6. Karma vs Romance

Hermione froze in indecision almost immediately on entering her room. What should she wear? She couldn't wear what she wore when they were in France! She, like her mother, usually wore only the bottoms of the swimming costumes. Sometimes they had even visited a nude beach in pursuit of the elusive complete-tan.

Harry would probably have a heart-attack if she popped out of the room nude! Heck, He would probably have one if she went topless! So, it had to be a bikini of some kind . . . there was no way she would wear one of those neck to thigh horrors. The question was, how small?

This was, however, a chance to move their relationship forward. If she covered up too much, he might read it as a subtle rejection of his attention. And she definitely didn't want that!

The first one that appeared on her bed made her frown at how little it covered. She rejected several others before finally deciding on what would be considered a conservative-bikini. Her breasts were nearly fully-covered and the bottoms covered more than her panties usually did!

There was certainly more hidden from sight now than when he had seen her in her nightgown the first night! She could tell that simply from his reactions at the time . . . especially the more physical one she had felt between their waists!

.o\O/o.

A few minutes later, and in a much calmer state of mind, Harry exited his tent, blushing slightly.

Oddly, Hermione emerged moments later in a bikini swimming costume that made Harry blush even more.

Fortunately, he had anticipated he would have even more of a physical reaction at actually seeing her in a form-fitting costume, thus, the swimming costume he wore should hide his reaction pretty-well. It more closely resembled knee-length hiking shorts than the tight and revealing togs he had seen in magazines. It also had an inner layer of very tight y-fronts that prevented a certain something from sticking out, should that . . . arise . . . which it would, he knew. In fact, it already was.

Neither said anything as they moved to the table, although both noticed what the other was wearing.

Hermione immediately dropped into a chair, grabbed the top book, and started reading.

He quickly redirected his eyes from her bouncing cleavage to his own breakfast plate, and sat across from her.

He kept his eyes down for several minutes before glancing up.

She had barely touched her breakfast.

"Eat," he said.

She looked up at him, down at her plate, grabbed a rasher of bacon, took a bite, then returned to her reading and note-making.

His prompting had started her eating reflex, and he watched, amused, as she read her book and ate her breakfast without even noticing what she ate. She didn't even notice when her plate disappeared after she finished.

He sat and just enjoyed the sound of the waves on the beach and the warmth radiating from above. After the last four "days" it was a needed relief.

He had never been to a beach before, and even if it was simulated, he was going to enjoy this one as much as possible. His chair slowly changed to a lounger, and he just closed his eyes and relaxed. The only sounds were from the waves and the occasional indecipherable "hmm" or "tsk" from Hermione.

.o\O/o.

Harry had almost fallen back to sleep when he heard Hermione sigh and the creak of her chair as she leaned back. He lazily looked over at her from his beach chair.

She stared back. She sighed again.

"Soulmate is about as nebulous a word as you could imagine, without a single definite definition." She shuffled through her notes and reordered them. "The first possibility is soulmate partners. They help you in this life emotionally, professionally, or in any other way you require to accomplish and experience whatever your soul planned to do here on earth. They are not necessarily permanent, nor do they necessarily persist across lifetimes. They may or may not be romantic in nature, although the relationship can last a lifetime.

"The next is past-life soulmates. When two souls have shared a significant past life together (or several), if they meet again in this life, they may be drawn to each other — sometimes with a strong sexual attraction." She blushed while saying that last. She paused and thought. "I suppose that explains the situations I've read where a married couple breaks apart because one of them met someone who they decided they couldn't live without, and they literally eloped, abandoning the marriage." She frowned. "Or two people who declare they are head-over-heels in love the first time they meet." She shook her head.

"Then there are karmic soulmates, which can be good, bad, or in between." She paused, looked up from her notes, and frowned at him. "You have heard of karma, right?"

He nodded. Some of the fiction books he had read in the Primary school library had mentioned karma. Simply put, it was when people got what they deserved. Good things happen to good people, while bad things happen to bad people. If something bad happens to a good person, it meant that they had done something bad recently or in a past life.

Based on what his Death Agent had said in that processing room, that was an accurate description. Harry must have been an awful person in a previous life, to have had such a terrible life, this time, he reflected.

She nodded back. "Anyway, karmic relationships feature interactions that bring changes to your karma, or changes to their karma. The interactions can be positive, negative, or neutral. These soulmates come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, or themselves to them, and then leave. They can be for a long period of time or multiple comparatively short encounters. They can be quite emotional, good or bad, or sexual encounters." She pinked, again.

"Fourth, we have romantic soulmates." She shook her head. "The best explanation I could find for that was that it gives you the feeling of, 'I've been waiting my whole life to meet this person.' You can't imagine living your life without them being some part of it. Such people may or may not have been soulmates in past lives.

She pursed her lips. "Romantic soulmates can also develop over time. The example given was when two people enter an arranged marriage, and over time develop a soulmate connection. Not all marriages have that happen. In fact, most don't."

She flipped through her notes, again, and looked back up at him. "There are other sub-categories, but they are all variations on those four."

She glanced at her notes. "So, generally speaking, a soulmate is someone who you feel deeply connected to in one way or another, and they feel the same way towards you. It can be sexual, familial — like you would feel to brother or sister — or it can be mentorial or confrontational — both good or bad. The guiding principle between soulmates is that each one's needs are equally met and, ideally, they should challenge each other to be a better person."

She sighed. "Confusingly, because of the different types, there isn't a consensus on if a person has one soulmate or many, or even if it's possible to have several in any single category. Or even if there is only one category out of all the ones mentioned."

They sat in silence, staring at each other and thinking. Although he tried to prevent it, more than once he found his eyes focusing more on her chest, and the well-proportioned cleavage revealed, than anywhere else. He hoped his physical reaction to that cleavage wasn't too obvious as he shifted to hide it.

She sighed deeply, which was a delight for Harry to behold. "It seems that romantic soulmates are actually very rare, or more information about them would be available."

Harry sighed. "So, we have you and Ginny as most likely for this nebulous soulmate. Then there's Susan Bones and Sue Li in our year." He shook his head. He had been thinking of girls who might qualify.

"There's a Susanna Hesleden, she's a second-year Ravenclaw," Hermione said, lightly tapping her quill on the table. "Also, there's a Lina Tande, a Second Year Hufflepuff, and Luna Lovegood, a Third Year, also in Ravenclaw."

Harry ran his hands over his face. "Well, I'm pretty sure it isn't Ginny. She might qualify for the Karmic one, but only if I'm helping her — I find her mostly annoying. She doesn't like me for me, but for my . . . reputation . . . in those ridiculous books." He wrinkled his nose in distaste.

Hermione nodded.

"About all I can say about Sue Li and Susan Bones is that I've met them, and talked a small bit with them in classes. I haven't felt any special attraction to them this year, or the previous three. So, I'm pretty sure we can rule out the past-life one — for you and Ginny, too, I suppose."

"Yeah," she said, "It took a Troll before we really started to talk to each other. Nothing like the books claim past-life soulmates should react to each other on first meeting."

"I don't think it's karmic or a soul-partner, but possibly? I know you've made a big impact on my life."

She grimaced. "And you on mine — you did save my life, you know."

"That leaves romantic, but . . . I just . . . don't . . . know what that is."

He noted her small wince.

He sighed heavily.

"Not that I don't like you, Hermione," he hurriedly added. "I don't feel in love with you." He frowned deeply "Not that I would know what that feels like, anyway," he muttered. He snorted. "The Dursleys never even showed me what nice was like, much less love."

He looked out at the waves, then back at her. "All I know about love is what I've heard the older years say — and you know how reliable they are!" He rolled his eyes. "Plus, some of them are just," he sighed, "so dramatic that it's hard to take what they say seriously."

He sighed again.

"Although I can say I was soo relieved that you, at least, believed me when I said I didn't enter my name. The others I expected to not believe me." He snorted. "Why should I think different? It's not like they've ever believed anything I've said before, right?"

He pursed his lips and sadly shook his head. "Ron not believing me, though, that . . . that was disappointing. Him being angry because I didn't share with him when I supposedly entered? That makes no sense at all. I guess I just don't get what he's so jealous of." He stared at the table a moment, brooding. "I would give up every bit of this so-called fame and everything in my vault for what he has and doesn't appreciate." He shook his head.

"Still, if I haven't said it before, thank you for your help," he finally said, earnestly.

Hermione sat silent for a few moments.

"So," Hermione said hesitantly, "What do you think we should do?"

He shrugged.

"Would you like me to be your soulmate?" she said quietly.

He could see she was afraid of his response.

He didn't know what to say. He had seen how the other boys in Gryffindor acted around girls they liked, and how those relationships usually fell apart after weeks, months, or over the summers. He didn't want that to happen to them. Plus, he was scared that if he said yes and things didn't work out, that he would lose his one and only best-mate. He couldn't imagine her not being at his side.

On the other hand, if he said no, that might happen, anyway.

He gave the classic boy-answer, "I dunno . . . maybe? I mean, I can't imagine what it would be like to not have you, you know, around all the time. I miss you a lot during the summers." He turned his head to looked at the waves. "Plus, what if we tried to be a couple and it didn't work?" he said plaintively, "Would we not be friends anymore?" He shuddered.

She took a deep breath. "How about we just continue the way we have and see if anything happens?" she said tentatively.

He looked back at her. "Yeah . . . let's . . . let's do that."

She stood and grabbed her notes. "Let me put these away, then we can see what the water is like."

He nodded.

It was awkward when she came back out of her room.

Things started to return to normal when she discovered he didn't know how to swim. Part of the beach abruptly sank down and a small pool of crystal-clear water formed. By lunch time, Harry could float on his back and understood the basics of swimming rather than flailing and sinking.

The afternoon they spent playing in the ocean and sunbathing — not that they would get a tan or anything. It just felt so nice to lie on the sand and let the heat soak in.

Especially considering how chilly the castle always was . . . it was winter in Scotland, after all.

The next set of four days took them through their Second-year courses, followed by another day at the beach. Harry wasn't sure, but he thought that Hermione's bikini was a tiny bit smaller than he remembered it being — not that he was going to complain!

No, sir-ree!

Not him!

.o\O/o.

That night, as she settled into the softest bed she had ever felt, she thought about that "day." The soulmate books had been very helpful. Based on what she had read and how she felt about Harry, she thought their relationship belonged to the romantic branch. The only problem was convincing Harry of that. After all, as he had said, he didn't know what love was.

Which was an appalling statement.

She would have to show him.

He had said, "The Dursleys never even showed me what nice was like, much less love."

To never have a memory of someone hugging them, to always expect a raised hand meant a blow was coming, to never have anyone say, "I love you!"

If she ever met them, there would be words spoken . . . most likely words in bad Latin.

.o\O/o.

The set of four days after that saw them through their Third-year, with the addition of Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, and Runes. Well, the Runes were for Hermione. Harry merely got an overview of runes and what they meant for magic.

Their occlumency practice was coming along nicely, too, according to their Professor. Neither of them was falling asleep anymore, and it was getting easier to revise each day.

Harry's concentration seemed to be improving, as well, he noted. He wasn't sure if it was doing that for Hermione. Her concentration skills were already so impressive that any improvement was nearly impossible for him to see.

They were surprised when The Professor, on the last "day" of lessons, what would be the fourteenth night, came back after dinner. S/he took an extra two hours to go over one of the antidote potions from Fourth Year, making them brew it twice. The Professor took it very slowly, explaining each step in detail, and why they did what they did in that step — and how to recognize and correct any mistakes.

Just as they were heading to bed, The Professor stopped them. "In the morning, while you are still sleeping, Dobby will take you from the Room to your dorm-beds. That way you will get a full-night's sleep and no one will know you ever left your beds. Don't worry about your notes or anything you want to keep. The Room will store them for you."

The Professor held out two necklaces. "These are legilimens blockers, they were abandoned in the castle. Do not take them off. Anyone trying to see your memories while you are wearing them will be painfully repelled. These will protect you until you are sufficiently advanced to not need them, although I would suggest you never stop wearing them. They would provide just one more impediment to a serious legilimens attack."

The necklaces were simple, thin, silver ropes with seven plain stones spaced symmetrically along them.

Harry took his and studied it. It was clearly too small to fit over his head. He had never been allowed to touch his aunt's necklaces, so he had no idea how to put it on.

Hermione had giggled at his expression. She tapped hers with her wand, said, "Engorgio!" and watched as it doubled in length. She dropped it over her head, then tapped it a second time and said, "Finite!" restoring it to its former length.

Harry rolled his eyes, and then copied her.

The Professor nodded. "Now that you are wearing them, the invisibility and ignore-this charms I added, are active. People will not see them. They are also impervious to cutting and explosive hexes. Anything powerful enough to cut or break the necklaces would decapitate or kill you anyway."

Harry and Hermione exchanged alarmed looks.

The Professor smiled. "I also have added comfort and cleansing charms, so you will probably forget you even are wearing them, most of the time."

They nodded in understanding.

.o\O/o.

It was a strange feeling to be in his dorm-room bed when he woke up. He and Hermione had been following the same waking and breakfast hours as the rest of the school while in the Room so their sleep habits wouldn't be messed-up.

The bed now felt as uncomfortable as the ones in the Hospital Wing had felt. His bed at the Dursley's might as well be a rock-floor by comparison.

He absolutely needed to learn the spell that made the Room's beds so comfortable.

He made a mental note that he should ask The Professor tonight.

In the meantime, as he went into the bathroom to get ready for the day, he wondered how the day would go. Most of the Gryffindors last night — two weeks ago for him — had seemed to regard him as the second coming of Merlin, or, most of the rest, Voldemort. That is, either in awe or fear, with only the twins being different — which was almost predictable, now that he thought about it. They acted towards him as they usually did. They didn't know how he had gotten into the Tournament, and they didn't care. He had told them he hadn't entered himself, and they had said, "Okay," and continued with their various money-making schemes and pranks. Not to mention setting up that party so quickly.

Ginny, for example, had reverted to her habits from her first year, except there hadn't been any butter dishes to stick her elbow in. As he had noticed at the Weasley homestead, she was quite the accomplished stalker — he was always seeing her out of the corners of his eyes, peaking from behind furniture, around corners, or in shadowy areas, staring.

Most of the others had all reverted back to how they had acted in Second Year when "Slytherin's Heir" had stalked the school, only not as severe. They kept their space from him, and regarded him with a bit of fear or awe.

At least they didn't scream and run out of the Common Room.

Dean, Neville, and Seamus had all been almost afraid to talk to him. Neville, at least, seemed to believe him this time when he said he hadn't entered himself. The other two simply thought he had underestimated how dangerous the Tasks would be before sneakily entering.

But they still acted as if they expected him to explode into anger at any moment. Which, he had to admit, he had been prone to do in the weeks after Halloween and before the First Task.

Having a two-week hols from the drama of the school, including two absolutely brilliant days at the beach with a scantily-clad Hermione, had mellowed him out considerably.

The next problem was Ron. Harry had had two weeks to think about that problem. He had been a good friend up until Halloween. After that . . . not so much. Harry had been furious Ron did not believe him when he said he hadn't entered the Tournament.

Hermione had tried many times to get him to forgive Ron, but it just hadn't been happening. It was kinda of strange, too. He wasn't normally one given into bouts of long-lasting anger — that was his uncle.

Harry had the feeling that the soul-shard in his forehead must have been affecting his mood since Halloween, making him irrationally angry with people, especially Ron. That would explain his angry outbursts at everyone, regardless of if they had said anything deserving it or not. The question, now, was, why had it started at Halloween?

He wasn't really that angry with Ron anymore. In fact, when he really thought about it, he wasn't angry at all, just . . . sad. He was relieved they were mates again, but he doubted they would ever have what their friendship once had been.

Plus, the distance between them would grow the longer he was in the Room. According to Hermione, they would be almost three and a half years older, mentally and emotionally, mentally and emotionally, by the February twenty-fourth. He knew how different he was now, at fourteen, from what he had been like at eleven. From what he had seen of the Seventh-year students, he couldn't imagine what he would be like in three years. The things they were concerned about baffled him, most of the time.

He had the feeling that even after he explained the Room to Ron, and how it could duplicate a sunny, warm beach, that spending an extra twelve days studying would be too much to ask.

Not to mention, if Hermione was right on what they would be learning, both he and Hermione could take their OWLs, the Ordinary Wizarding Levels, before Christmas, and their NEWTs, the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, in January would be easy!

That was nothing short of mind boggling. Everyone would think they were barmy if they even mentioned that outside of the Room!

Of course, for him, that was a moot point until the Tournament was over, anyway. He just wanted to survive the next two Tasks, nothing else really mattered at this point.

He hoped the other Head of Houses had told their students that he was alive, otherwise the great Hall was going to descend into chaos when they saw him. He knew the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons' students would be completely caught by surprise.

He finished quickly and dove into his trunk's contents for his books for the day. After two weeks in the Room, he had no clue what classes he had for that Friday. Fortunately, having his schedule stuck to the inside of the trunk-lid made it easy to grab just the ones he needed: History of Magic, followed by Charms with the Ravenclaws. After lunch it was Potions — not his favourite class by any stretch of the imagination.

Ron and the others were just beginning to stir. Neville gave him a vague wave, after casting a warming charm on himself, then headed into the bathroom for his morning ablutions.

Harry thumped one of Ron's bedposts solidly several times. That was usually enough to get him up.

He glanced into the bathroom. "Hey, Nev, tell Ron I went on ahead.

Harry made his way downstairs, and was unsurprised to see that Hermione was coming down the stairs at the same time. When he got to the bottom, he was startled to see a girl he had never seen in Gryffindor starting down the stairs behind Hermione.

She had straggly waist-length dirty-blonde hair, slightly protuberant silvery eyes, and faint eyebrows. She seemed dreamily distracted, with an air of "distinct dottiness" about her. Astonishingly, her wand was stuck through her hair behind her left ear!

She was wearing standard Gryffindor robes, but when she got closer, he saw she was also wearing what looked like a Butterbeer-cork necklace and plum earrings. Not coloured dark-purple like a plum, but actual vegetable plums!

She also appeared to be barefoot.

She followed Hermione as she came over to Harry. Hermione gave him a hug, then stepped back, her hands on his shoulders. "You ready for this?" she said quietly.

He sighed and shrugged. "I guess so."

She nodded. "Ron?"

"He's still asleep. I told Neville to tell him we went on ahead."

"Hello, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger," the new girl said. She was almost as tall as the other two.

"You surprised me last night," she said, directing her attention to Harry. "I didn't expect you to return from the dead."

Harry and Hermione stared at the girl.

"I'm Luna Lovegood."

Harry thought a moment. "You live near the Weasleys?"

She smiled, delighted at his knowing that. "Why yes, I do! Ginny and I used to play together all the time until my mother died when I was nine."

That was a conversation killer.

She looked around the Common Room, then smiled again. "Refreshingly free of nargles, but there do seem to be some blibbering humdingers." She stared over Hermione's head, "A few fluttering cheripods, though. That's nice."

They stared at her, nonplussed.

She sighed. "The colour scheme is a bit garish, I think blue and bronze is much more restful." She turned and headed out the portal, on her way to the Great Hall for breakfast, Harry assumed.

"Wait a moment, Miss Lovegood," Hermione said.

The girl stopped and looked over her shoulder at Hermione.

"Why are you wearing Gryffindor robes?" Hermione said, "Aren't you in Ravenclaw?"

She shook her head, "Not anymore. I knew when Harry Potter started walking up to the dragon that starting today, everything would be different at Hogwarts. So, I left the stadium and asked Floppy, the Sorting Hat, to resort me. It didn't want to, at first, but after considering things, it put me in Gryffindor."

Hermione gasped. "Hogwarts: a History never mentioned resorting!"

Luna shrugged. "Floppy said it had never done it before." She gave them a wry smile. "It also said no one had ever asked it, either."

She gave the room another glance. "Maybe I can make some friends in Gryffindor." She started for the entrance portal, again.

"Where are your shoes?" Harry said, looking done at her bare feet.

"Oh," she said casually, after a glance at her feet, "The nargles took them, I suspect."

"Nargles?" Hermione said. She looked at Harry, bemused.

Harry pursed his lips. "Have the nargles taken a lot of your things?"

"Some," Lovegood admitted, matter-of-factly. "They usually all turn up again."

Harry felt his eyes narrow. "Are you being bullied?"

She shook her head. "It's just the nargles and blibbering humdingers at work. When there are too many of them, they fly low and get into people's heads by crawling in through their ears. I don't pay attention to what they say when they call me names."

Harry took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Dobby," he said quietly. There was a barely perceptible pop by his side.

"Dobby be here," came the whisper that only he and Hermione could hear.

They had discussed this with Dobby earlier. Whenever they were not in a private place, and called for Dobby, he would appear as quietly as possible, and keep himself invisible.

"Miss Lovegood, would you come here, please. I want to help you."

She looked curious, turned around, and came back to them.

Harry gave the Common Room a quick glance and didn't see anyone. "Dobby," he said quietly once she was close enough. "Do you think you can find all of the things that Miss Lovegood, here, says the nargles have taken?"

"Missy's things?" Dobby asked as quietly as possible.

"Yes. Would you put whatever you find on her bed?"

"Dobby can do!" he said quietly, but firmly, and there was another almost silent pop.

"Do you have a house-elf?" Luna said, tilting her head and looking up at them.

"Students are forbidden to have personal House-elves in attendance at Hogwarts," Hermione said primly to the girl. "There are special spells to prevent family-bonded-elves from obeying orders from students at Hogwarts, and students cannot give orders to Hogwarts elves," she concluded.

Fortunately for Harry, Dobby was a free house-elf. That, apparently, was a magical-loophole in the spells on the castle, Hermione had told him.

Luna nodded, and apparently dismissed the issue from thought. She just looked at them.

Harry smiled at her, and cast a warming charm on her feet. "Why don't you walk with us to the Great Hall for breakfast. I'm sure your missing shoes will show up before classes start."

"Okay," she said. "And thanks for the warming spell. I get tired of having to cast that spell all day."

On the way to the Great Hall, Luna told them all about nargles and blibbering humdingers, and the newsparchment, The Quibbler, that her father produced.

Once they arrived in the Great Hall, Luna, as she had said they should call her after they had told her to call them by their names, automatically started away from them.

"Why don't you sit with us?" Harry said. "You can sit beside me or Hermione."

She had stared at him for a long time, then nodded. "If you don't mind."

She sat beside him, with Hermione on his other side.

As expected, breakfast was a bit chaotic as people came into the Great Hall and saw him.

The Gryffindors, except the Third-year girls, were surprised to see Luna seated at their table. Ginny promptly sat beside her and the two started talking. Ron sat on the other side of Hermione.

Everyone was staring at him rather than eating. It was almost as bad as his Sorting four years before. Hopefully, it wouldn't continue for more than this morning, unlike his First-year when the attention had gone on for weeks.

The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students, and their Headmaster and Headmistress, had apparently been told either last night or this morning because their reactions were more subdued. The students were shocked and surprised, yes, to see it was true that he was alive. Karkarov and Maxime, their school heads, on the other hand, merely gave him long and evaluating looks. Karkarov scowled heavily, with narrowed eyes, the entire time.

Dumbledore waited until all were seated before standing and setting off a blast sound from his wand to get everyone to quiet.

"First, I am extremely pleased to announce that Tri-wizard Tournament Champion Harry Potter was not vapourised yesterday, as we all had thought. With an impressive show of powerful magic, he escaped the dragon's flame, with the Golden Egg, no less.

"Unfortunately, the effort exhausted him and he collapsed from the effort. A few hours later, once he had recovered enough, he alerted the dragon handlers of his location, and they returned him to Hogwarts late last evening."

He looked around the room. "Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman will be coming to Hogwarts at lunch time, and we will announce all the Champions' scores at that time."

He stood silent for a moment as the room erupted into a sea of whispers.

"One final note," The room quieted, again.

"For the first time since Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago, the Sorting Hat has resorted a student."

The hall erupted into an excited chatter.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, and the room quieted once more.

"The Hat told me that Miss Lovegood of Ravenclaw House requested a resorting. After due consideration, the Hat decided that Gryffindor House would be a better match for her." He paused a moment. "The Hat, naturally, does not divulge anything it learns from a student, and thus did not share with me the reasons, just that they justified the transfer.

"Welcome to Gryffindor House Miss Lovegood." He started lightly clapping his hands, looking at her.

She happily waved back at him.

Led by Harry's, Hermione's, and Ginny's enthusiastic response, the rest of the hall slowly joined in.

Professor Flitwick's expression gave no doubts that he would do his best to determine why a student in his house felt it necessary to leave.

Dumbledore sat back down.

The chatter in the Hall was much louder than normal for the rest of breakfast.

For once, astonishingly, Malfoy did not come rushing over to harangue Harry. Harry couldn't help but smirk. Escaping a dragon's flame at point-blank range was not something anyone had ever done. No insult the boy could dream up would tarnish that feat!

The Daily Prophet, that morning, was hilarious in Harry's opinion. A picture took the entire top-half of the page. It showed Harry standing up with the golden-egg, the dragon-flame covering him, then the empty spot where Harry had been when the flame went out.

The banner headline, and the subhead set the tone:

BOY-WHO-LIVED DEAD!

DUMBLEDORE RESPONSIBLE!

The first few paragraphs nicely summarized what Harry had done, and the dragon's response.

The rest of the article eviscerated Dumbledore for his failings in providing protections to prevent loss of life, as he had promised! It went point-by-point through everything the Headmaster had failed to do to prevent Harry from being entered, and then his failings in preventing any of the Champions from being permanently maimed or killed.

A separate article listed all the things that Director Bones of the DMLE had insisted be done before the Second Task in Black Loch, including a way for the audience to know what was happening under the Loch's surface — and wondered at the intelligence of the Tournament's organizers at not thinking about those things.

The Headmaster's reputation for being clever, cunning, and smart took a severe hit for missing these "obvious" issues.

Harry wondered how the newsparchment had managed to find out what the people designing and managing the Tournament had planned, and the things that the Ministry now planned to do to correct the errors in foresight of those people!

A third article listed the obstacles the Champions might encounter in Black Loch, beside Hogwarts, in the Second Task, and the Third Task's maze with the obstacles and monsters that might be in it.

The outcomes of the other three Champions' experiences with the Dragons was a footnote on the last page of the newsparchment.

From Dumbledore's sour expression, he was not pleased with the Prophet.

After breakfast, Luna sighed and pushed her plate back.

Harry looked over at her. "Let's see if Dobby has had any luck, before you head off to classes, right Luna?"

A few minutes later, they were in the Small Hall where the Firsties gathered for their sorting at the beginning of the year. Dobby was happy to tell them he had found her errant shoes, as well as socks, a few other items of clothes, several books, and a small stack of parchment.

Harry sighed as Luna gave a delighted cry of, "My assignments!"

"Dobby," he said, "Would you place what she doesn't put in her rucksack in her trunk, please?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, Sir!" exclaimed Dobby, just as happy as Luna seemed.

With that chore finished, Luna happily set off for her classes while the trio set off for theirs.

History of Magic, with the ghostly Professor Binns, was just as much of a snooze-fest as it always was.

Professor Flitwick, in Charms was quite interested in what had happened, and Harry recited his story, again. This time he included what he had said, to the dragon but not his desire to die. He also included more detail on getting out of the Chamber.

As to how he had escaped the dragon's flame without dying? "I'm not sure," he said. "Maybe I did die and I got sent back because of a prophecy?" He shrugged. "Maybe it's a new magic. The Headmaster has already told me that it wasn't disapparition, and he has no idea how I did it." He frowned in thought. "Maybe it's House Potter Family magic?"

Flitwick looked positively delighted at the prospect.

.o\O/o.