.

They chatted away in the corner oblivious to their surroundings. Every so often, someone would exit the castle and cast them a curious glance, if noticed, before being on their way. But no professors came out and they were left, for the most part, undisturbed.

It was well past curfew when Fleur said goodnight. She made to leave, spun around, looked him directly in the eye and said, "My sister really trusts you, 'arry Potter. Don't let her down," before gliding off. Harry watched her go, thinking, Great, now I'm confused.

Harry hadn't realized he had been standing still in thought long after Fleur was swallowed by the dark. He shook his head to clear himself. And smiled. Yes, it had been a very good day, all things considered.

And he knew just how to make it better. He looked up at the imposing form of the castle and felt what could only be described as...fondness. This was his home...and now there were strangers in it. A lot of strangers. The least he could do was keep an eye on what they were all up to. That, and he was curious.

Quietly, he walked to a dark corner near the entrance and pulled out the map and his invisibility cloak from his robes. Slipping on the cloak, he activated the map. The Great Hall was still crawling with names and that posed both an opportunity and a problem.

The problem would simply be to navigate with an invisibility cloak in a crowd. However, there were a lot of important people in the room. And even if they weren't discussing anything important, Harry had always wondered what these "world leaders" talked about when they got together. Now this was an opportunity he couldn't miss.

The endeavor would require stealth. And while he was no expert, he more than had enough tools for the trade. Underneath the cloak, he cast a disillusionment charm on his head and felt the familiar sticky sensation running down from his head. That was followed by a silencing charm on his shoes and a tergeo to get rid of any body odor. Last was the Sensory Enhancement charm. If he got caught, at least it wouldn't be because he was unprepared.

It was only as Harry made his way through the Entrance Hall that it occurred to him that he was doing this of his own volition and Dumbledore may not like it.

Once he entered the Great Hall, Harry made sure to stick close to the walls where there was the least chance of running into anyone. Dumbledore was in the middle of the room, drawing an age line around the Goblet. Most of the remaining professors seemed to be fighting sleep to stay and be polite.

His targets were luxuriously seated in the visitors' gallery, talking, laughing and drinking. There were more than a few aurors strategically positioned around them to block in case of a surprise attack. Thankfully for Harry though, he only needed to get within ear-shot.

Carefully, he edged his way closer to the most important and diverse looking group. Apart from Fudge, there were four other heads of state including the German and French ones, the two seemingly in an argument of some sort. Bagman was looking as pumped up as ever and Amelia Bones sat next to him with her monocle in one hand and a drink in the other, the only face on the table that looked like it'd rather be in bed.

"...ome on, Lucille," Harry heard the German Minister say in an accented voice, "Durmstrang hav never lost duelling, just as Germany hav never lost var."

"Ah, but Bulgaria is not Germany, Hannes," the French Minister replied, smoothing down his robes, "no matter how much you portray it to be."

Even Fudge seemed to notice the slight increase in tension as he jumped in to save the day, "Now, now. I will not let you both hog all the bragging. I have full confidence that our Hogwarts duelling team will bring glory to England." Harry briefly wondered if Fudge even knew who was in the team.

"Care to bet on it then, Cornelius?" Minister Lucille asked, eyebrow raised in challenge.

To his credit, Fudge never wavered, "Of course. I have a case of the finest Bungbarrel Spiced mead that I know both of you will appreciate."

The German minister nodded, "Why vould I say no to sure thing? I'm in."

Minister Lucille still looked thoughtful though, "Come now. We're betting on the pride of our youngsters, schools and nation. Surely, we can come up with better stakes."

Right then, they were interrupted by an auror who made his way to Amelia Bones and whispered in her ear. "Excellent," she said out loud and asked the others in a brisk voice, "I assume all of you are staying until the champions are chosen tomorrow?"

When she was met with nods, she continued, "Wonderful. We've prepared quarters for your stay nearby. It's not much, but I hope you will all find them to your comfort."

Fudge clapped his hands, brightening up, "Excellent. Let's move this party there then, shall we? Somehow feels odd to be sitting in my old school Hall, drinking alcohol," he chuckled to himself.

Harry had to quickly fall back as chair legs scraped and bodies began to file out, still protected by aurors. He realised there was no way to hear the rest of the conversation now and turned his attention to the others in the Hall.

Three more useless conversations and fifty minutes later, Harry found himself checking the map again. It was almost midnight and he was hoping to have one more tryst with the rules before calling it a night.

Surprisingly, almost no one had gone off reservation all night. He had expected at least a few people to try and get into the higher floors of Hogwarts. It was a fountain of magical knowledge and artefacts, after all. But not even the press had left the halls.

Well, almost.

Harry hurried down a shortcut that he knew led to the Head Girl's bathroom on the sixth floor. He had visited the Head Boy's bathroom on the same floor before but never the counterpart.

He found himself in a weird position. Every sense of decency he possessed was screaming that this was wrong. But his need to ensure everything was as it seemed had taken over.

If the map had displayed one, or even two names inside the bathroom, he would have left it alone. Today, it contained three names. Three, very interesting names. Nathalie McDonald, the Head Girl was no surprise. It was the other two that had him scratching his head. Penelope Clearwater, Percy's girlfriend and Viktor Krum.

It didn't take a leap of imagination to imagine the most likely scenario. But just in case it wasn't... After all, it was the first day. Even Krum couldn't work that fast... What if he's using a dark curse on them right now?...

Try as he could, there was no getting around the fact most of him said the right thing to do was leave. But in the end, the deciding factor was the same as it ever was. He was curious.

Standing before an empty stretch of wall that he knew housed the entrance, he did as the map indicated. He stuck his wand out of the invisibility cloak and tapped the center, whispering, "Mint paradise."

Just as with the Head Boy's bathroom, the wall became briefly intangible, while still visible. Harry simply walked on through without resistance. He had one thought in his mind. Don't look for more than a second. He just wanted to make sure everything was on the up and up and get out of there.

Putting a hand over his eyes, he peered through his fingers, scanning the room. Unsurprisingly, he found them in the pool.

Harry only saw for one second as he had promised himself. But that one second had not only confirmed the obvious, but had him running for his bed at top speed.

"Look, Harry," Hermione said, shoving the Daily Prophet in his face, "I've always said you photograph well in green."

Harry opened his eyes to see six group pictures gracing the front page- the pictures of all the teams. "Brilliant," he muttered, more to himself than Hermione.

His night had been a restless one. The combination of thrill, joy, elation, shock and horror had made sleep something of a joke. He had been only too pleased to take up Hermione's offer for an early walk around the lake and breakfast.

The Goblet stood at the center of the Great Hall, between the two Hogwarts tables and already had a group of gawkers around it. Roger Davis had just finished dropping his name in and was talking to Angelina.

Harry went back to laying his head down on the table. Hermione's voice cutting off any idea of rest, "This is what happens from your " late-nighters". You're so secretive about them too."

Harry groaned, "I just roam around the castle looking for trouble, Hermione."

"We used to do that together," Hermione sniffed.

"Yeah, well. Believe me, you don't want the kind of trouble I got into last night."

She just rolled her eyes and went back to her paper. Harry was once again pulled out of his reverie by Roger Davis who came to tell him that quidditch practices would be held on weekends.

"Just go to bed already."

"Don't wanna."

"Afraid of talking to Ron?"

"Not afraid."

"Then go."

"Nuh-uh."

"Harry."

"Mmmm?"

"I have to go to the library."

"What for? Classes start tomorrow."

Hermione huffed, "Well, for your information I already have a whole bunch of stuff piled on to do already, almost all of it research. There's also the speech and elocution. Whole bunch of quizzes too," she finished rather breathlessly.

Harry was glad she was going to be so busy. There was no way he could've spent time with her this year like before. She handed him a piece of parchment and a quill. "Go on."

He sat up and stared, sleep deserting him. "What changed?"

Hermione took a deep breath before replying, "Well, Harry. It's just that…I was worried you'd get hurt. But you've shown you can more than take care of yourself. Then there's Ron. I realized last night that you've already chosen your path and we can either help you or be a nuisance. I want to help, Harry. Besides, I know how badly you want this now."

She was breathless again, but flushed when she got a tight one-handed hug from Harry. He hurriedly wrote his name and dropped it into the goblet, just in case Hermione changed her mind. The goblet glowed red once, signifying acceptance.

Harry parted with Hermione at the Entrance Hall. She left him with a smirk, "Introduce me to your new friends when you get the chance, okay?" and bounded up the stairs quickly, looking like someone was about to attack her.

He had barely registered her weird behavior when he felt a tap on his shoulder, turned, and almost had the wind knocked out of him. Jeez, would they stop doing that?

Fleur and Jasmin were standing side by side, certainly a crime by itself. They looked stunning, even though they were only in their school uniforms and Harry couldn't find any traces of makeup. Jasmin was smiling at him, while Fleur, similar to yesterday, was pointedly glaring at those who were making her uncomfortable.

"Sleep well, Harry?" Jasmin chirped.

"Like a baby. You?"

"Oui, it was cold though. I curled up under many blankets."

Harry had a mental image of that and desperately pushed it out if his mind. Jasmin spoke to Fleur in French, "Bell, if you're going to do it, go put your name in now. Let's leave."

She turned back to Harry as Fleur left them and asked playfully, her beautiful, dark eyes glittering, "Any chance the Monsieur is willing to show two ladies around his home?"

Harry could not stop a wide smile from forming on his face, "But, of course."

A/N: This chapter is slightly smaller than normal because it made sense to end here.

Honest feedback from readers have played a big role in making me a better writer than when I started. So, thank you. Your comments, both positive and negative, will always be appreciated.