It had already almost been two months before the other schools arrived, just a day before Halloween. The Beauxbatons arrived by their flying carriage and the Durmstrang students by ship. The students all mixed in at whichever house table they could squeeze into. No one really minded being squished at their tables, they were just happy to talk with the foreign students.

While all of the other students couldn't focus on schoolwork because of the new, pretty Beauxbatons or the brooding Durmstrang students, Autumn couldn't focus because of the anticipation of being able to enter the competition. She sized up the foreign students, trying to guess which ones the Goblet would pick. Probably one of the more popular girls from Beauxbatons and one of the more larger boys from Durmstrang. She watched them in their own little cliques as they sat in on her classes.

Professor Potter tried time and time again to gain everyone's attention but finally gave up and just let the students talk amongst themselves. Their Potions Professor, Professor Raventon, was able to keep them quiet by threatening to send everyone to the Headmaster. Autumn knew that she wouldn't do it, though; she was just as interested in the new students as everyone else. She walked around the room, helping with potions and quietly asking the new students questions.

At the end of the school day, Autumn heard all of her Professors discussing the foreign students. She caught onto a conversation about how they didn't even know how to cast a proper defense spell. She would think they would though; they were here to enter a competition where a proper defensive spell would be more useful than any other.

She had spent the time in between their arrival studying up on the tournament again. She noticed Sander alone in the library, researching something for Astronomy and wondered if he had told his friends that he wouldn't be entering the competition. She figured that's why he was alone so much. She had told him again that they would make sure that the competition was completely safe for this year but he still was nervous and said it would just crush his dad if he entered.

He even took a place next to her the next morning to discuss past tournaments and she again wondered what his friends were off doing. And as Sander seemed to be trying to pick her head and discover why on earth she wanted to enter so badly, she was doing the same to Professor Potter. She wondered how he had been able to maintain so cheery and happy during something that was such a nightmare to him. She just guessed that Professors had to be that way; they had to keep a calm surface at all times.

The Halloween feast was an hour away and June had stopped in to talk with her again about bets. June told her about who the people the Goblet would probably pick from the other schools and she kept the names in her mind. It seemed that people were particularly fond of a Genevieve girl from Beauxbatons and June said that the rest of the students were just there for show and were all just going to put Genevieve's name in the Goblet. Then there was a Gregory Trigore from Durmstrang that seemed to be the most popular and strongest. And June said that he had some intellect. Autumn agreed. He had answered a question in Potions that no one else had known.

Autumn took her normal seat around two-thirds to the end of the Hufflepuff table. She sat patiently as all of the rest of the students took a seat and called for some of their new friends from the other schools to sit by them. June clearly thought she was above everyone else because she knew more than two sentences of French which her grandmother had taught her a couple summers back. She smiled brightly as a girl with slick, light brown hair took a seat next to her. June looked over to Autumn and sent her an ecstatic smile. Autumn quickly figured that the girl was Genevieve.

Sander took a place by his mates but Autumn didn't care; all good things must come to an end. Like June had told her, she was only a loner by choice, she could have easily joined into June's group but she didn't. She preferred to be by herself because like Sander, most people tried to pick apart her weird obsessions or ideas. What if she didn't have reasoning behind them besides the fact that she was loyal to her ideas and goals? Half of the time she didn't even know.

As more students flooded in, Professor McGonagall found her seat at the teacher's table. She was still the Transfiguration Professor which Autumn admired her for. She was able to still maintain a classroom while being the Headmaster. And Transfiguration was one of Autumn's favorite classes. Professor McGonagall spoke with Professor Potter to her left while she waited for the rest of the students to get to dinner.

Autumn could feel the seconds ticking away. Why did everyone choose tonight to be slow? She almost sighed in relief when the entire Gryffindor table filled up. The Slytherins of course did everything on their own time and it seemed like they had all made a pact to keep her in anticipation. Professor Guyiley, head of the Slytherin house soon came in, flanked by none other than James Potter.

"Sit," Autumn heard her instruct him, pointing her finger to the Slytherin table. "Your father can deal with you."

"But I told you, Professor-"

It was the first time she probably had ever heard James speak. She was surprised at his cool, crisp voice. She would have thought it would be deep or rough.

"Sit, Potter!" Professor Guyiley instructed again. "Ten points," she said with menacing eyes and floated off.

James had no choice but to sit, Autumn saw as he scoffed and wondered off to the Slytherin table. She wondered what he must have done. Apparently it was so bad that his father had to be dragged into it and Professor Guyiley to take points away from her own house. She would probably rather have her arms chopped off than deduct points from Slytherin.

Professor Raventon walked by the Hufflepuff table. "Good luck to those of you entering. I'm so proud of you."

"And what if we aren't entering?" a third year asked.

She stopped smiling. "Then I'll see you in Potions tomorrow, Mr. Nylon."

The boy's group of friends began laughing and shoving him. He told them to come off it with a very red face.

Professor McGonagall finally took the podium. "Good evening guests and students. I am sure you are all very excited for what will happen tonight." Clapping interrupted her until she was able to quiet everyone down. "Sit down, Jordan, sit down!' she commanded to one of the boys at Gryffindor. She shook her head slightly and Autum watched as a boy sank back down the bench, looking around to see if anyone saw him singled out.

Professor McGonagall just smiled and proceeded. "As you may or may not know—we have a tournament on our hands this year." She gave her wand a little flick and an object floated from the corner of the teachers' table to in front of her. She have another flick with her hand and the cloth covering it flew off. The Goblet of Fire. Sitting there in all of it's glory.

Professor McGonagall went on to telling everyone the rules once again. "You must be sixteen to enter the tournament." There were still groans, mostly from the Hogwarts students. "You will be assigned a teacher that will not help you during the tasks of the tournament. Rather watch your neck and help guide your way. Safety precautions." She glanced over to the teachers' table behind her at a man Autumn had never seen before but he simply screamed an official from the Ministry. "Any outside help from students or a professor and you will be charged with cheating. Are we clear?"

Of course, no one answered her back.

"From this moment on, the Triwizard tournament has begun!" The Goblet started to glow, blue and eerily. "Now, let's not let these nice Halloween decorations go to waste." She flicked her wand and the golden plates filled on all four of the tables.

Autumn didn't reach for food right then, but rather, into her robe's pocket. She grasped on tightly to a piece of paper. She would enter tonight.