Lemon Grass and Sleep

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER

With the coming of the new year came the annual sorting ceremony, and I am pleased to say Hufflepuff got plenty of new additions to our table. It was always a little funny to see these tiny first years come in with their little pointy hats, but nothing can ever compare to seeing their eyes glitter with the magic of Hogwarts.

Boy would that wear off as soon as they sit through their first Magic History lesson with that musty old ghost.

"As some of you may already be aware, the TriWizard tournament has been revived--and will be hosted here at Hogwarts," Dumbledore's dry voice rang out from his podium in the great hall. His announcement was met with thunderous cheers and claps as we all anticipated the events.

"We will be giving a warm welcome to the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute on Hallow's Eve, I expect you all to make proper preparations within your house for the tournament."

As Dumbledore continued on with his announcement, I couldn't help but glance back over to the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Moody. He sat there like he was suspicious of everyone in the room for being excited about the new event coming to Hogwarts. Not to be rude or anything, but his eye slinging from side to side was giving me the heebie jeebies, and I shuddered as I looked away to try and focus back on Dumbledore's speech.

"Because of that, new legislation has been put in place to protect students. All candidates must be at least 17 to enter their name into the Goblet, as we have your best interest at heart. I look forward to seeing all champions chosen from each school, as should you. With that, I dismiss you all for the night."

There was a burst of activity as everyone stood and flooded into the rest of the school, now buzzing with talk about the tournament.

"I think I'm going to enter my name," Cedric smiled as we walked out into the hallway toward the dormitories.

"Really? Good on you, I could never," I mumbled, feeling queasy at just the thought. "Fred and George are already trying to figure out how to fudge the age restriction."

"Ooh, they do work fast, don't they?"

"Right on, they do." I caught Fred's eye across the hall and he sent me a cheeky wink as he turned up the staircase to get to the Gryffindor wing.

"Are you two going to the ball together, then?" He continued, his smile widening as he saw me sputter in surprise at his question.

"Uh, yeah, now that you mention it. Who are you planning to ask?"

"Ah, I've just started to talk to a girl. Not sure if she'll accept yet, though."

"Well, I wish you good luck on that."

"I'm sure I'll need plenty of that," he joked as we followed the rest of our house down to the basement.

"With this tournament I'm sure you will, are you sure you want to?"

"What could be better than finally getting the best house some recognition?"

"Well, if any of us will go down in the history books, it'll be you, Diggory," I smiled, wishing him a goodnight before getting to bed for the night.

I was woken up in the typical way, with some random guy shaking me awake and letting me know there was someone waiting for me at the door. I shuffled to the bathroom and got ready, stumbling into my robes and out of the common room to see Fred smiling as he looked at my haphazard appearance.

"Busy getting your beauty sleep?" He asked, leaning on the wall as I approached him.

"Of course," I muttered, "I've got to replenish my energy reserves. You see, I have a boyfriend who has this sex addiction and-"

He clamped his hand over my mouth quickly, his ears tinging with red.

"Haha, very funny, Soot."

"I quite think so," I smiled, pulling his hand a bit away from my mouth to speak.

"I'm sure you do," Fred sighed, taking his hand back. "Anyways, I've come to talk potions."

"Let me guess, you want to mix up an aging potion."

"Great minds think alike, Soot, let's talk ingredients."

"Ugh."

We walked around the school for a little while, Fred leading the way and bouncing some outlandish ideas off of me to fool the protection charm that would surround the goblet. Along the way George joined us, complete with satchel filled with textbooks.

"Only the second day and you're already getting on with studying? Perhaps Glinda and I have been a bad influence. At this point you'll end up like Granger."

"Oh, don't speak that into existence," he groaned, "I wouldn't even dream of it."

"Soot here thinks an aging potion is our best bet," Fred piped up.

"But I think it's a dumb thing to try regardless, Dumbledore is a capable wizard, he'll have accounted for cheeky potions and charms. I'd be shocked if there weren't a dozen counter-spells attached to the thing."

"No guts, no glory," George smirked.

"I have no idea how either of you haven't died yet," I muttered, shaking my head.

"Sheer sex appeal," George wiggled his eyebrows, earning a shocked laugh from Fred. If you were wondering I started choking on air for a few minutes.

"Did you guys see the new Dark Arts teacher? I think that's the guy Dad and Percy were talking about."

"Moody, yeah. Definitely gives off some creepish vibes."

"Don't let Percy hear you say that," I laughed quietly.

"Right, right. Better keep quiet or we'll get hung by our big toes."

"When do you want to get together to brew it? We could meet in the room."

"We'll need to get it done before October, that's when the other schools are set to arrive and we'll be able to submit our names."

"Sounds do-able, we've got a few months to work out issues."

We started meeting up that night to plan on how to get our hands on such ingredients, or whether we could at all. Getting potions ingredients wasn't something hard to do at Hogwarts, but there was usually the question of what you needed them for. If Fred or George had let slip that we were preparing an aging potion suspiciously close to the TriWizard Tournament, they were sure to be caught in trouble.

"We'll just have to be sneaky," Fred smirked, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"Sneaky just so happens to be both of our middle names," George agreed.

"Family tradition," Fred played along.

"Right, right," I sighed. "I don't care how you get them, whatever you bring me, I'll brew."

"We like a business partner that doesn't ask questions."

"What'll be the payment?" Fred asked, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Hm," I thought for a moment. "Take me through that passage to Hogsmeade again, I've got to get new gloves."

"Smuggling, seems like a fair trade," the two nodded at each other. "We'll drop some ingredients by tomorrow, make sure to get this room to give you a cauldron."

"I'll try," I muttered.