Half-Blood Princess Book Four

Chapter 3 - Moody

Third-Person POV

1st September 1994

The train has set off for Hogwarts once again. Tilly and Draco had grabbed a cabin earlier, but Draco had fallen asleep. This past month had been tough, for him. He'd transform every night, to getaway. He's been sober from self-harm since Tilly found out. In total it's been draining for his body and mind, so when he fell asleep Tilly snuck out to get sweets from the trolley for the two other them. The trolley stops right by Harry, Hermione and Ron cabin, but Cho Chang and her group are in between Tilly and the trolley. Tilly watches as Harry blushes at Cho and she smiles back, while her friends laugh.

"Move, Chang." Tilly snaps not being able to watch this anymore. Cho turns, going to backchat who spoke to her, but saw it is Tilly and changes her mind.

"Sorry," Cho shoos her friends down the corridor. Tilly turns back to peeved Harry.

"What? Could I please get, two chocolate frogs and a liquorice wand? Thank you." Tilly sits next to Harry, giving Ron the liquorice wand and putting the chocolate beside her.

Hermione is reading the paper and asks how The Ministry don't know who conjured The Dark Mark.

"Dad said that's why they're worried. Lots of security, yet they still got through." Hermione sighs, and looks to Harry and Tilly who are both rubbing their scars.

"They're hurting again, aren't they?" Hermione asks, sitting forward. Both deny having any pain and say they're fine.

"Sirius, Remus and Snape will want to know about this. And you both know it." Tilly sighs, she has spoken to her Dad in a while. She's been caught up with a lot but knows he's also not had time. Both have to prepare for the return of Voldemort, or their covers could be blown. Tilly and Harry write a letter together, sending it to Sirius at 12 Grimmauld Place.

All the student gather watching Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute arrive for The Trio Wizard Tournament. Then all file into The Great Hall sitting down, waiting for Dumbledore to begin his speech. Tilly had found Draco again; luckily, he had only just woken up when she got back.

"Hogwarts has been chosen to host The Tri-Wizard Tournament this year." Students break out in whispers. "From each school, a single student is selected to compete. Let me be clear if you are chosen, you stand alone. But more on that later, as of now, please help me in welcoming the girl's from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their Headmistress." Tilly watches as most of the boys stare at the beautiful girls in awe.

"Tilly," a boy from another table calls out. "You'll have a run for your money this year. More coemptions!" Tilly frowns not liking what this boy is insinuating.

"Watch it!" Harry snaps, sitting a few seats from the boy, along with Fred and George, who glare at the boy.

Tilly looks to Draco waiting for him to jump in, but he never does. He's too focused on Beauxbatons girls.

"Darcy. Stop staring at those girls." Pansy whines. Tilly wanted nothing more than to say the same, but seeing Draco's reaction changed her mind. Draco may have been looking at the girls, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find one more beautiful than Tilly. Draco leans down to Tilly's ear and whispers.

"None of them are near as stunningly gorgeous as you." Tilly blushes, hard, as a small grin shows on her face.

"Nevertheless, you didn't have to stare." Draco chuckles. Dumbledore addresses the boys from Durmstrang Institute. The boys come running in banging staffs on the ground and flipping. Tilly and many girls could take their eyes off the boys. But Tilly is looking at the Headmaster, a known Ex Death Eater, who wouldn't come out of hiding when Tilly asked for followers to return. Igor Karkaroff and Victor Krum weave their way through the tables and walk straight to Tilly. A few other boys had made it to her when the Headmaster did.