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—THE DAY BEFORE THE FIRST TASK, RIGEL WALKED INTO THE THREE BROOMSTICKS IN HOGSMEADE. He walked to the table where Sirius and Remus were sitting at, and sat down, looking at them curiously.
The two had sent Rigel a letter, claiming that they had news to tell him.
••
Rigel blinked a couple of times. "You want to blood adopt another kid?"
"Ri, this girl was thrown outside of an orphanage. It was clear that she was magical, because of how the weather changed immediately when it happened.." Remus explained.
"And we just fell in love with her." Sirius continued. "She's only a year old."
Rigel nodded understandingly. "When's she going to be blood-adopted?"
"Soon," Sirius said, "but we've already adopted her from the orphanage."
"You're meeting her on Easter break."
"Brilliant." said Rigel, nodding approvingly. "As long as it doesn't annoy me."
"Ri— she's not an it—"
"Deal." Sirius grinned, cutting his husband off.
••
It was now the next day, meaning it was the day of the first task.
Thomas Gaunt was waiting for his turn to battle the dragon, which was a Hungarian Horntail.
He might've not shown it on the outside, but he was panicking slightly on the inside.
'Goodluck.' Rigel's voice said in Tom's head, making him look shocked.
The cannon was shot, meaning it was his turn.
Feeling better and calmer, Tom stood up and walked out of the tent and into the stadium.
The Hungarian Horntail immediately tried attacking, but he hid behind a rock.
"I need not harm you." Tom slipped into parseltongue, looking at the shocked dragon.
It was believed that dragons could speak parseltongue, and Tom wanted to try it out. However, he had back-up plans just in case it wasn't true.
"You will harm my eggs!"
"No. I'm saving your eggs. See that golden egg? It's a fake. It'll explode and harm your eggs."
The dragon looked at her nest, nodding when she saw the golden egg. "Take it and leave."
Tom nodded, thanking her, and rushing to pick up the egg, earning shocked and awed cheers from everyone.
Turned out— he had gotten more points than Krum and Delacour had— meaning he was now in the lead.
••
"Impressive, I'd say, but I hate to lie." said a drawling voice, making Tom turn around in the Slytherin common room, where a party was being held at.
"Thanks for wishing me goodluck."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Rigel glared.
Tom smirked. "Of course you don't. My apologies."
"Apology... accepted." Rigel rolled his eyes, drinking from the glass of firewhiskey in his hands.
Tom watched as Rigel looked around the party, his hair neat, but his suit slightly messy as if he was too lazy to wear it nicely.
He sighed, desperately looking for one bad quality— one— so he could finally get over his tiny crush on him.
The problem was— Rigel had no bad qualities.
"The next tasks, I've heard, are harder." Rigel mused. "Let's hope you won't die. I've been trying to look for a way to kill you for years and for a stupid task to do that might deflate my ego."
Except that.
Tom watched as Rigel walked away and walked to Draco and Blaise.
Honestly, what was he even thinking?
Rigel was just a stupid emotionless boy.
Tom felt his anger rising. Out of all the damn people he could have a crush on— it just had to be the person that was the only one who wouldn't fall for his charms and hated him.
