A/N: I own nothing but my own characters.
Some content from this chapter is taken from 'Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire' Chapter 12 - The Triwiard Tournament - UK edition pages 152 - 170
When the carriage came to a halt outside the doors, we ran out of the carriage and up the stone steps leading up to the castle and we only stopped when we reached the touch lit Entrance Hall with its magnificent marble staircase.
Fred, George and Lee shock their heads which resulted in me, Angelina and Katie getting hit in the face by more water. Aren't boys so considerate?
"Do you mind?" Angelina asked wiping the water off her face.
"No, but I must say Ange I've never noticed how attractive you look when your drenched." Fred said smirking.
"Sod off Fred." Angelina replied, with a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Only if you sod off with me." Fred replied playfully.
"In your dreams." Angelina replied as we started making our way towards the Great Hall.
"You know it." Fred told Angelina smirking at her.
Just then two large, red, water balloons fell down from the ceiling - no doubt the work of Peeves - and they landed on me and Lee, in response, I shrieked and fell backwards. However instead of hitting the ground like I thought I would I ended up in the arms of Zach Jenkins, a fellow sixth year Gryffindor.
He is incredibly handsome, tall, well built, with spiky brown hair, hazel eyes and flawless features. "Careful Leash," he said smiling the most fabulous smile in the entire world, "that would have been a nasty fall."
"T-thanks Zach. Lucky you were here to catch me." I replied breathlessly still in his arms and properly blushing like crazy. But who cares he's hot.
"Glad I could be of assistance. We can't have beautiful girls, like yourself, injuring themselves can we?" he said, his hazel eyes looking directly into my powder blue ones. I could see Angelina and Katie standing their staring at us, envy written all over their faces. I mean who wouldn't be? He is after all the best looking guy in the sixth year. Oh who am I kidding? He's the best looking guy in the whole school.
I didn't trust myself to speak so I just giggled. "Well I better go, catch up with Cameron." Zach said nodding in the direction of his best friend Cameron Collins, another Gryffindor sixth year and was also our years male Gryffindor prefect. Zach helped me to my feet again. "See you later." He said before walking off in the direction of the Great Hall with Cameron.
"Bye Zach." Me, Angelina and Katie chorused in perfect unison that could of put Fred and George to shame. Zach turned around winking at us, which made us sigh.
"He's so handsome." Angelina declared.
"He's perfect." Katie said, affection ringing out in her voice.
"He called me beautiful." I said a massive smile on my face. The boys however where wearing scowls on their faces.
"Are you three planning on standing there all night or are you coming to the feast?" George asked impatiently.
"Yeah we're coming." Angelina said as we made out way into the Great Hall with the boys.
The Great Hall was decorated beautifully for the start-of-term feast. The four house tables were covered with golden plates and golden goblets, thousands of candles were floating in mid-air above these tables and their light was shining of the plates and goblets. The house tables were already filled with chattering, drenched, students, at the other end of the Hall was the staff table which faced the four house tables. It was warmer in here than it had been in the Entrance Hall. We walked past the Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables and sat themselves down half way down the Gryffindor table, the three girls sighing as they passed Zach.
"I don't know what you three see in that loser." Lee said to us but I know it was particularly to Katie.
"Well he's one-hundred percent handsome." Angelina said, while the me and Katie nodded.
"He's strong and smart." Katie said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Everything about him is perfect." I said dreamily, my powder blue eyes sparkling in the candle light.
"He has no personality." Fred said lazily.
"And he snores." George added.
"Well so do you George." I said looking at him. Ange and Katie stared at me with their eyebrows raised. "Don't even think what your thinking" I warned them.
"She's got you there brother. Now I wish the Sorting ceremony would get a move on." Fred said impatiently.
"Why do you only ever seem to think about food?" Angelina asked.
"That's not true. I think about lots of things. Like what pranks me, George and Lee can pull next, Qudditch, food and you of course." he said suggestively to her.
"I don't know whether I should slap you right now." Angelina said thoughtfully.
"I'll settle for a kiss." Fred said hopefully, before Angelina slapped his arm.
"I wonder whose teaching Defence this year." I said glancing over at the staff table, and so it was a change of subject so Fred and Angelina didn't kill each other. But that didn't work.
"Oh I am so hungry. I'll die of starvation before the Sorting's over" Fred moaned, causing me to advert her gaze from the table.
"Stop moaning Fred." Angelina sighed.
After another five minutes of Fred's moaning, the doors of the Great Hall opened up, causing the whole room to fall silent. Professor McGonagall entered the room, followed by a gaggle of nervous and soaked first-years. There was not one first-year that wasn't shivering, I noticed as I watched them walk across the Great Hall stopping in front of the staff table. Professor McGonagall placed a three-legged stool on the ground in front of the staff table and carefully the Sorting Hat on top of the stool making the first-years stared at it, like everyone else was.
For a moment the whole room was unusually silent, until a the hat began to sing:
'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 fen.
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
Mostly 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!'
The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hats song came to a close.
"I envy that hat." Katie said clapping.
"Why?" Lee asked as the applause died down.
"Because it's writes the most amazing songs and it must have an interesting life." Katie said.
"I don't know about that it spends a whole year in a cupboard writing one song that is only heard once." Fred said, as McGonagall unrolled a large scroll of parchment.
"When I call out your name, you will put on the Hat and sit on the stool," McGonagall explained to the first-years. "When the Hat announces your house, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.
'Ackerley, Stewart!"
A boy walked, forward, his whole body trembling at he put on the hat and sat on the stool.
"He'll be a Ravenclaw." Angelina guessed.
"Ravenclaw!" shouted the hat.
"Oh are we guessing the houses again?" I said studying the group of first-years, as Stewart made his way over to the cheering Ravenclaws.
"Might as well." Angelina shrugged.
"Baddock, Malcolm!"
"Slytherin I reckon." I said, watching him put the hat on looking smug.
"Slytherin!"
The table, the furthest away from the Gryffindor table cheered as, members of the Gryffindor table hissed at him, namely Fred and George. "Do you have to hiss?" Katie asked.
"Yes." They said in perfect unison.
"He's one of them now" Fred said
"Exactly, he's the enemy" George added
"But isn't that Ackerley boy the enemy too then?" I asked
"No. He's in Ravenclaw not Slytherin." Fred said simply.
For the rest of the Sorting Ceremony, me and Angelina continued to guess what houses the first-years would be sorted into, our guesses being eighty percent correct. After the sorted ended Professor Dumbledore got to his feet. He was smiling around at all the students, his arms wide as a welcome gesture. "I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his voice echoing around the Hall. "Tuck in"
"About time!" Fred said, as food began to be filled with magically appear in front of them. Fred, George and Lee began pilling mountings of food on to their plates, while us, girls helped themselves to reasonable portions of food.
"Licia!" Katie gasped.
"What?" I said, swallowing a mouthful of chicken.
"Zach keeps looking over, staring at you." Katie said.
"Why? Do I have something on my face?" I said, trying to see my reflection in my knife.
"There's nothing on your face that shouldn't be there." Katie said, putting a piece of pork into her mouth.
"So why's he staring at me?" I asked confused.
"Merlin! You are so blonde Leesha!" Angelina said laughing. "He fancies you." George started chocking on a mouthful of Yorkshire pudding, Fred smacked him on the back.
"Thanks. Why would he fancy Alicia?" George asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I said, stabbing the knife fiercely in the piece of left-over beef on my plate, glaring at George.
"Well its you." George said eyeing the knife in my hand cautiously.
"Are you implying that I'm not attractive?" I said trying to keep calm.
"Yes - I mean no." George said looking at Fred for help but Fred just mouthed 'Smooth'smirking at him. "What I meant was, well er … I don't know exactly what I meant it just came out of my mouth. You know me Leesh I don't think before I say things."
"Really I'd never noticed that before." I muttered sarcastically, as dinner vanished and was replaced with pudding.
"Sorry, Ali." George mumbled. "And I really don't want to insult you … especially when your holding a knife. Am I forgiven?"
"We'll see." I said smirking, before turning my head to talk to Angelina and Katie. "Do you really think he fancies me?"
"Well yeah. In the last hour you've been in his arms, he's called you beautiful and now he can't stop staring at you." Katie said, eating a bite of treacle tart.
"Exactly." Angelina said. "Fred can you pass me some chocolate gateau please."
"Well he could be staring Selina Blue." Fred said pointing to the curly red head girl, who was sitting a few seats away from them.
"Yeah he could, she's pretty hot." Lee said looking over at her.
"I've seen better." George said lazily, not even bothering to look over at her.
"Well who do you like George?" Katie asked, helping herself to another helping of treacle tart.
"Oh I wonder who it could be." Fred said sarcastically, "It would happen to be - OW! Don't kick my leg!"
"Sorry my bad, thought it was the table leg." George growled.
"So are you going to tell us who you like then Georgie?" I asked curiously. George just ignored me and stuffed his face with food.
Dumbledore stood up after the last of the deserts had vanished and began doing his annual start of term speech. I wasn't paying that much attention to the speech, because it was just the same old stuff - 'Filch has banned this, this areas restricted' and so on.
"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house Qudditch Cup will not take place this year." I started paying attention at the mention of this, I mean who wouldn't?
I looked at Angelina, Katie, Fred and George, all five of us to appalled to say anything to the others. Why in the name of Merlin would they cancel Quidditch? Lee was staring at his us, his Quidditch playing friends, trying to figure out what he could say to them. "Er - guys? Breathe!" Lee whispered urgently.
Dumbledore continued, "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 -"
He was cut off my the doors swinging open revealing a man leading upon a long staff, in a black travelling cloak. As the man took a step forward there was a dull clank that echoed around the Hall and repeated everytime he took a step, the man actually looked somewhat familiar, but I couldn't remember why he looked familiar.
When the man reached Dumbledore, he reached out his hand and Dumbledore shook it, muttering quietly so no one could hear his words, before gesturing towards the empty seat on his right hand side. When the man sat down he began eating from a plate of sausages.
"I thought there was no more food." Lee whispered annoyed, staring at the plate of sausages.
"You can't still be hungry." Angelina replied.
"But I am." Lee moaned sounding like a five year old.
"May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," Dumbledore said brightly, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, "Professor Moody." Oh that's why he's familiar, he used to be dad's boss. Surely this isn't the amazing surprise we weren't allowed to know, cause if it is that's just stupid.
"Hey isn't that the bloke Dad went to help this morning?" Fred muttered to George.
"Yeah, must be." George muttered back.
"What happened to him?" Angelina gasped, studying Moody's face.
"No idea." the twins replied in perfect unison.
"As I was saying, we are to have the honour of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event, which 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."
"You're JOKING!" Fred said loudly, causing Lee to rub his, now ringing, ear. Well that certainly was a surprise, who'd of thought that they'd ever bring the Triwizard Tournament back.
"I am not joking Mr Weasley, through, now 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 -"
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.
"Er - but maybe now is not the time … no …" Dumbledore said getting back on track, "Now 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 wonder freely.
I switched off again thinking about entering the Tournament. I wasn't sure if I wanted to. Well part of be wanted to, it's just it's not exactly the safest of Tournaments I mean people have died competing in it. Whereas Quidditchis safe, yeah sure you can end up being knocked out for days on end but at the end of the day your still alive, just unconscious from falling off of your broom. But with the Triwizard Tournament you get eternal glory and a lot of galleons.
"I'm going for it!" Fred hissed, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches.
"Same." George muttered, his face too lit up with the same enthusiasm.
"Count me in too." Lee said, sounding just as excited as the twins were.
"Eager though I know I all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," Dumbledore continued "the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the Tournament tasks will still be difficult and highly dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that the students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light-blue eyes flickered over to where Fred and George, who where wearing mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen."
"What a load of rubbish." Lee huffed furiously.
"Calm down Lee, it's not the end of the world." Katie told him, placing a hand on his shoulder which, predictably, did calm him down almost instantly. He so wants Katie.
"And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedroom! Chop, chop!"
Me, Angelina, Katie and Lee rose to our feet with the majority of the students, Fred and George, however, stayed seated at the table along with their younger brother Ron Weasley and his friends, the boy-who-lived, Harry Potter and miss-brain-box, Hermione Granger.
"Are you two coming?" Lee asked them, but the twins just scowled at him before returning to glaring up at the staff table. "I'll take that as a no then."
They made their way up to the seventh floor, to Gryffindor Tower, which was concealed behide a large portrait of a fat lady in pink silk dress.
"Password?" she said, as they approached.
"Bugger! Do you three know the password?" Lee asked the us. We just shook our heads.
"Balderdash," came the voice of Cameron Collins, as he come up behide us.
"Thanks Cameron." Katie said smiling thankfully at him, making Lee scowl at him.
The portrait swung open to reveal a hole in the wall, through which we climbed through. A crackling fire was warming the circular common room, which was full of squashy armchairs and tables. Once inside Lee bid us goodnight before heading towards the door to the boys' dormitories.
Me, Angelina and Katie made our way to the girls dormitories, bidding Katie goodnight as she went into her years dormitory, Angelina and myself carried up the staircase till we reached our dormitory. There where five four poster beds against the ways of the dormitory and their dorm mates, Poppy Swift, Emily Thomson and Ashley Young were already their unpacking their belongs and dressed in their pyjamas.
Me and Angelina dressed into our pyjamas and unpack some of our belongings before climbing into their beds.
"I might enter it, after all I'm seventeen before Hallowe'en" Angelina muttered sleepily. "You know it would be amazing to win it"
"Rather you than me." I yawned falling asleep.
