Chasing Love

Chapter Fifty-Five - Beards

Looking over, Eliza noticed the twins stumbling into the hall late, "They're up to something." She told Oliver, "They won't tell me but I intend to find out."

"What do you mean they won't tell you? They tell you everything."

"Not this, they must think I'll disagree with it." She told him, "My guess is that it's something to do with the Triwizard Cup."

The twins sat down opposite the two and smiled innocently at her, "Alright?"

"Morning," Eliza smiled at the two sweetly, "Did you sleep well?"

"Of course we did." Fred replied.

"Maybe you should tell your face that." Eliza chuckled.

"I'll see you later." Oliver said as he kissed her forehead.

"Byee." She smiled happily at him before turning to the boys, "What are you up to?"

"He's refusing to talk to us!"

"That's annoying." Eliza told them. 

"It's a bummer, all right." George told them. "But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."

"Who's avoiding you?" Ron asked as he, Hermione and Harry sat down beside them. 

"Wish you would." Fred replied as he became annoyed at their interruption. 

"What's a bummer?" Ron asked George.

"Having a nosy git like you for a brother." George said.

"You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet? Thought any more about trying to enter?" Harry asked them.

"I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling." George said bitterly, "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."

"Wonder what the tasks are going to be? You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. We've done dangerous stuff before." Ron said dreamily. 

Fred then told him, "Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't. McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."

"Who are the judges?" Harry asked.

"Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel." Everyone turned to look at Hermione surprised. "Because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on the rampage." Everyone continued to stare at her, "It's all in Hogwarts, A History. Though, of course, that book's not entirely reliable. A Revised History of Hogwarts would be a more accurate title. Or A Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School."

"What are you on about?" Ron asked her.

"House-elves!" Hermione said as she began to get angry with him. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does Hogwarts, A History mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!" Eliza quickly looked down at her plate of food, not wanting to catch the eye of Hermione. She had paid two Sickles for a S.P.E.W. badge so she didn't get shouted at by Hermione. "You do realize that your sheets are changed, your fires lit, your classrooms cleaned, and your food cooked by a group of magical creatures who are unpaid and enslaved?" 

Everyone suddenly became interested in anything else, Eliza and Fred became very interested in their own bacon while George leaned over towards Hermione, "Listen, have you ever been down in the kitchens, Hermione?"