The Anxious Champions

Harry woke earlier than usual. He groggily opened his eyes and saw a faint pinkish-yellow glow; dawn had clearly only just broken.

He propped himself up and sat at the edge of the bed, brushing against something slightly slippery. He bent down to pick it up, and only after pulling it open with both hands did he realize it was a flag emblazoned with a golden lion.

When he had returned the previous night, they had celebrated in the common room for a long time. Lee Jordan had dug out this flag and tied it around Harry's neck like a cape.

He slowly lowered his hands, feeling the flag suddenly grow heavy in his grasp. For some reason, he recalled what Lee Jordan had said the night before—

"Look! This is Gryffindor's flag... Harry! You're Gryffindor's hope!"

Lee Jordan's words made Harry feel a burden settle on his shoulders, one that seemed to grow heavier with every breath he took.

He suddenly realized something: he did not seem fully prepared.

Although he did not know what the first task would be, he had already begun worrying whether his performance would make him the one holding everyone back once it began.

If that happened, would he be letting down the classmates who had celebrated for him?

He thought of the other Hogwarts Champions too, Cedric and Draco Malfoy. Did they have similar worries, enough to keep them awake at night?

Harry sighed softly and turned to look at Ron's four-poster brass bed. At least Ron was sleeping well...

Or perhaps not that well. Besides snoring, Ron would mutter "Spiders, go away" from time to time, lightly shaking his head as though dodging the attacks of spiders in his dreams.

Harry sighed softly again and climbed out of bed as quietly as