(Get yourself comfy for a very longggg chapter lmao)
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𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 session of Double Potions, Marina arrived with Pavarti and Lavender at the Great Hall at lunch. Ready to devour some scrumptious dishes. But as they sat down at the Gryffindor table, they saw the Hufflepuffs eye them dirtily.

"I thought this tournament was meant to bring everyone together, not apart." sighed Lavender.

As the three arrived in the courtyard, they sat down on a bench peacefully with their schoolbooks open. Without realizing Malfoy's gang were sitting in the three nearby.

"How wonderful, Weaselette and her little friends are studying like good girls!" Malfoy laughed in the tree.

Pavarti sighed. "Leave us alone Malfoy. You can flirt with Marina some other time."

Marina dropped her book. "FLIRT?! ARE YOU TWO MAD?"

"Malfoy, were not in the mood to deal with you right now," added Lavender.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Please! Like I would flirt with Weaselette! If I was flirting, we would already be together." bragged Malfoy.

"Wow...so impressive that your a player." Marina scoffed. The three Gryffindors (and the rest of Gryffindor) seemed to be in a bad mood since everyone hadn't been so kind to them that Harry was a second Hogwarts champion, and Cedric wasn't the only champion.

"I choose the ones I prefer carefully. Don't I boys?" Malfoy said. Crabbe and Goyle nodded.

"Why are you telling us you prat?" Marina spat.

"I'd just thought I'd let you know darling."

Marina gagged.

Pavarti smacked her forehead. "This is too much for me."

Suddenly, Harry and Hermione's walked by.

"Y'know Potter. I've made a bet with my father. He's saying your not going to last ten minutes. I don't think your going to last five." laughed Malfoy.

Harry approached Malfoy gripping his wand. Marina was honestly surprised. She had never seen him so angry before.

"I don't give a damn about what you think Malfoy!" screamed Harry.

"Like the badges, Potter?" said Malfoy loudly. "And this isn't all they do – look!"

Marina looked at the Sytherlins' chest to see a green badge that said;

SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY! THE REAL
HOGWARTS CHAMPION!

Draco pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green:
The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges too, until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry's face on the badge.

"Oh very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone, "really witty."

"Go fuck yourself Malfoy!" Marina shouted.

"Want one, Weaselette, I thought you would like one. And what about Granger?" said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."

"Harry!" Hermione said warningly.

"Go on, then, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now – do it, if you've got the guts –"

For a split second, they looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted.

"Furnunculus!" Harry yelled.

"Densaugeo!" screamed Malfoy.

Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles – Harry's hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione.

Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up – Hermione, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth.

"Hermione!" Ron and Marina shouted in sync.

Ron and Marina had hurried forward to see what was wrong with her; Ron removed Hermione's hand from her face.

"Is she alright Marina? I'm going to tell Madam Pomfrey!" Pavarti said.

It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth – already larger than average – were now growing at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, toward her chin – panic- stricken, she felt them and let out a terrified cry.

Marina chuckled nervously. "So uh Granger, you like Spice Girl's new song Wannabe?"

"My teeth Marina! I look so hideous!" Hermione cried quietly as she hugged Marina.

"Don't be stupid. Your still beautiful as always, in and out. Malfoy is a prat anyway." Marina said.

"Forget the teeth! I'm so ugly anyway!" mumbled Hermione.

"Oh shut up. I would give anyway to have those kind of volume. And you look so pretty when you smile too. Sometimes I even see Ronald blush when you do." Marina replied. Making Hermione smile.

"And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice.

Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said,

"Explain."

"Potter attacked me, sir –"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted. "– and he hit Goyle – look –"

Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi.

"Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said next to Harry. "Look!"

Marina told Hermione to show Snape her teeth – she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back.

Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference."

Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight.

It was lucky, perhaps, that both Harry and Ron started shouting at Snape at the same time; lucky their voices echoed so much in the stone corridor, for in the confused din, it was impossible for him to hear exactly what they were calling him. He got the gist, however.

"Let's see," he said, in his silkiest voice. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."

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𝐀𝐍 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐑 about the Triwizard Tournament champions was published soon by Rita Skeeter, but almost two thirds of the paper was just describing Harry and his sorrow life. It was almost impossible to imagine Harold The Dense saying such things. So Marina just couldn't help but cackle at the newspaper as Pavarti read it to her and Lavender during breakfast.

"I suppose I get my strength from my parents, says Mr. Harry Potter, I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now... Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it... I know nothing will hurt me during the tournament, because they're watching over me..." Pavarti read in almost a scoffing voice.

"Why would anyone admit to themselves about crying in the night?!" shrieked Lavender as she cut her fried egg.

"This is too funny!" cackled Marina.

"I'm not even going to tell you off anymore." giggled Lavender as Marina sipped on some juice.

"Wait hear this!" Pavarti added. "Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of Hermione J. Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school."

"How is he one of the top students in our school? Ron told me Harry was failing potions miserably last term." Lavender said.

Marina chocked on her juice from hearing the words "Love" and "Granger". Pavarti patted her back.

"Hermione?! Are you joking?!" Marina shrieked.

"Don't be jealous Marina." teased Pavarti. Making Labender giggle.

Marina gasped. "Jealous? Please! I've got so much better things to do than sulk over him!"

"He and Hermione aren't not in love anyway, have you seen the way she looks at Ron?" Pavarti said.

After Pavarti and Lavender's teasing, (which she wasn't too annoyed with, only because it was Lav and Pav) Marina had almost recognized Cedric's voice as Pavarti's somehow as she walked in the corridor.

"Hey – Marina!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Marina found herself shouting as she wheeled around in the corridor, having had just about enough. "I've just been crying my eyes out over Harold, and I'm just off to do a bit more..."

"No – it was just – you dropped your quill." Laughed a male voice.

It was Cedric.

"Oh – right – sorry," Marina mumbled as he handed her the quill.

"Are you actually sulking over him? Because I really don't believe you of all people would do that." smiled Cedric.

"No of course not. My friends are just teasing me. You nervous for Tuesday?" Marina replied.

Cedric nodded. "Loads. Some Hufflepuffs are a bit mad since im a sixth year, and they think it's cheating. But I turned seventeen last week so...I think I'm rambling aren't I? Mum says I do that a lot. Anyways, are you cheering me on too?"

"You want me to cheer you on?" Marina asked, turning slightly pink. This was unusual for her.

"Of course. I'd be quite happy if you did." Cedric said.

"Well then I your #1 fan now." Marina smiled. Making Cedric giggle slightly.

"They're so cute! I'm starting to ship Cedrina!" whispered Lavender from behind the corridor doors.

"What's a ship? You mean a boat?" Pavarti mumbled.

"No...I'll tell you later. Quiet they will hear us!"

"I should go. I'll see you soon." Cedric said.

Marina couldn't help but smile for the next hour. Cedric Diggory wanted her to cheer him on.

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𝐀𝐓 𝐋𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐇, Marina sat with Cedric for majority of the time, with Fred and George giving him dirty looks. But she didn't care. Cedric was so kind and gentleman-like towards her. And none of his friends left Marina out of the conversation. He wasn't too serious or annoyingly funny. No wonder people liked him so much.

As Marina joined the Gryffindor table again, she joined a excited Pav and Lav, along with Hermione and Harry.

"Stunningly pretty? What is she judging against – a chipmunk?" Pansy laughed from the Sytherlin table, rendering to Skeeter's article.

"Says the girl whose are eyes are farther apart than heaven and hell." Marina loudly shouted. Making everyone snigger.

"Thanks Marina. But I've got this. Ignore it," Hermione said in a dignified voice, "Just ignore it."

Hermione then started to discuss Harry and Ron, who were both fighting like girls on reality tv with each other.

"I didn't start this," Harry said stubbornly. "It's his problem."

"You miss him!" Hermione said impatiently.

"And he misses you –" Marina added.

"Miss him?" said Harry. "I don't miss him..."

But this was a downright lie. Even Marina knew that.

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐅𝐄𝐖 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒, Pavarti and Lavender were extremely busy as they had volunteered to prepare with the first task, and had to prepare for the divination club meetings.

So Marina was currently spending quite a lot of time with Cedric (as the two were friends now) and Hermione and Harry.

And today she was helping Hermione solve Harry and Ron's friendship since she as well was tired of being Ron's therapist.

On the Saturday before the first task, all students in the third year and above were permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade. Hermione and Marina told Harry that it would do him good to get away from the castle for a bit, and Harry didn't need much persuasion.

"What about Ron, though?" Harry said. "Don't you two want to go with him?"

"Oh... well..." Hermione went slightly pink. "We thought we might meet up with him in the Three Broomsticks "

"No," said Harry flatly.

"Ylnow what?! I'm done being his goddamn therapist! Do you know how many times I've heard the words Harry and tournament during our talks?! " Marina screamed.

"Fine. I'll come, but I'm not meeting Ron, and I'm wearing my Invisibility Cloak." Harry sighed.

"Oh all right then,' Hermione snapped, "but I hate talking to you in that Cloak, I never know if I'm looking at you or not."

So Harry put on his Invisibility Cloak in the dormitory, went back downstairs, and together Harry, Marina, Hermione set off for Hogsmeade.

"People keep looking at me now," said Hermione grumpily as they came out of Honeydukes Sweetshop later, eating large cream-filled chocolates. "They think I'm your lover or something."

Marina couldn't help but gag at the thought. "Ew."

"Jealous are we Marina?" Harry teased.

"Oh shut up." Marina scoffed.

"Come on, please just take off your Cloak for a bit, no one's going to bother you here." Hermione pleaded.

"Oh yeah?" said Harry. "Look behind you."

Rita Skeeter and her photographer friend had just emerged from the Three Broomsticks pub. Talking in low voices, they passed right by Hermione without looking at her. Harry backed into the wall of Honeydukes to stop Rita Skeeter from hitting him with her crocodile-skin handbag.

"She's got a wonderful taste in fashion doesn't she?" Marina said looking at Skeeter's eagle-fur boots.

When they were gone, Harry said, "She's staying in the village. I bet she's coming to watch the first task."

"She's gone," said Hermione, "Why don't we go and have a butterbeer in the Three Broom- sticks, it's a bit cold, isn't it? You don't have to talk to Ron!" she added irritably, correctly interpreting his silence.

The Three Broomsticks was packed, mainly with Hogwarts students enjoying their free afternoon, but also with a variety of magical people Marina rarely saw anywhere else. Marina supposed that as Hogsmeade was the only all-wizard village in Britain, it was a bit of a haven for creatures like hags, who were not as adept as wizards at disguising themselves.

Marina sat down at a table with Harry.

Hermione joined them a moment later, handing Marina a butter beer, and slipped Harry a butterbeer under his Cloak.

"This is stupid. I'm going to get Ron." Marina mumbled.

"Don't. I look like such an idiot," Hermione muttered. "Lucky I brought something to do."

Hermione pulled out a notebook in which she had been keeping a record of S.P.E.W. members. Harry saw his and Ron's names at the top of the very short list. It seemed a long time ago that they had sat making up those predictions together, and Hermione had turned up and appointed them secretary and treasurer.

"You know, maybe I should try and get some of the villagers involved in S.P.E.W.," Hermione said thoughtfully, looking around the pub.

Marina had given up on SPEW since she had interviewed the kitchen elves (with Minnie's permission), and they were all laughing and smiling as she observed them.

"Yeah, right," said Harry. He took a swig of butterbeer under his Cloak. "Hermione, when are you going to give up on this spew stuff?"

"When house-elves have decent wages and working conditions!" she hissed back. "You know, I'm starting to think it's time for more direct action. I wonder how you get into the school kitchens?"

"No idea, ask Fred and George," said Harry.

Hermione lapsed into thoughtful silence, while Harry and Marina drank their butterbeer, watching the people in the pub.

All of them looked cheerful and relaxed. Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott were swapping Chocolate Frog cards at a nearby table, both of them sporting Support Cedric Diggory! badges on their cloaks. Right over by the door, Cho and a large group of her Ravenclaw friends entered. Making Marina roll her eyes.

"Look, it's Hagrid!" said Hermione.

The back of Hagrid's enormous shaggy head – he had mercifully abandoned his bunches – emerged over the crowd. Marina wondered why she hadn't spotted him at once, as Hagrid was so large, but standing up carefully, she saw that Hagrid had been leaning low, talking to Professor Moody.

Hagrid had his usual enormous tankard in front of him, but Moody was drinking from his hip flask. Madam Rosmerta, the pretty landlady, didn't seem to think much of this; she was looking askance at Moody as she collected glasses from tables around them.

Perhaps she thought it was an insult to her mulled mead, but Marina knew better. Moody had told them all during their last Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson that he preferred to prepare his own food and drink at all times, as it was so easy for Dark wizards to poison an unattended cup.

"All right, Hermione? Marina?" said Hagrid loudly.

"Hello," said Hermione, smiling back.

"Afternoon." Marina added.

Moody limped around the table and bent down; Marina thought he was reading the S.P.E.W. notebook, until he muttered, "Nice Cloak, Potter."

Marina chocked on her butterbeer. "What the fu—"

The large chunk missing from Moody's nose was particularly obvious at a few inches' distance. Moody grinned.

"Can your eye – I mean, can you –?"

"Yeah, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks," Moody said quietly. "And it's come in useful at times, I can tell you."

Hagrid was beaming down at Harry too. Harry knew Hagrid couldn't see him, but Moody had obviously told Hagrid he was there.

Hagrid now bent down on the pretext of reading the S.P.E.W. notebook as well, and said in a whisper so low that only Harry  and Marina could hear it. 

" Harry, Marina, meet me tonight at midnight at me cabin. Wear that Cloak."

"Why not me?" Hermione asked.

" 'Cause I thought Marina would want ter see it, she likes creatures." Hagrid added.

Straightening up, Hagrid said loudly. "Nice ter see yeh, Hermione," winked, and departed.

Moody followed him.

Why does Hagrid want us to meet him at midnight?" Harry said, very surprised.

"Creatures? Maybe it's for the tournament." Marina shrugged.

"Does he?" said Hermione, looking startled. "I wonder what he's up to? I don't know whether you should go, Harry..." She looked nervously around and hissed, "It might make you late for Sirius."

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒 were very dark. Harry and Marina walked down the lawn toward the lights shining in Hagrid's cabin. The inside of the enormous Beauxbatons carriage was also lit up; they could hear Madame Maxime talking inside it as he knocked on Hagrid's front door.

"What's Maxine doing here?" Marina whispered.

"You should come closer. They might see you." Harry said, as the two were under his cloak.

"I'd rather drink dragons piss."

"You there, Harry? Is Marina with you?" Hagrid whispered, opening the door and looking around.

"Yeah, we're here." said Harry, slipping inside the cabin and pulling the Cloak down off their heads. "What's up?"

"Got summat ter show yeh," said Hagrid.

There was an air of enormous excitement about Hagrid. He was wearing a flower that resembled an oversized artichoke in his buttonhole. It looked as though he had abandoned the use of axle grease, but he had certainly attempted to comb his hair – Harry could see the comb's broken teeth tangled in it.

"You look handsome Hagrid..." Marina smiled kindly.

"Thanks. Thought I'd look nice today." Hagrid said.

"What're you showing us?" Harry said warily.

"Come with me, keep quiet, an' keep yerself covered with that Cloak," said Hagrid. "We won' take Fang, he won' like it..."

"Listen, Hagrid, we can't stay long." Harry whispered.

"Why?" Marina said like a child.

"Because I've got to be back up at the castle by one o'clock –"

But Hagrid wasn't listening; he was opening the cabin door and striding off into the night. They hurried to follow and found, to his great surprise, that Hagrid was leading him to the Beauxbatons carriage.

"Hagrid, what –?"

"Shhh!" said Hagrid, and he knocked three times on the door bearing the crossed golden wands.

Madame Maxime opened it. She was wearing a silk shawl wrapped around her massive shoulders. She smiled when she saw Hagrid.

"Ah, 'Agrid it is time?"

"Agrid!" Marina cackled, Harry laughed quietly too.

"Bong-sewer," said Hagrid, beaming at her, and holding out a hand to help her down the golden steps.

Madame Maxime closed the door behind her, Hagrid offered her his arm, and they set off around the edge of the paddock containing Madame Maxime's giant winged horses, with them, bewildered, running to keep up with them. Had Hagrid wanted to show him Madame Maxime? He could see her any old time he wanted... she wasn't exactly hard to miss...

But it seemed that Madame Maxime was in for the same treat as Harry, because after a while she said playfully, "Wair is it you are taking me, 'Agrid?"

"Yeh'll enjoy this," said Hagrid gruffly, "worth seein', trust me. On'y – don' go tellin' anyone I showed yeh, right? Yeh're not s'posed ter know."

"Of course not," said Madame Maxime, fluttering her long black eyelashes.

But then – when they had walked so far around the perimeter of the forest that the castle and the lake were out of sight – Harry heard something. Men were shouting up ahead... then came a deafening, earsplitting roar...

Hagrid led Madame Maxime around a clump of trees and came to a halt. Marina hurried up alongside them – for a split second, she he was seeing bonfires, and men darting around them – and then her mouth fell open.

Dragons.

She honestly wanted to cry at seeing these creatures.

Four fully grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons were rearing onto their hind legs inside an enclosure fenced with thick planks of wood, roaring and snorting – torrents of fire were shooting into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks. There was a silvery-blue one with long, pointed horns, snapping and snarling at the wizards on the ground; a smooth-scaled green one, which was writhing and stamping with all its might; a red one with an odd fringe of fine gold spikes around its face, which was shooting mushroom-shaped fire clouds into the air; and a gigantic black one, more lizard-like than the others, which was nearest to them.

At least thirty wizards, seven or eight to each dragon, were attempting to control them, pulling on the chains connected to heavy leather straps around their necks and legs. Mesmerized, they looked up, high above them, and saw the eyes of the black dragon, with vertical pupils like a cat's, bulging with either fear or rage, he couldn't tell which... It was making a horrible noise, a yowling, screeching scream...

"Keep back there, Hagrid!" yelled a wizard near the fence, straining on the chain he was holding. "They can shoot fire at a range of twenty feet, you know! I've seen this Horntail do forty!"

"Is'n' it beautiful?" said Hagrid softly.

"It's no good!" yelled another wizard. "Stunning Spells, on the count of three!"

Marina saw each of the dragon keepers pull out their wand.

"Stupefy!" they shouted in unison, and the Stunning Spells shot into the darkness like fiery rockets, bursting in showers of stars on the dragons' scaly hides –

Marina watched the dragon nearest to them teeter dangerously on its back legs; its jaws stretched wide in a silent howl; its nostrils were suddenly devoid of flame, though still smoking – then, very slowly, it fell. Several tons of sinewy, scaly-black dragon hit the ground with a thud that Harry could have sworn made the trees behind him quake.

The dragon keepers lowered their wands and walked forward to their fallen charges, each of which was the size of a small hill. They hurried to tighten the chains and fasten them securely to iron pegs, which they forced deep into the ground with their wands.

"Wan' a closer look?" Hagrid asked Madame Maxime excitedly.

The pair of them moved right up to the fence, and they followed. The wizard who had warned Hagrid not to come any closer turned, and Marina realized who it was: Charlie.

"All right, Hagrid?" he panted, coming over to talk. "They should be okay now – we put them out with a Sleeping Draught on the way here, thought it might be better for them to wake up in the dark and the quiet – but, like you saw, they weren't happy, not happy at all –"

"What breeds you got here, Charlie?" said Hagrid, gazing at the closest dragon, the black one, with something close to reverence. Its eyes were still just open.

"This is a Hungarian Horntail," said Charlie. "There's a Common Welsh Green over there, the smaller one – a Swedish Short-Snout, that blue-gray – and a Chinese Fireball, that's the red."

Charlie looked around; Madame Maxime was strolling away around the edge of the enclosure, gazing at the Stunned dragons.

"I didn't know you were bringing her, Hagrid," Charlie said, frowning. "The champions aren't supposed to know what's coming – she's bound to tell her student, isn't she?"

"Jus' thought she'd like ter see 'em," shrugged Hagrid, still gazing, enraptured, at the dragons.

"Really romantic date, Hagrid," said Charlie, shaking his head.

"Four..." said Hagrid, "so it's one fer each o' the champions, is it? What've they gotta do – fight 'em?"

"Just get past them, I think," said Charlie. "We'll be on hand if it gets nasty, Extinguishing Spells at the ready. They wanted nesting mothers, I don't know why... but I tell you this, I don't envy the one who gets the Horntail. Vicious thing. Its back end's as dangerous as its front, look."

Charlie pointed toward the Horntail's tail, with long, bronze- colored spikes protruding along it every few inches.

Five of Charlie's fellow keepers staggered up to the Horntail at that moment, carrying a clutch of huge granite-gray eggs between them in a blanket. They placed them carefully at the Horntail's side. Marina couldn't help but want to go over there and talk to her brother.

"I've got them counted, Hagrid," said Charlie sternly. Then he said, "How's Harry?"

"Fine," said Hagrid. He was still gazing at the eggs.

"Just hope he's still fine after he's faced this lot," said Charlie grimly, looking out over the dragons' enclosure. "I didn't dare tell Mum what he's got to do for the first task; she's already having kittens about him..."

Charlie imitated his mother's anxious voice. "'How could they let him enter that tournament, he's much too young! I thought they were all safe, I thought there was going to be an age limit!' She was in floods after that Daily Prophet article about him. 'He still cries about his parents! Oh bless him, I never knew!'"

Marina help but cackle so hard she had to lean on Harry.

Making the boy who lived go bright red.