AUTHORS NOTE! :P
Hello my lovelies! Here is the next chapter and I hope everyone enjoys reading it :)
I shall now answer some reviews from the last chapter :D
AnikaandAj: I had a lot of fun swimming! Thanks!
Felidaes Tale: Yes, that and all of the flock are very strong minded and strong willed from being in the School so long and after everything that happened to them during their life.
Arkell26: oh I love Zuko so much in the 3rd season! I think him and Katara would be really cute together, but her and Aang are adorable too :*
Courtney DiLaurentis: I can't wait to read them!
signofthemoon: I love Jace and Alec they sound good looking. I can't wait for the movie! But I heard Jamie Campbell Bower is playing Jace and I don't really like him... :/ Alex Pettyfer was offered the part, but he turned it down :/ I'll have a look for those books next time I'm in town.
Annie Bell: I like all the evil characters that turn good too :)
And to everyone that told me about The Legend of Korra, thanks! I've heard of it, but I've never seen it and I never knew it was the sequel to Avatar! I'll watch it when I finish watching the whole Avatar series! Thanks everyone :)
-Rach ;)
Max's POV
"I don't believe it," Ron said in a stunned voice, as all the Hogwarts students filed back up the steps behind the Durmstrang students. "Krum! Viktor Krum!"
"For heavens sake Ron, he's only a Quidditch player," Hermione said.
"Only a Quidditch player?" Ron gasped, staring at Hermione like she had three heads. "Hermione- he's the best Seeker in the world! He's way better than Harry!"
"Wow, thanks Ron," Harry deadpanned. We all laughed, but Ron continued his fangirling as if Harry hadn't said anything. "I had no idea he was still in school! I never thought he was that young!"
As we crossed the entrance hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students, I saw Lee jumping up and down on his feet to get a better look at Krum. Several sixth-year girls were searching their pockets as they walked- "Oh I don't believe it. I haven't got a quill on me!"
"D'you think he'll sign my hat in lipstick?"
"That's just disgusting," I said, wincing as I passed the girls that were now squabbling over lipstick.
"Well, I'm getting an autograph if I can," Ron said. "You haven't got a quill, have you Harry?"
"No there upstairs in my bag," Harry answered. Well, at least Harry wasn't freaking out about Krum- well, I suppose being famous, you didn't really care about other famous people.
We walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Ron took care to sit on the side where he had a clear view of the doorway, because Krum and everyone else from Durmstrang were gathered around the door, not sure where to go. The students from Beauxbatons had sat down at the Ravenclaw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Three of the girls were still clutching scarves and shawls around themselves.
"It's not that cold," Iggy said defensively, "Why didn't they just bring cloaks? Snobby French..."
"Oh come on, sit over here," Ron was muttering. "Over here! Hermione, budge up, make some space-"
"What?"
"Too late," Ron said bitterly.
Viktor Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students had settled themselves down at the Slytherin table. I could see Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle looking very smug about this. As I was watching, Malfoy leaned over to speak to Krum.
"Yeah, that's right, swarm up to Krum, you ferret," said Ron scathingly. "I bet Krum can see right through him though... bet he gets people fawning over him all the time... Where d'you reckon their going to sleep? We could offer him space in our dormitory!" he said, looking at Harry, Fang and Iggy, who looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I wouldn't mind giving him my bed, I could kip on a camp bed..."
Me and Hermione snorted.
"They look a lot happier then the Beauxbaton's crowd," Harry noted. The Durmstrang students were pulling off their heavy fur coats and looking up at the starry ceiling with expressions of interest; a couple of them were picking up theor golden plates and goblets and examining them, looking impressed.
Up at the staff table, the caretaker, Filch, was adding extra chairs. He was wearing his moldy tailcoat in honor of the occasion. I was surprised when I saw Filch adding four extra chairs to the staff table, two on either side of Dumbledore's.
"But there are only two extra people," I said. "Why is Filch adding two more chairs? Who else is coming?"
"Huh?" Ron said vaguely. He was too busy staring at Krum to listen to anything that was being said.
When all the students from all the schools had entered the hall, and settled down in their House tables, the staff entered, walking up to the top table and taking their seats. Last in the line were Professors Dumbledore and Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the students leapt to their feet. A few Hogwarts students laughed. The Beauxbaton party seemed quite embarrassed, but still didn't sit back down until Madame Maxime sat down.
Dumbledore remained standing, and silence feel over the large hall.
"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, ghosts and- most importantly- guests," Dumbledore said, beaming at all the foreign students. "I have a pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope your stay here will be comfortable and enjoyable."
One of the Beauxbaton girls who was still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably a derisive laugh.
"No ones making you stay!" Hermione whispered, glaring at her.
"The tournament will have officially begun at the end of the feast," Dumbledore went on. "I now invite you to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!
He sat down, and I saw Karkaroff lean forward at once to engage Dumbledore in conversation.
The plates in front of us filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen really went to town with all the food. There was a greater variety of dishes in front of us than I have ever seen, including loads that were definitely foreign.
"What is that?" Fang asked, pointing at a large dish of some sort of shellfish stew that was beside a large steak-and-kidney pudding.
"Bouillabaisse," Hermione said.
"Bless you," Iggy said without even looking up from his own dinner.
"It's French," Hermione said. "I had it on my holidays the summer before last. It's very nice."
"I'm not taking your word for it," Fang said, wrinkling his nose as he looked at the weird stew.
The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded then usual, even though there were hardly twenty extra students. Perhaps it was because their differently colored uniforms stood out so much against the usual black of the Hogwarts uniforms. Now that they had removed their furs, the Durmstrang students were revealed to be wearing robes of deep blood red.
Hagrid slid into the Hall through a side door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the feast had started. He slipped into his seat at the end of the table and waved to the six of us with a heavily bandaged hand.
"Skrewts going alright, Hagrid?" Harry called.
"Thrivin'" Hagrid called back.
"Brilliant," I said quietly. "Looks like they've finally found out what food they like. Look at Hagrid's fingers."
At that moment, a voice asked, "Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?"
It was the girl from Beauxbatons who had laughed during Dumbledore's speech. She had finally removed the muffler from around her head. A long sheet of silvery-blonde hair feel almost to her waist. She had large, deep blue eyes and very white teeth. She was really pretty, and the boys seemed to think so too.
Ron went deep purple, and Iggy's face went slightly pink. Fang's expression didn't change, but I could see in his eyes that he thought this girl was gorgeous. Harry's expression didn't really change that much. It looked like he knew she was really pretty, but he didn't like her.
Ron was staring at the girl, his mouth opened to reply, but nothing came out but a slight gurgling noise.
"Yeah, take it," I said, pushing the dish towards her and smiling a big friendly smile at her, but there wasn't really anything behind it.
"You 'ave finished wiz it?"
"Yeah," Ron said breathlessly, "Yeah. It was excellent."
The girl smiled, and picked up the dish and carried it with her back to the Ravenclaw table. Ron was still goggling at her as if he couldn't believe she was real. Fang and Iggy seemed to have gotten over themselves, but Ron's face was still the same color as a beetroot. We started laughing at Ron's expression, and the sound seemed to jog Ron back into his senses.
"She's a veela!" he whispered hoarsely to us.
"Of course she ins't!" Hermione said tartly, "I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!"
But she wasn't really right when she said that. As the girl crossed the Hall, many boys turned around to stare at her, and many seemed to have become speechless like Ron. I giggled to myself when I saw Ginny, sitting only a few seats away from us, smach one of her male friends who she was just talking to because he started ignoring her and staring at the girl. Ginny really did have a red-heads temper.
"I'm telling you, she isn't a normal girl!" Ron said, leaning sideways to get a clear look at her. "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!" I glared at Ron for his sexist remark, but I decided to let it go because he was just so stupid.
"They make them okay at Hogwarts," Harry said, and I saw him staring at the Ravenclaw table. I looked over my shoulder at where he was looking, and saw him looking a Cho, a fifth year girl with long black, straight hair. I felt myself blush, and didn't look Harry in the eye for the rest of the feast.
"When you've both put your eyes back in," Hermione said, her eyes flickering to me, "Then you'll see whos just arrived."
She was pointing up at the staff table. The two remaining seats had just been filled. Ludo Bagman was now sitting on Professor Karkaroff's other side and Mr Crouch, Percy's boss, was next to Madame Maxime.
"What are they doing here?" Harry asked in surprise.
"They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they?" Iggy said. "I suppose they want to be here for the start."
When the second course appeared, we noticed some unusual desserts too. Ron examined an odd sort of pale blancmange closely, then moved it carefully a few inches to his right, so that it would be clearly visible from the Ravenclaw table. The girl who appeared to be a veela seemed to have eaten enough and didn't come to get any more.
Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. I felt a slight thrill of excitement, wondering what was coming. Several seats down from us, Fred and George were leaning forward, staring at Dumbledore with great concentration.
"The moment has come," Dumbledore said, smiling around at all the faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring out the casket-"
"The what?" Harry muttered.
We all shrugged.
"- just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those that don't know, Mr Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation-" there was a smattering of polite applause- "and Mr Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, or maybe because he looked so much more likable. He acknowledged it with a jolly wave of his hand. Crouch didn't smile or wave when Dumbledore said his name. Remembering him in his neat suit for the World Cup, it was strange to see him in wizards robes. His toothbrush mustache and severe parting was very strange next to Dumbledore's long white beard and hair.
"Mr Bagman and Mr Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkoraff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions efforts."
At the mention of the word `champions,' the attentiveness of the students seemed to sharpen. Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed everyones sudden stillness because he smiled and said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr Filch."
Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old.
A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students.
"The instructions the champions have to face have already been examined by Mr Crouch and Mr Bagman," said Dumbledore as Filch left the chest carefully on the table before them, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced through the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways; their magical powers- their daring- their powers of deduction- and, of course, their ability of cope with danger."
At the last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that no one seemed to be breathing.
"Piece of cake," I whispered and the others snickered.
"As you know, three champions are chosen to compete in the tournament," Dumbledore said calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tasks and the champion with the highest total after the three tasks will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: The Goblet of Fire."
Dumbledore took out his wand and tapped three times on the chest. The lid slowly creaked open. Dumbledore reached inside and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would of been completely unremarkable if it hadn't been full to the brim with blue, dancing flames.
Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet on top of it, where it was visible to everyone in the Hall.
"Anybody wishing to submit themselves in the Tournament must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the Goblet," Dumbledore said. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it had judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to complete.
"To ensure that no underage students submit their names in the goblet," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross the line.
"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of those wishing to enter that this Tournament is not to be taken lightly. Once a champion has been selected to compete, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a biding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once your name comes out of that goblet. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think its time for bed. Good night to you all."
"An Age Line!" Fred said, his eyes glinting as we made our way across the Hall to the doors into the entrance hall. "Well that should be fooled by an Aging Potion shouldn't it? And once your names in that goblet, you're laughing- it can hardly tell whether or not you're seventeen!"
I smirked to myself, knowing what an Aging Potion would do to them after reading about them in the library, but I didn't say anything. This should be finny.
"But I don't think anyone under seventeen would know enough to even stand a chance," Hermione said, "we just haven't learned enough."
"Speak for yourself," George said shortly. "You'll try and get in won't you, Harry? Max?"
"I don't think I'll enter," I said, trying to hide my smirk. "I've had enough danger for one lifetime."
"Where is he?" Ron said, who wasn't listening to a word we were saying, but looking around the crowd to see where Krum went. "Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people were sleeping, did he?"
But this query was answered almost instantly; we were level with the Slytherin table, and Karkaroff had just bustled up to his students.
"Back to the ship then," he was saying. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I sent for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"
I saw Krum shake his head as he pulled his furs back on. "Professor, I vood like some vine," said one of the other Durmstang students hopefully.
"I wasn't offering it to you, Poliakoff," snapped Karkaroff, his warmly parental air vanishing immediately. "I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your robes again, you disgusting boy-"
Karkaroff turned and led his students towards the doors, reaching them at the exact same moment as me, Harry, Ron, Fang, Iggy, and Hermione. Harry, who was in the front, stopped to let them go out first.
"Thank you," Karkaroff said, only glancing at Harry. Then Karkaroff froze. He turned his head back to look at Harry and stared at him as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
Behind their headmaster, the students of Durmstrang stopped walking too. Karkaroff's cold eyes slowly moved up Harry's face and fixed on his lightening scar. The Durmstrang students were staring curiously at Harry too. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw comprehension dawn on a few of their faces. The boy who had food all over his front nudged the girl beside him and pointed openly at Harry's forehead.
"Yes, that's Harry Potter," said a growling voice from behind them.
Karkaroff spun around. Mad-Eye Moody was standing there, leaning heavily on his staff, his magical eye glaring unblinkingly at Karkaroff.
The color drained from Karkaroff's face as I watched. A terrible look of mingled fury and fear came over him.
"You!" he said, staring at Moody as though unsure whether or not he was really there.
"Me," Moody said grimly. "And unless you've got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, then I suggest moving on. You're blocking the door."
It was true; half the students in the Hall were now waiting behind us, looking around to see what was causing the holdup.
Without another word, Karkaroff swept his students away with him. Moody watched him walk away until he was out of sigh, his magical eye fixed on his back, a look of intense dislike on his mutilated face.
As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfast late, which was what I usually love doing, but Iggy had the brilliant idea of getting up early to watch people putting their names into the Goblet of Fire. Git.
We were not alone is getting up much earlier than usual on weekends. When we went down to the entrance hall, we saw that there were about twenty people milling around it, some eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that usually holds the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.
"Have anyone put their names in yet?" I asked a third-year girl.
"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied, "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts."
"Bet some of them put it in last night after everyone was gone to bed," Harry said, "That's what I wouldn't done. Wouldn't want everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right out again?"
Someone laughed behind us. We turned to see Fred, George, and Lee hurrying down the staircase, the three of them looking very excited.
"Done it," Fred said, beaming. "Just taken it."
"What?" Ron asked.
"The Aging Potion, dung brain," George said.
"One drop each," Fred explained, rubbing his hands together with glee, "we only need to be a few months older."
"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," Lee said, grinning broadly.
"I'm not sure this is going to work," Hermione said warningly, "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."
"Yeah, I really think this won't work," I said, trying my best not to laugh.
Fred, George and Lee ignored us.
"Ready?" Fred said to the other two, shaking with excitement. "C'mon then- I'll go first."
I watched in amusement as Fred pulled out a slip of parchment bearing the words Fred Weasley- Hogwarts. Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line.
My eyes widened when nothing happened after a few seconds. Did it actually work? George certainly thought that it worked, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred- but next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to make it all even better, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them had sprouted identical, long, white beards.
The entrance hall rang with laughter, and I was laughing so much I couldn't breath. Even Fred and George started laughing, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each others beards.
"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice and everyone turned to see Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his blue eyes twinkling. "I suggest you both go to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett of Ravenclaw and Mr Summers of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though, I must say, none of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."
Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee who was still howling with laughter, and the six of us, still chuckling, went into the Great Hall for breakfast.
The decoration in the Great Hall had changed this morning. As it was Halloween, a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins leered in every corner. Harry led the way over to Seamus and Dean, who were discussing the different Hogwarts students rumored to have put their names in the goblet.
"There's a rumor going around that Warrington got up early this morning and put his name in," Dean said as we sat down. "You know, the big bloke in Slytherin that looks like a sloth."
I played Quidditch against Warrington before, and me and Harry looked over at the Slytherin table in disgust.
"We can't have a Slytherin champion!"
"And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," Seamus said. "But I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks."
"Listen!" said Hermione suddenly.
People were cheering out in the entrance hall. We all swiveled around in our seats and saw Angelina Johnson, coming into the Great Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. A tall black girl who also played Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Angelina came over and sat beside us and said, "Well, I've just done it! Just put my name in!"
"You're kidding!" Ron said, looking impressed.
"Are you seventeen, then?" Harry asked.
"Of course she is, do you see a beard?" I said, raising my eyebrows.
"It was my birthday last week," Angelina explained, grinning.
"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor is entering," Hermione said, "I really hope you get it, Angelina!"
"Thanks Hermione," Angelina smiled.
"Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory," Seamus said, causing several of the Hufflepuffs passing our table to stop and glare at him.
"What're we going to do today, then?" Iggy asked the rest of us as we left the Great Hall.
"We haven't been down to visit Hagrid yet," Harry said.
"Okay," Fang said. "Just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the Skrewts."
A look of great excitement suddenly broke out on Hermione's face.
"I've just realized- I haven't asked Hagrid to join S.P.E.W yet!" Hermione said brightly. "Wait for me, will you, while I run up and get the badges?"
"What is it with her?" Ron said, exasperated, as Hermione raced up the stairs.
"Hey Ron," I said, snickering, "it's your friend."
The students from Beauxbatons were coming through the front door from the grounds, among them, the veela girl. Those who were standing around the Goblet of Fire stood back to let them pass, watching eagerly.
Madame Maxime entered the hall after the students and ordered them into a straight line. One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the Age Line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned bright red and emitted sparks, before returning to the usual blue.
"What'd you reckon'll happen to the ones that aren't picked?" Ron muttered as the veela girl dropped her parchment into the goblet. "Reckon they'll go back to school or hang around here to watch it?"
"Hang around here I suppose... I mean, Madame Maxime is a judge, isn't she?"
When all the Beauxbatons students had submitted their names, Madame Maxime led them back out through the door and into the grounds.
"Where are they sleeping then?" Ron asked, moving towards the door and staring after them.
A loud rattling noise behind us announced Hermione's arrival with the box of S.P.E.W badges.
"Oh, good hurry up," Ron said, jumping down the stone steps. Clearly, he was determined to find out where the Beauxbatons students were sleeping. God, that boy was messed up. Ron kept his eyes on the back of the veela girl, who was now halfway across the lawn with Madame Maxime.
"Whenever you're finished stalking, Ron, we have to go to Hagrid's," I said, causing the others to laugh and for the Ron to go deep red.
As we neared Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the mystery of the Beauxbatons sleeping quaters was solved. The gigantic powder-blue carriage in which they had arrived had been parked two hundreds yards from Hagrid's front door, and the students were climbing back inside it. The huge horses that had pulled the carriage were now grazing in a makeshift paddock beside it.
Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, and Fang (Hagrid's dog- ironic, isn't it?) started barking instantly.
"Bout time!" Hagrid called as he flung the door open. "I thought you lot'd forgotten where I live!"
"We've been really busy Hag-" Hermione started to say, but then she stopped dead, looking up at Hagrid, lost for words.
He was wearing his best (and very horrible) hairy brown suit, plus a checked yellow and orange tie. This wasn't the worst of it (note to the wise: if you don't have a strong stomach, I'd recommend not reading the next sentence or two); he had evidently tried to brush his hair, using large quantities of what looked like axle grease. It was now slicked down into two bunches- perhaps he had tried to put it into a ponytail like Bill's, but found he had way too much hair. The look didn't suit Hagrid at all. For a moment, Hermione just goggled at him, then deciding not to comment on his appearance, she said, "Where are the Skrewts?"
"Out by the pumpkin patch," Hagrid said brightly. "They're gettin' massive, must be three foot long now. On'y trouble is, they've started killin' each other.
"Oh no, really?" I said, shooting a look at Iggy, who was starting to look a bit too hopeful, then to Ron, who was staring at Hagrid's hair, and his mouth open as if he was going to say something about it.
"Yeah," Hagrid said sadly. "S'okay though, I've got 'em in separate boxes now. Still have bout twenty."
"Well that's lucky," Iggy said. Hagrid missed the sarcasm.
Hagrid's hut comprised of a single room, in one corner of which was a gigantic bed covered in a patchwork quilt. A similarly enormous wooden table and chairs stood in front of the fire beneath a quantity of cured hams and dead birds hanging from the ceiling. We sat dwon at the table while Hagrid started making tea, and were soon immersed in yet more talk about the Triwizard Tournament. Hagrid seemed to be just as excited as we were.
"You wait," Hagrid smiled. "You jus' wait. Yer goin' ter see some stuff yeh've never seen before. Firs' task... ah but I'm not supposed ter say..."
"Go on, Hagrid!" we all urged him, but he just shook his head, grinning.
"I don' want ter spoil it fer yeh," said Hagrid. "But it's gonna be spectacular, I'll tell yeh that. Them champions're going ter have their work cut out. Never thought I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!"
We ended up staying and eating lunch with Hagrid, though we didn't eat much- Hagrid said he had made a beef casserole, but we all lost our appetites after Hermione found a large talon in hers. However, we all enjoyed ourselves trying to worm the first task out of Hagrid, speculating who the champions were going to be, and wondering whether Fred and George were beardless yet.
A light rain had started hitting off the windows around mid-afternoon; it was very cozy sitting by the fire, listening to the gentle patter of the drops on the window, watching Hagrid arguing with Hermione about house-elves- for he had flatly refused to join S.P.E.W when she showed him the badges.
"It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione," he said gravely, threading a massive needle with a thick yellow yarn through his socks. "It's in their nature ter look after humans, that's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' insultin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em."
"But Harry set Dobby free, and he's over the moon about it!" said Hermione. "We heard he's asking for wages now!"
"Yeah well, yeh got weirdo's in every breed. I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em- no, nothin' doin' Hermione."
Hermione looked very cross, and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket.
By half past five, it was getting dark, and Ron and Hermione decided it was time to get back to the castle for the Halloween feast- and, more importantly, the announcement of the Triwizard champions.
"I'll come with yeh," Hagrid said, "Jus' give us a sec."
Hagrid got up, walked across to his chest of drawers and began searching for something inside it. We didn't really pay that much attention until a horrible smell reached our nostrils. Coughing, I asked, "Hagrid- what the hell is that?"
"Eh?" Hagrid turned around, the bottle still in his hand "Don' yeh like it?"
"Is that aftershave?" Hermione asked in a slightly chocked voice.
"Er- eau de cologne," Hagrid muttered. He was blushing.
"Maybe it's a bit too much," he mumbled gruffly, "I'll go take it off, hang on..."
He stumped out of the cabin, and we saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the water.
"Eau de cologne?" Hermione said in amazement. "Hagrid?"
"And what's with the hair and suit?" Harry asked in an undertone.
"Look!" Iggy said suddenly, pointing out the window. Hagrid had just straightened up and turned around. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing compared to now. Getting to our feet cautiously, so Hagrid wouldn't see us, the six of us peered through the window and saw Madame Maxime and the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from their carriage, setting out for the feast too. We couldn't hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression I had only seen him wear once before- when he looking at the baby dragon, Norbert.
"He's going up to the castle with her!" Fang said indignantly. "I thought he was waiting for us!"
Without so much as a backward glance at the cabin, Hagrid was trudging up towards the castle with Madame Maxime, the Beauxbatons students following in their wake.
"He fancies her!" I said, my eyes wide. "Well, any kids they have would set a record- bet any baby of theirs would weigh a ton!"
We let ourselves out of Hagrid's cabin and shut the door behind us. It was surprisingly dark outside. Drawing our cloaks more closely around us, and we set off up the sloping lawn.
"Ooh, it's them, look!" Hermione said.
The Durmstrang party was walking up toward the castle from the lake. Viktor Krum was walking side by side with Karkaroff, and the other students were straggling along behind them. I noticed Hermione blushing slightly as she looked at Krum, and every few seconds, her eyes would flicker over to him. Ron was watching Krum excitedly, but Krum didn't look around as he reached the front doors a little ahead of the six of us.
When we reached the candlelit Great Hall, we found that it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers table. Fred and George- beardless again- seemed to have taken their disappointment very well.
"Hope it's Angelina," said Fred as the six of us sat down.
"So do I!" Hermione said breathlessly, her face still red. "Well, we'll see soon."
Nudge and Ginny came up and sat with us, looking very excited. "This is awesome!" Nudge kept saying.
The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it our second feast in two days, I didn't seem to like the extravagantly prepared food as much as I would normally. Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on everyone's faces, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, I simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.
At long last, the golden plates returned to their usual spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.
"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make it's decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go into the next chamber-" he indicated to the door behind the staff table- "where they will be receiving their first instructions."
He took out his wand and gave a great, sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes.
Everyone was still, watching, waiting... A few people kept checking their watches.
"Any second," Lee whispered, three seats away from me.
The flames inside the goblet suddenly turned red. Sparks began flying from it. I looked at Nudge and grinned at her. She beamed back, her eyes wide.
Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it- the whole room gasped.
Dumbledore caught the parchment and held it at arms length, so that he could read it better from the flames of the goblet, which had turned back to blue.
"The champion for Durmstrang," Dumbledore said in a clear, strong voice, "will be Viktor Krum!"
"No surprises there!" Ron yelled as a storm of applause and cheering swept through the Hall.
I saw Krum rising from the Slytherin table and slouch up to Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.
"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkoraff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"
That clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red again. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.
"The champion for Beauxbatons," Dumbledore said, "is Fleur Delacour!"
"It's her Ron!" Harry shouted as the girl who so resembled a veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.
"Oh, look, they're all disappointed," I giggled, looking over at the other Beauxbatons girls that hadn't been picked. True, disappointed was a bit of an understatement. Two of the girls who hadn't gotten picked had burst into tears and were sobbing with their heads in their hands.
When Fleur Delacour too had disappeared into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this silence was so stiff with excitement you could of tasted. The Hogwarts champion was next...
The Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flames shot high into the air and from it's tip, Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.
"The Hogwarts champion," Dumbledore said, and I held my breath, "is Cedric Diggory!"
"No," Ron groaned loudly, but no one heard him but me and Harry, who were sitting beside him; the uproar from the next table was too great. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past us, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on for so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore beamed happily as at last, the noise died down. "Well, we finally have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, to give the champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real-"
But Dumbledore suddenly stopped talking, and it was apparent to everyone what distracted him.
The Goblet of Fire had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.
Automatically, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written on it. There was along pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out- "Harry Potter."
Dun Dun Dun!
And here you have it! The 3- er, I mean 4- champions! Hope everyone enjoyed reading the chapter!
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