Natsu Dragneel and the Goblet of Fire

The Weighing of the Wands

When Natsu woke up on Sunday morning, it took him a moment to remember why he felt so miserable and worried. Then the memory of the previous night rolled over him. He sat up and ripped back the curtains of his own four-poster, intending to talk to Gray, to force Gray to believe him - only to find that Gray's bed was empty; he had obviously gone down to breakfast.

Natsu dressed and went down the spiral staircase into the common room. The moment he appeared, the people who had already finished breakfast broke into applause again.

The prospect of going down into the Great Hall and facing the rest of the Gryffindors, all treating him like some sort of hero, was not inviting; it was that, however, or stay here and allow himself to be cornered by the Blendy cousins, who were both beckoning frantically to him to join them. He walked resolutely over to the portrait hole, pushed it open, climbed out of it, and found himself face-to-face with Lucy.

"Hello," she said, holding up a stack of toast, which she was carrying in a napkin. "I brought you this... Want to go for a walk?"

"Good idea," said Natsu gratefully.

They went downstairs, crossed the entrance hall quickly without looking in at the Great Hall, and were soon striding across the lawn toward the lake, where the Durmstrang ship was moored, reflected blackly in the water. It was a chilly morning, and they kept moving, munching their toast, as Natsu told Lucy exactly what had happened after he had left the Gryffindor table the night before. To his immense relief, Lucy accepted his story without question.

"Well, of course I knew you hadn't entered yourself," she said when he'd finished telling her about the scene in the chamber off the Hall. "The look on your face when Master Makarov read out your name! But the question is, who did put it in? Because Bull's right, Natsu... I don't think any student could have done it... they'd never be able to fool the Goblet, or get over Master Makarov's -"

"Have you seen Gray?" Natsu interrupted.

Lucy hesitated.

"Erm... yes... he was at breakfast," she said.

"Does he still think I entered myself?"

"Well... no, I don't think so... not really," said Lucy awkwardly.

"What's that supposed to mean, 'not really'?"

"Oh Natsu, isn't it obvious?" Lucy said despairingly. "He's jealous!"

"Look," said Lucy patiently, "it's always you who gets all the attention, you know it is. I know it's not your fault," she added quickly, seeing Natsu open his mouth furiously. "I know you don't ask for it... but - well - you know, Gray's got all those siblings to compete against at home, and you're his best friend, and you're really famous - he's always shunted to one side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it, and he never mentions it, but I suppose this is just one time too many..."

"Great," said Natsu bitterly. "Really great. Tell him from me I'll swap any time he wants. Tell him from me he's welcome to it... People gawping at my forehead everywhere I go..."

"I'm not telling him anything," Lucy said shortly. "Tell him yourself. It's the only way to sort this out."

"I'm not running around after him trying to make him grow up!" Natsu said, so loudly that several owls in a nearby tree took flight in alarm. "Maybe he'll believe I'm not enjoying myself once I've got my neck broken or -"

"That's not funny," said Lucy quietly. "That's not funny at all." She looked extremely anxious. "Natsu, I've been thinking - you know what we've got to do, don't you? Straight away, the moment we get back to the castle?"