Ethereal ✭Fred Weasley✭

31.

The backlash that was visible from Harry being entered into the tournament was awful. It almost seemed like no one was on his side, and he was left alone to do deal with it himself. Ron had become tremendously distant and was now acting like Harry's worst enemy. Hermione was trying to help, but couldn't decide whether to side with Ron or Harry. In Sophia's point of view, Ron had other friends that weren't against him at this point. So surely she should side with Harry, so that he at least had one friend. Whenever Harry would walk into the Great Hall at meal times or enter into the common room, the room would go silent and the stares would follow him right up until they couldn't any longer.

"This is ridiculous," Sophia exclaimed at Breakfast. She sat with Harry who was sitting away from any of the other Gryffindors at the table, glumly eating his cereal. She had seen how disassociated he looked when she came down for breakfast, and decided to keep him some company.

"Yep," Harry retorted with no interest. She had been repeating the same phrase the whole morning, leaving him to just nod his head or emotionless answer to let her know he was grateful for sitting with him. She had even taken the initiative to sit with him classes considering Ron had started sitting with Seamus instead. Hermione understood her change in seating, soon finding herself sitting with either Susan Bones or Parvati Patil.

"They're acting as if they hadn't even thought of entering themselves into the tournament," Sophia ranted again. "And now that someone has, they suddenly start treating them like utter trash!"

"Right," Harry murmured again.

"Have you said anything to Sirius about it?" she asked, forcing him to use more words than just 'yeah' and 'right'.

"I have. He says he wants to talk about it tonight in the common room," he answered.

"He surely won't be actually in the common room right?" she said skeptically. Harry only shrugged and pushed away the finished bowl of cereal, saying that he needed to head to Care for Magical Creatures. He bid her a forced goodbye and left the Great Hall. Sophia sighed and got up as well to head towards her own class, noticing Cedric Diggory in the corridor while on her way. He was surrounded by his friends who were also in Hufflepuff, laughing together as one big group. It made Sophia sad to see the contrast between one Hogwarts champion and the other being Harry. Cedric was being praised as the real champion of the school, while Harry was an outcast.

Attempting to think of something else other than Harry's poor treatment, Sophia busied herself with the thought of going on her first date tomorrow with Fred. He hadn't told her about any of the places he was planning to take her, leaving her to wonder whether they'd finally go to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. She still hadn't found out about why Lee and George were teasing them about the place when they were in Hogsmeade last year. Maybe tomorrow will finally be her enlightenment.

When the next day did roll around, Sophia had excitedly dressed in one of her comfy sweaters that she tucked into her high-waisted jeans. It was nice weather outside, meaning she didn't have to bundle herself up in layers and layers of clothes. She made her way out of the common room of Gryffindors and towards the Great Hall to meet Fred, where they would leave towards the Entrance Hall to get signed off by Argus Filch. She didn't make it very far though, as when she passed the courtyard of green grass and bench-sitting students, arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her off her feet. She squealed out of instinct and grabbed hold of the hands that were secured on her middle.

"Fred! Put me down!" she cried. The laugh that filled her ears confirmed that she was right about who was behind her, and she was lowered to the ground to let her turn around and stare up at the long-haired sixteen year old.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked with his hands still resting on her sides. He was dressed in one of the sweaters that his Mum made him every Christmas, as well as some dark jeans. Sophia guessed that if she saw George at any time today, he would be wearing the exact same thing.