...
"Have you never heard of the Slytherins and their evil ways!?", Seamus Finnigan said loud enough for the Slytherin table to hear. A few of them scolded but nothing else.
"Uh, no", Reyna said.
Evil ways?
"Cut them some slack, they're American, they probably don't know", Dean Thomas said.
What is "they're American" supposed to mean?
"Slytherins are vile little creatures... There hasn't been a single one of them vine bad.. " Ron said.
"Including Malfoy", Harry said darkly.
"You mean the dragon?" Annabeth asked, then she immediately covered her mouth in embarrassment.
Three... Two.. One.
Everyone at the table bursted little laughing. Reyna wasn't much if a "peppy" person. She covered her ears before they would split from everyone's loud chortles.
"Dragon?" Ron asked while laughing.
"Draco is Latin for Dragon so that was the first thing that came to mind", Annabeth said sheepishly.
"That could be a good code name though... White dragon incoming" Percy said in a dramatic voice.
"So I presume you've met him..?" Seamus said.
Thalia nodded, "Unfortunately. We met him at the World Quidditch Cup and I may or may not... have insulted his dad...".
Dean and Seamus both looked at her in awe.
"You're kidding!" Dean said.
Thalia grinned, "Nope. It was sorta force of habit though...".
Seamus laughed.
"Is every house putting in their name?" Nico suddenly asked while eating a waffle.
"Besides Slytherin? I think a few Ravenclaw folks are trying too. I don't know everyone but many houses think that they will have a chance", said Dean.
"Yeah and all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," said Seamus contemptuously. "He might have a chance, but I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks".
No one else but Reyna heard Thalia snort into her orange juice.
... I'm asking her later.
"Listen!" said Hermione suddenly.
People were cheering out in the entrance hall. They all swiveled around in their seats and saw a tall girl coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. She came over to them, sat down, and said, "Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!"
"You're kidding!" said Ron, looking impressed.
"Are you seventeen, Angelina?" asked Harry.
"Course she is, can't see a beard, can you?" said Ron.
"I had my birthday last week," Angelina said.
"Hopefully you get in," Hazel said.
"Thanks...?," said Angelina.
"Hazel".
"Right, you're an Olympus student right? I like your guy's uniforms -the ones you wore yesterday. Orange and Purple", Angelina smiled at her. She then got up and walked with some of her friends.
"I really do hope she gets in", Hermione said.
"Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory, said Seamus, causing several Hufflepuffs passing their table to scowl heavily at him.
"Wait", said Leo, suddenly.
"Yes?" Hermione said. Everyone turned towards him.
"Do you guys want to enter with me..?"
"Sure. I wanted to," Reyna said.
"Yeah, I wasn't sure if I was going to try it, but I changed my mind once I saw the school", Hazel said.
Most of the demigods went with him to the cup. Annabeth and Calypso stayed behind though.
"You guys aren't trying out..?" Harry asked them both.
Annabeth shrugged, "I'm... Not really sure I want to enter".
Calypso nodded as well, "Yeah, I know there wouldn't be any point of is being here then... I sorta don't know why we're here... But I don't really want to enter either. In all honesty, I'm sorta the weakest here.. "
"Well, I am sure you are stronger than us, otherwise you wouldn't even be here obviously" Hermione said.
"Well, it's your choice," said Reyna.
She walked to front of the Great Hall, near the cup. The atmosphere of the Hall was quiet but sort of... shaky. All most like a anticipating feeling. Chiron had already given them each a specific card that had their names on them. That way, Olympus will at least look formal. They all decided to drop their names in at once.
"3... 2..1!" Percy said.
They all dropped it in at once and the blue-white flame turned bright red and rose to the ceiling, emitting sparks. After about ten seconds, the flames slowly died down.
Everyone in the Great Hall clapped and Leo took a few dramatic bows.
Gods, Leo...
The demigods sat down and people resumed talking but instead, it was mainly focused in the cup.
"What're we going to do today, then?" Ron said when they came.
"Oh, we're going to explore the castle more. You know, learn more about the passages", Percy said.
"You know about the passage ways.. " Harry asked.
Percy's eyes suddenly widden.
"I -"
"He meant we're looking to see if there's any. Our school has a few and we all liked taking them. Secretly if course," Annabeth cut it.
"Alright I guess.. Where was your school anyway?" Hermione asked.
"In New York. It's a state in America," Reyna said.
"Sorry if we can't give any other specifics, you know, secret school and all", said Will.
"How come it's so secret? Not to be intrusive or anything," Hermione said.
"Well.." Calypso started, "Uh, why don't you tell them Jason".
Jason who was in the corner trying to avoid the conversation looked up suddenly.
"Uh, well. In all honesty, the school is more for high-blooded people".
Hermione looked like she was about to say something but Jason cut in.
"Not pure-blood only! Promise that. But, what I mean is, our parents are sorta... known. But they are hated by a lot of people, I guess you could say. None of us really fit in with normal society... Wizard or Mortal -I mean Muggle".
Nico decided to lead on, "Yeah. That's why we're hunted down a lot. Which, I believe Dumbledore said... "
The people around them all quieted down.
Crap! I forgot how many people were listening. But Nico is good at making people shut it!
"Right. Sorry for asking.. " Hermione said quietly.
"You're fine Hermione," Frank said.
"Many people are probably wondering the same things".
He turned and everyone around him turned to look at something. Anything.
"We haven't been down to visit Hagrid yet," said Harry, trying to change the subject.
"Okay," said Ron, "Just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the skrewts".
Skrewts.. They are a wizarding creature... Thanks Hecate.
A look of great 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?"
"What is it with her?" said Ron, exasperated, as Hermione ran away up the marble staircase.
"Er, what's Spew?" Will asked.
"Don't ask her.. " Ron said.
"Alright, I guess..?"
"Hey, Ron," said Harry suddenly. "It's your friend.. "
The students from Beauxbatons were coming through the front doors from the grounds, among them, was a white-haired girl that Harry pointed to.
Woah, she looks like she can challenge Venus's children. I'm not telling Piper that
Madame Maxime entered the hall behind her students and organized them into a line. One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the Age Line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted the sparks.
I guess it's less flame if it's one person. Doesn't look like most people are interested though.
"What d'you reckon'll happen to the ones who aren't chosen?" Ron muttered as the veela-girl dropped her parchment into the Goblet of Fire.
"Reckon they'll go back to school, or hang around to watch the tournament?"
"Dunno," said Harry. "Hang around, I suppose... Madame Maxime's staying to judge, isn't she?"
"Maybe it's different for the other schools but we're staying here until it's over", Hazel said.
When all the Beauxbatons students had submitted their names, Madame Maxime led them back out of the hall and out onto the grounds again.
"Where are they sleeping, then?" Ron said, moving toward the front doors and staring after them.
A loud rattling noise behind them announced Hermione's reappearance with the box of S. P. E. W. badges.
"Oh good, hurry up," said Ron, and he jumped down the stone steps, keeping his eyes on the back of the veela-girl, who was now halfway across the lawn with Madame Maxime.
"See you later then!" Harry yelled out before they left.
"Do you think Ron is a little obsessive over that girl?" Jason said suddenly.
"I don't know but she's not normal", Piper said, "There's something weird about her."
"Well, are we going to explore or what?" Percy asked a bit impatiently.
Annabeth nodded, "Let's go".
When the demigods entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. Fred and George - no longer with beards - seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well. Surprisingly.
The demigods went over to the Hufflepuff table to sit down; the air was filled with excitement -even more than the day before.
"Ugh, I'm starving. This castle is huge", Leo dramatically sat down. Yes, there is such a thing as sitting down dramatically.
"Same," Percy said.
The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was their second feast in two days, people didn't seem to be as excited with the extravagantly prepared food as much as they would have normally. Well, that wasn't the case for the demigods. They were scarfing the food since they were hungry and tired from what happened earlier that day...
Everyone in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, looked as though they simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.
After everyone finished eating, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state. There was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. It was pretty unsettling for Reyna.
On either side of Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, Chiron, and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.
At least try to look like you care.
"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "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".
Okay, maybe this is a little exciting. Hopefully I can be a champion, but I guess it's up to a cup to decide.
He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched.. waiting... A few people kept checking their watches...
"Any second, now" Leo whispered, diagonally two seats away from Reyna.
The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, 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 that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.
"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "Will be Viktor Krum".
"No surprises there!" Reyna heard Ron yell as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Reyna saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.
"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"
I mean, you did make sure his every need was satisfied..
The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.
"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"
"It's that girl!" Leo shouted as Fleur who so resembled a Venus child got up gracefully 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," Annabeth said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party.
Disappointed is maybe a bit of an understatement.
Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms.
When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, quietness fell upon the hall.
The Goblet was silently blue for about twenty seconds before - instead it turning red - it turned into a bright green color. Reyna instantly recognizable that bright color.
"The Olympus champion", Dumbledore shouted in a loud voice, "is Percy Jackson!"
Reyna heard the Hall burst into great applause and cheering. Jason clapped Percy on the back and Percy, laughing in joy, went up and turned towards the chamber after he waved at Chiron, who waved back.
Of course he put Percy instead of Perseus.
After a while, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. And Reyna knew the Hogwarts champion next...
And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the fourth piece of paper.
"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"
"Wooo!" said Thalia loudly, but nobody heard her except Reyna, Nico, Will, and Cedric himself who was right next to her. The uproar from the their table was too great. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.
Suddenly, a voice popped in Reyna's head. One that wasn't hers.
This isn't all, young ones...
Hecate..? So soon?
The demigods looked at each other, all looking confused and horrified.
Wait, what does that-
"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our four champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Olympus, 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 suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.
The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and upon it was another piece of paper.
Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore.
Reyna finally knew why they had to participate. Why they had protect someone that normally wouldn't need it.
And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out -
"Harry Potter".
...
So yes. I did choose Percy. I feel like he would be chosen if this ever did happen. Plus, I'll reveal something later on... Also yes, I do love cliffhangers XD. I just went to a Wedding yesterday and boy am I tired. It was for one of my sister's friends so yeahhhhh. Anyway, I hope you like this! Next update 12/12/19
-E.V