holly phoenix didn't get the best start in life. her father walked out on her and her mother when she was just a baby, and her mother was killed by bellatrix lestrange in the first battle against voldemort and his followers. fortunately, she was tak...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
(a/n i'm really sorry there's no christmas chapter! it deleted itself and i didn't want to rewrite it so i'm just moving on)
about 2 months had passed, and the second challenge was merely days away.
i was in the hufflepuff common room, alone with cedric, talking about the next challenge.
"so you've figured it out yeah? you're prepared?" i asked him, as we played catch with the golden egg.
"yes phoenix, i'm very prepared. don't drop my egg!"
"why won't you tell me what the clue was? i'm so nosy. tell me." i ordered, giving him a stern look.
he chuckled. "no way. just wait and see. i hope you'll be there rooting for me?"
"you and potter. i tolerate you both equally." i fired back, grinning.
"haha, funny." cedric replied.
"who said i was joking?"
---
it was merely hours away from the challenge now, and myself, ron and hermione were trying to help harry figure out the clue.
"nothing from cedric h?" ron asked me.
"nope, he will not tell me anything. i mean, he told harry to put the egg underwater, so there's that to thank him for, but if we don't figure out the clue soon, harry's screwed." i replied, as i was leaning on a bookshelf.
harry had recited to clue to us, and it mentioned mermaids, which were in the black lake, and that harry would be down there for an hour, so i came for a quick visit to the gryffindor trio in the library, who were trying to come up with a plan.
"thanks holly, that fills me with so much confidence." harry shot back, resting his head on a book.
"i wish i could be of more help, harry. don't worry, i'm sure it'll go great. i'll be rooting for you!" i said as i left the library, on my way to find my other gang of gryffindors.
i found the three of them sat in a random hallway on a bench, arguing, as usual.
"there she is! phoenix, we need your help." fred exclaimed as i took a seat next to lucie.
"with what?"
"well, it's more that we need your opinion." lucie stated, as i slung an arm on her shoulder.
"do you think, if we made our own prank products, and sold them around school, do you think people would buy them?" george asked me.
"hell yeah. everyone loves your pranks. if people enjoy watching them so much, they'd enjoy actually doing them with their own friends even more." i stated, and fred and george high fived.
"yes, that's what i said! but i-" lucie started, but was interrupted by fred.
"erm, that is not what you said at all! you said, and i quote, 'no,no,no.'!" fred exclaimed, and both him and lucie stood up.
"you didn't let me finish. yes it's a great idea, yes, i think it would be cool, but what if you got kicked out of school for it?" lucie said, whilst walking away, fred following behind her, as they bickered their way down the corridor, away from myself and george.
"ah, cannot wait to hear fred complaining about her at 1am tonight!" george joked, making me laugh, as i leant my head on his shoulder. "you okay?" he asked me, placing his hand upon mine.
"worried for the challenge tomorrow."
"it'll be fine, i promise. you'll be there to cheer harry on, and i'll be right there next to you." george spoke softly, gripping my hand tighter.
"thanks george, i-"
another voice entered my ear. "hate to break up this little get together," professor snape spoke up. "but headmaster dumbledore would like to see you in his office, miss phoenix."
"did he say why?" i asked.
"no, just that i should tell you to get there as soon as possible." snape replied, and i nodded, as he walked away.
i kissed george on the cheek as i stood up. "laters baby." i said, smirking, and he smirked back at the nickname.
---
as i walked up and into dumbledore's office, i saw hermione, ron, and another small girl stood there as well.
"ah, miss phoenix, thank you for joining us." dumbledore spoke, and i stood next to ron.
"if you don't mind me asking, sir, why are we here?" hermione asked dumbledore.
"well, you four are needed for the next challenge. see," he started, and walked forward, leaning on his desk. "one of the four champions treasures each of you, dearly. gabrielle, you are most important to miss delacour," he carried on.
oh, it was fleur's little sister.
"mr weasley, i know mr potter values your friendship greatly, miss granger, mr krum is fond of you, and miss phoenix, mr diggory is a dear friend. am i correct?"
we all nodded.
"and because of these bonds," dumbledore pulled out his wand. "we're going to use you as bait for this challenge."
"but sir-" ron started to say, but everything started to go black as i heard dumbledore mutter out a spell.
