Where Your Loyalties Lie

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Blaise Zabini

Katie's POV

Dumbledore stood up for his speech after we had finished eating. He explained to us that there would be no quidditch this year because of a special event that would be taking place at Hogwarts. An event that has not been held for quite some time. Hogwarts was going to hold the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, other wizarding schools in Europe, would come to stay here and cheer on the person from their schools that are chosen to compete. They added a new rule to the tournament. You must be seventeen or older to put your name in the goblet.

On the way back to our dorms, there was a great amount of chatter going on amongst everyone about the tournament.  "Aren't you excited?" I asked Draco, who seemed less enthusiastic than the people around us.

"Yeah, but my father already told me about it, so it isn't new news to me."

"Oh," I replied. "Well I can tell already this year is going to be big. Everything will be different."

He looked at me, perplexed, "How?"

"I don't know. I do know, though, that it's a new year, and with the Tri-Wizard Tournament, it'll be different. Maybe it will cause something to change. I am not sure what, but something is bound to change."

~

Maddie, Draco, and I walked together towards the Great Hall after Divination the next day until I had to stop and tie my shoe. "You guys go on without me. I'll catch up," I told them. After I finished tying my shoe, I looked up to see Seamus staring at me.  I stood up and said, "Do you see something you like? Well I don't." His stare turned into a glare before he started walking away.

"Well that was very Slytherin of you." I turned around to find Blaise standing behind me.

"Why thank you," I laughed.

"We don't talk much. I think we should change that."

"OK...why all of a sudden?"

"I just think it'd be nice if we could be friends."

"And?"

"And you could introduce me to your friend, Maddie Jenkins."

"Ah so that's it. You fancy Maddie. Well she likes somebody else." Blaise frowned. "However, I can help you change that." Now he smiled.

"Really? Thank you Katie!" He hugged me.

"Whoa there. We're not that close," I said, pushing him away.

"Sorry."

"That's fine. Oh there's Maddie. I'm going to go catch up with her. Come sit by her at the table."

"OK see you later." I hurried down the steps to where Maddie stood. There was something going on a little ways away. There was Crabbe, Goyle, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Professor Moody, and a few others along with a white ferret that Moody was bouncing up and down.

"Is that-"

"Draco," Maddie confirmed.

"What did he do now?" I groaned.

"He was insulting Ron's parents so Potter insulted his mother. He tried to hex Potter and Moody saw so he turned him into a ferret," Maddie explained. We watched as Professor McGonagall came and stopped Moody. Moody turned Draco back to himself and took him to my dad's office. "We should go sit down."

"Yeah let's go." Maddie and I sat down in our usual spots. About a minute later, Blaise came and sat down next to Maddie.

"Is it alright if I sit here?" Maddie nodded. "I'm Blaise Zabini. We haven't ever formally introduced ourselves."