Think Twice | Draco Malfoy

❝ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱 ❞

『 THE CHAMPIONS 』

THE NEXT MORNING Madame Maxime had made clear that she didn't want us (Maddie, Becca and I) to be around when the other students from Beauxbatons were going to put their names in the Goblet of Fire. While the contenders of Beauxbatons were getting ready and were waiting for Madame Maxime to lead them, Maddie, Becca and I slipped out of the carriage and found our way to the Great Hall. With a plan in mind we crept inside the Great Hall and tip-toed behind Harry, Ron and Hermione. Once we got close enough, we yelled, "boo!" Yes, I know, so original. Note the sarcasm. However, it served its purpose, they jumped and turned around in surprise.

"Hello!" I said casually.

"Gave us a fright there, Lexi," Harry said still shaken.

I laughed.

"I mean that was what we were trying to do," I smiled.

I looked toward the Goblet of Fire; it had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction. Cool.

We talked for a little while when Ron asked a random girl whether anyone had put their name in the goblet of fire.

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

"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," said Harry. "I would've if it had been me . . . wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"

Someone laughed behind Harry. Turning, I saw Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited.

"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "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."

"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," said Lee, grinning broadly.

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

Fred, George, and Lee ignored her.

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

I watched, fascinated, 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.

For a split second I thought it had worked — George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred — but next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins 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 both of them sprouted identical long white beards.

I gasped and my hand flew to my mouth, however I found it quite funny so I laughed along with the rest of the people in the entrance hall. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards.