CHAPTER 7

CEDRIC:

"The Triwizard Tournament! Would you believe our luck, Ced? You know they banned this game for years!" Chris told me while we were arranging our clothes and other school stuff on the dormitory.

"There's a reason why they banned the game, Chris. People had died in the Tournament." I explained to him.

"Those people are just some piece of rat droppings, mate. And would you even think Dumbledoor, with all his mighty goodness and holiness, would let someone in danger?"

He has a point, I thought to myself.

"Think about it, Ced. All the glory and the fame and all the gold... and not to mention the girls!"

"Now I see!" I chuckled at him.

"Seriously, Cedric—give it a shot!" Chris thumped my back and was somewhat encouraging.

"What? Are you crazy? I thought you wanted to try?"

"Now you're talking rubbish, mate! Me? Enter that tournament? I don't even know how to calm those stupid mandrakes on our second level Herbology." Chris looked horrified at the thought of the screaming plants.

"Well, that's true." I teased. He threw one of his pillows at me.

"Look, mate. You're the perfect guy for it. Prefect, Quidditch Captain, honor student... and think about the pride and joy you'll bring to the House!"

I sighed. "I honestly don't know what to say, Chris. It really didn't occur to me." I think, I said to myself.

But who was I kidding? Hadn't I pictured myself having won something for the first time? And the banners on the end of term feast, hadn't I pictured it overwhelmingly yellow instead of the usual red and gold? And my father!

You beat Harry Potter, Ced! That's something to tell to your grandchildren!

Winning the Tournament was also something to tell to my grandchildren...

I started to consider until...

"Do you know how many people have died because of this game?" Cho whispered to me one night at the library where we were supposed to be doing our homework. "It's just ridiculous, isn't it? And by tomorrow night, all these hype will heighten because two other schools will be arriving."

"I really think it would be fun." I said why scribbling down senseless notes on my Potions paper. I could not concentrate.

"Really, Ced? Fun?" Cho snorted. "More like dangerous if you ask me."

"Yeah, maybe dangerous is the right word..." I shrugged. Then I finally wrote down something sensible on my paper.

You're a troll, Ced.

CHO:

It could have been better if the Basilisk just returned or if Siruis Black just went inside the school to murder everybody. The Triwizard Tournament was doing nothing good to anyone—especially to me. I saw that gleam on Cedric's eyes the moment Dumbledoor announced about the Tournament. I knew he wanted to, or at least, was tempted to join.

And the night after the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students arrived, I knew Cedric wanted nothing more but to be a school champion. And the jaunting of his classmates didn't help either. It was as if he was Hufflepuff's saving grace.

"I 'keena't wait for ze tournament! Eezinit exziting?" A girl from Beauxbaton flipped her silvery-blonde hair. I saw Roger almost drooling on his plate. "And zat boy on ze otherr table, he's cute, eh?"

I didn't realize she was actually talking to me.

"Uh, which one?" I unwillingly answered her.

"Zat one with the yellow scarf and grey eyes."

Of course. I thought to myself. I just nodded back to her—Fleur.

"If 'e waz your school champion, I would be willing to looze." She flashed a grin. The boys around us were gaping at her again.

"Yes. I know what you mean." I murmured and hurriedly grabbed my bag and went out of the Great Hall towards the Ravenclaw common room, not even saying goodbye to Cedric for the first time.

CEDRIC:

I saw Cho hurrying away from the Great Hall despite the chattering crowd and the boisterous atmosphere. She didn't even say goodbye. Chris let out a low whistle.

"Had and argument, you two?" He asked and nodded towards an angry and escaping Cho.

"No." I replied. "She's just tired I guess. She's been preparing for her O.W.L.S." But I doubted that.

Chris chuckled. "She's truly a Ravenclaw."

"So," I heard Ernie beside me. "Do you want us to escort you on your way to the Goblet of Fire? You don't know who might sabotage you when you put your name in."

"Oh, shut up Ernie. I haven't thought about it... yet."

"Oho! There you go!"

"Remember what I told you before, Ced. Honor and Glory."

Honor and Glory. I reminded myself. But what about Cho?

"And have you seen the Beauxbaton girls staring at you? I heard one of them is part veela!" Ernie exclaimed.

"Really? No wonder she got me flipping my pie all over the place." Chris huffed, still removing stains on his robes.

"Not to you, you idiot! To Cedric! They were staring at him—like the Hogwarts girls weren't!"

I chuckled. "Cho wouldn't like to hear that."

"So," Chris changed the subject, crossing his arms atop the table, "Will you do it Cedric?"

CHO:

Late at lunch time the following day, I reluctantly ate inside the Hall, if not only for Marietta. A few people were staring dreamily at the Goblet and its bluish fire. I heard that Angelina from Gryffindor and Flint from Slytherin had already dropped in their names.

I turned my head away from the mash potatoes when I heard a thunderous clap coming from our table. Roger just dropped his. I clapped politely to show my support as a Ravenclaw. When I did, he saw me and he winked.

"Exciting, eh, Cho?" Roger sat beside me and poured himself some pumpkin juice.

I nodded and returned to my food. But before I could even take another bite, another loud chattering and applause boomed inside the Hall.

"Yes, go Cedric!"

"Hufflepuff's Champion!"

"Honor and Glory!"

"He's going to join?" Roger inquired, his eyebrows raised. I shrugged at him.

The crowd passed by our table and I saw the light brown hair trying to get a glimpsed of me. I hurriedly looked away and helped myself again with a spoonful of mash.

The only time I looked back at Cedric was when the Hufflepuff crowd roared again with cheers as he finally dropped his name on the goblet. We finally had eye contact. And there, he gave me a weak smile. But still, I couldn't deny that gleam on his eyes.

Later that evening in the library, I didn't know what explanation to expect from him. I saw him slouched on his chair and staring blankly at the window.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I silently asked as I sat down.

He leaned forward and handed me a small piece of parchment.

I am a complete troll.

I sighed.

He handed me another parchment.

I'm sorry.

I nodded. Then he slid another one.

Honor and Glory. I won't die, I promise.

"Ced,"

"Relax, Cho." He took my hands in his. "It's just a game."

Then I scribbled down something at the back of his last parchment.

Make me proud.

He grinned broadly and kept the note inside his pocket.

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