They ended up spending lunch at Hagrid's house that afternoon, eating beef casserole until Hermione found a talon in hers and they very abruptly lost their appetites.
It was still entertaining, though, as they kept trying to get Hagrid to tell them what the trials would be, who was going to be selected for champions, and if Fred and George had lost their majestic beards.
By mid-afternoon there was a light drizzle outside, making the warm cabin seem ten times cozier with the merrily crackling fire a few feet in front of them and the gentle tapping of raindrops hitting the window.
Well, it was nice until Hagrid and Hermione started arguing about S.P.E.W.
"It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione. It's in their nature ter look after humans, that's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' unsultin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em," Hagrid retorted, threading a needle with yellow yarn.
"But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it! And we heard he's asking for wages now!" Hermione protested.
"Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed," He held up his hands at her expression. "I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em ter do it -- no, nothin' doin', Hermione."
Hermione, her jaw ticking, shoved her badges into her cloak pocket once more.
Amisty breathed a subtle sigh of relief. When five thirty rolled around, and the grounds started to grow dark, they decided to head back up to the castle for the Halloween feast and announcement of the school champions.
"I'll come with yeh. Jus' give us a sec," Hagrid got to his feet, digging through the cabinets and a few seconds later flooding the cabin with a horrible, horrible smell.
Amisty keeled over, coughing roughly and pinching her nose.
"Hagrid, what's that?" Ron asked around his own coughing fit.
"Eh? Don' yeh like it?" He asked, turning to face them with a very large bottle in his hands.
"Is that aftershave?" Hermione asked, her voice strained.
"Er -- eau de cologne. Maybe it's a bit much," His cheeks were stained pink. "I'll go take it off, hang on..."
He walked out of the cabin and when they glanced out the window they were greeted with the sight of him washing his face in the water barrel outside.
"Eau de cologne?" Hermione repeated, her eyes wide. "Hagrid?"
"And what's with the hair and the suit?" Harry asked quietly.
"Look!" Ron exclaimed, pointing out the window.
Hagrid had straightened, his face a shade of scarlet so bright it rivaled Ron's hair.
They rose to their feet slowly, not wanting to remind Hagrid that they were there, and leaned to peer out the window.
Madame Maxime and her students had left their carriage, and Hagrid was talking to Madame Maxime with a very dreamy look on his face.
"He's going up to the castle with her! I thought he was waiting for us!" Hermione exclaimed angrily.
She was right. Hagrid didn't even throw a glance over his shoulder as he walked up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beauxbatons students jogging to keep up with their long strides.
"He fancies her! Well, if they end up having children," Ron ignored Amisty's expression, "they'll be setting a world record -- bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton."
They crept out of the cabin as quietly as they could, drawing their cloaks tight around their shoulders as they walked across the dark lawn.
"Ooh, it's them, look!" Hermione whispered suddenly.
It was the Durmstrang students, all walking up to the castle from their ship on the lake.
Ron was almost bouncing, watching Krum with wide eyes, but none of them looked back as they walked through the front doors.
The four of them hurried after them. The Goblet of Fire was moved in front of Dumbledore's chair, still crackling with flames.
Fred and George were back, seemingly cheerful and beard-free.
"Hope it's Angelina," Fred remarked as they took their seats.
"So do I! Well, we'll soon know!" Hermione replied.
They started the feast, but as enjoyable as it was, it seemed to take decades before it ended. The anticipation for the announcement of the champions holding everyone's attention. People were getting up from their seats to see if Dumbledore had finished eating yet and fidgeting like no tomorrow.
Finally, with a heavy sigh resonating around the Hall, the plates cleared and the crowd roared before dying down in an instant as Dumbledore got to his feet.
"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision.
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 where they will be receiving their first instructions."
He waved his wand and all the candles inside the carved pumpkins extinguished, the Goblet glowing fiercely in the semi-darkness that had fallen over them.
The silence was tense, impatient, everyone's eyes strictly focused on the Goblet of Fire, the blue-white flames dancing in their irises.
"Any second," Lee whispered quietly, his eyes narrowed slightly as he checked his watch.
The flames turned scarlet red, sparks flying from it, and a blackened slip of parchment fluttered up into the air.
Dumbledore grabbed the paper, holding it up to the light of the flames to read it.
"The champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum," He announced, voice carrying easily through the silent hall.
"No surprises there," Ron shouted over the now not at all silent hall, a round of applause bursting across everyone sitting.
Krum stood up, walking toward Dumbledore, turning right, and then disappearing behind the door.
"Bravo, Viktor! Knew you had it in you!" Karkaroff shouted, his voice ten times louder than the applause.
Slowly, the chatter and noise died down, and all the attention was back on the Goblet. It flared scarlet, and another piece of parchment flew out.
"The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"
The pretty girl Ron was obsessed with got to her feet, a very pleased and knowing expression on her face.
"It's her, Ron!" Harry exclaimed.
"Oh look, they're all disappointed," Hermione nodded toward the rest of the Beauxbatons students, who were all very, very sad.
Dramatically so, for some.
Two girls were actually sobbing into their arms.
And then it was time for the Hogwarts champion to be announced. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, all of the Hogwarts students dead silent.
"The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory."
The Hufflepuff table exploded.
Every single person was up on their feet, throwing their fists in the air and screaming and cheering and clapping until their throats were scratchy and hands were burning red.
Cedric pushed his way through the crowd, grinning so broadly it was almost blinding as he disappeared into the chamber.
Even with him gone the Great Hall was still cheering, it took a while before Dumbledore could be heard.
"Excellent! Well, we now have our three champions," He beamed around at all of them. "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 -- "
He broke off as the Goblet turned scarlet once more, more sparks, and then another slip of parchment flew out.
Dumbledore, though shocked, reached out and grabbed the slip. He held it out to the flames, silent for a long, tense moment.
He cleared his throat, calling out, "Harry Potter."
Amisty whirled around, staring at Harry with her jaw hanging open in surprise.
His green eyes were wide behind his glasses as the Great Hall started to buzz with angry mutterings.
Professor McGonagall hurried over to Dumbledore, whispering in his ear urgently.
"I didn't put my name in. You know I didn't," Harry told them, his voice lacking in emotion from his bewilderment.
Amisty didn't know how to reply.
"Harry Potter! Harry! Up here, if you please!" Dumbledore called again.
"Go on," Hermione whispered quietly, still in shock as she gave him a slight push up.
He stumbled to his feet, walking up to the front of the room as everyone stared at him. Harry disappeared into the chamber, just like everyone else before him, and the Great Hall burst into chatter.
There were a few angry yells here and there, shocked, hurried ramblings, and dead silence depending on the parts of the Great Hall. Professor Dumbledore, Mr. Crouch, Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Snape all went inside the chamber as well, and the noise only got louder.
"But... But he couldn't have done that, right? He didn't have a beard or anything, there's no way -- " Amisty rambled, trying to wrap her mind around what had happened.
"Of course," Ron muttered bitterly. "He definitely didn't put his name in the Goblet, not at all."
"Ron?!" Amisty exclaimed, staring at him wide eyes.
"Forget it," He brushed her off easily, a dark expression on his face.
She blinked, feeling as if she were losing her mind as she sunk further into her seat and listened to the noise gradually get even louder.
Now that the Gryffindors had gotten over the shock, they were all beaming and laughing and downright triumphant over the fact that they had a champion in the Tournament.
She glanced up, spotting Moody walk into the chamber. Fred and George and Lee were all talking loudly, trying to figure out how Harry had gotten over the Age Line.
Soon enough, Professor Sprout sent them off to bed, everyone still chatting and arguing. The Gryffindors swept everyone up to the common room, already planning a party and Fred and George slipped away to most likely the kitchens in search of food.
They stormed into the common room, and Ron slipped right up to the boys' dormitory, the dark look on his face having yet to disappear.
"Hermi -- " Amisty turned around, trying to find her other friend, but only to see that she had disappeared as well.
She stood there in the center of the bustling Gryffindors, all scrambling to find decorations and impatiently waiting for the twins to return.
"C'mon, Amisty," Seamus appeared out of nowhere, Dean at his side as they both grinned broadly. "We gotta set up the drinks."
And so, she was dragged into activity after activity, even though she wanted nothing more than to talk to Harry and figure this all out.
And to see what had been put in Ron's dinner that turned his mood so sour.
Finally, at long last, Harry crawled through the portrait hole and was immediately dragged in by everyone.
She winced, her hands gravitating toward her ears as the cheers and whistles got louder and higher in pitch.
"You should've told us you'd entered!"
"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!"
"I didn't. I don't know how -- "
"Oh if it couldn't be me, at least it's a Gryffindor -- "
"You'll be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!"
"We've got food, Harry, come and have some -- "
"I'm not hungry, I had enough at the feast -- "
He got dragged left and right, everyone asking him questions and shoving food and drinks into his hands as Lee tied a Gryffindor banner around his shoulders while Amisty bounced around the edges of the crowd, shifting between shielding her ears and calling his name.
It didn't seem to get through, he was probably trying to tune out anyone getting his attention.
"I'm tired! No, seriously, George -- I'm going to bed -- " He finally shoved his way through the crowd toward the boys' dormitory, and Amisty saw her chance.
"Harry!" She called, racing toward him and apologizing to the Creevey brothers as she almost hit them. "Harry -- "
"What?!" He snarled, whirling around to face her with blazing green eyes, clenched fists, and gritted teeth. "Here to ask me how I got over the Age Line? Why I didn't tell anyone else how to beat it? How I got in at all?"
She stared at him, her steps faltering as she stepped back, "What... no, why would I -- "
He let out a cold laugh, almost hysterical, "I'm going to bed, Amisty, ask me all your questions tomorrow morning since that's all everyone seems to care about. Not that I didn't actually put my name in."
"Are you kidding me?" She snapped sharply, getting over her shock. "You seriously think that's what I wanted to talk to you about? Not that I was worried about you, or that I wanted to say something other than a comment about your popularity?"
He blinked as if realizing what he had done, "Wait... Am, I'm sorry."
"No, no." She held up her hands, taking a few more steps back toward the girls' dormitory. "Go to bed, Harry. Go ahead. You're clearly not in the mood for this right now."
Before she knew what was happening, he had dragged her into a tight hug, and she realized he was shaking.
"Yeah... I'll go to bed," He murmured, pulling away with a sheepish smile on his face. "I didn't mean to snap at you."
"Just..." Her voice trailed off, but she knew she wasn't truly mad at him.
Just frustrated with his actions.
"Think about it, Harry, okay? Sleep it over, you're going to be facing a lot tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Am," He turned, one foot up the staircase already.
"'Night."