The six boys gathered around a windowsill in the Gryffindor common room. It was the only place in the crush of students who had returned from the holidays that they could find because it was too cold with the open window. In front of them sat the goblet.
"Well?" Cormac said impatiently. "When is it going to pronounce a winner?"
Lee rolled his eyes. "It'll do it in its own time", he commented.
The boys waited some more. Still nothing happened. George turned to Fred.
"Are you sure that you set it up correctly?" he asked, quietly.
"Of course."
Nonetheless, Fred tapped the goblet. It hiccuped. The boys took a step back.
"Erm", began Ron. "Was that meant to—"
He stopped. The goblet had begun to spurt red and yellow flames. Harry took a risk and peered inside.
"It looks like something's forming in there", he commented. "It could be a piece of parchment," he added, doubtfully.
The flames intensified. The boys took another step back. In the middle of the flames a shape had risen from the goblet.
Behind the boys there was a bang. This was followed by a shout of "Nooooo!" coming from Neville. Trevor the toad sailed over the boys' heads, and just before he hit the window, a leg clipped the goblet. The boys saw the goblet teeter on the edge of the windowsill. As if in slow motion, the goblet tipped over the edge of the window, into the night outside.
The boys ran to the window and looked outside. They arrived just in time to hear a thunk and a crack, and see the light of the goblet's flames gutter out. Fred turned around.
"Who did that?" he asked angrily. A small first year, his face red, raised his hand. Fred sighed and turned away. George and Lee followed him towards the fire. By this time, Neville had run up and was cradling Trevor in his arms. He noticed Harry and Ron.
"Hi Harry. Hi Ron", he said. "How were your holidays?"
Before they had a chance to reply, Cormac butted in.
"What does that mean?" he asked angrily.
"It's all over", Harry told him, and turned to Neville, leaving Cormac to fume by himself.
Unseen by anyone else, a charred fragment of parchment floated down to the ground. By the next morning, the snow that had managed to get in through the window and melted had made the writing on it unreadable.