Harry entered the Common Room to a cacophony of cheers. There was a full celebration going on around him.
Fred gave him a hug, "Not a beard to be found Harry m'boy well done!"
George pushed a Butterbeer into his hand, "Well done indeed!"
Harry tried to get his objections out, but Lee set off some poppers in the background, the flash of lights and the noise prevented him from saying anything. Harry looked around for Ron. He wasn't in the room, Hermione jumped out of her chair and hugged him.
"Are you okay?" She looked him over as she asked.
"Yeah, I guess, no one seems to believe that I didn't put my name in though. Where's Ron?"
Hermione winced at the question, "He went to the Dorm, he seemed... upset. You should talk to him."
Harry sighed, "Yeah I better get this over with," he got up and started to walk to the stairs when he saw Ron coming down holding his Chess set.
"Potter, a game?" The tone in his voice made it clear, it wasn't a question.
"Yeah, Ron, I've got the time."
Hermione gave them space.
"Nott help me out here," Malfoy's voice cut through the background noise of the Common Room.
Daphne watched as Nott walked over to Malfoy and started mimicking the movement's needed to charm the badges. She heard Tracy snort in amusement beside her before saying, "It does seem like dear Malfoy just spends time exclusively thinking about Potter, doesn't it?"
Daphne let out a quiet laugh, "Yeah, but you have to admit Dumbledore allowing this really just proves Malfoy's point. Potter gets special treatment. Imagine, him being a Tri-Wizard competitor."
Tracey looked pensive, "You notice, he didn't look happy?"
"What?" Daphne looked over at her friend.
"He didn't look happy, Diggory was thrilled, the French witch was smiling the whole way up, and Krum looked pleased. Potter looked terrified."
"Well, he was probably worried that he'd be punished for bypassing the Age Line."
"Daphne, if he wanted to do that why would he be terrified of the outcome, he should have strutted down there like a Malfoy. He would have outwitted Dumbledore. Oh well, doesn't matter, the Gryffindor golden boy gets to be a part of history. Again."
Daphne slipped into thought, "You have a point," before she could say anything else, Nott walked over and handed them badges.
Daphne took one, ""Support Cedric Diggory, The REAL Hogwarts Champion." That's a bit too nice for Malfoy, isn't it?"
Nott tapped the badge in her hand, and it changed to, "Potter Stinks!"
Daphne looked up him, "There we go, just what I expected, childish insults."
Tracey looked at it, "Is this really the best you can do? He's a part of the Tournament and we're coming at him with insults that the Firsties outgrew? We need something with a bit more bite to it."
"Doesn't matter. That's what Malfoy wants. Wear them tomorrow, the House will be showing a unified front. I need someone to volunteer to carry some in case the other Houses want a few." Nott said as he started passing them out to everyone.
Tracey scoffed, "This is what the "House of the Cunning" is coming up with, Morgana, we should be ashamed."
Daphne held the badge in her hand, it was still on "Potter Stinks!"
Ron said nothing as he set up the Chess board.
Harry quietly picked up the Black King as the noise from the Common Room seemed to fade away.
"You know, if you had found a way past the Age Line, you should have told me." Ron said as he moved his pawn out.
Harry tensed, "I didn't, Dumbledore reckons someone put my name in the cup, Moody thinks it's to try and kill me."
Ron was silent as the two kept playing the game, when he took his hand off his Bishop he looked Harry in the eye, "What do you know about the Tri-Wizard tournament?"
Harry's hand froze over his Knight, "What do you mean? Dumbledore explained it, big tournament, lots of glory, and prize money."
It's... not just a tournament, it's a legend, it's like... You don't get what it means." Ron sighed as he struggled to express himself.
Ron's Bishop was moved to threaten Harry's Knight.
Harry moved his Knight out of the way.
Ron moved a Pawn, "It's like being told that you'll get a lesson from Merlin himself, or that you'll get to own an artifact from the Founders, or..." Ron's voice was shaking a little as he pulled his hand back. "It's more than just a tournament to us. This is a chance to be a part of something that goes back to the earliest days of our history."
"I get it, but Ron you had to know that I didn't enter, I don't want any more glor-" Harry cut himself off as he felt the tension in his voice rise. He just moved a piece and looked expectantly at Ron.
"It just comes to you right? Glory and fame, you know Harry, it's hard being your friend sometimes." Harry looked at Ron as the redhead's quiet words hit him. Before he could say anything, Ron continued, "But, Dumbledore is rarely wrong, it looks like someone's trying to do you in, so we'll need to be on guard."
Harry moved his Queen, "So you believe me then?"
Ron sighed, "Yeah, I do, doesn't stop me from being upset though. Check."
Harry felt the tension start to ebb, he moved his King, "I get it Ron, just seems to follow me you know? Fame or death, bounced a Killing Curse off my skull, Fame. From there the same choice keeps popping up. First year, Second Year, Last year…"
Ron laughed lightly, "I know, been there for most of the adventures, haven't I? Though you'll have to forgive me for missing the first one, don't think mum would've been thrilled if I'd tried to fight You-Know-Who with dirty nappies. And Mate," the Black King threw the crown onto the board when Ron moved his Queen into position.
Harry felt a real laugh bubble up, "No, don't think she would've been all that happy."
Ron packed away the pieces and stood up, "Well, bed? We've got an early morning tomorrow."
Hermione looked over at the two of them from her corner in the Common Room, Harry shot her a thumbs up and she gave a relieved smile.
The other girls were asleep, Daphne held the badge in her hand as she lay awake in bed. Tracey was right, Harry hadn't looked happy, why not? By all accounts he should have been thrilled to be a part of the Tournament, he had bested a spell cast by Dumbledore, he should have been cheering. So why wasn't he? He looked like he was marching off to his doom.
She thought of Harry as she finally drifted off to sleep.
The next morning Daphne was waiting for Tracey in their Common Room. The badge felt heavy in her hand. The "Potter Stinks!" almost taunting her.
Tracey's voice cut through her thoughts. "You're not going to wear it?" Hers was affixed to her robe.
"Not yet. I'll do it when we get to the hall."
Tracey looked at her curiously, "Your choice, let's get to breakfast"
Nott and Zabini were handing out badges to Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff members. Daphne looked around, all the Slytherins had the badges on, they were just waiting for Potter to show up. Hers was still in her hand. She kept a patient eye on the Gryffindor side of the Great Hall wondering when he'd show up, and how he would react.
She saw Weasley first, then Potter walked in right behind him. Malfoy practically strutted over with his badge on display, Daphne tuned out the conversation in favor of watching Potter's reaction, he looked unsurprised as he took in the sea of "Potter Stinks!" A few of the Hufflepuffs had left it on, "Support Cedric Diggory!"
But most had it insulting Potter. They argued for a moment and Malfoy turned around with a smug smile, Potter just looked resigned.
She never did put on her badge.