Fleur Delacour was ready. Looking out her window, she saw the huge castle of Hogwarts and the hundreds of students standing in the courtyard. She was ready to make a name for herself; ready to represent her school and most importantly, ready to prove that she was not all looks. Her whole life, she was judged for her Veela heritage, leaving her with very few she could actually call friends.

"Are you excited?!" said Arielle, her cousin and coincidentally her best friend. "I know you're going to be the school champion, I can feel it in my bones!"

Fleur smiled at her. "Thanks Arielle, but I don't know…I hope this place will be different than at home. Maybe people won't just stare at me all the time…"

"Oh Fleur, people will always stare at you. But this time, they'll stare because you're the school champion!"

Fleur gave a wary smile and looked back down the window in time to watch their descent. Once they landed she saw Madame Maxime greet an old man who was standing in front of the crowd; he had to be Dumbledore. The Durmstrang headmaster was also present; Igor Karkaroff. Fleur stood up with her fellow students and got ready to exit the carriage; she and Arielle would be the first out of the carriages. As she walked down the steps, she looked around at the castle and the grounds. It really was a magnificent place. Unfortunately, she also saw all the boys staring at her with their eyes glazed over. Her eyes swept over the crowd taking them all in, stopping briefly at a boy whose head was turned and not looking at her; probably the only one who wasn't. He was turned to a girl with bushy-hair, looking confused about his surroundings. Fleur kept walking to the Great Hall with the rest of the class and put him out of her head for now. It was time for the feast to begin.


Fleur looked around the table, and noticed the bouillabaisse was mostly gone. She looked around the hall and saw the table next to theirs had some left in front of the bushy haired girl from before and the boy who had not stared at her.

"Skrewts doing alright Hagrid?" asked the boy to the staff table.

"Thrivin'," said the big man from the staff table. "How's quidditch going?"

"It's the best," said the boy with a smile.

So he's on the house quidditch team, Fleur thought to herself. She noticed a pause in their conversation and got up and walked behind the boy. She tapped him on his shoulder and when he turned around, she noticed his bright emerald green eyes, a shade she had never seen on anyone. For one moment she was almost in a trance but shook it off as she noticed all the boys around him and their drooling expressions.

"Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" she asked the boy.

"Nope, help yourself," said the boy, smiling at her and pushing the plate to her.

"You 'ave finished wiz it?"

"Yeah, it was excellent," said a red headed boy across from them, who to her dismay was actually drooling.

"Merci," she said, picking up the plate and smiling at the raven-haired boy and went back to her table. When she sat down she noticed something; he was the only one not affected by her allure.


Over the next two weeks, Harry spent all of his time either in the classroom or on the quidditch pitch. Not that he was complaining; he really loved quidditch and he loved his team. All the players got along great, including Malcom, Sandy and Cho. The day of the choosing for the individual tournament, on Halloween, the team had a short practice right before dinner.

"Ok, that's enough for the night! The first game is in two weeks, only a few weeks before the first individual tournament. I'm not sure which school we'll be playing yet, but we're going to continue practicing hard. Unfortunately, we'll have to cut down on our practices in order to give the other teams a chance to use the pitch. I'll give Angelina and Harry the new practice schedules soon."

The team dismounted their brooms and headed to the locker room; all except Harry that is. He flew over to the stands where he saw Hermione was waiting for him. She knew how he felt. He always hated Halloween. It was the anniversary of his parents' death.

"Hey Mione," said Harry, giving her a hug.

"Hey Harry," said Hermione. "You feel like going to the feast?"

"Hey Hare-Bear," he heard from next to him. "You ok?"

He turned his head to see Katie, Alicia and Angelina dismounting their brooms.

"Yeah, it's just…I feel like I should do something for them or whatever, you know?" he said, looking down at the pitch. The three chasers knew what he was talking about; every year they could see his heart was not in to the feast on Halloween night, and often times he left early.

"C'mon Harry, I have an idea," said Angelina. She flew out of the pitch towards the lake, with Katie, Alicia, Harry and Hermione, who had sat behind Harry on his broom, all following her. They all stopped next to the great lake, under the tree he usually used to study. She conjured a couple of flowers and handed two to each of them. She bent down and let them float into the lake.

"Thank you James and Lily, for the wonderful, magnificent boy standing next to me. You would have been proud of him. Youngest seeker in the century!" said Angelina.

Alicia stood up next. "Yeah, not a bad mind either…when's he's not using it to pull pranks," she smirked, ignoring Harry's indignant cry. "I wish you were here to see him; if he got the best of both of you than I'm sure you were wonderful people too."

"Not to mention he's a knockout with the ladies," said Katie, winking at Harry. "If only we could do something about his hair," she said while ruffling his hair, also ignoring Harry's hand swatting hers away. She turned back towards the lake. "But seriously, without you he would not have been here. And I know I speak for a lot of people when I say our lives are better because he's in them. Thank you," and she put the flowers into the water.

"Hi James, Lily," said Hermione. "I want to thank you for my brother. You have no idea how much he has done for me. I wouldn't be me without him, and I have you to thank. So thank you. And I promise I'll keep looking out for him."

The four girls stepped back and allowed Harry to move forward.

"I wish…I wish you were here with me. I think about it all the time; what could have happened. But I hear a lot about you from Moony and Snuffles. And I have an endless amount of people tell me I look like dad with mom's eyes. I just want to make you proud. I hope wherever you are you can hear me, and I know someday we'll see each other again. I love you both," he finished, his eyes watering. A stubborn tear rolled down his face as he stood up and looked out at the lake. He turned back around and into the arms of Hermione.

"C'mon Hare-Bear," said Katie. "Lets get some treacle tart."

He wiped his eyes and allowed his sisters to steer him towards the Great Hall.

They opened the doors to the great hall with Katie and Alicia's arms draped around Harry, all of them smiling, albeit Harry's was a more watery one.

"-Potter," they heard Dumbledore say. The hall was silent. Harry stepped forward.

"What was that, sir?" asked Harry. All heads turned towards him.

"Harry Potter," said Dumbledore. "I've called your name at least four times."

"Umm…yes?" asked Harry, looking around at the crowd. People were looking at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Your name has come out of the cup. Please follow me to where the other champions are."

"What?!" he heard Hermione yell. But he couldn't really hear anything. He numbly walked up to the front and followed Dumbledore through the doors to a different room where he saw Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour and Cedric Diggory surrounded by who he recognized as Ludo Bagman, Barty Crouch and Madame Maxime and Karkaroff.

"Excellent! This is absolutely extraordinary!" said Bagman, walking towards Harry. "May I present our fourth triwizard champion!"

Krum stood up straighter. Cedric turned towards Harry with a confused look on his face. Fleur Delacour smiled, though. "Oh, vairy funy joke, Meester Bagman!"

"Joke?" repeated Bagman. "No, this is no joke. His name came out of the Goblet of Fire!"

"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," said Fleur. "'E cannot compete. 'E is just a little boy!"

"Hey!" said Harry, who woke up at that comment.

The doors opened and Professor Dumbledore returned, followed by Professor McGonagall, who came and stood next to Harry, Professor Snape who sneered at him, and Professor Moody.

"Did you put your name in the Goblet Harry?" asked Dumbledore, looking him in the eyes.

"No, sir," said Harry.

"Did you ask an older student to put your name in for you?"

"No, sir."

"Of course 'e is lying!" cried Madame Maxime.

"He could not have crossed the Age Line," said Professor McGonagall sharply, putting her hands on Harry's shoulders.

"Dumbledore must have made a mistake, then," said Karkaroff, staring at Harry.

"This was no one's fault but Potter's," Snape sneered. "Just like his father. Tell me Potter, why were you not at this feast in the first place? No doubt causing trouble."

"I don't see how that is any of your business, Professor," said Harry coldly.

"You see! He was planning this," said Snape. "Trying to make a grand entrance. Just like his arrogant father."

"If you must know, Professor Snape," said Harry, taking a step forward and looking him in the eyes," I was at the lake with my quidditch team. We were paying tribute. It's the anniversary of my parents' death."

It was silent after that. Nobody knew what to say. Harry turned to Dumbledore, whose eyes were no longer twinkling.

"Professor, I did not put my name in the Goblet, nor did I ask anybody to. I didn't even go near the cup. I was either in the classroom or on the quidditch pitch; you can ask my whole team. Is there any way I can get out of this?" he asked.

"The rules state that those people whose names come out of the Goblet must compete in the tournament. No exceptions," said Mr. Crouch, stepping forward.

"Then we must do a redraw!" shouted Karkaroff. "Hogwarts has an advantage!"

"I agree!" shouted Madame Maxime.

"We can't. It's a binding magical contract. Convenient, eh Karkaroff?" growled Moody.

"Convenient?" asked Karkaroff. "What does that mean?"

Moody limped to the middle of the room. "It's very simple Karkaroff. People have died in this tournament. Maybe someone is hoping Potter will as well."

"That's ridiculous!" shouted Karkaroff. "There is no proof of that!"

"Except the fact that something has tried to kill me at Hogwarts every year I've been here…" grumbled Harry to himself, though everybody heard.

"What evidence is zere of zat?" asked Madam Maxime.

"Somebody used an exceptionally strong Confudnus Charm to bamboozle the goblet…I'm guessing they submitted Potter's name under a fourth school, to make sure he was chosen…" said Moody.

"You seem to have thought a great deal of this, Moody," said Karkaroff coldly.

"It's my job to think the way Dark wizards do, Karkaroff- as you ought t o remember…"

"Alastor!" said Dumbledore. "That's enough. The fact of the matter is that Harry must compete. Ludo, if you would."

"Right! The first task is designed to test your daring, " he told Harry, Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor, "so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard." He rubbed his hands together. "The first task will take place on November the twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges. The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Knowing the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."

"Right well, everyone off to bed now. I'm sure your respective schools are waiting to celebrate with you. Good night," said Dumbledore, who walked out of the room followed by all of the adults. Krum followed Karkaroff, Fleur threw one last look over her shoulder before following Madame Maxime, and Cedric and Harry walked out to the Great Hall in silence.

"I believe you, you know," said Cedric as they walked down the hall. "About not putting your name in."

"You do?" asked Harry, surprised.

"Yeah. I know what kind of person you are. And I've heard of the adventures you've had. I don't think you would have entered; especially with all the danger the tournament presents," he finished.

"Wow Cedric…that means a lot to me," said Harry. They reached the fork in the hall for them to go their separate ways. Harry shook Cedric's hand. "Thanks," said Harry. "And just so you know, I'm rooting for you."


Harry took a deep breath and gave the Fat Lady the password.

"-so everybody who thinks otherwise can just shut the hell up!" he heard a voice yell. He stepped through the portrait hole and saw Katie, Alicia and Angelina standing on a table, their arms crossed.

"Ummm, hi?" he said. Everybody turned their heads.

"Harrikins!" shouted the twins.

"These three beautiful ladies here-"

"were just informing us how you couldn't-"

"have put your name in the cup-"

"because you were with the quidditch team-"

"every day!" they finished together.

"And he also doesn't have a death wish," he heard Hermione say, and spotted her on the couch in front of the fireplace.

"Right…well I didn't enter," said Harry, looking around.

"We know!" yelled the twins.

"But regardless, at least there's a Gryffindor representing the school!" yelled Lee Jordan.

"Whooo!" "Yeah!" "Go Harry!" "Gryffindor rules!"

Harry looked around and almost smiled. He walked over to where Hermione was sitting on the couch and plopped down next to her.

"Where's Ron?" he asked, resting his head on her shoulder. He was wiped.

"Upstairs being an ass," said Hermione. "He thinks you entered the tournament."

"That's crazy!" said Harry, sitting up. "He doesn't actually believe that, does he?"

"He's jealous," said Angelina, sitting next to them. "But don't worry. We here all believe you."

"Thanks guys," said Harry with a small smile. "Well, it's been a long day. I'm gonna go to bed. Night all."

He climbed the stairs to his room and entered. Ron was lying on his bed.

"So school champion," he said. "How'd you do it?"

"I didn't," said Harry. "I don't know who put my name in."

"Sure you don't. You'd think you would tell me, I'm only your best friend," said Ron, sitting up angrily.

"Look, believe me, don't believe me," said Harry angrily. "Whatever. I'm going to bed. Good night." He climbed into his bed and shut the curtains. He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. Well…this sucks, was his last thought before he knocked out.