Through All the Pain // N. Longbottom

Fourth Year // Chapter 7

Once I cooled down, I went with Hermione to the library to check out a book. After that, we went and watched for those putting their names forth in the tournament. While we sat there Dean and Seamus walked over, right as Hermione gasped from something she just read.

"People have gotten splinched in this Tournament! More than once!" 

"Splinched?" Dean questioned.

"Dunno. But it doesn't sound good." Seamus replied. I was about to explain what it was when Dean nudged me and pointed towards the door. I looked over and saw Cedric walking in. He approached the age line, and for a second he hesitated. 

However, his buddies who followed him shoved him over the line. That's when he saw me, that's when I took a sharp breath and bit my lip. He started to take a step back before I coughed and got his attention. When he looked over, I just nodded my head.

I figured if he really wanted to enter this bloody tournament, I shouldn't be standing in his way. I should be supportive and help him if he should get chosen, (however I DID NOT want that to be the case).

He quickly walked off with his buddies and I got back to watching everyone in the room. That's when we heard some cheering coming from the doorway, and Fred, George, and Lee came rushing in. 

"Well. We've done it, lads." Fred said sitting down beside me.

"Cooked it up just this morning," George added. Just then, Lee let out a cough and stared at George. "Alright, Jordan helped." Lee quickly reached up and smacked the back of his head. I laughed as Hermione closed her book.

"It's not going to work ..." she said in a sing-songy voice. George and Fred went over and got on either side of her. 

"Yeah? And why's that, Granger?" George replied while reaching up and brushing just a bit of his long hair out of his face. Hermione sighed and looked at George.

"You see this? This is an age line, Dumbledore drew it himself." She motioned to the blue ring surrounding the Goblet.

"So?" Fred asked. Hermione sighed once again and closed her book, with a huff and a chuckle at the same time. 

"So, a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dim-witted as an Ageing Potion!"

"That's what makes it so brilliant," Fred said.

"Because it is so pathetically dim-witted," George added.

"Which of you idiots are going first?" I asked wishing I had a muggle video camera to get their failure on video.

"I will," Fred announced getting up on the bench.

"So will I!" George joined his brother on the bench and they both opened their flasks. "Ready Fred?"

"Ready George!"

"Bottoms up!"

The two of them said and they drank from the flasks and jumped down off of the bench and into the line. Nothing happened and the boys instantly got all excited and got the crowd in the room cheering them on. They raised their hands with their pieces of parchment and dropped them into the goblet. 

Everyone started clapping as nothing happened to make everyone think they'd done it. That's when the flames became bright red and started whizzing around the room smacking the twins about fifteen feet away from the cup.

"Oh, my!" I exclaimed as the room burst out with laughter at their failure. The two boys sat up and started rubbing their heads. Upon doing so they noticed their once red ginger hair was no white, and they had grown beards as long as Dumbledores.

"YOU SAID!"

"YOU SAID!" 

They lept across at each other and started to roll around the floor fighting each other. I glanced around the room and saw Lee standing over by Angelina and Alicia. Just laughing his arse off, watching the boys fight. 

After a few moments, the fighting quieted down as some footsteps were heard coming into the hall. We all turned to see Viktor Krum being led in by his classmates and being followed by Karkaroff. Almost every eye was trained on Krum and he approached the Goblet. Once he threw his name in he walked right back out with all of his buddies from Drumstrang. 

Once they were gone, the room went back to the normal noise level. Angelina and Lee took Fred and George up to Madame Pomfrey. The rest of the day was quite boring, we finished our studies and preparation for the next day. 

The day the champions would be chosen.