Sparks Fly || A George Weasley Story

Year 6: Maybe Growing Up Isn't So Bad After All

Juni's pov:

"May I have your attention, please?" Dumbledore announced towards the end of dinner, "I'd like to say a few words, Eternal Glory. That is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard tournament. But to do so, the student must survive three tasks. Three, extremely dangerous tasks. For this reason, the Ministry has seen fit to expose a new rule. To explain all this, we have the head of the department of international magic cooperation Mister Bartimus Crouch."

With those words, thunder boomed through the great hall, as the calm night sky cast on the ceiling turned stormy. A few screams echoed through the room, and I saw Gardenia jump at the sudden noise. However, the false sky was calmed quickly when a mysterious man entered the room and flicked his wand at it. I, and many others seated at the long tables, recognized him instantly as Mad-Eye Moody. A famous catcher who had gifted Azkaban with over half of its population.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was going to be the new defense against the dark arts professor. Looking away from him, I once again found Gardenia, looking smaller than ever wedged between Pandora and Adrien. Her eyes were wide and it was obvious that she was terrified of this rugged man with his mechanical enchanted eye and intimidating past. Oh how I wished that she could have gotten someone like Professor Lupin for her first year.

Once the room had quieted once again, Barty Crouch stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat, "After much deliberation, the ministry has concluded that for their own safety no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the tri-wizard tournament. This decision is final."

Once again, the room erupted in shouts, only this time it was not from fear, but from outrage. Students were booing and shouting at Crouch as though he weren't the head of the ministry and therefore the employer of many of their parents. Through the din, I heard two familiar Weasley voices, much louder than the rest.

"That's rubbish!" They shouted together.

"You don't know what you're doing!" George continued.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore shouted, his voice instantly quieting the room.

All eyes were on him, waiting for him to start handing out detentions or deducting house points. Instead, for a moment he didn't say anything. With the flick of his wand, however, a tall golden structure that I didn't remember being placed by the podium began to melt and, in its wake, was revealed a large goblet that blossomed a bright blue flame from its depths right before our eyes. It was beautiful, but something I understood would be very dangerous if it had anything to do with this stupid tournament. I don't know why anyone would willingly put their name in the drawing after Dumbledore had given so many warnings about how dangerous it was. It was a death sentence for sure.

"The goblet of fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament need merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly, if chosen there's no turning back. As from this moment the tri-wizard tournament has begun," Dumbledore said, his final words sending shivers down my spine.

Why can't we ever have a normal year here at Hogwarts?

After we were dismissed for the evening, I knew that I had to find Gardenia and let her know that everything was going to be okay. Adrian and Pandora would take care of her, I knew they would, but that was about all I could say to comfort her. No one had been prepared for her sorting to go in that direction, no one else in the family had been placed in Slytherin, and with me getting petrified, everyone at Hogwarts knew I was muggle-born and I worried what that meant for her, going into that house.

I have always said that stereotypes about the houses were rarely true, but Slytherin is an exception to that rule. They could be cruel and dark and mean, especially to those they deemed to be their lessers, and I didn't want Gardenia to have to deal with names like "blood traitor" for considering me her sister. I hoped that Pandora would set them straight, but there was only so much she could do without being considered a traitor herself.