Harry looked at the chapter title, his eyes furrowing as he read it to himself.
“The Hungarian Horntail,” he read.
Cedric looked over to him. “Why is this chapter named after a dragon?” he asked.
“Is that what a Hungarian Horntail is?” Hermione said. He nodded. “I really don't like the sound of that.”
“Perhaps it has to do with the tournament,” Luna suggested.
“I really hope not,” Harry said. “Meeting Norbert was enough in terms of dragons for me.”
“I don't think they would have a chapter about a dragon unless that dragon had something to do with the story,” Luna said, causing Harry to groan, though he suspected that she was right. It didn't mean that he had to like it.
The prospect of talking face to face with Sirius was all that sustained Harry over the next fortnight, the only bright spot on a horizon that had never looked darker. The shock of finding himself school champion had worn off slightly now, and the fear of what was facing him was starting to sink in. The first task was drawing steadily nearer; he felt as though it was crouching ahead of him like some horrific monster, barring his path.
“In a way, it is, since you have no idea what the first task will consist of,” Luna said.
He had never suffered nerves like these; they were way beyond anything he had felt before a Quidditch match, not even his last one against Slytherin, which had decided who would win the Quidditch Cup.
“Yeah, well, you know Quidditch well enough to know what to expect. You don't know the tournament enough to do that,” Hermione said.
Harry was finding it hard to think about the future at all, he felt as if his whole life had been leading up to, and would finish with, the first task …
“You're not going to be dying in that task,” Hermione said firmly.
Admittedly, he didn’t see how Sirius was going to make him feel any better about having to perform an unknown piece of difficult and dangerous magic in front of hundreds of people,
“He'll be a friendly face for you to see, and you know that he's going to be on your side,” Luna said.
but the mere sight of a friendly face would be something at the moment. Harry wrote back to Sirius, saying that he would be beside the common-room fire at the time Sirius had suggested, and he and Hermione spent a long time going over plans for forcing any stragglers out of the common room on the night in question.
“Shouldn't be too hard to do. The day isn't one of the days that has anything important happening, as far as I know, so no one should want to stay up in the common room that night,” Cedric said.
If the worst came to the worst, they were going to drop a bag of Dungbombs, but they hoped they wouldn’t have to resort to that – Filch would skin them alive.
“If he caught you,” Cedric pointed out. “Your safe if he doesn't realize that it was you two.”
In the meantime, life became even worse for Harry within the confines of the castle, for Rita Skeeter had published her piece about the Triwizard Tournament, and it had turned out to be not so much a report on the Tournament, as a highly coloured life story of Harry.
“Why doesn't that surprise me,” Hermione said. It made sense, after all, especially with what had been said about Skeeter already.
Much of the front page had been given over to a picture of Harry; the article (continuing on pages two, six and seven) had been all about Harry, the names of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions (misspelled) had been squashed into the last line of the article, and Cedric hadn’t been mentioned at all.
“What's the bet that the misspelled names and lack of Cedric's name was done on purpose?” Hermione said.
“That's most likely why it was done that way,” Luna said.
The article had appeared ten days ago, and Harry still got a sick, burning feeling of shame in his stomach every time he thought about it. Rita Skeeter had reported him saying an awful lot of things that he couldn’t remember ever saying in his life, let alone in that broom cupboard.
“Let me guess: it's because I haven't ever said it before,” Harry said.
“Most likely,” Luna said.
‘I suppose I get my strength from my parents, I know they’d be very proud of me if they could see me now ... yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I’m not ashamed to admit it ... I know nothing will hurt me during the Tournament, because they’re watching over me ...’
“Oh, my God,” Hermione said, eyes wide.
“That's definitely something that you would never admit to her, much less say out loud,” Cedric said.
“Especially the part about crying at night,” Harry said, frowning. He knew for a fact that that, along with the bit about how his parents would see him, were anything but true, especially since he had used the fact that he didn't know what they'd want in the previous book, when his book self still thought that Sirius had betrayed them. And the only thing he had to say about the Tournament was that he hadn't entered himself and that was it.
But Rita Skeeter had gone even further than transforming his ’er’s into long, sickly sentences: she had interviewed other people about him, too.
“Which people,” Hermione asked, “because, at the moment, only the Gryffindors would have anything good to say about you, while I'm the only one who knows you well enough to give an accurate description about him. However, I wouldn't talk to her, because I know that Harry prefers his privacy as well.”
Harry looked down, shaking his head when he read just who had talked about him.
Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school.
“Colin's no where near being a close friend of yours,” Luna said. “He's more like a minor stalker.”
“And of course we're going to be seen in each other's company,” Hermione said. “Not only are we best friends, but I'm the only one who seems to actually be on his side and not believe it to be a good thing that he's in the tournament.”
“Not only that, but I am no where near being one of the top students,” Harry said. “I know that for a fact.”
“I doubt your as bad as your thinking,” Hermione said.
“Well, that doesn't seem to be too bad, though it does hint towards you two as being more than friends,” Cedric said, working on keeping the dislike on that out of his voice. “At the very least, at least it didn't say that it was a Slytherin.”
“Considering how well known the dislike between Slytherin and Gryffindor is, it makes sense that she wouldn't, at least, not right now,” Luna said.
From the moment the article appeared, Harry had to endure people
“Probably the Slytherins, mostly,” Cedric said
– Slytherins, mainly – quoting it at him as he passed them, and making sneering comments.
“Want a hanky, Potter, in case you start crying in Transfiguration?”
“If I haven't done so yet, why would I start now,” Harry said, rolling his eyes.
“Since when have you been one of the top students in the school, Potter? Or is this a school you and Longbottom have set up together?”
“Hey – Harry!”
“You know, somehow, I just have this feeling that this one isn't going to be someone making fun of you, and that you're going to go off on them because everyone else has been doing that,” Luna said.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Harry found himself shouting, as he wheeled around in the corridor, having had just about enough. “I’ve just been crying my eyes out over my dead mum, and I’m just off to do a bit more ...”
“If Luna is right, I feel a bit sorry about whichever innocent person you're yelling at,” Hermione said.
“No – it was just – you dropped your quill.”
“It appears that you need to feel sorry for them,” Harry said.
It was Cho.
“Even worse, for my book self,” Harry said. “He's going to be so embarrassed for doing that to her.”
Luna wasn't all that upset to know that he went off at Cho – in fact, she was kind of happy.
Harry felt the colour rising in his face.
“Hopefully for your book self, she'll have some idea of the fact of how the rest of the school has been when it comes to the article, and know that you going off on her was because of that, and not because of you being mad at her or anything like that,” Cedric told him. Luna frowned at her god brother for saying that.
“Oh – right – sorry,” he muttered, taking the quill back.
“Er ... good luck for Tuesday,” she said. “I really hope you do well.”
“I wonder what her stance about me being in the tournament is,” Harry said.
“Well, I would imagine that, while she doesn't think you didn't enter, she isn't as against it as everyone not in Gryffindor seems to be,” Hermione said. “In fact, your crush might actually be returned.”
Luna frowned while Harry blushed.
Which left Harry feeling extremely stupid.
“Yeah, I can see why,” Cedric said, feeling a bit sorry for Harry's book self.
Hermione had come in for her fair share of unpleasantness, too, but she hadn’t yet started yelling at innocent bystanders; in fact, Harry was full of admiration for the way she was handling the situation.
“I know that what they're saying is just worthless,” Hermione said. “I also know that, to react to it, is just giving them what they want as well.”
“So you won't react to it because of that reason,” Harry said.
“Exactly,” Hermione said.
“Stunningly pretty? Her?” Pansy Parkinson had shrieked, the first time she had come face to face with Hermione after Rita’s article had appeared. “What was she judging against – a chipmunk?”
“Just because she's not considered worthy in your eyes doesn't mean that she ugly, especially since you sound uglier than her,” Cedric said. While he had met the girl before, he actually didn't know that much about her, nor did he care to, and he was glad of the fact that they'd only met once.
“Ignore it,” Hermione said in a dignified voice, holding her head in the air and stalking past the sniggering Slytherin girls as though she couldn’t hear them.
“Which probably irritated them quite a bit, since they all probably consider you to be beneath them and therefore supposed to listen to their every word,” Luna said.
“Just ignore it, Harry.”
But Harry couldn’t ignore it.
“Why is it so hard for you to ignore it, especially when you did a pretty good job of it when everyone thought that you were the one attacking everyone back in the second book?” Luna asked. Cedric, however, scowled as he realized what the problem most likely was.
“It's because of the fact that Ron was by his side during it,” he said. “It seems that book Harry is incapable of dealing with something like this without Ron there.”
Harry frowned, though he had to admit that Cedric most likely was right. It did appear that way, and, as he read ahead a bit, he noticed that Cedric was pretty much right. He couldn't help but think that his book self was an idiot because of the dependence on Ron he appeared to have.
Ron hadn’t spoken to him at all since he had told him about Snape’s detentions. Harry had half hoped they would make things up during the two hours they were forced to pickle rats’ brains in Snape’s dungeon, but that had been the day Rita’s article had appeared, which seemed to have confirmed Ron’s belief that Harry was really enjoying all the attention.
“Despite the fact that he not only knows you better, but also has slept in the same room as you in one form or another, and most likely would have noticed if you ever 'cried' to yourself at night,” Hermione said, shaking her head. “The fact that he can actually believe that just shows how bad his jealousy of you is, and just how worthless he is.”
Hermione was furious with the pair of them;
“I shouldn't be mad at you,” Hermione said, mentally cursing her book self.
she went from one to the other, trying to force them to talk to each other, but Harry was adamant: he would talk to Ron again only if Ron admitted that Harry hadn’t put his name in the Goblet of Fire, and apologised for calling him a liar.
“Which is what I deserve,” Harry said, shrugging. “Though, just because it'll take that to have me talking to him again, it does not mean that I should welcome back as a best friend, or even a friend in general.”
“I didn’t start this,” Harry said stubbornly. “It’s his problem.”
“You miss him!” Hermione said impatiently. “And I know he misses you –“
“You've been talking to him just as much as you've been talking to Harry,” Cedric said.
“It sounds like it,” Hermione said, frowning. Her book self shouldn't be willing to talk to Ron for abandoning Harry. At least, not enough to know how he was feeling. Of course, that could be because she could just read him easily as well, just as she seemed to be able to read Harry well.
“Miss him?” said Harry. “I don’t miss him ...”
“I have a feeling that, for your book self, that's a downright lie,” Cedric said.
“Most likely,” Harry said.
But this was a downright lie. Harry liked Hermione very much, but she just wasn’t the same as Ron. There was much less laughter, and a lot more hanging around in the library when Hermione was your best friend.
“So I'm trying to help you get better at your school work, especially since now you definitely need it, but your book self isn't all the appreciative,” Hermione said.
“Sorry,” Harry said.
Harry still hadn’t mastered Summoning Charms, he seemed to have developed something of a block about them, and Hermione insisted that learning the theory would help.
“It could,” Cedric said. “At the very least, it might get your mind off of whatever it is that is keeping you from being about to do the spell.”
They consequently spent a lot of time poring over books during their lunchtimes.
Viktor Krum was in the library an awful lot, too,
“That's strange,” Cedric said.
“Yeah, why would he be in the library?” Hermione asked. Luna couldn't help but wonder if there might be someone attracting him to the library.
and Harry wondered what he was up to. Was he studying, or was he looking for things to help him through the first task?
“Since no one is supposed to know what's going on, I don't think he's really going to be finding anything, and, as what he's taught at his school is different compared to what we're taught at Hogwarts, I doubt he'd really find anything to study that would be helpful for him,” Cedric said. “Of course, I could be wrong.”
Hermione often complained about Krum being there – not that he ever bothered them, but because groups of giggling girls often turned up to spy on him from behind bookshelves, and Hermione found the noise distracting.
“It wouldn't be,” Hermione said.
“You should learn to tune it out,” Luna said. “That way, it won't be so distracting to you.”
“He’s not even good-looking!” she muttered angrily, glaring at Krum’s sharp profile.
“He didn't really sound all that handsome,” Hermione said, agreeing in a way to what her book self had said, though in a bit of a nicer way.
“They only like him because he’s famous! They wouldn’t look twice at him if he couldn’t do that Wonky Faint thing –“
“That's probably true,” Cedric said, laughing a bit at how she said it. “And it's Wronski Feint.”
Hermione just shrugged at being told the correct saying, knowing that she'd most likely forget it by the end of the book.
“Wronski Feint,” said Harry, through gritted teeth.
“It looks as though I do not like the fact that you're saying it wrong,” Harry said.
“Of course your book self wouldn't,” Luna said. “He's a bit of a Quidditch fan, so hearing someone call a move by the wrong name would be enough to irritate you. It's enough to irritate any fan – in fact, the major ones would act as though there's something wrong with you if they heard that.” The last bit was directed to Hermione.
“So, if Ron was there, he's be looking at me as if I was insane – which, if you think about it, is probably the look he has when he looks at me a lot of the time,” Hermione said. “After all, I do love to read and do my homework, two things that he doesn't care for all that much.”
Quite apart from liking to get Quidditch terms correct, it caused him another pang to imagine Ron’s expression if he could have heard Hermione talking about Wonky Faints.
“We've already figured out what it would be like,” Cedric said.
It is a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up.
“That's true for anything,” Hermione said. “And, of course, when it comes to the opposite – as in, when you you can't wait for something to come – time will go extremely slow.”
The days until the first task seemed to slip by as though someone had fixed the clocks to work at double speed. Harry’s feeling of barely controlled panic was with him wherever he went, as ever present as the snide comments about the Daily Prophet article.
“Those are probably going to be around until you do something that causes them to talk about something else, like proving that, even though you don't want to be, you do belong in the tournament,” Cedric said. “Only then will people probably change their tune – at least, until the next article about you from Skeeter comes out.”
“Yeah, I doubt she'll let you be for long,” Luna said.
On the Saturday before the first task, all students in the third year and above were permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade.
“That would be good, if it was just you and anyone else who doesn't care that you were in the tournament,” Cedric said. “However, considering the fact that the village is full of people who most likely have read what was Skeeter has said about you, well, you'll probably be stared at if they realize who you are.”
“I have the feeling that I'll realize that myself,” Harry said. “Hopefully. Of course, I might not since I'll probably think that getting out of the castle will be a really good thing.”
Hermione told Harry that it would do him good to get away from the castle for a bit, and Harry didn’t need much persuasion.
“No, I don't think I would,” Harry said.
“What about Ron, though?” he said. “Don’t you want to go with him?”
“I'm probably hoping to build a bridge between the two of you by meeting him somewhere,” Hermione said, frowning slightly. She had to admit that the way her book self kept trying to do that had her wondering why she seemed to be so okay with the fact that she thought it was alright to break a friendship because you were jealous of the person.”
“Oh ... well ...” Hermione went slightly pink. “I thought we might meet up with him in the Three Broomsticks ...”
“That's not going to happen,” Harry said.
“My book self probably should have known that already,” Hermione said. “Especially since you shouldn't have to make the first move.”
“No,” said Harry flatly.
“Oh, Harry, this is so stupid –“
“I’ll come, but I’m not meeting Ron, and I’m wearing my Invisibility Cloak.”
“I can understand why you want to do that, but I have the feeling that I'm not going to like the fact that you're wearing it all that much,” Hermione said.
“Oh, all right, then ...” Hermione snapped,
“I think you might desire to have him out of the castle more than you desire him making up with Ron,” Cedric said.
“It does seem that way,” Hermione said.
“but I hate talking to you in that Cloak, I never know if I’m looking at you or not.”
“Yeah, that wouldn't be the most pleasant feeling ever,” Hermione said.
So Harry put on his Invisibility Cloak in the dormitory, went back downstairs, and together he and Hermione set off for Hogsmeade.
“I wonder how you got my attention,” Hermione said.
“I suppose I have some way of doing so,” Harry said.
Harry felt wonderfully free under the Cloak; he watched other students walking past them as they entered the village, most of them sporting Support CEDRIC DIGGORY badges,
“I really hope that none of them are actually the ones that Malfoy made,” Cedric said, though he couldn't help but think that they might be, especially considering that many of them probably agreed with the other message on them.
but no horrible remarks came his way for a change, and nobody was quoting that stupid article.
“That's most likely because no one knows your there, and Hermione here had proven that their words don't matter to her, so they probably don't feel like it's worth doing it,” Luna said, shrugging.
“People keep looking at me now,” said Hermione grumpily, as they came out of Honeydukes Sweetshop later, eating large cream-filled chocolates. “They think I’m talking to myself.”
“Don't move your lips so much, then,” Cedric said.
“Don’t move your lips so much, then.”
“Come on, please just take off your Cloak for a bit. No one’s going to bother you here.”
“Hermione, you have to know that's not true,” Luna said.
“I know,” Hermione said, shaking her head at her book self's actions. Just because see didn't like talking to Harry under the cloak didn't mean that he had to be stared a with hostility and made uncomfortable so that she could be comfortable. She also couldn't help but think that her book self might still hope to reconnect Ron with Harry, which could also be the reason for her insistence that Harry take the cloak off.
“Oh, yeah?” said Harry. “Look behind you.”
Rita Skeeter and her photographer friend had just emerged from the Three Broomsticks pub.
“He definitely better keep that cloak on,” Cedric said immediately.
“I probably should have realized that she would be there, especially considering that she's probably hoping to discover something more about Harry,” Hermione said, shaking her head.
“And to cover the tournament as well,” Luna added. “Though I'm sure that Harry is her first thought about it as well.”
Talking in low voices, they passed right by Hermione without looking at her. Harry backed into the wall of Honeydukes to stop Rita Skeeter hitting him with her crocodile-skin handbag.
“Yeah, I'm more than sure that she wouldn't be able to ignore that,” Harry said.
When they were gone, Harry said, “She’s staying in the village. I bet she’s coming to watch the first task.”
As he said it, his stomach flooded with a wave of molten panic.
“I wonder if the reminder of the fact that the task is coming up is the reason for your panic,” Cedric said.
“It most likely is. After all, neither Hermione nor I have really discussed it all that much,” Harry said. “At least, it hasn't said anything about having done that.”
He didn’t mention this; he and Hermione hadn’t discussed what was coming in the first task much; he had the feeling she didn’t want to think about it.
“I most likely don't, though we really should, so you can be ready for it,” Hermione said.
“She’s gone,” said Hermione, looking right through Harry towards the end of the High Street. “Why don’t we go and have a Butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks. It’s a bit cold, isn’t it?”
Harry couldn't help but wonder if her book self was still going to try and get him and Ron to talk. Hermione, noticing the look on his face, said, “I have the feeling that I'm not suggesting that we go there in order to trap you into talking to Ron.”
“You don’t have to talk to Ron!” she added irritably, correctly interpreting his silence.
“So, it wasn't just our Harry who was wondering about that,” Luna said.
The Three Broomsticks was packed, mainly with Hogwarts students enjoying their free afternoon, but also with a variety of magical people Harry rarely saw anywhere else. Harry supposed that as Hogsmeade was the only all-wizard village in Britain, it was a bit of a haven for creatures like hags, who were not as adept as wizards at disguising themselves.
“It I,” Cedric said.
It was very hard to move through crowds in the Invisibility Cloak, in case you accidentally trod on someone, which tended to lead to awkward questions.
“If it's packed, then it might not lead to too many awkward questions,” Luna said.
Harry edged slowly towards a spare table in the corner while Hermione went to buy drinks. On his way through the pub, Harry spotted Ron, who was sitting with Fred, George and Lee Jordan. Resisting the urge to give Ron a good hard poke in the back of the head,
“I don't think it would be a good idea, no matter how much he deserves it,” Cedric said.
he finally reached the table and sat down at it.
Hermione joined him a moment later and slipped him a Butterbeer under his Cloak.
“I really hope that no one is really watching you,” Luna said. “Otherwise, they'll no that there's someone there next to you, and wonder who it is.”
“I look such an idiot, sitting here on my own,” she muttered.
“You sitting there alone would leave the impression that you don't have any other friends other than Harry at the moment,” Cedric said, frowning. Hermione frowned as well, having the feeling that he really wasn't that far from the mark.
“Lucky I brought something to do.”
“I wonder what it is,” Luna said.
“It's probably something to do with the group she's trying to get going,” Cedric said.
And she pulled out a notebook in which she had been keeping a record of S.P.E.W. members. Harry saw his and Ron’s names at the top of the very short list.
“And it's not going very well, is it?” Hermione said, though she hadn't really expected it to. Not even she herself would actually bother with it, not with the information she had.
It seemed a very long time ago that they had sat making up those predictions together, and Hermione had turned up and appointed them secretary and treasurer.
“Without even asking if you'd want the job,” Luna added in.
“You know, maybe I should try and get some of the villagers involved in S.P.E.W.,” Hermione said thoughtfully, looking around the pub.
“I probably shouldn't even bother, because most of them would probably laugh in my face if I even suggested it,” Hermione said.
“Yeah, most likely,” Cedric said.
“Yeah, right,” said Harry. He took a swig of Butterbeer under his Cloak. “Hermione, when are you going to give up on this S.P.E.W. stuff?”
“When I get what I want,” Hermione said, having the feeling that it was what her book self was pretty much thinking.
“When house-elves have decent wages and working conditions!” she hissed back.
“You know, I wonder if I'm actually bothering to remember that they're magical creatures, not actual humans,” Hermione said. “Because, saying the last bit has me wondering about that little fact. Especially since, if I'm thinking about it in terms of humans, I'm probably not thinking about what they could handle or anything like that.”
“You know, I’m starting to think it’s time for more direct action. I wonder how you get into the school kitchens?”
“Asking Fred and George would be your best bet, so long as they don't become suspicious of your reasons, because they will not tell you if they feel that you're going to try and harm them,” Cedric said.
“Of course, they mind not think of it that way,” Luna said. “I don't think they actually know what the effects not having a master to serve would have on them.”
“No idea, ask Fred and George,” said Harry.
Hermione lapsed into thoughtful silence,
“I'm probably thinking about the fact that I'll just have to do that, and that I'll have to be careful about it if I want the information,” Hermione said.
while Harry drank his Butterbeer, watching the people in the pub. All of them looked cheerful and relaxed. Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott were swapping Chocolate Frog cards at a nearby table, both of them sporting Support CEDRIC DIGGORY badges on their cloaks.
“Not surprising,” Harry said.
Right over by the door he saw Cho and a large group of her Ravenclaw friends. She wasn’t wearing a CEDRIC badge, though ...
I wonder if she's likes Harry herself Hermione thought to herself. It would explain why she wasn't wearing a badge, though it could also because she actually used her brain.
this cheered Harry up very slightly ...
What wouldn’t he have given to be one of these people, sitting around laughing and talking, with nothing to worry about but homework?
“I would love it,” Harry said.
He imagined how it would have felt to be here if his name hadn’t come out of the Goblet of Fire.
“I wouldn't be sitting there under the Invisibility Cloak, for one, and Ron would be sitting right next to me,” Harry said. “We'd probably be happily imagining what was going to be the tasks you'd have to face, looking forward to watching you do whatever it would be, cheering you on from the safety of the stands.” He sighed. “Truthfully, the only good thing that came from this is that I know who of my two bests friends in a true one.”
“Knowing that isn't really worth having to deal with actually being in the tournament, though, is it?” Cedric said. Harry shook his head no.
He wouldn’t be wearing the Invisibility Cloak, for one thing. Ron would be sitting with him. The three of them would probably be happily imagining what deadly dangerous task the school champions would be facing on Tuesday. He’d have been really looking forward to it, watching them do whatever it was ... cheering on Cedric with everyone else, safe in a seat at the back of the stands …
“That's pretty much what you just said,” Luna said. “Only difference is that you didn't specify where you'd be sitting in the stands while your book self did.”
He wondered how the other champions were feeling. Every time he had seen Cedric lately, he had been surrounded by admirers, and looking nervous but excited.
“I'm probably panicking a bit on the inside, though,” Cedric said.
Harry glimpsed Fleur Delacour from time to time in the corridors; she looked exactly as she always did, haughty and unruffled.
“Probably not wanting to show a sign of weakness,” Hermione said.
And Krum just sat in the library, poring over books.
Harry thought of Sirius, and the tight, tense knot in his chest seemed to ease slightly. He would be speaking to him in just over twelve hours, for tonight was the night they were meeting at the common-room fire – assuming nothing went wrong, as everything else had done lately …
“I don't think anything will, though,” Hermione said. “I mean, you do have some good luck, which usually kicks in when everything else is going wrong, so...”
“So I should still get to see Sirius,” Harry said.
“Look, it’s Hagrid!” said Hermione.
The back of Hagrid’s enormous shaggy head – he had mercifully abandoned his bunches
“That's good, because I don't think his hair supports it very well,” Luna said.
– emerged over the crowd. Harry wondered why he hadn’t spotted him at once, as Hagrid was so large, but standing up carefully, he saw that Hagrid had been leaning low, talking to Professor Moody.
“Which means that they had to have been talking about something private, but what?” Cedric said.
Hagrid had his usual enormous tankard in front of him, but Moody was drinking from his hip-flask. Madam Rosmerta, the pretty landlady, didn’t seem to think much of this; she was looking askance at Moody as she collected glasses from tables around them.
“That's strange. Moody is well known for not accepting drinks or food from many people unless he prepared it himself and he knows that it was left alone,” Cedric said. “The only reason why he most likely accepts food from the Hogwarts elves is because he's most likely has a group set up to obey him and make sure his food is made properly without anything added to it.”
Perhaps she thought it was an insult to her mulled mead, but Harry knew better.
“It is possible,” Luna said. “She might think that she should be above this rule of Moody's, after all.”
Moody had told them all during their last Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson that he preferred to prepare his own food and drink at all times, as it was so easy for Dark wizards to poison an unattended cup.
As Harry watched, he saw Hagrid and Moody get up to leave. He waved, then remembered that Hagrid couldn’t see him.
“Well, it seems that there is one disadvantage to you wearing the cloak,” Cedric said.
Moody, however, paused, his magical eye on the corner where Harry was standing.
“Did he see me?” Harry asked.
“It would seem so,” Luna said.
“So, his eye works on invisibility cloaks as well,” Hermione said.
“Makes sense. This way, it's even harder to sneak up upon him,” Cedric said.
“But whoever is impersonating him managed to do just that,” Harry pointed out.
“True,” Luna said. Harry frowned.
“Oh no, he's going to know now that I have the cloak,” Harry said.
He tapped Hagrid in the small of the back (being unable to reach his shoulder),
“I doubt he's really the only one who would have trouble,” Hermione said.
muttered something to him, and then the pair of them made their way back across the pub towards Harry and Hermione’s table.
“He just told Hagrid that I was there. That's the only reason I can see for why he'd come over to the table,” Harry said. “Though, I'm sure that saying hi to Hermione could be another one.”
“Don't worry, I know why you said what you did,” Hermione said. “Even I have to admit that it's probably because Hagrid was told that you were there. The question is why did the imposter tell him, though. I mean, what purpose does it serve?”
“That is a good question. I mean, I really doubt that it's just that your there and to say hi. So why...” Luna said.
“Didn't Hagrid give the impression that he knew what at least one of the tasks was going to be?” Cedric said.
“Yes, he did,” Hermione said, eyes widening. “Do you think that the imposter might have convinced him to tell Harry what's going on?”
“It's the only thing I can think of,” Cedric said. “And, by having Harry forewarned, he might actually be able to come up with a plan to survive.”
“Which would mean that putting Harry into the tournament wasn't about killing him,” Hermione said.
“Which would fit in with what Riddle wants,” Cedric said grimly. “The only thing I can't figure out exactly is how it does.”
“All right, Hermione?” said Hagrid loudly.
“He probably should have toned it down quite a bit,” Luna said. “If anyone really knows him, they might figure that he's trying to hide something when he speaks like that.”
“I doubt anyone will actually care, though,” Cedric said.
“Hello,” said Hermione, smiling back.
Moody limped around the table and bent down; Harry thought he was reading the S.PE.W. notebook, until he muttered, “Nice Cloak, Potter.”
Harry stared at him in amazement.
“I really don't think that I was expecting to hear that from him,” Harry said. “Although, I should have suspected that, because his eye isn't a normal one.”
The large chunk missing from Moody’s nose was particularly obvious at a few inches’ distance. Moody grinned.
“I think he likes that he caught you off guard,” Cedric said.
“Can your eye – I mean, can you –?”
“I think that it's obvious that he can,” Luna said.
“Yeah, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks,” Moody said quietly. “And it’s come in useful at times, I can tell you.”
Hagrid was beaming down at Harry, too. Harry knew Hagrid couldn’t see him, but Moody had obviously told Hagrid he was there.
“Obviously,” Hermione said.
Hagrid now bent down on the pretext of reading the S.P.E.W. notebook as well,
“I guess that it's a good thing that I brought the notebook them,” Hermione said. “This way, no one is suspicious if they see Hagrid and Moody talking to you.”
and said in a whisper so low that only Harry could hear it, “Harry, meet me tonight at midnight at me cabin. Wear that Cloak.”
Straightening up, Hagrid said loudly, “Nice ter see yeh, Hermione,” winked, and departed.
“He gave you the message he wanted to, so you really has no reason to stay there longer,” Luna said.
Moody followed him.
“Why does he want me to meet him at midnight?” Harry said, very surprised.
“Does he?” said Hermione, looking startled.
“I guess it was low enough that I didn't hear him,” Hermione said. “That, or Moody made sure that my attention wasn't on him as he talked to you, or I gave you privacy of my own free will.”
“I have the feeling that it's the one of the two former choices,” Harry said.
“I wonder what he’s up to? I don’t know whether you should go, Harry ...” She looked nervously around, and hissed, “It might make you late for Sirius.”
“That's true,” Harry said, frowning. “But I think it's important that I go down there as well. Perhaps, you can stay up and, if I am late, explain to Sirius the reason why. I'm sure that he'll understand, and you can always take notes about what he says to give to me if I don't get back there right away.”
It was true that going down to Hagrid’s at midnight would mean cutting his meeting with Sirius very fine indeed; Hermione suggested sending Hedwig down to Hagrid’s to tell him he couldn’t go – always assuming she would consent to take the note, of course – Harry, however, thought it better just to be quick at whatever Hagrid wanted him for. He was very curious to know what this might be; Hagrid had never asked Harry to visit him so late at night.
“Yeah, that would have a part in guiding my actions,” Harry said. “Perhaps, even my subconscious might have remembered that he knew about a task and might tell me about it.”
At half past eleven that evening, Harry, who had pretended to go up to bed early,
“I wonder why I did that,” Harry said.
“So no one wonders where you are when you leave,” Cedric said. “If you say you're going to bed, they'll assume that's where you are, no matter what.”
pulled the Invisibility Cloak back over himself and crept back downstairs through the common room. Quite a few people were still in there. The Creevey brothers had managed to get hold of a stack of Support CEDRIC DIGGORY badges, and were trying to bewitch them to make them say Support HARRY POTTER instead.
“I have the feeling that they won't be able to do that, because it's higher than the level they're on to do,” Hermione said.
“I have no doubt about that,” Cedric said.
So far, however, all they had managed to do was get the badges stuck on POTTER STINKS.
“I really hope they'll realize that they should make sure to destroy those if they can't get them to say what they want to,” Luna said.
Harry crept past them to the portrait hole and waited for a minute or so, keeping an eye on his watch.
“We must've come up with a plan to make sure that the Fat Lady didn't become suspicious of the door opening on it's own,” Hermione said.
“Yeah, we must've suspected that someone might watch if we didn't do that,” Harry said.
Then Hermione opened the Fat Lady for him from outside as they had planned. He slipped past her with a whispered “Thanks!” and set off through the castle.
The grounds were very dark. Harry walked down the lawn towards the lights shining in Hagrid’s cabin. The inside of the enormous Beauxbatons carriage was also lit up; Harry could hear Madame Maxime talking inside it as he knocked on Hagrid’s front door.
“I wonder if that's mentioned because it's something important,” Cedric said.
“You there, Harry?” Hagrid whispered, opening the door and looking around.
“Obviously, especially if he can't see who it is,” Luna said.
“Yeah,” said Harry, slipping inside the cabin and pulling the Cloak down off his head. “What’s up?”
“Got summat ter show yeh,” said Hagrid.
There was an air of enormous excitement about Hagrid.
“It has to be the Horntail, then, because Hagrid would only be excited like he is if there was some sort of dangerous creature involved,” Cedric said.
“And Horntails are among the most dangerous dragons out there,” Luna added.
“So, I guess that I'm about to see this dragon now,” Harry said glumly.
“It would seem so,” Hermione said, frowning. “Especially since we've already figured that it has to do with the tournament, and this just strengthens the fact.”
He was wearing a flower that resembled an oversized artichoke in his buttonhole. It looked as though he had abandoned the use of axle grease, but he had certainly attempted to comb his hair – Harry could see the comb’s broken teeth tangled in it.
“He must've never brushed it, if that's the result of him trying to do so,” Hermione said.
“I wouldn't know,” Cedric said. “I'm not one of the people who go and see him constantly.”
“What’re you showing me?” Harry said warily, wondering if the Skrewts had laid eggs, or Hagrid had managed to buy another giant three-headed dog off a stranger in a pub.
“I should probably realize that, with his excitement, it's something even better – to him,” Harry said.
“Come with me, keep quiet an’ keep yerself covered with that Cloak,” said Hagrid. “We won’ take Fang, he won’ like it ...”
“Listen, Hagrid, I can’t stay long ... I’ve got to be back up at the castle for one o’clock –“
“I doubt he's going to be listening,” Luna said.
But Hagrid wasn’t listening; he was opening the cabin door and striding off into the night. Harry hurried to follow and found, to his great surprise, that Hagrid was leading him to the Beauxbatons carriage.
“Well, that explains why he's trying to look so nice,” Hermione said. “He wants to impress her.”
“If it wasn't for the fact that he has no reason to show me a date with Madam Maxime, I'd wonder what he was thinking,” Harry said.
“Your book self probably will wonder about that, though,” Cedric pointed out. “After all, he doesn't have the information that we have.”
“Hagrid, what –?”
“Shhh!” said Hagrid, and he knocked three times on the door bearing the crossed, golden wands.
Madame Maxime opened it. She was wearing a silk shawl wrapped around her massive shoulders. She smiled when she saw Hagrid. “Ah, ’Agrid ... it is time?”
“Bong-sewer,” said Hagrid,
“ 'Bong-sewer'?” Harry asked. The others shrugged, not really knowing what he meant by that, though Hermione did wonder if he was actually trying to say hi in French and had messed it up horribly.
beaming at her, and holding out a hand to help her down the golden steps.
Madame Maxime closed the door behind her, Hagrid offered her his arm, and they set off around the edge of the paddock containing Madame Maxime’s giant winged horses, with Harry, totally bewildered, running to keep up with them. Had Hagrid wanted to show him Madame Maxime? He could see her any old time he wanted ... she wasn’t exactly hard to miss …
“No, she really isn't,” Harry said, then frowned. “I really hope that Hagrid knows what he's doing, because not only is he possibly going to show me what the first task is, but he's going to show her as well, and she'll most likely tell Fleur as well.”
“Yeah, cheating in the tournament is bound to happy, especially now with who the headmaster of our school is,” Cedric said.
“Not only that, but, as Harry pointed out, Madame Maxime isn't hard to miss, and it's possible that someone else could see her with Hagrid,” Hermione pointed out. “And they could be followed by whoever sees them, if the person wonders why they're going wherever their going.”
“Yeah, but they could also just think that their going on a date as well,” Luna pointed out. “Though I can see what you mean. I mean, it's probably known to almost everyone what the tasks are going to be, and, for someone who doesn't know, then they might
But it seemed that Madame Maxime was in for the same treat as Harry, because after a while she said playfully, “Wair is it you are taking me, ’Agrid?”
“Yeh’ll enjoy this,” said Hagrid gruffly. “Worth seein’, trust me. On’y – don’ go tellin’ anyone I showed yeh, right? Yeh’re not s’posed ter know.”
“For good reason, Hagrid,” Luna said, shaking her head.
“Of course not,” said Madame Maxime, fluttering her long black eyelashes.
“I really hope that she's not using him,” Hermione said, frowning.
And still they walked, Harry getting more and more irritable as he jogged along in their wake, checking his watch every now and then. Hagrid had some harebrained scheme in hand, which might make him miss Sirius. If they didn’t get there soon, he was going to turn around, go straight back to the castle, and leave Hagrid to enjoy his moonlit stroll with Madame Maxime …
“Which, if I did, I'd probably regret a bit,” Harry said.
But then – when they had walked so far around the perimeter of the Forest that the castle and the lake were out of sight – Harry heard something. Men were shouting up ahead ... then came a deafening, ear-splitting roar …
“And here is where I find out what's going on,” Harry said.
Hagrid led Madame Maxime around a clump of trees, and came to a halt. Harry hurried up alongside them – for a split second, he thought he was seeing bonfires, and men darting around them – and then his mouth fell open.
Dragons.
Four fully grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons were rearing on their hind legs inside an enclosure fenced with thick planks of wood, roaring and snorting – torrents of fire were shooting into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks. There was a silvery blue one with long, pointed horns, snapping and snarling at the wizards on the ground; a smooth-scaled green one, which was writhing and stamping with all its might; a red one with an odd fringe of fine gold spikes around its face, which was shooting mushroom-shaped fire clouds into the air, and a gigantic black one, more lizard-like than the others, which was nearest to them.
“One for each of us,” Cedric said. “I wonder which one wasn't originally planned for.”
“Probably either the tamest one or the most dangerous one,” Hermione said. “It'll most likely be one of the extremes.”
“Probably,” Luna agreed.
At least thirty wizards, seven or eight to each dragon, were attempting to control them, pulling on the chains connected to heavy leather straps around their necks and legs. Mesmerised, Harry looked up, high above him, and saw the eyes of the black dragon, with vertical pupils like a cat’s, bulging with either fear or rage,
“Probably rage,” Cedric said. “I doubt they like being chained down as they are right now, after all.”
he couldn’t tell which ... it was making a horrible noise, a yowling, screeching scream …
“Definitely sounds as though it's rage,” Luna said.
“Keep back there, Hagrid!” yelled a wizard near the fence, straining on the chain he was holding. “They can shoot fire at a range of twenty feet, you know! I’ve seen this Horntail do forty!”
“Impressive,” Luna said. “Though I really do pity whichever champion gets that one.”
“Isn’ it beautiful?” said Hagrid softly.
“It’s no good!” yelled another wizard. “Stunning Spells, on the count of three!”
“That'll work, to a point,” Luna said. “It'll really only work if all of them do the spell on the same dragon.”
Harry saw each of the dragon-keepers pull out his wand.
“Stupefy!” they shouted in unison, and the Stunning Spells shot into the darkness like fiery rockets, bursting in showers of stars on the dragons’ scaly hides –
Harry watched the dragon nearest to them teeter dangerously on its back legs; its jaws stretched wide in a suddenly silent howl; its nostrils were suddenly devoid of flame, though still smoking – then, very slowly, it fell – several tons of sinewy, scaly black dragon hit the ground with a thud that Harry could have sworn had made the trees behind him quake.
“It probably did,” Cedric said.
The dragon-keepers lowered their wands and walked forwards to their fallen charges, each of which was the size of a small hill. They hurried to tighten the chains and fasten them securely to iron pegs, which they forced deep into the ground with their wands.
“So, making sure that, should the dragons awaken before they want them to, they can't escape,” Luna said.
“That's good,” Hermione said. “I'd hate to have them loose on the grounds.”
“That would be bad,” Cedric said, with Harry nodding his head.
“Wan’ a closer look?” Hagrid asked Madame Maxime excitedly. The pair of them moved right up to the fence, and Harry followed. The wizard who had warned Hagrid not to come any closer turned, and Harry realised who it was – Charlie Weasley.
“Well, that explains the one comment he made earlier in the book,” Cedric said.
“Since it's dragons, we probably should have expected him to have been there,” Hermione said.
“I actually didn't even remember that comment,” Harry said. “I forgot about it.”
“All right, Hagrid?” he panted, coming over to talk. “They should be OK now – we put them out with a Sleeping Draught on the way here, thought it might be better for them to wake up in the dark and the quiet – but, like you saw, they weren’t happy, not happy at all –“
“No, I don't suppose that they would be,” Cedric said.
“What breeds you got here, Charlie?” said Hagrid, gazing at the closest dragon – the black one – with something close to reverence.
“Hagrid should really learn to prioritize,” Harry said. “I just can't understand why he'd be like that around dragons.”
“It's just the way that he is,” Cedric said, shrugging.
Its eyes were still just open. Harry could see a strip of gleaming yellow beneath its wrinkled black eyelid.
“This is a Hungarian Horntail,” said Charlie. “There’s a Common Welsh Green over there, the smaller one – a Swedish Short-Snout, that blue grey – and a Chinese Fireball, that’s the red.”
“Not bad choices, other than the Horntail,” Cedric said. “The other three are still dangerous, but not to the point of the Horntail.”
“Which would suggest that the Horntail was added onto the roster later,” Hermione pointed out.
“Yes, it does,” Cedric said.
Charlie looked around; Madame Maxime was strolling away around the edge of the enclosure, gazing at the Stunned dragons.
“I didn’t know you were bringing her, Hagrid,” Charlie said, frowning. “The champions aren’t supposed to know what’s coming – she’s bound to tell her student, isn’t she?”
“Very likely,” Cedric said.
“Jus’ thought she’d like ter see ’em,” shrugged Hagrid, still gazing, enraptured, at the dragons.
“I don't think that he realizes what a bad mistake that is,” Luna said.
“Really romantic date, Hagrid,” said Charlie, shaking his head.
“Well, for all we know, it's probably considered as one to them,” Hermione said.
“Four ...” said Hagrid, “so it’s one fer each o’ the champions, is it? What’ve they gotta do – fight ’em?”
“There's no way,” Cedric said. “All the tasks have to at least be doable to be apart of the tournament. At least, I would think it would be like that.” He sounded uncertain at the last bit, remembering the fact that there had been people killed in the past, as well a just as dangerous creature having been mentioned by Hermione earlier in the book.
“Just get past them, I think,” said Charlie. “We’ll be on hand if it gets nasty, extinguishing spells at the ready. They wanted nesting mothers, I don’t know why ...”
“Oh, I feel extremely sorry for you two,” Luna said, while Cedric looked slightly panicked.
“Why?” Harry asked.
“Nesting mothers mean that you'll most likely have to take something from them, and they're extremely protective of what they consider theirs. “You'll be lucky if your not burnt to a crisp if you try to take something from one,” Luna said. Harry looked a bit panicked, looking at Hermione, who was also looking that way, her eyes going between him and Cedric. She really hoped that the two would be all right.
“but I tell you this, I don’t envy the one who gets the Horntail. Vicious thing. Its back end’s as dangerous as its front, look.”
Charlie pointed towards the Horntail’s tail, and Harry saw long, bronze-coloured spikes protruding along it every few inches.
“I think we just met the dragon I'm most likely going to get,” Harry said.
“Yeah, it would be just your luck to get that one over the others,” Cedric said.
Five of Charlie’s fellow keepers staggered up to the Horntail at that moment, carrying a clutch of huge granite-grey eggs between them in a blanket. They placed them carefully at the Horntail’s side.
“Well, that's probably part of the reason why they were so upset,” Luna said. “Their eggs weren't next to them like they should have been.”
“I don't think they should have placed them there with Hagrid watching,” Hermione said.
“Yeah, he might attempt to take one,” Cedric said.
“The school doesn't need a disaster like that happening,” Harry said.
“No, it really doesn't, especially since I doubt that Hagrid will be willing to give one of those eggs up like he did with Norbert,” Hermione said.
Hagrid let out a moan of longing.
“I’ve got them counted, Hagrid,” said Charlie, sternly.
“At least he's smart enough to know Hagrid would attempt to try and take them,” Luna said.
Then he said, “How’s Harry?”
“Fine,” said Hagrid.
“Not too far off the truth,” Harry said. “Though, I think it should be more like I'm just barely handling it.”
He was still gazing at the eggs.
“Just hope he’s still fine after he’s faced this lot,” said Charlie grimly, looking out over the dragons’ enclosure. “I didn’t dare tell Mum what he’s got to do for the first task,”
“That's probably the best thing, because she'd most likely cause trouble if she knew,” Cedric said. “Especially since Mrs. Weasley considers you as one of hers, despite the fact that she had no right to.”
“she’s already having kittens about him ...” Charlie imitated his mother’s anxious voice. “ 'How could they let him enter that Tournament, he’s much too young! I thought they were all safe, I thought there was going to be an age limit!' “
“Just because there would be an age limit doesn't mean that it's something that's completely foolproof,” Hermione pointed out.
“She was in floods after that Daily Prophet article about him. 'He still cries about his parents! Oh, bless him, I never knew!' “
“Because it's not true,” Harry said, scoffing as he rolled his eyes.
“You'd think she'd know better than to believe anything that Skeeter wrote, especially consider the words that her own husband and son said about her,” Hermione said.
“Unfortunately, that really doesn't mean much, to anyone when it comes to Skeeter,” Luna said. “Especially since no one but you can disrepute the words she wrote, and no one will believe you on that fact, either, because they not only don't know you all that well, but the facts that, one, it could just appear that you don't like the teasing a whole lot; and two, everyone is way too willing to believe the worse in you, especially right now.”
Harry had had enough. Trusting to the fact that Hagrid wouldn’t miss him,
“He most likely won't – in fact, he probably has already forgotten that you're there,” Cedric said.
with the attractions of four dragons and Madame Maxime to occupy him, he turned silently, and began to walk away, back to the castle.
He didn’t know whether he was glad he’d seen what was coming or not.
“It is, because it'll help give you a better chance to prepare for the first task,” Cedric said. “You'll be able to at least attempt to come up with a plan.”
Perhaps this way was better. The first shock was over now. Maybe if he’d seen the dragons for the first time on Tuesday, he would have passed out cold in front of the whole school ... but maybe he would anyway ...
“I really doubt it would happen, in either scenario, because you tend to be great with thinking quickly in situations like that,” Luna said.
he was going to be armed with his wand – which just now, felt like nothing more than a narrow strip of wood –
“Against a dragon, it pretty much is,” Cedric said, his mind thinking about how his book self planned on getting past his own dragon, whichever one it was.
against a fifty-foot-high, scaly, spike-ridden, fire-breathing dragon. And he had to get past it. With everyone watching.
“Okay, now that might be the difficult part for you,” Hermione said. “You're not used to having an audience to your death defying feats, after all.”
How?
Harry sped up, skirting the edge of the Forest; he had just under fifteen minutes to get back to the fireside and talk to Sirius, and he couldn’t remember, ever, wanting to talk to someone more than he did right now
“Why do I get the feeling that something unexpected is going to happen at this moment?” Cedric asked.
“Because it probably will,” Hermione said, knowing that, with Harry in a hurry and having his mind on something else meant that it was a prime time for something like that.
– when, without warning, he ran into something very solid.
Harry fell backwards, his glasses askew, clutching the Cloak around him. A voice nearby said, “Ouch! Who’s there?”
“So, it's obvious that I didn't run into a tree,” Harry said. “I wonder who it is?”
Harry hastily checked that the Cloak was covering him and lay very still, staring up at the dark outline of the wizard he had hit. He recognised the goatee ... it was Karkaroff.
“He probably became suspicious of seen Hagrid and Madame Maxime together heading to the forest,” Cedric said.
“He's going to find out about the dragons, and is most likely going to tell Krum, just as Madame Maxime is going to tell Delacour,” Hermione said, looking over to Cedric. “You're going to be the only one who doesn't know before Tuesday.”
“I have no doubt that that's not true,” Cedric said. “Harry will most likely realize about that fact, and he'll most likely tell me. He's too good of a sport not to let me know when something like this happens.”
“Who’s there?” said Karkaroff again, very suspiciously, looking around in the darkness. Harry remained still and silent. After a minute or so, Karkaroff seemed to decide that he had hit some sort of animal; he was looking around at waist height, as though expecting to see a dog.
“So, since he doesn't see anything, you're safe,” Luna said.
Then he crept back under the cover of the trees, and started to edge forwards towards the place where the dragons were.
Very slowly and very carefully, Harry got to his feet and set off again, as fast as he could without making too much noise, hurrying through the darkness back towards Hogwarts.
“Hopefully, this time, you're watching where you're going,” Cedric said.
He had no doubt whatsoever what Karkaroff was up to. He had sneaked off his ship to try and find out what the first task was going to be. He might even have spotted Hagrid and Madame Maxime heading off around the Forest together – they were hardly difficult to spot at a distance ... and now all Karkaroff had to do was follow the sound of voices, and he, like Madame Maxime, would know what was in store for the champions. By the looks of it, the only champion who would be facing the unknown on Tuesday was Cedric.
“I don't think I can do anything about that right now, though,” Harry said.
“No, I don't suppose that you can,” Cedric said, though it was clear that his belief in Harry informing him was unwavering.
Harry reached the castle, slipped in through the front doors and began to climb the marble stairs; he was very out of breath, but he didn’t dare slow down ... he had less than five minutes to get up to the fire …
“I have the feeling that Sirius might at least try to wait for you,” Hermione said.
“Balderdash!” he gasped at the Fat Lady, who was snoozing in her frame in front of the portrait hole.
“If you say so,” she muttered sleepily, without opening her eyes,
“Well, at least she's so tired that she's not realizing that you shouldn't be out,” Hermione said.
“I don't think I've taken the cloak off yet, though,” Harry said. “She wouldn't see me anyway.”
“True,” Luna said.
and the picture swung forwards to admit him. Harry climbed inside. The common room was deserted, and, judging by the fact that it smelled quite normal, Hermione had not needed to set off any Dungbombs to ensure that he and Sirius got privacy.
“It's not surprising,” Cedric said. “There's nothing that would give people any reason not to leave for bed sooner rather than later.”
Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and threw himself into an armchair in front of the fire. The room was in semi-darkness; the flames were the only source of light. Nearby, on a table, the Support CEDRIC DIGGORY badges the Creeveys had been trying to improve were glinting in the firelight. They now read POTTER REALLY STINKS.
“I really hope that those are gotten rid of, and that no one every realizes that they existed,” Luna said. “Otherwise, Malfoy is probably going to want to get them.”
Harry looked back into the flames, and jumped.
“Sirius is probably there by now,” Hermione said.
“And I probably wasn't expecting it quite yet,” Harry said.
Sirius’ head was sitting in the fire. If Harry hadn’t seen Mr. Diggory do exactly this back in the Weasleys’ kitchen, it would have scared him out of his wits.
“However, now, I'm probably extremely happy to see him,” Harry said.
“Most likely,” Luna said.
Instead, his face breaking into the first smile he had worn for days, he scrambled out of his chair, crouched down by the hearth and said, “Sirius – how’re you doing?”
“Hopefully, well,” Hermione said.
Sirius looked different from Harry’s memory of him. When they had said goodbye, Sirius’ face had been gaunt and sunken, surrounded by a quantity of long, black, matted hair – but the hair was short and clean now, Sirius’ face was fuller, and he looked younger, much more like the only photograph Harry had of him, which had been taken at the Potters’ wedding.
“He had to have gotten some good food and rest after leaving you guys,” Cedric said. “And the only way he'd have gotten that is if he went somewhere that he could be truly safe at.”
“And where would he find that?” Harry asked.
“There are rumours that the Black family have some properties so warded that only someone invited to them by the head of the Black family can go there,” Cedric said. “Of course, these are only rumours, but, based on the way he looks, it's completely possible that they are true.”
“Never mind me, how are you?” said Sirius seriously.
“I wonder if he's asking that because he might know how you're actually are feeling,” Cedric said. “I mean, he's probably has plenty of experiences, especially considering what he has to go through.”
“I’m –“ For a second, Harry tried to say ‘fine’ – but he couldn’t do it.
“It's good to know that you trust him enough that you can't find it in yourself to lie to him,” Hermione said.
Before he could stop himself, he was talking more than he’d talked in days – about how no one believed he hadn’t entered the Tournament of his own free will, how Rita Skeeter had lied about him in the Daily Prophet, how he couldn’t walk down a corridor without being sneered at – and about Ron, Ron not believing him, Ron’s jealousy …
“I really hope that Sirius is properly affronted by Ron's behaviour,” Hermione said.
“He should, as, while Ron's betrayal isn't as huge as Pettigrew's, it's still a betrayal,” Luna said.
“I have the feeling that, while he is listening, he's also just going to let me talk, and also tell me whatever it is that he has to tell me, because there has to be a reason why he wanted to talk to you to begin with,” Cedric said. “And he might put off how Ron's acting to tell you all this.”
“... and now Hagrid’s just shown me what’s coming in the first task, and it’s dragons, Sirius, and I’m a goner,” he finished desperately.
Sirius looked at him, eyes full of concern, eyes which had not yet lost the look that Azkaban had given them – that deadened, haunted look.
“I wouldn't be surprised if they never lost that look,” Cedric said.
He had let Harry talk himself into silence without interruption, but now he said, “Dragons we can deal with, Harry, but we’ll get to that in a minute – I haven’t got long here ... I’ve broken into a wizarding house to use the fire, but they could be back at any time.”
“Let's hope that it's not any time soon,” Hermione said.
“There are things I need to warn you about.”
“What?” said Harry, feeling his spirits slip a further few notches ... surely there could be nothing worse than dragons coming?
“Oh, there are,” Luna said.
“Yeah, Sirius getting caught and Riddle managing to get to me,” Harry said.
“Karkaroff,” said Sirius.
“What about him?” Hermione asked.
“It's about to say,” Harry said, his eyes widening as he read it to himself, right before he read it out loud.
“Harry, he was a Death Eater. You know what Death Eaters are, don’t you?”
“What?” Hermione said. “He's a Death Eater, a known one? What's he doing at that school? What's he anywhere near Harry? Why isn't he in jail?”
“Yes, he's the headmaster of the one school, which also answers the third question, and, well, the final one isn't the easiest to answer,” Cedric said, not wanting to be one to tell her the reason. She looked at him suspiciously, but decided to let him off, having the feeling that it would be mentioned in the book.
“Yes – he – what?”
“He was caught, he was in Azkaban with me, but he got released.”
“How'd he get released?” Hermione said angrily. “Why would the government be stupid enough to do that?”
“We've already figured that the government was stupid in general,” Luna said. “It's not surprising that he'd be released.”
“I’d bet everything that’s why Dumbledore wanted an Auror at Hogwarts this year – to keep an eye on him. Moody caught Karkaroff. Put him into Azkaban in the first place.”
“Well, that would be a good reason to have Moody there. To bad it's not actually Moody,” Hermione said.
“And, well, since Karkaroff was released for some reason, and obviously did not go looking for Riddle, the fact that whoever the imposter is – especially if he's a Riddle follower – doesn't like him is explainable,” Luna said.
“Karkaroff got released?” Harry said slowly – his brain seemed to be struggling to absorb yet another piece of shocking information.
“I don't blame your book self,” Hermione said.
“Why did they release him?”
“He did a deal with the Ministry of Magic,” said Sirius bitterly.
“Wait a minute,” Hermione said. “Are you telling me that Karkaroff was given a deal, while Sirius wasn't?”
The knick-knacks behind her shattered at the anger she was feeling.
“It seems so,” Luna said.
“But why? I mean, the only type of deal that Karkaroff could possibly even do is name names...” Hermione said, trailing off as she realized exactly what it was that he most likely did.
“I believe that's exactly what he did,” Cedric said, confirming her thought.
“He said he’d seen the error of his ways, and then he named names ... he put a load of other people into Azkaban in his place ...”
“So, he's probably not the most popular person there,” Harry said.
“What's the bet that half of the names he did name weren't death eaters, he just said they were?” Hermione said. “Or, better yet, what's the bet that only one of the names he gave was of any use, and he was freed just because of that one name.”
“”Yeah, I can see that being true,” Luna said. “That's pretty much how the Ministry does appear to be.”
“he’s not very popular in there, I can tell you. And since he got out, from what I can tell, he’s been teaching the Dark Arts to every student who passes through that school of his. So watch out for the Durmstrang champion as well.”
“That goes without saying,” Cedric said.
“OK,” said Harry, slowly. “But ... are you saying Karkaroff put my name in the Goblet?”
“I really don't think he would risk even trying, especially since he seems to have cut all ties to that part of his lifestyle – why else would he have decided to become the headmaster of the school instead of staying in England or even trying to find his master – unless, of course, he truly did believe him to dead, like everyone else appears to,” Hermione said.
“Because if he did, he’s a really good actor. He seemed furious about it. He wanted to stop me competing.”
“We know he’s a good actor,” said Sirius, “because he convinced the Ministry of Magic to set him free, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, but, if you think about it, it doesn't appear to be that hard to convince the Ministry to do something stupid like that,” Hermione pointed out.
“Now, I’ve been keeping an eye on the Daily Prophet, Harry –“
“You and the rest of the world,” said Harry bitterly.
“– and, reading between the lines of that Skeeter woman’s article last month, Moody was attacked the night before he started at Hogwarts. Yes, I know she says it was another false alarm,” Sirius said hastily,
“Probably because she doesn't want anyone thinking he might actually have been telling the truth,” Luna said.
seeing Harry about to speak, “but I don’t think so, somehow. I think someone tried to stop him getting to Hogwarts. I think someone knew their job would be a lot more difficult with him around.”
“That, or, as it seems, they needed to take his place so that it was easier for them to do what they needed to,” Hermione said.
“And no one’s going to look into it too closely, Mad-Eye’s heard intruders a bit too often.”
“Which is why no one seems to think that there might actually be some truth to this alert,” Cedric said.
“But that doesn’t mean he can’t still spot the real thing. Moody was the best Auror the Ministry ever had.”
“So ... what are you saying?” said Harry slowly. “Karkaroff’s trying to kill me? But – why?”
Sirius hesitated.
“He's probably wondering if he should tell you what's going on or not,” Luna said.
“I’ve been hearing some very strange things,” he said slowly. “The Death Eaters seem to be a bit more active than usual lately. They showed themselves at the Quidditch World Cup, didn’t they? Someone set off the Dark Mark ... and then – did you hear about that Ministry of Magic witch who’s gone missing?”
“Yeah, we've heard of her,” Hermione said.
“My book self even knows what actually happened to her already,” Harry said. “Though, he seems to have forgotten about it.”
“Bertha Jorkins?” said Harry.
“Exactly ... she disappeared in Albania, and that’s definitely where Voldemort was rumoured to be last ... and she would have known the Triwizard Tournament was coming up, wouldn’t she?”
“Yes, she did, which is why Riddle was able come up with whatever his plan is,” Cedric said. “Assuming, of course, that it revolves around the Tournament.”
“Which we should be able to figure out sooner or later,” Hermione said. “Though, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if it does.”
“I wouldn't be surprised either, and I have the feeling that the 'faithful servant' he was talking about is the impostor, since he was the one who put your name into the Goblet, and he also most likely convinced Hagrid to show you the dragons,” Cedric said. “That right there would at least suggest that he wants Harry alive, since forewarning him would give him a chance to survive the task.”
“Yeah, but ... it’s not very likely she’d have walked straight into Voldemort, is it?” said Harry.
“No, I really doubt that she would do that, but I wouldn't be surprised if, since we know that Pettigrew brought her to him, he somehow knew of an irresistible lure to get her to follow him,” Luna said. “Of course, that would also imply that he knew her in some way.”
“It is possible,” Cedric said. “She is around the same age as Sirius and Pettigrew, so it would be easy for that to happen.”
“Listen, I knew Bertha Jorkins,” said Sirius grimly. “She was at Hogwarts when I was, a few years above your dad and me. And she was an idiot. Very nosy, but no brains, none at all.”
“That's really not a good combination,” Hermione said.
“No, it's not,” Cedric agreed.
“It’s not a good combination, Harry. I’d say she’d be very easy to lure into a trap.”
“It would have been way too easy,” Luna said.
“So ... so Voldemort could have found out about the Tournament?” said Harry. “Is that what you mean? You think Karkaroff might be here on his orders?”
“I don’t know,” said Sirius slowly, “I just don’t know ... Karkaroff doesn’t strike me as the type who’d go back to Voldemort unless he knew Voldemort was powerful enough to protect him.”
“I could see that happening had he gone looking for him, but, as he didn't and it's obvious that, like several others, he is indeed free to do so, so I get the feeling that he would receive no protection from Riddle,” Harry said.
“But whoever put your name in that Goblet did it for a reason, and I can’t help thinking the Tournament would be a very good way to attack you, and make it look like an accident.”
“But we know that he wants him alive,” Hermione said.
“My book self never told Sirius that, nor did he tell him about the fact that Riddle wanted me to begin with, and my book self seems to have forgotten about what he saw in the dream as well,” Harry pointed out.
“Looks like a really good plan from where I’m standing,” said Harry bleakly. “They’ll just have to stand back and let the dragons do their stuff.”
“Right – these dragons,” said Sirius, speaking very quickly now.
“His time must be running short,” Cedric said.
“There’s a way, Harry. Don’t be tempted to try a Stunning Spell – dragons are strong and too powerfully magical to be knocked out by a single Stunner. You need about half-a-dozen wizards at a time to overcome a dragon –“
“Yeah, I just saw that happen,” Harry said.
“Yeah, I know, I just saw,” said Harry.
“But you can do it alone,” said Sirius. “There is a way, and a simple spell’s all you need. Just –“
But Harry held up a hand to silence him, his heart suddenly pounding as though it would burst. He could hear footsteps coming down the spiral staircase behind him.
“Ah, just when I was about to know what spell I could do,” Harry said, groaning.
“Somehow, I think you're going to find out what the spell is after the task is done,” Hermione said.
“Most likely,” Harry agreed.
“Go!” he hissed at Sirius. “Go! There’s someone coming!”
“Which idiotic person is up at this time?” Hermione asked, dislike for whoever it was going through her. Luna had to wonder if Hermione had decided to go down and try and say hi to Sirius or not.
Harry scrambled to his feet, hiding the fire – if someone saw Sirius’ face within the walls of Hogwarts, they would raise an almighty uproar – the Ministry would get dragged in – he, Harry, would be questioned about Sirius’ whereabouts –
“Yeah, Sirius had better get out of there,” Cedric said.
Harry heard a tiny pop in the fire behind him, and knew Sirius had gone – he watched the bottom of the spiral staircase – who had decided to go for a stroll at one o’clock in the morning, and stopped Sirius telling him how to get past a dragon?
“I really doubt that whoever it was did that on purpose,” Luna said.
“It was the result, though,” Harry pointed out.
It was Ron.
“What's he doing up?” Hermione said, glaring at the book as though it was the red head himself.
Dressed in his maroon paisley pyjamas, Ron stopped dead facing Harry across the room, and looked around.
“I think he might've heard you talking,” Luna said.
“Oh, it's most likely obvious that he did,” Harry said. “Of course, because of how we're acting at the moment, I'll most likely not tell him that it was Sirius.”
“He really doesn't deserve to know,” Hermione said.
“Who were you talking to?” he said.
“What’s that got to do with you?” Harry snarled. “What are you doing down here at this time of night?”
“Yeah, he really has no reason to be up at the moment,” Luna said, frowning.
“I just wondered where you –“ Ron broke off,
“I think Ron's starting to feel remorse for his actions towards you,” Cedric said.
“As he should,” Hermione said. “Though, just because he's feeling that doesn't mean that you should accept him back as a friend. No, not even apologizing to you should get that result. He should have to live with knowing that he gave up a great best friend for the rest of his life.”
shrugging. “Nothing. I’m going back to bed.”
“Just thought you’d come nosing around, did you?” Harry shouted. He knew that Ron had no idea what he’d walked in on, knew he hadn’t done it on purpose, but he didn’t care – at this moment he hated everything about Ron, right down to the several inches of bare ankle showing beneath his pyjama trousers.
“So, it seems that your anger at, well, everything, including how Ron has been treating you has finally erupted with the fact that you can't have the knowledge about how to beat the dragon,” Cedric said.
“Sorry about that,” said Ron, his face reddening with anger. “Should’ve realised you didn’t want to be disturbed. I’ll let you get on with practising for your next interview in peace.
“And it seems to have the effect of sending him off as well,” Luna said.
Harry seized one of the POTTER REALLY STINKS badges off the table and chucked it, as hard as he could, across the room. It hit Ron on the forehead
“Nice aim,” Hermione said.
and bounced off.
“There you go,” Harry said. “Something for you to wear on Tuesday. You might even have a scar now, if you’re lucky ... that’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“I wonder what Ron'll have to say to that,” Cedric said.
“I doubt he'll say anything,” Luna said.
He strode across the room towards the stairs; he half expected Ron to stop him, he would even have liked Ron to throw a punch at him, but Ron just stood there in his too small pyjamas,
“I think Ron realizes that he deserved what Harry said,” Luna said.
and Harry, having stormed upstairs, lay awake in bed fuming for a long time afterwards, and didn’t hear him come up to bed.
“Probably a good thing, because we'd probably end up getting into a fight, and waking the other boys up if that happened,” Harry said. “Oh, and that's the end of the chapter.”
He went to had the book over to Hermione when several stomachs, his own included, growled. He looked down.
“I think it's time we ate,” he said, bookmarking where the next chapter would begin.
“Yeah, probably,” Hermione said, frowning down at her own stomach. Together, the four got up, heading to the kitchen and making some sandwiches to quickly eat, wanting to know what would happen in the book next. They finished as quickly as possible, did a bathroom break afterwards, and then headed back into the room, where Hermione picked up the book and turned to the bookmarked page.