(Y/N)'s POV

As the weeks rolled on into the end of October, several people were putting their names forward for the cup. Including Fred and George, who had brewed up an age potion to try and fool the age line that Dumbledore had cooked up, a magical way of preventing the underage from putting their names forward.

As the twins gleefully prepared their scheme, Hermione stepped in to try and dissuade them, when it didn't work, she scoffed and went back to her book, I was sat next to her the whole time loving life, "This is going to be brilliant!" I commented, "Age potion, genius" she raised an eyebrow, "That's not going to work, you know, that right?"

"Why do you think I put them up to it?" I said smiling gleefully. They drank the potion, roaring in triumph as they jumped over the age line and were met with a loud applause, but the second they dropped the parchment with their names in, all hell broke loose.

They were knocked of their feet and sent back to the other side of the age line, but that wasn't all, by the time they had landed, they looked at least seventy, as if they had aged rapidly while in the air, even sporting long beards like Dumbledore himself.

Fred and George were rolling on the floor each blaming the other for their failure, I laughed gleefully, they both paused, then turned towards me slowly, a murderous glint in their eyes, "YOU!" they said in unison.

"Uh, I gotta go" I said to Hermione quickly, without looking up from her book, she nodded. I sprinted off down the great hall, laughing like a madman that my plan worked, for the most part, Fred and George were hot on my trail, much to the amusement of everyone inside.

"Come get me you pensioners" I yelled behind me, turns out, they were only made to look like pensioners, they were very fast, and very cross. I learned later that Viktor Krum had put his name in a short time after, while I was busy hiding in Myrtle's bathroom.

I received a large shock a few days after, but this one was more pleasant than the last, I received a letter from mum, which wasn't uncommon, but this one had an added gift of 20 Galleons. The message was short and sweet.

Which was lucky, because Bob looked ready to keel over on the spot when he delivered it. I stroked him as he panted on the table. "This is from the ministry pay-out for cursing you, the rest is in our vault, you can take it out when you get back, had to spend some on something you will get later. Love you, Mum x"

"YES!" I shouted aloud, Ron jumped about a foot, sending porridge everywhere, but I let him read it as I sent mum a thank you back. "Wicked, wish they cursed me now, what you going to do with it?" I shrugged, but I had a few ideas.

Before anything, I bought Bones a new toy, but the rest, I was saving for a special occasion. Maybe I would wait until Hogsmeade trips rolled around, then I could ask Hermione to go with me, that was if she ever returned from the Library.

She came into the common room one day armed with a tin that rattled as she walked, sat down and beamed at the three of us, who were doing Divination homework at the time, "What's up?" I asked. Ron seemed curious too, "What's in the box?" he asked, pointing at it.

"Funny you should ask," said Hermione, with a nasty look at Ron. She took off the lid and showed the contents. Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colours, but all bearing the same letters: S.P.E.W.

"Spew?" said Harry, picking up a badge and looking at it. "What's this about?" "Not spew," said Hermione impatiently. "It's S – P – E – W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

 I nodded, "Might want to workshop that name" she shrugged. "Never heard of it," said Ron. "Well, of course you haven't," said Hermione briskly, "I've only just started it." "Can you just do that?" I asked, she nodded quickly "Yeah?" said Ron in mild surprise. 

"How many members have you got?" "Well – if you lot join – four," said Hermione. "So, off to a good start then" I smiled. "And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying "spew", do you?" said Ron.

"S – P – E – W!" said Hermione hotly. "I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status – but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto."

"I dunno" I took a deep breath, "STOAOOFMCACFACITLS is kind of growing on me, it would fit a badge nicely" I smirked, taking a gasp of air, Ron chortled, Harry looked impressed I could even say it, "A really, really big badge." 

Hermione just glared at me. She brandished the sheaf of parchment at me angrily. "I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now."

"Hermione open your ears," said Ron loudly. "They. Like. It. They like being enslaved!" "I don't know Hermione, you saw how upset Winky was when she got sacked, so maybe it would be better to just, leave them to it, they seem happy enough." 

She glared at us both, I just put my hands up in defence and she continued. "Our short-term aims," said Hermione, speaking even more loudly than Me and Ron, and acting as though she hadn't heard a word.

"-are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand-use and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly under-represented."

"And how do we do all this?" Harry asked. "We start by recruiting members," said Hermione happily. "I thought two Sickles to join – that buys a badge – and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign." 

"You're treasurer, Ron – I've got you a collecting tin upstairs – and Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting." "What am I, the bloody mascot?" I asked. 

"Chief Advisor" she beamed, "That actually does sound pretty cool" so I shrugged. There was a pause in which Hermione beamed at us, eventually we all caved, joining Hermione's crusade. "So that's what you've been doing in the library all this time then?" I asked, pointing to the badges, and pinning one to my bag. 

She nodded, then did a double take, "Um, no that was... something else..." "Mysterious, working on some dark magic Granger?" "NO!" she said angrily, "Why is that the first thing you think of?" she asked, apparently yelling "CONSTANT VIGILANCE" was not the right answer and meant all three of them pelted me with pillows.

A few minutes after dodging pillows, Hedwig arrived with a letter from Sirius, with the news he was moving up north to be closer to Hogwarts, I could tell Harry was a bit thrown by this, he snapped at Hedwig when she asked for a treat, and then went straight to bed. 

I called her to me and stroked her beak, apologising by feeding her some treats, she hooted happily and flew off to the owlery. Later in the week we had Defence Against the Dark Arts again, this time, Moody had us try to fight off the Imperius Curse. 

After he made his rounds and tormented us, he got to Harry, who was able to fend the curse off a little, but he did mess up his legs in doing so. "Look at that, you lot . . . Potter fought! He fought it, and he damn near beat it!" 

"We'll try that again, Potter, and the rest of you, pay attention — watch his eyes, that's where you see it — very good, Potter, very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling you!" Next was my turn, honestly, I didn't know how this would go.

I was pretty good at keeping people out of my head now thanks to Snape, but I'm not sure if that skill would transfer to the curse. It wasn't entirely the same, before I felt next to nothing, this time, I felt the compulsion from Moody, who was attempting to make me sing opera.

It was more of a suggestion then a command, so with some effort, I ignored it. Much to Moody's surprise. I suppose if it was someone stronger, or I was caught off guard, It might have worked, but not this time.

"Yeah, this isn't my first rodeo, people have got in my head before. Not a fan" he sneered, arguing I had to let my guard down so I'd know if I ever was to be controlled, like the others, "Yeah, no, I'm not letting some paranoid old bloke in my head" I said, he basically snarled at me, then dismissed the class.

"Well, he cursed me, pay up" I said to Hermione as we left, "That doesn't count, it was a demonstration, and besides, I never agreed to that" She wheeled around after looking at her watch.

"Better get to the library, before-" "Moody or Pince catches you researching dark magic?" she frowned at me. "No, before it gets too...loud" I shrugged, "See you in the hall for the selection later then?" she nodded. Waving at me as she went. The hours rushed by to that moment.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable." 

One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably a derisive laugh. "No one's making you stay!" Hermione whispered, bristling at her. 

I barely stifled a giggle "The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" He sat down.

Now that they had removed their furs, the Durmstrang students were revealed to be wearing robes of a deep blood red. Hagrid slithered into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast.

He slid into his seat at the end and waved at us with a very heavily bandaged hand. "Skrewts doing all right, Hagrid?" Harry called. "Thrivin'," Hagrid called back happily. "Yeah, I'll just bet they are," said Ron quietly. 

"Looks like they've finally found a food they like, doesn't it? Hagrid's fingers." "rather him then me" I said. At that moment, a voice said, "Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" "All yours love" I said passing it to her with a smile, which she returned.]

"You 'ave finished wiz it?" "Yeah," Ron said breathlessly. "Yeah, it was excellent." The girl picked up the dish and carried it carefully off to the Ravenclaw table. Ron was still goggling at the girl as though he had never seen one before. Harry started to laugh, as did I.

"She's a veela!" he said hoarsely to Harry. "Of course she isn't!" said Hermione tartly. "I don't see anyone gaping at her like an idiot!" "I disagree, look, there's one now" I said, pointing at Ron, who returned his own one fingered gesture. 

"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" said Ron, leaning so he could keep a clear view of her. "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!" "They make them okay at Hogwarts," said Harry, trying to look like he wasn't blatantly staring at Cho Chang. 

I added my thoughts on the matter, "Yeah, I don't think there too bad, maybe a bit bossy, but I can't complain" I said shrugging, Hermione tutted at me again. "When you've both put your eyes back in," said Hermione briskly, "you'll be able to see who's just arrived." 

She was pointing up at the staff table. The two remaining empty seats had just been filled. Ludo Bagman was now sitting on Professor Karkaroff's other side, while Mr. Crouch, was next to Madame Maxime. 

"What are they doing here?" said Harry in surprise. "They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they?" said Hermione. "I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start."

But I was only interested in one, "I'LL KILL 'IM" I said through the food I was eating at the time, standing up, making quite the scene. Hermione forced me back down. "'Mione!" I whined, she pointed to Dumbledore. After we finished eating, Dumbledore addressed the crowd.

"The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket, just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation"

After Barty Crouch gave a long and boring speech that didn't even concern me and then got some applause we moved on to the exciting bit. "Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament,"

Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts." At the mention of the word "champions," the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen.

"There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways . . . their magical prowess — their daring — their powers of deduction — and, of course, their ability to cope with danger." 

At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing. "As you know, three champions compete in the tournament,"

Dumbledore went on calmly, "As you know once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion." With that, the Goblet spat out several large blue flames, as if responding to the speech.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber."

 He pointed to a door off to the side "where they will be receiving their first instructions." He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. "Drum roll please" I whispered.

The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting. . . . A few people kept checking their watches. . . .

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it — the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue white. "The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum." "No surprises there!" yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall.

Viktor Krum rose from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber. "Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause.

"Knew you had it in you! The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!" "It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted as the girl who so resembled a veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. 

"Oh look, they're all disappointed," Hermione said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party "Disappointed" was a bit of an understatement. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms 

"Quick Ron, go console them!" I whispered, he elbowed me but blushed, honestly, I was half tempted to do it myself. When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. 

The Hogwarts champion next . . . And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment. 

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!" Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real —"

 But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him. The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment, oddly larger than the others. 

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat, I think my heart just about stopped as he read the words "Harry Potter. And. (Y/N) (L/N)."