Chapter 56
LB
Once we were free to go from the room, I dragged Harry into the first alcove we passed. "You stay here, I'll get the cloak."
"How?"
I already changed into Loki in front of him, I looked up to him. "Can you put a disillusionment charm on me?"
Harry took his wand out of his pocket and waved it over me. "How are you going to get into the tower?"
"I have my ways." I winked at him with my wolf eyes. "I'll be right back." And darted out of the alcove.
Within a few minutes, I had reached the portrait of the fat lady. "Who's there?" She asked, squinting her eyes as she glanced around the staircases.
"Poppy seeds."
She looked around the hallway frowning, but when she couldn't spot anyone, she reluctantly opened the portrait. The common room was filled with students all talking over each other. They all glanced to the portrait waiting for me or Harry. Most of them looked confused at the portrait, while the twins looked thoughtful.
"Harry?" I heard Hermione whisper. She must think he had his invisibility cloak. I darted passed her and walked up to the girls' dorm to grab my backpack I used as Loki. Then hopped over to the boy's dorm. I pushed open the door of the fourth-year dorm and saw that Ron's curtains had been drawn close. I quietly trotted over to Harry's trunk and nudged it open with my nose. A few seconds later, I had the cloak in my mouth. I froze when I heard movement behind Ron's curtains. But after a few seconds it stilled. I placed the cloak in my bag and headed back down in the overcrowded common room. I saw the twins sitting near the window whispering. I grinned to myself as I walked closer.
"That's our girl." George smiled dopey.
"Yeah." Fred said, his eyes unfocussed. I walked over as slid between their legs, they both shuddered.
"Did you feel that?"
"I did, what was that?" They looked at each other. George shrugged, rubbing the goose bumps on his arms. Then Fred suddenly said. "What about Petra? The Ravenclaw with the endless legs."
A spur of jealously shot through me, and as I needed a distraction to slip out of the common room, I muttered a spell, breaking the back leg of Fred's chair, making him topple back. As the students all turned to the noise, I slipped out of the common room unnoticed.
LB
When I changed back into human form, I tossed Harry the cloak. He threw it over his shoulders and held it open for me to climb underneath. I smiled before stepping under, I wrapped my arm around his waist, tugging us close.
"Alright, let's go." I whispered. Harry didn't ask where we were going as we walked through the castle. He only asked when we entered the Honey dukes' passageway.
"We're going out of the castle?" He whispered.
"You don't have to whisper, Harry." I chuckled. "But yeah. I'm taking you to Sirius."
"We're not allowed off the grounds."
"I thought you were a rule breaker." I snickered.
"Not on purpose." He huffed and I laughed.
"Nobody will know." I waved him off. "We'll floo from the Three Broomsticks."
LB
The Three Broomsticks was filled with witches and wizards, which made it easier for us to mingle. We quickly made our way to the floo before disappearing in green flames. The house was dark, and I saw Moony and Sirius sleeping on the couch against each other. Harry looked surprised at this, his eyes widening. He pointed at them as he looked from them to me. I rolled my eyes with a smile before clearing my throat. Remus had jumped up from the couch, in a fighting stance with his wand pointed forwards, Sirius on the other hand, had rolled off the couch from Remus's movements and grunted.
"Well, that's not a nice way to greet family." I pursed my lips trying to keep myself from grinning, I crossed my arms over my chest.
"Alec?" Moony waved his wand and the lights came on, his cheeks were flushed. His eyes widened as he saw who was standing next to me. "Harry? What are you doing here? What happened?"
Before I could answer, he had crossed the room and hugged me tightly against him. I saw Sirius move closer and hug Harry. They both held us at arm's length as they looked at us.
"SomeoneputmynameinthegobletIdon'tknowwhobutnowIamacontestant." Harry rambled on at a speed I've never heard before.
The two adults both looked thoroughly confused. "What?"
"You better sit down." I said, gesturing to the couch. Remus and Sirius sat down on the couch while Harry and I took a seat on the coffee table. "Someone put Harry's name in the Goblet. He's a champion, they are making him enter." I sneered the last part.
"I knew something would happen!" Sirius voice was laced with anger. "They'll just have to choose another champion."
"I'm the fourth champion, someone was already chosen for Hogwarts."
"Well, then they don't need you, do they? Who's the other champion?" Sirius asked. But Moony's eyes were already on me, a little smile tugged on his lips.
"Congratulations, cub." Moony kissed the top of my head. Sirius looked wide-eyed from me to Harry, not believing it. He turned back to Harry.
"They can't let you enter. I won't hear of it." He shook his head. I looked down at my hands as he didn't even acknowledge me as a champion. For some reason, it hurt. "I'm heading to the castle in the morning."
"They say it's a binding contract."
"For those who volunteer." He countered. He frowned as he racked his brain. Moony placed his hand on me, offering me a little smile, and that's all I needed to feel better. "You two better head back to the castle before they notice you're gone. Thank you for coming to me, Harry."
"It was Alec's idea actually." Harry stated. "She even yelled at Snape! It was awesome."
"You did?" Sirius's eyes wide and full of pride. Of course, he would be proud of that and not the fact that I was chosen as a Champion.
"It's Professor Snape, Harry. And you did?" Moony asked with a sterner voice but I could see his lips twitch.
"He had it coming from last year, and the things he said." I shrugged. "I couldn't help myself."
"You're a great friend." Moony smiled.
"That she is." Harry smiled as he nudged my arm. "Ready to head back?"
"Yeah." I stood up, not looking at Sirius.
"We'll see you tomorrow." Sirius hugged Harry as Moony hugged me.
I took Harry's hand in mine once we parted and tugged him to the fireplace. In the corner of my eye, I saw Moony speaking in a hushed voice to Sirius, who was looking at me. Harry and I took our place in the fireplace, and I took a handful of floo powder.
"Alec." He started but I already threw the floo powder at our feet.
"The Three Broomsticks." And we were gone.
LB
Going back to the common room undetected wouldn't be so easy now. So, Harry had thrown the cloak over him as we reached the portrait. And once we entered, he fled upstairs as I was greeted and congratulated by my house mates. The twins were leaning against the wall now, grinning at me from the corner. I nodded my head to the others, barely registering what they were saying and made my way to the twins.
"Where's Harry?"
"Is he okay?"
I glanced between them with raised eyebrows. "You don't believe he put his name in the cup?"
"Of course not!" They exclaimed, looking at me like I was mad for believing otherwise. "We saw his face when his name was called."
My eyes were still flickering between them as I felt a surge of love for them. I cupped Fred's cheeks and stood on my toes to kiss him, it was short and innocent and then I did the same with George. They both stood frozen as they looked at me, mouth agape. I knew I was blushing, but I beamed up at them anyway.
"You two are amazing. Thank you, it really means a lot." I squeezed their hands. I looked over my shoulder to see Hermione sitting in the corner, looking worried. "I should talk to Hermione." I gave them a small smile before walking over to the fourth year. "Hey, Hermione." I sat down next to her.
"Where is-"
"He's gone upstairs. He's a bit in shock but he's okay." I leaned closer to whisper. "Sirius is coming over tomorrow to talk to Dumbledore."
"You think they'll pull him out?"
"I don't know. I hope so but hearing Bagman and Crouch..."
"Right." She nodded, frowning. "I think I'll head to bed." She stood. "Thank you for telling me, Alec."
"Of course." I nodded as I watched her dart up the stairs.
LB
Two days after the names were drawn, I found my way to the Slytherin common room. They all cheered as I entered, I smiled politely but it was getting a little exhausting to be honest.
"Here's our Champion!" Draco beamed and I glared at him. "A grumpy one so it seems." He snickered.
"Can everyone just start greeting me like before?" I sighed plopping down next to him on the couch. I glanced around the common room. "What are they wearing?" I frowned when I saw badges on some of their robes.
Draco was leaning back, his arms casually draped over the back of the couch, seemingly at ease, but something flickered in his eyes. "Grabbe, Goyle and Pansy made them."
When I saw it change from Alec Lupin-Black, the real champion into Potter stinks, I pulled out my wand and pointed it at their robes. With a flick of my wand, the badges shrivelled up. I could see Draco smiling in the corner of my eye.
"You know what the first task is?"
"No." I shook my head turning back to him. "I'll start training after the weekend. Want to help me?"
"Yeah, any way I can help you to win." He grinned.
"Good, meet me at the duelling room after dinner on Monday." I smiled. Normally I would be the one to do this alone, but since Sirius and Remus's threats didn't do anything, Harry was still forced to enter. And we agreed to train together. I didn't tell Harry nor Draco they would both be there, but they'll find out soon enough.
"How -" Draco seemed to have difficulty finishing his sentence. "How's Potter doing?"
Well, that took me slightly by surprise because ever since school started, they haven't exchanged one simple word as far as I knew. "Oh, he's - he's -" Afraid, utter shit. But I couldn't tell him that. "He's fine."
Draco snorted. "I highly doubt that. I saw his face when his name was pulled."
The corner of my mouth twitched up. "You were watching him, huh?"
Draco scoffed with a roll of his eyes, but his pale cheeks flushed a little. "Everyone was watching him."
"Right." I tried not to grin. "You could always ask him yourself, you know."
Draco opened and closed his mouth a few times. "No, I just asked because I know what he means to you."
Keep telling yourself that, cousin. I thought to myself as I watched him. He had turned his attention to the fire. It looked like he was trying to see through the burned-up logs. I turned my attention to the flames too as my mind wandered to what the first task might be.
