Straight Talk

The next day people were surprised when they saw Harry Potter sitting at the Gryffindor table at dinner, he hadn't been seen at the Gryffindor table in a while. Occasionally he was seen around the castle and he was occasionally seen talking to the Gryffindor chasers but for the most part he was not expected to be there. They definitely didn't expect to see him smiling as if nothing was wrong in the world.

A few minutes later the owls arrived with a late newspaper from the daily prophet. Harry took one from Hedwig and rewarded her with bacon and stroked her as he read it.

In this latest article Rita had unleashed her journalistic powers on Hogwarts as a whole. She did not hold back either and talked about how the school had turned on their saviour for the second time in a row, she showed the Hufflepuff's no mercy as they had been the worst of the lot.

She mentioned how it was a good thing that Hufflepuff's didn't get much glory if they were willing to go out of their way to attack anyone who dares take the spotlight from them while also stressing how she wasn't sure if they knew what loyalty meant as they turned on him for a second time.

The article had also took shots at tournament officials for using the goblet to select a champion when far more safer methods were available, methods that did not involve

The teachers were not spared either as they did absolutely nothing to help Harry nor did they do anything significant to stop any bullying. She had also gone to town on Ron and Hermione for abandoning their friend of three years while also mentioning how Harry had sworn a magical vow to say that he hadn't entered himself into the tournament. Of course Harry hadn't done that yet but that was why he was here now when there was the largest amount of students.

"By the way," Harry stood up on the table and continued speaking once he was sure that he had the whole schools attention on him. "I just want to say something."

"Potter!" Snape shouted. "You arrogant brat, get off the..."

"Snape!" Harry shouted back, cutting him off. "For once, once, in your miserable excuse of a life learn when you're wanted! Hint, it's never so shut the fuck up!" Harry said causing many gasps across the hall, Harry decided to speed things up before he spent the night arguing with the Hogwarts staff. "I, Harry James Potter, swear on my life and magic that I did not knowingly nor intentionally put my name in the goblet of fire, nor did I ask anyone else to do it for me, so mote it be! Lumos." A light shined from Harry's wand, signalling that he still had his magic. "Hmm, still alive." Harry said out loud as he patted himself.

Nobody said anything, even Draco Malfoy wasn't going to say that Potter was able to trick magic itself and all the purebloods and educated people in the hall knew that Harry would be dead if he was lying.

"What a productive night." Harry said before he jumped off the table, he walked out of the hall, making sure to send a wink at the chasers and Ginny on his way. He stopped in the doorway and gave Snape the finger before he walked off. The hall was silent until they were broke out of it by the sound of Moody laughing.

On the day of the first task the champions were sat in a tent, awaiting instructions. If one looked at how Harry currently looked and compared it to how he looked before the tournament then they would've been amazed by the difference. Before the tournament he had a thin face, black hair and bright-green eyes. Now his face was still thin but it possessed an aristocratic look to it, he had had his hair changed yesterday and now it was much shorter but it was still just as wild and messy as before, something which in Harry's opinion made him look very handsome (A.N: just think of his hair in prisoner of Azkaban if you can't picture it). His eyes were still the same, though in Harry's opinion they were slightly brighter than before but no so much that it was noticeable.

He was also physically taller and bigger, it turned out that good exercise combined with nutrition potions and good food could work wonders. He was in no way a massive muscular person but he was much more muscular than before.

"Hello Rita," Harry smiled when Rita entered the tent along with her camera man. "how are you today?"

"I'm fine, thank you for asking." She said, pretending that nothing was wrong. Her camera man took a picture of the champions. "I was hoping you all would like to have a quick talk before the event."

"This is a tent for champions and friends, you have no business being here." Krum frowned.

"A no would have sufficed." She replied just as the heads of each school walked in along with Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman.

"How are we all?" Ludo said in a cheery voice.

"Gather around champions." Dumbledore said, he gave Harry an odd look but continued as normal. "Now you've waited, you wondered but at last the moment has arrived. The moment that only four of you can appreciate."

"Oh this is brilliant." Bagman clapped his hands in excitement.

"Barty the bag if you please." Dumbledore said to Barty who pulled out a small bag.

"Champions, in a circle around me." Barty said, once they had circled around him he showed the bag to Fleur. "Miss Delacour if you would." Fleur reached into the bag and pulled out a small green animated model of a dragon. "The welsh green." Barty said, telling her the name of the dragon that was currently walking around in her hand. "Mr Krum, the Chinese firebolt." He said when Krum pulled out another dragon. "The Swedish short snout." He said when Cedric pulled out his dragon. "And that leaves Mr Potter." He said as he showed Harry the bag.

Harry took a small breath before he reached in, he let out a small gasp of surprise when he felt a pain in his hand but he picked out a dragon. He looked down at the model which breathed out a small burst of fire before snarling at him.

"The Hungarian horntail." Barty Crouch said.

"Cute little thing isn't he?" Harry said sarcastically.

"I'm glad you think so Mr Potter," Barty replied, either ignoring or missing Harry's sarcasm. "these models represent four very real dragons. Each of which had been given a golden egg to protect, it is your job to collect the egg. This you must do as the eggs contain a clue which you will need for the next task. Any questions?"

"Can I keep this?" Harry asked as he gestured to the dragon in is hands.

"Um...yes." Barty nodded, a little surprised. "Any more?" Harry shook his head in the negative. Seeing that there was no more questions they were wished good luck before everyone left the champions tent apart from the champions and Ludo who pulled Harry to the side so he could talk with him in private.

"Are you alright Harry? Not nervous are you?" He asked.

"Not really." Harry shrugged.

"Oh that's good," Ludo smiled. "it's just that if you need any advice or anything..."

"I won't." Harry cut him off.

"Right then...well I'll be off." He said before walking out.

Harry just shook his head before he took a seat and closed his eyes, he continued working on his occlumency as he figured that that would help him in the task.

"Aren't you nervous?" A female voice said several moments later, he looked up to see Fleur Delacour talking to him.

"Don't see the point in being nervous." Harry shrugged.

"Hold on, you three don't look that surprised about the dragons." Cedric noted. "You three knew about the task?!"

"Pretty much yeah." Harry nodded.

"Well why didn't you tell me?!" Cedric demanded.

"I assumed you wouldn't believe me," Harry shrugged again. "I mean when I told you that I didn't enter the tournament you didn't believe me then so why would you have believed me about the dragons? Besides you should have had all the members of your house helping you prepare for the task instead of letting them go after me." Harry said calmly.

"But...but that's not fair..."

"If life was fair then I would have parents and the school wouldn't have turned on me twice when I literally didn't do anything. Your Hufflepuff mates have been throwing spells at me since the champion selection and if you're not going to show enough kindness to stop that then don't expect me to help you against a dragon."

"But that's different, the dragons could kill me..."

"And you think getting hexed all day has no effect on me? When I was thrown down a flight of stairs I nearly landed on my neck, the story of Harry Potter would have ended with me dead at the bottom of the stairs. You have a choice, forfeit the task or work something out. I don't care what you do but for Merlin's sake stop whining about it." Harry said before he closed his eyes and got back to his occlumency, ignoring the reactions from the other three.

.....

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