March 14th, Rain

The wedding of Tonks and Lupin was an intimate affair, attended only by close friends and family. Tonks, now heavily pregnant, wore a flowing white dress and a dazzling diamond hair crown from the Black family vault. Joey and the others met Tonks' mother, Andromeda, for the first time. She bore a striking resemblance to Sirius, and she and Linda quickly bonded, with Linda comforting her as she wiped away tears.

"Remus may be older, but he's a good man," Linda said kindly.

"And he howls on full moon nights! How exciting!" Tonks' father, Ted, chimed in, earning a sharp glare and a stomp on the foot from Andromeda.

Lupin carefully guided Tonks around the room, greeting guests. Tonks pouted as her cocktail was replaced with strawberry juice. "When the baby's born, I'll drink with you as much as you want," Lupin promised, earning a mock gag from Sirius.

"Come toast your uncle, boy!" Sirius called from his perch on a barstool.

Lupin ignored him, raising his glass to Professor McGonagall instead. Sirius had been teasing him for months, and Lupin wasn't in the mood to indulge him.

"Tonks, your husband doesn't seem to recognize me," Sirius said, turning to Tonks. "I'm your uncle, after all. How rude!"

"Sirius, shut up!" Andromeda scolded, though she wasn't entirely thrilled with Lupin either.

The door to the Three Broomsticks swung open, and Narcissa Malfoy strode in, flanked by Lucius and Draco. "This place is so shabby," she remarked, her nose in the air.

Sirius sneered, but Andromeda rushed to hug her sister. "I thought you wouldn't come," she said, her voice choked with emotion.

"How could I miss little Nymphadora's wedding?" Narcissa replied, her tone softening. "Though her taste in men isn't as good as yours."

Ted chuckled nervously. "Narcissa delivered Tonks, you know. I fainted during the birth!"

Narcissa shot him a disdainful look. "What will you do this time? Faint again?"

Joey, fascinated by Tonks' belly, was invited to touch it. She poked it lightly, then quickly pulled her hand back. "It's so weird!" she exclaimed.

Tonks laughed. "You'll get used to it. I bet you and Fred will be next!"

Joey blushed. "Not yet! I still want to play Quidditch for a few years."

Fred grinned. "We'll start our own Quidditch club if we have to."

The wedding was a rare moment of joy amidst the growing tension in the wizarding world. Sirius, despite his teasing, seemed to relish being surrounded by family, even if it meant enduring a few punches from his sisters.

---

The third task of the Triwizard Tournament was shrouded in mystery. The Quidditch pitch had been transformed into a maze, and Ministry officials patrolled the area day and night. Gryffindor students, ever curious, kept trying to sneak a peek, much to Professor McGonagall's frustration.

"Are you trying to force me to put Tracking Charms on all of you?" she scolded. "Focus on your exams! You'll see the maze soon enough."

Joey and the twins, however, were too busy dodging Professor Snape's wrath to worry about the maze. Ever since their theft of African tree snake bark, Snape had been relentless, assigning them endless essays and watching their every move in Potions class.

"Why do I need to know about Bezoars?" Joey groaned, staring at a blank parchment in the library. "Isn't that just a fancy rock?"

"It's a stomach stone, Joey," Flami corrected, exasperated. "And it's important!"

Fred and George, heads down as they copied notes, wisely stayed out of the argument.

Cedric and Cho joined them, and Cedric handed over a stack of neatly organized Potions notes. "Do you need these?" he asked.

"Yes!" Joey exclaimed, grabbing the notes before Fred could.

Cedric smiled. "How's exam prep going?"

Joey groaned. "Don't remind me."

Cedric offered more notes, this time in exchange for Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder and Decoy Detonators. Fred agreed eagerly, promising an unlimited supply.

"If I win the tournament and survive, I'll give you free advertising," Cedric said with a grin.

Joey's eyes lit up. "How about a poster of you holding the Goblet of Fire in one hand and Cho in the other? The pinnacle of success—career and love!"

Cedric and Cho exchanged a smile. "Perfect," Cedric said.

As Joey and the others brainstormed ad ideas, Cedric quietly repeated to himself, "I will survive." The tournament was nearing its end, and the stakes were higher than ever. But for now, they focused on the present, finding joy in the small moments of friendship and laughter.