Alexandra Dursley {Golden Trio}

Chapter 42 - Potter Stinks

  Welcome back - enjoy! :)

 During that week, Al found herself growing more and more nervous. Not about the tasks - she had faith that her ability combined with Harry's would be enough. No, she was worrying about who had put their names in. She kept an eye on Moody, but soon gave up. She didn't know him well enough to spot any unusual behaviours.

 The Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors and Ravenclaws glared at her everywhere she went. She could sort of understand the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors - she had stolen their spotlight a little (not that the Gryffindors needed any more attention) - but the Ravenclaws? They were supposed to be smart!

 It didn't look like Harry had it much better. These awful badges had popped up everywhere, saying 'SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY' or 'SUPPORT AL' in their house colours, but when you pressed them they turned to 'POTTER STINKS' in neon green writing. Al would bet anything her fellow Slytherins had come up with them.

 Al was taking notes in double potions when a Gryffindor third year knocked on the door, saying that she and Harry had to leave. Al rolled her eyes - she was already sure she'd fail potions. She couldn't miss lessons too! Seeing the look on her face, Theo reassured her, "I'll take notes for you." She smiled gratefully and made her way down the corridor with the others.

 The third year was still chattering to Harry, who looked tired, when they arrived at the spare classroom. Inside were the other three champions, Crouch, Bagman, Karkaroff, Madame Maxine, Olivander, a photographer, and someone who looked like a walking toxic spill. The latter introduced herself to Harry as Rita Skeeter and then turned to Al, "And you must be...his girlfriend?" she asked, quill poised.

 Al was disgusted, "His cousin," she corrected, and Skeeter looked disappointed.

 She turned to Harry, "D'you mind if I have a quick word?" she asked.

 "Er, OK," Harry said and she dragged him into a nearby broom cupboard.

 Al wandered over to the other champions, "Hi." Everyone ignored her, except Fleur, who looked exceptionally grumpy today.

 "You will understand zis, as you are a woman," she said lowly, "Zat photographer will not stop goggling at me." Al looked over to the photographer - it was true.

 Al nodded, "I see what you mean." Then she whispered to Fleur a very easy hex that she could do wordlessly if she wanted and then went to sit next to Diggory. After a few minutes, Harry returned with Dumbledore and there was a yelp from the photographer. He was splattered all over with green paint and was rubbing it away quickly. Al looked over to see Fleur smiling to herself, clearly satisfied.

 The weighing of the wands ceremony went smoothly, apart from the fact that Al found out she actually had to look after her wand. And then the photos took ages because the slimy photographer wanted Fleur in the front but Rita Skeeter wanted Harry in the front but Bagman said Harry and Al should stick together to 'show a united front'.

 But that was nothing compared to the article that followed. It basically just spoke about Harry and how he felt about the tournament, and his dead parents. She was only briefly mentioned ("I'm a bit annoyed at my cousin," the Boy Who Lived said about his teammate, "She's trying to steal my spotlight."), and Cedric wasn't mentioned at all. Needless to say, Al no longer glared at anyone wearing a Potter Stinks badge.

*****

 It had been a week since Al's name came out of the Goblet of Fire and she and her friends had spent every free minute in the library. Her duelling club had taken a blow too. There were hardly any Hufflepuffs showing up and definitely less Ravenclaws. More and more Slytherins came every week and now the Gryffindors were giving it a go too - presumably because Harry and Granger had shown up the second his name had been read out. She'd felt confident enough to promote them both to the Advanced level though, so the Gryffindor rowdiness had died down.

 There wasn't much on previous tasks to be totally honest, and Al would rather have spent her time practising spells than holed up in the library, but between the Slytherins cheering her every time she went in the common room and the amount of homework being set, she wasn't left much choice.

 But, the weekend before the task, the four Slytherins still found the time to go down to Hogsmeade. Al bought some Honeydukes chocolate, hoping it would cool her nerves. It didn't. They also went into the bookshop, hoping to find something on the Triwizard Tournament...but nothing. Eventually they settled in the Three Broomsticks, where Al sipped at her pumpkin juice but said nothing. She was too nervous.

 The next day brought no better news. Al just hoped and hoped that she'd know what she was doing once she got there. And she had to look after Harry. But then, the evening before the tournament, Harry rushed into the library, Granger not far behind. The Slytherins heads snapped up, hoping...praying...

 "Dragons!" he hissed, "We've got to get past a dragon!"

 "Conjunctivitis curse!" Theo said immediately as Harry and Granger sat down with them, much to Draco's displeasure.

  "Well, hold on," Al whispered, "Just dragons? Nothing else?"

 Harry thought for a moment, "They had eggs too. But-"

 "We'll get points knocked off if we damage eggs," Al decided, "We're better off luring them away first. But- but how?"

 "I can get my firebolt," Harry said, "I'll summon it."

 "Are you sure you've got the summoning charm down?" Al asked. She'd heard some Ravenclaws laughing about him not being able to do it in the corridor.

 He paled slightly, but then, "I'll do it. I can do it."

 All to soon, it was Tuesday evening, and Al was heading down to the lake to where the students were gathering. "Remember," Theo was hissing in her ear, "Stinging and cutting charms to the joints only. No use hitting the scales."

 "Ok, Theo, I've got it," Al said, wiping her hands on her robes.

 "You can do this Al," Draco said warmly as she headed off to the tent where all the champions would be waiting.