Chapter 71 - The Four Champions (1/2)

As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfast late. Neal and his friends, however, weren't alone in much rising earlier than they usually did on weekends. When they went up to the entrance hall, they saw about 20-30 people milling around it, some of them are eating toast, all were examining the Goblet of fire.

It has been placed on a stool and a thin golden line has been drawn around ten feet away from it. Looking at it, Neal said, ”I guess that's the age line Prof. Dumbledore drew”. Just then Ron and Harry came down to the entrance hall and spotted Malfoy.

Ron sneered, ”what are you doing here, ferret? Don't tell me you wanted to participate too”. As Malfoy stepped forward in anger, Neal grabbed his hand and stopped him.

As he turned around, he saw Neal looked at him coldly, ”did you already forget my warning?”. Malfoy immediately stepped back and stood beside Neal silently. Daphne looked at Neal and thought, ”it seems he's serious about it”, while Tracey thought, ”is it because he was still angry about the detention that one time?”.

Then, Neal looked at Ron coldly, ”knock it off, Ron and stay away from us for your sake”. Seeing Neal's expression, Ron stepped back in a little bit of fear and stayed silent when he remembered those eyes which caused him trauma during the first year Annual festival and he remembered how Neal made entire Gryffindor shut him out last year because of the lost point.

Even now, some of them are ignoring Ron. They only forgave him because of being the best friend of Harry Potter. He snorted and walked toward Hermoine who was reading a book in the corner, to get her to talk to them again.

Just then, everyone turned towards the marble staircase where Fred and George hurrying down with excitement. As Ron asked what's going on, Fred said, ”done it”. George said, ”Ageing Potion”. Fred continued, ”one drop each”.

Neal shook his head while sighing. Seeing his expression, Tracey asked, ”they are gonna fail, aren't they?”. Neal replied, ”if I'm right. It won't end up just failing”. As they stepped inside the line successfully which brought cheers from Gryffindors students around but in the next second, there was a loud sizzling sound and both twins were hurled out of the circle and landed ten feet far away painfully, and to add insult to the injury, both of them suddenly grew long white beards.

”I did warn you”, said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He looked at Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. ”I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too”.

While everyone burst into laughter as they were going to the hospital wing, Neal looked at the Goblet and the age line and intently observed it while thinking about something. Dumbledore frowned as he looked at Neal and then turned away to go to the Great Hall.

Neal stayed there while everyone is going to the Great Hall. Seeing him, Daphne shook him to bring him back to earth, ”What?”. Daphne replied, ”what do you mean, what? We are calling you for a while and you are just not responding. What are you thinking about?”.

Neal replied, ”nothing. I'm just thinking of the Goblet. I was thinking of how will it select the champions. Is it just random luck? Or is it something else?”. Tracey then asked him, ”why are you worrying about the results when you should worry about participating first”. Neal smiled, ”I already know about it though. How to drop your name in it”. Tracey almost screamed in excitement, ”what! Did you just say you know the way? Tell me how to bypass it quickly”.

As Daphne closed her mouth while whispering, ”not so loud” and then she looked around to see many students stopped and stared at them while murmuring, ”look. Slytherin says he found a way to bypass the age line”. ”C'mon, he's just kidding”. ”Don't you know who he is”.

Neal knocked her head and scolded her, ”I should put a jinx on your mouth next time”. As Malfoy also looked at him asking him the method, Neal looked around and said, ”well, there are two simple ways. Only 17 years above can cross the age line, isn't that obvious? All you have to do is to persuade an older student to put your name in it. Although I doubt they would take such a risk of offending Dumbledore. But anyway, it's not my problem”.

Then a fifth-year Ravenclaw asked, ”what's the second method?”. Neal smiled with amusement, ”do you know how do we score in Quidditch?”. He replied, ”you just throw Quaffle into the goal post”. Neal nodded, ”exactly. That is the hint”.