Eva hopped aboard the Hogwarts Express with Fred and George, exactly as she'd done the previous year. They'd managed to find an empty carriage to share together, allowing them to play yet another few games of Exploding Snap.
"What's that?" Eva asked, nodding to the copy of the Daily Prophet beside Fred. On the front was a picture of the Dark Mark which had appeared in the sky just after the mess at the campsite a week earlier.
Fred picked it up and read the headline out loud. "'Scenes of Terror at the Quidditch World Cup' . . . wouldn't know about that."
"Nah, you were too busy dancing to notice tents up in flames," Eva teased.
Once they eventually arrived at Hogwarts, Eva didn't bother to wait around for anyone, considering she was already as tired as she always was on the day of arrival. She headed straight to the Slytherin dungeons to unpack some of her belongings, feed Gerald, and change into her uniform.
As she walked down the stairs towards the darkened common room and adjusted her slightly-too-short-to-be-allowed-at-school skirt around her small waist, she noticed that the whole place was surprisingly empty. Usually at least a few people would be there already, some of the quieter and less popular Slytherins, so she was surprised to find that she was the only person around.
Rather than sit in the Great Hall alone, she waited in the common room for a while. With a fire blazing in the fireplace by Hecate, she lay back on the sofa with her feet up. It only took a minute or two for everyone to begin filing into the large room, chatting away about something cool that had happened outside.
"So," Malfoy, now in his Slytherin robes, stood over her with Crabbe and Goyle either side, "you going to enter this year?"
Eva glanced to the side confusedly. "Enter what?"
"Oh, you don't know either," he laughed. "Well, I guess you'll just have to find out with everybody else," he said over his shoulder as everyone left towards the Great Hall.
She managed to catch up with his quick strides and bombarded him with excited questions. "Enter what though? Is it a competition? I love competitions! Is that what everyone was getting excited about earlier? What kind of competition is it?"
He raised an eyebrow. "And why would I tell you, Infernum?"
"Because we're friends and friends tell each other about secret competitions no one else knows about," she replied, even though she knew her response was pretty unconvincing.
Malfoy rolled his eyes, yet still stubbornly dodged every single one of her questions that came his way. In fact, he ignored every single question she asked, even once they were seated in the Great Hall to watch the sorting process take place.
Eva sat in her usual seat between Daphne and Tracey while Pansy, even closer to Malfoy than before, hugged his arm closely to her with one leg draped over his lap. Ever since Eva had slapped Pansy in the face during the previous year, pretty much every girl in the house had taken a safe step back from her. She found herself truly enjoying their subtle fear of her. It was always better to be feared than to be loved.
Dumbledore stepped to the front once everyone was sorted, which was Eva's cue to shut up and stop asking Malfoy questions. "Well, now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year . . ."
Eva turned her head towards the door as Filch came running in. Well, running wasn't quite the right term to use – frolicking, maybe. Each of his steps were so ridiculously small yet seemed to take a lot of effort from him, judging by the fact that he lifted his legs so high and he was out of breath by the end of his daily exercise.
". . . but home to some very special guests as well," Dumbledore continued. "You see, Hogwarts has been chosen . . ."
Dumbledore stopped talking as Filch reached him. Eva couldn't help but laugh at the caretaker and the fact that he was so goddamn annoying yet the height of comedy at the same time.
"So, Hogwarts has been chosen," Dumbledore spoke again as Filch did his comedy run back out of the hall, "to host a legendary event: the Triwizard Tournament."
Eva gasped. "So that's what this was!" She then whacked him from across the table. "Next time, just tell me, Malfoy."
"Now, for those of you who do not know, the Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests," Dumbledore explained. "From each school, a single student is selected to compete. Now let me be clear; if chosen, you stand alone, and trust me when I say these contests are not for the faint-hearted."
Eva glanced pointedly at Malfoy and wiggled her eyebrows. He mouthed, 'What?' to which she responded with, 'You were scared of a Hippogriff last year, so I think that was aimed at you'. He obviously scoffed at that, which only added to Eva's amusement.
"But more of that later. For now, please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and their headmistress, Madame Maxime."
At that moment, the doors to the Great Hall were gently pushed open. Everyone in the room turned their heads curiously and saw the group of girls walking into the hall. They all wore smart uniforms of baby blue with hats on their heads and light skirts which moved with each sway of their hips.
"This is like the reasons for every girl's body insecurities on legs," Eva whispered, mesmerised at how a school with that many stunning girls could exist, while Tracey nodded in agreement.
The girls took a few steps and sighed seductively, capturing the attention of likely every single male in the room. As they daintily ran towards the front, their hips swished gracefully, and all of the Slytherin boys, including Malfoy, had their eyes fixed on their behinds.
Eva could see how annoyed Pansy was getting about Malfoy being so distracted from her, which only made her laugh rather than feel any sympathy for her. In fairness, Pansy had never been particularly attractive, with her weirdly-shaped nose and unflattering hairstyle.
Their headmistress was . . . much taller than Eva had expected. She walked with her head held high and her hands neatly placed in front of her, towering over everyone else in the room. She was even taller than Hagrid, which was definitely saying something.
Everyone applauded their perfect entrance, the boys especially so. There were quite a few whistles and cheers for them, and several boys even stood up too.
Dumbledore stood up to the front again. "And now, our friends from the north. Please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their high master, Igor Karkaroff."
Following through from where the Beauxbatons girls had entered, a group of boys all dressed in more military-style uniform marched through to the hall. They carried heavy-looking sticks with them which they tapped on the ground, each contact sending up little sparks into the air.
Eva couldn't help but stare at them. Again, like the other school, this was a group of scarily attractive people. Each boy looked fitter than the next, and after a few seconds, Eva had to wipe a little bit of drool from the corner of her mouth. Now it was Malfoy's turn to laugh mockingly at her.
They ran forward, agilely performing flips, and following them was Viktor Krum, joined by their headmaster, or 'high master' as Dumbledore had put it.
"Hogwarts!" Dumbledore stepped out from the front. "Let's entertain our friends in the best way we can. All stand."
Eva knew exactly where this was going, and so did everyone else if their defeated expressions said anything. No wonder some people believed going to Hogwarts was such an embarrassment.
"Maestro, please." With a flick of his wand, the lyrics to the song appeared above their heads as Dumbledore used his wand to karaoke. The confused murmurs from the other two schools really said it all to be honest.
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy-Warty Hogwarts,
teach us something please,
whether we be old and bald,
or young with scabby knees . . ."
It was definitely strange, watching an entire school sing karaoke like a bunch of drunken middle-aged men and wave their arms, but rather than being a spoiled sport, Eva decided to own it. She ended up singing with a ridiculous amount of enthusiasm, silently encouraging Malfoy to join her. Obviously he didn't, and his face of disgust at the mere thought was absolutely priceless.
Soon enough, everyone had settled down and the feast had begun. At the end of the Slytherin table, an extension had been added to seat the Durmstrang boys, which meant they were only a few seats away from them. Eva often found herself accidentally staring, but every time they'd raise their gazes to her, she'd blush and glance away again. Surprisingly though, they didn't seem too bothered by it.
"I can't eat with this many attractive people in one room," Eva grumbled as she picked apart her slice of pie. "Appetite? Ruined. Therefore, mood? Ruined. Therefore, day? Ruined. Thanks, oddly attractive boys, you've ruined my day."
"How can your day be ruined when Viktor Krum is eating only a few seats away from us?" Daphne questioned with a dreamy sigh as she leaned her chin on her hand with her elbow on the table.
"Your attention please," Dumbledore requested, moving to the front where a strange object was sitting on top of a raised platform. "I'd like to say a few words. Eternal glory. That is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks."
Just behind her, she heard Fred and George both murmur "wicked" in unison.
"For this reason, the Ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this, we have the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Mr. Bartemius Crouch."
Just as Crouch began to move to the front to speak, a loud crack of thunder followed by a flash of lightning came from the bewitched sky. Out of nowhere, rain fell over their heads, causing a few people to scream as Eva covered her hair with her hands.
The storm suddenly stopped, and everyone turned their heads to the back entrance to the Great Hall. A man was stood there with a strangely angry frown and a fake left eye which darted around in all directions.
"Who the hell is he?" Eva whispered.
Malfoy watched the man closely as he hobbled into the room. "Mad Eye Moody," he replied uncertainly.
Moody turned around and opened a small bottle to quickly down the contents. Now that the indoor storm was over, Crouch was finally allowed to continue as before.
"After due consideration," Crouch began, "the Ministry has concluded that, for their own safety, no student under the age of 17 shall be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament."
Instantly, people across the room began to complain and shout at unfair the whole rule was. "That's bullshit!" Eva shouted, annoyed since she had been quite looking forward to entering.
"SILENCE!" Dumbledore bellowed, causing everyone in the room to instantly go quiet.
With one single spell, the large metal object on the raised platform melted away, revealing a large cup from which a blue flame erupted. The entire room was filled with a mysterious blue glow.
"The Goblet of Fire," he announced. "Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament need only write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly. If chosen, there's no turning back. As from this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun."
That Thursday was their first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson with Mad Eye Moody, who Eva now had to call Professor Moody. She slumped back into her chair at her usual desk beside Malfoy, lazily flicking through her book.
"So, still down about not being allowed to enter the tournament?" Eva asked Malfoy.
Malfoy grumbled something under his breath. "The entire rule is so unfair. It defeats the entire point of the tournament. The Goblet of Fire is supposed to choose the Champions, so if it didn't want under 17s, it won't choose out under 17s. Simple."
"Like it would choose you anyway," she snickered, "you big chicken."
"Chicken?" Malfoy asked in shock, staring confusedly at her. "I'm the big chicken? If either of us are a chicken, it's you. You even have red hair. You look like a distant relative of a chicken."
She rolled her eyes. "Well at least I don't run around like a headless chicken. Remember the Dark Forest in first year?"
"This again," he muttered, dropping his head back to stare at the ceiling.
"Yes, this again. How could I ever forget when you ran, screaming like a baby, not even bothering to turn around and go after Harry?" she laughed. "I'll never let you forget that."
"You were panicking when face-to-face with a clown, Infernum," Malfoy argued, "a clown."
Eva scoffed. "Pennywise? I even saw you taking a step back, and you were at the back of the line too. You do realise that Pennywise is a killer clown, right? I could totally be chosen for the Triwizard Tournament."
"In your dreams, maybe," he sneered.
"That's what you said before I got onto the Quidditch team," she reminded him. "Just admit it—I'm way cooler, braver, better . . . even awesome-er, than you give me credit for."
He shook his head. "I'd sooner die than admit that."
Moody stood at the front, his eye scanning everyone around him. "Alastor Moody." He turned to the chalkboard and wrote his name out, making Eva roll her eyes. "Ex-Auror, Ministry malcontent, and your new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher."
"Whoopee," Eva deadpanned, leaning against her desk tiredly.
"I am here because Dumbledore asked me," Moody continued. "End of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?" The entire class simply stared at him blankly, so he continued. "When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach. But first, which of you can tell me how many Unforgiveable Curses there are?"
There was a pause for a moment. "Three, sir," Hermione responded.
"And they are so named?" Moody prompted, jotting notes down on the chalkboard as Hermione spoke. Eva tried to copy down a few on some parchment, but he wrote so ridiculously fast that it was difficult to.
"Because they are unforgiveable," she explained, slightly stressed out at the thought. "The use of any one of them will-"
"Will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban, correct," Moody confirmed. "Now, the Ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do."
Eva sighed. "Which we are," she whispered.
"I say different!" he barked suddenly.
"Of course you do," she muttered.
Moody didn't hear her at all. "You need to know what you're up against! You need to be prepared! You need to find another place to put your chewing gum besides the underside of your desk, Mr Finnigan!"
"Idiot," Malfoy laughed quietly as he chewed on a piece of mint-flavoured chewing gum himself. He offered Eva a piece, but she turned her nose up at it and pushed the open packet back towards him.
"The old codger can see out of the back of his head," Seamus whispered.
Without warning, Moody took the piece of white chalk he'd been holding and hurled it across the classroom. Everyone involuntarily ducked their heads down as the tiny object collided with one of the back walls.
"And hear across classrooms!" Moody shouted. "So, which curse shall we see first?"
"Oh shit, he's not going to use us, is he?" Eva whispered to Malfoy.
Malfoy shook his head as if the answer was obvious. "He wouldn't . . . yeah, he wouldn't."
"Or would he?" she countered. "He threw chalk at Seamus' head."
"Everyone has the urge to throw chalk at his head," he told her.
She rolled her eyes. "You have the urge to throw chalk at every Gryffindor in this room."
Malfoy didn't even bother to deny it, instead staying quiet. "Weasley!" Moody yelled out of nowhere.
Ron glanced up from underneath his untrimmed ginger hair with pure fear in his eyes. "Yes?"
"Stand," he ordered.
Slowly, Ron stood up from his seat, his legs evidently trembling underneath him. He leaned his hands against his desk to steady himself.
"Give us a curse," Moody demanded.
Ron gulped. "Well, m-my dad did tell me about one. T-the Imperius Curse."
Moody nodded in confirmation. "Your father would know all about that. Gave the Ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why."
He moved back towards the front of the class and pulled a small insect out of the jar. Aiming his wand at it, he used the 'engorgio' charm to enlarge it, causing the insect to grow in his palm to triple its original size.
"Imperio," Moody muttered, and with a flick of his wand, the bug began to jump across the classroom towards different people.
It climbed up several students' desks and along their arms. "Don't worry, it's completely harmless," he assured. "If she bites, she's lethal."
The insect was then moved onto Eva's arm. Eva froze up completely still as it climbed along her arm and then across her chest. Apparently, the insect was also a pervert. Malfoy wasn't screaming, surprisingly, but he still seemed pretty spooked, edging away from her in his chair.
After a few seconds, Moody moved it across the room over Ron's head. He laughed manically as Ron whimpered in terror.
"What are you laughing at?" Moody asked Malfoy.
He moved the insect directly onto Malfoy's face. That cued Malfoy's screaming as he yelled at Eva to get it off. Rolling her eyes, Eva lifted the insect by its torso and placed it on top of his head instead, so at least he wouldn't have to look at it anymore.
"Infernum, I said get it off!" he screeched, tossing his hair back and forth. "Just get it off, it's in my hair!"
"I got it off your face, you're welcome," she laughed.
"Talented, isn't she?" Moody asked. "What should I have her do next? Jump out of the window? Drown herself?"
The mood in the room suddenly became much darker as the insect was dangled over a bucket of water. It was flown slowly over to Moody's palm, and now everyone in the classroom had gone quiet once more.
"Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the Imperius Curse," Moody explained. "But here's the rub: How do we sort out the liars? Another, another," he encouraged.
Eva's eyes widened in shock. "He's not actually going to perform the other curses on that poor thing, is he? The Imperius curse was bad enough."
Malfoy snorted. "Don't tell me you sympathise with a bug."
"I do actually," she said, frowning at the fact that he didn't. "How would you feel if that was you up there?"
"Longbottom, is it?" Moody questioned, pointing to Neville who was sitting shyly in the front row. "Up. Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for Herbology."
Neville nodded in confirmation, standing up from his desk. "There's the, um . . . the Cruciatus curse."
"Correct, correct!" he exclaimed. "Come, come." The insect was placed back down on Moody's desk. "Particularly nasty. The torture curse."
Eva could see where this was going, and she didn't like it one bit. She fiddled nervously with the sleeve of her robe as Neville stepped up to the desk.
"Crucio!"
The insect instantly began screaming in pain, closing in on itself. Eva found herself struggling to keep her eyes open at it, her grip on her textbook tightening slightly. She felt even worse for Neville, who was now stuck at the front, being forced to watch this insect being tortured with graphic detail.
"Oh my God! Stop torturing the poor thing, you psycho!" Eva shouted over the otherwise silent classroom.
"Stop it!" Hermione pleaded, tears gathering up in her eyes. "Can't you see it's bothering him?! Stop it!"
Moody glanced between Eva and Hermione, both equally stressed out, and then at Neville. The screaming instantly stopped as the insect was released from the curse.
Eva took a deep breath and hesitantly glanced over at Malfoy from underneath her crimson hair which had been covering her face. She expected him to mock her about her overreaction, but instead his expression was something else—verging on sympathy.
Moody picked up the insect and carried it over to Hermione's desk. Hermione looked completely tense as one single tear began to roll down her cheek.
"Perhaps you could give us the last Unforgiveable Curse, Miss. Granger," Moody requested.
It was clear that Hermione wanted to do anything but answer that question. In an effort to save her friend from that misery, Eva chose to answer for her instead.
"It's . . . it's the Killing Curse," Eva answered hesitantly, taking in a shaky breath.
Rather than reprimand Eva for interrupting, Moody picked up the insect and placed it on her desk instead. She blinked a tear out of her eye as he raised his wand at the poor insect.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A shot of green light emitted from the wand and the insect was instantly dead. Unwilling to even make any eye contact with it, she glanced upwards at the ceiling and then straight down at her desk, using her hand to cover it from her eyesight. Sure, she wasn't exactly an animal rights activist, but torturing innocent creatures in class was never okay with her.
"The Killing Curse. Only one person is known to have survived it, and he's sitting in this room."
Eva had never packed away so quickly in her life. She messily shoved her books in her bag, desperate to get out of that room. Malfoy handed her one of her books but she ended up snatching it out of his hands without even thanking him.
Holding her Defence Against the Dark Arts book to her chest, she stalked straight out of the room, keeping her head down and avoiding eye contact with anyone. At this point, she was just desperate to get back to her dorm and relax alone, even for just a minute.
Malfoy caught up with her at the bottom of the stairs with his bag slung over his shoulder. "Are you good, Infernum?"
"I'm fine, Malfoy," she murmured, refusing to glance up at him. She really wasn't in the mood to talk at that moment.
He raised an eyebrow at her, this time struggling to keep up with her steps rather than it being the other way around. "Are you sure? Because, if you were fine, you wouldn't be sulking right now."
"I said I'm fine!" she snapped impatiently, speeding up her steps towards the Slytherin dungeons and further away from Malfoy's snarky comments.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Author's note: Okie, wow, getting straight into it haha. This year is definitely by far my favourite year, and there's a lot more in store for Draco and Eva coming up, so stay tuned!
Anyway, thank you so much for reading, stay safe, and ily lots!