I'M BACK BITCHES

Holy shit, this has been a long time coming. About a month ago, I realized I hadn't updated this book (or any of my fanfictions for that matter) in over FOUR YEARS! How the hell did that happen? It absolutely broke my heart that I haven't been spending any time on creative writing or interacting with any of you guys.

Time really has flown and there have been a lot of life changes going on around here, and I wanted to share a few of them with you all. I am officially a senior! I will be graduating with a bachelor's of science in biology in about a month. I also successfully got into a physician assistant program that I will start about two weeks after undergrad graduation. I have been with my current boyfriend for over two years (we celebrated our anniversary last month), and we will be moving into our very first apartment in about two weeks. I lost my first dog to old age, but not before giving him a rambunctious little brother. He now has an equally psychotic little brother to keep him on his toes.

So much has happened since my last time with you and there is so much more on the way, but I am so happy to have another chapter published for you guys.

Harry's POV

Ron grabbed the sleeve of my handmade sweater his mother had gifted me for Christmas and pulled me to a stop just around the corner from where Professor Elric and Headmaster Karkaroff were standing. I looked at my friend expectantly, but he wasn't looking at me. He was pressed against the stone wall, his face set in concentration.

"Ron, Harry," Hermione hissed from a few steps further down the hallway. She waved her hand in a 'come on, let's get out of here motion,' but Ron simply waved her off, not even sparing a glance. I looked at the girl to see what she would do, glancing back and forth between her and Ron. After a moment, she rolled her eyes and huffed quickly before making her way back to our sides. "Ronald Weasley, if we get caught this is all your fault," she muttered but now looked just as curious as the redhead.

"Shh!" Ron hissed, waving his hand back at the brunette, and I couldn't help but smile at their childish display when Hermione rolled her eyes. I shook my head and tried to tune into the conversation happening around the corner.

"...age is similar in most countries around the world. There's no way you would have been physically capable of working for the military long enough to gain the rank of colonel. On top of that, I've never seen a military uniform like that one before."

As much as I didn't like Karkaroff, the headmaster of the foreign school had some good points, some points most people were thinking of but weren't bold enough to say to the young professor's face.

"I don't need your approval, Karkaroff."

"Don't be confused, Elric. I am merely encouraging you to drop the silly little act before you make yourself look like a fool."

The three of us looked at each other, eager to hear the sharp-witted professor's response to the accusation.

"Look, Karkaroff. You can take your ego and your attitude and shove it up your ass. Maybe pull your head out of there while you're at it."

I had to slap a hand over my mouth to keep myself from laughing audibly. Hermione's eyes widened in shock, but there was a small tilt to the corner of her mouth. It had been far from the worst thing we had heard the young professor spout, but he had never spoken like that to another professor. Ron snicked at the comment, his eyes bright with mirth. He too had covered his mouth with his hand to keep from being caught.

"You are just a petulant boy, aren't you, Elric? No respect for those above you."

I could feel myself getting angry at the way the older man was speaking about the younger. I knew my best friends were feeling the same way given the way Ron's smile had transformed into a tight frown and Herminone's eyebrows knitted together.

"You're beneath my feet, Karkaroff."

I froze when there was the sound of feet scuffling on the stone flooring followed by a deep grunt. I snapped my head to look at Ron. His face was steely with anger but concern swam in his eyes. Hermione grabbed each of us by one shoulder and tugged us back, clearly picking up on what I'm sure both Ron and I were thinking. It was all I could do to not peek around the corner to see what was going on.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on me! I have plenty of respect for the people who have earned that respect. You haven't earned a shred of respect, especially after laying a hand on who is considered a minor in your county."

So Karkaroff had gone after the alchemy professor. Ron, Hermione, and I stared at each other in shock as the blonde around the corner continued, voice icy cold and full of animosity. I had never heard anyone speak like that before. It had me frozen on the spot. The professor's shouting was a stark contrast to the man who had just been very open and vulnerable with the three of us about his personal life.

"I don't owe you an explanation for anything, but you listen here, you smug bastard. I was the one who dealt the final blow to the enemy who had been terrorizing my country for generations. I was the one who watched people die, innocents and soldiers alike. Some of those people gave their lives with honor, and plenty more had it ripped from their chests prematurely. I've been through hell you couldn't even begin to imagine, so don't speak to me as if you know me.

"And for the record, you'd better give this petulant child some respect and refer to him as his proper title. To you, Karkaroff, it's Colonel Elric."

I could only stand frozen in shock, attempting to process of weight of Professor Elric's words. I wasn't given much time to consider what we had overhead when Hermione was tugging on my arm, trying to pull both Ron and me down the hallway. I followed the girl blindly for a few minutes as the three of us jogged down the hallway in an attempt to not get caught by the angry blonde professor.

"What in the bloody hell was that?" Ron exclaimed when we had finally made it far enough for the two professors to speak freely. "Karkaroff really tried to attack Professor Elric?"

"That's what you're worried about? Did you miss the part where Professor Elric admitted to killing someone?" Hermione hissed as she glanced around to see if anyone was eavesdropping on the panicked conversation.

"He didn't say that directly!" Ron argued. The other boy was looking a little panicked as he ran his hands through his hair. "H-he said he had felt the final blow to the enemy, not that he killed anyone. He could have taken down an operation," he suggested.

"He's a soldier, Ron! You've seen his scars. He's probably been to war. You can't tell me he hasn't killed anyone, especially based on what he just said to Kararoff," the brunette said back, sounding panicked herself.

"We only caught part of a conversation. We don't have the whole story," I reminded them. Yes, what Professor Elric had said had definitely insinuated someone had been killed and he had admitted to playing a part in it. But from the time I had spent with Professor Elric in class and the time in Hagrid's hut with Winry. It just didn't make sense. It was hard to even imagine the young professor being part of some military operation. I couldn't imagine the man laying hands on anyone, let alone kill them.

"We can't just ignore everything he said!" Hermione exclaimed. "He's dangerous. I can't believe Dumbledore invited him here to teach us alchemy. Which is dangerous, by the way! We all saw what happened when Draco had a rebound."

"He saved Draco's life," Ron argued back.

"I don't think Professor Elric is capable of taking a life," I said suddenly, cutting them both off. I wasn't really sure where the statement had come from, and it had escaped my lips before I even knew I was thinking about it. Ron and Hermione looked at me expectantly, clearly looking for any reasoning I could offer them. "We don't really know what happened, and I doubt we ever will. The professor is so secretive as it is," I explained. Both Ron and Hermione looked unsatisfied with my assessment of the blonde professor.

"I'm not saying he's not dangerous," I added because while I didn't believe he could kill someone, he had more than proved himself as a potential threat with his words alone. I wouldn't want to get between the man and his goals. "I'm saying we keep our guards up around him. Don't spend any unnecessary time with him until we can really figure out what's going on here, and not just with Professor Elric, with everything going on this year." The standing with me shared a long look before turning back to me and nodding slowly. Neither of them looked completely satisfied, and frankly neither was I, but it was the best we could do for the time being.

"Are you going to write to Sirius about this?" the brunette asked, seeming like she had regained her composure a little bit. I nodded in confirmation.

"But before that, I want to crack open this stupid egg and figure out what deadly activity they have assigned for the next task. Let's get through that before we try to figure out what Professor Elric has to do with this whole mess," I suggested, suddenly feeling very tired. Ron nodded in agreement.

"Common, Harry. Let's go back to the dorm and try to relax. I'm feeling like another game of chess," he said with a smirk, clearly trying to get my mind off the mess we were currently encircled in. I rolled my eyes and agreed, following my two best friends back to the comfort of the Gryffindor common room.

Neville's POV

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," I heard being mumbled next to me as we approached the dock. I glance over my shoulder to see Professor Elric stopped in his tracks as he stared at the small canoe-like boats resting against the docks.

"What's wrong, Professor?" Harry asked from beside me, looking pale and nervous, the Gillyweed I had given him clutched tightly in his hands. We had caught the young professor meandering his way down to the lake for the second task, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else at the moment. Up until now, he had been quietly walking behind Harry and me as I explained the Gillyweed to the second Hogwarts champion.

"I'm not a fan of the water," he grumbled. He closed his eyes for a moment before marching forward with determination. "Let's get this over with so I can go back to my research," he called as he strode past us. I glanced at Harry, and the other boy only offered me a shrug.

It was quite the scene trying to get the professor into the small boat. He kept mumbling colorful curses under his breath that had the tips of my ears going pink. If I had said any of those in front of my nan, it wouldn't have been a pretty sight. Eventually, after rejecting both Harry and I's help, Professor Elric found his seat, Harry and I just behind him.

"Professor Elric, are you alright, sir?" I asked the blonde gently. The young professor was sitting across from Harry and me on the other side of the small boat that was to take us out to the middle of the Black Lake. He was gripping the seat tightly, and his face had gone pale. He visibly gulped as the boat pushed off from the dock. His jaw was clenched tightly as if he were in pain. After a moment, he said something quietly under his breath. "What was that?" I asked, leaning forward a tad to hear the boy better.

"I can't swim," he said lowly after another moment of silence.

"Oh," was all I could think to say. Harry remained silent beside me.

"Oh," Edward repeated, still not having opened his eyes. The three of us remained silent throughout the short trip to the piers where the second task would be held. I couldn't help but watch the other boy as he took deep steady breaths as we traveled. The professor had always seemed so brash and fearless. Even when Draco had experienced the rebound, Professor Elric had remained stoic in the face of chaos. It was strange to see the young professor so out of character.

"Stop staring, you two," he snapped, still not opening his eyes. "I'm not going to keel over," he said, his brows furrowed. "I just don't like this stupid boat on this stupid lake with all of this stupid water." Harry and I both muttered rushed apologies, staring out at opposite sides of the lake for the rest of the trip.

Once we had reached the piers standing tall out of the dark water of the Black Lake, Harry and I piled out of the boat and onto the platform. Professor Elric remained seated for a moment before opening his eyes and looking at me. After a moment of hesitation, I reached a hand out for the other boy to take. He seemed to deflate for a moment but was quick to take my hand and help me help him out of the boat.

"Thank you, Neville. Good luck, Harry," he said stiffly before going over to stand by the edge of the platform where he could hold onto the railing, just behind Seamus and Dean. Harry and I only looked at each other before Professor Moody grabbed Harry by the shoulder and pushed him toward the front of the platform where the other champions were waiting. I joined Professor Elric at the side, wanting to keep an eye on the uneasy-looking boy. Before long, Professor Dumbledore was speaking over the loudspeaker, giving the champions and the gathered student body the instructions for the second task.

"Oh for Truth's sake, so we're just supposed to stand here for an hour and hope they don't all drown?" Edward snapped. I only shrugged, knowing it was a rhetorical question. But he was right, this wouldn't be nearly as fun as watching the second task, if you could even call watching your friend almost die by a dragon 'fun'.

We both jumped at the sound of the cannon. Krum, Fleur, and Credic all dove into the lake effortlessly, Harry lagging behind as Professor Moody unceremoniously pushed him into the lake to follow his competitors. I thought I heard a snicker from Professor Elric despite his earlier reservations.

For a few tense moments, we all waited to see if Harry would come back up from the water. I felt my heart beating rapidly inside my chest, pounding on my ribs in fear for Harry's safety.

"What's the matter with 'em?" Seamus asked Dean as he stared intently down at the water below. I followed his gaze. The water remained undisturbed.

"I don't know, I can't see him," Dean admitted as he leaned over the platform.

"Oh my God," I gasped, grabbing my hair in my hands. "I've killed Harry Potter!"

"You what?!" Professor Elric was suddenly screeching from beside me. His golden eyes were wide, his brows pinched tight in anger. Before either of us could say another word, someone was leaping out of the water. I could hear the figure cheer and immediately recognized it as Harry's voice. I nearly collapsed in relief. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Professor Elric sag against the railing, his head down and hair covering his eyes.

During the remainder of the second task, Professor Elric remained tense, and he refused to let go of the railing of the dock. He had completely ignored all attempts Professor Moody made to speak with him. He only continued to mutter quietly under his breath, too softly for me to hear. I had never seen the professor so unraveled. In fact, I had never seen any professor look as nervous and on edge as Professor Elric did at that moment. I was mildly frightened.

Nearly everyone on the piers jumped in excitement when the first champion broke through the surface of the water just before the end of the hour. I was shocked to find that Fleur had returned first but without her so-called treasure. The chime of the clock signaled that an hour had passed, and I felt my heart squeeze in my chest. The Gillyweed was only supposed to last half an hour. I could barely stand and watch the surface of the water. If Harry didn't make it with his stolen treasure, it would be all my fault. I had half the mind to say something to Professor Elric about my worries, but in his current state, I figured it best not to say a word.

Not long after the clock tower chimed, Credric surfaced, Cho Chang only a second behind him. I heard Professor Elric curse when the meaning of the stolen "treasure" had been revealed. That meant Fluer hadn't saved whoever had been taken from her. A moment later, a shark head popped out of the water alongside Hermione.

"Holy shit!" I heard the blonde professor shout as the shark head quickly transformed into the familiar face of Victor Krum. I couldn't help but be impressed with Krum's partial animagus transfiguration. And by the look on Edward's face, I would be getting the professor a few books on the topic as well as sending him to speak with Professor McGonagall. However, the look of excitement and awe didn't last long as the reality of the situation sunk in. Harry still wasn't back and two hostages were still down there.

It felt like everyone on the pier was holding their breath, waiting for Harry and his hostage to break the surface of the water. After a few minutes, the tense silence that had laid over the crowd of spectators was broken as two figures burst through the surface of the water. I breathed a sigh of relief as I recognized Ron. I could only assume the little blonde girl with him was Fleur's little sister.

The relief was short-lived, however, as I realized Harry had not surfaced with the last two hostages. I could see from Professor Elric's rigid form that he was feeling just as nervous as I was, if not more. There was more silence as the entire student body of the three schools stared into the water, wondering if Harry would appear behind them or if someone would be sent in to rescue him. Edward was once again cursing up a storm under his breath.

There was an explosion of water as a figure flew out of the water and onto the pier in front of us. It didn't take a genius to know Harry had finally made it back from the second task. The quiet cursing was replaced with a deep sigh of relief, and I couldn't help but let loose one of my own.

The young professor looked nearly ready to collapse in on himself, and I could only feel bad for the boy, knowing he still had to make it back to the castle grounds by boat. I heaved a sigh. It was going to be a long trip back for the both of us.

I really wrote the second half of this chapter just to watch Ed tweak over not being able to swim (and point out how boring the second task must have been for the spectators). They really sent the boy with automail to protect Harry from the water.

Hopefully, I will be back soon. Right now, I'm just trying to take it one day at a time. Until then, stay weird. I'll see you guys soon.

Lots of love, Kai