- Of Earth & Stars -

Chapter 34: The Goblet of Fire

October 1994

Suri—

Have you checked in with Harry, lately? I've gotten word that his scar has been acting up, and when that happens, it means bad news. He's trying to play it off but I'm not buying it. If there was any year for Moony to be at Hogwarts, it should've been this year. At least Alastor Moody is around so you and Harry should be safe. I've returned to the UK and am in a very secure location. I feel better knowing that if something happens, I'm closer to Harry. To you. If you write back, remember to use different owls. Humphrey is a very good owl who doesn't stick out, but if someone is looking for me, I'd rather be safe than sorry. On a lighter note, I look forward to hearing more about the Triwizard Tournament, especially if you compete. Love you.

— Snuffles

"The Goblet of Fire will be active for twenty-four hours for students wishing to enter their names for the Tournament. Then tomorrow evening during the feast, the Goblet will reveal the names of those it deems worthy to compete," Dumbledore explained. With great care, he placed a wooden goblet, unremarkable in appearance, save for the white-blue flames dancing from within its bottomless depths, on a stool in the center of the Great Hall. " And, a final note to all those who wish to enter: good luck."

Suri sucked in her breath, the thrill of competition brightening her stormy eyes. Judging by the murmurs that rippled through the Great Hall, she wasn't alone. She stole a glance to the professors' table at the head of the Hall, eyeing the two judges from the Ministry of Magic: Ludo Bagman and Bartemius Crouch. After this summer, Suri found it hard to trust anyone from the Ministry/

Dinner commenced and the Great Hall burst into loud chatter as students turned to gawk at Slytherin's table for the second time that day. This time, unlike the afternoon, there wasn't a mad rush to crowd Slytherin's space. Earlier that day, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had arrived, causing a great stir at Hogwarts. At lunch, Beauxbatons had chosen to sit with the Ravenclaws, pleasing the quietly proud bunch, and Durmstrang had chosen Slytherin. Beyond being new, there was nothing inherently exciting about Durmstrang save for one student currently sitting across from Suri and beside Nate: Viktor Krum.

Viktor only talked to a fellow Durmstrang student sitting to his left, leaving Nate, on his right, to waggle his eyebrows suggestively at Suri. When Nate began making obscene hand gestures, suggesting Suri to use her mouth on certain places he pointed to when Krum wasn't looking, Suri stomped Nate's foot into the ground with hers, giving him a rude hand gesture right back.

Rising from the table, Suri couldn't care less about Krum at that moment. She hadn't had the chance to see the Beauxbaton students as she hurried off to her Charms class when they arrived. Now, she scanned the crowd of Ravenclaws and Beauxbatons students for familiar faces...

"Suri!"

In a flurry of squeals, grins, and blue, Suri was engulfed in hugs. "Mia! Sophia!" The last time she saw them was during a brief catch-up last winter holiday before her grandmother moved back to Northern Ireland from Vienna.

"Why is it so cold in here?!" Mia Marker, a tall graceful girl with long sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes complained, drawing her blue cloak tighter around her body.

"I agree. It is too cold!" A heavy French accent belonging to a gorgeous blonde girl said, joining the threesome.

"Fleur," Suri smiled, then in rusty French added, "it's good to see you again."

"Likewise, Suri. I haven't forgotten how kind you were," Fleur continued in English, however pleased at Suri's attempt. "I will let you catch up with your friends, but wanted to hello, too."

"Ignore them, it's not so bad," said Sophia Saxby, a curvy girl with red curls and brown eyes. "Fleur and Mia are always complaining about something."

"Thank you, Sophia," said Suri, smiling at her old friend's desire to avoid conflict and waving as Fleur returned to the table. "I like it here."

"I wish you could see Beauxbatons," Mia sighed, "especially our Great Hall. You wouldn't believe it."

"It is built for comfort rather than...simple utility," said Fleur, looking around the Great Hall, as if it was a struggle finding something to compliment.

"We'll have to find time to catch up," said Mia, gripping Suri's hand. "Geoff says hello, of course. He was so jealous when I told him that I was going to Hogwarts this year because of the Tournament. Did you know he's engaged now? Also…" Mia lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Does Oliver Wood still go here? Do I finally get to meet the handsome quidditch player?"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but he graduated," Suri answered, her mutinous cheeks turning pink. "Besides, I don't think anything will happen between us...there's nothing really to tell."

"That in and of itself is a story," Sophia sympathized.

"Maybe…" Suri shrugged, looking away from her old friends and around the Great Hall. Only a few curious eyes watched her, mostly with disbelief. It was hard enough that Durmstrang-mostly, Viktor Krum-chose to sit with Slytherin. Now, here were three Beauxbatons students greeting Suri Rosier-Black. Tilting her chin up slightly, Suri ignored the looks.

"Then let's meet Nate, at least! Which one is he," Mia asked, craning around to look at Slytheirn's table.

"He's the prick next to Krum." Suri looked back and found Nate in a conversation with two Durmstrang students. From the Ravenclaw table, Suri couldn't hear what Nate was saying, but judging by the way he smiled coyly, she knew he was making allies.

"Oh I definitely want to meet him," said Mia. "Why didn't you tell me he was so cute?"

"Because it's Nate," Suri frowned. Sophia shook her head.

"Better keep your friend safe. Mia's been known to be a bit of a heartbreaker at Beauxbatons."

Suri smirked. "Interesting. That might be a dangerous combination; Nate's been known to be a heartbreaker here, too."

"Perfect," Mia purred, earning eye rolls from her friends. "I'm kidding, I'll be nice." Expression sombering, she kept her voice low. "I should tell you, if you haven't noticed already, Jessica Yates came with us. So did Eloise. I swear, I wanted to jinx Jessica's mouth shut the entire trip here as she went on and on about how awful Hogwarts is...and about you."

Searching the Ravenclaw table, Suri found Jessica Yates near the end of the Ravenclaw table. She had grown her brown hair out, and wore it in a high ponytail. Sitting beside her was Eloise Greening, Suri's old friend, and she was staring back. The blonde nudged Jessica and said something to her. Jessica scanned the Hall until she saw Suri, giving her a glance over before sneering and turning back to Eloise who rolled her eyes at Suri. It would be a lie if Suri claimed it didn't sting.

"Don't worry, Suri, we're on your team," Sophia smiled. She was always the sweetest of their foursome.

"Thanks," Suri smiled, feeling a little better. "I promise we'll catch up. Maybe tomorrow? I have to give Durmstrang a tour in the morning, but maybe in the afternoon we'll have lunch together."

"Sounds great," Mia smiled, though she looked beyond Suri. Following her friend's gaze, she noticed Mia was focused on Bradley as he walked up to the group, his smile charming.

"Hey Suri, just wanted to check in with you about the tours tomorrow."

"Suri, who is this?" Mia batted her hazel eyes at Bradley who grinned right back.

"This is Bradley Price, the Head Boy," Suri introduced as Bradley took Mia's hand and kissed it. It took everything in Suri's power to keep from rolling her eyes. She tried to see Bradley through Mia's eyes. He was tall, witty, and had a charming smile that could disarm almost anyone.

"Bradley...Maybe Hogwarts isn't so dull after all." Though Mia smiled, she cocked her head to the side. "Why does your name sound so familiar, though?"

"Good question. I would remember if I've met you before," Bradley smiled at Mia. "Sorry to steal Suri from you, but I really did want to check in with her."

"Sure, we'll see you around," Mia winked. Sophia sighed as she nudged her friend away, giving Suri a quick wave goodbye.

Bradley and Suri walked toward the entrance of the Great Hall, out of earshot of most students. "What's up," Suri asked.

"Just wanted to check in with you about Jessica. She's been here for less than a day, but things are already being said in Gryffindor." From where they stood, Suri could still see Ravenclaw's table. Sure enough, Jessica stared after them with a shocked expression.

"I'm not worried about her," said Suri.

"Sure," Bradley replied. "I just wanted you to know that I meant what I said on the Express. We're a team, and I hope you know that I'll shut down anything anyone says negatively about you."

"I don't need your protection, Bradley, I can handle myself."

"A thank you would be nice," Bradley rolled his eyes.

"Thank you," Suri smirked, brushing aside her uncertainty. It was touching that Bradley would stand up for her. "But again, you don't have to. Let people believe what they want to believe."

"Somehow, I don't believe that tough exterior of yours. I think you're kinder than you let on." Bradley raised an eyebrow, a smile playing at his lips. "By the end of this school year, I'll have you figured out."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Price. But...for what it's worth, working with you isn't horrible." Tossing her inky waves over her shoulder, Suri winked and returned to her Slytherin table.

Returning to the table, Suri could feel the stares of the Durmstrang students, mostly the boys, as they watched her saunter back to her seat. Keeping her head high, she smoothed down her skirt as she sat down, offering a charming smile of her own. While she still held the attention of her Durmstrang guests, Suri took the time to introduce herself. She would let them see what she wanted them to see.

"It's been a long day, and I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Suri Rosier-Black, Head Girl at Hogwarts, and it's an honor to share my table with you. Tomorrow morning I'll be giving you a tour of our school, but please, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me."

Greetings from Durmstrang students floated up the table to her, as nearby students shook her hand. Nate watched her as he sipped from his goblet. "I see you and Bradley have become best friends."

"Is that jealousy I hear coming from the Nathaniel Avery who's never bothered by anything?"

"Of course not. It's not like we've communicated since the start of the school year."

Suri frowned under Nate's sharp gaze. Since school started, their conversations had been lukewarm and superficial. Ever since the World Wizarding Cup when Suri realized Nate knew about the attacks before they happened, the chasm between their secrets grew. They hadn't had a chance to navigate what their friendship would look like since classes started.

"You'll always be the person I want to talk to most, Nate. We just...need to find time to figure out where to go from here."

Nate puffed out a sigh. Leaning forward, Nate looked around to make sure no one listened in on their conversation. There were so many things unsaid, but dinner at a twice-packed dining table, wasn't the right venue. "You're right," he finally agreed. "You can make it up to me, though. Who's your Beauxbaton friend? The one with the gorgeous smile?"

"Mia Marker? She's Geoff's younger sister. You remember I told you about him."

"Yeah, yeah, your first snog. Anyway, her red hair is gorgeous."

"Red hair?" Suri raised an eyebrow. "Mia's the one with the dirty blonde hair."

"She's cute too, but I mean the red haired girl with the large brown eyes."

"Oh that's Sophia." Suri felt a surge of protectiveness. "Nate...she's a sweetheart. You've been such a cad recently. Don't do anything that will make me curse you."

Nate grinned at her as they were in the hallway of the main level of Hogwarts. "I wouldn't dream of it. See you around, Suri. And if you see Sophia again before I introduce myself, tell her she has an admirer."

X

The next day was Halloween, and the festively decorated Great Hall was busier as students from all three schools breakfasted early. No one wanted to miss seeing who entered their names to the Goblet of Fire. The Goblet remained in the center of the Great Hall overnight, and a fine, golden line had been created around it to keep anyone under age from entering their name.

Suri, accustomed to being up early on weekends due to her apprenticeship, found it odd to have so many people up. She had grown used to quiet weekend mornings where she could sip her tea in silence with less than a dozen students across the four tables. Now, she was joined by Nate sitting beside her, and a quiet Durmstrang boy who sat several yards away, reading a book and stirring a cup of tea.

"His name is Ivan," Nate murmured to Suri as he buttered toast. "Talked with him last night, and he seems decent enough. Kind of a loner. I saw him put his name in the Goblet after dinner."

"Warrington did too," Suri sniffed. Warrington was a seventh year Slytherin who replaced her as Keeper after she'd quit. He was one of the students she had outplayed during tryouts their second year and he had never forgiven her. Plus, in her opinion, he was not the brightest candle in the chandelier.

More students began to spill into the Hall, some of the older ones pausing to put their names into the Goblet. Some hopeful competitors looked sheepish, some looked nervous, and others looked confident they would be chosen as they dropped their name into the flames. When Cedric Diggory, the Hufflepuff seeker and a prefect put his name in, students from Hufflepuff cheered the loudest.

"Diggory would be a good candidate," she admitted, "better than Warrington."

"Have you put your name in yet?" Nate tore off a piece of paper from the parchment he had brought and wrote his name down. "You said you were going to."

"Not yet." Suri eyed the Goblet of Fire, running a finger down her necklace thoughtfully. She should have put it in when she was one of the first students in the Great Hall that morning. Seeing the way students cheered for fellow schoolmates made her wary. She imagined she would get quite a few boos because she was a Slytherin. And well, because she was still her father's daughter.

Nate ripped a bit of his parchment for her and handed her his quill as he rose from the table. "May the best person win," he saluted and boldly walked up to the Goblet and dropped his name in. Suri cheered along with fellow Slytherins and a handful of polite Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students.

After Nate returned, Angelina Johnson dropped her name in, and was quickly greeted by whoops and hollers from Gryffindor. Suri looked down at the blank slip of parchment, reached for the quill and without hesitation, jotted her name down in quick cursive: Suri Rosier-Black — Hogwarts.

As Suri rose from the table, Nate gripped her arm approvingly before the walked the row between Slytherin and Gryffindor to the Goblet of Fire. The cheers caught her off guard. She could pick out Nate's voice among the Slytherin-even if she didn't have many friends in Slytherin, a Slytherin victory was still a victory. From the far end of the Hall, cheers came from Ravenclaw—likely instigated by Mia and Sophia. A handful yet, catching her by surprise, came from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Moons had insisted she was more liked than she believed. Maybe he was right.

Dropping her name into the Goblet, Suri tucked her wild waves behind her ear as the white-blue flames blazed brighter, accepting her. Smiling faintly, she imagined herself not only as a Triwizard competitor, but the winner. She would settle for nothing less if the Goblet chose her. Taking a couple steps back from the age line, and turning, Suri stopped before she collided with the Weasley twins.

"Weasels," Suri greeted, stepping around the pair. Immediately, Fred blocked her exit with his body, mischief brightening his eyes.

"Got what it takes to be chosen, Rosier-Black?"

"Do you really think I'd turn down a chance at eternal glory," Suri drawled. The twins got under her skin, but something about them emboldened her. It was hard to hate herself around them. "Sorry you're too young to compete, but I'll keep the little people in mind when I win."

"Cheeky today, aren't we, Rosie? Well, if it's not Fred or me representing Hogwarts, I suppose I'd choose you."

"After Angelina," Fred interjected. When George and Suri looked at him, he simply shrugged. "Priorities."

"Right," Suri answered, "you know neither of you are seventeen yet, right? You can't compete."

"So glad you asked, Rosie," George smiled, reaching out and tilting her chin up so she looked at him. "I always said there was substance behind those beautiful eyes."

"Hands off, Weasel," Suri slapped his hand away. "What did you two do?"

From his pocket, Fred extracted two vials of an unfamiliar potion and handed one over to George. "We were up all night figuring it out, but we think we've got just the thing to get past the age line."

"Do you really think Dumbledore's charm can be outwitted by the likes of you?"

"Ye of little faith," George shook his head.

"Don't come crying to me when one of you dies from your stupidity." Suri rolled her eyes, even as curiosity intrigued her. Taking steps back she gestured from the twins to the age line. "Good luck."

"We'll take that as a blessing." The twins turned to each other, uncorked the vials and clinked them together before downing them in synchronicity. Vials drained, the twins tossed aside the vials then stepped over the line, dropping their names into the Goblet of Fire. One second the twins were grinning, the next, they were shot across the Great Hall as though fired from a cannon.

Trained for crisis, Suri ran after Fred and George, followed by a crowd of concerned students. Fred and George, a heap on the floor, slowly sat up. Both appeared fine, aside from the sudden appearance of long, silvery beards growing from their chins. They looked at each other, tugged at the beards, then burst into laughter along with almost everyone else.

Dumbledore, who had been sitting at the professors' table the entire time, walked over to the commotion, his own silver beard doing nothing to hide the amused twitching on his lips. "Perhaps Miss Rosier-Black ought to escort you to the hospital wing on her way to her shift. Pomfrey is already treating a couple others who thought they would try to get past the age line. I will admit, Miss Fawcett and Mr. Summers don't wear their beards nearly as well."

Fred and George followed Suri to the hospital wing, laughing playfully behind her. Fred tugged on George's beard. "I don't know, George, I'd say mine is longer."

"Length's got nothing to do with it if you don't wear it right."

"Your euphemisms are disgusting," Suri grimaced as the boys shoved each other. At the Hospital Wing, Madame Pomfrey was already addressing two other students sporting beards. Looking up to see Suri, the older witch's lips folded into a stern line when she saw the twins behind her.

"Not again," she muttered.

"Does it go away on it's own," Suri asked, pulling her hair up into a high ponytail after stashing her belongings before the shift. The four bearded students looked at each other. Fred and George seemed truly delighted by the situation while Fawcett and Summers had the mind to look sheepish.

"Unfortunately, no. It involves an antidote that moves rather slowly through the body. Once it's done that, then the beards can be charmed off. Unfortunately it's a painful process."

"Why is it painful," squeaked Fawcett, a sixth year Ravenclaw. She looked down at her beard with disdain.

"Currently, the only antidote known for rapid aging requires a process similar to a snake shedding it's skin. Your cells must age rapidly before they return to normal, however it is known to bring discomfort to humans. Miss Rosier-Black, I'll need you to assist me with preparing and administering the antidote today."

Suri followed Pomfrey to the back room of the hospital wing where Pomfrey had set up a small potions lab. "Miss Rosier, I will let you take the lead on this one today."

"O-Okay," Suri stammered, surprised by the request. Normally, whenever she needed to assist Pomfrey with potions, Pomfrey insisted she would do most of the work while Suri was delegated to prepping the ingredients, calling it learning through observation. Shaking off the surprise, Suri set to work for the next half hour.

Once ready, Pomfrey brought the potion to Summers and Fawcett while Suri brought the rest of the batch to Fred and George. She noticed Fred and George sitting on beds across from each other, talking in low voices.

"Secrets don't make friends, Weasels," Suri announced her arrival. The twins immediately ceased their conversation, turning to her.

Fred grinned at her slyly. "You would know, wouldn't you, Rosie?"

"Hm, that's a suspicious response for someone holding your antidote."

"What Fred means is "cheers"," George said, accepting the potion from Suri. "Seems like the beard turned him into a crotchety old windbag." Glancing at the antidote, he swirled the cup in his hands, frowning. "Is this an antidote or porridge?"

"You should have thought about that before you tried to trick Dumbledore's age line." Suri folded her arms over her chest waiting for Fred and George to drink.

"That's not fun, Rosie. Where's your sense of adventure?" Fred clinked his cup against George's as they drank at the same time. The twins's mirrored actions were both annoying and fascinating. Suri pressed a hand against her mouth to keep from laughing at the boys's disgust.

"Oh god it's awful," George winced while Fred looked as though he were about to be sick.

"If I was kind, I would bring you water to wash it down with," Suri smirked, walking away. "You're not too injured to get your own water."

Suri spent the next couple hours studying in Pomfrey's office, waiting for the antidote to take effect. Pained groans alerted her from the infirmary. Abandoning her textbooks, Suri rushed out to find Fred and George, the ones closest to Pomfrey's office, grimacing on their beds. Pomfrey, who had just done rounds on the students, checked their vitals.

'What's wrong," Suri asked. Pomfrey had said the antidote would cause discomfort, but she feared she'd done something wrong, even as she followed every direction precisely.

"It's the antidote," Pomfrey reassured, showing compassion for the students by bringing them all fresh water. "It'll pass soon." Nodding, Suri watched with a twinge of guilt as George brought a glass of water to his lips, his hand trembling. Most of it spilled down his beard.

"My back," George complained, wiping water from his lips. "My hips! Freddie, if I don't make it through this tell Mum I love her."

"Not unless I go first, George," Fred groaned in equal pain.

"Neither of you are going to die," Suri assured them. Compassion outlasted her guilt; she helped Fred with his water as his hands were too shaky to manage on his own. Turning to George, his fingers covered hers as she helped him drink as well.

Hoping to get their mind off their discomfort, Suri smiled gently. "Maybe the two of you should invest in the Fountain of Youth. Old people lose their hair, right? Maybe your crazy potion is the beginning of a fortune in hair regrowth."

George grinned at Fred. "That's not a bad idea."

"Noted," Fred tapped the side of his head.

Suri sat at the end of Fred's bed. "I expect royalties for my idea. I don't do things for free, you know. I want fifty percent."

Free snorted. "Three."

"Forty."

"Five percent and discounts on all of our inventions for the rest of our lives," George offered.

Suri paused to consider, playfully cupping her chin, feigning deep concentration. "Ten percent and a discounted rate for eternity."

"You drive a hard bargain, Rosie," George said. "I think we should shake on it."

"Deal," Fred finally said. He and George held out hands for her to shake. Shaking the boys's hands, feeling no tremor in George's grip, she felt better knowing she had succeeded helping them.

"Miss Rosier-Black, the students should be ready to have their beards removed. I want you to watch me first, then you'll tend to the Weasleys."

Suri watched, holding up a mirror to Fawcett's face as Pomgrey waved her wand carefully around the girl's face like a skilled barber. She then did the same with Summers, the fifth year Hufflepuff. In less than twenty minutes, both left the infirmary clean-shaven.

Now, directing Fred into a chair and having him hold a mirror, Suri took out her wand. "Should be easy enough." Like Pomfrey, Suri tilted Fred's face up and magically shaved his beard off, bit by bit.

"Smooth as a baby's bum," said Fred, checking his reflection ten minutes later.

"Great. Now it's George's turn."

"As much as I've grown attached to this thing, I think it'll be nice to see my chin again," George mused as the twins switched places. Looking up at Suri, George winked before Suri began her precise strokes.

Once done, George touched his face. "Oh there's still a bit of stubble here."

"Sorry about that." Suri snorted, stepping forward to correct her work. It reminded her of cutting Sirius's hair. The memory kept a smile on her face as she gently tilted George's chin upward.

"My face funny to you?"

George's bright gaze met hers, and Suri felt a tingle down her spin. After being so close to the twins, she decided she'd always be able to tell them apart. George's eyebrows were straight where Fred's had a slight arch, and he had less freckles.

Feeling her cheeks turn warm, Suri pursed her lips to stop the smile. "Your face is pleasant enough."

"Pleasant enough," Fred snorted behind her. "Remember you're talking about my face too."

The last of George's beard gone, he gave her a thumbs up. "Nice work, Rosie. I'd recommend you to someone who needs healing."

"Even for a Slytherin," Suri chuckled, cleaning up her work station. She waited for a witty retort, but it never came.

"You're more than a Slytherin, Roise," George joked.

"Clearly you're Head Girl material," added Fred. "Maybe you're the one full of surprises."

"Keep watching me and find out." Suri dried her hands on a towel. "Now, you're free to leave my infirmary."

Rising from the chair, Suri ignored the way George looked at her with an unfathomable look. "If that's an open invitation I'll take it."

"Goodie," Suri replied sarcastically, her heartbeat speeding up, finding it easier to remain guarded.

"I'll wait for you by the door," Fred clapped his brother's shoulder, giving Suri a once over.

When it was just George, Suri raised her chin, giving him a cool look of indifference in spite of the fluttering in her stomach.

"If you're chosen to be the Triwizard champion, I'd bet on you," George grinned. "I haven't forgotten your quidditch skills, Roise. You're a damn good competitor."

"I…" Suri swallowed the snarky remark that came naturally. "Thank you."

The remainder of her shift was quiet, no students seemed to need her or Pomfrey today. Keeping herself busy by taking inventory of the infirmary's supplies, Suri replayed her interaction with the twins, warmed every time she thought of the way George looked up at her. Her mind dreamt on, and she imagined George leaning up and kissing her.

Shaking her head, Suri dispelled the fantasy. It was almost sad that he hadn't kissed her.

X

The Goblet of Fire burned brilliantly, at the end of the Halloween feast, signaling worthy champion had been chosen. A hush fell across the Great Hall as the first bit of burnt parchment flew from the Goblet and into Dumbledore's waiting hand.

"The first champion is from Beauxbatons: miss Fluer Delacour!" Polite applause and cheers came from the students as Fleur rose from the table and walked to a room adjacent to the Great Hall. Suri looked for her Beauxbatons friends. Mia, although cheering for Fleur looked disappointed that she wasn't chosen.

"From Durmstrang...Viktor Krum!"

Applause thundered from Durmstrangs and nearly the entire Great Hall because of Viktor's fame. Sitting next to Ivan, Krum rose from his seat to join Fleur. Suri noticed the way he walked with hunched shoulders, as though he were unsure of himself.

Now Suri held her breath. Nate, across from her, kicked her shin lightly. They made eye contact. The champion could be one of them. Suri offered him a small smile, silently saying good luck. Nate nodded and returned the look as the last bit of parchment flew into Dumbledore's hand.

"Our final Champion from Hogwarts is...Cedric Diggory!"

Hufflepuff erupted into hollers for Cedric as the pretty boy smiled, striding across the Hall to join the rest. Suri clapped politely, disappointed it wasn't her or Nate. Suri leaned forward. "Better than Warrington, right? He would have embarrassed us."

"No kidding. Looks like we'll have to find glory the old fashioned way." They glanced at Warrington at the end of the table who seemed to take the disappointment rather hard, judging by the stormy look on his face.

The Feast started to resume when the Goblet of Fire blazed again and out fluttered another piece of parchment. Suri had a bad feeling as Dumbledore caught the charred parchment.

"Harry Potter."

Suri paled as whispers bubbled into outraged chatter across the Great Hall. Naturally, Slytherin was among the loudest. Looking to Gryffindor's table, she found Harry, looking completely bewildered. She could read him easily without poking through the layers of his mind. He hadn't submitted his name.

"Did you know he put his name in," Nate whispered to her. He was the only one from her small friend group she'd told.

Suri shook her head. "No. He didn't put his name in there." She and Harry hadn't had the chance to talk much this year as her duties kept her busy, but they had caught up a couple times, Harry and her discussing Sirius, and she confronted him about his burning scar. Someone had to put his name in the Goblet. Was it some sort of sick joke from a Slytherin. Suri looked at Draco Malfoy sitting near Warrington. No, he wasn't clever enough to figure out how to do that.

More than anything, Suri wished she could talk to her father freely. For now, Suri worried her bottom lip. It was up to her to protect Harry. Everyone—Slytherin, Bagman and Crouch, the other schools—was suspect.

Author's Note—

Please be patient with ya girl. I work 6 days a week, and re-editing chapters I've already written. :)

Drop a review, favorite, and/or a follow to let me know you're here! Thanks for reading; I'm so glad you're here!

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