polaroids (cedric diggory)

four

"the Goblet of Fire"

Several first years Aria helped on the train, now sat proudly at the Gryffindor table. Their robes no longer black, but trimmed with red and sporting their new house crest.

"Well, now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement," Professor Dumbledore began, standing behind his golden lectern.

At the moment, Filch slipped in through the doors and begin half running half jogging towards the headmaster.
"This castle will not only be your home this year, but home to some very special guests as well. you see Hogwarts has been chosen..."

Dumbledore broke off to exchange a few hushed whispers with Filch, before sending him back and continuing.

"So Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event: the Triwizard tournament!"

Everyone in the Great Hall was quiet and listening closely, wanting to know more.

"For those of you who don't know, the Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contest. From each school a single pupil is selected to complete. Now, let me be clear. If chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say, this contest are not for the faint-hearted. But more on that later. For now please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and the headmistress Madame Maxime!"

The Great Hall doors swung open again, revealing a group of girls all dressed in matching ensembles. Who began to walk down the aisle, towards the front table.

Every few meters they would stop in flourish their hands at the two tables nearest them, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff before continuing.

Aria was in awe, when they reached the end and small, blue birds seemed to materialize out of them, a smaller girl doing flips and ballet steps.

The hall erupted into cheers, mainly from the males as they bowed and Madame Maxime shook Dumbledore's hand, before he leapt back up to the lectern.

"And now, our friends from the North. Please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and their high master, Igor Karkaroff!"

Their uniforms were thick layers of brown, many of the boys also wearing heavy furs and warm hats. They began some sort of a dance, though much different from the girls before them. Sticks smashed against the cobbles, shooting out small sparks.

Suddenly, they dropped them and started racing forward, flipping and turning their bodies in unnatural ways. Another wave of murmurs broke out, when Karkaroff and other two students entered the hall.

"Blimey, it's him!" Ron said, loudly from down the table, "Viktor Krum!"

-

Everyone was now seated, the Beauxbatons girls at the Ravenclaw table, the Durmstrang boys with the Slytherins.

Dumbledore's voice boomed through the hall, all its occupants falling into silence, "Your attention, please!"

By now everyone noticed the gold emblazoned casket, several feet high, that now sat proudly in front of the Great Hall.

"I'd like to say a few words." He paused for a dramatic effect, because that's Dumbledore so that's necessary, "Eternal glory! That is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks!"

"Wicked!" Fred and George said beside her.

"For this reason, the Ministry has ordered to fit impose a new rule. To explain this, we have the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Mr Bartemius Crouch."

Thunder crashed from the ceiling of the Great Hall, causing students to scream loudly, and lightning made some of them squint.

A silent spell shot into the sky and sent it back to its normal starry scene, cast by a man none of them had seen until he stepped into the hall.

"Who's that" Aria's best friend, Tayla Bloom, asked her.

"Mad-Eye Moody," she replied, not taking her eyes off of him, "he's a famous Auror. Half of the cells in Azkaban are full because of him."

Tayla nodded, and with a smile on her face said, "Oh and Weasley, you owe me three Sickles!"
Aria looked at her, quickly remembering the bet they made by the end of last year, when Tayla said Aria would make prefect, "Yes yes, remind me later." She said with a grin.

Moody loped awkwardly down to the lectern, shaking Dumbledore's hand, before walking back to the corner and drinking from his flask.

"After due consideration," Barty Crouch began, standing in front of the golden casket, "the Ministry has concluded that, for their own safety, no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament!"

Fred and George loudly spoke: "That's rubbish!" Other students also began to protest.

"Silence!" Dumbledore ordered, before pointing his wand at the casket. The gold melted away, the various layers collapsing together to reveal a large, ornate goblet, spewing blue flames, "The Goblet of Fire. Do not do so lightly. If chosen, there's no turning back. As from this moment, the Triwizard Tournament, has begun!"