Before you (Fred Weasley)

CHAPTER 8

It was the day of the first task. I was sitting at the Hufflepuff table with Cedric, Amelie and Padma. Cedric looked very nervous, he could barely eat.

"Cedric you have to eat something" I said.

"She's right, you're not going to have the energy to face whatever it is out there" Amelie added.

"Cedric whatever it is, it can't be that bad" Padma offered.

"That bad? Only if you bloody knew what I have to face out there Padma, what if it kills me?" He said, his voice slightly raised which wasn't very normal for him.

"Nothing is going to kill you Ced, Dumbledore wouldn't allow that"

I tousled his hair in an attempt to lighten the mood before getting up from my seat.

"I'm going to wish Harry good luck, see you at the tournament Ced" I smiled before walking towards the Gryffindor table where Hermione and Harry were sitting. I still couldn't believe that Bartemius Crouch had forced Harry into the conversation but seeing as Harry had overthrown even Voldemort on several occasions, I didn't doubt that he was fully capable of doing well in the tournament.

"Hey Harry" I said.

"Hey Alice" He said, not looking up at me.

"I just wanted to wish you good luck, if it helps, I believe you when you say you didn't put your name in the goblet of fire"

"That means a lot Alice, thank you" He smiled nervously.

I let him and Hermione be, there was something I had to do.

I walked to the other end of the table where Ron, Fred and George were sitting.

"Hey" I said, waving to the three of them.

Lee, George and Ron waved back but Fred kept his head lowered.

"Ron can I speak to you for a minute?"

He nodded and stood up from his seat, walking with me so that no one else could hear us.

"Ron, you have to speak to Harry, he's miserable, he needs his best friend" I said.

"I-I don't know Alice.."

"Do you really think he went behind your back to put his name in the Goblet of Fire?" I asked.

"I hate to admit it but it doesn't sound like something Harry would do" Ron sighed, his flaming red hair falling onto his eyes.

"Exactly, promise you'll go talk to him sooner rather than later?"

"Promise"

I smiled, satisfied with myself and walked with him, back to the Gryffindor table.

"Hey Alice, I have a question" George said, looking up from a piece of parchment on which some diagrams were scribbled.

"Do you simmer the fluxweed first or the flower head if you want to add some goosegrass into a cup of water?"

"Always the fluxweed, otherwise the flower head will burn, it's very delicate" I replied.

"Thanks" George said and went back to writing on his parchment. I looked at Fred whose head was still lowered.

"Anything the matter Fred?" I asked.

He looked up at me, wearing his signature grin although something looked different.

"Nothing, why d'you ask?"

"No reason, you just seemed.."

"What are the five of you still doing here? The tournament is about to start!" I turned around to see Professor McGonagall, striding up to us, her cape flowing behind her. She did not look very pleased.