Chapter 2: The Fourth Year Begins

Albus Dumbledore had just returned to Hogwarts after his trip to America when he was greeted by his Deputy Headmistress. "Welcome home, Albus." Professor McGonagall said. "I see your trip was better than expected. Your mood exceeds usual expectations."

"Indeed, Minerva." Dumbledore happily replied. "I met Harry."

"Will Mr. Potter transfer back to Hogwarts, Headmaster?" Professor McGonagall asked in expectation.

"Not yet, Minerva." Dumbledore said with some sadness. "However, I found out he keeps in touch with his cousin. I believe that, in order to protect Dudley, he might want to return and fulfill the prophecy once Voldemort returns. For now, let's prepare for this school term. With or without the Boy-Who-Lived, this will be a special year."

'You have no idea, Headmaster'. Thought a Death Eater who somehow managed to infiltrate himself in the castle to implement a plan to restore Voldemort to a full corporeal form.

"I find it quite ironic that Harry Potter might return for the very same reason he left." Professor McGonagall snorted.

"Minerva, do you still blame the Dursleys for Harry leaving Hogwarts?" Albus was astonished.

"They were the ones who indoctrinated Harry Potter into fearing our nation, Albus." She explained.

"They were just afraid Harry would suffer the same injustice Sirius suffered." Albus reassured her. "That Sirius Black was indeed victim of an injustice and we failed to notice it for practically a whole decade just shows how right they were."

"We'd never…" Minerva tried to say.

"Harry can't be sure of that, Minerva." Dumbledore sadly replied.

For the next few months, Harry Potter was once again being just a regular (foreign) student receiving his magical education in America when he was suddenly called into the Principal's office. "Is this serious?" He asked the hall monitor guiding him to the office.

"I'm afraid so, Potter." The monitor replied. "Your Godfather was called as well."

Harry resisted the urge to laugh at the unintentional pun and then entered the office. "Harry, I'm so sorry for you!" Sirius sadly exclaimed while trying to hold his tears.

"Sorry for what, Uncle Sirius?"

"Harry Potter, what do you know about the Triwizard Tournament?" The Principal asked.

"Well, Sir, I know it's a tournament held among Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang." Harry answered. "It was discontinued a few centuries ago because of the high death rates but it was recently reinstated and a new rule was added to prevent underage wizards and witches from entering. A magical goblet known as the Goblet of Fire selects one student from each school to enter the Tournament."

"And your name was selected." The Principal sadly said.

"What?" Harry was shocked. "How can this be? I haven't…" He was then angry. "Dumbledore!"

"Not necessarily, Prongslet." Sirius replied. "Igor Karkaroff, Headmaster of Durmstrang, is a Death Eater who got out of Azkaban by revealing the identities of other Death Eaters and might have done it to get you killed."

"So what?" Harry asked in dismissal. "It's not that I can be forced to compete."

"I'm afraid you can, Mr. Potter." The Principal sadly replied. "The Goblet of Fire is a powerful and binding magical contract. If you refuse, you might lose your magic."

"No big loss." Harry calmly replied to the shock of Sirius and the Principal. "My magic is what binds me to that barbaric nation. Without it, I'll no longer have to worry about spending time in Azkaban for crimes I haven't committed."

"You might lose your life, Prongslet." Sirius pleaded.

Now Harry was depressed. "And I thought I already knew how barbaric the Wizarding World could be."

"You don't know the half of it, Mr. Potter." The Principal explained. "I tried to formalize a complaint to the British Ministry of Magic to get them to investigate the incident and Cornelius Fudge said I was exaggerating with my claims somebody put your name in the Tournament in order to get you killed. He even accused me of stirring panic."

"Fortunately, he wouldn't ignore me." Sirius bragged. "Cornelius Fudge wouldn't dare say no to the Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black and Acting Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter."

The Principal was disgusted at Magical England's social structure but wouldn't let it show. "Anyway, I've contacted Headmaster Dumbledore over this, Mr. Potter. You will attend classes at Hogwarts and, after the Triwizard Tournament ends, return for your end of the year exams. You'll also take your books for additional studies. Your Godfather already bought books for the Hogwarts curriculum."

After that, Sirius Black and Harry Potter took an International Portkey to Hogsmeade and then took a carriage to Hogwarts. Harry found something odd about the carriage. "Sirius, how does it move without anything pulling it?"

"Actually, Prongslet, the carriage is being pulled by Thestrals." Sirius explained. "You can't see them because they can't be seen by anyone other than those who witnessed death."

After that answer, Harry decided not to speak of this subject any longer. Upon reaching the castle, they were welcomed by the two people within Hogwarts grounds Sirius Black hated the most: Argus Filch, a squib who works as caretaker and used to catch the marauders most of the time; and Severus "Snivellus" Snape, Sirius' former prank target and Hogwarts' current Potions Master. "What are you doing here, Snivy?" Sirius angrily asked.

"As Harry Potter's former Head of House, I was tasked with welcoming him." Snape sneered. "Now let's rush. I have a potion under a stasis charm."

"Not so fast, Sniv." Sirius demanded. "How do I know you're not the one trying to get Harry killed? You used to be a Death Eater back in the old days."

"Good thinking, my lad." A man arrived. That man had several scars on his face, an artificial eye and a prosthetic leg.

"I'm glad you're here, Auror Moody." Sirius commented. "Are you here to arrest Snape?"

"I wish I could." Moody replied with some anger. "There's nothing I hate more than a Death Eater who cheated his way out of Azkaban. Sorry about you wrongfully rotting there, Black."

"Prongslet, this is Alastor Moody." Sirius made introductions. "Moody is the one who gave your father and me Auror training. Practically half of Azkaban inmates were captured by him."

"How many of them are innocents?" Harry asked out of concern for them and disdain for the Wizarding Britain's justice system.

"Lad, I've been at the trials of all Death Eaters I've captured and all of them have been properly proven guilty." Moody explained. "We just erred with your Godfather because the nature of the crimes attributed to him made us too enraged to think straight. It doesn't excuse us, I know."

"Excuse me." Severus Snape intervened. "But I believe Headmaster Dumbledore is expecting for us."

Inside said office, they also met Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, the Heads of the other two schools as well as Bartemius Crouch (Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, who somehow managed to regain the post after losing it once his role in Sirius Black being originally denied a trial came into light); and Ludovic Bagman (Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports). Crouch was feeling awkward with being in the same room as Sirius Black but seemed to have bigger worries.

"How did you do that, little boy?" A woman nearly as tall as the Groundskeeper who guides Hogwarts first-years from the train to the castle (and that's saying something) asked.

"How did I do what, Miss…?"

"I'm Headmistress Olympe Maxime of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and I'm asking how you put your name in the Goblet of Fire."

"I didn't do it." Harry angrily replied. "Somebody did it to cause me some harm. Perhaps it was Dumbledore to force me back to England."

"Harry!" Dumbledore was scandalized. "I'd never do that!"

"That's right, Prongslet." Sirius agreed. "It was probably the work of one or both of the supposedly reformed Death Eaters in this office. Any of them could be trying to get you killed to avenge their fallen Lord."

"You dare accuse me?" Karkaroff asked in outrage.

"He learned from me, Karkaroff." Moody replied, scaring Karkaroff, who went towards Severus Snape for protection. "You dare seek protection from me after trying to sell me off during your plea bargain?"

"I did what I had to do, Severus!" Karkaroff pleaded. "Anything to escape the Dementors."

"I doubt you won't regret your decision once the Dark Lord returns." Snape stoically replied.

"He cannot possibly return, Severus!" Karkaroff desperately pleaded. "He's gone."

"We both know that, for as long as our Dark Marks aren't completely vanished, it's a sign he's not gone for good." Snape replied.

"Please, don't traumatize the boy." Dumbledore asked with his Grandfatherly tone. "Harry already has too much to worry about."

"Come with me, Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall requested. "I'll guide you to the Gryffindor Common Room."

"Why would I go there, Professor McGonagall?" Harry asked in reply. "I used to be a Slytherin during my brief stint as a Hogwarts student and it's there I want to go."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that, Mr. Potter." She argued.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, were the visiting students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang denied the right to choose which Common Room they'd use?" Harry asked.

"No, Harry." Dumbledore answered.

"Then why would I be denied that?" Harry asked. Unable to find a reason, the others lead Harry to Slytherin Common Room.

End Chapter.