The Goblet of Fire
[Book: B4, 248-249 People, including Ron, are in awe that Viktor Krum is there. The Beauxbatons students sit with the Ravenclaw students.]
"What is HE doing?" Ron cursed. Siria looked up to see that Cedric Diggory had approached the Durmstrang students. It looked in every way like he was inviting them to sit at his House table. One way or another, the Durmstrang students made their way over. They sat in the middle of the table. "Krum's barely a table away!" Ron hissed. Hermione looked to Siria and rolled her eyes.
Unlike Hermione, Siria understood Ron on this point. She wasn't quite ready to trip over herself, but, if she got the chance, she'd love to talk with Krum. Rather, she'd love to fly against Krum. Siria doubted she would stand a chance; it would just be nice to know how far behind the professionals she was.
[Book: B4, 250-253 The Beauxbatons students look cold. There are four chairs added to the head table. Dumbledore welcomes everyone, & Fleur DeLacour gives a derisive laugh. There are dishes for the Beauxbatons & Durmstrang students. Fleur comes over and Ron fumbles over himself while trying to tell her she can take the bouillabaisse. Ron makes a comment that "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts."]
"No offense," Ron added to Siria. Siria looked to Hermione, who had an expression that rivaled Professor McGonagall in stern frustration.
"You aren't my type anyway." Siria smirked.
"Yeah. You go for those pretty boys." Ron rolled his eyes. Siria's smirked widened.
"Pretty people, really." Siria scanned down the Slytherin table. Rather than seeing Travers, her eyes fell on Daphne. She looked like the most bored person in the Great Hall. Everyone else at least seemed happy for the food. Daphne didn't look unhappy, just mildly contented. She was sitting with Astoria, some other second years, Warrington and Travers. Siria's smirk fell off her face. Travers and Warrington were holding hands. She absently rolled her carrots straight off her plate.
"Honestly," Hermione snapped. "I thought you were over her." She tsked. Siria swept the carrots back onto her plate. "Can't you find someone single to fall for?"
"Like who?" Siria asked.
"Cho Chang is pretty, I suppose. Cedric is known for being handsome and he's clearly friendly." Hermione proposed.
"Wha're you whis'erin' o'er?" Ron asked through a mouth full of buttered bread.
"Hermione thinks I should date Cho—" Siria stopped and her jaw fell when Ron sputtered the mouthful of bread onto her. Her jaw remained frozen in place as Ron choked and laughed. He patted her shoulder. "Don't joke when I'm eating. I—" he took a gasping breath. "I wasn't expecting that." He told her and brushed pieces of bread off Siria's robes.
"What's up?" Fred asked from a few people away from them.
"Can't be that funny." George said and gestured to Siria's crumb covered robes. Ron shrugged it off and took in another mouthful. Siria shuddered. Hermione placed her hand on Siria's shoulder, but Siria trembled beneath it.
"Time and place." Siria told herself. She dusted more of the partially chewed pieces of bread onto the floor. "Time and place." She repeated to herself. Sirius had been very clear, as if he knew from experience, to never let anger be the reason she came out. To tell people when she was ready. Straight people don't make public announcements that they're straight, she didn't owe anyone an announcement that she wasn't. She turned back to her plate and looked to Hermione. "If I ever go public, I'm writing nothing but the gayest shit I can find to write about." She swore. Hermione cracked a smile.
"When you go public, I'll be right there to help you find only gayest gold there is." Hermione promised.
[Book: B4, 253-256 Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman show up because they helped put things together. After the meal, Dumbledore introduces Bagman & Crouch, Filch starts to bring up the casket. Dumbledore explains there are three tasks that will be spaced out over the course of the year; the challenges are designed to test a variety of things from the champion from each school. The Headmasters, Bagman, & Crouch will score people according to different measures depending on the task. He announces that the champions will be selected from the Goblet of Fire, which he lights, then tells everyone that if they wish to enter they need to put in their name and school. Dumbledore continues that students have until the end of tomorrow's Halloween feast to submit their name. He stresses that any student that puts their name in will be magically bound to compete if they are chosen, so they should only enter if they're completely resolved to do so. Upon learning Dumbledore is drawing an Age-Line, Fred and George are even more determined to compete. Hermione warns them that it wont work, but they're sure it will.]
"You want in?" George asked Siria. Fred nudged her with his elbow.
"No way." She told them. "I've had three years of crazy rubbish and it's finally my turn to just sit back and watch someone else do the crazy thing." Siria held herself in her arms. "If one of you gets in, I'll help you prepare if you want it, but count me out."
"Really?" Ron asked. "But…"
"We get it!" Fred sighed.
"Protecting the Sorcerer's Stone, finding the Chamber of Secrets," George listed.
"We'll take this one then," Fred grinned.
"If you can pass the Age-Line," Hermione tsked.
[Book: B4, 257-258 They meet Karkaroff at the door and stop to let him and his students through, but he stops and gawks at Siria. His students also stare at Siria. Professor Moody comes through, spooks Karkaroff who can't believe Moody is there, but Moody gets Karkaroff to move because they're blocking the door. Siria notes Moody's face is distorted more than usual with unmistakably intense dislike.]
Friday classes had been cancelled to allow students the opportunity to put their names in at their leisure. To Ron and Siria, any reason not to have Potions was a great reason to not have Potions. They headed down early with their homework to watch students put their names in the Goblet. "Do you suppose the potion will work?" Ron asked Siria.
"Look mate, you want to put your name in, do it. I'll have your back." Siria assured him. "Hermione'll lose it though." She added.
"Reckon you're right." Ron tsked. For as much as Siria wanted to support Ron if he entered, she was against him entering. They were at least two years younger than any other student entering. Unless they could get a Time Turner, she couldn't think of a way to catch up in experience or even general exposure to the tasks.
[Book: B4, 259-261 Beauxbatons's students have put their names in. The Weasley twins & Lee Jordan take the age potion. The twins step over the line, but are shot out and grow beards. Two other students also tried an age potion. Dumbledore chuckles & sends them to Madam Pomfrey. Angelina Johnson puts her name in.]
"What're we going to do today?" Ron asked. Siria shrugged.
"I'm good to watch people put in their names. Might be nice to just relax." She confessed.
"We've so much work though!" Hermione protested. She had her nose deep in The Standard Book of Spells Grade 4, though Ron and Siria were nearly certain she had read through it twice.
"So, what? You want to go to the library?" Ron sighed.
"Yes, but I also want to check on Dobby." Hermione said.
"I'd be…" Siria began, but she trailed off.
Thundering, synced applause, echoed up from the dungeon. The Slytherin seventh and sixth years were surrounded by their younger peers. While the younger students circled around, the elder ones lined up. One at a time, the Slytherin students put their names into the Goblet of Fire. It looked like every student of age had done so. Even the black haired girl that taunted "Poor Potter" on the train last year put her name in. Astoria and Daphne were in the crowd of supporting students. Daphne kept hold of her younger sister's shoulders. Astoria applauded with each name, but there was an evident crease in her forehead.
Her hands seemed glued together when Cassius Warrington put his name in. The usual light of excitement and cheerfulness was gone from her eyes. She bit her lips together. Daphne looked from Warrington to Travers, who was in crowd of Slytherin students opposite. Hermione patted Siria on the shoulder.
"I'm sure Warrington will be fine." Hermione gave a fragile smile that showed she wasn't convinced herself. "With all the other students, it's so unlikely you'll actually know the champion." Siria nodded and tried to agree, but the words were lost. She knew Warrington was signing up. There was a gravity to seeing Warrington's name burst into flames within the Goblet that cemented the binding contract. "They changed a lot of things; he'll be okay." Hermione said, but Siria's own words echoed in her mind: people have died.
[Book: B4, 267-270 The trio passes time until the feast starts. Everyone eats then the champions are chosen. From Durmstrang it's Viktor Krum and from Beauxbatons it's Fleur Delacour. Dumbledore receives the third piece of parchment from the Goblet.]
"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cassius Warrington!" (crazybutperfectlysane, Tumblr).
"No!" cried Ron and he wasn't the only one. The Slytherin table erupted in applause, but no one else seemed to. Siria wanted to clap, but her mind seemed to stop working and her heart ached. Hermione patted Siria's shoulder and pulled her close to whisper, "he'll be okay. They took a lot of precautions." She hugged Siria close with her one arm while Siria watched the Slytherin table. Three faces in particular had the same sad smile that showed strain: Astoria and Daphne Greengrass, and Alice Travers.
[Book: B4, 270-271 Dumbledore sends Warrington off to the room with the others and encourages people, especially those visiting, to cheer for their champions. The Goblet lights red, as it did when it selected the other champions, and spits out another name. Dumbledore catches it, & pauses for a moment before reading: Siria Potter]