Daisy Potter and You-Know-Poo's Return (Book 4, Harry Potter ff)

Chapter 12 - The Champions And Fraisy's Make-Out Session

As Harry and I paraded into the back room, Fleur Delacour looked around and threw back her long sheet of silvery hair.

"What is it?" She said. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

She thought we had come to deliver a message. I snickered, high-fiving Harry as the three other champions looked at us in confusion.

There was a sound of scurrying feet behind us, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Harry and I by the arm and led us forwards, avoiding my eye.

"Extraordinary!" He muttered, squeezing our arms. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen... lady." He added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce - incredible though it may seem - the FOURTH and FIFTH Triwizard champions?"

Krum nodded at me, and I returned the nod. Cedric reached out a fist and I bumped his with mine. Fleur, however, as I gazed in awe at her, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."

"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! The twins' names just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"

Fleur frowned. "But evidently zair 'as been a mistake." She said contemptuously to Bagman. "Zey cannot compete. Zey are too young."

"Well... it is amazing." Bagman said, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at my brother. "But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as their names have come out of the Goblet... I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage... it's down in the rules, you're obliged... the twins will just have to do the best they -"

The door behind us opened again, and a large group of people came in: Dumbledore, followed closely by Crouch, Karkaroff, Maxime, Minnie, and Snape. I heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Minnie closed the door.

"Madame Maxime!" Fleur said at once, striding over to her Headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zese little kids are to compete also!"

"Well, I'm not a little kid, I don't think." I announced, stroking my non-existent beard. "What about you, Harry?"

"Hmm, a tough question." Harry stroked his chin too. "But my answer is, too, that I'm not a little kid."

Cedric fist-bumped me again, and Krum sent me another nod, a hint of a grin on his face.

The teachers were all arguing while us students were occupied with each other. Fleur was eyeing me with contempt, and I rolled my eyes at her. No amount of good looks is going to make me accept bitchiness...

Except Pansy.

Oops. Did I just say something? Ignore me...

"It's no one's fault but Miss Potter's, Karkaroff." Snape was saying softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Undoubtably she dragged her brother into this. Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Miss Potter's determination to break rules. She has been crossing lines ever since she arrived here -"

"Haven't I just?" I said proudly. "I'm glad you remembered, Severus. One would wonder why you've been paying so much attention to me -"

"Did you put your names into the Goblet of Fire, Daisy, Harry?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"Nah." I said as Harry shook his head. "I tried so many times, but your Age Line got me good, Prof."

I was very aware of everybody watching me closely, and I took advantage of it by doing my signature hair toss. Snape made a soft noise of impatient disbelief in the shadows.

"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" Dumbledore said, ignoring Snape.

I spun to Harry, amazed. "Why didn't we think of that?"