The Candidates

After dinner, Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Thank you for you're attention." he started. " Welcome, once again Durmstrang and for the first time, Salem Academy. Thank you all for coming." he said with a smile.

" I would like to introduce the heads of the two schools. Most of you already know Igor Karkaroff. The American magical minister agreed to participate in the tournament. The school chosen out of a good fifty was the Salem Academy in Massachusetts. I would like to introduce. Elaine Mason the principal of Salem and her ten students. Tomorrow these twenty students and any of our fifth to seventh years can place their name in the Goblet, just as before. You must know if you are chosen you must compete; you are bound to compete, no matter what. That is all, good night. Enjoy your stay my friends.

Hogwarts, Salem, and Durmsrtang students all filed noisily out of the Great Hall, talk was already circulating of who was entering and a few complaints from some students too young to enter.

The next morning Amanda woke to hard probing on her shoulder. "Wake up! It's five to nine." Hermione said quickly with a brush racing through her long hair. Amanda leapt almost a mile high when her mind processed what Hermione had said. Five minutes before breakfast. She didn't want to miss seeing the first people put in their names for the tournament.

As fast as lightning, the young girl took a five minute shower, brushed out, but didn't dry her hair, threw on a clean school uniform, and did a fast make-up job. Hermione, Harry, and Ron were waiting for her when she jogged down the girl dorm steps.

"Morning." Amanda greeted

" Morning" the trio greeted and with that, the four ran down to breakfast, but found the area outside the Great Hall swarming with students from all three schools.

"The place is full of people that are putting their names in the Goblet. I hope it clears up soon. I'm starving." Ginny said upon finding her brother and her friends.

"I'm not going within an inch of that thing." Harry proclaimed.

"No one asked you to." Hermione said in a fake-annoying way.

"I heard what happened the last time the tournament was played. I'm not doing it. My mother would kill me." Amanda said simply.

At this moment the mass of students were migrating into the Great Hall for breakfast. When Amanda sat at a place at the Gryffindor table the first thing she saw was the Goblet setting in front of the staff table in a dominate sort of way. Around the Goblet were a number of seventh years no people she knew, but she kept watching and saw Lance and his best 'present day' friend Alex Wyatt. The pair went to eat after both entering two pieces of paper into the fire of the Cup. That's when she noticed a hand waving furiously in front of her face.

"Hello, are you in there, 'Manda?" Ron asked amused. Amanda's eyes focused on Ron's hand. "Yes. Let me eat or you'll pull back a nub." Amanda replied sweetly.

Ron looked nervous for a second, but when he saw Amanda snickering, he knew she wasn't anywhere near serious.

After breakfast and an amazing show after eating of students entering their names, it was time for Charms. Amanda loved Charms. Eventhough she knew how to do wandless magic very well, she loved learning new wand charms from the very kind and patient Professor Flitwick.

The long day of the day of classes was rewarded with an after school Quidditch scrimmage between Gryffindor and Slythrin late in the afternoon. It was a comfortably breezy day to watch a game. Amanda watched with on-the-edge -of-your-seat anticipation while watching Ron, Harry, and Ginny dodge bludgers, defending their side of the field, and the furious search for the golden snitch. After an hour and a half and some amazing flying Gryffindor won after scoring only three goals and Harry finding the snitch.

Amanda had mixed feelings when dinner began. Tonight they would be drawing from the goblet.

NOTICE: HEY, I'M STILL ALIVE. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME, BUT I HAVE A JOB NOW AND I DON'T HAVE MY LAPTOP SO I CAN WRITE ON VACATION. I'LL TRY MY BEST TO GET BACK TO THIS. WITH ONE REQUEST, I WANT REVIEWS TO SEE HOW I'M DOING. WHEN I GET FIVE REVIEWS, I'LL START A NEW CHAPTER. I PROMISE I WILL.

DISCLAIMER: All Harry Potter characters belong to the intelligent J.K Rowling.

Chapter 20- The Competition