CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE;

FUTULE APOLOGIES

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For once, Cassie got to eat lunch with Harry and Hermione. Not for long, as Harry's task was about to start, but it was the thought that counted.

"Potter," called Mcgonagall as she hurried over to their seats, "the champions have to come down onto the grounds now; you have to get ready for your first task."

"Okay," said Harry quickly, standing so suddenly that his fork collapsed onto his plate with a clatter.

"Good luck, Harry," Cassie whispered, Hermione nodding in agreement. "You'll do great!"

Once he was gone, Hermione leaned in.

"He will do great, won't he?" she whispered worriedly. Cassie nodded her head.

"He'll be fine."

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It was true – he skimmed past the Hungarian Horntail with his Firebolt and led it out of the stadium, then swooped back in to grab the now unprotected egg.

   He hoisted the golden egg into the air, panting and grinning at the sound of the crowd's applause. Cassie and Hermione cheered loudest of all, throwing their hands into the air and jumping up and down.

"Reckon we should go congratulate him," said a voice from behind them. Both girls whipped around to see Ron, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

"You think?" Cassie narrowed her eyes at him. He smiled bleakly and shrugged. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on then," said Hermione exasperatedly, pulling them both by the arms to the champions' tent.

"Harry, you were brilliant!" she said once they arrived and found Harry. "You were amazing! You really were!"

Harry didn't pay attention to Hermione nor Cassie; he had his eyes glued to Ron, who was suddenly very pale.

"Harry," said Ron, very seriously, "whoever put your name in that goblet... I– I reckon they're trying to do you in!"

"Caught on, have you?" said Harry coldly. "Took you long enough."

Ron opened his mouth, probably to apologize, but Harry's cold expression melted away and he shook his head.

"It's okay," said Harry. "Forget it."

"No," said Ron. "I shouldn't've–"

"Forget it," said Harry.

Ron and Harry smiled at each other. Hermione burst into tears.

"There's nothing to cry about!" said Harry, bewildered.

"You two are just so stupid!" she shouted, tears splashing down her front. Then, before anyone could stop her, she had hugged Harry and dashed away.

"Mental," muttered Cassie, watching Hermione's retreating figure and shaking her head.

"C'mon, they'll be putting up Harry's scores soon," said Ron, who seemed unable to stop smiling now. Cass shook her head.

"I've got to do something first," she said, before congratulating Harry with a hug (she could've sworn she saw his cheeks glow red before she turned around – though that could've been due to the weather..) and she walked off to where Madam Pomfrey was still tending to the other champions.

"Madam Pomfrey?" she asked cautiously, pulling the entrance curtain to the tent aside and taking a step in. "Mind if I talk to Cedric?"

"Oh, go ahead, I'm just finished," said the Medi-witch, bustling off to where Krum was sitting with a nasty burn mark on his forearm. Cassie was left alone with Cedric. Neither spoke for a few moments.

"Hi," she said finally, pursing her lips together and raising her eyebrows.

Cedric's face was covered in dirt and a few specks of dried blood inked his cheeks, but his grin was still handsome as ever.

"Hey, Cassie," he said brightly, shifting himself to a seated position on the bed. "What's up?"

"Well, I.. wanted to congratulate you," she said, smiling meekly. "That Transfiguration trick was really cool."

"Thanks! It wasn't even apart of my original plan either, I just thought of it on the spot, you know.." he said, his eyes lighting up as he began to give Cassie a retelling of his task from his point of view. She watched him with a smile, nodding along at the right parts and 'ooh'ing at the dangerous moments.

"... I'm glad it's over, though. The first task, at least," he finished, laughing softly.

"I don't think I would've been able to do that," she said, now gazing at Cedric honorably.

"I'm sure you would've," he said earnestly, nodding his head. A silence fell over the pair and Cassie sighed as she realized she now had to actually talk to him about.. that.

"So, listen," she said, moving her gaze to the floor and clearing her throat. "I don't know what you want me to say... you kind of sprung that up on me out of nowhere, Cedric. And I.. I just don't know, okay? I've got a lot going on with my parents and classes and–" she stopped herself before she could spill anything about her Seer symptoms. She had yet to have told anyone about them. "– I'm just stressed. And when you told me about Atticus's dad.. I kinda lost it, so I'm sorry. And I'm sorry I've been avoiding you for a while now, I just was scared you'd be mad at me or expect an answer – and I just don't have one. So, for now, it's.. no. I'm sorry."

   Cedric's grin had faded into a look of deep thought; his eyebrows were furrowed and he bit the inside of his cheek. Cassie watched him reproachfully.

   "Alright," he said finally, nodding. He looked up, smiling again. "That's alright. We're friends, right?"

   "We're friends," agreed Cassie, exhaling a relieved sigh. And, finally, there were no hard feelings between any of her friends.

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Cassie decided she could not count her eggs before they were hatched.

   "I've done an idiotic thing, Cassie," said Atticus stressfully, pacing back and forth in front of her. "A really, really stupid thing–"

   "Alright, calm down," she said, watching him in concern. "Can you tell me what you did? Is it fixable?"

   He shook his head frantically, skidding to a stop in front of her and finally meeting her gaze. She could tell he had been crying; his eyes were red and puffy.

   "I can't tell you what I did," he said. "I– I can't tell you, but it's– it's really– oh, Merlin, Cassie.."

   "Can you fix it?" she asked again, setting her book aside and moving so he could sit on the couch with her.

   "I don't think so," said Atticus. He laughed, though it was dull and void of any humor. "No, there's no fixing this–"

   "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong," she pointed out. "Does Cedric know? Can you talk to him?"

   But Atticus went stiff at the mention of Cedric, his lips pressing into a thin line. He shook his head.

   "No. I can't." He stood again. "You're right, you can't help me. I'll– I know someone who can.."

   And, before Cassie could stop him, he'd walked out of the room. She stared after him in shock. What the bloody hell was that all about?

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The Gryffindor common room was, needless to say, beyond excited for Harry's victory over the first task. There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every open surface. Lee Jordan had let off some Filibuster's Fireworks, so the air was thick with stars and sparks. Dean had put up some impressive banners, most of which depicted Harry zooming around the Horntail's head on his Firebolt.

Cassie snaked through the crowd with Harry, ducking under the fireworks and barely avoiding a victim of Fred and George's Canary Creams.

"Blimey, who'd've thought everyone would be this excited for you to win?" teased Cassie, reaching for a Cauldron Cake. She froze as Harry grabbed her hand and sent her a cautious look.

"I wouldn't eat that if I were you – Fred and George brought the food," he said, nodding to the corner where Neville's face was bursting into boils. Cassie gasped softly and promptly dropped the cake.

"Oh, don't be daft!"

"We didn't do anything to the Cauldron Cakes!"

"It's the custards you need to be worried about," said George, winking. Him and Fred stood next to Harry and Cassie, watching them with a mischievous glint in their eyes.

"Anyway, Harry!" George turned to face him, Fred doing the same. Cassie was now stuck between Harry and George. "What's with the clue? Any idea yet?"

"Not yet," said Harry after swallowing his sip of pumpkin juice. "Bagman says to open the egg, says it'll tell me everything I need to know."

"Well, go on then," encouraged Cassie with a grin, nodding. "Open it!"

"Oi! Dingus brains!" Fred called to the common room, earning everyone's attention. "He's gonna open it!"

A loud cheer erupted from the crowd and Harry smiled cheekily, holding the golden egg above his head.

"Go on, Harry!" cheered George.

Harry twisted the hinge on top of the egg and it clicked open – for a moment, there was complete silence. And then, a loud screech burst from the egg's opening. Cassie, along with everybody else in the common room, shoved her fingers in her ears and cringed. Harry scrambled to close the egg.

"What the hell was that?" said Seamus Finnegan, staring at the egg. "Sounded like a banshee.. maybe you've got to get past one of them next!"

"It was someone being tortured!" said Neville, who had gone very pale and spilled toffees all over the floor. "You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!"

"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal," said George. "I thought it sounded a bit like Percy's singing... maybe you've got to attack him when he's in the shower, Harry."

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Double Divination had become infinitely more fascinating now that Cassie believed she was on the road to becoming a Seer. Well, she didn't believe she was becoming one – quite the contrary. In fact, she merely tried to convince herself that everything that had happened was only a coincidence.

Harry and Ron seemed to also enjoy the lessons much more now that they were friends again, and spent the entire double block snickering through Professor Trelawney's predictions and explanations of the various ways in which Pluto could disrupt everyday life. Cassie was becoming increasingly irritated with their distractions.

"You could at least attempt to listen," she hissed over their impressions of Trelawney reading a crystal ball. "It's no wonder both of you need my help for homework – you spend the lessons doing things like this!"

"And what are you on about?" asked Ron, furrowing his eyebrows. "You hate this class nearly as much as we do!"

"Yes, but unlike you, I enjoy getting good grades out of my own mind," she replied.

   "Alright, if you're so clever, what am I thinking of?" Ron challenged, leaning in. Cassie narrowed her eyes and leaned in as well, lowering her voice.

   "You and I both know it doesn't work like that," she said slowly. "And anyway, you're only thinking I'm bluffing about this."

   "Rubbish!" he whispered, shaking his head and sitting up again. "Tell us, o wise one, what's for dinner tonight?"

   "Shepherd's pie," she said with a hmph, turning back to her book and continuing to cross-reference it with her notes.

   "I'll be damned if we do.."

   Shepherd's pie sat on the tables when they arrived at the Great Hall for dinner. Cassie smirked at Ron's disbelieving look, though she didn't have the heart to tell him that they always had Shepherd's pie every other Wednesday.

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"Potter, Lupin! Will you pay attention?"

   Professor Mcgonagall's voice snapped the two of them apart as though she had physically broken them up. They'd been sword-fighting with a pair of Fred and George's fake wands, attempting to see whose would transform first. Cassie glanced over her shoulder, guiltily holding her fake wand up so Mcgonagall could confiscate it. Before the woman could take it, though, it Transfigured in Cassie's hand and a rubber duck fell from her palm. She beamed cheekily up at Mcgonagall.

   "Now that Potter and Lupin have decided to act their age," she said pointedly to the two of them, ignoring their sly smiles and walking back to the front of the classroom, "I have something exciting to say to you all."

   "Nothing could be more exciting than no homework," said Cassie, nodding earnestly to a chorus of soft giggles from her classmates. Mcgonagall sent her a stern look.

   "The Yule Ball is approaching. A traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open to only fourth years and above – though you may invite a younger student if you wish–"

   Lavender let out a shill giggle. Parvarti nudged her hard in the ribs, and the two looked over at Harry, then whispered amongst themselves. Cassie straightened her back and felt the corners of her lips tug down into a slight frown. Mcgonagall continued as though nothing had happened.

   "Dress robes will be worn–"

   "Ah, nice, Ron! You get to show us all up with yours!" exclaimed Cassie, patting him on the back. He grimaced and dropped his head into his hands. Cassie and Harry laughed, though Hermione bristled and waited for Mcgonagall to go on.

   "And the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now, the Yule Ball is a chance for all off us to – er – let down our hair.

   "But that does not mean," Professor Mcgonagall continued over Lavender and Parvarti's giggles, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."

   The bell rang, and there was a soft scuffle of activity as everybody began to put their books into their bags and stood from their stools.

   "Potter, a word?" called Mcgonagall. Harry groaned quietly to Cassie.

   "Why me?" he whispered, shoving his book into his bag. "It was your ducky that landed on her foot."

   Cassie smiled and pat him comfortingly on the back before she left the classroom with Ron and Hermione.

   As she left, she could've sworn she heard Mcgonagall begin to inform Harry that he needed a dance partner for the ball. She attempted to not let her heart swell at these words.