✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

09 | C H O S E N

what am I supposed to do
when the best part of me was
always you.

"YOU KNOW THAT this is my ticket to a peaceful life, do you?", Ember snickered, waving the odd photograph in front of the twins nose. It was showing Fred and George with long white beards sitting on the floor laughing.

"How the bloody hell did you get a photo of this?", Fred scoffed.

"And how would that be the ticket to a peaceful life?", George snorted.

"Don't you think your mother will just love this photo, Fredward?", Ember snarled with a devilish grin on her face. "What do you think, Georgette?" Her eyes glimming triumphantly, as she watched the twins' faces drop. "Exactly what I thought. So whenever you two little demons consider it as a wise idea to ever prank me again, remember this pretty picture here your mother would be so happy about."

"You're a Hufflepuff!", George exclaimed. "You're supposed to be kind and innocent!"

"I'm supposed to bite your shins, if you try to find the badger", Ember replied with a wink, before she left the guys standing in the hallway with dazzled faces.

"We need to get that photograph", George muttered, and Fred growled: "And I want revenge for this!"

·

"This is ridiculous", Hermione hissed, when they entered the Great Hall this night. In less than two hours the champions for the Triwizard Tournament would be chosen. The excitement all around the hall was almost touchable.

Only one girl was sitting in the middle of her bubbling friends, now and then cracking a smile when being directly talked to, but otherwise seeming concerned and nervous, as if it was her own name the Goblet of Fire was about to spit out. And Harry's eyes were fixed on Ember, without her noticing.

"You know chances are high that Cedric will get chosen", Hermione reminded Harry in a fierce voice. "And Ember won't be happy about this. I don't even get why you're fighting!"

"We aren't fighting", Harry muttered.

"You haven't talked to her for weeks now!", Hermione scoffed, her eyes narrowed in a way that one could not ignore.

"Well, she's sympathising with Malfoy", Ron explained, before his mouth was stuffed with another bite of his chicken wings.

"She's sympathising?", Hermione echoed. "Goodness, boys! He helped her out of the forest, that's it. There's no sympath-"

"I don't care if they're sympathising or whatever", Harry cut Hermione off, before she could even properly start to lecture him. "I don't like the way Malfoy is staring at her, and she doesn't even notice. She's stubborn. And as long as she is willing to keep up the thought I am the bad guy in this, I see no need to further discuss this."

"Talking about stubbornness -", Hermione started, but Dumbledore raised from his chair and the lights lowered, while the flame of the Goblet of Fire spread a ghostlike blue shimmer across the students faces, and she cut herself of with a shrugg.

"Any second", Lee Jordan whispered, two seats away from Harry.

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang", he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

"Bravo, Viktor!", boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons", said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion", he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"

"No!", said Ron loudly, but nobody heard him except Harry; the uproar from the next table was too great. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Everyone but one.

Despite being on her feet, Ember didn't join the applause. With forehead wrinkled in sorrow, Harry's sister watched Cedric vanishing through the door the two other champions did before. Her hazel eyes were covered by a dark shadow, and slowly she sunk back into the bench long before anyone else did. Harry watched Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones talk to her, but beside a shrug she didn't react.

"Excellent!", Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real -"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out -

"Harry Potter."

One table away, Ember Potter's breath got stuck in her lungs, as they refused to work. Her brain was empty, every cell in her body alarmed, incompetent of realising what was going on. Susan's voice wouldn't reach her, all Ember was capable of, was staring at her brother, and a pale faced Harry Potter sat in the middle of the staring crowd, his widened emerald eyes locked with Ember's, and in utter silence surrounding him those were screaming in soundless pleadings.

-