"All that moral fiber, eh?" Teases Fred, quoting Dumbledore's earlier statement apropos to bumping Harry up to finish second in the task.
"It's great," George adds, before the two of them pat Harry of the back in a congratulatory manner.
"Moral fiber," Ron scoffs though smiling. "Blimey, even when you go wrong it turns out right."
Having learnt our lesson from the last event, we waited this time around for the crowd to disperse before attempting to head back towards the castle. After the first task back in November, when Harry had tied for first place, it was an absolute gong show trying to get to him from the spectator stands. They really weren't kidding when they were throwing the word 'glory' around. We had found that out quite quickly.
Finishing a task in first, second place too really, turns you into a temporary celebrity among castle grounds. It's rather silly and I believe it to be arbitrary but then again, from being apart of Harry's inner circle, I get my fair share of 'glory by association' if you will.
So really, maybe, it's not as arbitrary as I claim it to be.
This is just the problem though. It's riveting how many people are so longing for some of that splash of leftover glory. They'll take whatever they can get, I've noticed, to feel special or to feel something of importance. There were oodles of people we had never ever interacted with coming up to us, well, to Harry , and trying to chat him up like they've known him all their life. All in the hopes of getting some recognition sprinkled onto them for being on terms of acknowledgment with a winning Triwizard champion.
Hence why we waited.
Harry, the man of the hour, can barely keep his eyes open for more than a minute and Ron and Hermione are still trying to process and adjust to everything that had happened to them in the last 24 hours. So, really, waiting out to avoid the throng of admirers is worth it. They've all had their fair share and then some of madness today.
"Well done, Moral Fiber," the Weasley twins bid us farewell before trudging up the hill, and I wonder if they're off to count their gambling profit.
I watch as Hermione and Ron, despite having been out of the water for close to an hour now, shiver as we walk. I'm glad that I didn't have to participate, I think as I note their still somewhat blue lips and their chattering teeth.
