A/N: Just a heads up there is a graphic scene that I am using in place of what J.K. Rowling put on the pins the students wore to torment Harry. I thought that fourteen-year-olds now a days usually come up with something a little more vulgar than "Potter Stinks" so heads up, young teen bullying ahead!

Chapter 9

I woke up the next morning without the cold sweat and racing heart that I had before I started taking the potion. I couldn't remember the dream that I had. The only evidence there was of stopping the draught was a slight ache along my scar. I felt relief fill me that I had slept soundly, until a bit of dread filled me again when I opened my eyes.

My bed was completely decked out in decorations for congratulations on my "success," there were cards thrown all over my bed with drawings of me standing triumphantly with a trophy in my hand, and the crown had somehow ended back on my head. I had somehow forgot I was a TriWizard Champion, and this knowledge ruined any chance I had of having a good day.

I threw everything into a trashcan minus one card a first year I tutored gave me whom I adored. Tracey cracked an eye open from all the noise and grumbled some comment about how Scrooge-like I was. I settled the comment by dumping the trashcans content into her bed and leaving the room for breakfast.

"Hey!" I could hear her grumbling at me as I shut the door behind me, leaving.

I walked out to the common room where Draco was watching some fish swimming by the window.

"Morning," I said walking up next to him looking at the fish myself.

"Good morning," he looked over at me. "Want to go get some breakfast?" Before I could answer this my stomach let out a growl, I felt my face turn hot red with the embarrassment.

"Excuse me," I apologized while he laughed.

"Need to stock up if your going to be in this tournament, no matter how you got in."

"Don't talk about the tournament," I grumbled walked together with Draco up to the Great Hall.

I sat down and pulled a piece of black pudding onto my plate along with two poached eggs and a serving of beans. I had a larger appetite than usual despite my foul mood. I was just thankful that the hall was practically empty since I was one of the few students who woke up early on Sundays.

I was finishing up as more students started to enter. If they were Gryffindor, they would blatantly boo at me or start some ridiculous chant they made up for Harry. Fred and George even joined in on this when they came in. If they were from Hufflepuff they only gave me a bit of a dirty look which took me mildly by surprise, most of Hufflepuff was on pretty good terms with me, and if you never caused them harm they tended not to present offensive behavior. Ravenclaw students seemed to just gossip around with each other looking between Cedric and myself as we ate. Slytherin students on the other hand took a defensive strategic. Whenever Gryffindor started up they would start sending mild jinxes over to whoever was causing the ruckus then smirking in my direction. I simply nodded my head at them not knowing how to respond. I had to admit I was most thankful to be in Slytherin at times like these, you couldn't mess with one Slytherin without having another plot your death.

I was about to leave when the post came. I wasn't expecting anything until a package dropped right onto my plate empty of the food I had eaten. I looked up for the owl that dropped it and saw the Malfoys owl, Selena, flying away. I looked down at the package thinking it was for Draco and Selena had just mixed it up, and then saw it was addressed to me. I opened up the small package and found a lush green scarf and a letter.

"Dear Rose,

We would like to congratulate you on your placement as a TriWizard Champion. Ludo Bagman excitedly sent us a letter last night informing us of the news. I know for a fact that he had also been talking to Rita Skeeter, which means that she will most likely be trying for an interview with you kids. We sent you a scarf for you to gift her, you can go ahead and tell her that we sent it and asked you to give it to her. It never hurts to get on a reporters good side, and Rita Skeeter is a reporter whom you most certainly would want to get on the good side. Wish Draco our best for us, and good luck.

Sincerely,

Narcissa Malfoy"

"What's that," Draco looked over my shoulder at the letter.

"You parents send you their best," I mumbled finishing up the letter, "who's Rita Skeeter?"

"She's some reporter that my father is friends with, why?"

"Apparently I'm going to be interviewed by her or something," I wrapped the scarf back up.

"That's unfortunate," he finished drinking his cup of juice and stood up from the table along with me.

"Is she not a good reporter?"

"She's the one that wrote that paper on you in second year," Draco brought up. I groaned at the memory. In second year as events regarding the Chamber of Secrets came up, she wrote an article about my place in Slytherin and perhaps being influenced by such dark spells at such a young age might have marred my soul with black from the start.

"Don't worry, won't be as bad for you this time. Father has had a few chats with her over the years," he held his head up high in the way he did when he brought up privileges that came with being in a powerful wizarding family. Even though he tried to comfort, I still had a small bit of worried that I carried with my in my gut but pushed down due to my training.

I had more trouble clearing my head that night; perhaps it was do to the lack of physical exhaustion. The pain was a bit worse the next morning and I could distinctly remember feeling angry in my sleep through the night. I used a bit of my scar salve that morning before slipping on my uniform.

We had to take Blast-Ended Skrewts for a walk during Care of Magical Creatures which I was hesitant of but found enjoyable as mine was found to be a very docile one and I got to watch the rest of the class being blown about as the Skrewts blew up dragging their walkers. My favorite was watching Crabbe and Pansys try to blast in opposite directions which sent the two crashing so hard into each other that they both suffered nose bleeds. When we went to lunch however, I noticed that most of Slytherin had left early for some reason, I decided to pack my lunch and bring it to the courtyard where Harry and Hermione were sitting.

"I just can't do another hour and a half with Slytherins today," Harry groaned.

"Well how about just a few minutes for lunch," I asked smirking as he turned around with a grimace.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Hermione and I just giggled it off.

"Where's Ronald," I asked looking up in the trees to see if he was playing some sort of game. But brought my attention back to Harry when I heard him grumbling some sort of curse.

"Harry and Ron aren't speaking," Hermione informed me.

"Why is that," I asked him as he ripped grass from the ground and threw it across the way.

"Because he's a down right git, that's why."

"Harry!" Hermione slapped him over his head.

"Ron is a little hurt over the attention Harry is getting from all of this."

"Just tell him you didn't put your name in," I shrugged.

"I did! He doesn't believe me, no one believes me except Hermione and Hagrid," he was practically yelling at me, then he turned his full rage on me like he normally did when he was feeling abnormally victimized. "Even you didn't believe me. The first thing you did when we got through that door was blame me for this. I had nothing to do with this, and now the entire school hates me!" I looked over at Hermione as Harry threw himself backwards onto the grass like a child throwing a fit.

"Eat the sandwich," I held out the sandwich that I hadn't eaten to him. He snatched it out of my hands and bit into it angrily. I knew that he could get testy when he didn't eat for a long time.

"What did they want with you after I left," he still sounded irritated but I could tell he was feeling better after throwing his fit. I thought about what to say.

"I don't think I'm supposed to be telling people about it," I was honest with him. I never lied to Harry, if I didn't want to tell him something I just didn't.

"Does it involve the tournament," he asked perching himself up on his elbows taking another bite.

"No, it was more of a health thing," I saw Hermione's concern, "I'm totally fine though nothing serious." I hoped.

We finished up lunch and I left to go to the laboratory before heading to double potions. As I approached the classroom I noticed a huge crowd of Slytherins blocking Harry and Hermione from entering. I came up behind the group of Slytherin students and listened for a second.

"Like our new badges, Potter," Draco's voice carried through. "And that's not all they do, look!"

"What's going on here," I asked. Half of the students jumped at my voice and turned around all in unison. I raised an eyebrow and a rather nasty look at some badges they all had clipped to them. While everyone's had a picture of me smiling next to my brother angrily snarling with the caption 'Beauty and the Beast,' Draco's was showing an explicit drawing of my brother as a cartoon with large hairy testicles drawn onto him and a caption, 'Hairy Potter.' I couldn't respond at first, part of me being the sibling wanted to laugh, but the other part was severely angry that they would dare bully someone in such a way. I think Draco knew that he messed up when he saw the look on my face.

"Take them off," I calmly instructed them. Nobody moved. "Now," I demanded sharply. I could let some things slide, knowing that sometimes my brother did instigate them, but this was completely wrong. My death glare that was latched onto Draco was released when the dungeon door slammed open revealing the bat that lived in it.

"What is going on here," a cool voice called out. I turned back to Malfoy.

"Just a disagreement sir," I admitted. I could tell he didn't buy it but didn't press the issue.

"Get in," he articulated each word so that no one would dare question him. I started to walk past but he placed a cold hand on my shoulder, "not you." The last person closed the door shut and Snape pulled me down the hall so that any eavesdroppers couldn't hear.

"Was I not clear when I informed you that your emotions should be in check and under control at all times," he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Yes sir," I kept the eye contact with him, I knew he could tell I had a question. "To be honest sir, I don't entirely understand how not to feel things," I admitted. He crossed his arms and stared down at me before continuing.

"I am an expert occlumist and legilimist. Despite my behavior, do you believe that I do not feel emotion," he asked. I smirked up at him not being able to hide it. He pointed directly at my smirk as soon as it showed.

"Control the behavior and the thoughts will follow," he pointed back to the classroom signaling for me to join the class. I walked back in, every eye was on me but I took my seat next to Millicent. I pulled out my notebook to the place where I had found the recipe for the antidote that I was instructed to make. Snape came in a moment later and reached the front of the classroom.

"Antidotes, you should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then we will be selecting someone on whom to test one…" he looked up from his journal and locked eyes immediately with Harry. I felt like groaning but 'controled the behavior.' I knew that he was testing me by trying to elicit a response from me by torturing my brother. He was about to begin talking again when the chamber door creaked open.

"Sir?" Colin Creevey's smiling face seemed to light up the room.

"Yes?" Snape drawled.

"Harry and Rose Potter need to report upstairs," Colin's sweet smile suddenly faded when he realized he was talking to Snape.

"They are in class for another hour and a half, they are dismiss then," he turned his back to write on the chalkboard.

"But… Sir," Collin stopped when Snape turned his cold face to him again, "Mr. Bagman sent me for them now." Snape let out a breath of hot air then nodded in acceptance. Harry and I packed our bags back up then left the room.

"What is this for Colin," Harry asked, I could tell he felt good by the spring in his step.

"Your wands have to be checked out to make sure they are fit for the tournament, and some lady is here to interview you." Colin was slowly recovering from his run in with Snape. Interview? It must be Rita Skeeter.

"Hold on, I'm just going to throw my bags on my bed real quick," I said to Colin and Harry. They nodded and waited as ran down the hall to the Slytherin dungeon, which was luckily right next to Snapes office and classroom. I threw open my trunk and found the scarf that I had wrapped in a green gift bag that Tracey agreed to loan me. I came out quickly with the bag in hand and my wand in my pocket.

"What's that," Harry asked about he bag.

"The Malfoy's asked me to give it to Mrs. Skeeter," I told him honestly.

"After all that you're going to still do their bidding," he accused right in front of Colin.

"Harry, was it the Malfoys who made those god-awful pins, no, it probably wasn't even Draco, so back off," I calmly stated still trying to control myself. He went back to his temper tantrum from before. The entire way up he was trying to dig up every awful event that had taken place between Draco and him over the past few years, I just focused on getting to wherever Colin was taking us.

"Good luck," Colin awkwardly exclaimed when we reached the door. Harry was still glaring at me like I had just stabbed his kitten.

"Look, just pretend you like me, for the interview at least," I begged before we both entered the room. Ludo Bagman, Krum, and Fleur were all standing in the room, along with a woman dressed entirely in green with bright magenta lips. I presumed this woman was Rita Skeeter by the way she was already scribbling down notes as soon as her greedy eyes trapped us. I smiled the way I had seen Mrs. Malfoy do when she walked into a room full of people.

"Ah, there are our last two champions," Ludo Bagman ran over right into the middle of the two of us and wrapped his hands around each of our shoulders. "Could you get a picture for me Rita," he asked. She smiled slyly.

"Of course Ludo," I felt uncomfortable underneath Ludo's grasp but smiled anyway as the blinding light of the camera went off. "Mind if I get one of just the twins Ludo?"

"Be my guest," Ludo stepped out of the way so that Harry and I were standing there next to each other. He was still angry with me I could tell, so I initiated the pose by scooting closer to him and putting my arm next to him on his back. I felt him try to shrug me off but I pinched him through his robe.

"Ouch," he snapped and caught on that I wasn't going to let him act like this and he put his arm on my waist begrudgingly. The instant the camera snapped he removed his hand and stormed over to a seat that he plopped down in.

Ludo looked at his watch and seemed to jump from excitement.

"The wand weighing ceremony should begin any moment now, the rest of the judges should be here in only a few short minutes." He clasped his hands together enthusiastically and gave us all a shark tooth smile. "There is also going to be a short little photo shoot. Rita Skeeter here will be doing a little report for the Daily Prophet about the tournament." I saw her make a snarky shrug before butting in.

"Well, maybe not that little," she stared at Harry and I hungrily. "Maybe I could steal each of the champions for a little interview?"

"Certainly, what a marvelous idea," Bagman seemed like he was more excited than Artemis was when I pulled out catnip.

"Ladies first then," Mrs. Skeeter shook her shoulders and walked toward a door within the room, and wiggled her finger for me to follow. I took a deep breath and complied.

"Let's see… ah, this will do," she smiled at me and used her wand to flip over two large, empty buckets for us to sit on. She held out her hand for me to sit down first so I did so. She sat down across from me and started to dig through her bag.

"How are you today Mrs. Skeeter," I asked trying to hold the poise and etiquette that pureblood families did.

"Oh… I am just terrific," she smiled at me waving her hand for a brief second before digging around in her purse again.

"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy send their best, and asked me to give this to you for them," I smiled the sweetest smile I could muster and held out the green bag for her. She looked up greedily.

"How sweet," she took a break to accept the gift and pulled out the scarf with enthusiasm. "Green, my favorite color, as is yours I presume," she asked with a glint in her eye as she looked at my Slytherin crest.

"What else would it be," I agreed.

"Well then," she found what she was looking for within her purse. A long green feather whipped out with a notebook and floated behind her, "shall we get started?"

"So, how do you feel about being sucked into this potentially harmful situation," she asked me as her quill scribbled down notes whipping its tail dramatically.

"Well, I'm not particularly thrilled about having to be put in these situations, but I'm honored that I was given an opportunity that very few wizards get to experience," I lied through my teeth, I hated every aspect of this damn tournament.

"Right, and what are you doing to help yourself prepare for the tasks," she asked. I honestly hadn't thought to prepare yet at all.

"I'm still getting used to the idea that I'm involved with this to be honest. Right now I guess I'm just trying to stay calm and focus on my school work, I don't want it to interfere with my education," I was just trying to be as honest as I could at this point, knowing that she could probably tell when I was lying.

"How wonderful," she looked at me with a smirk that I wasn't to fond of. I had seen that look on my classmates several times, she had something wicked planned. I smiled on and prayed that the Malfoys had in deed swayed her from writing anything terrible of me again.

"Tell me Rosey," she used a puppy name for me that I had never really liked, I dreaded what she was going to say next, "do you remember your parents?" I felt my face waver but only for a second, I had been caught off guard by the question.

"No," I admitted. The quill was writing more furiously than before.

"If they were here today, what do you think they would say to whomever entered you in this deathly tournament," she was still smirking.

"I don't know what they would have said to the person, but I believe they would be as concerned as any other parent might be," I shrugged my shoulder and tried to come up with the most neutral response I could.

"And how do you feel being placed in a contest against your own twin brother, are you worried about how your relationship will hold up through this?" I was thrown back in my mind to just the few moments ago when I had to beg Harry to pretend to not hate me for a few moments but forced through.

"My brother and I have always had a very close bond, and I believe that we will be able to encourage each other to do our best while still understanding that we are in competition with each other." There was a twinkle in her eye as she smirked.

"Well, this has just been lovely," she grinned wickedly at me then held out her hand to me. I took it and left the closet quickly.

"Harry, why not you next," she called from the closet. I purposely walked past him as he approached even though he was glaring at me.

"Watch what you say," I said under my breath, and just a few seconds later he was wrapped into her wicked web.

"I went and stood near where the other three champions were standing awaiting their call from the green monster.

"You are friends with Hermy-o-ny, yes?" I heard a think rough voice with a thick accenst ask from behind me. I turned and saw Victor standing there with his head tilted to the side like a dog.

"She's my brother's friend," I answered. He nodded.

"Do you know vat it is she like to do," I could hear him struggle through the sentence but was able to pick up what he asked.

"She's in the library a lot, she likes to read," I answered. He smiled like he had just actually one the TriWizard Cup and bowed to me in a respectful manner. I turned back around and tried to think of every reason why Victor Krum would be asking about Hermione Granger, but came to no conclusion.

After about five minutes, Dumbledore came into the room followed by Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, and Mr. Crouch.

"Where's Harry," Dumbledore asked after looking around the room.

"Ah! Dumbledore! Harry is just finishing up a report in the closet with Mrs. Skeeter," Mr. Bagman seemed almost drunk with his joy. Dumbledore seemed displeased as he immediately threw open the closet door and pulled Harry out. There were some words exchanged between Dumbledore and Mrs. Skeeter that I could tell had a bitter edge to it, but couldn't hear. Harry looked even angrier than he had before going in. I had a feeling that he didn't listen to me.

"Please take a seat," Dumbledore offered his hand out to five chairs that were meant for the five champions. I took a seat on the end. Harry begrudgingly sat between myself and Cedric. The door opened again and Dumbledore offered his hand out to whoever was entering. "May I introduce to you all, Mr. Ollivander, he will be checking your wands to make sure that they are in good condition before the tournament begins." Ollivander came into the center of the room as Dumbledore took a seat at the judges' table.

"Let's start with Mademoiselle Delacour shall we," Mr. Ollivander held out his hands as Fleur gracefully glided across the room and handed him her wand. He went through every person's wand informing the judges of what the core, make, and length was for each before testing the wands out. Each proved satisfactory to him. He called up Harry just before myself. He said nothing about the core but informed the judges of the length and wood that was used for his. He tested Harry's out by shooting out a fountain of wine from the tip. "Perfect," he nodded then acknowledged for me to come up.

I stood up and kept my posture as I walked toward him and placed my wand in his hands. He held it up to his eye level and examined to see the straightness of it.

"This was a fine Yew tree that gave its wood," Ollivander looked at the wand in his hands. I had always been fond of my wand, I felt that it had always been just an extension of my body and was just as fond of it as I was my cat in an odd way. "Ten inches a little on the stiffer side, but not entirely rigid," he inspected the wand further. "Another one of my favorites," he looked at it as if he were reminiscing. I remembered going into his store with Harry when we were just young, wide-eyed, new comers to the wonderful world we were brought into.

Hagrid had left us both to go run an errand and sent us into the shop by ourselves. I remember going through a few disastrous wands that made me question how on earth we would ever be able to control our magic. "I wonder" I heard him mumble from his storage room, he brought out three boxes and placed them on his counter. He shut the blinds of his shop and locked the door. I looked at Harry with question. He opened the lids of all three of the wands and looked at them before shutting one. He seemed very serious and suspicious as he handed us each a wand. The store, which had been ransacked and charred in certain places, returned to normal and left us with a scent of fresh vanilla and some other floral scent. I shook as a chill racked up my spine.

"Curious," Mr. Ollivander stared at the two of us with mild shock and an odd look that made me feel uncomfortable, "very curious." I looked back at the dark brown polished wand that I had been given. It was sleek and smooth, only a little smaller than Harry's but I thought mine had a beautiful artistic sense to it that his did not. The bottom of the wand was formed into a rose and had vines that grew up the shaft of it and blended in until about halfway up. It was made for me.

"Sorry, but what's curious," Harry asked. I could tell Mr. Ollivander was thinking about how to talk to us but finally took both of our wands from us to hold.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold," he began, "it so happens that the phoenix, whose tail feathers resides in both of your wands gave two other feathers. Just two others." He stopped as he picked up the third box that we had not viewed. "One lies in this wand, and the other with another which already has had an owner." He opened the box and showed us a wand that was pure white with some sort of Latin wording engraved on it. He shut the lid quickly and placed it back on the shelf before returning to us. "It's curious that you two should be destined for these wands, when their brother gave you that scar," he acknowledged Harry's scar that was peeking through his messy bangs. I remember at the time being afraid that he meant in some way that Voldemort and my brother and I were related in some way. "We can expect great things from you, after all he-who-must-not-be-named did do great things. Terrible! But great things."

He held out my wand and tried to send out a spell to send out a small firework, but all that came out was a mild spark. He laughed and handed the wand back to me.

"She's quite attuned to you, I doubt she will fail you," he smiled widely at me. I had noticed that whenever others tried to use my wand that they would have some difficulty handling it. I specifically remember one time that we had been having a snowball fight in our second year, my wand had fallen out of my pocket and Pansy had picked it up having lost her own. When she tried to use it to cast a heap of snow at me the mound of it only flew ferociously at her burying her to the point that when she came out she had to go inside and change her clothes. She contracted a cold the next day. I always assumed that it was just their inability to use a wand different from theirs but I supposed that it made sense that a wand would also configure to their owner.

We were forced to take a few more photos with the rest of the champions and judges. Somehow Rita Skeeter kept insisting that Harry and I be front and center for nearly every photograph. I smiled as civilly as I could and was more than thankful when Dumbledore called an end to the photographs to ensure that the students would have enough time for supper. I started to leave with Harry, but he hastily fled before I could catch up with him. I took a deep breath and fought the urge to yell out his name. I thought back to what Rita Skeeter had said about the tournament coming between Harry and I and had a thought that perhaps she did understand the right places to go digging around.

A/N: For my fellow Americans, black pudding is a type of sausage that they eat for breakfast in the UK. I only learned that from Buzzfeed though so that could definitely be inaccurate haha I think its made from pigs blood and oatmeal or something like that. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, if you have any critiques or questions feel free to message me or place a review on with your comment.