star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER SEVEN

"So who do you think is getting in?" Seamus asked Arabella and Dean. It was Thursday night and the feast was wrapping up. Now they were just waiting for the Triwizard champions to be announced.

"Seamus, you've asked us that question about fifteen times," Arabella said.

"And we give you the same answer every time," Dean said. "Viktor Krum for Durmstrang, and Angelina for Hogwarts."

"We never decided on Angelina."

"I decided on Angelina. I chose to ignore your infatuation with Cedric Diggory."

"I am not infatuated-"

"All right, all right, I get it. Either Angelina or Cedric for Hogwarts," Seamus interrupted them. "But I've heard Ben Wood entered as well, and he's really good."

"Wait, we're forgetting about Beauxbatons," Dean said.

"Did that on purpose," Arabella said.

Dean opened his mouth to speak again but Professor Dumbledore told them all to sit down and he stopped. The Great Hall fell silent to hear what he had to say.

"Now the moment you've all been waiting for: the champion selection!" said Dumbledore. With a wave of his hand, all of the torches and candles in the room went out, the only source of light now being the Goblet of Fire, casting a bluish hue. A few moments later, the flames in the Goblet turned scarlet, and a charred slip of parchment burst out. Dumbledore caught it and read it. "The Durmstrang champion is Viktor Krum!"

"And is anyone surprised? No," Arabella said.

"It's like we can tell the future or something," Dean joked. "Maybe those Divination lessons aren't such a waste of time after all."

Once Viktor had entered the chamber off of the Great Hall, the flames in the Goblet of Fire turned scarlet once again, emitting another charred slip of parchment.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," Dumbledore announced, "is Fleur Delacour."

"Who?" Arabella asked.

"The veela-girl," Seamus told her with a goofy grin on his face.

Arabella scoffed but knew better than to deny that Fleur wasn't at all veela.

Fleur shook hands with Dumbledore and then walked through the door Viktor had just moments before. Seconds later, Dumbledore caught the last slip of burned parchment and read it.

"The Hogwarts champion," he said, "Cedric Diggory!"

"Told you!" Arabella said to Dean, happily applauding Cedric.

"Excellent! We now have our three champions. But in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory, the Triwizard Cup!"

Mr. Crouch uncovered the Cup and again, applause and cheers filled the Great Hall.

"I am once again saddened that I am not 17 and will never be able to hold that," Arabella said, admiring the ornate cup. "Really, I could cry."

The cheeriness came to an abrupt halt, however, when for the fourth time, the Goblet of Fire's flames turned scarlet and gave out another piece of parchment. A confused-looking Dumbledore caught it and read. Arabella saw his mouth move but couldn't hear what he said as she was so far away. He began to look around the room. "Harry Potter?" Everyone looked around at Harry but he just sat and stared at Dumbledore in shock. "Harry Potter!"

"Go on, Harry," Hermione said. He didn't move. "Harry, for goodness sake." She pulled him up out of his seat and lightly pushed him forward.

The Great Hall was silent as Harry walked slowly up to Dumbledore. The man handed him the piece of parchment with his name on it and he continued on to the chamber off of the Great Hall.

"He's a cheat!" someone shouted.

"He's not even 17 yet," someone else shouted.

"Oh, shut it!" Arabella yelled. It was already apparent to her that Harry had had no part in this. Of course, Hermione shushed her. As soon as the door to the chamber shut behind Harry, Arabella turned to her friends with a look of concern. "What just happened?"

"I know exactly what just happened," Ron said in an angry tone.

Arabella and Ron grumbled at each other until they reached the Gryffindor common room, where their argument turned into a full-blown fight.

"How else could Harry's name have gotten into that goblet, Bella? Please, enlighten me!" Ron shouted.

"I would, but it seems you're being extra dense tonight, so I won't bother," Arabella shouted back.

"There you go again, thinking you're better than everybody else."

"I'm sorry you're so blinded by jealousy, Ronald. I really do feel bad for you."

"Oh, you wanna talk about jealousy? Well, I happen to know a few things about you that aren't so pretty, Arabella, so don't go around letting people think you're perfect."

"You guys are causing a scene," Hermione said.

"Maybe I wouldn't have to if someone wasn't such a jackass," Arabella said, her voice still raised as she and Ron stood and glared at each other, unaware of their peers watching them uneasily.

"Stop it!" Ginny yelled louder than both of them. They looked at her to see she was holding her wand. "Don't make me do it."

The twins looked from Ginny's serious expression to her wand, back again, and then glared at each other one last time before storming off to their dormitories.

[word count: 881]
[written: 5/8/20]
[published: 6/7/20]