Platform 9 3/4 was bustling with life on the 1st of September, 1994. As always, Jessica's parents made sure to drop her off at the station despite her already being a legal adult. They were also being extra protective over her ever since the attack at the Quidditch World Cup, which occurred only a few weeks ago.

She could still remember that day clearly. How she and Oliver ran for their lives to escape, how they saw the Dark Mark in the sky, and how utterly helpless she felt back then. Thankfully, Mr. and Mrs. Wood found them not long after, looking quite frazzled but unharmed nonetheless. The Woods took Jessica straight home right after that, and Ian and Katherine were beside themselves upon learning what had happened — masked men wrecking the campsite and torturing innocent muggles. Ian was especially concerned because not only was he an Auror, but a muggle-born one as well. He and his coworkers at the Ministry worked hard to investigate the crime scene, but they always came up short.

"Be careful this year, and remember, don't get attacked by a basilisk," Ian told Jessica. It had been almost two years since that incident, but he always managed to bring it up as both a joke and word of caution for his daughter.

"It's not like she wanted to get petrified," Katherine rolled her eyes at the man's words. "Besides, she came home last school year completely unscathed!"

"Still, I'm just reminding her to be careful in case she wants to join the —"

Katherine sent Ian a pointed look, making the latter stop short in the middle of his sentence.

"Join the what?" Jessica asked, but her parents ignored her as they bickered.

"It's supposed to be a surprise," Katherine was saying.

"It slipped out," Ian said defensively. "And she might not even want to join because she'll be too busy with her Head Girl duties."

"Join the what?" Jessica repeated impatiently, sounding like a child. Finally, her parents looked back at her and smiled.

"You'll find out later," was all they said.

"But —"

"Jess! Over here!"

Jessica turned around at the sound of that voice. Just a few feet away from her, she spotted Bethany Faye and Alista Greene waving her over ecstatically. She waved back at them before facing her parents again.

"Can you please tell me what you two are talking about before I go?" she pleaded.

"It won't be fun if we tell you," said Katherine. "Just go before the train leaves you here."

Jessica mumbled incoherent things under her breath but obliged anyway. She hugged her parents and bid them goodbye, and after some final words, she was separating from them to reunite with her best friends.

"I can't believe we didn't see each other the entire summer!" Alista exclaimed, pulling Jessica and Bethany into a group hug.

"We'll see each other everyday now, anyway," Bethany deadpanned, trying to escape the blonde's unexpectedly tight grip.

"But it's our last year! Who knows where we'll all be going after we graduate."

Alista had a point there. Jessica had no idea what the future held, but she knew that she and her friends all had different career choices, interests, and paths in mind. She had faith that they would all remain close, but there was still no guarantee that they'd see each other as often as they would like.

"She's right," Jessica confessed as Alista finally let go of them. "It's so strange to say that we're seventh years already."

"Oh, don't start moping now," Bethany told them. "We've got a whole year ahead of us."

"Fine, fine, I'll try not to get emotional," Alista huffed.

"Good. Besides, Jess is Head Girl now! We should be celebrating."

"Jess is Head Girl?" chorused two voices behind them. Jessica winced when she recognized the sound of mischief from them, and then spun around to come face to face with the Weasley twins. She hadn't seen them since that eventful Quidditch World Cup, and she was glad to see that they were as high-spirited as usual.

"Well, congrats! Following in our brother's footsteps, I see," teased Fred.

"Are you sure you can keep up with us, though? Percy sure couldn't," George sniggered.

"At this point, I doubt anything or anyone is going to come close to stopping you two," Jessica rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Does that mean you'll let us off the hook every time?" Fred asked.

"I'm saying I'm not going to try and control what doesn't want to be controlled."

"Is she just trying to confuse us?" George murmured to his brother who merely shrugged. "Oh well, we'll take that as a 'yes, Gred and Forge, do whatever you want.'"

"You're already a better Head Girl than Percy was," Fred nudged Jessica. "He always had his wand in a knot."

"That's because Perce is a boy," George said.

"Riddikulus, ridiculous — same thing," said Fred. "Well, we're gonna go find Lee's compartment. See you ladies at the castle!"

They patted Jessica's shoulders before waving at Bethany and Alista, and then they were stepping into the Hogwarts Express.

"You're a pretty laid-back Head Girl already and we haven't even officially started the term," Bethany observed.

"When did you stop being such a moralist, huh?" Alista said jokingly.

"Hey, I'm still gonna do my job in the best way I possibly can, so you better not use this against me," Jessica warned them, making them raise their hands up in mock defense. "I suppose I just realized that being a star student — or whatever you wanna call it — isn't everything."

With that, the trio made their way alongside a bunch of other students to enter the train. Jessica was just about to step inside after her friends when a pop sounded closely behind her. She whipped around curiously to find that Oliver Wood had suddenly appeared on the platform just a few feet away from her.

"Oliver?" she said in surprise. She certainly did not expect him to Apparate there just moments before the train was set to leave. "What are you doing here?"

"To see you before you go?" Oliver replied as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You didn't need to."

"Are you really trying to shut down my romantic gesture?" he said with a hint of humor as he finally came to a stop right in front of Jessica.

"Oh, er, I just meant that we already said goodbye a few days ago."

"If you'd like, I can leave." Oliver made a move to turn around, but Jessica grabbed his sleeve before he could.

"No," she said, slightly flustered. Oliver fought back a giddy smile and properly faced her again. Just then, the train's horn rang throughout the air and emitted a puff of steam.

"I suppose that's your cue," Oliver sighed, watching as a bunch of students jogged towards the train. He took ahold of her hand and laced their fingers together, even if it would only be for a a while. "Er, I can write to you, right?"

"Why do you always ask for permission to write?" Jessica laughed, recalling how he also asked if they could exchange letters the summer after they first became friends. "Honestly, I'll probably end up writing to you first. I am the more responsible one, after all."

"Alright, alright, I got it," grumbled Oliver. "Tell me when the first Hogsmeade trip is, will you? Actually, tell me when the second one is as well, just in case."

"Yes, don't worry, I'll give you the whole list of Hogsmeade trips of the year if you want."

"Then I'll make sure to drop by for every single one," he said playfully, though he was actually serious. The horn sounded again, signaling that they had to wrap things up quickly.

"I should go now. You should be careful in training — stop taking in Bludgers," Jessica squeezed his hand a little too tightly as if to warn him.

"Okay, calm your hippogriff," Oliver grinned. Still holding her hand, he leaned down to place a short yet sweet peck on her lips. Jessica felt her stomach erupt in butterflies, just like it never failed to do whenever Oliver kissed her.

"I'll see you soon." Jessica slowly pulled her hand away. Oliver thought she would leave just like that, but she stepped forward to wrap her arms around his body instead. He was pleasantly surprised, and he quickly did the same back, hugging her close to him. He savored the feeling, knowing that it would be some time before he got to physically see her again.

Reluctantly, Oliver drew away first and smiled down at Jessica.

"Good luck this year, lassie."

★ ★ ★

The train ride to Hogwarts was a bit more bittersweet than usual. The seventh years were all aware that it would be their last time being in this exact situation, and this caused such a mix of emotions to go through them.

After Jessica met up with the Head Boy and that year's set of prefects to give some reminders and their schedules, she hurriedly made her way back to Bethany and Alista to make the most out of the trip. The three of them talked about everything that came to mind, and they devoured loads of sweets that they purchased from the trolley witch. Some of their other friends dropped by as well — Jessica and Bethany's roommates, Kaitlin and Margaux; Alista's Slytherin friends; and Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell.

The mood was lively for the entire duration of the ride, but it soon became a stark contrast with the weather outside. As they neared castle, the skies grew darker and gloomier until it started to rain. The drops of water hammered onto the Hogwarts Express and thunder rumbled up above them. The noise, combined with the chattering students, was deafening.

Cleverly, Jessica placed Impervius Charms over her face, hair, robes, and shoes since it only worked on specific objects at a time. It reminded her of that Quidditch match against Ravenclaw the previous year where Hermione Granger placed the same charm on Harry Potter's glasses. Of course, thinking about Quidditch made her think about Oliver again. It was just so odd that he wasn't a Hogwarts student anymore, and she briefly wondered how this year would unfold now that he wasn't going to be there.

Jessica's friends followed suit and cast Impervius Charms on themselves with her guidance, so although they were some of the lasts to exit the train, they were at least safe from the harsh rains that soaked everyone else to the bone. The three girls were one of the few who remained dry when they stepped into the entrance hall, together with a few others who were smart enough to repel themselves against the water, too. Still, majority of the school came in dripping wet and consequently created puddles on the cobblestone floor, much to Mr. Filch's displeasure. To add to the chaos, Peeves had took it upon himself to drop water balloons on the heads of some unknowing students. Jessica, Bethany, and Alista quickly scurried into the Great Hall before they could become victims of that.

Though the rain and thunderstorms only became stronger, the Great Hall was still full of life by the time Jessica found herself seated around her housemates at the Gryffindor table. It was refreshing to see everyone again after a couple of months away from one another. Conversations flowed freely, but some of the most-talked topics that evening were about their predictions for the upcoming Quidditch season since Angelina was now Gryffindor's captain, and who their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor would be.

Eventually, the Sorting began. Jessica tried to pay attention and be enthusiastic especially since she was Head Girl, but she had to admit that the process got boring as the years went by. She still made sure to clap loudly whenever a student was sorted into Gryffindor, though. When it was over and McGonagall had rolled up her parchment and banished the stool, Dumbledore stood up and made his way to the podium.

"Now we're all settled in and sorted,
I'd like to make a few announcements," he began, capturing everyone's interest at once. "It is my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"No way!" Jessica groaned, and so did her fellow teammates.

"For Merlin's sake!" Angelina said frustratedly. "Just when I made captain!"

"It's my last year, too," said Jessica, whose mood dampened considerably. Bethany could only pat her arm sympathetically.

Amidst the shouts of indignation, Dumbledore said, "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. This castle will not only be your home this year, but home to some very special guests as well. You see, Hogwarts has been chosen —"

He stopped short when Mr. Filch came running up the aisle towards him, and it was quite comedic, actually. They spoke to one another in hushed tones, and then Filch was running back out of the hall again in a hurry, causing some students to snicker.

"So, Hogwarts has been choosen to host
a legendary event..." Dumbledore continued. "The Triwizard Tournament."

The hall erupted in excited chatter. So, this was what mum and dad were referring to earlier, Jessica thought to herself. She was still bummed out about not having Quidditch that year, though. She was going to complain to Oliver about this without a doubt.

"Now, for those of you who do not know,
the Triwizard Tournament brings together
three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school a single student is selected to compete. Now, let me be clear: if chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say, these
contests are not for the faint hearted."

"It sounds so cool," Bethany said. "What do you think?"

"Sounds like death knocking on the door," Jessica replied.

"What do you mean?"

"The Triwizard Tournament was cancelled years ago because of its incredibly high death toll," she explained, having read about it in one of the history books from the library.

"Oh, don't be such a downer!" Lee Jordan, who was a few seats away, said. "I'm sure it's going to be fun."

"Yeah, Jess, lighten up," said Fred. "And here I thought you were becoming less uptight."

"I am not uptight. I'm just being... wary," Jessica folded her arms, making the twins and Lee chuckle.

"Come on, we might as well be excited for it since we don't have Quidditch to look forward to anymore," George said.

"But more of that later," Dumbledore was now saying. "For now, please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their headmistress, Madam Maxime!"

The doors of the Great Hall opened wide, and in came a group of beautiful girls dressed in silky, sky blue uniforms. Almost immediately, the boys of Hogwarts were entranced — sure, they were pretty, but Jessica also had an inkling that some of them had Veela blood.

The girls danced down the length of the hall gracefully, even conjuring a set of shimmering blue birds once they reached the front. They dispersed to make their way to their next formation and were followed by two more girls who did a set of acrobatic skills, spins, and turns. It was only then that Jessica noticed the last woman who walked in; she was insanely tall, even taller than Hagrid.

"Blimey, that's one big woman," Seamus Finnegan commented.

The performance of the Beauxbatons students came to an end, receiving a round of applause from Hogwarts. Dumbledore kissed the hand of Madam Maxime, and then she headed towards one of the extra seats at the staff table while her students chose to sit with the Ravenclaws.

"And now, our friends from the north. Please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and the high master, Igor Karkaroff!"

Jessica had barely turned her head to face the doors of the Great Hall when she heard what sounded like wood pounding onto the stone floor. A group of burly boys clad in scarlet and brown had marched in with wooden staffs. As if she could sense how Alista was probably reacting to this, Jessica looked over her shoulder at the Slytherin table. Sure enough, the blonde girl was gawking at the Durmstrang boys with her mouth partially open. Jessica lightly elbowed Bethany and pointed that out, and the two of them shared entertained giggles.

The Durmstrang boys slammed their staffs onto the ground and spun them around in perfect synchronization to a certain beat. Then, some of them sprinted towards the front of the room to tumble and flip. At the end of the line were two people who held a different aura from the others. One of them was much older, had a mustache and goatee, and wore white and black robes — this was Igor Karkaroff. The boy next to him was burly and mysterious-looking, who Jessica recognized almost right away.

"It's Viktor Krum," she said in awe. Ever since she watched him at the Quidditch World Cup, she held a newfound respect for the professional athlete.

Durmstrang concluded their performance with a breath of enchanted fire. Again, Hogwarts erupted in applause, both for that powerful performance and for Viktor Krum, who was practically a celebrity in the wizarding world. The Durmstrang bunch then decided to sit amongst the Slytherins, who even sent the Gryffindors arrogant looks as if it was such a massive honor to be chosen like that.

"Albus!" Igor said, opening his arms.

"Igor," Dumbledore greeted, and they embraced one another. The two of them and Madam Maxine exchanged a few more words during which everyone else began chatting loudly again. When Madam Maxime and Igor Karkaroff settled down, Dumbledore faced the students once more.

"Your attention, please!" he said. The hall lapsed into silence within seconds. "I would like to say a few words. Eternal glory — that is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks — three extremely dangerous tasks."

"Wicked," Fred breathed out.

"For this reason, the Ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this, we have the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Mister Bartemius Crouch."

A man with sleek, greying hair and a thick mustache strolled in, looking very businesslike. Before he could say anything, though, there was a large roar of thunder and a series of lightning flashes. This startled many of the students, some of them even yelping and flinching at it. But all of a sudden, a streak of light had shot up into the bewitched ceiling, and the thunder and lightning stopped at once. All heads searched for the caster, and their eyes landed on an intimidating man standing by the door next to the staff table. He had scars on his face, a chunk taken out of his nose, wore an artificial eye that rolled around aimlessly, and had a stump for one of his legs.

"Isn't that Mad-Eye Moody?" Bethany muttered. Realization dawned on Jessica upon hearing that name, which her father had mentioned quite a number of times before.

"Alastor Moody? The ex-Auror?" Jessica asked, earning a nod from the girl beside her.

Moody walked, or rather, limped into the light. Every person in the room watched him intently — perhaps in fear or admiration, or even both. Dumbledore beamed when the man approached him.

"Ah, my dear old friend. Thanks for coming," he said heartily.

"Stupid ceiling," was all Moody answered back before walking back to the side. He then took a swig of some liquid from his flask, though nobody could tell what it was.

"What do you think he's drinking?" Kaitlin wondered.

"Firewhiskey, perhaps?" Margaux guessed. "He's supposed to be mad nowadays, so it wouldn't be that unlikely."

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Alastor Moody!" Dumbledore announced. The applause that ensued was much less enthusiastic compared to the ones for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang only moments ago. Then, Barty Crouch was called up to clarify the details of the Triwizard Tournament.

"After much deliberation, the Ministry has concluded that for their own safety, no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament. This decision is final," he said, only to be met with protests and boos from the crowd.

"That's rubbish!" George shouted. "You don't know what you're doing!"

"Silence!" Dumbledore ordered. An old yet fancy-looking crate rolled out and into the front and center of the hall. Dumbledore cast a spell over it, opening it to reveal a large goblet with dancing blue flames. "The Goblet of Fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Halloween night. Do not do so lightly; if chosen, there's no turning back."

Jessica and Bethany sent each other glances, both intrigued and apprehensive at the same time.

"As from this moment... the Triwizard Tournament has begun."

A/N: I just found out that it was my 8th Wattpad anniversary on this account last Feb 27! To celebrate that, I kinda wanna do a little Q&A. So, if you guys wanna know some stuff about the fanfics I've written or more about me in general, you can comment some questions here HAHA :> I'll answer them in the next update!