"Living rationally and authentically means understanding that life centrally involves making leaps of faith, both small and large, and that the value of living is to a large extent the value of experiencing your life, whatever that experience is."

L.A. Paul

CEDRIC:

The morning of October 30, I walked into the Great Hall to see that it had been transformed overnight to welcome the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. I smiled at the sight of it, then scanned the room to find Cho. She was sitting by herself at the Ravenclaw table, nose buried in her Transfiguration textbook.

"Good morning, beautiful," I said, pressing my lips to her cheek in a swift kiss. "How are you this morning? Did the potion I gave you for your headache help?"

"Good morning," she replied, blushing as she set her book down. "It did, thank you. I feel alright, but I bet I'll feel even better once today's Transfiguration exam is behind me."

"I know you'll do brilliantly, darling, but is there anything I can do to help?"

She shook her head, black hair swishing around her face. "Just my typical pre-exam nerves. What about you? Are you nervous at all for tonight?"

"For once in my life... not really." I smiled. "On one condition, that is."

"Oh? What might that condition be, may I ask?"

"Will you come with me, when I enter?"

"Of course," she replied, smiling back at me. "I'm offended you even had to ask."

"I didn't have to ask, but I wanted to. It feels more official that way."

Cho laughed. "Always the gentleman, aren't you?"

"I try to be." I kissed her cheek once more. "Best of luck on your test, darling. See you at lunch?"

"Mhm," she murmured, already reading again. I smiled to myself. That's my girl.

I looked up at the doors just as Lucy was walking in, by herself, oddly enough. A quick glance at the Gryffindor table confirmed that the twins were already there, heads bowed together as they spoke in low voices. I crossed the room quickly and greeted her with a smile.

"You're looking rather cheerful," she commented, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you if you'd come with me when I enter my name, whenever and however that happens," I said. "I want you and Cho and Henry to be there, since I wouldn't be doing this without you."

Lucy smiled. "Of course, Ced. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Great, thanks. Now I just need to ask Henry."

"I can't imagine he'd say no," she giggled, "but good luck regardless, I suppose." Her eyes wandered to the Gryffindor table, and she pursed her lips when she spotted the twins. "Oh, this can't be good. I better go see what's wrong."

"Any guesses?" I inquired, curiosity gnawing at me. The twins were so rarely serious, it was a bit disconcerting.

She nodded, rolling her eyes. "Oh yeah, I know exactly who this is about. I just don't know what went wrong this time. I'll see you tonight at the feast if not before!" With that, Lucy firmly planted herself between the twins and looked back and forth between the two of them, not even needing to verbally ask what was going on before they began to explain in hushed, serious tones.

I finally made my way over to the Hufflepuff table and sat in the same seat I had claimed for six years to wait for Henry. Before he arrived, though, Beatrice slid in to my left.

"Good morning!" I greeted.

"Hi," she replied, immediately reaching for her typical mug full to the brim with black coffee.

"How are you?"

"As well as can be expected for a seventh-year." Her hands trembled slightly as she lifted the cup to her lips. "At least I don't have to worry about the Tournament too. You know you're absolutely insane, right?"

I grinned. "Perhaps. But I'm just entering, the chances of me actually being chosen are slim to none."

Beatrice rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up and stop being modest. If you enter, you'll be chosen, everyone knows that."

"You're not wrong, Bea," Henry said, sliding in on my right. "Can't wait to watch you enter. How will you enter, anyway? Who's the judge?"

"Not sure yet," I replied with a shrug. "So you'll go with me when I enter?"

He gave me an incredulous side-eye after a moment. "Wait, was that a genuine question? Because I thought it was obvious." He grabbed a piece of toast for himself and passed me the basket. "Now eat up, future champion, today's a big day."

Classes passed in a bit of a blur. Before I knew it, I was helping Professor Sprout shepherd the Hufflepuff students into lines. The whole school filed out of the Great Hall, whispering and murmuring and giggling with excitement, and formed a block in front of the castle. Hufflepuff was between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, and I found myself in the very back with the twins on my left and Henry on my right, considering we were among the tallest students in the school. I scanned the sea of maroon and gold for Lucy, but she was nowhere to be seen. That's odd...

"Do you two know where Lucy is?" I asked.

They followed my gaze.

"Well, there are Harry and Ron and Hermione a couple rows up-"

"Maybe she's with Neville and Ginny --- nope, not there either..."

"She wasn't trying to follow us, right?"

"Not unless she was planning on standing on our shoulders, she'd never see from here."

"Oi! Harry!"

Harry's head turned, and he glanced around for a bit before realizing it was the twins that had called him.

"Where's Lucy?" they asked in unison.

"With Hagrid!" he called back. "Skrewt trouble! He grabbed her after Potions!"

"Thanks!" I said, flashing a thumbs-up to show I understood.

He smiled and shrugged apologetically, in a You know how she is kind of gesture. I chuckled, knowing all too well how he felt, and he turned back around.

"Hagrid asked Lucy for help with the blast-ended skrewts?" Henry repeated, sounding somewhat shocked.

"Yeah, she's been heading down to help him with them since the beginning of the year," Fred (or George? I thought it was George) explained. "She loves them."

"She does?"

"Come to think of it, she hasn't met a creature she doesn't love," I remarked.

Before any of us could explain further, Professor Dumbledore announced, "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"There they are!" I called, pointing everyone in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

"Good spot, Seeker Boy," Henry teased.

"I will forever regret telling you Brandon called me that," I laughed.

My eyes had not deceived me; surely enough, a massive winged-horse-drawn carriage landed on the lawn. A boy jumped out and fiddled with something that soon gave way to a set of golden stairs, and the largest woman I had ever seen stepped out --- I think I even heard a couple of people gasp when they saw exactly how large she was. She appeared to be even taller than Hagrid, a feat I had thought nearly impossible.

Professor Dumbledore began applauding, and we students quickly followed suit. She smiled as she shook hands with our headmaster, about a dozen students emerging from the carriage wearing baby blue robes that matched the carriage.

"My dear Madame Maxime, welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr. I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you."

Madame Maxime waved a hand behind her. "My pupils."

"George, I reckon we could get rich quickly if we invest in the sweater-knitting business now," Fred muttered, drawing snickers from everyone in earshot. It was clear that the Beauxbatons students were freezing, none of them having cloaks, or sweaters, or anything more than silk scarves and shawls.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime inquired.

Professor Dumbledore shook his head. "He should be here any moment. Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think, but ze 'orses-"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other --- er --- charges."

Madame Maxime frowned. "My steeds require forceful 'andling. Zey are very strong."

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," he replied cordially.

"Very well. Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to."

The Headmistress nodded, beckoning to her students. "Come."

"Remind me to make sure Lucy doesn't try to help," I mumbled to Henry. "Those horses are..."

He nodded. "They'd crush her instantly."

The twins snorted in agreement.

"The lake! Look at the lake!" Lee Jordan shouted suddenly.

Every head snapped in the direction of the Black Lake just as a massive ship emerged. Durmstrang had arrived.

These students were well-prepared for the October chill, compared to the poor Beauxbatons students, wearing massive cloaks that made them look like bears rather than students.

The Durmstrang Headmaster approached Professor Dumbledore with a wide smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Dumbledore! How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," he replied, shaking the man's hand.

He grinned up at the castle. "Dear old Hogwarts. How good it is to be here, how good. Viktor, come along, into the warmth... you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold."

"Viktor Krum?" Henry hissed incredulously. "Bloody hell, it is!"

He was completely correct; Viktor Krum approached Professor Dumbledore and Professor Karakoff, and he helped lead everyone else into the castle.

Once everyone was seated and silenced, Professor Dumbledore addressed the Great Hall.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and --- most particularly --- guests. I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The Tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

My stomach jolted unpleasantly, and I felt my heart beginning to beat faster in my chest. The time to do what I had been thinking about for two months at that point was approaching... rapidly.

A couple of Beauxbatons students --- one girl and one boy --- settled across from me, smiling and adjusting their hair subtly. I knew what they were trying to do, but I smiled politely as the boy introduced the pair.

"I am Christophe Laurent, and this is my sister, Sophie," he said, extending a hand, which everyone around shook.

"I'm Cedric Diggory," I replied. "Welcome to Hogwarts!"

"I'm Henry Furls." Henry offered a friendly smile too. "Are you two twins?"

"We are, unfortunately," Sophie said with a laugh.

"We have twins, too, sitting at the table with the red banner. Fred and George Weasley." I glanced over at the Gryffindor table just as Lucy slid in between them, her brow damp with perspiration but seemingly unharmed. "My sister just sat in between them."

Sophie's hand flew to her mouth, and she whirled back around to face me. "What happened to her face?" she whispered.

"There was an incident in her first year," I explained, a familiar pang of sorrow in my gut. Her scars faded more every year, and I barely noticed them anymore, but Sophie's question reminded me that Lucy would carry that burden forever.

"Long story short, there's a reason it's called the Forbidden Forest," Henry said, saving the day as always.

I blinked hard and returned myself to the conversation. I had to mention Cho, just to spare myself a potentially awkward situation later. "There's another set of twins, too, in different houses." I scanned the other tables over their shoulders. "I see one of them sitting next to my girlfriend at the Ravenclaw table, actually!"

Both Christophe and Sophie's faces fell slightly at the mention of the word "girlfriend," but neither commented further.

Archie slid in on my other side. "I can't handle Draco's arse-kissing," he muttered in explanation. "I tried to stay at my designated table, I really did, but I just can't take it." He glanced up and smiled at the twins. "Hi there! I'm Archie. I'm technically not supposed to be here, I'm a Slytherin, but I like to say the Hufflepuffs have adopted me. Say, you're from France, right? Does Paris actually have extensive underground sewer systems like in Les Misérables?"

"Ah, you are also né Moldu?" Sophie inquired, immediately intrigued by Archie's... well, Archie-ness.

"Half-blood," he replied, somehow knowing the French translation for Muggle-born. "I think blood supremacy is stupid. Magic is cool and all, but I like Les Misérables and Lord of the Rings and Star Wars too. How about you two?"

Archie easily carried the conversation while Henry and I absorbed all of the unfamiliar terms in silence. It was just as well --- I was beginning to get anxious, very anxious, and I doubted I would have been able to make good conversation anyway.

Once everything had been eaten, Professor Dumbledore rose again to address the room. Henry bumped my shoulder with his encouragingly, and I offered a smile in response. Holy Helga Hufflepuff, I was nervous.

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "The moment has come. The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

Both men rose briefly to acknowledge the room. I glanced over at the Weasley twins, sure they'd be excited to see such a legendary Beater, but for whatever reason, both boys were scowling, and Lucy was muttering something to the twin I thought was Fred. That's odd...

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament, and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

The room seemed to draw its collective breath.

"The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

"They really couldn't think of a better name than casket?'" Archie mumbled under his breath, drawing quiet laughter from everyone who heard him.

Mr. Filch carried himself with an air of dignity we rarely saw as he placed the so-called casket in front of Professor Dumbledore. It was in fact not a casket in the sense we had all imagined; quite the contrary, it was a beautiful chest adorned with jewels that sparkled in the candlelight.

"Wouldn't mind being buried in a casket that looked like that," Archie whispered. "Though I doubt I'd fit... oh well, you could always just shove me in there. I wouldn't care, I'd be dead."

Everyone around us snorted quietly again. Archie's commentary was appreciated; it lightened the mood.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman, and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways: their magical prowess, their daring, their powers of deduction, and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

My mind began to race through the checklist. Magical prowess? Hardly. Daring? No way. Powers of deduction? I was decent at wizard's chess, but not great... but ability to cope with danger? That was Lucy's area of expertise, not mine. I didn't know the slightest thing about danger.

And yet, in the middle of my doubt, I remembered why I had decided to enter in the first place.

I realized early on in my time at Hogwarts that reputation was a powerful thing. It followed me everywhere, from the very first day onward. I was expected to be the best in the class, I was expected to know what to do when the world fell apart. Nobody bothered to ask if I'd been chosen as prefect and Quidditch captain... it was just assumed. (Correctly... but still.) I had every reason to have all of the confidence in the world, right?

But I didn't. I could still recall the horror and helplessness I felt when Madam Pomfrey was petrified while my back was turned in my first year. And in my second year, all of the conversations over Gobstones with Adalyn where she assured me that popularity wasn't my fault and wasn't anything to fear. And in my third year, finding out that my sister had nearly been killed in the pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone while I was asleep. And in my fourth year, reliving the terror of unexplained petrifications left and right and just trying to keep my head above water, for my sake as well as everyone else's.

My fifth year, O.W.L. year, was the worst by far. I spent nearly every waking minute studying, preparing, working. Because... what if after everything I'd done, I still wasn't good enough? What if the good marks I'd earned the past four years had just been luck? Or worse, lies or favoritism or sympathy? I couldn't accept the possibility of failure, so I did everything in my power to make sure it wasn't an option. And in the end, I'd succeeded, earning top marks in everything, but I still had my doubts.

When Dad first mentioned the Triwizard Tournament, my initial reaction was one of absolute refusal. I wanted nothing to do with it. I told myself and everyone else that it was so I could rebuild the relationships I had let slip in my mad studying, but once I was reassured that no such thing had taken place, I was left asking myself why I was so adamantly against the Tournament.

Fear was the answer, simple enough. But it wasn't the fear I had been expecting.

I realized that all my life, I'd feared I wasn't actually everything people thought I was. I was afraid of fire, because fire burns away everything that isn't true; gold could endure a fire, but nearly anything else in the world would eventually succumb to the flames. What good was the Golden Boy who had nothing left after the fire had burned? I hid my doubts behind layers upon layers of what I realized had the potential to burn away --- always reaching out to help others but never asking for help myself, always going the extra mile in my studies and my relationships and my Quidditch practice, always holding myself to the same high standard everyone else learned to expect from me. These things were all good, of course, but... I realized I was more to me than what I did. Beneath all of that, there was... me. As I was. Unapologetically untouched by influence or expectation.

I realized that I had always run away from fire because I feared what it might expose. I feared that the fire might reveal that in reality, I was less, so much less, than what everyone expected me to be.

But I decided I was done running. The Triwizard Tournament was a fire. One with spectators and expectations and vulnerability. And, for the first time in my life, I decided to run toward the fire rather than away from it. I was done letting fear hold me back. I was a Hufflepuff through and through, but I wanted to see what it was like to be brave like a Gryffindor. Like Lucy... the bravest person I knew.

And if I were chosen? I would rise to the occasion like I never had before.

So, magical prowess? I would dig my heels in and do the work I needed to do to succeed, but I would trust myself when the moment came, too.

Daring? I didn't feel particularly daring, but when someone was in distress at St. Mungo's, I was often the first person on the scene. And when Lucy was nearly killed in her first year, I had run into the Forbidden Forest without second thought. So I supposed there was an element of daring already within me somewhere.

Powers of deduction? I had been around some of the wisest healers in the wizarding world all summer. Surely, I reasoned, I had learned something of deduction from their analysis of symptoms and various experimental treatments.

And ability to cope with danger? Well... I didn't know much of danger, but Lucy did. She was the bravest person I knew. And if she could cope with danger every single month of her life, surely I could handle three tasks, especially considering the three tasks were closely supervised and meticulously planned to be as safe as possible.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament, one from each of the participating schools," Professor Dumbledore continued, suddenly jerking me from my thoughts. "They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Professor Dumbledore reached down and drew from it a wooden cup filled with brilliant blue flames.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete." He paused to let that sink in. "To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation, I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line. Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

The room immediately erupted with hundreds of excited voices as people began to leave.

Henry grabbed me by the arm and asked in my ear, "When do you want to enter?"

I watched as Professor Dumbledore placed the Goblet of Fire on the stool that typically hosted the Sorting Hat. I thought to myself how appropriate that was; in a sense, for me, choosing to enter the Triwizard Tournament was rather like being Sorted again.

"Tomorrow morning," I decided. "Probably rather early. I don't want everyone watching, but I don't want to do it tonight either."

"You are still planning on entering, right?" Archie asked. "You're not just trying to delay it so long you run out of time?"

I laughing, nodding. "I'm still planning on entering."

"You are of age as well, then?" Christophe inquired.

I nodded again. "I turned seventeen a little over a week ago. Will you two be entering?"

"Definitely!" they said in unison, drawing laughter from all five of us.

"Well, we should be going now," Sophie said, "but it was wonderful talking to you all, and we will see you in the morning!"

"Best of luck!" Christophe waved, and the twins were on their way.

Archie rose. "I hope Snape doesn't get mad at me for bailing on the Slytherin table. Guess I'll find out. Night, you two!"

"Night, Archie!" we called.

My eyes strayed back to the Goblet, now in the center of the room.

"Are you thinking about entering now?" Henry asked, reading my mind the way he always did.

I nodded.

"Lucy and Cho are walking over," he said. "If you just want the three of us around and no one else, tonight would probably be a good idea. Hell, we could do it in the middle of the night. Head back to the common room, wait for things to settle down, then come back just the four of us."

I pursed my lips. "I like that idea."

Lucy and Cho slid into the empty seats previously occupied by the Beauxbatons twins.

"What're you thinking, Ced?" Lucy asked. "When do you want to enter?"

"I was originally thinking about entering first thing in the morning, but now..."

Cho reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "It's your call, Cedric. We'll come whenever you're ready."

I ran my free hand through my hair, eyes straying yet again to the Goblet. It was practically screaming at me to enter.

Of course it was the Goblet of Fire, of all things, that decided the champions. Fire, that I had always feared. Fire, that I decided I didn't want to fear anymore. Fire would be what determined the course of my life for at least the rest of the school year, and possibly forever after that. It seemed too perfect to be mere coincidence; rather, I was exactly where I was meant to be.

I glanced around the room. We were nearly the only people left.

I squeezed Cho's hand and looked into her beautiful amber eyes. "I'm going to do it now. I just need a piece of parchment."

"The pad of parchment we always keep in the common room for anyone who needs it?" Henry suggested.

"Sounds good," I agreed. I glanced at Cho and Lucy. "Fancy a trip to the Hufflepuff common room with us, or do you want to wait here?"

"I can go get the parchment," Henry said, jumping up from his seat. "Which quill do you want out of your bag?"

I chuckled. "Any quill will do, Hen."

"No, no, he has a point," Cho said.

"Yeah, Ced, it has to be special!" Lucy insisted. "You have the special parchment from the Hufflepuff common room, so you need a special quill too. Ooh, Cho, didn't you get him a fwooper feather quill last Christmas?"

"I'll grab that one!" Henry decided, disappearing from the Great Hall.

"You don't look nervous at all anymore," Lucy commented. "Are you?"

I hesitated a second, then shook my head. "Actually... no. Not at all." I looked back at the Goblet of Fire. "You know, I've spent my life running away from fire. Both literally and metaphorically. But I don't want to be afraid of it anymore. I want to prove myself, in a real way."

Cho furrowed her brow in confusion. "Prove yourself? You do realize you're... well, you, right?"

"I know it must sound strange," I admitted sheepishly. "But I want to prove myself to myself."

"You want to prove to yourself that you're more than just what people see from the outside?" Lucy clarified.

I nodded. "Exactly."

When Henry returned, I wrote my name on the piece of parchment with Cho's quill.

"Wait, if you used Henry's parchment and Cho's quill, I want to be represented, too!" Lucy exclaimed suddenly. "Oh, I know."

She removed her pygmy puff necklace from her neck and draped it over mine. I grabbed my own so the yellow and red pygmy puffs were displayed together on the outside of my robes and grinned at her. "How do I look?"

"Great!" she reported with a smile. "Come on, let's do it."

At this point, we were the only ones left in the Great Hall. The torches were burning low, meaning a blue glow hung over the room. I stepped over the Age Line and lifted a trembling hand to the Goblet of Fire. I hesitated for half a second, then drew a deep breath. Lucy, Henry, and Cho were behind me; the future and whatever opportunities it may bring were ahead.

I dropped the slip of paper into the fire, and an overwhelming sense of joy and exhilaration overcame me.

I jumped out of the Age Line into Henry's arms, seeing as he was the only one who would be able to support my body weight. And he did, hugging me back tightly as Lucy and Cho joined in on the sudden group hug.

I had done it.

I slept soundly that night, far more soundly than I honestly expected. The next day passed in something of a daze; I didn't really want to watch everyone else putting their names in, knowing it would only make me more nervous, but I received updates throughout the day anyway as Henry and I camped out in the common room, playing board games and helping younger Hufflepuffs with homework.

Ernie Macmillan was the one who told me Angelina Johnson entered. Susan Bones was the one who told me Cassius Warrington entered. I heard from Archie about the people who tried to enter but failed, among them Fred and George Weasley (of course), Sasha Fawcett, and Adrian Summers. When the time came to head to the Halloween feast, I couldn't help but feel some of my anxiety returning. I'd entered, sure, but what if I was chosen?

Henry bumped my shoulder with his. "You okay?"

I nodded. "I'm okay."

He studied me for a second longer. "Liar. You're nervous."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you'll be just fine either way. If you're chosen, excellent. You get exactly what you wanted. And if you're not, that's alright too. Learn guitar with me, take Cho on dates around the castle, play more informal Quidditch games with the same group from last week. Chosen or not, this will be a good year, Ced. I promise."

"Thanks, Henry, I needed that." I took a deep breath in through my nose and released it through my mouth. "Well, here goes nothing."

Just before I stepped into the Great Hall, a voice called, "Diggory!"

I glanced up just as Professor Moody limped over to Henry and me. "Yes, sir?"

"Did you enter?"

I nodded. "I did, sir."

A smile spread across his face. "Excellent. Well, best of luck to you tonight."

"Thank you, sir," I replied, managing a smile in return despite my nerves.

The Great Hall was abuzz with excited murmurs and apprehensive glances toward the goblet in the center of the room. I kept my head down during dinner, Henry nudging my knee with his from time to time. I wasn't nervous, necessarily, at least not the way I had been the night before, but to say I was cool, calm, and collected would be a complete lie.

In time, the plates were cleared, and Professor Dumbledore commanded the attention of the entire room.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision! I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber, where they will be receiving their first instructions."

I swallowed hard, nerves beginning to crawl up my throat. I instinctively inched closer to Henry; he was always the person I looked to for a foundation when my world turned upside down. He inched closer to me too, until our thighs were pressed up against each other under the table. The physical reminder of Henry, alongside me as always, helped to still my shaking hands and slow my racing mind. What was done was done. All that remained was the Goblet of Fire's decision.

Professor Dumbledore extinguished the torches with a wave of his wand. I locked eyes with Cho for half of a second, her beautiful face complemented nicely by the blue glow of the flames. She smiled encouragingly, and I smiled back. I then turned to Lucy, who looked nearly as nervous as I felt. Still, she offered me a smile and a thumbs up, which I returned as optimistically as I could.

Suddenly, the Goblet of Fire burned red and ejected a piece of parchment. I stiffened as Professor Dumbledore snatched it from the air, but it wasn't for Hogwarts.

"The champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum!"

I joined in the thunderous applause that shook the Hall as he disappeared from the room.

The Goblet flashed red again, and ejected another piece of parchment.

"The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"

"That leaves Hogwarts!" Archie announced, kicking me under the table.

I nodded, my hands suddenly slick with cold sweat. I stared unrelentingly at the Goblet of Fire, holding my breath, waiting for it to turn red a third time, to decide who would represent Hogwarts...

The blue flames turned red. A final piece of parchment shot into the air. I watched as Professor Dumbledore reached forward... grabbed the paper... adjusted his glasses... opened his mouth...

"The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory!"

A/N: Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this insight into why Cedric Diggory (in my canon, anyway) decided to enter the Triwizard Tournament!

Thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! See you all in the next chapter for Lucy's reaction to the events that unfold next!