CHAPTER 1

'Don't look but he's looking this way!' Mathilda said excitedly. I looked. She slapped me on the arm and I quickly moved my eyes back to Mathilda. She was right; he was looking our way. 'I'm sure he was just looking at someone else.' I said, my voice high-pitched and giddy. Mathilda waved my comment away. 'After the work I've done on your face? No way!' she said, straightening her back in self-importance. I bit my bottom lip self-consciously. 'I don't look like I'm trying too hard, right?' I asked and she mockingly put her hand on her heart. 'Are you doubting my work, darling?' She asked dramatically. She was like that.

I secretly looked back over to across the Great Hall. Fred Weasley wasn't looking our way anymore and although that was a bit disappointing, it was also a relief: I didn't know how to handle myself with confidence. I looked at my own reflection in the still empty golden plate. I looked alright, didn't I? I sighed worriedly. I got insecure so quickly. Mathilda had spent the entirety of two hours in the train before arriving at Hogwarts dolling me up for dinner, applying layer after layer of make-up, only to take it all off again and start over. I ended up with a light brush of foundation and blusher (not that I needed that one; I got red in the face quite naturally unfortunately) and a dash of mascara ('that will really make your eyes pop!' Mathilda had said while nearly robbing me off an eye) and lip-gloss. I had thought I looked quite nice when I looked at myself in the mirror but now I just felt like everyone in the Great Hall knew that I was trying to look prettier than I actually was and thought that I was a shallow brat.

'Tilda, I think I'm just going to the washroom to take it off.' I said in a soft voice. Mathilda groaned. 'No, you're ruining my work!' She said but I had already stood up from my seat and walked off. As I walked out of the Hall I was wondering if it was so difficult being fifteen for all the other fifth year girls. Rationally I knew it was all relative and I was quite average but emotionally I felt like I had the hardest time out of all of them.

I bumped into someone when leaving the bathroom, rubbing my face dry with my sleeves. 'Oh Cho, I'm so sorry!' I said. Cho Chang laughed. 'Don't worry about it Cecilia, I suppose neither of us were paying any attention to where we were walking, were we?' She said kindly. I smiled back at her. Mathilda didn't like her much but I thought she was sweet. Honestly, I think the only reason Mathilda didn't like Cho was because Cho was pretty. It was sometimes hard to share a dorm with the two. They were never openly hostile to each other but the amount of backhanded compliments exchanged by the two were enough to build up the tensions pretty high.

'Oh no, what did you do to your make-up!' She said, interrupting my thoughts. 'You looked really pretty with it.' Cho told me and I couldn't suppress a grin. 'Thank you! I just felt a bit awkward.' I replied her and she laughed. 'It takes a bit of getting used to.' She agreed.

Cho and I got back to the Great Hall just in time before the first year students scuffled into the Hall. I sat back down next Mathilda who hissed at me, her eyes fixated on Cho who sat down next to Marcus Belby and across from Eddie Carmichael; 'What did she want!?'

I shushed my best friend, instead giving my attention to the eleven year olds in the centre pathway towards the Sorting Hat. Everyone in the Hall was wet from the stormy rain outside but at least we could travel by coach up to the castle. These poor kids took the boats and were all positively drenched. Professor McGonagall looked at them sternly from the podium, holding up the Hat by its pointy top. As I was studying the children, I noticed that one of them was soaking wet, even more so than the others, and huddled in something that almost looked like a giant brown Kneazle. After a moment I realized it was actually Professor Hagrid's coat. The poor kid must've fallen in the lake. He didn't look very miserable though, his eyes glowing and a grin as wide as his face. I looked up to the ceiling. I don't think I had ever seen weather this bad in the Great Hall. Lightning flashed across the Hall every few minutes and the dark clouds were rolling around the ceiling as if they were alive.

The Hall quieted down and everyone looked at Professor McGonagall as she put the Hat down on its three-legged stool. After a couple of dramatic seconds the Hat opened the stitching that were its mouth and started singing.

A thousand years or more ago,

When I was newly sewn,

There lived four wizards of renown,

Whose names are still well known:

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,

Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,

Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,

Shrewd Slytherin, from fin.

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,

They hatched a daring plan

To educate young sorcerers

Thus Hogwarts School began.

Now each of these four founders

Formed their own house, for each

Did value different virtues

In the ones they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were

Prized far beyond the rest;

For Ravenclaw, the cleverest

Would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were

Most worthy of admission;

And power-hungry Slytherin

Loved those of great ambition.

While still alive they did divide

Their favourites from the throng,

Yet how to pick the worthy ones

When they were dead and gone?

'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,

He whipped me off his head

The founders put some brains in me

So I could choose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears,

I've never yet been wrong,

I'll have a look inside your mind

And tell where you belong!

Everyone cheered for the Sorting Hat as it finished its song. 'Do you think that it has any other hobbies than composing the song for the next year?' Aurora Price, who sat across from us, asked. 'It must be awfully lonely for that poor Sorting Hat.' I think she had a fair point.

Professor McGonagall quickly explained the rules to the first years and then rolled out her list with names. 'Ackerley, Stewart!' She shouted out. A tiny little boy stepped forward, climbing up to the stool and putting the Hat on his head. It slid over his eyes as it did with most first years.

After a brief moment of speculation the Hat yelled out 'RAVENCLAW!' and we all made sure to applaud little Stewart properly, cheering and whistling as he skipped down with a big grin on his face.

The last Ravenclaw student sorted was a girl called Orla Quirke and she was the little sister of a boy in our year called Oliver. He introduced her to everyone but she looked a bit shy and seemed to secretly prefer him leaving her alone for a bit.

Professor Dumbledore had stood up and everyone quickly shushed each other. Everyone was hungry. 'I have only two words to say to you.' Dumbledore said with a smile in his eyes. 'Tuck in!' and with those words the tables were filled with the usual feast.

I had eaten more than I had eaten in the entire holiday combined, that's what it felt like when I sat back at the end of it all, my stomach hurting from the effort not to burst. The high windows rattled from some sudden thunder and Mathilda gripped the cloth of my skirt under the table. She had never been really comfortable with thunderstorms. I was wiping the crumbs of the white tablecloth when Dumbledore stood back up.

I was still whispering with Mathilda and Aurora when Dumbledore suddenly said 'It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year.' This announcement immediately caused the entire student body, which had previously been too busy not paying attention to all the usual announcements, to start protesting and murmuring amongst each other.

'That's ridiculous!' Roger Davies hissed our way, aiming at Cho I'm presuming. 'Our team is stronger now than it has been in years!' Grant Page, the Keeper, said. He sat across from Roger. Cho looked outraged as well, reaching around Marcus and furiously talking to one of the Beaters Jason Samuels.

Dumbledore didn't seem to be too bothered by the outrage and smoothly went on. 'This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts –'

At that moment the double doors to the Great Hall banged open and everyone turned to see a big hunched over man standing in the doorway, his hood over his eyes and leaning on his long, stubby staff. He was suddenly illuminated by a bright flash of lightening through the windows and from the ceiling. He looked upwards and took off his hood, shaking the hair out of his eyes.

He started walking towards the teachers' table and with every step we heard a dull clunk and as he passed just by us, in between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw table, I could see that he had one wooden leg. He limped up to Dumbledore and they exchanged a few whispers before Dumbledore turned to the room full of vaguely apprehensive students. At that moment another fork of lightning threw a sharp relief over the man's face and a gasp went through the Hall. He had scars all over his face as if his face was actually carved out of wood. His mouth was crooked and a chunk of his nose was missing and most frighteningly was that one of his eyes, although one being normal, was unnaturally round and blue and shot through the room at an unbelievable speed, completely independent of his normal, dark beady right eye.

'May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?' said Dumbledore a bit too enthusiastically to the silence greeting him. 'Professor Moody.' Normally the staff and students would applaud a new teacher in welcome but now everyone was too busy staring and the only hands echoing through the Hall were those of Professor Dumbledore and Professor Hagrid. Professor Moody didn't seem to care about his cold welcome either way and he made his way to the empty spot at the teachers' table. He glanced at the pumpkin juice in front of him but instead took a big gulp of something out of a silver hipflask that he had pulled out of his cloak.

Professor Dumbledore gave us a few moments but then cleared his throat. 'As I was saying, we are to have the honour of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.' Dumbledore said.

'You're JOKING!' Fred Weasley shouted from the Gryffindor table and the tense atmosphere that was created by the new professor's entrance earlier was instantly broken and everyone dared to chuckle again. I laughed as well and looked at him as he was sitting two tables down at the Gryffindor table, laughing with his twin and other friends. I looked back at Dumbledore, trying to focus. I frowned worriedly. I had read about that event and I knew it wasn't held anymore because too many students died because of it.

Dumbledore laughed as well. 'I am not joking, Mr. Weasley,' he said, 'though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar.' He began saying but Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. 'Uhm, but maybe this is not the time.. no..' said Dumbledore, 'where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament.. well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.'

My attention did wander freely and I leaned over my now empty plate to speak to Aurora. 'Didn't your dad work at the Department of Magical Games and Sports? Did he say anything about this?' I asked her but she shook her head. 'He did tell me that he was working together with the Department of International Cooperation and with ministries abroad as well but he wouldn't tell me much else. I guess he was sworn to secrecy.' She said back in a hushed whisper. 'He said he had contact with the Ministry of Magic in Bulgaria though. Oh and the French too! I bet Durmstrang is going to be involved because I honestly don't know any well-known schools from Bulgaria.'

'And the school from France must be Beauxbaton then.' Mathilda concluded from my right. Our suspicions were proven to be correct. We hadn't paid any attention to the first part of the speech but Dumbledore said 'The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.'

Roger Davies and many other students who had first seemed very upset by the lack of Quidditch this year were now whispering to each other in excitement. 'This is going to be a special year I'm expecting!' Aurora said to the two of us with a grin on her face. 'Yum, French boys!' Mathilda added.

We were sitting in the common room after we were let out, discussing all that had happened that night. Because we were sitting with Cho, we sat with the Quidditch team as well which was safe for Cho an all-male team, something that especially me and Aurora were very self-conscious about. Mathilda wasn't impressed but she was good in social situations and didn't encounter much difficulties when she tried to talk to someone from the opposite gender.

The boys were complaining about the age restrictions on the Tournament. 'Honestly, if they are only going to allow students of age to participate, at least let the rest of us play the regular Quidditch tournament.' Jeremy Stretton, a chaser, said in annoyance and his teammates grunted in agreement. Mathilda had enough. 'Are you waiting for the permission of the school to pick up a bloody broom?' She said to Jeremy as she stood up. 'I'm going to bed, we have classes in the morning.' She murmured. I suddenly felt a bit guilty. I had coincidentally spent a lot of time with Cho during dinner and had walked back with her to the Tower after and Mathilda must've felt a bit hurt. I excused myself as well and went up to the dormitory to find Mathilda just curling up under her blankets. 'Hi there, traitor.' She said but I saw a smile spread across her face. 'I'm not going to apologize.' I told her. 'You two would probably like each other if you'd stop being so stubborn.' I said truthfully but Mathilda only rolled her eyes before sitting up. 'Tomorrow morning I'm going to do your make up and this time you're not going to wash it off, you hear?' She said and I laughed. 'We'll see.' I said non-committal.

We stayed up giggling a bit more but then both decided we were getting a bit tired so we switched off our night lights. I looked at my ceiling and listened to Mathilda's breath slowly becoming more shallow and rhythmic. It had been a very exciting day indeed. And although Professor Moody's entrance had been exciting and the announcements about the Triwizard Tournament had been extraordinarily exciting, the thing that excited me the most was that Fred Weasley had looked my way for a moment. Had he seen me? Did he think I looked pretty?

My rational part was trying to be realistic. He probably hadn't seen me. And he probably wouldn't think of me as a pretty or non-pretty entity but just one of the many students in the Great Hall. The romance novel reading part of my brain however was hoping that he had seen me and had thought I was just as amazing as I thought he was.

'Mathilda?' I whispered, hoping she was still awake. The annoyed grunt was enough confirmation. 'Do you think the name Cecilia Weasley sound like any good?' I asked her with a giggle. I heard her muffle her laugh in her pillow. 'Cecil, how about you ask him out first?' She said after a couple of seconds. 'It would be plain awkward if your first date would be your wedding.' She added and I started laughing. 'Now go to sleep and tomorrow morning I'll wake you up early so I can doll you up for your future husband.' She said, turning over in her bed.

I didn't say anything else but just continued staring at the ceiling, imagining how wonderful it would be if I had the courage to ask him out.