Chapter Text
Harry rushed past the treeline of the Forbidden Forest and stumbled through Hagrid’s vegetable patch, uncaring of his trampled footprints left behind. He paused for breath, looking to the starlit night sky he allowed his invisibility cloak to slip off his head and shoulders. Dragons! Who in their right mind thought that allowing four teenagers to go head to head against fully grown dragons would be an efficient way to assess their skills in witchcraft and wizardry.
Harry was thankful that Hagrid showed him what he would be facing in the first task in a few days time, but he was currently struggling to squash down the despair that was threatening to escape from his throat onto the grass at his feet. How was he going to survive this blasted competition!
He set off again towards the lake, choosing to risk getting caught when he shoved his invisibility cloak into his spelled infinite space pocket at the back of his trousers. He needed to stomp unencumbered if he was going to calm himself enough before he returned to the common room.
***
It was whilst he was making his way along side the Black Lake that he came across Jason Grey, a Ravenclaw student in the year above skimming stones. He had never really spoken to the older boy, but he frequently saw him sitting in the same spot at the Ravenclaw table in the great hall when he attended breakfast early. He also remembered his face in the crowd during the dueling club incident in Harry’s second year.
“It’s a bit late for you to be out don’t you think Potter?” Grey didn’t turn towards him as he spoke, so Harry assumed that he saw him making his way towards the lake. He noticed that Grey was making each stone bounce at least fifteen times before being caught by a tentacle and taken under the surface.
“You’re one to talk, we have the same curfew.” Harry huffed, crossing his arms. He was still obviously tense, but Grey clearly felt safe enough to start a conversation with him.
Grey paused and gently indicated the spot next to him on the stoney shore. “Come join me Potter, you look like you have the world on your shoulders.”
Harry felt he had nothing to lose, so he took a seat with Grey and watched the ripples caused by the Giant Squid lap close to his already damp shoes. He let out a long sigh, he had been doing that a lot recently. Was Grey going to ridicule him, or accuse him of putting his name in the Triwizard cup snatching the glory from Cedric Diggory?
“Relax Potter, a situation is never as bad as it appears at the time.” Grey glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye. “Do you want to talk about it? I find speaking about or writing down my thoughts helps with my anxiety.”
To his surprise Harry could sense that Grey’s offer was genuine. He took a chance and like new waterfall, the words came tumbling out of his mouth: He spoke about how frustrated he was at feeling different as a child in the muggle world and now here in the wizarding world. He vented to Grey about how he always feels that there is something, or someone always trying to make an attempt on his life. He described his frustration with the fickleness of his peers and the lack of trust he has towards the adults in his life. He talked about how hopeless he was feeling about the likely outcome for him at the end of the Triwizard Tournament; and how he believed he is sleep walking into Voldemort’s latest elaborate plot to succeed where he failed thirteen years ago.
Whilst Harry was speaking, Grey didn’t interrupt him. When Harry’s voice became heavy with emotion, Grey gave him the time he needed to gather his thoughts and continue. If Harry’s eyes became heavy with tears that refused to fall, Grey didn’t indicate that he had noticed them and didn’t offer him a pat on his back.
Harry didn’t know it was possible to feel so grateful for someone giving him their full attention and listening to him with no apparent judgement.
“It’s going to be ok Potter.” Grey eventually said quietly. “You have some very powerful people watching your back, but there is more that you can do to prepare yourself.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m sure Granger already has multiple colour coded plans and ideas to help you prepare yourself for any dangers that may be ahead.” He continued, “your house has a lot of students who are older, from various bloodlines and are much more experienced than you. They are supposed to support you and teach you what we can’t learn from our professors.”
Harry looked very doubtfully to Grey. “I’ve never seen the older students teaching anything to any of the younger years. Unless you count Fred and George and their experimental sweets.”
Grey frowned. “What a waste, I know that the Slytherin and Hufflepuff houses hold nightly study sessions like ours.” He slapped his legs as he sprang to his feet.
Startled, Harry joined him. He noticed that Grey was a head taller than him and the moon light caused his blonde hair to shine.
“I will teach you what I can. I’ll liaise with Granger, I’m sure between us we can come up with a robust idea to face down a dragon.” He held out his hand and Harry who took it, surprised by Grey’s quick decision. They shook hands and walked together up to the castle, unaware of the twinkling eyes watching them from high above in a castle window.