Discovery

27.

"Ella! Ella, get up!"

Today was Saturday, which meant I would be able to sleep in without a care in the world. However, Hermione had other intentions.

"Hermione, can't you see that I'm sleeping?" I grumbled, rubbing my eyes as the sunlight blinded me.

"Don't you want to see who's going to enter their names in the Goblet of Fire?" she asked.

As much as I wished to have another hour to doze off, I was eager to know who would be entering the tournament.

"Fine, I'll be down."

Hermione left and I followed shortly after. We headed down to the entrance hall with Harry and Ron, and there were about twenty people already huddled around the stool where the Goblet of Fire had been placed.

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

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

I turned around when I heard a laugh, and I saw Fred, George, and Lee hurrying down the staircase. They looked extremely excited.

"Done it," said Fred in a triumphant whisper to the four of us. "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."

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

The boys ignored her.

"Ready?" Fred said to George and Lee, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then— I'll go first—"

I watched as Fred pulled out his piece of parchment and approached the Age Line. He took a deep breath and stepped over the line.

There was no reaction, and I couldn't believe my eyes. How had something as pathetically dim-witted as an Aging Potion actually worked?

George stepped over the line a moment later, letting out a yell of triumph.

But suddenly, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the circle. There was a loud popping noise that followed their landing, and Fred and George now had identical long white beards.

"I did warn you," I turned around to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. "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. I followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione into the Great Hall, attempting to stop my giggles.

"Ella, your hair!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed.

"What? Is it yellow?" I asked.

"Even better," Ron said, grinning. "It's glowing!"

"Glowing? What do you mean?" I asked, trying to see for myself. I grabbed a spoon off the Gryffindor table, but that was useless.

"It's, well— I don't know how to explain it." Hermione said. "It would be easier to go see for yourself."

I quickly hurried out of the Great Hall and made my way to the girl's bathroom. I glanced in the mirror, and then I knew what they meant. My hair was a bright yellow, and it was getting brighter and brighter every second.