(GoF) CHAPTER TEN: The Triwizard Tournament

No one asked Ellie for details when she returned to the compartment without Cedric, but they seemed relieved to have a bit more room. They were discussing music—specifically, the song Ellie had played at the Cup.

"I wish I could have heard it," Hermione was saying. "That Prophet article mentioned it was quite good. Any chance you'll be playing it at Hogwarts for those of us who missed it?"

Ellie glanced at Fred, whose mind appeared to be on other things at the moment, and then at Ginny and George, her other two bandmates, who seemed eager.

"Maybe," she finally said, frowning. "I'd love to play some music again, but I'm not sure 24 is the right choice. It was really more for me, you know, when I was out there in the thick of it."

"Right," said Ginny, looking a bit amused. "Well, I'd be careful with that next set of lyrics if I were you."

Ellie blinked, confused. "What does that mean?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Hermione, seeming to share Ginny's amusement. "My Sweet Time—Dean Thomas. Liar, Liar—Harry. Stupid Girl—Oliver. Well, you and Oliver."

"Okay," said Fred, shaking his head. "That's enough."

"I've written songs that aren't about boys!" Ellie snapped defensively. "Let Me Fall, for one. Another Thin Line. And if you think My Sweet Time was about Dean Thomas, then you completely missed the point."

She felt Fred's curious gaze on her at that, but she didn't dare look back. She had never told anyone that My Sweet Time, a song about going off and having fun but knowing that she'd eventually get back to her roots, was really about Fred.

"Right," said Ginny, not sounding discouraged. "Well, all I meant was, choose your words carefully. Given your current… situation… certain people might read pretty heavily into what they mean."


When they finally reached Hogwarts, Fred pulled Ellie aside to ask if they could catch a carriage alone together.

"Well… sure," she said, glancing at George, who seemed to have been forewarned about Fred's plan. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," he assured her as he hopped onto one of the horseless carriages and helped her up behind him. "Just feel like we haven't really had the chance to be alone for a bit, and… there are some things I want to say."

Ellie swallowed, trying to ignore the pain in her throat upon doing so. What did Fred want to say to her that he couldn't in front of the group? Did he somehow know about what she had done with Cedric on the train? If he did, did he really have any right to confront her about it?

"I heard you and Cedric, the night of the Cup," he told her. "You know… before you went all rogue on us."

"Oh." She had almost forgotten about that. That wasn't so bad, though, was it? She had half-known he was listening the entire time. "Okay."

"Look, El… As much as it pains me to say this, Cedric was right. You should be with the person who makes you happy. And if that's not me, then I'll find a way to deal with it."

Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Was he… giving her permission to be with Cedric?

It wasn't that she needed his permission, but having it felt… wrong, somehow.

"Fred," she said, biting her lip. "It's not as simple as you making me unhappy. You know that, right?"

"I know. But I saw your face that morning, El—the day we kissed. You were a few breaths short of a panic attack."

"As were you on Christmas Eve," she pointed out. "Things change, apparently."

"I know—and I can only hope they do. But until then, I don't expect you to just wait around, El. Especially not with a guy like that after you."

He said that last bit exceptionally darkly, and it made her heart hurt even worse. Fred didn't consider himself remotely competitive with someone like Cedric Diggory—which, really, had been their problem from the beginning.

"Fred," she said softly. "Even if I fell head over heels for the guy, I could never feel half as much for him as I ever felt for you. You get that, don't you?"

She could tell her words touched him, but she could also tell it wasn't enough. "Just… don't make my feelings a factor," he finally said. "That's all I'm saying. Okay?"

"I'll do my best," she told him reluctantly. "But I'm not entirely sure that's possible."


"Now that we are all fed and watered," announced Dumbledore about an hour later, after the first-years had been Sorted and the students had started nibbling on their food, "it is time for me to give out a few notices."

Ellie perked up immediately, waiting impatiently as he listed the newly banned magical objects per Mr. Filch, the caretaker, then reminded everyone about the Forbidden Forest being out of bounds and Hogsmeade being only allowed to third-years and up. Ellie, who had finally gotten her permission slip signed (Sirius had, ironically, forged Serena's name for Ellie), smiled at that. But then Dumbledore said something that wiped the smile right off her face: "It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"What?" gasped Ellie, Harry, and the twins simultaneously. Ellie glanced down the table toward Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell, the former of which had been a shoe-in for Quidditch Captain that year. They looked equally horrified.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October and continuing throughout the school year," continued Dumbledore, "taking up much of the teachers' time and energy. But I'm sure you will all enjoy it immensely."

This was it—the event Bagman and the others had alluded to. Ellie and Fred linked eyes as Dumbledore continued, "I have great pleasure in announcing that this year, at Hogwarts—"

Before he could finish, someone new burst through the doors—a man Ellie had never seen before. He was rather large and menacing-looking, with a weathered, rather terrifying face covered in scars, but the thing that stood out the most to Ellie was the glass eye lodged right where a normal one ought to be. He marched right up to Dumbledore, exchanged a few, hushed words with him, then plopped right down at a spot the teachers' table and started to eat.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," said Dumbledore to the confused room, "Professor Moody!"

But no one, save for Dumbledore and Hagrid, clapped.

"Moody?" Harry whispered to their table. "Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?"

Ellie wasn't sure what Harry was referring to; she had been with Fred and George that morning, helping them with some joke contraptions they'd been working on.

"Must be," whispered Ron back, eyeing Moody, who was reaching into his traveling cloak to pull out a flask of something and take a swig of it.

"As I was saying," continued Dumbledore cheerfully, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months—an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're joking!" shouted Fred loudly, quite nearly jumping up out of his seat.

Ellie stared up at Fred in confused disbelief as the Great Hall erupted with laughter—even from Dumbledore.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one this summer about—"

McGonagall cleared her throat pointedly at that.

"—ah—yes—perhaps now is not the time. Where was I? Oh, yes—the Triwizard Tournament. Some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation."

He went on to explain that the Triwizard Tournament had been established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry—Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and… Durmstrang.

And that was about where Ellie stopped listening and started freaking.

Durmstrang?

Durmstrang?

What were the chances? Of all the schools in the world—of all the years for an event like this to occur—why did it have to be his school, and this year?

"It doesn't mean anything," Fred whispered to her, squeezing her hand. "We don't know that he'll come to Hogwarts. We don't know who Durmstrang will bring."

She wanted to believe him, but she knew, in her heart, that he was wrong. She knew exactly who Durmstrang would bring.

And his name was Aleksander.


Well, surely you saw that one coming... but what, exactly, does it mean? And will Ellie heed Fred's permission to do what she wants with Cedric, or will she listen to her heart? Only time will tell... in the meantime, review and follow!