Harry Potter and The Girl Who Knew {year 4} (A George Weasley & Harry X Reader)

97. Disturbed and Dangerous

It was the day of the third task. To say you were nervous was an understatement. In fact, you thought you might be more nervous than Harry as you walked down to breakfast together. The Gryffindor table was even more chaotic than usual. Everyone was excited to see if Harry would win. If only they knew. Then you wouldn't be the only one dreading the day. You sat in anticipation as Hermione started to read the Daily Prophet knowing what was about to happen. But what you didn't expect was to be covered in pumpkin juice.

"Hermione!" You huffed, trying your best to wipe off the pumpkin juice she had spat all over you.

"What is it?" Ron and Harry asked at the same time.

"Nothing." She lied trying to hide the newspaper, but Ron managed to snatch it from her.

"No way." He sighed. "Not today that old cow."

"What? Rita Skeeter again?" Harry asked.

"No," Ron said now trying to hide the paper from Harry.

"It's about me, isn't it?"

"No,"

"Hey, Potter!" Draco's voice called from behind you. "Potter! How's your head? You feeling alright? Sure, you're not going to go berserk on us?"

"Let me see it," Harry demanded when he saw that Draco was also holding a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Give it here." After a moment of hesitation Ron handed Harry the paper and you leaned over reading the article.

Harry Potter 'Disturbed and Dangerous'

The boy who defeated He Who Must Not Be Named is unstable and possibly dangerous, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Alarming evidence has recently come to light about Harry Potter's strange behaviour, which casts doubts upon his suitability to compete in a demanding competition like the Triwizard Tournament, or even to attend Hogwarts school.

Potter, the Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal, regularly collapses at school, and is often heard to complain of pain in the scar on his forehead (relic of the curse with which You-Know-Who attempted to kill him). On Monday last, midway through a Divination lesson, your Daily Prophet reporter witnessed Potter storming from the class, claiming that his scar was hurting too badly to continue studying.

It is possible, say top experts at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, that Potter's brain was affected by the attack inflicted upon him by You-Know-Who, and that his insistence that the scar is still hurting is an expression of his deep-seated confusion.

"He might even be pretending," said one specialist, "this could be a plea for attention."

The Daily Prophet, however, has unearthed worrying facts about Harry Potter that Albus Dumbledore, of Hogwarts, has carefully concealed from the public.

"Potter can speak Parseltongue," reveals Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts fourth year. "There were a lot of attacks on students a couple of years ago, and most people thought Potter was behind them after they saw him lose his temper at a Duelling Club and set a snake on another boy. It was all hushed up, though. But he's made friends with and werewolves and giants, too. We think he'd do anything for a bit of power."

Parseltongue, the ability to converse with snakes, has long been considered a Dark Art. Indeed, the most famous Parselmouth of our times is none other than You-Know-Who himself. A member of the Dark Force Defence League, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that he would regard any wizard who could speak Parseltongue "as worthy of investigation. Personally, I would be highly suspicious of anybody who could converse with snakes, as serpents are often used in the worst kinds of Dark Magic and are historically associated with evil-doers." Similarly, "anyone who seeks out the company of such vicious creatures as werewolves and giants would appear to have a fondness for violence".

Albus Dumbledore should surely consider whether a boy such as this should be allowed to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Some fear that Potter might resort to the Dark Arts in his desperation to win the Tournament, the third task of which takes place this evening.

"Gone off me a bit, hasn't she?" Harry said as he casually folded the newspaper. He was acting so calm that you couldn't tell how it had affected him.

"How did she know your scar hurt in Divination?" Ron queried.

"Yeah," You added. "There was no way she could've heard-"

"The window was open. I opened it to breath."

"You were at the top of the north tower." Hermione stressed. "Your voice couldn't have carried all the way down to the grounds."

"Well, you're the one who is supposed to be researching magical methods of bugging! You tell me how she did it!"

"I've been trying! But I... I..." Hermione's expression suddenly changed as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked extremely perplexed by her change in behaviour.

"Yes." She huffed; you honestly don't think you'd seen her that happy before. She started to act like she was talking to her hand for a moment. You knew that she was figuring out what Rita was doing. But she looked very peculiar as she did. Harry and Ron weren't as lucky as you to actually know what her process was. So, they exchanged concerned looks with one another. It took everything in you not to laugh. "I've had an idea. I think I know... because then no one would be able to see... even Moody... and she'd be able to get onto the window ledge... but she's not allowed... she's definitely not allowed... I think we've got her! Just give me two seconds in the library, just to make sure!" Grabbing her bag Hermione ran out of the hall.

"Oi! We've got our History of Magic exam in ten minutes!" Ron yelled after her. "Blimey, she must really hate that Skeeter woman to risk missing the start of an exam."

"I love how she's letting us take some credit. I have no idea what she was on about."

"Me neither." Harry chuckled.

"What're you going to do in Binns class? Read again?" Ron asked Harry since as a champion he didn't have to do the exams.

"S'pose so."

"I can go with you. I've got a free now." You suggested.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Harry said before McGonagall strode over to you.

"Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast."

"But the task's not 'til tonight!" Harry panic dropping his scrambled eggs down himself.

"I'm aware of that, Potter. The champion's families are invited to watch the final task, you know. This is simply a chance to greet them." She explained before walking away.

"She doesn't expect the Dursleys to come, does she?" Harry asked as you handed him a napkin to tidy himself up.

"Dunno," Ron said. "I'd better hurry, I'm going to be late for Binns. See you two later."

"Yeah, good luck, Ron!" You called as he left. "Are you alright?" You asked him once he had finished his breakfast, staring into space.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Harry sighed.

"No, you're not. Do you want to just go to the library? We could do some more hex revision. Better safe than sorry." You told him knowing full well that the Weasley's were waiting for him.

"Yeah, thanks, (Y/n)."

"Hey, what am I here for?" You said before the two of you walked out of the Hall together. But as you did Cedric poked his head out of the door to the chamber the champions were in.

"Come on, Harry, they're waiting for you!" he told Harry who looked at you confused for a moment.

"Do you want me to come too?" You asked but Harry didn't answer. He took your hand and walked you into the chamber where Mrs. Weasley and Bill were waiting for him.