Okay, before I start, I would like to say that this chapter is dedicated to Shea Loner who gave me this nifty little rhyme.
Well if you riddle me this, and Riddle me that
And suddenly find yourself, talking to a hat
Then get into a fight, with yourself, and lose
What does this make you? In this world of fools?
She says that I inspired her! Me. Little 'ol Me! I'm jumping in my seat just think about it. - - silly grin - - - -Shouts- - I INSPIRED SOMEONE!!! - -Squeal- - stops and stares wide eyed at what was said and done- - oops. Perhaps . . . I had better just start the story before I do something to embarrass myself. - - blinks- - More, that is. - -Bits lip- - anyway, I do read reviews . . . obviously . . . so . . . um . . . Enjoy!
The World's Gone Crazy . . .
By Allanasha Ke Kiri
Chapter 24 -
Excitement around the castle rose quickly as they neared the end of October. There were several rumors about the tasks the champions were to face. James often found himself ambushed by his fellow students, all wondering if he'd tell them what the tasks were. He'd told them all that he had no idea. Draco had finally started laughing when none of them believed him.
Despite his amusement at James' expense, they were still tentatively exploring their relationship. By the middle of October everyone in the Slytherin house knew about them; all it had taken was one of them figuring it out. James had been surprised when, somehow, it stayed in the house. Rumors hadn't spread to the rest of the school. It made him wonder what else the Slytherins knew that the rest of the school never found out about.
"We've been standing here for an hour," Draco whispered, a whine creeping into his voice. "When are they going to get here?"
James shrugged. "Soon. They di-- do have a long way to travel after all."
Draco sighed, his posture screaming boredom. As Head Boy, James was required to stand separate from the other students, as were Draco and the other prefects. Hermione (Head Girl - was there ever any doubt?) was on the other side with the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff prefects. The Ravenclaws were on the side with James (The professor had divided them up in such a way as to prevent fights.)
"Look!" Someone yelled, pointing at the sky.
Heads flew up.
"I think that's them," James said, grinning.
Draco glared at him.
James paid only minimal attention as the pegasi landed, the Beauxbaton's school behind it. Madam Maxime quickly exited, her students filing out behind her. Like before, Hagrid was given the charge of the pegasi.
Just as the Beauxbatons got inside, someone noticed a ripple in the lake.
'Karkaroff?' he thought in surprise as the man stepped out of the school boat. He wondered how Karkaroff had become headmaster here.
Tom greeted Karkaroff warmly before the Durmstrang students filed inside. Then, to the relief of several students, they were allowed back inside as well. James was interested to note that the Beauxbatons sat with the Gryffindors and that the Durmstrangs sat with the Hufflepuffs.
"Hey Filch is putting out four chairs."
Everyone looked up at the head table to see that pansy was right.
"Well there's the headmaster of Durmstrang, and the headmistress for the Beauxbatons, who else is coming?" Millicent asked, giving James a serious case of De'ja vu.
"The other judges, most likely," James said, already bored with the entire situation.
"Who do you suppose it is?" Pansy asked.
James rolled his eyes as he turned his attention to the Great Hall doors. Just like in his fourth year, the staff filed in, followed by Tom, Madam Maxime, and Karkaroff. The Beauxbatons stood until Maxime had sat, just like before. Silence fell over the Great Hall when Tom stayed standing.
"Good evening all," he said, smiling kindly "We welcome all of our guests to Hogwarts, and hope that you enjoy your stay. The tournament will officially open after the feast. Now, please, eat, drink and enjoy yourselves."
Food filled the plates on their tables.
"Wow." Blaise said, eyeing some of the Beauxbaton girls, "They don't make them like that here."
James laughed, remembering Ron saying the same thing.
"They're okay," James said, "But I prefer them a little . . . different."
A few chuckles lifted from the Slytherin table when Draco choked. James reached over Draco to grab the potatoes, letting his hand brush over his leg. He pulled back, laughing, when Draco coughed, reddening.
"You know," James said, thoughtfully, "red really isn't your color. It's a good thing you're not dating a Gryffindor, you'd never look good."
"What?" Draco screeched, drawing the attention of at least half the Great Hall.
Draco's attention was immediately on his plate. When the noise began to rise once more, Draco glared at him.
"I'm going to get you for that."
James just grinned at the challenge.
"If you two can stop flirting long enough to look," Pansy said with a roll of her eyes, "you'll see who just arrived."
James and Draco both glanced at the head table. James was interested to note that Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman were still the two ministry officials. He hoped things went better for Mr. Crouch this time. There was no reason it shouldn't, unless his son had joined with Dumbledore. James strangled back a sigh, as long as he didn't die, he thought. That was the last thing he needed, another person dieing while he was around.
Finally, everyone had had their fill, and even the deserts vanished, leaving the golden plates as clean and sparkling as when dinner had started. To the delight of the anxious students, Tom stood again, still smiling pleasantly.
"Thank you all for your patience," he said. "We will soon start the Triwizard Tournament, but before we do, I must explain the procedure we are to follow this year First, though, let me introduce to you Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the department of International Magical Co-operation," he paused, allowing the hall to applaud without interupting. "And Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
From the roar of applause that followed, James guessed that Bagman was a Quidditch star here as well.
"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked exceedingly hard to make sure the tournament will go as smoothly as possible --"
Like my fourth year?
"-- And they will be joining Madam Maxime, Professor Karkaroff, and myself as judges this year."
The hall waited with bated breath, listening attentatively to Tom's words.
"Mr. Filch, if you would."
James suppressed a sigh of boredom as Filch brought out the jewel covered wooden chest containing the Goblet of Fire.
"Instructions for the champions and task arrangements have been thoroughly looked over. There will be three tasks, set throughout the year, and all designed to test the champions in different ways; magical prowess, daring, powers of on everything if they wish a chance at the Triwizard cup."
James had the strangest urge to transfigure a pin and drip it, just to see if it really could be heard in the silence that followed.
"As you know, there are three champions will compete, one from each school. They will be scored on how imaginative and unique their solutions are and how well they perform. The champion with the highest score will have a better chance at winning the Triwizard cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial party, the Goblet of Fire!"
Tom pulled out his wand and tapped it to the casket three times. As it creaked open, Tom gently pulled out the Goblet. As before, blue-white flames danced along the rim. The casket was closed and the cup put where it could be easily seen.
"Everyone wishing to enter the tournament will have 24 hours in which to put their names, and school, into the goblet. At the end of this period, the Goblet will choose from the students entered. To any who place their names within it, I give a word of caution, do not put it in if you do not wish to be chosen, as you will have no way to back out should it pick your name. The Goblet will be in the entrance hall, where it can be easily accessible should anyone wish it.
"To ensure the safety of the students during these tasks, no one under the age of 16 will be allowed to enter. An age line will be drawn to make sure no one tries.
"Finally, the Goblet creates a magically binding contract for the one whose name is pulled. I wish you all luck, and good night."
The hall erupted in chatter.
"Who d'ya suppose will enter?" Blaise asked as they rose.
"Potter," James supplied, dryly, with a roll of his eyes.
All eyes were on Tom as he carried the Goblet out of the hall.
"We can only hope that he doesn't get chosen," Jarod, Slytherin Quidditch captain, said. "We'd never hear the end of it."
"We'd never hear the end of it if any of them get it," Pansy corrected.
"What makes you think any of them will enter if Potter's going for it?"
Pansy simply pointed to the Quartet, all of them grasping a slip of parchment.
"You really should enter, James," Critan, one of the Slytherin Chasers, said.
James sighed in exasperation as they neared the Goblet. Everyone in Slytherin had been trying to convince him to enter the past two month, it was wearing thin.
"For the last time, I'm not entering the tournament."
"What's the matter, Medin?" another voice mocked, "Afraid?"
James rolled his eyes, turning to face the speaker.
"You wish, Black. Just because I don't want to enter does not mean that I'm afraid. It just means that I'm not acting like a stupid Gryffindor and jumping into something better left alone. Besides, it's NEWTS year, and unlike those of you who have no chance no matter how hard you study, I actually wish to pass them, added to that my Head Boy duties," He smirked at Potter, who had been furious to learn who had beaten him to it. "And I'm too busy to my waste time on such frivolous activities."
"He's afraid," Ron sneered.
"Are you deaf, Weasel?" James snarled, Malfoy's nickname rolling off his tongue before he could stop it, "I just said that I wasn't."
"If he says he isn't, I believe him," Harry said.
The three Gryffindors looked at him in shock. James raised an eyebrow, waiting.
"And he can prove it by entering. It's not like the Goblet would choose a Slytherin anyway."
James shrugged, stepping forward. "Believe what you wish, Potty," he said, feeling a touch strange to be using the demeaning nickname, "because I don't feel the need to prove to anyone just how good I am, which is all this tournament is about, and there's no force in this universe that can get me to enter that bloody tournament."
James turned, walking away from the angry Harry. The Slytherins followed him, chuckling.
"Where did you get those names?" Draco asked, grinning, "They're brilliant."
James grinned. "They just kind of came to me."
The next morning, at breakfast, James had just entered the Great Hall when Emily appeared in front of him, eyes filled with tears.
"It isn't true, is it?"
James frowned. "Is what true?"
"What Harry said."
"Personally, I try to disregard everything he says," Draco told her dryly.
James shot him a glare. "What did he say."
"That you were sc - scared to enter the tournament. I - I told him you w - weren't but he a - asked why you hadn't entered if you w - weren't."
"I'm not afraid to enter, Emily."
Her eyes brightened. "So you're going to enter?"
James sighed, well aware of the eyes of his classmates. "No."
Emily looked confused. "Why not?"
"I just don't want to. I want to concentrate on my studies this year."
Her mouth dropped open again, and her eyes shone with an odd mixture of disappointment, surprise and devastation.
"You are afraid," she whispered, the pure disappointment seeping through, filling the room.
James found himself growing angry at those words; that his sister would stop believing in him because of something that Harry said. Without pausing to think, he slipped of his bag, grabbed his quill, ink and parchment, and quickly scribbled his name and school down. Then, stuffing everything but the parchment back into his bag, he stormed out of the hall.
Students darted out of his way. Without hesitation, he strode across the age line and let his parchment fall into the dancing flames. Then, turning sharply, he saw Harry smirking at him. Biting back a snarl, he headed towards the other bloke.
Unable to constrain himself, he shoved Harry against the wall behind him. His smirk left as his eyes brightened in surprise.
"Don't you ever accuse me of being afraid again," he snarled, "I don't take kindly to being accused of something I'm not."
Before Harry could reply, James turned and stormed back into the Great Hall. Draco smirked at him as he sat.
"What?" James snapped.
"I thought there was no force in this universe that could make you enter the tournament."
James blinked several times before banging his head on the table, what he did finally catching up with him. "Bloody hell." he muttered.
He couldn't believe he'd just done that.
"Bloody hell," he repeated, much to the amusement of the Slytherins within hearing.
James spent the rest of the day praying to whatever god would listen that his name wouldn't be chosen. Draco kept teasing him about giving into a girl's disappointment, not that the other Slytherins were any better about it. At one point, James told them that a girl's disappointed face wasn't of this universe, which caused several to laugh. He kept forcing himself to smile at all the 'Good lucks' everyone kept telling him. He just wanted it to be all over, and the champion chosen, so that the spotlight would leave him.
Finally, dinner was over, and the Goblet was brought back into the Great Hall. Excited whispers rang through the hall until Tom stood.
"Before the Goblet makes its decisions, I would like to ask the champions to enter the side room--" He motioned to the door at the end of the head table. "We will join them after all three have been chosen to give them their instructions."
The hall waited with bated breath as the Goblet's fire danced, still deciding on the champions. Even James felt the excitement, who would be the Hogwarts champion?
Please not me, he prayed silently. I'll even cheer Potter; just please not me.
After what seemed like an eternity, the Goblet flared red, shooting a charred parchment into the air. Tom snatched it as it floated down.
"The Durmstrang champion," Tom said after a moments pause, "is Amiel Ven!"
The Durmstrangs burst into applause as a girl with short black hair stood from the Hufflepuff table and made her way passed the head table. It died abruptly as the Goblet flared red once more.
"The Beauxbaton champion," Tom announced, "is Gabrielle Delacour."
James blinked, his gaze flying to the Gryffindor table. The girl that rose resembled Fleur so much that, for an instant, he thought he was looking at her. Gabrielle had definitely changed in the three years since his fourth year.
Critan whistled as Gabrielle tossed her silvery hair over her shoulder.
"Wow," he said, breathless. "She's got to be part Veela or something."
James hid a grin, she was, but he wasn't going to say anything yet.
Once again, the Goblet flared red, shooting the third and final parchment into the air.
"Here's hoping it's anyone but Potter," Draco whispered.
Here's hoping it's anyone but me, he corrected silently.
Tom glanced down at the parchment, then looked at it more closely, eyebrows raising.
"And the Hogwarts champion," Tom said slowly, "is James Medin."
I'd like to apologise for the delay in updating, but I have not been feeling well. I sleep most of the day, and, when I'm awake, I don't feel like doing anything. This is the first day that I've felt I could do something. Again, sorry. I will be updating tomorrow, though, so don't give up on me.
Also, I need some help. As some of you might remember, I've been planning a Harry/Tom. I've got a lot of it planned out, but I need to get to it. My main stumbling block is near the beginning. I need to know what you guys think Tom Riddle (as in, still in school Tom Riddle) would have as tests for someone he thought wasa good choice for a follower, but wanted to test something. My muse is stumped, but doesn't want to give up the test idea. - -Sigh- - If anyone has any ideas, please tell. The credit for the test ideas will be given to whoever it was came up with them. I'm hoping for at least three, hopefully more, but if I cant . . .
Well, maybe I can convince him to not do the tests. - -sneaks a peak over to where muse is glaring hotly at the story line- - don't think I'll have much choice in that though.
The last thing you all should know, is that this story is unbeta'd, as will the chapter I upload tomorrow. Sorry about that.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed the story.
Until next time,
Allanasha Ke Kiri