It was the next morning and as Y/n and Harry awoke both felt as if they had been through too much to take in anymore. The worst, perhaps, was the meeting with the Diggory's that took place that morning.
They did not blame either of them for what had happened, on the contrary, both thanked them for returning Cedric's body to them. Mr. Diggory sobbed through most of the interview. Mrs. Diggory's grief seemed to be beyond tears.
"He suffered very little then." she said, when they had told her how Cedric had died. "And after all, Amos...he died just when he'd won the tournament. He must have been happy."
"Cedric was a very brave person, right till the very end...I am honored to have competed with him." Y/n told them.
When the Diggory's got to their feet, Mrs Diggory looked down at Y/n and Harry and said, "You both look after yourselves now."
Harry seized the sack of gold on the bedside table. "You take this." he muttered to her. "It should've been Cedric's, he got there first, you take it..."
But she backed away from him. "Oh no, it's yours, dears, I couldn't... you keep it." and with that she and her husband left.
Y/n returned with Harry to Gryffindor Tower that evening. From what Hermione and Ron had told them, Dumbledore had spoken to the school that morning at breakfast. He had merely requested that they all leave Y/n and Harry alone, that nobody asked them questions or badger them to tell the story of what had happened in the maze.
Most people, Y/n noticed, were skirting him in the corridors, avoiding his gaze. Some whispered behind their hands as he passed. He guessed that many of them had believed Rita Skeeter's article about how dangerous he supposedly was. Perhaps they were formulating their own theories about how Cedric had died. But he was too tired both physically and mentally to care anymore. All he wanted was to sit with Hermione as she and Ron were talking about other things, or else letting him and Harry sit in silence while they played chess. All four of them had reached an understanding they didn't need to put into words, that each was waiting for some sign, some word, of what was going on outside Hogwarts and that it was useless to speculate about what might be coming until they knew anything for certain. The only time they touched upon the subject was when Ron told Harry about a meeting Mrs. Weasley had had with Dumbledore before going home.
"She went to ask him if you could come straight to us this summer." he said. "But he wants you to go back to the Dursleys, at least at first."
"Why?" said Harry.
"She said Dumbledore's got his reasons." said Ron, shaking his head darkly. "I suppose we've got to trust him, haven't we? Y/n will be staying with us though I imagine now that Dumbledore has his grandmother running all about the place."
"Actually Ron, Y/n is probably going to be staying with me and my parents. I wrote them a letter this morning. " Hermione said now.
"You?" Ron said surprised by this. "But why would he stay with you?"
"Because..." Hermione said and she turned her head to look at Y/n.
"Because Hermione is my girlfriend Ron." Y/n spoke up now as he took Hermione's hand.
"Wha..Since when!?" Ron cried out surprised again.
"I asked her officially last night." Y/n said and Hermione's hold on his hand gently tightened. "We have both had feelings for one another for quite a while, but I asked her to wait till the tournament was over."
"Did you know about this?" Ron immediately asked Harry.
"What...oh, yeah I suppose." Harry said coming out of a deep thought.
"Why didn't you tell me then?" Ron asked annoyed.
"Probably because of the way you behaved when you saw me with Krum Ronald." Hermione said truthfully.
"I also disliked Viktor taking Hermione to the ball but that was only because I had been too slow to ask her myself." Y/n explained.
"Yeah...well...I'd rather you than him." Ron said, he was still annoyed but with everything Y/n had gone through the night before he didn't want to start an argument.
"Oh..."Hermione suddenly exclaimed as the three looked at her. "It's the twenty fifth. Y/n's birthday."
"Could we perhaps skip the celebrations this year?" Y/n asked kindly. "I do not feel very much in the spirit. It also would feel disrespectful..."
Harry just nodded silently agreeing while Ron grumpily shrugged.
"Of course Y/n, if that's what you want." Hermione." nodded herself.
As there was no longer a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, they had those lessons free. They used the one on Thursday afternoon to go down and visit Hagrid in his cabin. It was a bright and sunny day. Fang bounded out of the open door as they approached, barking and wagging his tail madly.
"Who's that?" called Hagrid, coming to the door. "Harry! Y/n!"
He strode out to meet them, and pulled each into a one-armed hug, ruffling their hair, and said, "Good ter see yeh, Good ter see yeh."
The four entered now and they saw two bucket-size cups and saucers on the wooden table in front of the fireplace when they entered Hagrid's cabin.
"Bin havin' a cuppa with Olympe." Hagrid said. "She's jus' left."
"Who?" said Ron curiously.
"Madame Maxime, o' course!" said Hagrid.
"You two made up, have you?" said Ron.
"Dunno what yeh're talkin' about." said Hagrid airily, fetching more cups from the dresser. When he had made tea and offered around a plate of doughy cookies, he leaned back in his chair and surveyed both Y/n and Harry closely through his beetle-black eyes.
"You all righ'?" he said gruffly
"Yeah." said Harry first.
"No, yeh're not." said Hagrid. "Course yeh're not. No one would be af'er wat you twos went through, But yeh will be."
Harry said nothing and Y/n felt his hand coming up to touch the fresh scar that now ran vertically along his right eye giving him a harsh appearance that did not match his kind soul.
"That them Death Eaters work I imagine?" Hagrid asked Y/n.
"Yes..." Y/n said.
"Nasty buggers..." Hagrid said next. "But don't you be going getting ashamed of your scar now Y/n, nor you Harry. Scars just show you were stronger than what tried to arm ya." Hagrid told them now and it made Y/n feel a little better.
"Knew he was goin' ter come back," said Hagrid, and Harry, Ron, Y/n and Hermione looked up at him, shocked. "Known it fer years. Harry. Knew he was out there, bidin' his time. It had ter happen. Well, now it has, an' we'll jus' have ter get on with it. We'll fight. Migh' be able ter stop him before he gets a good hold. That's Dumbledores plan, anyway. Great man, Dumbledore. 'S long as we've got him, I'm not too worried."
Hagrid raised his bushy eyebrows at the disbelieving expressions on their faces.
"No good sittin' worryin' abou' it." he said. "What's comin' will come, an we'll meet it when it does. Dumbledore told me wha' you two did..."
Hagrid's chest swelled as he looked at Y/n and Harry. "Yeh did as much as yer father would've done, an' I can' give yeh no higher praise than that." The then said to Harry.
Harry smiled back at him. It was the first time since they had gotten back that he did. "What's Dumbledore asked you to do, Hagrid?" he asked. "He sent Professor McGonagall to ask you and Madame Maxime to meet him."
"Got a little job fer me over the summer." said Hagrid. "Secret, though. I'm not s'pposed ter talk abou' it, no, not even ter you lot. Olympe... Madame Maxime ter you, might be comin' with me. I think she will. Think I got her persuaded."
"Is it to do with Voldemort?" Y/n asked.
Hagrid flinched at the sound of the name.
"Migh' be," he said evasively. "Now...who'd like ter come an' visit the las' skrewt with me? I was jokin, jokin'!" he added hastily, seeing the looks on their faces.
A month passed by now and it was with a heavy heart that Harry packed his trunk up in the dormitory on the night before his return to Privet Drive. He was dreading the Leaving Feast, which was usually a cause for celebration, when the winner of the Inter-House Championship would be announced. He had avoided being in the Great Hall when it was full ever since he had left the hospital wing, preferring to eat when it was nearly empty to avoid the stares of his fellow students.
When he, Ron, Y/n and Hermione entered the Hall, they saw at once that the usual decorations were missing. The Great Hall was normally decorated with the winning House's colors for the Leaving Feast. Tonight, however, there were black drapes on the wall behind the teachers' table. Y/n knew instantly that they were there as a mark of respect to Cedric.
The real Mad-Eye Moody was at the staff table now, his wooden leg and his magical eye back in place. He was extremely twitchy, jumping every time someone spoke to him. Moody's fear of attack was bound to have been increased by his ten-month imprisonment in his own trunk. Professor Karkaroff's chair was empty. Y/n wondered, as he sat down next to Hermione with the other Gryffindors, where Karkaroff was now, and whether Voldemort had caught up with him.
Madame Maxime was still there. She was sitting next to Hagrid. They were talking quietly together. Further along the table, sitting next to Professor McGonagall, was Snape. His eyes lingered on Harry for a moment as Harry looked at him. His expression was difficult to read. He looked as sour and unpleasant as ever. Harry continued to watch him, long after Snape had looked away.
Professor Dumbledore stood up at the staff table. The Great Hall, which in any case had been less noisy than it usually was at the Leaving Feast, became very quiet.
"The end." said Dumbledore, looking around at them all. "Of another year."
He paused, and his eyes fell upon the Hufflepuff table, the most subdued table, before he had gotten to his feet, and theirs were still the saddest and palest faces in the Hall.
"There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight." said Dumbledore. "But I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here." he gestured toward the Hufflepuffs. "Enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."
The benches scraped as everyone in the Hall stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice. "Cedric Diggory."
"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house." Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."
Both Y/n and Harry raised theirs heads and stared at Dumbledore.
"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."
A panicked whisper swept the Great Hall. People were staring at Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. He looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence.
"The Ministry of Magic, does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so... either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."
Stunned and frightened, every face in the Hall was turned toward Dumbledore now...or almost every face. Over at the Slytherin table. Harry saw Draco Malfoy muttering something to Atticus who rolled his eyes. Harry felt a hot, sick swoop of anger in his stomach. He forced himself to look back at Dumbledore.
"There are others who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death." Dumbledore went on. "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter and Y/n Grindelwald."
A kind of ripple crossed the Great Hall as a few heads turned in Y/n and Harry's direction before flicking back to face Dumbledore.
"Both managed to escape Lord Voldemort." said Dumbledore. "Risking their own lives to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. They both showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor them."
Dumbledore turned gravely to Y/n and Harry and raised his goblet once more. Nearly everyone in the Great Hall followed suit. They murmured their names, as they had murmured Cedric's, and drank to them. But through a gap in the standing figures. Y/n saw that Atticus, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and many of the other Slytherins had remained defiantly in their seats, their goblets untouched. Dumbledore, who after all possessed no magical eye, did not see them.
When everyone had once again resumed their seats, Dumbledore continued. "The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened... of Lord Voldemort's return, such ties are more important than ever before."
Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime and Hagrid, to Fleur Delacour and her fellow Beauxbatons students, to Viktor Krum and the Durmstrangs at the Slytherin table. Krum, Y/n saw, looked wary, almost frightened, as though he expected Dumbledore to say something harsh.
"Every guest in this Hall." said Dumbledore, and his eyes lingered upon the Durmstrang students. "Will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again, in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open."
"It is my belief, and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken, that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst."
"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."
Y/n's trunk was packed, Noctis was back in her cage on top of it. He, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were waiting in the crowded entrance hall with the rest of the fourth years for the carriages that would take them back to Hogsmeade station. It was another beautiful summer's day.
"Y/n!" a voice called out and he looked around. Fleur Delacour was hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. Hermione scowled.
Beyond her, far across the grounds. Harry could see Hagrid helping Madame Maxime back two of the giant horses into their harness. The Beauxbatons carriage was about to take off.
"We will see each uzzer again, I 'ope." said Fleur as she reached Y/n, holding out her hand.
Y/n took her hand now and gently shook it. "I can only hope that if we do it will be under better circumstances."
"I am 'oping to get a job 'ere, to improve my Eenglish." Fleur said now.
"It's very good already." said Ron in a strangled sort of voice. Fleur smiled at him.
"May I recommend Gringott's bank, I am certain you will be able to find something there you might like." Y/n suggested to her knowing Bill worked for the Goblin bank.
"Good-bye, 'Y/n, Harry." said Fleur, turning to go. "It 'az been a pleasure meeting you!"
"Goodbye Miss Delacour." Y/n bid her farewell as he watched Fleur hurry back across the lawns to Madame Maxime, her silvery hair rippling in the sunlight.
"Wonder how the Durmstrang students are getting back." said Ron. "D' you reckon they can steer that ship without Karkaroff?"
"Karkaroff did not steer." said a gruff voice. "He stayed in his cabin and let us do the vork."
They turned around to see Krum and it was Y/n's turn to look displeased. "Could I have a vord vit you both?" he asked Y/n and Harry.
"Very well." Y/n said as he turned to Hermione. "I will be back in a moment."
"Alright." said Hermione, nodding at Y/n.
Y/n and Harry began following Krum through the crowd and out of sight.
"You'd better hurry up!" Y/n heard Ron called loudly after them. "The carriages will be here in a minute!"
"You wished to talk?" Y/n asked folding his arms.
"Yes...I vanted to apologize..." Krum said now and Y/n raised his brow intrigued. "I was instantly hostile vit you because you are a Grindelvald...You're reputations are still infavmous in Durmstrang even today. But after hearing about ow you and Harry stood up to..." But Krum trailed off.
"Voldemort." Y/n and Harry said in unison.
"I knew then vat I had misjudged you." Krum continued. "But I also disliked you because of how much Herm-own–ninny talked about you and the fact you kissed her at the Yule ball."
"I am not innocent myself, I held a great amount of contempt towards you for taking Hermione to the Yule Ball in the first place. But I do not apologize for how I feel about Hermione, she is my girlfriend and means a great deal to me." Y/n told him.
"I can already see that you have von over her heart and I vill not chase vot is another mans, but I varn you now Grindelvald, Do not break er heart." Krum said.
"I will not." Y/n told him seriously.
"Vith all that has happened, I vish to keep in contact vit you all, as friends." Krum said now.
Y/n looked at Krum for a moment then stuck out his hand. "To a new friendship."
Krum just gave a small smile and shook his hand.
"You should come and say goodbye to the others." Y/n said taking his hand back now and Krum nodded his head, together they returned to the others.
"I liked Diggory." said Krum abruptly to Harry. "He vos alvays polite to me. Alvays. Even though I vos from Durmstrang, with Karkaroff." he added, scowling.
"Have you got a new headmaster yet?" said Harry
Krum shrugged. He held out his hand to him as Fleur had done and both shook, Krum then shook Ron's hand. Ron looked as though he was suffering some sort of painful internal struggle to not ask for his autograph.
"Goodbye Herm-own–ninny..." Krum said and turned to leave.
Krum had already started walking away when Ron burst out, "Can I have your autograph?"
"What did you talk about?" Hermione quietly asked Y/n.
"Putting differences aside." Y/n said slipping his hand into Hermione's as Krum, looking surprised but gratified, signed a fragment of parchment for Ron.
The weather could not have been more different on the journey back to King's Cross than it had been on their way to Hogwarts the previous September. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Harry, Ron, Y/n and Hermione had managed to get a compartment to themselves. Pigwidgeon was once again hidden under Ron's dress robes to stop him from hooting continually, Hedwig was dozing, her head under her wing, and both Noctis and Crookshanks were curled up in a spare seat.
The four talked more fully and freely than they had for weeks as the train sped them southward. Y/n suspected that because of Dumbledore's speech at the Leaving Feast, how brutal and honest he had been made it less painful to discuss what had happened now. They broke off their conversation about what action Dumbledore might be taking, even now, to stop Voldemort only when the lunch trolley arrived.
When Hermione returned from the trolley and put her money back into her schoolbag, she dislodged a copy of the Daily Prophet that she had been carrying in there. Harry looked at it, unsure whether he really wanted to know what it might say, but Hermione, seeing him looking at it, said calmly. "There's nothing in there. You can look for yourself, but there's nothing at all. I've been checking every day. Just a small piece the day after the third task saying you and Y/n won the tournament. They didn't even mention Cedric. Nothing about any of it. If you ask me. Fudge is forcing them to keep quiet."
"Given his behaviour in the hospital wing I would not be surprised. Stupid man..." Y/n said.
"He'll never keep Rita quiet." said Harry. "Not on a story like this."
"Oh, Rita hasn't written anything at all since the third task." said Hermione in an oddly constrained voice. "As a matter of fact." she added, her voice now trembling slightly. "Rita Skeeter isn't going to be writing anything at all for a while. Not unless she wants me to spill the beans on her."
"Was my theory correct then? Y/n asked her and Hermione nodded her head.
"What are you two talking about?" said Ron.
"Y/n worked out how she was listening in on private conversations when she wasn't supposed to be coming onto the grounds," said Hermione in a rush.
Harry had the impression that Hermione had been dying to tell them this for days, but that she had restrained herself in light of everything else that had happened.
"How was she doing it?" said Harry at once.
"How did you find out?" said Ron, staring at them.
"It was you and Hermione who gave me the idea, Harry." Y/n said.
"Did we?" said Harry, perplexed. "How?"
"Bugging." said Hermione happily.
"But you said they didn't work..."
"Oh not electronic bugs." said Hermione. "No, you see...Rita Skeeter..." Hermione's voice trembled with quiet triumph. "Is an unregistered Animagus. She can turn..." Hermione pulled a small sealed glass jar out other bag. "..into a beetle."
"You're kidding." said Ron. "You haven't...she's not..."
"Oh yes she is," said Hermione happily, brandishing the jar at them.
Inside were a few twigs and leaves and one large, fat beetle.
"That's never...you're kidding..." Ron whispered, lifting the jar to his eyes.
"No, I'm not." said Hermione, beaming.
"Well done." Y/n said impressed as he took a hold of the jar now and stared down at the beetle within. "My Grandmother would like a word with you..." He said sternly and the beetle backed up on it's twig. "Where did you find her lurking?" Y/n then asked Hermione.
"I caught her on the windowsill in the hospital wing." Hermione said.
"Then It is a very good thing you caught her." Y/n said as he took out his wand and pointed it at the jar now.
"Y/n what are you..."
"Obliviate." Y/n said concentrating to make sure he did not mess up the casting of the spell.
"I know she was a nuisance but what did you do that for mate?" Ron asked.
"If she was in the hospital then she could of overheard every conversation that night, which means she could have ruin everything. If any of that information leaks it puts everyone involved in danger..."
"Blimey...It's a good thing you caught her Hermione." Ron said seriously.
"Very good." Harry nodded his head thinking of Sirius.
"Look very closely, and you'll notice the markings around her antennae are exactly like those foul glasses she wears." Hermione said now.
Harry looked and saw that she was quite right. He also remembered something. "There was a beetle on the statue the night we heard Hagrid telling Madame Maxime about his mum!"
"Exactly." said Hermione. "And Viktor pulled a beetle out of my hair after we'd had our conversation by the lake. And unless I'm very much mistaken, Rita was perched on the windowsill of the Divination class the day your scar hurt. She's been buzzing around for stories all year."
"When we saw Malfoy under that tree..." said Ron slowly.
"He was talking to her, in his hand." said Hermione. "He knew, of course. That's how she's been getting all those nice little interviews with the Slytherins. They wouldn't care that she was doing something illegal, as long as they were giving her horrible stuff about us and Hagrid."
Hermione took the glass jar back from Y/n and smiled at the beetle, which buzzed angrily against the glass.
"I've told her I'll let her out when we get back to London." said Hermione. "I've put an Unbreakable Charm on the jar, you see, so she can't transform. And I've told her she's to keep her quill to herself for a whole year. See if she can't break the habit of writing horrible lies about people."
Smiling serenely, Hermione placed the beetle back inside her schoolbag.
The door of the compartment slid open.
"Very clever. Granger." said Draco Malfoy with Atticus standing beside him.
Crabbe and Goyle were standing behind them. All four of them looked more pleased with themselves, more arrogant and more menacing, than Harry had ever seen them.
"So..." said Malfoy slowly, advancing slightly into the compartment and looking slowly around at them, a smirk quivering on his lips. "You caught some pathetic reporter, and Potter's Dumbledore's favorite boy again. Big deal."
His smirk widened. Crabbe and Goyle leered.
"You are not welcome here...I suggest you leave." Y/n warned him.
But Malfoy ignored him. "Trying not to think about it, are we?" he said softly, looking around at all four of them. "Trying to pretend it hasn't happened?"
"Get out." said Harry.
"You've picked the losing side, Potter! I warned you! I told you you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember? When we met on the train, first day at Hogwarts? I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this!" He jerked his head at Ron and Hermione.
Atticus looked at Hermione and Ron with disdain "Mudbloods and blood traitors." He spat.
Hermione just quickly took a hold of Y/n's hand now before he had a chance to draw his wand but she scowled up at Atticus.
"It's too late now. Potter!" Malfoy chuckled. "They'll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well... second. Diggory was the f..."
It was as though someone had exploded a box of fireworks within the compartment. Blinded by the blaze of the spells that had blasted from every direction, deafened by a series of bangs, Y/n looked down at the floor.
Malfoy, Atticus Crabbe, and Goyle were all lying unconscious in the doorway. He, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were on their feet, all four of them having used a different hex. Nor were they the only ones to have done so.
"Thought we'd see what those three were up to." said Fred matter-of-factly, stepping onto Goyle and into the compartment. He had his wand out, and so did George, who was careful to tread on Malfoy as he followed Fred inside.
"Interesting effect." said George, looking down at Crabbe. "Who used the Furnunculus Curse?"
"Me." said Harry.
"Odd." said George lightly. "I used Jelly-Legs. Looks as though those two shouldn't be mixed. He seems to have sprouted little tentacles all over his face. Well, let's not leave them here, they don't add much to the decor."
Ron, Harry, Y/n and George kicked, rolled, and pushed the unconscious Malfoy, Atticus, Crabbe, and Goyle, each of whom looked distinctly the worse for the jumble of jinxes with which they had been hit out into the corridor, then came back into the compartment and rolled the door shut.
"Exploding Snap, anyone?" said Fred, pulling out a pack of cards.
They were halfway through their fifth game when Harry decided to ask them.
"You going to tell us, then?" he said to George. "Who you were blackmailing?"
"Oh..." said George darkly. "That."
"It doesn't matter." said Fred, shaking his head impatiently. "It wasn't anything important. Not now, anyway."
"We've given up." said George, shrugging.
But Harry and Ron, kept on asking, and finally, Fred said, "All right, all right, if you really want to know...it was Ludo Bagman."
"Bagman?" said Y/n surprised.
"Are you saying he was involved in..." Harry began.
"Nah." said George gloomily. "Nothing like that. Stupid git. He wouldn't have the brains."
"Well, what, then?" said Ron.
Fred hesitated, then said. "You remember that bet we had with him at the Quidditch World Cup? About how Ireland would win, but Krum would get the Snitch?"
"Yeah." said Harry and Ron slowly.
"Well, the git paid us in leprechaun gold he'd caught from the Irish mascots. "
"So?"
"So." said Fred impatiently. "It vanished, didn't it? By next morning, it had gone!"
"But... it must've been an accident, mustn't it?" said Hermione.
George laughed very bitterly. "Yeah, that's what we thought, at first. We thought if we just wrote to him, and told him he'd made a mistake, he'd cough up. But nothing doing. Ignored our letter. We kept trying to talk to him about it at Hogwarts, but he was always making some excuse to get away from us. "
"In the end, he turned pretty nasty." said Fred. "Told us we were too young to gamble, and he wasn't giving us anything."
"So we asked for our money back." said George glowering.
"He didn't refuse!" gasped Hermione.
"Right in one," said Fred.
"But that was all your savings!" said Ron.
"Tell me about it." said George. "'Course, we found out what was going on in the end. Lee Jordan's dad had had a bit of trouble getting money off Bagman as well. Turns out he's in big trouble with the goblins. Borrowed loads of gold off them. A gang of them cornered him in the woods after the World Cup and took all the gold he had, and it still wasn't enough to cover all his debts. They followed him all the way to Hogwarts to keep an eye on him. He's lost everything gambling. Hasn't got two Galleons to rub together. And you know how the idiot tried to pay the goblins back?"
"How?" said Harry.
"He put a bet on you, mate." said Fred. "Put a big bet on you to win the tournament. Bet against the goblins."
"So that's why he kept trying to help me win!" said Harry. "Well...I did win, didn't I? So he can pay you your gold!"
"Nope." said George, shaking his head. "The goblins play as dirty as him. They say you drew with Y/n and Diggory, and Bagman was betting you'd win outright. So Bagman had to run for it. He did run for it right after the third task."
George sighed deeply and started dealing out the cards again.
Y/n got up from his seat now as the others watched him take down his trunk. He opened it taking out the sack of galleons he had been given on the night of the final task.
"I have heard you both wish to open a joke shop of sorts. Take this money...and use it to do just that."
"What?" said Fred, looking flabbergasted.
Harry pulled down his own trunk now and drew out his own Triwizard winnings. "Take it. We don't want it." Harry said, and he thrust the sack into George's hands.
"You're both mental." said George, trying to push it back at Harry.
"No we are not. Said Y/n as he placed the sack down in Fred's hands. "Dark times are undoubtedly coming, people need something that can distract them, even if it is something as small as a Ton Tongue Toffee or a Canary Cream. You are both talented wizards for creating mischief and the truth is I was going to give you both a large sum from my own savings as an investment anyways, so this works out for us all."
"Y/n, Harry." said George weakly, weighing the money bag in his hands. "There's got to be a thousand Galleons in here. "
"Yeah." said Harry, grinning. "Think how many Canary Creams that is."
The twins stared at him.
"Just don't tell your mum where you got it...although she might not be so keen for you to join the Ministry anymore, come to think of it..."
"Y/n, Ha..." Fred began.
"If you feel as if this is charity then we shall do it like this, Harry and I are not going to give you this money freely, We are simply buying a small five percent share each in the new eventual company you two are going to start." Y/n reasoned with them.
Fred and George looked at each other both trying to find away to refuse but neither could think of a single thing to say.
"You two really aren't going to back down on this are you?" Fred asked.
"No we're not." Harry said.
Y/n just sat back down now and he felt Hermione rest her head on his shoulder.
The train later arrived at Kings cross and the six began to gather their things. Before getting off and passing through the barrier.
They could see Harry's uncle Vernon was waiting beyond the barrier with Mrs. Weasley close by him. As the approached she hugged Harry very tightly and whispered in his ear, "I think Dumbledore will let you come to us later in the summer. Keep in touch, Harry."
"See you Harry." said Ron, clapping him on the back.
"Look after yourself okay Harry." Y/n said with a small smile.
"Bye, Harry!" said Hermione giving him a wave.
"Y/n, Harry... thanks." George muttered, while Fred nodded fervently at his side.
"You are more than welcome, keep me informed on how it goes." Y/n said. Fred and George both nodded.
Harry just winked at them, turned to Uncle Vernon, and followed him silently from the station.
"We'd better going as well." Mrs Weasley said as Ginny appeared now.
"Where's Harry?" Ginny asked.
"He just left with his uncle I am afraid." Y/n told her and Ginny looked slightly disappointed.
"Right, It was lovely to see you again, Y/n and Hermione do write to us over the summer and remember that you are both welcome to Burrow anytime."Mrs Weasley said with a smile and turned around. "Come on Weasleys!"
"See you guys later." Ron gave Y/n and Hermione a wave before starting to walk away.
"Bye Y/n... Bye Hermione...Have a good summer you two." Ginny said with a grin before turning around too and walking away with her mother and brothers,
"Did you perhaps tell her I am staying with you this summer?" Y/n asked Hermione who was blushing a deep red.
"Possibly..."Hermione said as she composed herself.
Y/n just shook his head. "Come on, We should try to find your parents."
Hermione began to look around for a few moments. "There they are, over there." Hermione pointed out her parent stood in the distance.
"Then we should not keep them waiting." Y/n said as he moved his hair to cover his scared eye like he used to do when he was in his first year, he had no shame in his scar but he did not want to alarm the Grangers whom he had only met once before several years ago.
He then waited for Hermione to begin pushing her trolley and followed alongside with his own. As they approached It did not take long for the two to be noticed and they all met halfway.
"There's our Hermione!" Mrs Granger said warmly and quickly enveloped her daughter in a hug.
Hermione hugged her mom back before letting go. "Mom, dad. You remember Y/n?" She said introducing him.
"Of course we do dear." Hermione's mother smiled. "How are you Y/n? Was the journey back alright?"
"I am well thank you Mrs Granger. The train was as enjoyable as it always is but for once I actually look forward to having a nice break from school." Y/n said truthfully.
"Tough year was it?" She asked him.
"You could say that." Y/n said politely with a sad smile.
Hermione looked at her father who she could see was being unusually quiet." Dad?" she asked.
"Hermione...when you said you're friend needed a place to stay for the holidays, I thought you meant they were a girl..." Hermione's dad said sounding conflicted.
"Dad Y/n isn't just my friend...he's... my boyfriend!" Hermione said as she took his hand into hers now and her mother let out what sounded to be a delighted squeal.
Hermione's dad however just stood there frozen with shock. "...Boyfriend?" He repeated.
"I am sorry Mr and Mrs Granger, is my presence going to be an issue?" Y/n asked them.
"Oh behave will you." His wife said gently slapping her husband's arm now. "You're making the boy all worried, Besides you remember Y/n don't you? He was the nice little boy who helped us in the wizard bank a few years ago when we were struggling to change the money. You said you liked him." Hermione's mother told him.
"Yes...well, we'll be setting some ground rules!" Hermione's dad was quick to say now. "You'll be staying in separate bedrooms for a start. No leaving your rooms either." He said eying Y/n suspiciously.
"Dad...It's not like that, We've only just started really dating!" Hermione quickly told him with an embarrassed red face.
"Sir." Y/n addressed Hermione's father and he looked at him. "I understand any apprehensions you may have of me dating your daughter. But while under your roof I will respect any rules you and your wife set for me. You are after all graciously allowing me into your home and I wish not to be disrespectful. As Hermione just said, this relationship between us is still rather new and I do not wish to rush a single thing, However I would like to say that my feelings for your daughter are most sincere I promise you." Y/n said bowing his head to both Hermione's parents.
"Well...I..." Hermione's dad stammered then sighed. He could tell Y/n was being genuine. "Come on you two, we'd best be going if we want to avoid traffic, the cars not far away."
"Y/n, We were thinking of having a Chinese takeaway tonight to celebrate Hermione coming home." Mrs Granger began to say. "Do you like Chinese takeaway?"
"I uh...Yes, I do." Y/n said.
"Well alright, Chinese it is." Hermione's dad said now as he began to lead the way towards the station exit with his wife.
Y/n and Hermione began to push their trolleys behind them now and Y/n spoke quietly. "Hermione."
"Yes Y/n?" Hermione said.
"What exactly is a Chinese takeaway?" Y/n asked her and it caused Hermione to start laughing as her parent looked back slightly.
"See dear, I told you that boy was good for her." Mrs Granger said with a smile to her husband as she linked arms with him.
"I'll give him a chance, He seems respectable and sincere enough." Mr Granger said back. "I just never thought she would bring home a boyfriend so suddenly." He sighed.
"Oh there's nothing sudden about it dear they've know each other for years and..." His wife carried on while Hermione continued to laugh behind them.
"It is not that funny Hermione...Is it?" Y/n asked unsure.
"It's alright Y/n, It's just Chinese food. You can share some of mine, I think you will enjoy it actually." Hermione told him now that she had calmed down from laughing.
"If you say so..." Y/n sighed then smiled and together they left King's Cross station to begin their summer holiday together.