Saturday was rainy.
Thank goodness that it was the weekend, really.
The atmosphere around Hogwarts was a sweet concoction of excitement and fear. None of it helped by the fact that whispers circulated around the four - or really, eight, as the Great Hall had been reorganised to have the Goblet of Fire at the most central point - tables during breakfast that morning of who was going to enter, who was going to try and sneak past the age line.
Violet - as ever - both paid attention and paid no heed to what was going on. She listened in the sense that that was what she did: take in the information and use it wisely. She did not, however, continue to add to the rumour mill. Only Cedric Diggory had been of interest to her the previous night, but that was because she knew it would annoy Harry and Ron the most.
Either way, she ended up in the library for most of the morning. A part of her wanted to go back down to the Great Hall and see who was going to put their name in the cup before the cut off time, but the more rational part of her knew there was hardly any point in doing so, unless something of interest was going to happen.
The silence of the library and the solitude was something that Violet hadn't realised she needed his early on in the school years. The hectic nature to the start of fourth year had left her brain frazzled. The instant amount of calm she felt when being able to set down her things and get to work without having to help anyone else or be disturbed or distracted was welcome. As the hours ticked by, she could feel the tension easing in her shoulders as she became less hunched over her work, and each breath she took felt lighter than the last.
It must have been about one thirty when she was finally interrupted. Three and a half hours of peace, that was all she had. The people who had interrupted her were the last people she expected to come looking for her.
"So Violet," Fred said, pulling up a chair.
"Heard you're pretty good at Potions," George said as he pulled up the other next to her.
She sighed and put down her quill. "What have you done?"
"Made an Ageing Potion, little flower, and we'd like your opinion on if you think it's gonna work."
"Firstly, please don't call me that again, and secondly - you two are sixth years. Why do you want to know what I think?"
"Like he said, Vi, you're good at Potions," Fred reiterated. "Do you think it'll work?"
She took a moment to process what he was getting at. "You're going to use it to put your name in the Goblet of Fire, aren't you?"
"Well, obviously. We cooked it up this morning - probably could have used your help - but what are your thoughts?"
"Not to go through with it? You know there's measures in place, right?" Violet raised her eyebrows as she glanced between the twins. They didn't say anything, gesturing for her to carry on talking. "How much did you make?"
"A fair amount," George said, and they both pulled out equal sized vials that had a dark green liquid in them.
"You'll only need a drop or two for it to work effectively - otherwise you'll age yourself too much. Remember that," Violet mused. "I still wouldn't recommend it. You're better off asking someone else to put your names in for you."
"Ye of little faith, dear flower…" Fred sighed dramatically. "It's gonna work."
"But it might not. Have you considered that?"
"It's a foolproof plan, Vi, it's gonna work."
"You really came here to brag about it, didn't you?"
"Ah, do you really think so little of us?" George pouted jokingly.
"What? No, I-"
"We should be off, we've got a Tournament to enter…" Fred winked at her and they got up, hurrying off out of the library pretty quickly. Violet was left absolutely stumped.
For a few moments, she remained stock still, her mind racing at one hundred miles an hour about what might happen if Fred and George really did try using the Ageing Potion to enter the Tournament. So she scrambled to pack up all her belongings, grab her cloak and start running after them.
They were a few staircases ahead of her, but that didn't stop her from still bolting after them, calling after them and telling them it was silly to follow through with the potion.
Instead, on getting to the Great Hall, she ran in on them being applauded by everyone.
"You two - don't! It's not going to work!" Violet shouted at them from across the room. That was when she noticed Harry and Ron egging on the twins, and her shoulders slumped. "Of course you two would find this entertaining-"
At that point, Fred and George had already necked each of their vials and jumped past the Age Line that was around the Goblet. Nothing happened, and Violet tilted her head to the side curiously as she wandered closer. They put their names in. Still, nothing happened, and she was about to join in with the clapping when suddenly the blue flame turned bright red for a moment and cast the twins out.
While they were being cheered on to start a fight as they both grew grey beards and hair, Violet rolled her eyes and went to join Hermione, who was ignoring everyone as she sat on the bench, reading.
"I tried to stop them…" Violet murmured to her friend.
"I think that was in vain," Hermione replied.
They both chuckled, just as all the noise died down and someone else entered the Great Hall.
Viktor Krum, flanked one of his friends and Karkaroff. The confidence he oozed as he went straight up to the Goblet and put his name in was cool and casual; what added to that was the way he glanced right at Hermione just before he made an exit. Even Violet managed to pick up on that, and gave her a little impressed nudge. Hermione waved off the whole thing.
The excitement seemed to die down after that, and Harry and Ron came to join them on the benches.
"Where were you all morning?" he asked Violet.
"In the library. Needed some quiet. What else did I miss?"
"Cedric put his name in, so did Angelina!"
"Oh! I didn't realise she was going for it."
"Me neither… dunno what Cedric was doing outside in that weather but he came back in absolutely drenched - his friends near enough pushed him in… d'you reckon he'd be good? If his name came out?"
Entirely bemused by the fact Harry was going on about Cedric so much, Violet almost didn't answer. "Well… I think Angelina would be a damn sight better, don't you?"
"I guess, but he's also pretty skilled," Harry shrugged.
"Something's making me think that you want Cedric to be the Hogwarts champion."
"I mean, he's cool. Beat me at Quidditch, didn't he?"
"Unfairly though - and he knew it!"
"Which makes him even better!" There was a contemplative look on Harry's face that had Violet suspicious, but she didn't push it any further. Even he seemed to realise his own overzealous nature in regards to how he spoke about the Hufflepuff boy, so awkwardly cleared his throat, blushing a little.
The day passed by sluggishly after that, everyone anticipating the announcement of the champions. Even Violet stayed in the Great Hall and carried on with some of her schoolwork, occasionally casting a curious eye on those who still came in to submit their names. At one point, she got Harry to check over her Defence Against the Dark Arts homework (where he offered up a few extra ideas to her, which she happily added) - at least that provided some normalcy to the subject that was now apparently run by a completely out of his mind, paranoid ex-Auror.
Dinner was early that day, so that by the time six o'clock rolled around everyone began to settle down for the announcement.
"Sit down, please," Dumbledore's voice was a forceful yet quiet command over the students of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrangs. Everyone fell silent. "Now the moment you've all been waiting for - the champions selection!"
He approached the Goblet in the centre of the Great Hall, where the blue flame turned bright red and spat out a lightly singed piece of parchment. Dumbledore caught it and turned it over in his hand to find the name.
"The Durmstrang champion - Viktor Krum!"
A roar went up over where the Durmstrangs were sitting, and among those who closely followed Krum's career as Seeker. Ron was especially delighted, and applauded vigorously. Everyone watched as Krum went to shake Dumbledore's hand before he was directed off towards a door behind the staff table; every Hogwarts student there knew it led down to the Trophy Room.
The flames turned red once more and out came another piece of parchment - this one looked far more delicate than the scrap Krum's name had been on.
"The champion from Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"
Up got the girl that Violet knew to be a Veela. Her jaw dropped once more as she clapped with the others in a more dumbfounded manner than usual. She really had to focus on keeping her mouth closed every time she saw that girl walk.
The Goblet then spat out its final name.
"And finally, the Hogwarts champion… Cedric Diggory!"
Violet noticed the smile on Harry's face as they all watched Cedric go up to Dumbledore and told to follow where the others had gone. He was clearly very proud, pleased, and clearly had more control over his jaw than Violet did.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore addressed the students. "We now have our three champions! But in the end only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions; this vessel of victory; the Triwizard Cup!"
Barty had brought in something covered up with a cloth, and as Dumbledore pointed a finger at it the cloth came flying off to reveal a glowing cup, with tinted blue glass for the hexagonal panels set against silver; it truly looked glorious.
While everyone's attention was on the beautiful Triwizard Cup, Violet's was elsewhere.
The blue flame of the Goblet was shimmering, and it turned red again; an angry red, as if it were about to explode out of control. Soon enough everyone else took note and the flames erupted higher than before to spit out a fourth piece of paper, which Dumbledore caught, his brow knotted.
"Harry Potter…" It may have been a mumble, but it rang out across the hall like he'd shouted it.
Violet turned to her friend whose eyes had gone wide with fear or embarrassment - both? He was definitely nervous and confused, that was for sure. He looked at her as if to ask what to do, but also she could do was give him a pitying look and shrug.
"HARRY POTTER!" Dumbledore shouted.
"Go…" Violet urged him.
He shook his head. "I - I don't - I didn't -"
"I know, but just go…" She regretfully pushed him off the bench and he started to slowly make his way to the Headmaster, the whole school watching him in silence.
Eventually he disappeared to the Trophy Room, and that was when everyone started to mutter their conspiracy theories.
Violet turned to Hermione who was just as equally unsure of what had just happened as she was. Before they could even say a word to one another, Dumbledore commanded that they all head off back to their dormitories. Violet ignored that command and instead decided to fight against the crowd and follow the teachers to the Trophy Room.
McGonagall, annoyingly, caught her.
"Miss Merryworth, go to your dormitory," she told her, but visibly shaken and worried. The usual command that would have been in her voice wasn't quite there.
"Professor, please, I know you're thinking what I am." Violet stared up at her teacher with big doe eyes; pleading, begging to be let into the Trophy Room. There was a moment where McGonagall looked like she was going to consider it, but changed her mind at the last moment.
"Wait here," she eventually said, finally running after the rest of the faculty.
Violet sighed, and glanced back over her shoulder where the rest of the students were still filtering out of the Great Hall. She sank down on a bench, her foot tapping repeatedly on the ground anxiously while she waited for someone - anyone - to come back out and either let her in or send Harry off with her.
How could this have happened? She knew that Harry was the last person to want to even enter the Tournament - not with the life he'd had! Something was wrong - very wrong - and even if she couldn't figure it out yet, she was going to. Maybe. If she couldn't, she'd just be there by Harry's side every step of the way no matter what.
About ten minutes later, Krum, Fleur, and Cedric all came out.
"You alright, Merryworth?" Cedric asked, planting himself next to Violet.
She nodded. "Y-Yeah. I guess. Waiting for Harry."
"Course. I didn't realise you were really good friends with him," he commented. "You… you don't think he put his name in somehow, do you?"
"Absolutely not. I know him… he wouldn't want to. What about you?"
"I think maybe he could have cheated," Cedric admitted. Before he could go any further, the door opened yet again and Harry stepped out. The pair of them stood up and Violet ran over to him and threw her arms around her friend. He didn't return the gesture. Respectfully, she let go of Harry on realising that he wasn't going to.
"We should go," Violet said, casting a dirty look at Cedric, taking Harry by the hand and beginning to lead him out of the hall. Quick footsteps caught up to them, and she grit her teeth. She didn't want to let slip to Harry that Cedric thought he'd cheated his way into this.
"Let me walk with you guys back to Gryffindor Tower, at least. Just in case Filch is about," Cedric offered, fully much aware that Violet was less than impressed with him right now.
"No, thank you," Violet replied stiffly. "We'll be fine."
Knowing that he'd made a mistake; knowing that Violet's loyalty ran deeper than he could have possibly imagined, Cedric dropped a few steps behind them as they got to the Grand Staircase.
"Well… okay. Good night Harry… Merryworth…"
Neither of the pair responded. Harry threw a quick wave over his shoulder back at the seventeen year old, though.
They were silent, most of the way back up to Gryffindor Tower. They didn't know what to say to each other, but Violet didn't dare let go of Harry.
"You didn't need to wait for me," he mumbled as they reached the Fat Lady's portrait. "Go in without me."
"What? Why?"
"They're all gonna think… Look, you probably think I did something to put my name in that cup but I didn't, okay?"
That was enough for her to let go of him, for how taken aback she was by his assumption. "Harry, that's not what-"
"Just - please go in without me. I'll wait here for a few minutes," Harry told her, exasperated.
Violet bit her lip in an effort to stop herself from arguing with him, and nodded, uttering the password and heading inside to the watchful eyes of Gryffindor house.
When they saw she was alone, they went back to their own business.