Harry Potter: Don't touch

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***

The situation with Zhou had to be resolved somehow. It had been a week since Potter had been declared Hogwarts Champion, and Harry still hadn't decided to talk to her about it. Chang, on the other hand, had not been forthcoming and was clearly waiting for him to make the first move. With determination, Harry decided to approach her after Potions class, where he tried to ignore the taunts of the Slytherins and Snape.

- Hi, Zhou," Potter said hello.

- Hi, Harry," she said back in a rather friendly manner.

- So you're not mad at me?

- Maybe a little," Zhou shrugged. - Why have you been avoiding me?

- I thought you were mad at me, so I avoided you...

- I'm angry because you deliberately avoided me," Chang shook her head. - Look, Harry, I saw Skeeter's article; I don't think it's all true, but you're being a little dramatic. Yes, I don't much approve of the fact that you broke the rules in order to participate in a dangerous competition and didn't make your intentions known to me, but that's all. I'm not going to take offence, not talking to you just because you committed a rash act. Do you understand?

- Yeah, I understand, I was just a little hesitant," Potter exhaled. The problem was much easier to solve than he'd anticipated. - Then if I'm going to do anything, I'll let you know first.

- Deal! - Zhou smiled. - Well, now that we've decided, I have a question. Would you like to go to Hogsmeade together tomorrow?

- Well, of course I want to, but there's a problem with that," Harry hesitated. - We've been banned from Hogsmeade for a year because of the Tournament.

Zhou gloomed.

- 'Well, we can spend time somewhere at Hogwarts then. I know you have to prepare for the Tournament, but I think you can spare a day.

- Yeah, I could," Harry started to think about what there was to do at Hogwarts and remembered one detail. - Wait though, tomorrow is the last day I can go to Hogsmeade. Dumbledore has allowed us to visit the magical village one last time because of some Fred and George business. So the punishment doesn't start until the day after tomorrow.

- Oh, good, I was getting upset. Then meet me at Filch's post tomorrow.

- Yeah, OK.

They chatted about stuff for another ten minutes and then they went their separate ways.

* * *

- Don't forget your homework! The most important thing is to practise, but it's important to know the theory too! - Lupin tried to shout to the students leaving the room.

They didn't pay much attention to the professor's words: an hour and a half spent on unsuccessful attempts to use non-verbal spells didn't do much to make the students love the subject. Finally, almost all of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw fourth years had left the room, with only Potter and the professor remaining.

- Is something wrong, Harry? - Professor Lupin was one of the few professors who called him by his first name.

- 'Yes, something has happened, I'd like to ask for your help,' Potter said.

- 'About non-verbal spells, I assume? 'No need to worry, it's a fifth year subject and it's normal that you're failing, we're just way ahead of the school curriculum and I've decided to embark on a more challenging one. Although I expected you to do well Harry, passing your exams with an 'Excellent' does make you expect something special, but you showed us a couple of weeks ago that we didn't wait in vain.

- Actually, it's about the Tournament. I need help with my first assignment.

- What does Mr Moody think about that? Isn't that why he's here, to help?

- Well... Not exactly," I shouldn't have mentioned that Mad-Eye was here to spy on Hogwarts. - He's helping me, too, but I've decided to study extra. I'm the youngest member of the Tournament, I could use all the help I can get.

- All right, I can give you some pointers. But I don't know anything about the first challenge, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you, I don't have any favourites, and you've already got a lot of bonuses compared to the other champions... Launch Confundus into the Goblet of Fire.... I don't know of anyone other than Moody who could have thought of that.

Lupin was incredibly close to the truth. Harry tensed imperceptibly, he didn't want anyone to guess that Mad-Eye was involved; if he and Justin kept quiet for sure, Tonks was trustworthy, but how Remus Lupin, who was a DADA professor, would behave was a big question.

- If you hadn't confessed, I'd have thought it was his doing..." he continued to reason. - Okay, Harry, what do you want me to tell you? Any spells?

- I'm not exactly sure myself," Harry was glad for the change of subject. - Something about the Tournament, or preferably the first trial, I only know a rough description of some of the examples, that's all.

- Facts about the Tournament? Do you know what the largest number of people who participated in the Tournament of the Three Wizards was?

- Hmmm... Five?" suggested Harry.

- No, three. In the history of the Three Wizard Tournament, no one had ever managed to break the rules and register themselves as an additional champion.

Potter didn't know how to respond to that. Lupin seemed to be a little angry with him for breaking the rules.

- 'The first test is almost always the hardest,' the professor continued. - But it almost never contains any restrictions, now you're just given a target and you can use any methods you want. Unlike the second test, where most of the time you can pass the test in one or two ways. In order to pass the first test, you have to utilise your greatest strengths. Your strengths are your ability to fly superbly and lose points very quickly and easily.

Yes, Lupin was definitely angry. Well, yes, as a professor of defence against the dark arts, he was one of the people responsible for making sure the rules weren't broken, and if he had been patrolling the room with the Cup that night, he would have been able to catch the offenders. Potter's action might have even gotten him in trouble a little bit.

- Losing points won't help you, but flying will. You can lure a broomstick, you can try to transfigure it and cast the appropriate spells. There are many ways. However, the broom won't help you with any obstacles. That's where the Bombard of Maximus will help. If the obstacle will be magical, then it can be broken through with something strong. "Ghost Sword" will do. If the obstacle will be alive and will still fight back, then it's better not to come up with disarming and use a sleep spell. That's my advice.

- Thank you Professor Lupin, sorry for the trouble I caused.

- You'll have to excuse me, I sometimes forget that you're just a teenager who's always hanging out with Nymphadora," Remus waved his hand.

Potter walked out of the study and pulled out a magical diary along with a pen.

What do you think, Riddle?

You've made a lot of enemies with your participation in the Tournament, even among your friends. Unwise. He might not be too thrilled about your participation, but he still wants you to win.

Harry looked at the disappearing letters and after a second he wrote:

"You're right as always, Tom."

* * *

The day after the full list of fifteen champions was announced, Potter and Justin were taken out of their dual Potions class with the Clawturners to have their picture taken.

- Why do we need to be photographed? The Daily Prophet already ran an article with our pictures in it, didn't they? - Harry asked Colin, who was acting as Mr Bagman's messenger.

- I don't know," shrugged Creevey. - I was just asked to bring you in.

- Anyway, I don't mind," Finch-Fletchley remarked. - Even if we were going for torture, I'd only be glad of the opportunity to escape Potions.

Harry coughed and shook his head in disagreement.

Soon Creevey led them into a huge auditorium, from which the tables and chairs had been removed. There were the five people who must be the five Beauxbaton champions, Victor Krum, a tall black-haired guy arguing with Bagman about not allowing Familiars to be brought in for photos, a photographer, and a woman in a scarlet robe, apparently a reporter.

- Here are the Hogwarts champions, Harry, Justin, come in.

- Wait, we haven't finished talking yet! - the black haired boy said indignantly.

- Fine, bring them in, but if anyone gets hurt, count you out.

- Fine," he smiled and headed for the door.

As he passed Potter, he asked a rather unexpected question:

- Should I get vodka on you?

Justin was speechless for a moment, and Potter quickly took advantage of that by declining:

- No thanks.

The boy shrugged his shoulders and, humming "Kalinka-malinka", went out the door.

- Where are Fred and George? - Bagman paid no attention to the boy's strange behaviour.

- I'm sorry, they weren't in class, Mr Bagman," Colin lowered his head.- 'That's alright, there's no problem, Mr Creevey, some of the Durmstrang champions haven't turned up yet either. Ask Dumbledore to find these gentlemen, he is upstairs with Mr Ollivander.

Colin Creevey went up the stairs and out the door with the Headmaster, while Bagman walked over to Potter.

- How's the mood, Harry? Fighting? - And without waiting for an answer, he continued: - 'This is just a test of your wands, and after the ceremony you will be photographed. Meet Rita Skeeter," Bagman gestured at the woman in the scarlet robe. - She's doing a short piece on the Tournament for the Prophet.

- Not so small, Ludo," Rita corrected, her gaze fixed on Potter. - Couldn't we do a short interview with Harry before the ceremony? - She turned to Bagman, not taking her eyes off Harry. - The youngest champion would certainly add to the liveliness of the article.

- Actually, Harry's older than me," Justin interjected.

His remark was ignored by both Rita Skeeter and Bagman. Perhaps they knew it wasn't true, or perhaps they were both keen that Harry, as the perpetrator of the incident, should be the one to be interviewed.

- Of course! Harry, do you mind? - Bagman asked.

- 'No, I guess not,' Potter bowed his head.

- That's fine," the red claws gripped Harry's arm above the elbow with an iron grip. Potter instantly pulled away and threw Rita Skeeter an angry glare. She snorted, but didn't try again and led him into the next room.

- Well, let's get started," she closed the door and began the interview.

For fifteen minutes Harry answered the reporter's questions patiently and truthfully.

He had decided to enter the Tournament to test his strength. Yes, he is sorry for causing so much trouble, he feels guilty. Yes, he's worried, he has no idea how he'll handle the first challenge. If given the chance, he wouldn't throw his name into the Goblet of Fire. Yes, it worries him that champions have been killed before, but he hopes the Tournament will be safe, because all possible measures have been taken. He doesn't remember his parents being killed. No, his participation in the Tournament has nothing to do with that. If his parents had seen him, they must have been proud.

It wasn't until the question about the 'special girl in his life' that he got nervous and started to make up a suitable lie when his idea was immediately sussed out by Rita Skeeter.

- If you don't want to talk, don't talk, don't lie. It's your right, but I think readers would like to know the truth about your life.

- Well, there are some," Potter decided not to lie. - I don't really want to talk about it, but okay. There's this girl.

- And how did she feel about your decision to enter the Tournament?

- Hmm. Well, she didn't really approve of my decision.

- Did you two have a fight?

- You could say that.

- Okay, let's move on to the last question: How do you feel about your chances of winning the Three Wizards Tournament? You said earlier that you don't know how you'll do in the first challenge, does that mean you think you're an outsider? Who do you think the champions will take the trophy?

Harry replied that he was unsure, but that he didn't think he was inferior and that he thought he could finish in the top five, with Cedric Diggory as the favourite. That was the end of the interview. They came out of the den and just caught the moment when Dumbledore brought in Fred and George Weasley.

- All the champions are assembled, we can begin," said Bagman. - Allow me to introduce Mr Ollivander.

While checking the wands of the Durmstrang students, Harry stood closer to Fred and George.

- Where have you been? - He asked.

- Running from Filch," Fred replied.

- We got taken off fifteen points for skipping Defence Against the Dark Arts," George said.

- And twenty for painting Mrs Norris," Fred finished for him.

- 'You're incorrigible,' Potter shook his head and continued to observe the wand checking procedure. Ollivander was using some interesting spells and Harry was diligently memorising them.

After the wand checking procedure, the pictures began. And this is where the photographer had a problem. Fifteen people with a bear - yes, that dark-haired Durmstrang student had a tame bear that he was going to be photographed with - did not fit into one frame, and soon the photographer decided to divide the champions by school. As a result, many shots were taken of each school separately: Durmstrang had Victor Crum in the foreground, while Beauxbaton had Madame Maxim, and Hogwarts had Harry Potter. Not without precedent, Dumbledore took another five points off Gryffindor for George Weasley giving him 'horns'.