Thick Of It

The Great Hall was alive with its usual chaos, students buzzing with excitement about the Triwizard Tournament. 

Ron: "Eternal glory. Be brilliant, wouldn't it? Three years from now, when we're old enough to be chosen."

Harry: [shrugging] "Yeah, rather you than me."

Simon: [grinning] "I'd give it a shot."

Tobi: "Count me in too."

Josh: "Not interested "

Vik: [raising an eyebrow] "Not me. You lot have fun risking life and limb."

Ron: [sighing ] "Simon, Tobi, at least you two are on the Quidditch team. I'm not even in it. This could've been my chance to stand out."

Jason: [leaning back, smirking] "Ron, don't you think this is the perfect year to start training for Quidditch?"

Ron: [perking up slightly] "Who'd even train me?"

Jason: [with a mischievous grin] "I will. Just promise to stay consistent."

Simon: [snickering] "So, what position are you going for?"

Ron: "Keeper. Wood's leaving next year, so there'll be an opening."

Tobi: [mock-seriously] "May God bless your soul."

Ron: [frowning] "What? What's that supposed to mean?"

Simon: [with a grin] "You haven't seen Jason training us."

Ron: [gulps, looking at Tobi] "Is it bad?"

Tobi: [deadpan] "Worst time of my life."

Ron: [turning to Jason, who's grinning devilishly] "Right. Great. Can't wait."

Harry: [patting Ron on the back] "Don't worry, mate. I'll take you to the hospital wing after every session."

Before Ron could retort, the doors burst open, and Fred and George Weasley came bounding into the hall, holding a phial of potion aloft like it was the Holy Grail.

Fred/George: "Well, lads, we've done it!"

Fred: "Cooked it up just this morning."

They proudly held up the phial, beaming like inventors unveiling their masterpiece.

Hermione: [raising an eyebrow] "It's not going to work."

George: [mock-offended] "Oh, yeah? And why's that, Granger?"

Hermione: "You see this? This is an Age Line. Dumbledore drew it himself."

Fred: "So?"

Hermione: [matter-of-factly] "A genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by something as pathetically dimwitted as an Aging Potion."

George: "And that's exactly why it'll work! It's so pathetically dimwitted, he'd never expect it."

Fred: [grinning] "Ready, George?"

George: "Ready, Fred. Bottoms up!"

The twins chugged the potion and swaggered toward the Age Line, the entire hall watching with bated breath. They leapt into the circle, only to be violently ejected, landing in a heap on the floor with comically grey hair.

Fred: [groaning] "You said it would work!"

George: [grabbing Fred's ear] "You don't get to talk! You said, 'Trust me, George!'"

The twins rolled on the floor, mock-wrestling while the hall erupted in laughter and chants of "Fight! Fight!"

Jason, sitting beside Hermione, shook his head.

Jason: [dryly] "This is dumb."

Hermione: [laughing as she watched the twins] "I know."

Jason: "You know they could've just asked an upper year to drop their name in the Goblet for them, right? It's not like there's a rule against how many times you can enter."

Hermione froze, her smile fading. Around them, other students who'd overheard Jason's comment also stopped laughing. A ripple of whispers spread through the hall, and those who hadn't heard were quickly filled in by their neighbors. The room grew eerily silent, everyone staring at Jason in disbelief.

The silence was broken by the sound of the doors creaking open. Viktor Krum entered with Igor Karkaroff, their imposing presence immediately drawing attention. Noticing the silence and the stares, Krum smirked confidently, clearly mistaking the reaction as awe at his arrival.

Fred/George: [sprinting toward the door] 

The rest of the hall erupted in a frenzy, students rushing out leaving only a few stragglers behind. Harry, Hermione, and Jason remained seated. Krum face fell off .

Hermione: [rounding on Jason, exasperated] "Jason!"

Jason: [innocently] "What?"

Hermione: "Do you know what you just did?"

Jason: [grinning faintly] "Proposed a simple solution to a very avoidable problem?"

Harry laughed, shaking his head.

Harry: "You've done it now, Jason. Fred and George will be recruiting you for their schemes before long."

Jason simply shrugged, picking up his pumpkin juice and sipping it nonchalantly.

Jason's Thoughts: What's the point of keeping it to myself? Watching everyone scramble around like headless Hippogriffs is far more entertaining.

=====

The Great Hall was a cacophony of excitement and tension as students gathered for the long-anticipated champion selection. The school banners fluttered in the enchanted ceiling's faint breeze, and the Goblet of Fire stood glowing ominously at the front of the hall.

At the Ravenclaw table, Jason sat quietly, watching the spectacle unfold. Around him, his friends whispered in hushed tones, eyes locked on the Goblet.

Vik: "Looks like the madness has finally calmed down."

Simon: "You call this calm? McGonnell practically had to threaten the older students with year-long detentions to keep them from sneaking names into the Goblet."

Josh: [snapping his fingers] "Shut it, Simon. It's starting."

Dumbledore stepped forward, his expression grave yet tinged with anticipation.

DUMBLEDORE: "Sit down. Please. Now, the moment you've all been waiting for: the champion selection. the goblet spit out paper . The Durmstrang champion is... Viktor Krum."

The hall erupted into cheers. Krum, stoic as ever, rose to polite applause from his fellow Durmstrang students.

DUMBLEDORE: "The champion for Beauxbatons is... Fleur Delacour."

There was a burst of applause, mostly from the boys, who ogled Fleur as she gracefully rose from her seat.

RON: [whispering] "Blimey."

Tobi: "She's like a walking Veela charm."

Simon: "I'll never look at glitter the same way again."

Dumbledore continued.

DUMBLEDORE: "The Hogwarts champion is... Cedric Diggory!"

The Hufflepuff table went wild, cheering as Cedric, smiling warmly, stood and waved.

Josh: "At least it's not from slytherin. Can you imagine the smugness?"

The champions stood together, and the hall quieted in anticipation of Dumbledore's closing remarks.

DUMBLEDORE: "We now have our three champions. But in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions... this vessel of victory... the Triwizard Cup!"

Before anyone could relax, the Goblet flared to life once more, spitting out another name. The hall fell silent.

DUMBLEDORE: [reading slowly, his voice tinged with disbelief] "Harry Potter."

Gasps rippled through the room.

HAGRID: [audibly muttering] "No. No."

HERMIONE: [nudging Harry] "Go on, Harry. For goodness' sake."

Harry stood, looking bewildered, as all eyes turned to him. The hall remained eerily quiet—except for Jason, who began clapping deliberately, his applause echoing in the stillness.

Tobi: [turning to Jason, wide-eyed] "Mate, what are you doing?"

Jason: [shrugging] "Got to support a friend, don't I?"

The silence broke as murmurs and accusations filled the air.

STUDENT: "He's a cheat! He's not even seventeen!"

As Harry walked toward the front, McGonagall gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but the whispers followed him like a shadow.

The room was a mess of overlapping voices, each one growing louder and more accusatory.

MADAME MAXIME: "He is lying, of course!"

MAD-EYE MOODY: "The hell he is!" [glaring around] "The Goblet of Fire is an exceptionally powerful magical object. Only an exceptionally powerful Confundus Charm could have hoodwinked it."

KARKAROFF: [with a sneer] "You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought, Mad-Eye."

MAD-EYE MOODY: [leaning forward menacingly] "It was my job to think like dark wizards, Karkaroff. Perhaps you remember."

DUMBLEDORE: [sternly] "This doesn't help, Alastor. Leave this to you, Barty."

BARTY CROUCH SR.: [gravely] "The rules are absolute. The Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Mr. Potter has no choice. He is, as of tonight... a Triwizard champion."

After the room cleared, the mood turned grim.

MCGONAGALL: "This cannot go on, Albus. First the Dark Mark, and now this?"

DUMBLEDORE: [sighing] "What do you suggest, Minerva?"

MCGONAGALL: "Put an end to it. Don't let Potter compete."

DUMBLEDORE: [shaking his head] "The rules are clear."

MCGONAGALL: "The devil with Barty and his rules! Since when did you start bending to the Ministry?"

SNAPE: [coolly] "Headmaster, I also find this hard to believe. But perhaps we should allow events to unfold. If there's a deeper plan here, it will reveal itself."

MCGONAGALL: [appalled] "Do nothing? Offer him up as bait? He's a boy, Albus, not a chess piece!"

DUMBLEDORE: [nodding slowly] "I agree. With Severus."

MAD-EYE MOODY: [gruffly] "I'll keep an eye on him."

DUMBLEDORE: "Do so discreetly. He's anxious enough as it is."

Moody paused, his mismatched eyes narrowing.

MAD-EYE MOODY: "Before I go, there's another name that comes to mind. Someone worth watching."

DUMBLEDORE: "Who?"

MAD-EYE MOODY: "Jason Bourne. The boy's sharp, collected, and magically ahead of his peers. And let's not forget, he was the only one clapping for Potter. Suggestive, isn't it?"

MCGONAGALL: "A wild guess at best, Alastor."

SNAPE: "A rather calculated one, though. The younger students were pestering older ones to enter their names was because of him . That kind of coordination doesn't just happen."

DUMBLEDORE: [sighing] "I'll speak to Flitwick. Minerva, keep an eye on Jason. For now, we must proceed carefully."

The room fell silent as each professor contemplated the storm brewing around them.