Draco Malfoy and the Goblet of Fire (BOOK 4 of 7)

Chapter 5-The Champion Selection

The Champion selection was quickly approaching, and students from all three schools were entering their names in the Goblet of Fire. A group of Hufflepuffs started cheering when Cedric Diggory jogged up to the goblet. The others politely clapped.

 "Eternal glory," Ron said to Harry. "Be brilliant, wouldn't it? In three years from now, we'll be old enough to be chosen."

"Yeah, well rather you than me," came the reply.

"Yeah! Yes!" They turned around to see Fred and George running in with bottles in their hands.

"Well, lads," George said, "we've done it!"

"Cooked it up just this morning," Fred added.

"It's not going to work," Hermione said in a singsong voice.

"And why's that, Granger?" George said.

"You see this? This is an age line. Dumbledore drew it himself."

"So?" Fred asked.

"So, a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dimwitted as an aging potion."

"Ah, but that's why it's so brilliant."

"Because it's so pathetically dimwitted," George said.

Both boys stood up and shook their bottles.

"Ready, Fred?"

"Ready, George."

"Bottoms up!" they said together and took their potions. They jumped inside the age line. Nothing happened.

"Whoo!" the students cheered.

When it had silenced once more, the twins slipped their names into the goblet. Nothing happened.

"Yes! Whoo!"

Then all of a sudden, the blue fire swirled around and threw the twins backwards about three meters. Everyone turned to look at them. They both had long white hair and white beards that could give Dumbledore a run for his money. The students began to laugh at them.

"You said-" both boys started and then Fred attacked George. Everyone surrounded them and yelled, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Except for Hermione. She just sat down on a step and opened her book. Then everyone became quiet. Viktor Krum walked through the Great Hall's doors. He placed his name in the goblet and turned back to leave. As he did, he gave Hermione a piercing, curious look.

Hermione blushed. Though she had no interest in Krum, she couldn't help but enjoy the attention he was giving her. Her brain quickly flickered to a certain blonde but she shook it aside. Maybe Viktor Krum's interest in her was a good thing. Clearly, he didn't have a lot going on upstairs, but he was a talented Quidditch player and seemed like a nice person. Perhaps he would take her mind off of a certain someone who had no hesitation using a killing curse.

_____________________________________

"Draco, mate," Blaise said as he sat down on his bed the evening after the DADA class. "Feeling a bit reckless today?"

"Just a bit," Draco mumbled from under the covers. Because Defense was his last class of the day, he'd come straight to the dungeons and jumped into his bed.

"Come out where we can see you," Adrian said, sitting down next to Blaise with Theo taking the other side.

Draco pushed back the covers enough so that his eyes could be seen.

"Come on, mate!" Theo exclaimed.

Draco got up and sat cross-legged on the bed. "What do you all want?"

"It's almost dinner," Blaise said. "Also, how you just killed that spider, everyone's talking about it."

"Good."

"No, not good. After you left the classroom, Moody said, 'Death Eaters began as kids. Who knows which one of you will end up as one?'"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Great."

"Draco, I'm serious!"

"No, I think it's good. People will start to fear me."

"As if they don't already," Theo muttered, only to receive a glare from Draco.

"As I was saying, they'll be scared of what I'll do to them. This is good for my reputation. No Slytherin will be suspicious of me. It's all good. Besides, it not like I pulled a knife on McGonagall or anything."

Blaise sighed in defeat. "Whatever. I just think it wasn't necessary. Your reputation is already fine."

"But yours is not. Remember who you befriended in first year? I don't think they'll forget you just like that."

"They're Gryffindors and we're Slytherins. Of course they'll forget me just like that."

Maybe they would, Draco thought, but he couldn't forget the recognition in Granger's eyes last year after Draco's wolf form led her and Potter to Sirius. As the Death Eaters grew stronger, Draco needed to keep up the façade. But for some odd reason, with Granger, it was getting increasingly difficult to lie and hide.

________________________________

There was a great deal of commotion in the Great Hall. It was the night of the champion selection.

"Sit down, please!" Dumbledore instructed all the students. "And now the moment you've all been waiting for: the champion selection!"

He dimmed all the lights in the hall and reached towards the goblet. The fire turned red and spit out a piece of parchment which Dumbledore caught.

"The Durmstrang champion is...Viktor Krum!"

"Yes! Whoo!"

Krum rose and shook Dumbledore's hand. He then proceeded to go into the champions' room.

The next piece of parchment was a circle with a circle cut out of the middle so that it was a ring.

"The champion from Beauxbatons...is Fleur Delacour!"

Fleur stood up and walked proudly to Dumbledore who shook her hand and sent her on her way.

The final parchment was released.

"The Hogwarts champion...Cedric Diggory!"

When Diggory got to Dumbledore, the older man shook his hand and clapped him on the back.

"Excellent! We now have our three champions! But in the end, only one will go down in history."

Crouch brought a covered object and set it on a pedestal in front of the hall.

"Only one will hoist this chalice of champions," Dumbledore continued, "this vessel of victory, the Triwizard Cup!"

He lifted the cover to reveal a clear and majestic cup with the shade of crystal water.

Suddenly, the goblet of fire began to swirl its flames. Another piece of parchment popped out.

Dumbledore frowned and caught it.

"Harry Potter," he said in surprise. "Harry Potter!"

Potter slowly rose and walked to the Dumbledore and accepted the parchment. He looked confused as he walked to the champions' room.

A/N: I encourage you all to share this book with your friends, comment, vote, and keep on reading! Thank you all so much!