Announcement
All the students made their way to the Great Hall for the welcome feast. Rory smiled at her dad and Uncles before sitting between the twins. The doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall. All of them were shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school. Once the sorting had finished Professor Dumbledore got to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome.
"I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. "Tuck in."
"Hear, hear!" Harry and Ron said loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes. When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.
"So!" Dumbledore said, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered. I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."
"Like anyone would actually be sad enough to go check that out" Rory whispers to Fred and George as the corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched as if he heard before he continued.
"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."
"What?" Harry gasped as he looked around at Fred and George. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. Dumbledore went on.
"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts we are to have the honour of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
"You're JOKING!" Fred said loudly. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.
"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar." Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. "Er but maybe this is not the time no " Dumbledore said, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry, Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A
champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."
"Death toll?" Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety wasn't shared by the majority of students in the Hall many of them were whispering excitedly to one another.
"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."
"I'm going for it!" Fred hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches.
"Your mum will kill you Freddie" Rory mutters back. But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more.
"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This" Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" Dumbledore sat down again. Rory smiled at James, Remus and Sirius as she stood up with the twins and other students.
"They can't do that!" George said as they joined the crowd moving toward the door, standing up and glaring at Dumbledore. "We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?"
"They're not stopping me entering," Fred said stubbornly, also scowling at the top table. "The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!"
"Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?" Harry said.
"Dunno," Fred said, "but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George "
"Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though," Ron said.
"Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he?" Fred said shrewdly. "Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names."
"People have died, though!" Hermione said in a worried voice as they walked through a door concealed behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase.
"Yeah," Fred said airily, "but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk? Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?"
"What d'you reckon?" Ron asked Harry. "Be cool to enter, wouldn't it? But I s'pose they might want someone older. Dunno if we've learned enough " Fred and George grabbed Rory pulling her away from Harry and his friends and towards the common room.
"What about you Rory" George looked at her.
"I'm out. I'll help you guys though just don't tell mama bear I agreed to help"
"You're the best Rory you know that"
"I do know that Freddie" She winks at him before walking through the portrait to the Gryffindor common room.
Dragons
Rory was sat in the Great Hall eating breakfast with the twins who were both in a deep discussion about different products they're thinking about designing. The owls start swooping in as a random barn owl drops a letter in front of her, picking it up she recognises Charlies writing.
Rory meet me at the edge of the Forbidden Forest by Hagrid's hut at 10am today
Glancing at the time she notices it's already half 9.
"I'll meet you guys in a bit" She tells the twins who just wave at her before continuing with their conversation. She takes a slow walk to Hagrid's hut and finds him and Fang sat outside.
"Morning Rory, What brings you here"
"Morning Hagrid, hello Fang" She bends down slightly to stroke Fang "I'm just meeting someone here" She says as Charlie appears out of the tree's.
"Ello Charlie"
"Hello Hagrid. I've come to steal Rory if that's okay"
"See you later Hagrid" Rory says as she walks over to Charlie who takes her hand in his before pulling her towards the forest.
"Don't worry you'll be safe with me" He winks at her.
"My hero" She smirks at him. As soon as they're out of view of Hagrid's Charlie stops and kisses Rory.
"I've missed you Nova"
"I've missed you too Charlie but what are you doing here in the forest"
"Come with me" He says pulling her behind him again as they walk through a magical barrier through a clump of trees and came to a halt.
"Dragons" Rory exclaimes amazed at the sight of four fully grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons who were rearing onto their hind legs inside an enclosure fenced with thick planks of wood, roaring and snorting, torrents of fire were shooting into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks. There was at least thirty wizards, seven or eight to each dragon, were attempting to control them, pulling on the chains connected to heavy leather straps around their necks and legs. "They're amazing" Charlie chuckled beside her.
"Knew you'd like them" He says as he wraps an arm around my waist pulling me into his side before walking slightly closer. "Do you think you can still name them all"
"That one there" She points at the silvery-blue one with long and pointed horns "Is a Swedish Short-Snout. That one" pointing at a smooth-scaled green one "Is the Common Welsh Green dragon" She smirks at him before continuing "That one" pointing at a red one with a fringe of fine gold spikes around its face "Is the Chinese Fireball and finally that one" pointing at the gigantic black one "Is an Hungarian Horntails. Impressed?"
"I'm very impressed darling, you should consider doing something with dragons"
"Nah I'm considering being the one who heals idiot's like my boyfriend when they get badly hurt"
"Ignoring the idiot boyfriend comment, you want to be a healer?"
"I do"
"You will make a wonderful healer. Come be a healer at the dragon reserve we're always needing healers. I think we're too much stress for them"
"Oh god don't tell me things like that now I'm going to worry about you, you idiot"
"Don't worry darling, I'm always careful at work"
"I'm glad" She kisses him on the cheek. "I love you, did you know that"
"I did because I love you too" His lips meet hers again. "I've missed being able to do that" Rory smiles at him.
"So the dragon's, please tell me they haven't got to fight them"
"Just get past them, I think,"
"Thank god for that, otherwise it would be mean" Charlie laughs at her before wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Wanna get closer?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Come on" He walks slightly closer to the dragons pulling Rory into his side.
"Wow they really are beautiful creatures"
"Don't let Atlas hear you say that" Charlie jokes.
"Atlas knows he's my number one boy"
"What about me" Charlie fake gasps.
"Atlas is my baby" Charlie laughs at her.
"I'm just glad he likes me then" Rory laughs.
Final task
As the enchanted ceiling overhead began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell.
"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now." Cedric, Fleur and Viktor all got up and headed out of the Great Hall shortly followed by the rest of the students. A twenty foot high hedge ran all the way around the edge of the Quidditch pitch. There was a gap right in front of them, the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy. Five minutes later, the stands had begun to fill, the air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet as the hundreds of students filed into their seats. The sky was a deep, clear blue now, and the first stars were starting to appear. Hagrid, Remus, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick came walking into the stadium and approached Bagman and the champions. They were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, all except Hagrid, who had his on the back of his moleskin vest. Harry say down beside Rory and the twins with Ron and Hermione.
Ludos voice was magically magnified voice echoed into the stands. "Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! In first place, with eighty-five points is Mr. Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute! And in third place – Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"
"So on my whistle, Cedric!" Bagman said. "Three - two - one -" He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Cedric hurried forward into the maze. The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path. Bagman whistles for the second time as Krum entered the maze. Bagman's whistle blew in for the third time and Fleur entered the maze.
"Are we just going to sit here and watch a hedge for however long this takes" Rory says to the twins.
"Looks like it" George answers her as she leans into his side. About an hour later there's a flash as Cedric appears holding the cup and the stands break out in applause.
"Go Cedric"
"And the champion is Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts" Ludos voice echoes as all the Hogwarts students cheer again.