Braedey and Harry's popularity has continued to grow after the second task, as winter turned into Spring, the temperature now rising onward. Some of the Durnstrang students were now thinking that the grandson of Gellert wasn't as evil as they first thought.
It was all thanks to a new article in the Daily Prophet. After Rita's supposed retirement, they immediately sent a replacement by the name of Nathan Quinn, a young man who wears glasses, which earned him the nickname of 'Q.'
~*~*~
One day, Q sat down with Braedey and asked him about Rita's antics. Braedey had an answer for that. "Well, Q, Rita was single-handedly trying to destroy what the TriWizard Tournament actually stands for. It more than just friendly competition, it's about establishing bonds and cooperation in the magical community between schools. It's why the Triwizard Tournament was created, to bring us closer together."
Q smiled a little. "Exactly, and how have you adapted to taking part, despite it wasn't you who put your name in the Goblet?"
"Well, it's a rush for staters. You have to know what you're facing against in the first two tasks. Dragons being the first, and creatures of the deep secondly. Plus, you get to see what the other champions have to bring to the table." Braedey answered.
And clearing things up with the whole relationship mess?" Q asked as he writes this down.
"Well, Rita had drugged Hermione with love potion, and tried to break Alex's heart. It took the effort of Professor Snape to reverse the effects of the potion." Braedey then paused. "Rita was also an unregistered Animagus with the form of a beetle, which could explain how she got the stories and then put her own twist on it."
"Well, Rita was desperate for attention, hence her urge to get the big stories." Q said as he stands up, and the two shake hands. "Thanks for your time."
"With pleasure." Braedey smiled as he then left.
~*~*~
7TH APRIL 2015
And it didn't stop there; now, every champion now had something about them, and even commented on Braedey. Even Krum as Braedey reade an article during the Easter holidays with Percy and Annabeth.
"It says here. 'When I first saw Braedey, I first thought he was like his grandfather. But as I start to hear things not just about him, but the deeds he has performed, I actually wrong about him. Braedey maybe the best thing to ever come to Hogwarts. He cares about others before himself, he's determined, and can perform magic I've never imagined'." Percy told Braedey.
"Well, what did I tell ya? Good press wins people over, and that's what I'm doing." Braedey indicated himself.
"See, Krum isn't so bad after all." Annabeth pointed out. "So you coming to the party tonight?"
"I'm sorry, what?" Braedey was confused. "Party?"
"Dude, even since Hufflepuff do these battle of the bands like every other weekend, could explain why nearly all of them are hungover the next day." Percy explained to him. "Well, Thorton likes parties, it's what we do back at Ilvermorny. You should come."
"Uh oh, the Bulgarian is coming." Annabeth suddenly spoke as Krum approached them. He was on his own without anyone with him.
"Give us some space, please." Braedey uttered as he turned to face Krum. "You sure have guts to show up here. Are we going to sort this out like men?"
"I did not come here to fight, I came here to talk." Krum puts his hands up, showing he was unarmed.
"Well, you've got ten words. Ten words." Braedey now closed the distance as his face now shows a bit of anger. "To you tell me why Viktor Krum, a Durnstrang student and a Grindelwald hater would want to talk to me in private? Choose your words carefully."
Viktor looked at the American hybrid like he had lost it. "Karkaroff told us about Grindelwald, his daughter."
"Keep talking."
"Karkaroff didn't care about all the good Naomi did; all he wanted was to teach others to use that anger and hatred to one who started the war in the 1940s." Krum explained to Braedey. "Then you came along, and changed everything."
"I did, for both the better and the worst." Braedey goes ahead to lean his back on a pillar.
"But I guess Karkaroff was wrong about you. You're nothing like your grandfather." Krum said.
"Someone once told me once that we can forge our own paths and destinies, not follow in our parents' footsteps." Braedey stated. "Despite what my grandfather has done, I intend to fix all of what he has done, forge forth a brighter future, not just for us, but for the No-Majs as well. No more fear, no more hiding, no more working from with the darkness of the shadows. It's what Merlin would want."
"Merlin?" Krum narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"I'm his descendant, Krum. That's the one thing Rita never knew. I like to keep it that way, that was before she... uh... died." Braedey looked at Viktor.
Viktor's eyes widen in shock. "She's dead?! How?!"
"Accidental death. Fell off a balcony." Braedey revealed to him.
~*~*~
18TH JANUARY 2015
Professor McGonagall was working in her office with music playing in the background. The music was so loud, she failed to notice Rita Skeeter falling from the balcony.
Rita lands on the ground, dead. Debby turns Gabrielle away from the body as the three Slytherins yell out in shock.
~*~*~
"Well, at least she's dead. I'll clear things up with the Daily Prophet." Braedey added.
Krum was quite surprised how Rita went out in a fall of glory. "And, uh, nice job in the second task. Guess bigger is better." He then walks off, leaving Braedey in the courtyard.
"Well, that's nice to see how rivalries is wrapping up." Braedey said to himself as he then heads off.
~*~*~
8TH APRIL 2015
One night, Braedey was making his way up to Dumbledore's office to speak to him about what could possibly lies ahead for him after his possible departure from Hogwarts. However, when he got up there, he found Harry instead who pulled his head away from a pensive in the corner of the office.
"Harry, what the heck are you doing?" Braedey walked over.
"Dumbledore said, and I quote; do feel free to indulge in a little Licorice Snap in his absence." Harry told his friend. "Then I spotted this, and I saw something. A memory, I don't know."
Braedey crossed his arms. "A memory? What kind of memory?" He questioned.
Harry thought for a few seconds. "Uh... some kind of trial. Dumbledore was there, so was Moody.... and Karkaroff was giving out names.... that was also the same day that his son was captured.... Barty Crouch Jr."
"Barty Crouch, Jr.... yes. There's no other man insane than him." Braedey said to Harry, cupping his chin in thought. "Sent off to Azkaban after he and others had tortured Alice and Frank Longbottom with the Cruciatus Curse, driving the couple into insanity."
"But why would Dumbledore want me to look into his memories?" Harry questioned.
"Dumbledore must've missed something that only we could see, something that's hiding in plain sight. All the terrible things that's happened so far this term. Did.... Moody do anything out of the ordinary?" Braedey's mind starts to spin like the cogs of a machine.
"Uh, he did the thing with the tongue...." Harry tried to mimic what Moody did before Barty Crouch's death.
"Wait a nanosecond. No...." Braedey's eyes widened in shock and realisation "Moody isn't the real one. He's really Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise!" Braedey clapped his hands together. "He must've been the one who put our names in the Goblet of Fire, mixed up the Dragons, thinking you were going to face the Romanian Demonskull, then killed his father before he was exposed. That would mean that he's escaped from Azkaban!"
"How did you figure it out?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Even Crouch Jr. would be dumb enough to expose his calling card: the tongue thing. I saw him do that while he was disguised as Moody, which means he's using Polyjuice Potion." Braedey now explained to Harry. "We can't bust him yet; we have to wait till he does something... something evil, then catch him red-handed."
"Like a predator?"
"Exactly like a predator, Harry." Braedey nodded his head. "Come on, then. We've got a party to get to."
Harry started to follow him in confusion. "A party?"
"Yeah, turns out the headmaster of Ilvermorny is a bit of a party person. C'mon, we don't wanna be late." Theo|Y/N starts jogging over to Ravenclaw Tower with Harry behind him.
~*~*~
The venue for the party was on the Hogwarts grounds, not far from the castle, over at the Ilvermorny coaches with a big bonfire already set up and lit when Braedey and Harry got there.
"Whoa, your Ilvermorny friends definitely know how to party." Harry uttered in awe.
"Yeah." Braedey nodded his head as the two walk amongst the students who were partying. "What can I say? We Americans do know how to party. Should help us get our minds off what's been happening to us."
Joe then spotted the two. "Ho, ho, you made it." He and Braedey share a hug. "Looking real smooth here, bro. Nice job in the second task, you know with the Mosasaur."
"That was advanced sorcery transfiguration, unlike where you have one Animagus form. The most experienced sorcerers can turn into creatures or other people, and mimic their voice." Braedey now explained as Kevin leads him and Harry.
"So, you can turn into Draco, or your grandfather, and mimic their voice?" Harry asked in wonder.
"Yeah." Braedey nodded.
"Brilliant! You just get better and better everyday." Harry reacted. "I really want to be a sorcerer one day."
"Same here, Harry. C'mon, there's someone who so wants to meet you." Kevin said as he now brought the two boys to a Mexican-American girl with black hair with strands of dark brown, dark brown eyes.
She spotted Kevin and smiled. "Kev." She hugged Kevin before noticing Harry and Braedey. "Who are they?"
"Ah, sorry. Braedey, Harry, this is Jessica Romero. Great singer in my opinion. Third year Wampus. Jess, this is Braedey Grindelwald Martin, and Harry Potter, my new friends." Kevin introduced the boys to the girl.
Jessica's eyes widen when she saw the two iconic boys. "OMG!! You're the Harry Potter and the Braedey Grindelwald!!" She immediately hugged both boys before slapping them on the shoulder. "How could you not tell me you nearly died against the those dragons!" She then hugs them again. "Oh, I'm so glad you're okay."
Harry looked at Kevin. "Is she always like this?"
"That's what happens when you're her friend." Kevin smiled a little.
"C'mon, you're missing all the fun." Jessica then drags Harry and Braedey over to where everyone was dancing. "I hear you're interested in our school, Braedey."
"Yeah, even since T'Challa told me. I'm kinda excited. Besides, it's my Mom and Uncle's old stomping grounds." Braedey told Jessica.
"No way.... you know it'll be awesome if you're sorted into Wampus house." Jessica said to the boys. "The sorting ceremony kinda involves statues." Jessica nodded.
"Statues?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. The student has to step onto a Gordian Knot in the centre of the Entrance Hall with the four statues of Horned Serpent, Wampus, Thunderbird and Pukwudgie. The carved statues then react if they want that student in their house." Jessica explained to him.
"That's something very different. We have the sorting hat. Besides... let's PARTY!!!!" Braedey yelled out as Isabelle then starts playing music, whether it was from Katy Perry, Gym Class Heroes, Backstreet Boys, Michael Jackson, Midnight Oil, KISS, INXS, Bon Jovi, and many others.
As Braedey and Jessica sing, everyone starts dancing, letting loose and having fun. Cedric was dancing with Cho, while Fred and George do a robot dance. Jasmine and Hermione join Miley and Demi as Harry tries his best with Ginny, having the time of her life. Even the Beauxbatons and Durnstrang students including Krum join in on all the fun.
Everyone started cheering at Braedey and Jessica as the two share a high five and a hug, confirming their friendship. Harry, Hermione, Ron join in with the applause, as Draco stares over at Hermione.
Ever since what Brenda did to him, Draco was now seeing the issues and errors of his ways for the last four years. He just wanted to make his father proud. But now, Draco was now having second thoughts on his mind, unbeknownst to his Slytherin friends.
That's when Draco made a decision that'll change the rest of his life; he was going fix everything he has done, and since Braedey's ADHD was getting much worse, help him figure out what his third side was, and fast.
Because the second Wizarding War was coming, not only will be bigger and destructive, but it would change both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds forever.
~*~*~
A/N: With a new reporter in to replace Rita, things are looking up for Braedey as Viktor no longer sees him as an enemy, Braedey and Harry both figure out the true identity of Alastor Moody, and go to a Ilvermorny party.