Reposted: December 15, 2021

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The end of year exams came and went, and Harry soon found himself sitting in the stands, staring at the large hedges that made up the maze.

Ludo Bagman blew his whistle, and Cedric entered the maze. A few minutes later, Krum disappeared, then Fleur later still.

"This is just like the second task. We can't see anything," Harry whispered to Draco.

"Stop complaining and watch."

Harry shrugged. Whether he complained or not, he was sure he would be bored. He caught sight of Dumbledore looking around expectantly and withheld a smirk. If Dumbledore thought something extraordinary was going to happen, he was going to sorely disappointed.

Albus Dumbledore sighed in frustration. He was so certain Voldemort was going to make his move, yet thirty minutes have gone. Forty-five minutes, still nothing. An hour... another ten minutes...

Cedric suddenly appeared in the grass, the Triwizard Cup in his hands.

The Hufflepuffs cheered. Amos Diggory ran down to hug his son, Cho Chang following close behind. She kissed Cedric enthusiastically as Amos thumped him on the back.

Fleur and Krum were brought out. They didn't look too unhappy they have lost. In fact, Krum gave Cedric a short nod. Fleur was clapping for her fellow champion, her white teeth gleaming.

"Looks like Diggory isn't just pretty looks," Pansy said.

"He's the Hogwarts champion," Tracey reprimanded her. "At least try to be supportive."

The champions went to get cleaned up, while the rest of the schools headed for the Great Hall, still chattering among themselves.

"So two-thirds of the Triwizard Tournament happened out of sight of the audience and we're still talking about how exciting it was."

Harry set the jar of scar ointment into the box in front of him and turned to grab another.

"I mean, I'm happy for the Hufflepuffs, but do they have to crowd the hallways so damn much?" Harry went on. "They're taking you way too much space."

"Like you take up an entire couch in the common room?" Severus said dryly.

"I do not take up an entire couch!" Harry protested.

"Right, it's you and that little snake of yours," Severus retorted.

"That little snake of mine gave you that delightful nickname, Sevvie. And don't you forget it," Harry said sternly, wagging a finger at him.

Severus groaned. Even an Obliviate wouldn't be enough to make him forget that wretched nickname.

"You know, now that you're a Marauder, you should really have a nickname to reflect it. Let's see, you like potions. We can call you Smells."

Severus shuddered.

"No?" Harry scratched his head. "How about Batty?" he suggested, looking at his cloak.

"You and your shitty names for things," Severus muttered. He clapped a hand over his face when he realized what he said. "Great, Remus is rubbing off on me."

Harry's eyes had gone very wide. "I am so telling Remus and Sirius this."

Severus shot him a scorching glare.

Harry raised his hands defensively. "Fine, I won't tell them. Promise." He turned his attention to a jar of burn-healing paste. 'Eugh, this reeks. What do you think, Azure?'

The snake flicked her tongue out and recoiled. 'Bleh.'

'Bleh is right.' Harry closed the jar and put it away.

A knocking at the door made him look up.

Madam Pomfrey was poking her head in. "Good morning, Severus. Mr. Potter." She nodded at Harry, unsurprised to see him there. Harry was a lot better at not landing himself in the hospital wing like everyone else around him, which saved her time.

"Good morning," Harry replied. Azure waved with her tail.

"Do you need something?" Severus asked.

"Yes. I'm afraid I've run out of the burn paste. Mr. Diggory still hasn't fully recovered from the skrewts."

"You're in luck. I just made some," Severus said, gesturing for Harry to retrieve it.

Harry grabbed the jar he had been showing Azure and handed it to Madam Pomfrey. "Are there any other potions you want me to sort through?" he asked Severus.

Severus shook his head. "No, thank you."

"Great. I'm gonna go find Draco." Harry scooped Azure up and exited the lab. "Severus said shitty," he told Madam Pomfrey, who openly gaped at Severus for several seconds as Harry made his escape.

Harry kept his promise and didn't tell Remus of Severus swearing. Madam Pomfrey had not, so it was she who passed the word to Remus. Severus hid in his quarters for the rest of the day, ignoring Remus when he came knocking on his door gushing about how proud he was.

The rest of the term seemed to fly by. Cedric could barely get around without students clamoring for his attention. Harry would spot him hand in hand with Cho, who was positively beaming.

"They're a good couple," Tracey remarked, squeezing past a group of Hufflepuffs as she entered the Great Hall. "Honestly, I think Hufflepuff deserves the House Cup this year. They've earned it."

Harry nodded in agreement. This year, Ravenclaw was in the lead and Slytherin was second. Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were a close third and fourth respectively.

Draco took a seat on Harry's other side. "My father isn't happy with Dumbledore," he told him in a low voice. "He didn't say what exactly, just to wait until the Leaving Feast."

"That explains his face," Harry said. Dumbledore looked grave, meaning it was more than the fact that Gryffindor didn't win again.

When everyone was situated, Dumbledore stood.

"The end of another year. I have much to say to you all, but first..."

His gaze swept around the Great Hall. The excitement about Cedric winning the tournament had died down at the serious tone. A few students looked skeptical, as if they didn't want to listen but were too curious not to.

"I know you are all curious as why I have been at the Ministry for the past few weeks. The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this, but Lord Voldemort is back."

Cries of denial and fear rang throughout the tables.

"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."

Bloody hypocrite, Harry thought with a scowl.

Dumbledore turned toward the Slytherin table. "There is somebody else who must be mentioned in the connection with Voldemort's return," he went on. "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."

Several eyes flicked toward the aforementioned wizard and back to the headmaster.

"Harry Potter's name came out of the Goblet of Fire," Dumbledore continued. "I have reason to believe it is the works of Voldemort and that he was very lucky to have been pulled out." Here, he turned and nodded at Remus, who didn't react other than a slight clenching of the jaw that went unnoticed by all except Severus.

Harry's face was neutral, but inwardly, he was seething. Of course the headmaster felt obligated to mention him. It wasn't like he had planned for it to happen, albeit in a different way.

Once Dumbledore was finished delivering his speech, the students began eating. The jubilant mood that had lasted all month was gone.

The train ride home was slightly tense. Draco looked like he was itching to speak, but he had enough sense not to with others around. Harry put up wards around the compartment just as he broke.

"What was that all about?"

"I thought Voldemort was dead," Pansy said. "You said so yourself, didn't you, Harry? Tom and Sirius saw him die."

"He is," Harry said. "He called me up to his office after the third task. Said he believed Voldemort was building his power back undercover."

"So he's not actually back?" Draco asked hopefully.

"No," Harry replied firmly, and they both relaxed. "I'm probably gonna have to talk to Rita about making a public statement to tell them I am not connected with Dumbledore."

"That would be good," Pansy began, only to stop as Tracey opened the compartment door.

"All right, Harry, what's going on?"

"I— what?" Harry blinked at her.

"You know what I'm talking about. You three have been very secretive lately, and I can guarantee it's related to You-Know-Who. Well?" Tracey prompted when she didn't get an answer. "You can tell me, you know? I won't blab to anyone."

Harry sighed. "All right, Trace. You might want to sit down. There's a lot to discuss."

Tracey gave him a wary look but complied. Thirty minutes later, her gray eyes had widened until they looked like they were about to pop out of her skull. She blinked rapidly, trying to think of something to say.

Harry waited patiently, watching her open and close her mouth wordlessly.

At last, she finally spoke. "That was the Dark Lord I was talking to at the Quidditch Cup?"

"It was," Pansy said.

Tracey turned to her. "You knew. Of course you did." She sat back, rubbing her eyes. "I need a Calming Draught."

"Sorry, don't have one on me," Harry said. "Anything else you want to say?"

"I want to meet him. Properly, I mean."

Harry stared at her. "Really?"

She shrugged. "Why not? If I'm joining your... anti-Dumbles team, I should know who else is involved, right?"

"That's true," Harry said thoughtfully. "Well, then. Welcome to the anti-Dumbles team, Tracey Davis!"

"I still think that name sucks," Tracey deadpanned.

Eventually, the train slowed at King's Cross. Harry was quick to get off, eager to escape the staring and whispering.

He caught sight of Sirius and ran to embrace him. "Hey, Padfoot."

"Harry." Sirius looked at Tracey. "And you must be the lovely Tracey Davis Harry has been seeing?" Sirius teased.

Tracey shot him a look. "And you must be the stinky mutt that made Professor Lupin late to class more than once."

"That's me," Sirius said, puffing his chest out proudly.

Tracey slowly nodded and turned back to Harry. "I better get going."

"Okay. Remember to write to me, okay?"

"Yeah. Just don't be disappointed when it's not a declaration of my undying love for you," she said.

"Darn. I already had my response ready to return your undying love for me."

"Just give it to your boyfriend." She grabbed her trunk and made her way over to her own parents.

"She seems all right," Sirius commented, watching her.

"She would make a pretty good Marauder," Harry said.

Sirius' eyes lit up. "When's her birthday?"

"February 18th."

"Dammit, that's months away." Sirius brightened up. "At least I got time."

"I'd advise you not to prank her. She can get quite vicious," Harry warned as he grabbed onto Sirius' arm. There was the familiar sensation of being stretched through a tube and they were standing in front of Black Manor.

Tom was standing right outside the manor as they walked up. "Harry!" he yelled as if he hadn't seen him in years.

"He's been driving the rest of us nuts all day waiting for your return," Sirius told Harry.

Harry chuckled. He could just picture Tom running around in a frenzy, not an ounce of Slytherin decorum in place. He went to say hi, like any person would do normally, but Tom grabbed him and kissed him passionately. The trunk thudded to the ground loudly, and Azure, who had been lying on top of it, yelped and fell off.

Sirius sighed. "I'll be inside," he said and left so he wouldn't be a third wheel. Azure followed him, grumbling about... something. Severus had yet to attempt to make a potion to understand Parseltongue.

Harry pulled away before they could get too far. "Hello to you, too," he said breathlessly. "Miss me?"

"Yes." The word was practically hissed out as Tom stared at him with such intensity Harry was surprised he didn't melt under it.

"You do realize we should probably head inside, right?"

Tom rolled his eyes. "Fine." He grabbed the trunk and opened the door.

"Finally!" Barty exclaimed. "I was getting fed up with Tom asking every two minutes when you were arriving."

"I was not asking every two minutes!" Tom protested.

Barty tilted his head and gave him a stern look.

"Okay, so I'm eager to see my boyfriend in person. Is that a crime now?" Tom said, crossing his arms like a petulant child.

"It is when I can't think," Barty shot back.

Harry intertwined his fingers with Tom's. "Hey, cheer up. I'm here now. Now let's get to the bedroom. Not like that!" he added, not even needing to look to know Sirius was wiggling his eyebrows.

Harry and Tom made it to their room. Harry immediately flopped face first onto the bed. "Oh, how I missed you."

"Are you talking to the bed or me?" Tom said.

"The bed, obviously," Harry teased.

Tom made an affronted noise. "Wow."

Harry sat up. "Don't you start getting jealous of a bed, Tomalongadingdong. I miss you, too."

"Damn right you do." Tom sat down next to him and brought him into another chaste kiss.

"Possessive git," Harry muttered, leaning into his body.

"So how did the great Albus Dumbledore react when Voldemort never showed up?" Tom asked, sneering at the thought of the headmaster.

Harry snickered. "He was surprised," he replied. "But then he decided Voldemort must be working in secret. Wouldn't want the world to know he's back, would he?" he added sarcastically.

Tom tilted his head. "Anything else?"

"Not yet," Harry said stonily. "Enough about Dumbledore for right now. I'm back, you're here, we're together again."

"Sounds good to me."

"Tracey knows about you now," Harry said after a few minutes.

"How did she react?"

"Pretty well, all things considering. She wants to meet you properly. Probably threaten you so you don't hurt me."

"Oh, boy." During their talks through the mirror, Tom had gotten a fairly good understanding of many of the students in Harry's year. Tracey had seemed like just the kind of person who could make even someone like Severus look tame if she put her mind to it.

'Tom!' Azure came slithering in through the doggy door Harry had not noticed until now.

"How long has that been there?" Harry asked.

"Since March, so not that long," Tom replied. "Nagini was constantly coming in, and Bellatrix had the idea of making that."

"Neat," Harry remarked.

As they were speaking, Azure had come up and was now sitting between them. 'So how are my second and third favorite Slytherins?'

'Second and third?' Harry and Tom said.

'Tracey is my first,' Azure said.

'I feel betrayed,' Harry muttered.

If Azure could, she would have shrugged. 'And?'

"If it makes you feel any better," Tom said, "you'll always be my first."

"You sap." Harry leaned back into his side.

He was home again. And Dumbledore was going to eat his words.

My only regret with this story is making it Tomarry, but I'm not stopping now (but I doubt you will be seeing any other full-length Tomarry stories here in the future)

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There's actually a combination of reasons as to why this fic isn't my favorite, not just the ship. That being said, I don't hate the story as a whole, I just... like it less than some of my others.