As the next day was Saturday, most of the students would normally have risen later than usual. Bella and the others, however, were rising much earlier than was usual on a Saturday. When they went down to the Entrance Hall, they say a large crowd of people loitering there, all of them enthusiastically examining the Goblet of Fire. It stood in the middle of the Entrance Hill on top of the stool that the Sorting Hat usually sat on. A thin, golden line had been traced along the ground around the cup, spanning ten feet in every direction.
"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked the first person he laid eyes on.
"All the Durmstrang lot." the girl replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."
'I hope Cedric has changed his mind' Bella muttered to herself.
They heard some commotion behind them and Fred, George and Lee hurried down the staircase, all looking extremely excited.
"Done it." Fred said triumphantly. "Just taken it."
"Taken what?" Ron said blankly.
"The Aging Potion, dung brains." George said.
"One drop each." Fred said, rubbing his hands together in glee. "We only need to be a few months older."
"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins." Lee said.
"This won't work." Hermione said warningly. "Dumbledore will have thought of this."
Fred, George and Lee ignored her.
"Ready?" Fred said to George and Lee, bouncing on his toes. "C'mon then, I'll go first."
Fred pulled a slip of parchment from his pocket - Bella saw the words Fred Weasley - Hogwarts written on it. Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood, rocking on his toes, eyes gleeming brightly. Then, as every single person in the Entrance Hall watched, he took a deep breath and stepped over the line. Bella's mouth dropped open; she couldn't believe their Aging Potion had actually worked. George let out a yell of triumph and leapt into the ring beside Fred - but the next moment there was a loud sizzling sound and btoh Fred and George were thrown violently from the circle. They landed, ten feet away, with a thud, on the cold stone floor. There was a loud popping sound and both twins were now sporting large, white beards. Everyone in the Entrance Hall roared with laughter. Even Fred and George chuckled when they stood to their feet.
"I did warn you." A deep voice said. Professor Dumbledore appeared in the doorway of the Entrance Hall with a wide, amused grin on his face. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already attending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything as fine as yours."
Fred and George set off for the Hospital Wing, lee following after them in tears of laughter. Bella and Ron, holding on to each other for support in their laughing fits, accompanied the others into the Great Hall for breakfast. The Great Hall decorations had changed for Halloween; a cloud of live bats were fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins hung in every corner. Bella heard whispers from the Hufflepuff table as they passed, that Cedric had put his name in the Goblet of Fire. Bella's heart sank but she knew there was nothing she could do now he had put his name in.
"Hey, Ron." Harry said suddenly. "It's your friend -"
The Beauxbatons students were coming through the front doors of the castle and among them was the veela girl from dinner the night before. Those standing around the Goblet of Fire stepped back to let them pass, watching them intently. Madam Maxine followed her students into the hall 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 Goblet of Fire. As each name entered the blue-white flames, it briefly turned red and emitted sparks.
"What d'you think'll happen to the ones who don't get chosen?" Freya asked.
"Do you think they'll go back to school or stay to watch the tournament?" Emily added.
"Dunno." Harry said. "I suppose they'll stay here. Madame Maxine's a judge, isn't she?"
When all the Beauxbatons students had dropped their names into the Goblet, Madame Maxine led them back out of the hall and out onto the grounds again.
"Where are they sleeping, then?" Ron asked.
"Why don't you go and ask them." Bella replied.
As they waited for dinner time to come around, the castle had an air of anticipation in every corner. The Gryffindors in the common room could hardly sit still and they all jumped from their seats, as though ejected, when half past five came. When they reached the Entrance Hall, Bella and the others were so entranced watching the Durmstrang students come up from the lake, that they didn't notice Cedric standing behidn them.
"I think Krum'll get it." Cedric said.
Bella jumped in fright and clutched her chest as she turned to Cedric who grinned.
"I can't believe you did that." Bella said, slapping his arm. "Almost frightened me to death."
"Don't be so dramatic." Cedric chuckled. "I'm not that scary."
"I beg to differ." Bella replied.
"Did you really put your name in the Goblet?" Freya asked.
"I did, yeah." Cedric said, his eyes lingering on Bella before turning to Freya.
Ron squeaked nervously as the Durmstrang students crossed the Entrance Hall and Viktor Krum passed by them. Cedric chuckled lightly as Ron followed Krum with his eyes. Bella and the others, Cedric included, traipsed into the Great Hall. When they entered it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire now stood in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teacher's table. Fred and George - clean shaven again - seemed to have taken their disappointment very well.
"Hope it's Angelina." Fred said as they sat down.
"So do I." Hermione said breathlessly.
"Well, we'll know soon!" Harry said excitedly.
The Durmstrang student who had smiled at her the night before smiled and waved and Bella waved back with a small smile.
"Who's that?" Harry whispered to her.
"He smiled at me last night." Bella explained. "After Karkaroff was nasty to him."
"He seems to like you." Harry commented.
"Why wouldn't he?" Bella laughed. "I'm fabulous."
"If you say so." Harry chucked, lightly nudging her shoulder.
The Halloween Feast seemed to take much longer than a feast usually did. Eventually, after what felt like an age, the golden plates were back to their usual gleaming state and Dumbledore stood to his feet. On either side of Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff and Madam Maxine looked as tense and expectant as everyone in the Great Hall. Ludo Bagam was beaming and winking at various stidents. Mr Crouch, on the other hand, looked extremely uninterested, almost bored.
"Well, the Gobletis almost ready to make its decision." Dumbledore said. "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."
He took out his wand and waved it quite dramatically; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins had gone out, leaving them in a state of semi-darkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone brighter thsn snything else in the Great Hall. Everyone watched, waiting -
"Any second." Lee Jordan whispered.
The flames inside the Goblet suddenly shone red. Sparks began to fly from it. The next moment, a flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - everyone in the Great Hall gasped. Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment in his hand and held it so he could read it by the light of the flame which had returend to a blue-white shade.
"The Durmstrang champion will be -" he said purposely. "Viktor Krum!"
"No surprise there!" Ron yelled as loud applause and cheering erupted in the hall.
They watched as Viktor Krum rose from the Slytherin table and slouched up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked alonf the staff tab;e, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.
"Bravo, Viktor!" Karkaroff boomed over the loud applause. "Knew you had it in you!"
The clapping and cheering died almost immediately. Everyone's attention was again focused on the Goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once again. A second piece of parchment shot into the air.
"The Champion for Beauxbatons," Dumbledore said. "is Fleur Delacour!"
"It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted across the table at him, as the girl who was almost certainly a veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her silvery blonde hair and swept towards Dumbledore between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.
"Oh look, they're all disappointed." Hermione said, nodding toward the remaining Beauxbatons students.
Disappointed seemed to be a little bit of an understatement. Two of the girls who hadn't been chosen had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads in their hands. When Fleur Delacour had vanished into the side chamber, the Hall became silent again. This time, the silence was filled with anxiety - the Hogwarts champion next...
The Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks flew out of it, the tongue of flame shot high into the air and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.
"The Hogwarts Champion," Dumbledore called with a smile. "is Cedric Diggory."
"No!" Ron yelled loudly.
Bella leapt to her feet and cheered with every breath in her lungs and clapped until her hands stung. Cedric walked to the front of the room, beaming broadly. The cheering for Cedric lasted so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore cried happily when the last of the cheering died down. "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 -" Suddenly Dumbledore stopped speaking. The fire in the Goblet had gone red again. Sparks were flying out of the Goblet. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and out of it flew another slip of parchment.
Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and took the parchment in his hand. He held the parchment at arm's length and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pausem during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hand and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. As if returning to reality from a trance, Dumbledore blinked twice, cleared his throat and called out -
"Harry Potter"
The silence in the Hall was deafening. Harry sat beside Bella, stiff as a board, hardly even able to blink. A buzz, as though of angry bees, began to fill the Hall; most students were craning their necks or standing to get a better look at Harry.
Harry turned to look at Bella, a look of horror on his face; "I didn't put my name in the Goblet, you know I didn't"
"I know." Bella said softly squeezing his hand.
"Harry, what is this?" Ron said, an angry look on his face.
At the top table, Professor Dumbledore straightened.
"Harry Potter!" he called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please."
"It'll be okay, Harry." Bella said, urging him softly to stand.
Harry got tentatively to his feet, stood on the hem of his robes and tripped slightly. He stumbled up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. Bella watched sadly as Harry stopped right in front of Dumbledore.
"Well - through the door, Harry." Dumbledore said. His smile had now disappeared.
"Is this a joke?" Ron fumed.
"You don't seriously think Harry put his name in the Goblet do you?" Bella snapped.
"Well, how did it get in there?" Ron snapped back.
"This isn't the time to fight right now." Hermione said shrilly.
"She's right." Freya said. "Harry needs us right now."
"To hell, he does." Ron fumed, pushing sharply out of his seat and storming out of the Hall.
Dumbledore dismissed them minutes later and the Gryffindors left the Hall quickly. Most of the students seemed to be in high spirits but there were a small few who seemed extremely angry about Harry becoming one of the Hogwarts champions.
Fred and George, always up for a party, snuck into the kitchen and grabbed a massive feast for the Gryffindor common room. They returned with their pockets laden with food and bottles of Butterbeer and Firewhiskey. Ron wasn;t in the common room when they arrived and Bella was too angry with him to go looking for him.
"Are you alright?" Freya asked, sitting beside Bella on the windowsill.
"He's delusional!" she ranted, throwing her hands in the air. "If he thinks Harry really did that then he doesn't know his best friend at all!"
"He doesn't think that." Freya said softly. "He's just shocked - we all are."
"Think how Harry must feel!" Bella said. "He didn't ask for any of this!"
"I know." Freya said. "He'll be okay."
Fred and George had the party in full swing but Bella couldn't bring herself to have fun. Freya sat with Bella on the windowsill, talking about anything and everything to try and keep their minds off Harry and how he was doing right now.
"You should've told us you'd entered!" Fred bellowed.
Bella raised her head to see Harry being tossed around the middle fo the common room by a dozen pairs of hands. Freya and Bella pushed their way through the crowd of people and grabbed ahold of Harry's wrist, pulling him free.
"Leave him alone!" Bella yelled as the crowd closed in on them. "Don't you all have something better to do!"
"He's the Gryffindor Champion!" Angelina Johnstone cried.
"Who cares!" Bella bellowed, "Leave him alone!"
"I didn't do it." Harry said breathlessly as he leaned against the wall at the bottom of the staircase. "I promise I didn't."
"It's okay, Harry." Bella said softly, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tightly. "I believe you."
"We both do." Freya said, patting his shoulder as he sank against Bella and let her hold him.
"Where's Ron?" Harry asked.
"I... don't know." Bella said quietly.
"I think I'm going to go to bed." Harry said, extracting himself from Bella's arms slowly.
"Okay." Bella whispered.
She watched him leave up the stairs and turned to Freya with a sad sort of smile.
"He'll be okay." Freya said, taking Bella's hand in hers and giving it a squeeze.
"I just hope Ron doesn't give him a hard time." Bella said. "And Cedric. Now I have both of them to worry about."
"You're going to make yourself ill, worrying like this." Freya said, leading Bella up the stairs to the dorm.
"This is only the beginning of the Tournament." Bella said. "How much worse is this going to get before it's all over?"
