Bat-Bogey Hexers

73

Dawn was just beginning to break. Outside the grey November sky was tinged yellow by the rising sun.

Viola thought this would be the perfect time to put her name in the Goblet without everyone gawking at her as she did it.

However she was not the only one who'd thought of this ingenious plan. They arrived in the Great Hall to find that there were already a few students lingering there. Viola's shoulders slumped and she slowed down in the doorway.

The Goblet of Fire had been set up in the center of the room. A thin golden line had been traced around the Goblet creating a circle.

"Hullo Cedric! Did you put your name in?" called Hugo, bouncing into the room.

He was addressing a older, good-looking Hufflepuff boy Viola recognized as being the team seeker.

The boy grinned at Hugo as he strode past the tables.

"Yep, " he said.

"Nice!" said Hugo. He lifted his hand for a high-five and Cedric slapped him one. "Hope you're chosen!"

"Thanks Hugo," said Cedric.

Viola turned to Hugo with a glare of incredulity.

"What?" asked Hugo as Cedric walked away.

"You hope he's chosen?" demanded Viola. "What about me?"

"Well I hope you're chosen too," said Hugo, nodding.

Clemi snorted. "That's not gonna work."

"Oh," said Hugo, "Right, well, I hope if you don't get picked that Cedric gets does."

Viola continued to glare at him.

"Why don't you go put your name in the Goblet?" said Hugo, in an attempt to change the subject.

"No, not now," said Viola. "Not with all these people around."

"Oh, go on Viola!" said Hugo. He gave her a push forward. "Be brave little Viola, be brave!"

"No," said Viola. "Let's go and come back later when everyone's gone."

"Why don't we eat breakfast first?" suggested Hugo.

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"Anyone out their name in the Goblet?" Ginny asked Demelza as she headed into the Great Hall with Vera and Peggy.

"The students from Durmstrang," said Demelza who was sitting alone at the Gryffindor table eating breakfast. "Everyone else must've either put it in at the break of dawn, or done it last night after everyone went to bed."

"I heard Angelina Johnson's entering," said Ginny, taking her seat at the table. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Harry, Hermione and Ron arrive in the great hall. "I hope she's picked as the Hogwarts champion!"

"What about your brothers," said Demelza with amusement. She pointed at the entrance to the great hall where Fred and George had just arrived with Lee. "Aren't you hoping one of them will be champion?"

Ginny watched as her brothers came excitedly racing into the great hall.

"Mm, I'm still rooting for Angelina," said Ginny.

She watched as her brothers went to go talk with Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Then Fred stepped forward with a piece of paper, bearing his name and school, aloft. Fred went right up to the line, and stood there. Everyone in the hall watched as Fred took a deep breath, then stepped over the line.

For a second, everyone thought it had worked, and George let out a triumphant yell before jumping into the circle as well.

Ginny's eyes widened as there was a loud sizzling noise, and her brothers were thrown from the circle. And landed hard on the stone floor.

What happened next made Ginny burst into laughter - they both sprouted long white beards.

Ginny couldn't stop laughing along with everyone else as Fred and George got to there feet. After seeing each other's beards, they began to laugh as well.

"Yeah," said Ginny through her laughter, "Definitely hope it's Angelina."

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After Breakfast there were still students lingering in the hall so Viola couldn't put her name in. Instead her, Hugo, Ava and a reluctant Clemi went for a walk. They went down to Hagrid's (where Hagrid was, for some inexplicable reason, dressed in a very horrid hairy-suit) and Viola was allowed to meet Beauxbatons gorgeous horses.

After they finished their walk, they headed back up to the castle a little before lunch. Viola's stomach tripped in excitement when she found the hall empty.

"Great, no ones here! Go for it!" said Hugo eagerly.

Viola pulled the vile from the pocket of her robes, and regarded it. She took a deep breath.

"Are . . . Are you all sure you don't want to try it with me?" asked Viola hopefully.

"It's all you," said Clemi while Ava shook her head.

"This is your moment to shine, Viola," said Hugo, giving her another push forward.

"Alright," said Viola.

She walked right up to the line, and stood there, looking down at it.

She sighed once more, then opened the bottle, and took a sip. A tingling sensation ran down her spine.

Viola glanced back at her friends.

"Here it goes,"'she said, and stepped over the line.

Nothing happened. Viola looked at her friends again with a wide grin of surprise!"

"Hey, it worked!" she said happily.

With satisfaction, the girl headed toward the Goblet to put her name in, all kinds of visions of glory running through her mind.