Disclaimer: As much as I would like to claim ownership of Harry Potter, I am afraid that JK Rowling is the only one who can do so.
A/N: I LOVE YOU ALL! I just reached 50 reviews, and I am sooooooo happy! You are all so amazing for the reviews and alerts (which this story has reached 40 alerts YAY!)! Enjoy chapter 10 of Catching Her Eye!
Chapter 10: Snape's Biggest Fear
"Now," Dumbledore clapped his hands together and gazing out into the sea of faces. "It is the portion of the evening where I will explain the rules and regulations for the Triwizard Tournament."
Violet straightened up a little bit in her seat, giving her full attention towards the Headmaster. Ron turned reluctantly away from Hermione and faced the front of the Great Hall.
"To enter the Triwizard Tournament, you need only write your name--first and last-- and House on a piece of parchment and enter it into the Goblet of Fire before this time tomorrow evening," Dumbledore said, gesturing towards the large chest next to him.
The chest melted to reveal an old looking goblet. It was dark in colour and wooden. Dumbledore tapped his wand on the goblet's brim, and a brilliant fire sprang up instantly. The fire, however, was not like the one in the Gryffindor common room with the basic orange and red colours. This fire, was the most amazing thing any of them had ever seen. It's flames were blue and white, with various different hues in between, and danced up to a foot in the air.
"Tomorrow we will congregate in this very hall to announce the three champions," Dumbledore said. "Now Mr. Crouch would like to state some rules before we all dig into our wonderful feast."
Mr. Crouch stepped forward once more and unrolled a large scroll of parchment, in which he started to read from.
"As we have said before, no one student may enter the Triwizard Tournament if he or she is under the age of fifteen years," Mr. Crouch said. "There will be three extremely dangerous tasks, and three champions who have to complete said tasks. The Goblet of Fire alone chooses the three students to compete, no exceptions. The Goblet of Fire will show no favouritism to one House, but will choose the students in which it deems worthy. The same will go for Professor Dumbledore, Mr. Bagman, and I, who will serve as judges for said Tournament."
Mr. Crouch nodded curtly to Dumbledore and returned to his seat.
"Thank you, Bartemius," Dumbledore said. "Now, the Goblet of Fire will be placed in the Entrance Hall directly after the feast and there it will remain until six o'clock sharp tomorrow evening, when we will announce the winners."
The crowd of students nodded, showing their understanding of the rules.
"And for those of you who think that they can trick the Goblet into thinking they are of age, you are sadly mistaken, for the Goblet always knows," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye that made some of the students shift uncomfortably in their seats. "Now, Mr. Bagman has something to say to you all."
The students groaned, as they were all starting to get extremely hungry. Mr. Bagman stepped forward with a toothy grin plastered on his face.
"Now I know that you all are just as excited for the Tournament to begin as I am, so I will cut this short. I wanted to say tat the three champions will be exempted from taking the final exams, but unfortunately, there will be no Quidditch this year. Now without further ado, let the Triwizard Tournament begin! Now tuck in!"
A loud cheer erupted at these words as students clapped and shovelled various foods into their mouths.
"So," Hermione said from next to Ron. "Who thinks that they might enter?"
"Me!" many voices were heard from around them.
"Really?" Hermione said. "Well I just hope that you all know what you are getting yourselves into. I, for one, am not going to waste my year participating in something so dangerous, and besides, I just mustn't miss the exams!"
"Blimey, 'Mione," Ron said around a mouthful of potato. "Only you would worry about not having to do exams."
Violet laughed from across the table next to Seth.
"So, Seth," Violet asked. "Do you think that you might enter?"
"I don't know. I doubt it," he shrugged, looking at his sister and taking a bite of dumplings.
Violet's eyes went wide as she stared at Seth in disbelief.
"What?" Seth asked. "Is it my hair? Oh darn, I knew it was way too wavy!"
"No, no, Seth," Violet stammered. "It's not your hair. Your hair is fine, but… When did you start eating school food?"
"Seth decided that eating food made by House-Elfs is better then starving," Hermione answered Violet's question.
"Whoa," Violet said in amazement. "Hermione, have I ever told you how much I appreciate what you do?"
"No," Hermione smiled, "but no worries."
"You are quite an influence," Ron said, rubbing Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione waved them off modestly saying, "Oh nonsense, I just give people a push in the right direction…"
xxx
"Gin?" Harry asked quietly from beside his girlfriend.
"Yes, Harry?"
"Well, I was thinking that maybe I might enter the Tournament…"
"Really?" Ginny asked, setting down her fork.
"Yeah, are you okay with that?" Harry asked.
"Harry, you do whatever you want to do. If you decide that you want to be in the Triwizard, you can bet that I will be there for you," Ginny said solemnly.
"Thanks, Gin. I guess I just needed to hear you say that."
"No problem, Harry."
Harry smiled and returned to his plate to finish eating.
xxx
The students of Hogwarts were just about finished with their meal when a soft noise was heard at the back of the Great Hall. At first only the few people sitting by the doors heard it. Their silence soon travelled all the way through the Hall until it reached the staff table.
Professor Severus Snape, the Potions Master, stood up and swept up the aisle, heading to investigate this strange noise. As Snape passed Harry and Ginny, his eyes flicked towards Harry for a moment, and he paused.
Harry smiled at Snape for a moment before the Professor gave him a curt nod in acknowledgement. Seeing this, Ginny turned curious eyes towards Harry, who merely shrugged in response. He didn't exactly need everyone in the school to hear that he had any sort of personal relations with Snape. Although Harry knew he could trust Ginny, it was very silent in the Hall and you could hear even the slightest noise at that very moment.
Snape strode towards the Great Hall's doors and pushed them open, peering around the corner. Just as everyone was sure that nothing was out there, Snape let out an audible gasp as he jumped back in surprise.
Students all along the four House tables squirmed and looked over each other's head to see what had caused such a reaction out of Snape. However, when the creature made itself seen, instead of gasps of terror, hysteric laughing was heard ringing from ever corner of the Great Hall.
Scuttling out from between Snape's ankles, was none other than a little black-and-white cat. Violet clutched her side as the little cat came bolting straight at Seth, and jumped into his lap.
"Well done, Cookie!" Ron exclaimed, leaning over the table and patting the small kitten on the head.
"Cookie! Where have you been lately?" Violet said. "We haven't seen you for days!"
"He well--ahem--was…er," Seth stuttered nervously. "Doing… stuff."
Violet grinned.
"Doing what, for example?"
"Well… er," Seth said.
"Has he been spying on a special girl, perhaps?" Violet chided teasingly.
"What? No!" Seth looked aghast at such an accusation, but the look in his eyes told Violet that she had hit the mark.
"Oh, no. Of course not," Violet laughed. "How could I ever think such a thing?"
Ron was roaring with laughter from across the table, and even Hermione let out a reluctant giggle.
Seth buried his face in this arms, his cheeks tinged red. At the back of the Hall, however, Snape was turning red, not from embarrassment, but from hardly suppressed rage.
Snape strode towards where Seth was sitting and glared down at him. Seth looked up at the Professor with a smirk on his face.
"Come with me," Snape hissed at Seth, who got up, Cookie jumping on his shoulder.
As Snape dragged Seth out of the Great Hall by his jacket sleeve, students on all sides of the aisle stood up and applauded. Just as Seth was being pulled out of sight, he made a hasty bow, causing Harry to collapse into Ginny, laughing hysterically.
xxx
"Sit," Snape spat at Seth, who flopped on the armchair across from Snape's desk, his leg hanging, flung over one of the chair's arms.
"You wanted to speak with me, Severus?" Seth asked, looking at the Professor expectantly.
"I don't need your snarky retorts, you insolent little--"
"I don't think my mother will appreciate you saying such things to her little boy," Seth said shrewdly.
"Well, I also don't believe that Lily would side with a mere child that just humiliated a Professor in front of the entire school, and then proceeds to interrupt me," Snape said, but Seth merely blinked owlishly at him, and continued to pet Cookie, who was laying in his lap.
"Hmm…Well I didn't think that a mere kitten would embarrass said Professor," Seth said innocently.
Snape looked warily at the kitten in Seth's lap, who yawned suddenly, making Snape flinch, and Seth grin.
"Oh, but of course," Seth said with an air of just remembering some crucial information. "Unless Severus is afraid of cats…."
"You know how I feel about that creature of yours," Snape hissed dangerously, trying to inject some fear into the boy in front of him, but to no avail.
"I'm sorry," Seth said. "I seem to have forgotten…."
"Oh you are just like your father, always arrogant," Snape said.
"My father is twice the man you will ever be," Seth said, his eyes narrowed. He had stopped petting Cookie.
"Your father is a swine who has no feelings for anyone but himself!" Snape snarled.
"Oh is he now, Severus?" Seth said, glaring daggers at Snape. "Because last time I checked, he must have some feelings, otherwise my mother wouldn't have married him."
Seth said this very evenly, yet he had finally struck a chord.
"First you dare to call me by my first name, then you resort to this?"
Seth nodded, looking at Snape with a victorious smirk on his face. Seth turned to leave.
"Oh, and don't bother telling anyone of this little chat," Seth said. "Because if you do, you can bet that my mother wouldn't appreciate you saying those things about her husband, the man that she loves."
And with that, Seth left the office, leaving a gaping Snape in his wake.
xxx
The next day, the castle was buzzing with excitement. Today was the day that students 15 or over could enter their names into the Goblet of Fire. But there was also something else that had the students giggling and gossiping about.
That morning, The whole castle woke up to hear Snape screaming his head off. Some students had stuffed his office full of cats and kneazles.
"I wonder who it was?" Hermione had said that morning, looking at Seth pointedly.
"Oh, don't look at me," Seth said. "I wouldn't want to be in that office more than I had too."
"Then… Fred? George?"
"Don't get your wand in a knot, Hermione," Ron said. "Fred and George wouldn't sneak up to the school from their place in Hogsmeade just to shove some cats into that slimy git's office."
"Then…?" Hermione furrowed her brows. "Who could it have been?"
But just then, Irisa walked by the group smelling strongly off kitty litter and kneazle fur. Seth smiled.
"So," Violet asked as they walked towards the Goblet of Fire. "Who all's going to enter?"
"I am," Ron said. "What about you?"
"Yeah, I guess," Violet said. "Seth?"
"No, thanks."
"Harry said that he might enter," Ron said looking around for his sister and Harry.
"Oh, there they are!" Hermione said, pointing towards the Goblet. Harry was entering a small slip of parchment into the blue-and-white flames, while Ginny watched from next to him.
"Hey Ginny!"
Ginny turned around and waved at all of her friends and brother, telling them to come over.
Violet and Ron both ran up to the Goblet and threw their respective slips of parchment into the flames. Hermione and Seth lagged a bit behind, chatting, as Seth pinned a bright orange S.P.E.W. badge onto his chest.
Now all there was left to do was wait impatiently for the announcing of the champions later that night.
A/N: Once again, I figured this was the best place to end the chapter. Help me reach at least 60 reviews by the next update (That's only 8 reviews)! Since I have 40 alerts and so many visitors, it shouldn't be a problem, right?
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