After Everyone Has Left

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Where did you and Hagrid go last night?" Hollyn walked up behind Harry.

"Nowhere." Harry said, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"I saw you on the map. Why were you in the woods?"

He looked around and lowered his voice so no one else could hear them. "He showed me the first task." He watched Hollyn lifted her eyebrows, encouraging him to tell her more. "It's dragons."

"Dragons?"

"Shh!" Harry hushed her as they walked through the halls. "Ron couldn't tell me himself." He stated bitterly.

"You chest, Potter." A boy called out to Harry.

"Oh, you stink, Potter." This boy had a badge that turned green with Harry's face.

Two other passing students showed off their badges as well. "This really can't go on." Hollyn glared at the bots as they walked by.

"Cedric rules." A younger student said as he ran past them.

"Thanks." Harry said dryly when the boy passed.

They turned towards the doorway to the courtyard. "Like the badge?" The Hufflepuff boy asked, showing the pin on his robes.

The two girls didn't help, also blocking their way.

"Excuse me." Harry said, but none of them moved.

Hollyn pushed on the girls shoulder, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him through. "So sorry." She called back to them. "Now where are we heading?" Hollyn asked, waiting to follow Harry.

Cedric was lying on a bench near his friends, all of them wearing the badges.

"Harry." They called out to him as he approached. "Hey! Read the badge, Potter!"

"Can I have a word?" Harry asked the older boy as he sat up.

"Alright."

"You stink, Potter!" His friends said as the two began to walk away.

Hollyn awkwardly stood aside as Harry warned Cedric about the dragons.

"Harry." Hollyn said, nodding to the side where Ron was approaching the courtyard. He nodded, about to leave until Cedric stopped him.

"About the badges... I've asked them not to wear them, but—" Cedric tried to explain.

"Don't worry about it." Harry shook his head. "C'mon."

Ron was walking with Seamus through the halls as the twins were fast approaching.

"You're a right foul git, you know that?" Harry told him.

"You think so?"

"I know so." Harry nodded.

"Anything else?" Ron asked.

"Yeah. Stay away from me."

"Fine." Ron and Seamus pushed past them and kept walking.

"You know you two really should talk. He's your best friend." Hollyn said, trying to keep up with Harry.

"I really don't want to hear anything he has to say." Harry said.

"Why so tense, Potter?" A familiar voice came from the tree.

"Great." Hollyn rolled her eyes, trying to keep walking, but Harry stopped to look at Draco. Hollyn dropped her head, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"My father and I have a bet, you see. I don't think you're gonna last ten minutes in this tournament." Draco dropped down from the tree. "He disagrees. He thinks you won't last five."

"I don't give a damn what your father thinks, Malfoy." Harry shoved him back. Hollyn held her hand over her mouth. Unsure whether she wanted to laugh, or keep walking, either way she watched with wide eyes. "He's vile and cruel. And you're just pathetic."

Harry began to walk away, and Hollyn let a small smile peak through.

"Pathetic?" Draco reached for his wand.

"Oh, no, you don't, sonny!" Mad-Eye appeared from around the corner, flicking his wand towards Draco. "I'll teach you to curse someone while their back is turned. You stinking, cowardly, scummy..."

A ferret floated in the air as Mad-Eye waved his wand around. This time Hollyn couldn't contain her laughter.

"Professor Moody!" Professor McGonagall ran over to the group. "What, what are you doing?"

"Teaching." He said, still waving the ferret around.

"Is that a... Is that a student?" The professor asked seriously.

"Technically, it's a ferret." Moody ignored her frantic demeanor.

Many students had come over just in time to see Moody grabbed onto Crabbe's pants, dropping the ferret in his trousers.

Everyone laughed harder when Crabbe started to whine. Goyle ran over, throwing his hand down his trousers, looking for the animal. "Stand still! Stand still!" He quickly pulled his hand out, holding his finger.

The ferret crawled out of his pant leg and McGonagall transformed him back to a human.

"Ah... My father will hear about this!" Draco looked at Moody.

"Is that a threat?" Mad-Eye abandoned his walking stick and chased Draco around the tree while McGonagall called out to him. "Is that a threat! I could tell you stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair, boy!"

"Alastor!"

"It doesn't end here!"

"Alastor. We never use transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Dumbledore told you that." McGonagall scolded him.

"He might've mentioned it."

"Well, you will do well to remember it. Away!" McGonagall shooed away all the students.