Timely intervention
„Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter, sir!" heavily Harry shook the last remnants of sleep out of his eyes. "Dob…. Dobby? What time is … it's in the middle of the night. What the bloody hell? Don't tell me its another basilisk or something."
"Worse. Harry Potter, sir! Worse! There is a plot to kill you." Ok, that is nothing new so far. "A plot by enemies and friends!" at that Harrys thought came to an abrupt halt. "By whom?" I wanted one year without danger. Is one simple year too much to ask for?
"Dobby cleansed office of new teacher. Grumpy one-legged teacher. But stayed hidden and heared teacher mumble about how to get master Harry Potter name into fiery cup. Dobby listened in and wanted to report to bearded headymaster. I entered and heard him speak with dungeon bat. The twos talked about helping the new teach to put your name in the fiery cup without him knowing." Dobby paused to let the information sink in. "So Dobby came to Harry Potter, sir!".
Fury engulfed Harrys face. Dumbledore and Snape planning to put him in Danger. This put all his adventures in Hogwarts into perspective. The philosopher stone was bait. They knew about the basilisk. And Remus forgetting that one time to take his wolfsbane potion. No this was planned, just like they are planning right now.
Ron and Hermione would want to go to Dumbledore. But if Dumbledore is on the same page, to whom shall he go? Sirius? He is practically imprisoned in his own home. By Dumbledore no less.
Remus? Although he is helpful, he never supported him while he was younger. And wasn't really supportive of one of his best friends. Well, he thought he helped kill my parents, but he should at least confronted Sirius about it.
"Thank you Dobby. This information helps. Now I only need to figure out what to do, to prevent this."
The following days were more or less like typical school days. What was unusual was Harry actively studying in the library. While Ron only whines about Harrys newfound interest in books, Hermione was happy about it.
For Harry this was rather hard, for he didn't want to share the details of his research project with Hermione. "Please Hermione. I am just interested in the tournament. Why are you so suspicious about it?"
"Just interested is maybe reading about the last challenges or what the people afterwards did and so on. Although for the typical boy it would most likely only be reading about the animals seen in the tournaments. But this is more…" here Harry interrupts her. "Listen Hermione. I finally found fancy in reading, as strange as it may be, please don't ruin my fun." Yeah, guild tripping should hold a while.
"Dobby, do you hear me?" pop "Master Harry Potter, sir! Calls Dobby?" "Yes Dobby, I am not sure if you can help, but I need a place to study without my friend's knowledge. And ideally it should have books out of the restricted section. Actually it would be awesome if you could get me into the restricted section."
"Dobby no use in getting in restricted section. But why do master not use come and go room?" "I am sorry, what?" "Come and go room. Room comes and goes and can be what is needed. Elvses use this room to store forgotten thingsies if people want them back." "Huh, this sounds interesting. Can you show me?"
Half an hour later Harry stands before a silly painting. One of the only ones that doesn't move. "And where is the room now?" "Youse needs to walk left and right of this painting thinking of the room you want. And on the other side the door to the room will appear."
"Walking to and fro he thinks 'I want a room with books that explain how the goblet of fire works. I want a room with books…'" upon the third time a door actually appears. Entering he finds a little study room with a large desk, a comfortable chair and a stack of books. The books are looking old and dusty. Must have been from the restricted section.
After a week of studying he stumbles over a special passage.
The way the cup imposes sanctions to rule breaking is truly unique in its mechanics. Some criminals, depending on the crime, are getting their magic bound and banished from the wizarding world. It is no truly final solution, for the magic can be unbound with external help.
The latest champion to get punished was in 1459. He got early on information of the first challenge, fighting a manticore, and wanted to bail out. Upon not participating the champion literally caught fire and the cup burned his magic. It is controversial of the magic is stored in the blood or in the soul or somewhere else entirely. But as the champion wasn't banned from the wizarding world he and his family later on tried everything to get his magic back. Without success. Since then it is confirmed, that the cup is the only magical object in the known existence that can get rid someone of his magic.
People studied the cup and came to an astonishing insight. The initiation of the process of destroying the magic is caused by the spectators. How the cup interact with the spectators or not is unclear. But the cup calls out a name and due to the knowledge of the spectators finds the appropriate champion (to punish). It forms a loose connection to the champion. This connection is what it uses to punish the champion later on.
It has been experimented with names of people the spectators didn't know and it is the only variable that may save people if their name comes out of the cup.
It is unknown how old the cup truly is, for the goblins refuse to deliver that information. But it is suspected the goblins used the cup for death matches. Historians assume the three challenges was a
"DOBBY!" "Yes?" "Hear this… After knowing this, do you think we could simply put Voldemorts name into the cup and be done with him? It doesn't say how it gets rid of the magic of someone. But as I am sitting near the cup and know Tom, the contract should form and since he has no body cant perform and the cup shall punish him!" He beams. "Now we just have to make sure, no one enters my name. And ideally switch the name to be entered to be Voldemorts." "Dobby can do!"
On Halloween the cup is lit. Ron drones on and on of the eternal glory. Harry scoffes "Eternal glory my ass. I read some people assume the cup was used to determine death matches for criminals. People that hat commited such crimes that usually are punished with death. But they had a choice. They could enter the challenges of the cup and either die for spectators or survive and be free. I guess the challenge for the organizers was to make it hard enough, so no one survived."
That shut Ron up. "No way! Truly?" Hermione is scandalized. "That was what you were reading?" "Yes it was. Rumor is the cup is the only artefact that truly can rid you of your magic. People can bound it. But it can be unbound. But once you are punished by the cup, your magic is gone. Think of it. Enter the name of all the dark lords that plague the world in, make the tournament a sure death trap and the world would be safe. Such a weapon and people use it for games at a school? Wizards are stupid!"
The chosen champions for the school did not surprise. Dumbledore did a good show of being surprised their was a forth champion. But he plugged the piece of paper out of the air and read aloud "Tom Marvolo Riddle" and his face ashened. "Who put that name into the cup?" He yelled into the hall. But his eyes never left the cup. Waiting for Harrys name to show up.
Unknown to the people around the cup formed his connection to Fleur, Cedric and Krum but also to the scar of Harry. People began to mutter about a faulty cup. But Ron and Hermione stared at Harry. He only shrugged his shoulders "What? Either it works as I have read or it doesn't. Doesn't hurt to try!"
Ron begins to redden in his face. Hermione beams. "That was positively Slytherin of you Harry!" At that Harry speaks fast. "Maybe. But tell me what chance do I have against an strong, educated and experienced and almost immortal dark Lord? With my 14 years to boot. Hearing of this I had to try." Switching his gaze to Ron "Don't come with 'Why didn't you help me get into the tournament. I just told you I think it is a death trap.' And I am not helping a friend enter a death trap. Besides all I did was asking a house elf for aid. You could have thought of that yourself." That shut him up.
I wonder why I think of so many ways to shut my friends up. Cannot be normal can it? I hope Dobby makes sure that the DADA teacher does not report to Voldi.
On the November 24th Harry is giddy watching the tournament. Who would have thought of bringing dragons against schoolchildren. Even if the children are all 17. Surprisingly they all do a rather good job. I really have to study more. Studying for the problem with the tournament saved my neck. Facing a dragon is really not on of my favourite pastimes.
The organizers now called for Tom to participate. Whoever he might be. The Daily Prophet sure had made his own assumptions. But no one did think of checking old alumina of Hogwarts. He left to party with Dobby. The little one sure did deserve a party for him.
As the judges call the challenge for over and Tom non competing a unimageable pain erupted from his scar. If someone would be near he would see blue fire encasing his scar. But it didn't just affect his scar. It affected all pieces of Voldis soul. Every horcrux burned. And after it stopped burning only a little black smoke left the objects.
Unlike the destruction due to damage of the horcrux the burning of the magic of the soul weakened the soul pieces this much, they had nothing to hold on to life anymore. Only Harry was the exception. Upon loosing its magic, the piece of soul in Harry was absorbed by his soul and magic. It gave him such an information overload he lost consciousness.
The morning after he awoke. Dobby brought him to his bed and helped him through the night. But with all the knowledge that Tom has accumulated, Harry changed. Not to the evil person Tom was. But he pretty much lost his naivite.
"Dobby, do you want to be my houseelf? I want to rebuild the Potter family and I cannot think of someone better to aid me." "DOBBY IS HONOURED SIR!" the little one cried. "There there Dobby. You more than earned it. You saved me. Again!"
After a few more minutes. "Come on. The day does not get younger. Do you want to spy a bit on Dumbledore and get to know why he is so bend on killing me?"