Harry Potter's Pen Pal

Chapter 8

"Weasley is still making a big deal about Krum sitting with us?" Draco complained as Harry and his friends sat down at the Slytherin table. "Honestly."

"But Krum is cool!" George sputtered.

"Unbelievably cool," Fred agreed. "Not as cool as you, though, little dragon," he added with a smirk, causing Draco to blush.

"Hello, Harry," Luna said serenely, as she, Neville, Seamus, and Dean joined them. The two Gryffindors were scowling.

"What's up?" Blaise asked, giving them a curious look.

"Weasley's got half of Gryffindor against us," Seamus complained. "Just because we made friends with you!"

"And because we're gay," Dean said spitefully. "Pass the potatoes."

"What's wrong with being gay?" Luna asked curiously.

"Can't think of anything. Weasley's an idiot," Seamus growled.

"Most of Hufflepuff isn't homophobic," Neville smiled. "Cedric Diggory is gay," he explained when Harry raised a questioning eyebrow.

Tom chuckled. "That he is. I had to decline his offer to go on a date. Are you interested in him, Neville?"

Neville turned faintly pink, and Harry caught a faint frown on Blaise's face. "Well, he's cute, but he's not my type."

"You're gay?" Dean asked with great interest.

"Bisexual," Neville corrected. "For a while, I had a crush on Granger, but then I realized she was a horrible person," he said conversationally. "Then I had a crush on Luna-"

George growled protectively, and Luna gave him a gently amused look.

"-but she's like a sister to me now," Neville grinned. "Now I'm interested in two people."

"Oooh... who?" Fred grinned.

Neville blushed. "I am not telling either of you," he said sharply to the twins. They pouted.

McGonagall suddenly stood, and everyone fell silent. "The goblet is almost ready to make its decision. The students whose names come out of the goblet will enter the chamber behind the staff chamber and wait for instructions. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor," several people responded.

McGonagall walked around the staff table and stopped by the goblet.

A few seconds later, the fire in the goblet turned from electric blue to bright red. A tongue of flame shot into the air, bearing a piece of parchment on top of it. McGonagall snatched it from the air and scanned it.

"The champion for Durmstrang is Viktor Krum," she said clearly.

The Hall burst into applause and cheering as the famous Seeker stood and slouched out of the room.

"Bravo, Viktor!" Karkaroff shouted over the noise. "Knew you had it in you!"

A moment later, silence fell again, and the fire shot out a second name.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," McGonagall said loudly, "is Fleur Delacour."

More shouting and applause. The beautiful, silver-haired girl stood and sauntered towards the door behind the staff table. Harry chuckled; the rest of the Beauxbatons students were either furious or extremely upset.

The last name appeared from the goblet, and McGonagall snatched it from the air. "The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory."

"No!" Weasley shouted from the Gryffindor table as Cedric stood, smiling. Barely anyone heard him over the Hufflepuff table's excited shouting. Cedric shook McGonagall's hand and joined the other two champions in the back chamber.

"We have our three champions," McGonagall said sharply. "I am expecting all of you to give your school champion great support, but also not alienate the other two-"

She broke off, and the Hall suddenly fell silent again. Harry frowned. The fire in the goblet was still red.

Suddenly, a fourth tongue of flame shot out of the goblet and dropped another piece of parchment. McGonagall caught it before it hit the ground.

She stared at the parchment for a long time. A worried expression appeared on her face. Then she hurried over to Remus and Sirius, who were looking confused.

"What do you recon's going on?" Draco whispered. Hissing conversations indicated that several other people were curious as well.

"No idea," Harry said quietly, "but it's nothing good."

Finally, McGonagall straightened up and she walked briskly over to the Slytherin table. Harry frowned.

She stopped beside Harry and his friends and bent over. "Mr. Potter," she said with a frown, "your name has just come out of the goblet."