How About a Bet
The normally well-lit Great Hall was dim today, the lanterns on the walls burning with a soft blue hue. Tables were put away and small sections of bleachers were set up for students to sit and watch as brave souls stepped forward and over the line to put their names into the Goblet.
Hermione sat on the wooden seats and listened as friends pushed each other into the circle, cheered each other on, and dared others to try. So far, she had seen numerous Durmstrang students and several Beauxbatons students put their names in, triumph already in their eyes.
Hermione snorted softly at this because if they felt it was hard to put their names in, they weren't worthy to be in the Tournament. She was frustrated that so many of the students could forget about all the dangers that they were putting themselves in because they wanted glory. Did they not know why the Triwizard Tournament stopped happening? People died, no, correction: many people died in the different tasks.
But the minute it was presented, students swarmed at the idea of dying for glory, fame, and money. Cretins, all of them. If she was of age, you wouldn't see her signing up for her imminent death.
Nevertheless, she clapped when someone dropped their parchment into the fire and returned to her book. She was finally at the part about the different Tournament tasks in her book, when loud chatter and claps filled the hall. Annoyed at the disruption, she looked up to see a number of Hufflepuffs push "Hogwarts Heart-throb" Cedric Diggory towards the cup. He spun to look back at them before slowly lifting his arm to drop his name into the blaze. More applause and noise followed, and Hermione grumbled, his name was in the Goblet now they could leave.
She looked back down and began reading again about the different tasks faced in the past. Nothing helped her nerves, really, reading just aggravated them. Why anyone thought this was a good idea was beyond her. The last time it was held, all three judges were injured by a rampaging cockatrice.
More time passed, and in came Viktor Krum and the hush of voices that accompanied the young athlete. Hermione sighed and tried to hide behind her book a bit more. She didn't know why but she got this uncomfortable feeling whenever he was near, and for some reason he spent a lot of time around her. He walked forward, never once taking his eyes off the cup. He dropped his name in and turned his head to stare at her before walking away. She did not like that man, or the creepy Russian headmaster that followed him.
Giving up on reading her book, she left it open on her lap and watched the students in the hall once more. Angelina put her name in and a couple of Hogwarts students that made Hermione laugh. There was no way that they were of age, some of them looked younger than her.
She visibly recoiled when a giant Slytherin stepped up, he looked like he could eat her in one bite. Dropping her eyes, she relaxed when he walked away, then almost jumped out of her seat when the Great Hall doors burst open, bringing in the Weasley twins and the noise and chaos that always seemed to follow not far behind them.
"Hehe, yeah!" the twins exclaimed as they held their arms above their heads, jogging into sight. Here we go, Hermione thought, this ought to be good. Cheers followed them as they climbed up the bleachers behind her.
"Well lads, we've done it-"
"Cooked it up this morning" Fred and George preened under the compliments of their friends. However, one voice stood out above all the rest.
"It's not going to work." Hermione almost sang, mocking their idiotic potion.
"Oh, yeah-"
"And why's that Granger?" The twins took their turns speaking, it never failed to amuse Hermione. She shook her head and turned towards the cup.
"You see this," she asked pointing her hand and drawing a circle indicating the path of the spell, "this is an age line. Dumbledore drew it himself." She looked back at the twins with a slightly superior look.
"So?" Fred asked causing Hermione to turn a look at him in disbelief. She scoffed but continued while closing her book and placing it on her lap dramatically.
"So, a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by something as pathetically dim-witted as an aging potion."
"Ah, but that's why it's so brilliant," Fred said, boasting to Hermione as she stared at him.
"Because it's so pathetically dim-witted." Finished George, but Hermione wasn't done.
"Our headmaster is not going to be fooled and will find out." She said in a haughty tone, she was tired of being pushed aside when she knew she was right. Fred stared at her for a while before a dangerous glint entered his eyes.
"Okay Granger, how about a bet." The minute he said that, conversations stopped and gazes turned to look at her.
Hermione felt her hackles rise, she was a Gryffindor and she would not be pushed around. Taking the bait, she smiled at Fred, which made him worried because that's what he had always assumed he looked like before a big prank.
"Sure Fred." Sweet and simple, but the redhead knew she was anything but.
"When George and I get past the line and put our names in the Goblet of Fire, I win. If I win, you have to test any products we have that I offer you." Fred smirked, knowing she hated the pranks and waited for her to back down. He underestimated her.
"And when I win, what do I get?" She asked completely ignoring the idea that the twin could do it. Fred tried to disregard the sting he felt in his chest at her obvious dismissal of his and his brother's capabilities.
"Whatever you want."
"Okay, but I'm not sure what that is yet, I'll have to figure that out later."
George opened his mouth, to say that she had to declare what she got when an elbow rammed into his side. Fred gave him a glare, and he shut his mouth. Fine, if his brother wanted to be an idiot, who was he to stop him?
"Deal!" came from the two and they shook hands to seal the agreement. It was official, and Fred smiled, he was going to win this. Hermione smiled and prepared to watch this train wreck in progress.
"Ready Fred?" asked one of the redheads.
"Ready George." The twins stood up, shook the potions and interlocked their arms.
"Bottoms up." They tilted back their heads back and downed the potion.
They smiled at each other, took a visible breath, and jumped into the circle. The hall waited with baited breath, then cheered when nothing happened.
There is no way they beat Professor Dumbledore, Hermione thought as she stared at the redheads in disbelief, no way.
Watching as they stretched their arms up to the lip of the goblet, she glared at the fire that greedily ate up their parchment.
"Yeah!" the twins shouted, the sound mixing in with the cries of the crowd watching them.
However, Hermione wasn't focusing on the twins like everyone else because she was occupied watching the fire.
She had to smirk as the gasps of her classmates reached her ears. The Goblet lashed out and blue flame arched around the room causing students to duck and drop to the floor to avoid contact.
Fred and George could only stare as the fire raced towards them and hit them head-on flinging them back away from the artifact and its age line.
Hermione stood up and walked to the twins her smile growing as she watched their hair turn white and grow long beards that would have made Professor Dumbledore proud.
Kneeling down to make eye contact with Fred, she reached forward and tilted his head in her direction.
"I will be sure to let you know when I will be collecting."
Hermione's smile faded slightly as she watched Fred grow a smirk.
"Oh, but you didn't win."
"What!" her voice echoed through the hall and anyone who wasn't watching the scene unfold now was.
"We won, George and I got over the line and put our names into the Goblet." George stared at his twin, his facial expression now matching his brother's.
"But you were thrown back out, the Goblet didn't accept your names!" Hermione exclaimed, refusing to accept that she had indeed lost.
"Ah, but that was not part of the deal, we just had to get our names in the fire, deary. And that we did-"
"Felt the heat on my fingers, I did." finished George, leaning back on the floor stroking his new beard. He decided he could get used to facial hair.
"We shook on it, Granger. You agreed to the rules and you lost. That means you will be the proud tester of-"
"-drum roll please!"
Drumming filled the area as the muggleborns played along with the twins.
"The Weasley products!" applause filled the Great Hall, Hermione's face growing scarlet the longer the claps continued. Growling in frustration, she marched back to her things and out of the doors without ever looking back at either of the grey-haired twins on the floor.
Author Note:
Thanks for reading my story! :D As of right now it is a one-shot, but please let me know what you think. As for my other stories, please check my profile for information on those.