~Everything's Not What It Seems~
Alex and Justin are siblings sent to Hogwarts to learn about magic just like their father. There they meet new friends, fall in love, and find out that truly everything is not what it seems.
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling and Disney Channel own the right to all these character. I am only borrowing them :)
"You ready for the interview with Rita Skeeter?" Harry asked Justin as they walked to the tent where the champions were meeting.
"I guess. I looked at a few of her articles… I'm kind of worried about her questions." Justin responded, a nervous expression on his face.
"I'm sure it should be fine." He hoped anyway. Harry patted him on the back as they entered the tent.
Despite there being so many people in the room, including the three other champions Justin and Harry would be facing, the first thing Harry noticed as he entered the tent was Alex. She was seated on a chair in the corner of the room while Dumbledore spoke to her cheerfully. Alex seemed distracted as she stared at a crack on the floor in front of her. She looked up as the headmaster greeted them, forcing a smile as Justin and Harry approached them.
"What are you doing here Alex?" Justin looked at his sister suspiciously as they stopped in front of her chair.
"Dumbledore has me on lockdown today. He's concerned I'll get into some sort of trouble." Alex explained. Harry noticed that despite Alex's nonchalant manner, she looked exhausted. She looked up at the headmaster expectantly
"Today is not a day for Alex to get into her troublesome antics. I thought it was only appropriate that she spend the day being watched by the headmaster himself." Professor Dumbledore smiled, looking down at Alex.
"What he really means is that I refused to spend the day with Professor Snape because he was in a bad mood. And apparently skipping was not an option I am allowed. It's embarrassing enough that I'm going to be in the professor stands rather than the Gryffindor ones." Alex looked at Professor Dumbledore again.
"I guess it is a wise choice." Justin said as he nodded towards the headmaster.
"Bite me."
"I think I'll leave the biting to the dragons."
Alex's head shot up as she looked from Justin to Harry in shock. He could see the fear in her eyes as she thought this through and the information really sunk in. Justin must have forgotten to tell her about the first challenge.
"You're going to face dragons?!"
"It seems you two somehow figured this out before the challenge?" Dumbledore said as he looked at them with a raised eyebrow.
"We heard them... last night." Justin shrugged as he placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "We're going to be okay Alex, don't worry."
"How can I not worry? They're freakin dragons! If this is only the first challenge, how much worse are the next two challenges?"
Alex buried her face in her hands, taking deep breaths to calm herself. Justin kneeled down beside his sister, looking up at Harry in panic. Harry desperately wanted to help Justin comfort Alex, but he knew that it would only make things worse. He looked to the other end of the room at the other champions, noticing that Cedric's eyes were watching Alex warily. He didn't make any attempt to join them, which confirmed Harry's suspicions that Alex had told him about the kiss. As he thought about this, Cedric's eyes moved to Harry. His expression turned cold as their eyes met and he abruptly turned away and returned to his conversation with Victor.
"Alex, don't worry. My American wizard training should give me an edge that the others don't have." Justin assured Alex as he rubbed her back.
"And I have my broom skills. That should help." Harry added.
Alex finally looked up, her eyes looking more exhausted and panicked than before. She looked past Harry, her eyes most likely looking for Cedric.
Harry sighed, kneeling down beside her and resting a hand on her knee. "I'm sure Cedric will be fine too. He's one of the most brilliant students of his year."
"I told him about the dragons this morning. That should have given him enough time to plan for something." Justin whispered so only Alex and Harry could hear. "I don't know what's going on between you and Cedric, but I knew you'd want him to be prepared."
"Thank you Justin." She smiled at her brother. "And thank you Harry." She looked at Harry with a small smile.
"We'd better get you to the stands. Severus should have a seat reserved for you beside him. I will join you both shortly." The headmaster said as he looked down at Alex. Alex only nodded before making her way towards the exit of the tent. As she walked out, someone else entered the tent. Harry stared as a thin woman with curly, blonde hair and glasses joined them. She tilted her glasses slightly as she scanned the room. When her eyes fell upon the other champions, a delighted smile formed on her lips. She snapped her fingers and a floating notepad appeared behind her followed by a man holding a camera.
"Sorry for my late entrance but I had to look my best to see the champions. I also apologize for not being the one to interview you all after the announcement of the champions, I had other plans." She scanned the room again, smirking wider as her her eyes fell on Justin and Harry.
"You two must be Justin Russo and Harry Potter. The youngest of the champions. Rita Skeeter, as you should already know. I guess since my eyes fell on you two first, I will interview you two first?" As she said this, she grabbed onto Harry's arm and pulled him towards the corner of the room. Harry looked back to see Justin staring after him in concern.
"Harry?" He turned back to Rita, who motioned him to join her in the seat opposite hers. He sat down and looked at her with a blank expression. He just had to talk to her long enough to bore her so she'd end the interview.
"Alright, so the boy who lived is the first to be interviewed. Tell me Potter, how does it feel to be the only one in the competition without parents? Does it worry you that if you die, you will be the end of your family?"
Harry took a breath. Stay calm. "I guess it's sad that I don't have parents… I miss them but I know that for their sake I need to live my life to the fullest because they are the reason I am alive today."
"So you feel that even though your parents sacrificed their life for you, you don't owe them anything and need to enjoy your life?"
"No, that's not what I said!"
"Are your friends supportive of you participating in this competition?"
"I think they are. My friend Justin is in the competition. His sister Alex wasn't pleased at first but she is fine with it now. My friend-"
"Alex?" Rita cuts him off before he can say anything. "Who is this Alex that you speak of? A lover?"
"No, she's Justin's sister and one of my closest friends." Idiot! Why did he bring up Alex?
"Hmmm, many of Harry's friends are rooting for him, especially his friends and opponent Justin Russo, as well as Justin's sister, Alex Russo. Though Harry denies it, his flushing face and his emphasis on his proximity to Alex tells all that Harry has intimate feelings for his close friend."
Harry looked at Rita in disbelief as she finished her statement. He looked at the quill and floating notepad behind her to see the quill moving quickly against the paper. "Hey! What's being written on there?"
"Do you think your participation in this tournament is your plea for attention that you never got as a child?"
"What? No! Of course not! I don't even know how I got entered in the tournament!"
"Of course you don't!" Rita winked at him with a smirk as she looked to the notepad again. "Harry gives a rebellious smirk as he answers this. You know what, I believe I got what I need. Thank you Harry."
"What? But you got nothing!" Harry stood up ready to protest more but was cut off by a sudden flash that momentarily blinded him. As he adjusted his eyes, he found Rita had already made her way across the room to pull Justin to another corner. Good luck Justin, Merlin knows you need it.
~~~~~
"Justin Russo, complete nobody, son of an ex-wizard and muggle. Grew up in America and is an American Wizard. Has a little sister who is dating-"
"Cedric Diggory." He interrupted Rita. She stared at him with a pleased smile. He couldn't have already messed up. Right?
"Your sister Alex is dating Cedric Diggory, the other champion in the Triwizard Tournament?"
He nodded in doubt. "Yes, she is."
"And she is also good friends with Harry Potter?"
"Yes." He nodded again.
"Are you in a relationship with anyone at the moment?"
"Yes I am. I am dating Ginny Weasley."
"Any other ladies catch your eye at this school, or maybe in another school?" Rita looked at him suggestively.
"No."
He frowned as Rita looked at him in displeasure. He wasn't about to give in to her game.
"I heard you are a smart one, am I right?"
"Yes, I had amazing marks in muggle school and even in wizarding school."
Rita's smile widened. "Justin, you may already know, but I have friends in high and low places. I happened to have a friend who got me into the admission records for Hogwarts. I learned that your name and your sister's name had been on the list to attend this institution since you were children. But, for some reason, you both enrolled into Hogwarts only recently. Care to explain?"
Justin stared at her dumbstruck. The smile on her lips grew as she studied his apparent discomfort. She wasn't getting anything out of him. Not if he had anything to say about it.
"Our parents didn't want to send us overseas and separate us. So they decided to send all three of us to Hogwarts once our youngest brother, Max, was old enough to enroll as well." Justin looked at Rita with a confident smile.
"But yet Max Russo was only recently added to Hogwarts enrollment list. As a matter of fact, he was added right before his first year started. Care to explain why he wasn't always on the list, like you and your sister?" Rita looked at him expectantly.
"No. I have no explanation for this." He replied through clenched teeth.
"Justin looks away, a secret apparently hidden in his expression. What the secret is, only time will tell." Rita clapped her hands together in excitement. "Thank you Justin for your time, I think I have what I need." Rita stood up, still smiling as she stepped away from Justin. He forced a smile as the photographer held the camera to take a quick picture before following Rita to her next victim.
"She got you, didn't she?" Harry asked as he approached Justin.
"I worry what that article will say." Justin sighed as he turned to Harry.
"You and me both Justin, you and me both."
Updated. Lots of Changes to this chapter!
