Found AIAOY 4

Chapter 8

"It's not true-it's not true-it's not true-it's not-"  Rebecca repeated the words over and over inside her head, as if it would have any bearing on reality.  "Last night!  Think about last night instead of-Just last night!"

Fred and Rebecca had lingered a while in the Owlery, spending the time as they pleased.  Ignoring their homework, George joined them in he and Fred's room to make a batch for the snackboxes.  They all spent ages upstairs, laughing, potion-brewing, planning and critiquing goods until the clocks struck ten and Rebecca knew it was time to start getting to her own room.

Fred kept working on what he was doing, bidding her a good night with a quick glance.

"Mate, what're you doing?"  Lee asked, his jaw dropped.  Granted, he didn't know that Fred had spent plenty of time with Rebecca already that evening, but Lee was appalled.  "Chivalry is dying with every passing second!"

Fred looked to George for a translation, which George provided readily.  "Get your lazy arse up and walk her to her stairs."  Fred ran out of the room, leaving George to shake his head and look to Lee for support.  "How are we even related, you think?"

Rebecca turned at the thud of Fred hitting the doorframe of their room, wondering why he was following her.  "I do know the way out of this straight hall."

Fred looked behind him, finding the hall empty.  "But can you kiss yourself good night?"

Rebecca rolled her eyes, standing on her toes to give him the briefest peck--all that either of them were willing to risk.  "I'll see you in the morning, nutter."

Fred clutched at his chest, falling backwards a step.  "Oh!  The insult!"

"This isn't happening-isn't happening-isn't happening-"  Rebecca's mantra failed as Dumbledore repeated himself again.

"Harry Potter?"  The champions had been chosen: Viktor Krum from Durmstrang, Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons, Cedric for Hogwarts.  That was supposed to be it.  But, the Goblet of Fire had spit out another name, a fourth name.  "Harry Potter, where are you?"

Hermione grabbed Harry's shoulder and lifted him to his feet, Dumbledore wouldn't wait any longer.

Rebecca stood too, looking to her friends for support.  Hermione tried to convey calmness, seeing how Rebecca's hands had been trembling and Harry had gone whiter than a sheet.  But Ron...Ron's face had melted into the ugliest, angriest scowl Rebecca had ever seen on him.  She didn't dare look to Fred and George out of fear that they too would look at her like that.  She didn't think she could stand it if they had.

Rebecca followed Harry like a shadow up the aisle to where the professors were staring at them silently like every student in the room.  The weight was indescribable.  The Great Hall remained silent as the champions, Harry, and the professors filed into the room behind the hall itself before they began to leave, the whispers beginning slowly and steadily into shouts of outrage.

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Igor Karkaroff held his hand up in front of Rebecca after Harry had stepped into the room, trying to keep her from going as well.

Rebecca looked up at the man, her lip quivering not in sadness, but hardly-contained rage.  "I'm going with my brother."  Her voice was soft, layered heavily in force.  "I'd like to see you stop me."

The head of Durmstrang's eyes narrowed at her challenge and held his arm up steadily.  Professor McGonagall's shoes tapped behind Rebecca, the professor rushing into the room to defend her students.  "Igor!"  McGonagall's voice forced him to lower the guard but he still looked to Dumbledore for support in keeping unnecessary students from being in the champions' debriefing.