Skill and Seclusion [2] || Harry Potter x OC x Draco Malfoy

125. Too Much

DISCLAIMER

I do not own Harry Potter ... but shit is heating up 

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The first challenge of the Triwizard Tournament was tomorrow.

Bel had been told by Dumbledore that their lesson that day was cancelled, wanting her to get as much rest as possible before tomorrow.

If something happened with the dragons that was unpredictable or really got close to putting the champions lives in danger, Bel was the first port of call.

She would need to be well rested and prepared.

To step in and stop the students competing from dying.

Quite a large ask, but Bel had been reassured that everything would be just fine.

The challenge was dangerous for a reason, but it would go smoothly and there was a rare chance she would be needed at all.

Bel prayed that would be the case.

But the anxiety she felt thinking about it not being the case was overwhelming her.

The fear she had that Cedric or Harry would be badly injured or worse made her begin to shake.

The fact that she had to remain focused. Not to be too attached during the challenge.

Attachment leads to bias which leads to strayed focus which leads to danger.

But she found herself struggling to not be attached.

Avoiding Harry and Cedric to help her case meant she had no idea if they had a plan for the challenge which only made her more nervous.

Which is why she decided to spend that afternoon in her clearing to take her mind off it.

To be alone, reading a book, sat underneath her willow tree.

The particular book she had chosen was one she had left in Moody's office by accident on Monday.

The Darkest Arts Revealed : An Overview of the Unforgivable Curses

Bel was beginning to read up on the Cruciatus Curse considering she had now comfortably mastered resistance of the Imperius Curse.

In doing so, she had found a solution to her problem.

Her mind was most certainly distracted from the challenge, but she had replaced those nerves with very different ones.

Bel had no idea what Moody would have in store in terms of tackling this particular curse.

Being hit with it wasn't exactly something she wanted as there was no direct resistance.

One would simply be placed into unimaginable pain.

But that made it worse. For Bel, it wasn't unimaginable.

She had experienced it before.

What she wanted to gain from it was the ability to not pass out so quickly.

Take it until she could withstand it long enough to do something about it.

But is that even how it worked?

Can one build up a tolerance without receiving some of the consequences Madam Pomfrey was so worried she already had?

Such as losing one's mind completely.

That wasn't something she was too concerned about. She was in safe hands with Professor Moody.

But that knowledge wasn't enough to quell her nerves.