"𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚖𝚢 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕. 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢. 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍. 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚎 '𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚎."

𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕝 𝕄𝕪 𝔾𝕚𝕣𝕝 - 𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝔻𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

"Okay but that's enough for me to know I don't like him."

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

"This is barbaric!" Hermione shouted angrily.

"What's wrong?" Y/N asked as she and Harry turned to see Hermione's upset face while they were hanging out in the courtyard. 

Hermione's face halted for a moment when she saw Y/N. It was written all over his face that she thought she was only going to find Harry outside. 

"I thought you were studying with Theo right now?" Hermione asked holding something behind her back. 

"I was supposed to, but he got detention for throwing his potion ingredients on Draco's hair as a joke," Y/N explained. 

"What's so barbaric?" Harry asked looking at her oddly. 

If there was one thing Hermione wasn't good at, it was lying to her friends. Despite having glasses Harry couldn't see the oblivious, but Y/N knew that Hermione was hiding something. 

"What's that behind your back?" Y/N asked suspiciously. 

"What?" Hermione asked, acting like she hadn't heard what Y/N had just said. 

"Why are your hands behind your back, Hermione?" Y/N said staring at her as she slowly got up from her seat. 

"I don't know what you're talking about Y/N," Hermione scoffed. "Umm...I have to go meet Ron," she said quickly, starting to back away so the two couldn't see what was behind her. 

"Hermione Jean Granger," Y/N said sternly. 

"Fine," Hermione said, removing her hands from her back and showing the papers she had in her right hand. 

"And I thought when Hermione uses our full names it's scary," Harry muttered following Y/N to where Hermione was standing. 

"The Daily Prophet?" Y/N said taking the paper from Hermione's hands. "Why are you hiding this from me?"

"No reason," Hermione said quickly. "There you saw what was in my hands, might I have it back please?"

Y/N pulled the prophet away from Hermione's hands but she was quicker and snatched the paperback. 

"Hermione, give it," Y/N said sharply.

"No," Hermione said harshly standing her ground.

Harry's eyes went from Y/N's stern gaze to Hermione's stern gaze, as they were both heavily scowled at each other.

"Read the paper yet Sinclair?" Y/N heard a voice taunt. 

She looked up to see Pansy Parkinson walking towards her, Hermione, and Harry with Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind her. 

"What happened to Malfoy?" Hermione sneered getting protective of Y/N. "Got bored of you three?"

"No one was talking to you mudblood," Pansy spat. 

"And no one was talking to you pug face," Y/N snapped back, stepping in front of Hermione. 

Harry wasn't surprised at how quickly Y/N and Hermione had come to each other's defenses despite them fighting just seconds before. They were vastly different but also incredibly similar making them truly like sisters. 

"What do you want Parkinson?" Harry asked, running an annoyed hand through his hair. 

"Like I said," Pansy said turning back to Y/N. "Have you read the paper yet?"

Hermione ripped the paper she was holding into quarters right in front of Pansy. 

"No she hasn't, and she doesn't need to," Hermione said scowling at the girl. 

Pansy laughed, or more like cackled, and grabbed another copy of the Daily Prophet from Goyle's hands. 

"Here you go Sinclair," Pansy said, handing Y/N a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Happy reading."

She gave Y/N a smirk and then walked off snickering with Crabbe and Goyle back into the castle.

"What is she on about?" Harry said scowling after the snobby Slytherin. 

Y/N didn't answer. She opened the half folded paper, despite Hermione's protests, trying to see what Pansy had been laughing her head off about. 

The top of the page was titled, "The Fall of the Sinclair Family"

"What bullshit is this?" Y/N asked looking towards Hermione, but all she did was look down at her feet. 

Under the title was a photo of Y/N, her parents, and Rue. She recognized it as one she had been forcefully roped into at the Malfoy's party over the summer. Y/N felt her heart drop when she saw Rue's smiling face with an arm wrapped around her. 

Despite her mother and father's wishes of neutral faces in photos, Y/N and Rue always smiled during the photos, giving they were always sarcastic and it drove her parents.

Harry rested his chin on Y/N's shoulder as he read the article with her. He looked closely at the picture in the paper. Y/N's hair was elegant and her outfit was undeniably gorgeous, however, that wasn't what made his heart skip a beat. It was the smile that she wore not only with her lips but with her eyes.

She definitely wasn't wearing that face at the moment. 

This previous summer has not been kind to the Sinclair family. F/N Sinclair and M/N Sinclair have been reported dead after not being found after a Death Eater attack, and Rue Sinclair has been murdered by her own kind after casting the dark mark at the Four Hundred and Twenty seventh Quidditch World Cup. 

Rue Sinclair was a seemingly bright young witch who worked in the Auror office. Sadly the evidence of recent events has come to light, and it is obvious that she orchestrated an attack on Muggles at the World Cup with unidentified others. There were thousands of families there enjoying a nice summer day. It is seen that she casted the dark mark into the sky after causing a riot but was killed by another death eater as a poorly planned cover-up. 

Her younger cousin is in emotional distress at this betrayal. It is unclear if she is a death eater herself and she was unavailable for comment.....

Y/N stopped reading. The rest was just packed with more and more lies about her, Rue, and she was even upset about the digs at her parents.  

Even though Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair are pronounced dead, they were never found after disappearing. It is obvious that they had a high connection to the Dark Lord before and after moving to America. We can guess they made their way back to their master faking their deaths to serve You-Know-Who indefinitely.  

Y/N crushed the article in her hand not wanting to read anymore. She thanked Merlin the only people who knew about the letter her parents left for her were Harry, Hermione, and Ron. She wasn't going to let anyone else know that information if shit like this was going to be written. 

"I didn't want you to see it," Hermione said softly picking up the paper from where Y/N had tossed it on the ground. "I know it's all lies—"

"Who wrote it?" Y/N asked, her voice dangerously cold. 

"I-I don't know," Hermione said. 

"Here let me see," Harry said holding out a hand to take the crumpled paper. 

He unfolded it and tried to smooth it out as best he could.

Directly under the title was the name of the author. 

by Rita Skeeter

"Who is Rita Skeeter?" Harry asked sharply.

"Better question. What exactly does she know about my family," Y/N said with the same coldness.

"From my understanding," Hermione said. "She writes for the daily prophet."

"This is full of complete lies," Y/N said retaking the paper and ripping it into shreds, "And now the entire British and Irish community thinks me, and Rue were...or are...death eaters."

Y/N took a breath starting to feel her heart rate escalate. Her hand subconsciously went to play with her locket that was dangled from her neck. 

"She's dead and they're still digging in on this...She wasn't a death eater....and my parents are dead," Y/N said angrily. 

"The daily prophet doesn't leave Britain or Ireland," Hermione assured. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault Mione," Y/N insisted taking both Hermione's hands. "You were just being protective, I probably would have hidden the article from you if it were me."

When the three walked into the Great Hall slight faces turned when Y/N entered. 

There were at least five copies of the daily prophet at each house table and groups of students seemed to be highly invested in what they had to say. 

A group of Gryffindors looked at Y/N with a disgusted look while a group of Ravenclaws turned away from her gaze. 

Y/N caught the eye of Gryffindor girl, Romilda Vane, who eyed her as if she was going to randomly pull out her wand and put the killing curse on her. 

Cho thankfully sent Y/N a sympathetic smile but Pansy just smirked at her as she took a seat at the end of the Slytherin table avoiding anyone's eye as she reached to put food on her plate.

Before she could even get a roll from the table, she stood up and silently left the Great Hall. More and more people were whispering amongst themselves about the fourteen-year-old 'death eater'.

She decided to walk the halls but there was always someone gossiping or someone who turned to walk the other way when she walked by them. 

To avoid a group of Hufflepuff girls who had started whispering as soon as Y/N got to the second floor, she ducked into one of the girl's lavatory.

"Who are you?" Y/N heard a light airy voice ask. 

Y/N turned around from the door to see a girl with glasses, two pigtails, and bangs floating in front of her.

Y/N blinked twice to see if she was seeing correctly. 

She didn't recall ever being in the second-floor bathroom given most second-year classes were located on that floor. 

"Who are you?" Y/N asked looking at what she assumed to be a ghost.

"Your that girl who's always hanging out with dreamy green-eyed boy aren't you?" the girl asked with a giggle. 

"You know Harry Potter?" Y/N asked, not stopping to think twice at how she immediately assumed the dreamy green-eyed boy was Harry. 

"Y/N there you are!" Harry said out of breath entering the bathroom. He was holding a plate from dinner and didn't seem at all phased that he walked into the girl's bathroom. 

"Is this not a girl's bathroom?" Y/N asked looking from the ghost to Harry in utter confusion. 

"No one ever comes in here," Harry said like she should have known that. 

"We're just going to ignore the ghost?" Y/N said looking at Harry as if he was mental. 

"Hi Harry," the ghost giggled, which made Y/N feel a pang of jealousy until she remembered this was a literal ghost. 

"Hello Myrtle," Harry sighed annoyingly. 

"Harry," Y/N started in a state of panic, not used to seeing random ghosts in bathrooms. "What's going on? There are ghosts in bathrooms now?" 

"Only this one," Harry said casually, taking a seat against one of the walls. "That's Moaning Myrtle, this is where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is."

"The what?" Y/N snapped, heavily annoyed by Harry's casual speaking. "You mean the place where you saved Ginny Weasley from a death-threatening Basilisk and a hot version of Voldemort?!" 

(Harry's words by the way)

"Yeah," Harry said looking at Moaning Myrtle.

He then looked at Y/N who looked incredibly confused. 

"Ohhhhh, right you weren't here in second year," Harry said laughing to himself which didn't help Y/N's distressed face. 

"Ohhhhh," Y/N mimicked. "You know they really should put that in the Hogwarts letter."

"Myrtle, can you leave?" Harry asked the ghost who was now sitting very close to him looking at him with wide eyes. 

"Now, Myrtle," Harry said sharply, as the ghost continued to flirt and giggle at him. 

"Fine," she said. She brushed Harry's hair with her hands like she could touch him, before giggling and floating away. 

"This school gets weirder and weirder every day," Y/N said taking a seat next to Harry. 

"Eat," Harry ordered handing her the plate of food. 

"It's sad that eating in a creepy bathroom with a flirtatious ghost is better than eating in the Great Hall right now," Y/N sighed taking a bite of her food. 

Harry laughed and placed a comforting hand on her leg.

"I'm really sorry about the article," Harry said. "But everyone knows you, they'll figure out you're not a death eater and this will a blow over."

"Yeah, but they don't know her," Y/N sighed taking another bite of food. "Rue gave her life for the Ministry, for Muggles, she was always against death eaters but now this Rita Skeeter person is making my family look like Voldemort's little bitches."

"Who even has a name like Rita Skeeter?" Harry said thoughtfully. "You can't talk that much shit with a name like that."

Y/N laughed looking down at her lap. She sighed and leaned her head on Harry's shoulder. 

"Thank's Harold," she said.

"For you, anytime," Harry said. 

Y/N couldn't see it, but his face was a deep crimson, and his heart was quickening by the second. 

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

"What's going on?" Y/N asked approaching the castle with the golden trio after Care of Magical Creatures class. 

There was a crowd of students in the entrance hall but none of them could see what was causing the commotion. 

Given Ron was the tallest out of the four he stood on his tiptoes and read-aloud for them all to hear. 

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐖𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓

THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER. LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY –

"Brilliant!" Harry exclaimed. "It's Potions last thing on Friday! Snape won't have time to poison us all!"

STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE THE WELCOMING FEAST.

"Only a week away!" exclaimed Ernie Mcmillan and Hufflepuff. His eyes were gleaming with happiness as he emerged from the crowd. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him..."

"Cedric?" Ron asked in a bit of a gruff manner. 

"Diggory," Harry said flatly. 

Y/N and Hermione rolled their eyes. 

"He's thinking about entering the tournament," Y/N explained crossing her arms. 

"That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" Ron said in disbelief. 

"He's not an idiot. You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch," Y/N pointed out, slightly amused by the boy's jealousy. 

"I've heard he's a really good student—and he's a Prefect," Hermione said, Y/N nodding in agreement. 

"You two only like him because he's handsome," Ron said crossing his arms. 

"Excuse me?" Y/N defended. 

"We don't like people just because they're handsome!" Hermione said sharply. 

"Lockhart," Ron fake coughed.  

Hermione just scowled at him, while Harry and Y/N were trying to contain their laughter. 

Over the next week, Y/N noticed, that everything all the students and teachers were focused on was the tournament. 

Paintings were being scrubbed and the armor was glistening with shine. Filch was yelling at any students who forgot to wipe their shoes before reentering the school, frightening a group of first-year girls. 

When Y/N entered the Great Hall with Daphne on the thirtieth of October they were surprised to see it had been decorated overnight. There were silk banners hanging from the walls, one for each Hogwarts house. 

Scarlet and gold with a lion for Gryffindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow and a black badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver serpent representing Slytherin. Behind the teacher's table was the Hogwarts coat of arms. All the houses were united with an H. 

Everyone was spending the day anticipating the foreign school's arrival, and most of the teachers were on edge. 

After the bell rang for potions Y/N said goodbye to Harry, Ron, and Hermione and made her way to the Dungeons with Blaise, Theo, Daphne, and Tracey, putting her books in her dorm and then putting on her cloak. 

"How do you think these people are going to be like?" Daphne asked as she, Y/N, and Tracey were forced into a line by their head of house, Professor Snape. 

"I don't know–" Y/N started until she was cut off by a cold slow voice. 

"Miss Greengrass, Miss Sinclair, and Miss Davis, I ask that you refrain from gossiping," Professor Snape drawled. Tracey scowled at him, given she wasn't even talking. "Were here to set an example, and I do not need you three embarrassing the Slytherin house again today."

"Yes Professor," the three mumbled shuffling into a single file line with the rest of the Slytherins. 

"What's embarrassing is his greasy hair," Y/N muttered making Daphne and Tracey snort from behind her. 

Professor Snape gave them a hard look, and they put on fake straight faces until he turned around. 

Once all the houses were lined up in front of the castle, it was just an annoying waiting time for the schools to arrive. 

The pale moon was already high in the sky and shining over the forbidden forest. It was a pretty clear evening and dusk was quickly descending. 

After still silence of everyone just waiting, Professor Dumbledore finally exclaimed, "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" students asked eagerly looking around. 

Y/N scanned the vicinity but didn't see anything that seemed like a school coming. 

"There!" a sixth year shouted, pointing at the sky over the forest. 

"It's a dragon!" A first-year exclaimed.

"Don't be stupid it's a flying house!" Colin Creevey's younger brother Dennis shouted.

His guess was more accurate. 

Once the light from inside the castle hit the flying object, Y/N could see the powdery blue horse-drawn carriage that was soaring elegantly through the sky. The white horses were about the size of elephants and the carriage itself was the size of a small house. 

The first couple of rows saw it better off to take a few paces back as the carriage came hurtling to the ground. It began to descend at great speed and then hit the ground with a sound that made Neville jump back onto a fifth-year Slytherin's foot. 

Y/N now had a closer look to see the horses had bright red eyes and the emblem inscribed on the carriage was two golden wands that crossed each other with three stars coming out from the ends.  

Y/N saw a man hop out of the carriage before fiddling with something at the bottom of it, pulling out gold steps. 

Y/N's eyes went wide, and others gasped as a black high-heeled shoe emerged from the carriage that was about the size of a children's sled. Then a woman, Y/N swore was even taller than Hagrid, stepped out. 

She was dressed in black satin and had olive skin. Her brown hair was in an odd-looking bob at the base of her neck. 

Dumbledore began to clap and some students followed his lead. However, a great number were trying to stand on their tiptoes so they could see the entire scene. 

The lady's face relaxed into a smile and she stuck out a hand that Dumbledore barely had to bend down to kiss. 

"Dumbledore's got game," Theo whispered from the front of Y/N making Snape give their area another hard look for snickering.

"My dear Madame Maxime," Dumbledore said. "Welcome to Hogwarts." 

"Dumbly-dorr," said Madame Maxime. Her accent was thick and her voice deep. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," Dumbledore replied. 

"My pupils," Madame Maxime said. She waved a hand at the carriage dozens of boys and girls had stepped out of the cart, they all looked like they were in their late teens. 

Their robes were made of fine silk with a shade of blue similar to the carriage. This issued most of them to be shivering tremendously in the chilly October night. They all bowed elegantly to the students in the crowd before standing by their headmaster. 

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked Dumbledore. 

"He should be here any moment," Dumbledore inquired. "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," Madame Maxime said. "But ze 'orses–"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," Dumbledore assured."

"My steeds require – er – forceful 'andling," Madame Maxime said doubtfully. "Zey are very strong."

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," Dumbledore said. 

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

"It will be attended to," Dumbledore insisted. 

Madame Maxime gestured for her students to follow her into the castle and they made their way up the stone steps. 

"You think Durmstrang arriving by horses too?" Tracey asked. 

"Don't know," Y/N said. "Wonder how big their horses will be."

Most students were anticipating the other school's entrance to be from the sky but it was completely silent other than the snorting and stamping from the horses. 

"Do you hear that?" Y/N asked as she heard a muffled rumbling sound. 

"The lake!" Lee Jordan yelled from the Gryffindor line. "Look at the lake!"

Y/N's gaze went to the black lake. It was usually smooth, but now there was a deep disturbance located in the middle. The water was beginning to look choppy and slop over the bank 

A pole slowly began to rise from the whirlpool, and magnificently, a ship was revealed. It looked strangely skeletal. Like a shipwreck, you would find at the bottom of the sea with hidden treasure. It rode so elegantly against the water and with a big sloshing sound it started heading towards the bank. 

At first, everyone who exited the ship seemed to be built incredibly tall and muscular until the silhouettes of the people crept closer. Y/N then noticed that most of the students were wearing fur coats and hats that gave them that appearance. 

However, the man who was leading them was wearing fur that was silver. His hair was curled weirdly at the ends and he had a moderately sized goatee. 

"Dumbledore!" the leading man greeted. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore said happily.

As Karkaroff grew even closer, Y/N noticed that he was tall and thin, and he gave Dumbledore a firm handshake. 

"Dear old Hogwarts," He said looking up at the school. "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."

Y/N could have sworn she heard that name before, but it wasn't until she looked up to see the student with heavy-set eyebrows leave his brown-haired friend's side, and make his way to Karkaroff. 

Viktor Krum. 

The Durmstrang kids made their way past the Hogwarts students and up the steps following after their professor. 

As one passed, Y/N caught the eye of the boy who appeared to be Krum's friend. He had golden-brown hair and brown eyes and gave Y/N a smirk as he passed. 

Harry glared at the boy as he passed him but Hermione and Ron were too distracted to notice. 

"Do you have a quill Y/N?" Ron frantically asked as the lines of Hogwarts students began to mesh and head into the Great Hall. 

"Yeah, of course, I do," Y/N said sarcastically. "It makes perfect sense that I brought one out here."

"Your no help," Ron sighed trying to find someone who might give him what he needed to get Krum's autograph.

Hermione moved after him, saying that she was making sure he didn't jump Krum in the hallways.

"Oh I don't believe it, I haven't got a single quill on me—" Y/N and Harry overheard a conversation between a group of girls.

"D'you think he'd sign my hat in lipstick?"

"Did you see his friend too?"

Y/N chuckled to herself at the girl's frantic actions. 

"What you don't want hottie Viktor Krum's autograph?" Harry teased. 

"I don't personally find him attractive," Y/N shrugged. "But if you do I won't judge," she teased. 

Harry playfully rolled his eyes at Y/N broke into a smile that made his stomach flip. 

"I'll see you after the feast," Y/N smiled before making her way over to where the Slytherins were taking their seats. 

"Over here! Come and sit over here!" Ron shouted. "Over here! Hermione, budge up, make a space–"

"What are you doing?" Harry asked not paying attention to where Durmstrang was sitting. 

"Too late," Ron said spitefully, looking over to Krum. Ron's plan to get Viktor to sit with him failed tremendously. 

Most of Durmstrang students had taken seats with the Slytherins given Viktor Krum took a seat next to Draco, just across from Y/N. 

"Ron it's not that big of a deal–" Harry started.

"Ugh lucky Y/N she gets to sit with him and his best friend," Ron complained. 

Harry's head snapped in the direction of the Slytherin table to see the boy, who Harry already saw smile at Y/N, introducing himself and taking a seat to the right of her.  

"I bet Krum can see right through Malfoy, though... bet he gets people fawning over him all the time... Where d'you reckon they're going to sleep? We could offer him a space in our dormitory, Harry... I wouldn't mind giving him my bed, I could kip on a camp bed," Ron ranted. 

Harry and Hermione started tuning him out given Hermione didn't care and Harry was too busy watching Y/N and the mystery Durmstrang boy. 

"Odd school you got here," the boy said to Y/N. 

To Y/N's surprise, he didn't have a Russian accent at all like Krum, who was talking with Malfoy right near her. His accent was definitely American. 

"Did your school not just arrive by an underwater pirate ship?" Y/N questioned. 

"Fair," he said taking a seat next to her. "Adrian Agapov." 

He extended a casual hand to her which she gladly took. 

"Y/N Sinclair," she returned with a slightly confused smile. 

"You're wondering about my accent," Adrian observed. "I can see it on your face."

"Well...." Y/N started. "Pretty much, yeah."

"I've been at Durmstrang mostly but my first year of Wizarding school was at Ilvermorny. I was born in America," Adrian said. 

"I went to Ilvermorny too," Y/N said. "Moved back here last year."

"Ah there you go," Adrian smiled. "Already have something in common." 

Y/N laughed turning her attention back to the front of her but when she looked up she caught Harry's very apparent annoyed eye at the Gryffindor table. 

She gave him a questionable look back, but Harry's face kept a hard gaze from Y/N to Adrian. 

"Boyfriend?" Adrian asked, slightly smirking when he looked from Harry back to Y/N.

"Oh no," Y/N said shaking her head. "Best friend. That's Harry Potter."

"What is he doing?" Harry said bitterly, speaking his thoughts out loud at the Gryffindor table, and not taking his eyes of Y/N and Adrian talking. "That look, he's definitely trying something."

"Do you see the way Malfoy's swarming over Krum," Ron said sharply.  

"Both of you quit it," Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"Do you see the way he's smiling at her?" Harry complained. "Oh my god, she's smiling back."

"Are both of you that dense," Hermione hissed, fed up with their childish behavior. "Harry, Y/N has perfect liberty to talk to a boy contrary to your beliefs, and Ron, stop drooling over Krum. Either that or ask him out on a date."

Both the boys broke their gazes at the Slytherin table and glared at Hermione. 

"I know Y/N can talk to boys," Harry said. "It's just....that boy is trying something."

"No, he's not. He's just being friendly," Hermione said. "You're just upset because he's handsome."

"I don't trust him," Harry said shrugging. 

"You don't even know his name," Hermione sighed. 

"Okay but that's enough for me to know I don't like him," Harry said returning his sharp gaze back to the pair. 

"He just wants to make a friend here," Hermione said. "Do you remember how Y/N was when she first came last year? She's a nice person. Besides he's only going to be here for the year, stop scowling."

"Fine," Harry said turning his gaze back to his empty plate. "It's just–"

"Oh my god," Hermione interrupted. "I'm happy that you're that in touch with your feelings to know you like Y/N, but I miss when those thoughts were just in your head. At least I could be at peace during dinner."

Harry resisted the urge to sass her back until Dumbledore's voice caught his attention.

"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."

A Beauxbatons girl accidentally let out a laugh at the Gryffindor table making Hermione hiss, "No one's making you stay!"

"I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" Dumbledore announced. 

The plates began to fill by themselves, as usual, however, they were filled with multiple dishes Y/N and most of the Hogwarts students weren't familiar with. 

As Y/N kept eating she kept noticing Harry, who looked rather unpleasant, keep looking up at the Slytherin table. She understood why Ron was so upset, but she didn't get why Harry was upset. 

"I'll be right back," Y/N said to Adrian.  

She casually made her way over to the Gryffindor table where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were seated. 

"Hey," Harry greeted with an overly cheery smile. 

"Hey," Y/N said slowly, giving him an amused but confused look. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, why wouldn't it?" Harry asked. 

"Yeah okay," Y/N said with a raised eyebrow turning towards Ron who was eating rather aggressively. 

"Hermione, why do these two look like someone just stole their girlfriends?" Y/N asked. 

"Because someone did," Hermione said not looking up from her plate, making Y/N snicker. "Ron's upset Malfoy took his boyfriend Krum. And Harry's–"

Harry fake coughed really loudly to cover Hermione's sentence and sent her a glare. All Hermione did was smirk in response and return to her food. 

Y/N looked at them both in confusion until a voice averted her attention.

"Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" a girl asked from the left of where Y/N was standing. She had blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and gleaming white teeth. She was the same girl that had let a laugh slip during Dumbledore's speech. 

Ron went red. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Y/N and Hermione both rolled their eyes while Harry tried to hold in a laugh. 

"Here have it," Y/N said handing the girl the Bouillabaisse from the table and giving her a smile. 

"Merci," the blonde girl smiled. 

Y/N returned it and the girl took the bowl back to the Ravenclaw table. 

Y/N turned her attention back to the table trying to pry more from the trio but Ron was now gaping at the French girl. 

"You act like you've never seen a girl before," Y/N said, smirking at Ron while Harry was failing to hold in his laughter. 

"She's a veela!" Ron said breathlessly. 

"Of course she isn't!" Hermione said. "I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!"

However many boys and girls had turned as the blond girl had walked past. Hell, Y/N stared for a bit too long as the girl took a seat next to Cho Chang. 

"Great. Ron's found another substitute for Krum," Y/N sighed. "I'll see you three later."

She made her way back to the Slytherin table returning to her spot next to Adrian. 

"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" Ron insisted craning his neck to get a better view of the girl. "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!"

Harry had just turned his head from watching Y/N fully take a seat back at the Slytherin table and picked up his fork to eat again. 

"They make them perfectly fine at Hogwarts," he said taking a bite. 

Ron rolled his eyes, "Technically Y/N was made at Ilvermorny, therefore I'm right."

"Shut up," Harry said. "You were the one who had a stroke talking to that French girl."

"You go into cardiac arrest every time Y/N smiles at you!" Ron said defensively. 

"Those girls weren't made anywhere, they're not objects," Hermione said bitterly. "You both suck when it comes to girls. Now if you would both stop arguing, you would have noticed who just arrived."

Harry followed to where Hermione was gesturing to and noticed Ludo Bagman and Mr. Crouch taking a seat at the staff table. 

"What are they doing here?" Ron asked. 

Harry looked over to Y/N who hadn't noticed yet. His stomach felt a bit sick given the reason she wasn't paying attention was that she was in a deep conversation with the Durmstrang boy and seemed intently focusing on what he was saying. 

"They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they?" Hermione said, pulling Harry's gaze back to the Gryffindor table. "I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start."

The second course showed up next, and again, unfamiliar dishes were seen throughout the table. 

Y/N happily enjoyed macarons while keeping up a conversation with Adrian about quidditch until she noticed who had taken seats at the staff table. 

Her eyes narrowed as she saw Mr. Crouch. She definitely wasn't his biggest fan, and after that Rita Skeeter article Y/N was even more enraged he let her publish such false information he knew wasn't true. 

After all the plates had been magically cleared by themselves, Dumbledore rose from his seat. Everyone went silent. Everyone was anxious about what was going to come from his speech. 

"The moment has come," Dumbledore announced, smiling at the excitement in the room. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket—"

"The what now?" Y/N muttered, looking around, but the only one who seemed to be alarmed by Dumbledore's choice of words was Harry. 

"But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

There was a scatter of applause but Y/N stared daggers at the man. 

"I'm guessing you don't like him very much," Adrian whispered from behind her. 

"And how exactly do you know that?" Y/N challenged. 

"Your fidgeting with your necklace," he observed. 

Y/N was in fact swinging her locket necklace around finding it calming her.  

"It's pretty," he said thoughtfully.

"It was a gift," Y/N said matter of factly. 

"From the best friend I'm guessing," Adrian said with a smirk. 

"Yes, actually," Y/N said turning her attention back towards the front.

Harry was ignoring whatever Dumbledore was saying and watching the Slytherin table closely. He watched Adrian whisper something behind her and Y/N lightly laugh before saying something back.

"Harry relax," Hermione said from across the Gryffindor table. "Y/N's not going to run off to Italy with this dude."

"Why would you put that in my head Hermione," Harry snarled. 

"Sorry," Hermione said. "Listen. I know a lot about Y/N for the short amount of time we've both known her. There's no way she would ever leave you behind for that random boy so just watch Dumbledore's speech."

There was a pause before Adrain spoke again. 

"He's got an odd mustache," he whispered.

"You think everything's odd," Y/N whispered back to Adrian who was snickering at Mr. Crouch's appearance. 

"Well you're not clapping," Adrian said. "What about this next guy? Do we clap or not?"

"Clap," Y/N said playfully rolling her eyes. 

"...And Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports," Dumbledore said. 

The Great Hall broke into way more applause than Barty Crouch, however, Adrain was the loudest one of all wearing a big goofy smile on his face. 

Y/N covered her mouth with the back of her hand to muffle her laughter, while Bagman gave a joyous wave to the crowd. 

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued. "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts.....The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

"Do you think they're bringing out a vampire or something?" Adrian asked. 

"Do you want a vampire to pop out of a casket today?" Y/N asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Adrian pretended to think for a moment before saying, "Yeah, it would make this more exciting."

Y/N snickered and turned her attention back to the front. 

Filch approached Dumbledore carrying a wooden chest that was encrusted with different colored jewels. 

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," Dumbledore said as the chest was placed in front of him. "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."

It appeared that no one was breathing in the hall, the excitement was so thick. 

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore explained. "One from each of the participating schools. 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."

Dumbledore tapped his wand on the chest three times making the lid creak open. He pulled out a wooden cup that looked rather heavy. 

Y/N would have found it incredibly boring if it wasn't for the dancing blue and silver flames that were roaring from it. 

He placed the goblet onto the chest for everyone to see. Dennis Creevey took to standing in his seat to try and get a good look given his small size. 

"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," Dumbledore said. "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.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," Dumbledore said his eyes flickering over to Fred and George. "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 whole-heartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

"Where is he?" Ron said looking around as he, Harry, and Hermione rose from the Gryffindor table. "Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?"

Harry felt his jaw lock and fist clench at the thought of the Durmstrang boys in the Slytherin common rooms and dorms.

However, his and Ron's question was answered when they saw Karkaroff rush up to the where a majority of Duramstrang students and Slytherin students were standing in the hallway outside the Great Hall.

"Back to the ship, then," Karkaroff said. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"

Krum shook his head as he put his fur on and began to gesture to Adrain. 

"Professor, I vood like some vine," a Durmstrang boy spoke up. 

"I wasn't offering it to you, Poliakoff," Karkaroff snapped. "I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your robes again, disgusting boy—"

"Damn," Y/N muttered. 

"I know right?" Adrain said. "He gives great hugs."

"An Age Line!" Fred exclaimed standing with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

 "I'll be right back," Harry said not listening to a word Fred and George were complaining about. 

His blood was boiling as he made his way over to where Y/N and Adrian were talking in the corridor. 

"Y/N!" he called walking up to her. 

"Hey Harry," Y/N greeted with a smile, slightly oblivious to the tension that Harry was radiating. He was completely ignoring Adrian's presence and looking only at Y/N.

"Ah the best friend," Adrian said with a smile towards Harry. 

Harry didn't know if it was meant to be a dig or not, but given the slight smirk that always seemed to be on the Durmstrang boy's face, Harry felt insulted. 

"Harrison, right?" he asked extending a hand.

Y/N couldn't help but let out a snort but she then gave a semi-apologetic look to Harry.

"Harry Potter," Harry introduced, completely ignoring Adrian's hand. He was never one to use his name as a way to make himself feel superior but for this instance, it seemed necessary. 

"Sorry," Adrain said lowering his hand with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Harry. Got it. I'm Adrian Agapov."

"Pleasure," Harry said not bothering to hide his sarcasm. 

Y/N looked from Harry to Adrian a bit confused but then she felt two hands hit her shoulders. 

She turned around to see Daphne and Tracey giving her a broad smile. 

"Heyyyyy," Tracey dragged out looking from Y/N to Harry to Adrain. 

"Heyyyyy?" Y/N mimicked, raising her eyebrow at her. 

"Come on," Daphne said her face had the same suggestive tone Tracey was wearing. "We're going to get in trouble if we don't get to our dorm."

"Okay," Y/N said still slightly confused by why the two were acting so odd. "I'll see you later. Bye Harry, bye Adrain."

She was a couple of paces away from where the two boys were standing until she turned back and looked at Harry. "Wait was there something you needed?"

"Uh," Harry started trying to come up with a good lie. "I..uh...I tried the macarons they were really good."

"That's what you needed to tell me?" Y/N asked, looking at him oddly. 

"Yeah," Harry said deciding to stick with his stupid lie. "Brilliant."

"Okay? Glad you enjoyed them...I guess" Y/N said. "I'll see you two later."

With that, she walked back towards the dungeons with Daphne and Tracey on both sides of her. 

"So you're the Harry Potter?" Adrian asked turning his gaze from Y/N as she left back to Harry. 

"Yes," Harry said, the sharpness in his voice cutting like a knife. 

Adrian let out a scoff pressing his tongue on the inside of his cheek. He looked down at his shoes for a second but when he looked back up he was wearing a complete smirk. 

"Y/N's really nice," Adrian asked, his voice way more casual than Harry's annoyed one. Harry wasn't a big fan of him acting as if they were friends. "She's got a nice smile."

"Yeah, she's my best friend, what are you going on about?" Harry asked. 

"That's all it is? Best friends, huh?" Adrian said casually. 

Harry didn't know exactly how to respond given Adrian's calmness was making his blood boil. 

"Whatever your thinking with Y/N," Harry said simply. "Don't."

"What exactly do you think I'm going to do with Y/N, Harrison?" Adrain asked. 

"Stay away from her. She may not be able to see it but I can tell you're a dick," Harry said bitterly.

Adrain thought intently for a minute before backing away towards the group of Duramstrang students. 

"Asshole," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. He then gave a casual salute with his index and middle finger. "See you around Harrison."'

Harry's blood was boiling as Adrian turned around with a smirk and joined Krum with the other group of Durmstrang students heading back out of the hall. 

"What was that?" Ron asked walking up to where Harry was. "Did you ask him to get Krum's autograph for me? Aww Harry you shouldn't have!"

"I didn't ask for your stupid autograph," Harry scowled, turning around and beginning to walk with him back to Hermione. 

"Whoa, why do you sound like your about to commit a murder?" Ron asked. "That's illegal y'know."

"It is Ron?" Harry sassed. "I had no idea."

"What's got him in a mood?" Hermione asked as they made their way back to the Gryffindor tower. 

"Nothing," Harry said shortly. 

He moved to walk a far distance in front of them 

"Puberty," Ron muttered to Hermione. 

─── ∙ ~☾~ ∙ ───

𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟑: 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟏

A/N: How we feeling right now? Honestly, I feel pretty good because jealous Harold is my aesthetic, but yeah anyways thanks for reading! I love you all so much I can't believe how far this book has come. 

💕