The school year got off to a fairly boring start for the members of the Young Order. The Headmaster's announcement at the Opening Feast about the Tri-Wizard Tournament had caused a bit of a stir among the group, but that blew over fairly quickly because only Cedric would be old enough to compete. Beau, Fred and George missed the cut off by a few months.

The members of the Young Order continued their extra studies from the summer, with each one working in areas that they excelled. Cedric was studying Herbology with Professor Sprout, and had been given his own greenhouse in which he was growing ingredients that Draco would need for the advanced Potions that he was learning. The advanced potions that Draco was learning were mostly healing potions that Beau would use as a Healer. Professor Dumbledore had arranged for Fred and George to study basic weaponry under a couple of goblins who owed him a favor. Rae was still working with Professor Flitwick mastering charms that were well beyond her year, but that would be useful in a battle, particularly those that could be cast over a large area. Hermione and Ginny were working with Halle on wordless and wandless Transfiguration and Hermione was also taking extra lessons in Arithmancy, which would help Ron as he studied strategy and the art of war. It was one subject that they didn't have to force him to do his readings. They were all taking extra lessons in Defense, but Harry's lessons were even more intense. Though Severus had yet to tell his oldest son about the prophecy that had been made before his birth. He knew that he needed to tell him, but he wanted his son to enjoy being a teenager and not have to worry about that cloud hanging over his head.

Siri was enjoying his lessons with Halle Cole and more often than not could be found in the company of her younger children, playing quite happily. Every night when Severus tucked him in, Siri read a story to Severus first and then Severus read one to him. What the little boy didn't know was that his father did this as a way to help him practice his reading. The little boy's nightmares had completely stopped since coming back to the castle and Severus knew that something had to have happened to his youngest son during his first childhood to make him have such vivid and terrifying nightmares. He had considered going to Azkaban to confront Bellatrix and the LeStrange brothers, but didn't want to have to face the Dementors himself. Merlin knew that he had enough nightmares on his own without needing to relive them like that. Instead he contented himself with making sure that this time Siri had a happy childhood...or at least as happy as he could make it.

Severus had seen Narcissa a couple times since the school year started during the weekends. Once or twice he had even taken Siri with him and one Hogsmeade weekend, Harry and Ginny had even joined then for lunch. Draco had spoken politely to her, but had declined to join them for the meal. Even though he seemed not to want to be around her, Narcissa continued to send Draco weekly care packages as she had done before the truth about his parents came out.

A few weeks into the school year, Fred and George Weasley had mastered the Animagus transformation. They weren't too surprised to find that the twins were identical Spider Monkeys. They had taken the rather fitting names of Trouble and Mischief for their Animagus forms. The other members of the Young Order had even taken to teach them tricks as if they were animals in a zoo. Their favorite game was to have their friends toss grapes for them to catch and eat.

Cedric was very close to being able to master the transformation and Rae and Ginny were not far behind. Ron was having trouble with his, but felt a little bit better when he remembered that Harry and Draco had yet to even start. Severus told his sons that if they could manage to behave until Halloween, he would allow them to start learning the transformation process.

On the morning of October 31, the Potions Master was surprised, yet pleased, that his sons had managed to behave this long. However, he knew that it would be a very long day and there were so many things that could go wrong. The one thing he hadn't considered when thinking about all of the things for his sons to get into, was to have the Goblet of Fire spit out a fourth name...that of his oldest son.

As soon as he realized what name the Headmaster had called, he quickly stood, grateful that Siri was spending the evening with Halle and her younger children. He watched, unable to make himself move as Harry spoke briefly to the Headmaster before continuing on toward the staff table. Severus moved to meet his son at the end of the table.

"I didn't do it, Pop," Harry whispered to him, close to tears. "You have to believe me."

Severus brushed the hair out of Harry's face and then pulled the boy into a quick hug. "I do, Phoenix. I trust you. Go on with the others and I'll see what I can do about getting you out of this."

Harry nodded and made his way to the trophy room where the other three champions were waiting.

Cedric was the first to notice his friend. "Are we wanted back in the Great Hall?" he asked the younger boy.

"No," Harry replied. "They sent me to wait in here with the rest of you."

"Why?" snapped Fleur Delacour, the champion from Beauxbatons.

"Because my name came out of the Goblet," the Gryffindor answered, biting his lip as he looked back at his older friend.

Cedric stepped closer to him. "How did you get your name into the Goblet?"

"I didn't!" Harry exclaimed, on the verge of panicking. "I didn't do it, Cedric. Please believe me."

"Someone put your name in there. Did you ask one of the other older students?"

"No!" he said, tears filling his eyes. "You and Beau are the only ones I know that are old enough."

Before Cedric could respond, Dumbledore hurried into the room with Madame Maxime, Karkaroff, Ludo Bagman, Barty Crouch and Alastor Moody hot on his heels. Harry looked for his father, but he wasn't with the others and Harry wondered why he hadn't come. Dumbledore grabbed Harry's shoulder, very near his throat, with a surprisingly strong grip. "Harry...Harry, did you put your name in the Goblet?"

"No sir!" Harry replied, his eyes growing wide.

"Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you?" the Headmaster asked, shaking the boy roughly as his grip tightened.

"No, sir!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir! I didn't do it!"

"ALBUS!" Severus snapped as he hurried into the room and stepped over to his son, putting himself between Harry and Dumbledore and forcing the old man to let go of the boy. "That is enough. You know as well as I do, that while Harry might not think some things through, that he would never do something quite so stupid as to put his name into the Goblet of Fire, even if he did find his way around your age line." Harry reached out and told hold of his father's robes, curling them into his fist. He had known that his father wouldn't abandon him. He wasn't so sure that Cedric believed that he had nothing to do with his name coming out of the Goblet of Fire, or how the rest of his friends were going to react.

Dumbledore took a step back and blinked a few times before nodding. "You're right, Severus."

"He can not compete," Madame Maxime told them.

"My son will not complete," Severus snapped. He could hear Harry muttering behind him and feel the tight grip that his son had on his robes, but he couldn't stop to deal with that right now. Right now he needed to get Harry out of this bloody tournament.

"Ludo, Barty," Dumbledore said, turning to face the two men from the Ministry. "I leave this in your hands."

The two men exchanged a look before Barty Crouch answered. "It's a binding magical contract, Albus. He has to compete...or die."

Severus turned to look at the Headmaster. "Consider this my notice, Albus. Find yourself another Potions Master to teach next year, because my sons and I will not be returning."

"Severus…"

"I warned you, old man," the Potions Master said. He turned and put his hand on his son's back, gently guiding him from the room. Once out in the hall, he turned Harry to face him, concerned by his vacant stare. "Come back to me, phoenix."

"Professor…"

Severus turned to see Cedric approaching them. "Mr. Diggory, do you believe that my son put his name in the Goblet?" Harry wearily leaned against his father's chest and Severus put his arms around the boy, holding him close.

"No, sir," the Hufflepuff replied. "Harry's not an attention seeker. He may be reckless sometimes, but he's not stupid. Entering this tournament at his age would be stupid."

"And it's not for you?"

"I thought long and hard about it, Professor, before I decided to put my name into that Goblet. I talked to my parents too. We discussed it thoroughly before I made my decision. It may be a bit stupid, but I think I can do it. I wouldn't have put my name in there unless I did."

Severus nodded. "I wish you the best of luck in this Tournament, Cedric."

"Thank you, sir." He started to head toward the Hufflepuff dorms, but stopped and turned back. "He was mumbling something about his uncle, Professor. And apologizing."

"Thank you, Mr. Diggory. Would you pass word to the rest of the Young Order to meet in my office before breakfast?"

Cedric nodded and went back to his dorm.

"Pop…" Harry's voice was muffled by the Potions Master's robes.

"Harry?"

"I can't breathe…"

Severus held his son at arm's length. "Welcome back."

"What happened?"

He brushed the hair out of his son's face. "You had a bit of a flashback, phoenix. Would you like to spend the night in your room?"

"Could I?" Harry asked hopefully.

"You are always welcome," Severus said, leading his son down to their dungeon quarters.

"Do I have to compete in the Tournament?" Harry asked as they walked through the deserted halls.

Severus sighed deeply. "Unfortunately, yes. Your name coming out of the Goblet created a binding magical contract. With a contract of this sort when it is not carried out, it means the death of the one who is bound."

"Death?!"

"Yes, Harry. But I promise you this…I will be with you every step of the way and will make sure that you are as prepared for the tasks in this Tournament as you can be. I won't be able to help you figure out any clues that you are given, but Remus and I can teach you spells that should be useful in anything that they can think up for this tournament," Severus told him. As much as he hated this Tournament and the fact that Harry had been entered into it against their will, he knew that he also couldn't help his son cheat…but he would do what he could to give his son as much an advantage as possible.

"Is Harry really going to compete in the Tournament?" Draco asked as soon as they entered their quarters.

"Yeah," Harry replied, tossing himself on the sofa. "Not that I want to compete in it. What are you doing down here?"

Severus left his two oldest sons talking while he walked through the door that connected his dungeon quarters with the second floor quarters of Halle Cole and her children. Dumbledore had created the door on Severus' request so that Siri could move between the two sets of rooms easily as he spent his days with the Cole's and his nights and evenings with his father in their rooms. The door also allowed Halle to be able to contact Severus easily in case of an emergency.

Draco shrugged and sat next to his brother. "I thought you might need my company tonight."

"Do you think I put my name in the Goblet?" Harry asked.

The blond snorted. "No. As hard as we've worked to keep out of trouble so that Pop will let us study to become Animagi? You aren't that stupid."

"Thanks, Ri. I really could use the company."

AN: Sorry for the delay in this chapter, but life has been somewhat crazy. I also had some trouble getting this chapter written. The muses just didn't want to cooperate.