Chapter 18 :

"Harry Potter."

Dumbledore read Harry's name again and it sounded like betrayal to Ronald's ears.

The red head had been so sure his best friend would be spared from this year's trials. He had even accepted Harry befriending Nott and crushing on Malfoy, for the simple fact that he was convinced the poor guy would get bored without at least this amount of Chaos in his life. And now what ? He had to account for the Triwizard Tournament too ?! Bullshit !

The young Weasley turned toward Hermione, waiting for her to force the World to make sense again, to deny this reality with the power of Facts, but the brunette was just as shocked as he was. Correction : she was so mad that she looked ready to blackout. Her mouth was opening and closing but her anger was such that no word came out. The look of absolute affront on her face and the way her hair frizzled and puffed out in an eldritch monstrosity made her quite the terrifying -cute- sight to see.

Knowing he would get nothing out of her right now, the red head turned to his other best friend and... Harry had never looked so frail, not even when facing Dementors. It was unfair. It was so. Fucking. Unfair. Why did it have to happen now ? Why to Harry ? He had been doing so much better lately ! Making friends outside of Hermione and him, being more sociable, improving on his study habits and even on his temper ! Was it all for naught ?!

Ronald couldn't even accuse him of putting his name in the cup : the boy had been such a dear since school started. Sure, if he only had Ron and Hermione like before, he could have done it. -Ron knew he wasn't the best role model around. And Mione was wise but listening to her was like listening to your parents, it just wasn't done.- But the young Potter hung out with Nott ! Nott : the most cunning, evil and cautious guy of the entire Hogwart. That damn Snake would never encourage Harry to do anything dangerous ! But then who ? Who entered Harry in this thrice damned tournament !?

"Mr Potter" repeated Dumbledore somberly. "Please, follow the other champions to the next room. We will be with you shortly."

Swallowing bitterly Ron put his hand on his best friend's shoulder, unable to look at him in the eyes, and gave him a reluctant nudge :

"You have to go, mate. See what they have to say."

Harry wasn't having a good day. First : it was Halloween. Which repeatedly proved to be the prequel to the worst days of his life. Second : the champions selection was this evening. Adding these two things together was a recipe for disaster. Alas, he could see it coming but couldn't do anything to stop it.

As the day passed ruthlessly and everyone skipped eagerly toward the fateful selection, as the feast finished and the headmaster stood to speak up, and even as the champions were chosen and everyone shouted out their enthusiasm, Harry could only feel his insides churn up and his mind grow colder and colder.

Then the hype started to die down. All three champions had been selected and sent to a nearby room. The students staying in the Great Hall were all mindlessly whispering among themselves. Dumbledore was going to end the ceremony with a nth speech... Little by little, as the milliseconds went by, Harry had dared to hope. He had dared to think he was finally free from his Halloween Curse- and yet...

Here he was now, standing dumbly near the Gryffindor table, his best friend turning away from him in abject betrayal and sending him to the gallows with an aura of disappointment around him, and his other best friend frothing at the mouth in her anger. The judges at the Head table looked ready to murder him and everyone in the Great Hall looked at him in disgust. Harry wanted nothing more than to curl up in his cupboard and be forgotten.

Cheater. Traitor. Attention-seeking bastard. They whispered.

The only reason they didn't throw food and plates at his head was that the House Elves had already made everything disappear.

"Mr Potter." Called again Dumbledore.

Tongue tied, Harry couldn't defend himself, he could only obey and hunch his back as he walked, everyone's heavy stares weighting down on him. He wasn't brave enough to look above his feet but he didn't have to, he could feel Theo's bloodthirst from here. If it was not for their numerous nights spent preparing specially for this, Harry would have thought the Slytherin was angry with him. Like everyone else.

AN : Next chapter introduces a new character and it's not an oc. I don't know if they'll come back afterward but they were really fun to write so I can't wait!