Natsu Dragneel and the Goblet of Fire

The Beginning

When he looked back, even a month later, Natsu found he had only scattered memories of the next few days. It was as though he had been through too much to take in any more. The recollections he did have were very painful. The worst, perhaps, was the meeting with the Mikazuchis that took place the following morning.

They did not blame him for what had happened; on the contrary, all three thanked him for returning Simon's body to them. Mr. Mikazuchi sobbed through most of the interview. Mrs. Mikazuchi's grief seemed to be beyond tears.

"He suffered very little then," she said, when Natsu had told her how Simon had died. "And after all, Amos... he died just when he'd won the tournament. He must have been happy." When they got to their feet, she looked down at Natsu and said, "You look after yourself, now."

Natsu seized the sack of gold on the bedside table.

"You take this," he muttered to her. "It should've been Simon's, he got there first, you take it -"

But she backed away from him.

"Oh no, it's yours, dear, I couldn't... you keep it."

Natsu returned to Gryffindor Tower the following evening.

"Who killed him?" Asked Kagura on the way up to the Gryffindor tower.

"God Serena. He faked his death and blamed his crimes on my godfather, Weisslogia Eucliffe." Natsu said just as bluntly.

"I kill him."

From what Lucy and Gray told him, Master Makarov had spoken to the school that morning at breakfast. He had merely requested that they leave Natsu alone, that nobody ask him questions or badger him to tell the story of what had happened in the maze. Most people, he noticed, were skirting him in the corridors, avoiding his eyes. Some whispered behind their hands as he passed. He guessed that many of them had believed Jason Skeeter's article about how disturbed and possibly dangerous he was. Perhaps they were formulating their own theories about how Simon had died. He found he didn't care very much. He liked it best when he was with Gray and Lucy and they were talking about other things, or else letting him sit in silence while they played chess.

He felt as though all three of them had reached an understanding they didn't need to put into words; that each was waiting for some sign, some word, of what was going on outside Hogwarts - and that it was useless to speculate about what might be coming until they knew anything for certain. The only time they touched upon the subject was when Gray told Natsu about a meeting Mrs. Milkovich had had with Master Makarov before going home.

"She went to ask him if you could come straight to us this summer," he said. "But he wants you to go back to the Dragneels, at least at first."

"Why?" said Natsu.

"She said Master Makarov's got his reasons," said Gray, shaking his head darkly. "I suppose we've got to trust him, haven't we?"

The only person apart from Gray and Lucy that Natsu felt able to talk to was Gildarts. As there was no longer a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, they had those lessons free. They used the one on Thursday afternoon to go down and visit Gildarts in his cabin. It was a bright and sunny day; Fang bounded out of the open door as they approached, barking and wagging his tail madly.

"Who's that?" called Gildarts, coming to the door. "Natsu!"

He strode out to meet them, pulled Natsu into a one-armed hug, ruffled his hair, and said, "Good ter see yeh, mate. Good ter see yeh."