A/N: And here's the seventh chapter. Sorry for the late update…
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter
CHAPTER 7
He felt like he was being controlled; helpless, like his feet were moving on his own accord. He entered the room, ignoring the calls of the other three occupants in it. He didn't hear Bagman enter the room, didn't hear him announce "the biggest news of the century", as Bagman so eloquently put it. He leaned against a corner wall and just sat down, his head on his lap. The only thing going through his mind right now was one thought,
"I am going to get killed. I am going to die soon."
It didn't even cross his mind that he might have been duped, he wasn't even curious as to how his name came out. The feeling of impending doom that he felt hanging over him like a guillotine waiting to drop, was so inherently familiar that it felt like he was meeting an old friend. A friend he had come to know for the last three years of his life in the wizarding world.
"Harry, can you hear me? Harry?"
"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. HOGWARTS CANNOT HAVE TWO CHAMPIONS. I WANT THIS TOURNAMENT TO BE CANCELLED IMMEDIATELY"
"I second that. Where iz Dumbly-Dorr?"
"This leetle boy caan't bee in theez tournament. He will bee killed."
The comments didn't even faze him. He had grown used to people not believing him. The difference was while in 2nd year, during the heir of Slytherin debacle, he at least had his friends to support him. But now, something was crushing him on the inside. He was nauseated. He had never felt more alone
"Look at me, Harry", said a soft voice.
He looked up and saw a pair of cerulean blue eyes looking back at him. She felt like an angel to him at this point.
"You are in shock Harry", said the voice softly, "Here eat this. It will help."
He felt something in his hand. He munched on it, and suddenly felt warm. Looking at his hand, he realised it was chocolate. He slowly began to come out of his daze, and finally realised where he was.
The room where he was was situated at the back of the great hall. It served as a makeshift meeting place for the proffessors before delivering important announcements. Harry also remembered that the room was connected through a tunnel to Dumbledore's office. The marauder's map was pretty good in providing him information about Hogwarts.
The room right now, Harry realised, was packed. With adults all glaring at him(except Dumbledore, Harry realised).The three champions in particular looked quite angry; along with the two heads of the other schools.
"Harry, are you OK?"
He finally looked at her, and realised it was Selene. She was looking at him with concern.
"Yes", he finally croaked, trying to stand up, "I am fine."
Selene stood back, while Harry stood up. He then looked at the occupants of the room with a determined stare.
"Harry", said Proffessor Dumbledore, advancing towards him. "I want you to tell me the absolute truth when I ask you this."
"I didn't put my name in the Goblet, Proffessor Dumbledore.", Harry said interrupting him.
Ignoring the hue and cry starting, he looked at Harry again and asked, "Are you quite sure? Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Harry felt a sense of déjà vu. He remembered the same question asked by Dumbledore in his second year; and also to Tom Riddle, Harry remembered having seen that memory.
"No Proffessor", said Harry, "There is nothing else."
Dumbledore looked at him with a cold, hard stare; then apparently satisfied turned back to the room and addressed, "I believe young Harry here is telling the truth."
"NONSENSE", said Karkaroff snarling, "You are becoming blinded Dumbledore. If he didn't put his name in the goblet, one of the senior students did. Either way he is responsible."
"I didn't ask anybody to put my name in the goblet", said Harry angrily, "why would I do that? I don't want to deliberately fall in trouble again."
"And pray tell me why should we believe you, boy?", said Karkaroff sneering.
"You don't believe him, we get that Igor", said Snape silkily, "Personally, I believe that Potter is such an arrogant brat that he is the culprit himself. His ego wouldn't be stoked otherwise."
Harry's face was fuming with rage. Snape talking back at him right now, was the last thing he needed. He was this close to snapping and cursing him.
"We need one more champion Dumbly-Dorr, for each school", said Madame Maxine," the competiion needz to be even, non?"
"Well of course, if you think the goblet of fire, is a plaything", snapped Selene.
"Ms. Greengrass", snapped Snape angrily.
But Selene was right now, Harry realised, on a warpath.
"The Goblet of fire is an ancient artefact, made at least 5 decades ago. It is the only thing that can select the champions of the tournament. So Madame", said Selene angrily,"the selection of another champion for each school outside of the Goblet is against the rules. And any school which does that is prone to disqualification. Now unless you want eternal glory to be snatched out of your hands, or the ten thousand galleons reward money to be completely beyond your reach, I suggest that if you have any more bright ideas, please table them off."
The whole room was eerily silent at her outburst. Harry was confused, as he didn't know , where Selene was driving her point at. Whether she even believed him or not.
Madame Maxine looked sullenly at Selene, at a loss of words.
"So, you mean to say", said Karkaroff angrily, "that we accept that Hogwarts has two champions for this tournament, and thus double the chances of winning this tournament."
Selene chuckled drily, and then said," It doesn't matter to you, either way. Your job to your master is done, isn't it?"
It felt as if the room's temperature dropped suddenly. Snape softly said, "Ms. Greengrass, this is not something to be discussed now."
"What do you mean by that, girl", said Karkaroff angrily. Harry felt that he would be twirling his moustache if he had the chance; he looked like an angry bull.
"You know EXACTLY what I mean, death eater", said Selene softly, weighing in, relishing every word, as she saw Karkaroff's face go pale.
" , that's enough", said Dumbledore, sounding definitely angry now, "these are baseless accusations with respect to this context."
"No, Proffessor, they are not", said Selene, not even flinching at Dumbledore's angry stare. "We all know, or should know, what Harry had faced in the last three years. We know that a certain Dark lord, has, to put it mildly, an obsession with Harry (Harry couldn't help but chuckle at that), and any reasonable person would make an assumption that this situation right now was indirectly caused by the dark lord himself."
"That is a bit too farfetched", said Bagman nervously, "Surely you-know-who can't be involved in this."
"This is Harry Potter we are talking about", said Selene in a clipped tone, "Nothing is far fetched in his case. Because if he has enemies, then I can guarantee you that those enemies are indirectly related to the dark lord, be it former death eaters, or children of them. Because those of us who know him, know that Harry Potter apart from his house, doesn't have any sort of contacts with any other houses, which would make him have enemies who would have the means, to formulate such a situation."
"So", said Selene addressing to the room, who were listening to her with reluctant rapt attention," we bring forward our attention to the elephant in the room." She zeroed in on Karkaroff and said slowly, "You are scared, because your mark has been growing steadily darker and darker. That can only prove that he is gaining power. How do I or anybody else know, that you wouldn't create such a drastic situation, like killing Harry Potter, indirectly, by putting him in a tournament, in which there is an almost certainty that he would be killed? After that fiasco in the ministry, this situation would put you in good books with the dark lord, wouldn't it?"
"YOU DARE?" said Karkaroff sputtering, "Dumbledore, how could you let her speak to me like that?"
" ", said Dumbledore, in a hard voice, "I do not appreciate my colleagues to be so directly accused in this manner, however dark their past transgressions may be. But", said Dumbledore,"She has raised some valid points."
"This is a bit too fantastical, Albus", said Bartemius Crouch. Harry hadn't seen him before, and seeing him again made him remember the first time he met the wizard in the Quidditch World Cup. He wasn't wearing his trademark bowler cap, but Harry remembered his "Hitler moustache." He also looked a bit thinner than the last time Harry saw him.
"No, it's not", said Moody, coming to the forefront," It is entirely logical. Whoever did this could only have used a powerful confundus charm, to confuse the goblet so that it would select another student of a fourth school."
"It seems like you have given a lot of thought to it, Moody", said Karkaroff sneering, though now his sneering had lost its bluster.
"I used to hunt death eaters, Karkaroff. I wouldn't be a good hunter of them if I weren't able to think like them, would I?" said Moody, in an angry tone,"Speaking of which, you are the prime suspect in this case; I hope you realise that. Once a death eater, always a death eater."
"ALASTOR", said Dumbledore, now angrily shouting, "That is enough."
The entire room looked scared at his outburst. Harry, now feeling a bit better, stood a bit straighter, and looked at Selene. She looked back at him, and smiled a soft encouraging smile. It warmed his heart. "At least somebody believes me."
"Barty", said Dumbledore, "Can you begin with the rules please?"
Crouch moved slowly across the room in deep thought, and then started," The Triwizard Tournament is comprised of three tasks, which will be spread along for the entire year. Your first task date will be given to you, by tomorrow. It is approximately, scheduled to be in November. The first task is designed to test your daring, 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...very important..."
If Barty Crouch wanted to show some theatricality, he was successful. Harry almost shivered. With some trepidation, he asked, "Sir, I am underage. So, isn't it impossible for me, considering that Proffessor Dumbledore drew the age line, for me to compete in the tournament?"
"Your age was never an issue, ", said Crouch, to Harry's surprise, "The age line was drawn so that unprepared and underage students wouldn't be selected; which is a moot point right now", said Crouch in a dismissive tone."Traditionally, students even younger than you had been allowed to participate in the tournament. Also", added Crouch as an afterthought," With your name being selected by the goblet, you are now in a magically binding contract. So, you have to participate , whether you like it or not."
Harry felt the familiar panic returning. With great difficulty, he pushed it to the back of his mind. He saw the room finally getting into a relatively relaxed air, as Barty Crouch began to leave the room, Bagman escorting him, cheerfully encouraging the students and saying that "he would be rooting for them", whatever that means.
"Harry, Cedric", said Dumbledore, when it was only them, Selene and Snape in the room, "I suggest that you retire yourselves too. It's quite late."
"Yes Proffessor", said Cedric and walked out of the room, not even looking at Harry.
Harry wasn't fazed by it. He was actually expecting it. He simply said, "Thank you Proffessor. And thank you", he said looking at Selene, "for believing in me. Goodnight"
A little bit embarrassed, Harry slowly began leaving the room. As soon as he left the room ,a discussion started.
"Selene", said Dumbledore in a soft voice," I honestly believe you overstepped your boundaries today."
"Considering the fact that none of you were doing anything to help the boy, somebody had to", said Selene angrily.
"I told you Albus", said Snape grumpily," the boy is going to muck it up."
"You can't be serious", said Selene incredulous, "The boy is a victim of circumstances. He is going to get killed Albus", said Selene seriously.
"I can't help him directly", said Dumbledore sighing, "It is against the rules."
"That is a load of bollocks and you know it Albus", said Snape to both Selene and Dumbledore's surprise, "I can bet all the galleons in my vault that both Maxime and Karkaroff will help their respective champions. Cheating was always a part of this godforsaken tournament."
Dumbledore looked at both of them, sighed and then said," All right Severus. About the mark, is it getting darker?"
"Yes, it definitely is. And I agree with Selene's hypothesis. He is gaining power."
"We need to do something Albus", said Selene in an urgent voice. "Whoever has done this is definitely in the school right now. Either we search for him, or we figure out how to let Harry stay alive."
"He is definitely coming back. That is an inevitability we all have to accept. And that Voldemort would try something in the tournament, had always been a niggling suspicion in my mind, ever since Bertha Jorkins disappeared." said Dumbledore.
"Albus, you wanted to be proactive here." said Snape," Now I don't know how you are going to help this boy, considering the fact that the boy knows absolutely nothing."
"You are underestimating the boy again, Severus", said Albus softly, "He is a bright young man, and I have no doubt that under the right tutelage, he would become a talented wizard."
"He rejected me beforehand, Albus", said Selene softly, "because he didn't want to be shown favouritism."
"I think Harry's mindset would be significantly different than his mindset prior to this week. Besides, if his improvement is any indication", here Dumbledore gave a happy smile, "he would come to you for help, Selene."
"This Bertha Jorkins", said Selene, "she worked in the Department of Magical Games and Sports Department, didn't she? She was Bagman's senior."
"Yes", said Dumbledore sadly," and now I can almost safely assume she is dead. Killed by Tom after extraction of the necessary information."
"The Champions will all be excused from classes as well as exams." said Snape, looking at Selene, "If you want to train the boy, you will have ample time."
"Not exactly", said Selene," if the first task is in November, let's assume at the end, we don't have a lot of time."
"Then, let's hope the boy has the good sense to ask for your help; although considering this is Potter, I have every doubt."
"Something tells me he will Severus", said Dumbledore smiling, "Have some faith."
A/N: Read and Review
