FATW Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three: The Lake and Maze:

Remus was surprised at how quickly time flew from Christmas to the second task in February at the edge of the great lake. The mer-people had proven to be a great help learning to operate the underwater cameras with ease that would be used for the task. Other safety precautions were taken as well, each contestant would have a charmed pendant that would alert the mer-people of any problems. Remus sat with Harry and Sirius, Rita was home with their little heir Tarus Regulus Black who had been born at the end of January. To say Sirius was a proud father would not really do it justice as he loved to show off the newest picture of his son to everyone he could. He had made Remus and Harry the godfathers to his son and Minerva McGonagall as the godmother. Remus watched with amusement as the three champions stood along the lake and one by one as the whistle blew shoved Gillyweed into their mouths and jumped into the lake.

"You owe us professor sir." Fred said from where he sat next to George.

"Yes you lost the bet, pay up sir!" George added.

"I never expected them all to get Gillyweed," Remus said good naturedly. "I bet Severus made quite a bit of money off that little sale."

"No Neville did." Sirius said, "he has a tub full of them back home that he grows and has a few gnomes he trained to take care of them."

"Wait you can train gnomes to work?" Fred asked awed.

"How? Ours only swear at us and annoy Crookshanks!" George added.

"Not sure, Neville has a way with them from his father's side of the family." Sirius said, "some of our pranks involved Frank, and plants, oh those were the days! I miss him you know, he was an amazing Auror, one of the few that could use plants to fight."

"Must have been amazing to watch him in battle then." Fred said.

"Oh it was, terrifying at times, if I had known what Bellatrix was thrown in prison for I would have killed her myself." Sirius said grimly. "I already cast her out of the family, and reinstated Andy and put Narcissa on probation."

"You can do that?" George asked.

"Oh yes I can, had to, I could not cast her out as there is hope for Draco, prat as he is at times." Sirius said.

"Well he has not insulted Hermione lately." Harry said thoughtfully, "then again she did managed a very impressive bit of transfiguration, I think she still has detention for it too though it was worth seeing Draco as a ferret."

Neville had come and taken a seat just as the three screens came to life to show the champions swimming towards the village. Ginny came up a bit late and Harry grinned as she sat by him and snuggled up to him, she handed him something and Harry grinned at the plate of sweets Ginny must have made for him. In the meantime Remus was trying not to laugh as Draco walked by, Draco saw Harry smirking and rounded on him his face going pink in anger. He was so easy to rile up just like his father and Harry smirking at Draco was just the thing to set him off. He dared not draw his wand as he knew Remus would not be happy but he glared for all he was worth at Harry.

"Come join us Draco." Sirius said letting the boy know that was not a request. "Please sit."

"You find what that muggleborn did to me funny Potter?" Draco snapped taking a seat.

"Yes, you deserved it." Harry said and as Draco glared at him, "hey at least she did not hurt you, Ginny, ah well she has this hex called a bat bogey hex and it hurts."

"Yes I do, sorry about that Harry." Ginny said not fully meaning it.

"No you don't need to be." Harry replied.

"I was humiliated by that muggleborn witch!" Draco snarled, "she had no right to do that!"

"Sure she did, she is a girl, and you were a git." Fred said.

"You really are lucky, you should have seen what she did to Ron just the other day, I am surprised he can sit." George replied.

"Me too, he can really work Hermione up." Fred added.

"Where is he?" Draco asked.

"Down by the lake, Dawlish wanted him to learn some Mermish culture." Remus said.

Draco just nodded and Harry was surprised at how much control Sirius had over the young pureblood scion. Then again Sirius was the head of a very powerful family and had a lot of clout himself. If he said jump, no matter if he was liked or not many pureblood families would do just that. Lucius Malfoy had learned very quickly he was no longer as powerful a player in the ministry. Publicly he was furious but privately he was glad, he knew Sirius was a better fit for a leader of this new world than he was. All Draco knew is that he had to toe the line around Sirius or his mother would hear of it and that would make her unhappy. Making his mother unhappy was something Draco avoided at all costs as he had learned about the famous Black temper from a very young age.

The teens and adults turned their attention to the screens and the mystery as to where Hermione was at was answered. In a cocoon of air she, like two others was curled up fast asleep. It was deemed safer to have the "things the champions would miss most" in a protective bubble as there had been problems with the enchanted sleep before, namely a wizard kissing his girl and nearly drowning her. Harry saw Bill next to Hermione and Cho next to him, Harry grinned, he had gotten to know Bill well and he looked forward to giving him some good natured ribbing. Krum got to Hermione first and took his egg from a pouch around his waist and exchanged it for Hermione and he took the cocoon with Hermione to the surface. Next was Cedric then Fleur, once the enchanted dreamers were on shore the cocoon was removed and they were woke up.

"Well it looks like Bill ended up as sleeping beauty." Fred said grinning.

"Yea, we should congratulate him!" George said leading his twin over to their brother.

"They have a death wish don't they?" Draco asked.

"Nah, Bill will not do anything to them here, he will wait, probably ward their beds against them or something." Harry said grinning.

"Oh no here she comes!" Sirius said as Hermione came up, "you better hide Draco!"

"Shut it lord Black!" Draco snapped, "it's not funny what she did to me!"

"You did deserve it." Remus said.

"I agree, I should go rescue Fred and George before Bill does hex them." Ginny said, "coming Harry?"

"Yea, sure." Harry said.

He got up and followed her while Sirius and Remus watched him. They both had identical thoughts and they centered on marriage for the two lovebirds. Sirius knew if he said a word to Harry about it he would be so embarrassed. A slow grin came across his face and he got up stretched and resolved to embarrass the living daylights out of his godson. After all that was what a good guardian did right?

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The rest of the school year flew by, Remus had watched as Severus started to be a bit nicer to Harry.

Harry did well in potions but it was not his field really, no he was much better at transfiguration, runes and defense. He had so much raw power that it made it hard, at times for him to channel it. Yet he was learning and growing in power, he was at the top of the defense club now and enjoyed sparing with his fellow students. He even had held his own, for a minute against Remus and Sirius in separate duels and even managed three spells against Severus! If he kept it up soon he would be a match against many of the death eaters.

Yet now, on a cool June day Harry was sitting in the stands of what had been the Quidditch pitch watching the third task. Cedric went in first as he had the most points, then it was Krum and finally Fleur. At first Harry had his eyes on Cedric, he was making his way through the maze with little effort but then he looked over to see Fleur in battle with a true monster, one of the giant spiders from the Forbidden Forest. A gasp came from the crowd as she was attacked and it looked as if she was bit or stabbed in the arm but she battled on. She truly was fierce as she battled the creature and Harry was awed by her bravery and skills. The spider was huge, so large it barely fit in the path of the maze and dwarfed Fleur. Finally though she managed to prevail and a shout went up when the spider fell backward and moved no more.

"Maybe we should have bet on her." Fred said behind Harry.

"Yea she really took that thing out." George replied.

"That was a huge spider." Ron said trembling slightly, relieved it was not moving.

"Don't worry little bro I will never allow one to ever hurt you if I can help it." Fred said. "I am sorry you know."

"It's okay Fred, you have apologized for that at least an hundred times." Ron said.

"Awe he kept count, George he kept count!" Fred said.

"Yea he did." George replied.

"Quiet, Krum has just come on a, a Graphorn?" Hermione said. "Oh that is bad, very bad."

"Agreed, I thought dragons were bad enough!" Sirius said.

"Rumor has it Hagrid keeps a small herd for Severus." Remus replied.

"He would, everyone seems to like that greasy git." Sirius muttered.

"Well he is brilliant." Harry replied getting his godfather to glare at him but not for long as Harry grinned at him. "Though not as cool as you Sirius."

Down in the maze Krum was sizing up the Graphorn. It was large but not too large, its chief weapon was two extremely sharp horns. Krum shot a spell at it and had to duck as it came back at him and he flattened himself to the hedge as the creature came to attack as it did not like the fact of the spell shot at him. Krum then did something clever, he conjured up some ropes and in muggle style he fashioned a lasso and roped the creature. Then he jumped on it and the ride was on. As he was so good at Quidditch it was a matter of staying on until the creature got tired. Finally the Graphorn gave out a groan and knelt and Krum was off the creature and had tied it up and he went on.

"Wow that was amazing!" Neville said.

"Yea, I did not think anyone could get one of those down." Harry added.

"Let's see what else they have to face." Ron said looking eagerly at the maze.

Cedric had his share of creatures, first he faced a Boggart which was the same as Ron's a spider, then a drake, the smaller cousin of a dragon then a creature called the Quintaped. It was muzzled for safety as it liked human flesh but it was still very dangerous besides. It used its five club feet to attack and Cedric was beaten badly about the body as he fought it off. Finally bloody and battered he finished it off and headed on to the center of the maze. He was limping and he was not the only one in trouble, Krum was finished off by a Ruenspoor, he was bit but as the med wizards had the antidote he would be fine. He sent up sparks as his life was worth more than the cup.

"That leaves Cedric and Fleur." Harry said.

"Yea and look, Cedric is near the center!" Hermione said.

"Come on, got money on you mate." Fred said.

"Do I even want to know who with?" Ron said.

"Lucius Malfoy dear bro." George said grinning.

"He is going to owe us big time." Fred replied.

"Yes Lucy owes me too." Sirius said.

"Why do you call him that?" Neville asked, "that isn't very nice."

"Well I could call him blonde but that I reserve for my dear cousin Narcissa, besides it's funny." Sirius replied. "Oh I do think he is cutting it close! Run Cedric I have a bet I have to win!"

Fleur was just behind Cedric now and gaining, but Cedric though wounded was faster and hobbling to the center of the maze, he grasped the cup and held it up. Fleur came into the center and the roar of the crowd drowned out the commentator. Cedric gave Fleur a quick hug and said something to her that made her smile and as med wizards helped him with his leg the ceremony to award him the winner and give him the 1000 galleons commenced. Harry grinned at this victory and Remus smiled, this was so different from last time, no battle Harry had to fight after the task. Cedric holding the cup up grinning and still so very much alive, not dead like in the last timeline. At least for now Voldemort was not back and Harry had a very good fourth year and was blossoming under the care of his godfathers and others. Remus knew dark days were ahead but for now he watched the teens celebrate this wonderful victory.

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So not much to say about the second task, I decided that Gillyweed was best for all the students to use and having the mer-people have an active role in the task would keep it safer. Third task was a bit more fun with lots of interesting animals and of course I had to have Cedric win! Let the rest of the school make fun of Hufflepuff now!

So you know how I get paid, do review please!

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