Had anyone told Fleur Delacour that she would be the Champions for Beauxbatons she would have said that she was the only choice, but had they said some scrawny little boy would have been a champion as well then she would have only scoffed at such a notion, but that was exactly what had happened; not only had Hogwarts ( what a silly name she thought with a sneer) gotten a champion in Cedric Diggory, but they had also gotten another in the form of one Harry Potter.
She had heard stories about the boy whispered between the children of this school and did not for one moment believe them. They were nothing more than utter fantasy. Tales of how he had killed a teacher who was after some grand treasure that had been hidden within untold corners of the castle or how he had slain a near thousand year old basilisk with naught more than a sword and his wand, or even how he had fended off more than one hundred Dementors with the patronus charm (something that no child his age was even capable of).
There was no doubt in her mind that the boy was wholly incapable of any of the things that he had supposedly done. He was waifishly thin resembling little more than a vagabond beneath the robes that he wore, and when he was without them he seemed to be nothing more than a stick with little muscle and no fat to speak of.
The boy's eyes were a such a fierce green that one might mistake his gaze for the light of a killing curse, and his hair resemble a rat's nest more than anything else. However while Fleur believed the boy was not champion material there was something about him that on some level scared her. She could sense that there was something lying beneath his exterior of a weak and innocent child, but she would not let it get to her. She needed to know how such a folly had befell the tournament that was to be her rise to fame.
"Madame Maxime!" Fleur shouted as she turned to her headmistress "Zey are saying that zis leetle boy is to compete too?!"
The headmistress sneered at Dumbledore who was standing behind Harry with a hand on his shoulder, but she did not get a word out nor had Dumbledore, instead it was Harry who spoke.
"I did not put my name in that damn cup." he said through gritted teeth in the most even tone that he could muster. "And I do not want to compete."
His voice might have been level but there was that fleeting power within it that Fleur had sensed earlier. She took a small nearly unnoticeable step back in an attempt to steady herself and hide her nervousness.
Viktor Krum on the other hand had no qualms dealing with the boy. "You say you don't vant to compete, but vhy should ve believe you? Many more vould do anything to be in your position."
The glare that Harry sent toward Viktor would have had any lesser being writhing in fear, but the Bulgarian held his ground. "Why would I want to compete? For fame? Eternal glory? Money?" the boy spat with barely concealed bubbling anger. "Those things mean nothing to me. I have been famous and seen what that fame does and I want nothing of, and eternal glory? The only eternal glory is people remembering that you died for it. I for one an not looking forward to an early grave."
Harry made to say more but was cut off as the door opened revealing Serverus Snape and Minerva McGonagall. Dumbledore seized this moment of silence.
"Harry did you put your name in the goblet of fire?" his voice was crisp and his tone was sharp with hidden turmoil.
"No." Harry said. He could feel the eyes of everyone around him boring into him but he brushed them off. He was not going to falter beneath the gaze of anyone.
Snape made a soft noise of disgust and disbelief.
"Did you ask one of the older students to put it in for you?" Dumbledore asked while sending the offending potion's professor a stern glare
"No." this time Harry had to force back the flood gates of anger that he felt but he managed causing his answer to come out as more vehement disbelief that he was still being question rather than the rage that ate at him.
"Ze boy is lying!" cried out Madame Maxime.
Professor McGonagall whom had not said anything nor even moved gave the woman a cold look. "Mr. Potter could not have possibly bypassed the age line" she said in a sharp tone that brokered no room for argument (or it would have had the others not ignored it). "We can all agree that it is beyond his-"
"Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line." The half giantess refused to back from her argument.
"It is possible of course." Dumbledore said politely in an attempt to defuse the situation, though it did not work.
"Honestly Dumbledore you know that you did not make a mistake with the blasted line!" McGonagall all but shouted with anger in her throat. "Now listen we know that Mr. Potter could not have bypassed the line on his own and Dumbledore is quite sure that he did not coerce any of the older students that are of age to do it for him, so I think that should be good enough for the rest of you lot!"
Snape opened his mouth and McGonagall subtlety gripped her wand while giving him an angry look. He wisely let his words die on his lips.
"Mr. Crouch... Mr. Bagman" Igor Karkaroff spoke in his novel insincere tone " You are the impartial judges of this event surely you understand that this is most... irregular."
Bagman looked out of his depth with sweat rolling down his baby fat laden face. He took a handkerchief from his coat pocket and wiped his brow but did not speak instead he turned toward Mr. Crouch.
The older man did not seem as if he had heard any of the arguing that had gone on. It was as though he was in his own world. The light from the torches that adorned the room only illuminated half his face while the other half was obscured by a vaguely eerie line of shadow that gave his visage a rather gaunt skull like appearance that was most unpleasant.
He glanced up from the spot on the floor that he had been looking at for a moment and then he gazed around the room. "We must follow the rules" he began in a curt and polite tone. "and the rules clearly state that any who's name comes out of the Goblet must surely compete less they loose their magic." though the politeness of his manner was most refreshing to Dumbledore and the others who were suffering under the barely concealed waves of anger it did little to cover the dread that the words brought to Harry.
"Well Barty knows the rules front to back." Bagman said scarcely holding back the sigh of relief that he felt. He beamed at the others as though the entire matter was behind them.
"I don't care what the damned rulebook says I demand that we resubmit the names." it was Karkaroff who spoke dropping his insincere tone and smile. There was no need for it anymore and the others had never for a moment believed it to be more than a mask. "The Goblet of fire will be relit and we will continue adding names until each school has two Champions its only fair."
"Mr. Karkaroff it doesn't work like that." said Bagman once again adopting his patented look of horror. "The Goblet has already gone out and cannot be reignited until the start of the next tournament-"
"Which Durmstang will most certainly not be competing in!" Karkaroff swept the entire room with a dirty glare. "After all our meetings and negotiations I had little faith to believe something of this nature would occur. I've half a mid to leave this blasted place now!"
"We all know you can't do that Karkaroff." a grime voice came from the door. Wistfully the flames grew slightly allowing the light to reach that corner of the room revealing the gnarled face of Mad-Eye Moody. The mutilated Auror limped further into the room. "You can't leave your champion, none of them can go. As Crouch said its a binding magical contract. He's got to compete... they've all got to compete."
The man's electric blue eye whizzed around the room lingering on each occupant for only a moment before reaching another, and finally coming to rest on the sordid face of Karkaroff "Convenient isn't it?"
Karkaroff sneered "Convenient? What are you getting at Moody?" His stance was defensive and he had to resist the urge to point his wand at the maddened dog before him.
Cedric could only scowl darkly at everything going on. He had not spoken, but it was not because he had not wanted to. It more had to do with the fact that he believed Harry. He knew the boy more than anyone there (save perhaps Dumbledore and McGonagall), and even though it was only in passing he knew that the boy wanted nothing to do with the fame that they were competing for.
He wanted to say something finally, but any words that he could have said were stuck in his throat as he noticed Harry. The boy had already been practically glowing with rage, but at the tone of Karkaroff as he addressed Moody the boy was unconsciously clenching and unclenching his left fist while his right hand slowly made its way to his pocket where he surely kept his wand.
Moving quickly Cedric made his way to the boy's back a spot which Dumbledore had vacated in order to better position himself between Moody and Karkaroff. He slowly laid a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. Harry gave a small gasp of surprise and turned sharply to meet his eyes. Cedric gave the Gryffindor's shoulder a squeeze and the boy relaxed his hands only a bit. The only ones who seemed to notice the interaction between the two Hogwart's champions were Fleur and Viktor.
The others were far too engrossed in how close Moody and Karkaroff seemed to be to ripping each others throats out.
"You don't get it Karkaroff?" Moody's eye seemed to be boring into the man's very soul. "Even you aren't that dimwitted. Someone put the boy's name in the Goblet knowing he'd have to compete if his name came out."
"Of course it was someone 'oo wanted 'Owarts to 'ave another bite of ze apple!" Madame Maxime exclaimed to catch everyone's attention. Moody's eye never left the Durmstrang headmaster even as he turned to face Maxime.
"I agree with the Madame." Karkaroff said a little of the oil returning to his voice as he spoke. "I will be lodging a complaint with the Ministry and the International Confederation of Wizards. Justice will be done."
"If anyone has a right to complain its Potter." Moody growled out.
"And I am complaining." Cedric's hand had done more for him than he could have hoped. While it had not quelled his rage it had at least taken the edge out of it. "How can there be four champions when there are only three schools competing?"
"Why are you complaining?" Fluer shouted finally taking the chance to get another word in. "You 'ave a chance that any would die for! We 'ave been 'oping to be chosen for weeks and weeks! To represent our schools and bring zem 'onor and glory!"
Harry rounded on her his eyes gleaming with unmistakable fury. "I told you I want nothing to do with this tournament! Nothing! I only want to go back to my dorm and have a normal year for once, but now I have no choice but to risk my life with you." he gave a sigh and his voice softened a bit. "Don't you know that I can die in this? That you can die in this?"
"Maybe someone's hoping that you will die for it Potter." Moody said without any of the menace that he had been speaking with before.
"It wouldn't be the first time." Harry said softly.
There was an intense silence at those words. It was oppressive and it choked all in the room but none managed the will to break it for quite a few moments.
"Professor vhy vould you say that?" it was Viktor who finally managed to bring words forth. The way that Potter had seemed to accept the fact that someone might be out to kill him did not bode well with the Quidditch star. There was something about it that had to be addressed but the adults did not seem to be concerned with it... other than Bagman but he was more a man child then a man.
Before Moody could answer Karkaroff cut in. "We all know that Moody considers everyone and everything a plot, and that its a waste of the day if he hasn't discovered at least six murder plots before he's had lunch." the man eyed Harry. "And apparently he's trying to pass that paranoia onto a student. Fearing assassination what an odd quality to have in a Defense teacher."
Moody's face contorted into something savage and the champions could surely understand the fear that he struck in those who crossed wands with him. "Imagining things am I Karkaroff? Seeing things am I?" the menace had returned a thousand fold and Harry had to look around the room to ensure it was not a Dementor that was causing the temperature to drop. "Only a truly skilled witch or wizard could have put the boy's name in the Goblet-"
"'Ow can you be so sure of zat?" Olympe cried out throwing up her hands in frustration.
Moody whirled to face her so fast that one would be hard pressed to have seen him move. "Because headmistress..." he gritted out slowly. "whoever put his name into the Goblet confunded a powerful magical object into believing that there were four champions to compete. They likely had to make ti believe that there were four schools and Potter's name was submitted under the forth so that it was guaranteed to come out."
"You seem to have given this a great deal of though Moody." Karakroff said having regain some of his composure. "A very exciting theory it is, but I seem to recall you thought someone had sent you a disguised basilisk egg as a birthday present and you destroyed it only to discover it was a carriage clock, so forgive me if I am disinclined to believe your mad ramblings."
Moody once again turned to face the man. "You cant trust everything in front of you, and it is my job to put myself into the shoes of dark wizards Karkaroff... as you ought to remember."
"Alastor!" Dumbledore spoke (it came out as more of a shout) warningly. Harry wondered for the briefest of moments about whom Dumbledore was speaking to be fore realizing that it was likely Moody's first name.
The retired Auror fell silent though he still watched Karkaroff's face which had turned an angry shade of red.
"We do not know how this came to be..." Dumbledore began speaking in a voice that garnered the attention of all around him. "but both Mr. Potter and Mr. Diggory have been chosen to compete in the tournament, and as such they will."
"But Dumbly-dorr.." Dumbledore held up a hand to stop the headmistress where she started.
"Madame if you have an alternative I would be most delighted to hear it."
He waited for her to speak but she did not. She only glared, an d she was not alone. Snape who had not gotten a word out look furious and it was as though Karkaroff wanted nothing more than to murder someone.
Bagman looked excited now that the arguing was over. "Now then lets get started. Got to give the instructions out. Barty would you do the honor's?"
Crouch who seemed to be once again observing the darkened floor looked up with slightly glassed eyes. "Yes instructions..." he seemed more than a little lost but once again the adults of the room seemed to ignore while the champions could only wonder what was wrong with the man.
He moved out of the darkness and they could think that he must have been ill. There were thick bags underneath his eyes, dark marks on his skin, and his skin was deathly pale.
"The first task will test your daring." he said facing the champions. Somehow they had moved closer together. Cedric's hand had never left Harry's shoulder, and Fleur and Viktor were nearly touching the Hogwarts duo.
"To that effect we are not going to tell you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is a quality that is of the utmost importance in a champion. The task will be held on the twenty-fourth of November in front of the student body, guests, and the panel of judges. Champions will not be afforded any help nor should they accept any, and they may only be armed with their wands during the task. In addition owing to the time consuming nature of the tournament all champions are exempt from any final exams."
Crouch turned to Dumbledore and spoke a few words but the champions paid them no attention. Viktor decided that it was time to figure things out. "Potter do you really think that someone vould vant to kill you?"
Harry almost shrugged Cedric's hand of his shoulder but he didn't. He had never been one for contact of the physical sort but the older boy's hand was so soothing, almost like there was something mystical about it.
"I would think so. It happened first year, and second year everyone was in danger, and I know you all heard about the Black situation." Cedric was more than a little unnerved about how the boy talked about things. While he had not been privy to the happenings of the boy's first year he knew the terror and fear of the basilisk and Black first hand.
"Are we really supposed to believe at zat someone is out to kill you?" Fleur had not meant for her tone to come out so condescending but the boy in front of her looked helpless there was no chance that someone would want to kill him nor would he be able to defend himself should it happen.
"What could I give you to make you believe me?" he felt so angry but he did not want take it out on Fleur nor Viktor.
"If you gave a magical vow I vould believe you" Viktor said. Fleur nodded in agreement. Cedirc did not like the fact that they were asking for something like that but he understood where they were coming from.
Harry gave a sigh. He knew what a magical vow was and how to give one, but he had never done so. However if giving one would make them believe him then he would do it.
He drew his wand and held it over his heart. "I Harry James Potter do hereby swear on my magic that I did face Voldemort for the Philosopher's stone, that I did kill a Basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor, that I did fend off more than one hundred Dementors with a single patronus, and that I did not put my name in the Goblet of fire." there was a flash of golden light as the vow took hold, and then the boy turned to face the end of the galley opposite the one the teachers had gathered on.
"Expecto Patronum" he swished his wand and thought of his happiest memory. A bright white light sprang forth from his wand and settled before condensing to form a regal stag.
He turned back to the other three champions. "Now do you believe me?"