Niamh and Harry were walking down the marble staircase when the girl suddenly said, “Er…isn’t that Pig?”

“Heh?”

“Over there.”

Harry looked and heard a third-year girl exclaim, “Oh look at the weeny owl!”

“Better get that owl, Harry,” warned Niamh.  “Didn’t you say you sent a letter to Sirius with him?”

“Yep.  Pardon me…”

Harry charged up the stairs and grabbed Pigwidgeon.  He turned to the girl and said, “Excuse me,” before hurrying back down the steps.  Handing the letter to Niamh, he gave Pigwidgeon a toss into the air and said, “Get back to the owlery!” as the tiny owl hooted happily and flew off.

“It never works,” muttered Niamh, handing the letter over to Harry.  “He replied fast, didn’t he?”

“He’s back in the country now,” said Harry, unfolding the letter.

Harry –

Good job.  Whoever put your name in the goblet probably isn’t feeling too cocky now by the way you say you beat it.  A brilliant idea of how to get that egg, by the way.

Though don’t let down your guard.  I’ve heard Karkaroff is there and if I remember right, he was a Death Eater.  Got off because he spouted off the names of higher ranked Death Eater’s to the Ministry.  Though I bet Snape’s already told you about him – “Nope,” said Harry – and if he hasn’t, I’m telling you.

Stay out of trouble, kid.

Sirius

“Well,” said Niamh, “he’s proud of you.”

“Karkaroff was a Death Eater?” said Harry in surprise.  “Which would explain how he and Da know each other.  Maybe…maybe that’s where he was the night I got chosen.”

“What?  Snogging Karkaroffie?”

“Niamh!”  Harry looked repulsed at the thought.  “No more of that, please.  That image with Lockhart a year ago was bad enough.”

“Good point.  So, you think they were chatting about old times and how to ruin the tournament?”

Harry glared at her and she held up her hands.

“Just joking, mate.”

“I know you are.  But that’s not funny.”

“Too right.  C’mon.  I want to get up early tomorrow.  Christmas, y’know!”

Niamh beamed happily and bounced down the stairs, swaying from side to side.  Harry rolled his eyes and followed her, stuffing Sirius’ letter into his pocket.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Harry awoke Christmas morning – not to Niamh’s normal happy shriek and bounce on his bed – but to something sitting on his chest and looking at him with large green eyes.

“Cripes!”

Harry leapt backwards and grabbed for his wand, lightning it.  He looked at the house-elf standing nervously at the end of his bed and sighed.

“Dobby.  Did you have to wake me up like that?”

“I’s sorry, Harry Potter.  Dobby only wanting to wish Harry Potter ‘Merry Christmas’ and bring him a present,” said the house-elf, his green eyes even larger than before.

Harry sighed and said, “S’all right.  You just scared the dickens out of me sitting on my chest like that.  Just…shake me next time, okay?”

Dobby nodded and said, “Dobby will remember, Harry Potter.”

“Potter,” snapped Blaise from two beds down.  “What the hell are you doing?”

“Talking to a house-elf, Zabini.”

“What’s a house-elf doing in our dorm?”

Harry poked his head out of his drawn hangings and snapped, “Having a conversation with me.  Now sod off.”

“Eh, fuck you, Potter,” growled Blaise as he rolled over.

“I’ll pass, thanks,” said Harry, ducking back inside the hangings and looking at Dobby.  He looked at the house-elf and said, “You took quite a risk coming down here with that lot in here.”

“Dobby was very careful, Harry Potter.  But Dobby had to come…  He did not know when he could give Harry Potter his present!”

“That’s okay,” said Harry.  “I’ve got something for you too.”

“Sir, did not have to get Harry Potter anything…”

“I wanted to,” said Harry as he climbed out of bed and padded across the floor (he had made sure to steal several furry rugs into Hogwarts from home this year and line the stone floor) to his trunk.  Tapping the lid with his wand, he muttered the charm that unlocked it and pushed it open, nearly knocking Dobby onto his back as the house-elf tried to watch him.  He dug into the trunk and pulled out an overlarge maroon sweater – a reminder of the summer he’d spent with his aunt and uncle.  Closing the trunk and relocking it, he handed the sweater to Dobby, who beamed.

“Thank you, Harry Potter, sir!”  The house-elf now handed Harry a package, which were a pair of socks.

“Dobby made them himself!” said the elf happily.

Harry looked a the socks – one Gryffindor red with a pattern of broomsticks, the other Slytherin green with a pattern of Snitches – then grinned at the elf.

“They’re very nice, Dobby.  Thanks.”

“Harry Potter is very welcome!” cried Dobby.  “Dobby must go now, we is making Christmas dinner in the kitchens!”  He disappeared in his customary whip crack, effectively waking Draco and Blaise again.

“What was that?” asked Draco as Harry sat on top of his trunk and pulled Dobby’s socks on over his bare feet.

“House-elf.  Your old house-elf in fact, Malfoy.”

Draco blinked and gaped, “Dobby?  What’s he doing here?”

“He’s been working for Dumbledore since third year.  Miss him?”

“He was a good elf,” said Draco, ignoring the look Blaise gave him.  Harry nodded stiffly then attacked the pile of presents at the end of his bed.  Niamh came in halfway through and handed him her present.  By the time Harry was done unwrapping, he had a rather large pile of stuff, not counting the socks from Dobby; Sirius had sent him a penknife; Niamh, a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans; Ron, a bag of Chocolate Frogs; Ginny, a picture of him, her, Niamh, and Mika that Colin had taken of them on the marble stairs; Hermione, a book on dueling techniques; Hagrid, some of his rock cakes (Harry stuffed these under his bed); and his father, who had given him a new pair of Quidditch gloves.  And then there was Mrs. Weasley’s normal package of a sweater – green, as usual, with a dragon this year – and a dozen mince pies.  Niamh eyed the pies hungrily and Harry handed one to her before he stuffed everything into his trunk and grabbed his shoes.

“Hey,” said Niamh, “where’d you get the funky socks?”

“Dobby,” replied Harry, pulling on his shoes then getting to his feet.  “C’mon, let’s go.”

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

After breakfast and lunch, Harry, Niamh, and Ginny rushed back down to Arx Serpens to grab scarves and cloaks (Harry grabbed the thick, emerald green one his father had given him two Christmas’ before) and headed outside to join Ron, the twins, and Lee Jordan in a snowball fight.  Hermione chose to just watch them and Niamh finally aimed a ball at her, forcing her into the game.

At around five, Hermione went upstairs to get ready for the ball.  Niamh blinked and yelled after her, “Who are you going with, the Prince of Wales?”  Lee got her in the back of the head with a snowball and she retaliated by magicking up several hundred snowballs with her wand and hurling them at him.

By seven, they had all returned inside and gone to get ready.  Harry slid quickly into the bottle green dress robes he had bought and pulled his hair back into a ponytail.  Using a Drying Charm on his green cloak, followed by a Warming Charm, he slid it over his shoulders and pinned it with the coiled serpent pin that had come with it, trying to get the chill from the snow out of his bones.  He then strode out into the common room and collapsed onto the couch in the Hexer’s Corner to wait on Ginny and Niamh, pulling his cloak tightly about him as he propped his feet up on the table that still held the boom box and his tools.

“Cold?” asked a voice a few minutes later.

Harry opened his eyes and saw Niamh standing there, her normally wild hair flattened down.  He blinked at her dress robes, which were a very dark royal blue with a gold belt with gold circles looped around her waist.  The really odd thing was that one sleeve was full and the other had been chopped off at the shoulder.  When Niamh noticed him look at it, she laughed.

“I thought I’d make a fashion statement.”

Harry shook his head at her and laughed, getting to his feet.  Niamh took a step back and eyed him up and down.

“Well…don’t you make a figure?  All decked out in green like a true Slytherin.”

Harry snorted and said, “And what a statement you’re going to make.”

“Don’t I know it?  I think I’ll go see what Gin’s doing…”  Niamh walked off and Harry watched her go, reaching up his sleeve to somewhat loosen the grip of his wand holster on his arm.  Everyone else might be leaving their wands, but he was so used to having his, he rarely put his down anymore.

Suddenly Draco appeared and eyed him up and down.

“Going out for Slytherin mascot?”

“Ha ha,” said Harry, looking at the shorter boy.  Draco was dressed in simple but elegant steel-gray robes, the cuffs and collar trimmed in silver.  “You going for the unsheathed dagger look?”

Draco snorted but smiled slightly at him.  He walked on past him out of the common room and Harry watched him go before he heard the door leading to the girl’s dormitories open again.

Niamh entered again, beaming brightly, and pulled Ginny in behind her.  Harry blinked and thought, Well, Mika was right.  That dress does look good on her.

Ginny smiled sheepishly at him then, taking the edges of her dress in her gloved hands (the sleeves were actually gloves), twirled in place.  She asked, “What do you think?”

Harry looked at her for a moment then voiced his earlier thought.  Ginny’s cheeks flushed red, hiding her freckles and she mumbled, “Thank you.”  Harry smiled and said, “Let’s get going.”  He gentlemanly offered his arm to Ginny and she took it, still blushing.  They strode out of Arx Serpens, Niamh preceding them with a wide grin on her face.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“Niamh,” said Harry as they were nearly to the Hall, “who did you say you were going with?”

“I didn’t,” replied the girl with a grin.  She then waved and ran off, yelling, “I’ll see you guys in a minute!”

“What’s that about?” asked Ginny, peering after her.

Harry shrugged and replied, “Haven’t the foggiest.  C’mon.  Let’s go see if we can find Ron before the oh-so-mighty champions get called.”

“Okay.  Who do you think Hermione came with?”

Harry shrugged and scanned the crowd in the entrance hall for Ron, spotting him standing with Parvati Patil, who was dressed in pink.  Ginny winced and said, “I think Ron used a Severing Charm on his robes.”

“To get off that lace?  Who wouldn’t?”

“Harry.”

“Sorry, Gin.  C’mon.”

Ron beamed as the two of them came up then blinked when he saw it was his sister on his friend’s arm.

“Wha’, wha’, what?  Y-you…you two…”

Harry smirked and Ginny said, “Yes, Ron.  We’re here together.”

Ron stared at her then stuttered, “Wh-where’d you get that dress?”

“Mika,” replied Ginny.  “It was a Christmas present.”

“Does Mum know?”

“Ron!” said Ginny indignantly.  “No, she doesn’t.  Hey, there’s the Durmstrang students!”

Harry turned and peered over Ginny’s head as they entered, Krum in the lead with a pretty girl in blue robes beside him.

“Who is that?” asked Ron.

“Champions!  Champions over here, please!”

“I think that’s us,” said Ginny nervously.

“Yep,” said Harry.  He turned to Ron and Parvati and said, “See you two later.”  The two of them walked over to where McGonagall stood by the doors into the Hall.  The Gryffindor Head of House was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had a ring of thistles around her hat.  Ginny shook her head sadly then gave a little cry when Fleur Delacour and her partner, Ravenclaw Quidditch captain Roger Davies, shoved past her and Harry, pushing her into Harry’s side.  The dark-haired teen steadied her and glared mildly at Davies, who was completely enraptured by Fleur and missed it.

Ginny suddenly gasped and tugged on Harry’s arm.

“Harry.  Oh, Slytherin, Harry, look!  Look at Krum!”

Harry looked at his jaw dropped.  The girl standing beside Viktor Krum was none other than Hermione, her generally bushy hair sleek and twisted up into an elegant knot on her head.  She smiled at then and waved.

“Hi, Harry!  Hi, Ginny!”

Ginny had to blink several times then began to laugh.  She looked up at Harry and said, “Well, that’s ironic, isn’t it?  She’s been saying all year how silly it is for all those girls to be hanging off Krum’s arm and now she’s the one hanging off his arm!”

Harry shook his head and said, “Very ironic, Gin.  Now where’s Ni gotten to…”

Suddenly Cedric appeared with a dark-haired girl in a very familiar dress on his arm…

“Niamh!” gasped Ginny.

Niamh smiled sheepishly and said, “Hey, guys.  Oh, Mione!”

Hermione waved at Niamh and said, “Hello, Niamh.”

“Great bleeding serpents,” muttered Harry, looking around at the crowd.  He spotted Cho Chang and saw her glaring coldly at Niamh.  Ah-ha, he thought.

“Alright,” said McGonagall, “all of you gets into pairs and follow me.”

Harry and Ginny ended up second in the line with Fleur and Roger in front of them and Niamh and Cedric behind them as they walked up through the center of the Hall to where the judges were sitting at a large round table.

“I feel like a show dog,” whispered Ginny to Harry as everyone stared at them.

“Welcome to the club,” muttered Harry back.  He turned and saw Ron glaring at Hermione.  “Hoo-boy.  Ron’s spotted Mione.”

“Oh dear,” said Ginny.  “I think all the girl’s are glaring at her.”

“Of course they are.  She got the guy they’ve all been pining over.”

As they neared the top table, they could see Dumbledore beaming brightly but Karkaroff had an expression similar to Ron’s.  Bagman was clapping as loudly as some of the students and Madame Maxime beside him was clapping politely.

“Hey!” hissed Ginny.  “What’s Percy doing here?”

“Percy?” said Harry, tilting his head to see Percy sitting in the seat that would have been Mr. Crouch’s.  The older boy pulled out the chair beside him and looked pointedly at Harry and Ginny.  They both looked at each other then walked over to him, Harry pulling out the seat for Ginny then sitting down in the one beside Percy.

Ginny, blushing slightly from having the chair pulled out for her, leaned forward to talk to her brother.

“Percy, what are you doing here?”

Percy smiled smugly and said, “I’ve been promoted.  I’m now Mr. Crouch’s personal assistant.”

“Why isn’t he here?” asked Harry, eying the menu that had suddenly popped up in front of them.

“Mr. Crouch isn’t well, I’m afraid.  Too much work, I think.  Especially with that Skeeter woman buzzing around…”

“Like a fly,” muttered Harry, looking down at Dumbledore as the old wizard read his menu then said to the gold plate in front of him, “Pork chops!”  And pork chops appeared.

“So that’s how it works,” whispered Ginny, reaching for her own menu.

“Say, Percy,” said Harry.  “A question.”

“Yes, Harry?”

“Is Mr. Crouch still calling you ‘Weatherby’?”

Percy’s face turned completely red and Ginny hid a laugh behind her menu, the silver tinsel arranged in her flaming red hair tinkling softly as she laughed.

“Mr. Crouch is a very busy man,” said Percy stiffly.  “He can’t remember everyone’s name.”

Harry nodded slightly and turned back to his menu, smiling at Ginny as she looked up finally, a smile still on her face from laughing.  He then looked across the table at Niamh and Cedric, who were deep in conversation.  Beside them, Hermione was trying to get Krum to say her name correctly.

“Hermy-own.”

“Her-my-oh-nee.”

“Herm-own-ninny.”

“Close enough,” said the girl, smiling at Harry and Ginny.

Dumbledore stood when everyone was done eating and the plates were cleared and asked the students to do the same.  He waved his wand and the tables zoomed back along the walls as a raised platform appeared along the right wall.  A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes had appeared with it and then the Weird Sisters trooped up onto it, picking up their instruments and striking up a slow, mournful tune.

The other champions were standing and Harry rose with them, unclasping his cloak and laying it over the arm of his chair before he extended a hand to Ginny and the two of them followed the other champions and their partners onto the dance floor.

“Are they still staring at us?” asked Ginny from where she had her face very close to Harry’s chest.

“Yes,” replied Harry, slowly revolving on the spot.  He spotted Neville and Amanda standing at the edge of the watching crowd and glared meaningfully at the blonde girl.  She smiled weakly at him then grabbed Neville’s hand and dragged him out onto the floor.  Very soon more couples came onto the floor and the champions were no longer the center of attention.  Ginny pulled back a little and grinned sheepishly up at Harry.

“That was really stupid…”

“No, it wasn’t,” said Harry.  “All those people staring at you is a bit unnerving.”

“You didn’t look unnerved.”

“That’s because I kept my eyes on you.  The easiest way to not be nervous is to focus on one thing.”

“I’ll try and remember that,” said Ginny, looking over to where Dumbledore was dancing with Madame Maxime, his pointed hat barely touching her chin.  Mad Eye-Moody suddenly passed them, doing a very ungainly two-step with Madame Pomfrey.

“Nice socks, Potter.”

“Thanks,” said Harry, watching as the two of them wheeled away.

“It’s still hard to believe that he’s Mika’s dad,” said Ginny.  “They’re just so…”

“Different?”

“Yeah.  But his eye is really cool.”

“Want one?” asked Harry with a grin.

“Not unless you intend to take my eye with it,” replied Ginny as the last note of the song ended and another one started, this one faster.  She looked up at Harry and said, “Shall we?”

Harry grinned and said, “Why not?  Just try and keep up.  Ni taught me this one.”

“Oh, dear…” was all Ginny got out before Harry grasped her hands and breaking into a bouncing, spinning dance that left the two of them gasping for breath by the time the song was over.

“Oh,” said Ginny, “water.”

Harry chuckled – or tried to, it came out as a wheeze – and said, “I should have warned you.  That dance should only be done once a night.”

“You’re telling me.  Let’s go visit Ron and Parvati.”

“Right-o,” said Harry, weaving through the dance floor and over to the table where Ron was sitting sulking.  Parvati was gazing longingly at the dance floor.

“’Lo,” said Harry as he and Ginny sat down.

“Mmm,” said Ron, his eyes followed Hermione and Krum as they danced nearby.  Parvati glared at him then was suddenly asked by a boy from Beauxbatons to dance.

“You don’t mind, do you, Ron?”

“Eh?” said Ron.

“Oh never mind,” snapped Parvati, going off with the Beauxbatons boy.  Harry looked after her then turned back to Ron.

“I think you just lost your partner.”

Ron snorted and continued glaring at Hermione and Krum.  After the third song, Hermione came over and sat down in the empty chair beside Harry, her face flushed from dancing.

“’Lo,” said Harry, turning to her.  “Might you be talkative tonight or are you merely a mirage?”

Hermione laughed then said, “Well, I’m not a mirage.  My, it’s hot…  Viktor’s just gone to get some drinks.”

Ron scowled at her.  “Viktor?  Hasn’t he gotten you to call him Vicky yet?”

Hermione blinked at him and said, “What’s up with you?”

“If you don’t know, I’m not going to tell you.”

Hermione looked at Harry and Ginny, who both shrugged.

“Ron, what…?”

“He’s from Durmstrang!  He’s competing again Harry!  Against Hogwarts!  You – you’re – fraternizing with the enemy, that’s what your doing!”

“Hey, hey, hey,” said Harry, eyes narrowed.  “I am really tired of the words ‘fraternizing with the enemy’.  Half the Slytherin would consider me and Gin sitting here doing that.  So, don’t talk about it.  Or didn’t you hear my speech about that?”

“What speech?” asked Ron.

“Nevermind,” muttered Harry.

Hermione nodded and said, “And honestly, Ron – who was the who was all excited when they saw him arrive?  Who was the one who wanted his autograph?”

“Is it getting a little hot over here?” asked Ginny softly.

“The temperature is steadily rising,” replied Harry, eying their two friends.

“I s’pose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library?” snapped Ron.

“Yes, he did.”

“What?  Trying to get him to join spew?”

“No!  He said he’d been coming up to the library every day to try and talk to me but he hadn’t been able to pluck up the courage!”

“Well – that’s his story.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” snapped Hermione.

“Obvious, isn’t it?  He’s trying to get closer to Harry – trying to get inside information on him…”

“Oh for Slytherin’s sake,” muttered Ginny.  “That’s the biggest piece of…of…”

“Crap?” suggested Harry.

“…crap I’ve ever heard in my life.”

“How true.”

“For your information,” spat Hermione, “he hasn’t asked me one single thing about Harry!”

“Then he’s hoping you’ll tell him what his egg means!”

“I’d never help him work out that egg!  I want Harry to win the tournament.  Harry knows that, don’t you?”

Harry nodded but Ron was paying no attention.

“Well, you’ve got a nice way of showing it.”

“This whole tournament’s supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends with them!”

“No it isn’t!  It’s about winning!”

“Should we stop them?” asked Ginny.

“Not unless they start punching each other,” replied Harry.

“Why don’t you go and find Vicky,” said Ron.  “He’ll be wondering where you are.”

“Don’t call him Vicky!” yelled Hermione as she leapt to her feet and stormed off.  Harry looked after her then said, “Bravo, Ron.  Good show on ticking one of your friends off.”

“Vare is Herm-own-ninny?” said a voice from behind them suddenly.

Harry and Ginny turned to see Krum standing there holding two bottles of butterbeer.

“Lost her, have you?” snapped Ron.

Harry sighed and stood, leaning across the table to mutter, “You’re acting like a prat, Ron.”  He then turned to Krum and said, “She went that way.”

“Thank you,” said Krum, walking off.

“What’d you do that for?” cried Ron, glaring at Harry.

“Because your acting like a prat!” replied Ginny.

“I am not!”

“Yes, you are!  And besides, if Krum had wanted to know anything about Harry, he would have asked me or Niamh!”

Ron’s eyes narrowed and fixed on another pair on the dance floor.  Harry followed his gaze and saw it land on Cedric and Niamh.  He groaned and said, “Let’s go outside, Ginny.”

“Yes, let’s,” said Ginny angrily, glaring at her brother.  She grabbed Harry’s offered arm and they stalked around the dance floor and out into the entrance hall.  The front doors stood open, revealing the fairy lights in the rose garden that had been set out there.  Going quickly down the steps, the two of them began to walk down one of the many winding paths.

Ginny suddenly rubbed her arms and said, “Oh, its cold.”

Harry wished he’d thought to bring his cloak and then suddenly, there it was, hanging over his other arm.

“Here,” he said, offering it to her.

“Thanks,” said Ginny, smiling.  “I thought you took it off inside.”

So did I, thought Harry.  “I guess not.”

“Oh.”  Ginny wrapped the thick green cloak about herself and gave a sigh.  “It’s so warm.  But there’s no pin…”

“Er…”

“Oh well,” continued the girl.  “I’ll just hold it.  No worries.”

Harry laughed and they continued walking, sometimes weaving away from people sitting on the carved benches.

“…don’t see what there is to fuss about, Igor.”

“Severus, you cannot pretend this isn’t happening!  It’s been getting clearer and clearer for months.  I am becoming seriously concerned, I can’t deny it – ”

Harry looked at Ginny in surprise and mouthed ‘Da?’  Ginny shrugged and then they heard Snape speak again, this time curtly.

“Then flee.  Flee – I will make your excuses.  I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts.”

Snape and Karkaroff came around the corner, Snape blasting the rosebushes with his wand.

“Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett!  And ten points from Hufflepuff too, Stebbins!” he snapped as a boy and a girl rushed past him.  He then spotted Harry and Ginny and said, “Harry, Virginia…shouldn’t the two of you be inside?”

“Things were getting a bit – ah, hot under the collar, sir,” replied Harry, looking at his father meaningfully.  Snape nodded slightly and mouthed ‘My rooms.  After the ball,’ moving his lips so little that only Harry noticed.  He then waved a hand and said, “Move on then.”  Harry nodded and led Ginny off, waiting until they had reached a large stone reindeer and a bench.  He sat down on the bench and Ginny eased down next to him, her eyes wide.

“What was that about?” asked the girl.  “What was Karkaroff talking about?”

“Gin,” said Harry softly, “Karkaroff’s a Death Eater.”

Ginny’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Yeah.  Sirius said in his last letter that he’d spouted off the names of other Death Eaters to the Ministry.”

“But…what were they talking about?”

“Well…waitaminute.”

Harry rose slowly to his feet and peered over the stone reindeer and through the tall fountain on the other side.  He saw the shadowy outlines of two very large people on a stone bench and there were only two people he knew that were that big – and they weren’t Crabbe and Goyle.

“Hell’s bells…its Hagrid and Madame Maxime.”

“What?  Where?”

“No, no – sit!  And be quiet.  If we’re too loud they’ll hear us.”

“So, we’re going to eavesdrop on them?” said Ginny.

Harry looked around them and said, “Looks like it.  We’ve got three paths; one leads back to the castle and the other two go around the fountain.  And do we really want to go either way?”

Ginny shook her head then sighed heavily.

“Momen’ I saw yeh, I knew.”

Ginny and Harry blinked at each other.  Now this didn’t seem like a good conversation to sit in on.

“What did you know, ‘Agrid?”

Hoo boy, thought Harry, focusing his attention on a beetle crawling along the stone reindeer’s back.  Ginny coughed politely beside him.

“I jus’ knew…knew you were like me…Was it yer mother or yer father?”

“I – I don’t know what you mean, ‘Agrid…”

“It was my mother.  She was one o’ the las’ ones in Britain.  ‘Couse, I can’ remember her too well…she left, see.  When I was abou’ three.  She wasn’ really the maternal sort.  Well…it’s not in their natures, is it?  Dunno what happened to her…might be dead fer all I know…”

“What’s Hagrid talking about?” whispered Ginny.

Harry replied, “I think he’s talking about his childhood!”

“My dad was broken-hearted when she wen’.  Tiny little bloke, my dad was.  By the time I was six I could lift him up an’ put him on top o’ the dresser if he annoyed me.  Used ter make him laugh…  Dad raised me…but he died, o’ course, jus’ after I started school.  Sorta had ter make me own way after that.  Dumbledore was a real help, mind.  Very kind ter me, he was…”

“Poor Hagrid,” whispered Ginny.

“So…anyway…enough abou’ me.  What about you?  Which side you got it on?”

“It is chilly,” said Madame Maxime, rising to her feet.  “I think I will go in now.”

“Eh?  No, don’ go!  I’ve – I’ve never met another one before!”

Anuzzer what, precisely?

“Another half-giant, o’ course!”

“’Ow dare you!  I ‘ave nevair been more insulted in my life!  ‘Alf-giant?  Moi?  I ‘ave – I ‘ave big bones!”

Madame Maxime stormed off into the bushes as Hagrid sat there for a moment.  Then he slowly rose and headed in the direction of his cabin.

Harry sighed and looked at Ginny, who was beginning to shiver again despite his cloak.  “C’mon,” he said, “let’s go back inside…”

Ginny didn’t move.

“H – Hagrid’s half-giant…”

“Uh-huh,” said Harry, getting up and grabbing the younger girl’s arms.

“Did you know?”

“Ni’s generally the one that has the conversation’s with Hagrid.  And she’s never said anything.  Why?”

“Harry,” said Ginny softly, “giants are…well, they’re not very nice.”

“Gin,” said Harry seriously, “I know about giants.  They’re like trolls.  But there’s nothing wrong with Hagrid.”

“I know there’s nothing wrong with Hagrid, Harry, it’s just…oh, what if someone finds out?  We – we know him, we know he couldn’t hurt anyone…”

“Except with one of those creatures of his.”

Ginny glared at him and said, “Well, your one to talk.  You’ve got a Darcorn in your pocket.”

“Oh, Ron told you?”

“No, Mika did.  Oh, c’mon, let’s go back inside and dance.  I want to get warm!”

Harry laughed and began to head for the open front doors.

“Then let’s get going.”

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

By midnight, Ginny and Harry were wincing as they walked back down to Arx Serpens.

“Oh,” moaned Ginny.  “I don’t think I’ve ever moved my feet so much in my life.”

“I have,” said Harry, “and mine hurt.”

“Not worse than mine do.”

“What do you bet on that?”

“Two Sickles.”

“Okay.”  Harry pulled two Sickles out of a pocket in his cloak and handed them to the girl.  When she blinked at him in surprise, he said, “I lied.”

“And I have two Sickles,” said Ginny, grabbing the silver coins.

“Hey, Harry!”

The two of them turned and saw Cedric loping across the entrance hall towards them.  Niamh was standing by the foot of the marble staircase, her short hair now sticking up as wildly as usual.

“Hey, Cedric,” said Harry.

Cedric looked nervously at Ginny and Harry said, “Ah, don’t worry.  Gin, won’t say a thing if you don’t want it said, right, Gin?”

“Not unless it’ll hurt someone.”

Cedric shifted his feet then said, “Okay.  Well, listen, Harry…  I owe you one for telling me about the dragons.  You know that golden egg?  Does yours wail when you open it?”

“Yes,” said Harry wincing.  Niamh had opened the egg the day after the first task.  Since then he’d had it locked in his trunk.

“Well…take a bath, okay?”

“Pardon?”

“Take a bath, and – er – take the egg with you, and – ah – just mull things over in the hot water.  It’ll help you think… Trust me.”

Harry and Ginny stared at him like he’d grown a second head.

“Tell you what, use the prefects’ bathroom.  Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor.  Password’s ‘pine fresh.’  Gotta go…want to say good night – ”

“Well,” said Ginny, watching him as he walked back over to where Niamh was standing.  “Not like that wasn’t too odd or anything.”

“Heh,” grunted Harry, catching Cedric and Niamh kissing out of the corner of his eye.  That odd feeling he’d felt at the World Cup when Cedric kissed Niamh’s hand welled up again and he shook it off.  Offering Ginny his arm, he said, “C’mon.  I’ve got a conversation with a certain Potions Master to go to.”

Ginny yawned then grinned up at him.  “And I’ve got a bed to go to.”

“Well then let’s take a shortcut.”

Harry turned them back towards the marble staircase and opened the passage there.

“After you.”

Ginny stepped inside, yawning again, and Harry followed her.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

As soon as Ginny was inside Arx Serpens, Harry turned and headed down towards his fathers rooms.  He touched the brick and said, “Lily.”  The wall opened and he stepped inside, seeing his father sitting in a chair by the merrily crackling fire, a glass of some amber liquid in his hand.

“Da?”

Severus looked up and Harry stepped closer, now seeing that the older man appeared to be dressed for bed, wearing a pair of plaid pants and a green t-shirt with a faded silver snake on it.  His left arm lay along the arm of his chair and Harry could see the Dark Mark, blacker and more sinister than ever.

The teen sat down in the chair across from his father and pointed at the Mark.

“Is that what Karkaroff was talking about earlier?”

Severus looked down at the Mark and nodded, tilting back his head and downing what was left in his glass.  He sat it down on the table beside his chair then said, “Yes.  And how did you know he was a Death Eater?”

“Sirius.”

“Black,” spat Severus.  “Hmm.  I meant to tell you that night you got chosen but that man…I don’t know what to say about him.    I certainly say he’d in a finer mess than I’d be in if Voldemort returned.”

Harry winced as one of his greatest fears was mentioned then said, “Because he gave the Ministry names of the others?”

Severus looked at him in surprise then chuckled.

“Well…Black did tell you more than just that he was a Death Eater, didn’t he?”

Harry shrugged and Severus sighed.

“Yes.  Yes, that would be why.  Of course, with me, no one has a chance in hell of knowing except for my father and he died in Azkaban.”

“He did,” said Harry in surprise.

“Last year.  Now, enough talk.  You should be in bed.”

Harry scowled and Severus looked at him sternly in return.  The teen sighed and grumbled, “Alright, alright.  I’m goin’.”

“Goodnight, Harry.”

“’Night, Da.”

Harry slipped back out into the corridor and down to Arx Serpens.  A few people were still up in the common room but neither Niamh nor Ginny was visible.  Harry shrugged and went into his dorm, quickly getting ready for bed and climbing in, muttering a good night to Hedwig as she woke up from her spot by his pillow.