Renouncing Magic's Child

"Just why is this chapter named after a bleeding dragon?" Sirius demanded.

No one answered him, plenty of people were avoiding eye contact too. He had a really bad feeling about this.

The prospect of talking ... never looked darker.

Harry tried his best to block out the sounds of the chamber. He didn't want to think about the book. He wondered if he could ask for a break. Maybe a few days off reading would do him some good.

The shock of finding ... started to sink in.

"That's understandable," Moody growled. "Especially if no one is helping you prepare."

He noticed the young man didn't respond, as he continued staring into the fire.

The first task ... some horrific monster, barring his path.

"Not an unfair analysis of the situation," Luna murmured.

He had never ... the future at all;

Harry closed his eyes, pretending he couldn't feel their eyes on him.

he felt as though ... the first task...

Ron glanced at Harry. He hadn't realised how scared his friend was. The other people in their year at school looked equally surprised.

Admittedly, he didn't see how ... something at the moment.

Sirius pulled both Harrys closer, causing the younger of the two to settle into the small gap between Sirius and Severus.

Harry wrote back to Sirius ... Filch would skin them alive.

"The house elves too," Albus said with a small smile.

In the meantime, ... highly colored life story of Harry.

Sirius glared at the woman in question.

Much of the front page ... Cedric hadn't been mentioned at all.

Amos looked ready to murder Skeeter. He'd always thought that Potter tried to steal Cedric's spot. But now, he realised just how wrong he had been.

The article had appeared ... let alone in that broom cupboard.

"Do that again, and I'll destroy you," Arcturus said.

I suppose I get my strength ... they could see me now...

Sirius and Remus growled in unison. They would quite happily rip the woman limb from limb.

Yes, sometimes ... admit it...

Harry snarled. He couldn't remember ever crying about having no parents. Sure, he'd been upset about it but... 

"She made that up?" Mrs Weasley said, horrified.

I know nothing ... watching over me...

Rita frowned as she noticed that everyone was glaring at her. What did they expect? She was a sensational reporter... So what if she embellished on occasion. 

But Rita Skeeter ... top students in the school.

Hermione blushed as she denied that there was anything like that between them. "He's more like a brother," she said.

From the moment ... making sneering comments.

The teachers were scandalised. How had they failed to notice that?

"Want a hanky, ... Longbottom have set up together?"

Dowager Longbottom glared at the book.

"Hey - Harry!" ... you dropped your quill."

A couple of people sniggered at that. Although they quickly stopped when the adults glared at them.

It was Cho ... "I really hope you do well."

George smirked at Harry. "Smooth."

Harry actually broke a smile.

Which left Harry ... handling the situation.

"Ah, thanks Harry," Hermione said with slightly pink cheeks.

"Stunningly pretty? Her?" ... a chipmunk?"

"Well, she's prettier than you, Parkinson," Blaise said to the book, causing most of the Slytherins to laugh. None of them especially liked Pansy.

"Ignore it," ... "Just ignore it, Harry."

"For what its worth," Daphne said, "we're sorry Hermione."

Both Tracey and Millicent nodded their agreement. 

But Harry couldn't ignore it ... really enjoying all the attention.

Ron's ears went pink.

Hermione was furious ... force them to talk to each other,

Hermione's parents looked at her in despair. "You cannot force them to talk to each other," Mr Granger said.

"I just don't like being caught in the middle," Hermione huffed.

"Welcome to my life," Harry said crossly. "I'm always stuck in between you and Ron."

"That's not true!"

"Is to!" Harry argued. "Third year with the whole Scabbers thing! Or all that drama about the Yule Ball... Sixth year when Ron was dating Lavender..."

"Fine. You made your point," Hermione sighed.

but Harry was adamant: ... calling him a liar.

"I hate being called a liar," Harry murmured as he rubbed the back of his hand.

"I didn't start this," ... "And I know he misses you -"

"Like that matters," Harry said, his tone lacking any warmth. "He called me a liar."

"I'm sorry, Harry," Ron said.

"Yeah, I know," Harry said with a sigh. "Doesn't change that it hurt."

"Miss him?" ... learning the theory would help.

"Unlikely," Filius said with a sigh. "Practice is what he needs."

They consequently ... Hermione found the noise distracting.

Krum laughed at that. "Try being the person they're following around."

"He's not even good-looking!" ... Wonky-Faint thing -"

Krum raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you go to the yule ball with me? If I'm not attractive."

"I..." Hermione blushed. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Wronski Feint," ... about Wonky-Faints.

Hermione huffed. She didn't like being compared to Ron. Especially if she was found lacking in comparison.

It is a strange thing, ... Harry didn't need much persuasion.

"Good. You need a distraction," Sirius said softly.

"What about Ron, ... Three Broomsticks... "

The adults all sighed. That wasn't going to work.

"No," ... so stupid -"

"It might have seemed stupid to you," Harry said, folding his arms, "but it matter to me."

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." She wasn't quite sure what she wanted to say.

"I'll come, ... Invisibility Cloak."

Sirius sighed. Harry most likely would have gone without the cloak if Hermione hadn't tried to force him to spend time with Ron.

"Oh all right then..." ... I'm looking at you or not. "

Several of the adults looked between the trio, wondering how they were still friends.

So Harry put on his ... quoting that stupid article.

The teachers sighed. It shouldn't have been necessary for him to wear an invisibility cloak to avoid bullying.

"People keep looking ... "They think I'm talking to myself."

"Then stop talking," Remus said, shaking his head in annoyance.

"Don't move your lips ... "Look behind you."

Everyone wondered who Harry was referring to.

Rita Skeeter ... watch the first task. "

Rita smirked. She had indeed been planning to attend the first task.

As he said it, ... she didn't want to think about it.

Some friend, Sirius thought to himself.

"She's gone," ... correctly interpreting his silence.

Ron grimaced. He should have fixed things between them quicker.

The Three Broomsticks ... awkward questions.

The girls in the chamber giggled at that.

Harry edged slowly toward ... sat down at it.

"You should have," George said. "He deserved it."

He'd spent much of that Hogsmeade visit trying to talk his idiot brother into making up with Harry.

Hermione joined him ... "Lucky I brought something to do."

Everyone glared at Hermione for grumbling. Couldn't she appreciate how hard it was for Harry?

"He was being bullied by three fourths of the school," Sirius said. "Of course, he didn't want to be seen."

And she pulled out ... looking around the pub.

"That won't work," Hagrid said. "They're a traditional bunch, the villagers of Hogsmeade. They respect the house elf oaths."

"Yeah, right," ... get into the school kitchens?"

"More direct action?" Astoria asked and some of the people in the chamber looked genuinely concerned.

"No idea, ... badges on their cloaks.

"Sorry Harry," they both said quietly.

Right over by the door ... This cheered up Harry very slightly...

"When are you going to," Fred started.

"Ask her out?" George finished.

What wouldn't he have given ... worry about but homework?

The pitying looks were back.

He imagined how ... seat at the back of the stands...

Sirius was growing anxious. He had a really bad feeling about the title of the chapter and what that might mean for the first task.

He wondered how the other champions were feeling.

"Terrified," Fleur admitted.

"I was less worried," Krum admitted. "I knew it would be creature related. The first task always is. So, I was busy studying creatures in the library."

Every time he had seen Cedric lately, ... haughty and unruffled.

"I'm not haughty," Fleur said.

"You were that year," Harry said shyly.

Bill just laughed, much to his wife's annoyance.

And Krum just sat in the library, poring over books.

"Yes. No time to panic or worry," Krum said.

Harry thought of Sirius, ... everything else had done lately...

Sirius sighed at just how pessimistic his son was. James would be so sad that his boy's life had made him see the world like that.

"Look, it's Hagrid!" ... an insult to her mulled mead,

"I've always appreciated Rosmerta's mulled mead," Moody said sharply. "Of course, I'd cast detection spells on it before drinking it, but I never turn the stuff down."

but Harry knew better ... poison an unattended cup.

Moody growled.

As Harry watched ... Hagrid couldn't see him.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Trust Harry to forget he was invisible.

Moody, however, ... "Nice cloak, Potter."

Moody grimaced. Now whoever that was knew Harry had an invisibility cloak. Damn it.

Harry stared at him ... I can tell you."

"It's kind of amazing you can see through that cloak though," Harry said quietly. "It's ancient. Been in the family for generations."

Hagrid was beaming down ... Wear that cloak."

Several people glanced at Hagrid wondering what he was up to. Minerva's mouth tightened. Hagrid shouldn't be helping Harry. That was cheating. She just knew Hagrid was going to tell him about the dragons. Then again, perhaps that was better. He was far too young to go up against a dragon. Especially a nesting mother.

Straightening up, ... "It might make you late for Sirius."

Sirius sighed. People really loved bossing Harry about.

It was true that going down ... visit him so late at night.

Everyone sat forward eagerly. They all wanted to know what Hagrid wanted.