FINITE | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [4]

𝘅𝘃𝗶𝗶 | 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻... 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻

By the following morning, the gales had moved on and the air was rather still. The sky was still a gloomy, dull grey with thick clouds swirling overhead as Gwen, Harry, Ron and Hermione examined their new timetables at breakfast. A few seats down the table, they could hear Fred, George, and Lee Jordan discussing magical methods of ageing themselves and bluffing their way into the Triwizard Tournament.

  'Today's not bad,' Ron was saying, running his finger down Monday's column. 'Outside all morning... Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures... damnit, we're still with the Slytherins...'

  'Double Divination,' Gwen said, rolling her eyes.

  'When?' said Harry, consulting his timetable.

  'This afternoon,' she told him. It was her, Harry, and Ron's least favourite subject. Gwen wished she had dropped it at the end of last year like Hermione had. Professor Trelawney was a Seer whose favourite thing to do was predict Harry's death.

  'You should have given it up, then, like me,' said Hermione briskly, buttering herself some toast. 'Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy.'

  'You're eating again, I notice,' said Ron, watching Hermione adding almost a gallon of jam to her toast.

  'I've decided there are other ways of standing up for house elf rights,' Hermione said haughtily. Gwen raised her eyebrows, but smiled as Hermione caught her eye.

  'Yeah... and you're hungry,' said Ron, grinning.

  There was a sudden rustling noise above them, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows, carrying the morning post. Hermes, the Everill family owl, came and dropped a letter on Gwen's lap, then flew to the Hufflepuff table and dropped one in front of Lucille, then soared across to the Slytherin table and landed in front of Felix. Gwen picked up the letter and recognised it immediately to be Eddie's elegant handwriting on the envelope. She tore it open and read:

Gwen,

I'm assuming you've heard about the Triwizard Tournament. If you haven't, well, you'll be hearing about it soon enough, sorry for ruining the surprise. I know what you're like, and I want to implore you to not attempt to hoodwink the impartial judge. You won't succeed. I'm putting my foot down on that one, as your brother and someone who cares for you.

I wish I were back there this year to join you, having heard of the tournament now, but I'm really busy with work at the moment. I can try and take some time off but it will be difficult. Training under Father's tutorship is harder than being his oldest son. I've had basically no free time at all, and I'm currently sitting up at three in the morning to write to you, Felix, and Lucille.

I hope you're doing well, and that the incident at the Quidditch World Cup wasn't too traumatising, I'm so glad you're all right. Father was furious about it. In answer to your question, no, neither he nor Mother were there. I know why you were worried, but the whole family were very much at home, safe and well.