CH 56

Harry carried the portrait back, ignoring the founder's rambling about Godric's disdain for his areas of expertise. He had learned to just wait until the painting had finished rather than being ignored when trying to interrupt.

It's probably a result of being on his own in here for a thousand years.

Salazar was still grumbling about Godric's lack of appreciation of his parselmagic when Harry left, taking his cumbersome golden egg with him.

'All our champions are here,' Bagman cried delightedly as Harry entered the room. Crouch gave him a disapproving frown for being late.

'The first task,' the weary official began dryly, 'is over. You have each obtained the golden egg your dragons were guarding and achieved a score for your methods.'

'Some of which were spectacular,' Bagman cut in enthusiastically, staring at Harry. The man was dressed in the black and yellow of his former quidditch team, but the robes looked considerably tighter than they must have been a decade ago.

'The egg,' Crouch continued with no hint he had even heard Bagman speak, 'is your clue for the second task. Solve it.'

Harry examined the object he was holding and noticed most of the others doing the same. There was nothing of note on the outside he could see.

I'll have to try opening it.

It made sense for the clue to be inside, given the object it was contained within was an egg.

Cedric was turning his over in his hands, Fleur was running her wand over it lightly, but casting nothing, and Krum was shaking his curiously, wearing an expression of mild displeasure. Harry suspected he preferred the more active, practical sort of tasks.

'Well unless any of you have questions this meeting is concluded.' Crouch did not seem the sort to answer questions, so Harry refrained from asking him how to open the egg.

'Harry,' Bagman caught his arm at the door. 'If you want a hand with the egg just give me a shout,' he whispered. He walked away with a wink, but Crouch cut him off with a stern expression and the two held a furious, muttered argument.

Harry received the distinct impression that Ludo Bagman was being severely dressed down for his offer assistance. He get some sympathy for the for the former beater, but only until he remembered that the man was a poor gambler and likely offered with his own interests at heart.

He should have been more cunning and not got caught. Cradling his clue to the next round beneath is arm, he set off in the direction of the Room of Requirement.

Harry got as far as the Great Hall before he was stopped.

'Ginny,' Harry greeted coolly. She hadn't spoken to him since the beginning of the year and the World Cup. He had been surprised she hadn't tried; his isolation would have been the perfect chance to get closer to him and even if he had noticed he might not have cared.

'Harry,' she replied, very nervously.

'You stopped me,' he reminded her.

'I know.' She flushed slightly. 'I wanted to say sorry.' 'A lot of people have been from what I've heard.'

'A lot of people didn't want to try and stand up to Angelina and all the seventh and sixth years.' Ginny shifted uncomfortably, but Harry wasn't about to take pity on her. She might have hexed Ron, but no girl who professed to love someone, which he knew Ginny had done, ignored their intended partner for half a year.

'Angelina is having a change of heart, he told her. Harry rather suspected that she knew that. The timing of Angelina's change of mind and the sudden rush of apologies did not seem like a coincidence.

'Katie said that, did she?' There was far too much bitterness in Ginny's time for Harry to stomach. Ginny had missed her chance. She could have spoken up for him like Katie had, but she, like so many other Gryffindors, had not been brave enough.

How ironic.

'She did,' Harry replied, adding a little ice to his voice.

'I didn't turn my back on you,' she insisted. 'I just didn't want to suddenly act all close with you, because,' a red flush was steadily creeping up her neck and cheeks, 'I was afraid you'd think I was just trying to get close to you.'

'You should have done,' Harry told her bluntly. 'I probably would have noticed, but I wouldn't have minded all that much.'

'It's too late, isn't it,' she realised in a very small voice. Harry gave her what he hoped was a sympathetic smile. 'Sorry,' he said eventually. 'If it helps I'll accept your apology.'

'I'd like that,' she smiled. 'I was hoping to be someone better this year, not just Ron's little sister who got into trouble and needed rescuing.'

'You succeeded,' Harry reassured her. 'I haven't seen you stick your elbow in a butter dish in years.'

'You saw that,' Ginny's flush returned.

'I tried not to laugh.' He regarded her more seriously. 'I'm not the same boy who rushed down to the Chamber of Secrets after a basilisk to save you anymore, Ginny.'

'I know,' she admitted. 'I don't think you were ever really the boy I couldn't be in the same room as without hiding. Hermione said you'd changed.'

'She's right.' Harry's voice cooled considerably at the mention of the witch who had broken his wand. He would be civil with Ginny and those who never really knew him well enough to want to stand up for him, but Hermione and her ilk were another matter altogether.

'Touchy subject,' she winced.

'You would not be fond of the witch who broke your wand either. I heard what happened to Ron.'

'He was being an idiot,' Ginny scowled, 'he still is.'

'Still?' Harry had not seen hide not hair of Ron since their fight in the common room. 'He and Hermione have some ridiculous theory that something happened to you at the World Cup. They think you were hit by some dark curse and that its affected you in the head.' Ginny snorted, clearly not thinking much of the idea.

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