34-35

Chapter 34 Games Played

November 1, 1994 Hogwarts

Gary woke up the next morning ecstatic. He wasn't picked, Harry wasn't picked, and nothing could bring him down today. He got up, did his morning rituals and got dressed. He woke Neville and Dean, and then he went down to the common room. As the messy-haired teen waited for his friends by the fire, he took out his charms book and read on the current assignment, since he missed Study Hall yesterday. He heard someone coming down the stairs and looked up, hoping it was his friends, but it was Ron and Seamus. He wasn't sure how they got down before the others, but felt it might be something hygienically unpleasant, in his opinion anyway. He never really liked Refresher Charms; to him they left you musty.

"Bet you're disappointed your name didn't get chosen," Ron sneered bringing Gary out of his thoughts, but not dropping his mood one bit. He wasn't going to let this git ruin his morning, so he just pointedly returned back to his book. "Don't think I don't know why your fans were hanging around the goblet," the irate boy snapped, pointing his finger at the twin. "You were trying to figure out a way to enter. I'll bet you're the reason Fred and George tried to get over the age line. I always told Mum they hung out with you too often, now they are in trouble. Well, it's just too bad for you, that Dumbledore is smarter than you," he huffed and folded his arms.

"Ron, you've known me since we were five. Do you really think I would do that?" Gary asked as he calmly turned a page in his book, not even his ex-friend would bring him down.

"Yes," was all the youngest male Weasley said, though the quickness of the reply you knew he had no doubt.

The Gryffindor Potter just shook his head and put his book down. He had other things to worry about, but not today. Today he was going to make as worry free as possible.

Lavender and Parvati came down the stairs and took their seats next to Gary and glared at the other two Gryffindors, while Faye and Leanne went to stand by Ron and Seamus. The common room was starting to get crowded with onlookers. Neville and Dean soon joined them and with an expression of confusion, went to stand behind Gary.

"What's going on?" Neville said, regarding the two groups facing off.

"Ron thinks Gary was trying to add his name to the goblet yesterday," Lavender snarled as she spat the redhead's name like it was venom. "And those three agree with him."

Gary put his book in his bag and said, "Leave it, guys. We'll never convince him otherwise. He's too far into his mummy's pockets." He got up, dismissed the four glaring fourth years, and casually made his way to the portrait, ignoring the outraged shouts.

All this time Hermione stood on the fringes, not getting involved with the disagreement. She had defended the Potter twins last night, but only long enough to get her views across. She didn't think the boys had done anything wrong, and she told Gary so before she went to bed the night before.

Gary understood that, so he gave her a short nod and moved passed the portrait, who was gossiping with another painted witch about the Cedric being chosen.

When the rest of the Gryffindor Mutineers joined him, he just whistled a merry tune and made his way to breakfast. The others exchanged amused glances and then tooted along with him. The Weasley twins, of course, changed the tune. They made quite a sight, bouncing along the halls and whistling as loud as they could. Other students just shook their heads and grinned, they were quite used to the weirdness of this group of students.

They joined the rest of their gang at the Hufflepuff table, along with the friends they made yesterday and had a wonderful meal. Chatter was plentiful as they congratulated the champions.

When Cedric Diggory came into the Hall all of Hogwarts stood and cheered, even the Slytherins joined, clapping their hands and shouting their joy. The seventh year Hufflepuff blushed and then bowed to each table. He then went and joined his friends, who were sitting at the Ravenclaw table. He sat next to Fleur and tried to engage her in conversation. She was having none of it though.

Meanwhile with the parents

Once again the largest dining room in the Potter Manor was filled with concerned parents. This time though there was a full English breakfast on the table, so they could eat while they talked. Hopefully that might make the assembly less tense. That and some people had work in a few hours, so they were going to have to make it a quick meeting.

Lily's face once again had stress lines; it was as if her weeks at the spa never happened. Though James could only speculate how much worse it would be if she hadn't gone.

The oldest Potter rose to his feet, and tapped his coffee mug with his wand, having forgone tea for the more caffeinated beverage. "Thanks again for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us. Enjoy the meal while we talk, I know it is bad manners, but needs must."

Everyone tiredly nodded their heads. Gifford Abbott, after filling his plate and cup, said, "James, you know we want to help you as much as we can, but, I, for one, can't take any more time off work." You could see the remorse on his face. Many of the parents nodded in agreement and voiced their worries and regrets as well.

James stood once again and with a strained, yet thankful smile, he said, "I know and I can't thank you enough for all that you've done for us. We won't ask you to put your jobs in jeopardy. Do us a favor and keep an ear out for rumors about Tom or any of his minions."

The workers looked at one another and then turned to James and Lily. "We can do that. I still don't trust Malfoy or some of his 'friends'. So I have no issue keeping a very close eye on them," Gifford said and then returned to his meal.

"We're going to be questioning Barty Sr. today. We'll find out if it if he knew the son was alive. Hopefully he has some insight on what's going on with the boy," Amelia added, thinking of the questions she would be asking her one time friend. Like did he get his son out of prison? And how he hid the boy? It didn't look good for Crouch Sr. "Now that we know what town Voldemort is hiding, I sent a group there last night. So far they've reported that there are wards around his father's old house." She ran a hand down her face, dislodging her monocle. "They are strong, we have a curse breaker on them, but if Tom cast them then we aren't hopeful that they will be easily brought down."

"Shite, well I guess it is to be expected from a Dork Lord. And once again, you have our thanks," James stated, taking a sip of his coffee.

"How would he cast if he's a homunculus?" came the question from down the table.

"Homunculus' are magical constructs," explained Lily, having wondered the same thing. "If we're right then Tom Riddle Jr.'s soul is in that, and your soul is linked directly to your magic, hence the reason Harry is stronger than Gary. So his magic is just fine, it's his body that he lacks."

"Oh, so that's how he killed the caretaker?"

"Yes," Amelia answered, "So he is to be considered armed and dangerous. We know he has at least one minion, now that we have Pettigrew. Be on the lookout for them and a very large snake."

The messy-haired wizard moved the meeting along by asking, "Wayne can you spend some time in your Animagus form and scout the area?"

"Yeah, I don't have a job, so I'll do a flyby each morning and night. Who knows what I'll find," the man answered, making a note on the ever present notepad.

"Thank you, Wayne," Lily said wholeheartedly. That was one thing off her mind.

"Xeno, are there any more crystals you can put out to encourage the public to continue standing for themselves? The ones Luna put out over the summer are marvelous, but they are for peace time, so I was wondering if we could get one out not so quiet times. I don't want them conforming back into putting all their hopes on my son," the very tired father asked, turning to his strange friend.

"I'll have Luna make one up when she gets the chance. I'll also continue to run articles in the same vein," the white-haired man answered as ate a bite of wonderfully crisp bacon.

"Great," James said, and then looked over the group. "Hunters, barring Wayne, we have a new purpose. We're going to be watching Hogsmeade and Hogwarts — continuously. I know you guys don't have to work, and I won't try to keep you from your family. We almost caught Jr. twice yesterday, and with teamwork hopefully we can keep the kids out of trouble. Lily and Albert are going to figure out why the names didn't differ. Augusta, you keep up with your teas, and keep them away from gossiping about us." He turned to each person and spoke in a suggestive tone, not wanting to come off as some sort of dictator. He was relieved when they just smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, and Remus being at the school helps. Plus, the ghosts also promised to keep watch," Sirius said from his place on James left.

"Don't forget Severus," Lily spoke for the first time, ignoring the snorts from the two Marauders. "He promised to keep a look out. He has to be more careful about it, because Dumbledore still thinks he is in his pocket. And with Karkaroff there, he still has to play Tom's spy as well. Sometime I feel sorry for him," she sighed, and shook her head at the mess her friend had made of his life.

"Right, Snape, well, I hope he stays true to his word," James said with a strained smile, not wanting to cause his wife to get mad. The snort was automatic.

"We'll work together with our wives," Wright said, going over some schedules on his pad. "Well, those that don't have jobs. The husbands can be in the Shrieking Shack, while the wives watch from the Library," he added thoughtfully. "That way couples are home at the same time."

"Yeah, that's a good plan," James agreed and then restarted on his meal. The rest of breakfast was spent in discussion on schedules and then everyone left.

They would worry about Dumbledore when the time came. They had no proof of his involvement, so there was little they could do. Maybe Augusta could start spreading seeds of doubt about the old man's mind and age. That might knock him down a few pegs, and keep him too busy to interfere with the Potter family. He made a mental note to talk to her later; it would have to be done delicately.

James, Lily and Sirius went into the game room and tried to relax. "We'll have to think of something extra special for everyone for Christmas, especially since the kids have to stay at Hogwarts this year," Lily said as she snuggled into her husband's side.

He pulled her close and hummed an agreement, thinking of things they could do for their friends.

Sirius started to snore from the other couch, making the two Potters chuckle with amusement. Since it wasn't their shift they would relax— for now.

A short narration

Time passed quickly, everyone continued to keep an eye out for Crouch Jr., but now that his father was incarcerated for using the Imperius Curse, there was little chance of him showing. Plus the fact that he was injured and perhaps holed up in a non-magical town, away from healers, they could only hope that he didn't know healing magic.

That didn't prevent the Mutineers or their parents from constantly watching. Regardless of all that, the Potter twins were in good moods, very little would get them down. They were safe, for now, and so were their friends.

The questioning of Pettigrew was a bust, the man died when he choked on his own tongue. He was potioned to answer where the Dark Lord was, and what the plans for the tournament were. The only thing they got out of him was that it all involved Gary and he died.

Sally and her ghosts reported nothing new; even with her connection with the dead, no news came her way. She had no idea what was going on with Voldemort. They got the same location from the spirit of Bryce as Madam Bones did. The Potters were angry with themselves for not thinking of asking her sooner. She was connected to all the dead after all. When the boys asked why she didn't tell them, she indicated that she was told not to by a higher power. She said that the prophecy was in play now and that they had to rely on themselves for the most part. She was going to be there rooting them on, but could be of little help. They did train harder than ever though.

She got nothing but zealot ravings from the spirit of Pettigrew, and Sally was so frustrated that she tore his soul to shreds. It would take centuries for him to heal enough to move on.

The Mutineers made great headway in making friends with all the visitors. Luna had a special relationship with two of the Beauxbatons boys. They thought she was a wonderful gift to mankind.

Gary and Harry continued their friendship with the Durmstrang boys and were being taught some spells not taught at Hogwarts. They in return were teaching Baan and his friends to meditate, making sure to give them the crystals. Viktor was especially thankful; he said they would help his career.

All in all, almost everyone was getting along. Fleur Delacour was a bit of a holdout she didn't want to make friends with anyone in Hogwarts. She stuck mostly to the Beauxbatons' students. Harry still couldn't shake the feeling that it was all a mask, but he wasn't going to force a friendship.

November 14 1994, Hogwarts

Then came the day after the Weighing of the Wands, Rita wrote another article. The headline was:

Did the Boy-Who-Lived Try to Enter the Tri-wizard Tournament?

The article went on about how one student, who wasn't named, gave an interview about how Mutineers stayed around the Goblet that day. It questioned as to why this would be. And speculated that Gary, or Harry, were trying to take the glory away from the real champions. Needless to say, the Potters were furious, and Lily went straight to her lawyer and told him to bury that woman.

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall said to Gary as she appeared behind him during breakfast.

"Yes, Professor," the boy answered as he laid the paper down and turned to her.

"The Headmaster would like to see you and your brother before classes," she said primly as if she believed what was written, even though Gary, nor Harry, ever showed such actions before.

"Will you and Professor Flitwick be joining us?" the messy-haired teen asked with a tilt of his head. All the while talking to Harry and finding out at his Head of House had no issue in joining them. Sometimes Gary wished she would step down and let someone who wasn't as busy as she was take over the position.

"As it has to do with the tournament, neither of us are required," she sniffed like she was affronted about something, though the fourteen year old had no idea what.

"Professor," Gary said slowly, "I will not go to his office unescorted, so either you and Harry's Head of House join us, or our parents are to be called."

"Very well, Mr. Potter, that is your right," the Deputy stated as she turned away and headed to Staff Table.

"Do you often have… discussions like this vith your teachers?" Baan asked, leaning forward so their talk was private.

"Only when it involves the Headmaster," Gary answered, looking that the old man and smiling like he had no issues, even as McGonagall told him that she and Filius would be joining them. The Headmaster's smile dimmed, but he raised his glass at Gary and then went back to his breakfast.

After breakfast the Potter twins and many of the Mutineers walked to the gargoyle.

"What are all of you children doing here?" the Transfiguration teacher asked when she and Flitwick meet them there.

"We're witnesses. If this is to be an interrogation then we want to make sure that it is known that both boys have alibis," Susan answered as she squeezed Gary's hand. "Auntie always said, 'Make sure you stand up for the innocent,' so here I am." She smiled brightly with a look of complete blamelessness on her face.

"Oh, very good, very good indeed. You children wait here, and if we need you then you will be called," Professor Flitwick stated, all but jumping up and down at the show of complete friendship. He always liked the Mutineers, they were a good group of children. He had no doubt that Rita Skeeter was spouting complete lies.

Harry, Gary, McGonagall, and Flitwick went up the stairs. They were bid enter before they could knock, and when they went in they saw Snape, Karkaroff and Maxime. There were also Ministry representatives, like Bagman and Percy. Amelia was also there, though she didn't look happy about it and was arguing with Dumbledore.

"… did not try and enter. You cannot interrogate them without their parents," she said loudly.

"My dear Amelia, this is not an interrogation. I simply want to ask two questions to both boys and then they may be on their way," Dumbledore said genially.

"Which you should not be doing without their parents here," the formidable woman snapped, like she had been repeating it for a while.

"I am sure that the Potters need not come for something so trivial," the old man said as he waved her off and turned to the boys. "Ah, young Gary, and Mr. Potter, please have a seat this will not take but a minute."

The boys looked at Madam Bones, who winked at them and patted her pocket. They let out a sigh of relief and took the chairs. "You wanted to see us, Headmaster," they said together.

"Yes, it has come to our attention that you boys may have tried to enter the tournament, is that so?" Albus asked as he folded his hands and placed them on his desk.

"No, sir," was the succinct and duo comeback.

"Did you try and get someone else to enter?" the old man asked, peering over his glasses. "I know you have friends that are of age."

"No, sir," the twin voices were heard again.

"They are of course lying," Madam Maxime stated, just as snotty as her champion.

The twins just shrugged, they couldn't care less what the woman thought. "We have a question, sir, everyone knows the Weasley twins tried to enter, why are they not here?" the boys asked together.

"That is a very good question, boys," Amelia said as she polished her monocle. "Also there was a young Durmstrang man who was Imperiused, why is he not here?"

"I talked to the boy from my school, and he only remembers leaving the boat and having Mr. Gary Potter take the slip away from him. To vich you have my thanks. Ve have already given our statement," Karkaroff said with a curt nod towards Gary.

"Yes, about that," Dumbledore said, holding up his hands when Amelia started to protest, making her huff, "However did you know?"

"The ghost told us, sir" intoned both boys.

"Now, boys, as amusing as your twin speak is, I am going to have to ask you to stop communicating at the same time," the Headmaster stated with a small amused smile at the twins.

"No, sir, we will not," they answered. "We stand together."

"You will respect the headmaster and cease this at once," Snape snapped, as he looked down his hooked nose as if talking to something smelly. He had actually been, well not pleasant, but neutral. The twins knew he had a part to play here, and for their mother's sake they really hoped they prevented this man from ever being a spy again.

"We have not disrespected him, sir. We just want everyone to know, we stand united… sir," they said, both folding their arms across their chest and looking the epitome of twins.

"I believe that is enough, unless you are going to drag all of the underage children that tried to enter here, then you have no proof that the boys did anything wrong. Unless you are going to accuse them of using the Unforgivable, which would be unwise," the Head of the DMLE stated as she nodded to the boys.

"Very well, you may go," the old man sighed as he nodded toward Gary and shooed Harry out of the office.

The twins hotfooted it down the stairs, just glad that it wasn't as bad as they thought it would be. They were met by a wall of friends and girlfriends.

"Was it terrible?" Susan asked, grabbing Gary's hand and pulling him into a hug.

"Yes, what happened?" Daphne asked as she too held her boyfriend's hand, but didn't hug him, just stood very close.

"Don't worry, guys, we weren't alone with him, your auntie was there, Susan, along with all of the tournament committee." Gary said as he returned the show of affection.

"Who do you think talked to Skeeter?" Wayne asked as they started moving towards classes.

"Oh, that's easy," Hannah stated, "it was Ronald Weasley."

"How do you know?" Gary asked, hating the thought that she was right.

"They were on the map together, but since she had permission to be school grounds there wasn't anything the adults could do. Mr. Lupin went to break them up when I mirrored him, but he had to wait until his class was over."

"Oh, yeah, he was out of class after fighting with Malfoy," Gary stated, remembering the argument that had Snape's veins bulging until the man snapped and threw Ron out of Potions.

"Well, it's over, let's get to class," the Ravenclaw twin said, pecking his girlfriend on the cheek and turning towards Herbology.

Thank Merlin he had Lavender and Parvati. If anyone could nip a rumor in the bud, it was the Gryffindor Gossips. Susan and Hannah made sure to take Cedric aside and let him know the real reason they guarded the Cup that day. He said he understood, after all neither Potter boys ever tried to take glory before. He remembered how the twins turned down the special privilege of playing Quidditch their first year. If they were glory hounds then they would have snapped that up right away.

Augusta was diligent in squashing stories caused by the article. She used this time to start planting those seeds of doubt on whether the Headmaster had finally gotten too old to hold so many titles.

November 19, 1994 Hogwarts

Harry was looking at the map, just before bed. He had already done his training for the night and he was tired. But it was now habit to make sure all was well within the castle. He had just finished looking around the empty halls of Hogwarts, when a movement to the side of the map caught his eye. There were names in the Forbidden Forest. One was Charlie Weasley, what could he be doing in the Forest? Harry didn't want to speculate so he took out his mirror and called Sirius. When the dark-haired Animagus showed Harry asked, "Are you guys seeing this?"

"You mean all the people in the Forest?" Sirius asked as he glanced sideways at his own map.

"Yeah, do you know who they are?" the tired teen asked. Hoping they weren't hostile, though Padfoot didn't seem to be worried.

"Yup, we saw them earlier, and me and your dad changed to our animals and went to investigate. There are dragon tamers and three dragons. Nesting mothers from the looks of it. They're here for the first task," Sirius said with a huge yawn. Surveillance was boring, even with the excitement of dragons.

"Dragons!" Harry yelled, waking up a bit more. "They have to fight dragons?" he asked, now worried for his friends.

"Nah, they just have to get passed them and grab something out of the nest," the grey-eyed man said as he waved Harry's worries away.

"Oh, and that's so much better," the teen said sarcastically, thinking of all the horrific things that could go wrong with that.

"Sure it is, if you think about it. Done the right way, it is easier to sneak passed a dragon than it is to slay one. Beside, dragons are a protected creature, not even for this tournament would they sanction killing one. Especially a nesting mother," Sirius explained, running a hand down his haggard face.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I'm more tired than I thought," Harry said sheepishly. "Should we warn the champions?"

"I wouldn't worry about anyone but that Diggory kid. The other two Heads were both in the Forest, so they probably told their students. So, yeah, tell the Hufflepuff, just to make it fair," he stated with a nod.

"Alright, I'll let him know first thing tomorrow," Harry said. His face cracked with a large yawn and he rubbed his eyes. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Padfoot."

"Goodnight, Harry. Done." And the mirror went blank.

Harry started his crystal and Luna's misty voice soon had him asleep.

The next morning the Ravenclaw Mutineers went to the Great Hall, and Harry's eyes roamed the Hall looking for the Hogwarts' Champion. He spotted him at the Hufflepuff table surrounded by his friends. They were laughing and ribbing each other good-naturally. Harry almost didn't want to disturb them. Heaving a great sigh, he made his way to Cedric. "Hey, Diggory, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked as he approached the seventh year.

"Why?" one of the other boys asked, suspicious about this fourth year student. He was one of the few that believed Skeeter.

The older twin ignored him and kept his eyes on Diggory, making sure to show that he was concerned and had information.

Cedric, seeing that anxiety and knowing glint, got curious and nodded his head to his friends, letting them know he'd be right back. The two boys left the Hall and made their way to the far wall of the Entrance Hall. They leaned casually against the wall, side by side.

"So, you know my dad and his friends are keeping an eye on the castle?" Harry asked. Everyone knew about the impostor, thanks to Crouch Sr.'s trial and Pettigrew's death. Though, they all thought the parents were just wandering around Hogsmeade. Thank Merlin, Remus managed to keep the map from Dumbledore, or they wouldn't be able to watch from the Shack. Harry had no idea how DADA teacher had convinced the Headmaster there were two Crouches, and the werewolf wasn't telling.

"Yeah," was all the sandy-haired boy said.

"Well, yesterday they noticed a group of wizards in the Forest. They investigated and found dragon tamers, who were talking about how hard it was to sneak passed a nesting one," Harry hinted as he peered through his bangs to see if the other boy got it without him having to flat out say what the first task was. He didn't want to be accused of cheating, even though it wasn't technically against the rules. With Dumbledore always watching him, he didn't want to give the Headmaster any excuses.

Cedric quickly mulled over that piece of information and within seconds his face paled. He nodded his head to Harry, and rushed back into the Great Hall. He made his excuses to his friends and ran back out.

Harry could only assume he was going to the library. He shrugged a shoulder and went to join his friends. Viktor and the other four Durmstrang boys came and sat next to them. "Viktor," he said with a nod, "I get the feeling your Headmaster gave you some disturbing news." There was a questioning note in that statement.

"Da," the stoic boy said. He too was looking a little pale. "I came to ask if your champion knows vut I know?"

Harry flashed him a beaming smile and nodded his head. The Bulgarian lost some of the tension in his shoulders, and started to serve himself breakfast. The rest of the meal was spent talking about Quidditch and other sports. The Durmstrang students were actually interested in the non-magical sports the Mutineers were telling them about.

"So, someone kicks a ball across a field, vile others try and stop them. But, the players cannot use their hands? This is correct, da?" Baan asked, trying to understand football.

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Well, the goalie can use his hands, but that's all," Terry explained. "Maybe we can teach you guys this afternoon? You know, blow off some steam," he said excitedly. It had been awhile since they had a pick-up game.

"That's a great idea," Susan said, bouncing in her seat. "I'll tell everyone else, and we can get some teams together." And with that breakfast was forgotten as she ran to spread the word.

"That girl and football," Gary said, shaking his head fondly.

Everyone finished their meal and the Mutineers told the Durmstrang students what would be best to wear. It was going to be cold, but after they played for a bit, they would be warmed up. It was good thing it hadn't started snowing yet, this might be the last time they could play before winter hit in full force.

They all went to their dorms, or boat, and got dressed. The players put on sweats and long sleeved t-shirts, their robes thrown over their clothes until they hit the field. The spectators just grabbed winter outerwear. They gathered in the Entrance Hall and waited for the Durmstrang students. When the wayward students joined them, they went to the courtyard and set it up for the game.

Baan, Schmitt, Kyle, Kurt and Viktor decided they were going to play. Other Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students were going to watch. Harry and Gary were goalies; it had been decided long ago that because of their tight connection, they could not be on the same team. Terry decided to be the referee. Lee Jordan, of course, amplified his voice to be commentator.

The game lasted two hours, with Gary's team the winner. The visitors wanted to play one more, since it was a narrow win. They all agreed, but switched up teams. The second game lasted an hour and a half, with Gary's team the victor by a landslide. Everyone cheered and laughed, the stress that had been hanging off Viktor melted with the good fun, which was one of the reasons they suggested it in the first place.

Other Houses took over the field and Cedric joined in the fun.

It was a large group of happy teens that went to lunch, after they changed of course. Chattering about the games lasted the entire meal and the professors were glad to see such international cooperation. Ron and his little group of friends were extremely put out that none of the foreigners would have anything to do with them. Krum especially snubbed the boy, after his attempt to get an autograph. When the rumor circulated about Ron's talk with Skeeter, more and more students had nothing to do with that minority group.

November 22, 1994 Hogwarts

It was a biting winter's day, the first task was this afternoon and the excitement in the air could be felt all over England. The students prattled all through breakfast, giving encouragement to all the champions. Viktor wouldn't tell either of the twins what his plan was. He would just smile and shake his head. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but rumor started somewhere.

No one was paying attention to class, so the professors lectured on past first tasks, and the spells or charms that were used. Though they had given these lessons prior, it seemed like a good idea to go over them again. Well, all but Snape and Watts, they didn't tolerate the children being distracted. With a firm hand they got their lessons complete.

It was at lunch that the champions disappeared, causing the excitement to build. After the meal everyone trooped out to the stadium that was built just for this task. It was a huge wooden structure that was at least three stories high. There was a large box midway, where the judges and officials would be seated.

The round stadium held rows and rows of seats, and stairs climbed on the outsides and the middle. The Mutineers all gathered as one unit and made their way to the top chairs. Most of them had Omnioculars from the World Cup, so they didn't mind being that far from the action. They would share with those that didn't since these devices recorded, so the other students could see the tasks between contestants.

There was an enclosure off to the left of the field, which had a large screen, probably where the dragons were hidden. There was a tent off to the right that was housing the champions. Next to that tent was a white one with a red cross that could only be the medical area.

This time the parents weren't left out: those that couldn't attend the games, were huddled around the mirrors. Thanks to Terry's suggestion, all the Mutineers brought their mirrors to the event, much to the thanks of those men in the Shrieking Shack. They wouldn't be able to see, but they could listen. Many other students seeing what they were doing did the same. Very few people would be left out.

Bagman's voice boomed across the stadium. "Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen to the Tri-wizard Tournament. We are going to see some exciting things happening today. When the cannon goes off, our first contestant will be… Cedric Diggory! Who will be facing a Swedish Short-Snout! This dragon's scales are silvery blue, and its powerful flame is also a brilliant blue color. That fire is hot enough to reduce timber and bone to ashes in seconds. This won't be easy for the Hogwarts Champion! Let's see what he can do?"

The crowd exploded with cheers and then 'ohhed' and 'ahhed' when the dragon was brought into the arena. When the great beast let out a breath of fire towards the stands, many of the spectators screamed. There was a ward to prevent the fire from harming them, that and the giant lizard was far away. Still, to see fire come towards your face was frightening.

The cannon fired and the seventh year Hufflepuff came out of the tent. He stood at the entrance and used a Transfiguration spell to change a rock into a dog to distract the dragon. He was partially successful; the dragon took the bait, and Cedric went for the Golden Egg. He was halfway out of the arena, when the dragon turned its attention to him. It let out a burst of flame that just missed the champion, but the heat was enough to burn his face. The seventh year Hufflepuff retrieved the egg, however, and passed the task.

The Hufflepuffs gave him a standing ovation, and the rest of Hogwarts joined them.

"I hope he isn't hurt too bad," Susan said, gripping Gary's hand so tight the blood stopped flowing.

"I'm sure he's okay," he said, patting her hand. "Madam Pomfrey will fix him right up."

"Yeah," she said, loosening her hold.

"Yes, a great show!" Bagman said, his voice once more filling the stadium. "Now let's see the score for our brave Hogwarts' champion!"

The judges stood and Bagman gave his score first it was a nine, Dumbledore shot a score of eight, Karkaroff gave a four, Percy showed a six and Madame Maxime gave a score of eight. The Hogwarts champion received a total score of thirty-five. The crowd cheered for the higher points and booed Karkaroff. Percy's got a mix of both.

"Now! Ladies and Gentlemen, our next champion will be… Fleur Delacour!" boomed Bagman.

The Beauxbatons' students and visitors stood up and clapped when the cannon went off. Fleur came from the tent and faced a Common Welsh Green. The Welsh Green's roar is rather distinctive and somewhat melodious and it issues its fire in narrow jets.

Fleur used her Veela charm and enchanted the dragon to sleep, but while retrieving the golden egg, the dragon snored and let out a jet of flame that set her skirt alight. She extinguished the flames, and left with her egg.

"Oh, she'll lose points for that," Bagman predicted. "Now the scores."

Once again Bagman went first and once again it was a nine, Dumbledore gave a six, Karkaroff gave a five, Percy shot off a five and Madam Maxime gave an eight. The final award being thirty-three.

"I guess they weren't impressed," mused Harry, who really wasn't either, though he was glad she as safe.

"Maybe if she had actually used a spell, she might have gotten a higher score," suggested Daphne in a huff. She didn't like how Harry kept trying to be friendly with the Beauxbatons' champion, even though he swore it was for political reasons.

"Yeah, maybe," he conceded, admitting that she really didn't do much magic.

"Now, for our final contestant… Viktor Krum!"

The Bulgarian ran from the tent and confronted a Chinese Fireball. The Fireball's scarlet and smooth scaled were fringed with golden spikes around its snub-snouted face and extremely protuberant eyes. Its name is derived from the mushroom-shaped flame that comes from its nostrils when angered, along with the large mushroom-shaped flame it shoots from its mouth.

Victor used the Accio Charm to call his broom. He had gotten the idea from the Weasley twins, who made an off-the-cuff comment about whether or not it could be done. He wanted to try it. So he called his professional grade broom to him and jumped on it as soon as it was in his hands. His years of professional Quidditch helped him evade the dragon as he shot a straight line to the nest, snatched the egg and flew back. All in all it took thirty seconds to get the egg.

Bagman seemed to be stuck on the number nine, Dumbledore gave a nine, Karkaroff shot off a ten, while Percy gave a nine and Madame Maxime concluded with a nine, putting Viktor in first place with forty-six points.

Harry and Gary applauded for their friend, ignoring the glares from some of the Hufflepuffs. Most of the school knew they were friends with the Bulgarian seeker. When the champions came out of the medical tent the whole crowd stood up and gave a round of applause for them all.

"Yes, give these brave young men, and lady, a big hand." Bagman said. "The next task will be just as daring. It will be held on the twenty fourth of February. Until then Ladies and Gentlemen!" and he canceled the mic.

"Well, we can conclude that Karkaroff will not be a fair judge," Terry said bitterly.

"Yeah, too bad he can't be replaced. I wonder what Viktor thinks about it," Mandy said as they walked to the castle.

"Neither will Bagman, what with giving everyone a nine. I wonder what his game is," Harry added. He knew from his dad the man was a gambler, but if he was giving all the players the same score, did that mean he wasn't betting on the tournament?

The rest of today's classes were canceled and it was almost time for dinner. So the students of all three schools were making their way to the Great Hall.

Now that the task was over, they all wondered what was next. Rumors going around suggested there was something happening for Christmas. A lot of girls were excited and rightly guessed that is was a dance of some sort, of course their history lessons pointed in that direction. So the topic turned to dresses and make-up for the girls and who was going to ask who for the boys. The Potter twins had already confirmed with their girlfriends that if rumor was correct they would be attending together.

Chapter 35 Christmas fun and the Graveyard

December 25, 1994

Christmas day came with a ton of snow. The grounds were piled high with the white stuff and there were paths from the Beauxbatons' carriage and the Durmstrang boat, from where the students traveled for meals. The gang was glad to see that the French students were dressing warmer, thanks to some of the other girls giving them tips. International cooperation was going well, with the teens anyway.

Hogwarts was a glittering beauty, there were everlasting icicles hanging from every banister. Fairies were flitting about the halls. The whole building was given a good cleaning, so even the walls were bright, well as bright as stone could be. The suits of armor, also polished, were spelled to sing carols whenever someone passed them by, which had been quite annoying until someone made them sing the same one at the same time.

Laughter and good cheer filled the halls as students opened their presents. Toys and games were shared and teens were seen running up and down the halls. The professors didn't dock points on this day; they knew that the students needed to unwind after a grueling term. They did however yell at them to slow down, and chastised anyone for using magic in the halls.

Now it was Christmas night and the whole school was filled with emotion. Most good, some worried, but you could feel the hum in the air from so much teen anticipation. First, second, and most of the third years were pouting. They did get a special dinner that ended at eight, but it wasn't the same as a ball.

Gary was in his dorm donning his dress robes. They were a deep red with gold trim. Susan had informed him that her dress matched, so he wasn't worried. Right now, he was trying to do the impossible and tame his hair.

"I don't know why you bother," Neville said as he combed his perfectly straight hair in to a roguish style.

"Yeah," Dean agreed as he patted his into tight curls, "it's never worked before."

"Oh, leave off will ya, this is our first formal date and I want to look good," Gary complained as he once more tried to down a cowlick. He finally groaned and dropped the brush. "Maybe the Gossip Queens can help."

"Don't count on it, they have spent the last few hours doing whatever it is that girls do to doll-up," his dark-skinned friend offered.

"Shite," Gary said, making sure his robes weren't creased. He then gazed at his friends to see if they were ready.

Neville was taking Luna to the ball. His robes were a light blue, something his grandmother picked out, they were quite tasteful. They had a dark grey trim, which accented his coloring. Luna was going to dress similarly in a light blue gown with silver sparkles, making it look like a fairy's dress.

Dean was taking Ginny, much to Ron's disapproval. The fourth year boy had sent a letter to Mr. Weasley to ask permission, knowing she would not be able to attend otherwise. His robes were dark grey, with black trimming. Ginny's dress was silver with black trim. Gary and Harry had bought it for her one Hogsmeade weekend, because the dress she had received from her mum was okay, but the coloring was wrong. This one was loose and perfect for a girl her age.

Ron came from the bathroom, followed by Seamus. There was a blush on his face making it a deep crimson, which clashed with his ginger hair and his golden robes. The robes were more like a dress with its ruffles and lace. You could tell where the poor boy had tried to make it manlier and remove some of the ruffles, which actually made it more dress like.

Seamus' were brown and red, and they weren't too bad. The Irish boy was still trying to take the lace off his friend's monstrous robes, but was only making them worse.

Gary and the other two Mutineers were hard-pressed not to laugh outright. So they turned their backs on the embarrassed teen, who was telling his mate to leave off and struggling not to explode with anger.

"Hey, Gary, where are you meeting Susan at?" Dean asked, grasping at anything to get their minds off those hideous robes.

"I'm going to be a gentleman and meet her at her dorm entrance," Gary said with a shrug as he picked up the corsage that he was going to give her. It wasn't a wizard tradition, but his mum suggested it as a nice token.

"Oh, I'm meeting Luna in the Entrance Hall," Neville said as he fixed his tie one last time. He wondered if he should conjure flowers for his date and then decided against it.

"Ginny's going to meet me in the common room," Dean said, turning away from the mirror.

"I still don't like you dating my sister," Ron piped up with a scowl on his face as he pulled some ruffles off the front of the robe.

"It's not up to you. Besides I have permission from your father," Dean said casually. He had already had this argument.

Ron just snarled, gave up on the robes and stomped from the room. Seamus followed his grumpy friend, sending a glare at the other three boys. As soon as the door closed the boys let loose with their laughter.

"Did you see those robes? I don't know what Mrs. Weasley was thinking, sometimes I feel sorry for Ron," Gary said between chuckles. He knew from the twins that Bill had better dress robes than those, and Ron could have used them.

"I don't either, mate. But I'll tell you what, if my mum ever tried to get me in something like that, I would have set it on fire," Dean said as he straightened the wrinkles from his robes that bending over laughing caused.

"Come on, let's go find our dates," Neville suggested with a jerk of his head, and the three took one last look in the mirror and left to get their dates.

Gary went to the barrels that guarded the Hufflepuff dorm, and waited for someone to fetch Susan. When she came out his jaw dropped. The young lady was dressed in a red, daring, skintight, shoulder less gown. It hugged all of her curves. There was a muted gold wrap around her shoulders in place of a robe. At the neck were small gold jewels that sparkled light on to her face, making her look like a nymph. Her hair was pulled back into a chignon, with wisps of loose strands framing her face. To Gary she looked stunning.

"Oh Merlin, you look wicked. I'm surprised your aunt let you wear such a mature dress," Gary said stupidly.

Susan frowned a cute little pout, and then just as quickly she grinned. "She didn't, but it is better to ask for forgiveness than try and get permission," she said with a brilliant smile.

"Whatever the cause, I approve. "Here, I got these for you," he said, holding out the see-through box with a red rose.

"Oh, goodness, where do I pin it?" she asked, seeing as to how her dress was neckless.

They looked it over for a minute and decided to pin it on the wrap to keep it closed, but off the shoulder.

"Shall we, my lady?" Gary said, jutting out his elbow.

"We shall, good sir," she agreed and placed her hand in the crook. They journeyed to the Entrance Hall and soon enough spotted Harry and Daphne.

Harry's robes were a dark green with a light green trim, which brought out his eyes. Somehow he managed to tame his hair so it slicked back from his face.

"I hate you," Gary said through their link.

"Not my fault you didn't ask before today," Harry sent back as he escorted his date to meet his twin halfway.

Daphne's dress was a deep emerald green, with light green trimming. It fell mid-knee and flared from the waist. The bodice was tight and showed her ever growing curves. The open sleeveless robe she wore over it was silver to complement the dress. Her hair was fashioned in curls that hung down her back, but was pulled back from her face and held with a small silver butterfly hair clip.

"You guys look good," Gary said as they joined the pair.

"You don't look bad yourself," Daphne complimented. She was taking in Susan's dress with a quirk of her eyebrow. Susan just shrugged and wiggled her own brows in a suggestive manner, which made Gary perk up and Daphne to shake her head. Harry was too busy looking at his date to notice the byplay.

Just then McGonagall opened the doors to the Great Hall and announced that the students could enter. Both boys put their elbows out and gave a short bow. The girls placed their hands in the crooks and they all went into the dining area.

The usual twelve Christmas trees were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls. The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people. You could see from the windows an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of hundreds of actual living fairies, which were sitting in the conjured rosebushes, and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer.

Gary and Harry led their dates to a table in the middle of the room. They were soon joined by Terry and Mandy, along with Tracey and Spencer. Neville and Luna were at a table to their right with Dean and Ginny. Thanks to the upper years, and the visiting students, all of the third year Mutineers were attending the ball. Ellie Godfrey was Viktor's date, he decided that it would be easier to escort one of the twins' friends than to try and sort out the fangirls.

The doors opened again and the Champions filed through. Cedric was escorting his girlfriend Cho Chang, both decked out in Hufflepuff colors. Fleur looked as radiant as ever in robes of silver-gray satin, and was accompanied by the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, Roger Davies. Viktor and Ellie made a cute couple, even with the size difference. Ellie kept giggling as she looked at the stunned students.

Dinner was served by ordering off a menu, instead of the usual buffet style. All you had to do was look at the menu, place your hands next to your plate and say what you wanted. The children chatted as they ate, the Potter twins were a bit disappointed that Krum couldn't join them, but were happy to have Baan and his date, Astoria, at the table. They talked about the difference between their schools and generally just kept the conversation light. This was a day to relax.

Luna could be heard saying to stay away from the mistletoe as it was infested with Nargles. Neville just nodded in agreement, and steered clear.

When all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it.

The Weird Sisters trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause. They all had extreme hairdos and were dressed as non-magical punk rockers, Goth style, with black clothes that had been artfully ripped and torn. Each band member had heavy black makeup on their faces, emphasis on the eyes. As they picked up their instruments the lanterns on all the other tables had gone out, and the champions and their partners were standing up.

The couples looked lovely as they danced the first dance. Krum guided Ellie around the dance floor like they had been partnered for years. Roger Davies, on the other hand, had a glazed look in his eyes, and you could tell it was Fleur who was leading, though she did it gracefully. Cedric and Cho were also doing well and they both smiled at each other all through the dance.

Harry looked at the Staff Table and saw most of the staff was there dressed to the nines, well except Snape who had on his usual teaching robes, though his hair seemed cleaner. The only professor that wasn't there was Remus. He had volunteered to watch the map tonight so everyone could have a break, which made Harry a little sad that his godfather couldn't come. Even Professor Watts attended, somehow dressed in blue and bronze dress robes. Sally could be seen off to the side of the Hall, bobbing her head to the music. The school ghosts mingled with the crowd, telling of Christmases past.

The entire ball was going well; everyone was having a good time. The Weird Sisters soon upped the beat for the younger crowd. The dancing was going well, the samplers were refreshing after one came off the dance floor and the cooling charm on the room was indeed will appreciated.

After dancing for an hour, Harry took Daphne to the cleared area outside the castle for a romantic walk. They were strolling down one of the paths, when they came upon Hagrid and Madame Maxime, who looked very cozy.

"We shouldn't disturb them," Daphne said as she tugged on Harry's sleeve. "Let's take a different path. Look, that one over there looks empty." She pointed to a brightly lit path, which had a Father Christmas statue at the end.

"Okay," the now messy-haired boy said, letting her guide him away. Just as they were turning down the other path, Madame Maxime started shouting at Hagrid.

Harry turned, but Daphne just pulled harder on his arm. "It's none of our business. Hagrid is a grown man. Leave it," she said firmly.

He sighed and nodded and ran his hand down her arm and grasped her small hand in his. They ventured away from the arguing couple and soon found a bench to rest on.

"Are you having a good evening?" Harry asked, turning to face his lovely date. Even after all that dancing she still looked beautiful.

Her face lit up with a brilliant smile. "I have never had such a wonderful night. Thanks to my devoted boyfriend," she said and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush, she always had a way of making him feel special.

"That's great," Harry stammered. Then he looked into her eyes and his face softened. "I'm having a great time as well." With that he leaned forward, gently placed his lips on hers. It was light and sweet, since he didn't want to get yelled at by Snape, who he could hear walking around and sending stinging hexes in the bushes. Besides, this was not the venue for deep snogging. "Thank you for being such a wonderful person."

Daphne blushed and leaned her head against his shoulder. They sat for a while just enjoying the night.

Hphphp

The ball finally concluded at midnight and all the gentlemen accompanied their dates to their dorms and then proceeded to their own rooms.

Gary ushered Susan to the barrels and just as they were about to arrive, she pulled him into an alcove. She then took his face in her hands and planted a firm kiss on his lips. "You are the best boyfriend ever," she said forcefully, "and if I hadn't promised my auntie I'd be good, well let's just say that there is a nearby broom closet that will stay empty tonight." After that stunning remark, she ran out of the alcove and entered her dorm.

Gary let out a whoop, and then proceeded to walk, in a daze —thinking about broom closets— to his common room.

"Oh, look at Gary," Lavender said to Parvati as he exited the portrait, "It looks like he was either smacked or very thoroughly snogged." She smirked smugly.

"With the way Susan was all decked out, I'm going with a kiss," the other girl said with a giggle. "I'm surprised you're back so early."

"It's none of your business," Gary said, snapping out of his stupor and sticking his tongue out at the two snickering girls. "Did you guys have a good night?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Schmitt was a perfect gentleman," Parvati stated, happy that she agreed to go with the older boy.

"Kurt danced with me all night," Lavender said with a dreamy smile. Her date was quite handsome and she hoped that they could continue to get to know one another, even if it was just friendship.

"That's great," Gary said with a huge yawn. "Well, I'm going to get out of these robes and go to bed." He waved to all his friends and proceeded to do just that.

It was a good night and relieved a lot of tension. Harry made sure to call Remus on the mirror to ensure himself that the man at least got dinner. His godfather reported that all was well and he did enjoy the wonderful meal that Hogwarts planned for the evening.

Meanwhile with the parents

A week before Christmas the Potters had called another meeting. This time they had good news, they were renting a yacht for the day and treating everyone to a day of relaxation. Lily mentioned a longer cruise, but it was decided that no one could take the time off for that amount of time. So they all agreed that when Voldemort was gone everyone, including the children, would take a week long cruise up the British coastline.

This night was for the adults. Sirius even managed to get a date with a French single mother, a Villette Courtois, whose daughter was at Hogwarts with the Beauxbatons' assembly. She was beautiful woman with long blonde hair and a pixie face. She was tall and willowy, with the grace of a dancer. She had come into the Hogsmeade Library to see what it was all about and struck up a conversation with Sirius, who was manning the crystal booth.

Instead of gathering at Potter Manor like they usually did, everyone decided to meet at the docks. It was a general consensus that they would be going semiformal. So only casual suits and party dresses. No one wanted to dress up; they all just wanted to relax.

The large crowd of parents, and Sirius and his date, converged on the small dock known as St Saviour's Dock on the south bank of the River Thames, 420 meters east of Tower Bridge and forms the eastern end of the picturesque and historic embankment that starts at Tower Bridge known as Shad Thames. The other side of the Dock is Jacob's Island. At the end of the dock was a small yacht, it was only one story high, with rooms to change if needed, and enough facilities to make sure everyone was taken care of. James hired a tour guide and a catering company.

At the aft end of the yacht, there was a group of small tables that fit six people. The railings were alight with bright blue Christmas lights, which gave the area soft lighting. The radio played classical carols and there was a dance floor set up on the other side of the deck. Lining the dance floor were poles of the same blue lights.

Dinner was buffet style, with tables set to the right side of the deck, which were filled with international dishes of; Thai turkey filo dippers, Clementine & vodka-baked salmon with beetroot crème fraîche sauce, Triple cheese & aubergine lasagna, British beef crostini, Smoked fish & potato latkes sharing a platter and many other delicious foods. The parents were ecstatic to be trying so many international foods.

James, Lily, Sirius, Villette, Wright and Wren all sat at the head table, after gathering their meals. "So, Villette, are you enjoying yourself?" James asked politely, after the dinner started dying down.

"Oui, et is good to be out on a dinner date. Zank you for inviting me," the blonde answered with a wistful smile as she turned her head to Sirius, who took up her hand and kissed the knuckles. "Et 'as been so long since I 'ave enjoyed myself. Et is not easy to be the only parent of a teenage girl."

"Do you mind if I ask what happened to Mr. Courtois?" Lily asked tentatively. "If it is not too personal," she quickly added to not seem overly eager for the answer.

"My 'usband was killed by Death Eaters, when 'e was visiting your Ministry," the woman replied sadly, taking up her napkin and dabbing her eyes. The men looked at Lily and sighed.

"I am so sorry," Lily said as she gently took the blonde's hand, feeling bad for bringing up such a sad memory.

"Et is fine. Et was a while ago, et still 'urts a bit, but now I am … getting over the pain," she said with a shaky smile as she put down the now smudged napkin. "My daughter, she is telling me 'Mama, you are to be dating again'. She is very… insistent that zis must be true," Villette said proudly.

"Well, all the better for me," Sirius said smugly with a handsome smile. "Come on, my beautiful date, let's dance." He stood and held out his hand to her. She took it and the two went and joined the other couples on the dance floor.

"I shouldn't have said anything. I have no idea why I asked that," Lily said. There was a little niggling feeling in the back of her mind that no one could be trusted. And she didn't know this woman, maybe she had been living on the edge for too long.

"No, you probably shouldn't have, but I do understand why you did. Come on, Lily-flower, let's join everyone and relax. You need to unwind," James said as he stood and took her by the elbow and led her to the dance floor. They swayed to the soft music; Lily laid her head on James' shoulder and just released all the tension and flowed with the music.

"I wonder how the ball it going?" she said in a whisper. Not wanting to break the moment.

"We taught the boys how to behave at such a function. I'm sure they're being perfect little gentlemen. Don't worry about the kids tonight; it's our night to enjoy." With that he moved a little more determined in his steps. He wanted it to be a night to remember. Lily laughed and followed along.

After about ten minutes of dancing, the yacht started to cruise the Thames. The guide was pointing out all the historical sites that could be seen from the river. Things like the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London and the Cutty Sark and many other attractions. Many of the parents enjoyed the tour and the open bar. Others decided that the dance floor was a better option. No one talked about the things they had been stressing over, and everyone had a wonderful time just cutting loose.

February 11, 1995

December gave way to January and the snow still fell. There were no big celebrations for the New Year, because everyone was on edge. January was left behind and February took over, making everyone more nervous at the upcoming holiday, and the fact that Tom and his minion had be silent this whole time.

It was Hogsmeade weekend and the Potter twins were determined to get their girlfriends something nice for Valentine's Day. Last year's gifts were sweet, but now that they were more mature, they needed to get something more meaningful.

It was a small group of Mutineer boys that were roaming the village.

"I have no idea what to get Susan," Gary confessed, looking around the shops to see if anything caught his eye. "Her aunt wasn't much help; she thinks anything I get her will be good enough."

"You got her that charm bracelet last year, right?" Terry asked as he too viewed the stores.

"Yeah, but I got her a new charm for her birthday, so that's out. Mum says I should get jewelry again, but she didn't say what kind," the youngest Potter said frustrated.

"Why don't you get her a nice emerald necklace to go with her coloring?" Harry suggested. He was going to get something similar for Daphne, only topaz. "And maybe matching earrings," he added thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure I want to get the same type to gift you're getting Daphne. It shows I have no imagination," Gary waved off his brother's advice.

"Yeah, I guess that make sense," his twin shrugged. The older they were the more they became their own person. Gary was far more outgoing then his quieter twin.

"How about something from the sports store, like the jersey from her favorite Quidditch team?" Spencer asked.

"Or even season tickets to her favorite football team," Wright added.

"Those are actually good suggestions," Gary said thoughtfully. Susan was a bit of a tomboy, if he played it right and got something cute along with them he could pull it off. "I'm going to go talk to Mum. I think she's at the Library today." He went to break off from the group when Harry grabbed his sleeve.

"Not by yourself," the older boy said firmly. "We still don't know where Crouch Jr. is."

"Oh, yeah," Gary said sheepishly, he had become complacent. Nobody had heard a thing from the Death Eater or Voldemort in months.

"Let's go to the jewelry store first, and then we'll go to the Library," Harry said, pulling his brother along.

So the group of boys went to the store and Harry got his gift for Daphne. Terry got a charm bracelet for Mandy, since they weren't quite as serious as the Potter twins and their girlfriends. The other boys were going to get something simple, like stuffed animals or flowers.

Harry and Gary were just leaving the shop, the other boys right behind them, when they heard a crack. As they spun around to where it came from, Harry was hit in the side with a stunning spell. Gary whirled around to try and see who attacked his brother. Just as he had lifted his hands to fire a cutting curse at the man in the shadows, he was also hit with a stunning spell.

The parents could be seen running down the street towards the boys; wands raised and ready to attack. They just spotted Crouch's name on the map, and came as soon as they could. They got within range and saw the other Mutineers attempt to fire spells at the kidnapper.

Crouch sneered at them as he batted them away, and disappeared with Gary using a port-key.

"Neville, what happened," Lily said, grabbing the boy by the arm and giving it a shake when she finally reached them.

"I'm not sure," the sandy-haired boy said in a bit of a daze. "We were coming out of the shop, talking about our girlfriends. Gary was distracted about what to get Susan, he was talking to Harry. The twins had just left the store, when we heard the sound of Apparation. The twins started to face whoever it was, but he got to them first."

Frank extracted his son from the upset mother. "Neville, are you hurt?" The Gryffindor just shook his head.

James woke Harry and asked him the same questions. Then he asked, "Harry, can you tell where your brother is?"

"Give me a minute," the older twin said as he shook the cobwebs from his head. He started calling down the bond. "Gary, Gary, can you hear me?" He then shook his head at his parents.

"Keep trying," Lily demanded.

The older twin just nodded his head and did as she said. "Sally!" he yelled, making his male friends look at him weird.

"What do you need, Harry?" she asked as she materialized in front him with a serious look on her face.

"Can you tell me where Gary is?" he demanded, still desperately calling through the link.

"No, I told you the higher powers state this is all you guys. I am sorry, Harry, but remember I trained you for this." She put her hands in her back pockets, looking like a teenage girl with no worries in the world. She had confidence in her boys.

"Fat lot of good that did, we were taken out by stunners," he said in a rage, though mostly to at himself. He was so distracted by thoughts of rewards for a good present that he didn't pay attention. Damn puberty.

"Well, I can't really say much about that, but perhaps it was fated," the deity stated with a shrug.

"I have to find, Gary. If you can't help me, can you at least go to where he is and try to wake him?" the older twin asked, softening his face to show he wasn't mad at her, only himself.

"Sure," she said with a perky smile and disappeared.

"Harry," Dean asked, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder, "who were you talking to?"

"Let's just say it's a ghost you can't see," the boy answered, still calling his brother with his mind.

"Right," the other boy stated with a nod of his head and looked the adults, who were whipping out their mirrors and rallying the troops, making sure to call Amelia.

Later with Gary

Gary woke with a major headache, a smack on the cheek, and the worried voice of his brother in his head.

"Gary, goddammit answer me!" Harry's voice screamed.

"Gary, wake up," came Sally's voice from his right as she continued to hit his face.

The teen groaned and opened his heavy eyes. "Harry, what happened?" he complained in his head. "Sally, quit hitting me, and tell me where we are," he softly ordered his longtime friend.

"We're in Little Hangleton," she said like he should know where that was.

He nodded his head and tried to move, but his arms and feet were tied to what appeared to be a headstone.

"We were ambushed. Where are you?" was the frantic reply from his brother.

"I'm in some graveyard. Sally says it's a town called Little Hangleton." Gary looked closer to the headstones around him. "All the grave markers say the last name Riddle. Crouch is here. He is setting up a cauldron and it looks like he is going to do some ritual," he informed his brother. "There's a baby-like body in front of the cauldron, I think it's Voldemort," he finished.

"Sally, can you untie me?" he asked softly with his eyes darting around the graveyard, not wanting to attract attention from his kidnappers. The cemetery was old and there were many tombstones that were crumbling and falling apart. It was surrounded by woods and the shadows that were on the ground let Gary know that not much time had passed.

"Sorry, Gary, the higher powers say not to interfere anymore," she said with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Gary sorted through the two conversations, and when he got a clear picture of what happened, and was happening, he paid closer attention to the scene in front of him.

Crouch Jr. was limping about the area in front of him, which made him feel better that he hadn't gotten away unscathed. The vile man was adding things to a large boiling cauldron and the Dork baby was squirming at his feet, telling him to hurry.

The tided up boy could hear noises at his feet. He looked down and saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass, circling the headstone where he was tied. His necklace shook when the snake's head was near. "There's a snake here, and it's making my necklace vibrate. It might be a new horcrux," he sent to his twin, who cursed and passed that bit of information on to the adults.

Sally got his attention by stating the obvious, though he had to give her kudos for trying to be reassuring. It really wasn't in her nature. "Gary, your brother and parents will find you. After all it is Harry's destiny to face that… man," she said, waving at the homunculus. "I need you to try and get out of your ropes," she ordered, though she was internally cursing that she couldn't do more.

He took a deep breath and sent a wandless cutting curse to the ropes, but nothing happened. "Damn, I think he suppressed my magic or these are magic resistant."

"Okay. Don't panic whatever you do," she said, then looked at his face and realized he was very calm. "I think I know this ritual, it requires blood of the enemy. Remember what I told you guys a long time ago. Voldemort is not your enemy; he is a parasite that must be destroyed. As long as you keep that in mind, the ritual won't work."

"Gary, Amelia knows where you are and we'll be there in few minutes. Mum and Dad are gathering as many adults as they can, as quickly as they can. Try and hold on," Harry said, his emotions were so panicked that Gary wanted to send Sally back to him.

"Okay, hurry though, my magic is not working."

"I'm going to get Dad to take me there now; maybe if I send some of my power to you, you can get loose." A few seconds, later he heard, "Gary, me and Dad are outside the graveyard, but there are wards up. Amelia and the Aurors were already here. They were watching the house Riddle was in, so they got here quicker. We're working on getting in. I don't know how long it will take, but I'm going to push my magic through the bond. The wards might slow it down, so try and reach me," Harry's voice rang in his head.

"Okay, but I have suppression ropes binding me, so it might not work," Gary replied. He felt down the bond and could feel the barrier preventing the transfer, mostly. "Wait, can't you slip in as a grim?" he asked, thinking the shadow dog could bypass the ward.

"Let me try," Harry said. And then there was a sigh in Gary's head. "Nope it's warded against Animagi. Try your form."

So Gary tried to shift to a snidget, but the ropes prevented it. "No go," he reported.

"Shite, let me try the power boost, again" Harry stated.

"Okay," Gary replied as he gazed at the man and thing in front of him. 'He is not my enemy…' was the thought running through his head.

It was about that time that Barty noticed his captive was awake. He sneered at the helpless boy. All of his spying had paid off. Stupid Wormtail almost ruined everything when he got caught, but the Dark Lord never trusted that crazed man. It took months of re-planning after his failed attempt to get the boy in the tournament. His master was now pleased, and will reward him well when he was revived. Now, finally, the greatest Dark Lord of all time was going to be reborn and greater than ever.

'Look at me,' he thought, 'Azkaban didn't make me into a zealot like it had Peter. My Lord is so proud.' He looked adoringly at the baby-like creature at his feet. 'I'll see him rise again.'

Gary gave a full body shudder at the look on the man's face.

"Feeling helpless, little boy?" the demented man smirked as his tongue snaked through his lips. "Can't use your great power to get free? My Master is too smart for a weakling like you," he boasted as he walked towards Gary, who was glaring at him.

"Bartemius, continue with the preparations," came a soft voice from the homunculus. "I will deal with the Boy-Who-Lived in due time."

"Yes, Master," Crouch said and turned back to the cauldron, adding more ingredients.

The cauldron in front of the bound boy started to bubble, sparks flew in every direction. Crouch picked up the homunculus and gently lowered it in the potion. He then waved his wand and a bone flew from the grave Gary was tied to.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son." The escaped convict intoned firmly as he threw the bone into the large pot.

Sally whispered in Gary's ear, "Remember, not your enemy."

Gary nodded and kept the thought firmly in his head, all the while reaching for his twin. He could feel a trickle of power and once more tried to cut the ropes, but to no avail.

Junior placed his right arm over the cauldron, raised a knife to his hand and slicked off his index finger. "Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master," the barmy man cried joyfully.

"How close are you? Crouch is almost done," he practically yelled down the bond. "I don't want to have to deal with this nutty bastard on my own."

"One more minute, we're almost there."

Crouch then turned and made his way to the teen. He lifted the knife and placed it on Gary's arm. With a cruel smirk, he cut deep into the flesh of the teen's forearm. "Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe." Placing a vial under the freely bleeding arm, he collected the blood.

Gary sagged in relief, his mind quit going in circles about the whole enemy thing, which is why he was surprised when it seemed that the ritual worked.

Taking the blood back to the cauldron, Crouch poured it in. More sparks came from the potion, a white mist soon filled the area and Gary couldn't see anything.

'Stupid rituals, I guess Sally was wrong,' he thought. Just then he felt the barrier break and magic flooded through his system. He cast another cutting curse and this time his hand was freed. He quickly cut through the ropes on his other hand and then unbound his feet. As the mist was beginning to clear, turned into the snidget and flew to a tree, sending a message to his brother letting him know where he was.

He saw familiar figures moving among the trees, and flew towards them. He had just transformed into his human form when a large snake appeared in front of him. Without even stopping, he raised his hand and severed its head without a word. There was black smoke and wailing coming from the dead body, and Gary gave a huge sigh in relief, and continued his way. He met up with his father and said quietly, "I killed the snake."

James just nodded and jerked his head to the back of the woods. The younger Potter looked and saw a very worried Harry, so he quietly made his way to his twin. Lily was also there; she healed his arm and then grabbed both boys. Just as she was about to take them away, Sally popped up and shook her head.

"If you want to end it now, they have to stay," she informed the overly-protective mother.

"No," the distraught woman whispered. She and James had done everything to keep her boys away from the fight. It went against everything they believed in to keep the twins here.

"You must," insisted Sally, who was standing with her hands on her hips and glaring at the practically crying woman. "There is still the prophecy in play. No matter how much you shelter them, Harry has to face Voldemort."

"Mum, I have to," the older twin said as he put a hand on his mother's arm. "This is what you guys have been training us for. If we're going to do it, it should be now, before he starts killing again."

Lily looked into her son's eyes and saw only a determined teen. The glint and the firming of the jaw let her know that he was going to fight. It was with great reluctance that she nodded her head. The three Potters turned and made their way back to James.

The senior Potter had been watching the resurrected Dork Lord search for his son. Now was the time to end this, while the monster was weak. He glanced around and saw the same conviction on the other parents' faces. No one wanted this… man to roam free again.

Lily and the twins joined him. He raised an inquiring eyebrow; Lily only shook her head sadly and mouthed, 'prophecy'. His shoulders sagged, and then after a second he nodded his head. The rest of their team spread out among the trees in a circle around the graveyard.

Voldemort was pressing his wand to the Dark Mark on Crouch's arm. The Death Eaters would be here soon. They could end this war before it even started. The snake-faced man was glancing around the woods. His red eyes could see the figures moving into position, but he wasn't concerned. They would never be able to kill him. His Death Eaters were formidable fighters. These pathetic wizards won't stand a chance against him or his men.

One by one, the cloaked and masked men appeared. They formed a circle around their master and waited with bated breath.

"I had a wonderful speech all prepared for you, my friends. However, it seems we have unwelcome company. I want you to find the Boy-Who-Lived and bring him before me, unharmed. Kill anyone else," the silky voice of the deformed man said.

"Now!" James bellowed, lifting his wand and sending curse after curse to the robed figures in the graveyard. The parents all raised their wands to do the same, not one stunning curse was sent by them; however, the Aurors were only trying to capture.

Caught by surprise five of the Death Eaters fell to harmful curses, the rest raised shields and started a barrage of counter attacks.

The Potters stood together, just outside the graves raining curses down on the ducks in the middle of the circle. It was fortunate that the Dark Lord spotted them at the same time they turned their wands to the bigger fish. Picking the closest twin, he trained his wand on Harry and sent a Killing Curse, and then sent the same to the brother. He wasn't going to take the chance that he was shooting at the wrong boy.

Harry and Gary wandlessly lifted their necklaces in the path of the deadly curses, and the last horcruxes were destroyed with pitiful wails and white smoke. As one the family lifted their arms and all four attacked the vile being with different curses.

Blood exploded everywhere, as Tom's wand arm fell to his feet. His intestines spilled from his belly. A large gash bloomed across his eyes, blinding him immediately. The last curse was Harry's, and just as the Dark Lord was yelling his defiance to the sky; his head fell from his body.

The power he knew not— was his family standing united.

Four Years Later

Harry Potter looked around for the last time at the room he had lived in most of his life. He was getting married tomorrow, to the lovely Daphne Greengrass. They would be leaving the next day to go on their honeymoon. When they returned, they were going to be opening a new inn in Diagon Alley, and hopefully, live a very quiet life.

As he glanced around his room, he reflected on the last few years. After the Dork Lord fell, Harry and Gary were whisked away as soon as the body hit the ground. Their job was done. Lily took them straight to the Hogsmeade Library into the arms of their girlfriends. Sally was there to let them know that Voldemort was finally on his way to his just reward. It took an hour to talk the girls down, but they did, then everyone was ushered back to the castle.

Lily informed them that they would be speaking to Dumbledore as soon as Amelia finished with the crime scene, most of the Death Eaters fled; well the ones who weren't injured or dead. Lucius Malfoy was among the injured, and since Madam Bones was there, this time he couldn't buy his way out of Azkaban.

Their mum told them that if the Headmaster tried to talk to them before the parents got there, to tell him to wait.

The Potter twins had made their way back to Hogwarts, and were met by a large crowd of concerned friends. The boys had been covered in dirt and blood so everyone was asking what happened; they only told them that it was finally over. The tension that had filled the air changed to one of relief and confusion. The boys told the Mutineers they would get the whole story that night.

Dumbledore, having been informed by Snape that his Dark Mark flared, did try and get the two tired teens to his office. They stood firm and said their parents would be there soon. And sure enough, just when the old man persisted, twenty adults filed into the hall. They all looked tattered and torn. But the relief that showed on their faces was enough to calm their children.

His Dad had told him what happened in the headmaster's office. James explained to Albus everything the Mutineers and their parents had done over the years. How they hunted the horcruxes, how they trained the boys. He smirked as he recounted the blatant disbelief on the old man's face. It took sharing the memories of their trials to finally put Dumbledore in his place. It did come out that he knew that Voldemort was going to try and get Gary in the tournament; however, he had nothing to do with the attempt. Harry smiled at the memory of Dumbledore stepping down as headmaster, citing that he had grown too old to run a school, if he missed what was going on right before his eyes. Never again were they bothered by that man.

After that confrontation James and Lily finally moved on with their lives. James stayed with the Wizengamot and Lily joined the Unspeakables as a researcher. All of the movements they put forward to keep the kids together were still in play. Wizards were still sending their kids to non-magical schools and vacations were taking place outside the wizarding world. The libraries and the crystals still thrived. The magic-null rooms were in every household, so the wizards now knew all about non-magicals, well most of them. Those that still stuck to not having a computer, looked like fools. Mirrors were update to more complex devices and almost every teen carried one.

His faced then turned sad as he remembered Sally saying her goodbyes. Now that her mission was over she couldn't stay, plus she had new charges to take care of. She had taken them to the Room of Requirements that night, and told them it was time for her to go. Needless to say the twins were upset; they had known this deity all their lives. After a tearful hour of thanks and goodbyes — Sally left. Though, all of her ghosts stayed and they would talk to her for the boys, but it wasn't the same.

Because there was no outside interference, Viktor Krum won the Tri-wizard Tournament. Harry was happy for his friend. He kept in touch with all the Durmstrang students he befriended.

Gary had married Susan right out of Hogwarts. The couple was expecting their first child soon. Harry was proud of his brother. Gary became an Auror; the fight with Voldemort cemented his career. Amelia Bones backed his choosing. The youngest Potter twin was still the heir to the Black family, because even though Sirius married Villette, they didn't have a son. Gary was going to split the fortune with Villette's daughter, Arleta; however, he would inherit the title.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the memories, Harry picked up the last thing to be packed. It was a photo album of all the Mutineers and their time together, going back from when they were in primary school. This of course started the memories again.

As he flipped through the pages, he glanced at one of the first photos. He shook his head at the picture of Ron, standing with his family. Ron lived at the Borrow and all the lessons they had taught him were wasted. It was sad that he would never amount to anything, his friendship with Seamus even faltered, when the Irish boy married and moved on, leaving Ron to survive via his mother.

There was a picture of the gang at Hogwarts, and peeking in the background was that girl… Hermione, if he remembered correctly. She was actually doing well in the Ministry, something about fighting for house elves rights. He mentally wished her luck and turned the pages until he got to the end. There was a photo of the whole gang. It was taken the day the Potter boys graduated. They had held a large party and every Mutineer and their parents celebrated with them.

Neville was standing next to Luna; the soft look in his eyes as he stared at the quirky girl was how he still looked at her now. They started dating just after the Yule Ball. Neville changed his career choice of Herbology to follow his girlfriend around the world looking for obscure animals.

Harry glanced at the other sets of twins in the photo. The Weasley twins, with the help of Sirius and Remus, opened their joke shop. It was a tremendous success. Molly never liked that her boys didn't go into the Ministry, but the twins didn't care. They were happy. Right now they were not seeing anyone, but talk was going around that they were flirting with two of the girls they played Quidditch with.

The Patil twins moved in with Lavender. Padma was training with Lily in the Unspeakables. Parvati and Lavender were under the apprenticeship of Trelawney. The batty woman was going to leave Hogwarts and wanted one of her two best students to take her place. Whichever one got the job would move to the school, and the other would open a fortune telling stand next to Pandora's Box in Hogsmeade.

Terry and Mandy tried dating, but it didn't work for them. Terry is now seeing one of the Beauxbatons' girls he met fourth year. Mandy was single and working in the Department of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts.

Hannah was coupled up with Michael, which shocked everyone. They had bought the Daily Prophet and brought the sales back up to what they were before Skeeter ruined the paper.

Skeeter was finally caught and fined for being an Animagus, which she tried to pin the Mutineers with to reduce her sentence, but they registered right after Tom's failed revival. Rita was so destitute that she left the magical world and started working for one of the tabloids in London.

Alice Mcfay, who had been one of the quieter Mutineers, was now sharing a flat with Sally Anne Perks. Both girls moved back to the non-magical world after leaving Hogwarts. They never truly felt they belonged to the magical one. They did keep in touch with the rest of the gang, but were happier where they were.

Spencer and Ginny are engaged to be married this winter. They both went into Quidditch and were doing well.

Tracey and Astoria were both apprenticed to Madam Malkin. The dressmaker was going to retire soon and the two girls wanted to take over the shop.

Everyone in the picture had moved on after the battle in the graveyard. The parents finally had relaxed their protective stances and let the teens be teens. Parties were held instead of meetings, and they all were still good friends. The Mutineers met at least once a month to catch up with everyone.

"Harry," a soft voice said behind him, "are you ready?"

Harry turned to his soon to be wife and nodded. He put the picture album in the only open box in the room and went to her side.

"Just finishing packing," he said as he left his childhood behind.

Hphphp

And that's that. The rewrite was longer than I thought, because I went in with the intention of cutting useless stuff and wound up adding more. Oh, well, if you liked this one, I have over 20 others that could use some attention. Thanks for reading my story.