KibaSin: This one is extra long due to the long wait. :) Plus, I'd like to dedicate it to Valleygoat, who took the time to review every chapter that she read.
Triwizard Tournament
Slytherin
One
The Goblet of Fire flared to life once more, blue flames whipping wildly about, before a single piece of parchment shot into the Great Hall. Hogwarts students alike held their breath, watching as Professor Albus Dumbledore swiped it from the air with ease.
The question hung heavily among them—who would be the Hogwarts Champion?—as they waited for the Professor to finally unfold the parchment.
"Maybe it'll be a Gryffindor," Harry Potter whispered to his best friend.
Ronald Weasley nodded, as he said, "As long as it isn't a Slytherin, I'll be—!"
Professor Dumbledore's eyes seemed to twinkle, as he finally announced the name of the Hogwarts Champion. "Higurashi Kagome!" he called. His voice boomed around the Great Hall, demeaning silence, as he waited for the young woman to finally make her appearance.
"Who?" Ron frowned. He had never heard the name before, and he was immediately concerned that—
The Slytherin house erupted into cheers suddenly, as the small seventh year stepped away from the crowd they had formed. Her smile was bright, excited, and it was not long before her appearance caused the other houses to join in the excitement.
"Oh, just great," Ron almost snarled.
"Well, it could have been worse," Harry laughed. He, too, had never heard the name Higurashi Kagome, but knowing that the Goblet of Fire had chosen her, he did not feel the same animosity that Ron felt. There had to be something that the Goblet recognized, after all, despite her Slytherin affiliation.
"Oh dear," Hermione sighed. She really could not understand Ron's prejudice against the girl, but she was certain that it would have only been increased if he had known what she, herself, knew. In fact, if what she had read was true, the Higurashi family had dabbled heavily in the Dark Arts and been avid supporters of the Dark Lord during the First Wizarding War.
But this Higurashi girl, with her bright smile, did not seem to deserve such treatment. Especially once Hermione considered the fact that the Goblet of Fire had to have recognized her determination and strength to participate in dangerous situations.
"And now that our three Champions have been chosen—"
The Great Hall's excitement seemed to die, however, when the Goblet of Fire flared to life once more unexpectedly. Another piece of parchment flew into the air, and the Great Hall waited with baited breath, as Professor Dumbledore quietly grabbed the parchment in confusion.
Two
The Slytherin girl frowned, watching as Harry Potter finally returned from his untimely adventure with Rita Skeeter. The woman was vicious, and she was rather glad that the reporter seemed more interested in the famous Harry Potter than anyone else. "Poor kid," she mumbled.
"Ah, but at least it is not you, ja?" Viktor Krum said.
The Hogwarts Champion nodded, before her eyes flickered toward Professor Dumbledore when he coughed. Beside him stood Garrick Ollivander, and she straightened a little knowing that the time had finally come for her wand to be weighed. "Professor," she greeted Dumbledore.
"I would like to introduce Mr. Ollivander," Professor Dumbledore said. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are suitable for the tournament."
The wand maker stepped forward, his eyes twinkling, as he called forth Fleur Delacour. He tipped her wand this way and that in his examination, muttering about how it was made with rosewood, inflexible. And even Kagome lifted her brow when the Beauxbatons girl declared that the core was made from the hair of her veela grandmother.
And then it was her turn, as Mr. Ollivander said, "Miss Higurashi, if you would please step forward."
The Slytherin girl quickly did as she was asked, pulling her sleek, honey-colored wand from her robe. A smile touched her face, as Mr. Ollivander carefully took it from her hand and brought it to his ear.
"Ah, one of mine, yes?" Mr. Ollivander asked.
"Yes, sir," she replied.
"Hm," he muttered. "A curious wand, indeed. I remember the day you stepped into my shop, Miss Higurashi, as I remember everyone who has ever purchased one of my wands. This one, I remember, had the tendency to be quite temperamental before it was placed into your hands."
"It does contain dragon heartstring," she reminded him.
"Ah, yes," he nodded. "Thirteen and a quarter inches. The wood of a sacred tree combined with dragon heartstring. Surprisingly swishy." And then, with a flick of his wrist, he produced a brilliant spectrum of light from the tip. "All in good working order, Miss Higurashi."
"Thank you, sir." Her head bowed slightly, a habit she had gained from her mother, as she took her wand from Mr. Ollivander. Then, turning on her heel, she returned to her seat.
Fleur Delacour turned to her, asking, "A zacred zree? Not ofzen zat anyone uses zat zpe of wood."
"Yes," she smiled at her, "it would seem that we both have very unique wands, Fleur."
Harry Potter could only blink, as the Slytherin girl began to laugh with her Beauxbatons rival. The entire Gryffindor house was in an uproar, not only with his supposed tricking of the Goblet of Fire, but also the fact that the Hogwarts Champion had been a Slytherin student.
That girl, though, she seemed entirely too nice to be a typical Slytherin.
Three
Her vision went black for a moment, as the pain shot through her side. The dragon's fangs sunk deep, ripping through her flesh with ease, and she vaguely felt herself lifted from the ground. There was blood gushing, she knew, as she finally came back to herself to find that the dragon had been kind enough to throw her high into the air.
Hogwarts students alike screamed, watching her untimely flight.
Higurashi Kagome hit the ground hard, rolling, and she allowed herself only a moment to lie there. Her arms tightened around the Golden Egg she had managed to snatch from the dragon, knowing that she had completed the task, but the snarl from the beast quickly had her on edge.
Despite the puddle of blood beneath her, the Slytherin girl found the strength to face her flame-throwing opponent. Her eyes were wild, gazing into the blood-dripping maw of the beast, and she instinctively lifted her hand toward the danger.
The dragon roared in bewilderment, as a strange pink magic erupted from the girl's body. Blinded from the light, the dragon roared, before thick, scorching flames were released in the Slytherin's direction.
The shock registered quickly, and then the whispers began, when it became clear that some type of barrier had protected the Hogwarts Champion from her fiery death. She stood among the last of the flames, her wand pointed in the direction of the beast, as she clutched her Golden Egg to her bleeding side.
"Confringo!"
A rock near the dragon exploded, causing the blinded beast to back away in confusion. Flames filled the air when another rock exploded, scorching the ground and hitting flame resistant barriers, as the dragon was unable to determine where the threat had came from.
Blood trailing behind her, Higurashi Kagome finally slipped through the opened door and into the hands of concerned medics.
Four
Harry blinked curiously, as he watched the Slytherin girl turn on her heel and give him a small smile. Then, almost as if she had never done such, Kagome twirled again and briskly walked away from him.
He still could not figure out how that girl had landed herself in Slytherin.
However, he did not give himself too much time to dwell on the subject, as he carefully unfolded the piece of parchment she had swiftly shoved into his hand. Her writing was pretty and neat, and he felt his brow furrow inward at the words that she had sprawled there.
'You should try taking a bath to clear your head, Harry. Don't forget to take your egg with you.'
Glancing up, Harry Potter found that luck was not on his side. The Higurashi had already disappeared down another corridor, leaving him to ponder silently over what she meant. Why should he take his egg for a bath, of all things? Did it have something to do with how to stop the blasted thing from screeching every time he attempted to open it?
Looking back down at the parchment, hoping that he had missed something, Harry felt confused to find the words beginning to vanish. And then, just as quickly, another sentence replaced it:
'Oh, sorry about the buttons, by the way.'
"Buttons?" Harry mumbled. "What does that mean?"
What an odd Slytherin.
Five
"Souta!" The gasp escaped her immediately, though unheard through the bubble charm she had cast around her face. She had known that something had been taken from her, something important, but she had not expected it to be her little brother.
Harry Potter turned, gaping at her, as her powerful, transfigured tail fin pushed her rapidly through the water. She barely gifted the Gryffindor with a glance, though, knowing that Viktor Krum was once again ahead of her, and blasted her way through her brother's thick chain.
"Souta," she muttered, holding him close.
Harry seemed to say something, from all the bubbles rising from his mouth, but she did not understand. She noticed that he motioned rapidly to the other two people floating nearby, and allowed herself the moment to pause.
Where was Fleur?
The Beauxbatons girl had been ahead of her, from what she knew, so why was her precious person still trapped in suspended animation beneath the lake? Had she been unlucky enough to encounter the giant squid? And, if something had happened to her, what would become of—?
The Slytherin girl shook her head, glaring at the Gryffindor boy. She understood that he had the same worry, from the look in his eye, but he had to understand that Professor Dumbledore would not allow these people to die. They were in no real danger. "No," she told him, "sorry."
The Gryffindor did not understand, and could only gasp when her sudden departure swirled the water around him and in his face.
Six
"Hermione?" Harry Potter blinked in surprise, as his friend turned toward him from her place on Viktor Krum's arm. He was more than a little surprised by the fact that his friend was standing there, as pretty as ever, accompanied by the Durmstang Champion as if it were an everyday occurrence.
"Oh, hello, Harry," Hermione smiled.
Harry felt his mouth drop open, as he blinked at Hermione Granger. He now understood why she had glared so heatedly at Ron when she snapped that she already had a date to the Yule Ball. Of course, Ron had made it out to seem like he was only asking to make certain Hermione was not forced to go alone for the evening.
The last person he expected, though, was Viktor Krum!
"Trying to catch flies, are you now, Potter?"
His head snapped in the other boy's direction, as he snarled, "Malfoy."
The other Hogwarts Champion on his arm giggled lightly, causing the Slytherin Prince to smirk in triumph.
Harry felt his eyebrow twitch, realizing that Draco Malfoy had somehow convinced Higurashi Kagome to accompany him for the night. He tightened his grip in annoyance, and he blinked when Parvati pushed him in the shoulder with a light glare. "Oh," he muttered, "sorry about that."
It was just odd, though. He had not expected for the Slytherin girl to accept the invitation of someone three years her junior. Especially when they seemed to resemble night and day within the small antechamber they were forced to wait in until McGonagall called them into the Great Hall.
Even Parvati seemed to notice his current train of thought, as she turned her head toward the Slytherin pair. "She's so small compared to him." Her tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth, as she added, "You certainly wouldn't think that she was a seventh year, would you?"
Harry had not noticed, truthfully, but he nodded nevertheless.
But, with her standing beside Draco Malfoy, Harry noted that Parvati was correct in her observation. Higurashi Kagome was really small compared to the Malfoy heir. She barely reached the boy's chin, and was forced to tilt her head back to look the other Slytherin in the face when he teased her lightly.
Professor McGonagall coughed, catching his attention, as she motioned them through the doors leading into the Great Hall. Parvati was quick to follow the instruction, tugging on his arm, and he found himself falling into step behind Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies.
"Don't trip, Potter," Draco called from behind him.
"Oh," Kagome sighed, "be nice, Draco."
Seven
"You should take it," she told him softly. "You just saved my life."
Harry blinked in surprise, noticing that the Slytherin was smiling at him from behind the TriWizard Cup. His face flushed slightly, since he was certain that anyone else would have done the same if they had found her pinned to the ground beneath Viktor Krum. "Well," he sort of half-smiled back at her, "I think that you should take it. I've got enough of the whole fame and glory thing, y'know?"
"No." Her voice was firm as she continued, saying, "I didn't stop to help you underneath the lake, even when it was obvious that you wanted me to. But you, Harry Potter, you took it upon yourself to make certain that I wasn't raped or killed or—"
"—Okay, yeah," Harry cut her off. He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, as he said, "Maybe you didn't do that, but you still helped me with the Golden Egg after I told you about the First Task!"
Her smile twisted a little, as she said, "Professor Snape had already told me about the dragons. I only took the time to help you with your Golden Egg because I thought it admirable that a Gryffindor would stop to think about helping a Slytherin."
"O-oh." He supposed he should have known Snape would not allow one of his precious snakes to step into the unknown. "Then how 'bout—"
Her brow knitted together, as she asked, "Yes?"
"—we do it together," Harry suggested. "Win together, that is."
"A Gryffindor and a Slytherin?" she chuckled. "Scandalous."
Harry could only blink at her, as she smiled once again.
"But, I'm willing," she sighed. "If that is what you really want."
And then he smiled himself.
"On the count of three?" she suggested. She was satisfied when he nodded back at her, waiting for when she would finally start the count down. His emerald green eyes were focused upon her, and she was amazed once again that the Gryffindor wanted to include his rival house in the glory of Hogwarts.
"One," Harry gulped, "two," and his hand twitched, "three!"
The world twisted away from them both the moment they touched the TriWizard Cup. Everything turned black in an instant, and neither could quite register which of them was screaming.
Eight
"Wormtail," there was a voice through the haze, "make sure the Slytherin does not interfere."
Harry Potter blinked rapidly, trying to overcome the black spots in his vision. He lifted himself onto his hands, unsure about the situation, as searing hot pain rushed through his forehead and into his brain. "Ahh!" he yelped in surprise.
"Harry!" Kagome's voice cut through the dizziness that he felt.
Harry smiled a bit, pleased to know that the Slytherin girl was still with him. It was comforting in some way, as his vision began to come back to him, knowing that the older witch had not left his side. "Ka—" it was difficult to speak through the pain, "—gome."
"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned.
Her face came into view at last, and Harry nodded rather dumbly at her. Then, he asked, "Where are we?"
"Wormtail." The demand was harsh the second time.
"Ah!" another voice replied. "Yes, of course, My Lord!"
"What—?" Kagome started to pull her wand from her robes, but she was not given the chance.
Harry nearly screamed when the spell hit her. He watched, helpless, as the Slytherin was thrown back a good ten feet and into a headstone. She slammed her head pretty hard, slumping down against the stone, and then the blood started staining the front of her blouse. "Kagome!"
Oh god, was she breathing?
"Don't worry, Potter," the pain increased, as he whipped his head in the direction of the voice, "you won't have to worry about your little Slytherin girlfriend once we're done with you."
"Pettigrew," he snarled.
Nine
"—gome!" That was her mother's voice. "Ka—!"
"—gome!" That was her brother's voice. "Mother, mother, stop it! She's still bleeding!"
Her body jostled once more, she was quickly reminded of the massive headache pounding beneath her temple. "Ugh," she moaned through the pain. "Whe—where—?"
Her mother smoothed back her hair once more, as her tears dripped steadily down onto her daughter's face. "You're right here, Kagome," she cried. "You're right here with me."
Her head shook lightly, as she continued asking, "—whe—Harry—Harry Po—Harry."
"Harry Potter is fine," her mother reprimanded her lightly. "You should be more worried about yourself. Look at you! You're all covered in blood."
Her eyes opened lazily, as her head slowly rolled to one side. Everything was spinning, but her concern could not be deterred. What had happened? How had she survived? Where was Harry Potter? Why did everyone look horrified and nervous?
Her mother's mouth thinned, as she called, "Bring Harry Potter here immediately! And where is that blasted medic? Why are you people not concerned with the fact that my daughter is bleeding heavily?"
Having noticed her mother's worried, chipped tone, Higurashi Kagome rolled her head back in her head direction. "Mother," she called quietly. Her mother was not known for having such a tone, so she could only fathom as to why her eyes looked so crazed beneath the water flow.
The older Higurashi shook her head, before she leaned down to speak quietly into her daughter's ear. Kagome would understand, being the oldest, though the memories were muddled and distant. "He's back," she muttered, "He's back."
Madam Pomfrey pushed her way through the crowd, at last.
The Slytherin felt her eyes widen, as the implication of her mother's words hit her to the core. Her own tears finally dripped down her tears, while she took the time to look into the face of her little brother. "No," she whispered.
"Shh, it's alright, dear." Madam Pomfrey pulled her wand. "You'll—"
"No!" Kagome screamed. It could not be true. Her mother had done everything in her power to separate them from the Dark Arts, and the fate that their own father would have willing thrown them into. The Dark Lord had fallen, with her own father dying soon after, and at last the Higurashi family was allowed the chance to carve their own destiny.
But now, if Lord Voldemort were truly alive, it would all be for naught. He would strike them low, killing each and every one of them, if the call was not heeded.
The strange pink magic erupted forth, surprising many, as Kagome screamed once again. And then, as it slowly faded back into her body, she lay in the grass crying, her pain gone, knowing that she would have to stand in her father's stead. For if she did not, she knew Souta's life could be at risk.
And she would not allow her little brother to die.
"Poor girl," someone muttered. "Must be the shock."
