Disclaimer--If you like it, assume I don't own it. The Potterverse belongs to JKR, Steve Klowes, Scholastic and WB. Fanon belongs to the multitude...I'm simply paying homage. Most of this scene is from GoF by JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made.
Author's Notes-- Progress has been a lot slower in this work, but I hope you'll all stick with me anyway. As you all know, I may not own it, but I work hard, and I love it, so if you read it and enjoy it, please review it! Please don't print or post this elsewhere without my knowledge. I'm a bit confused about the ruckus FF.net is making about "keyboard dialogue", so I hope they don't object to our notes, but it seems unfair to ask for your feedback and not respond (besides, I LIKE responding), so...shrugs
JamieBell--I totally agree about Dumbledore. As for Luna, I don't think she NEEDED to, she just likes that sort of thing. ;-)
Hairy-Hen--I think that's a good prediction! ;-)
I'm-not-the-weakest-link--Thanks!
J.Rhaye--Me too! Yup...Ginny does seem to be more a social butterfly than she thinks...interesting how we see ourselves as opposed to how others see us, isn't it? grins I liked the portraits too. winks And Bion and Luna were SOO much fun. giggles I think you're right...they strike a great balance. hugs
EEDOE--Great! Hope you enjoyed the show! hugs
Bill--Good question about the House Elves. grins Common sense is something I love to insert into the HP world...and Harry himself does note Ginny seems to posess it in OotP. winks I think the plants are the herbological equivalent of the Snorkrack myself, but Luna does surprise you on a regular basis. grins and shrugs Hmmm...You seem to know Luna pretty well. winks hugs
Nothing, however, seemed to look more festive than Hagrid. Who, much to Ginny's surprise, came into the Great Hall without Hermione, Ron, or Harry in sight. Though he did seem to be holding Madam Maxim's hand. Hagrid looked warm and flushed and extremely red, though that could have been the result of the thorough scrubbing he appeared to have given himself recently if the moisture still sparkling slightly on his cheeks and dripping subtly onto the collar of his suit was any indication. Ginny blinked, rubbed at her eyes, and blinked again, but she appeared to have seen correctly--Hagrid was wearing a suit. The same suit of not-readily-identifiable but very hairy brown material he'd produced the year before in honor of Buckbeak, the Hippogriff Malfoy had accused of attacking him without provocation. He'd slicked his hair back into two thick bunches that vaguely resembled the pigtails Mum had used to put in Ginny's hair, only his hair was so thick and bushy he'd used some very dark and oily substance that didn't look at all pleasant to do it. Still, he didn't seem too uncomfortable, as he was staring at Madam Maxim in a rapt sort of daze Ginny had never even pictured him capable of. She certainly recognized what it meant--it looked exactly how she often felt looking at Harry. She sighed sympathetically.
If Madam Maxim had noticed the sudden change in either Hagrid's look or expression, she was polite enough not to comment upon it, or even react to it. She looked quite cool, calm, and collected, and Ginny had to admit that while a bit more enthusiasm on her side might be nice, she could see what Hagrid might see in the Headmistress of Beauxbatons, and realized with a pang that maybe she should have tried to make a quick visit to Hagrid during the day, as he might not have much time to spend with her in the future. She spent more watching Hagrid and Madam Maxim and trying to deal with her conflicting feelings of joy and disappointment than she did enjoying Halloween or wondering about the names that might be coming out of the Goblet at the end of the evening. Chances were they wouldn't belong to anyone she knew anyway, and while she knew she'd enjoy watching the competition she couldn't really convince herself it had much--if anything at all--to do with her personally.
Mr. Crouch looked as if he agreed, which Ginny found a bit surprising, but she didn't have much time to think about it, as Dumbledore extinguished the candles, leaving them in a darkness relieved only by the leering jack-o-lanterns in the corners and the near-blinding blue-white brilliance of the Goblet of Fire. "Any second," Lee whispered tensely. Ginny wondered if he and the twins had managed to get their names submitted. Before she could ask him, however, the flames of the Goblet seared red. Sparks showered in fountains. It was actually quite beautiful. A long ribbon of flame cracked like a whip upward, and a charred piece of parchment fluttered off it to Dumbledore. Dumbledore held it next to the once-again blue flame and read, "The champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum."
"What, is he the only student in that school?" Ginny demanded skeptically, but she couldn't even hear herself speak over the thundering applause and shouts of encouragement--including those from her somewhat star-struck brother. Ron. Ginny rolled her eyes.
She felt relief, if not much interest, when the Goblet turned red again. "The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"
"It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted. Ginny glanced past Neville and Colin to gauge Hermione's reaction as the girl with the silvery-blonde hair swooped between the tables.
"Oh, look," Hermione said, sounding relatively unconcerned. "They're all disappointed." Ginny, like Harry, followed her nod in the direction of the other students from Beauxbatons. Hermione wasn't just using them to draw attention away from herself. They were more than disappointed--two of the girls were actually sobbing. It doesn't look as if she's very popular, does it?Ginny murmured thoughtfully to herself. Harry's eyes met hers looking thoughtful, and, for just a heartbeat, she thought he was about to say something completely unrelated to anything around them, and she could hardly breathe. Then the Goblet of Fire sparked red again, and he jerked his head away in its direction. Ginny whimpered with disappointment. Actually whimpered. And immediately blushed with disgust at herself. "Oh," she hissed under her breath in deliberate imitation of Hermione, "Honestly!"
"The Hogwarts' champion is Cedric Diggory!"
So the Goblet proved worthy of its temporary occupation--according to what Tempest and Colin had told her when she first sat down--of the Sorting Hat's special stool. It was, in its own way, a brilliant choice. While every House was most inclined to think the best candidate would belong to them, Hufflepuff was always the least contentious among them, and consequently the most universally liked. And, in spite of the annoyed looks she saw Ron and the twins exchange, Cedric Diggory was one of the most likeable of a very likeable bunch. Even if he hadn't been, most of the boys would cheer him on because he was a Quidditch player, and the kind of guy they all secretly wanted to imitate, and the girls would be happy to watch him simply because he was nice to look at. Cedric would never have occurred to her if she'd been asked to name the perfect representative of Hogwarts and what it stood for, and yet, she had to admit he came close; he was kind, thoughtful, and polite to everyone, he seemed to be a good student without being overly pretentious or arrogant, and he was also willing to let loose and have a bit of fun. "Hail to the Champion of Hogwarts," Ginny said, only slightly archly, under her breath as she began to applaud with the rest of the Hall.
"Excellent," Dumbledore said happily, and Ginny secretly suspected he, too, was impressed with the Goblet's choice as he continued, "Well, now we have our three champions, and I'm 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--"
Ginny's breath caught, and she started, surprised to hear the sound as Dumbledore broke off suddenly. The fire in the Goblet had turned red again, and sparks were flying from it more dramatically than ever. Ginny licked lips gone suddenly dry as the long flame erupted once again. It was bearing another piece of parchment.
Time seemed to slow and thicken like an uncooperative potion as Dumbledore's hand shuddered toward the paper as it hung in midair. There was a pause the length of eternity, and twice as heavy. Ginny felt as if fate were sitting on her chest; it was hard to breathe. Dumbledore seemed to waver in and out of view as if she were watching him through the hazy heat of a summer's day as he read, "Harry Potter!"
Author's Notes-- Progress has been a lot slower in this work, but I hope you'll all stick with me anyway. As you all know, I may not own it, but I work hard, and I love it, so if you read it and enjoy it, please review it! Please don't print or post this elsewhere without my knowledge. I'm a bit confused about the ruckus FF.net is making about "keyboard dialogue", so I hope they don't object to our notes, but it seems unfair to ask for your feedback and not respond (besides, I LIKE responding), so...shrugs
JamieBell--I totally agree about Dumbledore. As for Luna, I don't think she NEEDED to, she just likes that sort of thing. ;-)
Hairy-Hen--I think that's a good prediction! ;-)
I'm-not-the-weakest-link--Thanks!
J.Rhaye--Me too! Yup...Ginny does seem to be more a social butterfly than she thinks...interesting how we see ourselves as opposed to how others see us, isn't it? grins I liked the portraits too. winks And Bion and Luna were SOO much fun. giggles I think you're right...they strike a great balance. hugs
EEDOE--Great! Hope you enjoyed the show! hugs
Bill--Good question about the House Elves. grins Common sense is something I love to insert into the HP world...and Harry himself does note Ginny seems to posess it in OotP. winks I think the plants are the herbological equivalent of the Snorkrack myself, but Luna does surprise you on a regular basis. grins and shrugs Hmmm...You seem to know Luna pretty well. winks hugs
Nothing, however, seemed to look more festive than Hagrid. Who, much to Ginny's surprise, came into the Great Hall without Hermione, Ron, or Harry in sight. Though he did seem to be holding Madam Maxim's hand. Hagrid looked warm and flushed and extremely red, though that could have been the result of the thorough scrubbing he appeared to have given himself recently if the moisture still sparkling slightly on his cheeks and dripping subtly onto the collar of his suit was any indication. Ginny blinked, rubbed at her eyes, and blinked again, but she appeared to have seen correctly--Hagrid was wearing a suit. The same suit of not-readily-identifiable but very hairy brown material he'd produced the year before in honor of Buckbeak, the Hippogriff Malfoy had accused of attacking him without provocation. He'd slicked his hair back into two thick bunches that vaguely resembled the pigtails Mum had used to put in Ginny's hair, only his hair was so thick and bushy he'd used some very dark and oily substance that didn't look at all pleasant to do it. Still, he didn't seem too uncomfortable, as he was staring at Madam Maxim in a rapt sort of daze Ginny had never even pictured him capable of. She certainly recognized what it meant--it looked exactly how she often felt looking at Harry. She sighed sympathetically.
If Madam Maxim had noticed the sudden change in either Hagrid's look or expression, she was polite enough not to comment upon it, or even react to it. She looked quite cool, calm, and collected, and Ginny had to admit that while a bit more enthusiasm on her side might be nice, she could see what Hagrid might see in the Headmistress of Beauxbatons, and realized with a pang that maybe she should have tried to make a quick visit to Hagrid during the day, as he might not have much time to spend with her in the future. She spent more watching Hagrid and Madam Maxim and trying to deal with her conflicting feelings of joy and disappointment than she did enjoying Halloween or wondering about the names that might be coming out of the Goblet at the end of the evening. Chances were they wouldn't belong to anyone she knew anyway, and while she knew she'd enjoy watching the competition she couldn't really convince herself it had much--if anything at all--to do with her personally.
Mr. Crouch looked as if he agreed, which Ginny found a bit surprising, but she didn't have much time to think about it, as Dumbledore extinguished the candles, leaving them in a darkness relieved only by the leering jack-o-lanterns in the corners and the near-blinding blue-white brilliance of the Goblet of Fire. "Any second," Lee whispered tensely. Ginny wondered if he and the twins had managed to get their names submitted. Before she could ask him, however, the flames of the Goblet seared red. Sparks showered in fountains. It was actually quite beautiful. A long ribbon of flame cracked like a whip upward, and a charred piece of parchment fluttered off it to Dumbledore. Dumbledore held it next to the once-again blue flame and read, "The champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum."
"What, is he the only student in that school?" Ginny demanded skeptically, but she couldn't even hear herself speak over the thundering applause and shouts of encouragement--including those from her somewhat star-struck brother. Ron. Ginny rolled her eyes.
She felt relief, if not much interest, when the Goblet turned red again. "The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"
"It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted. Ginny glanced past Neville and Colin to gauge Hermione's reaction as the girl with the silvery-blonde hair swooped between the tables.
"Oh, look," Hermione said, sounding relatively unconcerned. "They're all disappointed." Ginny, like Harry, followed her nod in the direction of the other students from Beauxbatons. Hermione wasn't just using them to draw attention away from herself. They were more than disappointed--two of the girls were actually sobbing. It doesn't look as if she's very popular, does it?Ginny murmured thoughtfully to herself. Harry's eyes met hers looking thoughtful, and, for just a heartbeat, she thought he was about to say something completely unrelated to anything around them, and she could hardly breathe. Then the Goblet of Fire sparked red again, and he jerked his head away in its direction. Ginny whimpered with disappointment. Actually whimpered. And immediately blushed with disgust at herself. "Oh," she hissed under her breath in deliberate imitation of Hermione, "Honestly!"
"The Hogwarts' champion is Cedric Diggory!"
So the Goblet proved worthy of its temporary occupation--according to what Tempest and Colin had told her when she first sat down--of the Sorting Hat's special stool. It was, in its own way, a brilliant choice. While every House was most inclined to think the best candidate would belong to them, Hufflepuff was always the least contentious among them, and consequently the most universally liked. And, in spite of the annoyed looks she saw Ron and the twins exchange, Cedric Diggory was one of the most likeable of a very likeable bunch. Even if he hadn't been, most of the boys would cheer him on because he was a Quidditch player, and the kind of guy they all secretly wanted to imitate, and the girls would be happy to watch him simply because he was nice to look at. Cedric would never have occurred to her if she'd been asked to name the perfect representative of Hogwarts and what it stood for, and yet, she had to admit he came close; he was kind, thoughtful, and polite to everyone, he seemed to be a good student without being overly pretentious or arrogant, and he was also willing to let loose and have a bit of fun. "Hail to the Champion of Hogwarts," Ginny said, only slightly archly, under her breath as she began to applaud with the rest of the Hall.
"Excellent," Dumbledore said happily, and Ginny secretly suspected he, too, was impressed with the Goblet's choice as he continued, "Well, now we have our three champions, and I'm 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--"
Ginny's breath caught, and she started, surprised to hear the sound as Dumbledore broke off suddenly. The fire in the Goblet had turned red again, and sparks were flying from it more dramatically than ever. Ginny licked lips gone suddenly dry as the long flame erupted once again. It was bearing another piece of parchment.
Time seemed to slow and thicken like an uncooperative potion as Dumbledore's hand shuddered toward the paper as it hung in midair. There was a pause the length of eternity, and twice as heavy. Ginny felt as if fate were sitting on her chest; it was hard to breathe. Dumbledore seemed to waver in and out of view as if she were watching him through the hazy heat of a summer's day as he read, "Harry Potter!"