Don't Act Like You Know Me

Year 4 - Running

Hermione was left standing there, dumbfounded. Even though he was already out of sight, Hermione was still staring at where he disappeared from view. "Hermione," someone said. Hermione looked around, startled. It was Viktor.

"Viktor, hi," Hermione said, dazed.

"How is your day going?"

"Okay."

"Have you seen these buttons yet? They have your friend Potter's face on them." Viktor pulled a plastic button out of his pocket. 

"That's Cedric," Hermione said as she looked at Cedric's perfect face on a yellow button.

"Just wait." Suddenly, the button swirled from yellow to green and Harry's face appeared with letters below him that said POTTER STINKS.

"That's a little harsh."

"Everybody's mad that an underage student is participating."

"Yeah, I could imagine."

"Cedric rules!" Michael Corner shouted through the courtyard. Hermione looked at the cloud of students wearing buttons that said Potter Stinks.

"Thanks," Harry said defenselessly. 

"Like the badge?" Ernie MacMillan laughed in his face. 

"Excuse me," Harry pushed past him. Harry went over to talk to Cedric about something. Cedric seemed to be the only one that didn't hate Harry. Cedric was cool. He was nice. Ron and Seamus came up to Harry. "You're a right foul git, you know that?" Harry said angrily to Ron. 

"You think so?" Ron teased.

"I know so."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah. Stay away from me."

"Fine."

"Why so tense, Potter?" a voice said. Hermione looked to the sound and saw Draco, perched in a tree. His eyes were faintly red, like he had been crying. A wave of nausea hit Hermione. "My father and I have a bet, you see. I don't think you're gonna last ten minutes in this tournament. He disagrees. He thinks you won't last five." Draco and his goons laughed, but Hermione knew it was fake. It was so obvious to her that she didn't know how it wasn't for everyone else.

"I don't give a damn what you or your father thinks, Malfoy," Harry snarled. "He's vile and cruel. You're just pathetic."

Harry turned away. Draco jumped out of the tree and prepared to cast a hex at Harry, but Mad-Eye intervened. "I'll teach you to cast when someone's back is turned." Mad-Eye flicked his wand and Draco Malfoy was now a small white chittering ferret. Professor Moody began to levitate ferret Draco up and down.

"Professor Moody, what are you doing?" Professor McGonagall bustled over. 

"Teaching," Moody said, not taking his eyes off the ferret.

"Is that a student?"

"Technically, it's a ferret." Moodys sent the ferret straight up Goyle's pant leg. Goyle squirmed trying to shake Draco off. Everyone was now crowded around the scene, laughing. Draco stumbled out of Goyle's pants and McGonagall turned him back to a human.

"My father will hear about this," Draco said with messy hair. 

"Is that a threat?" Moody snarled. Draco walked away. "I could tell you stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair, boy! It doesn't end here!"

"We never use transfiguration as a punishment. Surely Dumbledore told you that," McGonagall scolded.

"He might've mentioned it."