The Golden Quartet: Year 4

CHAPTER 10

They were all in the Great Hall now, the students from Beauxbatons found themselves sitting with the Ravenclaws, the expressions on the French student's faces showing they simply seemed to have picked the house they least disliked.

And much to Ron's dismay, the students from Durmstrang sat with the Slytherins.

Once everyone was settled Dumbledore stepped forward. “The moment has come. The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket-”

“The what?” Harry muttered and Ron shrugged.

“- just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation” - there was a round of polite applause - “and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.”

The applause for Bagman was much more enthusiastic, who acknowledged it with a jovial wave.

“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 Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts.” Dumbledore smiled, “The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch.”

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked very old.

“The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman,” Dumbledore said as Filch placed the chest on the table before him, “and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways... their magical prowess, their daring, their powers of deductions, and of course their ability to cope with danger.”

Everyone in the Hall seemed to have held their breath.

“As you know, three champions compete in the tournament. One from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three 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 the casket. The casket seemed to have fallen apart and all that was left was a seemingly wooden goblet with blue flames dancing in it.

“Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must simply write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. 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 has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be left here tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

“To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation 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 this line.

“Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all.”

“An Age Line!” Fred said, his eyes glinting as they all made their way to the entrance hall. “Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? Athena can whip one of those up in no time!” Fred wrapped his arm around Athena who then peeled it off.

“Like I would actually help you cheat your way into a tournament that is designed to try to kill you?” Athena said with a raised brow and heated eyes.

“Cheat is such a strong word...” Fred said.

“That's not exactly the word I want you to focus on – kill, Fred, kill – that's what you need to worry about.”

“If your sister's gonna try to join why can't I?” Fred nodded over to Astrid who shot him a glare.

“She's what?” Athena turned her attention away from Fred and onto Astrid.

“I never said I'm joining – just that I'd obviously win if I did... and that if... Fred and George found a way to enter that they should let me know...” Astrid shrugged and looked away.

“No, Astrid.” Athena said sternly.

Astrid scoffed, “You can't tell me-”

“I said no.”

“And I said-”

“For once in your life, just try to have a normal non-life threatening year at Hogwarts, would you? I think mum would also like that.” Athena stepped in front of Astrid with crossed arms and pursed lips.

“Fine...” Astrid said and then stepped around Athena and whispered, “McGonagall...”

As the next day was Saturday, Harry, Astrid, Ron, and Hermione all rushed down to the Great Hall to see who would be entering their name into the goblet which sat on a stool in the middle of the hall.

“Anyone put their name in yet?” Ron asked Dean Thomas who was already there, eating some toast.

“All the Durmstrang lot,” he replied. “But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet.”

“Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed,” Harry said. “I would've if it had been me... wouldn't have wanted everyone watching.”

Hearing laughing, they all turned to see Fred, George, and Lee Jordan entering the hall, looking very excited.

“Done it,” Fred said triumphantly to the group. “Just taken it.”

“The Aging Potion? Athena helped you after all?” Astrid said in surprise.

“Nah, had to do it ourselves. Took us all night, but we got it.” George said.

“We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins,” Lee said, grinning.

“I'm not sure it's going to work, you know,” Hermione said warningly. “I'm sure Dumbledore would have thought about students using an Aging Potion.”

The three boys ignored her.

“Ready?” Fred said to the other two. “C'mon, then – I'll go first -”

They all watched as Fred pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket with his name and school written on it. He walked up to the golden age line that was drawn upon the floor, surrounding the Goblet. He stood there for a long moment, then with every pair of eyes on him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line.

George let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred – but the next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the circle. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted long white beards.

“You said!” Fred and George said in unison before lunging at each other and the entire hall erupted in laughter as they watched the two twins wrestle around on the floor.

“I did warn you,” said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore entering the hall.

Fred and George quickly stood as Dumbledore looked at them with twinkling eyes. “I suggest you both go up 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, neither of their beards are as fine as yours.”

Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter.

The rest of the group walked over to the Gryffindor table to begin eating breakfast.

“There's a rumor going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in,” Dean told them. “That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth.”

“We can't have a Slytherin champion!” Ron said in disgust.

“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!” Hermione said suddenly.

People were cheering and they all turned to see Angelina Johnson coming over with a large group around her. “Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!” She said, grinning.

“You're seventeen then?” Harry asked.

“Had my birthday last week!” Angelina answered.

“Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor is entering,” Hermione said. “I really hope you get it!”

“Thanks, Hermione,” Angelina said, smiling at her.

“Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory,” Seamus said.

~~~

After breakfast, and watching the Beauxbatons girls throw their names into the Goblet, the four decided to head down to Hagrid's hut to spend the day with him. A light rain had started to fall midafternoon and Hagrid was arguing with Hermione about house-elves – for he flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges.

“It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione,” he said gravely. “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 was over the moon about it!” Hermione said. “And we heard he's asking for wages now!”

“Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos 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 ter do it, Hermione.”

Hermione looked very cross and stuffed her badges back into her pocket.

By half past five it was growing dark, so the four decided to get back to the castle for the Halloween feast – and, more importantly, for the announcement of the school champions.

“I'll come with yeh,” Hagrid said. “Jus' give us a sec.”

Hagrid got up and went over to his drawer beside his bed, searching for something inside it. They didn't pay much attention until a horrid smell reaches their nostrils. Coughing, Ron said, “Hagrid, what's that?”

“Eh?” Hagrid said, turning around with a bottle in his hand. “Don' yeh like it?”

“Is that aftershave?” Hermione said in a slightly choked voice.

“Er – its cologne,” Hagrid muttered. He was blushing. “Maybe it's a bit much... I'll go take it off, hang on...”

Hagrid stumped out of the cabin and they watched as he washed himself vigorously in the water barrel outside he window.

“Cologne?” Hermione said in amazement. “Hagrid?”

“Look!” Ron said suddenly, pointing out the window.

Getting to their feet very cautiously, so Hagrid would not spot them, the four of them peered through the window and saw Madam Maxime walking over to Hagrid.

“He's going up to the castle with her!” Hermione said indignantly. “I thought he was waiting for us!”

Without so much as a backward glance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off up the ground with Madam Maxime.

“Seems like he's made a new friend,” Astrid said with a smirk.

“He fancies her!” Ron said. “Well, If they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record – bet any baby of their would weigh about a ton.”

They let themselves out of the cabin and closed the door behind them and set off up the sloping lawns.

When they entered the candlelit Great Hall 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.

“Hope it's Angelina,” Fred said, clean-shaven.

“Well, we'll know soon enough.” Athena said.

Dumbledore rose to his feet and the hall went silent. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madam Maxime looked as tense and 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 its decision,” Dumbledore said. “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 through into the next chamber” - he indicated to the door behind the staff table - “where they will be receiving their first instructions.”

Dumbledore waved his wand and all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins went out, plunging them into semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly, sparkling bright bluey-whiteness of the flames. Everyone watched, waiting...

“Any second,” Lee Jordan whispered.

The flames inside the goblet turned red suddenly and sparks began to fly from it. 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 piece of parchment and read outloud, “the champion for Durmstrang... will be Viktor Krum.”

“No surprise there!” Ron yelled as a storm of applause and cheering swept the hall. They watched Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and make his way towards Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

“Bravo, Viktor!” Karkaroff boomed, so loudly that everyone could hear him. “Knew you had it in you!”

The clapping and cheering died down. Now everyone's attention was focused on the goblet again, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it.

“The champion for Beauxbatons,” Dumbledore began to read after catching it, “is Fleur Delacour!”

“It's her, Ron!” Harry shouted as the girl who resembled a veela got gracefully to her feet and made her way to the chamber.

When she vanished behind the door, the room fell silent once again. The goblet turned red once more; sparks showered out of it and the tongue of flame shot high into the air and from its tip, Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

“The Hogwarts champion,” he called, “is Cedric Diggory!”

“No!” Ron said loudly but no one could hear him over the roar from the Hufflepuff table. They had jumped to their feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber.

After the cheering died down, Dumbledore began, “Excellent! Well, we now have out three champions. I am sure I can count upon 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-”

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking as everyone's attention turned to the goblet which had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and another piece of parchment flew out.

Dumbledore reached out and seized it. He stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the parchment in his hand and everyone stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out -

“Harry Potter.”