"I have climbed this hill and I shall die on it!" I declared, dropping my shoulders. I had fought a long and hard battle- this I knew- and after years of fighting, I was ready for surrender. Years of toil and anguish had prepared me for this moment- 

"Clover, it's only ten minutes into Transfiguration!" 

Classes, naturally, started on Monday, and I was not at all happy about it.

Time had flown by at Hogwarts- assignments set, due, done, the cold had set in, digging its icy claws into the warm castle, leaves were falling, flowers had bloomed, crumpled, and fallen.

The nightmares that have haunted me since the first week had been temporarily banished when Artemis suggested having a relaxing routine to take away the stress of the day and something comforting I could hang onto.

The tea I am more than fine with.

The stuffed fox, however, I did not see coming. 

Artemis had blushed furiously when she gave it to me, mumbling something about connections in Hogsmead (as to where she got it), something about I didn't have to take it- I hugged her. And then told her to go away. And then fell asleep with the fox, named, of course, "Ezra"- part of Artemis's full name, Artemis Ezra- Sanders. 

Isn't that cool? Her initials are AES, which is also every two letter of her name.  Artemis. 

"Miss Hawkings, perhaps you would like to tell us how to welcome our guests."

Professor McGonagall's voice cut sharp. I just stared. What? 

"Our visiting schools, Drumstrang and Beauxbatons," she clarified, but I still had no idea what she was talking about.

"Ummm, don't punch them?" 

"Setting the bar a little low,'' McGonagall sniffed, and I suddenly recall my first meeting with Artemis."I want you all to remember the Tournament is not an opportunity to forget or skip off our academic studies. We must be kind and respectful of our guests, and show our best- and, as Miss Hawkings so wisely said, "do not punch them"- but remember, your OWLs are this year, and I expect you all to do your absolute best."

I nodded importantly, hoping this would cover up for me not having any idea what she's talking about. 

"Now, in today's lesson, you will be getting into pairs and transfiguring this goblet into a life form. As you know from our last class, life forms are ranked in transfiguration from earthworms and other insects to a magical being, like a dragon or phoenix. The pair with the highest form in the next hour wins. You may choose your groups- go!" 

"Work with me?" I ask Alura, who's conveniently next to me. About, hm, yesterday, I realized that her terrifying glare and sass only applied to people that weren't "friends".  I'm still not sure if I'm in that category. 

"Sure," she said, placing the goblet Professor McGonagall handed out between us. 

I jabbed my wand and mutter an incantation under my breath, and- to my amazement and delight- the goblet turned into a raven. 

"Nice!" Alura said above its loud crowing, "now how do we get it to shut up?" 

"Silenco?"

"Silenco!" she agreed, waving her wand, and giving it an extra twirl that caused blue butterflies to shoot out the end of her wand. "Whoops."  

I laughed. "I like them."

She grinned. "Now what?" 

"There's a cat," I offered, "or dog."

"Or- wait.'' Alura twisted around at her seat and hissed to Scarlet and Artemis, "the first one to win gets next kitchen order!" 

"What odor? I don't smell anything!" Scar yelled back over the deafening noise of their dog's yapping.

"Nevermind!"  

 "A badger!" Alura murmured a spell under her breath and flicked her wand downwards. We would win if this worked!

....and nothing happened. 

"Did you say it right?" I frowned. "I mean, it's kinda a jump, anyway, right?" 

"I think so," Alura said, peering over her notebook, "but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be used on humans onl- AHHHH!!"

"Wha- AGG WHAT THE BLOODY FU-RICK!" I shrieked, along with some other un-ladylike words as I ran away.

It was called for.

There was a freaking badger, five feet tall and seven feet wide, standing on my desk. It roared  (do badgers even roar??) and slammed a chubby paw into the desk, smacking it into splinters. 

Professor McGonagall yelped and headed towards us, other pairs were stopping, staring, and running.

It snapped its huge jaw at the butterflies. 

"Why's it so big!"  I wailed to Alura, who was crouched under someone else's desk (they took one look and ran).

"I don't know, maybe it ate the butterflies!" 

Alura stood up and slowly began to walk towards it (I screamed) ''It doesn't seem...harmful."

"It's a bloody badger!!" 

"Maybe we could keep it!" 

"Keep it?"

Professor McGonagall had stopped now, her wand was held limply in her hand, she looked like she was trying very hard not to laugh. 

Alura stood up on the table- Artemis shrieked and Scarlet gave a jump. 

"Hey little guy," she said softly. With a flick of her wand, she made blue bubbles appear. The badger swatted it with its stubby paws. 

"It's kinda cute," Alula said, slowly moving her hand towards its fur, "and super soft!" she added as the badger nuzzled her arm, eager for more bubbles. 

Alura stood there on the table, surrounded by blue bubbles and butterflies and chaos- chairs knocked over and desks underturned in people's haste to get away- watched by three pairs of fearful eyes and one amused, one hand stretched out towards the huge furry creature and the other to the air to keep her balance. 

"..Alura..." I began, but the sight of it was so odd and somewhat magical I couldn't help stopping. 

"Miss Lovegood, you may come down now," McGonagall said, eyes never wavering. 

Slowly Alura clambered off the table top. "What's to be done with her?"

 "There are several badgers on campus, as a matter of fact. Your badger may join them- if you all agree to serve your detention making sure it transitions properly. Or I could transfigure her back..." 

"No!" 

"All of us?" I asked. "Not both?"

McGonagall nodded to Scarlet and Artemis. "I assume your friends are coming?" 

"Heck yeah,"  Artemis said, while Scarlet nodded vigorously. Friends? 

"Then you four will meet Professor Hagrid at his cabin Wednesday evening? Or perhaps we could make other arrangements- I'll transfigure it back to a goblet and you serve detention with Professor Snape? I hear it's frog pickling season. " 

"Yes, Professor Hagrid's, please," Artemis said, always the diplomat, while Alura yelped: "Hell yeah, Hagrid!" 

"AAHHHHH I can't WAIT!!"  Scarlet shrieked. "I mean, yeah, I guess so." 

McGonagall smiled- smiled- and then said, "be on your way then;  I expect Professor Flitwick will be worried." 

"You don't need help cleaning up?"

"No, no, off with you, I'll take care of the badger!"

"Bye," Alura shouted behind her.  

And so us four friends- apparently that's what we are now- gathered our things and headed out of the rubble-strewn classroom. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"How did you do that?" Scarlet hissed once we were heading towards Charms. "I thought she would give us detention for a month!" 

"That happened once," I admitted. "And then she banned me from Hogsmeade for the rest of the year. I kinda deserved it- I set a might pack of Nifflers on Filch. Anyways, I know some people." I winked exaggeratedly, hoping they assumed something more along the lines of I saved someone's life or blackmailed someone instead of how I've had McGonagall over for tea. Multiple times. 

Artemis covered her mouth in shock and Alura laughed. "Good grief, aren't you a trouble-maker?"

"In the best way possible," I said, trying very hard not to smirk.

"If you were any older, I'd make you try out for the Triwizard," Scarlet agreed, still looking pale from her encounter with the badger.

I stopped. My blood suddenly felt frozen (was this a sign of high blood pressure?) "The what?"

"The Triwizard Tournament," Artemis said. "You know, three champions, different schools, stopped because the death toll was so high-"

"As in Drumstrang, fluttery butterfly ladies, and Hogwarts Triwizard? As in champions-are-sure-to-die kind of Triwizard? That one?"

"That's the one," Alura agreed, while Artemis giggle, presumably because of "fluttery butterfly ladies".

"People could DIE! Death Eaters could come, they could get eaten by a dragon, kidnapped, eaten by something not as heroic as a dragon!! The list goes on!" This couldn't be a coincidence. Death Eaters at the Cup, now this? Not to mention it's the seventh anniversary of-

I shut down that thought before it could form.

"We know," Scarlet said sympathetically. "It doesn't seem safe at all. But supposedly Crouch and Bagman and all sorts of old stuffy people are coming to make sure no one dies. There's even going to be an "imperial judge" and everything! And a super fancy reward I bet, and a thousand Galleons! Just imagine! "

"Well that's reassuring," I snapped, walking again. "How could Dumbledore let that happen?"

They all shrugged.

"He introduced this at the feast, I suppose?" I asked, wishing desperately I wasn't desperately wishing they would notice that I hadn't been at the feast, I was flying in the cold September air back to Hogsmeade Station to get my trunk when this grand reveal had occurred. 

"Yeah, it was great, everyone was talking about it!" Scarlet squeaked. She faltered. "But- weren't- weren't you ther-" 

"Ladies!" Professor Flitwick called, for we were now outside his door. "Come in, come in- you're late. Next time it's detention!"

"Sorry Professor," Scarlet mumbled. "There was a badger incident."

She looked so ashamed (for what, I don't know. Being late after a badger almost ate you?) that I made the next, cringy joke purely so her sake.

"Sorry if we are badgering you, Professor!"

No one laughed.

"Tough crowd," I mumbled to The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five.

I wasn't in the mood for joking anyway. My mind was swirling with questions and mostly that nasty temper of mine.

How- why- would they let this happen?

If they had seen what I had- the careful planning during all those years, heard what I had, seen what He is capable of- I don't think they would ever attempt to try until he is long dead.

Unfortunately, he's not.