Fractured Hearts | Draco Malfoy

6 ~ I assure you, this is no game

FRACTURED HEARTS

i assure you, this is no game

"Harry Potter?"

My entire body seemed to freeze in place, my mind racing. Harry? A champion? That can't be right. He's not even seventeen yet!

"Harry, go!" Hermione's sharp nudge brought me back to reality. Harry, looking as bewildered as I felt, slowly stood up and walked over to Dumbledore. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I couldn't take my eyes off him as he disappeared into the chamber.

A murmur of confusion and outrage rippled through the Great Hall. "He's a cheat!" someone shouted. "He's not even seventeen!"

Moments later, Dumbledore and the rest of the faculty followed Harry into the chamber, leaving us students behind, all of us stunned into silence.

Finally able to find my voice, I muttered, "What the actual—"

Hermione turned to Ron and me, her face a mix of concern and confusion. "How on earth could this happen? None of us are seventeen yet!"

"This is—this is just sick," I said, my words tumbling out quickly. "What if something happens to him? What if it's against his will?"

"Not necessarily," Ron said quietly. Hermione and I both whipped around to stare at him.

"You don't think Harry put his name in the Goblet?" I demanded.

"Yeah, didn't you see what happened to Fred and George?"

Ron shrugged, clearly uncertain. "I don't know."

"Ron!" Hermione and I exclaimed in unison, our frustration bubbling over. "You're his best friend! You're supposed to be on his side!"

Ron didn't say anything.

***

The next few days dragged on in the most excruciating way. Harry was the talk of the school, but not in the way anyone would want. People were accusing him of putting his name into the Goblet of Fire for attention, calling him a cheat. The constant stares and snide remarks were wearing him down, and the tension between him and Ron only added to the stress. Ron was sure Harry had put his name in the Goblet himself, while Harry was hurt and angry at Ron's lack of trust. Hermione and I were caught awkwardly in the middle, trying to mediate but feeling like we were accomplishing nothing.

Desperate for a break from the tension, I decided to escape to the courtyard. A bit of fresh air and some time alone seemed like exactly what I needed. I stepped out of the corridor and onto the grass, which was still damp from an earlier rain. The sky was clear, and the crisp air was a welcome change.

I settled onto the grass with a deep sigh, stretching out and enjoying the rare moment of peace. Unfortunately, that tranquility was short-lived.

"Any reason you're sitting all alone, Davis? Did your so called friends finally decided it's below even their standards to be seen in your presence?"

I turned my head to see Draco Malfoy swaggering across the courtyard, his "Potter Stinks" badge gleaming obnoxiously on his robes. His smirk was as insufferable as ever, and he clearly thrived on the attention from his sycophants.

"Malfoy," I called out, standing and brushing grass from my robes. "Can you ever get tired of being so predictably awful? Take that ridiculous badge off."