I looked around the courtyard at people wearing changing badges but I couldn't read them. Draco was in a tree with his friends and Cedric was lying down on a bench with his group of Hufflepuff friends. I walked up to Isaac and grabbed his shoulders turning him so I could read the badges. It read,
CEDRIC DIGGORY TRUE CHAMPION
I brought my face a little closer as the pin changed and read,
POTTER STINKS
My jaw dropped. "Why would someone-"
Then it clicked. I whipped around and stomped my foot.
"DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY! GET DOWN FROM THAT TREE OF GLORY AND EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"
I ran forward knocking into Harry sending us both to the ground.
"Sorry, Harry!" I said scrambling up.
He just nodded his eyes trained on the Hufflepuff group. He walked over to them and his friends started jeering. Cedric and Harry started walking off from Cedric's friends. I turned back around and stomped over to Draco.
"Were these badges your idea?!" I yelled.
"Might have been. I had a lot of help, though."
"No kidding! Everyone in the school is wearing one!"
Draco shrugged. "Want one?"
He rummaged in his pocket for a badge and tossed it to me. I caught it and watched it turn from a nice yellow-orange to a disgusting puke green
"Why so tense Potter?" Draco taunted as Harry passed. I looked up at Harry who was approaching. This isn't going to end well.
"My father and I have a bet you see. I don't think you're gonna last ten minutes in this tournament." Draco jumped down from his "tree of glory" and walked to Harry. "He disagrees. He thinks you won't last five."
"I don't give a damn what you or your father thinks Malfoy." Harry pushed Draco. I put my forehead into my hand. "He's vile and cruel, and you're just pathetic."
Harry walked away and Draco angrily tried to pull out his wand. Moody appeared from behind a column.
"Oh no, you don't sonny!"
A jet of light was emitted from his wand and suddenly Draco was turned into a pure white ferret.
I gasped and threw my hand to my mouth. "I'll teach you to cast when someone's back is turned. You stinking, cowardly, scummy." Moody started bouncing Draco up and down on every word.
"Professor Moody!" McGonagall yelled running into the scene along with Cedric's friends. "What- what are you doing?"
"Teaching." He replied simply.
"Is that a- is that a student?!" McGonagall cried.
"Technically it's a ferret."
He grabbed Crabbe's pants and shoved Draco down there. My jaw dropped even further. Goyle ran up to Crabbe and tried to grab Draco The Ferret in Crabbe's pants. Goyle quickly whipped his hand out after being bit by the ferret. Draco ran out of Crabbe's pant leg and McGonagall flicked her wand turning Draco back into a human. He scrambled to his feet.
"My father will hear about this!" Draco yelled backing up.
"Is that a threat?!" Moody asked advancing on Draco.
"Professor Moody!" McGonagall shrieked.
"Is that a threat?!" Moody continued.
"Professor!"
Draco ran away after their chase around the tree.
"I could tell you stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair boy! It doesn't end here!"
"Alastor. Alastor. We never use transfiguration as a punishment. Surely Dumbledore told you that." she said sharply to Moody holding her wand up to him.
"He might've mentioned it."
"Well you will do well to remember it." she turned around and shooed everyone off. I noticed that when McGonagall had her back to Moody, he gave her a mocking face
I went off towards the library when someone grabbed my hand. I look around my shoulder at Cedric who was walking next to me. We both stopped and looked at each other.
"The first task is dragons." He said.I acted surprised by gasping. Cedric bought it. "I know, it sounds crazy. But Harry just told me."
I nodded and thought about if for a second. "Alright. I know for sure Fleur is just as much as a fairy princess as Moody is, Krum isn't the smartest but Karkaroff is. Harry might not be the smartest and most talented but he does have ways of getting help when he needs it... What was your highest grade your O.W.L.s last year?"
He replied quickly. "Outstanding.
"In what?"
"Transfiguration and Herbology."
I nodded. "I think we have to go with Transfiguration," I thought out loud.
I grabbed his hand and brought him to our tree. I picked up a nice rock that could fit in my hand and weighed nicely. I picked up a stick, some leaves, and grass. We walked back to the castle and into the classroom. I went over to the desk and placed the materials in a row.
"Show me what you can do Pretty Boy," I said waving my hand across the desk. He quickly turned the stick into a rose and put it in my hair.
"Of course."
. . .
Cedric and I practiced until the 21st of November when went to Hogsmeade for a break. We now figured out what he was going to do with his dragon. He was going to turn a rock into a dog to distract it while he ran for the egg. It was now the 24th of November and I was heading toward the Champions tent trying to sort out my papers and hold my healing materials in my arms. I pushed the tent fabric over and stepped in. The champions were pacing nervously but they all spotted and looked at me . I smiled slightly and dumped everything onto a table.
"'Vat is all that?" Krum asked me. I gave them all a sympathetic smile.
"Well, I couldn't tell any of you but Dumbledore asked me to be the healer once you all get your eggs. I knew about the dragons beforehand and couldn't talk about it. For the past months, I've been researching them and certain types of wounds."
Outside we could hear Dumbledore announcing the First Task was about to begin. The champions started to get more anxious and paced again. There was a roar of a dragon in the distance. Harry walked over to the entrance of the tent and put his ear to it. What is he doing? I placed my notes on the table so I could read each one. I had my healing materials set around the place for easy access. I turned to look at Harry who was still at the entrance when Hermione jumped in and gave him a hug. There was a flash of light as Skeeter and her cameraman walked in.
"Young love! Ohh how.. stirring. If everything goes, unfortunately, today you might make the front page." I scowled at her and Harry and Hermione pulled apart, blinking from the flash.
That little...
"You 'ave no business here. This tent is for champions and friends." Krum said advancing on Skeeter. She looked at her quill and back at him quite flabbergasted that Krum was talking to her.
"No matter. We've got what we wanted," she said flicking the end of the quill at his face.
Skeeter left and Dumbledore entered the tent along with Filch, Madam Maxime, Karkaroff, and Crouch.
"Good day champions. Gather round please." Dumbledore instructed. The champions gathered around him in a circle.
"Now you've waited, you've wondered and at last the moment has arrived. The moment only four of you can fully appreciate." He finally noticed Hermione standing next to him "What are you doing here Miss Granger?"
"Oh um.. Sorry, I'll just go." she said before she hurriedly left the tent.
"Barty. The bag." Dumbledore instructed.
"Champions, in a circle around me. Miss Delacour over here, Mr. Krum, and Potter, Mr. Potter over here that's right. Now. Miss Delacour, if you will..." Crouch held a velvet bag up to Fleur. I watched over Harry's shoulder as Fleur put her hand in the bag and pulled out a little green dragon.
"Welsh Green," Crouch told her. She looked up at Madam Maxime who whispered something to her.
"Mr. Krum." Krum stuck his hand in and pulled out a little red dragon. "The Chinese Fireball. Oooooh."
Crouch said turning towards Cedric. Cedric put his hand in and pulled out a little silvery blue dragon.
"The Swedish Short-Snout. Which leaves..." Crouch turned to Harry.
The horntail. Oh, Merlin no no no no NO!
"The Horntail..." Harry muttered.
"What's that boy?" Crouch asked.
"Nothing." "Harry put his hand in the bag and pulled out the last dragon. I gasped, causing everyone to look at me. I blushed.
"S-sorry... I-I'll just prepare the stuff." I stuttered backing up.
"The Hungarian horntail. These represent very real dragons, each of which has been given a golden egg to protect. Your objective is simple, collect the egg. This you must do, for each egg contains a clue without which you cannot hope to proceed to the next task. Any questions?" Crouch asked. No one said a word.
"Very well. Good luck champions. Mr. Diggory the sound of the cannon-" Dumbledore was cut off by Filch letting the cannon blow. Cheers erupted throughout the stadium. Cedric walked up to the entrance and paused looking at me. I nodded in reassurance. He swallowed and walked out.
. . .
I paced and paced, waiting for Cedric to come back in. I heard someone commentating what was happening. Suddenly there was an uproar of gasps and screams, especially one of pure pain, but cheers came shortly after as Cedric came stumbling into the tent holding his face. I ran up to him and grabbed the egg, pulling him to one of the beds. He laid down and I pulled out the burn cream. I twisted the cap off and applied some to my hands. Cedric had tears in his eyes from no doubt the pain of the burn.
"Dragons... dragons! They want this to be safe and they choose dragons!" I gently pulled Cedric's hand from his cheek and applied the cream. He yelped in pain and jerked his head away as I rubbed it onto his cheek. He grabbed my arm.
"Shhh," I said trying to sooth him. His teeth were gritted and his eyes were tightly shut. His breaths were ragged and his muscles were tense. I placed my other hand on his other cheek to keep his head still as he began to calm down. His breathing became more even and he loosened his jaw, opening his eyes.
"You're right. It should have been who can ride the unicorn the fastest." Cedric said with a grin. I laughed. I stroked his non-burned face with my hand and inspected the burned side.
"Looks better. You did great, I'm sure."
He smiled. Merlin, I love him so much.