Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Alrighty then, we all here?" Ludo Bagman asked them all cheerfully.

There was a murmured assent before Barty Crouch Sr. interrupted.

"We're missing Dumbledore, the Madame, and Karkaroff," he spoke firmly.

"Ah, well, we'll just wait here for them, won't we? Perhaps we can explain what's going on in the meanwhile, so we don't have to waste time later?" Ludo continued to be cheerful.

"Very well. Champions, after the trouble with Miss Potter's selection, we have decided to have a brief reading of…résumés, if you will, to prove each champion is worthy of their title and well qualified for the upcoming Tournament," Crouch explained seriously.

The mentioned Harry Potter looked uneasy and knew it, inwardly feeling that once again things would go wrong for her.

"We'll be sitting here, reading everyone's qualifications, starting with Miss Potter's," Ludo winked at her, but that just made the sinking feeling in Harry's stomach worse. "We haven't read any of them yet, so we'll all be reading them together. Everything'll be new to everyone."

Suddenly, there was a huge shudder running through the castle, startling and making everyone uneasy.

"What was that?" Cedric Diggory, the other Hogwarts Champion, asked.

"Dunno," Harry muttered, just knowing this was her luck going bad.

Viktor Krum of Durmstrang went to the door and tried to open it, exclaiming his surprise when he realized it wouldn't open.

"Vhat is this? The door is locked!"

"What? Zat cannot be!" Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons Champion, followed after him and tried it herself, resorting to spells afterwards.

"Uh, Bart, I don't think this is part of the program," Ludo said uneasily to his co-worker.

"Indeed, I think something has gone very wrong," Crouch eyed the door three of the four champions were now attempting to open.

Ludo glanced over at Harry, seeing the girl quiet and withdrawn in the corner of the room (when had she moved there?) and not trying to do anything. In fact, it seemed like she was trying not to draw attention to her.

"Harry, why aren't you trying to help the others?" he asked gently, trying to be quiet. It didn't help so much and he was heard, bringing the unwanted attention to Harry.

"I'm trying to keep to myself before I provoke Potter's Law," Harry said wryly.

"Potter's Law?" Crouch asked bemusedly.

"Whatever can go wrong will go wrong."

Cedric laughed. "Don't you mean Murphy's Law?"

"I'm pretty sure the name's changed. Or should be," Harry frowned darkly.

The three champions gathered back to the middle of the room with the ministry workers, with Harry being urged to come closer as well. Just then the door opened, and they yelled out for the person to stop the door. Unfortunately, the newcomer caught it too late and the door slammed shut behind him.

"Try the door," Harry twitched.

Whoever it was tried the door and found it locked in. Again.

"Okay, so it opens from the outside, but does not open from the inside," Viktor noted unhappily.

"Well, that sucks," Cedric sighed.

"Lynch? What are you doing here?" Ludo addressed the newcomer in confusion.

Aidan Lynch, famous Seeker for the Irish, came closer to the group, shrugging at them.

"I was supposed to notify you of some things the Quidditch League was hoping to impose next season, but now I'm stuck here," Aidan glanced around warily.

"Join the club," Crouch surprisingly muttered.

Ludo clapped his hands. "Since we're all here and we've got nothing else to do, why don't we get those files started on everyone?"

He reached for the papers on the table when the moment he touched them, the room shimmered and then they felt a jolt, and the next thing they all saw was that they were in a different room. There was a comfy couch set and a table in the middle with three books on them. Reluctantly settling onto the couches, Cedric reached over and grabbed the books, reading the titles aloud.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," he felt his eyebrows raised.

Harry said nothing aloud (though she inwardly groaned), but she had scarily arranged her face into a blank mask and unnerving everyone else in the room.

"Let us read ze books. There iz nozzing else to do and we are supposed to be reading about ourselves, oui? 'Arry was first," Fleur surprisingly got the ball rolling, though it was because she was inwardly curious as to the youngest's reactions and wanted to find out what was going on.

"That is a sound idea. Though I would like to know where we are and what's going on," Crouch muttered the second part.

"I'll start," Cedric announced, grabbing the first book and opening Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to the first page. "The Girl Who Lived," he read the chapter title.

The story introduced the Dursleys, particularly Harry's aunt and uncle she noted, and the story emphasizing just how much they liked things normal and without any "nonsense."

Ludo snorted. "Normal is so overrated."

"They sound like boring people," Viktor cringed.

"Hush now! Let Cedric read," Fleur shushed them.

Harry wished she had just let the two keep talking.

Vernon's job was brought up and of course the muggle tool it specialized in confused the magicals.

"What are drills?" everyone in the room, besides Harry, asked.

Seeing as how she was the only one who knew and that since everyone else wanted to know, she would have to answer and couldn't get away with a 'never mind'.

"Muggle tool used to drill holes and help build things," Harry explained briefly.

"Interesting," Aidan blinked, trying to picture that. So did everyone else.

Vernon's description, largely dealing with his neck and mustache, produced varied reactions of cringing.

"Attractive," Fleur said dryly.

The champions snickered and even Harry cracked a smile. This was noted satisfactorily.

The next part dealt with Petunia's description and her hobby of spying on people, before introducing Dudley and the claim his parents had on "there being no finer boy anywhere." Yeah. Uh huh.

Ludo huffed. "Something tells me that's far from the truth."

"What an attractive family," Cedric compounded on Fleur's statement.

"You can say that again," Aidan was just as sarcastic as the rest.

Crouch frowned disapprovingly. "Spying and gossiping. Does that woman have no life?"

Harry bit back a laugh at that, surprised by the man's statements.

"No, sir. I think that makes up most of her life. And Dudley."

However, the next part of the Dursleys having a secret that was basically Harry's family garnered some interesting reactions from the others that Harry hadn't expected.

"What's wrong with the Potters?!" Crouch, Ludo, and Aidan surprisingly yelled.

Cedric's mouth twisted in anger. "Yeah, what the hell? Harry, that's just so wrong. Everyone knows how far back your family goes and how respected."

Harry hesitantly smiled at them, though she looked at the three grownups.

"You knew my parents?"

"James and Lily were the finest examples of a witch and wizard, unlike Black," Crouch said vehemently.

While Harry wanted to be just as passionate in defending her godfather, she was even more surprised at Crouch's knowledge and compliments about her parents. And absolutely delighted about it, as she ever was whenever her parents were mentioned.

The group had noted that reaction as well, and were unexpectedly pleased about it. They made a reminder to themselves to talk more about her parents.

"Knew them in school. I think I was the only Slytherin your father and his group talked nicely with," Ludo added.

"What? You were a Slytherin?"

"Wait, what?"

Both Cedric and Harry respectively said in disbelief, confusing Viktor and Fleur (who knew nothing of the Hogwarts Houses or why it was a shock), amusing Aidan, and mildly entertaining Crouch.

"I was a Slytherin too," Aidan chirped up.

Aghast, Cedric and Harry grouped together and stared wide-eyed at the two famous Quidditch players.

"Ced, we're outnumbered," Harry mock-whispered.

"We'll just have to stick together against them," Cedric whispered back.

Then they turned to eye Crouch warily.

"I was a Ravenclaw," he stated wryly.

"We can snag the other two champions too," Harry suggested.

"Yeah, but Viktor sits with the snakes so that makes him part of their team. Fleur's with the ravens, so we can grab her for our own though," Cedric nodded knowingly.

"Can we get back to ze book, s'il vous plait?" Fleur interrupted them patiently, even though she had been following the interaction in enjoyment. "And I know you are stalling for some reason, 'Arry."

Sheepishly, they nodded and Cedric grabbed the book, though Harry looked very put out.

"Oh, by the way, Harry, your father used to come to the games and camps all the time. That's how I knew him," Aidan slipped in before Cedric could start. "I'll tell you about it later," he promised.

Harry beamed, excited to actually hear stories about her father.

There was more bashing of the Potters, particularly of her mom, by Petunia, and how they preferred to pretend Harry's mom and dad didn't exist. But of course the 'word' that wasn't a word would bring someone some irritability…

"'UnDursleyish' is not a word," Crouch twitched, frowning severely.

Ludo slid several inches away from him on the couch.

And then came Harry's introduction (sort of?) and the Dursleys' unwillingness to let Dudley anywhere near her, even though none of them had even seen her.

"Oh, come on!" Cedric interrupted himself. "First they ignore Mrs. Potter's existence, call your dad a good-for-nothing, and now they can't even be bothered with being nice to you when they haven't even met you yet, Harry?"

Harry shrugged, weirded out by the intense stares directed her way. "Story of my life."

That didn't make anyone feel better.

Nothing really happened in the next paragraph, other than Vernon picking some dumb tie to wear and then Harry's aunt having to deal with Dudley and basically having to shove him into his chair while he was having some sort of temper tantrum. Which he still has, even if he should be too old for them. Harry inwardly scoffed.

"Vhat a little brat. I hope he is not still like that," Viktor said in disgust.

Harry bit back her reply, knowing it wasn't going to make things look good.

But Vernon leaving for work and his further chuckling at Dudley's behavior aroused more disgust than Harry thought would be possible.

"Why, I never! He encouraged that behavior? And that rotten little punk!" Crouch exploded, alarming and shocking everyone.

There was now a five meter radius of space surrounding him.

But then there was the appearance of a tabby cat reading a map that lightened things up, practically instantly.

Hogwarts alumni and current attendees gaped at the book.

"McGonagall," they said at once, bemusing but entertaining the foreigners in the room.

"Has to be," Aidan swore. "The behavior just screams her."

"She is also specifically a tabby cat Animagus," Crouch added.

The cat started to read the street sign, but Vernon decided to deny that. Harry shook her head. Of course he would. Why would he ever willingly acknowledge anything strange?

"Delusional, he is. Of course cats can read maps," Aidan said matter of fact.

"If they're McGonagall," Ludo tacked on.

The two snickered and smirked at each other.

"He iz at least in denial," Fleur shook her head.

Vernon in the book went back to thinking of drills, of course, and forcibly put away thoughts of the cat. Still, Harry didn't think that would be over. She was sure things would come up to bother the man about it and other stuff.

"And apparently one-tracked," Fleur continued sarcastically. "At least zink of something a little more entertaining. Perhaps a zecret rendezvous with ze secretary or ze bozz or 'oping for it to 'appen. It iz scandalous."

That brought a laugh out of everyone, though Harry choked on her own breath and cringed, a shudder running through her. She did not like that mental image popping up.

"Now that is an image I could have done without," she shuddered again. "Thank you, Fleur," she said sardonically.

The other girl gave an apologetic shrug.

Crouch's eyes flashed when Vernon's attention was brought to notice so many people walking around and wearing cloaks.

"Irresponsible," Crouch muttered unhappily. "People then really should have known better."

A black aura started to surround him like doom. Everyone continued to keep their distance.

"Were people really being that obvious back then?" Cedric mused.

But then Harry had to sigh as her uncle started thinking about drills again.

"One-tracked~" Cedric sing-songed.

While Vernon played oblivious, obviously there were owls running amok in the sky in broad daylight behind him. At least plenty of other people noticed back then.

"Violations to the ninth degree," Crouch muttered, aura growing darker.

But at the part where Vernon actually got up to actually "stretch his legs and walk across the road", Harry couldn't believe it.

"What, really?" Harry asked astonished.

And then it was continued and revealed how he was only doing it for a bun at the bakery. Of course that was why.

"Oh, never mind."

Everyone laughed at Harry and Harry shrugged good-naturedly. They shared her opinion though.

"Must be some good buns to get him to actually walk," Aidan commented, drawing another round of laughter.

"I am surprised he did not haff his secretary go get it for him," Viktor snorted.

A sinking feeling grew in Harry's stomach though, as she listened to the story talk about Vernon suspiciously listening in to a few of the huddled groups around the bakery speaking of "the Potters" and their daughter Harry. Harry's mirth from earlier started to die down and she had a feeling where this was all going.

As usual, Vernon was denying it, resorting to thinking that the Potter surname wasn't so off and uncommon.

"In the Wizarding World it is," Ludo glared. "It is a very old and respected family."

Harry had to hold back her snort. Vernon hadn't even known her name then (aside from the obvious denial at work). She wasn't surprised. She should have expected it even.

"Did zey not even know your name?" Fleur interrupted, aghast.

Harry shrugged, though her answer garnered many unhappy stares.

"They better know it now," Ludo growled.

"Perhaps I should dig up that paperwork asking for 'Harry Potter Day,'" Crouch muttered.

"What?" Harry asked, eyes wide.

"Nothing, nothing."

Harry did feel rather smug that Vernon had trouble concentrating on drills afterwards.

"Oh my, really?" Fleur mock-gasped.

There was a collective gasp as the next part had Vernon running into a tiny man who easily (impressively) shrugged it off and announced great joy about Voldemort being defeated.

"Professor Flitwick?" Cedric blinked.

"Ze leetle man that is charged of ze house I sit with?" Fleur asked.

"Huh, yeah…"

They were all even more impressed when the little old man hugged Vernon around the middle.

"How'd he managed that!" everyone shouted.

"Especially if it is Flitwick. That must've been some feat," Aidan whistled.

Vernon's mindset boggled the group, excessively swearing out imagination, even though at that moment he was hoping to be imagining everything.

"Really, the way this man thinks," Cedric was put out. "You should be able to get away with everything, Harry."

"Haha, right," Harry smiled weakly, her emerald eyes unknowingly dimming slightly.

That was rather suspicious, though the others didn't know why.

"Magic would be gone without imagination," Crouch changed the subject, sneering at the man, even though he couldn't see.

"They should be careful about all that talk in the middle of Muggles, especially calling one of them a Muggle," Ludo ironically said.

Crouch raised an eyebrow at him. Ludo shrugged with an embarrassed smile.

"It was Quidditch," was all that he explained.

Crouch and Fleur rolled their eyes, but all the Quidditch players gave a "Hear, hear!"

But then Vernon spotted the cat still there when he went home from work.

"She's still there?" Aidan gaped.

"Vow, she's determined," Viktor was as shocked as the rest of them.

"Or stubborn," Harry smirked, drawing gasps and laughs.

"You're so lucky Professor McGonagall's not here," Cedric bit out through his laughter.

Vernon shooing the cat made everyone laugh and look at the book incredulously.

"Oh no he didn't," Ludo gasped out after bursting out laughing. "If that really is McGonagall, she's not going to like that."

The cat just retaliated with a stern look apparently, which they wished they could all see. They all burst into laughter again.

"Oh yeah, definitely McGonagall," Ludo agreed.

"Typical McGonagall," Harry said mischievously.

"Yeah, that is her," Cedric struggled to keep a hold of the book from his laughter fit.

Petunia and Dudley were brought back into the picture, with Petunia telling about her spying results of the day and Dudley saying his first word ("Won't!").

"Disgusting," Fleur referred to both of them. "A child like zat deserves to be spanked. And zat woman…"

The Muggle news was briefly brought up, talking about owls and shooting stars.

"Violations! Violations!" Crouch looked like he was having a conniption. "Expose us to the Muggles, why don't you all?"

And then Vernon was hesitantly bringing up Harry's mum to Petunia, knowing they usually pretended she didn't have a sister.

"There is nothing wrong with the Potters! There is nothing wrong with James Potter or Lily Potter or Harry Potter!" Crouch actually exploded at the book. "Get it through your thick heads!"

Confused and shocked at the unlikely behavior of the man, Harry could only stay quiet and wide-eyed.

"Kind of out of character of the man," Cedric said out loud in shock.

Ludo snorted. "Says you. It's a common sight in his department. Everywhere, from the Ministry to the public, Bart's unflappable and calm and serious. Go into his department –well, you'll have to sneak in –and guaranteed you'll see him having a freak out every few minutes as he micromanages and obsesses over everything. Worse because he can become a perfectionist."

Vernon continuing and ending up calling their group "a crowd" brought mixed reactions.

"Ohhh, we're a special group, Bart," Ludo snickered. "We should be exclusive. Those without imaginations can't be in."

Crouch grunted, miffed at Vernon Dursley's comment.

"A crowd," Aidan muttered. "A crowd. What are we? Diseased?"

When Vernon went on to hesitantly bring up Harry, Petunia's sharp remarks about her name made Harry flinch.

"I do not think your name is common," Viktor told Harry. "Or nasty."

"Nor ill-fitting for a girl," Crouch declared.

Harry gave them a smile in thanks, while everyone else voiced their agreements.

Aside from the cat still being there on the street, the Dursleys turned in to sleep, with Vernon deciding that whatever was going on had nothing to do with them and they shouldn't be getting mixed in with the Potters or their kind.

"I'm glad," Fleur spat out. "Zair iz nozzing wrong with ze Potters. And if zey could 'ave, zey would 'ave continued to avoid you. Us and our kind…well, better zan you and your family!"

Around the room were a bunch of angry agreements. Harry briefly smiled to herself, inwardly shaking her head.

"Man, McGonagall's been there for such a really long time," she tossed in to make things lighter.

Reluctant laughter answered her.

What impressed them though, was that the cat didn't move at all until the time was near midnight.

"Damn, McGonagall," Ludo swore in amazement.

There was a new character being introduced, though it was interesting to note that he appeared suddenly and silently. And like he'd "popped out of the ground." Yeah, that was an image alright. All of them tried to picture that and giggled at the image.

It was obvious the cat was unhappy when its tail twitched and eyes were narrowed. That boded no good for the man, they could tell.

"Uh oh, someone's in trouble," Aidan sing-songed.

And then the man, along with a very interesting description of him, was revealed as Albus Dumbledore himself.

Everyone burst out laughing, especially when they realized the person they tried to picture popping out of the ground was Dumbledore. Then they tried to picture the image again with Dumbledore and their laughter intensified. Then they remembered Harry's description.

Ludo chortled. "G-great description of the man, Harry."

"Very accurate," Crouch smirked.

Harry just blushed and turned her head down.

When it was read out that Dumbledore didn't realize he was in a street he'd probably be unwelcomed at, Harry wasn't so sure about that. In her opinion, he probably did know. She wasn't the only one to think that either.

"Probably did. Didn't care," Crouch rolled his eyes.

Dumbledore caught sight of the cat in the book and his resulting chuckle and greeting was agreed by everyone that it was just going to make the cat irritable.

"That's not going to make the professor happy," Cedric shook his head.

Dumbledore was then able to find what he was looking for in his pockets and whatever it was astonishingly took out all the lights on the street.

"Zat iz interesting. I 'ave not 'eard of such a zing. Iz it a British invention?" Fleur spoke to the ministry wizards.

"No. I doubt it's even in circulation right now. Most probably it is an invention and an item belonging solely to Dumbledore," Crouch informed her, curious about it himself.

And then Dumbledore greeted the cat as McGonagall, andall Hogwartians cheered.

"We were so right," Harry nodded surely, high-fiving Cedric.

The cat turned into McGonagall and asked how Dumbledore know it was her, to which his reply obviously irritated her. Harry could almost imagine McGonagall using her claws as a cat to scratch Dumbledore.

"Tut tut, McGonagall's going to chew him out for that. She's getting ready for it," Crouch's lips were twitching upwards.

"She didn't exactly haff to sit there all day if she didn't vant to," Viktor pointed out as well.

"Of course it was Minnie. Who else could it have been?" Harry added to the fire. "Though I wonder why she's there…"

The other Hogwarts attendees gasped.

"You…you called McGonagall 'Minnie'," Aidan said in admiration.

'Side effect of my godfather and Uncle Moony,' Harry wanted to say.

McGonagall's irritation seemed to shoot up the roof as she grumbled about all the magical activity around and how Muggles weren't that stupid to ignore all of it. She seemed to pinpoint the shooting stars trick to Dedalus Diggle.

"Party pooper. Meanie," Cedric pouted.

"Muggles can be rather ingenious, McGonagall," Aidan admonished the book.

"She can't hear you," Harry said sarcastically, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.

The Irish seeker shrugged, smirking back at her.

"Poor Diggle," Crouch winced. "But she's right. The man doesn't have any sense. He's a good man though."

However, as McGonagall continued to snap about the carelessness going on, Crouch obviously was on her side.

"Careless," Crouch agreed. "So many laws broken."

His dark aura came back.

However, as she gave Dumbledore a look and tried to get him to say something, Harry bit her lip to stop from laughing.

"Nice try, Minnie. Dumbledore's always cryptic. You can almost be guaranteed to never get a straight answer out of him," Harry nodded her head sagely.

That gained awed and confused glances from the others at the familiarity Harry showed towards the two authority figures.

It was also just like Dumbledore to offer up a lemon drop instead.

"He still likes those?" Crouch blinked.

"Even to this day," Harry told him. "They are rather good, though I suspect Dumbledore at least laces his with a Calming Draught."

The others looked wary with that information and rather surprised that Harry could know or at least be able to suspect such a thing somehow.

Dumbledore then attempted to have McGonagall say Voldemort's name, which Harry rolled her eyes at. It was just a name after all. Everyone else there flinched, besides Harry, drawing curious and more awed glances her way.

Dumbledore in the book then said that Voldemort would have powers he didn't, which Harry shook her head at.

"Only because you're too noble, sir," Harry said seriously.

"'Only because you're too –well –noble to use them.'" Cedric read in amusement.

That drew some snickers aimed at Harry.

Dumbledore mentioned being lucky it was dark and having not blushed that much since Madame Pomphrey told him she liked his new ear muffs, which Harry personally found both hilarious and a little sweet.

There was a long drawn out silence from the rest though.

"Oookay," Ludo shivered.

"Ah, come on. Dumbledore's just embarrassed and shy about getting flattery," Harry said cheerfully, a mischievous twinkle, somewhat like Dumbledore's, in her eyes.

But the mood dropped as McGonagall mentioned the rumors and how everyone thought Voldemort was stopped.

Everyone became somber, the reality of where this was all leading to and what day it was starting to finally really sink in. Nervous and sorrowed glances were thrown towards Harry, whose demeanor became heavier and her bright eyes dimmed.

As McGonagall anxiously came to announce that everyone were saying Lily and James Potter were dead, everyone bowed a head in silence.

McGonagall's reaction was a surprise to Harry, who smiled sadly, inwardly thanking her professor. She hadn't known she had cared so much.

She then moved on to saying that everyone was saying how Voldemort moved onto Harry and failed to kill her.

Harry stiffened up and a dark look crossed her face. Cedric reached over and clasped a hand on her shoulder in comfort. Both her parents' recent deaths in the book and her fame that came from it were both factors in making her unhappy.

It astonished McGonagall. And Dumbledore replied that they could only guess at how and why, and would probably never know.

"It was my mum. It was all my mum. I had nothing to do with it," Harry muttered, curling into a ball and refusing to look at the others.

Cedric dropped his hand from Harry's shoulder to grab one of the young girl's hand, and on Harry's other side, Fleur scooted over and gave her a light hug.

Then came the part where Dumbledore revealed that he'd come there to leave Harry with her only living relatives.

"Merlin, no! Anyone but them!" Aidan jumped up in indignation. "If it has to be Muggles, anyone else but them!"

Harry stared at him wide-eyed. "T-thanks," forgetting about her brooding for the moment.

Aidan gave her a half-grin. Aside from his real indignation at the situation, he had wanted to distract Harry from being unhappy.

McGonagall apparently agreed with him, as she vehemently protested and told Dumbledore all about the disgusting behavior of the family she'd watched over that day.

"You tell him, Professor!" Cedric cheered.

"Thanks for trying, Minnie," Harry smiled sadly. "Though I wish you had tried a little harder and maybe I could have lived somewhere else."

"Again, what an 'orrible child," Fleur scrunched up her nose. "I 'ope, for your sake, zat ze boy grows up better."

Harry gave a helpless shrug that didn't help anyone.

Crouch grumbled incoherently to himself. "The Magical Childes Services should have been in charge of this. We take the safety of our children very seriously and if they had been able to get their hands on you before you were given to your relatives, you would have definitely been given a better home, where they would have taken your fame into account and make sure that the family wasn't trying to gain custody because of your fame. And if any family dared to try to get you for your fame, the MCS would have given them some real punishments while keeping you very safe. They would absolutely be looking for a real family and would have put you first above fame and any potential family, especially if they were unworthy. Not to mention the Potter's will. Anyone listed there would have priority."

Harry looked at him curiously, though she actually wanted to know more about that. She'd never heard of the Magical Childes

However, Dumbledore was firm in his decision and that he had a letter that would explain it all to them.

"Vhat? You cannot explain all that in a letter! That's absurd," Viktor blurted out, looking befuddled at such a thing.

McGonagall seemed to be taken aback by his decision to leave it all up to a letter. The book her couldn't understand that, especially since she was sure that Harry would be famous all over, having books written about her, and even have a day named after her.

"Ah hah! So that's how he did it!" Ludo exclaimed. "Smart man, that Dumbledore."

"What are you talking about, Ludo?" Crouch interrupted irritably.

"McGonagall's like a pitbull, the Muggle dog species. Once she's onto something, she bites on and never lets go," the blond explained. "Dumbledore used a combination of shocking her with the letter tidbit, the fact he's Dumbledore and can do no wrong, and then he's going to add his logic to seal the deal. Otherwise, she would never have let it go and kept harping on him on how you would never be able to live with those people."

"Huh," Aidan nodded. "Makes sense."

Crouch hmmed. "Right. Though I really should find that paperwork and approve Harry Potter Day."

Harry glared in exasperation, but Crouch just smirked back.

Dumbledore was adamant in the book of Harry staying there precisely because of her fame, thinking it best she grew up far away from it.

"The MCS would have taken care of it," Crouch insisted, glaring at the book. "Even if it had to be a Muggle family."

McGonagall then seemed to have given in at that point.

"See?" Ludo started. "There's the logic and now she gave in."

She wondered how Harry was going there, to which Dumbledore revealed Hagrid was bringing her. McGonagall was skeptical, but Dumbledore even said he'd trust Hagrid with his life.

"Just don't with important information or his pets," Harry chirped up fondly, with the others turning to stare at her for her comment.

Then came Hagrid's description as he was introduced into the book.

Aidan snorted. "I love your descriptions," he told Harry enthusiastically.

Hagrid mentioned getting the bike he used to get there from Sirius Black, which made Harry want to ask Sirius about it. Crouch sneered though and Harry stamped down the urge to defend her godfather. She didn't want to, but she knew she couldn't just blurt out Sirius was innocent. Then she had to explain how she knew that, reveal she was in contact with him, and a whole bunch of other things that would probably get her and Sirius in trouble, as well as Hermione.

At Hagrid talking about how Harry fell asleep flying over Bristol, Fleur clapped her hands.

"'Ow cute!" Fleur squealed, making an image in her head and making Harry blush bright red.

The book described the two professors bending to look at Harry, who was described as being fast asleep.

Fleur made a cooing noise, with Harry growing more embarrassed by the minute. The others snickered under their breaths at her, though were just as much cooing in their minds at the cute picture.

"I have pictures of when you were a baby and when you were just born," Crouch revealed, showing a roguish side that caught everyone off guard.

"I think I got some pics of your parents, or at least your dad and his group," Aidan added. "Though I know there's one with a pregnant Lily."

Harry, while embarrassed, was actually more starved for pictures of her family and more knowledge and stories about them to really care about being embarrassed.

Just then, Harry's infamous scar on her forehead was brought up. Their amusement was cut short.

McGonagall asked Dumbledore if he could do something about it, a sentiment Harry wished as well.

"I wish he had," Harry muttered, already knowing Dumbledore's answer to that.

Of course, Dumbledore's answer was a negative, mentioning how it was better that he didn't as scars could come in handy and he had one on his knee that was a perfect map of the London Underground.

"TMI, Headmaster, TMI. Too. Much. Information," Ludo cringed.

It was time for goodbye in the book and baby Harry was left on the doorstep by Dumbledore, who tucked in the letter into her blankets.

"Wait, what?" both Crouch and Ludo said.

Although it was a dismal atmosphere in the book with that small group, as Dumbledore decided it was best they leave and should at least join the celebrations, some of the group in the current room blinked.

"Wait, what?" Aidan joined Crouch and Ludo in saying.

McGonagall was upset enough to actually show a lot more emotion than any of them were used to from her, even blowing her nose sadly.

"Strange to picture McGonagall emotional," Ludo joked weakly.

And then everyone was leaving, with Dumbledore the last after saying a solemn good luck to Harry.

"Wait, what?" the whole group, minus Harry, said together this time.

Harry flinched at the volume and stared at their growing indignation.

At least the image of Harry rolling in her blankets to clutch at the letter, while not waking up and just sleeping on, caused a momentary break from the agitation in the group.

"Cute," Fleur squealed, breaking from the group mood for a second.

Harry felt bad for baby Harry as she had to be woken up by Petunia's shrill scream as Harry was discovered on the doorstep.

"Ugh," Cedric refrained from sneering.

She also felt bad by her baby self having to endure the pinching and prodding from Dudley afterwards too.

"Brat," Viktor growled.

Harry mildly thought it was amusing how they all said one word in succession.

And then the chapter ended.

"They…left you…in the early morning of November in the cold," Crouch twitched, his dark aura coming back with a vengeance.

"Didn't the Muggle news say something about a wet night?" Fleur tacked on with a faint voice.

"Uh, it's alright. You heard the book. I made it okay," Harry tried to soothe them all. She was pretty sure she was failing though.

"Harry, no offence, but they left you 'in the early morning of November in the cold,'" Ludo quoted sarcastically. "On a doorstep outside."

Harry was going to shrug helplessly again, but decided that it would definitely not help matters and probably make it worse.

"Give me that," Fleur snatched the book irritably. "I'll read next."

"Are you cold? You must be cold," Viktor fretted and came closer.

"No, no –I'm fine," Harry held up her hands. "It's not November and it's inside and it's not cold –"

Viktor still plopped his huge fur cloak, that he'd brought along earlier, onto Harry and started tucking it in around the small girl, muttering under his breath in Bulgarian.

And all the while, outside their room, everywhere else in the castle had suffered a similar lockdown and had or was reading the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Started 12/19/11 –Completed 12/21/11
Edited 1/2/16 – Completed 1/4/16

Chapter Text

Harry looked quite adorable all wrapped up in Viktor's cloak, small as she was. And especially since Viktor had tucked her in and made her almost invisible. A tuft of jet-black hair and emerald eyes was all that peeked out until Harry wiggled her head up more and at least her head became visible.

"Are you trying to make a claim, Viktor?" Fleur teased, pausing before starting her turn.

Viktor spluttered. "Vhat? I am just trying to be kind –!"

Harry, hands unavailable, nudged her nose against Cedric's arm, looking at him wide-eyed.

"What does she mean about Viktor making a claim? About what?" she whispered towards her fellow Hogwarts student, though everyone else was still able to hear.

Cedric laughed nervously. "It's nothing, Harry. Just a silly, inside joke."

Harry pouted, but Crouch discreetly signaled Fleur to start immediately.

"Ze Vanishing Glass," Fleur read aloud

So ten years had passed, and apparently Dudley Dursley apparently was now a pink, blond-headed beach ball that wore different colored bonnets through the years.

"Really, Harry?" Aidan shook his head, grinning. "Merlin, I love your descriptions."

Harry grinned cheekily, even as she blushed.

On the other hand, the book said there was no signs, especially pictures, of another child living there.

"What? Zat iz so stupid!" Fleur exploded, glaring at the book.

"But you are there, aren't you?" Viktor interrupted.

"Yes, I am. I promise, Viktor," she tried to soothe, though it just seemed to make things worse.

With so many glares at it, Harry was surprised the book didn't combust spontaneously into flames.

"Really, Harry? No pictures?" Cedric growled.

"I was really camera-shy," Harry joked. "Still am, actually."

Cedric ignored that. "Must join Colin Creevey on Quest to document Harry's life," he muttered, and everyone could hear the capital on that 'Quest'. "Compensate for the lack of photos in childhood and photograph now to make up for before. Lots of photographs of childhood things to pretend childhood. Make mental note."

Harry felt the urge to smack her forehead in exasperation.

"I want a notebook and a pen," Crouch suddenly declared, surprising and confusing those there. Plus, what he asked for was kind of out of norm for wizards and witches. The things suddenly appeared though and Crouch quickly started making use of it, mutterings of "MCS…files…Harry Potter Day…" and other things that made Harry kind of worry.

"How'd he do that?" was what she focused on instead. "Can all adult wizards do that?"

"No, Harry. Not like that," Aidan told her, confused as well.

"It's the room," was all that Crouch said, making things even more confusing.

They finally got confirmation of Harry's presence there, though the fact she had to wake up to Petunia's shrill voice was aggravating.

"Brilliant," Ludo said sarcastically.

"'Up! Get up! Now!'" Fleur attempted to mimic Petunia's shrill voice.

"It really is a great way to wake up," Ludo continued in the same sarcastic tone.

Harry was waking up, but apparently had remembered her dream, which was about a flying motorcycle.

"Wow, you really remembered that?" Cedric blinked, recalling the first chapter.

In the book, Petunia was once again back to demand Harry get up.

"Give her a moment, why don't you?" Aidan snapped, giving a glance to Harry.

Petunia was then rushing Harry in the book to get up already and start looking over the bacon, because everything had to be perfect for Dudley's birthday. Harry mentally blanched, remembering that time, and was glad she was going to leave for Hogwarts soon, if she recalled the timeline correctly.

"You haven't gotten your letter yet, yes?" Crouch asked emotionlessly, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"No," Harry answered hesitantly.

"Your birthday hasn't come yet either, right?"

"No…"

"Harry…you wouldn't happen to be ten…then?"

"Um…"

Crouch threw his notebook at the table. "What kind of people forces a ten year old child to cook for them, especially for their same aged brat? No child should be cooking at that age, especially without supervision or help and if the child doesn't want to be cooking. Do you make your precious Duddy cook?" he mockingly addressed the absent Dursleys.

He reclaimed his notebook and started scribbling furiously in it. Fleur peeked over, nodded, and then held out her hand.

"Notebook," she said flatly, one magically appearing in her hand out of nowhere.

She started scribbling as well. Angered as well, though slightly bewildered also, Cedric, Ludo, and Aidan peeked over to the one closest to them before echoing Fleur's actions and immediately started to scribble in their own notebooks.

Harry stared, absolutely taken aback by them and disoriented with what just happened.

However, Harry was caught off guard and not prepared for her old cupboard to come up right then.

"What the fuck?!" Aidan burst out, cursing.

Harry gaped at him, totally taken aback by how someone she didn't even know well was angry on her behalf, and even more so when the others joined in on the protests.

"'Arry, zey did not really make you sleep in a cupboard, did zey?" Fleur asked quietly, staring intently at her. She had not had to pause reading the end because she hadn't read ahead, and was therefore shocked at the same time as everyone else had hearing that fact.

She shrugged uncomfortably, unhappy about the attention but couldn't help the slight happiness she felt that people actually cared. Their reactions also helped proved to her that she didn't deserve the treatment she suffered at the hands of the Dursleys, like she sometimes wavered towards thinking. Suddenly, Crouch was heading towards her and grabbing her up, directing her a little ways away and crouching down to her height to look her in the eyes seriously.

"Harry, I'm going to ask something very seriously and I want you to answer truthfully. Did your relatives ever abuse you?"

Harry nearly gaped. "What? No –"

Crouch shook his head. "You know, I'm pretty sure your definition of abuse and our definition of it is quite different. In fact, the cupboard there is already abuse. These books will probably tell us more and I want you to promise you'll expound on it. And I want you to promise to be truthful."

Harry wanted to scream out a 'No!' but this was actually the first time an adult actually cared to pry into her life to help her and she could only nod her head numbly before she could realize that she had.

Of course, everyone's bad mood was added to when the book mentioned all of Dudley's presents and how they covered the table.

That was earned a round of sneers.

"Like he needs all that," Ludo huffed, feeling extremely irritable.

"Harry, they didn't do the same for you, did they?" Cedric asked her, already knowing the answer. Harry nodded wearily and Cedric began to scribble in his notebook, the others immediately getting the hint and starting to write in their own.

Harry was really starting to get curious about those things.

The book talked about the list of things Dudley got, including a computer, television, and racing bike.

Harry briefly provided simple explanations for all of those, though many wondered how that boy could deserve all of that or what he would do with all of it.

The book said Harry's thoughts exactly (so maybe Harry did write all of this somehow, or it was plucked from her head), and that Dudley wasn't the type to like exercise and all that being "fat", so the bike would be a pointless gift.

This earned some laughter and giggles from the group, though it died down with the next sentence, turning into glares, since none of them liked the sentence talking about how Dudley only liked the "punching somebody" type of exercise.

"Please tell me that 'somebody' isn't you," Viktor sighed.

Of course, Viktor knew it had to be her as the book showed, but at least Harry was fast.

"I'm very glad that you are," Viktor continued.

"As good as it is, it really doesn't make it much better," Cedric growled, pen tapping against his notebook in agitation.

"Muggle baiting is starting to sound so very tempting, especially if it's with these Muggles," Crouch twitched, his dark aura coming back with a vengeance and seeming to be turned up to a high level.

Harry agreed with the book –the cupboard maybe had something to do with her size, though she had always been small and skinny.

On the other hand, the mention of the cupboard earned more dark scowls from the group.

"Your father was small as well, but you really took it to the next level, so unfortunately that probably did have something to do with it," Crouch commented in resignation, genuinely upset about the evidence of abuse and neglect he was hearing about being suffered by the girl in front of him.

"How would you know, sir?" Harry asked curiously.

"James was my godson," Crouch admitted.

Harry's eyes widened and that really explained quite a few things, especially Crouch's vehemence while reading.

The book then had to mention how smaller Harry looked underneath Dudley's clothes, which is what she wore and he was several times bigger than her obviously.

Fleur paused and her pretty eyes narrowed at that line, and Harry could swear she heard her mutter something about "Clothes…shopping…new wardrobe…" and some other things she couldn't quite catch. The others gaining a speculative eye at hearing her made her start to feel wary.

Harry finally received a full description, though she wished it hadn't added in her glasses that was perpetually broken from all the times Dudley had hit her in the nose.

"That's it! I vill punch him in the nose myself! See how he likes it," Viktor burst out angrily.

Alarmed, Harry held up her hands quickly.

"It's okay, Viktor! I'm good. Just please, everyone. No violence on my behalf. It really doesn't bother me anymore. It's a long time ago," she tried to emphasize.

"Doesn't matter how much time passes; abuse and violence is still abuse and violence," Crouch muttered, stubbornly folding his arms across his chest.

"You're really too nice, Harry," Aidan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You just let it go so easily…"

"It's better that way. Really," Harry insisted.

They all gave a sigh and conceded to her for the moment. Crouch shot a spell neatly aimed at her glasses though, and she instantly knew that they'd been repaired. The man amusingly shifted his arms tighter across his chest and sulked, and Harry wondered if this was actually all a dream because the image was so strange to witness.

The next part, Harry was partially amused and just a bit bitter about, as it talked about the scar on her forehead that she used to like so long ago.

"You actually like that?" Cedric raised his eyebrows.

Harry shrugged. "The Dursleys hated it, so I liked it. And I didn't know what it meant back then, only that only I had it and it made me different from everyone else. I thought I felt special with it."

"You are special," Fleur said kindly, making Harry blush a very bright red and have the guys in the room wink at her, though she had no idea why.

Harry remembered the next part all too well, whenever she asked Petunia about her scar and how she got it. Back then, she really did believe she'd gotten it in the car crash that had "killed" her parents.

"'In ze car crash when your parents died,'" Fleur was horrified as she read that out.

A loud bang sounded and they saw a Bludger neatly embedded in the wall. They stared at it and redirected their gazes in the direction from where the Bludger looked like it had come from, seeing Ludo Bagman calmly still poised in a position that said he'd hit it.

Where the Bludger and the bat had suddenly come from they weren't sure, but they could definitely think the room had something to do with supplying Ludo with them and allowing him to take out his anger.

"Your parents didn't die in some car crash," Crouch denied vehemently. "Nothing like that could have killed James and Lily so easily."

"I can't believe you grew up with such lies, especially when the rest of the Wizarding World knew all about it. It must have been…a…shock…when you found out…" Cedric trailed off in the end, the impact of his words hitting him harder then as he realized the truth.

Harry smiled painfully at him. "Yeah…I didn't find out so nicely when the time came either…"

"I don't like this chapter," Aidan winced.

Everyone else in the group agreed morosely.

"Why don't we skip it then?" Harry interjected cheerfully.

A loud "NO" was her answer and Harry pouted. She really wished this chapter would just get on with it.

But Petunia's resounding rule of asking no questions came up then.

"How in the bloody hell are you expected to learn?" Crouch said in exasperation. "Is this why your grades are so at odds with your tests results?"

Harry blinked. "What?"

"Your grades in class are all average. A little too average," Crouch explained. "That it almost seems suspicious. More so when your test results are much higher, enough to land you second in your year –right behind your Muggleborn friend."

That earned her some questioning looks from the others and she started to feel cornered.

"Just…look, it's habit, okay?" she said desperately. "I was never allowed to do better than Dudley, so I learned to calculate my grades. And, well, Hermione's supposed to be the top, you know? She likes getting all the good grades and it's just her niche, right? And Ron, he's always never really been into studying and he's my first friend, aside from Hagrid. He means a lot to me," Harry awkwardly tried to get them to understand.

"Harry, you need to break out of that habit. It's not good and the Dursleys are horrible for enforcing it," Cedric said gently. "And your friends would never look down on you if you wanted to learn and get the grades you really deserve."

"Why not? If one or even both of them could believe I put myself into this stupid Tournament, then who says they wouldn't turn away just for that?" Harry muttered bitterly, looking away from them.

And they were suddenly reminded and confronted with the fact that the whole school had, in fact, turned against the fourth champion and that Harry had been going at this alone from the beginning. It uncomfortably made them aware that the youngest in the room was being dragged through this without a say or support, and that many were putting words and beliefs into her mouth without her consent. Cedric, especially, had to remember that many of his own House members had said some very derogatory things about Harry and he had actually stood by and said nothing. He felt ashamed of himself for that. Viktor and Fleur, also, had thought very little of the youngest champion and frowned at themselves for being so judgmental.

Harry had to inwardly snort as Vernon's usual greeting of barking out for her to comb her hair was read from the book.

Aidan couldn't help bursting out laughing at that either, slightly breaking the tense atmosphere and bewildering Harry at first, who then began chuckling aloud as well. That broke the atmosphere even more, and made everyone slightly relieved to see her lighten up a bit.

In an odd mix, a very strange sight, Ludo had a look of distaste at the same time as he was snickering.

"What kind of greeting is that?" he sneered, adding to the odd look and making Harry laugh even more, confusing him though.

"Mr. Bagman is right though," Viktor was also still laughing, even through his dislike. "Does he not know 'Hello', 'Good Morning', 'Hi'?"

"Shows 'ow civilized 'e iz," Fleur huffed, though she was fighting off giggles.

One of Harry's favorite old descriptions of Dudley came up (and one she used often), where she used to describe him as a "pig in a wig."

That renewed Aidan's laughter again, bursting out laughing once more and holding his sides as he doubled over.

"I love your descriptions~!" the Irish Seeker sing-songed as he grinned at the young girl.

It got to the point where Dudley was counting his presents and was disappointed to only have 36.

"Seriously? 'E really iz so spoiled!" Fleur shouted in indignation. "I swear. I 'ad 'oped 'e would 'ave grown up from ze leetle brat 'e was in ze first chapter, but 'e's actually become even more despicable!" her accent came out more with how upset she was.

Harry patted her hand in appreciation, giving her a small smile. "I don't mind. I survived the years with him and now that I go to Hogwarts, I see even less of him. And he doesn't appreciate those presents either, so it doesn't matter how many he gets. He'll just end up wasting them in the end."

"Which makes it worse," she scowled, but she smiled back at her.

Cedric suddenly plopped his hat on Harry's head.

"Wha –?"

Getting the idea, Fleur took her broach and pinned it to Harry's front and then Viktor grinned and secured his cloak around Harry even more tightly, the cloak having slipped off sometime in the reading.

"We're going to spoil you~" Fleur teased and Harry huffed, protesting loudly.

And then she glomped her, joined by first Cedric and then Viktor on either sides.

"Nooo!" Harry yelled out, limbs flailing from underneath them.

The adults laughed at the scene of the older champions dog piling the youngest into submission.

"Give in, give in, give in," the three older champions chanted and Harry reluctantly shouted out a "FINE!", scrambling away from them at first chance and glaring at them with an adorable pout.

"So cute~" Fleur grinned mischievously and Harry was caught off guard by a light going off, and she realized Cedric had taken a picture.

"I told you I was going to document your life for now on," the older champion smirked, waving the camera he had somehow gotten from out of nowhere.

Harry inwardly cursed the room as she stared horrified at the Hufflepuff.

Even though Petunia corrected Dudley in the book, Dudley was still about to have a "Dudley tantrum" and Harry urged her book self to eat quickly, glad that she had started to wolf down her food when she noticed the tantrum coming.

"Honestly, how old is he? Five?" Ludo rolled his eyes. "You would think he's too old for a temper tantrum."

"Hence why it's a Dudley tantrum," Harry smirked. "He has his own brand."

Everyone started laughing at that.

"You don't get fed a lot," Viktor furrowed his eyebrows, cutting into the amusement. "From vhat I gather and see, if you haff to make sure to finish your food before it can get vasted, as vell as how small you are, and everything else that has been said and mentioned, you aren't getting enough food."

Harry was about to protest when Cedric interrupted her.

"Treacle tart's her favorite," he mentioned nonchalantly and Aidan smirked before calling up a plate, holding it up enticingly.

Harry's nose twitched and she only resisted for a second before she trotted over, eyes following the treacle tart as Aidan waved the plate back and forth teasingly. In resignation, Harry curled up on the man's lap and let herself be fed, actually purring slightly like a cat and amusing the others.

Petunia's solution was of course to offer to buy more gifts to Dudley, which Harry huffed at. Then again, at least her aunt knew the tantrum had been coming, like Harry, and quickly avoided it.

"And the woman encourages the behavior," Crouch deadpanned, idly patting Harry's head. "She's not fit to be a mother to anyone."

Still, Harry shook her head as Dudley had trouble trying to figure out how many more presents he'd have.

"Ahaha! He can't count! That's just great!" Cedric couldn't help himself. "Oh man, Harry. Your cousin has more issues than I thought."

Petunia gave him the number, which satisfied Dudley. Vernon was chuckling and dismissing Dudley's behavior, even praising it.

"And he's not fit to be a father," Crouch frowned. "Really, encouraging that…"

Though he thought about his own son and remembered regretfully his own failings raising him.

In the midst of Dudley unwrapping his presents in the book, Petunia was answering the phone and came back with a look on her apparently.

"Vhat's her problem?" Viktor asked in surliness at the same time as Aidan said, "He can't count, so what does he need a watch for? And an expensive watch sounds like."

"I think it'll come up," Harry directed towards Viktor and then turned to Aidan. "He knows the time, if only so he can keep track of when his shows are on. I don't know why expensive, though maybe they just like wasting money."

Petunia revealed the news about Mrs. Figg being unable to take Harry, though she didn't exactly say her name and mostly just gestured to her with her chin.

"She has a name," everyone said in irritation, though they all said it in different times.

Harry laughed. "My name is taboo in the house, I should think."

There were halfhearted laughs, mostly done for her sake, when mostly they felt it was unfair that she was acknowledged in such a way all the time there.

Harry understood her book self feeling hopeful and wanting to come along, and stay away from Mrs. Figg's for a while.

"It would get tiring and revolting after awhile, wouldn't it?" Ludo agreed. "I mean, there's only so much you can take of the same thing and I don't particularly care for the smell of cabbage either."

"And there's also that I'm always left behind and never get to go anywhere," Harry sighed, reminiscing about the past.

The others frowned and then began scribbling. They would make sure that Harry would get to go and see whatever she wanted, and that she got to go out and visit more places.

Curiosity growing about the notebooks, Harry tried to take a peek at Aidan's, but the Quidditch player quickly distracted her with another bite of treacle tart.

Harry once again felt bad that she'd not felt as sympathetic for Mrs. Figg back then, but she had been happy to be able to have a chance to go somewhere, even with Petunia's look that said she thought Harry had planned it all.

"I understand how you feel, Harry," Ludo sympathized. "Though, I must say, you must be very talented and a Seer to have been able to plan all that and execute it perfectly," he gave a wicked grin and managed to pull a laugh out of Harry.

"Oh yes, I managed to See very clearly into the future to orchestrate the whole thing. Though Aunt Petunia seems to still have caught on," Harry played along.

"Like you're so cruel enough to do such a thing. I can't believe she's so ready to accuse you," Cedric snorted. "Mental, your family."

"It's my opinion as well," Harry agreed in mock solemnity.

Harry personally thought Vernon had been stupid to suggest Marge next, who really did hate Harry, and rolled her eyes at Petunia once again referring to her as 'girl' and not using her name.

"Is their memory that bad? Your. Name. Is. Harry," Crouch pronounced slowly, as if the Dursleys were there and needed extra help learning it. "Merlin, do we have to slap a label on your head with your name?"

Harry twitched, half in amusement and half in bitterness she tried to push down. "There's already a label on my forehead doing that, sir."

Crouch winced.

Fleur was frowning to herself though, rereading the line. 'It's such a cruel zing to say in front of 'Arry also. 'Ow can her Aunt be so mean?'

"I don't know about a label," Aidan drawled, cutting through the tension. "But I prefer something a little more stylish."

He waved his wand and Harry blinked, feeling a light weight settle around her neck. Reaching up uncertainly, her jaw dropped as she realized she had a collar around it.

"You…you put a collar on me!"

"Yep!" Aidan said cheerfully. "So be my pet for the rest of the chapter!"

"No!" Harry loudly protested, even though her nose scrunched up adorably kittenishly.

Fleur mentally cooed.

"I have treacle tart," Aidan held up a forkful and waved it enticingly, smirking widely at the fourth year.

Harry paused, green eyes flicking back and forth in matching motion.

But she was not a pet and she wasn't going to act one!

And yet…not that many people knew it, but treacle tart was one of her biggest weaknesses…

Shuffling closer and nudging her nose against Aidan's shoulder, she purposely widened her eyes and gave him her infamous HP Puppy Eyes™. Aidan blinked, stared, and accidentally dropped the fork full of treacle tart, only for Harry to catch it and happily start nibbling on it, allowing herself to curl up like a cat next to the famous Seeker.

She ignored the flashes that happened. She'll get to Cedric later.

Harry mentally agreed with the book's statement on how the Dursleys talked about Harry like she wasn't there or like something nasty aka like "slugs."

"There's some merit in that," Crouch said with a nasty grin, scribbling in his notebook rapidly. "Oh yes, a lot of merit in slugs…"

Harry wasn't sure if she wanted to know. She was, however, shaking her head at herself for being so hopeful about getting to stay at home and do things she didn't normally get to.

"I can't believe I was so naïve," Harry said in disgust.

"You were a very young child then, Harry," Crouch frowned. "You had every right to believe that you might be able to finally do something. There's nothing wrong with an innocent child being optimistic. I'm glad you were even able to think like that then, what with the way your relatives have been raising you. If what they did can be called raising."

"Television…computer…" Cedric sounded out, voice cutting into the conversation.

"What are you doing?" Harry scrunched up her eyebrows in question.

"Secret~"

Harry pouted.

Of course Petunia's reaction to Harry's book self's suggestion of staying at home was accusing her of blowing up the house, which was what they'd come home to.

"An idea with even more merit," Crouch went back to looking like he was scheming something, and Harry decided this really was a dream –complete with a bipolar Barty Crouch Senior, photo-happy Cedric Diggory, and an international Irish Seeker who kept trying to claim Harry and make her a pet.

Harry in the book protested and said she wouldn't, and Harry didn't even think she would have been able to back then anyway.

"You should," Crouch uncharacteristically encouraged, sounding and looking completely serious about it. Harry was really weirded out. "I'll help cover it up. A gas leak…a messed up fuse somewhere in the house…"

Now Harry went into a daze, unsure if she was going to come out of shock any time soon.

Petunia's suggestion of taking Harry along and leaving her in the car wasn't received by Crouch much better either.

"Illegal!" Crouch shouted, furiously crossing his arms in an X.

"Just let him get through it," Ludo advised Harry calmly. "It's best to just ride it out and let Bart calm down on his own."

Harry nodded faintly.

"'Zat car's new, she's not sitting in it alone...'" Fleur barely got done saying.

"Absolutely disgusting," Crouch bared his teeth. "Worry more about the car than the kid! Sort out your priorities, you despicable people!"

He went onto a rant that lasted for at least ten minutes, surprisingly enough.

"What's a car?" Aidan whispered to Harry, the others agreeing in asking. Harry took the time to explain it to them, while Crouch ranted, and afterwards (with Crouch still yelling) stared at the man with wide eyes as Aidan offered her another forkful of treacle tart that she nervously nibbled on, letting the Seeker stroke her head soothingly.

Dudley in the book began crying, knowing he'd get his way and wasn't even really crying. Harry knew that Dudley still did that these days too.

Fleur sniffed disdainfully. "My muzzer would be 'orrified. She would 'ave 'ad 'im over 'er knee in a second. And your Aunt! My muzzer would 'ave no problem telling zat woman she iz insane and reprimand 'er very loudly in front of everyone."

"Dinky Duddydums" was brought up though, so Harry (and consequently the others) felt better a bit.

"D-Dinky Duddydums," Cedric burst out laughing. "That's…so…classic…"

Harry grew a Cheshire grin. "Just you wait. The names keep getting better and better."

Finally though, Harry's younger self was finally going to go somewhere, even if she couldn't have believed it back then.

"Have you ever gone anywhere?" Ludo asked desperately. "Like where you wanted to go? Hell, what about just going anywhere in general?"

"Um…no. I don't think I have," Harry mused. "Well, I went to London for the first time to get my school supplies. I suppose you'll read about that soon. Er, does Scotland for Hogwarts count? And the Quidditch World Cup was the first time I actually got to go somewhere really fun and just enjoy myself. Except, for a short time, the zoo we're about to read about."

"Vell, I'm glad you enjoyed the game and that at least you had been able to go," Viktor gave her a small smile.

"Yeah. I'm glad too, that I got to be part of the reason you had fun somewhere for once," Aidan smiled at her as well.

Harry slowly smiled at them back.

"But you know what this means, don't you?" Cedric cut in with a grin. "It means we're going to drag you cross country, backpacking, and take you vacationing all over, wherever you want."

A chorus of cheers and agreements reached her and Harry blushed bright red.

But then again, Vernon had to be threatening Harry about her cupboard, making it clear to Harry back then of not doing anything or else she'd stay in there from then to Christmas.

Crouch shot her an alarmed look and Harry shook her head quickly.

"It's never been that bad," Harry hastily told the man, who looked like he was ready to bolt out of the room and arrest her relatives. "I usually get out for school, and on holidays I get out for chores."

"But you're not refuting long 'prison time' in that thing," Crouch retorted.

"I've had long…sessions…in there, but never that long," Harry reassured him. "And like I said, they didn't keep me there continuously, and without letting me out."

"Only so that you can do their dirty work and to cover up their misdeeds," the man went back to sulking, idly writing down something in his notebook.

She tried again to look at what it was, but she was thwarted once more. That was starting to become rather frustrating.

Harry was again protesting, but Vernon didn't believe her. No one did and it wasn't like it was anything new to Harry, even now.

"'Arry, that's such an 'orrible way to zink!" Fleur exclaimed. "Please tell me zat you do not zink zat way now…Zat will affect your zinking and who you are and you'll 'ave so much trouble trusting and believing in others!"

"It's sort of the truth, Fleur," Harry mumbled, but everyone somehow managed to hear. "And I do probably have trouble trusting and believing in others," she reluctantly admitted.

And everyone flinched at that, again reminded that the school had turned against Harry and no one believed in her firm statements that she didn't enter the Tournament. Cedric also remembered past years, how Harry always managed to have her voice drowned out and how the school frequently turned on the fourth year.

Harry's tales of accidental magic began, and she was a little bittersweet about them.

"Lily's sister should have known it was accidental magic. After all, Petunia grew up with Lily," Crouch frowned.

"That's it, for now on, we'll believe you no matter what," Aidan directed towards her seriously, cutting Crouch's incoming rant off. "Even if you're lying and we know you're lying or wrong, whatever you say is right and the truth."

"Agreed," Viktor smirked. "Your vord is fact and law now."

"So if I say pigs fly…" Harry started to grin impishly.

"Then we'll levitate some pigs into the air," Ludo snickered.

Harry remembered this incident with her hair and Petunia practically shaving it. It was horrible and she didn't like recalling it, though she was glad her hair had grown back.

"Potter genes," Crouch declared. "But your hair might be able to beat the Potter Hair Curse…"

"I never could," Harry shrugged, though admittedly she had kept it boyishly short and she usually just did a quick combing down. Still, it liked getting wild as is.

"Zat's because you 'ave just met me," Fleur smugly declared, already scribbling into her notebook.

They all "conveniently" forgot the mention of the cupboard, knowing how much it would upset them to linger on it. It wasn't fair to Harry after all. It was such a horrible thing to do to a child in the first place, that ugly haircut that would've made Harry even more miserable at school and the punishment for it afterwards, especially when they should know that it was accidental magic and couldn't be controlled.

But the book then brought up the time with that ugly, orange sweater that Harry still cringed at.

"Good for you," Ludo huffed. "Though you shouldn't have to be punished for such a thing in the first place."

"I'm glad for you also," Fleur scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Zat sounds like an ugly sweater."

And lastly, came Harry's strange disappearing act from when she was being chased at school and ended up somehow on the roof. Even with the cupboard punishment, Harry actually still curiously remembered that time.

The cupboard was once again steadfastly ignored by everyone else, though they couldn't help clenching tightly onto their seats. They could feel fabric tearing…

Still…

"That sounds like very powerful accidental magic," Aidan said impressed.

"Yeah, sounds absolutely brilliant," Cedric looked at her, eyes wide.

"It certainly sounds like Apparition," Crouch reran the paragraph in his head. "Of course, your mother flew once, but I doubt you wouldn't have been able to notice you were flying and this instance sounds more instantaneous, like Apparition."

"I had no idea," Harry focused in on him. "A lot of people say more about Dad, but I hardly hear a thing about my mum."

Crouch inwardly frowned at that, but smiled gently at her. "Then I shall have to tell you more about Lily later."

"'But today, nothing was going to go wrong,'" Fleur read and flinched.

"Jinxed, Harry, jinxed," Aidan moaned.

Both Cedric and Fleur determinedly kept knocking on the wooden coffee table, while Viktor was muttering something in Bulgarian. Harry avoided looking over at Crouch, knowing the man was freaking out, and further proof was the return of the straight-laced man's eerie dark aura.

"Your luck is horrible. It's what gets you into everything, isn't it?" Ludo sighed.

On the drive to the zoo, the book mentioned Vernon had a habit of talking about a lot of things he liked to complain about, with Harry's name coming up a lot.

"Well, we know what his favorite topic is," Cedric laughed, hiding his irritation, as he shook his head at Harry.

Harry smirked at him.

Consequently, that morning had been motorcycles and Harry couldn't believe she'd brought up her dream about the flying motorcycle.

"Damn, I don't know what I was thinking," Harry shook her head ruefully.

"You're ten and it shouldn't be wrong for you to mention things," Crouch glared at the book.

Vernon freaked out then, and Harry remembered that. Most especially him screaming in her face that motorcycles didn't fly.

"Didn't Black have that flying motorcycle? The one that Hagrid borrowed?" Ludo drawled.

"From first chapter?" Harry chirped up.

"Yep," Cedric nodded.

"Shows what your uncle knows, Harry," Aidan rolled his eyes.

Ah, yes –if the Dursleys didn't like her asking questions, they hated Harry talking about strange things, and she hadn't been allowed to talk of dreams or cartoons (not like she'd been able to watch those). She'd "get dangerous ideas" apparently.

"I'm getting dangerous ideas~" Cedric sing-songed with a smirk.

The others shared his smirk and Harry had a feeling that things didn't bode well for the Dursleys.

At the zoo, Harry remembered that Dudley and Piers had gotten large chocolate ice creams, while the Dursleys had been forced to get her a cheap lemon pop because of the nice ice cream lady.

"Cheap bastards," Crouch snorted. "Can't even be bothered to treat their niece to something nice for once. Thank Merlin for that lady."

"It was really sweet, Mr. Crouch," Harry told him. "I actually did like it, sir."

"Ice pop lollies for everyone then!" Ludo announced cheerfully, summoning a tray of them and handing them out to the group.

Harry eagerly grabbed hers, reminiscing on the taste and the day she'd gotten to try it.

Harry also remembered the next scene, where she'd been enjoying the lemon pop while watching a gorilla that had reminded her of Dudley as it scratched its head. Good started laughing at that image too.

"That's it, I'm tempted to make you my PR agent, if not for the Irish team," Aidan's grin got wider. "Your descriptions are just freakin' awesome!"

Harry scratched the back of her head in embarrassment, grinning in bemusement.

Harry did indeed have a good morning then. She remembered how yummy the knickerbocker glory was, even if she did get it after Dudley's tantrum got him another one with more ice cream and his original was passed onto her. Plus, Dudley and Piers had been getting bored then, and she'd been apprehensive about them becoming bored and going to hit her, but was lucky they hadn't. All in all, she really did feel like it had been a good morning for the most part.

"'arry felt, afterward, zat she should 'ave known it was all too good to last,'" Fleur read.

There was a collective groan going around the group.

"I didn't knock enough on ze wood," Fleur sighed, gazing mournfully at the table.

"At least you actually had a good morning for once," Cedric smiled weakly, though inwardly he felt that Harry shouldn't have had to have been able to enjoy those kind of mornings rarely.

"And the ice cream," Ludo added. "At least for once the brat's spoilt ways got you to get to enjoy a nice treat."

"And you weren't hit," Crouch was relieved, though irritated that those kids would even think of doing such a thing. And even more irritated as it sounded like it was a frequent thing they did and got away with.

As the book reached the part where they were in the reptile house, Harry winced and sighed to herself. She did, however, roll her eyes as the book mentioned Dudley bothering the poor, 'sleeping' snake and trying to get his father to wake it up too.

"How annoying," Viktor pursed his lips. "I am vith snake and vould ignore those people. And ordering around his vader…"

"Keep sleeping, snakey," Ludo cooed humorously, drawing giggles from Harry. Seeing that, he continued. "You might think you're in a nightmare, waking up to those two."

Harry started outright laughing.

When she in the book compared her life to the snake's, and thought its was worse because of the annoying people bothering it and being stuck in the tank compared to Harry and her cupboard and at least her ability to see the rest of the house…well, Harry shook her head at herself. Still, she didn't think she was wrong, even now.

"Okay, seriously? That's just sad that you're comparing your life to a snake's. An animal. In a zoo. On display," Aidan winced.

Harry shrugged. "I thought it was an appropriate thought at the time. And it still applies now, I should think."

Both Viktor and Aidan nodded in agreement, commiserating with Harry about the fame and media, though they knew they didn't have it half as bad as her.

"And to be 'onest, I zink ze snake iz treated much better," Fleur told her frankly.

Of course, the snake had to go and wink.

There was silence around the room. It was broken by Cedric.

"I'd forgotten about your second year," the Hufflepuff admitted. "It kind of slipped my mind that you were a Parselmouth, after all the years without focus on it."

Harry flinched and visibly started withdrawing into herself, curling up into an upright ball and hiding her face, moving away from her comfortable spot on Aidan.

Instead of silence being broken, this time Aidan broke the ice, roughly catching Harry around the neck with his arm and pulling her back onto his lap.

"Maa, I don't know about you, kid, but I'm thinking about all the potential sexiness speaking Parseltongue can have," Aidan winked naughtily at her.

Harry's face turned bright red, enough to rival the infamous red hair of the Weasley clan. The exchange was enough to completely break the ice.

"'Arry, I 'ighly doubt you are a dark wizard. You are much too adorable," Fleur teased.

"And I've seen and confronted dark wizards. Trust me, you are nowhere near being one," Crouch huffed, thinking of very specific ones. "It's just a gift, speaking to snakes."

She also recalled how she'd held a full conversation, practically, with the Brazilian snake. Thinking back, it probably was weird (or at least to those who'd seen it, if anyone had been watching). She'd probably looked like a loon.

With the others though, there was more silence before Ludo shook his head.

"I know we've established that you can speak to snakes…but beyond witnessing it now and thinking the scene's weird…I just can't believe you're holding a full conversation with it and not finding it the least bit odd. Especially since this is before being introduced to the Wizarding World," the former Beater arched an eyebrow at Harry.

Harry shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

"At least you are being polite…polite…with a snake…" Crouch shook his head as well.

Ah, but her time had been interrupted by Dudley noticing and punching in the ribs to get her out of the way. That had really smarted.

Everyone scowled angrily at that part.

But then Harry remembered how she somehow made the glass of the tank disappear and how Dudley and Piers freaked out, especially as the snake slithered out onto the floor.

Everyone's scowls turned into guffaws of laughter.

"Nice, Harry. Very nice," Aidan patted her back supportively.

"Gits totally deserved that," Cedric agreed.

"Again, very powerful accidental magic," Crouch noted, looking thoughtful.

Then the snake had gone passed her and it was the first time she actually ever heard a snake talk, which was nice of it to thank her.

"And now the snake's being polite," Crouch muttered, twitching.

She remembered the poor reptile house keeper too –she felt just as bad for him now as she had then.

"Poor guy," Cedric was still snickering though.

While Piers and Dudley had been gibbering, Harry's memories were still the same. Despite their claims, she didn't remember the snake do anything to them outside of snapping playfully at their heels while it passed.

"Go snake!" Fleur amusingly cheered.

Dudley and Piers' tales were exaggerated though, of legs nearly being bitten off or being squeezed to death, but neither events had actually happened at all.

"Too bad that didn't really happen and was successful," Ludo said in disappointment.

Stupid Piers had gotten Harry in trouble back then, bringing attention to Harry having talked to that snake.

"That's it, that arsehole's on my Hit List," Aidan growled, earning more surprised looks from Harry.

"Don't you mean Shite List?" Cedric smirked.

"No, that's a separate list," Aidan smirked back. "The Hit List is a definite 'I'm coming after you with no mercy' list. The Shite List is noting everything and keeping track, while holding a grudge. A little more passive than the Hit List, where I swear I'm going to aggressively and actively come after people."

Oh, she remembered that punishment and how angry Vernon was just as Fleur unhappily read it out "'Go –cupboard –stay –no meals,' before 'e collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia 'ad to run and get 'im a large brandy.'"

"NO MEALS!" Crouch shouted in outrage. "That is definitely abuse. And illegal!" He eyed Harry before growling. "And no wonder you're so skinny and small! And punishing you for an accident –you had no control over it!"

Ludo glanced at Harry and then nodded. "You need to eat," he told the youngest champion seriously. "And I have a feeling by the time we get out of here that we're going to be stuffing you full of food."

"A light meal for now," Fleur mused. "Especially if she iz not used to eating a lot."

A full plate of light snacks appeared and was nudged towards Harry's direction and then they were all staring at her expectantly.

Harry awkwardly grabbed the plate, though she glanced at the plate of treacle tart longingly.

"Later, Harry. We promise you can have more of that later, after you get some more nutritious food in you first," Cedric swore.

Harry sighed and resigned herself to their coddling.

"Too bad he didn't collapse and have a heart attack," Crouch muttered, adding one last jab.

At least, like mentioned in the book, she knew how to sneak out of her cupboard and was able to steal some food.

"No wonder you're so good at sneaking out. You have a lot of practice," Cedric looked pointedly at Harry.

"Oh please, please do it," Fleur encouraged, fretting about Harry's situation, even though it was in the past.

"You shouldn't have to sneak out for food," Crouch gritted his teeth, and Harry watched in amusement as Ludo conjured a bottle of Firewhiskey and poured some into a glass and handed it over to the man. After a moment's thought, Ludo shrugged and poured another one for himself, with Aidan snatching the bottle and pouring himself one.

"Can I –"

"No," all three adults said, not even letting Harry finish her question.

Harry pouted while the other champions patted her head, hand, and shoulder in sympathy and understanding.

Reading the next part though, because it was so long ago, Harry was a little surprised to read that she had (even then) remembered the green light of the Killing Curse and the burning pain in her forehead.

"You remember that?" Crouch said horrified.

"I know you have a good memory," Cedric recalled his earlier comment, "but that's just horrible. I'm so sorry, Harry."

Harry stayed quiet, not knowing what to say to that.

"Ten years…car crash…lying…cupboard…" Crouch muttered, twitching worse than before. He started madly writing into his notebook again.

Unlike now, she hadn't indeed known anything about her parents and the Dursleys would rather kill themselves than talk about them (not that she was allowed to ask questions), and she hadn't had photos of them until Hagrid had given her her photo album.

"We'll tell you all about James and Lily," Aidan promised him solemnly, speaking for the rest of the adults. "And we all have pictures."

"That's nice. I can't wait," Harry smiled gratefully. "It's very kind of you all. It really means a lot to me."

Like said in the book, Harry still waited for an unknown relation to take her away from them, though at least she had Sirius now. The Dursleys were her only family –and unfortunately still true, blood-wise at least.

"Not anymore," Cedric declared. "You have family, especially in this little group right here. Even if it's not blood, we're way better than the Dursleys."

Various shouts of agreements sounded around the room and Harry smiled happily, actually rather grateful for these books.

"And technically, since most purebloods are related to each other in some way, you have relatives all over the place," Crouch added.

Harry raised her eyebrows, having not known that and becoming interested.

She also remembered all those strangers back then, particularly the man with a violet hat that had bowed to her one time. She knew who he was now, but when she was a kid…

"Dedalus Diggle," Harry acknowledged. "Funny guy, him. Nice though."

"The one mentioned from first chapter, eh?" Ludo noted. "The one with no sense."

"The very same," Harry nodded. "I think I meet him in a chapter or two."

A lot of people had done things like that –bowed, shook her hand, greeted her, etc. It had been very strange and confusing then, and they had all disappeared very quickly after, so it astonished Harry.

"Poor you. Zat must've been very annoying," Fleur shook her head.

"Yeah. Sometimes I thought I was going mad."

"They might've not wanted to linger long and take a chance in annoying you or alerting authorities," Crouch hmmed. "After all, no one was supposed to know where you were or even talk to you. They probably didn't want to cause any problems for you." That still made Crouch thoughtful and scrutinize the situation more. No one indeed was supposed to know where she was…

Harry blinked, having not really thought of that. It made sense. If they truly wanted to bother her, they would've stayed longer and badgered for autographs, talked more, speak of things she didn't know of, and that kind of things.

Irritated, Fleur read the last line, "'At school, 'arry 'ad no one. Everybody knew zat Dudley's gang 'ated zat odd 'arry Potter in 'er baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.'"

"Vell, I don't hate you and I think I vould love to disagree with your cousin's gang. Frequently," Viktor retorted, rolling his eyes at the book.

"I don't like your family," Cedric declared. "I think I will disown them."

"You disown them?" Harry asked in amusement.

"Yep. Maybe then you'll follow my example," Cedric nodded knowingly.

"Harry, I implore you. Follow young Diggory's wise advice," Ludo pleaded. "Disown those people. Swear off all contact and any relation to them. Renounce them and deny all claims of blood ties. There is just no way you're related to them."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Bagman, I really am. And I don't know about disowning anyone, much less the Dursleys."

"I agree with the others. In fact, I'll draw it up right now and help you make it all real, legally and magically," Crouch said, a strange glint in his eyes.

Harry smiled nervously. "Ahaha, right…"

"Have you finished eating?" Aidan cut in idly, glancing at her plate. "You should have more if you're hungry."

"No, I'm full," she answered, having finished the small plate.

"Then some treacle tart," Aidan continued, with a small teasing grin, holding a fork with some on it.

Harry sighed and grabbed it, knowing they were determined to feed her and that they knew her one absolute weakness was the Treacle Tart and she just couldn't refuse it.

Started 1/5/12 – Completed 1/12/12
Edited 1/11/16 – Completed 1/11/16

Chapter Text

"I wonder how everyone is," Harry wondered aloud.

Ludo shrugged. "Dunno. I wonder if they're looking for us or even know we're locked in a strange room."

"Vell, at least ve are comfy," Viktor propped up his feet.

"Who's reading next?" Aidan asked.

"Do I get to read? I know I keep changing spots, but I should have read after Cedric," Harry refrained from pouting.

"I wanted to read," Fleur smirked. "And no. You cannot read. You will probably keep out some zings."

There was a chorus agreement from everyone else that had Harry finally pouting.

"So it was Cedric, Fleur, and now Aidan's turn I should think," Ludo looked at the seating arrangement. "Then Bart and then me."

"And then me!" Harry perked up, trying to be sneaky.

"No," everyone else deadpanned.

She sighed and gave it up for a lost cause…for now. It had been worth a try though. She'd try again later, when everyone's guard went down. But she wanted a notebook too now…

"Notebook and pencil," she held out her hands expectantly, victoriously snatching hers out of the air and then began to immediately do something inside, splitting her attention between it and the reading.

"The Letters From No One," Aidan announced the chapter title, raising an eyebrow at it.

"Strange. Vhat exactly does that mean?" Viktor asked.

"Hogwarts Letter," Crouch nodded surely. "It should be around that time now, and to a Muggle-raised witch like Harry, she would be confused by the letter and where it would have come from, especially as no one's explained anything to her and she doesn't know anything about Hogwarts or magic. That and no one's written to her before, that she knows of." 'Especially with her relatives and her upbringing,' Crouch hid his twitch.

To date, the boa constrictor escape was probably still the longest punishment she'd earned, cupboard-wise at least. Harry wished the book hadn't mentioned that though. That sentence earned a menacing scowl from everyone that Harry ignored, preferring to focus on her new notebook.

"'By the time she was allowed out of her cupboard again, the summer holidays had started –'" Aidan's face darkened as he read.

"Harry, just how long was zat?" Fleur asked sweetly, though everyone could see that she was beyond furious.

"Hm?" Harry finally looked up. "Eh…let's see…Dudley's birthday is June 23 and summer holidays start around July 21st...so around a month-ish? I was let out for school and chores though, so I wasn't in it all the time."

Crouch made a loud hissing noise and the rest had heavy scowls on their faces. It was worse because Harry just brushed it off like it was nothing (or she thought it was nothing) or that she was used to it. Or both.

Also not surprising anyone when the book detailed how Dudley broke (already) most of his gifts, including the video camera, remote control airplane, and (though surprised he actually used his racing bike) knocked down Mrs. Figg on her crutches.

"Braaat~!" Cedric sing-songed, rolling his eyes. He didn't know why he was still surprised. Harry's cousin had proven, so far, that he had no use for brain cells or manners. He'd hoped that Dudley would have been raised better from the first chapter, but by now it was obvious it was not so. Maybe the kid would grow up in the future, but he highly doubted that.

Still, expectant looks were directed towards Harry, who barely noticed, moving reluctantly from her notebook to stare back at them. She sighed in fondness.

"A video camera is something that records whatever it's pointed at and then you can replay it, like the omnioculars. An airplane is something Muggles travel in to fly long distances, so a remote control one is a toy version for amusement. A racing bike is another thing they can use to travel with, except this one is specifically to race."

Harry kind of still agreed that the biggest and stupidest of the lot (still Dudley) was the leader of the group.

"How does that work with Malfoy? Crabbe's secretly the mastermind, while he's the face?" Cedric smirked.

Harry put on a thoughtful look. "Huh, clever. Sneaky, Crabbe. I should have known."

Everyone snickered.

Still, Harry made a face when the book brought up Harry Hunting. Instead of getting angry, they saw an opportunity to joke. They could always inwardly stew about it in their heads anyway…

"So how does that work?" Cedric asked, looking very serious about it.

"Ve should set Harry off and then chase after her," Viktor stated with a glint in his eye. "Only for a different reason than her cousin's."

"Ohhh, sounds like something I wouldn't mind. Let's do it! I want to play Harry Hunting!" Fleur smirked at Harry quickly before it was wiped off and Harry wondered if she'd imagined it.

"Now, children. You have to behave," Crouch admonished. "We have to make it legal first."

Everyone started laughing at Harry's expense, but she just shrugged and took it good-naturedly.

Ah, secondary school. The book made her feel nostalgic now, and she amusedly remembered how she'd been all prepared to go to secondary school, though she was at least going to be away from Dudley.

"Silly, Harry –what happened to your mad prediction skills?" Aidan teased. "It's off to Hogwarts for you!"

"They went on vacation," Harry spoke seriously, referring to her 'mad prediction skills.' "My Sight was clouded."

"Oh dear, perhaps we shall 'ave to do something about zat," Fleur giggled.

With the highest amusement, Aiden read the next part eagerly, "'No, thanks,' said Harry. 'The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it –it might be sick.' Then she ran, before Dudley could work out what she'd said.'"

"Bwahaha!" Ludo and Aidan burst out laughing, while the others either laughed more quietly or hid their laughing.

"I officially hire you as at least my PR agent," Aidan smirked at her.

Harry beamed happily. "So I can toss derogatory descriptions and sarcasm at you?"

"No, so you can toss derogatory descriptions and sarcasm at my opponents…and my teammates."

Personally, at the next bit, Harry thought Mrs. Figg had been really nice to give her a piece of chocolate cake, even though she remembered that it did indeed taste like she'd had it for several years.

"Don't eat it!" Fleur burst out. "It iz 'orrible! A crime for food to be wasted. I may not be a cook myself, or particularly care for cooking, but we French take pride in our cuisine and ze culinary artz!"

Harry looked at her in amusement. "This happened years ago, Fleur. It's been eaten and gone. Sorry, a little too late."

Fleur cringed and wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Good old Smeltings' uniform…complete with knobbly sticks. Harry had forgotten how ridiculous it looked, more so now that its description was spelled out on page.

"Ew. Zat iz totally a fashion disaster," Fleur was cringing again.

"I'm so glad that Hogwarts' uniform is so much more normal and just a standard black," even Cedric was having trouble not blanching at the image the description produced. "Even our school's name kind of seems more normal, if comedic. Smelt-tings equals smelt things."

"The knobbly sticks is a sound idea," Ludo interrupted, shocking everyone. "Though I hadn't known there were cavemen courses."

That brought everyone snickering under their breaths.

Harry almost laughed as the book mentioned Vernon proclaiming seeing Dudley in the uniform as the proudest moment in his life. Remembering how Dudley looked, she really couldn't understand her relatives.

"Wow, not much to be proud of then, huh," Crouch said sarcastically.

She'd tried very hard not to laugh then, and she was still sure she'd broken at least two ribs from trying not to laugh. Currently, she was having the same problem.

Aidan poked Harry in the ribs, whose face had been twitching at this part.

"Laugh."

And Harry finally burst out into laughter, remembering that moment, and everyone joined her soon after. She went after her notebook straight after though, for some reason.

Harry remembered how Petunia had been dyeing what was supposed to be her school clothes for secondary school. She hadn't been kidding when she thought it looked like bits of elephant skin back then. It smelled kind of funny too.

Amused again, Aiden happily read, "'Harry looked in the bowl again. 'Oh,' she said, 'I didn't realize it had to be so wet.'"

"Harry! Why don't you ever show your humor around school?" Cedric pouted. "It's not fair. You waste all your good stuff on your family, who won't appreciate it."

"Definitely a waste. Therefore, don't waste it on them. Save it up to use against my rivals. Like this punk," Aidan jerked a thumb over in Viktor's direction.

Viktor rolled his eyes. "I vill steal her from you and keep her myself."

Cedric and Fleur both suddenly grinned, trading looks.

"I knew it, Viktor! Making your claim more obvious, eh?" Cedric chortled.

Fleur nodded. "'Ou 'ad us all fooled. Now 'ou show your true colors!"

Viktor looked at them wide-eyed. "Vhat? Be quiet! Don't say such things –!"

"Never!" Aidan interrupted loudly. "I refuse! She's MY PR agent slash pet!"

Harry blinked. "Wait, what? What's this about a claim again? And no! I'm not a pet! Damn it, what's going on?"

Crouch just shook his head.

Harry was doubtful of Petunia's claim that the clothing would look like everyone else's uniform, but she wasn't the only one.

"I doubt that," Crouch said wryly.

"'Harry seriously doubted this –,'" Aidan read slyly.

Crouch flushed red, more so at the amused looks everyone tossed his way.

Harry's thoughts now echoed the ones of hers back then, how she would look horrible and again look like she was wearing elephant skin.

"'Ou would probably still look better in zem zan anyone else. 'Ou could totally pull zose clothes and zat look off," Fleur muttered angrily, accent again strengthening. "And by ze time I'm done with 'ou, your cousin will think 'ou were a supermodel, zat pig…"

She started muttering more under her breath, starting to scribble madly into her notebook again.

Harry's mind started to blank out at her words.

The next altercation in the book, where Vernon almost made Dudley get the mail only for it to be turned around and Harry still ending up getting it, was no surprise.

"Of course," everyone chorused.

"Should have known," Crouch twitched.

And then, finally, was the letter for Harry.

Hogwarts students and alumni cheered, but even the foreigners joined in, as it meant Harry would get to leave there soon and be able to join the world she was meant to be in.

Harry really had never received a letter in her life before then and had thought truthfully who would? Still thought so.

"Us," the group said in stereo.

"The whole Wizarding World," Cedric snickered, then he scrunched his nose. "And to be honest, I did write a letter when I was younger."

"So did I," Fleur surprisingly admitted. "Zere was a time where I was really into ze whole princesses and 'eroes zing, and you were a real-life 'ero and as close to ze fairytales I was obsessed with."

Harry blushed hard, with the guys giving her subtle winks and laughing under their breath.

"I wrote too," Aidan spoke up. "I was hoping to get you into Quidditch, keep your dad's love alive in you. Maybe see if you'd like a supervised ride around a pitch or just some visits."

"I wrote as well," Crouch reluctantly revealed. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright and that you were getting along well. Though now I think I should've been more forceful for a visit," he muttered the last part.

"I wish I'd known and gotten those letters," Harry awkwardly smiled at them. "It would've been much nicer growing up, had I known all of you."

Harry remembered the first letter, and even how it had her address on it, complete with her cupboard.

"It's self-addressing, the Hogwarts Letters," Crouch explained, seeing Harry open her mouth and guessing correctly what the question was. "They wouldn't know the address themselves."

Harry nodded, almost satisfied, but she still frowned.

"They should look," she muttered.

Crouch frowned as well. "They should," he agreed solemnly.

The next part, with Vernon hurrying her and making the joke about letter bombs, was obviously a miss with the group.

"That was so lame," Ludo huffed. "It's obvious you don't get your humor from them, or that your humor hasn't rubbed off on them either."

"They're incapable of it. They had their funny bone surgically removed years ago," Harry deadpanned.

Most of them actually got it and laughed.

"I didn't think you'd get that," Harry was surprised. "The funny bone is more a Muggle thing and I didn't think you'd guys know anything about surgery."

"Ve aren't totally ignorant," Viktor grinned in amusement.

"Hey, wait. I don't get it, guys. What's a funny bone and what's surgery?" Cedric interrupted, unwittingly drawing laughter from the others.

Harry shook her head and explained it to him.

When the book described Harry coming back with her letter, handing off the other mail to Vernon, she shook her head at herself.

Harry scoffed. "That was so stupid. I should have opened the letter in the hallway. I didn't know what I was thinking."

Crouch patted her head roughly, making Harry's head and neck awkwardly and slightly painfully dunk down.

"You're ten years old," Crouch huffed. "You can't possibly expect yourself to think everything perfectly through at that age, do you? And as a ten year old, and getting a letter for the first time, being excited as well would just expound on things."

"Yeah, what Bart said," Ludo nodded. "I mean, you haven't gotten a letter before, so this event probably dazed you and you're probably not sure of the etiquette in how to deal with it. Normally, there's nothing wrong with ten year olds opening their letters at the table. Your family are just arseholes."

"Language, Ludo," Crouch reprimanded, though realized it was probably a lost cause with this group.

Harry nodded, but inwardly she still thought she should've known better.

And there was the quick side-mention of Marge being ill after eating a funny whelk that made Harry almost sneer, though she was very tempted to.

"Too bad nothing bad happened," Cedric slipped in, before Fleur lightly hit his arm.

"Don't wish ill on ozzers," she halfheartedly lectured.

"Even if she's probably like the rest of Harry's relatives?" Cedric raised an eyebrow. "Which she most probably is."

"…Well, in that case…"

Harry sighed, rolling her eyes. "I promise I get her back at least."

"Ohh, do tell," Ludo's eyes lit up in mischief.

"It'll probably be in the third book," Harry grinned.

Crouch hmmed. "This is a change. You're usually not so quick to wish ill on others."

"Let's just say that I really don't like 'Aunt' Marge," her dark tone worried the others.

As usual, there was Dudley to cause Harry problems, pointing out her letter to Vernon.

"Ugh, brat! Mind your own business!" Aidan twitched.

"And it's Harry's letter!" Ludo yelled in agreement.

Although the memory of her first latter being yanked from her hands by Vernon aggravated her, she amusingly recalled the book's description of Vernon's rapid change of face color, ending up the white-gray of porridge.

"I'm not eating porridge for a long time," Crouch shuddered.

"Agreed," Aidan and Ludo deadpanned.

The champions snickered at them.

"That really can't be healthy though, his face changing colors so fast," Cedric muttered in amusement.

Aidan went all in on the next part, eagerly reading Vernon dramatically trying to get Petunia's attention, and her even more dramatic reaction to the letter.

"Drama. Queen," Fleur rolled her eyes after.

Unsurprisingly, like the brat he was (is), Dudley would use his Smeltings stick on his father's head because he was being ignored.

"Ugh, really?" Viktor said in disgust. "Vhat a child. I really can't believe you are related to him, Harry. My vader vould haff put a belt to my behind for such behavior."

And although Dudley yelled about wanting to read the letter, Harry remembered how furious she was, that she had dared to speak up and demand to read it herself, given how it had been her letter.

"Dudley needs to get a reality check," Aidan snorted. "I would like to see someone deny him something."

"And go 'Arry! You tell zat man!" Fleur cheered.

"'I WANT MY LETTER!' she shouted,'" Aidan shouted too.

"GO HARRY!" the room cheered as one.

"Mother's temper, that one. Or her father's," Crouch frowned, scrunching up his eyebrows. "I need to look more into that."

Harry stared bemusedly at the man, though inwardly she was a little excited to know more of how she was like either of her parents.

Dudley demanded to see it too, but Harry scoffed at the line.

"SHUT UP, DUDLEY!" they paralleled from their shouts for Harry.

Vernon was physical again in the book, tossing Dudley and Harry out by the scruff of their necks.

"That man deserves some time in Azkaban," Crouch muttered, getting a strange glint in his eyes.

The others looked at him in wariness.

Harry's fight over the keyhole to eavesdrop was described, and she obviously lost and ended up with the crack between the floor and door.

"Bah, it's a better spot to eavesdrop at anyway, Harry," Aidan huffed.

Vernon and Petunia's paranoid delusions that they were being watched, spied on, and followed made Harry snort quietly. She remembered feeling incredulous as she listened in back then.

"Haha, like we don't have better things to do," Cedric laughed.

"Or do we?" Fleur had an evil glint in her eyes, Harry could swear.

"Sounds interesting. 'Potter Watch' –get all your Potter news and even watch her live," Cedric smirked and the two turned to look at Harry with matching devious looks.

"It vould make the whole zoo thing real," Viktor joined in.

Harry stared at them horrified.

"We should start watching them and Harry," Crouch muttered to himself, Harry's horrified stare transferring over to him.

Petunia's suggestion of writing back and saying no was quickly denied.

"Won't work," Crouch started in a matter of fact tone. "We'd have gone to her then and inquired to firstly her sincere answer and secondly her reasons why."

"You're talking to a book, sir," Harry hesitantly quipped.

"And please –Harry Potter not go to Hogwarts? Blasphemy," Ludo smirked.

"It would have made headlines," Aidan said solemnly, keeping his face grave.

Harry chocked two chunks of the leftover bread at them.

Vernon's answer of ignoring it and not doing anything was denied also.

"Even worse," Crouch lectured. "We're persistent and stubborn. Annoyingly so, most times."

Harry wisely kept quiet about that and the fact that he was once again still talking to a book.

Thankfully, Vernon's rant about not "having one in the house" and "stamping out that dangerous nonsense" didn't get too violent a reaction from the others. Instead, boos and hisses were heard all around, with some of them conjuring up popcorn (somehow) and balling up paper to throw at the book.

"Hey! Watch the messenger!" Aidan shouted, ducking away from the thrown stuff.

Ludo conjured up some sewing stuff and other materials.

"Sir, what are you doing?" Harry blinked.

"Making voodoo dolls," Ludo said nonchalantly, causing the fourth year to blanch while everyone else looked at him weirdly. "You know, for the Dursleys. And strangely, I'm actually rather good at this kind of arts and crafts."

A series of "Oh's" of understanding went around.

"I want one then," Fleur grinned madly.

"Ohhh, me too!" Cedric joined in.

"I vant one also," Viktor agreed.

Crouch just raised an eyebrow, while Aidan looked at him expectantly with a manic grin and the 'duh!' look in his eyes.

Harry blinked again. "Hey…that looks interesting. Can I learn?" she tilted her head curiously, heading over to sit next to the man.

Ludo beamed at her. "Of course."

Everyone got a kick out of the part where Vernon apparently visited Harry in her cupboard.

"He fit?" several of them cried out.

"He actually visited you?" Aidan blinked in shock.

"Holy Merlin –that's gotta be a first," Cedric whistled.

Of course, Harry's first response was to ask where her letter was and who was writing her.

"That's right, Harry. Demand. You have the right to," Crouch nodded.

Vernon saying he'd burned it caused the explosive reaction finally.

"Bastard!" Crouch yelled out. "And that's blasphemy! SACRILEGE!"

Ludo blinked and then used his wand to silence the man, who went on miming his anger without noticing the change.

Vernon's next outburst wasn't a surprise to anyone, but the sudden talk of Harry moving from her cupboard to Dudley's second bedroom was (with a painful smile for the effort). Just not in a good way.

"What was that? A second bedroom?" Fleur's silvery eyes flashed and she furiously grabbed her notebook and started madly writing in it.

"And I hope that smile did hurt," Ludo huffed, crossing his arms across his chest and sticking his tongue out at the book childishly.

The next bit unfortunately detailed just how many bedrooms the Durleys had: one for her aunt and uncle, one for guests, one for Dudley, and one for Dudley's stuff. Apparently that soured the atmosphere rather quickly.

"Four bedrooms in all?" Crouch stated, scandalized… though how he escaped being silenced, they weren't sure.

"You know, it's probably a mercy," Ludo nodded surely, still working on his voodoo dolls. "You might have been infected by them if you'd been sleeping a little closer all these years. The isolation made you normal."

"Yeah, don't want to catch the Dursley Disease," Cedric snickered.

Harry blinked. "The Dursley Disease?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

But she did scrunch up her nose as the book talked about the ton of things Dudley had stuffed into that room, all things practically broken or untouched if they were books.

"Spoiling, spoiling~" Fleur giggled.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I know. Dudley is spoiled."

"Nope. She means we're going to spoil you~" Ludo sing-songed as well, a glint in his eyes.

"And you damn well will be touching your books," Crouch grumbled.

Despite Dudley whining and not getting his way for once, Harry still agreed with her book self's thoughts about rather being in her cupboard with her letter than in her new room without it.

"Of course. First Hogwarts Letter trumps everything," Aidan nodded determinedly.

All Hogwarts students and alumni nodded in unison in agreement, with the foreigners shaking their heads in amusement.

While Harry was brooding in the book about her letter, Dudley had been throwing the mother of all tantrums and still hadn't gotten his way (she'd been too preoccupied with brooding back then to appreciate that little fact, but she spared a little amusement for it now), while Vernon and Petunia gave each other "dark looks". As far as Harry was concerned, she still should have thought better than to not have opened her letter in the hall alright. So, so stupid…

"What a silly boy. You would think he's never been denied anything. Oh wait –he hasn't," Ludo rolled his eyes.

"They'll all get theirs. They all will," Crouch promised darkly, scaring the crap out of the others.

Harry watched him warily, inwardly shaking her head.

The next part was a first, being that Vernon had been trying to be nice for once and had Dudley get the mail. Harry liked that memory. Of course, Dudley couldn't just leave things be, using that stupid stick to hit things and all while doing it then, and then he had to go and announce there was another one of her letters.

"Someone needs a timeout," Cedric grumbled, irritated about the next failed letter delivery.

Crouch hmmed. "Yes~ A special timeout. Like say…Azkaban."

"A little too harsh, Mr. Crouch!" Harry interrupted in alarm.

Fleur cooed darkly. "You don't know zat, 'Arry. Just a little time. A small scare won't 'urt."

Harry gave them a stern look, er –well, as stern as she could make it –but they just smiled innocently at her.

She did have to laugh at the next scene, given that although she'd failed to get her letter that time, she'd gone and made a nuisance of herself and had actually physically gotten into a fight-like mess with Vernon and Dudley for that letter. Also, the image of her jumping onto Vernon's back and grabbing him by the neck reminded her of another time.

"Huh," Harry blinked, lips twitching. "My mad prediction skills are manifesting in other ways."

"Eh?" everyone else glanced at her in confusion.

Harry remembered how anxious she was, thinking whoever it was knew she'd moved from her cupboard and maybe they'd try again. She'd been eager enough to make up a plan.

"Blast them!" Crouch growled. "Touching your sacred letter. Don't touch what isn't yours, Dursley! And Harry, they don't know you moved out, only that you hadn't received your letter. You're quite right they'd try again."

"Don't worry, Mr. Crouch. I know that now," Harry reassured the man she wasn't sure was quite all that stable. "As for this plan…my on-the-fly plans work much better, if only because my luck responds much more in my favor at those times."

That warranted another round of confusion from the others.

Aidan read the morning of the plan and how it started, keen on getting on with it when he read the next part out excitedly, "'Harry leapt into the air; she'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat –something alive!'"

"What? What?" Cedric grinned in anticipation.

"VHAT IS IT?!" Viktor roared, practically leaping up from his seat and glaring holes into the book in Aidan's hands.

"You're not the type to like suspense, are you?" Cedric deadpanned, while everyone else looked at the young Quidditch star in shock.

"No," Viktor grumbled. "That is vhy I play Quidditch, not vatch it. I vouldn't be able to handle it."

Then it was revealed that Harry had stepped on her uncle's face.

It was silent before…

"Mwahahaha!" Aidan burst out, dropping the book as he clutched at his sides.

That broke the silence and everyone else burst into laughter.

Vernon hadn't been a happy camper. He shouted at Harry alright and she remembered her ears ringing. Then there was when the letters finally came and he tore it up in front of her eyes. It had made her so mad.

Crouch had amusedly stolen one of Ludo's voodoo dolls (an unfinished Vernon shaped one), and was repeatedly wacking it with his wand angrily. When it lit on fire, he started cackling madly.

Cedric tilted his head. "I don't know whether to be afraid or join him."

Ludo had materialized beside Crouch and was suddenly holding a stick with marshmallows stuck on the end. He cheerily held it up to the burning doll and roasted his marshmallows.

"Bloody good idea!" Aidan agreed, grinning as he joined in.

Harry's eyes widened and she pouted as she stared at the melting gooeyness. Aidan cackled and held up a marshmallow up in the air near Harry, who watched it with intense emerald eyes. To add insult, Aidan took a bit of the treacle tart and put the marshmallow on it, pressing a little to spread it over the treacle tart.

That was it and Harry pounced, making Aidan yelp as he caught the fourth year with an oomph!

Vernon's idea of how they'd give up if they can't deliver them was agreed as a fail.

"Nope. Not going to work. You'll just keep getting letters. And probably a personal visitation," Ludo shook his head.

Sadly, even Petunia agreed that wouldn't work.

"See? Listen to your wife, man!" Aidan shook the book.

However, Vernon was insistent, thinking that Harry's kind had strange minds and wasn't like he and Petunia. It was hard to take him seriously, since he'd been trying to hammer in the nails with a fruitcake.

Crouch snorted. "Look who's talking."

And then he proceeded to continue his occasional prodding and then aggressive pointing at the Vernon voodoo doll that was now in the midst of a bonfire. How it was not destroyed or at least messed up yet, no one knew…but they were sure it was probably Crouch's doing.

Twelve letters this time and Harry gleefully recalled how they'd been stuck through the sides of the door, under it, and even in the small bathroom window downstairs.

"They're multiplying!" Aidan cackled. "They're like Gremlins!"

"The Dursleys are being letter bombed alright," Cedric snickered, remembering Vernon's lame joke.

Harry almost felt sorry for Vernon, given how he was starting to really go crazy and was overboard on the boarding up small cracks in the house and hall. Plus, she remembered hearing an overabundance of him humming "Tiptoe Through the Tulips", and the rest of them had been looking at him crazy as he jumped at even the smallest of noises. It had been really a strange time.

Fleur cringed. "Now, I muzz tell my father to never sing zat song ever again. Even if it iz 'is favorite."

"The man's gone beyond paranoid," Ludo rolled his eyes.

"Oh this is just the tip of the iceberg," Harry grinned. "You should see him later on. I think it's coming up."

The next delivery equaled twenty four letters, and creatively coming hidden in two dozen eggs given by a confused milkman.

"Ohhh, whoever's doing the Hogwarts Letters are becoming very creative," Aidan said excitedly.

Crouch merely raised an eyebrow.

"'Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?' Dudley asked Harry in amazement,'" Aidan held back his snort as he read that.

"Us, us!" Cedric wildly waved his hand in the air, grinning unrestrainedly.

Harry remembered Vernon being all pleased that there was no post on Sundays and proclaiming it at the table that Sunday.

"No," Crouch said shortly. "Doesn't apply to us," he scoffed. "Remember? We're not like you."

"Should I record all this to send to the Dursleys, sir?" Harry grinned, laughing inwardly. "Perhaps a Howler?"

"Yes, yes. Go and do that," Crouch approved. "Record it all and make sure they get it everything and right away. Wait a second…a Howler…" he caught on to the last part. A glint appeared in his eyes again.

Harry's grin faltered and she watched Crouch uneasily.

Vernon was proven wrong as letters shot out of the chimney. Harry's family had ducked, but she'd jumped to catch one instead.

"Natural Seeker instincts," Cedric chortled.

"Practicing early, I see," Ludo tacked on.

Harry blushed.

It wasn't surprising her younger self had been bodily tossed from the room by Vernon by her waist. Honestly, she should have expected it. She wished she could have seen him pulling out tufts of his mustache again though. Now that was funny.

"He touches you one more time! I swear!" Crouch roared. "I'll lock him up faster than he can piss his bloody pants!"

Everyone stared at him wide-eyed.

"But seeing him pulling a bunch of hair out of his mustache and seeing the aftermath made up for it," Harry interrupted and broke the tension easily.

Everyone started giggling and Crouch calmed down a bit.

"I vonder how that looks," Viktor laughed.

"I wish we could see that," Cedric agreed with the other.

Harry grinned and went back to her notebook.

Dudley was finally disciplined when he was holding them up as the family tried to hurry and pack and get away.

"Finally!" Fleur cheered. "'Ow do you like zat, leetle man?"

A round of applause went around the room and Harry laughed at the others.

Vernon's random driving and constant muttering of shaking someone off was clearly showing the crazy. Like Harry had ever doubted he was.

"Ehehehe, someone's gone bonkers," Aidan tapped the book in amusement.

"He seems beyond mad now," Crouch snorted, feeling vindictive glee.

Dudley was absolutely miserable that day! No aliens blowing up on his computer, no TV, being hungry…Harry had just rolled her eyes over and over at her cousin then.

"Take that! Icky Diddy Dumb's finally gotten his comeuppance! Welcome to Harry's life," Cedric actually grinned viciously, and it looked really odd on the usually kind and polite teen.

Harry raised an eyebrow and then slunk back as the group did some kind of mass celebration. Mad, they all were. Completely mad.

In the hotel while it was night, Harry in the book was just staring off and wondering, and the sentence trailed off…

Aidan opened his mouth –

"Wondering about the great wonders of the world and the mysteries of the universe," Harry deadpanned.

Cedric snickered, while Viktor snorted. Fleur giggled too, though Crouch and Ludo were both smirking.

Aidan huffed and pouted, but reached over and ruffled Harry's hair. Harry pouted this time, ducking away and trying to fix her unruly hair.

When it was breakfast the next morning and the owner came to tell them about the letters she had for Harry, even Harry had thought the scene looked strange when she had tried to reach out for one of them and her uncle had knocked her hand away. She would've stared with the woman too.

"Question it, woman, question it! Do what old Mad-Eye says! CONSTANT VIGILANCE" Crouch yelled at the book.

Though they stared at him and gave him space once more…most of the group (minus Harry, of course) agreed with him.

Petunia had tried to get Vernon to bring them back home, but Vernon hadn't been listening to anyone at the time.

"Of course not! Ez much too far gone!" Fleur said, sounding far more delighted at that than Harry thought she should be about a person's mentality status going over the bend.

As far as Harry was concerned, the group's amusement (an understatement) over Vernon's constant driving, stopping, looking around, was way too much.

"Mad! Utterly mad!" But Cedric sounded much too cheerful about such a thing.

"'Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?'" Aidan read with a wide grin.

Crouch cackled, creeping everyone out. "Even that brat knows it! If Azkaban is out of the question, how about a mental asylum?"

Of course Dudley had to snivel about his show being on and him not being able to see it.

"Boohoo," Aidan said blandly. "And also, your mental capacity is sad if you have to rely on programs to know what the day is."

"What's The Great Humberto?" Cedric blurted out, looking confused.

Harry shrugged, not knowing too much either, considering she'd never seen that show (or was allowed to). She told them so to explain her lack of explanation, and couldn't understand what they were grumbling under their breaths about.

Though her being reminded it was Monday then led to her remembering her birthday was coming.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" they all yelled.

Harry blinked. "But…it's not my birthday right now."

They ignored her and began singing her 'Happy Birthday' anyway. And when they conjured up a cake made up treacle fudge, Harry locked her jaw up and didn't complain.

She agreed with the next statement. Her birthdays, at least with the Dursleys, had always sucked. The year before the her in this book really had received a coat hanger and a pair of Vernon's old socks. It was gross and the coat hanger had been bent. But you only turn an age once and she was only going to turn eleven then.

"No, you aren't eleven every day," Aidan nodded, agreeing.

"Spoiling!" Cedric grinned at Harry, who rolled her eyes.

"Never late for a late birthday party," Ludo clapped his hands excitedly, already mentally planning.

Though she didn't want them to fuss too much over her or it (as can be seen with Ludo and Fleur taking time out to plan out a birthday party, bending their heads together and over a notepad; Aidan rapidly writing on his notebook, and Cedric who was crooning the birthday song earnestly –she was ignoring Crouch, who had decided to dump a bunch of the man's stuff onto Harry as late birthday gifts; she really didn't know what she'd do with a wizarding watch she didn't know how to navigate and was clearly too big on her, nor the huge Muggle jacket draped around her shoulders and dwarfing her), Harry admitted she was rather excited and eager to have a birthday party, having never had one before.

Vernon buying and carrying a long, thin package raised some narrowed his eyes at that, pursing his lips as he became suspicious and wary.

Then Vernon had to go and bring them to some shady place in the stormy weather, going across the water on a rickety and scary-looking boat.

"Mad, he is, mad!" Aidan exclaimed, much more correctly sounding upset about something like that.

"Where on earth did 'e take you?!" Fleur asked, horrified.

"The MCS would never have tolerated this," Crouch muttered, fingering his wand.

The weather and the house was unfortunately described in full, getting everyone all worried.

"I hope you didn't catch any sickness from this," Viktor snapped, glaring at the book and willing it to catch fire.

"No, I was fine," Harry reassured him (and everyone, by the looks of them).

Then there was the rations, which ended up being a bag of chips each and four bananas.

"Those rations are hardly fit to feed anyone, and you hardly get fed as it is," Cedric grumbled.

Vernon had to mention the letters and how they could have done with them now to stoke up the fire.

There was a loud explosion and everyone turned in the direction of the boom in panic. They saw Crouch irritably poking at his voodoo doll bonfire, though it was strange and kind of creepy how it was still intact.

As everyone separated to find their own space in the rickety house, Harry couldn't forget how miserable she'd been –cold and trying to find any space comfortable for her, and clinging to the thinnest blanket she'd been left with.

Additionally, Viktor re-draped his cloak around Harry and fussed over her, while everyone mumbled and had foul looks on their faces.

Personally, she'd thought she'd been too dramatic then when she thought the roof was going to cave in and that she'd thought how warmer she might've been if it had.

"I'm warm enough!" Harry said quickly, eying the whole group, who had as one approached her with manic looks on their faces.

"It's not safe!" Crouch hissed to himself, picturing the whole situation in his head. "And a roof falling in! Dangerous!"

She had done a countdown to when she'd turned eleven. Hearing it now, she felt a little pathetic.

"'BOOM,'" Aiden said loudly.

"What? What is it? What happened?" Cedric said in a panic.

"I knew it!" Crouch hollered. "Not safe at all. It's all concerning and should –and will –be brought up before the MCS!"

"It's fine!" Harry said, starting to panic. "Don't worry about it! I promise, it was a good 'boom!' Really, I swear!"

The dark look on Viktor's face, as he hyperventilated, said that he didn't believe her.

The chapter ended with the book ominously stating someone was knocking and waiting to be let in, which frayed nerves all around.

"But 'oo eez eet?!" Fleur snatched the book from Aidan, her accent more pronounced since she was more emotional. "I need to know! TELL ME!"

"You'll find out in the next chapter, I'm sure," Harry soothed. "And again, it's not all bad."

There was grumbling on the parts of everyone, but Harry had managed to smooth things somewhat over with her reassurances.

"Who's next then?" Aidan asked, taking the book back. "Wasn't it Crouch?"

"Yup! Bart's turn!" Ludo informed them cheerfully.

Crouch glared at him, but took the book and opened it to the right page. Before he started however, he ordered some food and then pushed it Harry's way. Faced with the intense stares of everyone, Harry sighed and started to nibble on some sandwiches.

"Much better," Crouch said smugly.

Started 7/15/12 – Completed 7/30/13
Edited 1/11/12 – Completed 1/12/16