Blood Traitor || Draco Malfoy

Chapter 23

Kit wasn't sure how she managed to get to her bed that night.

She wasn't sure how she managed to pretend everything was fine the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that.

She could still feel his wand pressed menacingly on her neck. She could still feel the evil gaze he'd had, and the tight grip on her shoulder.

Would anyone believe her if she said anything? She had seen Quirrell slip past Dumbledore, and Lockhart had been let in as if nothing was sketchy about him. If she owled her parents, would they care? Would they take her words into consideration, or would they send her back a hateful letter with a threat?

As she woke up the day of the second task for the Triwizard Tournament, the questions were still swirling around her head. She had acted as normal as she could around Hermione, Ron, Harry, Su, Blaise, Draco, and everyone else. No one suspected a thing.

But she felt terrified. Exposed. Vulnerable. Before, she might have gone and told on Moody fearlessly, even if it brought her trouble. But her core still stung from where the Cruciatus Curse had hit her, and the memory of Moody towering over her was enough to make her truly believe that her words and experiences didn't matter. Her feelings were irrelevant, and she shouldn't be weak and overwhelmed by this. Either way, her friends were in the mix after Moody's threat, and the last thing she wanted was for him to hurt them.

So she remained silent. She sat, staring over the water, wriggling her hands in her lap as she waited for the champions to return. Even when they did, she hardly paid attention. She was desensitized to the excitement flooding around her. All she could think was that she needed to stay quiet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision."

Ludo Bagman's booming voice made her flinch. She realized everyone around her was standing up, waiting for him to announce how many points each champion was going to receive. Slowly, Kit stood, though she wasn't sure how she managed it. Her body was moving on its own, as if forcing her to keep being human, keep being alive, even though her mind was making her wonder if perhaps she deserved the cruel treatment from Moody. Maybe she was just too terrible of a person to be left alone.

"Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows..."

Kit's ears perked up, and for a moment, the clouds in her mind dissipated.

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

Applause from the stands. Kit's hands moved on their own. She wasn't sure why she was clapping. It didn't make sense in that moment.

"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour. We therefore award him forty-seven points."

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points."

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect," Bagman continued. "He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."

"Most of the judges," and here, Bagman gave Karkaroff a very nasty look, "feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However... Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."