The Portkey

Siria slept soundlessly on the spare bed of Ginny's room with Hermione. She was blissfully unaware of Mrs. Weasley trying to wake her. It wasn't until Hermione tried to lift the mattress and roll Siria onto the floor that she stirred in the slightest. Even then, it was a soft, quiet, grumble as she dropped from the bed. Hermione tsked. "I'll handle it." She told Mrs. Weasley, who went to wake the boys. Ginny took the pillow, as Hermione had instructed, and whaked Siria the moment Hermione yanked the comforter.

"AH!" Siria screamed and flailed her arms as she tried to grab the pillow and comforter, failing to get either. "Urgh." She groaned when she realized what had happened. "It's so early." Her tired voice croaked. As if she hadn't slept at all, Siria fumbled through the morning activities of dressing, eating, and checking her bag.

Mr. Weasley spread his arms so that they could see his clothes more clearly (B4, 65). He was sporting a pair of fitted jeans with a pale blue, short sleeved button up, and one of Mrs. Weasley's knitted sweaters. "What d'you think?" he asked anxiously. "Sirius gave me a box to mix n' match, but…"

"You look perfectly Muggle" Hermione assured him. Siria was positively beaming. Mr. Weasley's shirt was patterned with the white outline of tiny pawprints that gave the appearance of just making the blue look lighter. There was almost no way that the shirt was made by anyone other than Moony & Padfoot.

"Good, good," Mr. Weasley grinned and looked to Siria, "you know, Fudge actually commissioned Sirius to make a stock Muggle clothes for the event, so everyone could go incognito."

"Yeah?" Siria tried to keep her tone casual. There was something extremely gratifying to her about this.

(Book: B4, 68-71 Mrs. Weasley catches George and Fred trying to sneak some of their creations out, but she confiscates at least the Ton-Tongue Toffee. The twins tell her it took them six months to make those & she says it's no wonder they didn't get more O.W.L.s. They part on poor terms.

Mr. Weasley explains the work that went into planning and organizing the Quidditch World Cup, such as finding a place large enough, putting up Anti-Muggle Charms, and people with cheaper tickets having to arrive earlier. They learn a Portkey can be anything. Amos Diggory finds it and Mr. Weasley introduces Amos to the group "And I think you know his son, Cedric", who is handsome and about seventeen)

"Hi" said Cedric, looking around at them all (B4, 71). While everyone said hi back, Siria elbowed George in the side. She knew he and Fred hadn't forgiven Cedric for beating them, but it wasn't his fault they had lost (B4, 71). Quietly and late, Fred and George grumbled back a quiet "'lo" that ended up being lost under Amos Diggory saying how he couldn't wait for Cedric to pass his Apparition test because they had to wake up at two this morning (B4, 72).

"Still," said Amos Diggory, "I'm not complaining…. Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons—and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy…" Amos Diggory peered good-naturedly around at them and asked "All these yours, Arthur?" (B4,72).

"Oh no, all but one of the redheads," said Mr. Weasley. He pointed out Fred, George, Ginny, and Ron. "These are friends of Ron's, Hermione, Neville, and Siria."

"Merlin's beard," said Amos Diggory, his eyes widening, "Siria Potter?" Siria opened her mouth to correct him, but Cedric beat her to it.

"Potter-Black, dad" Cedric nodded to Siria. She smiled in reply.

"Yes, yes" Amos dismissed it "Ced's told me all about you, of course." Cedric gave Siria a rather apologetic look. She could sense what was coming: the Quidditch match.

In last year's match of Hufflepuff against Gryffindor, Cedric had caught the Snitch. Siria had been distracted, first with her anger, and second by three figures that looked like dementors who walked onto the field. In her effort to make sure the dementors went away, Siria had missed the Snitch. The very thought made Siria feel like her ears were smoking, but she tried to calm herself down by thinking about how she would beat him this year, if they even had Quidditch.

"Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman, but the best man won, I'm sure Siria'd say the same…" said Amos (B4, 73). Siria tried to smile, but felt her face contort as Amos continued that "one catches the Snitch, the other doesn't, you don't need to be a genius to tell which is the better Seeker." (B4, 73). Ron placed his hand on Siria's shoulder, while Hermione linked her arm with Siria's other. "You'll beat him this year," Ron mouthed to her. Siria bit back how willing she was to have a rematch any time and prove she was the better Seeker.

Mr. Weasley tackfully moved the conversation onto that it was almost time to take the Portkey. Siria got smooshed between Ron and Hermione, as the ten of them attempted to all have a finger on the boot with their bulky bags. She was a little relieved that Hermione's and Ginny's things were in bewitched messenger bag because it was already a tight squeeze for them.

(Book: B4, 73-74 Via the Portkey, they're jerked around and transported to the World Cup, where most of them fall to the ground. Two Ministry Wizards cross them off a list.)