Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)

by J.K. Rowling

“Eat dung, Malfoy!”

“Oh hurry up,” Ron moaned, massaging his stomach. “Now, Ron, the Sorting’s much more important than food,” said Nearly Headless Nick as “Madley, Laura!” became a Hufflepuff. “’Course it is, if you’re dead,” snapped Ron.

“I’m telling you, that’s not a normal girl!” said Ron, leaning sideways so he could keep a clear view of her. “They don’t make them like that at Hogwarts!” “They make them okay at Hogwarts,” said Harry without thinking.

“Well — you know,” said Ron, shrugging. “I’d rather go alone than with — with Eloise Midgen, say.” “Her acne’s loads better lately — and she’s really nice!” “Her nose is off-center,” said Ron. “Oh I see,” Hermione said, bristling. “So basically, you’re going to take the best-looking girl who’ll have you, even if she’s completely horrible?”

The words came out before Harry had quite got his tongue around them. “Wangoballwime?” “Sorry?” said Cho. “D’you — d’you want to go to the ball with me?” said Harry. Why did he have to go red now? Why?

Fleur bent down, kissed Harry twice on each cheek (he felt his face burn and wouldn’t have been surprised if steam was coming out of his ears again), then said to Ron, “And you too — you ’elped —” “Yeah,” said Ron, looking extremely hopeful, “yeah, a bit —” Fleur swooped down on him too and kissed him. Hermione looked simply furious, but just then, Ludo Bagman’s magically magnified voice boomed out beside them, making them all jump, and causing the crowd in the stands to go very quiet.

However, it might not be Miss Granger’s doubtful natural charms that have captured these unfortunate boys’ interest. “She’s really ugly,” says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student, “but she’d be well up to making a Love Potion, she’s quite brainy. I think that’s how she’s doing it.”

“We will see each uzzer again, I ’ope,” said Fleur as she reached him, holding out her hand. “I am ’oping to get a job ’ere, to improve my Eenglish.” “It’s very good already,” said Ron in a strangled sort of voice. Fleur smiled at him; Hermione scowled.