25Disclaimer: All Characters and other devices belong to J.K. Rowling. I am simply playing with them and thank her for creating this wonderful Wizarding World we all love.
Chapter 1 – Unexpected Tidings
A/N: Italicized quotes will represent internal monologue – Italicized words are just emphasized!
31 October 1994
Excited chatter filled the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The hall was decorated to the hilt, in some cases literally, with floating jack-o-lanterns, enchanted bats, and other festive trimmings. While Hogwarts always went above and beyond for Halloween, tonight there was going to be an event not seen in over two centuries. Tonight, after the Halloween feast, the Champions for the Tri-Wizard Tournament were going to be chosen and the long defunct Tournament was officially going to commence!
Ginny Weasley had just sat down at the Gryffindor table with a few of her year-mates next to her brother Ron and his best friends Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger. For Ginny, this year was shaping up to be rather… disappointing. While most of the students were extremely excited about the Tri-Wizard tournament coming back to Hogwarts, Ginny thought it was over-hyped. Ron of course was prone to babbling about 'Eternal Glory!'. That always made her laugh! She was positive that if she asked anyone beside Hermione at the start of the year what the name of the last tournament winner was, she would have only received blank looks as an answer.
The 1,000 Galleons in the prize purse would be very nice to put towards a firebolt or other top of the line broom… but really, she was a third year, and even if there wasn't an age restriction, she knew she wasn't ready for a competition where so many contestants had died that the schools had no choice but to discontinue it!
The worst part of the whole thing in her opinion was that this year's House Quidditch Cup was cancelled. According to the headmaster when he made the announcement, 'the staff will be too preoccupied with setting up the tasks for the Champions to properly administer the inter-house Quidditch Cup'. That excuse made Ginny scoff just thinking about it. "I mean really! As if the professors spend all their time every other year organizing Quidditch! Madam Hooch, yes, Professors Sprout or Flitwick? Go on - Pull the other one!" Ginny had made the Gryffindor team last year as Seeker and helped bring her house its first Cup victory in years. It had also done wonders for her self-esteem and social standing after her disastrous first year. This year she was supposed to just supposed to just forget the sport she was born to play for three tasks that were spread out over eight months?
So, no. Ginny Weasley was not as sold on the Tri-Wizard as most of her peers were. But despite her best efforts at remaining aloof, she couldn't deny that the excitement for tonight's ceremony was catching her up in it.
"It has to be Krum!" Ron all but shouted. Ginny and Neville shared a look of pure exasperation behind Hermione's back as she and Ron got into another round of their famous bickering.
"Ronald, we've been over this." Hermione replied sharply. "The Goblet of Fire is a near sentient magical object that's supposed to pick the best candidates for the tournament. There's no evidence that it will be Victor Krum over any of the other Durmstrang hopefuls!"
"But- "
"And Yes, I know you think his skill on a broom is enough. If he does get selected it will be for more than his ability to fly a broom!" Hermione quickly cut him off.
Fortunately for everyone else in hearing distance, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, chose that moment to clink his glass as he rose from his chair. Silence fell over the hall rapidly as the students from the three schools shifted their attention to eagerly hear what he had to say.
"Welcome! Welcome new friends and old to another year of our All Hallows Eve feast at Hogwarts" Dumbledore began wearing his customary grandfatherly smile. "As you are all aware, tonight we will find out the names of our Tri-Wizard Champions! Joining us tonight are, of course, my fellow judges; Headmistresses Olympe Maxime of Beauxbatons, Headmaster Igor Karkaroff of Durmstrang, Ludo Bagman of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, and Bartemius Crouch of the Department of International Magical Co-operation." As he spoke, he indicated each judge who nodded shortly, or in Bagman's case waved vigorously and bowed to the crowd.
"In the spirit of this tournament's goal of fostering closer international relations and making new friends, we are also honored to have with us Mr. Crouch's counterparts from France; Claude Moreau, and Norway; Hanna Christensen." Both greeted the hall with the well-practiced waves and smiles of diplomats.
Ginny's eyebrow shot up as she compared Barty Crouch, who her brother Percy practically worshipped, to the two foreign representatives. Crouch had a reputation for ruthless efficiency and a severe personality. She thought it was mildly humorous that in a tournament with a goal of fostering friendships, Percy's boss appeared to be as approachable as one of Hagrid's new Blast-ended Skrewts. Her giggle at her own cleverness brought an arched eyebrow from Hermione and curious glances from others so she quickly suppressed her mirth.
"And last but not least, the Minister for Magic of Britain; Cornelius Fudge." Said Dumbledore. The Minister doffed his green bowler hat and grinned hugely.
Ginny spotted the photographer from the Daily Prophet and rolled her eyes. Fudge was probably desperate for some good publicity after the debacle of Peter Pettigrew's Azkaban breakout and subsequent disappearance last year, and the international incident caused by Death Eaters reliving the 'good old days' at the Quidditch World Cup over the summer. She was over the grand introductions and just wanted to eat now - she was a Weasley after all!
"If my calculations are correct, the Goblet of Fire will have the first name ready for us in one hour. Until then – tuck in!" and with a clap of his hands a truly impressive array of foods sprung up on the platters spread around the hall's tables.
As the feast reached its conclusion and plates began to dissolve back into the tables, Ginny Weasley couldn't help but get swept up in the rising excitement. She really did want to hold a grudge against the whole tournament, but if this was to be her only source of extracurricular entertainment this year, she wasn't going to spoil her only remaining good time.
While she truly wished to see her teammate and older twin brothers' friend, Angelina Johnson, get chosen as the Hogwarts Champion, she felt that Cedric Diggory the 7th year Hufflepuff prefect and Seeker was the sure bet. She wouldn't vocalize that sitting at the same table as the other girl of course (House pride and all), but privately it seemed that most of Hogwarts was ready for Cedric's and Hufflepuffs moment in the sun.
Exactly fifty-nine minutes after the headmaster's announcement, the Goblet of Fire's flames suddenly shifted from a cold blue to a soft red color. As the flames shifted, the lights in the Great Hall dimmed and a silence filled with nervous anticipation swept over the crowd.
"Ah, yes the time is upon us!" Dumbledore said as he approached the Goblet. Less than minute later the flames burned bright red as a bit of parchment shot out. Deftly grabbing it and reading it aloud "The champion for Beauxbatons is… Fleur Delacour!"
"Of course," Ginny scoffed and muttered to herself as the ridiculously beautiful French girl with silver-blonde hair swayed up to the front of the hall to the thunderous applause of many starry-eyed male students and glares from the females "as if my youngest idiot brother needed more of a reason to drool".
She did have to admit to herself that the Delacour girl's selection surprised her. If the cup wasn't a superficial magical object, and she didn't think it was, Fleur's being chosen over the rest of the Beauxbatons delegation was a sign that she was more than just her looks. Despite the pangs of jealousy over the French witch's looks, Ginny felt some sympathy for the beautiful girl that probably had to deal with being told she couldn't or shouldn't do all her life.
The flames burned brighter again, and Dumbledore read out "The champion for Durmstrang is… Victor Krum!"
Victor Krum stood slowly to thunderous applause, inclining his head towards his schoolmates. Ron let out a triumphant whoop in Hermione's direction as the international Quidditch star strode up to join Fleur in front of the Head table.
Ginny had to agree with Hermione's earlier assumption about Krum. Just like Fleur, Victor Krum had to have more tricks up his sleeve than a Wronski feint. Krum carried himself with a confidence that said he was meant to be there, and he really didn't care if anyone else thought so. Ginny figured that leading your national Quidditch team to the finals in the world cup as a 17 year old who was still in school would help you build nerves of steel.
All heads turned back to the headmaster as he caught the most anticipated selection of the night… "And the champion for Hogwarts is… Cedric Diggory!"
An explosion of noise would be the best way to describe the hall's reception to that announcement. Students from all four houses cheered the well-liked student, none more than the Hufflepuffs and none less than the Slytherins, but all-in-all it was a testament to the Goblet's decision-making prowess. Cedric Diggory was popular, and yes - handsome, but he was known to be a top student and very capable wizard. Professor Sprout almost lost her hat in her brief slip of professional demeanor when her enthusiasm for her Badger burst forth.
"Well done! Well Done! Congratulations to all three champions!" Dumbledore beamed at the crowd. "Now I am sure you will all join me in wishing our champions good luck and supporting all three as they –"
Everyone froze. Dumbledore had stopped speaking and was staring with a surprised, yet slightly resigned, expression at the Goblet.
The Goblet had not gone out as was expected. No, it was burning bright red yet again. Ginny felt a wave of dread wash over her she couldn't explain. Another piece of parchment shot out of the flames and arched towards the headmaster who snatched it out of the air just a smoothly as the three before.
He unfolded it and read out in the completely silent hall, "…Harry Potter."