Natsu Dragneel and the Goblet of Fire

Padfoot Returns

One of the best things about the aftermath of the second task was that everybody was very keen to hear details of what had happened down in the lake, which meant that Lucy was getting to share Natsu's limelight for once.

Natsu noticed that Juvia's version of events changed subtly with every retelling. At first, she gave what seemed to be the truth; it tallied with Lucy's story, anyway - Master Makarov had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in Porlyusica's office, first assuring them that they would be quite safe, and would awake when they were back above the water.

One week later, however, Juvia was telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which she struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who had to beat her into submission before tying her up.

"But Juvia had her wand hidden up her sleeve," she assured Gajeel. "Juvia could've taken those merpeople any time she wanted."

"What were you going to do, snore at them?" said Lucy waspishly. People had been teasing her so much about being the thing that Natsu Dragneel would most miss that she was in a rather tetchy mood.

Juvia's checks went red, and thereafter, she reverted to the bewitched sleep version of events.

As they entered March the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces every time they went out onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because the owls kept being blown off course. The brown owl that Natsu had sent to Weiss with the dates of the Hogsmeade weekend turned up at breakfast on Friday morning with half its feathers sticking up the wrong way; Natsu had no sooner torn off Weiss' reply than it took flight, clearly afraid it was going to be sent outside again.

Sirius's letter was almost as short as the previous one.

Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can.

"He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?" said Gray incredulously.

"It looks like it, doesn't it?" said Lucy.

"I can't believe him," said Natsu tensely, "if he's caught..."

"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?" said Gray. "And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore."

Natsu folded up the letter, thinking. If he was honest with himself, he really wanted to see Weiss again. He therefore approached the final lesson of the afternoon - double Potions - feeling considerably more cheerful than he usually did when descending the steps to the dungeons.

Minerva, Orga, and Rufus were standing in a huddle outside the classroom door with Evergreen's gang of Slytherin girls. All of them were looking at something Natsu couldn't see and sniggering heartily. Minerva's tanned face peered excitedly around Orga's broad back as Natsu, Gray, and Lucy approached.

"There they are, there they are!" she giggled, and the knot of Slytherins broke apart. Natsu saw that Minerva had a magazine in her hands - Witch Weekly. "Witch Weekly, what could be in that?"

The moving picture on the front showed a blonde wizard who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with his wand.

"You might find something to interest you in there, Lucy!" Minerva said loudly, and she threw the magazine at Lucy, who caught it, looking startled. At that moment, the dungeon door opened, and Redfox beckoned them all inside.

Lucy, Natsu, and Gray headed for a table at the back of the dungeon as usual. Once Redfox had turned his back on them to write up the ingredients of todays potion on the blackboard, Lucy hastily rifled through the magazine under the desk. At last, in the center pages, Lucy found what they were looking for.