A Year to Remember
By Izzy
Part 3:Round One
The next day, the Goblet of Fire had been placed in the Entrance Hall, and when Harry and Ron went down to the Great Hall the next morning, they found Hermione talking with a stiff old witch in black robes. She beckoned them over.
"This is Mrs. Rachel Black," Hermione explained, "Headmistress of the Rhine Witch's and Wizard's School. She just put her school's name in the Goblet, and decided to stay for breakfast. Mrs. Black, this is Ron, and this is Harry."
"Harry?" Mrs. Black leaned over and pushed away the hair on Harry's forehead and took a good look at his scar.
"Harry Potter." She spoke as if it didn't impress her.
"So," said Ron, "you were the first one here."
"Actually," said Hermione, "there were two more people here, but they left. And here comes a third person."
She gestured to a wizard sitting down at the Hufflepuff table.
By the time they were done with breakfast, they had seen three more in the Great Hall, and happened apon a fourth Headmaster on thier way to Potions.
But they barely noticed the fifth apon exiting Potions, because of something had happened that had never happened before:Snape had given Malfoy a detention.
"Did you see the way he kept looking at Snape?" Harry was saying. "Pure loathing. The same look he gave me on the train."
Hermione looked thoughtful. "Well, Snape was Dumbledore's spy amoung the Death Eaters. No doubt he would know perfectly well Malfoy was acting on his own free will. And he may hate you, Harry, but I'd bet 100 galleons he hates Voldemort even more. Likewise, Malfoy would hate him as spy and traitor."
"Who cares?" asked Ron. "If it makes things harder for Malfoy. Harry, are you allright?"
"Go away," Harry cried out.
"What?" demanded Ron, stunned.
"Not you...*him*..."
"Him?" Ron and Hermione looked around, but the Headmaster was gone. They were now along in the corridor. "Who?"
But Harry was beyond hearing. He could hear the voice now...
"Come, Harry Potter, come...finish what you started..."
"No..."
"It was to the death...you want to kill me, I can feel it..."
"NO!" Harry screamed, and he collasped, his scar on fire.
"Harry!" Hermione's voice cut across the pain. "What's wrong?"
"Voldemort...calling to me...challenging, taunting..." He pulled himself to his feet. "I'm allright."
"No you aren't! Not if You-Know-Who can speak to you. You need to tell Dumbledore!"
"I will." he replied. "Later."
"Don't give me that!" snapped Hermione. "You are going strait up to his office right now." And she grabbed him and started to drag him in the direction of Dumbledore's office.
He pulled himself free. "Later." he snarled, and stomped away.
"He's never used that tone of voice before," said Ron slowly. "And he looked terrible."
A week or so later...
"How will the Goblet hold all those names?" wondered Elaine out loud, as she Gabrielle made their way into to thier first flying lesson. A whole crowd of strangers, persumably there to submit thier schools, had just passed them by.
"They burn up in the flames-duh!" came a voice from behind them. "What, don't you know anything?"
Gabrielle and Elaine turned. Standing there was Slytherin Lindsey Aldant. Several girls whom they recognized as other first-year Slytherins stood behind her.
"What are you doing out here?" demanded Elaine before she could stop herself.
"Flying lessons. My, you're slow." replied Aldant. "Flying's a Double class, remember?"
Anger swelled up in Gabrielle, but she surpressed it. "Lessons will start soon. We should go." She and Elaine started to walk away.
Aldant ran after them. "Not going to stay and talk?" she demanded, sounding very offended.
"We don't want to talk weeth you." Gabrielle didn't care if she offended Lindsey Aldant. She knew enough to know Aldant was not worth bothering with.
"'Weeth' me? What does that mean?" The Slytherin girls hooted with laughter.
"Thaire ees nothing wrong wiz my accent." growled Gabrielle. There was a fury rising within her, and with it, an odd feeling of strength.
"I can't understand you," sang Lindsey, and something within Gabrielle snapped. There was an undeniable power rising inside her she had never felt before, and she felt herself changing. Heat rose in her hands, she need only reach out and strike...
Aldant was backing away. "V-v-veela! You're a Veela!"
No doubt afraid of my great power. Such a puny little female. She shivered in anticipation of showing her strength. The girl turned and run. She must know that won't save her. Swifter then she had ever able to move, Gabrielle ran after her. She would overtake her, and she would burn her. She would not hurt her seriously, there was no need to do that. On second thought, she stopped. The girl was away, she was no longer a threat. There was no need to use any more intimidation on her.
She had won. Tossing back her head, she released a crow of triumph. She heard someone cry out. Someone a little too close. Perhaps she should-
Then suddenly something warned her there was someone behind her. She turned around and found herself staring into a pair of hardened eyes. This female was much older, and she quickly realized she could not defeat this female. This female was not afraid.
A sharp voice spoke. "Listen to me. You are Gabrielle Delacour. Gabrielle. Focus on Gabrielle. Be Gabrielle. Resano!"
Gabrielle. Yes, she remembered now. She was Gabrielle. Slowly she felt herself changing back, the power seeping out of her, and she became Gabrielle.
She could hear Elaine talking. "Professor McGonagall, it was Lindsey Aldant. She-"
"She attacked me!" yelled Aldant, who had returned. "She's a beast!"
"Gabrielle didn't touch her! She-"
"Miss Sarpan, Miss Aldant, get to class, both of you. Miss Delacour, come with me."
Gabrielle followed Professor McGonagall up to the castle without protest. She was in a daze, filled with wonder-and fear. She knew well there was a chance she was going to be expelled, but somehow that seemed the least of her worries.
She knew well what had happened. She had turned into the hawk monster that Veela became when they got angry enough. It had happened to her mother plently of times, and she and Fleur had both had to learn a spell to reverse the transformation. Professor McGonagall had also known this spell, and used it to restore her to her senses. But if Professor McGonagall had not been there...
The thing that confused her the most is how she could do it. Neither she nor Fleur had been able to before.
So wrapped up was Gabrielle in her thoughts that she paid little attention to where Professor McGonagall was taking her. She was vaguely aware of corridors and a moving staircase. Finally McGonagall led her into a large circular room and told her to wait.
A brief inspection of the room made her realize she was in Dumbledore's office. Suddenly the chance of her being expelled seemed much more worrisome then what had happened to her.
A minute or so later Dumbledore entered. Gabrielle's gaze involuntarily fell down to her feet.
"Sit down," he said gently. She sat in the chair opposite his desk, still looking down.
"Now, according to Professor McGongall, you, in a toned-down form of a Veela-hawk, was chasing a very frightened Lindsey Aldant. Can you explain how that happened?"
Gabrielle, slowly, began to explain how Aldant had been teasing herself and Elaine. "And then-I just lost control. I-" she stopped, unable to find words to describe her transformation.
"You turned into the hawk."
Gabrielle nodded. "I deedn't mean to-I just...deed. And the 'awk's mind took ovair. And eet saw Aldant as a zreat, just like a predator or a strange female...eet wanted 'er gone."
"So you chased her away."
"And zen Profeessor McGonagall used a spell 'o surpress ze 'awk mind, and allowed me to reassert myself." Gabrielle finished.
"Has this ever happened to you before?"
"No. Eet 'appened 'o my muzzer plently of zimes, but she was 'alf-Veela. Eet 'az nevair 'appened 'o either my seester or myself before." She looked up for the first time. He didn't look angry. Instead, he was gazing at her thoughtfully. "'Ow deed eet 'appen now? Do you know?"
"You have not been taught much about your grandmother's race, have you Gabrielle?" That he called her "Gabrielle" and not "Miss Delacour" surprised her, but she kept silent. "Veela are amoung the most sensetive creatures on Earth. If they are in a place with enough magic in the air, thier abilities are enhanced. Your being at Hogwarts has given you the ability to transform."
"But my seester! She deedn't-"
"The results of a hybrid are very unpredictable, Gabrielle. It is not at all surprising that you would have an ability your sister would not."
"Ability? Professor, you must realize eef Professor McGonagall had not happened 'o get thaire, I would 'ave attacked everyone. My 'ability' is dangerous."
"It is dangerous because you do not know how to control it. I suggest you learn how from Professor Solen." Professor Solen was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. "She can also charm you to prevent your transformation, so that you don't lose control again."
Gabrielle left the office her fears gone, and her wonder increased, at more then one thing.
Meanwhile, in Potions...
"Ron, pass me the dragonflies?" asked Hermione, and Ron obliged, scooping up a handfull of dead dragonflies and handing them to her.
"Thank you." she said calmly. Taking a knife, she began carefully cutting the wings off.
Only for a moment, Ron told himself, but suddenly he found himself transfixed by Hermione's fingers. He could stare at her for hours, and never get bored. There seemed to be an infinite beauty in the way she deftly manipulated her knife. He could see her beautiful face in his mind's eye, her brow furrowed in concentration-
"Weasley, what are you looking at?"
Snape had made his way over to them.
Ron turned red, looked down, and started furiously slicing the wings off his dragonflies.
"Ten points from Gryffindor." said Snape. "And five more, Potter, you should have kept him on task."
Still red, Ron glared after Snape. It's not just anger. Harry realized. He was looking at Hermione. This swept away any doubt Harry might have had. Ron had it very bad for Hermione.
Well he's definitly in love. Hermione thought. But is it with me? And then, Do I want it to be?
The second question bothered her the rest of the day.
That evening...
There were more strangers, persumably submitting thier schools as usual, at dinner. One of them sat at the Gryffindor table and dazzled the younger students with tales of the Quidditch Cup. Gabrielle and Elaine alone weren't listening, Gabrielle was telling Elaine about her meeting with Dumbledore, and then with Professor Solen.
"He wasn't there," said Ron after listening to him for a few minutes. "Krum did a Wronski Feint, not a Dinov Swerve. And that's only for starters."
Just then Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil plopped down next to Ron. "So tell us, Ron, who's the lucky girl?" said Parvati.
"Huh?" asked Ron.
"Come on." sighed Lavender. "We know already it's someone in our year, and either someone in Gryffindor or Slytherin. Who are you in love with?"
"I'm not in love with anyone," insisted Ron.
"Don't deny it! We saw you in Potions. You are in love. Is it me, Parvati, Hermione, Millicent Bulstrode, Blaise Zabini, Morgana Nott, or Pansy Parkinson?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Lavender. Noone could like Pansy Parkinson."
"It isn't anyone!" Ron got up, red in the face. "Excuse me!"
"Ron, wait," Harry got up and went after him.
He found him in the Entrance Hall, sitting at the bottom of the stairs. He looked up.
"It's Hermione, isn't it?"
Ron barely nodded. "How long have you known?"
"Since last year, by the way you reacted when Krum died-I know enough about you to know you had to be in love with her to comfort her like that."
There was a few moments silence. Then Ron spoke again.
"Remember Rita Skeeter, and how she made everyone believe there was a love triangle between you, Hermione, and Krum? She'd be amazed to see what a story slipped through her fingers. Because there was a love triangle, and it did involve Hermione and Krum, but you weren't the third person. I was."
"That long ago?"
"Well, I didn't know it at the time. It's almost funny. Noone involved was aware of what was really going on. I don't think Krum ever knew-at least I hope he didn't. Hermione didn't knew and still doesn't. And I didn't realize it until Krum had been dead for over a month."
"You didn't know when Krum had died, and you still-"
"I didn't think about how I felt about Hermione except that I couldn't bear to see her in pain," said Ron softly. He got up and started to climb the staircase. Harry followed. "Didn't start to think until the month after. Now I wonder why I hadn't figured it out before."
"So, aren't you going to tell her?"
"I don't know. Last year I never dared, because I thought she was still sad over Krum. Now I'm just trying to pull my courage together."
"Pull it together quickly," Harry advised. "Hermione's an attractive woman, and there's another Triwizard Championship coming up. And there's probably another Viktor Krum who could get to her, and you've got to get to her first."
"Well..."
"Listen, I nearly lost my chance with Cho because I didn't act fast enough. And this is our last year of school, so if someone beats you to Hermione, that's it, you've lost your chance."
"I know, but..."
"I know Hermione cares very deeply about you, Ron. She could handle it if you told her. I think she's suspecting already. It seems to me it would better if she found out from you then on her own."
They halted at the top of the staircase. "So," said Harry, "why don't we go back down these stairs and back into the Great Hall, and you tell Hermione everything you've just told me?"
Ron shook his head. "With Lavender and Parvati there? I'll never hear the end of it."
"Good point. Okay. But do tell her soon."
"I will." said Ron. "Because you're right, she's gonna notice. I'm amazed I got away with only people knowing I'm in love and not who with this time. Next time-"
The following morning...
"Uh, good morning, Dean."
"Uh, good morning, Parvati."
From across the the table, Lavender leaned past Harry and whispered to Ron, "Well, whomever you're in love with, I hope it isn't Parvati. She's got enough love problems as it is."
"That is true," said Ron neutrally.
Hermione sat opposite him, eating her breakfast. He still had not told her. I could tell her now, he realized. Whisper it in her ear. She's smart enough not to let Lavender know...no, she wouldn't take me seriously.
Just then they heard the whistle of wings, and everyone looked up as the owls came flying in. One owl dropped a copy of The Daily Prophet into Hermione's hands. A second owl flew to Neville, dropping something he'd no doubt forgotten. A third owl flew up to Harry, carrying a letter. Wondering who would write to him, Harry opened it.
"Hmph," murmered Hermione, "it seems Rita Skeeter wasn't such a loss, there's another reporter filling her role very well-hey, who's the letter from, Harry?"
"Eet's probably about 'im 'aving 'o attend ze Tournament," said Gabrielle. A letter had arrived for her as well, by her sister's owl Talthybius. "Fleur wrote zelling me she had to." Then she became absorbed in her sister's letter.
"It is," Harry said. He showed them the letter. "They've set all the dates except the one for the last task."
"Speaking of the tournament," Ginny pointed to the entrance, "here comes the crowd."
She was referring, of course, to the usual crowd of Headmasters from other schools who had just put more names in the Goblet. Those who took advantage of Hogwarts hospitality and ate after submitting thier schools had for some reason taken to entering together.
"How many magic schools are there in the world?" wondered Elaine as they went into the Entrance Hall., the first-years on thier way to Potions, and the seventh-years on thier way to Herbology.
"Thousands," answered Hermione. "Hogwarts is the only one in Great Britian, but we are pretty small. In France, for instance, there are at least three different schools:there's one in Normandy, there's a relativly new school a little north of the Pyrenees, and of course there's Beauxbatons, which is supposed to keep it's location concealed but I think has to be somewhere in France. I think the country with the largest number is the USA, it has at least a hundred-"
"Over a hundred," answered Hannah, who had joined them, along with Ernie MacMillian and Justin Finch-Fletchley. "I don't remember the exact number anymore, but Alfred, a friend of mine, had to find out the exact number once. Wrote to me about it. Did you know there are five schools is Alaska? Of course, none of them are half as big as Hogwarts."
"No wait," murmered Hermione, "Russia has the most. Over-"
"I hate going to Potions," commented Elaine, for now they had to split thier seperate ways.
"Hey, at least you have it with the Ravenclaws," replied Ron. "We have to deal with the Slytherins and Snape together."
Ernie gave his sympathies. "It's hard enough when Snape doesn't like the other half any more then he dislikes your half, and he dislikes Ravenclaw about as much as he dislikes Hufflepuff. I can only imagine what it must be like with the Slytherins."
"And he hates Gryffindor most of all," added Ron. "At least Ginny insists he does. Sixth-years Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs have Potions together, so she would know."
"Harry! Harry!"
Lavender Brown came running up to him.
"Kevin's agreed to be an alternate Beater." She and Parvati had become Beaters for the Gryffindor Quidditch team after the Weasly twins had graduated.
Harry nodded. "I'll test him this weekend with Natalie. And tell Ginny she's Seeker for sure, because I'm expected to attend the Tournament whatever happens."
"Really?" asked Hannah. "How did that come about?"
He pulled out the letter and showed it to the three Hufflepuffs. "I see," said Hannah. She lowered her head and did not speak for the rest of the trip to the greenhouse.
In the week before the Selection...
In the week before the Selection, there was a similar atmosphere to the one three years ago when the Triwizard Tournament had been hosted at Hogwarts. That in all likelihood Hogwarts would be hosting for one night only could not have occured to anyone.
Harry meanwhile, had his hands full as Quidditch Captain. First was his replacement. Ginny had volunteered very early on to be Seeker. And like oldest brother, like youngest sister, she was pretty good. Harry found himself training her the hardest. He even considered buying her a better broom then her handed-down Cleansweep Five. And she always seemed to want to go further then he wanted to the push her. When he asked her about it one night after practice, she replied,
"I'm a Weasley, Harry. But noone's ever expected as much out of me as they do out of my brothers for some reason. But every time I hear Malfoy mock my family, I think, 'His family has more money, but we've got more talent.' But talent needs to be proven. I need to prove I can do it. But all I've done is gotten hypnotized by a younger version of You-Know-Who and nearly destroyed the school. I can't let people remember me like that! With Ron graduating, it's up to me to make sure the Weasleys leave with a bang, and not a whimper. That-" She continued on for quite some time, leaving Harry with a new sense of respect and admiration for the girl.
But Ginny wasn't the only new player. Since both Lavender and Parvati had shown interest in entering the Tournament, there were two alternate Beaters, just in case. Third-year Kevin Nickelson and Fourth-year Natalie MacDonald had to be trained together, and each of them with Lavender and Parvati, because Harry knew well a pair of Beaters needed to be able to work well together. He trained them together a little more then with Lavender and Parvati, however, when he remembered that whatever happened this year, they were sure to take over permanently next year.
And although he knew that none of the three Chasers, Victor Eggleton, Benjamin Randall, and William Gordan, or Dennis Creevay, the Keeper, would be entering the Tournament, all of them being too young, he found himself training them hard as well, while he still could.
The morning of September 28...
When the students entered the Great Hall for breakfast, they found six tables, instead of the usual five. The sixth table was already half-full with foreign Headmasters and Headmistresses.
"At the rate they're coming," commented Ron, "they'll need to put a seventh table out tonight."
They were halfway through breakfast when Gabrielle suddenly jumped up and ran to the entrace to greet her sister. The two of them walked down to the Gryffindor table, talking in French.
"So you're Elaine?" asked Fleur after a couple of minutes.
"And you're Gabrielle's sister." replied Elaine. "Previous Triwizard Champion."
"Ah, yes, the one who hoodwinked the Goblet. No other way she could have gotten in" came an unwelcome voice.
"Oh great," sighed Lavender, "not Malfoy."
"You should be the one to speak," Fleur replied coolly to Malfoy, was indeed standing next to the table. "I believe you are a Slytherin, and that they cheat quite often. And then baselessly accuse. Kindly return to your table."
Malfoy gave Fleur a glare, then abruptly snatched up a wand which several people realized instantly wasn't his, and pointed it at her, and barked "Purpuramutere!"
A cloud of smoke issued from the wand, and Malfoy began coughing uncontrollably. He dropped the wand.
Smiling, Gabrielle picked it up. "You should all take note of that." she informed everyone while looking at the coughing Malfoy. "My wand contains an 'air from a Veela, a last geeft from my dear grandmuzzer. And wands containing Veela 'air can somezimes 'ave zeir quirks. Mine obeys noone but myself." She pointed it at her goblet. "Purpuramutere!" The goblet turned a deep purple. "Inverte!" The goblet turned back. She pocketed her wand. "So do not try 'o steal eet." Malfoy staggered off, still coughing.
The entire table burst into applause, and Fleur commented, "It seems you are not the ordinary student, my sister."
"So what are you going to do all day?" asked Harry.
"Sit here, probably," answered Fleur. "It's what everyone's whom I've asked is doing."
"And take up so much space that when the students come in at dinner they have to eat on the floor?" pointed out Lavender.
"I assume the students have seating priority...but I won't be sitting here."
"Where will you be sitting?" asked Hermione.
Harry answered for her. "Up there." He pointed to the staff table. "I mean, you don't think the ex-champions are attending for no reason, do you? We're supposed to judge."
That evening...
Noone could remember the Great Hall ever being more crowded. A seventh table had indeed been set up, but over half of the room was on the floor. There had been a number of arguements over who got the seats. Most of the Hufflepuffs had willingly given their seats over, and were gathered on the floor, while Professor Sprout ran around securing plates and goblets for them. More then once she was stating angrily that even if the students could not have thier chairs, they should at least get the dishes first. The Slytherins, on the other hand, were refusing to give over thier seats, and they and the visitors were yelling angrily at each other.
All of the Gryffindor seventh-years were on the floor. Lavender, Parvati, Ginny, and Neville were by the door yelling hellos to everyone who entered and begging for dishes(and Neville suceeded in gaining two plates and goblets). Dean and the Head Girl, Mandy Brocklehurst, were deep in discussion smack dab in the middle of the room, and were making no attempt to get dishes. Ron, Hermione, and Seamus had found a stop on the wall and were clustered there, then were joined by Harry, who suceeded in getting dishes for them all. Nor did Fleur sit at the staff table; she choose instead to sit as close as she could to the Gryffindor table, where Gabrielle and Elaine had suceeded in getting seats. And still people were coming in, scrunching as best they could. Finally, it seemed everyone was in. Then those that looked up saw house-elves, carefully scanning the ground, persumably to decide where to send the food. Finally they dissapeared, and shortly afterward, Filch suceeded in quieting the room by wading across it holding the Goblet of Fire, until it was completely silent by the time he got to Dumbledore(who had his usual seat at the head of the staff table).
The Goblet was placed in the center of the staff table, and Dumbledore stood up and said, "Good evening, everyone. I'm afraid there is not much we can do about the crowded conditions-"
At this there was a bit of a buzz, and more then one person glared at Hagrid and Madam Maxime, both who were taking up a great deal of space on the floor.
"-but I hope you will enjoy your stay at Hogwarts, however brief it may be." Then he clapped his hands, and dishes laden with food appeared on the tables and wherever on the floor they would fit.
Those without plates and goblets ate directly from the platters and drank directly from the jugs. Some shared plates, and Lavender and Parvati couldn't help notice that with a single dish and goblet between them, Ginny and Neville were aiming thier hands and mouths for each other just as much as for the food, if not more. The two girls giggled as Ginny poked pieces of food into Neville's mouth, only to have him bite down on her fingers, and he tired to same, but usually fumbled and dropped the food on her robes.
Finally the food dissapeared, and Dumbledore stood up again. Silence fell.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Goblet of Fire is almost ready to make it's decision. But so that you may all get a clear view, the Goblet, when it releases the names of the three schools, will be held by the previous winner of the Triwizard Tournament, so will you please let him through."
So Harry got up, and the people around him started to move out of the way. Suddenly every single Gryffindor burst into applause, as did a number of other people. But as Harry passed a clapping Justin and Ernie, he saw Hannah with her head down again, and he felt an old pang of guilt. Cedric should be coming to the front with me. And we should hold the Goblet together. But Cedric was dead, and he was the only one who took the Goblet from the table. The Goblet felt warm. Then suddenly the wood grew hot until he feared his hands would burn, and flames into the Goblet turned red, and sparks flew. Don't let go, don't let go, don't let go-
A single piece of parchment flew out of the Goblet, and Dumbledore caught it. "The Tournament will be held," he announced, "at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic." There was some respectful clapping, but it was obvious many people were displeased that any of the original three schools would be included when there were thousands of schools vying for a chance.
Once again the heat threatened to burn Harry's hands, the flames turned red, and another piece of parchment shot out. One look at Dumbledore's face when he read the parchment, and he knew exactly what the second school was. And indeed, Dumbledore announced, "The second school is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Even though he was standing next to Dumbledore, Harry could not hear anything after the word "Hogwarts" over the uproar. Every student in the hall had burst into clapping and cheering, but the majority of the guests were angry. And once again the Goblet turned red, and Harry was certain he was going to drop it with his hands burnt when one last piece of parchment shot out and Dumbledore caught it. He had to wave for silence before reading, "The third school with be the New York State Wizarding School."
There was applause, and Harry heard Hannah cheering, no doubt glad an American school had been the third school.
"Now," said Dumbledore, "if the Headmasters of Beauxbatons and New York State will proceed into the next room, as will the judges, everyone else may depart."
Everyone got up, only do discover that they could not move due to the crowd. As they pushed towards the entrance, Fleur began pushing the other way. "Excuse me...I need to get through...I need to get through...excuse me..."
Harry could easily see Madam Maxime, who has less trouble then Fleur making her way opposite that of the crowd, but he couldn't spot the New York State Headmaster in the crowd.
The Goblet had gone out. He placed it on the table and headed into the next room.