[✓] 𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐼𝑆𝑀 | 𝐂𝐄𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐎𝐑𝐘

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐒
"𝐾𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟. 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑙...𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑. 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑡𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑙. 𝑆𝑜 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑡𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑙."
—𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎 𝑅𝑜𝑡ℎ, 𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑡
𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟒𝟑𝟖𝟕

⋆⋆⋆✧⋆⋆⋆

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘, Liliana joined the boys at the Hufflepuff table for breakfast after grabbing her newly formed timetable.

She sat down in her usual spot next to Cedric, still a little sleepy as she spread some strawberry jam onto her toast.

"Good morning." Cedric kissed the side of Liliana's head as she placed her book bag by her feet.

"Mhphg," was all she could respond.

"Lovely," he laughed before taking a sip of water from his goblet.

"Liana! Please tell me you agree with me!" Riley cried out as he turned to her, causing her eyebrows to furrow. 

"About what?"

"Those two" —he pointed at Devon and Wesley, who exchanged eye-rolls— "don't think a Centaur and a Hippogriff could have a baby together!"

Her nose immediately wrinkled, and she thought it over for a moment as she took a bite of her toast. "But . . . I don't think they can."

"Not you, too!"

"Trust me, Riley, I'm sure the world would be aware if a Centogriff was real," Devon laughed. "Maybe they'd put one in the tournament! You'd have to somehow defeat it, get past its bow and arrow, and the fact that it could fly! And the sharp beak! And the four legs! And the claws!"

Cedric squinted his eyes. "I'm confused with which parts of each creature the Centogriff is supposed to inherit."

"I would not be entering the tournament if there was a 'Centogriff.'" Wesley shuddered as he popped a plump grape into his mouth.

Clang!

Liliana had dropped her fork onto the table, her eyes wide in shock as she stared at Wesley. "You're . . . you're entering the Triwizard Tournament?"

Wesley, now clearly put off by her shock, hesitated before giving her a curt nod.

"And you two?" Liliana whipped her around to Riley and Devon, who were now very pale. "Are you guys entering as well?"

The two boys suddenly became extremely interested in the crumbs on their plates.

"You can't be serious!" she exclaimed as she folded her arms, her eyebrows furrowing deeply. "This tournament is beyond dangerous—it's a death wish!"

"You heard what old Dumby said!" Devon countered with raised eyebrows. "They made sure that it would be safe this year!"

"Oh, please." Liliana scoffed, a bitter laugh following. "You think they tried to make it a fatal competition the hundreds of times before?"

The three boys exchanged glances of nervousness.

"Yes?" Riley offered.

"No! Of course not, you doorknob!" she exclaimed as she reached over and slapped his arm lightly. "This time around, the tournament still has to be dangerous, otherwise what's the point? It's 'no fun' if there isn't risk involved. If any of you get chosen to be the Hogwarts Champion, you're basically dead meat."