━━━the champions!

BIRDIE WATCHED EVERYONE around with curious eyes, she didn't really care about the champions — unless one of them turned out to be part of her friend group or something, without that she didn't really give two fucks, but the reason the Great Hall peaked her non-existent attention was how happy everyone looked, the three schools were walking around and socializing with each other like the main purpose of them coming here wasn't to defeat each other and then leave them in dust to die just so they can have a shiny and pretty trophy, which to be honest — she would leave anyone in the dust for it too but to be even more honest, she didn't want to die just to get a trophy.

Now, I know what you might be wondering about — the number of 'oh shit's' in the last time you saw her, well, you should rest assured — it was just some random burst of panic, and it definitely wasn't because she immediately noticed Fred Weasley in a light she hadn't before and fell in love with him at that exact moment because of the way his eyes were shining in the light and even though he had a huge white beard on his face it didn't make his extra prominent smile seem to fade or be any less cute.

Pfft, why would you think that?

Ok, fine, maybe it was because he showed a side of himself he'd never shown to her and she felt special even though she shouldn't because it's probably nothing, and it isn't like she has the Potter genes that don't let her go through normal stages of a crush, and it definitely isn't like she just sees them and falls in love — no, it's not like she's talking to them one second and the next second she's wondering how she would look in a wedding dress next to them at an altar.

Ok, so maybe wasn't the correct word isn't maybe, you should probably remove all the maybe's to probably and maybe change that probably to definitely.

Curse those damn Potter genes.

Look, she can't help it, ok? when she sees someone and she doesn't think 'ok, they're kinda cute' and after some time she doesn't think 'ooh, they're cute!' and then she doesn't start crushing on them and ask them out, no, no, it doesn't work like that for her, it never had, and probably never will — she sees someone and just after a second they do something weirdly endearing — she's like 'ok, marry me.'

One minute she was talking about his joke shop and funding it and the next he was smiling and she was watching him with stars in her eyes, just like how she watches a dress, ok, maybe not that many stars in her eyes but still — there were plenty of stars.

Her dad told her the same thing happened with him and her mom, he was arguing with her about the ceiling one second and the next he knew she was the girl he was going to spend the rest of his life together with, granted he was like eleven years old and in the seventies so she shouldn't have expected anything less, but the fact that he never chose anyone else but her for seven years, and he ended up marrying her and having two alright kids with a little bit of emotional damage warms her heart beyong belief.

She loves how in all those years — he never once thought of anyone else, I mean, come on, he was best friends with Sirius Black for almost as much time as he was crushing on Lily Evans, it wouldn't have been like there weren't girls around, but no matter what could've happened or what did happen — her parents are still together, and they still love each other so much, they're going strong. Her parents have been the best couple ever and she loves them for it.

Though the sad thing was — Birdie wasn't her dad, she wasn't her parents and she could never end up with someone like either one of her parents, she was just Birdie — the normal sixteen year old with a really bad luck in dating — no matter how good the person is, it never ends well for her — she could take a really nice guy and turn him into a cheater. That was just her thing — taking extremely good or extremely shitty and making them shitty(er), and she'd just made peace with the fact that she would never ever find someone.

Ok, that sounds a bit dramatic for a sixteen year old to say but to be honest — boys she dated weren't it so she just decided she would just wait until she was in her thirties. After the last guy she fell madly for, no, she literally fell over thin air when she saw him she could do well by taking a break, a really really long almost fifteen year break. She wasn't ready for another exhaustible crush that would only end up with her heart breaking.

So, what she decided to do was ignore Fred and his stupid bloody eyes with his extremely idiotic intoxicating smile that makes her feel all warm and gooey inside, and she would avoid his flaming red and weirdly soft hair for a Quidditch player that she definitely wasn't thinking about.

"Hey, Birdie" Lorelei said smacking her arm, "What are you staring into the distance with a dreamy look on your face for?"

"Nothing" Birdie said in a hurried tone — she quickly averted her gaze from the Gryffindor table before it wandered off at a place she did not want it to wander off to.

"That's your lying face, what are you hiding, kid?" Lorelei said with her eyes squinted in suspicion, "Spit it out"

"I don't have a lying face" Birdie said with a small smile, trying to move on from the topic.

"Yes, you do, you're making it right now" Lorelei said, her eyebrows furrowed, "Your left eyebrow is just a bit raised, your smile isn't real and your hair looks shiny — it's unrelated but girl, what'd you use?"

"Oh, thanks!" Birdie said as she held her hair and fixed it just a bit, "I used some of the anti-frizz hair serum that muggles make, it's been wor-"

"Don't distract me, what are you lying about?" Lorelei said but both of them couldn't talk anymore because Dumbledore and the rest of the Headmasters had just gotten up at the front line, some of the students attention was immediately gathered. Birdie thanked the god and then her gaze travelled right where it shouldn't have — Fred Weasley, and the wink he threw her did not help at all. Fuck my life, she thought.

✿

"WELL, THE GOBLET is almost ready to make it's decision" Dumbledore said, looking around as everyone watched him without making a single sound, "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" he turned his pointed gaze to the big door behind the staff table, "where they will be receiving their first instructions"

With a simple wave of his wand Dumbledore blew out all of the candles in the Great Hall, the Hall was now extremely dark with just one single source of light — the goblet now burned with what seemed like even more pride, the blue flames rose hungrily and in that moment when kids inched closer to the edge of their seats — the flames quieted down again, making everyone release a groan of annoyance.

"He sure knows how to create a dramatic moment — Dumbledore" Lorelei said, taking a sip of her soda she sneaked in, "All the ambience lighting really sets the mood, doesn't it?"

"Ced, Bee, don't take this the wrong way but I hope it's not one of you guys" Birdie said and both Bianca and Cedric gave her a glare.

"Supportive" Cedric said with a sarcastic tone.

"Truly" Bianca added.

"What? Forgive me for caring about your lives" Birdie said, "Look the trophy and the eternal glory as tempting as it sounds — you're not going to care for it in a few months, you're gonna get tired of all the fame, the questions, the stupid rumors people and especially that skank — Rita Skeeter will make up about you, and sure it'll seem like something you enjoy at first but it won't be — you'll end up wishing for a normal life — one that doesn't consist of every moment of your life being on display, and heaven forbid if I lose one of you how am I supposed to go on in life?"

Lorelei, Bianca and Cedric looked at her without a single blink, surprised by how much the Potter had been holding in for the past few months...or years. Birdie chuckled nervously and then took a sip of her pumpkin juice — avoiding her friends' gaze.

"Anyway" said Birdie and passed them an awkward smile, "Good luck?"

"Good luck, indeed" Lorelei said sipping on her soda that she hid in her goblet because muggle food wasn't really allowed at Hogwarts, she didn't know why but it only made her want to drink it even more.

"Hey, can I have a sip of that?" Cedric said and Lorelei shrugged — Cedric and Lorelei had a tradition for trading each other snacks ever since they were children, Birdie didn't really care much about that because she would always bring her homemade snacks — even as a kid, she was a health junkie and always preferred her father's cookies to cauldron cakes or any soda.

"This one burns my throat" Cedric said with a frown, "I don't like it" he gave the goblet back to Lorelei who chugged it down before checking her watch, waiting for the goblet to make the decision already.

"Let's hope the fire dies before it can make the decision" Birdie said with a hopeful voice, "Or better yet, I hope it breaks and then shatters into a billion pieces that can't be put back together no matter how much any powerful wizard tries"

"Yikes" Bianca said with an unsure voice.

Suddenly, a single flame shot into the air, carrying a piece of burned parchment, the whole room erupted into cheers, Lorelei, Cedric and Bianca leaned closer to the front as they watched Dumbledore take the piece of parchment in his hands, "The champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum"

Lorelei cheered along with everyone in the classroom, Viktor Krum rose up from the Slytherin table and for a moment he passed a barely visible smile at Lorelei who passed one right back, Cedric watched them with a frown on his face while Birdie sipped on her pumpkin juice.

Dumb fucks.

The cheers, chatting and hushed voices died down soon when another red flame rose, the second piece of parchment flew out and Dumbledore caught it with ease, "The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour"

As soon as Fleur got out of the Great Hall and into the chamber, the excitement and noises died down, except for a few sniffles here and there from Beauxbatons students, Birdie shook her head, what'd they even expect from highly competitive teenagers? This whole fucking competition is wrong, Birdie hated every moment of it.

Birdie had missed the moment the flame rose into the air, but she didn't miss Dumbledore announcing the next champion, "The Hogwarts champion is...Cedric Diggory!"

Birdie choked on her drink, but got up from her seat nonetheless, she appeared happy for her friend — he gave Lorelei a tight hug and then passed Birdie a smile, Birdie smiled back and shook her head when he mouthed a 'sorry', she mouthed 'congratulations'. He got slapped on the back several times and got more cheers than anyone.

Now, Birdie doesn't remember what exactly happened in those next few moments, she was too busy talking excitedly to her friends and cheering on Cedric but she was pretty sure she'd heard her brother's name get announced, Dumbledore spoke with a surprised tone, "Harry Potter"

Hawee pottah