The same but different

Chapter 17 Underwater

Once term started and classes resumed, things finally started to return to normal - as close to normal as Harry ever got at Hogwarts these days. The student body seemed to have realised that he and Cedric were a fairly ordinary, boring couple; and he'd long ago given up caring about what the tabloids had to say. Cedric's Hufflepuff friends had welcomed Harry into the fold, and it was becoming increasingly common to see the sixth year Hufflepuff in the Gryffindor common room, comfortable at Harry's side.

With a whole month and a bit left before the second task, Harry and Cedric were able to turn their attention to other concerns - horcruxes, and the welfare of the school.

Cedric, with his love of organisation and his bone-deep desire for everyone to be happy in whatever way suited them best, happily threw himself into the task of preparing for the tides to turn as far as the school was concerned. He and Luna had an entire sixteen-point manifesto ready for the second Dumbledore was ousted - a matter Harry assured them he would have well in hand. Until then, it was just about the four of them bridging the gaps between houses as subtly as they could; something Neville was good at, long having been underestimated by just about everyone in the school. He now ran a Herbology study group for third and fourth years of all houses, and even had fifth years coming to him for advice, nervous about their OWLs. He was as patient a teacher as he'd always been, and seemed to thrive on it all.

A few times now, Cedric had complained quietly about Harry taking the bulk of the burden on his own shoulders; usually when he was trying to persuade Harry to put down the books and come cuddle with him for a while. But as far as Harry was concerned, he was only shouldering the parts of the burden that were his to bear - Voldemort was his heir, Slytherin was his house, and the damage to its reputation would take years of work to truly fix, but Harry was the only person who could kickstart the process. He'd learned a few things from his love over the years - he had his own bullet-point plan on how exactly to get things straightened out and on the right path. Slytherin could never be redeemed until Voldemort was dead; but nor could it be redeemed until the truth about its founder was made public knowledge. He had plans to write an exposé on Salazar Slytherin, using the journals from his chamber office as evidence, explaining the truth behind the man's methods and death. It rankled, having the entire world believe something to vehemently untrue about his past life, something with such terrible consequences.

Those were just the beginning steps of his plan, but they were enough to be getting on with. More than enough, quite honestly, which was why Harry was in a faux detention in Snape's office rather than snuggled up in the Room of Requirement with his boyfriend.

Snape's sleeve was unbuttoned, but the Dark Mark was covered; there was only so long Harry could stare at the awful tangle of dark magic before his eyes began to cross.

"I think I've got enough information about it to start figuring out the specifics," Harry declared, shutting his notebook in his lap. "Merlin, it really is terrible, isn't it? Even at half power like this... he's a monster for inflicting this on people and calling it a reward."

"One could argue we brought it upon ourselves," Snape replied stiffly. Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

"Can you honestly say that by the time you were in a position to earn the mark, if the people who had it had told you how much it hurts all the time, you could have turned around and said no?" came his flat retort. Snape said nothing. "I just have to hope that whatever Crouch is planning isn't going to happen during the second task; I don't think I can get a ritual together by then." He had a little over two weeks left now, and a rushed ritual would lead to sloppy casting, which was something Harry definitely couldn't afford at this stage.

"Crouch?" Snape asked, baffled. Harry blinked.

"Oh, I forgot to explain that part, didn't I? Professor Moody is actually Barty Crouch Junior under polyjuice. He's the one who put my name in the Goblet."