Work of Karma || Cedric Diggory [2]

Chapter 5: Hermione's Charm

"We've got to go and explain."

"But we've got Quidditch tryouts this morning!"

It had already been weeks since that eventful first day of their sixth year. While Harry's sudden talent for Potions became a huge subject among Analeigh and her friends, they were too busy to dwell on that for long because of everything else going on in their lives — their other N.E.W.T. classes and the endless amount of work that came with it, Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and now, the upcoming Quidditch tryouts. And because of all this, none of them had been able to find the time and visit Hagrid. It wasn't the mere fact that they couldn't visit him that was bothering them; it was because they knew that they hadn't given him a proper explanation as to why they all dropped Care of Magical Creatures that school year.

"And we're supposed to be practicing that Aguamenti Charm from Flitwick!" Ron was saying. "Anyway, explain what? How are we going to tell him we hated his stupid subject?"

"We didn't hate it!" Hermione insisted.

"Speak for yourself. I haven't forgotten the skrewts, and I'm telling you now, we've had a narrow escape. You didn't hear him going on about his gormless brother — we'd have been teaching Grawp how to tie his shoelaces if we'd stayed."

"But I hate not talking to Hagrid," Hermione said sadly.

"We can go down to his hut today," Analeigh suggested.

"We should!"

"But maybe after Quidditch tryouts. This captain right here still needs to worry about coming up with his team," Analeigh nudged Harry lightly, who chuckled at that.

A few seats down the long bench of the Gryffindor table, a girl with brown skin and curly black hair was staring at Analeigh with some sort of contempt. She soon recognized her to be Romilda Vane, a fifth year Gryffindor. With raised eyebrows, Analeigh wondered if it had something to do with the playful nudge she had just given Harry... that, perhaps Romilda had a crush on him, and was not happy with that interaction.

"Trials might take all morning, though, with the number of people who have applied," Harry was now saying. "I dunno why the team's this popular all of a sudden."

"Oh, come on, Harry," Hermione said, suddenly impatient. "It's not Quidditch that's popular, it's you! You've never been more interesting, and frankly, you've never been more fanciable."

Analeigh let out a long ohhh while Ron gagged on his food. Now it all made sense.

"Everyone knows you've been telling the truth now, don't they? The whole Wizarding world has had to admit that you were right about Voldemort being back and that you really have fought him twice in the last two years and escaped both times. And now they're calling you 'the Chosen One' — well, come on, can't you see why people are fascinated by you?"

How did I not notice this sooner? Analeigh asked herself. Even by taking just a quick scan of the Great Hall at that very moment, she could already see several students, including Romilda, staring at Harry interestedly. It was too obvious.

"Now that you mention it, you've even been through all that persecution from the Ministry when they were trying to make out you were unstable and a liar, too," Analeigh added. "I'm sure a lot of people admire you for not backing down."

"And you can still see the marks on the back of your hand where that evil woman made you write with your own blood, but you stuck to your story anyway," Hermione went on.

"You can still see where those brains got hold of me in the Ministry, look," Ron piped up, shaking back his sleeves, but Hermione ignored him and kept talking about Harry.