From a Cradle to a Grave

Chapter 26

Hope's Pov

The cheers of the crowd are deafening. Right now, they don't care that I was a jerk to all of them for the past two weeks. All they care about is that, out of all three schools, their redheaded Hogwarts champion has been crowned first place in the first task. Well, tied in first place with Viktor Krum.

I've tied in first place with Viktor Krum.

People pour out of the stands to congratulate me, but I'm pushed straight into the infirmary tent by Madam Pomfrey.

"Dragons, honestly!" she shouts indignantly.

I stand inside her tent, and she looks me up and down. "No scars... Not even a burn," she says in an impressed voice. "Still- Drink this," she says, forcing down a portion of Pepperup Potion down my throat.

Coughing from how strong the potion was, I make my way out of my tent to see that several people are waiting for me.

On my left stand Draco, Daphne, Blaise, and a very sour looking Pansy Parkinson.

And on my right... Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Harry, and Hermione. They're smiling at me weakly, as if they're not sure I'm going to return their smiles.

Without a second thought, I rush over to my true friends.

"Glad to see you haven't been totally pulled over to the dark side," Fred says, giving me a hard thump on the back.

I wrap my arms around Harry, Hermione, and Ron, already feeling my face growing hot in the shame of how I've treated them over the past two weeks. I'm beyond lucky to have them, to have friends who are willing to forgive me despite my horrible mistakes. To have friends who are a good influence on me, even in situations where I don't want them to be.

It's like all the weight on my shoulders has been lifted all of a sudden. And with all that weight gone, I don't feel I have to act like an evil bitch anymore.

"About the past two weeks- I know I've acted like a-"

"A complete prick?"

"An absolute idiot?"

Fred and George say, one after the other.

"Shut up, you two," Ginny says, playfully shoving our older brothers.

"We're just glad to have you back," Hermione says, giving me one extra hug.

I glance over at my Slytherin 'friends'. Daphne and Blaise are both talking to each other cheerfully, as if they haven't noticed me at all. Pansy is rolling her eyes in disgust, as she always does whenever I affiliate myself with the Gryffindors. And as for Malfoy? Our eyes meet, and he just shakes his head with a... I can't tell if that's a sneer or a smile that's on his face. Whatever the case, I know what he's thinking: That 'evil' Hope was fun while she lasted, but he had already known from the start she wasn't going to last forever.

"Bagman says the egg is a clue for the next task," Ron says eagerly. "Open it up!" he nods to the giant golden egg in my arms.

I shake my head. "Later. For now, I just want to enjoy this moment."

*****

"Professor Vaughan?" I say, knocking on the door to the Muggle Studies professor's office. I walk inside, and look around. It's a quaint little room, and most of the shelves are filled with leather-bound books.

"You said you wanted to see me?" I ask.

It's been three days since the task ended, and things are starting to calm down around the castle now. Still, people continue to clap me on the back wherever I go. It's as if everyone has forgotten about everything that happened with me being mean to them.