AN: I'm back bitches! Since all I have to do this summer (May-August) is work at odd hours, I can start uploading again! So sorry for how long these chapters are taking. I know you all love me sooooooo...Yay :)

Chapter 36

We were officially sixth years. Fifth year, and the OWLs, sucked. I felt pity on anyone who had to do them ever again. But now we didn't have to worry about that, for there were no huge exams this year. We arrived on the Hogwarts Express and came into the Great Hall in good spirits, even with the storm. After the Sorting, Dumbledore waved his hands and food appeared. "After our delicious meal, I have a few beginning of the year announcements to make. But for now, dig in."

We dug in.

"So Bex," Vix said while eating. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"I don't know," I said, looking around.

"Maybe he was eaten alive," Fred said.

"Yeah, by the giant squid in the lake," George added.

"Or maybe," I argued, "someone dropped you two on the head when you were kids."

"Hey!" Fred said, seemingly offended. "Both could have happened!"

"Yeah, it's not an either/or situation. Us falling on our heads has nothing to do with the squid eating Oliver!" George added.

"Because that happened."

"It could have!" Fred insisted.

"Oh, hi Oliver!" Vix interrupted us. "Look Weasleys! It is our good friend and quidditch captain, Oliver, who is completely clean of any and all squid vomit."

Oliver paused before sitting down next to me. "Squid vomit?"

"Skip it," I said. "Fred and George were being idiots. As usual."

"We are right here," Fred said offended.

"I know. Want to know how I know? You won't shut up!"

"Well then!"

"See? Shut up!"

"Okay."

"Fred!"

"What?"

I turned to Vix. "Tell Fred to shut up!"

"But that's not nice!" she argued.

"Vix! My god, woman!"

"Fred, shut up!"

Fred didn't say anything else.

After the feast, Dumbledore rose and walked to the podium again. "This year," he said, "Hogwarts will play host to the Triwizard Tournament. Now for those of you who don't know, the Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of tasks. The winner of these three tasks will win a huge prize, and eternal glory. But more on that later. May I introduce the other two schools taking part in the Tournament this year. Please welcome the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and their headmistress, Madame Maxime."

The girls came in, and all the boys began staring, even Fred, George, and Oliver. Vix tapped me on the shoulder. "Those girls' clothes are way too tight."

"And they think they're so great," I added. I kicked Oliver's leg under the table, and he glanced at me guiltily. He put his arm around me and kissed my cheek, giving me all his attention until the Beauxbatons girls were done with their porn-ish performance.

"Thank you, Beauxbatons. Now, please join me in welcoming the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their headmaster, Igor Karkaroff."

The boys came in with their sparking sticks, and with one glance at each other, Vix and I immediately had the same thought. Payback.

"Look how fit those boys are!" she said in a totally obvious tone.

"And how athletic they—oh my god it's Viktor Krum!" I interrupted myself, all payback forgotten.

"What? Oh. Oh! It's him! It's him!" Vix clasped my hand, and I clasped hers back. "Do you think he'll give us autographs? D'you think-?"

"Vix, calm down," I laughed. "We'll go get you an autograph later, okay?"

"Okay!"

Oliver tightened his arm around me. "I'm right here, you know."

"Don't get so jealous. You were staring at those girls' arses. He's a famous quidditch player. I know for a fact even you want his autograph."

"Fair point," he said.

"To be entered in the Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "you must be seventeen years of age no later than November 1. We will meet that day to draw the winners from the Goblet of Fire." At this, he gestured to a huge goblet on a pedestal with blue flames sticking out of it. "Anyone wishing to enter must write their name on a piece of parchment and put it in the flame. As of this moment, the Triwizard tournament has begun."

o.O.o

"You're going to enter, right?" I asked Oliver later.

"Oh yeah. Reckon there's no way I'll get picked though. Isn't your birthday on October 31st?"

"Yeah."

"Are you going to enter?"

"Oh, hell no. Someone died in the Tournament a few years back. I value my life too much to ever put it on the line for eternal glory."

"Isn't that what you always wanted? Acceptance?" Oliver asked.

"I thought it was, when I was 11, 12, even 13, I thought that's what I wanted. Turns out, though, I don't care what anyone else thinks anymore."

"Not even your dad?"

"That's hard to answer. I can't—I mean, he's my dad. My family. I can't just decide I don't love him anymore. No matter how terrible he is."

"But you're not happy with your family."

"The most I can hope for is to one day be kicked out. For good. This, what I've got from living with Snape, it's not permanent. And I can't emancipate myself. Where would I go?"

"I think you have a good chance of being able to come live with me and my family."

"That's nice of you, but I'd rather it not come to that right now. Thank you, though."

We walked into the common room to find Vix cuddling up against Fred on the couch. She looked to be asleep.

"Really?" I asked.

"She's a bit upset," he said.

"Why?" I sat on the table in front of them, cross-legged. "Did you prohibit her from getting Viktor Krum's autograph?"

"No. she forgot all about that, really. And I'm hoping she doesn't remember. But the problem is," he said as Angelina came over, looking at Vix, confused, "Cedric wanted to enter the Tournament, and at first she was excited for him. But then Cho Chang came up to her and told her how someone died a few Tournaments ago, and Cedric won't change his mind. So she tried to make him mad enough to listen to her by flirting with me or something."

"I…er…I don't really like that very much," Angelina began, but I cut her off.

"This isn't about your petty teenage jealousy and drama, okay? Vix is upset and asked her friend for help."

"But why not find a single guy to pretend to flirt with?"

"As a guy," Oliver spoke up, "I understand. There are definitely some people, two as of right now, that I would hate seeing Bex flirt with."

"George and Krum," I guessed.

"And she knows it. If she wanted to manipulate me, she'd have a better chance of doing it if she flirted with one of them as opposed to say…Potter, for example."

"Well, why does Fred have to be the one Cedric is bothered by?" Angelina protested.

"Because some guys can't tell the difference between good friends and crushes," I replied passive-aggressively. I decided not to out their oh-so-obvious crushes on each other then and there. I also got back at Oliver for still being jealous of George, even though he might have had a reason to be, in the end.

o.O.o

Despite the excitement of the guests in the school and the Tournament approaching, we still had classes. As it was, we were in Snape's class. And Vix was BORED.

As I figured out when she passed me a note that said, "Bex, I'm bored."

"Don't draw a yellow smiley face on the wall and shoot it is all I ask."

"Oh! I have an idea!"

"What is it?" I asked, but she never replied. Instead, a few minutes later, she raised her hand in the middle of Snape's lecture.

"Snape?" she said hesitantly. "Harry Potter is outside your window making faces at you."

Snape whirled around to where Vix was pointing, only to find out that there was no window. We were in the dungeons. Duh.

"Gotcha, Snape!" Vix shouted, much to the amusement of the class.

Snape just glared.