The Great Hall fluttered with excitement as Professor McGonagall took her seat at the teachers' table in the front of the room; dead center. The Headmaster's chair. Everyone knew that the speech would be about the Triwizard Tournament. Everyone was eager to see the Goblet of Fire and to see the award—the Triwizard Cup.
Students shuffled past Autumn, trying to find a seat on the bench at the Hufflepuff table. Everyone whispered to each other about what was about to begin. Everyone knew that Sander Adamson was going to enter the competition. He was a beater on their Quidditch team plus the captain.
Not all of the girls fell for him of course, but most of them did. The girls in the other houses didn't take a second look at him but he practically had a fan club amongst some of the Hufflepuff girls. Autumn always viewed him from far away and saw that he was handsome, sure, but he had to be lonely surrounded by all of those superficial friends. She didn't consider herself an "Adamson Fan" but she did think he was handsome and maybe there had to be some pain under that boyish charm. Every house has them, she guessed.
Autumn looked away from Sander to the entrance of the Great Hall. Professor Potter strode in, holding his eldest son by the shoulder, whispering something to him. His son appeared to reply with something snarky, causing Professor Potter to stop in his tracks, holding his son in place with him. He went off into a speech and James eyes glazed. He didn't look in his father's eyes but rather everywhere else. He caught Autumn's stare and she bashfully looked away.
She really did not want to mingle with him. She wouldn't tell him hello even if she had told Mrs. Potter she would. He looked…dangerous. She looked instead to the kids Professor Potter apparently told to go sit down—James' siblings. Albus strode by and she had recognized him almost immediately. He resembled his farther immensely; much more than the other two. He was followed by a shorter red headed girl—Lily. Her hair fell in slight waves down her back and she had her mother's bright smile. She waved to her friends before taking her place at the Gryffindor table. Albus had not sat too far away from her, already chatting with his friends.
Autumn took a peak back to James. His conversation with his father was obviously over now as Professor Potter walked by the Gryffindor table, earning cheerful welcomes from the Gryffindor table. James stood rooted in his place before grabbing at the green and silver tie around his neck, trying to loosen it with anger flowing through his veins. He looked up at the teachers' table—staring at his father Autumn guessed—with a look of angry determination.
Professor McGonagall took her spot at the podium in the front of the room, putting her wand to her throat. Her voice boomed around the Great Hall, catching everyone's attention. "Welcome back, students."
James took that as a cue that he should find his seat at the Slytherin table. Autumn turned her attention to the front of the room. Professor McGonagall had an infectious smile it seemed because Autumn couldn't help but to return the smile and excitement built in her stomach. Another year was about to begin.
"As you may have heard, this year Hogwarts has the pleasure of once again hosting the Triwizard Tournament-"
Shouts cut her off. Everyone seemed to scream out all of the excitement that seemed to be instilled in every student. Even Autumn found herself clapping, enthusiasm fueling her smile.
Professor McGonagall raised her hands to silence the screams of happiness. "Now everyone quiet down, quiet down," she called to them.
"The Triwizard Tournament is a tradition held-"
Autumn stopped listening. She already knew almost everything there was to know about the Triwizard Tournament. The one fact that stood out most in her mind right now was a wild haired boy with glasses had been in the tournament not too long ago. A boy with a lightning bolt scar.
He now sat at the front of the room and taught everyone how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts. Something he knew all too well. Something that had followed him through most of his life. The Boy Who Lived no longer went by Harry Potter but rather Professor Potter and Autumn would have paid a lot of gallons to be able to read his thoughts at that very moment.
Sure, that part of history was immensely interesting to all of the students. Their own Professor had ended a wizard war. He was brave, kind, but most of all he was probably the most important person in the world and there he was every day, teaching them how to fend off dementors—which he was particularly good at-, telling them about the creatures in the forest that he had faced, and to defend yourself from a werewolf attack. And even though he was so amazing—he was theirs.
He belonged to the school that started it all. The place he had learned it all. The place where it all ended. The place that was a safe haven for him.
Autumn felt overwhelmed to think that the dark haired man that assigned her homework was the most important piece of history ever. And now she feared that maybe a piece of his past had come back to haunt him. If it did, it definitely didn't show on his face. Perhaps he was good at acting. Autumn knew that she wouldn't have been able to hold it together. There would be doubt and fear in her mind.
The Triwizard tournament after all was when Voldemort had become whole again. No longer just a fractured soul. And she would have thought maybe they would have banned the tournament after that, but there had been several since that day Harry Potter faced his enemy in the graveyard.
Autumn reconsidered entering, but she just felt compelled to. She was so vastly interested in the tournament since she could remember. And when Professor McGonagall talked about the Goblet of Fire and her classmates began whispering excitingly around her, she became determined. She had to enter. Being in it was an ambition since she was young and she just couldn't turn away now because of something that happened over twenty years ago.
Once the other schools arrived, they would be allowed to enter the tournament and she would be damned if she wasn't the first one to put her name in.
Professor McGonagall said a few last word and warnings before she let the feast began. Everyone eat cheerily and chattered away. Sander's friends were all clapping him on the back and taking animatedly. Sander's smile only reached half of his face while he nodded to his friends talking. Her looked scared, Autumn thought.
Autumn turned her attention across the room to the Slytherin table. She looked at James Potter and couldn't help but wonder if any of the Potter children would enter the competition. They probably wouldn't, she quickly thought. Mrs. Potter probably wouldn't allow it, Professor Potter probably wouldn't allow it either, and they probably already had enough attention from being the children of Harry Potter.
She looked down to June who was sitting near Sander's gang, talking with her friends, flipping her blonde hair occasionally and waving to people at the Gryffindor table.
Autumn guessed she was waving at Albus. Autumn wondered if June had forgotten that she was dating someone. For two years apparently she had been dating Daniel who was a part of Sander's group of friends. Light blonde hair, light eyes, and he played on the Quidditch team as Keeper. He wasn't all that attractive to Autumn but he had a good head on his shoulders, thank goodness. At least her friend had picked one of the smarter boys.
Before Autumn knew it, they were all being dismissed for bed. The Head boys and girls all gathered up the first years to take them to their common rooms. The Hufflepuff common room wasn't all that far way so Autumn was in no rush to get to bed. The older students just shuffled their way out anyways, still talking with friends or saying hello to people in other houses.
While the first years all lined up and were trying to get organized, Autumn walked over to June to just say hello like she had promised on the train.
"It's exciting isn't it?" Autumn said to June. She couldn't help herself but smile.
"Yeah," June breathed, smiling as well. "I can't wait to see who it chooses from our school. And those Beauxbatons! I can't wait until they show up. We could all use some good makeup tips. Especially Melissa over there…"
Autumn could care less about how pretty the competing schools were, she just wanted the Goblet of Fire to be displayed already. "Well I'll see you in the common room. What's your first class?"
"Transfiguration," June answered.
Autumn nodded. "That's my first class too so if I don't see you again tonight, I'll see you in the morning." She had just barely finished her sentence when Daniel walked up and wrapped an arm around June. Autumn took that as a signal to leave and bowed out.
She exited the Great Hall and headed down to the dungeon. The Hufflepuff common room was located down near the kitchen. She took the stairs down into the dungeon and turned to take a right—and walked right into someone. She took a step back and immediately started apologizing.
"Sorry—I didn't see you there-I wasn't paying attention."
"Its fine," the person she bumped replied. Then she saw who it was and blushed.
"Oh, Sander. Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."
He chuckled softly. "It's really okay, Autumn. I'm just waiting for my mates," he said, pointing to the staircase. "They always goof off and try to scare first years. They're uh…a little immature."
She was surprised that he still knew her name from the time she tried out for Seeker on the team. He had reassured her that she had been great but he gave the position to Lisa Madelyn. She knew it was strictly business and she hadn't been that great at flying anyways. She didn't comment on the fact he remembered her though.
"Right. Well good luck," she told him and then started to depart.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, catching her arm before she walked off. "Good luck with what?"
"Entering the Triwizard tournament," she answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Who said I was entering?" he questioned.
She didn't want to sound stereotypical so she just came up with an excuse. "Oh, I heard your friends discussing it, I figured that you would just join in."
He shook his head. "My parents don't want me entering. People die in that competition."
Autumn shrugged. "Well they have made the competition much more safe since previous ones. They probably have an age limit-"
"McGonagall said sixteen. Professor Potter is setting an age line around the Goblet," Sander cut in.
Autumn nodded. "Right and they will make the tasks a lot easier and safer because of you know, people dying before."
"Cedric Diggory," Sander said suddenly and he looked scared like he had during dinner. "He—he," he had to stop to clear his throat, "he was one of my dad's mates during school. My dad was really devastated when he died. Dad still talks about it. How he looked when Professor Potter brought him back. What had happened to him." He seemed to look past Autumn with a vague expression.
Autumn cleared her voice. "My mom was on the Quidditch team with him," she whispered. "I'm still entering though," she said after a few seconds.
She expected him to laugh at her but he instead he raised an eyebrow and looked her in the eye. "You? You're entering?"
She nodded. "Is that too hard to believe?"
"Don't do that," he said, his voice rising a little higher. "That competition is horrible."
Laughing filled the corridor and Sander's friends flooded down the stairs. "Sander! You should have seen what Peeves did!" one of his friends called, shaking with laughter. At that the other teen boys started laughing harder.
"You guys," Sander said in a warning tone.
Autumn shook her head. "It's fine, I have to get going. Class in the morning," she said. She waved to Sander as she made her way down the corridor and finally made it to her common room.