Kiss Me Like You Miss Me

41 Black Lake

Harry and I entered the small room that the others had entered. I was met with a look of approval by Victor and a look of confusion by Fleur. Before anyone had a chance to speak Ludo Bagman entered the room. He immediately approached Harry and I.

"Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Harry's arm and circling me. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen . . . lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other two. "May I introduce — incredible though it may seem — the third and fourth Triwizard champion?"

Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Harry, but only had a look of admiration for me. Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."

"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Their names just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"

Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Fleur frowned matching my own. My arms were crossed and I stood with all my weight on one foot. I was pissed. Whoever put my name in the goblet was dead. Harry nervously stood behind me eyeing everyone in the room.

"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. " 'E cannot compete. 'E is too young."

"Neither can I!" I say angrily. "I'm only 16."

"Then why'd you put your name-"

"I didn't," I snap cutting off Krum mid sentence.

"Well . . . it is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at us. "But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as your name's come out of the goblet . . . I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage. . . . It's down in the rules, you're obliged . . . You two will just have to do the best he —"

"Bullshit!" I yell angrily. "I'm not competing."

The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in:

"You don't have a choice," says Dumbledore.

Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape.

I heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Professor McGonagall closed the door.

"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, striding over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zes little boy and girl is to compete also!"

My lips purse as a wave of anger pulsed through me. Little girl?

Madame Maxime had drawn herself up to her full, and considerable, height. The top of her handsome head brushed the candle filled chandelier, and her gigantic black-satin bosom swelled.

"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" she said imperiously.

"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Professor Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions — or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"

He gave a short and nasty laugh.

"C'est impossible," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was resting upon Fleur's shoulder. " 'Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most injust."

"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."