❦ 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐕 ❦

"Hello, we are Jannah Lockhart and Thomas Romanov, and this is our presentation on Red Caps," Jannah begins.

Thomas stands beside her, arms crossed, trying to appear calm, but the tension between them is unmistakable. "Red Caps," he jumps in abruptly, "are dwarf-like creatures that live in places where blood has been spilled, like battlefields or dungeons."

Jannah resists rolling her eyes as she continues, "They're about three to four feet tall, with sharp claws, red eyes, and they wear caps soaked in blood. That's where they got their name."

This presentation has already gone sideways. Both of them know they've sabotaged each other, and it's about to get worse.

Thomas flips through their shared notes. He sees the ink-stained mess Jannah left for him, and a wince nearly leaves his mouth. She had 'accidentally' spilled ink on his carefully written pages the night before, completely ruining his preparation.

"Thomas, could you explain their habitats?" Jannah asks, her voice sickeningly sweet.

He glances at her again. "Of course," he says, forcing a smile. "Red Caps typically live in... high mountain ranges?" His voice falters slightly.

The class murmurs. Someone snickers. Jannah's lips curl into a satisfied smile.

"Actually, Red Caps live in areas soaked in blood, like battlefields or places with a dark history," she corrects. "They don't live in mountain ranges."

Thomas's jaw tightens. "Right," he mutters, "that's what I meant." His fingers tighten around his wand, fighting the urge to use it right there and then.

"Why don't you show them the diagram you worked so hard on, Jannah?"

At the way her smile falters, his confidence grows back. Her beautiful hand-drawn diagram of a Red Cap, now a ruined mess thanks to Thomas, is crumpled in her bag. The ink is smeared, the colors run together. It looks like a disaster.

"Go ahead. Show them your masterpiece."

She swallows her pride and retrieves the ruined drawing, holding it up to the class. The room bursts into laughter immediately. The once-detailed diagram now looks like a child's sloppy finger painting.

"Well, as you can see, this is a basic representation of a Red Cap," Jannah says stiffly, her face burning with embarrassment. "But there were... unforeseen circumstances that ruined the details." She shoots a glare at Thomas, who's watching her with a smug grin.

Their professor, Mr. Romanov, steps forward, clearly unimpressed. "Thank you, Miss Lockhart, Mr. Romanov," he says dryly. "I think this has been... an interesting exercise in teamwork. Or lack thereof."

Even though it was expected, both of their faces fill with disappointment. Succeeding acadamically is important to them both, for reasons that are more similar than they know.

They trudge back to their seats, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife. The whispers and snickers from their classmates don't help either.

As soon as they're seated, Jannah leans toward Thomas. "This isn't over."

He doesn't even look at her. "Surely isn't."

❧

Not long after the students of Hogwarts were allowed to add their name into the Goblet of Fire, they've all gathered in the Great Hall, which is buzzing with excitement.

Students from all four houses sit at their long tables, the usual chatter replaced by whispers and nerves. Candles float overhead, their soft glow flickering like the hearts of the students below, each hoping—perhaps dreading—their name will be called.

At the front of the hall, Headmistress Ava Paige stands tall, her piercing eyes scanning the room. Behind her, a large, ancient-looking goblet flickers with blue flames—the Goblet of Fire. The Quadwizard Tournament is about to begin.

"Tonight, we select the four champions who will represent the houses of Hogwarts in this year's Quadwizard Tournament," Headmistress Paige announces. "As you all know, this tournament is not for the faint of heart. The challenges will test your courage, your intellect, your endurance, and your loyalty to your house. You may not be the same after— physically, and mentally."

"The Goblet of Fire has been burning for three days," Janson says, stepping forward. "Any student of year four who wishes to participate has placed their name in the Goblet. Now, it will choose our champions—one from each house."

A sudden hush falls over the hall as all eyes turn to the goblet. The blue flames grow higher, flickering wildly.

For a moment, nothing happens. Then, with a great roar, the flames flare bright red, spitting a neat piece of parchment into the air.

"The champion for Hufflepuff..." Headmistress Paige begins, taking the note. "Newt Scamander."

Loud cheers erupt from the Hufflepuff table. Newt, sitting toward the end, looks up in shock. His face flushes a deep red as his friends slap him on the back, urging him forward.

Thomas's eyes flicker across the room as he claps— he's one of the few Gryffindor's encouraging the boy. But what's more striking is the Slytherin table. Absolutely no one but Jannah is clapping. The ones who don't clap look bored as hell, and she seems to be very shameless about doing the opposite.

Would she clap if I— he immediately bans that question from his mind. Of course she wouldn't clap if his name came out of the goblet.

"Go on, Newt!" someone calls out, grinning broadly.

He stands, looking slightly overwhelmed, and makes his way to the front. His hair is a little messy, his robes slightly too big for his thin frame. Headmistress Paige nods approvingly as he joins her at the side.

The flames roar once more. Another piece of parchment flies out, spinning through the air before landing in her hands. This one is even neater than the other one. Not a single sign of lines or burns or anything the goblet could've done.

"The champion for Ravenclaw is... Teresa Agnes!"

This time, it's the Ravenclaw table that explodes with cheers. Teresa rises smoothly. She brushes a strand of her hair behind her ear, blushing just like Newt did, and makes her way to the front.

Another pause. The flames flare red again. The hall grows tense as the Slytherins lean forward, clearly eager to see who will be their champion.

"The champion for Slytherin is..." the silence feels longer now.

This piece of paper might be the messiest thing Thomas has ever seen. It looks like it has been at the bottom of someone's bag for ages and even got some kind of drink spilled on it.

"Minho Lee," the headmistress announces, her tone almost judgy.

The Slytherin table erupts into thunderous applause like never before.

Thomas watches Minho's confident stride with a tightening feeling in his chest. He had thrown his name into the Goblet as well, hoping against hope, but now he feels the pressure building.

The flames of the Goblet rise one final time, higher and fiercer than before. The fourth and final parchment shoots out, and Headmistress Paige catches it, unfolding it slowly.

"The champion for Gryffindor is... Thomas Romanov."

For a split second, there's silence at the Gryffindor table. Then a roar of cheers breaks out, louder than ever. Thomas's heart skips a beat. He feels the weight of all the eyes in the room on him as his friends slap him on the back, shouting his name in excitement.

He stands, legs a little shaky, his mind racing. This is it. He's been chosen. The fear, the excitement, the pressure—it all crashes down on him in a wave as he moves forward, trying to keep his expression steady.

Once he stands steadily next to his new rivals, he watches the Gryffindor table. They're so happy. They're happy with him.

He has to hold back a little smile.

Minho glances over at Thomas with a raised eyebrow. Before he can speak, Thomas interrupts.

"Don't get too cocky," the brunette warns.

Headmistress Paige steps forward once more. "These are your champions, representing each house in the Quadwizard Tournament. They will face trials that will push them to their limits."

Lastly, Thomas shoots a look at Jannah out of pure curiosity. Maybe she's grinning because she despises him so much that she knows he will lose. Maybe she's surprised. She for sure won't be as happy as his friends.

But she is no longer in her seat.

His eyebrows furrow slightly. Eyes dart around the room until they fall on the Ravenclaw table.

She's talking to Maurice— the kid he has grown to really like, as well as Chuck.

Then he looks over at the teachers. At his father specifically. But his face is blank.