5. The Goblet of Fire
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The sorting hat shouted out as the last first year took a seat at their new house, while everyone else except the Slytherin table clapped in welcoming and congratulations. Then, as the hat was being placed in to the side of the room and out of the way, Dumbledore then stood from his seat at teachers table and made his way to the middle of the stage room, stairs leading up to it.
He then spoke aloud to the whole room as he began his speech. "Hello and welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. I hope that your holidays have been fun and exciting, but now everything must settle for this exciting and historic year. As this year, Hogwarts will be hosting The Triwizard Tournament." As he spoke, a jewelled crate was carried and put down next to Dumbledore, as he waved his wand to make the casing vanish to reveal the Goblet of Fire. As soon as it was revealed, a blue fire lit inside of it. I, along with every other student in the room, stared at the goblet as Dumbledore spoke on.
"We'll be also caring for two other schools as they stay at Hogwarts to compete in the tournament along with us. The first school that will be staying with us, is a French all girl's school, everyone, welcome Beauxtaun School for Girls." My face paled as the double doors opened slowly to reveal rows of girls, dressed in blue walk slowly in, swishing their bums as they did so.
They paused at times to wave their arms while sighing. They then started to jog in the annoying way that I hated to the end of the room. I looked as everyone - mostly boys - stared at the girls - including Fred.
I yanked my hand out of his, making his snap out of his trance and look at me with worry. But I didn't return the gaze as I was annoyed - jealous. I saw Ginny staring, knowing she had saw the whole thing. Explain later.I mouthed at her and thankfully, she nodded.
A girl also dressed in blue yet I detested so much known as Fleur Delcour flounced in, to then reach Dumbledore, turn on her heel to bow and spread open her arms to release birds which were the same colour as her uniform. I looked to see that she was bowing as my old head mistress, Olympe Maxime. As every Hogwarts student and teacher clapped while they took their seats, Dumbledore spoke up again, "And lastly, please, put your hands together for the Dumstrang School for Boys, who have arrived all the way from Russia!" The doors, which were closed by Flitch the caretaker, swung open again as big, strong boys stormed in as they swung canes fast, to then hit them on the ground to create dents. The one at the front then bowed, putting his cane on the floor to then run and leap in the air, to land in front of Dumbledore at the bottom of the steps.
The other boys walked quickly and parted, standing silent as one important boy and a man I knew was the headmaster of the school called Igor Karkaroff walk in. "Bloody hell." Ron whispered. "It's Viktor Krum." I looked at Krum noticed me, sending a wink at me as he continued to walk on. The boy who was still bowing grabbed his wand and blew on it, creating a phoenix made out fire to fly around Dumbledore as it slowly died out.
We all clapped again as they took their seats and Dumbledore spoke up again, "Furthermore, to help keep order and peace within the tournament, will be Barty Crouch Sr, who works at the Ministry of Magic."
The man who was sitting at the end of the teachers table stood, walking to stand next to Dumbledore. I recognized him from the destroyed camp as he accused Harry, Ron, Hermione and I of casting the dark mark in the sky. Crouch cleared his throat and spoke up, "Hello and once again, welcome back to another year of Hogwarts. I would like to start by saying I hoped you all had a wonderful holiday and congratulations and good luck to the people who will be chosen from the goblet to partake in the tournament." Crouch then grew serious. "Now onto the rules. When the flame lit in the goblet, it meant that the tournament had begun at that moment. To enter, you simply write your name on a piece of paper and slip it into the fire, however, to keep the safety of people, no one younger than seventeen will be able to compete in the tournament."
'Boos' and hisses erupted from students in every school. Fred and George next to me shouted out, "Rubbish. That's rubbish!" and, "You don't know what you're doing!"
Dumbledore grew mad and shouted out loud, "Silence!" Silence then consumed the hall as everyone quietened down. However, after a few moments of the silence settling, the magical ceiling erupted with claps of thunder and lighting, letting rain quickly pour down on us. Two white magical beams struck the ceiling, returning back into its normal state not five minutes ago. I looked to see who had cast the spell to see Mad-Eye Moody looking round with his crazy glass eye as he walked down the steps wot grasp and shake Dumbledore's hand.
Oh how my brother is going to love the fact when I tell him that one of his idols is here at school.
"Who's that?" A boy near me that I was introduced to named Neville asked.
"That's Mad-Eye Moody. He's an auror." I replied.
"Auror?" Another boy asked next to him known as Brendon.
"Auror means that he catches people who use dark arts. Azkaban is filled with half of people that he alone has managed to capture and put in there." Everyone nodded in understanding and looked back at Dumbledore as he looked out at us and spoke aloud for the last time, "Now enough excitement, onto the feast." Then, many ranges of food occupied the space on the table.
"Hermione, that's not how you do it!" I exclaimed laughing at Hermione's sixth attempt of trying to throw a piece of roll in the air and catch it into her mouth. She pouted and replied, "You do it then, haven't seen you do it. Actions speak loudly than words." I smirked and ripped a bit of my roll off, threw it in the air, letting it land perfectly into my mouth. Claps erupted from everyone who was watching around us and chuckled as Hermione pouted even more.
The feast carried on for half an hour more until everyone was full and each house and school was allowed to leave to their common rooms. I stood and followed the Gryffindor group as I had no idea where to go. I walked with everyone until we reached a portrait of a fat woman wearing a white dress. "Password?" She drawled.
"Snaketail." A boy said next to me, opening the portrait door and letting us walk inside. I stood near the fireplace as everyone walked through archways leading to other places.
Ginny came up to me and said, "You OK?" I scoffed and shook my head. "I have no idea where to go." She simply chuckled and motioned with her hand to follow her. I saw George and Fred talking but Fred looking at me, I simply glared and turned my attention back to following Ginny. I followed as she walked up a spiral staircase, leading to a corridor. Once she stopped after passing two other doors, she opened it to reveal six made up beds but three of the occupied with trunks on them.
Ginny plopped on her bed and watched me as looked round at the red and gold curtains around the bed frames. "At the moment, it's just you, Hermione and I." Ginny said. I nodded and started to unpack, half way through I stopped to look at Ginny who had been watching me the whole time. "Yes?"
"Aren't you gonna tell me what's going on between you and Fred. I can tell you clearly like him." She replied.
I sighed as I sat on my bed. "I don't why I like him. I just do. A lot, hell of a lot more than all of my ex's combined. But when I saw him, staring at the Fleur girl from my old school, jealously and anger took over me. He keeps looking at me as he wants to say sorry but I just can't."
Ginny nodded in understanding and then stood up to unpack as well. "He likes you back. I can tell, he is brother after all."
I stared at her in bewilderment. "Yeah right."
Ginny whirled round to stare at me. "Are you mad? You're the prettiest girl in the whole of your year and you also love pranking. He does like you." I simply scoffed, ending the convocation as Hermione walked in.
After we unpacked, changed and was in bed, the other two were asleep and leaving me to be awake as I stared out the window at one o'clock in the morning. I sighed, knowing I wasn't going to get a sleep any time soon and slipped out of bed and out of the room. I tip-toed down the corridor and stairs to see the fire place in the common lit, showing a boy already sitting there.
I walked closer to see that it was none other than the person who is always on my mind, Fred. I sat down and heard him say quietly, "Hey, Why you up?" I sighed, knowing I can't stay mad at him.
"Hey. Things...on my mind. You?" He replied and turned to look at me, to then return his gaze back to the fire.
"Same" I replied and stared at the fire. I grew tired and decided to lie down, placing my head on his lap.
I heard Fred chuckled and he asked quietly, "You mind?
I smiled and replied, "Nope. Not really." My eyelids then grew heavy as silence consumed us, only the crackles from the fire and Fred stroking my hair, finally sending me to sleep.