2.| ✮𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓑𝓲𝓵𝓵. ✮ {𝓑. 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂}

\𝓈ℯ𝓋ℯ𝓃𝓉ℯℯ𝓃\

~

Back at the common room, the Gryffindors had taken the news of the fourth champion really well. The party preparations began as soon as people started getting back from the feast. Eleanora, Bea, and Phillipa all worked together, enchanting the couches and tables to move themselves to the edges of the room, leaving more space for people to gather. Angelina joined them after helping the twins set up a table for food.

"If it couldn't be me or you, El, at least it was a Gryffindor," she said.

"I'd forgotten you entered! Would've been cool if it had been one of us, but I'm happy for Harry." She waved her wand and a couch zoomed towards the wall, almost taking out George on the way. "Watch it there, G!" she called, and then turned back to Angelina. "How d'you suppose he got his name in the Goblet?"

"No idea, mate."

"Oi, Eleanora!" Fred said, bounding over to them with his wand drawn. "Ready to go?"

"Where are you going?" Hermione said skeptically. She'd been standing a few feet away, watching the preparations in disapproving silence.

"Kitchens," said Fred, grinning broadly. "It's not a party without food now, is it?"

"Oh, so you're going to make the house elves work even harder just for a silly party?"

"Silly party?" Fred said incredulously. "One of your best friends is a Triwizard Champion! We've got to celebrate!" Hermione huffed impatiently and Eleanora took George and Angelina's arms, leading them to the other side of the room before they could witness the argument grow.

"Listen, I want to talk to Cedric once they're done explaining the rules or whatever, so I'm out of tonight's kitchen raid."

George nodded and turned to Angelina. "Care to join?"

"Yeah, alright."

"Fred!" George said over the growing noise of the crowd. "Fred, stop flirting, let's go!"

~

When they reached the corridor outside of the Great Hall, Eleanora parted ways with the rest of the group. Fred, George, and Angelina disappeared down towards the kitchens, and she waited outside the door to the side chamber of the Hall. It didn't take long for the noise inside to quiet, and then the door opened and Eleanora had only a second to hide behind a tapestry before Madame Maxime exited, arm wrapped tightly around Fleur Delacour's shoulders. They disappeared out of the large oak front doors and towards their carriage, followed closely by Karkaroff and Viktor Krum. Eleanora waited a few seconds to make sure the coast was clear, and then slipped out of her hiding spot, just in time to meet Cedric on his way out of the room. Close at his heels was Harry. They seemed to have just finished a conversation.

"Oh, Ced!" Eleanora squealed, jumping into his arms and burying her face in his neck. "Congratulations... congratulations!" Cedric set her down, face lit up with a smile.

"Thanks, El. Sorry it wasn't- I know you wanted to be the-"

"Shhhhh." She placed a finger over his lips, giggling. "Shut up, Cedric. I'm really glad it was you." She removed her finger to kiss him, and then turned to Harry, who had started walking away rather awkwardly. "Wait up, Harry. I wanted to talk to you." She took Cedric's hand and escorted both boys out of the hall.

When they reached the spot where they had to separate, Eleanora turned to Cedric again. "I really am proud of you," she whispered, and kissed him again. She and Harry watched Cedric disappear towards his common room, and then turned to the stairs leading up to their own.

"Listen, Harry," Eleanora said, her tone suddenly serious. "How did you get your name in the Goblet? I mean, Fred and George thought of pretty much everything, and none of it worked."

"I didn't put my name in the Goblet." Harry looked up at her stubbornly. "Really. I don't know how it got in there."

"Hmmmm." She wasn't sure if she completely believed him, but she couldn't think of a way he could've entered. "I'll ask Bill how magical objects like the Goblet could be hoodwinked like that, he'd probably know something about it," she said thoughtfully. Really, she just wanted an excuse to write to Bill. She hadn't heard from him in days and was getting restless.

"Thanks, Eleanora," Harry said quietly.

"Are you okay?" asked Eleanora. "I mean... you're a bit... young. You know, to be dealing with the tournament and everything."

"I'm fine," he said all too quickly.

She decided not to pressure him. "Well, I'd better warn you that people have already started celebrating. I reckon the twins are already back with food, so don't expect a quiet return." Harry nodded solemnly and they approached the portrait of the fat lady in silence.

"Well, well, well," said the Fat Lady, who was sitting with another painted witch, who was very pale. "Violet's just told me everything. Who's just been chosen as school champion, then?"

"Balderdash," said Harry dully.

"It most certainly isn't!" said the pale witch indignantly.

"No, no, Vi, it's the password," said the Fat Lady soothingly, and she swung forward on her hinges to let Harry into the common room

A roar of sound met Harry and Eleanora as they stepped through the portrait hole. The twins and Angelina were at the front of the crowd, and Eleanora hurried to join them. Fred grabbed Harry and pulled him into the group.

"You should've told us you'd entered!" he bellowed looking half annoyed, half deeply impressed.

"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" roaredGeorge.

"I didn't," Harry said. "I don't know how —" but more people had swooped in to congratulate him, and he didn't have the time to correct all of them.

Eleanora felt bad for Harry, he obviously didn't want the spotlight on him at the moment, but she allowed herself to be swept up in the party. A nagging in the back of her head kept reminding her that as a seventh year, this would be one of her last parties at Hogwarts. She didn't want to waste a moment.