The Tri-Wizard Tournament was just around the corner, a prestigious, dangerous tradition between the Wizarding Schools.
As one of the top students at Ilvermorny, the Northern American school of witchcraft and wizardry, you were among the delegation of students observing the tournament at Hogwarts this year.
Upon arriving, you immediately noticed the differences between the schools. Hogwarts buzzed with liveliness and laughter in stark contrast to Ilvermorny's rigorous focus and silence.
As Dumbledore began introducing each school, you listened eagerly behind the Beauxbaton girls until you heard your cue.
"Welcome Ilvermoney, from Northern America!"
The hall erupted into applause and cheers as your delegation burst into the hall, performing impressive charm work to showcase Ilvermorney's magical prowess.
Among the first students to enter, you cast your charms and glided across the floor effortlessly, following suit of your Headmistress as you made your way to the front of the hall. Simultaneously, you took in the sight of all the Hogwarts students, their colors blending in seamlessly as many curious looks were directed your way.
Just then, your gaze locked with a striking pair of grey eyes–a warmth beginning to spread within you.
A boy in yellow, with a charming smile adorning his face, stared at you intensely, his pupils seemingly getting brighter the longer he held eye contact with you. His silky brown hair was slightly tousled, contrasting his neatly put-together robes.
Seeing this mysterious boy made your heart skip a beat, and seeing you, so did his. But you quickly refocused to avoid messing up the routine and infuriating your Headmistress, completing your part with precision.
Still, as the applause of the Great Hall filled the air after your entrance ended, you couldn't help but glance back in the boy's direction.
To your surprise, he was still staring at you.
–
The announcements for the Tri-Wizard Champions were approaching fast. Everyone was on edge, placing bets on who they thought would be chosen.
You quickly learned that the boy staring at you was none other than Cedric Diggory, a well-liked boy at Hogwarts with a rather enthusiastic fan club.
Most bets were placed on him, Angelina Johnson–a talented quidditch player you've talked to once–and a few others whose names you couldn't quite recall. Many students, however, were bummed out by the age limit, including some of your new friends: the 'Golden Trio' and the ever-mischievous Weasley twins.
"Come on, Cedric. Put it in!" a student shouted, pushing him forward toward the age line where the goblet of fire was placed. You were sitting beside Hermoine chatting idly when his group of supporters practically shoved him into the circle.
Cedric smirked as the crowd eagerly watched him, not yet noticing your presence before turning to face the goblet. But as he approached, he caught your eye.
Cedric's steps faltered for a moment, his gaze lingering on your face before flashing you a flirtatious smile and dropping his name into the flames, attempting to impress you with his courageousness.
And to no surprise, it worked.
You were so distracted by Cedric's lingering stare and his dashing smile that you hadn't noticed Fred and George Weasley preparing their scheme to outsmart the age line.
“It’s not going to work,” Hermione muttered with a knowing sigh, rolling her eyes as the twins popped into view with their usual shenanigans.
"Oh, yeah?" George grinned.
"And why is that Granger?" Fred added, finishing each other's thoughts.
The brunette huffed before pointing at a faint white ring surrounding the goblet.
"You see that? That is an age line. Dumbledore drew it himself", she said as if that alone explained the futility of their plan.
"You really think you could fool Dumbledore?"
You nodded in agreement, amused by their determination. But despite Hermione’s warning, the twins proceeded to act out their plan: drinking an unknown potion and crossing the line anyway, only to be flung back spectacularly. The entire hall roared with laughter as not only did their botched potion leave them with beards, but the two brothers began scrambling to blame each other.
Hours later, after dinner had wrapped up, the time finally came for the selection of the champions.
As expected, Cedric, Fleur, and Krum were chosen by the goblet and called to represent their respective schools. But just as you thought it was over, two more names shot out of the Goblet. To your shock, one of them was your own, and the other, Harry Potter.
Your mind reeled. How did your name end up in the Goblet? You were only supposed to be observing, not competing. All eyes turned toward you and Harry as you nervously made your way toward the other champions. Cedric included as he too couldn't fathom how your name was entered into the goblet.
As you walked forward, you met your headmistress’s gaze. She looked at you with an expression of confusion and disapproval, but there was no turning back now.
Though you hadn't expected this, the competitive spirit that Ilvermorny had fostered in you began to surface. You weren’t one to back down from a challenge, and whatever lay ahead, you would face it head-on.
–
The day after the selection, things were beginning to get more hectic. Ron and Harry were arguing, the Weasley twins kept pestering you about how you got your name entered, and some of your classmates began making snide comments–calling you "cheater" and "show-off".
It was getting to you. You just needed a break away from everyone.
But, as you were making your way back to your room, trying to figure out your next steps now that the first task was being kept a closely guarded secret, a warm voice called out behind you.
"Hey, you!"
You turned around, instantly meeting those familiar grey eyes. A smile tugged at your lips.
"Cedric."
The boy’s lips curled into a smile–at the fact that you knew his name–as he jogged up to you, slightly out of breath.
"I've got something you might find useful for the first task," he said, a playful gleam in his eyes. Suddenly feeling bold, you stepped closer. Your face now inches from his, teasing him slightly.
"Oh? And what's that, Diggory?" you asked, your curiosity peaked.
He leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. "The first task. It's dragons."
You noticed the way his eyes flickered across your face, a nervous swallow betraying his calm demeanor as he quickly glanced away and stepped back to regain his composure.
"Hagrid showed Harry earlier, and he ended up telling me. Thought I’d give you a heads-up... since out of all the champions, I’m rooting for you to make it through," he added with a wink before turning to leave.
You smiled as you watched him walk away, your heart racing with both excitement and anticipation–not just because of the tournament, but because you knew you were going to start liking Cedric, more than you cared to admit.
Unknowingly to you, he also began to feel the exact same way.
–
You were grateful Cedric had warned you about the first task. Normally you were confident in everything you did, but as your turn approached your anxiety spiked. To top it off, you were finding it difficult to face the reality that you were up against the Hungarian Horntail—the most dangerous of all the dragons.
"It's almost your turn, [your name]" your Headmistress called, peeking through the curtains as she watched Fleur narrowly escape with the golden egg in her hands. The crowd's cheers confirmed her success.
"Three of our champions have now faced their dragon and so each one of them shall proceed to the next task! And now, our fourth contestant from Ilvermorny," Dumbledore's voice boomed, "[your name]!"
Taking a deep breath, you rose from your seat next to Harry, whispering, "Wish me luck, Potter," before stepping into the arena. Anxiety swirled your chest as you got closer, but you kept your composure as the large applause to your appearance washed over you. You spotted some of your classmates cheering in the stands–Hermoine and Ron smiling with thumbs up and of course, Cedric clapping in the front row, cheering your name. But sat next to him was a girl in blue who looked at you with cold indifference.
It was unsettling–just the realization that strangers who didn't know you had already fostered a sense of hatred towards you. But, you pushed it aside, refocusing on the task. The golden egg gleamed a few feet ahead of you, but before you could move any closer, a thunderous roar echoed from behind sending chills down your spine. There it was: the Hungarian Horntail flaring its nostrils and preparing to lunge in your direction. Before it could pounce on you, you veered to the left, casting weak spells as you ran; Most missed, and those that landed only inflicted minimal damage.
Panic proceeded to bubble up inside you as the scent of smoke began to fill the air—the dragon was preparing to unleash its deadly flames. Quickly, you bolted and hid behind a large rock.
But then you had an idea. A risky one, but if successful would stun the dragon.
From your cover, you sprang out, shouting, "Glacius!" Ice formed in the dragon's throat, cutting off its fiery breath. The crowd roared seeing the dragon struggle and thrash its neck around. Seizing the moment, you then cast "Depulso!" sending rocks and debris hurtling toward the creature, knocking it backward and creating more distance between you two.
This gave you a critical opening.
With the dragon momentarily dazed, you sprinted full speed toward the golden egg.
Though its flames were silenced, the beast still swung at you, its massive claws just missing as it gained on you. Casting a few more spells to slow it down, you found yourself just a few feet from your goal. Simultaneously in the stands, Cedric watched with clenched fists, his expression torn between admiration and worry, as he watched the dragon attempt to take hits at you.
He had only just begun to like you, and seeing you in such danger made his heart pound like crazy.
Luckily for you though, with a final burst of energy, you lunged forward and were able to snatch the golden egg, narrowly dodging the dragon’s sweeping tail. The crowd erupted into thunderous applause and Cedric shot to his feet, cheering louder than anyone– oblivious to the jealous glares from the girl beside him and the confused glances from his fan club.
But as he stood there, his heart pounding, Cedric couldn't shake the feeling of relief that washed over him. You two were supposed to be competing against each other, yet all he cared about was knowing you were safe. Why did he feel so much lighter, so much happier, just watching you succeed?
Perhaps it wasn’t about competition anymore. Somewhere between his stolen glances and quiet admiration, you had already begun to charm your way into his heart. And now, knowing he’d have more time in your presence, that thought alone was enough to make him forget the tournament, the rivalries, and the jealous stares around him.
All that mattered was you.