Author's Note: OMG people!! I want to thank you guys so SO much for the 300+ reviews! Kyaa!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!! As a... er... reward... I decided to post again! Whee I'm a little hyper today, and am on a typing streak. I've already typed out the beginning of next chapter. :D

I'm so happy! Damnit, you guys made me so happy!

-sniffle-

Well, most parts of this chapter is taken from the book itself, as I wasn't able to figure another way to type it out without missing out any detail... So.. Yeah...

Enjoy! XD

Come on everybody stand up
Agero kyou ichiban no jikan da
Me ni mo tomoran no speed wo handa
Dare mo nobinattori ko kanba yeah

Come on everybody hands up
Mata ashita no heroes wa comeback
Tsuujou kazoe hibi wo countdown
Let's go, 3-2-1 make some noise!!

Naruto froze. Sasuke froze. Neji froze. Everyone seemed to freeze.

That couldn't be possible…

Another champion?

A heavy and cold feeling washed over Sakura like a wave, the intensity too great until she could no longer feel her arms and legs. She was numb. The feeling in her being was so immense that she was on the brink of falling into unconsciousness.

There was no angry buzzing this time, just a shocked silence. Neji looked politely astonished. Naruto's cerulean eyes were nearly bulging out of its socket, and Sasuke looked bewildered. Barely able to string words together to form a proper sentence, Sakura made a futile attempt to say something, anything, to break the silence.

"N-no… I d-didn't… c-can't be… n-no… I didn't!"

They could only stare as blankly back, apparently at a loss of words. Sakura turned to Ron and Hermione, who looked absolutely astounded.

"Haruno, Sakura! Sakura! Up here, please!" Dumbledore called. Next to him, Professor McGonagall looked stunned; the other headmasters and teachers bore same expressions. Ludo Bagman's face lit up, in contrast to Barty Crouch's face.

"Just go," said Sasuke softly, giving Sakura a slight push.

Sakura slowly stood on her unsteady feet and walked down the aisle, the same way Harry had. As she passed the teacher's table, her shocked gaze met Dumbledore's unreadable ones. He did not look happy.

Sakura felt the stares of the students and teachers burning upon her back as she walked down the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff table. The Hufflepuffs didn't look too happy, either.

"Well… Through the door, Sakura," said Dumbledore. He wasn't smiling.

Hagrid, who had taken a liking to the ninjas, could only stare in complete astonishment as she passed, like everyone else.

Sakura went through the door out of the Great Hall, and found herself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A handsome fire was roaring in the fireplace opposite her.

Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour were grouped around the fire, while Harry just stood there at the doorway. Krum and Fleur looked strangely impressive, silhouetted against the flames. Krum, hunched up and brooding, was leaning against the mantelpiece. Fleur looked around, as though just noticing Harry and Sakura there, and threw back her sheet of long, silvery hair.

Harry didn't seem to notice Sakura was there because he jumped, startled, when Sakura took a shaky breath next to him.

"W-what are you doing here?" stuttered Harry. Before Sakura could answer, Fleur spoke.

"What is it?" she said. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

Harry exchanged glances with Sakura, who looked petrified. One glance, and Harry could tell something wasn't right. Harry looked back at Fleur; she thought they had come to deliver a message. He and Sakura stared at Krum and Fleur; it struck them how very tall both of them were.

There was a sound of scurrying feet behind them, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Harry and Sakura by the arm and led them forwards.

"Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Harry's and Sakura's arms. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentleman, Lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the two taller champions.

"May I introduce – incredible though it may seem – the third and fourth Triwizard champion?"

Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Harry and Sakura. Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."

"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Mister Potter's and Miss Haruno's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"

Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Fleur frowned. "But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. "Zey cannot compete. Zey are too young."

"Well… it is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his chin and smiling down at Harry and Sakura. "But as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as his name's 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 and Sakura will just have to do the best they - "

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 and Sakura 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 boy and girl is to compete also!"

Beneath Sakura's numb disbelief, she felt a ripple of anger. Little girl?

Madame Maxime at drawn herself to her full height, the top of her head brushing against 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. There was a steely smile on his face, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Two Hogwarts champions? And they're both under-age! I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions below the age restriction – 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 was on Fleur's much smaller 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 in place, though his eyes became colder. "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 and Haruno's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's and Haruno's determination to break rules. Potter's 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.

Professor Dumbledore was now looking down at Harry and Sakura, who looked back at him.

"Did you put your names into the Goblet of Fire, Harry, Sakura?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"No," said Harry and Sakura at the same time. They were very aware of everybody watching him closely. Snape's eyes narrowed. Dumbledore contemplated something in his mind.

If Harry got chosen, it isn't exactly a surprise… But this Haruno girl, this female ninja, what's she got?

Snape made a soft noise of impatient disbelief.

"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Professor Dumbledore, ignoring Snape.

"No," said Sakura vehemently. Dumbledore looked at her. It does make sense. She has no business in the wizarding world; all she needs to do is keep Harry safe. And by the looks of the other day in my office, she doesn't seem too keen on staying here, knowing that her home village was under attack…

" – 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 everyone else!"

She shot a very angry look at Snape, and Harry felt a rush of gratitude for her.

"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?"

"We must follow the rules, and the rules clearly state that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament," said Barty Crouch in his usual curt voice.

"Well, Barty knows the rulebook back to front," said Bagman, beaming and turning to the headmasters.

"I insist upon resubmitting the names - " began Karkaroff insistently, his face wearing an ugly look.

"The Goblet of Fire's just gone out. It won't re-ignite until the start of the next Tournament," said a gruff voice from the doorway. "In which," Moody continued, raising a hand to silence Karkaroof who was about to yell. "Durmstrang and Beauxbatons have to compete. Binding Magical Contract, like Dumbledore said. Convenient, eh?"

Moody entered the room, limping towards the fire.

"Convenient? I'm afraid I don't understand you, Moody," said Karkaroff, trying to sound disdainful, but failing miserably.

"Don't you?" said Moody quietly. "It's very simple, Karkaroff. Someone put Potter's and Haruno's name in the Goblet knowing they'd have to compete if it came out."

"Evidently, someone 'oo wished to give 'Ogwarts two bites at ze apple!" said Madame Maxime.

"I quite agree, Madame Maxime," said Karkaroff, bowing to her. "I shall be lodging a complaint - "

"Maybe someone's hoping Potter and Haruno is going to die during the competition," said Moody, interrupting Karkaroff for the second time, with the merest trace of a growl.

A tensed silence followed these words.

Ludo Bagman, who was looking very anxious indeed, bounced nervously up and down on his feet and said, "Moody, old man… what a thing to say!"

"We all know Professor Moody considers the morning wasted if he hasn't discovered six plots to murder him before lunch - "

"Imagining things, am I?" growled Moody, once again interrupting Karkaroff, who looked livid. "Seeing things, eh? It was a skilled witch or wizard who put their names in the Goblet…"

"What evidence is zere of zat?" said Madame Maxime, throwing her large hands up.

"Because they hoodwinked a very powerful magical object!" said Moody, sounding slightly exasperated. "It would have needed an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm to bamboozle that Goblet into forgetting that only three schools compete in the Tournament… I'm guessing they submitted Potter's name under Hogwarts, and Haruno's name under a fourth school, to make sure she was the only one in her category…"

Sakura drifted away from the conversation for a few moments. Why was she chosen? She wasn't even a witch, for Kami's sake! But, there's another theory… What if Tsunade-shishou wanted one of us to stay close to Harry, and she got chosen instead of Sasuke, Naruto and Neji? Then again, she wouldn't have known Harry would have gotten chosen… Damn, this is all too confusing; I need to talk to the boys about this…

"Alastor!" said Dumbledore warningly, bringing Sakura back to reality. She wondered briefly who he was talking to, before realizing it was Moody. Moody fell silent, surveying Karkaroff with satisfaction. Karkaroff's face was burning.

"How this situation arose, we do not know," said Dumbledore to everyone gathered in the room. "It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Harry and Sakura have been chosen to compete in the Tournament. This, therefore, they will do…"

Silence followed. Bagman shifted uncomfortably, and said, "Barty? Want to do the honours?"

Mr Crouch seemed to come out of a deep reverie.

"Yes," he said. "Instructions… Yes… The first task…"

"The first task is designed to test your daring," he told Sakura, Harry, Krum and Fleur. "So we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage is the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard… very important…"

"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. Owning to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the Tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."

"I think that is all, Dumbledore?" said Crouch.

"Yes. I think so," he replied. Dumbledore turned to Harry and Sakura. "Harry, Sakura, I suggest you go up to bed," he said, smiling at them. 'I am sure Gryffindor is waiting to celebrate with you, and it would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of noise and mess."

Sakura glanced at Harry, who nodded, and they left together.

The Great Hall was deserted now; the candles had burnt low, giving the jagged smiles of the pumpkins an eerie, flickering quality.

The both of them walked in silence, only broken by the sound of their shuffling feet.

"So…" began Harry uncertainly.

"Yeah…" mumbled Sakura.

"You didn't put your name in, did you?"

"No. You?"

"Definitely not."

Silence.

They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Sakura let Harry say the password.

"Balderdash," and the portrait door swung open.

The blast of noise that met Harry's and Sakura's ears when the portrait opened almost knocked them backwards. Next thing they knew, they were being wrenched inside the common room by about a dozen pairs of hands, and were facing the whole Gryffindor house, all of whom were screaming, applauding and whistling.

Well.

Crap.

Author's Note: Sorry if it's a little too mundane, but I needed to get the facts out, in case some of it clashes with other fact in the later chapters...

This chapter is short, yes, I agree. But I couldn't find another way to end it. I just love endings like these. :)

So... how was it?? Review, please!

Till next chapter!