[✎]Willow Black - Accomplice (Fred Weasley)

[25]

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<The Great Hall, Announcement of the Champions>

George stuck his head up so he could look along the table, where was she? Tonight was the night the goblet told everyone who the champions would be, she couldn't miss this! He turned to Fred who was poking his food, poor thing, he had to tell her how he felt, but he always chickened out. George looked over to the entrance again and felt relief flooding through his body. He nudged Fred who glared at him before he saw where George was indicated with a head tilt towards the door. Fred looked up to see where Willow was seen walking, although her brown hair had a slight green tinge to it and she looked very uncomfortable.

Fred was up in a flash and walking briskly towards her, George watched him embrace her in a tight hug, and noted that her hair went her brilliant shade of blue, he knew what that meant, she felt safe! Fred dragged her over to George and pushed her into the seat between them. "Where were you?" George asked, nudging her slightly, "Sorry, I need some alone time, to think," she said, "scared me half to death," Fred said and began eating his food.

"Who do think will become the Hogwarts champion?" Willow asked taking some salad and putting it on her plate before drowning it in salad dressing. "I hope it's Angelina," George said, smiling at the thought of his girlfriend. "As long as it's not a Slytherin" Willow said glancing over at the Slytherin table. "I think Ange has got quite a good chance," Fred said and Willow shrugged. "Anyway how are you, I forgot to ask when I pulled you off the floor," Fred said turning to face Willow who smiled and said, "it was nothing I haven't felt before I suppose". The twins froze, "you poor thing" George whispered dramatically and hugged her, she laughed in response.

At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state. There was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, although it died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored. "Look at how bored Crouch is," Willow said on the border of laughing, George smiled to himself as he agreed mentally with her. "He looks right dull, he does," Fred said staring up at the staff table.

"Well, the Goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them to please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along with the staff table, and go through into the next chamber", he indicated the door behind the staff table, "where they will be receiving their first instructions". "I wonder what's in there," George said peering at the door, "probably a room," Willow said sarcastically, "no way, really" he replied smiling cheekily at her as she swung her head around and gave him a look which he returned.

Dumbledore took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it, at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging everyone into a state of semi-darkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on everyone's eyes. A few people checked their watches, any second now. "Any second," Lee whispered, putting everyone's thoughts into words. The flames inside the Goblet turned suddenly red. Sparks began to fly from it. The next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttering out of it. "That was so dramatic" Fred whispered and grinned in excitement.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had now turned back to blue-white. "The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum." "No surprises there!" yelled Ron, as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Everyone saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table, and slouch up towards Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along with the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber. "He needs to fix his posture," Willow said over the din, "bloomin' hell look at Karkaroff, he looks as though he's going to burst" George stated and snorted into his glass. "Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!" the clapping and chanting died down.

Now everyone's attention was focused again on the Goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. The second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames. "The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!'. "It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted, as the girl who so resembled a Veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Willow snorted, "that dainty thing won't last two seconds", Fred and George shared a look and laughed at the shocked expression on Willow's face. "Oh, look, they're all disappointed," Hermione said over the noise, nodding towards the remainder of the Beauxbatons party. 'Disappointed' was a bit of an understatement. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads in their arms. "Oh my goodness at least you could enter," Willow said shooting a disapproving look over at the Beauxbatons' who were crying. When Fleur Delacour, too, had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it.

The Hogwarts champion was next. The Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip, Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment. "The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory". "No!" Fred and George yelled, "not that Pratt," Fred said angrily, "I think I would rather a Slytherin than that pretty boy" George exclaimed throwing his hands into the air. Willow just laughed at the two; the uproar from the next table was great. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off towards the chamber behind the teachers' table. The applause for Cedric went on for so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily, as at last the tumult died down. "We now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real–" but Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him. "Woah" Willow breathed. The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long arm and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. Then Dumbledore cleared his throat, and read aloud–

"Harry Potter".

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