MADELYN GROANED AS HER, HARRY, HERMIONE AND RON MADE THEIR WAY TO THE DADA CLASSROOM. They were a little over a few minutes late and everyone was trying to ease their pounding headaches. Not even five minutes earlier, the boys had banged on the girls door, yelling at them to wake up.
They finally made their way into class and saw the same man they saw yesterday at dinner writing his name on the board. The four slipped in their seats, almost safe of getting caught.
"Late on your first day back?" Professor Moody turned his body around and stared at Harry while his other eye kept moving over the other three.
"Um, we apologize, sir. We slept in late." Hermione spoke up for them, Maddie internally thanking her. Moody started explaining himself before asking about the curses. Hermione raised her hand, "Three, sir."
"And they are so named?" Moody turned around and wrote something on the board as Hermione gulped. Maddie started playing with the ends of her skirt. She knew quite a lot about the curses, her father taught her all of them. He even made her watch him preform them on an innocent woman, she's felt bad ever since.
"Because they are unforgivable. Use of any one of them will-"
"Will earn you a one way ticket to Azkaban. Correct. Now the ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different!" Maddie sank down in her chair and her breathing started to quicken. An image of her father using the curses on the muggle that was unfortunate enough to be walking outside at that hour, kept flashing through her mind. "So which curse shall we see first? Weasley!"
"Yes..." Ron stared up at the man in uncertainty before answering him. "Well, my dad did tell me about one, the imperious curse."
"Ahh yes, your father would know all about that. Gave the ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why." Moody popped a jar open and pulled out a spider. Maddie closed her eyes.
"Hello. What a little beauty." He used his wand to fly the spider around the room, a few students getting scared and moving away. "Don't worry. Completely harmless. But if she bites... She's lethal!" He laughed along with Malfoy. "What are you laughing at?" Moody sent the spider onto Malfoy's face and he started getting scared like a little boy. He started screaming at his friends to get it off him as the rest of the glass laughed at him. "Another... another... Longbottom is it? Up."
Neville stood up slowly and looked up at him with fear over his face. "There's the um... the cruciatus curse."
"Correct! Particularly nasty. The torture curse." Neville started to get un-easy but Moody didn't seem to notice.
"Stop it! It's bothering him!" Madelyn spoke up to which Moody stared at her for a minute, some sort of recognition flashing across his face. He turned back to the spider and stopped, before picking it up.
"Perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse, Mrs. Willows." She tried to bite back her tears before answering him.
"The killing curse." She gulped and tried to look anywhere but him. He nodded.
"Only one person is known to have survived it. And he's sitting in this room." He walked over to their desk and took a drink of whatever was in the flask. Maddie kept her head down as he continued to stare at him before dismissing the class.
Maddie grabbed her books and practically ran out of the room with Harry following after her.
"Where are they going?" Ron asked Hermione as he stood behind her. She shrugged and grabbed her books before following Ron out the door.
"Maddie! Hey, wait up." He managed to stop her in a deserted hallway so that nobody would see them. She gripped her books tighter and tried to focus on her breathing. "What happened?"
"My father- he- he did those right in front of me." She said softly. She was ashamed that she couldn't help her.
Little did she know, that would be the last thing she would be ashamed about.
"She was innocent, Harry! And he just- he killed her." Harry didn't really know what to do in this type of situation, he never really had to comfort someone before. He brought his arms up and wrapped them around her, awkwardly. "What are you doing?" She chuckled a bit at the way he was wrapped around her. His waist was far away from her body and his arms were around her neck but his head was also far away from her. "Harry-"
"Shh, shh. It's okay." Their laughter filled the halls as they couldn't contain themselves.
+
"Why do we have to learn the backstory of each potion? I mean, who wants to know which witch or wizard used it first?" Maddie asked Hermione. They were sitting in the Goblet room as students were adding their names in. She was laying on her stomach across the bench with Hermione sitting next to her notebook.
Cedric walked into the room with a few other Hufflepuffs behind him, cheering him on. He looked over at her and winked as he dropped his name in. The boys around him started patting his back and cheering. Maddie looked down as the blush crept on her face. Hermione noticed and started laughing.
"You like Diggory?" She laughed and Maddie hit her leg with her book.
"I do not like Cedric." She raised her brow at her and she rolled her eyes before looking back down at her book. She liked Cedric, she thought he was very kind, but she didn't like like him. Just as a friend. Fred and George came in with their arms in the air as they cheered.
"Thank you, thank you. Well, lads we've done it!" George held up a bottle along with Fred.
"Cooked it up this morning." Fred added.
"It's not going to work." Hermione sang and the twins came up sitting behind them on the benches.
"Oh yeah? Why's that Granger?" Fred asked, looking at Hermione. She started explaining the magic behind everything. "What about you, Mads? Do you think it'll work?" Fred asked. She put her pencil to her chin and looked up like she was thinking.
"Hmm... no." The twins frowned and Fred stated a 'fine' before leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek. This was a big move for him, he was honestly very frightened but when he saw the blush on her face, he smiled to himself.
"Oh c'mon love, don't you believe in me?" Maddie scrunched up her nose and shook her head. "You'll regret this when I win." She chuckled as the twins walked back to the goblet.
"Ready Fred?" George asked. Maddie sat up and crossed her legs, putting her books over her lap.
"Ready George?" They crossed their arms over each other and drank the potion before jumping over the age line. When nothing happened, everyone cheered. The twins high-fived before throwing their names in the goblet. The flame suddenly flared out and the twins were sent flying across the room. When they stood, their heads were full of white hair, instead of red. Hermione and Maddie laughed as they looked at the boys in disapproval.
"You said..."
"Fred you said..." George started before rolling on top of Fred. They continued to roll around the room, fighting like little girls.
The room became silent as Viktor Krum walked in and threw his name in. He turned to look at Hermione, causing a blush to cover her cheeks.
From across the room, Malfoy was watching the exchange with a scowl on his face, as usual when watching the girl.
+
"Do you think Cedric is going to be picked?" Madelyn asked the twins curiously as they made their way to the great hall.
"Don't know, Mads." Fred stared blankly before walking off in front of them and over to Lee Jordan. Madelyn was taken aback by his behavior, he was never blunt like that with her.
She looked up at George for some sort of explanation to which he just shrugged.
"He's got something going on, probably just hit puberty." He laughed, trying to lighten the mood although she already knew 'puberty' wasn't the reason.
"Ugh, men." Maddie chuckled and took a seat next to Fred and Cedric.
"Hey, Maddie." He gave her a warm smile as she set her books down. She had just gotten back from potions and didn't have time to take her stuff back to her room.
"Hey, Cedric. You nervous?" He shook his head before changing his mind and nodding. "I'm sure if you're picked, you're going to win the whole tournament without a scratch left on you."
"Thank you, that makes me feel better." She smiled as they looked at each other for a few moments. She thought it was really awkward so when Dumbledore started speaking, she cleared her throat and immediately turned her head back to the front.
"Now the moment you've all been waiting for. The champion selection." Dumbledore raised his hand up towards the fire around the room and put them out. The room grew darker with only the blue light from the goblet illuminating it.
The fire turned read and a piece of paper was spit out. Dumbledore caught it and Madelyn reached for Fred's hand before looking up at him and pulling it back. He frowned at this, he wanted her to hold his hand. Though, he was not bold enough to grab it back.
"The Durmstrange champion is Viktor Krum." Cheering sounded around the room as the champion stood up and walked towards the front, shaking Dumbledore's hand.
The fire spit out again, this time a prettier piece of paper with gold ribbon around it.
"The champion from Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour." Everyone clapped for her as she stepped up to him as well, standing next to Krum. "The hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory!"
As soon as he name was yelled, Madelyn turned towards him and immediately wrapped her arms around him. He smiled as his friends cheered around him before he let go and walked up to Dumbledore.
"Excellent! We now have our three champions, but in the end only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory, the triwizard cup!"
Gasps emitted around the room as the glowing trophy was revealed. Students started clapping and cheering, happy for the champions that were selected.
Madelyn bugged Fred and motioned to the goblet once she noticed it turning red again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Snape notice it to.
"What's happening?" She asked Fred, concern written on her face. He didn't say anything, mostly because he didn't know the answer but also because he took this opportunity to trap her hand back. He squeezed it to calm and tell her everything will be okay.
Another piece of paper was spat out, Dumbledore caught it and immediately looked around for Harry.
"Harry Potter. Harry Potter!" The students turned to look at him, some with anger and some with concern. Hermione pushed Harry up and towards Dumbledore.
Madelyn squeezed Fred's hand tighter.
The room was silent as he walked up to him before being handed the paper that read his name. He walked up to the rest of the champions, McGonagall giving him a reassuring pat on the back.
Professor Dumbledore dismissed everyone and Fred grabbed Maddie's hand to lead her through the crowd.
+
"Harry wouldn't put his name in the goblet Ron!" Madelyn was currently in the common room with Ron and the twins. Hermione and Harry had gone to bed but Madelyn refused to let Ron go to sleep without realizing he's wrong.
"He obviously did! How do you suppose his name got in the goblet? Huh?" He was snapping back at her with just as much force as she was. She couldn't believe how he wouldn't believe his best friend over some stupid piece of paper.
"Snape could've done it." George suggested and she turned to him and thanked him.
"Oh yeah, Snape. He probably has more things to worry about than getting us in trouble!"
"Ronald, Im sorry that you're to blind to see that your best friend is scared out of his mind right now. He already has so much to worry about, why would he put his name in the goblet? Give me one good reason."
"My moneys on Mads." Fred and George exchanged money, betting on the two as they watched the fight play out.
"W-well, he could've- he-"
"Exactly." She placed her hands on her hips and stared up at the boy. She would always defend her friends even if it was towards another one.
"Oh fuck off. I still can't believe he doesn't hate you yet, I mean your father being a death eater and all." Fred immediately stood up in front of Madelyn to defend her. He knew that this was a touchy topic for her.
"Go to bed, Ron." Ron huffed before stomping up the stairs like the dramatic ass he is. "He'll come to terms with it eventually." He placed his arms on the girls shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze before he and George made their way to their dorm.
+
Ron did not come to terms with it.
Hermione, Ron, and Madelyn stood in the Owlery. Hermione and Ron were fighting about Harry, again. After that night with Ron, Madelyn decided she didn't want to be in the middle of it any more.
Madelyn was opening a letter from her father, she had received three since she arrived at Hogwarts but was too scared to open them.
She ripped open the envelope of the first one, surprised to see it wasn't like the screaming one Ron got his second year, but just a normal letter.
Madelyn,
We will speak about this when you get home when the school year is done. I assume you will be staying at school after the dance this year, yes?
You should talk to Draco about it. Maybe he could take you.
I am very disappointed in your behavior, Madelyn. I hope you did not go to the game with those Weasleys. They are bad for you, you know that.
Alex Willows
She rolled her eyes already hearing his exasperation on the word Weasleys. She sighed when she read over the last paragraph.
She picked up another letter and ripped it open as well.
Madelyn,
I heard about the triwizard tournament champions. It's unusual that four were picked, I guess nobody was expecting it.
Isn't that Potter boy your friend? Wish him good luck for me.
I hope you are doing well. I love you.
Alex Willows
She scoffed at the way you could see his mood change through the letters. He always did this, one minute he was brutal the next he was a kind and loving father.
She didn't understand him. At all.
She sighed and opened the newest letter as Hermione and Ron kept arguing. She looked up for a moment to see Hermione hitting Ron in the head with a stack of paper.
Madelyn,
I have some company over this week, we are discussing some important things that you will be hearing about when you get home this summer.
I hope you are studying and doing well in your classes. And if you don't answer another one of my letters I will march down to Hogwarts myself and pull you out.
Alex Willows
What would he be discussing that I would need to know about? Her father never let her know about anything they talked about. The whole floor where they had their meetings was closed off to her.
What would he possibly need to tell her?