September 1994
Lilith didn't remember the last time she slept properly. Between her classes, homework, paperwork and meetings on weekends, she barely registered the weeks passing by. The only reason she managed to eat was Cedrid who had to either drag her to the Great Hall or bring her food. She was grateful that Dumbledore allowed her to travel away on weekends, otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to keep up with everything she had to leave behind. It was a lot. Before July, she was just Lilith Farrow, a Hogwarts student that only had to keep the pureblood pricks around the school in line. Now, she was the Lady Farrow, head of the Farrow family, who not only had to keep those pricks in line but also their parents. Having that power wasn't that hard, she knew all of them ever since her father started to bring her with him to take care of the business. Keeping that power was the hard part. And that little stunt they pulled during the World Cup? Going after them, at least after those marked by her Patronus, and dealing with them proved she was a force to be reckoned with. Nobody would try that again in the near future, she was sure of it, words travel fast in the wizarding community. She could see that in the eyes of the pureblood students every time they crossed paths. They were scared, terrified. And they should be. The only thing she was thankful for was the fact that the Sacred Twenty-eight had an unwritten code of silence that they have respected for hundreds of years. What happens in their circles, stays there.
Thanks to her busy schedule, she always forgot about Hermione Granger. Almost. She didn't know how long she was sitting in the library but she was sure she didn't remember Hermione Granger sitting across from her when she first sat down. The bushy-haired witch didn't seem to notice her either, her head was buried in a book as her right hand furiously scribbled something onto a piece of parchment. A little box was sitting next to the opened book. She gulped, hard, and angled her head to get a better look at the book. She couldn't see much but she pretty much could see the title.
"House-elves, Granger? On what bloody crusade are you now?" her voice was crooked, tired and quiet but it made Hermione jump a little and as she finally looked up, Lilith could see her cheeks get a little pink.
"To free house-elves." she stumbled a little on her words but when Lilith finally registered them, she had to chuckle.
"To free house-elves? You know Granger, I thought you were smart but this is stupid." as she watched Hermione frown and start to gather her things, she winced inwardly and put a hand up to stop her.
"Sorry, that came out wrong. Sit down, please?" Hermione stopped, obviously taken aback by her words. How couldn't she be? Lilith hasn't been the nicest to her. But she put her things back, looking back at her. Lilith sighed and put her quill down.
"Don't take me wrong, the idea is nice. But that's it. It's a nice idea but completely unattainable." she put her hand up when she saw Hermione opening her mouth. "Let me finish." As she saw Hermione sink back into her seat, she leaned forward.
"You don't know the house-elves, how they think, what's their view on the world. They don't want to be free. They love to work, it makes them happy. If you take that away, you would crush them." this time she couldn't stop Hermione.
"Because it's all they've known! It's slave labour. No pay, no free time, and they are treated so horribly that nobody considers them as living beings!"
"Yes, that is true. It's all they've ever known." Lilith took a deep breath to keep herself calm. "But how would you feel if someone took away the thing you love most in the world? The thing that fulfils you the most?"
"They can find something else. Something well-paid, something that could make them..."
"Happy? Work makes them happy." she had to look away. The fire in Hermione's eyes was starting to make her brain fuzzy.
"I know a house-elf who was happy to be freed." she had to chuckle again at that remark.
"A house-elf. One house-elf. Just because you came across that one house-elf, it doesn't mean all of them feel the same." she sighed and started to play with a quill she had nearby. "Granger, my mother died when Sebastian and I were very little, and Aveline was just a baby. Our father was a busy man, so who do you think took care of us?" she looked over to see Hermione staring at her, eyes widened in surprise. "Our house-elf, Squeaky. Without her, our family would completely fall apart. And we love her to death for it." she smiled a little as she thought about their house-elf.
"I remember one time my father was very angry, and he took it out on her. He threatened to fire her. He was literally holding a t-shirt in his hand while she was crying and begging him not to do it. The only reason he didn't do it was because of Aveline. She was still a toddler and he didn't have a clue how to take care of her. But that moment, seeing Squeaky like that was heartbreaking. Work was the only thing she ever knew, and he threatened to take it away from her." she sighed and looked directly into Hermione's eyes. "So if want to 'free house-elves', in practice you are not better than my father was in that moment." Hermione didn't say a word, she looked pensive, lost in thoughts at her words. Lilith started to gather her things but she was putting the last parchment into her school bag, she couldn't brush away the weird feeling in her chest watching Hermione pout. She rubbed her temples as she stood up. She's going to pay for this later.
"However, I do agree that they are being horribly mistreated." she could see Hermione's focus being back on her as she raised her eyebrow. The things she was willing to do for that girl were unreal. "So, if you put together some sensible proposition on house-elf mistreatment, and get some support behind it, I'm willing to pull some strings at the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where they will look at it." the look on Hermione's face was priceless. Her jaw was nearly hitting the floor, and she looked at Lilith like she was some kind of hallucination.
"You...You could do that?" Lilith shrugged and tried not to think about the butterflies flying inside of her stomach.
"I can do a lot of things. I'm a Farrow, remember?" with that she turned around and quickly exited the library, unable to look Hermione in the eye any longer, but she still felt her eyes digging into her back.
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October 1994
'I'm a Farrow, remember?'. The sentence played over and over in Hermione's head for the last few days. Even now when she stood on the steps of Hogwarts Castle, waiting for the two school delegations. She knew the Farrow family was important. She heard about them from Ron and read about them in the library. They were practically in every history book she's ever read at Hogwarts. She knew Aveline, she spent the most time around her thanks to Fred and George, and the occasional classes they shared. But Lilith Farrow? The first time they properly talked was almost two years ago and since then, the only words the girl ever said to her were snarky remarks or a few casual words. It was safe to say that the recent conversation completely blew her out of the water. Lilith Farrow being nice to her? Lilith Farrow offering to help her? For a few moments she thought she was dreaming. But it turned out to be true when they exchanged a few words about the proposal just before they exited the castle a few minutes ago. And as she realised, she ended up standing just in front of Lilith and Cedric Diggory.
She knew those two were a package deal. During the last four years she's spent at Hogwarts, there almost wasn't a moment where those two weren't together. It was something that for some reason bugged Hermione but she didn't know why.
"I would kill for a smoke right now." when she heard that quiet, crooked voice she realised just how close to those two she was standing. She heard Cerdic's quiet chuckle.
"I'll give you two options, you either lit one and McGonagall, who's standing right there, will drag you to her office, or you go on with the killing part and hello Azkaban. What do you choose?" she heard Lilith snark at the comment.
"Azkaban, mate. Minnie would fucking torture me and kill me." Hermione couldn't help the corners of her mouth going up a little bit at Lilith's response. But the eavesdropping was cut off by loud yells and screams coming from all around her. Then she finally saw what they were looking. A carriage, a little bigger than a normal house, arrived at the school grounds. Before she could marvel at the structure, a woman that stepped out of it made her classmates gasp. She had to admit, she indeed was the tallest woman she's ever seen. As she and Dumbledore continued to talk, she noticed a group of teenagers getting out of the carriage, all of them shivering in the October Scottish air. It wasn't until they all started to head back to the castle, that she started to hear Lilith and Cerdic again.
"Bloody hell. Either kill me or hide me!" she heard Lilith's panicked whisper that made her eyebrows furrow a little bit.
"What are you...?"
"She's here, Ced!" She? Who's she?
"Wait. That one that...?"
"Yep."
"Didn't you say that you two...?"
"Yep."
"And it didn't..."
"Yep."
"And you didn't know that..."
"Nope." she could Cedric's quiet laughter as Lilith groaned in frustration. Cedric's laugh apparently wasn't as quiet as they thought because a handful of Beauxbatons students turned their way as they passed them. Hermione couldn't help but notice one girl that looked their way a little longer with slightly raised eyebrows. As they continued on their way, she heard Lilith let out another frustrated groan.
"I'm so screwed. I'm royally screwed. She's gonna kill me, and it's your fault." they were whispering now, so quietly that they were sure nobody heard them. Well, nobody except Hermione who was listening intensely now.
"My fault?" Cedric chuckled and she heard a small thud. "Don't hit me. It's not my fault you two broke up and haven't talked lately." Hermione wasn't sure what happened but it felt like being hit by lightning. She? Broke up? Was Lilith Farrow... gay? The revelation felt like being thrown into the Black Lake. She's never even thought about that option. But once again, the conversation that had something to do with Lilith Farrow, played in her head on a loop. It was there during the Durmstrang arrival. It was there during Ron's fangirling about Victor Krum. It was there when she sat down in the Great Hall and half listened to Dumbledore's explanation. And it was still there when a girl came to their table and asked for soup. When she finally looked at her, she felt frozen. It was the girl from the steps. The girl who maybe was the topic of that conversation. Now, up close with her hair loose, she was beautiful. Breathtaking even. She didn't hear her question, instead, her eyes travelled towards the end of Ravenclaw table where she saw Lilith sit all the time. Just as she finally found her, she saw her turning away from her direction. There was a sudden pang in her chest. So she was right. It was the girl from the conversation. This blond, breathtaking, french girl was Lilith's ex. Ron's comments about her being a veela didn't help her thought process very much.
She tried to make herself forget about it. She did. But as they stood in line to exit the Great Hall that Karkaroff blocked off, she once again overheard a conversation that wasn't meant for her ears. And at that moment, she wished she never paid attention in French class at her muggle school.
"...but can we please not talk about it now?" Of course Lilith spoke French fluently with an impeccable accent, of course she did.
"If not now then when?" The French girl didn't sound angry, more annoyed. She heard Lilith sigh and then continued to speak in a hushed tone.
"Meet me tomorrow morning at eight by the lake? We can talk then."
"Oh trust me, we will talk. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Fleur." Fleur. The French girl finally had a name. Fleur.
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The morning wasn't cold. It didn't feel cold to Lilith who was used to the Scottish weather and was raised at Cave Hill where winters weren't mild. But looking at Fleur's shaking form, she guessed that it was indeed cold. The sun was just beginning to rise and the mist was still over the lake's surface when they met on the shore. To her surprise, Fleur wore normal boots and trousers, but those were the only warm things she had. She expected it so with a small smile, she reached towards her bookbag and pulled out her warm Ravenclaw sweater and a scarf, and gave it to her.
"Thank you."It was weird seeing Fleur in her clothes. She was always taller so Lilith's clothes never fit her but to her luck, the Ravenclaw sweater was always a little baggy on her so it fitted Fleur perfectly.
"I have some tea. Shall we?" When she finally wrapped the blue and bronze scarf around her neck, Fleur nodded and they started walking along the shore. They didn't talk. Didn't even look in each other's way as they walked. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached a spot that Lilith liked. It was a small space behind a bush that was far away for anyone to hear them and was hidden so nobody could see them. She unclasped her cloak and laid it down on the rosy grass before they both sat on it and pulled out a thermos full of hot tea that she gave Fleur. She wasn't prepared for this conversation but she knew she would have to face the music some day.
"Fleur, I know that you're mad at me about what happened, and I completely understand." she started. Her voice was still crooked. She would like to say that she had slept but the whole situation kept her wide awake the whole night. She watched Fleur. She wasn't shaking from the cold anymore as she sat there next to her, in her sweater, scarf and sipping the warm tea. But what surprised her was her calm expression. She expected anything else but calmness.
"I'm a bit mad, yes. But the break-up? I'm not mad about that. We both knew it would be short-lived." Fleur sighed and fiddled with the thermos. "What I'm mad about is you ignoring me. We've known each other for ten years. And sure, we both needed a little space after it blew up but I didn't expect a whole year of complete silence. Why did you ignore me, Vala?" Vala. Short for Valentina. Only Fleur ever called her that, and she always cherished that. But at that moment, in that tone, it was bittersweet. Finally, Fleur turned her head and looked at Lilith as if she was searching for something.
"I haven't seen you since last year. You've changed. I can see that." Lilith's heart clenched at Fleur's sad voice but she was surprised when two slender, cold hands gently clasped her cheeks and made her look Fleur straight in the eye. That was the thing she loved about Fleur, as blunt and straightforward as she could be, she was always gentle with her. And the gentleness made her weak.
"You were always thin but now... you're are almost a skeleton. And these bags," she softly brushed her thumb under Lilith's eyes where her lack of sleep was most evident."They weren't as big before. And you look like you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. So what happened, Vala?" Lilith didn't know what it was. The relief that her friend wasn't as mad at her as she expected, the weight of the conversation, the softness of Fleur's hands on her cheeks, or the gentle tone of her voice. She didn't know what it was in particular, maybe it was all of those factors together, but she could feel her eyes water a little.
"My...my father died." she could see Fleur's eyes widen at the new information but she continued to stroke soft circles on her cheek.
"I'm so sorry, Vala."
"Seb and Avy took it hard, and there were things I needed to take care of."
"Did you have any time?" Lilith's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Time for what?"
"To mourn."
"Well father wasn't really big on..." but Fleur shook her head and stroke her cheek once more.
"I'm not talking about that old bastard, Vala. I'm talking about you."
"What... what do you mean?" Fleur gave her a sad smile.
"Did you have time to mourn yourself?" The question shook Lilith to her core. To mourn herself?
"I still remember what you told me. Granted we were drunk but I do remember. About your family, about your father. And now it fell onto you. So I'm asking, did you have time to mourn yourself?" Lilith finally understood. And as she did, the tears finally came out in tidal waves.
She never liked being vulnerable or soft. But as Fleur wrapped her up in her arms, and stroked her hair, she felt safe and comfortable enough to let it all out. And she cried for her younger self, she cried for Lilith Farrow and the last remains of innocence she had lost. She didn't know how long they stayed in that position but Fleur never stopped stroking her hair or rubbing circles on her back. Cedric and Fleur were the only people that knew her as the back of their hands even though those two never met. But suddenly, she was glad that those two were in the same place for once. Cedric could always knock some sense into her while Fleur was her emotional crutch. And she needed that.
After a while, Lilith finally pulled away and Fleur wiped the tears left on her cheeks.
"Thank you." she mumbled as she wiped her face with the back of her hand.
"Vala, we both knew that that fling we had was short-lived. We were both lonely and stupid, and that's why it ended how it did. But we were friends first. Very good friends. And even if I was beyond furious, you should know that you can always come to me if you need help. I'm here, alright?" She had to smile at Fleur's supportive smile.
"I know, and I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I remember vividly how stubborn you are." Fleur chuckled. "That's why we are so similar."
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Headmaster's office was quiet. The only sound that echoed through the chamber was a quill scratching against parchment but as he heard the door closing, his eyes hidden behind his famous glasses found hers.
"Miss Farrow, are you going off to your meeting?" he asked and put the quill down. Lilith was still a bit shaken from her conversation with Fleur but managed to pull herself together since then. There were no signs of her previous crying and she was dressed in her appropriate robes.
"Yes, last one for a long time I hope." she sighed. She didn't want to go but the meeting with Theodus Parkinson was the last one on her list.
"I'm glad to hear that. If you don't mind me asking...?"
"He's been late on payments for a loan he took some time ago. I shouldn't be long." she was glad Dumbledore allowed her to travel on weekends but she didn't particularly enjoy his little not-so-subtle questions. She managed to talk herself out of them so far but was very glad her occlumency skills were on a high level.
"Well, I hope you make it in time for the Feast." he smiled and leaned forward in his chair, his hands clasped together on the desk. "Did you have a chance to put your name in? You are of age now." Lilith shifted nervously on her feet, Dumbledore's eyes always made her feel like he could look right into her soul.
"No, professor. Even if I can, I wouldn't put my name in. I don't think the benefits outweigh the risks." She watched Dumbledore nod his head in agreement with her answer.
"I had an inkling you would say that, and I agree with you, Miss Farrow."
"Then why did you agree with the Tournament?" she watched Dumbledore sigh and lean back in his hair.
"I can speak freely with you, Miss Farrow because we both know things others simply can't comprehend." this sparked her attention. Dumbledore rarely shared something with her but ever since she inherited her title, he was more genuine towards her as if they were the only people who saw reality as it was.
"We are approaching turbulent times. Even if the events of the World Cup were doing of a handful of arrogant wizards, I cannot help but notice the resemblance to the times before major events of our history happened. Don't get me wrong, I am impressed with how you handled the situation..."
"I didn't do it to impress you." the words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them.
"I know, Miss Farrow. Let me rephrase that. You have your duty towards the wizarding community, and you have executed it impeccably and discreetly. As your family has done for centuries, and I'm thankful for that. I know the burden is heavy for someone so young, and I admire you for it, even if others might fear you. Your family has kept the balance in our world, even if the majority of the wizarding community is not aware of it. But we are approaching turbulent times, and in my experience, even your family can only do so much in those times. That's why we need the tournament. To strengthen the bonds between young wizards internationally. And the Triwizard tournament has a great history of growing those bonds." he once again looked Lilith straight in the eyes and she could see the worry in them.
"I agreed with the tournament under the condition that only students of age could enter. Students who are mature enough, experienced enough to understand the risks." Lilith nodded hesitantly. She understood Dumbledore's reasoning, he made sensible choices under the circumstances they were in.
"Something is bothering you, Miss Farrow. What is it?" He leaned forward once more, intrigued by her hesitance.
"Professor, do you think it's possible to change someone's mind about something?"
"Is that someone a friend of yours?"
"Friends. Cedric Diggory and Fleur Delacour." she watched Dumbledore's eyebrows rise slightly in surprise.
"You've managed to become friends with Miss Delacour in such a short time?"
"We've been friends for a very long time, professor." she gulped nervously. "Do you think it's possible?"
"In my experience Miss Farrow, a young mind is stubborn. You can influence it, but you cannot change it once it has decided on the matter. If your friends decided to put their names in the Golbet, you cannot change their minds. It would only hurt your relationships if you went against their decisions." he watched as she sank a bit into herself. "It's hard to watch someone make such a decision. But it's even harder to make that decision. The best thing you can do is be there for your friends." Lilith nodded, still feeling a pang in her chest at his words.
"Thank you, professor." she mumbled and turned to leave.
"Same thing goes for a young heart." she stopped in her tracks and turned her head towards Dumbledore who watched her with a small smile. Did he know? How did he even know?
"I will see you at the Feast, Miss Farrow." he once again picked up his quill and continued in the work as if he said nothing. Lilith stayed frozen in her spot for a few moments before exiting the office, her heart beating rapidly.
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Sebastian chose his position strategically during the Feast. He knew his sister, and he knew her view on the Triwizard tournament. And he also knew that she wasn't happy to learn that both Cedric and Fleur put their names into the Goblet. That is why he chose to sit next to her during the feast instead of sitting with his friends, and that's why he clasped her hand under the table once their plates were clean. He wasn't the only Farrow sibling who realised the state their sister was in. Aveline didn't sit next to them but opposite them, her back blocking Lilith from the eyes of Gryffindors and Slytherins. He was glad she did that because he could feel his older sister's hands shake as Dumbledore started to announce the champions. As Victor Krum's name was announced, cheers and yells were heard especially from the Slytherins table where Durmstrang students were seated. Once Krum exited the Hall, the cheers died down as the students waited for the next champion.
Another piece of parchment flew out of the Goblet. Dumbledore caught it with ease and opened it.
"The champion for Beauxbatons," he paused "is Fleur Delacour." Both Sebastian and Aveline carefully watched Lilith. To another person's eye, she almost looked impassive. But Sebastian could feel how strongly she gripped his hand and how hard she was staring at the empty plate in front of her. They almost missed Dumbledore catching the next piece of parchment.
"The Hogwarts champion," he called. "is Cedric Diggory!" even over the loud cheers that echoed in the Great Hall, he could hear Lilith's sharp inhale. At that moment, he was sure she almost crushed his hand that she was now gripping for dear life. He exchanged a look with Aveline who watched their sister worriedly.
But something was off. Dumbledore was almost finished with his speech when another piece of parchment flew out of the Goblet. The Great Hall fell silent as he read the name.
"Harry Potter." there were no cheers, no screams. Deadly silence. And for the first time since the start of the Feast, Lilith's eyes left the plate and found the place where Harry Potter sat frozen in his seat. Nobody moved, except for Hermione Granger who ushered Harry on his feet. Everybody in the Great Hall watched him as he met Dumbledore and was sent through the door other champions exited. The silence quickly broke into quiet whispers that Dumbledore cut short by sending them off to bed.
"Seb, you're a prefect too. Make sure everyone gets back to the dormitory." he heard Lilith whisper to him quietly. They were both prefects but Lilith, being the older one, had more authority than Sebastian so he didn't argue as he squeezed her hand, stood up and started ushering younger Ravenclaw students out of the Great Hall. Lilith sat frozen in her seat but it seemed nobody paid any attention to her as Harry Potter was the new topic of everyone's conversation.
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The Great Hall was empty except for Lilith who sat silently in her place by the Ravenclaw table. None of the professors that left the Great Hall said a word to her. Being a responsible prefect had its perks at times. As she waited, she pulled out a flask she had hidden in her robes and took a long swing. As the alcohol burned in her throat, it didn't calm her nerves as much as she hoped. What were the odds? What were the odds for this to happen?
After what felt like an eternity, the door of the small chamber opened and furious-looking Karkaroff gripping Krum's shoulder almost sprinted out of the Great Hall without giving her as much as a glance. Lilith rose to her feet and was almost by the teacher's table when Madame Maxime and Fleur emerged, both upset but once Fleur's eyes caught the sight of Lillith, she ran towards her and hugged her tightly much to Madama Maxime's surprise.
"They let him compete! He's underage and they let him compete!" To say Fleur sounded upset was an understatement. But she stopped rambling as she pulled away and saw Lilith's expression. Both of them looked at Madame Maxime who came closer, eyeing Lilith carefully.
"This is Lilith, Madame, my friend." Lilith gave her a small curtsy she was taught since she was little.
"My name's Lilith Farrow, I'm very sorry for what happened, Madame Maxime." She could see the surprise on the tall woman's face. She could say she was impressed by Lilith's manners and her fluency.
"Madame, can I talk to Lilith a little longer? I promise I won't be long." Fleur pleaded with her Headmistress who eyed Lilith once more before nodding.
"Very well, but not too long. Goodnight, Miss Farrow." Before Lilith could reply, Madame Maxime walked out of the Great Hall without sparing them another look. But just as Lilith took a breath to start talking, Cedric and Harry emerged from the small chamber. They fell silent as they noticed it was four of them alone. Harry looked surprised to see Lilith and Fleur there, Cedric avoided Lilith's eyes and Fleur glared daggers at Harry. Lilith couldn't take it anymore and took another long swing from the flask she was still gripping in her left hand. She could feel other's eyes switch their focus onto her as she pulled the flask away and extended it to Fleur who took it without hesitation and took a sip before handling it back.
"I've gotta say, you both exceeded my expectations tonight, and I don't mean it as a good thing." her friends didn't meet her eyes. Harry looked so lost and so young between the four of them as he watched Lilith scold them but Lilith didn't even notice him as her eyes flickered between Cedric and Fleur. "Why did you have to be so stubborn?" she shook her head and extended the flask to Cedric who also took a sip.
"Are you mad?" Lilith chuckled dryly at Fleur's quiet question.
"Am I mad that both my best friends entered a deadly competition? I am a bit mad, Fleur, yes." she sighed and took another long swing from the flask that found its way to her once again. "I trust you both and I'm gonna cheer for you, but now I am a little bit mad." they both looked like kicked puppies at her statement.
"Anyway, this wasn't how I wanted you two to meet but since we're here." she turned toward Fleur, "This is Cedric Diggory, he's basically my second brother." and then she turned to Cedric. "Ced, this is Fleur Delacour, I've told you about her." as they shook hands with slight smiles, Lilith finally noticed Harry who watched them silently.
"Potter, a word?" as if they forgot he was in the room, eyes turned to Harry whose face reddened but slowly made his way towards Lilith who gently gripped his shoulder and leaned towards him, so only he could hear her.
"Look, we both know you're not a wizard who's capable of crossing that Age line." Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "So you better watch your back, Potter. Because this is not a childish prank. Someone wants you dead. Do you understand?" she watched shocked Harry nod and sigh. "If you need help, find me. Okay? Go to bed." she patted his shoulder before releasing him and watched him exit the Great Hall. As she turned towards her friends, she didn't miss Fleur glaring at Harry's back.
"E's a cheater." she heard Fleur mumble in broken English. She shook her head and took another sip.
"Harry Potter might be reckless and thoughtless but he's not that stupid or that good of a wizard." she voiced her thoughts. Her head started to hurt again and she was exhausted. She passed the flask to her friends who watched her think as they took sips of the alcohol. Cedric tried to take a long swing like Lilith but ended up coughing from the burning feeling, making Fleur chuckle at his attempt.
"If not him then who?" Cedric asked once he stopped coughing and the flask to Fleur.
"That's a good question, Ced. That's a very good question."