If Poppy thought that her final year at Hogwarts would be a return to the school years of old – where the most remarkable thing was a change in Defence teacher - without Harry Potter saving Ginny Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets; the school going into lockdown complete with dementors to protect Harry from a notorious mass murderer; or Harry being rumoured to have melted a teacher's face off – she was in for a rough wake up call.

Following dinner, Dumbledore announced an international interschool wizarding contest called The Triwizard Tournament.

She couldn't quite fathom the 1000 galleon prize and thought it was all an elaborate joke at first but then, as she consoled Cass (who was crying audibly because her last ever Quidditch year had been cancelled), Dumbledore announced that the contest was open to over seventeen-year-olds only.

The Weasley twins' angry complaints that they weren't going to be of age soon enough led to the equally angry calls of other students in the Great Hall, and Poppy realised just how important this tournament was to some people, and that it most definitely was not a joke.

It was at the forefront of her mind so much that she barely remembered the dramatic entrance of their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody, who turned up in the middle of the storm which raged outside.

Poppy knew of him already - Mr Weasley had mentioned him before and she'd obviously read about him when she'd been researching the last Wizarding War. He was a war hero, and she initially didn't think anything of his eccentric behaviour because of that.

Due to the various interruptions and Cass' crying, Poppy didn't properly register Dumbledore's explanation of the tournament at the time, and she didn't want to ask for clarification in front of other people so she waited until Esther, Cass and she had crawled into the Hufflepuff common room and walked through the round hobbit-like door to their dormitory before she finally allowed herself to ask, "What exactly happens during a Triwizard Tournament?"

Esther, a Pure-blooded witch, and Cass, a Half-blood whose parents were both magical, jumped onto the end of Poppy's bed.

It was just the three of them in their dormitory – the children in their school year had been born during the middle of Voldemort's reign of terror, in 1976 or 77, when many wizarding families had put off having kids in the hope that Voldemort and his followers would be defeated soon. By 1977 the wizarding community had realised that they were still stuck in a war and had gone back to procreating, which meant that there was a mini baby boom in late 1977/early 1978, evidenced by the school year below Poppy and her friends which had over 100 students in it.

In short, Poppy's year had been unusually thin on the ground with only 45 entrants. The Gryffindors had numbered 13, the Slytherins 11, Ravenclaw had 12, which left just nine Hufflepuffs which consisted of the three girls and six boys.

At first, the girls had been sad to not have more girls to dorm with, but then they'd realised the positives of the arrangement – space. And space meant more room for Cass to practise Quidditch throws, Esther to brew her not-technically-illegal potions and grow her plants, and for Poppy to hyperfixate on another project (last year she'd tried her hand at embroidery, though this year she'd probably start her NEWT preparations by spreading all of her books across her area of spare floor with parchment and post-its littered around.)

"Okay," Esther said, grinning, holding her hands out in front of her.

Poppy summoned a large bar of chocolate from her trunk and Cass (who was in much better spirits now that she had come to terms with the idea that Quidditch had been cancelled in favour of an exciting tournament) ripped open a large box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

"Three wizards-"

"Or witches," said Poppy and Cass in unison.

"Yes, or witches, compete in three tasks," Esther said with a grin.

"I'm getting the 'Tri' part now," Poppy joked. "We know all that! Get to the good part!"

"Yeah, well, you say that… okay, so the challenges range massively in complexity. Dumbledore said they're aiming for no deaths this time, so I'm guessing they'll have done away with the duelling part of it…" Esther mused. Cass and Poppy shared a worried look. "The challenges will be things they'll be able to prepare for, but will test the students on their magical ability and also their ingenuity, how they work under pressure, thinking outside the box… all that stuff. And…" She gasped, "this must be what the dress robes were for! D'you think there'll be a dance?"

Poppy groaned and grabbed a pillow to cuddle as she sat back against her headboard. "I haven't even got my robes yet."

"WHAT?" Esther cried, sitting up on her heels.

Poppy shook her head. "Just didn't have time. I'll have to buy some in Hogsmeade. I just hope we're still allowed to go…"

"We will be. It'd be bad if they don't, I think they'll have a mutiny on their hands if they cancel Quidditch and Hogsmeade trips…" Cass said sadly. Poppy rubbed her arm and offered her some chocolate, but she decided on the jelly beans for now. "I just can't believe it. I mean on the one hand it's exciting, but it's also my last year. I thought the team would do better this year. Ma bought me new gloves and everything! It's just not fair."

"Well… take your mind off Quidditch… who d'you think will go for the tournament?" Esther asked. "I considered it for a second in the hall but I don't think I'm cut out for all that really…"

"I will, definitely," Cass said through a mouthful of chocolate, perking up immediately. "It sounds right up my street. It's a bit of adventure, and grandma might put my picture on the piano if I win. Lakshmi can suck it."

Esther and Poppy narrowed their eyes at Cass, who chuckled nervously. "I mean, Merlin knows I need some excitement if I can't smash bludgers this year."

Poppy laughed, but stayed quiet until Cass nudged her.

"I'm not sure…" she said slowly, thinking it over. "In an ideal world yeah. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'll regret not putting my name down, but… but what if we do get it? We'd be stuck trying to compete in three challenges and we wouldn't be able to back out, would we? It's like I'm in two minds. I know I'll regret it if I don't, but I'll definitely regret it if I get it… But then it's cool and sounds fun… and maybe the Ministry would like a champion for the Auror programme… argh! I don't know…"

"Well there's no way any of us will get it, is there?" Esther consoled. "Not really… but if you do get it, remember that you're great under pressure. That's when you shine. It's when you have a choice or time that you end up overthinking!"

"Yeah," Poppy said, frowning and fiddling with the pillow in front of her.

"Well I still don't think there's any harm in putting our names down," Cass encouraged. "The probability of us getting it is quite low and if you're on the fence then just go for it. Do it with me?"

Poppy pursed her lips. "I'm just not sure…"

"Go on!" Cass said, leaning forwards, "we'll both enter together, and if one of us defies all the odds and gets it then we'll help each other out. It's what we do!"

"But you probably won't get it," Esther reasoned, smiling.

Poppy placed her head on Esther's lap and smiled at Cass who was sending her pleading looks. "Alright, go on then. I'll do it if you do."

"Yes!" Cass said, bouncing on the bed. "Amazing!"

"Can we change the subject now though?" Esther asked, grabbing a handful of jelly beans.

"To what?" Cass asked, stuffing her face with more beans as well. She grimaced and spat her mouthful out into her hand. "Ugh, I'm gonna boke."

"What was it?" Poppy asked, eyeing up the brown half chewed sweet in Cass' hand.

"Dung it was. Bloody dung."

Poppy scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"Well,... there are boys at Beauxbatons and Durmstrang…" Esther said, grinning despite Cass' despair. "International boys…"

"Yeah, no, nope. You know the rules. Boy talk isn't allowed on the first night," Poppy said, shaking her head.

Esther groaned and flumped back against the covers.

"Poppy, I know a wee international fella who won't be attending Hogwarts this year…" Cass whispered, winking at Poppy, who hid her face.

They talked about the championship and what they thought the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students would be like for hours until finally, sleep overcame the trio.

The storm had disappeared by the morning and Poppy was feeling a lot better about the idea of entering the Triwizard Tournament now – her mood had improved when she'd bumped into Cedric in the common room and Cass had asked if he'd be entering. He'd immediately said yes, and his friends had cheered.

"If he's entering we've not got a chance, do we?" Poppy asked with a content smile as she sat down at the Hufflepuff table for breakfast a little while later.

"You're far too happy about that," Cass replied, rolling her eyes.

Poppy sighed and dug into her porridge, regretting her choice of food immediately. She'd had such indulgent, warming and filling breakfasts at The Burrow, and the porridge, toast or fruit which were on offer this morning just didn't hit the right spot. Neither did the loss of her redheaded crush, whose company had been replaced by her two best friends.

A quick glance towards the Gryffindor table told her that the Weasleys weren't having the same issues – they all seemed perfectly content. So she decided to stop complaining, and took a giant mouthful of the sticky oats while she looked down at her timetable.

"Let's see," Esther said, taking Poppy's timetable once Professor Sprout had handed hers over. "Care of Magical Creatures first thing but it's a single lesson, then Charms after break for another single. Then you're free until this afternoon when you've got double Transfiguration." She screwed her face up. "Still don't know why you picked that, McGonagall scares me… okay… that sounds like a nice Friday."

"Wob about oo?" Poppy asked, trying to unstick her mouth.

Esther wriggled her nose. "Unfortunately, I knew what that meant… Double Herbology, double Defence then double free," she said happily. "Cass?"

"Uh…" Cass, who hadn't even looked at her timetable yet, scanned it quickly. "Double free, double Defence then double free."

"Oh come on!" Poppy complained. "Do we have any classes together this year?"

Esther compared their classes and frowned. "History twice a week but that's it unfortunately. Cass and I overlap a lot though," she said, smiling at Cass. "Sorry Pop."

Registering the nickname, Poppy glared at Esther and ripped her timetable out of her friend's hand. "Not you too."

"What? I'm your best friend. If the Weasley twins are allowed to call you Pop, why aren't I?"

Poppy grimaced. She had a point. "Fine. But I'm not happy about it."

"I think it's cute," Cass said, grinning.

"Yeah, you would, Cassandra."

Cass gasped and placed a hand over her heart. "I thought we were friends!"

That was enough to make Poppy, Esther and Cass burst out laughing.

The rest of Poppy's day flew by. In Care of Magical Creatures she fed Thestrals and told Hagrid all about the job opening at the Dragon Sanctuary. He was extremely enthusiastic about it all and it gave her even more of a push to complete the application. She suggested he try out for it too but he shook his head.

"They wouldn' wan' an ol' codger like me, young Poppy," he said, "wha' they wan' is good, young, hard worker like yeh. Let me know when yeh've completed yeh form now, it'd be my pleasur' teh read it."

The weekend passed quickly and before she knew it, Poppy was sat in her Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, her parchment, ink and quill ready and waiting on her desk.

"I've heard he's awesome," whispered a girl two rows back.

Poppy didn't have Cass or Esther to keep her company in this class, and so she'd sat on her own. She shared the room with just six other students – the second of two classes currently taking the subject. She wondered if the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang lot would join her class if their seventh years came to Hogwarts or if they'd bring their own teachers.

"Weasley said he's incredible," whispered a boy closer to Poppy.

"Well-"

The class began suddenly when Moody limped in, his eye whizzing around in its socket, his clawed foot clunking across the stone floor. The class fell silent and Poppy gulped, trying not to stare at the chunk missing from his nose. She'd heard a lot about Moody and she wanted to like him – Mr Weasley thought highly enough of him to get into trouble with the Ministry (it had been all over the papers the previous week that he'd bailed out Moody and was now being torn to shreds by Rita Skeeter once more) – but something about the ex-Auror just wasn't sitting right with her.

It wasn't his face, his missing leg or his eye… it was simply a feeling. And over the course of the lesson, that feeling grew.

"You can't just dislike people, Pop," argued Esther at dinner that night.

"Charlie said I could," she grumbled under her breath as she shovelled mashed potatoes onto her plate. She raised her voice when Esther raised an eyebrow at her. "Look, I'm not saying I'm going to kick up a fuss or anything, I just don't… I don't trust him."

"Dumbledore does," Esther argued.

"Yeah, but he doesn't have the best track record for hiring normal teachers, does he?" Poppy asked.

"He's got to be better than Lupin," Esther said, shuddering.

Poppy frowned. "Professor Lupin was the best Defence teacher we've ever had."

"He was a werewolf," Esther hissed across the table.

"Only at the full moons. During the rest of the month he was just as normal as you or me," Poppy scolded.

"Yes, well, in any case," Esther said, changing the subject, "if you want to be an Auror, it's a good thing to learn from one isn't it?"

"True. Which is why I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. But I just…" She shuddered violently. "I mean he just seems a bit too… ugh, I don't know. He just puts me on edge. Did you hear what he did to that Malfoy boy?"

"Deserved it," Cass said, turning away from her quidditch teammate and rejoining Poppy and Esther's conversation. "Like Moody says, you don't attack someone when their back's turned."

Poppy sighed and left it – she knew when she was fighting a losing battle, and Esther and Cass had already been turned to Moody's side.

Instead of bringing it up again, she decided to write to Charlie that night. As the girls snored away in their beds, Poppy wrote;

Dear Charles,

Did you get back to the Sanctuary alright? How're the dragons?

This is a bit random, but I was wondering if you know much about our new Professor, Alastor Moody? I've just got an odd feeling about him. Last time I felt like this the teacher ended up trying to obliviate your brother, Ron. The time before that, the teacher went mad and attacked Harry… I could do with a bit of reassurance if I'm honest…

I'm working on the application for that job by the way. Thanks so much for your annotations. I would've had no idea where to start with the essay on dragon safety in the office if it hadn't been for you. Does that count as cheating? I hope not…

Anyway, I hope it's okay to write, and I hope that you, your parents and Bill and Percy are well!

Poppy

P.s. half the school is calling me Pop or Pops now, so I'm addressing you as Charles since I'm annoyed at you.

She toyed with the idea of saying that she missed him – she really did. And she didn't just miss his voice, she missed the silence – often they'd simply sit next to each other and read or listen to music and work on projects separately, but together. It had been a beautiful amalgamation of everything Poppy had needed.

But in the end she left the letter as it was.

Two weeks went by until, at the beginning of October, Charlie's reply was delivered by a rather cool looking eagle owl whose feathers were silky and demeanour cool.

She recognised his handwriting immediately, and so waited until she was alone in her dorm after dinner to open it.

Poppy, Pop, Bounce, Pop-ster…

Is there any chance you could refrain from calling me Charles ever again? When I got your letter I was worried I'd done something wrong so I left it on the side for a week out of fear. And I work with dragons.

I Floo'd dad the other day and he sang Moody's praises. Said he's a bit different these days, but he was one of the best Aurors Britain's ever seen. I reckon you're in safe hands. Dad said you should tell Moody how you're feeling about him though. He thinks it'll put you in Moody's good books - apparently he's always said that you're not an Auror until you get a bad feeling about a friend and I'm sure you've already been told this, but his motto is CONSTANT VIGILANCE. You never know, you might end up with a glowing letter of recommendation for the Auror programme because you insulted him. Stranger things have happened.

Great news about your application. I checked with Rahul today and he says he didn't have anything yet. The application window closes on the 15th, don't forget. But also, tell me if you're really not bothered. I won't be upset.

Bill says graduate positions at Gringotts are opening up soon if you want to stay in England and maybe travel to the Egypt office now and then?

Dad also said that you should have heard about the tournament by now. Are you excited? Think you'll put your name in?

Everyone's good. Mum's a bit shaken by Dad being in the paper so much but Dad says Rita's awful and just fishing for stories and I have to agree. She's the worst. Though I have an article where she called Bill a 'long-haired pillock' framed in my study… Don't tell him.

Are you doing okay?

Charlie

Poppy grinned whilst reading and then wrote her reply immediately.

Charles,

(no way, no how, I am not going to be calling you Charlie. I don't care how long it takes for you to read this letter – Ginny tried to call me Bounce today and it was only when I pretended she didn't exist for 20 minutes that she gave in and called me Poppy, WHICH IS A NICKNAME ITSELF!),

Thanks for checking with your dad, I appreciate it. I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to tell Moody I don't trust him just yet… but watch this space later in the year.

Job wise, I wrote everything up and gave it to Professor Hagrid to read. He said it was a strong application but gave me some pointers – did you know he used to have a dragon? Well, I'm guessing you do – he said Norbert's at the Sanctuary now. Felt quite chuffed that he told me about it actually, he said only a handful of people knew. Anyway, I've made those edits and I'm off to post that now, so I'll post this letter as well.

Thanks Bill! Could you ask him to send on the details to me? Better to cover all bases I think – I just found out that they didn't accept any new people into Auror training again this year so I'm getting more and more realistic and think I should just apply to everything that comes my way.

I'm putting my name down for the tournament because Cass wants us to do it together, but I think I'll be safe from competing – Cedric's probably going to get it if anyone from Hufflepuff's chosen to represent Hogwarts. Do you remember him from the World Cup? Tall? Brown hair? His Dad's in the Ministry.

Esther's refusing to enter though. She's worried she'll actually get it and she doesn't want to die in her last year, which is fair enough.

Sorry to hear that your mum's worried. Hopefully it all smoothes over soon.

I'm quite excited to meet some international witches and wizards actually. Got any tips on making friends? Or any 'DO NOT DO THIS' notes? I don't want to let Hufflepuff down, we've got a reputation to protect.

Poppy

"What're you smiling at?" Cass asked, traipsing into the dorm with muddy robes on. Poppy was about to ask why she was so sweaty, when she saw a broom in her hand.

"Finished my application," Poppy said, waving the small packet of parchment at her friend. "Fancy coming to the owlery with me?"

Cass groaned and shook her head. "Sorry love. If I hadn't gone hard on the field I would've said yes but I need a lie down now, my back is absolutely killing me."

"I thought Quidditch was over this year?" Poppy asked in a teasing tone, donning her jean jacket.

Cass smiled. "We figured we might as well keep practising. No point in giving up and getting lazy is there? And I have those new gloves Ma got me, so we had a three hour practice. I'm absolutely wiped."

"Did you have fun at least?" Poppy asked, smiling, her hand on the doorknob.

Cass grinned blissfully and fell back onto her bed, throwing her arms out. "It was heaven."

Poppy laughed and waved, setting off to post two things – her application, and her letter to Charlie. She double and triple checked them before sending, and then sighed, watching the owls soar into the sky.