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IT WAS ONLY NATURAL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO PONDER OVER THEIR PURPOSE IN LIFE. To ask themselves, what should my role on this earth be? How can I make a difference? In a world where young people continuously seek validation through others, this is the easiest way to scour the thought-process into your mind. The fact that, maybe there is more to life than just eating, sleeping and studying? (Though it's without saying that most teenagers would rather eat and sleep in order to avoid the oh-so-aggravating responsibilities of studying, magical or not.)

     And Cassia Greengrass often found herself wondering what exactly she meant to people. But not in a doubtful, self-conscious way.

(Cassia wasn't a doubtful person. When she knew something was certain, she'd leave it at that and accept it for what it was. She liked certainty. Knowing something was for definite. But if she didn't know something either, she would also leave it at that, because she hated the feeling of doubt in her mind. The pounding ache that perhaps things aren't as you know it, and whatever you've thought isn't what you know it to be; the feeling messes with her, the uncertainty of doubtful situations shackle her metaphorically into place until it's made clear that the things been fed into her mind were as false and warped as can be, a grappling hook that her reality would change from what she knew it to be. She hated that feeling.)

Rather, she worried about people curiously. Kind of like: I know I mean something to this person - but what? Cassia didn't need to get any self-validation from anyone else. She thought, this is me, and if someone doesn't like me then that's their problem? She doesn't doubt many things, and self-worth wasn't one of them. Cassia had people all around her to remind her so. Her parents, her twin, her little sister, Theo, Maryam, Eva... even Harry. All her friends and family reminded her that she had people in her life to make her feel worthy.

June fell upon Hogwarts castle and it's students with harmonious bird twitters and long evenings filled with chatter, all the while basking in the beautiful sunlight radiating perceptively in the courtyard. It also brought on the pressurising stress of exams, which proved as a right scare for many students at seeing the eagerness of the teachers to start their course revision, especially after the highly enjoyable Yule Ball over the Christmas and even more so the exciting end to the Second Task, leaving Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory tied for First Place, and for the two Greengrass twins — their fifteenth birthday in February.

     The shock that led from the sudden divorce of Eva Abercrombie's parents still lingered within the Slytherin dungeons, but with exams having been a massive priority, Eva and her friends seemed to forget about the shocking occurrence. But rather than feeling upset or disengaged by it, Eva was just confused. Nothing made sense? She knew that her parents weren't always the happiest couple ever - but they had a healthy relationship. Or so it seemed. Whatever happened in those three or four months that passed while Eva was in Hogwarts, she'd feel glad to not have to have endured it. And judging by the written responses from both parents, they were being as vague as Eva had guessed they would be.

     (Nothing made sense...)

     But then again, that had been the least of Eva's thoughts. It had been the least of everyone's thoughts. Exams loomed over their heads and, more excitingly, so did the Third Task.

Tonight, there hovered a warming breeze through the roof and arches of the Astronomy Tower, where Cassia Greengrass stood waiting for Harry Potter, her auburn hair swaying lightly under the gust of wind. Oddly enough, the exact temperament of the weather reminded Cassia of that very first night she and Harry both met in the Tower. She didn't think that she could remember small details like that, but it seemed to have a sort of finality to it. Cassia didn't know what to make of this connotation.

Part of Cassia knew that the sensible voice in Harry's head would be the one to convince him to stay back in the Gryffindor Tower that night and get some well-needed rest for the Task the next day. But she had a hunch that it would be his more rebellious voice that'd avail, telling him to venture up into the Astronomy Tower (not that Cassia particularly minded).

"Hi." A familiar voice says, making Cassia turn around from her position at the railing to spot Harry making his way over.

"Hi," Cassia answers, before frowning. "You shouldn't have come up here, Potter. You need to get more sleep. You're competing tomorrow!"

Harry scoffs, grinning. "Yeah, right. You still waited for me anyways. That must mean something. You still wanted me to come." The mischievous grin on his face was emphasised by a refracted slither of moonlight, slashing across his bespectacled face.

"That — that doesn't matter! You'll be exhausted! Don't you want to win?"

Flopping a hand dismissively, he says, "Whatever happens tomorrow will happen, regardless of how much sleep I get. Besides, I feel calmer up here than in my bed. I start overthinking everything and can't get a proper rest. Here, there's more peace. Everything is as it is."

     Cassia glances at him sideways, dropping her head into her shoulder. "But you're still nervous."

     Harry draws in a slow breath, his eyes widening momentarily. "That's a given. But I feel like I have an okay chance at this Tournament. I mean, I surprised everyone else but mostly myself."

"Okay chance?" Cassia says, an eyebrow raised. "You're literally joint first place!" She smiles. "I think you'll be absolutely sorted tomorrow. Even if you don't win, you should still be proud of yourself."

Harry smiles appreciatively. "Thanks. I'll try and get some extra revision in during the Divination exam tomorrow."

An exasperated groan escapes Cassia's lips. "That's right – the Divination exam is tomorrow. Salazar." She looks at Harry, her eyes dead-set. "You are so lucky you're exempt from these exams."

"I suppose I am." He says, grinning. "Have you studied?"

"Eh.." Cassia shrugs her shoulders slowly, "I have... but not as well as I should have. I'm dropping Divination as soon as we do our OWLs next year. Complete waste of time, if you ask me. Who spends that much time on predicting the future? Like, just let it happen!"

Chuckling, Harry agrees. "You're not wrong."

"Hang on.. that's right. Trelawney's made a habit of trying to predict your death, hasn't she?" Cassia smirks.

"Well, yeah." Harry states, rolls his eyes. "No doubt she'll try and make up some kind of prediction that I'll be in mortal danger in the maze before the Task tomorrow. It's just a maze, though?"

A comfortable silence washed over them. The sky twinkled with groupings of stars, forming uneven patterns that complemented each other. Faint reflections of stars were seen mirrored off of the surface of the lake, dotting the water like glitter would on paper. Cassia glances around her, before shifting her gaze onto Harry. "Erm...just out of curiosity — does Granger or Weasley know about... well, us? I mean, I told you that Theo found out, by pure accident, but, well, he's my best friend, and they're yours, so I thought.. yeah."

"Ron and Hermione?" Harry questions. He shakes his head. "No, they haven't found out. When Ron sleeps, he snores through the night soundly, and I doubt Hermione pays much attention to my sleeping pattern either. I don't know if I would be up for telling them, though? Hermione, maybe. She doesn't resent you. Neither does Ron – but he does seem to hate Nott, so that rules you out by default. Yeah, unfair."

"Oh. Um, alright. I thought –"

"That I'd tell someone?" Harry says, completing Cassia's sentence. Almost exactly what she was going to ask. "Nah, not yet, at least. I wouldn't exactly fancy my chances of facing some livid Slytherins. Even though I could obviously take them on."

Cassia glances at Harry, eyebrows raised. He was grinning. "Is that so?"

Harry shrugs nonchalantly, the grin not leaving his face. "Oh, of course. Triwizard champion, remember?"

Cassia lets out an incredulous scoff, though unable to hide the corners of her mouth upturning. "Why, you cocky bas–" But Harry coughs, blurring out whatever profanity Cassia wishes to use. She chuckles at his smirking figure.

She won't lie, she loved being up here with Harry this past year. Standing with him in the Tower, all the talks and confiding in one another... they got to trusting each other really seriously. Cassia saw there was more to the so-called attention-seeking show-off all her fellow Slytherins claimed him as, and instead saw a really charming boy who made her laugh and wasn't a show-off at all. (Okay, maybe he could get a little cocky at times.) But she wishes she could tell more people. Especially Daphne. Theo already knows by complete chance, but Daphne doesn't, and it's hurt Cassia so much this entire year by keeping her series of secrets from her twin. That wasn't how they rolled. They always confided in each other, no matter what. But.. something felt different about this, and Cassia swore to Salazar's grave that she hoped it didn't mean her and Daphne's twin relationship would be severed.

As for Harry, he was glad to not have been blinded by his dislike for Slytherins when he saw Cassia. She was really, really nice. And easy to talk to. And funny. And not a bad person, at all. Even though it pained him that he didn't have a family of his own to share such moments with, he liked listening to her stories about her life with her parents and her sisters (Harry has yet to be properly acquainted with either other sister - Astoria seemed pretty nice by first glance, Harry thought, but Daphne and her friendship with his favourite Pansy Parkinson - note the sarcasm - he felt deferred from doing so). He loved hearing the stories she told her about awkward hugs and funny dancing fails in the many galas and balls that her parents threw in the Greengrass Mansion (some specific stories about people's inexperience in dancing made Harry feel slightly better about his own). And he loved learning more and more about this amazing person he befriended.

And sometimes, they find themselves trapped in these small moments of intimacy. Like, when Harry makes a joke and Cassia laughs and the sound seems so harmonious spilling out of her mouth that he can't help but smile and let his gaze wash over her for some more time. Or times when their stares linger upon one another a bit longer than it should, and someone has to cough or clear their throat to bring them back into normalcy. But they didn't know what to make of this, either. Who would? To both of them, it made no sense that they should face such awkward moments with each other when they were acquaintances, friends. But hey, even friends trip up around each other.

Cassia clears her throat, mustering the courage to say what she had been willing to say. "Erm, Harry -" Harry. She never called him Harry. Always Potter. Something new, she supposes. But it seems right for the moment. She smiles gently, the wind blowing a waved strand of auburn hair behind her shoulder. "I just wanted to say... good luck for tomorrow and I hope you win... you've worked hard for this and it'd seem unfair if you don't get the prize. I'm rooting for you."

Before he could reply, he felt a warm hand encase over his, which was bent around the cold railing. Cassia was looking at him with a precious smile. They're close enough that Harry could smell the dreamy waft of jasmine pass under his nose emanating from her person. He turns over his hand, intertwining his fingers with hers and giving it a small squeeze, her soft, smooth fingertips rubbing against his own and sending his own mind into a state of calm excitement. Harry pressed his lips together in a thin but genial smile.

"Thanks, Cassia. I appreciate it." He says, smiling. He really did appreciate having her there, holding her hand, her supporting him. He appreciated the way she could make him smile so easily, and appreciated the way she didn't automatically detest him from being an enemy to most of the people in her house, her home away from home, and most especially he appreciated the way she stuck by him all this year, when his own friends had abandoned him and even knowing that most other people detested him. Harry appreciated Cassia.

———

THEODORE NOTT HAD A KNACK FOR SURPRISING PEOPLE.

     He surprised Ron Weasley that first day of term when he spoke out, quite harshly at that, on the Hogwarts Express. Because to most people, Theo barely spoke. He kept his head down, only talked to his friends and people that he wanted to talk to. And since hardly any outsiders to Theo's life saw how much of a mouth he actually had on him.

     He surprises his friends at how ruddy observant he can be in everyday situations, an ability that helped him to discover his best friends' nightly whereabouts in the castle.

     He surprised Harry Potter in the moment his best friend Cassia Greengrass made it clear that Theo wanted absolutely nothing to do with the Death Eaters, following his deranged father's affiliation with them. (Because, news flash, not all Slytherins had to be evil if their parents were.) God, he hated his father. Right from their shared name to the way Theodore Senior forces his horrifying beliefs upon his son. (He'd long since given up on trying to convince his wife. It had been years since they'd had a proper, heartfelt conversation.)

     Theodore Nott could be seen as the smart Slytherin. He can be seen with his nose in a book, comfortable among the piling literature in the library and occasionally sharing answers with his best friend, Cassia. Theo hardly spoke in class, as it was already established. He kept his nose down. He copied down notes, followed instructions. Possibly because living with his father has taught Theo one thing clearly: how to follow instructions, and how to follow them well. With no slip-ups or detours. Theo was obedient. He did as he was told. Which could be his downfall, as much as it was positive.

     So then, it's only understandable why most people (apart from his friends and fellow Slytherins) would get surprised to seeing there was more to the studious, quiet Slytherin most Hogwarts students would see in school. They didn't know the loudmouth hiding behind the neatly-splayed tracks of sentences that littered his books, they didn't see the loyal friend who was, deep down, frightened of what his father could do to him, and his mother especially (because blackmail wasn't unheard of in the Nott household, and Theodore Nott Senior knew how to get through to his son).

Theo has shared a room with Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini from the moment he'd been taken up to the Slytherin dormitories. They were the closest he had in terms of male figures whom he could rely on, they were his best friends, as rude as Draco could get and as blunt as Blaise could be. They were always there for him.

(There was also Crabbe and Goyle, but Theo had never really liked them. More specifically, he didn't like the way they followed after Malfoy like that's what their brains were hardwired to do. But then again - maybe it was? Hmm.)

There are various people that Theo strives to live for, but four of them stand out to him; Luciana Nott, his beloved mother — and his three closest friends, Cassia Greengrass, Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy. (There were obviously others, like the rest of the Greengrass's who treat him like a fourth member of the family - but these stand out the most.)

But Theo hates his dad. He absolutely hates him. The psychological and physical abuse that he'd put Theo and his mother through is unbearable, and Theo is glad that bruises can heal. But unfortunately, scars can't.

It was shocking for one to admit that they hated a family member of theirs - someone who shared their blood. But now, Theo found himself wondering if blood really mattered. If he hated someone in his family, did that mean blood was really as pure as he was told? If he hated someone whom he was directly related to, did that mean he should hate those he wasn't related to? Should he hate Muggles, Muggle-Borns, like his dad tells him to? Theo was at a crossroads. He hated his dad, he really did. But that was his dad - whether or not he acted like one all these years. He could never get rid of his father. He was stuck with him, and his prejudiced beliefs warping and contorting Theo's mind into one he wasn't sure was his anymore. It's like when it's raining outside, and you can't help but be influenced by the gloominess of the weather and there's a voice, or a person telling you not to get sad because the weather isn't nice. But you can't help it - the greying of the clouds influences a greyness into your mind, seeping and tainting what thoughts you had. That's what life was like living with Theo's father. Grey.

"Erm — Theo?"

Theo's head springs up, shooting back off the wooden table so abruptly that a snapping pain shoots down the back of his neck. Ow, he thinks. He glances around at his whereabouts, recognising the foreign land as the school library, with the notes he was trying to revise for Arithmancy crumpled and sticking to each other with drool. So I fell asleep. Obviously. But in front of him, with a kind hand one could only presume was shaking him awake and with the other clutching a large stack of books to her chest, was the kind smile of Astoria Greengrass.

"Hey, Mini Greengrass." Theo speaks drowsily, propping his head upon the folded arms on the desk. After a moment of extended rest, he worms himself off of the desk and slumps his back straight against the chair, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He smiles weakly, probably due to still being half-asleep. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm great. You seem.. tired, though?" Astoria says. She frowns curiously, "Don't you have a Divination exam?" She asks, looking around the library surroundings.

Theo matches her curious stare, tilting his head mockingly. "Don't you have a class to be in?"

Astoria raises her eyebrows, grinning. "Very funny. But if you must know, I got excused out of class to help Madam Pince. Since I'm one of the library assistants."

Theo sighs, stretching his arms out wide. "Okay. Well, I don't take Divination." He explains. "My elective is Arithmancy, and my exam is in a few days, and Professor Vector said I can go study in the library. It appears that instead of studying, though, my sleep demons have caught up with me." He grins at Astoria. Theo has adored Astoria from the moment he met her. He's obviously closer to Cassia and Daphne, especially Cassia, but Astoria was just so lovely. She was so kind, and was always smiling. She was like the younger sister he'd never had. Theo sometimes wonders why she was placed in Slytherin because of how soft and gentle she was, but his suspicions became diminished when he realised how fiery she'd get with anyone who crosses her in a bad way. Astoria took no person's shit, no matter how amiable she was.

"What's the time?" Theo asks. "The Third Task is tonight, yeah?"

Astoria glances ahead, her near-black hair falling over the books she carried as she looked at the clock. "There's fifteen minutes till dinner." She says. "I'll put these books back and we can head to the Great Hall together, if you want?"

Theo nods, as Astoria gives him a passing smile and goes to return the books in her arms. He gathers his notes together, taking care with the inkpot he nearly spilt on his robes from lack of caution. Of all the days I couldn't get enough sleep - ? He fastens the buckle on his bag, slinging it over his shoulders. The Third Task is tonight, he thinks as he watches Astoria's figure appear out of one of the aisles, shrugging her robes on and with her bag strap hanging off the crook of her arm. Theo can't help but have an uneasy jitter within him about the events that'd be occurring in the evening, for reason's he doesn't know why. It's just a Task. Nothing bad will happen, everyone will be protected. But then he thinks, protection for what? Why does he even have this feeling in the first place?

"Let's go." Astoria says, and they head out of the library. The exams taking place at that moment have finished and the whole castle is jumping with excitement, people coaxing their teachers to allow them to leave class early so they can waste no time in heading to the Feast. People seem to be treating this Tournament like it was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and Theo didn't blame them, when this was the first time in years that such a tournament was taking place in the castle.

"It's been so long since it was just the two of us, Mini Greengrass." Theo grins to his companion, who smiles in answer. "We're always with other people, whether it's me and Cass, or you and Blaise.." Theo smirks, raising an eyebrow at Astoria. "How are things between you guys, anyways?" He asks.

"Me and Blaise?" Astoria says, blushing slightly. "Everything is great between us. Well, it's even better now that we don't have to hide. Though I must say, the whole secretive side to it did make our relationship a whole bit more exciting."

"Who would've thought? Mini Astoria Greengrass had a sneaky side to her."

"Stop calling me Mini Greengrass, Theo!" She laughs exasperatedly. "I'm not that small? And there's perhaps more to me than you know."

"I don't doubt that for a second, Mini Greengrass." Theo grins, teasing Astoria. "You're always going to be the Mini Greengrass to me. Unless Marlowe has another kid, then that'd change. But anyways, must be nice now that Daphne's not trying to set you and Draco up." Theo says, scrunching his nose up at the thought of Draco and Astoria dating.

"You're not wrong. I don't even know where she could get such an absurd idea from?" She agrees, laughing. "But Daphne's never meant wrong. She can just be a little... overconfident in her abilities of foreseeing the future. She'd be amazing in Divination."

Theo chuckles. "Yeah. Cass always tells me Daphne makes up these prophecies saying me and Cass will be dating in the future. Like, as if!"

"She'll come around. She's dating that Sterling guy now anyways, so maybe that'll make things better." Astoria assures Theo. "How's your mum?"

"Mum is... coping." Theo says, inhaling a breath at the thought of his mum at home alone, having to deal with his dad. "We write to each other every week, and she seems to be doing good. So, yeah."

They enter the Great Hall, and oddly enough, the first person whom Theo lays eyes upon is none other than Triwizard Champion Harry Potter, surrounded by two other redheads he can only assume were Weasleys. (They were older, and one of them is unmistakably their mother, while the other seems to be another Weasley brother.) He can't help but immediately associate Harry with his best friend, Cassia. Ever since he found out that Cassia and him had grown to be friends, he just felt... weird. Probably because she was friends with Slytherins so-called enemy, but mostly because she didn't tell him whatever was happening. He was her best friend, and didn't tell him about this. He understood why, because Cassia would think people would look at her differently if she did. But their friendship was different — as much as Theo judged Cassia for this friendship, he'd never let it get in between their friendship. They were better than that.

Theo doesn't like Harry, not one bit. He sees him the same way as most other Slytherin, a good-for-nothing attention-seeker, and he just can't help but question why on Earth she became friends with him. He's not happy with it. But Theo accepts it. He trusts Cassia, and she trusts Harry. So that would have to do for now.

(Another thing: Theo wishes that Cassia doesn't hide whatever is going on between herself and Harry from everyone else. Because, what's the point? It would just make the blow even worse when the secret eventually comes out. They should come clean sooner or later.)

"That's great." Astoria says, smiling genuinely, as they both start approaching the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. "I'll see you later. I'm glad we talked again."

Theo grins. "Me too. Take care, Mini Greengrass." As Theo finds himself a seat at the Slytherin table, he doesn't notice that the precarious feeling he had regarding the Third Task had abated after talking to the youngest Greengrass. But his insides had relaxed somewhat. He listens to Cassia and Blaise complaining about how difficult their exam was, an apparent lightness in his mind.

Salazar bless Astoria Greengrass.

———

THE HOGWARTS QUIDDITCH STADIUM had been inextricably transmogrified into a maze; a tall, bushy, thorn-borne maze. It overlooked what seemed to be the skies, with it being over twenty-feet tall and there was a gloomy fog cautioning the entrance of the maze; a small entryway duplicated four times in the one space, allowing approach for what would be each of the four champions. Students and observers alike were congregating into the spectating stands, a bubble of exited chatter hovering between them.

     That uneasy feeling Theo held within his gut, the one that Astoria Greengrass managed to mystically chivvy away with her mere presence earlier on, had made a reappearance, and Theo had no idea what to think. Theo pursed his lips as a wave of biting wind ravaged its way through the stands. He suddenly felt remorseful for wearing only a short sleeved cotton t-shirt, but in his defence, it was June. The weather was supposed to be nice. But for some ominous reason, adding onto the queasiness within Theo, the sky was gloomier than a summer evening should have been. Is this the way Cassia felt? He thought, taking a glance around him as the stands were getting increasingly filled. Is this how she felt watching Potter compete these last two times? But then, Theo couldn't care less about Harry. He didn't exactly have any attachment for any of the champions, even if he did partly fancy Fleur Delacour. So why did he feel like this?

     "I may faint." A voice says. Theo looks past his right shoulder and found Adrian Pucey, his face in his hands and looking positively alarmed, his widened eyes scanning over what used to be the pitch he played Quidditch on. "What have they done?"

     Theo grimaces, clapping a hand on the fifth year's shoulder. "Tough luck, mate." Unfortunately, Theo's words made no difference to the situation and Adrian continued to look longingly at the maze. Theo looks back to the front of the maze, where Ludo Bagman begins his commentary in the midst of the four champions. He folds his arms, gripping around the edges of his shirt sleeves as Bagman excuses Potter and Diggory into the portentous hedges with a blow of his whistle. Two more left, he thinks. A few minutes passed by, and Bagman's whistle blowed. The hedge closes around the opening once the last whistle sounded, and Fleur Delacour jogged into the maze with her silvery hair streaming from under her ponytail.

     And now we wait.

     For a guy who was know to be quiet yet had an incredibly loud mouth on him in the presence of others, Theo took the whole 'quiet' thing a bit too far now. He hadn't engaged himself in pleasant conversation with any of the Slytherins around him, and just stared anticipatingly at the previously-closed hedge. His best friend Cassia, stood beside him, acknowledged this too.

Cassia furrows her eyebrows, nudging the taller boy with her elbow. "What's up with you?" She asks.

Snapping out of his apparent trance, Theo shakes his head. "Nothing." He says, with it being partly the truth as Theo didn't know the exact reason for him feeling like this.

"Theo. " Cassia persists, her eyes dead-set on Theo. "Something is up. You're not usually this quiet."

Theo's eyebrows shoot up momentarily, heaving a somewhat contemptuous manoeuvre. "That's what everyone else seems to believe." He says, with a bitterness that didn't go unseen by Cassia.

Folding her arms, Cassia folds her arms and squints her eyes at her best friend. "Yeah, well not with me. Something is definitely up with you." She further tightens her arms together and her auburn waves fall over the side of her face as she tilts her head to the side, as if trying to get a better look at Theo that would help to decrypt his puzzling behaviour. Then with a gasp, a look of realisation flashes across her features, and she breaks out into a grin. "I know what's wrong with you."

Right, okay, Theo thinks. Let's see how this plays out. "Go ahead, I suppose.."

"Well, for starters," Cassia begins, tapping her finger against her chin. "You're being really quiet, which, even for you is not normal behaviour, and then there's the way you're staring at the hedge like unicorns are gonna come prancing out of it if you stare hard enough. And not to mention the fact that you said the exact dialogue I spoke to you when I was worried about Potter in the First Task and tried hiding it from you." A smirk falls upon Cassia's rosy lips and she latches onto Theo's arm excitedly before saying near-mutedly, "You're worried about Potter."

"No, I'm not?" Theo says. It came out like a question, but that was partially due to how absurd Theo thought the statement was coming out of Cassia's mouth. He didn't care about Harry Potter at all, so what'd give her the idea? "Cass, that is the most stupidest thing I've ever heard you say. And that includes you admitting you're friends with that twat."

Cassia raises an eyebrow at Theo. She wasn't convinced. (The part of their personalities that always seems to clash is the fact that they are both so strongminded and stubborn. Its their way or the highway, and being able to convince them otherwise is considered a feat.)

He sighs, rubbing a hand tirelessly across his face. "Cass, I genuinely couldn't care less if Potter gets his head bitten off by one of the Skrewts Hagrid finally took away from the class. Potter is the least of my concerns. He isn't even a concern, at all, apart from you now being friends with him."

Cassia frowns. "What is wrong, then?"

Theo takes a moment to recollect himself; glancing at the overgrown maze, at the spectators chatting excitedly between themselves, and at the teachers visible patrolling the edges of the maze, and at the faces of people waiting in anticipation for something to happen, then back at Cassia, whose eyebrows were still knotted.

Theo heaves out a sigh, using a hand to smooth down the side of his chestnut brown hair. "Truth be told, Cass... I don't know. I just — all day I've had this really bad feeling, I don't know if I'm getting ill or whatever but I don't know why I feel like this."

Before Cassia has the chance to reply, everyone's eyes follow suit in the direction of red sparks being shot into the air, sprouting out the tall edge of the maze and glinting tragically in the dim sky. She stammers, before deciding to let loose of any thoughts she had when she saw Fleur Delacour get levitated into the area, getting immediate attention from Madam Pomfrey. (She wasn't dead, that was what they seemed to hear around them, which relieved both Theo and Cassia immensely.)

     "Oh, shit..." Cassia says, her eyes hovering over Fleur's unconscious state a small distance away. She looks back to Theo and sighs, pursing her lips. "That uneasy feeling you mentioned? I get what you mean."

     Theo only but nods, the movement being enough to convey his agreement. It wasn't long after Fleur had been brought in and Bagman had made the announcement that she'd had to exit the Tournament that yet another bout of red sparks shot high up into the air, and an unconscious Viktor Krum floated in soon after.

     What in Salazar's name...

     This feeling of foreboding had only but heightened within Theo, and he can't help but think maybe feeling like this wasn't supposed to be a coincidence. Maybe something bad was truly meant to happen. Perhaps his instincts had gotten wind of something bad to happen and was now trying to warn Theo. (Who even knew if instincts could sense the future?) But Theo didn't seem to be the only anxious one at this point, because all around people were murmuring to themselves and each other that two champions had to be rescued and two were still in the running, what on earth is that about? Theo was at last glad he wasn't the only one feeling like this, but he still knew that he felt like this from the start and not because of two champions having to retire.

      It wasn't clear to Theo, how long it had been since Bagman's announcement, or the teachers talking frantically between themselves at the possible idea that the champions were taking way longer time than necessary to get the cup. He didn't know how long exactly, but he knew that it had been a long time and no champion had remerged. But then, just as he was about to heave out another breath at something terrible continuing to outweigh his thoughts, there was a cracking noise and occupying the space at the front of the maze where there was once an entrance, Harry Potter slumped bent over Cedric Diggory's body. Body.

     Theo fumbled through the air for something to hold on, eventually grabbing onto something. Cassia's arm. "Cass," He says, his voice a mere whisper, "Is — is that.." Theo can't bring himself to finish. His face pales, looking at Potter, grabbing onto Diggory for dear life, the Triwizard Cup wedged between them.

     "Salazar.. it's Harry." Cassia says hoarsely, scarcely. She too seemed to be needing something to grasp onto, using Theo's hand on hers to hold herself up too. She gulps. "And.. Diggory."

      They watched along with the rest of the crowd, who seemed to have inadvertently grown more and more restless as Harry Potter was being pried away from Cedric Diggory's body. Theo still didn't want to believe that what he thought was true, and that Cedric Diggory really was... No. Harry'd let go of the cup, but held onto Cedric with even more force. But then he heard it, and he knew his worst thoughts were true.

     "He's dead! Cedric Diggory! Dead!"

      Theo didn't know who or what was had shouted so loudly, but it set the whole crowd into uproar. And Theo heard many wails, screams and shouts, but none was so clear as the shaking voice of Harry Potter's being guided by Professor Moody past Theo's own position at the bottom of the stands, as Harry limply spoke the two words that sent Theo's mind into overdrive.

     "Lord Voldemort."

     Lord Voldemort.

     He could hardly think. Theo's mind was engulfed with the uncertainty of what was to come, with the shouts and sobs of people around him, and the fact that a boy had just died, he felt as if someone was repeatedly slashing at his mind and destroying any materialising thoughts, everything became slanted, hazy and out of focus, and Theo stumbled back against the wood making up the seats of the stands, and he crashed to the floor, clutching his scalp in his hands and hoping, praying, that something could stop this uncertain feeling from capsizing in his heart, his mind, his life.

     It became as clear as the light of day to Theo, it hit him exactly like a hammer would to an open skull, and Theo could feel his stomach plunging off of a cliff and into the dunes of trepidation. But it all made sense.

     There was a reason Theo's father was so easily angered during that previous summer. There was a reason he would hardly see his father in the Manor, and why Theodore Nott Senior was confined to his office almost every second. The reason Theo's instincts had been at unrest the entirety of today. It was all a build-up to tonight. To the night Lord Voldemort had returned.

     And there was no doubt his father had been involved. Involved in Lord Voldemort's return, involved in Cedric Diggory's death. God, Theo hates his father. He hates him. What he was. What he does. And he hated what he would be destined to become, because Theo knows why his father had been so insistent in inducing the Dark Arts into Theo. It may have been a build-up to tonight, but it was also a build-up to the day Theodore Nott Junior would become a Death Eater. And he hated that. With every cell, fibre and pulse running through his body.

     Theo's head is in his hands. He's close to screaming out. He can feel the prickled grass beneath him, tickling the underside of his legs — the wood holding him stiffly upright on the ground. His senses have never been as activated as they have been now. He can hear the roar of the fire illuminating the space they occupied, the wind slashing at the flames. He can hear the hubbub of people around him and most hauntingly, the screams of Amos Diggory after his lost son. He can feel a pair of arms shaking him violently as he tries closing himself in this lone bubble. He can feel the darkness of the night sky gaining in on his closed eyelids, and he had the fear that if he had his eyes closed any longer that he would surely succumb to the darkness threatening him.

     So he opens his eyes. And instantly, his eyes hitch onto a pair of blue ones. Cassia's eyes. Ridden with fright, fear and grief, pooling and contracting delicately within their near-white glint. She's looking at him intently and questioningly, as if to wonder if her best friend really was present. But Theo latches onto one of the arms gripped onto his shoulders, and has the strength only for two words to make an escape out his mouth, words he's been afraid to let loose until now.

     "He's back."

———

omg I lowkey loved writing this chapter. like it hurt me cos CEDRIC MY BABY but liked it cos soft!cassiaxharry and also because it's the first time I've written in theo's POV!!! for real my baby deserves BETTER he goes thru so much shit I just wanna give him a hug but I love writing in his POV cos he's such a complex character!!! one more chapter in GOF guys xxxx

also! my charlie weasley fic 'distant game' has been published!! if ur a charlie fan (how can u not be tbh) pls go check it out cos i have loads planned for it!!

hope you're all having an
amazing day <3
— saar xx