Chapter Seventeen: We Should Burn Something Down
Cedric Diggory and Jamie Devereaux Bruce sat in the Hogwarts Express together on their way to their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Cedric was scarfing down another brownie courtesy of Loren Bruce when he caught a glimpse of Cho Chang through the window of the compartment. The piece of brownie caught in his throat at the sight of the pretty Ravenclaw and he began chocking, spewing small pieces of brownie. Jamie made a face of disgust at the sight of the food in his mouth. "Ew."
"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Cedric wheezed, still coughing slightly from his near fatal choke.
The blonde across from him rolled her eyes, "So dramatic." Jamie then stood from her seat and pushed open the compartment door, leaning her head into the hall of the train, "Cho!" She called to the Ravenclaw girl, with whom she had never spoken.
Cho Chang jumped slightly and turned to look at Jamie with a quizzical and confused fact. "Hi, Jamie. Have a good summer?"
Jamie nodded, "It was brilliant." The lie was quick and easy, and surely one she would have to tell often throughout the next week or two, "I heard you were at the Quidditch World Cup this summer, too." When Cho nodded Jamie pressed on, "I loved it but Cedric will not stop talking about that seeker move that Victor Krum did. I do not think I can stand another minute of his rambling. Could you entertain the man for just a few moments? I'll get you something from the lunch cart in return!" Jamie gave Cho here winning smile accompanied with two deep dimples.
Cho blushed at the idea of sitting with Cedric and agreed, eager to talk about Victor Krum's talents. "I was just going to grab a pumpkin pastie." Cho said, half way into the compartment where a shocked and blushing Cedric Diggory sat, brushing brownie crumbs off of his robes and face hastily.
"Consider it on me." Jamie Devereaux said, looking at Cedric with bemusement before heading toward the cart, planning on giving her best friend about ten minutes with his crush until she joined them.
As the blonde witch passed by compartments she heard the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy, an insufferable fourth year that often harassed Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Which was exactly what the Malfoy boy was doing in that moment. "Look at this!" Malfoy shouted in ecstasy and was holding up a very ugly red robe. It was covered in ruffles and looked like it belonged to someone who was at least two hundred years old. "Weasley, you weren't thinking of wearing these, were you?" Draco asked.
Jamie Devereaux interrupted his taunting, "Ron is that yours?"
Ron Weasley was blushing furiously at the fact that the beautiful witch had seen his embarrassing, second-hand robes. Malfoy was smiling even more viciously, hoping that Jamie Devereaux would join in his taunting. The silver-haired witch plastered on a wide, admiring smile, "You're going to look dashing in them, Ron. I am always saying that real men wear the more traditional robes." To truly sell it, Jamie reached out a small hand and lightly touched one of the ruffles with a sigh, "I do hope more people will wear robes like this."
"I'll get some!" Malfoy offered, "I bet my mother would send me some tomorrow if I asked." Crabbe and Goyle also started stumbling on their words, telling Jamie they would order a pair, if she truly thought they were great.
Jamie gave a cheeky smile and winked at Hermione before turning back to Ron Weasley, "I cannot wait to see you in them."
Ron simply stared at Jamie Devereaux as she left, his mouth opened wide and moving slowly in disbelief. Hermione forcefully hit his arm, bringing him back to the compartment with her and Harry. Malfoy and his goonies had left, most likely to write urgent letters home about their new need for old dress robes. Ron turned to Harry with an eager look in his eyes, "D'you think she fancies me? Jamie?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Honestly, Ron. She only did that to save you from Malfoy's teasing. Jamie did something kind, don't punish her by falling in love with her."
"I reckon Fred would murder you if you tried." Harry commented, having seen the way Fred Weasley watched Jamie throughout their years at Hogwarts.
Fred Weasley watched Jamie Devereaux at the opening feast. She was still wet from the rain that poured outside, and her hair clung to her neck and parts of her face, but she was completely unbothered by that fact. The little blonde witch talked eagerly with Angelina and Alicia, ignoring Fred's existence completely. Not that he was surprised. He was an unwanted puppy dog. He ripped his eyes away from her wide hand movements as she talked adamantly about something with her best friends. His eyes found his younger brother Ron who, while eating large amounts of food, stared focused on Fred's Jamie Devereaux. Fred threw a fork at Ron's plate, the loud clang drawing his attention.
"Wuh?" Ron asked, food still in his mouth.
Fred didn't know what to say so he settled with, "Eat smaller bites, no one needs to see that."
"That's what made this dinner!" Hermione's voice carried through the Gryffindor table, "Slave labor!"
Jamie's ears perked up, "I'm sorry. What did you just say, Hermione?" Jamie's body leaned over Angelina, craning her neck to better see the fourth-year. Hermione and Jamie, while they didn't speak much, were both muggleborn. Because of this, they would occasionally talk about things in the muggle world together, especially when they were particularly homesick. The two witches also thought differently than most of the witches and wizards that had been raised around magic.
"Hogwarts meals are prepared by House-Elves." Hermione said, in a louder voice so Jamie could hear her from between five people. "They aren't paid, they don't have pensions or vacations."
Jamie was shocked, "Please tell me you're kidding."
"She is certainly not." Said the voice of Nearly-Headless Nick. He was the ghost of Gryffindor house and had a life-long goal of being part of the headless hunt. In her first year, Jamie had searched the library of spells that allowed humans to touch ghosts, so that she could help him completely sever off his head. The idea of her small eleven-year-old-self helping behead a ghost was comical, and slightly terrifying. Professor McGonagall had told her that, while she couldn't kill Sir Nicholas, beheading him would not be a good way to kick off her winter holiday. Ever since then, the ghost had a fond place in his heart for the little blonde witch. "Hogwarts is home to many House-Elves, all who love to serve you. Who do you think washes your clothes?"
"I thought it was magic!" She said, upset. Jamie Devereaux could not believe that beings who were unpaid were practically forced to serve her every whim. Here Jamie was benefiting from their services and had never even thanked them. She turned to Hermione, "This is outrageous. In the muggle world there would be rioting. There would be protesting! No one would sleep!" As if they had practiced it, both muggleborn witches pushed away their plates, "We should burn something down."
Fred glared at this, "Oh, come off it, House-Elves like working."
Jamie's eyes narrowed at his voice, "I suppose you would like to cook a feast for hundreds of people and not even get paid for it, Weasley?"
"No, but I'm not a House-Elf." He retorted, taking care to shove a large amount of food in his mouth while meeting Jamie's gaze. The blonde witch huffed and looked disdainfully at him. Fred Weasley watched in annoyance as Jamie did not eat a single bite of her food again. He felt a twinge of mild concern that she was going to be hungry later, but pushed that aside. Feeling concern for her well-being was not his job. And, if the Quidditch World cup was any indicator, any move Fred made to help little Jamie Devereaux would be met with nothing but hostility. He stood out of his seat and reached across the table, grabbing Jamie's plate and depositing her food onto the plate in front of him. "Wouldn't want this delicious slave labor to go to waste."
"You Pompous, Condescending Prat." Jamie Devereaux said, but didn't move to attack or hex Fred, which shocked him a bit. Dread hit the red-headed boy as he put more food in his mouth to try and distract himself from the realization he had just had. In a twisted way, Jamie hexing him had been flirting. And she now had no interest in flirting with him, but here he was still trying to get a rise out of her.
Jamie, across the table was thinking the exact opposite—unsurprisingly with the two of them. She wanted to hex him, but knew that would bring them together, either in detention or in laughter. And Jamie Devereaux could not handle being alone with Fred Weasley without wanting to ask him why he didn't feel the same way about her. What made him collect her hair ties if he never liked her in the first place? Him antagonizing her per usual was just further proof to Jamie that he was fine with everything going back to normal.
Dumbledore interrupted Jamie's pity party, thankfully, and began talking about a great announcement he had to share with the Hogwarts students. His voice was quickly interrupted by the Great Hall doors banging open and the most peculiar man appearing out of them. He had scars all along his face and two different eyes. The blue eye went zooming around the hall frantically. It seemed to stop, transfixed on Jamie Devereaux at the Gryffindor table. Panic set inside Jamie. His presence was unnerving. It wasn't his appearance, she didn't think, but something was off about the man. When Dumbledore announced that Professor Moody was going to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, this information burned painfully in Jamie's head. It rang like a buzz inside her, creating a dull and throbbing headache for the little blonde witch. Angelina touched her shoulder lightly, "James? Are you alright?" Jamie nodded with a strained smile and continued to focus her attention on the Headmaster.
Jamie's headache slowly went away, just in-time for her to hear Dumbledore declare "the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
"You're JOKING!" Fred Weasley burst out in excitement.
Jamie Devereaux rolled her eyes out his outburst but she sat on the edge of her seat in anticipation, "What's that?" She asked Alicia eagerly.
Dumbledore proceeded to explain the tournament in full, including the tidbit of there being a 'death toll' in the past. The idea of other wizarding schools coming to Hogwarts brightened Jamie's mood considerably. It would be a good distraction for her. Instead of constant thoughts of Male-Veelas and Fred Weasley, there would be: Male-Veelas, Fred Weasley and international tournaments. That one small addition would make the tension in Jamie's shoulders slacken considerably.
When Dumbledore mentioned the age limit, there was distinct outrage from the Gryffindor table. Specifically coming from the two Weasley twins that had immediately declared that they would both be trying for eternal glory. Once they had all been dismissed for bed, talk of the tournament flooded the Great Hall with eager voices all around.
"I think I am going to go for it. I'll be seventeen by October." Angelina said. Jamie looked at her apprehensively.
"Angelina. Death. Toll." Jamie Devereaux said slowly, as if making certain that her friend had heard Dumbledore clearly. "You can't be serious about entering."
The sixth year Gryffindor's were making their way toward the common room when a beaming Cedric Diggory approached them, "Did you hear him, Jamie? Eternal glory! Can you imagine if someone from Hufflepuff won that?" Cedric said wistfully.
Jamie's mouth was opened in disbelief, "Not you too! Did you seriously not hear about the death toll, it could be dangerous."
The conversation drew the attention of Fred and George Weasley, who were eagerly anticipating placing their own names into the running, regardless of the age restriction. "Jamie," George's voice said, inserting himself and his twin into the conversation, "It's Hogwarts, they aren't going to make it dangerous."
Jamie rose one eyebrow, crossing her small arms defiantly, "Last year a mass murderer snuck into the castle and threatened your brother with a knife."
The twins shared a look. "Ron's fine though." George said, lamely.
"The year before that there was a giant snake slithering through the castle." Jamie continued.
"Yeah that wasn't great, but-" Cedric started.
Jamie interrupted him, "Our third year Professor Quirrell was killed."
There was silence amongst Alicia, Angelina, Cedric, Fred, and George. "Those first two years were positively blissful." Cedric said, with a cheeky smile on his face.
"You got on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team second year and almost broke your neck because of a bludger." Jamie reminded him tentatively.
"Hey we apologized for that!" Fred said, indignantly.
"No you didn't." The blonde witch glared at him.
"Oh." Fred looked thoughtful and gave a lopsided smile to Cedric Diggory, "Sorry 'bout that, mate." Jamie's gaze lingered momentarily at his quirked lips.
Cedric merely shrugged. Jamie looked up at her best friend with pleading eyes, already knowing it was a lost cause. Cedric Diggory put a lot on his shoulders, trying to be as impressive as his father believed he was. Cedric was an incredible wizard and would most likely be chosen because of it. He was intelligent, level headed, and extremely hard-working. He also wanted to bring honor to Hufflepuff, which he thought was often overlooked by the school. This Triwizard Tournament was something out of Cedric Diggory's dreams. The perfect opportunity for him to do everything he had ever dreamed of doing. "Please do not put your name up for consideration." Jamie Devereaux's big green eyes were upset and panicked.
The Hufflepuff hated letting Jamie down. She was his little sister and her upset always made him sad. But this was one thing he would not be budging on. Not even for her. "I'm going to put my name in."
Angelina clapped twice and bounced a bit, "Me too!"
"So are we!" The twins chimed, "Once we figure out a way to fool the judge into thinking we are seventeen."
Jamie sighed, exasperated. "I just think," Alicia started, "That you're wound a little tight right now, Jamie. You'll see that this Tournament is perfectly safe and is going to be great! Plus I heard all the boys at Durmstrang are particularly snog worthy." Alicia looped an arm through Jamie's and did succeed in brightening the little blonde's spirits just for a moment.
There was a light shining into the sixth year girls dormitory that first night back at Hogwarts. After the heavy rain it seemed like the moon was making up for the darkness by being particularly full and bright. The light, long breaths from Angelina and Alicia surrounded either side of Jamie Devereaux, while the small, occasionally wheezes of Mallory came from the other end of their room.
The blonde witch's eyes were wide open and staring up at the ceiling in her four-poster bed. She had been trying to fall asleep for ages, but the dull hunger in her stomach and the constant images of Cedric going into the unknown dangers of an international tournament kept her awake. She had considered going into her chocolate stash multiple times to numb the hunger, but she knew that the wrappers of her muggle candy and the loud container Loren Bruce had stored her brownies in would wake her roommates.
With impossibly slow movements, Jamie pulled her covers back and slid on her slippers. Grabbing her box of brownies she tip-toed toward the door, being careful to avoid the one spot in the dorm room that always creaked when she walked over it. Closing the door with a silent thud behind her, Jamie headed down to the Gryffindor common room.
Fred Weasley was also struggling to sleep in that moment. He had dozed off almost instantly when he got to his dorm, but woke up two hours later and could not fall back to sleep. He tossed and turned, the loud snores of the boys in his room making any noise he made insignificant. Fred's mind was, as always, preoccupied on a little blonde witch. He had resolved himself to getting over her—whatever that entailed. He was determined. Hopefully soon seeing her wouldn't feel like a sharp jab in his chest. Or like a deep yearning for something he couldn't have.
George had asked him that summer why Fred couldn't move on. "Jamie is great," George had said, "She's funny and smart and obviously pretty, but you have been hung up on her for so long. She doesn't like you back, how hard is it to move on?"
"I can't just move on." Fred had responded, angrily. "Liking her has become a part of me. You would never ask me to stop dreaming of opening a joke shop or being your twin."
George Weasley had struggled to imagine this, but he also struggled to imagine a Fred Weasley that wasn't in love with Jamie Devereaux. This year Fred was determined. He was going to stop being a love-sick fool. The red-head rolled over again and sighed, resigning himself to the fact that he would not be able to fall asleep that night.
Grabbing a quill and an empty order form that Fred could get a head start on for himself and George, he snuck out of the sixth year boy's dormitory and down to the Gryffindor common room. What he saw stopped him in his tracks.
Jamie Devereaux Bruce was curled into a ball on the couch by the fire place. Next to her was an open container of brownies. The little blonde's hair was covering her face as she slept peacefully, taking up only a third of the couch in her slumber. Fred walked toward her head and watched her sleep for a moment. Turning around he grabbed the throw blanket that was on the chair next to him and placed it around Jamie. She sighed lightly and cuddled into the warmth of the blanket, her leg kicking out and hitting the tub of brownies.
Fred sighed and put the top on the container and the box of brownies down on the floor by Jamie's head so she wouldn't knock them off the couch in her sleep. Fred knew she had probably been hungry after boycotting dinner due to the labor of house-elves. An unwilling smile tilted at his lips as he looked down at her. He didn't trust himself to touch her, knowing if she woke up and saw him there she would only be angry at his presence. A small part of him wondered if she was dreaming about him, as she had in the past. It was pointless to torture himself with these kinds of thoughts but he couldn't help it.
Jamie mumbled under her breath "shut up, Fredward" in her sleep and curled herself even tighter into the ball she was in. A bigger smile spread its way onto Fred's face. The tips of his long fingers lightly brushed her silver hair for a moment before he left the common room, his order forms untouched.