CHAPTER 9: The First Task
Tuesday.
The day of the first task.
Of course, the Slytherin Dungeons were positively buzzing with excitement. Madeline had spotted a group of second years makeshift some signs to hold up, 'Potter Stinks!' still being the most popular one. In fact, all the signs pretty much berated Harry and favoured no other champion (although she could've sworn she saw Crabbe and Goyle with matching Krum signs).
The day passed in a blur. Daphne was particularly chirpy as they sat for lunch, their classes ending mid-day in favour of the Tournament. Even Malfoy was in a good mood, although it was most definitely to do with the fact that Harry was about to risk his life publicly.
"Isn't this exciting?!" Daphne exclaimed, biting into her sandwich, "The day is finally here!"
"I'm not sure exciting is the right word for it," Theo pointed out, "I swear, Cedric looked like he was about to cry this morning."
Madeline huffed, "Do you guys not think this whole thing is barbaric?"
"Well, yeah, but that's half the fun," Daphne shrugged, "I just hope Krum doesn't get hurt…"
Madeline thought about Fleur, Cedric and Harry. To be honest, the only one Madeline didn't really care about was Krum. She knew Fleur had it in the bag; she was one of the most talented witches she knew. Cedric would manage, he seemed like the resilient type. But Harry… She was the most worried about him; scrawny, thin, and thrown into this without a choice.
Speaking of…
"Merlin, he looks terrified," Theo pointed out as Harry walked into the hall with Hermione, "Shouldn't he be with the other champions?"
Madeline watched the boy worriedly, noticing how pretty much every single person in the Great Hall looked at him with disdain. He truly didn't have anyone on his side apart from Hermione and herself, and she was willing to bet that if he did come out victorious, the Gryffindors would jump back onto the bandwagon of 'All Hail the Chosen One' instantly. Pathetic.
McGonagall quickly spotted Harry and rushed over, whispering something to him quietly. He nodded, allowing himself to be taken out of the Great Hall, most likely to prepare for his task.
"She's probably making sure he doesn't run away," Pansy Parkinson remarked from her seat next to Draco. The table fell into a loud cackle of laughter.
Madeline frowned. If no one else was going to cheer him on, she would. Sure, they hadn't spoken since the Adam incident, and he more than likely thought she was some sort of Death Eater, but that didn't matter. She stood up.
"Good luck Harry!" Madeline shouted from the Slytherin table. Harry turned in surprise, his eyes landing on the Slytherin girl gratefully. He shot her a small but hopeful smile, assuring her that he was okay. He disappeared behind the doors, McGonagall with her hand on his shoulder.
"Good luck for what, Bisset?" Pansy questioned, staring at her as she sat down, "His untimely death?"
"I'll have you know, Parkinson, that some of us aren't foul enough to wish death on a fellow student," Madeline sniffed, "I'm sure Professor Moody would love to hear all about how much you hate his favourite student."
Pansy huffed, crossing her arms and leaning back behind Draco dramatically. Madeline rolled her eyes, turning to her friends, "Shall we go to the arena?"
The entire population of Hogwarts - and their visitors - gathered around the large arena. Tension was palpable in the air, cleverly masked with a cloak of excitement.
Madeline didn't dare look into the arena too much. She already felt sick, the prospect of her friends having to battle it out with dragons. She sat herself on the far left of the stands, with Daphne sat between her and Theo. Two rows in front of her, she could see Hermione worriedly clutching the scarf around her neck. On her left, Neville, who was hastily scribbling on some cardboard. Ron was on her other side, with Dean and Seamus next to him.
There was a tent on the far side of the enclosure, clearly where the Champions were being held. Just besides it, the entrance to another tent was blocked off by a large metal gate. Madeline had a feeling that was where the dragons would be entering from.
She'd done her own research on dragons, of course. Many wouldn't be too hard to fight if you knew the right spells, which she hoped her friends did, but the tales others bore sent chills down her spine. She hadn't told Daphne and Theo what was in store, probably because it would make it so much more real.
"Bloody hell it's getting cold," Daphne huffed as she rubbed the palms of her hands together.
"Something tells me it's about to get a lot hotter here," Theo retorted cleverly.
Mr. Bagman was the one to announce the beginning of the Tournament. He stood from his seat with the other judges, bringing his wand to his neck to amplify his voice.
"Hello everybody!" Mr. Bagman began, "And what an exciting day this is! Welcome to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament!"
Everyone began clapping and hollering, dying down once Mr. Bagman had raised his hand.
"Today's task is very special, and created to test our Champions daring," Mr. Bagman continued dramatically, "Each of our Champions has been assigned a dragon, which they will have to battle, and steal a golden egg from!"
Murmurs immediately began in the audience. Some people seemed shocked, others far too excited to witness the Boy Who Lived face certain death.
"So, without further ado, let us begin!" Mr Bagman exclaimed loudly, flashes of red sparks shooting into the sky, symbolising the beginning of the Tournament, "First we have one of our Hogwarts champions, Cedric Diggory! He will be facing the Swedish Short-Snout!"
Immediately, the Hufflepuffs began shouting and screaming, even Madeline joining in and clapping her hands. However, the audience fell into an instant silence as the dragon gate lifted. A large silvery-blue dragon made its way into the arena, the muzzle around its large mouth disappearing once the gate had closed behind it. It paid no attention to the audience, and instead began circling itself around the eggs on the side of the arena.
And then Cedric came out.
The Hufflepuffs cheered once more, but Madeline found herself digging her nails into her robes in anxiety. Cedric looked positively terrified, and she bet he wasn't the only one.
He stared at the large dragon in fear, clutching his wand tightly in his hand. The dragon had yet to spot him, and he noticed this. He hastily pointed his wand at a rock, casting a transfiguration charm. The rock began to morph, turning into-
"A dog," Madeline breathed, "Seriously. A dog. That's his best plan?!"
"I thought you were friends with Diggory," Theo pointed out.
"Yes, and I can still appreciate when his plans are ridiculous," Madeline huffed, eyes darting back to the arena. Her eyes widened, grabbing Daphne's shoulder gleefully, "Look! It's working!"
Much to everyone's surprise, Cedric had managed to distract the dragon long enough to sprint to the other side of the enclosure, where the eggs were kept. He was almost there, just a few more meters to go, when suddenly, the dragon turned back to the boy in yellow.
"WATCH OUT!"
Cedric dove to the ground just in time as a blast of blue fire shot out of the dragon's nostrils. It was angry, and he had no time to lose. He made another dash for the egg, jumping over boulders and rocks. No one dared to move as they gripped onto their seats in agitation, eyes fixated on the boy.
"Ooh, narrow miss there," Mr Bagman commentated, echoing throughout the audience, "He's taking risks, this one!"
After one final bold jump, he grabbed the golden egg just as the dragon shot one final burst of blue flames at him.
All at once, every Hogwarts student began cheering. The dragon's muzzle reappeared, trumpets sounding in celebration. Madeline shot out of her seat, dragging her friends up with her as they clapped furiously for the boy.
Cedric got up from the ground, one arm clutching the egg to his side, while the other seemed to be badly burnt from the dragon. It didn't look like anything serious, thankfully, but it would definitely deduct him points for the task. He barely even acknowledged the audience as he was escorted out to the infirmary tent.
"Very good indeed!" Mr Bagman praised as the applause died down, "A very smart young boy. And now the marks from the judges!"
Madeline didn't see the marks. She was far more preoccupied as she watched the first dragon being escorted out of the arena by a short and stocky red-haired man, and surprisingly, Daphne had also noticed him.
"That's Charlie Weasley," Daphne stated in confusion, nudging Theo, "Wasn't he at your parents vow renewal, like, four years ago?"
Theo furrowed his eyes at the man, then nodded, "Yeah. He studied dragons in Romania with my cousin. He was her date for the ceremony. I'm surprised you remember him."
Daphne shrugged, "He took the last of the butterbeer."
Madeline's eyes were fixated on the back of Ron's head, unmoving, "Do you reckon the Weasley's knew about the first task then?"
"We'll have to see how Potter does," Daphne shrugged, "Oh look, Fleur Delacour is next."
Madeline's eyes snapped to the arena, catching Fleur's hesitant steps forwards into the ring. A large dragon, the Common Welsh Green, stood with it's back to her, large talons digging into the ground in front of the eggs. The Beauxbatons students clapped politely as Fleur fully entered the arena, Madeline cheering loudly above the Hogwarts students.
Fleur pursed her lips, drawing her wand. The dragon had yet to see her. With quiet grace, she began waving her wand gently towards the dragon, little flickers of blue and gold lights floating in the air from the tip of her wand. No one could really tell what she was doing. That is, until the dragon slowly began falling asleep.
"Oh I'm not sure that was wise!" Mr Bagman narrated, but Madeline didn't listen. She was on the edge of her seat as she watched Fleur, the wand movements not ceasing. It was many minutes later before Fleur was confident the dragon wouldn't wake up. The Beauxbaton students began clapping politely once more as Fleur made her way across the arena.
She elegantly jumped over the many rocks and boulders, holding her cape up when necessary. She was slower than Cedric, but definitely more cautious and composed. Everyone assumed she'd leave the arena unscathed, especially as she neared the egg. That is, until the Welsh Green snored, a sharp yet small blast of fire coming out of its nose.
Everyone gasped, a few even covering their eyes as Fleur's skirt was set on fire. Fleur jumped, a yelp coming out of her mouth. But she very quickly put the fire out with a few sharp blasts of water from her wand, wasting no more time and grabbing the egg before the dragon could do any more damage.
Cheers erupted in the stalls as the dragon was carted off. Madeline clapped the loudest out of all the Hogwarts students, watching as Fleur was taken off the arena as well.
"And next," Mr Bagman announced, "We have Viktor Krum, facing the Chinese Fireball!"
"Yikes," Theo muttered, glaring as Daphne stood with the other Slytherin girls, clapping especially loudly.
Madeline didn't care too much for Krum. She sat back in her seat, leaning behind Daphne to look at Theo, "Reckon he'll be any good?"
"I doubt it," Theo muttered grumpily, looking around the stalls, "Everyone seems enraptured by him, for whatever reason.
"It's because he's hot," Daphne sighed as she sat back down, breaking the conversation, "Look; it's starting."
Madeline watched as Krum stepped into the arena confidently, the Chinese Fireball watching the boy menacingly. It dug its talons into the floor, as if preparing to attack. Krum, as predictable as always, was rather fast and sharp in his attack. He pulled his wand out sharply, pointing it at the dragon and sending a rather strong attack to it's eye.
"Let's go, Krum!" Daphne cheered as he stunned the dragon, both Theo and Madeline rolling their eyes at their friend.
The dragon was stunned instantly. It shrieked in pain, most of the audience covering their ears to muffle the loud sound. It began moving wildly across the floor, and unfortunately, trampled on it's own eggs. The crowd held its breath as Krum darted across the arena, grabbing the egg.
"That's some nerve he's showing - and - yes, he's got the egg!" Mr Bagman announced.
Applause broke throughout the audience loudly. Cheers and shrieks came from all stalls. Even the Beauxbaton students looked mildly impressed. Krum, the showman that he was, held the egg up proudly to the audience.
"He's the fastest one yet!" one of the Slytherin boys yelled from behind Madeline.
"I bet he's got it in the bag," another replied, "Potter doesn't stand a chance."
"So," Madeline began, turning to Daphne, "Your boyfriend might win this thing."
To her surprise, Daphne shrugged nonchalantly.
"His plan was stupid," she stated simply, "And I'm not attracted to stupid."
Her words held such finality that Madeline knew better than to press. She looked at Theo curiously, who simply smirked. The Chinese Fireball was taken out of the arena once Krum had exited, now significantly calmer than it had been just moments before.
And then, Madeline saw it.
The next dragon was The Hungarian Horntail. And Harry would have to battle it.
"Bloody hell," Theo breathed, the dragon thrashing in it's muzzle.
"It has spikes," Daphne gasped, "Potter is a goner!"
Madeline didn't comment. Instead, she watched with wide eyes as Harry stepped into the arena, the quietest of applause echoing in the stands. She barely registered Mr Bagman speaking as Harry immediately raised his wand in the air, uttering an incantation no one else could hear.
"What the hell is he doing?!" Madeline exclaimed, watching Harry through the shimmer of the transparent barrier.
Hermione had heard her, turning around from her place in the rows in front of her. The two girls locked eyes, and with a simple nod from Hermione, Madeline was sure Harry had a plan.
And then she saw it.
His Firebolt, shooting through the air and breaking through the almost-clear barrier easily. The crowd went wild as Harry mounted his broom, kicking off the ground without a second thought.
"YES!" shrieked a Gryffindor first-year, jumping and clapping happily.
Harry soared high in the air, Madeline holding her breath as the Horntail watched the boy. The eggs were between its front legs. Harry had to act fast if he had any hopes of getting out of this alive.
The dragon followed Harry's movements with its head, and as soon as it got the chance, shot a deadly blast of fire at the boy. The crowd jumped and gasped, Madeline even getting to her feet, but thankfully Harry was more than a fair flyer. He dove out of the flames reach easily, swerving the opposite way.
"Great Scott, he can fly!" yelled Bagman as the crowd shrieked.
Harry dove higher and higher into the air, almost circling the arena, and that's when Madeline realised what he was doing.
"He's making the dragon dizzy," Madeline revealed to her friends, a proud smile on her face.
Harry rose higher and higher into the air, forcing the dragon's neck to follow him. It was only when the dragon opened its wings and began lifting off the ground did Harry make his play.
As soon as the dragon was above the ground he immediately dove down to the floor, narrowly missing yet another jet of fire. Her tail grazed him, a shallow gash now on his shoulder. Madeline held her breath as Harry seemed to be diving head-first into the ground.
"He's going to off himself!" Daphne gasped.
But Harry swerved, and with a spurt of speed akin to none the audience had ever seen, Harry grabbed the egg and shot straight back up into the air, flying over the stands as the crowd roared.
"Look at that!" Bagman was yelling. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"
Madeline was the first Slytherin to start cheering wildly, the Gryffindors just about matching her. Harry flew around for just a few more moments as the dragon was tamed back into its enclosure. Madeline clapped furiously, a bright smile on her face as she watched Harry land on the side of the arena, McGonagall, Hagrid and Moody there to greet him.
Madeline caught Hermione and Ron getting up hastily, moving out of their bench to get ready to go see him. She caught Hermione's eye once again, only this time Hermione was the one to know without a doubt that Madeline would be coming, too.
"I'm going to go see them," Madeline told her friends, pulling her Slytherin scarf tightly around her neck, "I'll see you later."
"Give Krum my love," Theo teased, earning a nudge from Daphne.
Madeline said nothing as she followed Ron and Hermione to the tent. Ron especially made sure to keep his eyes trained onto the floor, avoiding her gaze at all costs.
They darted through the opening of the first-aid tent unnoticed, and came face-to-face with-
"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione shrieked, giving him a tight but careful hug, "You were amazing! You really were!"
"Clever," Madeline complimented, earning a small smile from Harry. However, when he noticed the third party with the two girls, his smile dropped.
"Harry," Ron said, very seriously, "Whoever put your name in that goblet… I-I reckon they're trying to do you in!"
Madeline held her breath as the two boys stared at each other. Harry spoke coldly, "Caught on, have you? Took you long enough."
Hermione stood between the two boys, looking at them nervously. Ron opened his mouth, ready to speak, but to everyone's surprise, Harry continued.
"It's okay," he said, "Forget it."
"No," Ron argued, "I shouldn't've-"
"Forget it."
Ron grinned nervously at him, and Harry grinned back.
Madeline rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, Hermione laughing and grabbing the two boys around their necks, bringing them into a tight hug. Madeline took this as her cue to leave and find Cedric and Fleur, but before she could walk away, Harry stopped her.
"Madeline," he said nervously, breaking away from his two friends, "I just wanted to say… I'm sorry, for the other day with the Beauxbatons guy."
"Forget it," Madeline echoed Harry's own words, a tight-lipped smile on her face.
"It wasn't right," Harry shook his head, "Look; I'm sure the Gryffindors are going to celebrate after this. You're welcome to come, if you'd like."
Madeline thought about it. On one hand, she really wasn't fond of a lot of the Gryffindors. But on the other hand, some of them didn't seem to be too bad… Especially the ones in front of her.
"Alright," Madeline nodded, smiling, "But I should probably go find Fleur now."
Harry nodded, giving Madeline's shoulder a small squeeze before joining his friends again. Madeline watched as the Golden Trio stood by each other tightly, laughing and celebrating. It was heartwarming, really.
She turned around and walked further into the first-aid tent. Fleur hadn't been injured, but surely they wanted to check for burns. Cedric was sat up in one of the beds, a thick orange paste on one side of his face, and probably on his arm as well, judging from the bandages peeking out of his sleeve. The minute he saw Madeline, he broke out in a grin.
"Told you Bisset, I've got this thing in the bag," he greeted her playfully. Madeline just rolled her eyes, seating herself on the edge of his bed.
"How bad is it?" she asked, "Are you scarred for life? Does this mean the Diggory Charm has now ceased to exist? How will you break it to your fans?!"
"Alright, alright, cool it. I just battled a dragon," Cedric laughed, shaking his head, "I'll be fine by tomorrow, they say. How'd the others do?"
"Harry was the fastest, but they might take points off him for being injured," Madeline informed him, "I didn't really keep track of the scores. You see, I was too busy watching and making sure my friends didn't die a horrible death at the hands of a dragon."
"Awh, are we friends?" Cedric teased, Madeline slapping his leg at his ridiculousness. The two laughed, but were interrupted by Madam Pomfrey.
"Mister Diggory, the judges are about to announce the scores," she informed him courtly, turning to Madeline, "Are you alright, dear?"
"Yes, I was just making sure this one didn't get into too much trouble," Madeline replied politely, "Come on, Diggory. Let's see if you won."
Harry and Krum had tied in first place, Cedric coming in second, and Fleur in last. The next task was to take place on February the twenty-fourth.
Madeline had briefly caught Fleur on her way back to the Beauxbatons dorms, the two hugging tightly with the promise of breakfast in the coming week. Although Fleur wasn't a Hogwarts champion, Madeline was set to help her as best as she could.
She returned to the Slytherin Dungeons with Daphne and Theo, sitting around the fireplace and chatting animatedly about the Tournament. Some of the younger Slytherins had joined them, the common room alive with noise and warmth. It felt good, to be a family.
At about five o'clock, a curious knock echoed on the entrance of the common room. Madeline furrowed her eyes as she saw Tracy Davis rushing across the room to where she was sat, a sour look on her face.
"It's for you, Bisset," Tracy informed her, "Honestly, I thought you would've had better taste."
Madeline looked at her in confusion, standing up and making her way to the entrance. She pulled the sleeves of her green cardigan over her hands as she opened the door-
And was met with none other than Ron Weasley.
"Well, this is a surprise," Madeline cooed, leaning against the edge of the door, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Harry invited you to his surprise party," Ron shrugged, hands buried deep in his pockets. To Madeline, he clearly didn't want to be here, "He asked me to get you."
"How sweet," Madeline sighed, pushing herself off the edge of the door, "Alright then Weasley, let's go."
"Don't you need to get changed, or something?" Ron asked.
Madeline looked down at herself. She was still wearing her black Hogwarts skirt and white shirt, but the scarf and tie were long gone, replaced with a cosy green-knit cardigan. Her wand was tucked tightly in the waistband of her skirt. She wore the same patent black leather shoes she always wore, with a small yet distinguishable block heel. Although she'd grown up with her grandmother's overbearing need for her to look perfect and distinguished at all times, Madeline didn't exactly look bad.
She shrugged, "You're not changed, so why should I be? Come on, let's go."
Madeline hopped out of the Slytherin door and onto the stone dungeon floor, the door melting into the brick wall as soon as she'd left it. Ron paused, watching her for a moment before taking off, not bothering to wait for her as the two made their way up towards the Gryffindor tower.
Ron didn't speak as the two trotted through the halls, Madeline taking this time to admire some of the portraits she perhaps wouldn't have before. It was only when they'd left the dungeons did Madeline speak.
"So dragons, huh?" she tried as they began climbing the stairs, "Kind of crazy that they put them against that."
"Right," Ron replied plainly. Madeline furrowed her eyebrows; she was going to get the boy to talk.
"Theo said you brother was one of the keepers," Madeline continued, "That must be an exciting job."
"Yeah, it is," Ron replied quickly, clearly not in a mood to talk.
Madeline was about to keep pressing, to find out if Ron had known about the dragons. However, before she knew it, they were in front of the Fat Lady once again, much to her disdain.
"Password?" she asked, her eyes scanning over Madeline in judgement.
"Pig snout," mumbled Ron quietly, barely loud enough for Madeline to hear.
"Is she coming in as well?" the Fat Lady asked Ron, ignoring Madeline.
"Harry wants her in," he shrugged, and the Fat Lady nodded decisively, glaring at Madeline before the frame swung open.
Madeline huffed as they climbed through the archway, "Charming, as always."
The moment she set foot in the Gryffindor Common Room, she was met with mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface. The air was thick with stars and sparks, and banners hung off of every surface and window, each with drawings of Harry zooming around the Horntail's head on his Firebolt. A couple showed the other champions, or more specifically, Cedric with his head on fire.
Ron immediately went to join Dean and the looming pile of food on his table, leaving Madeline standing alone, like a mouse in a house of cats. She looked around for someone she might know, but unfortunately the only person who seemed to have spotted her was Seamus Finnigan.
"Oi," Seamus shouted, the room quieting down almost instantly. He pointed his slice of cake at her, "What's she doing here?!"
"I have a name," Madeline shot back, crossing her arms protectively as every set of eyes in the room fell to her.
"Madeline is here-" Harry announced hastily, moving through the crowd quickly, "-Because I invited her. Now, if anyone has a problem with that, you can sod off to bed."
Seamus glared at the girl, but eventually relented, turning away. A few murmurs began in the crowd, dissipating as Harry made his way over to her, "Are you alright?"
"You didn't have to do that," Madeline shook her head, "I can take care of myself, you know."
"Yeah, but I still feel like I owe it to you," Harry shrugged, handing her a glass of butterbeer, "I shouldn't have avoided you for the past week just because of that guy-"
"Don't worry about it, I told you," Madeline interrupted, "He's an ass, and talks like one. It's fine."
Harry smiled, taking her arm in his hand, "Come on then!"
Madeline rolled her eyes but laughed, letting herself be dragged into the crowd of Gryffindors.
Surprisingly, the party wasn't that bad at all. Harry had introduced her to Ginny Weasley, the youngest of the siblings. She wasn't the most amicable at first, but they got along well enough. Lee Jordan had introduced himself, and Madeline realised he was the third boy she'd seen with the Weasley twins only a few weeks before.
"They've gone to get more food," Lee had told her when she'd asked of their whereabouts.
She also had a semi-decent conversation with Dean Thomas, who was clearly still a little afraid of her (much to her pleasure). And although she still wore the Slytherin green with her cardigan, it seemed that for the most part, people had settled around her.
At least, until the Weasley twins arrived.
"Well look who the cat dragged in!" George teased, the two twins looping an arm around her shoulders each as soon as they'd spotted her.
"To what do we owe this pleasure?" Fred asked, handing her a new glass of butterbeer.
Madeline rolled her eyes, nudging the pair, "Oi, I've already made enough of a scene."
"Alright, fine," George relented, unlooping his arm and stepping back, "See you later, Bisset!"
Madeline smirked as the boy made his way to the side of the room, specifically where Angelina Johnson sat with her friends. She turned to Fred, whose arm was still around her shoulders, "Lee told me you guys planned this whole thing out?"
"It's what we do," Fred grinned, gesturing to the room, "Anything for our Harry."
Madeline watched Fred as he surveyed the room, the weight of his arm on her shoulders suddenly all the more apparent. It wasn't bad, not at all. It was nothing like Adam Louis' hands on her waist when they'd waltzed, or when Theo would slap her hand if she tried stealing the pastries his grandmother sent him.
It was warm, and inviting, and Madeline could almost call it welcome.
"Blimey, this is heavy," announced Lee Jordan, picking up the golden egg, effectively breaking Madeline out of her musing, "Open it, Harry, go on! Let's see what's inside it!"
"Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!" several Gryffindors echoed, including Fred, who had pulled Madeline to his side as a couple of first years had tried to squeeze past her.
Lee passed Harry the egg, who stood on the arm of the sofa so that everyone could see. Harry dug his fingernails into the sides, the latch opening.
The moment he opened it, a loud wailing sound screeched, filling the room. Both Madeline and Fred went to cover their ears, Madeline registering how cold she felt without his arm on her shoulders. Everyone seemed to be doing the same, a first year even sinking to the floor.
"Shut it!" Fred yelled over the sound, Harry slamming the egg shut.
"What was that?" asked Seamus Finnigan, "Sounded like a banshee… Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!"
"It was someone being tortured!" offered Neville, "You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!"
"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal," George nudged the younger boy, "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions, not with the Ministry involved. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing… Oh! Maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower."
Snickers echoed around the room. Fred leant over a couple of people and into a large bowl of biscuits, pulling a couple of jam tarts out. He turned to Madeline as the rest of the house continued to gossip.
"Want a jam tart?" Fred asked, a devious glint in his eyes.
Madeline scoffed, "Please. I've barely been here a term and I already know not to trust baked goods from you or your brother."
"I'm offended," Fred gasped, dramatically holding his heart, "I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you've got to watch."
Neville's eyes widened, spitting out the custard cream he'd just bitten into.
"He's lying, Neville," Madeline shook her head, patting the boy on the back, "He's not smart enough to do that."
"Hey!"
"Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?" Hermione asked, plucking a jam tart from the bowl.
Fred nodded, a tart stuffed into his mouth. He swallowed the biscuit, putting on a high-pitched squeak and imitated a house-elf, "'Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!' They're dead helpful! Get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish."
Madeline raised her eyebrow at this. In her home back in France, they hadn't had any house elves. Her mother had always found the idea of it almost crass. They had a couple of people as their staff, such as the gardener and the chef, but most of the housework could be accomplished by magic.
"How do you get in there?" Hermione asked innocently.
"Easy; concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit," Fred gloated, "Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and…Why?"
"Nothing," shrugged Hermione.
"Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you?" asked George, joining the conversation, "Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?"
"What leaflet stuff?" Madeline asked, an echo of groans following.
"Our Hermione here is trying to set up a rebellion with the house elves," Fred explained, "Don't you go upsetting them and telling them they've got to take clothes and salaries! You'll put them off their cooking!"
Madeline ignored the red-haired boy and watched Hermione, who seemed embarrassed, but also… Relentless. There was a fire in her eyes, despite them being downcast onto the (ugly, so ugly) carpet. In that moment, Madeline knew she was going to make this girl her friend.
"That's cool," Madeline spoke loudly, turning to Hermione, "Where do I sign?"
"What?" Hermione asked in stupor, her eyes widening.
"Do you have some sort of petition, or something?" Madeline asked, winking at the girl.
Hermione's face split into a grin, her hands clapping together, "I'll go get it now!"
It was late, almost one in the morning, when Madeline decided to head back to the dungeons. Had she not mentioned Harry's invite to Theo and Daphne after the tournament, she was sure the pair would've sent a search party for her.
Fred had been the one to volunteer to walk her back to the dorms, claiming he was 'the best at going undetected'. The two quietly giggled as Fred goofily lead them through the school, rolling from alcove to alcove and hiding behind pillars. It took them far longer than it should have to reach the dungeons, ensuring Filch was nowhere near the Slytherin entrance before hopping down the corridor, laughing quietly.
"So," Fred asked casually, "Did you have fun?"
Madeline paused, "Surprisingly, yeah. I didn't think I would, actually."
"I can't believe you beat Ron at high-speed Wizard Chess!" Fred praised, "Not even Hermione has managed that yet."
"I've had practice," Madeline admitted, "My uncle taught me when I was younger. That, and Theo practically begs me to play him before bed."
Fred laughed, hands tucked in his pockets as the two stopped outside the Slytherin entrance. Madeline sighed, "Well, this is me. Thanks for walking me back down."
"Anytime," Fred replied cheekily, nudging the girl with his elbow, "I'll see you later, yeah?"
Madeline nodded, their eyes meeting for a few moments, before he turned to walk back to the Gryffindor tower. The air stood still as Madeline suddenly realised that maybe, Fred Weasley made her a bit nervous. And she didn't mind it.