tradition

06

The next morning, the Great Hall was abuzz with talk of the Goblet of Fire and the upcoming Triwizard Tournament. The excitement was infectious, and Eloise found herself swept up in it, her earlier worries temporarily forgotten.

As the days passed, the anticipation only grew. Eloise continued to support her brother, while also finding herself caught up in the daily life at Hogwarts. She attended classes, studied for exams, and spent time with her friends, all while keeping a close eye on the tournament proceedings.

When the day finally came for the champions to be announced, the Great Hall was packed with students, all eager to hear the results. Dumbledore stood at the front, his eyes twinkling with anticipation as the Goblet of Fire glowed a bright red.

The hall fell silent as the first name was drawn. "The Durmstrang champion is Viktor Krum," Dumbledore announced, and the Durmstrang students erupted in cheers. Krum stood up, a confident smile on his face, and made his way to the front.

The second name was drawn. "The champion for Beauxbatons... is Fleur Delacour," Dumbledore called out, and the Beauxbatons students cheered loudly. Fleur gracefully made her way to the front, her presence commanding the attention of the entire hall.

Finally, the third name was drawn. "The Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory," Dumbledore announced, and the Hufflepuff table erupted in cheers. Eloise's heart swelled with pride as she watched her brother stand up, a determined look on his face. He glanced back at her, and she gave him a reassuring smile.

"Excellent! We now have our three champions. But in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory... the Triwizard Cup!" as Dumbledore pointed at the cloaked object, Barty Crouch lifted the covering, revealing a silver cup that glowed brightly.

But before the cheers could die down, the Goblet of Fire glowed once more, causing the professors and students to look at it in wonder. A fourth name was drawn, and the hall fell silent with shock. "Harry Potter," Dumbledore announced, his voice filled with surprise.

"Harry Potter?"

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore shouted, his voice now filled with frustration.

Hermione who sat behind Harry, pushed him forward. "Go on, Harry. Harry, for goodness sake." Briar looked at the boy in shock, "He's not 17... how... " She turned around to look at Ron whose lips grew into a frown of distaste.

The hall erupted into chaos as students began to whisper and murmur. Harry stood up, his face a mixture of confusion and disbelief. He made his way to the front, joining the other champions, as Dumbledore handed him the burnt paper that read his name.

"He's a cheat!" many students yelled, angered by the unfair situation.

As the champions stood before the crowd, the reality of the situation began to sink in. The Triwizard Tournament was going to be more challenging and dangerous than any of them had anticipated. 

~

"Did you see his face? There's no way he could have put his name in the cup... he was just as surprised as us!" Briar reasoned with Ron. The corridor outside the Great Hall was filled with students chattering about the unexpected announcement. Despite Briar's distaste for the Potter boy, she found the way Ron reacted, unfair. She could see the shock and confusion in Harry's eyes, and she couldn't believe he would voluntarily throw himself into such danger.

Ron shook his head stubbornly, his jaw set in a hard line. "It doesn't matter what his face looked like, Briar. He always gets the attention, always. How could he not want to be part of something this big?" His voice was edged with a mix of jealousy and hurt, and he refused to meet Hermione's eyes.