Chapter 29
A huge, bright spark flew up into the air from where I was standing. The hedges seemed to sink back into the ground. I saw people in the distance running closer from the stands. I could not see Headmaster McGonagall or Professor la Urque in the crowd. Ursula and Trudy were leading the pack.
Suddenly I was being hugged my fifty people at a time. I held my arms up so no one would damage the Triwizard Cup. I could not stop smiling at all. People from all the schools were congratulating me, but mostly students from Beaxbaton. Argius gave me a quick pat on the back before walking away with a grumbling pack of Durmstrang boys. Ursula and Trudy tried to be my bodyguards by getting people to back up but it did not work that well. Finally an earsplitting whistle traveled across he entire school grounds. Many people stopped moving and covered their ears.
A path was cleared for Headmaster McGonagall. Ursula was the only one allowed to stay with me as I was led back to the podium where Headmaster McGonagall was going to do the formal announcement. A lot of people had just stayed in the stands to avoid being trampled by the large crowd. I waved to where Madame Maxime, Professor la Urque, Professor Gru, Chef Busy, Chef Eleanor, and the other Beaxbaton staff members were sitting.
Headmaster McGonagall asked for everyone to be seated before she stepped up to the podium. She cleared her throat quietly and began.
"The winner of this year's Triwizard Tournament is Aurora Bethany Lynx!"
A thunderous cheer rose up through the entire stands. People began hooting, screaming, stomping their feet. I felt my cheeks get a little red but smiled at everyone. I held up the Triwizard Cup, which made them go even crazier. Headmaster McGonagall stepped to the side for me to step up to the podium. She motioned for me to say a few words. I hesitated a little but eventually stepped up.
"This is amazing," I breathed. There was a lot more clapping. I waited until it was done before asking the question I had wanted the answer to since all this had begun, "Now, who the heck put my name into that goblet?"
There was dead silence throughout all the stands. I looked around to see if there was someone standing or a hand raised but there was nothing. People looked right and left. They began whispering a little. When I cleared my throat silence filled the stands again. "Well?" I asked. More looking right, more looking left, but no one stood up. I nodded understandingly even though I did not understand how whoever had put my name in the goblet was not able to confess it. I backed away from the podium and turned to walk away.
A gasp ran throughout the entire crowd. I turned to see what the commotion was about. At first I could not see what had shocked them so much then I saw one person standing up, looking at me intently. I smiled because I was not surprised at all. The thing that shocked everyone else the most was that they thought this person, who had been in disguise up until now, was a criminal.
"I knew it," I said loud enough for the person to hear.
"Well, you are my goddaughter," Professor Pinns said with a shrug.
Headmaster McGonagall gave a small smile before she took my arm and began to lead me back toward the castle. Ursula shuffled along by my side with her head down. Reporters seemed to come out of nowhere. Cameras flashed in my face, questions were shot at me like bullets. Headmaster McGonagall and the professors tried their best to get them to calm down but they just seemed to grow more eager.
The next few hours were a mass of interviews, photographs, and hand-shaking and back patting. Eventually I was able to find a few minutes of down time. I took the chance to go visit the infirmary. Oscar Ivorio was asleep but Ginny Weasely was awake. Her leg was in a cast. All the Weaselys were in a circle around her bed. I walked over and they moved to the side a little so I could get in and talk to Ginny.
"Congratulations," she said.
"Thanks," I replied. "Congratulations to you, too. You did an amazing job."
She looked around at her family. "Can you give me a minute with Rory?" They all nodded and left reluctantly. Ginny sat up a little more before she began to talk again. "Harry told me a long time ago he had to do something special for an old friend of ours. I didn't realize until now that that was what he was working on right now. He told me a little while before he left to let me know how the final challenge came out. He told me then it was because he was going on a special vacation, but now I know he's not. I would really appreciate it if you could tell him about what happened."
"Like, right now?"
"When you get the chance."
"I would love to, but-"
"He's at Grimwauld Place."
"But-"
"Please, just trust me."
I nodded somberly. "I'll go."
I walked out of the infirmary slowly. I was able to get back to the carriage without too many people holding me back to talk to me. Inside my room the Triwizard Cup was lying on my pillow. I pulled my Nimbus out from under my bed. I heard Ursula in the bathroom. The doorknob began to turn. I did not have time to grab a jacket before I rushed out of the room. I did not want her to see me leaving because I did not want to stir up any type of commotion.
Once I got outside the castle I took off into the dark sky. When I looked over the grounds I thought I saw the outline of the maze in the moonlight.
