The Fifth Champion

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Charissa shoved her textbooks into her bag and sprinted out the door after Cedric. She slipped the figurine of Lynch, its magic almost worn off, into her bag as well. It had been a late birthday present from Cedric (Her birthday was July 31st, she had just barely turned 12).

"Bye, son!" Mr. Diggory called after them. Cedric had already passed his Apparation exam, would be Apparating the pair to Platform 9 ¾. Their trunks would follow, Charissa didn't quite understand how.

"Ready?" Cedric asked. Charissa nodded, and with a pop, they Disapparated and reappeared on Platform 9 ¾ .

Right in front of Lucius Malfoy.

"Whoops, sor-oh." Cedric said. "We'll just be going now!" The pair quickly tried to dissolve into the crowd. Cedric paused, having felt something cold and heavy touch his shoulder.

"Cedric, come on!" Charissa called behind her, seeing as Cedric wasn't following. She turned around and saw the end of her father's walking stick on Cedric's shoulder, stopping him.

"Not getting into any more trouble, I hope." Mr. Malfoy's voice was icy and laced with disapproval.

"'Course not, sir." Cedric replied, his voice a bit colder than usual as well.

"Cedric, c'mon, we're going to be late." Charissa said, shooting an annoyed glare at her father before shoving her hair out of her eyes and trying to dissolve into the crowd. She didn't give her mother so much as a glance.

A few minutes later, they had found a carriage on the train. It was the same carriage as Lauren and Isabel. "Amber and Taylor went off with a couple of Ravenclaw boys." Lauren whispered.

"Well, I'll see you girls later. I have to head to the prefects carriage." Cedric said goodbye and headed out.

"Ran into my parents on the Platform." Charissa said to the girls.

"Really?" Isabel asked curiously. "What did they say?"

"Don't know. We left before they could finish!" Charissa laughed.

"Yes, well, Mother's quite upset with you after that little incident." Draco appeared in the doorway, sliding into the seat next to Charissa.

"Tell me something new, Draco." Charissa sighed.
"So, are you entering?" Draco asked. "I heard Father and Mother talking, and they said that they would be willing to put aside your new friends and let you back home if you won."

"Entering what?" Charissa's ears perked up a bit. As much as she loved her friends, after a year of not being home or seeing her parents, she was starting to get extremely homesick.

Draco laughed. "Didn't Mr. Diggory tell you?" He said. "Father told me ages ago!"

"Just tell me what you're talking about, Draco!" Charissa hissed, exasperated.

"Ooh, somebody wants to come back, don't they?" Draco laughed again, determined to keep teasing Charissa for as long as he could. "Why, the Triwizard Tournament, of course!"

"Don't lie to me!"

Draco looked mildly taken aback, as though he was faking (which he probably was). "Now, why would you think that?" He drawled.

"Because Father wouldn't want me back no matter what I won!" Charissa lost any sign of calm and yelled at Draco. "So don't lie to me and give me any!" She could feel angry tears threatening to spill over.

"I'm not lying, Char." Draco said quietly. "Even if Father doesn't agree, Mother misses you terribly."

"I don't care!" Charissa yelled. "Get out! Just get out!"

"Okay, okay! Merlin, you would've thought I was trying to kill you!" Draco smirked, slipping out just as Cedric returned.

"What was that all about?" Cedric asked, slipping into the seat previously occupied by Draco. Lauren shook her head a bit and pointed from Draco's turned back to Charissa, who was currently crying into her hands. Feeling three pairs of eyes on her, she quickly dried her eyes, wiping the tears on her sleeves.

"What was that about?" Cedric repeated.

"Nothing." Charissa replied. "Nothing at all."