Sorry it took so long, but i've been really busy. I hope you can understand that.

Anyway, here's the next chapter - please R&R! Oh, and i've just noticed that this is longer than 'Keep Walking' already! Wow...

Oh, and please answer my new poll!

Chapter Ten

It was about a week later that the champions were selected, and that week was filled with people, such as the Pedrosa twins, trying to cheat the Goblet, usually with an ageing potion, but always got the same results – a rather spectacular silver beard.

After the usual Friday night feast – including, as it did nowadays, quite a few international dishes – Master Fung stood up and the entire hall fell silent, a tangible excitement in the air. It was time.

Master Fung raised his wand. "Now, when the champions' names are called, I ask them to please head to the chamber through here," he indicated a door by the staff table, "where they will receive their first instructions." He pointed his wand at the Goblet of Fire and we all waited.

Soon the blue flames turned red and two slips of parchment shot out and into Master Fung's hand. "The team for Durmstrang is: Viktor Krum and Dimitri Voskef." There was a storm of applause as the two in question got to their feet and passed through the indicated door.

The flames turned red once again and two more ribbons of parchment fluttered out. "The Beauxbatons team is: Fleur Delacour and Luc Garcon." The Veela-girl and a tall boy who had the same nose got to their feet, beaming brightly as they headed for the door the Durmstrang team had just disappeared through.

Another two slips of parchment drifted down into Master Fung's hand and the entire hall held its breath. This was the one we had all been waiting for – the Hogwarts team. "The Hogwarts team is: Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang." I had been hoping for a Gryffindor Champion, but Cedric and Cho were nice enough, and as Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, at least they were better than Slytherin.

After they too disappeared behind the door, we all turned back to our conversations, but a moment later I felt something warm up. As if a fire was increasing. Glancing behind me, I shook Rai's arm and pointed wordlessly. The Goblet of Fire hadn't gone out as it should have. The flames were turning red again. Everyone turned and stared as a single piece of parchment sprang from the flames and landed in Master Fung's hand.

He lifted it to his eye line and his shocked face quickly drained of what little colour it had left. He shook his head, mouthing wordlessly, before raising it and finding the four of us in the crowd quite easily. "Kimiko Tohomiko and Raimundo Pedrosa."

Whispers broke out across the hall as Rai and I sat stunned. Master Fung couldn't have said our names. Our names couldn't have just come out of the Goblet of Fire!

Master Fung's gaze was insistent, and soon Rai and I found ourselves walking towards him. I took the parchment from his outstretched hand as we passed as though in a dream, and saw that our names really were on that small scrap. This was real.

We passed through the door in silence and found ourselves in the school trophy room. I spotted our names on the Quidditch Cup as we passed, soon coming upon the six seventeen year old wizards before the fireplace.

"Well?" Fleur demanded after a moment of staring expectantly at us. "What is it? Do they want us back up there?"

I blinked a few times. "Uh…we…uh…"

I was saved from answering by the sound of hurried footsteps and arguing voices coming along the passage. The eight of us turned to face the doorway and Master Fung came through first, honing in on Rai and I instantly. "Kimiko, Raimundo, did you put your names in the Goblet of Fire?"

Rai and I shook our heads frantically, eyes wide. "No, Master Fung!" we insisted in unison.

"Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you?"

"No!" Rai answered vehemently. He may tweak the rules a bit sometimes – as do I – but he hates to be accused of cheating or breaking the rules when it comes to something really serious.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes, Master Fung. We…" I fished about for something to convince him. "We swear on Grand Master Dashi's grave!" Rai nodded eagerly beside me.

Master Fung sighed and stepped back, convinced, though Madame Maxime and Karkaroff weren't so convinced.

"But, of course, they are lying!" Madame Maxime insisted.

"No." Master Fung said resignedly, looking intently at the two of us. "They swore on Grand Master Dashi's grave – the creator of the Xiaolin. As Xiaolin Dragons, it is the most solemn promise you can make. If they lied about something using that promise…" the three of us shuddered. "Well, let's just say that the consequences are too horrible to mention."

Once they were convinced that we hadn't cheated, they set about arguing over it. Both Karkaroff and Maxime threatened to pull out unless we did or they were allowed to put names into the Goblet to choose another team for each school. However, the Goblet of Fire is a magical object, and will not re-ignite until the next tournament starts. It also constitutes a binding magical contract – none of us can back out now. They seemed to come to the conclusion that an 'exceedingly powerful wizard' had tricked the Goblet into entering us under the name of another school, though they couldn't find any motive.

They explained the basic rules to us and then let us go. The walk back to Gryffindor Tower was silent, both of us lost in our own thoughts – why does everything happen to us?

Everyone was celebrating in the Common Room when we arrived, and they were all under the impression that we had entered on purpose, despite the number of times we assured them otherwise.

Finally, I got fed up and headed towards the girls' dormitories. I found Maria in the bathroom when I went to brush my teeth. "Heading to bead already, are you?" she asked bitterly. "I would've thought you'd want to celebrate more. Oh, I forgot – you're little miss perfect goody-two-shoes."

I frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about? Are you alright?"

"No, I most certainly am not alright. I thought you would have told me. Raimundo I'd expect the silence from, but you?"

I blinked owlishly at her, still lost and she rolled her eyes. "How you got your name in. You could've told me."

"We didn't put our names in."

"Rubbish." Maria spat venomously and I was so stunned I simply stared. "Absolutely rubbish. Of course you did, you just wanted all of the glory to yourself. I'm no one. Just Raimundo's stupid little sister, and first chance you get, you run off with him. You always do. Why should this be any different?"

I was stunned. I had never heard Maria talk like that before. "I don't-"

"Yes you do, don't even try to deny it. I'm not good enough to be friends with you, or to hang around with you. I'm just a stupid little human girl, I don't have your skills or abilities, or your money, looks, or fame. So I'm not worthy of hanging around you! Just because you've got my family hanging on your every word and drooling Raimundo wrapped around your little finger, don't think you've got me fooled. I know exactly what you are – a spoiled little brat."

And she turned on her heels and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. I stared after her for a moment before I turned to the mirror, staring at my reflection. Was what she said true? Do I really ditch her all the time? It wasn't my fault I moved up a year and aren't in her classes anymore. I don't always ditch her to hang out with the guys, do I? I don't think I'm better than her…do I? Am I really that selfish?

I wiped away the tears and hurried to the dormitory and luckily everyone else was still down in the Common Room. As I lay in bed, trying to sleep, haunted by Maria's words, I couldn't help the nagging feeling…was my dream connected to what had just happened?

I rolled over, giving up on sleep and started musing on the tournament. They told us that the first task was designed to test our daring, that courage would be important. Well, no worries there, I suppose. We have courage and daring to the point that some would call madness.

Most of Gryffindor House seemed to be hailing us like heroes, and the rest reacted like Maria had, though not to the same extent. Rai raised his eyebrows when he noticed Maria and I pointedly ignoring each other but decided – wisely – not to say anything. Probably because of the dark warning thoughts I was sending his way.

One good thing that came out of this whole thing: we got to skip most of double potions. A third-year came to tell us that some people from the Daily Prophet were here to interview us. Though I'd rather have taken the potions lesson than the interview with that horrible woman.

Ollivander was there, and he weighed our wands, making sure that they were in good order, which they all were, and I discovered that Fleur was, in fact, part Veela, and that her wand contained hair from one.

Next, a photographer took photographs, and then came the devil-woman. Her hair was in sleek curls and she wore jewelled glasses and a lot of make-up. Rita Skeeter. The same reporter the Pedrosas had been complaining about over the summer, and over the next ten minutes, I found out why. She used a quick-quotes quill, despite my protests, and though we didn't answer a question with anything other than 'um' or 'uh' – for the questions were rather odd – the quill had written about ten pages by the time the interview was over.

We exited the broom cupboard where the interview had taken place – 'where we should feel right at home' she had said. I couldn't help blushing at the way she glanced between us and raised her eyebrows at me with a wink – dazed and rather confused. "You'd better write home to your mum."

"What? Why?"

I laughed. "Because if she reads that woman's article, she's going to believe that we entered this bleeding tournament-"

"Oh, we'd be in for a right tongue-lashing!"

"And not only that! She'll think we're quivering in our beds, worrying about it – unable to sleep, and when we do, having nightmares! And that we cry over it!"

"Ah, no!" Rai looked aghast. "She'll lecture us, then baby us! What could be worse!" We giggled and it felt like it had before this stupid tournament, but then we remembered that we were to be taking part in a tournament that people had actually died in and the panic set in.

At dinner I got two owls: one from Hagrid, asking us to come and meet him tomorrow night in the forest, and the other from Sirius. The one from Sirius was worrying and I muttered a quick "Damn it!" before scurrying up to the Common Room, so no one else could read the letter, Raimundo close on my heels. I dropped into my usual armchair, glaring at Rai. "This is all your fault." Okay, so I knew that it wasn't really, and he knew I knew that, but I was just a bit frustrated. "Listen to this: 'Nice try, Kimiko. I'm back in the country and well hidden-"

"Probably back at Lupin's house." I glared at him. "Uh…sorry. Continue."

"Thank you. 'I know better than anyone that you can look after yourself, and that while Master Fung and the rest of the dragons are around, I don't think anyone will be able to hurt you,'" Rai beamed proudly, "'However, someone seems to be having a good try. I can't say everything I would like to in a letter – too risky – but can you ensure the two of you are alone by the fire in Gryffindor Tower at one am the day after tomorrow? I want to know everything that goes on at Hogwarts – keep me posted.'"

"What, he's going to come here?"

"I hope not! He'll probably use Floo powder." Rai nodded in agreement and we fell into silence.

"Well, that'll be a busy night – first Hagrid, then Sirius." He sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes. "Oh, we're so popular, aren't we?"

"Aren't we just?" I teased back, and over his shoulder I saw Maria glare at me before dashing up the staircase. I sighed. Why must everything be so complicated?

I'll try to get the next chapter up before next monday. I can't make any promises except the promise to try!