And here's installment number 2! Thanks to all (...or the one! hahaha) who reviewed, it was much appreciated!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
All the students gathered in the Great Hall for the sorting of the first years. It was always amusing to see the horrified looks on the little one's faces as their fate was decided for them. You'd think it was a death sentence. Anyhow, at the moment all the first years were in a line soaking from head to toe from the downpour of rain outside. The journey across the lake for them must have been horrific.
McGonagall brought out the sorting hat, and it soon began it's song.
"For just one time, I'd like to hear it sing a new genre... Perhaps some opera? Rock? I'd really love to hear it try some Mexican flavor..." George's mouth was probably two or three inches from my ear.
The sound of his voice sent shivers down my spine, a pink tinge to my face, and a smile that refused to be hidden. I laughed quietly and glanced to Angelina, who was sitting directly across from me. She gave me a knowing smile.
Angelina and Katie were the only people who knew how I felt about George, though Angelina was my main confidant about the matter. She had always insisted that I make my move, that he felt the same, but I never was able to work up the courage to do anything. I had never believed her about my, "unrequited love being not so unrequited," because I should be able to see it if it's that obvious, right? Besides, I'm not going to screw up a friendship with George and therefore get angry at Angelina for encouraging me. That would end up with two messed up relationships. I was lost in thought again...
Applause suddenly rang throughout the Great Hall, signifying the song as over.
The string of first years slowly got shorter and shorter, until it was down to a Kevin Whitby. I had never been so happy to hear a "W" in my entire life. He was sent packing in the direction fo Hufflepuff. Good riddance, Kevin. Now give me my food!
Dumbledore got up and talked, his voice echoing throughout the hall. "I have only two words to say to you: Tuck in." and just like that, mounds of food appeared in front of us.
I made straight for the steak, eating as if I'd never heard of such a verb. Had this been any other time, I'm sure that my dear friends would have made witty jokes about it, but it was apparent that they were to busy with their own hunger to care.
The next course appeared. I went for the Yorkshire pudding, it was one of my favorites. Actually, saying "went for" is an extreme understatement. I loaded my entire plate with it, knowing that if I didn't it would be gone before I had taken in my usual dosage. I ate this pudding in lethal amounts, you see. Sadly, this did not go unnoticed.
"Blimey, Alicia, how much of that are you eating!?" Lee exclaimed. His eyes were open so wide you'd have thought he had just won a million galleons.
"You're not really one to talk, Lee... You've already gone through a steak, three heaps of mashed potatoes, and... And what is that?" Katie pointed to a corner of the murder scene that was Lee's plate.
Fred leaned over a bit to see the mysterious food. "I don't know, but I wish I'd have found it." He followed the statement with a rather violent bite into a treacle tart.
"Ugh, Fred, you're so piggish..." Angelina looked from Fred's mouth to the tart, disgusted with the barbaric way he had just eaten it.
"Oh, Love, you know you love that about me." He accompanied this with a wink and a lopsided grin. Such a cliché Weasley move, yet so unbearably affective.
She shook her head and went back to poking at her chocolate cake. "You're hopeless." But I hadn't failed to notice the hint of sheepishness in her voice.
"Hopelessly in love with you, my darling." Fred jested, overly dramatic puppy eyes batting in her direction. She rolled her eyes. I couldn't suppress my laughter, nor could anyone else.
Everyone knew that Fred and Angelina fancied each other, though I was the only one Angelina had ever actually confessed to. It took a lot to get it out of her, though. I was sworn to secrecy and threatened with the most repulsive hexes, should I ever tell. I also had to undergo her "test runs" (as she later put them) where one week she would tell me one boy, the next another to see if I could keep the secret as promised. I knew what she was doing, though, considering her first "test run" was Miles Bletchley, the Keeper for Slytherin.
The only problem was that Fred and Angelina were both too stubborn to see the other's feelings. In time, I guess.
The end to my pudding heap was near, when I heard Dumbledore begin to talk. I quickly stuffed the remainder of my plate in my mouth and listened.
"So! Now that we are all fed and watered I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked met to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."
"Hmm... It's so odd that the list of forbidden items sounds a lot like our suitcase checklist this year, isn't it?" Fred whispered to George. They snickered.
Dumbledore continued. "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."
All six of us were up in arms about this. Angelina looked as if she'd been slapped in the face and was about to retaliate against whomever had hit her. Katie looked crestfallen. Fred and George were mouthing wordlessly, clearly appalled. You could see the disappointment filling the face of Lee, who had always loved announcing for the games. As for me? I was too surprised and letdown to react.
Dumbledore's voice still echoed on through the hall. "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy—but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts—"
The doors opened loudly, revealing the typical crazy-looking guy. Creepy. He took his place at the teachers' table.
"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Professor Moody." Everyone was still in too much of a shock to applaud.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "As I was saying, 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!" Fred practically knocked Lee over with his sudden outburst. The hall filled with laughter.
"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar... Er—maybe this is not the time... no... Where was I? Ah, yes, the Triwizard Tournament... Well, 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, and allow their attention to wander freely."
I was one of the people who let their mind wander, for better or worse. I took the time to look around to note any changes in the Great Hall. I also used it to steal glances at George.
"...Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected..." Dumbledore rambled on. I noticed how cleaner the walls were than they had been the end of the previous year... I wonder if they could just use a regular cleaning spell as opposed to a special one? Did the stone react any differently? I pondered this.
"...and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween..." I studied Nearly Headless Nick's attire. Would he ever update his wardrobe? Or, perhaps more importantly, was that even possible for a ghost? I couldn't really imagine a boutique for ghosts getting much business...
"I'm going for it!" Fred hissed. I looked at him dully, contrary to his excitement. I studied his face. Really, if you hadn't known Fred and George like I did, you probably wouldn't be able to tell them apart. The differences were very slight, really. So slight I wondered why I felt absolutely no attraction to Fred, but such an intense one towards George?
The Hall suddenly went into uproar, snapping me out of my thoughts. I averted my attention to Dumbledore.
"I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" Dumbledore sat down as all the students got up to leave.
"They can't do that! We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?" said George. He was really adorable when mad... It was one of those dangerous situations where you secretly contemplate throwing your arms around him, but decide against it, realizing he was mad and would probably snap your neck or something. Well, I guess that'd be more characteristic of Fred, but still. You get the idea.
"They're not stopping me entering. The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!" Fred huffed.
Ron, they're little brother, muttered something about the money, while that Hermoine girl nagged him to get moving.
"Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?" Harry Potter, child prodigy of sorts, spoke.
"Dunno, but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George..." Fred scheming. Some things never change.
While this conversation was simply fascinating, I allowed my mind to wander again. Apparently Katie and Angelina allowed theirs to do the same, seeing as their expressions were as blank as Lee's notebooks were every year.
Before long, we were at the portrait.
"Balderdash. A prefect downstairs told me." George said to the portrait. It obediently swung open, revealing the Gryffindor common room. Oh, the memories...
I began to make my way to the couches along with everyone else in our group, when somebody grabbed me and pulled me back a bit and stopped me. It was George.
"So, Alicia. Do you think you're going to enter the tournament?" His eyes gleamed as some of the light from the fire stretched it's way around the corner. Oh, those eyes... Even when he wore a blank expression, they were so deep... It gave a whole new meaning to that terribly corny pickup line... You know, the one that goes, "Do you have a map? Because I'm getting lost in your eyes." I know. It's incredibly cheesy, but it almost seemed fitting. Looking into his eyes made me drift away... If only...
"Alicia?" He looked highly concerned for my health and was waving a hand wildly in front of my face. Merlin, I am hopeless. I had been standing there for an eternity, staring into his eyes. I'm surprised I wasn't drooling like the idiot that I am.
"Yes?" I asked. Ugh! Way to go, Alicia... Real smooth.
"I said, are you going to enter the tournament?" he smiled politely, waiting for my reply.
I shifted my weight to my other foot nervously and ripped my eyes from his, focusing on a particularly interesting section of the wall behind him.
"Um... I really don't think I will. It just seems kind of dangerous... Erm... Are you really going to try to enter?" This wall was just amazing, simply astounding...
I saw his usual lopsided grin appeared again out of the corner of my eye, "Yeah, I think so. I'm pretty sure Fred and I can figure out a way, you know?"
I allowed my gaze to return to his face. God, he's perfect...
"If I were to think for two seconds that you and Fred weren't going to undermine the system, I'd be losing my touch." I smiled at him.
He laughed.
"...And in the event that you make it through and you're the champion... I'll be rooting for you the whole way." I hadn't meant to say it. I really wish I hadn't. How dumb was I!? Honestly, I ruin everything... I'm such an idiot. My face filled with embarrassment, and I quickly stared determinedly at the floor. I couldn't bear to see his face, I didn't want to know how dumb he thought I was. I was having a hard enough time coping with how dumb I knew I was.
To my surprise, he responded with a, "Thanks, Leesh... That means a lot to me. It's nice to know someone believes in me." His voice was softer than usual. I looked him in the eye. His eyes looked kind of... Possibly intense?
"Um... Yeah..." I was officially speechless.
He looked towards the fire where the rest of our friends were.
"Oh, Exploding Snap!" his voice sounded giddy. He then yelled, "Lee Jordan, I am taking you down!" And just like that, he walked over to where Lee was and they began to play.
I, however, was still dumbfounded.
...What had just happened?
...And there you have it! Read and Review! I'll update soon!