THC
House: Hufflepuff
Position: Transfiguration
Drabble
Prompt: [Event] Family Dinner
Word Count: 827
Harry dreaded nights like this and nothing anyone did could make him think that it would be any easier in the future. Ever since the night his name came out of the Goblet of Fire, he'd been a leper to the population of Hogwarts. Hufflepuff treated him with open hostility, Slytherin was taking the backhanded route of fueling the rumor mill, Ravenclaw was the most neutral but they seemed to regard him with a cold wariness and the less said about the treatment of his own House the better; at least he thought so. Between Ron constantly accusing him of cheating to get into the tournament and lying about it when he said he had nothing to do about entering the tournament, he was barely getting any sleep.
"Now that we're all gathered—"
Harry's exhausted emerald green eyes glanced at the tables to the other Champions speaking to their family members over a luxurious meal. It made him sick to see. He was half convinced that the Ministry was doing this on purpose, making this meal a requirement before the First Task actually came about. 'A reminder for all of our Champions to do their absolute best in the trials and tribulations to come,' had been the official announcement from the Ministry of Magic representative Harry couldn't be bothered to remember the name of.
"A reminder, indeed," Harry muttered under his breath. Cedric, Fleur and Viktor had their parents and siblings to share a meal with while he sat alone at a table meant for at least four people in front of everyone from all the schools in the Great Hall.
The laughter, sneers and pointing didn't go unnoticed as he pushed the food from the kitchen around his plate. Families were encouraged to bring home cooked meals to make the event more special and since he had no family to do so, the House Elves took pity on the young man offering him a fine meal that would have been more readily available during Christmas rather than the end of November. If there was one thing Harry James Potter did not take well, it was pity.
The other Champions' eyes were pulled to look at the youngest amongst them as he stood and threw his napkin angrily over the plate of untouched food before storming off. They weren't heartless to the young man's plight, but there wasn't much they could or wanted to do; particularly Cedric or Fleur for their own reasons.
"Mr. Potter! You cannot—"
"I refuse to be made a spectacle of any longer!" Harry snapped glaring at Dumbledore. "Everyone here thinks I'm a liar and a cheat. I have to watch my back from three of the four Houses from my own school attacking me in their own ways and the cold contempt from the two international schools treating me much the same way barring actually attacking me and creating an international incident." His brow furrowed in anger as he pointed an accusatory finger at the ancient wizard. "Then you subject me to this knowing I have no family left to celebrate with other than those hateful muggles who treat me less than the lowliest House Elf. You subject me to this knowing full well that whatever charms are on the castle and the grounds won't let muggles anywhere near here. Not that they'd show up anyway; they would probably cheer on my murder at the hands of whatever madness is about to happen!"
Pin drop silence filled the Great Hall as Harry turned his eyes to the Hogwarts portion of the student body. "I hope you all enjoy it because, if I didn't have to come here to finish my education, I'd leave England in a heartbeat the second this tournament is over. As it stands, I don't have any friends in my mind. I'm more disgusted by you than I am of Voldemort or any of his Death Eaters!" he snarled, uncaring of the flinches and pale faces from those around him. "Once this mess is over, don't bother speaking to me again, unless it is a requirement for school. Don't expect me to play for the Quidditch Cup; Slytherin can cheat for all I care and win it from now on. I'm done!" he shouted before storming out of the Great Hall, ignoring the protesting cries for him to stop from Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and the Ministry of Magic representatives.
"Harry!"
"Mr. Potter! Stop right there!"
Harry turned with a vicious glare, his hands balled into fists. "I am going to figure something out to keep myself alive since the other three competing schools and the British Ministry of Magic thinks it's prudent, not to mention a good idea, to exploit a child's lack of family so that they look good. Never mind the fact that said child is the national orphan hero who got rid of Voldemort! Now sod off" he growled before resuming his track towards the library.