Hermione paused, gripping onto the banister, "I want to see if Percy and Annabeth have the same coins in their luggage."
"You want us to look through his stuff? Merlin's Beard! What if he catches us?" Ron threw his hands up in the air with disbelief.
Hermione gritted her teeth, "It's better than not knowing what they're up to, is it?"
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"SURPRISE!" Fred and George both jumped out from behind the corner, making all three demigods jump in shock.
"Di Immortales!" Thalia slipped onto the floor, falling onto her back, "Owww..." she groaned.
"Today's yer' lucky day!" the first one chimed.
"You get to see"
"us"
"get past the Age Line!" the two simultaneously waved their hands in a 'jazz hand' sort of way, just as Thalia stood back up again.
Annabeth raised an eyebrow, "And just how are you going to do that?"
The twins raised a small potion flask up in the air, "With this lil' beauty."
Percy frowned, "Isn't that an Age Potion?" Annabeth nodded. Percy had been surprisingly good at recognizing and creating potions, which practically drove Professor Snape insane. No matter how hard it was to create, or how sloppy his cursive, Percy just kind of threw in the ingredients he wanted. And what were the results? Nonetheless perfect. It must've been a Son of Poseidon sort of thing...
"Correct again, Cauldron Master!" Fred chuckled, after coining the clever name during Percy's second class with Snape.
Annabeth smirked, "Good luck with that. I heard Dumbledore drew it himself," she crossed her arms, staring at the two.
"Oh we'll see," the two mischeviously grinned. 'Gods, they were so much like the Stolls,' Percy thought.
Thalia gave them a thumbs up before barking, "Well watcha waitin' for? Give it a go!"
The twins were closely followed by the demigods, as they raced towards the Goblet. They gulped down the potion, while clinking the two flasks together, "Bottoms up!"
They stepped past the Age Line, receiving a few cheers from the people standing by. Then, they slowly walked towards the Goblet, its blue flames dancing inside. When they dropped the parchment, they froze for a few seconds, waiting for something to happen.
"Yeah!" they cheered, giving each other a high five.
Then, a millisecond later, the Goblet's flames burst out quicker, and with a blinding flash it caused a crackling 'BOOM!'
When Percy managed to see once again, squinting because of the sudden change of light, he burst into laughter.
Fred and George got back up, with mangy grey beards and hair. And being the loving brothers they were, began tackling each other on the floor.
"You said this was going to work!"
"That's what you said!"
They continued to bicker, before they too exploded into laughter. Even Dumbledore chuckled, who was silently watching the entire thing with amusement by the doorway.
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Hermione quickly led them back up the stairs, towards the Gryffindor common room. Once they got inside, the three walked up towards the boy's dormitory.
"That's his bed there," Harry pointed to the Percy's four poster bed hesitantly, "Are you sure we have to snoop around like this?" But Hermione was already rummaging through his bag. Every once in a while, hastily throwing clothes onto the floor.
"Yes, yes we do," Hermione froze, as she held up the same golden coins found inside his duffel bag. And after showing it towards them, pocketed one inside her robes.
Were these people really their friends? Or were they somebody else?
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"Hey, Harry. You alright? You haven't eaten a thing!" Annabeth watched him deep in thought, before Harry nodded.
"Yes," he cleared his throat, "Yes I'm quite fine." Annabeth didn't buy it, her grey eyes almost looked like they were staring into his soul.
"Oh my gods, you should've seen what your brothers were up to today," Percy nudged Ron on the shoulder, "They decided it was a good idea to-"
"Welcome students of Hogwarts, and special guests!" announced a familiar voice. Crouch stood at Dumbledore's podium, as he continued, "On this very evening, it is my honor to announce that the champions of each school are to be selected!"
A loud applause echoed through the room. The Beauxbatons, sitting with the Ravenclaws, were the most timid to applause. But still, they seemed quite as excited as everyone else.
"Hey! It's that guy who visited us at ca-" Thalia jabbed Percy in the stomach with her elbow, and he quickly coughed, "school. The guy who visited us at school."
Hermione frowned, and gave an 'I told you so,' look towards the other two. Ron looked down at his food glumly. He had just gotten used to the foreign students, and even considered them friends.
It upset Harry too, but it mostly made him angry. If they were enemies, more specifically Death Eaters, then they stooped very low to gain his trust.
But it wasn't going to work.
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Dumbledore walked swiftly up towards the Goblet, its fires were now crackling intensely as it exploded like it did before. But unlike when the Weasley twins tried to put the parchment inside, a small scrap of paper was thrown out. It slowly floated into Dumbledore's extended hand, as he read the half-burnt paper.
"From the Olympian's Institution of Combat Magic,..." Percy swallowed, he already knew who it was going to be, and began to rise from his chair.
Receiving a few glares from Hermione, Harry, and Ron, he began to start walking forward as Dumbledore announced, "... Percy Jackson!"
There was an uproar of applause, and as he reached the steps, Mr. Crouch pulled him aside.
"Congratulations, sir!" he shook his hand vigorously, "Now follow me, and you will meet the other champions in just a few moments!"
As Percy was led through the doors, he vaguely heard Dumbledore shout, "Viktor Krum!" before the door shut behind him.
He waited for a moment. A tall man, around 18, stepped through the doors. He shuffled down, almost tripping on the stairs, before joining Percy in sitting on one of the chairs. He had bushy black eyebrows, and dark hair which seemed to be the same color as his eyes. His eyebrows furrowed, as if he seemed upset about something, but apparently wasn't so when he held out his hand for Percy to shake, "Viktor Krum, from Durmstrang."
Percy shook the hand as he sat on the chair across from him, "Percy Jackson. But I guess that's a bit obvious after Dumbledore announced all our names." He chuckled half-heartedly.
He laughed with a low, gruff voice just as the door swung open again. The sound of applause poured into the room, as a third person walked inside.
A tall girl dressed in the usual Beauxbaton silky blue dresses walked into the room. She had flowing, smooth white-gold hair. If the lighting reflected on it right, her skin almost seemed to glow. She was very beautiful, and vaguely reminded him of the nymphs back at home. She had the same sort of presence as the nature spirits, was it heritage perhaps? Percy looked back at the fire and muttered, 'But not as pretty as Annabeth,' as he smiled. She sat on the couch in between the two, and began to speak.
"You are the two champions, yes?" her thick french accent made it seem like she was stretching out each 'e' sound in the words. As she shook Viktor's hand she continued, "I am Fleur Delacour."
Percy flashed a lopsided grin and waved, "So do any of you guys know what sort of deadly activities we've gotten ourselves into?" The two shook their heads. He shrugged, unsure as well. That is when the door swung open for a fourth time.
A Hufflepuff student walked past the threshold and down the few stairs. Unlike the others, he stayed standing, leaning against the fireplace's mantle. He had dark brown hair and strong features. High cheek bones, square jawline, and grey eyes. Unlike Annabeth's they weren't an icy grey, but seemed a bit darker and bold. He waved at the other three, acknowledging them in the room, and opened his mouth the speak.
But before he could, the door swung open for a fifth time. Percy frowned,
"Hey Harry, what are you doing here?"
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"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore shouted a third time as he held the parchment in the air, but Harry's legs felt like jello; he couldn't find the courage in him to stand.
Ron's face paled, as he turned the other direction, not capable of looking him in the eyes.
Hermione finally hissed, "Harry, get up!" and helped him off the bench. Slowly he stepped forward, but unlike the other four, there was no applause.
Barty Crouch's expression was unreadable, as he led him into the room with the others. Once he had opened the door he was quickly and skeptically looked at by the other champions. Minus Percy, who seemed a little worried and asked, "Hey Harry, what are you doing here?"
"Ees dere a message for ahs?" Fleur replied with her usual French accent.
At that moment, the other headmasters stormed into the room.
"This is outrageous! Hogwarts having two champions? Since when was that playing by the rules, Dumbledore?" the first spat, Igor Karkaroff stormed into the room, quickly followed by Olympe.
"Surely there is some sort of mistake... a scheme perhaps?" she turned to face Dumbledore, who now stood in between the two.
"What about that American school... surely their headmaster has something to say!" Karkaroff scoffed, during which, Olympe and Karkaroff both turned towards Percy, but Crouch quickly intervened.
"Headmaster Brunner is said to be quite busy. Let us not call for him unless absolutely necessary..." he took off his brimmed hat, and began clasped it tightly between his hands worriedly.
Percy nodded, but Harry swore he heard him mumble, 'Stolls are probably setting something on fire RIGHT now...'
Dumbledore raised his arm for silence, then turned towards Crouch, "Is there anyway the rules can be changed?"
Mr. Crouch shook his head slowly, "No, the Goblet has chosen...
Harry Potter is the fifth champion of the Triwizard Tournament."
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Annabeth leaned against Percy's shoulder, as they continued to stare absentmindedly at the fireplace. The two curled up against each other on the sofa in the Gryffindor Tower as Thalia came stumbling down the girls' dormitory's stairs.
"I found it! Holy Styx, I found it!"
Percy rubbed his eyes drowsily, "What?"
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Harry entered through the Fat Lady's portrait to be welcomed by crowds' cheering and applauding.
"How'd ya do it? How did you put your name in the Goblet?" Fred grinned like a maniac, but seemed quite upset he couldn't succeed on his own.
"I- I didn't," he muttered, pushing through the crowd.
Ron stumbled in too, looking quite irritably towards him before he stormed upstairs.
Harry quickly followed, "You alright, Ron?"
"No! No, I'm not!" he whirled around facing him, "How could you do that? Enter the competition without even telling your best friend!"
"I told you Ron, I don't know how! I didn't even put my name in the Goblet of Fire!"
He scoffed in disbelief, before heading to bed. Harry spent a long time staring out the window in thought. And soon, when the moon shined brightly through the tinted glass, forming shadows among their beds, he too drifted off to sleep.
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Thalia's lips formed into a wicked smile, slowly parting to show her teeth. It looked very creepy, especially when the late night (probably early morning) shadows made only her bottom half of her face visible.
Eerie silence filled the common room. Earlier that evening everyone was bustling about excitedly, but now there wasn't a single form of movement. Only the three. The three demigods who stayed by the fire. Thalia continued to grin, as she leaned in closer to reply in barely a whisper,
"The dragon."
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"Father," the pale and very thin boy bent to his knees. He seemed no older than Harry right now, he even had the same color hair as him. The boy's hair looked shaggy, but unlike his, it was caked with dirt and a glittering dust.
'The same dust that was on Thalia's shirt at the train station,' he realized.
He couldn't see his face because of the angle, but he did notice his aviator jacket, and the pale almost skeletal complexion of his hand resting on his knee. His other hand rested on the hilt of an obsidian-black sword. The shadows almost tried to reach for the blade, as if to feed off its presence. He slowly raised from his kneeling position, to stare somewhere amongst the shadows.
Harry could not see past the fog - the dark and misty fog - merely the clearing in which the boy stood.
The cold voice sent a chill up his spine, his hands quivered in fear as it spoke,
"You know what to do," and the boy dipped his head in response.
Harry jolted awake.
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Word Count: 2,170