The competing champions

Chapter 4.5 (Panic at the World Cup)

"Don't tell your mother you've been gambling." Mr. Weasley implored Fred and George, as they made their way slowly down the purple-carpeted stairs.

"Don't worry, dad." Said Fred gleefully. "We've got big plans for this money, we don't want it confiscated."

Mr. Weasley looked for a moment as though he was going to ask what these big plans were, but seemed to decide, upon reflection, that he didn't want to know.

They were soon caught up in the crowds now flooding out of the stadium and back to their campsites. Raucous singing was borne towards them on the night air as they retraced their steps along the lantern-lit path, and leprechauns kept shooting over their heads, cackling and waving their lanterns.

When they finally reached the tents, nobody felt like sleeping at all and, given the level of noise around them, Mr. Weasley agreed that they could all have one last cup of cocoa together before turning in.

They were soon arguing enjoyably about the match. Mr. Weasley got drawn into a disagreement about cobbing with Charlie, and it was only when Ginny fell asleep right at the tiny table and spilled hot chocolate all over the floor that Mr. Weasley called a halt to the verbal replays and insisted that everyone went to bed. Aurora, Hermione and Ginny went into the next tent, and Harry and the rest of the Weasleys changed into their pyjamas in the big tent.

The girls changed into their pyjamas and clambered into their bunks.

From the other side of the campsite they could still hear much singing, and the odd echoing bangs.

Aurora, who was on a top bunk above Ginny, lay staring up at the canvas ceiling of the tent, watching the glow of an occasional leprechaun lantern flying overhead, and picturing again some of Krum's spectacular moves.

Aurora eventually drifted off to sleep only to Mr. Weasley and Bill shaking them awake. "Get up! Hermione- Aurora- come on now, get up, this is urgent!"

Aurora sat up quickly and the top of her head hit the canvas. "S'matter?" She asked, still half-asleep, moving her hair out of her face.

Dimly, she could tell that something was wrong. The noises in the campsite had changed. The singing had stopped. She could hear screams, and the sound of people running.

She slipped down from the bunk, and reached for her clothes, but Mr. Weasley, who had pulled on his jeans over his own pyjamas said, "No time, Ara- just grab a jacket and get outside- quickly!"

Aurora did as she was told. She grabbed a jumper, pulling it over her head and hurried out the tent on bare feet. She quickly tied her hair up in a messy bun so she could actually see what was happening. She moved towards Harry and Ron, who were watching the scene with a mix of fear and confusion.

By the light of the few fires that were still burning, she could see people running away into the woods, fleeing something that was moving across the field toward them, something that was emitting odd flashes of light and noises like gunfire. Loud jeering, roars of laughter, and drunken yells were drifting towards them. Then came a burst of green light, which illuminated the scene.

A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upwards, was marching slowly across the field. Aurora squinted at them....They didn't seem to have faces....Then she realised their heads were hooded and their faces masked.

High above them, floating along in mid-air, four struggling figures were being contorded into grotesque shapes. It was as though the masked wizards on the ground were puppeteers, and the people above them were marionettes operated by invisible strings that rose from the wands into the air. Two of the figures were very small.