Chapter 6

Colin's POV

I was on my way down to dinner after my last class when I heard someone say my name.

"Creevey," I turned around and tensed when I saw Malfoy and his cronies. I tried to run, but Crabbe grabbed me and prevented me from running. Or it might have been Goyle; I never learned which was which.

"What's your hurry? All we want to do is talk." Malfoy said with an evil smirk. I was breathing heavily with the effort of trying to get away, "We noticed you've been spending a lot of time with Potter recently."

"What's it matter to you who I hang around?" I asked, defiantly.

"Oh, I don't really care. It's just an observation." He still wore that smirk, "I just noticed he doesn't seem to think of you as a pest so much anymore."

That stung a little, but I didn't let on that it did, "What's your point?" His smirk became even wider.

Malfoy chuckled, "It's so obvious that you like him."

My stomach clenched, "I don't, not like that…"

"Please, Creevey, you follow him around like an eager, annoying little puppy."

I tried to deny it, but he cut me off.

"Why would he all of a sudden start wanting to hang around you after three years?" I didn't have an answer to that question. "Has it ever occurred to you that he just feels sorry for you? He's been fighting with the Weasel. His only other friend is a boring bookworm. So Saint Potter decides to take you into his little group, all the while they're thinking what a sad little person you are. And then what'll happen when Weasley and Potter make up? You'll be right back where you were before. He won't want you around anymore."

I could hardly breathe as he said all these things to me, "That- that's not true."

"It'd probably be less cruel if he had just gone on hating you, instead of pretending to like you back when he doesn't. Then again, maybe he'll end up dying in the tournament and then he won't have the chance to turn you down and you'll be spared the humiliation"

I just stared at him as he and his goons started laughing.

"You're pathetic." I was released and they walked away.

I could feel my eyes watering as I thought of what he said. No matter how I looked at it, though, Malfoy was right. Harry didn't start hanging around me until he and Ron stopped being friends. Maybe when they make up, he will stop liking me.

It wasn't until I heard other students coming that I realized I had been standing there for several minutes. I quickly pulled myself together as best as I could. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. It was Malfoy after all. He'd say anything to hurt another student. I almost convinced myself that I had nothing to worry about. Almost…

Third Person POV

Colin walked into the Great Hall and immediately spotted Harry and Hermione half-way down the table. He quickly made his way over to them and sat down in the seat Harry had saved for him.

"Hey Colin, I was starting to wonder where you were. Colin?" Harry noticed that Colin's eyes were red, as though he'd been crying, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"No, nothing happened." Colin lied.

"You can tell me," said Harry.

"Really, it's nothing," said Colin quickly.

"Alright," Harry didn't believe him, but decided to leave it alone. Colin would come to him when he was ready. The rest of dinner had been spent discussing the First Task, though Harry kept an eye on Colin, who spent the meal in silence.

The next morning found Harry sitting at the Gryffindor table, picking at his food. Hermione was sitting across from him, staring at him in concern. Colin was staring at his own plate next to Harry.

"How are you feeling?" asked Colin, looking up at him.

"What? Oh, um, physically I'm fine," he responded.

"The key is to concentrate," said Hermione, "After that all you've got to do is…"

"Battle a dragon," Harry cut her off.

Hermione looked at him for a second before saying in a shaky voice, "You'll do fine."

Dumbledore stood up when breakfast was almost over. "If all four champions would please make their way into the Entrance Hall, we will escort you to the stadium for the first task shortly."

Colin's POV

Hermione and I stood up with Harry and followed him out into the Entrance Hall with the other champions.

"Alright, I guess this is it," said Harry.

"Are you scared?" I asked. He looked at me and nodded slightly.

"Thank you both for your help," he said quietly, probably so the other champions wouldn't hear him.

Hermione rushed forward and put her arms around him. "Don't forget to concentrate."

He nodded and hugged her back. They let go after a bit and he turned to look at me.

"You've been a good friend, Colin." He put his hand on my shoulder, and then pulled me into a hug. It was slightly awkward, as I could only reach to about his mid chest. Still I put my arms around his torso and we held each other tight for several seconds.

"Excuse me, Mr. Creevey and Ms. Granger." I reluctantly let go of Harry and turned to Professor McGonagall, "Would you both please return to the Great Hall. We will call for everyone else soon."

We turned back to Harry. "You'll be fine," said Hermione in a shaky voice.

"Bye Harry," I said. He nodded at us both, and patted me on the shoulder. Hermione and I went back to our seats in the Great Hall to await the time to head to the stadium.

Twenty minutes later, we were sitting in the stands overlooking the enclosure the dragons were being held in for the task.

"Welcome to the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament!" Ludo Bagman's voice boomed, "Here in this enclosure, each of the four champions will face a dragon. Their task is to retrieve the golden egg, without which they cannot hope to prepare for the next task."

Everyone was cheering, excited to see the task.

"At the sound of the cannon, the first champion will exit the tent to face their dragon."

"Hey guys," we looked up to see Ron standing there, "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Sure, go ahead," I said. I looked at Hermione. She nodded and smiled.

We heard the sound of the cannon and Cedric Diggory walked out of the tent to face his dragon. He transfigured a stick into a dog to distract the dragon. The dragon wasn't fooled for long though.

"Oooh, that must have hurt," said Ron as Cedric was burned by the dragon's fire.

Fleur was next. She used a sleeping charm on her dragon. Krum used conjunctivitis to blind his dragon. Then it was Harry's turn.

He walked out of the tent and began looking around nervously for the dragon. Spotting the nest holding the golden egg along with the real eggs, he began walking toward it. Before he could get to it, however, the dragon landed between him and the nest. He ran behind a rock before the dragon let out a huge breathe of fire.

"That was close," said Ron.

"Yeah, he's gonna need to summon his broom soon," I said.

Harry peeked out from behind the rock, but had to dodge another blast of fire.

"Come on, Harry, use your wand," I whispered to myself.

Harry lifted his wand and cast the spell. We waited, holding our breath. For one horrible moment we thought that it hadn't worked. Then we heard a whizzing sound and we saw Harry's Firebolt flying from the castle. He caught it and jumped on.

After he got on his broom, he flew toward the dragon. He was a blur as he dodged the head and the fire-breathe.

"He's brilliant!" I said, excited.

"Of course he is, it's just like playing quidditch. He's in his element now," said Ron. Hermione was clutching her hands together in her lap.

There was a collective groan from everyone when we saw him get clipped on the shoulder by the dragon's spiked tail. He was still fine, however, and he swooped down and caught the egg in his arms.

"Yes!" Hermione was screaming at the top of her lungs. We were all standing up and cheering and clapping.

After he flew back to the tent, Ludo Bagman came back out. "The champions' scores have been tallied, and Mr. Krum and Mr. Potter are tied for first place!"

We all began cheering again until our throats were sore.

"Come on, let's go wait for Harry in the common room," said Hermione. We got up and left the stands.

Back in the common room the Weasley twins put together a party and surprised Harry when he came in.

"Congratulations Harry!"

"Well done Harry!"

"That was wicked Harry!"

Everyone wanted to shake his hand or clap him on the back. It was so crowded around him that I couldn't get near him to congratulate him myself.

Then Ron approached him and everyone went quiet. "You would've had to have been barking mad to put your own name in the goblet," he said sheepishly.

"Finally caught on have you?" said Harry.

"Sorry, mate. I should've believed you all along."

Harry smiled and clapped him on the back.

"Boys!" Hermione yelled, before hugging them both and running upstairs in frustration.

After exchanging a look of confusion, Harry and Ron began chatting. The rest of the party went on around them.

My heart sank as Malfoy's words came back to me. Harry was friends with Ron again. He could care less if I existed.

"I guess he really doesn't want me around anymore," I said to myself and went upstairs to my dorm.

Third Person POV

Harry was talking with Ron, surrounded by people. But there was one person he hadn't seen that he really wanted to talk to.

He looked around the room. "Where's…"

Just then, the twins lifted him up on their shoulders. Everyone was cheering. He couldn't see Colin anywhere.

"Colin?" He kept trying to look around and call out to him, but everyone was too loud and Colin was nowhere to be found.

Can anyone tell me about the new image feature. Like I know it says we need permission to use pictures, but how does that relate to like photoshop pictures? Do we still need to technically have permission?