uproar from everyone around him was too great. Every single Slytherin had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Naruto made his way past them, grinning broadly, blowing kisses to random people in the Great Hall before he headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Naruto went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again. Naruto went through the door out of the Great Hall and found himself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A handsome fire was roaring in the fireplace opposite him.
The faces in the portraits turned to look at him as he entered. He saw a wizened witch flit out of the frame of her picture and into the one next to it, which contained a wizard with a walrus mustache. The wizened witch started whispering in his ear. Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour where standing around the fire they looked strangely impassive, silhouetted against the flames. Krum, hunched-up and brooding was leaning against the mantelpiece. Fleur Delacour was standing with her hands behind his back staring into the fire.
"Hi, Naruto Uzumaki, Hogwarts champion." Naruto told them excitedly as he walked up to them extending his hand out. But neither one of them seamed to want to shake his hand or talk so looking around the room Naruto spotted a large chair just off to the side to sit in. after a minute or two Naruto was starting to wonder how long they would have to wait.
"What is it?" Said Fleur. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?" wondering who she was talking to Naruto looked around his chair.
"Harry? Naruto said looking as he bewildered friend "What are you doing here." Just them there was a sound of scurrying feet behind him, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Harry by the arm and led him forward.
"Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Harry's arm. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen . . . lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce — incredible though it may seem — the fourth Triwizard champion?"
"Harry that great." Naruto said as he got up form his chair and clapped Harry on the back. Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Harry. Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."
"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Harry's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!" Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Naruto was still looking very excited. Fleur frowned.
"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. " 'E cannot compete. 'E is too young."
"Well . . . it is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at Harry. "But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as his name's come out of the goblet . . . I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage. . . . It's down in the rules, you're obliged . . . Harry will just have to do the best he —"
The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in: Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape. Harry heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Professor McGonagall closed the door.
"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, striding over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zis little boyz is to compete also!"
"Hey!" Naruto called out indignantly "Who are you calling boy." Madame Maxime had drawn herself up to her full, and considerable, height. The top of her handsome head brushed the candle filled chandelier, and her gigantic black-satin bosom swelled.
"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" she said imperiously.
"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Professor Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Two Hogwarts champions? both underage I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions — or have I not read the rules carefully enough?" He gave a short and nasty laugh.
"C'est impossible," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was resting upon Fleur's shoulder. " 'Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most injust."
"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."
"It's no one's fault but Potter's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules. He has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here —"
"Thank you, Severus," said Dumbledore firmly, and Snape went quiet, though his eyes still glinted malevolently through his curtain of greasy black hair. This was enough for Naruto as he stood walked over to stand between Harry and the rest of the teachers.
"Well, I don't know about Harry, but I put my name in the goblet of fire at midnight right after Albus placed it in the Entrance Hall." Naruto said as he looked at each one of them in the eye. Professor Dumbledore was now looking down at Harry, who looked right back at him, trying to discern the expression of the eyes behind the half-moon spectacles.
"Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly.
"No," said Harry. He was very aware of everybody watching him closely. Snape made a soft noise of impatient disbelief in the shadows.
"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Professor Dumbledore, ignoring Snape.
"No," said Harry vehemently.
"And what about you Naruto how did you enter your name in the Goblet of fire?" Dumbledore asked him much in the same manner as he did Harry.
"Oh, that was easy enough." Naruto told them as he chuckled a little at the memory. "I had Yuna put my name in the goblet for me." At this Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall all had shared a looked of knowing
"What is ze's Yuna Dumbly-dorr?" Madame Maxine asked surprised had Naruto would admit to the truth.
"So, an older student did help them enter their names." Said Karkaroff angrier the ever at the lack of surprise in the Hogwarts staff.
"Yuna, Karkaroff, is Uzumaki's pet cat." Snape said through gritted teeth as he tried to hold back his anger.
"She's a cleaver thing." Naruto said proudly "he was able to drop my name with no problem."
"Be that as it may, what about Potter he could not have crossed the Age Line," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "I am sure we are all agreed on that —"
"Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line," said Madame Maxime, shrugging.
"It is possible, of course," said Dumbledore politely
"Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake!" said Professor McGonagall angrily. "Really, what nonsense! Harry could not have crossed the line himself, and as Professor Dumbledore believes that he did not persuade an older student to do it for him, I'm sure that should be good enough for everybody else!" She shot a very angry look at Professor Snape.
"Mr. Crouch . . . Mr. Bagman," said Karkaroff, his voice unctuous once more, "you are our — er — objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?" Bagman wiped his round, boyish face with his handkerchief and looked at Mr. Crouch, who was standing outside the circle of the firelight, his face half hidden in shadow. He looked slightly eerie, the half darkness making him look much older, giving him an almost skull-like appearance. When he spoke, however, it was in his usual curt voice.
"We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament."
"Well, Barty knows the rule book back to front," said Bagman, beaming and turning back to Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, as though the matter was now closed.
"I insist upon resubmitting the names of the rest of my students," said Karkaroff. He had dropped his unctuous tone and his smile now. His face wore a very ugly look indeed. "You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more, and we will continue adding names until each school has two champions. It's only fair, Dumbledore."
"But Karkaroff, it doesn't work like that," said Bagman. "The Goblet of Fire's just gone out — it won't reignite until the start of the next tournament —"
"— in which Durmstrang will most certainly not be competing!" exploded Karkaroff. "After all our meetings and negotiations and compromises, I little expected something of this nature to occur! I have half a mind to leave now!"
"Empty threat, Karkaroff," growled a voice from near the door. "You can't leave your champion now. He's got to compete. They've all got to compete. Binding magical contract, like Dumbledore said. Convenient, eh?"
Moody had just entered the room. He limped toward the fire, and with every right step he took, there was a loud clunk. "Convenient?" said Karkaroff. "I'm afraid I don't understand you, Moody."
"Well." Said Naruto looking around the room. "Let's look at the facts, One, Harry potter the boy who lived having had two running with Voldemort." At the sound of the dark lords name several of people in the room shuddered." In the last three years had just found his way into a deadly tournament with no way of backing out. Two, the appearance of Death Eaters at the quidditch world up. Three there are now two know Death Eaters in this very room, one of which holds a personal vendetta against him—."
"Naruto!" Said Dumbledore warningly as Naruto starred down his head of house and the headmaster of Durmstrang. A new level of anger beginning to surge through him. Severus face fell into a cold mask of hate as he flexed his hand as if itching to grab his wand. Karkaroff's went a shade whiter.
"I'm out of here." Naruto said as tried to shrug off his anger. "good luck everyone and goodnight." He told his fellow champions as he pushed his way pass the adults. There came several calls of protest at his departure but had ignored them all. The Great Hall was deserted now; the candles had burned low, giving the jagged smiles of the pumpkins an eerie, flickering quality. In not time at all Naruto reached the Slytherin common room entrance.
The blast of noise that met Harry's ears when the portrait opened almost knocked him backward. Next thing he knew, he was being wrenched inside the common room by about a dozen pairs of hands, and was facing the whole of Slytherin House, all of whom were screaming, applauding, and whistling.
"You should've told us you'd entered!" bellowed Draco; he looked half annoyed; half deeply impressed.
"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" roared Crabbe.
"It was easy," Harry said. But Marcus Flint had now swooped down upon him; "Oh if it couldn't be me, at least it's a Slytherin —"
"You'll be able to pay back Potter for that last Quidditch match, Naruto!" shrieked Graham Montague, another of the Slytherin Chasers. Everybody wanted to hear how he put his name in the goblet it turned in to a great celebration. Pansy had unearthed a Slytherin banner form somewhere and it was drapped around Naruto like a cloak as Naruto told everyone how he had tricked Dumbledore's Age Line and got his name in the Goblet. . . .
'Wait it was your cat?" asked Draco unable to believe it was that easy to get past the headmaster's spell. By the party in Slytherin house came to a close it was well in to the early hours of the morning when Naruto found himself finally falling a sleep in his bed, a happy smile on his face.
