Chapter Two
"Why? Why didn't you tell me you were going to put your name in? Why didn't you tell me how to put mine in!" Ron screamed at him, spit flying in his anger.
"I didn't put my name in Ron! I swear! This is just another plan to kill me!" Harry shouted back throwing his hands in the air with exasperation.
Ron wore an expression that shocked Harry to the core. "Yes, yes it's always about Harry-bloody-Potter isn't it? Sometimes-no, all the time I think you're more paranoid than Mad-Eye Moody! And-and you think everything is about you! Why would anyone put your name into the Goblet of Fire? You're the Boy-Who-Lived!" Ron shouted with contempt.
"Exactly! I'm the Boy-Who-Lived, there are people that want me dead!" Harry roared at his so called best friend. But it seemed Ron wouldn't see sense and continued his rant.
"You get everything! You have money, you have power, and you get all the girls, and the worst thing about it is you're so bloody dense you don't see it! You just feed off that little idea since first year that you're some lonely deprived kid. 'Oh look at me I lost my parents when I was baby, ooh my relatives don't give me everything I want'!" Ron mocked his face becoming the famous Weasley red.
"I have a trust fund my parents set up-I'm not set for life! I don't have galleons to just throw around Ron and who cares about power anyway? And don't you remember when you and the twins had to pull the bars off my window?" Harry's voice continued rising and was attracting more and more attention. From where they stood out in the Transfiguration Courtyard there were many people who could overhear them, "Girls, Ron? You know I'm not looking for a relationship now!"
"Oh, so what, my sister isn't good enough for you?" Ron screamed, balling up his fists.
Harry's face screwed up in confusion. "Ginny? What's Ginny got to do with anything? All I said is I'm not looking for a relationship!"
"Oh? Is it Hermione then?"
"Hermione, what's she-"
"I knew it! You don't want my sister so you want Hermione!" Before anything else could happen Ron launched himself at Harry and had pulled back his fist for a punch when a shout rang across the courtyard.
"What in Merlin's name is going on out here? Potter, Weasley what are you doing?" Professor McGonagalls stern voice rang out. The students who were loitering watching their argument had suddenly disappeared, leaving no witnesses.
"What in the name of Merlin is going on out here?" McGonagall scolded glaring at the two of them.
"Nothing." Ron mumbled, his eyes seemingly glued to his shoes.
"Yeah, Professor, nothing." Harry muttered bitterly between clenched teeth, glancing over at his former best friend.
Not believing them McGongall sighed, "Very well, ten poi-" And sighed again remembering there was no point system this year. "Very well, be on your way."
The two scurried off, Ron still feeling bitter jealousy, and Harry a hole in his heart for his lost friend.
"Harry!" Hermione called spotting him walking quickly to his History of Magic class the next day.
Harry stopped to let her catch up to him. Her hair was flying everywhere and there was two bright pink spots from the exertion of running to catch him.
"Hi Harry, can we walk together?" At his nod they started off again.
"I heard about your and Ronald's fight yesterday. You know it's against the rules to fight Harry." Hermione scolded, feeling the urge to shake her fist at him.
Said boy sighed deeply before responding, "It wasn't really a fight. We were having an argument. Hermione, he's jealous of my life, and he doesn't even believe me when I say I didn't put my name in the cup-"
"About that," Hermione began, cutting him off. "You know the rules said that no one under the age of seventeen could enter. Yet you did anyway. I am disappointed in you Harry James Potter."
Harry gaped at her before closing his mouth angrily and biting back, "Can't you forget the rules for a second and realize someone else did it?"
Hermione's face would have been comical if it wasn't for the situation.
"Forget the rules? Are you mad?" She shrieked. Luckily the corridor was empty and they didn't attract any unwanted attention.
"Fine then, can you realize that Dumbledore or someone didn't make sure only seventeen year olds could participate, because they messed up-"
She cut him off again, "Harry! You can't just disrespect authority like that-"
"Will you let me finish?!" Harry seethed angrily.
Hermione glared at him but conceded, "Fine then."
"Good. If only someone of age could enter they-whoever was in charge-must have screwed up somehow to allow me, a fourth year, to have to enter! Maybe instead of scolding me for something I didn't do you could help me with the first task or try to find a way out of it!"
Now it was Hermione's turn to gape. "Help you? Harry it's against the rules!"
"Merlin Hermione! You have got to stop thinking that rules and authoritative figures are some kind of Gods!"
"But they're appointed and put there for a reason Harry!"
"And most of the time in the Wizarding World its the wrong reason! Like Fudge, Crouch, Snape, and hundreds of others the only way they got to power was by influence and money! Not respect, not good choices, but manipulation! Oh and for good measure add that manipulative bastard Dumbledore to the list!" Harry snarled at her before stalking off to History of Magic.
When Hermione arrived Harry was already in the classroom scratching loudly on a piece of parchment. She sat next to Neville who seemed to be getting ready for a good doze. Hermione heard a curse and glanced over at Harry where in his anger his quill went right through the parchment. She sighed realizing she probably just lost her friend, before getting out fresh parchment and copying down notes from Professor Binns lecture on the Goblin Rebellion of 1762.
"Hagrid? Hagrid are you here?" Harry knocked again on the door of the man's hut. There was still no answer.
The smoke coming out of the precariously perched chimney showed Harry that Hagrid was home.
"Hagrid, I know you're here! I can see the smoke from your chimney. Please I want to talk to you." Harry begged through the door.
The curtains on the round window opened a teensy bit and a beady black eye peeked through. When Harry glanced over to it the floral curtains snapped shut.
"Hagrid please, please, don't think I put my name in the Goblet! I didn't!" Harry cried. Fang barked from inside the hut at hearing Harry's tone.
The door cracked open and Harry could see a small part of Hagrid from the small opening.
"Make it quick." Hagrid said gruffly not opening the door wider.
"Can I come in?" Harry asked relieved Hagrid answered, finally.
"Sorry, Olympe's comin' by soon and I'm tryin' te get ready." Hagrid answered shortly.
"Oh...er...well. I didn't put my name into the Goblet of Fire."
Hagrid nodded curtly at that.
"You believe me?" Harry asked happily.
Hagrid only shrugged and said, "Who would want te put ye inte the Goblet o' Fire Harry?"
"But Hagrid you've got to believe me, I didn't! And someone who wants to kill me for sure!"
Hagrid looked dubious and started to shut the door while saying, "I've got te get ready fer Olympe, Harry. Best ye not come round here fer a while 'kay?"
He didn't wait for an answer and just shut and latched the door.
"But...Hagrid..."
Harry's shoulders hunched forward and he trudged back up the path to the castle.
Two days later at breakfast the mail came in and Harry, who sitting alone, happily spotted Hedwig soaring towards him, her white plumage making it easy to spot her.
"Hey girl." He cooed when she landed on his outstretched arm. "Got mail for me?" If owls could look sad she definitely did and with a dull hoot and a nip at his ear she took off heading for the owlery not bothering to snatch a piece of his bacon.
Harry's grin slowly faded when he realized his letter was unopened with another attached.
Harry,
I saw in the Daily Prophet that you entered your name into the Goblet of Fire. I can't believe you would do something so stupid. I am very disappointed, I would come and try to help you though because I'm your godfather and I love you. But Dumbledore's forbade me from coming and instead I'm heading to Majorca. Please don't try to write back. And don't get yourself killed.
Snuffles.
"What?" Harry whispered staring at the short letter in his hand from his godfather Sirius. Reading between the lines he read-
Harry,
I don't believe that you didn't put your name in there. It's stupid of you and I'm so mad and disappointed I don't want anything to do with you so I'm lying saying Dumbledore is sending me somewhere so I don't have to help my disappointment of a godson.
Sirius.
"No, but Sirius...I-" Harry stopped whispering to himself when he saw some students were glaring at him and trying to listen to whatever he was saying.
Without another word Harry stuffed the letters into his pocket and headed off to Transfiguration early trying to blink back the moisture in his eyes...
"There's no one who believes me..." Harry whispered and laid his head on the desk in front of him in Professor McGonagall's classroom.
Harry stepped out into the arena and faced the Horntail mother without fear, staring into its eyes.
The fire coming from the dragon was so hot it scorched the little hairs on his arms from more than a hundred feet away.
With one last glance at the smooth wood of his wand, he pushed his feelings away, and snapped the wood in half, allowing the pieces to drop to the ground. As if he was on a Sunday stroll Harry walked forward straight towards the mouth of the Hungarian Horntail and closed his eyes and waited for the end.
Harry knew it was coming mere moments before it did when the screams and shouts suddenly become louder and fearful from the stands.
He opened his eyes to face his death and saw the snout of the dragon speeding towards him...opening...a red spark then...
An inferno of fire sped around Harry James Potter.
He reveled in the feeling of his flesh burning off of his bones, his nerves being fried to shreds.
He loved the feeling of finally being free of it all. Just one more half-second and it would be over-
The blackness took over.
The audience in the stands were screaming, shouting, swearing, in worry at the boy who just swallowed in fire.
Headmaster Dumbledore, said to be the strongest wizard since Merlin, calmly stood and spoke the incantation for the flame freezing spell just as dozens of dragon handlers started shouting stunners at the dragon.
When the smoke and the fire had blown away in a non-existent breeze the crowd could finally see the youngest tri-wizard champion.
He lay on the ground his skin black, cracked with fried blood oozing out.
But what scared them the most was the satisfied, relieved cracked smile on his severely burnt face.
Also make sure to-
-Check out I Am Ready: The Alternative Ending which will be re-posted soon.
-Follow my tumblr at dabunnylord, I'll be posting my own fanart for this story and can do other lil' tidbits.
~Quill's And Parchment