What if...

Champion of Vinegar

The Great Hall was filled to the brim with excited students, all desperate to see who the champions would be. The Goblet of Fire stood proudly in the centre of the stage, replacing Dumbledore's owl pedestal. The blue flames idly licked the air above it, many pieces of ashen parchment lying in the bottom of the cup, eagerly waiting to be shot back into the air once again.

Dumbledore called for silence, halting any discussions that were taking place. The Goblet flourished, the flames turning a violent shade of red as a piece of fancy parchment shot out, gently floating down into Dumbledore's outstretched hand.

"The Beauxbatons champion... is Fleur Delacour!" He announced to the crowd. This seeded a lot of cheering, mostly from the males of the school, though some females were particularly enthusiastic.

Surprisingly, none of those girls were from Fleur's school.

"Look how disappointed they look!" Hermione pointed at the Beauxbatons students. She was right- the best reaction received was a sad clap. One boy had even burst into tears.

"Maybe things are a little more competitive in France." Harry suggested from behind her.

"Maybe." Hermione agreed, ignoring the familiar tingle of his hot breath against the back of her neck.

Just then, another piece of parchment flapped excitedly in the wind after being shot up by the Goblet. Dumbledore reached out and snatched it out of the air, unfolding it.

"For Durmstrang, the champion is... Viktor Krum!" He called out, this time met with roars from all over the school. The other Durmstrang students expected it, and had come to terms with it long before they had reached Hogwarts. Viktor, however, was a gracious winner, and shook the hand of the man next to him, bowing to his school and then his headmaster before following Fleur into a room to the side of the Great Hall.

Before the cheers had died down, another piece of parchment was flung into the air, still burning a little. However, the wind extinguished the tiny flame before Dumbledore grabbed it.

"The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory!" He shouted, and the entirety of Hogwarts erupted into celebration. The sound of applause was deafening, so no one could be heard.

'I'm glad Cedric won. He's a good bloke.' Harry's voice entered Hermione's mind.

'So am I, but I'm more relieved that your name has no chance of coming out of that cup.' Hermione returned, shooting him a smile. 'This year, you're all mine, Harry James."

"And now we have our three champions." Dumbledore smiled genially. "However, this tournament must not be taken lightly. It-" He stopped and stared in shock as the Goblet's flames turned red again. Harry and Hermione shot worried glances at each other, wondering if their spells had failed.

Dumbledore plucked the piece of parchment from the air, feigning surprise. Though once he saw the name on the paper, his surprise became a reality.

"Ronald Weasley."

You could have heard paint dry with the silence in the hall.

All heads turned to Ron, who looked confused, before his facial expression changed into one of pure joy.

"I'M A CHAMPION! EAT IT, POTTER! SUCK IT, MALFOY!" Ron celebrated, standing on top of the table and doing a dance. The Hall looked on in pure disbelief as Ron waltzed towards Dumbledore, winked at the crowd, then strode into the champions' room.

For a moment, the palpable tension dripped from the walls like molasses, consuming the room as everyone sat boggled at what they had witnessed. Even the Gyffindors were quiet for once.