A Mother's Comfort and Worry

Summary: After Harry's name comes out of the Goblet of Fire, Lily becomes concerned about her son. Why was his name entered for the Tri-Wizard Tournament? As she helps Harry prepare, she provides some motherly comfort.

AN: Contains information from the book and the movie.

Lily felt as though the world had stopped. Everything became frozen. The only sound she heard was the sound of her heart beating rapidly. A part of her wished that this was a horrible dream, but, alas, it wasn't. She knew better.

This wasn't a dream. It was reality.

Tonight was Halloween. Tonight, they were to find out who the three champions of the Tri-Wizard Tournament were. The last Tri-Wizard Tournament occurred in 1792. She didn't understand why they decided to bring it back this year. But this was the least of her worries right now.

The Goblet of Fire had spit out three names. Viktor Krum, from Durmstrang, was selected first, followed by Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons and Cedric Diggory for Hogwarts. They left the Great Hall, heading to the trophy room, where they would receive further instructions.

It was done, and the champions were chosen.

But suddenly, the Goblet of Fire spat out a fourth name.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore shouted.

Lily could feel the color drain from her face as she tried to hold herself together. She watched Hermione push Harry towards Dumbledore. He motioned for Harry to follow the other champions to the trophy room. As Harry passed the head table, Professor McGonagall squeezed his shoulder. He met her eyes as he passed her. She tried not to look as panicked or scared as he appeared. Never had she felt so helpless as a mother. His frightened eyes looked into hers, hoping she would say something. She couldn't.

It was so quiet in the Great Hall. So silent that you could hear a quill drop.

Professor Dumbledore announced the feast was to continue and left the Great Hall, heading to the trophy room.

Ludo Bagman followed him closely, with Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, Lily, and Professor Snape following right behind him.

Barty Couch looked like he would stop Lily. She silenced him with a look.

"That is my son in there. Stop me from entering, and I will hex you to oblivion," She warned.

"I would let her in if I were you, Mr. Couch," Professor Snape said silkily.

Mr. Couch nodded, motioning for Lily to go in ahead of him. She turned around briefly to mouth a 'thank you' to Severus. He nodded to her.

Loud voices greeted them as they heard the arguing between the headmaster and headmistress of the other schools.

"Enough!" Dumbledore shouted.

Turning to Harry, Dumbledore asked the burning question on everyone's mind.

"Harry, did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"

Harry shook his head. "No, sir."

"Ask one of the other students to do it for you?"

"No, sir?" Harry repeated.

"Are you sure?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, sir."

Lily approached Professor Dumbledore, reaching out for the piece of parchment.

"Professor Dumbledore, could I see the piece of parchment?" Lily asked.

Professor Dumbledore nodded, handing it to Lily. Lily took it, glancing at her son before looking at it. She waved her wand over it. Puffs of bright green smoke appeared above the parchment.

"This isn't Harry's handwriting," she stated.

"So he was telling the truth," Bagman stated.

Professor Moody had entered the room, announcing his presence with his cane clicking.

"Someone put Potter's name in that goblet, knowing he'd have to compete if it came out," He said, looking over at Harry and Lily, standing off to the side but close to the rest of the group.

"Maybe someone's hoping Potter is going to die for it."

Lily gasped, tightening her hold on her son. Harry swallowed thickly. If he was scared before, he was terrified now.

"How this situation arose, we do not know," Dumbledore explained, speaking to everyone gathered in the room. Dumbledore said, turning to the gray-headed man.

"Barty, I leave this to you."

Barty Crouch sighed.

"Mr. Potter has no choice. He is, as of tonight, a Triwizard champion."

There was a slight pause until…

"Are you telling me that we have no choice but to let my son, my fourteen-year-old son, compete in this tournament?!" Lily demanded.

Barty Couch took a step back from the angry mother. Lugo Bagman swore he felt the ground shake under his feet. He suddenly had a newfound appreciation for James Potter, having to live with the fiery redhead before him.

"I'd answer her quick if I were you, Barty," Dumbledore warned.

Barty Couch nodded before replying verbally, "Yes, Mrs. Potter, he has no choice."

Lily approached the man until her face was a few inches away from his own.

"If anything happens to my son, someone will find themselves on the other side of my wand. Am I clear?" she spoke lowly.

The man just nodded, afraid to speak.

Lily turned to Lugo Bagman. "The same goes for you."

She turned around, stowing her wand in her cloak, not realizing she had pulled it out. She returned to her son, wrapping her arm around him, squeezing him into her.

"Shall we start with our instructions? Barty, want to do the honors?" Bagman said, breaking the silence.

Barty Crouch nodded, coming out of a deep trance.

"Instructions, yes. The first task," Crouch began, moving towards the fire.

Harry stayed near Lily, mainly because Lily's grip on his shoulder was tight. He didn't dare to move unless Lily did.

"The first task is designed to test your daring and courage. Because of this, we won't tell you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard. The first task will occur on November the twenty-fourth, in front of a panel of judges and the other students. The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first task is complete. Due to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."

Mr. Crouch turned to look at Dumbledore.

"I think that's all, Albus."

Professor Dumbledore dismissed Harry and Cedric to their dormitories. There was a party, most likely waiting for them. But Harry didn't want to party.

Everyone parted, going their different ways. Madam Maxime and Fleur left, talking to each other fast in French. Harry glanced at his mother as she suddenly glared at the women. Unfortunately for the French women, Lily had taken French over the summer when she was seventeen and was fluent in the language.

Karkaroff beckoned to Krum, and they left in silence.

Harry was heading up toward Gryffindor Tower when Lily stopped him.

"Harry, you're welcome to stay with me tonight."

"I know, Mum."

Lily closed the distance between her son. When she was close, she embraced him in a tight hug. This wasn't how she imagined this night would go.

"Get some sleep tonight, baby. We'll figure this out in the morning."

"Thanks, Mum, I love you."

Lily smiled softly. She waited for the day Harry wouldn't be this open with her, hoping it never came.

"I love you too." Lily stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched her son go up the steps. She waited until he was out of sight before heading to her quarters.

Harry walked up the stairs towards the tower to see whatever awaited him.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Just as Harry thought, a party was waiting for him when he entered the common room, but he wasn't in the mood. He only stayed long enough to be polite before begging off to go to bed. He headed to his dorm, wanting nothing more to go to bed, hoping this was just a horrible dream.

Upon entering the dorm, he found Ron sitting on his bed.

"How did you do it?" When Harry didn't answer, he grumbled, "Never mind, I thought you would let your best friend know."

"Let you know what?" Harry asked, wondering what Ron was talking about.

"How you put your name in the cup!"

Harry sighed inwardly. He hoped he would have to defend himself to his friends.

"I don't know how it happened, Ron. I didn't put my name in that cup. I didn't ask for this to happen. I don't want eternal glory." In truth, Ron should know how much Harry hated attention. Only a handful of people knew Harry as Harry, not the Boy Who Lived.

Ron snorted.

"We've known each other since we were six years old. Name one time that I ever liked having all the attention," Harry reminded his friend.

Ron didn't answer but ignored Harry, turning over his bed and facing away from Harry. Then, the curtains around his bed were closed. Harry stood beside Ron's curtained bed.

Never in the eight years that he and Ron had been friends had he ever imagined Ron and him having a tiff this bad. The longest they ever stayed mad at each other was when they were thirteen. They had gotten in a row about a Quidditch match. It lasted only an hour before Ron flooed over to the Potters and said he was wrong.

They both were wrong, and their friendship has only strengthened since, until now.

Harry left the dorm after gathering clothes for bed and tomorrow.

Hermione was sitting on the couch as the party had apparently ended.

"Hermione, I'm letting you know that I'm going to stay in Mum's quarters. I'll see you in the morning."

Without further discussion or before Hermione could reply, Harry stormed out of the common room and into the corridor, heading to his mother's quarters.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

If Lily was surprised when Harry came into her quarters a half hour after she had left him, she didn't show it.

"What happened?" she asked.

Harry explained to his mother what happened when he went to the tower. She wasn't surprised that there was a party and was relieved Harry had his house's support. But she didn't know about the other houses, particularly Hufflepuff. But Ron's reaction was what surprised her. If things hadn't improved in a few weeks, she would talk to him herself or owl Molly.

"I don't want to participate in this tournament. I was practically the only one happy with the age line. I didn't want this."

"I know," Lily whispered as she rubbed her son's back. "But we're going to find a way around the no-help rules. Your Dad has a knack for finding loopholes in contracts and rules. So does Sirius. Dad is coming to talk to Mr. Bagman and Mr. Couch in the morning. He and Sirius are going to have a look at the rule book."

"Okay."

"Harry, I want you to promise me something."

"What?" Harry asked.

"During this tournament, don't concentrate on winning. Concentrate on surviving. Can you do that for me?"

"I promise," Harry told her.

Lily wrapped an arm around Harry, pulling him close to her. She hugged him tightly and was relieved when Harry laid his head against her shoulder.

"Mum?"

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"I'm scared."

Those words nearly broke Lily's heart in two. She felt helpless, wishing there was something she could do. But the only thing Lily could do was sit back and watch her son compete in a competition he was too young to enter.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The next morning, Lily and James sat at the table with a cup of tea in their hand. They were discussing the information James had found about the tournament so far. He had spoken with Ludo and Barty that morning, catching them before they returned to London. After talking with Ludo and Barty, he spoke with Professor Dumbledore to determine the next steps.

Lily sighed, letting her hand fall to the table with a soft thud.

"James, what are we going to do? Harry is a fourteen-year-old boy. The others are three years older than him. He's not ready for this."

"I know, Lily," James soothed. "Professor Dumbledore said he would give Harry as much help as possible. But I doubt it."

"You know what he told me last night?" Lily asked. James shook his head. "He said he's scared. People die in this tournament. Do I need to remind you of that!" By the end, Lily was nearly hysterical.

James nodded, reaching for his wife's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know, Lil. We'll help him."

"Of course we will."

James got up from the table to refill his cup of tea. He didn't know what to think about his son being forced to participate in a tournament that he didn't enter. The idea that someone would be trying to hurt his son made his protective instincts come into play. They were both protective of their son, but Lily was more protective. James said the Mama Lioness came out if anyone dared to mess with their son.

It amazed James that she was acting calm about this. But he knew this was the calm before the storm. They hadn't even had the first task yet—plenty of time for Lily to lose it.

"Sirius is looking over the rulebook to see if I missed anything," James said.

Lily sighed. "Good. I hope he can find one."

If anyone could find a loophole, it would be Sirius.

They sat in silence until Lily noticed the time. Breakfast would have started.

"Breakfast will be starting," Lily commented.

The sound of shuffling feet brought their son to their attention.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

When Harry woke up, it took him a moment to remember why he felt so miserable and worried. Last night, his name came out of the Goblet of Fire. Last night, he was celebrated like a hero, but he knew he wasn't. Last night, he fought with Ron.

He didn't feel like dealing with the rest of the school today. He would have liked to talk to Ron, but he would have to deal with other students, including those who would call him a cheater.

Deciding he would rather stay in the safety of his mother's quarters, Harry decided he would do something he hadn't done in a while: pretend to be sick. He had only faked sick a few times in his life. All of them were to get out of something involving his cousin and his evil friends.

He decided he would use his go-to: faking a stomach ache.

Getting up from his bed, he quietly walked towards the wooden door, the cold stone floor chilly to his bare feet. He had reached out a hand to open the door when he heard a man's voice, a familiar man's voice.

"What's Dad doing here?" he thought. He remembered that his mother said that James was going to look over the rulebook and see if there was anything helpful. Hopefully, he'd find a loophole.

Wrapping his free arm around his stomach, he opened his door and shuffled down the hall towards the kitchen and sitting room, adding his other arm around his waist.

"Mum, I don't feel very good," Harry said weakly.

Lily got up from her chair and approached her son. She placed her palm on his forehead and the back of her hand on his cheek.

"You're not running a fever, but you do feel warm. What's wrong, sweetheart?" she inquired.

"My stomach hurts," Harry replied, using his whiney sick voice, wrapping his arms around his middle.

"Is he sick?" James asked, coming up behind his wife.

"He said his stomach hurts, but he's not running a fever," Lily replied.

"Maybe it's something he ate last night," James suggested.

"Maybe," Lily repeated. "Come on. Let's get you back to bed." She turned her son around, leading him to his room. Harry clutched his stomach but began hunching over as he returned to his bedroom.

James followed his wife and son back to Harry's room. He stood at the door, watching Lily tuck Harry back into bed.

"I'm going to get you a stomach soother. I'll be right back." Lily motioned to James with her hand to follow her. He obeyed, following her to the bathroom.

"Do you really think he's sick?" James asked quietly.

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to keep him here for the day," Lily replied.

"Are you sure?" James inquired.

"Yes."

Taking a stomach soother, Lily walked back into the bedroom and helped Harry to sit up to take the potion.

"Here, sweetie. This will help your stomach."

Harry swallowed the potion quickly, not wanting it to linger on his tongue.

Once he finished, he laid back down in his bed. "Thanks, Mum."

"You're welcome." Lily left Harry's room and headed to the kitchen to rinse out the vial.

James approached Harry's bed, ruffling his hair.

"I'll check on you later, son. I hope you feel better."

"Thanks, Dad." Harry felt James rub his back briefly before leaving the room, closing the door to a crack.

Harry sat up for a moment and smiled. He couldn't believe it.

He had fooled his parents into thinking he was sick. He decided to sleep to catch up on what he didn't get last night.

In the kitchen, Lily turned to James when he entered.

"Do you think he's faking?" Lily asked.

"No," James answered.

"Alright."

Lily momentarily thought that Harry was faking but decided to let it go. She had other things to worry about, such as how her son was going to make it through the tournament alive.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Harry returned to class on Tuesday morning. He didn't want to face the school, both those who celebrated his name coming out of the Goblet of Fire and those who were against him.

The story he came up with regarding the stomach ache was he must have eaten at the Halloween feast that didn't agree with his stomach, but he couldn't remember what it was. He had even pretended to be suffering from stomach cramps.

Today, he returned to class because he couldn't pull faking sick for a third day without his mother getting suspicious.

He went to the kitchens for breakfast, wanting to avoid the Great Hall. Only he had forgotten to share this information with Lily, who had found him before he headed to History of Magic. She gently scolded him for not telling her, and they both headed in different directions.

"How are you doing Harry?" Professor Williams asked when Harry entered the classroom, the first to arrive.

"I'm doing okay," Harry replied quietly, but the professor had heard him. Choosing to sit in his usual place in the center of the room, Harry sat down at the desk that he, Hermione, and Ron usually sat at. He had collected his rucksack that morning and left before Ron got up.

Class began and was over so fast that Harry didn't notice. He just wanted things to return to normal before his name came out of the Goblet of Fire.

Hermione, Ginny, George, Fred, and Neville were among a handful of friends who believed him when he said he didn't put his name in the cup.

He spent most of his time in Lily's quarters, even sleeping there, as he didn't want to deal with Ron.

The next few days were some of Harry's worst at Hogwarts. The closest he had ever come to feeling like this had been during those months in his second year when a large part of the school had suspected him of attacking his fellow students. But the difference was that Ron had been on his side then. He thought he could have coped with the rest of the school's behavior if he could just have had Ron back as a friend. But he wasn't going to try to persuade Ron to talk to him if he didn't want to. Nevertheless, it was lonely, with dislike pouring in on him from all sides, with only his friends and housemates to talk to.

Lily didn't complain about Harry spending all his time in her quarters. She enjoyed it, as it gave her a chance to spend time with her son.

She just wished that it would all blow over after the first task.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Lily approached the room where they were doing the Weighing of the Wands. She had entered just as they were taking a group photo when she heard a female voice request.

"Could I have a word with Harry before we start? An interview? The youngest champion, you know, to add some color?"

"Certainly!" Bagman exclaimed. "That is if Harry has no objection?"

"Um….." Harry trailed off.

"Lovely," Rita Skeeter said. In a second, her long fingers had Harry's upper arm in a surprisingly firm grip.

Lily marched over to the woman and Bagman, causing the latter to jump at her sudden presence.

"Excuse me, but my son is underage. Therefore, as his mother, I need to be present."

"Of course," Rita said, smiling sweetly.

"And I would ask that you kindly unhand my son," Lily requested pleasantly.

Rita released her grip and led the three of them to another room. Harry looked at his mother and mouthed, "Thanks, Mum."

The interview went well because Lily was there. She had even asked to read over the article before she published it. Rita just smiled and agreed.

Dumbledore came and got them for the weighing of the wands. Ollivander began with Fleur.

"Yes," he said quietly, "Nine and a half inches... inflexible... rosewood... and containing...dear me..."

"A hair from the head of a veela," said Fleur. "One of my grandmothers."

"That explains a lot," Harry whispered. Lily covered his mouth, hissing at him to hush.

He quickly went through Cedric and Viktor's wands quickly. Soon, he was at Harry's wand.

Ollivander spent much longer examining Harry's wand than anyone else's. Eventually, however, he made a fountain of wine shoot out of it and handed it back to Harry, announcing that it was still in perfect condition.

"Thank you all," said Dumbledore, standing at the judges' table. "You may go back to your lessons now, or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as classes are about to end…"

Harry didn't catch the rest of it as he gathered his things. The other champions left, and Harry headed to the Great Hall.

"Harry, a word," Lily called.

Harry nodded, following his mother to an empty classroom. She closed the door. Turning to face her son, she slipped a piece of parchment from her pocket and handed it to Harry. This was the information for Harry's detention with Professor Snape the following night.

Harry knew what it was, recognizing Snape's handwriting.

"Explain," Lily demanded.

Harry told her everything: the buttons, the hexes, Hermione's teeth, Snape's injustice, and how it had upset Hermione.

"Okay, you'll serve the detention without complaint. I'll talk to Professor Dumbledore about Professor Snape's treatment of Hermione."

Harry inwardly sighed in relief, figuring she would be mad.

"I'm letting this slide this time. I get a note like this again this term: you will be grounded to my quarters for the weekend. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, ma'am," he verbalized.

"Alright, now we're going to eat in my quarters tonight."

Harry followed Lily to the hospital wing corridor and her quarters. Things had to go up from here, right?

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Thanks to Lily's intervention and James's threat to sue the paper, the Daily Prophet printed a nice article outlining each champion, giving details of each one, including the schools they belonged to. Everyone was happy with how it turned out. Only the adults knew why.

Hermione asked Harry how he was fairing during their study hall times. Ron still wasn't talking to Harry, but Hermione knew Ron would come to his senses soon. Harry shared with Hermione some things she didn't know that occurred after the Goblet of Fire, even what happened the first two days.

"And you got away with it?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. I've been faking stomach aches for years. I pinch my face in a pained expression and clutch my stomach. If I talk, I sound whiny or weak."

"And it works?" Hermione was more shocked than surprised.

"Yeah, never fails."

"How did you manage two days?" she inquired.

"I told Mum that something I ate at the feast didn't agree with me. To make it more believable, I pretended to be suffering from stomach cramps."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "And Lily believes you?"

"Yeah, it works every time." Harry smiled.

They worked together on their homework quietly. Hermione knew that with the added stress of the Tournament, Harry would be struggling to keep up.

When the bell rang, signaling the beginning of dinner, Hermione packed up her things, Harry collected his papers, and they headed off to the Great Hall.

Neville sat with them after assuring Harry he believed him. Dinner was a somber affair, only making small talk about what happened that day.

George, Fred, and Ginny joined them, adding their support. In the little interaction between Harry and Ginny, Hermione noticed something there. Something that wasn't there before. Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit her.

Harry was beginning to fall in love with Ginny. She smiled, thinking of the two getting together sometime in the year.

She hoped that things would get better for her best friend.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

James walked along the main drag in Hogsmeade. It was the first visit to the village of the year, and he had signed up to patrol. He slipped into the Three Broomsticks for a coffee, needing something to wake himself up.

He stood off the side as the first students appeared. He waited for what seemed like an eternity until Harry came. He was alone, which concerned James. Lily had told him that almost the whole school had shunned Harry. A handful of people were talking to him. He had stayed in her quarters since the night his name came out of the Goblet of Fire.

He watched as Harry walked around for a minute before seeing him. He waved at his son.

When he saw his father, he walked towards him.

"Hey, Dad," Harry said.

"Hi. Son. How's it going?"

That was the wrong question to ask. James was suddenly slammed with information, everything from the buttons to the taunting, how he slept in Lily's quarters, and how Ron was still not talking to him. James didn't have a chance to process it all before Harry unleashed more.

Luckily, James cased a silencing charm, nodding to a fellow Auror across the way, singling to him that he needed a moment with his son.

"Things will improve once the first task is behind us," James assured his son.

"I hope so," Harry murmured.

James looked around before he leaned over to whisper in Harry's ear.

"Hagrid wanted me to tell you that he wants to meet with you tonight. You're to bring the cloak and meet him at his hut."

Harry looked up at his Dad questioningly.

"I will be there under a Disillusionment charm. I'll be right there with you."

Trusting his father, Harry nodded.

"What time do I need to be at Hagrid's?"

James cancels the silencing charm after whispering to Harry about the time. He looked around.

"Where's Hermione?" James asked.

"With Ron," Harry replied.

"Oh." Putting his arm around his son, he steered him towards the Three Broomsticks. "What do you say about treating your Old Man to a Butterbeer?"

"I would say too bad because you haven't given me money yet," Harry replied, holding his hand out. James discreetly dropped the money bag into Harry's palm. "Now I'll say yes. I'll buy us some Butterbeers."

"Alright, Cheeky," James said, patting Harry's shoulder.

No one seemed to bother Harry while he was with his father. That suited Harry just fine.

James used the rare opportunity to talk with his son. He feared their relationship would change when Harry became a teenager, but he was wrong. It remained the same, only getting stronger.

Unbeknownst to James and Harry, they were being watched by a redheaded woman. Lily smiled as she watched her two favorite men walk and joke with each other on the way to the Three Broomsticks.

She knew this moment would be the only calm Harry would have before the first task.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Lily looked up at the sound of the portrait door opening. She jumped up when she noticed that Harry was pale and shaking.

She knew that James had snuck Harry down into the forest for something to do with the first task, which, with a jolt, Lily realized was on Tuesday. She saw Hagrid and James talking earlier in the week and again that morning. It was when they returned to her quarters to speak in private and for James to collect his coat to head down to the village to patrol when he told her what Hagrid said.

He had information regarding the first task.

Standing up quickly, she approached her son before he fell over.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"Dragons. The first task is dragons," James explained.

Lily felt faint. She sat down heavily on the couch beside her son. James explained what had happened that evening, making Lily feel fainter, and Harry paled even more.

"Okay, I'm not scared now. I'm absolutely terrified," Harry deadpanned.

"We'll figure out something, Harry. We'll figure something out."

"What am I going to do? How can I get past a dragon?"

James and Lily shared a look over Harry's head. They needed to make a plan and make one soon.

"Let's figure out something in the morning. It's late, and you need to sleep," Lily said.

"How can I sleep with this on my mind?" Harry asked.

"Come on." Lily got up and pulled Harry up from the couch. Harry stops by James, hugs him, and tells him good night.

"Good night, son. Try and get some sleep."

"Go and get a shower. When you come to your room, leave the shirt off," Lily directed. "I'll meet you there when you're done."

Harry nodded, sighing, knowing what Lily was going to do. She waited until Harry slipped into the bathroom for a quick shower and changed into his pajamas. When he came into his room, she stood beside the bed and tucked him in, sitting down beside him.

"Lie on your stomach, sweetheart," she directed. Harry obeyed her. Soon, he fell asleep under her relaxing hands. She kissed his cheek and returned to the sitting room.

"He's asleep," she whispered.

"Lily, do you know how well Harry has done with the summoning charm?" He inquired.

"Yes, I do. According to Professor Flitwick, he's more than mastered it. He summoned a book from my library. It hit me in the head. He apologized profusely. This morning, I received a bag of chocolate truffles in the owl mail. I didn't need to know who bought it. I ruffled Harry's hair when I passed the table. Later, I told him he didn't need to, but it was appreciated." She sipped her tea after zapping it with a warming charm. "Why?"

James smiled. "Well, let's just say I have an idea."

"He's only allowed a wand," Lily reminded him.

"I know."

To Be Continued.

AN: The first task and how Harry and his family handle it will follow.