A 'Batty' Tournament

Hogwarts Great Hall, October 31st 1994 – Choosing of the Champions

The Goblet of Fire sparked and the flames turned crimson once more as another piece of parchment was ejected. Dumbledore reached out in reflex and caught it. Rather than call out the name he stood still, seemingly shocked if his deathly pale face was any indication. After another moment he regained his wits and called out.

"Harry Potter"

The chatter in the hall, which had started when the goblet spat out another piece of parchment, went silent. Dumbledore called out again.

"Harry Potter"

Again silence, until suddenly the air was rent with the screeching of thousands of bats–intermingled with the screams of many people in the hall–which poured in through the windows set high in the walls of the hall. The bats all headed towards the centre of the Great Hall where they formed together in the shape of a young man. As the bats detached from the figure and melted into the shadows, everyone in the hall saw the raven hair pulled back into a low ponytail, the emerald green eyes and the lightening bolt scar on his forehead. With the disappearance of the bats the hall had again gone silent and, save a few who were wearily eyeing the shadows the many bats had vanished without a trace into, everyone was staring at The-Boy-Who-Made-a-Dramatic-Entrance.

"Would someone care to explain why I have been bound against my will?", said Harry in a voice laced with threat, his gaze travelled over the teachers table until it came to rest on Dumbledore, "You!" he snarled his gaze hardening to a glare at the Headmaster. "How dare you..."

"Harry...", Dumbledore quickly cut in.

"Lord Potter" interrupted Harry, his glare unchanging.

"Lord Potter, it was not the work of any of us, you're name came out of the Goblet of Fire", he indicated the roughly hewn wooden goblet at his side.

"In that case" spoke Harry striding forwards, "I will destroy it" as he walked towards the goblet he draw a longsword, coloured the deepest black, it seemed to draw in all light that touched it.

"Harry..." he corrected himself at the glare he received, "...Lord Potter, where did you get that weapon"

"That is none of your concern, Headmaster", he somehow managed to make the title seem to be an insult.

"But it is one of the twe..." began Dumbledore before he was interrupted again.

"I know precisely what it is, and I would appreciate you keeping it to yourself" he glanced quickly around the room to see if any realized what he wielded, all he saw were looks of confusion at the exchange between him and Dumbledore. He started toward the goblet again raising the blade.

"You can't destroy the Goblet of Fire", this from the severe looking wizard sitting to the side of the large throne like chair at the table at which the teachers were sitting.

"And why not, Mr..."

"Crouch, and you can't destroy it because it is a priceless magical artefact"

"It is also binding me here against my will, I would say that is grounds for it's destruction" retorted Harry, the unnaturally black blade of his sword still raised, in position to cleave the goblet in two.

"Har... My Apologies, Lord Potter, I'm sure we can come to some agreement, you have been missing for some time and we all would hate to see you disappear again", Dumbledore tried to placate him with his best 'grandfather' voice.

"Are we talking about me disappearance from the wizarding world in general 13 years ago today, or how I disappeared when I was seven from the guardians that you placed me with after essentially kidnapping me?" asked Harry in an innocent voice.

Every eye was now on Dumbledore. The man himself looked rather nervous with this revelation and was thankful when Harry spoke up again.

"Maybe I will stay here, at least for this year. I do, however, have a few conditions"

"What are these conditions?" questioned Dumbledore with trepidation.

"Firstly, my girlfriend will be joining me" stated Harry with a smirk

"That can be arranged Lord Potter, you can send for her after the feast"

"There will be no need Headmaster, Anna!" he called out in a loud voice, "You can come out now"

The shadows in the corners of the great hall seemed to shift and twist before some of them detached and moved to beside Harry and the goblet. The shadows slowly flowed upwards and took the form of a young girl, who looked to be about 14, with deep black hair, icy blue eyes that were slightly tinted with crimson, and a shapely figure. The most striking thing about her appearance, however, was her alabaster skin, which seemed to glow in the dim lighting of the hall. She smirked at the silence she had created. The smirk showed her slightly elongated canines and all the teachers suddenly were standing out of there seats with there wands aimed at her.

"Secondly, we will be residing in our own private quarters, the Slytherin rooms will do nicely" Harry continued, seemingly uncaring at the multitude of wands pointed at Anna.

"Potter, what is the meaning of this, why have you brought this creature into Hogwarts, and expecting your own room, just as arrogant as your father", spat Snape from the end of the head table.

"Now, now Professor, I would advise you not to antagonise your betters, it could be... bad for your health. Also, this 'creature', as you so eloquently put it, is my girlfriend and I expect her to be treated with respect. That goes for all of you, so please lower your wands before you get hurt, and as for the private quarters, as Lord Slytherin by Right of Conquest I am fully within my rights to have my own quarters"

"How dare you insult us, You are just an arrogant child... Lumos Sole..." an agonized shriek cut of the end of the spell and knocked everyone out of there shock about the revelation that The-Boy-Who-Lived was Lord Slytherin. All eyes in the hall turned toward Snape in time to see part of the floor in front of him flow back downwards from where it had evidently just broken his arm. The man in question was cradling his broken arm against his chest and was still glaring at Harry and Anna, though had enough sense not to try for his wand, which had fallen out of his grasp.

"Lord Potter, you cannot attack teachers for no reason" reprimanded Dumbledore.

"Don't treat me like a fool, Dumbledore. He just tried to kill my girlfriend, not that the spell would have done anything except give everyone a suntan, but he did not know that. I would think that would give me justification to defend her. This is a pointless discussion anyway, as I didn't actually do anything. As I said the spell would have done no harm as Anna is not one of the 'things' that pass for vampires in this country, so I saw no point in interfering"

"And what country would she be from then may I ask" spoke Dumbledore who, like the rest of the staff, excepting Snape, still had his wand trained on Anna.

"The central part of Romania, Transylvania to be precise." Dumbledore and many of the staff had gone extremely pale at this, though some seemed confused at their colleagues' reactions, as did all of the students. "Ah, excellent, you know what Clan she is part of then, I presume"

"The Dragullia Clan" Dumbledore said slowly as he backed away.

"No need to fear Dumbledore, no matter that she could kill all of you if she so chose, she prefers my blood. Though maybe you are scared of her for another reason. Perhaps that she will inform the clan that their Heiress to the throne is being held at wand point" Somehow Dumbledore and the informed teachers went even paler at this declaration. They quickly put away their wands and sank down into their seats trembling

"She is the daughter of Count Dracula?" fear was evident in Dumbledore's voice and the faces of the teachers

"Correct, Dumbledore..." Harry paused as he noticed something "Where is Mr. Crouch?" he questioned, "I hope he hasn't done something silly"

Just as Harry finished talking the door to the Great Hall banged open and admitted a group of 20 Aurors. Training along behind was Barty Crouch along with Amelia Bones and the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. Fudge began speaking in a self important tone

"By order of the Minister of Magic, Harry James Potter is to be arrested for harbouring a Dark Creature, said creature is to be detained then executed"

"Is that so Minister?" asked Harry, with a smirk on his face.

"Yes it is. Aurors, Seize them!" cried out Fudge.

"Aurors stand down" countered Harry. "As Magical Heir of the Exhaled House of Emrys, the founding house of the Ministry of Magic, you will lower your wands. Any attack upon myself or those under my protection will be counted as an act of Treason against The Unified Nations of the Magical British Territories and will be dealt with as such." A ringing silence met has words along with a slight rustling as a few of the Aurors hastened to put away their wands.