Hogwarts || Cake Hoodings ✔ [ Completed ]

09

"Did i kill that dragon?," Luke asked small.

He had jumped out of his bed as soon as he woke up and saw Calum watching him from his bed next to him with a soft smile. He had showered Calum in kisses and apologies and Calum had giggled and told him not to worry about it and that he was glad both of them are okay. He was now sitting in a plastic chair next to Calums bed, holding on to Calum's hand for dear life.

"What?"

"Did i kill him? The dragon?," Luke asked again, a bit louder.

"Why does it matter?," Calum asked softly and brought his hand up to touch Luke's cheek.

"It matters a lot. I don't want to be a killer, Cal. It's the one thing I promised myself before stepping on that podium after my name was drawn."

"No," Calum breathed, "No, i don't think you killed him. I think the dragon's okay." He brushed his fingers through Luke's blonde hair, then brought his head down to his chest. Calum placed his chin on top of Luke's head and continued stocking through Luke's tangled locks.

"And even if you did kill him, it wouldn't make you a bad person, Lukey. You had no choice."

"You always have a choice," Luke whispered against Calums chest.

"No. It might seem like you do, but sometimes you really don't."

"Mr Hemmings," Madam Pomfrey said while walking towards Calums bed, " Good to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

"I am feeling fine," Luke said while lifting his head up from Calums chest, "my arm barely hurts anymore and everything else feels pretty normal." He eyed his left arm which was bandaged up.

"Okay, I am officially releasing you from the hospital wing now. The headmistress has requested a meeting with both champions, you better be on your way."

***

"I did it!!," McGonagall shouted while entering her office through the back door.

Luke glanced over at the blonde girl sitting in the chair next to him, then back to where McGonagall appeared between the bookshelves.

"Oh! Miss Launeau, I hadn't noticed you're already here. But that's good, actually, because there are some changes regarding the Tournament!," McGonagall grinned and slipped into the seat opposite of the two teenagers.

"So, the Ministry reconsidered their next step. Due to the latest incidents in the past round, meaning a student got severely hurt and one of the champions quit, they decided to drop the second exercise and skip right to the finale. That way, we can minimize the chance of someone getting hurt and also the chance that one of you fails the second task, leaving us without a proper finale."

"I am sorry - what?," Luke stared at his grandma with wide eyes, "Mr Durmstrang quit?"

He had come straight from the infirmary to the principal's office, Madame Pomfrey had said McGonagall wanted to talk to him and Sophie Launeau, the Beauxbatons champion.

"Yes, he quit. And that's not a crime, neither cowardly but brave to admit and know he reached his limits. And his name is Mr Wozniak, you better remember it because he set an excellent example."

"Soooo," Sophie said, "we will compete when?"

"The finale will be moved a bit forward. We are planning on mid February, so you'll have enough time to prepare after your Christmas Break. For now, all students are gonna stay here for the rest of October, November and December. Hogwarts offers a lot of classrooms, you'll be taught here by your and our teachers and the intercultural exchange will be a benefit to all of us."