Olivia left the office and made her way to the barrels. Inside the noise was deafening. When she walked in everyone started cheering for her. She gave them a timid smile and searched out Cedric and Jo.
She found them in the corner talking. "Ced can I talk to you for a second? Please?" She asked, he stood and they left the barrels standing outside the door.
"Ced, I just wanted to talk to you. I want to explain to you that, I really didn't enter my name. You can ask Jo, I told her even if I was old enough I wouldn't do it. For that solid minute before my name came out of the goblet, I was just so happy to get to celebrate you and cheer you on. I don't want you to think I'm trying to take this away from you in anyway. Your friendship means so much to me." Olivia explained.
Cedric listened with a neutral face. "You really didn't enter?" He asked seriously.
"I swear on my magic that I didn't. Nor did I put Harry's name in." She pleaded.
"I believe you Ollie." He finally said after a pause.
"You do? Oh thank Merlin. I've been so worried that this would ruin our friendship." She said hugging him.
"You'll always be my friend." He told her. They both went back into the barrels and celebrated with their house.
The next morning, Olivia rolled over in her bed and realized that none of it was a dream. She got up, dressed, and made her way to the Great Hall.
People she passed kept congratulating her, and she would just give them a smile. In the Hall, she searched out the twins at the lions table. She plopped herself between them and laid her head on her arms.
"There she is!" Fred said happily, patting her back. She raised up and glared at him. "Oi! What's with the attitude?"
"Yeah? You should be thrilled! I can't believe you didn't tell us you was entering or how you got passed the age line! But still we are happy for you!" Said George
"I didn't enter my name. I didn't want to be in it, I wouldn't have even if I was old enough. I tell you both everything, I wouldn't have kept this from you if I did do it." She told them playing with her porridge.
"Alright, you didn't put your name in. Got it. But you're still in the tournament, so what did they say about the first task?" Fred asked eagerly.
"It's on November 24th, and they aren't telling us what it is to test our daring, and courage." She huffed.
"Okay so we have a little less than a month to get you ready." said George nonchalantly handing her toast and pushing her porridge away from her.
Olivia took the bread and ate a bite. "What you mean we? We have to get me ready?" She asked
"You didn't think we would let you do this all on your own did you?" said Fred, smiling.
"So you'll help me? You guys are the best! Thank you!!" said Olivia kissing them both on the cheek.
Ron sat down on the other side of the table looking grumpy. He started loading up his plate.
"Oi whats got your knickers in a twist?" said George
Ron looked up at them and then noticed Olivia. "Ollie you'll tell me how you and Harry put your names in the Goblet won't you?" He said
"Ron, we didn't put our names in." She explained
"Fine then don't tell me either." Said Ron, and he went back to muttering to himself.
Fred flicked Ron on the forehead. "Ouch what did you do that for?" Said Ron rubbing his head.
"Because you're not gonna talk to Ollie like that. Stop being a jealous prat. Can't change anything now." Fred told him sternly.
Ron glared at his brother and went back to eating. "Ron if it makes you feel any better I would gladly trade you spots." Olivia said and she grabbed his hand on the table. He looked at her and then nodded his head, looking genuinely grateful that she said that.
The next few days Olivia had received more attention than she had gotten at all being a school. The hufflepuffs were supportive of her, they made sure of that. However they seem to be rude to Harry, but no matter how many time she told them it wasn't right to cheer for her and to be rude to him, they didn't stop.
People seemed to notice her everywhere. Guys would go out of their way to open doors for her. People that she had no clue what their names were told her hello, in the corridor. And some girls had kept asking her how she styles her hair wanting tips for their own.
The twins found it all amusing. They would walk ahead of her and pretend to be her body guards, it reminded her of when they done it for Harry when people thought he was the Heir of Slytherin, years ago.
The only peace Olivia seemed to get was in the studio. One evening, she was working on a painting of Helga Hufflepuff that Sprout had asked her to paint to put over the fireplace in the common room.
She was dipping her brush in the paint when she heard the footsteps. Like always she pretended not to notice.
When she was in the studio, Draco Malfoy sometimes would come and play the piano. They had a unspoken rule: I leave you alone if you leave me alone, and neither can say a word about the other.
Olivia listened as the footsteps walked to the piano in the corner and waited for the music to play, but it didn't come.
"Congratulations." she heard behind her.
She didn't turn around, remained facing her canvas. "I come here to get away from people talking about the tournament to me." She said coldly.
"I figured, but I wanted to tell you that." He said.
Olivia heaved a sigh, "Thank you then."
There was another long pause. "I'll be supporting you, but if anyone ask I'll deny it." He said with a light laugh.
"I think it's a shame that you feel the need to hide how you think and feel, to your friends." She said matter-of-factly "What kind of friends do you have if they don't accept you for who you truly are."
She heard him sigh. "The kind that are chosen for you." He said softly.
Olivia turned around and faced him. "No one controls you and your actions but yourself, Draco. You may think you have no choice but there is always a choice. There is always people to help you when you make the right ones too." said Olivia looking him dead in the eye.
He didn't say anything else, he just began to play. And like nothing happened the unspoken rule was active again. Olivia continued to paint and Draco played, falling back into their same old cycle.
The next evening Olivia sat in her DADA class losing interest, Moody was talking about constant vigilance again and she could hardly bare the sight of him let alone his lessons.
There was a knock on the door and Colin Creevey stepped in. "Sir, I'm suppose to take Olivia Evans upstairs." He said. Moody nodded for her to go.
Olivia gathered her things, followed the boy out. "What did you do this time Colin? Mix the wrong potion in the chemicals in the dark room again?" She asked as they walked.
"No, Bagman said to come get you and the other champions to take pictures for the Daily Prophet." He told her stopping outside the right room.
Olivia went inside and seen the other champions, a witch, Bagman, and a camera man. Krum was standing in corner talking to no one. Cedric and Fleur were in conversation and Harry stood with Bagman.
"Come on in Evans, the rest of the judges will be here in a minute for the weighing ceremony." Bagman said "to check wands to make sure they are fully functional, no problems and such."
The witch with the camera man held out her hand, "Rita Skeeter, I write for the Daily Prophet." Said the woman. Olivia shook her hand, but she knew the name. This was the woman that talked so badly about Mr.Weasley.
Harry stood with Olivia as the reporter and Bagman started talking again. "Whatever you do, don't do an interview with her, she's that awful woman that trashed Mr. Weasley." Olivia whispered taking Harry to the side.
"Too late for that." He said and the door opened. And the champions took their seats. The heads, Crouch, Ludo took their seats too, but Dumbledore remained standing.
"May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?" Said Dumbledore. "He will be the one to check your wands to make sure they are in good condition before the tournament." He took his seat with the rest of the judges.
The old wizard stood quietly by the window, he moved to the empty space in the middle of the room. "Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first please?" He said.
Fleur swept over to the man and handed him her wand.
"Hmm..."he said.
He twirled the wand between his long fingers and a few pink and gold sparks emitted. He then held it close to his eyes and examined it carefully.
"Yes," he said quietly. "Nine and a half inches... inflexible... rosewood... and containing... dear me..."
"An 'air from ze 'ead of a Veela," said Fleur. "One of my grandmuzzer's"
"Yes, yes I've never used Veela hair myself of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands... however to each his own, and if this suits you...."
He ran his fingered along the wand and he muttered, "Orchideous!" And a bunch of flowers burst from the wands tip.
"Very well very well it's in fine working order," he said scooping up the flowers and handing them and the wand back to Fleur. "Mr.Diggory, you next..."
Fleur glided back to her seat and Cedric stood and handed his wand over. "Ah now this is one of mine isn't it?" Asked Mr. Ollivander. "Yes I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particular fine male unicorn... must have been seventeen hands, nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and quarter inches.... Ash... pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition... you treat it regularly?"
"Polished it last night," said Cedric smiling.
Olivia noticed Harry trying to wipe down his wand beside her. And sparked glowed out of its end, that made him stop.
Mr. Ollivander sent a stream of silver smoke rings across the room with cedrics wand, pronounced himself satisfied and asked for Krum next.
"Hmm..." the man said. "This is a Gregorovitch creation unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand maker though the styling is never quite what I... however..." he lifted the wand and examined it closely. "Yes hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" Krum nodded. "Rather thicker than one usually sees... quite rigid.. ten and a quarter inches... Avis!"
The wand let off a blast like a gun and a number of small twittering birds flew out of the end and through the open window.
"Good, next Miss Evans?" He said. Olivia stood and handed over her own wand. "Oh yes, another of mine... I remember very well, of course when you came into my shop I was stunned by the resemblance... but however this wand... ash... eleven and a half inches... solid flexibility... and yes dragon heartstring. I remember this dragon. A Peruvian Vipertooth...." He said and gave a small snort. "Yes, it was much like you my dear. Copper in color and the smallest of its kind....But what they don't know is that they are one of the most deadliest dragons and the fastest of all. I believe I only ever made 1 wand using the heartstrings of a Vipertooth. And it selected you. Very rare indeed."
He looked at the wand closer, "Miss Evans, I wouldn't suggest using paint to polish you wand." He joked rubbing off a smudge of yellow paint.
"Sorry," she said kindly with a smile.
"No need for that..." he said and he waved her wand. Twinkling golden stars burst from it, actual stars- not sparks. The stars floated down and landed softly in Olivias hair. She smiled at the snowflakes of stars as they faded away. Mr. Ollivander smiled too, and handed back her wand. "Very rare indeed."
Olivia took her seat next to Harry, it was his turn now. Across the room, the judges seemed to have raised brows and taking notes. More so was Crouch, Karkaroff and Madame Maxime. But she paid it no mind and smiled proudly.
Mr.Ollivander took Harry's wand, "Yes yes yes how well I remember...." He took a long time examining the wand. And finally shot a foundation of wine out of the end and handed it back, announcing it was in perfect condition.
"Thank you all," Dumbledore said standing up from the judges table. "You may go back to your lessons now- or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner as they are about to end-"
"Photos Dumbledore photos! All the judges and champions don't you think Rita?" Said Bagman.
The pictures seemed to take forever after several group shots and the individual shots, they were free to go.
Before she left though, she spotted Mr. Ollivander in the corner waiting for Dumbledore. Olivia walked over to him. "I just wanted to say thank you for helping today, Mr.Ollivander. I feel as if many people today forget to thank others for their kindness. So allow me to make up for them on their behalf." She said sweetly.
He smiled at her. "Ah, yes, I have been doing this for a very long time you see, and I must say it's nice to know that there are still kind people in this magical world of ours." Dumbledore had walked over to the pair.
"I see our Ollie here has given you her famous warm welcome. You must let her tell you a joke... but perhaps another time. Dinner, Mr. Ollivander?" Said Dumbledore.
Olivia let the old wizards walk away and she headed to dinner herself.