AN:All thanks given to Katherine my beta.
I own nothing
Gabe was right.
Within eight weeks SPEW badges could be seen on almost every chest, including a fair number of Slytherins. Mia had a small suspicion it was the full embrace of the handsome Ravenclaw Quidditch chaser sporting the badge around the school that had first made random students approach Hermione with their Sickles, but within a few weeks, Hermione had a small group of dedicated students who honestly were concerned for elfish welfare, and didn't just want an ironic pin.
Mia joined meetings only often enough to stop Hermione from doing any truly foolish plans, like leaving knit hats and gloves around hoping an elf would accidentally pick one up and be "freed". Mia had to explain, she was basically forcing someone to make a life change they didn't want. So instead Hermione focused on wizard education and elfish representation.
By the end of October, Mia and Gabe had both quietly become registered animagi, and prayed no one in the school would request an updated list of registered animagi. It was now public record, but they didn't want the whole school to know about their change.
Schoolwork became harder and harder as their teachers tried to prepare them for their OWLs still over a year away, and Mia did have a little trouble juggling her homework and monthly potions brewing for Remus and Sirius, but she would never admit it. She had all but given up on her other project.
At the end of October a notice was posted in the entrance hall:
TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT
THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER. LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY.
STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE THE WELCOMING FEAST.
The days leading up to Friday were crazy. The school was scrubbed cleaner than Mia had ever seen it, each suit of armor gleaming, each painting scrubbed clean, the paintings occupants annoyed and grumbling. The teachers also seemed stressed, asking the students not to show their lack of knowledge or basic understanding of academic principles before the students of the other schools.
Friday morning the great hall was decked out in silk banners hanging from each wall representing the different houses. Even the candles hanging in the air looked fresh and new. Mia thunked down in a seat next to George, Gabe at her side.
"So have you two figured out how you would get around the age limit yet?" Mia asked.
"I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," George said bitterly. "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."
"We can't prepare if we don't know how it will be protected," Fred said.
"Well, age potions don't take long to make at least."
That evening, after class, Mia rushed to her room to return her bag along with the other Gryffindors, then returned to the entrance hall. The heads of houses were making everyone line up in order of their year, and were yelling at all of them to straighten their clothes, or to act proper. Gabe did a little shuffling to be parallel with Mia in his line.
"Psst. How do you think they will come?" He stage whispered to Mia.
"Look sharp Adewumi!" Professor Flitwick called.
Gabe snapped up and straightened his posture, then straightened the SPEW badge on his chest.
Mia laughed. "Please show less joy, Miss Black," Professor McGonagall ordered as she told Parvati to remove a pretty butterfly clip from her hair.
Mia looked to Gabe to see him snickering.
They were all led outside to wait in their long straight lines. The night was crisp, and everyone fidgeted and talked about how they thought the students would arrive. Mia was getting bored when Professor Dumbledore called out from behind them. "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"
"Where?" Everyone started whispering at once.
"Do you see them?"
"I can't see anything, it's night time you dolt!"
"There! Over the forest!"
Mia squinted, then changed her eyes to Tiger. It looked like… It looked like a giant carriage being pulled by flying horses. Not Thestrals, these were beautiful palominos, with great feathered wings and all the size of an elephant. The huge light blue carriage came to a jolting stop before them all, the wheels bouncing hard, and the horses stomping their giant feet and throwing their golden heads back, eyes gleaming red.
The door of the carriage opened, and a boy in pale blue robes came around and unfolded a set of golden steps from the carriage. Then a very, very large foot stepped out of the carriage followed by a very, very large woman.
Someone in the back started clapping, and everyone joined in. Dumbledore approached and kissed the woman's hand. "My dear Madame Maxime. Welcome to Hogwarts."
"Dumbly-dort," Madame Maxime said with a deep accented voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"
"In excellent form, I thank you."
"My pupils," the woman gestured her hand and a gaggle of older kids, about twelve boys and girls all shivered in her shadow. Their uniforms looked like thin silk, and they had no cloaks but wrapped scarves and shawls around their necks and heads.
"As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.
"He should be here any moment. Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"
"Warm up, I think."
Madame Maxime walked casually towards the entrance hall, followed by the Beauxbaton students. Once the Beauxbaton's were gone, everyone started to talk about what type of horses would be pulling the Durmstrang students. They again grew more and more restless until...
"Can you hear something?"
"The lake!"
"Look at the lake!"
The lake was bubbling and frothing as something rose from far below. A whirlpool started in the lake, and a black poll rose from the water, with rigging attached.
"It's a mast!"
"A boat!"
A magnificent ship rose from the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It bobbed in the water, heading towards the shore and then there was a plunk from an anchor and a plank was lowered to the ground. With her tiger eyes she could see the silhouettes of a group of large bulky people, but as they approached, she realized they were wearing thick cloaks made of shaggy fur.
A man wearing a cloak of sleek silver fur led the way and approached Dumbledore with open arms. "Dumbledore! How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"
"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff."
"Dear old Hogwarts, how good it is to be here, how good... Viktor, come along, into the warmth. You don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold."
She heard a choking sound from her left as Gabe seemed to forget how to breathe, and she heard Ron whispering frantically behind her. "Harry - it's Krum!"
People started whispering frantically as the Durmstrang students entered the castle, and everyone filed in behind them. "Vat es SPEW?" Mia heard one of the Durmstrang students ask as they filed past. Mia smiled to herself. The school had spent weeks cleaning itself up for the incoming delegations and yet all the Hogwarts students were wearing colorful badges on their black robes that said the word spew. She would have to tell Gabe, he would find it endlessly funny.
The Beauxbaton students were seated at the Ravenclaw table and the Durmstrang students found seats at the Slytherin table. Mia saw Draco push a first year out of the way so he could sit next to Krum.
Once everyone was seated, Dumbledore stood. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - most particularly - guests. 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. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"
The table filled with food, and Mia noticed a few new dishes Hermione said were likely traditional for the two visiting schools. Across the room, a pretty Beauxbaton girl with long silvery blond hair took off her scarf and shook out her hair. A few boys sitting nearby sat transfixed staring at her as she laughed at something her classmate said. Gabe was one of the boys staring at her transfixed and Mia looked away, focusing on her plate. A short time later the girl approached Ron and asked for the French dish in front of him. He blabbered dumbly, and Harry handed over the dish. When she was gone, Ron had a panicked expression on his face.
"She's a veela!" Ron said.
"Of course she isn't!" Hermione said. "I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!"
Mia wanted to disagree. She saw boys all over the room turn and look as she walked by. Gabe was sitting in his seat, with a frown on his face as he examined his plate.
A few more men looking official entered the room and sat at the head table. One of them looked like the man who was announcing at the Quidditch World Cup, although he was no longer wearing the yellow and black robes.
Once the food had disappeared from the tables, Dumbledore stood again. "The moment has come. 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." People clapped for the two men, more so for Bagman. He looked more likable, with a big cheery grin. Crouch, in contrast, looked grumpy.
"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament, and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."
Dumbledore paused as if letting the anticipation build. "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."
Filch approached Dumbledore carrying an old wooden chest, covered in jewels.
"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman, 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 prowess, their daring, their powers of deduction, and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."
Filch put the chest onto the table in front of Dumbledore, and the hall grew incredibly silent.
"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament, 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 it on the top of the casket three times. The lid opened, and Dumbledore reached inside and pulled out a wooden cup filled with dancing blue-white flames. He closed the casket and placed the goblet on top where everyone could see it.
"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names 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 accessible to all those wishing to compete. To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation, 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."
Students began to stand around the room. Mia saw Fred stand with George a few seats away and rushed to follow behind eavesdropping. "An Age Line!" Fred said. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing, it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"
"It won't work," Mia said popping up between them.
"No one asked you, Black," George said.
"Fine, don't ask me then," Mia said walking ahead of them.
The next afternoon Mia was in the hospital wing finishing up her monthly supply of Wolfsbane Potion for Remus, and Ekrizdis potion for Sirius when two bearded twins came in.
Mia doubled over laughing. Their beards were long and silver and magnificently spectacular. None of the other bearded students to come in looked nearly as good.
"So tell us, oh great one, why it didn't work?" George asked.
Mia had to struggle to stop laughing. She wiped tears of joy from her eyes as she straightened. "Age lines reference the calendar year, not the physical year. Making your body older isn't enough."
"So what would you have done then?" Fred asked sharply.
Mia shrugged. "Asked an older student to put my name in."
Fred and George looked at each other, a gleam in their eyes. "We still have time!" Mia shook her head and walked back to the workroom to finish her potions and start on a few batches of pepperup potion for the school.
Gabe found her a few hours later as she was bottling potions. He hopped up on a counter to wait for her to finish. "Was this really more fun than putting it off till tomorrow and sitting in the entrance hall watching people put their names in the goblet?"
"I don't know, watching all the bearded students come up and get shaved was quite enjoyable."
Gabe laughed. "Did you see Fred and George?"
They laughed together as Gabe helped Mia carry her potions to the owlery and send them off. Gabe asked casually how she addressed the package. "Do you just address it to 'Dads'." Mia elbowed him and informed it she didn't address the package at all, or the letter tucked inside. It made it all so much easier.
The first letter from Sirius had come the week before, his response to news about the Triwizard Tournament and asking Mia if she would sneak her name in. The letter was signed at the end "Your loving Um."
Mia had felt mortified, and Gabe had just laughed and pat her back.
"So, what do you think about the Yule Ball?" Gabe asked.
Mia shuffled the paper in her hands, writing a quick update at the end of her letter before she tucked it into the pack for the owl. "What about it?" She added a note about Fred and George's impressive beards. She was sure Sirius would enjoy that bit.
"Well, it sounds like it will be a fun event. You know, dancing and all?"
Mia sighed and put down her quill. "I never did get dress robes, and I promised Sirius and Remus I would come home for Christmas."
"But I'm sure your Dads would understand you want to stay. They wouldn't want you to miss it."
Mia shrugged and tied the package onto a very large barn owl, and wished him a safe flight. "For the first time I actually have a home to go to, I'm kind of excited for it."
"Right. I understand," Gabe said. Mia glanced at him, he was frowning but smiled when he saw her. "Let's get to the feast."
The Halloween decorations in the great hall were fantastic, real live bats, floating carved pumpkins, and amidst it all, the goblet of fire aflame in the center of the room. Everyone was whispering about who all had put in their names, and guessing about who would be chosen. As the plates cleared, Dumbledore got to his feet and the room grew silent. He announced the goblet would soon call the winners, and asked if anyone's name was called, they should cross the room and enter the chamber behind the head table. With a flick of his wrist, all the candles in the room went out, except for the ones in the pumpkins floating above. The goblet of fire cast an eerie light around the room.
The sparks turned red suddenly and sparks shot out, carrying with it a scrap of parchment that Dumbledore caught before the flames turned back to blue.
"The champion for Durmstrang, will be Viktor Krum," he read out. The room broke out into cheers and Mia nudged Hermione in the ribs as the man stood and crossed the room, entering the door behind the table.
The room went silent again as the flames turned red, and Dumbledore caught the next scrap of parchment. "The champion for Beauxbatons, is Fleur Delacour!"
Again, the room broke into applause, and the silvery blond girl Ron believed was half Veela stood and shook out her silvery hair before crossing the room and exiting through the door.
The flames turned red once more, and another scrap appeared. "The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory!"
The room broke out in the loudest cheers of them all, no one as loud as the Hufflepuff table, as their quidditch seeker rose from the table and crossed the room.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore called. "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–"
The fire turned red again, and sparks again flew out, carrying with them a forth scrap of parchment. Dumbledore caught it and stared at it. After a long pause, Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Harry Potter."
No one cheered. They all turned somewhat confused and stared at Harry. Harry stared at Dumbledore.
"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"
Hermione nudged him, and he stood from his chair awkwardly. He tripped and stumbled, then kept walking towards the door. Once he was through, Dumbledore calmly assessed the watching students.
"Now, may you all head to your beds while we prep our four champions. Good night."
After his last words, chaos broke out. Everyone was yelling something different. The Hufflepuffs wanted to know who was the Hogwarts champion, even Madame Maxime and Karkaroff were shouting at Dumbledore as he walked to the door the other champions had used. No one left the great hall. Everyone was talking except for Ron and Hermione.
"Do you think he really did it?" Ron asked softly. Mia could barely hear him, but the look of hurt and something more on his face said it all.
McGonagall eventually used her wand to make a loud bang and get everyone's attention before she ordered them all off to bed.
AN:
