Girl Who Escaped {Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire} [BEING EDITED]

[6] The Four Champions

EDITED

January 5, 2014

If you find any grammatical/spelling errors, please politely let me know. I am not a professional, nor do I claim to be an experienced author. I do make mistakes that I am trying to clean up.

   ...

[Chapter Six: The Four Champions]

I gulped hard and stared at Dumbledore before looking to Harry, my heart dropping.

     Harry? My Harry, was about to compete in a life threatening tournament?!

     Disappointment flowed through me as Harry's head snapped up, almost unbelieving.

     There was no applause. A buzzing, as though of angry bees, was starting to fill the Hall; some students were standing up to get a better look at Harry as he sat, frozen, in his seat.

     Up at the top table, Professor McGonagall had got to her feet and swept past Ludo Bagman and Professor Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who bent his ear toward her, frowning slightly.

     Harry turned to Ron, Hermione, and I; beyond them, he saw the long Gryffindor table all watching him, open mouthed.

     "I didn't put my name in," Harry said blankly. "You know I didn't."

     The three of us stared just as blankly back.

     I wanted to believe Harry. I desperately wanted to think that this was all a misunderstanding.

     At the top table, Professor Dumbledore had straightened up, nodding to Professor McGonagall.

     "Harry Potter!" he called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

     "Go on," Hermione whispered, giving Harry a slight push.

     Harry got to his feet, trod on the hem of his robes, and stumbled slightly. He set off up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. He was right in front of Dumbledore, probably feeling the stares of all the teachers upon him.

     "Well... through the door, Harry," said Dumbledore. He wasn't smiling.

     We continued spectating as Harry walked-- or stumbled-- off to the back room with all the other champions.

     I shook my head and stared down at the table.

     "Alright! You are dismissed." Dumbledore said in a rushed voice, as he and the other teachers rushed to the back room.

     Most everyone was standing up, dispersing, all talking angrily about Harry's sudden little scandal.

     "Ash? Are you okay?" Hermione asked in worried tone, noticing my non-moving state.

     I slowly looked up to Hermione, with visible nasty mix of sadness, betrayal, disappointment, and hurt, all leering in my eyes.

     "He actually did it Hermione. And didn't tell us..." I was on the verge of tears.

     It seemed like such a stupid thing to cry over. But I always felt a connection to Harry, and to have him do something so daring and dangerous without saying anything, made me feel absolutely pathetic. Like he didn't trust me.

     "Acacia... He said he didn't do it." She attempted to make me feel better.

     "What other explanation is there?!" I snapped, "Don't you think I would've ran every other possibility through my mind before coming to a conclusion? There is no other way..."