"I'll never manage this," Calla said, after trying unsuccessfully to perform an Impediment Jinx on Terry, who had originally been deemed a brave volunteer and now looked entirely bored and like he would be risking more by studying for his History of Magic exam.
"You just have to feel it," Mandy said. "Really want it, see your objective."
"Yeah, but it's really hard to want to jinx Terry!" Calla protested, looking to her friend, who went pink.
"That's so sweet of you," he said drily.
"You're so annoying," Lisa said for the sixth time that hour, scribbling Herbology notes.
"Shut up, Lisa," Isobel, Daphne and Terry all chorused at the same time. Calla grinned despite her frustrations.
"Come on," Terry said, drawing Calla's attention back to him and hopping from foot to foot. "Jinx me!"
"I'm trying!"
"Come on, now!"
"Terry-" He waggled his fingers in the air and leapt about like a bad football goalie. "What are you doing?"
"Come on, Potter! Hit me!" He grinned. "Hit me!"
"You look so ridiculous," she muttered.
He shook his foot like he was trying to chuck his shoe off; Sue squealed and giggled. "Come on, come at me, hit me!"
"Impedimenta!" Calla shouted, drawing the sharp lines with her wand. A burst of red light leapt from her wand and she jumped back in surprise. It fizzled out just as it reached Terry, but he made a great show of falling over and doing a terrible forwards roll on the well-cushioned classroom floor.
"That was good!" he chirped, beaming with a smile to light up the whole room, and pushed hair from his eyes. "See, you can do it, you just need a little extra motivation!"
His eyes lit up wickedly and he exchanged a glance with Isobel who, a second later, had hoisted a protesting Lisa to her feet. "I hate you all," she muttered, but she fixed her eyes on Calla and glared. "What, Potter? Try and hit me then."
"I don't really want to jinx you either, Lisa."
"What? Scared it won't work? Scared I'll get you back." She handed her wand to Mandy. Padma sighed and shook her head, returning to her Ancient Runes essay. "On you go then. Hit me. Jinx me." She grinned wickedly. "Bet you can't."
"Impedimenta!" Calla shouted bitterly, and a great roar of light came from her wand, racing towards Lisa, who tried for a split second to move and then got stuck, before stumbling to the floor.
She threw a cushion at Calla, yelling, "Bet you can't manage a Stunner!"
"Stupefy!" she yelled immediately, and though it didn't knock Lisa out, it did knock her back a bit. She grinned, getting slowly to her feet.
"You were right, Sue," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Potter isn't totally useless after all. Who would have known?"
Three cushions smacked into Lisa, but Calla somehow found herself grinning. Was Lisa actually helping her, in her own reluctant way? "Well, I haven't fought you yet," she said, settling her face into a grim smile, "get your wand."
Something like excited determination sparked in Lisa's eyes as Mandy handed it over. "Are you sure?" Terry asked Calla, but she nodded.
"Yeah." She tightened her ponytail and got herself into a Duelling stance. "Let's go, Turpin."
"You're on, Potter."
They shot spells back and forth; it wasn't long before Calla went on the defensive, Lisa being a much better Dueller than she was, but defensive spells had always been her area, and Lisa barely got any spells through her shield. "Furnuncula!" Calla yelled, just as Lisa shouted, "Tarantellegra!" Their spells rushed past one another in the air, and Lisa's left arm sprouted boils, while Calla's legs itched to dance - but the spell didn't hold.
Lisa's spells kept on coming, while Calla took longer to focus on each of them before she felt ready to cast, she was beginning to notice. She could tell Lisa noticed it, too, and with her shield beginning to slip, she switched tack. "Finite!" she yelled at every spell that came her way, and they fizzled out in the sky as she dodged and ducked. She was enjoying this a little, and she could tell Lisa was, too, in her own weird way.
"Alarte ascendere!" Lisa shouted, and a bright white light shot at Calla. She instinctively raised her shield again, but she hadn't expected that spell at all and it caught her heel, sending her flying into the air.
"Babblio!" she shouted, aiming desperately at Lisa just as she came floating back down to the ground, landing as neatly as she could. Lisa pointed her wand and opened her mouth but all that came out was babbling. Calla grinned and raised her eyebrows, panting. "Well?" Lisa nodded, and Calla lifted the charm.
"That was unexpected," Lisa panted. "What was that? A babbling charm?"
"Yup. Simple but I guess it's effective."
"Maybe. But I don't think any monsters are going to be stopped by a babbling charm. You should work on your shields, if they're the only thing you can reliably do." Then she shook her hair out, stuffed her wand back in her sleeve and said, "I'm done," before flouncing over to resume her revision.
Calla could see Padma and Daphne laughing out the corner of her eye, and she felt a warm sort of laughter bubble up in her own chest. "Hey, Lisa," she called, "thanks."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lisa muttered. "You need all the help you can get, anyway."
"Well, now that brief interlude is over with," Daphne said, getting up and skipping over. "Calla, run your creature plans by me again."
Xx
The next evening, she was in Professor Dumbledore's office again. It wasn't quite as exhausting a session as usual, and she rather got the impression that he was going easy on her. The sun was lowering in the sky when they finished. "The other day you and your brother were in my office... I sensed there was something you wanted to address, but didn't have the words to bring up."
"Oh," she said, frowning. "Well, I suppose... I had a vision too."
He raised his eyebrows though she didn't think he was surprised. "You did?"
"Yes," she said before she could stop herself. "I saw myself in a graveyard, and Harry was there too and he - well, someone - someone killed him and I heard Voldemort's voice and I know the Ministry isn't listening and I know you're..." Her voice cracked on a small sob of fear and frustration, and Calla broke off a moment, regathering herself with a deep and steadying breath. "I don't know, waiting to see what ground you're standing on, but I'm scared, Professor."
"Quite natural."
"But it's not! I'm scared my brother and I are going to be murdered, that isn't normal! And you - no one is listening!"
"I am listening, Calla."
"It doesn't feel like it! It feels like you just think I'm being silly and overreacting. And I know you aren't telling me what I need to know."
"Calla, I feel we often do not know ourselves what we truly need to know."
"But I..." She sighed. "Professor, I'm sorry. But please, if there is anything you can think of that could lead us to him and protect me and my brother... It looked like he died."
"You know as well as I do that your visions are only one possibility for the future."
"But a likely possibility." She stared at him, rage filling her heart. It was like she'd never seen him before. "Don't you care? Or are you just waiting to see what happens, because it will 'play out as it must'?"
"I assure you, Calla," he said, something akin to grief in his eyes. "I care greatly about you and your brother. I will protect you as best as I can."
"But I don't even know what you think that means."
"Calla." His voice was sterner now. "Please trust me. Have I ever given you reason not to trust that I am doing what is in the best interests of the safety of you, your brother, and all my students?"
"The chamber of secrets-"
"Was out of my power."
"Yes," she said softly. "And so's Voldemort."
She sank back, feeling defeated. Dumbledore didn't speak again, and she felt horribly worried that she'd been wrong to speak so freely - but if she couldn't voice her concerns then how were they ever going to be addressed?
"I am listening, Calla," the Headmaster said at last. "I have taken the issue of security up with the Minister and we are trying to see what we can do around such a big event, by possibly having some Aurors around. You aren't the only one concerned."
"But that doesn't... He's always going to be after us, Harry especially, no matter what security you have."
"Calla." His voice was stern enough to suggest it was his final word. "I am prepared. I can protect you and I am doing so, I swear it, even if you don't see it. Some things we cannot change, some we can. But stay close to your brother in the final task. Stay together, as I believe Professor Moody has told you to do."
He nodded to dismiss her and Calla swallowed tightly, eyes burning with frustrated tears. He wasn't listening, no matter what he said, because he had already decided what he wanted and what he would do and he wasn't going to be swayed. He had a plan that he wouldn't tell her, and while she knew she was only a fourth year, not anyone special or powerful, she wanted to know, understand. She wanted to feel safe.
But maybe she'd never really felt safe at Hogwarts anyway.
She got to the door when Dumbledore spoke again. "Calla, I really think you ought to focus solely on the Tournament for the time being. Our sessions will resume after the Third Task." That was the final straw to make the ridiculous tears fall. Even as she told herself she had no reason to cry, everything just felt so wholly wrong. "Good luck."
She didn't looked back at him as she left, slamming the door and storming down the stairs. Good luck. Luck wouldn't bloody save her from anything. It was just the shallow words of a man trying to keep her trust while doing nothing to deserve it. She knew she had many things to be grateful to him for but in that moment she was determined in her fury.
There was nothing lucky about any of this. Luck didn't even matter. But there was one thing he was right on - she had to stick with her brother as planned. Because she knew whatever happened, even if no one else would protect them, not even Dumbledore, they would protect each other.
Xx
Her final lesson with Trelawney before the Third Task, her teacher seemed most concerned. She was jittery and nervous from the moment Calla entered and kept looking at her with wide and sorrowful eyes that were mainly reserved for Harry. "What's wrong, Professor?" Calla asked her an hour in, when her nerves had become so apparent she almost spilled scalding hot tea over herself.
"What is wrong? Wrong!" Her voice was high and near to hysterical. "I have seen things, my dear, most terrible things - the altar, the crow, the wolf! You are in grave danger, more so than before, I fear you may not survive it! A great darkness is soon to befall this school! Not that the other professors..." She trailed off and sniffed. "Not all trust in the Inner Eye."
"What sort of darkness?" Calla asked, with a pit of dread in her stomach. She knew the signs Trelawney spoke of: sacrifice, sorrow, betrayal.
"I cannot speak of it," Trelawney said. Her eyes shone with fear and worry. It was an expression Calla recognised; the fear of knowing and being too scared to speak that knowledge into the world, because of what it might mean. "Now, my dear." She drew herself up and took in a shaky breath. "Let us not dwell on fear. But I must ask if you are prepared for this task of yours?"
Her voice had turned to concern, and for a moment it caught Calla off-guard. "I think so," she said finally, slowly. "Or as prepared as I can be."
"There are dangers in your path... I see the great cauldron, smoke over the boundaries of life and death. A question mark hangs over your aura. Be warned, Calla. Do not rush forth in danger; let your Inner Eye guide you."
She nodded numbly, wondering over what Trelawney had said. "Th-thank you, Professor."
Trelawney nodded sagely. Her knuckles whitened as she tightened her grasp around her teacup. They didn't spend much longer there, for the sun was beginning to set and Calla was growing tired. But as she opened the trapdoor, Trelawney said in a low voice that had been stripped of mystery, "Good luck, my dear. I shall be joining the students in the stands... I do hope you do well."
Xx
The Ravenclaw dormitory was an incredibly stressful environment in the run up to the Third Task, not only because of Calla's nerves but because everyone else had to contend with exams, too. Despite this, they all seemed relatively understanding of the fact that her stakes were a lot higher than theirs. Even Lisa admitted it.
Instead of practicing with the other Ravenclaws so much, Calla was working with Harry more to better co-ordinate their approach to the Third Task. Though they were meant to be entering at different times, they both intended to use the compass spell and hopefully end up finding each other. Their other idea was to use Patronuses - if Calla saw a silver stag she'd know Harry sent it, and hopefully from which direction, and with luck she hoped she might be able to produce enough of one, even if it wasn't corporeal, to be able to alert her brother. While she did want to win, she didn't want it to be at her brother's expense, and Moody's words about them working together had been correct. If someone was trying to hurt them through this Tournament, their best chance to protect each other was to stick together. She didn't know what they'd do if they reached the cup together, but they'd cross that bridge when they came to it. Moody had implied they could take it together, but she wasn't sure he meant it or had just let it slip trying to encourage them. But she told herself it wasn't what truly mattered; her priority was survival.
Calla used the extra time the others were given for exams to nap, because her nights were increasingly consumed by nightmares and visions and the creeping feeling, as she lay awake in bed listening to the night, that with every second there was something coming closer. The feeling crept over her like a bug or a spider, growing, with its horrid legs clasping her shoulders, her wrists, stretching to her ankles as she lay.
"You look exhausted," Padma told her the morning of the Third Task before they went downstairs. The other girls had all already cleared out of the dormitory, and Calla was trying desperately to cover the bags under her eyes. "Did you sleep last night?"
"Not well," she said, thinking back to her nightmare. She'd been running and the she'd fallen and felt herself torn away from everything; she landed in a graveyard, surrounded by people with masks, blood flowing from a pale arm onto the grass. It had been stiflingly quiet, but she hadn't been able to scream or call anyone for help. That had always been her nightmares. She'd sunk to her feet, hopeless, crushed by the weight of her chest and she'd been falling through the floor of the earth and she was sure, as she stared in the mirror and tried to hold down tears that had sprung from God knew where, that she'd died in the dream. But she didn't tell Padma this. "I'll nap in History."
"Yeah, well." Padma tugged Calla's hair behind her and squeezed her shoulders tightly. "I'm worried about you."
"Isn't everyone?"
"You're my best friend," Padma told her quietly. "Just... Make sure you're safe. Get through this, and then you can sleep for as long as you want, right?" Calla tried to smile. Sometimes it felt like she'd never sleep again, even when she was so exhausted it was all she could think about doing. "I just... I love you, yeah? And I believe in you." She beamed, and drew Calla in for a tight hug. A moment later she brought her own arms up to clasp Padma tightly, burying her head on her friend's shoulder as tears spilled over. "Daphne and Izzy made a poster," Padma said. "Everyone's waiting downstairs, but you can take as long as you want and I'll stay with you."
Calla didn't have the words to say how much that meant to her; how much all of it meant to her. So she said, "You're my best friend, too." She held her tighter. "You're... it sounds stupid, you're like my sister."
"Good," Padma whispered, "cause you're mine and it'd be really awkward if you didn't feel the same."
Calla giggled at that, eyes still wet with tears. "Thank you," she whispered, as she took a step back and glanced in the mirror again. "Jesus, I've ruined my makeup."
Padma laughed as Calla reached again for her concealer and mascara. She ran her hands through Calla's hair, pleating it gently from the very top of her head. She leaned over to the side when she was done, leaning her chin on Calla's shoulder, appearing in the mirror with her. "You'll be alright," she said quietly. "No, you know what? You'll be brilliant."
Calla laughed smally, and turned to look at Padma, smiling. "I'm ready now," she said, swallowing the lump in her throat and picking up her wand. "Let's go see what they've gotten up to, yeah?"
With her robes on perfectly straight, her exhaustion covered up and her hair held back, Calla made herself smile and tilted her head up confidently as she descended the stairs into the common room. Almost immediately as she got down, someone set off a load of fireworks; another sent an origami dragon soaring through the air; Luna Lovegood blew an ornate looking violet horn that probably belonged to some creature Calla had never heard of. Isobel and Daphne had indeed made a poster; it hung over the largest window in the common room, and while it had a massive eagle raising its wings in the centre, someone had drawn pictures of her favourite book covers that were rotating the edges, and little pictures of Matilda and Moony raced along the top and bottom of the paper. Someone had also spelled out her name in Runes - and, she noted, included her middle name of Lily, which made her emotional in a way she didn't even know how to explain. Her hand went to the bracelet fastened tighter than ever around her wrist. For Lily. Yes, she thought. She would do this, she would make it through, for her mother and for her family and for her love. Padma squeezed her hand.
"We're behind you, Potter," said a fifth year boy, and a cheer went up that made Calla want to cry of gratitude.
"Th-thank you," She stammered out, her cheeks blazing. There was a very different lump in her throat now. "This is... This is really, really sweet."
And all of a sudden people were pressing against her, Padma and Daphne and Isobel hugging her tightly, her other yearmates piling on. She caught Terry's eye over Daphne's shoulder as they finally pulled apart and he grinned, flushed. "Did you like the books?"
"That was you?" Of course, she should have known, she thought as she ducked to hug him tightly. "That was brilliant!" It meant something to know someone had thought of the part of her that was Muggle, had considered the Muggle books she liked, and it made her so, so thankful for him. "Thank you!"
"Well," he said, flushing, "I thought it would be a nice touch."
"We made a cake, too!" Daphne said, grabbing Calla's hand and dragging her over to a table by the window. "We're taking it to breakfast."
The cake was massive, four tiers tall and iced in the various colours of Ravenclaw blue, baby pink, shining silver and bright violet. "Jesus," she said, and pressed her hands to her mouth, eyes shining. "This is way too much!"
"Well, it's not all for you," Daphne said, "we're sharing the cake."
"But you made it! And the poster! And - and-" She looked around, still half-stunned. "And you got everyone here!"
"Everyone wanted to show their support," Isobel said. "Apparently, people like you. Plus, we kind of deserve a bit of fame and glory now, don't we?"
A laugh threatened to bubble out of her as she grabbed her friends and pulled them all in for tight hugs, giggling. "Padma just said it was a poster!"
"I didn't want to spoil the whole surprise," she said, laughing, and grabbed her hand. "Come on. Let's get you to breakfast so we can show off our champion."
Her house seemed to push her towards the Great Hall in a wave of people, surging along the corridor. Calla didn't think she'd ever seen Ravenclaw house quite so united, all away from studying and books and weird and wonderful creation and instead putting their energy into supporting her. Her. She was beaming all the way into the Great Hall, all the way through breakfast that was comprised mainly of cake and the strawberries and bananas Padma made her eat for a balanced diet. Fleur caught her eye along the table halfway through breakfast and smiled amidst her own school's celebrations.
It was hard to miss Harry's entrance; the whole of the Gryffindor Table rose up as one to greet him, roaring and clapping, some boys jumping up onto the table, but no one was stopping them. Calla grinned and laughed and clapped along with them all, for as much as her brother was annoying her, his house's energy was infectious, and she still couldn't stop herself from cheering for her brother. He caught her eye across the hall and beamed and she beamed back.
It was halfway through breakfast when the owls flew down into the hall, bearing copies of the Daily Prophet. "You're joking," Isobel muttered over her own copy, handing it over to Calla. "You're not going to like this."
"Oh, brilliant," Calla sighed, taking it wearily. She would put money on Rita Skeeter having written some more nonsense. "Just what I need today." Her eyes scanned the page and she let out a disgusted scoff.
HARRY POTTER: DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS
The boy who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is unstable and possibly dangerous, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent.
Calla sword loudly, gaining some looks from her peers. "She's doing this again? That absolute..." She groaned, forcing herself to read on.
Alarming evidence has recently come to light about Harry Potter's strange behavior, which casts doubts upon his suitability to compete in a demanding competition like the Triwizard Tournament, or even to attend Hogwarts School.
Potter, the Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal, regularly collapses at school, and is often heard to complain of pain in the scar on his forehead (relic of the curse with which You-Know-Who attempted to kill him). Monday last, this Daily Prophet reporter witnessed Potter storming from his Divination classroom, claiming pain from his scar prevented him from studying. It is possible, say top experts at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, that much like his sister (who Daily Prophet readers may recall made her own claims to clairvoyance and 'visions' in December), Potter's brain was affected by the attack inflicted upon him by You-Know-Who, and that his insistence that the scar is still hurting is an expression of his deep-seated confusion.
'He might even be pretending,' said one specialist. 'This could be a plea for attention.'
The Daily Prophet, however, has unearthed worrying facts about Harry Potter.
'Potter can speak Parseltongue,' reveals Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts fourth year.
"Oh, that absolute bastard."
'There were a lot of attacks on students a couple of years ago, and most people thought Potter was behind them after they saw him lose his temper at a dueling club and set a snake on another boy. It was all hushed up, though. But he's made friends with giants and werewolves too, we think he'd do anything for a bit of attention.'
Parseltongue, the ability to converse with snakes, has long been considered a Dark Art. Indeed, the most famous Parselmouth of our times is none other than You-Know-Who himself. A member of the Dark Force Defense League, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that he would regard any wizard who could speak Parseltongue as worthy of investigation.
'Personally, I would be highly suspicious of anybody who could converse with snakes, as serpents are often used in the worst kinds of Dark Magic, and are historically associated with evildoers.' Similarly, that 'anyone who seeks out the company of such vicious creatures as werewolves and giants would appear to have a fondness for violence.'
In addition to his proclivity towards such monsters as werewolves and giants, Potter's own godfather is none other than the alleged murderer Sirius Black, whom he defended at a trial last July. While Black was declared as innocent, Peter Pettigrew - who was blamed for his crimes and of faking his own death - has still not surfaced, and many doubt the decision of the Wizengamot to clear him of his charges. Such a closeness to dangerous creatures and people surely raises alarms not only with students but with their parents.
Albus Dumbledore should surely consider whether a boy such as this should be allowed to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, the final task of which shall be taking place this evening. Certainly, Potter's own sister has had her own fair shar struggles during the Tournament, and there are concerns that their heated sibling rivalry may be taken too far.
"My own troubles," Calla muttered furiously. "She loves those troubles when she wrote her stupid article!"
Even with extra security measures being taken at the school, Potter's behaviour raises concerns. All will surely be revealed tonight when the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament commences at Hogwarts School.
"I hate her," she said, folding the paper and handing it back to Isobel. "You know, I really do."
"I thought she wasn't meant to be around the school," Daphne said, frowning. "But that said she'd witnessed Harry leaving your Divination class."
"Yeah," Padma said slowly, "but I didn't see her hanging around anywhere even after you left."
"And I didn't see her either," Calla muttered, confused. "So how... Oh, I wish I had my map!"
"There must be something we've missed," Padma said. "That I didn't see - but I swear, Calla, I didn't see her anywhere."
Calla groaned, putting her head in her hands. Today was already off to a wretched start. "Is there any more cake?"
At the end of breakfast, just as Calla was about to head to Binns' classroom with Padma and Daphne to get a nap in during their quiet exam, Professor Flitwick came hurrying along by the Ravenclaw Table. She didn't realise he was there until he was right behind her, and she jumped. "Sorry, Professor!" she yelped. "I didn't see you there."
"Yes, yes," Flitwick said, shaking his head. "I get that a lot, funnily enough. Now, you're to come with me, Potter."
"What? Why?" She stared at him. The task wasn't due to start until later that evening, she had written it in her diary and double and triple checked and then checked it every day for the last fortnight.
"The champions' families are to visit them before the Third Task."
"My family?" She somehow couldn't imagine the Dursleys coming all this way to see her compete in a wizarding Tournament. The idea made her laugh. But maybe Remus had come to see her? Or Sirius? Both?
"Yes," Flitwick said, with a wide and warm smile. "Your family. Now come along, Miss Patil and Miss Greengrass have an exam to be getting to. You'll see each other again at lunch."
Seemingly satisfied with this, Padma and Daphne both hugged Calla tightly and hurried out the Great Hall towards their exam and Calla followed Flitwick slowly to a little room off the side of the hall. They met with Harry and McGonagall just as they did so, and Harry grinned at Calla. "How are you feeling?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Okay. Okay, I think. A bit tired, and nervous, and a little sick but that was probably too much cake to be honest." She chuckled, shaking her head. "And you?"
"Terrified," he admitted, and Calla laughed loudly, pulling him in for a one-armed hug.
"You'll be fantastic," she promised him. "And we'll both be fine."
His eyes drifted down to linger on her wrist and Harry smiled. "You've got Mum's bracelet on?"
"It's like good luck," she told him, twisting it around her wrist. "And... I like the idea that I've got a bit of her with me."
"Yeah." Harry smiled. "It's nice."
They looked up as they went inside the room, and Calla's face lit up. Not only was Remus there with Sirius, but Mrs Weasley had come to see them too, with Bill. "Remus!" she yelled, breaking into a run towards them. "I didn't know you'd be here now!"
"Of course we are," he said, chuckling as Calla and Harry both beamed. "We would never miss it."
"And Mrs Weasley," she said, grinning. "I didn't know you'd be here, either!"
"Well, Bill wanted to see the task and I spoke to Remus and Sirius and we agreed it would be nice to see the two of you." She bent down to kiss Calla on the cheek, and then Harry.
"Thank you," Calla whispered, beaming. "Y-you really didn't have to."
"Nonsense," Mrs Weasley said, as Bill stuck out his hand to Calla.
"You alright? Charlie wanted to get time off, but he's busy in Romania. He told us all about how you handled that Ukrainian Ironbelly - he was very impressed."
"Oh." Calla could feel herself blushing bright red. "Well, tell him thanks."
"I haven't seen this place in five years," Bill said, staring around. "It's good to be back at Hogwarts."
"It is, isn't it?" Sirius said. He was staring around too; Calla supposed in a way, he was re-seeing it again, from the lens of a free man with more to consider than vengeance.
"Is Sir Cadogan still here?" Bill asked. "The mad knight?"
"Oh, yeah," Harry said. "He's definitely still here, you couldn't miss him."
Bill chuckled. "And the Fat Lady? Still guarding Gryffindor Tower?"
"She was here in our time," Mrs Weasley said, and Remus and Sirius both nodded, exchanging a glance. "She gave me such a telling off one night when I got back to my dormitory at four in the morning-"
"What were you doing wandering about at four in the morning?" Bill asked incredulously. Remus laughed.
"Your father and I had been for a nighttime stroll," said Mrs Weasley, her eyes twinkling. "He got caught by Apollyon Pringle - he was caretaker in those days - and he's still got the marks."
"Four in the morning's nothing," Sirius said with a grin. "Remember, Remus, that one time after Gryffindor won the cup in sixth year when-"
"How about you give us the grand tour?" Remus said to Calla and Harry, cutting off a very put out looking Sirius. Calla would have to get that story out of him later.
"Yeah, alright," Harry said, grinning.
"I wanna know what happened in sixth year," Calla told Sirius with a grin.
"Another time, another time," he said, as Harry and Remus were already leading Bill and Mrs Weasley out of the chamber. "It'll be worth the wait, I assure you."
Amos Diggory had already caught up to Harry, Calla realised as they hurried to join them. "There you are, are you?" he was saying loudly. "Not feeling quite so full of yourself now Cedric's caught you up on points, are you?"
"What?" said Harry, staring at him. Calla glared.
"Ignore him," Cedric said in a low voice, "he's been bitter ever since that Prophet article made out you and Calla were the only Hogwarts competitors."
"Didn't bother to correct her though, did they?" Amos said. "Still, you'll beat them, Ced... Done it before, haven't you?"
Calla moved away uncomfortably, reminded suddenly of Skeeter's article and all those previously. Her good mood from earlier had deflated a little; everyone's faith in her was misplaced, she decided with a bitter scowl to only herself. She wasn't going to win. She wasn't going to come close. She was still fourth; and only avoided being last because Fleur had failed the last task, not due to her own skill.
But before she could dwell on it for too long, they were leaving and the others all seemed determined to have a pleasant day, so Calla made herself smile and forgot about it as best as she could. Who cared what Rita Skeeter said? She still had tonight.
They showed off the Beauxbatons carriage and the Durmstrang boat, and Mrs Weasley reminisced about the Whomping Willow while Calla and Remus exchanged significant looks. Then she decided to show them the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower and the marvellous eagle doorknocker, though she obviously couldn't let them in, but Bill seemed quite amused by the riddle.
"How's Percy?" Harry asked as they strode down the stairs again.
"Not good," said Bill. "He's very upset about Mr Crouch."
"The Ministry want to keep Crouch's disappearance quiet," said Mrs Weasley, lowering her voice, "but Percy's been hauled up for questioning about the instructions Crouch had been sending in. They seem to think there's a chance they weren't genuinely written by him. Percy has been under a lot of strain. They aren't letting him fill in as a judge for tonight; Cornelius Fudge is doing it." Calla wanted to think that was reassuring - that if anything bad did happen tonight as she was so worried it would, that the Minister himself could do something - but it wasn't as reassuring as it really should have been.
They returned to the castle for lunch, Calla taking Remus and Sirius to the Ravenclaw Table with her and Mrs Weasley and Bill going to Gryffindor where their family would be. Whispers went up and down the table as they approached, and part of Calla considered having asked Sirius to turn into a dog before they went in - not just because his presence was clearly startling some people, but because she wanted to see the look on Lisa's face if she turned up with a massive dog. "Professor Lupin?" Isobel said loudly, and she and Michael and Terry all stood up hastily.
He smiled, looking like he was going to laugh. "None of that, please. I am not your professor anymore. I'm simply fulfilling my role as a godfather." He looked at Calla, who beamed back as they sat down.
"Hey, Sirius!" Daphne greeted excitedly as she and Padma hurried into the hall. "Nice jacket."
"Thank you, Daphne," Sirius said, looking like he was going to laugh.
"How'd the exam go?" Calla asked Padma, who sat opposite her.
"Not my best, but I've definitely gotten at least an A, probably an E, though I don't want to speak too soon. Are you here for the Third Task then?" she asked Remus and Sirius, who both nodded.
"Champions' families get to visit today," Remus explained. "We wouldn't miss it. Molly and Bill are with Harry at the minute if you'd like to say hello."
"The red-haired man," Fleur said to Calla as she and her family stopped by, "he is a relative of yours?"
"He's Ron's brother," Calla said, laughing at the quietly admiring look on Fleur's face. "Ron Weasley. His name's Bill, he works for Gringotts." And she gave Fleur the sort of nod that confirmed she knew Bill was single. Fleur smiled, flipped her hair over her shoulder and continued merrily down the hall to sit with the other Beauxbatons students and her parents and Gabrielle.
"So, how have your exams gone?" Remus asked Daphne and Padma. "I trust you're all doing well in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
They spoke about that for a while, though Calla grew quite bored and instead joined Sirius - who had also grown bored of exam talk - in conversation with Isobel and Terry, who both seemed to think he was really cool. "Yeah, Snape doesn't like me," Isobel was saying. "He's a prick, but Terry thinks it's also because I keep experimenting with the recipes and it's 'dangerous' to blow up cauldrons in the name of magic."
Sirius roared with laughter. "Well, it is!" Terry told her.
"But I just said, if I can't live out my childhood dream of being a mad scientist anymore, then they shouldn't try to stop me from being a mad witch either! Or mad potioneer? Whatever it is."
"You're just mad," Calla told Isobel, grinning.
They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the school grounds, before Calla and Harry returned to the Great Hall for the feast. They squeezed each other's hands nervously as they separated. "You should have pasta," Padma told Calla. "It's good for your energy levels."
"Or have some more cake," Daphne said, waving it temptingly in front of Calla's face.
"I don't think I could eat either," she admitted, feeling rather nauseous now the excitement of seeing Remus, Sirius and the Weasleys had worn off. She still hadn't slept today, and she felt very heavy. "I think I might just nap."
"You can't have a nap in the middle of a feast!"
Isobel said in horror as Calla shut her eyes. "Tell her, Padma!"
"Ten minutes," Padma told her. "Power nap. But you do have to eat, or you'll feel worse."
She did eat, but not much, and when she looked at the Gryffindor Table she could tell Harry was feeling much the same as she was. Her nerves just kept building right up until Dumbledore stood at the staff table and said loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch Pitch for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Would the champions please follow Mr Bagman down to the pitch now."
Calla felt like she was going to be sick. Remus and Sirius both hugged her tightly and offered her luck, and Padma and Daphne held her so tight she thought they might break her ribs before anything in the maze had the chance to. The whole table cheered her out of the hall, and Fleur came to her side, looking nervous but smiling all the same.
"You are ready?" she asked Calla as they followed the boys.
"Ready as I'll ever be," she muttered in response.
"Yes." Fleur nodded nervously. "Yes. We will do well, I think. We are not supposed to help one another, but..." She looked at Calla gently. "Good luck. Look after yourself, Calla. If you need me, truly need me, I will try to help you. Us girls have to stick together."
Calla smiled, cheeks flushing. Her stomach gave a flip and she stumbled over her words a little. "You're right," she said. "Same goes for you, just - just say the word."
Fleur laughed sweetly as they went over the stone steps into the grounds. "Of course."
She ran over all the spells she'd memorised as they went quietly down to the maze. It was a comfort that she could remember them all, even if she was far from certain about her capabilities to actually perform them.
It was eerie when they reached the maze at last, the five of them standing at the entrance. She could only see a little ways inside, shadows hanging over the hedges. She and Harry exchanged tense glances. Cedric said something quietly to Fleur, who nodded and smiled. Krum stood sullenly, arms folded, and Calla sent him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. He blinked at her, and nodded stiffly a moment later.
Gradually, the stands begun to fill up with students and families. Some people from the Ministry loitered around, though Calla wasn't sure how many - if any - of them were Aurors. She spied Padma, Daphne, and Isobel blowing kisses from the stands with the poster hanging behind them - much to the annoyance of whoever was sitting behind it. Sue was sitting on Terry's shoulders and Mandy on Anthony's, holding up a banner with Calla's name on it and she beamed as she waved to them all. Remus and Sirius were sitting near the front with Bill, Mrs Weasley, Ron and Hermione, who were grinning and waving enthusiastically to them.
The stars were starting to come out now, dotting the clear, deep blue sky. Hagrid, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall and Professor Moody were making their way over to the champions at the maze's entrance, each of them with bright red stars on the top of their hats, all except for Hagrid, who had his on the back of a moleskin waistcoat.
"We are going to be patrolling the edges of the maze," McGonagall told the five champions. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send up red sparks, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?"
They all nodded. Calla was relieved there was at least some sort of back-up plan for if this went terrible wrong, but she didn't want to have to use it. No, she was determined to see this through. "Off you go, then!" Bagman said excitedly to the professors, practically bouncing.
"Good luck, Harry, Calla!" Hagrid said as he left, beaming. Flitwick gave Calla a quick, encouraging smile before he darted off in the opposite direction, disappearing.
"Sonorous," Bagman said once they had gone, and the stands were full. His magically amplified voice filled the air. "Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, on eighty-five points each, Mister Cedric Diggory and Mister Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts!" The crowd roared its applause, Remus and Sirius both beaming out at them from the stands. Calla's stomach did a nervous flip. "In second place, with seventy-five points, Mister Viktor Krum of Durmstrang!" Again, the stands roared with applause for Krum. Calla tapped her wand nervously against her side. "In third place, Miss Calla Potter of Hogwarts, on seventy-two points!" More applause, to Calla's relief; she could hear Padma, Daphne and Isobel whooping and cheering loudly. "And in fourth place, Miss Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons Academy, with fifty-five points!" Polite applause for Fleur, too.
"So, on my whistle," said Bagman. "Harry, Cedric. Three - two - one!"
He blew sharply on his whistle and Harry and Cedric went together into the maze, the bushes closing darkly and sinisterly behind them. Calla exchanged a nervous glance with Fleur, who nodded grimly at her. At the second whistle, the hedges opened again and Krum rushed in. Calla tightened her grip on her wand. She felt so tired now, and fear and dread ran all through her. Yet she knew that if she could just get through this night, just stay alive and stick with Harry until someone got the cup, then maybe they would both be okay.
But first she had to survive the night. The third whistle blew and the bushes parted for her. She took a deep breath, smiled shakily at the crowd in the stands, turned, and made her way into the darkness.
Author's Note: Sorry to leave this one on a bit of a cliffhanger, but the chapter was getting a bit too long and I figured isolating the events in the maze would be for the best pacing-wise! But the good news is, that chapter is pretty near ready and should be put up in the next few days! We're obviously getting close to the end of fourth year (I think there's about six chapters left) and to the graveyard. Without giving too much away, there will be some changes in how it all plays out, and I hope that you guys enjoy how it turns out! Let me know what you think/any predictions for the next few chapters!