Harry Potter 04 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Malfoy repeated. ‘I suppose you will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?’
    ‘Either explain what you’re on about or go away, Malfoy,’ said Hermione testily, over the top of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 .
    A gleeful smile spread across Malfoy’s pale face.
    ‘Don’t tell me you don’t know ?’ he said delightedly. ‘You’ve got a father and brother at the Ministry and you don’t even know ? My God, my father told me about it ages ago … heard it from Cornelius Fudge. But then, Father’s always associated with the top people at the Ministry … maybe your father’s too junior to know about it, Weasley … yes … they probably don’t talk about important stuff in front of him …’
    Laughing once more, Malfoy beckoned to Crabbe and Goyle, and the three of them disappeared.
    Ron got to his feet and slammed the sliding compartment door so hard behind them that the glass shattered.
    ‘Ron!’ said Hermione reproachfully, and she pulled out her wand, muttered ‘Reparo!’ , and the glass shards flew back into a single pane, and back into the door.
    ‘Well … making it look like he knows everything and we don’t …’ Ron snarled. ‘ Father’s always associated with the top people at the Ministry … Dad could’ve got promotion any time … he just likes it where he is …’
    ‘Of course he does,’ said Hermione quietly. ‘Don’t let Malfoy get to you, Ron –’
    ‘Him! Get to me! As if!’ said Ron, picking up one of the remaining Cauldron Cakes and squashing it into a pulp.
    Ron’s bad mood continued for the rest of the journey. He didn’t talk much as they changed into their school robes, and was still glowering when the Hogwarts Express slowed down at last, and finally stopped in the pitch-darkness of Hogsmeade station.
    As the train doors opened, there was a rumble of thunder overhead. Hermione bundled Crookshanks up in her cloak and Ron left his dress robes over Pigwidgeon as they left the train, heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads.
    ‘Hi, Hagrid!’ Harry yelled, seeing a gigantic silhouette at the far end of the platform.
    ‘All righ’, Harry?’ Hagrid bellowed back, waving. ‘See yeh at the feast if we don’ drown!’
    First-years traditionally reached Hogwarts castle by sailing across the lake with Hagrid.
    ‘Oooh, I wouldn’t fancy crossing the lake in this weather,’ said Hermione fervently, shivering as they inched slowly along the dark platform with the rest of the crowd. A hundred horseless carriages stood waiting for them outside the station. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville climbed gratefully into one of them, the door shut with a snap, and a few moments later, with a great lurch, the long procession of carriages was rumbling and splashing its way up the track towards Hogwarts castle.

 
     
— CHAPTER TWELVE —
     
The Triwizard Tournament
    Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale. Leaning against the window, Harry could see Hogwarts coming nearer, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain. Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle; Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit Entrance Hall, with its magnificent marble staircase.
    ‘Blimey,’ said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere, ‘if that keeps up, the lake’s going to overflow. I’m soak– ARGH!’
    A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron’s head, and exploded. Drenched and spluttering, Ron staggered sideways into Harry, just as a second water bomb dropped – narrowly missing Hermione, it burst at Harry’s feet, sending a wave of cold water over his trainers into his socks. People all around them shrieked and started pushing each other in their efforts to get out of the line of fire – Harry looked up, and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the poltergeist, a little