A loud thud woke me up with a jolt, occupied by a quick string of curses and a small, "sorry," from Hermione. Her suitcase had fallen over as she had been putting her clothes away, already dressed and in high spirits even this early in the morning.
"What on earth are you doing?" I asked, just as I noticed Ginny turn over on the bunk above me. Me and Hermione had invaded Ginny's room as we had done for the last week of summer since we had all met. With me sleeping on the bottom of Ginny's bunk and Hermione creating a makeshift bed on her floor, us three girls practically living on top of one another for a week. I had never dared ask, but I expected, that Ginny was somewhat glad when we would at last leave even though I knew that she enjoyed our company after being stuck in a household full of boys all summer.
"Lyra, one word. Quidditch," Ginny groaned from above me, "you can take the bathroom next, I have no intention of leaving my cocoon of warmth for as long as humanly possible." I muttered a short response as I grabbed the first thing I could find from my own suitcase, stacked beneath Hemiones by the door. Quickly closing the door I changed into a dark red knitted jumper and light grey jeans, brushing my teeth simultaneously. Unfortunately not in the colours of the Irish who I would be supporting today from the stands. Unlike Ron, Harry and secretly Hermione who were in full support of the Bulgarians, especially Viktor Krum.
A frantic knock at the bathroom door snapped me out of whatever kind of trance I had found myself under for a moment and Ginny's voice could be heard through the thin wood, "On second thoughts, perhaps I should have went first as I'm absolutely desperate for the toilet. Please hurry up."
I laughed to myself, checking my reflection in the mirror before opening the door, "No worries, I'm done anyway."
"Please do tell me why precisely you've opted to support the Bulgarians today?" I asked Hermione as Ginny rushed past me, carrying what seemed to be more than one outfits worth of clothes into the bathroom.
"Because I love the enthusiasm the Bulgarians bring to the game. Krum controls the field as if he is a Quidditch god and the opposing team merely his subjects..." she rattled on looking at a spot on the wall seemingly remembering some kind of script.
Cocking my head slightly I said, " that is so odd to hear you say that, considering, I seem to remember Ron giving that same reasoning when he was trying to convince you to support them last night."
She simply blushed and looked at me once more, " I didn't know which team I preferred, ok. And besides they have better odds at winning today anyway."
"According to whom?" I asked genuinely curious.
"I can't quite remember who told me the figures, last night is a bit of a blur for me, all that excitement-" she began.
"So Ron," I laughed as Ginny appeared from the bathroom, seemingly winded from her attempt at getting ready quickly.
"Oh shush you," Hermione prodded my side playfully as she stood up, " I'm going to make sure Harry and Ron are up. We all know they have a certain tendency to oversleep in the worst of circumstances. Take the end of year breakfast banquet for example,"
"They really did seem to resemble dogs when they walked in, tails between their legs didn't they," I laughed with Ginny as we all left the room, backpacks carrying our overnight stuff slung over our shoulders.
"I smell bacon," Ginny cried, nearly breaking into a run downstairs.
"Save some for me," Hermione whispered, now stood outside the twins door that was directly across the hall from Ginny's room.
"Why are you whispering? They should be up, they are coming with us after all," I asked as Hermione winced at the normal volume of my voice.
Replying in a hushed tone, she glanced at their door, "do you think we need to knock?"
"Are you scared of them or something. I'll just do it," I continued, quickly darting over to knock loudly on the twins door before smiling at Hermione, " easy as pie, now you have the harder job of pulling those ones out of bed. Good luck with that. I've got a bacon butty with my name on it downstairs," I said, turning around to go downstairs, and unfortunately ended up walking straight into George.
"This house never seems to get any bigger now does it," he laughed stepping around me to open his door, " didn't know we had a breakfast delivery service going, otherwise I would have ordered mine to my bed, Granger you ready to go and wake the beasts themselves?" he mused.
"Have you been stood on the stairs listening to us talking the whole time?" Hermione questioned furrowing her brows.
"Oh yeah, Ginny just ran past me a second ago. I do love listening in to other peoples conversation, no matter how boring," with this he darted into his room.
With a quiet click of the door we were left in the hallway, apparently only now alone," thrilling conversation," I joked as I once again made to go downstairs for breakfast.
Hermione replied sarcastically, " Never gets old."
And as we both went our separate ways a faint voice could be heard from behind the door, "I can still hear ya you know."
********************************************
A short while later, after a delicious breakfast and about one hundred goodbyes from Molly, we were finally all ready to leave the Burrow. We only made it a few steps outside before yawns spread through our ranks like wildfire and conversations began.
"Ron, where are we actually going?" Harry asked, and I nodded as if in agreement with his question, as it had suddenly dawned on me that nobody had actually mentioned how we were going to actually make it to the campsite.
"Dunno," Ron replied rather helpfully before calling out," hey, dad. Where are we going?"
"Haven't the foggest Ron, keep up," he replied, glancing over his shoulder to see the three of us already falling behind and yawning.
As I quickened my pace I fell into step with the rest of the group, "Come on you were all bells and whistles this morning, whats changed your tune?" George asked.
I rolled my eyes before responding, "can't a girl yawn around here without being put on bloody trial for it."
"Alright Fairbourne, no need to get your knickers in a twist," Fred piped up, annoyingly calling me by my last name as the twins often did.
I offered no quick sassy retort to Freds attempt at riling me up and so the beginnings of the conversation died down as Ginny changed the subject, opting to share facts about trees rather than walk in silence. Hermione seemed all too happy to join in and match her energy, and so I left them to that particular subject as I listened in.
We must have walked only ten minutes away from the Burrow when we were startled by a small stout man, a few paces away, shout, "Arthur! It's about time son."
"Aren't they the same age as each other?" Fred joked quietly as he fell in step next to me.
I tried to hold in my laugh, "I think we're supposed to overlook that."
"Well I can look over that man, he's so short," he added, giving me a quick wink before looking back up at Arthur listening in to what they were saying.
"Sorry, Amos, Some of us had a bit of a sleepy start," Arthur began, glancing behind to look at Harry and Ron who had, in true fashion, turned up late to breakfast putting us a tad bit behind schedule, "this is Amos Diggory, everyone. Works with me at the Ministry. And this strapping young lad must be Cedric, am I right?" he asked the tall, brown haired boy who had, quite literally seemed to fall straight out of the tree above us. At a first glance I hadn't recognised him, but on second thoughts I realised that I had in fact seem him around the school, sporting the Hufflepuff uniform no less. No matter how embarrassing it was to admit, I was very aware of the lack of friends I had outside of my own house (a trait most definitely inherited from my Ravenclaw parents who believed that you should only be friends with people that belonged to the same house as you) so this year I had hoped to be able to befriend some of my classmates from other houses, and I wondered if this Cedric Diggory could be the first name on my list.
"Merlins beard, is that Harry Potter I see?" Amos cried out, a grin spreading across his face.
"Uh yes," Harry awkwardly responded, as he was pulled into what was sure to be a riveting conversation, as we continued our gradual walk up what seemed to be a hill.
With Cedric joining Arthur leading the way, me and Ginny elbowed each other, both knowing what the other was thinking - that we hoped to see a bit more of Cedric around from now on.
Eventually, we could see the top of this everlasting hill we had somehow managed to climb just as Amos shouted, " Yes, it's just over there."
As we approached a boot left on the ground, me and Harry looked at each other before he quietly asked me, so not to draw attention to our confusion, " is there something that I'm missing. A hidden doorway or something?"
"I've no clue. I certainly haven't travelled by method of wellington boot before, but I suppose there's a first time for everything," I joked, only half meaning it, as I became more and more convinced that this shoe was to play an integral part in our transportation.
"Come on now, get yourselves into a good position," Amos lead the way as we began to form a close circle around the shoe.
"Why are they standing round that manky old boot?" Harry asked Fred and George, as they passed by us on their way to complete the circle.
"That isn't just any manky old boot," Fred began.
"It's a portkey," George finished as they hurried off, clearly having thought that to be explanation enough.
"Bloody hell of course it is, I forgot that those even existed. I've only used one once. Basically, just grab on and only let go when they say too," I quickly explained to Harry, as we each crouched down to place a finger on the boot. Within a second we were off, spinning around, as if we were bending time itself. Wind whistling in my ears, and whipping through my hair, I laughed more to myself than anybody else as I caught Cedric's eye from across the boot for a fraction of a second. If I could have wholeheartedly trusted my eyesight then I would have sworn that he smiled at me, before Arthur shouted for us to let go. Not wasting a second I let go of the boot and immediately crashed onto the grassy ground, the wind knocked completely out of me. I could sense everyone had met the same fate as me, but when I looked up Amos, Arthur and Cedric were literally walking on the wind towards the rest of us who lay dazed on the floor.
"I bet that cleared your sinuses, eh?" Arthur joked as each of them landed back on the ground gracefully, just as we all began to stand up brushing the grass from our trousers. I found myself stood next to Cedric and daring a few words I said, "Is that a hobby of yours, falling out of the sky gracefully. Because you sure seem to have got it down to a fine art?"
"Oh, I'm just used to it I suppose," he replied slowly as if he was trying to think of something, "Lyra, right ?"
"The one and only..." I laughed as Cedric offered out his hand for me to shake. I did tentatively, trying not to pay any attention to Ron who had noticed this rather odd encounter and was now making a disgusted face over Cedric's shoulder.
Cedric stayed by my side as we all moved towards the flurry of noise and activity only a mere few feet away, "Blimey, I've never seen anything quite like this," I said, more to myself than anyone else.
"Well it looks quite like the streets outside a football stadium," Hermione aimed this comment at Harry.
"Only more magical," he agreed.
"I still don't understand how football works so you-" Ron began before he was cut off by Mr Weasley as he joined us all.
"Well, kids, welcome to the Quidditch World Cup! It's sure to be a hoot, the Irish are here after all," Mr Weasley shouted over the music and overall noise of the busy crowds before us. Led by him and Amos we weaved our way through the bustling crowds of performers and fans alike. It was like an attack on my senses as I looked around and saw wizards juggling magical creatures for tips, fans showing off their chests painted to match the flag of the team they were supporting, red and green sparks falling from the sky catching in our hair and glistening like gems before disappearing and wafts of both the finest 'Powdered Dragons Claw' ( a popular recreational drug) and the more commonly used 'Gillyweed joints'. I had yet to try either, but had heard of it been used at some of the infamous common room parties that had a strict fourth year and over entry criteria. Of course this year that would no longer be restriction that applied to us.
"Wouldn't mind some of that," George muttered, clearly picking up on the smell aswell.
"Certainly wouldn't say no," Fred finished.
"Smells like the Hufflepuff common room," Cedric joined in, grinning as if proud of his contribution to the conversation.
"Cover your ears Ginny," Hermione looked astonished between the boys, " you don't need to hear all the activities that could get you expelled from school."
Fred laughed along before falling into step next to me, playfully elbowing me in the side, "Hey, Lara."
I only shot him a puzzled look, "You've never gotten my name wrong in all the years we've known each other, any reason you've decided to start now?"
"Alright, keep your wig on, I'm only trying to think of a nickname for you, that's all," he defended himself, as he quickly ducked, narrowly avoiding an owl that was flying through the chaos far to close to the ground.
"What on earth is an owl doing here?" I wondered.
"Postal services don't just stop because of a Quidditch cup believe it or not Lou Lou, though I do remember Oliver starting a petition last year for the owls to not deliver their post on the mornings of matches. Was worried messages from home might put the players off," he continued very matter of factly.
"Was that before or after he tried to drown himself in the shower after you lost that game last year," I joked, a smile spreading on Fred's face.
"Can't remember. Probably before and after knowing him. I'm not sure if Quidditch will be the same this year without him, now he's off playing for Puddlemore United," he said almost wistfully.
"Calm down Weasley, it's starting to sound like you miss Wood," I said just before I jumped out of the way of an excited Irish fan shouting some kind of chant.
"Oh shush-" he began before he was cut off by Amos.
"Parting of the ways, I think, old chap," Amos said as he shook Mr Weasleys hand enthusiastically.
"Well, that'll be me. I hope that I'll see you around Lyra," Cedric turned to me to say goodbye, before simply nodding in Fred's direction in form of a farewell.
"Look forward to defeating you on the pitch," Fred called after him as he disappeared into the crowds once more, most definitely not having heard him.
"Yeah that's the spirit. Don't lose that hope," I patted him on the shoulder before moving to walk with Ginny and Hermione behind us, leaving a gobsmacked Fred, clearly befuddled at the thought that not everybody had the upmost faith in Gryffindor's Quidditch team just as Mr Weasley shouted, " Keep up girls! The tents just ahead."
Simultaneously rolling our eyes at this comment, as we were only a step behind the rest of the boys, we still quickened our pace and soon found ourselves stood before a very average looking tent. "To be completely honest I thought we'd have to set the tent up ourselves," Hermione mused halting before it, " it is rather small for everyone..."
"What on earth do you mean, set it up?" I asked, wondering what you need to set up about a tent.
"We won't be needing a bigger one Hermione, are you feeling quite alright?" Ginny continued, as we glanced at each other, both confused as to what she meant, " lets just go in and have a look around."
"Around?" Hermione squealed, as I dragged her with me. The outside of the tent was nothing at all like the inside, for situated around the room were various bunkbeds, a makeshift sitting room, what was a dining table (but now seemed to be Fred and George's leg rests), a small bathroom with curtains creating limited privacy and a decent sized kitchen which Ron was already checking the inventory of.
Mr Weasley dropped his clattering backpack on one of the armchairs, and set about bringing order to the flurry of activity ensuing in the tent, "Girls, choose a bunk and unpack. Ron, get out of the kitchen. We're all hungry."
"Yeah, get out of the kitchen Ron," Fred and George chorused sitting back smugly in their chairs, legs up on the table.
"Feet off the table," Mr Weasley said arching an eyebrow at the twins laid back manner.
With identical sly grins they quickly removed their feet from the polished surface before putting them back, but not before mockingly chorusing once again," feet off the table." Mr Weasley only rolled his eyes at his sons before rounding the corner to check out his bed.
"I claim the top bunk," Hermione cried, throwing her bag onto it forcefully and standing back rather pleased with herself.
"You can have the bottom bunk Ginny," I said, "I'm fine sleeping on the sofa."
"Three more beds, four people. I nominate our darling baby brother to also make that noble sacrifice ," George finished, smiling sweetly at his younger brother Ron who glared back.
"Ron will be joining you," Fred shouted from across the room taking a more demanding approach to the sleeping arrangements.
"At least Lyra wont attack me in my sleep. Unlike some people in this room," Ron joked, as Harry hit him with his bag.
"I was having a nightmare ok, and it was only the one time," he reasoned, sitting on the end of his bed.
"Let's hope he doesn't sleepwalk during these nightmares," Ginny murmured to me and Hermione, causing us to all laugh in unison.
"What's so funny?" Ron asked, now having wandered over to look at the bunkbed wistfully, " you know Ginny, I am your older brother. Fancy switching and sleeping on the sofa. I'll owe you."
"I think I'll be just fine over here, thanks for the offer though." She smiled sweetly as Ron matched her expression to take the micky out of her.
Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron, " don't let Ronald guilt you into switching."
"Yeah Ronald, " I teased, adding an extra emphasis on his name.
"Oh god, why are they full naming you now?" George asked, not bothering to look up as he searched through his bag for something, " if you're being annoying..."
"Which you always are," Fred butted in.
George continued, " then I fully support the girls killing you in the middle of the night,"
"They'd be doing us a favour really" Fred smiled sweetly.
"Taking a job off of our hands," George added ever eager to have the last word over Fred.
"What should we hold a pillow over his face tonight," laughed Hermione as everyone, apart from Harry, slowly looked at her horrified.
"God Hermione, why would we choose to do that?" I asked, speaking on behalf of what seemed to be the whole tent.
"To cut off his airflow..." she explained, trailing off clearly seeing that her joke had not been to the right audience of non-muggles.
"The muggles often kill people that way. It's unfortunately rather common. I considered doing it to Dudley quite frequently" Harry tried to save the situation, casting Hermione a quick glance.
"Well consider me scared to fall asleep tonight," Ginny only half joked, as Mr Weasley came back round the corner, proudly holding a pallet of what seemed to be face paint and a paintbrush.
"Kids, look what I've got. Face paint," he proclaimed excitedly, "I was examining it at work and thought I'd bring it back home for a special occasion such as this."
"Pass that over here," George said, taking the clean paintbrush and throwing it with a force at Ron's head.
Narrowly dodging out of the way Ron cried out, " oi, what was that for you lunatic. That could have knocked me out."
"Almost like that was the point," Fred grinned.
I picked the brush off of the floor and declared, " considering me and Ginny normally help in the common room with the match day face painting, I nominate us to take control here, unless anyone has any problems with that?"
"You'll have to be quick-ish about it as we have to leave soon to make it to the arena in time, it's quite a walk away," Mr Weasley warned.
"Do you want a mini Irish flag on your cheek, Dad?" Ginny asked sweetly, taking the brush from me ready to paint one on his face before he even had a chance to reply. He simply nodded, not having much choice in the matter, as Ginny set to work drawing a flag on each cheek with impressive precision.
"Lyra, I want you to go all out. Paint the flag on my whole face," Fred said, taking his feet off the table and pushing his long hair behind his ears.
"Yep, no problem. I'll make sure everyone knows you'll be supporting the Bugarians when I paint their flag on your face," I joked, earning a look of warning from Fred.
"That's not even funny. Do you have a customer number I can contact to complain about the service today. You seem to have been making unfunny jokes all day," he cocked his head to the side, just as Ginny passed me back the brush, having worked remarkably quickly.
"Oh just shut up and come over here," I rolled my eyes and stood next to one of the armchairs as he quickly sat down in it.
He angled his face upwards towards me, closing his eyes, "work your magic witch."
----
"You would of thought they would have a lift or something," I panted, as we climbed up the seemingly never-ending steps to our seats. I had never been somewhere with this many people, bodies pressed against us from every direction when we had began our ascent, but slowly and surely more people had trailed off as we got closer to the top of the arena. People from all around the world had travelled to watch this match and there was something almost poetic about this togetherness, but I would wait until later before bed to discuss this with Hermione, who I knew to be the only person who would see Quidditch for anything else other than the physical sport itself.
"Blimey, Dad. How far up are we?" Ron asked, only voicing what we were all thinking, as our legs threatened to give out from under us. Especially Amos' who was walking in front of me and seemed to be in such a state that a small gust of wind would blow him clean off of his feet.
"Well, put it this way: if it rains you'll be the first to know," a voice that unfortunately belonged to Lucius Malfoy, and not Mr Weasley, responded. With a smug look plastered on his bleached bowling ball of a head, and a pathetic black cane in hand, he looked up at us from where he stood on the platform just below us, leading to the private boxes.
Without missing a beat his son, Draco, piped up, "Father and I are in the minister's box by personal invitation of Cornelius Fudge himself."
With the end of his cane quickly prodded in Draco's stomach, in an act of discipline, Lucius glanced back up at us looking like he had caught a whiff of a bad smell, "Don't boast, Draco. There's no need with these people."
"Prick," I murmured as we all turned away, to carry on our search for our seats.
Lucius, ever so quickly, hit Harry's hand with the handle of his cane digging into his flesh painfully, "Do enjoy yourself, won't you? While you can..." With this ominous message Hermione dragged Harry away quickly, with none of us wanting to stay a moment longer. We all muttered various insults about the Malfoy family, in hushed tones worried that it could be overheard by the wrong people, but nothing seemed to wipe the look of unease off of Harry's face.
That is until we finally made it to our seats at the top of the stadium. We might of been the first to know if it began to rain, but we would also be the first to see anything happen as we had an unobstructed view of the entire stadium. We could see the fans going wild down below and the lights flashing in time to the rumble of the drums, seeming to be coming from the very foundations of the structure itself.
"Come on up, take your seats. I told you they would be worth waiting for," Amos cried, leading us into the row we would be occupying. As the music grew louder, signifying that the players would soon be entering, we all rushed to find a place before it started, meaning that I ended up stood between Cedric and Hermione.
"It's the Irish! There's Troy!" Fred cried pointing towards one of the Irish Quidditch players that had suddenly flown onto the pitch with a flurry of cheers greeting him.
"And Mullet!" George added as the rest of the team appeared on the pitch.
"And Moran!" Fred continued, again gesturing to one particular player as Harry nodded along. As the crowd began to chant for the Irish a dancing Leprechaun appeared in the sky seemingly made from shimmers of light, moving to the beat of the traditional Irish music that could be barely heard over the excited crowd. Banners adorning the phrases 'top o' the morning' fell down from the stands directly opposite us as we cheered for the Irish's entrance.
As the Irish flew one last lap around the stadium George suddenly shouted, "Here come the Bulgarians!" who flew right through the dancing Leprechaun as they began their flight around the pitch. Seemingly more aggresive, and somehow giving off an aire of righteouness, as they flew around the pitch.
"Who's that?" Ginny shouted over the noise, gesturing to on the Bulgarian team members that was doing tricks on his broom.
"That sis is the best seeker in the world," George yelled just as that Seekers face appeared on the boards infront of us, his name reading Krum. The crowd roared at the entrance of such a favourite player and it was clear, simply from looking at the boys faces, that this Krum guy was somebody important on the pitch.
Cedric gently nudged me, clearly about to say something, before he was cut off by The Minister Of Magic who called for the crowd to be silent as he gave his opening speech. "Good Evening! As Minister For Magic it gives me great pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to the final of the 422nd Quidditch World Cup. Let the match... begin."