Catching Eyes

Eye Catching

Elena stood near the back of the crowd, her arms crossed as she watched the spectacle unfold. Fred and George Weasley were at the forefront, whispering to each other with mischievous grins on their faces. It didn't take long for Elena to figure out what they were up to—after all, the twins had been talking non-stop about their latest scheme ever since Dumbledore had announced the age restriction for entering the tournament.

Hermione, standing beside Elena, sighed and shook her head as Fred and George prepared to put their plan into action. "Honestly, they're wasting their time. There's no way Dumbledore hasn't thought of every possible way to cheat the Goblet."

Elena smirked, nodding in agreement. "You're right, Hermione. But I can't wait to see their faces when it doesn't work. This is going to be hilarious."

Hermione gave her a sideways glance, one eyebrow raised. "You're not planning on trying anything, are you?"

Elena shook her head, laughing softly. "No way. I'm content to watch Fred and George make fools of themselves. Besides, I'm not even old enough to enter."

As if on cue, Fred and George took out a small vial from their pockets and downed the contents, looking smug. They were clearly confident that their Aging Potion would fool the Goblet into thinking they were of age. The crowd around them watched with bated breath as the twins stepped forward, identical grins on their faces, and approached the Goblet.

Elena leaned closer to Hermione, whispering with a grin, "This is going to be good."

Hermione shook her head, though she couldn't suppress a smile. "They're going to end up with beards down to their knees."

Sure enough, as soon as Fred and George crossed the age line surrounding the Goblet, there was a flash of bright light. The twins were thrown backward, tumbling onto the floor with identical expressions of shock and confusion. Laughter erupted from the students around them, and as Fred and George sat up, they were sporting long, white beards that reached down to their chests.

"Brilliant!" Elena exclaimed, laughing as she clapped her hands. "Absolutely brilliant!"

Even Hermione couldn't help but chuckle, though she quickly stifled it. "I told them it wouldn't work," she said, trying to sound serious but failing as her smile broke through.

Fred and George looked at each other, then burst out laughing, clearly unfazed by their failure. "Well, it was worth a try!" Fred said, his voice muffled slightly by the beard.

"Definitely worth it," George agreed, still chuckling as he tried to stand up, the beard getting in the way. "At least we know the age line works!"

As the twins made their way out of the crowd, still laughing at themselves, Elena caught Harry's eye across the room. He was standing with Ron, Neville, and Seamus, watching the scene unfold with an amused grin on his face. Their eyes met for a brief moment, a tension toned look shared between them, as if they both didn't know whether to smile. The crowd around the Goblet of Fire began to shift again as more students stepped forward to put their names in. There was an air of determination and hope in the room—everyone wanted to be chosen, to be the one who would represent their school in the tournament. Elena watched as a few older students from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff approached the Goblet, their faces set with a mix of nerves and excitement.

Then, the atmosphere in the room seemed to change as Viktor Krum, the famous Quidditch player from Durmstrang, stepped forward. His presence commanded attention, and even the most confident students seemed to shrink back a little as he passed by. Viktor's expression was serious, focused, as he wrote his name on a slip of parchment and dropped it into the Goblet.