I don't own Harry Potter. All rights belong to J. K. Rowling. The only thing I own is Ami.


Chapter Forty Three

The Goblet's Choice

It was coming up to Halloween and a number of people had gathered in the Great Hall to watch students put their names in the Goblet of Fire. A glowing blue circle surrounded it in the centre of the room, all the benches arranged along the walls around it, allowing for the perfect vantage point all around. It was basically a performance for everyone who put their name in, with applause and all.

Hermione was reading from one of her textbooks, Ami was sitting beside her, completely mesmerised by the flames that came from the goblet. Her friend looked up from the pages and tugged on a loose strand of the Elemental's brown hair to bring her back to reality.

"What's with you? I've never seen you this focused, unless you're watching Harry's Quidditch matches." Hermione asked.

Ami looked at her with swirling violet eyes.

"That goblet, I'm sure it's an Eterna family artefact. I remember it being in my mother's family vault when I went to collect money for school stuff. So they must have come afterwards to collect it. I just can't believe Dad gave them permission to use it without me. Mom came from a really powerful family, so it was kept separate from the Scrimgeour family accounts when they married. It means that everything without the Eterna vault belongs to me, and nothing should be removed from it without my permission," she explained.

She then heaved a great sigh.

"This has been happening more and more lately. Dad and I just haven't been seeing eye-to-eye as much, and he's forgetting to tell me things as well. At the Quidditch World Cup, he didn't mention that we were travelling there with the Malfoys until the last minute, even though he knows how much I despise them, and then orders me to behave at least civilly to them. I wonder if we're growing apart, or he's trying to distance himself from me, since I'm becoming more like my mother as I get older. We keep fighting now, and I can't stop it."

Hermione wrapped one arm around her shoulders and embraced her as best she could while keeping her book in her lap. She had no idea what it was like for Ami. Having a mother die at such a young age and being practically raised by her father was a difficult thing, especially if her rant from last year was anything to go by. Her arguments with Scrimgeour just kept escalating, she feared when they were going to reach breaking point, because it sounded like it was going to be soon.

"Shh... Let's watch everyone enter the tournament, it could be fun," she suggested.

Ami let out a short laugh.

"More like watching idiots make fools of themselves if they try to go across the line. Do you want to bet Fred and George will try something?" she asked.

The girls giggled at the idea before going back to their original activities.

Ami then said something that surprised her friend.

"The Eterna family invented the tournament, you know. Each of the challenges was created from one of the elements we control, while Fire selected who it thinks is worthy to participate. Water, earth and air are tested in different ways, depending on the location, so I don't know what the tasks are going to be. They can come in any order, and the level of danger can vary. I'm almost scared to see what they come up with for challenges."

Hermione nodded her head.

"Let's just hope that they take into account that it's students participating."

The two of them watched the Hufflepuffs bring Cedric Diggory forward and put him name in the goblet, Ami remembered him as being a handsome young man with copper brown hair and blue eyes; he was applauded for his bravery and was seen off by Harry and Ron, who were walking outside the Age Line that Dumbledore had made to protect the younger years from doing anything foolish. Ami vaguely heard Ron say eternal glory.

Harry had no real interest, as he clearly said, "Rather you than me."

Fred and George then came bursting through the Great Hall's doors, cheering loudly with vials in their hands. Over the last few days, the Weasley twins had been concocting a potion that was made to trick Dumbledore's Age Line; the Elemental knew it wouldn't work, since she knew the real one for her Rouga Salaric persona, but she didn't say anything, since she wanted to see what would happen when they tried and failed miserably.

"It's not going to work!" Hermione sang softly, causing her friend to giggle quietly in agreement.

The twins bent down on either side of them.

"Oh yeah?"

"Why's that then, Granger?"

Hermione closed her book and gestured to the glowing blue line.

"This is an Age Line, Dumbledore drew it himself," she explained.

Ami decided to put her part in as well.

"Are you really going to try and go against the greatest wizard of modern times?" she retorted.

"Therefore, a genius like Dumbledore is not going to be fooled by something as pathetic and dim-witted as an Aging Potion." Hermione concluded.

The twins then decided to counter them with an argument of their own.

"Which is why it's so brilliant."

"Because it is so pathetically dim-witted."

The girls shook their heads as Fred and George walked away. Ami leant in to whisper into her friend's ear.

"Do you think it's too late to make that bet now?" she asked.

Hermione shook her head.

"Are you sure you shouldn't have signed up for Divination, since you're so good at guessing when things go wrong?" she retorted.

The Elemental had the right to look affronted.

"And be taught by that crackpot? No thank you!"

Everyone fell silent as they watched the Weasley twins down their potions in one gulp and cross over the Age Line to put their names in the goblet. It looked they had been successful, until they were thrown out by the blue flames. Ami watched with wide eyes and a teasing grin when they grew white hair and long beards and begun fighting on the floor like young children. Hermione shook her head and opened her book again while saying something that made the young Elemental smile.

"It's definitely your family heirloom, it's certainly got your sense of humour."

Ami could only shrug her shoulders innocently.

Just then Victor Krum and Karkaroff came through the doors, while the young man walked up silently and placed his name in the goblet. He caught sight of Hermione, his lips curved slightly into a small smile, which the fifteen-year-old returned with a slight flush of the cheeks. Ami didn't say a word, not wanting to ruin the first moment of her friend's interest. Although she made a note not to mention it to Ron, as he was not likely to be pleased about it.


When Halloween night came, everyone was gathered around the Goblet of Fire. All the teachers made their way up to their table and Dumbledore was standing beside the Goblet.

"Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for, the Champion Selection."

He waved his hand to lower the flames of the torches around the Great Hall. Harry and Ami looked at one another, and then turned their attention back to their Headmaster. Everyone waited for the selection to begin. Violet flames erupted from the Goblet as a piece of parchment came out and landed in Dumbledore's hand.

"The Durmstrang Champion, Victor Krum!"

The Quidditch star was gestured to go back into the Trophy Room behind the Great Hall. Another set of violet flames came about and the second champion was chosen.

"The Beauxbatons Champion, Miss Fleur Delacour!"

A young woman with silvery blonde hair, pale skin, and pretty blue eyes came forward, she was clearly very beautiful and Ami noticed how Ron's eyes glazed over at the sight of her. She wondered if there was some Veela blood in her. Fleur went back into the Trophy Room as the third and final champion was selected.

"The Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory!"

And so the three champions had been chosen.

During the demonstration of the Triwizard Cup the Goblet of Fire was acting strangely. Ami was growing agitated in her seat, her Elemental powers sensing that something was wrong. Harry placed a hand on her shoulder in an effort to calm her down, but nothing worked. The Goblet rose up with violet flames and a fourth piece of parchment flew out of the fiery depths. Dumbledore caught the parchment and read out the name.

"Harry Potter."


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