Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat, once everyone was finished eating and the food vanished. "Now, welcome to another year at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry" he said and everyone cheered. "And as for the announcements-"

He took out a scroll of parchment and began reading. "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."

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. 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."

"We get to go to Hogsmeade this year!" Ginny told an overexcited Colin. "I can't wait"

"I know, so exciting!" He exclaimed.

Ginny was excited. Beyond excited. Finally, a chance to roam the beautiful village and do all sorts of things! But what Professor Dumbledore said next, almost made her cry with pity for herself.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

This news was greeted with an uproar. Ginny almost wailed in frustration. She wanted to try out this year! She wanted to show her dumbskull brothers she was good at Quidditch even though they never let her play. And now Quidditch this year was cancelled. This year couldn't get any worse. But then, she was wrong, yet again.

"What?" Harry gasped loudly and looked over to where Fred and George were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, too appalled to say a word. Ginny knew those twins lived and died for Quidditch. For Harry, too, it was important.

"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 -"

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open, to reveal a man in a long, black travelling cloak. It was nothing like they have ever seen. Each students' head turned to face the newcomer and Parvati shuddered beside her. There was a dull clunk as he moved across the hall-another flash of lightning- his face was illuminated and there was a collective gasp from everyone present there. The man's face looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of his skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening.

One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and
then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness. Ginny turned away to look at her hand resting on the table, Neville looked as though he had seen a ghost, Parvati was staring at the man with a grotesque expression on her face. People started murmuring as he look the empty place on the teachers table.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."

Mad-Eye Moody. That was his name. The Weasley kids had heard of him from their father. He didn't seem attractive in the least, but then again, there were always Professors of odd sorts for DADA.

Ginny had only met two of three Professors who'd taught Defence. She had liked Professor Lupin, he was ever kind and caring. Then there was Professor Lockhart and she had never seen anyone so vain in their own praise and beauty, he was such a fraud (she'd never say that in front of her mother, though)

Ron had told her that Lockhart had tried to wiping his and Harry's memories when he was assigned with the task of rescuing her from the chamber. His spell had backfired and Lockhart had ended up wiping his own memory. Ginny was more angry with the fact that Lockhart had actually considered wiping their memories and leaving her to die in the chamber.

"As I was saying," Dumbledore said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor 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!" said Fred loudly. The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. 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 . . ." said Dumbledore, "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 in an anxious tone.

"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 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 alight with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches. Their mother would definately not appreciate this.

"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 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 under-age 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."

Ginny sighed in relief. Her mother, she knew, would be delighted that none of her children would have put feet into death's waiting mouth simply because they were underage.

"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!"

There was a great scampering and scraping and rows of students made their way to their respective common rooms.

"They can't do that!" said George, who had not joined the crowd moving toward the door, but was standing up and glaring at Dumbledore. "We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?"

"They're not stopping me entering," said Fred 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!"

"Yeah," said Ron, a faraway look on his face. "Yeah, a thousand Galleons . . ."

"Come on," said Hermione, "we'll be the only ones left here if you don't move."

There was a great deal of chattering on the way to Gryffindor Tower. Everyone was debating on how best to get their name in the tournament and outsmart several great wizards who'd obviously spelled it for a reason.

After bidding goodnight to Neville, she and Parvati went to the girls' dormitory to hear Hermione muttering something about slave labour and elf rights.

"Alright?" She asked Hermione as she climbed in bed.

"Do you know, Ginny," she said exasperatedly, "that then food we eat is made by house elves?"

"Um..."

"It is!" She said, propping her face on her elbows as she looked at Ginny.

"I didn't know" she replied. "House elves at Hogwarts?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "I always wondered who made the exorbitant amounts of food" she muttered. "Food is one of the exceptions in Gamp's Law Of Elemental Transfiguration- so it can't be produced from thin air- I wonder why I didn't think of it earlier!" She said, more to herself than to Ginny. She turned over.

Ginny had barely closed her eyes when she heard a faint but distinct murmur from Hermione, "Slave labour" and she smiled to herself.

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A/N: Looking forward to more and more votes and comments as I progress!
Would appreciate if you commented on how this chapter was for you :)

Lots of love xxx
Sparked Firewhiskey