FINITE | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [4]

𝘅𝘅𝗶𝗶𝗶 | 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Harry, Ron, and Hermione found her at lunch. She had spent the rest of the Defence Against the Dark Arts hour crying at the lakeshore, and when they arrived in the Great Hall, her face was red and blotchy. Her hair had gone grey, and she had not bothered to keep her eyes their preferred green. They were their natural silvery blue when they found her.

'Gwen, are you OK?' Hermione said tentatively, sitting down next to her. Harry and Ron took the two seats opposite them, and were sending her concerned looks.

Gwen nodded, spooning mash into her mouth. She didn't want to talk about it; the other three got the hint and avoided mentioning Moody or the class for the whole lunch hour. Hermione ended up talking about S.P.E.W again, which Gwen welcomed as a change of topic. She didn't necessarily agree with Hermione on the subject, but that didn't mean she wasn't welcome to hearing it, especially after that lesson.

She couldn't understand why Dumbledore would allow the class to be put through that. He knew better than anyone what she had been through with Tom Riddle, and yet he had still agreed to let Moody use an Unforgivable Curse on them.

She tried not to think of it as the days and weeks progressed, but the more she tried to avoid the subject, the more she found herself plagued.

For once, their homework was a welcome distraction. The fourth years had noticed an increase in the amount they were required to do this term, and Professor McGonagall explained why, when the class had let out a considerable groan at the amount of Transfiguration homework she had set them.

'You are now entering the most important phase of your magical education!' she told them sharply. 'Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer--'

'We don't take OWLs until fifth year!' Dean Thomas blurted out indignantly.

'Maybe not, Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get! Miss Granger remains the only person in this class who has managed to turn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion. I might remind you that your pincushion, Thomas, still recoils in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin!'

Hermione turned pink at these words, apparently trying not to look too pleased with herself.

Harry and Ron's horoscopes had received top marks in Divination, and Gwen, who had followed their example when she had completed hers, received the same. She, Harry, and Ron all grinned at each other, amused as Professor Trelawney read out the list of catastrophes that would happen, commending them for their unflinching acceptance of the horrors in store for them. Professor Trelawney looked deeply impressed when she got to the end of Gwen's horoscope, which stated she would die by the impaling of a stake to the heart.

They were less than happy, however, when she set them the exact same homework for the next month; they were running out of ideas of what tragic misfortunes would befall them.