act two: little dark age
chapter twenty-seven

Transitioning back into being in school was not that hard, well, it could be. After being off from June and ends later in September. Meaning that the three months they have off are sometimes the most relaxing times they get. Though, in Daphne's case, they had been the most stressful for years. She always launched at the opportunity to leave back for Hogwarts.

A few days had passed since the announcement of the tournament, it now being the morning of Thursday, and Daphne hadn't talked to anyone besides the twins and her friends. Caius and Atticus watched her as she walked in and out of the Great Hall and as she walked through the corridors, but never once did either speak to her. Nor had her father, then again, she hadn't seen him since he had told everyone about the Triwizard Tournament.

A tournament that had plagued Daphne's dreams. She wasn't sure why, but she did not have a good feeling at all about it. It was almost a sense of danger, whenever anyone mentioned it. The hairs on her neck would rise and goosebumps would trail over her skin. But she had yet to hear or see anything about it, which made her think that she was going crazy and everything would be fine.

The group of four gryffindor's had knocked down quite a few classes on their first day. Going through their schedules while trying their best not to get lost within the castle, which they managed to do almost every term. McGonagall had threatened to turn all of them at this point, claiming that she'd turn one into a map and another into a pocket watch.

Daphne's fingers kept messing with her tie around her neck, hating how awfully tight it felt as she walked down the corridor alongside her friends while making their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Moody. It would be one of their final classes of the day, and a class that Daphne felt uneasy about. Why couldn't Uncle Remus simply stay? It would've been so much easier.

Daphne hated the fact that her Uncle Remus was no longer one of her professors despite the fact she no longer had to worry about him catching her and scolding her for being irresponsible. Though, she now had to worry about running into someone from the Ministry of Magic and her father. Yikes, the last thing she wanted to do was have her father catch her partying.

Daphne walked into the classroom last. Watching as quiet a few seats were being filled before looking for a place to sit. Debating on which one of her friends she should sit beside, having sat beside Ron and Hermione most of the day, it landed on Harry. But she wanted to annoy him, and what better way to do that than to sit with someone else?

The moment the girl even made an effort to sit with someone else Harry was quick to catch part of her robes before pulling her over to the bench where he sat before pulling her down as well. She noticed that the tips of his ears were red at the action and she ignored her nerves, which she had no reason why existed, as she grinned.

"Someone's jealous," Daphne joked as she nudged Harry's side before grabbing out her books as she placed them down onto the table.

"It's my turn," Harry made a face as he copied her actions, "You haven't sat with me yet."

"So, you aren't denying the jealousy, Potter," Daphne acted sly as she raised her eyebrows, "Mmm just wanted to see what you'd do. Didn't know you missed me that much," She poked his arm.

"Oh shut up," Harry rolled his eyes before the door swung open and Moody walked in as he started class.

Moody walked down and stood in the center of the class with his hands behind his back as one eyeball scanned the students, "Alastor Moody," He then turned and began to write on the chalkboard furiously, "Ex-auror. Ministry malcontent..." He tossed away the piece of chalk before facing the students again, "And your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," He leaned against one of the desks, "I'm here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story, goodbye, the end."

"What a lovely story," Daphne made a face as she leaned her head to the side.

"Any questions?" He then asked as he ignored Daphne's comment while looking around at the students which prompted Daphne to look back at Ron and Hermione who now sat together, Hermione shrugged at the girl's look.

"When it comes to the Dark Arts... I believe in a practical approach. But first, can anyone tell me how many unforgivable curses there are?" Moody asked and Daphne grew uneasy in her seat as her leg began to bounce which caught Harry's attention quickly.

Harry placed his hand shyly over the girl's in an attempt to calm her nerves which she seemed to have no control over. She was trying to appear fine, but everyone knew what happened at the Cup did a number on her. Mentally and physically.

"Three, sir," Hermione looked pale as she spoke up, everyone seemed nervous for this 'practical approach' that Moody was going to make them go through.

"And they are so named?" Moody asked as he turned back to the chalkboard as he began to write down furiously once again, when the hell did he grab the chalk he threw?

"Because they are unforgivable," Hermione's voice nearly cracked as she spoke before continuing, "The use of any one of them will..."

Moody cut off the girl as he bellowed out, "Earn you a one way ticket to Azkaban, correct," Moody forcefully pulled away from the board as he seemed angry, "Now, the Ministry says that you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different! You need to know what you're up against! You need to be prepared! You need to find another place to put your piece of chewing gum besides the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnegan!"

"Odette," Harry whispered as he placed a hand near her knee to calm her down or to at least stop the shaking while he looked beyond alarmed at Moody's actions.

"Is he bipolar?" Daphne whispered as she looked back at Seamus, ignoring Harry's hand.

"No way. The old codger can see out the back of his head," Seamus muttered as he looked at the students who all looked back at him.

Daphne yelled as she ducked her head down, which Harry was quick to wrap his arms around and duck as Moody chucked his chalk while yelling, "And hear across classrooms!" Harry slowly moved his arms as Daphne barely raised herself up while looking scared, "So, which curse shall we see first?" He stood in front of Daphne and Harry's desk before yelling, causing the girl to jump, "Weasley!"

"Yes?" Ron's voice cracked out of fear as he flew out of his seat.

"Stand!" Moody ordered as he gave a glare towards the boy, looking at Ron with his good eye and Daphne with his bad, Ron shakily rising to his feet as he looked fearful, "Give us a curse."

"Well, my Dad did tell me about one..." Ron trailed off as he kept his gaze on the floor, "The Imperius Curse."

"Oh, yeah, your father would know all about that one," Moody muttered to Ron who practically sunk back down immediately, "Gave the Ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why."

Daphne had a very bad feeling. Very bad as she sat beside Harry. Still shaking as he kept a hand on her. Both sharing a look before looking back at a terrified Ron and Hermione who looked uneasy. None of them seemed to be enjoying this or understanding why or what even was happening.

The fifteen year olds did not seem impressed.

Moody opened a small container as he spoke, "Hello..." Placing his hand in the glass before letting the creature crawl into his hand, "Lovely little beauty," He pulled out his wand from his pocket with his free hand, "Engorgio. Imperio!" His voice was strong as the creature began to shake before he moved.

The creature flew across the classroom before landing on Neville and Dean's desk which caused Dean to jump back and make a squeak as it crawled over his books while Neville seemed to be okay at the given moment. Then it flew straight back onto Goyle's head who cried out.

"Don't worry! It's completely harmless," Moody exclaimed before he threw it onto Parvati who screamed out as it sat on her hand before it was lifted on top of Ron's head who was practically crying, "If she bites... she's lethal," He laughed like a maniac while placing it down on Ron's head before it went back to Malfoy who screamed, "What are you laughing at?"

"Get off!" Malfoy shrieked while Goyle tried to get it off while everyone cheered and laughed.

"Talented isn't she?" Moody yelled out as he laughed, giving Daphne a sort of ick, "What should I have her do next? Jump out a window?" The creature hit the glass roughly before dropping down towards the water, "Drowned herself?"

Everyone looked horrified as they watched the spider dance around trying to get ahold of the water. Floating barely above the surface before floating back across the classroom and into Moody's hand who looked over at them all.

"Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence if the Imperius curse," Moody explained as he waved his wand around carelessly, "But here's the rub: how do we sort out the liars? Another, another," He ordered as everyone raised their hands and Neville slowly lifted, "Longbottom, isn't it? Up. Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for Herbology."

Neville nodded before looking at Daphne nervously, the two had talked about his parents before and he knew what happened to her over the summer due to an exchange of letters, "There's the... uh... The Cruciatus Curse," He stuttered out as he turned back to Moody.

"Correct, correct! Come, come. You as well, Miss Black," Moody didn't even bat an eyelash as he looked behind the boy to see the girl before he turned once again, walking over to his table.

Daphne froze in her spot as she heard her name slip from his lips. Everyone shared uneasy looks as Daphne let go of Harry, the boy looking at her as if he was about to protest before she slowly walked around the table. The floorboards creaked under each step she took as she looked at Neville who looked sick.

"Particularly nasty," Moody spoke as he placed the creature down on the table before mumbling, "The torture curse. Crucio!"

Daphne's body tensed as she tried to ignore the past memory of this. How her muscles had spasmed and her body had burned. How it was used so much that her mind had gone blank and for a moment... she was gone. She rocked on her heels quickly as her body began to shake, almost violently, as she grabbed onto Neville's hand, turning him away as he flinched at the screams of the creature.

Daphne kept Neville's attention away as she turned him around, despite being a shaking mess. The boy looked almost as if the curse was being used on him as well. Daphne felt horrible for him. His parents had been tortured to insanity under this curse and it wasn't fair to do this in front of anyone, let alone Neville Longbottom.

Everyone in the room's faces were contorted into pain or sadness as they kept their gaze off of the scene as Harry and Ron shoved the tables in front of them as Hermione yelled, "Stop it! Can't you see it's bothering them? Stop it!"

Moody lifted the curse off of the creature while Daphne closed her eyes tight, Neville's grasp on her hands were tight as he refused to look at the scene ever since Daphne had turned him away. Daphne breathed heavily as she forced her body to stop shaking, which it never did.

She felt as Moody went around her, with the spider in hand no doubt, and she opened her eyes. Slowly moving Neville back to his seat as she forced herself back into her own as Harry was quick to grab her hand as a form of comfort while both turned to see Moody in front of Hermione and Ron with the creature on the girl's book.

"Perhaps you could give us the last Unforgivable curse, Miss Granger," Moody looked down at the girl whose gaze was to the front as she looked beyond uncomfortable in her silence, tears were in her eyes as she shook her head rapidly, "No? Avada Kedavra!"

Daphne flinched as she watched the green light hit the creature as Harry tensed up at her side. Though, he refused to focus on himself. Just as Daphne had. Everyone in the group seemed to be affected by this lesson. There wasn't a single one of them who didn't look pale or wasn't shaking.

Hermione's eyes were shut as she looked to the floor at her side as Ron tried to comfort her as well, "The Killing curse. Only one person is known to have survived it... and he's sitting in this room," Moody walked over to Harry and Daphne as Ron and Hermione quickly looked back while Harry glared at the Professor as his grip on Daphne tightened.

The Professor stood tall over the two. Harry barely batted an eyelash as he looked up at the man as Daphne kept her gaze down, feeling small compared to him. She wanted to say something. Cuss out the teacher for the barbaric lesson, but she couldn't. She was quiet. Almost as if someone had forced her into some sort of silence.

When the class had finished, Daphne and Harry were two of the first people to get up. Daphne was shaking so bad that she kept dropping anything she picked up. Ron and Hermione were quick to go over to the two and help the girl grab her belongings as she placed her hands over her face. They didn't stay long, quickly striding out of the classroom.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked as he looked at Daphne before muttering, "Sorry. Stupid question."

"I'm more worried about other things," Daphne ignored how her stomach was twisted in a knot for two reasons as Harry kept a careful arm on her, trying to make sure she didn't fall due to how bad she was shaking.

Ron then retorted as they got a few sets down, "Brilliant, isn't he? Completely demented, of course, and terrifying to be in the same room with... but he's really been there, you know? Looked evil in the eye."

Harry was caught in his own little world as he thought back on the lesson while Daphne managed to gain her own footing and pull away from everyone. Her arms tightly across her chest as she took careful steps despite the slight shake of her body. She almost thought that Ron liked the man.

"If I'm not mistaken, you almost sound like you like him," Daphne swallowed thickly as she made herself speak up.

Hermione looked at Daphne in pity before turning harshly to Ron as she looped her arm through Daphne's, "There's a reason those curses are unforgivable! To perform them in a classroom... I mean, did you see Neville's face?"

"Hermione," Daphne muttered as she nudged her head down as Harry leaned around Daphne to hit the girl's arm before he took Daphne's arm back, causing the ghost of a smile to crack her lips.

Hermione placed a hand on Neville's arm before Ron was shoved against the wall as Moody ran down the stairs, "Neville?" Hermione barely was able to get out.

"Son?" Moody asked as he roughly placed a hand on Neville's shoulder, "You all right?" He asked as Neville looked at the ground, "Come on. We'll have a cup of tea, I want to show you something. You too Miss Black."

"No," Daphne didn't have time to answer as Harry looked at the man, "She's not going."

"Harry," Daphne muttered as her face grew red out of embarrassment, the lack of pigment in her skin at the moment made that noticeable.

The teacher gave the two a firm look before dragging Neville back up the stairs, leaving them stunned for a moment. Harry's grip on Daphne lightened, she hadn't realized how tight it had gotten from the moment Moody came down towards them.

They all shared a look before making their way down the rest of the stairs. It was the night that everyone had to put their names in the Goblet, and it was raining. Really setting the tone of what kind of night it was truly about to be as everyone made their way to the Common Rooms for a few hours.

"What was that about?" Daphne asked as she looked at Harry, the girl laid out across the seat she took over.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked while Hermione looked at him like he was crazy.

"You completely told Moody off when he tried to get Daphne," Hermione looked at him as she scanned his features.

"Just protecting my friend."

Oh, how that hurt.

Harry, Ron, and Daphne all sat in a line on the seats as they watched people place their names in the cup. Daphne thought it was funny how many people were entering into the bloody tournament, it was some form of suicide.

"Come on, Cedric!" Someone bellowed out at the hufflepuff seeker, "Put it in!"

"That sounds sexual," Daphne tried to make a joke as she grinned at her friends, "Oddly sexual."

"Come on, Daph," Harry shook his head in fake disappointment despite looking like a tomato.

That's what caught Daphne's attention. Lately, something had changed between the two. Harry turned red or blushed around her and seemed annoyed when she wasn't with him or she was with others, especially guys. Daphne was almost the exact same when it came to him and girl's. Not to mention how nervous she suddenly got and she thought she got over all of that.

"You're something else," Ron muttered as he ran a hand through his hair.

Harry and Ron both stood up while Daphne remained seated as the wet Hufflepuff went through the age line before he slowly dropped his piece of parchment into the Goblet. The two gryffindor's shared a look as they stood before clapping alongside the others. Ron smiled weirdly as he waved before dropping the act.

Daphne watched as the two began to walk around the circle before she stood up and looked for someone to sit with. Noticing Atticus as he walked in, as well as Caius. The two slytherin's looking as if they were walking straight for her and it seemed that they were.

"Daphne," Atticus' voice was softer than usual as he looked at her, "How are you doing?"

Daphne's eyes narrowed as she looked at Caius who simply remained stone like, causing her to adjust her posture as she shrugged, "Fine. The usual, if you must know."

"Don't push me away," Atticus sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, looking around before looking at her, "There's something coming. You know it."

Daphne placed a finger to her lips as she looked around before muttering, "Now, why am I at liberty to discuss this with someone who has been acting so shady lately?"

"Because I'm worried. There's a beast in the walls, Daphne. And it's gunning for you," He looked at her firmly which caused her heart to stop.

"How do you know?" Daphne asked quietly before looking at Caius, "Explain."

Their conversation was cut short as the twins began chanting and running in as they held up viles, "Yes! Thank you, thank you."

"Well talk about this later. Meet us in the corridor near the Astronomy tower, tomorrow," Caius gave her strict orders before nudging his head an forcing Atticus to walk away, leaving her with her mouth agape in anger and confusion.

"Well lads, we've done it," One of the twins, presumably Fred yelled.

"Cooked it up just this morning," George yelled as he held up his vile with pride.

"It's not going to work," Hermione grinned as she turned away from the twins who then moved to either side of her.

"Oh yeah?" They spoke in unison while smirking at her, "Why is that Granger?"

"You see this? This is an age line, Dumbledore drew it himself," Hermione pointed her finger at the line as she laughed.

"So?" George asked with a smirk.

"So, a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dim witted as an aging potion," Hermione exclaimed as she made a face while looking between both twins.

"But that's why it's so brilliant," Fred shook his head as he smirked.

"Because it's pathetically dim witted," George then followed after his twin brother as he smirked.

The two then got up and began to shake the viles, "Ready Fred?" and then responded, "Ready George," The two looked at each other as they opened the viles and wrapped their arms around the other's, "Bottoms up!" they then jumped into the circle, "Yeah!" Everyone cheered while Daphne rolled her eyes, "Ready?" The two placed their names in the cup together before backing up, "Yeah!"

They high fived and laughed while everyone cheered for the two Gryffindors. Though, it wasn't long before something happened. Daphne's eyes widened as she watched the cup's fire glow brighter before it swirled around the cup and around the twins before it threw them out of the circle roughly. Sending them flying and on fire through the air.

They groaned as they roughly hit the ground. The blue flame slowly dying down from their robes as everyone began to laugh while Daphne was quick to move closer as she placed a hand over her mouth in shock as she watched their hair grow white as they grew beards.

"Oh my!" Daphne bit down on her lip trying not to laugh.

They both felt their faces before yelling, "You said! You said!"

The two then threw themselves on top of each other as they groaned and began to wrestle while Daphne rolled in laughter watching two old people fight. It was so funny, and many others thought the same as they watched the fight as well.

"Oh, right! You want a piece of me?!"

"I'll tear your ears off!"

"Now you're making me laugh!"

"Take this! Come on!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Everyone chanted as they watched the twins roll around the floor as they fought against each other.

"We're old school, right?!"

Everyone stopped chanting the moment they heard shoes clicking. Turning to look back at whoever had entered. Daphne furrowed her eyebrows as she looked over the crowd in an attempt to see before looking back at the twins and rolling her eyes.

"Yeah but you look older!"

Viktor Krum had entered and walked straight across the hall, not breaking his gaze from the Goblet as he went through the age line. Lifting his arm and placing the paper in before he looked over at Hermione who simply smiled as he smiled back at her before turning on his feet.

Now, to wait. Everyone then walked out of the Great Hall so that they could arrange some seats before the names of the contestants were to be pulled in an hour...