The next morning, we woke up early (in spite of my trouble sleeping) for a Saturday and, after dallying for a bit (which might have included some cuddling), walked down for breakfast. When we reached the entrance hall, we saw a crowd of people standing around the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the centre of the hall on a podium. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle around it in every direction, it was the age line. I looked at it closely. An age line is an extremely complicated spell that I was pretty sure I could perform if I wanted to (and had reason to).
"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.
"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied with contempt, "but I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."
"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," Harry said."I would've if it had been me, wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just bobbed you right back out again?"
Someone laughed behind Harry. Turning, he saw Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited. "
Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to us, "just taken it."
"What?" Ron said.
"The Aging Potion, dung brains," Fred said, rolling his eyes.
"One drop each," George said, rubbing his hands together with glee, "we only need to be a few months older."
"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," Lee said, grinning broadly.
"I don't think that's going to work, you know," Hermione said warningly. "I'm sure Dumbledore thought about this." Fred, George, and Lee ignored her.
"Ready?" Fred asked to the other two, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then, I'll go first...
I watched, cringing at the inevitable outcome of their actions, Fred and George pulled out slips of parchment with their names on them.
"Am I the only one who thinks this will end terribly?" Alice asked with concern in her voice, watching as the twins stepped up to the golden line.
"No," Hermione said, just as concerned as Alice.
We watched as the twins stepped over the line. For a second I almost thought it had worked. Both twins yelled in triumph and fist-pumped the air… That is, until there was a loud sizzling sound and both twins were hurled out of the circle, I had to quickly jump out the way. They landed painfully on the cold stone floor where I had just been standing and the both of them began to sprout identical long white beards.
The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards.
"I did warn you," said a deep, jolly voice. Everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."
Fred and George set off for the hospital accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter, and we also laughed as we went in to breakfast.
As we entered the Great Hall, we saw it had been decorated with its normal Halloween decorations. Carved pumpkins floated through the air and live bats fluttered around the enchanted ceiling (somehow managing not to do their business on people). Harry led the way over to Dean and Seamus, who were discussing who would be entering the tournament.
"There's a rumour going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean told Harry. "That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth," he clarified when everyone looked at him in confusion
Harry, who had played Quidditch against Warrington, shook his head in disgust. "We can't have a Slytherin champion!"
"And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," Seamus sneered contemptuously, "but I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks."
"At least he has good looks," Hermione retorted, glaring at Seamus.
"Listen!" Alice said suddenly, people were cheering out in the entrance hall. We all swivelled around in our seats and saw Angelina Johnson, a member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way.
Angelina came over to us and said, "Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!"
"You're kidding!" Ron said, looking impressed.
"Are you seventeen, then?" Harry asked.
"Obviously she is," Alice muttered, "or she'd be talking to Madame Pomfrey with the twins."
"I had my birthday last week," Angelina murmured, looking down at her hands, which were in her lap.
"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," Hermione said, "and I really hope you get it, Angelina."
"I hope you get it too, Angelina. You'll set an example that not all girls are afraid of breaking a nail," Alice said.
"Thanks, Alice, Hermione," Angelina said, smiling at them.
"Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory," Seamus said, causing several Hufflepuffs passing our table (and Hermione) to scowl at him.
"What're we going to do today, then?" Ron asked us when we finished eating breakfast and were leaving the Great Hall.
"We haven't been down to visit Hagrid yet," Harry suggested.
"Okay," Ron said, "just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the skrewts."
A look of excitement suddenly dawned on Hermione's face. "I've just realized, I haven't asked Hagrid to join S.P.E.W. yet!" she said brightly. "Wait for me will you, while I nip upstairs and get the badges?"
"No, you are not doing this. I've explained this before, you don't need to liberate the House Elves if they don't want to be freed," I said, but Hermione ignored me.
"What is it with her?" Ron said, exasperated, as Hermione ran away up the marble staircase.
"If she starts rattling that collection tin under Hagrid's nose I am turning her into a magpie," I hissed through gritted teeth.
We soon reached Hagrid's hut and knocked on the door, we heard Hagrid's voice call out from inside, "Come in," and opened the door and went inside.
Hagrid was wearing his best (and very horrible) hairy brown suit, plus a checkered yellow-and-orange tie. There had been evidence that he had tried to tame his hair, using what looked to be axle grease for the magic carriages. We all shared a questioning look, but decided not to asked.
"'Ello, I wasn' expec'in' guests, it's good to see ya. Want some beef casserole?" Hagrid asked.
We politely declined knowing Hagrid was not the best cook, and besides, the feast was not that far in the future. We sat down at the table with Hagrid, Hagrid poured us all a cup of tea, which we thanked him for and the six of us began talking. Our discussion soon trailed to, and then solely focused on, the Triwizard Tournament. Hagrid seemed especially excited for the event, he laughed heartily about the twins' misfortune.
"You wait," he said grinning, "you jus' wait. Yer goin ter see some stuff yeh've never seen before. Firs' task...ah, but I'm not supposed ter say."
"Go on, Hagrid!" we urged him, but he just shook his head, grinning.
"I don' want ter spoil it fer yeh," Hagrid said, "but it's gonna be spectacular, I'll tell yeh that. Them champions're goin' ter have their work cut out. Never though' I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!"
A light rain started to fall by mid-afternoon. Alice and I had told Hagrid about our relationship and he had been happy for us, declaring, "If it makes ya 'appy, I don' care wha' others thin'. I ain't goin' ta judge." There was a cosy feeling sitting by the fire in Hagrid's hut. Alice and I were sharing an armchair, enjoying each other's company, while we listening to the gentle rhythmic pattern of droplets hitting the window, watching Hagrid mending his socks and arguing with Hermione about House Elves. He had flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him the badge, saying it was up to the House Elves, especially as Hogwarts' elves were allowed to go free if they simply asked, something I was not aware about. Thankfully Hermione did not press the issue any further, meaning I did not have to turn her into a magpie.
"It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione," he said gravely, "it's in their nature ter look after humans. That's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' insultin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em."
"But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!" Hermione said. "And I heard he's asking for wages now!"
"Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed. I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em ter do it, no, nothin' doin', Hermione."
Hermione looked very cross indeed, but she relented and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket.
When it turned five o'clock we decided to start heading towards the castle to prepare for the Halloween feast and, more importantly, the announcement of the school champions.
"I'll come with yeh," Hagrid said, "jus' give us a sec." Hagrid got up, went across to the chest of drawers, and began searching for something inside it. We didn't pay too much attention until a very strong, horrible odour reached our nostrils. Coughing, Ron said, "Hagrid, what's that?"
"Eh?" Hagrid said, turning around with a large bottle in his hand."Don' yeh like it?"
"Is that aftershave?" Hermione said in a slightly choked voice.
"Er-eau de cologne," Hagrid muttered, he was blushing furiously. "Maybe it's a bit much," he said gruffly. "I'll go take it off, hang on..."
He marched out of the cabin and we saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window.
"Eau de cologne?" Hermione asked in amazement.
"And what's with the hair and the suit?" Harry said in a quiet voice.
"What's going on with Hagrid?" Alice asked in confusion.
"Look!" Ron said suddenly, pointing out the window.
Hagrid had just straightened up and turned around. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing compared to what he was doing now. I could imagine steam coming from his heated cheeks. We peered through the window to see Hagrid talking to Madame Maxime with a misty-eyed expression.
"He's going up to the castle with her!" Hermione said indignantly. "I thought he was waiting for us!" Hagrid trudged up to the school with Madame Maxime, the Beauxbatons students following behind them, practically jogging to keep up with their enormous strides.
"Well at least we know why Hagrid was wearing those clothes," Alice said as we let ourselves out of his hut.
"He fancies her!" Ron said incredulously. "Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record, bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton."
"I did not need that image in my head," I grimaced, shaking the picture from my head.
"Ooh it's them, look!" Hermione whispered.
The Durmstrang party was walking up toward the castle from the lake. Viktor Krum was walking side by side with Karkaroff and the other Durmstrang students were straggling along behind them.
"Ron, look, it's your beloved," Alice whispered, causing us to break out into fits of giggles that we quickly smothered.
"I do not fancy Krum!" Ron shouted indignantly, leaping to his feet.
"Keep telling yourself that," I replied, he growled and crossed his arms, but did not we entered the candlelit Great Hall, it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. Fred and George, who no longer had white beards, seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well.
"Hope it's Angelina," Fred said as we sat down.
"So do I!" Hermione said breathlessly. "Well, we'll soon know!"
The Halloween feast seemed to take longer than usual, everyone seemed anxious and excited to hear the names of the champions called. This was probably the one time people wanted a Hogwarts feast to end (although, Dumbledore seemed to take a bizarre glee in taking as long as possible to finish his dinner, making everyone suffer as he very slowly ate bread and butter pudding.
At long last, when the golden plates were cleared of food, Dumbledore stood to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as everyone else. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Barty Crouch, however, looked uninterested and bored.
"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," Dumbledore said serenely. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber," he gestured at the door behind the staff table, "where they will be receiving their first instructions."
He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it. At once, all the candles except those inside the pumpkins were extinguished, plunging the room into twilight. The Goblet of Fire appeared to shine more brightly than before. Everyone watched, waiting...
"Any second," Lee Jordan whispered.
"We know," Alice whispered back. "He just said that."
The flames inside the goblet turned red again, sparks flew from it and soon a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it. The whole room gasped. Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so he could read it by the light of the flames.
"The champion of Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."
"No surprises there!" Ron yelled as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Viktor Krum had his usual sour look as he rose from the Slytherin table, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.
"Bravo, Viktor!" Karkaroff boomed, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"
The clapping and chatting died down as the flames from the goblet turned red again. A second piece of parchment flew into the air. "The champion for Beauxbatons," Dumbledore said, "is Fleur Delacour!"
"It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted as the girl who Ron was convinced was a Veela got daintily to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.
"Oh, look, they're all disappointed," Hermione said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party.
"That's an understatement," I muttered as two of the girls who had not been selected started crying. When Fleur Delacour had also vanished, the goblet's fire burned red again and a third piece of parchment shot out of it.
"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"
"No!" Ron said loudly, but no one except Harry, Hermione and I could hear him over the cheering and applause.
Hermione glared at Ron before shouting, "Go Cedric!"
Cedric was able to hear her over the noise it seemed, and sent her an appreciative smile as he headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table grinning broadly.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily, as the clapping died down, "well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real..." Dumbledore stopped speaking as the fire in the goblet turned red for a fourth time, a look of shock on his face, his serene mask slipping.
"That's not supposed to happen, is it?" Ron said.
I shook my head. "All the champions have been called already, someone tampered with the Goblet."
A long flame shot into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment. Dumbledore numbly caught it, his face locked in surprise and maybe even fear. He did not speak for a few minutes, his jaw working but no sound coming out. He seemed to be staring at the parchment not quite believing what was written on it. Dumbledore soon cleared his throat and read out in a quiet, steady voice, "Harry Potter."
'Oh bother,' I thought, 'looks like we're not having a year off after all.'
The air in the Great Hall filled with tension and silence. I looked at Harry, he sat there motionless and in shock. He turned to me, to Hermione, to Alice, and finally to Ron.
"I didn't put my name in," Harry said blankly, "you know I didn't."
The four of us stared just as blankly back as we tried to comprehend what was going on.
"Harry Potter!" Professor Dumbledore called again, "Harry! Up here, if you please!"
"Go on," Alice whispered, giving him a nudge. Harry hesitantly got to his feet and immediately almost tripped on the hem of his robes. I watched him disappear through the door behind the teachers' table.
Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat. "This concludes tonight's feast. Would all the Prefects please lead their houses to their designated common rooms. Good night!" He then quickly hurried through the door Harry had just gone through.
There was a muted murmur of excitement and surprise as we made our way back to the Common Room, as everyone tried to comprehend what had just happened. The excitement grew to its zenith as we reached the Fat Lady. When we reached the painting, everyone dispersed into their separate groups, or trudged off to bed, the library or any one of the other favourite haunts of Hogwarts pupils.
"Hey, did Harry tell you about him entering the tournament?" Fred asked us as we sat down to wait for Harry.
"I don't think Harry entered his name in the tournament," Alice said as she flopped down into an armchair. "Didn't you see how shocked he was when his name was called?"
"Nonsense, he was probably just surprised his name was chosen," George said.
"We should throw a party in his honour for being chosen as champion," Angelina suggested, butting into our conversation.
"Brilliant!" Fred exclaimed, "c'mon, George! To the kitchens!" The pair of them took off running.
"I don't think Harry would appreciate this—" Hermione was ignored as the twins and Angelina snuck out through the portrait.
"You don't think Harry put his name in the cup, do you?" Alice asked Ron and Hermione.
"No, I could tell he was just as shocked as us when Dumbledore called his name," Hermione said. "Besides, he wouldn't be that thick to enter the competition," Alice nodded in agreement.
"But there's one thing that's unnerving…" Hermione began just as the twins came back with food (in record time, it seems nothing can keep a Weasley from food) and the other Gryffindors began to set up for the party. "If Harry didn't put his name in the cup, who did and why?"
"I have a bad feeling Voldemort is somehow connected to this," I said, lacing my fingers together and staring into the distance as I tried to think if there is any way to get him out the contract.
"He always is," Alice muttered darkly as she watched the Gryffindor party take shape.
"There's no way Harry got across the age line," I said, "but Dumbledore didn't say that people had to put their own name in the Goblet, someone could have easily put his name in whilst pretending it was their own."
"What do you think?" Hermione asked the uncharacteristically quiet Ron. I looked over and noticed the blank look on Ron's face as he stared into the flames of the fireplace. I could not read his expression and I did not feel like invading his privacy to read his mind, he appeared to be having an internal debate that had not decided on emotion yet for him.
Suddenly, the portrait to the common room opened and Harry nervously walked in. The Gryffindors cheered, clapped, and whistled for their champion. Some patted him on the back and the twins (as well as many others) interrogated him on how he put his name in the cup.
"I didn't," Harry said. "I don't know how—"
But Angelina had now swooped down upon him; "If it couldn't be me, at least it's a Gryffindor—"
"You'll be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!" Katie Bell shrieked, I really found her voice annoying, she always sounded like a Banshee when she got excited.
"We've got food, Harry, come and have some—"
"I'm not hungry, I had enough at the feast—"
Harry spotted us and made his way through the crowd to us. "Listen," Harry said when he reached us. "I didn't put my name in that goblet. Someone else must've done it."
"We know, Harry," Alice replied. "We believe you." Ron scoffed causing us to turn our attention to him.
"Speak for yourself," Ron said angrily. It appeared his internal debate had ended, and the result was not good. "You're expecting us to believe you didn't put your name in the goblet? How else could your name have been put in?"
"Literally anyone over 17 could have put it in there," I said, rolling my eyes at him.
"I didn't put my name in the cup!" Harry shouted, growing increasingly annoyed. "I'm going to bed," he growled and stomped up to the boys' dormitory.
"Ron, did you not just hear the conversation we had a few minutes ago?" I asked, rubbing my temples, feeling a little peeved that Ron did not believe in Harry.
Ron scoffed. "Or maybe Harry just isn't getting enough attention and decided to put his name in."
"What the Hades is your problem, Ron?" Alice shouted angrily standing up from the couch and staring at him in disbelief. This caught the attention of the other Gryffindors, the common room was silent as they watched Alice and Ron. I suddenly had the urge to tackle my girlfriend, or Ron, just to make them to stop making a scene.
"Harry doesn't want any of this attention and if you think he does then you're a bloody idiot!" Alice exclaimed.
Ron scowled. "I'm the idiot?"
"Glad to know you agree," Alice replied tensely.
"The only one who's the idiot is you!" Ron shouted. "You're an idiot if you actually believe his bollocks story!"
She was so angry I could feel her anger radiate from her mind. "You're being bloody stupid! Open your eyes and see what's happening here, Ron! Harry would've never entered this stupid competition because he's not thick enough to compete in a life-threatening tournament for some short lived glory! Harry has never looked for glory! He's always had things thrust at him! He's not a glory hound! You're being unreasonable!"
Ron glared at Alice before stomping up to the boys' dormitory. The other Gryffindors had watched the whole thing transpire and Alice turned to them.
"Don't you all have anything better to do?" she snapped. They stopped staring at her as she sat back down on the couch. "I can't believe Ron is so thick!" Alice said in anger.
Hermione shook her head. "I can't believe you don't see why he's upset."
Alice raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean? There's no reason for him to be upset, well, except at the person who put Harry's name in the goblet. He should be worrying for his friend's safety and trying to support him because I'm sure this competition won't be a walk in the park! Well, even walks in the park can be dangerous for us, remember the potato spirit in Idaho?"
"Yeah," I cringed, "we agreed never to mention Idaho ever again.
"Just think about it from Ron's perspective for a second," Hermione said. "Ever since first year, Harry has gotten most of the attention. When we went down the trapdoor to save the Stone who got the credit for it? Harry. When you guys went down to the Chamber of Secrets who, once again, got the credit? Harry. Who became the youngest seeker for Gryffindor in however long it was? Harry. Ron's used to being overshadowed by Harry. Harry always gets all the glory because of him being the Boy Who Lived. I think this was the last straw for him." Hermione sighed sadly.
"Still, you don't hear me, Janet or you, or anyone else complaining about it," Alice said, tipping her head back to frown at the ceiling. "He shouldn't treat Harry like this. We have done far more than he has, he was barely even there in the first year, Janet caught Pettigrew, and you solved the Basilisk. If he had a problem with it he should've talked it out with him. Besides, it's not like Harry asks for all the attention."
"I know, but Ron also has to compete with five older brothers and a little sister, he doesn't want to compete with his best friend too," Hermione said calmly.
Alice sighed, puffing out her cheeks. "I guess you're right, but I'm still pissed at him."
"Me too, but all we can do now is be there for Harry," Hermione replied.
"You're right. No matter what happens at least Harry'll have us." Alice said happily.
"It's great to know our year is off to a good start," I groaned. "Someone is trying to kill Harry, there is an escaped Azkaban prisoner running around and Ron is being entirely unreasonable. But, on the plus side, we have an actually competent new Defence teacher. Have we gone back to last year?" The other two laughed nervously.
"Let's head up to bed, it's getting late," Hermione said and we went to our separate ways to our dorms.