As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late.

I however, was awoken by Hermione throwing a textbook at my head.

“Ow, what was that for?” I said sleepily.

“You wouldn’t wake up.” Hermione shrugged.

I dressed and realised that Harry, Ron, and pretty much the rest of the school had woken much earlier than we usually did on weekends. When we went down into the entrance hall, I saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire.

Apparently that’s what it was, but I didn’t really know.

This is why I should pay attention.

I want toast.

I forget what’s happening...

Oh, Right, the goblet had been placed in the centre of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction. 

“Anyone put their name in yet?” Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly. 

“All the Durmstrang lot,” she replied. “But I haven’t seen anyone from Hogwarts yet.” 

“Bet some of them put it in last night after we’d all gone to bed,” said Harry. “I would’ve if it had been me… wouldn’t have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?” 

Someone laughed behind me. Turning, I saw Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited.

“Done it,” Fred said in a triumphant whisper to us. “Just taken it.” 

“What?” said Ron. 

“The Aging Potion, dung brains,” said Fred. 

“One drop each,” said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. “We only need to be a few months older.” 

“We’re going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins,” said Lee, grinning broadly. 

“I’m not sure this is going to work, you know,” said Hermione warningly. “I’m sure Dumbledore will have thought of this.”  Fred, George, and Lee ignored her. 

“Ready?” Fred said to the other two, quivering with excitement. “C’mon, then - I’ll go first -”

I watched, fascinated and worried, as Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words Fred Weasley - Hogwarts.

Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line.  For a split second I thought it had worked - George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred - but next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter.

Someone screamed.

What a total not llama.

The twins landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards.  The entrance hall rang with laughter. And Hermione and I instinctively fell on each other for support as we laughed, but ended up on the floor.

Even Fred and George joined in the laughter, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other’s beards. 

That’s my boyfriend.

I think.

Oh my god awkward much.

“Why is it awkward, you only thought it?” Lucy said. I ignored her.

“I did warn you,” said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. “I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours.” 

“I’m gonna go- er- see the beards...” I said shuffling off toward the Weasley twins.

“Yes, nothing to do with the company.” Hermione smirked at me.

“Shut up.” I said blushing.

“Huh?” Ron said looking from Hermione’s face to mine.

“Willow gets turned on by beards.” Hermione said in a voice that carried through that hall.

So two can play at the game of embarrassment.

I trained her well.

Bitch.

“Wait what?” Harry said looking at me oddly.

“Hermione, did you just say Willow wants to marry Dumbledore’s beard?” Ron said unreasonably loud.

Everyone turned around to stare.

Hermione fell over laughing.

I have a clone, but the roles are reversed.

Freaky.

“I’m going to the Hospital wing...” I saw everyone staring and shouted “YES I WANT TO MARRY HIS BEARD! GOT A PROBLEM? COME AT ME BRO!” and I skipped off to the hospital wing.

Like a boss

Like a Willow.

Like a freaking Hermione.

Like a Ron

Like a Harry

I’m going to stop now

Like a George

Like a sex god.

Whoops I repeated myself.

No. I confuzzled myself.

STOP THINKING!

ROAR!

I don’t know what’s going on.

Umm....Yeah I’m totally lost.

I’m going to Hagrid's.

The huge flying horses that had pulled the French peoples carriage were now grazing in a makeshift paddock alongside Hagrid hut, and the carriage thing.

I English with words do good like llamas.

BECAUSE THE DEMON PIGS TOLD ME TO!

“You’re weird...” Lucy muttered.

“I thought I told you to shut up.” I replied in annoyance.

“No, you didn’t.”

“Well, shut up.”

With another glance at the horses, I pulled out my magical unicorn horns which I secretly stowed away and climbed carefully into the pen. I was putting on the first horn on the surprisingly friendly horse thing when I heard, “’hart  are où ‘oing?” Said in an annoying French accent.

“Making unicorns.” I said simply, turning to face them.

“Zat is qu’ite oodd…“ She said. It was the girl Ron was hot after.

So I’m odd, thanks for informing me. I wouldn’t have figured.

I finished putting the horn on the horse and she started laughing manically, and ran into the carriage.

I guess that’s my cue to go.

Quickly placing a second horn on another  huge flying horse, I climbed out of the pen and knocked on Hagrid’s door.

“We’ve been expecting you.” Harry said sadistically as he opened the door.

“You’re an id...” I trailed off as I looked at Hagrid.

Hagrid was wearing his hideous hairy brown suit, plus a checked yellow-and-orange tie. This wasn’t the worst of it, though; he had evidently tried to tame his hair, using large quantities of what appeared to be axle grease. It was now slicked down into two bunches – perhaps he had tried a ponytail like Bill’s, but found he had too much hair. The look didn’t really suit Hagrid at all.

Hermione was glaring at me in a way which told me not to laugh.

“Well, I haven’t seen you in ages Hagrid.” I said once I regained my voice.

“Nice ter see ya.” Hagrid said to me. “You four wait,” he said, grinning. “You jus’ wait. Yer going ter see some stuff yeh’ve never seen before. Firs’ task… ah, but I’m not supposed ter say.” 

“Go on, Hagrid!” Harry, Ron, and Hermione urged him (I was glancing out the window watching the horses and unicorns. Like a Willow.) but Hagrid just shook his head, grinning. 

“I don’ want ter spoil it fer yeh,” said Hagrid. “But it’s gonna be spectacular, I’ll tell yeh that. Them champions’re going ter have their work cut out. Never thought I’d live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!” 

The four of us ended up having lunch with Hagrid, though we didn’t eat much – Hagrid had made what he said was a beef casserole, but after Hermione unearthed a large talon in hers we all rather lost our appetites. However, we enjoyed ourselves trying to make Hagrid tell us what the tasks in the tournament were going to be, speculating which of the entrants were likely to be selected as champions, and wondering whether Fred and George were beardless yet.

That’s where I was meant to go.

To Gred and Forge.

Weird.

A light rain had started to fall by midafternoon; it was very cozy sitting by the fire, listening to the gentle patter of the drops on the window, watching Hagrid darning his socks and arguing with Hermione about house-elves - for he flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges. 

“It’d be doin’ ‘em an unkindness, Hermione,” he said gravely, threading a massive bone needle with thick yellow yarn. “It’s in their nature ter look after humans, that’s what they like, see? Yeh’d be makin’ ‘em unhappy ter take away their work, an’ insutin’ ‘em if yeh tried ter pay ‘em.” 

“But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!” said Hermione. “And we heard he’s asking for wages now!” 

“Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed- Like Willow.” Ron Harry and I burst out laughing, but Hermione was unmoved. “Look, I’m not sayin’ there isn’t the odd elf who’d take freedom, but yeh’ll never persuade most of ‘em ter do it - no, nothin’ doin’, Hermione.” 

Hermione looked very cross indeed and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket.  By half past five it was growing dark, and Hermione, Ron, Harry and I decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast - and, more important, the announcement of the school champions. 

“I’ll come with yeh,” said Hagrid, putting away his darning. “Jus’ give us a sec.”   Hagrid got up, went across to the chest of drawers beside his bed, and began searching for something inside it. I didn’t pay too much attention until a truly horrible smell reached my nostrils.

Coughing, Ron said, “Hagrid, what’s that?” 

“Eh?” said Hagrid, turning around with a large bottle in his hand. “Don’ yeh like it?” 

“Is that aftershave?” said Hermione in a slightly choked voice. 

“Er - eau de cologne,” Hagrid muttered. He was blushing.  “Maybe it’s a bit much,” he said gruffly. “I’ll go take it off, hang on…”  He stumped out of the cabin, and they saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window. 

“Eau de cologne?” said Hermione in amazement. “Hagrid?” 

“And what’s with the hair and the suit?” said Harry in an undertone.

“Look!” said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window. Hagrid had just straightened up and turned ‘round. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now. Getting to our feet very cautiously, so that Hagrid wouldn’t spot us, we peered through the window and saw that Madame Maxime and the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from their carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast too, or pointing at the two unicorns....

Focusing back on Hagrid, I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression I had only ever seen him wear once before - when he had been looking at the baby dragon, Norbert. 

“He’s going up to the castle with her!” said Hermione indignantly. “I thought he was waiting for us!” 

Without so much as a backward glance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beaux-batons students following in their wake, jogging to keep up with their enormous strides. 

“He fancies her!” said Ron incredulously. “Well, if they end up having children, they’ll be setting a world record - bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton.” 

We left the cabin and shut the door behind us. It was surprisingly dark outside. Drawing our cloaks more closely around ourselves, we set off up the sloping lawns.

“Willow, why are there horns on the horses?” Harry said accusingly pointing at them.

“Wasn’t me.”I said quickly.

“Bull to the shizzle.” ‘Mione said. I think I had a bad influence on her....

We walked further up the slope, and Hermione Whispered “Ooh! It’s them! Look!”

The Durmstrang party was walking up toward the castle from the lake. Viktor Krum was walking side by side with Karkaroff, and the other Durmstrang students were straggling along behind them. Ron watched Krum excitedly, but Krum did not look around as he reached the front doors a little ahead of Hermione, Ron, Harry and I and proceeded through them. 

When we entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore’s empty chair at the teachers’ table. Fred and George - clean-shaven again - seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well. 

“Hope it’s Angelina,” said Fred as we down. 

“So do I!” said Hermione breathlessly. “Well, we’ll soon know!” 

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was our second feast in two days, Most people didn’t eat as much. I on the other hand, ate as though I had never eaten before in my life.

At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored. 

I like llamas. Did you know?

“Yes, I did know.” Lucy Muttered back. “I like kittens, did you know?”

Yes, I did know. I like-

I’m going to pay attention now.

“Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision,” said Dumbledore. “I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions’ names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber” - he indicated the door behind the staff table - “where they will be receiving their first instructions.”

 He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging us into a state of semidarkness.

“It’s dark in here, did you know?” Hermione said to me, weirding me out.

“Dunno, I can’t see.” I whispered back.

The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting… A few people kept checking their watches…  

“Any second,” Lee Jordan whispered, two seats away from me. 

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.  Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm’s length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white. 

“The champion for Durmstrang,” he read, in a strong, clear voice, “will be Viktor Krum.” 

“No surprises there!” yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall.

I saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber. 

“Bravo, Viktor!” boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. “Knew you had it in you!” 

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone’s attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames. 

“The champion for Beauxbatons,” said Dumbledore, “is Fleur Delacour!” 

“It’s her, Ron!” Harry shouted as the girl who so resembled a veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

It was the unicorn girl. The one who laughed at me...

Bitch.

“Oh look, they’re all disappointed,” Hermione said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party. “Disappointed” was an understatement. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms. 

When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next…   And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.  “The Hogwarts champion,” he called, “is Cedric Diggory!”

Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping.

That’s when one of the most epic things happened then.

It started off slowly, but it grew louder.

The whole school was doing it.

“BELLA! BELLA! BELLA!”

I was in some kind of choked fit of hysteria as Cedric turned and glared at me. I smiled sweetly and joined in the chant.

How the hell did this even catch on?

My eyes darted to Luna’s face at the Ravenclaw table, and she grinned at me and nodded.

How.

I can’t even-

Oh my god.

I need to marry Luna.

“Excellent!” Dumbledore called happily as at last Bella shouts. “Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real —”

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everyone what had distracted him. 

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.  Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out –

“Harry Potter.” 

And I think my heart stopped.