Chapter 3
Whoever came to her door in the morning, which was Viktor, was attacked by a furious snow fox. Luckily for him, he was used to this from Kasi. he caught the jumping fox and quickly entered her room fully, easily chucking the Animagus back on the bed before saying what Karkaroff told him to say.
"It is not six am already!" Kasi shouted as she changed into her uniform. Viktor had turned his back but stayed in the room, fully knowing that if he didn't stay there to make sure she got up and ready, Kasi would sneak back into her bed.
"It is,"
"No. It feels like I've only had a few minutes of sleep!" Kasi pouted before she stood at the end of the bed.
"What will get you to stop complaining?"
And that is how Viktor Krum ended up carrying a snow fox in his arms. Kasi refused to shift back until they were in the Great Hall and they all sat down. She didn't eat breakfast anyway, so she could bask in the warmth for a few extra minutes as she awoke completely.
She was not a morning person.
The Goblet had been moved to the Entrance Hall, several students milled around it and ate their breakfast as they did so. Kasi grumbled as Karkaroff had forced her to get up at six o'clock along with the rest of Durmstrang. She wasn't even putting her name in and she still had to get up early. The thirty Durmstrang students went and sat back down at the Slytherin table for breakfast.
"Shut up, Kasi," Nona grumbled and shoved the coffee cup towards her. "Drink, or you'll become a bitch again."
"I'm always a bitch," Kasi countered but still took the coffee and began to nurse it.
"We know," Nona smiled fondly before shoving toast and jam towards the girl.
"Hey, Kasi!"
She paused, her eye twitching slightly. Kasi already knew that voice. She sighed as she turned around, the older students around her did the same.
"Yes?"
"I, er," Harry stuttered as he saw the blank looks the Durmstrang students gave him. He went to fix his crooked blue and bronze tie. "I didn't know you attended Durmstrang."
"Well, I do," Kasi said as she turned so her back touched the table and her boots were on the other side of the bench. She leaned back with her arms crossed, the Durmstrang military-style cloak complimenting her hair and bright eyes. "So?"
"Well, I thought we could talk,"
"Why?"
"You're my sister, Kasi. Why shouldn't we talk?"
"The only reason you know about me is because Minister Fudge had introduced us," Kasi shrugged. "You're the Boy-Who-Lived, I'm a Potter-Black. We're special in our own ways but our Potter blood is the only connection we have. I'll be civil towards you, perhaps friends, but I have a family."
She gestured to the group which tightly sat around her.
"Yeah, Black. I need to talk to you about the Black Family," Harry said, becoming confident as Hermione came behind him with Ron. "Privately."
Kasi paused, thinking before she nodded to Nona, "I'll be back."
"Don't get lost!" Nona called out as Kasi stood up from the benches and gestured for Harry to walk.
"I'm not you!" Kasi sent the middle finger back as she knew Nona was sending her one.
Ron looked into a random classroom, waving them in when the coast was clear. The classroom was bare, not even desks or chairs. Completely unused. Kasi walked in, her kneehigh boots clicked satisfyingly against the stone. She stopped in the middle and turned sharply to face them, her wand in hand as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Spill."
"I would believe you've heard about Sirius Black last year,"
"And?" Kasi tapped her long black nail against the wand, impatiently. "Why is that important?"
"Well, we found out that he's innocent, he—" Harry stopped as he saw Kasi unravel her arms and flick both wrists, quickly bringing a Silencing Charm around the room. He wasn't surprised by how quickly she did it.
"You've got to be kidding me?" She paced. "Sirius Black, innocent? Where's your proof?"
"Sirius didn't tell Voldemort where our parents were! Pettigrew, the rat, he was the one to tell him where they hid. He was the secret keeper and he's still alive!" Harry's anger multiplied. "Pettigrew confessed and all three of us heard it!"
"Fine. Alright, I believe you," She sighed, rubbing her face a little. "I don't see why you're telling me. It's not like he's any of my business."
"You should know. He's my GodFather and you're my sister," Harry hesitated slightly, almost flustered and this made Kasi stop her pacing. "I've never had a proper family before Hogwarts. Sure, I've got my friends and the Weasleys, but they're not my blood."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "What about the Dursleys?"
"They're horrible, point-blank. I—" He gulped dryly. "They starved me if I did accidental Magic, or disobeyed them, or did better than Dudley."
Her voice was small, barely audible as newfound anger reached her centre. "What?"
She was so shocked, so angry, so enraged. How could anyone starve a child as punishment? Sure, Charlus and Dorea did it when Kasi refused to eat what was made, but starving a child for doing well in school, or doing something they couldn't help like accidental Magic? That was abuse. Inexcusable abuse.
Kasi didn't care if they were Muggle, they were family.
It was disgusting.
"Er—" Harry tried to start.
"Mate, you might want to try and calm her down. Look, her hair's being infused with her Magic with how angry she is," Ron said, gesturing wildly as he and Hermione stepped back.
"Kasi, calm down!" Harry placed both of his hands onto her biceps, shaking her a little. "It's not that bad!"
"Not that bad? Not that bad!?" Kasi shook herself out of his grip and her shock. "The people who are supposed to look after you have been starving you, Harry. HOW IS THAT NOT THAT BAD? It's disgusting, and I can't do anything to stop it!"
"You don't need to do anything,"
"You might be older by an hour, but I know better about stuff like this. I'll see what I can do with the situation," Kasi mumbled, quickly leaving the room. She needed to send her guardians a strongly worded note (thinly veiled threat) which they would completely understand.
)(KP)(
It was easy to convince Draco Malfoy to allow her to use his owl to send a letter out to Dorea and Charlus.
Kasi didn't actually threaten them, but she did weave a thinly veiled threat towards the Dursleys. Dorea and Charlus would understand. Even if they were not Kasi's own parents, they had raised her to be resilient and Witch worthy of her Magic and name.
While Dorea and Charlus were not Harry's Godparents, they were Kasi's and had more sway in the Magical courts than Muggle relatives.
Who would allow a child to starve with their closer Muggle relatives while they could be flourishing with their more distant Magical ones?
)(KP)(
Kasi was surprised by how small Hogwarts grounds were, at least compared to Durmstrang. Where they had rolling mountain tops and cliffs of ice that one could shove someone off of them and they would never be found, Hogwarts had rolling hills and the forest looked beautiful with dangers untold.
It was strange to look at such a beautiful place so far away from Durmstrang. It wasn't like she had never seen a place like this, after all, she was raised by Purebloods of a high society. She spent her summers in various places in the world that many would never get to experience.
Charlus and Dorea were getting older now so they went on holidays in other countries where Kasi could frolic off to Merlin knows where and get back without a single hair of hers being harmed. It was more because of the gemstones she had in her earrings,
They were a gift for her thirteenth birthday, a set of small drop earrings with a circular clear crystal that reflected light so beautifully that they had to be Magical. The crystals had wards upon wards placed on them, charms that would be able to keep her safe from most harm, at least most harm that was minor Magic.
Kasi spent the day mostly alone. She shifted into her fox form, staying in that as she explored the Hogwarts' grounds. Her favourite place so far was the Forbidden Forest. Why they would have a forest that was easily accessible and forbidden did not make sense to her.
It was too easy to go in unnoticed.
At around one in the afternoon, after half hour of walking around the castle with no clue how the fuck to get back to the main hall, Kasi found the Room of Requirement.
For her, it turned into a room full of books and piano playing music in the background. There was a window facing the very same cliffs her own dorm room did at Durmstrang. How did the room know she was already homesick? She didn't question it, only curling up on one of the huge couches the room conjured up with a fat volume.
)(KP)(
Dinner was fine, it was too British for her tastes but decent enough to eat without complaining.
"Well, the Goblet is almost ready to make its decision," Dumbledore grinned, waiting for the plates to be cleared away. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them to please come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber where they will be receiving their first instructions."
Dumbledore gave his wand a wave, making the Goblet of Fire go blue with sparkling flames. It spitted a bit before going quiet. Students looked at their wristwatches, waiting impatiently for it to spit the first name out.
The parchment was slightly crisp and burnt around the edges.
"The champion for Durmstrang…will be Viktor Krum."
Durmstrang cried out in triumph.
"Told you!" Kasi cried along with the rest of the small group. "It was you, or Nona, and we all know that would have ended!"
"Oi," Nona jabbed her in the ribs. Kasi grinned as Viktor rose from the table.
"Bravo, Viktor!" High Master Karkaroff boomed over the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"
The Of Age Wizard trod down the Great Hall and into the chamber to the side.
"The Champion for Beauxbatons," Dumbledore announced, "is Fleur Delacour!"
Kasi watched a beautiful woman stand from the blue house, Ravenclaw. She saw Harry congratulate her, as did Hermione but to a lesser degree of enthusiasm.
"The Hogwarts Champion ," He called, "is Cedric Diggory!"
The applause was outrageous. The yellow house jumped to their feet with a roar of applause. Ron sat there, grinning like a mad man as the somewhat handsome boy stood up and left.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore grinned as everyone turned quiet after a full minute of applause for Cedric. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real—"
Dumbledore stopped mid-sentence. A sudden splurge of sparks shot out of the Goblet, turning it red with two long flames spitting another bit of parchment out. Dumbledore caught both effortlessly and read them, sighing softly before he looked into the crowd.
"Potters!" Dumbledore called out. "Harry Potter. Cassiopeia Potter-Black."
Kasi looked up, confused for a second as Harry looked over to her at the same time. He was just as confused as she was. Harry didn't seem the type to get into more trouble than he could handle.
"Harry, come up please," The old man waved a hand to hurry him up.
"What happened?" Kasi asked the people around her, leaning forward as the rest of the Durmstrang lot huddled a bit closer together to speak in Bulgarian.
"Don't know." Nona said.
Anatas paled. "Karkaroff looks angry."
Dumbledore turned to Karkaroff who had stepped closer to whisper something in his ear. His voice bellowed in slight anger.
"Miss Potter, come down," Dumbledore said again but Kasi refused to move.
What was going on?
Why was she being called down?
Karkaroff didn't look happy. "Kasi, now!"
She huffed before getting up from the benches, strutting down the wide lane between tables. Kasi held her head high. She had no idea what was happening but she just did as told for now.
The true Champions stood around the fire. Viktor Krum stood to one corner of the fireplace, his shoulders hunched a little and only relaxing when he saw Kasi. Two chairs sat in front of the fire. Cedric Diggory sat in one while Fleur sat in the other, both waiting. Harry stood to one side of Cedric and began to talk to him in a low voice.
Kasi quickly walked over to Viktor. "My name came out of the Goblet, mine and Harry's."
"What do you mean? There was an age line."
"The age line stopped us from putting our names in ourselves. Other people can put it in for us. There was a reason I told you all to not put my name in." Kasi kept a wary eye out as she spoke to him. "I'm here for publicity for the school, not to partake."
Ludo Bagman waltzed into the room, trying to shepherd the Potter twins closer but they stood where they were. Both twins didn't look at all happy to be there.
"Extraordinary. Let me introduce the fourth and fifth TriWizard Champions!"
Fleur smiled with a shake of her head. "Vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."
"Not a joke. Their names just came out of the Goblet."
"Zair 'as been a mistake," Fleur frowned deeply as her eyes scattered to Harry then Kasi. "Zhey cannot compete. Zhey are too young."
"The age restriction was only done this year to be extra safe. It's in the rules, they have to take part."
"And forfeiting wouldn't work, we would need to try each and every task." Harry said, looking at Cedric as he nodded in understanding.
The adults strode in, with Professor McGonagall sending a silencing spell towards the doors to prevent eavesdropping from the other students. Fleur was quick to stand up, going straight to her Headmistress.
"Zey are saying zat zese children are to compete also!"
Both Potters just blankly watched her speak.
"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" Madame Maxime rose to her full height with a slight sneer.
Karkaroff walked over to his students, clasping a comforting hand onto both their shoulders. "We agreed to have one champion each. Kasi was only brought to watch the tasks, not partake in them. I doubt either Potter wants to take part."
He looked at Harry who just shook his head.
"C'est impossible," Madame Maxime tried to comfort Fleur with a hand on her shoulder. "'Ogwarts and Durmztrang cannot 'ave two champions each. It is most unjust for us."
"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore." Karkaroff scowled.
"The Age Line would prevent us from putting our names in, other people could do it for us," Harry muttered. "It's a loophole in the design. But since the Goblet itself can't be charmed or changed, Headmaster Dumbledore had to improvise something that would prevent the majority of the school."
"Meaning someone put our names into the Goblet, probably under another school's name so it would be the only name and so would be chosen for sure." Kasi finished. "And with the high chance of getting a task that could prove fatal towards any of us, regardless of age, they are trying to find a way to kill us or hurt our reputations."
Both headmasters of Hogwarts and Durmstrang tried to get their extra champions out of the running but it was no use, they were stuck in the tournament and would have to compete.
"This is not happening," Kasi whispered grimly, rummaging into her pockets for her compact mirror.
"You are calling your guardians?" Viktor asked.
She nodded, quietly walking to the other side of the room to open up the small vintage styled mirror.
A pulsing light came from the mirror, turning the mirror itself into a small portal image of whoever was looking in on the other side.
"Kasi!" Dorea said, her face small and a tad distorted in the reflection. "What's wrong? You don't usually mirror unless it's an emergency."
"I just got told I have to participate in the TriWizard Tournament!" Kasi had to stop herself from screaming it. "And my brother too. Someone put both of our names in!"
"What?" Dorea scowled. "I'm getting Charlus. Wait a moment, please. CHARLUS!"
Kasi rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips at that.
"I'm here, wench! OW!" Dorea smacked Charlus across the head for that comment.
"What is happening, child?" He asked, rubbing at the back of his head with his own scowl.
"You need to get to Hogwarts," She said, tossing her gaze towards the adults and other Champions. "Harry Potter and I were put into the tournament without our permission and they're saying we have to participate. I don't want to."
"You're there to observe the tasks and yet you somehow got into doing the tasks?" Charlus just shook his head. "I'm not even surprised. Tell Karkaroff that if he can, to get the Hogwarts Headmaster to open the nearest Floo."
Kasi nodded, cutting off the connection.
"High Master, is there a Floo portal anywhere nearby? My guardians want to be here for this," She asked after getting back to the group of adults.
"Why would your guardians want to be here?" Bagman asked.
"I'm underage by British and European Magical Law," Kasi said as if it was obvious. "I didn't put my name in and so I did not volunteer myself. I want my guardians here because I refuse to partake in a tournament which I did not volunteer for nor do I want to participate in. Even if the goblet binds us to do the trials, I want my guardians to know. I'm not even allowed to do Magic in Britain since I'm not a student here or am of age."
"Miss Potter is right, she is not sanctioned to do Magic in Britain as she is a minor. Even if she attends Durmstrang, she can only do Magic within the grounds of Durmstrang, and if Dumbledore permits, within the ground of Hogwarts until she leaves,"
"Potter-Black, you mean," Kasi stared at him, daring him to say something about it. "I've been Blood adopted and my legal name has changed."
"Miss Potter-Black, pardon," Crouch gave her the stink eye for a second. "Her guardians can authorise her participation in the tournament. I am sorry, but Harry Potter and Cassiopeia Potter-Black both have to participate."
)(KP)(
Mrs Dorea Potter and Mr Charlus Potter were not happy by the announcement.
"She is fourteen years old!" Dorea almost screamed, yet somehow retained her Black elegance as she did so. "Worse, she does not want to partake in this tournament and should not have to. I don't care if she has been chosen by the Goblet, she has not given her permission to take part in it or even have her name put into it. I demand to know who put her and Harry Potter's names in it!"
"We don't know who did," Bagman said, trying to state her anger but just making her glare at him more. "Er, we also can't stop her from participating. She is Magically required to do so by the Goblet since her name being put in it is Magically binding agreement to taking part if one's name is chosen."
"How is this fair to them? To the other Champions who were told that they were the only ones to participate since this is a Tri Wizard tournament." Charlus stated. "Where are the laws that protect children from contracts that someone has made in their name when they have not agreed?"
"While there are laws that prevent such actions from happening, the TriWizard tournament is older than many of our recent laws. The Goblet does not take into account the wants of the participant, only that it chooses whoever is most worthy to take part in the tournament."Bagman said. "I'm sorry but they have to participate."
Kasi began to swear in Bulgarian, wanting to scream out every single swear word she knew but she couldn't. So she settled for simple swears under her breath as Charlus rubbed her back in comfort and Viktor tried to keep from laughing.
Soon enough, Bagman informed them of the tasks. "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. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."
)(KP)(
"Kasi, will you stop pacing? You will make yourself sick," Karkaroff complained as he sat with his two students in the office of the ship. Kasi sank into one of the wooden chairs, groaning as she dug her palms into her eyes.
"I didn't even want to be here and now I have to take part. How is that fair?!" She grumbled, "I wanted an easy year. I get in trouble every year. Punching Zucker in my first year, doing Blood Magic in my second, luckily nothing happened third, besides the small Dragon incident, and now the Fourth year consists of me getting into a tournament which I shouldn't even be part of."
Viktor chuffed but tried to hide his laughter as Karkaroff glared at him. "Even you have to agree, High Master, that last year's antics were amusing."
Karkaroff just glared blankly at him before he looked away with a slight grin. He swirled the glass of Fire Whiskey in his hand, sipping at it before speaking. "That is true. Having a Dragon at our school was not a good idea. I'll speak to the students, have them keep an eye and an ear out for any information or intel that could tell us why this happened. Both of you go to bed. I want you both rested from now on. You need to stay alive."
Both students nodded once, standing at attention for a moment before almost marching out of the room to get back to their dorm. Charlus and Dorea stayed in there to speak to Karkaroff before they departed back to Bulgaria where they lived.
What a long day.