Without You

The Triwizard Tournament

It was announced that it was another year for the Triwizard Tournament.

As usual, Autumn sat with Hermione, Ron and Harry. As Ron started talking about his beloved Viktor Krum, Autumn looked about the Great Hall. All the Hogwarts looked especially excited today. She looked over to the Slytherin House, where Draco Malfoy was chatting between his friends. She saw many other fourth years happily talking between themselves.

Then her eyes met with his.

Cedric Diggory. Probably the only boy in Hogwarts who ever stood out to Autumn in the way he did. He was talking to his friends, seemingly excited, too. Everyone knew he was going to take part of the Triwizard Tournament on the behalf of Hogwarts. Everyone had been talking about it for weeks.

The Triwizard Tournament was established hundreds of years ago, as friendly competition between the three largest European schools of magic and wizardy. This included Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. One person from each school would be chosen to represent their school, and would compete in three tasks. To be chosen as a competitor, you'd have to be above the age of seventeen.

Soon, the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students arrived, taking their seats in the Great Hall. Most students sat nervously, some excited. Dumbledore made his welcoming speech, then explained how the competitors for the Triwizard Tournament were going to be chosen: by the Goblet of Fire.

On Tuesday, after school, Autumn joined her three friends to see who was entering the Triwizard Tournament. No matter what House or school somebody came from, people would clap and cheer when someone placed their name in the Goblet of Fire.

"Kind of a terrifying name, don't you think?" Ron asked, eyeing the goblet. Harry and Hermione shrugged, watching as Viktor Krum placed his own name in the goblet. All the girls seemed to be all over him, even Hermione Granger. Autumn, however, seemed to be more interested in another.

"So, Autumn. I heard about Malfoy," Harry started.

After Krum, Cedric Diggory stood up to place is name into the goblet. One of his friends pushed him towards the Goblet of Fire, causing him to stumble over the age line as he laughed at the same time. He had turned seventeen, so nothing was going to happen to him. As long as you were over the age of seventeen, you were allowed to compete.

Autumn clapped slowly, smiling, too. She hadn't realised her own expression until Ron and Hermione were nudging her lightly. Taking herself back to reality, she looked at her friends.

"Sorry, did you say something?" Autumn asked, shaking her head a little. She couldn't believe the way she was feeling about a stranger. Especially a stranger who did not know about her at all. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed Autumn's gaze to Cedric, bursting into laughter. Hermione was the first to tease her.

"Oh, so is Cedric Diggory the lucky guy?"

Ron chuckled, "I think Autumn goes for the older boys."

Autumn looked back at Cedric, who was walking back to his friends. Halfway through his turn, his eyes met with hers, and he gave her a smile.

"Was I the only one who saw that?" Ron asked, looking a little disgusted, receiving a nudge from Hermione and Harry. Hermione and Harry seemed to be more excited and happy for Autumn. Cedric Diggory could probably be her first and only possible crush to ever exist in Hogwarts.

"He smiled at you!"

"Calm down, Harry. Hermione." Autumn definitely did not want Cedric's attention right now. She was hoping that Harry and Hermione's excitement wasn't earning his attention.

"Oh, stop it. She doesn't like being teased about it." Ron said, rolling his eyes, looking around the room. He didn't seem to fond of Cedric Diggory, like other boys in their school. Ron especially thought that Autumn and Cedric wouldn't be a great pair.

"He won't stop looking at you, Autumn."

Looking away from Cedric, Autumn looked around the room for Draco. Since he was nowhere to be found, she concluded that none of this would be relevant or important to him. He didn't seem like the type to be fascinated by a tournament that did not involve his participation.

Once Dumbledore stood at the centre of the room, everyone fell silent, "Now is the moment you've all been waiting for! The Durmstrang champion is...."

Everyone was sitting at the edge of their seats.

"Viktor Krum!"

The room was full of cheering and screaming. Ron jumped up from his seat, cheering with excitement. Viktor Krum stood up and shook Dumbledore's hand before he headed towards a door that he was directed to. Once the cheering died down again, Dumbledore announced the competitor from Beauxbaton. It was a thin, blonde-haired French girl named Fleur. Her friends congratulated her before she joined Krum.

And finally for Hogwarts, the champion was announced. It was as if the whole room when silent at that moment. It was as if Autumn had missed the announcement. The male stood up from his seat, making his way towards Dumbledore. Many were hugging him, cheering for him as he beamed a proud smile. The champion for Hogwarts was Cedric Diggory.

"And there we have it. Our three champions!"

The crowds were whistling, roaring even, for the three competitors. Autumn clapped slowly, her eyes glued to the Hufflepuff. All of a sudden, he turned her way again, a bigger smile forming on her face.

"He must be looking at someone else. There must be someone else behind me. He's not looking at you, Autumn." she thought to herself, as the applause came to an end.

The flames in the goblet turned bright red, a red so bright it was almost piercing to the eye. Everyone was silent, and only stared at it, lost for words. Dumbledore caught the paper, unfolding it to reveal the extra competitor.

Looking up, disappointed, he looked in the four friends' direction.

"Harry Potter."

***

"What do you think he did?" Ron asked, obviously infuriated.

Hermione shrugged, Autumn doing the same.

"I don't know... Do you really think he cheated? I don't think Harry would have done it on purpose."

"Then who would?" Ron sat with his face buried in his hands. The three of them just sat there, still not able to accept that their underaged friend was going to compete in a competition against seventeen year olds.

"I'm going to talk to him." Autumn says, standing from her chair, "Everyone is talking about him right now, and I just need to know what is going on. I need to hear the truth, and so do you, Ron."

Walking outside of the Gryffindor Common Room, Autumn made her way towards where the competitors were all sitting together, being spoken to by Dumbledore. Autumn hid behind a pillar, hoping that she could not be seen by the Headmaster, who may mistake her for eavesdropping on their conversation. Instead, Autumn waited for their conversation to end, which ended after at least five minutes.

Autumn waited a couple minutes after, making sure that Dumbledore was no longer with Harry. Once Autumn turned the corner, she bumped into something. Or rather, someone. She fell onto her backside, her buttocks aching all over. She looked in front of her, where the person she had collided with sat, opposite to her. It was Cedric Diggory.

He stood up from the ground, letting a hand out to her. "I'm sorry about that... Didn't see you there."

Autumn accepted his assistance, getting back on her feet, "Oh, that's alright... It's my fault, actually. I should've watched where I was walking."

He shook his head, smiling warmly. He looked at Autumn the way a boy never looked at her before.

"What was your name? I'm sure I've seen you around."

"My name's Autumn. Autumn Rosewood." she tucked her dark strands of hair behind her ear.

"Pleasure to meet you, Autumn Rosewood," he said, his voice very soft, "I... hope to see you again, sometime." He directed his eyes to the book she was holding. "The Book of Spells: Chapter 3? You like studying magic?"

Autumn nodded, "Yeah... I guess I really need to improve."

"Hm... Do you have plans for tomorrow?"

This took Autumn by surprise, "Sorry?"

Cedric chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I was hoping you could join me. Tomorrow in the library?"

Autumn nodded, "Sure. I'd like that."

Clapping his hands together, Cedric smiled again. "I'll see you tomorrow, then, Autumn. Would you like me to walk you back to your Common Room?"

Autumn walked beside Cedric, who was at least one and a half feet taller than her. Walking with him like this made her feel nervous. He was her senior, and now a competitor for the Triwizard Tournament. It was a privilege to even speak to him now.

Finally, the pair arrived at the Gryffindor tower.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then, Autumn Rosewood."

It was after Cedric walked off when she remembered Harry. She was supposed to talk to him! Running back to the courtyard, she was praying Harry would still be there.