Ch. 18: Potter Stinks

Sunday-the second worst day of the week. You have this awesome feeling that you have a whole day of rest-but then you realize you have school tomorrow and you have not written that six parchment essay that Moody graced you with.

     Growling under my breath, I trudged my way through the cobblestoned halls and tried to shove through the hordes of people going Godric knows where. I personally was looking for my new acquaintance: Blake.

     Blake'd told me that she would help me finish my essay because she had finished her homework already and was 'bored out of her mind in the Common Room'.

     We all agreed to meet in the open square since the snow had not yet started. We wanted to soak up the last bit of warmth there was before the icy tendrils of winter's breath settled across the Castle Grounds.

     As I sifted my way through the people, I caught up with my fuzzy haired twin and her messy haired friend, Harry Potter. "And, where are you lot off to?" I asked, popping up in between them.

     "I was just leaving. I was reminding Harry that we had another session in the old classroom on the fourth floor." Hermione whispered and then quickly took off.

     Weird.

     I watched my sister with an eyebrow arched high. She curtly waved at the pair of us, then trudged up the stairs. I followed her with my eyes until I saw her join up with Dean, Seamus and Ron.

      "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be?" I muttered under my breath. Figures. Meanwhile, you wouldn't be catching me following Ron's shadow around. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and scoff.

     Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't blame her, you know?"

     "Don't think like that. Hermione's being self-centered if she thinks that hanging out with that big baby more than you will help her score a date to the Yule Ball," I snapped.

     However, I regretted what I said almost instantly. I bit back on my tongue, feeling ashamed that I'd like Hermione's crush slip.

     Harry chuckled, shaking his head. We shared a knowing glance and he weighed out what he was going to say carefully. "I know the feeling, trust me." Harry scratched at the back of his neck, gazing at me from over the top of his round spectacles before muttering: "I've known Hermione and Ron a while longer than you, and I've started to see the signs."

I grinned. I started to excuse myself, knowing that Blake was probably waiting for me, when in the corner of my eye, I saw a guy sporting an obnoxiously bright pin. I'd actually never seen any pins at Hogwarts before, so the curiosity caught my eye.

The pin flashed back and forth from different faces quickly, from yellow and orange to a sickly green color. The lanky Hufflepuff noticed Harry and called to him, tapping on his pin with a wicked smirk: "You stink, Potter." I tried to get a closer look, but he walked away.

Harry bowed his head in frustration. We walked a few paces forward as I examined the crowd around us.

I lifted my head and looked around the corridor to see that pretty much everyone was wearing the brightly hued pins, and were shooting Harry dirty looks of disdain. The one's that weren't wearing them were about to put them on their vests.

Suddenly, many people were bombarding Harry with comments about how much he stunk.

     A Hufflepuff walked past and whistled at me. I realized he was one of the guys who had seen me soaked to the bone on the first day. Angrily, I flipped him off and ripped the pin off his chest as he brushed past me.

      "Ouch, back off, Granger!" He shoved at me and adjusted his vest, where the seams had torn a little from where I'd yanked off the metal badge.

      "Get bent," I told him.

     Harry and I looked down at the pin and I rolled my eyes when I read the words. However, I'm sure Harry felt a little sad at the sight. It proclaimed, in its swirling glory, 'Cedric Diggory' with a picture of Cedric's face, then it changed to show a picture of a Tri-Wizard Cup and it was captioned: True Champion.

Then finally, the pin turned a disturbing green color and Harry's face popped up in it with the caption: Potter Stinks.

     "Merlin, what an enthralling argument."

     I chucked the button back at the boy I stole it from, smacking him hard in the base of his neck. He choked at the impact and grabbed at his throat, like I'd stabbed him. "Oh, grow up."

      People were starting to stare, so I grabbed Harry's arm and tugged him along with me. "Let's get outta here, Harry."

     But, it seemed that more students were encouraged to show their hatred for the Potter. A trio of Ravenclaws stood firmly in our way. I tried to shove through, so we could escape this place. The tallest one shoved his pin in Harry's face with a grin. "Like the badge?"

I was already pissed enough as it was and Harry was just looking at his feet-brushing them off which wasn't making me feel any better. Annoyed, I shoved the boy out of our way-sending him flying off the step he was standing on and into the base of a tree, roughly knocking his head on a root. "Ohps." I frowned, mockingly and then turned to the two girls he was standing with, but they were already running for their lives.

     "You didn't have to do that." Harry frowned, but I didn't reply.

     Harry kept his head down as we walked in to the open square and I noticed Cedric lounging on a chair, laughing with his friends, all except him were wearing buttons.

     My flaming anger was already at a dull roar, but seeing Cedric chipper and laughing along with the cruel joke was fuel to a fire. Enraged, I stalked over to him with a nervous Harry at my heels.

     "Read the badge Potter!" His friends called and Harry, quickly stepped in front of me defensively. I was surprised. Stepping in front of me when I was super pissed is like stepping in front of a train and expecting it to stop.

Cedric bounced off the seat and laughed a little at his friend's comment. He approached the both of us like a cavalier leaf on the breeze— unbothered and unabashed.

"Can I have a word?" Harry asked him, politely.

Frowning, I hissed at Harry. "You don't have to be nice to these people."

My words offended Cedric a little. "Alright," he said, nodding towards a clear spot where few students were. It was obvious that Harry had something private he wanted to discuss.

    The three of us walked behind a tree. Harry's eyes darted left to right a few times, ensuring that there were no prying ears or eyes before he let his secret slip. "Dragons."

     "What the hell?" I blurted out, smacking him across the arm. Why was he giving this ass help?! Harry gave me a 'back-off-a-little' look and turned back to Cedric.

"That's the first task," Harry explained, ignoring the pointed glare I was sending him. "They have one for each of us."

Cedric was surprised that Harry would tell him, and the surprise was overcome by a daunting nervousness as he watched Harry and I. "Y-you're serious?"

Harry nodded and I remained stone-faced. 'Last time I will ever help him in Potions', I thought, bitterly.

"And Fluer and Krum..., they know as well?"

Harry shouldered his bag and offered Cedric a curt "Yes." We both started walking away, letting Cedric stew in his own selfishness. I personally wouldn't have been so kind, to help someone that was encouraging my downfall. Harry sure was a martyr.

Cedric frowned and lightly grabbed Harry and I's arms, urging me and Harry to stop. "Hey listen... about the badges.... I've asked them not to wear them —"

     "Don't worry about it, honestly." Harry smiled and walked away, but I stayed mostly because Cedric hadn't dropped his hold on my arm.

Cedric searched my gaze with his, a furrow forming deep into his pale brow. He motioned towards the group of friends behind us. The wind kicked up and tossed his brown bangs into his eyes. "I mean it, Elle. I didn't know they were making them; if I had, they would've never made them."

I shook my head at him. "Whatever."

"You don't believe me." Cedric stated. It was fact, not a question.

     Shaking my head, I just looked away from him. "I don't know— I do believe you, but I just don't want to talk about it right now."

     Yanking my arm out of his grasp, I caught up with Harry who seemed to be about ready to explode at Ron and Seamus.

     'Oh, great. Leave them for 2 seconds and the world turns'.

I jogged up to Seamus and Dean, who were watching from the sidelines while Ron and Harry sized each other up in annoyance. Harry was having a rough day, and I was sure that this whole thing with his best friend wasn't making it any easier.

"What's happening now?" I whispered to Dean. Dean shrugged and Seamus pointed at Ron.

"Blimey, who knows. They've been at each other's throats 'bout a week now."

"You're a right foul git, you know that?" Harry growled at Ron.

Ron just mumbled back. "You think so?"

"I know so!"

"Anything else?" Ron looked around, acting bored.

Harry was angry now. "Yeah! Just...stay away from me."

Awkward..I sighed and looked at Seamus who was also looking a little uncomfortable. I shrugged at him and he shrugged back-neither of us knew when they were going to get over their little couples quarrel.

     Seamus turned to Dean, mumbling under his breath. "We all share a bloody room, don't we?" Dean snickered under his breath and nudged his friend as of to tell him to shut up.

     "Fine." Ron brushed past Harry. Seamus and Dean looked from Harry to Ron before shaking their heads and wandering off to the Quidditch Pitch, book bags in hand.

     Exasperated, I found myself suddenly drained from all the drama. Man, if I'd known Hogwarts was going to be like this?

     Only thing that could make this day go any worse is if— "Why so tense, Potter?"

"Think of the fucking Devil, and he shall appear!" I cursed to the skies. Malfoy must be the devil-or the devils' son for God's sake.

     I looked up at the tree. Like an albino monkey, Malfoy was perched in the branches of the trees, sneering down at us like a chimp ready to toss his feces. I shook my head, trying to shake the intrusive thoughts.

    Harry paused at Malfoy's words. "You see, my father," Draco continued, "and I have a bet. I don't think you will last ten minutes in this tournament. He disagrees." Draco jumps down from the branches and staggered closer. Behind him, Crabbe and Goyle sneered, egging him on. "He thinks you won't last five."

     I was on the verge of socking him again, when Harry surprised me. "I don't give a damn about what your father thinks Malfoy." He stalked up to Draco and shoved him.

"Oooo." I called, backing Harry up.

"He's vile and cruel. And you are nothing but pathetic." Harry hissed and walked away.

"Pathetic?!" Malfoy hissed and drew his wand. Quickly, I drew mine and was about to stun Malfoy when Moody showed up, furious.

"You listen to me, Boy!" Moody yelled and threw a charm at Malfoy.

Horrified, and yet very amused, I watched as Malfoy's body contorted and he transfigured into a ferret. "Ahahah oh woah!" I picked the ferret up by the tail and Malfoy squeaked at the top of his little ferret lungs.

"I'll teach you to curse someone while their back is turned!" Moody growled and levitated Malfoy out of my hand. He threw Malfoy up and down in the air over and over again while he yelled at him. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy-"

"Professor Moody!" Mrs. McGonagall suddenly appeared and stared in horror at the sight in front of her. "What are you doing?!"

"Teaching!" Moody growled some more. Still throwing Malfoy up and down in the air.

"Is that a-is that a student?!"

Moody's one fake eye swiveled around to look at her. "No-technically it is a ferret." I gasped in a heap of chuckles as Moody grabbed Crabbe by his trousers and shoved Malfoy inside.

"Aahahahahaha." We all had drawn a fairly large crowd, even Cedric and his friend's were laughing along side Harry.

Crabbe began to freak out. and run around. "Get him out! Get him out!"

Malfoy quickly found his way out of Crabbe's trousers and scurried along the ground. Quickly, before he could escape, I picked him up by the tail once more and swung him in a circle. "Well that'll teach you, Draco, won't it?"

"Elizabeth Granger!" Mrs. McGonagall scolded me. "Put that poor boy down this instant! And ten points from Gryffindor-I have been getting complaints all morning that you have been tussling with other students."

Sighing, I dropped Malfoy on to the ground and McGonagall transfigured him back to his normal self.

Malfoy quickly jumped up from the ground and twitched for a few moments, scared. "When my father hears about this-"

Wrong words. Moody angrily hobbled to Malfoy and Malfoy tried to keep a distant space between his body and Moody. "Is that a threat? Is that a threat?! "

Malfoy raced around the base of the tree, Moody quick on his tail, while McGonagall tried to get him to stop.

"I COULD TELL YOU STORIES ABOUT YOUR FATHER THAT CURL EVEN YOUR GREASY HAIR BOY!" Moody yelled as Malfoy and his friends quickly bolted away from the scene. "IT DOESN'T END HERE!"

"ALASTOR!" Mrs. McGonagall yelled at Moody. "We never use transfiguration as a punishment." She was fuming. "Surely Dumbledore told you that?!"

"He may have...mentioned it." Moody sighed.

I grinned and laughed, some how this day went from horrible to hilarious. Now I only had to find my friends and finish that essay....ugh.

✧

"No, no no." I sighed and sat up from the oak desk I had been laying on for the last half hour. "You are doing it all wrong."

"How?" Harry groaned and threw himself into a wooden chair with a huff. "I'm never going to get this by tomorrow."

Hermione, me, Harry, and occasionally Lana had been going over defensive spells all weekend, but Harry was only able to pick up on a few of them.

Currently I was trying to teach him the Accio spell, but he can't seem to get the push-broom outside the classroom to come inside.

Ever since Moody had given Harry the hint that he could conjure up his flying broomstick in the arena today — that's what I had been focusing on.

Shaking my head, I pulled my wand out of my pocket and demonstrated. "You are flicking your wand, you need to move it in a swift and steady short movement, like so."

Aiming my wand at the side door, I swiftly waved it and called: "Accio push broom." Slowly, a clattering sound came from the out side and the broom made it's way inside.

Frustrated, Harry sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair-messing it up more. "Maybe I can just ask Dumbledore to pull me out."

"Harry, you can't." Hermione frowned. "The cup is binding. You are forced to participate." I nodded to her words.

Harry frowned, but nodded along.

Hermione snuck a secretive glance at Harry and rubbed the back of her neck. "Have you..Er..talked to Padfoot about this? He could really help you."

Raising a brow I crossed my arms over my chest, but didn't say anything. If Harry and Hermione did not trust me, it was for their own reasons.

Reaching into my breastpocket, I pulled out my pocket watch to see the time. "Ten thirty-four." I frowned and shoved it back into my pocket. "Curfew is in twenty five minutes, we should wrap this up."

Harry groaned and nodded. "You two can go ahead. I'm going to give this a few more tries. I am really unprepared for the tournament tomorrow."

"I am not leaving until I know for sure that you have it down. You go on ahead, Hermione."

Hermione nodded and went ahead. She and I both knew she had a test still to study for on Tuesday.

"Okay Potter. Try again."

Seventeen attempts and a round of stolen root-beer from the Kitchens later, Harry had finally got it. He was able to get any thing in the room to come to him. "Great! You have it." I cheered for him, stifling a yawn in the back of my throat. "Let's go to bed now. Big day tomorrow."

"Sure, yeah, I'll catch up." Harry yawned but began putting stuff away.

I slowly crept my way up the stairs towards the Common Room, not wanting to get caught since I was out way past curfew.

"Password?"

"Lionheart."

I hobbled into the common room undetected and let out a loud yawn. "Good to be home."

"Oh? And where have you been?" Shit.

✧

Who do you think that was? Leave your guess in a comment below!

P.S, Song of the Day: Little Lion Man-Mumford and Sons.

2022: Waiting for an update? Stranger Things fan? You should check out my story Psychometry in your free time (;

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