Chapter 9

Friends and Foes

"Mr. Bagman, if you please…"

"Yes, yes, I'm coming!" Bagman answered without breath as he reached his seat between the schools' staff, Crouch and Rita Skeeter, waiting for the first task to start.

After he sat down heavily and wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, he smiled happily at Crouch, who sat next to him.

"Mad this is going to be, absolutely mad, ay Barty?" Bagman said watching the crowd.

"I trust you keep your comments with the seriousness this tournament deserves and not start rambling about nonsense, Bagman" Crouch answered coldly.

"Why, Barty!" Bagman exclaimed, with mocking surprise, but at Crouch's glare, he laughed, "You are no fun, old man."

Crouch huffed and adjusted his hat as he turned his attention to the enclosure.

"He'sright, Bagman" Moody's rough voice said behind him, "You better not mess this up"

Bagman snorted like a little kid, and turned to Moody, who eyed him intently.

"There is nothing wrong with my comments, I simply try to make this more entertaining" Bagman shrugged, "Besides, the last one is going to be young Harry, and that will be inevitable to get excited about"

"Fond of the lad, are we?" Moody mocked.

"Of course! He is the youngest contestant the Tournament has ever had! He would become a legend if he won, more than he is now. I kind of even feel a bit responsible for him"

Moody eyed him until Bagman had to divert his gaze from the magical eye.

"He's still in great disadvantage," Moody commented with a frown, "the other ones are far more experienced. I have tried getting close to offer him assistance, but I suspect someone doesn't want me to"

Bagman raised his eyebrows in surprise, and now sat down facing him.

"Why would someone do that? I mean, the way he was selected was a bit unusual, but the Goblet's decision is absolute. And you are the DADA professor! It's more that understandable that you want to help him."

"Ay, but still, there is someone who is obviously not in Potter's side. He wants him to fail. Maybe even get killed" Moody said with a grim tone.

"Killed!" exclaimed Bagman, but lowered his voice after making sure no one was listening to their conversation, "Are you sure? Maybe injure him, but kill? It seems a bit…exaggerate–"

"I wouldn't doubt it. After all, they tried it with me" Moody cut him abruptly.

Bagman stared at him wide eyed.

"They…tried to kill you?"

"Not kill me, no. If that was the plan, it was a real lame one," Moody said, turning to watch the excited crowd, "But at least, get me out of they way. Coincidentally, it was the night before the champions were selected"

"So who ever attacked you, are the ones who put Harry's name in the Goblet," Bagman said thoughtfully, "but who could have done it? A doubt any teacher had such harsh feelings towards him. Maybe it was a student, and an older one at that. Could it be a Slytherin?"

Moody nodded.

"It wouldn't be strange. After all, many Slytherins have parents who followed Voldemort"

Bagman cringed at the name, but Moody ignored him.

"It wasn't even a good plan, though, too simple, if you ask me" he kept on saying, "But effective nonetheless. I stayed the whole night on the cold floor until a ghost found me."

"How come you were in the hallways at night…?"

"Patrolling," Moody said, turning to him sharply.

Bagman nodded and frowned, musing about everything Moody had said.

"You stayed on the floor? What did they do to you?"

"I was about to go downstairs when a black smoke exploded around me, and I felt someone grab my staff, making me fall. I hit my head and my leg broke." He said gloomily, and then lowered his voice even more, "Someone is trying to make me leave Hogwarts"

Bagman gave a nervous laugh, "Well Moody, you do have to admit your appearance is quite disturbing. Even I would be terrified if I found you lurking in the corridors at night."

Moody was about to say something when a canyon was heard, and the excited cheers of the crowd rose as Cedric Diggory appeared in the enclosure, his bright yellow robes contrasting with his pale face.

With a last look at Moody, Bagman turned to the crowd and cast a Sonorus charm, happily welcoming the crowd to the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Lorena walked slowly across the hall after the first task. When Harry had approached her and Abril, with his tunic still covered in mud and burns, to invite them to the party they were going to organize in the Gryffindor Tower, they kindly refused but congratulated him nonetheless. When he left, happily chatting with Ron once again after their fight, Abril surprised Lorena when she told her she was actually going to her own Common Room to celebrate with Cedric.

So now, Lorena wondered the corridors alone only with the dull sound of parties in the distance around the castle and grounds. She was about to climb a staircase when she heard a shuffle of feet near her, making her whip around with her eyes wide open.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Lorena thought. Being here all alone when Moody or something worse may be roaming in the darkness, she decided that noise and dancing bodies were far more tolerable than lying still cold on the floor with a knife in your back.

"No, that's too muggle" she thought frowning and then quickly turned around to leave. It wasn't long until she reached a lit corridor with paintings, and feeling a little bit more confident, she slowed down her pace and enjoyed the quiet. A light movement on her left made her turn her head and she almost jumped out of her skin when out of nowhere someone pounced on her, roaring. She screamed, turning around with a hand on her pounding heart, only to make a rude noise at the sight of a laughing George Weasley rolling over the floor.

"That wasn't in the least funny," she said, trying to sound angry.

"Oh, you should have seen your face" George answered, still trying to recover.

She huffed and crossed her arms, but the smile George sent her after standing up made her smile back.

"I'm glad I made your night entertaining" Lorena told him with a rose eyebrow.

"Absolutely" he said, passing an arm around her shoulders.

"What are you doing down here anyway?" she asked him before the blush of her cheeks turned her into babbling jelly.

"We're out of food so I offered myself to come for more" he said, dishevelling his red hair.

"Food? From the kitchens?"

"Sure," he said, and then added with a smile, "You've never been there, have you?"

"No, but if you're going, I'll gladly accompany you" Lorena said smiling.

Maybe coming down here wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"Cool, follow me" George said excitedly and took her hand.

This had definitely been a good idea. As they climbed down a case of stairs, Lorena was thankful he couldn't see the silly smile she wore. They arrived to a corridor where the paintings went all the way to the ceiling and stopped in front of one with a bowl of fruits. George tickled a pear and it wiggled and laughed, suddenly turning into a doorknob. George smiled at her at the same time he opened the door to reveal the noise of hundreds of elves moving everywhere across the kitchens. He helped Lorena in and immediately three elves came to offer them pastries, candies, pumpkin juice or tea. While George asked for food, Lorena gazed around her. This was the first time she actually saw house elves and they indeed looked so compliant that when one of them offered her a broccoli, she couldn't refuse, dreading she would make the elf cry. As George filled his pockets with endless delicacies, Lorena went exploring, leaving the broccoli behind a table and enjoying the somewhat chaotic order of the house elves. Then, and idea occurred to her and she whispered something to one of the elves, who nodded vehemently and scurried away. One of them brought her hot chocolate as she waited, and she heard George calling her name.

"Aren't they incredible?" George said approaching her. At this, some elves puffed their chest and flapped their ears proudly.

"They are" Lorena said honestly, but before she could say anything else, she felt a tug of her robe and looked down.

"Blinky has bring Dobby for you, miss" the little elf said bowing.

"Thank you, Blinky" she told her, and then turned her attention to the other elf.

Dobby the House Elf stood still in front of her, wearing a tea towel stamped with the Hogwarts crest, and looking at her with expectation in his wide eyes.

"Blinky..." the elf started dubiously, "said miss want to ask Dobby something?"

Lorena was about to when she remembered George was next to her, and she faltered.

"Yeah...um…no. Just...wanted to say that...all you elves are wonderful and Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without you," she said, and the little elves' eyes started watering, "...and that no one here would ever want anyone of you to leave" she finished, remembering a certain student.

The elves' thank you's, cries and hugs made her let out the breath she'd been holding, and she was suddenly engulfed in more candy and food than she had been before. George raised an eyebrow at her but she only smiled innocently.

With a lot of goodbyes, and even more food that they needed, the two students left the kitchens and went up to Gryffindor Tower.

With a loud pop! the cork flew and the foam of the bottle shot out of it, splashing a few people as the Hufflepuff students cheered and clapped. The music was loud and the dim lights of the normally cosy room gave a glowing effect at the dancing bodies. The party was in full swing as everyone celebrated that Cedric had beaten the first task of the tournament.

Abril drank from her cup, amused at the usually calm Hufflepuffs moving at the sound of the music like their lives depended on it. Mariah suddenly appeared next to her, holding an empty glass in her hand and giggling.

"You have to try the blue stuff over there" she said, pointing at a huge barrel with students hanging around it.

"You don't even know what it is?" Abril asked laughing.

"Nope," she answered, a bit tipsy, "All I know is that Roger looks terribly hot right now"

And with that, Abril was left alone once more as she observed the crowd. But it wasn't long before someone else approached her, and this time, the company wasn't much appreciated.

"What do you want, Smith?" Abril asked, not hiding her annoyance.

Smith smiled like an idiot, staggering from one side to another, and when he finally opened his mouth, no words came. Instead, to Abril's horror, Smith threw up over her skirt with a revolting sound, trying to steady himself on her shoulder. With and indignant growl, Abril pushed him away from her and he fell backwards over a table.

"Oh Merlin" Abril whined disgusted. Someone nearby laughed, and people started to notice her and point. Embarrassed, she decided to flee, but when she turned around to run to her dorm, she bumped against someone and a voice rose above her.

"That's enough" Cedric said angrily at the people making fun of her, "Anthony, Malcolm, would you mind getting Smith out of here? I think he's had enough drinking"

The two guys grabbed Smith from the floor, who grunted, still unconscious. When Smith was dragged out of the common room, Cedric turned to Abril and gave her a handkerchief.

"Here" he offered.

Both of them looked down at the massive stain on her clothes and then at the small hankie in her hand and started laughing hysterically.

"I wouldn't want to soil your little cloth, but thanks anyway." Abril told him with a smile.

"Well, I had to try" Cedric answered with a chuckle, putting the hankie away, "Anyhow, let me accompany you so you can change. I'd hate for you to leave so early"

Abril thanked him and Cedric guided the two of them to the dorms, having to push their way between dancing and drunken teenagers.

"I'll wait for you here" Cedric said when they arrived to the bottom of the stairs that led to the girls' dorms, his cheeks turning a bit pink.

"Sure" Abril answered amused.

After a quick shower she was ready to come down to where Cedric was waiting for her, only to find him pressed against the wall, a look of discomfort on his face while a bunch of his friends whistled as some girls ushered another reluctant one to kiss him.

"Guys, please, can't you see she doesn't want to?" Cedric tried.

The girl in question's face dropped, and everyone started teasing Cedric.

"No… I, mean…Cho," stammered Cedric, then looked up to see Abril approaching, "Excuse me" he said impatiently, and shoved them away as he made his way to where Abril was.

"Sorry" he apologized, scratching the back of his head.

"It's ok" Abril said nonchalantly, but by the look on Cedric's face, it hadn't sounded as casual as she wanted to.

"Want some punch?" he asked, trying to change the topic.

"So," Abril started when they were comfortably seated in one of the corners, "the egg."

Cedric made a face.

"I just came back from almost getting killed by a dragon to retrieve that thing. I haven't had any chance to even hold it properly."

"Right," Abril nodded nervously, drumming her fingers on her cup, "but maybe if you get it out right now, everyone here could help you with it."

Suddenly, a giggling couple fell in front of them, arms and feet tangled around each other.

"I don't think they're sober enough for that" Cedric said clearing his throat while Abril laughed at the scene.

They chatted about little unimportant things, laughed and spent time in that corner, away from the noisy crowd until the early hours of the morning. Cedric accompanied her once more to her dorm and wished her goodnight. Just when Abril was about to close the door, she quickly came out and called him.

"I was just…wondering," Abril suddenly hesitated, thinking about everything she knew would happen this year, but couldn't resist to ask, "you and…Cho…"

To her surprise, Cedric laughed.

"You have nothing to worry about" he said with a charming smile, and at last, with a wink, he turned around and headed to his dorm, leaving Abril even more surprised than before.