Aymee Parker - The Secret Tournament

Chapter 30 : How to Find a Knight

A problem with ADHD is that deadlines rarely mean anything. This phenomenon is amplified by ten if, as in the present case, there is no deadline. Or at least none official nor known.

Agreed, the tournament was fun and allowed to take your mind off things, but Aymee didn't really have the mood to take her mind off things. She had spent all her free time training like a madwoman. She had received a few Iris messages from Annabeth and Kosta. Annabeth must have sensed Aymee's concern because the first thing she said in every message was that everyone was fine. Her and Kosta had almost begged Aymee not to worry and to enjoy her time at Hogwarts. As much for her conscience as to reassure them, Aymee had promised to spend time with friends. She wasn't quite sure who she could call friends, so she forced herself to relax at Hagrid's for teatime or with the Ravenclaw girls in their dormitory.

March was coming to an end and she had completely forgotten about the existence of the tournament until Megan brought it back on the table during Charms class.

"I swear to you that I searched everywhere! I checked in all armor with a sigil or crest, I swear!"

"Except that an armor isn't a knight," countered Aymee. "You can have armor without being a knight. And you can be a knight without being a noble!"

"I've heard that Effie Lynch succeeded," announced Arvel in a nonchalant tone.

"Do you think one of the referees told her what to do?" Megan asked.

"They would have told the other Hufflepuffs what to do too, then."

"Who's left in the Hufflepuffs?" Aymee asked curiously.

"Huh..." Arvel raised his nose in the air, thinking. "I think that, aside from Lynch, there are still Gallagher and Walsh. Ah! The Giant too."

"Hepzibah?"

"Yeah, her. In any case, I don't think she'll pass to the next."

Aymee frowned. She hadn't really liked the way he talked about her, but Aymee concentrated mainly on his second sentence.

"What?"

"The rules say to be kind, nah?" smirked Arvel.

"Does she know what that means?" laughed Aydan, his best friend who was sitting right next to him.

"No need to be mean," Aymee defended her.

"Yeah, why would she be kind if you're like that with her?" Megan said.

Until then, the two lovers were stuck against each other like glue. Megan sat up and slid down the bench a little further. Arvel leaned down to keep holding her hand.

"Oh, you know that's not—"

"Oh yeah then what is it?" Megan asked, pulling her hand away.

"Oh, come on!" Arvel said. "Don't take it like that."

"And how am I supposed to take it, mmh? Kindly?" she said with a sarcasm mixed with piercing irritation in her voice.

"Megan..."

Aymee had to stop herself from giggling and she could see Aydan slam his hand on his face to hide his giggles behind Arvel. The latter seemed to understand he had made a mistake. His face paled from second to second and he reached out a shy hand to Megan. For her part, Megan had her arms crossed and looked angry.

Professor Flitwick announced the end of class before Arvel could place one and Megan rose like a spring.

"Come on Aymee. They don't deserve our kindness."

She glared at Arvel. Aymee got up and followed Megan. She couldn't help but glance over her shoulder at Arvel. The poor boy had his head in his hands as his best friend laughed out loud. Aydan's laugh was gasoline fueling Megan's annoyance.