𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐞 | 𝐇.𝐏.

𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟒 - 𝟓

Back in the common room Fred and George had put Potter on their shoulders and were lifting him up in the air. Potter was holding the golden egg he had won, beaming and looking the happiest I had seen him all year. All the Gryffindors were crowded around him, whooping and reaching up to him. I stood next to Hermione, my smile never wavering.

"Yes, Harry!" Fred said as Potter threw the egg into the crowd.

"Knew you wouldn't die, Harry," George added.

"Lose a leg."

"Or an arm."

"But pack it all together?" Fred asked.

"Never!" The twins said together. 

The egg had been passed to Finnigan, and he shushed everyone. "Go on, Harry!" He said, throwing the egg back up to him. "What's the clue?"

"Who wants me to open it?" Potter asked. The room yelled and cheered. "Who wants me to open it?" Potter asked again. The room screamed and clapped. I laughed with Hermione as we watched our best friend.

He twisted the claw at the top. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a horrible screeching sound filled the room. Fred and George dropped Potter, and everyone threw their hands over their ears. Even the portraits looked tortured. Potter fought to close it, and when he did another voice came.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Weasley asked. When he realized everyone looking at him, including Potter, he shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Alright, everyone, go back to your knitting," Fred said. "This is gonna be uncomfortable enough without all you nosey sods listening in."

Weasley walked up to Potter and simply said, "I reckon you have to be barking to put your own name in the Goblet of Fire."

"Caught on, have you?" Potter asked. "Took you long enough."

"I wasn't the only one who thought you'd done it," Weasley replied apologetically. "Everyone was saying it behind your back."

"Brilliant," Potter said sarcastically. "That makes me feel loads better."

"Least I warned you about the dragons," Weasley smiled. 

"Hagrid warned me about the dragons," Potter corrected.

"No, no, no, I did," Weasley protested. "No, don't you remember. I told Hermione to tell you that Seamus told me that Parvati told Dean that Hagrid was looking for you. Seamus never actually told me anything, so it was really me all along," he finally finished. "I thought we'd... be alright, you know. Once you'd figured that out."

"Who could possibly figure that out?" Potter asked, lost. "That's completely mental."

"Yeah," Weasley chuckled. "Isn't it. I suppose I was a bit distraught."

"Boys," Hermione and I whispered at the same time.

As we sat in the Great Hall, eating breakfast, Parvati and Padma walked by arm in arm. "Hi, Harry," they said simultaneously. I also spotted Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw's Seeker, staring at Potter from across the hall. I stabbed at my food moodily.

Hermione gasped in horror next to me, looking at the Daily Prophet.

"What is it now?" Weasley asked. 

She handed the newspaper to him and he read it for a moment. When he was done he muttered, "That woman..."

"What?" I said curiously. They both attempted to hide the paper from me.