Pheonix

Debate

"Excellent!" Asura heard dumbledore shout from the great hall.

Her breathing was still erratic and she couldn't seem to find calmness inside at all.

Come on Asura, she thought to herself, it's nothing you haven't done before. Maybe this time it would be easier.

Her body calmed down a bit and her magic became less electrifying at her comforting words. Even if they are only her own words.

As she slowly came back to reality she heard another name being shouted.

It was harry's.

She saw harry come through the door with a crestfallen face and Asura's heart physically ached for the poor boy.

They made eye contact as he walked in but he ignored her. That hurt more than the expression. She had been shot with a crucio but she couldn't move at all.

Fleur Delacour looked around when Harry walked in and threw back her sheet of long, silvery hair.

"What is it?" she said. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

She thought he had come to deliver a message. 

"Fleur, I don't think that he's here to deliver a message, " Asura said in a monotone.

There was silence once more.

There was a sound of scurrying feet, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Harry by the arm and led him forward.

"Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Harry's arm. "Absolutely extraordinary! ladies and gentleman," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce - incredible though it may seem - the fourth Triwizard champion?"

"He's too young, " Asura said, again in a monotone not looking at anyone.

Well. . . it is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at Harry. "But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as his name's come out of the goblet. . . I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage. . . . It's down in the rules, you're obliged. . . Harry will just have to do the best he -"

The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in: Professor Dumbledore followed closely by Mr Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape. Asura heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall before Professor McGonagall closed the door.

The foreign teachers start to complain about the fact that there are two Hogwarts champions. Dumbledore must be at fault.

"It's no one's fault but Potter's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules. He has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here -"

"Severus, " Asura said in a warning tone attracting the attention of everyone else, "that's quite enough. The poor boy has done nothing wrong and you of all people know that so get over your silly little grudge and grow up."

She was calm the entire time and still refused to look at anything else but the table in front of her. She felt betrayed.

"Asura that is quite enough, " warned dumbledore.

"Just sharing the truth dumbles."

Dumbledore was now looking down at Harry, who looked right back at him, trying to discern the expression of the eyes behind the half-moon spectacles.

"Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly.

"No," said Harry. Snape made a soft noise of impatient disbelief in the shadows. This caused Asura's head to shoot up and send a death glare at Snape, she then went back to focusing on the table.