As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late, but the Great Hall was actually filled with students. When they went down into the entrance hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire.
"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.
"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."
"Bet some of them put it in 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 gobbed you right back out again?"
"Cedric put his name in last night. He told me," Adelaide said suddenly. She had just thought of it and thought her friends ought to know, but they decided to be complete idiots about it.
"Of course, Cedric told you," Ron said in a high pitched voice. Adelaide properly ignored him and her red cheeks.
Just then Fred, George, and Lee Jordan came laughing.
"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper
"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."
"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," said Lee, grinning broadly.
Adelaide was thinking about their 'fine' beards and gave them a sly smile.
"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," said Hermione warningly.
"Well, it will sure be entertaining," Adelaide said in a smug tone, which made the twins scowl at her, which she ignored.
"Ready?" Fred said to the other two, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then — I'll go first —"
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 a great breath and stepped over the line. George let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred.
Adelaide gave a loud derisive laugh.
Then there was a loud sizzling sound, and the twins went flying across the hall, landing painfully on the cold stone floor, growing long white beards. The entrance hall erupted in laughter.
"Told you," Adelaide said chuckling.
"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling.
"I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."
Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter.
Adelaide's grin slid off her face as she thought of something. This was the only time Fred and George had seen each other old. Fred would die in a few years...But that's what she was there for! She was there to save him! She would make sure that she saved him! She should practice harder, get stronger. She had a lot to do, and so it would most certainly take a lot. She should work harder...
"There's a rumour going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean said bringing her out of her reverie.
"That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth."
"We can't have a Slytherin champion!" Harry said in disgust.
"Don't be so prejudiced," Adelaide snapped. "If he deserves to be the champion for Hogwarts, then we should support him wholeheartedly,"
Harry and Ron looked up at the Slytherin table and then pretended to throw up onto their plates. Adelaide scoffed incredulously.
"And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," said Seamus contemptuously. "But I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks."
"Cedric isn't only about his good looks" Adelaide scowled
"Listen!" Hermione said suddenly.
People were cheering out in the entrance hall. They all swivelled around in their seats and saw Angelina Johnson coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. Angelina 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.
"' Course she is, can't see a beard, can you?" said Ron.
"I had my birthday last week," said Angelina.
"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," said Hermione. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!"
"Good luck, Angelina," Adelaide said.
"Thanks," said Angelina, smiling at her.
"Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory," said Seamus, causing several Hufflepuffs passing their table to scowl heavily at him.
Adelaide rolled her eyes.
"Hey, you better not bad-mouth dear Cedric in front of Addy," Harry teased.
"Shut the hell up or I swear I'll chop you up like daisy roots for potions" Adelaide growled stabbing the butter with the butter knife.
"Why so defensive?" Ron said
"I am defensive about all my friends. And that includes you lot too, but if you are going to be complete prats about it then screw you!" Adelaide said and tore a huge piece of her toast.
"What're we going to do today, then?" Ron asked when they had finished breakfast and were leaving the Great Hall.
"We haven't been down to visit Hagrid yet," said Harry.
"Okay," said Ron, "just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the skrewts."
And so they set off to Hagrid's.
Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, and Fang's booming barks answered instantly.
"'Bout time!" said Hagrid, when he'd flung open the door. "Thought you lot'd forgotten where I live!"
"We've been really busy, Hag —" Hermione started to say, but then she stopped dead, looking up at Hagrid, apparently lost for words. Adelaide gaped at the sight before her. She had certainly read about this, but the real deal was...well, something.
Hagrid was wearing his best (and very horrible) hairy brown suit, plus a checked yellow-and-orange tie. This wasn't the worst of it, though; he had evidently tried to tame his hair, using large quantities of what appeared to be axle grease. It was now slicked down into two bunches — perhaps he had tried a ponytail like Bill's, but found he had too much hair. The look didn't really suit Hagrid at all.
For a moment, Hermione goggled at him, then, obviously deciding not to comment, she said, "Erm — where are the skrewts?"
"Out by the pumpkin patch," said Hagrid happily. "They're gettin' massive, mus' be nearly three-foot-long now. On'y trouble is, they've started killin' each other."
"Oh no, really?" said Hermione, shooting a repressive look at Ron, who, staring at Hagrid's odd hairstyle, had just opened his mouth to say something about it.
"Yeah," said Hagrid sadly. "' S' okay, though, I've got 'em in separate boxes now. Still got abou' twenty."
"Well, that's lucky," said Ron. Hagrid missed the sarcasm.
Adelaide went forward and said, "Mind if I take a look at...um your hair?"
"No, s'okay" Hagrid said, as he sat down on an enormous chair, which sagged slightly under his weight.
"Hmm, have you tried Sleekeazy hair potion yet?" Adelaide asked
"What's Sleekeazy hair potion?" Harry asked
"Sometimes I forget how little you know Harry" Adelaide said, "It's a hair potion, used to tame and style hair, most particularly bushy or unruly hair. I mean unruly hair does come hereditary"
"Er...what?" Harry said
Adelaide sighed. "Sleekeazy potion was made by your paternal grandfather, Fleamont Potter. It is said that the Potters' wealth was quadrupled by the sales of this one potion," she said.
"It's known internationally, actually,"
Harry sat there, dazed, mouth slightly open.
"And how do you know that?" Ron asked
"Are you questioning me?" Adelaide asked pointedly.
Hagrid got up and started making tea, and they were soon immersed in yet more discussion of the Triwizard Tournament.
"You wait," Hagrid said, grinning. "You jus' wait. Yer going ter see some stuff yeh've never seen before. Firs' task . . . ah, but I'm not supposed ter say."
"Go on, Hagrid!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione urged him, but he just shook his head, grinning.
"I don' want ter spoil it fer yeh," said Hagrid. "But it's gonna be spectacular, I'll tell yeh that. Them champions're going ter have their work cut out. Never thought I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!"
They ended up having lunch with Hagrid, though they didn't eat much — Hagrid had made what he said was a beef casserole, but after Hermione unearthed a large talon in hers, they rather lost their appetites.
However, they enjoyed themselves trying to make Hagrid tell them what the tasks in the tournament were going to be, speculating which of the entrants were likely to be selected as champions, and wondering whether Fred and George were beardless yet.
By half-past five, it was growing dark, and Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Adelaide decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast — and, more importantly, the announcement of the school champions.
"I'll come with yeh," said Hagrid, putting away his darning. "Jus' give us a sec."
Hagrid got up, went across to the chest of drawers beside his bed, and began searching for something inside it. They didn't pay too much attention until a truly horrible smell reached their nostrils.
Coughing, Ron said, "Hagrid, what's that?"
"Eh?" said Hagrid, turning around with a large bottle in his hand. "Don' yeh like it?"
"Is that aftershave?" said Hermione in a slightly choked voice.
"Er — eau de cologne," Hagrid muttered. He was blushing. "Maybe it's a bit much," he said gruffly. "I'll go take it off, hang on . . ."
"Yup! Too Much," Adelaide said, using her robes to cover her face.
He stumped out of the cabin, and they saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window.
"Eau de cologne?" said Hermione in amazement. "Hagrid?"
"And what's with the hair and the suit?" said Harry in an undertone.
"Look!" said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window.
Hagrid had just straightened up and turned 'round. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now. Getting to their feet very cautiously, so that Hagrid wouldn't spot them, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Adelaide peered through the window and saw that Madame Maxime and the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from their carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast too. They couldn't hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression.
"He's going up to the castle with her!" said Hermione indignantly. "I thought he was waiting for us!"
Without so much as a backward glance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beauxbatons students following in their wake, jogging to keep up with their enormous strides.
"He fancies her!" said Ron incredulously. "Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record — bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton."
"Well, at least if she doesn't decide to be a total bitch about it" Adelaide muttered.
They let themselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind them. It was surprisingly dark outside. Drawing their cloaks more closely around themselves, they set off up the sloping lawns.
"Ooh, it's them, look!" Hermione whispered.
The Durmstrang party was walking up toward the castle from the lake.
When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. Fred and George — clean-shaven again — seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well.
"Hope it's Angelina," said Fred as they sat down.
"So do I!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Well, we'll soon know!"
"Adelaide bets its Cedric, don't you Ash?" Harry said, nudging her playfully.
Adelaide shoved him so hard that he might have fallen off his eat. if Ron and Hermione hadn't been sitting beside him.
"Yes, two sickles, it's Ced" Adelaide said hotly
"Ced, Ooooh" said Hermione smugly, but Adelaide ignored her and looked at Harry,
"Bet?
"Bet."
The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual.
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, 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 beaming and winking at various students. Mr Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.
"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 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."
And sure enough the Goblet of Fire glowed.
As the blue flames turned red and shot out a parchment, Adelaide drew a deep breath, waiting for shit to hit the ceiling.
"The champion for Durmstrang," Dumbledore read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."
"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"
"The Hogwarts champion," Dumbledore called, "is Cedric Diggory!"
Adelaide clapped loudly, smiling widely.Before going through the door behind the teacher's table Cedric winked t her.
WINKED!!
And she gave him a thumbs up in return.
(Adelaide would like to say she handled the situation in a calm manner )
"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, 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 —"
The last piece of parchment shot out of the Goblet of Fire.
"Harry Potter," Dumbledore said clearly.
Harry turned to look at Ron, Hermione, and Adelaide
"I didn't put my name in," Harry said blankly. "You know I didn't."
Ron and Hemrione stared just as blankly back.
"We know, Harry" Adelaide said, putting an arm on his shoulder.
At the top table, Professor Dumbledore had straightened up, nodding to Professor McGonagall.
"Harry Potter!" he called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"
"Go on," Hermione whispered, giving Harry a slight push. Adelaide gave him a small reassuring, yet worried smile.
Harry got to his feet, trod on the hem of his robes, and stumbled slightly. He set off up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables.