In the Melancholy Moonlight

Chapter LIII: A Gentle and Tender Hand

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand."

Henri Nouwen

LUCY:

"You know I love you boys, and I think you're bloody brilliant, but I don't think you'll be able to fool the 'impartial judge,'" I said to Fred and George as we headed down to breakfast the next morning.

"Ah, come off it, Cub," Fred replied. "Theoretically, we should be able to compete in the first place, being sixth-years. Your brother can! Why not us?"

"Is he entering? Cedric, I mean?" George asked.

I shrugged. "I'm sure he's thinking about it."

"Do you want him to enter?"

I shrugged again. "I don't know. It's not my call, it's his. If he enters, I'll support him. If he doesn't, I'll support him in that too."

Fred pouted. "So you'll support him, but not us?"

"It's legal for him to enter!" I chuckled. "Besides, what if you somehow trick the judge, and one of you is chosen? You can't both be chosen. What would that be like?"

"May the best twin win!" they said in unison, making everyone around us laugh.

When course schedules came around, I scanned mine quickly. "Yes! Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures! What a great way to start the..." My voice trailed off as I saw what was in store after lunch, and I slapped a hand to my forehead.

"What is it?" Harry asked, holding his hand out for my schedule. I passed it to him, and he groaned sympathetically. "Double Ancient Runes? Bloody hell, no wonder you look so upset."

"Wait, if she has that, we must have double Divination!" Ron skimmed his own schedule and swore.

Hermione clucked disapprovingly as she reached for a piece of toast. "You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you? Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy."

"You're eating again, I notice."

"I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights."

"Yeah... and you were hungry."

I snorted quietly as I took my schedule back from Harry.

The owls carrying the post swooped in then, and Harry scanned them all, searching for Hedwig. He looked troubled, and I tried to think of something I could say to make it better, but nothing came to mind. So, instead, I nudged his foot with my own and offered a sympathetic glance. He shrugged and returned to his breakfast. I glanced across the room to see if Cedric had gotten anything from home; surely enough, he was reading a letter, and I could tell that he was trying hard not to let his emotion show on his face. But as his sister, I could see the tension in his shoulders and the slight tremble of his hands as he gripped the parchment.

Henry, sitting by Cedric's side as always, met my eyes, having noticed the same things I had.

"What is it?" I mouthed.

His eyes flickered between me and the letter a couple of times.

"The Tournament," he mouthed back.

I nodded slowly, biting my lip. Henry sighed and nudged Cedric's plate toward him. I couldn't quite tell what he said, but it looked an awful lot like, "Eat now, deal with him later." Cedric nodded and folded the letter in a single quick motion. I glanced quickly back at my plate before Cedric caught me looking at him, making a mental note to read the letter for myself later. I considered trying a summoning charm to read it right away, but I decided against it.