florence pov

The great hall was filled with excited murmurs and chatting all around. Everyone was waiting impatiently for the champion selection to begin.

I decided to take a seat next to Cedric.

"Oh, sitting with me instead of Harry, Hermione, and Ron? I'm honoured." He bowed.

I scoffed. "Oh sue me for wanting to sit next to my Hufflepuff friend."

Cedric laughed as he put his arm around me and leaned close to my ear. I suddenly became aware of my own breathing.

"I'll make it worth your while, don't worry." He whispered playfully.

I rolled my eyes coolly and giggled.

----

harry pov

I walked into the great hall and sat down beside Ron, Hermione and the twins. Fred and George were rambling on about what they would do if they were chosen for the tournament. They still believed they had a shot, even when we watched the goblet spit back out their names.

I looked around and nudged Ron. "Where's Flo?"

He nodded his head to across the room.

She was sitting with Cedric.

He had his arm around her.

He leaned down close to her.

Too close.

He whispered something in her ear.

She smiled.

And laughed.

A familiar feeling swept over me. The same feeling I felt when I saw her wearing Draco's sweater. Why are all her guy friends so........touchy?

"Sit down. Please." Dumbledore's voice boomed through the great hall. Now the moment you've all been waiting for............the champion selection!"

Everyone in the room turned their attention to the goblet. We watched as the blue flames turned red and a piece of paper flew out. Dumbledore caught it and unfolded it slowly.

"The Durmstrang champion is, Victor Krum!"

The Durmstrang students burst into applause and patted Krum on the back as he passed. He shook Dumbledore's hand and stood next to the teachers table.

The flame turned from red to pink and another name flew out. Dumbledore opened the paper and announced the second champion.

"The champion for Beaxbatons is, Fleur Delacour!"

The Beaxbaton girls cheered loudly as a blonde girl walked up to Dumbledore. She shook his hand and smiled, then went and stood beside Krum.

"This is it." I heard the twins say as the flame turned from pink to blue. Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and looked back up with pride.

"The Hogwarts champion is, Cedric Diggory!"

We all burst into applause. Cedric stood up and Florence pulled him into a hug. A very tight one. Was that a long hug or was it just me? Did she need to hug him? Surely they could've just shook hands to something?

I snapped back to reality. Cedric made his way up to Dumbledore with many passing high fives. Dumbledore shook his hand and looked proudly at the boy who was going to represent our school.

"Excellent! We now have our three champions. But in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory. The Triwizard cup!"

A cover was flew off from behind Dumbledore to reveal a gloriously magnificent shining cup.

We all clapped and cheered, but it soon died out as our attention was turned back to the goblet when it started violently spitting out flames. Another piece of parchment shot out of the goblet and into Dumbledore's hands.

Whispers filled the hall as we were all wondering what was going on. I watched Dumbledore look at the parchment and his face dropped.

"Harry Potter." Dumbledore muttered.

Did he just.....

"Harry Potter?" He repeated.

No it couldn't be........I-I must be hearing things.

"No. No." Hagrid muttered.

Student turned to face me as I looked around in confusion.

"HARRY POTTER!" He bellowed.

I couldn't feel my legs. I couldn't move.

"Cmon Harry." Hermione put her hands on my shoulders and shook me. "Harry for goodness sake-" She forced me to stand and pushed me towards Dumbledore.

I reluctantly walked up to him. Not really allowing myself to process what had just happened.

I glanced at Florence, who's eyes were following me as I walked past. She looked all the ways I was feeling; scared, confused, worried.

Dumbledore handed me the piece of paper with my name on it, and he pointed for me to join the other champions. The hall was dead silent as I walked towards them.

I tried to think of all the possible ways that my name could've gotten in that goblet. But one thing was for sure, it wasn't me who put it there.

Pupils gave me dirty looks as I passed them.

"He's a cheat!" Someone called out.

"He's not even seventeen yet!" Another joined in.

McGonagall put her hand in my shoulder as I walked past.

I can't believe this is happening.

I followed the other champions into a back room behind the teachers table. We all stood, looking around the room, not really knowing what to say.

A moment later, the teachers came quickly down the steps arguing with each other. Dumbledore rushed up to me and put his hands on my shoulders, cashing my to stumble back, hitting my back against the trophy cabinet behind me. .

"Harry did you put your name in the goblet of fire?!" He demanded, sounding furious.

"N-no sir."

"Did you ask one of the older students to put it in for you?!"

"No I-"

"You're absolutely sure?!"

"Yes. Yes sir." I answered frantically.

I had never seen Dumbledore this kind of angry before, and I never wanted to see it again.

"But of course he is lying!" Madam Maxine yelled.

"The hell he is! The goblet of fire is an exceptionally powerful magical object. Only an exceptionally powerful Cofundus charm could have hoodwinked it." Moody defended. "Magic way beyond the talents of a fourth year!"

"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought, Mad Eye." Igor Karkaroff responded, inching closer to him.

"It was once my job to think as dark wizards do, Karkaroff. Perhaps you remember."

"This doesn't help Alastor!" Dumbledore said, tearing the two apart. "We leave this up to you, Barty."

All eyes turned to Mr Crouch. "The rules are absolute. The goblet of fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Mr Potter as no choice. He is, as of tonight, a Triwizard champion."

All eyes in the room slowly turned to look at me.

Shit.

----

florence pov

Ron and Hermione decided to go back to the common room with the rest of the students. I insisted on waiting and talking to Harry. I know him, and I know he wouldn't put his name in that goblet.

There is another thing I know. Ron's mad. I'm not sure if he's jealous or just plain angry. Hermione isn't mad, but she isn't exactly happy with him either. So the last one standing to comfort him is me.

The professors walked out of the back room without saying a single word. Victor and Fleur followed, and then Cedric. I pulled him away and into a hug.

"Oh well done Cece! I knew it'd be you!"

"Thank you." He beamed brightly. "I actually think i'm excited now, believe it or not."

"Good, you should be! It'll be such fun. You'll be amazing."

He smiled warmly. "I hope so. Want me to walk you back to your common room?"

"No thanks. Need to speak to Harry after today." I said. "I'll speak to you tomorrow. See you, Cece."

"Yeah, I figured. See you Floflo." He smiled, before turning the corner towards the Hufflepuff common room.

Harry came out seconds later looking pale. There were so many things I wanted to tell him, but I have to remind myself to keep myself contained.

Wordlessly, I walked up to him and pulled him into a hug. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist.

"I didn't do it, I-I swear I-" He stuttered against my shoulder.

"Shhhh I know, I know." I comforted him before pulling away. "Do any of the teachers know how it happened?"

"No. Half of them are convinced I put my own name in, but Moody's on my side."

"Really? Moody? Unforgivable curse Moody?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah, I know. I was the same." He said as we started walking back to the common room.

"Oh, just a quick warning. Ron's pissed by the way."

"Why?"

"I think he wanted to do the tournament, and the fact you got in without even wanting to, isn't the happiest of news for him to hear."

"Oh, brilliant." Harry muttered as we walked through the portrait hole.

"You still have me, and I think Hermione believes you."

"Yeah, thank you. I just wish everyone did."

I looked up at him sympathetically. "Not everyone will believe you, but as long as a few good people do, then it will be okay. You'll be okay."

----

harry pov

I opened the door to my dorm and everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at me.

Seamus and Dean started whispering to each other, Ron was glaring at me and Neville wouldn't even look at me. Neville!

I changed into my pyjamas and got into my bed to lie down.

"How did you do it?" Ron asked, while hanging his wet towel over the furnace.

I looked over at him in confusion.

"Never mind. Doesn't matter. Might've let your best friend know though." He said, anger coursing through his every word.

"Let you know what?"

"You know bloody well what."

I sat up. "I didn't ask for this to happen, Ron. Okay? You're being stupid." I said strictly.

"Oh yeah, that's me. Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's stupid friend." He muttered.

I got out my bed and walked over to his. "I didn't put my name in that cup. I don't want eternal glory. I just wanna be......" I paused and took a deep breath. "Look, I don't know what happened tonight, and I don't know why. It just did. Okay?"

Ron turned away from me in his bed.

I sighed and climbed back into mine.

He turned to me one last time before switching out the light. "Piss off."

I lay in bed thinking about my name coming out the goblet.

Why did someone put it in there?

To make me look like an idiot?

To make sure I died trying to get that cup?

----

florence pov

The next two weeks were......difficult to say the least.

Ron and Harry still aren't speaking to each other, but we still have to eat and attend our classes together. Celeste stopped having lunch with us because it got that awkward.

However, Celeste and Ron have been spending a lot of time with each other recently. It's good, I was secretly rooting for them.

Hermione and I alternate between hanging out with Harry and Ron, and when we're with Harry, Celeste is with Ron.

Hermione has already told me she doesn't like Celeste, I don't mind though. I secretly think it's got something to do with the fact that she fancies the pants off Ron.

Cedric and I have gotten even closer than before. He flirts with me all the time and I think I like it. I'm not sure how I feel about him quite yet, but I think he likes me. Mostly because whenever I'm with him, his friends seem to watch us very closely.

"I just can't understand how you got Snape to tolerate you." I said.

"Friends of the family." Draco shrugged.

We were in the library trying to study for potions.

"Him and my father are.........well, they know each other, and he still manages to hate me." I moaned.

"Well, you are a Gryffindor."

"Ugh stupid house discrimination." I muttered as Draco laughed.

"You're just jealous you're not a Slytherin."

"You're barking. I love being a Gryffindor." I stated proudly.

"I bet if your parents knew you were going to be in Gryffindor they would've sent you to another school in a heartbeat."

"Oh for sure. They would only ever want me in a house with rich pure bloods."

"Not all of us are rich pure bloods!" Draco defended.

I raised my eyebrows and looked sarcastically at him.

"I swear! There's a half blood in fifth year, and a second year who lives in a two bedroom house!"

This argument went on for quite a while. It was stopped when Ron came into the library.

"Flo, I need you." He said, nodding towards the exit.

"I'm trying to defend Gryffindor's honour here. What's so important?"

"Oh just come on." He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the hallway. "Did Harry tell you he was going to put his name in the goblet?"

"Ron, he didn't put his name in."

"So the foul git didn't tell anyone then." He muttered.

"Do you really think Harry would put his own name in? I mean, didn't you hear him before? He doesn't want any of this."

Ron stood still and thought for a moment. "But he still gets it anyway."