Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter… But I do, however, own the OC's in this story, such as Seth, Violet, and Irisa! (And I DID NOT copy Seth's character from Melissa Marr's book series, it was completely by coincidence that they have similar aspects, in case you were wondering)
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I have nearly reached 60 reviews! This is officially the longest FF.N story I have ever written! Enjoy Chapter 11 of Catching Her Eye!
(Thanks to Ray and Harry and Ginny 4Eva, who reviewed without an account, I love reviews! Hehe)
Chapter 11: Champion Selection
Ron Weasley was sitting with his back to the cold stone wall in the Hogwarts Entrance Hall. He had a quizzical look on his face, as if he was trying to understand something. Finally, he turned towards the smarted person he knew.
"Hermione?"
"Yes, Ron?" Hermione replied, setting down her book and turning her head to face Ron.
"Well, Dumbledore said that 'The Goblet always knows'," Ron started, looking at Hermione.
"Well?" Hermione prompted.
"But isn't anything that can think for itself considered, you know, dark magic?" Ron finished, looking at his companion expectantly.
Hermione smiled. "Yes, Ron, I believe you are correct."
Ron looked appalled. "How can laugh about such a thing?"
"Well, Ron," Hermione said, still smiling slightly. "Dumbledore really didn't mean that."
"How so?" Ron asked.
"Well, for one, he just said that to scare the younger students so they wouldn't try and enter their names into the Tournament," Hermione took a breath. "And besides, Dumbledore drew an age line around the Goblet."
Hermione pointed towards the Goblet, and Ron's eyes gazed in that direction to see that she--big surprise--was correct.
"Oh," Ron said meekly, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I'd like to see anyone try and get past that," Hermione said, burying her nose into her thick book once more.
Ron smirked at Hermione's comment and started one of his favourite pastimes besides food and Quidditch; people watching.
Ron chuckled at himself as he saw Neville sitting in his seat across the Hall, openly staring at… Violet? Yes, that had to be who he was gazing at. Unless the object of his fascination was Harry--who was right next to Violet--but Ron was pretty sure that Neville didn't swing that way.
Ron got a sudden surge of hatred towards Neville. How dare he ogle at her like that! It might have been the fact that Violet had red hair, but Ron felt the need to protect her, just like he would Ginny.
As the staring continued, Ron jumped up and began to march over towards Neville to give him a piece of his mind, but he was stopped by a passing blur of blonde hair.
"Oof--" Ron grunted as he picked himself up from the ground. He looked down to see who he had bumped into as he held out his hand for assistance.
"Oh, thanks Ron," the girl spoke, taking his offered hand and being pulled up from the ground by her knight-in-shining-red-hair.
"No problem, Lavender. Are you okay?" Ron asked nicely.
"Oh, yeah I'm fine," Lavender's complexion flushed a bit as she spoke.
"Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going," Ron said. "I was a bit preoccupied with something."
"Why, what's been on your mind?" Lavender asked.
"Oh, it's nothing really, I just sort of really want to have a word with Neville Longbottom," Ron ground out the name through clenched teeth, and his facial expression was furious enough to make Lavender want to take a step back.
But she stayed where she was. She was just too infatuated.
"Well, what did he do to make you so angry with him?" she asked cautiously.
"He was staring at Violet."
"But I thought you were with Hermione Granger," Lavender asked, confused.
"I am," Ron said, turning towards her and abandoning his effort of glaring at Neville. "I just… Violet's like my sister, you know? It just bugs me that a guy is trying to go after her."
"Umm, Ron?" Lavender asked.
"Huh?"
"It doesn't seem like it bugs her too much," Lavender said, pointing to Violet, who was now sitting next to Neville and chatting with him about the Tournament, judging by her motions towards the Goblet of Fire.
"Oh," Ron said, looking a bit put down.
"Just let them be," Lavender said, patting him nicely on the arm. "Neville seems like a nice guy, and you let Ginny be with Harry, so I think you will get over it soon enough."
"Thanks, Lavender," Ron said, giving her a smile. "I guess I just needed to hear something like that."
"No worries," Lavender said before flashing him a smile and walking away.
But just as she was about to round the corner, Lavender glanced back to see Ron resuming his spot next to Hermione. If only he knew how much it hurt her to see him with Granger…
xxx
The book she held in her hands was old and worn from numerous dog-eared pages and the occasional tear. She loved to read…. Almost as much as Seth's friend Hermione. Maybe that was why he was friends with Hermione, because she was like Irisa in some ways.
She was loyal…pleasant most of the time, but can hold a mean grudge if she wanted to. She stood up for her beliefs, and most of all, she would always be there if one of her friends was in need….
Irisa flipped her now bleach-blonde hair out of her face--she dyed her hair the Muggle way, just like Violet, pretty frequently--and leafed through the book in front of her. This was one of her favourite stories…a story which included a boy very similar to someone very dear to her.
Irisa considered staying snuggled up in her dormitory, reading her book, but decided against it. She thought that it was best to go head on down to the Great Hall for the champion selection.
So Irisa jumped up from her perch on her four-poster, and exiting the room, the door swinging shut behind her.
xxx
The Great Hall looked as it normally did, save for the Goblet that was now sitting right in front of Dumbledore's place at the staff table. There were several candles floating along above the House tables, along with some torches lining the stone walls.
The students were all buzzing excitedly, gossiping and chattering about who would be chosen as champion. Well, at least that's what most were chattering about. Most of the female population of Hogwarts was staring at Harry, who was sitting at the Gryffindor table, his feet stretched out into the aisle….
"Oh doesn't he just look ravishing?" Romilda Vane cooed to Lavender.
Harry's robes were off, leaving him wearing his school jumper and tie. His sleeves were rolled up, his tie loosed around his neck, and he was wearing slacks with black Converse shoes.
"Mhm," Lavender replied dreamily, staring at Ron with a glazed-over expression of longing etched onto her face.
Harry ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it, and many of the girls either sighed or giggled. Just then, Harry turned towards the doors and smiled, waving.
"Hey Ginny! Over here!" he called.
Ginny smiled and made her way over towards Harry, with Seth, Hermione and Ron trailing along in her wake.
"Why is it that he doesn't have to wear the school uniform?" a Ravenclaw girl asked her friend, gesturing towards Seth.
"I reckon it's because the teachers are a bit scared of him, to be honest," her friend replied. "He is a bit intimidating, what with the whole Snape fiasco."
"Yes, well I suppose so…but I don't think that it was even him who put the cats and kneazles into Snape's office."
"Why…?" her friend replied.
"Well, I don't know, but he just seems so innocent…like he'll say anything, but he won't necessarily do anything about it, you know?"
"No, not really."
"Oh just shut up, you."
xxx
"Hey Harry," Ginny said, sitting next to her boyfriend at the Gryffindor table. Harry leaned over and gave her a quick, chaste kiss.
"Hello Gin," Harry said, then turning to greet Seth, Hermione, and Ron, who had just reached them.
Before they could start any conversation, however, the candles dimmed, plunging them all into semi-darkness. Ron's face looked anxious, and the soft buzzing in the Great Hall increased in volume.
"This is it," Harry whispered as Dumbledore explained that the champions would enter the door on the other end of the Great Hall and meet in the Trophy Room once their names were called.
"I estimate that the Goblet of Fire will be ready in just a moment," Dumbledore said. By now the colossal hall was eerily quiet, as everyone waited with bated breath for the champion selection to begin.
"Ah-Ha!" Dumbledore exclaimed as the Goblet's blue-white flames turned a vibrant red. Sparks flew in every direction and a tongue of flame shot into the air, releasing a burnt scrap of parchment. Dumbledore the piece and read aloud the name that was scribbled there.
"Our first champion is Violet Potter; Gryffindor!"
Ginny gasped and turned towards Harry, who looked like he had just been punched in the face.
"Violet…?" he whispered, snapping his head around to face his younger sister, who was getting to her feet, while all of the Gryffindors applauded.
Violet had to pry both of her brothers off of her--who had lunged just for her and hugged her until she turned almost blue-- so she could continue down the aisle. Dumbledore shook Violet's hand and gave her the charred piece of parchment with her name on it.
Violet turned and waved, a huge smile on her face before she closed the door to the trophy room behind her.
"Now," Dumbledore said, facing the screaming Gryffindor table. "Settle down, settle down. The Goblet is about to make another choice."
The students shut up immediately.
Dumbledore hurried back over to the Goblet just as it turned red once more. The flame shot up, bringing a piece of parchment along with it. Dumbledore caught the scrap and read the name aloud.
"The second champion is Harry Potter from Gryffindor!"
Ginny screamed and gave Harry a huge hug, which he returned excitedly. The Gryffindors freaked; they now had two champions from their own House… and they were brother and sister! All of the girls were on their feet and applauding loudly, while the boys just clapped politely. Seth and Ron patted Harry on the back while whooping with joy.
Just as Harry closed the Trophy room door behind him, the Goblet's flames turned bright scarlet once more. Everyone in the room looked anxious as a single flame shot up, sending a scrap of parchment flying into the air. The paper fluttered down and landing in the palm of Dumbledore's hand…
And so he read the name aloud.
A/N: So who do you think the third champion will be? Tell me in a review and if you get it right, I will dedicate the next chapter to you! Review please! It will make me update sooner!!!