Chapter 7
Harry
"Come on in Harry." The Hogwarts's Headmaster's room was much different than Igor's at Durmstrang. The headmaster was sitting behind a large oak desk. Beside him was a bird cage with a phoenix perched on its roof. All around the room there were book shelves filled with countless books and magical items, some he could put names too but most them he had never seen before.
"Thank you for seeing me so early professor Dumbledore." He said as he sat down in the chair facing the desk.
"Of course Harry I told you my door is always open. I was actually hoping you would stop bye I had some news I wanted to give you. But first I wanted to congratulate you on your performance. It was one of the best displays of magic I have seen in a long time. Shadow magic is very difficult and advanced. I wasn't aware it was on Durmstrang's curriculum, I take it you taught yourself most of it?"
"All of it actually, yes. And thank you sir."
"When I was in my fifth year at school I became very fascinated with elemental magic, unfortunately it wasn't on Hogwarts curriculum and still isn't due to the ministry seeing it as old fashioned. I remember teaching myself from old books all sorts of elemental magic. I would cast the simplest of spells and people would be amazed because they had never seen it before. It was always a good feeling knowing something that they did not. Now enough of my chattering, my news. I have spoken with a few people and come up with a plan that I feel is our best option at this point. I assumed Sirius has told you about his old friend Remus Lupin?"
"Yes I know all about him why? Sirius and Remus haven't spoken since my parents were killed."
"Well Remus last year actually was a teacher here. For the most part we have kept in touch over the years. When your parents died and Sirius went missing Remus came to me and told me that he didn't believe Sirius betrayed your parents. He told me that he believed their friend Peter did, just like you told me he did. Remus was extremely distraught for a long time after your parents died. He had lost all his friends in one night. With Peter and your father dead he went looking for Sirius. He never did find him obviously, but to this day has been on your Godfather's side. Now I have not told Remus anything, as you can tell from me being still alive. But I did ask enough questions and gather enough evidence that makes me think we can use Remus in Sirius trial."
"Is that the plan? To just use the word of one of Sirius's old friends?" He interrupted.
"No, though it is part of the plan. If everything you have told me is true then actually is quite simple. Sirius is not only accused for just the murder of Peter Pettigrew, but also for betraying your parents. So we not only need evidence that Sirius wasn't the murderer, but also that he didn't betray them. I was thinking we could provide the ministry with a memory proving Sirius's innocence as part of the plan."
"I don't understand sir."
"I want you to bring Sirius here to my office. We will then, of course with the two of yours consent, administer Sirius Veritaserum. I'm sure you know what that is?" He nodded. "I will then ask Sirius many detailed questions about your parents, you, and the death of Peter Pettigrew. Then I will take the memories and add them to my pensive. However the ministry will need more than just that. So that's where I think Remus can help. Or I should say already has." Dumbledore smiled. "But before he can help us you must allow him into the secret, I cannot due to the vow. If he is allowed to know I guarantee we can free Sirius."
"If you can guarantee then yes, but he will have to take the same vow that you did, I'm still not risking it."
"Yes of course. Remus you may come in." A rough looking man came in from the back off Dumbledore's office.
"Hello Harry..." The man looked like he was about to cry. "You look just like your father, except your eyes. You have your mother's eyes." He made his way towards them and shook his hand.
"I have heard all about you sir, I'm told that you can help me out with something." The two of them completed the secret keeping vow the same one he and Dumbledore had taken. Harry then told Remus everything that he had told Dumbledore. Remus as soon as he told him that Sirius was alive began to cry. After about a half hour of it he finally collected himself.
"Harry you have given me the best news I have heard in a very long time. I of course would like to ask you to tell Sirius if he could... or wanted too. To meet me at our old shack. I would very much like to see him again, after all these years."
"I will tell him for you Remus. Now how can you help me? How can you help Sirius?"
"I was reading the paper a while back, the paper was announcing that the Triwizard Tournament was going to be held this year at Hogwarts. It also mentioned the names of the three champions. You can imagine my surprise at discovering the child I had thought dead for so many years, my best friends child, was actually alive. I immediately tried to come see you but Dumbledore told me to wait. While I was here, for memories like I do every time I visit I looked at this." He pulled out a large amount of folded parchment from his jacket pocket. When he unfolded the parchment it showed a 2d version of the castle. There were footsteps walking around it with small names overhead.
"Does this show everyone in the school? And where they are?" He was amazed, and made a mental note to ask Sirius about this later.
"Yes, this map was of your father, Sirius, and mine design. It shows every person in the castle, where they are, what they're doing. We used to use it to sneak around at night, sorry again Dumbledore. When I looked at the map when I came back to watch you for the first task yesterday however I saw something... well... I saw someone's name who shouldn't be on the map."
"Whose name? I don't see how this is going to help me?"
"Peter Pettigrew."
"What? But how is that possible, he is dead."
"The map doesn't lie Harry. Peter was under the influence of the Dark Lord Voldemort, and most likely still is. I imagine that he was ordered to come watch the tournament and to give Voldemort tabs on you."
"Wouldn't have Dumbledore, you, or even Sirius have been able to spot him though if he was here?"
"Like Sirius and your father could transfigure so can Peter. He can transfigure into a rat, so unless we were looking we wouldn't have noticed him. Unfortunately by the time I realized what I was seeing on the map, it was too late and he scurried off the grounds."
"We have to find him! If we can catch him they will have no choice to admit that Sirius is innocent. Please tell me either one of you knows how to catch him?"
"We have an idea Harry." Dumbledore said. "We both believe that Peter will come back for the second task, to gather more information on you. Remus will also be coming for the second task but under disguise, just in case."
"That sounds good to me." He paused thinking for a brief second. "Remus I know how much you want to see Sirius but I think it would be best if you waited till after we catch Peter. If Sirius knows Peter is still alive... Well it won't be our secret anymore. Please?"
"Yes Harry whatever you say, unfortunately I agree with you. If it's ok with you I would like to without telling them who we are looking for to have a few other people help me look. I will of course keep the secret, let's just say one student turned another into a rat and where looking for them."
"That sounds like a good idea to me. It's a plan then. Thank you both for your help. You have no idea what this means to me."
"I believe I do Harry." Remus said as he shook Harry's hand one last time before he left the room and made his way to the great hall for lunch. So Peter was alive... And Sirius had a chance to be free... He was so happy. Although he had grown use to keeping Sirius's secret and living the way they had, he couldn't help but smile and think about being able to go anywhere or do anything with Sirius now. He was now even more anxious for the second task.
Hermione
She could hear the girls talking in the dorm room around her. She pretended she couldn't hear them. She didn't want to wake up, she had just been dreaming about her time with Harry the day before and desperately wanted to fall back into the dream. Unfortunately though for her the girls were being too loud and her body was disobeying her pleads to fall back asleep. With a groan into her pillow she finally sat up in her bed. She drew her bed's curtains causing the brightness from the room and windows outside to temporarily blind her.
"Well look who decided to wake up. Good afternoon Hermione. Someone was sleepy." Parvati was looking at her with a devilish grin. All of her friends minus Luna were sitting on their beds looking at her.
"Afternoon?" She glanced to her nightstand and saw that her clock was indeed showing 2pm. Holy cow she had slept in!
"Late night celebrating with Harry?" Fay asked her with the same grin Parvati had on.
"No actually we got back before curfew, I don't know why I'm so tired." She really didn't. She had gone to bed at a decent time.
"You look different... like brighter..." Amelia looked at her puzzlingly.
"I guess it's that new lotion my mom sent." She looked at herself in her mirror, she couldn't really tell a difference, maybe a little tanner but nothing other than that.
"No, I see it too... You have like a glow..." Fay added.
"OH MY GOD! HERMIONE YOU SLUT, YOU DEVIL!" Parvati yelled causing her to jump a little.
"What? Why are you calling me a slut?"
"You had sex! That's why you're so tired" As soon as Parvati said sex all the other girls in the room gasped.
"No way!" The two other girls said in unison.
"No I didn't...!" She tried to lie knowing it wouldn't work. She could feel herself blushing.
"Yes you did! Hermione you have always when been the worst liar ever! Hermione Granger... Sleeping with a Triwizard champion." Parvati looked happier than she had ever seen her before.
"Well give us details! How was it?" Amelia asked.
"Fine, but you guys, especially you Parvati have to promise not to tell anyone else. I don't know how official he wants to make it known yet. I just... we just..." She didn't know where to start or how to say it. "I don't know guys! It just happened, we've seen each other a few times, and he's like perfect. And I got so worried during the task... It just sort of happened, I wasn't planning or expecting it!"
"Awe! Well where did the magic happen?" Fay asked?
"Umm... the schools carriages..." She mumbled.
"Hermione speak up where!" Parvati asked her.
"THE SCHOOL CARRIAGES!" She was so embarrassed by all this she sort of screamed it out.
"Wow, remind me never to use those again. You little horny Hermione! I'm so proud of you!" Parvati said.
"Proud?"
"Yes! For three and a half years now we've known you! For that whole time you have done nothing but degrade yourself, ignore yourself, and use school as a crutch. Now you're having fun and you look good." Parvati said.
"What are you talking about? I don't degrade myself, ignore myself, and just because I pay attention and am good at school doesn't mean it's a crutch." She was getting defensive.
"There is a difference between paying attention and being good or interested in school then not allowing yourself to ever do anything because you always make the excuse you have some "work" to do." Amelia said.
"Yea and you're always saying how ugly you are, how unattractive you are, and how you didn't need to or want to ever date, and besides even if you did no guy would find you attractive. And then you finally actually try to look pretty for once and since then every guy in school has been talking about how hot you looked." Fay said.
"Yea Hermione, since you've been dating Harry you have been taking care of yourself better, putting make up on, dressing up, doing your hair. I have heard at least six different boys in just our year talk about how they're going to try to get you into bed. A year ago you wouldn't even let people notice you! Now well, you're actually not being so sheltered and hard on yourself. It suits you well. " Parvati said.
"Well I still don't think I'm pretty, but thank you guys I'm glad you're happy with me."
"Oh shut up when I walked in on you while you were getting ready for your first date I wanted to bang you. You're hot Hermione, you might as well start embracing it if you're going to keep wearing makeup and dressing up like you have been." Parvati said.
"So how big was he?" Fay asked straight forwardly.
"Umm what the hell Fay, I can't tell you that!"
"That small huh, pity." Fay said
"Harry is not small ok!"
"Sure he isn't." Fay added now looking at the window like she wasn't interested anymore.
"He isn't!" She didn't know why she was taking this so personal. "He is huge, at least 9 inches and thick so shut up fay!"
"NINE INCHES! Holy shit Hermione no wonder you were tired!" Amelia looked astonished.
"Alright guys I've gave you all too much information I'm going to get lunch!" With that she left the three of them laughing and gossiping on their beds and headed to the great hall.
She saw him sitting down by himself at Durmstrang's table. Apparently she wasn't the only one who was having a late lunch today. She made her way over to where he was sitting.
"Hello there stranger." She said getting him to turn around.
"Hey beautiful, I was wondering if you were going to honor me with your presence today."
"May I sit down?"
"Of course. So how come you are having such a late lunch today? Busy with classes?"
"No we didn't have classes today, it's a break day today. I just overslept guess I was tired from yesterday."
"You're telling me. But why are you tired? I did all the work?" He said giving her a flirtatious grin.
"Its work just putting up with you Potter! So what's your excuse why are you eating so late?"
"I was in Dumbledore's office most this morning. He is helping me and Sirius out with something."
"Dumbledore knows about Sirius? Isn't that a bad thing?"
"No Dumbledore has agreed to help me with Sirius, he was just updating me on a few things."
"Well good I'm glad." She said as she grabbed a wing from the table. "I like Sirius a lot."
"That's only because he told you all of my embarrassing stories."
"Yea so! He still seems really cool."
"Yea, yea. So what are your plans for the day?"
"Well I really need to do some studying, I have been slacking a lot recently."
"You wanna go with me again to the room of requirement? I'm going to take the egg there and see if I can find out what the clue is."
"Yea sure sounds fun, although I HAVE to study so make sure you make me!"
"I'll see what I can do." The two of them finished their meal and made their way to the room of requirement. Inside was a large oak desk for her to study on and a bean bag that she had guessed harry had asked for to examine his egg in.
"A bean bag... How old are you?"
"I just said something comfy to sit on. I guess this is what the room finds comfy." He ran over and jumped onto the bean bag.
"So what are you gonna do with the egg?"
"Hermione you study, let me worry about the egg."
"Fineeeeee." She took out her notes and books and laid them on the desk and began to study. After about ten minutes she was already tired of studying. Fifty uses of newts in potions just wasn't as interesting as the man in the room with her, or trying to figure out the egg. "Harry I don't want to study anymore!"
"Hermione you need to, I don't date people who fail classes." He said jokingly.
"I could miss every class this year and still pass Harry I'm not going to fail. Please just let me quit!"
"I tell you what." He stood up and walked over to where she was sitting. "If you study for an hour straight with no breaks I will give you a surprise."
"What kind of surprise?" She was intrigued. Without saying anything he started kissing her hard and pulled up her robes and put his fingers right up against the outside of her underwear. "Ooh I like this surprise." He quickly stopped kissing her and removed his hands from her. "Awe, so mean. I don't even get a teaser?"
"Study!" He said as he made his way back to the bean bag. With a pouty face she made herself study, although truly her mind was not on her books. After her stopwatch went off she literally jumped. "Oh Harry! It's been an hour, I believe you owe me a surprise!"
"Hold on a second Hermione. He was looking at the top of the egg very closely."
"But Harry!" She pouted wanting to have some "fun."
"The next task is going to be in the lake." That woke her up from her horny daze.
"How do you know that?"
"The clasps holding the egg closed are supposed to be seaweed. I was looking at it like it was a dragon's egg. It's not though, this is fish egg. The shape fits perfect the texture I thought was just detail but it does resemble current marks. And a lot of fish will cover their eggs in seaweed to hide them."
"Wow, that's impressive. Have you opened it?"
"Yea it just makes a screaming noise."
"Why don't you put it in something when you open it? To muffle the sound."
"I never thought of that. One sec." He closed his eyes and in front of the bean bag a large tub of water popped into place. He place the egg in the water muffling the sound but instead of sounds of screams in the water now a beautiful song echoed. "So I have an hour to find something they stole in the lake."
"Do you know any spells that can make you breathe under water? And what do you think they will take?"
"I don't know what they will take, I didn't really bring anything with me. But I'm not sure doesn't seem like something too hard, if push comes to shove I can just make an air bubble spell there pretty simple."
"That doesn't seem nearly as hard as fighting a dragon, there must be some twist to it."
"I guess will find out soon enough. Now come here I owe you." For the next hour or so they had asked the room for a bed and made good use of it. Although they didn't go as far as they had in the carriage they both allowed their hands to roam, and in her case his hands at roamed enough to pull her underwear off and finger her. God she loved this. After they finished and cleaned up they left the room of requirement to the great hall for another bite to eat. Much to her friends liking who whistled at her when they saw her sitting with Harry. They spent the rest of the day in the library once they left their studying and preparing for the task soon approaching.
Harry
He had left the ship late at night passing it off to Krum and Allan that he was using his twenty-four hour library pass to go look up something for the tournament. However that wasn't what he planned to do tonight. As Dumbledore would announce tomorrow the Yule Ball would be taking place the day after the second task. All of the champions were required to bring a date and put on a display for the rest of the school. Even if he wasn't required he still would have gone. What boy wouldn't be smart enough to go, everyone knew women got all horny at dances! Anyways he and Hermione had been at the library all night and when he told her he was coming up with ideas for the second task he really already knew what he was going to do for the task and was really just brainstorming how to ask her to the ball..
Although by no means had he and Hermione been dating that long. But for some reason it felt like they had none each other for much longer. They were just a perfect fit, and as much as he lied and shrugged it off to Krum, Allan, and Sirius he really liked Hermione. So as it was with everything he did, not only did he have to be the best wizard he had to be the best date, and ask her in the best way. He didn't consider himself to be the most romantic type of guy, but Sirius had told him enough of the things he had done to get some good ideas that he was sure she would love. If he knew anything about Hermione he knew she was going to hate the attention she was going to get tomorrow.
He made his way through the front entrance to where he had dropped Hermione off their first date. He had been listening after Hermione had thought he had left that night to get the password for the Gryffindor common room. He told the Fat Lady's portrait the password and made his way in. Once inside he concealed himself again and made his way to the left staircase in the common room. Sirius had told him that the stairs were enchanted with sex steps so he had to avoid touching the stairs. Luckily for him he knew his shadow levitation and flew his way up to the girl's dorms. After he found the one labeled fourth years he slowly entered.
All of the girls were asleep in their bunks. Silently he drew all of their curtains so they couldn't see him and cast as many charms as he knew to keep them from catching him or waking up. He made his way over to Hermione's bed and begin to conjure flowers all around her. By the time he got done placing flowers her bed was almost un-seeable. There were vases all around the floor, large ones, small ones, and flowers stuck to her bed frame, flowers hanging above her bed. He had even on the inside of her bed hung flowers from her canopy's ceiling.
Each flower was a different type and color. The room already smelled like a meadow. On each one of the vases he left a card. Each one of the cards left a message that would eventually lead her to the room of requirement. After she opened each one cards he had charmed the card to turn into small love bird that would fly around her twice then vanish.
He was planning on sleeping there tonight and waiting for her tomorrow in the room of requirement. When she made her way to the room his cards had told her to specifically need a room that harry is in. He was going to be waiting there with a whole set up for her. Once he finished setting up everything in the girls dorms he made his way from the Gryffindor Common room to the room of requirement to begin setting up the final touches.
Inside the room he began his set up. As soon as she opened the door there would be hundreds of candles lit scattered across the floor. There was a single white carpet laid on the black marble floor leading to a small circular dance floor. In the edge of the dance floor he had enchanted a piano to play some romantic ballads when she entered. He would be waiting hidden in the back dressed up in one of the muggle suits he owned. When she made her way down the carpet to the dance floor he would come out from hiding and ask her to the dance with a little taste of a dance.
Luckily for him Durmstrang had balls every year. So he had some experience with dancing. Plus Sirius had made it a point to show him all the moves he used back in his day. Lastly after everything was set up he went off to the far corner of the room where he sat down in the bean bag the room had re-conjured for him. Now he just had to wait...
Voldemort
"Master, I bring news on the potter boy from the first task."
"Yes wormtail come in, so is it really him?"
"Yes M'Lord he looks just like his father, and he is very talented. He won the first task and performed magic that I have never seen. From the look on Dumbledore's face as well even he seemed impressed."
"So the Potter boy is truly alive... Did the boy have any friends with him?"
"I left after I caught site of my old friend Remus M'lord so I didn't get to much time to watch. But I did see him kiss a young brown haired witch after the tournament."
"Hmm... Find out who this witch is. I want to know everything about her and the boy. Malfoy tells me there are already rumors that this boy must be more powerful than even me to have survived. I will not have these false rumors about. Lucius to me!"
"Yes My Lord."
"Tell young Draco he is to keep an eye out on the Potter boy and this girl. I want him to become enemies with them, test their powers. I want to make a point out of Potter to the rest of the world that I have no equal."
"Yes of course my lord."
"I lost all of my power that night. I do not know what magic that filthy family cast to make it happen, but I will not risk my plans again. I want to know everything about this Potter boy, his defenses, everything. Wormtail get Barty jr. I have a new plan for him."
Next chapter is the second task!