The Cursed Chronicles: Year 6

Chapter 9

"Wake up!" Albus groaned and swatted at the unknown person. "Come on, Albus, wake up!" Someone pushed him off of the bed and he hit the ground hard.

"Owwwww!"

"Come on, Al! We've got to go!"

"Why?"

"Because we promised to meet the girls at the entrance to Hogsmead fifteen minutes ago. Albus left up.

"Blast-Ended screwts, I'm dead!" He flew around the room, scrambling to find his cloths.

"It's not that bad."

"No, Katrina literally told me that if I was late she'd tie me up in the forbidden forest and leave me to die."

"Man, you're screwed."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"I hate you."

"Noted."

                                                                                                    ~

Albus was completely out of breath when he arrived at the gate, Scorpius trailing behind him with ease.

"I- am- so- sorry!" He gasped.

"And I am going to kill you," Katrina declared.

"Pleasedon'thurtme." Albus begged, and the girls giggled. Katrina remained fixed, her hands o her hips, glaring at him.

"Come on. I feel like a butterbeer." She grabbed Albus' arm and dragged him through the entrance to Hogsmead, toward the Three Broomsticks.

"I'm sorry!" Albus assured her. "I slept in, and I forgot, and then Scorpius pushed me out of the bed-"

"Good." She declared without an ounce of pity.

"Come on!" Albus groaned.

"Buy me a butterbeer and I'll forgive you," she relented.

"Deal," Albus agreed. They found a table at the Three Broomsticks. Madame Rosmerta came to their table.

"Can I get you anything, dears?"

"Six butterbeers," Albus announced, handing her the money.

"Coming right up."

"Albus, you only had to pay for Katrina's drink," Bella said. "You didn't have to pay for Sabrina, Parisa, and I."

"Although the gesture is appreciated," Parisa added.

"That's fine," Albus insisted.

"Here are your butterbeers," Madame Rosmerta announced, placing them on the table. "And, by the way, the Three Broomsticks is offering a ten percent discount to Champions, so that's twenty percent off of those drinks." She placed the extra coins on the table and left to attend to another customer.

It was late November, and snow was just starting to fall. The first task was in a few days, and Albus had no idea what he was going to do. A little girl came up to the table with a pen and paper.

"Can I have your guys' autograph?" She asked, addressing Katrina and Albus. They both complied, and the little girl left, her day clearly made.

"So did you hear?" Katrina asked. "There will be four tasks this time instead of three."

"Really?" Albus groaned. "Great, more humiliation." Katrina punched him.

"You won't humiliate yourself," she assured him.

"Do you know me?"

"Well now that I think about it-"

"Gee, thanks."

"I'm kidding!" Albus sighed.

"I shouldn't have put my name in. I'm going to fail and my whole school is going to hate me. And if I win, I'm going to hate myself."

"Why?"

"Well, because you're my friend. And you're a champion. I don't want to win if it means you lose. Not that I will win. There's close to a 0% chance of that." Katrina punched him again. "Ouch! You're gonna leave a bruise!"

"Don't talk that way! Besides, I don't care if I win or lose. It's just really cool to b part of the tournament in the first place. Albus shrugged.

"Still."

"Albus, I could care less whether I win or lose. If I come in last and you come in first, we'll still be best friends, and vice versa." Albus smiled.

"Thanks."

"There's nothing to thank me for. You're my friend. That's how it works."