The Golden Wand [Harry Potter/Percy Jackson]

Chapter 57: The Waiting Game

Annabeth POV:

N.E.W.Ts flew by so quickly it was almost like they didn't happen. Needless to say, Hermione and I found them a little too easy, and although he struggled a little it seemed like Percy was confident he had done enough to get into New Rome College. Had it not been for the prophecy that lingered on in my head, reminding me that someone was going to die soon, I would have easily said that the month after the ninth trial was the best in my life. 

Exams were a breeze, friendships had never been better, the weather was perfect and lessons were over. Also, everyone treated Harry, Hermione, Percy and I like royalty - as in, security guards escorted us around the school to protect us from adoring students, the four of us got to sit on literal thrones when we ate the nicest food in the Great Hall, we had to attend press conferences and pose for a thousand photos, and the teachers told us more than once that anything we wanted we could ask for. If anything, it became a little annoying. 

With exams over and no more lessons, I spent most of my days hanging out by the lake with my friends - all bar Hazel, Nico, Frank and Jason, who were in lower years and still had to attend lessons. On one particular morning, I had been hanging out with Draco, Fleur and Hermione, and I couldn't shake the memory of the prophecy from my head. I marched into the Great Hall, found Cedric happily signing autographs at the teacher's table, and pushed to the front of the line of his adoring fans to get his attention. 

"Miss Chase, how are you?" He flashed me a brilliant smile. "So, you finally want an autograph, do you? I knew it was only a matter of time!"

I stared at him blankly, ignoring his grin. "Actually, Cedric, I was hoping to ask you about the Competiti-"

"Ah, no, I'm going to have to stop you there!" He waggled a finger at me as if he was telling off a child. "Seeing as the final trial commences in under 24 hours it would be extremely unprofessional of me to talk to you about this matter-"

"-I'm not interested in the trial, I just want to know about what happens to the Winner..."

He flashed me another smug grin. "Ah, I see. Well, what else is there to say other than two words: Eternal Glory. You want fame? You've got it. Thousands of adoring fans... travelling the globe to see them all... everyone knows your name. It's fantastic! And the riches, too - you'll be rich beyond your wildest dreams, and trust me I should know. Not that it doesn't get tedious from time to time... I mean, after winning Sexiest Wizard Alive for the third year running, it starts to become less exciting-"

"-No, I don't care about any of that. I was just wondering about the Golden Wand-"

"- Ah, of course, the wand! Well, I can say I'm a tad jealous about that thing - sure, winning the Triwizard Tournament makes you richer by a landslide... but that wand. It's a thing of beauty. And they mean it when they say heroism follows the wand - I mean, just look at Dumbledore. He won the Golden Tournament over a hundred years ago and everyone still knows him as the best wizard of all time.

"Obviously, there's been a few mistakes along the way - especially regarding Amanda Sterling... You've heard of her, I'm sure? The Beauxbaton's Champion that won the tournament seven years ago. Great witch - very promising. But then she had to join You-Know-Who's army and it went tits up from there. That's the beauty of the Golden Wand though; as soon as she became a Dark Wizard, the wand vanished! It can only be used by a worthy owner!"

"But what else can the wand do?" I pressed. 

I thought then of the prophecy, the funeral, the lake, the coffin, the crying, the body. He's going to die. I have to do something.

"What do you mean?" Cedric frowned and then chuckled. "It can do everything! The Witch or Wizard that wins the Wand tomorrow will become the most powerful sorcerer in the world - rivaling even myself. Any spell you want - it'll perform it perfectly. It's impossible to defend, impossible to stop, impos-"