Sirius nodded. Both of them got intense and focused, and they argued over potential plans and contingencies for a while. Harry, content to let them figure things out, turned his attention to his biscuits and tea. He was focused on the more important things. Like how everyone would hate him again, far worse than they had in his second year. About all the eyes he was about to have following him.
"Ok," Sirius said, drawing Harry's attention back to them. "So Harry, you stay away from Crouch. From anyone from the Ministry. You are underage, so you can always demand either of us be with you for official events. Do not ever be alone with anyone related to the Tournament, alright?" Harry nodded. "We need a plan to get you through your first task."
"There's a full moon coming up soon. We can slip away and divine what the task will be," mama said. Sirius nodded.
"Ok, you two do that, and I'll start investigating your mysterious entry. Perhaps we could sue or start a legal inquiry, but that would take time. Harry love, do you want me to stick around for the weekend?" Sirius asked him.
"Aren't you busy?" Harry asked. "You have to go stop Voldemort."
"I do, and I can't stop hunting the horcruxes, especially not now that he's taking more concentrated action against you. But you come first, Harry. I will be here for you as much as possible."
Harry felt his cheeks burn red and he stared down at the empty plate of biscuits. He felt a lot better now than he had when mama dragged him into the office, his worry had faded away into a manageable hum in the back of his mind. Mama and Sirius were the best to have around when things got tough, always calm and with a plan of action. He was a little embarrassed to rely on them so much, he was fourteen after all, almost an adult and he'd done enough crying for the year after the World Cup - but still, it was nice and warm and genuine and he felt better when they were around.
"Maybe just for tomorrow?" he asked. "Everyone's going to be mad at me."
"I should get you a lawyer," Sirius said with a frown. "Some defamation suits might be fun too." He shook his head and clapped his hands together. "But! That's later me's problem, yeah. Tonight, let's do something fun. Allie, what do necromancers do for fun?"
"Harry and I have a few leisure activities -"
"Leisure activities, what are you, the bloody queen?"
"We play chess, or Jenga, or Scrabble on rotating evenings," Harry explained. Sirius shook his head.
"You poor, poor child. No wonder you always want to go flying with me. Let's do something actually fun!" His grin turned wide and a little scary and he stood in a flash and bounced over to the fire. "Be right back!"
"What's wrong with Scrabble?" Alabasandria complained once he'd left.
"I like playing Scrabble," Harry assured her.
Sirius returned after a brief moment, his record player under one arm and his other full of records.
"They'll have a Yule Ball, yeah? That means you have to learn how to dance!" Bee Gees' disco tunes began to warble loudly from his player and Sirius dragged mama to her feet. 'C'mon Harry!" He cried with a grin. She tried to escape, but Sirius wrapped his arms around her waist and began to sway madly to the music. He sang along, his voice a bit raspy as he pulled mama around the room while she hung limp in his arms.
Harry set down his tea and laughed until tears ran down his face. Gasping for breath, he pushed the chairs to the side, grabbed mama's arms and began to shake their joined hands up and down to the music.
"This is not how you dance with someone!" Mama complained in a deadpan tone.
"You're right - let's show Harry how to do some spins!"
...
Harry came down to breakfast the next day with a crick in his neck, having slept a few hours in the armchair in mama's office before she took pity on him and let them skive off to Grimmauld for the night. It was early for breakfast on the weekend, but there were plenty of people already up and every single one of them turned to look at him as he sat near the end of the Gryffindor table. Sirius, bless his heart, came strolling into the Great Hall a second after him alongside Alabasandria, who was extremely hungover. Sirius was whistling a disco song and gathered everyone's attention as he headed up to the head table. He greeted the other professors warmly and held out a seat for Alabasandria who began to chug coffee like her life depended on it. Giving a few quiet words to Dumbledore and Lupin, he proceeded to shamelessly and loudly flirt with Madame Maxime.
As the students watched this confusing scene unfold, Harry tucked into his breakfast with a grateful smile.
"There you are! I was so worried!" Hermione crashed into him, hugging him from behind. His three friends took point in the seats surrounding him.
"Sorry," he said. "Mama, Sirius, and I had a lot to talk about. By the time they were done, I was mostly asleep so they let me crash with them for the night."
"Why'd you put your name in and not tell me?" Ron said, the words spewing from his mouth like he'd been holding in that thought for a while.
"Ron!" the girls said.
"I didn't put my name in!" Harry insisted, hurt by Ron's accusation. "I didn't, I swear. You know mama said it would be dangerous."
"Well then how did it get in?" Ron complained. "If anyone had been able to get past the age line, it would have been you - with the, ya' know -" he whispered, "- necromancy."
"How would that have helped?" Harry demanded. "I can't make myself older."
"The Invisibility Cloak then!"
.....
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