So Much for No Strings Attached

Chapter 1 Sex, Stress and Lies

Harry hated his life he had long since decided. Or maybe it was God who hated him. What had he done to deserve such a crappy life? Right from the start! Why had his name had to come out of that damn Goblet anyway? Whatever Dumbledore had said about being a champion bringing honour and glory to their schools and houses Harry felt it was nothing more than a headache.

 

Harry hadn't wanted to be a champion before then. He attracted enough trouble without going hunting for trouble. But everyone seemed to think he was a fame junky or something. This included one of his best friends, Ron who currently wasn't talking to him because of this whole mess. The Hufflepuffs were angry with him for stealing their one chance of glory. The Ravenclaws had sided with the Hufflepuff over him. The Slytherins were being well Slytherins! Harry was so glad he had convinced the Sorting Hat not to place him in the House of Snakes where he so did not belong if their constant remarks were anything to go by. Snape was being more awful than usual. And that was saying something!

 

Didn't anyone realise he hadn't asked for this!

 

The Gryffindors were hero worshipping him he thought with a shudder. He personally preferred Snape's reaction than the constant hero worshipping. He had taken to hiding in the library from the Gryffindors and then going to bed early just avoid this. Only Ginny who barely spoke to Harry anyway, Neville who only ever spoke about Herbology and Hermione who always had her nose in a book were treating him decently.

 

Oh and now he had to fight a bloody fucking dragon; a huge, massive, fire breathing, scaly, horned, deadly dragon which would be trying to kill him. Harry's thought had taken a slightly hysterical tone. But come on did you really blame him. And it's not like anyone could hear his thoughts. Hagrid had just shown him the four monstrous beasts that he had to fight!

 

Even Hagrid had admitted that the Hungarian Horntail was "a nasty piece of work". And coming from Hagrid who thought Cerebrus were cuddly creatures, a giant spider was his best friend, and a baby dragon was his baby then that was saying something. And knowing Harry's bad luck he would probably end up being pitted against the Horntail. Honestly hadn't the Wizarding World evolved from Roman times? What with the House Elf slaves that were treated legally as bad as the Dursleys treated him and this gladiatorial contest where three – four this time – children were pitted against each other.

 

In days gone past people had died. Like he probably would; how could he a fourteen year old kid defeat a dragon? The Boy Who Lived who had survived Voldemort more times than Harry liked to think, survived Acromatula, a Cerebus, a Basilisk and Dementors. Never mind Harry's abusive childhood. But now when he was left to it he was going to die. After all his struggles and the Ministry was just going to stand back and watch him die in front of his peers. Harry couldn't think of any possible way he was going to get through the First Task. Hopefully Sirius would have some tips. He was pinning all his hopes on the convict.

 

That was when Harry literally ran into Lucius Malfoy. He briefly wondered what the Malfoy Lord was doing here considering that he was no longer a governor at Hogwarts. He looked at the tall, blonde aristocrat dressed head to toe in black robes holding his cane which concealed his wand. Usually when he and Malfoy Senior met they would have the battle of wits he just wasn't in the mood for it.