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For the next week, it seemed as if the only topic in discussion, no matter where Serena went, was the Triwizard Tournament. Rumours were flying from student to student about all sorts of things: what sort of tasks would be included in the tournament, how students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang differed from themselves, and who was going to try for Hogwarts Champion. Serena spent that week working out the details for an Aging Potion with Fred, George and Lee. She was doubtful it would work, but figured she could use a good laugh.

Serena wasn't the most observant, but even she noticed how the school seemed to be much cleaner than before. Suits of armour were shiny, moving without any squeaks, and the filthy portraits that had always been left alone underwent a deep scrub, in anticipation for the arrival of the guests.

When Serena and the twins went down to breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October, they saw the Great Hall had been decorated during the night. Massive silk banners hung from the walls, displaying the crest of the four Hogwarts Houses, as well as a large banner that bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: a lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H.

Serena, Fred and George sat down in a secluded area, talking in quite voices. "Listen, all I'm saying is that he can't avoid you forever." The girl reasoned.

"It's a bummer, all right," George said gloomily. "But if he won't talk to us in person... then you're right Serena, we'll have to send him the letter after all."

"Or we'll stuff it into his hand, force him to read it." Fred said.

"Who's avoiding you?" Ron said as he, Harry, Hermione, and Iyla sat beside them.

"Wish you would," Fred replied, looking irritated at the interruption.

"What's a bummer?" Iyla asked Serena this time.

"Having a nosy git like you for a sister," Serena said.

"I know you're already of age, Serena, so you two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry asked the twins. "Thought any more about trying to enter?"

"I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," said George bitterly. "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."

Serena snickered. "Dunno why you're sulking, it was hilarious!" George simply punched her arm.

"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" said Ron thoughtfully. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry, Iyla. We've done dangerous stuff before..."

Fred shook his head. "Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't. McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."

"Who are the judges?" Harry asked.

"Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel," said Hermione, and everyone looked around at her, rather surprised, "because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on the rampage."

Hermione must noticed all of them looking at her and said, with her usual air of impatience that nobody else had read all the books she had, "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?" said Ron.

Iyla sighed. "Here we go again."

"House-elves, of course!" Hermione's eyes were flashing. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does Hogwarts, A History mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!"

Serena knew all about the fourth year's determination to pursue justice for house elves. To be honest, she admired how someone could be so committed to a cause, even though Hermione had came up to her whenever she saw Serena, rattling her collecting tin in her face.

It's not like Serena didn't want to join (well, maybe a little), but she hadn't paid her two Sickles for a S.P.E.W badge until last night, simply because she couldn't find her Sickles. Serena may keep her room organized and clean, but she always seemed to lose everything.

In the middle of Hermione's rant, the bushy haired girl turned to Serena. "Now that I think about it, why aren't you wearing the badge I gave you last night?"

The girl froze mid-sip, chuckling as she slowly lowered her glass of apple juice. She could go with the blunt answer of: 'Sorry, Mione but I didn't really want to,' or the white lie, 'I've lost the badge. Put it right on my nightstand and couldn't find it in the morning.'

Luckily, Serena was saved from responding by George, who leaned toward the fourth year. "Listen, have you ever been down in the kitchens, Hermione?"

"No, of course not," said Hermione curtly, "I hardly think students are supposed to -"

"Well, we have," George said, pointing at himself, Fred, and Serena, "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 -"

Hermione looked even more outraged, if that were possible. "That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!"

Serena flicked George's forehead. "Nice job. You've gotten her even more angry."

The trio were once again saved from another one of Hermione's lectures by a loud whoosh that reverberated through the Great Hall, signaling the arrival of the post owls.

~~~

It seemed almost as if the anticipation in the air was tangible on that day. Serena never really focused in class, but today, she couldn't even bring herself to pretend to listen to Snape's monotonous drawl or try to cast that stupid Bubble-Head Charm correctly. No, she and the entirety of Hogwarts seemed to be much more interested in the arrival of the people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang that evening. And when the bell rang early, Serena dashed to her dorm room to drop off her bag and books. In her hurry, she'd forgotten to get her cloak, running back down to the entrance hall in excitement.

All Hogwarts students were lined up with their Houses in the front of the castle in the cold, cloudless evening. The sun had already set, the translucent moon shining over the Forbidden Forest.

Alicia glanced down at her watch from beside Serena. "It's nearly six."

"How d'you reckon they're coming?" Lee asked. "The train?"

"I doubt it," Angelina said.

Serena looked up at the twinkling night sky. "How about broomsticks?"

"From what I've heard," Katie Bell said, "You can't fly on broomsticks from that far away."

"A portkey, maybe?" George suggested.

"Or they could apparate." Fred said.

Angelina shook her head. "You can't apparate inside Hogwarts grounds. So I haven't got a clue."

Everyone watched the still and silent grounds, squinting in the darkness. Serena was beginning to feel cold, rubbing her arms up and down, really wishing she hadn't forgotten her cloak.

Fred, who stood behind the curly-haired girl, noticed her slight shivers. With a slight shake of his head, he shrugged of his own cloak, draping it over her shoulders.

"What the-" Serena turned around to see Fred grinning down at her. "You gave me your cloak?"

"Because you were too forgetful to bring your own."

Serena rolled her eyes. "But now you'll be cold... so here," she said, taking off the cloak and throwing it back at him.

"How did I know you were going to do that." Fred said as he caught it, before wrapping her up once more.

"Hey! Take it back! It's not mine-"

But Fred wasn't listening; he was too busy staring up at the sky, conversing with George as he ignored her incoherent mumbles. It wasn't until she begrudgingly turned to face the grounds once more that he let out a small smile.

"I see what you did there, Freddie." George said, nudging his brother. "And might I say I'm quite impressed."

Fred nudged him back. "Oh, shut it, George."

Just then, Dumbledore's booming voice rang from the back where he stood with the other teachers. "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" Many students exclaimed eagerly, heads turning in every direction.

Serena's eyes widened as she pointed over the forest. "There!"

Something large, much larger than even a hundred broomsticks, was speeding through the night, growing even bigger as it inched toward the castle.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years.

"Don't be stupid. . . it's a flying house!" another said.

It seemed the second guess was more accurate. As the lit windows of the castle illuminated the black mass, they saw a powder blue horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, funnily enough. A dozen winged Palominos, each the size of an elephant, pulled the carriage forward with incredible speed. The front three rows hurriedly stepped back as the carriage crashed down, the horses tossing their golden manes aside when they landed.

The carriage opened to reveal a boy in pale blue robes. He jumped down and fumbled with something on the carriage floor before he unfolded a set of golden steps, quickly stepping back. Serena then saw a high-heeled shoe poke out from the inside, black and polished, the size of a child's sled. Another heel followed the first, before the largest woman Serena had even seen fully stepped out of the carriage, donning a robes of black satin. Serena had only ever seen one other person as large as the woman, which was Hagrid.

Dumbledore greeted the woman, and even though he was tall himself, he seemed to have shrunk in her presence. "My dear Madame Maxime. Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dort," Madame Maxime replied in a deep voice.

Serena snorted. "Dumbly-dort?"

"We are so using that next time." Fred and George said together.

Serena saw about a dozen boys and girls exit the carriage to stand behind Madame Maxime. They were, unsurprisingly, shivering from the cold, as their robes were made of silk and they weren't wearing any cloaks.

Dumbledore and Madame Maxime spoke briefly before she imperiously said, "Come along," to her students, the crowd parting as they walked up the stone steps and into the castle.

Everyone began discussing how big the Durmstrang horses were going to be when Serena glanced behind her, where Fred was rubbing his arms this time, in an attempt to heat them from the cold. "Oh, for Merlin's sake," Serena sighed, wrapping his cloak around his shoulders. "I knew you'd be cold. But did you listen to me? No."

"But you need it more than I do." Fred said, trying to shrug off his cloak again, but Serena held on tight. He looked down at the girl. "You're not going to give in, are you?"

Serena grinned. "Nope."

"In that case..." Fred turned Serena around, bringing the cloak to envelop the both of them, her back pressed against his chest. "Now both of us can be warm." Despite how calm he sounded, Fred was glad she couldn't see his red face in the dark.

Serena bit her lip to keep herself from saying something stupid, standing unnaturally still as the smell of cinnamon and butterbeer wafted over her.

"The lake!" Lee suddenly yelled, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"

From their position at the top of the lawns, they had a clear view of the smooth surface of the water. Serena squinted her eyes; the black water was no longer still, but began bubbling, turning into massive waves that crashed over the banks. Serena gaped as a whirlpool appeared in the middle of the lake, a long black pole breaking through the very heart of it.

Slowly, a magnificent ship rose into view, sparkling in the moonlight. The ship looked rather skeletal, as if it had been carved out of the remains of a shipwreck, yet it only intrigued Serena more. The ship glided toward the bank, before dropping an anchor. People began to disembark, and from what Serena could see in the dim light, they all looked rather large. When they finally walked up the lawns, the light from the entrance hall shining on them, Serena saw their bulk was from their thick cloaks of knotted fur. The man leading the group wore furs that matched his hair, sleek and silver.

"Dumbledore!" the man heartily called as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

Dumbledore shook his hands. "Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff."

Karkaroff gazed up at the gleaming castle, a smile on his face that did not reach his cold eyes. "Dear old Hogwarts. "How good it is to be here, how good... Viktor, come along, into the warmth... you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold."

Karkaroff waved one of his students forward, and Serena caught sight of a curved nose and thick black eyebrows. It was the face plastered on every one of the Bulgarian tents back at the World Cup. "No way."

Alicia's eyes widened. "Merlin's beard! It's Victor Krum!"

"The Victor Krum?" Katie said in an awed voice.

Serena scrunched up her nose in obvious distaste. "Of all professional Quidditch players to stay at Hogwarts, it had to be him?"

Angelina's eyes widened, looking personally offened. "What do you mean? He's got to be one of the best seeker in the world!"

Serena noticed the crowd moving at the front, so she slowly unwrapped Fred's cloak from around her shoulders. "Erm... thanks," she quickly said before turning around and linking her arms with Angelina, Alicia, and Katie. "You know Azalea Mulberry? Magnolia's older sister? She's the Appleby Arrow's seeker, and ten times better than that prat Krum..."

The boys fell behind as the girls continued on. George and Lee, now able to see Fred's flushed face in the light, pushed him around teasingly. "Look at him, giving his cloak to a girl." Lee said.

George wiped away a fake tear. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"Really, shut up!"

As they entered the entrance hall toward the Great Hall, Serena saw several sixth and seventh years frantically searched their pockets for a quill for Krum's autograph. "Honestly," she muttered as she sat at the Gryffindor table. She rolled her eyes when Ron and Iyla tried to get Krum to sit beside them, instead, the Durmstrang students settled on the Slytherin table. The Beauxbatons had chosen to sit at with the Ravenclaws, right beside Magnolia and her roommates, Hazel Stickney and Amina Qureshi. She also spotted Ramona beside Haruka Endoh and Nicola Dodworth, her fellow Hufflepuff roommates.

When all of the students finally settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, taking their seats at the top table. Last to sit were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. Serena found it funny how the entire Beauxbatons party jumped to their feet to clap for their headmistress, and did not sit until she she had settled on Dumbledore's left.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - most particularly - guests," Dumbledore said, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

"The Tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" Dumbledore grinned as dishes of every kind magically filled the empty plates.

Fred, George, and Lee were sitting across the girls, all digging into the wonderful feast. Suddenly, George looked up, eye widening as he nudged Fred, patting the table to get Serena's attention as well. "Look who's just arrived." Serena and Fred followed George's gaze toward the teacher's table, where Ludo Bagman and Mr. Crouch were sitting beside Karkaroff. "They're probably here to see the start of the Tournament, since they organized it."

"Perfect!" Serena said, standing up. "Let's go talk to him."

George quickly reached for Serena wrist from across the table. "Yeah, no. You can't just go and talk to him."

"Talk to who?" Angelina, Alicia, Katie, and Lee asked together.

The three didn't answer as Fred stood as well. "I'm with Serena. He's right there! We can just ask him now!"

George rolled his eyes, pulling both Fred and Serena back into their seats. "If you two go up to him, you'll end up blackmailing him."

"As we should!" Serena protested, but one look from George made her slump into her seat.

"What was that about?" Alicia said quietly. Serena shook her head, promising the three girls it was nothing important.

Once the food disappeared and the plates had been cleared, Dumbledore stood again, tension filling the Hall once more. Serena's heart leaped in excitement, while the twins leaned forward, staring at Dumbledore in deep concentration. "The moment has come," said Dumbledore with a broad smile. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" - there was a smattering of polite applause - "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

There was a much louder applause for Bagman, perhaps because he was a Beater, or simply because he looked more likable than Crouch. Fred, George, and Serena did not move.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore said, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

Filch, who had been lurking in a hidden corner, cams into view, struggling to carry a bejewelled wooden chest as he placed it on the table in front of Dumbledore. Students whispered eagerly as Dumbledore continued. "The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman, and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways.. their magical prowess - their daring -their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

The Great Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing. "As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore calmly went on, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore took out his wand and tapped the top of the casket three times. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, wooden cup. Serena would have wondered why he pulled out such an average looking goblet had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue and white flames.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," Dumbledore said as he carefully placed the goblet on top of the box. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

"An Age Line!" Fred exclaimed, eyes glinting, as they all made their way across the Hall to the doors into the entrance hall. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing - it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"

"But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance," Katie reasoned, "we just haven't learned enough..."

"Speak for yourself," said George shortly.

"What do you say, Angelina? Fancy putting your name in with me tomorrow?" Serena grinned at her friend.

Angelina laughed. "Oh, for sure. And we'll do it the legal way, as we are of age."

Fred scoffed. "Don't act like you two wouldn't down a whole bottle of an Aging Potion if your birthday was later on."

Angelina and Serena shared a look before saying, "Well, that isn't the case now, is it?"

Lee shook his head. "Those two are something else."

Alicia nodded in agreement. "Something else, indeed."

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Author's note:

Wow! If you've made it this far in the chapter, congrats!

I was getting rather annoyed by how slow this book was going, and I was afraid others would think the same, so I decided to just write an extra-long chapter! At least there's more content until the next chapter is published, right?

I know a few of you prefer longer chapters, so I'll keep it like this for a little while to see how I like it. I have so much planned for this book, and I really want to hurry up and start writing all my ideas. And I hope you'll stick with me until the end :).

Anyhoo, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! (It's over 3.7k words! Wow!)

Have a wonderful Wednesday, and with much love,

~Lena