( chapter xxiii. POOR BOY )

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Months passed quickly. February became March and Calypso didn't think much about Angelina, the girl wasn't worth any of her thoughts. She spent time with Birdie and, surprisingly, Cho. It really wasn't that surprising seeing as Cho had been the one to inform her about Angelina's date at the Yule Ball. And they had become friends again.

Not close friends, no. Cho was still Angelina's friend primarily and Calypso wouldn't allow herself to get any closer to Angelina than necessary, that included her friends. They were strictly off limits, but Cho was fine enough. She had helped Calypso and was once her friend as well. But they were friends, close enough to talk and share moments with.

March became April even quicker, but by then Calypso had been fretting over her DADA class because the teacher didn't sit well with her. Something was just wrong with Moody, so wrong. But she couldn't pinpoint it. And Calypso had taken to spending more time with Maia because her cousin was still worrying about her, worrying over her since Christmas and the Yule Ball fiasco.

April turned to May but May wasn't eventful at all. She supposed this was a good thing really, her life didn't need to be too hectic after first term and everything that happened last year. She sometimes let her thoughts stray to Angelina but quickly covered them with homework questions and her sneaking suspicion that something was happening to Moody.

Finally, May turned to June. Everyone was preparing for the final task at the end of the month, everyone was betting on who would win. Calypso still had her money on Harry, not that she would ever tell anyone else. But Harry was a fighter and had already gone through a lot in only a short span of years. Found out he was a wizard, defeated Voldemort, dealt with the Chambers of Secrets, then went against a mass murderer (!!!), and now he's in a tournament. And that's only the stuff that's public knowledge. Which, really, she should be calling him a poor boy because he was, but well, he's going to win the tournament and she's sure of it.

Most people are betting for Cedric, since he's from Hogwarts and people generally like him more. Which is total bullshit to her. Harry is a fine candidate and couldn't control being picked and he shouldn't be punished for it, but whatever. Not many people care to listen to her, especially after last year when her uncle escaped from Azkaban. Whatever. They aren't worth her time anyway.

The month was filled with exams as well, seeing as it was nearing the end of the school year. Calypso got headaches from staring at pages of Potions history and recipes and she really just wanted to end it all when she was in the form of the beast, but she didn't. She was still living and breathing and having to study for her exams. But whatever, that doesn't matter all too much.

And on June twenty-fourth, she finds herself in the bleachers of the pitch because it had been turned into a maze – a fucking maze! That was the final task; go through this very dangerous maze and get the cup and then it's all over. That's it. The person wins and woohoo, celebrations ensue. She's so happy and all that.

Her hair's in a ponytail because that's the easiest way to get it out of her face and she's standing beside Birdie, of course. "God, how amazing is that? A maze!" she marveled but Calypso just shrugged.

It was a maze, so what? It had shrubbery and big, green walls but whatever. It couldn't be too dangerous, could it? It's not like the shrubbery is alive or anything and could eat and murder them. That's just silly...right?

"Sure, but it's just a maze. You'd think they'd follow up murderous mermaids and dragons with something with a bit more...I don't know, pizazz, but whatever," Calypso shrugged again, looking at the maze and the champions being prepped.

She sees Maddox Dean-Valance on the front row looking anxious, but of course she was. She had every right seeing as that was her boyfriend down there, about to enter the maze. Her friend, Kiara, is with her along with the twins. They're all talking but Calypso's sure that it isn't registering to Maddox.

Lee isn't with him, he's sitting with Calypso and Birdie but she's sure it isn't for her. Lee would much rather hang with the twins than Calypso and that's fine, she'd much rather be with Birdie than him and that's how their friendship works. And it's good for them. They have their own groups but they're still friends, good friends. They're close but they know they aren't the most important person in the other's life. And it works for them, they like it.

"Oh, come on, it's probably more than a maze, Cal. Be sensible here," Lee rolled his eyes and Calypso scoffed to herself. Yeah, she's the one who needed to be sensible.

"Yeah? Then what's inside it? A fucking tiger? A penguin? Oh – gasp! – homework, the horror," Calypso asked sarcastically, giggling at herself.

Birdie elbowed her, "Let him have his fun. Plus, he's probably right."

Calypso smirked inwardly, it was so obvious they fancied each other. Now only if they confessed it...she'd work more on that later, when the tournament was over and Harry won. Because he would win, she was sure of it.

"Sure, whatever. Have fun dreaming, Lee," she grinned at him and he stuck out his tongue. "How mature."

"Oh, fuck off, Black," he retorted and she laughed at him.

"Is that the best you can do, Jordan? If so, that's just pitiful. Plain pitiful there," she continued to mock him until he jabbed her waist, "Ow! I'm sensitive!"

"I know, why else do you think I'd do that?" Lee asked with an eye roll. It was her turn to stick out her tongue to him.

"Behave now, children," Birdie lightly scolded them, a smile on her face, "The task's about to start?"

"You sure? All I see is Moody talking to Harry and Cedric with his dad, Krum's alone – where did his Headmaster go? That's odd – and Fleur's with her Headmistress," Calypso recited, "But really, where is Karkaroff?"

Lee shrugged, "Beats me. Why do you care anyway? He's just a Headmaster."

"And a judge," Birdie reminded him, "But really, Cal, what's wrong with that?"

Calypso frowned, not answering that question, she didn't really have an answer. "Why isn't Moody prepping Cedric? I mean, he's been all over Harry the whole tournament and he's barely even looked at Cedric. Don't you think that's odd?"

"What's odd is your obsession with him," Birdie pointed out, "I mean, are you sure you don't just have a thing for older men? Who also look fucking disgusting?"

Calypso scrunched up her nose in disgust, "Ew, no. I'm sure. He's just...weird. I mean, he obsessively drinks whatever's in his flask."

"So he's an alcoholic, who cares?"

"Shouldn't Dumbledore? I mean, if I were a parent I definitely wouldn't like my child being taught by an alcoholic," Calypso pointed out, "I mean, it's even worse than a werewolf."

"Okay, your dad resigned – and that was whole year ago!" Lee said back.

"I know, but still. He's should've never done that, he should be able to get a job and teach kids. I mean, what did they think he was teaching us? How to attack others? No, my dad's the best DADA teacher we ever had and he had to fucking leave and it sucks," Calypso ranted.

"And it was last year," Lee reiterated, "Let it go, Cal, and stop patronizing Moody just because you're upset your dad couldn't keep teaching."

She shot him a look but didn't say anything more on the subject. "Still, shouldn't Karkaroff be here? To support Krum?" Calypso questioned, frowning at the sight of Krum standing there alone. He looked around hopelessly as well and her frown furthered.

"What is it with you and trying to start a conspiracy? He's probably feeling a bit blue, Cal, just let it go," Lee stressed with a heavy sigh.

"I can't just let it go. There's so many pieces to this puzzle and I wanna put it together," Calypso sent him a look.

"Just let her theorize a little, it's good for the soul," Birdie said to him before looking at her, "But I do agree with him, he's probably fine. Stop overthinking everything."

"My mind won't stop though," Calypso said honestly, "It's kinda annoying."

"Kinda?" Lee questioned, looking at her with a face of disbelief, "Believe me, it's more than annoying."

Birdie let him for that before smiling sweetly at her friend, "Ignore him."

"Already done," she smiled back, giggling at the offended noise that Lee made.

Before they could say anything else to each other, Dumbledore emerged with one of the other judges, Maverick Holloway she was pretty sure, but his side. "Earlier today Professor Moody placed the Tri-Wizard Cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position."

"How convenient," Calypso murmured to herself. No one else heard her, thankfully.

"Now as Mr. Diggory..." people cheered at his name because of course they did, "and Mr. Potter tied for position they will be the frist to enter the maze."

Lee shrugged at that and leaned closer to Birdie and Calypso. "Seems fair," he whispred and the two agreed. It was.

"Followed by Mr. Krum," que the onslaught of cheers from the Bulgarian crowd and a few even from Hogswarts, they were silenced quickly though, "The first person to touch the Cup will be the winner. I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter, if at any point should a contestant wish to withdraw from the task," she doubted that would happen, "he or she need only send up red sparks with their wands. Contestants, gather round."

They all huddled together and Calypso had to strain to hear them. Even her hearing didn't go that far, but she made it work. "In the maze you'll find not dragons or creatures of the deep. Instead, you'll face something more challenging. You see, people change in the maze. Oh, find the Cup if you can, but be very weary you could just lose yourselves along the way."

Calypso shivered at that, afraid for them. Lose themselves? She didn't like the sound of that but she was powerless, she could do nothing to stop this. She just hoped for everyone to be okay.

"Champions! Prepare yourselves!" Moody yelled at them and Calypso flinched, she was listening in too closely and that was way too loud to her.

"On the count of three...ONE..." and the canons sounded. They were very good at counting to three, skipping two and everything. Harry and Cedric entered together, sending the other a brief look before going in.

After a few minutes it was Krum and after that Fleur. Then, it was the waiting game.

No one spoke, all on high alert. They looked at the maze expectantly, as if waiting for it to throw out a champion but it didn't. They looked and waited for the Cup to be held up, for it to be found and for the winner to be declared.

Calypso felt her heart racing in her chest and she had to look around to calm it. Maddox was tense, so terribly tense and she felt so much sympathy for the girl. Turning her head around more she saw Maia with her friend, Emilia. They looked and waited along with the others. More, she saw Sloane with Leilani. They were whispering to each other and she really didn't have a good feeling about any of it.

She saw Moody standing over by Maverick Holloway, whispering something to him that made the man terribly tense. She watched him stalk away with Moody smirking and she really felt her stomach fall and her gut twist. Nothing seemed right and she couldn't do anything or say anything because they were still in the waiting game. All she could do was watch, watch and wait. Too bad Calypso had never been a patient person.

― 🌙 ―

BUT SHE HAD to. She had no other choice than to watch and wait. Krum returned along with Fleur but Cedric and Harry were still there and it was taking so long and she hated it. She hated it with very fiber in her bones but she couldn't do anything, she was helpless and powerless at the mercy of the maze and she hated it so much but what more could she do?

And then Harry appears with the Cup. People are cheering but he's crouched over a body – Cedric's body and he's crying. Something's wrong, something terrible is wrong and she hates it because people are still cheering and music is beginning to play and it's not right at all and she hates it so much.

"Harry! Harry!" Dumbledore yells, going over to the poor boy weeping over Cedric's body.

He's so still and lifeless but he can't...he can't be dead, can he? Cedric has to be alive, he has to be alive. But she's looking at the others, she's looking at her friends and they all look at the body and he can't be alive, can he?

"Tell me what happened!" Dumbledore demanded and Calypso is paralyzed.

"He's back, he's back! Voldemort's back. Cedric, he asked me to bring his body back. I couldn't leave him, not there," Harry cried and her heart dropped.

First off, Cedric's dead. It's confirmed. She sees Maddox fall and Kiara attempt to pick her up and her brother's rushing for it sister and Amos Diggory is losing it. Second, Voldemort's back and fuck. The man that plagued her mother's nightmares with the thought of joining him is back and she is utterly powerless. How could she stand against him?

Amos is rushing forward, protesting against the arms holding him back and Maddox is weeping opening and she can't stop. People are there to comfort her but what can they do? No one else had been through it, no one else knew.

Calypso is still frozen. A boy was dead and they were moving Harry away because he looked terrible and there was blood, she could smell the blood. It was a scent she was used to from all her times waking up after a full moon. And she can't stop thinking, overthinking. Her mind is racing and trying to put the pieces together and it's a clear picture but it doesn't make sense. Why would Moody want him dead? Why would this man that her parents knew, her uncle knew, how they called a good man even if he was a bit eccentric want to kill Harry?

It didn't make sense but she couldn't think about it anymore. They were being evacuated now and sent away to their rooms and she was still so shocked, they all were. Cedric Diggory was dead – the golden boy of Hogwarts was dead and only Harry knew the truth.

Poor boy.