CH 53

He found all of three of the other champions in the infirmary tent. Cedric looked like the dragon had used half his body as chewtoy, Krum was a little burned in places, but the french witch was untouched.

'Nobody died, then,' he remarked cheerfully.

'It was touch and go,' Cedric admitted, then winced at the pain of moving. Krum laughed. Fleur Delacour just stared at him curiously. It was rather unsettling, all the more so given that she was looking directly at him and not at his scar like most of the others.

'They will be doing your score,' Krum told him thickly. 'You should go look.'

Harry gave him a nod, mimicking the Bulgarian's action from earlier, and vanished before Madam Pomfrey appeared and tied him to a bed.

The five judges were sitting in an elevated box overlooking the entire arena. As Harry watched Madam Maxime, the french headmistress, raised her wand and shot an eight into the air. It was followed by a nine from Professor Dumbledore and a seven from the Durmstrang headmaster, Karkaroff.

'Bagman gave you a ten and Crouch gave you an eight,' a girl remarked from behind him.

Katie Bell, he realised.

He was about to turn away and ignore her when he remembered the note.

'Thanks,' he forced out. 'What are they out of?'

'Ten, of course,' she smiled. 'You did really well. They only took points off because you stopped to watch the dragons fight and took a little longer than the Beauxbatons champion.'

'What did she do?' Harry hoped it was something less well-received.

'She sang something and then the dragon and every male in the audience fell asleep, even Dumbledore yawned. The judges all gave her nines except Karkaroff. He gave her an eight.' Katie pulled an annoyed face. 'All the guys seem to go weird around her,' she complained. 'Except you, that is.'

'And the others?' Harry had plenty of things he could say about Fleur Delacour, but she had outscored him, so he decided to lose graciously.

For now, at least.

'Cedric did the worst. He transfigured a distraction and went for the egg, but the dragon got him with its wing and tail. You and Krum are equal. He blinded his dragon and collected the egg after it had flailed somewhere out the way, but lots of the eggs got smashed.'

Katie gave him a once over. 'You didn't get a scratch, did you?'

'No,' Harry replied, slightly smug.

'That's impressive. Angelina impressed too, you know.'

was

really

'I don't care,' Harry told her, rather more coldly.

'She'll come to apologise soon,' Katie warned. 'Like I have.' She gave him a rueful grin.

'Fred and George told me you tried to convince her to stop holding a grudge.' 'I did,' she replied, 'but I still didn't speak to you.'

'You are now,' Harry reminded her.

'I guess I am. I was afraid you'd just ignore me. I think I would have been quite angry if you'd done that,' she admitted. 'Hermione,' there was a certain venom to the way Katie spat her name, 'has been telling everyone how you've changed and won't forgive anyone. She's unintentionally stopped a lot of people apologising by saying that.'

'I won't forgive them,' Harry told her. 'But I won't hold a grudge against the people who tried to help me.' Katie smiled brightly.

'And Angelina?' she asked, almost hesitantly.

'She was the worst in the beginning,' Harry warned Katie.

'She was really jealous,' Katie explained, 'we all told her that she would get it and she got convinced, then everything happened and things got out of hand. I know you don't owe me anything, but would you consider giving her a second chance, if not for me, for the quidditch team. Gryffindor needs its seeker.'

'I'll listen to her if she comes to me,' Harry promised, 'but that's all.'

'Thanks, Harry.' Katie stepped forwards and hugged him suddenly. He stiffened with surprise, but she didn't let go. Hesitantly he returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her.

I'm taller than her, he noted. He definitely hadn't used to be. 'That was nice,' Katie smiled. 'You're taller than you used to be.'

'I noticed.' He looked down his nose at her pointedly.

She gave him a mock glare and a wave as she wandered back towards the arena.

How did she even find her way up here?

The spot between the champions tent and medical tent was quite tucked away and only visible from outside the entrance of the former.

She must have waited.

Harry thought that had been rather nice of her.

'Mr Potter,' a very annoyed voice came from behind him.

Uh oh.

'I do not remember telling you that you could leave my medical tent, Mr Potter,' Madam Pomfrey exclaimed. She was wielding her wand in one hand and a very horrible looking, brown potion in the other.

'You didn't say I had to stay either,' he pointed out.

'In,' she commanded, pointing sternly at the entrance with her wand.

Harry complied. The Hungarian Horntail was one thing, but some battles just could not be won.

'What did you get?' Krum asked, when he stepped through the tent flap. Evidently nobody else had been given permission to leave either.

'Forty two points and a very stern lecture from Madam Pomfrey,' Harry informed.

'You have the same score as me,' Krum nodded. 'Well done. I did not expect it, but it is good to have competition.'

'I did the worst,' Cedric looked miserable, but the left side of his body was normal again.

'Forty four,' was the only comment Fleur Delacour made. She was staring at him again.

'Are you sure you don't want to be Hogwarts' champion, Harry?' the Hufflepuff seeker asked. 'You got eight more points than I did.'

'It's just the first task,' Harry reminded Cedric gently, turning a pointed look on Fleur. She seemed surprised that he had looked at her, but just flicked her hair back over her shoulder and turned away.

'Drink this,' Madam Pomfrey ordered, bustling back out from the other part of the tent.

'I didn't even get a scratch,' Harry protested, eyeing the nasty looking, brown potion distastefully.

'When you've drunk it, you can all leave,' Madam Pomfrey offered.

The potion was gone in one mouthful.

'Go, then,' the strict nurse instructed. 'You'd think you'd be more grateful after spending so much time in my care every year, Mr Potter.' Harry shot her a grateful smile, but the taste of the potion she had given him somewhat curdled it.

'I want to sleep for a week,' Cedric admitted on their way back up to the school. The other two champions had been whisked away by their respective headteachers upon leaving the tent.

'We're excused from lessons, go ahead,' he grinned, tucking his egg back under his arm. 'I think I'm going to go lie down for a bit as well.'

It was at that moment he remembered he had to go back and use the time-turner to leave the note for himself.

Occlumency exercises. He smiled at the lie he knew he must have told the portrait of Salazar. I'm going to find a nice, wide point in the pipes and transfigure something into a bed.

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