✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Y/N's P.O.V. 

Snape kept Y/N, the twins, Elijah and Lee back after the feast. Everyone else was laughing and smiling, wondering who would submit their names for the Triwizard Tournament. There was a twenty-four hour period during which students could put their parchment forth for a chance. 

While sitting in a classroom just off of the Great Hall, Y/N was with Elijah and Lee while Fred and George spoke in whispers. Y/N caught something along the lines of...

"Is it ready?" from George. 

"Will be by tomorrow morning..." Fred muttered back.

"Right...been working on this shit all month. Better work." 

Honestly, Y/N was too tired to actually care. She'd probably find out tomorrow morning anyway, so why worry over it now. Her eyes drooped tiredly, so she shoved her wand in her pocket so it didn't sleep from her hand.

Elijah, apparently, noticed. Softly, he put a hand to the side of her face and lowered Y/N's head onto his shoulder. 

She was tiredly closing her eyes by the time Snape had finished telling them off. He set their detentions, then left them to sit in the classroom for thirty more minutes. 

The candlelight reflected off of Elijah's silver ring, (The one with the black stone and the red "x,"). It turned the red slightly orange, almost mesmerizing Y/N. 

Sleepily playing with it, Y/N barely realized the smile playing on Elijah's features. She only caught the glares that Fred and George gave them, while Lee was happily talking to them, twiddling his thumbs. 

Snape returned an hour later, giving no heed to his half-an-hour promise. He roughly threw them out of the room, making Y/N groan, as she was on the precipice of sleep before he had rudely interrupted. 

The four Gryffindor's bid Elijah goodbye. Y/N gave him an extra hug and he hugged her back, hands around her waist. "Bye, Ellie," she mumbled. 

"Goodnight, pretty lady," he said. He brought a hand down to hold hers, and played with the metal beads of the bracelet he had given to Y/N. 

"I thought I was a rascal?" Y/N asked playfully. 

Elijah put on a teasing expression. "Well, the prank...I guess it would count you as a rascal. But I think it also makes you even more of a lady." 

Y/N didn't exactly understand, because she was too tired to actually use her brain. 

"Goodnight," she said, letting Fred and George lead her away from the Slytherin, who sent her a smirk and started towards the dungeons. 

Through the whole walk to Gryffindor Tower, Y/N, the twins and Lee laughed and congratulated each other about the prank. Y/N did the spells, yes, but it was a joint effort to put everything together and actually plan it. 

They parted ways at the Dormitory stairs. Y/N said goodnight and climbed upstairs, hoping Hermione would still be awake - Y/N didn't know how late it was. 

She pushed open the door, meeting a grinning Hermione, and the unconscious bodies of Lavender and Parvati. 

It sounds bad when you say unconscious. They were just asleep. 

"Usually, I would reprimand you," Hermione said, pulling Y/N by the arm. "But...it was pretty fun. How'd you get the Giant Squid in on it?" 

"Jake's my friend," Y/N grinned, sitting down on her bed with Hermione. "Wasn't that hard. Harder thing was to make Ellie and Jake get along." 

Hermione giggled, flopping backwards onto the bed. Y/N mimicked her. "It was amazing. Best time I've had in a while!" Hermione said. "Speaking of Eliijaaahhh..." 

"What about him?" 

"He so likes you." 

Oh. Maybe he did. 

It certainly seemed like it sometimes. In all honestly, Y/N was more focused on Harry. But if Harry could stare at Cho Chang while flirting (as friends...) with Y/N...then she could do the same with Elijah, right? 

"Maybe he does," Y/N said offhandedly. "Wouldn't be too bad..." 

Hermione stayed silent for a moment. "What about Harry? You like him, don't you? I know you've never told me, but it's really obvious." 

That caught Y/N a little bit off guard. She kept her eyes trained on the ceiling, feeling a little pang in her heart. "Saw him staring at Cho Chang," she said. 

"Oh," Hermione said quietly. "Maybe he was zoned out?" 

"Nah, Hermione," Y/N chuckled. "He looked entranced. It's okay, I can't stop him." 

She didn't really feel okay, because he was the boy she'd liked for so long...and he was staring at another girl. It wasn't Cho's fault at all. Harry could have anyone he wanted. 

And that meant anyone. 

But Cedric liked Cho as well...

Y/N felt a little guilty, but she really hoped that Cho chose Cedric and not Harry. Please, Merlin...please...

"Back to Elijah Collins," Hermione said quickly, evidently sensing Y/N's mood. "You know when Moody was doing Imperius on you?" 

"Not like I'm forgetting that any time soon," Y/N muttered. 

She remembered all too well. The odd ring that she found in her hand, the way Moody's metal hip flask had morphed into a knife. The way everyone saw her eyes, and how the whispers spread through the school at the speed of light. It died down after a couple of days.

Fred and George told her to not worry.

"When it was over, you were holding onto Elijah's bracelet, did you notice?" Hermione said.

Y/N wanted to scoff aloud. No, she wasn't. She was clutching onto a weird ring that had appeared out of nowhere. "No I wasn't?" 

"Yeah, you were," Hermione said. "You might not have noticed, 'cause you were mad. But you slipped it back onto your wrist after it was clutched in your hand. Really tightly. Both of your hands were in fists." 

Hmm...

"That's odd..." Y/N said. She was so sure that it was only the ring. But Hermione didn't know about that, since it was a little irrelevant. 

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you," Hermione said softly. "But I'm gonna go to sleep now, I want to wake up early and see who enters the Tournament. 

Y/N sleepily nodded her head and felt the bed dip as Hermione got up. She changed into her pajamas and tucked herself in, letting her head fall back against the pillow, knowing that her dreams would consist of squids, fish and beaded bracelets. 

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

The next morning, Y/N, Harry, Ron and Hermione went down to breakfast early. It was a Saturday, so usually they'd go down very late, but they wanted to see who would submit their names for the Tournament. 

Since it was a weekend, they didn't have to wear their school robes. Y/N had dressed herself in black sweatpants and a slightly form fitting, long-sleeved red shirt.

When they went down into the Entrance Hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. 

A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction. 

"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.

"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

Y/N let out a slow breath. So Cedric hadn't entered...yet...

"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," said Harry. "I would've if it had been me...wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"

Ron pondered this for a moment. "That's actually kind of smart, mate."

"Smartest thing he's said all year," Y/N joked dryly. Harry glared at her playfully as they sat down on some bleacher-like seats. Hermione flipped open a book.

Someone laughed behind them. Turning, Y/N saw Fred, George and Lee hurrying into the Entrance Hall, all three of them looking extremely excited. Fred and George were clutching something in their hands - a vial.

"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Y/N, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Finished it!"

"Finished what?" Y/N said, sure that they referencing the thing they'd "taken a month to make."

"An Aging Potion, dung brains," said Fred. 

"One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We only need to be a few months older." 

"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the four of us if one them wins," said Lee, grinning broadly. 

"Four?" Y/N asked, puzzled. "Oh. Ellie. Where is he, by the way?" 

George snorted. "Didn't want to try. He's in his dorm, asleep. He couldn't care less!" 

"He thinks it won't work. But we love him, so if we win, we'll share with him," Fred added. 

Y/N furrowed her brows and frowned, putting a look of mock-hurt on her face. "I think you mean split it between five people. I exist." 

"You're rich," George pointed out.

"So is Ellie!" 

"Fine!" 

Pushing Fred and George forward, Lee sat down beside Harry and Ron, which puzzled the quartet. Fred beckoned him, but Lee gave him a look and declined with a head shake.

"You're not going for it, Lee?" Harry asked from beside Y/N, laying his head on her shoulder. 

She almost wanted to shake it off and tell him to go lay on Cho's shoulder. But that would imply that they were more than friends, which they weren't. And probably never would be.

Lee laughed and shook his head again. "Absolutely not. They're lunatics."

Y/N was about to cuss them out about how dangerous it was, but Hermione chuckled. "It's not going to woooorrrrkkkk," Hermione said in a sing-song voice, closing her book and shaking her head. 

"Oh yeah?" Fred asked, leaning down beside Hermione.

"And why's that, Granger?" George said, doing the same.

"You see this?" Hermione said, pointing to the golden line on the floor. "This is an Age Line. Dumbledore made it himself." 

"So?" 

Hermione scoffed. "So, a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge so pathetically dimwitted as an Ageing Potion."

"Ah, but that's why it's so brilliant!" Fred laughed. 

"Because it's so pathetically dim witted." 

Y/N pursed her lips. Ron and Harry straighten beside her, excited to see what would happen. Hermione just scoffed again, which comforted Y/N slightly. But what if it still worked, what if Hermione was wrong. "I swear," Y/N said angrily. "If you two-" 

"Ready Fred?" George interrupted, looking at his twin. 

"Ready George," Fred said, linking their arms. 

"Bottoms up!" 

Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

They jumped down from the bleacher into the circle surrounding the Goblet of Fire. Pulling their name slips from their pockets, the twins dropped them into the Goblet in sync. Everyone held their breaths, watching with great interest. 

And then there was a flash of blue-white light, and Fred and George were thrown backwards out of the circle. 

Y/N couldn't contain a laugh. She, Lee, and the others clutched their stomachs as identical white beards blossomed on the twins' faces. The Entrance Hall rang with laughter, and the twins joined in for a moment...

One of them - Y/N couldn't tell who (she usually could, but not with the beards) - tackled the other. 

"You said-" 

"No you said!" 

"I knew I was right about not trying to enter," Lee chuckled, looking down at his best friends. 

"You and Ellie both," Y/N praised, feeling Harry tense up. He lifted his head from her shoulder with a scoff, and she almost said 'good riddance,' out loud. 

"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mister Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours." 

Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter, and Y/N, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, also chortling, went in to breakfast. 

"Maybe I shouldn't have nagged them so much," Y/N laughed breathlessly as they sat down. "I'm just glad Ellie didn't enter." 

"Me too," Harry mumbled, buttering his toast. 

"What's that supposed to mean-" 

Dean and Seamus plopped down beside Y/N and Hermione, having just come into the Great Hall after watching Fred and George's...incident. 

"There's a rumor going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean told them. "That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth."

"The one who looks like he's gotten his head beaten by a Bludger one too many times?" Ron said with curiosity.

"That's rude, Ron," Hermione said, glaring at him from their side of the table. 

"It's true though," Seamus chortled. 

Harry, who had played Quidditch against Warrington, shook his head in disgust. "We can't have a Slytherin champion!"

"And why not?" Y/N said sharply. 

Harry didn't answer. His eyes flickered down to her wrists, where her flower-clad Harry and Y/N bracelet sat beside her metal beaded one. 

He didn't give the shield bracelet from Cedric a second glance, though. 

"And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," said Seamus contemptuously. "But I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks." 

Y/N bristled. "Watch your mouth, Finnigan-"

"Listen!" said Hermione suddenly. 

People were cheering out in the entrance hall. They all swiveled around in their seats and saw Angelina Johnson coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. 

Angelina came over to them, sat down, and said, "Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!" "You're kidding!" said Ron, looking impressed. 

""Are you seventeen, then?" asked Harry. 

" 'Course she is, can't see a beard, can you?" said Ron. 

"I had my birthday last week," said Angelina.

Y/N grinned at the girl, "Happy late birthday! Hope you get selected!"

"Yeah, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," said Hermione. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!" 

"Thanks, Hermione," said Angelina, smiling at her. 

"Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory," said Seamus, causing several Hufflepuffs passing their table to scowl heavily at him.

With a glare at Seamus, Y/N put down her fork harshly. "Will you stop? What have you got against him?" 

Seamus fell silent and ate his toast. 

✦

A couple of hours before the Halloween Feast and the choosing of the Champions, Cedric told Y/N to meet him in the Entrance Hall so they could hang out (with Liana and Mathew, of course). 

She'd happily obliged, but her face distorted into worry and almost-anger when she saw why he had chosen to meet in the Entrance Hall. Where the Goblet of Fire stood. 

"Cedric," Y/N said in a warning voice. "I already told you that it's dangerous-" 

"No, it's not, Egghead. Calm down, I might not even get picked," said Cedric. "But if I do, I won't die. That's so embarrassing!" 

"Ced," the girl said anxiously, playing with the miniature Herms and Trouble  scrapbook looped on her necklace. "Did you talk to your parents about it?" 

Waving an impatient hand, Cedric nodded. "Obviously." 

"Uncle Mossy and Aunt Ettie are okay with it?"

"Of course," Cedric scoffed. "Who wouldn't be okay with their son earning eternal glory! The Ancient Greeks called it kleos, I think." 

Y/N took in a deep breath through her nose, then breathed it out through her mouth. It probably wasn't that bad. It's fine. Nothing would happen to him - even though this Tournament is ridiculously dangerous. His birthday had passed on September Seventh (Y/N had spent some time with him), so he was an adult, capable of making his own decisions. 

"Fine," Y/N said finally, not looking him in the eye. "You can do it." 

Cedric grinned. "Thanks! Not that I needed your permission, but I feel better having it." 

Y/N reluctantly nodded and fell back to stand with Liana and Mathew. As Cedric approached the Goblet, many Hufflepuffs patted him on the back and gave whooping applause. Cho Chang was in the room, looking at Cedric with utter admiration in her eyes. 

She doesn't look at Harry like that...right? 

Right. 

Y/N could see a blush creep up Cedric's neck as Cho yelled, "Good luck, Cedric!" and hurried out of the Entrance Hall with her ginger-haired Ravenclaw friend. 

"Cedric! Cedric! Cedric!" onlookers chanted as Cedric stepped into the golden circle. Carefully, he drew a slip of parchment from his pocket and dropped it into the Goblet. The flames flickered from blue to a flaming red for a moment. 

Triumphantly grinning, Cedric jogged back to Y/N, Liana and Mathew as students continued to chant his name. 

They left the Entrance Hall for a nice walk around the castle. 

"How have you been, Y/N?" Liana asked sweetly as they passed the Library with no intention of going inside. 

"I've been alright, busy, though," said Y/N. "Yesterday's prank was a lot to plan." 

"It was amazing, though," Mathew said, in awe. "It wasn't exactly a prank, but it was great. How'd you get all the things? And the water?" 

"She did that all by herself, with magic, Mathew," said Cedric mockingly. "We witches and wizards can do that." 

"You're hilarious, Rick," Liana said dryly. 

"The funniest, Rick," Mathew said in the same tone, grabbing Liana's hand as they walked. 

"I told you to stop calling me that!" Cedric said hotly. "Rick sounds so stupid! It's not cool just because you made it up at Hogsmeade that one time."

"I'm never letting this go, Rick," Y/N teased, poking Cedric in the side. He swatted her hand away with a pout.

The four of them laughed, circling back around since they'd seen Fred and George, and Y/N really didn't want to be involved with whatever they were doing now. She usually didn't care about detention, but she had just received thirteen all in one go.

"Speaking of your prank, I told mum and dad about it," said Cedric. "Owl came and went really fast - probably high on treats or something," he chuckled. "Anyway, dad says that it sounded really cool, and mum was praising you about your high degree in magic. Didn't have the heart to tell her that you only work when it's for something you have a hype fixation."

Y/N grinned. "Tell Aunt Ettie that I'm the most powerful witch of all time." 

Cedric playfully saluted to her. "Will do, Miss Egghead."

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Harry's P.O.V. 

When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. Fred and George - clean-shaven again - seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well. 

"Hope it's Angelina," said Fred as Harry, Y/N,  Ron, and Hermione sat down. 

"So do I!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Well, we'll soon know!"

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was their second feast in two days, Harry didn't seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much as he would have normally. 

His eyes kept on trailing to Y/N, who sat across from him, and then to Cho, who's sheet of shiny, long black hair always caught his eye. 

He knew he should only be looking at Y/N, but lately, she seemed to have taken a liking for Elijah Collins. Slytherin, Prefect, blonde, brown-eyed, older guy. Could Harry really compete with that? 

Wishing he knew the answer, he decided that he'd just stop thinking about it. He'd still flirt with Y/N, because he needed to. Harry knew that if he didn't, he'd feel empty due to the fact that he didn't have his Y/N. 

Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet. 

Harry simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions. At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. 

On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming while Mister Crouch looked quite uninterested, almost bored. 

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "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 indicated the door behind the staff table, which led to the Hogwarts Trophy room - "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

Harry watched as Dumbledore waved his wand, and all the candles blew out, leaving them in the blue light of the Goblet of Fire. 

It danced across Y/N's face, illuminating her eyes and making her look ethereal. Not like Y/N wasn't always ethereal, but the light made her look even more beautiful. 

Everyone waited with bated breath. "Any second now..." Ron said, glancing at his watch.

The flames in the goblet flashed red, sparks flying away from it. Out of the center, accompanied by a tongue of flame, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out, causing gasps to echo in the room. 

Dumbledore caught the parchment and used the light of the flames to read, announcing, "The champion for Durmstrang...will be Viktor Krum!"

"No surprises there!" Ron yelled over the thunderous claps. 

"Viktor, I love you-" Y/N began, clapping, but Ron put a hand over her mouth. 

Harry, I love you- 

No, Harry.

Viktor Krum rose from the Slytherin table and walked towards Dumbledore, who gave him a pat on the back. Karkaroff led the boy to the Trophy Room with nothing more than a stiff nod.

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

"Ron, it's her! The Veela girl!" Harry pointed out as applause erupted again. Ron swerved his head very fast, a laughable expression over taking his face. 

The girl who so resembled a Veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. 

"Oh look, they're all disappointed," Hermione said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party.

"Disappointed is a bit of an understatement," Y/N chuckled, and Harry had to agree. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms. 

Ron was still staring dreamily, but Y/N shot Hermione a sympathetic look, which Harry didn't exactly understand.

Fleur disappeared into the side-chamber as well, with rounds of applause and a encouraging smile from Madame Maxime. 

Everyone died down, when the goblet shifted into a harsh red for the third and final time.

Harry noticed how every single Hogwarts student was on edge. Y/N seemed to be the most worried. She was fiddling with the shield bracelet on her wrist, the one that Cedric had gotten her for her birthday.

Training his eyes onto Dumbledore, Harry saw as the Headmaster plucked the last slip of parchment, barely just avoiding the sting of the flames. 

The Hall was dead silent, waiting, waiting, waiting. 

Dumbledore had the hint of a smile. "And our very own Hogwarts champion..." he said slowly. Y/N and Hermione were quite literally at the edges of their seats (Y/N more than Hermione), while Ron was muttering prayers against Cedric under his breath. 

"Shall be none other than...Cedric Diggory!" 

While the rest of the haul was swept with roaring applause and whoops and yells, Y/N's face went slack, Ron swore very loudly, and Hermione looked concerned for her best friend. 

Harry really didn't mind Cedric, not after he'd established the fact that his relationship with Y/N was purely platonic. Shoot, he even liked the guy, 

"Shit, shit, shit," Y/N muttered. 

But when Cedric passed, Harry saw her expression morph from worry to support when she gave him a huge thumbs-up. Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could be heard again.

After Cedric passed, Y/N's expression fell into worry again.

Harry, of course, was in on this applause. Ron on the other hand, was not - when Harry nudged him, Ron just scoffed.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily when the hall had quietened. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to support your champions-" 

He cut himself off. It was apparent what had distracted him. 

Harry watched as the Goblet exploded into red flames once more, tongues of flames shooting outwards, as though trying to escape. Borne on the flame was another slip of parchment. 

Automatically, Dumbledore extended his arm, waiting for the paper to flutter into his palm. The Hall was completely silent. Harry could hear his own heart pounding in his ears.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and announced...

"Harry Potter." 

 ✦

He was in the Trophy Room, now, after having passed the student body, which looked at him like he was sprouted another head. 

Harry had turned to Y/N, Ron and Hermione; beyond them, he saw the long Gryffindor table all watching him, openmouthed. "I didn't put my name in," Harry had said blankly. "You know I didn't." 

Ron had stared just as blankly back. 

Hermione had her brows furrowed, either worried or already trying to figure out what happened. 

Y/N...she looked absolutely devastated. Maybe it was because both Harry and Cedric had gotten chosen, and she was worried. Her eyes were rimmed with that white glow, illuminating the silver plate in front of her. She wasn't crying, she was either mad, or...some other emotion.

Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour and Cedric were grouped around the fire. They looked strangely impressive, silhouetted against the flames. Fleur Delacour looked around when Harry walked in and threw back her sheet of long, silvery-blonde hair.

"What is it?" she said. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

 Oh. Fleur though that Harry had come to deliver a message. He didn't really know what to do, so he stood there awkwardly. Cedric turned to him and raised a brow. 

"Is Y/N happy?" he asked carefully. 

"I dunno," Harry said quietly. "Cheered us on." 

"Us?" Cedric inquired. 

There was a scurry of footsteps behind them, and the voice of Ludo Bagman. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen... lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three.

"May I introduce - incredible though it may seem - the fourth Triwizard champion?"

Viktor Krum straightened up.. Cedric looked nonplussed. He looked from Bagman to Harry and back again as though sure he must have misheard what Bagman had said. 

Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."

The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in: Mister Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape.

"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, striding over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zis little boy is to compete also!"

Somewhere under Harry's numb disbelief he felt a ripple of anger. Little boy? He, who had been through so much, was a little boy? 

Karkaroff gave a steely smile. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions. Or have I not read the rules carefully enough?" He gave a short and nasty laugh. 

"C'est impossible," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was resting upon Fleur's shoulder." 'Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most injust." 

"It's no one's fault but Potter's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules. He has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here -"

There was a loud bang of the door, and Dumbledore came running into the room, directly at Harry, pushing him against a glass trophy case.

"HARRY!" he bellowed. "HARRY DID YOU PUT YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIRE?!" Dumbledore said calmly. 

"N-no sir!" Harry said.

"ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY SURE?!"

"Yes sir!" 

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Y/N's P.O.V. 

When Y/N woke up early on Sunday morning, it took her a moment to remember what happened the previous day. 

After the Champions had been chosen, the other students were dismissed to their dormitories. So many people (from other Houses, mostly) were outraged at the fact that Harry was a champion, mocking him, saying he just wanted more fame. 

Ron was silent the whole way up to Gryffindor tower.

Y/N could take a guess at what was going on in his head. Ron had once expressed to Y/N that he felt overshadowed by Harry sometimes. When they said goodnight, he put on a strained smile and trudged up the staircase. 

Y/N and Hermione decided to skip the party that was going on in the Gryffindor Common Room. Hermione wanted to consult her books, and Y/N just wanted to go to bed and pretend nothing ever happened. 

So that morning, Y/N was up early, dressed in grey sweatpants and a black oversized sweater, waiting in the common room, reading a book. She saw Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean come down from their dorm, without Harry. 

"Where's Harry?" Y/N asked quietly, looking at Ron. 

"Your boyfriend is still asleep," Ron said gruffly. "Let him, he needs it." 

But something in his voice suggested that he didn't want to see Harry, or even hear his name. 

The boys left the common room just as Hermione came down, a worried look still on her face. Her first question was, "Has Harry been down?" 

"No," Y/N said glumly. "Still asleep. Ron told me." 

"Ron seemed a bit off last night..." Hermione said slowly, sitting down. " I think he thinks Harry entered himself." 

Y/N snorted, "Of course he didn't enter himself. Did you see his face?" 

"Let's go get him some breakfast," said Hermione. "I don't think he'll want to eat in the Great Hall." 

"Good idea," Y/N agreed fervently.

The two girls exited the common room, chatting about the events of yesterday, all the way down to the Great Hall. Y/N deviated for a moment to congratulate Cedric. She'd decided that he was happy, and she should be happy for him. He would be okay - it wasn't dangerous anymore. 

He'd given her the biggest grin, the tightest hug, then she released herself and helped Hermione butter some bread for Harry. 

They wrapped it up in a napkin, and made their way back to the common room. The Fat Lady's portrait swung open, and they came face to face with Harry, who was dressed in dark jeans and a muted, maroon hoodie. 

"Hello," Hermione said. 

"Mornin'," Y/N said. "We brought you this - want to go for a walk?" 

"Good idea," said Harry gratefully. They went downstairs and crossed the Great Hall quickly, finding themselves beside the lake, near where the Durmstrang ship was moored. 

It was a chilly sort of morning and Harry told Y/N and Hermione exactly what had happened after he had left the Gryffindor table the night before. 

"Well, of course we knew you hadn't entered yourself," Hermione said. 

"The look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name!" Y/N said, grabbing Harry's hand in comfort. Their silver bracelets clanged together in a way they hadn't done for a while. "I knew it wasn't you." 

Harry gratefully stroked his thumb against her hand, which sent butterflies to the pit of Y/N's stomach.

Hermione continued, "But the question is, who did put it in? Because Moody's right, Harry...I don't think any student could have done it... they'd never be able to fool the Goblet, or get over Dumbledore's -"

"Have you seen Ron?" Harry interrupted. 

"Yes," Y/N said quietly. "This morning, came down to the common room with Dean, Seamus and Neville. I asked about you, he said you were asleep."

"Does he still think I entered myself?" 

The silence that Y/N and Hermione gave him was all he needed. 

"Well... no, I don't think so... not really," said Hermione awkwardly, trying to fill the silence. 

"Not really? What does that mean?" 

"Oh, Harry, isn't it obvious?" Hermione asked despairingly, looking to Y/N for help with the part she really didn't want to say. 

Y/N sighed, "He's jealous, Scarboy."

"Jealous?" Harry said incredulously. "Jealous of what? He wants to make a prat of himself in front of the whole school, does he?"

"Look," said Hermione patiently, "it's always you who gets all the attention, you know it is. I know it's not your fault," she added quickly, seeing Harry open his mouth furiously. Y/N squeezed his hand to calm him down.

"Great," said Harry bitterly. "Really great. Tell him from me I'll swap any time he wants. Tell him from me he's welcome to it...people gawping at my forehead everywhere I go..."

"We're not telling him anything, Harry," said Y/N. "Tell him yourself. It's the only way to sort this out, you know."

"I'm not running around after him trying to make him grow up!" Harry said, so loudly that several owls in a nearby tree took flight in alarm. "Maybe he'll believe I'm not enjoying myself once I've got my neck broken or -"

"That's not funny," said Y/N quietly. "That's not funny at all." 

He was joking about it so casually and it made Y/N increasingly worried. He didn't realize the potential danger of this Tournament.

Harry mumbled a, "Sorry," and locked his green eyes with her e/c ones. 

Hermione still had her brows furrowed. "Harry, I've been thinking-"

"And you didn't tell me what you were thinking about?" Y/N grumbled as they sat down on a cluster of rocks that overlooked the Black Lake.

"I'm so sorry that my thoughts don't telepathically transfer to your brain when I lay down in bed to sleep," Hermione said dryly, but she was smiling slightly nonetheless. 

Y/N grinned, "We can work on that." 

"What were you saying, 'Mione?" Harry asked. 

He seemed a little distant, only really coming back to the conversation when Y/N looked at him, or said his name, or squeezed his hand. Slowly, he rested his head on her shoulder, his black hair tickled her jaw and increased the goosebumps she already had. 

Hermione sighed, "You know what we've got to do, don't you? Straight away, the moment we get back to the castle?" 

Harry snorted. "Yeah, give Ron a good kick up the -" 

"No, write to Sirius!" Hermione scolded. 

"Right..." Harry said slowly. "And then give Ron a good kick up the-" 

"No, Scarboy." 

✦

The trio had gone to the Owlery so Harry could send his letter. Hermione provided him some parchment and a quill, and they sat in the Hallway outside the shit-floored room so they wouldn't get their clothes dirty. 

Y/N sat criss-crossed on the floor, while Harry had his legs draped in her lap as he wrote at and awkward angle. When Hermione pointed it out, Harry defended himself, saying that it was comfortable and that Y/N's presence was helping. 

Looking at the paper, she saw they he had written, 

Dear Sirius,

You told me to keep you posted on what's happening at Hogwarts, so here goes — I don't know if you've heard, but the Triwizard Tournament's happening this year and on Saturday night I got picked as a fourth champion. I don't know who put my  name in the Goblet of Fire, because I didn't. The other Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory, from Hufflepuff. 

Hope you're okay, and Buckbeak 

- Harry.

Hedwig had been a little sharpish with the boy after he didn't let her take the letter, which just caused him to become even more agitated. 

Y/N felt incredibly bad for him, having to face whispers and insults from his peers the week during classes. It was Thursday, November third, and the talk still hadn't died down.

The Gryffindors were amazed.

The Slytherins, who hated Gryffindor and Harry with all their guts, were upset.

But Y/N didn't see why Ravenclaw was mad. They weren't really involved, but chose to side with Cedric anyway. Maybe they felt as though Harry already had enough glory.

She could understand the Hufflepuff's attitude, because they felt as though Harry Potter had taken the glory away from their House. Y/N had talked to Cedric, and he wasn't mad, but rather worried for the boy, since he was underage. 

"How's he taking it?" Cedric asked Y/N, catching up to her in the hallway. "Harry. How's he feeling?" 

"He's been...trying," Y/N said carefully. "Not the best, you know? He really hates it. He doesn't want to take the spotlight from you." 

Cedric scoffed, "Oh, c'mon, it wouldn't be a normal year if Harry Potter didn't have an incident. Besides, it's the person who wins who gets the glory. It'll be me, don't worry." 

"Humble, aren't you?" 

"As humble as your boyfriend," Cedric replied with mock-sweetness. "But anyway-" 

He and Y/N carried a conversation, but he dropped her off to her next class, Charms 

Meanwhile there was no reply from Sirius, and Professor Trelawney was predicting Harry's death with even more certainty than usual. 

Harry did so badly at Summoning Charms in Professor Flitwick's class that he was given extra homework - the only person to get any, apart from Neville. 

"It's really not that difficult, Harry," Hermione tried to reassure him as they left Flitwick's class. 

Y/N and she had been making objects zoom across the room to her all lesson, as though they were some sort of weird magnet for board dusters, wastepaper baskets, and lunascopes. "You just weren't concentrating properly -"  

"I wonder why that is," Harry muttered. 

"You just need to try," Y/N urged. "How about this, imagine you're being hunted down by a creature...uh...I dunno, a dragon. And you need to retrieve...something. You know what, I'm seeing that this example isn't the best." 

"Made me feel better, though," Harry offered with a weak smile.

Y/N grabbed his hand and twirled him around, breathing a light laugh, to which Harry joined in.

"I'm glad, Scarboy."

His joy was quickly wavered, as was Y/N's as they approached the Dungeons for an afternoon of a Double Potions class. Y/N, Harry and Hermione found the Slytherins waiting outside, each and every one oft hem wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes. In luminous red letters, they are bore the same message: 

Support Cedric Diggory - 

The real Hogwarts Champion! 

"Like them, Potter?" Draco Malfoy asked, pointing to his badge. "And that's not all they do - look!" 

He pressed the badge with his forefinger, and Y/N watched the colors spin and spin, until another message was displayed, this time glowing green: 

POTTER STINKS! 

The Slytherins all laughed loudly, turning their badges to the POTTER STINKS! version. Y/N could feel Harry's grip tighten in hers. It wasn't even funny? It's literally just two words, but Y/N would bet her whole Gringotts account that Malfoy made them. 

"Hilarious," Y/N said monotonously, giving the group a hard glare. 

"Very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing the hardest, "really witty." 

Y/N saw that Ron was standing against the wall with Dean and Seamus. He wasn't laughing, but he wasn't sticking up for Harry either. 

He was being such a douche right now.

"Want one, Granger, Sterling?" said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood or a half-breed's kid sliming it up."

And at that, Y/N laughed. 

She closed her eyes and laughed in the face of the Slytherins, specifically Draco Malfoy. It wasn't funny, she didn't know why she was laughing. 

When she opened her eyes to look at them, she was a little bit satisfied at the white glow that flickered over the Dungeon. Y/N had a hand on her wand, but Harry beat her to it. 

"Harry, no," Hermione said warningly.

"Go on, then, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now-" 

"And that's the only reason you have the courage to be talking, isn't that right, Malfoy?" Y/N seethed. 

Malfoy shot her a nasty look.  "Do it, if you've got the guts -" 

For a split second, Harry and Malfoy looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted. 

"Furnunculus!" Harry yelled. 

"Densaugeo!" screamed Malfoy.  

Their spells shot out of their wands, meeting in the middle and ricocheting. Harry's curse hit Goyle, who sprouted boils on his face. Malfoy's curse whizzed past Y/N's ear, hitting Hermione straight in the mouth, causing her to whimper in panic. 

"Hermione!" Ron called, rushing to Hermione, whom Y/N was already beside. Ron dragged Hermione's hand away from her face. It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth - already larger than average — were now growing at an alarming rate. 

"And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice. 

Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain."

Y/N clenched her fists, noticing the white glow had increased slightly, her eyes stung. Her palms tingled again.

 "Potter attacked me, sir —"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.

"- and he hit Goyle - look -"

Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a water-balloon fight. "Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly. 

"That blonde bitch got Hermione!" Y/N said with gritted teeth.

"Look!" said Ron. He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth - she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. 

Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back. 

Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference." Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight. 

Holy fucking shit. 

Something sharp pricked the hand that was vacant of Y/N's wand. Two things. The dragon ring, again, and the knife. Again. 

What the bloody hell? 

Y/N ignored the alarmed look on Draco Malfoy's face and pointed her wand at Snape, who's greasy hair was illuminated in the light of her eyes.

When she raised her wrist, she found that Elijah's bracelet was in between her wand and her fingers, while Harry's gleamed on her wrist, surrounded by the calming Flos Lunaris flowers.

Why was Elijah's bracelet in her hands? 

Why did she have a dragon ring? 

Why did she have a knife?

"Lower your wand," Snape said in a dangerous voice. 

"Stop bullying children," Y/N challenged. "Just because you were a loser at this age, doesn't mean you have the right to-" 

"I shall not be spoken to this way-" 

"Oh yeah, Remus told me. The great bullying racist git you were, your own best friend-" 

"Silence!" Snape bellowed, spit spraying her face. Y/N wiped it off in disgust. "Everyone, get in this classroom at this instant. We shall discuss detentions in a moment-" 

Y/N scoffed loudly. Fixing Elijah's bracelet onto her wrist (The beads kept pushing towards the direction of her palms, she didn't know as to why), she slipped her wand and the knife into her robe pocket.

Y/N let the dragon ring clatter to the floor, turning on her heel, but slow enough to catch a glimpse of Draco Malfoy scrambling to pick...something...up. 

She ignored Snape's yells and shouts, running out of the Dungeon in pursuit of her distressed best friend.

─── ☆: *.⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ .* :☆ ───

"Hi GUYS OMGOMGOMG," dumbledore greeted calmly. 

i missed u lot !! i feel like it's been foreverrrrrrr

tell me abt what's goin' on w y'all! anything exciting? 

power stuff! 

also, if y'all want silly updates and stuff abt how my chapters are going, and announcements for publishing, follow me to see that kinda stuff on my conversations feed ! 

no emoji's cuz it's 1 am LMAO and im tired af :3 (literally what i say every update)

i feel like im forgetting sum...

OH YEA 

predictions for our/your/yns powers??

ok im literally falling asleep rn I LOVE YOU GUYS SMMMMMMM

bye, troublemakers ! <3

- dizzy