Late again.

What a habit to have.

In all honesty it was quite accidental and innocent, but nonetheless made everybody consistently despise Audette upon arrival as if she were Satan.

Audette's petite slippers pelted against the precast stone slabbing: a stampede of one in the empty, dark hallways at Hogwarts.

Hysteria was the word that Friday morning, the long skirt of her pale lavender dress flowing like a silk river behind the small goddess. She picked up both sides of her lavish gown to increase speed, the bow at the back bouncing menacingly.

Malfoy was going to be furious. The hour had struck ten, and they were all expected to be in the Great Hall by nine-thirty.

Audette was conceivably the type to be uselessly dysfunctional without an unruly amount of nightly sleep, and had been so exhausted from the dazzling sexual run-in the night before that when he'd left in the morning she had sat on her bed after dressing and mistakenly passed back out.

On the first floor she paused to wipe at her nose which had started to run, choking on her winded breaths. Fuck fuck fuck.

She could hear nothing coming from the gathering space but Malchom McDiarmada's heavily accented Irish lilt - the Erenholl Headmaster - giving a proud speech on behalf of his school.

So it would be the Irish themed trial that day.

Okay, it will be fine, perfectly jolly, just walk in there as if you are invisible, she thought miserably, frowning at the closed double doors which Argus Filch was waltzing around in front of like a mangy guard dog.

Audette pushed herself off of the wall, adjusting the braided ring of hair encircling her loose wavy strands - dotted of course with delightful navy seashells that popped in contrast to her sunny locks.

Straightening her spine she marched towards the entrance and was abruptly halted by a sharp hiss. At her feet Mrs. Norris - Filch's morbid flee-ridden feline with bloody red orbs - had stopped Audette in her tracks.

The scent of unwashed armpits and rotten teeth gave away that Filch had strode up to her rapidly, "Tad la-Te today, aren't we?"

For what particular reason he felt the need to emphasize T's with a blunt shoo of air through his gnarled teeth had always soared over Audette's head.

She flinched her viridian eyes at him, "How would you know anyways? You're clearly not invited."

As though it were his first time laying eyes upon the feature, Filch's dark gaze scanned theatrically upon the twelve foot high monolithic carved doors, integrated with steel bolts the size of clementines, "Shut innit? Someone's got to guard this 'ere egress, from trespassers such as yourselF."

Add F to the list.

Somehow, the unambitious role of guarding a doorway had him smiling proudly as though he'd just won a Nobel Prize.

"I'm not a trespasser, I'm a student!" Audette bellowed in fury at the irksome squib barring her passage, "And I'll have you know my father is the Event Beast Master - shall I tell him that there is a wretched cat roaming these halls that would serve as excellent dragon fodder?"

Filch shook on the spot in appall at the empty threat. "Meesis Norris come 'ere," he barked disgustingly, picking up the awful cat as if it were his biological child to cross his arms around her protectively, "Very well. Your funeral."

He bared his black gums at her, turning to wander a few feet away while whispering strange notions to the crusty feline.

Audette prodded open one ancient door, cringing when it seemed as though the architectural element was working alongside Filch to purposely humiliate her by producing a wooden crack that split the air like a gunshot.

McDiarmada suspended at the podium, and Audette's brain paused as well when one thousand people squinted at the unpunctual princess.

This would surely be the day she peed her pantaloons.

She hardly managed to breathe through the aching attention, weaving dizzily between the crowded center aisle, and finally she was buried amongst enough attendees that the Headmaster continued his drawl.

Everything in the room that day was wondrously themed for the ceremony.

The table was littered with Irish popular delights including varieties of soda breads, boiled bacon and cabbage, black and white puddings, barmbrack and bubbling stews. The thin strips of mullion walls that day had trailing ivory all down the sides, and above the enchanted ceiling was a shimmering rainbow with fleecy white clouds - which every once in a while would drop a glittery golden coin for a lucky winner.

In the Slytherin V.I.P. section it was not hard to find Draco, scowling at Theodore Nott who had actually decided to draw on his special privileges and situate himself in the front this time.

They were directly across from each other with murder in their pretty faces, and Audette observed instantly that Theodore once again had not brought anyone of particular interest at his side.

She had very much shot herself in the foot arriving late that morning, for more reason than one. Merlin only knew what the two Slytherin scoundrels had said to each other in her absence.

The four remaining male Durmstrang champions had placed themselves in that zone as well with their dreadful cat, but from the distance they were maintaining away from Draco it was clear the debacle with Fedorov had not been forgiven. Draco may very well have burnt his bridges with Durmstrang once and for all.

Audette plunked herself down next to Draco and wrapped her arm through his elbow loyally to diffuse his rage, noticing that he was darning the phosphorescent champion medal over his Hogwarts issued attire. Her cheeks instinctively went rosy at the thought of what they'd done mere hours prior when he faced her wordlessly and scanned his terrifying attention down her stunning pastel dress.

He grinned crookedly and raised his chin to glance snidely at Theodore for a reaction. The intimate display was bound to toss fuel on the fire in the arena that day.

Predictably Nott's jaw started to visibly grind, not expending a shred of energy hiding his disappointed fixation on Audette, his oceanic gaze monopolized by her every feature that day as well. With each passing second his thick eyebrows knitted closer together, until he ended on where she'd latched onto Draco. He rotated away while gradually shaking his head, his mystic eyes cryptically perturbed in the grim torchlight.

Following the personal inspection Audette nervously swallowed and focused instead on the speaker, figuratively crossing her fingers that Theo would keep his mouth shut about their stint in the infirmary. She could only imagine what he was thinking of her now that she'd remained with Draco after the infidelity so thoroughly complained of.

In the background McDiarmada's blathering went on, "...deeply saddened to see one of our own, Darragh O'Sullivan, too injured to return for this tournament, but luckily he is alive and well back home in..."

Draco removed his arm from their loose entwine to once again grab her waist and tug her flat against him and Audette embarrassingly yelped as her spine curved unnaturally to accommodate the motion. He had her so tight in his fingers that it was as if they were a single body with two heads. "When you say you will support me I expect you to keep your word. I'm capable of punishment in equal severity to my kindness, keep that in mind," he berated her sideways without drawing away from the announcements.

Audette was about to muster up some moronic apology when a tremendous clapping turned the room upside down. The Erenholl Headmaster had finished, stepping to the side next to the other embellished Headmasters to welcome the Simulation Architect.

Casper Magnussen clasped both hands onto the sides of the animated owl podium, "Thank you, Castle Erenholl, and thank you to our special consultant from Erenholl, Mr. Montgomery Bellarose - this year's extremely decorated Event Beast Master."

He pointed with a flat vertical palm behind him, where indeed buried amongst the professors and other professionals was that legendary glinting monocle and handlebar moustache. Not far down the line up Hagrid, the half-giant man responsible for the same role at the last tournament, waved a beefy hand in dismissive envy.

A short round of applause bubbled from the crowd, and Audette meagrely clapped, feeling slightly silly that her father's involvement was all still such news to her. She would be hearing about her infamous tardiness from him later no doubt in the spectators area.

"Now straight to the rules," Casper waited for relative silence once more, surprisingly not blinking his mauve eyes in response to the endlessly blitzing cameras in his face.

A very serious silence settled over the awestruck audience then as the Simulation Architect's expression and voice darkened, "Two have been eliminated thus far, yet this trial in particular will as they say, weed out the weak. Realistically it is impossible to complete before Monday at noon sharp. However, should you manage this you may exempt yourself from the third trial and go straight into the fourth."

Murmurs spread around eagerly; what type of challenge could be arranged that would take three entire days? And even better, that if completed in two days allowed someone the unfathomable honour of skipping to the fourth?

Audette's stomach felt suddenly sick that she'd wasted so many days pushing Draco away. He would be absent for the following seventy-two excruciating hours fighting for his life, and she was not going to sleep a wink that weekend. Below the table she placed her hand affectionately on his thigh while staring at his clean white hair from behind.

Casper continued, "Champions - expect to hand in your wands before entry. This will be a completely wandless trial, in which you may use your magical minds to produce raw magic. Potions and broomsticks will also be permitted. No exceptions."

"Wandless, de entire time! Oh mon dieu!" a Beauxbatons female champion gasped in outrage from the Ravenclaw V.I.P. People all around were reflecting the same shock. Apparently if one was not an intrinsically powerful magical, they were going to be in serious trouble.

Audette's heart sank further. She ought to have seen this aspect coming; Erenholl was renowned for it's attention to wandless magic in each of it's classes.

Hogwarts was verifiably pathetic in that field of instruction unfortunately. Apparently so was Beauxbatons from the unraveling panic in Ravenclaw. The dreamy sandy haired boy thunked his forehead flat onto his placemat to mask his facial expressions.

The Simulation Architect swiftly pointed his strange wand at his throat to dramatically amplify the volume of his voice and squelch the increasing riot, "The next foundational pillar of this challenge, shall perhaps put your minds at ease. Each champion shall be partnered, however, both partners must cross the finish line in order to place and leave the arena. Exceptional showcasing of team work shall be rewarded. Fourteen champions, fourteen partners to be recovered."

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Audette's eyes bulged out of her head.

Draco and Theo turned to one another with such repugnant affront one might think they were of the impression their eyes were weapons. Draco leaned far across the table to spit venom at Theodore, nearly tugging Audette's gorgeous hair into a vat of stew ahead of her plate, "You had better keep your priorities straight out there Nott or we're both dead, and everything will be lost."

Theodore dismissively swung his head away sporting a hideous frown, swirling his long brown hair to the side, "What gives you the instantaneous, juvenile impression that we are partnered? Do the math; it is possible, not probable. Even if we are infused, I know what my priorities are Malfoy. This changes nothing."

Draco started to seethe, his eye physically twitching, but Theodore kept ignoring him expertly as if he were Helen Keller.

Audette panted between them in horror of what this update might mean. She posessively clutched Draco's thigh with iron force, her eyes locked on Nott who's only mission was to eliminate the boy from her life.

"Please, stop this," she whispered pleadingly to both deadly males but they were trapped in their own blistering vortex of testosterone, and she was suddenly invisible at the narrow table.

Theodore was correct per usual; they calculatively had no reason to presume the two Slytherins would be partnered up.

While there was fourteen remaining champions, and it was possible, not every school or school house was evenly represented. A mosaic of partnerings was necessary. Ergo only favoritism or slim chance would result in their incorporation.

It would be horrendous if Audette's hateful ex-boyfriend and new boyfriend were partnered, and it would be even more disastrous if the roulette pinned Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter on one team - an unheard of concept.

Now the chatter reached a point of deafening; each V.I.P. section on the same heightened page, scrambling to visualize who they might need to work with...or work against.

In his golden robes the Simulation Architect twisted his spine at the podium, directing his wand at a blank area in the staging area behind the diaz. A small orb of lavender light gyroscopically rotated there suddenly, pulsating mid-air, mimicking an anomaly seen twinkling in outer space from within a telescope.

As it flared and spread outwards witches and wizards alike halted their nonsense in silent fixation. Thousands of glassy eyes mirrored the glowing masterpiece, anchored to the central point as if a nuclear bomb had just struck. It latched to the floor like a disease, then wobbled in place to form yet another stone archway with a filmy portal.

Only one this time; Challengers.

Casper stepped backwards to allow Dumbledore to take over. He shook his head several times at the crowd before speaking, his wise eyes somehow providing each person with the sense that he was staring at them individually, a drooping gray hat protruding in raggedy fashion from his elderly skull.

Nobody spoke or moved a muscle when Dumbledore held host.

The pronounced bags under his gaze pinched upwards, as if in dreadful warning, "One final word before we accept champions in the order which they have placed. In this challenge you may find, that it is not wise to move in the night, for there are creatures that possess the darkness who do not wish to share it."

Silence, then in a more chipper tone, "Now, in first place, we have our very own Hogwarts champion, Mr. Draco Malfoy of Slytherin House."

He slanted his face to the side, dryly sliding his focus down to Draco.

Unprepared for the suddenness of his departure Audette did the worst then, reacting like an emotional bomb. She threw her arms around Draco's neck while the entire world was watching, tiny sprinkles of tears escaping her eyes as she kissed at his face longingly. Several box cameras shot lightning into their faces as they embraced, Audette fully aware that Draco wished to be associated with her but likely not in such an over the top manner.

Draco kissed her cheek once and dramatically pushed her backwards as if she were some crazed fangirl, "Okay, okay. I'll see you on Monday, Audette."

He straightened his robes hastily with a cold sneer and blasted out of the bench, his face redder than she'd ever seen it. Several reporters were scribbling away on the outskirts, glancing at Audette with deep intrigue.

Draco was instructed to hand the first place champion medal to Casper Magnussen who had the purple pillow at the ready, then he was gone into the portal. Shortly afterwards followed Theodore, and one by one, each champion was called to exit.

When all contenders and the representative staff had disappeared over the span of five minutes the portal collapsed in their wake, and the hall relaxed into it's normal pandemonium. Food was thrown or consumed carelessly, and only encouraging the madness the enchanted ceiling opened up to rain down golden coins.

Audette was left wiping her tears, all by herself in the serpentine V.I.P. with one menacing Durmstrang girl who was arguably risking her life by brazenly petting the snow leopard on it's spine. The cat was growling in argument but it didn't seem to phase the tall female.

A painful tap on her shoulder caused Audette to choke on her saliva, turning her stained face to see that Severus Snape was looming over her, "Come...with...me."

That was it. No explanation, no pity, no further words; only a black demonic stare.

The singular scenario that might render Audette's weeping to grind to a brake-busting halt was the idea that she was in trouble with her heartless House Head. Wringing her hands she petered weakly behind him, feeling utterly humiliated when they passed by her friends.

Are you fucked? Guy mouthed in worry from behind golden decorative glasses.

Audette had nothing better to offer than a sad frown and the raising of both her white gloves to suggest she was uniformly as clueless.

Without warning Snape stopped in the middle of the bustling aisle and Audette, lost in her own swimming mind, wasn't checking her surroundings very frequently and ran face first into his back. She automatically slithered away like a mouse from a cat frothing at the mouth when he swiveled his face to acidically glare at her.

They were now directly behind Draco's friends, and to her confusion he stabbed into Blaise Zabini's shoulder as well, providing him with the same ambiguous message.

Blaise's rich brown eyes travelled sluggishly between Audette and Snape, dropping his fork and lifting elegantly from the bench in his form fitting grey suit.

The three of them exited the Great Hall like a mismatched trio that had been the last selected at a class sporting event. Snape swam through corridors and staircases in layers upon layers of flowing black garments which were nearly impossible to avoid tripping on unless one maintained a good two meter setback.

Both Audette and Blaise were mistrustfully silent for the long journey, sparing disoriented glances at one another out of the corners of their eyes.

The only word spoken for the ten minute trip upwards was right at the beginning, when they quickly learned to keep said distance as Audette indeed stomped a slipper down onto Snape's stoloniferous robes, and Blaise had snickered under his breath, "Nice."

Everything grew crystal clear when Snape led them up the famously described entrance to the Headmaster's private office; beyond a golden statue which pivoted in a vertical revolution to reveal a hidden spiral stone staircase.

Audette had never been in Dumbledore's office, but as they shyly stood there with their arms behind their backs she was certain it looked exactly how one might picture it; weighty, dusty red drapery shielded just about all natural light to instead be replaced by hundreds of varying candles in both size and colour. An endless sea of books caged them inwards, and a gigantic phoenix was perched on a wooden sprig at the messy mahogany desk, turning it's yellow beady eye sideways to inspect the intruders.

They were the first to arrive, and Dumbledore sat aloof behind his desk scribbling away at some piece of parchment with a humongous spotted quill, failing to raise his face politely. His frail voice however, indicated that his attention was divided between his work and a very poor greeting, "You're quite certain with your selection, Severus?"

Snape tsked under his breath, his hooked nose turning upwards in judgement, "The girl...yes. The boy will have to do."

Audette abruptly wheeled her face to Blaise who was beginning to appear quite concerned. The fact that his eyes were wide as saucers, despite nothing else in his frigid features adjusting, was all that was needed to indicate that he was as internally anxious.

The sound of oncoming footsteps drew everyone's attention to the arched entrance. The tip of an arthritic, pointy green hat jabbed into view, then it's wearer Minerva McGonagall followed closely by a nonplus Ginny Weasley.

Directly behind them was a stubby and puffing Professor Flitwick with his miniature hands plastered against the walls in order to make it up what was likely a mountainous climb for his three foot height, escorting an unknown male Ravenclaw.

Dumbledore made the same inquiry to the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw House Heads, then when satisfied he floated out his chair almost ghoulishly.

Romantic pastel and silver robes dragging on the layered carpets behind him, he centered himself before the trembling students with a single sheet of parchment in his yellowing fingernails.

He looked them each directly in the eye one by one before providing an explanation, "You have all been...selected...to support your Hogwarts champions, in special format, seeing as you serve some importance to them."

Audette let slip a rather obnoxiously loud giggle when she realized that Blaise was there on Theodore's behalf against his will, which she swallowed just as precipitously when Dumbledore raised an unapproving, bushy eyebrow.

She tried pathetically to count all of the fibres in the archaic Persian carpet at her toes during the uncomfortably long pause that followed before Dumbledore felt prepared to commence again, "Now, rest assured this trial is formidably quite dangerous and you are not required to participate, however; should no better replacement be found for your champion they will be forced to forfeit the second trial, thus terminating their contestation."

"What are we expected to do?" Ginny betrayed the same senses to stay quiet as Audette, her voice dark and blunt.

Dumbledore faced her with utter tranquility in his aged features considering what he was hinting at, "Assist them, Ms. Weasley, in both representation and motivation. All will be revealed...should you agree."

Ginny apparently required no time to decide, impulsively reaching out a hand for the parchment, "Then I agree."

She shuffled forward to sign the magical contract, and the Ravenclaw boy nodded and clustered in line to do the same. Blaise rolled his eyes and shut them on the spot, and Audette gave him a gigantic shove, "Don't you dare sign that. If no one goes for Theo he'll be disqualified. You know what he means to do."

Blaise opened his brown eyes with a very serious definition in his appearance, "And should someone with lesser intelligence be asked and sign, would that be more preferable? Who's next in line, Goyle?"

Audette blinked as it hit her; he was right. It wouldn't stop with Blaise. Who knew what the limit was for selecting supporters for a champion before they were disqualified.

Snape had selected Zabini because he was a very skilled wizard and a close friend of both Draco and Theodore's - the best choice by far. Theodore's life would not only be at greater risk if he had to deal with a lesser wizard at his side, but also with Zabini involved Draco would be safer as well.

Without another word between them they undeniably reached a silent, mutual understanding, Blaise dragging his intense gaze on her with a sideways face before placing himself in line without her permission.

At the back of the four students who were signing away their lives Audette chewed on her lip and hugged herself tightly, unsure what she would be expected to do for Draco out there. He was incredibly powerful and skilled; surely he didn't need Audette holding him back.

Would he be resentful towards her if she signed? Was there someone alternate he'd desire at his side?

Yes. And that precise person was shuffling directly in front of her.

Audette felt overridden then with guilt that due to her relationship with Draco, the best partner for him had been subordinated to Theodore Nott... and he was instead weighed down with his girlfriend who hadn't worn anything but silky dresses every day of her life.

Then again, Snape seemed quite determined for his golden goose to perform exceptionally in the tournament, and surely he wouldn't have chosen prissy little Audette for Draco unless he was confident it would be beneficial to him.

She dared to meet Snape's ascetic sneer, realizing then that he hadn't torn his obsidian analysis from her once, his arms folded like a stone statue in the corner.

On her way back to her spot Ginny snapped Audette out of her racing mind by boldly twisting her fingers in the collar of her lavish dress. Their gazes met just long enough for Ginny to narrow her blue eyes and whisper hoarsely through clenched teeth, "Harry will stop Malfoy and the rest of you monsters, you can count on it."

She released Audette roughly the second Snape dropped his arms to intervene, effectively loading Audette with even more bewilderment that she was unable to process before the parchment and quill was held before her.

There was absolutely no time to think.

Her blurry eyes failed to read most of the fine print, her fingers shaking the quill so furiously that it whipped her nose ticklishly several times, but a few words stood out in bold intensity; severe injury, third-degree burns, permanent disfigurement, drowning, broken bones, death...

Liquidation?

By this point multiple, undesirable blobs of black ink had popped off the tip of the loaded quill and freckled the formal document due to her hesitation. She found her spot and shut her eyes, signing her name in polished cursive.

A special, sort of mischievous glint flashed across Dumbledore's pale eyes when they were all lined up once again, and now the room was so static and electric the hair on Audette's neck was stood on a ninety-degree end.

He raised a ringed hand as if swearing them all into knighthood, "If I may offer a small tidbit of advice for your brave endeavour - identify the outlier."

His wrinkled fingers drifted slowly through the air and suddenly Audette felt incredibly woozy. Her eyes failed to focus anymore as if they had developed nasty cataracts, and a wave of cold rippled from her forehead to her toes like a splash of icy water, producing a bizarre numbness all over.

I'm going to faint, probably from trepidation, she surmised, wavering on the spot as everything grew black and distant. She tried to reach for Zabini to steady herself but her arm refused to exist.

Dumbledore's frail voice repeated in her straggling sentience; Identify the outlier. Identify the outlier.