~ In which a shy Hufflepuff falls for a certain redhead Gryffindor that changes her life. ~
Disclaimer: I only own Katherine, Alden, and other original characters not found in the original HP world. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling.
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"Have you figured out what spell or potions you're going to use tomorrow?" Katherine asked Cedric.
"I have, but it's a surprise," Cedric grinned.
"Did you finish all your work?" She asked.
"Yeah, do you need help?" Katherine nodded in response. "What subject?"
"The Potions essay. I'm having trouble finding all of the Everlasting Elixirs. The book I got from the library doesn't answer all of my questions," Katherine sighed,
Cedric sat next to Katherine and helped her for an hour. It took some digging, but they finally found what Katherine was looking for. Hufflepuffs entered and went to their dorms while they talked more about the second task. Cedric didn't want to reveal much. He only told Katherine about the riddle, saying something about taking something of the champions they have to receive. Cedric didn't mention the hour deadline in case Katherine worried too much.
"Excuse me, Cedric and Kathrine, but I was told to fetch you by Professor Dumbledore," Professor Sprout told the girl.
"If this is about Montauge and Adrien, I swear they started it!" Katherine said worriedly. Sprout laughed at the anxious Hufflepuff.
"You aren't in trouble, dear. Just come with me," The professor said. Katherine walked out of the common room with Sprout. They walked in silence until the professor stopped at a gargoyle statue.
"Acid pops," Professor Sprout said.
Katherine looked at her head of house with a puzzled look, but that faded when she saw the statue move. Once again, Katherine followed her professor. Where the stairs ended, an entrance stood. The professor and student walked in to see three teenagers and the headmaster. Katherine recognized the back of the two of them. One had shaggy red hair, and another had bushy brown hair. They turned around and saw Katherine.
"Hi, Katherine!" Hermione said.
"Hey, Kari," Ron said.
"Miss. Ollivander, please come sit. I have something to tell all of you," Dumbledore calmly said. As Katherine sat, she noticed the other girl. She looked younger than the rest of them. She looked similar to one of the champions, Fleur. "As you all know, tomorrow will be the second task. The task will involve the Black Lake, mermaids, and you. Tomorrow we will be sending you to the bottom of the lake."
"What?" Ron let out a cry. "Won't the mermaids kill us?"
"Mr. Weasley, you do not need to worry. The mermaids will not harm any of you. Back to what I was saying before, we will put you all in a trance. You won't wake up till you have resurfaced. The task requires the champions to get back something, or in this case, someone that they care about. In this case Miss. Delacour will get Gabrielle, Mr. Krum will get Hermione, Mr. Potter will get Ronald, and Mr. Diggory will get Katherine. Are there any questions?" Dumbledore asked, scanning the four students. They all shook their heads.
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Cedric's alarm went off. Groaning, the Hufflepuff turned it off and slowly crept out of bed. Today was the day of the second task, and Cedric could not be more nervous. He was afraid that the bubble-head charm he was using today wouldn't work, and he would fail not only himself but his friends and family. When he finished getting dressed, Cedric ran down the stairs that led to the common room. He expected to see Katherine but was surprised when she was nowhere in sight. Cedric laughed to himself, thinking she was with her boyfriend. Ever since the Weasley twin and Katherine made it official, they were almost always together.
Cedric made his way to the dining hall. When he glanced at the Gryffindor table, he saw the twins talking with Angelina and Lee. Katherine wasn't sitting with them, so Cedric looked at the Hufflepuff table; she wasn't there either. The Hufflepuff walked over to George.
"Hey, have you seen Katherine?" Cedric asked the group.
"No, she told me she was going to stick with you until the task started," George responded.
"Oh, okay. Maybe she overslept," Cedric nervously laughed. "I'll see you guys later."
Cedric took a seat at his table and started to eat. His mind couldn't stop wondering where his best friend was. Looking at the Gryffindor table, he noticed that the Golden Trio was missing as well. This made Cedric even more nervous. When Harry, Hermione, and Ron were missing, it was never a good thing. Cedric covered his face with his hands, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. It didn't work.
Breakfast passed, and it was now time to go to the lake. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Katherine were still nowhere to be found. Cedric made it to the judge's table, where Fleur and Victor were already standing. A few minutes passed until Harry sprinted towards them.
"I'm...here..." Harry panted. Percy started to get on Harry for being late. Ludo Bagman quickly put a stop to that. After a while, the champions were told to stand at the end of the wooden fort.
"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count, of three, then. One...two...three!" Barty Crouch boomed.
George watched as the champions dove into the water. He looked at the crowd that surrounded him and his twin. Katherine was nowhere to be seen, as well as his brother. Fred told George not to worry, that those two could handle themselves, but that didn't help George in the slightest.
Suddenly, people were gasping started making George turn his head. Fleur was being dragged out of the water. She was hysterically crying. George could barely make out what she was saying but heard something about her sister. Fleur was being covered in blankets as she sobbed. Eventually, she calmed down and just stared at the water.
Half an hour passed, and two figures emerged from the lake. Cedric was holding Katherine, who was gasping for air. The pair swam to Dumbledore and were covered in blankets, just like Fleur. George hurried over to Katherine and pulled her into a hug.
George! I'm wet! You'll get cold!" Katherine giggled. Her words did not make him break the hug.
"I don't care. You scared me to death. I didn't know where you were!" George sighed as he kissed her cold, wet forehead.
As they talked, Krum rose to the surface with Hermione, followed by Ron and the little blonde girl held by Harry. Fleur started to cry again. This time it was tears of happiness. She ran to hug her little sister and then kissed the cheeks of Ron and Harry. Katherine laughed when she saw how flustered Ron was. His ears turned as red as his hair. George started to laugh. Katherine smirked, knowing George was not going to stop teasing him about this.
"Stop it!" Katherine laughed, squeezing his face together with her hand.
"Oh, come on! I can't make fun of my own brother?"
