Falling Star

Triwizard Champion

The next few weeks go by comfortably as I fall back into the easy routine of Hogwarts. Only the buzzing anticipation of the Triwizard Tournament disrupts the monotony. The Goblet of Fire has been set up in the Great Hall awaiting the names of those students vying to be Champions. Most of the top 7th year students have put their names in already, and several 5th and 6th year students lament the fact that they are too young to compete.

A group of us are sitting in the Great Hall around the Goblet, watching as a couple of Ravenclaw boys goad one of their friends into putting his name in. The fair haired boy looks nervous at first, but, after much prodding and cheering from his mates, he struts up to the Goblet and tosses in his piece of parchment. His friends give a resounding whoop in response.

I'm chuckling to myself about the scene when a familiar tall redhead worms his way between Hermione and me. The mirror image of him plops down on Hermione's other side.

Fred, the twin between us, dramatically puts his arms around Hermione's and my shoulders. "Well, ladies, how does it feel to be looking at the future Triwizard Champion?"

George gives us both a lopsided grin. I return it with a suspicious side eye.

Hermione scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Last I checked you both were still 16. You can't even put your names in."

Fred turns to me, a dangerously mischievous gleam in his eyes. I try to suppress the giggle that is bubbling up inside me.

"Can you believe her, Dahlia? Hermione has no faith in us." Fred says, acting wounded.

"She has a point though. Do I dare ask what it is you two are planning?" I try to say as sternly as possible. The twins are always getting into trouble. Usually harmless, of course, but hanging around them during one of their pranks had gotten me a week's detention with Snape once during second year. I've been wary of their plans ever since.

George cuts in, standing to face us. "Fred, I think they both doubt our abilities."

Fred rises as well and quips,"I guess we will just have to show them then, George."

"Alright, I'm intrigued. What's your plan?" I ask.

Hermione sighs loudly, already having figured the twins out. "If you're thinking of an aging spell to get around the age line, it's not going to work."

"I'm going to have to agree with Hermione. That age line was make by Dumbledore himself. You both are good, but you're not that good," I tell them with a laugh.

Fred places his arms on the bench on either side of me and leans in close to my face. He stares at me with a challenge in his eyes. My stomach does an odd little flip at his closeness that I chose to ignore. I smirk up at him. "Watch us," he declares, waggling his eyebrows.

Hermione and I both laugh and shake our heads as Fred and George make their way to the Goblet. They both pull out a vial from their pockets. With a final "bottoms up," they link arms and down the contents of the vials. For a moment, nothing happens. The twins walk right up to the Goblet, the age line letting them pass. Their names drop in like everyone else's.

Hermione and I give each other a curious look. They did not just outsmart Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of our age, did they?

We look back to the twins and hear their triumphant cheers. The two swagger out of the enchanted ring, and Fred gives me a pointed look. I told you so, his eyes seem to say.

Just then, George's bright red hair turns to wild gray, as does Fred's a moment later. Both boys sprout long gray beards and their faces gain many year's worth of wrinkles.