homesick ☆ f.weasley

.:10:.

Applause encouraged Emmeline to stand up. Daisy's eyes were round with shock.

"Go on," encouraged Fred with a smile.

"You didn't tell me you entered," Angelina said, looking shaken.

"Neither did you," Emmeline reminded her, her watery eyes flashing with panic. She was the third champion of the Triwizard Tournement.
The applause was swiftly beginning to lose its velocity so Fred gave her a push in the right direction.

"I don't want to," declared Emmeline her voice wavering. "I only put my name in to spite Veronica."

"It's a little late to decide that now!" Daisy shouted.

Emmeline gulped and began walking the route Krum and Fleur had done previously. She felt herself blushing under the careful stare of thousands of eyes. She was the champion of Hogwarts. She was in the Triwizard Tournement.

She pressed her body weight on the door until it swung open. Fleur looked up instantly but Krum remained in a hunched position, glowering into the fire.

"Oh you," Fleur said, her voice thick with her French accent. "I expected that...um..Diggory boy to be the next champion."

Didn't we all thought Emmeline bitterly.

Emmeline occupied the remaining chair, trembling tremendously. She nibbled her nails, nervously awaiting the door to swing upon. It did and if she hadn't have been chosen by the goblet, this would be the most surprising event to occur that day. It was Harry Potter. He somehow managed to look even more bedraggled and shaken than Emmeline.

"What's all this?" quizzed Fleur. "Do they want us back in the hall?"

Harry shook his head, the hue of his face transcending from green to white.

Emmeline stood up. "Then what is it?" she pressed, praying that there had been a mistake. A change of plan. Anything that meant her status as third champion would be revoked.

"I'm the fourth champion," Harry mumbled.

"What?" Karkaroff exploded, turning to face the boy with a menacing look.

Harry remained quiet until Dumbeldore burst through the door.

"Harry, did you put your name in the Goblet of fire?" he said calmly.

Harry shook his head.

"Liar!" declared Madame Maxine.

"I'm not lying," Harry spat through gritted teeth.

"If I'd have known Hogwarts was having two champions, I'd have entered in more of my boys," Karkaroff said coldly.

"Dumbledore had no idea there would be a fourth champion," Professor McGonagall argued, emerging into the dimly lit room alongside Snape. McGonagall hustled over to Emmeline and congratulated her, before returning to the heated discussion surrounding Harry.

"Rigged!" scoffed Karkaroff.

McGonagall bit her lip. "It's clear there's been some sort of mix up. Perhaps we should redo the selection?"

"Impossible," Crouch muttered. "The Goblet shuts down and won't revive itself until the next tournament."

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "The goblet has spoken and therefore he should compete."

"That's not fair that Hogwarts has two champions!" cried Madame Maxine.

"What else must you suggest we do?" asked Dumbledore patiently. "The Goblet has spoken. And Harry has not put his name in therefore no one can be blamed for cheating."

"Well he's obviously lying," barked Snape.

"Or someone is out to get him," growled Moody suddenly.

"What ever do you mean?!" shrieked McGonagall, surveying a nauseous Harry with a worried glance.

"If the boy didn't put his name into the goblet of fire-" began Moody.

"So he says," Snape snarled.

"Then it's obvious someone else put it in. Why would someone do that?" Moody continued.

"To see him suffer," McGonagall concluded with a strained grimace.

"You seem to have given this an awful lot of thought, Moody," Snape observed suspiciously.

"What do you expect, Severus?" snapped Moody. "I'm an Auror, it's my job to think like this!"

"The only person who should be angry is Harry!" Dumbledore shouted, silencing the group.

"He is too young to compete!" McGonagall said.

"The goblet doesn't think so," Dumbledore countered.

"Dumbeldore surely you agree this is ridiculous! The boy is fourteen!"

"I agree, sir," Emmeline piped up. If they revoked Harry's entry, perhaps that meant she wouldn't have to participate either? It was a practically futile move, but Emmeline was desperate. "It feels unfair to compete against a fourteen year old."

"I tell you what is unfair, Hogwarts having two champions!" grumbled Karkaroff with a scowl so deep it encouraged a bulging purple vein to surface.

The group continued bickering but Emmeline's focus drifted elsewhere. She was about to compete in the Triwizard Tournement alongside a professional Quidditch player! People have been known to die in the past and this scared her horribly. Who would look after Daisy? She was too young to die!

Dumbledore announced the discussion was over and the students were encouraged to head to bed.

"Congratulations," Harry muttered. Emmeline could see he was only saying it because he felt like he had to.

"Erm, thanks." She decided it was best not to tell him she really didn't want to be in the tournament. She seemed disrespectful considering she had actually put her name in the goblet and he hadn't.

☆

The applause that followed the duos entrance into the Common Room was loud enough to permanently damage every Gryffindors vocal chords. Short arms enclosed Emmeline in a tight hug. It was Daisy.

"My sister, Hogwarts champion!" she said breathlessly. "I mean, I'm kind of annoyed you didn't tell me but like how can I stay annoyed at you? You're a Triwizard champion! Oh my god, imagine if you win!"

Emmeline forced a laugh. It was the only response she could manage. Fred and George were next to congratulate her. Angelina remained behind them.

"This is so not like you," George said.

"I think it is," smiled Fred.

The party continued with both Harry and Emmeline desperately trying to escape.

"You alright?" Fred asked, sitting down next to Emmeline. The blonde girl, clad in Gryffindor merchandise, was politely declining her twelfth offering of a cake from Dennis Creevy.

"No," she admitted with an irritated sigh. She told the boy the story of how Veronica and her friends were intimidating her so she entered to prove them wrong. She never in a million years thought she would be chosen.

"You're the most confusing person ever," Fred said.

"What makes you say that?" snapped Emmeline hotly.

"You tell me you want to live life. Like really live. Do something worth while. Now you have that opportunity, but you're turning it down?"

"I meant I wanted to pull a few pranks with you and George, become memorable-"

"The Triwizard Tournement will make you memorable!"

"You think I should do it?" Her watery gaze peeking from under a mass of blonde hair met Fred's.

"Emmeline, you don't have a choice. You have to do it."