Dark Pasts { A Harry Potter Story }

Chapter 10 - The Goblet Decides

The next morning, Hermione and I woke much earlier than we usually did on a Saturday. When we reached the Great Hall, we saw that we were not the only ones to have done so. The entrance hall was full to the brim with people eagerly waiting to see who would submit their names into the Goblet of Fire.

"Anyone put their name in yet?" I asked as we joined Ron and Harry. 

"All the Durmstrang lot," a girl 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," Harry said. "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?"

I heard laughter echoing from the stairs and turned around to see Fred, George, and Lee looking extremely excited.

"Done it," Fred said as he brushed past Ron. "Just taken it."

"What?" Ron said.

"The Aging Potions, dung brains," Fred said.

"One drop each," George said. "We only need to be a few months older."

"It's not going to work," Hermione said smugly.

"Yeah? And why's that, Granger?"

"A genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dim-witted as an Ageing Potion," she said.

"Ah, but that's why it's so brilliant," Fred said.

"Because it's so pathetically dim-witted!" George said excitedly.

"Ready?" Fred said to the other two. "C'mon, then — I'll go first — "

He pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket, took a deep breath, and stepped over the line. Everyone began to cheer, including George, who followed his twin, but it only took a few seconds for me to realize that their plan had not worked.  There was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the circle, landing painfully on the stone floor. Then there was a popping sound and I laughed as I realized that they had both sprouted identical long white beards.

Everyone began to laugh as they took in the beards.

"I did warn you," said an amused voice.

I turned around to see Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall.

"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."

Fred and George set off for the hospital wing with Lee, who was howling with laughter. We were still laughing as we sat down at the Gryffindor table. The decorations in the Great Hal had changed once more. Today was Halloween, so a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins hung from every corner.

"There's a rumour going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean told us.

"We can't have a Slytherin champion!"

"And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," Seamus said. "But I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks."

Our attention was then stolen by loud cheers echoing from the entrance hall. Turning around, I saw Angelina Johnson coming into the hall with an embarrassed grin on her face.

"Well, I've done it!" she said. "Just put my name in!"

"You're kidding," Ron said, sounding impressed.