Chapter 45

It was Defense Against the Dark Arts and 'Professor Moody' had announced that he would be putting the imperius curse on everyone in turn. "But that's illegal, professor!" Hermione protested.

"I think it would be best if you familiarize yourself with it so you can try resisting." He said.

I watched as one by one, the impostor but the imperius on everyone. Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel. Neville performed a series of quite astonishing gymnastics he would certainly not have been capable of in his normal state. Not one of them seemed to be able to fight off the curse, and each of them recovered only when Moody had removed it.

Then it was Harry's turn. I watched as he stood up and moved forward into the middle of the classroom. He raised his wand at Harry and cast the spell. "Jump onto the desk." 'Mad-Eye' ordered. Harry looked as if he were about to but then he stopped. 'Moody' repeated himself but still Harry didn't. He appeared to be resisting. "Jump! NOW!" 'Moody' commanded.

Harry jumped in the air while trying to stop himself from jumping and the result was him smashing into the desk. I winced. That looked painful. "Now, that's more like it!" growled 'Moody'. "Look at that, you lot. . . Potter fought! He fought it, and he damn near beat it!"

He insisted on putting poor Harry under the curse four more times until he could throw it off entirely. Then he turned to me. "You next Rogers." He growled. I got to the front of the classroom and it took all my self control to not succumb to my instincts and try disarm him when he pointed his wand at me. "Imperio!" He growled.

A floating sensation came over me. I felt disconnected from the world and everything going on around me. Do a cartwheel. A voice in my head said. So I did. But there was a small voice in the back of my mind saying: Why am I doing this? I don't know how to cartwheel. Good. Now do a handstand. But I can't do a handstand. Do a handstand! The voice said again. I continued to hesitate. Why would I do that? Do a handstand! So I did.

I felt the fuzzy feeling in my head disappear which meant that the spell had been taken off me. I tumbled out of my handstand and landed in a heap on the ground. Neville helped me to my feet as 'Moody' was saying, "That was good. She very nearly resisted. She still did the handstand though."

The lesson soon ended. Harry was rather irritable about having to do it so many times. "But you're lucky, Harry!" Neville was saying to try and cheer him up. "You actually managed to throw it off!"

"Whatever." He grumbled as we entered the common room. We saw the twins and Ginny sitting on the couch so we made our way over.

Harry and Ginny immediately started talking. She seemed to effortlessly cheer him up. Hermione and I shared a 'when-did-that-happen' look. Then again, Ron did say something about Harry sneaking out at night lately and I know that Ginny practices flying at night too. Maybe they saw each other out there.

"Hi Annie!" Fred greeted and my heart did a little flip. It's been doing that a lot lately with Fred. I know I have a crush on him. I had to admit it to myself eventually. But he could never like me like that. We're just friends.

"Hey." I greeted back. We soon dove into a conversation about quidditch.

...

It was the 30th of October and the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students were arriving today. Classes finished early and everyone lined up outside to wait for the arrival of the other schools.

It wasn't long before someone spotted Beauxbatons' flying carriage. "There!" He yelled and everyone gazed at the spot in the sky that was rapidly growing bigger. I could soon clearly make out the huge carriage in the sky.

Students in the front rows backed up as the horses drawing the carriage touched down on the ground. The carriage hit the ground soon after and there was a bang that made several students jump.

The door opened and a very large woman stepped out. And I mean very large. The Beauxbatons students emerged from the carriage in their pale blue robes as Professor McGonagall had a word with Madam Maxime about her horses.

That's when I saw the Durmstrang boat begin to surface in the lake. "Look!" Someone yelled out and pointed to it. The boat rose silently out of the depths of the Black Lake. The water rippled as the last of the ship popped into view. There was a splash as the anchor was thrown down and the plank was lowered onto the bank.

Karkaroff and his students walked onto the bank and towards our group. He greeted Professor McGonagall and Madame Maxime politely before the Headmaster and Headmistresses started to lead us all inside.

The whole of dinner, Harry and Ron would not stop glancing over at Victor Krum. He was sitting over at the Slytherin table with the rest of the Durmstrang students. The Beauxbatons students were sitting with us at the Gryffindor table.

I heard Harry and Ron planning how to get an autograph from the quidditch star and that kind of annoyed me. Are they serious? Don't they think we have better things to worry about than an autograph. We have to find a way to kill Voldemort before the third task and Harry still isn't ready for the duel he will be having. He needs to prepare! He needs to be ready! If he isn't the whole world is in danger of Voldy and his death munchers.

Professor McGonagall also went on to describe the tournament and it's rules in more detail. She showed everyone the Goblet of Fire.

...

The next day, when we entered the hall, I was clutching a small piece of paper with my signature and my school on it. People stared curiously as I walked right up to the edge of the age line. "What are you doing, Rogers? You can't cross the age line." Lavender Brown said snottily. Everyone who wasn't watching before had now tuned heir heads to see.

"Watch me, Lavender." I threw over my shoulder as I stepped right across the line and into the circle with the cup.

Several people gasped and lots of younger students cheered for me. I stepped up to the cup and dropped my name in. The flame grew brighter for a second before it died down again. I turned and stepped calmly out of the circle. All my friends were clapping and cheering for me.

"How did you do it?" Colin Creevey asked.

"Simple, I'm of age." I grinned and winked at him before taking a seat in the stands with my friends. George patted me on the back as I sat down. Fred was just scowling. "Come on Fred. I know you didn't want me to enter but it was for the best." I said to him. Meanwhile, whispers were flying around the hall of me using an aging potion. I heard one person say that my future self came back in time and entered me. If only that little second year knew how close he was to the truth.

Then Lee Jordan burst into the hall and walked up to the goblet with a small bottle in his hand. "Behold," He said dramatically, "With this aging potion I will get across the line for sure." He threw his head back and drank it before stepping over the line. He dropped his name in and everything seemed fine until the fire suddenly grew very large. Lee was blasted out of the circle and his name was blasted out of the cup after him.

"Well there goes the theory that Joanne used an aging potion." Lavender said. Everyone then started laughing as they caught sight of the beard that Lee had now grown. I had known it was going to happen but it was still very funny.

Silence suddenly fell over the entire hall as Victor Krum and some other Durmstrang boys marched in. Victor dropped his name in the cup to lots of clapping and cheering. I also saw Cedric enter soon after.

...

The Great Hall was full tonight as it was time for the champions to be chosen. All the Hufflepuffs were hoping for Cedric where as the Gryffindors were split. All the younger Gryffindors were hoping for me while all the seventh years were hoping for Angelina. I don't think they really minded either way though. It was still a huge mystery to everyone how I even entered.

When the Halloween feast finally ended, the Goblet of Fire shone more brightly than ever. Everyone was watching with anticipation, knowing that any minute now something would happen.

Suddenly the flame inside the goblet turned a vibrant red and and sparks began to fly from it. A tongue of flame shot into the air and launched a charred piece of paper over to Professor McGonagall. She caught it and read it. "The Durmstrang champion is...Victor Krum." She announced. There was a storm of applause and Victor went and stood at the front of the room.

The flames turned Red again and a new piece of paper fluttered out. "The champion for Beauxbatons is...Fleur Delacour." There was more cheering as the Fleur went and stood beside Victor.

The flames turned red once more and another piece of paper came out. "And the Hogwarts champion is...Joanne Rogers?!" She shrieked my name and the hall was silent. I got to my feet and calmly made my way to the front of the room. Then all the Hogwarts students below seventeen erupted into cheers at my success. She turned to me and I know she was about to let me have it when suddenly the flames turned red once more and a small piece of parchment shot out.

McGonagall appeared to be in shock and it didn't look like she would be catching it so I shot my hand out and caught the parchment. "Harry Potter." I read. Harry made his face into one of surprise and got to his feet. He made his way over. He stood beside me and McGonagall turned on us. Apparently she wants to do this in front of everyone and not in private but so be it. "What is the meaning of this?" She yelled at us.

...