The Years of Blue [2]

Chapter 41: Hit with Reality

Within a week following the champions being picked, favoritism over which champion to root for became part of everyone's daily life outside classes. No matter where I walked, I'd overhear conversations on the Triwizard tournament and gossip over one or more of the champions. As expected, Harry Potter once again lead the tally of having the most rumors spread about him. And people weren't subtle about their thoughts either.

As he had told me and later I retold my friends, ¾'s of Hogwarts seemed to favor Cedric Diggory over Harry. The Hufflepuffs in particular had become rather blatantly brutal to most Gryffindors over the topic while the Ravenclaws I witnessed seemed to try and negotiate somewhere in the middle.

The Slytherins were just adding fuel to the fire.

Rosalie, Mila and I had just stepped out of dance rehearsal and were heading to lunch when we caught sight of a new fashion trend in the school.

Hogwarts students, no matter the house, were seen wearing colorful badges that flickered different slogans about the two Hogwarts champions.

Support Cedric Diggory- The Real Hogwarts Champion! One said in bright red lettering. Another broadcasted in green writing the simple phrase, Potter Stinks!

"If you didn't believe me before, I assume these badges are enough proof," I pointed out as my friends paused by the courtyard to gawk at the vast number of students wearing the badges. As if I was heard, three Hufflepuffs glanced up at me as I walked past with my friends following behind.

"Where do you think they got them from? A teacher wouldn't do this right?" Mila questioned curiously.

"Why? Would you like one?" I asked, peeved, but Mila was quick to shake her head before adding, "No, it's just complicated to make such a badge. With moving letters that show moving faces-"

"Most of Cedric's friends are seventh years like himself. It was probably one of them," I replied as we entered the Great Hall.

"But to do it with all that homework piling up? I mean we've been here for not nearly a full week and yet I've already spent little to no time doing anything other than read, write and study. And we're only third years."

"I think you misread the situation, Mila," Rosalie pointed out as we took our appropriate seats with our friends already digging into cold cut sandwiches.

"What's Mila done?" Ana asked, looking up from her copy of the French Post.

"She's overthinking the making of those badges, and how a seventh year couldn't make them," I let on as I placed my napkin in my lap.

"As long as a person has the will power to focus their time on the task, I'm sure anyone could do it," Rosalie stated simply.

"I don't believe it," Mila said back stubbornly. Jacqueline rose her brow over her cup of milk but said nothing.

"If you could make money making fun of a champion you hated, say Fleur Delacour for example, wouldn't you do it?" Ana asked innocently to her friend.

Marie and I made eye contact over the table before Mila admitted defeat.

November brought cold chills through the grounds of Hogwarts, making it impossible for us girls in blue to sit comfortably by the lake. Even walking to and from the carriage was painful, no matter how we rushed to keep up with Madam Maxime and her constant companion, Hagrid, who seemed to always be in his garden around the time Maxime lead us to dinner.

So, to compensate for a lack of a nice study spots outdoors, I introduced my friends to the vast library of Hogwarts. My Potions and Perfumes professor had also managed to find the library to her liking. So much so, that all her essays now included a section to reference resources from said library. So, there I was again, scourging through rows of books while the rest of my friends huddled at a table learning how to cross stitch for their elective.