Hidden Wings - Part I

Harry Potter - the fourth champion

Mioha had assumed that over the course of the weekend people would get used to the idea that Harry was the second champion of Gryffindor.

But she was wrong.

Apparently, everyone believed that Harry had somehow tricked the goblet into choosing him.

The Hufflepuffs were obviously supporting Cedric and thus gave Harry the cold shoulder.

The Ravenclaws, surprisingly, shunned Harry as well, thinking that he just wanted more fame added to his popularity.

And the Slytherins, well...when Mioha went to breakfast that Monday morning Draco was speculating with Blaise how long it would take for Harry to die.

She shot him a disgusted look as she passed him on her way to her seat.

The Durmstrang students hadn't shown up yet, and the Beauxbatons were still sitting with the Ravenclaws, still looking around as if Hogwarts was an old, moldy castle.

Mioha felt the castle's anger about their attitude as she sat down, it turned the ceiling grey and let the torches flicker. She quickly reassured it that Hogwarts was her favorite castle by far. Not that she had seen many, but at least Hogwarts calmed down a bit, letting the ceiling return to a bright November blue.

Professor Dumbledore's chair was empty, but wherever he was, he had surely felt the castle's fury.

Mioha was in the middle of putting blackberry marmalade onto her sliced croissant half when the chatter died down and it became eerily quiet.

The Slytherin looked up curiously and found Harry standing at the entrance of the hall, looking a bit lost as he was met with a sea of hostile faces. He walked over to the end of the Gryffindor table which was near the High Table and sat down, a large gap between him and his fellow Gryffindor mates.

Fred and George immediately walked over and joined him, but they were the only ones. Most of the older Gryffindors celebrated Harry being the second champion, but the fourth-years and the ones below were wary of what had happened. Which made Ron not the only Gryffindor shunning Harry.

The students resumed their chatter, but kept casting glances at Harry, some more obvious than others.

Mioha chewed on her croissant as she watched the twins pat Harry on the back before exiting the hall for class, leaving the Gryffindor champion slumped on his bench. Swallowing her anger (and her croissant) Mioha grabbed herself another one and stood up. With a quick pace she strode over to the Gryffindor table, ignoring the eyes she felt on her, and sat down opposite of Harry. Chewing her croissant as if nothing had happened, Mioha looked up and saw Harry's relieved face.

She broke off the end of her croissant and held it out to him.

"Want a piece?", she offered.

"I can't finish it", she added upon seeing the hesitant look in his green eyes.

He finally took it and they munched in silence, an unspoken agreement between them that they would not speak about the Goblet of fire.

Like the two musketeers, Mioha thought and took a sip of water. She was growing rather tired of pumpkin juice.

They became the 'three musketeers', when Hermione entered the Great Hall and joined them a few moments later, seating herself next to Harry.

"Morning", she said and grabbed a piece of toast.
"How are the Abraxans, Jess?", she inquired and took a crunchy bite.

"I'm surprised they don't have an alcohol poisoning", said Mioha and rolled her eyes.
"Do you guys know how many barrels of single-malt whiskey one Abraxan drinks? Four."