When It Rains, It Pours (HP)(love triangle)(muggle au)

chapter five: spelling bee

"Mr. Malfoy, please spell 'claustrophobic.'"

"C-l-a-u-s-t-r-o-p-h-o-b-i-c," Malfoy answers without missing a beat. The judges move into the next person in line. Harry glares over at Malfoy, who just raises an eyebrow in smug superiority.

"Mr. Potter," Harry turned his stare back to the judges, "Spell 'diagnostic.'"

Harry recalls this word, it being on page twenty seven of the spelling bee manual. "D-i-a-g-n-o-s-t-i-c."

The judges continue down the row.

Spelling bee entry tests, which is just a smaller version of the real deal where multiple people pass to the next level instead of just one, happen in homeroom class. Harry and Malfoy shared all classes, unfortunately, but the Barn had a different homeroom. They wouldn't be competing with them until the finals, if they made it that far.

"Miss Lovegood, spell 'adorable.'"

"C-a-t."

A judge sighs deeply. "You are eliminated, Miss Lovegood." She skiped back to her seat.

By the time it's Malfoy's turn again, ten people had been eliminated and only nine remained. Wow, Harry thought, this class is really bad at spelling. "Mr. Potter," Judge Jones said. "Spell 'manoeuvre.'"

Page fourty nine, Harry recalled. Easy. "M-a-n-o-e-u-v-r-e."

"Mr. Weasley," Harry turned to look in the line, for a brief moment anxious that Ron had somehow sneaked into their class and was participating in their spelling bee, but sighed in relief when he was it was only Fred, an older brother of Ron who had been held back because of him and his twin's shananagains. "Spell 'handkerchief.'"

"Hmmmm," Fred rubbed his chin, like an old man would caress his beard. "No," he said, then walked back to his seat.

"Mr. Weasley," it was George's turn and Harry wondered why there had to be so many damn Mr. Weasleys, "Spell 'consensus.'"

"You see, Judge Martha, I absolutely could, I have no doubt about that, but I think I will be refuse because you are not asking politely. It's very rude, you know, to be so disrespectful. No Please? No thank-"

"Please," Judge Martha said in an strained tone, "sit down, Mr. Weasley."

"Mr. Goyle, spell 'antagonistic.'"

"A-n-t-a-g," he paused and bit his lip, seeming like he did not know how to continue. "i-g-n-i-s-t-i-c?"

"Eliminated."

"Mr. Thomas, spell 'pharaoh.'"

"You really overestimate my abilities, Ma'am." He took his seat.

And then there were five. Harry looked down the line, surprised to see who all was left. Tom had, by some miracle, made it. He was a horrible speller. Harry supposed he had helped Harry memorize the book, which helped Tom's chances.

Malfoy was still there, and so was Cho Chang. Pansy Parkinson, a friend of Malfoy a couple years back before they had a huge fight, resulting in Malfoy becoming the loner he is.

Harry just had to outlast two more of them and then the spelling bee entry test would be complete. He thought he had it, it was basically done, and he'd already won. He pushed those thoughts down, though, because he remembered what Malfoy had told him.

Your weakness is arrogance.

Harry pushed down his ego, resolved to not let it get in the way of winning.

Malfoy was busy hyper analyzing his competition. Cho is smart, he thought, but the weakest one here, behind Tom. I don't even know how he made it this far, if I'm being honest. Pansy, me and Potter will likely make it to the next round, if my calculations are correct.