"What a charismatic quartet," cried the blonde journalist who Marina could already tell she was going to hate. "Hello! I am Rita Skeeter."

Skeeter's heels clicked against the floor as she walked to shake each Triwizard champions' hand. Marina didn't even try to hide her disgust; she made a horrible grimace at the sight of her face.

"I write for the Daily Prophet, but, of course, you know that." Skeeter shook her head. "It is you, we don't know. You are the juicy news!"

Marina sat down on an old chair next to the French champion Fleur, Krum and Harry standing behind them. She tucked the hem of her skirt under her thighs and adjusted her tie, looking up at the man taking pictures in hopes that he would give her a sign before he pushed the button on his camera.

"What kind of secrets lay behind those rosy cheeks?" Skeeter said dreamily, reaching out to stroke Fleur's cheek. The soft touch turned into a slap on the cheek, and Fleur jumped instantly. Marina had to hold back laughter. "Me, myself and I want to know! So, who wants to go first?"

Silence. The silence was the answer. Everyone knew about Rita Skeeter - the journalist who would fake the case for her own success. She was famous for ruining reputations. And now, she was looking at Marina with hungry eyes.

"Ladies first, right? Lovely!"

Rita took hold of Marina's arm and dragged her away from the other champions, into another room. This room was extremely small, with dim lighting and a horrible smell. Marina could already tell that she would have to sit close to Rita for them both to fit inside it. She looked at the woman carefully. She had been warned about the journalist. Rita knew many tactics to manipulate those she interviewed.

"Sit down, girly. Make yourself comfortable." Rita winked. Marina listened and sat down on a wooden stool. "Marina Black... It's really an honor... Before we begin, I want you to know that I will be using my quick-quotes quill for this."

Up from the bag resting against her chair, Rita's magic quill cut through the air and flew up until it was dangling by Marina's head.

Rita looked Marina up and down. In response, she rolled her eyes. Rita used to be a snake, too, back in her days at Hogwarts. She would do anything to make the girl feel smaller than her.

"So... Marina, how does it feel to be a Triwizard champion?"

She crossed her legs. "Well, Skeeter, it's not like I asked for this. Someone must have put my name in that goblet without my permission." Meeting her eyes, she continued, "but whoever it was should know that I am up for any challenge."

"Exactly," Rita smiled. "And as young as you are, you must have a hot fire in you. What does your family think of this? Any big supporters?"

"I bet you'd like to know-"

"We cannot ignore your last name, miss Black - especially not after everything that happened last year, with Sirius Black's breakout from Azkaban. Tell me, what is your relationship with Sirius Black?"

Marina's world stopped spinning for a moment. Her head began throbbing, and she heard her heart pump out blood faster, making her feel the taste of it lingering on her tongue. She looked up at the magic quill, which had now stopped scribbling words, and was waiting for her to answer.

She couldn't give any information about her family to Rita. People at Hogwarts only knew her surname. They did not know who her mother and father was, and it was best to keep it that way. If she had managed to hide the truth about her family life for so many years, she would manage to keep it hidden through out the competition.

"I do not wish to comment on that, Skeeter." She licked her lips. "For I have no relationship to him, and no thoughts of a lousy criminal such as himself."

"Er, yeah, cross that out, quill."

Marina's eyes turned darker. "Would have made your reputation good to publish such a story, wouldn't it, Skeeter?"

She responded with a laugh. Marina just smiled.

"You really have a fire, Black. You should use it. A career in journalism, perhaps?"

"Might. Right now I need to focus on something else; you know that prize won't come easy."

"So you want it?"

"Oh, Rita," Marina began, a playful smile forming on her face. "I might not have chosen this, but I am in it to win it."

Rita Skeeter's article had been published for all the Wizarding World to see just two days after her interview, and Marina could not have been happier with Skeeter's description of her:

Marina Black, the young Triwizarding champion, promises to put up a fight in this year's tournament. It was a surprise for everyone when the young Black's name flew out of the Goblet of Fire, which announces who will fight in the tournament. When your name is chosen, there is no way back. Black explains that someone must have put her name in the goblet, but she will not disappoint. She got her eyes on the prize and nothing else - I say we should all keep an eye on her.

"First time anyone has got positive comments from Skeeter," Barty Crouch Junior told Marina. "Your father is proud, My Lady."

As they were standing in his office, she looked around. "Well, every word she says is right."

"Do you know what to do in the tournament? The Dark Lord has told me to help you, if needed," Junior suddenly burst out, bowing his head down.

"Of course I know what to do," Marina spat. "Are you doubting my abilities, Junior?"

She enjoyed watching him fill with fear. The man crossed his arms behind his back and shook his head rapidly. "No, never, Dark Lady. Never! But I am to prepare you to face the first task. It is my duty."

Marina walked over to his desk, which she jumped to sit on. Finding her wand in her pocket, she played with it with her fingertips, getting lost in thoughts. Thinking about the tournament, she understood that she had been given too little information about it from the Death Eaters at the manor. They had only trained her to fight and be brutal. What would she do if she met something that needed her wisdom or intuition in the challenges?

"Junior... You spoke to Father... Can you tell me why he decided that I was to compete in this tournament? Couldn't I have fooled Potter without having to compete against him?"

Junior reached to grab a bottle of Polyjuice Potion under his desk. "You are important for the last task, My Lady. You must get to that task, and be with him while he makes his return. And you bring Potter with you."

It would all be worth it in the end. She kept telling herself that. Fighting in the first and second task would lead her to the third task, for which she would meet her father again. Not in her head, like she had done for so many years, but in person. She felt a smile forming on her face just by the thought of being around him.

"The first task is dragons," Junior said right before chugging the dose of Polyjuice Potion he held in his hand. "They've got dragons chained up out in the Forbidden Forest."

Marina felt her whole body turn cold. Dragons. She had never trained to fight any kind of magical creature. The only time she had seen a dragon was in a book Narcissa had given her. She supposed Junior could see the panic in her face, for as they walked out of the door to his office and he quickly turned to Mad-Eye Moody, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. The Dark Lord will tell you exactly what to do to win the first task."

It was easy for him to say. She could already feel the panic build up inside her. But still, she whispered back, "good."

They ascended down the stairs and out of the entrance to the castle while he went on about spells that could be used against dragons. Finally, he turned to her to ask if he had completely turned into Moody, and then, she turned her head to Hogwarts' castle grounds. Students were either running around, reading, or chatting, though most stopped whatever they were doing when they saw her. They nodded her way, pointing at their chest. They were wearing buttons - colorful buttons - on their uniforms. What was going on?

The curls on Marina's head bounced as she ran to the nearest student, a short second-year, and grabbed him by the arm.

"Marina! I can't believe it," the boy cheered. "We are all rooting for you!"

She reached a hand out to touch his button. It was dark green, with silver letters that said BLACK FOR THE WIN. She quickly pulled the button aside to see the color of his uniform.

"Gryffindor?" Marina let out with a giggle. "Would it not be natural for you to support Potter, then?"

Instead of giving her a reply, the tiny boy pointed at his button again. But this time, the letters said, very clearly, POTTER STINKS.

Marina was lost for words. Hadn't Harry gotten support from his own house? She stumbled away from the boy, looking around with a lost gaze. Nearly every student was wearing an exact copy of the button.

"Why so disturbed, Marina?" a light voice shouted from the other side of the castle ground. "Don't you like our buttons?"

Her cousin was sitting in a tree, rounded by other Slytherins. Harry stood just below them, looking up with tired eyes.

"I don't, actually."

"Aw, don't be like that! Look at the bright side: now that you're here, you get the chance to tell Scarhead over here how you're going to beat his arse," Draco said loudly, and Marina crossed her arms.

She had to talk to Harry, and ask him if he knew anything about the first task. Maybe Dumbledore had told him a secret or two - all Slytherins knew that the old man loved the lions of his own house.

"Well, come on, Black," Pansy whined loudly. "We're waiting!"

The Slytherin boys started to laugh. Marina kept quiet.

"I don't think you're going to last five minutes in this tournament," Draco told Harry, jumping down from the tree. He straightened his button and smirked proudly. "Just step down, we already got our champion."

"You are pathetic," Harry suddenly spat, clenching his fists.

Marina could see Draco's eyes narrow as he stood face-to-face with his enemy. They stayed like that for a second, just staring at each other. Then, Draco drew his wand.

"Oh no!" a strong voice was heard from behind Marina. It was Junior again. He had been following her the whole time. Now, he was standing with his wand aimed at Malfoy. "I swear to Merlin, you shall never curse someone when their back is turned!"

With that, he turned the blond into an animal. A white animal, a small animal, now on the ground. It took Marina a long minute to realize that Junior had turned Draco into a ferret.

"A coward, a scumbag," Junior mumbled while, with the help of his wand, made the ferret fly around in the air. Marina looked at Harry, who's frown had now turned into a gigantic smile.

"Professor Moody," a stressed and concerned McGonagall arrived. "What are- what are you doing?"

"Teaching."

"Is that a student?"

"Well, technically, it is a ferret."

McGonagall drew her wand and with an easy flick turned the ferret into the human version of Marina's best friend again. Junior turned to Marina and Harry, giving them a nod.

"My father will hear about this," Draco jumped and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Is that a threat?" Junior growled, his voice turning louder by the second. He began chasing Malfoy around the tree he had sat peacefully in just moments before. "Believe me, boy, I could tell you stories about your father that could curl your greasy hair!"

Marina decided that it was time to leave. Maybe Junior had done this so she could have a moment alone with Potter. She ran to Harry, who was still laughing, and dragged him away from the mess. They ran away from the castle grounds, and into the castle, past tons of students wearing the buttons. But they ignored them; they were still smiling wide as they sat down on a bench.

She got a good and long look at his face. It hurt her to admit he was fairly attractive. Not exactly her type, but still handsome. His black, untidy hair spread over his forehead and scar, and his eyes glistened when he smiled.

"I don't even- what was that?" she asked, and they soon fell into a fit of laughter again. "Did you see his face?"

"Guess Mad-Eye is cooler than I thought," he replied, and then silence covered the room.

How could she get him to open up? Narcissa had told her that to get a person to trust you, you should tell them about your weaknesses and fears. It will make you seem vulnerable. They will feel for you.

Pressing out a few tears, she began, her voice fragile, "Harry... I'm scared."

Her confession clearly shocked him. They weren't friends, yet there she was, looking him in the eyes, telling him her fear.

"It will be okay. It will be alright. They can't put us in endangerment, right?" Harry tried. "Right."

"You didn't put your name in the goblet, did you?"

"No."

"Me neither."

They sat there for a moment. Then, Harry slowly reached his hand to his bag. He grabbed a patch of paper. Marina could see what it was: Rita Skeeter's article. She read it in silence, leaning her weight on her hand which was dangerously close to his knee:

Harry Potter, the young boy who constantly put himself in trouble, is now to enter the Triwizard Tournament. "I suppose I get my strength from my parents. I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now.... Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it.... I know nothing will hurt me during the tournament, because they're watching over me." Potter tells me with tears rolling down his cheeks. We will see how the tournament will end for the boy...

"Harry, you can't listen to Skeeter! She is mad and willing to write anything for her own success!"

"Then why did she write such good about you?" he replied, his hands slightly trembling while clutching the paper.

"Can I see?" Marina whispered to him, reaching out for the paper. He gave it to her, but kept his eyes glued to it. She drew her wand with her right hand, the paper in her left. "Incendio!"

The paper caught on fire. Harry jumped at first, clearly not expecting the spell at all. Marina sat back to watch the flames slowly turn the paper to ashes.

"See? Problem solved. Rita's article won't bug you anymore." Harry smiled a shy smile instead of replying. "And, Merlin, please ignore those buttons. They are horrible. We need to focus on the first task now, and nothing else."

"You have a point..."

Marina smiled and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"I must go now, but I'll catch you later, lion."

She chose to ignore her now fast-beating heart and turned to walk away.