Triwizard Tournament
"Didn't you hear? Or see?" I shook my head. I hadn't even shown up to the meal, as I had been searching for books to help me with my schedule.
Monday
8:00-Potions
10:00-Charms
12:00-Lunch
1:00-Transfiguration
3:00-Arithmancy
6:00-Free Period
Midnight-Astronomy
Tuesday
8:00-Care of Magical Creatures
10:00-Defense Against the Dark Arts
12:00-Lunch
1:00-History of Magic
3:00-Arithmancy
6:00-Free Period
Wednesday
8:00-Potions
9:00-Transfiguration
11:00-Charms
12:00-Lunch
1:00-Defense Against the Dark Arts
3:00-Arithmancy
6:00-Free Period
Midnight- Astronomy
Thursday
8:00-Charms
10:00-Care of Magical Creatures
12:00-Lunch
1:00-Potions
3:00-Arithmancy
6:00-Free Period
Friday
8:00-Care of Magical Creatures
9:00-Transfiguration
11:00-Potions
12:00-Lunch
1:00-Charms
2:00-Advanced Study of Ancient Runes
8:00-Free Period
Midnight-Astronomy
I was definitely regretting asking about an advanced Ancient Runes class, but it was too late now. I was walking with Luna, avoiding the stares of a few Beauxbatons girls, who had taken to me for some reason.
"I heard about the Quidditch Cup. Are you alright?" She had gone with her father to root for Ireland, and she nodded.
"Yeah. We left before the Death Eaters arrived." I sighed, and put an arm around her.
"I'm glad you're okay." She leaned on my shoulder, enjoying the moment, but we were interrupted by a girl from Beauxbatons.
"Vould you like to valk vis me, instead of... 'er?" She pointed at Luna in mock disgust, and I scowled at her. She was pretty, I would say that, but I thought Luna was much prettier. I continued to scowl, and, when she didn't move from her spot, I spoke quietly.
"I will never sit with you over Luna. Or any of you. You're not even very pretty anyway." She balked, shocked, and moved out of the way. We continued, giggling at her face, before resuming the walk. Luna looked at me for a moment, and spoke.
"Dugan, can you tell me something?" I nodded, and she continued.
"Did you know that we were going to have the Tournament?" I nodded, and she nodded to herself.
"Is Dumbledore going to enter you for the tournament, in case Harry gets in somehow?" I nodded again, surprised by her astute guesses.
"Is Harry one of You-Know-Who's Horcruxes?" I coughed, gasping in surprise whilst trying to swallow the sudden lump in my throat,
"W-What?" She smiled, and turned to face me.
"You talk in your sleep." I frowned.
"You watch me sleep?" She blushed, and nodded.
"Sometimes, yes. I didn't want to wake you up once I saw how well you were sleeping." I frowned deeper.
"Why were you in my dorm?" She shrugged, a little embarrassed,
"I had had a nightmare, and the people in my room are not very open to talking about watching your mother die over and over again in your sleep. So, answer my question." I looked around, making sure that no one was anywhere near us, before nodding.
"But you can't tell anyone, especially Harry. And, next time you have a bad dream, wake me up." She giggled, and we resumed our walk, turning slowly to return to the castle.
~
"Dugan?" I was instantly awake at the sound of Luna, and I turned over to see her standing by my bed, tear stains running down her face.
"Come here, Luna." I sat up, and she crawled into the bed next to me, wrapping her arms around me. I hugged her in return, patting her hair, and rubbing her back, for a while before she spoke.
"Thank you, Dugan." She drew back, and sighed.
"I know it would be too much, but if I could stay here tonight? The dream was worse this time." I nodded, and pulled the sheet back so she could climb in. When she had, I wrapped it around her, and pulled the blanket over us. My arm was under her neck, and I slid the comfiest pillow I had under her head, before leaving my fingers into hers. We laid like that for a little, her quickly falling asleep, me slowly, wondering whether she had been crying in her sleep or awake, before dropping into a restless sleep.
~
The next morning, I was woken by a glass of water spraying all over my face. I spluttered, sitting up, and saw that the douser was in fact Ginny Weasley.
"Dugan Kehoe! You bloody-" I shushed her, seeing Luna still asleep next to me. She quieted, looking at me angrily as she radiated fury. I quietly slipped out of the bed, and followed her to the common room.
"Dugan Kehoe! You bloody idiot! I'll kill you, you know that?" I raised my hands, face still dripping water, glad I had dried the sheets with my wand.
"I didn't do anything! She had a nightmare, and I invited her to... Okay, I see how that might look bad. But we didn't do anything, I promise. We just slept together. Not like that. We fell asleep in the same bed. There." She steamed, and I was beginning to regret leaving my wand in my robes. She stared at me, huffing and puffing, until I was certain she was going to hex me. Before she opened her mouth, I heard a voice from the stairs.
"Ginny? How did you get in here?" She turned, and spotted Luna.
"I guessed the question right, I suppose. Now, did you and Dugan do anything last night?" Luna looked at her in that dreamy type of face, before speaking.
"No, we didn't. I had a nightmare, he hugged me, and I crawled into bed with him because I felt safer." Ginny frowned, relieved, and turned to me, my hands still raised, and spoke darkly.
"If you ever do anything, anything without her permission, you'll wish you were dead when I finish with you." I balked, backing up a few steps, and she stormed out of the common room.
-
At the reading of the names, I waited nervously, Luna next to me, as Fleur Delacour was chosen from Beauxbatons and Viktor Krum, Bulgaria's Seeker, was chosen from Durmstrang. It now came down to Hogwarts. The goblet belched out a slip of paper, and Dumbledore caught it, pausing for a second. While he did, the goblet threw out a fourth slip. He read them both quietly.
"Dugan Kehoe... And Harry Potter." I bowed my head sadly, knowing that Dumbledore had guessed true, that someone was trying to get to Harry, and it was now my job to protect him. Ignoring the stares from Ravenclaw table, I rose, Luna gripping my hand tightly before letting go, and met Harry at the doorway, walking past the frantically conferring teachers. We entered a small room lined with paintings of witches and wizards, where the other two waited.
"Zo, vich one of you iz zee champion 'or 'ogwarts?" Fleur spoke, and I sighed.
"We both are, I'm afraid." She looked at me strangely, but we were interrupted by Ludo Bagman entering.
"Incredible. Simply incredible." He shunted me out of the way, making straight for Harry, so I stepped back into a corner, and shrank a few inches to hide better. Fleur noticed this, and gasped. I waved her off, and sat in the corner, surly at being ignored (I don't know why, I normally love isolation). Suddenly, the teachers from all three schools entered, and the conversation stopped. They conversed angrily about how Harry was too young, he shouldn't be allowed to compete, and even considering the fact that Dumbledore was cheating, Mad-Eye made his appearance, and they talked more. Karkaroff kept glancing at me out of the corner of his eyes, while Madame Maxine looked incredulous. Eventually, they stopped, and called the four of us up in front of them. I reluctantly moved from my corner, standing in line with them. Bagman spoke.
"We have decided that you all will compete, as the goblet has chosen the four of you. Your first challenge is one of daring, so that we will not tell you what it is. You may not accept or ask for help from teachers, and the information from the second challenge is to be given at the end of the first. As of this, you are exempted from end of year exams." I sighed with relief, and McGonagal eyed me severely. After some more conversation, the champions exited, leaving me alone with Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape.
"Severus, Minerva, stay for a moment, will you?" They stopped, and Snape opened his mouth to speak about Harry once more, but Dumbledore held up a hand.
"Now. I must inform you of something that is to be held in the deepest secrecy." Snape turned, drew his wand, and muttered a spell aimed at the door. I was curious as to what he had cast, but McGonagall spoke, eying me.
"Are you sure we should have this conversation? With certain people present?" He pondered this for a moment, and nodded.
"Wise thought. Minerva, Severus, if you will excuse us for a moment?" She was shocked, as was Snape, but they left, shutting the door. He spoke.
"So. We know that someone entered Harry, but now our goal is to find out who." I frowned in thought.
"It would have to be one of Voldemort's followers. No one else would be brave enough to go after Potter here, especially with you here. Did you notice how Karkaroff watched me?" He nodded, and continued.
"Or with you here, I would say." I snorted, and interrupted.
"As if. You have experience, I do not." He smiled painfully, and replied.
"Yes, but you know more about the Dark Arts than anyone save Lord Voldemort, and that might not even be true." I smiled humourlessly at the compliment, and sighed.
"So, the first task. We both know, but how are you going to accommodate?" He shrugged.
"I sent for a backup after our conversation. I figured it prudent." I nodded, drawing my wand absentmindedly. I played with it, drawing pictures with fire, as we sat there silently. Out of the blue, he spoke once more.
"Dugan, do you know how to make a Horcrux?" When I nodded, he continued,
"Would you? Have you thought about it, at least?" I shrugged.
"I've thought about it, but I don't think I'd kill someone to live forever." He nodded.
"There may come a day that you do, though I'd hope it is in the far flung future. I've seen people do terrible things trying to reach immortality, Dugan. I hope you don't do it, but I accept it as a possible occurrence." I nodded, and waved my wand, dissapating the picture, and headed for the door.
"Good luck." I smiled sadly, head bowed, and exited, running right into Luna.
"Hey, are you okay?" I nodded, and we walked through the now empty Hall together, my arm around her. I spoke quietly, telling her of the situation, and she nodded along.
"Okay. Well, we've got to get you ready, then." I looked at her in surprise, and she smiled.
"Are you sure? It's going to be dangerous work, finding the correct spells, working out strategies, and such." She shrugged, and I sighed.
"Alright then, let's head to my dorm. I've got a few books on dragons..."