✓ | RECKLESS AND BRAVE | Draco Malfoy

41 | ORPHIC

ORPHIC
(adj.) mysterious and entrancing; beyond ordinary understanding

TESSA WAS A BIT UNCERTAIN ON KARKAROFF STILL HAVING AN ALLIANCE WITH THE OTHER DEATH EATERS. Perhaps he's truly given up on his old ways, and had chosen to dedicate his time on making Krum win the Triwizard Tournament. Maybe he wasn't the one who chose to put Harry's name in the Goblet — but no one can know for sure.

They were currently in the Owlery to send a letter to Sirius through Pigwidgeon as they talked about it.

"Fits, doesn't it?" Ron said. "Remember what Malfoy said on the train, about his dad being friends with Karkaroff? Now we know where they knew each other. They were probably running around in masks together at the World Cup . . . I'll tell you one thing, though, Harry, if it was Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he's going to be feeling really stupid now, isn't he? Didn't work, did it? You only got a scratch! Come here — I'll do it —"

Ron held his owl still as Harry tied the letter to his leg.

"There's no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous, how could they be?"

Tessa was petting Tommy as she mumbled, "I'd be terrified as hell if I were a champion and had to do a task that involved swimming." She shuddered. "I'd be the first to drown."

Ron pursed his lips at that. "That does sound rather dangerous, but a good challenge." He turned to the bespectacled boy. "You know what? I reckon you could win this tournament, Harry, I'm serious."

Tessa blinked innocently. "No, you're not — you're Ron Weasley." He rolled his eyes at her and snorted.

Hermione was thinking somberly as she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. "Harry's got a long way to go before he finishes this tournament. If that was the first task, I hate to think what's coming next."

"Right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Ron scoffed. "You and Professor Trelawney should get together sometime."

Tessa coughed into her sleeve to hide her laugh as Ron tossed Pigwidgeon out of the window.

Ron clapped his hands together. "Well, we'd better get downstairs for your surprise party, Harry — Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now." He glanced at Tessa. "Fred wanted me to tell you that he's got loads of fudge for you."

Tessa beamed as they made their way out of the Owlery. "Fred is the best!"

Ron eyed Tessa for a moment. "I've been meaning to ask you this for a while now — are you and my brother dating?"

     Tessa broke into a coughing fit, choking on her spit as Hermione reached to pat her back.

     Harry looked extremely amused with the situation as Ron went on talking. "Well, we all know how he fancies you, and it's all in the matter of how you — "

     "Ron, no!" Tessa managed to rasp out between her coughs, her throat burning and her cheeks flaming. "No, of course not! We don't like each other like that, and I'm pretty sure Fred likes Angelina." She hastily looked away from Ron, forcing herself to rid her brain of the topic because of someone else who came to mind when it comes to making her heart skip a beat.

     Ron looked unconvinced as he blankly said, "Uh huh — right, sure."

     They continued to walk until they entered the Gryffindor common room, and was met with an explosion of cheers and yells for Harry. There were cakes and pumpkin juice and butterbeer and — of course — treacle fudge as promised.