Leo walks quietly beside Hermione-if quiet doesn't include his tinkering with some metal wire, and him muttering what others would assume is nonsense because it's a mix of Spanish and Ancient Greek. Harry and Ron walk in front of them, discussing the class with Professor Creepy.
"The way he talks," Harry mutters, "you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second."
Leo chuckles. He doesn't know what's protecting him in this school but outside of it, he's been attacked almost every second. It's like Camp.
"Yeah, I know," says Ron. "Talk about paranoid..." Ron glances nervously behind Leo and Hermione before adding, "No wonder they were glad to get shot of him at the Ministry. Did you hear him telling Seamus what he did to that witch who shouted 'Boo' behind him on April Fools' Day? And when are we supposed to read up on resisting the Imperius Curse with everything else we've got to do?" [1]
"At least you can read," Leo huffs.
Ron howls in laughter. "You really are a funny bloke, Leo."
Leo chuckles nervously. "No, I literally can't read."
"It's true," Hermione adds. "I had to dictate to him what's in the Potions book so he can understand what to do."
"Wait, you really can't read?" Harry asks.
"I never really got the hang of reading English, or any language except Ancient Greek," Leo replies with a shrug.
"Whoa, you can read Ancient Greek? That's so bloody awesome," Ron says.
"Ron, language!" Hermione scolds him.
"Why can't you read?" Harry asks.
"It's my dyslexia," he says with a shrug.
"What's dyxelsxica?" Ron asks.
Leo laughs. "Basically words go jumble when I try to read."
"Tough luck, mate," Harry tells Leo.
Leo wants to ask more about Harry and the Killing Curse but decides not to. It's not his business. And mainly because they already reached the stairs on the way to Gryffindor Tower and they bid him a "See you later."
Leo sighs as he walks back to the Slytherin Common Room.
As soon as he enters, the Slytherins whisper among themselves, looking at him.
Weird, Leo thinks.
"What's... going on?" he asks the people in the common room.
"Is it true you fought the Imperius Curse?" an older student asks him.
"Er, yeah, it's true, why?" he asks.
"How? Were you being trained to throw it off?" someone else asks.
Leo shakes his head. "No, today's the first time I was hit with that curse."
"...How did you do it?" she asks.
Leo shrugs. "I don't know. I just... did it."
She seems to deflate with his answer before she talks to her friends at the corner of the Slytherin common room.
Leo looks at her for a moment before going up to the dorm, and taking a quick nap before dinner.
-oOo-
Leo tries to focus on his food. He had already burnt some of it under the table with his fire-which he had been doing since this morning so he didn't need to look like an idiot with the Goblet of Fire again.
"I wonder who will be the champions for the Triwizard Tournament," Nott wonders beside him.
"What is the Triwizard Tournament? We don't have that in Ilvermorny," Leo asks.
"Basically, three champions from three different schools will go through three trials and compete," Zabini explains.
Schist, that's terrible, Leo thinks. From what he's heard, dragons will be used for the tournament. For what? Flying? Or something else...
"There is also a prize money of one thousand galleons for the champion," Zabini adds.
Leo doesn't know what galleons are but it seems to be of high value based on the gleam in Zabini's eyes.
After a while, the golden plates on the table disappear and the noise of the Dining Hall stops. Leo looks around why that is, to see Professor Headache standing at the front as well as two other people-a man and a large woman, possibly also a giant like Professor Hagrid?
"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said the Headmaster. [1]
"What in the gods' name does he mean by the goblet making the decision?" Leo whispers to Nott who shushes him.
The Headmaster continues, "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber-" he indicated the door behind the staff table-"where they will be receiving their first instructions." [1]
Oh, Leo thinks, the goblet chooses the champions? That's why the twins are trying to put paper in the goblet!
He watches as the Headmaster gives a great sweeping wave with his wand. At once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins are extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shines more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watches, waiting... A few people keep checking their watches... [1]
The flames inside the goblet suddenly turn red again, reminding Leo of his first night here at Hogwarts. Sparks begin to fly from it. A tongue of flame shoots into the air, a charred piece of paper flutters out of it. Leo gasps, as well as everyone else. [1]
Professor Headache catches the piece of paper and holds it at arm's length so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which has turned back to blue-white.
"The champion for Durmstrang... will be Viktor Krum."
Everyone applauds, especially the Slytherin table since the Durmstrang students are seated with them. Leo sees a guy who looks every bit like a star celebrity stand up from his table and walks towards the Headmaster. He goes into the chamber which the Headmaster pointed at earlier.
The goblet of fire turns red once more. A second piece of paper comes out of it.
"The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"
Another round of applause. A girl whose looks can rival a goddess with silvery blonde hair stands gracefully and walks between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.
The girl walks into the chamber and silence falls again. And the goblet turns red.
"The Hogwarts champion... is Cedric Diggory."
"No!" he hears Draco exclaim down the table.
Leo's surprised he even heard Draco from the uproar from the Hufflepuff table. A good-looking guy stands up from said table and enters the chamber.
"Excellent!" the Headache calls happily. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real-" [1]
He stops speaking.
The fire in the goblet has turned red again.
Another piece of paper comes out of it.
Whispers fall in the hall.
The Headmaster looks at the name in the paper.
"Harry Potter."
-oOo-
FOOTNOTES
[1] From Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 16 "The Goblet of Fire", pages 268 to 271.
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