Chapter Fifty-three
The Champions
Florence was home, she had nothing to do in the castle and she didn't like the fact that she had to hide to go to her husband's living quarters. Also, she spent a lot of time alone in the castle. So she went home to stay with Chris.
That night the three Champions were going to be selected. Florence was in the living room, waiting for her husband and she could already imagine that something bad had happened for he was two hours late.
She was watching TV, almost sleeping on the couch, when the flames in the fireplace became green and he appeared.
"So, tell me, what happened this time?" she asked.
Snape sighed and removed his soot-covered coat.
"There are four Champions."
"Oh, no!" she exclaimed.
"Diggory, Krum, Delacour and Harry." Snape sat beside her on the couch.
"How is that possible? What about the new age limit rule?"
"As everything else that happens to Harry, we can't explain it. We have no idea how the Goblet of Fire sorted his name, it was supposed to sort three, it has been sorting three names for ages now."
"Why can't anything be normal in his life?"
"I believe Dumbledore already has the answer for it all... anyway I suggested he forbade Harry to participate so if he fails the first task by not appearing he'd be out of the competition. But Alastor Moody said it would be a coward's move and that Gryffindors aren't like Slytherins etc... and Barty Crouch says having one's name sorted from the Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract, therefore Harry can't not try."
"This is really bad, Severus. These tasks are usually too dangerous."
"There's more. Moody says there is someone in the castle that may want Harry dead, because he believes someone might have bewitched the Goblet of Fire so that it sorted four Champions and said person would have made sure that the fourth one was Harry."
"That's insane. But predictable, coming from Moody. Who inside Hogwarts would want the boy dead?"
"Anyone would say that's me." Snape said, smiling. "But we know I don't want him dead at all. So I have no idea. But maybe Dumbledore does."
"I hate Dumbledore." Florence whispered angrily. "My father is a son of bitch but dear Headmaster sometimes is a strong competition for him."
Florence went to Hogwarts a few days later, in the morning.
She hid her distended belly with an illusory spell again and walked through the grounds. She saw Hagrid near the woods with some students and got closer. She could see the students were walking with something on a leash; something red and grayish, something between a huge scorpion and a crab and apparently headless.
"Hello, Hagrid." she greeted him.
"Hey, Florence. Good to see you here!"
"Hagrid, are those Blast-Ended Skrewts?"
"Yes! Looks like they are having a blast, doesn't it?" Hagrid said happily.
Florence thought he meant the Skrewts because the students definitely weren't enjoying it in the least. There was a loud sound and some screams. Apparently, one of the things had exploded and the other Skrewts got scared and began running and, therefore, dragging the student on the other side of their leash with them.
"Hum… how is Harry?" she asked.
"Not good. The others are ignoring him, you know? Ron is not talking to him anymore. And some are mocking him..."
"I imagined it wouldn't be easy. Fourteen years old and he's the-boy-who-lived and a Triwizard Champion... seems like everything happens to him, right?"
"Yeah." Hagrid agreed.
Florence had spoken to Dumbledore but the old man said he really didn't know anything about Harry being a Champion. She left his office furious with him. It's obvious he's hiding something! He knows who put Harry's name in the Goblet! And he won't do anything about it!
She was on the stairs from the ground floor to the dungeons when she heard Hermione shouting:
"Harry!"
And then she heard Draco Malfoy:
"Go on, then, Potter," Draco said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now – do it, if you've got the guts."
Florence tried to run but when she got to the corridor, the spells were cast:
"Furnunculus!" Harry yelled.
"Densaugeo!" screamed Draco.
Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in mid-air, and ricocheted off at angles - Harry's hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione. Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up – Hermione, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth.
"Hermione!" Ron had hurried forwards to see what was wrong with her.
Florence saw Ron dragging Hermione's hand away from her face. It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth were now growing at an alarming rate; the girl was crying looking terrified. Florence walked to her and hugged her.
"Don't worry, dear. Madam Pomfrey will fix it for you in a heartbeat." she looked at the Slytherins. "As for you…"
"And what is all this noise about?'" Snape asked showing up in the corridor, his eyes quickly going to his wife and then to the Gryffindors.
The Slytherins started to speak at the same time, trying to give their explanations. Snape pointed a finger at Draco Malfoy.
"Explain."
"Potter attacked me, sir."
"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted but Snape ignored.
Florence knew where that was going: more injustices to Harry.
"And he hit Goyle. Look!" said Draco.
Snape examined Goyle, whose face was covered in fungi.
"Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.
"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!"
And Florence forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth.
He looked coldly at Hermione.
"I see no difference."
Although Florence knew he had a role to play there in front of the students, she wanted to punch her husband at that moment. He was being so cruel.
Hermione started to cry against Florence' chest.
"Come on, dear." Florence murmured on the girl's hair. "I'll take you to see Pomfrey."
As they walked upstairs they could hear Harry and Ron shouting at Snape at the same time. It was confusing and no one could really understand what the boys were saying, but Snape got the gist.
"Let's see," he said, in his silkiest voice. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside the classroom, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."
The First Task
Florence was inside one of the first aid tents, waiting for Harry to arrive. Pomfrey had forbidden her to watch the task because of her pregnant state.
"Dragons!" shouted Pomfrey. "Last year we had dementors, this year, dragons! Harry!" she exclaimed as she saw the boy limping into the tent. "I ask myself what will it be next year? What could be worse than dementors and dragons? You were very lucky, Harry, this is just a superficial cut. I'll clean it and close it in no time."
Florence closed her eyes and sighed in relief that he was fine.
Pomfrey cleaned the cut with a purple potion that made Harry jump and scream as it touched his wounded skin. After that Pomfrey dried the cut and touched it with her wand, closing it completely.
"Now you wait here and your score will be read soon." Pomfrey walked to the other tent. "How are you Mr. Diggory?"
Harry looked around the small tent only then realizing Florence was there.
"Hello, Harry." she said smiling tenderly. "Are you feeling all right?"
"Yes. I'm fine, thank you." he said, looking at her and feeling as if he knew her; but before he could ask her whether did he know her or not, his friends walked into the tent.
"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione shouted, hugging him.
But Harry's eyes were fixed on his other friend. Ronald Weasley was looking at his feet, ashamed of something.
"Harry." the red-haired began. "I believe you didn't put your name in the Goblet of Fire. But... whoever did it wants you killed, man!"
Florence smiled as the boys hugged and she left the tent, looking for her husband.
