The Hidden Spirit written by Nikki Pond
Genre: Adventure/Mystery/Fantasy
Summary: Set in "The Goblet of Fire" – When Harry returns for his fourth year, he isn't surprised to find more mysteries ahead of him, and yet more danger. He's curious about this Triwizard Tournament taking place, and especially this mysterious transfer student. And Harry has a feeling that he's dangerous. And possibly he's involved with Voldemort. What is going on? And what is the mystery lying in the forest?
Chapter 1
Harry sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors as his friends, Ron and Hermione, sat next to him. He looked around his surroundings. The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. It has been his first time attending the Sorting since his own.
He thought for a moment all the events that happened in summer. The Quidditch World Cup, the Dark Mark, and what had Dumbledore said to him. After the Quidditch World Cup, Dumbledore had arrived at the Burrow and had a private 'chat' with him. He didn't tell his friends because he didn't feel like it, just like those nightmares he had back in the Dursley's house.
"Hiya, Harry!"
Harry looked up and saw Colin Creevey, a third year to whom Harry was something of a hero.
"Hi, Colin," Harry said, looking wary.
"Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!"
"Er – good."
"He's really excited!" Colin said, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. "I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?"
"Er - yeah, all right," Harry said. He turned back to Hermione, Ron, and Nearly Headless Nick.
"Brothers and sisters usually go in the same Houses, don't they?" he said, judging the Weasleys, all seven of whom had been put into Gryffindor.
"Oh no, not necessarily," said Hermione. "Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw, and they're identical. You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?"
Hermione frowned as she scanned the staff table. "Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" she asked. "Maybe they couldn't get anyone!" said Hermione, looking anxious.
Harry scanned the table more carefully. Tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was sitting on a large pile of cushions beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew over her flyaway gray hair. She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department. On Professor Sinistra's other side was the sallow-faced, hook-nosed, greasy-haired Potions master, Snape - Harry's least favorite person at Hogwarts. Harry's loathing of Snape was matched only by Snape's hatred of him, a hatred which had, if possible, intensified last year, when Harry had helped Sirius escape right under Snape's overlarge nose – Snape and Sirius had been enemies since their own school days. On Snape's other side was an empty seat, which Harry guessed was Professor McGonagall's. Next to it, and in the very center of the table, sat Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, his magnificent deep green robes embroidered with many stars and moons. The tips of Dumbledore's long, thin fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them, staring up at the ceiling through his half-moon spectacles as though lost in thought. Harry glanced up at the ceiling too. It was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and he had never seen it look this stormy. Black and purple clouds were swirling across it, and as another thunderclap sounded outside, a fork of lightning flashed across it.
"Oh hurry up," Ron moaned, beside Harry, "I could eat a hippogriff."
The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall. Harry was surprised to see all the first years seemed to be dry, since it was raining outside. He winced a bit as he rubbed his scar. Luckily, his friends hadn't noticed.
Professor McGonagall, now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat. The first years stared at it. So did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence. Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song:
A thousand years or more ago,
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well known:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fin.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house, for each
Did value different virtues
In the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favorites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!
The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished.
"That's not the song it sang when it Sorted us," Harry said.
"Sings a different one every year," said Ron. "It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? I suppose it spends all year making up the next one."
"I don't know…" Harry said as he watched Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment.
"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," Professor McGonagall said. "When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table."
"Ackerley, Stewart!"
Everyone watched as the first years got sorted. After Colin's younger brother was sorted Hermione said, "Who's that?" she pointed at something.
Ron and Harry followed her gaze and was surprised to see a boy who looked to be around their age or possibly one or two years older and was standing behind the first years. They wondered how they did not notice him. Soon, everyone started to notice the new boy and whispers filled in the room.
"Do you suppose he's a new student?" Ron wondered.
"Must be." Hermione nodded. "But what I don't understand why now?"
"Can they do that?" Harry frowned. "I mean, shouldn't he receive one when he's eleven?"
"Unless they didn't detect him, which is impossible." Hermione said.
When all the eleven years old were sorted, the 14 year old boy was the only standing.
"Students, may I welcome you our new transfer student, from America, Jack Black. He will be joining fourth year." Dumbledore smiled. Soon whispers filled in the room and Harry could hear people saying:
"A Black?"
"Do you suppose he's related to Sirius Black?"
"He's cute!"
"Black, Jack!" Professor McGonagall called.
Everyone went silent when Jack plopped down on the stool. Harry noticed Jack didn't show any expression, not a hint detected nor showing any signs of being nervous. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on him.
Harry observed Jack's expression. He noticed he looked a little bit annoyed and then resigned.
The hat kept saying "hmmp" and after 10 seconds it seemed to make a decision.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Jack smiled as he lifted the hat off and walked over to the green and silver table, applause ringing in his ears.
McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away. Professor Dumbledore stood up as he smiled around the students, his arms opened wide in welcome. "I have only two words to say to you. Tuck in!"
Soon the empty dishes filled magically around the student. The Golden Trio talked to Nearly Headless Nick and Hermione looked surprised when she heard the house elves cooked their meals.
"Certainly," said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. "The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred."
"I've never seen one!" Hermione said.
"Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?" Nearly Headless Nick said. "They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning… see to the fires and so on… I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's the mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?"
Hermione stared at him in disbelief, and she said, "But they get paid? They get holidays, don't they? And - and sick leave, and pensions, and everything? Right?"
Nearly Headless Nick laughed. "Sick leave and pensions? House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!"
Hermione pushed her hardly touched plate of food away from her.
Ron rolled his eyes, and said, while accidentally spraying Harry with bits of Yorkshire pudding. "Oh c'mon, 'Er-my-knee." He swallowed. "Oops — sorry, 'Arry — You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!"
"This is slave labor!" Hermione cried. "I can't believe this!"
"Hermione, House Elves want to do work." Ron said.
Hermione glared at him. "This is…"
Harry shook his head as Hermione and Ron argued about House Elves. He looked around the room, and when his eyes slid to the Slytherin table. Jack met his eyes-a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.
"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.
Jack eyed at him for a moment before moving to talk to his fellow Housemates. The pain had gone as quickly as it had come.
"Harry? Harry! What is it?"
Harry looked up and could see Hermione and Ron's concern look.
"Are you alright, mate?" Ron asked.
"Nothing," Harry shook his head.
"Is your scar hurting?" Hermione asked.
"Could we talk about this later?" Harry said as he started to think about Jack. He hadn't felt that much pain since first year. He wondered if this was like first year where Voldemort was hidden behind someone's head, but Harry didn't think Voldemort was behind Jack's head. So why did he feel like that when he looked at Jack unless…
All his thoughts about the new student were forgotten when Dumbledore stood up and said, "Well, now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make a special announcement. But first, I must give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."
The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. And that Dueling club will open starting next week."
"No way!" Harry could hear some of the students whispering excitedly. Harry wasn't sure what to feel about that since the last time, everyone knew that he was a Parseltongue. Then again, he didn't mind dueling other students.
Everyone went silent when Dumbledore spoke up, "And, it is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."
"What?" Harry gasped.
In the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy didn't look surprised and was saying something to his housemates.
"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
"You're JOKING!" Fred Weasley said loudly, eyes wide.
The hall was filled with noises as many students whispered excitedly while some looked confused.
"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore chuckled. "Though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar."
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.
"Er - but maybe this is not the time… no…" Dumbledore shook his head, "Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament… well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.
"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."
Harry's eyes lit up with interest as Hermione looked alarmed about the deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago.
"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.
"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."
Harry could see at every house table, people were whispering to their neighbors or gazing raptly at Dumbledore. He could especially hear one of the twins saying excitedly of joining the tournament. But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more.
"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This—"
Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious - "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. Trust me when I say these contest are not for the faint hearted…"
Then the students screamed when they heard a thunder roared, rain began to leak through the roof.
Then they saw magic cast through the roof and it seemed to be sealing it. Peace was restored. Everyone turned around and saw a man standing in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff and wearing a black cloak. He lowered his hood, and then began to walk up towards the teacher's table.
Every student could hear a dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every step and the students couldn't help when the man walked passed them shivered.
"Bloody hell. That's Mad-Eye Moody." Ron whispered, eyes wide.
"Alastor Moody?" Hermione said. "The Auror?"
"You mean the one your dad went to help this morning?" Harry asked.
"What happened to his face?!" Hermione asked. Harry noticed Moody's face and shivered a bit.
"Ah, my dear old friend." Dumbledore smiled as he shook hands with the ex-Auror. "Thank you for coming."
"That stupid roof," Moody muttered.
Dumbledore gestured him to the empty seat. Moody sat down and shook his mane of dark gray hair our of his face, and pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.
"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Dumbledore said brightly. "Professor Moody."
None of the staff or the student clapped hands except for Dumbledore and Hagrid, and surprisingly, Jack Black, the new student. They quickly stopped when they noticed no one was following their lead.
"As I was saying," Dumbledore cleared his throat. "The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"
Everyone got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall. Harry could hear everyone talking about the Tournament.
He shook his head and looked back and could see Dumbledore's eyes twinkled a bit.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and it all belongs to J.K Rowling.
Author's Note: Hello! This is my first crossover fanfic. I would like to say I had been excited to publish this ever since I got an idea and I had enjoyed plotting. I would like to thank "Insane PJO LOver" and for his/her fanfic "A Frosted Hogwarts" which I recommend you to read it. And I would also like to thank my amazing beta-reader, Ultimate Slytherin 2001.
Few things you should know before you begin reading:
1.) It contains spoilers of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I suggest you read the book and maybe watch the film. *winks* This story is actually based from the book AND the film, so you'll spot some scenes that come from the movie and some quotes.
2.) This fanfic is AU – Alternate Universe. There are changes in Harry Potter universe and Rise of the Guardians universe in order for them to merge and fit perfectly and makes it much more sense in the fanfic. Though I can't tell you what are all the changes, except some timelines and other stuff mentioned.
3.) The story will be set to Harry's POV. As explained by J.K Rowling, we look into what Harry's sees, reacts, and thoughts. But we get to see a couple of other POVS even minor. It is a mystery gen.
4.) I have taken liberty to changing the character of Rise of the Guardians Jack. I change certain stuff, and I can certainly say he is different. You might state he seems OOC, but that is because I have made few changes even his background information. I won't say what, you'll just have to keep reading to find out. Though regards of some possible story points regarding of Jack. I will certainly NOT make Jack some perfect, flawless, academic achiever and brightest of the year and likable to everyone. He has flaws and makes mistakes, and I do intend to make him a believable character, also on some level relatable to him.
5.) I do apologize if some characters seem OOC, such as Dumbledore, Snape and Hermione. They are hard for me to pull it off.
6.) In this fanfic, since it is AU, Harry has been told by Dumbledore before fourth year that whenever his scar hurts, it means danger or that Voldemort is near. I realized that Harry would have been told about what his scar does by Dumbledore in mid-fourth year. My mistake, so Harry knows here much earlier than the books.
Created Date: 3/30/15
Finished Date: 4/7/15 5:25PM
Edited: 9/22/16