Since Privet Drive || Harry Potter

The End of the Triwizard Tournament

CHAPTER 18 - The End of the Triwizard Tournament

SHE FOUND Hermione, Ron, and Harry in a corner of the common room and went to sit with them.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Hermione smiled and scooted over to give Taylor a seat on the couch that she was sitting at. Harry had a sort of awkward look on his face and Ron still seemed a bit off from his fight with Taylor earlier.

"Just talking about the next task. Apparently, Harry got this hint from Cedric that he needs to take the egg to a bath and it's really confusing."

"Oh, that's a bit weird. I was totally thinking when I saw it that I need to go and take a bath with the egg. Also, Harry why did you follow me into Madam Puddifoot's earlier? If Ron told you to," she said with a side glance at the boy in question, "then you didn't have to. I have enough overprotective brother figures as it is." Even then, it just sounded wrong for her to say it. She didn't know why, but even remotely considering Harry like a brother seemed really off.

"Oh, no Ron didn't tell me to so no reason to stun him or anything. Why would I go to Madam Puddifoot's?"

"That's what I was asking you. I saw the door open and no one walked in. I know it was you under the invisibility cloak." He seemed a bit stumped at what she said, but Hermione quickly steered the conversation away from that topic. In a few days, he recited what he heard from the merfolk song. Apparently, something important was going to be hidden in the black lake and he needed to be able to hold his breath underwater for an hour. All four headed to the library to search for something that would help Harry, but Hermione and Taylor were taken away to Professor Dumbledore. Harry and Ron eventually fell asleep while looking, and were awoken by Dobby, who had brought Harry some gillyweed.

During the time, Hermione and Taylor were brought to Dumbledore's office along with Gabrielle, Fleur's sister, and Cho Chang. She didn't know why, but Taylor felt an odd hostility to Cho for some reason. They were put under a spell and brought to the bottom of the Black Lake. Ron watched as Cho was brought up first by Cedric, then Hermione by Krum. Taylor and Gabrielle were brought up last, followed by Harry. Taylor was freezing, but at the same time wondering why she was brought down there. They had been friends since they were six, so for about 8 years, and she did consider him her best friend, but wondered if it was something more than that.

The weeks leading up to the third task were mostly spent in the library to help Harry for his third task. They learned that it was going to be a maze, so they helped him learn spells that would make it easier to navigate his way through. Taylor and Matt had a few dates even though she spent most of her time with the rest of the squad. Sometimes, they wouldn't talk for days and Matt would get jealous of her spending so much time around them.

"Hey, I haven't seen you in days. Where have you been?"

"Oh, sorry I've just been really busy in the library."

"Really, what are you doing?"

"Helping Harry with Ron and Hermione for the third task. I really have to go now, sorry." She didn't hear what he said next because she walked past and rushed to the library. The next time she saw him was when she was walking with Harry, Ron, and Hermione to the library talking about the new spells they had learned. She bumped her shoulder against him.

"Oh, sorry Matt! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"Oh yeah, because you're so busy helping everyone else."

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

"You're spending so much time with your friends that you haven't even talked to me in a week! You're just constantly helping Harry and spending time with Ron. Maybe you'd like it better if you dated them huh?" he let out all in one breath.

"Woah! I have no clue where you got that idea from, but for your information, I'm spending time with Harry, Ron, and Hermione together, not just one," Harry tried to grab her arm and lead her away saying "Come on Tay, just leave it we have to go." She payed no attention and grabbed her arm back. "Ron is my cousin for goodness sake! And I've known Harry since I was six and he is competing in a very dangerous tournament that I need to help him with! So sorry that I can't just spend time with you snogging if that's what you want!" She turned around and left to the library with the other three.

The next day, an article was written in the Daily Prophet saying "Harry's Secret Love Life Leads to Taylor Prewett Breaking up with Boyfriend! by Rita Skeeter" When she walked into the Great Hall that day, everyone was staring at her. She went to sit next to Hermione, opposite to Harry and Ron while Fred and George sent glares to anyone looking at her.

"What are you all looking at?"

"Go back to your breakfast!"

"The Daily Prophet's rubbish!" they yelled.

Ron just showed her the newspaper. Taylor took one look at the headline and then ripped it up and walked out of the Great Hall. Hermione took some food onto her plate and then followed her. As Taylor was walking away, she ran into probably the only person she didn't want to see.

"Hey, listen, Tay I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean it, I just got bothered that you were spending more time with your other friends, but I shouldn't have acted like that. We aren't broken up are we?" Taylor got a little annoyed that he was calling her Tay (only her close friends and family could call her that) but nodded and said, "Yeah, I shouldn't have overreacted either. It's just Rita Skeeter being her obnoxious self."

"Wait Rita Skeeter? That Daily Prophet reporter?"

"You haven't read the Daily Prophet?"She handed him the ripped up copy in her hands. "It's a load of rubbish really. I don't even know how she heard it. I thought that she wasn't allowed on Hogwarts grounds. Anyway, I should get going now. Maybe we can go out sometime next weekend." He nodded and then Taylor ran up to her dormitory. Luckily, the others weren't there, but Hermione came bursting in a few minutes later with a plate of food and chocolate.

The third task was a disaster. Fleur was attacked, Krum was under the imperious curse, and Harry came back carrying Cedric's dead body. He went with Mad-Eye Moody while Hermione, Taylor, and Ron tried to follow him, but were told to stay where they were. After Cedric's funeral, everyone said their good-byes. Matt asked Taylor whether she wanted to sit in a compartment with him, but she decided to stay with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. On the train ride home, Harry told them everything about how Voldemort had returned, Cedric was killed by Wormtail, and Mad-Eye Moody was actually Barty Crouch Jr. under poly juice potion. Hermione and Taylor told them about how they had found out Rita Skeeter's true identity as an unregistered animagus.

It was going to be a long summer.