Enchanted

Guardian of idiot

Hanky, the house-elf of Master Chen's family, knew something terrible has happened when he walked out to the front garden. He screeched when he discovered the rose flower bed that he had worked all weeks to nurture it into full blossoms have been brutally beheaded. 

"Who did this? Who dares to mess up Master Chen's garden?" 

Hanky angrily shoved around the bushes, trying to find the perpetrator. It wasn't hard finding the culprit as it was sitting peacefully in the middle of the luscious fallen blossoms, munching on the petals happily. A tortoise, with a letter tied on its back - To Eddy Chen.

"You shouldn't have come here, you evil wooden reptile! Mr. Chen is already at Hogwarts!" Hanky roughly picked up the confused tortoise and kicked it out to the curb. 

The tortoise burped out the leftover petals. Disappointed, it slowly began its journey to Hogwarts, just the same as the one before.

***

"Brett didn't put his name in the goblet. He is an idiot, but he is not THAT much of an idiot, sir. I swear," Eddy shook his head. "That badger doesn't even know how to pull a decent alohomora. You should have seen him when he tried to put a vera verto charm and turned me into a half cockroach - it was ghastly. Professor, he is just not the guy." 

Eddy has tried to persuade the Hogwarts faculty for hours, hoping to push through some sense there. Brett? A Hogwarts Champion? He will be dead within four seconds. Something was definitely wrong. It was all futile, though.

"The rule is written in magic, young man," the headmaster's final answer was no. "That Hufflepuff must compete. Nobody else can take his place." 

"I should have put my name into that stupid goblet. I should have..." Eddy muttered to himself while he paced back and forth in the infirmary, waiting for Brett to wake up. He gently put his hand over the bruise forming on Brett's forehead, knowing full-well that this soft-skinned honeybadger doesn't stand any chance in the competition. The badger really was more of a cotton ball than a fighter. 

Brett's eyes fluttered open at the cool hand on his forehead. His eyes went wide when the reality hit him once more - 

"Eddy!!!! Aaahhhhhhh- nooooo- i'm not - i didn't - i'm not a -" 

"Shut up," Eddy said quietly. 

Brett shut up immediately at the cold dark aura Eddy was emanating beside him. There was no doubt Eddy was in a worse mood than Brett right now, ready to decimate anything that crosses his path. 

"Did you put your name in that goblet, Brett Yang?" Eddy asked coldly. 

"No, I didn't," Brett shook his head vigorously. 

"You swear?" 

"I didn't even tiptoe near that goblet, Eddy. I swear." 

Eddy believed when he heard the flood of truth in Brett's voice. But then, who put his name there? And why? Is this just some kind of a bad joke? Eddy pinched between his eyebrows, trying to concentrate. There was no time to linger over the past though. 

"Fine. Now listen very carefully, badgerhead, and repeat after me if you want to see another light of day." 

Brett nodded anxiously, biting his lips. Eddy put his hand on Brett's shoulder, forcing Brett to look him in the eyes. 

"Our mission is not to win, but to survive," Eddy said solemnly. 

"Our mission is not to win...but to survive...?" Brett repeated back with an uncertain voice.