Wish Upon A Star

Four Champions

As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late, but the Great Hall was actually filled with students. When they went down into the entrance hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. 

"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.

"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," said Harry. "I would've if it had been me . . . wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"

"Cedric put his name in last night. He told me," Ashlyn said suddenly. She had just thought of it and thought her friends ought to know, but they decided to be complete idiots about it.

"Of course, Cedric told you," Ron said in a high pitched voice. Ashlyn scowled at him.

Just then Fred, George, and Lee Jordan came laughing.

"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper

"Just taken it."

"What?" said Ron.

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

"One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "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," said Lee, grinning broadly.

Ashlyn shook her head, disapprovingly.

"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," said Hermione warningly.

"Well, at least it will be entertaining," Ashlyn said in a smug tone, which made the twins scowl at her, which she ignored.

"Ready?" Fred said to the other two, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then — I'll go first —"

 Fred walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line. George let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred. 

Ashlyn gave a loud derisive laugh.

Then there was a loud sizzling sound, and the twins went flying across the hall, landing painfully on the cold stone floor, growing long white beards. The entrance hall erupted in laughter.

"Told you," Ashlyn said chuckling.

"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. 

"I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr Summers, 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."

Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter.

Ashlyn's grin slid off her face as she thought of something. This was the only time Fred and  George had grown old together. Fred would die in a few years...But that's what she was there for! She was there to save him! She would make sure that she saved him! She should practice harder, get stronger. She had a lot to do, and so it would most certainly take a lot. She should work harder...