Harry sat by the lake, looking out towards the castle, imposing in the foreground. He heaved a sigh. This was meant to be the quiet year. No possessed professors, no werewolves, no giant snakes and memories inside a book. Instead, just a year of studying, relaxing and enjoying his schooling career.
He should have known that Fate would kick him in the ass.
The Triwizard Tournament had come to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year. Harry had hoped beyond hope, as soon as he heard of it, that he could skip it, just watch it from the stands, join his fellow Gryffindors and cheer on whoever the Hogwarts champion would be. Then, as always, he had been dragged into it.
/
"Harry Potter." Dumbledore spoke as Harry stood, stunned, hearing the anger of those around him. He knew that the school would be turning on him again, and yet, as he walked through the Great Hall, he found he had lost the ability to care. Maybe it was just knowing this would happen, as it always did, maybe it was Ron turning on him, but Harry found himself just quite unable to care.
He watched the waves ripple as he threw a stone into the Lake, as he thought back on the next events of that night, being taken into the antechamber, speaking to the other Champions and being rounded on by the judges, officials and Dumbledore especially.
"Harry, did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire? Did you ask an older student to do it for you? Did Sirius help you at all with it?"
"No, Sir!" Harry protested, as Snape scoffed behind Dumbledore, the other adults in the room eyed him with mistrust at his answers, and the other Champions looked floored as well. Krum looked sullen but glared at Harry, Cedric looked furious, meanwhile the French one, Fleur, he believed her name was, looked curious.
"Of course the boy is lying!" Snape snapped.
"I must agree with Severus." Karkaroff, the Durmstrang Headmaster nodded his assent.
"What do we do about this, Dumbly-Dorr?" Madame Maxime asked him.
"The rules are clear." Barty Crouch interjected. "The boy must compete, whether or not he entered himself is irrelevant, his name came from the Goblet. He will compete and do his best."
"I'm just a Fourth Year!" Harry protested, seeing the adults were trying to decide his life for him, yet again. "How can I compete against a trio of Sevenths? Surely I can get out of this, let whoever put my name into the Goblet compete!"
"I'm sure you'll pull through, Mr Potter." Snape smirked, staring down the hated child.
Harry just glared at him, unwilling to respond. Dumbledore then took command again, saying they would look into it, but it was time to let the Champions go and celebrate.
"Come, Victor." Karkaroff stated, breezing out of the room, Krum awkwardly stumbling after him, not sparing a glance to the other Champions as he left.
"Miss Delacour, it's time for us to depart back to the carriages." Maxime told her student, leaving as well, Fleur followed behind her, casting one last inquisitive look at Harry who simply glared towards Snape again.
"I don't believe we should deny Gryffindor and Hufflepuff the chance to celebrate, should we boys? Off you go." Dumbledore told the two Hogwarts students, who left together in silence. As the two left, they heard Dumbledore speak to the others. "Barty, Severus, Minerva, will you all meet me in my office?"
"So, Harry." Cedric started as they reached the dungeons where they would diverge. "How did you do it?"
"I didn't!" Harry protested again as Cedric nodded, looking unimpressed.
"Alright." Cedric said, walking away with a small wave of his hand, as Harry headed towards Gryffindor Tower.
/
Harry entered Gryffindor tower to a tsunami of noise, people roaring with delight, hands grabbed at him as he stepped inside the portrait hole, despite his attempts to fight them off, slapping hands away, more grabbed hold and dragged him towards the centre of the room.
"OUR CHAMPION!" The Weasley twins roared.
"Good on you, Harry, mate!" Seamus Finnegan called out to him as Harry was passed around the room.
"Guys, I didn't put my name in it, why would I need too?" Harry asked, sadly largely falling on deaf ears, all too happy to celebrate that at least a Gryffindor would be representing them, and they all knew, if any Fourth year had a chance, it would be Harry Potter.
"I believe you, Harry." Neville said quietly to him after a short while, managing to find Harry being left alone for a moment.
"We do too mate, your face, it was obvious you didn't do it." Fred and George told him, coming up behind Neville.
"Thanks guys, where are Ron and Hermione, anyway?" Harry asked.
"I'm not sure where Ron went. Hermione said she was heading to bed early." Neville told him. "She asked us all to leave you alone when you came back."
"Well at least she thought of that." Harry grumbled, annoyed that his two best friends had seemingly vanished when he needed them. He bade Neville and the Twins a good night and sneaked off to the dormitory whilst the rest of the House partied. Heading into the room, he spotted Ron on his bed, with Hermione sat at the end of it as well.
"Where were you two?" Harry asked them.
"We were waiting for you." Ron said quietly, not looking at Harry as he spoke, Harry frowned at that.
"Here to help me figure out who put my name in the Goblet?" Harry asked, an eyebrow raised and a tone far too light for comfort, as Ron scowled at that and Hermione looked torn.
"About that Harry..." Hermione started, unsure of what to say to him next.
"Mate, we know you put your name into it. We just want to know how." Ron said, finally turning to face Harry, his smile far too wide to be natural, his eyes tinged with red.
"Are you serious? Why would I enter this? You know I just want a peaceful year!" Harry told him, incredulous.
"I mean, you were saying about entering before." Hermione gently pointed out, refusing to meet Harry's eyes as he turned his gaze towards her.
"So was Ron, I don't see you accusing him of entering." Harry frostily told her, turning back to Ron with a sneer.
"Why did you need this, didn't have enough fame already, Potter?"
"Why would I want fame, Weasley?" Harry spat at him. "I'm famous for losing my parents, do you think I want that? I just want a nice, peaceful year, but if you two don't believe me, some friends you turned out to be. Granger, get out of the dorm before I call McGonagall and Weasley, leave me alone." Harry finished, getting to his bed and drawing the curtains, casting a spell to silence the noise around him, Harry let himself fall into an uneasy sleep.
/
Harry was in a foul mood the next morning. Having headed down to breakfast, he didn't bother looking over to where Ron was likely still asleep when he left the dormitory, and heading down to eat, he seated himself at the end of the Gryffindor table, placing his bag on the seat beside him, determined to avoid speaking to anyone. He heard a thud and looked over to see who had sat down across from him when he groaned under his breath at the bushy mane taking up most of his view when looking forward.
"Granger." Harry said coldly and formally.
"Harry, please." Hermione said, looking at her face, he could see her eyes were bloodshot and her hair was a bigger mess than usual.
"You look like hell." He said, his tone softening slightly at the sight of her.
"I didn't sleep." She admitted. "I spent the night thinking about what I was going to say to you this morning."
"Well?" Harry asked, on edge. If she came here to accuse him of cheating again, he was going to lose it on her, sleep or no sleep.
"I'm sorry." Hermione said simply, seeing the look of anger building on his face and flinching.
"What?" Harry questioned her, confused. Wasn't she accusing him of being a cheat just last night?
"I'm sorry, I know you wouldn't put your name in, especially not without helping Ron enter it as well, I was being an idiot and not thinking, I let Ron and his grumbling get inside my head and I listened to him, and I'm so sorry, Harry, please, forgive me?" Hermione begged him, feeling her cheeks sting as she let tears fall, hurting with how much she must have hurt her first friend.
"I know you mean well, even if you did let that prick in. Fine, you're forgiven, Hermione." Harry gave her a small smile, and watched her beam in return. "Ronald though has to earn my forgiveness."
"I know you're angry, Harry, but Ron will come around." Hermione tried to argue for their other friend, before falling silent when seeing the look on Harry's face.
"Hermione, I'm willing to forgive you for being a bit of an idiot, but you know Ron, he won't apologise, he'll double down on this. Please, don't make me angry with you again for defending that idiot." Harry told her.
"I won't, I agree, he should have believed you, you've been best friends for three years. But he's jealous, jealous of you getting the attention once again, I know you don't want it, I was an idiot to believe him for even a minute on that yesterday, but he sees it as one time too many." Hermione tried to rationalise Ron's actions.
"Well, when Weasley wants to stop being an idiot, I'll listen to his apologies, but until then, screw him!" Harry stated.
"Look, Harry, I just wanted to apologise for my part in this, and I know I've got a long way to go to regain your friendship and trust again, but can we call this a first step?" Hermione asked with a small smile.
"Hermione, you've always had my back, and I know you will now." Harry told her. "We're fine." He assured her with a smile of his own.
"Thank you, Harry." Hermione beamed at him. "Now, want to go over your Transfiguration homework for today?" She asked in a teasing tone as he groaned good-naturedly.
/
Harry sat by the lake, thinking back on what had happened and wondering why Fate was wanting to kick his ass, sure, he had Hermione on his side again, and the general support of Gryffindor, but the other three quarters of the school were openly hostile, accusations of cheating followed him everywhere, Ron glared at him and refused to speak to him whenever they were in the same room.
"'Arry Potter?" A soft voice rang out behind him. Harry turned to see the most angelic face he had ever seen, with long silvery flowing hair, and a smile that seemed to light up the whole world around him.
"Yes?" Harry asked, trying to remember where he knew this enchanting figure from. He had seen her before, he was sure of it.
"Fleur Delacour." She simply smiled, offering her hand to him as he rose to his feet.
'The Beauxbatons Champion.' Harry realised with a start.
Harry took her hand, and feeling embarrassed, gently raised it to his lips, brushing against it, as Fleur raised an eyebrow and giggled slightly.
"Harry Potter, a pleasure." Harry told her as he let go of her hand.
"So, why are you alone out here, Monsieur Potter?" Fleur asked with a slight frown.
"I'm just needing to be alone for a while, clear my head." Harry told her with a shrug, as Fleur sat down on the grass where he had just been seated.
"Then I guess we shall be alone together." She said simply, pointing to the ground beside her, as Harry took a seat.
"Why do you need to be alone?" Harry asked her.
"I find I need some more...intelligent company, than we currently 'ave." Fleur said with a coy smile. "I figured, you may well be zat." She finished with a wink at Harry, making him blush.