Chapter 17
The Four Champions (Again)
KIARA
I sat there, aware that every head in the Great Hall had turned to look at me. I was stunned. I felt numb. I felt like I was dreaming, and thought that I couldn't possibly have heard Crighton properly.
There was no applause for me. A buzzing, as though of angry bees, was starting to fill the Hall; some students were standing up to get a better look at me, as I sat, frozen, in my seat.
Up at the top table, Professor Darbus had got to her feet and swept past Lynn Baxter and Professor Kula to whisper urgently to Professor Crighton, who lent her ear towards her, frowning slightly.
I turned to Chris, Sian and Chrissie; beyond them, I saw that everyone else at the Lion-Heart table was watching me, open-mouthed.
"I didn't put my name in," I said blankly. "You know I didn't."
My three friends stared just as blankly back.
At the top table, Professor Crighton had straightened up, nodding to Professor Darbus.
"Kiara Pride-Lander!" she called again. "Kiara! Up here, if you please!"
"Go on," Sian whispered, giving me a slight push.
I got to my feet, trod on the hem of my robes and stumbled slightly. I set off up the gap between the Lion-Heart and Badger-Stripes tables. It felt like an immensely long walk; I remember how the top table didn't seem to be getting nearer at all, and how the hundreds and hundreds of eyes gazed at me, as though each was a searchlight. The buzzing grew louder and louder. After what seemed like an hour, I was right in front of Crighton, feeling the stares of all the teachers upon me.
"Well ... through the door, Kiara," said Crighton. That time, though, she wasn't smiling.
I moved off along the teachers' table. Mina was sat right at the end. She did not wink at me, or wave, or give any of her usual signs of greeting. She looked completely astonished, and just stared at me as she passed, like everyone else did. I went through the door out of the Great Hall, and found myself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A handsome fire was roaring in the fireplace opposite me.
The faces in the portraits turned to look at me as I entered. I saw a wizened wizard flit out of the frame of his picture and into the one next to it, which contained a witch with round, sharp, hawk-like eyes. The wizened wizard started whispering in her ear.
Kovu Outsider, Georgia Diggs and Ferdinand Desjardins were grouped around the fire. They looked strangely impressive silhouetted against the flames. Outsider, hunched-up and brooding, was leaning against the mantelpiece, slightly apart from the other two. Georgia was standing with her hands clasped in front of her, staring into the fire. Ferdinand Desjardins looked around when I walked in and threw back his sheet of long, black hair.
"What is it?" he said. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"
He thought that I had come to deliver a message. I didn't know how to explain what had just happened. I just stood there, looking at the three Champions. It struck me at that moment how small I felt, standing in front of these three big-shots.
There was then the sound of scurrying feet behind me, and Lynn Baxter entered the room. She took me by the arm and led me forwards.
"Extraordinary!" she muttered, squeezing my arm. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen ... lady," she added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce - incredible though it may seem - and the second time this has happened - the fourth Triwizard Champion!"
Kovu Outsider straightened up. His face darkened, his hair stood on end and he growled at me, showing me his teeth. I flinched slightly at the look on his face, for he truly looked like a lion ready to pounce. Georgia looked nonplussed. She looked from Baxter to me, and back again as though sure she must have misheard what Baxter had said. Ferdinand Desjardins, however, shook back his hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Mees Baxter."
"Joke?" Baxter repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Kiara's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"
The growl eased in Outsider's throat, as his mouth formed itself into a sneer, and his eyebrows contracted slightly. Georgia still looked politely bewildered.
Ferdinand frowned. "But evidently zair has been a mistake," he said contemptuously to Baxter. "She cannot compete. She is too young."
"Well, it is amazing," said Baxter, putting an index finger on her chin and smiling down at me. "After all, a four Champion Triwizard Tournament has only happened once before, as all of you well know ... but, it is what it is. And remember, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as her name's come out of the Goblet ... I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage ... it's down in the rules, you're obliged ... Kiara will just have to do the best she - "
The door behind us opened again, and a large group of people came in: Professor Crighton, with Sian right behind her (I suspect that Crighton asked her to come in with her), followed closely by Mrs Clutch, Professor Kula, Monsieur Legrand, Professor Darbus and Professor Triphorm. I heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Professor Darbus closed the door.
"Monsieur Legrand!" said Ferdinand at once, striding over to his headmaster. "Zey are saying zat zis little girl is to compete also!"
I remember that I was dumb in disbelief still when he said this; but I felt shock and anger at what Ferdinand had just called me. Little girl? I was fourteen at this point, for crying out loud!
Monsieur Legrand had drawn himself up to his full, and considerable, height. The top of his handsome head brushed the candle-filled chandelier, and his gigantic black suited chest swelled.
"What is ze meaning of zis, Crighton?" he said imperiously.
"I'd rather like to know that myself, Crighton," said Professor Kula. She was wearing a steely smile, and her blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Two Dragon Mort Champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions - or have I not read the rules carefully enough?" She gave a short nasty laugh.
"C'est impossible," said Monsieur Legrand, whose enormous hand, with its few superb opals, was resting upon Ferdinand's shoulder. "Dragon Mor' cannot 'ave two champions. It is most unjust."
"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Crighton," said Kula, her steely smile still in place, though her eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."
"It's no one's fault but Pride-Lander's, Kula," said Triphorm softly. Her ice-blue eyes were alive with malice. "Don't go blaming Crighton for Pride-Lander's determination to break rules. She has been crossing lines ever since she arrived here - "
"Thank you, Tiana," said Crighton firmly, and Triphorm went quiet, though her eyes still glinted malevolently through her curtain of greasy strawberry-blonde hair.
Professor Crighton was now looking down at me, and I looked right back at her, all the while trying to discern the expression of her eyes, which to me were blinded from the light of the fire.
"Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire, Kiara?" said Crighton calmly.
"No," I said. I was aware of everybody watching me closely. Triphorm made a soft noise of impatient disbelief in the shadows.
"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Professor Crighton, ignoring Triphorm.
"No," I said vehemently.
"Ah, but of course she is lying!" cried Monsieur Legrand. Triphorm was now shaking her head, her lip curling.
"She could not have crossed the Age Line!" said Professor Darbus sharply. "I am sure we are all agreed on that - "
"Crighton must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line," said Monsieur Legrand, shrugging.
"It is possible, of course," said Crighton politely.
"Crighton, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake!" said Professor Darbus angrily. "Really, what nonsense! Kiara could not have crossed the line herself, and as Professor Crighton believes that she did not persuade an older student to do it for her, I'm sure that should be good enough for everybody else!"
She shot an angry look at Professor Triphorm.
"I'd like to say something here, if none of you mind?" asked Sian from next to me, in a rather small voice than I was used to, which was understandable when you consider the fact that a half-giant and two Ministry officials were in the room (we'll get to the half-giant stuff later). Anyhoo, we all turned to look at her, and a blush spread over her face, as she seemed to crouch down slightly. She looked more like a child than I had ever seen before that point. She quickly regained her composure though, taking a deep breath as she did so - though the blush was still on her face - and turned to her mother, with a questioning look on her face; it was like she was asking Crighton whether she should proceed, and to her relief, Crighton gave her a small, reassuring smile, which Sian took as a sign that she should continue, so she took a few deep breaths and said, "Well, Kiara and I are in the same year, and intelligent as I am, I wouldn't even know how to hoodwink the Goblet of Fire, and I didn't help her put her name in, either. So, taking all that I've just said into account, if Kiara or myself couldn't figure out a way to hoodwink the Goblet in order to put our names in, then who's to say that any other underage student would know?" she finished, looking pointedly at all the adults in the room.
They all seemed rather taken aback by what Sian had just said. Monsieur Legrand's eyebrows shot up at Sian's logical reasoning. Kula huffed and shook her head, turning it to the side, completely unnerved. Triphorm's smile had faded from her mouth, stunned, as it seemed, by Sian's intelligence. Only Professor Darbus and Professor Crighton both seemed to be thrilled with Sian's logic. Professor Darbus said in a smug "I told you so" type voice to Triphorm, "She does have a point," and Crighton simply smiled at her daughter, giving her a small wink. Sian just smiled and blinked back at her. I touched Sian's arm, and she turned her head towards me. I gave her a smile of gratitude, and she smiled back at me in understanding, patting my hand as she did so. "Well, at least there's one person here who believes me," I remember thinking at that moment.
"Mrs Clutch ... Miss Baxter," said Kula after a few moments, her voice unctuous once more, "you are our - er - objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?"
Baxter wiped her round, girlish face with her handkerchief and looked at Mrs Clutch, who was standing outside the circle of firelight, her face half-hidden in shadow. She looked slightly eerie, the half-darkness making her look much older, giving her an almost skull-like appearance. When she spoke, however, it was in her usual, curt voice. "We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names came out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the Tournament."
"Well, Beatrice knows the rulebook back to front," said Baxter, beaming and turning back to Kula and Monsieur Legrand, as though the matter was now resolved.
"I insist upon you resubmitting the names of the rest of my students," said Kula. She had dropped her unctuous tone and her smile now. Her face wore a very ugly look indeed. "You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more, and we will continue adding names until each school has two competitors. It's only fair, Crighton."
"But Kula, it doesn't work like that," said Baxter. "The Goblet of Fire's just gone out - it won't reignite until the start of the next Tournament - "
" - in which Uagadou will most certainly not be competing!" exploded Kula. "We shall go back to competing for a Potions trophy! After all our meetings and negotiations and compromises, I little expected something of this nature to occur! I have half a mind to leave now!"
"Empty threat, Kula," growled a voice from near the door. "You can't leave your Champion now. He's got to compete. They've all got to compete. Binding magical contract, like Crighton said. Convenient, eh?"
Grumpy had just entered the room. She limped towards the fire, and with every right step she took, there was a loud clunk.
"Convenient?" said Kula. "I'm afraid I don't understand you, Grumpy."
I could tell that she was trying to sound disdainful, as though what Grumpy was saying was barely worth her notice, but her hands gave her away; they had balled themselves into fists.
"Don't you?" said Grumpy quietly. "It's very simple, Kula. Someone put Pride-Lander's name in that Goblet, knowing she'd have to compete if it came out."
"Evidently, someone 'oo wished to give Dragon Mor' two bites at ze apple!" said Monsieur Legrand.
"I quite agree, Monsieur Legrand," said Kula, curtseying to him. "I shall be lodging complaints with the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards - "
"If anyone's got reason to complain, it's Pride-Lander," growled Grumpy, "but ... funny thing ... I don't hear her saying a word ..."
"Why should she complain?" burst out Ferdinand Desjardins, stamping his foot. "She 'as ze chance to compete, 'asn't she? We've all been 'oping to be chosen for weeks and weeks! Ze honour for our schools! A thousand Galleons in prize money - zis is a chance many would die for!"
"Maybe someone's hoping Pride-Lander is going to die for it," said Grumpy, with the merest trace of a growl.
An extremely tense silence followed these words.
Lynn Baxter, who looked very anxious indeed at this comment, bounced nervously up and down on her feet, and said, "Grumpy, old girl ... what a thing to say!"
"We all know Professor Grumpy considers the morning wasted if she hasn't discovered six plots to murder her before lunchtime," said Kula loudly. "Apparently, she is now teaching her students to fear assassination, too. An odd quality in a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Crighton, but no doubt you had your reasons."
"Imagining things, am I?" growled Grumpy. "Seeing things, eh? It was a skilled witch or wizard who put the girl's name in that Goblet ..."
"Ah, what evidence is zere of zat?" said Monsieur Legrand, throwing up his huge hands.
"Have you not listened to everything the Eldest Dawson Girl said? Yes, I heard you," Grumpy barked, not bothering to turn and look at Sian, who had a questioning look on her face, which was quickly brushed off as her question was answered. Grumpy then continued, "She's right. Whoever put Pride-Lander's name in had hoodwinked a very powerful magical object! It would have needed an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm to bamboozle that Goblet into forgetting that only three schools compete in the Tournament ... I'm guessing they submitted Pride-Lander's name under a fourth school, to make sure she was the only one in her category ..."
"You seem to have given this a fair deal of thought, Grumpy," said Kula coldly, "and a very ingenious theory it is - though of course, I heard you recently got it into your head that one of your birthday presents contained a cunningly disguised basilisk egg, and smashed it to pieces before realising it was a carriage clock. So you'll understand if we don't take you entirely seriously ..."
"There are those who'll turn innocent occasions to their advantage," Grumpy retorted in a menacing voice. "It's my job to think the way Dark wizards do, Kula - as you ought to remember ..."
"Aoife!" said Crighton warningly. I wondered for a moment whom she was speaking to, but then I realised that "Crazy-Head" could hardly be Grumpy's real first name. Grumpy fell silent, though still surveying Kula with satisfaction - Kula's face was burning.
"How this situation arose, we do not know," said Crighton, speaking to everyone in the room. "It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Georgia and Kiara have been chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Thus, therefore, they will do ..."
"Ah, but Crighton ..."
"My dear Monsieur Legrand, if you have an alternative, I would love to hear it."
Crighton waited, but Monsieur Legrand did not speak, he merely glared. He wasn't the only one, either. Triphorm looked furious; Kula livid. Baxter, however, looked rather excited.
"Well, shall we crack on, then?" she said, rubbing her hands together and smiling around the room. "Got to give our Champions their instructions, haven't we? Beatrice, want to do the honours?"
Mrs Clutch seemed to come out of a deep reverie then.
"Yes," she said, "instructions. Yes ... the first task ..."
She moved forwards into the firelight. Up close, I thought she looked ill. There were dark shadows beneath her eyes, and she had a thin, papery look about her wrinkled skin that had not been there at the Quidditch Friendly.
"The first task is designed to test your daring," she told myself, Georgia, Ferdinand and Outsider, "so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard ... very important ...
"The first task will take place on November the twenty-seventh, in front of the other students and the panel of judges.
"The Champions are not permitted to ask for help or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the Tournament. The Champions will face their first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the Tournament, the Champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."
Mrs Clutch then turned to look at Crighton. "I think that's all, is it, Susan?"
"I think so," said Crighton, looking at Mrs Clutch with mild concern. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay at Dragon Mort tonight, Beatrice?"
"No, Crighton, I must get back to the Ministry," said Mrs Clutch. "It's a very busy, very difficult time at the moment ... I've left young Fans in charge ... very enthusiastic ... a little over-enthusiastic, if truth be told ..."
"Come on, Bes, I'm staying!" said Baxter brightly. "It's all happening at Dragon Mort now, you know, much more exciting here than at the office!"
"I think not, Lynn," said Clutch, with a touch of her old impatience.
"Professor Kula - Monsieur Legrand - a nightcap?" said Crighton.
But Monsieur Legrand had already put his arm around Ferdinand's shoulders, and was leading him swiftly out of the room. I could hear them both talking very fast in French as they went off into the Great Hall. Kula beckoned to Outsider, and they, too, exited, though in silence.
"Kiara, Georgia, I suggest you go up to bed," said Crighton, smiling at the pair of us. "I am sure Lion-Heart and Badger-Stripes are waiting to celebrate with you, and it would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of mess and noise. Sian," she then said, turning to her eldest daughter, "could you stay behind for a moment?"
"Of course, Ma," Sian said to her mother, before she turned back to me. "See you later," she muttered to me, and then gave a smile and a nod to Georgia before she turned back to her mother. I then glanced at Georgia, who nodded, and we left together.
By this time, the Great Hall was deserted; the candles had burnt low, giving the jagged smiles of the pumpkins an eerie, flickering quality.
"So," said Georgia, with a slight smile. "We're playing against each other again?"
"I s'pose," I said. I really couldn't think of anything to say. The inside of my head was in complete disarray, as though my brain had been ransacked.
"So ... tell me ..." said Georgia, as we reached the Entrance Hall, which was now lit only by the torches in the absence of the Goblet of Fire. "How did you get your name in?"
"I didn't," I said, staring up at her. "I didn't put it in. I was telling the truth."
"Ah ... OK," said Georgia. I could tell Georgia didn't believe me. "Well ... see you, then."
Instead of going up the marble staircase, Georgia headed for a door to its right. I stood listening to her going down the stone steps beyond it, then slowly, started to climb the marble ones.
I knew that Sian already believed me, but I wasn't sure who else would, except she, Chris and Chrissie. I wondered if Chris and Chrissie believed me, or would they think I put myself in for the Tournament? Yet how could anyone think that, when I was facing competitors who'd had three years' more magical education than I had - when I was now facing tasks which (as I thought, and correctly assumed, at the time) not only sounded very dangerous, but which were to be performed in front of hundreds of people? Yes, I admit, I had thought about it ... and had fantasised about it ... but it had been a joke, really, an idle sort of dream ... I'd never really, seriously considered entering ...
But someone else had considered it ... someone else had wanted me in the Tournament, and had made sure I was entered. I asked myself two questions: 1. Why? and two, to give me a treat? I didn't know the answer to the first question (although I was going to find out by the end of my fourth year), but as for the second, somehow, I didn't think so ...
Then a third question came to my mind: to see me make a fool of myself? Well, as I so thought, they were likely to get their wish ...
But to get me killed? I wondered whether Grumpy was just being her usual paranoid self. I also wondered if someone had put my name in the Goblet as a trick or a practical joke, and whether anyone did really want me dead!
But I already knew that someone did want me dead, who had wanted me dead since before I was born ... Lady Zira. I then wondered how Zira had ensured that my name got into the Goblet of Fire, for I thought that Zira was meant to be far away in some distant country, in hiding, alone ... feeble and powerless ...
Yet in that dream I had had, just before I had awoken with my scar hurting, Zira had not been alone ... she had been talking to the Absters ... plotting my murder ...
I got a shock when I found myself stood in front of the Fat Lord so soon. I had barely noticed where my feet had been carrying me. It was also a surprise for me to see that he was not alone in his frame. The wizened wizard who had flitted into his neighbour's painting when I had joined the other Champions downstairs was sitting smugly beside the Fat Lord. I reckoned that he must have dashed through every picture lining seven staircases to reach the Fat Lord's portrait. Both of them looked down at me with keen interest.
"Well, well, well," said the Fat Lord, "Victor's just told me everything. Who's just been chosen as school Champion, then?"
"Balderdash," I said dully.
"It most certainly isn't!" said the pale wizard indignantly.
"No, no, Vic, it's the password," said the Fat Lord soothingly, and he swung forwards on his hinges to let me into the common room.
The blast of noise that met my ears when the portrait opened almost knocked me backwards. Next thing I knew, I was being wrenched inside the common room by about a dozen pairs of hands, and was facing the whole of Lion-Heart house, all of whom were screaming, applauding and whistling.
"You should've told us you'd entered!" bellowed Tanya; she looked half annoyed, half deeply impressed.
"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" roared Geri.
"I didn't," I said. "I don't know how - "
But Andrew had swooped down upon me. "Oh, if it couldn't be me, at least it's a Lion-Heart - "
"You'll be able to pay back Diggs for that last Quidditch match, Kiara!" shouted Keith Ball, another of the Lion-Heart Chasers.
"We've got food, Kiara, come and have some - "
"I'm not hungry, I had enough at the feast - "
But nobody wanted to hear that I wasn't hungry; nobody wanted to hear that I hadn't put my name in the Goblet; not one single person there seemed to have noticed that I was in no mood to celebrate ... Leah Jones had unearthed a Lion-Heart banner from somewhere, and she insisted on draping it around me like a cloak. I couldn't get away; whenever I tried to sidle over to the staircase to the dormitories, the crowd around me closed ranks, forcing another Butterbeer on me, stuffing crisps and peanuts into my hands ... everyone wanted to know how I had done it, how I had tricked Crighton's Age Line and managed to get my name into the Goblet ...
"I didn't," I said, over and over again, "I don't know how it happened."
But for all the notice anyone took, it would have been better if I had not spoken at all.
"I'm tired!" I bellowed finally, after nearly half an hour. "No, seriously, Geri - I'm going to bed - "
I wanted more than anything to see Chrissie (Sian was still with Crighton, and I would have to wait until the following morning to speak to Chris) and find a bit of sanity, but she didn't seem to be in the common room. In fact, none of the Dawsons were. Insisting that I needed to sleep, and almost flattening the little McCreevy sisters as they attempted to way-lay me at the foot of the stairs, I managed to shake everyone off, climbed up the stairs to the dormitories, took the door to the left, climbed the stairs to the special bedroom where the Dawson sisters and myself all slept and stepped inside.
To my great relief, I found Chrissie, Beth, Kestrel and Merida inside. Beth, Kestrel and Merida were standing away from Chrissie, who was lying on her bed. All of them were still fully dressed, and looked at me when I came in. Beth, Kestrel and Merida were glancing nervously from Chrissie to me, and back again.
"Where've you been?" I said to Chrissie.
"Oh, hello," she said.
She was grinning, but it looked like a very odd, strange sort of grin. I suddenly became aware that I was still wearing the scarlet Lion-Heart banner that Leah had tied around me. I hastened to take it off, but it was knotted very tightly. After a little while, Merida took sympathy on me and helped me untie it, as Chrissie lay on her bed, watching us struggle.
"Thanks," I said to Merry, who looked at me with a smile, and this smile reached her eyes. I looked over at Beth and Kestrel, and saw that they were smiling true, genuine smiles of sympathy at me. I smiled at them, before myself and Merida walked over to where Beth and Kestrel stood, and the four of us looked at Chrissie.
"So," she said, after a few moments of silence had passed. "Congratulations."
"What d'you mean, congratulations?" I said, staring at Chrissie. There was definitely something wrong with the way Chrissie was smiling; it was more like a grimace. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Beth, Kestrel and Merida look at each other nervously.
"Well ... no one else got across the Age Line," said Chrissie. "Not even Tanya and Geri. What did you use - the Invisibility Cloak?"
"The Invisibility Cloak wouldn't have got me over that line," I said slowly.
"Oh, right," said Chrissie. "I thought you might've told me if it was the Cloak ... because it would've covered both of us, wouldn't it? But you found another way, did you?"
"Listen," I said, "I didn't put my name in that Goblet. Someone else must've done it."
Chrissie raised her eyebrows. "Why would they do that for?"
"I dunno," I said. I felt it would have sounded very melodramatic to say "to kill me".
Chrissie's eyebrows rose so high that they were in danger of disappearing into her hair.
"It's OK, you know, you can tell me the truth," she said. "If you don't want everyone else to know, fine, but I don't know why you're bothering to lie; you didn't get into trouble for it, did you? that friend of the Fat Lord's, that Victor, he's already told us all that Ma's letting you enter. A thousand Galleons prize money, eh? And you don't have to do end-of-year tests, either ..."
"I didn't put my name in that Goblet!" I said, starting to feel angry. "I don't want eternal glory, Chrissie! I just - "
" - just want to be like everybody else. We know, Kiara," said a voice from the door as it closed.
We all turned around (Chrissie turned her head), and we saw Sian, leaning against the door, with a hurt look in her eyes.
"What's with you, Sian?" said Chrissie, almost carelessly on her bed.
Sian looked up at Chrissie, even more hurt and offended by her sister's tone. She then said rather haughtily, "If you must know, Chrissie ... Ma and I have fallen out."
Chrissie, Beth, Kestrel, Merida and I were all shocked to hear this. Chrissie sat up straight at this news, as Beth, Kestrel, Merida and I went over to Sian to comfort her.
"What happened, Sian?" I asked her.
"Yes, tell us, sister, for you and Ma have never fallen out before," said Kestrel in her soft voice, which seemed to cool Sian, for after a while, she spoke.
"Well, it was just after you and Georgia had left the chamber, Kiara. Clutch and Baxter left not long after. Ma, Darbus, Triphorm, Grumpy and myself were the only ones left in there. Darbus tried to persuade Ma to get you out of the Tournament, and I agreed with her, but Ma said no, for the rules of the Tournament are clear. Then Triphorm stepped forward and said that we should let events unfold for the time being. Darbus and I both tried to talk her out of it, saying that you would be set up as bait, when you're ... well ... you know ..." Sian finished lamely. I understood that she was going to say "just a girl", but chose not to so as not to upset me. I smiled my thanks to her and nodded to let her know that she can continue.
"Anyway, Ma agreed with Triphorm, then said that Grumpy and I should watch over you. But I had had enough by this point. So I told Ma that I wanted nothing to do with it; for I remembered what Ma had told me about the last time the Triwizard Tournament was held, and told Ma how a good person died and a terrible person was near enough reborn, and I also mentioned how Albus Dumbledore regretted making Harry Potter go through with it to his dying day."
"Then what happened, Sian?" asked Merida gently.
"Well, Ma said that what happened last time wouldn't occur again, and I said to her how would she know that. I then gave her an ultimatum: either she took Kiara out of the Tournament and she would have me by her side, but if she let you go along with it, she would lose me for the remainder of the school year. I should have known that Ma would have gone along with her own initiative, but I wanted to give her a chance to see if she would change her mind. Of course she didn't, and so I told her to have it her way, and that I would ignore her for the rest of the school year; and when she tried to argue against me, I told her, "No, Headmistress!"."
Chrissie, Beth, Kestrel, Merida and I all gasped.
"You didn't?" said Beth, shocked.
Sian simply sighed and said, "I did, and I don't regret it, despite how much it pains me inside. Anyhoo, I then told Ma before I left that I hope that she was happy with herself with the choice that she made, before I told her that she would regret her actions and to mark my words. And then I left," she finished, somewhat lamely.
After a few moments of shocked silence had passed between us, I said, "You didn't have to sacrifice your relationship with your mother for my benefit, S.D. ."
Sian looked at me and said, "I know I didn't, but I felt I had a right to."
I was surprised at this, for I did not expect this type of act to come from Sian, but I smiled at her nonetheless. She smiled back at me, before she turned to Chrissie and said, with a frown, "And you, Chrissie. You should know by now that Kiara would never do something as dangerous as this without a reason behind her actions."
"Yeah, OK," said Chrissie, in exactly the same sceptical tone as Georgia, laying back down on her bed. "Only Kiara did say this morning that she'd have done it last night, and no one would've seen her ... I'm not stupid, you know."
"You're doing a really good impression of it," I snapped. Sian, Beth, Kestrel and Merida seemed shocked by this, for they all knew how well Chrissie and I got on.
"Yeah?" Chrissie then said, and there was no trace of a grin, forced or otherwise, on her face now. "You want to get to bed, Kiara, for I expect you'll need to be up early tomorrow for a photocall or something."
She then wrenched the hangings shut around her four-poster, leaving myself, Sian, Beth, Kestrel and Merida standing by the door, shocked, staring at the dark red curtains, that hid one of the few people I had been sure would have believed me.
