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Harry…
I can't say everything I would like to in a letter； it's too risky
in case the owl is intercepted…we need to talk face…to…face。 Can you ensure that you are alone by the fire in Gryffindor Tower at one o'clock in the morning on the 22nd ofNovember？
I know better than anyone that you can look after yourself and while you're around Dumbledore and Moody I don't think anyone will be able to hurt you。 However； someone seems to be having a good try。 Entering you in that tournament would have been very risky； especially right under Dumbkdore's nose。
Be on the watch； Harry。 I still want to hear about anything unusual。 Let me know about the 22nd ofNovember as quickly as you can。
Sirius
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THE HUNGARIAN HORNTAIL
The prospect of talking face…to…face with Sirius was all that sustained Harry over the next fortnight； the only bright spot on a horizon that had never looked darker。 The shock of finding himself school champion had worn off slightly now； and the fear of what was facing him had started to sink in。 The first task was drawing steadily nearer； he felt as though it were crouching ahead of him hike some horrific monster； barring his path。 He had never suffered nerves like these； they were way beyond anything he had experienced before a Quidditch match； not even his last one against Slytherin； which had decided who would win the Quidditch Cup。 Harry was finding it hard to think about the future at all； he felt as though his whole life had been heading up to； and would finish with； the first task。
Admittedly； he didn't see how Sirius was going to make him feel any better about having to perform an unknown piece of difficult and dangerous magic in front of hundreds of people； but the mere sight of a friendly face would be something at the moment。 Harry wrote back to Sirius saying that he would be beside the mon room fire at the time Sirius had suggested； and he and Hermione spent a long time going over plans for forcing any stragglers out of the mon room on the night in question。 If the worst came to the worst； they were going to drop a bag of Dungbombs； but they hoped they wouldn't have to resort to that…Filch would skin them alive。
In the meantime； life became even worse for Harry within the confines of the castle； for Rita Skeeter had published her piece about the Triwizard Tournament； and it had turned out to be not so much a report on the tournament as a highly colored life story of Harry。 Much of the front page had been given over to a picture of Harry； the article （continuing on pages two； six； and seven） had been all about Harry； the names of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions （misspelled） had been squashed into the last line of the article； and Cedric hadn't been mentioned at all。
The article had appeared ten days ago； and Harry still got a sick； burning feeling of shame in his stomach every time he thought about it。 Rita Skeeter had reported him saying an awful lot of things that he couldn't remember ever saying in his life； let alone in that broom cupboard。
I suppose I get my strength from my parents。 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。。。
But Rita Skeeter had gone even further than transforming his 〃er's〃 into long； sickly sentences： She had interviewed other people about him too。
Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts。 His close friend； Colin Creevey； says that Harry is rarely seen out of the pany of one Hermione Granger； a stunningly pretty Muggle…born girl who； like Harry； is one of the top students in the school。
From the moment the article had appeared； Harry had had to endure people…Slytherins； mainly…quoting it at him as he passed and making sneering ments。
〃Want a hanky； Potter； in case you start crying in Transfiguration？〃
〃Since when have you been one of the top students in the school； Potter？ Or is this a school you and Longbottom have set up together？〃
〃Hey…Harry！〃
〃Yeah； that's right！〃 Harry found himself shouting as he wheeled around in the corridor； having had just about enough。 〃I've just been crying my eyes out over my dead mum； and I'm just off to do a bit more。。。
〃No…it was just…you dropped your quill。〃
It was Cho。 Harry felt the color rising in his face。
〃Oh…right…sorry；〃 he muttered； taking the quill back。
〃Er。。。 good luck on Tuesday；〃 she said。 〃I really hope you do well。〃
Which left Harry feeling extremely stupid。
Hermione had e in for her fair share of unpleasantness too； but she hadn't yet started yelling at innocent bystanders； in fact； Harry was full of admiration for the way she was handling the situation。
〃Stunningly pretty？ Her？〃 Pansy Parkinson had shrieked the first time she had e face…to…face with Hermione after Rita's article had appeared。 〃What was she judging against…a chipmunk？〃
〃Ignore it；〃 Hermione said in a dignified voice； holding her head in the air and stalking past the sniggering Slytherin girls as though she couldn't hear them。 〃Just ignore it； Harry。〃
But Harry couldn't ignore it。 Ron hadn't spoken to him at all since he had told him about Snape's detentions。 Harry had half hoped they would make things up during the two hours they were forced to pickle rats' brains in Snape's dungeon； but that had been the day Rita's article had appeared； which seemed to have confirmed Ron's belief that Harry was really enjoying all the attention。
Hermione was furious with the pair of them； she went from one to the other； trying to force them to talk to each other； but Harry was adamant： He would talk to Ron again only if Ron admitted that Harry hadn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire and apologized for calling him a liar。
〃I didn't start this；〃 Harry said stubbornly。 〃It's his problem。〃
〃You miss him！〃 Hermione said impatiently。 〃And I know he misses you…〃
〃Miss him？〃 said Harry。 〃I don't miss him。。。
But this was a downright lie。 Harry liked Hermione very much； but she just wasn't the same as Ron。 There was much hess laughter and a lot more hanging around in the library when Hermione was your best friend。 Harry still hadn't mastered Summoning Charms； he seemed to have developed something of a block about them； and Hermione insisted that learning the theory would help。 They consequently spent a lot of time poring over books during their lunchtimes。
Viktor Krum was in the library an awful lot too； and Harry wondered what he was up to。 Was he studying； or was he looking for things to help him through the first task？ Hermione often plained about Krum being there…not that he ever bothered them…but because groups of giggling girls often turned up to spy on him from behind bookshelves； and Hermione found the noise distracting。
〃He's not even good…looking！〃 she muttered angrily； glaring at Krum's sharp profile。 〃They only like him because he's famous！ They wouldn't look twice at him if he couldn't do that WonkyFaint thing…〃
〃Wronski Feint；〃 said Harry； through gritted teeth。 Quite apart from liking to get Quidditc