A/N: I would like to point out that I have NOT read the books so all my knowledge of the HP universe comes from watching the films…

That is all. I hope you like the chapter…

01

And the fourth champion is…

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"Harry Potter!"

Dumbledore's voice rang throughout the great hall which observed an eerie silence considering the number of people that were present there at the moment. Everyone's eyes was looking at the bespectacled boy who had the look of utter shock and horror on his face as he sat there at the Gryffindor table hoping this was all just a nightmare.

"Harry," Hermione's nudge made him look at her. He also didn't miss the look on Ron's face who was sitting beside Hermione. The shade on his face matched his hair.

Harry gulped before slowly standing up. It had happened to him before – everyone looking at him but this time it felt like he was being buried under those stares. Often being made the centre of everyone's attention Harry thought that maybe he had grown accustomed to it but he was so wrong.

"How did he do it?"

"Do you think he fooled the age line around the goblet?

"But didn't Dumbledore draw it himself?"

"The Weasely twins tried to outsmart it but they failed."

"Do you think he and Dumbledore are in on this together?"

"It's possible seeing how much Dumbledore favors him."

Harry could hear their whispers as the students talked about him. He slowly reached up to the goblet and looked at Dumbledore helplessly.

"Did you put your name in the goblet, Harry?" Dumbledore asked calmly, this time. It was hard to tell what the old wizard was thinking considering he didn't display any expressions on his face but that was Dumbledore. He just kept looking at Harry.

"I…I didn't," Harry managed to croak. His throat was dry and he felt like throwing up. Somehow, this was worse than when he was accused of being the descendant of Salazar Slytherin in his second year, maybe because this time, he had been made the center of attention in the presence of three schools rather than just Hogwarts.

"Alright, Minerva, take him," Dumbledore said. She grabbed his limp arm firmly and took him towards the same door behind the head table through which other champions had gone through. As Harry was being lead by her he heard Dumbledore saying something to the student which sounded like the dismissal of the evening but he couldn't hear it properly. He felt like he would pass out as he felt light headed and his vision became blurry.

He was brought into a small room where Harry he saw Viktor, Fleur and Cedric already there along with Karkaroff, Maxime, Bartemius 'Barty' Crouch Sr. and Ludovic 'Ludo' Bagman. They all looked at him and McGonagall in confusion when Dumbledore walked in behind them. Crouch Sr. was the first to speak.

"What is going on, Dumbledore?" asked the man.

"We might have a slight complication," Dumbledore said slowly before taking a short pause. "It seems that we have a fourth champion who will be taking part in the tri wizard tournament."

"What is this non-sense?" Karkaroff said stepping forward. "There can only be three champions!"

"Easy, Igor," Crouch Sr. said before he looked at Dumbledore. "I'm sure the headmaster has an explanation. Who is it, Albus?" Dumbledore simply looked at Harry who was standing with McGonagall in the corner, looking down and trying not to be noticed by anyone. "You must be joking!" Crouch Sr. said. "How old is Mr Potter, fifteen?"

"Fourteen," Dumbledore said as he received the look of anger and shock from almost everyone in the room.

"That is preposterous!" Igor exclaimed glaring at Dumbledore. "You just want your school to win so you manipulated the goblet to accept two of your students."

"I did no such thing, Igor," Dumbledore said calmly knowing that the former death eater was a hot-headed person. "I have instructed our defense professor Alastor Moody to conduct an internal investigation as to how this could have happened and if any of you want you can also get someone you trust to investigate the matter as well. As headmaster of Hogwarts which is serving as host to this year's tri wizard tournament I want to extend my apologies to all of you but we will get to the end of this matter and hopefully find the one responsible who put Mr Potter's name in the goblet. Now," he said looking at Crouch, "seeing that Mr Potter's name was spit out by the goblet I am to believe that he is bound by the magical contract?"

Crouch scowled as he looked from Dumbledore to Harry. "He is," he grumbled.

"Is there any way to nullify it?" Dumbledore asked.

"No there is not," Crouch said. "The contract binds itself with the magic of the champion. If they want to withdraw from the tournament after being selected they will lose their magic." He then paused and sighed tiredly. "Mr Potter has no choice but to participate in the tournament…as the fourth champion. However, seeing that three champions were already selected Mr Potter will not represent Hogwarts or any other school. The investigation will probably take longer than the entire duration of the tournament so it's not like we can postpone it. As such, Mr Potter will represent no school or institution but himself. He will play without any representation and if he wins, his winning will not be associated with Hogwarts."

"I understand," Dumbledore said.

For Harry, all of this was too much. It seemed he couldn't catch a break. First year it was Quirrell, then it was the basilisk and then in his third year it was the dementors, and now this. His palms closed into fists as McGonagall felt his body tense up and looked at him. However, before she could understand Harry had spoken.

"Look at all you people with so much power standing there helpless," he said through gritted teeth. "Never once did it cross your mind that something like this could happen? And now I am stuck in your stupid game risking my magic and not to mention my life just because someone put my name in the goblet and it chose me!"

"The tri wizard tournament is a very old tradition that promotes international relations amongst magical nations…"

"Like I give a crap about any of it!" Harry said interrupting Crouch Sr. "Someone put my name in it and now I am forced to play this stupid game. Huh, I am disappointed, honestly, even more so with you, headmaster. All of you were so boastful about the powers of the goblet and how your age line will stop under-aged students from putting their names in it and yet somehow my name ended up in the goblet."

"Mr Potter that is no way to talk to the headmaster…" McGonagall stopped when she saw Dumbledore signal her.

"I know you are upset, Harry," Dumbledore said slowly. "It seems that there was a weak link in all the security measures that were taken up with the goblet of fire and the age line that I drew. I assure you that I will personally oversee the investigation and catch the culprit in time."

"And what do I do in the meantime..." Harry asked, "…sit around waiting to die in one of the games?"

"Hey, don't talk like you know nothing." Everyone looked at Cedric who had just spoken. They were all surprised, even Harry as Cedric walked up to him and looked him in the eyes. "You're a great wizard, Harry. Do you know why I know that? Not because of what you did as a toddler but because of how you have prevailed for the last three years – strong and firm. Is it true that you can also cast a corporeal patronus?" Harry said nothing. Cedric smiled slightly. "I'll take that as a yes. Listen, I believe you even if no one else does and so I want to help you. We can work this out together – you and me."

Harry said nothing but nodded once. Cedric smiled before he walked back to where he was standing when Moody entered the room as the sound of his prosthetic leg connecting with the floor cut through the silence. He looked around at everyone before he paused for a second looking at Harry. "I checked the goblet and your age line, Albus," he said in his usual grumpy, coarse tone. "Neither of them had been tampered with."

"How are we supposed to believe one of your staff members?" It was Maxime who spoke this time.

"Like I said before, all of you are welcome to bring your own investigators into the matter," Dumbledore said. "As for me, I know all of you are familiar with Alastor's reputation and his magical abilities. There is no reason for us to put an innocent boy's life in danger just because we want Hogwarts to win at this tournament. Besides, Mr Crouch already declared that Mr Potter will not be representing any institution, including Hogwarts."

"I will have my own investigator look into this matter then," Maxime said.

"As will I," Karkaroff added.

"You both are welcome to do that," Dumbledore said before looking at everyone's tired faces. "And I think we all have enough mental stress for today. I hope you all have a good night. Minerva, make sure Mr Potter goes to the Gryffindor tower. Alastor, I want to discuss something with you in my office."

Moody nodded before he followed Dumbledore out of the room. The others started to leave as well. Cedric joined Harry and McGonagall up until the stairs' section of the castle from where he bid them good night and took the stairs which lead to the Hufflepuff tower.

"I'm sorry for bursting out like that, professor," Harry said once he and McGonagall were alone.

"You were subjected to an unwanted situation," she said. "You did it out of the feeling of being trapped. Don't blame yourself for it, Mr Potter." They reached the portrait entrance of the Gryffindor common room as McGonagall looked at him. "I know it will be hard but I suggest that you try and get some sleep tonight. Also, if you need any sort of help regarding…the tasks of the tournament you are more than welcome to come to me. I will do everything I can – within the limits of the rules – to help you."

He smiled before slowly nodding. "Thank you, professor," he said. "Good night."

"Good night, Mr Potter," McGonagall said as Harry walked into the common room and the portrait door closed behind him. McGonagall stood there thinking about what had happened.

"The boy cannot seem to catch a break, can he?" the fat lady in the portrait of the door said.

"You already know," McGonagall said without sounding surprised.

"You know how many portraits are there in the great hall," the fat lady said before she paused for a moment. "What do you think is going to happen now?"

"I don't know," McGonagall said in a serious tone, "but we need to find the one responsible for putting Mr Potter's name in the goblet because it has only been done to put him in danger and possibly getting killed. I had told Dumbledore not to accept their offer for this tournament but he didn't listen. And now look what happened."

"Let's just hope that the boy comes out of it all safe and sound," said the fat lady.

"Hoping solves nothing," McGonagall said. "Instead it makes me feel worthless – just sitting there without doing anything and wishing things just became normal or turned out good."

"Well, nothing is normal for Harry Potter," said the fat lady.

"I hate to say it but you are right about that," McGonagall said before she decided to retire for the night.

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Do tell how you liked it. English is not my first language so any constructive criticism is welcome…

Thanks for reading…