Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling.
Summary: after Cedric Diggory's tragic death, the Triwizard Tournament was discontinued. Now, in the year 2024, it's being resurrected - and Albus Potter is champion for Hogwarts. While Albus grapples with the difficulty of being a champion and fending off unwanted advances from a fellow competitor, his little sister Lily is learning how it feels to fall in love.
A/N: so even though I'm struggling to update my current HP multi-chapter fic, I had to go ahead and start another. Why? BECAUSE THE PLOT BUNNIES WOULDN'T LEAVE ME ALONE. This is set in the year 2024 and POV is third-person but mostly split between Lily and Albus. Please R&R!
THIS HAS NO CONNECTIONS WITH THE 'VERSE IN MY OTHER ALBUS/SCORPIUS FIC, TURNING TABLES. SO NO OCS WILL BE CROSSING OVER.
Chapter One: Going for the Glory
The first day of school was always hectic – Lily remembered her first year, when James had hidden her school robes so that they almost missed the train, and her second year, when Albus had left his broomstick at home and insisted that they go back even though they were already late. In fact, Lily didn't think the Potter household had ever had a smooth September 1st, but she didn't mind. It made life interesting. Now that it was her fifth year, it was her turn to upset the plans – somehow, she managed to forget her trunk and nearly caused her father to crash the car, all in the space of ten minutes. By the time they finally arrived at King's Cross, tensions were running high and her parents were fretting about the barrier closing.
They raced through the barrier one by one, emerging into the friendly chaos of platform nine and three quarters. Lily noted the students milling around and the empty train and concluded that all of her parents' worrying was for nothing, but wisely decided not to mention it. She spotted her aunt Hermione standing by the train and waved. Hermione smiled and hurried over to greet them, tugging her family along behind her.
"Harry! Ginny!" Hermione called. "Ron was beginning to think you'd forgotten!"
Lily's parents started to describe the chaos of the morning and Lily rolled her eyes, wandering over to her cousins. Hugo had grown since she last saw him – he looked gangly and stretched out, like his limbs were too long for his body. His bright ginger hair, a shade brighter than Lily's, had grown long and stuck out over his collar. His older sister Rose was busy trying to pat it down, her eyebrows knitted together in frustration.
"Good morning," Lily said, putting on a jovial voice and quirking her eyebrows. "Ready for another year of fun-filled excitement at Hogwarts?"
"Hardly," Rose replied, abandoning her attempts to clean up Hugo's appearance. "My N.E.W.T.s are this year, remember?" She shuddered. "I don't know how I'll cope. I barely made it through the O.W.L.s..."
"Stop fishing for compliments, Rose," Hugo said, rolling his eyes. "You got 10 O.W.L.s. All Os, if I remember correctly."
Rose huffed and folded her arms. "I didn't mean results, Hugo. I meant the pressure."
Noticing the tension between brother and sister, Lily decided to change the subject. "James cried when we left the house," she said cheerfully. Rose and Hugo both turned to look at their older cousin, who was standing beside his parents and listening intently to what Hermione was saying. It was James's first year out of Hogwarts and the sadness on his face was unconvincingly disguised as he watched students board the Hogwarts Express.
"Poor thing," Rose murmured sympathetically. "I don't know how I'll cope next year..."
Lily decided that Rose needed to stop worrying about how she would cope with things. A sharp whistle rang through the air.
"Better hurry, kids," Lily's mother said, giving her a little shove. "I'm sure you all want to get a compartment together."
"Bye, Mum, Dad," Lily said quickly, leaning up to kiss her mother on the cheek. She hugged her father and punched James affectionately in the arm. "I'll see you at Christmas. Try not to miss me too much." She waited patiently for Albus to say goodbye to their parents and then they boarded the train together.
The corridors were already bustling with students. Lily zipped through the crowd until she found an empty compartment and then stood in the doorway, blocking the entrance. Before too long, she spotted Albus, Rose and Hugo struggling through the crowd. She raised two fingers to her mouth and whistles. Five minutes later, they were all safely tucked away into the compartment, their trunks stashed out of sight and Lily's owl, Persephone, perched on the seat beside her. They waved goodbye to their parents as the train chugged out of the station, and then they settled into their seats for the journey.
"James was about to cry when we left," Albus informed the others with a grin. "He can't stand the fact that we're going without him."
"I don't blame him," Rose said, staring out the window at the rapidly disappearing train station. "It must be awful, knowing that he's never going back to Hogwarts. And just think, Albus, next year we'll have left, too."
Albus scowled. "Only if I pass the N.E.W.T.s, and that's not looking likely."
Rose and Albus started a heated discussion about the exams and what they hoped to do after leaving Hogwarts, while Hugo fiddled with his sleeves and Lily contemplated her own exams. She wasn't too worried about the O.W.L.s – her brothers had told her that they weren't half as difficult as the teachers liked to pretend, and besides, she was smart enough to not need to worry about them. She wasn't anywhere near as smart as Rose, of course, but she could hold her own in an exam.
She was beginning to doze off when there was a sharp rap on the compartment door and it slid open to reveal none other than Scorpius Malfoy, Albus's best friend and on-off boyfriend.
"Good day, commoners," he said good naturedly, slipping into the compartment and closing the door behind him. "How are you all?"
Rose launched into another tirade about the N.E.W.T.s, but Albus cut her off before she could bore them. "Oh, calm down, Rose," he chided. "The exams are months away. We're fine, Scorpius, but we'd be better if Rose would just stop talking." Rose lapsed into silence, folding her arms and sticking out her lower lip. Scorpius wisely decided not to intervene and squeezed himself into a seat beside Albus.
"How was your summer?" Scorpius murmured into Albus's ear. Lily looked away, feeling as if she should give them some privacy.
She had always wondered what it would be like to have a relationship like the one Albus had with Scorpius. They had been best friends since first year, when they had both been sorted into Slytherin. They had started going out in their fourth year – surprising both of their families – and then proceeded to break up and make up at least six times, at last count. Even when they were broken up, though, they had an ease with each other that Lily envied. She'd had a boyfriend before, but their relationship had been the polar opposite of Albus and Scorpius's. When they had broken up, they'd stayed that way, and they hadn't been friends anymore, either. Lily gave an involuntary sigh and resigned herself to the fact that she would probably never have what her brother had with Scorpius.
The compartment door slid open once more and a portly old witch poked her head through the gap. "Anything from the trolley, dears?"
Between them, they bought Pumpkin Pasties, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs and Fizzing Whizbees. They talked while they ate, telling stories about what they'd done that summer. Unsurprisingly, Rose had spent most of the summer studying. Albus boasted about how his father had taught him new Quidditch moves. Hugo had spent much of the summer with his Muggle grandparents, his mother's idea of a solution to his struggles in Muggle Studies. Scorpius's summer sounded the most interesting by far – he had gotten a summer internship at the Ministry of Magic and afterwards, his parents had taken him to Russia.
"What were you doing in the Ministry, Scorpius?" Hugo asked eagerly.
Scorpius smiled mysteriously. "Helping with a project," he said. When the others stared at him, clearly waiting for an explanation, his grin widened. "Let's just say that something very interesting is happening at Hogwarts this year..."
Before they could press him for more details, Rose got to her feet with a gasp. "Oh! We're nearly there! Quickly, quickly, we'd better put our robes on!"
They changed quickly and gathered their things as the train came to a stop. Lily found herself jostled from side to side as they milled off the train towards the horseless carriages – seemingly horseless, anyway. Lily knew from what her father had told her that the carriages were really pulled by Thestrals, skeletal horses who could only be seen by those who had seen death.
Their little group broke up as they reached the carriages, Albus, Scorpius and Rose splitting off to take one, while Lily and Hugo clambered into another. They were soon joined by another cousin of theirs, Dominique, whose younger brother Louis was just starting his first year.
"Is Louis nervous?" Hugo asked with a smile.
"Just a bit," Dominique replied, grinning back at him. "He was babbling in French all the way to the train station. I think Dad's probably fluent now."
Lily thought back to her own Sorting. She wasn't ashamed to admit that she had been terrified – she desperately wanted to be a Gryffindor, like James and her parents and grandparents, but part of her wanted to be a Slytherin so that she could stick close to Albus. She had never even spared a thought for what would have happened if she'd been placed in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. In the end, the Sorting Hat had settled on Gryffindor. She wondered what House Louis would be placed in.
"Oh, he'll be fine," she said absent-mindedly. Thinking of the Sorting had reminded her of the fantastic feast waiting for them in the Great Hall and her stomach had begun to rumble. "We all ended up where we belonged, didn't we?"
By the time they arrived at the castle, Lily's stomach was aching. She hurried into the Great Hall with Hugo and Dominique on her heels and they sat together at the Gryffindor table. She spotted Scorpius and Albus on the other side of the room, sitting at the Slytherin table, while Rose was surrounded by her Ravenclaw friends. Lily thought for another moment about what table Louis would be placed at, and right on cue, Professor McGonagall strolled into the Hall, Sorting Hat in hand. She was followed by a stream of frightened looking first years. Lily spotted Louis among them, wearing a black pointed wizard cap over his silver blond hair.
Professor McGonagall stood at the top of the Great Hall, casting her hawk's eye gaze over the students, and set the Sorting Hat on a stool beside her. There was a pause, and then the rip in the Hat's brim opened wide, and it began to sing:
I understand that some of you
May be frightened by what you see,
A hat with a mind all of its own,
And the brains of wizards three.
Your brain may say don't trust me
And my appearance is not so kind,
But if I weren't here to choose
A student's place; they would be blind.
I know things about you,
Which even you don't know,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you have to go.
Perhaps you'll be a Gryffindor,
If you're daring, courageous and brave,
Or maybe you belong in Ravenclaw,
If knowledge is what you crave.
Slytherin is where you must go,
If you're cunning, ambitious and shrewd,
And Hufflepuff is your true home
If you are just, loyal and true.
Each of these four houses
Have a uniqueness which sets them apart
So try me on and I will tell you
Which house trait lies at your heart.
And if you feel that I am wrong,
Do try not to cry,
Remember, I know what you don't,
And the Sorting Hat never lies!
The hat settled and Professor McGonagall unfurled a long scroll and began to read off names. One by one, the first years clambered onto the stool and then scurried to their House tables. Lily clapped vigorously as Gryffindor gained a freckle-faced brunette girl and a tiny sandy-haired boy, but she wasn't paying much attention to the Sorting. She was too busy staring at the empty plates, waiting for them to fill with food. She perked up, however, when Louis's name was called.
Louis perched on the stool, looking tiny. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head and he squeezed his eyes shut, trembling. There was a moment's pause and then the hat's brim opened wide: "RAVENCLAW!"
Lily clapped loudly as Louis made his way to the Ravenclaw table, looking shell-shocked. Rose quickly cleared a place for him.
Dominique looked disappointed. "That's all three of us in different houses," she said, referring to her older sister, Victoire, who had been a Hufflepuff during her time at Hogwarts. "Blimey, we're not carrying on the legacy very well, are we?"
"Well, not all Weasleys have to be Gryffindors," Hugo said. "Diversity is good. If Rosie was in Gryffindor, we'd argue even more than we already do."
Meanwhile, the Sorting continued. After what felt like a lifetime, the final first year took her place on the stool and a moment later hurried over to the Slytherin table. Lily turned her attention back to the empty plates, waiting for them to fill – but nothing happened. Dismayed, Lily looked around and saw that Professor McGonagall was standing at the top of the Hall again, waiting for the students to fall silent with raised brows. A large golden case stood beside her.
"What's going on?" Lily whispered, but Hugo shushed her.
"Welcome, students," Professor McGonagall said, "to another year at Hogwarts, and congratulations to our recently Sorted first years. I trust that you will be happy in your Houses." There was a cheer, and then Professor McGonagall continued. "Before we begin our feast, I have an important announcement to make. This year, Hogwarts is resurrecting a tradition that some of you may have heard of – the Triwizard Tournament." A hush fell over the Hall as the golden box beside Professor McGonagall melted away to reveal a large goblet.
Lily knew exactly what the Triwizard Tournament was – her father had competed in it and almost been killed doing it. Another boy actually had been killed – Cedric Diggory, a name famous for being the first casualty of the Second Wizarding War. The Tournament had been discontinued immediately afterwards. Lily didn't think anyone could have foreseen it being resurrected. She leaned forward in her seat and listened closely to Professor McGonagall as she explained that the Ministry of Magic wanted to promote harmony and friendship with international schools. It was clear from the way Professor McGonagall's lips were pursed that she didn't agree with the sentiment. She then went on to explain the rules of the Tournament.
"As it was with the last Tournament," she said, "only witches and wizards who are of age will be allowed to enter. This–" she indicated the goblet "is the Goblet of Fire. It will select the champions from each school. Our rival schools will arrive next week – I trust that you will treat them with hospitality and kindness. The champions will be selected after our guests arrive." She glanced around the room and the tables soon filled with food. "Now, tuck in!"
Lily reached eagerly for the food and began to pile her plate with Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes and a large serving of lamb drizzled in gravy. Her stomach growled in appreciation as she shovelled forkfuls into her mouth, savouring the rich taste of the Hogwarts food. Beside her, Dominique nibbled on a chicken leg. On her other side, Hugo was munching on a bread roll. Several minutes passed before they spoke.
"The Triwizard Tournament," Hugo said through a mouthful of bread. "That must be what Scorpius was talking about on the train."
"I can't believe they've brought it back," Dominique said. Her mother had also competed in the Tournament. "I wouldn't have thought it would be allowed."
"I'd imagine it took a lot of pushing on the Ministry's part," Hugo said thoughtfully. "It seems strange that it's being hosted at Hogwarts again... wasn't it hosted here the last time?"
Lily nodded and swigged a mouthful of pumpkin juice. "Maybe since our Ministry is the one pressing it, they offered to host it here."
"Well, whatever the reason," Dominique said, "I'm entering."
"I bet Albus will, too," Lily said, glancing back at her brother.
They discussed possible Hogwarts champions over dinner and then hurried off to the common room. Lily climbed the stairs to her familiar dormitory, where her fellow fifth years were already unpacking. They exchanged hellos and then Lily collapsed into bed, too exhausted to begin to unpack. She was asleep within minutes.
"The Triwizard Tournament!" Albus said for the millionth time. "Can you believe it, Scorpius?"
"Yes, Albus," Scorpius said patiently. "I told you, I've known for months."
"It's crazy," Albus said, a wild grin tugging at his lips. "D'you know, I reckon whoever's chosen won't have to sit the N.E.W.T.s."
Scorpius stared at him. "Are you considering entering the Tournament because you think it will get you out of doing your exams?"
"Of course not!" Albus replied defensively. "That's just an added bonus! Think about it, Scorpius – all of the stuff that comes with winning the Triwizard Tournament... prize money... fame... a loyal mob of fans... an exemption from exams..." He gave a wistful sigh.
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "You're unbelievable."
"You love it," Albus grinned. He paused. "I'm gonna do it, you know. I'm going to enter. And I'm going to win."
They were tucked away in the Slytherin common room, surrounded by an already massive pile of homework – and it could only get bigger. It had been exactly a week since the first day of school, and all that Albus had talked about since the Sorting was the Triwizard Tournament. It was all that he could think about. He'd heard his father tell stories about the Tournament, and although Harry had always stressed that it was a horrible experience and he wished he could forget it, Albus had always secretly wished he could compete. Professor McGonagall's announcement at the start of term feast had been like a dream come true for him.
Today was the day that the other schools were supposed to arrive, too – so that meant Albus could enter his name tonight. He planned on doing so without telling Lily or his parents. He knew that Lily wouldn't try to talk him out of it, but she might let it slip to their parents and they would stop him from competing. That just wouldn't do.
"What makes you think your name will even come out of the Goblet?" Scorpius pointed out. "Think of all the students that are going to enter."
Albus thought of them – he already knew that his cousin Dominique was entering. He'd heard rumours about several others, but he had no concrete evidence about who else planned to enter. He waved his hand dismissively.
"It doesn't matter who else enters," he said. "I'm the son of a former Triwizard champion. The Goblet's going to choose me."
Scorpius rolled his eyes once again and snapped his Potions book closed. He ran a hand through his white blond hair and glanced at the watch on his wrist. "It's nearly five thirty. They'll be arriving soon."
"Let's go, then!" Albus said, jumping to his feet and scattering books all over the floor. Scorpius started to protest and moved to pick them up, but Albus grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the common room before he could. They raced through the castle and out to the courtyard, where there were hundreds of students milling about, waiting for the arrival of their rival schools. Professor McGonagall had already confirmed that the two schools were the same ones that had competed against Hogwarts in the last Triwizard Tournament – Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute. Albus had heard stories from his father about the spectacular entrances the two schools had made previously and he was eager to see if they lived up to their reputation.
He dragged Scorpius to the forefront of the crowd and scanned the skies eagerly, darting his gaze towards the lake every now and again. Time seemed to drag, but eventually, he caught sight of a speck in the sky and gave a shout. "Look!" he yelled. "Over there!"
It was just like Albus's father had described – a huge, powder blue horse carriage, pulled by several larger than life horses. The Hogwarts students gasped as it dipped low over the castle and then came to a stop beside Hagrid's hut. The door swung open and a huge woman climbed out, who Albus guessed was Madame Maxime, the Headmistress. She was followed by a steady stream of boys and girls wearing powder blue robes, who made their way towards the castle in an orderly line. Professor McGonagall hurried forwards to meet Madame Maxime and they chatted briefly before Madame Maxime went into the castle with her students.
The Durmstrang students arrived only moments later, and once again, it was just as Albus's father had described. He watched in awe as a great ship rose from the depths of the lake. While the Durmstrang students climbed off of the ship, Albus sough Lily in the crowd, and they grinned at how their father's stories were coming to life. With all of the visitors safely arrived, Professor McGonagall ushered the students into the Great Hall, where they were to have a welcoming feast.
The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students were nowhere to be found as the Hogwarts students took their seats at their House tables. Professor McGonagall made her way to the front of the Hall, where the Goblet of Fire sat, and cleared her throat. Almost at exactly the same time, the doors swung open to reveal the guests.
"Students of Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall announced. "Allow me to introduce Madame Maxime, Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and her students." The students in the powder blue robes marched into the hall after their Headmistress and took seats at various House tables. Albus was pleased to spot a very handsome Beauxbatons boy select the Slytherin table – Scorpius, noticing this, frowned. Professor McGonagall continued. "And of course, Vladimir Petrovsky, Headmaster of Durmstrang Institute, and his students." A tall, reedy man entered the hall and the Durmstrang students followed suit, taking seats at the House tables as the Beauxbatons students had. When everyone was seated, Professor McGonagall went on. "Welcome, students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, welcome Madame Maxime and Professor Petrovsky. We are so pleased to have you here at Hogwarts. Tonight marks the beginning of the 2024 Triwizard Tournament. After the feast, students may submit their names to the Goblet of Fire. Our champions will be chosen two days from now, on Sunday evening. Now, without further ado – tuck in!"
The plates on the House tables filled with food. Albus noted how exotic the selection was this evening – he spotted several French dishes. He decided, however, to stick with his fail safe favourite, roast chicken, and piled his plate high with it.
"So," Scorpius said, buttering a slice of bread. "Some entrance."
"Mm-hmf," Albus agreed through a mouthful of food. "Just like Dad said."
"Still thinking of entering the Tournament?" Scorpius asked mildly.
"Of course."
Scorpius nodded and then hesitated. "Just... be careful, okay?"
Albus smiled at him. "I can do that," he promised.
After dinner, Albus was one of many students who made their way to the Goblet. He tossed his name into the cup, watching in fascination as the flames swallowed the parchment. As he made his way back to the Slytherin table, he felt someone grab his arm and looked up to find his cousin Dominique, her eyes shining.
"Did you do it?" she asked. He nodded and she grinned. "Me too. And so did my cousin – hang on, where did she go... Amélie!" Dominique cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted at a tall, willowy blonde girl.
"She doesn't look old enough to compete..." Albus said, frowning. He wondered if the age rule only applied to Hogwarts students.
"She just turned seventeen yesterday," Dominique said, waving Amélie over. "She's very excited to compete, I hope she gets chosen – Amélie! This is my cousin, Albus. Albus, Amélie."
Amélie gave Albus a winning smile, and despite the fact that he wasn't normally into girls, Albus found his stomach fluttering. Veela genes, he reminded himself.
"'Allo," she said charmingly. "Dominique 'as told me so much about you and your family."
"Er, hi," Albus said. "So Fleur must be your aunt then."
"Oui, ma tante Fleur!" Amélie said excitedly. "She also 'as told me much about your family. Your papa, 'Arry Potter – il est célèbre!"
"Right," Albus said, completely lost. He glanced back at the Slytherin table, where Scorpius was waiting impatiently for him. "I better go. It was nice to meet you, Amélie. Bye, Dom."
He hurried back to Scorpius's side and they walked out of the Great Hall together, chatting amicably about all of the students who had put their name forward. Back in the common room, people were taking bets on which champions would be chosen. Albus was pleased to discover that he was one of the favourites. He went to bed with a grin on his face.
The next day, however, was torture. Albus felt like a little kid on Christmas Eve. He couldn't stop thinking about whose name would be pulled out of the Goblet – nothing could take his mind off of it. He spend the day with Scorpius, Dominique, Amélie and Lily, but while his friends played wizard chess and Exploding Snap, he was worrying about what he would do if he wasn't picked. Sunday couldn't come fast enough, as far as Albus was concerned.
When the time to pick the champions finally arrived, Albus's excitement turned to nerves. He sat in the Great Hall with Scorpius on one side of him and Lily on the other, for moral support. His hand was clutched tightly in Scorpius's. Professor McGonagall asked that all champions, when chosen, please make their way to the antechamber on the left side of the hall and then approached the Goblet of Fire with a grim expression on her face. As she neared it, the brilliant flames turned blue and spat out a red piece of parchment. Professor McGonagall unfurled it.
"The champion for Durmstrang," she said loudly, "is Vasilisa Chazov."
Albus craned his neck and saw a very small girl stand up and head for the antechamber. She was dressed in the thick furs that marked her as a Durmstrang student and she had thick, curly black hair. Once she had disappeared, Professor McGonagall stepped forward as the Goblet spat out another piece of parchment, blue this time.
"The champion for Beauxbatons," Professor McGonagall announced, "is Pascal Delacroix."
The handsome boy who had sat at the Slytherin table on Friday got to his feet, grinning good naturedly, and headed for the antechamber. Albus swallowed hard as Professor McGonagall approached the Goblet for the third time, closing his eyes as he heard it spit out another piece of parchment.
"It's alright," Scorpius whispered, and then:
"The champion for Hogwarts is Albus Potter."
Bam! Hope you enjoyed :) Probably won't update unless I get feedback, so please do leave a review of you have the time!
P.S. I totally reused the Sorting Hat song from my Marauder's Era oneshot, and IDEC.