B.Q. Book One: Princess of the Blacks

Chapter 30: No I in Team

Disclaimer: Was it Harry who suggested that he and Cedric take the Triwizard Cup together for a "Hogwarts victory" rather than the member of the "house of loyalty"? If so, I don't own the Harry Potter franchise; it belongs to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Press, Warner Bros., and whoever else she sold the rights to.
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Never before had Cedric been so glad for an early thaw as he was now. Thanks to winter yielding its iron grip on the weather a few weeks earlier than normal, the night air was merely chilly rather than bitingly cold. That did not, however, mean he wanted to be out here in the empty courtyard any longer than absolutely necessary. He muttered to himself, "The note I sent her did say 11:30, didn't it?"

"It did."

He barely held back an unmanly shriek as he jumped in surprise. Whirling around, he was treated to the sight of Jen Black melting out of the shadows, a sly smile dancing on her lips. "Oh, did I scawe widdle Cedwic? Perhaps a prefect would know there are consequences to luring a younger student out of her dorm past curfew," she finished in a normal voice.

"It's the only time we wouldn't have everybody in the whole school following us around," he replied hotly. "What took you so long, anyway?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Moody was patrolling the shortest route, so I had to backtrack a bit." Stepping closer to stand beside him, she remarked, "You know, most girls would be put out that arguably the cutest boy in school doesn't want to be seen with them after asking her out on a midnight rendezvous."

"Ask... out? No, no, that's not what I was doing at all! I mean... er..." he trailed off, seeing her quivering lips. Right when he was beginning to feel bad at unintentionally leading her on, a smirk replaced her depressed expression, and the clues fell into place. "Oh, you have a cruel sense of humor."

"I know. So, where are we going? Your letter wasn't specific."

"Forbidden Forest, but we'll need to keep any faculty from spotting us. Do you know the disillusionment... charm?" Before his eyes and without making a single gesture, the Ravenclaw had faded from his sight. "How in Merlin's name?"

"Ring of Invisibility," came the answer, Jen's voice echoing from everywhere at once. It was a rather disconcerting sound, if he was honest with himself.

How many secondary foci does this girl have? Shrugging, he cast his own stealth spell and opened the front gate just wide enough for them to slip through. Since neither student wore a silencing charm, they could hear each other clearly as they walked the grounds, allowing them to stick together in the darkness. The uncomfortable quiet lasted until they reached the edge of the woods, where, now safe from prying eyes, they removed their respective hiding spells. He began explaining as they passed between the trees. "I've got a friend, Geoffrey, who plans to enter the DMLE when he finishes school. He did a little digging around and found out yesterday that the judges aren't using the arena for this Task; instead, they've apparently cordoned off a small section of the Forest for us to run around in. I thought you might like to check it out with me."

"Be careful, Badger dear. Your scales are starting to show." His fellow champion sped up enough to draw even with him. "I'm curious, though; what made you think about doing reconnaissance beforehand this time?"

He hesitated a moment. "Couple of reasons, I suppose. The last two Tasks were all about gathering information and planning. I didn't do that for the Slytherin Task and got my arse handed to me because of it; hearing later that other champions had been watching me practice with my golem was a bit of a wake-up call. The Ravenclaw Task went better, but only because some of the egg's clues clued me in about the maze's obstacles. Even the Gryffindor Task would have been impossible without knowing you telling me about the dragons the week before. Why would the Hufflepuff Task be any different?"