.⊹⁀➷ CHAPTER THIRTEEN!
↳❛the champions❜

IT WAS ALREADY evening when Annabeth was sitting next to Hermione, watching all the students, who came into the Great Hall, throwing their name into the goblet of fire.

Everyone around the two Gryffindor girls erupted in cheers when Cedric Diggory entered the hall, followed by his fellow Hufflepuff mates.

"Come on, Cedric! Put it in!" Everyone watched how his friends pushed him into the circle that surrounded the goblet.

The brunette boy was completely soaked from head to toe, his hair sticking to his forehead as he slowly threw his name into the goblet.

The boy began smirking slightly as he gazed to his right and met Annabeth's gaze. The two stared at each other for a small moment and Annabeth started clapping for him, along with everyone else.

She gave the Hufflepuff boy a small smile before she watched how he retreated towards his friends proudly.

Suddenly no other than Fred and George Weasley entered the Hall, their hands in the air while they cheered.

Everyone started clapping for them and a few whistled while the two gingers approached the benches and jumped onto them besides Annabeth.

"Well, lads! We've done it!"

"Cooked it up just this morning!"

Hermione smirked to herself while she gave Annabeth a side look, "It's not going to work!"

That caught the twins attention and the two kneeled down on either side of them. Smirking George questioned, "Oh yeah, and why's that, Granger?"

The brunette pointed at the circle around the goblet, "You see this? This is an Age line. Dumbledore drew it himself." Fred gave her an unimpressed look, "So?"

Annabeth immediately chuckled to herself before she gave him a serious look, "So, a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dimwitted as an aging potion."

"But that's why it's to brilliant", George stated while gave her a confident look. "Because it's so pathetically dimwitted ", Fred added before the two jumped onto their feet while they laughed.

Hermione sigehd to herself before she shrugged with her shoulders, "We warned you."

The two Weasley's climbed onto the bench and shook the potion viles before they opened them in excitement.

"Ready, Fred?"

"Ready, George?"

The two then turned to one another and crossed their arms, before downing the potion. "Bottoms up!"

They then jumped into the white circle. They were all waiting for something to happen in silence, but nothing happened. Annabeth shook her head to herself before the other students started cheering loudly and clapped their hands in excitement.

The twins raised their arms into the air and smirked widely. Fred winked at Annabeth smuggly before the two Weasley's exchange a glance and threw their names into the goblet.

When nothing happened after a second, the two started celebrating confidently, enjoying the cheers that came from the students. But then, a tongue of the blue falme snapped at them, making everyone step back from the goblet in fear.

Two of the blue sparks that were flying around, hit Fred and George and the two were sent flying backwards immediately. 

Colliding with the floor, the two Weasley's let out loud grunts. Sitting up a moment after, they both had grew a long white beard and their hair had turned white as well.

"You said!"

"You said!"

They then sarted to wrestle each other and everyone built a circle around the twins, chanting the word "fight" over and over again.

Annabeth turned to face Hermione, who seemed disgusted by their classmates behavior. "You warned them."

Suddenly everyone went silent, only Fred and George's arguing could be heard in the background.

Annabeth followed everyone's gaze over to the door. Viktor Krumm and his headmaster had entered the hall, immediately approaching the goblet of fire.

Throwing his name into the cup, Viktor made eye contact with Hermione, who blushed deeply as she let her eyes drop down towards the book that laid in her lap.

The brunette bulgarian boy then turned and left the hall, followed by his Headmaster, without looking back once more.

Annabeth immediately nudged Hermione's with her shoulder, a smirk playing on her lips. "What was that?"

Hermione seemed like she didn't knew what Annabeth was talking about, "What was what?"

"You know what I mean. Krumm was looking at you", she squealed quietly while she yanked on her friends arm.

"I spoke to him a few times. We met in the Library", the brunette told her shyly while she looked up from her book and met her friends gaze, smiling.

Annabeth nodded her head while she looked at the door, "He seemed quite interested."

Hermione chuckled while she raised her eyebrows, "As did Cedric Diggory." Annabeth immediately frowned at her sceptical, "Yeah, sure." Her gaze wandered the off towards the brunette boy, who now stood by the entrance with a couple of his Hufflepuff friends besides him.

The brunette then stuffed her book into her bag before she headed for the entrance. Passing Cedric, she saw how he said Goodbye to his friends and quickly followed after her.

Annabeth looked at the boy as soon as he fell into step with her, "So, you entered the tournament."

The boy stuffed his hand into the front pockets of his black trousers before he shrugged, "Who wouldn't want eternal glory?"

Annabeth gave him a look, "Well, just be careful, Ced. There's a reason why people died in this tournament."

Cedric nodded his head at her, before she smiled widely. "Yeah, I know. I'll be careful. I'm not really eager to lay with the worms only now."

The two chuckled while they continued their way through the corridors. "I mean there's a big chance that I'm not even gonna be selected."

Annabeth gave him a pointed look before she shrugged, "Who else should be, if not you."

Cedric nudged his shoulder against her's, making her stumble slightly to the side, laughing in the process. "Stop, now you're making me blush, Annie."

The girl smiled at him, her eyes meeting his, "Just telling the truth." The boy smirked at her, "We should talk more often."

"Yes, we should", Annabeth agreed immediately, the two gazed at each other jokingly.

"Well, speaking of that—", Cedric began fiddling with his fingers. Annabeth took notice of that but chose not to say anything. "I was thinking— I hoped— I— uh— I wanted to ask if you would go to the next Hogsmead visit with me?"

Annabeth chuckled immediately, amused that one of the most popular boys in Hogwarts was nervous to ask her out on a date. She saw Cedric's hopeful face expression and quickly nodded her head, "Who could say no to you, Cedric?"

The brunette boy couldn't control his face expression and broke out into a large grin before he pulled her into a hug and spun her around.

As soon as the boy had let go of her, he saluted the girl before walking off, "See you next weekend then!"

All Annabeth did was wave and laugh at the sight that was given to her, before she went up to her common room.

ONLY A DAY had passed by before the students were gathered in the Great Hall the next evening.

Annabeth watched how everyone was chatting and making jokes with their friends while she was in a deep conversation with Fred and George.

"Now the moment you've all been waiting for. The champion selection!", Dumbledore announced loudly while everyone went quiet and settled down in their seats.

The man raised his hands and dimmed the flames, which had lit the hall. The blue flames of the goblet, were now the only light in the Hall. Dumbledore then approached the goblet, his hands outstretched.

After a moment the flames turned red, sparks were flying and the goblet revealed the first note, that flew exactly into Dumbledore's hands. The white haired man unfolded the note and read aloud, "The Durmstrang champion is, Viktor Krumm!"

The Durmstrang students immediately erupted in loud cheers and clapping while Viktor Krumm stood up and approached the headmaster.

They shook hands and Dumbledore motioned for him to follow after one of the professors'.

Suddenly the flames turned redish once more, revealing the next note to the Hogwarts Headmaster.

"The champion for Beauxbatons- Fleur Delacour!"

Now it was the Beauxbaton students turn to chear for their champion, while the blond girl shook the headmasterd hand and followed after a professor.

Shortly after that the next note was revealed and Dumbledore glanced at it, "The Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory!"

Everyone from Hogwarts started cheering for the Hufflepuff boy and Annabeth smiled slightly while she clapped along for him.

The brunette was indeed happy for the boy, but she couldn't shake this bad feeling in her gut. Despite the fact of eternal Glory and the money, people died in this tournament.

She watched how Cedric shook the hand of the headmaster and followed after a professor.

Dumbledore faced the crowed excited, "Excellent! We now have out three champions! But in the end only one will go down in history! Only one will hoist this chailce of Champions- this vessel of victory- the Triwizard Cup!" He turned to point at the cup, that was now revealed to the students.

It was a large cup, it's glass was in a bluish color and it's handles were made out of silver.

Everyone started cheering once more, but Annabeth's attention was caught by the goblet. The fire was getting bigger and bigger.

Now everyone else had realized as well and Dumbledore approached the cup, a expression of surprise on his face.

The flames turned red, and sparks were flying one last time before another note slowly floated down towards the headmaster. Dumbledore's caught the little paper and his eyes darted over the name.

His voice was quiet, "Harry Potter." The headmaster then looked up and searched the room with his eyes. This time his voice was a lot louder, "Harry Potter?"

Suddenly everyone's head snapped around to where Harry, Annabeth and the other's were sitting.

Annabeth's gaze immediately snapped towards her brother as well, her mouth opening a gap.

Harry met her gaze, his eyes showing fear and surprise at the same time. The brunette boy didn't move, his eyes still laying on his sister.

Dumbledore seemed angry while he shouted loudly, "Harry Potter!"

Hermione nudged the boy, "Go on, Harry!" Harry still didn't show any reaction and Hermione pushed him again, "Harry, for goodness sake!"

Only now the Potter boy got onto his feet and slowly approached the Headmaster.

Dumbledore handed him the note and the two stared at each other in silence before Harry started approaching the door where the other's had been lead through.

Annabeth stared at the back of her twin as she heard the other students shouting outraged, "He's a cheat!"

"He's not even 17 yet!"

Annabeth had stood up, deep in her own thoughts as she watched him disappear behind the door.

Hermione placed a hand on her shoulder while the two exchange a worried look.

After that they were all dismissed and we're free to go back to their common rooms.

Annabeth was still in shock, she didn't believe that Harry would've thrown his name into the goblet of fire. They didn't have the need for publicity, eternal Glory or money.

The teachers had disappeared through the door as soon as Harry had and now the whole Great Hall erupted into loud chatter.

"Oi, Annabeth how has he done it?", Seamus Finnigan immediately questioned the brunette, his eyebrows raised at her in curiosity.

The girl's gaze immediately snapped towards the boy, she narrowed her eyes at him, "Shut up, Finnigan! You don't even know what you're talking about!"

Seamus gave her an annoyed look before he looked at the other's, suddenly Ron's voice broke through the other's. "He could've at least told his best friend."

Annabeth's gaze snapped towards the ginger haired boy, "If you think for one second that Harry threw his name in the goblet himself your much more stupid than I thought, Ronald!"

The brunette Gryffindor girl jumped onto her feet before she rushed past the other students that had gathered around them, eager to know if Harry had indeed cheated to enter the tournament.

As soon as Annabeth had pushed past the students and rounded the corner to the corridor she spotted no other than Malfoy leaning against the wall.

"Congratulations, Potter. You and your brother succeeded to be the talk of the school for one more year", the blond boy sneered at her, his arms folded over his chest, while he looked her up and down.

"The famous Harry Potter, selected to be Hogwarts champion in the Triwizard Tournament", he mimicked the article of the Daily Prophet that would most certainly arrive in the morning. He the crooked an eyebrow at her, "Why didn't you enter your name?"

Annabeth huffed deeply as she stared at him in frustration, her eyes narrowed slightly at him. "Do you really think we want this? Do you really think I have a death wish?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders casually, "Who knows. Your brother sure has." Annabeth inhaled deeply before she formed her hands into fists and dashed past the blond boy.

The Slytherin boy suddenly grabbed ahold of her arm, which made her stop in her track immediately as she turned to face him. His fingers were still closed around her upper part of her arm while the two stared at each other. "Eternal Glory is worth nothing, if you're six feet under."

Annabeth looked up into his blue eyes, his words felt like he was worried about her, but the brunette could already slap herself for just thinking about that possiblity. So she shook her head and snapped at the boy, "I bet you wish I was six feet under."

Draco didn't move a muscle in his face while he continued to hold eye contact with her, "The fact that I can't stand you
doesn't mean that I want you dead, Potter."

The Potter girl's mouth opened a gap before she realized how close the two were standing. She quickly freed her arm from his grip and took a couple of steps back before she turned and hurried away from him.

As soon as the brunette had reached the Gryffindor common room, she made her way up into her Dormitory. The tears were rolling down her cheek while she sat down onto the windowsill, gazing out onto the dark landscape of the Hogwarts grounds.

She didn't knew how long she had sat there, her thoughts circling around the question if they were really going to let Harry go through with the tournament.

At some point the wooden door of their dormitory swung open, revealing no other than Lavender, Parvati and Hermione.

Lavender and Parvati only grabbed their things and quickly left the dormitory to go downstairs into the common room. Hermione on the other hand sat down on Annabeth's opposite.

The brunette eyed her best friend carefully before she spoke, "They decided to let Harry participate."

Annabeth immediately let a soft sob escape her lips while she whipped her tears away. "I'm sure he'll be fine", Hermione tried to assure her quickly. "He's Harry, you know him, he's going to be fine."

Annabeth leaned onto her knees while she gave her friend a small smile, "One normal year. We can't have one normal year."

Hermione shook her head at her, "No, it seems we can't."