Harry stumbled into the antechamber. His palms were cold and trembling. He felt his chest constrict and his stomach rolled chaotically. His name. his name in the goblet. His name came out of the goblet. He felt sick.
"Do zhey want us to go back?" Fleur Delacour's thick accent startled Harry. His eyes refocused on the three older teens. Krum was leaning against the stonework hearth. Cedric was slumped against the plush couch looking grim. Fleur was nearest to him, her expression was superior and a bit defensive, but it faded as Harry failed to answer her. Her fair face twisted in confusion. "Are 'ou well?" she took a step closer. Arms uncrossing in concern for the slight teen.
Cedric looked up, brows furrowed. "Harry?" He rose from his seat and came close. "Harry, are you okay?" He swung one arm around his fellow Seeker and led him over to the couch. He could feel Harry shivering under his thick robes. "Sit down. What happened?"
Harry stared ahead. He absently considered that he was going into some sort of shock. He felt dizzy. He was confused.
Air wasn't coming easy. His lungs wouldn't expand, his chest felt tight. How did his name get into the Goblet? His face felt hot. He didn't put his name in the Goblet. His sight was blurring and growing dim. Ron said people had DIED in this tournament. His stomach curled in tight waves and jolts. His name came out of the Goblet. He could taste pennies, hot and sharp, in the back of his throat. He didn't put his name in. His mind kept going in circles, making him dizzy. He was in the Tournament. He didn't put his name in. he didn't want this. He felt sick.
"Lean 'im forward." Fleur commanded, coming forward with a wet rag and began dabbing the back of his neck. Harry wasn't sure where she had gotten the rag but he was grateful. Cedric pushed Harry's head and shoulders until he was leaning down. His chin touching his knees. His head swam. The stone floor rose up to him and he gagged against the sight.
Krum came forward after snagging a metal bin. He crouched in front of Harry and pressed the bin between his knees. "Close your eyes." He commanded, his accent was just as thick as Fleurs. But whereas hers was light and airy, Krum's was deeper and more guttural. It was like comparing a flute to a French horn. But Krum's voice however thick, was also kind. Harry obeyed him.
Harry shut his eyes, but the darkness behind his lids didn't help with the swirling of his gut. With a hot sob, Harry lost his dinner. The metal bin caught the mess and Harry slid a hand around his churning middle. Fleur pressed a hand against her nose delicately at the ghastly smell but kept padding the cool rag against Harry's sweaty neck. She could feel him trembling underneath her hand. She and Cedric met each others eyes over Harry's shoulders. They winced in matched sympathy for the younger teen and distaste of the rancid smell of sick.
Krum ignored the smell, although he was closest to the bin. He shifted so that his knee took his weight and leaned forward. He pressed one hand on Harry's side. "Match me." He grunted. He paused a moment to marvel at the thinness of the boy. But he pushed that thought aside. He made heavy slow breathing sounds. Matching his exhales with a firm press of his hand to ground Harry.
Harry tried matching Krum. Two soft quick breaths in, matched with one long slow breath out. Cedric joined them in the slow breathing. Fleur put a petite hand on his spine and gently rubbed up and down.
A quiet moment passed as the three older students cared for the smallest. The thick wooden door slammed against the heavy stone wall with a loud bang, permitting a flood of adults into the room.
All of the teens startled, but Harry caught his breath wrong. A long exhale cutting off into a gasp. A glob of spit went down his airway. Harry coughed and tried to dislodge the wetness. The adults didn't seem to notice.
"Zhis is an Outrage!" Madam Maxine boomed over all the noise. Her thundering footstep shook the room.
"This is Flagrant cheating by Hogwarts! Karkaroff was equally incensed as he stomped inside. His fur lined cloak swirled impatiently around his ankles.
Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman marched in alongside Professor Dumbledore and the other headmaster and headmistress. Professors Snape, McGonagall and Moody followed behind.
"Vhat is this?" Krum stood up and faced the adults. "Headmasder, what has happened?" Karkaroff sneered at Dumbledore as he answered his student. "Two champions. Dumbledore seeks to pad his schools chances with an additional competitor."
"Deux? With who?" Fleur's lips twisted at the idea, at the unfairness of the host school doubling their odds.
"With zheir own celebrity." Madam Maxine huffed "'Arry Potter."
The three chosen teens blinked and twisted around to look at the sickly boy between them.
"Mon Duex?! Him? 'e is a boy!" Fleur gasped disbelievingly, her blue eyes wide and unbelieving.
"Professor Dumbledore, you can't allow this! Harry is just a fourth year!" Cedric kept his arm around Harry. The younger boys thin shoulder blades pressed sharply against him, Cedric just kept thinking how small Harry was for a fourth year. He could pass for a second year easily with his physic, seeker build or not.
"See! See?!" Karkaroff roared. "Your own champion sees that this is a farce!" His black eyes glared at Dumbledore. His thick lips curling into a sneer, small flecks of dinner peeked out from between his yellowed teeth.
Professor Snape emerged from the shadowed corners with a dark sneer on his lips. Both McGonagall and Mad-eye at his elbows. "I find it odd that the subject of this dispute is so silent." The potions master hissed out, beady eyes trained on him.
As if just remembering him, the mob turned to Harry. The teen was still curled around the bin, the faint scent of sick around him. He didn't speak. Violent silent coughs racked his body.
" ?" McGonagall pressed. "What do you here to say about this?" Her scottish lilt was thicker in her concern.
"Blegh!" More sick came tumbling out of him. Cedric winced and kept rubbing soothing circles over his shoulders.
Fleur's hands fluttered around him. "Pauvre Enfant!" she cooed consolingly as she pushed Harry's sweaty bangs away from his face. Harry lifted his head to stare at Dumbledore. "I didn't put my name in!" His green eyes begging to be believed.
"'Ow could zhis 'ave 'appened?" Maxine demanded again, her impossibly large hands fluttered delicately around her throat. The smell of sick was obviously making her sway with nausea.
Crouch stepped forward to speak, fiddling with his peppered mustache. "It seems Mr. Potters name was put under a fourth school, having no other candidates from that school, the goblet had no choice but to pick Mr. Potter. Making him in effect, A fourth champion."
"Vhat school?!" Karkaroff growled, obviously looking for someone to blame. Dumbledore flipped the scorched slip of parchment over. "Illvermorny, it seems." The old professor sighed.
"Where is that?" Harry grimaced around the taste left in his mouth. Cedric pushed a goblet of water toward him. "It's in America."
"Oh." Harry gulped the cool drink and gave Cedric a grateful nod.
"We as we can all agree that Mr. Potter is not a student at that academy. Could the goblet's choice be considered void? After all it choice the Harry Potter of Illvermorny not Harry Potter of Hogwarts." McGonagall primed.
"Unfortunately no," Crouch huffed. "The goblet has already acknowledged Mr. Potter's magical signature." His mustache twitched spastically.
"Zen we must add our own student names again until we also 'ave two champions each!" the large French madam slapped her hand on the heavy table next to her, leaving a sizable dent.
"The Goblet has gone out Madam." Ludo Bagman wiped a handkerchief on his shiny brow, his expression was inappropriately pleased. "It won't be relit until the next tournament. Mr. Potter has no choice but to compete."
"Are you Mad!?" Cedric stood and stomped until he was nose to nose with the sweaty man. "He's fourteen! He didn't want this! Look at him!" He swung an arm to gesture to Harry. Who was looking a bit better but still pale. Cedric twisted to look beseechingly at Dumbledore. Surly their headmaster wouldn't allow this? "Professor, he's a fourth year. There's no way…I mean, you Can't...people have died…" his voice faded off as he watched Dumbledore's passive expression remain unmoved.
"There is no choice, Mr. Potter will have to compete as a fourth champion." Dumbledore sighed. Cedric looked aghast "Headmaster…"
Mad-eye thumped his heavy staff closer to the center of the room, drawing eyes. "I'm more concerned about who put his name in." the snarled face man growled, both Madame Maxine and Fleur took hasty steps away from him.
"Vhat do you mean?" Victor tilted his head like an overly large, awkwardly shaped bird.
"A tournament guaranteed to be dangerous, violent, and bloody impossible for him? Up against 17 year old competitors? It seems to me like someone is hedging their bets on him dying. Clever tactic. Let the Tournament do the work for 'em. It's not a murder if it's in the name of sportsmanship eh?" Mad-eye looked around the room, growling suspiciously. "And I'm sure we can all imagine the sort who would want the lad dead?" his bulbous magical eye swirled and seemed to rest heavily on Karkaroff.
"Alastor!" McGonagall scolded, looking pale. "That is enough."
"It's late in the evening already and there is this much to be discussed. Why don't our champions return to their rooms for now and the rest of us continue this discussion?" Dumbledore came forward and shooed the students out of the chamber.
Harry still looked pale but he was no longer sick or shaken as hard. Cedric bit his lip. He didn't know Harry that well, mostly through Quidditch. But had he always seemed this, well, this small? He didn't even come up to his shoulder!
"Is diz how things are dun in your country?" Victor scowled "Letting childs fight in…in..uh.." He looked stuck, lost for the correct English word, before blurting "…Death fights." He clenched his jaw.
"I didn't think it was but.." Cedric looked furious and helpless. Fleur used a dainty hand to ruffle Harry's mop of hair. He twitched out of her reach with a small blush. "Zis is a traveesty!" She sniffed "We can't allow zis!"
"No, Ve can't" Victor agreed, crossing his arms heavily. The two foreign teens turned to Cedric. But Harry dodged Fleur still reaching hands to confront them. "What do you mean you 'can't allow it'? you heard them! I don't have a choice in it. Why do you care?"
Cedric pushed himself in front of Harry, placing both hands on his boney shoulders. "Harry, we chose this. We chose to compete. We are all adults who knew the risks we were taking and decided it was worth it. We knew what we were getting into when we put our names in the Goblet. You didn't make that choice. You didn't have a choice. You're a child, I know you don't want to admit it, but you are. We have three years more experience than you. We can't just let you dive blind in this. We are going to help you through this okay? I promise."
The Hufflepuff Prefect turned to the two other teens. "This event just got a whole lot harder, I hope you both know that. Not only are we competing against each other, but we are also protecting Harry from whatever tasks we face. Agreed?"
"Oui, 'e iz nearly Gabrielle's age! I would never not 'elp!" Fleur decreed fervently. Her blue eyes glistening.
"Da. He is only a boy. Dis is a man's game, not a boys." Victor crossed his thick arms looking stern. Fleur sniffed at his comment but didn't do more than raise a well sculpted brow.
They parted ways then. Victor escorted Fleur to her schools enchanted carriage and then made his way down to his ship. Cedric and Harry began walking down the corridors together. "I'll walk you to Gryffindor tower, then I'll head back."
"But your dorm is closer. Don't bother going out of your way."
"It's fine Harry. I'm a prefect, so it's no big deal if I get caught out of bounds. You however, have enough on your plate without Filch after you too."
"Oh, okay then. Thanks." Harry looked surprised at the gesture. Cedric got the feeling that despite or maybe because of his fame, Harry wasn't shown that much kindness. Cedric let Harry file in his dorms portal opening and made his way back down to the Hufflepuff dorms.
The Hufflepuff common room was thumping with loud cheers and free flowing butterbeer. Cedric tried to come in quietly, tired from that evening's debacle, but he was quickly swept up by his housemates.
"Ced! Can you believe it!?" Nickolas Colby cheered his pudgy cheeks flushed with excitement. "A Hufflepuff champion!" he pushed a mug of butterbeer into Cedric's hand. "Uh, thanks Colby."
"I can't believe that Prat Potter snuck his name in the Goblet." The normally shrill voice of Jessie Ash seemed even more piercing with her indignation.
"He didn't sneak his name in." Cedric tried telling her, but she sniff and pranced away from him.
Colby shook his head. "Ced, man I know you're nice. But we all know that kid totally snuck his name in. I mean, everyone wanted to be chosen. And Potter couldn't handle not being in the limelight. I mean, this is a once in a life time chance for fame and glory. Who wouldn't pass it up?"
"Someone already famous?" Cedric deadpanned. Colby flushed a bit at his tone but held his point. By this time the entire common room had quieted down, eager to hear the latest batch of Potter Drama.
Colby blustered "Well he could be doing it for the reward! All that gold is a pretty good incentive!"
"He's the Heir to both House Potter and House Black, Colby. And House Black is one of the Sacred Twenty Eight, remember? His godfather named him Heir before he went on the run. It was a big deal in the Ministry. A lot of huff on whether a fugitive or convicted prisoner can declare an Heir apparent. But he did, and now Potter has more gold in his vaults than he could ever spend in his lifetime, and more status than he knows how to deal with." Marcus Collinsworth, a fifth year pureblood scoffed.
Cedric gave Collinsworth a grateful glance before looking beseechingly at his friend. "He was terrified, Colby. He didn't put his name in. He was so scared. Professor Moody thinks that someone put his name in so that he would die in the tournament. Someone's trying to kill him."
"Whoa. Really? Who would want to kill Potter?" Jessie sneered skeptically.
"Really, Ash? You can't think of anyone who would want to kill Harry Potter. Death Eaters tend to come to my mind." Cedric growled, taking a petty joy in Jessie's embarrassment.
"But…but he's just a kid." Colby gaped. "The headmaster wouldn't allow it. He-"
Collinworth's scoffed again. "Like he wouldn't hire a defense teacher being possessed by a shade, or allow a basilisk to roam the plumbing, or let Dementors onto school grounds? Face, it Colby, this isn't the first time the headmaster let Potter roll the dice on fate." The dark-haired boy looked scornful. Colby's pudgy cheeks went pale. And many older students looked grim. The younger years were ushered to their rooms. The upper years all sat quietly in the Hufflepuff den, each face more solemn than the last.
"But, he's just a fourth year." Colby whimpered.
"Yeah, and he was a first year when Quirrell tried to kill him, and a second year when he was almost eaten by a Basilisk, and a third year when his soul was nearly sucked out at a Quidditch game. Potter is literally a karmic punching bag. And I don't see Dumbledore stopping it now, any more than he has in the past." Cedric was astounded by Collinworths vitriol. He knew the Collinworth's traditionally went to Slytherin or Ravenclaw, but he thought Marcus was a bit softer than his older siblings because he was a Puff; It seemed not. His words were just as biting as any of his brothers or sister. But that wasn't important now.
Cedric stood tall in the middle of the den. Raising his voice to make sure everyone (even the eavesdropping younger years) could hear him. "Harry Potter did not put his name in the Goblet of Fire. But he's being forced to fight in a tournament he didn't want to be in. He's scared and with good reason too. He's fourteen, he is in no way prepared to compete in this type of game. If left to fight alone he will probably die. I promise everyone, I will compete my hardest. And I will do my best to win the Tournament. But I will also do my best to keep Harry safe. Someone is trying to hurt one of my friends. I won't allow it. As a Hogwarts student, as a man, and as a Hufflepuff; I can't. Will any of you help me? Not only to work hard to bring Hogwarts victory in this tournament, but also to show loyalty to a friend?"
The den was quiet. Everyone was watching him silently. For a long moment Cedric was worried that no one would stand. That he'd be on his own, protecting Harry.
Then Collinworths stood up. "Potter has had enough crap in his life. Like hell I'm going to be the dick who adds on to it. You got my wand, Diggory." He gave a traditional vow of solidarity.
Colby stood "He's just a kid. There's no way he can do this without help. You have my wand, Cedric."
Again and again, more and more upper years stood and gave their wands to Cedric's cause. He felt his eyes prickle a bit, his smile began to ache but he couldn't stop smiling.
Jessie Ash was the last to stand. She looked stern and strong. "I don't really know the kid, but he's your friend Cedric. And a friend to one Hufflepuff is a friend to us all. You have my wand."
"Thanks guys." Cedric was awed by the greatness of his house. Every Hufflepuff fourth year up, agreed to help him. He was humbled by their friendship.
Then Justin Finch-Fletchey came into the den, followed by the younger years nervously behind him. "Harry saved me from the snake in dueling club. I didn't understand it then and I treated him something awful for weeks. Then he went out of his way to fight the Basilisk to save everyone, even though he didn't have to. I owe Harry. I-I I want to be his friend. I can't do that if he dies in the tournament. You have my wand Cedric." The younger years followed with their own vows of solidarity.
The entire House stood together, united. To know that he had the support of his house, Cedric didn't bother to hide the wetness on his cheeks, if this wasn't a moment to cry then he didn't know what was.