Hermione's Twin ⇒ Fred Weasley

Ch. 16: The Triwizard Champions

"Hey, respect is nice and all, but it doesn't put me to bed at night."

Lee and George chortled in response, while Hermione, who had been trying to drown out all of our shenanigans in the pages of a perfectly good book, snapped her book shut and shot us all the most motherly look that could only be interpreted as 'could you possibly look any more like complete arseholes?'

I snorted and choked on my juice, I can't believe he just said that. I began coughing and lightly tapping my chest to get some air into my lungs. I almost hated the fact that I wanted to laugh more than I wanted to call him an idiot.

"Kidding," Fred added. He pointed at my Potions notebook, taping it with his freckled forefinger. "Did you see my addition to your notes?"

Autonomously from my will, my right brow arched on my forehead. I flipped to the newest pages in my book and stared down at a new notebook drawing. I thought about it," Fred said, "and I realized that I could draw just as well as ol' Ced."

Smiling up at me was a crude stick figure of Fred with a blinking wand in one hand, a crown on its head and a golden sash around its torso. It read 'Triwizard Champ, Fred Weasley' with Fred's signature beneath it.

"Who's the chick?" I asked, keeping my face straight.

Fred baulked and looked at the drawing once more. "Wha--? No, that's me. See? It's got my name on 'im."

"Oh," I faked realization, picking up n=my notebook and turning it as if to get a better look at the whole image. "Yeah, I guess it is! That's funny. I thought it was your mum."

Before Fred could say anything else, Headmaster Dumbledore had called everyone to be silent.

"Everyone, lend me your attention." He stood up at the front of the room, next to the Goblet of Fire as it bubble brightly with bright blue flames, casting an azure glow throughout the Great Hall.

For a rare moment, the entire student body grew quiet. Every voice was hushed in anticipation for the occasion. We all peered towards the glowing goblet, then at the blue-hued faces of our peers. Who would be chosen? All I really knew was that this was the most interesting year I'd had in school so far.

"Tonight, we will see who has become a Champion of the Tri-Wizard Cup and will participate in the Tournament. Let me remind you that once you have been chosen, there is no turning back. You will be a champion." He cast a sombre glance around the room, then tapped his wand on the Goblet of Fire. "Let us begin."

Light flames licked out and around the goblet, shooting ghastly tendrils of fire into the air and creating a ring around the stone basin. A popping noise exploded through the room as a lightly burnt piece of paper fluttered out of the goblet. Dumbledore reached out a calm hand and snatched the paper out of the air, reading off the name. "The champion of the school of Durmstrang is Viktor Krum!"

Loud cheers sound throughout the room, I snuck a glance at Hermione to see that she was beaming and cheering a little loudly for someone who hardly knew the guy. The beefy guy stood up from the Slytherin table and strut to the front of the Great Hall, shaking hands with McGonagall and Dumbledore before heading inside the chamber in the back of the Hall.

Another loud pop sounded and Dumbledore grinned and grabbed the fluttering piece of brown parchment then read out the name. "The champion for Hogwarts is Cedric Diggory!"

Dumbfounded, I paused and looked at Jenna and Lana, he won?! We all nodded at the same time and jumped up, screaming at the top of our lungs for him as he made his way to the front of the stage to shake hands with the teachers.