Alright, managed to get seven chapters up in seven days. I think that's a record for me! Unfortunately, this was too good to last, and I'll have to slow down the rate of updates now. My vacation is over, and I've got to focus on doing other things besides slacking off. I'll try to update at least twice a month, preferably once a week, but I'll have to see how things go and how they balance against each other. Apologies for any roughness or shortness, because I'm finishing this off right before I head out to work. I migth come back and flesh this out a little bit more if the mood strikes me.

Hope you enjoy it, and Happy New Year!

The Application Process

"Mr. Creevey, Mr. Creevey, are you prepared to discuss your application?" Fred asked the Creevey brothers, who were a bit too excited to sit down.

"Yep!"

"We certainly are!"

"Very well, what positions are the two of you applying for? Beauty, Brains or Brawn?"

The Creevey's exchanged a look. "Oh, you're misunderstanding us. We don't want to be part of Harry's team."

"We want to be his photographer and publicist!"

Fred and George didn't reply, staring dumbly in disbelief.

"You see, with the Triwizard Tournament, the presence of an international star, and the redefining of Harry's key friends and rivals, it will be necessary for"

"Of course, we would also work for whatever group of rivals is eventually selected, in the effort to keep things even."

"We really don't expect too many other people to apply for this sort of thing, so we have to keep things fair."

George sighed, "Thank you for your time, but we aren't really looking for-"

"Hold on brother." Fred stopped his twin as he considered their proposal. "Let's hear them out."

"Fred, are you serious?"

"Well, think about it. We did come up with this idea to give us something to entertain ourselves without Quidditch this year."

"Sh! That's supposed to be a secret!" Fred gasped, trying to quiet them down.

"Do you really believe that?" George asked.

"Well... no, not really. But we have to keep up appearances." Fred admitted with a wry grin.

"True enough."

"Anyways, this is a great way for us to generate attention for Harry's new rival. Most people are used to Malfoy and his goons being Harry's rival, so these guys could help speed up the transition."

"I suppose so..." George accepted reluctantly, and they turned back to the eager looking Creevey brothers.

"Alright. Suppose we decide to allow you to do this. What are some of your plans?"

"Well, a photo shoot for both teams would be an ideal starting place. It would help to familiarize the rest of the school and our guests. A series of short articles about the individuals and the groups as a whole will help further establish their roles and legitimacy compared to Harry's previous rival." Colin said, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

"Following that, we would like to organize a few public conflicts, much in the same vein as the tasks mentioned by the Headmaster. It would serve as an opportunity for the two groups to familiarize themselves with each other, and provide entertainment for everyone else during the long gaps between the tasks."

"A solid plan, wouldn't you say brother?"

"Certainly sounds good, but what about competition with the Prophet?"

"We're planning on keeping circulation solely within Hogwarts. The entire project is reliant on the additional publicity created by the Triwizard Tournament. We only plan to keep up this production pace for this year, and then either stop altogether or reduce the frequency to something more manageable. We'll decide which one once we see the results and can gauge the interest levels for further continuation."

"Alright, which of you is which?"

"Colin has always been the better photographer, and people are already used to him asking for photos, so he'll take care of that aspect. I'll be in charge of the printing and publishing parts." Dennis answered quickly, "The two of us together will plan and schedule the various events."

"Colin, are you concerned that your previous reputation might interfere with this?" George asked cautiously.

"Huh?" Colin asked in confusion.

"Well, people recognize that you're a bit pushy when it comes to your photos. Don't you think they might avoid getting pictures taken if they think you'll be the one in charge of them?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're a bit pushy about it mate." Fred informed him, creating an expression of shock on the third year's face. "A lot of people try to avoid you because you're always badgering them about pictures."

"Well, why didn't anyone say something? I wouldn't have tried taking pictures if I knew it bothered people."

"I'm sure they tried, but you just get so excited it's difficult to get a word in edgewise when you've got your camera."

Colin slumped down in disbelief, before drawing a deep breath, "Thank you for telling me about it. In the future, I will try to contain my enthusiasm, especially in a professional setting. If it continues to be a problem, my brother will take over photography duties, or we will find a suitable substitute."

Fred and George blinked in mild surprise, that the photography enthusiast would be willing to go so far for the sake of their project. "You're really serious about that?"

"Well of course. The Triwizard Tournament is a publisher's dream, and sometimes you have to make a sacrifice or two to reach it. If we need someone else in charge of photography, I'll just have to accept that." Colin replied, "besides, it's not like I'd have to give up everything for it. I can still help with event planning and writing the articles."

"True enough." Fred replied, "Well, we hadn't planned on adding any auxiliary positions such as the ones you are proposing, but we can't deny that it sounds interesting. We'll consider your proposal for a few days, and we'll be in touch if we decide to go along with it."

"Really?!" Dennis exclaimed, before regaining control of himself. He awkwardly cleared his throat, before saying, "Thank you. We won't let you down." Colin nodded his agreement, and the Creevey brothers left the office.

"It sounds interesting." Fred admitted to his brother, who was stroking his chin in consideration.

"The real question is, will it be funny. I know we're trying to take this seriously, but we still need to have some fun along the way."

"It will be definitely be funny, at least some of the time." Fred answered with a crafty smile, "I'm sure they'll need some help writing articles or organizing events, and seeing the look on everyone's face the first time they show up is reason enough. I say we give them a chance, and if things don't work out, we can shut it down,"

"So, shall we give them a chance?"

"Let's sleep on it. We still have a lot of interviews left, and we don't want to get ahead of ourselves."

"Fair point. We'll think about it for a bit, and see where things go."