Chapter 17 Different Encounters

November 3, 1994

Harry and his family headed towards London to get back to the houseboat. Now that they knew where they were they could Jump back to Hogwarts, much to Harry's relief. They ducked in a nearby alley and disappeared, reappearing on the shores of Black Lake. They then took another Jump to the boat. The only reason they didn't Jump straight to the boat is that it could have drifted from where they last saw it.

The group then went to Mr. Scott's office and gave a report on their day. Neville said there weren't any brooms that were better than the ones they brought. Agent Mumford excused herself to call her department. Sirius and Gilly sat down to discuss the streak-haired teen's punishment. And the brothers went to their dorm.

Harry sat on his bed and removed the shrunken trunk and his books, which he laid to the side for later. He looked at his dad's trunk fondly, here was something from his parents' school days and he wanted to treasure the moment. Now he would know more of what they were like as teens. Oh he had stories from Padfoot, but to hear, or in this case read, it in their own words, well that was just a whole lot better.

After a few minutes, the green-eyed teen then placed the trunk on the floor, waved his hand and resized it. He opened the top and gazed at the clutter within, it seemed his father wasn't one to organize. He waved his hand and the content of the trunk was all on the bed. With another wave of his hand, he put the books in a pile with the diaries went on top. He would read his mom's tonight. The teen looked at the robes and scrunched up his nose at them. He really hated robes, they were so cumbersome. However, he didn't feel the need to rid himself of them, so he snapped his fingers and they flew into the air. They then folded and relocated back into the trunk.

After that was done, the youngest champion looked through the trinkets that were left. Some things were joke items that Sirius had told them about. He chuckled as he remembered some of those tales, and reverently put those back in the chest as well. Now all that was left was a package that was wrapped in plain brown paper that had a note on the top. He picked up the piece of parchment and read:

Harry,

Glad you found this, keep it hidden from the Professors. One of the items in this package is a family heirloom. The other item is from the Marauders' time in Hogwarts. I had to recreate it, because my friend, Peter, lost the original. Treat it well. Had it not been for these two things, we would never have been as successful as we were in our pranks.

I was going to lend them to Professor Dumbledore, but your mum talked me out of it. She said you might need them in the future.

Use them well.

Your dad

James Potter

"Hey, Neville, come here and check this out," Harry called to his brother as he picked up the bundle.

Neville put the book that he had been reading down, got up from his bed and joined Harry. "What is it?" he asked, looking at the plain package.

"I don't know for sure, but Dad says it's a family heirloom, so I have a feeling as to what it might be," Harry confessed with a glint in his eyes, praying to every God that it was true. "Let's open it and find out."

Slowly they opened the wrapping and a silvery piece of cloth fell over Harry's arm, making that arm disappear.

"I was right, it's Dad's Invisibility Cloak!" the only Potter exclaimed excitedly. While he had many things from his parents, this was a family heirloom. He had wondered where it went; Sirius and Remus said they didn't know. He was worried that it might have been lost in the attack, so he was very glad it was in his hands now.

"Wow, that's so neat," Neville said with awe as he touched the smooth cloak. "Try it on," he urged, wanting to see if it still worked, since these cloaks had a shelf life of about fifty years.

The streak-haired boy got up and donned the cloak, making his body vanish with only his head showing. "Do you know what we can do with this?" Harry all but shouted, ideas forming in his head. "This will make a lot of the tasks easier, well the last one anyway. I'll have to change some plans, but this will be so much better. Now that I know I can talk to dragons, the first task will be a breeze."

Neville just nodded his head and then looked down and saw a folded piece of parchment. "Hey, Harry, there's something else," he said picking it up. He unfolded it and saw that it was blank. "That's weird, I wonder what this is. I can feel magic coming off it."

"I think that's the map Sirius told us about. Dad did say that he recreated something lost. So this must be it. Good thing that old dog told me the passcode," Harry said as he removed the cloak and took the parchment. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," he intoned, pointing his finger at the parchment.

Lines started to form and little footprints were moving about, with names above them. The whole map filled out and Harry could see where everyone on Hogwarts' grounds was. He saw the Headmaster and that greasy-haired man, Snape, in the Headmaster's office. He noted where Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were and their names also appeared. The SMI boat wasn't on the map, but he could see the students in the Quidditch pitch, probably playing football or something. There was a crowd of Hogwarts students in the stands.

"This might also be useful in the third task, if the maze shows up on it. You can use it to guide you to the middle," Neville suggested, pointing out where the maze was most likely to be, since it was the biggest clear area within the wards.

"That is a great idea, bro," Harry said, beaming to his longtime companion. He was thankful to have his brother in his life, though not the reason for it. He had to wonder what they would have been like if their parents had survived. He had a feeling that had Death not interfered, they would not be as close as they were now. That thought made him a bit sad, then he looked at his brother in all but blood and knew that what Jim did made his life a whole lot better.

Neville just nodded his head as he studied the map. The two talked about these great tools and made plans. Jordan came in a few minutes later and the boys talked for hours about what Harry was going to do.

That night Harry relaxed on his bed with a small ball of light that shone over his head as he read his mom's diary. It was about her school years and a few years before. She wrote about how she was best friends with Snape, even before she knew she was a witch. She had stood by his side and defended him, right up until their fifth year, when the boy called her a foul name. She felt bad for not forgiving him, but he had started hanging around a group of people she didn't trust. With the talks of war, well, she had to choose and she chose life over her friend.

It went on to how James Potter was a bully and constantly picked on the Slytherin House. There was a lot of girl talk about who was cute, and who was dating who. The teen learned who her friends were and how she and his dad finally hooked up. It was in her final year— when she was made Head Girl— that she and James— who was Head Boy— got together, even then it took months for her to like him. It seemed he grew up a little bit and wasn't as hard on the other Houses, nor did he throw pranks around like they were candy.

The rest of the diary went on about their romance until the last entries, which was when she graduated and married James. He learned a lot about his mom and according to this diary, she was not perfect and neither was his dad. They were just normal teens that studied, fought, had fun and fell in love.

It took the whole night to read, but Harry was thankful he took the time. He wasn't as thankful for the tears that fell, but it couldn't be helped. It was with a heavy heart that he got up the next morning to start his day.

Neville and his fellow students gave him space. He had told them what he would be doing and they only offered their support, but otherwise let him be. His brother understood what the tri-color haired boy was going through, since his parents' school journals were just as emotional.

Harry went to the Infirmary and asked the nurse for a pepper-up potion so he could make it through the lessons. He still had detention and he spent most of his free time either in the living area or his dorm. The lessons that Mr. Scott and Luis were making him go through were taxing. He had to do a lot of meditation, and it was one thing that he had never been good at. At the end of the long day he went to his bed and got out his father's diary and started reading.

In great contrast to his mother's hormonal writing, his dad expounded on the pranks he and his friends pulled. Although there was a little bit of angst as the writer went on and on about how his mom kept turning him down when he would ask her out. Harry had to chuckle when he read that. Sirius had told him some of the wild things his dad did to get Lily's attention. Now, reading about them… well, it was funny, the lengths someone would go through just to get the girl. He was glad that Jessie was not that time consuming.

Upon reading the torment James and his friend put Snape through; Harry didn't know what to feel. On one hand, the man was a Dark Wizard, but he knew from his classes that didn't mean evil, though his dad seemed to think so. On the other hand, from what he read in his mother's diary, Snape had a hard life at home; his dad was abusive and his mother was useless against it. Finally the teen just shrugged it off and decided he would just judge the Potions Master by his behavior now, which so far was unimpressive.

The rest of the week was uneventful; they went to classes and did their homework. The students spent time having movie nights so that Harry wasn't left alone on the boat. Gilly and Sirius came over every other day and told them about the gossip from Hogsmeade. The youngest aunt's little table was in constant use, as everyone wanted to meet the American that raised Harry Potter. She played his life down to them and hoped to give the impression that he was just an ordinary teenage boy. So far it was working.

Sirius reformed his connections to the people he had known before leaving Britain. The boys would need those in the times to come when they took their seats on the Wizengamot, if they took them. It all depended on how they were treated here. If they were treated poorly, they would have proxies appointed and England could do without them. Oh, they knew they had to stay and take care of the Dark Lord problem, but that didn't mean they had to put up with what Harry called 'bullshit'.

Harry knew that if he didn't stay and take his seat here, there was a good chance that he would go into politics in the US. There were loads of problems that he could always help solve. So whether he stayed here or not, his lessons would not go unused.

The SMI contingent kept the two Owens boys up to date on what was happening in Hogwarts, since Neville and Jordan stayed on the boat with Harry. While they still weren't eating breakfast there, the older students still made sure to talk to the other schools, to get a general idea on who thought what. The Hogwarts students were still divided on how to treat the Boy Who Lived, whereas the foreigners were mostly of the opinion that he was a victim who should be pitied. Harry hated that almost as much as the hero worship. He was going to have to talk to them and see if he couldn't change their minds.

It seemed that after the fiasco on the first day Headmaster Dumbledore chastised the students and talked Mr. Scott into giving breakfast in the Great Hall another try. The Vice Principal agreed and he made sure to lecture Harry on keeping his temper. Luis put his two cent worth in and drilled into his head the proper way to handle such things.

So the next day, the SMI group dressed in the casual uniform of their school logo t-shirts and blue jeans. And they all Jumped to the shore. They excitedly chatted as they made their way up the stairs to the doors. Taking a deep breath Harry opened the doors and led the way to the Great Hall. Once again when they stepped through, the Hall went silent. Harry just shook his head and started towards the Hufflepuff table to where the Hogwarts champion sat.

"Ah, I see our Salem visitors have decided to join us," Dumbledore said as he stood from his throne like chair. "I will once again impress upon you to treat them as you would any of our other guests," he said firmly, looking over his spectacles to the students. Some of them bowed their heads at the disapproval; others firmed their faces in protest.

Harry just shrugged and continued his way. "Mind if we join you guys?" he asked Cedric.

"Go ahead," the seventh year replied, waving his hand to the emptying bench as the other students scooted to make room.

"Thanks," Neville said as he, Harry and Jordan sat. They gathered some of the less fatty foods onto their plates and were thankful that these students didn't start bombarding them with questions. As they ate, they talked about the different sports the two countries had. Cedric was upset that Quidditch was cancelled this year, but was ecstatic that he was chosen for the Tournament.

They were talking to some of the non-magically raised about the difference between the two countries football, only this time Harry and Neville were the minority. Jordan just got a smug look on his face, since it was usually him that was the only one on the side of European football. Now they would know how he felt when this topic came up in the States.

The meal went smoothly, no one bothered them with personal inquiries and they compared lessons between the schools. The Hogwarts students were very impressed with SMI curriculum. Those not raised in the Wizarding World were especially enthralled that they continued non-magical studies. Some of them got wistful looks, thinking it might be a good idea to do self-study on those subjects.

The SMI trio didn't let them know about the new way of doing magic, since they wanted the first task to be spectacular. Harry did glance at Cedric and came to a decision. "Hey, Cedric, can we talk after breakfast? I promise it won't take but a minute," the boy with the tri-colored hair asked, his face a mask on innocence.

The confused teen just nodded, and they finished off breakfast. When they were done the two left the Hall and ducked into an alcove off the Entrance Hall. Cedric looked at the younger champion warily, he had no idea what the boy wanted.

"I wanted to let you know what the first task is. It's not fair to you, or the others, that I know and you don't. So if I tell you, you have to promise to let the other guys know as well," Harry whispered frantically, upset with himself that he didn't do this sooner, or have someone else do it, since he had been on the boat all week.

"How did you find out?" Cedric glared, thinking Mr. Scott told him.

"Oh, I can't tell you that. Let's just say it wasn't an official. It was an old family friend who happens to have inside sources," Harry answered vaguely, waving it off as unimportant. "So do you promise?" he asked eagerly, hoping this… Hufflepuff lived up to that House's reputation.

The tall blonde thought about it for a few minutes. It would be helpful to know and since it wasn't a professor or other official telling him it wasn't cheating. Plus, he would be letting the other two in on the information, so they would all be on an even footing. He finally nodded and swore to let the foreigners know as soon as he could.

"Okay… well… it's dragons. We have to get something from nesting mothers," Harry told him in hushed tones. He already had a plan to make sure no one was hurt in the task. All he had to do was find out where the creatures were going to be hidden.

Cedric's jaw fell and his face paled with shock. He knew the tasks would be dangerous, but this was outrageous. After three or so minutes, he finally pulled himself together nodded his thanks and left the alcove.

Harry, figuring the poor boy was in shock, just shrugged off the rudeness and went on his way. Hufflepuffs were known to be loyal, so he trusted the guy to keep his word. He made his way back to the boat, humming a tune as he went. He ignored all the stares and just bounced along to the music in his head.

All in all, it was a good morning.

November 14, 1994

It was Monday and Harry, Neville and Jordan were with their mind magic tutor, Matthew Sarris, brushing up on their Occlumency, when Mr. Scott came in to the room. "Harry," he called, "we have to go to the Wand Weighing ceremony."

"How does one weigh a wand?" Jordan asked as his face wrinkled with a frown. "I mean, aren't they all about the same weight? Besides, does it make a difference how much your wand weighs?" he mused as he rubbed his forehead in a confused manner.

"Well, from what I understand, they do not weigh the wand. It is more like they just make sure it is in good working condition," Mr. Scott explained patiently, though he really didn't understand what the ceremony was all about. Couldn't they just get a sworn statement from the wand maker to show that the wand worked? Why all the pomp and circumstance? Then he sighed and made a come-on motion for Harry to hurry up.

"I have to go to the dorm to get my wand. Do you think I should bring all three?" Harry asked as he put his book in his bag. Getting up he made towards the door.

"No, just bring your primary wand. It is against the law to own more than one here in Britain," the Vice Principal said as they walked down the hall.

Harry just shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly, and went to his bed and gathered his wand. They then went to the deck and Jumped to the front door of the castle, making the Hogwarts' students jerk in surprise.

It was a good thing that Evie pounded into their heads that it was bad manners to Jump into a building, or they would be popping up all over the place, which according the Luis was not a good idea. Here there were actual laws about going into any building magically. There were places set aside for Apparation and portkeys, which made sense, since it could be considered breaking and entering, or even just a simple invasion of privacy. Jumping however was not regulated, but the SMI group decided to stay within the law and not Jump inside Hogwarts.

When Headmaster Dumbledore found out that they could move about the grounds in such a manner, he was not pleased. He asked that they teach him and his staff to do the same. Mr. Scott tried, but only the Heads of Houses and Dumbledore were able to pull it off.

In addition to that, in what he considered to be fair play, Mr. Scott taught the Heads and teachers of the other two schools, making Dumbledore upset once more. Only of few of them were able as well. The SMI Vice Principal said he would continue to try and teach the rest to Jump until his school left.

The frustrated man tried to get Gilly to teach them, but she flat out refused. She stated that she didn't trust any of them, and didn't want them to try and convince her to teach them other magic. Here in the UK she could call it family magic and deny them access. She didn't want to pull that card, but she would if they pushed. The reason being was that she didn't want anyone to know the history of the Owens family. It wasn't pretty, nor was it anyone's business. She knew that if they dug deep enough that her family would be considered Black Widows, since all the husbands died.

Mr. Scott shook himself from his thoughts as he and Harry made their way to the room where the weighing was to be held. They were the last ones there. The teen looked around to see what all the fuss was about; he expected some major decorations and ceremonial stuff. He was wrong.

The room itself was clean and neat. There was a long table in the back with some of the officials sitting there. There were four chairs in front of it, facing the door. There was a line of chairs facing them, and there were people Harry didn't know sitting in those chairs. There were a few banners set up behind the long table, which depicted all three schools.

Harry and Mr. Scott shared a look at the slight that their school wasn't represented, so the teen waved his hand and Salem Magical Institute's banner was now fluttering next to the other three. The other Heads and officials frowned at this, but there was little that could be done. The school had the right to show its pride, just like them.

Harry made his away to a raised dais, where the other three champions were sitting. Cedric looked excited; he was polishing his wand, which was already shiny, and trying to chat with the Beauxbatons' champion. Fleur was simply sitting there, ignoring the Hufflepuff, with an air of superiority. Krum was leaning against the wall, his arms folded and a neutral look on his face.

The youngest champion took the empty chair next to Hogwarts champion. He liked the seventh year Hufflepuff. Unlike some others, this young man didn't bug him about his past. That and he made breakfast at his House table, relaxing and calm. The two boys struck up a conversation about the tasks, and waited for the ceremony to begin.

"Hey, did you tell the others?" the boy with the tri-colored hair asked as he leaned in so no one could hear.

"Yeah, they were shocked and a bit worried, but I think they might be okay," the sandy-blond answered.

"I might have a plan. I'll let you know more, when I do," Harry confessed with a wink and a shrug.

Cedric just looked at him, noted who was paying attention to them and changed the subject. After they talked about Quidditch for a minute, a gaudily dressed lady, with hideous glasses and wild hair, came and grabbed Harry by the arm. "Mr. Potter… Harry, may I call you Harry?" she purred as she tried to yank him from his seat. "How about you and I have a little talk? All my readers are just dying to know where you've been and what you've been up to." She continued to try and pull him from his chair, but Harry wasn't budging.

"Get your hands off me, you old crow. No, you may not call me by my given name. And I don't give a good god damn what your readers want," the angry teen said as he pulled his arm from her grip. The room temperature dropped as his eyes hardened.

"Come now, Harry, my boy," said the Hogwarts Headmaster in his grandfather tone, "you should not treat the press so. I, too, would like to know where you have been all these years." He was still sure that the boy would not be going back to the States. He had plans in motion that would impress the child to stay here. There was no way that SMI was superior to Hogwarts. He was, however, curious as to where he had been and how he was raised.

"I told you once already, it's none of your concern. I have people I answer to, and you and her public are not them. I am not your boy and don't call me by my given name either," Harry all but snarled, really tired of this old man's antics. "I will tell you this, you old bat," he said turning his ire to the reporter, whose name he didn't ask, "I have a lawyer, and a damn good one, don't fuck with me."

Mr. Scott came up behind his student and placed a hand on his shoulder. "My student does not answer to the press. If you report anything that doesn't have to do with this tournament, then we will sue you to the full extent of the law. You would do well to remember Harry is a dual citizen and is protected by the United States Government." His face was firm, like he wasn't going to back down and meant every word he said.

The still unnamed reporter backed off, but with a look in her eye saying it wasn't over. She sat in the chairs in front of the platform, an acid green quill floating above a piece of parchment, which was situated on her lap.

"Perhaps, another time," Dumbledore stated and then he wandered off to talk to the Ministry officials.

"Harry, we will be talking about your language, again. Perhaps more time with Luis will curb that tongue," Mr. Scott reprimanded with a disappointed voice. They just had a week's detention, there had to be something that would teach Harry not to lose his temper.

"Sorry, Mr. Scott, but she grabbed me. No one grabs me like that," Harry defended his actions.

"I will let it slid this time, but, Harry, you will be talking to Luis," the frustrated man said with a curt nod and then he turned and went to his seat.

Harry watched the man go and sighed. "Sorry you had to witness that," he said to the other champions. Fleur and Viktor shrugged in different manners. Fleur's was a motion like she expected the boy to do something so uncouth, whereas Viktor's was more along the lines of understanding.

"You shouldn't have done that," Cedric whispered tentatively. "That is Rita Skeeter, she a shark. Do you see that green quill? It'll misquote you and make it seem like you are some type of… well you get the idea," he finished with a wary look at the reporter.

"I don't care if she is the President of the United States, or the Queen of England, nobody grabs me like that," Harry snarled, and then his face softened a bit. "Sorry, those people piss me off," he apologized; it wasn't Cedric's fault that adults rubbed him the wrong way.

Cedric shrugged and nodded, he had done his best to warn the young man. They turned to the door when it opened and saw a tall, older man come through. "That's Ollivander, he is going to be checking our wands," the Hufflepuff said as he started to clean his wand again.

"He looks creepy," Harry offered, looking at the man's seemingly all-seeing eyes. The tall man looked at him, and Harry threw up his Occlumency shields and glared at the disturbing man. Ollivander flinched back and made his way to the stage.

"Yeah, I think he gets a kick out of scaring first years," Diggory agreed, remembering the first time he met the wand-maker.

Harry looked around and saw that all the Heads and the judges, bar Dumbledore, were sitting at a table behind the champions. Mr. Scott was taking the place of Ludo Bagman, to make sure his school was represented. Mr. Bagman had protested, until the rules were brought out that there could only be five judges and all students had to have an evaluator on their side. So Madame Maxime, Headmaster Karkaroff, Mr. Crouch and Mr. Scott lined the table.

"May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?" said Dumbledore with a flourishing wave of his arm and then he turned and took his place at the judges' table. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament." His eyes twinkled with some unknown mirth, like there was a joke hidden in his words.

"Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?" said Mr. Ollivander, stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room.

Fleur Delacour swept over to Mr. Ollivander and handed him her wand.

"Hmmm …" he said. He twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it close to his eyes and examined it carefully. "Yes," he said quietly, "nine and a half inches … inflexible … rosewood … and containing … dear me …"

"An 'air from ze 'ead of a Veela," said Fleur. "One of my grandmuzzer's." She stood proud of the fact that she could use something that represented her family. Her grandmother was very special to her.

So Fleur was part Veela, thought Harry. He had wondered after first meeting her. That should be interesting. He did speculate as to why he wasn't affected by her lure. He had never been under the influence of any mind altering magic, so he had no idea why she wasn't affecting him. He glanced at Cedric and noted the older boy's eyes were a bit glazed, but he seemed to be in full control of himself. A quick look at Viktor showed the Bulgarian was complete unaffected.

"Yes," said Mr. Ollivander, "yes, I've never used Veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands … however, to each his own, and if this suits you …"

Mr. Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then he muttered, "Orchideous!" and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip. "Very well, very well, it's in fine working order," said Mr. Ollivander, scooping up the flowers and handing them to Fleur with her wand. "Mr. Diggory, you're next."

Fleur glided back to her seat, smirking at Cedric as he passed her.

"Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it?" said Mr. Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm, as Cedric handed over his wand. "Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn … must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches … ash … pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition. … You treat it regularly?"

"Polished it last night," said Cedric, grinning.

Harry just smiled at the overly proud Hufflepuff and had to repress a chuckle at the double meaning. He wondered how a teenage boy didn't realize what he was saying could be taken the wrong way. Perhaps, Cedric was just that sheltered.

Mr. Ollivander sent a stream of silver smoke rings across the room from the tip of Cedric's wand, pronounced himself satisfied, and then said, "Mr. Krum, if you please."

Viktor Krum got up and slouched, round-shouldered and duck-footed, toward Mr. Ollivander. He thrust out his wand and stood scowling, with his hands in the pockets of his robes.

"Hmm," said Mr. Ollivander, "this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I … however …" He lifted the wand and examined it minutely, turning it over and over before his eyes. "Yes … hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he shot at Krum, who nodded. "Rather thicker than one usually sees … quite rigid … ten and a quarter inches … Avis!"

The hornbeam wand let off a blast like a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end and through the open window into the watery sunlight. "Good," said Mr. Ollivander, handing Krum back his wand. "Which leaves… Mr. Potter."

Harry rose and handed his wand to the strange man.

"Now, this is not one of mine," Ollivander said, taking the wand. "Holly… very subtle… a bit swishy… and griffin feather… oh my, that is quite a surprise. I don't use them myself… very dangerous to obtain… however, it is a strong core…" he gave the wand a swish, called out "Lumos" and a light filled the room, blinding everyone, causing them to blink rapidly to get their eyesight back. "Oh my, a strong core indeed… I must say Mr. Potter this wand has seen very little use."

Harry just smirked and shrugged it off as unimportant. Rita's quill was rapidly filling the page that rested on her knee. The streak-haired teen had to wonder what could possibly be so intriguing about his wand.

Ollivander looked at the young man and nodded. He handed the wand back and said, "A very strong wand… use it well." He then turned to the judges and announced, "All these wands seem to be in perfect condition."

"Thank you all," said Dumbledore, standing up at the judges' table. "You may go back to your lessons now — or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end —"

Harry got up to leave, but the man with the black camera jumped up and cleared his throat.

"Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" cried Bagman excitedly. "All the judges and champions, what do you think, Rita?"

"Er — yes, let's do those first," said Rita Skeeter, whose eyes were upon Harry again, "and then perhaps some individual shots."

The photographs took a long time. Madame Maxime cast everyone else into shadow wherever she stood and the photographer couldn't stand far enough back to get her into the frame; eventually she had to sit while everyone else stood around her. Karkaroff kept twirling his goatee around his finger to give it an extra curl; Krum, whom Harry would have thought would have been used to this sort of thing, skulked, half-hidden, at the back of the group. The photographer seemed keenest to get Fleur at the front, but Rita Skeeter kept hurrying forward and dragging Harry into greater prominence, making him snap at her for manhandling him. Then she insisted on separate shots of all the champions. At last, they were free to go.

Harry shot Skeeter one more warning look and accompanied Mr. Scott out of the castle. "I don't trust that reporter. She seems far too interested in me to let anything rest." He could just see the headlines now and they wouldn't be anything he liked.

The Vice Principal nodded his head in agreement and said, "I'll let your Aunt Gilly and Sirius know what she looks like so they can keep an eye out." He would make sure the lawyer was on standby. He didn't trust that woman either.

"I'll tell the other kids," Harry added. They went back to the houseboat and Harry rejoined his class. After dinner, Harry and the other students were in the living area when he let them know about the ceremony and the Skeeter woman. They all said they would keep on the lookout.

The next day Rita Skeeter wrote an article on the oldest champions, which was accurate on those three. There was a second front page article, below the fold, with a solitary picture of Harry and another headline that read:

The Boy Who Lived: Stuck Up and Uncaring

The story went on as to how Harry didn't care for Britain and that he was rude to everyone he met. There were quotes from some of the Hogwarts' students about his rant. Then it told about his gutter talk and his complete denial that he was their hero. It also speculated that this might be brainwashing from his current guardians. The article called the aunts cruel and unjust. It accused them of kidnapping and turning Britain's icon against them.

Harry immediately called Mr. Roberts and his lawyer in America, Mr. Prickle, to bury the witch. He gave a detailed explanation on exactly how the wand ceremony went, and what was said the first day he had breakfast with the Gryffindors. When he spoke to the solicitors, he left nothing out, not even his rudeness, he did, however, defend himself by saying that Skeeter had accosted him first.

The next day, Mr. Roberts, Sirius and Gilly went to the office of the Daily Prophet and confronted the editor. The argument that ensued would be remembered for quite a while as not only did Gilly tear the man a new one, she also destroyed his office.

"Just who the hell do you think you are? If I get my hands on that bitch you call a reporter," the young woman asked as she slammed into the office of the chief editor. "How dare she touch my nephew."

"Now see here…" was as far as the man got before the irate woman continued.

"You tell me where she is. I'm going to make sure she understands just what 'cruel and unjust' means," Gilly all but shouted, her hair whipping around her face as she faced off the smug looking man behind the editor's desk. That look was wiped off when the wind started throwing his papers and books around the room.

"Now look here…" the man stuttered as his office was torn apart.

"Don't you think for one minute you are off the hook, jackass," Gilly stated, pointing a finger at his head. "It's your responsibility to make sure the articles printed in your paper are factual. So I'm holding you personally responsible for the damages to my reputation." She glared at him and slammed her hands on the desk, leaning into his space.

"Now see here, you can't come into my office and make these accusations. It is a known fact that Mr. Potter was kidnapped. It only makes sense that it was you who did it," the editor was finally able to reply as he backed away and then ducked a book that flew at his head.

The very pissed off witch slammed her hands on the desk, only this time causing it to crack down the middle. The still unnamed editor looked scared. He had many people come in and throw fits when they didn't like something printed, but never before had anyone cause such damage.

"A known fact!?" Gilly bellowed, her voice carrying throughout the building. "I'll have you know that I have the papers to prove I didn't do anything. Sirius Black and Madam Longbottom both signed off on the guardianship, so you tell me how that is kidnapping? If you were a good little editor you would have gone to Gringotts or the Ministry and received the full report, but no, you are just some stupid glory-hound asshole, who only wants a sensational story."

She continued along that vein for a half an hour. And after the formidable witch finished with her rant, Mr. Roberts slapped papers on the unusable desk and informed the publishing supervisor that the paper was being sued for slander. While the first part of that article was mostly factual, the latter part was all speculation and can be refuted. So if they wanted out of the lawsuit they would print a retraction and an apology. He also said that if they didn't want this scene to replay itself, they would keep Rita Skeeter away from the SMI team.

Sirius, being the smartass that he was, threw one hundred Galleons at the cowering man, 'for damages'. The three trooped out of the building and went back to the houseboat, to let Harry know what happened.

The next day The Daily Prophet printed a retraction and posted an article that Gilly Owens was indeed the legal guardian of Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. It had quotes from the goblins, Sirius and Augusta stating that all the paperwork was legal. They formally apologized for the previous article.

Harry and his family wrote that the apology was accepted— for now. They did however warn the paper that next time they wouldn't drop the suit. The gossip between the schools was mixed, they had all heard the boy explode, so they believed that part of the first article, but the second part was easily dismissed as lies, especially now that a retraction was printed. So they weren't sure exactly what to believe. Either the Prophet was telling the truth or lying, one just couldn't be sure anymore.

Hppmhppm

It was a week before the first task and Harry started hearing voices carry across the lake. Some were yelling, others were hissing. So that night he went into the Forest, donning his Invisibility Cloak, to see what was making the ruckus. He came upon an enclosure that housed four dragons. There were tents on the outside of the structure that contained around twenty men. Harry smirked to himself and snuck around the fence to see if there was a dragon unoccupied.

He finally stumbled on one with black scales and a lizard-like appearance. It also had yellow eyes, bronze horns and similarly colored spikes that protruded from its long tail. This particular dragon seemed to be more interested in her eggs at the moment, than the puny humans running around.

Harry smiled and thought, Perfect. He crept around the body of the dragon, keeping far enough away so that he wouldn't be caught unaware. Just because he was invisible didn't mean she couldn't smell him. The dragon looked up from her eggs and gazed around the area in front of her. She snorted and flames shot towards the unseen boy.

"Whoa, peace," Harry hissed, after he Jumped out of the way, "I mean you no harm."

"Then why do you not show yourself?" the mother protested, thinking only of her eggs.

"I wanted to talk to you without your handlers knowing I am here. I want to explain why you and your babies were brought to this place. And maybe we can reach an agreement. It will be fun," Harry explained quickly.

"How will it be fun? Can you promise not to hurt me or my young? What of the other females and their eggs?" the dragon questioned, not trusting this human for a minute, even if he could talk to her.

It wasn't often that a human could talk to dragons. The last one that she knew of was a man named Voldemort, and he only wanted to control them. He found out quickly enough that the giant lizards were not to be tamed. It was only because they wanted a safe haven that they allowed the dragon-tamers to think they could be corralled. Of course, this dragon knew nothing about the Gringotts dragons, as they were taken very young and tortured into compliance.

"If we make plans and I convince the other people into agreeing with them, then yes, I can promise you and yours will not be hurt," the tri-color haired boy solemnly swore. He would get the other three to agree, if not then they were on their own, but he figured they would comply, it was better to have the dragons on their side.

"Let us plan then," the dragon said as she lowered her head to where she heard the voice.

So Harry explained why the mothers were here and what he planned. They talked through the night, and soon enough he was too tired to continue. So he bade her good night and Jumped to the shore and then to the boat.

Unfortunately for him Mr. Scott was up early and the wayward student took off the Cloak right when he was coming through the doors. "Just where have you been, young man?" the Vice Principal asked with a disappointed look on his face.

"I promise, I have a very good reason for being out this late," Harry said, holding his hands up in supplication. He then hurriedly explained about meeting the dragon and the plans that were made. Mr. Scott nodded in all the right areas, but the disapproving look didn't fade.

"Okay, I understand, however, you broke the rules— again. I think only a few nights of detention this time, since you did have a good reason. I have some worksheets you will be working on. I will let your guardians know you are in trouble again," he said sternly.

"But…" the teen protested. It seemed like now that he was here, all he seemed to be doing was get in trouble. Back in the States, he never lost his temper at school, not even when that bully picked on him and his. Now that's all he seemed to be doing, he wondered why that was.

"Harry," Mr. Scott plowed on over the protest, "you have to understand that you are not above the rules. They are there for a reason. Now get to bed and try and get some sleep." He took the boy by the shoulders and steered him towards the stairs.

Harry slumped his shoulders, in defeat and weariness, and trudged off to his bed. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

The next day a very tired Harry Potter made his way to the castle, with the rest of the SMI team, for breakfast. Once again he, Neville and an unsympathetic Jordan sat at the Hufflepuff table. Jordan was upset that Harry hadn't woken him and Neville to go see the dragons. Neville trusted his brother and he knew it might have been dangerous, but he did make Harry promise that they could meet the mothers before they left.

Harry sat across from Cedric and passed him a note, unnoticed by the rest of the students. The seventh year read the note under the table, looked at Harry and nodded. Everyone ate the meal and talked about nothing in particular, still going over the differences in cultures, but keeping it light. There were some at the table who glared at Harry, they were very loyal to Cedric and thought the Boy Who Lived was trying to show their champion up. Harry ignored them.

Just when breakfast was almost over, Cedric got up and went to talk to the other champions. They were wary at first, but he talked them around. They left separately and met at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry got there last and smirked at them.

"So, what if I tell you guys, I can guarantee that you won't be hurt in the first task?" he asked smugly, looking at each of their faces.

"'Ow can you make such a promise?" Fleur sneered, making her face twist unattractively, which was sad since she was a beautiful woman.

"Oh, I know that you know what the first task entails, since I'm the one who asked Cedric to tell you. That's beside the point, the reason I brought you all out here is because I have a secret weapon," Harry answered the smug look never leaving his face.

"Okay, Harry, I'll bite, what is your secret weapon?" Cedric asked a questioning gleam in his eyes. He wasn't going to underestimate this young man, not if he and his family could get Skeeter to back down. As far as he knew, no one had ever done that before, not even Malfoy and all his money.

"Well… If I tell you, you have to promise not to freak out," the fourteen year old hedged, the smug look dropped from his face. He wanted to let them know, but the way Sirius always reacted made him a bit wary.

"Vhy vuld ve… freak out?" Viktor asked, joining the conversation. He was looking at the boy speculatively, he knew nothing about Harry Potter and the kid intrigued him. He didn't not for a minute believe all the hype around this teen's childhood. Those books were just fantasy.

"Some would say what I can do is considered Dark," the streak-haired boy answered with a casual shrug. If he was going to do this he needed to be seen as calm as he could be. He used every bit of etiquette that Luis drummed into his head to maintain his calm demeanor. He just wished he could maintain it around the Hogwarts students, but for some reason he had a hard time doing that in the castle.

The other three looked at each other; the same question seemed to be flitting through their minds. Finally after a minute of silent conversing the Hufflepuff said, "Okay, I promise not to… jump to conclusions." The other two nodded in agreement.

So Harry told them about his midnight wandering and the talk he had with the Hungarian Horntail. He was rather impressed that they didn't seem to be under the impression he was Dark. Viktor actually looked jealous. Fleur lost her sneer and listened carefully. Cedric did look wary for a minute, but as the story went on he relaxed.

The SMI champion asked what they were planning for their performance. It took a while to convince Viktor to change his tactics, but they came to an understanding that no dragon was to be hurt and they were to take extra care around the eggs. Harry promised to talk to the dragons and let them know each plan. They asked what he was doing, and he said he was going to use some family magic, and since they were all magic-raised they nodded.

After that meeting Harry gathered up Neville and Jordan and took them to visit the dragons. This time Harry talked to the blue-silver dragon, since the Horntail was occupied with the dragon-tamers. He told her the plans and let her tell the others.

It was going to be quite the show.