"Who do you think will become Hogwarts' Champions?" Neville asked, somewhat excited.
The Goblet of Fire had evidently finished its three days of "wandering" and now stood quietly in the very center of the staff table. Blue flames burned gently inside it.
In the days since the guests from the other schools had arrived at Hogwarts, the quality of the food in the Great Hall had improved considerably. Thus, although the feast offered a dazzling array of dishes, it did little to distract the young wizards.
Everyone now wished it would all end quickly so they could find out sooner just who had been selected as Champions.
"I support Angelina," Hermione said. "If there were only one Champion, I'd think Cedric had a better chance, but since there are two, I think Angelina should be able to get selected too."
"Oh, come on, why do you all think Cedric can become a Champion?" Ron said, somewhat disgruntled. "Isn't he just a little better-looking? Is being a Champion a contest to see who's the best-looking?"
There were plenty of boys throughout Hogwarts who resented Cedric's pretty face, and Ron was one of the particularly resentful ones.
Although he privately found that he and Cedric got along quite well when they talked about Quidditch, thinking of that handsome face still annoyed Ron.
"Cedric doesn't just have a pretty face. His grades are very good." Hermione gave Ron a cool glance. "Could someone be jealous?"
"Who-who's jealous? I'm not." Ron's face turned the same color as his hair, which, as a direct descendant of the Weasleys, was naturally fiery red.
"I didn't say it was you. What are you getting so worked up about?" Hermione grinned, her eyes teasing.
Thoroughly rebuffed, Ron lowered his head and angrily stuffed a chicken leg into his