Gwen Bennett Song didn't surround herself with many people. She didn't go out of her way to make new friends or to be seen by others. She actually preferred to remain in the shadows and unnoticed. She was fine with what she already had; a small grou...
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Gwen would never, ever, admit it out loud, but the whole school hating Harry did carry some perks. For her, to be precise. Because while everyone was busy with judging him, and with Rita Skeeter so concerned on covering the most important details of the champions' personal lives for her gossip columns, some of the attention placed on Gwen had died down in the last couple of months.
Now it was back again. Most specifically, in the form of glaring girls from all houses. Even some from Beauxbatons. "I hate that woman. I really, really hate her. And I don't usually hate people." Gwen grumbled, keeping her head down as she played around with the food on her plate while Cedric sat on the opposite side.
"It's just a stupid rumour. Soon enough people will remember that we've been best friends for six years now and forget all about it." Cedric said in a reassuring tone, making Gwen look up at him with a dubious look on her face.
"Really? They'll just forgive me for ruining the bright prospects of the Golden Boy everyone loves?" She questioned in a highly sarcastic tone that made Cedric shake his head at her.
"She didn't say you were ruining my prospects or future."
"Right, right. What she said was, and I quote, 'As a face representing the Hogwarts school, Cedric Diggory should pay heed to who it is he chooses to associate with. Certainly, a boy as liked as the Hufflepuff champion could find himself a much more reputable girlfriend than Gwen Bennett-Song, the daughter of known criminal Nadia Volkov-Black.' She hyphenated my mum's name! My mum's name isn't hyphenated!"
"Why are you already able to quote it word for word?" Cedric asked her, tone scolding, and eyebrow raised, making Gwen let out a small groan as she got caught in the act of paying too much attention to the words of Rita Skeeter's latest article in the Daily Prophet. "Give me the copy you have. Now."
Begrudgingly, Gwen plucked the morning paper from her bag and placed it into his outstretched hand. She could only watch as Cedric theatrically threw it to the other end of the Hufflepuff table, far, far out of their reach. "Great, so more people can read it." She muttered out. Not that it would have made a difference. The news printed in the article had already made its rounds through the school for all to know.
"By that little scene, I'll assume we've all seen the morning paper today." Olivia's voice joined in the conversation as she carried over a plate filled with breakfast treats and took a seat next to Gwen. "If it makes you feel better, I am the poor fool settling for being Harry's rebound girl after the heartbreak of Hermione choosing Krum over him."
"Does this woman have no shame? I mean, we're just teenagers. Is anyone aside form the students actually interested in this?" Gwen couldn't help but question in disbelief. If Rita was writing for a source aimed at their age group, or even a gossip focused magazine, maybe it would make more sense. But this was the bloody Daily Prophet. Surely someone in the Ministry checking in on the state of foreign affairs in their morning paper didn't care about the love lives of Hogwarts students.
"Hermione's quite riled up about it too." Liv revealed, and it only made Gwen's anger grow.
"They're fourteen! How is anyone condoning this?"
"Alright there, firecracker. Calm down. We don't want you electrocuting Rita Skeeter next." Gwen felt a pair of hand settle down on her shoulder. Craning her neck backward, she looked up at George with a raised eyebrow, his face upside down in her eyes as he smiled down at her.
"If I decide that's exactly what I intend to do, will you try and stop me?" She questioned, already knowing the answer to that.
"Most definitely not." George announced in an upbeat tone as he stepped away and took a seat instead of forcing her to look at him at the awkward angle. "Hey, if you need some cheering up you can go over to the Gryffindor table to look at the dress Ron got."
"I'm sorry... Ron got a dress? Oh, I do have to see this." Olivia went from surprised, to confused, to teasingly excited in the span of second before springing from her seat and making her way over to the Gryffindor table at which you could see many fourth-years laughing as they poked and teased Ron.
"Why did he get a dress?" Gwen questioned with furrowed brows, eyes turning back to George as she suspected he might have an answer. After all, dresses didn't really seem to be Ron's style.
"That is besides the point at a time like this." Only when he spoke up did Gwen look over at her brother who was now leaning his hands on the table as he fixed her with a rather interrogatory look. "What did Georgie here mean when he said electrocute Rita Skeeter NEXT?"
"Yeah, what did he mean?" Cedric, a little less suspicious and more so confused, sent his friend an odd look as he struggled to understand the reference. "When have you electrocuted anyone before? And how? And why would you... Merlin! It was you!" But he didn't lack the understanding for long.
"Nice going, Mr Subtlety." Gwen sent George a teasing look, the smile on her face making it clear she didn't actually mind. After all, she herself had dropped multiple hints around her brother and Fred as well.
"Traitors!" It was Fred who showed his full outrage at the direct revelation. "Betrayers! Back-stabbers! The both of you!" His loud booming accusations had Gwen letting out a small groan as she pushed her plate away and leaned closer to the table to hide her face from the people who'd all now turned their way with confused looks.
"Mr Weasley!" The scolding voice of Professor McGonagall had Gwen's head quickly rising as she turned to look at the woman with a panicked look on her face. How long had she been close? How much had she overheard? Oh, Gwen could just see the copious amounts of trouble she was in. And the detention! What would her fathers say to that? "Would you please calm yourself? It's too early in the morning to try my patience."
"My apologies Professor, but one cannot simply stay calm. Not in the face of such injustice and travesty." Fred continued on with his dramatics, but at least they were quieter this time.
"I don't care about your injustice, Mr Weasley." The Professor fixed him with one of her best 'pipe down' looks as Gwen liked to call it, before her eyes focused on each one of them as she continued with what she'd come here for in the first place. "I wanted to tell you that today we will not be having our usual Transfiguration classes."
"Oh, I could certainly use the free time." Oliver mussed thoughtfully, Cedric subtly nodding his head, his mind already on how he'd use it to try and figure out the golden egg and the clue it held for the second task.
"Is everything alright, Professor?" Gwen asked curiously. It was highly unlike McGonagall to cancel classes.
"Everything is perfectly fine, Miss Song. And the class won't be for you to use as free time, Mr Rawlins. You are still to arrive at the classroom, punctually and without troublemaking. You're simply not obligated to bring your books and supplies with you." McGonagall explained, and with a curt nod, soon disappeared, going over to the next set of sixth years she'd set her sights on.
"What do you think that's about?" Cedric asked curiously.
"Maybe we'll be doing some practical work? Which we usually do... So... No idea." Gwen said, quickly giving up on the guessing game as she realized this was McGonagall. If she wanted to keep something secret, she'd definitely succeed. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."
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Yes, the next chapter is the dance lesson scene with which I took some liberties and hence want to get to as soon as possible. I am sorry I am making you suffer by publishing another chapter so quickly.
