The night had continued much longer than Kiera was accustomed to. Her latest evenings were because she'd either begun reading material that was mind provoking or because she wanted to get ahead in homework. Instead, she spent time meeting people she barely knew about in Slytherin. Once Malfoy had arrived, he'd done well to make every other new, incoming student seem inferior and unimportant. Kiera got to meet them, along with the newest students in Slytherin. Realizing that her own distaste for going unnoticed might also be affecting these young Slytherins, she couldn't believe how hypocritical she had been.

She had been particularly taken with a second year named Claire Rosier and a few first years that had been tentative in speaking with her. Even if she had a rather sharp tongue, she'd never thought herself unapproachable or purposely mean. Alphonse Evergreen, Kyle Myrtle, and Dorothea Coil were the first years that had stuck in her head. She hoped to see more of them, as they had yet to be completely brainwashed by many of the rotten eggs in Slytherin. Although, those bad eggs weren't without their benefits and Kiera wasn't opposed to using Malfoy, especially if he volunteered.

Light had not even begun filtering through the depths of the Black Lake. Often, the dorms remained incredibly dark, the windows revealing the kelp filled depths of the lake and passing aquatic species. However, until the sun fully rose, light did not make it to their dorms. Kiera slipped out of bed and dressed for the day, careful not to disturb her roommates Leda Hare and Hazel Croft. None of them hated each other, but none of them were also close. Each of them had their own friend groups and their alliance as roommates was just that; a steady alliance that worked because none of them were interested in the other. Because they'd all been raised in similar situations, they were tidy and kempt, but only used the dorm to sleep.

Even the common room was empty, allowing for Kiera to slip through it and skirt up the stairs to the dungeon without being noticed. People were allowed out of bed before classes, though who would want to be up? Sleep was a commodity and it was likely that Gryffindor had also stayed up late last evening to celebrate Harry's election as Champion. Why was she thinking of him? She still pitied him, though he'd been quick to judge her just like the rest of the Slytherins.

Maybe he's coming around. He did wish me luck after I told him I believed him... But why should I care what he thinks? We're competing against one another and I need to beat him for Slytherin. He's tarnished our name enough, she thought, purposefully striding through the halls. Morning was brisk on Halloween morning, clouds obscuring the blue sky, threatening to unleash a torrent of rain.

Mist clung to the still green grass of the moors that surrounded Hogwarts. On the nicer days, Kiera enjoyed sitting in it and studying beneath the sun. Those days wouldn't return till the end of the year, but she did look forward to them. Embracing her like a forlorn lover, the fog whispered around her as she trotted down the dirt path, passing Hagrid's hut, and then hooked toward the lake. Visibility wasn't great, especially since she had left the high ground and was walking blindly into the thicket. She ignored the whickering of the flying horses that belonged to Beauxbatons and continued on her mission.

Subconsciously, her fingers twiddled with her wand, the feeling of caution due to her lack of visibility and proximity to the Forbidden Forest. Finally, she rounded to the location of the scheduled rendezvous. Waiting just a few minutes, she heard someone tramping across the dew laden grass, gripping her wand before Cedric revealed himself.

"Quite a morning, isn't it?" he remarked in a friendly tone.

She released her wand in her pocket. "Yeah, quite foggy," she agreed.

"Congratulations are in order," he announced, smiling widely at her. "I told you that you had as much of a chance as me."

Her tanned cheeks burned at his remark and she glanced dolefully at the ground, kicking a stone like a petulant child. "I know, I know. I sort of wonder why the Goblet did decide on me. I've got my own ideas as to why, but I'm not the shining star of Hogwarts. Most people haven't got a clue who I am."

"Don't think of it that way. People may not have known you before, but they will now. I had my house asking about you all night. I don't think you'll have any issues with Hufflepuff," he informed her reassuringly.

"I wasn't worried about Hufflepuff. My concern is more about Gryffindor," she admitted.

"Oh, right... Can you believe that Harry put his name in the Goblet? I'd love to know how. I didn't expect that from him, but then again he seems to like being in the limelight. He got caught at the World Cup with a wand that had just cast the Dark Mark."

"I don't think he's smart enough to have done it," Kiera rebuked, crossing her arms. "I don't think either of us could have done it, let alone Potter. Professor Dumbledore made a point in front of all of the champions last night, whoever entered Harry probably wants him dead."

Cedric pursed his lips, considering, before nodding. She suspected he was bothered by it because of how unfair it was. It was the Triwizard Tournament. There shouldn't have been a 4th participant. "That's unfortunate..." he sighed finally. "Do you have any idea who might want him dead?"

Kiera snorted. "More than half of Slytherin wouldn't shed a tear for him, but again... The actual ability to pull it off... No, I don't believe it was a student. Karkaroff used to be a Death Eater and he was certainly close enough to the Goblet to do it if he pleased."

"But that puts Durmstrang at a disadvantage now. It's the first Tournament in 2 centuries. Unless he thought Harry would really be that hopeless... I really only met him this past summer, but Harry is a capable wizard," Cedric considered, but eventually shook his head. "We'll just have to see, won't we?"

Releasing a long breath, she nodded. "And fortunately for us, we have no idea what the first test is going to be."

"When is the first test?"

"End of November, right about when Quidditch would have begun, I suppose," she answered.

"We have the better part of a month to prepare you for whatever they could throw at you," Cedric reminded her sternly.

"*We*?" she repeated.

"You think I'm going to let you stress out about this on your own? Before class we can work on spells or duelling, whichever you need more work on. You're Hogwart's Champion. You have to win."

"Oh, only because I'm Hogwart's Champion though, right?"

"Also because we're friends and that's what friends do for each other," Cedric added as if it should have been obvious. "You've at least got Slytherin and Hufflepuff backing you. Maybe even most of Ravenclaw. People were not happy about Potter getting a spot in the competition."

"I know, or else most of the school would have entered as well," Kiera said through a wry smile. "But this morning wasn't meant for this. Apparently you've accomplished becoming an Animagus... unless you've lied to me."

"Lie to you? I'm a Hufflepuff, not a Slytherin."

"Ouch, my feelings," she feigned heartbreak, placing her hand on her chest delicately and uncharacteristically. "Have it then, Diggory." Dumping her school satchel on the ground, Kiera stretched slightly as Cedric mirrored her moves, putting his own bag in the grass.

Between the both of it, it took just seconds for them to shed their human appearances for the skins they had trained to obtain. Astonishingly, they were similar in size despite the enormous differences between them. Coated in a slick of chestnut feathers, Cedric extended his wings, revealing that his span was much larger than she was. Impressive talons dug into the earth and he cocked a large beaked head. Unmistakably from his plumage to his talons, he was a Golden Eagle.

Feeling a bit inferior due to her own lack of ability to fly, she attempted to stretch out to prove that she was more than just an enormous house cat. Her tanned fur was accentuated with spots, her belly pale, her form slender and tall respective to her size. Prowling around Cedric, his feathers ruffled defensively, the two predators attempting to show off in different aspects. Kiera was a Serval.

Whether instinctual or because it was simply fun, they began a game. Taking off into the air, fluttering just above her head. Haunching her hindquarters, Kiera leapt into the air, much higher than Cedric had anticipated; swinging a paw at him. She thwapped him on the chest, sending the eagle back in the air as she landed neatly on her paws, ears alert and hazel eyes narrowed slightly.

Had it not been for the mist, they might have had for a more exciting game, but the moment that Cedric went too high into the air, Kiera could no longer see him. Letting out a growl of protest, he reappeared.

Touching back to the ground, Cedric became human once more. "I knew you had to be some sort of feline."

Kiera also turned back into a witch. "A Serval, which I suppose makes sense. My mother is from Africa," she told him, brushing off her robes which had acquired some grass. "How is flying without a broom?"

"A lot more strenuous, but amazing in its own respect," Cedric admitted with a wild grin. "I haven't gotten the chance to really explore, but hopefully soon... Your mother is from Africa? Perhaps your skill in Transfiguration makes even more sense now. Aren't most Uagadou students Animagus?"

"Yes, but I don't believe my mother is," she picked up her satchel. There was a love hate relationship between her and her parents, especially her mother. Thorfinn and her had different mothers, which was blatantly obvious by their physical appearances. He had pale skin, hair, and eyes, more reminiscent of his mother. Kiera had tanned skin, curly dark hair, a broader nose, and their father's hazel eyes.

Her mother had always been one to preach achieving excellence. It was her influence that had created the strict regiment that Kiera lived by. However, it was because of her mother that things happened inside their manor that Kiera didn't want to talk about. Thorfinn could do no wrong, even if he did it right in front of the both of them. Her father loved Thorfinn more than her, perhaps because he was the last living memory of his deceased first wife and looked just like her.

While her mother wanted her to strive for excellence, her father had made many offhanded comments about how she could be married into another excellent, pure-blooded family. Their suggestions had fallen on deaf ears, as Kiera was determined to carve her own path, away from them, now that she was of age. Most of their concerns were superficial and for the sake of the Rowle Family. Not for her own wishes or personal sake. Appearances were everything amongst the pure-blood houses. And because Thorfinn had been in line with the Dark Lord's wishes those years ago, her father idolized him even more for staying true to keeping the bloodlines pure.

Maybe Kiera might have even felt that way if she didn't loathe Thorfinn so much.

"This coming weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend," Cedric pointed out as they were headed back to the school. "I'm planning on going to the Three Broomsticks with friends if you'd like to come too."

Kiera mulled on the idea, wondering what the other Slytherins would think of her hanging out with Hufflepuffs. What do I care?

"Why not?" she shrugged, remembering that she'd done Cedric a favor last night. "Speaking of friends-" she opened her satchel and pulled out the autograph from Krum. "I got this last night before the Goblet spat out my name."

Cedric blinked, taken aback that she'd been able to accomplish the task so quickly. "You don't waste any time do you?"

"That's just it, give me a task and I'll do it. I hate procrastinating," Kiera drawled lazily.

The corners of Cedric's lips turned up and he put it into his bag for safekeeping. "Thank you, Hannah will love it... What is it, Transfiguration first?"

Kiera groaned, remembering that she hadn't asked McGonagall about Cedric trying to become Animagus. "Yeah and I expect I'll be getting detention with McGonagall."

Classes resumed as normal and astonishingly, Kiera got off with a strong talking to by McGonagall after class. Had it been any other student, McGonagall might have chewed her head off for it, but because Cedric had scored 'O's in his O.W.L.s, McGonagall stated that it was sheer luck that nothing went wrong. If she were to do it again, Kiera would be getting much worse than detention, and so she promised McGonagall she wouldn't go about secretly divulging how to become Animagus.

With the progression of the day, she found herself in a rather chipper mood. At least until Defence with Gryffindor where she was ambushed after class by the Weasley twins.

"What do you want?" she asked them scathingly. Admittedly, their pranks were sometimes funny, but often she found them to be coarse, childish, and downright dangerous.

"What, we can't say congratulations to our fellow 6th year?" Fred asked brightly, the pair following her down the hall.

"Not when you never say a peep to me or because you've also got a Champion of your own in Gryffindor. What do you want? I know this isn't a friendly hello," Kiera retorted thinly, tossing a glare between them as they flanked her on either side.

"Rowle, Rowle, Rowle," George clucked. "We haven't once been rude to you over the past six years, despite you being a Slytherin."

"Yeah, you've been picking on Cassius instead since you can get a row out of him," she pointed out.

"Correct. Warrington is much more fun to provoke than you," Fred agreed.

"He's still my friend," Kiera said, frowning.

"Anyways, we've heard that you've become friends with Hufflepuff. Not quite good news for Harry," Fred continued.

"I have a friend in Hufflepuff. I wouldn't consider the entirety of the house to be mine. But it's not my fault that Potter somehow got his name placed in the Goblet... illegally, need I remind you. I thought you two were smarter than this? Is this some sort of intimidation tactic?"

"Oh, we knew that wouldn't work on you," George grinned. "You and Pucey are the least cowardly Slytherins we know. Still Slytherins, but only half as bad as the lot."

"Cut to the chase, you're wasting my time."

"We know about the first task and we're willing to sell you the information," Fred revealed.

"And I expect that you've already told Potter then?"

"In due time, but let's be honest, we want Hogwarts to win, even if that means putting our faith into a Slytherin," George pointed out.

"Wow, how impressive coming from Gryffindors. I never thought there'd be a shaky alliance just for the sake of the Tournament Cup," she sneered, her lips twisting up sourly. "Sod off, I don't want the information," she said, pride bristling at their impudence.

"You don't?" Fred gasped, taken aback. "But I thought Slytherins would do anything to get what they wanted."

Kiera whirled on him, her eyes burning into his. "We've also got a bit of pride as well. Don't try and make this seem like you're offering me a good deal. I can trust the two of you as far as I can throw you. For all I know, you're going to give me information that won't help at all and will only benefit Potter."

"Ah, she's got a point, doesn't she, brother?" George clucked.

"We do want Hogwarts to win," Fred insisted. "I can't believe you'd accuse us of trying to sabotage you," he feigned being hurt by her words.

"Not as if the last five years haven't been a testament to your trickster tendencies," she grumbled. "Look, I don't want your help."

"Fine," Fred said, lifting his hands to prove he meant no harm. "But you know where to go if you're desperate for information."

The rest of the day passed normally, leading up to the impressive Halloween Feast. Slytherin was still abuzz with activity, ogling Kiera, various students trying to talk to her over the course of the entire dinner. When Saturday morning came, she was woken by her Leda, which was uncharacteristic.

"What?" Kiera groaned.

"Get dressed. Word has been sent that there's a Journalist here to talk to you about being the Champion for Hogwarts," Leda explained.

"Oh, alright," she grumbled, tossing on some simple clothes and tying her messy hair in a bun.

The Journalist was not inside the common room, but out by the Great Hall. Standing in a bright green dress suit was a woman with pale blonde hair set in elaborate curls, delicate in comparison to her heavy jaw. Bright crimson horn rimmed glasses did little to detract from her jaw and were studded with rhinestones. Her eyebrows looked as if they had been thinly drawn on and when she smiled, Kiera counted three gold teeth.

"Hello darling! You must be Kiera Rowle, though I must admit I was expecting someone a little less..." she looked her over again. "Messy."

"It's early on a Saturday morning and I wasn't expecting you," Kiera retorted grumpily, narrowing her eyes at the Journalist in displeasure.

"Nevermind that," the woman said silkily. "I'm just glad you could meet me today. My name is Rita Skeeter. Come, let's go find a private place for your interview."

The scowl did not disappear from Kiera's face as she followed Rita around the corner, up the stairs, and into a... broom stairwell? The sunlight was bright here and Rita had her sit directly in the light, blinding her. She could very faintly make out an acid green quill that appeared in Rita's massive, man-like hands. Setting the quill to a floating notebook before she glanced up and smiled menacingly.

"So, you're a 6th year Slytherin from the Rowle Family," Skeeter began, the quill moving at her words. "Impressive lineage, conventionally pretty. Tell me, what is it like being overshadowed by Harry Potter?"

Kiera's brows pulled together. "I don't really think that-"

"Continuing," she interrupted. "How do your muggle-born peers feel now that Hogwarts had a pure-blooded, Slytherin champion?"

"I don't know."

"Your family must be so proud. Perhaps including your brother, Thorfinn Rowle, who was once suspected of being a Death Eater-"

"Half-brother," she corrected through clenched teeth. "And I don't care what he or my parents think."

"Rebellious," Skeeter noted. "Strong willed and determined. Good qualities when you need to shine out against Harry Potter... Continuing... Do you have any feelings about Harry Potter? Perhaps hatred, nervousness... love..."

"I don't even know him!" Kiera exclaimed, her fury bubbling over.

"Everyone knows Harry Potter, dear," Skeeter told her, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know him personally-"

"What are your ambitions if you win the Tournament? You get 1,000 Galleons, though I suspect the Rowles don't need it."

"Put it into savings. Live on my own?"

Skeeter stared at her as if this answer were boring. "Achievements, tell me what are your achievements?"

"I'm a registered Animagus, top of my class..." Kiera drawled, trying to discern Skeeter's expressions as she spoke.

"Interesting," she didn't sound interested. "What made you put your name in the Goblet?"

"I was old enough and thought I'd have a good shot at it."

"Oh come now, no other motives? No one catches your eye that you wished to impress?"

"Not necessarily-" she lied through her teeth.

Rita eyed her dubiously, as if reading her mind.

"How do you feel about the tasks ahead?"

"Confident. I'm preparing everyday for what I may face."

"Right, you mentioned being top of your class," Rita remarked thoughtfully. "A smart, well spoken young woman. But really, you see no reason other than being old enough for entering? I don't believe the Goblet would choose you solely on that premise."

"Perhaps the Goblet saw more in me than you can," Kiera said pointedly.

A nasty smile unfolded on Rita's face, "Well, that's all we have time for."

Kiera shrugged. Was that really an interview? Either way, she was glad to get away from the unpleasant woman. It took her a few minutes to find her way back to the Great Hall, having been whisked up a stairwell she didn't often go into. She stopped in for some breakfast, making the most of a grapefruit and a morning tea. With a thump, a letter fell in front of her, the neat handwriting belonging to her mother.

Groaning internally, she broke the seal and opened the envelope.

'Dear Kiera,

The whole family is exceptionally proud of your courage to enter the Triwizard Tournament. You have always been setting an example for the rest of Slytherin to live by, scoring top of your class, and also making the achievement of becoming an Animagus in your 5th year. We have just spent dinner with the Malfoys, going over your achievements.

It is a shame that Harry Potter managed to weasel his way into the competition. Clearly, the boy has no moral compass and cheated his way in to steal the limelight from you. Lucius has been telling us about how foul the boy is, but we have no doubt that you will easily overtake him in all of the events. We intend on attending each one and have sent word to Professor Dumbledore in regards to this.

You shall be receiving a parcel in a few days, including a larger allowance than you accustomed to. We have found out recently that there shall be a ball occurring later in the year and it would be most unbecoming if you did not have a spectacular dress to reflect the Champion that you are. Think of it as a gift from your nomination and if you require any other supplies, to just ask for them, and we shall have them sent immediately.

Continue to make the family proud.

Love,

Mother'

Kiera crumpled the edges of the insincere letter, pursing her lips as she began reading it over again. However, she was unable to after getting to the paragraph about Harry. None of it had asked about how she felt. It had all just been about the family and how 'proud' they were. Honestly, she could read between the lines and knew that their pride was founded in the fact that they could brag more loudly about her and now have a foundation to put that on now that she was Hogwart's Champion.

"Kiera," she was drawn out of her silent fury by a familiar voice.

Turning, she saw Cedric was standing with a few of his Hufflepuff friends. "Are you still up for the Three Broomsticks?"

"Yeah," she shoved the letter into her pocket, not caring if she crumpled it.

Getting up from the bench, she joined the other Hufflepuffs, which she recognized from class. "Wayne Bostock and Luke Cholderton, right?"

"Did you tell her we were going with you?" Wayne asked. He had tawny brown hair and bright emerald eyes.

"No," Cedric assured him.

"We have had some classes together," Kiera pointed out dryly. "And my memory's pretty good."

"Right, sorry, we've just never talked before so I thought you might not know our names," Wayne admitted to his own chagrin.

"Want to do introductions again and I can pretend I don't?" Kiera proposed.

"That's quite alright," Wayne insisted, his cheeks burning.

"How does it feel to be the Hogwarts Champion?" Luke inquired as they started out of the Great Hall.

"Strange," she admitted. "A lot more people are talking to me now than before," she glanced in their direction as if to make a point, but diffused the sharpness of her words with a smirk.

"Diggory was telling us that you two have been studying together. I bet we would have met sooner or later, regardless of the Triwizard Tournament," Wayne waggered.

"He told us, you weren't half bad," Luke added.

"I think you'd better be the judges yourself."

"I don't know, you made Hannah Abott cry this morning when Cedric gave her that autograph. Doesn't strike me as a very Slytherin thing to do."

"What's not Slytherin about it?" she asked.

"Being nice," Wayne pointed out.

"Right then, I suppose I'll have to go out of my way to be mean to you now. Would you like it if I turned your shoelaces into tiny snakes?"

"Guys, this isn't about which house we're in," Cedric reminded them. "And not all Slytherins are as foul as you think. Rowle and Pucey aren't bad people and there's bound to be others that also aren't. This tournament is supposed to unite all of the houses."

"Hard to think of that way when Gryffindor has also got a champion," Luke frowned. "How preposterous is that?"

"A bit, but what can we do? Being upset about it won't make Potter go away," Kiera shrugged.

"I guess that's a better way to look at it," Luke considered thoughtfully.

"What's Potter really going to do?" Wayne asked. "I mean, he's against Viktor Krum, the Quidditch All-Star, Fleur Delacour..." he trailed off, trying to think of a way to describe her, failed, and then continued, "And the top of the 6th year class, Kiera Rowle. He hasn't got much chance at all."

"He'll get a little bit more fame, but I suppose that's all," Kiera admitted, unbothered by the whole situation at this point. "Doesn't help him much that a considerable portion of the school feels cheated."

Hogsmeade was bustling with students enjoying their weekend outside of the school grounds. Getting there so early, they managed to snag a table by the window where Madam Rosmerta delivered a round of butterbeers, congratulating Kiera on her nomination. The fact that people outside the school now recognized her sent chills down her spine.

Wayne and Luke were rather chatty, keeping up the conversation easily, taking the reins from both Kiera and Cedric who were more resigned to listening and weighing in when they felt their opinion was wanted.

"I'm thinking about asking Tamsin out," Wayne said, having described how much he liked the Chaser, glancing anxiously at Cedric to try and gauge whether this would be a good idea.

She was a 5th year Hufflepuff on the Quidditch team.

"Just do it. What's the worst that can happen? She says no?" Kiera encouraged, albeit harsher than she had intended.

"Easy for you to say. I bet if you asked anyone out, they'd tell you yes because you're Hogwart's Champion," Wayne said defensively.

"I'm a little preoccupied with being the Champion to worry about stuff like that," she reminded him dully. "But, if what I've heard you say is true, she does enjoy your company."

Wayne calmed down and nodded. "Right. At least, I think it's that way, I really don't know."

Kiera rolled her eyes dramatically. "She's purposely finding time to bother you for simple things. I have a feeling she likes you too and is trying to give you hints."

"Girls are hard to read," Luke complained. "You're a girl, Rowle, what does it mean when a girl makes this face at you when you smile at her?" He screwed up his face in a bitter scowl. "Just playing hard to get, right?"

Kiera stared plainly at him. "Look, I'm not the resident expert on relationships or female behavior-"

"Uhm, excuse me?" she was interrupted by a small voice, the table turning to look at a Ravenclaw that had approached them. Kiera thought she recognized the girl from their Quidditch team, but wasn't certain. Before this year, she'd never really talked to anyone outside of her own house. "Do you mind if I borrow Cedric for a moment?"

The table shrugged and Cedric got up, following the dark haired girl outside. Kiera's head turned to the window, finding herself asking before she could stop herself. "Who's that?"

"Cho Chang," Luke told her. "I think she's had a bit of a crush on Diggory for a while. But he's been rather busy since the beginning of the year, so I've seen the two of them together a lot less."

"Right, so I'll talk to Tamsin soon then-" Wayne continued, but Kiera blocked him out, staring out the window toward the two.

She couldn't hear what was being said, but Cho gave Cedric a doleful look, nervously glancing from his face to the ground and then back up. It shouldn't have bothered her, but it did. Why though? Kiera didn't think she liked Cedric that way. They were only friends and study partners... that spent countless hours everyday with each other. It was only natural that she felt a bit weird when other girls stepped into the territory she had claimed, right?

What territory, you dolt? You're not dating, not even close, she reminded herself, continuing to watch.

Cho reached forward and hugged him, Kiera's hand snapping as she did. She gasped as she spilled her butterbeer all over her sweater, snapping her eyes away from the window and to the mess she had made. Cursing beneath her breath, she looked up at the other boys.

"Sorry," she hissed through her teeth, squeezing out of the booth, standing up. "I'm gonna head back and change."

Tossing her money's worth of butterbeer on the table, she hurried out of the pub and started back toward the school, barely hearing Luke call after her from the door. Her cheeks burned and she didn't understand why, but she felt like an idiot. Why was she expecting something different? Cedric was the most handsome student in their year, possibly even the school, and she had believed that maybe he could like her.

It's too early. Too fresh from that time. Why do I care so much? I shouldn't be so attached, she reasoned, stepping off the path to catch her breath and calm down.

"Rowle," she opened her eyes, dismayed by the person she saw lumbering toward her.

"What do you want, Flint?" she asked him tartly, drawing herself back up against the tree.

"A chance to talk to you when you're not bringing shame to Slytherin house. Why were you hanging around those losers?" Flint returned, trotting toward her, much closer than she'd prefer.

"I'm the Champion for Hogwarts. I should be able to talk to students outside of Slytherin and make friends. It's a school competition," she reminded him thinly, glancing anxiously back in the direction of the path. "Are you done? I've got to get back to the dorms."

"You know Rowle, I'm aware that you like to play hard to get, but it really grinds my gears that you hang around Diggory so often. Are you two dating or something?" he was blocking her path.

"As you've come to notice, most of my friends are male. It's no different with Diggory."

"Right, make yourself available to any prospective boyfriends. I'm guessing by this point you've been with Pucey and Warrington."

"What?" she snapped incredulously.

"They're always defending you for no good reason. Especially Pucey. I've always thought Pucey was sort of a cop out, especially since he's so straight edge. Always turned down my ideas for how we should play Quidditch... even humiliated me a few times."

"Whatever beef you have with Pucey has nothing to do with me. And fuck you for saying I've slept with my best friends," she reached into her pocket for her hand. "You're clearly jealous. How does it make you feel that I'm surrounded by good looking wizards?" she taunted, her fingers tightening around the wand. "You wish you were one of them I bet."

"If you hadn't gotten selected as the Champion for Hogwarts we might have been in an arranged marriage," Flint revealed haughtily.

Kiera barked a laugh at him, pretending to wipe tears from her eyes. "You think my parents rule me? Even if they'd demanded that I marry you, I never would have."

"I heard from your brother-"

She snapped, raising her wand at him. "Mention that bastard to me again and I'll make you rue the day that you met me. My brother is the worst excuse for a wizard and a poorer excuse for a human."

Flint scoffed, his hands in his own pockets, but his eyes warily tracking after the wand. "A storm is coming and you're too prideful and vain to realize where your alliances should lay. Won't matter. All the blood traitors, such as yourself will get your just desserts."

"I'd rather be a blood traitor then!" she yowled indignantly.

"What's going on here? Is everything alright?" Luke appeared behind Flint, trailed by Wayne and Cedric.

"Oh look, it's your newest friends," Flint said scathingly.

"Flipendo!" a bright blue light sparked from the end of her wand, knocking Flint chest first. He was sent flying, head over heels, into a blueberry bush. She didn't bother checking to see if he was alright, turning away and returning to the path, to stalk up it with new fervor, not bothering to answer the Hufflepuffs.

"Kiera! Kiera!... Kiera!" Cedric had caught up to her, grabbing her shoulder to stop her.

Reflexively, Kiera turned her wand on him. "WHAT?!"

"Are you alright?" Cedric asked her sternly, glancing at her wand warily.

No, she wasn't, but she gave him a cynical smile. "Peachy."

"Kiera, what just happened?"

"What does it matter?" she huffed, crossing her arms at him. "I can handle myself. I don't require a babysitter."

"That's not what I was insinuating. You seem upset."

"Yeah, that'd be thanks to Flint. Leave me alone," she demanded brusquely, shaking her shoulder from his grasp. Her entire body was cold, her skin prickling anxiously at the remembrance that she had been cornered by Flint.

"Kiera," Cedric insisted, refusing to let her saunter off on her own. "Stop."

She glared at him haughtily, recalling that he had recently been hugging Chang. In tandem with the torrent of emotions she was feeling from having to attack Flint, her demeanor didn't adjust well. Insistent on returning to her dorm, she gave him but a moment, crossing her arms over her ruined sweater.

"What did Flint do-"

"It's not just about that," she admitted bitterly. "What am I to you?"

Cedric's brows pulled together, confusion consuming his countenance. "You're my friend."

"And that's all? You'd attempt to become Animagus for anyone?"

"What do you want me to say, Kiera?" Cedric demanded, his voice straining slightly.

Kiera's eyes burned, but she refused to cry. "That you did it for me," she protested, her voice cracking as she said it. "Fine. I see how it is. Be my friend when it's convenient for you. I told you how to become Animagus. Now I'm Champion, so it's still convenient," she chuckled sardonically and turned away. "Get out of my way."

Cedric didn't, but it wasn't difficult to go around him. Shoving him out of the way, she started back to Hogwarts, choking back tears. Only Pucey and Warrington were her real friends. Everyone else could screw.