Chapter 140: End of the Year

"Hey! Long time no see." Chris said smiling at Rita Skeeter, who was practically trembling looking at Dames.

"You... you..." Rita Skeeter was looking back and forth between Chris and Dames. She wasn't able to produce another word out of her mouth.

"Yes? Me what?" Chris asked stepping forward.

"You're... crazy." Rita Skeeter said with a trembling voice and tried to run away.

"Don't or I'll ask him to perform a kiss on you. Do you want that?" Hearing Chris, Rita Skeeter stopped dead in her tracks.

"What do you sense Dames?" Chris asked to Dames.

"Fear. A scared soul." Dames replied.

"Oh really?" Chris chuckled and crossed Rita Skeeter and came in front of her. "So Miss Skeeter, that's how you listened every private conversations of people? That's not a good thing, is it?"

Rita Skeeter screwed up her face in anger but Dames presence scared her even more. It was funny to watch her right now. Chris felt like laughing.

"What.... do you... want?" Rita Skeeter asked.

"Hmm... let me think. The things you've did to me... to my friends... and others... you deserve to go Azkaban." Chris said and Rita Skeeter shivered. "However... I'm impressed with your Animagus form so I've a offer for you."

"So you're not going to tell.... the Ministry... about me?" Rita Skeeter smirked. "Though I don't think the Minister will agree with you."

"You know why you're not feeling cold and sad in the presence of a Dementor?" Chris said with a cold glare. "Because of me. So stop being over smart if you don't want to remember the saddest moments in your life."

The smirk vanished from Rita Skeeter's face.

"Good. So as I was saying... I've a offer for you. I'll not tell anyone in the Ministry about you being a illegal Animagus... but in return you've to work for me." Chris said.

"What work?"

"Nothing new. Do what you've done till now. Spy on people." Chris gave a cheeky grin. "But for me." Rita Skeeter looked angry and uninterested so Chris added, "or my personal Dementor here will kiss you the moment you leave Hogwarts grounds."

Rita Skeeter clenched her fist tightly. Dames floated towards her.

"I sense anger and hate. She can mean harm to you." Dames said. "Give orders to protect you, my Queen."

Rita Skeeter stepped back from Dames and grabbed Chris's arm. "I agree. I agree.. just keep that creature away from me." She shivered.

"I still sense disloyalty." Dames pointed out.

"You can't blackmail someone and expect her to be loyal at that same moment." Rita Skeeter snapped.

"Good point. Dames stay back." Chris said. "But remember Rita, the moment you decided to betray me you'll be doomed in every way. I don't forgive people who betray me. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Rita Skeeter said hurriedly. "Now can I go?"

"Your first job is to spy inside the Ministry. Anything interesting... out of ordinary... you're going to inform me." Chris ordered.

"Alright." Rita nodded.

"You can go." As soon as the words left Chris's mouth Rita Skeeter transform into beetle and skipped away. Chris laughed.

"You're feeling happy, my Queen!" Dames said.

"Yeah a little." Chris replied grinning. _____________________________

"Why didn't you tell us about this before?" Ginny pouts angrily as Chris finished telling them about the Graveyard, Crouch, Malgino and the founders dreams. "I thought you're secretive but this much?" She said to Chris.

"Why don't you trust us, Chris? I thought we're best friends." Colin said sadly.

"Hey it's not like that. I do trust you guys a lot." Chris protested. "I just.... thought... I didn't even know back then what they mean, honestly I still don't know clearly. Dumbledore does but he isn't going to tell me right now."

"And you thought why confuse us with this things which you don't know about." Luna said putting a hand around Chris's shoulder. "I understand."

Chris smiles, feeling greatful. Ginny pouts again.

"Fine. We do." She said without smiling. "But no more secrets. Is that clear?"

"Absolutely." Chris hugged Luna and Ginny.

"Hey what am I?" Colin gave a wounded expression.

The girls laughed and pulled him into a group hug.

"You know.. you all are the coolest friends I've ever asked for." Colin grinned.

"Me to." Luna giggled.

"Me to." Ginny said.

"Yeah sometimes I feel we're cooler than Harry, Ron and Hermione." Chris said chuckling.

"True." Ginny, Luna and Colin said in unison.

As the days passed people were whispering around Chris, Harry and Cedric a lot. Cedric told them lots people think Harry and Chris did something to Cedric, which he clearly denied but they knew who were spreading those rumours; Slytherins.

"Er... Jason, I haven't told you one thing, yet." Chris said tracing the lines on Jason's palm with her fingers. "What?" He asked.

They were sitting under the tree near the lake, their usual place. Chris's head was resting on his shoulder. It was a day before the term ends.

"I saw Mr Nott there." Chris whispered, Jason went stiff a little. Chris hurriedly added, "I mean I wasn't very surprised to see Mr Malfoy there. He's creepy like his son but Theodore seemed nice."

"Because.. He's nice." Jason tried to sound casual. "Theodore didn't talk much about it but he have issues with his father. They didn't get along after his mother's death."

"Oh!" Chris said.

Jason didn't say anything, Chris felt he was waiting for something more. Finally he asked, "anything else?"

"No why?" "Umm... nothing." He shrugged.

Then after five or six minitues of silence, "Have... have.. they mentioned... my... dad?" He asked.

Chris jerked up her head to look at him. "You said he wasn't a..."

"I know he wasn't... my mom believes he wasn't... but I just wanted to be sure." He sighed rubbing his forehead. "I mean I was so small when he died. I don't remember him that much... I didn't know him... so.. just to be sure..."

"In that case, no.. Voldemort didn't mentioned your father." Chris replied putting her head back on his shoulder. "I think he should've if your father was a death eater."

Hearing those words Jason's body relaxed. Chris wasn't sure if what she said was true; Voldemort did mention many death eaters who died in his service. But she didn't want to break Jason's heart. At present it really didn't matter who his father was, the only thing matters to Chris was Jason was different from most of the Slytherins and he cared about her. And she liked him a lot.

At the Leaving feast, the decorations were slightly unusual. Every year this day the winner of the Inter-House Championship got their decorations up but this year the hall were flashing Red and Yellow... lion and badger together. They were changing colours among them.

"Who won?" Ginny asked as they sat with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Cedric smiled at Chris from the Hufflepuff table. Chris smiled back.

"No idea." Harry shrugged.

"Stop being so grumpy, will you?" Chris snapped. Harry was behaving like this for a long time. Chris knew the looks around him, Rita Skeeter's last article and new rumors bothered him a lot but it's not like someone died.

"You're not in this alone, Harry." Ginny added softly.

"You weren't..." Harry started but then shut his mouth and shrugged. Chris rolled her eyes and focused on the teachers table. The real Mad-Eye Moody was at the staff table now, his wooden leg and his magical eye back in place. He was extremely twitchy, jumping every time someone spoke to him. Chris couldn't blame him; Moody's fear of attack was bound to have been increased by his ten-month imprisonment in his own trunk. Professor Karkaroff's chair was empty. Madame Maxime was still there. She was sitting next to Hagrid. They were talking quietly together. Further along the table, sitting next to Professor McGonagall, was Snape.

At that moment Professor Dumbledore stood up at the staff table. The Great Hall, which in any case had been less noisy than it usually was at the Leaving Feast, became very quiet.

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"The end," said Dumbledore, looking around at them all, "of another year." He looked around the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff table. "There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight," said Dumbledore, "but first I would like to tell you all that three of our students.. great students I'll say, have shown unbelievable courage and bravery. Today's celebration is because of them. They've shown that a Hufflepuff can be braver than a Gryffindor..." Dumbledore looked at Cedric at the Hufflepuff table. "A Gryffindor can be loyal like a Hufflepuff..." He looked at Harry. "Determined like a Slytherin and wise like a Ravenclaw." Then looked at Chris. "I believe we all are equal and together, no matter which house you're in. This year the house cup have a tie between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, because of our two Hogwarts Triwizard Champions." Dumbledore continued. "I would like you all, please, to raise your glasses, for them. Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory."

They all did, except the most of the Slytherins. They raised their glasses and echoed, "Cedric Diggory! Harry Potter!" Though the cheer for Harry was little less than Cedric's.

"Also I think you all should know that they not only went through the hardship of the maze but they have fought against Lord Voldemort and his followers." Dumbledore said calmly.