Love at First Sight (Harry Potter)

The Weighing of the Wands

|ALEXANDRIA WEASLEY'S P.O.V|

The Great Hall was filled with people by the time Hermione and I entered the following morning. Thousands of conversations were happening all at once from table to table, but I was sure that the topic of each was the same: the fourth champion of the Triwizard Tournament.

A few heads turned to look at us as we entered. I could feel their eyes following, I could practically hear their whispers. Hermione and I hurried to the Gryffindor table with our heads low. Ron was sat to the far left with Seamus and Dean, but he was not speaking to them. Instead, he appeared to be very preoccupied with his scrambled eggs — not that he was eating them. His fork was held tightly in his fist as he stabbed at the plate, which made an awful scratching noise against the gold.

"Where is he?" I had asked, as soon as we sat down on the bench across from him. Ron looked up at us; there was no emotion on his face, his eyes were cold and bored.

"Who?" he said, very sarcastically. I found myself scoffing. He then clicked his tongue, dragging the fork against the plate again as I cringed. "Still asleep."

"What happened last night?" said Hermione, pressing for more information. I had told her about my conversation with Harry the night prior, upon entering our dormitory to find her awake in bed with a book on her lap. Parvati and Lavender had fallen asleep together in front of the window, so we spoke in whispers.

"He's saying he didn't put his name in, if that's what you're on about."

Hermione and I shared a quick, bothered glance. We had decided to be careful of what information we shared with Ron, depending on his mood.

"Well, perhaps he is telling the truth," Hermione suggested, hesitantly. Ron gave a great roll of his eyes. She fumed at the disrespectful gesture. "Harry is not a liar, Ronald!"

"She's right," I agreed with a nod. Ron scraped his fork against the plate again, his shoulders slumped. A spark of rage ignited in my chest and, before I could stop myself, I leant forward over the bowl of sausages and snatched the fork from him. "He has never lied to us before, why would that suddenly change?"

"Eternal glory!" he snapped, his now-empty hands slapping down atop the wood of the table. Hermione and I jumped slightly from the loud noise. "A thousand galleons! I overheard a few Hufflepuffs saying this morning that the champions are released from the end of term tests —!"

He gestured behind me to the Hufflepuff table, his face as red as his hair. I gave a hmph of disagreement.

"Harry would not risk his life for money or glory," I said simply. "Perhaps for the release from tests, but —"

The expression on Ron's face made me silence. Hermione had begun snatching up pieces of toast; she tucked them into her cloth napkin nicely as we watched.

"I'm going to see him," she said, climbing off of the bench. I gave Ron a quick, set glare before seizing a handful of miniature cakes.

"I will join you."

I stood up quickly. Immediately, a dozen pairs of eyes fluttered in our direction: a group of older girls at the Ravenclaw table and the Beauxbatons girls, a great number of Hufflepuffs were shaking their heads and frowning, a few Slytherins — amongst them was Draco Malfoy. This time, however, I pressed my lips together as I looked around at them all. Through my peripheral vision, I could see Hermione beside me lowering her gaze to the floor. I straightened my back, latching my arm through hers and beginning to lead her out of the Hall with my chin raised. The stares followed like burning spells.