Infinite Magic (Male Reader x Harry Potter)

Punished For A Crime We Didn't Commit

When I woke up the next morning, I sat in my bed in a catatonic state for about two minutes.  The memory of the previous night rolled over me.  Ron had accused Harry and I of entering and not telling him, and now he's mad cause he thinks we're lying to him.  What a moron.  I sat up and ripped back the curtains of my bed, intending to talk to Ron, to force Ron to believe me... only to find that Ron's bed was empty.  He had obviously gone down to breakfast.  Whatever.  I got dressed and went down the spiral staircase into the common room.  The moment I appeared, the people who had already finished breakfast broke into applause again.  The prospect of going down into the Great Hall and facing the rest of the Gryffindors, all treating me like some sort of hero, was not inviting.  It was that, however, or stay here and allow myself to be cornered by the Creevey brothers, who were both beckoning frantically to me to join them.  I walked resolutely over to the portrait hole, pushed it open, climbed out of it, and found myself face to face with Ava.

Ava: Well, look who's awake.

YN: Yeah, yeah.  Last night was... exhausting.  Can we talk up in my room?

The two of us went up into my dorm room and crashed onto my bed.  She cuddled into me as I held her, staring at the ceiling.

YN: Why do we keep getting thrown into these crazy situations?

Ava: If I knew, I'd do my best to prevent them.

I laughed a bit, kissing her on the head.

YN: You believe me, right?

Ava: Of course.  I know you'd never lie to me, YN.

I grinned, kissing her on the head again.  

If I thought that matters would improve once everyone got used to the idea of him being champion, the following day showed me how mistaken he was.  He could no longer avoid the rest of the school once he was back at lessons.  And it was clear that the rest of the school, just like the Gryffindors, thought we had entered himself for the tournament.  Unlike the Gryffindors, however, they did not seem impressed.  The Hufflepuffs, who were usually on excellent terms with the Gryffindors, had turned remarkably cold toward the whole lot of us.  One Herbology lesson was enough to demonstrate this.  It was plain that the Hufflepuffs felt that we had stolen their champion's glory.  A feeling exacerbated, perhaps, by the fact that Hufflepuff House very rarely got any glory, and that Cedric was one of the few who had ever given them any, having beaten Gryffindor once at Quidditch.  Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley, with whom Harry normally got on very well, did not talk to him even though they were repotting Bouncing Bulbs at the same tray, though they did laugh rather unpleasantly when one of the Bouncing Bulbs wriggled free from Harry's grip and smacked him hard in the face.  Ron wasn't talking to us either.  Hermione sat between him and Harry, making very forced conversation, but though both answered her normally, they avoided making eye contact with each other.  Suguru and Ava believed us, so we sat next to each other as usual.  Even Professor Sprout seemed distant with us.  But then, she was Head of Hufflepuff House.  I would have been looking forward to seeing Hagrid under normal circumstances, but Care of Magical Creatures meant seeing the Slytherins too.  The first time we would come face to face with them since becoming champions.  Predictably, Malfoy arrived at Hagrid's cabin with his familiar sneer firmly in place.

Draco: Ah, look, boys, it's the champions.  Got your autograph books?  Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer.  Half the Triwizard champions have died, how long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter?  Ten minutes into the first task's my bet.

Suguru: I'll take that quill, Malfoy, so I can shove it up your-

YN: Hey, come on, man.  He's not worth it.