Flames of Destiny

"Where's Brain?" Luna asked the next morning at breakfast.

"She's gone, Moon," Rose said. "Remember? She left yesterday."

Luna's heart sank.

"Oh," Luna said. "I was hoping I'd dreamed that."

It wouldn't be the same without Brain there. Hermione was Luna's emergency backup Rose, filling in for Rose in Luna's dreams. She and Rose worked together to chase away the nightmares.

"Which one's Brain?" Melody asked. "Is she the one with the pretty ribbon in her hair?"

"No, she's the clever one with the hair clip and floofy hair," Luna said.

After the earthquake, Melody decided that Luna and Rose were the best, and started sitting with them. Luna didn't know much about her, but Tutela liked Cantaloupe, so Luna figured Melody must be alright.

"Hold on, that's Granger," Roger said. "Is she not coming back?"

Rose shook her head.

"The stuff that happened at the World Cup scared her parents, and after last year, they're keeping her home."

"What happened last year?"

Everyone sitting around Roger turned and stared at him.

"Right, earthquake," he said, his face turning a faint shade of red. "So Granger's gone. Arithmancy's already likely to be smaller, what with everyone dropping after O.W.L.s and all."

"What will we do without her?" Rebecca muttered.

"Yes, Rebecca," Rose said, tilting her head. "What will you do without her?"

Luna looked from Rose to Rebecca. To what were they referring? Maybe it was some secret about Arithmancy that Brain had told Rose. Luna decided that must be it.

"Never mind," Rebecca said.

"What classes have you got today?" Rose asked, turning back to Luna.

Luna took out her schedule Jackie gave her not ten minutes ago.

"History's first, then Care for Magical Creatures," Luna said.

"You'll love it," Rose said, grinning. "First class was Hippogriffs last year!"

"Didn't someone almost die?" Roger asked.

"Almost," Rose said. "But he was fine! Just don't make them angry, and you'll live."

Luna knew that "someone" was Butterhead, and that he was still amassing forces for his army. Perhaps the vampires were at war with the Hippogriffs. Butterhead must've been showing his loyalty to them by antagonizing the Hippogriffs.

"Why don't vampires like Hippogriffs?" Luna asked.

"That's a good question," Rose said.

"When did we start talking about vampires?" Melody asked.

"The person that was attacked last year was Butterhead," Luna said.

"That's… the Slytherin with the greasy hair?" Melody asked. "The one that looks like he's always mad about something?"

"That's the one!" Rose exclaimed.

"What's Malfoy got to do with vampires?" Roger asked.

"Our most recent intelligence suggests that he's amassing an army of vampires," Rose said. "What about you, Melody? What've you got this morning?"

"Let me see," Melody said, looking down at her schedule. "Herbology."

"Herbology's the best in the morning," Luna said. "The sun's just coming up, and everything feels so calm."

Luna didn't pay much attention during History of Magic. She'd already read through the book (at least, one of the Lunas had), so she knew everything Professor Binns had to say that day. Instead, Luna spent the time drawing a picture of Tutela and Cantaloupe. She was just putting the finishing touches on it when class ended. Luna packed up her things and moved at a trot to her next class.

"Welcome to Care for Magical Creatures," Professor Hagrid said. "I'm Professor Hagrid, but you can just call me Hagrid. Almost everyone does."

Luna looked past Hagrid at the Hippogriffs. The three of them stood tall, the embodiment of majesty. Luna still couldn't figure out what the vampires had against them.

"Many of you might've heard about last year," Hagrid said. "Malfoy wasn't hurt, but he gave a great example of what happens when you don't listen."

Hagrid continued to explain how to properly handle Hippogriffs. When he was finished, he walked up to one of them, bowed, and gently stroked its feathers.

"See? Nothing to it," he said, turning back to them. "Who'd like to try first?"

Luna had her hand up at "to".

"Seriously, Moon?" Firecracker whispered.

"Ms. Lovegood, I believe," Hagrid said. "Go on and give it a shot."

Luna approached the Hippogriff. He towered over her, glaring at her with a predator's eyes.

Luna curtsied as politely as she could. She stumbled, but caught herself before she fell over.

The Hippogriff assessed her for a moment with eyes that could pierce her soul. He bowed to her, signaling that she could rise and meet him.

"Well done!" Hagrid said. "You can touch him, but be gentle!"

Luna gently caressed the Hippogriff's soft feathers.

"Salutations," she whispered. "What's your name?"

The Hippogriff glared at her, still not sure if she were trustworthy.

"My sister can understand you, but I can't. Her name's Rose. Maybe you've met her."

The Hippogriff brought its head closer to her. A few of her classmates gasped, but Luna slowly reached out her hand. When the Hippogriff didn't tear it off, Luna gently patted its beak.

"You can trust me. I'm not with the vampires."

She patted it one more time, then curtsied again, keeping her balance this time. The Hippogriff bowed to her, and she returned to her friend.

"Moon, that was amazing," Firecracker whispered.

"Thank you."

"Well done, Ms. Lovegood," Hagrid said. "Who'd like to go next?"

Luna watched as her classmates each gave it a shot, but three at a time. A few people took it too quickly, but a sharp warning from Hagrid got them to back off before one of the Hippogriffs tore off any limbs.

"Good work, everyone," Hagrid said. "Hippogriffs are proud creatures, but they've a right to be. Few can out-fly them at their top speed. Probably only Thestrals can fly faster than them."

Firecracker raised her hand.

"Yes, Ms. Weasley?"

"What about a Firebolt?"

"You might have a chance of flying faster with a Firebolt, but Hippogriffs have got more experience than even the best Seekers," Hagrid said proudly. "When a Hippogriff takes a dive, it always comes up after it."

After class, Luna asked for permission to say goodbye to the Hippogriffs.

"So long as you're careful," Hagrid told her.

Luna nodded, then approached them with just as much caution as she had before.

"See you all later," she said as she curtsied. "I had a wonderful time."

The Hippogriffs responded by bowing, showing Luna the same respect she showed them.

"They must like you," Hagrid muttered to her as she skipped off.

"How'd you do that?" Firecracker asked.

"Do what?" Luna asked. "Skipping? I do that all the time. It's easy once you get the hang of it."

"Not that, just now, with the Hippogriffs."

"Oh. Daddy says I've got a way with animals."

"I'll say," Firecracker said. "Next time there's a stampede, you're gonna help. I nearly got ran over."

"It was alright in the end," Luna said.

"I guess so," Firecracker replied. "Where are you off to?"

"Charms," Luna said.

"Me too! Guess us girls are sticking together!"

While Luna liked Ginny, she was never sure which Ginny with whom she spent time. The Ginnys were almost all different, so it made it hard to keep track. The Nevilles and Hermiones were mostly the same, so Luna found it easier to remember what they were like. Except one Hermione that was a little meaner, but not that mean. After all, that Hermione only had people torn limb from limb on Tuesdays.

Hermione woke up, but, as with the past few weeks, didn't open her eyes. If she opened them, she'd be back in her room. If she kept them closed, she could stay at Hogwarts longer. She could pretend that if she opened her eyes, she'd be back in Gryffindor Tower. Sally-Anne would just be waking up, Lavender would be sprawled out over her bed (or the floor, as it was on a few occasions), Parvati might be getting ready for the day, and Rose would be staring at Hermione, waiting for her to wake up.

"Brain, are you awake?"

Hermione opened her eyes to find Rose staring at her from a few inches away from her face.

Then there were the days when it felt as if she'd never left.

"Good morning, Rose," Hermione said. "Do my parents know you're here?"

"No."

Rose moved away as Hermione sat up in bed.

"Haven't you got class?"

"I dunno. Maybe?"

"Please don't start skipping class in protest," Hermione said, stretching.

"I won't," Rose replied. "I just came by to wish you a happy birthday!"

Hermione stopped as she was getting out of bed. Was it her birthday? It was difficult keeping track of time without classes. How long had it been since she'd last seen Hogwarts?

"Is it?" she asked.

"That's what Ref and Princess told me." Rose sat on the bed next to Hermione. "Hold still."

Hermione knew the drill by that point. She waited for Rose to activate her thought bottle and power surge Serendipity, then held still as Rose touched her hair clip. The second Rose's finger touched it, Hermione's head felt as if it were on fire.

"All set," Rose said as a red wisp flew into her mouth from the thought bottle.

"You'd think I'd be used to that by now," Hermione said, holding her head.

"That's the last one," Rose said. "I can't do anything more."

"I don't know how I feel about that," Hermione said.

That was it. Rose couldn't help her out anymore, so she'd just have to work at it, like a normal person. Like Cedric, Professor Vector, and Professor McGonagall all had.

That also meant Rose had to think of something else to do for her birthday, a thought that filled Hermione with dread.

"What are you going to do next year?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know yet. Maybe something with lore of the gods. How do you feel about worshiping Boccob?"

As the pain eased up, Hermione scanned her brain for "Boccob", but came up empty.

"Who's Boccob? No, better question: What's involved in 'worshiping' him?"

Rose shrugged. "I get +10 for 'worshiping' EL, and I forget he exists most of the time."

"Ten?!" Hermione exclaimed. "Isn't that what divine enlightenment provides?"

"Lore of the Gods just gives a bonus to Knowledge Checks, not general Intelligence like divine enlightenment. Still a big deal, though."

Hermione reached for her hairbrush and brushed her hair for a minute to clean it. She glanced over at Rose, who sat patiently, rocking her head from side to side. During the entire time Hermione put her robe and slippers on, Rose didn't say a word.

"What's with you this year?"

Rose looked up at her, still smiling.

"You kept the Triwizard Tournament a secret all summer. You've never cared that much about anything. Why now?"

Rose's smile faded, giving Hermione a good sign that she'd get a real answer from her.

"I messed up last year," Rose said. "I yelled at the teachers, broke their things. I want to make it up to them, especially Professor Dumbledore. He's been nice to me, and the Dementors weren't his fault." She paused for a moment, then added, "I'm not a nice person without my family there to help me."

There were few things that made Hermione happier than to see a real girl in Rose. It didn't often happen, but Hermione cherished the moments when it did, because it reminded her that they weren't that different.

"I forget you're human sometimes."

"I make mistakes too," Rose said. "Just ask Atrien."

"That's not fair. Atrien wasn't your fault."

"I felt like the earthquake last year was my chance to prove that I could be just like them, but then we lost Atrien. My parents always got everyone out alive. Mum would throw up a ward while Dad and Sarista would evac everyone. Even… even at Kor'el, everyone else got out alive."

"Why didn't you just bring her back?" Hermione asked.

"Because people know about it," Rose said. "I was lucky when the Basilisk killed Princess. Only Myrtle had seen her. If anyone else had, I wouldn't have been able to bring her back."

"I still think you should tell her."

"'By the way, Princess, you weren't petrified, you were killed. Sorry for not telling you!'"

"Probably not like that, but she died."

Hermione sat back down next to Rose. It was just the two of them talking, just like old times.

"And only you, Myrtle, and I know about it. Myrtle's kept her mouth shut, which was the price she paid for me bringing Princess back in the first place. I'm already bringing back Luna's mum. I can't keep doing this or I'll get caught."

Rose had already filled Hermione in on the plan regarding Luna's family. Hermione thought it was nice of Rose, not only to be honest with Luna's dad about it, but to do something like that for her friend.

"I take it you still won't consider bringing Harry's parents back?" she asked.

Rose shook her head. "He's had time to adjust to the idea and move on. Moon… hasn't."

"What about Sirius?"

"Someone's gonna notice when my friends all start moving away."

"We'll just say we're all tired of you," Hermione said, laughing.

"Brain, I'm serious."

"That's something I never thought I'd hear you say." When Hermione saw the look on Rose's face, she added, "Alright, I'm finished."

"Thank you. Luna's the end of it. If someone dies while I'm here, that's different."

Hermione nodded. A year ago, seeing Rose scared or upset would've terrified her, but she was getting used to it. What worried her now was that she didn't know if it was a bad thing.

"Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine."

"Then let's go downstairs," Hermione said. "I think I smell breakfast."

Hermione and Rose arrived in the Gryffindor common room early in the morning on the 30th. It was a little odd seeing Hogwarts after so long. It still felt like home, but she remembered sadly that it wasn't.

"Thanks for convincing my parents to let me go unsupervised," Hermione said.

"It's just the tasks that are dangerous," Rose replied. "Not to you, though."

Hermione nodded. Part of her was curious about the tasks, but she knew better. If Rose said it was a bad idea, it was a bad idea.

"Is curfew still in effect?" Hermione asked.

Rose shrugged.

"I don't know why I'm asking you of all people," Hermione said. "Why would you know the rules?"

"There are rules?!" Rose gasped. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"My point exactly," Hermione said, laughing. "When will the others–"

"BRAIN!"

An unknown object knocked Hermione to the ground. When she recovered enough to identify it, she found Ginny laying on top of her, squeezing the life out of her.

"Hi, Ginny," she wheezed. "Having a little trouble breathing. Need you to not be your mum for a minute."

Ginny and Hermione stood up, then Ginny started hugging her again.

"I missed you so much!" she exclaimed. "How is it at home? Are your parents treating you good? Can you come back?"

"Fine, well, and no."

Ginny pouted.

"She's just fine," Sally-Anne said, coming down the stairs. Like Ginny, she still wore her pajamas, but she'd taken the time to put a robe on over them.

"How've you girls been?" Hermione asked after getting a hug from Sally-Anne.

"You should've been there for Care!" Ginny exclaimed. "We did the Hippogriffs, and–"

"Is everyone alright?" Hermione asked, remembering the previous year's incident.

"Fine," Ginny said. "But Moon's amazing with animals. Starting with the Hippogriffs, everything's nice to her. It's so strange, but so brilliant!"

"I'm glad you girls are having fun," Hermione said. "How's Arithmancy going?"

"Okay I guess," Ginny said. "Maths is hard."

"Which is what I told you when you told me you signed up for it," Hermione said.

"I can do it," Ginny huffed as Sally-Anne snickered.

"What about you, Princess?" Hermione asked. "Everything going alright?"

"Fine," she replied. "It's been wonderfully boring around here. You?"

"Well, my parents and I decided it'd be a bad idea to send me back to school. Either I'd–"

"Your teeth!" Ginny exclaimed. "What happened to them?!"

"Not so loud, Ginny," Sally-Anne said. "It's still early."

"Hm?" Hermione asked, running her tongue over her teeth. "Right. My parents agreed to let me use magic to fix them, in exchange for me not trying to escape and willingly trying to go back to school. After a few failed attempts that I'm thankful no one was around to see, I shrunk my teeth down to normal size."

Ginny stared at her teeth for a few moments. After a little while, it began to make Hermione uncomfortable.

"Done?" Hermione asked.

"Sure," Ginny said, still staring at her.

"Anyway, we tried sending me to school, but when I tested for placement… well…"

"You didn't test out, did you?" Sally-Anne asked, laughing.

"Sort of," Hermione said, blushing. "We had to convince them I cheated so they didn't make a big deal about the 15-year-old prodigy. We decided we'll wait until I'm 18 until moving forward with anything."

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"My parents want a quiet life right now, and I don't want all that attention. Maybe when everything settles down, we'll consider it again."

"I think you made the right choice," Sally-Anne said.

At breakfast, more people noticed her teeth. To her delight, Cedric was one of these people.

Keep it together, she ordered herself after he left. It's just Cedric.

She caught Sally-Anne smiling at her.

"Shut up," Hermione hissed.

"I didn't say anything," Sally-Anne said, still smiling.

"A reminder to everyone that Durmstrang and Beauxbatons will be arriving this evening," Professor Dumbledore said when they finished eating. "I expect you will all treat our guests with the respect and kindness I know you're all capable of. At dinner, I will introduce the judge that will be deciding who gets to enter the Triwizard Tournament. There will be no classes tomorrow, and at the end of the day, we will announce the lucky few who will serve as champions in the Triwizard Tournament. Now please, enjoy the nice day."

"Fred, George," Rose called as everyone started to leave. "So you know, Professor McGonagall said to kill both of you on sight if I catch you setting up a prank for this evening."

They laughed, but stopped when they saw that Rose wasn't.

"Did… did she really say that?" George asked.

"Yup," Rose said. "That's all. Enjoy your day."

Both boys exchanged glances before walking away.

"She didn't really say that, did she?" Sally-Anne asked.

"Oh, she did," Rose said, giving Professor McGonagall a thumbs up.

Hermione glanced at Professor McGonagall. According to Rose, the purpose of the Triwizard Tournament was to restore good relations between the Ministry and the three schools. Professor Dumbledore had gone so far as to let Rose in on it, just so she wouldn't make things worse. The teachers utilizing their new tool to keep other problems down wasn't a stretch.

"I believe it," Hermione said.

It was a nice day at Hogwarts. Hermione didn't feel as if she were just visiting, although she hated it when people reminded her that she was. She visited Professors McGonagall and Vector, and listened to her friends tell her about their classes.

"How's Professor Moody?" Hermione asked.

"Not as good as Professor Lupin," Harry muttered.

"I like him!" Rose exclaimed.

"Of course you do," Ron said. "He's more paranoid than Snape."

"Professor Snape," Hermione corrected. "What do you mean, Harry?"

"He talks to us like we're… I don't know, soldiers or something," Harry explained. "He says he used to be an Auror, and I guess he trained a bunch of them."

"I don't think he understands the difference yet," Sally-Anne said, "but I'm sure he will. Harry's right, though. He hasn't quite figured out how to talk to us. I loved the way Professor Lupin always treated us as equals. I think it spoke well of his ability to teach."

"So he knows what he's doing, but doesn't know how to teach," Hermione said. "Just like Professor Snape."

"Except without the blatant favoritism," Ron said.

"At least that's something," Hermione said.

They spent the rest of the day at Hogsmeade. No one knew how, but Rose convinced Professor McGonagall to let Hermione go with them. Harry enjoyed having everyone together. It helped ease his mind that something bad was about to happen. Sally-Anne assured him that it was just anxiety about the students arriving soon.

Just before dinner, the staff began rounding up the students and bringing them outside. They all stood in line, arranged by year, with each house in its own section. The only exception was Rose, who stayed by Professor McGonagall's side.

"I think she missed me" was the only explanation Rose gave for this.

The entire school stood in the setting sun for what felt like hours. They were all nervous, anxious, or excited to see the new students. After a few minutes, they saw them.

From a distance, it looked like an ordinary horse-drawn carriage. Faintly lit by the last light of the day, Harry could see wings on every horse. As it drew closer, everyone began to see just how big the carriage was.

Calling it a carriage didn't do it justice; it was a house. A house drawn by a dozen flying horses, each the size of an elephant. They landed on the grounds, slowing to a stop as Professor Dumbledore approached the carriage.

A boy in blue garb climbed out of the front and opened the door. Steps unfolded as the tallest woman Harry had seen in his life stepped out of the carriage.

"Madame Maxime, how good to see you," Professor Dumbledore said, taking her hand.

"Likewise, Professor Dumbleydore," she said. "Eez eet always so cold een England?"

"Don't worry, we're in Scotland. It's much colder here," he replied.

Someone's been spending too much time around Rose, Harry thought.

"I'm afraid Igor isn't here yet, but I'm sure if we wait a moment…"

Professor Dumbledore turned to the Great Lake, but nothing happened.

"Hmm… That usually works," he said. "Let me try again: I'm sure if we wait a moment…"

It wasn't until his third try that something rose up out of the Great Lake. It started as a small cylinder, but Harry saw that it was a mast. The rest of the ship erupted out of the Great Lake, stopping just short of the shore.

After a large plank shout out of the boat, a man walked out, followed by several students.

"If you'll excuse me," Professor Dumbledore said to Madame Maxime.

He walked over to the man exiting the boat.

"Professor Karkaroff."

"Professor Dumbledore, if you don't mind, I'd like to get inside as soon as possible," Professor Karkaroff said. "Viktor's got a bit of a head cold."

"Not to worry," Professor Dumbledore said, turning to the rest of the students. "Everyone, head to the Great Hall. Hogwarts students, take your normal seats. Everyone else, sit wherever you are most comfortable."

Harry watched the new students. The Beauxbatons students all wore blue silk robes, although they weren't nearly as bulky or bland as Hogwarts robes. The Durmstrang students were all covered in fur coats, making them appear bigger than they were.

One person in particular caught Harry's eye. He walked alongside Professor Karkaroff, and, even bundled beneath at least two layers of coats, Harry knew who he was.

"That's Viktor Krum," Ron whispered.

"I noticed," Harry replied.

"That's–"

"Sh!" Hermione hissed.

Professor McGonagall led them to the Great Hall. It looked normal, except for a pedestal with a box on top of it. It stood in front of the Teachers' Table, and Taltria and Alavel stood on either side of it. Harry saw a glowing line in the floor that circumscribed the pedestal.

"Let me be the first to welcome our guests to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" Professor Dumbledore announced. "Before we begin the feast, I would like to officially begin the Triwizard Tournament!"

He was met with a thunderous applause that lasted a good minute.

"Without further ado, allow me to introduce our impartial judge," he continued. He tapped the box with his wand and it folded down around itself. Inside the box was an old, brown and black goblet.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, meet our impartial judge," Professor Dumbledore announced. "The Goblet of Fire!"

As its name was spoken, the goblet was filled with a bright orange flame. It rose several feet into the air for just a second, then turned a bright blue and flickered as calmly as the fireplace back in Gryffindor Tower.

"Entry is quite simple," Professor Dumbledore said. "Each aspiring champion will write his or her name and school on a piece of parchment, and throw it into the fire. Tomorrow night, in exactly 24 hours, the Goblet of Fire will select three champions to compete in the Triwizard Tournament."

Professor Dumbledore paused for a moment as people started whispering.

"As many of you have noticed, there are two others up here with me. Hogwarts students may recognize Gryffindor Tower's former guardians, Taltria and Alavel."

At their introduction, both Nimblewrights took a low bow.

"They will be patrolling the goblet from now until tomorrow night, when the champions are chosen. They must allow you to enter your name, and have been granted permission to subdue anyone who attempts to enter without their permission. As a precaution, this includes teachers, and there are no exceptions to this. Remember, this is for your own safety. For example…"

He took out a piece of parchment and a quill and scribbled something on the paper. He turned around and went to put the parchment in the goblet. The moment his arm got close, one Nimblewright had a sword to his throat, and the other held one to his arm.

Several audience members gasped, but Professor Dumbledore took two steps back before burning the paper in his hand. As he did, both Nimblewrights' swords folded up into their arms.

"While many of you will take this as a challenge, also remember that they will call for reinforcements if they believe it to be necessary."

Harry caught Professor Dumbledore glance over at Rose for just a second before pointing at the glowing line around the goblet. "This is an age line. This is the first line of defence around the goblet; Alavel and Taltria are the second. As I've said to Hogwarts students already, if you're under the age of 17, do not waste your time trying to enter. The tasks are dangerous, and we three schools value the safety of our students above all else."

The next morning, they found Fred and George eyeing the Goblet of Fire during breakfast. They stared at it as students placed their names inside.

The procedure was simple. When someone approached the goblet, either Taltria or Alavel would ask them their name, age, and the person they were entering. Everyone got through without a problem. Every student from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang entered themselves, along with most of the seventh-years.

"It's so simple, Professor Dumbledore never would've thought of it," George said.

"Maybe," Rose said. "It still won't work."

"What won't?" Hermione asked, tuning into the conversation at her table.

"Fred and George are gonna try an aging potion to fool the age line," Ginny said.

"And it won't work," Rose said.

"Why not?" Fred asked.

"Professor Dumbledore and I accounted for anything a student would do. You'll never get past."

"Don't Taltria and Alavel know who you are?" Sally-Anne asked.

"They're under orders to treat all students equally," Rose said.

Fred and George exchanged glances, then grinned.

"There's your problem," Fred said.

"You overthink everything," George said.

"You'll think of all the maddest ideas–"

"–but never anything simple."

"You're right, I do!" Rose gasped. "You've got me."

Hermione looked from Rose to the Twins. It was all over Rose's face that she was lying.

"I'm gonna go with Shadow," Hermione said. "Right?"

"And Sk'lar, Uncle Oz, Carolina, and Bowie," Rose said. "Shadow covered sneaky, Sk'lar covered clever, Carolina took simple, Bowie took ridiculous, and Uncle Oz got everything else. For good measure, I got everyone else from the network to weigh in on it."

"Wow," Hermione said. "You're really trying on this. I've got to admit, I'm impressed."

"Thanks, Sweety!" Rose exclaimed.

"Fine," George said.

"If you won't listen, maybe they will," Fred said.

Fred and George each took a vial out of their pockets, and chugged the potion inside. After that, they approached the pedestal, the others behind them.

"Taltria, Alavel, my mates," Fred said as he and George approached the Goblet of Fire.

Hermione and her friends moved to the end of the table so they could hear what was going on.

"Which one of us is Taltria and which one is Alavel?" one of them asked.

"Erm…"

"You can't tell us apart, can you?" the same one asked. "Racist."

Hermione looked at the one, then the other. The one that had spoken spoke in a higher voice, which meant it was likely Taltria.

"That one's Taltria," Harry said. "Alavel hasn't got a sense of humor."

"See, he knows us," Taltria said. "But enough fun. What's your name?"

"Fred Weasley."

"How old are you?"

"Obviously sixteen," Fred said, then clapped his hands over his mouth.

"You're not old enough," Alavel said. "Clear away from the goblet, or we'll have to forcibly remove you."

"Which I'll enjoy, so it's up to you," Taltria added.

"Let me try," George said. "Come on. We're just using an aging potion to try to fool–"

Fred and George exchanged glances as Rose laughed.

"It's called zone of truth," Rose said from her seat near the goblet. "Anyone who fails the Will Save must tell the truth while they stand inside it, and guess what you lot haven't got?"

"Rose, you can get them to let us enter, right?" Fred asked.

"Come on, we'll split the reward," George said.

"First, if you're going to barter with me, don't offer me part of the reward until after I've said 'no' the first time," Rose said. "Second, I've got no need for money. Third, and most importantly, no."

"Why not?" George asked.

"Taltria, Alavel, what was my last order?"

Neither Taltria nor Alavel responded to her.

"Good work," Rose said, turning back to her friends. "They are both under orders to ignore me until after the champions have been selected. No matter what, they will follow their original instructions, and we've all been made aware of what the Triwizard Tournament involves. We know what will happen if we allow someone to enter who isn't ready, and you're not ready. Like Professor Dumbledore said, the tasks are dangerous."

"If you lot are finished, I'd like a go."

They turned to see Cedric, accompanied by a few Hufflepuffs.

"Go ahead, Ced" Rose said before anyone could protest.

Hermione closed her eyes and imagined herself strangling Rose.

Cedric approached Taltria and Alavel as Fred and George cleared off.

"What's your name?" Alavel asked.

"Cedric Diggory."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Who are you entering?"

"Myself."

"Proceed."

Taltria and Alavel stood aside, allowing Cedric to place his name in the Goblet of Fire.

"Good luck," Hermione said as he walked past.

"Thank you," Cedric said. Motioning to Fred and George, he added, "Don't let these two get you into too much trouble."

"I've got her covered," Rose said, putting her arm around Hermione.

After Cedric walked away, Rose turned to the Twins.

"If you'll stop trying, I'll help you with another problem you've got," Rose said. "Bagman."

The Twins exchanged glances.

"Done."

Hermione was curious about what they were talking about, but her common sense once again reminded her that she didn't want to know that badly. Instead, she directed her thoughts towards another question: How did Rose know the tasks were dangerous?

"Professor Dumbledore told me they were when I lent him the Nimblewrights," Rose replied when Hermione brought it up. "Before any of you ask, I haven't a clue what the tasks are. But if Professor Dumbledore says they're too dangerous, I tend to agree with him."

At last, the moment had arrived. Everyone ate their food as fast as they could, anxious to get to the champion selection.

Everyone, that is, except Professor Dumbledore. He took his time, seemingly ignorant to the thousands of eyes fixed on him as he ate his food.

"He's got to be doing that on purpose," Hermione whispered.

"Probably too much time around her," Ron said, nodding his head towards Rose.

"That's what I said," Harry muttered. "Can't he just finish so we can get this over with?"

"You're lucky you haven't got a curfew," Hermione said. "If he doesn't hurry up, I might have to leave before we start."

"I don't know why you're all staring at him," Rose said, her face hidden behind a book. "The Goblet of Fire won't select candidates until 7 o'clock."

They all exchanged glances.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Exactly 24 hours after it's lit, the goblet makes its selection," Rose said. "We've got 22 minutes left, so everyone just chill."

Relaxing was easier said than done. Harry looked around and saw that everyone was as anxious as he. Unlike most other students, he wasn't hoping that he would be selected; he was afraid he was going to be selected.

Every year, something happened that just so happened to involve him. The least of them had been his second year, when he was just accused of being the Heir of Slytherin for no reason, but last year had been directly involved with him. What if his name came out of the goblet this year?

"It's fine," Sally-Anne told him when he mentioned it. "If by some horrible coincidence it does, just pass. It's like picking names out of a hat, that's all."

"Why don't they just pick names out of a hat?" Ginny asked.

"It's not that simple," Hermione said. "I've been reading about the Goblet of Fire, and it's believed that is uses similar magic to the Mirror of Erised."

"Hold on," Ginny said. "Don't they know?"

"It was forged for one of the first Triwizard Tournaments," Hermione explained. "That was hundreds of years ago, and they didn't keep good records of it back then. Basically, it lights every time there's to be a tournament, but just for 24 hours. Exactly 24 hours, actually, and it's got some way of scanning a person based on their name."

"How does it do that?" Ginny asked.

"That's the question," Hermione replied. "They know it works, but no one's allowed to study it to find out how it works."

"Professor Dumbledore said they don't want anyone tampering with it," Rose said.

"You asked, didn't you?" Ron asked.

"Of course I did!" Rose exclaimed.

"I'd love to get a chance to study it," Hermione said, gazing at the Goblet of Fire.

Harry looked at the goblet. It stood between Alavel and Taltria, its flame flickering quietly. In a few minutes it would be the most important object in the room, but for now, it was just a goblet. To him, it would still be just a goblet, but it held the power to nominate someone based entirely on their name. It could spell certain glory or certain doom, and it couldn't even talk.

"Now the moment we've all been waiting for!" Professor Dumbledore announced.

His announcement was met with a thunderous applause.

"In a few moments, the Goblet of Fire will select our three champions. If I call your name, please make your way through that door into a back room. Once all three champions have been chosen, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, and I will meet you there to explain what happens next. The rest of you may return to your rooms once the champions are selected."

He motioned to two new people sitting at the Teachers' Table.

"Before we begin, I'd like to introduce our guests for this evening. This is Mr. Ludovic Bagman, Head of the Department of Games and Sports, and Mr. Barty Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. They have elected to honor us with their presence tonight, and we are more than pleased to have them."

He walked up to the Goblet of Fire as the crowd applauded. As he reached the goblet, its flame rose two feet into the air. A small piece of parchment fluttered down into Professor Dumbledore's waiting hand. He unfolded the parchment read it, then addressed the crowd.

"The champion for Durmstrang is… Viktor Krum!"

Everyone applauded, but none so loud as the Durmstrang students. Krum was congratulated in one way or another by nearly everyone he passed on his way to the back room.

Just as Krum reached the entrance, the goblet flared up a second time, and Professor Dumbledore took the new piece of parchment.

"The champion for Beauxbatons is… Fleur Delacour!"

Once again, there was a wave of noise, although the applause of Beauxbatons sounded more like singing than applause.

One of the girls in Beauxbatons stood up. She smiled politely as she drifted across the room.

"Who is she?" Ron asked, staring at the girl as she walked past them.

"Fleur Delacour," Rose replied. "Seventh-year Beauxbatons student, top of her class, quarter…" She paused as she flipped through her notebook. "'Veela'."

Fleur reached the back room just as another piece of parchment flew out of the goblet and into Professor Dumbledore's hand.

"The champion for Hogwarts is…"

Every Hogwarts student held his or her breath. Everyone had some hope about the champion, and Professor Dumbledore was pausing for longer than anyone would've liked.

"Cedric Diggory!"

The Hufflepuff table made more noise than any of them had ever heard it make. The normally laid back house erupted with excitement, drowning out the other three houses combined.

Cedric himself stood up, shaking hands and accepting pats on the back as he walked the same path the other two had taken.

Harry let his entire body sink into his seat. It was all over. The champions had been chosen, and he wasn't one of them.

"That was more exciting than I'd have liked," he said.

Sally-Anne smiled at him, but she seemed more worried about Hermione, who stared at Cedric as he disappeared into the back room.

"It's alright," Sally-Anne whispered to Hermione. "He'll be fine."

Who's she worried about? Harry wondered. Cedric? Never mind, I'll find out later. Whatever it is, it's all over now. Like Sally-Anne says, we can go back, get some rest, then–

FWOOSH!

The audience gasped as the Goblet of Fire flared up for a fourth time. The tension Harry had allowed to drain away returned.

No.

Professor Dumbledore stared at the goblet in disbelief when a fourth piece of parchment fluttered out of it. He glanced at the Nimblewrights, who shook their heads.

No.

Harry willed the piece of parchment not to hold his name. He wanted nothing to do with the tournament, and he wasn't going to have anything to do with it. That parchment couldn't have his name on it. It was impossible.

No one spoke as Professor Dumbledore took the parchment. He read the name on it, then looked their way.

NO!

Harry met Professor Dumbledore's gaze, but Professor Dumbledore slowly shook his head.

Harry frowned, then realized that he was sitting between Professor Dumbledore and someone else. Someone that was always so quiet that even Harry often forgot he was there. He slowly turned around and realized whose name it was that was on that parchment.

Professor Dumbledore wasn't looking at Harry; he was looking at Neville.