Competitor

Chapter Nine

I put my hair in a ponytail and take a deep breath. Draco enters the tent.

"Ready?" He asks.

"Bloody hell no."

"You say bloody a lot."

"I have seven siblings. It is normal for all."

Draco nods his head and gives me a hug. A flash goes off, but we see it's for Hermione and Harry. I motion for Draco to sneak off. I was already in the paper as an anger issued, cheater. And Draco and I in the paper will make things worse.

He kisses my cheek before he leaves. I head over with the others. We are made to draw a mini dragon. I am the last. I pull out a mini Romanian Longhorn. It is green and very gorgeous in my opinion. I am forced to go last. I sit in my section the moment the cannons go off and take a deep breath.

"Abi," Harry says. He is right across from me.

"Yeah?"

"Good luck."

"You too."

Harry exits when they call his name. Cedric is rushed in. Part of his face is burned. I rush over to help.

"Don't," Fleur warns.

"Let them get angry at me. Burn shall cool and skin shall heal. Return him to a proper form of him."

I stop to breathe and gain steadiness. His skin returns to normal as they call me out. I walk past Harry into a rocky arena. People are all around cheering. I see the golden egg I have to fetch.

"Where's the dragon?" I wonder out loud. The moment the last word escapes my lips, I have to duck so I'm not a flaming witch. What to do? What to do? I pull out my wand.

"Petrificus Totalus," I cast. The dragon is too big for the binding spell. So I quickly use my back plan. "Avifors. Petrificus Totalus."

The dragon turns into a bird and then it is bound together. I quickly run and grab the egg, holding it above my head.

¤

I listen to people cheer outside, in the common room. I look at the egg, nervous about opening it. Inside is the clue I need. But what if it isn't an answer I want? My chair is pulled back and Draco smiles at me and takes a bit of an apple.

"The party is for Krum and you," he points out. "You tied for first on the first challenge against a bloody dragon."

"Let him have all the glory. I'm happy here. Debating whether or not to open..."

Draco puts the apple in my mouth to shut me up. I take a bite from the food and pick up the egg. Draco pulls me out of the room to the party. As soon as I enter, I'm picked up and put on people's shoulders. Krum lifts my hand in the air. People are cheering out names. And to think, I was hated yesterday.

"Open the egg," Goyle shouts. I hold mine out and Krum opens the egg. A loud screeching noise fills the common room. Everyone covers their ears and I close the egg.

"What the bloody hell is that?" Parkinson shouts. "You're mad for entering."

"I didn't enter," I snap. "Why in the bloody world would I enter. There is a reason why no one under seventeen could enter."

Everyone falls silent and I exit the room.