Chapter 98: My popular phase
(Ted's Pov)
Like most days I woke up with the dickheads in my room. Bunch of annoying wankers, the lot. I don't have many friends, but the ones that do have are of exceptional quality. And I'm grateful for it. I got up from the bed and got ready. The one great thing about the cleaning spell is that it saves up on time. Even though Jon swears by showering and taking a bath everyday.
I got dressed in my uniform, Jon and I weren't so big on the robes. They flailed around too much and sometimes someone would step on it, it was a hassle. But we did carry them around just in case we were told to put them on.
After getting ready I made my way to the common room. Jon's usually always there waiting. But I couldn't find him today. I decided to wait a while but he didn't show up and I thought that he might be at the dinning hall. He wakes up earlier than anyone and exercises, he could be hungry.
So I got up and made my way over to the great hall. I found Daphne and Tracey but there was no sign of Victoria or Jon. I sat across from them and I looked around and asked, "Have you seen Jon?"
Daphne sook her head, I mean last night was probably Victoria's turn. But she wasn't there as well.
Tracey took a piece of bread and was spreading jam over it and said, "Both of them are running late… makes me wonder." I looked at her curiously and thought what might have happened.
"Whatever it is they should come soon…" As soon as Daphne said that, Tracey looked at the gate and ushered at them. Both of them were walking together and Victoria looked happy. Like humming songs kind of happy. Even though to almost all both of them looked normal. I knew something was different. And it was because Jon was wearing his robes with the hood of the robes clumped around his neck.
They both sat down, Jon sat with me and Victoria across from him. For some reason he looked different, he was smiling and not just the polite one that he does most the time. It was that idiotic smile that he gives when something good happens. Like this stocks thing that he keeps talking about. Jon saw me staring and said, "Something on my face?"
I shook my head side to side, slowly as I kept staring at him. "Something good happened?"
He shrugged his shoulders and Victoria looked down couldn't making eye contact and I hummed and nodded.
As all of us were eating Jon picked up the newspaper and looked a little worried and I asked, "Everything okay, buddy?"
He looked at me and nodded, "Yeah." He then showed me the paper and asked, "Is it me or there has been an increase in disappearance of wizards lately?"
I took the paper and Daphne said, "Yeah, I mean… there have been a few, but I don't think it's a whole lot of an issue."
"Missing, Allan Jones." I looked at the picture of the man. "Yeah or it could be something worse." Tracey shrugged as she looked at Daphne.
I put the paper down and said, "Yeah… I don't know. I mean people just don't disappear."
"Who cares, can we talk about something that not so depressing?" Victoria looked at Jon.
"Yeah…" Jon nodded. I don't know but Jon's hunches haven't been wrong so far and if he thinks that it could be something then who knows. What we are in for.
——————————————————————
After the breakfast was done we went to our normal classes and it was eh. But the whole time, Jon's face was dull. Unlike in the morning, he must be worried.
"So we are having our first club meeting, excited?" I turned to him and asked.
He looked at me and nodded, "Yeah… do you think people will show up?"
"Oh, yeah… duelling club has always been popular in Hogwarts. I wonder why they shut it down?"
"That's a good question… I mean I've heard a lot about it from Florian and he was excited about it."
"Hey… I wanted to ask, does he know about… the whole arrangement?"
Jon looked a little tensed and said, "I mean… how would I bring it up. I mean, hey Florian, I'm in a relationship with Daphne and oh by the way I'm also with Victoria."
"Yeah, but at some point in time you will have to face it, you know... can't run forever."
Jon chuckled and said, "Oh, trust me… I can."
He then looked at me and said, "What about you?"
I was a bit confused and asked him to elaborate and he said, "I mean have anything progressed with you know who…"
I didn't know how to answer that question, "I mean, we were getting a little close during the summer time. You know when you ran away and all that. But nothing happened… I don't think it will."
He looked at me and stopped, I turned around and looked at him, "What happened?"
"That is unacceptable to me."
I tilted my head and asked, "What?"
"No, you are my friend and I'm at the most happiest point in my life right now because of you… so it's unacceptable for me to see you like this."
I chuckled, "Buddy… it's okay. I'm used to it…"
"Yeah, I was used to it too… but look at me now." He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me. "You really don't want to be lonely."
I chuckled and said, "I'm not… I have you." He looked at me for a while and removed his hands and I said, "Not like that you dickhead."
"Anyway… I'm going to help you… whatever it takes."
"I mean that very nice and all but I don't think we need to sweat on it this much… not right now, at least."
"Yeah, but later we might not have time."
——————————————————————————
As all of the classes came to an end, we made our way to the training grounds. Daphne said she'll be there, as for Victoria and Tracey they both had something they were going to do. But we didn't know what. As we reached closer to the training ground. We saw a whole bunch of students gathered around the training grounds. I turned to look at Jon, "Seems like I was right." Jon just hummed and we reached even further and joined the crowd.
Professor, Flitwik stood up on the platform that was there and placed the wand on his throat and said, "If I can have everyone's attention." The students became quiet and listened to him.
"Greetings, students… today is a very joyous day for me and everyone who's gathered here today. After getting headmasters approval, we have revived the duelling club." The students clapped and cheered in excitement.
"Now, what's the purpose of this club? It's to put your knowledge into a very practical application. I remember some of the students from. Last year who were very extraordinary." I looked at Jon and so did many. He embarrassed Harry last year.
"But I would urge you all to not let it bloat your hubris since. You're not only going to participate among the students of your year. But also the students of different year."
"That's not fair." "Yeah" "We'll lose." Many students whined and protested but Flitwick just laughed and said, "That's the point. Nothing is fair… well aside from that today we're here to draw lots."
Daphne appeared and Jon turned to her and asked, "Where were you? You're never late?"
Daphne shook her head and said, "Uh, you'll find out soon enough."
"What?"
Flitwick then reached around his coat and pulled out small bowl and said, "Every student will receive a small chit made of 4 colour. Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. The students who have the same colour will duel in that pool. The best from each group then will compete each other."
Flitwick then tapped the bowl with his wand and the chits flew out of the bowl quickly like confetti. The chits moved and floated to the students at seemingly random and a blue chit came for me. I grabbed it and turned to see that Jon and Daphne got Red.
Jon looked at me and smiled, "Ah, I have been waiting for this."
I was a bit nervous and I asked, "Ah what do you mean buddy?"
"Oh, you know exactly what I mean." He laughed and grabbed me by the shoulders. "This is the moment when you become famous, Ted. This is start of your popular phase."
—————————————————————————
I'm sorry for the short chapter guys. But I'm sick and my hands will only let me write this much.