I walked into the entrance hall one day to see a white ferret running towards the dungeons, but Moody roared, "I don't think so!" Moody pointed his wand at the ferret, making it fly ten feet into the air before it fell back down to the floor. It bounced up again.
"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," Moody growled, bouncing the ferret higher and higher as it squealed in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do..."
The ferret was flying around, flailing helplessly.
"Never. Do. That. Again," said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again. It was quite a funny sight, really.
"Professor Moody!" Minnie exclaimed, coming down the marble staircase, books piled high in her arms.
"Hello, Professor McGonagall," said Moody, still bouncing the ferret higher.
"What-what are you doing?" Asked McGonagall. Why does Minnie always have to ruin the fun? Don't get me wrong, she's one of my favorite professors but I was enjoying the show! I stole Dad's nickname for Professor McGonagall, since he told me many stories about her over the summer.
"Teaching," Moody replied simply, still bouncing the ferret up and down.
"Teach-Moody, is that a student?" McGonagall shrieked, books falling out of her arms.
"Yep."
"No!" McGonagall cried, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand. Not even a moment later Draco appeared. His blond hair was covering his now bright, pink face. He got to his feet and winced. Even though I'm not sure he's entirely bad, it was pretty funny to see.
"Moody, we never use transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"
"He might've mentioned it, yeah," Moody replied, while scratching his chin, "but I thought a good sharp shock-"
"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"
"I'll do that, then."
Draco muttered something that sounded like "my father", which did not go over well with Moody. Why must Draco always say that?
"Oh yeah? Well I know your father of old, boy... You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son... you tell him that from me... now your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"
"Yes," Draco replied resentfully.
"Another old friend. I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape... Come on, you." Moody hissed.
I was still doubled over in laughter as I made my way into the Great Hall. I was practically on the ground with laughter by the time I made it to Fred and George.
"What's got you so happy?"
"Moody-turned-Malfoy-into-an-amazing-bouncing-ferret." I said in between laughs. I still call him Malfoy, sometimes out of habit and others because the twins wouldn't take it too well if they knew I talked to him.
Finally I quit, but the twins were still laughing. I looked around, wondering where Sammy and Betty were while I waited on the boys to stop laughing.
"Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret!" Fred exclaimed, clutching his sides in laughter.
A few minutes later we noticed Hermione leave, so Fred slid into the seat she was occupying.
"Moody! How cool is he?" Fred said.
George sat down across from Fred and said, "Beyond cool."
Lee sat beside George and added, "Supercool."
"Not to mention badass," I said as I sat beside Fred.
"We had him this afternoon," Lee told Harry and Ron.
"What was it like?" Harry asked eagerly.
Me and the boys exchanged looks.
"Never had a lesson like it," Fred finally answered.
"He knows, man," said Lee.
"Knows what?" Ron asked, leaning towards us.
"Knows what it's like to be out there doing it," George said.
"Doing what?" asked Harry.
"Fighting the Dark Arts," Fred replied.
"He's seen it all," said George.
"Like I said, badass," I added.
"'Mazing," said Lee.
I smirked when Ron got out his schedule and said, "We haven't got him till Thursday!"
I may have not liked him showing us the Unforgivable Curses but you could see it in his eyes that he had seen things. You could tell he had done things. I'm still not entirely sure what to think of him, but he's still pretty badass to have caught so many dark wizards and witches.
----
The day Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would arrive was drawing nearer.
There was a large crowd of students in the entrance hall, all straining to read some notice. I fought my way through the throngs of people over to Fred and George. "What's it say?" I asked Fred, who smirked. "Oh yeah, you can't read it, can you Shortie?" I scowled but laughed, elbowing him in the ribs and causing him to smile. He read it to me:
TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT
The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o'clock on Friday the 30th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early. Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet or guests before the Welcoming Feast.
"Brilliant! History of Magic is last on Friday! We won't have to hear Binns drone on and on for forever!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in celebration.
"Yeah!" The twins agreed, each giving me a high-five.
During the next week only one thing was talked about: the Triwizard Tournament.
The castle even seemed to be going through an extreme cleaning, as portraits were getting cleaned and it wasn't uncommon to walk through a corridor to see a mop mopping the floors on its own. The suits of armor gleamed and no longer squeaked when they moved.
On the morning of October 30 I went down to breakfast rather early for me. Usually I slept in as long as possible, but I was just excited. New people! New boys to look at!
When I arrived I was happy I did come down today, since the ceiling was flooding the Great Hall with light, making it gorgeous and warm. It made it seem like even the ceiling was anticipating the arrival of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.
Fred, George, Lee, Sammy, Betty, and I were sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall when we were joined by the Golden Trio.
I had been talking to the girls and not listening to the boys' conversation. We were talking about classes and what we thought the foreign students would be like.
"It's a bummer, all right," George was saying sadly to Fred. "But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."
"Who's avoiding you?" Ron asked.
"Wish you would," Fred replied, looking irritated.
"What's a bummer?" Ron asked George.
"Having a git like you for a brother," George answered.
"You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet? Thought any more about trying to enter?" Harry asked.
"I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," George said bitterly. "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."
I snorted. Why do they want to get into this thing so bad? And why are they in such a bad mood? The foreign students are coming today! I had mentally cheered when Minnie told George that.
"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" Ron asked thoughtfully. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. We've done some dangerous stuff before..."
"Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't," Fred pointed out. "McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."
"Who are the judges?" Harry inquired.
"Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel, because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on a rampage."
Everyone looked at her.
"It's all in Hogwarts, A History. Though, of course, that book's not entirely reliable. A Revised History of Hogwarts would be a more accurate title. Or A Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School."
"What are you on about?"
"House elves!" exclaimed Hermione. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does Hogwarts, A History mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!"
Harry and I shook our heads before we started getting ourselves some scrambled eggs. Our lack of enthusiasm did nothing to curb Hermione's determination to pursue rights and justice for house elves.
Hardly any people bought her badges, and those who did only did it to shut her up or to stop her from glowering at them. She corners people in the common room every evening, either trying to get them to buy badges or to donate. Most people thought it was a joke, but some seemed mildly interested in what she had to say.
"You do realize that your sheets are changed, your fires lit, your classrooms cleaned, and your food cooked by a group of magical creatures who are unpaid and enslaved?" She continued fiercely.
I nearly snickered when I noticed Ron roll his eyes at the ceiling and Fred suddenly start inspecting his bacon as though it was the most interesting thing in the world. No one in our group had bought a S. P. E. W. badge.
George leaned closer to Hermione, "Listen, have you ever been down in the kitchens, Hermione?"
"No, of course not. I hardly think students are supposed to-"
"Well, we have," said George, gesturing to me, Fred, Lee, Sam, and Betty, "loads of times, to nick food. And we've met them, and they're happy. They think they've got the best job in the world-"
"That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" Hermione interrupted. She was stopped by the arrival of the post owls, creating a loud whoosh.
I checked to make sure that the twins, Lee, Bets, and Sam were locked in a conversation about the tournament before opening a letter from my father.
I miss you, Elle.
I'm hiding in the country, somewhere no one will find me. I want you to keep me posted on what's going on at Hogwarts, especially what you and the twins are doing. Keep an eye on Harry too. Don't spend your year worrying about me, I'm okay, I promise.
I hope everything is okay. I love you.
Dad
I smiled as I tucked the letter in my bag.
---
The day went by fairly quickly and nobody was attentive in lessons. Everyone was practically buzzing with excitement, not wanting to listen to Binns lecture about the Goblin Wars or Trelawney lecture about the importance of tea leaves. Not that I blame anyone for either.
When the bell rang early, Fred, George, Lee, Sammy, Betty, and I all ran to the Gryffindor Tower, threw down our books and bags, pulled on our cloaks, and ran back downstairs into the entrance hall, where the Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines.
McGonagall went through and made sure everyone looked 'perfect.' She straightened many ties and moved hairs into place before asking everyone to follow her. Everyone filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle.
I was so giddy, I couldn't stand still. What I had been waiting for all day was finally happening! Why am I so excited? Maybe because it's something interesting actually happening this year? Well, all year and not just at the end like usual with Harry Potter around. I know I don't like the tournament, but meeting people from foreign countries is cool.
Fred noticed this and chuckled, "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just excited!"
"I can tell," he laughed, elbowing me teasingly.
Everyone around us was debating on how the schools would be arriving. I hadn't thought about it to be honest. I was mainly focusing on how there would be more people and more things to do than just go to Hogsmeade or quidditch games. I love quidditch, but it's good to have something different, you know?
Then Dumbledore called out from the back row, "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"
"Where?" Many students asked eagerly, looking in different directions.
"There!" Yelled someone in our year, pointing over the forest.
Something rather big was hurtling across the sky toward the castle, growing larger the entire time.
Then a gigantic, blue, horse-drawn carriage was soaring toward us. It was pulled by a dozen elephant sized palomino horses.
The carriage landed and a boy jumped down from the carriage and unfolded a set of golden steps.
Then a woman, by far the largest I've ever seen, stepped out of the carriage. She was as large as Hagrid!
Dumbledore started to clap and the students broke into applause too. They were magnificent! From their walk to their flowy uniforms, everything just oozed grace.
I couldn't hear the conversation between the woman and Dumbledore, as we were too far away. I could barely even see that she had stopped to talk to him! I hate being short!
Then Lee yelled and pointed to the middle of the lake, where there was a disturbance before a whirlpool started.
Then a black rod rose up out of the depths of the lake; a mast.
After it had surfaced incredibly, a group of boys led by a man with silver hair made their way to Dumbledore.
Again, I couldn't hear the conversation.
At dinner that night Dumbledore went over everything, including the Goblet of Fire and the fact that if you wished to enter you have twenty four hours to do so.
The next morning I accompanied Fred, George, and Lee to see them put their names in. As much as I didn't want them to, I kind of wanted to see them fail. At least if they didn't fail, I would be there to support them.
I stopped to talk to Sammy, who was with a boy I didn't recognize. I couldn't stay long since the twins and Lee were still hurrying down the staircase, looking excited and pleased with themselves.
"Done it," Fred whispered to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, "Just taken it."
"What?" asked Ron.
"The Aging Potion, dung brains. Finally got Elle to make it," Fred told them.
"One drop each. We only need to be a few months older," George said.
"We're going to split the galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," Lee said.
"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," said Hermione, "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this." I gave Hermione a look that told her that I agreed.
However the boys ignored her.
"Ready?" Fred asked the others, "C'mon, then- I'll go first-"
We watched as Fred pulled a slip of parchment from his pocket that said Fred Weasley- Hogwarts. He walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there before he took a deep breath and stepped over the line. For a moment it seemed to have worked and George too leapt over the line. However, the next moment there was a sizzling sound before the twins were hurled out of the golden circle. They landed ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and with a loud popping noise both of them started sprouting identical white beards.
Everyone busted into laughter, including Fred and George once they had gotten to their feet and looked at each other's beards.
Dumbledore came in and told them, "I did warn you. 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."
Lee and I accompanied them, howling in laughter. I was laughing far too much to even tell them "I told you so!"
That night we found out that the Beauxbatons champion was Fleur Delacour, the Durmstrang champion was Viktor Krum, and Hogwarts had... two champions. Cedric Diggory and... Harry Potter. When Harry's name was called I swear I stopped breathing. I couldn't believe it. Harry wouldn't put his name in, would he?
Everyone was escorted back to their dormitories, the professors visibly worried and confused. Something is definitely not right. Something bad is happening, but what?
I sat up all night in shock. Harry Potter, the boy I considered my younger brother, in the tournament. It can't be. Fred had tried to get me to go up to bed, but I wouldn't hear of it until at least one in the morning. I could tell Fred was relieved when I finally got up, taking a good look at the burnt out embers in the fireplace. He hugged me before we separated to go up to our separate dorms.
I finally caught up with Harry the next day. He explained to me that he had to compete and that there was no way out of it. Dumbledore apparently was extremely calm about the whole deal, while no one else was.
I hugged him at least thirty times during our conversation. I can't believe this. What's going to happen to him?