A/N: Getting to the point I want to with this story has been frustrating to say the least. Not because of anything that has happened, but simply because for whatever reason my brain has been fried while trying to move the plot along. I sincerely hope with the tournament that things can move forward at a slower, more evolved pace, without the paper thin characterizations I've given to many of the supporting characters I want to include in later stories in this series.
So bear with me, as I hope to have this up to the quality of "Heirs" and more frequently updated as well.
/ - / - / - /
"Bloody Hell!"
Ron let out another exasperation as he sat at dinner, trying desperately to juggle eating his way through a turkey drumstick while simultaneously studying for an ancient runes exam the following day. Harry just snickered to himself, his own studying well caught up to that point.
"You shouldn't have put it off to the last minute Ron," Hermione said in a somewhat chiding fashion. Ron merely glanced up at her, rolling his eyes slightly.
"Not all of us can absorb information like a sponge Hermione," he said gruffly. Hermione winced a bit, but said nothing in response.
"Come on now Ron, no need to insult Hermione. She's just looking out for you." Ron glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye, before looking back to Hermione.
"Sorry there, just a bit of stress, that's all." He shrugged off any lingering problems and proceeded to go back to his studying, adding, "Did Dumbledore say anything to you about that ship in the Black Lake Harry? Or that coach that Hagrid led in?"
"No," Harry mechanically replied, not really wanting to broach this subject much with Ron. "Why would he?"
"Oh I don't know, seeing as how you're always going off to his office and stuff…I thought he might have mentioned it." Harry noticed the tinge of jealousy in Ron's voice, but ignored it for the time being. He let out a sigh and looked right at him.
"Listen, I told you before, it's just something he wanted me to do alright?" Ron nodded his head and turned back to his book. Harry shot a glance at Hermione, who gave a knowing nod. In truth, Harry didn't like lying to Ron, or at least misleading him from the truth. But some part of him was telling him that for now, Hermione was the only person he could trust with the truth. He was broken from his thought process by the small ringing from a goblet at the head table. Slowly his head swung forward to see the house elves wheeling in a large podium with two cylindrical boxes on it, each ornately carved in a rather gothic fashion. Professor Dumbledore stood before the students who had quieted down at his showing, his blue eyes madly twinkling.
"As you are no doubt aware, a ship has appeared docked in the Black Lake as of this afternoon. Furthermore, a carriage drawn by winged horses landed here shortly thereafter. Many of you have asked what these represent, and I had asked the professors to remain quiet on the subject until tonight.
"As you will recall, I stated at the beginning of term that the House Cup and Quidditch season this year would be canceled in the interest of school unity. This is because Hogwarts has been chosen as the site for a legendary competition…The Triwizard Tournament!"
There was a hushed roar over the crowd, as the students almost immediately began mingling amongst themselves as to what this tournament would entail. "Momentarily," Dumbledore continued, ignoring Filch as he struggled to run towards the head table, "We will be joined by representatives of two other magical schools from Europe, who will compete along with Hogwarts in this tournament. More importantly however, they are here to learn from all of you, and teach all of you. In these times it is most important that we make bonds of fellowship that reach across borders, cultures and languages. We all live in one nation, all have one culture, and speak one language…that of humanity. And on that note, would you please give a great welcome to the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Magical Academy, with their headmistress, Madame Maxine!"
The doors to the Great Hall swung open, and everyone turned to see who was entering. Several young women, all of them rather attractive, came sauntering in, wearing matching powder blue uniforms with pillbox hats tilted slightly to the side. Halfway up the middle of the Great Hall, they stopped and curtseyed too many of the students, causing blue sparks to fly from their wands. As they sashayed their way towards the table that seemed to have been created for them just then, they were followed by a gigantic woman dressed in a red furskin coat. Dumbledore approached the woman, craning his neck rather comically to look at her, and kissed her on the hand.
"Olympe, it's always a pleasure to see you." The woman laughed a bit as Dumbledore ushered her to her seat at the head's table. "I trust your journey was not too difficult."
"Of course not Albus," she said in a heavy French accent. "But my horses, zey are rat'er tired from ze journey."
"Our gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, will take good care of them I assure you." Dumbledore turned to Hagrid, who seemed to be a bit taken with the headmistress. Seating Madame Maxine, Dumbledore made his way back to the front as the doors were closed once more. Turning back to the assembled students, he raised his hands again and bellowed out, "And now please bid welcome to our friends from the north…the students of the Drumstrang Institute for the Magical Arts…with their headmaster Igor Karkaroff!"
Their was a loud boom and the doors swung open, as several young men in fur coats and brown uniforms came marching into the Great Hall. They continued marching towards the front and filing towards their table, as flame dragons flew above their heads. Walking behind the whole group of them was an elder man with a gaunt face slowly heading towards Dumbledore with another young man with an equally set face moving beside him. Ron's eyes went wide as he recognized the man, and his shock overcame him.
"Bloody hell," he squeaked out as they marched by, "That's Viktor Krum!" Harry watched as the famed seeker spared a small glance in his direction, before taking his seat at the table with the rest of his classmates. The older man he had been walking with slowly approached Dumbledore and gave him a hearty handshake followed by a strong hug. Harry observed this all, and saw Hermione biting her bottom lip as she often did while deep in thought.
"What is it," he asked, and Hermione turned and shook her head.
"That man…Karkaroff, I think I've heard his name from somewhere before but…I can't place it." She turned back and saw a hearty glare at Karkaroff being aimed from Professor Snape. Shrugging it off, they both turned back to Dumbledore who moved back to the center, the two cylindrical objects still flanking him on either side.
"And now, to tell us a bit more about the tournament and its rules, please welcome The Head of the Department for Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman, and the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Barty Crouch Sr." Harry grimaced at the mention of Crouch's name, but still clapped for them nonetheless. The two Ministry officials moved side by side to in front of Dumbledore, who moved to the side. Bagman took a small sip of something out of a red hip flask, before discreetly setting it aside.
"The Triwizard tournament," Bagman began, scanning the crowd as he spoke, though intentionally trying to avoid eye contact with the Weasley twins, "Is an event that was created in the hope that we could all learn from one another. It brings together three schools from across Europe, from which, three champions shall be chosen, one from each school." The crowd started murmuring at this little fact while Bagman continued. "These champions will compete in three arduous tasks that will test them mentally…physically…and spiritually. Tread lightly…for these tasks shall test you in ways that you could not fathom in even your wildest dreams."
Crouch stepped forward, unsheathing his wand from his wrist as he did so. "The first task will be held at the end of November. The second task will take place at the end of February. The third and final task will take place at the end of the term, in June. In order to be considered to be a champion, you must enter your name into this." He pointed his wand at the object on the left, and the box covering it evaporated into thin air. In its place stood a large stone cup about four and a half meters in height. The edge was brimmed with runestone writing etched onto a bronze plating. The moment the box lifted, a large blue flame erupted from the goblet, filling the room brightly with its glow.
"The goblet of fire," Crouch explained with a small amount of reverence in his voice, "The ultimate judge. It alone will determine whether or not you are worthy to represent your school as its champion. If you wish to enter the tournament, you must simply write your name and your school on a piece of parchment and cast it into the fire." Barty took two steps forward, the blue flames giving his shallow face an eerie glow. "But I must warn you. Casting your name into the goblet of fire represents your agreement to a binding magical contract. Once you have entered your name for consideration there is no turning back…for should you be chosen…you will be a Triwizard champion…or you will die."
Bagman cleared his throat, drawing Crouch away from the far-off gaze he had gotten in his eyes. "Yes, with that bit of information in mind of course, a new rule has been proposed and agreed upon by the participating parties. The Ministry has decreed that no student who is not of age by this time a week from tomorrow will be allowed to compete in the tournament." There was a loud uproar from the majority of the crowd. Particularly the Weasley twins heckled Bagman as he merely stood there, unresponsive. Dumbledore raised his wand to his throat and yelled at the crowd to keep silent, a command which many of them obeyed immediately. Bagman finished, "The Ministry came to this conclusion for your own safety. These tasks will be a test for anyone who is of age, and it was determined that anyone not of age would be horribly overwhelmed." Dumbledore stood between Bagman and Crouch, motioning to the Goblet.
"I personally will be drawing an age line around the goblet, so as to prevent anyone from attempting to cast their name in illicitly." A sharp eye wandered towards the Gryffindor table, and then just as quickly wandered back to the whole of the Great Hall. "To the victor of the tournament goes eternal glory…as well as a cash prize of 2,000 galleons. They will also win this…" He pointed his wand at the other box, causing it to vanish, revealing a gleaming azure trophy that shone as the blue flames of the goblet danced off of its surface. "The Triwizard Cup. We shall all gather here a week from tomorrow, and find out who the champions are. Good Luck…and May Merlin Watch over you all."
/ - / - / - /
Much of the week passed without incident for Harry and his friends till that Friday. They were all three of them gathered in the Great Hall, Hermione fingering her way through a book while Harry and Ron each circled the Goblet of Fire, occasionally staring as a random student from one of the three schools would hesitantly cast their name into the fire. They both stood back as a stunningly beautiful girl from Beauxbatons tossed in a piece of parchment, causing the flames to roar to life briefly before settling back to their slow crackling. She paid them no mind, though she briefly glanced up at Harry's scar before backing away. Ron and Harry drew closer together and stared at the Goblet.
"It'll be great when we're old enough," Ron said with a sense of wonder in his voice. "Eternal Glory and all that…and all that money. You could be set for life."
"Better you than me," Harry said chuckling, moving away from the Goblet and towards a table. "I don't even want to think what those tasks are."
"Oh come on, how bad can it be, after everything we've been through? I've gotten myself nearly killed more times than I can count because of you. Nearly strangled to death by a living plant, run through by a life-size chess piece, nearly eating by a colony of acromantula, nearly had my leg torn off by your godfather." Harry snickered at that last memory, and turned back with a sardonic look on his face.
"As if being run through by Voldemort's spirit, being bitten by a basilisk and nearly having your soul sucked out by a dementor don't count?" Ron nodded and both of them laughed. Off to the side there were the beginnings of loud applause as a group of Hufflepuffs moved forward, all of them clapping for Cedric Diggory as he walked towards the Goblet and threw his name into the fire. He turned and smiled at the crowd, which was no clapping loudly for him, Harry included. Ron raised an eyebrow as Harry showed applause for Cedric.
"Surprised to see you clapping for him. Didn't you know he fancies Cho like you do?" Harry looked at Ron as if he'd grown two heads.
"Who said I fancied Cho?"
"Well…what with you acting like a mental patient everytime she came around last year…I just figured."
"She's nice I guess," Harry off-handedly mentioned, moving down away from the crowd as they continued their conversation. "But I don't think I ever really fancied her." Ron was quiet for several minutes before they sat down, before glancing in Hermione's direction and taking a deep breath.
"What about Hermione?" Ron asked, causing Harry to stare at him.
"What about her?" he hesitantly asked, for some strange reason suddenly not liking where this conversation was going. Ron was about to ask his question, when they were interrupted by a very loud roar of applause as Fred and George came running in, each with a small vial held high above their heads, smiles on their faces as they bid congratulations to each other and the crowd. Ron turned and glared at them.
"What are you two up to?" he asked, as he and Harry moved closer.
"Oh dear brother of ours…"
"We've found a way…"
"To get around that old…"
"Stick in the mud's age line!"
Hermione closed her book and chuckled, shaking her head. "Do you honestly think something as daft as an aging potion is going to work?" The two of them looked at each other and then back at Hermione, each grinning madly.
"Of course it's a daft idea…"
"Which is exactly…"
"Why it's going to work!"
"Something so brilliant…"
"In its simplicity!"
They turned towards each other…
"Well Gred?"
"Well Forge?"
"BOTTOMS UP!"
They each drank the potions and tossed the vials aside, swaying back and forth as they waited for it to take affect. Summoning up their courage they each took a step beyond the small ring of smoke surrounding the Goblet, and smiled at the crowd as it roared its approval when they were able to pass through unimpeded. They each tossed a piece of parchment into the Goblet, earning further cheers. The Goblet's flames however quickly turned red, roaring up higher and higher, and striking each of them square in the chest as it spat out their pieces of parchment. The crowd began to laugh as the two of them began to age rapidly, their ginger hair turning a snow white and long beards growing down their faces as they fought with one another over who got the potion wrong. The laughter died down however when Viktor Krum walked in, flanked by several of his Drumstrang classmates. He slowly walked past Harry and Ron towards the Goblet and tossed in his name. He turned back, stopping just long enough to look at Hermione out of the corner of his eye.
/ - / - / - /
The students had all assembled in the Great Hall for the announcement of the champions. The room was darkened, the majority of the light coming from the goblet's omnipresent blue flames as they continued to roar to life, spiking upwards every now and again. Professor Dumbledore, flanked by Crouch and Bagman slowly approached the Goblet, his eyes once more twinkling madly as they often did in such situations.
"We have all stood with baited breath as to the names of the three champions who will participate in this infamous event. And now the time has come and gone…good luck to all of you." He turned towards the Goblet, which began to violently flare up and down in its intensity. There was a low whistling sound and a sudden burst of flame as a single piece of parchment shot upwards out of the goblet and slowly fluttered down into Dumbledore's waiting hands. He carefully glanced at it through his half moon spectacles and announced, "The champion for Beauxbatons…Miss Fleur Delacour!"
Harry and his friends, Ron in particular, glanced over to the Beauxbatons group and saw a porcelain figure stand up from the chatter of cheering students. She sauntered her way up to the front, grabbing her piece of parchment from Professor Dumbledore and stood where Bagman indicated, her headmistress beaming proudly as she did so. The Goblet roared to life again, once more shooting upwards and launching a piece of parchment high into the air. The parchment fluttered down to the ground slowly, and Dumbledore swiftly caught it, read it, and announced, "The champion of Drumstrang…Viktor Krum!" There was a loud cheer from the Drumstrang contingent as Viktor stood up and moved next to Fleur at the head of the Great Hall. The goblet once more roared to life, and fired off a third piece of parchment. Dumbledore once more snatched out of the air with a seeker's grace, reading it fervently before proudly yelling, "And the Hogwarts Champion is….Cedric Diggory!" The Hufflepuffs cheered madly as Cedric bashfully stood up, a smile on his face, and walked past Dumbledore, who gave him a solid pat on the back. He stood a faced the three champions, a smile beaming on his face.
"Congratulations champions on being chosen. The first task will be held three weeks from this Saturday, and will be a test of your innermost nerves and strengths. I wish I could…tell…you…more…" he drifted off as the goblet behind him began to flare violently, convulsing through several different colors, before finally shooting up another piece of parchment. Everyone stared wide-eyed as the message fell slowly earthward, Dumbledore grabbing it gently and reading it. His eyes widened in fear as he whispered under his breath…"Harry Potter…"
Harry felt his heart sink into his chest. The headmaster couldn't have possibly said what he thought he had heard. "Harry Potter…" the headmaster said, this time more audibly, and a murmur began to rise up from the crowd at the name. Harry tried to sink back in his seat, as if to disappear from that very moment and spot. Hermione nudged him with her elbow.
"Harry…you have to go up there…" she whispered, and Harry looked at her with a small amount of fear in his eyes.
"HARRY POTTER!"
He flipped his head towards Dumbledore, who yelled his name a third time. Hesitantly he stood up and began to lurch forward, feeling the glares coming at him from all sides of the room as they were intermixed with looks of bizarre wonderment. From behind his back, he didn't see the death glare coming from his friend Ron. With shaking hands he took the piece of parchment from Dumbledore, and moved towards the other three champions, his breath labored and a sweat breaking on his brow. As he stood with the other champions, the Goblet flared to life once more, before dying out completely, its embers silenced until the next tournament.
A/N: Hope that wasn't too rushed towards the end. Harry has to feel some kind of fear, it would be practically impossible not to when presented with something as daunting as this (especially when you didn't sign up for it.)
Some explanations, accusations and preparations in the next chapter…