HARRY POTTER - AU TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT

CHAPTER 4

By the time the weekend rolled, Harry was ready to begin hexing anyone who even looked at him. He was okay with them looking but they were pointing and whispering and most importantly looking at him with pity, some of the people, anyway. If there was one thing he couldn't tolerate, it was pity. He would pull through, he was confident.

Harry was finished with all the basic books for all the subjects including the electives he didn't take. He may or may not do Runes, but knowing the basics would always be useful. Not that he wouldn't do it. He found both the electives he didn't take interesting. He still had two weeks for the first task and he was taking the studies slow even though he wanted to rush through them.

He was only done with Charms NEWTS level and basics for other subjects. He had to take a break after performing seventh year spells. It had taken a bit more power than he anticipated. He went flying and restarted his hobby of drawing to overcome his boredom.

He was also eager to see Sirius and talk to him. He wanted to know how Sirius was faring. He was the first one to leave the castle. No one would notice if he was missing for a while anyway.

"Sirius, I am so glad to see you." Harry said as he hugged his godfather tightly, as if he would disappear if he let go. Sirius returned the hug with equal enthusiasm.

"Now, tell me everything you know and what you don't. I will fill in if I know something." Sirius ordered. So, Harry did exactly that. He told Sirius about how his name came out of the goblet, how his friends left him, how he was kicked out of the tower, how he bonded Dobby and Winky to himself and how he took up residence in ROR while telling that he was in the other quarters.

"I have many suspicions Harry. I want to know everything you know. Who introduced you to magic?"

"Hagrid. He came to give me my letter when my uncle wouldn't let me open the first one they sent." Harry started. He told him about how he didn't know about magic and how he was told that his parents were drunks who died in a car crash, how his first letter was addressed to the cupboard under the stairs. Harry was beet red by the end of the tale. He didn't want to talk about it. He knew he was being stubborn but he didn't want to see Sirius agreeing with his relatives. He didn't want Padfoot to hate him.

"Harry, it's nothing to be ashamed of. They should be the ones who should be. They abused a child left in their care. I know how you feel Harry. I ran away from home because, well, my parents were not great people. I lived with your father and grandparents since I turned sixteen." Sirius talked soothingly, as if speaking to a wounded dog or a puppy with calm, careful gestures and lots of patience and love in his voice.

Harry calmed down a bit after that. He was still a bit hesitant. He knew Padfoot for not more than half an year. He felt comfortable and safe with the man, yes, but still, he was weary of talking and telling anyone about himself.

It was lunch by the time Harry finished his tale from his earliest memory to the end of his first visit to Diagon alley. His earliest memory being being hit by Petunia on his head by a pan for not cooking properly at the age of three.

"We should get you some lunch." Sirius said tightly. "Won't they start noticing that you are missing?"

"You are angry." Harry said in a small voice from Sirius' arms. Padfoot hugged him by not even half way through his tale and they sat that way as he finished it. He was feeling warm, safe... better and he didn't want to move.

"I am not angry at you, pup. I think a lot of things are starting to make sense now. I am angry with Petunia and her family and with few other people but not you." Harry nodded into Padfoot's shoulder.

"Call for Dobby and ask him to get you some lunch." Harry did so and Dobby brought a feast with him for both the men. They ate in companionable silence and Harry continued his tale after eating the lunch. He told Sirius of the the stone, diary, basilisk and rescuing Ginny. Everything.