CHAPTER 11
"Viktor Krum is still at school?" Summer said as they filed back into the castle behind the Durmstrang party.
"I never knew that." Ginny said as they sat down at the Gryffindor table. When all the students had entered the Great Hall and settled down in their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table. When the staff had settled down, Dumbledore began to speak.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - most particularly - guests," Dumbledore said, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."
"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast." Dumbledore said. "I now invite you all to eat, drink and make yourselves at home!"
"There seems to be a lot of foreign food here," Ginny said, pocking at a large dish of shellfish stew.
"Probably for the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons lot." Ashley said.
"It tastes pretty good but I would prefer normal food, not French food." Summer said. They ate quietly for a while until the golden plates had been wiped clean. Dumbledore stood up again.
"The moment has come," Dumbledore said. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket, just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports." There was a round of applause for the two wizards.
"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crocuh have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued. "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxine on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."
"The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch," Dumbledore said. Filch carried a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels.
"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," Dumbledore said. "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways...their magical powers - their daring - their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."
"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore contined. "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire." Dumbledore took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It was filled to the brim with dancing blue-white flames.
"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a piece of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their name forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely acceesible to all those wishing to compete.
"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," Dumbledore continued. "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.
"Finally I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."
"This tournament seems really dangerous." Ginny commented as they walked out of the Great Hall and started for the marble staircase.
"True. Let's get to sleep early, so we can get up early and watch who puts their names into the Goblet of Fire." Summer suggested. "Know anyone who's going to drop their names in?"
"I know Millie certainly would, if she wasn't working in the Ministry." Ashley said as they walked to one of the third-year girl's dormitory.
The next day, the three girls were up before Diana Miller or Lily Denise stirred.
"Come on. We could do with an early breakfast. And checking the noticeboard." Summer said as they pulled on their robes and walked through the portrait hole.
"Darn it. I forgot we missed the first Hogsmeade trip thanks to our homework." Ashley grumbled as they checked the noticeboard. "Next trip is a week before Christmas Day."
"That's more than a month away! I could do with a spare ink bottle or two." GInny sighed as they walked into the Great Hall. The Durmstrang students were putting their names in, one-by-one. Then the Beauxbatons.
"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron's voice sounded right behind Summer who jumped.
"No one from Hogwarts yet. But all the Durmstrang lot and the Beauxbatons did." Summer said and grabbed a piece of toast from the Gryffindor table.
"I hope someone from Gryffindor puts their name in." Summer whispered to Ginny and Ashley as they watched the last of the Beauxbatons put their names in.
"Blimey, Fred, George and Lee are putting their names in? They're not even seventeen!" Ginny said. Fred stepped over the Age Line. George let out a yell of triumph and leapt in right after Fred. But, there was a sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and they've both sprouted identical long white beards.
The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they've gotten to their feet.
"I did warn you," Dumbledore's deep, amused voice sounded from the entrance of the Great Hall. "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 fine as yours."
Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter.
"That wasn't very smart of them. Hope Madam Pomfrey gets their beards off." Ashley said, spreading blueberry jam over her toast.
"I bet she will. She can turn everyone back to normal," Summer said.
"I just noticed, look at the decorations!" Ginny said, pointing around the Great Hall. A cloud of live bats fluttered around the enchanted ceiling and hundreds of carved pumpkins were visible at every corner.
"So, what do you guys want to do?" Summer asked when they finished their breakfast.
"I dunno. We could use the school brooms and have a small game of Quidditch." Ashley said. "But we might need four people for that."
"Easy, we can ask Luna," Summer said.
"Luna Lovegood?" Ginny echoed.
"Yeah. See, she's right over there. Come on," Summer said. Within a few minutes, the four of them were out on the Quidditch field. Ashley was the Keeper, Ginny, Luna, and Summer were the Chasers.
"Okay, let's start!" Ashley said, blowing on a whistle. They spent the rest of the morning and the afternoon playing Quidditch. More and more people wanted to join in by lunchtime.
"Phew! That was some Quidditch match," Summer commented as they started for the Great Hall.
"Yeah! I wonder who the champions are," Ginny agreed.
"The Triwizard Tournament! I completely forgot all about it!" Ashley said as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.
"I wish they'd hurry up!" Ashley said as food appeared on the golden plates.
"Just, well, be patient," Summer said and reached for her pumpkin juice.
"Yeah, from what I've heard, patience is a virtue. I don't know where I got that from, though," Ginny agreed. Summer opened up her magazine.
"How many different magazines do you read?" Ashley asked.
"For me, it's Transfiguration Today, Witch Weekly, and The Quibbler." Summer said.
"I only read The Quibbler and Witch Weekly," Ginny said. "But I read the Daily Prophet too, sometimes."
"I don't particularly enjoy what the Daily Prophet writes. They are usually all fake or written in a very different version of what actually happened," Ashley said.
"Finally, the plates are cleared!" Summer said, after a while.
"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," Dumbledore said. "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 indicated the door behind the staff table. "where they will be receiving their first instructions."
Within a minute, the flames inside the goblet suddenly turned red. Sparks began to fly out of it. Next, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it.
"The champion for Durmstrang," Dumbledore said, reading the parchment by the light of the now blue-white flames. "will be Viktor Krum."
"Being a champion and an international Quidditch player!" Ginny shouted over the applause and cheers. Viktor Krum rose from the Slytherin table and walked along the staff table, disappearing behind the next chamber.
The clapping died away. Everyone's attention focused on the goblet which turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it.
"The champion for Beauxbatons," Dumbledore said. "is Fleur Delacour!" Applauses and cheers could be heard once more. When the silence died down again, the goblet's flames turned red once again. A third piece of parchment flew out of the goblet.
"The Hogwarts champion," Dumbledore said. "is Cedric Diggory!" Every single Hufflepuff jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping as Cedric Diggory made his way past them, grinning broadly.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily when the applause finally died away. "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 -" But Dumbledore stopped speaking.
The flames of the Goblet of Fire turned red again. Sparks began flying out of it. A piece of parchment shot into the air and Dumbledore caught it. He looked at it for a long moment. Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out -
"Harry Potter."
END OF CHAPTER 11!
Hope you all enjoy the following chapters! :D
~Bluefeather