Natsu Dragneel and the Goblet of Fire

Aboard the Hogwarts Express

There was a definite end-of-the-holidays gloom in the air when Natsu awoke next morning. Heavy rain was still splattering against the window as he got dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt; they would change into their school robes on the Hogwarts Express. He, Gray, Sting, Rogue, and Lyon had just reached the first-floor landing on their way down to breakfast, when Cheney appeared at the foot of the stairs, looking harassed.

"Ur!" she called up the staircase. "Ur! Urgent message from the Ministry!"

Natsu flattened himself against the wall as Mrs. Milkovich came clattering past with her robes on back-to-front and hurtled out of sight. When Natsu and the others entered the kitchen, they saw Cheney rummaging anxiously in the drawers –

"I've got a quill here somewhere!" - and Mrs. Milkovich bending over the fire, talking to -

Natsu shut his eyes hard and opened them again to make sure that they were working properly. Amos Mikazuchi's head was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large, bearded egg. It was talking very fast, completely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the flames licking its ears.

"... Muggle neighbors heard bangs and shouting, so they went and called those what-d'you-call-'ems - please-men. Ur, you've got to get over there —"

"Here!" said Cheney breathlessly, pushing a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a crumpled quill into Mrs. Milkovich's hands.

"- it's a real stroke of luck I heard about it," said Mr. Mikazuchi's head. "I had to come into the office early to send a couple of owls, and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off — if Jason Skeeter gets hold of this one, Ur —"

"What does Mad-Eye say happened?" asked Mrs. Milkovich, unscrewing the ink bottle, loading up her quill, and preparing to take notes.

Mr. Mikazuchi's head rolled its eyes. "Says he heard an intruder in his yard. Says he was creeping toward the house, but was ambushed by his dustbins."

"What did the dustbins do?" asked Mrs. Milkovich, scribbling frantically.

"Made one hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere, as far as I can tell," said Mr. Mikazuchi. "Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the pleasemen turned up -"

Mrs. Milkovich groaned. "And what about the intruder?"

"Ur, you know Mad-Eye," said Mr. Mikazuchi's head, rolling its eyes again. "Someone creeping into his yard in the dead of night? More likely there's a very shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings. But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he's had it — think of his record — we've got to get him off on a minor charge, something in your department — what are exploding dustbins worth?"

"Might be a caution," said Mrs. Milkovich, still writing very fast, her brow furrowed. "Mad-Eye didn't use his wand? He didn't actually attack anyone?"

"I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window," said Mr. Mikazuchi, "but they'll have a job proving it, there aren't any casualties."

"All right, I'm off," Mrs. Milkovich said, and she stuffed the parchment with her notes on it into her pocket and dashed out of the kitchen again.

Mr. Mikazuchi's head looked around at Cheney.

"Sorry about this, Skiadrum," it said, more calmly, "bothering you so early and everything... but Ur's the only one who can get Mad-Eye off, and Mad-Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today. Why he had to choose last night..."

"Never mind, Amos," said Cheney. "Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?"

"Oh go on, then," said Mr. Mikazuchi.