Author's Note
Phew, finally got this up. I've had a packed week, two days of writer's block, and have finally finished this chapter.
Reviews:
ElektraVamp05: Well, I did basically give myself away the last chapter, so yes, I am also using some of the plot from the Chamber of Secrets. I won't say who did, but I basically did limit it down to two people, so you have a 50-50 chance of getting it right.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Goblet of Fire & the Champions
Jack walked into the Great Hall, reeking from his mishaps in Herbology. Hiccup was no better dirt smudging his face and caked on his hands. They didn't even have time to stop by their dormitories to wash off before they had to rush off to the Great Hall after receiving a long lecture from Porter about not setting plants on fire. He was a very stern man when it came to his plants and keeping his carrier as a Hogwarts professor. Other than that, the guy was fun and hilarious.
"Scourgify!" Jack muttered, waving his wand. The mess that was on him and his friend vanished and Hiccup sighed in relief.
Jack stared across the Great Hall, taking in the Halloween Feast. Sadly, he'd have to sit with his House and not with his friends. Good news was that at least Vanelope was there to keep him company. And maybe he could talk to the Thorston Twins. Rapunzel had cornered him two days ago about keeping an eye on them since someone in Slytherin had to keep them safe from Dagur. Jack had agreed readily. Hiccup was scared, but the Thorston Twins looked petrified at the mention of Dagur, yet alone spotting him.
"See you afterward, Hic," Jack said, flashing a grin.
"You, too, Jack," Hiccup laughed, going to the Ravenclaw table.
Jack sat down at the end of the Slytherin table, purposefully sitting across from the twins. They were still their regular selves, fighting and banging heads with their Viking helmets that they refused to remove. Jack could vouch that at least Tuffnut slept in his hat.
"Hey, Jack," Tuffnut greeted.
"How you doing, handsome?" Ruffnut purred, punching her brother in the arm.
Jack was second guessing his agreement of keeping an eye on them.
"Fine, Ruff," Jack said with a tightlipped smile. "Are you guys ready to see who will be Hogwarts' Champion?"
"I'm hoping it's Megara," Ruffnut declared, latching onto the topic. Or maybe just to talk to Jack. The white-haired Slytherin didn't really want to dwell on it.
"Nah, it's going to be Hercules," Tuffnut argued.
"Merida's got money on Maximus," Jack smirked.
"Nu-uh," Ruffnut shook her head. "The guy's a good fighter, but he's not worthy. Not compared to Hercules's fighting prowess or Megara's cunning."
"The Hufflepuffs believe that Cinderella will be chosen," Jack said offhandedly, wondering how they'd perceive the news. He had arguments to back up how Cinderella could be chosen, but even Jack was skeptical on her being Hogwarts' Champion. In all honesty, he was betting on Guy, a Ravenclaw seventh year.
"She's too ... sweet," Tuffnut mumbled, waving his hand in a dismissive way.
"I heard she disarmed Hercules one time," Jack stated, tilting his head in fake contemplation. "If I remember right, Megara couldn't stop teasing him about it."
"Hercules is nice. He probably let her," Ruffnut admonished, looking at the Gryffindor table. "Too bad he's taken. Those arms are amazing."
Tuffnut made a face and Jack made one in return. Girls.
Food began to appear on the plates in front of him. Jack wondered if they missed Moon making an announcement or not. Shrugging, Jack loaded up his plate, ready to gorge himself on all the food he could fit in his stomach. The Langdons weren't known for spoiling Jack. The Slytherin snorted. He could name the last time he had a proper meal while staying with that family: he was nine and it was at a Christmas party being hosted by a family who knew he existed and insisted he was there, too, or they'd turn down the Langdons. Jack hadn't hesitated in gorging himself then like he was now.
"How was your guys' summer?" Jack asked, shoving a forkful of asparagus and chicken in his mouth.
"Good. We had Dragon Training," Ruffnut replied, tearing off a strip of chicken with her teeth.
"Isn't there a winner for that?" Jack asked, trying to remember what Hiccup told him about it. Which was sad of him since Hiccup had constantly talked about it for so long.
"Yeah," Tuffnut hummed, nodding along, shoveling roasted potatoes into his mouth.
Jack waited for a moment but none of them continued. "Who won?"
"Hiccup," the Thorston Twins answered.
"Hiccup?" Jack asked, skeptical. He could see Hiccup losing part of his leg to a dragon. That wasn't out of the norm. But his friend with a big heart won his Dragon Training class to ... "What was the award?"
"Killing a Monstrous Nightmare in front of the whole village," Ruffnut answered. Jack noticed a layer of disgust to her words and wondered why. The whole way to gain honor on Berk was to kill a dragon. Jack remembered that from Hiccup's many rants.
"That sounds ... exciting," Jack deadpanned while part of his lip curled up in disgust. Nope, Viking life was definitely not for Jack.
"What about you? How was your summer?" Ruffnut asked, fluttering her eyelashes. Jack didn't know how, but she somehow managed to make it sound seductive.
"Okay," Jack shrugged, looking around. Where was Vanelope?
He saw her ways down, sitting with some of the kids in her year. Jack was conflicted about the whole thing. On one hand, he wanted her over here to save him from the strangeness that was the Thorston Twins. But on the other, he was happy she had made friends her age. Vanelope had a hard time finding people who liked and tolerated her for her sarcasm and bluntness.
"What'd you do?" Tuffnut asked, trying to get food from his sister's plate. She elbowed him in the face.
"Just ... hung out with relatives," Jack forced out with a pained grin.
"Sucks," Ruffnut declared in her rough voice. Tuffnut tugged on one of her braids and Jack witnessed a full-out war between them. Luckily, they didn't leave their seats at the Slytherin table, but punches and kicks were delivered with great force on each other. Jack wondered if he should split them up before he remembered it was a regular occurrence to happen at least once a day during mealtime. The only times one should worry is when they hadn't fought at all that day.
So, he resigned himself to finishing his plate while watching them fight. Sometimes, Tuffnut went for his sister's plate, which she quickly shoved him away for and then punched him in the face. Other times, it was Ruffnut who reached for her brother's, and thus Tuffnut got his revenge by kicking his sister back. It was rather interesting to watch. Physical fights were rare at Hogwarts—at least ones where you could tell both combatants were skilled in fighting. Watching the Thorston Twins, it was obvious they'd been fighting since birth—maybe even in the womb! Their tendency to fight had just been honed into proper punches deadly kicks, elbows and knees, and knowing weak spots on the body.
Again, it was fascinating.
The two calmed down when Headmaster Moon stood up. It caused Jack to focus on the man ... and then on the Goblet of Fire. It was spitting sparks from the top. They reminded Jack of fireworks—especially the ones he let off during Care of Magical Creatures yesterday. Jack made a low noise in his throat. He had to serve detention tonight with De Witte.
"It's time to announce who will be the three Champions," Moon declared, waving an arm at the Goblet before gesturing to a different door. "The Champions will move to the back room when called."
Jack got onto his knees to see better. A disadvantage by sitting so close to the Great Hall doors. He understood why the twins choose it. They were smart when they really tried, and knew a quick escape would keep them away from Dagur better.
The Goblet spat out more sparks, and then began to sputter. It kind of resembled a man choking on something with how frantic the sparks were becoming. Then, with a grand flourish of golden sparks, a slip of singed paper fluttered into the air. Moon snatched it and examined it before.
"Beauxbatons Academy of Magic's Champion is ... Elsa Arendelle!" Moon announced.
Jack looked at the girl who stood from the silk-wearing group. She was the only one who wore the uniform without any added shawls or thicker robes, but she was wearing gloves. Jack would say that, hands down, she was beautiful. Pale blonde hair, perfect creamy skin, and icy blue eyes made her look like an ice queen who decided to know more about the lives of wizards and witches. She moved gracefully to the back room to the reluctant cheers of the other Beauxbatons and claps from the other two schools. He refused to listen to the wolf-whistles and jeers from his fellow male population in the castle.
Once she was in the room, the Goblet sparked wildly again, spitting out another singed piece of paper. Moon caught it, holding it to his twinkling eyes, reading the words.
"Durmstrang Institute's Champion is ... Flynn Rider," Moon announced, mouth twitching from what Jack guessed was amusement.
Jack looked down the table at the rising Durmstrang. Of course, he knew who Flynn Rider was. Merida wouldn't shut up about him or point him out or keep talking about all his Quidditch accomplishments. If he didn't know his redheaded friend better, Jack would say she had a crush on him. In actuality, Merida was just a Quidditch nut. She dove into it immediately when she was young—Jack never got a proper age, but he'd say probably five at the earliest—and her obsession had only reinforced itself when her mother was adamant about it not being ladylike.
Flynn had the strong, Quidditch body for a Seeker, more muscular than usual, but leaner than Slytherin's Beaters. His brown hair was styled and a cocky smirk was on his lips as he walked to the back room. There were cheers and claps again, minus the wolf-whistles.
The Goblet sparked again when the door closed behind Flynn. Jack bit his lip, praying it was Guy. He had five galleons on him being chosen. Golden sparks flew into the air and another singed slip of paper fluttered into Moon's waiting hand.
"The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's Champion is ... Cinderella Von Brandt," Moon announced.
The Hufflepuff table erupted in cheers, clapping and whistling as the blonde girl stood up. She was grinning and nodding, cheeks flushed as she rushed off to the back room. Her old, patched robes flapping around her and dirty flats scuffing softly against the floor. Jack was somewhere between disappointment and acknowledgement. He'd lost five galleons, but he should have known. It wasn't just because Cinderella was nice, but she was stubborn and hard-working and good at disarming anyone if she really wanted to. Jack should have listened to the Hufflepuffs. If over eighty percent of them was saying someone was being chosen, it was going to happen.
"Damn," Jack groaned, settling back in his seat.
"What?" the Thorston Twins asked.
"I was betting on Guy. I just lost five galleons," Jack bemoaned.
They nodded in sympathy, probably each losing some money from bets. The hall was starting to settle before a loud uproar elicited from the students sitting closer to the front of the hall. Jack snapped his head up, blue eyes widening at the Goblet sparking. There were only supposed to be three Champions. What was going on?
A singed piece of paper fluttered from the Goblet. Moon barely caught it from his own shock. Silence gripped the air of the Great Hall. Moon looked back at the teacher's table, looking at the other headmasters, before unfolding the piece of paper. Jack tried to get a read on what was going on in his headmaster's head, but couldn't figure anything out. Something in Jack said it wasn't going to be good. Whatever the name was on that paper, it just wouldn't end well.
"Jackson Overland Frost," Moon said into the Great Hall. His voice was low and would have barely been heard if it wasn't for the deafening silence.
Jack felt his heart drop, his throat going dry, and his eyes to widen. He knew the Thorston Twins were looking at him for answers but he couldn't even give them if he tried. He didn't put his name in that Goblet. Didn't even want to! If he somehow had managed to get there, he'd have put Merida's name in because he knew she would have wanted it. ... And the fact it might help calm down the raging anger boiling beneath her surface.
"Jack ...," Ruffnut hissed, trailing off.
"Did you?" Tuffnut finished for her.
"No," Jack whispered vehemently.
He could feel the gaze of every Hogwarts student on him. Everyone knew him: Jack Overland, prankster extraordinaire and the nicest Slytherin in well over a century to attend Hogwarts. They just didn't know him as the Boy-Who-Lived. The one who defeated Pitch Black as a boy in some means Jack didn't understand.
He looked towards Moon, finding his twinkling eyes instantly. His eyes flicked to the back room. Jack felt whatever was holding his heart in place snap as it shattered to the floor. No, he didn't want to. He really, really didn't. But Jack got to his feet and slowly made his way to the back room in a daze.
He entered the room, probably looking as white as a sheet. Elsa and Flynn looked confused while Cinderella looked concerned. But she kept silent as did the others, apprehensive coating their faces. Jack had just moved far enough in the room to be out of the range of the room's door when it banged open. The three headmasters, Mr. Quartermaine, Mr. Whitaker, and Jack's Head of House, Professor Cwene, stormed in.
They were all yelling at once, Jack barely making out anything. He knew, from what little he was gathering, that Grimborn and Leroy were arguing how unfair it was that Hogwarts had two Champions. Quartermaine was, for some reason, excited that Jack was entered. He could just make out Cwene's subtly barbed claims of Jack having cheated and put his name into the Goblet. Moon calmly stood in the middle of them all.
Jack felt like his lungs were going to stop working. This was too much. He just wanted to go hide somewhere and go over everything that had happened. Rethink everything, analyze everything that had lead up to this moment, and maybe disappear for life. Yeah, that sounded good. Jack wasn't even finished with school. No way could he begin to help with the Death Eater attacks if he wasn't even finished with school. How did the Daily Prophet even forget that he was going to be fifteen in three months?
"Mr. Overland," Moon's voice interrupted Jack's panicked thoughts and quieted the arguing adults.
"Yes, sir?" Jack asked nervously, shoving his hands into his robe's pockets. He wanted to disappear and felt like he was about to puke.
"Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" Moon asked calmly.
"No, sir," Jack answered readily with an adamant shake of his head. Nope, nope, nope. Definitely did not do that.
"'ow do we know zee boy is not lying, no?" Leroy demanded heatedly.
"Mr. Overland doesn't go by his father's last name," Moon explained slowly.
Jack could see the headmasters blinking at that. The Slytherin fifth year recognized the ploy Moon used by specifically addressing Jack by his mother's last name—the one he went by in Hogwarts.
"It still does not mean that Hogwarts should have two Champions," Grimborn snapped.
"Remove 'im from zee competition immediately," Leroy agreed, waving an arm at Jack. "'e is far too young to compete."
Jack kept from saying he was turning fifteen this winter. That would not help him in this situation. Shuffling his feet, Jack risked a look at the other Champions. Elsa was mildly glaring at Jack, Flynn seemed amused, and Cinderella was concerned and confused. Averting his gaze, Jack focused on the doorway behind the arguing headmasters. He quickly made out North's girth as he walked almost silently into the room.
"Even if that is true, Mr. Overland cannot be removed from competition," North declared, making the other headmasters turn to look at him.
"How do you know?" Grimborn snapped.
"Being chosen by the Goblet represents an unbreakable contract," Mr. Quartermaine explained cheerily. Jack was terrified by how happy he was of this whole thing. "Mr. Overland must compete."
"Yes," North agreed, pushing his shoulders back to give his big frame a higher intimidation factor. "Someone put his name in Goblet knowing he must compete, perhaps in hope he vill die doing so. Must have submitted fourth school, vich needs very strong charm confuse Goblet do so."
"You know plenty of what to do," Grimborn accused. "How do we know it wasn't you who put his name in the Goblet?"
"I vas Russian Auror before I come teach at Hogwarts. Hat zink like dark vizards catch zem. You shoult remember, Grimborn," North responded flippantly with an underlying threat that set Jack's teeth on edge.
"And why would dark wizards be after this scrawny child?" Grimborn demanded, sending a glare at Jack.
Jack shuffled his feet. What should he say to that? That he was the Boy-Who-Lived—some prophesized savior who didn't even know what said prophecy said or anything? Or some outlandish tale of fighting some great dark wizard for glory and was seeking out the eternal glory of winning the Triwizard Tournament? Because he wasn't going to answer someone who Jack suspected was a reason Hiccup and his fellow Vikings were uneasy around him and made him want to shiver every time his dark eyes landed on him. Viggo Grimborn was the definition of 'Nope!'.
"Dit you not hear his last name?" North snapped cynically. "He is Boy-Who-Livet. Any dark vizart in Great Britain voult be after him. Kill him, receive glory in zeir cult. Simple zought process discern."
Jack felt sick. He really, really needed to puke.
"There's nothing we can do about it," Moon interrupted and Jack was happy for it. More talks about how people were planning to kill him—yet alone how they realized he was the Boy-Who-Lived—wasn't doing great things for his stomach. "Mr. Overland will be competing next to the others, even though none of us are inclined to it."
Jack could tell the other headmasters wanted to keep arguing, but kept their mouths shut. There really was no going around it. Jack was stuck competing. He just wanted this school year to be like any other normal one: learn magic to help him when he turned seventeen to begin to help take down the Death Eater movement through legal means instead of vigilantism.
Whitaker stepped forward at that point, Jack forgetting the emotionless man was there at all.
"The tournament consists of three surprise tasks," Whitaker began in his deadpan, monotone voice. "The first will be in late November and is designed to test your daring. I advise going over defensive spells and magical creatures books, especially you Mr. Frost."
Jack kept from correcting him. It was at the tip of his tongue, to correct the man. But everything had kept his tongue sealed to the roof of his mouth.
The Champions walked out of the room at that announcement. Elsa and Flynn ignored him. Jack didn't blame them. Cinderella was silent, sending cold looks at him. She wasn't good at hiding her opinions that well, Jack guessed.
"I didn't," Jack denied readily.
"You didn't tell anyone," Cinderella accused vaguely.
"I wanted to focus more on my education, to make myself worth something when I was older. Live up to all that expectations," Jack explained readily. It was easier to describe after having to do it to his friends two years ago. "This ... I'd never do that. You gotta believe me, Cinderella."
She just looked at him and Jack remembered a vague phrase he'd learn back in Muggle school: fear the kindest souls when they snap. Getting on their Shit List was a bad idea because you either worked your ass off getting removed from it or ended up dead. Jack was sure he ended up on Cinderella's Shit List.
"Gotcha," Jack sighed, slipping away from her. He needed to find one of his friends. Maybe invade the Ravenclaw Tower. It was easier to get into their common room if you could solve a riddle. He'd much rather talk to Rapunzel, though. She just knew what was bugging her friends. But Hiccup couldn't be dense enough to not realize what Jack needed to rant about.
He turned a corner and stumbled into his friends. Rapunzel immediately wrapped him in a hug that Jack quickly returned. Hiccup was giving a small, sad smile. Something along the lines of empathetic, which confused Jack. If it wasn't for the situation, he'd have asked Hiccup about it, but he was just too drained. When Rapunzel released him, Jack noticed Merida's seething face. Shit.
"Fir wye did ye nae invite me tae put my name in that Goblet?" Merida snarled, Scottish brogue thickening.
"Mer, I didn't even put my name in the Goblet," Jack denied, throwing his hands into a surrendering gesture. "You know I'd never use my dad's last name."
"Maybe ye used it tae get mair attention," Merida accused readily.
"No!" Jack denied heatedly, feeling his anger at the whole situation rising to the service. "I wouldn't do such a thing. Even if I did find a way to get a name in that Goblet, I'd put yours in because I know you wanted to be a part of these competitions."
"Ah dunno believe ye," Merida growled, turning on her heel.
"Mer!" Jack yelled, feeling something sink in his stomach.
"Dae nae even talk tae me, Frost," Merida snapped before rounding a corner. She didn't even look back.
"Jack," Rapunzel whispered softly.
"I'm going to bed," Jack said, shaking his head viciously.
"You know she's just mad at more than just this," Hiccup whispered, placing a hand on his arm.
"Yeah," Jack whispered. He knew Merida had been angry since the Hogwarts Express. Another hug from Rapunzel snapped him out of that thought. He halfheartedly returned it.
"Get some rest after your detention with De Witte," Rapunzel ordered, pulling away. "Me and Hic will figure this out, okay? You focus on the Tournament."
"Okay," Jack whispered listlessly.
Hiccup pulled him into a hug next, one Jack returned just has halfheartedly as Rapunzel's.
"Remember what you said to me yesterday?" Hiccup asked. Jack nodded slowly. "Same thing applies, Jack. Anytime you need to talk, I'm willing to listen."
"Okay," Jack responded, a little stronger now. "Night you guys."
"Night," they responded in unison as Jack shuffled off to his professor's cabin.
He was so screwed.