Harry

Harry woke up in a hospital bed, not for the first time. He was becoming a regular visitor of Madam Pomfrey.

"You're awake!" Harry heard his friend Ron's voice loud and clear, "Bloody hell, Harry, we thought you were going to spend the night here, again."

The drowsiness faded out of Harry, replaced with relief.

"I won't have to then? Spend the night, I mean." He looked up at Ron and saw that Hermione was there too. Ron opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Hermione,

"Madam Pomfrey said it was just oxygen withdrawal, and since you have oxygen now, you'll be fine." Harry stood up, still in his Hogwarts robes, and the trio walked to the great hall.

Harry told his friends what he saw at the lake, including the boy being attacked by mermaids, but the attacks having no visible effect. Hermione and Ron told him what had happened when he was unconscious.

"When we left to take you to the infirmary, 'lake boy' was talking to Dumbledore, too quiet for us to hear." Ron finished. The trio found themselves outside the great hall, and slipped in unnoticed.

All attention was on the front, where 'lake boy' stood next to Dumbledore. As the trio sat down, Dumbledore began to talk.

"I know you all have many questions about what has happened tonight, and I offer an explanation. Sixteen-year old wizard Percy Jackson found himself on Hogwarts grounds with no memory. After being pulled into the lake, Percy performed the bubble-head charm and stopped the attacks coming from the territorial mermaids. Hogwarts has decided to to extend its hospitality to Percy Jackson. He will be sorted and placed in sixth year."

Dumbledore was hiding something, but Harry stayed quiet as Percy Jackson sat on the three legged stool left out after the previous sorting ceremony.

Percy had an unreadable expression on his face as he sat down. Professor McGonagall set the sorting hat on his head. The hat sat there for a few minutes, and Percy's expression stayed stoic.

Just when Harry thought the hat would never decide, it yelled out one word, loud and clear.

"Hufflepuff!" What a lame house for someone so... Powerful? Strong? Mysterious? Harry wasn't sure what to describe Percy as.

He was jolted back to reality by the loud clapping coming from the Hufflepuff table. He watched as Percy looked at Dumbledore, spoke a few words, and walked to his new house.

Dumbledore gave the standard welcome speech (including some new words. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Gobble. Quack.) The food appeared, and they ate.

Harry watched Percy, who was staring in awe at the mounds of food, and wondered where did he come from?Harry noticed, as Percy began eating, that said wizard was already making friends and joking.

Once the food faded away, Dumbledore stood up again. " Now I have an announcement." Harry noticed Some people place a large box in front of Dumbledore. Dumbledore opened his mouth, but the boom of the great hall doors closing interrupted him.

A man walked up the hall. Step. Clunk. Step. Clunk. The students around Harry whispered, but he himself remained silent. A glass eye was rolling around in a socket, staring at people, seeming to read through them.

The man walked to the front of the room and had a quick discussion with Dumbledore.

"Students! This man here is your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Please welcome, Professor Moody." No one clapped, although it was expected for new teachers.

"And, back to what I was saying. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year. The tournament was established seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European school of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang.

"A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. This tournament happened once every five years, until the death toll amounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

Whispers raced across the hall. Death toll? I want to join. That is so cool. Dumbledore raised his hand, and the whispers silenced.

"We have taken many precautions so that we may find no champion in mortal danger. For example, the Ministry has decided to put an age limit on entering the tournament: you must be sixteen." Complains and groans echoed, Harry's joined them.

Dumbledore raised his hand yet again, and waited for silence.

"The champions will be decided using the Goblet of Fire." The box in front of Dumbledore melted away, revealing a goblet, glowing with the blue fire flowing off the rim. "All who want to enter, if you are sixteen, may write their name on a slip of paper and place it in the goblet. The goblet will choose the champions."

"It's like a gumball machine." Percy covered his mouth, sheepish. Dumbledore smiled.

"Thank you Percy, for that delightful insight. You all have until Halloween to enter. Goodnight." Dumbledore turned away, and the prefect herded their houses upstairs.

Harry didn't understand how, in one evening of knowing each other, Dumbledore and Percy had a better relationship than Harry and Dumbledore had after three years. He was envious.

Harry followed Ron to their dormitories, bid his roommates goodnight, and got in bed. He fell asleep quickly. He dreamed he had entered the tournament, became champion, and won. His faceless competitors hung their heads, Dumbledore smiled at him proudly, and Percy was glowering, envious.

What a good night.

I'm back! Percy's in Hufflepuff? Harry is jealous? Dumbledore is hiding something? I'll try to update again as soon as possible. Hopefully tomorrow, but Saturday at the latest.

"The pursuit of knowledge is the pursuit of happiness." I wise woman (her name may or may not be Valerie Washington) once said this. I would like to know what you all think of my story, would you deny me this simple happiness?

Read and Review? Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! I love all the support! Until next time then. -VW