The New Student is a Year Four ☆•*: . | Neville Longbottom Fanfiction

Chapter Seven - Selection

It is my second day at Hogwarts and we are walking downstairs from Defense Against the Dark Arts. This class was, uh, interesting. Professor Moody was torturing an Amblypygid with the Cruciatus Curse. Which was horrifying to watch.

As we discuss the class, we find Neville standing quietly beside the window.

"Hey Neville," I greet. He doesn't answer. I put a hand on his shoulder and he flinches back. "It's okay Neville. It's just me."

He looks at me teary eyed and I frown. What happened to him?

Professor Moody then calls Neville over, telling him that he wants to show him something and he silently follows him back to the classroom.

"Will he be okay?" I ask the trio.

"I'm sure he'll be fine Asphodel," Hermione says, "it's better if we don't worry too much."

"Yeah, besides we have more important things to worry about," Ron says. "I can't believe students younger than seventeen can't put their names on the Goblet of Fire."

"Please Ronald, we all know you wouldn't last five minutes in there."

"That's not true!"

Hermione gives him a look and Ron scoffs.

"We should go see who's gonna put their name after school," Harry says and we all agree. After all, they are planning on betting who'll win.

———

I'm running through the rain to the Great Hall. It's been raining all day and I thought it would stop at this time. And the fact that I forgot my umbrella makes this better. I enter the grand room to see a lot of students already putting their names in. I grab a strand of my hair and squeeze the water out as I walk, cursing under my breath. I'm thinking about how I'm going to dry my clothes when I bump into someone.

"Oh sorry," they say. I look up and realize that the person is Neville.

I smile. "That's okay. I wasn't looking where I was going."—I notice the book in his hands—"what are you reading?"

He looks at his book and smiles. "It's Magical Water Plants of the Highland Lochs. There's a lot of interesting things about plants and Herbologists. Professor Moody gave it to me earlier today."

"Really? Can I see it?" He nods and hands me the book.

I flip through the pages and notice the different facts about the plants, when they were discovered, and who discovered them. It also says how to use them in different potions.

I give him the book back. "It's very interesting. Would you mind if I borrow it sometime?"

"Not at all!" He says and then looks at the door. "You should probably go. They're looking for you."

I look where he is looking and realize he's talking about the trio. By the time I look back, he's already gone. I just shrug and greet them.

"Who do you think will last the longest?" Harry asks.

"I'm betting on Krum," Ron says.

"How do you know he's going to compete?" I ask.

"Have you seen him? He looks like he'll fight a dragon! There's no way he isn't putting his name in."

"Honestly, I feel like Fleur will win the cup. Knowing her, she's very clever and knows what she's doing most of the time."

"I agree with Asphodel. There's a big chance that she'll win," Hermione says. "Anyways, I'm going to go sit down. Are you coming, Asphodel?"

I smile. "Sure."

Right then, Cedric enters with his group of friends, all of them cheering him on and telling him to put his name in. He laughs, steps inside the circle, and puts his name in the Goblet.

"Do you think the twins will try to make something to fool the Age Line?" I ask.

"It's going to be something crappy that will most likely fail," she laughs and I do too.

As if on cue, the Weasley twins enter through the doors loudly and everyone claps.

"Look here! Just cooked it up this morning!" Fred says.

"Yeah! We'll definitely get in after this one!" George says.

Hermione just rolls her eyes and explains to them about the Age Line and how they can't fool it because Dubledore himself drew it. They only laugh and tell her that their potion is so dumb it might work. They both down the potion and jump over the Age Line. Everyone goes silent, waiting for something to happen. But as soon as everyone realizes that it's safe, they all cheer and clap for the twins.

I only give Hemione a look. We both know that that's only the first reaction. The second is when you try to put your name into the Goblet. That's when things get real.

They are both shot out of the Age Line and into the floor. They both sit up and look at each other while white hair grows on their chins and hairline at a quick pace. Then they get into a fight, arguing about how the other was wrong and that they knew that this was going to happen.

Then the room goes silent as Krum enters, puts his name on the Goblet (locking eyes with Hermione), and exits. That was weird.

———

"And now, the time has come to choose our three champions!" Professor Dumbledore announces. He presses both of his hands against the Goblet and then steps back. The Goblet ignites a bright red fire and spits out a small piece of paper into Dubledore's hand. "The first champion is...Victor Krum!"

Everyone cheers as Krum gets up to stand where the champions are supposed to go. After a while, the three students are selected, all standing next to each other. In addition to Krum, there is Fleur and Cedric.

"Silence! We now have our three champions! But I'm the end, only one will be able to be honored as winner. Only one will win the Triwizard Cup!" Dubledore points to a big cup sitting in the middle of the room.

As everyone is clapping, the flames start dancing uncontrollably. Everyone quiets down at the sudden event. The flames turn a bright red and then a paper spits out with force. It floats down and Dumbledore catches it. He mutters something I can't hear and looks around.

"Harry Potter?" He calls. Everyone turns to look at Harry and I do too. Then everyone flinches at the sudden yell that comes out of the professors mouth. "Harry Potter!"

"Harry!" I hiss. "Go!"

Hermione pushes him to his feet and that's when his legs start moving. He slowly walks up to the front of the Great Hall but stops after another burst of red flames come out of the Goblet and another slip of paper is spat out.

"Asphodel Evergreen!" Dubledore yells angrily. My heart drops and now it's my turn to stand still. I can't move.

"Asphodel you have to go," Hermione says. She puts her hand on my shoulder and that's when I realize I have to move. I nervously walk up to Dubledore with Harry and he gives us both our slips of paper. I look at the paper.

That's not my handwriting.

UM SO I TOOK LIKE THREE WEEKS TO POST THIS BC A LOT HAS BEEN GOING ON I DONT EVEN JNOW WHERE TO START. I KNOW THIS CHAPTER IS REALLY BAD BUT WHATEVER.

Word count: 1,179