Spellbind

32. The Starcrossed-Champions

A/N:

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Niyla POV:

The weather outside made the entire castle intolerably cold by Monday morning. Undoubtedly, this winter was coming early and it'll be rather prolonged. Every tongue in the school had the Weasleys' return in mind as we all gathered in the Great Hall for breakfast. There was no competition in that I was the one most elated about their coming back from their three-day absence.

As everyone ate and the owls arrived with the morning mail it was suddenly as if the bulk of the cavernous room held their breaths, and read with intent expressions; the famous Witch Weekly.

Krum, who was sitting across from me and Draco, had his thick, black eyebrows arched downward over his eyes, while he read furiously. The copies of the magazine were quickly being passed around and skimmed like the contents of the glossy sheets were of the utmost importance. — One would think it was the announcement of Voldemort's return. In an instant Krum's eyes shot over to me then to Draco, his gaze sharpened, one of his brows lifted with wonder. I looked narrowly at Draco, dreadfully thinking someone must have seen us kiss and blabbed to Witch Weekly for a good publication.

"Maybe ve should hold off practicing the Wronski Feint," Krum said, reaching over the table and dropping the magazine in front of me. Draco leaned over to read along with me.

"THE STARCROSSED-CHAMPIONS"

The words were in giant elegant writing. While Harry was the center of the Daily Prophet, I was the topic used for Witch Weekly's demographic target of readers. The bright pink background for the particular pages I was mentioned on, was favored by the many young witches who were subscribed to the magazine.

Rita Skeeter, a well-known correspondent for the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly wrote:

"Sixteen-year-old Niyla Lupin, — daughter of werewolf Remus Lupin, a former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry — one of the three Hogwarts Champions, and close friend to the one and only Harry Potter; is perhaps onto something by also befriending the Durmstrang Champion Viktor Krum. And maybe even plotting more when she set her eyes on the twin brother of the Triwizard Champion, named Fred Weasley of Gryffindor.

"One might wonder just how deep she dug her claws into Viktor Krum, for him to have gifted her his Firebolt. — Yes, the very one he used at the Quidditch World Cup." A source commented to Skeeter.

"People are wondering whether Lupin is attempting to ensure she gets some of the winnings. What better way than befriending other Champions? Considering who her dad is, I think it must be true." Pansy Parkinson of Slytherin House bluntly told Skeeter."

There at the bottom of the comments was a picture of Krum and me, taken not too long ago. The day of our interview with Rita Skeeter, when we were all taken to the Quidditch pitch for photographs for the Daily Prophet.

"Lupin and Krum have been spotted in the Quidditch field on the grounds of Hogwarts. Since the shapeshifter's sixteenth birthday, on the fifth of November; Krum has kindly agreed to teach Lupin the Kronski Feint. — A dangerous Quidditch stunt for Seekers, of pulling out of a dive inches from the ground, invented by Polish Seeker Josef Wronski. One is to question whether Niyla will make a comeback next year as a Beater for the Slytherin House, for the chance to win the Hogwarts Inter-House Quidditch Cup. Or if she is simply using her lessons with the Bulgarian celebrity to get something out of their friendship.

It is unknown why the father of the sixteen-year-old shapeshifter held the child back a year before letting her attend Hogwarts. Perhaps it was a step towards his attempt to protect her from herself; or others. I would be cautious when approaching such a person who none of the three Divisions of the Department for the Regulation of Control of Magical Creatures, has little to no information about. Just how animal does the girl become when she shifts into the Dire-Wolf? I saw no control when Lupin was in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Some made the assumption she was protecting the other Champions, but could it have just been hostility for her prey?