The Switch (pjo/hp)

Chapter 5: One, Two, Three... Four?

"We've done it!" Someone yelled as they entered the Great Hall during breakfast. "We've done it!" Hermione rolled her eyes and put down the newspaper.

Not many people were here, and no teachers were present either. Percy turned to the voice to see who it was. Two redheads were running around, holding something, and looking very jolly.

"Ron, are they related to you?" Percy asked, and Ron sighed.

"Yeah. My order twin brothers." He turned to them. "What have you done exactly?"

"Well, Ron," one of them said. "We made a potion, one to make us older by exactly six months."

"Which makes us seventeen!" The other twin exclaimed.

"It's not going to work." Hermione said in a sing-song voice.

"Oh, really?"

"And why's that?"

"Because something as simple as a growth potion couldn't possibly fool someone like Dumbledor. He must've thought about it." She said matter-of-factly, and the twins grinned.

"Its simplicity is what makes it brilliant." One said, as they both approached the Goblet of Fire (he learned it wasn't a cup. It was a Goblet. Really no difference, if you ask Percy)  they drank the viles in their hands as they then stepped into the age circle and waited.

Nothing happened.

They started celebrating, and both put their names in the Goblet. Suddenly, there was an explosion of blue light, as they were both cast back roughly, as were the papers with their names on them.

When the light faded, everyone froze. Both their hair was white, and they had grown a white beard. Percy couldn't help it. He let out a giggle. Soon, the entire hall, which didn't have many people in the first place, were laughing, including the twins.

"Fred and George Weasly." A voice came from the doorway, silencing everyone. "I thought you would attempt to enter, and you didn't prove me wrong." He sounded like he was amused.

"You can go join the others who attempted to do so at the hospital wing." Dumbledor said.

Fred and George both got up, looking defeated, but also quite amused. They left the Great Hall, and Dumbledor followed.

Everyone started chatting again, and Ron remembered something. "Did you guys hear? Apparently, Angelina put her name in the Goblet."

"At least there's one Gryffindor to put their name." Hermione said, picking up her newspaper again, and Ron sighed longingly.

"Can you imagine competing and winning?" He said dreamily. "The glory, the money, the excitement!"

"Too bad we're too young." Percy smiled, then he thought of something. "Wait, I can technically enter."

"What, no." Hermione said quickly, putting her newspaper down and glaring at Percy.
"There's no way you can."

He lowered his voice. "I'm pretending to be fourteen, but I'm actually around seventeen."

"You are not entering!" Hermione said. "Harry's fourteen, so if you enter, everyone will know it's not him. Or they'll think Harry cheated to enter. It's not happening!"

"No, don't worry." Percy laughed. "It was just a thought. I swear I won't try and enter."

"Good." She huffed, quitting reading her newspaper.

-----

For the first time, no one wanted to eat. Everybody wanted to know who the Champions were. When the time finally came, everyone was on edge. The adults did some boring talk. Percy didn't really pay any attention until he heard the words, "Looks like the Goblet has chosen our Champions." His head, along with many others, snapped up, eyes glued to the Goblet.