It had been awhile since the champions were announced, and it hadn't been very pretty. Harry was picked as a champion and there was no way to take him out of the running. The second worse part, besides being in a deadly competition, was that everyone hated him because 'he had cheated to get in'.
Everyone shunned and ridiculed him, even his best friend, Ronald Freaking Weasley. Even as Harry told everyone that he didn't cheat, and even as everyone forgot the fact that Harry never wanted eternal glory, and he didn't need the money, they pushed him away. It felt like we were back in the medieval era; Harry had been shackled, and was now being stoned to everyone's delight.
Some of us were trying to help him; Hermione, Ginny, the twins, me, but it eventually didn't make too much of a difference. Harry had become bitter about peoples lack of basic brain cells.
The twins asked me what brain cells were when I mention this to them; who doesn't know basic science? Wizards. Wizards don't know basic science unless they were closely related to a muggle or really liked muggle studies, but even Mr. Weasley probably wouldn't understand brain cells if he couldn't understand a rubber duck.
But that's rather off the point, Harry was pushing most of us away, and seething about the ones who kept throwing stones.
Somehow these really dumb badges started going around, they supported Cedric and made Harry a joke. I don't know where the badges came from, but I'd heard it came from a few Slytherins, which made sense considering they hated Harry a lot. That didn't stop me from vowing to hurt who ever made the dumb things that were pissing me off more and more every time I saw one.
Harry had found out from Hagrid, Ron would say otherwise, that the first challenge would involve dragons. I gave him a bit of advice when he told me.
"Dragons, the first freaking task is dragons."
My eyes got super wide, "That's amazing! Dragons are so great! Where are they keeping them before the tournament? The forest I'd suppose.."
"Evan. Back to reality please. I'm doomed. I can only use my wand. I don't know as many spells, or any complicated ones like the older champions know. DOOMED."
"Hmm.. no you aren't?"
"Yes. Yes I am."
"Nope."
"Yep."
"Shut up and listen a moment so you don't come out the first round as a crispy chicken nugget you doofus!"
"..."
"Good. Well firstly, there's only a few dragons who are innately aggressive. But they'll probably rile them up for the competition, so they won't be too nice to anyone who gets near them even if they're passive animals. Just keep that in mind.
"Plus, you have magic you blundering idiot, get some imagination. You can do anything you like with it, and it doesn't have to be complicated to work. Pulley's and levers work BECAUSE they're simple. Magic isn't complicated, if they gave you a wand, you can give yourself everything else."
"..."
"..."
"That's actually pretty good advice.."
"Yeah, it is. Now, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to tell Cedric about the first task."
"Well... I guess so, I don't see how it could hurt. I just don't want to get severely maimed or killed. I don't plan on winning this bloody thing."
"Great, then I'll see you later Harry. Don't forget to do the potions homework, and don't get into any fights."
"Alright, fine, bye."
I had made my way to the courtyard, that's where Cedric spent his time goofing off with friends. He had actually gained a bit of a fan club with the whole becoming a champion thing. It made me worried, they weren't his friends, they just liked him right now because he was a bit famous.
I walked up steadily to the imposing group, and tried to keep my nerves, and hair color, at bay.
"Hey Cedric," I said a little louder than usual, his group of 'friends' were being quite loud.
"Huh? Oh! Evangeline, how's it going?"
He seemed to have gained a new air of arrogance, and it was hard for me to hide my initial reaction, which was to scowl at him like he wasn't speaking English, or like he was a five year old happily painting on the walls.
"Hi Cedric.. do you mind," I asked and pointed over to an empty spot in the courtyard behind me.
He gave himself a moment, and seemed reluctant to leave his new little clique, but begrudgingly did so anyway.
"So what's up?"
We were standing far enough from everyone now, and he seemed to slouch in on himself like he had known that the arrogance was a bad thing, but had indulged himself anyway; hand caught in the cookie jar. It made me sigh in relief though, he wouldn't become a stuck up jerk, probably. Cedric was still here, and that was good.
"It's nice to talk to you, ya know. I hadn't heard a peep from you since they announced the champions."
He seemed to shrink more at the thought, "Yeah, sorry about that.."
"No! No, it's fine, I'm sure everyone had kept you busy."
"Hmm.." He looked down at his feet.
"What I really wanted to talk about was the first task," I lowered my voice, "It's dragons Cedric. The first task is dragons."
His face fell into blankness, like an empty canvas.
"How.. how do you know that?"
"I know a few people, more like a few people know me. Not the point though, point is, be safe Cedric. The attention might be nice, but the competition could cost you more than a few bruises. And I promise that if you don't do well in the first, second, or third task, they won't follow you around like happy puppies. Be prepared for that, it happened to Harry, it can happen to you. People are fickle creatures.
"Just be safe Cedric," I told him quietly and gently squeezed his arm. He slowly shook his head; good, he understood.
I was about to leave when I heard a familiar voice call out, "Hey Diggory, what do you think you're doing?"
I was a few feet away from Cedric by then and turned around to find him turning towards the voice with a confused look on his face.
"What? Did you want something from me Draco?"
"Yeah, I want you to keep to your own business Diggory," Draco told him scathingly.
"My own business...? Oh, I get it, you don't like that I was talking to Evan," he laughed at the realization.
Draco seemed to fume at the accusation, "Why in the world would I be mad about a blood traitor talking to a filthy mudblood. No. I was talking about the tournament; don't fraternize with the competition, it makes you look even dirtier."
The pain wasn't immediate, there was only shock at first. Like someone you trusted had slapped you across the face and you couldn't comprehend what had happened until the sting settled in, and the actual realization of what just happened sent you hurtling towards hurt.
I should have known better. Of course this would happen. I just didn't know it would hurt so much, or I didn't want to think about how much it could hurt. The amount of pain was surprising, I can't relate it to anything else I've felt before.
And I could hear people shouting, and I could hear people running, and I could hear someone crying and trying to catch their breath, then someone screamed, and then I heard nothing at all except for the quiet and the screaming.
Draco
I hadn't meant to, or at least, I hadn't meant for it to come out so harsh. The excuse in my head at the time was that I had to make it look real. No one could know, and I panicked. As soon as I said it, everyone went quiet and Diggory looked rather pissed. He should be, I'm pissed at me.
He started yelling about what an arse I was and was physically ready to punch me in the face when Evan started to cry. If she were just crying then Diggory would have already hit me, but no, she was hyperventilating as well. Diggory stopped and looked at Evan, worried, he stepped up to her and reached out his arm.
I went to tell him to stop, that was a bad idea, but he had already grabbed her arm.
She screamed, pure panic, and threw herself backwards. Her hair had turned a dull gray before she hit the ground. She was on her butt and crawling away from Diggory, but soon gave up and just curled in on herself. She pulled her knees up to her face and wrapped her arms around her legs, hiding her face.
I did this. This was my fault. Shit.
Diggory made to go to her again, but I grabbed him firmly by the arm. I shook my head at him, no. No. Not a good fucking idea.
"Go tell Madam Pomfrey to expect Evan, tell her it happened again."
He hesitated, clearly not liking the idea of doing as I told him. But he didn't know what else to do I suppose, and left as I asked.
Everyone was staring, but I really couldn't care about that right now. This was my fault.
I went up to Evan and crouched down to get to her, but I made sure not to touch her.
"Evan," I said as calmly as possible, and when she didn't answer I used more authority, like when I talk to one of the Slytherin first years, but more kindly.
"Evangeline."
She looked up slightly, eye's wet and taking gasping breaths, and when she saw me she flinched.
"Evangeline. I am sorry. But I'm going to take you somewhere with less people, okay?"
After a pause she shook her head yes.
"Can you walk?" Stay calm, talk calmly.
At the thought she curled up more, her breathing accelerated and she shivered.
"Evan. I'm going to carry you, okay?" Cautious, calm.
She shook her head, yes again, while it was hiding between her limbs.
"Okay, come on.."
I carefully picked her up and once she was in my arms, bridal style, she just hid her face and put her hands on her ears.
"Crabbe. Goyle. Make sure no one's in the halls while I take her to the infirmary. Go."
They darted forwards immediately, and I followed behind them.
They shooed away anyone in the halls ahead of us, and by the time we got to the healing ward, no one had seen us.
Madam Pomfrey was waiting for us just inside of the hospital wing with Diggory hovering next to her.
"What's going on! What's wrong with her!" Diggory really needed to learn to shut up sometimes; I could feel Evan physically cringe at the intrusive noise, even if he really wasn't being too loud. I cast a deprecating stare towards the idiot and he quieted down pretty quickly, Crabbe and Goyle followed his lead and stayed quiet.
"She's having another attack." I was talking to the nurse, not the nit wits trailing behind us.
I moved her to a bed and Madam Pomfrey very coaxingly got Evan to drink a calming draught. She was out of it completely after that, but she wasn't asleep and wasn't freaking out as much so I was freaking out less.
The self loathing was about to hit, but the people around me didn't seem inclined to let me wallow. That didn't stop the tense hate in my chest from burning me inside out while three nimrods slammed me with questions.
Author's Note:
Wooow, look at that, it's been what? Two weeks..? Sorry- super sorry. And sorry again because it's gonna be Thanksgiving here in America soon. That means one of two things, you will get all of the chapters because I'll be avoiding my family by writing, or I'll be too busy because I can't avoid the horde of people I have to call a family. We'll see, won't we.
P.s. Sorry, I made an ass out of Draco for this chapter. And I have no excuses, I just felt like it. Boom. Mic drop. I'm going to leave now before I make myself into a bigger nerd. Happy Holidays?
