Strange Magic (REWRITE)

Chapter 7: Lead up

Ginny's POV:

In the weeks after the Weighing of the Wands ceremony but before the first trial, Harry and I continued our morning workouts. We were both getting stronger and in better shape. The Room of Requirement provided everything, both wizarding and muggle, someone would want to work out with. Though we generally started with running, we both used weights and other tools to help us get stronger. Along with our new workout regimes, We began to hang out with Victor, Fleur and Cedric. As it turned out, they were excellent company.

At first, I did not think Fleur and I would be great friends, but we got along really well. I realized just how wrong my first impressions of her were. Originally, I thought she was going to be snobbish and stuck up, but as I got to know her more I realized that we had a lot in common. We talked a lot and it was really nice to have another female friend. Growing up in a household full of boys meant that most of my friends were male.

Though the quidditch season had been cancelled, Krum ended up proposing a battle of the seekers to find the snitch. Everyone in our group agreed that it would be a fantastic idea. They planned the event for a couple weekends before the first task. The game was going to be Cedric versus Harry versus Krum; whoever got the snitch first was the winner. Other than quidditch, we all had similar interests and ended up helping each other with our homework. Though Harry couldn't help much with most of the others' homework, he was able to help with Defence on occasion.

One afternoon our group was sitting in the library working on our homework when Cedric let out a frustrated huff.

"The explanation of how to perform the charm doesn't make any sense," he muttered exasperatedly, but mostly to himself, "all it says is think positive thoughts."

"What charm?" Fleur asked while flipping through a French transfiguration book.

"Patronus," Cedric replied, "'any of you know a better way to explain it?"

"Actually, I do," Harry piped up. Everyone, apart from myself, turned astonished eyes to where Harry had a potions book propped open. He nervously scratched the back of his neck before continuing quietly, "After the whole ordeal with the dementors at school... I asked Professor Lupin to teach me. I wanted to stop hearing my mother's last words before she died."

Instantly, they understood and asked Harry for help. Harry quickly jumped into his explanation of the charm. He used what Professor Lupin taught him and imparted the knowledge to them. Cedric was very happy with the work he needed to hand in by the end of the night and Harry promised to help each of them to successfully perform the charm.

Everyone became steadily closer as friends as weeks wore on but Hermione was getting more worn out by the day. Mostly, the strain was caused by Ronald's pig-headedness. No matter what Hermione said, he refused to believe that Harry did not enter himself. Eventually, I dragged Hermione into our group hangouts. As Fleur and I saw Hermione getting more down, we decided that the three of us needed to have a girls evening.

Fleur and I left the boys to hang out for the evening while we pulled Hermione off the room of requirement. I had shown Fleur earlier in the day and we managed to get it the room to be set up as a spa. As we all walked in, Fleur grabbed the satin robes she'd stashed earlier.

We all changed into them and proceeded over to the massage chairs. That night we didn't talk about Ronald or the tournament or even homework; we were just three teenage girls indulging in a spa night. We gossiped about boys and talked about Harry and my soul bond. As it turned out, Fleur was able to sense the bond from the very first time she saw Harry and me, all of it was because of her veela powers. She also explained that Harry couldn't be affected by veela powers or love potions, the bond protected itself against any interference.

We chatted about the gross ways some of the guys had asked Fleur out. In all honesty, she was completely sick of how the boys treated her. She admitted that she didn't actually have that many female friends because of how boys acted around her. Jealousy ensued from the looks she was given by lovers and crushes. Fleur was also happy that Cedric, Harry, and Victor didn't treat her like a sex object and that she now had a group of friends that weren't going to treat terribly.

Even though Hermione was very wound up from everything, she was giggling with both of us by the time the night was coming to a close.

As time continued to pass, Harry and my relationship grew even closer. After our workouts and showers, we spent time cuddling, talking and kissing on the couch in the Room of Requirement. As we talked more, the strength of our bond grew. We both decided that we needed to do more research to figure out exactly what was going to happen with our bond. Once we verbalized that we needed more research into the bond, a thick volume appeared next us detailing soul bonds. The book stated that the bond would double the power of the bond-mates.

Though the prospect was there, Harry and I had no way test it so we made note of it and began to move on to other, more pressing matters.

Due to information from Hagrid, we figured out that the first task was dragons. As terrified as Harry and I were, we went to inform the rest of our friends. In the end, Ginny and I asked Charlie for any help he could provide.

Most of the spells that Charlie was aware of required upwards of seven people to take down a dragon, but he acknowledged that Harry was a fantastic flyer. We decided that I would grab Harry's Firebolt and take it with me down to the pitch and he would summon it to himself to fly past it.

Thankfully, by the time the first task rolled around, everyone had a method to safely get past a dragon.

N/A: I'm having Harry become better friends with the other champions. You'll see why later. Anyway, please like and comment. Hope you like the new chapter
-Sarah