Ariana watched in awe as the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrived in all their glory. How would Hogwarts travel, she wondered, if one of the other schools was hosting the tournament? She had been settling into the normal routine at Hogwarts so well that she had almost forgotten that this was happening, but now she was reminded of the tournament, of the life-endangering tasks that students were going to be entered into. Her fears, which had been mostly calmed for the past month and a half, were once again gnawing away at her. This had to be part of some sort of plan. Voldemort had to have some sort of plan. Dumbledore believed that he was going to come back, and Dumbledore was revered as the smartest wizard in the world. Though if Ariana was completely honest, she had started to doubt him. He had never wanted her to know who she was, and she understood why, but he had to have known she would be curious. Her parents had always told her to be careful where she put her faith, and she would be careful before putting it entirely behind Albus Dumbledore. Still, she respected him. She had always respected authority, but Dumbledore had an especially commanding presence about him. And when he said that he expected Voldemort to return, she believed him.

When they were seated in the Great Hall, and the method of picking the champion was announced, Ariana was relieved that there was clearly no way anybody underage could get their name in. No chance of Harry somehow getting involved. For once, he'd be left out of it. She wondered who the Hogwarts champion would be.

"Bet it'll be Krum for Durmstrang," Ginny said. "I can't believe he's here!"

"Weird that he plays professional Quidditch while he's still in school, isn't it?"

"Not if he's just that good."

"Who do you think it'll be for Hogwarts?"

"Don't know. I hope it's a Gryffindor."

"I think the idea is to unite as a school behind one champion," said Hermione. "You know, for house unity."

"Do you think Slytherin would get behind a Gryffindor champion?" Ginny asked.

"Some of them might. Would you get behind a Slytherin champion?"

Ginny didn't answer, probably because Hermione was right.

The next day, Ariana watched people put their names in the Goblet of Fire. A girl from Beauxbatons smiled as she put hers in, followed by a girl from Durmstrang.

"Wish I could enter," said Ginny.

"What? Why, it's so dangerous, and we're so young!"

"They wouldn't really let anyone be in danger. And think about the prize for winning."

"A thousand galleons?"

"And eternal glory." Ginny sighed. "I'd be the most famous of my siblings."

"I'll never be the most famous of mine," said Ariana with a slight chuckle. "And I don't really want eternal glory."

"How are you even in Gryffindor?" Ginny asked.

"Hey! Though if I'm being honest, I've wondered that myself. I'm not into Quidditch, I don't really break rules at all, I'm not out for glory, and I'm not even outgoing."

"You did follow me into the chamber, though," said Ginny.

"That's true. And there was a small part of me that felt a bit of a rush doing it. I do love adventures. I've always wanted them."

"You came all the way to a foreign country to go to magic school."

"Yeah, I guess I did."

"The no rule-breaking thing is annoying, though."

"I can't help it! My father literally makes laws for a living. And my mother helps enforce them."

"I know."

"But really, if I were to enter a tournament like this, it would be for an exciting experience, not to win. Not for glory."

"You don't want any glory at all?"

"Well... I mean it would be nice, to have people notice me, I guess. But it's not what I'm after in life."

"Then what are you after in life?"

"I don't know, I'm thirteen."

Ginny laughed. "But you know it's not glory."

"Glory's all about how other people see you. That's not how I want to define my life."

They watched another person put their name in. "Well, doesn't matter anyway," Ginny said. "We're not old enough."

"Maybe there'll be another one four years from now."

"Maybe."

When Halloween came around, Ariana couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. Halloween wasn't a good day, so far. Her parents had died on Halloween, and the first petrification had been on Halloween, and Sirius's first attempt into the castle. Something always went wrong on Halloween, usually for Harry, and the things that affected Harry now affected her, too. And this was the day they chose to pull names out of the Goblet of Fire? Maybe she was being irrational, but the stress of keeping as big a secret as she had to made her act irrationally.

The first name came out, and Ariana felt no surprise at Viktor Krum being named a champion. When the second name came, Fleur Delacour, she clapped politely; she knew nothing about the girl from Beauxbatons, but the Goblet had obviously chosen her for a reason. Then the third name came, and she watched with her breath held.

"Cedric Diggory," Dumbledore read, and she clapped for him. She didn't know him at all, but when Harry had fallen off his broom last year, Cedric had wanted a rematch because he didn't think he had caught the Snitch fairly. That was enough that she thought him decent, and honorable. He would likely be a worthy champion.

Everything was set up for an exciting year, as Dumbledore continued his speech. But then the Goblet turned red again, and Ariana felt a chill run through her. When the fourth name was spit out, she knew what it would be before Dumbledore even read it. Of course it was. Of course this was part of some plan.

"Harry Potter," Dumbledore read, and she looked at him for the briefest of moments. He looked shocked; that was enough to confirm to her that he hadn't done it, hadn't found some way to trick the Age Line. Somebody had done this to him. He was in danger, just as he always was.

She looked at Ginny. "Who do you think did this?"

Ginny only shrugged. And as Harry walked to the front of the room, Ariana felt nothing but dread. She had been right all along; something very bad was coming.