Window into the Past

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Everyone applauded politely. My family were already introduced at the start of the year so they just sat there. "Mr Crouch and Mr Bagman have been working for a few months on the arrangements for the tournament. Mr Crouch, Miss Tatiana Jones, myself, Madame Maxime and Professor Karkaroff will be on the judging panel to judge the champion's efforts."

The whole hall started clapping, then it hit me. Whoever the Hogwarts champion was going to be, they'd be kissing my arse to get good marks from my aunt.

"The casket if you please, Mr Filch?" Dumbledore requested. Filch carried a big bejewelled wooden chess to the staff table. "Everything has been examined by Mr Crouch, Mr Bagman and Miss Jones. There will be three tasks spread out throughout the year and they will test the champions in different ways, mainly their ability to cope with danger. As you know three champions are selected, one from each school. They will be marked on how they perform by the judges and the champion with the highest score after the last task will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions are chosen by an impartial selector, the Goblet of Fire, Tatiana, if you please."

Tia opened the chest with her wand and carried out some sort of wood and stone cup. It was full to the brim with dancing blue flames. Dumbledore nodded at her to go ahead.

"Anyone who wishes to submit themselves as a champion for their school must write their name and school clearly on a piece of parchment and drop it into the Goblet," Tia addressed us. "Aspiring champions have twenty four hours, tomorrow night, the Goblet will choose three champions, it will be placed in the Entrance Hall so everybody can access it."

Dumbledore took over her speech. "I will be drawing an age line, no one under the age of seventeen may cross it. Once a champion is selected, there is no turning back, placing your name in creates a binding magical contract. Now, goodnight to you all."

I walked out of the hall so I could get an early night, I was exhausted after pulling an all nighter to get ahead of all my work. I walked into the bathroom to wash up and to change into my pyjamas.

"Joy?" Hermione's voice was very quiet and shaky. "What?" I mumbled.

"I was really insensitive to you and your family, I'm really, really sorry, I know you and your aunt aren't like Crouch or Malfoy," she was sniffling.

I walked over to her and hugged her. "It's okay Mione, I forgive you."

She returned the hug and she was crying a little. "You want me to buy an S.P.E.W badge?" I asked her. "Maybe," she muttered. "You're lucky you're cute," I rolled my eyes.

***

"Ah, my favourite niece," Tia greeted me. "I'm your only niece," I told her. "Now, are you ready?" she asked me.

"For?" I frowned.

Tia muttered a spell which brought a training dummy to life. "Bloody hell!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"So, what spells do you know?" Tia asked me. "Disarming people, stunning people, freezing people, burning people, paralysing people and protecting myself from all the above," I listed, counting them on my fingers."

Tia nodded. "Good that's good, but there's some others you should know, wand out."

I whipped my wand out from my robes. "Try Levicorpus, okay?"

"On the dummy?"

"No, on me," Tia muttered. "Go ahead, hit me with. your best shot."

"Okay," I murmured, pointing my wand at her. "Levicorpus!"

She suddenly flew upside down and it was like an invisible giant was holding her up by the ankle. "Haha! Nice!" she cheered. She muttered the counter curse and dropped to the ground. "There we go, good job, now, I'm going to make that dummy run at you okay? You're going to slow it down with Impedimenta, okay?"