Marauders - Always - Part One

CXLII: Endearing

"What's up with locking the dorm?" Herbert complained.

"Sorry, I didn't know if Ernie was going to come traipsing in if I left it undone. I had a time shaking him."

Herbert said, "The Weasley twins tried at putting their names in the Goblet."

Cedric, who had turned back to his desk and attempted yet again at finding what line he was on looked up and lost his place yet again. "What? They aren't old enough?"

Herbert snickered. "They took aging potion."

"Oh for Helga's sake."

Herbert was grinning, "They took one step over the age line and BLAM-O, they're on their arses with beards down-to-there hangin' off their faces. Had to go to Pomfrey and everything to get it removed. Dumbledore really had their ticket, let me tell you. Funniest damned thing I ever saw. The lil shits finally got themselves bit in the arse."

Cedric laughed distractedly.

"So..." Herbert said, "When are you putting your name in?"

Cedric sighed.

"What?"

"I should just go do it and get it over with before I go mental with everyone asking." Cedric grabbed his parchment, tore off a bit, scribbled out his name hurriedly.

"Sorry?" Herbert asked, "Are you not the bloke that's been walkin' 'round this castle blubbing up a storm about the tournament?"

"Yes, yeah, I know, I'm sorry, I'm frustrated. This damned Divination assignment's got me buggered."

"The chart for this week? Me too. I haven't even started it."

"I just did this morning."

"You know I'm just going to make a load of rubbish up."

"Yeah, I suppose I will, too. I started doing it seriously, but it keeps talking about the death of something, but in like the change of something - pretty sure it's about my parents divorce, you know, in context, and you know Trelawney's going to turn it into some omen about the stupid grim the other day and bleedin' Roger Davies - I swear if he says somethin' about it again to me I'm going to strangle the bloke."

Herbert laughed. "Oh I know. He's so spooked about that. Poor Rog. It must really suck believing in all that divination rubbish."

Cedric knocked his book closed and pushed the chart aside. "C'mon, let's go. I gotta get Ernie before we go - he wants to witness the moment I drop the parchment in the cup... We can do that and by then it ought to be just about time to go out and meet up with Oliver Kent -- assuming that letter you showed me isn't a sick prank!" Cedric said.

"It's not!" Herbert laughed. "That's actually why I've come to get you."

Cedric grinned. "Forgive me if I hold out my hopes 'til it's real and he's shaking my hand."

"Soon you'll see," Herbert said.

Cedric reached into his trunk for his Kent number jumper from his trunk. "Anyone else put their names in?"

"The whole of the Durmstrang lot," Herbert answered. "Krum was first, then the others one by one came by. I don't reckon they've got much chance though. Everyone knows Krum's favored to win." Herbert paused as Cedric raised an eyebrow, "Out of Durmstrang, I mean. Not overall. Brain over brawn and all that, what we talked about before. His bicep versus your hair, et cetera."

Cedric laughed and the pair of them went off in search of Ernie MacMillan.

"So where've you been all morning anyhow?" Ron asked Hermione. He was following after Harry, who was picking his way down the path that cut across the grounds toward Hagrid's hut at the edge of the forest. Hermione trailed along, carrying the clinking box of badges she'd made. "Trying to recruit more people into spew?"