Harry Potter :Diamond Heart

There are loads of rumours flying around the Ministry and Bill says that he heard one of the auror captains talking about Barty Crouch's son being found dead in the campsite.' Harry gave him a questioning look. It might explain why Mr Crouch had resigned, but Ron made it sound like a great deal more than that.

'He was a Death Eater, Harry,' Hermione explained. 'Ron never explains anything properly. He was supposed to have died in Azkaban ages ago.'

A horrible chill settled down Harry's spine. The mad, dark wizard he had unleashed the ash basilisk on suddenly seemed very prominent in his mind. 'What else happened?'

At least he deserved it, a small voice pointed out. Harry had technically killed before, Professor Quirrell had died quite literally by his hands, but he'd been too young to really understand what he had done then. That was not the case now. He'd done something so wrong it made him feel slightly sick, despite the nature of his victim.

'Not much,' Hermione answered. 'We were all so worried about you. Mrs Weasley went around every healing point trying to find you.'

'Yeah,' Ron added, 'and then some gorgeous Bulgarian girl came out of the camp carrying you in her arms. It might have been worth being injured just to be in her arms.' His eyes went slightly hazy at the memory until Hermione elbowed him in the stomach.

'It's not funny, Ron. That was a veela, they're not just pretty faces you know.'

'They're gorgeous, though,' Harry noted absentmindedly, only to receive Hermione's elbow himself.

'So, when does term start?' It seemed unwise to continue their current conversation. He either might give something away about the wizard he'd killed, or be on the receiving end of Hermione's elbows, which he realised, rubbing his ribs, were rather sharp.

'Today, Harry,' she told him.

'Where is everyone, then?'

'It's only ten, mate' Ron added helpfully, 'still another hour or so before anyone arrives. You need to speak to Dumbledore about what happened. He asked us to tell you when you were awake.'

'I need to change as well,' Harry reminded them.

'You're in school robes.' Hermione looked at him oddly.

'I transfigured my hospital gown,' he explained. 'I don't know how long it will last.'

'That's quite advanced transfiguration, Harry,' Hermione beamed at him. 'I only read about doing that last year.'

'Headmaster first, then,' he decided and detoured towards the gargoyle.

'Sugar quills,' Hermione commanded the gargoyle and they made their way up to Dumbledore's office.

'Ah, Harry,' the old headmaster smiled after he opened the door. 'Come and have a seat. Are you feeling better?'

'Much better, sir.'

'I was beginning to fear you might not wake up in time for the school year and end up missing classes,' the headmaster nodded. The portraits around him appeared to be largely uninterested in their conversation, but Fawkes was peering at him curiously.

I'm sure Snape would've been gutted if I'd missed potions, Harry thought, trying hard to keep a smile from his face.

'Do you remember what happened?' Dumbledore asked hesitantly. 'I don't want you to feel I'm forcing you to think about anything unpleasant, some quite atrocious things were done to the muggle owners of the site.'

'Actually I don't remember much at all, sir,' Harry admitted. 'We tried to run out of the camp into the woods, but something hit me and I blacked out. As you know I was found afterwards and brought here.'

The old headmaster ran a hand through his famous, silver beard. 'At least you don't remember anything terrible then,' he smiled. 'You're too young to have to live with such things.'

'Professor Dumbledore?' Harry began carefully. 'Is it true about Barty Crouch's son? I heard he was found in the camp.'

'Unfortunately it does seem to be the case, though I recommend you keep this information to yourselves. It could cause great panic if everyone suddenly starts to think Azkaban can't keep hold of its prisoners.'

'We will, professor,' Hermione answered enthusiastically.

'You had best go and prepare for the welcoming feast, Harry,' Professor Dumbledore suggested gently, eyes twinkling. 'Those transfigured robes, while impressive, may not last for the whole meal.'

'I was going to, sir.'

'Very well then. Try and stay out of trouble this year, Harry. There will be unfamiliar faces around us soon.'

'Of course there will unfamiliar faces,' Ron blurted the moment the gargoyle closed. 'The first years will be here, they come every year.'

'I doubt he means the first years, Ron,' Hermione laughed. 'It's probably something to do with whatever Mr Crouch was organising. He mentioned being at Hogwarts to Percy at the World Cup.'

The Gryffindor common room was empty when they arrived, but somebody had pinned the schedules of the students to the board for each dormitory. Someone whom both Harry and Ron thought deserved a good hexing since the moment Hermione had seen them she had instantly flown into a rant about Ron's options. Care of Magical Creatures and Divination were apparently easy options and not what should he be taking if he wanted to do well after his OWLs.

Harry had managed to quietly change while Hermione was berating Ron, but he was not subtle enough to remove his schedule without her noticing. Her gaze snapped to him in a birdlike motion uncomfortably similar to his dream and she all but tugged the paper from him to read it herself.

He frowned. It was all very well to be interested, but there were boundaries that should be respected. Harry would never snatch anything out of hands if she hadn't already decided to let him read it.

'Fourth year Ancient Runes and Arithmancy,' Hermione read aloud. 'How did you get into the classes without doing the third year exams?' That seemed her only exception to his schedule for which Harry was quite grateful.

'Why did you take those?' Ron asked, horrorstruck. 'Divination and Magical Creatures are easy OWLs. You've gone and done a Hermione, mate.'

'If by that you mean he's made an intelligent decision about his future then you are quite right, Ron.' It looked like she wanted to say a great deal more, but instead she waved Harry's schedule at him. 'You might be really far behind in your electives, Harry,' she warned. 'It's good you want to try, but I don't know if you'll able to manage everything.'

'I'm sure,' Harry replied, doing his best to conceal his annoyance, 'that I'll be fine.'

He would be more than fine. Ancient Runes was easy enough until it came to the longer essays. He had had to improve his handwriting considerably over the summer so that the difference between some of the more similar glyphs was clearer, but using them and knowing their meanings was simple enough. Arithmancy wasn't too tricky either; it was merely maths applied to magic. He had chosen them because they were useful and because neither subject would require foot after foot of essays every week.

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