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On the buzzing boat ride back from the cold lake, the twins relentlessly teased Harry about his win in the second task. Although the clouds were grey that day, and overcast was abundant on the late february afternoon, Zinnia could not have felt happier. If not for the fact she had started talking to her best friend again, but that she sat right next to him, her knee absentmindedly brushing against his which sent shivers down her spine.

She recognised that in order to keep their friendship, Zinnia would have to forget about fancying Harry, but his affection was so intoxicating and addictive to her that she wondered if she could ever do it. Besides what the harm in a little daydreaming right?

As the rickety boat pulled into the dock, the students stumbled out amongst the chatter and laughter.

"All that moral fiber eh?" Fred teased the grinning Harry as they all moved towards the path to the castle.

"Moral fiber eh? Blimey harry even when you go wrong it turns out right" Ron teased with an amused grin, passing another towel around the shivering Zinnia.

"Yeah well done moral fiber" George congratulated as Harry stopped in front of Crouch.

"Meet you at Hagrid's moral fiber!" Zinnia called out as she dispersed from Harry, seeing he was having an important conversation with crouch.

"Wonder what that's all about" Ron pointed to the walking figures of Crouch and Harry

"Eh, probably want to hire him or something. Bet the ministry would love to have 'the boy who lived' working one of their desk jobs" Zinnia joked as the group continued through the trees.

"Let's hope he doesn't get roped into anything he doesn't want to do '' Hermione worried as Zinnia huffed in amusement.

"I think he can handle himself," Zinnia laughed, linking arms with the girl and sharing their blanket warmth. "So... Viktor's treasure huh?" she teased.

"Me? What about you!" she deflected, blushing profusely. "I saw that you made up, and what was that little cheek kiss huh?"

"Friendly cheek kiss Hermione, I may like Harry still but it's all to be forgotten, no way we can still be friends if I continue like that. But yes. We're friends again" she explained in defence, kicking the crunching leaves beneath her feet. Hermione gave a doubtful glance recalling how blushed Harry got at Zinnia's touch but decided to let it go, not wanting any more conflict for as long as they can handle.

Later that evening when a dark fog landed on the grounds of the deep forest, the teens had caught up with Hagrid as they joyously trotted the forest floors in celebration. The grinning Hagrid was ever so proud of his students and Harry characteristically wandering off by himself.

Zinnia still had her blanket wrapped around her with her hair in disarray from the lakewater and her socks slightly damp, although she was slightly uncomfortable, she couldn't help but be the happiest she had felt since November.

"Now I remember when I first met you all, biggest bunch of misfits I ever set eyes on!" Hagrid boomed cheerily as he followed Ron and Hermione "Always reminded me of myself a little. And here we all are, four years later."

"We're still a bunch of misfits" Ron laughed back to Hagrid, alongside Hermione and Zinnia.

"Well Maybe. But we've all got each other" Hagrid said as Zinnia ventured through the dark fog to the lonesome Harry, catching his attention with a smile. "and Harry of course. Soon to be! The
youngest! Tri-Wizard champion there's ever been! Hooray!" Hagrid boomed. As he began to sing the Hogwarts school song in pride.

"You seem distracted" Zinnia chuffed at Harry, noticing his head perpetually staring at his feet beneath him

"Just had a sort of strange conversation" He muttered, lifting his head to look at her for a moment then returning to letting it fall.

"What? Did crouch scare you with the prospect of a desk job?" Zinnia chuckled, knowing full well that any job where Harry had to sit around all day would be a nightmare for him.

"No" he laughed at his feet "it was between Crouch and Moody, just felt a bit off but I can't put my finger on it" he pondered.

"I think you worry too much, bask in your moment Harry!" Zinnia encouraged

"That's rich coming from you" He laughed back at the girl's perpetual anxious state. The two continued onto the path in comfortable silence as the echoes of the school song continued in the background.

Sharply, Harry's attention was caught by a stray bowler hat laying off of the dirt path, without hesitation he followed it, branches snapping beneath his feet, around a tree as he grunted at the sudden pain of his scar.

Zinnia spotted him wandering off in discomfort and followed him concerned.

"Harry, what's wrong?!" she asked as she approached the frozen figure of her friend. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder then directed her eyes in the direction she was facing. And there he was. Crouch.

Frozen still in death with a sunken unmoving face. Zinnia let out a horrific gasp and covered her mouth. Not wanting to look at the body anymore, she grabbed Harry's hand and turned them around, alerting Hagrid whilst doing so.

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Once the students were given the chance to change out of their soggy robes, Harry was called into Dumbeldore's office. Harry, still in a state of shock, gave the frightened Zinnia a pleading look as they sat on the warm common room couch.

Zinnia fully understood what he meant, he didn't want to wander the castle late at night without anyone with him, and Zinnia might be the only person in the word who could comfort him the right way at that moment. Zinnia gave him a solemn nod and followed him out of the hall.

The walk was silent, not uncomfortable like the many awkward walks they had together, but this was comforting. All the two needed in that moment was each other's presence to reassure each other that it was okay.

"I've never seen a dead body." Zinnia whispered in a hush and gentle tone, playing with her nail beds as the soft noises of their footsteps echoed dreadfully.

"Me either, not really" Harry dejectedly reflected. They lingered in that silence for a bit, knowing each other's exact thoughts.

"I guess it grounds you a bit, makes everything seem real" she sighed as the boy disheartedly hummed. They walked in that same silence until they approached the entrance to Dumbeldore's office. They both breathed heavily as they looked up at the bronze bird at the entrance of the stairs.

"Huh" Zinnia let out, slightly amused..

'What" harry turned to her

"It's a griffin" she chuckled, happy to find amusement in this time.

"What?"

"The bird on the door, it's a griffin" she explained, pointing to the statue

"Yes?" harry stared, confused

"It's a griffin-door" she simply stated "gryffindor' she laughed to herself. Harry stared at her bewildered.

"The way your brain works is sometimes utterly incomprehensible" Harry stated, looking back from the door and to her. Zinnia wasn't sure if this was a compliment or not but didn't mind either way.

"Let's go up, do you want me to wait??" She comforted Harry with a deep sigh.

"Well, I didn't really think about that, you shouldn't have to walk back by yourself or wait here" he worried, suddenly scorning himself for not thinking on Zinnia's part.

"I'll wait outside," Zinnia said as she climbed the twirling staircase with Harry. As they approached the landing Zinnia opted to lean against the wall of the isolated room and wait for her friend who was leering outside of the door, listening to the raised voice of the teachers. Just as he was going to knock, the hard wooden door swung open much to the shock of Harry.

"Oh, harry! Harry how good to see you again" Zinnia heard the voice of the minister boom from inside the office. Harry stepped into the office hesitantly as Zinnia heard the mumblings from within, trying not to focus too hard as she didnt want the eavesdrop.

"Ah! Miss beaumont" Dumbeldore greeted the girl leaning against the wall as Moody slowly shut the door with his wand.

"Evening professor, I'm just waiting for Harry" she awkwardly pointed to the door as she smiled thinly.

"Good friend, good friend" he muttered as he escorted the two men down the stairs and left Zinnia in the dark hall. Once she found a bench to sit on the time passed by idly. She wondered what on earth Harry was doing in the office but did not dare enter as she was too scared of the consequences or that she might interrupt something important.

Once Dumbeldore had returned, Harry was out of the room in no time, looking quite pale and shocked as if he had had the whole world put on his shoulders. Zinnia stood up immediately and rushed to him as they both approached the staircase.

"What happened, what did he say?" Zinnia stressed mumbling to her blank faced friend

"It was Crouch's son, in my dream" he stuttered, not fully understanding what he just saw

"What? What does that mean" Zinnia scrunched her eyebrows as they came out the stairs and walked the quiet halls.

"I'm not sure. I saw a memory of Karkaroff, he was giving names to get out of Azkaban and Crouch's son. He was a death eater" Harry attempted to explain the best he could as they turned a corner into a dimly lit hall covered in portraits.

"So how did crouch end up dead, does that have anything to do with it?" Zinnia asked, not seeing how this had anything to do with what they found in the forest, however making a mental note to steer clear of the Durmstrang headmaster.

"I have no clue" Harry grunted through gritted teeth, trying to process what he had just seen.

Just then as if hate had planned it, the two heard the yelling noises of two males coming from the storage closet in that very hallway, they gave each other cautious and curious looks as they continued to the door. Just as they had approached it the door swung open to reveal the warm overhead light shining exposingly on the forearm of Karkaroff. The black ink detailed in the devilish snake manner clearly unveiled the past of the dark teacher.

Before they had time to react, the headmaster turned his head towards the shrinking students as he fiercely covered his sleeve and stomped out of the area, threateningly staring down the two who had only just figured out why that mark looked so familiar.

"Potter! Beaumont!" Snape spat out as the two watched Karkaroff scurry off. "What's your hurry?" he drawled.

"Congratulations potter, your performance in the black lake was inspiring." he snarled "Gillyweed, am I correct?" continued as she shot an accusatory glance at Zinnia

"Yes, sir," Harry softly replied, keeping his ground.

"Ingenious" Snape remarked, moving inside the storage cupboard much to the confusion of Zinnia. "A rather rare herb, Gillyweed, Not something found in your everyday garden" he explained as he moved up the ladder and shifted his bottles of ingredients. Harry and Zinnia curiously moved into the doorway, not sure what the professor was up to.

"Nor is this." he continued, picking up a small green vial and descending the ladder. "Know what it is?" he stared at them

"Bubble juice, sir?" Harry bemused, tired of Snape's games. Zinnia tried her best to keep a straight face as Snape shot a cold glance at her.

"Veritaserum. Three drops of this and you-know-who himself would spill his darkest secrets. The use of it on a student is regrettably forbidden, however should you two ever steal from my personal stores again, my hand might just slip over your morning pumpkin juice." he recited viciously to the two, shifting his gaze between them trying to milk a confession from them.

"We haven't stolen anything professor" Zinnia scowled

"Don't lie to me!" he shot back at her "Gillyweed might be innocuous, but boomslang skin? Lacewing flies?" he stared at her as if he would be able to reach into her pockets and pull out exactly what he had listed.

"You and your friends are brewing polyjuice potion and believe me I'm going to find out why." he cornered the students out of the room and promptly shut the door in their faces.

"That was pleasant" Zinnia rolled her eyes as they stood shocked at the door.

"Why on earth does he think we're brewing polyjuice potion?" Harry started as they continued their way to the common room.

"Nevermind that! You saw it right?" Zinnia expressed as she quickened her pace and spoe in a hush tone.

"What? On Karkaroff's arm?" Harry assured, looking around in case anyone was listening after them.

"It was the dark mark, the same one at the cup" Zinnia hushed in a panicked tone

"Well we know he was a death eater" Harry spoke reasonably.

"But why on earth did he find it so important at that moment to share it with Snape?" Zinnia breathed out as they hurried up the stairs.

"Honestly this day just keeps bringing up questions I don't know I want answered" Harry sunk his head down as they entered through the portrait to an awaiting Ron and Hermione.

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Zinnia Daphne Beaumont was born on the 29th of February 1980. She found that it was just her luck that she was born on a day that didn't exist in three out of four years. Zinnia has only been able to celebrate her Birthday on the actual day she was born three times, if you don't count the day she was born which she doesn't because of course she doesn't remember it. 1995 was not one of those years unfortunately, so her celebrations were pushed to the dawn of March.

That same March morning Zinnia turned fifteen, she decided today was to be a good day. No more fighting, no more stress for the tournaments. All too well known to her, she shared that same day with Ron. Although he didn't mind sharing the day with one of his closest friends, he didn't pass up the opportunity to playfully remind her that it wasn't really her birthday.

The two basked in the Happy Birthday serenade they got from the Gryffindor table and fought over the last bit of toast from the birthday toast tower Fred and Aster had made.

"Hey its not even your real birthday," Ron teased the girl, pushing her with his elbow to get to the last piece.

"Well I'm a day older than you, wanker!" Zinnia returned the shove.

"Barely" Ron poked his tongue out like a petulant child

"Well then I get the sympathy vote, I don't get a real birthday this year!" Zinnia milked the technicalities of the day she was born

"HERMIONE!" They both called for a spectator to determine the winnings. Hermione lifted her head with a facial expression that had a striking resemblance to Molly Weasly when the boys had gotten in trouble. Taking a vacant stare and long breath, Hermione swiftly picked up a butter knife and cut the piece of toast down the middle.

Before they knew it, classes had finished for the day and everyone reconvened in the common room. Presents from her sisters were given to Zinnia earlier that day but now everyone gathered for the exchange. The two fifteen year olds received sweets and pranks galore from the sickly sweet smile of their friends.

Zinnia bathed in the air around her, feeling a sense of wholeness at returning to the gleeful nature of the group. When everyone dispersed separately, Zinnia was approached by a nervous Harry.

"Hey um here is your present" he handed her a small rectangle wrapped present that was quite obviously wrapped by him as there were corners sticking out and random pieces of unnecessary tape on the wrapping. Zinnia chuckled to herself and ripped open the paper.

A small green book laid in her hand. The covers solid and beautifully blocked gold detailing on the ornate spine. Turning the book over, Zinnia looked at the title that read 'Little Women'. She gasped at the book and sheepishly looked up to Harry, whose face was flushed in nerves.

"I found a little vintage book shop in the summer, I had seen you reading it so I thought I'd get an older version since you love vintage books." Harry explained in a mumble. "The lady working there said it's a 1893 print I think"

"Harry this is.... It's amazing" She laughed as she tackled him in a hug. "Better than anything I could have asked for". Zinnia felt his shoulders relax at that as his arms wrapped around her.

"I mean it was kind of a coincidence that your copy was ruined, I was going to give it to you at Christmas but...you know" Harry sighed to the loving girl. Zinnia caught his eyes as they broke from the embrace, her pupils encapsulated sorry and guilt for the troubled time but eased into warmth as she let out a comforting smile.

"Thank You Harry" she smiled. Both of them extremely red faced and warm all over.

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(A.N- okay i think this is going to be around the second last chapter for this year but i hope you enjoyed this❤️)