𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐆𝐎𝐅 𝟏𝟖

After her brother and cousin had left without getting caught Harry walked in with a sad look on his face.

"You alright?" He asked standing by the curtain.

"Just got to wait for my powers to come back, then i'll be up and at 'em." She laughed before two people burst through the tent.

"Harry, you were brilliant! And Emily? Oh my merlin." Hermione said squeakily. There were fingernail marks on her face where she had been clutching it in fear. "You were amazing! You really were! Both of you!"

But Harry and Emily were looking at Ron, who was very white and staring at Harry and Emily as though they were ghosts.

"Harry, Emily," he said, very seriously, "whoever put your names in that goblet - I - I reckon they're trying to do you in!"

It was as though the last few weeks had never happened - as though Harry were meeting Ron for the first time, Ron hadn't really bothered Emily that much but she knew him and Harry had some stuff.

"Caught on, have you?" said Harry coldly. "Took you long enough."

Hermione stood next to Emily's bed, looking from one to the other. Ron opened his mouth uncertainly. Harry knew Ron was about to apologize and suddenly he found he didn't need to hear it.

"It's okay," he said, before Ron could get the words out. "Forget it." "No," said Ron, "I shouldn't've -"

"Forget it, "Harry said.

Ron grinned nervously at him, and Harry grinned back Hermione burst into tears.

"There's nothing to cry about!" Harry told her, bewildered.

"You two are so stupid!" she shouted, stamping her foot on the ground, tears splashing down her front. Then, before either of them could stop her, she had given both of them a hug and dashed away, now positively howling.

"Barking mad," said Ron, shaking his head.

"watch it Ronald." Emily warned giving him a sarcastic glare.

All the contestants had gathered round now as Bagman walked in.

"Well done, all of you!" said Ludo Bagman, bouncing into the tent and looking as pleased as though he personally had just got past a dragon.

"Now, just a quick few words. You've got a nice long break before the second task, which will take place at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth - but we're giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs you're all holding, you will see that they open. . . see the hinges there? You need to solve the clue inside the egg - because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!"

Harry left the tent, holding hands with Emily, Ron standing on the other side of her, and they started to walk back around the edge of the forest, talking hard; Emily wanted to hear what the other champions had done in more detail.

Then, as they rounded the clump of trees behind which Harry had
first heard the dragons roar, a witch leapt out from behind them.

It was Rita Skeeter. She was wearing acid-green robes today; the Quick-Quotes Quill in her hand blended perfectly against them.

"Congratulations, Harry, and of course Emily for coming first!" she said, beaming at him. "I wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing that dragon? How you feel now, about the fairness of the scoring?"

"Yeah, you can have a word," said Harry savagely. "Good-bye." And he set off back to the castle with Ron.

Ron and Emily have each other a look before Harry tugged slightly on Emily's hand to indicate they were walking.