Melody Riddle and the Goblet of Fire

Chapter 17: The Goblet's Choices

The next day, Becky and I woke to Trixy and Lissy vigorously shaking us awake. I took a glance at my alarm clock. It was earlier than I would normally wake up for breakfast on a Saturday morning, so I just groaned and turned over on my stomach.

"No, no, no! Come on — get up! Let's go watch students put their names into the fire!" Lissy said.

Another groan and I sat up. Trixy and Becky were standing, Becky already getting her robes out to change into.

"All right then, wait for us in the common room," I said grumpily.

Lissy and Trixy jumped around excitedly, and hurried out while we got dressed.

"So much excitement over a competition that could kill people," I grumbled softly, finishing up and standing with a sigh.

"Well, we should humor them," she said with a shrug.

I chuckled and we made our way down where Lissy and Trixy began to pull us along. In the entrance hall there were about thirty people sitting around the Goblet of Fire, many just examining it. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood there, and as we came in; Fred, George, and Lee hurried down the staircase in froggish glee.

Fred said something in a whisper to the golden trio, in which I heard Ron respond aloud, "What?"

"The Aging Potion, dung brains," Fred replied.

"One drop each," George said, rubbing his hands together jovially. "We only need to be a few months older."

"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," Lee said, grinning broadly.

"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," Hermione said warningly. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."

Fred, George, and Lee ignored her.

"I agree with her this time," I whispered to Becky humorously, anxiously awaiting their fate for trying to trip the goblet.

Lissy and Trixy looked from us to them with interest.

"Ready?" Fred asked the other two, all quivering with excitement. "C'mon then – I'll go first –"

Fred pulled out a slip of parchment from his pocket, walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes. Then, with everyone's eyes on him, he took a great deep breath and stepped over it.

For a second it looked like it worked, George certainly thought so for he jumped right in after him with a yell of triumph... but in the next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound and both of them were hurled out of the golden circle. They landed ten feet away, and with a loud popping noise both of them sprouted identical long white beards.

The entrance hall rang with laughter – I almost think Becky laughed the hardest, because I swear it echoed – even Fred and George laughed as they stood and took a good look at each other.

"I did warn you," a deep, amused voice said. We all turned to see Professor Dumbledore walking out of the Great Hall, surveying the twins with twinkling eyes. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summer, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."

The four of us giggled softly as Fred and George set off for the hospital wing accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter. No doubt glad he didn't hop in with them.

"What a pair of idiots," was whispered into my ear.

I spun around to find Marcus standing behind me. "Don't do that," I berated softly, whacking him gently on his chest. "Anyways, did you do it already?"