Your foreign guests had been here for a week, and it was now time for the three Triwizard Champions to be chosen. You and Draco had spent the entire week going about your lives and finding every opportunity to meet in a little corner somewhere so that you could read more quotes from Shakespeare. He was so interested in Shakespeare, you were extremely happy that you packed your many Shakespearean play novels. Currently, you were walking to the great hall, while reading aloud The Merchant of Venice.
"I pray you, tarry: pause a day or two before you hazard; for, in choosing wrong, I lose your company: therefore forbear awhile. There's something tells me, but it is not love, I would not lose you; and you know yourself, hate counsels not in such a quality. But lest you should not understand me well,-And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought,- I would detain you here some month or two before you venture for me. I could teach you how to choose right, but I am then forsworn; so will I never be: so may you miss me; but if you do, you'll make me wish a sin, that I had been forsworn. Beshrew your eyes, they have o'er look'd me and divided me; one half of me is yours, the other half yours, mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours, and so all yours. O, these naughty times put bars between the owners and their rights! And so, though yours, not yours. Prove it so, let fortune go to hell for it, not I. I speak too long; but 'tis to peis the time, to eke it and to draw it out in length, to stay you from election." You read Portia's part, while Draco guided you from walking into a wall.
He then took the book to read the line of Bassanio. "Let me choose for as I am, I live upon the rack." He said. "Upon the rack, Bassanio! then confess what treason there is mingled with your love." You replied. "None but that ugly treason of mistrust, which makes me fear the enjoying of my love: there may as well be amity and life 'tween snow and fire, as treason and my love." He read as you guided him from bumping into a Gryffindor. "Ay, but I fear you speak upon the rack, where men enforced do speak anything." You replied, not even looking at the book, for you knew it's shorter lines so well.
"Promise me life, and I'll confess the truth." Draco said, looking at you with expectancy. "Well then, confess and live." You declared. "'Confess' and 'love' had been the very sum of my confession: O happy torment, when my torturer doth teach me answers for deliverance! But let me to my fortune and the caskets." Draco looked down at the pages. You looked down too, as the pair of your stopped outside the entrance to the great hall.
"Away, then! I am lock'd in one of them: if you do love me, you will find me out. Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof. Let music sound while he doth make his choice; then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end, fading in music: that the comparison may stand more proper, my eye shall be the stream and watery death-bed for him. He may win; and what is music then? Then music is even as the flourish when true subjects bow to a new-crowned monarch: such it is as are those dulcet sounds in break of day that creep into the dreaming bridegroom's ear, and summon him to marriage. Now he goes, with no less presence, but with much more love, than young Alcides, when he did redeem the virgin tribute paid by howling Troy to the sea-monster: I stand for sacrifice the rest aloof are the Dardanian wives, with bleared visages, come forth to view the issue of the exploit. Go, Hercules! Live thou, I live: with much, much more dismay I view the fight than thou that makest the fray." You said, closing the book and smiling at your friend.
"And that concludes our session for now, shall we continue reading after dinner?" You asked. "I'd love to. I'll even walk you to Ravenclaw Tower so that we can keep reading." He replied. "Excellent. I'll see you after Dinner." You bade him goodbye and went to sit among the other Ravenclaws. "Ugh. Get away, you little sl*t." A boy said, pushing you away. "Ouch!" You said, getting pushed against another Ravenclaw. "Ew! Don't touch me, you wh*re!" She responded, kicking you off the bench. "Yipe!" You squeaked, falling on the floor. "What was that for?!" You asked, glaring up at them. "We know you slipped Malfoy some love potion of sorts. Why else would he spend so much time with you?" "Because he's one of my best friends." You said, getting up off the floor.
"Still. You had to stoop so low for some affection as to go for a Slytherin? Pathetic. You can't even find any friends in your own house! Just another thing that proves you don't belong." Another Ravenclaw sneered. "What do you want from me?" You asked. "Do you want me gone or what? One moment, you're sneering at my supposed unworthiness of being a Ravenclaw, and the next, you're looking down on me because I'm apparently disloyal to our house founder's name?" "Maybe we want you gone from this school, completely. Maybe we think that you're not only unworthy of being a Ravenclaw, but a Hogwarts student altogether."
Your cheeks flared red, and you huffed. "Well… it's going to take a lot more than cruel words from people whose opinions I don't value to drive me away." You said walking off to find another seat at the table. However, before you could get too far away, you turned around and stuck up your middle finger. "So, do yourselves and a favor and save your putrid-a** breath, and go f*ck yourselves while you're at it, too." Apparently, you said it rather loudly, and many of the Slytherins (Draco included) made an "Ooooooh…" sound.
All conversation in the hall quieted. "Huh?" A Hufflepuff asked. "What just happened?" The Ravenclaws smirked. "Why, Y/N, such foul language! And when we have guests." You looked around to see everyone staring at you. Sighing, you pinched the bridge of your nose and then pulled out your wand. "Sonorus." You said. "Does it look like I care? I don't like being a b*tch, but right now, I could care less. I'm tired of you all spewing dragon pi$$ about me, to my face and behind my back. So, I have but one response: Counting the number of $hits I don't give would give us all headaches! Now, I would like to enjoy my dinner so, kindly, shut the f*ck up!"
"OHHHHHH!" Every student who wasn't a Ravenclaw yelled. "YOU JUST GOT BURNED!" A Gryffindor cheered. "SLAY 'EM, QUEEN!" A Hufflepuff yelled. "GET WRECKED!" A Slytherin whooped. The teachers were not amused. "SILENCE!" Dumbledore yelled through the same charm you were using. "My office, Miss Snape!" You shrugged. "Worth it." You whispered, before grabbing a plate, piling it full of your dinner, and sauntering out of the hall with a huge grin on your face.
You ended up eating by yourself in Dumbledore's office, while the others got to see who the three champions were. See, the staircase was already open for you, probably because Dumbledore willed it to be. However, you really did have to wonder what was taking him so long. Surely it wouldn't take him this long to brief a triad of teenagers. As if on cue, the Headmaster entered his study… with Professor McGonagall, Professor Moody, and Professor Snape. Your grin had long since disappeared. Just as they were about to start talking, Professor Moody cleared his gargling throat and nodding in your direction. You just sat there, blinking. Everyone stared at you. You took a deep breath and said, "I get the feeling that I'm not supposed to hear any of what you're about to discuss. Should I just wait outside?" "Yes." The four adults replied.
"Well, in that case, I'll go drop my plate off at the kitchens while I'm at it." You said, standing up with your empty plate and silverware. However, Professor Snape had other plans. "Sit." He ordered, pointing to the first step on the staircase to and from Dumbledore's office. "Yes, Sir." You said, doing as you were told. "Don't move. You're still in trouble, young lady." "Yes, Sir." You repeated. The door shut behind you and, true to what you'd agreed to, you did not get up from the step. You could hear the four staff speaking of something that was no doubt important. You had to wonder if it involved the Triwizard Tournament. A few minutes later, Professor McGonagall burst out the door, took one look at you, and stormed down the stairs. Professor soon emerged out of the door, looked down at you and sighed angrily.
"Wipe that shocked look off your face." He said, hauling you up off the stairs. "I take it that something happened downstairs and I have yet to find out about." "You'll learn soon enough." He grumbled. "The talk didn't go too well, did it?" You laughed, shaking your head. "No more questions." He scowled, pulling you along. "Yes, Sir." You sighed. The two of you walked in silence like you've grown used to doing. He led you to Ravenclaw tower. "You'll be joining me after school hours tomorrow." He said, letting go of your arm. "And 50 points from Ravenclaw." "Yes, Sir." You responded, knocking on the Ravenclaw knocker.
"I am never touched, but often held. If you are wise, you'll use me well. What am I?" The eagle asked. You sighed, shaking your head in your hand. "I take it the other students told you?" "They would not shut up about how rude you were to them." "Well, either way. I'd say you are my tongue, doorkeeper." You said, bouncing on the balls of your feet. "Yes. And you'd do well not to use me for such foul language." You frowned. "Go hold yourself." You grumbled, opening the door. "Before you close the door, Y/N, heed my warning." The door knocker said. "If I were you… I'd sleep with an open eye tonight. A female with a taste for vengeance is a fearsome creature." You nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. But, I regret nothing."
"Ugh. Will she ever learn, Professor?" The eagle asked. "I highly doubt it," Snape said. Then, the door was closed and you were left alone in your empty common room. You sighed, going to the stairs. "Ah!" You yelped, being thrown backward by a barrier on the staircase. "Are you kidding me? I am a girl!" You yelled at the stairs. "I'm even wearing girl shoes!" You tried going up the stairs again, only to be forced back again. Sighing, you kicked off your shoes and went to the couch. There was an ottoman-chest that held blankets. You pulled out a few and placed them on the couch. At least the fire was still going. You sighed, tugged off your sweater vest, tie, and socks. Snuggling into the blankets, you closed your eyes and went off to sleep.
The next morning, you woke up to the sound of feet shuffling into the common room, lighthearted conversation, and laughter. And of Luna's voice. "Well, there you are, Y/N." She said. "Cho, Padma, and I were wondering where you were last night." "I was sleeping down here, Luna." You mumbled, getting up and stretching until that crick in your back was alleviated. Once it was, you sighed, blissfully. "Why were you sleeping down here?" Padma came over and asked. "Because someone thought it would be funny to jinx the staircases to think I was a boy." Cho, upon hearing this, looked over at another girl, Nanette Desford.
She stifled some laughter but looked down at the floor anyway. "So… what happened last night?" You asked. "With what?" Padma asked. "With the Triwizard Tournament. Who was chosen? Last night, after I had gotten sent to Dumbledore's study, Professors Moody, McGonagall, and Snape came up with him. They made me sit outside while they argued about something. Then, McGonagall stormed out." Cho, Padma, and Luna looked at one another. "Well, Viktor Krum was chosen to be the Durmstrang champion," Luna said. "Shocker," Padma commented. "And a girl named Fleur Delacour was chosen for Beauxbatons." "And… Cedric Diggory was chosen as the Hogwarts Champion." Cho hesitated.
You blinked. "So? What's off about tha-"There was a fourth champion…" Padma interrupted. "Harry Potter." Your lips made an 'O' shape. "... How?" You asked, your eyebrows furrowed. "We don't know how," Cho said. "But… somehow, he did. That Potter really is an overachiever." You furrowed your eyebrows. That wasn't entirely what you meant. Even if Harry Potter did put his name in the Goblet of Fire… why would the Goblet spit out an extra name? No. How could it spit out an extra name? There's no such thing as a tetra-wizard tournament! And, of all names… why Harry Potter's?
"Say, Luna, could you go upstairs and get my stuff for me?" You asked. "Sure," Luna said. "What do you need?" "You'll find my homework and school supplies in a bag on my desk, as well as my textbooks in the shelves, overtop of it." You said. "I need, DADA, Herbology, Divination, and History of Magic, please." You then proceeded to do up your tie and pull on your socks and sweater vest. After getting on your shoes, you presented yourself to Cho and Padma. "There. Does it look like I didn't fall asleep on the couch in this?" You asked. "Luna, make sure you get her hairbrush while you're at it!" Cho called up the stairs. "Got it!" Luna replied. "Here," Padma gave you some of her perfume, just to make you smell fresh. "Thanks," You said.
Luna came back down with your school stuff and your hairbrush. You thanked her and proceeded to brush back your unruly bed-head. "There. Better?" "Much better. We'll see about getting that jinx resolved before we get back." Cho said. "Well, don't worry. You've got extra time to take care of it." You replied. "I've got to spend some time with Professor Snape after school." "Oh yeah, because you cussed out the entire Ravenclaw table, last night," Padma said. "Yeah… minus, you guys of course!" You replied, all of you chuckling good-naturedly. "We know. It's okay. Personally, I was very proud of you, Y/N." Luna said. "Thanks, Luna. It felt awesome." You smiled. "Come on, let's go get breakfast." Without a word to the others, you four went off to get food.