Chronicles Of Arth: Prince Of Shadows

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

Arthur watched as Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words Fred Weasley - Hogwarts. 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 and so did Lee. They all gloatingly stared at the crowd around them before entering their slips into the fire.

There was a loud sizzling sound, and all three of them were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and they sprouted identical long white beards.

The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Lee, Fred, and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards.

"We did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Lee, 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 sighed.

"I guess this means I don't have enough strength."

"Indeed it does."

Fred, Lee, and George set off for the hospital wing, and Arth went in to breakfast.

The decorations in the Great Hall had changed this morning. As it was Halloween, a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins leered from every corner. Arth led the way over to Dean and Seamus, who were discussing those Hogwarts students of seventeen or over who might be entering.

"There's a rumor going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean told Arthur. "That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth."

Arth shrugged, "he doesn't have the brains to win. I hope it isn't him."

"And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," said Seamus contemptuously. "But I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks."

"Diggory might have a chance." said Arthur thoughtfully.

Seamus gave Arth a glare.

"Are you even a Gryffindor? Why are you supporting Diggory?"

"In the end, it's a Hogwarts victory, isn't it?"

People were cheering out in the entrance hall.

They all swiveled around in their seats and saw Angelina Johnson coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. A tall black girl who played Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Angelina came over to them, sat down, and said, "Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!"

"Congratulations!" said Seamus, looking impressed.

"Are you seventeen, then?" asked Dean.

"I had my birthday last week," said Angelina.

"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," said Arth. "I hope you get it, Angelina."

"Thanks, Arthur," said Angelina, smiling at him.

"Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory, said Seamus, causing several Hufflepuffs passing their table to scowl heavily at him.

When it was time for dinner, they made their way down to the Great Hall.

On their way down, they saw the Durmstrang party walking up toward the castle from the lake through the window. Viktor Krum was walking side by side with Karkaroff, and the other Durmstrang students were straggling along behind them.

Arth clicked his tongue.

Favoritism.

When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. Fred and George - clean-shaven again - seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well.

"I wonder who will be chosen?" said Luna to Arth.

"If the Goblet truest picks the best student from each school," said Arth with a bored look. "It would probably be Keuk from Durmstrang and Cedric for Hogwarts. I'm not sure about Beauxbatons though."

Luna raised her eyebrows.

"You are not rooting for Angelina?"

"Nah," said Arth, "she is nice and all but she doesn't compare to Diggory."