His love for Potions I ✔

Chapter 43: Preparation for second task

By the end of Christmas break, Harry had been poisoned five different ways, made 23 different possible antidotes, and figured out progressively that the egg was speaking a magical language, specifically (after an antidote that turned him blue) Mermish. He was also very grateful for Cedric's hint, which may have saved his dignity, if not his life.

Harry would really have preferred not to have the motivation.

#

The papers seemed quite full of Harry and Draco's fictitious fight over Hermione after the Christmas break, including a number of technically accurate but very misleading quotes from Draco himself.

"What's wrong with you?" Harry hissed at Care of Magical Creatures class.

"Just playing to the narrative," Draco murmured. "By the way, the other option was Hagrid being half-giant. I suggest you give Ms. Skeeter a proper interview before she works her way around to it. For some reason, she doesn't like you."

"I can't say I like her much, either."

"Like my father says, we're not allowed to kill reporters, so we must live with them."

#

"I am researching potions for breathing underwater for reasons completely unrelated to the second task," Harry informed Professor Snape, dragging a large pile of library books into the Potions lab.

"Remind me to teach you how to lie at some point," his professor said, watching this. "Water breathing potions are quite beyond you, but you might as well make the attempt."

This turned out to be entirely accurate - Harry's first water breathing potion left Harry unable to breathe water or air until his professor eventually took pity on him and provided an antidote.

The second and third didn't go much better. It was a work in progress. Professor Snape kept giving him pitying looks as if Harry was missing the obvious, but seemed in no hurry to enlighten him at all. Harry rather thought Professor Snape didn't care very much if Harry won.

Draco Malfoy kept turning up to ask Hermione to study with him in the library, turning Ron an interesting splotchy red color. She refused to go on any actual dates with him, but Draco didn't seem to object.

One day, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been joined by Draco again and Harry was trying to figure out whether or not he was angry, Greg Goyle came over and sat down next to Draco, and Draco turned to stare at him.

"What are you doing here, Greg?"

"We're friends with them now."

"...Greg. No."

"Aren't we?"

Draco appeared actually truly speechless. Harry leaned his chin in one hand and watched it with delighted interest.

"We'll talk about it later," Draco settled on finally.

"Talk about what?" Greg asked.

"Talk about - oh, Merlin."

"Talk about what, Malfoy?" asked Ron, who was still just barely civil with Draco in the same room.