✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Y/N felt terribly bad for Harry - the Hogwarts grounds had never looked so enticing to him, until he had to stay stuck up inside, practicing for the third task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Y/N and Harry were usually with Hermione and Ron, looking up hexes, or else in empty classrooms, which they sneaked into to practice. Harry was concentrating on the Stunning Spell, which he had never used before. The trouble was that practicing it involved certain sacrifices on Ron's and Hermione's part. 

See...whenever Y/N offered to play victim to his spells, and Harry downright refused. He would only accept if she fought back, but then reconsidered - if she fought back, he probably wouldn't get any hits on her, making the practice useless.

The quartet had been studying for a good three hours after school, and had already skipped dinner. They weren't hungry anyway...

"It was chicken today!" Ron complained, rubbing his eyes tiredly, "we can take a little break, go and see if there are any leftovers, right?" 

"Wrong," Hermione said absently, a yawn following, then a more irritated expression overtook her face. "There won't be any leftovers. The House Elves clean the tables. Without pay, by the way. Like slaves." 

Ron deflated, "It wouldn't hurt to check-"

Hermione rolled her eyes aggressively, then huffed and shoved another book into their Useless pile, "That book was just full of hair spells." 

Y/N was sat beside a silent Harry, which concerned her. Usually, he would have had a jab at Ron about wanting dinner, but maybe he felt guilty that he was why they were skipping it in the first place. 

"Hey," she said softly, as Ron and Hermione bickered, nudging Harry's shoulder.

"Hey, you," Harry replied tiredly. 

"You okay?" Y/N asked worriedly. 

Harry gave her a half-smile, half-grimace. "Holding up fine-ish...why?" 

"Just checking in," said Y/N, giving him a small kiss to the shoulder, getting a kiss on the temple in return. He grabbed her hand under the table, and their bracelets clanged together with a tink!

She glanced at the clock. It was getting late, and Madam Pince was sure to kick them out soon - Y/N flipped another page of her book, eyes beginning to droop slightly. 

Fedinseve lpells rae a riwzard's tbes feridn.

Y/N blinked. That didn't seem right...

Defensive spells are a wizard's best friend. 

Yeah. That's better. 

It was an incredibly long-winded chapter, and most of the contents was an explanation of the previously listed spells. Since Y/N had already written said spells, their definitions, uses and wand movements (as per Hermione's instruction) onto the shared spell compilation sheet, she decided the book was no use anymore. 

She looked around to see the others, their eyes drooping as well. Harry had his elbow propped up on the table, head resting in the palm of his other hand. His glasses were precariously slipping down his nose, so Y/N nudged them higher. 

Ron was full on snoring, head in a book. 

Hermione was determinedly flipping pages of her book, but Y/N could tell she wasn't really reading. She had to blink rapidly to stay awake, and Y/N slid the book away from her. 

"It's bedtime, Herms," said Y/N, feeling as though she was switching roles - usually, Hermione was strict about sleeping. 

With a hum, Hermione informed Y/N that she was acknowledged. Y/N chuckled and said, "Gonna go put these books away, 'kay? I'll shake you guys awake when I get back." 

Hermione gave a small nod, and Y/N piled their remaining books into her arms. Her footsteps echoed the Library - it was practically empty, now, but somehow still open. No, really - where was Madam Pince? 

Beyond the windows, the sun was setting, but the Library candles hadn't been lit yet, making the bookshelves seem shadowy. 

Y/N walked past the wrought iron gate of the Restricted Section, not even bothering to look. She slotted all of the books they used back into their places, making sure to organize them by topic and authors last name. 

On her way back to the table, she had to pass the Restricted Section once more...but this time, the soft light of the setting sun caught on the gate bars, and also caught Y/N's attention. It was simple, really, to look at a shiny thing. 

It was less simple when you could see an odd book through the bars. Sitting propped up on a stone pedestal, was a book Y/N had seen only once before, in the village of Ottery St. Catchpole, accompanied by Cedric Diggory. 

Engraved golden lettering spelt, Your Own Hostiles, and Y/N needed to know. It obviously had to be a sign, right? If she was seeing the book again, then it had to mean something. She needed to know. 

Last time, the Librarian of the small bookstore had taken the book from her...then disappeared entirely, as though nothing had happened. In fact, Y/N could remember the words neatly scrawled on the first page of the book: Eyes of One may view this text at once - Beware, keep watch for those you think to be kind.

Her mind racing, Y/N hurried to Madam Pince's desk at the front of the Library. She would just have to make up an excuse as to why she needed the book...but she needed a Professor's signature...maybe Madam Pince could give a signature herself?

Upon arrival, she noticed that Madam Pince was nowhere to be found. 

Instead, behind the counter, sorting through papers was a completely different woman - short, with greying hair at the temples, and a dusty pink shawl draping her head.

Arabella Figg, resident of Little Whinging, Surrey - also the woman who used to babysit Harry when he was younger, when the Durlseys would leave him to go somewhere. 

Apparently, Miss Figg noticed Y/N too. 

"Ah, it's you again," the woman said, her voice light, a twinkle in her eyes. 

Y/N nodded, teetering on the edge of telling her - "I saw it again - the book." 

Miss Figg gave her a once-over, then smiled. "It seems you have. And yet you didn't take it?" 

A puzzled expression took over Y/N's face, pulling her lips into a frown. "It was in the restricted section...I was, er, coming to ask Madam Pince's permission." 

Softening her smile, Miss Figg shuffled some papers, and pulled out some parchment, beginning to write with deep blue ink. Y/N wondered how she got that color. "Maybe you need to stop asking, for such things," said Miss Figg. "Go on, find a way, and seize it." 

As though in encouragement, she gave Y/N a small nod in the direction of the restricted section. Y/N blinked once, twice, then turned and began the journey back. She heard the rustling of paper behind her, but simply assumed that Miss Figg was sorting more papers.

To be fair, she wasn't sure why Miss Figg was here, and why Madam Pince wasn't...but she'd just go back and ask. 

The sky was even darker now, and the moon peeked out from behind some clouds, shining on the bars of restricted section as the sunlight once did. 

Now, Y/N wasn't quite sure how she would open the Restricted Section's door. Well...she didn't exactly need to. 

Tied to the bars, looped through a hole in the parchment, was twine. It held up a note...scrawled in the same dark blue ink,

Seize when curious, leave when cautious. 

And the pedestal with the book had disappeared. Frustrated, Y/N ripped the note off of the bars and stomped back to the front desk. 

Her anger only heightened when she did not see Arabella Figg, but Madam Pince. Oh, so now the Librarian shows up? 

"Where is Arabella Figg - the woman who was just here?" Y/N asked, just about slamming the note on the desk.

Madam Pince gave her a scrutinizing look. "I know nothing of such woman, Miss Sterling. Now, take yourself and your friends back to Gryffindor Tower - oh, and put out your wand." 

Y/N's frustration bubbled up, and she realized that Madam Pince had taken a jab at her glowing eyes. She took a few deep breaths, hoping her eyes would dim a little, and crumpled the parchment in her hands. 

"Goodnight, Madam Pince," said Y/N quietly. 

She didn't expect a response back, and turned on her heel to wake Harry, Ron and Hermione. Of course, they were groggy and grumpy when awoken, but Y/N ushered them out of the library quickly. 

The whole way back to Gryffindor Tower, the quartet speculated about the events that had occurred. Y/N was confused, she was frustrated...but she'd figure it out eventually, right?

✦

"Can't we kidnap Mrs. Norris?" Ron suggested on Monday lunchtime as he lay flat on his back in the middle of their Charms classroom, having just been Stunned and re awoken by Harry for the fifth time in a row. 

"Let's Stun her for a bit. Or you could use Dobby, Harry, I bet he'd do anything to help you. I'm not complaining or anything..." He got gingerly to his feet, rubbing his backside, "...but I'm aching all over..."

Y/N snorted loudly, "Well, you keep missing the cushions, don't you, Ronnie?" she said as Hermione began rearranging the pile of cushions they had used for the Banishing Spell, which Flitwick had left in a cabinet. "Just try and fall backward!"

"Once you're Stunned, you can't aim too well, Y/N!" said Ron angrily. "Why don't you take a turn?" 

Y/N blanched as Hermione and Harry laughed, "I think I've got it now, Ron. I'm not Stunning Silv."

"Thanks, Goldie," Y/N said, shooting him a bright smile and hopping up onto a desk. 

Harry rolled his eyes, coming to stand in between her legs. Through his concentration on the spells, he had worked up a small sweat, and his hair was sticking to his forehead. Y/N brushed it away and made a small face of playful disgust, scrunching her nose when he stuck out his tongue. 

"You're not funny," said Y/N monotonously, rolling her eyes.

"Then why do you laugh at my jokes?" Harry asked smugly. 

"Because," said Y/N sadly, "If your head deflates, it'll look odd. Gotta keep that ego high, am I right?" 

Harry scoffed, "You're insufferable."

Y/N shrugged her shoulders, gave him a quick peck to his lips, then pushed him away and got off the desk, eyeing Ron nervously, because the ginger had just opened his mouth with an annoyed expression.

Hermione cut in hastily, before Ron could say anything, "and we don't have to worry about Disarming, because he's been able to do that for ages...I think we ought to start on some of these hexes this evening." 

Y/N handed her the long list of spells, and Hermione looked down the list they had made in the library. "I like the look of this one," she said, "this Impediment Curse. Should slow down anything that's trying to attack you, Harry. We'll start with that one." 

The bell rang. They hastily shoved the cushions back into Flitwick's cupboard and slipped out of the classroom. 

"See you at dinner!" said Y/N and Hermione, and they set off for Arithmancy, while Harry and Ron headed toward North Tower, and Divination. 

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Harry's P.O.V. 

After going to Divination, Harry had an odd dream, passing out in the heat of classroom. He dreamt...he dreamt that was riding on the back of an eagle owl, flying toward an old, ivy-covered house on a hillside. They entered through a broken window and continued down a gloomy passageway into a dark room with boarded-up windows. Harry watched as the owl perched on a chair, revealing Wormtail - Peter Pettigrew - and a huge snake. A cold voice from the chair, belonging to Voldemort, reprimanded Wormtail for his blunder, tortured him with the Cruciatus Curse, and mentioned him... 

He woke up with his scar burning, to Ron's shouts. 

Despite Trelawney's concern, Harry made an excuse to go to the Hospital Wing. She begrudgingly let him, but instead of heading to the Hospital Wing, Harry beelined straight for Dumbledores office. 

After a couple of failed tries of guessing the password, he was admitted entry by saying, "Cockroach Cluster." 

Then, he saw it - "it" being  a large, stone bowl-looking thing with silvery water inside...and he didn't know any better than to not lean over it. See, if Y/N were there, she probably would have pulled him back with that cute little smile and said something like, "Don't be an idiot, Goldie!"

Well, obviously, he still leaned over it...and then, Harry had been sucked into a court case...Igor Karkaroff's court case, in which he accused Bartemius Crouch Junior of being a Death Eater. Sirius had been right. Mister Crouch did just sentence his own son to prison.

"I think, Harry, it is time to return to my office," said a quiet voice in Harry's ear. 

Harry started. He looked around. Then he looked on his other side. There was an Albus Dumbledore sitting on his right, watching Crouch's son being dragged away by the dementors - and there was an Albus Dumbledore on his left, looking right at him. 

"Come," said the Dumbledore on his left, and he put his hand under Harry's elbow. Harry felt himself rising into the air; the dungeon dissolved around him; for a moment, all was blackness, and then he was suddenly landing flat on his feet, in what seemed like the dazzling light of Dumbledore's sunlit office. The stone basin was shimmering in the cabinet in front of him, and Albus Dumbledore was standing beside him. 

"Professor," Harry gasped, "I know I shouldn't've - I didn't mean - the cabinet door was sort of open and -"

"I quite understand," said Dumbledore. He lifted the basin, carried it over to his desk, placed it upon the polished top, and sat down in the chair behind it. He motioned for Harry to sit down opposite him. Harry did so, staring at the stone basin. 

"What is it?" Harry asked. 

"This? It is called a Pensieve," said Dumbledore. "I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind." 

"Er," said Harry, who couldn't truthfully say that he had ever felt anything of the sort. He could never put any memories of Y/N in a weird little bowl. 

"At these times," said Dumbledore, indicating the stone basin, "I use the Pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form."

"Rightttt...." said Harry. "Wait - you mean . . . that stuff's your thoughts?" Harry said, staring at the swirling substance in the basin. 

"Certainly," said Dumbledore. "Let me show you." Dumbledore drew his wand out of the inside of his robe pocket. 

He put it close to his temple, and a strand of silvery blue connected to it. Dumbledore dropped it gently into the Pensieve. Harry saw his own face, and then Dumbledore swirled the liquid, and it morphed into Snape's face. 

"I was using the Pensieve when Mr. Fudge arrived for our meeting and put it away rather hastily. Undoubtedly I did not fasten the cabinet door properly. Naturally, it would have attracted your attention." 

"I'm sorry," Harry mumbled. 

Dumbledore shook his head. "Curiosity is not a sin," he said."But we should exercise caution with our curiosity...yes, indeed..." 

It reminded Harry of Y/N's story - about Arabella Figg, the book, and the note. 

Seize when curious, leave when cautious.

"So, Harry," said Dumbledore quietly. "Before you got lost in my thoughts, you wanted to tell me something." 

"Yes," said Harry. "Professor - I was in Divination just now, and - er - I fell asleep." 

He hesitated here, wondering if a reprimand was coming, but Dumbledore merely said, "Quite understandable. Continue." 

"Well, I had a dream," said Harry. "A dream about Lord Voldemort. He was torturing Wormtail... you know who Wormtail-" 

"I do know," said Dumbledore promptly, almost impatiently. Y/N would have snorted. "Please continue." 

"Voldemort got a letter from an owl. He said something like, Wormtail's blunder had been repaired. He said someone was dead. Then he said, Wormtail wouldn't be fed to the snake - there was a snake beside his chair. He said - he said he'd be feeding me to it..."

✦

"Dumbledore reckons You-Know-Who's getting stronger again as well?" Ron whispered.

"Dawg, you can just say Voldemort. It really isn't that deep my guy," said Y/N, who was curled into Harry's side on the couch. 

Harry, Ron and Hermione blinked at her in confusion. "What...okay, Silv, er, where did you pick up that muggle language...?" 

"Dean," Y/N said innocently. 

"That checks out," Hermione said with a wry smile.

 Everything Harry had seen in the Pensieve, nearly everything Dumbledore had told and shown him afterward, he had now shared with Y/N, Ron and Hermione (and, of course, Sirius - whom he had sent an owl to straight after leaving Dumbledore's office). 

Well, mostly everything. 

He told them about how Dumbledore explained the connection between himself and Voldemort due to the failed Avada Kedavra, and how he thought that Harry scar hurt's when near, or feeling strong hatred. During the court case, it had been revealed at Ludo Bagman had been passing information to Death Eaters unknowingly... but the real kicker was Barty Crouch's son, Barty Crouch Jr. being a Death Eater himself. 

They discussed recent disappearances (Mister Crouch and a muggle named Frank Bryce. Harry suspected that this was the man in his dream over the summer). 

Harry, Y/N, Ron, and Hermione sat up late in the common room once again that night, talking it all over until Harry's mind was reeling, until he understood what Dumbledore had meant about a head becoming so full of thoughts that it would have been a relief to siphon them off.

Ron stared into the common room fire. Harry thought he saw Ron shiver slightly, even though the evening was warm. Harry pulled Y/N closer. 

"And he trusts Snape?" Ron said. "He really trusts Snape, even though he knows he was a Death Eater?" 

"Well, yes," said Y/N, voice muffled in Harry's chest. "Harry just said that." 

Harry felt his heart warm, despite the situation at hand. Somehow, he pulled her impossibly closer and she wriggled around, trying to get comfortable. 

Hermione hadn't spoken for the past ten minutes, her head in her hands. Harry thought a Pensieve would do her much good, right now. 

"Rita Skeeter," Hermione mumbled finally. 

"You're thinking about her right now, Herms?" Y/N asked tiredly. 

"How can you be worrying about her now?" said Ron, in utter disbelief. 

"I'm not worrying about her," Hermione said to her knees. "I'm just thinking...remember what she said to me in the Three Broomsticks? 'I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl.' This is what she meant, isn't it? She reported his trial, she knew he'd passed information to the Death Eaters. And Winky too, remember...'Ludo Bagman's a bad wizard.' Mister Crouch would have been furious he got off, he would have talked about it at home."

 "Yeah, but Bagman didn't pass information on purpose, did he?" said Harry

 Hermione shrugged.

"And Fudge reckons Madame Maxime attacked Crouch?" Ron said, turning back to Harry, eyes glancing over to Y/N. 

"Yeah," said Harry, "but he's only saying that because Crouch disappeared near the Beauxbatons carriage." 

"We never thought of her, did we?" said Ron slowly. "Mind you, she's definitely got giant blood, and she doesn't want to admit it-"

"Of course she doesn't," said Y/N sharply, looking up. "Look what happened to Hagrid when Rita found out about his mother. Look at Fudge, jumping to conclusions about her, just because she's part giant. Who needs that sort of prejudice? I'd probably say I had big bones if I knew that's what I'd get for telling the truth." 

Hermione looked at her watch. "We haven't done any practicing!" she said, looking shocked. "We were going to do the Impediment Curse! We'll have to really get down to it tomorrow! Come on, Harry, you need to get some sleep."

Harry shook his head, almost childishly. "Gonna sleep here, Ron, you can go up." 

Ron narrowed his eyes in between Harry, and Y/N's almost-asleep form. Harry gave him pleading eyes - being with Y/N really helped him sleep, and between all the stress lately, he really needed it right now.

Hermione put a hand on Ron's shoulder, and Ron scowled. "Fine," he huffed. "No funny business." 

There was a shift on Harry's shoulder as he looked at Ron, wide-eyed. "Ronniekins, we're fourteen," Y/N yawned, somehow in a stern voice. Harry chuckled, and she swatted him on the arm. 

He never exactly let his mind wander there, and he especially didn't want to as Y/N was currently in his arms. He didn't need unexpected...things...poking her. It wouldn't be his wand. 

Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and began to drag him away as he grumbled. "Goodnight!" Hermione said in a singsong voice, shoving Ron up the boys' staircase. Harry heard the bang of a door and Hermione hurried down the stairs once more, threw a pillow at Harry's face, then ran up to her dormitory. 

"Goodnight..." Y/N said, a good thirty seconds later...in a tired, mumbly, adorable sort of voice. 

Somehow, even in her sleepy state, Y/N was able to lay down, and then enveloped Harry in her arms. It was soft, and it was warm, and Harry rested his head on her chest. Y/N brushed a hand through his dark locks, gently rubbing at his scar. He didn't know if she was asleep, but Harry propped himself up and gave her a quick peck on the forehead. 

Y/N's chest rose and fell, her breaths came even. It calmed Harry, to know that the person he loved most was alive and well. 

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Y/N's P.O.V. 

Professor McGonagall was getting sick and tired of walking in on the quartet throwing spells around, so she allowed them to use her empty classroom during lunchtimes. Harry had brought up how they should be studying for their exams (as he was exempt, being a champion), and to stop wasting their time.

"No," Y/N scoffed. "We're helping you. Plus, we'll get great marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts. If I fail that, Remus'll be disappointed." 

Harry had just sighed, rolled his eyes, and hugged her. 

Anyways, 

Harry had soon mastered the Impediment Curse, a spell to slow down and obstruct attackers; the Reductor Curse, which would enable him to blast solid objects out of his way; and the Four-Point Spell, a useful discovery of Hermione's that would make his wand point due north, therefore enabling him to check whether he was going in the right direction within the maze.

He was still having trouble with the Shield Charm, though. This was supposed to cast a temporary, invisible wall around himself that deflected minor curses; Hermione managed to shatter it with a well-placed Jelly-Legs Jinx, and Harry wobbled around the room for ten minutes afterward before she had looked up the counter-jinx. 

"I've got an idea," Ron said carefully. He and Y/N were sitting side-by-side on desks, but he got up, and whispered in Hermione's ear. 

At the same time, Harry came over to Y/N, a sheepish expression on his face. "I just can't get this stupid-" 

"Y/N watch out!" Ron's voice echoed. 

Hermione's wand was pointed at Y/N, but her own was in her pocket. 

"Protego!" 

Harry cast the Shield Charm in front of himself and Y/N - Hermione's spell bounced off, ricocheting around the room for a moment before fizzling out completely. 

Y/N was slack-jawed. "Herms! You were going to-" 

"Relax," said Hermione. "It was a Tickling Jinx. You would have survived." 

The girl looked back over to Harry, then sent some more hexes and spells at his Shield. It never broke, not once, and he gave Y/N a proud, cocky sort of grin that she loved. 

"My knight in shining school robes," Y/N said sarcastically, tugging at Harry's tie. He used the momentum to kiss her, and Ron gagged.

"Well, seems like Harry's got the hang of it!" Ron said brightly. He wandered over to the window and looked around - then his brows furrowed. "Come and look at this," said Ron, he was staring down onto the grounds. "What's Malfoy doing?"

Y/N, Harry and Hermione went to see. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in the shadow of a tree below. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be keeping a lookout; both were smirking. Malfoy was holding his hand up to his mouth and speaking into it. 

"He looks like he's using a walkie-talkie," said Harry curiously. 

"A what-kie-what-ie?" Y/N said curiously.

"He can't be," said Hermione, "I've told you, those sorts of things don't work around Hogwarts. Come on, Harry," she added briskly, turning away from the window and moving back into the middle of the room. 

"Okay, then," Y/N grumbled. "Ignore me." 

Hermione rolled her eyes affectionately, "Come on, Y/N. We're helping right now. Grab the list, will you?" 

"Grab the list, will you?" Y/N mocked jokingly, accio-ing the list over to herself. She beckoned Ron over to her, and they had fun deciding what spell Harry should try next. 

"This one?" Ron asked, pointing to spell number twenty-four on the parchment. 

"Nah," said Y/N. "We already did that one." 

"What about seventeen," Ron mused. 

"Yes."

✦

Sirius was sending daily owls now. Like Hermione, he seemed to want to concentrate on getting Harry through the last task before they concerned themselves with anything else. He reminded them in every letter that whatever might be going on outside the walls of Hogwarts was not their responsibility, nor was it within their power to influence it. 

Harry, 

If Voldemort is really getting stronger again, my priority is to ensure your safety. He cannot hope to lay hands on you while you are under Dumbledore's protection, but all the same, take no risks: Concentrate on getting through that maze safely, and then we can turn our attention to other matters.

- Sirius

Y/N had received a letter from Remus as well, which she hoped was confirmation for another visit with her parents. The last visit was a week or so ago, and Y/N's parents were getting better at remembering moments from Y/N's first year of life, when she was just a baby. 

Hey kid, 

No date for a visit, probably going to be over the summer. I do have a surprise for you, though!

- Dad 

Y/N sighed - this surprise better be good. 

The next time she saw Remus, Y/N was set on inquiring about the book, and about Arabella Figg. The first time she'd asked, with Cedric, Remus had shut her question down, never giving her an answer. 

Over the next week or so, things were normal. Class, practice, class, a little practice, dinner, some more practice, sleeping in the common room with Harry in her arms. 

When Y/N wasn't helping Harry practice, and when she wasn't in class, and when she wasn't with Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the common room, she had to split her time between her pranksters and her Hufflepuffs. 

Since Cedric needed, "moral support" for the third task, Y/N spent more time with them. Currently, they were out in the grounds, trying to convince Cedric to practice. 

"Nah," said Cedric. "I don't really want to. Can we make bracelets instead?" 

Mathew raised a brow as Liana giggled beside Y/N. "Funny, Rick-" 

"-stop calling me that-"

"-But we don't have bracelet making stuff," said Mathew. 

Y/N leaned back against a tree as Liana said, "You already have a bracelet, though - your matching shields, with Y/N. You don't need more." 

Cedric sighed very loudly and flopped backwards onto the soft, green grass. "You'll be fine, Ced," said Y/N. "You'll survive without bracelets." 

"I don't think I will," Cedric whined. "This is the end. I'm dead." 

"You're not dying until you finish that maze," Liana joked, "I wanna be friends with the winner of the Triwizard Tournament." 

This bickering went on until the day of the third task...and everyone was on edge. Everyone. Nobody could focus on work, or eating...or much else, really. 

Breakfast was a very noisy affair at the Gryffindor table on the morning of the third task. The post owls appeared, bringing Harry a good-luck card from Sirius. It was only a piece of parchment, folded over and bearing a muddy paw print on its front, but Harry appreciated it all the same. 

As it was only a couple hours before the third and final task, Harry had claimed that he needed to sit beside Y/N.

A screech owl arrived for Hermione, carrying her morning copy of the Daily Prophet as usual. She unfolded the paper, glanced at the front page, and spat out a mouthful of pumpkin juice all over it. Y/N looked over - Hermione discretely showed her the paper -  and her fork clattered from her hands. 

It was a long article, by Rita Skeeter, of course...outlining Harry's odd dream in the Divination Tower during class, and how he may have brain injuries due to his scar. There were many quotes of speculation in the article, some people even going as far as to say Harry was faking his pains. His ability to speak parseltongue was brought up, stating how it makes him creepy and evil (to Y/N, it was pretty hot).  

"What?" said Harry and Ron together, staring at her. "Nothing," said Hermione and Y/N quickly, trying to shove the paper out of sight, but Ron grabbed it. 

He stared at the headline and said, "No way. Not today. That old cow."

"What?" said Harry. "Rita Skeeter again?" 

"No," said Ron, and just like Y/N and Hermione, he attempted to push the paper out of sight. 

"It's about me, isn't it?" said Harry. 

"No," said Ron, in an entirely unconvincing tone that made Y/N wince. But before Harry could demand to see the paper, Draco Malfoy shouted across the Great Hall from the Slytherin table. 

"Hey, Potter! Potter! How's your head? You feeling all right? Sure you're not going to go berserk on us?"

Y/N, absolutely done, whipped around to see Malfoy was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet too. Slytherins up and down the table were sniggering, twisting in their seats to see Harry's reaction. 

"Let me see it," Harry said to Ron. "Give it here." 

Very reluctantly, Ron handed over the newspaper. Harry turned it over and began to read as Y/N eyed him nervously. 

It took him a minute or two, but Harry eventually finished glossing over the article. "Gone off me a bit, hasn't she?" said Harry lightly, folding up the paper. 

Over at the Slytherin table, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were laughing at him, tapping their heads with their fingers, pulling grotesquely mad faces, and waggling their tongues like snakes.

"None of it is true, though, Harry," said Y/N quietly. "None of it."

Harry nodded, gazing at her with gentle eyes. 

 "How did she know your scar hurt in Divination?" Ron said. "There's no way she was there, there's no way she could've heard-"

"The window was open," said Harry. "I opened it to breathe." 

Y/N looked at him confusedly, "You were at the top of the North Tower!" said Y/N. "Your voice can't've carried to the grounds!"

"Exactly," agreed Hermione. "Plus, she's banned from the grounds!"

"Well, you're the one who's supposed to be researching magical methods of bugging!" said Harry. "You tell me how she did it!" 

"I've been trying!" said Hermione. "But I...but...." An odd, dreamy expression suddenly came over Hermione's face. She slowly raised a hand and ran her fingers through her hair. 

"Are you all right?" said Ron, frowning at her. 

"Yes," said Hermione breathlessly. She ran her fingers through her hair again, and then held her hand up to her mouth, as though speaking into an invisible walkie-talkie. Harry and Ron stared at each other, but Y/N thought she was catching on. 

"Herms, I think I know..." said Y/N slowly.

"I've had an idea," Hermione said, gazing into Y/N's face. "I think it's the same one you've had - I just need to confirm it...I think I know...because then no one would be able to see...even Moody...and she'd have been able to get onto the window ledge...but she's not allowed...she's definitely not allowed...I think we've got her! Just give me two seconds in the library - just to make sure!" 

With that, Hermione seized her school bag and dashed out of the Great Hall, and Y/N chuckled, seeing the confused looks on Harry and Ron's faces. 

"Oi!" Ron called after her. "We've got our History of Magic exam in ten minutes! Blimey," he said, turning back to Y/N Harry, "she must really hate that Skeeter woman to risk missing the start of an exam." He turned his attention fully to Harry as Y/N finished up her eggs. "What're you going to do in Binns's class - read again?" 

Since Harry was exempt from the end-of-term tests as a Triwizard champion, he had been sitting in the back of every exam class so far, looking up fresh hexes for the third task. 

"S'pose so," Harry said to Ron as they left the Great Hall, grabbing onto Y/N's hand in what she assumed was an attempt to calm himself down. 

"Ron! Harry!" came two familiar, similar voices from nearby. "Oh...and Y/N, I guess." 

The trio turned around to see Fred, George, Elijah and Lee. Fred and George ruffled Ron's hair as Y/N gave each Lee and Elijah a one-armed side hug, then returned to grab Harry's hand.

"We can't stay long," said Lee. 

"Flitwick's on our backs," George said, walking a little bit faster. 

Y/N gave a loud sigh, a very loud sigh. "What did you do this time? Lemme guess, slimed his paperwork?" 

Fred grinned, "Bingo. Oh, shit - I can hear him coming. I can feel his tiny presence - we gotta go!"

The four hurried off, but Elijah lingered back for a couple of seconds. His eyes flicked between Y/N and Harry, then his mouth curled into a reluctant, but trying-to-be-genuine smile. "Good luck, Potter," he said. 

Harry, who had been tensely gripping Y/N's hand, murmured a "Thank you," and then Elijah ran off.  Y/N squeezed his hand - a silent, good job. 

They walked about three steps, then spotted Professor McGonagall who was hurriedly walking toward them. "Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast," she said.

"But the task's not till tonight!" said Harry, accidentally tripping on the front of his robes, probably afraid he had mistaken the time. 

"I'm aware of that, Potter," she said. "The champions' families are invited to watch the final task, you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them." 

She walked away. Harry gaped after her. "She doesn't expect the Dursleys to turn up, does she?" he asked Y/N and Ron blankly.

"Dunno," said Ron. "Harry, we'd better hurry, we're going to be late for Binns. See you later." 

"Yeah...alright..." Harry said glumly. He slowly let go of Y/N's hand, and then looked down at her expectedly, a cute little pout on his lips. 

Oh, right. His lips. 

Y/N rolled her eyes and propped herself on her tiptoes to give Harry a little peck on the lips. He brought her in for an actual kiss, and smiled against her lips until they heard a very loud coughing sound. 

"Exam. Y/N. History. Binns. Exam. Please. Stop. I'm blind now." 

"Oh, shove off Ronald," Harry said with a laugh. He gave Y/N one last hug, then they went their separate ways - Harry to meet hopefully-not-the-Dursleys, and Y/N to her History of Magic Exam. 

✦

Y/N, Ron and Hermione were meeting Harry in the Transfiguration classroom to do some last-minute practicing, since their Exam was done and it was break. Harry decided that he was too queasy to eat lunch, but Y/N made him promise to eat dinner, 

Y/N hoped she didn't do too bad on the exam - most of the questions were pretty simple and straightforward. Maybe she made up some names, but they seemed real enough for Professor Binns to not have any doubts... 

They went about their day, as they didn't have an exam that afternoon...so they kept practicing until it was time for the feast.

"Mum - Bill?" Ron said as he, Y/N, Harry and Hermione reached the Gryffindor Table - lo and behold, the two Weasleys were indeed there. "What're you doing here?"

"Come to watch Harry in the last task!" said Mrs. Weasley brightly. "I must say, it makes a lovely change, not having to cook. How was your exam?" 

Y/N and Hermione looked away awkwardly. They still remembered the less-than-satisfactory, and definitely out of pocket Easter Egg sizes...

"Oh...okay," said Ron. "Couldn't remember all the goblin rebels' names, so I invented a few. It's all right," he said, helping himself to a Cornish pasty, while Mrs. Weasley looked stern, "they're all called stuff like Bodrod the Bearded and Urg the Unclean; it wasn't hard." 

Fred, George, and Ginny came to sit next to them too. 

"Hello, Hermione...Y/N," said Mrs. Weasley, much more stiffly than usual. 

"Hello," said Hermione, her smile faltering at the cold expression on Mrs. Weasley's face. 

"Hi, Missus Weasley..." Y/N said, taking a seat between Harry and Bill. "Hey, Earring," she said, a little brighter. Harry casually placed a hand on her knee. 

Harry looked between the three of them, then said, "Mrs. Weasley, you didn't believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote in Witch Weekly, did you? Because Hermione's not my girlfriend, Y/N isn't a player. She's...er...nevermind, but they haven't done anything wrong."

"Oh!" said Mrs. Weasley. "No - of course I didn't!" But she became considerably warmer toward Y/N and Hermione after that. 

"Yeah, I wasn't the one who did something wrong," Y/N said playfully into Harry's ear. 

"Shove off, Silv." 

Y/N felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned around to find Cedric and his father, Amos Diggory, smiling warmly down at her. 

"Uncle Mossy!" Y/N exclaimed, jumping up from the bench and smothering her favorite un-biological uncle in a hug, squeezing her eyes shut. 

"Hello, Y/N," Amos said in a gentle voice. "Rosetta couldn't make it, urgent Auror call. She told me to say hi, and hi to your friends." 

Y/N murmured a small thanks, and then detangled herself from Amos' arms - Cedric was standing with him, so she grabbed a tuft of his hair and brought his head down so she could ruffle it. He gave her a swat on the shoulder, whining about how she was being annoying.

"That's rather unkind, kid," came another voice from behind. "Can't even give your dad a hug?" 

 Remus was standing there, without his usual cardigan. Instead, it was a thin, black long-sleeved shirt - Y/N assumed it was to hide his scars. Y/N rushed over to give Remus a hug. "What's the surprise you wrote about?" she asked as they sat down. She sat down next to Harry, with Remus next to her. Beside Remus was Amos, then Cedric, then finally, Bill. 

"It's me," Remus said monotonously. "Surprise, motherfucker." 

The quartet, Cedric, Amos and Bill laughed...but..."Remus!" said Molly in a scolding tone. "They are children!" 

"It's no worse than what they already say," Remus shrugged.

"Wait, dad," Y/N said, "how are you here? You're not the family of any champion." 

Remus raised a brow. "I'm actually family of two champions. Ced and Harry. I think that's enough - Dumbledore allowed it. Plus, Rosetta couldn't make it, so I took her spot." 

"Your mother is an Auror, Cedric?" Hermione asked curiously. 

"Yeah," said Cedric with a shrug. "She's out a lot, but it's fine. She makes up for it by taking long amounts of time off, especially when she comes back weak from a mission."

"Tha's pre'y coo'," Ron said through a mouthful of potatoes. Hermione sighed and covered his mouth with her hand politely. 

Harry squirmed a little in his seat and Y/N put a hand on his shoulder. "You got this, okay, Goldie?" 

"Right..." Harry said, pushing his greens around in his plate. "Just...what If I can't? What If I don't got it? Plus, what about Cedric? Only one of us can have it." 

"Whoever gets it, the other will be supportive. I know it, okay?" Y/N said softly, glancing over to Cedric, who also seemed very on-edge.

"Okay..." Harry said hesitantly, placing a kiss to Y/N's temple. She kissed his shoulder. 

Remus was eyeing them very closely, then cleared his throat. "Harry, could you pass me the chicken?" he asked politely. 

"Oh - er...yeah...sure..." said Harry, turning red, but nonetheless handing the platter over to Remus, across Y/N, who was holding in laughter. She met Remus's eye, and smiled innocently. 

There were more courses than usual, but Harry, who was visibly starting to feel really nervous now, didn't eat much. As the enchanted ceiling overhead began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now." 

Harry and Cedric got up. Y/N pulled Harry down for a proper kiss, not exactly caring that they were in the Great Hall, or that Remus was right beside her. Against her lips, he relaxed slightly, and grabbed her hand. Their bracelets clanged together. It was perfect. 

"Love you," Y/N murmured. 

"Love you," Harry said back.

Cedric came over and ruffled her hair, to which she jokingly slapped his wrist, getting cut on the edge of his Shield Bracelet. "You're shielded, Ced," said Y/N, grinning. "You'll be fine!"

The Gryffindors all along the table were applauding Harry, the Hufflepuffs, Cedric. The Weasleys, Amos, Remus and Hermione all wished them good luck, and he headed off out of the Great Hall with Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor. 

 Five minutes later, the rest of the school was led outside into the Quidditch Pitch. A huge maze was set in the middle, a labyrinth of shrubbery, a labyrinth they needed to brave to get the Cup, to win the Triwizard Tournament. 

Y/N, Hermione and Ron separated from the adults in the stands. The sky was a deep, clear blue now, and the first stars were starting to appear. Hagrid, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick came walking into the stadium and approached Bagman and the champions. They were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, all except Hagrid, who had his on the back of his moleskin vest. 

"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," said Professor McGonagall to the champions, but the crowd could hear due to her magically magnified voice. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?" 

The champions nodded. "Off you go, then!" said Bagman brightly to the four patrollers. The four of them walked away in different directions, to station themselves around the maze. 

Bagman's magically magnified voice echoed into the stands. "Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" 

The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. Y/N, Ron and Hermione (and Mathew and Liana) were clapping and whooping the loudest. Y/N caught Harry's eye, then Cedric's. When both their sullen gazes locked on her, she pushed her own chin up as a signal for them to do so as well. They straightened their backs, their expressions set in determination. 

When Y/N grinned, Harry sent her a wink, and she shook her head with a laugh.

 "In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place - Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!" 

Harry waved up at them, and they waved back, beaming at him. 

Cedric held up his braceleted hand for Y/N to see, and she held up her own. "Shielded, remember?" she mouthed and he mouthed it back.

"So...on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three - two - one -"

And the Third Task, the final task, the last obstacle, had begun.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

The task was not as exciting as Y/N presumed it would be. After all the champions had delved into the darkness of the seemingly endless maze, they could no longer be detected. The only way to pinpoint their location would be if they sent up red sparks. 

Around an hour into the task, the dusk settled, and the first spark appeared. If Y/N were to guess, it was near the outskirts of the giant labyrinth. Until Fleur was brought out, safe, everyone was on edge to see who it was, and how badly they were injured. 

The blonde dejectedly went to go sit with Madame Maxime. Y/N felt terrible for thinking it...but...one down. 

There was a loud roar in the maze about twenty minutes later. 

"That sounded like a manticore," Hermione said nervously. "What if Harry's fighting a manticore?" 

Ron scoffed, "Harry's fought worse than a manticore. Plus, he knows that Stunning Spell my arse suffered for." 

It seemed like hours they waited, trying to have conversation, but it all died out. Everyone in the stands was on edge, waiting, waiting, waiting for something, anything to occur. 

At one point, it was dead silent.

George cracked a stupid joke, Y/N knew it wasn't supposed to be funny. Just to fill the silence.

"Why doesn't Voldemort wear glasses?" 

"Why, Georgie?" Fred said, entertaining the thought. 

"Nobody nose," George said sagely, only to have Elijah slap a hand over his mouth. There were some weak chuckles in the crowd, but everyone was staring at the entrance of the maze. 

Another red spark in the air. Viktor Krum was brought back to the crowd, huddled with Professor Karkaroff. The man looked disappointed.

It was completely dark - Hermione lit her wand, and the three huddled around it like moths to a flame. Nervous, fluttering. 

Then, from the dark, a blinding blue-white light flashed. A banging noise erupted through the stadium, and everyone rose to their feet, bristled. 

Two figures, on the ground. Yellow and Red. Cedric and Harry. 

Y/N breathed a shaky sigh of relief - so they'd made it out together. Harry had a hand clutching onto the Triwizard Cup, a beautiful blue and silver trophy. They'd won it all together. Right? 

But nobody was moving. Not Harry, not Cedric. Cedric's fist was clenched, but that's all Y/N could see, since Harry was obstructing her view. Ten seconds passed, and everyone's cheers sounded very far away. Her head spun. 

Y/N, Hermione and Ron quickly pushed through people, making their way to the lower edge of the stands, closest to Harry and Cedric. 

Dumbledore was quick on his feet, rushing to Harry, seizing him roughly and turning him over. "Harry! Harry!" 

Then Y/N realized that Harry was also clutching onto...Cedric. Harry let go of the cup, but he clutched Cedric to him even more tightly. He raised his free hand and seized Dumbledore's wrist, eyes wildly searching the crowd. 

"He's back," Harry whispered, yet, somehow, Y/N heard. "He's back. Voldemort." 

"What's going on? What's happened?" Cornelius Fudge made his way into the throng.

Y/N, Hermione and Ron traded glances - her heart was beating rapidly, stomach sinking - and hopped the barrier of the stands together, rushing to Harry and Cedric.

Harry was in evident distress. "He's back! He's back - he killed Cedric. Cedric asked me to bring his body back, I couldn't leave him! I couldn't..." his voice broke, and so did Y/N's world. 

It wasn't true. That was stupid - Cedric wasn't dead. He was right here. He couldn't ask to bring...his body back...if he was dead. 

Y/N rushed to their side, basically pushing the Minister of Magic aside to get to them. She cradled Harry in her arms. She looked down at Cedric's still body. 

No, no, no, no...no...

Please, no. 

"Ced," she said. "Cedric? Cedric Diggory you wake up this instant!" Y/N demanded, shaking Cedric by the shoulders. His eyes were open and blank, and she couldn't bare to look. With soft fingers, she lowered Cedric's eyelids. "Cedric...Cedric please..." 

It was useless, and she knew it, but Y/N just couldn't...she could let him go. 

"I couldn't leave him..." Harry sobbed.

She lay across him, draped on his body, sobbing into Cedric's chest. She could feel the vague presence of hundreds of eyes. Harry had an arm around her, crying into Y/N's shoulder. 

"He's gone, Y/N," Dumbledore said. 

"No he isn't!" she snapped. "He's just resting. He's just tired, please, Professor. He's not-" she couldn't even bring herself to say the word dead. 

Cedric wasn't that word. 

Cedric was alive, like he'd always been, and he was going to wake up and say, "Gotcha!" just like he did when they played hide 'n seek at his house when they were younger.

He would wake up and say, "Pranked ya!" like he used to do when he tripped Y/N over his foot in the gardens of Lupin Cottage.

He would wake up and say, "Don't worry, Egghead," like he did when she messed up a baking recipe, or stressing over a test.

Don't worry, Egghead.

She shouldn't worry. Cedric wouldn't want her to worry...

A glint caught Y/N's eye, in Cedric's now unclenched hand. The bracelet. It was split in two, a jarring crack down the middle of the shield. 

He was supposed to be shielded...

Because they promised to always protect each other...

Y/N took a glance at her own wrist. The same cracked indent streaked across her own bracelet. Not an actual fracture, but it was all the same. A marking. They were matching again,

Scooping up the two halves of Cedric's bracelet, Y/N held them tight in her grip. She didn't care if her palms bled, Cedric had it worse. This pain was nothing.

She couldn't see, everything was blurry. Her ears were ringing, her throat was dry. The world spun, and for a moment, she could only see white. Y/N's own eyes and tears and devastation was blinding her.

Time passed. It could have been seven seconds, or seven years. Cedric...he was gone, wasn't he? But he couldn't be. That just didn't make sense. 

Her Uncle Mossy joined them. He bent over Cedric's body, and he cried, and he cried. They cried into the night, wails mixed together, confusion and panic of the crowd heightening the terrible, dull feeling.

"My boy..." said Amos. His voice shook. "My boy!"

The ringing got louder, and louder, and her vision blurred. The weight of Harry on her shoulder never left, his glasses digging into her neck, his tears spilling onto her shirt. Cedric's champion jersey was covered in glowing tears.

Y/N felt gnarled hands pull her back. She didn't even bother to turn, shaking them off, fixed on Cedric. 

She wasn't going to leave Cedric! She needed to be here when he woke up! 

"You two are coming with me," said a gruff voice to her and Harry. Y/N didn't know who it belonged to. She didn't care - she wasn't going with them. 

"Get off me," she said. She wasn't sure if she said it. She couldn't hear anything. Her whole body was buzzing. Harry's cries pierced her ear drum. 

The stranger took no heed. One of their hands gripped Harry's arm, the other Y/N's arm. She was being dragged backwards, away from Cedric. 

And she began to squirm, to get out of this person's grip, because she wasn't about to leave Cedric like that. She would fight tooth and nail. Her wand was out of reach, she couldn't maneuver her hand to her pocket. 

"Let go of me," screamed Y/N. 

It was no use. The stranger was stronger, and Y/N and Harry were pulled through the throng, the crowd of screaming people. Away, away, away.

Y/N caught a last glimpse of Cedric before Dumbledore blocked her view. She was being taken away, away, away, from Cedric Diggory, the person who needed her most. 

Or maybe she needed him most. 

─── ☆: *.⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ .* :☆ ───

/*

hey guys, on a scale of 1-10, how devastated are you? 

because i cried writing that 

so 

no emojis because cedric diggory has just passed. mb mb. 

i did a little doodle for y'all tho ! so i hope that slightly makes up for it :3

sorry i've been gone for so long :C ive just been busy asl ik its not an excuse but im gonna do better guys i missed u 

now i have e-summer school so i can be on my computer more for "school" but just write instead >:) 

what's been going on in y'alls life ??? pls update me :c 

as always, let me know if u enjoyed the chap!! point out mistakes, vote n comment!! 

i love you, eggheads 

- dizzy