the three champions.
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"The blush on her face when i looked at her
tells me so."
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Trigger warnings: Mention of death.
yes i am posting again. yay!
here's a small refresher.
.... "there was a pleasant feeling or anticipation in the air two days later. Nobody was attentive in lessons, being much more interested in the arrival that evening of the people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang; even Potions was more bearable than usual, as it was half an hour shorter. When the bell rang early, the trio hurried up to the Gruffindor tower while Rose took her time heading to the Dungeons, deposited of their bags and books as they had been instructed, pulled on their cloaks, and rushed back downstairs into the entrance hall.
the heads of houses were ordering their students into lines.
"weasley, straighten your hat," Professor McGonagall snapped at Ron. "Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair."
They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was cold, clear evening; duck was falling and a pale transparent looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest.
"Nearly six," said Ron, checking his watch and then staring down the drive that led to the front gates. "How d'you reckon they're coming? the train?"
"I doubt it," said Hermione.
"how, then? broomsticks?" Harry suggested, looking up at the sky."
"they're really far away you idiot." said Rose. "they aren't gonna come here on broomsticks."
"or they could apparate—" said Ron. "maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they're at."
They scanned the darkening grounds excitedly, but nothing was moving. Everything was still, silent, and quiet as usual.
And then Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers—
"Aha! Unless i am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"
They're here."
AS THE GIGANTIC black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.
The front three rows of students had to draw backward as the carriage hurtled lower and lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed— then, with an almighty crash, the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. A second later, the carriage had landed too.
A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of gold steps. He sprang back respectfully. Then, Rose saw a ginormous high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage, followed almost immediately by the largest woman she had ever seen.
"That explains the size of the carriage.." Ron breathed out.
Dumbledore began to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too.
Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had to barely bend to kiss it.
He welcomed her to Hogwarts with a graceful grin, before she waved one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.
A dozen boys and girls, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. They were staring up at Hogwarts and with apprehensive looks on their faces.
Madame Maxime and Dumbledore continued to converse as the foreign students stared at the castle.
"Every single one of those girls will be fainting once they get a single glance at me." Draco muttered confidently a few feet away, smirking and crossing his arms.
Ron and Harry looked over at each other. Ron muttered, "Fainting from the horrific smell of hair bleach, yeah."
Rose turned to Draco, "Girls?"
His smirk slowly faded as he looked at her, not even noticing her there. "Of course, what do you mean?"
"You're not-" Rose tilted her head, Harry pursed his lips realizing what she was doing. "You aren't gay?"
His face conformed into horror. "What? No!" He leaned in close, whisper shouting, "Who told you this incorrect information?"
Her eyebrows furrowed, her leaning in as well mimicking his actions. "You did."
His expression was as if he was told his whole family was killed in a mass murder. Harry was laughing out loud, impressed as to how she hadn't bursted out laughing yet as well.
Rose decided to humble them both.
"Haven't you kissed Harry before?"
Harry's laughter silenced itself within less than a second.
"What?" Both Harry and Draco had yelled out in pure disgust.
Ron was nearly toppling over from his laughter, his hand on Hermione's shoulder for support. She was concerned if he was even able to breathe.
"Kiss potter? He wishes!" Draco scoffed, making sure no one heard Rose's remark.
Rose and Hermione grinned at each other.
Harry was about to begin yelling at Draco, until... an oddly eerie noise was drifting toward them from out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound.
"Can you hear something?" said Ron suddenly.
"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"
From their position at the top of the lines overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water - except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming out on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks – and then, out of the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug has just been pulled out from the lakes floor...
What seemed to be a long, black pole begin to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool... And then they saw the rigging...
"It's a mast!"
Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, Misty lighte shimmering at it's porthole's looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ships emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.
People were disembarking; they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ships portholes. All of them, they noticed, seemed to be built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyal... But then, as they drew near, walking up the lines into the light streaming from the entrance hall, they saw that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing clothes of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.
"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow?"
After they had welcomed one another, Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students.
"Harry - it's Krum!" Ron punched Harry's arm.
"Krum?" said Rose, looking the boy up and down curiously. "That's the boy you're obsessed with?"
"Thank you!" Hermione threw her arms up.
"Oh, shut up," Ron hissed, "don't act like you aren't obsessed with- with-"
"Go on, obsessed with what?"
He struggled to find something Rose was obsessed with. "With- Harry!"
"Nice try."
Ron shrugged the conversation off, no one even acknowledging Harry's red face, and he went back to the fact that Krum, the Victor Krum, was standing right in front of him.
"I can't believe it," Ron said, "Krum, Harry! Krum!"
"For heavens sake." said Hermione, putting a hand on her forehead.
"He's just a Quidditch player." Rose was concerned about Ron's love for Krum.
"Just a Quidditch player?" Ron said, looking at her as though he couldn't believe his ears. "Rose- he's one of the best seekers in the world!"
Rose remained unimpressed. "Yeah. So?"
As Ron went into another rant about how awesome Victor Krum was, talking Rose's ears off, they recrossed the entrance hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students heading for the great hall.
"I'm getting his autograph if i can," said Ron. "You haven't got a quill, have you?"
"Nope." said both Rose and Harry.
Ron, Harry, and Hermione took a turn for the Gryffindor table, but waited before sitting down. Watching her jog, Rose went up to a very bored-looking Snape.
"Snape."
He ignored her.
"Snaaaape."
"Snape!"
"What." He remained emotionless, emphasis on the T. He wasn't even looking her in the eye as he spoke.
"Can i sit with Gryffindor table today?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pleeeeeeeease?"
"No."
She groaned, "Why not?"
He finally turned, looking at her. "Because, they are Gryffindors you are Slytherin. Slytherins and Gryffindors simply do not mush—"
"Yes they do," she interrupted, "They can. You were never friends with a Gryffindor?"
"No. Never have, never will." He looked away, getting annoyed of her already.
"What about Mrs McGonagall?"
"We are not friends," He shook his head, "Rather, acquaintances."
"Yeah, sure."
"If i let you sit with Gryffindor table will you shut up?" He compromised.
"Yep."
"Go ahead."
"Thank you."
She went back to the trio, giving a thumbs up, signaling that he said yes.
"Man, he is as stiff as a rock." She shook her head, swinging her leg over the bench to sit down next to Harry.
Victor Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students had settled themselves at the Slytherin table.
Ron's eyes widened. "Rose, don't sit with us!"
She froze, "Excuse me?"
"Go sit with Krum! Talk to him and get his autograph for me!"
Hermione rolled her eyes.
Rose looked over at Krum and back to Ron. "What are you, a five year old boy? Go get it yourself."
Ron sighed.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - more particularly - guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."
"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"
The Great hall filled with food. It was much more crowded with people than usual.
A few moments later, a voice said, "Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?"
It was a girl from Beauxbatons. A long sheet of silvery-blonde hair fell almost to her waist. She had large, deep blue eyes, and very white teeth.
Ron went purple. Rose stared up at her. They both seemed at a loss for words. Ron and Rose then looked at each other, then down at the bowl of bouillabaisse. A second went by before they raced for it. Attacking each other just to get to the bowl first. Ron grabbed it but Rose snatched it out of his hands. Looking back up at the girl, a smug-like look on her face. "Here."
The girl looked over Rose's face, smiling, a small shade of pink on her face. "Thank you,"
"No problem."
The girl picked up the dish and carried it carefully off to the Ravenclaw table, Rose watching her walk away, her hips swaying. Rose's eyes slightly shifted downward.
Hermione and Harry started to laugh. The sound brought Rose and Ron back to their senses.
"Whipped at first sight." Hermione snorted.
"Rose, you get all the girls. Please let me have just this one." Ron begged.
"Absolutely not." Rose said, finally going back to her food.
"Why not?! How do you even know if she likes girls?"
Rose stared at him, "The blush on her face when i looked at her tells me so."
"She was probably embarrassed." Ron excused.
"Why would she be embarrassed—"
"Can you both shut up?" Hermione interrupted.
"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" said Ron, leaning sideways to see a clear view of her. "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!"
"They make them okay at Hogwarts." said Harry without thinking, looking over at Rose sipping orange juice.
"Okay?" Rose lifted her head up, Harry snapping his back down at his food immediately. "the girls here are so hot, what are you talking about."
"When you've all put your eyes back in," said Hermione briskly, "you'll be able to see who's just arrived."
She was pointing up at the staff table. The two remaining empty seats had just been filled. Ludo Bagman who is now sitting on Professor Karkaroffs other side, while Mr. Crouch, Percy's boss, was next to Madame Maxime.
"They organized the Triwizard Tournament." said Hermione.
"So those are the idiots." Rose slowly nodded.
"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "the Triwizard tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket–"
"Casket?" muttered Harry.
"I knew it." said Rose.
"-just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" there was a smattering of polite applause - "and Mr Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
More applause. "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."
Filch, Who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the hall, now approached to Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students; Dennis Creevey actually stood on his chair to see it properly, but, being so tiny, his head hardly rose above anyone else's.
"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year has already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman." said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways... Their magical prowess – their daring - their powers of deduction – and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."
"as you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly, "One from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."
Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been for to the brim with dancing blue–white flames.
Dumbledore close the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the hall.
"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as a champion must write their name and School clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring Champions have twenty four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete. To ensure that no underage student yield to temptation, I will be drawing an age line around the goblet of fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen be able to cross this line."
"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the goblet of fire, He or she is obligated to see the tournaments through to the end the placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name to the goblet. Now, i think it is time for bed. Goodnight to you all."
"An age line!" said Fred Weasley, his eyes glinting, as they all made their way across the hall to the doors into the entrance hall. "Well, that could be fooled by an aging potion, couldn't it?"
"No one under seventeen will even stand a chance," said Hermione. "we just haven't learned enough..."
"Speak for yourself," said George shortly. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Rose?"
"Absolutely not." She said without hesitation. "I may have accidentally locked myself in the bathroom in first year, but i am not an idiot."
"Awe man," teased Fred, "I thought you were tough."
She was mildly offended. "I am. If i entered that tournament i would beat all of you. Who was the one that survived many deadly curses as a child?" She raised her hand in the air.
"I mean," said Harry, "I survived the killing curse—"
She blinked at him, "You always gotta bring that up. Let me have my moment."
"What about you, Harry?" George encouraged. "You thinking about entering?"
Harry thought about it ... his mind was leading him in two different directions. He was about to answer, until Ron, who wasn't listening to a word of this conversation, instead looking through the crowds for Krum, interrupted.
"Where is he? Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?"
"Aww Ron wants his boyfriend to sleep with him." Rose teased, "aren't you a little too young for that?"
"Says the one that looks like she could be my sibling." He rolled his eyes, still searching the crowds.
"You just insulted yourself."
He was no longer listening, "There he is!"
"Back to the ship, then," Karkaroff was saying, "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should i send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"
Krum shook his head as he pulled his furs back on.
Karkaroff turned and led his students toward the doors, reaching them at exactly the same moment as Rose, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Rose and Harry stopped to let him walk through first.
"Thank you," said Karkaroff carelessly, glancing at them. And then Karkaroff froze. he turned his head back to Harry and Rose and stared at them as though he couldn't believe his eyes. Behind their headmaster, the students from Durmstrang came to a halt too. Karkaroff's eyes moved slowly up Rose's face then Harry's face, fixing upon his scar.
"Yeah, that's Rose Black and Harry Potter," said a growling voice from behind them.
Professor Karkaroff spun around. Mad-eye Moody was standing there, leaning heavily on his staff, his magical eye glaring unblinkingly at the Durmstrang headmaster.
The color drained from Karkaroff's face as Rose and Harry watched. Rose was madly concerned and confused. Had they done something wrong? A terrible look a mingled fury and fear came over Karkaroff.
"You!" he said, staring at Moody, unsure if he was really seeing him.
"Me," said Moody grimly. "And unless you've got anything to say to Black and Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."
Rose and Harry looked over at each other and then back at the scene.
Without another word, professor Karkaroff swept his students away with him. Moody watched him until he was out of sight, his magical eye fixed upon his back, a look of intense dislike upon his mutilated face.
A voice spoke in Rose's mind.
something isn't right.
and you will figure out what it is.
"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly as they sat down for breakfast the next morning. Rose snuck behind Hermione, so she wouldn't be seen by Snape. Rose had a hilarious dream last night, it was Fred and George's aging potion failing and them ending up as old men. She hadn't told anybody about it yet, but was definitely planning to.
"All the Durmstrang lot," The third-year girl replied. "But i haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."
"Bet some of them put it on last night after we'd all gone to bed," said Harry. "I would've if it had been me ... wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbled you right back out again?"
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan laughed behind Harry.
"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Rose, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Just taken it."
"What?" said Ron.
"The Aging Potion, dung brains," said Fred.
"One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We only need to be a few months older."
"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," said Hermione warningly. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."
"Yeah," said Rose, taking a bite of french toast. "Next thing you know you could end up wrinkly with a beard for life."
Fred, George, and Lee ignored them.
"Ready?" Fred said to the other two. "C'mon then— i'll go first-"
Rose watched, chuckling quietly to herself, swallowing the toast. Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words Fred Weasley - Hogwarts. Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took great breathe ad stepped over the line.
For a moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter.
Rose started quietly laughing, about to grab a drink.
They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards.
Rose's smile slowly faded. And she set her drink back down on the table.
The entrance hall rang with laughter. Rose's eyes shifted around, steadily joining in. Perhaps it was just a coincidence. There was one person who noticed the look on her face, which was Dumbledore and Hermione.
"I did warn you," said Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both f whom decided to age themselves up a little too."
As it was Halloween, a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins leered from every corner.
"Listen!" Hermione said suddenly.
People were cheering out in the entrance hall: They all swiveled around in their seats and saw Angelina Johnson coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. She came over to them, sat down, and said, "Well, i've done it! Just put my name in!"
"You're kidding!" said Ron, looking impressed.
"Are you seventeen, then?" asked Harry.
"Obviously, can't see a beard, can you?" said Rose.
"Well, i'm glad someone from Gryffindors entering," said Hermione. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!"
"Thanks, Hermione," said Angelina.
"So you hope she dies." Rose leaned back in her seat.
Hermione sighed, "Not everyone who enters will die."
Rose raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "Never know."
"What are we going to do today?" Ron asked as they walked out of the Great Hall.
"We can visit Hagrid," said Harry.
"Wait! I haven't asked Hagrid to join S.P.E.W yet!" Hermione said brightly. "Wait for me while i run upstairs and get the badges!"
"What is it with her?" said Ron, exasperated as Hermione wattled away.
"Shut up, Ron, this spew shit is something she enjoys. I think it's cute." Rose defended Hermiones elf club.
"Guys," said Harry suddenly. "It's your friend.."
The students from Beauxbatons were coming through the front doors from the grounds, among them, the veela-girl. Those gathered around the goblet of fire stood back to let them pass, watching eagerly.
One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the age line and drop their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name was dropped into the fire, it turned briefly read and admitted Sparks.
When all the Beaxbatons students had submitted their names, Madame Maxime led them back out the hall and out onto the grounds again.
A loud rattling noise behind them announced Hermione's reappearance with the box of S.P.E.W badges.
Just as they began to walk again, Rose had heard a voice.
It was muffled, she couldn't hear a coherent word. She turned her head, looking around for the source. She then turned back to the trio, who were confused.
"I just remembered, i have something i wanted to give to Hagrid. It's in my dorm. I'll go get it, you guys can go on without me." She made up a lie, Hermione looked suspicious but Ron and Harry seemed to believe it just fine.
Once they had gone, she looked back around for the voice again. She started walking down the corridors, searching the walls, ceiling, and behind the portraits.
When she decided to give up and turn back around, she saw a light shining through a door. She stopped, now going toward it. She stopped just beside it, listening in.
"Yes, they're in."
She furrowed her eyebrows. It was Karkaroff's voice. Who was he talking to?
"I don't know about this."
Snape?
Snape sounded uncertain. "They are just children."
"Are you telling me you disagree with the dark lord?"
No one else was in the halls, this was getting pretty nerve-racking for Rose.
"No, obviously i agree with any and all plans he has."
Rose rolled her eyes, what a voldy dick sucker.
"They are children who deserve it." Karkaroff whispered viscously. "The girl, she has to either die, or join sides with him. He can not let her run free any longer. Who knows the damage she could do."
Rose gulped, taking a small step back.
Without staying to hear more, she had silently, but quickly, walked away.
About an hour later, Rose entered the candlelit great hall. Ron, Harry, and Hermione questioned her immediately.
"Where were you?" Hermione asked.
"I couldn't find it." Rose shrugged, sitting down. They remained standing.
"What even was it?" Ron wondered.
"Just a book about skrewts."
"Awe," Hermione's worries flooded away. "he would have loved that."
Harry was still mildly concerned. I mean, she had been gone for an hour. But, he decided to shrug it off for now.
The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledores empty chair at the teachers table. Fred and George - clean-shaven again-seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well.
"Hope its Angelina," said Fred.
"So do i!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Well, we'll know soon!"
After a very long while, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the hall, which 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 beaning and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored. Much like Rose.
"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make it's decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions names are called, i would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along 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."
He 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 them into a state of semi-darkness. The goblet of fire now shown more brightly than anything in the whole hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watching.... Rose's leg was bouncing up and down, not that she noticed.
The flames inside the goblet suddenly turned redd again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it- the whole room gasped.
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 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. Krum rose from the table and slouched up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door.
"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly everyone could hear him. Gaining Rose's attention.
She stared up toward him. He hadn't seemed to have noticed yet.
As he stopped his cheers, and sat back down, he did.
And they made eye contact.
He knew, he knew from the look she gave.
She knew something she shouldn't.
The eye contact was broken when Harry nudged her arm. "You okay?"
She swallowed, and nodded. "Yup."
The new champion was called. "Fleur Delacour!"
"It's her!" Ron yelled.
Rose and Fleur caught each others eyes as she walked up to Dumbledore. Fleur smiled sweetly and nodded once.
"Who did she just smile at?" Ron immediately asked. "Me? Or you." He looked at Rose.
"Definitely me." She said.
Time for the last champion. The Hogwarts champion.
The goblet turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high in the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.
"The Hogwarts Champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"
Rose's heart clenched a bit at the call of his name. Cedric. Cedric Diggory was Auroras best friend throughout her first and second year. Rose wondered, does he still remember her?
Every single Hufflepuff jumped to their feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on 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. "Well, now we have our three champions. I am sure i can count on 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.
The dire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. Two long flames shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was more pieces of parchment.
Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out both his hands and seized the two pieces of parchment. He held them out and stared at the names written upon them.
Rose felt her palms sweating. But why?
She looked across the table to see a glass. "Is this water?" she asked hurriedly.
A brown haired girl turned to look at her, nodding yes before looking back to Dumbledore.
Rose grabbed the glass and started chugging it like it was her last drink on earth.
There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands. The only sound heard was Rose's obnoxious gulping of the water. Everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out - "Harry Potter and — and Rose Black."
Rose spit the water everywhere.