The Potter Twins and the Goblet of Fire {4}

9. The Triwizard Tournament

As the holidays came to a rather dreary end, we find ourselves staring at the gleaming scarlet steam engine, with the words The Hogwarts Express branded upon it in gold. We quickly find an empty compartment and store our carry on luggage away, before quickly dropping back down onto the platform to say goodbye to Mrs Weasley, Bill and Charlie.

"I might be seeing you all sooner than you think," Charlie says, grinning, as he hugs Ginny goodbye.

"Why?" Fred asks keenly.

"You'll see," he said. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it...it's 'classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it', after all."

"Yeah, I sort of wish I was back at Hogwarts this year," Bill says wistfully.

"Why?" George demands impatiently.

"You're going to have an interesting year," Bill says, his eyes twinkling. "I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it..."

"A bit of what?" Ron asks. But in this moment the whistle blows, and Mrs Weasley ushers us towards the train.

"Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs Weasley," Hermione says as we climb on board and close the door, talking to them through the window.

"Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs Weasley," I add.

"Oh, it was my pleasure dears," she says. "I'd invite you for Christmas, but...well, I expect you're all going to want to stay at Hogwarts what with...one thing and another."

"Mum!" Ron says irritably. "What d'you three know that we don't?"

"You'll find out this evening, I expect," She smiles. "It's going to be very exciting - mind you, I'm very glad they changed the rules - "

"What rules?" Harry, Ron, Fred, George and I question in unison.

"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you...now, behave won't you? Won't you Fred? And you, George?"

The pistons hiss loudly and the train begins moving.

"Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!" Fred bellows out the window. "What rules are they changing?"

But they only smile as the train speed away, and wave. And has the train turns the corner, they Disapparate.

The three of us begin making our way back to our compartment, which Tay is now sitting inside, too, as she found our bags and assumed it was us.

"Bagman wanted to tell us what's happening at Hogwarts," Ron says grumpily, sitting down beside me. "At the World Cup, remember? But my own mother won't say. Wonder what - "

"shh!" Hermione whispers suddenly, pressing her finger to her lips and pointing to the compartment next to ours. We listen hard, and hear a familiar voice drifting through the open door.

"...Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the Headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore - the man's such a Mudblood-lover - and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riff-raff. But mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not just the defence rubbish we do...."

Hermione quickly slides the door shut, blocking out Draco's voice.

"So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?" she says angrily. "I wish he had gone, then we wouldn't have to put up with him."

"Hey, Hayles, why don't you go and shut him up with a snog," Ron jokes, nudging my ribs.

"Hah, hah," I laugh, slapping his hand away.